Chapter 66: Heartache
====Lena====
As a monster aficionado, it's quite cliche to state that the vampire is your favourite kind of monster. It's like saying you like chocolate. Of course you do. Almost everyone does! It would be more abnormal to say that you hated vampires!
Well, Lena was certainly no different. Vampires were her favourite kind of monster. Blood sucking creatures of the night had cropped up in all cultures across the world, and for good reason. The notion of being fed upon while still yet living is a chilling thought for most humans. The idea of an intelligent predator lurking among our midst, preying upon us with unimaginable powers and irresistible charm. It was thrilling. Frightening beyond belief.
So imagine how Lena must have felt on learning that vampires did exist.
Even now her heart was pounding with anticipation as she approached Master Joestar's office. The door was slightly ajar, so she gently pushed inside. Just in time as well. One of the Master's other servants was approaching to flip a "Transmission" sign.
In the office itself Master Joestar was sitting in an officious looking seat with a tall red back. His hands were clasped and resting neatly on the desk in front of him. On the other side of the desk a camera was directly facing him. Of course. Lena kept quiet and watched patiently as he broadcast across the continent.
"My fellow citizens of Europe, it is with great pleasure that I formally announce: The Holy Britannian Empire has surrendered Area Eleven."
It struck Lena then that Jonathan Joestar had become a monster far more frightening than a vampire. It was a monster that was often hated and reviled. Yet it fed upon adulation, fear or both. It was a monster so terrible that it could only truly be defeated in any meaningful way by another of its kind.
"While the United Federation of Nations has rebuffed my offer of friendship, I do not hold this against them. They are still a neonate on the world stage... and yet they have already scored a tremendous victory in the name of freedom and democracy."
To put it another way: A monster called a politician.
Mister Joestar rose to his full considerable height and saluted the camera, which rose with him. It would never have kept him in the frame otherwise. "I salute you, Black Knights! I salute you, Zero! Your determination shows that this world is marching on. Not towards tyranny, but towards embracing freedom! I can only hope that you will see sense soon, and join with us for the sake of a better tomorrow, that together we may lead the world to heaven!"
"And we're off the air!" the director said. "Excellent take Jonathan."
"Master Joestar, to you!" Lena said, applauding violently as she stalked across to her Master. "Superb statesmanship, Master Joestar! That infectious charisma, casting its spell across a continent! Oh, it gave me chills down my spine! Such wonderful chills!"
The filming crew quickly left, avoiding eye contact with Lena as they went. Bah! Let them leave. A good minion always knew not to stay where their business was already completed. All the better if her 'enthusiasm' scared them off.
Ooh... Scared them off. Not quite the kind of fear that she usually enjoyed, but there was a little something to be found in there.
"Thank you Lena," Master Joestar said, seating himself calmly at his desk. "Your compliments are much appreciated. To be honest I am still not used to matters of television and cameras. If not for my amateur high school theatrical performances, I might have had stage fright."
"Aha, so even a vampire can feel that kind of fear," Lena nodded. "Fascinating! So interesting! Thank you so very much for this opportunity to study a real living vampire!"
Were Jonathan less of a gentleman he might have said something like 'less of the 'living' please.' But Jonathan was a gentleman before he was a vampire, and certainly before he was a politician. So he let it pass and instead moved the conversation on in a more gentle manner.
"I am pleased to provide you with this opportunity," he said. "Though forgive me, my curiosity compels me to enquire: Was there another matter you wished to discuss?"
Lena's face fell more serious at that. "Of course," she said. "We do have other more important issues to talk about, do we not? Well. In this case, Mister Pucci has finished his interrogation of the Britannian spy network we uncovered thanks to your wonderful advice."
Jonathan took the praise in his stride, like water running off a duck's back. Why, it was almost as though he felt he didn't deserve the praise at all! Was she not putting enough emotion into it? Was she not coming across as sincere enough in her belief about how wonderful he must be?
This was easy for her to believe: To figure out the likeliest places Britannia would place spies so easily that it was almost second nature - that was no mean feat! It might not be possible to hail his genius enough. She could probably spend the rest of her life coming up with new ways to compliment him and it still wouldn't be enough.
"The prisoners are to be treated kindly," Jonathan said. "They are not to be killed or tortured under any circumstance."
"Their memories have been returned to them," Lena said. "That is, except for specifics related to methods they may use to contact the homeland should they manage to escape. Mister Pucci felt it would not be cruel or unusual to remove these memories and keep them stored away. Further, Sir Stroheim felt they may prove a useful vector for feeding false information to Britannia as well, though Princess Cornelia felt that Prince Schneizel will see through such measures."
"I am inclined to agree with Cornelia on this matter," Master Joestar immediately said. "You may return those memories to them. It will not matter anymore; Schneizel will have already changed security measures for their intelligence network and written off those spies as lost."
"You mean... Britannia will not attempt to retrieve them?"
"It is far more likely they will attempt to send in more spies," Master Joestar tutted. "And they, too, must be well treated when they are captured."
Aha, of course! Lena had been wondering why Master Joestar would bother keeping this many spies alive. To a vampire, surely those lives could not possibly matter to him. Now she had a measure of understanding to it: He was hoarding them. Keeping them safe for some grand ritual that required a mass sacrifice. He was expecting Britannia to send in more spies. More sacrifices who must be kept safe and secure and alive until the fateful day where he could enact it! He did not grab hold of civilians from his own population because it would risk a public outcry which might interfere with his plans, but making use of enemy agents...
Ohoho! Of course! It was so obvious to her now! How cunning and twisted he was!
"Your will shall be done," Lena said, giving a slight bow.
Master Joestar stared at her for a silent moment as though he was carefully thinking about her. Then, he rose from his chair with a softness that belied his considerable size. He walked around the table in a similar manner, as though treading on eggshells, then tugged open the curtain to look over the city of Paris at night time.
"Lena. What do you think of Europe's capital?" he asked.
"Gothic architecture, numerous 'haunted' locations?" Lena asked. "And, of course, the site of many famous horror scenes in movie history! Some may come here for the romance, but I am here for the thrills! Others may come to see the art and museums, but I am here to wander the upside down catacombs!" Lena allowed herself a slight cackle there. "What a wonderful display those are! A vicious and dark reflection of the pretty city above. Like all great monsters, a superb metaphor for the human condition!"
"I see. Do you know why I recruited you, Lena?" Master Joestar asked, suddenly changing the topic of conversation. Or so she believed at first. "You probably think it was because of your Stand. Forgive me, but that is not the case. There was another reason."
"It does not matter to me why you sought me out," Lena said, bowing once again. "Meeting a real vampire, how could I not pledge my life to an unliving legend?"
In the blink of an eye he was in front of her, gently lifting her head so she would look him in the eyes. Ah! This lighting! It made him seem so sinister, and yet so kind!
"Do not bow your head to me so readily Lena. I am not worthy," Master Joestar said. "There is potential within you for decency and good. If I can bring it to the surface within you, then perhaps even the devil himself can also be reformed."
The meaning of those words were completely lost on Lena. Nobility? In her soul? Oh, of course. Now she understood his real meaning. It was a test. A trial run. If he could find a way to redeem her, make her into one of the goody two shoes, then there was a risk the same thing could be done to him. She, the lowly minion, was the canary in the mine. His warning in advance.
"The devil himself?" Lena asked. "You mean... Your brother, the Chancellor?"
"No," Master Joestar sadly shook his head. "I am talking about Lelouch."
Lelouch vi Britannia. Of course. That Prince was on the forefront of his mind these last few days, for reasons she could not explain. "Forgive my impertinence," she suddenly said. "It is my opinion that we should have recruited him, rather than his sister. The brooding, dark Prince would have made a far more appropriate ally than a recently recovered cripple."
She'd gone a touch too far now. She could see it in his demeanour. And in the carefully controlled tenor of his powerful voice when he spoke next.
"If you applied yourself Lena, you could help the entire world. I wish for you to see this. Unless there is another matter, please return to your other duties."
Help the entire world... to know fear and terror like old travelling companions. In her twisted mind, Lena understood fully what Jonathan Joestar intended as her destiny. Bring her obsession with fear and monsters to the population at large! What else could it be? What else could you call it? When he'd told her what he intended to do, no other interpretation could possibly be expected!
"At once, Master Joestar!" she said. Lena spun around on her heels and marched smartly out of the room Out in the hallways she buzzed with excitement. Ah! To see a true master of evil up close and at work! It was so refreshing to behold.
To calm herself down a little Lena looked outside. It was a clear night over Paris. Not a cloud in the sky. She could see the stars clearly, up above in the endless sea of inky black. She'd always loved the night's sky. The darkness hid such terrible things. Moonlight gave everything an ethereal glow, and the twinkling stars - mere pinpricks of light - added ambience and mystique. Twinkling lights that couples would stare up at in awe of creation before being consumed by some horrible monster. Twinkling lights, that might well be the last remains in this universe of a long dead star.
Twinkling lights... which the people of Earth would soon come to look up at in fear. For that may not be a star in the heavens above. It may be the very incarnation of doom and catastrophe.
"How delicious," Lena chuckled to herself. "That a classical sun God's name would be given... to a vampire's method of controlling humanity."
====Lelouch====
The Flavian Amphitheatre was the largest of its kind. An oval, open aired arena that was almost two thousand years old. In its splendour it could seat between fifty and eighty thousand spectators, who would gather to view privately funded shows ranging from animal performance, public spectacles and even - for a short time - mock sea battles.
