This chapter is going to be hectic. From the first confrontation between Lelouch and Schneizel to the seeds of deceit being planted, things are really going to start turning more toward the complete chaos side of things here.
Also, the chapter name is a reference to Avalon (King Arthur went there to recover after his fight with Mordred, whom Lelouch can be compared to). I thought the idea was rather witty on my part.
Villeta stood in body numbing shock as she looked at the sight before her. Kewell's face displayed nothing more than a cool indifference, but his shaking hands betrayed his true shock. Bedtime stories pertaining to the paranormal and such things ran through their heads at headache inducing speeds; neither had done anything but cast such stories aside in the past, but the reality they were now faced with was one they couldn't really deny. Granted, the sight before them was not anything any bedtime story had ever spoke of, but the general principle should have been the same, they reasoned. Taking it all in, there was only one thing Villeta could say, "Such a... place exists?"
Buildings towered high in this underground cavern, streets were present, as were streetlights and all other signs of modern technology from what Villeta could tell. Needless to say, it didn't look like an underground cavern at all. Everything had an eerie purple glow to it, from the purple pillar – or whatever it was; Villeta was determined to find out - in the middle of the town. Their vantage point gave them a grand view of the entire Directorate, and that did little to put Villeta's shock to rest; after all, seeing something so unrealistically eerie was bound to be shocking.
"This is our sanctuary," V.V. explained as he turned to walk away, his two new subordinates in tow. They made their way down a steep pathway lined with dim purple lights and to the main street where several people – mostly women and children – went about everyday life as if there was nothing different between their lives and the lives Villeta and Kewell lived. Or used to live, Villeta added somewhat bitterly.
"An underground cavern is a sanctuary to people like you?" Kewell asked snidely, smirking slightly as the shock began to wear off. V.V. simply nodded, not saying anything as they turned down another road where they now saw a group of small children grouped around a much older one, begging him to play with them. The eldest one had purple eyes reminiscent of the Emperor himself and short brown hair. He looked only a little bit happy in the presence of the children, but the look of longing in his eyes – the look that told anyone with enough perception that he had many unfulfilled desires – was not missed by Villeta. In a different sense, he looked absolutely miserable.
The group continued past the children with no more than a passing glance, and continued on their way. It wasn't long before the base of the large pillar came into view, and a feeling of aprehension overcame both Villeta and Kewell. That kind of feeling that told them, 'Stop now, because if you don't you won't be able to go back.' Naturally both ignored the wise advice completely, and the nagging feeling in the back of their heads went away completely as they passed under a small archway at the base.
"Lord V.V.!" an elderly man called, rushing over and embracing the small child. "Who are these people?" he asked, turning toward Villeta and Kewell.
"Villeta Nu and Kewell Soresi," V.V. responded, smiling a very weak smile. "They are to be put into training immediately. They will be needed shortly."
"Shall we continue to watch Lelouch?" the man asked, frowning slightly.
"Charles wants us to," V.V. stated with a small shrug. "We won't bother though. Let him do as he pleases," V.V. smirked as he saw the knowing look in the elderly man's eyes.
"For now," the man finished.
o--o
Schneizel El Britannia...
Like Odysseus, he was more a father figure to me in my childhood than my own father was. He was likewise occupied in other matters – such as his rigorous studies that have made him the man he is now – but he, unlike my father, had a kind heart and took time for Nunnally and I.
Like it is said to, war changed him, however. He lost much of that warmth, hiding it away and turning into the calculating and harsh commander he is now. He shows no compassion on the battlefield, and he isn't beyond sacrificing a great many things if it furthers his own goals. His warm and caring side is expressed very selectively, Clovis has said, and that the kind Schneizel has become a distant memory.
Odysseus was much different, in a way. He is an inept man when compared to the likes of Cornelia or Schneizel, but his kind heart has always remained intact. When he smiles for cameras or waves pilotely to people, they aren't facades used to better the public's opinion of him. They are genuine shows of kindness that make the public love him, but made his fellow brothers – who's bids for the throne are more evident – hate him.
But when it came to matters of war, he was as useful as Euphemia was. He could rally men together, but his knowledge of tactics and his talents as a leader were minimal at best, drawing primarily from the faith others had in him. But what help that provided ran short when it came to actual combat, as he was well known as a coward in such matters. He'd told me in privavte that the truth of the matter was that he held dislike toward fighting as a whole, and preferred to leave such matters to the more calculating minds in the empire like his father and Schneizel.
