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Post by zero on Aug 27, 2009 17:52:52 GMT -5
Zero open the slight latch on the side of his mask, allowing for his retina to be scanned. Once that was confirmed, he then removed a glove and pressed his fingers against the panel beside the door, his fingerprints confirmed a few seconds later. Now all he had to was have his voice be scanned and he could open the door. "Unlock." He commanded as the door did just that, his voice matching that on record. It opened with a loud groan, as it was several inches - if not a foot - thick. He closed it behind him, before breathing a sigh of relief. He couldn't relax out there, he had sworn that out there, he would be Zero, and noone else. In here... that was different. He calmly placed his hand on the front of his hand, which clicked slightly as the back, unfolded, allowing him to remove it. It was a dark place in here, just how he liked it. He made his way to the middle of the room, and dusted off the metal cylinder that lay there. It'd been a while hadn't it? He turned towards one of the cupboards nearby, and opened it up. He took out one of the vials inside, opened it up, and drank the contents. He probably would've only survived another few weeks without taking another dosage. He headed to a sink that was also present, before using it to wash his face. That disgusting face of his. Once he was done he put the mask back on, and left, sealing the door behind him. He ascended the various levels until he came to the surface, and headed for his office. Who knew how many things needed to be done.
A lot.
"How many requests to mobilise is this again?" He asked, his fingers tapping away at his desk. "5721. Sir." The officer stated, "Counted them myself." "Well then I'd best go through them immediately, this is rather... extensive." He said as he took from his draw an ink pad and stamps, and begin to hammer away with the 'denied' stamp, with the officer leaving as he did so. All of these were ridiculous ideas, with the targets being high level military installations or even Pendragon itself. Had these men of his lost all sense of realistic possibility? Right now the chances of even getting past the first wave of these defenses would be 1 in 150000, even with pilots as skilled as the ones under his command. By the time he'd gotten through a quarter of the pile (which really wasn't that much longer than 10 to 15 minutes, considering they were all pretty much the same), he stopped to pull out his usb, and connected it to the computer at his desk. Opening the usb's data drive he proceeded to activate the program detailing all his research. A map consumed a good part of the screen, with various locations worldwide being highlighted by the symbol of a small red bird. One of them on a remote japanese island, another in china, and even one as far north as the arctic. From there the screen switched to the video footage of Captain Leodegrance's kidnapping. Hacking into the hospital's network had been childsplay. He wondered however just who this 'nurse' was, feeling like he'd seen her face somewhere before, though he couldn't pinpoint where. Next appeared numerous pictures of the faces of renowned scientists and medical experts, with several dates and methods of transport that were used on said dates, along with their particular fields. Using this information, he could find the answers he'd been searching for.
But first some Coffee. "Hmm, haven't had a good cup in quite some time." He said as he made the drink the old fashioned way, instead of using those automatic machines. They just couldn't seem to get the flavour right. Lifting the front of his mask slightly backwards to open it up enough for drinking room, he took a few sips. It was soothing. He turned to the computer again, as it entered the final part of the compiled program. On it appeared one more, lone face. It consumed the entirety of the screen, with small pieces of text appearing beside it, very few facts and more questions in all honesty. This person was the key to everything, and if Zero uncovered the truth, it could also change everything. He closed the program as he heard a knock at the door. "Enter."
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Sakura Shizuka
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief[M:419]
When the game is over, the King and Pawn go into the same box.
Posts: 297
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Post by Sakura Shizuka on Aug 30, 2009 18:14:08 GMT -5
Sakura padded down the hallways of the Black Knights headquarters, her mouth ranting off answers to those who passed her by with questions, but her mind was somewhere else. Zero. He was back. Back from god-knows-where, acting as if all were perfectly fine. Did he not realize what hell he had put her through when he went off gallivanting without informing her? Sure, Sakura knew that the man maybe needed time for himself and all…but still. Least he could’ve done was leave her a memo telling her that he’d be MIA for a few months. Common courtesy, really.
“Wonder if that toilet bomb is ready…” She mused to herself as she continued to walk down the hall. Anju had threatened to make one specifically for their masked leader a while back when he first went missing for a week without any sort of notice. Needless to say, as the months dragged on, this threat soon became a reality and the woman began to actually construct said WOMD. Sakura felt a grin creep up the corners of her mouth. Oh how she couldn’t wait to see the finished project…
Glancing down at the folder in her hand, Sakura let out a heavy sigh. A detailed report. That’s what the man asks of her five minutes into his return. The subject? Lucien Darcy. Strange topic, to say the least. But that’s what was asked. For it seemed that Zero had yet to fully trust the flamboyant playboy and would not take Sakura’s word that the man (beyond his pervy nature) was actually useful. So he had requested her to write a detailed report on occasions when the man had proved his worth. So she had. Took her roughly 4 hours, which wasn’t that bad when one compares it to others. But still. 4 bloody hours of her time wasted. She felt an eye twitch at the memory, but quickly suppressed it. No, no need to get angry all over again. She already had a mini blow up in the privacy of her office which consisted of the use of highly colorful language and her accuracy increasing tenfold at darts. And tea. There was tea. Several pots full. “Still could use another cup…” she muttered to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose, easing the headache back.
