A/N: There's something I've always wanted to know: Does Lelouch buy all of those outfits that C.C. wears?
Rai couldn't have picked a worse time to go to the library. He had gone to drop off some books he had borrowed (he had run out of money to buy books) and to check out more.
And there he was. Mao was standing no more than twenty feet away from Rai. He was sweating profusely and looked like he was in pain. For some strange reason, he hadn't noticed Rai yet.
Shit I've got to get out of here! Why couldn't the nut-job go freak out in a different library, huh? Rai hid behind a bookshelf, and pretended to look through the books.
The only problem with trying to escape was that Rai would have to get past Mao. Maybe if I just think of something generic while walking past him, and make sure he doesn't get a good look at me…It's worth a try. Rai took several calming breaths, and then walked in Mao's direction.
Man, I've got way too much homework. Why can't I get a girlfriend? Why does Scott always set my clothes on fire whenever he's stoned? Rai kept thinking of things he believed were what normal people would think of. He tried to walk calmly, but he couldn't help but tense when he neared Mao.
Mao was listening to his headphones. Rai could even kind of hear C.C.'s voice since he had the volume up so loud. Mao seemed to be calming down.
Then Mao looked up and saw Rai.
Shit, Fuck….Shit! Rai cursed in his mind. He had been doing way more swearing lately than he used to. But when you keep on finding yourself in near-death situations: you tend to start cussing more.
Mao smiled in an extremely creepy way when he saw Rai. Rai decided to make a break for it, but just as he almost past Mao, Mao grabbed Rai around the waist and pulled him into a hug.
"Aw, my Little Rai has come out to play!" Mao giggled, clutching Rai to his chest. Rai tried to wriggle out of Mao's grip, but the guy was way taller than Rai-and way stronger.
"Who are you calling yours?!" Rai snarled as he attempted to stomp on Mao's foot. Mao ignored Rai's struggles and dragged Rai off into a deserted section of the library. It was cloaked in shadows and far enough away that no one would accidently see them. After Rai bit Mao's hand hard enough to draw blood, Mao slammed Rai into the wall and held Rai there by his neck.
Rai struggled even more, fighting to breathe.
"I'll let you go only if you don't try to run away, got it?" Mao asked, leaning in too close to Rai. Rai nodded the best he could. Mao release Rai, who dropped onto his knees and coughed for air.
"W-what do you want?" Rai wheezed out. Mao clapped as he spoke.
"C.C…and you." Mao told Rai, pointing at the boy when he said 'you'. Rai slowly stood up and backed away as far as was possible from Mao…which was to the wall.
"I know why you want C.C. But why me?" Rai growled, scanning the area to see if there was anything he could use as a weapon. Mao smiled his 'I'm a psychotic murderous stalker' smile and harshly pinned Rai completely to the wall, tightly grasping both of Rai's wrists and holding them above Rai's head.
"Just like I told Lulu. You're. Just. Like. C.C." Mao whispered; his glowing eyes eerie in the shadows of the section they were in.
"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Rai snapped. He tried to kick out at Mao.
Mao simply forced his legs in between Rai's so that Rai couldn't hit anything. He smirked evilly when Rai's face drained of color.
"I'm not sure how it's possible but," Mao snuggled into Rai's neck and whispered in his ear. "I can't read your mind." Mao's breath was warm and tickled Rai's ear. "Hum, but I wonder…" Mao's face lowered, Rai could feel him breathing on his neck. Rai froze, wondering what Mao was going to do. Mao lightly tugged the high collar of Rai's school uniform down.
Suddenly, Rai felt a sharp pain as Mao sank his teeth into Rai's neck.
"Ah!" Rai yelped. Something warm and liquidly began to run down from where Mao had bitten him. Then Mao lapped up the blood with a wet, velvety tongue. "What the hell…" Rai groaned softly.
Mao smirked against his skin.
"I was just curious if you could heal like C.C…Oh, looks like I was wrong." Mao muttered. Rai started struggling again.
"Let go of me you crazy bastard!" Rai shouted. Mao paused, and then tilted his head to one side like he was listening very carefully to something.
