A/N: Wow, I'm such an asshole with that cliff-hanger, aren't I?
Anyways, this will tell you who was killed, and you won't like it one bit. Responses to the reviews can wait, because I'll be starting work on Chapter 12 tomorrow and I'll see if I can get it out to you guys before I go away, which is highly probable.
Now, on with the show!
Just before shots were fired
Lelouch, Cornelia, Euphemia, and Nunnally (who was being pushed by Sayoko) were meandering down the pathway slowly, while the Knights, along with Suzaku, followed behind.
Everyone was evidently relaxed, as the royals talked about past experiences.
"Big Brother, you haven't really talked about your fights with the MEF" Nunnally said, putting a hand on Lelouch's leg.
"There isn't much to talk about Nunnally" Lelouch replied, smiling softly. "You probably heard all about it on the news."
The young girl shook her head "I did. Your newsman, I think his name was Diethard talked all about your battles and your wins. I trust you weren't doing anything too dangerous."
Lelouch let his mind flash to all the times he came close to being killed in his tank, which were several, but brushed them off. "Of course not Nunnally."
"That's good" she replied, smiling as they all stopped, and Lelouch walked around in front of her.
"I need to go talk with Mr. Ashford for a little while. I trust you'll be alright with Cornelia and Euphemia?"
"Of course Lelouch" she said, as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
He couldn't help but smile as he straightened back up.
However, at that moment, they all heard the unmistakable crack of a rifle being fired.
Everyone who had military training immediately threw themselves to the ground and pulled out their personal weapons.
Cornelia dragged Euphemia, who had started screaming in the commotion, to the ground and started looking around wildly for the sniper, to no avail.
Another crack sounded as another shot was fired.
"Ahhh! Son of a bitch!" Lelouch shouted as he felt the bullet enter his left calf. Using what strength he had, he moved behind a large oak tree, effectively blocking the view of whoever was shooting at him.
"There!" Guilford shouted, pointing at the roof of the school. If one looked hard enough, they would be able to see the glint of sunlight reflecting off the scope of a rifle and a black line signifying the barrel.
"Take the stairs beside the nurses office on the first floor!" Lelouch shouted "It's right beside the entrance, behind the door marked 'Utilities.'"
The Knights, and Suzaku took off running for the stairs, as Lelouch poked his head out from behind the tree, and ducked back in, just as another shot clipped the bark off.
Sighting his revolver at the glare, he squeezed off three shots with the hope that it would startle the shooter and cause them to back away, right into the guards that were frantically trying to reach the person.
Lelouch looked down at his leg, and his pant-leg was soaked in blood, as he pulled out a knife and cut some of his cape off to fashion a crude bandage.
Taking off his belt, he secured the fabric over the wound and looked around the tree again.
Once again, a bullet glanced off the tree right next to his head and he jerked back into cover.
He was glad to see that Cornelia was across the path behind another tree, with Euphemia lying on the ground beside her.
Lelouch felt his stomach drop as he noticed that Euphie wasn't moving, and he felt a knot form in his gut.
On the Roof
"Shit" Kallen muttered, working the bolt of the rifle to chamber another round. She deduced that she would only get one more shot off before she could escape down the stairwell.
She was confident that the Knights had no idea where it was, being so non-descript, and she peered through the scope again to try and locate either Lelouch or Cornelia.
She already knew that she winged Lelouch with a round, but it wouldn't be enough to take him out for very long. She needed a killing shot on either one to actually make a difference.
Once again, two bullets chipped fragments off the concrete in front of her in a vain attempt to make her back away, but to her credit, Kallen stayed cool.
And then she saw it.
The side of Princess Cornelia's head was poking out from the tree, and was right in her sights.
Again, she squeezed the trigger slowly until the pressure was enough to fire the round.
This time, after the bullet was fired, Kallen threw the rifle down and started to run for the door.
On the Ground
Lelouch popped off another two shots from his revolver as he poked his head around the tree. This time, no bullet came from the sniper, so he looked again.
As usual, he saw the sun glint off the scope, but the angle was wrong if it was going to fire at him.
He followed an imaginary line down from what he assumed was the barrel of the rifle, and it was pointed straight at Cornelia, who had her head exposed.
All at once, he froze, unable to shout a warning. Instead, ignoring the pain radiating from his leg as he stood up, he started to run.
