Code Geass: Valiant Chapter 25 - Geass War
[Valiant Knights HQ, CO's office]
Neo sat quietly behind his desk in the dark of the night. His plans working perfectly in coordination with Lelouch, but he just felt wrong.
"Lord Valiant her highness Cornelia is on her way up" Came the voice of the desk clerk at the first floor.
'It's that time I guess' He said mentally.
The doors opened and Cornelia with her knights Guilford and Darlton at her back. The walked to the front of Neo's desk but stopped at the sorrowful look on the teens face.
"Why did you call me here Neo?" Cornelia asked "I have other matters to attend too"
Neo took a deep breath before standing "I told the others not to say anything until I informed you" He said sadly and pulled a set of dog tags from his pocket and threw them to the old general "Andreas I'm sorry"
Darlton gave Neo a confused look while both Cornelia and Guilford gasped. The man hadn't accepted the unspoken meaning of the tags.
He saw the sullen look on the boy's face and his hands shook. He slowly looked at the name on the dog tags he held.
Name: Freya Josephine Darlton
Rank: Knight of Eight
ID No. K-08
"Darlton I couldn't get to her in time" Neo explained apologetically "She was a sister to me as well as all of the Valiant Knights. We will avenge her"
A long silence filled the room.
"Excuse me" Darlton said politely with a bow. He then turned away and left the room.
"Report!" Cornelia yelled angrily now that he was gone.
Neo brought up a 3d holographic map over his desk. It displayed the battlefield with all known IFF's.
"Once the JLF detonated the ship, the White Lotus and X's men engaged us while the Black Knights attacked you"
The map then played out most of the battle.
"Freya disengaged her IFF and I was soon intercepted by the same pair of knightmare that fought Freya at Narita. Once they retreated I sped to her last location but by the time I got there X had already… I'm glad to say it was a quick death"
Cornelia gritted her teeth in anger "Damn these masked terrorist. Killing a Knight of the Rounds… The skill needed to do such a thing is appalling"
"Lady Marianne was once the Knight of Six as was my mother the Knight of Five" Neo reminded. "Everyone dies"
"I am well aware" She warned "Are you handling telling his majesty?"
Neo nodded "I've made the arrangements already"
"I suspect X and Hitomi are your number one concern at the moment?" She inquired.
"This is war" Neo said darkly "No enemy is spared"
She nodded and took her leave along with her knight.
Neo fell back into his seat and let out a heavy breath "This job is a bitch"
[Ashford Academy Clubhouse, Student Council Room]
The Student Council sat around the table. Lelouch and Elly stared at the empty seats of Neo, Kallen, Kayla, Suzaku and Shirley.
"Okay everybody listen up!" Milly shouted cheerfully "Our friend Kallen is in the hospital again so everyone send her love and GUTS! So she can get though this rough patch. And her idiot boyfriend is AWOL again with something that Elly will tell us after a round of torture!"
Elly scanned to room and saw the grins of Milly and Rivalz but raised her hands "Hey it's a military secrete"
"Elly just tell her before she drives us all insane with her voice" Kai said annoyed next to Nunnaly who grabbed his hand and his mood instantly calmed.
Elly sighed "If you must know… He had to personally inform his majesty that he lost the Knight of Eight under his command"
"WHAT!?" Rivalz exclaimed. "Freya Darlton is dead!? Who did it!? How'd they do it!?"
"Rivalz shut it!" Lelouch said seeing Elly flinch at each question. He knew that for her to actually show a negative emotion that she was deeply bothered.
Milly continued her list "And Kayla was called home"
"What about Shirley?" Nunnaly asked to change the subject.
Milly shrugged "She hasn't spoken to anyone in days"
"Yeah and now Sophie's dropped out" Rivalz informed.
"I hope Shirley's okay" Nunnaly said sadly.
"Sure I am Nana. I'm perfect!" Said the orangette as she barged into the room. They were also shocked to see a red haired girl walk behind her.
"Who's your friend?" Kai asked rudely.
The red head grinned and curtsied "Hiya I'm Veronica but my friends call me Nicky. I'm Shirley's new roommate and I wanna be friends with everyone!"
