Code Geass is property of Sunrise. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is the property of Hirohiko Araki.
Chapter 51: The Price of Stability
====Lelouch====
Lelouch would be the first to admit that he was a rather proud man, bordering on arrogance. He was simply too self aware not to be. He couldn't help but notice how talented he was in terms of intelligence and strategic planning compared to those around him. And in spite of what some may say, he did notice that the girls at Ashford had an attraction for him even without knowing his blood. The problem there was that he lacked interest in such manners of physical affection, but that is a whole other discussion regarding this young Prince's unusual psyche.
The point is rather simple: His girlfriend had put a (breathable) bag over his head, tied his hands behind his back and then dragged him off to parts unknown. Now, he was quite certain that there were many people out there who would pay for such treatment, but a proud man like him was not among them.
"We've got Lelouch, and we've also got Shinkiro!" That was Kaname Ohgi. "Has he been searched?"
"He has," Zero answered. "My Stand and I were quite thorough. All electronic equipment has been removed, and his attempts to leave a trail of breadcrumbs were caught and cleaned up."
"Oh, you noticed that?" Lelouch said, trying his best to sound disappointed. "What can I say? Perhaps I read Nunnally the tale of Hansel and Gretel once too often. So? Is this the part where the wicked witch tries to cook me?"
"You seem quite relaxed considering the danger you are in," said the unmistakable voice of a certain journalist. "Is that bravado, denial or arrogance?"
"Ah, Mister Reid?" Lelouch asked. "You really will do anything for an exclusive, won't you? I anticipate our interview after this is all over and done with."
"That seems... Unlikely," Diethard chuckled. "I don't tend to interview people who have already finished with their part on the world stage."
Cheeky swine! Never mind that for now. Of course, his blindness was all for show. Lelouch could see perfectly fine thanks to his Stand. Yes, Painted Black had already given him enough information about his journey to accurately guess at where he was being held. He could also see the position of everyone in the room: Zero was standing off behind him looking larger than life. Ohgi was scowling at him as though he wanted to punch the very one that made this all possible. Diethard was hanging back, observing carefully. No doubt to ensure he had the correct narrative of events constructed in his mind. And, ah yes, Lady Kaguya staring at him with a strangely silent smile.
More to the point though, the room was extremely brightly lit, with seemingly every surface lit up to the point he couldn't hope to exploit the shadows. Clever girl. No reason for the enemy to find his behaviour suspicious. Nothing held back, or the illusion would be ruined.
All of this information was currently totally useless to him, but still. He did at least have to make something of a reasonable attempt to stop the Black Knights. Despite what he wanted, Lelouch could hold back no quarter. Even now, nothing could be held back. Nothing.
"The line is secured," Diethard said.
"Superb work as always Mister Reid," Zero said, and then picked up a camera to hold directly in front of her masked face. "Lelouch, for our security I must insist that you remain silent unless instructed otherwise. In those cases, say only what you are told to say." A gun was pressed against the back of his head. How obvious. "I have no desire for your sister to see the colour of that devious brain of yours. Are we clear?" He remained silent, quite deliberately. "You may answer. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," he said. And then the show began in earnest.
The screens in the room were quickly taken up with the vision of his sister, stern faced and gripping tightly onto the armrest on her wheelchair. It was rather astounding to him how regal she seemed in that moment, but not in the bad way, never the bad way. She was radiant with the compassion a leader must have, yet all too often lacks.
"Is my brother safe?" Nunnally demanded.
"Past the formalities already?" Zero asked. "Very well then. He is unharmed, and he is present. Lelouch, repeat your sister's words just now back to her. We wouldn't want you trying to sneak any messages through, would we?"
"Is my brother safe?" he repeated back. It was rather tempting to perhaps use Painted Black to interfere with the internal optics of the camera, perhaps send a message through that which only Nunnally could see... But no, it seemed they'd been rather careful about this as well. Very well lit up, weren't we?
Zero resumed speaking. "To answer your question: No. He is not safe. He is currently unharmed, but nobody in Area Eleven is safe until this battle ends. Your highness, I have not called you to ask for your surrender but rather to inform you, to inform all the people of the world of the creation of a whole new nation: The United States of Japan!"
The Japanese all broke out into thunderous applause that was probably being echoed anywhere else they could see this transmission all across the Area. It didn't seem likely to Lelouch that this was purely private chat.
"I see," Nunnally sternly answered once they had all settled down. Lelouch could see tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. A flash of anger, then frustration coursed through him. Of course she was worried of his safety. "Is your new nation's first action going to be the execution of a foreign head of state?"
"You mean a war criminal!" someone yelled, Lelouch hadn't bothered to remember their name.
"If you mean the tragedy at Nerima, it was an accident!" Nunnally insisted. "Please, don't compound that tragedy with more deaths! If you kill my brother all you'll do is throw another body on the pile and even more after when the homeland - All you're doing is causing even more suffering in the long run! Please, don't kill my big brother."
"There! That last part was your true feelings, was it not?" Zero asked. "The despair of losing a loved one. Yes... It is a despair that was felt keenly around the Japanese ghettos because of your brother's... accident. Tell me, Princess! How many more accidents will it take before it is too much to bear? The Japanese have born it out over and over again! They have been vilified by your media even as their elderly and children are slaughtered like cattle! The Japanese are howling for Lelouch's blood, and there is only one thing that can hope to sate it now!
"Return to them their freedom! Nunnnally vi Britannia, order all Britannian military forces to stand down! They shall be treated fairly, and any Britannian citizens who wish to remain in our new land shall be allowed to do so. That is the only requirement to live in our land: To be just! No race shall be excluded, no creed denied! In the United States of Japan, justice shall not be blind! It shall be as our fighting spirit, protecting us and guiding us. The soul of a nation! Justice shall be our Stand!"
Nunnally... Here was another reason he'd intended to win this battle tonight. To spare her this choice. This pressure, this responsibility. She'd become so, so strong over the last half a year. He barely recognised her sometimes, but it made him more proud than he could imagine. Even so, this was still too much. Too many people had too much to gain and too much to lose. If only she didn't have to bear this burden, if only someone else could take it out of her -
"Your highness, surrendering Area Eleven in these conditions would be ill advised."
The room was filled with the sound of an unexpected voice on the line. Everyone fell silent with surprise, until Nunnally broke it by speaking his name: "Suzaku?"
"Please forgive me for intruding... Your highness, do not surrender yet. We have located their base of operations. Right now, we've cut off their last line of escape."
"He's - He's right!" a random operator yelled. "I thought their movements were strange, but now it makes sense! They're deliberately cutting off all of our routes!"
"Cut the line!" Zero commanded, and the room turned into buzz of sudden activity. "Plan B it is! Ohgi, resume the conflict at your leisure. Have the mobile base resume its movement. If we have to win this the hard way, then win it the hard way we shall!"
"Too late! We're picking up incoming enemy Knightmares, converging on our position!"
"Impossible," Diethard gasped. "That line was thoroughly secure! They could never have traced it in a hundred million years."
"Yet there they are," Kaguya calmly observed. Strangely calm under the circumstance. "It seems as though my cousin has become quite versed in the art of war."
"This makes no sense," Zero said. This was no act. Schizoid Man was scratching its head and its eyes were crossed. You can't fake that level of confusion. "How did he find us? We covered all angles, there must be something we've forgotten!"
"We have Lancelot incoming!"
====Suzaku====
Suzaku Kururugi was not in a good mood. Could you blame him, though? Having to fight both a close friend and his mentor, then to learn that his best friend had been kidnapped by the enemy. Anyone would be in a foul mood after that.
Yet even as he was surrounded in darkness he could still see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or to be more precise - "There it is," he told Lloyd and Miss Cecile. "It's exactly where she said it would be! The Black Knight's mobile base!"
Of course, it wasn't going to be that simple. A team of Burai Kai opened fire on him, but they underestimated Lancelot's abilities. Now that the energy filler was replaced, it felt like he was walking on air!
"How wonderful!" Lloyd clapped. "Even after those difficult battles, you're still so eager and ready to bring the fight to them. Still... I don't quite understand how Chigusa was able to tell us where to find this stolen item."
Suddenly, a Burai Kai leaped out from around a corner. He was easily dealt with by a harsh kick, but this was a feint! Two more leaped out at him from behind, guns blazing and forcing Lancelot to dodge. Lancelot fired its Slash harkens while it slid around, and swung it hard to send one enemy flying into another.
"That's easy enough," Cecile explained. "Think about it this way. Is there a spider in the room?"
"Isn't that statement normally used to demonstrate how difficult it is to prove a negative?" Lloyd asked. "It goes something like... You can either say 'yes', because you can see one. But you cannot say 'no' if you can't. It might be hiding behind some furniture, where you cannot currently see it. I hardly see how proving something like that has anything to do with it."
"Then let's put it another way: Does Chigusa have a phone on her, right now?"
A trio of harkens flew towards Lancelot, but Suzaku wasn't in any kind of mood to deal with them. He lifted the VARIS rifle, blasted the middle cable and sent its harken spinning out of control, sending the other two off in different directions without so much as having to slow down. He was almost upon them now!
"It's the same principle. You can't look everywhere at once."
"Aha, I see! Quite imaginative that woman. Use her Geass to make them forget about it. A little sleight of hand, as soon as it was hidden again they wouldn't even realise she'd done anything strange."
