Not so certain future

Ashford Academy

Lelouch p.o.v.

After hearing the announcement regarding the military's actions in Saitama I walked into my room to get the stolen soldier uniform I used last time.

"Oh, well what's got you looking so serious?" C.C. asked from her lounging position on my bed.

"It seems Cornelia has decided to try and lure out Zero by trying to recreate what happened in Shinjuku."

I started to unpack and lay out the uniform taking stock of everything before moving out to confront my sister.

"You're not falling for the enemies provocation, are you?" C.C. asked now laying on her side looking at me as I worked to get ready to infiltrate the ghetto.

"They went to such trouble to invite me, besides there's something I want to ask Cornelia personally."

That and it may be possible that Claudius is there as well, so I'll be able to get the both of them in one move.

"Destroying Britannia or discovering out who murdered your mother, which is more important to you?" C.C. asked in her typical manner.

"The two are of equal importance, the royal family members are competing with each other to see who will become the next ruler, or rather be forced to fight by that man." I finished with venom.

"But the very thing you hate is what makes Britannia strong. The royal heir who is the best fit to become the next ruler of Britannia is the last one standing." C.C. added pointing out the pros to how Britannia succession is played out.

"Exactly, the weak ones and their cast aside, Britannia is that kind of nation, that kind of world."

It was that same world which cast my sister and me out to fend for ourselves in Japan.

"Survival of the fittest is the most basic rule of all."

"If that's true then what happens to Nunnally?!" I shouted after shutting the case I finished packing the uniform.

"Should I just give up on my sister because she's frail, I refuse to accept that, I'll wipe out that sort of world myself!"

I got up to leave when I saw C.C. holding a gun pointing at me blocking my exit.

"You can't go, Lelouch, you still need to fulfill your part of the bargain so I won't have you dying before that," She said leveling the gun at me.

"Notice what you're saying and what you're doing are contradictory," I said trying to understand this green haired witch's thinking.

"Oh I won't kill you, I'm just going to shoot you in the leg to quiet you down."

What is wrong with this girl to think that as the first thing to try and convince me not to go?

"Now I get it, you can't use geass yourself aren't you?" She flinched after hearing my deduction.

"I'm not surprised, I expected as much, why have me do it when you could have done it yourself." I then took out my own gun to point at her.

"Do you honestly think you can threaten me with a gun?" She asked bored at my attempt to threaten her like bullets were just an annoyance to an immortal.

Well, I'll just have to call her bluff then.

"Yes, I do." I then lifted the gun to my own forehead much to her dismay.

"Until I met you I was dead, nothing but a corpse existing behind nothing but a false guise of life, a life in which I did nothing real. Day to day I went through the motions of living as if I were a zombie and I always had the feeling that I was gradually dying. If I'm condemned to go back to that, then I'd rather…" I pressed the trigger applying the minimum amount of pressure until.

"Stop it!" C.C. had enough of our little game of chicken and put her gun down.

"I see now if it's life without meaning, then that kind of life is just waste for you."

I walked past C.C. planning how I would take down my sister while the green haired immortal was contemplating her thoughts.

Claudius p.o.v

The two hours seemed to pass agonizingly slow to me while everyone else on the bridge was doing their duties and preparing for the assault.

I merely sat back and observed them all. Even after all these years I can't help but think that I'm not needed in this world at all and I'm only here to reduce casualties. Being an emperor seems like a pain in the ass for me and despite knowing the future my future seems Invisible. I'm not a saint but I don't mind helping people and If I could describe myself I would say that I'm just a rich philanthropist. Sometimes I'm tempted to just stay in Britannia and live like the prince I am. Having these thoughts I can't help but shake my head as I decided to focus in the upcoming fight instead.

Nostalgic that thing were starting to move in the plots direction and my knowledge of this world's future will be put to the test, and unsettled because I knew what was coming in the future the good as well as the bad.

If I wanted to change the future, then I needed to act to shift the events that led up to the stories main conflicts.

What would happen when I tried to change things, I couldn't say.

After all, I'm not just a random stranger in the background I'm deep in this, there's no running from it, and the only way to survive is to fight for the future I believe in.

Huh, knowing the future is more of a curse than a blessing I guess, instead of trying to live life to fullest in my new life here I am stuck waiting to see if Lelouch even shows up. Feeling funny I can't help but chuckle.

I had a feeling that he would because everything so far has been to the script so far so I just need to be patient.

"My lady we've finished our initial sweep of the ghetto and have noticed a significantly lower number of elevens than out intelligence suggests," Darlton said from the command board.

I kept my expression neutral as inside I sighed in relief and was thankful that most of the people seemed to have gotten out before or have escaped already.

"Do you think our announcement tipped them off?" Suggested Guilford from his place beside Cornelia.

"Maybe, but we have the ghetto encircled and two hours isn't enough time to mobilize and evacuate that many in such a short amount of time even if they had an escape route." Reasoned Darlton ever the analytical thinker as he looked to my sister who was thinking silently to what this meant.

