Disclaimer: Code Geass obviously isn't mine. How can you be sure? If it was, the ending would have been different. T.T


Chapter 9

Lelouch wondered if he would live to regret this decision. It was highly likely that he would, he decided. However, seeing as he would be dead in a month's time, facing ghosts and demons of the past for another thirty days shouldn't be too difficult a task for the Demon Emperor. Honestly though, he wondered just who would experience more pain: him or those who had brought him back. The image of Kallen's face appeared in his mind. Her face when he had first woken up, the face she wore when she slapped him and the tearful look she had when she confronted him outside moments ago.

That wasn't even a question, was it? Sometimes, he wondered if people ever thought things through.

It was, it seemed, the innate nature of human beings to be masochists.

He had enough time in Devon to recover from all the running but as the adrenaline in his system slowly ebbed away, he was beginning to notice the other consequences of his rashness, particularly in his joints and muscles. He was a fool to think he could get away with such vigorous activities without reprimands from his own body. His body had, after all, been immobile for seven years. Come to think of it, it was amazing he could stand up at all considering the amount of muscular deterioration that must have taken place. Could this be one of the products of medical advancement during the past seven years he was in a coma?

From where he was approaching his chambers, he could see his door. It was left ajar, not unlike how he left it. Without much of a second thought, he stepped back into his prison cell.

"You came back after all," was the line that greeted him.

Ahh, there he was: Lelouch's personal reaper. Lelouch had almost forgotten that he had invited the knight here himself.

Gino, like Kallen, still wore his piloting uniform. He stood well within the room to the left. From the way he slouched against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest, it looked as though he had been there waiting for a while.

Lelouch didn't reply immediately. Instead, he scanned the room, finding it entirely void of six-year-old midgets. It had gone according to plan then. "So I did," Lelouch said.

"I sent them back to their rooms," Gino stated, standing up straight. He kept his tone even, as expected of the son of a nobleman, but Lelouch could still sense the underlying hostility he had for him.

Which was also according to plan. It would prove troublesome to replace a reaper, after all.

"You have my thanks," Lelouch nodded as he crossed the room towards the infirmary capsule, taking a seat down on the bedding and effectively relieving his knees from the burden of his body weight. Absentmindedly, he rubbed the sore joint as he continued, "And the report?"

He more of felt the indignance than saw it. Lelouch could only imagine how distasteful the knight found the idea of following Lelouch's orders. The former Knight of Three had been one of the "rogue" Knight of Rounds who rebelled against Lelouch's forced reign. Setting intelligence aside (he couldn't call anyone who was loyal to Charles zi Britannia smart), there was no question of the man's patriotism. The only time Gino allied himself with the Black Knights was after Lelouch had been outcast. Indeed, looking at the pattern present, it seemed as if the name of the team didn't matter. Tristan would fight for whichever side was against Lelouch.

Could Lelouch have picked a better reaper?

Reluctantly, Gino started, "It's too soon to tell but as far as the main forces are concerned, everyone doesn't doubt that it was Schneziel giving orders. I wouldn't be so sure with the ones who were in command, particularly the twenty-nine you singled out. They don't have reason to believe otherwise but they've had too much experience fighting under Schneziel's command to not find the way you gave out orders strange. Schneziel is far more pre-emptive, this was too real-time. It's likely that this will blow over using Schneziel's ingenuity as the foundation though."

Having been eliminated from the battle early, it meant that Gino had to return to base. However, instead of having him launch in Tristan's spare model, Lelouch had used this extra pair of eyes for slightly different work: observation.

"Pre-emptive?" Lelouch exhaled lightly, slightly amused that Gino would see the need to share that bit of information. "I'll keep that in mind." He doubted he would be hijacking his brother's line anytime soon though. Lelouch gave up on rubbing the sore away, making a mental note to ask Lloyd or Cecile about it later. Looking at the knight, he added, "In any case, I'm no longer in command but I suggest monitoring the mental state of the garrison for the next few days while shamelessly singing Schneziel's praises." It wasn't that he was particularly concerned with the aftermath but he supposed it was a habit akin to putting things back where he found them. He had been the nosy third party who insisted to be included in the game so the least he could do was take measures to make sure his influence didn't produce lasting effects.

