Notes: Kinda hard to pick out individual episode references at this point...
Warning: Character death within this chapter.
Chapter Summary: Mao mistakes. Schneizel selects. Kallen rescues. Euphemia checkmates. Anya forgets. V.V. schemes. Shirley confronts. Lelouch confesses. Nunnally surprises.
Of Monsters and Men
A Code Geass Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Part 8: Birth of the Black Queen
In all his years as an assassin, Rolo had learned that everyone, no matter how smart or skilled, needed a contingency plan. The more you had, the more ways you had to win, or at least the more ways you had to escape and try again later. He prided himself on getting things right the first time, but Rolo was always careful to have an alternate.
Mao's problem was that he relied far too heavily on his Geass. True, it was rather powerful, but without it, Mao was nothing. Rolo only realized this the instant in which Mao's Geass finally failed him, and that was all it really took.
It happened just after Nunnally burst into tears, and Cornelia drew a gun that had been concealed beneath her cape.
Mao didn't need his Geass to realize that Cornelia intended to kill Nunnally then and there. He had no love for the girl, but he doubted that Lelouch or C.C. would show up to rescue a corpse. For now, at least, he needed Nunnally alive.
Rolo made no move to interfere, but made a point to watch Mao's every move. He had a feeling that his opportunity to kill Mao was fast approaching.
"Hold on, Princess," Mao said, reaching out to grasp Cornelia's arm. "I-"
That was as far as he got.
Rolo had been with both OSI and the Geass Directorate for some time. He'd learned that brainwashing someone into murdering someone else was only a sure thing if sub-directives were included. Forcing Cornelia to kill Nunnally wasn't enough; there had to be fail safes, in case something went wrong. This was very obviously the case, because the second in which Cornelia identified Mao as a hindrance to her mission, he became a problem.
Mao had no idea he was in danger: Rolo had only thought that some Geass users might be immune to Mao's probes, but clearly this applied to some of those under the spell of Geass as well.
Without looking, and most probably without even realizing she was doing it, Cornelia's arm snapped up, pressing the barrel of her gun directly between his eyes. Mao didn't even have time to look surprised as his head exploded into a cloud of red mist and gore. Rolo was impressed: whoever wanted Nunnally dead was taking no chances of her surviving again.
Nunnally screamed in fear, either from the sound of the gunshot, or because some of Mao's blood had splashed onto her lap.
Cornelia's only reaction was to blink as Mao's body collapsed to the floor.
Rolo was perfectly free to leave then, having no real obligation to keep Nunnally alive, but he was curious. "Shall I guard the door, Viceroy?" he asked, ready to use his Geass or shoot if she should so much as glance in his direction the wrong way.
"Yes, do that," Cornelia said, sounding more like a woman who was not under the influence of Geass, but her face remained blank as she spoke the words. "I suspect we'll have visitors very soon."
Rolo kept his eyes on Cornelia as he slipped outside, and managed to catch her next words.
"Now for you," Cornelia murmured, and Nunnally's whimpering cut off abruptly. "Tell me what I want to know. Why are you impersonating my sister?"
C.C. had promised that she would help rescue Nunnally, but suddenly, Lelouch was a lot less inclined to believe anything she said. He trusted her to a certain extent, but he wouldn't take the chance that Nunnally might be hurt or worse, simply because of C.C.'s jealousy.
So Lelouch had swallowed his pride, called Suzaku back, and admitted there was a beacon in Nunnally's wheelchair. He had a handheld tracer, disguised as a PDA, as did Sayoko and Kallen. He knew for certain that Nunnally was still at Ashford Academy, although the slightly weakened signal indicated she was either underground, in an area with some interference, or both.
It was incredibly difficult for Lelouch to just sit there and wait for results, for once, but Suzaku had already shown a certain willingness to throw himself in harm's way, and he would do so gladly to save Nunnally. Even if he died in the attempt, Lelouch had faith that he would somehow manage to rescue her first.
There was nothing to do but wait. C.C. had forbidden him to leave the base, claiming that Mao would've already planned for that. She'd been serious enough to threaten him at gunpoint, which was enough to make him realize that his life might actually be in danger. That did nothing to comfort him about Nunnally's situation, though.
Suzaku was a soldier, and one of the primary rules (as far as he was concerned, anyway) was that you didn't take unarmed, inexperienced women into battle. So he was understandably frustrated that both Euphemia and Nina had insisted on entering the service elevator with him. He was grateful that Nina had been on hand to show them where it was, and he was also technically duty-bound to stay with Euphemia until he'd seen to her safety, but this was seriously pushing it. He was tempted to roll his eyes at the way Nina had gasped when he drew his service pistol just before they reached the bottom of the elevator shaft.
"For protection," he explained. Of course, it was more for THEIR protection, because Suzaku was fairly certain that, had he been alone, dodging gunfire would've been a simple task. But with the women behind him, there would be no dodging, not unless he was moving into a bullet's path.
"Nunnally will be alright, won't she, Suzaku?" Euphemia murmured. She started to reach for his hand, remembered the gun, and instead reached for Nina's, squeezing it tightly.
"I don't think anyone would kidnap Nunnally just to harm her," Suzaku said, which he firmly believed. If anything, kidnapping a wheelchair-bound girl, who would eventually require far too much maintenance, would be counterproductive. This had to be because of Nunnally's royal blood, and nothing else. He hated that fact, and was fully prepared to kill the kidnapper, if only to keep Nunnally's secret. Lelouch would expect that of him, and Suzaku could only hope that Euphemia and Nina could be convinced not to watch.
The long hallway leading from the elevator was strangely clear, with no hindrances in sight. Suzaku didn't know what to make of that, but wouldn't allow himself to become complacent. He made sure the women stayed at least ten feet behind him, just in case. Euphemia was predictably annoyed, but Nina was all too happy to keep to the rear, suddenly a lot less brave. Suzaku felt for her, recalling what she'd been through, but it was her own fault for coming along.
Without warning, a sharp blade was pressed against Suzaku's throat.
