Author's Note 1: Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay, college life just started back once again for me and I must concentrate on that to survive the year. But I'll find time to update... Huh, also: I might take requests for omakes so, if you got ideas and want me to write them for you... let me know!
Author's Note 2: ...I might need a Beta. Yeah, I need one. So, who's up for it?
Chapter Four: Circus Freak Rides
Eren, the first mate of the Freesia Pirates and actually bristling with rage due to Lelouch's nerve to try his tricks on his captain, angrily kicked the trunk of a tree, cracking its robust bark and making some snow fall around him. "Goddamn son of a bitch, I should have executed him the second he had Wen's throat in his hand!" he roared, uncaring if he attracted some attention.
While Eren may think that he was, at the very least, able to keep up with the mismatched-eyed freak, his crewmates thought the contrary and furiously disagreed – their dismayed and terrified looks were proof of that fact. Canterbury Lelouch was hiding a monstruous strength behind his cold behaviour, they could feel it pulse around him, and that always seemed to drain their energy dry whenever the man sounded close to biting their heads off. That aura couldn't be mistaken and some of those pirates, who had heard of it, were sure it was Haki.
Even Ferret looked shaken, having gone pale. "Have you lost your damn, smashed mind?!" he shouted, eyes wide and disbelieving. "There's no way, no effing, fucking way you could ever win against Lelouch! Let alone Saber, because he'd have your head before you even can unsheathe your sword!"
"Why are you calling them by their names, Ferret?" Eren countered harshly, turning his enraged and burning eyes toward the navigator. "That's new, I never knew you three were that close. Oh, you've become their friend behind our backs, now? Should we consider you a traitor to our crew?"
"What? For God's sake, are you listening to yourself?" The navigator was incredulous. But that bemused expression soon turned to indignation as he bared his teeth. "I'm trying to keep us alive because your damn stupidity will certainly get us killed before we can even reach Alabasta, and what do you do? You let your fear run your mouth and mind, you can't even think straight because of that! And that's how Lelouch will maim you if you don't pay attention!"
One of the good qualities Ferret possessed as a navigator was his sense of observation, and that had saved him and his crew more than once; when Lelouch and Saber first fought them – and won so damn easily – to hijack their ship, he hadn't been able to witness them on the battlefield because they were so fast and strong. They had moved with so much quickness and grace that they had been blurs in front of his eyes, and before he could hope to cut the cheek of the leader of their ridiculously small team, Ferret had received four Shigans in his limbs and had also been incapacited to the point he couldn't even move a finger. The glinting in Lelouch's mismatched eyes, his gloved fingers coated with his blood and his mocking smirk were all he could remember before passing out. He didn't know exactly what he had done to him, but both his legs and arms were heavy and limp, as if he had blocked something.
And all this without breaking a sweat and even using the Devil Fruit abilities the pirates now knew he possessed. The navigator rubbed his arms with a cold shiver up his spine, suddenly remembering the pain and feeling it – that hadn't been really pleasant. They hadn't stood a single chance against the two of them, despite outnumbering their 'guests' back then. That had scared Ferret as much as his captain was now scared shitless of Lelouch; someone who had completely mastered the superhuman and insane Rokushiki style, used by the Cipher Pol branches of the World Government and some Marine Vice-Admirals, would be one hell of an opponent to defeat. And Ferret was anything but insanely suicidal.
The navigator swallowed heavily, still ashen. "Do you remember how and why we've been defeated in the New World, Eren?" he asked firmly. He bore his eyes into Eren's, challenging him. The first mate visibly flinched at the memory, but remained silent. "Sure you do, because you were the one who grabbed our captain from the man who was about to kill him and actually shouted at us to run away. I've never seen so much fear on your face before, it was so... frightening. You, our first mate, were scared shitless and powerless against someone stronger than we were. Unprepared as we were, we should have been eaten alive the first second we've surfaced in the New World, but now I think we've just been lucky." He snarled hatefully, eyes glinting in a furious way. "Hell, maybe we've just been lucky all this time ever since we decided to sail the Grand Line for dreams that might not come true one day."
"Are you telling me you don't believe we can't find the One Piece anymore? That you don't believe in our captain anymore?" Eren shouted, eyes ablaze.
"Then why did we run away like damn cowards?!" Ferret shouted back, now truthfully furious and frustrated.
His words echoed in the forest around him, effectively silencing anyone who had been fuming at his statement and cooling down whatever anger that was building slowly inside. Those words, while hurtful and yelled unkindly, still held the truth; they had run away like cowards once they've been defeated. Period. And nothing they'd do will change that fact. The bemused expression on Eren's face stayed long enough for Ferret to take it out on him, so the navigator just pressed on.
"I kept my mouth shut ever since we reached Paradise, even when Lelouch and Saber hijacked our ship without so much as breaking a sweat because we lacked that determination we've had since the beginning of our journey together," he continued, looking down forlornly. "It seems like we've lost the will to fight back because we've been overwhelmed by fear."
He had to steel himself when Eren suddenly lunged forward and grabbed him by his collar, livid. "Don't you ever use his words, not in front of me!" he spat angrily. "What does he even know about us?!"
"He doesn't have to know, he can sense it so easily since we are scared little pussies and can't do anything about it!" the navigator retorted icily, glaring at the first mate. "Do we have an excuse for running away like that? Yes, he took advantage of the situation because our fear must have attracted him and his monkey friend like a moth to a flame in the dark. Yes, he and Saber also defeated us like we were newbies – which we were, by the way – and made us look like complete fools, not only because we were overwhelmed, but because we were just so damn stupid to rush into the New World unprepared and weak in the first place!"
Eren's dark eyes twitched, and a vein slowly appeared on his temple. "Then why didn't you tell us you were scared, Ferret? All you had to do was talk!"
"Because you didn't listen, bastard. And I wasn't the only one here," he countered softly, turning on his left to look at their crewmates. "They were scared too. When we were defeated by that Neo-Marine guy and his small fleet, we all thought that we were done for; I think we'd never thought that he could be beaten, that had never been a possibility to us all. But when it finally happened, it just dawned on me: we weren't cut out for this madness in the New World, not yet."