It didn't mean anything to him that there was a bullet lodged in his calf, rubbing against the bone with every step he took, which was probably causing more damage to his body.
Then he heard the crack of the rifle again. Knowing that he didn't have time to spare, Lelouch jumped towards Cornelia and crashed into her, sending them both tumbling back into the cover of the tree just as the bullet passed where her head would've been and impacted the dirt.
By this point, Lelouch was panting from exhaustion, and due to the loss of blood. He promptly passed out, just before a call of "We got the sniper!" came from the roof.
On the Roof
Kallen wrenched open the door that would take her downstairs and to safety, and was confronted by the four men sent up to get her.
In the blink of an eye, her arms were snatched and cuffed behind her back, as Jeremiah walked over to the ledge and shouted "We got the sniper!"
Kallen went through the door, but it wasn't the way she wanted to go. She would've rather been dropped off the roof at this point and allowed to fall to her death.
Dragged down the stairs, she felt defeated. She didn't actually think that they would know where to go, and in the heat of the moment, she had forgotten that Lelouch used to be a student and knew every room in the school.
Still depressed, she was hauled out of the building and thrown down in front of the Second Princess of the Empire.
"Prisoner transport is on the way. Darlton, guard her until they get here, and then get back to the Viceroy's palace" Cornelia said, resisting the urge to kick the redhead while she was down "Guilford, Gottwald, and Kururugi, come with me."
Turning swiftly, she led them to the vehicle, which they arrived in, and got inside, followed by the others.
"Your highness, where is Prince Lelouch, Princess Nunnally, Princess Euphemia, and Major Nu?" Jeremiah asked, getting in last and closing the door.
The car began moving as Cornelia answered "The royalty have returned to the Viceroy's Palace by way of ambulance for medical treatment, and Major Nu has gone along as protection."
Jeremiah fought to keep the wry smile off his face when he was told that Villetta had gone along with the Prince for protection. It seemed as if she was taking her new job more seriously than anyone.
Viceroy's Palace
"What, who, where, why?" Lelouch nearly shouted, sitting up in a cold sweat.
The room he was in was plain and unrecognizable as his eyes darted around, taking in the bland walls.
Falling back against the hard bed and looking up, he saw an IV bag hanging from a hook. Following the hose down, he found it led right into his arm.
"Oh right" he groaned moving the covers around "I got shot."
His breathing steadied as he tried to move his left leg, only to grunt in pain when he did finally get it to move.
The door to his room was opened and a familiar woman walked through it. Lelouch couldn't help but smile as she sat in the chair next to him.
"Villetta. Good to see you're alright" he said, shimmying to a sitting position on the bed.
"You too, your highness" she replied, taking his hand.
"Do tell though, what happened?" Lelouch asked, curious about both what his Knight was doing, and what happened after he passed out.
"Well, I just finished a phone conversation with Jeremiah" she said, absentmindedly tracing her thumb along his hand "They got the sniper. It was that redhead girl from the Student Council. General Darlton is guarding her until prisoner transport arrives.
"Presumably, they'll bring her back here to stand trial for regicide. She wasn't wounded, and they'll be putting her in an underground cell so-"
Lelouch cut Villetta off. "Re..regicide?" he asked. That could only mean that a member of royalty had been killed, but who was it?
"Yes your highness" Villetta said, casting her eyes downward. "She killed..."
Outside the Viceroy's Palace
The black Rolls Royce was admitted through the gates of the palace and pulled up in front of the doors.
All four occupants got out and walked quickly up the stairs, uncaring of the stares that they got on the way through the grand doors.
They all had one place in mind to get to, and that was the infirmary.
The wooden door opened swiftly and the four people jockeyed for position in Lelouch's room.
They were surprised he was already awake after having the bullet removed, but what stunned them more, was his state of being.
The once vibrant amethyst eyes were blank and hollow as they stared into space. Sweat rolled off his forehead and down his face, much more than it should've been. His hands trembled, hell, his entire body was trembling as he opened his mouth and quietly said
"What did you say?"
As all the others in the room stayed deathly silent, Villetta repeated what she had said just before everyone came in. "She killed...Princess Nunnally."
The words practically echoed through the room, with the only other sound being the quiet drip of the IV as the words sunk in.
And then at once, the room wasn't silent anymore.
An anguished howl left Lelouch's mouth as he balled the bed sheets in his fists.
Rage and sorrow boiled inside him as the thoughts of what had transpired came back to his mind.
