บท 21: 「Directorate & Coup D'état 」
「Geass Directorate City, Chinese Federation. 0825 August 31, 2017.」
Cera and Graham stood there, in the center of the grand hall leading to the Thought Elevator. The one door which lead out and into the city, remained clear. At least for the first few minutes. The gun had caused a large disturbance in everyday life. The people of this city were unarmed, and the sound of a gun was something foreign to many of ears.
However the sound, the location the sound came from, was what brought great anxiety. Nearly everyone in the highest hierarchy, the men in hoods, knew the Director of their Order was there.
Dark cloaked and hooded men wielding scepters came into the room within the next twenty or so minutes, their movements were cautious. However the moment they saw the woman with Lime green hair and golden eyes, they paused.
Their eyes looked to the former director who lay dead on the ground, no longer raising from the dead. He wasn't moving at all and it was clear, he was never getting back up again. One of them walked over and examined the dead body. They were able to verify that not only that it was V.V. but that he had been murdered by the man casually standing over him without remorse.
Of course this was relatively normal. They experimented on people, disposed of them as they saw fit and generally ruined people's lives in the process of making progress.
Graham proceeded to disassemble the pistol and drop the pieces onto the ground as he did so. He was now unarmed and on the same field as they were. However the first thing one of the men noticed was that V.V. code of Immortality was gone.
Yet the person before them, it wasn't on their face like C.C.'s and it wasn't on their hand. They backed away from him as he began to take off his top, revealing the Code of Immortality on his chest, the wings of the emblem aligning with his collar bone.
He had stolen V.V.'s code, and with this revelation many of them gasped.
Their eyes all shot from him, to the girl. Had she helped him to remove V.V. from the equation, was V.V. the reason she left them? That was when one of the men spoke up, he sounded well into his venerable years.
"My Lady Director... Have you come to return to us?" He sounded desperate for answers, as if he were to collapse at any moment, yet his physical demeanor said otherwise.
"I have returned," Cera responded with a cheeky smile as she stepped forward, placing a hand on her hip. She was dressed in a school girl's uniform, but they obviously seemed to ignore it. "I am taking the Directorate away from the Holy Britannian Empire. Those who stand against this succession will be Eliminated. Once the Empire's presence is removed from the Neo-Japanese Empire's Territory「Area 11」, we will move once more."
Hearing the proclamation of the returning director, they nodded. Many of them were happy, considering what V.V. had been up to, how radical he had made this peaceful organization. Like any other research group under the influence of a government or radical leader, they had been weaponized.
"An Immortal Emperor," one of the hooded men surmised that the Emperor of this Empire was clearly the man who stood beside C.C. in this very room. "How the Chinese Emperors of the past would be oh so jealous."
Graham snickered quietly at the man as he spoke of this and folded his hands behind his back, not bothering to put his top back on. "I'll leave the formalities to you?" He asked as he raised a brow looking at Cera.
Cera looked over at him and blinked a few times, as if complicating on letting him go. He had said that she would never be left alone. In a sense, even if he were to leave now, she wouldn't be alone. He wouldn't die, and he wouldn't fade in time. A small smile formed over her lips and she shooed him. "All is covered here, brat, do what you do."
With a wink, he knelt down and picked up his shirt from the ground, and kicked V.V.'s corpse as he turned on his heel. Suddenly without warning he vanished, much how V.V. was capable of warping himself to other locations, it has now been witness that he had the same prowess.
He reappeared at the surface entrance to the City, surprising a notable handful of unarmed security guards. They all looked over at him, getting into stances ready to defend the city by any means necessary. Even if it meant that they had to fight to the death, but paused.
The symbol on his chest, the code of immortality, made them hesitate. "Who are you?" They all knew C.C. and V.V., but they never met this fellow who seemed to be someone else completely.
Glancing over at them, he simply raised a brow. They were all wearing white attire, they blended well into the desert which surrounded them. "Graham, call me Graham. V.V. is dead, C.C. has retaken her role as Director of the Geass Directorate."
"She's returned to us?" One of the older guards asked for verification, they seemed rather happy with the succession of power, rather choosing to ignore the fact that he said V.V. was now deceased.
"Of course. If she didn't join you, things would've become... complicated." He responded to the question which would raise other questions. He could recall how she had assisted Lelouch in destroying the directorate in the mainstream timeline. He could tell how she felt, as she destroy people she saw as her own and a place she built.
She had centuries for her death wish to be fulfilled, and yet here she was, still alive. She hadn't been replaced by anyone else, it seemed that she was staving it off for some time.
Now her death wish was no more and she now had purpose, in a sense. She had an anchor which wouldn't rust and give way to the sea. They both smiled, even though they were already meters apart, one underground and the other above.
With that, he vanished once again, leaving footprints in the sand with no evidence of having really left. Many of the men backing up in surprise before snickering about it, awkwardly, his use of the ability being rather nerve wracking.