Oh and then there was the hostage. Yea, Black Knights had a little hostage on their hands. And not just any hostage, no…this one happens to be a princess! Yes, a lovely little princess. The Third Princess, to be exact. Ayame Li Britannia, 17 year old young woman…who happens to be a complete and utter spazz case. Hyperactive monkey. That’s what came to the Commander’s mind when she thought of the princess. That and panda plushies. Girl seemed to carry it with her everywhere and would literally bite anyone who tried to take it away. Sakura blinked dryly to herself. Yea. Hyperactive monkey. Fits the girl quite well.
Turning a corner, Sakura nodded to the two guards standing by a set of double doors. They immediately bowed, and granted her passage. Just as she took a step in, Sakura flashed a glance to one of the soldiers. “Zero’s in his office?” The man nodded, as did his partner.
“Yes Ma’am, but he appeared busy…”
“Yea, Suzuki-san said that Zero was going through some paperwork. Seems like he accumulated quite the bit in his absence. How much did he say? 5000…?”
“I think the number was around 5721.” The other man whistled lowly. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Well, what did you expect when you go poof for ages? Sakura did what she could to limit his work load, but there were certain things that would only accept Zero’s stamp of approval. It didn’t matter that those in the Black Knights saw her as their Commander-in-Chief. To the outsider, she was merely number 2, somebody hardly worth mentioning. “I see. Well, I’ll try not to take too much of his time, then. Just have to drop something off.” she said, indicating to the folder in her hand before walking through the doors and down the hall, where at the end was the door to Zero’s office.
Stopping at the front, Sakura knocked politely twice. “It’s Shizuka.”
"Enter." Opening the door, Sakura stepped in and tilted her head in greeting.
“Good afternoon.” She walked up to the desk and plopped the folder in front of Zero, folding her arms across her chest in a lax position. “Here’s the report on Darcy that you asked for. 25 pages worth of accounts on how the man has proved his worth here. I hope this clears any doubts you have on him.” Sakura’s eyes flashed to the computer screen. It was on. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I was told you were currently buried under a pile of paperwork…” Her eyes returned to Zero. “Don’t tell me you’re finished?” She raised an amused eyebrow. “That was fast.”
Staring around his office, Sakura took note that nothing really had changed. But then again, what would have? Its occupant had been missing for the past several months. Odds were no one had stepped foot into this place till today. Sakura’s eyes lowered slightly and she returned her gaze back to the masked man in front of her, her eyes showing fatigue as well as asking for an explanation.
“Where the hell have you been?”
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Post by zero on Aug 31, 2009 13:56:37 GMT -5
Zero watched as his commander walked in, placing down on his desk what seemed to be the report he had requested. “Good afternoon.” "Indeed, and one to you too Saku- Shizuka." He responded to her greeting, remembering for the first time in several months how she hated him calling her by her first name. “Here’s the report on Darcy that you asked for. 25 pages worth of accounts on how the man has proved his worth here. I hope this clears any doubts you have on him.” "Perhaps, but I'd still watch my back around him, just to be on the safe side." He began to look through the first few pages of the report, slightly surprised by what the french assassin had done in his time with the Black Knights. “I was told you were currently buried under a pile of paperwork… Don’t tell me you’re finished?” Shizuka raised her eyebrow, obviously surprised, but it was to be expected. "I've done a quarter, the rest is currently what stands beneath my desk." He said as he pulled up several more pieces of paper from under the wooden furniture. "Its made easier by the fact that most of them seem to be some base thats out of our grasp right now, or Pendragon itself." Was his explanation for the speed at which he had worked, before noticing the slight signs of insomnia around Shizuka's eyes, she had been working hard without much rest in his absence.
“Where the hell have you been?”
That was a question he knew would come sooner or later, and was relieved to know that his commander was still as straight to the point as always. And thus, so would he. "I've been looking for answers. Answers to three things." He said as he brought the computer to an angle from which both he and Shizuka could view it. "The first of course is the location of Anderson, who is elusive, but left a rather large bread trail. The second is the location of one man's legacy. The third and final question, would prompt one of two responses from you. Those two responses would be either of disbelief, or a curiosity that would lead you to a world vastly different from what you could ever imagine. Take your pick at which ones you wish to hear."
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Sakura Shizuka
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief[M:419]
When the game is over, the King and Pawn go into the same box.
Posts: 297
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Post by Sakura Shizuka on Sept 5, 2009 11:25:39 GMT -5
Sakura remained standing, her arms still folded across her chest as she waited on Zero’s explanation. How many cups of tea she would need after this was dependant on his answer. Subconsciously her eyes rolled to the left where, much to her delight was a teapot. Her nose twitched. Darjeeling with honey. Most approved. "I've been looking for answers. Answers to three things." Sakura’s eyes returned to the masked man in front of her, an eyebrow raised. Three answers? That was slightly unexpected. For Sakura, while she had many small questions, she had only one main large one: where the hell was Anderson?
Sakura adjusted herself as Zero moved his computer screen so that she was half sitting half leaning on the edge of his desk, one leg crossed over the other. "The first of course is the location of Anderson, who is elusive, but left a rather large bread trail…” Aha. It agrees. Sakura smiled slightly to herself as she nodded in agreement. Always comforting to know that one was on the same wavelength as their leader. Made life so much easier. “The second is the location of one man's legacy.” This time Sakura threw Zero a quizzical glance.
“’One man’s legacy?’” She repeated, her head tilting sideways, a complete ‘WTF-mate?’ look on her face. What man? What legacy? What the hell did this man’s legacy have to do with them? What gain would the Black Knights get from finding out? Sakura’s nose crinkled in thought. Ugh. Sounded complicated. Complications usually resulted in headaches. She was going to need tea after all of this…she could feel it.
