FFN AUTHOR NOTE: I do NOT appreciate people dropping spoilers for chapters that aren't on FFN yet. I do not post trigger warnings for this story because I do not believe in using them for it. If someone is offended, not my problem. This is a war story, get used to it.

To Ex, whoever you are. I let your previous vague warning go. This time I am purging your warning for that chapter. A warning which details spoilers for the chapter. And I will continue to purge them if you try this again.

Do not test me on this.

Interlude 7: Spies and Serpents

(A/N: Co-written with [USER=9358]omgitsTabi[/USER])

Within the Black Knights headquarters, a screen crackled to life, Nunnally and Euphie seated in front of it in a conference room, CC slumped in a chair next to them, still wearing her bloodstained white pantsuit.

Within moments, the face of Laila la Britannia appeared, a neutral expression on her youthful face.

"Hello, Princesses and Queen."

Euphemia was shocked, uncomprehending of her half-sister's sudden appearance, whilst CC held her Cheese-kun plushie close and said nothing.

Nunnally spoke first, her face pinched and pale, her voice tired, "Laila… We need your help."

"Laila…" Euphemia breathed softly, one shaking hand reaching out gingerly, as if she could pull the younger girl through the screen. "Is that really you?"

Laila's eyes flickered to her for a moment, a minute frown forming as she tried and failed to convey her private thoughts to expression. She chose to continue, her tone business-like, "Of course. I knew things had gone terribly wrong. The time for recriminations isn't now, however. What do you need of me, Princess?"

Green hair lifted up, and golden eyes pink, from relentless shedding of tears, met Laila's clover-green. "Save my husband."

Laila frowned immediately, her face scrunching up in abject confusion. "Explain."

"Lelouch is near death, h-he shouldn't even be alive right now," CC whispered, hugging her plushie even harder, burying her face into its fuzzy exterior. "Everything went so very wrong…"

Laila muttered to herself, "…not for the grace of God's writing hand… Nunnally, what has happened to Lelouch?"

The younger vi Britannia looked up at her sister, worry on her gentle features, "A Knightmare Frame called Siegfried intervened in the battle."

The young blonde froze stark still at those words.

Nunnally bit her lip, looking into her sister's eyes, tears running down her cheeks. "It was piloted by a Kewell Soresi. Big brother tried to stop it from killing Kallen, but it almost electrocuted him to death!

"And now we don't know where she is!" Nunnally wailed as she started sobbing into her hands.

Laila leaned back into her face, half puzzled as she processed the incredible statement given to her. Almost unbidden, a bemused, if somewhat bitter, expression of black amusement flickered across her face as she muttered "Of course."

Her purple eyes sharpening to a razor's edge, Euphemia stood up in outrage, "Explain yourself, sister! This is no time for amusement!"

The shortstack on the screen smiled slightly at Euphemia's expression and drank it in. She looked closely at her half-sister and her ragged state, her dress soiled with dirt and dried blood, before schooling her face to look contrite at the rebuke. "Apologies. I am simply reminded of something I spoke to Lelouch about. Kewell being the Siegfried's pilot also simply struck me as a great irony. If you haven't been able to recover Kallen by now, we must assume she has been captured. What is the diagnosis of Lelouch's injuries?"

"He's not the only one in peril."

The pink princess sank into her chair, biting her chapped lips, "Suzaku… Suzaku has been sent to Pendragon on charges of high treason. And I… have been named a traitor to the crown according to big sister Cornelia… to be arrested on sight."

Laila nodded, unsurprised. "I know."

"And… I might have to fight her if… if she doesn't come to us soon…" Euphie whispered in a broken tone as she began crying herself.

"In all likelihood, Suzaku will not be killed," said Laila matter-of-factly as she leaned back into her seat, steepling her fingers.

"How can you know that?! What possible reason does our father have to keep a traitor alive!?" Euphemia screamed as she looked up.

"I know the Emperor," murmured Laila gravely, her expression grim. "He will inflict a punishment far greater than death."