"What the hell are you talking –"
But Eren stopped short, watching. And he could do nothing else but watch as the fear in the eyes of his friends slowly unfolded itself. Their eyes were speaking for themselves, screaming the very emotion they'd been feeling all this time – and Eren hadn't seen it, wrapped into his own frustration and anger to notice that his friends needed his support as well. Maybe he just refused to see it, to admit that they were cowards for running away like that, but even he couldn't be in denial for much longer. And it had taken their shy navigator, Ferret, to bash some sense into his skull to finally understand that Eren himself was scared.
He was scared. And this wasn't good. If their captain was bound to break down and fall, their crew would soon follow him to their ruin; fear being a devastating emotion that could bring people – and even the world – to a tragic end, it could do so much damage that it could very likely make a whole crew crumble like a house of cards. Eren didn't want to admit it, but Lelouch did have a spot on: he just couldn't conceal his fear behind masks. Reality struck him hard into the gut as it dawned on him that he was on the verge of just giving up on his own dream and drink himself to death.
Eren clenched and unclenched his trembling hands, arms falling limp on his sides and failing to utter a word. What could he say anyway? He'd only focused on what his captain had been feeling all this time while ignoring his other friends, unwilling to listen to their distress, so all he could do was feeling guilty. And even that couldn't account for his dismissal toward his other crewmates, because he had only cared about the captain's mental state.
So does that mean that mismatched-eyed bastard is right all along? He mentally snarled, refusing to meet Ferret's eyes. Have they really been running away from the sheer fear of the New World after their defeat there and were they still traumatized by it? It had almost been a month, now that he was thinking about it; those Neo-Marine jerks had appeared on their sight, had fought and nearly destroyed them all without so much as trying hard. Although they decided not to annihilate their ship, Eren was sure it had been out of pity for them once they had a good look at their defeated captain.
"It might be too late to realize that we're probably not going to get back to normal anytime soon, but it doesn't hurt to try and work things out together," the navigator suggested softly, looking at everyone in the eye. He waited until he had all the attention on him to state his opinion. "We may have had our spirit broken by the crushing pressure and the sheer cruelty of the New World, but if we work things out together with the captain, I'm sure we can rise once again. Those bastards from the Neo-Marine... they were by far the toughest opponents we've ever had to face until today, combined with Lelouch and Saber when they hijacked our ship." His expression darkened and he clenched his fists, teeth gritted. "I'm not saying we should go back there and challenge them once again – this time, they'll make sure not to show any pity and mercy toward us, since they hate pirates to the core –, but maybe, maybe we could just wait until we get stronger."
One of ther sharpshooters blinked. "You mean... training before going back to Sabaody Archipelago?" he said slowly.
Ferret nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm suggesting. Have you all noticed the difference between Lelouch, Saber and us when we fought? How they avoided our attacks as if they could somehow predict them? I don't really know what it is, but those guys from the Neo-Marine could use it as well, and if they can, I'm fairly sure we can attain this power as well and gain the strength we need to survive in the New World. Because let's face it," he growled as his eyes unusually hardened, which surprised everyone, including Eren. "We're going to die one day, running out of luck and ressources. And there's this thought that hasn't left my mind ever since: why didn't Lelouch and Saber kill us? Why didn't those Neo-Marine sons of bitches kill us as well? Maybe because we just weren't worth the effort."
The last sentence may not have been said in contempt, but it still had its impact: everyone suddenly stiffened and looked greatly offended, Eren being the worst – his face, despite the harsh, cold wind blowing, flushed a furious shade of red. He even snarled, for he hadn't been ready to hear those words from Ferret's mouth.
"What did you just say?" he hissed, both stunned and nearly apoplectic with rage. "That we're not worth killing, even by the hand of this mismatched-eyed devil?!"
Ferret stared serenely at the first mate, silent, then glanced to the side with a tired sigh. "That's insulting, I know. But... wouldn't that be one of the few reasons they've got to have chosen to keep us alive and around when they clearly have the upper hand by being stronger than we are, even though we outnumber them? They could have easily sailed without us – Lelouch is a navigator, ten thousand times more skilled and experienced than I am, and could avoid the unpredictable storms of the Grand Line with his eyes closed if he wanted to. So, why don't they just kill us while we're at our breaking point?"
Eren was on the verge of foaming at the mouth from so much rage and his breathing was already ragged, as if he'd been running all day long, and the others weren't faring so well either. The contorted expression on his face mirrored the violent feelings clashing in his head, to which the navigator couldn't help but feel sympathetic. And he should be enraged as well, for there couldn't be more insulting than being deemed as unworthy of something – such as being killed with your dignity intact when all your will seemed to have been wiped out by both a brutal defeat and beating. Captain Wen was a proud man who may have tried to bury his most secret fears under masks, but they weren't completely conquered; a single look into Lelouch's eyes had been able to break through all those veils and walls he had eriged around his mind to hide his nightmares, just a single look and he could reveal and see everything. Lelouch could have broken the pirate captain's mind with his illusions had he wanted to, and even his will. The fear they all had seen on his face after the mismatched-eyed man had left had clearly unsettled them... and they still were. It was like he had just seen the Devil himself roam free on their ship, in the shape of Canterbury Lelouch.
Ferret felt a cold shiver shake his spine, which had nothing to do with the bad weather.
Why hadn't they killed them already? Why didn't they just do that while they were emotionally defeated? Was it because they were now unworthy of being killed? Crushing their will was one thing, but refusing to grace them with a final blow to end the suffering was downright insulting: the Neo-Marine had destroyed the Freesia Pirates in the New World, shattering their hopes and dreams of finding the One Piece – some of their friends had died during the assault, and since they couldn't have given them a proper burial on land, they had kept their corpses until they could find a 'safe' island to bury them. It would have been more cruel to throw them overboard to have their bodies devoured by Sea Kings. The mercy those Neo-Marine bastards had shown them had been just as insulting as Lelouch and Saber were, letting them go with their ship intact had later made Ferret's blood boil. After making peace with his family and deciding to sail the Grand Line to help his captain achieve his dream, the navigator had sworn to make it possible, so he had trained hard to also become a sturdy fighter despite being not as strong as the first mate and Wen. But encountering Lelouch and Saber when they were about to dive back into the ocean to go through Fishmen Island had been the last straw to anyone left in the crew.
Why they had even bothered to fight back, Ferret didn't know, since it had been useless. Maybe he won't ever know if his captain still had that fire burning both in his heart and soul, because there was no certainty that the crew would still remain together after falling apart emotionally speaking.
"Honestly... I didn't know that waiting for death could be so nerve-wrecking. Especially by someone who could dig up our worst nightmares. I have no idea who the hell Lelouch is... but he's definitely not normal."