These two men, one the cold and calculating leader who's care for his half-brother has probably faded in the seven years he presumed me dead, and the other the kind half-brother who would be able to rally far more men together to fight me – whether he wanted to or not – than Schneizel alone could. They made quite possibly the most fearsome combination of leadership that Britannia had to offer. And I am to fight them.
o--o
"Their forces outnumber our own, but the difference isn't great," Lelouch looked at the tactical map spread out over the table in front of him, frowning. "Schneizel will target Luo Yang, as I doubt he suspects we'd keep Her Highness Jiang Lihua --"
"-- The Tianzi," Xingke corrected, frowning.
"Right," Lelouch nodded, glowering at Xingke momentarily. "They wouldn't suspect we'd keep her with us, and so his presence in Xi'an means he doesn't want there to be anywhere for her to run when he moves on Luo Yang," Lelouch nodded to himself, pleased with this deduction. "Either that, or he's making this move wanting us to believe that is his motives, when really his primary objective is taking us out and this is to lure us in."
"If that's the case, it doesn't matter. We can't allow Britannia's presence in our land to go without response. This is an open declaration of war," Xingke continued, frowning. "But why would they act so quickly...?"
"Britannia's hold on Area 11 is critical to their administration of the entire empire. It's capture would send the world into a spiral as massive rebellions all along the Britannian homefront. And they know that with the Order of the Black Knights in a figurehead position of the Anti-Britannian Front, that is our aim. They want us out of the picture before that becomes the case," Lelouch explained, smiling. "This battle will be a tough one, to be sure. Schneizel is every bit as intelligent as we are, and his military is about as strong as well. Whoever comes up with the better plan, however, will win the day."
"Signals detected! They've begun to attack the city!" Ogi's voice sounded shaken as he reported from the comm station, and Lelouch glared at nobody in particular as he took it in.
"That's Schneizel," he said, shaking his head. "He's willing to dispose of whatever he needs to if it gets him what he wants..." Xingke glanced over at Lelouch, searching his eyes for the same certainty that he hoped he'd never see leave the purple eyes of the Britannian prince. Lelouch nodded, readjusting the headset placed around his ear so it reached the edge of his lip, "Tamaki, Todo, prepare your squadrons for launch. Hong Gu will head up the First Gun-Ru Corps. Someone get Suzaku and tell him to launch as well. We're not letting this battle go Schneizel's way."
Within no more than ten minutes, the area outside of Xi'an had become a massive battleground. Sutherlands with an unexpectedly large amount of Gloucester fought valiantly against the black Burai and Sutherlands of the Black Knights while Suzaku headed up the charge, cutting through the enemy like butter. Pulling up the rear was Hong Gu and the masses of Gun-Ru, firing when there was an opening in the line of the Black Knights' line.
"A line of Gloucester are attacking from the side!" Minami reported, turning to face Lelouch and Xingke. "Ten in all! They came from nowhere!"
"They're using transport carriers to deploy their Frames," Lelouch didn't miss a beat, smirking as he came up with a countermeasure. "Send Suzaku to hold them at bay, and send Nagisa's squad to take out the dam on the Wei river."
The line of Burai and Sutherland pushed forward in tandem with the reinforcements from Nagisa's squad, and it wasn't long before the pathway toward the dam had been opened. Lelouch grinned victoriously as Nagisa took out the dam, and the signal lost message was shown in place of the entirety of the Gloucester squadron. "Good. Have Suzaku attack their right flank with Nagisa's squad. We'll put a little pressure on them."
"Have Zhou Xianglin oversee the launch of the Second Gun-Ru Corps and attack the right flank with Senba's squad," he paused to look toward Lelouch, who nodded his agreement. "We'll attack from all three flanks and drive them to the Wei river!"
o--o
"Ha ha! Is this all the great White Prince can do?!" Tamaki laughed, pushing his lance through a Sutherland with ease. Next to him Suzaku was engaged with three Sutherland, trying as best he could to navigate around them to take them out. In the end, he managed to flip over one, taking a solid swing into it's upper body with his MVS, and as he landed he spun around and swung again, forcing the other two to eject along with the first.
"Don't underestimate him. Lelouch has spoke of him as an equal to him," Suzaku scolded, firing a slash harken at an approaching Gloucester and then moving to deliver the final blow with the MVS. Before he could even begin to recover from that he was forced to move again, easily avoiding another lance as a Gloucester passed by harmlessly, instead being caught up in battle with two Burai.