Lelouch actually sweat dropped at the over bubbly girl. Milly was bad enough to have around.
"Hi I'm Rivalz your new boyfriend" The blue haired teen said with all the charm he could muster (Which wasn't much)
"Aw you're so cute!" Nicky said before kissing him on the cheek "I'd really like that cutie"
Everyone except Shirley, looked at the girl like she was crazy, which was still under debate.
"Well anyway I'm Milly Ashford the president" Milly greeted. "And this sourpuss is the vice-president Lelouch Lanperouge and…"
"Oh the great Elizabeth Waldstein" Nicky interrupted "I'm a fan of the Death twins"
"Okaaaay" Milly said before finishing "These is our junior members. Lelouch's sister Nunnally and Kallen our another member's cousin Kai Stadtfelt"
Nunnally suddenly gasped.
"What's wrong Nana?" Kai asked worriedly while getting a glare from Lelouch.
"Can we go Kai?" She asked suddenly and with a hint of fear "I don't feel well, I might've gotten your flu"
Kai looked to Lelouch who gave a small nod to go ahead.
"What was that all about?" Rivalz said watching the younger teens leave.
Once in the hall Nunnaly grabbed Kai's hand and hers was shaking.
"What's wrong Nana?" He asked softly. He could feel her fear in their link as well as her shaking.
"She's dead" She blurted out "Veronica's not alive!"
[Britannian Royal Palace of Pendragon, Knights of the Rounds Training Hall]
Blades clashed together as the tall and agile Gina Weinberg and the wild Luciano Bradly dueled. The two were matched but Bradly was tiring.
"What does a man with a fancy name cherish most?" Bradly asked waiting to say his usual answer.
"A strong woman to show him that a name is nothing but a word" Came another.
Both knights turned to see the Knight Prince along with a red haired girl at his side wearing a Valiant noble uniform much like Elly's only less extravagant and without any markings.
"Neo! Kallen!" Gino greeted and threw his sword away.
"Don't turn your back on me!" Bradly roared and slashed only for his blade to be grabbed by Neo's robotic arm.
"Sir Bradly I see death still hasn't come for you" Neo said looking the man darkly in the eye before crushing the blade "I'll have to give him a call sometime"
"I'd watch it boy or your father's name wont help you" Bradly sneered before hastily leaving.
"People like that are knights?" Kallen said disgusted.
Neo just shrugged "What can you expect from a friend of Carline"
"Hey man whatcha doing here?" Gino asked.
Neo reached into his pocket and removed the badge of the Knight of Eight.
"Oh man not Freya" Gino said shocked "Who did it?"
Neo cringed but quickly shook it off "X and Hitomi"
"I still can't believe she's working for the bad guy but killing Freya…" He couldn't finish.
"I need to find my father but after we'll get together and talk" Neo said before taking Kallen's hand.
The two walked to the inner chambers of the Rounds wing and reached the office of the Knight of One.
"Come in!" Came a booming voice on the other side.
Neo and Kallen entered and were shocked to find Charles there in front of Bismarck playing chess.
"Neo my son, it's good to see you well" Bismarck said standing. He took Kallen's hand and kissed it "You as well miss Stadtfelt"
"Uncle Charlie" Neo said greeting the emperor informally "May I introduce my fiancée, Kallen Stadtfelt"
Kallen bowed "It's an honor your majesty"
Charles raised a hand dismissively "I wont have the formality from you either. You will be a Waldstein after all" He gave a smile to the couple.
Bismarck wrapped an arm around his son and laughed "My boy when did this happen?"
"It was a long flight from Area 11" Neo said implicating how He and Kallen made it shorter "She actually asked me so I've yet to get a ring"
"Nonsense!" Bismarck said before walking to his desk and opening a locked drawer and throwing Neo a small black and gold box "You'll honor your mother like she planned"
Neo smiled as he opened the box to see his mother's engagement ring "Thanks dad"
"It's beautiful" Kallen said in awe as Neo slipped it on her finger.
The ring was a elegant ribbon like design and the single round emerald that matched Neo's non-geassed eye.
"I assume you came for another matter since you said this was all done on the way here" Charles said eyeing the pair "Out with it! I have a game to win."