Before the fight could begin anew, a voice pierced the darkness of the tunnel. Zero's voice, enigmatic and echoing around them. "Suzaku Kururugi! You will stop this attack at once! Your friend and Viceroy Lelouch vi Britannia is on board! If you care at all for his wellbeing –"
"I'm afraid that bluff won't work this time," Suzaku interrupted. Lancelot wheeled around to take aim at the mobile base with its VARIS rifle. At this setting, he'd blast a hole clear through to the other side of it. He could put it off no longer: The reason he was so upset about this part of tonight's battle. "You see, we have received special priority one instructions from Prince Schneizel."
Deep breath now. If he didn't do this, then someone else would. Lelouch... All he could think was that he was sorry to have to do this. If he half as clever as he thought he was , then he'd work a way out of this... If not, then the die was already cast. The order already given. Here's hoping he was listening. Here's hoping, full stop.
"He anticipated that you might try to use hostages. On that basis, he gave this command: There is not one life that is worth surrendering Area Eleven. Do not surrender no matter what is threatened. Call their bluff and fight until the end!"
There it was. He'd put it out there. Suzaku could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Lelouch... You were always superb at thinking under pressure. So think! There must be a way out of this impossible situation. Find it!
He felt like he had poisoned his best friend and then tossed him into a labyrinth, with the antidote waiting in the middle. The guilt gnawed at his stomach like a rabid dog. And yet, what choice had he? It was as if he'd been pushed forward by destiny itself. First he had clashed swords with his mentor, then battled a trusted friend and now he had to believe that Lelouch could do it, that he could find a way to bring this to an end. It was an act of totally blind faith!
Yet faith cannot mean anything without the niggling doubt. 'What if I am wrong?' is a thought that occurs to all who are faithful. It is as the devil in the soul, the snake in the garden of Eden, tempting and taunting and belittling all at once. A bead of sweat began to roll down Suzaku's nose. The thought rejoined: What if he was wrong to place his faith in Lelouch just now? What if Lelouch couldn't think of anything? What if the Black Knights simply killed him, even here, as a means to lash out at the Royal family?
"Do you really think you can change things from the inside?" Kallen asked defiantly. "I've seen the inside of Britannia's system! Before you know it you'll be the same as any of them!"
"I'm afraid that lesson is beyond my ability to teach," Tohdoh solemnly answered. "All I can tell you, is that one way or another my burden would finally be lifted. How about yours?"
No, they were wrong. They were both wrong! Doing things the right way isn't a burden, it's a guarantee! Your goal is kept pure! Suzaku was doing the right thing. This was the only way that the Japanese people could ever taste freedom from oppression and have it mean anything! Suzaku believed in that with all of his heart, that this course of action was the only way forward. He had total, absolute faith in it.
And because he had that faith... He also had a little voice inside of him to ask 'what if I am wrong?'
As the clock ticked down, each second felt like the entire world had frozen in place. Yet at the same time it also felt too quick, as if everything had been sped up. Come on, Lelouch. Don't prove him wrong. If his finger so much as twitched he would blast a hole right through the mobile base. But then, just at the last possible moment he heard a crackle, a line opening up.
And when he heard Lelouch's voice the tension on his back disappeared outright.
"The Black Knights have surrendered to me!" Lelouch announced. Suzaku could almost see the dramatic motion, the sweeping back of his hand to emphasise the point. "Therefore, as Viceroy I enact Area law section 12, paragraph 8," Lelouch yelled. "It is within the Viceroy's authority to select a suitable punishment for rebellious elements. On that basis... I shall exile all prisoners captured tonight!"
"Exile...?" Suzaku asked aloud.
"Oooh boy!" Lloyd clapped his hands. "That's going to go down like a bowl of cold sick. The military's going to have a wonderful fit."
"Not to mention the response from the homeland..." Cecile continued.
"They sought to liberate this land and return it to their own power. Therefore separating them from it seems a most suitable punishment. Would you not agree?"
"Yes," Suzaku smiled and sighed. His faith was rewarded! "Yes, that makes perfect sense! If we get rid of the troublesome elements, it'll be much easier to bring out peaceful solutions!"
But he said that to himself within a closed channel. To the open one, he said the following:
"Lelouch, this plan is very risky. What happens if they regroup and try again?"
"Then we shall be even more prepared for them," Lelouch replied. "And next time... next time I shall not be so lenient."
=====Lelouch====
A brilliant poet from Scotland once wrote this: 'The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley.' This was certainly true so far as Lelouch could see. Even the most well laid schemes were as the mouse's nest in the poem, easily toppled by external forces you could not predict or understand until long after it had passed and perhaps not even then.
Still though...
"It's over," Lelouch announced to, well, he supposed they were technically his prisoners now weren't they? "Your surrender has been accepted. Now, if you will excuse me...?"
Strange. On looking around the mobile base, the mood was much different from what he had expected, and Lelouch's expectations were nuanced and diverse. He had expected resignation and defeat, or perhaps determination and frustration. Yet out of the half dozen likely moods he could have expected from the room, this was far more... Relaxed.
"I'm afraid you'll be staying a little longer," Zero said, making an exaggerated sweeping gesture back towards the chair he had been sitting on. "Please do take a seat. We need to ensure you keep your word and follow through on this exile punishment of yours."
"It is entirely possible you might decide to turn against us," Diethard mused. "You could decide it would be better to deal with us all together rather than risk us coming back."
"... And do you truly think the military will wait, with me as your hostage, while an exile is prepared?" Lelouch let out a single, loud laugh, and ran his index finger and thumb across his forehead. The laugh was not a genuine one of amusement, but frustration: The fools didn't seem to realise what they were doing. They were throwing it all away out of a sense of paranoia! An exile of this scale would take days to prepare! "Preposterous! No matter what I say, they won't wait that long."
"How impatient," Kaguya tutted, and shook her head. "They won't wait an hour or two?"
"An... Hour...?" Lelouch asked. Was he missing something?
"This is Ohgi to transport. How's everything going over there?"
"All according to schedule," came the reply. "What, don't tell me we lost already!"
What? What in the world was going on? Lelouch's mind began to race, absorbing this new information as quickly as he could. Their reactions... That message...
"You already have transport ready," Lelouch stated. He didn't ask. It was a statement of fact. "To take you out of the Area in case of your defeat?"
"Of course," Kaguya smiled at him. "We're not stupid. We knew there was a chance we could lose."
"But you're abandoning your nation!"
"No," Zero said. "A nation... Is not land. A nation is people! The people that we take with us shall be the first in our new nation. The United States of Japan will live and thrive wherever its people set foot! Now, come with me your highness. We shall wait in my private room while your military escorts us to the docks."
With a sweep of her cape, Zero led him out of the room. It felt a little strange to be letting someone else take the lead in such a vital circumstance. Normally he would micromanage it to death, planning out every little detail and considering every reasonable possibility. It went against his nature, putting so much trust in other people to get what needed done, done. Yet here we are. They had not disappointed him.
And now they were alone again in a room to the back of the mobile -
"Uwah!" A flying tackle from the mysterious masked vigilante bowled the Viceroy clear off his feet. "Lulu, are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I? You're alright? Right? Please tell me you're alright! That was so scary, you could have been killed out there!"
"I was okay," Lelouch wrote using writing in the shadows across Shirley's mask. "But you and Schizoid Man are hugging me too tightly. Can't breath!"
"Oops! Sorry!" she yelped and quickly backed away. Yes, this was her dropping the act now. She took off the mask, rather sheepishly. The contrast was rather stark, like a whole other person had suddenly appeared where Zero had been. "Well, I guess you win. I don't know how you did it, but you must have had some brilliant plan to track us down that we didn't think of. It's such a shame so many people out there died for nothing."
"They didn't die for nothing," Lelouch reminded her. "If we didn't do this tonight, the Japanese people would have rebelled anyway. This way, not only have we let them blow off steam, but the battle has served a greater purpose." She was still uncertain, so he stepped closer to her, reached out with his hand and lifted her chin, but gently, so that she would look him in the eyes as he spoke. "In the long run we have saved lives tonight. What is more, we have taken the first steps towards saving the entire world."
"L-Lelouch..." she whispered. No trace of that confidence from earlier now. The transformation was complete. A shy girl, leaning in for a kiss with the boy who she liked, who was using her as his personal weapon of choice against his enemies. A stab of guilt struck Lelouch in the back, and he closed his eyes to accept this chance to give her this, one small tiny fraction of the debt that he owed her -
"Ahem! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
They shot away from each other at the sound of Kallen's angry voice as if her mother had just walked into the room. Or Milly. Come to think, Milly would be more frightening. Though given the way Kallen was stomping across the room the half Japanese girl was certainly aiming for the top spot and aiming well.
"Ah, Kallen! What a relief to see you unha–"
Then she stomped on his foot. Rather deliberately, he felt. Just this one time, Lelouch saw wisdom in silence as she addressed Zero.
"I just returned with the Four Holy Swords," Kallen said. "Except Tohdoh. He was captured by Suzaku. I would have been too, but I had to sacrifice the Guren to get away."
"A costly loss," Zero said. "It is a shame Suzaku is so determined to be on that side. He'd do a lot more good fighting with us, on the side of justice, rather than those who mock the very concept."
Both girls gave him a pointed look. Lelouch shrugged innocently, and looked behind himself, feigning surprise when he found they were glaring at him.
"I'll keep an eye on him," Kallen suddenly volunteered. "You've still got work to do. Remember the plan?"
"The plan?" Lelouch innocently asked. "Ah, of course. You still need to bring out Shirley, but how will you do that while maintaining Zero's identity secret?" He grinned. "There are only two ways you can do that. Use another woman who you know and can trust to keep the secret, or..."
"Keep an eye on him for a while Kallen," Shirley interrupted. "He's a clever boy, but sometimes he's too smart for his own good."