Lelouch frowned at the two master acrobates who were performing in front of the excited audience, wondering what was so damn interesting in watching them. If he glanced around him, he would see the same expression on every person (woman, man, child...) – this enthralled look mixed with some strange glee, which was starting to irritate him. He had never been the type to admire or even like clowns and acrobates from circuses during his time on Earth, and the Grand Line wasn't going to change that – if one of those freaky clowns did so much as wave stupidly in front of him, smiling widely, Lelouch would break him in pieces. Not only were they all creepy to look at, but there was something really off about them. His Haki was alerting him from time to time whenever eyes were looking at him from somewhere.
And he already knew who it was. But Lelouch wasn't interested in him at the moment.
The two performers, one woman and a man by judging from their morphologies under those costumes, wore identical white masks with eerie black smiles that somehow matched with their outfits – the man looked like a 1960's American gangster (white tie, black shirt, sleeveless back jacket, black gloves and Fedora hat. Strange clothing choice from someone belonging to a circus...), while his female partner had donned a white, flowered-shaped dress with black heels. Original, actually not freak-like and even more likeable than the others. The grace and fluidity they were moving with looked almost ethereal – it was like they were one with the wind, almost moving like a leaf in the air. The figures they were performing were different than those back on Earth; there were no throwing knives at a living target, no dangerous acrobaties in the air that would result in having a broken neck when falling down hard on the ground and jumping from platform to another. They were just... dancing.
Lelouch didn't know what kind of dance it was, but the Enchanting Winds (whose stage names were Alizé and Windy. Ironic, if you ask Lelouch...) seemed to have enraptured the whole audience as they all watched with great interest and eager expressions; while he couldn't see their faces, the masks they had on could have fit in the performance if they didn't look so creepy. Their movements were fluid, as if they weren't stiff – it seemed natural to him. Vergo had once told Lelouch, during training back at the G-5 base in the New World, that Sphinx's insane teaching had done its deed on him: while his fighting styles didn't include dancing, it did include moving as a snake when attacking and contorting his body beyond understanding. Lelouch frowned slowly as he watched the duo on stage, unlocking his arm from Margaret's grasp and slightly leaning forward to have a better look. No, he knew that dance from somewhere – scratch what he was thinking, he definitely knew this kind of dance; something felt familiar in those movements they were both doing. Awfully familiar. And if he was right about this...
So he voiced his question at Blacken Felicio, glancing sharply at him on the side. "Where did they learn the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis technique?" he demanded coldly and out loud amid the music, his gaze firm and authoritative. "Surely some punks from a circus couldn't have come across an Alabastan fighting style book, picked up one of the forbidden techniques and learnt by pure luck. Have you stolen it?"
Since nobody around Lelouch bothered to turn toward him and shush him up, he instantly knew he was spot on: he had raised his voice, almost screaming to be heard, but no one had reacted. This couldn't be good: how did an Alabastan forbidden technique land in the hands of this freak? Lelouch scowled at the smug-looking leader of the circus, who let out a dark chuckle.
"Oh? What a pleasant surprise. So you're immune to the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis technique? I'm impressed," he purred wickedly at him. "You might be the first one to ever look so upset over finding out about the charade, shall I give a reward for that?"
"Please do. If it's a statue or something sturdy, that will do just fine: I'd love to break every bone your body with it." The sarcastic reply, voiced in a drawl, was enough to make a vein pop on Felicio's temple, but the smirk was still present. So Lelouch opted for other answers. "I asked you a question, I want an answer: where the hell did your colleagues learn the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis technique? Do they even know it's a forbidden one?"
"A-ha-ha-ha!" the freak tsked, wagging his finger in front of him. His green eyes twinkled 'merrily' as they looked Lelouch up and down. "Such an unruly tongue for someone so good-looking and smart, I knew there was something very fascinating with you the moment I laid my eyes on your person." He ignored the navigator's disgusted sneer and descended the staircase, swinging his golden cane carelessly – he even knocked an older man over the head with it, who slumped forward, out cold. Felicio never seemed to notice as he casually strolled toward the stage, mismatched eyes following his every movement disdainfully. He appraised the still dancing duo with a wide smirk, nodding, then turned back toward Lelouch. "To be fair, I didn't expect anyone to recognize the hypnotic dance, let alone being completely immune to it, this is probably the most pleasant surprise I've ever had in a long while."
"Spare me the exaggerated self-praise, you're only hurting yourself into this predicament," Lelouch hissed, narrowing his eyes at the dancing duo as he crossed his arms over his torso. "Who are they?"
"If I tell you about my fantastic Enchantic Winds," Felicio purred, his green eyes glinting wickedly in a sickening way. "will you let me play with you? You have such beautiful eyes and features that I wonder whose parent you look like the most. Was it your father? Or your mother? Oh, I bet she must be ethereal!"
There had been many times when the expert navigator had been really disgusted by men – and women, unfortunately – who had gushed about his features, and Lelouch had wanted to slap them because they made his skin crawl (it was as if he needed to take multiple baths to scrub some stubborn filth. It was disturbing.). And this man... this Blacken Felicio, or whatever the hell his real name was, was actually making his skin crawl for about an entire minute; he even had to maintain some self-control to prevent himself from jumping down and literally tearing the bastard apart with his bare hands – because really, the freak was asking for it. That, and the fact that he was casually wiggling around, making weird noises and 'happy' expressions like a goddamn wacko.
So he had to deal with a sicko. How mad and satisfying would it be for Lelouch to crack his skull just to get rid of him? Chances were high: that freak had stolen a forbidden Alabastan technique and was having two of his companions hypnotizing half of Coral Village – hell, they must have the entire town in their grasp by now, with the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis technique making things just easier. They must have been doing this for a long time, even before Lelouch and Saber got here, because mastering the hypnosis techique required a great amount of concentration – thus, that creepy music in the background wasn't a very good idea and didn't match the slowness of the technique, although it would make sense for creeps from a freak show because that was their element –, amazing flexibility and a very good memory of the movements to perform them without hesitation. One second, just one, could disrupt everything and the hypnosis would fail. If performed and cast with success, it would hold for days until the spell needed to be cast once again. Lelouch had once been a victim of this treacherous technique when he turned nine and, while he couldn't really remember any of it, it apparently hadn't been a pleasant experience. Sphinx having complained about back problems, he had asked a very skilled belly dancer to perform it – which had proven to be a challenge to get her to accept, since she had looked absolutely terrified to do it and despite Sphinx promising that he wouldn't say a word, which could result in her execution, the belly dancer had a nasty breakdown before getting her wits together (due to Lelouch's painful bluntness.).