“The third and final question, would prompt one of two responses from you. Those two responses would be either of disbelief, or a curiosity that would lead you to a world vastly different from what you could ever imagine.” Sakura stared blankly at Zero, blinking twice slowly.
“…Hai?” So in short…her asking what this third question was would either… make her think Zero was in need of a shrink or…whisk her off to Wonderland? At least that’s what she gathered. Sakura crinkled her eyebrows in thought. What could be so absurd about this question that would make her think Zero was some nutcase? She wracked her brain for a possible explanation. She drew a blank. Her bit her thumb in slight aggravation.
“Take your pick at which ones you wish to hear." Emerald eyes flew up to the mask again. Oho? So it was pick and choose huh? Sakura laughed lightly to herself. Decisions. Sometimes she hated them. Now was one of those times.
“Take my pick, huh?” she said as she stretched her legs outward before re-crossing them. Tough decision. They were all rather interesting and to be honest, Sakura was curious to know the answers to them all. But the question was…which one should she go for first? Sakura bit her lip in thought. Well, usually her first reaction would be to ask about the whereabouts of Anderson, seeing that that was one of her personal top priorities at the moment. But she couldn’t deny not wanting to know about this supposed great man and the whereabouts of his legacy. And then there was the third question….
Decisions, decisions…
Sakura looked at Zero, her face void of emotion. 'Oh what the hell?'
“I’ll choose door C, Bob.” She raised an eyebrow, a smrik forming on her face.
“Lets see if I either call the men in the white coats or have a tea party with the Mad Hatter.”
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Post by zero on Sept 5, 2009 17:19:04 GMT -5
"C is it? Then I shall oblige." He said as he took one of the sheets in the denied pile, turned it over, and then brought out a black marker pen. He then on the back of the sheet a rather odd little symbol, its shape not unlike that of a bird. "Do you recognise this at all?" He asked her, though if she noticed anything, chances were it'd be more likely its resemblance to a different symbol, with a far different meaning. "Perhaps it'll become clearer if I add a line." He said doing just that, adding a single line right through the middle of the symbol, turning into the very coat of arms of the Black Knights. "Shizuka, have you ever wondered? Why the symbol that our men wear seems so... out of place? Take a good look, it almost seems like a sword, in front of a bird. A sword of course represents our military standing, but the bird would not fit, especially as the Black Knights were originally a small band of rebels. But of course, it has a far deeper meaning - and an ancient one at that. The bird represents the power of kings, the power to rule the world. And I don't mean power as in the kind obtained through military might, I mean power to rule the world as in the most literal sense - a power that a single person could control. It comes at the cost of a lonely life, and perhaps even a worse fate than death. It's called... Geass."
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Sakura Shizuka
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief[M:419]
When the game is over, the King and Pawn go into the same box.
Posts: 297
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Post by Sakura Shizuka on Sept 10, 2009 19:27:10 GMT -5
Sakura raised a curious eyebrow and craned her neck as she saw Zero pull over a piece of paper (most likely some reject proposal) and began to…doodle. She stared blankly as she saw the man, as it appeared to her, doodle some crazily odd….thing. Looked like some deranged bird to be frank. Like one that had a little greeting with a windshield. Sakura crinkled her nose. Hm.
"Do you recognize this at all?" Sakura stared blankly at Zero, her eyes blinking slowly. The classic ‘this is my ‘I have no fucking clue what you are jabbering about face’ Say hi’.’ She stared back at the image and tilted her head in thought. What the hell was this a picture of, anyways? And why did she get the inky feeling that she should know it? Her nose crinkled again. ‘Well, it does kinda sorta look like-
"Perhaps it'll become clearer if I add a line." Her eyes widened as they finally placed a name to the image: symbol of the Black Knights. Sakura’s eyes flashed back and forth between the paper and Zero, a confused look on her face. So the man drew a picture of their coat of arms. Was there a purpose behind all this? Was this third question relating to the origins of how the symbol came about to be? If so, what did it matter? Sakura never gave much thought as to why the Black Knight’s symbol was what it was. There was never any need to. Plus, she had never been the whole ‘let’s try to find the hidden meaning’ type. For her, life was much simpler when she just accepted things as is. No need to be all philosophical over something as insignificant as a picture.
Sakura leaned back, her arms folded across her chest.
“Black Knight’s emblem. What about it?”
"Shizuka, have you ever wondered? Why the symbol that our men wear seems so... out of place?” Ah. So it was about the meaning. Joy. Sakura shrugged lightly, putting on a neutral expression. She had the feeling that she was going to be told the history of the bloody image whether she cared or not. Might as well be pleasant about it. Who knows? Might turn out something that she could tell Anju as a bed time story. “Take a good look, it almost seems like a sword, in front of a bird. A sword of course represents our military standing, but the bird would not fit, especially as the Black Knights were originally a small band of rebels.” Sakura’s eyebrows furrowed slightly in thought. Well…she could sorta see where the bird would come it. Birds were often a symbol of freedom, of liberation. If she were ever to take a guess, she would have thought that the reason of having a bird as their symbol was that it was meant to represent the fact that they were fighting (hence the sword) for the freedom of Japan. “ …it has a far deeper meaning - and an ancient one at that. The bird represents the power of kings, the power to rule the world.”
Sakura blinked twice rapidly. Or it could mean that. Take your pick.
