Chapter 28

There is nothing so cruel as memory
The Joker

Area 11, Brittanian Settlement, Holmwood Cemetery, 2017 ATB

Beneath a slate grey sky, two dozen people stood around a coffin. All wore the black of mourning. Shirley and her mother stood close to the grave. The priest was finishing his prayer "He was a pious soul who always looked to god in his life. A devoted husband and a beloved father. He rests now safe in the arms of the lord."

The soft sound of metal parting earth heralded the attendants shovelling dirt onto the coffin. Shirley's mother broke down. "Please don't bury him again he's suffered enough. No."
"Mother stop, please stop." Shirley held her mother back from the grave as it was filled in.

After the grave was filled Shirley turned to where her friends stood. Kallen, Nina and Milly on one side while Rivalz, Suzaku, Lelouch and Luthur were on the other. The last two had their faces partially hidden in shadow their expressions grim. On the trees around the gravesite, ravens were perched. Kallen spoke first.
"I'm so sorry Shirley. Sorry this happened"
"Oh stop it's not like you have anything to apologise for." Kallen winced and then calmed herself.
"Yes I .. I know."

Then Rivalz spoke up. "We feel awful. I mean when we saw the footage of the Hotel jacking on TV we thought the Black Knights were heroes. I mean it's clear the media got it all wrong and at first I thought the footage from Narita was really cool and I posted online and I, I Forgive me." Rivalz bowed his head in contrition.

"Come on don't be silly that has nothing to do with this at all." Shirley managed a smile. "I mean even I was saying it was kind of "

"Shirley stop." Milly reached out and held Shirley's shoulders. "Seriously I'm starting to worry about you. Have you had a good cry yet? It's important that you do. If you simply hold it in it's going to be harder for you later on."

"You don't have to worry about me really I'm fine. I've cried a lot."

"They're cowards." At that all eyes turned to Suzaku. " Zero and his followers their methods are just cowardly. He doesn't even get his hands dirty he sets things in motion, sends everything into chaos then sits back and congratulates himself. All he does is use people. It won't change a thing. Anything gained through such contemptible methods is just meaningless."
Lelouch and Luthur remained stoic and silent their heads bowed. Luthur kept his mouth shut though he wanted to rail at Suzaku. This is her father's funeral you insensitive dolt. This is about her pain not your indignation.

"Well anyway it's time we were heading back everyone." Milly smiled at her friend "Shirley we'll be waiting back at the clubhouse. Same as ever."

Then they began to file away but Lelouch stood still. Rivalz noticed and began talking. "Hey Lelouch are you." Suddenly he felt his arms being seized by Milly and Luthur as he was gently walked away. "What did I do?" Kallen looked back once, Suzaku not at all, as he forged onwards his face set in anger.

Then it was just Shirley standing alone with Lelouch.

It had begun to rain at the gravesite. And Shirley's expression finally appeared lost. "Lulu forgive me."
Lelouch looked poleaxed. "Forgive?"
"It wasn't fair kissing you like that. It, it wasn't fair of me at all it was just something I did. So please just, just forget about it already. I should not have put you on the spot like that." She closed her eyes and smiled. "It's just stupid I mean you finally kissed me and I can't even be happy about it." Then her composure broke completely and Shirley ran away weeping.

"Wait Shirley I." when it became clear she was gone Lelouch walked to her father's grave. He whispered "I am sorry for your loss Shirley. Even if you wouldn't realise exactly why." He knelt down above the fresh dirt and whispered. "Well mister Fenette I saved your daughter's life and then I took yours. Would that make us even?" In that moment Lelouch's face had no sadness only a deep weariness of someone aged by experience not by years.

Area 11, Jet Set Radio Future

Yo Yo you grooovy cats. It is I the Doctor and you are listening to JET SET RADIO FUTURE. I bring words of hope. I bring words of revolution. I bring words of GOD AWESOME DESTRUCTION. At Narita Viceroy Cornelia, Goddess of Victory, Knight grand Cross of the order of Lincoln, princess of the realm and all various other titles of military butt kicking, launched her attack on those stalwart dudes the JLF. Well things were looking grim for those guys. Then ZERROOO appeared and dropped the mountain right on her perfectly purple head. Before the 'monster truck that walks like a man' AKA WAR turned anyone left into roadkill. Seems the princess barely escaped getting bent over the knee of her Knightmare along with the rest of her army. In fact since he's just finished cleaning all the little bits of Cornelia's elite forces off his supertanks heavy treads, WAR is about to make a little announcement and I understand that for anyone with internet connection it comes with free video too. Should be coming up right about now."

A voice came over the radio. At the same time several other radio stations had the computers handling their transmitters hijacked. And on multiple websites the white haired red lined face of War appeared.