Neo's face became a frown "Your majesty"
"Oh formalities" He said jokingly.
Neo continued "You've gifted me with one of your personal knights and I failed to return your gift"
"Oh you finally had enough of Victoria and did her in eh?" Charles laughed.
"Knight of Eight, Lady Darlton was lost while under my command two days ago at the hand of the masked terrorist X" Neo said handing the man Freya's badge.
The emperor eyed the symbol of knighthood with disinterest.
"Was that all?" He asked plainly.
"Eh… Yeah I guess" Neo said confused. He had never been this high of a rank to need to report to the emperor of his failures but it seemed odd that he wouldn't care about a lost Round "Aren't you upset?"
"I have other matters of concern at the moment" He said plainly turning back to the game.
Neo and Kallen were left confused while the two men continued their game. Kallen was confused that the emperor was such a nice person to Neo after everything she heard about what happen to Lelouch. Neo was confused and sickened that he didn't see even a hint of remorse over the loss of a knight.
"Ah Neo and Hitomi's first contract" Came a voice of malice.
"V.V." Neo greeted bitterly as the boy appeared from the shadows.
Kallen watched the boy as her eye began to glow.
Neo put his arm out to stop her "He's immune babe"
"Tell me Neo. How has Hitomi taken to immortality?" V.V. asked "Her Grandfather took a long time to perfect his geass and wasn't given the code until he was quite old. It's good that she's only nineteen"
"Last I saw she was using her skills for X and decided to fuck me over by forcing geass on Kallen" Neo said making a fast cover story.
V.V. gave a light chuckle "The Kage always were an annoying bunch. Anyway I have a job for you before you head back to Area 11"
"What would that be?" Neo asked.
The immortal smiled darkly "A geass user named Mao came here with you and I want you to track him down and see what he's planning"
"Sounds easy enough" Kallen said.
"Do you know what his abilities are?" Neo asked.
The boy shook his head "I can say that he's in the city now and he's taken my best assassin hostage. So he has a geass canceller"
Neo grabbed his neck and realized his was missing "Bastard's got mine!"
"You have your mission General" Charles voice boomed "Now leave so I can concentrate!"
[Ashford Academy Classroom]
Lelouch stared at the new arrival who sat next to the now cheerful Shirley.
"You really need to stop staring at girls and just get one already bud" Rivelz whispered to his friend.
"I'm just glad she was able to help Shirley" Lelouch lied "She was really scaring Nunnally"
Elly, across the room was doing the same al Lelouch with the same thoughts only Elly could feel the malice and hate that radiated from the girl.
'She's not who she says she is' She thought as class ended and the room cleared.
Veronica walked right past Elly and flashed her a dark smirk before following Shirley out.
Elly quickly ran to follow Lelouch who was heading towards the Clubhouse to keep Nunnally and Kai from having any time alone.
"Lulu!" She called to stop him.
He turned slightly quickly startled by her urgency "What's wrong!?" He demanded.
She glanced around before whispering "Veronica knew I could feel her emotions. They were darker than any other I've ever felt. And being in the Britannian Military, that's saying something"
"But if she knew that then she knows of geass" Lelouch thought aloud "She could be a wielder herself…"
"She is and was my first contract" Said C.C. who was suddenly behind Lelouch in his clothes again.
Lelouch grabbed her and dragged her away before she could be noticed.
[Ashford Academy Clubhouse, Lamperouge Dining Room]
Kai sat with Nunnally who was still rattled by something that he'd been trying, along with Sayoko, to get her to tell them.
"What ever it is Nunnally, I will protect you with my very soul" Kai promised holding her hand.
She smiled and placed her other hand over his "Thank you Kai"
"What scared you?" He asked warmly.
"It was Veronica" She admitted shakily "Being near her made me feel… wrong"
"That's not very nice my dear" Came a dark voice from the doorway which was now open and there stood Veronica with a toothy grin "I come here and help your friend and you hate me without even knowing me… I'm hurt"
Kai glared into her eyes and caught a shimmer of red "Geass"
Nicky giggled "The cute kid know much for orphan boy"
"I wont shout curses in front of a lady but instead I'll just take you back to X to take care of" Kai said as a kunai fell from under his sleeve into his hand.