At that moment, a rasping chuckle was heard, chilling everyone in the room to the bone.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha… of course he will… It's obvious what will happen."

Euphemia looked at CC's twisted expression with horror in her eyes.

"Charles will twist Suzaku into an instrument of his will with his Geass."

Nunnally gave CC a horrified look as she covered her mouth in terror.

The petite blond OSI Major nodded. "That's the likeliest course of action. He will ensure Suzaku turns traitor, twisting the knife so to speak."

"…oh god… no…" Euphie whispered in stark realization of Suzaku's fate.

"He may aim to do the same with Kallen," noted Laila, stroking her chin idly. "I've not heard of her capture from my contacts in Intelligence yet, but I am sure he will use his Geass on her."

CC shook her head in resignation as she pet cheese-kun gently, "Either or both of them turning against us would be catastrophic…"

"But… if Lelouch dies… all is for naught…"

Nunnally turned to her half-sister, a questioning look on her face, "Laila, where are you?"

"I am on my way to Japan," Laila answered her, lips thin.

"What? Did Big Brother ask you to—"

"I knew this might happen. I even planned for it," interrupted her half-sister, voice light, but her expression wiped clean of emotion. But her eyes were a mix of emotions. Anger. Fear. Loathing. Despair. Determination. Laila clenched her fist in front of them, the silk gloves straining.

"But I never expected it to be a clusterfuck of this magnitude. I warned him… I should've pushed harder. That idiot…"

She abruptly stands, apologized softly and moved out of sight. Off-screen there is a muffled sort of shrieking and something delicate breaks. Multiple somethings.

The sound of objects being destroyed was suddenly punctuated by CC's broken laughter.

"We were both idiots. I should have made him… made him…" her voice trailed off into near silent sobbing as she held the yellow blob closer.

With a sigh, Laila returned to the screen, her expression less severe.

Euphemia rubbed CC's back before wrapping her arms around her in a gentle embrace.

"I went to speak to Cornelia."

Laila raised an eyebrow. "And?"

The youngest vi Britannia sagged back in her chair, as she gripped the seat-rests, "I ripped her heart out and called her to task for everything she's done and failed to do.

"It was the second hardest thing I've ever done. And every part of me hurts from having to do it."

Nunnally wiped her eyes, her face haggard and sallow, "She has two days to make her choice. After that… she's our enemy. And we have to get out of Japan as soon as possible."

Taking a deep breath, she looked Laila dead in the eyes before relating the next piece of news.

"The Vampire of Britannia has been named Viceroy of Area 11."

After a moment of digesting both pieces of news, Laila nodded, her face in a grimace. "I know. I was there to see him off. I had half a mind to rig his transport to blow midway through the flight."

The princess bit her lip, looking pensive before quietly asking a question.

"Could you have? Would it have been worth it?"

Euphemia looked up in surprise at the words uttered, "Nunna?"

"Everything I've heard of this man says he's an animal who doesn't deserve to live, Euphie," Nunnally responded, a dark look in her normally genteel eyes.

"I have seen countless acts of evil since I opened my eyes. And my brother's hands are stained enough. I would accept the stain on my soul, if only to spare his," Nunnally spoke, her words carrying a gravity that her physicality belied… before squinching her eyes shut as she whispered almost sotto-voce.

"After all the years I've spent silent, being shielded, unable to act, letting my brother do so much, how can I stand aloof if I can lift even a fraction of his burdens from his shoulder?"

"My hold here in Area Eighteen isn't solid, but I have just taken it with the Emperor's blessing," Laila snorted softly and sight mock-wistfully. "I could have. But it would have brought too much suspicion where I am weak. Killing Bradley would have cast suspicion and doubt on me immediately."

"Congratulations, Vicerine," CC rasped out, a crooked smile on her chapped lips.

Laila waved CC's words aside to set eyes with Nunnally. "Cornelia will accept. She is burdened with too much guilt to act otherwise."

"I hope so…" Euphemia said morosely, the thought of her sister not being by her side visibly weighing on her.

