Code Geass Fan Fiction / Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction ❯ Rebellion of the Enders ❯ Act Zero ( Prologue )

`The year is 2038. Earth One is on the verge of experiencing its third World War. The battle lines have been drawn between the Neo-US and the Separatists that wish to expand the human influence into the final frontier—the United Space Forces Alliance. The Neo-US is not alone in its quest for totalitarian rule over the new age Space Race. Many other nations such as Russia and surprisingly, Britannia, have offered their forces in an effort to defeat the Separatists. But the USFA is not without its own militia, led by three of the greatest Generals ever to grace the battlefield.

This fight will not be without its hardships, but in the end, this insurgence will go down in history as the Rebellion of the Enders—the ones who seek the end of tyranny and the beginning of a true democracy.'

 

Act Zero

 

The crash of thunder in the distance was one of the few things that kept Leo Stenbuck awake inside of the cell. The fleeting moment of light in the haunting darkness kept him from drifting into slumber. That was the last thing he needed to do. Inside of that jail, sleep was a privilege. The Geneva Convention for prisoners of war was abolished long ago in the newly formed United States. Though still a democracy, it was a crooked one. People had freedom of speech, but how could they speak with no tongues? They had freedom of press, but how could they print with no paper? How could they report with no microphones?

 

Everything in the Neo United States was controlled. Not enough to be considered communism by other countries, but enough to keep the people in check. Everyday life was organized as well. People had the freedom of living their lives, just so long as it didn't deviate from the laws of the Constitution—re-written by whilst the forty-fifth president was in office in the late 15s of two-thousand.

 

Leo Stenbuck's cerulean eyes long since lost their life, staring aimlessly at the shackles clasped on his wrists and ankles. Since his father's discharge from the military, Leo was separated from his parents and thrown into a foster home. Young and defiant, he was thrown into jail until eighteen years of age. He was fourteen years old. He had been there for a few months, praying that his family was safe. Hell, he wondered if he would even see them again.

 

If the government had their way, most likely not…thunder roared through the black skies once more.

 

“Leo Stenbuck, hm?”

 

The warden stood over the security guard, studying the boy on the monitor from three different angles. Rubbing his rugged chin, he grinned. “His father…so that's why they want him?”

 

“But is this okay, Warden?” the guard asked. “What would BAHRAM want with a punk like him?”

 

The half-bald warden of the jailhouse shot his sentry a dirty look. “Those are the kind of questions you don't ask,” he stressed. “If this is coming from them, then it's coming from the Secretary of Defense. We just smile and nod.”

 

“The Children of War…we're supposedly fighting for the next generation, but with the way we're going, the next generation will be fighting for themselves.”

 

“It's the way of the world.” The warden shook his head. “A shame…I planned on making that kid's life a living hell here, but now he's leaving.”

 

A pair of men in dark suits entered the small control room, standing at the sides of the door as another figure sauntered in. The warden and security guard gasped as the person came to them. They swore they lost their breath. She was a rather stern woman, though attractive in a rugged sense. Her nametag on her black coat said `Guines' and there were silver bars on her shoulders. The warden and guard stood up and snapped to attention as the captain approached them.

 

“You're…,” the warden stammered, “you're with BAHRAM…”

 

The pink-haired woman ignored their words as she concentrated on the boy on the screens. “So this is the boy?” she asked.

 

The warden nodded. “Leo Stenbuck is the boy you requested, right, Ma'am?”

 

No, it wasn't the one she requested, but rather he did. From the looks of him, she couldn't see the potential he possessed in controlling it. How could it have chosen him? He was a complete nobody. The more she pondered about it, the more her blood boiled so she relented. They were his orders and there was no point in disputing it.

 

“Release him and send him to my men outside,” she told them as she turned away, making her exit. “The Colonel is waiting for him.”

 

“Right away, Ma'am!” The warden glanced at the guard. “Make it happen.”