"Aw shoot. Looks like we'll have to continue this some other time, Little Rai. You made too much noise and people are coming to investigate…they think we're having sex or something." Mao informed Rai. Before Rai could voice his indignation at the sheer thought of doing…that with someone like him, Mao relinquished his hold on Rai and ran off. Rai walked out of the dark section of the library, grumbling darkly and very glad that no one could see the bite mark because of his jacket's high collar. He left the library, ignoring the funny looks he had gotten from people who had been standing near the section Mao had assaulted him in, and made his way back to the school campus.
Why me? Rai whined quietly. Why do I have to get into messes like these? How in hell can't Mao read my mind? I'm not sure which would be worst…wait no, him being able to read my mind would be way worse. He'd be able to know what Lelouch would be planning before Lelouch could even begin to think about it subconsciously. As…disturbing as Mao's stalking of me may be, it's better than everyone dying because Mao could read my mind. But urgh, did he really have to bite me? Honestly, what is he? A vampire? I thought he was in 'love' with C.C., so why in hell did he freaking try to molest me?!
Rai stopped walking when he realized something. Oh crap, if he can read Lelouch's mind, then Mao must already know that I'm working for Lelouch. What if he told Shirley? I know that Lelouch used Geass to make Shirley forget about him, but what about me? She still remembers me, she scolded me this morning for forgetting to make myself some lunch and said that I'm always forgetting things…which is true…But she didn't seem to act any differently than normal-she was actually very happy, so…she doesn't know about me being 'Akuma'.
But there's another thing that's bugging me…If Mao's Geass can't work on me, does that mean that other Geass' won't work either? That would mean that the entire time I was scared (and still am) of Lelouch using Geass on me was all for nothing! But I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch, there is a possibility that Mao being unable to read my mind is just a fluke, and that other Geass' would work just fine on me…
Rai sighed in annoyance and continued to walk back to school.
Rai followed Lelouch up the carpeted stairs of the Student Counsel meeting house. The stairs branched of into a staircase going left and a staircase going right. Rai went up the right staircase along with Lelouch. Lelouch's entire body was tense. He was stressing out about the whole situation with Mao…and Rai hadn't even told him about what happened at the library.
"Tsk, I could put him in check in I just had one-!" Lelouch snarled. His frustration shone through every moment he made
"Missing piece?" C.C. finished for him, walking down on the opposite staircase. "You and I are thinking exactly the same thing." Rai stepped back out of their way as Lelouch and C.C. met in between the two branching staircases.
"So it seems." Lelouch said in a monotone.
"Then we should work together on this, don't you agree?" C.C. asked.
"I do." Lelouch said.
"You may now kiss the bride-." Rai tried to say.
"Shut up, Rai." Both C.C. and Lelouch ordered. They all heard Lelouch's phone ringing. Lelouch answered it.
"Yes?" Lelouch questioned. Rai could faintly hear Mao's voice on the other end.
"It's me, Lulu. C.C.'s there's too, isn't she? I want to talk to her alone. Put her on." Mao demanded. Lelouch handed C.C. the phone. C.C. walked down the stairs out of Lelouch and Rai's hearing. After a few moments she hung up the phone and smiled up at them.
"You should be happy about this, Lelouch; we're finally going our separate ways." C.C. told Lelouch. Lelouch didn't respond. "I made up with Mao." She threw the phone to Lelouch, who caught it with ease.
"You're betraying me?" Lelouch asked coldly.
"Are you actually saying that?" C.C. laughed. "When were you my friend? Never. We were just coconspirators, that's all." C.C. continued to walk away.
"Wait!" Lelouch ordered. C.C. paused in her steps.
"Well, this is a surprise-you sound just like Mao." C.C. taunted. Since Rai was standing with Lelouch's back to him, he couldn't see Lelouch's face, but he knew Lelouch was going to try to use Geass on C.C.
"C.C., you know way too much about me, now. I can let you walk away like this." Lelouch said. "Don't go. C.C. stay here with me!" No one moved for a moment. Then C.C. fully faced Lelouch, a bored expression on her face.
"Geass does not work on me. Didn't I mention that?" C.C. told him. Rai saw Lelouch's hands curl into fists as Lelouch made an angry noise. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you. You can keep your Geass too. And Mao wouldn't bother you anymore; he'll never cross your path. Speaking of which, if you don't mind I'm taking Rai with me." C.C. looked directly at Rai with a meaningful expression. Rai knew exactly what she meant. Rai glanced at Lelouch, before nodding to C.C. and running to catch up to her. "So all of your obstacles are gone, congratulations." C.C. walked out the door, Rai going with her. "And farewell."