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Kallen griped. "You don't have a problem with that, your highness?"
"Not at all. We're already quite familiar with each other. Are we not, fellow former council member?"
Oh, but if looks could kill! On reflection he was putting up quite a cheeky attitude, was he not? Perhaps it was elation that this miserable night was over. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism to deal with Kirihara. Or perhaps it was because he knew there would be no time for levity, as the truly hard part was still ahead of them.
Regardless! Whether it was true or not that his coping method for stress was snark, sarcasm and cheekiness, it was undoubtedly true that Kallen Kozuki handled it by unleashing her inner rage demon in the general vicinity of the source of that stress.
Unfortunately it seemed that on this occasion that source might well be Lelouch himself.
"In case you didn't notice, we lost!" she yelled, right in his face. "This is no time for quips! We threw everything into this, and now we've lost it all! We've lost good people out there, and for what?!"
"That's not why you're really upset," Lelouch observed. "You're a proud woman, Kallen Kozuki, and you have every right to be. Take it from one who knows: The greater the pride, the greater the fall. You're upset because you lost to Suzaku."
She glowered at him. Her Stand manifested overhead menacingly winding up its arms as if getting ready to punch something. Or rather, someone.
"You'd better be right about all of this," she warned. "Otherwise, the only thing that's going to do any falling around here has black hair, purple eyes and a lousy sense of humour."
Well, it wasn't as if he was intending to make his enemies laugh themselves to death. Still, Lelouch was rather proud of his intellect so it still irked him: What was it about his sense of humour that was so lousy anyway?
"Thank you," he said after a moment. Kallen tilted her head in confusion. "For not killing Suzaku. I... Doubt he would follow this plan if he knew the specifics. He wouldn't understand, he'd insist on doing things his way."
"Yeah, well... It cost us the Guren," Kallen complained. "Though I hear that Rakshata's already making me a new one. Flight enabled, better designed cockpit to accommodate for Jumpin' Jack Flash –"
She was interrupted when the door flew open, revealing Zero standing there in all of her glory. Arms crossed, legs set at a suitably dramatic distance from one another and cape billowing in the wind... Or more precisely, the breeze being caused by a fan that had been suspiciously place just outside the room. The masked heroine takes a large - though slightly clumsy - stride into the room, then quickly off to the side revealing that a wide eyed redhead was standing directly behind her.
"Lulu!" gasped his girlfriend, who took the chance to perform a flying tackle into him for the second time in ten minutes. Shirley jumped clear past Zero, while Kallen rolled her eyes and Zero slipped surreptitiously next to her. "Uwah! That was so scary!"
Of course, just as he expected. How do you protect Zero's identity from the Black Knights even now...? There was nobody else they could trust to keep the secret, nobody that would understand, and so a psychological trick would have to be used instead.
Have Zero and Shirley seen by the Black Knights they passed on the way here, with Schizoid Man actually wearing the costume. Sure enough, through Painted Black he saw the next stage of the plan being operated: Kallen had moved next to Zero and then her Stand, Jumpin' Jack Flash drifted inside to take Schizoid Man's place.
Elegant. Then later on, when Zero disappeared, they could claim that she was engaged in essential missions elsewhere. Which would, technically, be true enough. The setup for the final phase of his plan would be... complicated and messy. While Lelouch enjoyed a challenge, this might be too steep even for him to handle on his own.
There was that pride again. Tsk tsk! He really needed to put a leash on that.
"Your highness!" saluted a Japanese woman. Oh yes, Chigusa... he remembered Chigusa. Much like Suzaku, a rare Honorary Britannian allowed to pilot an experimental Knightmare. In her case, the invisible Knightmare Lamorak. Quite impressive, though he wondered about where her loyalties truly lay. With Suzaku he understood why he was siding with Britannia, much though he disagreed with the logic. Chigusa was still a bit of a mystery to him, but only because, unknown to him, he could not remember the woman Chigusa used to be because of her Geass. "My apologies, your highness. I was also captured by these rebels. Is it true that we are being released?"
"Indeed it is," Lelouch remarked. "You will be filled in on the details later on. For the time being, you are to follow us off this stolen vessel. Take no hostile action. All tasks at hand shall soon be completed, there shall be no more fighting today."
Chigusa seemed to accept that and fell into line next to him and Shirley, standing at ease. 'Zero' gestured towards the door without any of her usual characteristic flourish. Understandable: Kallen's Stand was in the costume right now, rather than Shirley. Keeping her arms tucked into her cape, 'Zero' and Kallen led Lelouch, Shirley and Chigusa out of the room by.
Out in the main room, there were the main Black Knights staring up at them, glowering intensely. Ohgi was gritting his teeth in frustration. Rakshata and Diethard staring up with professional interest as though trying their hardest to analyse him. Then there was Chiba, who noticed him looking at her and lifted her hand only so it was more obvious she was clenching her fist. Urabe, next to her, had his shoulders slumped as though begrudgingly accepting defeat for now, while Senba on her other side was peering over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised as though performing a complicated calculation in his head. Or wanting to project to the world that was what he was doing.
And last of all of them was Lady Kaguya. Who was smiling through it all, though her eyes danced with fire... And amusement.
It suddenly struck Lelouch once again that the room was remarkably well lit. Had he perhaps misunderstood why? Now that the tables had turned again he had intended to check if any of them were infested with flesh buds, but with this illumination that would be impossible. Maybe it wasn't Zero's idea to use this brightness, but rather the enemy.
At least one of them was probably under enemy control. His bet was on Kaguya, if anyone - if they had got to Kirihara, then it was likely the rest of the group was corrupted as well...
He would have to rely on Kallen and Shirley. Which irked him. He hated having to rely on others to do the dangerous work, because it made him into the manipulative monster he was being portrayed as. And yet, in this situation... With that very narrative in place, what choice had he but to play along? At least for the time being.
On leaving the mobile transport, Lelouch found that it was surrounded in a half circle of Knightmares. Sutherlands, mostly. A few Gloucesters and, in the middle, Lancelot and Bedivere. All with firearms trained on the transport.
"Your highness!" Jeremiah enthusiastically cheered. "Have these vermin treated you well? Do you wish them to be dealt with now?"
Lelouch waved him down. "I gave my word that they would be exiled," he warned. "Initiate no aggressive action. If they leave peacefully, permit them. If a man cannot keep his word, then what good is anything he says?"
Or to put it another way: If you get caught out in a large lie, then people will more carefully scrutinise your smaller fibs. And, as a seasoned liar, Lelouch knew quite well that it was the smaller deceptions that people tended to get away with. No need to make things harder for himself, was there?
"The Viceroy is correct!" Suzaku announced while climbing out of Lancelot. "I appreciate there are some within the military who may not like the decision, but this way we can be rid of troublesome elements in a more expedient manner!" On reaching Lelouch, he lowered his voice considerably: "Though I am not entirely sure where exactly they think they're going."
"Your highness! We have ships approaching the Black Knights in an escort pattern! They appear to be from the Chinese Federation!"
"The Chinese Federation?" Suzaku repeated. "They wouldn't! Are they trying to cause an international incident?"
Yes, actually. This was doubtless a deliberately calculated move designed to lure them into combat. Provoke them, tease them into throwing the first punch.
"Are they in International waters?" Lelouch asked.
"Yes your Highness," Jeremiah answered. "But this is still an affront, we cannot permit –"
"We cannot permit them to lure us into breaking our treaty with them," Lelouch warned. "Suzaku is correct, this is going to be a diplomatic mess. However, if we attack the Chinese Federation in our current condition that is not a fight we are likely to win."
Which was always the inherent risk of the strategy they were using. However, if Lelouch had read the enemy correctly it was never their intention to wage a direct and hot war in the first place. They wanted justification for the war, so they were playing cautious and committing few resources while stirring up chaos.
"Let them escort those destructive elements to their own land," Lelouch declared. "Let them see how much trouble those Stand users can be! Let them sow the seeds of chaos in the Chinese Federation instead of here. If they want to cause trouble, then why keep them here in the first place?"
"It's a shame about Kallen," Shirley said. "Who would have guessed she would have been a Black Knight?"
"She fooled all of us," Suzaku said. "You're right, it is a shame. If only I'd had a little longer to talk with her, maybe she could have seen the light, or at least seen the harm that they were doing."
As they were talking, the Chinese Federation ships had indeed moved into an escort position around the Black Knights. Guiding them off across the sea, with Kallen setting up her half of his grand scheme. All he needed was the right excuse, and then he could launch his own half of the plan. There were several he could think of: New evidence connecting Zero or the to Clovis' death or perhaps the Black Knights causing an international incident that pulled Britannia in. Really, it was largely up to Kallen, but he'd given her an idea of the kind of thing they could attempt. With Shirley helping out on this end as well as his 'secret weapon' facilitating matters, it shouldn't take very long before he had his excuse -
"Your highness! An urgent message!"
"Another one?" Lelouch quipped. But the messenger was not laughing. Nor was Lelouch when he was handed the phone. He listened to a single sentence, five words long, and then whirled around to stare out at the ship quickly reassessing what had just happened.
The lights in the base being so bright that he could not check for flesh buds.
Zero and Shirley being in the same place at the same time.
Zero's strange body language after retrieving Shirley...
"You didn't." he wrote in shadow writing that only Shirley could see. She twirled her thumbs innocently. "You didn't!" he wrote again, making the letters even bigger.
"Lulu, what's wrong?" Shirley asked, reaching out to stroke his head. "You seem angry."
"Angry?" Lelouch answered, pushing her hand away. The implications of this - Did they have any idea what they'd just done?! "I'm livid!"