"Earl Asplund is already on it," Gino informed.

"And Devon?"

Gino narrowed his eyes. "It didn't sustain critical damages or errors while in battle." He paused. "I didn't realize that Jeremiah was that skilful a pilot."

"Hm," Lelouched hummed, neither confirming nor elaborating. He expected this reaction, he supposed. He knew there were risks involved when using Suzaku as a part in his plan. Just like Lelouch had a peculiar style when orchestrating a battle, Suzaku had a signature way of piloting. Undoubtedly, as comrades in the Knight of Rounds, Gino would have had many opportunities to fight alongside the White Knight. However, since Tristan wasn't directly involved in the battle, Lelouch had gambled on it as an affordable risk. Changing the subject, though, would be a better course of action right now. "I, on the other hand, always realized you were an exceptional sniper. Long range sniping model: GT-002X, code name: Gae Dearg. According to Lloyd, it has a complex system that rivals the Energy Wings but you were able to pull through regardless."

"What were you thinking?" Gino shot darkly, "Dearg is still in its experimental stages, more so than the Devon, not to mention it hadn't even been calibrated. The target was more than fifty kilometres away. What would you have done if I missed?"

"There was time allowance for two shots," Lelouch dismissed. "The first was meant for calibration but apparently, it wasn't necessary."

Gino continued to stare at the former emperor, obviously knowing this conversation was going nowhere. "Everything you're involved in is full of lies," the knight accused level-headedly, "even this. You knew it would be too early to determine anything concrete to report regarding suspicion of the soldiers. Did you just call me down here to send Ash and his friends back upstairs?"

In truth? Yes.

There were probably many others he could have asked to do that but when it came to matters involving Ash, there was likely no one as trustworthy as Gino Weinberg. And likely, he would be the most lenient in letting the kids go and keeping their being down here a secret.

"A bit of advice, Sir Weinberg," Lelouch said, rather humourlessly. "It's never too early to check on the mental status of your soldiers."

I know I would have benefitted from such advice.

He knew the Black Knights were always wary of him but to think they thought he committed massacres.

He was a poorer leader than he thought.

He felt light-headed.

For a moment, his head swam but as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

"Did you say something strange to Ash?" Gino suddenly said.

Lelouch placed his thumb and middle finger on his temples, applying slight pressure to encourage focus to come back. He barely heard the question that was posted to him. "I don't follow," he replied. He said plenty of things to the boy, likely more than he should have, but he didn't think any of it could be classified as "strange".

"Nevermind," the knight said before walking towards the door. "I'll let everyone know you're back so do everyone a favour and refrain from doing anything reckless." With that, he left, the door closing and locking shut once more.

Lelouch lay down on the bedding. He was tired, both physically and mentally. This wasn't good. He couldn't afford time to rest. He needed to begin preparations to set the stage before Schneizel made his move. However, no matter how much he fought to stay awake, the familiar darkness crept in closer and closer until finally, he was swallowed whole.

Not this again.


The word "furious" did not even begin to describe the ill bubbling feeling that boiled in her gut. Why in the world couldn't her contracted be sweet and obedient for once? Damn it all, she really did have an amazing talent for picking her prey.

C.C. hated this. She hated being constricted and contained. The very idea that she was bound by restrictions was an abhorring thought in itself. She hated being confined to this room, being unable to do anything even when her accomplice was in danger. It wasn't like her to care so much about being seen but the situation now was delicate. She couldn't make any careless moves. Contrary to what people thought of her, C.C. was a woman who calculated her risks. In truth, most of the impertinence she displayed seven years ago in Area Eleven was mostly for fun. Immortality was a boring thing. Rattling the overly cool Black Prince was the next best thing to pizza. Unfortunately, she couldn't play the same games this time around. Short of rescuing her accomplice from a direct and impending death, she couldn't risk being discovered.

She had placed too much faith in her abilities to control Ash and his six-year-old emotions. Rather, a more accurate way to phrase things was that she underestimated a son's fear of losing his father. She had to salvage this somehow and hopefully, the damage wouldn't be irreversible.