So in short, the symbol of the Black Knights was that of an absolute ruler? Huh. Hypocritical, much? Seeing that their purpose was to liberate and all. Sakura glanced back down at the image. It was amazing how fast she could loose respect for something. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she bit back the urge to suggest that they look for a new symbol. No need to invite trouble. “ …I don't mean power as in the kind obtained through military might, I mean power to rule the world as in the most literal sense - a power that a single person could control.” Sakura’s eyes returned back to Zero. So this wasn’t about some divine right-pseudo-Louis XIV-I conquer the world with boom boom sticks-mwuahaha statement? Rather, it was a ‘one man army rules all via some hocus pocus.’ Even better! Sakura felt a slight twang in her forehead. Ah. Here it comes. The Bitch Headache. Super. Resting her cheek on her fist, Sakura let out a small ‘mmhm-not really buying this version.’ “It comes at the cost of a lonely life, and perhaps even a worse fate than death. It's called... Geass." Her eyebrows shot up. Oh? It even has a name! How lovely.
Staring at Zero for a few seconds, eyes narrowed in thought, Sakura finally let out a heavy sigh. “You know me, Zero. I’m a blunt person. So when I tell you that I think your story of this one man army conquering the world without the use of any kind of militaristic action is one that popped out of some fairy tale, you shouldn’t be surprised.” She paused, her gaze returning back to the image on the desk. “However…fairy tales are not always meant to entertain the innocent. Sometimes they are meant to teach the corrupted.” She looked back at Zero, an eyebrow raised.
“So teach me. How does this ‘Geass’ enable a single person rule an entire planet?”
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Post by zero on Sept 19, 2009 10:18:14 GMT -5
“You know me, Zero. I’m a blunt person. So when I tell you that I think your story of this one man army conquering the world without the use of any kind of militaristic action is one that popped out of some fairy tale, you shouldn’t be surprised.” Shizuka retorted, Zero knew it to have been the likely result. "I did say that you might not believe me." Zero pointed out, not expecting Sakura to suddenly follow up on her previous sentence. “However…fairy tales are not always meant to entertain the innocent. Sometimes they are meant to teach the corrupted.” She had cast another look to the emblem on the table, before returning her raised eyebrows back to him, maybe she was willing to listen further. “So teach me. How does this ‘Geass’ enable a single person rule an entire planet?” Well, what right did he have not to answer? "Through luck, and the ingenuity of its user." He said, before opening up the file from before, speeding through its contents, before arriving back at the face of the individual he had looked at earlier, then turned the screen to Shizuka.
"Meet the Demon Emperor, Lelouch Vi Britannia."
In truth he didn't need to say a name, there was noone on this Earth who did not know of the tyrant. "He possessed the power of absolute obedience, capable of turning anyone he had direct eye contact with into his slave. Probably the most convenient for the task, and he certainly used it. How else do you think he amassed an army so loyal in such a short time? Or convinced his dear little sister Nunnally to give him the control to FLEIJA when it was obvious she despised him by that point. There are other variants however..." He closed the folder about Lelouch and opened up those of other geass users. "Bismarck Waldstein, gave him a power of absolute calculation, allowed his eyes to 'predict' what would happen by calculating all possibilities - only those who reacted on instinct rather than thought would prove more than a match for him. Mao - last name unknown - had a geass that allowed him to read the thoughts of others, the only known example of his activities is a video recording from Clovisland. Rolo Haliburton, an assassin who ceased one's perception of time, died from a severe heart attack protecting his would-be target Lelouch. And the list could go on if you want, but I digress. The powers granted are random at best, but by all appearances seem to be mentally linked, so there is room for some prediction. The one who grants the power is known as a "Code-bearer", though I've had little luck in finding the location of one."
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Anju Saravati
Black Knights
[M:6241]
Of course I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
Posts: 46
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Post by Anju Saravati on Sept 19, 2009 13:50:43 GMT -5
Anju stormed down the hall, lab coat billowing out behind her. Black Knights in front of her heard her coming and, upon seeing the livid expression on her face, immediately glued themselves to the walls to let her pass unhindered. They moved back, before frantically hitting the walls again as a three foot mechanical velociraptor ran after her.
"I think she's mad..."
"No shit."
"Lockjaw's with her. I really hope Zero has a titanium jockstrap or something."
"You think she'd do that?"
"..."
*sigh* "I'll call the med bay to be prepared, just in case."
~~
Anju was not happy. Not happy was an understatement. That fucking punk Zero had just come back and immediately gotten his righteousness on, acting like he hadn't been gone for fucking months. She'd had to listen to the royal brat down in the brig and her patience was shot to hell. If Zero thought he could come back without at least an apology, he was fixing for an involuntary sex change.
As she got to his office, she paused. Was she over reacting? She did trust that he would have a good reason to have left them. On their own. For no reason. In the middle of a point where solid leadership was key to maintaining a unified rebellion...
He was dead.
She kicked the door. It didn't open. She turned to Lockjaw. Lockjaw attacked the door. The door cracked and collapsed inward. She stomped over the debris and saw Sakura sitting on his desk and Zero behind it. Lockjaw crouched and hissed menecingly beside her, baring its fangs.
"You have 7 seconds to explain why I shouldn't kill you. Now"
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Sakura Shizuka
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief[M:419]
When the game is over, the King and Pawn go into the same box.
