Turn 16: Sturm und Drang

Last night was amazingly productive. Thanks to Reid and Milly, I was able to get an audience with the Brotherhood of Nod while operating from a position of strength.

But holy shit...of the things that could have happened, Laila being involved?

Didn't see that shit coming.

Though I still don't know their full power, what little I can decipher says that Kane is likely holding back their resources until such time that they has the power to operate openly. Or at least that's what I've gotten from our intelligence and Laila's insinuations.

...But...something about that conversation strikes me as odd in hindsight. Seeing one of my only siblings that I give a damn about alive and well was definitely a curveball.

But? How did Laila know all of that? How did she know about Geass? About VV? About CC? Is whatever power showed me the future and my other perspective responsible for her too?

That...is worrying. I still don't fully understand what the Sword is. Or the nature of the powers that be that populate this realm. Such as the eponymous C's World.

Part of me wants to call bullshit on all of this. But CC has told me enough that it's obvious there is something bigger out there.

だが断る! (But I refuse!) I will not be a pawn for some eldritch abomination that uses humanity as toys!

I shall attain victory in DEFIANCE of fate, not because it is ordained!

As for the ideals of Nod? Quaint. Well-meaning. But ultimately futile.

Britannia isn't wrong in that people aren't created equal. Some people simply are not fit to rule. The problem is they have flawed perceptions of strength, and scum like the nobility, and most of the Royal Family, are unworthy of the vast power they wield.

I smile softly as a thought occurs to me.

"But creation does not determine worth..." I say quietly, feeling the gravity of the words.

Yesssss. This is exactly what I needed. Not a repudiation of the ideal, but a denouncement of their false narrative.

I turn around to see Milly slamming the door open. Now what?

"Lelouch vi Britannia! Who the hell is Mao?!"

She used my real name?! This must be seri—...DID SHE SAY MAO?!

I stand up in a flash, eyes wide in shock.

"What's going on?!"

She shoves her phone to my chest, breathing hard, both from running, and emotional overwroughtness.

"This Chinese guy kidnapped Rivalz! He wants to talk to you about something regarding CC! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON, LULU?!" she screams at me hysterically.

...How the fuck did I forget about Mao?! He was supposed to show up...OH GODDAMMIT!

That's why! He's incredibly late, months so! And without Shirley here, or Viletta snooping around, he doesn't have any of the warning signs he did in the original timeline!

I rub my forehead, trying to stave off the migraine building up.

"He's a guy CC gave a Geass to. She abandoned him when his Geass went out of control and was thus unable to fulfill her contract," I say as I take a deep breath.

She stares incredulously at me, "What."

I see no reason not to explain this...fuck-up...

Wait.

"Something just occurred to me," I mutter as I start marching upstairs.

"Lulu! He's still on the line! What do I tell him?!" she yells trailing after me.

"Put him on hold. This entire situation is somebody's fault, alright. And I think the person ACTUALLY responsible needs to deal with it too," I growl as I slam the door to my room open, causing CC to turn over on the bed with a frown.

"Do you mind?"

I walk in, eyes glaring at her.

"So guess who just showed up that a certain smug bitch forgot to mention?" I hiss nastily, tapping my foot.

She brushes a emerald lock of hair from her face as she sits up, "Lulu, what is so importa—"

"Mao is here," I say in a dead tone that barely conveys just how fucking outraged I am at the moment.

She blinks and then sighs, "Oh. Him. I suppose you'll have to handle—"

I step forward, burning violet eyes meeting her unamused golden ones.

"How old?"

Milly, who is probably still holding the phone, speaks up, "What?"

I put my hand on CC's shoulder, shivering in rage.

"How old was Mao when you gave him his Geass?" I say in a low rumbling voice.

The witch raises an eyebrow, "About six or so. I don't see why that matters—"

And that's when I lose control. My hand striking her cheek in a stinging slap.

Judging by the gasp from Milly, this is probably shocking to anyone who knows me.

But I have been pushed to my limits over the last few days. And this? IS AN ABOMINATION.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I scream at her, teeth bared.

She glares at me fiercely, "Why the hell did you—?!"