 

***

 

At last, here it was standing before him. Twenty years of research in robotics technology created this weapon capable of winning the war—no, of conquering the world. Project Eve was a large part in BAHRAM's secret project. It would open up possibilities in robotics and the further development of humanoid mechs—Orbital Frames. Adam was yet to be found, but it was only a matter of time before it fell into BAHRAM's possession too.

 

Now all that was needed was a suitable pilot. He was sure he had the skills of piloting it, but he felt Adam was meant for him rather than Eve. Many trial runs with pilots matching the compatibility with her made her a demanding Orbital Frame indeed as they all ended in utter failure. He was sure, however, that this next runner was capable of carrying out his wishes. There was no one else that came to mind.

 

“Colonel Nohman, Lieutenant Viola has returned with the child.”

 

Nohman looked over his shoulder at the soldier guiding Viola towards him. He turned back to the towering Orbital Frame encased in reinforced carbon-fiber glass. “Did you retrieve the boy?”

 

Viola bowed her head. “Yes, sir, as you commanded. The boy is in the holding room until you wish to see him.”

 

“Good,” he smiled. The tall, lanky colonel faced his ace pilot. “Everything is going just as I had planned.”

 

Viola lifted her head. “You trust that boy to pilot Jehuty?”

 

“Do you have doubts?”

 

Viola hesitated to say, her mauve eyes wandering from Nohman. “…No.”

 

“I know when you're lying Viola. You don't believe that boy can pilot Jehuty, do you?”

 

“Dingo is a much more capable pilot than that boy.”

 

“Dingo will have the opportunity to pilot a Frame just as powerful once we finish analyzing Jehuty's capabilities. Besides, he's not as…enthusiastic about our plans as much as I want him to.”

 

“Do you think he'll betray us?” Viola uttered.

 

Nohman's smirk frightened Viola, his face reminding her of a demon. “Only time will tell. In the meantime, bring the boy in the testing facility. I want to see him in action.”

 

“And what if he refuses to pilot Jehuty?”

 

And the devil's smirk grew more sinister. “He won't—I promise you.”

 

Nohman was truly a frightening man. God help Leo if he refused to pilot Jehuty. Only the Gods knew what went on inside of Nohman's twisted mind, and knowing him he would use what Leo cherished most in order to get what he wanted out of him. All for the sake of power…

 

Yes, Nohman was a man to be feared.

 

Rebellion of the Enders

 

 

The whistling of mortar shells diving through the evening skies and explosions deafened the ears of the soldiers fighting now what seemed an impossible struggle in the jungle. Their opponents were supposed to be human soldiers and tank infantries, but these `devils' weren't human, but they didn't seem to be machines either. Screams mixed with the sickening tearing of flesh echoed with the whistles deep within the thicket of the rain forest.

 

The guerilla soldiers had no choice but to retreat back to base. Throwing fatigue to the winds carrying them, they rushed back to their small camp. At least there within their fortified base, they could formulate a plan against whatever that thing they saw.

 

“What,” one soldier panted, doubling over to catch his breath, “what…was that…thing?”

 

One of the base guards hurried to the squad. “What happened out there? Did you guys run into an ambush?”

 

“Yeah,” another answered between gasps. “But…that thing…it wasn't fucking human. It was something…something out of…a nightmare.”

 

“A machine?”

 

The young grunt nodded as he caught his breath. “I think so. But do you think it could be one of those machines that took down Japan?”

 

“The Knightmare Frames from Britannia?” the base guard queried.

 

“Yeah, those things.”

 

“But why would Britannia want to attack us? We're fighting the Americans. They have no reason to--”

 

The sudden report of gunfire and screams cut his sentence short. The ripping of flesh and tremors startled refugees and soldiers alike inside of the camp.

 

“The Knightmare Frames?” the base guard stammered, readying his rifle.

 

“I don't think Knightmares can do what they did to the villagers down south.”