Posts: 297
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Post by Sakura Shizuka on Sept 20, 2009 19:26:51 GMT -5
"Meet the Demon Emperor, Lelouch Vi Britannia." Sakura raised an eyebrow at the folder presented to her. ‘Meet?’ There was no need to ‘meet’ the face shown. Every child born within the past century knew the story of the so-called ‘Demon King’ and his Reign of Terror. While it had been short-lived, the impact it had on Britannia and its controlled nations, Japan in particular, were immense and longstanding. In short, every child had been taught that they were to curse the name ‘Lelouch’ and not to associate the tyrant with the Imperial Family.
"He possessed the power of absolute obedience, capable of turning anyone he had direct eye contact with into his slave. Probably the most convenient for the task, and he certainly used it. How else do you think he amassed an army so loyal in such a short time? Or convinced his dear little sister Nunnally to give him the control to FLEIJA when it was obvious she despised him by that point?” Sakura’s eyebrows furrowed in a mix of confusion and thought. Had she heard correctly? The secret behind Lelouch’s reign (as minuscule as it was) was some cowardly, backhanded, cheap ass, lame as shit pseudo form of voo-doo!? Sakura bit out a scoff. Wow. And she thought Anderson was a chicken-butt. Looks like the man wasn’t the biggest swine out there. Go fig.
Sakura folded her arms across her chest and looked towards the door, a look of disapproval on her face. Sure she knew the man was an ass, that much was evident from the history books. But to think the man would stoop that low…despicable. Sakura was a multitude of things: hotheaded, easily annoyed, bonafide mother-hen, prone to feather-ruffling, etc. But she was also a firm believer in the idea that a leader should earn the loyalty of his or her people. As clichéd as it sounded, she felt that is was through experience and working side by side did the King and the Servant form an alliance. Not through manipulation, control and deceit. That was just cowardly and pathetic. However, given Lelouch’s history, one could not be too surprised, she supposed. The man was known as the Universal Ass. “Bismarck Waldstein, gave him a power of absolute calculation, allowed his eyes to 'predict' what would happen by calculating all possibilities…” Sakura rolled her eyes back to Zero, the masked man presenting yet another folder. She raised an eyebrow. How many folders full of information on this topic did this man actually have? She remained silent as he listed the names of other people who supposedly had this ‘Geass’ power. She crinkled her nose. Well…it appears that everyone and their freaking mother had one, didn’t it? Made her wonder how the knowledge of such power was able to be remain all hush- hush…surely if a former Emperor had such power, the information would have been leaked to at least the Imperial Family, thus enabling to use such power to this day…
Sakura’s eyes widened. Wait. That was a possibility…who said that the whole idea of gaining a soldier’s trust through mind control ended with the death of Lelouch? Who said that it wasn’t possible for the Imperial Family to still be using these tactics a century later? Sakura bit her lip in thought. Was it possible…that she herself might have been….
‘No. There isn’t. If I had been, then there’s no way in heaven or hell I would have rebelled…I became a member of Royal Army out of my own free will…because Father wished for it…not for any other reason….’ Sakura mentally tried to calm herself down. Sheesh, what was coming over her? One little tale about some century old hocus pocus and all of a sudden she’s thinking she’s been brainwashed? She seriously needed a cup of tea… “The one who grants the power is known as a "Code-bearer", though I've had little luck in finding the location of one." Sakura turned her eyes back to the Masked Leader, her thumb still being bitten slightly. “Well I guess you can’t expect them to be all over the place, can you? If these so-called ‘Code bearers’ were so easy to find, then we wouldn’t be fighting via Knightmare Frames, now would we?” She shrugged lightly, her eyes flashing back to the folder and then back to Zero. “Zero? Hypothetical question: suppose all you’re saying is true, and this ‘Geass’ was the way Lelouch got the Empire under his thumb. Is there any chance that-
A thud followed by the door to Zero’s officer being knocked down, the overall result being an extremely loud crash caused Sakura to jump off of the desk she was perched at, her hand immediately going for the hilt of her sword, ready to strike the intruder. Who the flying fuck was that?! Intruder? Enemy breakthrough? Why hadn’t the alarms rang earlier? As the dust cleared, a faint sound of mechanically clicks, followed by the occasional ‘hiss’ could be heard.
….mechanical…hiss? An eyebrow rose. ‘Wait a sec…’ Soon the silhouette of a small dinosaur could be seen, its mouth opened in a threatening manner. Sakura blinked twice.
“…Lockjaw?” "You have 7 seconds to explain why I shouldn't kill you. Now" There, emerging from the rubble that was Zero’s office door was the Chief of Science, Anju Saravati. And she was not happy. Ok, perhaps ‘not happy’ was a wee bit of an understatement. Perhaps ‘livid to the point where one can see the smoke rising out of her ears run for cover if you fancy your current gender’ was more appropriate. Yeah. She was pissed.
A sweat drop ran down the back of her head and Sakura let go of her grip on her sword. “A-Anju-san? Fancy you dropping by…” she said, laughing nervously. Sakura was well aware the reason for Anju’s current state of PMS overload: Zero. The man had gone poof for several months and then suddenly waltzes right back in, acting as if all were dandy in the world. To be honest, she too had been quite vexed. But she, for the most part, had let out her anger already. Via darts and teapots. Anju was a different case…no amount of alcohol would appease her when she was on the warpath. When Anju got angry…there would be blood. Or at least some form of physical harm, the severity pending. Sakura flashed a look back to Lockjaw, the little dino still hissing. She resisted the urge to squeal. Hey, she couldn’t help it! The thing was freaking adorable if you looked past the razor sharp fangs of death! Taking a few steps forward, Sakura knelt down so she was eyelevel with the little beast and patted it twice on the head. “Hey there, Lockjaw. Nice to see you up and about…” She flashed a glance at the wreckage. “…looks like you haven’t gotten rusty at all, have you?” Standing up fully, Sakura offered Anju a crooked smile. “I take it you are here for blood, correct? Well then…” She stepped to the side and swept her arms towards Zero in an inviting gesture. “By all means, go ahead.” She turned to Zero and offered him an apologetic look. “Sorry, Zero. I know this is extremely selfish of me and all, but…” She bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing.