"Let's not talk about what you did under this hypnosis," Sphinx had told gruffly, looking very annoyed. And Lelouch was still so sleepy; his purple eyes were barely open as he was struggling to stay awake, his hair completely dishevelled. "Instead, let's rather talk about the spell that put your mind in this trance: feeling woozy? Sleepy? Out of place? Well," the old man sighed, rubbing his eyes in a tired fashion. "your body is reacting to the after-effects of the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis, a very dangerous and well-advanced technique that can put anyone in a dreading trance in which you're not even conscious of your own actions –"
"Sphinx, I know I'm exhausted but my brain can still register and understand what the hell hypnosis is," Lelouch deadpanned flatly with a faint glare, his eyes half-open. He barely suppressed a yawn, tilting his head and ignoring his master's exasperated huff. So not a 'morning person', even after what that belly dancer made him do. "So... what is it about the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis I need to be careful of?"
The old pirate stared pointedly at him. "Do you know why it's forbidden, Lelouch? While under that trance, you are absolutely unaware of everything you could do – you could bomb a whole town for all you care or murder someone, so whether you're placed under hypnosis or not, you'd still be found guilty. It's a very dangerous technique that could potentially bring chaos in the world and, if the user is smart, unbalance everything. Having heard of that Alabastan technique, the World Government decided to send Cipher Pol agents to eradicate every person who's learnt that dreadful technique in the country. It did some pretty bad damages to the relationship between the Nefertari family and the organization, considering the fact that they did this massacre without Cobra's consent."
Lelouch, now wide awake and having shrugged off the need to sleep, gritted his teeth in anger. "How... how many?"
Sphinx closed his eyes in grim acceptance, lowering his head. When he listenend to Cobra telling that story the other day, he hadn't known of the force of the impact it had on him. And now, his friend's eyes were fierce and determined to see and watch the country change for the better, despite being the target of many gamblers – such as hardened pirates who could cook up a diabolical plan. Nefertari Cobra and his daughter Vivi, albeit being way too kind for his taste, would definitely make Alabasta proud once again.
"Way too many."
Lelouch's gloved hand suddenly shot up and blurred in front of him, effectively and effortlessly catching the four knives that surely would have killed him had he not sensed the danger. Clutching the weapons between his fingers, his eyes opened slowly to glare at the culprit who, sure enough, was smirking up innocently at him with a twinkling gaze.
"You were dozing off," Felicio stated flatly, despite his 'innocent' grin. "I didn't tell you, but I absolutely abhor when people don't pay attention to me. You might want to take notes in case of further acquaintances between us."
I would have long buried you before that. "Oh, did I offend you? My sincerest apologies, then," Lelouch drawled sarcastically with a mocking smirk, gathering the knives in his hand and standing up. He looked down at Felicio, mismatched eyes burning. "I wasn't aware that your ego had to be polished almost every minute you get to spend around your audience. That's a bit sad."
The navigator sensed the intention with his Haki long before he could hear the hiss in the wind, so he began to descend the steps casually, blocking the blade that was aimed at his face with one of the knives he was holding. It clattered noisely on the wooden floor. Lelouch's eyes never left Felicio's, though he wasn't the one throwing blades at him; he could feel the astonishment from both dancers, who had finished with the last movements of the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis – especially the female one, whose unseen eyes must be narrowed in frustration behind her creepy mask. And to her stupefaction, her target didn't do much as blink or flinch. And the way he had blocked and caught her knives without so much as glancing her way greatly unsettled the female dancer, so she just continued throwing knives. And he kept blocking, still coming down onto the stage – he didn't even glance toward one woman when she cried out in pain, one of Alizé's blades having grazed her cheek. Not even when another stabbed a man in his throat, leaving him to bleed to death in a matter of seconds. The gurgling sound he made was a bit disturbing, and Windy and Alizé barely managed to keep their emotions in check behind those masks (they'll have to thank Felicio later for these precious masks, for they were coming in handy now. Especially in front of that man.). But Lelouch? He didn't waver, he never tripped or looked guiltily.
How? was her thought as she gaped at the stranger, whose mismatched eyes had never left their leader's. Felicio's smirk had faded a little bit, replaced by a distraught frown that looked so weird and unusual on his face. Though he didn't back away when Lelouch's feet finally touched the ground made of steel, his gaze wasn't showing this malicious glint she and Windy had always been familiar with. No, it was a very different emotion they had never seen on him. And his skin had taken such a paler colour...
"Poor, poor Felicio," Lelouch cooed with an infuriating – and creepy – smile, which immediately set everyone on stage on edge. He stopped advancing, leaving some space between them, and gazed at the three of them. "Resorting to hypnotize people to get attention, that's low. What happened during your childhood? Didn't your parents give the love you yearned so you wouldn't resort to forbidden techniques that would likely get you killed? What a shame."
"I'd be pretty careful of what you're saying, freak!" Windy suddenly hissed, his words a little bit muffled by the mask he was wearing.
He lunged at Lelouch with a cry of anger, aiming for his head with a rounded kick – which the mismatched-eyed man easily blocked with his own kick, but then he did something strange: his right leg snaked itself around Windy's left one, forcibly brought it down by force, thus also bringing her surprised partner down close to the ground and, with a swiftness Alizé could only gape at, hit several spots with his fists on Windy down from his leg to his left arm right after dropping the knives.
"Damn it!" the dancer swore pantingly as he staggered backwards, struggling to not fall on the floor. The spots hit ached slightly, which was actually more annoying than painful. Snarling behind his mask, he glared hatefully at a smirking Lelouch, who brought his leg back down. "You son of a – what the heck?"
Alizé snapped out of her bewilderment and gathered Windy by her side, tugging on his arm. "What? What's wrong?" she inquired hurriedly, looking at him.