"That will be far enough, Major," said a voice in his ear. "The Viceroy asked not to be disturbed."
Suzaku froze as his gaze slid to the side, taking in the frowning face of what appeared to be a fellow student around Nunnally's age.
"Cornelia is here?" Euphemia asked in shock. "Why?"
"You would have to ask her that, Your Highness. You, and you alone, may pass. Your companions will have to wait here, I'm afraid."
"Don't you want to let us through?" Nina asked softly.
The boy simply stared at her. "No."
Nina blinked, clearly startled. "Huh?"
"I dislike repeating myself. Only Princess Euphemia may proceed."
"If you're following the Viceroy's orders," Suzaku said slowly, "then you have no reason to harm us."
"Unless you violate the Viceroy's command. Then, I would have to kill you."
"Here are the operating manuals," Prince Schneizel said, holding out two thick folders. "Don't worry too much about the details, as they'll go through some revision before it's even combat ready."
Gino and Anya traded glances before each taking a folder.
"So," Gino said slowly after only glancing at the first page, "not only do you want us to pilot a Knightmare that doesn't even exist yet, but you want us to do it together? As in at the same time?"
"Precisely."
Gino blinked and opened his mouth.
"When do we begin, Your Highness?" Anya asked, cutting him off. Gino frowned and pouted at her, but she ignored him.
"You'll be summoned the moment that the Gawain is completed," Schneizel answered.
"But, um, isn't this going to look bad?" Gino asked. "I mean, what are people going to say when they find out that the Knight of Three has a partner? I'll never live it down!"
"I wouldn't worry about that. I suspect that Anya isn't far from becoming a Knight of the Rounds herself."
"...which really means you're going to recommend her to the Emperor yourself, right?"
"Yes, but it's hardly necessary at this point. He's taken a special interest in Anya's progress."
"Oh, yeah?" Gino nudged Anya. "Hear that, little buddy? You're on the fast track!"
"...there aren't enough weapons," Anya said, frowning as she looked up from the folder in her hands.
"Um, did you miss the part about the Hadron-"
"There aren't enough weapons," Anya repeated firmly, glaring at him.
"Show me you've mastered the improvements to the cannons, and then we'll talk," Schneizel promised. "We have to show that the Gawain is worth improving upon first."
Nunnally could not recall a time in her life when she had been more frightened, and that was saying something. Despite all the evidence she'd provided, from shared memories to secrets only a handful of people alive would know, Cornelia still didn't seem to believe she was authentic. That alone was enough to break Nunnally's heart, but even that was overshadowed by the fact that Cornelia apparently intended to kill her. She had already killed Mao, although admittedly, he probably would've killed Nunnally eventually, as well. But at least in his case, she'd had some idea of why.
Cornelia could not seem to accept that Nunnally was who she claimed to be, that she hadn't been dead all of this time. The truly confusing part was that the Cornelia that Nunnally remembered would've protested, almost violently, any indication that she could be mistaken over such a thing. But this Cornelia was almost robotic in her refusals, with little or no emotion used.
It didn't make any sense. Euphemia hadn't taken anywhere near this much convincing, but Nunnally thought she knew why. Of all her siblings, only Lelouch had been closer to her than Euphemia. But even then, it was Euphemia that Nunnally had spent the most time with as a child. So it made sense that only Euphemia would dare to hope that she wasn't really killed in Japan. She'd been ready to believe that Nunnally was alive, but Cornelia had long since decided on the opposite. There would be no convincing her today.
"You have proven nothing, save that you are a very convincing imposter," Cornelia decided at last. "But you will shame my sister's memory no longer. Have you any last words?"
For the first time in a long time, Nunnally opened her eyes. She could see nothing, of course, but faintly hoped that the sight might make Cornelia hesitate, at least for a while. "I-I love you, Cornelia. Please believe me. I am your sister..."
Nunnally could not see it, but Cornelia's hand trembled slightly as she pointed the gun at the girl's head. "My sister is dead. And now, so are you."
Nunnally closed her eyes. "I love you, Cornelia," she whispered again, just before she was silenced by gunfire.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look like a soldier."
Rolo smirked at Suzaku. "Neither do you, yet here we are."
"What I mean is that you don't seem like the type that the Viceroy normally employs."
"I'm not. You might say I'm assisting her, for the moment. But my own mission is ultimately distinct from her purposes."
Nina couldn't understand how they were carrying on a conversation, since Rolo had yet to remove the knife from Suzaku's neck. She also didn't understand why her Geass hadn't worked on Rolo, and why Euphemia had been gone for so long. Really, it was only a few minutes, but when they had no indication of what was happening in the room beyond them, it seemed like much longer.
Suddenly, a single gunshot rang out behind the closed door.
Rolo smiled. "Ah. It seems my services are no longer required."
Without warning, he was gone. In his place, however, was a small device that began to whine shrilly.
"GET BACK!" Suzaku shouted, tackling Nina to the ground just before the device exploded.
When Nunnally woke up, someone was holding her gently, and a sweet voice was calling her name, although there was definitely some panic gradually slipping into it. She recognized the voice at once, but it took a few tries for her to gather her wits enough to answer.
"E-Euphie? How did you get here?"
"That's not important, sweetie. Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?"
Nunnally felt hot and sweaty, and distinctly uncomfortable with her surroundings despite Euphemia's comforting presence, but considered none of that to be pain. She could feel some lingering aches from where Mao had prodded her arms, but those hardly seemed important now.
"I'm fine," Nunnally said at last. "W-Where's Cornelia?"
There was a slight pause, and then Euphemia's gentle embrace tightened, almost to the point of pain. "I need to get you out of here, Nunnally. It's not safe."
Nunnally could tell from the pain in Euphemia's voice that Cornelia was a very touchy subject at the moment, and fell silent as she felt Euphemia pushing her wheelchair along some slightly bumpy ground. She had no idea where they were, but trusted that Euphemia either knew where she was going, or at least knew enough to get them away from some previous danger they'd encountered.
They'd only been moving for a few minutes when the ground started to shake.