"Tch, who cares what that cocky prince of our's has to say," Tamaki retorted bemusedly, taking out another Sutherland and moving so he and Suzaku were back to back. They'd pushed farther ahead than the main line, and found themselves surrounded by Sutherland and Gloucester alike. "I take it this is a ploy of Schneizel's?"
Suzaku grunted in agreement, trying to figure out how best to go about breaking free of the encirclement without leave Tamaki to be picked off. 'I could do that... no, but then... dammit!' he punched the controls in front of him in rage, suddenly feeling completely helpless. He hated the feeling, he realized quickly. He liked feeling like he was in control, and now he was being pulled along by Schneizel's string.
"They aren't going to let us wait, you know!" Tamaki growled, pushing himself forward to join the fray once again. He managed to take out one of the Sutherland with minimal effort, but that did little more than a dent in the enemy's plan as another Sutherland took it's place, and they all moved in to attack Tamaki. Suzaku pushed him aside and took his place, dodging and weaving around the attacks and attacking when possible. Through the combined efforts of his speedy movements and Tamaki's assistance, they managed to break free of the encirclement and pull back to the main line where the Britannian forces were swiftly losing their ground and, with it, their chance at taking control of the Guanzhong Plains.
"Y-you..." a seemingly terrified soldier whimpered, so quietly that Suzaku had to take a moment before he realized that the pitiful whimper came from the Sutherland opposite him. "You used to fight for Britannia, right... so why..."
"Your prince wants to change the world," Suzaku stated without pause, poising the MVS to strike. "The path that Lelouch Vi Britannia is taking is the one the world should be taking. I will not waver," and in a move that shocked many, he struck into the side of the Sutherland with such force that the ejecting cockpit was thrown off course, narrowly escaping the throng of battle in it's flight to safety. "Yes... I will not waver. I will spill blood if necessary, as Lelouch said we must."
"Lelouch Vi Britannia this, Lelouch Vi Britannia that..." Suzaku turned, having only a split second to bring his MVS to his front to defend before another MVS crashed into it. Suzaku hissed and closed his eyes for a moment, only to have them wide in shock when he did open them again.
A black Lancelot.
"Y-you..." Suzaku gasped, momentarily losing his focus.
"Lelouch Vi Britannia is scum. He's a traitor to his father, his country, and his name!" the black Lancelot's pilot cried, pulling out a second MVS and attacking. Suzaku did the same, and the two caught themselves in an unending stalemate. Both tried to overpower the other, but every turn – evey flip, every maneuver – was read perfectly by the other, bringing them back to the same stalemate they'd started in.
"Lelouch Vi Britannia is not scum!" Suzaku retorted, trying in vain once again to take the upper hand. All it got him, however, was another stalemate in a different position. The battle continued to rage on around them, almost heedless of their own conflict. "Lelouch is what this world needs! He may start conflicts, he may kill people without remorse, and he may have betrayed his family..." what Suzaku said next surprised even him, and those around him were just as shocked. "These are necessary evils to change this world! And Lelouch can do that!"
Tamaki didn't even try to suppress his howl of approval as he moved by, charging at a Sutherland and taking it out with a single swipe, "The White Knight is right! Lelouch is our enemy's son, but he's our friend! Let's take down these assholes! For Japan... for the world!"
If only the fight against the black Lancelot was one that could be so easily won.
o--o
"Divert Carlos' squad to attack from the side. Eric's squad is to proceed toward their flagship and engage any reinforcements they deploy. The rest of our forces still have the advantage, and we can keep it that way. Don't let them drive us to the river!" Schneizel ordered, smiling a very calm smile as people all about him hastened to repeat his new orders. "You've grown, Lelouch. But you're still not my equal. Not with that flaw of your's."
"Bertram's squad has been decimated! They're requesting reinforcements!" the man seated at the Avalon's comm station reported, visibly sweating. As was common amongst Schneizel's men he wore a long, white coat, his in particular reading 'CIC, Neil Brigmond'. Next to him was a man watching four separate radars simultaneously, his white coat reading 'Analytical Advisor, Darin Carlisle'. There were ten others seated at various stations throughout the Avalon's command center, all working diligently at their assigned tasks.