I slap her again with a backhand, outraged at her nonchalance over the monstrous act she has committed.

I admit, I'm certainly no innocent little angel. But nothing I've done compares to the outright EVIL of this.

"A CHILD! YOU USED A FUCKING CHILD FOR YOUR GODDAMNED DEATHWISH!"

She's giving ME the outraged look?! Like I've wronged her?!

I slap her again, pulling the hair on her head firmly as I glare at her.

"Tell Milly about his Geass. Tell her what you did to him."

She huffs and turns her eyes to the blonde.

"He can read minds. Any mind within 500 meters or so."

I tighten my grip, eyes unflinching, "And?"

She gestures lackadaisically, "And he failed to master his Geass. It went out of control and now he can't shut it off. How is this MY fault?"

Milly gasps at the implications. They're honestly quite horrifying, if you think about them.

Never alone in your own thoughts. Having to hear any inane or passing thought in people's brains. Constant noise and frustration.

It's quite obvious why he went mad.

"How could you?! What could be so important that you would abuse a child like that?!" Milly shrieks at the lime-ette.

I release her head, waiting to see if she answers honestly.

"It was my own business. I do not have to explain myself. You wouldn't understand, anyway."

Of fucking course. CC never explains shit unless she has to. Fortunately, I have no intention of letting her bury her dirty laundry this time.

"CC is a six hundred-year-old immortal. What do you think an immortal who's tired of living would want most of all?"

One reason I love Milly? She's smart enough to figure this out just from that.

She slaps CC with a vicious bitch-slap that even I find myself impressed by.

"So you cursed a little boy just so he could grow up, and take your curse and outlive you?!"

I chuckle malevolently, all good cheer long since evaporated.

"Oh, it's worse than that, I'm afraid."

I go and grab my red jacket, putting a pistol and collapsing blade into my holster and pockets.

"As far as I can tell, I believe Mao would have to deliver the killing blow himself to take her immortality."

CC looks away, her cheeks red with handprints.

"You have no idea what I've been through. What I've endured. You wouldn't understand..."

I comb my hair, raising an elegant eyebrow. Still pulling this shit? I think it's time you learned the punishment for this vile behavior, Witch.

"Frankly? I don't care. You crossed a line, CC. And now, you're coming with me. Because there's a price for this. Millicent, your phone, please."

She hands the phone to me, giving a stern look. She's known me long enough to know that I'm completely over the edge in anger. I've gone from fury, all the way to unfeeling anger.

I un-mute the phone, raising it to my lips.

"You have made a grave mistake, Mao."

A deranged giggling is his first response.

"Oh, come now, Demon King. You really think I don't have plans if you don't show up?"

I can't help myself. I start laughing.

"Heh heh heh heh..."

"Oh, did I break the mighty Zero already?"

I smile at that, and the icy venomous expression on my face makes Milly recoil I fright, and CC close her eyes with a sigh.

"Nothing of the sort. I will bring you CC. But you will regret coming into my territory, Mao," I say with false cheer.

"Excellent! I was hoping you'd be nice about this. Come to Clovisland, bring my beloved CC with you, and little Rivalz can go home safely! Hehehehehe!"

I hang up, and gently hand the phone back to Milly.

"Lulu, what—"

I hold up a hand to stop her.

"The King holds Justice and Mercy in Equal Measure. But right now? I don't feel like dispensing either."

I pull CC's head by her long hair, growling at her.

"You are coming with me. Because your punishment for this, for this cruelty you inflicted, and for involving my friend, an innocent bystander? You get to watch Mao DIE by my hands. And know that you killed him," I pronounce with the solemnity of a final judgement as I lay down the death sentence on this fool.

I march out of the room, Milly following me.

"Lelouch..." she says softly, holding me.

I frown, letting a deep sigh out.

"I didn't enjoy that. That's the first time I've ever struck a woman. And I'm not eager to ever do it again," I whisper as I lean against the wall.

"I hit her too. You think I go around slapping girls?" she quietly intones, her voice devoid of its usual exuberance.

"I was raised not to do things like that, so it's harder to swallow for me."

Milly ruffles my hair, "Are you going to be okay?"