In his haste to get to safety and to fight back, he hadn't checked to see if Nunnally was out of the crossfire. The death of her rested solely on his shoulders.
Releasing the sheets from his vice like grip, Lelouch swung his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the screaming pain in his leg, and uncaring that the hospital gown only covered the front of his body.
Grabbing the cane that rested next to the bed, he proceeded to hobble angrily towards the door, with many of the people in the room wise enough to step out of the way of the stricken prince.
Many wanted to comfort him, and Guilford even tried to, about to clasp Lelouch on the shoulder, before Darlton stopped him.
Yes, Prince Lelouch had murder in his eyes, and the only thing that would help repair that was the terrorist hanging from a noose.
September 10th, Viceroy's Palace, Outside Prince Lelouch's Office
"He's been in there for three days" Jeremiah muttered from his post seated opposite of the office that belonged to Lelouch.
The only thing that Lelouch wanted was a uniform, and to be left alone for three days. No interruptions from anyone, even Charles zi Britannia himself.
Jeremiah and Villetta had been taking four hour shifts posted outside his office to deter anyone from visiting.
Finally, the hour that Lelouch said he would emerge drew closer and closer, with every minute ticking down until there weren't that many left.
"I will admit that I'm a little worried about him" Villetta said, hugging herself as she looked at the door.
"I'm more than a little worried" Jeremiah mumbled, as they both heard the distinct sound of a door being unlocked.
Swiftly, they came to attention and braced themselves for all the possibilities which could come flying through that door at them.
But, surprisingly, there was nothing.
Lelouch had opened the door to a pristine office and stepped out in an immaculate uniform, the rank of Major adorning his collar tabs.
"Colonel Gottwald, Colonel Nu, what a pleasant surprise" Lelouch said, looking at his Knights standing rigid as posts.
"Colonel?" Both of them said in unison, looking at each other, and then back to the prince.
"Yes, I had some spare time and reviewed your performance logs and found that under my command, both of you were due for a promotion" he said. "I've also decided to allow you to skip Lieutenant Colonel, and go straight to Colonel. Any objections?"
"None, your highness" they said, smiling in relief.
It looked as though Prince Lelouch wasn't taking the death as hard as they all anticipated, but his kindness was not to last.
"I would like to see the terrorist that we captured three days ago" he said, malice dripping into his voice "Please take me to her."
"At once" Jeremiah answered, taking the lead, with Lelouch following, still using his cane mind you and limping slightly, with Villetta bringing up the rear.
Hallway after hallway, stairwell after stairwell. It seemed like it was never ending, until they finally reached the lowest level of the detention area.
"Jeremiah, shut off all the surveillance and monitor the center to make sure it doesn't come back on until I tell you to" Lelouch muttered, his voice low and dangerous.
Knowing better than to argue, Jeremiah ran off to see that the orders were complied with.
"Colonel Nu, I trust you'll have no problem witnessing the interrogation?" Lelouch said, as they started walking down the hallway.
"Of course not your highness" Villetta said, with slight unease. The laid back approach that Prince Lelouch was taking with this, made her very nervous, and she hadn't even noticed how his vibrant eyes had become dull and lifeless, as if he was sealing away all his emotions.
Finally, they reached the cell.
"Ah. Lady Stadtfeld. How good to see you again" Lelouch casually remarked, sitting down in the stool in front of the thick Plexiglas window, while Villetta stood behind him.
"Go to hell" Kallen muttered from inside the cell.
"My, my. What a mouth you've got. Kallen, are you sure your parents would be proud of what you've done?" he asked, resting his bad leg and lacing his fingers together.
She made no comment, nor did she flinch.
"Very well then" Lelouch thought "I've got plenty of other means."
"You needn't worry Kallen" he said, calmly looking around "I'm in no hurry, and I've got plenty of other points to pick at."
His phone vibrated, signifying that Jeremiah had shut down all the security systems, and he smiled.
"Your parents wouldn't be proud of what you've done, but I bet your brother would" he said offhandedly. "Up until the point that you were captured, of course."
At once, her expression morphed into one of fury, before her features were schooled again.
"Well it seems as though I've struck a nerve. We've both had someone near us ripped away in a hail of gunfire" Lelouch said, smiling inwardly. "But what if I told you he wasn't ripped away. He was actually very near. He could be in this prison right now, and you wouldn't even know it.