"Brittanian citizens I am War. Zero has charged me with prosecuting the destruction of your military forces and the overthrow of your Emperors dominion over Japan. Your viceroy has lied to you. Under the guise of military necessity she has done her utmost to conceal the full extent of her defeat from you." Then images began to be seen running in tandem with Wars words

Videos of Brittanian soldiers taking cover behind barricades being blown away by artillery fire. Knightmares being shot well outside effective range by enormous mechs easily twice their size and the Caerleon Airbase being burned to the ground along with so many of its inhabitants.

"By his command I am issuing this warning. At the battle of Narita Viceroy Cornelia failed to evacuate the settlement before the commencement of hostilities. Civilians who would otherwise have been moved to safety were caught up in the destruction of the attacking Britannian force. Cornelia's decision to place tactical surprise over her citizen's safety doomed them."

A clip showing a Knightmare being run over by the Apocalypse appeared. Then another of an entire battalion being washed away by the landslide.

"Your army cannot protect you, they cannot protect themselves. If our forces warn you to flee an area of operations do so. Do not heed you military's assurances that they are capable of repelling our assault. It is highly likely that as with Narita they won't even tell you are in danger."

A squad of Brittanian Soldiers at the entrance to a military base approached a truck which exploded obliterating them all.

"We shall never carry out direct assaults on defenceless citizens. Any Brittanian taken captive shall be treated under the international laws governing P.O.W.s As proof of this we shall show evidence of those of your forces who have surrendered and are being kept in our custody." Dozens of images of Brittanian troops were shown. They were kneeling in the ground with their hands behind their heads. In some the ones holding guns at them wore black samurai armour in others the rags and cloth masks of resistance fighters.

"Any who takes up arms against us and refuses to surrender when it is offered shall be shown no mercy."

A black knight swung his katana and decapitated a Brittanian knight.

"As it has been commanded so it shall be done."

Then the transmission ended and all that was left was the Voice of the Doctor on the airwaves. "Well I feel safer already. Although not everyone feels that way. On a fun factoid kiddies it seems that quite a few nobles and other wealthy citizens of glorious Brittania who live in our poor area 11 are deciding to take extended holidays in their estates outside the country. So I guess they're not as certain of Cornelia's ultimate victory as they all say they are. Well my brothers and sisters now that we've filled your minds with Wars helpful public service announcement it's time to blow them away with some more crazy tunes and I've got just the one. Here is UPRISING by MUSE.

While the Radio Played the green haired witch opened a door for a pizza delivery guy who also handed over a box containing her complimentary Plushie

Area 11, Brittanian Settlement, Ashford academy

It was still raining when Lelouch returned to his apartment at Ashford. Luthur had gone below Nunnally was taking a nap. He sat alone on a Sofa while C.C held her huge yellow soft toy.

"Do you regret it that your friend's father was caught up in all this?"
"Be silent." His voice was devoid of emotion.
"You were just accusing Kirihara of being too soft. What about the path of blood?"
"Shut up." His voice still as cold as rain.
"But it turns out you're the soft one. All the talk and you're still just a little boy playing at war." C.C hugged her plush cheese Kun closer to herself. Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he thought to counter her utter drivel. How this death was but a shadow of all he had. Wait. Stop. Remember I have been deliberately concealing knowledge and parts of my personality. I WANT her to underestimate me.

"I'm not going to insult your intelligence by assuming you actually believe that. So that means you're trying to goad me."

"You've already killed a fair share of people by hand or word often then not. All of them had lovers and friends all are mourned. Are you only now beginning to grasp that?" She smiled unwilling to let up.

Lelouch's voice finally showed an edge of anger. "Of course I understand that. I have known that ever since the first day I killed a man." Stop change subject before she goads me into revealing details. "Shirley is pained by the death of her father. But what of the hundreds of others civilians who have died? Are their deaths any less? To falter now because I happen to personally know one of the people whose life is harmed by my deeds would be the rankest hypocrisy."

"If that's true why such sorrow. Why so sensitive about it?"

"Don't mistake regret for lack of resolve, or compassion for weakness. If compassion only required weakness there would be far more of it in the world."

The Green haired witch nodded approvingly. "There may be hope for you yet then."

Later in the shower Lelouch leaned his hand against the wall and remembered.

A broken man knelt at his feet. Behind them a small settlement surrounded by jungle burned. Screams echoed on the wind. "Why? Why us?" Zero is his armour of darkness spoke back.
"Because someone had to be first."

"That's easy to say isn't it?" Kallen in the train car.
Clovis begging for his life. "You can't, we may have different mothers but you and I are still blood."
"Is that why you killed my brother?" Euphemia defiant.
"It's nothing but self-serving gratification." Suzaku condemning.
"Are you embarking on the Path of Blood?" Kirihara questioned. Zero answered him. "I am already on it."