But it was most commonly known for gladiatorial contests. Armed combatants who fought for the entertainment of the masses. They would fight each other, wild animals and condemned criminals. Some were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing. Others, reviled as slaves even in death. These entertainers put their lives on the line in part to demonstrate the Roman Empire's martial ethics: Fight well, die well, and the crowd will admire you. Fight poorly, or die like a coward? Then they would spit on your name if they had the chance.
That was then. Now, this impressive structure had fallen victim to the ravages of time. No longer were there contests of wit or strength. No longer were there crowds baying for blood, deciding life or death with the curve of their thumb. These ruins were now a tourist attraction. A historical reminder to the people of Europe of a time where the people believed themselves to be civilised and yet hid that undercurrent of barbarism where they could treat a man's real death as a family day out for the well-connected or lucky.
What a place for a reunion. For it seemed as though this blood soaked stone had grown hungry over the centuries. Perhaps ghosts of the past were stirring in the seats in anticipation. A fight! Between two people who could never have believed they would be on opposite sides!
Weapons of all kinds scattered the ground. One combatant: A boy. Tall, dark haired and thin. Upon his face a mask of swirling emotion: Confusion and fright and more besides than even his mind could keep track of. Opposite him, a girl with flowing brown hair standing in front of a wheelchair. She was wearing a blood red dress, and her arms were crossed defiantly in front of her while her eyes -
Protect yourself, you fool!
However shocked Lelouch might have been there was still a part of him that was distantly analysing the situation he was in. Her Geass! He closed his eyes right away, then used Painted Black to make them partially visible, it was like looking through a pair of sunglasses. He could only hope it was not too dark for him to see this way, there was no telling what sort of action she might -
What am I doing? This is Nunnally!
Is it, though? It might be a disguise, or a shapeshifter.
And if it isn't? What if she's being controlled in some way?
"Are you that afraid?" Nunnally asked, standing in the middle of the dark arena. The shadows almost seemed like a long cloak attached to her shoulders. "Big brother, does Geass frighten you that much? Or is it me you're afraid of?"
Afraid? Of Nunnally? Don't be ridiculous, the very idea is absurd.
I have to be afraid! If she's being controlled somehow she'd make an excellent weapon against me.
Deep breaths now. He could use his Stand for other things as well. A flesh bud? That was one possibility out of a dozen, and the easiest to check. JOJO was a vampire, so it was a reasonable - No? Nothing. Nothing there at all! He'd quickly made parts of the person in front of him invisible to check for flesh buds or disguise, but... nothing. No mask, no makeup either. So far as he could tell, this really was Nunnally!
Need more information.
Stop treating her like an enemy to figure out.
Until I know why she's doing this, what else can I do?
Be relieved! She's there, safe and... and walking. How is she able to walk?
"Nunnally," Lelouch choked out. "Your legs... You're - how are you able to stand?"
"Stand?" Nunnally repeated. She snorted derisively. It was a sound Lelouch had never heard before. He didn't much care for it. "Isn't it funny how much that word has changed our lives? 'Stand' has directed our destiny in ways you can't even imagine."
"A Stand healed you...?" he inquired.
"Gyro Zeppeli is a true master of the Spin technique," Nunnally corrected. "Through a combination of Spin and Ripple's healing properties we were able to repair the nervous damage, though it did take a few weeks of therapy. So? I've answered your question. Now you answer mine. Fight me or run away?"
Strong. When did she become so strong? It must have happened quickly. While I wasn't watching. While I was trying to build a better world for her, she was growing strong. So fast...
"Why do I have to make that choice?" He wasn't sure if he was asking, begging, or both. Details. It was the details that were tripping him up. The little pieces that he didn't know which would bring it all together, they were indistinct. Blurry, hard to make out like - like Nunnally's features in the midst of this ill lit night.
"Because you have to choose, big brother. Which is more important to you? Me, or the better world you've been trying to make?"
"They're the same thing!" Lelouch replied. "Everything I've been trying to do until now, it's all been for your sake! I don't want power! I want you to be safe, that's all!"
"When did I ever ask for that?" Nunnally yelled back at him. Yelled at him... she'd never yelled at him before! Even when she admonished him, it was with her normal gentle tone. Lelouch stumbled back in shock. "All I ever wanted was for us to live together, in peace! I didn't want revenge! I didn't want a revolution!"
I know that. Of course I did. Doesn't she understand? She deserves to live in a better world, but she'd never ask for it. She's too kind to make that kind of request.
So I had to sacrifice myself. Take the step that she would never ask for. Leave her side for extended periods. Sacrificing the present for the future.
Was that making her unhappy? Was I making the right choice in doing that?
Of course it was the right choice. It was a gamble based on what I knew at the time.
A gamble that has led to this moment. Can you honestly say it was the right choice to make?
Of course it was!
Are you sure? I'm the only person you can't ever lie to; I am you.
"Would it have been better to live in hiding for the rest of our lives? A future in constant fear of assassination?" Lelouch protested. "This was for your sake! For your future!"
"A future without you wouldn't be a future worth living," Nunnally said. "Besides which. If you only think about the future, the present will slip by without you even noticing."
He couldn't get a handle on what she was trying to argue here. No, it would be more precise to say that he didn't understand how the line of reasoning she was using was leading her into these actions. "Did you truly want to come out of hiding? To return to the Imperial Court?"
"No," Nunnally said. "Like I said before: All I ever wanted was to live peacefully with you. Even now, we can still have that life. Let someone else worry about the future of humanity. We can live a quiet life. Together. Without you needing to look after me all the time."
"You won't feel that way forever," Lelouch countered, almost in spite of himself. "All the suffering in the world, you wouldn't be able to shield yourself from it. The bigotry, the bullying, the tyranny and the injustice! It would wear away at you. It would make you miserable! That's why I had to do whatever I could. Nunnally, please understand. You're too good and selfless!"
"Me? Selfless?" she interrupted, scoffing. "Big brother, you don't understand. Nothing in this world is more important to me than you. That's why I'm confronting you here today, at this ancient arena. It's the only way to pull you from the destructive path you've been travelling. If I can force you to realise what's more important to you - "
She stopped herself and stared at him, taking a series of deep controlled breaths.
As the action had not yet started, one would expect the ancient spirits would have grown restless by now. They were used to spectacles! Violence. Blood spilled, lives ended or shortened for their entertainment. Yet nothing had happened yet. No action had taken place as of yet.
But that view is very much from the perspective of the living. These audience members were long since dead. While they would surely have been enthralled by a tantalising close battle between two adversaries, their unique perspective from beyond the veil was giving them a grander view of the real battle on display. Or should that be two battles, going on at once before their eyes.
"Please stop dodging the question," she said, taking a threatening step forward. Ripple energy was glowing in her hands, and a shocking focused determination was showing in her eyes. "Fight me, or run away."
A battle that was not between these two siblings, but rather within them.
====Nina====
Nina Einstein knew her limits and she knew them well. Her expertise was in the laboratory, not in a swimming pool like Shirley or some fancy party like Milly. She was no good at the whole 'interpersonal interaction' matter that school was meant to build up alongside education. She was a wallflower, not a social butterfly.
Which meant it was perfectly fine to her that she was in here alone. Peace and quiet. Nobody around here was thinking badly of her for being plain and shy. Nor was there any random bullshit going off all around her. See! It was all nice, all good -
"43, 47, 53, 59..."
Except for the fact that if a visitor did come, she had nowhere to scurry off to and nothing to pretend that she was doing that was keeping her too busy to talk to them.
Her visitor stopped counting off prime numbers at the same time he stopped approaching her cell. He was a tall and thin man. Dark skinned, short white hair with weird patterns cut into it. Though his clothes caught her attention the most keenly. A dark suit with a yellow cross on his torso, and the distinctive white collar of a priest around his neck.
"A priest counting off prime numbers?" Nina sniffed. "I don't want to talk to anyone, and I have nothing to confess."
"Everyone has something that weighs down their soul," the priest said. "Nina... Einstein. My name is Enrico Pucci." He bowed a little to her. Strangely, it felt almost sincere even to Nina's skeptical mind. "Have no fear. I have not come here expecting a conversion or a confession. I have come because you refuse to see Miss Ashford, and she is quite concerned for your mental stability."
"Well, you can tell Milly that I'm perfectly fine!" Nina yelled. She turned her back on him. "Treating me like a child. As always! Ridiculous. I still don't understand why she turned traitor."
"Your friend is answering a higher calling," Pucci answered. Ugh. Nina couldn't help but roll her eyes. A stock religious answer, what else could she have expected? "You don't approve of my answer? Was there something wrong with what I had said?"
Nina turned away and did not respond. If she said nothing then maybe he would get the hint. Sure, it was a little petulant. Sure, she'd complained about being treated like a child a minute ago. But still! Talking to some strange European priest was not going to help her get over this weird situation and it certainly would not improve her mood. Therefore: Silence.
"Did you hear my question, Miss... Einstein?" Pucci asked. "Pardon me, may I call you Nina?" Neither question got an answer. She was unmovable on this. No matter what he said, she wouldn't rise to it. Wouldn't respond. Then eventually he would go away and leave her - "Ah, I see. Now I understand your earlier reaction. The only higher calling that you believe in is the modern day religion: Science."