"Abandon them," Schneizel responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If we provide reinforcements to that side, Lelouch will be free to push his attack from the front. We can't take the risk with Lelouch," he explained, looking over his shoulder to Lloyd who was grinning in a carefree manner, seemingly careless of the fact that his prized development – the Lancelot – was now engaged with his replica of the same Frame. He was far too pleased with the capabilities of it's pilot. "Come with me, Lloyd. Let's speak ..." he winked an eye for good measure, smirking. "Alone."
Several eyebrows rose at the rather suggestive comment. All in fact, save for two – Kanon Maldini, and Lloyd himself. Kanon chuckled under his breath as he moved to stand, looking toward Schneizel as he stood as well, giving a curt nod for Kanon to follow. The three remained in utter silence until they had reached the hangar and were safely within it's restricted section, standing in front of a massive Knightmare Frame.
It stood more than two metres taller than any of the Sutherland or Gloucester in the lower areas of the hangar, it's head nearly reaching the high ceiling above. It was a unique mix of black and yellow – black in body, yellow in the hips, chest, shoulders, and head – with a maroon coloured, sun shaped piece attached to the back. There were orange diamonds on the shins and on all sides of the points jutting out from the shoulders, and it all screamed one thing.
Overwhelming.
"The IFX-V301 Gawain..." Schneizel smiled up at the pride of his work, truly content with the mammoth of a Knightmare Frame before him. "So, Lloyd, it's nearing it's completion is it not?"
"The Hadron technology is still too erratic to harness, but we're working on it," Lloyd replied with a grin. "But everything else is working perfectly. The Druid system has been perfected, as has the integration of the Float System – although unfortunately the latter is no longer a technological advancement for Britannia's scientists now that the majority of the Anti-Britannian Front's main Knightmare Frames all have Float Systems as well. The extended time frame you offered us allowed me to expand on the power of the Yggdrasil drive, and the increased power allowed us to include what we like to call the Maximum Defense Generator – a massive MSV shield that covers the entire upper body of the Frame. The Hadron cannons can't be used while the shield is up due to the power consumption, but that's a small price to pay for giving it the distinction of being both the strongest Knightmare Frame and the one with the greatest defense," a hearty and pleased laugh followed, showing every bit of Lloyd's true pride over his development."
"It truly is worthy of being considered your finest achievement, although we'll hold back any judgment until it's completed. We have to hurry, though, because my father is growing increasingly suspicious of my independant actions. Operation Muhon will fail if he catches wind of it, I'm afraid," both Lloyd and Kanon nodded their heads in agreement. "Our time will come soon, men, and we will hold all the cards in our hands."
"Your Highness, removing Lelouch is also necessary," Kanon added with a frown. Schneizel nodded a wordless agreement, looking at Kanon quizzically. "Why then are we toying with him?"
"We have to," Schneizel answered, scowling. "Lelouch has been proved to work best under pressure. To beat him we must engage him on equal terms. Any other way and Lelouch will pull through with one of Zero's miracles."
"Zero is a mask. A means to hide himself from the world. There are no miracles in his fear," Kanon retorted.
"He has something on his side that we're not aware of, and he's using it to grant miracles. People called Jeremiah crazy for the mental lapse he had in Shinjuku, but I believe him. Lelouch has a strange power that he's using to control the world to bend to his every whim. We have to make sure we don't fall victim to it, whatever it is," Schneizel explained, closing his eyes. "If we're to remove him completely, we have to figure out what this power is. It's not something known to the world, though, I am certain of that much. And it's something terrible."
o--o
"It's the Shen-Hu! Lord Xingke has joined the battle!"
"We can win with the Tiger God with us!"
Despite the worry and occasional fear that came with being the unfortunate pilot of a Gun-Ru, the many pilots of Gun-Ru caught in the carnage of battle felt hope renewed as the Shen-Hu hovered above them, firing his Baryon cannon down at the Britannian lines, taking out two Sutherland immediately. Out from behind the Shen-Hu came the Hakumei, firing it's Fukushahado cannon down at the enemy.
"Nagisa, attack from Point C! Senba and Tamaki attack from Point D! Hong Gu, join up with Suzaku and push the attack! The Guren is on it's way to reinforce you now!" Xingke ordered swiftly, charging at the enemy, one slash harken spinning in defence until he had reached the ground, releasing his landspinners as he touched down and flinging his slash harken into the nearest Sutherland. "Asahina, you're to attack from Point B! Todo is on his way to assume command of your squad now. We must stop Schneizel from pushing us back!"
