Kyugan: *Regenerating* Honestly, how is it MY fault you get knocked up?
Kallen: It's YOUR damn fic!
C.C: Lelouch was the one who did it though.
Lelouch: Did what now?
C.C: Knocked Kallen U- *Sighs as Kallen Knocks him out* very mature.
Kallen: HE'S NOT TO KNOW!
C.C: Oh? You're not keeping it then?
Kallen: Of course I'm keeping it! But don't YOU go teling him. I'll tell him myself.
Kyugan: Great start.
35. After Effects.
Deep within the bowls of the Geass order, behind V.V's elaborate director's chair, which resembled a throne more than anything else, stood a giant set of stone doors, marked with an elaborate Geass crest. These doors were normally firmly shut, and with the exception of V.V's most trusted assistants, no-one had laid eyes on them with the exception of C.C, and only then because she had once held the immortal child's position as head of the order.
The doors stood open now, a golden light shining out from within, as a tall, cloaked figure in a purple military uniform stood before them, his eyes narrowed, the light shining off his judge-wig styled hair as he clenched his fist.
"Big brother…" Charles zi Britannia muttered, the Emperor of Britannia having seen the Siegfried's destruction through the power that lay behind the doors prior to his arrival, a storm of emotions raging within him as he relived the 'memory' of his brother's defeat.
Not just defeat, for while engulfed in the all-knowing presence that was C's world, Charles had felt His brother's code struggle, writhing in the grip of Zero's awesome power…only to suddenly vanish, the world of C screaming out as his 'Code' Vanished.
'What kind of power can defy the will of C's world?' the Emperor wondered, eyes narrowed at this latest wrinkle in his plans 'V.V isn't just dead, he's GONE, his code lost forever…which leaves only one.'
Scowling in distaste as the roof of the chamber continued to collapse in on itself, the emperor shot one last parting glare at the wavering image of the Tekkaman on the view screen as he hovered over the fallen Giga Fortress, before turning on his heel, his cloak billowing behind him as he stepped back into the light.
"You win this round…Lelouch." He muttered, his tone low as the doors closed behind him slowly "Take pride in avenging your mother's death."
And with that the doors closed, just as the remains of the throne room collapsed, blocking them from view.
Area Eleven...
"The Emperor's on his way here?" Guilford repeated, the spearhead of the empire looking at a grim faced Nunnally in alarm, while the rest of the gathered members of her council looked at each other in surprise.
"I just received word from Prime Minister Schniezel." Nunnally revealed with a solemn expression, inclining her head towards the Knight "He emphasized the importance of limiting this information only to those present here, as his Majesty's action was known to only a select few people amongst the homeland."
"But…" Bart muttered, the Glaston Knight looking at the viceroy concerned, "What about our declaration of war against the Chinese Federation? We still haven't received confirmation from him to send in our troops!"
"And there's domestic security to take into consideration as well…" Lohmeyer pointed out, shooting her troublesome ward a cold look "If the numbers catch word of his Excellency's visit, who KNOWS what they'll attempt as a result of your lenient stance thus far."
"Miss Lohmeyer," Gino called out with a sardonic smirk, his eyes mocking as he peered into the bespectacled woman's own "You think you could handle it ALONE?"
"Sorry…" Lohmeyer offered, not missing the un-subtle warning in the Knight of Three's tone as she averted her eyes. The Knights had been watching her like a hawk ever since she lost her cool back at what was still being called the 'Million Zero March', she wasn't even permitted to carry a firearm anymore "I meant no disrespect."
Gino nodded, though the motion was missed by Suzaku's who's emerald eyes were locked firmly onto Nunnally, wondering just what was going through the mind of the blind Viceroy.
He was no stranger to how the former Lamperouge siblings felt about their sire, Lelouch had been quite vocal about his loathing of Charles, and Nunnally, who could never speak ill of anyone, couldn't find one good thing to mention about the Emperor, usually falling silent whenever asked how she felt being reunited with him.
However, Nunnally's thoughts were neither on the impending arrival of her father in Area Eleven, nor on Lohmeyer's incessant rebukes at her administration, but rather on how her elder brother was faring, and whether or not she would hear from him again anytime soon.