I give her a sardonic grin, "When am I ever truly okay? I have to go butcher a mind-reading sociopath to save Rivalz, and deal with having thrown a cluster bomb into my relationship with CC."

I need to talk to someone about this after we're done. Hmm, speaking of which?

I pull out my phone and speed dial a number.

"At your service, Your Highness."

Good old Jeremiah.

"Sorry to bother you at work. Something unforeseen has come up, and I need your help if you can get away."

The slamming I hear is him probably closing up his paperwork, shutting the windows and locking the doors, no doubt.

"Whatever you require, my lord. How can I be of service?"

I sigh in relief, "Getting away isn't an issue?"

"My work for today is largely paperwork that I can put off for later. What do you wish of me?"

I spot CC coming down, make up on her bruises, a sullen baleful look in her eyes. She can hate me all she wants. I'm not letting this idiot kill Rivalz because she refused to woman-up and deal with her mistake.

"Can you hit a human-sized target with a sniper rifle at further than 500 meters?"

"Easily, Your Highness. Shooting to disable or kill?"

Hmm. How do I handle this...who am I kidding?

"Disable. He's mine," I say with a vicious smile.

"Understood my lord. Where do I need to be?"

I walk to the door, pausing a moment before opening it.

"Clovisland. Wait for my signal before moving closer. The enemy has a means of tracking people within 500 meters, so I need his position first before you approach."

"Yes, Your Highness! I await your signal. Good hunting, sir."

"May your aim strike true," I say as I hang up. One thing to do before I go.

"Milly, go stay with Nunnally. I...would prefer you not see this," I say with a pained grimace.

She hugs me tightly, "Just bring Rivalz back safely, I understand. Be safe, Lulu," she says as she kisses me tenderly.

I'm sorry, Milly. I know I'm not a good guy. I'd say you deserve better, or that you should not involve yourself with me.

But...I'm not that kind of guy. I want what is mine, and I will not give it up out of some idiotic ideal about protecting people by keeping them away.

Hero? Perhaps. But in truth, I am a king before I am anything else.

The King holds Justice and Mercy in Equal Measure. But sometimes? Sometimes, the King must make an example of those foolish enough to challenge his rule.

CC and I get into a taxi, the driver Geassed to take us to Clovisland, and wait for further instructions on arriving.

Neither of us speaks a word. I don't feel like apologizing, not after what she's done. And she is both too proud, and sees nothing wrong with her actions. What a fucking mess...

I get out of the car, looking around the silent park. Clovisland, a monument to my brother's hubris and wasteful nature. An amusement park, one that was shut down before fully opening.

Jesus fucking Christ, even I don't name shit after myself. And I KNOW my ego is far worse than his was.

CC is staying just out of sight, her face completely healed from the marks. I'll probably kick her to the couch for awhile after we're done here.

For now...ah. There he is, Rivalz tied to the merry-go-round next to him.

Mao.

I hit a button on my phone, signaling Jeremiah to approach. And I start thinking about what I'm going to do to this little shit as soon as he can't escape me.

"Ah, Lulu. So good to see...you?"

Clearly Mao wasn't expecting this.

"No, I wasn't," Mao's face pales. "What...are you?"

Oh nothing much. Just a man aiming to destroy the world under the title of the King of Hell.

"Hahaha...you're scaring me," Mao laughs nervously as he sees what I've done to people in my mind.

I smile maliciously as thoughts of blood, bone, sinew, nerves, and agony pass through my mind.

"Stop it! I'll kill Rivalz if you don't bring CC out!"

Ah, Clovis. There's a fun one.

"Your own brother?!" He turns green at the memory.

And then there was those rapist Yamato, and the Britannian noble, and the gang member, the sergeant who was embezzling money...

"Nooo! Get out of my mind! Just let me have CC, please! I'll go away after that!"

I shake my head. It is far far too late for that, Mao. I think back to Kusakabe. Worthless pig. He deserved far worse than his being dismembered.

"What kind of a monster are you?!" he screams as he backs away, pistol in his hands shaking.

The kind that can destroy this wretched world in the fires of damnation, scum. People like Yoshino didn't realize it, and now they're dead. Just like you will be. Just like all who stand against the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven will be.