Rai walked along side C.C., frowning darkly.
"So Mao…" Rai didn't have to finish his sentence. Mao must have told C.C. to bring Rai with her.
"Yes." C.C. replied. Rai groaned and kicked a helpless pebble that was in his way.
"Great, wonderful, fucking-fantastic, this is just my luck." Rai complained.
"Oh stop your whining. It won't accomplish a thing." C.C. scolded.
They continued walking in silence for an hour. That's how long it took them to reach the amusement park. Clovis Land.
Rai and C.C. stood in the darkness. All of the rides and attractions turned off and reminded Rai of an episode of Scooby Doo.
All that's missing is an insane criminal. Rai thought glumly, knowing that the Mao was already there and so technically not missing.
They heard a whirling sound. Rai and C.C. watched as the Ferris wheel lit up. The other rides and attractions slowly turned on too.
Never mind, I should be on the look out for a robot gone rouge. Rai would've voiced this sarcastic remark, but he'd be the only one to get it. Music was playing, echoing its ghostly tone throughout the park. The stage behind them lit up, and the screen showed off pretty colors. The carousel on their right turned on. Horses moving up and doing as the contraption spun. C.C. and Rai watched the carousel. Mao appeared, riding on one of the horses.
"C.C. your mind is so quiet, yours too Rai. They're the only ones I can't read! You two are the best there is." Mao said excitedly.
"As childish as ever, I see." C.C. chided.
"Don't forget creepy." Rai muttered.
"I'm a prince on a white stallion." Mao boasted. "And the prince as to rescue the princess!" Mao jumped off the carousel and walked towards them laughing.
"I think it's okay to assume that you're the princess…either that or the evil dragon." Rai told C.C.
C.C. refused to even comment on Rai's statement.
"Does that make you happy C.C.?" Mao asked.
"Mao, we talked about this before. I told you that you and I-." Mao interrupted C.C.
"Those were all lies." Mao said. "Lies! C.C. you love me and this is how I know." Mao took off his headphones.
"Thank you Mao." C.C.'s voice came from the headphones.
"Do I even want to know how he got a recording of your voice?" Rai asked, eyeing the headphones in a slightly freaked way.
"Mao, Mao-." The recording continued.
"Stop it!" C.C. shouted. She obviously had enough with Mao's lunacy.
"C.C. you're the only one-the only one I want…besides Little Rai here." Mao smiled at Rai momentarily before looking back at C.C. It made Rai's skin crawl. "Forever! Lelouch doesn't matter at all. If you'd just come with me." Mao moved closer to C.C. and tried to grab her.
"Stop it!" C.C. repeated, backing out of the way and pulling out a gun. Mao's headphones fell to the ground, accidently knocked out of Mao's hand. Rai stepped away from them both. Mao gasped when he saw the gun, and didn't move. "I should have done this a long, long time ago." C.C. growled. She went to pull the trigger. Rai closed his eyes and covered his ears in preparation for the sound of the gunshot.
When he opened his eyes, he saw C.C. fall down onto her knees, holding her wounded right arm with her left.
"I knew!" Mao said happily. He was also holding a gun. "I knew you couldn't pull the trigger. That's 'cause you really love me C.C.!" Mao laughed gleefully and clapped his hands.
"She doesn't love you, she pities you!" Rai snapped. Mao continued to laugh.
"You're wrong; I was just using you from the start!" C.C. told Mao. That stopped Mao's laughing.
"What are you saying? You shouldn't tell lies like that, you really shouldn't." Mao looked almost hurt. He then shot C.C. again. C.C. fell backwards onto her back and writhed around some.
"Mao, stop it!" Rai shouted. Mao didn't hear him. Rai would've tried to stop Mao, but he was unarmed and unlike C.C. he could magically heal super fast. He still had that bite mark from earlier!