====Kallen====
Kallen was livid. There was nothing about this situation that she liked. Not losing to Suzaku. Not losing the day. Not leaving the land of her birth behind. She looked around the wide open room, looked at the monitor showing the representative from India, and looked at the mixture of people. Mostly Japanese, but a smattering of Britannians as well. It was strange to think, but the situation was so bad that even full blooded Britannians had thrown in with the Black Knights.
The boat itself was actually pretty comfortable all things considered. The seats were nice and soft, the atmosphere clean and inviting, and despite having to carry not only the Black Knights themselves but also their Knightmares and other assorted equipment there was plenty of space. There was even food.
Still, this was not going to be a short journey. First they had to get across the Sea of Japan, then they would have to head off to their new top secret base of operations in some foreign land with a culture and history that barely any of them knew anything about at all. There wasn't a chair soft enough to make that feel comfortable.
"It is a shame that you failed to overthrow Britannia, but please do not lose heart," said the Indian diplomat on the screen. "Your experiences here today were invaluable. Where you have lost today, we shall win in the future. At the very least you have survived to fight another day, and fight you shall. But this time, we would like you to help us free ourselves from the Chinese Federation."
"The Chinese Federation is a different animal than the Britannian Empire," Kaguya warned. The girl was standing up straight next to the monitor. Aside from Rakshata and her team of engineers she was probably the one person here that knew details of the Chinese Federation more than anyone else. "Since almost all of their territory is connected by land to their main bases of power, they'll be much more difficult to fight head on. But at the same time their military power is not quite as advanced as Britannia's."
"Once we have established a proper military presence, you will have an even greater wealth of resources and manpower at your disposal," the diplomat promised. "Then you can return to Japan and take it back. Two nations, maybe even more, freed by co-operation. We shall discuss in more detail when you arrive at our home base. We shall speak again soon. Enjoy your journey."
The monitor flickered off, and it was like letting air out of a balloon.
"Enjoy our journey she says," Urabe groused, then knocked back whatever he was drinking. "Sure, I always did enjoy abandoning the land of my birth. Someone break out the party hats."
Chiba elbowed him. "Urabe, we all feel the same way. Sarcasm is not going to change the reality of the situation."
"Reality is just a matter of perspective," Diethard said. Chiba scowled at him, but Mister Reporter didn't seem to know when to shut up. "Reality is an optical illusion. The same event can be viewed in many different lights. What matters is the perspective you bring to it. From one point of view it can be a rabbit, and from another –"
"A braying jackass," someone interrupted, bringing a little laughter directed to the highest ranked Britannian in the room. You know, that was the interesting thing about it. You'd really think there wouldn't be this many Britannians, and yet there they were. Being just as miserable about their situation as the Japanese.
"Cut that out!" Ohgi suddenly stood up and turned around to address them all. "I can already see it, those old dividing lines starting to pop up all over again! I look around and I see fellow Japanese struggling for freedom against a faceless machine. But I also see the better side of Britannia, who have seen through the illusions cast by their media, and seen the rotten underbelly!"
Kallen beamed with pride. Ohgi had grown so much of late, stepping into a leadership role with aplomb. His rising confidence was almost infectious. The people who had seemed down before were suddenly raising their heads, nodding along with what he was saying.
"Kaname Ohgi is quite correct!" Kaguya agreed. "It would be easy to assign blame for this setback, but that kind of resentment is counterproductive. Lady Zero will lead us out of this defeat with her usual flare for the dramatic, and her almighty Stand fists flying out!"
They looked around... And found no sign of their mysterious masked leader. Nor would they: She wasn't aboard the ship. In fact, she hadn't even left Area Eleven.
"Zero is... Busy with other matters," she said, and internally damned herself for the half-lie. "Excuse me, I should check in on her."
She left the room with clenched fists and teeth. Those people out there were her friends and her fellow resistance fighters. And she'd just lied to them. For what? For the sake of Lelouch's dumb plan? To keep them from suspecting her? There was a reason she'd been trying to play the role of passive observer just now, and this whole dumb mess was exactly the reason. Kallen wanted no part in it, and yet... Here she was. The Pawn playing her role, advancing across the board, because the alternative to playing the game was to roll over and let something so much worse happen.
For a fleeting moment there was a twinkling of sympathy for Suzaku's position - but then the moment was gone, like dust in the wind.
"Shining Wizard! Textbook impact! One... two... Kicks out before three!"
"Unbelievable! He doesn't know when he's beaten, does he?"
"Shining... Wizard?" Kallen repeated. Alright. That was just a shade too weird not to investigate. She'd been going by the ship's lounge at that moment, and she poked her head inside to find an assortment of Black Knights - Japanese and Britannian - sitting side by side watching, of all things...
"A wrestling show?" she snorted dismissively. "Come on, there has to be something else on worth watching." This earned her a free packet of peanuts. It had been intended to hit her in the face, but her reaction time was too quick to let that happen. She opened it up and tossed a nut into her mouth. "You know it's fake, right? Totally choreographed in advance."
"Oh, I'm sure they're perfectly aware," said a voice behind her. Diethard Ried. "Just like you are aware that movies you go to watch are all scripted and fake. We can find enjoyment and tension in things we know are not real, just as much as things we know that are."
"Is there something you wanted, or are you just making idle conversation?" Kallen asked.
The former journalist rubbed her the wrong way. Not because he was Britannian, nor because of his profession. There was something in his attitude that felt slimy and wrong. That smile he shot Kallen just now made her feel kind of gross.
"Very well then. I'll be blunt. There's more going on here than meets the eye, am I wrong?" Now, that was a loaded question. Diethard was watching her expression closely, but more crucially he was making no secret that he was doing so. "No, I don't suppose I am. A little subtle misdirection here and there, to hide the truth that lies beneath."
"That old reporter instinct acting up? You got an itch to hunt down the truth?"
"The truth?" Diethard replied. "Hmph. The truth is a complicated thing. Quite often, what you think is evidence supporting a conclusion is actually evidence of the opposite." He nodded towards the screen. One of the wrestlers had a bright red liquid covering their face, a veritable crimson mask. For a moment Kallen was repulsed. "What do you suppose happened there?"
"Fake blood," Kallen answered immediately. "I mean, obviously. The fight's are faked, so –"
But Diethard was shaking his head. "That's what I mean. Fake blood does not stain skin or cloth quite the same way that real blood does. So, these performers use real blood. Their own real, hot blood from a cut in their forehead."
Real blood? That was all real? But if they had cut themselves that badly, then didn't they need urgent medical attention?
"It's really quite simple. You see, they would bring a taped up razor blade in advance, and store it in their trunks, in their boots or even hide it in their cheeks. Then when the time came, they take a big move that strikes the head. The razor is extracted, the tape around the sharp bit picked off. While the official and the other performer distract the crowd, the first one makes a discrete, small cut at a certain point on their forehead, being very careful to avoid arteries. The blood flows out, it looks like they've been hurt quite badly. Real evidence used to conceal a trick, and make a performance seem more real than it truly is."
He's a dangerous man, is Diethard Ried. The metaphor wasn't lost on Kallen, not at all. But that wasn't the point of this conversation and she knew that all too well. Diethard was aware there was a game being played. He didn't want to be a player, but he did want to know the rules. Trouble was, Kallen was pretty sure he couldn't be trusted with that kind of knowledge.
Then again... So far as she could see, nobody could be. Right now, at this moment, there was only one person on this ship that she could actually trust. Not only the last person she would have expected, but someone who thoroughly and totally pissed her off.
Kallen returned to her room brooking no further distraction. Sure enough, she found 'Zero' exactly where she was meant to be. Sitting patiently in a surprisingly spacious cabin, waiting for her to return. And knowing who was beneath, she couldn't keep the sarcasm from bubbling up if she tried.
"Sorry if the accommodations aren't quite up to your usual lofty standards," Kallen quipped. "We little people have to make do with what we have. I do hope the decor was gaudy and shiny enough to keep you distracted, it would have been a shame to leave you so bored."
'Zero' half turned to look at Kallen while she locked the door, sliding a deadbolt across to ensure they could talk in private. "Kallen... You were the daughter of a wealthy family, were you not? On that basis your manners are quite surprising."
"Oh, why is that?" Kallen replied. "Nobody does rude like nobility and wealth."
"Even so, I would expect a little more courtesy. Especially after Shirley asked me to help you out."
Kallen grunted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm still confused how she pulled that off."
"A Viceroy's girlfriend becomes quickly known to security. She has greater access than most people."
Right, of course. There it was again. Rank and privilege. It's not what you know, it's who you know. For all that Britannia goes on and on about people not being equal, it missed such an obvious trick. It doesn't matter if people are equal or not: It matters if they are given equal chances. If one person is given more chances to succeed than someone else, then they'll eventually get there, even if it takes a hundred thousand times.
"Well, it's not really us you're helping out anyway," Kallen observed. "It's Lelouch you're helping."
"I suppose that is true." She reached for the mask and began to take it off. "It's always been a weakness of mine."
The mask came off in full, revealing a pretty face with a stern set expression with a strange gleam of kindness and wonder twinkling in the back of her eyes. She untied a tie at the top of her head, letting her pink hair drop down, giving her an astoundingly regal, yet approachable aura that really, really tested Kallen's resolve to hold back her fists.
"I can't refuse to help someone in such a desperate situation," said Euphemia li Britannia.