'Big Brother…' she whispered, blind eyes lowering towards her hands, which rested on her lap, the very picture of calm were it not for her trembling fingers 'Where are you? How are you doing right now?'
Ikaruga...
"Hey Zero!" Tamaki called out, the redheaded former revolutionary grinning as he jogged over to the Tekkaman, who was leaning against a wall of the hangar, dressed in his Black Knights outfit, shirtless under an open jacket as usual, watching the Gekka fleet be refitted after their victory at the order "How ya been?"
"Can't complain." Zero admitted, smirking at the redhead as they knocked fists, "Took down a cult, smashed an expensive piece of Britannian Military Hardware…"
"I hear that!" Tamaki cackled, throwing his head back as he slung an arm over the Tekkaman's shoulder, the two of them marching off towards the cafeteria, passing a group of order refugees in passing "By the way, what're we gonna do with these guys?"
"C.C seems to know most of the senior members." Zero revealed, the Tekkaman frowning slightly at the memory of C.C stepping forwards to take responsibility for the refugees and fledging Geass users "Last I heard she was negotiating with them to change their allegiance to the Black Knights."
"Think she can pull it off?" Tamaki enquired, looking over his shoulder, where the immortal witch, wearing her Black Knights dress, was smiling as she sat surrounded by old friends and infant Geass users alike, several of the old, lab-coat wearing fossils rubbing tears out of their eyes as they embraced her.
"She's a stubborn one." The Tekkaman assured the redhead, smirking as he recalled how hard it was to pry answers out of the seemingly deathless woman "If anyone can get them to see reason, it's her."
"Your Highness…" a regal voice called out, the duo looking up to find Jeremiah Gottwald walking towards them, the cyborg assassin's features decidedly solemn.
"Yo, tin-man!" Tamaki greeted, the redhead raising a hand in greeting as he grinned up at the cyborg assassin's approach, having apparently gotten used to him "Hell of a fight back there!"
"And to you." Jeremiah offered, inclining his head, before turning his solemn gaze to peer into the Tekkaman's eyes "Highness, Commander Todoh and I must speak with you on something…important…"
Zero frowned, taking in the cyborg's stance and the look in his visible eye before nodding, shrugging off a confused Tamaki's arm before patting the redhead on the shoulder "I'll catch up with you at the cafeteria." He insisted, before turning to follow after Jeremiah "Save me some hotdogs, 'kay?"
"Zero?" Tamaki wondered, looking after the Tekkaman in confusion, only to be left scratching his head in confusion "Was it something I said? Maybe I should've called him Orange like we used to…"
Inside Ikaruga...
"What's this about?" Zero asked, looking up at Todoh and Jeremiah with a concerned frown as they met up in front of one of the few, unoccupied confinement rooms on the Ikaruga "Something wrong?"
"There's something…" Todoh began, only to correct himself at Jeremiah's look "Rather, there's SOMEONE you need to see."
Zero blinked, turning to face the door with a frown as it opened to reveal a darkened inner chamber, sparsely lit enough to reveal the tall, purple haired woman sitting restrained in her chair, one arm secured to a wire from the ceiling. "Lelouch…" the woman muttered, her eyes narrowing in anger the moment she laid eyes on the Tekkaman's face "So you WERE alive…I might have known…"
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, milady." Zero countered, his purple eyes boring into the woman's own "You seem to know me…yet your name escapes me."
"She is Third Princess Cornelia li Britannia of the Royal Family." Jeremiah offered, getting on his knees in a knight's bow, his head lowered before Zero's stare "Forgive me, but I could not leave her behind when we routed V.V and his men."
"So this is the infamous Cornelia everyone talks about." The Tekkaman mused, eyeing the scowling woman with a quirked eyebrow "I wasn't expecting such beauty from someone hailed as Britannia's 'Witch of the Battlefield'."
"What are you babbling about?" Cornelia demanded, glaring between Jeremiah and the Tekkaman, anger and confusion warring in her eyes "You know who I am Lelouch! Don't play your sick, Geass mind games with me!"