"Are the terrorists still inside the ghetto?" Asked Cornelia wondering if her attempt to lure out Zero was a bust.

"Yes, we still believe they are located near the center of the ghetto as many of the abandoned residences showed signs of looting according to recon." Said Darlton.

Huh, I guess once you get into terrorism the little things you don't really think about, like stealing from the poor and taking anything they left behind.

"Then we proceed as planned, all forces begin the eradication of the Saitama ghetto!" Commanded Cornelia as she raised her voice and let out a wicked smirk as her inner sadist crept out.

Now that the army has deployed I knew that I had to start pulling out my men to prevent them from being discovered. I sent a discreet nod to Mary, which she returned and walked out of the command center to radio in my orders to the men on the ground.

Saitama ghetto

Naoto p.o.v.

After being given my first real assignment from the prince, I found my way into a car which took me to a location where I met with an escort team who all understood and spoke Japanese, although I was the only native speaker so I was put in charge of communications.

We entered the ghetto known to be the Yamato Alliance's hideout. While I had heard of them, they had a bad rap among those in the resistance movement as radical extremists who acted more like criminals than freedom fighters.

I had never met with them, but rumors were that they didn't care about civilians and sought only to further their own ends. The rumors were affirmed when we got there I hardly believed that any ghetto could be worse than all the others, but Saitama was.

Sure there was poverty, hunger, and poor living conditions. But there was a higher crime rate, which the Yamato Alliance only furthered. Extortion, intimidation, selling drugs, anything that could make this place any worse the Yamato made sure it did.

So to say that I was nervous going in with an undercover Britannian escort, on a secret borderline treasonous mission for Prince Claudius to get the civilians to evacuate before the army can move in was an understatement.

We were dead if they found us out here with no support to speak of, and we were only armed with small arms.

To make matters worse was the fact that the Yamato Alliance had control of half of the ghetto and we had to avoid them from getting news of the evacuation route to protect it from them but also from the Britannian Army when they arrived in three days.

Eventually, I was able to meet with some of the civilian leaders who were the organizers who helped things run as a makeshift local government where the Yamato Alliance hasn't established its total control.

I told them that the army was going to move to the ghetto in three days and told them of a safe route to evacuate. They were hesitant at the information I was giving them thinking maybe I was a spy for the Britannians. So I told them I was Japanese but that had no effect, and saying I was a former resistance member wasn't going to win me any points with them.

As a last ditch effort, I mentioned that we were working with the charity Prince Claudius had helped sponsor that runs the refugee camp in Shinjuku. To my surprise, that got their attention and some seemed to take serious what I was saying.

Huh, so they trust a Britannian prince more than one of their own now huh.

Not that I blame them, what have the resistance ever done for them.

Eventually, after three long days of spreading the word of a Britannian attack I along the other escorts were standing by at the designated secure escape tunnel that led away from the fighting.

When the news broke that the Britannian army had encircled the ghetto, we were swamped with fleeing civilians who rushed to the safety of the tunnel.

Eventually, we established some semblance of order families of the young, the old, and elderly were all making their way out of the encirclement.

However, we were ordered to pull back and guard the other side to prevent our presence from being discovered.

I just had to hope that the army or the resistance wouldn't find their way here so the remaining civilians could escape.

Claudius p.o.v.

I stood in the midst of the command center with my eyes shut still leaning against the wall behind the throne where my sister sat. I had my eyes shut not bothering with the details of what was going on but rather I was listening. I was listening to the communications, reports, and orders that were flying around the room.

There were steady reports of sweeping up numbers, to eradicating homes I had to restrain myself to not lash out at this senseless violence. But if I did it would make things in the future much more difficult to do with Cornelia suspicious of me. So I held my tongue and listened for the sign that this extermination would become a battle.

For the moment, things were somewhat normal and calm, but I was waiting and listening for that one out of place report that would signal the true beginning of this farce of a battle.

"Paladin team lost!"

My eyes shot open after hearing that and in quick succession reports of ambushes and losses came flooding into the command center.

The army was losing badly, as fire teams, Knightmares, and squads were being dispatched by ambush guerilla tactics as well as captured knightmares.

I wasn't the only one taking notice of the terrorist's newfound tactical success, as my sister sat there calmly digesting the situation.

Part of me wanted to praise my sister's calm and taciturn approach, but another wanted to berate her inaction as the army was being quickly destroyed.

"The enemy seems to be using Sutherland's captured from our own forces." A staff officer announced from his place at the tactical display map.

"Just like Shinjuku, has there been any sign of zero?" Asked a few officers who participated in Shinjuku, as they were unnerved at the terrorist's success.