====Lelouch====
It was a thought he'd had several times since taking up this post, but here it was again: Lelouch hated the pomp, circumstance and ceremony favoured by Britannian Royalty. While he didn't mind theatrics - who was he kidding, he loved theatrics - it seemed all so thoroughly pointless. Forgettable. They blended together when, to him, a truly great piece of theatre was something that stuck with people and made them really think about what they'd seen and heard. For all the bright colours and rousing music, it might as well all be shades of grey.
"Cheer up, Lulu!" Shirley said while adjusting his collar, which to his eyes was perfectly fine the way it was. "You've got to put on your biggest smile for the people, don't you? Let them know everything's going to be okay!"
"You give me too little credit," Lelouch said. He held up his hand in front of his face palm inward facing, and lowered it over his features. His visage, once revealed, was perfectly in line with the callous and arrogant Prince, smugly intellectual and superior. "By now I have sufficient practice in playing my role." He lifted his hand again, a reversal of his previous gesture. His features were now showing his true feelings: Chiefly among them frustration.
Right now the two of them were in his study at the Viceroy's Palace. He, dressed in his finest white tuxedo, replete with golden trimmings and gaudy decorations. She, in a form fitting shoulderless black dress with a large distracting slit down her left side.
The two of them waiting to be called through for - well, we shall get to that shortly. What really mattered was that the two of them were alone, in a room that Lelouch routinely personally swept for security purposes and had done so not ten minutes ago. When one has the intentions that he has, and the kinds of enemies that he either already has or intends to make in the future, there is no such thing as being too paranoid.
"I know, I know!" Shirley sighed. "I shouldn't have brought Euphemia into this. You're worried about what's going to happen to her, that the Black Knights might hurt her or that the vampires in China might grab hold of her."
To that, Lelouch turned up his nose. If she was aware of that, then why had she done it? To his tremendous surprise and mild irritation she stepped in close and kissed him on the cheek.
"It's funny," she giggled. "You try to pretend you're above it all, but you really do care about people don't you? Don't worry so much! I told Kallen to take good care of her. Make sure nothing bad happened."
"You shouldn't have had to make that kind of request in the first place," Lelouch observed. "Away from her Doctors and nurses? You took advantage of someone who was traumatised to the point of becoming mute and you put her in danger!"
"Well it wasn't my idea!" Shirley confessed. "I just... Wanted to ask her advice. Use her as a sounding board. Then she insisted on doing it this way. I tried to talk her out of it, but..." She sighed, and then her posture straightened up. It was subtle, but her body language changed on the spot. It felt like it was no longer Shirley speaking, but rather Zero.
"Lelouch vi Britannia... You have a bad habit of underestimating the women in your life. Your sister is stronger than you realise. Princess Euphemia has bravely given us the excuse we need to move on to the next stage of her plan. Do not hide these feelings from the public: Use your concern for her wellbeing to motivate you! Rescue her, as she knows you would!"
Hmph! What a twist in the tale. Rescuing a kidnapped Princess was quite the cliche motivation, was it not? Ah, but usually the Princess was kidnapped against her own will. There was a part of Lelouch who appreciated the irony of this situation, but the truth was... The undeniable truth was that Euphemia was the only half-sibling he could still stand the sight of, that he could not think of as an enemy.
"The die is cast," Lelouch said after a moment's consideration. "So, of course I will play with the hand cruel fate has given me. But be warned: This is the second time you have placed a beloved sister of mine in risk without consulting me. Do not do this again."
Psychological damage be damned. If she maintained this bad habit who knows where it might lead? His guilt for her current state of mind could only carry this so far.
There was a knock on the door. They were out of time for this little chat, so it seemed. A servant popped his head inside the room. "Your highness, Miss Fenette. They are ready for you in the ballroom."
They would have to discuss this later on. For now, it would have to wait. There was much work to be done, and yes, Lelouch did view this soiree as work rather than play. He offered her his arm, and she took it with great enthusiasm. Then led him off out of the room. Really now! There's a procedure to this, the gentleman leads and the lady follows. That's part of her problem when you get right down to it, she's far too eager for anyone's own good, least of all his.
"Presenting, his Royal Highness and Viceroy to Area Eleven, Lelouch vi Britannia and his escort, Shirley Fenette!"
The large double doors leading into the ballroom swung open, and a sea of noblemen and noblewomen parted like the Red Sea to make way for the two of them. If they only knew the truth. For that matter, if they only knew that Painted Black afforded his hearing a little more range than it might first seem, they might have kept their gossip to themselves.
"I still say it's a bad match. A commoner getting the luck of the draw..."
"It's him I am more concerned about. Letting all those Elevens go? They should have been executed!"
"Waste of bullets if you ask me. Let them flee to the Chinese Federation. They'll starve to death inside of a week inside their vaunted 'equal society'."
"Hey, don't tell me... You picked out that dress for her, didn't you madame prez?"
"Well, of course I did! After all the work I did setting those two up, I'd better know what looks good on her!"
It was at once both a relief to see his friends from the council in attendance, minus Nina for completely understandable reasons. Not that she would enjoy an event like this anyway. She was far more at home in front of a computer or in a laboratory than hobnobbing with high society.
Come to think of it Rivalz was here as well and his arm was in covered in bandages. It was quite surprising he was up and about after only a day, but apparently the bloodloss hadn't been nearly as severe as it could have been. A lucky break in a day chock full of unlucky ones. Sacrifices made, friends lost. Cuts that turned out to be deeper and deeper the more you examined them.
He reached the head of the room and sat next to Nunnally, who had already arrived. Sayoko stood behind her like a guard dog. No sign of C.C. but she was probably nearby, watching, stealing pizza from someone, somewhere.
Taking his place at the head this crowd of people, Lelouch held his head up high and addressed them in his very finest regal tone: Dripping with arrogance, laced with condescension "Ladies and gentlemen, we have had trying times of late. The world around us is in constant turmoil, with new threats rising from every shadow." He lifted his hand dramatically into the air. "And yet, we persevere! Through the actions of a select brave few, order has been maintained! My own life, rescued! If more souls in this world were as courageous as these three, it would be a better world for all who dwell in it! We are here today to honour their deeds and to remind the people that hope is not a lie!"
Appropriately enough, it was Milly Ashford who led the applause. Out of all those in that crowd today it was her and Rivalz - who elected to bang his unharmed fist on a nearby table in support in lieu of applause, in case he hurt his arm - who had worked the hardest and most selflessly to make the world a better place. Or at the very least her own small corner of that world.
In the midst of that applause, the three heroes stepped forward and knelt before the stage. Nunnally wheeled herself forward, the medals sitting in her lap. She wanted to do this herself, and who was he to begrudge her such a simple request?
"Jeremiah Gottwald," Nunnally called out, and the man stepped forward. You had never seen a man swell up with more pride than this, nor bend his knee more readily. Nunnally draped the medal around his neck. "For your courage in confronting a dangerous enemy Stand and for rescuing my brother in the heat of battle. Your loyalty is a shining example to us all."
A shining example? His sister's only fault was that she was too kind and forgiving. This man once conspired to have Suzaku executed for a crime he had blatantly not committed. To his credit, Gottwald seemed like a changed man, but it did leave Lelouch a little sickened to think that the former leader of the Purebloods had done what he had done because of the very loyalty he was now being commended for.
Strangely, it reminded him of his irritation with Shirley's actions, involving Euphemia in his plans because she was so fiercely loyal to him. She truly must believe in him, and so had done something foolish and awkward.
"Suzaku Kururugi," Nunnally called next, and their dear friend stepped forward as Jeremiah moved aside. There was a trace of impatience in his movement and features, for those who knew him well enough to know what to watch for. "Your skill and determination forced the Black Knights to negotiate a peaceful resolution. You are our proof that we can accomplish peace through fair and just means."
The irony of that is, with the way he was currently feeling Suzaku was probably just as eager to take aggressive action as anyone else. His Princess had been spirited away to a foreign land, and here they were standing on ceremony, awarding him medals and lavishing applause. For this, Lelouch agreed completely: It tasted bitter to him as well, like swallowing knives that had just been used to slice rotten chicory. Still, this time was necessary. To stall until they could recover, then only once recovered make their move and make it count.
"Chigusa Nu," Nunnally called next. There was a bit of a murmur, not too hard to see why. A mixture of Japanese and Britannian names. Honestly, Lelouch didn't know all that much about their last 'hero' beyond their battle data. A reliable Knightmare pilot, but that was all. "Your cunning and intelligence made it possible for us to identify the location of the Black Knight's base. Here, we have proof that the Honorary system does work and is in need of further expansion, to give more people the opportunity to prove themselves."
Expanding the Honorary system. A move that Schneizel, of all people, was starting to throw his weight behind. His move here was obvious: Give the numbers a taste of hope, and many of them will be all too happy to accept the boot on their neck. Why fight back when there was a bright light at the end of this tunnel? If only they toiled and sweated and suffered a little longer, they could get there... It was at once brilliant and cynical, where Nunnally's proclamation of the same was born entirely from a place of genuine kindness.
Polite applause filled the air, though half of it was appearances. Really now, they weren't half the talented actors they thought they were. Those smiles were far too forced. Furthermore, he could hear the whispers they were trying to keep away from earshot all too well, the benefit of his shadowy Stand.
"This Chigusa woman, another Eleven? And with a Britannian surname at that..."
"Well, it's obvious isn't it? A half blooded Britannian! Obviously her better half knew which side her bread was buttered and she did the right thing."
"I suppose we should encourage that kind of loyalty. Although a commendation still seems a little too much for a mere Number. Never mind two of them."
"Careful now! Shush, despite her condition Kururugi is still Princess Euphemia's chosen Knight."