"Ah I do love the sight of blood. Will I have your as well?" She asked before pulling out one of Sayoko's kunai.
"What did you do to Sempai!?" He shouted.
She giggled evilly and licked the bloody blade "Nothing deadly but she's always have something to keep my memory close at heart"
Kai charged the girl who laughed badly while Nunnaly called out to him. The soft sound like a whistle was all she heard before a thud and the clang of metal hitting the floor.
"KAI!" Nunnally screamed before a needle was stuck into her neck and she was knocked unconscious.
Veronica laughed madly as she stepped towards the crippled girl "Now the game begins. What will be your move mother?"
[Pendragon City, Waldstein Estate]
"Very well I'll await your arrival" Neo said and the image of Kayla disappeared from his computer screen.
Kallen sat on the edge of his desk "What are we going to do about that Mao guy? We have no clue as to where he is"
"That's why I need Kayla and her contacts" Neo answered "Xavier would be preferable for a fight but he stayed in Japan to run things there"
There was a knock at the door and Neo pressed the release to open it. A servant came in with champagne for the to-be-weds.
"No thanks" Kallen said when the woman made to hand her a glass "I don't really like alcohol"
Neo waved to woman off "Bring us some sodas"
The servant left them quickly to do her duty.
Neo pulled Kallen down unto his lap and kissed her cheek gently.
"You change masks fast" Kallen joked.
"Neo Von Waldstein is a ruthless soldier and death incarnate. Neo Valiant is a man of the people who thrives for equality and peace. Then there's X, the man who will crush those who stand against unity" Neo explained.
Kallen smiled and kissed him "And I love all of them"
"With you I am a whole new man" He said sweetly "Not a Waldstien, Valiant or X. I am the true Neo that I thought died on the steps of Ares Villa"
Kallen stroked his long hair gently "Just as I am truly me with you as well. Not the strong Kallen Kozuki or the feeble Kallen Stadtfeld. I am yours and you are mine, forever and ever"
The teens kissed deeply when another knock came to the door.
"Go away, leave the drinks out there!" He ordered sharply before going back to the kiss.
The door was kicked in leaving splintered wood covering the ground, There in the doorway stood a crazed looking blonde girl with a machine gun.
"Die Reaper!" She shouted and fired until the clip emptied "Ha! got the bastard"
"Not the best attempt on my life but you get points for getting this far"
Neo sat calmly at his chair like nothing happened but standing at his side was an angered Kallen with a blazing left eye and the bullets floated in front of the desk.
"What the hell are you!?" The girl shouted.
"You have two options now girl" Neo said now walking around his desk "I can let my fiancée return your ammo or you can tell me who sent you and get a nice place on the islands and a new life"
The girl dropped to her knee crying "He said he'd kill my little sister if I didn't come here and kill everyone! Please you have to die so I can save her!"
Neo nodded to Kallen and the bullets fell with the deactivation of her geass.
He leaned down to the girl "Who was this man? I will save your sister and get you away from the city"
She looked up into his eyes with tears "Thank you"
Neo nodded and she cried into his shoulder while he patted her back.
"You really are a nice man. Too bad that's a death wish here!" Suddenly a gunshot filled the room.
"Neo!" Kallen called out and used her geass to push the girl away and into a wall. The girl had a bloody hone in her chest. There was a paper that fell from her breast pocket that Neo picked up.
Neo stood slowly and turned to Kallen with an angered look "She's a bounty hunter. multimillions for the one who kills us"
Kallen gasped "Who would do that?"
"Every noble that Valiant has ruined or another nation" Neo said with a shrug "These things happen far too often here but it's the first for me personally"
"How can you take this so lightly!?" Kallen shrieked "We cant afford to die with what's at stake!"
Neo made to question but instead tackled Kallen to the ground just as the outside wall was rained on by a hail of gunfire.
"Gunships this close to the palace!" Neo said angrily "Where the hell are the Royal Guard!?"
Kallen jumped up at once the bullets stoped and activated her geass. There were three gunships outside. She made two crash into each other and the other made to shoot but it's gun was crushed and the rest of the gunship followed.