“…the woman shares a flat with me.”
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Post by zero on Sept 21, 2009 15:35:35 GMT -5
“Well I guess you can’t expect them to be all over the place, can you? If these so-called ‘Code bearers’ were so easy to find, then we wouldn’t be fighting via Knightmare Frames, now would we?” That was true enough, maybe he should be thankful that they were so secretive. “Zero? Hypothetical question: suppose all you’re saying is true, and this ‘Geass’ was the way Lelouch got the Empire under his thumb. Is there any chance that-" Sakura didn't get the chance to finish her question as Anju burst in with... a robotic dinosaur? That must've been the lockjaw machine she was working on before his absence, he wondered whether or not she had completed it. "You have 7 seconds to explain why I shouldn't kill you. Now" Zero would have begun using up those seven seconds, but it seemed Sakura had something to say first, she obviously had not realised Anju would show. She spent a little time talking to lockjaw, before saying. “Sorry, Zero. I know this is extremely selfish of me and all, but…” She wouldn't.
“…the woman shares a flat with me.”
He should've seen this - second in command or not, she was Anju's friend first and his subordinate second. "You've given me seven seconds correct Anju? Then allow me to summarise my reasoning." He placed up seven fingers, and began to count down on them. "I just got back, and if you kill me you won't understand why I left." 6, 5... "The reason I left is of course potentially vital to our cause, and killing me would allow a good opportunity to slip away." 4, 3 - he grabbed the usb from the computer and placed it in his cape - 2... "And lastly..." 1... "I'm Zero, I'm not easy to kill - why waste the effort on me." He calmly stated, and if his eyelids had been showing, they wouldn't have batted one bit. He could practically sniff the tension. "Plus I may also have a test subject for that Pandava of yours at last - if you don't mind the french."
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Anju Saravati
Black Knights
[M:6241]
Of course I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
Posts: 46
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Post by Anju Saravati on Sept 22, 2009 18:36:00 GMT -5
“A-Anju-san? Fancy you dropping by…” The Indian spared her charge a glance as the younger woman sheepishly greeted her and her baby. Lockjaw leaned his head into Sakura's hand momentarily before stalking forward, crouched in such a way that if Zero moved to stand, it would be on top of the desk with several layers of steel teeth aimed at his jugular.
"You've given me seven seconds correct Anju? Then allow me to summarise my reasoning." Anju hissed through her teeth. 'Cocky bastard. I'll give you summarize.' Zero held up seven fingers, counting down the seconds as he attempted to give her a reason not to stop Lockjaw from disemboweling him.
"I just got back, and if you kill me you won't understand why I left." One finger. Two fingers. A reason but hardly a good one.
"The reason I left is of course potentially vital to our cause, and killing me would allow a good opportunity to slip away." Three fingers. Four fingers. the man snatched a usb drive from his computer and she narrowed her eyes. Five fingers. He wasn't saying anything and wasting his seconds.
"And lastly..." Six fingers. Lockjaw opened its mouth and growled. Anju vaguely noticed that those cinema FX fooly artists she'd bought it's vocals from were very good. Seven fingers.
"I'm Zero, I'm not easy to kill - why waste the effort on me." She narrowed her eyes and Lockjaw leaped onto the table, roaring in the man's... mask.
"Plus I may also have a test subject for that Pandava of yours at last - if you don't mind the french." She blinked and cocked her head. The velociraptor cut off mid scream and growled in the back of its vocal emitter. Anju frowned and stalked forward, leaning against the side of the desk as her baby backed up a step to rub the side of its head into her arm. She raised her hand and scratched the plating covering the upper vertebra of the spinal support frame.
Anju sneered, "For one thing, you really suck at proving you deserve to live, you know that? A normal person would have given me a good reason right off the bat and knocked off a few seconds of anger. A second, returning doesn't mean I won't understand, it just means that by killing you I'll have to work a little more to find out why you left." She rolled her eyes. "Like its hard to track someone down? Please.
"Another, killing you would be very satisfying after the mess you left us. And you're a man. You die as easily as the rest of us, Tulip-face non withstanding. And! My Pandava's are perfectly tested. It's not my fault none of these devicers you found are ill-equipped and inept." She turned to smiled brightly at Sakura. "Except for you, dear, you test beautifully."
Anju turned back to Zero. "So what's this about the French?" If he was talking about Luci, she really would kill him.
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Aoi Akuma
Black Knights
Second Division Captain[M:6046]
"I have no more tears to shed, only blood."
Posts: 74
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Post by Aoi Akuma on Sept 22, 2009 19:10:08 GMT -5
Aoi swiftly walked down the hall, her cloak barely being able to keep up. Her subordinates cleared the way hurriedly, not wanting to get in the way of their captain. Eyes stared at her worriedly as she turned a corner.
"Captain's not happy is she?"
"No shit..."
"...Zero's not gonna be a man anymore is he."