Nina's eye twitched and she spun around to stare at the priest angrily. "Science is not a religion!" she yelled. "It is a methodology to examine truth. Not some made up fairy stories by a bunch of cavemen!"
"Is it, now?" Pucci asked. Ah, now he was sitting down confidently on a chair outside her cell. The priest leaned forwards towards her, hands clasped together. "And why do you have faith that this methodology will lead you to the 'correct answer' about reality? Does science not often change what it says about the world we live in?"
"Of course it does! That's the point!" Nina yelled. Honestly, this ignorant backwards fool of a foreigner. No wonder Britannia was so far ahead of the rest of the world if men like this were in charge of things. "You test your hypothesis against the evidence available! If contradictory evidence is produced, you refine the idea! That's how science works?"
"I see," Pucci smiled, utterly unphased. "You seem to have a lot of faith in this method. What if the way the universe works suddenly 'changed'? Would your methodology still hold up?"
"That is a ridiculous assertion, how would the universe suddenly change how it –"
"Stands," Pucci said. A single word argument that left Nina completely flat-footed. The existence of Stands did not hold up under any scientific model. The varied ways in which they functioned, the effects they could cause, the general standard rules for how they worked and interacted with each other - they defied the laws of physics in so, so many ways.
But Nina wasn't caught off guard for long.
"That only proves the existence of Stands," Nina said. "It means that science has an incomplete understanding, it doesn't prove anything about divinity."
"Then what of the undead?" Pucci asked. "You've seen them as well, have you not? People brought back from beyond the veil? Vampires and zombies, surely science tells you that dead flesh cannot be so easily reanimated."
"Not under current models - " Nina began, then immediately clammed up. There was something wrong here. Enrico Pucci was too relaxed. He was enjoying himself.
"Ah, you finally noticed," Pucci said. "Yes, I baited you into an argument. It seemed to be the best way to break the ice. Now that it is, why don't we talk a little longer?"
Now Nina was really determined to stay quiet! She made a point of turning around again. This time she'd block him out completely. No matter what he said, she wouldn't let him draw her into any kind of argument. Not this time, not again!
"I find the Britannian Empire's philosophy quite interesting," Pucci went on, heedless of her silence. Or to put it another way, ignoring her ignoring him. "Survival of the fittest, a Darwinian society... Though Charles Darwin felt the phrase was rather a simplified misdirection of his findings. Excuse me. Saint Darwin."
That old tired argument again. Ugh! It only went to show that the Empire was the only place to really appreciate the Theory of Evolution and what it showed about reality. Despite her frustrations Nina bit her tongue. She would not be drawn into another argument no matter what he said.
"Perhaps you misunderstood my position earlier on," Pucci continued. "I do not disbelieve in 'evolution'. I believe that it is present in many things. Politics, business and perhaps even the laws of reality itself."
... What nonsense was he spouting now? Was that drawing on his earlier ridiculous argument? Nina stayed quiet but she couldn't exactly close her ears.
"The laws of the universe are changing all around us," Pucci said. "The existence of the inexplicable. Beings that cheat death. Ghostly spirits that follow their own rules. This too is a form of evolution, competing against the established order. By the time the dust has settled, much of what science has uncovered will be irrelevant. In the end humanity will not be able to rely upon a methodology. Instead, humanity shall have to rely on 'gravity' and 'faith'."
More nonsense. All he's doing at this point is embarrassing himself. There wasn't even any point in debating someone with a viewpoint that insane - that is, assuming he wasn't trying to bait her into another argument. The frustrating part was, Nina couldn't stop grinding her teeth in frustration at hearing this kind of inane stupidity. She really wanted to point out exactly how much of a know nothing idiot he was being.
Fortunately, he didn't get the chance to say anything further on the issue. Unfortunately it was because they had more company. Even worse than that -
"Hello Miss Einstein. Hello Mister Pucci."
Sayoko. The traitorous Eleven maid, personally assigned by the Ashford family to care for the Royalty they were secretly protecting. Striding into this room, side by side with her fellow Eleven. This. This didn't push Nina's buttons. It took a hammer to her buttons.
"How dare you show your face?" Nina spat. Sayoko actually hesitated for a moment mid-stride, then she took a controlled breath and continued walking. "Oh? What's wrong? Can an Eleven traitor even feel guilt? How long were you planning this for? Was this the real reason you were dutifully serving us all that time?"
"Welcome back, Miss Sayoko!" Pucci said. "I trust your mission was a success?"
Sayoko curtseyed to him. "Yes. Thanks to your assistance. However, I must now return that which I borrowed. Takako was kind enough to tell me you were visiting Miss Einstein to keep her company."
"Is that her?" the other Eleven - presumably Takako - asked, nodding towards Nina. "This mousy, scrawny little thing is Nina Einstein?"
The Eleven took out a deck of cards and shuffled it menacingly while approaching Nina's cell. There was a gleam in this Eleven's eyes that you couldn't really call human anymore. It was distant, yet furious. It was as if someone was working through a difficult maths problem while planning to murder the person who had set it for them. This reaction to her was so surreal that Nina stepped back, further into her cell.
"I'll cover the floor with these cards," the Eleven quietly said. "I wonder how long you'd survive. Would you like to place a bet?"
"Takako. Please don't do this." Sayoko stepped in front of the other Eleven. No, stepped wasn't the right word. It would imply that Nina had seen her do it. Instead, Sayoko seemed to blink into existence right in front of the other woman. "While I appreciate your anger –"
"Anger?" Takako spat. "You know what she is! You know what she's created! Why are we keeping her locked up when we can stop her!"
"Because she has not yet committed the sin that rakes across your soul," Pucci said. He stepped towards the two Elevens with his hands held behind his back. An air of utter confidence about him. Genuine serenity and peace. "Because we should hate the sin and not the sinner. Because... We should forgive her trespass, for she knows not what she has done. Or will do."
"Sin? What are you talking about?" Nina yelled. This was so confusing. "I thought you wanted me because of my research!"
Her research. Her research into... Something. She was a scientist, right? Strange. It was as if there was a hole in her memory right where her research ought to be. It was about... something. The military seemed especially interested in it for some reason, but that hardly narrowed it down. A lot of research had potentially military applications. Why couldn't she remember it?
"Pardon me Nina," Pucci said. "It was a pleasure talking with you. Ah. I almost forgot. Our research team send their regards. Apparently, your work was exemplary."
"My work?" Nina asked. And then it clicked. "You took something from me! Give it back!"
"No, Nina." Sayoko sadly shook her head. "It would be better for you if you did not remember. I am sure Milly has told you this already, but this is all for your own good."
Her own good? Keeping her caged in here like some kind of animal? Oh yes, that's exactly what Takako was looking at right now. A caged wild animal, rabid and feral. That's all this backwards Eleven could see in that cage, Nina could tell from the way she was shuffling those cards. It was like watching someone sharpen a knife.
"Sayoko, I'm rather afraid that asking her to have faith will not work for Nina," Pucci said, gently guiding the other two away from the cell. "What she needs is the one thing we cannot give her, for the sake of her own sanity. The same thing that the 'scientific method' requires before a scientist may apply a change in hypothesis."
The priest turned back to smile at her. "Evidence so weighty, its 'gravity' pulls you towards a different solution. Sixty seven, seventy one, seventy three, seventy nine..."
Once again, Nina Einstein was left alone. All by herself with nothing but her own thoughts. But for once in her life she was starting to think that maybe it would not be such a bad thing, to have someone else to talk with.
====Lelouch====
"Why the hesitation?" Nunnally asked. Her pace was speeding up, and to his disbelief Lelouch found himself backpedaling when he so dearly wanted to do the opposite. He wanted to embrace her, to check that she was well, to congratulate her on regaining the use of her legs. "It should be easy with your Stand. Right? Turn yourself invisible."
Go towards her. Don't retreat. What was he doing? He was so worried about her it made him sick and now he's desperately keeping his distance?
Something about that felt like an apt metaphor for their relationship of late but Lelouch refused to give it any more of his mental power than dismissing it. Still... He did turn himself invisible if only to buy himself a little bit more time. More time to think.
"That's good," Nunnally said. "Now. Either run away - or pick up a weapon and hit me with it."
Which hit upon the crux of his dilemma. What options were open to him? What actions could he take in theory? Fight her? Unthinkable. The very notion only crossed his mind because she had brought it up. Deliberately harming Nunnally was anathema to Lelouch's nature. You would have an easier time asking him to cut off his own leg.
Which left him with -
"So you're going to run away?" Nunnally asked, turning slowly around with her hands outstretched. "Leave me alone, the same way your quest to 'make the world better' made you leave me alone so often?"
Without knowing what was going on? Unthinkable! Which left him trying to explore other options... and finding none. This situation was completely outside of his ability to predict. He was completely in the dark: Nunnally as an enemy? The very notion of it left his mind empty. He'd have an easier time dividing by zero than considering this situation!
You're playing for time, but time isn't the issue. You're going around in circles.
... Need more information! I must have more information about what's going on!
Even if you had it, would it matter? You'd still circle around the same arguments.
I don't care!
"Why?" Lelouch asked, stepping aside to circle around her. The sound of her breathing was measured, calm and controlled. It was also clearer to him than the finer details of what she was doing: Between making himself invisible to her, and his own eyelids mostly invisible to himself, and his confused mental state it was proving difficult for him to see the details right there in front of him. He was in the dark. Metaphorically and literally. "Why must I make a choice like that? If I don't understand that, then how can I possibly choose?"