"I'm more concerned with Sir Gottwald myself, what a disappointment. The former leader of the Purebloods, willingly taking a medal at the same time as two Honoraries?"
"Yes, it did seem unlikely didn't it...?"
You get the idea. An odious group, insulated from the rest of society and unable to truly grasp how it functions while holding the reigns of power. Despicable, utterly despicable. Fortunately he didn't have to rub shoulders with them tonight, for he had better companionship heading straight for the stage.
"Wow, never thought I'd get to attend one of these things!" Rivalz called out, giving a little spin in place as he approached the stage. Lelouch waved off the guards moving to intercept him. "Hey guys! I mean - Hello your highness! It's been a while."
"Too long," Lelouch agreed. "I trust your arm is healing well?"
"It's his manners I'm more worried about," Milly remarked, approaching them with a great deal more grace and poise. "Remember Rivalz, while you're here you represent the greatest student council in Earth's history."
"I guess that's true enough," Shirley nervously laughed. "I mean, how many student councils get to say they had a Prince, a Princess' Knight and a ter–"
She stopped, and the mood among the council dropped considerably. Nobody knew quite what to say to what Shirley had been about to say. Though Lelouch knew that the truth ran deeper than the surface told: She felt bad about putting Kallen in this position. Forcing their friend to reveal her true nature, while they kept theirs hidden.
"She was our friend," Lelouch firmly announced. "And one day, we shall all be together once again. All of us, once this mess is all resolved."
"I hope you're right about that," Suzaku said. He gripped his fists and pulled himself up straight. "I know that not all of our friendship was an act. One day... One day she'll understand the consequences of what she's doing. I believe that, deep down."
He missed this. He dearly, sorely missed it. Ordinary days with ordinary friends, not having to bear the weight of things on his back, nor feel that ravenous beast sinking its dripping fangs into his flesh. Alas, he could see the tips of those teeth descending even now, as across the room a man in uniform was making a beeline through the gossiping crowd, directly for him. Lelouch waved his friends away as reluctantly as he'd ever done anything.
"It's the Chinese Federation," the messenger whispered. "They've opened a channel, and wish to talk about the Black Knights."
"Of course they do," Lelouch whispered back. He patted the man aside and pulled himself to his fullest height, then clapped and swept his hand to the side, gesturing towards the three heroes of the evening.
"Such shining examples of humanity in these dark times," Lelouch said. "Regrettably, a Viceroy's work is never truly done. Though I ache to enjoy your companionship and to relax after such a trying battle, I can hear the siren call of responsibility and duty luring me away. Nunnally, Shirley, please entertain our guests while I attend to some urgent matters of security."
"Alright, big brother! We'll have lots of fun, I'll make sure of it."
"I'm sure you will," Lelouch smiled. Ah. But he could see that Suzaku was not smiling. When he stepped towards a side-door, Suzaku followed him. Yes, he had rather thought this would be the case. "Your suspicions are correct," Lelouch told him once they were away from the party. "It is indeed the Chinese Federation, calling to discuss their newfound infestation of rebellious Stand users."
"... You need to not do that, it's kind of creepy," Suzaku said. "Lelouch, since this matter concerns my lady –"
"But of course! I would have it no other way."
They found their guests waiting in the lounge, a room that Nunnally and (especially) C.C. tended to make better use of than Lelouch. There were two of them here, one of them a tall slender man with sharp features and a complexion paler than enamel. The man looked like he'd been dipped in bleach, had all the colour drained from him. Probably all of his moral compass as well. There was a bodyguard next to him that Lelouch did not personally recognise. What he did recognise was that both of them had flesh buds in their heads, in the case of the High Eunuch concealed behind the three red marks on his forehead.
"Gao Hai," Lelouch greeted. "How unusual for the Chinese Federation delegate to drop in unannounced. Especially with such peculiar timing."
"Indeed, my most sincere apologies for interrupting your celebration, your highness!" Gao Hai bowed. Lelouch had never seen such a sarcastic bow in all his life. "However, I fear that this conversation cannot be delayed a moment longer."
Lelouch glanced back to see Suzaku behind him, barely restraining himself. Lelouch was glad he was here. It seemed unlikely but if this conversation became physical then Suzaku would have been his first choice for direct and immediate assistance. Not that Lelouch intended to pick a fight just now in any event
This may seem surprising: After all, this man nearly hurt Nunnally. Normally that would be enough to spell his death, international incident be damned, but not this time. It was not the man to blame for scaring his sister but rather the one who had placed the bud of flesh within his head to begin with. So long as Lelouch bore that in mind he could maintain his sense of cool.
"Cannot wait?" Lelouch asked. "Well then! It must be important. You have my attention."
"There is hardly a dull moment in Area Eleven," the High Eunuch said. "By the time we have another chance to speak who knows what might happen next. Perhaps an alien invasion or a mighty fire breathing dragon? It's all quite exciting, but it must make governing such a chore. At the very least we are pleased to see you are regaining a measure of control."
"Then let's not waste time with idle chitchat," Lelouch cautioned. "What is the Chinese Federation's official statement about the Black Knights?"
"Oh my, right down to business? No time for witty banter?" the High Eunuch asked. He had the back of his hand pressed up against his mouth. He looked around, first from Lelouch, and then to Suzaku. How telling. On meeting Suzaku's eyes, he reacted as though a hundred ice cubes had just been dropped down the back of his robe. "The truth is, those ships that were escorting the Black Knights... Were not acting in an official capacity for the Chinese Federation. They were, in fact, stolen a few days prior."
"I'd like to see the paperwork for that," Suzaku interjected. He was immediately handed a sheath, which he flicked through and then tucked under his arm. "You must have suspects in mind for this theft. Who?"
"Who else? The Cult of K, such wicked troublemakers that they are. It must be clear by now that they are hell bent on dragging us into conflict. Please forgive our security. Those responsible have already been made examples of, and our security processes are being carefully scrutinised. It will not happen again, that I guarantee."
The blood drained from Suzaku's face. His expression was a whirlpool of turbulent emotions, unable to settle on any for long and none of them positive. Outrage, disgust, dismay, fear, fury, outrage, panic and more all tread a worrisome path across Suzaku. It took a moment for him to find his voice. When he spoke it was not loud enough to be a yell, yet it might as well have been for the impact carried in his tone.
"And what else do you intend to do about this?" he asked. "Surely the Chinese Federation does not intend to allow a group of dangerous cultists to ally themselves with a rebellious faction known to be led by Stand users!"
"Quite so," Gao Hai tutted, "We intend to fully investigate these vermin and draw them out into the light of day. It would be prudent for us to cooperate, don't you think? Look at what they've done by themselves. Who knows what they might do if their influence and power grows any greater. Why, it leaves me positively aghast."
Suzaku's eyes shot across to Lelouch. Pleading, desperate. Suzaku Kururugi begs for help. Just like him. Exactly the same! Lelouch returned his attention to the High Eunuch. His plan was pretty obvious: Bait Lelouch into offering an alliance. He probably had an argument or three all worked out before coming here, and if it didn't work: Wait a few weeks and then a few quick strikes within Area Eleven, blame it on this new faction and Britannia would come around sooner or later. Make the alliance seem like his idea.
The Chinese Federation would never request a foreign force to have military presence within their land, but it would be a different matter entirely if they bestowed that permission upon Lelouch. It would seem less suspicious, to both Britannia and to their own people. It would come across as the Empire requesting the Federation's assistance, not the other way around. And then, once Lelouch was in their land, they could spring whatever trap they liked on their own home territory.
"If it's information you want then I won't give it to you," Lelouch said. Gao Hai frowned. "Instead, I shall formally request your permission to hunt down these mutually dangerous elements within your land."
"Oh!" Gao Hai gasped in genuine surprise. "I- I see! Forgive me. That is a rather unexpected request, we did not anticipate that you would be so willing to provide such direct support. I shall have to consult the other High Eunuchs, of course."
"Of course." Well, if there was some small satisfaction he could take from deliberately stepping into the lion's den, it was how surprised the High Eunuch had been due to that revelation. "I do have one small favour to ask? Somehow, during their escape, the Black Knights have managed to capture someone of significant importance. If possible, we must insist that all due care is taken to retrieve that person. Is this clear?"
Enlightenment dawns. The confusion clears. Which is good, as it makes his actions seem more reasonable, rational, and less likely to be part of some grand scheme.
"The Chinese Federation shall take that request into consideration. Your highness, a pleasure to talk with you. We shall meet again soon."
If it were never again, it would still be too soon. Talking with one of those eight left a creeping sensation in his body, a physical revulsion akin to an allergy. Lelouch was glad to see the back of him, and he sincerely hoped that the time would come when he would be able to rid the world of those corrupt leeches sooner rather than later.
"It wasn't meant to be this way," Suzaku said. Lelouch allowed himself to relax now that the two of them were alone. His friend was right. Euphemia made matters a lot more complicated, and now he'd have to plan around her presence in China as well.
"If changing the world was easy, anyone would've already done it," Lelouch mused aloud.
"That's not what I mean," Suzaku shook his head. He stepped across the room and leaned over Lelouch in his seat. "Lelouch, this has got out of hand! You've got to put a stop to this, whatever you're trying to do –"
"What are you accusing me of, Suzaku?" Lelouch snapped. "That seems to be all you do these days, throw accusations and criticise my ethics! What I need is a friend, not a moral guardian watching over my shoulder all the time!"
"Kallen was the one you stuck with the arrow, wasn't it?" Suzaku asked. Damn him! "I thought so. You put our friends in danger, for what?"
"I trusted her, that's why!"