".......No shit."
"......I'm not getting in her way."
"...No," A ringing sound cut off the response it's tone bounced off the walls right before a loud thump.
"Say no shit again and you won't be a man either."
"...Kotone...usually you say that before you've knocked them out."
"I guess I've picked up a few of Captain Aoi's habits ne~"
~~~~~~
Aoi's was expressionless except for the barely noticable clench of her hand, most likely wanting to grip the handle of her knife. Turns out that cloaked person had been Zero, though did she really have any doubts on that. Now she might've been less severe if he hadn't come back like he was the king. Honestly the man expected people to trust him after being gone for months without so much as a word.
The bluenette paused by Zero's corridor. The door was completely gone and she could hear voices coming from the room. Voices meaning multiple. Aoi smirked slightly. 'Seems Anju's gotten here before me.'
"You've given me seven seconds correct Anju? Then allow me to summarise my reasoning." A loose growl escaped Aoi's lips.
"I just got back, and if you kill me you won't understand why I left." She chuckled slightly. In all honesty right now she didn't really care all that much. Even if she did it wasn't like it would be too hard to find out.
"The reason I left is of course potentially vital to our cause, and killing me would allow a good opportunity to slip away." 'If it was so vital why did you tell us nothing.' A few more seconds ticked by before he said anything.
"And lastly..."
"I'm Zero, I'm not easy to kill - why waste the effort on me." Over confident little son of a-
"Plus I may also have a test subject for that Pandava of yours at last - if you don't mind the french." Her thoughts were interrupted. That one sentence intrigued her...who was it that he thought was the perfect test subject.
"For one thing, you really suck at proving you deserve to live, you know that? A normal person would have given me a good reason right off the bat and knocked off a few seconds of anger. A second, returning doesn't mean I won't understand, it just means that by killing you I'll have to work a little more to find out why you left." "Like its hard to track someone down? Please.
"Another, killing you would be very satisfying after the mess you left us. And you're a man. You die as easily as the rest of us, Tulip-face non withstanding. And! My Pandava's are perfectly tested. It's not my fault none of these devicers you found are ill-equipped and inept." "Except for you, dear, you test beautifully." There was only one person she would call dear that tested the Pandava. Shizuka must have gotten there before Anju.
"So what's this about the French?" Suddenly it clicked for Aoi. She gritted her teeth hard. If it was Lucien he was talking about he was as sure as dead, from more than just herself. The french man had grown on the Black Knights while Zero was away, not that he would know that.
Aoi waited silently until someone noticed her present. No point in entering now and diverting attention away from the question.
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Sakura Shizuka
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief[M:419]
When the game is over, the King and Pawn go into the same box.
Posts: 297
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Post by Sakura Shizuka on Sept 25, 2009 15:46:43 GMT -5
Sakura remained leaned against the wall, one foot propped up, her arms folded across her chest. This was going to be a show, that much was certain. As for whether or not it would be gory or not was a different matter. She glanced at Anju’s seething form. Lockjaw was in prepared for pouncing position. Her mouth twitched in amusement. Yea. Zero was most likely going to end up not so manly if Anju got her way. Perhaps she ought to call the paramedics just in case…
"You've given me seven seconds correct Anju? Then allow me to summarize my reasoning…” Anju’s hiss was soon heard after. Sakura bit out a nervous laugh. Yea. Calling the paramedics. Turning so that her back was to Zero, Sakura pulled out her phone and dialed.
“Paramedics. Where’s the emergency?” Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Zero and then back to Anju. “None yet, but there is a high chance that there will be one in Zero’s office.” “Commander! Wasn’t expecting you…what is this about Zero’s office? Is there any trouble?” “If you consider the chance of your leader loosing his manhood, then yes.” “…” Silence followed after. “Problem, Miyako?” “…Saravati-san is there, isn’t she?” “Ah, you heard?” It was always surprising to see how fast news traveled around the Black Knights. Some of them were such gossip queens… “Um yea…we got a call from two of our men…apparently they saw Saravti-san heading towards Zero’s office. They say she was on the warpath and told us we ought to be braced for the worst.” “Oh good then. So you already are aware. Makes my life easier.” “Um…Commander?” “Yes, Miyako?” The man gulped. “They also said that Lockjaw was with her…is that true?” Sakura’s mouth twitched again. “Yes, that is true…” a slight groan could be heard on the other end. “…is there a problem with that?” “No, no…it’s just…Lockjaw being there means we’re probably gonna need to bring in the Big Ambulances. The really big ones.” Sakura bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing. “Yes…I should expect you to do so…thank you.”