Being inside the Guren without physically being in it was a new experience for Kallen. She kept thinking of herself as the Guren, an easy mistake to make, since her eyes were technically the Guren's cameras at the moment. So far, the red Knightmare had responded to all of her mental commands with no problems. Even better, she'd been running for miles without feeling the slightest bit of fatigue. Then again, could a machine get tired?
Her worry for Nunnally only grew when Kallen spotted black smoke rising from one of Ashford Academy's storage sheds, but Nunnally's beacon was thankfully nowhere near that location, and still moving, in fact.
Kallen moved the Guren out onto the school's front lawn, slightly ahead of the beacon, which seemed to be coming from underground. It took two superheated punches to rip a gaping hole through the lawn and directly into the sewer system, and Kallen found herself briefly hoping that Rolo was down there, just so she could squeeze and burn him at the same time. She'd found out that despite her body not being present, the Guren somehow still projected her voice through its outer speakers, which would be handy now, since Nunnally had obviously never seen the Guren.
"Nunnally!" she shouted into the darkness. "Can you hear me?!"
There was a pause that seemed to take forever, and then Nunnally wheeled into view, accompanied by Euphemia herself. Kallen wasn't sure whether to feel surprised or relieved.
"Kallen?" Nunnally asked uncertainly. "Why are you in a Knightmare?"
Kallen almost asked how Nunnally knew that, but reminded herself that Euphemia wasn't blind. She had promised to be honest with Nunnally when possible, and lying suddenly didn't seem like an option. "Well, I'm not actually in it. I'm operating it remotely."
"Then how did you get it?"
"I'm one of the Black Knights, Nunnally."
Both Nunnally and Euphemia looked surprised, but not unpleasantly so, which in turn surprised Kallen a great deal.
"I'll go with you, but only if Euphie can come, too," Nunnally said at last.
"Your... friend?" Kallen asked slowly. She had revealed her own secret, but she would allow Nunnally to keep her own.
"No. My sister," Nunnally replied, reaching back to squeeze Euphemia's hand.
"Alright. Then let's get you two out of there before anything else happens today."
Lelouch gained a newfound respect for women, or at least for Kallen in particular, the moment she reported in. Not only had she managed to pick up Nunnally and Euphemia at Ashford, but she'd had the foresight to place both girls inside the Guren, while carefully carrying Nunnally's wheelchair in the right claw. And somehow, the sight of Euphemia, stretched out over the motorcycle seat of the Guren's cockpit, with Nunnally clinging to her back, each of them trying to talk to him at the same time, left him in such a good mood that he'd actually gone back and apologized to C.C. for his harsh words earlier. She hadn't really accepted his apology, but she had saved the last slice of pizza for him, a practically unheard of honor.
That call was in sharp contrast to the one from Suzaku minutes later. He'd been frantic with worry and sorrow, convinced that Nunnally, Euphemia, and Cornelia had perished in the explosion. That had been news to Lelouch, as no one had mentioned Cornelia before. He'd barely managed to interrupt Suzaku's endless string of apologies long enough to point out that at least two of his sisters had survived. Somewhat to Lelouch's annoyance, however, Suzaku immediately stated his intentions to search for Cornelia, once Nina had gotten medical treatment. That was a little troubling, because Suzaku was just bullheaded enough to save Cornelia from what might otherwise be a well-timed death.
Euphemia was drained, both emotionally and physically. In many ways, this been the longest day of her life, and all she really wanted to do was crawl into a bed somewhere, curl up with Nunnally, and sleep for a week, only to wake up and find Lelouch waiting on them with a tray of exotic chocolates.
Her life had never been quite THAT perfect, however, so for the moment, she was content with the reassuring sensation of Nunnally's head resting against her back, and enjoyed the peaceful silence that surrounded them as the Guren transported them to wherever Kallen intended to take them. But even that didn't last too long.
"Euphie?" Nunnally suddenly murmured.
"Yes, Nunnally?"
"I-I'm sorry for what I said before. About us not really being sisters. I didn't mean it."
Euphemia smiled. "I know you didn't, sweetheart. It's okay."
"No, it isn't! You shot Cornelia to save me!"
The lie had formed on Euphemia's lips almost without thought. "I haven't thought of Cornelia as my sister for a while now."
"You're lying," Nunnally whispered, but she didn't sound angry, just sad. "I felt you crying when you hugged me."
"Cornelia... was sick, Nunnally. She stopped being our sister when that happened. She never would've pointed a gun at you otherwise."
"It's because she thought I was dead, isn't it? Like you used to?"
"Yes, but I accepted that you were alive all this time. Cornelia couldn't or wouldn't, assumed you were an imposter, and tried to kill you."
Nunnally's arms squeezed Euphemia's waist a little tighter. "I promise I'll convince Lelouch to let you take our name."
Euphemia gasped. "Nunnally, you don't have to-"
"I don't care what anyone says. You're my real sister, Euphie. You always have been, and I'll never stop loving you for it."
There were no words to express how happy that simple statement made Euphemia, but Nunnally seemed to know, anyway. Because when Euphemia lowered her head in a fruitless attempt to conceal her tears, Nunnally's hand reached out to brush her chin with a much needed tissue. And it didn't surprise Euphemia in the least, because it was just the sort of a thing a true little sister would know about her older sister.
"There is one good thing about tonight," Nunnally said softly.
"Oh? What's that?" Euphemia asked, wiping her face.
"You get to stay with us now."
Euphemia froze. She hadn't thought of that before, but it made sense. She couldn't possibly go anywhere else, not after what she'd done tonight. She'd need Lelouch's, no, Zero's protection now. Without him, she'd be hunted down and executed.
"You can sleep with me," Nunnally continued. "I share a room with Kallen, and she doesn't snore at all. I know Lelouch will smile a lot more with you around. It'll almost be like it was back then."
"How do you know that I don't snore?" Euphemia asked, a smile tugging at her lips.
"If you do, I'll just plug up my ears with my hair."
Euphemia snorted. "You wouldn't!"