"Me or your ambition. That should be all you need to know," was Nunnally's answer. "I was warned you might do this, big brother. You're digging for information."
"JOJO warned you?" Lelouch asked. No response. "That must have been strange. Meeting an unliving legend. Earlier, you said that he would 'kill me'. I see! You meant him, didn't you? He's using my life to threaten you into helping him."
Again, no response. That might as well be a confirmation, then. Well! In that case, shouldn't he play along? Look at the situation: His sister had made a recovery he once believed totally impossible. She could see, she could walk - and even fight! It would be so easy. Run away from the world. Run away from responsibility. Hide from the conflict with Nunnally, no need to fear for her being targeted for being weak.
Live in peace and quiet with his little sister in safety and quiet. It sounded like a dream. They could be happy together. No more worries. No more concerns. JOJO would be able to guarantee protection from anyone in the Empire that might try to hurt them. He might even be able to offer up revenge. Against his father. Against his mother's killer. Against everyone that had ever wronged them!
And yet...
A paper plane flew right by him. For a moment there Lelouch was worried that she had noticed him - but then he saw another fly by in a different direction. She was throwing them around haphazardly in all directions. Taking a risk, he moved Painted Black closer to see. It was astonishing. She was plucking out paper napkins from concealed pockets in her dress, folding them into paper cranes with a single hand each and then tossing them in different directions.
"Eight hundred and fifty three..." she muttered to herself. Then, louder; "Stop stalling, big brother! You have to accept it! Right here and right now I am your enemy!"
Ripple! A long range Ripple attack like this is extremely dangerous. There's no way to tell what might happen if we step on those planes! Also, with all these weapons lying around -
Treating her like an enemy again.
Then let's try the problem from a new angle: Why is Nunnally treating us like an enemy?
Lelouch ducked his head and tiptoed among the weapons and paper planes, taking great care not to step on any of them. From above and below at once, until he had his thoughts in order he could not risk discovery.
She wants us to either fight her, or run away. She's talked about choosing between spending time with her and changing the world. How do those choices match up?
They don't. It's an emotional attack. She's forced me into a situation where I have to choose between doing two things that I absolutely will not do!
And the reason I won't do them is...?
Because they go against my love for Nunnally and - Look out!
He stopped himself from stepping forward at the last possible moment. Tsch! Lelouch carefully lowered his foot to the ground, barely missing the trap that had been laid out for him.
Looking around with a keener awareness of what to look for, he could see them now. All over the place. Sneaky. Very sneaky psychological trick. He was being played with like a child's favourite toy. Was this also Nunnally's doing? Or was it JOJO's advice?
"Hiding is not an option!" Nunnally warned. "I'll attack you until you fight back or run."
"How very strange," Lelouch said through Painted Black. She whipped her head around to look in the direction of his Stand, but also kept a hand behind her back. "I was assuming JOJO had threatened my life to make you compliant, but little sister! Your behaviour is too focused. Now I'm curious what JOJO might have said to manipulate you into this."
The analysis had stumbled out of him before he was even cognizant of it. Through the internal strife he was feeling Lelouch had still been analysing Nunnally's behaviour in an attempt to work her out. As if he was playing some game of chess, or confronting yet another enemy Stand.
"The same way that you manipulated Shirley into being your pawn?" she bit back. Lelouch winced. She knew about that was well? "I'm sorry. I'm new at this. No wonder you're not taking this seriously. You still think your weak little sister is yet another victim, when this entire confrontation was my idea."
That's a lie. Nunnally would never think of something like this on her own.
Nor would she try to push me into fighting her. For that matter, she wouldn't want to fight anyone!
Maybe she thinks it's her idea, but someone else put it in her head?
If that's the case, the sensible move is to track that person down. Therefore: We should leave.
That was the conclusion Lelouch kept on returning to. Time and time again, he attacked the problem from countless angles running through possibilities and scenarios, trying to figure out the best course of action to take. Each time, the answer was the same: Run away. Leave this ancient stadium. His enemy obviously had no intention of harming Nunnally in any physical sense, and attempting to force her to come with him would only make any psychological damage she'd suffered worse. It was the logical course of action. It was the emotional response that made the most sense to him.
And yet he did not set foot towards the exit. Why? He had every reason to leave. Being here, it was physically painful. His heart was pounding in his chest so hard it might crack a rib. Why? Why wasn't he running?!
"Found you!" Nunnally suddenly yelled. She took a deep breath, then leaped high in the air and pounced down onto a particular location. Her hands sparked with Ripple as she fell, landing with surprising grace. Her hands reached out, and then lifted up into the air "Your... jacket?"
Quite right. He'd seen through at least one of her psychological traps already. The weapons on the floor. The Ripple infused paper cranes flying through the air. They were distractions from the real threat all around him. Prepared in advance, possibly while he slept: Thin wires stretched out around the colosseum. Walking through them would have been like walking through a spider's web. Difficult enough without the other distractions, but with a skilled Ripple master in front of him?
No, not a skilled Ripple master. His little sister. Nunnally.
There's only one solution to this.
"It was a little warm so I took it off," Lelouch said. "Thank you for providing me with a place to hang it, little sister. That was very kind of you."
"Useless," she spat. "Big brother, you're still not taking this seriously."
"Oh, but I am little sister," he replied. While she had been leaping through the air he had retrieved one of those weapons scattered around the ground. A rather expensive looking knife. Razor sharp, if he was any judge. "I understand, now. You are trying to make me choose between my love for you and my sense for justice."
It would be so easy. Give in, let JOJO protect them both and let him work to improve the world. Toss everything he'd worked for aside, for the sake of that which he had been working for in the first place. Yet it was his sense of justice that was keeping him in check. His emotional attachments. His vulnerability. Whatever method or technique JOJO had used to turn his sister against him made Lelouch's soul burn from the inside.
In order to save Nunnally there really was only one possible answer. If it means making her into his enemy in order to save her, then so be it. If the world must be his enemy, then he'd burn the entire world down to cinders. In order for him to step out past his own psychological blockage Lelouch vi Britannia must turn his heart blacker than the deepest abyss.
"Nunnally, you've grown up following your own thoughts without help from others. Which means I am now free to follow the path that I must take to my destiny. I thank you."
The moon came out from behind a cloud. Suddenly the arena didn't seem quite so dark and imposing anymore.
"If you wish to fight me little sister, then so be it."
====Cornelia====
So it was official. She was a traitor to the crown. She could try to tell herself that the crown betrayed her first, that she owed a higher allegiance, that Britannia would be better off with a radical change in leadership. It didn't matter. The fundamental truth was that she had betrayed the Emperor by directly opposing and interfering in a plan led by him, and done so by assisting the enemies of Britannia. No amount of spin could change that.
"This tension is not healthy, your highness!" Gyro Zeppeli said. "A beautiful woman like you should not be so stressed. My balls will have a lot of work to do in helping you relax."
Cornelia grunted. "If I knew that agreeing to this 'spin massage' would involve such lazy flirting, I'd have punched you in the face before it. Now I'll have to do it later."
"Lazy flirting?" Gyro asked. "Then a more active flirting attempt would be to your favour?"
"It would be a tremendous idea," Cornelia said. "If you wanted to convince me to break your fingers."
At this moment in time Corneli was lying face down on a table, with three spinning steel balls placed at very, very particular places on her back. They were spinning around atop her shirt yet still kneading her flesh, drawing tension out of her muscles. In spite of herself, she could feel the pressure washing out of her. Given her responsibilities one might think that this pressure had accumulated for years. Indeed, it seemed to be enough for a decade of responsibility weighing you down.
But no. It had built up over the course of a scant few months. That probably made a good amount of sense. When you find out that your life was a lie and you were being used without your knowledge for a truly evil scheme... The only reason she hadn't buckled under was her strength to bear that knowledge.
"You probably used to think that Spin was only a weapon. Yes?" Zeppeli asked. "It must be surprising learning it can be used this way."
"After seeing what you were able to do for Nunnally, not especially." Though after a moment Cornelia added a little more to that thought. "It would take a lot more than this to surprise me at this point."
"Nyohoho... I see. So you came to trust me after I helped to heal your sister's legs?" Gyro asked. "I was wondering about that. Even though we are technically allies right now it seemed strange that you would allow me to put you in such a vulnerable position."
A thin layer of metal seemed to come out of Cornelia's skin, like a bird hatching from an egg. She turned her head as best she could to look up at her 'ally', grinning like an idiot with those ridiculous decorations on his teeth.
"I'm not nearly as vulnerable as you seem to think," Cornelia warned. And she meant it. If it came down to it, she was pretty sure Crush 'Em could counter any attack he might try. Not that she expected the need to, but years of service to the Empire - and her upbringing around the court - had taught her never to let her guard down. Even around those you thought of as your allies.
"That's a very brave thing of you to say," Gyro observed. "Now I have a deeper understanding. This is a very brave strategy. You wish to study Spin in your own way, isn't that right? That is why you so loudly complained about your back muscles when you knew I was within earshot. You wished to understand the Spin on our own terms."
"Believe what you want," Cornelia replied. "It makes no difference to me."
"Nyohohoho! I'll be optimistic then," Gyro said. "I'll choose to believe that you were genuine in your request for my help. I prefer to believe that the tennis ball resting on top of the net will land in my opponent's side of the court."