"I know so," said Laila as though the matter were settled. She waited for a moment before asking a more forlorn question. "Is Lelouch stable?"

CC looked up, her agate eyes filled with uncertainty, "We don't know."

Laila steepled her hands to force them to cease their minute trembles. "Better question, then… is he alive. Right now? Will he be alive when I get there in two hours?"

"Rakshata and the doctors have been working on him for days now. I won't guarantee anything, but his continued survival that long is likely," the limette intoned.

Without another thought, the former princess nodded in acceptance. "Then he may as well be stable for the moment yet."

"Stable? For now, yes. Long-term? They won't tell us anything yet. And you have no idea how much I would give to know he will survive this…"

Laila frowned for a moment, but her expression softened as she gazed sympathetically at the immortal woman. "We don't need to worry about the long-term yet. Just focus on what needs to be done right now."

"He had shrapnel all throughout his body, including one spike through his chest that I had to pull him off with Tamaki's help…"

Laila closed her eyes and her jaw tightened for a moment as she regarded CC with thinner lips. After a second, her face hardens as she turned to Nunnally and Euphemia. "When can evacuation begin?"

"We're still organizing the remnants of our personnel and equipment. But we need transportation for what's left. We don't have enough vehicles. Not for getting out of the country with everything we need," Nunnally sighed.

Laila shook her head. "Vehicles won't be a problem. How many personnel and how much in the way of hardware?"

"Some of the wounded are too far gone to be helped… I've been trying to make their last moments peaceful. I may not be able to fight, but providing comfort is something I can do well enough," Euphemia said, wiping some of the grime and tears off her face with a tissue.

"I don't know the numbers off-hand—"

CC leaned forward, tapping a few keys on the laptop in the middle of the table, "Tell me Laila: Is this secure for a transmission?"

Laila decided not to take that as a personal affront. "Yes."

CC nodded, tapping a key to start the transmission, "Overall? We're down to two-fifths of what we had before the siege. And even that is only because Lelouch's last ace in the hole gave us time… along with Suzaku attacking the Avalon."

Laila muttered something under her breath to herself, something about an 'idiot' at the mention of the 'ace in the hole'. She quickly reviews the information and crunches some numbers.

"Six submarines should be enough," the petite Major concluded.

"If not for Siegfried, we'd have won the day, even with Schneizel's arrival…" CC whispered before shaking her head.

"We have two subs. How many do you have?"

Laila gave CC a small smirk. "Enough to start and win a war for the control of the Med."

At that statement, Euphemia held her hand in front of her mouth to stifle a gasp. "The First and Third fleets… that was you?"

Laila shrugged. "I might have had a hand at that."

"Baby sister… why are you helping us? We haven't been close to you in a very long time. And this is only going to be harder as time goes on," the pink princess intoned as she looked her sister in the eye.

"The right things are never easy to do."

A bitter smile graced the 3rd Princess' lips. "Yes, I suppose they never are. Nelly has tried to do what she can… but after Lelouch and Nunnally were lost to us, she lost a part of herself. Maybe, just maybe, she can find her heart again."

Laila smiled sadly, sharing a moment with her sister before her demeanor returned to something more business-like. "Six submarines should have ample enough room for your remaining troops and their hardware. I took the liberty of sending four submarines ahead just in case something like this happened. They can bring to you either Area Eighteen or one of the many unknown archipelagoes where there may or may not be a base you can operate from."

"No. 18. An archipelago is too open. Vincent will come for me if he thinks he can get away with it," CC declared, shaking her green tresses in a negative.

Laila nodded. "Knowing Uncle dearest, he will. He loves you ever so much."

"As long as I'm near my husband, you can throw me naked into a dungeon. Vincent can't track me unless I contact him directly."

She snorted, playfully baring her teeth, "Don't tempt me, Witch."

The limette gave a bitter smile, toying with the ring on her finger, "I wish I had enough magic to call myself a witch in truth at this point…"

Laila shrugged, "Witch-Queen Bedeviling innocent maidens."