"You're right," Nunnally giggled. "If you were already asleep, I'd probably just use yours."
Zero had known that having Kaguya around the base would be a real morale booster for the Black Knights. She was a living symbol of Kyoto's support, and beyond that, inspiring in her own right. But even he had been unprepared for the way in which she decided to... inspire.
He'd actually expected the dancing and sing-alongs, though. It was Kaguya, after all.
What he hadn't expected was to walk into the cafeteria to find Kaguya dancing on top of a table, directing a sing-along... while dressed as a miniature version of C.C. She'd even gone to the trouble of dying her hair green and using colored contact lenses. Zero might have mistaken her for the real thing, except that she was shorter and visibly happy. That, and C.C. NEVER would've gleefully bounced off of the table and into his arms.
"What," Zero said intelligently, "are you doing?"
"Everyone looked so serious and droopy, so I thought I'd cheer them up!" Kaguya chirped, latching onto his neck.
"But why are you dressed like her?" Zero demanded. He'd just made up with C.C., and he had a feeling this would not go over well once she found out.
"I noticed you two weren't getting along," Kaguya replied, "so I thought I'd try to make her jealous by showing that you don't really need her with me around."
While he could appreciate Kaguya's motives, Zero was tempted to drop her. "Did it ever occur to you that this might only alienate her further?"
"Yes," she answered, "but I think it'll hurt her pride more than her feelings. What would you do if someone was imitating you in front of your men?"
Zero briefly pictured a miniature version of himself being thrown from a cliff. "...you'd better stay close to me for a while."
"Okay!" Kaguya said brightly. She couldn't see it beneath his mask, but Zero was more than a little creeped out by C.C.'s face grinning at him that way.
At that very moment, C.C. was busy doing one of her favorite activities: curling up on Lelouch's bed with Cheese-kun, and, of course, thoroughly enjoying the fact that it was Lelouch's bed in the first place. This had very little to do with any hidden feelings for him, though: she just liked stealing his bed. Anyway, his bed at the base was much more comfortable than the one at Ashford, and she had technically claimed this one before he had (but only after he'd claimed the rest of the room).
C.C. was eventually disturbed by the chirping of the cell phone Lelouch had given her for emergencies. Sighing, she answered the phone and asked, "What?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you," Sayoko said, "but I think it's time Lelouch told Nunnally about Zero, don't you?"
"...I'll leave the door open for you."
"Thank you."
Sighing again, C.C. hung up. "At this rate, it'll be easier to keep track of the people who DON'T know."
"What the hell, Kallen?!" Tamaki shouted the moment the Guren rolled to a stop inside the storage bay. "I've been going out of my mind, trying to figure out what to tell Zero all this time!"
"Tamaki, shut up," Kallen's voice barked. "There's royalty present, not to mention innocent ears, and neither cares much for your tone."
Tamaki was about to start up again when he noticed what the Guren was carrying in its hand. It was a wheelchair. "You mean you went out just to save some old lady?!"
In the next moment, the Guren's cockpit slid open, and a shoe came flying out, smacking Tamaki right on the head.
"My little sister is NOT an old lady!" Euphemia shouted as she stuck her head out.
Tamaki gaped at her, forgetting all about the shoe. "Hey, aren't you...?"
"Extremely upset with you? Yes, I am!"
"NO! You're...HER! The princess! The young, stupid one!"
Euphemia's eyes narrowed in fury. "Nunnally," she said crisply, "hand me your other shoe."
A hand emerged from the cockpit with another shoe. This one caught Tamaki right between the eyes with such force that he went down in a heap.
"It sounds like your aim's really improved," Nunnally noted as Euphemia carefully picked her up.
"Not really. I was aiming much lower."
"...you're scary when you're in a bad mood, Euphie."
"NUNNALLY, DARLING!"
Nunnally's head snapped up as a new pair of arms wrapped her in a firm hug. "Kaguya?" she asked in surprise. "Is that you?"
"Oh, I've missed you so!" Kaguya cooed, kissing her cheek soundly. "And I have SO much to tell you!" It was then that she noticed Euphemia staring at her hair. "Yes?"
Euphemia blinked. "Um, excuse me, but how did you get up here so fast? And do you have an older sister?"
Kaguya giggled. "I climbed, silly! And there could only ever be one me! But enough about that! Lelouch must be worried sick about you two by now, so I'll take you straight to him."
"Did Lelouch bring you here?" Nunnally guessed. "As a surprise for me?"
"You could say that," Kaguya replied airily. "Come on, let's go! Oh, and I'll have someone collect and clean up your shoes later, dear."
Kallen slowly opened her eyes, smiling as she reminded herself that Nunnally was safe now. A deep feeling of relief washed over her.
It faded the moment she noticed Shirley standing beside her hospital bed, hands trembling as she pointed a gun at Kallen's face.
"Shirley," Kallen said slowly, "what are you doing?"
"I-I'm going to shoot you," Shirley said, and her grip on the gun became more unstable as the words passed through her lips.
Kallen blinked. "I already apologized for hurting you, and Nunnally is still willing to be your friend. So there's no need to-"
"That's not what this is about!" Shirley shouted, tears streaming down her face. "Do you really think I would shoot someone just because of that?!"
"Then why are you doing this?"
"B-Because I can't let you hurt anyone else! I don't care if Nunnally isn't my friend anymore, or if Lelouch never looks at me the same. I refuse to let you hurt them!"
"Why would I hurt them?" Kallen asked, growing more confused by the moment.
"Why would you kill your own mother?" Shirley countered.
The blood drained from Kallen's face. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I talked to your stepmother!"
"If you mean the woman in my former home that didn't care whether I lived or died, you shouldn't trust anything she told you."
"But your mother IS dead," Shirley insisted. "I could tell by the look on your face just now!"
"Yes, she is," Kallen admitted, "but I didn't kill her. She was already dead when I found her."
Shirley's lips twisted into a pained smile. "That's why I have to kill you, Kallen. So you won't ever be able to say the same thing about Nunnally or Lelouch one day."