"I-I can't move my arm and leg...," he said slowly, as if he couldn't believe it. He tried tensing the muscles in the neutralized limbs, but found out in horror that they were rendered completely numb. Nothing reacted. Then he shook his head, now feeling real panic for the first time. "I can't move my arm and leg!" he repeated, practically shouting in alarm. He snapped his head at Lelouch, incensed. "What the hell did –"
Windy interrupted himself all of a sudden, seeing an upside down leg inches away from hitting his face – which promptly caused his eyes to widen behind his mask – and, as expected, he wasn't fast enough to evade the kick. It even seemed to go in slow motion to him; the heel of the boot collided hard with his face, shattering the mask of porcelain as if it were just glass and actually breaking his nose in the process, and sent him to the nearest wall right behind him, where he brutally crashed in. Debris fell around him as smoke surrounded his body, and his painful groan could be heard through the racket. Alizé, dazed and frozen because of the very swift movement she hadn't been able to follow, blinked stupidly, her eyes widening in horror and face twitching.
Is this for real? Who the hell is this guy?
Unfazed, Lelouch allowed his body to make a 360° angle to land back on his feet, just besides the female dancer. Turning toward her, he took in her dazed state and narrowed his eyes at her.
"If you allow yourself to be distracted, such as right now..." he started to say, sounding nonchalant, before suddenly disappearing with a Soru.
He reappeared closer to Alizé, who was still frozen into shock, his face close to her left side and his fingers close to ripping her own mask off (or gouging her eyes, she couldn't tell). She wouldn't be able to tell how fast he was going, for he could just be a blur to her eyes.
"... you'll die," she heard him whisper in her ear, his silky and calm voice almost dull.
That promptly caused Alizé to snap out of her state, and she forced her body to listen to her as she attempted to punch Lelouch in the guts, but he blocked her easily by elbowing her forearm, then avoided her rounded kick by doing several back flips and she ran after him, grinding her teeth. Windy, who had been dizzy and trying to nurse his broken nose since he got kicked to the curb into the wall, now snarled hatefully and had to resist the urge to surge through the debris and lunge at the two figures fighting each other – or, in that case, one of them was actually playing, if the mocking smile on his lips was any indication. The mask now destroyed and useless, it was futile to hide his light amber eyes, cat-like features and red hair. So he just sat there, knowing that he'd just be a dead weight to his partner. Behind them, Blacken Felicio had managed to get it together and smiled darkly to himself, still panting a little. Now that, albeit unexpected, was a beautiful turn of events! It was even better than having the whole town hypnotized to make his dream come true.
Spreading his arms wide, he gave a boisterous laugh. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed loudly, his green eyes bright with dark excitement. Then his voice got louder, if possible. "A duel between one of my strongest fighters – something even I couldn't have fathomed today! One against one, even though it looks like that our beautiful Alizé is actually struggling against our honored participant. Ladies and gentlemen, it would seem we will be hosting a very different show today! Are you entertained?"
Still hypnotized, the crowd gave a boisterous cheer that seemed to shake the entire establishment. Felicio looked around him, seeing all the smiles and excited glints he loved to see, and that made him giggle in barely contained glee. And the night had only just begun...
He walked back toward his special seat on top of some kind of podium, and sat down on his 'throne' with a satisfied laugh. "Ah, I'm so happy to hear that. To make you even happier, let's invite the Cosmos brothers to make this show more nerve-wrecking for our honored participant."
As soon as the words left his mouth, three familiar and identical men shot up out of nowhere and rushed toward the three fighters. Lelouch, who had mostly been evading blows and kicks, quickly glanced around to make a short calculation, then used a Soru to evade a wild collision between every of his opponents. Grunts of pain and curses were heard as they piled up on top of one another, with the navigator reappearing on the side, staying on his toes and smirking. He raised a brow at the sight of the triplets.
"Ah, they're not bodyguards?" he mused, leaning back comfortably but never letting his guard down. "No matter. But what's your plan?" he shouted at Blacken Felicio. "By the looks of it, I'd say you've been abusing of the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis technique for quite some time, but what of it?"
"A-ha-ha-ha!" the freak said once again, wagging his finger with a smile. "Aren't your hands full enough with my subordinates as of right now? You have to beat your opponents first, gorgeous boy!"
Lelouch groaned, aggravated and annoyed, as he blocked another blow from one of the Cosmos triplets. "Who the hell is this guy? He's talking to me as if I was a child."
The man, who was trying to flip him off, smirked haughtily at him. "You think you can take on Master Felicio, kid? You sure seem arrogant for a freak," he growled provocatingly, his dark eyes glinting malevolently. "Don't cry if we break you in half and carry your corpse later on for a complete makeover, that'd be annoying."
Makeover? What was he, a doll? These guys needed to get out of the freakshow. "Who wants to serve in a nightmarish circus that only frightens children to death?" Lelouch retorted as he evaded a low kick. Jumping in the air, he flipped forward, grabbed fistfuls of the blouse the first triplet was wearing to do a handstand on his shoulders. He glared down at the startled expression of his opponent, who was looking up with wide eyes and also struggling to keep his balance. "Plus, what would they gain by being hypnotized by this madman over here you call 'Master' what's his face? What would you gain by doing this?"
Without waiting for a reply, Lelouch allowed his body to bend forward until he touched the ground and, with a grunt and grounding teeth, lifted the taller man...
"H-hey, wait..."
"HE'S ALL YOURS, MONKEY!" the genius shouted.
… and promptly flung him with a cry, surprising both the crowd and his opponents, who must be wondering why he yelled like that. There were hesitant and startled looks thrown at every corner as the two remaining Cosmos brothers rushed to stop their third twin's flight, eyes showing so many emotions Lelouch was certain they hadn't felt in a long time since they joined that damn circus.
He felt his mouth curl into a smile when he heard his friend's voice over the loud racket (how he could hear it, he wouldn't know. Saber just had good lungs.), even louder than that god-forsaken and creepy music.
"TIME TO SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP, CLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN!" the monkey man hollered as he fell down from the sky and brutally slammed his (new?) sniper rifle into the stomach of the flying Cosmos brother, whose eyes rolled to the back of his head and blood flowed through his mouth from the force of the blow. That pinned him on the ground, a sizeable crater taking shape right under his body because of Saber's strength, and he just lay limp, out cold.
Instead of being stunned by this display of power, the crowd gave loud cheers and many of the aristocrats even stood up to applause to show their appreciation. Lelouch scowled, snorting at the attention they were getting from such society – how the hell could they even show some interest? This was no circus show, this was bound to turn into an all-out brawl (which was usually scorned at by nobles raised to be above scoundrels. He himself had to accept the idea that he had to learn how to really defend himself, so he could fend for himself while he wasn't with Vergo or stuck in Dressrossa. Or in the New World.). The chances to get someone killed 'by accident' were high, and Felicio wasn't making things easier.