"Stop lying!" she shouted, trying to stand up, but falling back down due to her bindings "I watched him die! He's gone!"
"We'll get to that in due time Kallen, but I've got some visitors for you" Lelouch said, adjusting his uniform cap. "Colonel Nu, please go and get the first two guests."
"At once, your highness" Villetta answered, walking down the hallway to a heavy door.
Lelouch stood to greet the two people coming through the door, and they didn't look happy.
One looked saddened, while the other looked disgusted.
"Lord and Lady Stadtfeld. How nice of you to join us" he said, smiling grimly.
"Thank you, your highness" James Stadtfeld said, his wife merely nodded.
"Now, I'm terribly sorry, but this visit will not be a dreadfully long one. Your daughter has committed regicide against the Empire, killing Princess Nunnally vi Britannia. There is no room for argument, so please say your good-byes now" Lelouch said, stepping back from the cell as the two went forward.
Lady Stadtfeld said about three words and then turned around, walking down the hall and waiting by the door to be let out, while James Stadtfeld seemed to have more of a meaningful conversation, tearing up slightly as he said his final words.
"Your highness, isn't there anything I can do to change the judgment of this?" he asked Lelouch.
"Frankly, no" Lelouch said, surprising James with the hard edge in his voice "Your daughter has been convicted of terrorism, and regicide. Even if it was just terrorism, she would be held until a mass execution could take place, but the fact that she killed a Princess of Britannia, a blinded and crippled girl nonetheless, is a heinous crime, and must be punished."
It pained Lelouch to no end to talk about Nunnally like this. She had been his bundle of happiness for so long, and now she was gone.
"If I were you, I'd prepare for your imminent removal from the ranks of nobility Lord Stadtfeld. The Emperor doesn't look kindly on things like this" he said, allowing the noble (for now) to turn and leave with his wife.
Lelouch looked at Kallen to gauge her mental state after the first set of visitors, because they would not be the last, but there weren't too many overall.
The short version is, that Kallen didn't look any different. She was still wearing the defiant expression she was when he first arrived at her call.
"Villetta, please bring in the next one" he said, before turning back to Kallen. "I know why you fight. You fight to free Japan from the clutches of Britannia, and I do not condone that. I condone your methods.
"However, many would wonder why a Britannian would turn against her own country. Doesn't that make you wonder, Kallen Kōzuki? The answer is simple. You're a half-blood who favors her Japanese heritage more than her Britannian one.
"But how are you a half-blood? Both your parents seem to be Britannian, and they are, but your real mother isn't."
At that moment, Kallen's actual mother was brought in front of the glass, to look at her daughter.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kōzuki" Lelouch said, bowing slightly and inclining his head. "I'm afraid your daughter, has been confirmed as a terrorist, and has been convicted of killing Princess Nunnally vi Britannia."
The horrified look in her eye didn't go unnoticed, as Lelouch was interrupted by Kallen.
"She's not my mother! She's just a maid at my house."
"Interesting then. I guess this trade won't work then" Lelouch said, snapping his fingers. "Villetta, lock her into a cell under the charges of drug use."
Kallen jumped up, and fell again as she stuttered "Dr..drug use? What are you talking about?"
"Your maid has been using the drug known as 'Refrain' for quite some time. I think it's used to relive the...'Good ol Days'' Lelouch said, adding air quotes at the end.
Forgetting where she was, Kallen whispered "Mother, is this true?"
The woman said nothing, but averted her gaze to the floor in disgrace.
"What a pity, it is" Lelouch said, as he motioned Villetta forward.
"Wait!" Kallen shouted, just before her mother was taken away. "What are the details of this trade?"
Lelouch fought to keep the wry grin off his face, as he started to lay out specifics. "Your mother will be excused of the charges, and will be placed in a rehabilitation facility under my direct order. She will get over her addiction to Refrain, and then will be allowed back into society."
"And what's in it for you?" Kallen asked cautiously.
"Oh, that's simple enough" Lelouch said, chuckling to enrage the girl "I just want to know where your terrorist cell is located."
Well, that's not exactly true. In the time that Lelouch spent locked in his office, he had bugs combing every ounce of information in the OSI, the Royal Records, and about thirty other databases for any trace of the terrorists in Area 11.