"Just save Lulu and you can have me any way you want. Nothing matters to me except him…" she whispered, casting a broken expression vaguely reminiscent of a smile.

Laila nodded and dropped her business-like demeanor right quick as she focused all her attention on her two beautiful half-sisters. "With that out of the way… I've missed the two of you, Nunna, Euphie. It's been quite some time since I've seen you last Nunna. But I knew you survived. Never doubted it."

The brunette frowned, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Too much attention. Your brother didn't do either of you any favors with the surname," Laila drolled, rolling her eyes.

Nunnally winced at the cutting barb.

Laila continued, waving her hand lackadasically, "I took the liberty of scrubbing the more obvious slipups."

"…Why didn't you say something when we thought you died a month ago?" the princess said, frowning as she crossed her arms.

Laila shrugged her slim shoulders, "Too busy not dying and killing my would-be murderers. And eliminating every single rat in my hearth and home."

"I was in tears, thinking we'd lost you."

Laila rubbed her forehead, an expression of resignation and frustration on her features as she proceeded to elaborate, "I couldn't afford any more leaks, any more mistakes. Especially mistakes that might lead to discovery of you and Lelouch."

Euphemia wiped her eyes as she sat back in her chair, "Regardless, you owe us several years' worth of tea parties, girl time, and more."

"Oh, Sister mine… you have no idea what I have in store for us," murmured the pixie softly.

Euphie gave her a faint smile, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, "I'll accept it as long as it's better than this nightmare…"

Someone off screen offered her a boxed juice, which she took in her hand, "Thank you, Nemo."

The brunette's face turned wary as she raised an eyebrow cautiously, "Who… is that?"

Laila smirked as she sipped on her juice. "One of my Knights of Honor."

"One? I thought you had someone from Euro Britannia? What happened to that redheaded knight of yours, the one Guilford didn't like?" Euphie exclaimed with a surprised expression.

"I did. But I got another while I was busy not dying," Laila shrugged, "Nemo, do let the girls see your pretty face."

Nemo's face dropped into view from where he was standing off screen, his crimson locks surrounding a long suffering expression. His hand bopped Laila atop the head, before turning it into more of an affectionate headpat much to his sworn Principal's consternation before disappearing again.

Euphemia put a hand over her mouth to cover a blush, "Oh my. He's rather striking."

"He's… different. Most Knights don't look as though they're damned souls begging for release," Nunnally said, trying to keep a straight face.

Laila shot her Knight of Honor a filthy grin. "He also gives great head."

A small bag of peanuts beaned her in the forehead, scattering the little morsels every which way as Euphie and Nunnally flushed at the remark.

A mantis-like VTOL landed near silently at the Black Knights fallback point. Nearby, General Tohdoh was standing at attention, Urabe and Chiba of the Holy Swords in a parade rest behind him.

A small blond girl in a militaristic trench coat disembarked, a tall, strikingly handsome young man in a skintight bodysuit of black and red at her side.

Laila eyed Tohdoh evenly as they exchanged salutes, "General."

Tohdoh nodded to her, "Princess la Britannia."

"Why is another Britannian royal helping us…?" Urabe muttered to himself as Chiba scowled at the young girl.

Laila rolled her head towards Chiba, a leer not quite forming on her face as she regarded the buxom woman with a smile. "Because I'm going through puberty, and being a rebellious teenager is a thing."

Nemo slapped the back of her head without even missing a beat.

The general snorted at the sight, reminded of someone else momentarily.

"And also because I'm against the whole Social Darwinistic racism that Britannia is stupid enough to extol as a virtue," finished the young Britannian with a carefree shrug.

"Your charge is a handful, isn't she, sir…?" Tohdoh said, looking at the redheaded man.

"Nemo, her Knight of Honor," said the young man with a stiff bow.

"Nice to hear somebody thinks that stuff is bullshit," Urabe whispered under his breath.

"Sir, I—"

Tohdoh interrupted her, "Chiba, not now," he said in an exasperated tone.

Laila's eyes flickered towards Chiba, almost hungrily.