Mismatched eyes narrowed in distate as he walked backwards until he bumped into Saber's back. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded. "Do you have the slightest idea of the ordeal you put me through with those wolves?"
"And risk missing the hearthrob in action when he's got women tearing themselves apart just to get him? Cry me a river, Lelouch," the hybrid laughed heartily, his green orbs shining in mirth as he expertly maneuvered his sniper rifle until it was strapped on his back. "You just have to like it."
"No," came the flat answer, just as flat as his expression. "No, I don't. That doesn't even come to my mind."
"Oh, are you –"
"Shut. Up. I'm not and I certainly don't want to hear that from a monkey who has no idea of how to tell the difference between a gun and a girl's nether regions."
"BASTARD!" an angry masculine voice roared ahead of them, and both friends looked back to see that the two other Cosmos brothers were practically breathing fire at them. "How dare you do this to our brother? Do you want to be terminated?"
Lelouch raised a brow at the word. "'Terminated', you say?" he repeated, slightly surprised. Then he smirked, walking round Saber until he could stand beside him, and got into a stance. "Can circus freaks really learn other language than their own slang? What else can you say that might surprise me even more?"
As he predicted, his words only served to anger the twins even more: veins protruded on their temples at the same time and they snarled hatefully at the two friends. "That's it!" the one right with the white coat exclaimed, readying himself. "You will –"
Just as the two parties were about to lunge at each other, they all froze when they heard a small but almost deafening clap, as if they were all being applauded for having behaved as they had been asked to, and they all turned toward Felicio. The childish smile and expression he had on his face only served to make Lelouch even more aggravated, which showed as he narrowed his eyes dangerously at the freak.
"Bravo, bravo, bravo!" he clamored, immediately imitated by the ever 'cheerful' crowd. "Simply marvelous! Nobody was accidentally killed during the performance, which has always been bound to happen until now!"
While the five circus freaks remained calm, Lelouch suddenly felt spikes of fear poking his mind and he glanced at them, inquiring. What was that? It wasn't the first time he felt dread from his opponents with the Terror-Terror Fruit, since he finally got the hang of it; it usually felt like rippling waves over his body, gradually becoming stronger the more the person was terrorized, and not only did it make Lelouch's illusions more realistic than reality itself, but it made him so hungry at the same time.
But this dread he was feeling from the five performers...
It was more pronounced, more precise... as if they were fearing that he would reveal something they'd rather not talk about in public. But what the hell could it be? Lelouch had already figured out that they've been using a forbidden Alabastan technique that involved hypnosis – something the World Government would both approve (if it meant they could use it to their advantage) and disapprove –, so what the hell?
"M-master...," Windy croaked, slightly quaking with fear, which heavily contrasted with the strong surge of fury that had coursed through his veins. Saber looked at him and blinked, curious. "It's not something you should say in presence of strangers..."
Even his partner nodded. "I agree with Windy, sir," she said, her voice quivering a little. Once her partner was nearby, she threw his arm over her shoulder to help him, since his leg and arm were still numb and useless. Then she looked back up at Felicio. "This isn't something we should mention carelessly, we could be killed."
"Are you talking about the hypnosis?" Lelouch called out, scowling. "Then yes, I'll gladly behead you myself if that's what you're talking about. And judging by the inconsiderate length of time you've been doing this, I'd cut your head off twenty times over and over again if it were possible." He turned to fully face Windy and Alizé, his burning eyes staring long and hard. "Though judging by your reaction, I'd say that there's something else you don't want us to find out."
This time, he saw her flinch along with her fear reaching a new spike that really made Lelouch want to torture her just to make that Alizé spit everything she must have done – using the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis on people was already a crime punished by execution, what else could they have done to dread with such intensity? They couldn't have done... what he was thinking, could they?
But he didn't have time to demand for more answers, because Felicio spoke up once more, dragging the attention back on him. He looked thoroughly amused and smug – which was in complete contradiction with the mortified expressions of his subordinates.
"Alizé, beautiful Alizé. Always so wary of the consequences of your actions, aren't you?" he admonished softly, shaking his head and as if speaking to a child. He leaned down from his position, staring at the two performers with a strange look over his face. "But isn't it the motto of our Blacken Serenade Circus? Do you remember what I told you and Windy when I accepted to take you two under my wing? 'Serenade all you wish to in my circus...'"
"'...but all the sins you will commit shall forever tarnish you and you alone.'," Windy and Alizé finished together, their voices somehow duller, as if they had just lost whatever will they still had. While they couldn't see the woman's face, both Lelouch and Saber could assume that she was mirrorring her partner, whose face betrayed his emotions. Alizé's voice had trembled, meaning that she was about to cry in anguish.
Bastard. Freak. Bitch. Every insult could suit him. Lelouch may not like those circus freaks, but even he didn't condone betrayal (that wasn't sympathy, absolutely not. He just felt like he needed to silence Felicio once and for all, to hell with the three other bastards who would want to prevent him from doing so.) and abandonment. That reminded him of a certain son of a bitch he had killed along with his witch of a wife all too well...
He even dared to laugh mockingly at his two dancers, balancing himself on his feet. "It's nothing personal, really. It was already the same with your predecessors, so don't think that I wouldn't have gotten rid of you should something –"
"MASTER!"
Alizé had finally cried out, ripping her mask off in the process so her face could be completely revealed. And Lelouch couldn't help but stare at her in surprise. There was also a gasp from Saber, whose green eyes must be bugging out of their sockets and jaw must be nearing the ground by now, but the navigator couldn't turn to see his expression. The woman before them was a female version of Windy – same red hair and cat-like features? So those two were related. Brother and sister, possibly twins – and, the most surprising thing about her, was her eyes; they weren't the same light amber colour like Windy's, as they should be. Those crying eyes couldn't see.
That woman was blind.
Lelouch could tell when someone was robbed of his eyesight; their movements would be slower, cautious. They would try to touch everything and hesitate so much because the environment could cause their death, anytime and anywhere. Those white eyes, he had seen them on those who were born blind, unable to see their beloved. Some were in pain because of that disadvantage, others seemed to see it as a blessing. But for his precious sister? Her blindness caused by Charles' Geass on had caused much more than just her disability. Lelouch could remember the tears she had shed, the fury that had coursed through his whole body when he realized, with painful reality, that he hadn't been able to do anything about it.