But the enemy's success was just as much the empire's fault as the terrorist's tactics. The Britannian army was the largest and most powerful military in the world, but it lacked the ability to adapt because of the way the military fought its wars. Britannia was a war machine prepared to fight large-scale conflicts and focused on overpowering its enemies through sheer numbers and force. So it didn't surprise me that most of the men we had in the field were finding it difficult to adjust to urban warfare against the hit and run terrorists, their superior firepower meant nothing if they didn't know where the enemy was.

Just as the enemy had destroyed a bridge with a unit of knightmares on it, my sister decided that she was done losing.

"That's enough, order all troops to fall back further damage and casualties serve no point."

"Fall back, with all due respect we can still fight them!"

The disgraced officers quickly protested but my sister dismissed their objections.

"We can't fight them like this." Said Cornelia as Darlton ordered the retreat to the perimeter.

If my memory is right and it has been so far, Lelouch will blend in with the retreating units and try to drive right up next to the G-1.

Arrogance must run in the family if he thought the same tactic would work twice here.

He would either be captured here or C.C. will come to his rescue.

So I continued to silently observe the situation seeing if things were still going according to the script.

As the rest of our forces made their way back, my sister smirked at her attempt to outsmart Zero.

"Zero is no match, I've won." Her declaration confused some, but Darlton along with myself understood her intent.

"Of course, that's why they call Princess Cornelia the goddess of victory," Darlton affirmed my sister's reputation of winning battles and never knowing defeat against inferior opponents.

But when you factor in knightmares it is hard to lose against an opponent who doesn't have any so I call my sister's title a stretch.

"Shall we go then Guilford, my knight?" Cornelia asked her most trusted soldier and personal knight.

"It is my pleasure to serve and obey you my lady," Guilford said with respect and dignity.

He always was a suck up to authority especially my sister, but I couldn't blame the guy when his superior was a beautiful princess. Seeing him like this I can't help but be irritated at him for some reason.

"Brother, I'm somewhat surprised you didn't volunteer to join the fight, you are usually eager to join the fight?" Cornelia asked me.

"I have no interest in a battle that has already been decided dear sister, and I doubt my presence would be necessary, Guilford is more than enough to take care of this rabble," I answered as I met my sister's glance.

"Hmm, for once something we both agree upon little brother," Cornelia stated as Guilford and the rest of my sister's royal guard were rolling into the ghetto.

"One Knightmare left transmitting an IFF in the city area." Said Darlton from the command table.

"Can't we scramble a rescue party, get in contact with it?"

"No, destroy it." My sister's command cut through the officers concerns as Guilford and his squad impaled the imposter terrorist unit killing the pilot and destroying the machine.

So began my siblings back and forth of cat and mouse. I wouldn't call it chess because that would imply that both sides had equal strength and that was as far from the truth than you could get.

What with the all of Lelouch's tactics being predictable and the same as before along with the lack of organization and structure with the terrorists this battle was decided the moment he revealed his forces IFF signals.

"Mission complete, all forces take formation number four." Came from an announcement from an operator on the command deck.

Well, that was faster than I suspected.

"This didn't work out like it did in Shinjuku Zero. So are you still masquerading as one of us, we'll discover who you are very shortly." Came the smug voice of my sister that was savoring another pointless victory that she could add to her spotless record.

"Attention all forces open your hatches and reveal your faces." Commanded Cornelia, who was sure that she had outsmarted Zero and had him cornered.

Guilford and the royal guard began checking the pilots one by one as they drove by in their knightmares. Until they stopped at one Knightmare whose pilot hadn't come out yet.

So there you are Lelouch, all it would take is one word from me and they would tear you out of that knightmare and so many problems in the future would be avoided, however, I would be out of luck when it came to knowing the future.

After a quick inner debate, I decided to sit back and watch for now, as it was still too soon to make a drastic move like getting rid of Zero and Lelouch yet.

"Zero's been sighted!" Came a voice on the radio that the camera shifted to that direction where we saw Zero standing on top of a building alone.

"Aha, so I was right Zero does have a flare for the dramatic," Cornelia said as her forces moved in to capture Zero.

But really after what he did to save Suzaku you couldn't be any more obvious saying that Zero has a love of the theatrics and setting up dramatic set pieces. It was just that this time pride got the better of him and was quickly dispatched for underestimating the enemy and overestimating his compatriots this time.

As the soldiers opened fire, Zero fell backward beyond the building and began to escape.

"Your Highnesses how do like us to proceed?" Asked Guilford over the radio.

"Hmm, what's the likely hood its a trap?" Asked Cornelia to no one in particular.

"I'd say it's likely a trap, knowing that Zero wasn't in a stolen Knightmare, why did he reveal himself to us just to disappear?" I logically responded which my sister agreed with my tactical analysis.

"Then there's no point in chasing him then order our forces to begin mop up and to pull out within the hour." Ordered my sister as I took my leave slipping out of the con with Mary in town.

Leaving the work to those who were stuck with it, I moved to prepare for the next stage where Zero will show and I know he won't be alone next time.