"It's no mind game." Todoh countered, the grim faced co-commander's features grim as he matched Cornelia's glare with his own "Zero doesn't remember a thing from before his return to Japan…"
"Amnesia?" Cornelia scoffed, sneering at the co-commander mockingly "Awfully convenient. So he doesn't remember how he instigated a rebellion against his own people? Murdered his own siblings?" she turned her tear-lined, hateful stare to latch onto Zero's eyes "You're telling me you've forgotten what you did to Euphie?"
"Massacre Princess Euphemia?" Zero asked, looking on as Cornelia actually struggled against her constraints at the mention of her sister's unjust title "I'm told that I killed her."
"YOU MANIPULATED HER WITH YOUR GEASS!" Cornelia snarled, struggling in her constraints, heedless of her injuries and how the cable bit into her wrist "YOU TURNED SWEET INNOCENT EUPHIE INTO A KILLING MACHINE! THEN YOU SHOT HER TO MAKE YOURSLEF LOOK LIKE A HERO!"
Silence, interrupted only by Cornelia's gasps for breath, hung in the air in the wake of the princess' revelation, the assembled men gazing at her in silent amazement as the information washed over them. "Why…" Cornelia demanded hoarsely, her head lowered, her features hidden by her long purple tresses "Tell me why Lelouch…Why did you do it?"
"I don't know." Zero replied, Cornelia's eyes snapping up in her fury, only to blink as she saw the undisguised honesty looking back at her "I've no more memory of that day save the recordings I've been shown." He looked down at his hand "Everything from that time…everything from over a year ago…just fragments remain." He closed his eyes with a grimace "Images and sounds mainly, sometimes not even that." He opened his eyes with a glare "But that doesn't matter." He clenched his fist "I'm here NOW…and NOW is all I care about."
"You think that changes anything?" Cornelia demanded, glaring at him from her constraints as she caught her breath "You think you can alleviate your guilt by just shoving it all side?
"Would that he HAD anything to be guilty of." A cool voice opined, the group looking up in surprise as C.C stepped into the room "I thought you'd be here."
"So it's you…" Cornelia muttered, glaring at the immortal witch "Bartley told me about you. The immortal witch who bestows the curse of Geass." She scowled accusingly "You're the one that gave Lelouch that accursed power…you're the one that's the root of all this!"
"Guilty on the first account." C.C acknowledged, raising her hand "But not the second, and you're mistaken regarding Lelouch's responsibility for Euphemia's death."
"What are you talking about?" Cornelia demanded, glaring at her venomously even as the men eyed the immortal witch in confusion "He used his Geass to frame her!"
"No," C.C countered "Lelouch went to Euphemia to offer up his life." She inclined her head towards Zero "He wanted her to kill him."
Consulate Building, Special Holding Cell...
"This is a joke…" Kallen whispered, the redhead backing away from Schniezel, dropping the test results the floor, her eyes wide in alarm as Schneizel's bombshell echoed through her mind "I'm…with Zero's…?"
"In accordance with the laws pertaining to spouses and prodigy," the Second Prince's regal voice echoed in her mind "you are herby offered diplomatic immunity for your crimes against the empire as a member of the Black Knights…Normally such laws would see you thrown in prison once the child is born…"
His smile at that moment had been charismatic, reassuring, but that only proved to heighten the redhead's dread as she realized this wasn't a cruel joke. "However," he continued "as a Half-Britannian yourself, we were able to sweep all that under the carpet without much hassle." He smiled again "Your father will certainly be pleased to have another heir."
"He's NOT my father!" Kallen had cried, slapping the sides of the glass wall that had dropped to separate her from striking the prince "I'm Kallen Kouzuki! I'm Japanese, not Britannian!"
"Not anymore." Schniezel offered, smiling at her as he offered her a polite bow from the waist on the other side of the glass "Welcome to the family…Miss Stadtfeld."
And with that he left, Kanon following suit, offering her a small, cryptic smile and a smaller bow, before hurrying after his prince, leaving the redhead to collapse into her chair.
'It can't be…' Kallen muttered, one hand holding her head…the other going almost instinctively to her stomach, which was still toned, flat and smooth 'This is all a dream…a really bad dream…'
"Zero…" she whispered, her knees coming up as she buried her eyes in her skirt, her shoulders heaving as her sobs echoed throughout the suddenly smaller cell "Where are you?"