While Alizé's unseeing eyes were crying tears of betrayal and sorrow, he still couldn't understand how she could see – because she clearly could: she was facing Felicio, staring at him in the eye as if she wasn't blind at all. And her movements, when they were fighting each other, were of someone who could see for real. Lelouch had to resist the urge to massage his temples, feeling a headache coming. This didn't make any sense at all. Was she wearing lenses? Was she faking her blindness... or was she really blind? That couldn't be some kind of fashion sense – he wasn't this stupid to even suggest it, because he wouldn't dare to buy that. Lelouch was sure she didn't know anything about Haki, so she couldn't be using it to fight and live her life as well – while she was completely blind, the Observation Haki could somehow be considered as another pair of all-seeing eyes. Which she didn't possess. Then how the hell is she able to fight and move like this? Lelouch mentally growled, trying to overcome his surprise and growing frustration.
"Master, why?" she wailed, unable to control her sobs anymore. "Why? Haven't Noctis and I been any good to you? Haven't we served you well?"
This time, Felicio looked absolutely fed up with all her fuss. "Fall. All of you," he hissed, before he tapped the ground with his foot.
Apparently, he must have activated some mecanism when he hit the floor, for the ground beneath Lelouch's feet – and everyone with him on the stage – suddenly gave out and he started to fall backwards, eyes wide in surprise and disbelief. The shock of being tricked this easily was so sudden that his reflexes completely failed him, and that didn't even relieve him to see that his hybrid friend and the five other freaks were also falling to what seemed to be a deep oblivion under the circus (he briefly noted Windy's – Noctis, if he was correct – look of betrayal before he could disappear from view. It was too genuine to be deception.).
"Felicio!" he roared, glaring at the rapidly disappearing ceiling. Lelouch couldn't use his Geppou during a free fall such as this one, that just wouldn't work too well – and also because Saber would be alone before those five other circus freaks if he actually were to succeed in soaring back up.
Now that was a cheap dirty trick! Typical of clowns would use to deceive their audience and frighten young children, they should suffer decapitation for doing something like that. He should have known that this Blacken Felicio had an 'ace' up his sleeve, but not even Lelouch could have guessed that it would be an underground playground; how far down would they go? Not too far, he hoped. Because that would be a pain to get back up and slaughter the bastard for playing them all. He didn't have many options, and all of them weren't appealing so far. So Lelouch just ground his teeth in anger, waited and waited, waited and waited... until his body finally landed on something soft and, most of all, surprisingly bouncy.
The navigator bounced once more, this time landing on his stomach with a groan. He opened his eyes, blinked several times to adjust himself to his new whereabouts with a short surge of Haki around him, then slowly sat up. There were some lamps hung around the circular room, projecting a dim light, but that was enough for him to visualize where he was. The fall sure seemed very long to him, twenty seconds at best, but still managed to get him quite far underground, which was even more irritating. It was as if they had reached the bottom of the sea, if he were to guess. Lelouch was about to get up when screams edged closer and closer from above, and he looked up just in time to see Saber, Windy (Noctis), Alizé and the triplets fall in. But since his friend was about to crush him, he scrambled out of the way as fast as possible right before the hybrid could crash down on his body. The swordsman and the other freaks bounced on the balloon a few times before settling down, just as surprised as Lelouch was at the situation they were now all in.
Sitting back up, he looked over at his friend. "You okay over there, monkey?" he asked.
"Could be better," Saber growled, rolling over to his stomach. Then his green eyes opened, shining like bright emeralds in the semi-obscurity, and he looked over at the five people who fell down with them. "What I'd like to know is if there's a way out of this hellhole, because I sure don't like the idea of being underground. I might snap and start destroying things..."
Lelouch put a hand on his fluffy tail, squeezing it. "Let's ask the crying girl, then."
"You didn't tell him? Why is that, Vergo?"
"He'll eventually figure it out once he's reached Alabasta, where your fellow comrade Crocodile is doing his business to drive the country into madness. While I'm pretty sure he'll be a tad indifferent toward the sorrow of the Desert Kingdom, there's the fact that he and Saber will probably run into the princess there. If my memory is correct, Lelouch met her once the year I was supposed to go get him, but she musn't have some good memory of him; according to my research, Nefertari Vivi is now sixteen years old, so she was only three when they met."
"But there's a chance she could recognize him. Albeit his physical changes due to the time that has passed and his Devil Fruit powers, Lelouch hasn't really changed that much. Alright, let's say they do meet somewhere in Alabasta, what will she do? Ask him to help her fight against Crocodile? They couldn't have been friends during such a short period, especially if he left without telling the poor princess goodbye."
"He'll refuse. Alabasta isn't his birth country, so he won't even be interested in taking part of the rebellion or helping the princess to save her kingdom. Whatever Crocodile is cooking up wouldn't even bother him; he's just going there to see Sphinx..."
"But you didn't tell him that he's dead now."
There was a pregnant pause in Vergo's office, in which he had isolated himself after training with his new (shitty) recruits. The Vice-Admiral mulled over his friend's words before replying, his voice now a little duller.
"Like I said, Joker, he will find out on his own once he's there." he reached out to grab his sandwich, but couldn't get his hand on it. He frowned as he looked over, not even finding a plate on his desk. Strange. "He'll be shocked, that's for sure, and that won't take him much time before understanding that I was aware that Sphinx would die. I'll face his anger head on, and handle it the way I've always used when he's mad."
"The only problem in your thinking: he would be in Alabasta, where the only thing that would calm him down is killing – since Crocodile's Baroque Works will be there, I'd say they will be the perfect preys for our heretic." Donquixote Doflamingo paused in his words for an entire minute, thinking of the millions of possibilities that could happen if Vergo's 'treasure' was bound to snap. "We both know that Lelouch has a pretty good mastery of the Terror-Terror Fruit, but we are also aware that even he could fall to its influence and become unpredictable. The Devil Fruit you made him eat is a very nasty one, you know: not only is he immune to any kind of hypnosis because his mind is twisted and sinister enough to snap out of a trance, but it also can have control of every mind clouded in sheer fear. If he's not careful, there's a chance that he'll let himself be controlled by his own power, and you won't be able to do anything. No matter how strong and superior you are compared to him for now."