"Kallen don't over use that thing so much or you'll end up like me soon" Neo said indicating his eye cover that he had opened with his permanent geass.
"Let's just go before we have knightmare coming after us!" She ordered grabbing his hand and the pair ran out of the mansion and into the dark streets of the capital city.
[Ashford Academy Rooftop]
"Who is she?" Lelouch asked C.C. darkly when they reached the seclusion of the rooftop.
"She was my first contract and greatest failure" She said with only a hint of sadness.
"Your first contract should be much older then a teenaged girl" Elly said after some thought "You've been around for a long time and I know you gave geass to my mother when she was Marianne's XO before they were both knighted"
C.C. nodded "Very observant. Veronica's power was the ability to travel to another's body and later she used it on her brother to take his power of shape shifting and could turn those she takes into her image"
"What of your contract?" Lelouch asked.
"She was corrupted by the power and I had no use for her" C.C. explained coldly.
"Why not kill her since she couldn't fulfill the contract?" Elly asked.
"A few years ago I killed her along with a boy I also had to leave behind" She explained vaguely.
Lelouch scoffed "Well she's here now and I want to know what she wants"
As if hearing his plea, his phone began to ring.
"Lelouch Vi Britannia, or better yet, Zero" Veronica teased from across the line "I have something of yours that I think you'd want kept safe"
Lelouch growled but kept his exterior calm "What would that be?"
Nicky giggled "So calm while your dear little sister is here with me. Her bodyguards could use some more immediate help though"
Elly could feel the hysterical worry and fear radiating from Lelouch. But suddenly she got a text.
Kallen & I being pursued. Bounty hunters are after us. Laying low but in danger.
"Neo's in trouble" Elly informed.
"That would be Mao's doing mother" Veronica said bitterly "He made for a wonderful ride until he found me this meat bag. You should've done the deed alone so I didn't have a chance to run but you never wanted me to die, you wanted that silly wish"
"What's your goal here!" Lelouch demanded.
Veronica giggled "Mao has some juicy secrete to mess with those two but what I want is for you to play a little game with me"
"And what would that be?" Lelouch asked.
"You have thirty minutes to kill five people at the school before I chop off the cripple's useless legs" She said with a evil laugh "I'll be watching"
The line went dead, leaving the three in a mixture of anger, worry and fear.
[Pendragon City]
"This is all Mao's doing" Neo growled as he hung up his phone.
"What can Elly do?" Kallen asked.
Neo shook his head "Mao had a friend who's taken Nunnally hostage so they cant help"
"What about Kayla?" She asked worriedly "We cant do this ourselves"
Neo cupped her cheek gently "We can do anything together"
She smiled "Yes we can"
"Now we know that he's a mind reader so he has to be near us" Neo said in thought "We could head for the safety of the palace but there's no telling if any of the royal guards know of the bounty"
"Then we hunt him down like we were told" Kallen said simply.
Neo nodded "The only issue with that is the geass canceller he wears now. It will black my power from seeing him and I know he's in my range cause I'm in his"
"Dosent the canceler block his power as well?" Kallen asked.
"It's a weak prototype that can only block the power until it strengthens like it did for me. Mao's power is near the highest level from what C.C. told Elly. It will block any outside geass from the outside"
Kallen smiled "Then look for a blind spot"
Neo smirked and his eye cover opened and his sight spread over the area. There were rats scurrying about, families and couples in nearby apartments, homeless wandering or sleeping in the alleys. The sewers with it's running waters and waste, the rooftops of the city with a single spot that was void of his vision like a shadow.
"Found him!" Neo said and looked up. Right above them was a Chinese man with shades and headphones on as well as a blue necklace.
He clapped and laughed "Good thinking miss Kozuki. I see why you are the Black Ace"
"Stop hiding behind the bounty hunters and face us!" Kallen yelled angrily and her geass activated but did nothing.
"That wont work girly" He mocked while tapping Neo's necklace "I know your secrete so you might want to shut up"
Kallen looked shocked and glanced at Neo.