"How?! How can you have so much hate?!

It takes a lot of time, energy, and effort to create someone like me, mongrel. Going through bombed-out cities, seeing the bodies of countless innocents buried in mass graves, fires that wouldn't stop raging. That, Mao, is how a KING is forged.

The oath springs once more to my mind, the oath to obliterate Britannia and all it stands for. For I have seen the face of hell itself. And from the pits of Meifumadō do I come, beckoning to the darkness behind me.

I chuckle to myself as Sawazaki's 'bath' comes to the forefront of my thoughts. Seeing the flesh fall off him was remarkably satisfying. Can you feel it, Mao? My satisfaction and thirst for vengeance and blood?

"Stop! Stop it! I don't want to see anymore!" Mao screams as he falls to his knees.

Oh here's a good one. What I'm going to do to my brother, Schneizel.

Flaying him alive, extracting his eyes with my bare hands, wrapping my blood soaked fingers around his neck as I gaze with bloodlust filled eyes into his own empty sockets. My face lit up with demonic glee as I laugh uproariously.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! PLEASE STOP! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"

Mao shrieks as he falls into a fetal position. "Please...CC...help me...I don't want to see anymore..." He cries piteously on the ground, weeping.

CC walks out slowly, her eyes downcast and sorrowful.

"What did he see?"

I meet her eyes, the embers of my hate diminishing.

"My unbridled wrath. The full force of the Demon King's fury, particularly against my brother."

CC shakes her head sadly. "He didn't deserve any of this."

I give her a sharp look, "And whose fault is that? Don't you dare look away from YOUR mistake."

She gives me a cold look, "You really are just like your father."

"Let's clean up your mess, shall we?" I sigh, wanting to be done with this.

CC kneels next to Mao and holds onto him as he shivers.

"Mao," I say, bringing my full regal manner to bear.

He looks up tearfully.

"Look into my mind. You know I speak the truth. CC is happy with me, or at least was up until today. She used you cruelly. And she knows it. And now? Now she is here to see your end."

He turns to meet CC's eyes, which are shedding silent tears.

"I'm sorry, Mao..."

He clutches at her dress. "But you said you loved me..." his lip quivers.

She strokes his wild white hair, looking at his Geass-cursed eyes. "I did. As a child I never had. But I was using you to escape my curse. I would have cursed you with my immortality. Forgive me, little Mao."

Mao wails like a banshee as he hugs CC. "I don't want you to die! Please don't leave me!"

...God, now I feel miserable. How could I have wanted to butcher him?

Mao IS a child.

His power drove him mad, but he's someone who never grew up. He simply doesn't understand the cruelty he inflicts, because he never developed emotional empathy and adult understanding.

Then there's only one thing to do.

I turn Mao towards me, our eyes meeting. "Mao, look at me."

He trembles in CC's arms. She clutches him protectively. "Lelouch..."

"I'm not going to hurt him. I'm going to give him back his life. The King holds Justice and Mercy in Equal Measure, and now is the time to prove the truth of that phrase."

I flare my Geass. "Lelouch Vi Britannia commands you. You shall have full control over your Geass. No longer shall it rule over you."

He goes shock-still. "Yes, Your Highness."

And then blinks as as if he was blind, and then suddenly the light of heaven was in his eyes.

"It's quiet..." he whispers. His face displaying utter disbelief.

I nod. "Such is the power of my Geass of Absolute Obedience," I pat him on the head gently. "You're free Mao."

And through this all, Rivalz has been standing in utter shock.

"What the hell just happened?" he whispers, the silence causing it to echo in the hills.

I give him a sad look as my Geass shuts off, "A human tragedy. One that I may have averted just in time to fix things. I'm sorry I got you involved in my business, Rivalz."

"Lelouch..."

I turn to see CC, whose face...

It's hard to describe the expression I'm seeing. It's caught between disbelief, wonder, and incomprehension. I daresay I'm actually going to commit it to memory, for the portrait it presents is both hauntingly beautiful, and heart-wrenchingly sorrowful.

"Why...?"

I kneel, looking her in the eyes, as Mao looks between us with both fear and awe.