General Tohdoh continued, turning back to Laila, "I will be keeping an eye on you, but certain people have vouched for your trustworthiness."

She nodded, eyes lidded. "So noted. If the social dominance dancing is done, can we proceed?"

Tohdoh turned on his heel, leading her to a nearby van, "This way. And perhaps then you can explain how you were able to bring a VTOL into Tokyo airspace without being intercepted."

Laila let herself smirk slightly as she softly replied, glancing at the older man. "Obviously, they couldn't see us. Next-generation stealth systems that I intend to gift to the Black Knights in due time."

Urabe's jaw dropped, "何?" (What?)

~~~~~some time later, BK base~~~~~

The main hangar area was filled with machinery being repaired and walking wounded being treated as Laila entered with her escorts.

Laila grimaced as she walked over the catwalk, observing the scene of damaged vehicles being repaired and the scattered wounded on the outskirts of active work. She glanced at her escorts grimly. "How is morale?"

Urabe grimaced as he looked back at her, "You have to ask? Between Zero being downed, and Schneizel bombing Tokyo, it feels like we're in Naraka for real.

"How is he, Sir?" he asked Tohdoh quietly, trying to make sure no one heard him.

"Still being treated. His condition is delicate at this time. Anything beyond that is strictly need-to-know basis, Urabe."

A Black Knight soldier wearing their distinctive visor with a balaclava around his face was leaning against the wall nearby, checking his rifle.

Nemo glanced towards the soldier, curiosity piqued for some unfathomable reason, but continued after his Princess.

Chiba frowned deeply as she looked over at Senba being treated by medics, "If only Zero hadn't failed us…"

Tohdoh turned to her sharply, eyes blazing. "Chiba. Repeat such things at your own peril. Zero has more than proven himself as a commander. You are disrespecting his sacrifice," he intoned at her in a disappointed voice.

The woman looked as though she were going to swallow her tongue, but managed a weak nod, her cheeks flushed.

Urabe held his tongue, not wanting to attract his superior's wrath.

"How is it that someone of your… years… is a major in the OSI?" Chiba replied, her expression skeptical at the idea. And perhaps not a little suspicious; rightly so, what kind of monster was this Britannian, to take the form of a little girl?

"I'm fifteen," Laila sniffed loudly, with as much of a bourgeois air as she could muster from her tiny frame, before almost leering at the buxom Japanese woman. "As for how I managed to reach the rank of Major… well, I must have killed all the right people and impressed enough of the more inhuman ones. My reaction to Clovis dying so wretchedly probably helped."

Chiba clenched a fist as she tried to snarl at the insolent girl, "So you have no love of family? No desire to seek revenge for Zero tearing your brother apart? He was your family, even if he was a monster to us! How can you care nothing for him?"

The smaller girl smirked, almost pitying, perhaps even condescendingly. "Oh, Nagisa Chiba… you misunderstand me. I loved Clovis when he was still a good man. Before he became a monster with a lust for powers beyond mortal ken. He became nothing more than a mockery of the brother I once knew."

Urabe quirked an eyebrow, "Powers beyond mortal ken? You talk like he was trying to learn magic or something."

Laila shrugged, her greatcoat shifting dangerously around her thin shoulders before Nemo adjusted them for her. She raised her gloved hands with a 'what can you do' manner. "Perhaps he was. One hardly goes to such lengths of depravity for something so mundane as mere pleasure. That is for the likes of your future Viceroy. Knowing Clovis, Code-R was an art project made of flesh and blood rather than canvas and oils."

Tohdoh grimaced at the reminder of who the newly-named viceroy was going to be, his countenance looking worn at the suffering to come.

The party halted at a security checkpoint, several guards saluting Tohdoh and holding out scanners for his security credentials.

The lead guard inclined his head toward Laila and her escort.

"She is a guest of Zero. Lady CC has vouched for her," Tohdoh spoke in a solemn tone.