Vergo frowned even more, his grip on the baby Transponder Snail tightening a little. "I know that. And it's only a matter of time before the student surpasses his master, only then I will stop caring about his well-being. For now, I'll have to trust Saber to keep an eye on him. They've grown to become quite the duo after Lelouch insisted on taking the little monkey with us eleven years ago... now I can see for myself how they work together, it's almost incredible."
This time, Doflamingo smirked widely as he laughed. "Looks like the hybrid from the sister tribe of the Minks has grown on you as well, Vergo. And here I thought nothing would faze you after all these years spent to wear a mask in the Marines. But now I see Sphinx was right about Lelouch: there is something about him. If the Conqueror's Haki ever manifests in him... bring him to me." He continued after the Transponder Snail mirrorred Vergo's surprised expression, still smirking. "He's already mastered Armament and Observation Haki under our training, I can help him master the Conqueror's should it awaken when he's in Alabasta. And I'm fairly 48% sure that it will happen there, thanks to you."
Of course. Lelouch may have denied it, but he'd been really attached to Sphinx during his three years spent with him in Alabasta. He'd been using the Snake & Dance technique as a salute tribute to his first master in his training, finding a way to combine it with the Rokushiki technique and the martial arts Vergo had taught him, and though he always remained focused, there was always a time when he'd meditate alone – the Vice-Admiral had suspected he must have been thinking about Sphinx. He never cried, never whined, so he'd been the perfect student to him. Saber, on the other hand, had been a handful before accepting Lelouch's master as his own when it came to learning Haki.
Yes, Doffy was right: there was a chance that Lelouch might snap in Alabasta and prey on Crocodile's minions just to cool down. Even a little.
Vergo sighed, nursing his temple. "He'll even destroy Law if the two ever meet again."
Doflamingo's laugh was boisterous as ever, meaning that the Warlord was in a very good mood. "You have no idea!"
"... p-please!"
Gloved fingers slowly tightened around Alizé's throat, making her whimper in pain and squirm under the pressure. "I think you've long lost the right to plead, lady A-li-zé," Lelouch drawled, frowning down at her. "Ever since you and your brother here started using the Dancing Cobra Hypnosis on those aristocrats from Coral Village, and maybe on other islands, you just dug your own grave. If the World Government doesn't find you first, then someone who knows the law forbidding anyone practicing this technique will and I can assure you that your death will be more than painful."
"Wait!" Windy cried out, scrambling toward the man who was holding his dear sister captive. His amber eyes were wide, filled with tension. "Please don't kill Nasse! I'm not trying to excuse ourselves for the hypnosis, that's sorely our fault for choosing to do this, but we have to put this aside for the moment and get the hell out of this place!"
One of the Cosmos twin brothers (minus the one who was still unconscious) nodded vigorously at this statement. "Yes, this is what we should be focusing on right now! You two strangers can try to have our heads later!"
Saber, who was pressing his blade against the other hypnotist's throat to prevent him from going any further, looked confused at this. "Hey, what's with the –"
A loud, very loud rumbling sound echoed in the room, effectively interrupting the white-haired hybrid. While it sounded a lot like an angry, growling animal that could have fallen down with them to the circus freaks, who seemed bemused, it happened to be familiar to Saber's pointed ears. He turned toward Lelouch, followed by the others, and stared at him incredulously.
"Really, Lelouch?" He couldn't believe it. "Who did you scare to be this hungry right now?"
The navigator had the decensy to blush, while still glaring at everyone. "Does it even matter? It's not like I'm going to be useless or anything, so don't complain!"
"It does matter: you're the one who's gonna scarf down the equivalent of a three-days-meals, thus severely diminishing our stock of food on the ship, you damn humanized jack-o'-lantern!" the hybrid hissed, the hairs on his tail now spiky from irritation and his eyes flashing green. "You don't get to do that when there's that annoying consequence that will leave you berserk after scaring the shit out of your victim, so tone it down."
"Why? I thought this was pretty funny."
Both Lelouch and Saber glared harshly at the Cosmos brothers, irritated. "Who asked you, clones? Shut up!"
But the confusion that spread on their face was even more baffling, especially when they looked at each other, scared beyond their wits (and Lelouch had nothing to do with this.). "...that wasn't them, that was Orion," Windy whispered in a dull voice. When the navigator looked down on him, he quickly took note of the tensed expression and the twitching eyes. He could even sense a touch of fear from him, which immediately put his all his senses and Haki on alert... and when he found the source of his tension, Lelouch found himself at a loss for words. He even let go of Alizé (Nasse), who nursed her sore throat, breathing in and out. Then he turned, brows furrowed in confusion.
All at once, the lights were turned on around them, blinding everyone. Lelouch had to keep his mismatched eyes closed for several seconds, teeth gritting in annoyance, before slowly cracking them open once they were adjusted to the sudden light. Then, they slowly widened in disbelief because of the thing that was springing up and down before them.
During his time on Earth as Lelouch Lamperouge, he had never taken an interest in jack-in-the-boxes because they seriously creeped him out. Who the hell could have been sick enough to hide a creepy-looking toy inside a box to scare the hell out of everybody? The odds of Nunnally having a heart attack on the spot after seeing it, had she not been blind for some years following Marianne's death, would have been high. And him? He'd rather not talk about it...but the thing in front of him was downright ugly and clown-like, which made Lelouch want to hurt something really. Bad. It was red, black and white, sporting a black top hat, a wide smirk, a red blouse and holding two gigantic swords in its wooden hands. The laughing sound it produced was even more creepy, making Alizé shiver as she huddled close behind the navigator – he could have snapped at her to back off, but his focus was entirely centralized on the giant jack-in-the-box, so he let this one slide for now.
'Orion' (which seemed to be its name, a baffling fact according to Lelouch) laughed once again, its red eyes taking in everyone in the room. "Bing, bong, bang! Welcome, welcome, welcome to my universe, the Spade of Clown!" it declared loudly, slowly slashing the air with his massive swords. "I assume that master Felicio brought you all down here for an All-Star Execution, is that right? Well, why don't we get started?"
Both Windy and Alizé tensed, their expressions fearful. "This is bad," she croaked, holding onto Lelouch's outfit for dear life. "Really, really bad."
Still at a loss at the appearance of their new common opponent, Lelouch couldn't help but facepalm, listening to the giant jack-in-the-box. He didn't sign for this when he entered the Blacken Felicio Circus. No, he didn't.
"Bing, bong, bang! Let's play!"