 

“You mean the Charlie rally point was destroyed?”

 

“That…thing completely destroyed it.”

 

The guard swallowed a huge lump lodged in his throat, trying his damnedest to stop trembling. “What the hell?”

 

Moments of gunfire and screams from the base camp and it suddenly became silent. Not even the sounds of mortars exploding in the distance broke the eerie calm. Did the enemy leave? No, none of the soldiers believed that for a second. None of them dared to move, either. The enemy could have been lying in wait, hoping for someone to make a sudden move.

 

One of the soldiers scrunched up his face, attempting to prevent his sneeze. The sensation grew too strong, though, and, “Achoo!”

 

The sneeze reverberated in the distance and minutes inched by and again nothing. Maybe the mysterious adversary did leave. They could have sworn it would try attacking once a sound was made.

 

A soldier breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess the coast is clear--”

 

Crunch! From below, an enormous mecha erupted from the damp soil in an earthshaking fashion; sink its teeth into the poor soul and slicing him into bloody halves with its razor sharp teeth. The others screamed in horror at the figure, a macabre machine in the design of a red and black hyena it seemed. Baring its fangs, it cackled a laugh that sent the soldiers running for their lives.

 

“Retreat! Get to higher ground!” many of them echoed to each other as they headed for the hills.

 

The eyes of the beast emitted a golden hue, standing on its hind legs and stretching out its neck. “Ahahahaahahahahahaha!” it screeched, its voice distorted in a haunted manner. “Let me love you!” Whipping its three spiked tails about, it hooted yet again, its voice shaking the earth below it. “C'mon! Let me crush you into pieces!”

 

The soldiers emptied clips of M5 Carbine ammunition into the armor of the beast as it came charging up the hill on all fours, but the bullets deflected off its steel armor. One after another, the ravenous machine pounced on the soldiers, tearing their flesh apart with its teeth, cackling at its handiwork.

 

“This is love!” it exclaimed, standing on its hind again and snatching a soldier and holding it high above its head. “Love me harder! Love me faster! Love me!”

 

The man's screams were cut short and the others turned away in tears as the beast snapped the soldier's body in half like a twig, showering in his gore.

 

“C'mon!” the leader of the remaining five shouted. “If we can make it to HQ, we can get reinforcements!”

 

They made no arguments. Anything was better than sticking around to share this monster's twisted sense of love. Running into the thicket of the forest, they hoped to elude their pursuer in the darkness of the night.

 

The fiend howled, “Why do you run? Is my love that overwhelming?”

 

They ignored its cry, only concentrating on the objective ahead. Bursting through dozens of bushes and hurdling over rocks and mud puddles, they didn't ponder the fact that they were past the point of exhaustion. They would rather be fatigued than killed. That thought alone pushed their bodies to the limit. Their HQ was over the upcoming hill. If they could manage to make it over the hill, they were home free.

 

“Grahh!”

 

The soldiers stopped upon hearing the scream of their comrade. The leader saw him to his left. “Sanguel!”

 

But he was nowhere to be found.

 

“Nraaaagh!”

 

Now it was to his right! “Emile!”

 

He was gone too! What was going on? He was sure he didn't hear that monster following them, but then again, he was so deep into getting away from it that he wasn't focused on his surroundings. Now there was just him and his partner. “Stay close to me, Adrian!” he shouted, holding his rifle at the ready. “I can't afford to lose you too!”

 

Silence.

 

He looked over his shoulder. “Adrian?” He searched around and saw nothing! “Adrian! Damn! Not you too!”

 

He shook his head. He had to get a hold of himself. There would be time for tears after he got to headquarters. Once he was there, he would be able to—

 

His body froze, his jaw dropping as well as his weapon once he felt the overwhelming aura behind him. This was the same presence that killed the last of his comrades, he was sure of it. And now he was next, right? All he had to do was turn and face his executioner, and he did so, willing the last bit of his strength to turn around and face the shadow towering over him. He backed away, losing the ability to scream as he fell on his butt.