"Whereas I believe that you make your own luck," Cornelia countered. "Relying on fortune and fate to make your way through life is the single laziest thing I have ever heard. Rely upon the universe to adjust itself around you so that it solves your problems."
"On the other hand, if the entire universe shifts so that you cannot solve your problems? If Lady Luck turns her hand against you, then misfortune will forever be fired in your direction."
"Lady Luck?" Cornelia scoffed. "What a ridiculous notion."
"As ridiculous as the dead rising from the grave."
At this point Cornelia was rolling her eyes so hard one might think they were trying to copy the balls on her back. "Then the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are also real. The 'existence of the absurd' is not sufficient proof that other absurd things exist as well."
Honestly, she couldn't tell if this man was supposed to be a genius or a fool. His comprehension of mathematics was much higher than average and his ingenuity in strategy and quick thinking were astonishing, even to her. Yet he seemed to be addicted to puns and silly jokes. Was he putting up that attitude to throw off potential opponents? It didn't seem so, she had the general impression that he thought he was acting cool.
Whatever the case may be, the conversation didn't quite have the chance to go any further as a loud crash from the hallway outside drew immediate attention. Cornelia used her Stand to push the steel balls off her back, but by the time she was on her feet Gyro had already reached the door, cracking it open enough to peer out.
He let out a low whistle. "It looks like Stroheim and your Knight are crossing swords."
"Guilford?" Cornelia asked. A scowl set upon her face and she joined Gyro by the door, having no hesitation in throwing it open for a better look.
Sure enough, there they were. Her Knight Guilford, loyal to her beyond even her own expectations. When he had learned of her plans to investigate what JOJO had told her, he had immediately come along without a word. When he had learned she intended to betray the Emperor after her investigations were complete, he questioned her to make sure he had understood properly, checking her to ensure that she was free of mind altering influence.
Then, on ascertaining she was not, he needed no further explanation before falling into line.
Though Cornelia hardly needed any protection - and certainly not a bodyguard - she could not have asked for a better Knight.
"Is this the limit of a Knight of Britannia?" asked his sparring opponent, the mad German cyborg Rudolph Stroheim. It was quite the display. While Guilford had a training sword on hand, Stroheim had nothing but his own arm. The training sword was lunged in directly for Stroheim's chest, a blow that would have caused significant injury on any ordinary person if it landed - but the cyborg simply grabbed the wooden shaft inches from impact.
"I could see that you were probing my response time," Stroheim said. Guilford leaned his weight in, but couldn't move it even slightly forward. "Seeking out weaknesses like second nature... But your movements, they are as slow motion to me." He tossed Guilford back with ease. "Perhaps you would be better off sparring against someone more your level?"
Guilford adjusted his glasses and resumed a battle stance. "No," he said. "If I am to fulfill my duties as a Knight, I must improve my skill as much as possible. Even if that skill is never enough to defeat you, I must press on until I can go no higher!"
"Phew!" Gyro whispered. "No wonder you reject my advances- " he didn't get any further. Cornelia's hair had, by sheer coincidence, wrapped its way around his arm and, by further coincidence, her Stand had begun to manifest through her hair. Even an idiot can learn when to shut up.
"Your determination does your people proud," Stroheim said, effortlessly using his hand to block Guilford's relentless strikes. Then he added his other hand, blocking the knee strike that Guilford had been attempting from what should have been a blind angle. "Unfortunately for my enemies, my vision has also been enhanced. I have surpassed the entire human race, through superior German science!"
Now the cyborg began his counter attack, pushing Guilford onto the defensive. The difference in ability was obvious. Both of them knew how to fight. Guilford was more technically proficient - but not by much. Not by nearly enough to overcome the numerous physical enhancements Stroheim's no longer entirely human body had. It was like sending a dog out to fight a dragon.
"Guilford, my Knight! That shall be enough," Cornelia instructed. For the best: Her Knight stopped cold, and Stroheim did much the same. She stepped out into the hallway, and Guilford knelt before her.
"Your Highness, please forgive me," Guilford said. "I had believed Mister Stroheim would provide the most advanced sparring experience."
"Eager to impress as always," Cornelia said. Though, internally, she knew that if this had been a contest of Knightmare pilots Guilford would have trounced Stroheim with ease. "For now, please spar with Zeppeli. You may be able to glean some skill with Spin."
"Superb advice, fraulein!" Stroheim applauded. "Of course, I should expect no less from a pampered Britannian Princess. Still, your little Knight did not even make me break a sweat. How disappointing. I was hoping for a real challenge!"
"You didn't break a sweat?" Cornelia asked. "In other words, you're as good as fresh?"
She could swear that she could hear the smile creaking onto his oil driven face. "Of course," he said. "Do you wish to challenge me, fraulein?"
Cornelia grabbed Guilford's training sword and spun around, bringing the wooden surface down upon Stroheim's little finger.
"I am sure you know this already but I shall tell it anyway," Stroheim said, blocking her next ten attempts with much the same ease. "I was rebuilt into this form so that I could do battle with a life form that was truly superior to humanity. My strength, my speed, my durability - and of course my other weapons as well."
His other weapons. She'd seen him using those at the firing range. If they came out this would cease to be a spar, and would quickly become a deathmatch.
"This is why I say that German science is truly the best!" Stroheim continued. "No other military in the world could have managed this! Even today, Britannia would struggle to construct a being like me!"
"From what I understand, those 'superior beings' were defeated by a Britannian," Cornelia countered. "And correct me if I am mistaken, but he did not have cybernetic enhancements. He was a normal human being."
"Ach! There is nothing normal about Joseph Joestar!" Stroheim grinned. "Hoho! To think that I would one day work for his vampiric grandfather..." He lashed out, kicking Cornelia back down the hall. "You are not impressing me so far fraulein. Please try a little harder. Show me a taste of that supposedly superior Britannian combat ability."
Cornelia screeched to a halt much sooner than Stroheim anticipated and rounded with her next attack. "Britannia's technology is years ahead of Europe's," she said. "Besides, they only ever made one of you. That's rather telling."
Stroheim parried her without much difficulty, and then went back on the attack. He thrust out a chop aimed at her arm, trying to make her drop the training sword. It was lightning fast ,she could barely call up her Stand in time.
"Clarify your argument," Stroheim insisted. He tried again at a different location, but to the same result. He was using a metal body to his advantage? Well, two could play at that game. "What precisely do you mean?"
"I mean... that developing technology isn't only about advancement," Cornelia snorted derisively. "It's also about making technology efficiently and cheaply, without sacrificing its quality. There's only one of you, because you're too expensive for them to make another."
Aha, that got under his skin. She might not have been able to hit him physically, but that blow had certainly landed. The German's cyborg face set into a serious scowl that slowly transitioned into a cocky smile. It seemed as though she'd judged his personality correctly.
"Very good fraulein," he clapped. "However, we both know that Britannia's latest advancements are a bit of a cheat. You know by now where they are really getting that technology."
"Yes I do," Cornelia retorted. "And? How is that supposed to make it any less impressive?"
It really didn't in Cornelia's view. In fact, if not for the conspiracy behind everything holding back this technology, Britannia would have been even further ahead of this by now. Stroheim seemed to realise this as well.
"That was a cute move earlier on," he said, tapping his foot on the floor. "Making your Stand appear around the bottom of your feet, so it would drag against the ground. A shame. Truly a shame." He pointed dramatically towards her with one hand, while doffing his hat with the other. "Since you are openly using your Stand in this friendly spar -"
Then his hand shot out from his wrist, too fast for Cornelia to dodge. It grabbed hold of her wrist and pinned it firmly against the nearby wall. She struggled and pulled at it, but to no avail. It was immovable. The strength behind this grip was ridiculously strong. It felt as though he could have crushed her skull by accident, had he the intention.
"- then I shall also stop holding back. That was fun, fraulein. I wish we could have faced each other more seriously on the field of battle."
"Really now?" Cornelia asked. She cocked her hand on her hip and made Crush 'Em appear in the space between her arm and body. Stroheim might have won the spar, but she wasn't trying to win in the first place. She had another point to make, but the German cyborg was deliberately standing out of arm's reach. It was her intention to remedy that, post haste.
"A little suction won't be enough to pull me forward," Stroheim tutted, wagging his finger and shaking his head. "Really now. Concede defeat –"
Crush 'Em activated anyway. It shrunk the air in the gap between her arm and her body, creating a powerful vacuum effect as the surrounding air rushed in to fill the suddenly empty space. Sure enough, Stroheim didn't budge an inch. On the other hand, the small table directly behind him did.
Stroheim whipped around to catch it without much trouble. "Did you honestly believe I was not paying attention to the layout of the room?"
"As a matter of fact... That is exactly what I was expecting you to do."
She jumped on Stroheim's back a moment later, making sure to wrap her arm around his neck. To his credit, he was able to keep her from completing the circle by holding her hand away - but then all she had to do was move her head so that her hair completed it instead.
"If this were a real battle, you would be dead now," Cornelia warned. Crush 'Em appeared out of her body, threateningly surrounding the cyborg's throat.
"Ach..." Stroheim grunted. "I forgot about your cyborg hand. You detached it to free yourself, yes? Very well. I yield."
Whatever else he might be, Stroheim was definitely a dangerous opponent. No question of it. Being able to keep up with Guilford in a spar spoke volumes by itself. Cornelia climbed off his back and stepped back, allowing Stroheim to retrieve his hand.