At that moment, the door opened and by reflex, she moved herself into the shadows. From where she hid, she could barely make out the four people who appeared. "Gino Weinberg…" she muttered to herself as the tall figure ushered a much tinier one.

"Just be patient, kiddo," the blonde knight said, "the battle's over so your mother will be back in no time."

Ash didn't reply as he stepped into his room without a word. He gave no indication whatsoever that he heard what the older man had said.

Confused and at a loss of what to do, Gino frowned. "I'll come back and check on you later, okay?"

Again, no reply.

C.C. was worried this might happen.

Seeing nothing more he could say or do, the knight closed the door. Only when the footsteps died away did C.C. finally step out of her hiding place. During the entire time, the small prince didn't move.

"As I thought," the witch's eyes narrowed. "You used the geass on that man."

Ash didn't say anything but nodded his head after a moment's hesitation.

This wasn't like Lelouch where she could just challenge her accomplice's idiocy head on. This called for a little more tact. Not to mention Ash's mind was probably as fragile as a sheet of thin glass. One wrong move and…

"Miss Witch," Ash suddenly voiced. His eyes were still downcast.

"What is it, boya?" Should she take it as a positive sign that he spoke?

Ash lifted his right hand and placed the tips of his fingers on the fabric of his chest. "This hurt," he grabbed a fistful of his shirt and ground out through clenched teeth and a tight throat, "is dying the only way to get rid of it?"

Definitely not a positive sign.

C.C. frowned. She would not lose. Not here. Ash had one advantage that Lelouch didn't and doesn't till today.

It was in that Ash hadn't the time to build an iron wall around him to isolate himself yet.

C.C. encircled her arms around the now shaking boy and carried him to his bed. Sitting down beside him, she continued to embrace him. "I won't let go of you," C.C. whispered, resting her head on his and stroking his hair. "Down this path to save your father, you'll lose your way and fall but that's okay because I will always be there to find you and bring you back. I will never let you go, Ash. That is our contract."

In spite of herself, C.C. started humming. It was a long forgotten tune from a part of her memory she did not care to entertain until now. It was several minutes later before the trembling subsided. It was only a while later did she realize the boy had fallen asleep. Noticing that, she lay him down on the soft linen.

He was a sight worthy of pity. Even as he slept, a furrow creased his brow and tear streaks stained his cheeks. "Britannian princes don't cry," C.C. muttered to no one in particular as she touched the boy's face. Gently, she wiped away the wetness off his cheeks with her thumb. "Is that what you were told?"

"You don't realize it, do you, little prince," the witch continued, brushing locks of hair away from his eyes. "You have a power more capable of pain and suffering than what the Demon Emperor had."


"Would someone please explain to me what exactly happened today?"

The whole room seemed to shy away from the Witch of Britannia as she posted forth that question. Present in the room were the usual suspects. Lloyd was brimming with a wide smile, perhaps the only one entirely obviously to the menacing aura the princess seethed with, as he sat at one end of the long marble table next to his long-time assistant Cecile who looked intimidated enough for the pair of them. Jeremiah was in the next seat, carefully avoiding eye-contact with Cornelia as he seemed convinced that doing otherwise would result in an instantaneous death. Despite being seasoned knights themselves, Kallen, Gino and Guilford were in no better shape.

"Calm down, Cornelia," Schneizel spoke from the display that hung on the wall, a weak smile curling his lips. "What matters is that everyone is safe and everything turned out well. We could hardly seek a better outcome than this." His eyes shifted to Lloyd. "Lelouch is well, I hope."

Lloyd coughed instinctively, not expecting he'd be singled out so early in the meeting. "Yes, uh, His Majesty's condition was steadily improving prior to the attack. However…"

"However?"

"He seems to have relapsed back into unconsciousness for the moment."

The whole room spoke up at the same time. "Again?" "How many times has it been with this?" "Why weren't we informed of this earlier?" However, it was the Knight of Two who spoke above the buzz of noise.

"Unconscious?" Gino frowned. "I was just with him a while ago. He was fine then." Noticing the confused stares he was receiving, he elaborated, "It was the last task I was assigned during the battle. He wanted a report on how convincing his masquerade was to the soldiers."