 

The shadow, giant yet slender, craned its neck down to the soldier's level, its eyes the same haunting hue as the other beast. Its hissed resembled that of a snake. “What do they call anacondas in this country, my friend?” a human voice from inside of the machine queried—a male it seemed.

 

The man lost his voice, losing all of his bodily functions as he began to wet himself backing into a tree.

 

“They call them `Matatoro'—bull killer. Well, that's just one of the many names I've heard anyway.”

 

The shudders of the young male made the pilot of the machine chuckle. Through the eyes of the mecha, he saw the glimmer she mentioned. He smiled. `There it is, Mother.'

 

“Just so you know, all of your friends at HQ are dead. We killed every single person there, children and all.” The snake-like mecha cocked its head back as the pilot laughed. “You should have seen it! Such a beautiful end, as death always is. And now you will experience it, first-hand.”

 

Its head snapped forward, opening its mouth as it prepared to devour the remaining soldier; however it stopped within mere inches. The man found his voice and screamed from the top of his lungs as the pilot laughed yet again.

 

“There it is! The look of absolute terror! Thank you for letting me see it first-hand! As a reward, I'll let you live. I'll let you feel despair—a despair like no other.” It pulled its head back and began to slither away. “I wonder just how long you'll live now.”

 

The man's eyes welled up with tears, his life flashing before his eyes many times as the snake's cackle echoed in the hollow chambers of his mind. Its silhouette faded in the darkness, and just like that…

 

There was silence again.

 

***

 

 

The billows of smoke eclipsed the moon's light as the headquarters of the South American rebels burned in an ocean of flames. The smell of rotting flesh of the civilians and soldiers killed in the surprise attack wafted as the evening breeze simmered the inferno a little. In the midst of the black clouds, the contour of a six-winged figure hovered ominously over the scene as if it were the culprit behind the attack.

 

The form was another machine, arms crossed as the six detached satellite wings and internal flotation device kept it afloat. This one's design resembled that of an angel, though its midnight black paint job would say the opposite. A slender, spiked head, its six crimson eyes scanned the land below. The pilot sat in the cockpit, legs crossed as he observed the live feed of the other two machines. From the looks of everything, the prototypes were successes. The maneuverability of the Nyx was far better than the developers projected and the Echidna's stealth capabilities were pleasing as well. His Seraph had problems with its floatation system in the beginning, but not only did it correct itself, but it seemed to react to the runner's abilities as a human being—if you would consider these hooded figures humans. Reapers were more of a term they grew used to.

 

“So, you're just going to leave him there?” he asked his partner.

 

“I want to see how long he lasts before he kills himself. I would give him until he sees his HQ and then…bang!”

 

“Is he hurting?” a female came over the transmission. “I want to share in his agony.”

 

“You've had enough love for today, Keres,” the pilot of the Seraph scolded.

 

“Big Brother…”

 

Yes, he was one of the few who could contain Keres' nearly uncontrollable behavior. Big Brother possessed a certain control over his colleagues, and was able to bend them to his will. He didn't know why, but it was the reason why `Mother' put him in charge of the group. With these Orbital Frames, they would definitely be able to crush any enemy that opposed them.

 

No, these were not Orbital Frames. The researchers named them `Specters' which suited their ghastly designs. Either way, they were forces to be reckoned with in this coming World War.

 

“Let's go. We have a long way until we reach our next objective,” Big Brother directed. “Oizys is already there and awaits our arrival.”

 

The other two acknowledged, “Yes, Big Brother!”

 

Thrusting its arms to its sides, the Seraph's engines flared to life, the blue flames shooting out of its feet and wings carrying it through the skies at mach speeds. It was indeed one of the fastest frames created thus far, and it could only grow stronger.

 

It was time to proceed on to step two.

 

Act Zero Closed