The closest cell to Ashford Academy was in Shinjuku Ghetto, in an 'abandoned' warehouse, but Lelouch wanted to make sure that the information was correct, and that his personal video recorder, recorded the conversation to show a traitor to the cell when given hope of survival.
"Now, I do not need your decision right away, I would prefer it before the end of the day, but I have one more surprise for you" he said, grinning widely as Villetta took Kallen's mother away to another cell.
Pressing a button on the wall behind him, the brick walls dividing Kallen's cell and another disappeared to reveal a young man, who looked beaten and broken.
"Kallen, I'd like to introduce you to someone I recently met" Lelouch said, gesturing with his arm. "My people found him down here in a solitary cell, presumably left to starve to death. However, we got to him and patched him up. He's nearly right as rain."
"It can't be" Kallen muttered, tears forming in her eyes "It's not possible."
The smirk on Lelouch's face only widened as he said "Kallen, you remember Naoto, don't you?"
"Has Princess Nunnally's body been put on the transport for the Homeland?" Cornelia asked.
"Yes, your highness. All preparations have been made on our end, and they've already started planning the funeral in Pendragon" one of the advisors said.
"Good" Cornelia replied, getting up from her desk and walking over to the large window in her office.
She felt pain for the loss of Nunnally, but she wouldn't even try to compare it to what Lelouch could possibly be feeling right now.
"I'll go check on him" she thought, just as the door opened and an irate General walked in. "Well...I'll go check on him, after I deal with this."
"He's dead" Kallen muttered. "He died! I watched him die!"
Her voice rose with every passing word until she was shouting.
"There's no need to shout" Lelouch chastised, taking great pleasure in what he was doing.
Limping over to the cell next to Kallen's, he punched in a seven digit code onto the keypad, and the Plexiglas slid down.
"Come out Naoto, I've got someone for you to see" Lelouch said, smirking as the young man stood up, and shuffled forward, the chains making it difficult. "She's just in the cell next to you."
Still smirking, he led Naoto the small way over, and watched him as he saw Kallen in the cell.
Almost automatically, his eyes lit up with recognition, and a smile came onto his face, before he frowned.
"Touching to see a family come back together" Lelouch said, sniffing, and allowing a few fake tears to appear before bursting into laughter.
"Kallen! You're alright!" Naoto said, relief showing itself. "But you got arrested."
"Yes, she did" Lelouch said condescendingly. "The charges are terrorism and regicide."
"Regicide?" Naoto said, eyes growing wide "All right! Who was it?"
Villetta made a move to smack the man upside the head, but Lelouch stopped her. It was as if the both of them had disappeared and they were in their own little world.
Kallen had to look down, as she admitted who it was. Hell, even she was ashamed.
"It was...Princess Nunnally vi Britannia."
Lelouch couldn't help but flinch as the name was mentioned, but Naoto somehow felt worse.
"My god" he said, the horrified look in his eye didn't go unnoticed. "A blind and crippled girl was your target? Cornelia, I can understand, maybe even Euphemia, but Nunnally couldn't really do anything for the Empire."
Once again, Lelouch felt rage building inside of him, as they talked of his sister(s) in such condescending manner.
"That's quite enough" Lelouch said, cutting into their discussion. He brought Naoto back to his cell and locked him in with the same combination of numbers.
"Because you are both terrorists, you'll be executed at the same time, by a method of my choice. However, Kallen, I'll let you explain the particulars of the deal I've offered you. I expect your answer by 7pm sharp."
With that, Lelouch turned on his heel and made his way back to his office.
Sending a quick text to Jeremiah to get security back online, he was spurred on by his emotions about to break through the mask he had in place.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he made it back.
"Villetta, guard this door" was all he said, as he opened, shut, and locked the door to his office, before sinking into his chair and letting his emotions take over.
For a long time, lines of tears streaked down his face as silent sobs wracked his skinny frame. It was as if his body was convulsing in anguish that his younger sister was dead.
He had seen the pictures that the morgue sent to him, as a body identification, and it sickened him to no end.
Nunnally was there, a small smile on her face, but there was something terribly wrong. A hole the size of a quarter was punched into her skull.
The doctors had assured him that death had been instantaneous and painless, but Lelouch knew that wasn't the case.
There was always the nanosecond, where the body could feel everything. The nerves being split apart, the bullet lodging itself firmly in the grey matter of the brain, everything.
That only served to bring forth a fresh round of tears. His cries of sadness and anger were silent, lest he allow someone to see him in this moment of weakness, as he continued to punish himself.