"Lies are very, very wicked! Wicked lies!" Mao continued to rant. He shot C.C. over and over. "Don't worry," Mao said as he kept shooting. "I understand." C.C.'s body actually lifted off the ground while he was firing. When he stopped she fell back down. "C.C. you must listen to me. I've built a big brand new house in Australia. A very quiet, white immaculate special house." Mao stared off into space, pouting slightly. The hand not holding the gun clenched a bit, as if he were imagining that he was strangling something. "But to get to Australia you need to take an airplane and there isn't very much room." Mao walked past Rai. "The thing is C.C. you're a little too big to bring on a plane." Rai had to turn around to keep Mao in his line of sight.
"What kind of plane are you planning to fly in?!" Rai asked. Mao simply looked back and smiled at Rai. He then continued to the stage and searched for something underneath the ramp leading onto the stage. "So that's why," Mao pulled out a chainsaw and started it. "I'm going to make you compact!" Mao said with a childish smile. Rai would've laugh at how ridiculous that idea was, if he didn't know that Mao was serious. "It'll take no," Mao swing the chainsaw at a sign and sliced through it like a hot knife through butter. "Time at all!" The sign clattered to the ground.
"Is this your revenge? You're punishing me?" C.C. asked weakly. Mao turned back to C.C.
"Oh no, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not at all!" Mao's voice got gruffer for a second as he spoke, and then went back to the way it normally was at the end…which was still crazy. "I'm showing you my gratitude!" Mao smiled at C.C.
"I'm to think of what you'd do to someone you hated!" Rai nearly shrieked, his pitch going up several octaves. Mao didn't reply.
"So this is the place where you hid." Lelouch's voice came from the screen on the stage. Mao stopped the chainsaw and glared at the screen. Rai and C.C. both looked as well. "A place where there'd be no one else's thoughts to bother you." On the screen the camera slowly scrolled down a tower, stopping to show Lelouch standing at the foot of the tower. "That narrowed it way down." The camera zoomed in on Lelouch's face.
"Lelouch." Mao whispered.
"About time!" Rai's voice was higher pitched than he meant it as he gave Lelouch a 'Get us out of here!!' look.
"Since your Geass has a total maximum range of five hundred meters, it can't reach me here at Tokyo Tower." Lelouch said. Mao laughed manically and clapped his hands.
"That's true, that's very true!" Mao admitted. "But what can you do from so away, hm? After taking all that trouble to hack into the system, what's your grand plan? A remote control attack with some battery operated toys? Or a tongue lashing to lecture me into submission?" Lelouch didn't say anything. "Ah, cat got your tongue now. If you want C.C. then you're going to have to come-."
"Mao, think." Lelouch interrupted. "You don't think C.C.'s her real name do you? She never even whispers it to anyone." That shut Mao up for a moment. He turned his head and stared wide-eyed at C.C. There was silence for a few seconds.
"But I know it though." Lelouch taunted. "She told me her true name." Mao gawked stupidly at C.C.
"Is that right C.C.? You never told me, ever, ever!" Mao said. "But you told it to him?!"
"You know why?" Lelouch asked. "Because C.C. is mine." Mao's face twisted in anger as he looked back at Lelouch. "C.C. belongs to me in every possible way."
"Because that doesn't sound like an innuendo." Rai muttered.
"No!" Mao leaped onto the stage. "She doesn't. She doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't!" Mao threw a small fit as he talked. "She was mine long before she met you!"
"I gained every single thing from her. Including all of the parts that you have never seen." Lelouch goaded. "All of them." Mao let out a pained-angry snarl when he heard this. Rai was actually trying not to laugh at how inappropriate that sounded. Now was not the time nor the place to giggle about Lelouch's (most likely on purpose) word choice.
"Lelouch!" Mao spoke through clenched teeth. He turned the chainsaw back on. "Face me! Lelouch!" Mao hacked at the screen with his chainsaw. "Come here! Come here so I look into your mind! I'll see the truth! I'll see what a liar you are! LIAR!" Mao shouted. Sparks flew from the screen and electricity crackled.
"Mao, you've lost." Lelouch said before the screen finally died.
"What are you talking about?!" Mao demanded. "I don't care; I'm going to be with C.C. and Rai!"
"Leave me out of it!" Rai snapped.
Mao suddenly gasped and looked out into the park.
"Is that Lelouch?" Mao wondered, looking around like a paranoid rat. "But he's too far away…" He looked frightened and in pain. "Those sounds-all of those voices!"