Lelouch stood there as hammers of his trained memory struck him again and again. But he did not bend or ball his fists. He would endure. For the sake of all who had died and for the sake of all who were yet to die he would go on. He opened his violet eyes and his face was unyielding.

In the lower chamber secretly constructed below Ashford Luthur sat in the Lotus position. He wore only light trousers the mask over his face was one wrought of actual bone the blank expanse slightly yellowed with age. A circle of lit candles surrounded him as he breathed in incense and entered a meditative trance. His naked chest rising and falling slower and slower.

In the past months the partial memories of his victims had become ... distracting. Surfacing at odd moments and confusing him. However he had spent years honing the discipline of his mind as well as his body. So he had quickly developed a solution.

Now he went through mental exercises. Replaying the memories that were his and his alone. Using them as a foundation he mentally segregated the fragments he'd pulled from his enemies minds. Clovis's captain of the guard, the JLF Soldier at Kawaguchi. Marking and naming them like episodes of a TV series each ending with their painful deaths at his demonic hand. The emotions which had been associated with those memory fragments he ruthlessly suppressed and then silenced. Finally sealing the images away behind keywords and mnemonics. He could recall them but now they were clearly in his conscious and unconscious mind not his own personal memories.

That task done he turned his mind to something else. Deciphering what he had seen at Narita. At first the images had haunted him like a waking nightmare more so than his stolen memories. But after several earlier attempts he was ready to fully analyse those memories. He slowed down his thoughts thinking of the frantic moments as the Reaper grasped the Lancelot's shoulder.

He rode a horse across a dead plain hallucination irrelevant.

A young man followed a woman into a shadowed room as she removed her clothes. My memory first time I had sex. Diverting but let's move on

MORE auditory hallucination dismiss

Lelouch shooting a man in the head in an alleyway The first time he took a life. Lelouch's memory.

A young Asian woman in a pale blue dress. Frozen in the moment a bullet blasted out the side of her head. Ah Kakashi the woman whose photo you kept. Now I understand your anger.

In a pool green hair framed vision as she looked down at the brand just below her breast. Green hair and breasts this must be the witch's memory.

The knife was rammed into Genbu Kururugi's stomach who looked down in pain and a shock so extreme it obliterated any other emotion.

Luthur's eyes opened wide as he snapped out the trance. He gasped for breath rising unsteadily to his feet as the meaning of what he had seen burned his heart with anger. The pilot of the white knightmare, he killed Genbu Kururugi!

Authors Note

Derain: This was originally part of a longer chapter but I've realised that this was a better point to stop at rather then just making you all wait longer while I try and finish it.
Lelouch: Just how many layers of deception am I operating under here?
Derain: Well you have had seven years of practice. Which is why this chapter is so important. In the Canon after the funeral you faced the fact that for all your plans the innocent would still be killed. You endured the memories you played them over in your mind, then you got up and kept going. In my story you faced that moment long before now and you're still going. It's still you just you with seven years of experience under your belt.
Lady Kami: More mature then your years.
Doctor: And I grooovy cats get to once again enlighten you with the power of music. And here's one you should all know, look out that window.

The Jaws theme begins

A stone arena has been erected outside. The floor of which is covered entirely in sand which seemed to be moving slightly. Suzaku is tied to a pole in the middle with a large steak strapped to his chest. Brannoth is floating in the air above him.

BRANNOTH: Hey Suzaku what was that you said about setting things in motion, stirring things into a frenzy and then sitting back and congratulating yourself. About how any end gained through contemptible means is meaningless. Are we talking about Zero or are we actually talking about you? WELL GUESS WHAT I THINK, THOSE WORDS LIKE YOU ARE A MEANINGLESS PIECE OF $#!%&*.

Then an enormous fanged maw opens in the ground and swallows Suzaku. Rising up from the surface is a massive robot worm wrought of metal and gleaming black muscle.

BRANNOTH: AND ONCE YOU"VE PASSED THROUGH THE DIGESTIVE TRACK OF THAT ROCKWORM YOU REALLY WILL BE ONE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ohgi: What the heck is that meant to be?
Lelouch: Find out next chapter.

Derain: The obligatory Brannoth punishing Suzaku is done. I would just like to say that it's been a year since I started writing this fanfic and I'm glad for all your support. However my first book is nearing publication and soon I will have to work more on the second one. Which may mean less time on my fanfic. Yet I do not believe in abandoning a story. So know that I will keep going even if the chapters get a little shorter.

However at this moment, I think of other fanfics that have not continued Like Exodus of Stars by keiranhalcyon (Battletech/ Mass Effect) Hunted tribes by Hotpoint (Battletech/Battlestar Galactica 2003)Or even Across the Void by Norwest.(Starcraft/Warhammer)

Seriously though I invite any of my readers to look at those awesome fanfictions and join me in pressuring the writers to get back to them. Please dudes you can't just abandon the cool characters you've made to fanfic limbo. Its cruel.