Maybe if there were more guards, maybe if he had kept better tabs on the council members, the list goes on and on.
They say that hindsight is 20/20, but it didn't make the death of Nunnally rest any easier on his soul.
His other senses dimmed as he attempted to halt the never ending flow of tears, until a pair of arms surrounded his body, and someone was murmuring into his ear.
Burying his head in their shoulder, he continued to cry, both parties uncaring of their clothing or how unprofessional they looked at that moment.
Finally stemming his tears, and stifling the sobs that had assaulted him, he opened his eyes and was greeted with...purple.
Inhaling deeply, his senses were filled with the aroma of lilacs, and he immediately knew that it was Cornelia who was clutching his body to her.
Lelouch could feel silent sobs coming from her body as she trembled, and he could feel her tears soaking through his uniform.
He figured simply being there was enough, but he tightened his hold on her anyways.
Roughly ten minutes later, both of them had calmed down to a degree, and were starting to get their professional attitudes back together.
"Right then" Lelouch said, sniffing to get the remains of tears out of his eyes and wiping them away with a handkerchief "I best get back to work then."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Cornelia asked, going into protective sister mode.
Lelouch flashed a half smile "It's me. Of course I'm alright. Thank you for your company though."
"Okay then" Cornelia said, going around his desk and sitting in one of the chairs "So, what were you up to in the past three days you spent locked in your office, and after you came out? Eh, Sub-Viceroy?"
Lelouch knew that tone, and he knew it well. It basically said Tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, or you will face my wrath.
Knowing this, and grimacing a little from the images flashing through his mind (he'd save the more...creative ones for when they were alone) he simply said "I was going through the files Clovis gave me, and when I came out, I went to interrogate the terrorist."
"What information did you get out of her?" Cornelia asked, interested. Basically, if it had anything to do with crushing the terrorists who opposed Britannia, she was always interested.
"None whatsoever" Lelouch said, smiling a little bit.
Cornelia was stunned. There had to be some ulterior motive for Lelouch not making progress with someone as simple minded as an Eleven.
He saw the conflict on her face and elaborated. "It was really too simple. I sent a wave of programs out to search the database by photo and connections to terrorism, and I found all the information I needed.
"I know names, places, dates, and the location of their hideout. Hopefully, her cohorts will attempt a rescue during the execution, and then they can all be brought into my 'protective' custody."
To say she was impressed would be an understatement. Cornelia was proud of her younger brother. He would use the executions as a way to stage a massive capture of the resistance members that this terrorist was in cahoots with.
"Excellent plan Lelouch" she praised. Her voice took on a lower tone as she leaned towards his ear "This is why I'd do anything for you. You're special to me, and we make a fantastic team when we work together."
Lelouch froze again. The words resonating through his skull. "Could it be possible, that her devotion to me would help open her eyes to the vile filth that is Britannia? Would she commit treason just to be with me?"
With these thoughts, and more, flowing through his head, he was brought back into the realm of reality as Cornelia placed a chaste kiss on his lips and drew back.
"There will be more than enough time for...activities...later" she mused, turning around and leaving his office.
Lelouch felt a soft smile cross his face, remembering all the good times that he had logged with Cornelia in the span of just three months.
But that soft smile grew into a malicious grin as he brought forth the plans which would topple Britannia.
Reaching over to his computer, he began to run a new set of searches through all the databases he used before, which contained the words Assassination and vi Britannia.
The least he could do was see if anyone had any dirt on who murdered his mother.
A knock on the door roused him from his thoughts as Jeremiah poked his head inside the door.
"Your highness. The prisoners have made a decision."
Another cruel smirk emerged on his face as he stood up and said "You know what to do."
Grabbing a tape recorder and putting it in his pocket, he calmly grabbed his cane and made his way to the cells with Villetta close behind.
"So, I understand you've made a choice" Lelouch said, leaning against the wall and taking the weight off his leg.
Jeremiah had once again texted him, and assured him that the security systems were disabled, and just before he went through the door, he had turned on the recorder.
"We have" Kallen said, as Naoto chimed in "We'll tell you what you want to know, but you need to honor your promise."
"You don't trust me?" Lelouch said with faux disappointment. "What a pity! Whatever shall I do?"
Drawing a piece of paper from within his tunic, he unfolded it and showed it to them.
