Euphemia regarded the emerald-haired woman for several seconds. For one thing, she was sitting in the middle of the viceroy's palace. For another, she hadn't seen this woman in over six years. Raising an eyebrow, Euphemia glanced over to where the two soldiers were huddled, rocking themselves and clutching their knees to their chests. "Director, I'd appreciate it if you didn't constantly incapacitate my soldiers with your code." Euphemia said dryly, nodding to Monica.
The knight raised the fringe that covered her left eye, revealing an ornate mask that she had worn ever since she challenged the Duke of York to a duel for something or other while she was still a candidate for the knights of the round. The lens opened, revealing the soft blue glow of the geass cancelling device housed within. Placing a hand to the soldiers' temples, she allowed the canceller to protect their minds from the influence of C's World that the green haired woman had allowed to pour through and overload their senses.
"Apologies," she said, rather unconvincingly. "They attempted to impede my progress towards you, or have you forgotten the terms of our agreement?"
Euphemia gestured for Monica to remove the two currently disoriented guards before they fully recovered and noticed CC's presence. "No, I haven't. You were the one who went and disappeared for eight years. How did you even get into the palace?" Euphemia asked, genuinely concerned with how the woman had evaded detection. "You didn't . . . incapacitate anyone else, did you?"
"You wound me, I would never knowingly do anything to bring attention to myself." CC replied easily.
Euphemia felt a surge of annoyance towards the lime-haired woman, who wore a small smirk that irritated her. "Director, need I remind you that you're still being hunted by the directorate. If you blatantly disregard protocol when it comes to these sorts of things, I won't be able to protect you." Euphemia sighed, rubbing a hand against her temple. It amazed her at how flippant the six century old immortal could be if she was feeling particularly bored or snubbed.
CC sniffed, "your oaf of a brother decided it was a good idea to dissect me and learn the "secrets of immortality" as he put it." CC had used hand gestures to illustrate the point and Euphemia couldn't help but shake her head and say a little prayer to her departed half-sibling.
"I take it you were the one who pulled the trigger then?" Euphemia asked. Sure, she liked Clovis, but he had changed into something of a complete idiot to be totally honest. He was a good actor, that she wouldn't deny, but he lacked the actual skill to run such an important area. A decade, and Japan was nowhere near satellite area or even colony status.
Euphemia was rather surprised then at CC's shrug. "It was not I who pulled the trigger on that narcissist, though I rather wish it was. Did you not hear of Zero and his exploits?"
Letting out a long breath, Euphemia nodded. Zero. After she'd arrived in Area Eleven to investigate into the death of Clovis, there hadn't been a trace of the rebel figure since the so-called Kururugi Incident. She still wasn't sure what Orange was, but if Lelouch saw fit to trust Gottwald, then it likely wasn't anything too important. His family did own a rather large plantation in the south, and it did hold a rather large orchard of the citrus fruits. She was getting side-tracked. "You know who Zero is, then." Euphemia stated, appraising the immortal.
Shrugging noncommittally, she stretched languidly on the couch that sat to the side of her office. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I was rescued from that idiot's clutches, I do owe him a debt."
"Did you give Zero geass?" Euphemia asked.
CC gave Euphemia a cheshire grin, one that made the inquisitor's heart sink into her stomach. "It was well within my rights to protect my investment and bestow upon Zero the king's gift."
"Spectacular." Euphemia groaned. Her job had just gotten far more complicated. An alert on the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she smiled.
Price ducked under a hail of fire, the blood thundering in his ears. Shepherd had betrayed them. His arm, useless. His mission, a failure. His friends, dead. Price swore, ducking into another service corridor, reloading his pistol after emptying the clip into the visor of one of the pursuing black armored soldiers. Had Shepherd sent a regular unit, Price might have thought twice about killing them. On the other hand the men, if they could even be called that, that made up the general's attack dogs were fair game.
Turning a corner, Price holstered his pistol and tossed his last grenade down the corner. Grabbing onto the harness, he launched himself from the settlement's megastructure and into the twisted structures of the ghettos. Price continued his flight, rolling to dissipate the shock of the landing. It was getting harder to think with all the blood he'd lost. Stumbling into an alley, Price grit his teeth and forced himself forward, his legs giving way as the crumbled streets gave way to the old underground. Darkness rushed to meet Price as he fell face first into the abandoned tunnels.