The police appeared, surrounding the stage. There was a Knightmare and the men were holding those kinds of shields you see SWAT teams use. "What are they doing here?!" Mao cried. A spotlight shinned down on Mao. Rai looked up and saw a helicopter.
"Remain where you are!" A man in the helicopter ordered. The police moved to completely surround Mao. "Throw down your weapon and raise your hands!"
"It's the police! Who contacted them?!" Mao asked in horror. C.C. sat up a bit and watched with mild surprise on her face. A police officer walked over to C.C. and picked her up bridal style. He also picked up C.C.'s gun. Rai grinned, knowing it was Lelouch in disguise. Rai heard Mao gasp. C.C. looked up at Lelouch's face.
"Lelouch!" she said in a quiet voice. "What are you doing here?"
"It can't be! He was just at Tokyo Tower, he can't be here now!" Mao exclaimed. Lelouch looked up and smirked at Mao. "That's a lie! You were talking to me-answering me!" Mao argued. Rai noticed how strange it was not to hear Lelouch's side of the conversation-since Lelouch was thinking instead of speaking. "You predicted every one of my answers? Don't play games with me, punk! If the cops arrest me, I'll be back out a heartbeat!" Mao snarled. Suddenly he covered one of his ears with his free hand, he still hadn't let go of the chainsaw. "Shut up! Stop taunting me!!" Mao shouted. "So you used the monitor to keep me distracted? Even so, I can still defeat you. I'll have you RUINED!"
Lelouch walked away, Rai followed behind him. Not even bothering to look back at Mao.
"Lelouch-wait! If I talk to him, I can get through!" C.C. tried convincing Lelouch.
"You think I'll die?" Mao scoffed. "Listen you cops; you know who that guy is? He's the terrorist you want. He's Ze-." Mao didn't get to finish speaking.
"FIRE!" shouted the commanding officer. The air was filled with the sound of gunfire as the police shot at Mao. Lelouch turned away from the stage so that C.C. wouldn't be able to see Mao get riddled with bullets.
"Oh, Mao!" C.C. cried. Mao laid on the stage, chain saw at his feet.
"…Zero…" he gasped out. Mao's body stilled. He didn't get back up.
Lelouch, C.C., and Rai rode in the helicopter and landed on top of a building
"Mao was only six years old when I made my contract with him. He was an orphan who had never known the love of a parent. He couldn't read or write and he knew nothing of good and evil." C.C. told Lelouch and Rai. They stepped off the helicopter.
"This is Echo Three, I've released the hostage into the ghetto as ordered." The pilot said into his radio.
Rai smiled ironically. They watched the helicopter take off and C.C. continued her story.
"When I gave the Geass power to Mao, it isolated him. In his mind, I became his only friend…and his lover. Though I was still a prefect stranger." C.C. stared off over the side of the building. "I'm the only one he even thought of as human. I was Mao's entire world."
"C.C., listen to me." Lelouch ordered. "I won't let Geass destroy me. I will conquer its power and bend it to my will. And use it to change the world. I'll fulfill your desire and my own. And I will complete the contract that he couldn't achieve." Lelouch lowered his voice "So please-."
"Lelouch tell me," C.C. interrupted him. "Are you trying to comfort me?"
"Because you're doing a poor job at it." Rai quipped. Lelouch lightly smacked Rai upside the head.
"Or is this, part of your obsession?" C.C. asked, acting as if Rai hadn't spoken at all. She looked at Lelouch.
The two of them stared at each before Lelouch answered.
"It's a contract. This time, it's from me to you." He told her. A small smile graced C.C.'s lips.
"Very well then." She said, now facing Lelouch. "I accept your contract." C.C. held out her hand to Lelouch. Lelouch dropped the policeman's hat he had been holding, and then slowly grasped C.C.'s hand.
It was quiet for a moment. Rai cleared his throat.
"Yes well, as interesting as it is watching you two get all sappy on top of a skyscraper like this…Can we go back to the school's campus yet? I'm hungry." Rai griped.
A/N: Oh by the way, if anyone has an idea for a better title for this story, could you please message me? I don't really like the title I have right now, but I couldn't think of anything…and I still can't.