"She was a terrorist, and you gave her a Stand, and you let her stay at Ashford unchecked!" Suzaku fumed. "Next question: Who is Zero?"
"I don't –"
"No excuses! You're really trying to tell me you didn't peek under her mask when you were both piloting the Gawain? Or are you trying to tell me she kept her mask lit up the entire time you were near her, tonight and back then? You're too smart to let that happen, and if she didn't let you then it's strange that she knew how your Stand worked! Last question:
"Why did you bring Euphemia into this?"
Behold, the modern telling of the boy who cried wolf. Suzaku had caught him out in too many lies, too many half truths. Lelouch knew without saying anything that Suzaku wouldn't believe him no matter what excuse he gave. Shirley... Do you understand what you've done yet? This half baked plan, drawing in Euphemia. A spur of the moment decision with consequences beyond your awareness.
Placed in that position there was only one response Lelouch could give. He began to laugh. A deep maniacal laugh from the very abyss of his soul. The shadows around them seemed to laugh and laugh in unison alongside him, as the Prince threw back his head and let out all of the stress he was holding in, with one big laugh and one huge lie.
"Bring Euphemia into this? Why Suzaku, you say the strangest things! Yes, I admit it! I conspired with Zero to have her taken out of the country as their hostage! Don't you see? She's the perfect excuse! So long as they have her, I can justify anything to the homeland! I can ramp up security as much as I want. I can forge an alliance with the Chinese Federation to find these dangerous rogue elements - All with the tacit approval of the Black Knights."
"Lelouch, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I planned it all! This silly little rebellion, whether we won or lost the outcome didn't matter. I'd have what I wanted! Revenge against my mother's killer! Control over my life! A better world for Nunnally to live in! I will impose my own sense of justice on this world, no matter what it takes to get it done!"
'Hate me, Suzaku. You have to hate me.' That is what Lelouch was thinking at this time. 'You already suspect me. Now I must push you over the edge. It is the only way you will learn. The only way you will understand what must be done.'
"And the lives lost last night. Japanese and Britannian! Did they mean anything to you?"
"Pawns to be discarded! The game I am playing is too large to concerned with them."
Lelouch might as well have reached across the room and slapped him. This was for the best. The longer he allowed that slim thread of hope to connect them, the worse off it would be when it had to be cut.
"We shall be going in to rescue Euphemia within the week," Lelouch announced. "Once we are fully prepared, we shall launch a joint rescue mission with the Chinese Federation. Due to Princess Euphemia's involvement, I would like you to to be in charge of a team of Knightmares, which are roles that Sir Gottwald and Lady Nu shall also be playing. Do you find this acceptable Suzaku Kururugi?"
Though the salute was smart, Suzaku was trembling. "Yes, your highness," he seethed, then turned around and marched from the room. Just as he opened the door, Suzaku stopped. "But just so you know... It's not healthy to try and force everyone to hate you."
Then he left. Lelouch almost wanted to tell him that he had not been dismissed, but he suddenly didn't have the strength. He collapsed back into his chair and stared up at the ceiling.
"You cannot live without your blood..." he mused aloud to himself. "No matter how strong or how smart you are, you cannot deny the physical reality of your situation."
Was this how he felt? Lelouch had to wonder. There were still so many things that could go wrong, so many variables that he could not hope to account for, and far too much at stake. Ultimately that might be what was killing him about this whole situation. He was a tyrant. A total control freak. But in order to win this battle, he had to let that control slip free.
====Chigusa====
Some things in life are best avoided. The kind of things where it would better for everyone involved if it happened sometime the other side of 'never'. To that effect, Chigusa had been doing her very best to avoid interacting with a certain sort-of-former-colleague. It would just be awkward for everyone involved.
I should congratulate Lord Jeremiah for returning from the depths of hell. He's an inspiration to us all!
Yes, exactly. The two former Purebloods had a strong professional relationship built on mutual trust and admiration. At the very first chance she had, Chigusa had slipped away to mingle out among the rest of the party, trying her very best to keep away from Gottwald.
"You have done quite well for yourself, haven't you?" one noblewoman said. All of a sudden Chigusa was rather torn: Listen to these chattering hens, or pay attention to the incessant memories of Villetta Nu? Which was the worse torment.
"Oh, yes! Overcoming your obvious disadvantages like this." said another. Chigusa held fast onto the wince she felt coming and made it entirely internal. Showing weakness now would be signing her own death warrant!
"It only goes to show that our methodology is correct," the first added. "Stomp down hard enough, and what survives will be like a diamond in the rough."
Adversity breeds strength. Even among the Numbers, though their strength cannot compare.
It galled her. To think that she had risked her life - and by extension Villetta's - on that gambit for the sake of preening peacocks like these two. The look in their eyes, you could see it right away. They weren't addressing her like a peer. They were looking at her as though she was a dog that had learned a particularly clever trick. Amusing for a while, but the entertainment value was limited.
"I only did what I thought was right," Chigusa honestly said, though the smile on her face was a total lie. "That is all there is to it."
"A quite noble sentiment, coming from a Number!"
Chigusa whirled around. No! There he was, Jeremiah Gottwald! The last she'd seen of him, he was trying to attend to Princess Nunnally and her friends by the stage. What was he doing over here? Had he suddenly realised he was playing chaperone to a bunch of teenagers and felt the crushing weight of awkwardness?
No. That does not fit his character. He'd stamp on the awkwardness and wear it like a badge.
Ah, yes. Actually come to think of it, that did rather fit Gottwald's personality. Heck, Chigusa felt like if he was ordered to fill in as a birthday clown for a Royal brat his only question would probably be something like which flavour of pie they'd want to hit him with.
"Did I say something amusing?" Jeremiah asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, not at all," Chigusa replied, trying her absolute best to stop herself from laughing aloud. He'd fit the part really well! Just a dab of white makeup covering his face, ridiculous red lipstick. "Just happy to be here. Sir!"
"Pardon my intrusion," Jeremiah said to the noblewomen. "There is an inconsistency that needs resolution. Is that not correct, Miss Nu?"
Tsk! So he noticed that, did he? Well, at least he had the courtesy to lead them out into the hallway outside the ballroom. Less people around out here, a good deal more privacy for a conversation she did not wish to have. Make it like a bandaid. Tug it off all in one go.
This is a good chance for us to come up with some kind of plan. We need a strategy if we're going to set Area Eleven back on track...
『Heaven help us from those kind of strategies! 』 Chigusa threw up her hands in dismay, remembering all too well and all too precisely what those strategies entailed and how they were tailored to maximising the suffering of the conquered Numbers.
『It is my experience that heaven helps those that help themselves, 』 Jeremiah answered. He responded to her shock with a smile, and adjusted his collar. "People say that hatred comes from a lack of understanding, but that's only mistrust and fear, not hatred. In order to truly hate something you must fully understand it. I wanted to hate the Elevens for what I thought they had done to Marianne's children, so..."
"So you learned the language, just so you could spite us better..." Chigusa finished. "I don't know whether to find that despicable or admirable."
Admirable. His dedication does the Empire proud.
"Chigusa, isn't it?" Jeremiah asked ."That is the name you have chosen for yourself, after New Clear Days transformed you?"
Huh? This reaction was strange, almost as if - "You already knew about my - About Viletta's encounter with Kusakabe and his stupid Stand?"
"Of course I did! I have already seen what had befallen Lamorak. It was a shock to realise that such a thing might have happened to you as well. But transformed or not your actions have made clear that you are still loyal to Britannia! Risking life and limb to discover the traitor's base of operations, using ingenuity, cunning and guile! Remarkable!" He smiled, and threw Chigusa's own choice of word back at her, meaning it as a compliment, but it didn't feel that way. "Admirable. But have no fear, for we shall find Kusakabe before long."
"Then what?" Chigusa interrupted. "You'll find him. You'll kill him. There's your mistake, Jeremiah Gottwald. You came out here today thinking you were going to comfort a friend, a colleague. And yet... I know you, but you don't know a damn thing about me."
Ah, good! He seemed taken aback by that. Now the ball was in Chigusa's court, and she had no intention of handing it back anytime soon.
"You think I ratted out the Black Knights because I'm loyal to Britannia?" she asked. "Did you hear the way they talked to me in there? I am a guest of honour and they still treat me like dirt?" She tapped the side of her head. "I still have all her memories up here, you know. You spent so long looking down on the Elevens, talking about how they're a bunch of rotten untrustworthy troublemakers. Well then, here's a mystery solved: Who is going to show respect to an authority that looks down its nose at you?"
"Someone fearful for their lives," Gottwald answered.
"Everyone dies," Chigusa said. "Any moment now, that idiot who made me might get exposed to direct sunlight, or run into a Stand user, or get his fool head blown up. Then what happens to me? I become her again."
Gottwald had the good sense to stay quiet, but she could tell what he was thinking. It was plain to see, she didn't even need to rely on a perfect set of memories about him to guess. He was thinking something like 'And what is wrong with becoming Villetta again?'
"Just as I replaced her, she will replace me," Chigusa continued. "It could happen at any moment. Or maybe I'll die a regular death. Maybe that would be better!" Ah, and now she was smiling. "Do you know, it's funny. She put a spell on me to make me remember her perfectly. And do you remember what you said earlier?"
"In order to truly hate something you must fully understand it," Jeremiah said. "Fear of death is nothing to be ashamed of. It is the most natural reaction for an intelligent being to dread the end of its existence."
"It's not the dread," Chigusa corrected. "It's... I can't forget, I can't ever bring myself to forget. It''s always there, eating at my mind... And that is why I sold out the Black Knights. So that when she did come back, Villetta would have to see that her greatest accomplishment in life came about at a time where she was turned into a lowly Eleven. It will eat at her pride for the rest of her life, and she will never be able to forget about it."