...
「Area 11: Tokyo Settlement, Ashford Academy » Viceroy's Palace. 1100 September 1, 2017.」
Graham who had been missing from the Tokyo Settlement for over a week had resurfaced. Having reacquired his car from Kamine Island, he was able to reenter the Ashford Academy. Making several moves to renovate plans to accompany the changes he was making.
And so, he was going to alter a bit more of things that were going to lead up to the similar events as the mainstream timeline.
Entering the Ashford Academy Council chambers, the room filled with gasps. Lelouch was seated at the table, partially leaned back, before glancing over at what was causing the commotion. His eyes widened seeing the man who had vanished on August twenty second following the Hotel Incident.
"So, finally coming back to the world of the living?" He asked curiously as he leaned forward now, a grin across his lips. In a sense, he was practically dead to the world that knew him until now.
Shrugging slightly, he looked over at Shirley who was looking at him with an awkward smile. Graham gave an awkward smile back to her.
"Meow~"
A voice startled him from behind, causing Graham to jump forward slightly before turning around and looking at a young girl in a wheel chair. "That's... Quite the Arther impression." He snickered as he looked over Nunnally. She overall seemed rather happy, she was spending more time with her brother, less time worrying about him, knowing what he was up to and why.
Nunnally giggled lightly, "Thank you kindly." She tilted her head a bit, looking up at him with violet pining eyes.
Lelouch noticed this almost immediately, while he could partially understand it, he gave the back of Graham's head a deadman's glare. If he didn't have immortality, Graham may have shuddered at the feeling, as a cold touch made its way up his spine. His body still warning him of probable danger.
"Heh..." Graham smiled at her for a bit longer before turning towards Lelouch, "We have an appointment."
Lelouch blinked a few times as he straightened his back a bit, "With who? I don't recall making any appointments. Besides my schedule is –" He was cut off by a sudden change of scenery. They were no longer in the Student Council Chambers. Instead they were in the garage, seated in Graham's car.
"It smells like salt."
"C.C. and I went on a vacation at the bottom of the sea, to find Atlantis." That was a straight up awkwardly sarcastic toned joke which sprouted out of his mouth. It was right off the top of his head and it made Lelouch just give him a look.
"So that's how you escaped from the Hotel? By Car? Or did you do this fancy, point to point trick you just pulled?" Lelouch prodded him in the side with a sharp jab with an index finger.
Graham winced slightly and snickered at his question. "Yup. Put the car in a safe place ahead of time and as the hotel was torn apart by explosives, I took a plunge."
They nodded to one another as Graham started the car and quickly left the place he called home for the time being. He believed that he would be able to make this rebellion work the first time around. Abide, much differently than before.
They needed to drive Britannia off of Japanese soil, even if it was for a little while. In order to do so, he believed he could use Lelouch to do so. All the while, not exposing Lelouch as the mastermind of Zero, but exposing his as Lelouch vi Britannia identity to Cornelia and the already suspecting Euphemia.
It was about a half hour drive before they pulled in through the front. Security was tight, but that was generally no problem for him. They didn't necessarily know the layout, but he knew the two Viceroys would be at the top.
Especially Euphemia since she was generally kept there or brought along with Cornelia whenever they went off somewhere. Especially during the Narita battle and the lot of things that happened recently.
With some resistance, Lelouch allowed Graham to stuff a black cloth bag over his head. While he wore a uniform, it was clear no one suspected a student of being a terrorist as of yet. Considering it wasn't Lelouch who had been seen by Villetta Nu. "You might want to contact Jeremiah," he whispered to him as they entered he doors. "Tell him we're visiting the Viceroy, we might need him to vouch for you."
Graham had no problem using his Geass to dissuade security from making any actions against them. They were upright ignored, treated as any other bureaucratic political guest. Never-ending the teenager with a bag over his head.
They made their way effortlessly to the top, up to the residence of the Viceroy, the Villa on top of the building.
As they entered the facility on top of the roof, Graham continued to lead him towards the villa. Oddly enough Lelouch could feel the familiarity of the place. It was just like the place where he and his brother Clovis played chess together. Thinking of his brother made him lurch forward and cover his mouth slightly.
"Still haven't gotten over it, huh?" He muttered quietly under his breath, fixing his posture, as Graham continued to guide him forward.
Minutes had gone by and the door to the Viceroy's Office swung open. "Who dares..." Cornelia's most prominent royal guard had turned to the door to intercept whoever were to come into the room. However he paused seeing a Japanese half breed and an Ashford Academy student with a bag over their head enter the room.
Graham had been dressed in the same clothes he had on during the Ghetto incident. An asymmetrical tunic, black cargo pants and combat boots. he didn't wear the hood over his head, and the scarf only covered up only to the tip of his chin.