A lance from a Gloucester narrowly missed Xingke and he growled, spinning the Shen-Hu in a complex manner and kicking the Gloucester with such force that the pieces connecting the body to it's arms were lost, and – left without arms – the pilot immediately ejected. Britannian forces that caught sight of such a spectacle immediately halted in momentary fear, and that was all Xingke needed to turn the tide, "Sugiyama, take care of their retreating forces to the side! Nagisa, push the attack more! That side is crumbling!"
Despite their finest efforts, however, Xingke quickly found that his every move was being predicted with frightening accuracy. When he moved a squad to attack one point Schneizel would press further on another point, and it wasn't long before the changing tide was once again changing, with Xingke flailing to salvage the situation. Every attempt failed however, and though the numbers were shifting in their favor, Britannia was gaining ground on them. It wasn't long after that when Xingke realized the folly of his efforts, all too late, however.
They'd been driven into the flooded area. Their landspinners began screeching beneath them as they fought to keep their ground, but it was to no avail. They were trapped, with the exception of himself, Suzaku and C.C. who escaped to the safety of the air. The forces below, however, were sitting ducks, unable to do anything but stand their ground and fire at any nearing forces. That tactic in itself had some merit, but the novelty quickly wore out.
Xingke had never felt so completely defeated.
"Karen, head up the defence!" Xingke quickly ordered. Sighing to himself, he fastened his headset securely onto his head, eyes dropping toward his lap for a split second before he regained his composure, "Lelouch, we only have one option! Prepare to launch it!"
o--o
Lelouch slammed his fist into the table angrily, muttering things under his breath that went unheard, although things such as 'played for a fool' and 'needing revenge' were said with such disdain that strained ears picked them up. "Rakshata, prepare to launch the pack," he ordered as soon as he'd pulled himself together. Not waiting for an answer he turned toward Ogi, "Patch me through to Karen as well."
Raven tresses of hair fell over his face, but he didn't pay any attention to them in his musings. He was hoping; praying, even, that there was something he could come up with that would outsmart Schneizel. But, like he and Xingke both knew, Schneizel's victory had been perfect. It left no room for a true victory, and the only one that could be obtained now was the one where the Anti-Britannian Front wasn't decimated.
Which is exactly – much to Lelouch's disdain – what they planned to do now.
"Karen here. What is it, Lelouch?" she sounded irritated, which wasn't surprising given their position. Their first real battle following the tactical mind of Lelouch Vi Britannia, and the Anti-Britannian Front was faced with a dire situation. It certainly didn't look good on Lelouch's part, and she knew that.
"Xingke, pick her up," Lelouch responded simply. Karen gasped, stuttering in her demands for an explanation, but all went unheard until the Shen-Hu had already wrapped his wired slash harkens around her, hoisting her up into the air with a strength nearly unknown to Knightmare Frames. She continued to protest vehemently as he carried her higher and higher, and then, Lelouch gave one simple word as a response, "Drop."
Rakshata smiled as the Guren dropped toward the ground, as it gave her the free room necessary to do what she did, "Launch the upgrade set!"
"Karen, trust me," Lelouch said soothingly, trying to calm the girl now on the border of hysterics. She immediately calmed some, but was still fuming rather vehemently, "Remove your head and your arms. Just trust me," despite her misgivings Karen did as he said, and almost as soon as she'd lost her claw arm it had been replaced with another, and afterwards came a new second arm and head and then, lastly, an attachment that went straight to her back. When the transformation was complete Karen had to hit a button to the side – one she hadn't seen before, she added – and the wings now on her back spread out, keeping her stabilized in midair.
"Th-this is..." Karen was truly at a loss for words, quickly trying to acquaint herself with all the changes to her beloved Frame.
"The Guren Mk II Aerial-Type," Lelouch responded quickly, smiling a victorious smile. He turned to Ogi and gave him an okay signal, and in a matter of seconds his headset was projecting his voice to every Frame they had deployed, "Todo, man the defence of the isolated troops! Xingke, C.C., Suzaku and Karen!"
"Yes!" they all responded at once. Lelouch smiled wider still.
"Attack the Avalon."
o--o
"Your Highness!" Darin called frantically, sweat rolling down the back of his neck. He pulled his white coat from his body, using a sleeve to swiftly wipe the sweat from the back of his neck before continuing, "The Anti-Britannian Front is attacking us from the air! Your orders?"