"I would never hurt Nunnally," Kallen swore. "I'm doing everything I can to protect her. And Lelouch can fend for himself. Why can't you see that?"
"You're lying," Shirley whispered. "I don't believe you."
"Can you really take the chance that I am lying? What if Nunnally really is in danger, and you kill one of the few people that can actually keep her safe? You should worry less about what I could do, and worry more about what Lelouch would do when he finds out you're the one responsible for allowing Nunnally to be harmed."
Shirley hesitated for a few seconds. Then she shook her head forcefully. "No! I can't trust you! You just don't want me to shoot you!"
Kallen very nearly rolled her eyes in exasperation: of course she didn't want to be shot, as she'd already been stabbed today, but she wouldn't want to be shot either way. Instead, Kallen decided to test Shirley's resolve. "Fine. Shirley, if you honestly think there's not one shred of good in me, and that I'm out to hurt Nunnally and Lelouch, then shoot me. But if anything bad happens to Nunnally as a result, I can promise you that not only will Lelouch never forgive you, he'll kill you himself."
Shirley's hands shook harder than ever then, but she at least had the gun still pointed remotely towards Kallen when the door opened.
"Shirley, I didn't know you'd be here-" Suzaku began as he stepped in, just before his eyes widened at the scene before him. "Shirley...?"
"She thinks I'm out to hurt Nunnally," Kallen explained, noticing his confused and alarmed look.
"She killed her own mother!" Shirley snapped.
"I told you she was already dead when I-!"
"No! NO!" Shirley glared at Kallen and centered the gun on her face again. "I-I can't let you live. You'll just hurt them..."
"Shirley," Suzaku said slowly, "you're not really going to do this, are you?"
"I don't WANT to," Shirley whispered. "But Nunna's been hurt enough, and Lulu never smiles anymore. I can't let her-"
"Kallen didn't kill her mother," Suzaku interrupted, "and I know for a fact she wouldn't do anything to Nunn-"
"You're WRONG!" Shirley shouted, glaring at him.
"Are you so sure that you're willing to end her life?" Suzaku asked. "I am your friend, Shirley, but I'm also a soldier. If you try to shoot Kallen, I'll have to arrest you."
"Arrest HER! She's the killer!"
"And you'll be no different if you do this. How are you going to keep Nunnally safe if you're in jail? There are other people who would want to hurt her. Now, give me that gun. I promise that I'll protect Nunnally and Lelouch, okay?"
Shirley whimpered and shook her head. "But she... she's,,,"
"If she ever tries to hurt Nunnally," Suzaku said, glancing over his shoulder at Kallen as he moved in front of Shirley, "I'll stop her myself." Kallen had no doubt that he meant it, too.
"Y-You promise?" Shirley asked weakly.
"I promise," Suzaku said solemnly, gently pulling the gun from her hand.
Shirley broke down then, sinking to the floor and burying her face in her hands as she sobbed.
"What are you even doing here, Suzaku?" Kallen asked. All things considered, she was now a little suspicious of everyone from school.
"I brought Nina in. She took a nasty bump on the head from... well, they'll probably make an announcement at school tomorrow. If we have school tomorrow. One of nurses recognized Nina's uniform. She told me someone else from our school was a patient here."
Kallen just grunted, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep. The sooner Sayoko came back and cleared all the weirdoes out of her room, the better off she'd be.
Although Lelouch had a very real idea of where he ended and Zero began in his mind, only now was it really becoming a serious problem. Because while Lelouch could be content with Nunnally's safe return, Zero needed more. Nunnally had told him everything that had happened to her, from Rolo kidnapping her to the Guren dropping off her and Euphemia. Of course, Lelouch knew that Euphemia had the details that Nunnally had missed, most importantly how seriously Cornelia had been wounded. But she looked even wearier than Nunnally, and part of him just wanted to let her sleep. Yet he still needed to know whether or not to expect some sort of reaction from Cornelia's men in the next few days, and he'd only be able to accurate predict that with news of the Second Princess's fate.
Euphemia surprised Lelouch by saving him the trouble of asking. Once Nunnally was done with her story, Euphemia asked her to go to bed, promising to join her once she'd spoken with Lelouch. Nunnally was understandably a little nervous about sleeping alone, but Kaguya promised to stay with her until Euphemia and Lelouch were done talking.
Lelouch suspected that Euphemia had another reason for staying behind, and she soon proved him right.
"Lelouch, I want your permission to join the Black Knights."
He could only stare at her, startled that she'd just come right out with it, but not with the request itself. She'd chosen her words carefully, he knew, so there would be no point in denying that he was Zero.
"Euphie, it isn't that simple," Lelouch sighed. "You don't know what-"
This was clearly not the answer she wanted. Nothing else could quite explain the force with which she slapped him.
"I think it's YOU that doesn't know," Euphemia whispered, her voice shaking with fury. "Maybe you haven't realized it because Nunnally is still in the dark about Zero. But I would've thought that you, of all people, would understand my position. I don't have any other options. I've betrayed the Royal Family. If you don't take me in, I'm dead, Lelouch. But it's more than just that. I'm tired of being useless. I want to do something good with my life. I refuse to just keep taking up space. I want to help you."
"You can do all of that without joining the Black Knights," Lelouch said, rubbing his stinging cheek. "Nunnally needs you, and-"
"Don't you dare hide behind her! She is not a shield or a distraction! She's our sister! If she can be your inspiration to change the world, then she can be mine, too!"
He shook his head. "You aren't ready for-"
"What else do I have to do?!" Euphemia demanded. "I threw away everything I knew for you, Lelouch! I defied the Empire! I put aside my feelings for Clovis and his memory! I..." Her voice trembled as tears rolled down her face. "I shot my own sister for you! All for you and your damned peace of mind! And still I'm not good enough for you?! How can you be so-"
"Overprotective?" Lelouch offered quietly.
She blinked and stared at him in shock. "...what?"