"Yes I know everything you've ever done" He said with more laughter and clapping "Even those steamy nights where he took advantage of your grief over Naoto and fucked you like another of his sluts"
"MAO!" Neo shouted as his left hands fingers turned to sharp blades and the palm glowed white "Shut your mouth!" He fired a positron beam where his geass told him Mao would move but Mao never moved seeing what Neo saw.
"So you get angry when I play with her then I'll just play with you" He said staring at him "Did you tell her how you massacred a whole city just because their commander talked about your mother. Or about how you killed little Freya just because she believed different from you"
Neo clenched his fists and the memories of his past.
"Or the time when you killed children because your commander promised a promotion" He continued diving deeper into Neo's memories "What about how you tricked the Hathaways into following you by faking a britannian assassination on their father making believe in the Valiant way"
"Enough!" Yelled Kallen as her geass flared. She and Neo were thrown into the air and landed behind Mao.
He laughed madly "Such talent you have. A shame that you've joined with him and not the imp like that little assassin over there"
The teens turned around and spotted a boy tied to a smoke pipe in chains.
"Master V.V. will kill you!" The boy shouted angrily.
Mao laughed "Yes your beloved master who wants to protect you and loves you ha that's rich"
The boy looked to Neo "Reaper just kill him without your geass"
"I have a better idea" Kellen said and a large AC unit was lifted into the air.
"I would do that if I was you" Mao mock with a gun in his hand pointed at Neo "I can see what he sees. Remember?"
The boy struggled "Free me and I'll kill him!"
Neo shook his head "He'll just kill you when I think about it"
"hahaha Yes but what if I said I told that boy everything about you X?" Mao mocked "You cant leave him alive with what he knows but neither can he leave you alive knowing what he knows"
"What is your name kid?" Neo asked as he walked to the boy.
"My master calls me Rolo" He said eyeing the older teen "Are you going to kill me"
"Oh he's considering it" Mao laughed "What to do with him?"
Kallen moved the AC closer to Mao "Shut up you!"
Mao and Kallen stared into each others eyes, one set narrow with hate and the other full of evil laughter. Suddenly a blade erupted from his chest.
"You don't see everything mind reader" There behind Mao was Kayla holding a sword through him and blue geass in her right eye.
"You hid from both mine and the reaper's geass" Mao said angrily as he fell to the ground.
"When one's only strength is geass, they are week" Kayla said as she wiped the blood from her blade.
Neo let out a relaxed sigh and walked over to Mao "You should've known that a family always looks out for each other Mao. Now you will die alone without ever seeing your precious C.C."
Kayla walked over to Rolo "Are you hurt kid?"
"I am not" He said cautiously "But I do believe you are only a year older then I Princess Kayla. Unknown user"
She laughed before speaking darkly "Yes I didn't inform father or that demented brat of my gifts but I didn't want to be another nameless slave like he made you"
"We'll tell V.V. Mao killed him before we found them and take him Mao's corpse" Neo said staring down at the dieing man.
"Then it's death for me" Rolo said nonchalantly.
"We will not kill him Neo" Kayla said sternly "I save all of your lives so you ALL owe me" She then turned to Rolo "What do you know of me?"
"Truthfully. That man spoke of the Raven of the White Lotus" He said "The unseen leader who escaped the second prince. It's only known that you were a woman. V.V. thought you possessed a power to gain loyalty but I see he was wrong"
"They follow me 'cause I offer them a better world where death and suffering is no more" She said. With a swipe of her sword she cut the ropes. "I know the way you were raised Rolo. I offer you a place in our family"
Rolo looked at the three teens around him and the man bleeding on the ground near death.
"V.V. would kill me if I were to betray him" He said sadly.
Kayla placed a hand on his shoulder "Serve him for now but when the time comes when we come for him, you will be free to have the life you want"
It was everything he ever wanted, A family to protect and love him. V.V. killed any who became too powerful in their geass even though he promises to protect the kids. Rolo himself had killed some of them.
"Alright I'll do it" He finally said "But we have to destroy him or else Chelsea will extract his last memories"
Neo turned back to the dieing man and his hand began to glow white energy
Mao gave a weak chuckle "So after all I went though to rid myself of that bitch and find my love. I'm to be killed like that knight whore?"
"Yep" Neo said popping the P and brought his hand over Mao's face "Any last taunt for us?"
