"You Cretin!"

With an elegant flourish, Suzaku sent Lelouch's pistol flying before drawing it back and driving it forward once more.

Lelouch gasped painfully and fell forward onto Suzaku.

"Curses! I have been slain by the ingenious masked knight of infinite fame and legend...now I will die...I never...saw this...c-coming..."

C.C. grunted in boredom as Suzaku fought valiantly to maintain his composure before following Lelouch to the floor in a fit of belly-deep laughter.

"You were doing so well...until someone wanted to be dramatic." She remarked dryly as she stared at the two young men from across the room.

Though she looked slightly younger than the two eighteen-year-olds, especially while sitting on the cold throne-room floor hugging a large yellow plushie, the green haired woman had walked the earth longer than she cared to think about. In all the centuries she had put behind her, never once had C.C. seen two people laugh while working out the finer details of the latter assassinating the former.

Because that was what was happening tomorrow morning.

Suzaku Kururugi was finally going to kill Lelouch Vi Britannia and complete his self-given vendetta of avenging Princess Euphemia, formerly known as the massacre princess.

"I'm sorry," Lelouch apologized as he sobered his face quickly, "I suppose I got too carried away."

Suzaku looked at his former friend—for that matter, his former enemy as well—with an odd expression on his face. "Is it even possible to get carried away when acting out your soon-to-be very real death?"

Lelouch shrugged as he remained emotionless, his mask once more in place despite the helm of Zero laying several feet away by the foot of the throne.

"I think that we have worked out all the details. If there is nothing else you need, I'll be retiring to my quarters." Lelouch stated simply as he glanced at C.C. to see if she would be following after him or going off on her own.

Silently, C.C. rose and made her way to stand by her accomplice's side as Suzaku nodded and came to attention. He then half-bowed from the waist up and said softly, "Yes, your majesty," as the Emperor of Britannia and his companion left the throne-room.

"You're awfully quiet," Lelouch remarked as they entered his room, a lushly decorated and extravagantly spacious eight-room suite in occupying the highest level of the new palace built in Tokyo. After the recent destruction of Pendragon, it was understandably spartan in terms of personal touches. Though neither Lelouch nor C.C. kept much in the way of personal belongings that were ever far from their person anyways.

"That's twice now you've shown an interest in me that went beyond a mere hindrance to your mission in this month alone." C.C. teased softly as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I must be catching something," Lelouch murmured as he closed the distance between them and pinned the witch against the now closed door of their room with his hands on either side of her head, forcing her to look up at him. "So what is wrong?" He repeated, his voice serious.

C.C. glanced down at the floor briefly before meeting his eyes as she replied, "nothing is wrong, should something always be wrong if I don't immediately jump into your arms once we're alone?"

Lelouch smirked at her and nodded his head, "yes, I would say that is a fair assessment at what I'm deducing my reasoning from." He teased as a ghost of a smile appeared across her face.

He opened his mouth to again press her for information when she slid a hand up to the back of his neck and pulled him down to her.

"Just for once, Lulu, let someone else win." She whispered softly before closing the gap between them.