With Zero...
"Kill…?" Cornelia stammered, the Second Princess' eyes wide and her jaw gaping as she looked between C.C and the equally surprised Zero, though the Tekkaman hid it better, in abject confusion "What are you-?"
"In order for the United states of Japan to succeed," C.C explained, her tone her usual monotone, as if giving a lecture before a class "Lelouch, or rather Zero, needed Euphemia to shoot him during their private meeting. As a result, the people would gather around him as a martyr, and would rise up to rebel against Britannia." She turned one golden eye towards the Tekkaman, who quirked an eyebrow "But Euphemia wouldn't have it, and despite his childish rants, despite his threats and tantrums, she merely smiled, and asked him to stand at her side, to help her build a peaceful world where Nunnally could live in peace."
"You expect me to believe that?" Cornelia demanded, glaring up at the witch that looked no older than her younger sister had, possibly even younger "What proof do you have? How do I know this isn't some Geass trick?"
"Both V.V and I lost the power of 'Geass' when we acquired the power of 'Code'." C.C explained, slipping a knife out of her sleeve, causing the others to tense, only to stab herself in the neck.
"Lady C.C!" Jeremiah exclaimed, the cyborg getting to his feet as Todoh looked on in alarm, only for the three adults' eyes to widen as the witch remained standing. Zero, used to such display, retaining his cool.
"As a result…" C.C continued, yanking out the knife, her blood staining her dress, even as the jagged hole healed over in rapid time "We gained the power of immortality, as well as the power to bestow Geass on others."
"And you used that power to corrupt Lelouch and turn him against his family!" Cornelia snapped, shivering as C.C placed a bloodstained hand against her cheek.
"I couldn't have even if I wanted to." C.C countered "Once bestowed, the user has free reign over their Geass, all those with Code can do, being unaffected, is oversee their development…normally."
"What do you mean, by…'Normally'…?" Todoh demanded, the Acting Commander of the Black Knights eyeing the immortal woman with a hint of unease, hand on his katana to calm his nerves.
"Repeated use of Geass causes it to run rampant," C.C explained "the user can no-longer deactivate it of their own free will." She gestured to Zero's left eye, which was covered with a Geass suppressing contact "This happens gradually, over time, however, through direct contact with 'C's World', it is possible to 'accelerate' the development of a person's Geass, making rampancy set in faster."
"And is that what you did?" Cornelia demanded, the purple haired princess glaring at the green haired witch, suspicion in her eyes "You used Lelouch to get to Euphie?"
"The only way to access C's world is through specific doors buried deep within ruins scattered around the world." C.C explained "One is in Pendragon," Cornelia and Jeremiah straightened at this "Another was in the Geass order."
"I see…" Todoh muttered, the Co-Commander holding his chin in thought as all the pieces finally began to fit together "Now it all makes sense…so V.V was the puppet master the entire time…"
"That WRETCH!" Jeremiah snarled, clenching his fist, his mechanism's whining as his mechanical joints tightened beyond normal levels "He DARES to use the Royalty as PUPPETS?"
"Zero was explaining the nature of Geass to Euphemia when V.V sprung his trap." C.C explained, looking a stunned Cornelia in the eyes "They had agreed to work together to bring peace to Japan…which would have interfered with his and Charles' plans."
"Their plan to 'kill God'…" Zero muttered, shaking his head in bemusement "The childish dream of two old men…" he smirked, looking down at his clenched fist "Well…that's one down anyway…" he eyed C.C "though it bears the question…what exactly are the terms of this 'contract' you spoke of?"
"I'll discuss it later." C.C promised, turning on her heel, ignoring Zero's pointed glare at her defenseless back, not like she needed any all thing's considered "There's an extra spicy pizza on the menu today…"
"That woman…" Zero muttered, the Tekkaman shaking his head with a growl of mild irritation at the immortal witch's insufferable attitude "One of these days…"
"Zero…" Todoh muttered, his features solemn as the Tekkaman turned to face him "If what she said is true…then the Emperor must have been aware of V.V's actions…which means…"
"He set Euphemia up to take the fall…" Zero muttered, ignoring Cornelia's wide eyes as his tone turned cold, the Tekkaman narrowing his eyes, which flashed purple for a second "I shouldn't have put it past him…sending Nunnally as Viceroy and making it seem like HER own choice…" he snorted "Schniezel was right…the old man's ruthless."