"It seems then that he lost consciousness after your meeting," Lloyd said. Directing the next lines to Schneizel, he added, "His vital signs are strong and stable. We'll keep him under close moderation for now but it's likely that this is just an after effect from the onerous demands he was making of his body. He should come out of it within the next twenty-four hours at the latest."

Schneizel nodded. "Keep me informed if anything changes."

"Of course, Your Highness," the scientist complied with a nod of his head.

"If he wasn't capable, he shouldn't' have come onto the battlefield," Cornelia scowled. "How did he get out of the room?"

Lloyd smiled and, with the skills of a veteran fabricator, replied, "I have no idea, Your Highness." That response, however, didn't satisfy Cornelia in the least bit.

"Lloyd," the princess growled warningly.

The scientist in question let out a nervous chuckle. "Honestly, Your Highness, I am as stumped as you are. I may have had something to do with giving His Majesty a puzzle piece or two but as to how he was able to collect the remaining pieces to finish the puzzle, I must say that I am delightfully dumbfounded."

"Hold on a moment, aren't you sounding a bit too happy that someone got past your security?" Gino asked, amused more than anything.

"There is nothing wrong with the celebration of intelligence, Sir Weinberg."

"On a more serious note," Cecile interrupted with a small cough and a disapproving look aimed at her superior, "the system logged in Her Majesty Nunnally around that designated time frame. However, during that time, we've confirmed that Her Majesty was in a video conference with the Prime Minister of Australia."

"In other words," Schneizel said, "only Lelouch knows how he managed to overcome the security."

"We have no cameras in Sector Eleven so it can't be helped," Lloyd mused, slouching further down in his chair before a thought struck him, causing his to straighten again, "also, while we're on the subject of Sector Eleven, concerning the security breach that occurred sometime during the battle."

"There was a security breach in Sector Eleven?" Kallen who hadn't said anything prior to this blinked. Gino and Jeremiah seemed equally in the dark. It couldn't be helped as the knights weren't up to speed with the internal affairs yet.

"The one I sent you to confirm," Cornelia clarified. "Was that Lelouch's doing?"

"I highly doubt His Majesty was the cause," Lloyd answered. "As my team reported to Your Highness, there were no intruders sighted, and that remains true. We therefore wrote it off as the enemy attempting to hack into our systems to distract us. However, Cecile here has another theory that, I must say, is worth considering."

"It's just that I find it unsettling, Your Highnesses," Cecile said. "The enemy gained nothing by triggering the alarm in Sector Eleven. If my purpose was to distract my opponent with such a method, I would one of two things. I would either cause simultaneous alarms in multiple locations to create confusion or target a place of high importance to induce panic. Neither of these occurred. The alarm was an isolated event and in the official blueprints of the building that are classified in and of itself, Sector Eleven is written off as a storage section."

Schneizel was silent a moment before he looked at Cornelia who returned his gaze with a nod of agreement. "And the alternative is that our opponent knew the significance of Sector Eleven. You pose a valid argument, Miss Croomy," Schneizel stated gravely. "Do you think it was a genuine attempt to get within the palace then?"

"I don't know, Your Highness but I think it would be too soon to discount the possibility. Sir Gottwald, did you see anything out of the ordinary during your patrol today?"

Jeremiah shook his head. "No, my lady," he said, "apart from His Majesty, Devon's surveillance picked up no other heat signatures."

"A possible fault in the system?" Gino offered, "Devon is still experimental."

"Surveillance is the key feature of Devon," Lloyd defended his brainchild. "Its sensitivity to its environment is second to none. It is currently the only knightmare model that is impervious to the effects of Chaffsmoke. I admit that most of Devon is experimental at this stage but that aspect alone is flawless, and from the performance Devon displayed on the battlefield today, we can confirm its detection system is functioning properly."

"We'll look into this further," Cornerlia promised.

"Any leads on who the enemy is?" Schneizel asked.

"Well, it is considerably trickier considering all the pilots were charred to a crisp," Lloyd said, "but we should be able to learn something from the autopsy team when we receive their results. We have several teams attempting to salvage the enemy knightmare frames as we speak. Hopefully, we'll find some clues as to who we're up against from there."