"Spite, for the same reason I learned the Japanese language," Jeremiah mused. "Ah, Villetta. I taught you too well, or perhaps you were too eager to learn?" And then he did the last thing that Chigusa would have expected him to do: He saluted her. Not in a fit of sarcasm, nor with a trace of mockery. A genuine salute of respect. "Then take heed of this one last lesson, Chigusa Nu, for soon we shall head into the battle that shall undoubtedly be your last. There is indeed someone that you hate.
But her name isn't Villetta."
Jeremiah opened the door and went back inside, leaving Chigusa out in the hallway alone. No, that was wrong. She was never alone, was she? With these memories stuck in her head, and the shadow of death laying its hand just above her shoulder how could she ever be alone?
Lord Jeremiah has certainly changed. He took this better than expected.
"Yes, he did..." Chigusa mused. "If a man that once led the Purist faction could change his views on Elevens so much, then maybe there's hope for everyone?"
====Kallen====
Of all the things Kallen hated about this mess, this had to be up there. Babysitting royalty, ugh. Look at her, you can see it in her eyes. At least Lelouch and Nunnally had gone through some real, genuine hardship in their lives. They weren't spoiled, they weren't pampered and they didn't look down on everyone else.
...
Nunnally didn't look down on everyone else. Lelouch was complicated. But Euphemia, oh, she was nice and simple. A typical spoiled Britannian Princess who quite probably thought this was all some big happy adventure, who would freak out and make everything worse the instant something went wrong.
"So? How shall we explain my appearance?" Euphemia asked. "I suppose we should tell them that Zero managed a miracle, and will be joining them later on. How does that sound, Miss Stadtfeld?"
"As good a plan as any," Kallen replied through grit teeth. "And my name is Kallen Kozuki. Not Stadtfeld, got it?"
"Kozuki," Euphemia repeated. "As in, Mirai Kozuki?" Kallen stopped and glanced back at the princess. She remembered an Eleven's name? "I'm so sorry. If I had the faintest idea –"
"You'd what?" Kallen asked. "Put your foot down? Demand your sister put a stop to it? Please! As if you'd have a falling out with your sister over some random Number. Don't give me your false pity your highness. I'm not giving you any room to escape. No sympathy, not a single thing."
She could almost see Euphemia hardening up. There we go, that was a bit more like it. "I was being quite genuine," she said. "That kind of suspicious attitude is hardly conducive to a peaceful future, and furthermore –"
"Furthermore, we won't have peace so long as Britannia stays in charge!"
"That is a rather bad habit you have," Euphemia said. "Do you often interrupt people while they are speaking to you?"
"Speaking or lecturing?" Kallen replied. "Because the last thing I want or need is to be lectured at by a spoiled Princess! Do you really expect me to believe you can change things peacefully?"
"Of course we can!" Euphemia insisted. "Victory by force will make the losers resent the winners, and then everything will begin all over again. The only way to make peace last is to use the system and work within it to enact change."
This garbage again? "What about those who can't work within the system?" she asked. "Does their opinion not matter? You want to leave them feeling powerless, let them get ground up in that system you love so much?"
"What about those who have no choice but to work within the system?" Euphemia replied, and this was not an answer Kallen was expecting. It made her reel, taking a step away. This Princess had more bite to her than expected. "You would leave them powerless? You would call them evil? Cogs in the grand machine grinding up the less fortunate? This may surprise you to learn but I wept over your mother's death and I did argue with Cornelia about it. Such pointless petty cruelty! It's no different than when I killed - "
Euphemia stopped cold, as though she'd been running at full speed and smashed first first into a solid brick wall.
"When I k-killed General Darlton," she continued, grasping her arms as though shivering. Euphemia stepped back and sunk to her knees, breathing heavily. If Kallen didn't know any better, she'd swear the Princess was having a panic attack. "I... I killed him!"
"You mean Anubis killed him," Kallen corrected. Not because she was trying to make Euphemia feel better, but because facts do actually matter. Besides which she was pretty well convinced this was another play for sympathy.
"No, I did it!" Euphemia insisted, violently shaking her head. She was shivering so hard, you'd think they were in the arctic circle. "It's my fault. I should have fought harder to keep control." Her trembling hand flew to her mouth, and she stared off into the distance, at some horrifying image that existed only in her own memory. "Andreas... .Alfred..." She choked back.
Kallen rolled her eyes. It might seem harsh, but after what she'd been through already this act was getting stale. "If you think I'm going to shed tears about Britannian soldiers and nobles dying, then you'd better be ready for disappointment."
"You should!" Euphemia suddenly yelled. "General Darlton was one of the finest men I ever knew! Do you have any idea how many war orphans he adopted? Or how hard he fought for the rights of Numbers?" Euphemia lifted her head, and here we go, that was real genuine anger she was showing now. "No, of course not. To you it's all black and white. Britannia is evil and Japan is... Good... " For some reason the Princess trailed off while staring quite intensely up at Kallen's face. It was honestly a little unsettling. "What's that on your face?"
Her face? Kallen stiffened. She didn't feel anything, but that sort of objection was so bizarre... And there was something in her tone of voice that shook Kallen so thoroughly that she summoned Jumpin' Jack Flash and had her Stand turn around to get it to look at herself, so she could see through its eyes what she meant and if it was a lie.
The Princess wasn't lying. There was something there, moving across the surface of her skin as though someone was shining a projector across her face. It moved up to the top of her head, moving across her scalp and her hair. It then stayed still for a moment, then quickly moved aside. A small something was suddenly resting where it had been.
A little round fleshy bud.
It split open, and Kallen's hands were already moving. She swept it off the top of her head, where it bounced to the floor and revealed a sinister looking tendril which seemed to be searching beneath itself for something. Both Kallen and Euphemia stared at it in horror, but then Kallen sucked in a gulp of air and had Jumpin' Jack Flash send out a leg towards whatever the hell that was. The springy leg extended and uncoiled, but its foot did not connect with the floor. Instead veering off at the last possible moment back up into the air.
In so doing, the flesh bud was left in between two pieces of metal. When the leg was pulled back in, the flesh bud was squashed, trapped within her Stand's leg.
"Wh-What was that?" Euphemia gulped. Though her breathing was still heavy, it seemed her panic attack was forgotten for the moment.
"A flesh bud!" Kallen answered. Her eyes darted around the room, settling on the door. There was something on the door! It covered the lock, and to Kallen's surprise and horror the deadbolt slid out.
Without even thinking, Kallen swept her arm back, keeping herself between Euphemia and the door. It swung open, and revealed the bright and friendly face of Lady Kaguya.
"Oh my goodness!" Kaguya clasped her hands together. Her grin was at once innocent and threatening. "So that was the legendary Jumpin' Jack Flash. Most impressive, Lady Kallen. With a Stand like that you are certainly deserving of your position as the ace of the Black Knights."
The smaller girl strode delicately into the room, all smiles and innocence. "Although, I am rather curious how you knew about the flesh bud. Naughty, naughty!"
But Kallen had her eyes on the floor around her. There were things moving around on the surface, swarming all around her. They looked like fairies, tiny women with wings, except they were all... Pixelated. Like you'd see in an old computer game.
"And Princess Euphemia too," Kaguya tsked. She kicked the door closed, and the deadbolt slid back into place, pulled there by one of the fairies. "Oh, Kallen. I am disappointed, how deeply have you been corrupted?"
"Not nearly as deeply as you have!" Kallen yelled. She summoned her Stand and sent it out to punch Kaguya in the face -
Then all of a sudden Kallen felt something under her foot. Despite herself, she stumbled, had to catch herself on a table to keep herself from falling over. A tennis ball? How did a tennis ball get under her foot?
Euphemia gasped. "Kallen! Your hand!"
"Huh? What about my hand?" Oh. Ask a stupid question. One of the fairies was resting on top of Kallen's hand just now, but it wasn't just resting there. Somehow - and don't ask Kallen how - but half of Kallen's hand had been completely flattened against the table's surface! "Wh-What?! What the hell is this?!"
"So? Do you like my friends?" Kaguya asked, with an echo of a giggle and a titter in her voice. Four fairies flitted around the walls of the room, giggling and laughing in time with their Stand user. "Who would be a scary monster when you can have my little Nice Sprites?"
[To Be Continued |\|]
Stand Stats
Nice Sprites
Appearance: Five Pixelated Sprites.
User: Lady Kaguya
Stats
Destructive power: D
Speed: C
Range: C
Durability: D
Precision: B
Developmental Potential: C
Abilities
Fairy Swarm: There are five Sprites, which may move independently of each other. Each is about the size of a woman's hand.
On the Surface: The Stand may only move along solid surfaces. It may not move freely through gas or liquid unless on a solid object's surface. If two solid surfaces are in direct contact with one another, the Stand may transfer from one surface to the other.
Flatten: While a Sprite is atop a solid object, it may flatten the covered portion of the object against a given surface. However, there is a condition to this effect.
It may only be done if two or more 'parts' of the sprite are touching the surface, with each part divided by the object. The covered area in between these two 'parts' can be flattened at will by the Stand, or returned to normal. If it helps, think of it like a bridge covering a river. In this metaphor only the part directly under the bridge is being affected.
Objects are not damaged by the process of being flattened alone. However, any damage inflicted on the flattened portion of an object will be shared throughout the lost third dimension.
The Stand may carry entirely covered objects. A flattened object (or a section of one) may be carried if - in its normal state - it could be reasonably moved by an ordinary human hand.