Schneizel sighed, his smile fading from his lips, "You've disappointed me, Lelouch. You run even from defeat..." he looked to his crew, a weary smile replacing his genuine one. "Recall our forces, and have Rai hold up the rear. Lelouch knows the Avalon is suited for Knightmare Frame combat; this is still our victory, however."
"Yes, Your Highness!" everyone voiced in unison before turning to their duties once again. Schneizel leaned back in his seat, watching out the front as the Shen-Hu, Guren Aerial-Type and Hakumei charged toward them, the Lancelot coming up behind at a considerably slower speed with his Float System backpack.
It wasn't long before they caught wind of the retreating Britannian forces and turned to pull back. Several people released subconsciously held breaths of relief, but Schneizel just frowned. He pitied Lelouch, really, for being so weak. "You're fighting a useless battle, Lelouch." He stood up, stepping forward slightly and looking toward Neil, "Patch us through to their flagship. I would like to speak with Lelouch."
Neil nodded and set to work. Schneizel took a seat nearer the front and waited, eyes not leaving the front where – with any luck – Lelouch's face would be appearing shortly. Just as this thought crossed his mind it happened, and the scowling face of the Black Prince was shown to the entirety of the Avalon's command center. Schneizel smiled at his brother, waving gently, "Hello, little brother."
"You haven't contacted us for pleasantries, Schneizel," Lelouch shot back immediately. His eyes narrowed and his nose scrunched up, and the look would have looked adorable were it not for the look of evident dislike in his eyes. "State your business for contacting your enemy. That's all we are now, after all."
"We may not share a mother, but we are still brothers, Lelouch. Certainly you haven't forgotten my kindness to you as a child."
"Your kindness was lost to your ruthlessness. The only brothers I still acknowledge are Clovis and Odysseus," he nodded toward Odysseus, who was seated off to the side. Odysseus gave a small wave and a weak smile in response. "The rest of you are nothing more than enemies I must crush to create my ideal world."
"Your ideal world?" Schneizel questioned with a smile.
"A world where people like you don't wander around, carefree of the people that suffer beneath you. A world where those that suffer no longer do. A world that those people deserve for all their torment," Lelouch explained with a wave of the hand. "The kind of world that was crushed by people like you and Charles."
"You mean our father," Schneizel corrected, undaunted by Lelouch's speech.
"He's no more my father than you are my brother. Both of you are enemies to the Anti-Britannian Front, to the Japanese and, by extension, to me. And I will not waver in crushing both of you," Lelouch shot back.
"You're no match for me, Lelouch," Schneizel smiled widely upon seeing the look of rage and confusion on his half-brother's face. "Not with that attitude."
"Do explain," Lelouch pressed, his confidence lost to a disdainful frown.
"Ever since Marianne's death, you've been running. When you went into hiding to protect Nunnally, wasn't that also to escape father? Tell me I'm wrong." Lelouch said nothing, and so Schneizel continued, "The past seven years, you've been running. You've been running from your past. And until you embrace your past and move on, you'll be no match for me."
o--o
The room was filled with the unbearable sound of glass shattering as the small dish collided with the wall, followed by a weak kick from the raging Lelouch. He glared at nothing in particular as he continued his rampage as quietly as he could – after all, he didn't need others knowing Schneizel had gotten under his skin. The only witness to his insatiable rage was C.C. who simply sat there, watching him with a quirked eyebrow.
It wasn't long before Lelouch managed to calm himself enough to seat himself on his bed, although his chest still heaved with his heavy breathing as he vented. "Schneizel..." he ground his teeth in rage, slamming a fist onto the bed next to him. "I will not crawl back to father! I will not give in to those two!"
"You don't have to," Lelouch looked over to C.C. who was now making her way toward him. She dropped to her knees in front of him, looking at him with a stern expression, "But you can't keep running. If you continue to allow yourself to be fueled by your desire to get back at Charles, then you will never succeed. Remember what Clovis told you?"
"Never let myself succumb to the desire for revenge... but, mother! Nunnally! I can't ignore what has happened to them! And everyone else! My father has taken part in many atrocities, and I'm supposed to look past them?!" Lelouch growled deep in his throat, shaking his head. "My father is not worth my forgiveness," he spat.