"I know you've been through a great ordeal, and that most, if not all of it, is my fault. But you seem to have forgotten two very important things, Euphie. I would do anything to protect the few precious things that I have left. And you have always been precious to me. Did you really think I would just place you on the front lines, where you could be hurt or worse? How could I continue to face Nunnally if I did that? How could I build a better world for her without our dearest sister in it? When I refuse you, I do so out of love and concern. It isn't that you aren't useful enough. It's that you're far too valuable to risk losing."
Euphemia said nothing for several moments, and Lelouch bit his lip, wondering if she would fall for his deception. The old Euphemia would have in a heartbeat, but this new one, which he was finding to be increasingly frustrating and unpredictable, was an unknown. His words had not been a lie, not at all, but at the same time, he was using them to manipulate her. He could just as easily have felt that way without saying so, refusing her request and dealing with her stubbornness head-on. But Lelouch was starting to understand that the more Euphemia made her own decisions, the less likely she was to back down from direct opposition. His only hope was to consistently remind her of the fact that, however infuriating she might find him to be, he was still very dear to her as well.
"You really are a genius, Lelouch," Euphemia finally admitted with a soft smile. But then she stepped much closer to him, until their noses were nearly touching. "And I may not know chess, but despite what you may think, I do know you. We both know that I'm of more use to you as an ally than a prisoner. Besides, you won't be able to continue fooling both your men and Nunnally for much longer. Someone has to be told the truth, and I'll only help you with Nunnally."
Somehow, those words hit Lelouch even harder than her slap had. Nunnally had mentioned, however briefly, that Kallen had admitted to being a member of the Black Knights. It was the only way to explain the Guren, and Nunnally might not have been able to continue trusting her otherwise. But Nunnally had also failed to question him on the matter. Either she was willing to wait and ask for more information later, or she was just waiting for Lelouch to come to her on his own. The thought of the latter absolutely terrified him, though.
What if Nunnally didn't understand, or didn't agree with his logic? What if his killing Clovis was just too much for her to forgive?
What if he had become Zero for nothing?
If Nunnally turned away from him, he would have no purpose, no reason to go on living.
Euphemia must have guessed his thoughts, because she wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging him closer to her as she hugged him. "Don't worry, Lelouch. If Nunnally can forgive me for shooting Cornelia, she can forgive you."
"It isn't the same," he murmured into her shoulder.
"You did it for her, the same as me. It just may take her a while to see that."
"What if she doesn't?"
"She will. She has to."
"But what if-"
"It's just the three of us now," Euphemia interrupted. "We're a family again, and we can't afford to lose each other. If nothing else, Nunnally will understand that. She may not like it, but she'll understand, and she'll still love you as much as I do."
"I wish I had your faith, Euphie."
Euphemia smiled and gently kissed the same cheek she'd slapped earlier. "Well, you have me now, so that's even better."
Although Rolo was the one known for manipulating time, he often found it unnerving how much more capable his master was in comparison to himself.
Upon his return to V.V.'s lair, Rolo had knelt before him, ready to deliver his report.
But V.V. had merely waved his hand dismissively and said, "There is no need, Rolo. I already know every detail concerning your mission."
Rolo was left blinking in confusion as V.V. walked away, only realizing he was meant to follow when V.V cleared his throat.
"There are two aspects of your mission that I wanted clarified, however," V.V. said at length. "Why did you not simply kill the redhead?"
Rolo opened his mouth to answer, paused, and admitted, "I don't know."
"Yes, you do," V.V. said, smiling in a rather eerie fashion. "At least, part of your mind does, even if the rest of you doesn't. You sensed she had a Geass, and that she might prove useful to me later on."
This was news to Rolo, and he was unable to keep the shock out of his expression.
"Don't look so surprised. I have told you several times not to underestimate the effectiveness of your CG field."
It took some effort for Rolo not to roll his eyes. V.V. had invested a great deal of time into studying what he called chrono Geass fields. According to him, any Geass user who could in some way manipulate time was surrounded by a number of "time particles" at any given moment, numbering from anywhere between a handful to thousands, depending on the nature of their Geass. The more offensive their Geass, the less time particles that made up their personal CG fields. Rolo's last count had been around seven. Meanwhile, the Reid twins individually had never scored less than 750, while their combined field was some ridiculously high number that V.V. had never been able to pinpoint. Their father, Socrates, maintained a respectable 490. Well, it was respectable if you believed in any of it, which Rolo didn't. But that, according to V.V., was because Rolo's Geass was generally used for offense, so he naturally had a weaker CG field. The Reids had stronger fields because their Geass provided almost no offense or defense whatsoever.
But perhaps the oddest thing about CG fields was that not even V.V. could accurately state their function. In theory, they would offer protection to their owners, but V.V. kept the Reids so highly guarded that there had never really been a chance to test the theory out. Only Diethard, the eldest son, had been allowed to venture out into the world, and that was because he had never developed a Geass or a CG field. Naturally, V.V. had lost all interest in him some time ago.
So far, V.V. had attributed a number of odd happenings around Rolo to his CG field. But Rolo considered this one of his master's more curious quirks, and largely ignored any reference to CG fields. V.V. didn't have one, and never had, so why should they matter to either of them?
"You had another concern?" Rolo asked, eager to move on.
"Yes," V.V. murmured as they stepped into dimly lit room with a large, glowing cylinder standing upright in its midst. "Exactly why did you feel it necessary to save Cornelia?"
Rolo stared at the sleeping princess contained within the cylinder, his mind drawing another blank. "Did you want her to die?" He was fully prepared to kill her, but he had not been ordered to, yet.
"It doesn't matter. She is alive. Euphemia has horrible aim, even with the one lesson Suzaku was able to give her. I would guess that the only reason Cornelia didn't kill her immediately was out of sheer shock."
Rolo could agree with that. Whatever Euphemia had been aiming for, she'd only hit Cornelia high in the left arm. Even so, Cornelia's body had not responded well while under the spell of Geass: she'd just frozen, as if failing her mission had paralyzed her. She hadn't moved since, not even as Rolo dragged her out of the flames.