"This is the notification that I had drawn up. It clearly states exactly what I told you. Would you care to verify?"
Opening a small part of the glass, Lelouch slid the notice to Naoto, who looked it over.
"It's all in order" he said, pushing it back.
"Of course it is" Lelouch said, pulling a pen out of his breast pocket and scribbling his signature. "There. I will send this notice along with your mother when she is transported to the rehabilitation facility."
His eyes took on...a most...evil shine as he then said "Now, to discuss your execution, we'll talk about your little hideout after that."
Both of them blanched slightly at this, but recovered quickly, defiance shining through their expressions.
"I have chosen the method, the time, and the place. Would you care to hear them?"
A shrug of shoulders was what he got in return, so he proceeded anyways.
"I'm going to bring back a good one, just for you two. Both of you will be hung, outside of Ashford Academy, at 1300 hours sharp" he said. "Fitting that the assassin will return to the place where she committed the crime, to be killed herself. Now, the particulars on your cell please."
Kallen looked through the clear window between the cell of her and Naoto, as if to get assurance, and he nodded.
Sighing, she said "The cell is located in Shinjuku Ghetto, inside an abandoned warehouse, behind the remnants of the old Tokyo city hall. There are roughly ten members, and weaponry consists of mostly rifles, grenades, and one Glasgow Knightmare."
" Very good. Now was that so hard?" Lelouch said, relishing in the victory "But because I am truly not heartless, you may have one final meal, of your choice, excluding a buffet, tonight. Colonel Nu will take your orders. Any questions?"
Both of them said no, which was good enough for him, and Lelouch turned around, shutting the recorder off in the process, as he sent another text to Jeremiah, telling him to get the cameras and microphones back up and running.
"Every day is a new adventure" he muttered, going back up the stairs to his office. Little did he know that Clovis had a catastrophe on his hands...again.
"You lost the project again!?" Clovis roared, totally out of character.
Bartley attempted to backpedal, to calm his superior down "My-my Prince! Nothing set the alarms off!"
"I don't care!" Clovis shouted. "I want that project back, and I'm going to the one person who can get it back!"
Storming out of the lab, Clovis ran up the stairs and made it to Lelouch's office, just as he was sitting back at his desk.
"Lelouch, something dreadful has happened!" Clovis said, putting his hands to his head. "The poison gas has been taken by the rebels again!"
Ah yes, the 'poison gas' which Clovis had been making. The Code R project files that he was given, and that he looked through were rather...empty, but one thing Lelouch could tell, was that whatever it was, it wasn't poison gas, but he played along anyways.
"Honestly Clovis? That's the second time in a week that your little project has managed to be taken by enemy forces" Lelouch reprimanded. Boy, he was really enjoying this "Are your guards so lax that whoever the hell wants to can waltz in and take what they want?
"And I assume you want me to cover up your little blunder here, by retrieving the gas, which you managed to lose in the first place, for the second time! Honestly Clovis, this isn't befitting conduct of anyone, no matter your rank or stature in the world."
Clovis allowed his expression to fall, although it became hopeful as Lelouch kept talking.
"However, I will overlook your incompetence this one time, and I will allow you to tag along with me as I recover the capsule."
"Thank you Lelouch" Clovis said, overjoyed that he would get Code R back again "The terrorists are making for the Shinjuku Ghetto, like they were last time. If I had to guess, that's where their HQ is located."
"Very well then" Lelouch said. "I'll bring the 5th Ontario in, and we'll get the gas."
Thumbing a button on his desk phone, it connected him to Marcus, who was temporary commanding officer when Lelouch was off doing Sub-Viceroy stuff.
"Scramble the Black Knights. We're going to retrieve a capsule of poison gas in the Shinjuku Ghetto."
With a curt reply, Marcus signed off to inform the commanders of the troops.
Walking out into the hall, Lelouch brought both Jeremiah and Villetta to attention, and said "Get the Zero Squad together, and go to Ashford. Ruben has some new Knightmares for us. Meet me at the outskirts of Shinjuku Ghetto."
Again, the two saluted and ran off to gather the rest of the people who made up their grouping.
"Come on Clovis, let's get to the G-1" Lelouch said, turning on his heel and walking towards the doors.
Both of them had no idea what they were stepping in to, as they walked down the stairs to the waiting car.
A/N: Guess who we get to see next chapter! If you guessed C.C. You're right!