"Of course, if this were a real battle you would have probably crushed my hand instead," he mused, gently tossing hers back at her. "Then again, if it were a real battle..."
He turned around, and a large gatling gun was now sticking out of his torso. Right where his stomach should be. On top of that, Stroheim's right eye began to glow with a terrible red light. Guilford instantly stepped in between them. A sentiment she appreciated, though it would not have done either of them much good.
"I would have erased you with my long range weapons before you could have used your Stand."
"Then make sure you do exactly that to the enemy," Cornelia sternly advised. "You can't hold anything back, no matter how superior you think you are to the enemy. Arrogance and sloppiness are the two things I hate more than..." No. She couldn't quite complete that thought. Certain members of her own family had managed to rise to the top of that list with certain recent revelations. "... Almost anything else in the world."
"Arrogance and sloppiness leads to the deaths of good men and women," Guilford said. "Wastes of lives. Wastes of resources. Wastes of time. That is why I sought to improve against you, Mister Stroheim. It was plain to see that you could end any spar with me inside half a second had you the mind to it."
"But you got arrogant. You played with your food," Cornelia said. "The best doesn't boast that they are the best. They are the best, and let it speak for itself."
"Ahem! Ahem! Pardon my interruption!" Gyro called. "As amusing as this all was, an important message came through. It seems as though the enemy is on the move."
Of course they were. The enemy... Britannia. Her own nation. The hatred bubbled up inside of her once again, but Cornelia didn't let it control her. They all had their tasks to set about.
"Has Nunnally returned from her business with Lelouch?" Guilford asked.
"Nein," Stroheim said. "We shall have to make use of that system without her support this time around."
Lelouch and Nunnally. Not seeing them for the better part of a decade, and then all of this crashing down. To think it would come to this. To think that Lelouch would become so bitter and twisted. To think that Nunnally would become so strong when she had been made so helpless. To think that those two would have such conflicting ideals. To think that Nunnally would be the one to save Lelouch.
To think that she'd wind up hoping she'd never meet that boy again. For his sake... No, make that for Nunnally's sake. Cornelia was not sure that she would be able to control herself if she saw him again. She hated what Lelouch had become. Not enough to betray the Empire over it, oh no. Not nearly enough for that. That hatred was wholly reserved for another.
"We should not need her at this point anyway," Cornelia said. "We already have our volunteer from last time. I'm sure they'll be willing to help us again."
Help them again... To fight against Britannian forces. Good people being led by lunatics. Unaware of the terrible truth. The grand game being played with the entire world at stake. It was no exaggeration to say that humanity's future completely hung on who prevailed in the end, and that Cornelia - for all her self confidence and skill on the battlefield - was little more than a Pawn to be played.
So be it. If she was a Pawn, then let the enemies come to her. She wouldn't even think twice as she crushed them where they stood.
====Nunnally====
The world was much less scary when she was trapped in the dark. All the nastiness, all the despair and tragedy was kept at bay by a thin layer of skin. The first time she had seen death in her life it had traumatised her so much that she'd shut herself off in the vain hope it would keep her safe from other terrible things.
But no more. Her eyes were open. Gyro had kindly used his knowledge of Spin to repair the damage to her spine. She could see. She could walk. She wasn't helpless anymore. She wasn't trapped. She wasn't reliant on others. She could repay those she loved with more than just a smile.
In which case she would start with the one she loved the most. Her beloved big brother, who sacrificed everything for her sake. He doted on her. He cared for her. Nunnally had known about his gambling habit for a while now. Shirley complained about it too often for her to fail to overhear it. But she'd kept her eyes closed to it. He knew what he was doing. He was invincible at chess, and they needed the money. They couldn't depend on the kindness of the Ashford family forever. So she let him get on with it. No complaints. How dare she ever think of complaining about anything he did when he was so kind to her, when everything he did was for her sake.
Only now did she see that, in keeping quiet, she was playing a role in his self destruction.
A wicked laugh filled the air of the colosseum, seeming to echo from all around her. Nunnally clenched her fist around her brother's jacket, then tossed it out in frustration. Was that an echo, or... He was laughing through his own voice but also his Stand!
"So you're going to fight me?" she asked. That was a little disappointing. It hurt more than she'd expected - but better this than the alternative.
"But of course," Lelouch said. "I had been hoping you would slip up and reveal something about JOJO that I could use. Now I see that playing the fool won't work... So instead, I shall cease my restraint. Soon you will see your big brother for what he really is."
Soon, but not right now. He was totally invisible. Where was his voice coming from? She looked around the stadium, and tried to listen. Not that it did any good. It was coming from two directions at once.
"Don't underestimate me," she warned.
"Underestimate you?" Lelouch asked. "You, the opponent who chose to battle me at the colosseum at night? Knowing full well what my Stand allows me to do?"
Her wheelchair vanished. Then, piece by piece it reappeared in front of her right where she'd left it. Parts of it faded in and out of existence before her very eyes. A demonstration. Or rather, a bite sized portion of what he was capable of.
"That doesn't frighten me!" she protested.
"It should," Lelouch replied. "Do you remember that boat trip? The one that Kusakabe hijacked? Did you ever find out what I did to those terrorists who tried to corner me? Did JOJO tell you that as well? Did he warn you that I used my Stand on the microwave ovens to cook them alive?"
No. She hadn't known about that. It was horrifying. Killing people like that... "You did that for my sake?"
"For your sake? How amusing!" Lelouch said with one voice, while laughing with the other. "I see my little sister is presumptuous as ever. It seems I spoiled you a little too much. You've become the very quintessence of the privileged aristocrat I've rejected."
That was enough of that. She'd already forgiven him for his sins. Killing Clovis. Manipulating Shirley. His plans for the rest of their family. Nunnally had forgiven him for all of that. The one and only thing she hadn't forgiven him for was the punishment he was putting himself through.
Nunnally pulled out a pair of napkins and folded them into paper cranes, then hurled them through the air right where she thought those voices were - to no avail. He had probably already moved since he'd last spoken.
"You think that I'll go easy on you only because you are my sister?" Lelouch asked. "You were... a prop. A tool to make myself seem like the gentle older brother. A means to establish a network of friends and acquaintances, through whom I would use my carefully crafted image to enact my gradual grab for power. That's all, little sister. It's all you were good for. If you stand in my way, I won't hesitate to crush you. Without mercy. Without regret."
On hearing this, Nunnally closed her eyes. "That's a lie too far big brother," she said. "Do you know the real reason I wanted to fight you in the dark?"
The real reason... Because it gave him the edge he'd need to stand up to her. The shadows would be the devil on his shoulder, whispering into his mind and telling him that he could win. Which would push him. Hopefully right to the very brink. It would make him think. It would make him reflect. He would stare into the abyss, and find himself staring back and that - she hoped - would be enough to drag him back from the edge.
But there was another reason. At least, in theory.
"I spent eight years in the dark!" she said, stepping out of her shoes. "I'm more at home here than you will ever be."
As soon as her bare feet touched the cold stone Nunnally took a deep, deep breath and kept her eyes tightly shut. Then she sent a sharp burst of Ripple through that stone, and a moment after that she turned around and pointed out her finger squarely at the only other person in the arena, still keeping her eyes closed
"You've kept the truth from me all this time!" Nunnally yelled. "No more hiding! No more lies!" No more piling on the guilt until it crushes you. No more 'the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed'!
A moment after that she heard the sound of applause and creaked her eyes open. He'd made himself visible again. Aha! He was sitting on a step which had partially crumbled away due to the ravages of time.
"Bravo," he said, beaming with pride. It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "I would say that you saw right through me, but that was hardly a challenge: I was invisible at the time."
Still playing the same role. Pretending to be the villain when deep down what he really wanted was retribution. Justice against the villains, all of them across the world. Including himself. Especially himself.
And that was the reason she was doing this. Taking such a drastic step. The one thing she wanted out of all of this was to make him see how much his actions were hurting those around him. Suzaku, Shirley, Kallen, Milly... but especially the two of them.
"Are you done playing around?" Nunnally asked. "I'm tired of telling you to take this seriously."
"Oh, but you don't understand little sister," Lelouch said. He stood up, dusted himself down, adjusted his collar - and then a knife appeared in that hand as if by magic. No, not by magic. It was already there to start with. It had only been invisible right until then. "I am taking this very, very seriously."
"P-Put that down!" Nunnally warned him, when in truth she wanted to beg. Instead, he moved the knife a little closer. If she remembered Sayoko's lessons on 'vital points' correctly, then he was aiming the knife towards his jugular! "Stop that! What are you doing?!"
"I understand now," Lelouch said. "My actions, my life... are making you miserable. You don't need me anymore, little sister. You're strong enough to survive without me."
Too far! She'd pushed him too far! "No, don't!" she yelled, taking a step forward. The knife twisted a fraction and Nunnally stopped cold in her tracks. "Put that down! I'm the one you're supposed to be fighting!"
"Fight you?" Lelouch asked. "That sort of thing is impossible. What reason would I have to fight my beloved little sister? If fighting you is the only way that I can live, then I would rather die."
"Do you think that would make me happy?" Nunnally yelled. "Losing you like this - this is what I've been trying to prevent in the first place!"
"Then consider this a lesson in the art of negotiation," Lelouch said. The knife glimmered ominously. His eyes were bearing down on her. From her point of view they were still closed, but it still felt like the eyes of the devil were lurking in the darkness. Judging her for her every move. "Never show weakness to your opponent. You never know what they might take advantage of."