V.V. smirked. "My brother only grows more impulsive... and sloppy. As usual, I'll clean up his mess. We can salvage Cornelia, I think. Once I have her hand over control of the army to Schneizel, she'll have no duties to conflict with all the improvements I'll make on her."
"Won't someone investigate?"
"No. Charles will see it as weakness, brought on by Euphemia's betrayal. He won't bother to look beyond the idea that she is 'unfit' to take the throne. Imagine how fit she'll be if I decide to give her a Geass."
It was rather easy for Rolo to identify the mischievous sparkle in his master's eyes. "You have one in mind already?"
"Cornelia is a quality soldier, and in his own bumbling way, Charles has laid the groundwork for a perfect assassin. And you can never have too many of those. I may even bless her with my old Geass..." V.V. smiled and gently ran his hand over the cylinder. "Yes, a fine idea, indeed."
"But... aren't you still using it?" Rolo asked.
V.V. chuckled. "I know it must seem that way at times, but no, Rolo. The immortality that comes with my Code is my only gift now. Everything else, I've had to work for. It isn't my Geass that you've been experiencing, but a mere facsimile. Admittedly, a very efficient and powerful one, but still just a copy."
Rolo had no idea what to make of that, since V.V. had never plainly stated what his Geass had been. But he always held every detail of anything that mattered to him, and never gave even the slightest hint of how he obtained. Rolo often felt that V.V. had eyes everywhere, but he was never able to locate any other than the obvious two...
The comment that Gino had most often received from his instructors in military school was that he was quick to adapt to any situation, no matter how perilous or confusing it might be.
He was willing to bet none of them had ever emerged from a shower, naked and wet, to find Anya standing there, staring at them expectantly.
But because it was Anya, Gino merely blinked and stared back at her. There was no point in covering up: given how frequently Anya took pictures of the most random things, she had to have gotten him naked at least twice by now. Although she probably hadn't even had the decency to stare, and certainly not to drool a bit.
"Uh, hey," Gino finally said, when it became obvious that she was waiting for him to do something. "Did I give you a key and forget?"
"No," Anya replied simply.
Gino looked past her to see the door to his room standing wide open. The doorknob was lying on the floor, and the hole where it had once been was riddled with bullet holes. "Oh." He was slightly relieved, actually. When Anya had first started visiting him, he'd had to teach her that it wasn't polite to park her Knightmare nearby... like in the middle of his living room. After far too many similar incidents, the military had insisted that he move into a new, temporary barracks every month, just in case Anya forgot herself again. Gino liked traveling, so it wasn't a big deal, and all the new environments kept Anya occupied with her pictures, mostly.
"So I assume you're not here to peek at my hot bod?" Gino asked with regret, reaching for a towel.
Anya showed him her hands, which were practically encrusted in dirt and grass.
"You need a shower, too?" he guessed.
"I forgot again," Anya said softly.
"To wash your hands?"
"I forgot," Anya repeated, but with emphasis on every word. "Again."
"Oh. OHHHHHH." Gino blinked. "Ah, sorry?"
"Help me remember," she all but demanded. "What did we do today?"
"Uh, breakfast with Euphemia and Suzaku. Then we went sightseeing. Then I came here while you did some more sightseeing. I watched a movie, had some popcorn and soda, took a shower. Then I came out, and you were here ogling me."
Anya ignored that last part, unfortunately. "I think I was digging."
"Without a shovel, or a Knightmare? What, did you want to get dirty?"
"I don't know. I think whatever I was digging for, it was small and possibly delicate. Rough handling might have damaged it."
"So did you find, uh, whatever it was you were digging for?"
She frowned. "I... don't think so. I seem to recall feeling upset."
Gino smirked. "Well, I'd hope you wouldn't kill my door if you were happy."
If Anya got the joke, she didn't show it. "I'll retrace my steps now. Or try to."
She was turning to leave, and Gino intended to let her, but something made him reach out and grasp her hand, gently but firmly.
Anya turned to look at him as if he was the one with amnesia. "I can't leave if you don't let go."
"That's because I don't want you to leave. Yet, I mean. Sit down for a minute. What if you forget again while you're out there? You need a good night's sleep first, and somewhere that I don't have to worry about you."
"I think I should-"
"Anya, if you try to leave, I will chase you and shoot you down," Gino said seriously.
Anya nearly reminded him that it was far more likely she'd shoot him down, and then drag him back here to recuperate. But either way, it was looking like she'd be stuck here for the night. "Why?"
"Because you're my little buddy, and I'm scared to death that you'll wake up in a ditch somewhere and forget to call me for help. Now, sit."
Blinking very slowly, Anya sat.
Gino sighed as she stared up at him from the bathroom floor, no doubt getting an excellent view of his naughtiest bit. "Okay, I meant the couch, but we'll work on that later."
"Is this really going to work?"
Zero wanted to ignore Kaguya's question as he looked out over the assembled might of the Black Knights, but he had his own doubts. Already they were suspicious that he'd asked them all to completely disarm before entering the room, but it was a necessary precaution. "Whether it does or not, you promised to support me in this."
"It's not my support you need to worry about," Kaguya reminded him, and he didn't pull away when she reached over to give his gloved hand a quick squeeze.
"The Black Knights are quickly changing the world!" Zero said, raising his voice to be heard over the crowd. "But we ourselves must also be willing to change. So many of the people we reach out to save are still too wary or afraid to accept or ask for our help. They see me as the face of the Black Knights, and they fear me. If we are to continue moving forward, we must adopt a new face. Instead of fear, this face shall inspire hope. Now, I must ask you to resist your first instincts, and allow me to explain the situation further. I give you the new face of the Black Knights: former Second Princess of Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia!"
There was absolute silence as Euphemia stepped out onto the stage and took Zero's offered hand, and then the room exploded in protests. In the first row, Tamaki looked particularly angry, holding a damp cloth to a large bump on his head.
"Have I not brought you this far?" Zero shouted. "Have I not earned your trust?"
The noise lessened considerably, but there was still plenty of dissatisfied muttering as Euphemia began to speak.