"No, he's not," C.C. responded, glaring at Lelouch so angrilly that Lelouch was forced to avert his eyes. "But if you want to make him pay, make him pay because he deserves it. If you continue to hunt him down with nothing but retribution in mind, you will not win. Remember that," and with that she stood, returning to her own bed and laying down again.
"'Because he deserves it'..." he quoted in a low whisper. He continued to think on those words for several minutes before he smiled slightly, nodding to himself. "So I shouldn't fight for retribution, but for the future... I see."
C.C., having heard, rolled over to look at him, "With Geass, you can make that possible. Even without Zero you can create miracles, just like you said. Your desires gave you the strength to defeat your father." She pointed at his left eye, giving him a rare smile, "Revenge won't get you anywhere, in the end."
"Yes, I know..." Lelouch nodded again, laying down on his side, staring at C.C. with one eye, the other covered by his arm under his head. "What of you? You have desires, do you not? Your end of our contract?"
"I have none. Just what will come when all is said and done," C.C. answered without batting an eye.
"None? You don't want anything?" Lelouch seemed genuinely confused by the prospect, C.C. noticed. He blinked twice before continuing, "You don't want to be loved? To be shown compassion? To have friends?"
"Lelouch," C.C. stopped him abruptly, frowning at him. "I don't want any of those because I no longer know how to feel them. Why would I need them?"
Lelouch said nothing at first. Slowly, almost tentatively, however, he stood. He walked over to her bed and sat next to her, looking down at her, "Neither do I. I've been given nothing but torment my entire life. The only people I can look to for real compassion are Nunnally and Clovis, and even they have forsaken me for the path I have chosen," he smiled sadly at her, shaking his head. "But we are partners. If we don't care for each other, how can we expect anyone else to?"
"You're a commander, Lelouch," C.C. responded sternly, sitting up. "Showing emotion is a weakness."
"I promised you I would defeat Geass' loneliness," he leaned in and, despite C.C.'s attempts to push him away, placed a soft kiss on her cheek. His lips lingered only for a split second before he pulled back, and he knew that the heat rising to his cheeks wasn't simply a byproduct of his unfamiliarity with women. "We have each other. I care for you, and I will protect you. I will protect everyone, and I will defeat my father. And we will defeat Geass, together."
This one was fun to write. There was a little bit of LelouchxC.C. fluff for the people out there who have been waiting for it; I certainly enjoyed delivering it. But there was also a bit of confusion, particularly in the Schneizel department, for me to address; another AU factor is that, save for Charles and people I've shown to be otherwise, nobody – not even Schneizel – knows even the slightest about Geass. So, basically, act as though Schneizel never found the Thought Elevator of Kaminejima, because he didn't here.
Unfortunately, however, that bit of fluff I spoke of and so kindly delivered also serves as an apology. See, I've been having an idea for a Fire Emblem fic, and so I will be taking a couple days to get a basic outline done to turn that into a side project. At the most, it'll delay the next update by three days, I'm thinking. Hopefully less if my inspiration remains strong, but I make no promises.
And I apologize to anyone who is disappointed or displeased with the fact that I modified the Gawain, but with the vast change in timeline (the story is now well into the one year lapse between the two seasons as far as date goes) I felt it wasn't unreasonable for more work to have been put into the Gawain's armaments. This is also due to the fact that I will not at any point in time introduce the Shinkiro, so the new Gawain is more or less a go-between for the two.
Let's move on to more important things. We now have a relatively solid storyline coming together here, so I'll ask a couple questions. No, you don't have to answer them if you review, but they're there should you want to. This is also to give the people who haven't been reviewing simply because they having nothing to say something to review about – I'm not fishing for more reviews, but if having something to review about will get me a review, I won't knock it.
Okay, first question. This question will be asked at the end of every chapter from here on, so get used to it. I've noticed a couple people review making predictions about what will happen next. So, I'll ask just that. What do you think will happen next? What twists, what changes, what... whatever do you foresee occurring next? I'm interested to see what you come up with.
Secondly, now that I've firmly established Suzaku as an ally without reprimand (and have been slowly edging him up the scale of importance), I have to ask: Who, if anyone, would you like him to be paired with? I make no promises that I will pair him off, but if what the public demands fits in the scope of my story, I may just do it.
And lastly, we've revealed that Villeta and Kewell now have knowledge of Geass. What do you think, if any, their Geass abilities are? I won't say anything, but seeing what you guys come up with would be interesting.
That's all, and again I'm sorry for the brief delay that is to come. Hopefully next chapter will make up for the break?