Nunnally clenched her fists and stared hard at the knife.
"Of course, there is one thing you can tell me that might change my mind," Lelouch said. "You could tell me about JOJO. What exactly did he tell you?"
"He told me..." Nunnally began. She stopped herself and looked away. Her brother really was this determined? She could hardly believe it. This pressure she was feeling... Don't look at her like that! "He told me... That you might try something like this, and that you weren't bluffing."
"...Did he now?" Lelouch asked. "Then you shouldn't play around, little sister. The life of my hostage is in your hands. What else did he tell you?"
"He told me... That I should have a way to counter you if you did try something like this."
Nunnally kicked up a mace from the ground and grabbed it in her hand. Then she swung it up in a wide arc, aiming it squarely at her own head.
"Nunnally, no!" Lelouch yelled, stepping forward in a desperate attempt to stop her. In the process, taking the knife away from his throat.
Got him.
"Auburn Shield Overdrive!"
Nunnally flicked her hand through her hair and it suddenly rose up, filled with Ripple energy to the point the individual hairs were standing on end. At the last possible moment the mace bounced harmlessly off her hair, and she dropped it to the ground. Another breath, and she sent a paper crane flying out. It caught the back of her brother's hand. The one holding the knife. It dropped to the ground, and a moment later Nunnally was running at him.
In the moment before she struck, Nunnally caught a good look at her brother's face. Panic. Bewilderment. Sorrow. She gulped nervously, but still drew back her fist and struck him. Square in the chest. He flew back onto the stairs and tried to rise up. To no avail. Her Ripple was keeping him in place. Powerless to do anything but sit there with his eyes closed.
"Y-You hit me!" Lelouch gasped. "Nnngh! Nunnally! I don't understand! Why are you doing this?! What on earth could JOJO have told you?"
"Struggle all you like big brother," Nunnally sniffed. There were tears welling up in her eyes. Tears of... sadness? Relief? Her hands were trembling. She couldn't quite believe it. She'd actually hit Lelouch just now. "It's useless, useless, useless."
====Milly====
The City of Edinburgh. Capital of Scotland. A historic location, renowned for its beauty and mystery. Full of legends, bursting at the seams with character and spirit. And, despite its weather patterns, a bit of a tourist trap.
People from all across Europe were drawn to the city's character and the history. Even a few thoroughly and carefully screened individuals from Britannia were allowed to visit. A vacation spot that celebrated the nation's past. You could visit the beautiful Princes Street Gardens after visiting any of the shops on the mile long street. If that wasn't to your fancy you could visit the museum, the castle overlooking the city or Holyrood Palace.
Soak it in! The welcoming atmosphere... Which could turn quite frightful at night time as the archaic architecture of the old half of the city made shadows seem darker and moonlight more menacing. A tonal shift that struck an entire city at once, and gave rise to a different kind of historic tour: The ghastly walk through a haunted city with dozens, perhaps even hundreds of ghost stories to tell.
"Good evening lass," cackled a man wearing a smart suit and skeletal makeup. He tipped his hat and slid elegantly around her. "Aye, ye picked a fine night te wander the fair city on our Ghastly Delights Tour."
Milly smiled gently at him. "Well, to be honest I'm not really much of a horror fan." Really, if Lena didn't fangirl out so much she might have been a better pick for something like this.
"Och, dinnae be like that lass," the tour guide continued, grinning wildly at her. Oh, was he wearing red contacts as well? "Horror fan or not, this is a city of ghosts. It pays te be well informed o' the ghost and ghouls that wander around."
A meaty hand fell on his shoulder. A hand that could have probably wrapped around this man's head. Then, from high above, a deep voice rumbled out through the streets. "Is this man bothering you, Miss Ashford?"
"No, Tarkus!" Milly cheerfully answered. "This is our tour guide! Isn't his makeup really cool?"
"Is he... preparing to go into battle?" Bruford asked, leaning down to study the now absolutely terrified tour guide's face. "This kind of makeup would probably be used to intimidate his enemies."
Well, if he had been aiming to scary then he was doing a pretty bad job of it for now. Not that Milly could blame them. Forget that these two were zombies. Forget the subconscious clues that something was wrong, like the two of them not breathing and having weird complexions. Let's focus on the size of these two. The sheer massive muscle bound size, currently wrapped up inside of a suit they had to bring in ten expert tailors to make. Not just to sew, but to design so it wouldn't tear apart if they flexed wrong.
"No battle, he's trying to provide atmosphere for his haunted tour," Milly said, gently pulling him away. "So? Come on, mister skeleton tour guide! Show us around your 'fair city'."
"Lass, pardon me for asking, but why our tour?" the guide nervously asked. "Your friends're plainly much scarier than anything our little group could throw at ye."
"Well, haunted tours are the only kind that run at night," Milly explained.
"Ah, I see," the tour guide nodded. "I suppose thon gentlemen don't get much sun. Don't... get much sun... If any."
Aha, there's a bit of dawning recognition. Now he was nervously looking around, and shuffling a little bit closer to Milly. She obliged him by stepping a bit closer, while the two knights watched with eagle eyes.
"You dinnae mean to tell me that these two are...?" the tour guide asked. In response to that question, Milly tilted her head and smiled. "Yer havin' me on." Milly shook her head. Looking up at them, the guide called out in a slightly cracked voice "Good sirs, may ah ask yer names?"
"Bruford."
"Tarkus."
It didn't seem possible but the tour guide somehow found a way to be even more timid. It might well be the way his eyes widened with sudden recognition, or maybe the way he was shuffling his feet as though ashamed for not seeing it sooner. Milly patted the back of his hand. Yes, yes. "I know, I know. They look really scary," Milly said. "But relax! Unless you provoke them, they won't do anything. Guts! Try saying that aloud! It always peps me right up!"
"Don't provoke them?" he asked. That seemed to buck his spirits up a notch. There we go! "Alright lass! Guts!" Aha, now he was a bit more lively... so far as she could tell under that heavy makeup. "I guess ah'll start the tour –"
"We are not interested in ghost stories," Tarkus interrupted. "And we are aware of most of this city's history very well already."
"We wish to hear about the Humiliation of Edinburgh," Bruford added.
"The Humiliation..." the tour guide trailed off. Oh dear. Her spell hadn't lasted long, had it? "Well, that's not normally on our tour, as it's a matter of historical dispute on what actually happened..." He trailed off as if suddenly realising exactly who he was saying no to. "Right. Well. Seein' as how ah like my limbs and brain where they are, we should perhaps convene at our offices for a wee chat. Would that be to yer liking?"
"If you would kindly," Milly said. Then, to her escorts. "Could you two please dial it back a little? Are you trying to make a scene?"
"Sorry Miss Ashford..." Bruford bowed. Then he elbowed Tarkus, who copied the gesture. "We shall try to be more discrete."
Easier said than done when they stood out like giant walking sore thumbs. Oh well. The tour guide was off down the street already, nothing much else for it but to follow along.
"One other thing!" the tour guide said very quickly. "Please dinnae clothesline my mates if they jump out at us in funny gear. They dinnae mean any harm!"
"This is... a very strange form of entertainment in this modern age." Tarkus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Very well. Lead on, little man."
"Of course!" the guide said, seeming utterly relieved. Which only made sense. He'd realised he wasn't in any real danger now. Though he was still looking around, as if checking that there were other people still on the streets. There were. Though they weren't exactly making eye contact. In fact, as soon as they saw the two giants they were taking great pains to not be able to see the two giants anymore. "Right this way, it's down the Royal Mile."
The Royal Mile proved to be a series of cobbled roads, which was still quite strange for Milly to see. Couldn't they modernise this place? Then again, the buildings mostly looked to be quite old as well. Still. Not her place to complain. Walking down this street, she could see a plain change in both Bruford and Tarkus's body language. She knew what this was right away. The feeling of returning home after a long time away.
A feeling she might never have again.
"The Royal Mile is a series of streets that goes from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace," the guide said. "It isnae quite a mile exactly, but close enough. As you can see, this is the busiest tourist street in Old Town Edinburgh." It was. But people were parting around them to give the two giants as wide a berth as possible. "Mind it well, and try to return here if ye get lost on the way."
"Excuse me," Milly said. "This is the Royal mile? I thought that Europia United eschewed monarchy."
"Aye, we do lass. Visiting from Britannia, are we?" the guide tapped the side of his hat, then seemed to remember that the shadow looming over him was not from the buildings and his mood sunk a little. "It would take too much time and money tae rename all oor streets. Besides, it's good tae ken where you come frae. Ye ken?"
Sort of. That accent was throwing her off a little at times. In any event, they soon came to a sharp stop outside some arches leading into an alley.
"This, is the infamous Mary King's Close," the tour guide cackled while fumbling with some keys. He was talking to pass the time, possibly out of habit. "During the Black Death in the 17th Century, this series of close - alleys for our Britannian friend - were sealed off in an attempt to dispose of plague victims."
"A little after your time," Milly said.
"Bring out your dead!" a man wearing a body covering black suit replete with a head covering robe and a very distinctive mask with a long... well, Milly could only think to call it a beak. He was ringing a bell, striding along inside the close. "Bring out your - Yipes, he's a big 'un!"