Waking with a start, Price looked around, his mechanical arm whirring quietly in its socket. If he had anything to say about it, the dreams wouldn't be troubling him for long after today. "Old man, you alright?" one of the younger operatives asked.
"Not that old, kid. I'm fine, just the arm acting up." Price dismissed, listening to the dull hum of the stealth craft's engine.
The intercom crackled for a moment, before their pilot's voice came through. "Rise and shine, ladies and gentlemen. We're thirty minutes out."
Price checked the magazine of his pistol, noting the single shot that was left in the chamber. The ghosts of his friends would be silent by the next night, one way or the other.
VV was furious. He had covered his tracks, he was perfect, there was no way he had made a mistake. It must be one of his scientists, one of those rats had left a trail that led to Shepherd. If that idiot hadn't gave away their plans during Japan's conquest, they would have been in a much better position, but he was still too important to just let him die.
He was running out of options, derailing the investigation didn't work when that nosy pink-haired harlot began sticking her obnoxiously large nose into his business. Inquisitorial clearance, something the directorate had been trying to prevent had been the power that had unlocked so many doors that VV hadn't considered. "I cannot lose to those imbeciles."
Shepherd had to be moved, or the investigation had to be halted. Or the team had to leave. None seemed particularly good ideas, not after his brother betrayed him.
"How dare he," VV muttered darkly. "I give him everything and he has the nerve to betray me. It's that bitch's spawn. It's always her, even dead she continues to be a nuisance. That will end soon, as soon as they're dead, Charles will want me back."
Perhaps, had the immortal been thinking clearly, he would have noticed several flaws in his strategy. He contacted Sancia, doubtless she was already in position to take care of those brats. "Of course, father. As you command."
"Thank you for hosting us tonight, Empress Anastasia." Lelouch bowed, while Milly dipped into a shallow curtsy. Nunnally inclined her head in her own gratitude.
The empress gave a warm smile. "Not a problem Lelouch, you and yours will always be welcome here." She nodded to both Milly and Nunnally. "I will see my daughters to bed, safe travels home."
Nunnally waved at the twins, who returned them with their own grins as the empress shepherded them back into the manor. "It was nice to see the twins again, I haven't seen them in years." Nunnally confessed, her brother lowering the ramp to allow the wheelchair to enter the back of the limousine unhindered. "It's like things were back to before the war for a moment."
"If only it could really have been," Lelouch began until Milly cut him off with a finger to his lips.
She smiled at Nunnally. "Your brother really isn't much of a people person, is he?" she asked rhetorically, amusement spreading to her eyes as Lelouch looked rather indignant.
Nunnally laughed, a sound that surprised even her. "That he isn't, but at least he has you."
"Betrayed by my own blood," Lelouch rolled his eyes and sighed in mock exasperation. "Aren't you supposed to be taking my side?"
Milly leaned over to hug Nunnally. "Normally, but between the two of you, Nunnally is far cuter than you are."
"I really enjoyed tonight, we should meet with Euphie and Nelly soon." Nunnally said. "I haven't had the chance to see either of them since we returned to Britannia."
On the way to her room, Nunnally reflected on the day's events. Alice was uncharacteristically silent and Lucretia was even more withdrawn than usual. "Lucretia, Alice, is something the matter?"
The two looked startled to see Nunnally talking to them, flinched even. "Nothing to worry about, your highness." Lucretia said quietly as Alice opened the door to the room and allowed them to enter, shutting the door behind them. Nunnally was surprised to see the estate's manager, Sancia, standing in her room.
"Miss Edefeldt, what are you doing here?" Nunnally asked, and turned to look at Lucretia and Alice. "What's going on?"
"Nothing to worry about, your highness." Lucretia whispered, a gun in her hand.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or any other copyrighted material that may be referenced or stated in this work of complete fiction. I am poor and do not write for profit, please do not sue me.
A/N:
Again, I am not dead. Just having to stay with those bastards really kills the muse. Sorry for the short update and long wait, I'll try to have a more regular schedule, because I really want to finish this story, real life just has a habit of getting in the way.
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