"I first met Zero when he chose to save my life. At the time, I didn't understand why. But I think, even then, he knew that this day would come. He understood that those Britannia considers unfit to rule are either cast out, or crushed beneath the Empire's boot. I had to experience this firsthand before I could accept it. And now that I have, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to see Britannia fall."
"Even if that's true, why do we need her?!" Tamaki demanded loudly. "Why not some other princess?"
"Because only Euphemia is a princess of the people," Zero declared. "Have you ever known Guinevere, Cornelia, or Carline to visit hospitals and orphanages? Do they ever appear at public functions that in no way benefit their status? Only Euphemia has the power to draw the people to us. Only she can take away their fear of us."
"Zero is correct, as usual."
Everyone turned to one of the newer faces in the Black Knights: that of Diethard Ried. Most of the others were still hesitant to trust a Britannian, but Zero had approved his membership personally.
"I know a thing or two about image, and she's the only way to improve yours. It'll make for quite a scandal, and it's best that you get your version out first, before Britannia has a chance to give theirs to the public."
"You're just saying that because you're a Britannian!" Tamaki growled.
"A Britannian who practically ran the highest-rated news show in existence. My origin shouldn't matter as long as my results improve yours, and they have. Or did you really think all that positive press just happened miraculously?"
"Diethard is more than qualified to deal with that aspect of our operation," Zero confirmed. "He will be working with Euphemia to improve our public image. None of us is better suited to speak to the Britannian public. If any of you still object, I will of course consider any better ideas."
There was no response, as Zero had expected. These were simply soldiers, and only Diethard had the first clue about public relations.
In a surprise move, Euphemia bowed deeply at the waist. "I promise to do my best to serve Zero alongside each of you!"
This was met with some scattered, hesitant approval, but little else.
"Well," Kaguya sighed, "it could've gone worse, at least. So now we have our Black Princess."
Zero chuckled. "No. She was stripped of that title, and unfortunately, Kaguya, you aren't in the running, either. That makes her our Black Queen."
"Then I should get to be Black Princess by default!" Kaguya whined, stomping her foot.
"Zero," Euphemia hissed under her breath as she leaned towards him, "this isn't what we talked about! I'm not a queen!"
"You agreed to follow my orders, just like everyone else here," he reminded her, "and I say that you are."
Nunnally was becoming more and more that everyone around her held certain secrets that she was not meant to question. For example, when Sayoko had mysteriously shown up last night, with no explanation as to how she'd found her way to the Black Knights' base, Nunnally had been so relieved to know Mao hadn't harmed her that she hadn't bothered to question it.
But that was okay. Nunnally had known Sayoko long enough to trust her completely, so one odd night didn't bother her, considering what she'd just barely survived.
What did bother her was that Lelouch, despite having her returned to him safely, had been keeping his distance. Nunnally knew her brother was not the most affectionate person, but this was simply not normal behavior for him. So far, he had only offered a brief hug and a quick kiss on the forehead, and she hadn't really gotten a chance to enjoy either. She tried to justify this, of course, telling herself that Lelouch was busy making sure she was never kidnapped again. But both Euphemia and Kaguya had made time to sit with her, and that Lelouch hadn't not only concerned Nunnally, it hurt, a great deal more than she'd expected it to.
Lelouch had been busy before, but now it seemed like he was almost going out of his way to remain busy. True, it had only been one night, but even that was long enough for Nunnally to grow unsettled.
It was a huge relief, then, to wake up the next morning and feel Lelouch's hand gently stroking her hair. Even that was oddly affectionate for him, but Nunnally ignored this for the moment and latched onto him at once, burying her head in his chest.
"I'm sorry, Nunnally," he sighed, placing a long, tender kiss on her forehead. "I didn't mean to ignore you."
"It's okay," she whispered, and for the moment, it really was... so long as he intended to change that, anyway.
"There are some things I've been keeping from you," Lelouch admitted slowly.
Something in his tone worried her. "Bad things?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Do I really need to know?"
"I think it would be best, Nunnally. The longer I go without telling you, the more I feel like another person who isn't your big brother. I don't enjoy feeling that way at all."
Nunnally was quiet for several moments, and when she spoke again, each word was chosen carefully. "There's something you should know about me first."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"I learned a long time ago that in order to protect me, you'd have to wear different masks. I don't always like them, but in the end, you only wear them for my sake. So even if I don't like them, I'll always love the person underneath them. I just thought you should know that."
Lelouch said nothing, obviously stunned. Whatever he'd been expecting her to say, it wasn't that.
"And whatever you were going to tell me," Nunnally continued. "Please keep it to yourself a little longer, Lelouch. I already know too many secrets."
"But, Nunnally," he murmured in slight protest, "you need to know. You deserve to know!"
"But I don't want to know," Nunnally whispered. "And I think you're a little afraid to tell me, too. I don't need you to be afraid of me right now, Lelouch. I just need my big brother to hold me."
Lowering his head in defeat, Lelouch nodded into her shoulder. "Alright, Nunnally. If that's what you want."
"It is," she replied, gently running her fingers through his hair.
Lelouch closed his eyes and released a sigh of frustration, allowing Nunnally's soft, slim fingers to soothe away his doubt. But he was so focused on not revealing his true feelings that he missed the single tear that rolled down Nunnally's left cheek.
End of Part 8.
Next Chapter: The Devil in Miss Alstreim
As Ashford recovers, Suzaku finds himself torn between duty to his princess, and the empire. But he gets an oddly helpful push from Anya, who really isn't herself.
Endnotes:
Totally making up what V.V.'s old Geass might have been. No proof, mind you, just a guess. More on that next time, maybe.
I made up the concept of CG fields, I think. Although the whole time, I was tempted to toss in an "It's over 9,000!" just for old time's sake.
Edit: I forgot, Anya doesn't have the Mordred yet... so replaced that reference with random, no-name Knightmares.
Other Edit: Gah, forgot that Kallen doesn't know Lulu is Zero, yet.