"Highness…" Jeremiah spoke, the cyborg's clenched fist held across his heart "If that's the case, then Princess Nunnally might be in greater danger than we thought!"
"Ohgi?" Todoh called out, pressing his communicator in response to the Co-commander's hailing "What is it?" he frowned "I see…" he turned to Zero, frown in place "Zero, the preparations for our announcement are ready."
"I see…" Zero muttered, the Tekkaman's features torn between annoyance and resignation, before nodding to Jeremiah and the Co-commander and turning on his heel to march out the door "Come on."
"Where…where are you going?" Cornelia demanded, looking up at the retreating back so of the trio with a dazed, confused expression "What are you planning?"
"A Meeting between various world nations." Todoh explained, pausing to look over his shoulder at his onetime enemy "We will unite them all under the same banner, and stand against Britannia."
"Not you!" Cornelia countered, her eyes locked firmly on the back of Zero's head, as if willing the Tekkaman to face her "Zero….Lelouch…" she stressed that alien name "What are you trying to achieve with that cursed power?"
"Do you refer to Geass…" Zero queried, his back to the purple haired woman "Or the power I used to destroy V.V?" he paused, his ears catching the tensing of her breath at the memory of the Siegfried's annihilation "Either way my answer is the same…" he clenched a fist before him "To destroy Britannia…and create a world where no-one need fear their oppression ever again!"
And with that he left, Todoh and a concerned Jeremiah on his heels, leaving the Second Princess of the empire alone with her thoughts, as shattered and disarrayed as they were.
Zero's Quarters...
"Took you long enough…" C.C murmured, speaking around a mouthful of pizza as Zero stepped into his room, her feet up on his table "Have fun speaking with big sis?"
"I'm not in the mood for your games C.C." Zero shot back, his tone, and the way he stressed her name, making it clear to the immortal witch he wasn't to be crossed at that moment "I want answers."
"My favorite color is green, my favorite music is classical…" C.C quipped, only to choke as Zero lashed out, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her bodily against the wall, so hard that the shelves fell to the ground around them "My…" she managed to get out, sounding amused despite the pain "Decided to skip foreplay altogether have we?"
"What are the terms of our contract?" Zero demanded, his Geass-countering contact lens removed, his crimson eye glaring into the witch's own golden pools "Have you ever used your 'Code' to control me using my Geass?"
"No," she countered, her tone calm despite the tightening grip around her throat "I COULD have, simply by touching you, but at the time I was nowhere near you, and you weren't the type that liked physical contact…" she smirked "Except Nunnally's of course, you overprotective elder brother you."
"What about C's World?" Zero demanded, glaring into her golden eyes, his grip tightening warningly at her mention of Nunnally's name "You said that's how V.V got me."
"I would've needed access to either the Geass order or the Pendragon Gates to access your Geass through C's world." C.C countered, looking unaffected by her situation in the slightest "Kallen can vouch for me if you doubt my words…" she blinked "Oh right, she's a prisoner…"
"Don't push me woman…" Zero growled, the Tekkaman's left eye lighting up threateningly as he glared into her golden pair commandingly "Start telling the truth!"
"I told you, Geass does not work on me." She reached up a hand to cover his eye with a wry smirk despite the blood edging from the corner of her lips "And I'm hardly afraid of death."
"Don't think your precious 'Code' will save you." Zero countered, slapping her hand aside to continue to glare into her eyes "It certainly didn't do V.V any good."
"And that," C.C noted, her golden eyes filled with a hint of sadness in comparison to her wistful smile "Is exactly what I'm hoping for…" she smiled at the Tekkaman's quirked brow "My wish is for you to kill me."
Kyugan: And so we get to the crux of the matter.
C.C: Indeed.
Kallen: Alright, seriously, WTF?
C.C: It's all in my profile, look it up.
Kyugan: Still, talk about a Mind-F!ck.
C.C: I've been doing this for centuries, Lelouch has NOTHING on me.
Lelouch: No...Diapers...take them away...