"The 'who' pales in comparison to the 'why' in this situation," the White Prince commented, "though those two are hardly ever far from each other. Find one or the other and you'll acquire the answer to both."

"How unusually philosophical of you, Your Highness," Lloyd half teased. "There is some logic behind that though so I shall keep that in mind."

"They must have been a considerable force if they were able to push against you, Cornelia," Schneizel stated.

"Concerning that," Jeremiah spoke, "His Majesty said something strange during the battle." Without waiting to be prodded, he continued, "He observed that the enemy was acting irregularly. His exact words were that it was almost like he was dealing with a different army than the one that Her Highness Cornelia was up against."

"A decreased performance in battle after switching command?" The White Prince went silent once more. "Lelouch was coordinating the battle from outside the palace, am I correct?"

A few of them nodded their heads.

"We might have to consider the possibility of a spy then."

"I'll have HR draw up the profiles of those who were stationed in the command centre," Cornelia said with some distaste. Being a soldier, she had always been someone who valued loyalty above other virtues. The very idea of someone within their ranks committing insubordination was enough to shorten her fuse.

"I'll leave that to your people then, Cornelia," Schneizel agreed. "All things considered, everything turned out for the better. I think we've made significant progress especially where Lelouch is concerned. Did you say something to him, Kallen?"

The red-head shook her head. "I haven't spoken or seen him since that night."

"Well, even though we don't quite know the reason why, Lelouch still chose to come back on his own accord. That buys us time, if nothing else. This shows that his mental condition is becoming more stable." Schneizel displayed something just short of a chuckle of amusement, "you should expect an offer to negotiate from him soon. Knowing him, he would see my being away from Pendragon as an opportunity but I trust that you can handle our dear younger brother, Cornelia."

"As long as he doesn't receive any unexpected reinforcements," Cornelia said, crossing her arms while pointed looking at Lloyd who chose that moment to be highly interested in the grease stain on his palm.

"In the meantime, I don't think Lelouch was wrong," Schneizel mused aloud. "We should closely monitor the hearsay in the barracks for the next few days. I believe this is your department, Sir Weinberg?"

"I thank His Highness for his faith in me but I think it would be better if we split this between the three of us," Gino suggested, directing the latter part of his speech towards Kallen and Guilford. "Individually, we have different influences and access to the various sections of the army. I know for a fact I'm not the most welcomed soul among the ranks of the Glaston Knights."

The both of them nodded in agreement. Cornelia raised a slender brow but chose not to say anything.

"You did cause quite the scene during your last 'social call'," Guilford recalled with a wry grin.

"You Glaston Knights need to lighten up a bit. Being too serious never served anyone. Come to think of it, neither does overly good memory…"

"We humbly accept the Knight of Two's praises."

"I wouldn't call it praise…" Gino muttered almost inaudibly under his breath. Remembering he was in the presence of some of the highest powers in Britannia, he cleared his throat. "I'll send in my report as soon as the excitement dies out, Your Highness."

"Good. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"That's all for the moment," Cornelia answered.

"In that case, we'll stop here. I should be returning to the capital soon but until then, I thank you all for your time and effort." And with that, communications were broken. Dismissed, they all set out on their individual tasks.


Author's Note:

Yes, I am alive. (Dramatic music) First and foremost, my deepest apologies for the long overdue update and my sincerest thanks to those who waited for it, especially to Jarjaxle and CheapSk33t whose pms were a driving force to push this update. You guys are the best!

From here on out, things get a little bumpier for Lelouch and family so stay tuned.

Tttt: Yes, yes, I am Malaysian hehe, but since I'm in Uni now, I have finals twice a year.

DanaeMariSkywalker: That is a good question. I'm leaning towards yes he still has it but depending on how the plot develops, that might change. And thanks! I had a hard time picking out the Knightmare names. D:

Kalulu: Fair warning, I think George Martin is an absolute genius. I think I have a sort of affinity for tragedies lol. Um lemons will likely not be in this story, but perhaps a bit of lime. If lemons were to happen, it'd be a side story. That way, it keeps the rating friendly ;)

As usual, a big thank you to all those who reviewed and all you stalkers! I hope I didn't miss out any of your questions and I hope to hear for you guys again!

Until inspiration visits me again,

Could be more Original.