A smirk came to Mao's face as the light intensified "I hope the kid's stillborn!" As the last words escaped his mouth, the energy discharged and the head of the mind reader was gone.
"What'd he mean by that?" Neo said as his hand became normal again "Anyway we need to help Lelouch and Elly with this Veronica"
[Ashford Academy Clubhouse]
"Are you going to kill someone?" C.C. asked as they entered the clubhouse.
"Shut up!" Lelouch said angrily "We need to find Kai and Sayoko first"
Elly felt around them "I'm guessing the anger is Kai and he's with shame and sadness which I guess I Sayoko. Their in Neo and my living room"
The three headed to the room. Kai was bloody but was using some ninja healing power on Sayoko.
"How did you let her get taken!" Lelouch roared.
Kai looked to Elly "She needed some medical help so I used your medkit"
"Have you called anyone?" She asked.
Kai nodded "Frost was already here and is looking around now but I think she's after Lelouch"
"She wants us to kill students" Elly said looking at Lelouch who was sitting in deep thought.
"Veronica wants to see you suffer" C.C. said to the group "Nunnally is the weak point to Lelouch and Kai but Lelouch's pain will cause you pain Elizabeth"
"Your saying no matter what we do she's kill Nunnally!?" Kai said standing and causing himself pain "Damn it!"
Elly grabbed the younger teen to keep him from falling "Your hurt and pretty much useless to Nunnally right now"
"You cant expect me to stay back when she's in danger!" Kai protested against the pain.
"Your too hurt to move let alone save my sister" Lelouch said coldly "Elly and I will deal with this demon while you heal yourself and Sayoko"
Kai jerked out of Elly's hold and went back to healing Sayoko.
"What's the plan Lelouch?" Elly asked.
"We go after Shirley" He said plainly "She needs her for something so we draw her out that way"
"I can feel that you don't like this idea" Elly said touching his shoulder.
"I either chance this or tell Nunnally that I killed five students for her" Lelouch said holding back tears "I couldn't face her after that! But I wont lose her!"
Elly pulled Lelouch to look at her glowing eye "Calm!"
Lelouch shook the disoriented feeling from his head. Elly's geass left a strong mark in his mind from it's multiple use.
"It gets easier when you want the change to happen" Elly said rubbing his back "It doesn't effect Neo at all due to our connection but Jenny was difficult since she didn't know what I was doing to her"
"What is the plan now?" C.C. asked "Veronica wont spare any of you no matter what you do. In the end you all die and I locked away"
A text came to Elly.
Mind Reader is dead. He had a note in his pocket which said the other one was in the waterworks under the school.
"We just caught a break" Elly said happily "She's in the Waterworks"
Lelouch jumped up "Remind me to thank your brother"
"I'll stay here" C.C. said suddenly "You wont need my help"
The pair just shrugged and left to the elevator down to the lower levels.
"They might've set a trap" Elly said and the two of them stood away from the door.
When the door opened Lelouch used the mirrored side of his phone to spot a machine gun in the hallway.
"And here I thought this would be easy" Lelouch said angrily "We'll have to find another way in"
Elly just smiled and removed a handgun with a small suppressor from her breast pocket. She jumped out before Lelouch could stop her and took a single shot and no fire came from the weapon above "I'm the greatest shot in the empire"
Lelouch stared awestruck at her for a moment before scowling "You could've been hurt!"
"Whatever Lulu we have other things to do" She said walking down the hall.
They reached the large room with water running throughout. There at the end of the room stood Xavier pushing Nunnally towards them.
"Xavier what the hell happened to Veronica!?" Lelouch asked.
"I dealt with her" He said emotionlessly.
Lelouch ran to Nunnally and wrapped her in his arms "I thought I would lose you"
"Is Kai okay!?" She demanded in tears.
Lelouch stood and groaned out a "Yeah" before taking the handles of the wheelchair from Xavier.
"Well this was a interesting day" Elly said relaxed.
Xavier nodded "Very"
[Valiant Private Transport]
Neo stretched before sitting on the bed that was within his private transport. the thing was all self-controlled so he had no use for a pilot and it gave him and Kallen all the privacy they wanted.