"Why did I spare him?"

I breath deeply, letting my anger dissipate. Well, not entirely. I'm still apoplectic with fury at her. But...this isn't the time.

"Because you were right. He did not deserve this. And this is your punishment in recompense for the wrongs you committed against him."

I put her and Mao's hands together gently, putting them into a shake.

"He's your responsibility now. Your son needs you, CC. You abandoned him once, you will not do so again," I say with a quiet resonating strength.

I walk away, hearing Mao speak up, "妈妈,我很抱歉。" (I'm sorry, Mother.)

"没关系,少毛。" (It's okay, Little Mao.)

Justice is done. Now...time to deal with Rivalz...

"MAZIN GOOOOO!"

What? Ohh. Shit.

I immediately pickup the phone, realizing I forgot to call off Jeremiah.

"My lord? What happened? I see the person I presume to be the target, but the situation looks resolved. Do you still want me to take the shot?"

I shake my head, "No. I managed to find a way to resolve things without anyone getting hurt. Stand down, Jeremiah. And thank you. Sorry to waste your time with this."

"Not at all, Your Highness. It was a pleasure to be of service. Do you require any further assistance?"

I rub my chin, thinking about it. Hmm. Actually? He's probably the only man I know I can talk to without any kind of bias.

"Not today. But...there is a minor issue I'd like to talk to you about over a few beers, if you have time. Say, tomorrow?"

"What happened?"

Now there's a loaded fucking question. I am not discussing CC's issues or what I did over the phone.

"It's related to the incident I just resolved," I say with a grimace. "I'll explain in person. And unless there's people in earshot, feel free to just call me Lelouch, Orange."

"As you wish...Lelouch. I shall see you in mid afternoon tomorrow if that is appropriate."

Let's see, classes, meetings, no Black Knights stuff...yeah, screw it. I'm cutting class. This is more important.

"That works, see you tomorrow," I say as I hang up and walk over to Rivalz, taking out a blade and untying him.

"Um...Lulu? Seriously, what the hell just happened?"

I sigh as I gesture for him to follow me.

"It's a long fucking story, man. Walk with me, Rivalz, and I'll tell you what I've REALLY been up to, the last six months."

We take a slow walk in silence over to a hilly park area, where we both sit down on a bench. Rivalz is fried and very confused right now. And...I'm in much the same position myself.

"Go ahead, ask anything you want. I'm too tired to come up with bullshit to explain this right now," I say as I pull out a joint and a lighter.

"Well...for starters, buddy, can you pass that to me after you light it?"

I blink and do a double take at him.

He smirks tiredly and leans his head back on the bench, "Lelouch, I have dealt drugs occasionally. Not the hard stuff like Refrain. But...my family isn't rich. And I needed more money than I was getting at the bar I worked at."

Right. He's at Ashford on Scholarship. The Cardemonde family are middle-class merchants, not nobility.

I wordlessly pass him the J, chuckling at not realizing that he indulged.

...I've been kind of a dick to him, haven't I?

"I'm sorry for being a shitty friend, Rivalz."

He takes a few quick puffs, and passes it back, shaking his head.

"If this is what you were dealing with, I totally understand, buddy. So what the hell was that glowing eye thing you and the Chinese guy had?"

Sure, why not? Let's start with the literal magic powers.

"It's called Geass. He and I got them from the green-haired girl you've seen around campus."

He wiggles his eyebrows mischievously, "So that's who she is. I was wondering why I could never find her to talk to her. So, are you and she...?"

Heh. Never change, Rivalz.

"Yes, we are, and yes we did. She's a 600-year-old immortal, and Rivalz? They're right. Older women really are the best teachers," I say with a wink.

We high-five and laugh to ourselves. I suppose I really have missed talking with him.

"Ha ha ha ha. So she gave you magic powers? That's awesome! What did you have to do, give her your soul?"

I brush some hair out of my face, "No. The initial contract was for me to master this power, and then kill her to take her immortality so she can finally die."

He gags on his tongue and coughs.

"What?! Really?! That's dark."

I nod, and make a slicing gesture with my hand. I like her far too much to want do that though.