"We have an appointment," Graham stated as he looked over at Guilford who immediately moved in front of them. Creating a blockade with the other Knights.
"We'll see about that," Guilford responded only for Cornelia who was standing at the desk with the Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, to raise her hand.
"Let them pass..." Cornelia had her head tucked down slightly, glaring at the bag which covered the students head. She was curious of what this was all about. If this was a terrorist who chose to keep a Britannian hostage, she would end this quickly, her hand rested on the grip of her pistol beneath her shoulder cape.
Graham grinned slightly as the Royal Guards let them pass, he didn't need to use Geass to make them submit. So as they made their way in front of the desk. The first thing noticed by Cornelia was that the one with the bag of their hand was merely being guided to the desk. He wasn't being forced to move. There was also not a single threat to him.
The bag was for the boy's protection?
At that moment, Graham reached up and pulled the bag off of Lelouch's head, revealing his face.
Cornelia and her sister were almost rendered speechless at seeing his face. "Le-Lelouch? But how? You're supposed to be dead. Does that mean Nunnally is still alive!?"
Hearing her sister bring up Nunnally made Euphemia smile brightly. So they were still alive? Then that meant, her eyes narrowed on her half-brother with curious eyes. Though some would misconceive them as a suspecting gaze. Isn't he Zero?
Lelouch simply gave an awkward smile seeing that the two were happy to see he was alive and well. Even seemed genuinely concerned for his sister which was a nice turn of events. Though he'd like to know more about what happened to his mother, even if that had been cleared up through Graham. He needed to know who else was involved.
"Your father and his brother conspired and committed murder upon his mother, crippled his sister and sent them to Japan as political hostages." The moment they heard this, the two actively responded with their individual expression of partial shock, even though this had already been rumor started by someone outside the court.
"Explains why I couldn't get very far in my investigations... I was being held back." Cornelia let out a disappointed sigh, immediately answering Lelouch's question of what her role was.
"So why are you here?" Euphemia had her eyes locked on Graham, she recalled some of the witnesses seeing a man matching his description with some sort of energy sword. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for drones.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to assassinate you. I'm here to ask for your support. If you support me, then you gain the support of the insurgents you can't seem to get rid of." He was basically informing her that he had connections with the terrorists and most of all, the Order of the Black Knights, Zero.
"You're in the heart of the Britannian Administration, what makes you think we won't just arrest you for attempting to black mail the Viceroy, using a Britannian Prin–"
"Ex-Prince," Graham responded with a frown across his lips. "He was disowned by Charles, remember? And after the invasion, he ended up having live in hiding with Nunnally in fear of assassination."
The Viceroy blinked a few times, looked over toward her little sister, who was looking up at her as well. They were asking for Euphemia's support, not for Cornelias for the most part, but they were to be a packaged deal.
"Your Father, the Emperor of Britannia, has committed treason against his own country."
Cornelia pressed both of her hands down on the desk before them, the only thing that divided them. "And what exactly do you want our support for?" She said with a laughing tone, she didn't sound like she'd concede so easily.
"A ruse, a play for independence. A little bit of Les Miserable. I want to restore the Japanese Empire, under me. Of course, in order to gain the support for this, I'll need a Prime Minister," Graham's eyes were locked on the pink haired girl in the seat of the Viceroy's office. "Of course, we could always say we're a vassal, protectorate or tributary of the Britannian Empire. Despite how much of a lie it would be, as Charles tries to end the world to make it anew."
Lelouch hearing this explanation, didn't seem at all amused by it. He dully watched as his friend was attempting to form a power grab. Though it wasn't necessarily against his interests. If anything, it would allow the Order of the Black Knights to play a larger role, with a greater public support base.
The two princesses just seemed to stare at them both for a short period of time.
Jeremiah came walking into the room with swift stride, he was flanked by member of the Purebloods, Villetta Nu. As soon as she entered the room however, she paused and stared at the back of Graham's head.
Though she hadn't seen much of his characteristics, she recognized his form in those clothes.
"Lord Gottwald, what brings you here?" Cornelia was getting annoyed by the multiple unexpected guests which were rather uninvited. This was somewhat apparent in her voice, which sounded much like a growl.
"I was paged to vouch for his Majesty," Jeremiah stated with a grin across his lips, gesturing towards Prince Lelouch vi Britannia.
Villetta raised a brow hearing this, "I thought we were summoned by the Viceroy."
Jeremiah snickered quietly, and dismissed what she said with a wave of the hand. "Not at all."
"Glad you could make it," Graham and Lelouch said in unison, both of them finally chuckling at one another. They then looked over towards the two who were behind the desk. "Now... As I was saying.."
From then on as Jeremiah and Villetta stood in front of the desk, beside Graham and Lelouch, they went widely ignored. It appeared they were just there to be witnesses, props. Though Jeremiah's pride made it seem like he was being made part of something so much larger.
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