"Why is Kayla not coming with us?" Kallen asked hugging him from behind and kissing his cheek "Not that I don't enjoy the privacy"
"She's going to Russia to meet with some allies of theirs" Neo explained before laying on his back with Kallen snuggled to his bare chest.
Neo picked up the box he got from V.V. as a prize for killing Mao. The immotal child didn't like that his head was gone but after Neo explained the things he was saying he understood. The box itself was pure black but the top had the red sigil of geass. It was said to empower geass for a short time, for one time.
He opened it and a sudden flash happened and everything was black. He could hear Kallen calling to him but the sound faded away.
He was standing in a medical bay, in front of him sat Suzaku covered in blood. But the most shocking sight was that of Euphemia in the medical capsule the a bloody hole in her chest. He tried to call out but he simply walked out of the room.
The then saw himself in the Valiant crypts where his sister laid crying on the chest of a man in white robes. As he neared he saw the raven hair of his best friend Lelouch. C.C. turned him around and was saying something to him that he couldn't hear or read her lips.
The world again faded to another sight.
In front of him stood a boy around the age of ten. They stood in his home on the Valiant Islands, in the training hall he had designed but never used.
The boy had long crimson hair that looked like a river of blood. What Neo saw most over the Japanese training clothes and the katana in his hands was the bright green eyes that he knew as his own.
On the wall was a digital clock which showed the date. It read December 20th 2027 a single decade from the current year.
Next he knew he awoke in his bed at Ashford with Elly and Kallen at his bed side.
"You gave us quite a scare bro" Elly said seeing he was awake "I called up that little brat and cussed him out until her said this was normal. Apparently mom ended up being able to see the entire world at one time before passing out"
Neo groggily sat up feeling pain in his left eye.
"You look like crap" Kallen said before kissing his cheek.
"He's lucky he's already hurt or else I'd kick his ass myself" Elly said looking at her mother's ring on Kallen's hand "You should've at least told me before popping the question. Mom always said not to get married before your eighteen but you were never once to listen"
"She asked me so please shut up" Neo said though their link before looking to Kallen "How long was I out?"
"It's been a day" She said.
Neo nodded before looking to his sister "Please give us a moment sis"
"Fine whatever, I need to tell Nunnally you okay anyway" She said before walking out.
Neo pulled Kallen to sit on his lap with his arms around her "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What?" She said confused.
He brought his hands to her lower belly "I understand what Mao's last words meant"
She looked down to where he was rubbing and placed her hand over his "People like us cant be distracted"
Neo flipped her over to lay on her back on the bed while he moved to red his head over her belly "This could never distract me nor would I deny you freedom"
She smiled and ran her finger though his hair.
Neo kissed her belly gently "He's going to be a very handsome boy with his mothers hair and fathers eyes, and a warrior like his both parents"
Kallen laughed "I'll be happy no matter who it is"
"No I saw a boy just as I described" Neo said "Holding a katana and wearing a Japanese training gear. We were training ten years from now in our home on the islands"
She smiled warmly "I cant wait to see it"
Neo smiled along with her "Neither can I my love"
Chapter End
AN:
Okay I had to literally force out this chapter. I hate Mao so much, he's so hard to write and I know it probably sucks.
If anyone wonders why Charles is such a nice guy, well he thinks of Neo as the perfect son he wishes he had. He's a strong fighter and a stronger tactician and he understands the way he world is and goes much father then a sane Lelouch would to achieve his goals. Charles respects Neo just as he does Bismarck. I see it as Bismarck being his only real friend being his personal knight since before he was emperor. I don't know if he was but I see his as so and it's my Fic.
Shirley's new condition will be explained later but she's now no longer important to the story at all nor does she have feelings for Lelouch anymore. Thank you Veronica!
For any who didn't get it. When C.C. and Mao attempted to kill Veronica years ago, she fled into Mao's mind thus adding to his madness. He later used Shirley grief to implant Veronica into her but couldn't hold full control when she wanted to kill Lelouch. She then killed Sophie, Shirley's roommate and took her body.
Oh and I didn't write out the proposal cause it was a steaming trip to the homeland.
Thank you and I'm sorry that this chapter sucks.