"I've renegotiated. I'm going to destroy her curse of immortality and free her. And then?"

And then what? I know what I was considering. But now...

I sigh and sag into the bench, "I had plans for after this whole war was done. And one of them just became questionable."

Rivalz turns to look at me with a look that he doesn't usually wear. A serious, unblinking gaze. He's a clown, a guy who's always trying to make people smile or chasing girls. But...he's also someone you can rely on and a good man to have your back.

"Lelouch. What's really going on? Who are you?"

I take the joint back from him, blowing a smoke cloud up as my violet eyes watch the clouds.

"Lelouch Lamperouge is an alias. My true name is the one Mao said, Lelouch vi Britannia."

I gesture dramatically, turning to look at him with an imperious gaze.

"However, I no longer consider myself a prince of the Empire. And instead claimed a new title."

I point at him with the joint, eyes blazing with inner fire.

"我はZERO、大六天魔王。" (I am Zero, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven.)

Rivalz looks at me in astonishment. It's a huge bomb to drop. Not just a prince, but the man who's challenging the Empire and is the most terrifying person in Japan next to Cornelia herself.

"Holy shit...you're him? The Demon King?"

I smirk and reach into my jacket, pulling out a familiar object which I put onto my head. God bless miniaturization technology, and jackets with roomy pockets.

"Do you believe me now?" I say with the smooth electronic voice of Zero emanating from my mask as I puff from the extended tube under the chin, smoke emanating from vents on the side.

He bursts out laughing, pointing at me in amusement.

"Hahahahahahhaha! Did you seriously put a smoking tube on your mask?! Hahahahahahhaha!"

I shrug and doff the mask, tucking it back into my jacket. I'm glad somebody else finds it funny. I thought it was hilarious the first few times, myself.

"Yes I did. As for what's going on...that's a longer story."

There's a lot of interruptions, some shouts of disbelief, some apologies, and even a few tears. In the end, I tell him everything I can think of as being relevant, original timeline being omitted of course.

...It's nice to have my friend back though without having to hide anything.

"Wow...you've had a real shit hand dealt to you, haven't you?"

I tilt my head incredulously at him. What?

"What?"

He gives me a bro hug, then leans back on the bench, shaking his head.

"It's like...some god or something decided they wanted to just keep dealing you junk hands nonstop. I don't know that I'd be trying to destroy the Empire, but I get why you want to."

Rather apt description, that. It does feel like I'm a pawn in some vile game.

"But I refuse," I whisper.

"Huh?"

I stand up, ashing the joint and putting it back in my cigarette case.

"I will not let this evil stand. Nor will I allow some malevolent power to manipulate me as its pawn."

I turn to Rivalz, smiling beatifically.

"So I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave Japan so you won't get further invol—"

Oof! I grimace as Rivalz punches me in the stomach.

"Like hell! You're my best buddy! I'm not abandoning you!"

I look up in surprise at him. Where did this come from?

"I know why you did that to Shirley. She's..." He rubs the back of his head trying to come up with a way to say this politely.

I have no such consideration, "A fucking ditz who is quite simply far too sweet and innocent to be involved in the blood and mire that I'm neck-deep in."

He nods, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking, didn't want to insult her though. Anyway!"

He shakes his head, snorting a breath from his nose.

"I know damn well the Empire is fucked up! Hell, I see it all the time at work!"

I raise an eyebrow at the swearing. This is different.

"You're cursing quite a bit today, Rivalz."

"I got kidnapped by a crazy Chinese guy with mind-reading powers who wanted his immortal mom, who you're sleeping with, to come back to him. Fuck off, Lulu, I've had a really shitty day," he says with a grin, daring me to contradict him.

I raise a finger...and then lower it. Dude has a point.

"So you want to join the Black Knights?"

He shrugs, "I dunno. Maybe? Can I think about it? I don't really want to kill anybody...but I do want to help."

Hmm, Tamaki did say he needed a Britannian connection.

"Do you know any other pot dealers or people in the underworld?"

He nods, "Yeah, I keep in touch. None of the Eleven, err sorry, Japanese guys. But I know a few."

I text Tamaki the good news.