"Jimmy, I think we should give it a rest," the tour guide said, eying Bruford and Tarkus carefully. "And while yer at it, tell Don ah'll be using the office for something important. He's no to disturb me unless it's an actual emergency."
"Ye want me to tell Don that?" Jimmy protested. "Ye ken how he is!"
The tour guide then gave Jimmy the same look Shirley used to give Rivalz when he came up with an excuse to not work.
"I'm really sorry about this," Milly said to the tour guide. "You know how it is, you get executed, sleep for a couple of centuries, wake up and find everything's changed." She shrugged. "You kind of want to know how history viewed you. Right?"
"Aye, ah get how that is lass," the tour guide nodded. For the first time since laying eyes on the two of them, the tour guide broke out in a big, wide toothy smile. "Well then lass! Might well be that you got yourself a better horror story than I do! Now, ah ken you're not interested in horror stories... but I am! So ah'll play along. If yer havin' me on, ye can laugh all ye want later. For now, ye wanna learn about the Humiliation? Fine, fine. That's grand. I'll tell ye all I can."
He held his hand out, gesturing for them to go through the arches. Then, he unlocked a door Milly hadn't even seen. "Fast access around the close," he explained. "We also do a more thorough exploration tour, it's handy to be able to pop out where the punter's dinnae expect ye to be."
Both Bruford and Tarkus had to duck down and squeeze tightly to be able to fit through the frame, but they were able to manage it. Once inside, the tour guide started wiping the paint off his face.
"So, the Humiliation of Edinburgh," he began. "That must've come as a shock, Sirs. I suppose you want a better understanding of the modern day, if yer asking something like that."
"It would be quite novel for me as well," Milly said. "The only works I've read had a bit of a bias, you might say."
"Ah, I bet they would lass. I bet they would." He poured a drink for himself. Oof. Strong stuff. Milly could smell it from across the room. "I'll start by saying: The modern day Britannian Royal Family isn't descended from Elizabeth, but a descendant - another Elizabeth mark you - did appoint the family that succeeded her to the throne."
"That craven, traitorous blood did not give us even the satisfaction of lasting until we awoke," Tarkus growled.
"Easy Tarkus," Bruford said. "We shall have our revenge upon her spiritual descendants."
"So the Humiliation!" the guide began. "Here's the cliff notes version: After Napoleon won Trafalgar, he moved to occupy London. Elizabeth the Third retreats to Edinburgh expecting safety - only to find a revolutionary militia already sitting in the castle waiting for her. They had sympathisers sneak in as new serving staff. Women, mostly. Women who knew how to swing a sword at that. They let the larger militia into the castle before word could reach her highness - and that was the end of monarchy in Europe. Here's to the back of it!"
"Is it not strange?" Bruford asked. "Living under a ruler who was not appointed by God?"
"Hah! No, no. Dinnae be daft! Ye only think that way 'cause you grew up in that world, just like I only think this way 'cause I grew up in this one. Democracy has its problems - remind me lass, what do you lot call it in the Empire?"
"A popularity contest for leadership," Milly quipped.
"Aye, well. The same is true of most every system of selecting a leader," the guide chuckled. "Whoever's most popular with the right people gets to be in charge. Anyhow, as I said that was the cliff notes version of the Humiliation. If you want a more thorough breakdown –"
Suddenly, an ear splitting siren sounded out across the city. A few moments after that, the distant and unmistakable sound of explosions began.
Jimmy threw open a side door, holding his plague doctor's mask in his hand. "You won't believe this," he said. "The Britannians are attacking!"
His eyes snapped up and Milly turned around. The two knights were already quickly moving outside. Great. Just great! She'd brought them here to help them connect with the modern day world, and the next thing she knows they're caught up in another incident.
"Well... at least those two will probably be more comfortable on the battlefield than they will be on a guided tour..." she mused. Oh well. She pulled out her cell phone and made a call, finding herself surprised at how calm and collected she was acting. "Might I suggest we find some shelter? This sounds like it could get... messy."
=====Nunnally====
Why do people take actions that harm others? More to the point, why do some people enjoy hurting others? Standing in the Colosseum made the question all the more to the forefront of Nunnally's mind. She could see the image clearly: A crowd of Roman commoners, dressed in tunics while the nobility attending were clad in togas. In the arena: One gladiator stands over another. His sword poised on the enemy's throat.
He scans the crowd to see their view: Though the popular impression was the Emperor making the final call, in truth it was the entire audience, and even then the true positions their thumbs held are a matter of historical debate. Still, the image persists for it is a powerful one: While one gladiator holds another at his mercy, the crowd has none. They stick out their thumbs at full arm's length, curved down to condemn a man to death for the unforgivable crime of failing to entertain them.
It was a horrible image. Especially when compared to the state of the world today. She liked to think that they had grown more civilised, but the more she saw of her own nation the more parallels she beheld. Some might tell her that humanity hadn't changed, not where it really mattered. All that had happened was an advancement in brutality.
But she didn't want to be that cynical. That level of cynicism had led her brother to do things that shocked her, appalled her, surprised her and saddened her. That level of cynicism had led him down a path of self loathing and self destruction.
That level of cynicism would lead him to kill Lelouch.
"You've become so strong," Lelouch said. He sounded happy and miserable at the same time. "When did this happen? Why didn't I see it?"
"Because you were too busy trying to destroy yourself to save the world," Nunnally answered. "Big brother, you can stop now. If you can't even get by me, do you truly believe you can change things?"
"You think JOJO can change things for the better?" Lelouch asked. "A vampire? Making humanity behave itself?"
"Yes, I do believe it," Nunnally answered, holding her head high. "Humanity as a whole is good, not evil. It's only a few evil people spoiling it for everyone else. Lelouch, I think you understood that as well. That's why you tried to pretend that you were one of them. So you could get close enough to deal with them."
"... Then how do you propose that you will contend with these evil people?" Lelouch asked.
"That is no longer any of your concern," Nunnally answered. "Your goal from the start was a better world and a better life for me. Please, stop fighting. Let JOJO and the Paladins worry about the state of humanity. You fought for my sake. Please stop fighting for my sake."
There. That should be enough. Her brother's battles could finally come to an end. He could live out the rest of his life in peace, certain that the human race would move onto a different path. Everything they wanted would be provided for. In fact, if he still wished it, then JOJO would even offer Lelouch revenge on their mother's killer.
Well, V.V. would have to be dealt with in either case. He was one of the worst people on the planet, in her eyes. If she were to rank him it would be in third place. With first and second place being tied between -
"Hehehehehehe..." Lelouch was laughing again. What was he laughing about now? "Thank you sister, you've galvanised my resolve superbly!"
"Your... resolve?" she asked. "I can use Ripple to make you open your eyes, Lelouch. I didn't want to use Geass on you, but if I have to –"
"Tell me Nunnally," Lelouch interrupted. "What trait is most important to govern?" She stayed quiet for a moment, instead moving to step closer to him. If he wouldn't learn his lesson this way, then she'd make him learn it the other way.
"Kindness," she answered. "Empathy. Understanding the needs of others, and the strength to put them above your own."
"The answer is, the will to destroy!" Lelouch answered. "To destroy the world, or even oneself. Mind your step, little sister."
It happened without warning. Her legs gave away and she collapsed to the ground. H-Huh? What happened? She rubbed at her legs. There was still feeling in them. Nunnally tried to push herself up, but... No. She couldn't stand up!
"Why?" she asked, taking deep controlled breaths and concentrating intensely on the flow of Ripple through her body "Why can't I stand up?"
A movement caught her eyes. Lelouch, rising to his feet from the steps. He dusted himself down and, though his eyes were still closed, Nunnally could feel a tremendous warmth bearing down on her.
"How...?" she asked, struggling desperately to push herself back up.
"Didn't JOJO tell you?" Lelouch asked. "Ripple energy is very much like natural sunlight. For example, by making the ground beneath me 'invisible' I can dispose of the Ripple holding me in place. The same way that you were using Ripple to hold yourself up, to make up for the lack of muscle mass in your legs."
No... No, it couldn't be! "You used your Stand on me?" she asked.
He'd seen through that as well...? Ah! He'd also guided her all the way over here because right now she was nowhere near any of the weapons she'd laid out on the floor. And her wheelchair as well!
"This is cruel!" she protested. He ignored her and turned invisible. She heard the sound of his footsteps heading up the stairs, but that was all. "Lelouch! Come back!" she yelled, folding up a paper crane. She tried to fill it with Ripple - but it fizzled out. "He'll kill you! Lelouch! Big brother! Come back, Lelouch!"
"Have no fear little sister," she heard from right next to her ear. "If the world is my enemy, then I shall overthrow the world. If JOJO has turned you against me, then I shall crush JOJO before he can do the same to me."
And then he was gone. It was strange. It was as if his presence had completely vanished now. No footsteps, no breathing, no disturbed dust. He was gone. In this moment Nunnally realised that she had failed to change fate. Her efforts to steer her brother from this path had instead propelled him further along it.
"He'll kill you," she repeated, tears streaming down her cheeks as she bawled into the darkness. "Lelouch! Big brother! Come back, don't do this! He'll kill you if you leave!"
Defeat. Resignation. They closed around her as the moon hid once again behind a cloud, casting her in further night within this blood stained arena. Her next words came out as a strangled whisper, as if the very words she was about to speak were the source of all the pain in the world.
"Suzaku's going to kill you."
[To Be Continued |\|]