The phone call ended with a click. Turning back to face her two companions, Sakura took note that everything was…quieter. She frowned slightly and turned her head to Lockjaw. He wasn’t growling. Well, more like he couldn’t growl. Her frown deepened. Lockjaw had been shut up, had he? She glanced over at Zero, her head shaking slightly. Yea. Shut her baby up why dontcha. That’ll really make her not want to rip your innards out. “…killing you would be very satisfying after the mess you left us. And you're a man. You die as easily as the rest of us, Tulip-face non withstanding. And! My Pandava's are perfectly tested. It's not my fault none of these devicers you found are ill-equipped and inept." Sakura cringed slightly. Ack. Did the man also insult her Pandavas? He was just digging himself further and further, wasn’t he? Guess he didn’t fancy living…poor guy. "Except for you, dear, you test beautifully." “Hmm?” Sakura whirled her head over to Anju to see the techie beaming at her. She felt a blush of embarrassment creep up side of her neck. “Oh…um…thank you….I appreciate it, Anju-san…” she half mumbled, titling her head in thanks. She was never good at receiving compliments. "So what's this about the French?" Sakura’ eyes narrowed and she turned her head to Zero, a confused look on her face. “Darcy? What about Darcy?” She asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Don’t tell me you’re still wary of him, Zero? Even after I submitted that report?” Her eyes flashed back to Anju. The techie was also sending the man death glares. “Unless…you are referring to Darcy in a different manner…” She wasn’t quite sure what she had missed when she had been on the phone, but either way if Zero was about to bash Lucien again, there would be hell to pay. “I’m warning you now, Zero…mess with Darcy and you just might have a mini revolt. Darcy has grown on to many of the members here, two- She stopped short, her eyes rolling towards the doorframe. Her mouth curved upwards. “…I mean three…” Her eyes rolled back to Zero. “Three of them being in your office. As you Second-in-Command, I suggest you play your cards correctly, Zero. Bad enough you have Lockjaw here itching for your blood, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t fancy being used as a dart board.” She turned to face the gap where a door once stood.
“Ne, Akuma?”
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Post by zero on Sept 26, 2009 13:31:19 GMT -5
For one thing, you really suck at proving you deserve to live, you know that? A normal person would have given me a good reason right off the bat and knocked off a few seconds of anger. A second, returning doesn't mean I won't understand, it just means that by killing you I'll have to work a little more to find out why you left." Anju, presumptuous as usual. It wasn't that he didn't want to explain it in a heartbeat, it was that he couldn't. Take a look at Sakura, she hadn't exactly believed him - even with the evidence he had compiled. With Anju being a scientist, it would take even longer to convince her that there was a mystical power that could allow one to control the world. "Another, killing you would be very satisfying after the mess you left us. And you're a man. You die as easily as the rest of us, Tulip-face non withstanding. And! My Pandava's are perfectly tested. It's not my fault none of these devicers you found are ill-equipped and inept." Yeah... if she had even an idea about what lay in section 50 she would revise that theory on his death - that and there would always be someone else brave (or insane) enough to take up his mask, fake or not. That and if he recalled, the margin for Anju's testers was pretty much anyone below the Captain's rank, she would've been the one doing the picking - especially in his absence. Nor had he said the Pandava itself needing testing, rather a subject he wanted to test as a possible ally in one.
"So what's this about the French?" Anju asked, before Sakura put in another comment, though it seemed she hadn't been fully listening. “Darcy? What about Darcy? Don’t tell me you’re still wary of him, Zero? Even after I submitted that report? “I’m warning you now, Zero…mess with Darcy and you just might have a mini revolt. Darcy has grown on to many of the members here, two-" Sakura's eyes darted to where the door had once been, as did Zero's - well, well, looked like someone enjoyed eavesdropping. “…I mean three… Three of them being in your office. As you Second-in-Command, I suggest you play your cards correctly, Zero. Bad enough you have Lockjaw here itching for your blood, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t fancy being used as a dart board. Ne Akuma?” "Of course not, I was always more of a Chess man myself." Zero calmly made the joke, though this was obviously not the time. "But regardless, I wouldn't think of putting Lucien in a knightmare frame, it'd be a waste of a good unit - even I know he doesn't have the experience for such a thing, let alone something as advanced as a Pandava. Unlike the Epee that is."
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Anju Saravati
Black Knights
[M:6241]
Of course I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
Posts: 46
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Post by Anju Saravati on Oct 9, 2009 18:53:38 GMT -5
Apparently, Sakura was just tuning in. “Darcy? What about Darcy? Don’t tell me you’re still wary of him, Zero? Even after I submitted that report? I’m warning you now, Zero…mess with Darcy and you just might have a mini revolt. Darcy has grown on to many of the members here, two-" Sakura's eyes darted to where the door had once been, And Anju's followed. Oh, look, Aoi-koi was here. Maybe if she asked nicely the blunette would help Lockjaw dissect Tulip-head. She could see the flip he was thinking behind the mask, the little freak.
“…I mean three… Three of them being in your office. As you Second-in-Command, I suggest you play your cards correctly, Zero. Bad enough you have Lockjaw here itching for your blood, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t fancy being used as a dart board. Ne Akuma?” Anju rolled her eyes. Fuck dark boards, get straight to the Rack.
"Of course not, I was always more of a Chess man myself." Funny man. Ass. Lockjaw was getting impatient fast and started scratching at the wood of the desk with his feet. It was a good thing Zero had moved his papers over or they would have been very torn. Not that she cared. Ass.
"But regardless, I wouldn't think of putting Lucien in a knightmare frame, it'd be a waste of a good unit - even I know he doesn't have the experience for such a thing, let alone something as advanced as a Pandava. Unlike the Epee, that is." Anju blinked and cocked her head. Epee? The sword? She reexamined his words. There was a Knightmare series called Epee? The French hadn't come out with viable models since the disaster that was the Légion in the 60's. It had moved but actual combat testing resulted in system shutdown and malfunction. The most it could do was act as construction equipment and that was what they did. French engineers were too bullheaded to study the theory of tactical mechanics and automation. What foolishness was this?
She raised an eyebrow and stroked Lockjaw's head, who growled in the back of its vocal cortex at a deeper pitch. "Explain. And stop the flowery language bullshit. You put people on short tempers here. The faster you talk with the least amount of blah will make everyone happy."
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