[I managed to get in touch with a Britannian dealer with ties to the underworld. A meeting between you two will be arranged. Stand by.]

After a moment, Tamaki responds...in typical fashion.

[How the hell do you do this shit?! You're fucking magic, boss!]

Tamaki, bringing the joy of laughter to rebellions.

I pocket my phone, turning back to Rivalz.

"Let's go back to Ashford, old friend. I'll introduce you to everyone you haven't met yet."

My blue haired friend starts walking alongside me as we make our way back to CC and Mao.

"Lelouch, do you actually have ANY normal friends?"

Normal? That's a joke, right?

"Rivalz...you do know who my estranged family is, right?" I say with a skeptical tone.

After a second, the pained expression on his face makes it clear that he got my point.

"Right...forgot about that. It's just...you seem so...normal compared to the rest of your family."

I can't help myself, it's just so well timed and nonchalantly said.

I crack up laughing, holding onto Rivalz for support as we reach the limette and her...son. That's going to take some getting used to.

"Me? Normal? Ahahahahahahahahaha! Oh man, that's a good one!"

Rivalz elbows me in the side, "Oh knock it off. You know what I meant."

"No no! It's funny because I actually AM among the more normal ones in the family, hahahahahahaha!"

That's not even a joke. Megalomania aside, I'm far better adjusted than a lot of my relatives. Which is a sad commentary in of itself.

Right...CC. Goddammit, I really don't want to deal with this today.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Let's go. Are you two ready to go?"

My witch nods as she helps Mao to his feet. Huh, interesting. Without his Geass howling in his head, he seems more timid. Or is that just fear of me, I wonder?

"Come on, Mao. We're going to stay with Lelouch a while."

He nods, shivering as he looks at me. Damn, guess I overdid it. Kid is really terrified of me.

And I say kid, because despite being around my age? The childish behavior isn't an act. I'd say he's closer in emotional development to twelve, if not younger in some ways.

We pile into the cab, no one saying anything as we travel back to Ashford...home.

Our procession remains silent up until we're outside the clubhouse.

"Lelouch."

I turn to look at Rivalz, who smiles at me, holding out his hand.

"Thanks for saving my bacon."

I smile back as I grab him in a bro hug, letting him go after a moment.

"You're my friend, Rivalz. It was the least I can do."

He hits my shoulder lightly, "Buddy, I like you. But I don't like you enough to kiss you no matter how well you play a girl."

I chuckle to myself, "Fair enough. Your loss, though," I say with my 'Lelucia' voice and fluttering my eyes.

His response is a flat stare and hitting my other shoulder, "Seriously, cut it out."

I flip him off, "No."

Rivalz sighs and puts his hands in his pockets, "Alright, guess I just have to get used to you actually being a member of the human race again."

Did he...

"Did you just insult me by saying I was cold-blooded and emotionless?"

"Was I wrong? You were...kinda icy for a long time, man," he says quietly.

Wow, I was that bad? Huh, looking back, he may have a point.

"Alright, so I was a soulless icy inhuman corpse of a person," I say with an exasperated raising of my arms.

CC and Mao walk by without commenting. Damn, guess she's still mad.

"Ouch, I felt that cold shoulder from here, Lulu," my friend says in a whisper.

"Rivalz, Mao's mind-reading power driving him nuts is because he lost control of his power, which she gave him at age SIX. So you can understand why I'm more than a little pissed at her."

His eyes go wide in shock and probably some horror. Which says a lot considering Mao tormented him and held him at gunpoint.

"Geez, I actually feel sorry for the guy now. You gonna be okay?"

I shrug and start walking to the door, "Maybe after a good night's sleep. I'm kicking her out of my room until this is resolved between us. In the meantime, stay for dinner and a beer? Consider it the least I can do after dragging you into this."

"Sure thing buddy. Just don't expect me to help with the cooking," he says jokingly.

I roll my eyes at that offer, "Rivalz, the last time I let you into my kitchen, you set the sink on fire. And to this day, I STILL don't know HOW you managed that."

Gahhh. Fuck everything about today. I'm done with these surprise bullshit surprises being sprung on me for awhile.

Maybe now I can get a few days to relax?

Ha! Not bloody likely.