Nemo frowned. That soldier from before was still there. And though he had taken up the rearguard, he was obviously not assigned to such a position. The balaclava hid much of the man's features, but that in of itself was not a cause for alarm. He resolved to keep a closer eye on that particular soldier.

The party passed through the security checkpoint without incident, Urabe and Chiba departing to another part of the base. In seemed only to be a matter of moments they had arrived to their final destination; a plush room with fine furniture and decorations.

A figure in a wheelchair awaited them at the door, her body cloaked in a robe with a sad opera mask upon her face and Alice Hargreaves standing at attention by her side.

The unknown soldier paused mid-step, turning to look at Alice momentarily.

"Ah," stated Laila, eyes on Alice in her school uniform, her hands grasping her flushing cheeks. "She is cute. Nemo, she must be protect—"

Nemo slapped the back of her head.

The masked soldier's free hand balled up into a fist as he slowly moved forward, a dangerous aura surrounding him.

The crimson-haired Knight stepped in front of him, hand on his pistol's holster. "Soldier. Name and rank."

"Get the hell out of my way, boy," the soldier replied in a gruff older voice, the full tone muffled by his mask.

Laila glanced between the man and Alice, frowning. She opened her mouth, perhaps to say something blithe and completely tactless, but Nemo spoke first.

"Stand down—" he managed to say before the soldier moved.

"お姫さま!動きなさるな!" (PRINCESS! DO NOT MOVE!)

Laila barely had time to move before a kunai grazed her cheek, a blur of motion rushing past her to intercept the soldier's path.

Tohdoh moved to stand in front of the masked person in the wheelchair, drawing his katana, "Yuki-Onna! Secure him for questioning!"

The now-revealed shinobi ground her kunai against a drawn combat knife as the soldier grunted.

"誰ですか?" (Who are you?!) she yelled out, trying to keep herself between him and the two girls.

"Just an old ghost of war. I'm not here to kill you. Just get out of my way and let me do what I came here to do!" the man roared as he headbutted her, forcing the ninja back momentarily.

Nemo appeared from out of nowhere, behind the rogue soldier, stun tonfas swinging towards him.

The man backflipped out of the way, drawing a 1911 pistol from his holster, firing shots at both tonfas, "Not bad. If I was still with the outfit, I'd be impressed, kid. Now sit down and take a nap!" he rasped as a stun grenade flew through the air at Nemo's head, only to be intercepted by a kunai from Yuki-Onna.

The younger man threw the tonfas at the intruder before he flickered and disappeared from view.

"これが私の敵です!あなたのお姫さまを守りなさい!" (This is my enemy! Protect your princess!)

The masked man barely had time to put up a block in front of Yuki-Onna's dive kick, the momentum forcing him back.

"Tch. I'm out of practice," The man said, cracking his neck as he took up a stance with the pistol in front of him and the knife held just below it, prompting a gasp from Alice.

"That stance! It's—!"

Yuki-Onna drew a kodachi, attempting to flank the man by rushing along the walls.

The masked man with seeming supernatural instinct, turned towards her, parrying a kunai with his knife and grabbing her shoulder into an overhead throw, twisting the joint with a loud squelching sound.

"Didn't think there were any of you left in Area 11. Shame, that. Say goodnight, Shinob—"

Suddenly the man pulled his knife away from the ninja, turning around to stab at Nemo reappearing from invisibility with a taser aimed at his neck, Yuki reaching for another kunai on her belt—

"UNCLE ROBERT! STOP!"

The entire room froze at Alice's shout.

Laila looked at her, then at 'Uncle Robert', before chuckling. Her chuckling slowly became outright laughter. After a few seconds she forcibly composed herself, still giggling, pointed at Robert, looking at Alice.

"You're the Snake's niece?!"

Alice stormed over to the three figures, all with weapons frozen in mid-strike and kicked the masked man in the shin.

"Uncle Robert! What are you doing here trying to kill my friends?!"

Laila erupted into fresh peals of muffled laughter, at which the person in the wheelchair wheeled over and pulled on her ear.

"Laila, not now. Yuki-Onna, Nemo, stand down."

Nemo took a step back, circling around Robert to help the shinobi to her feet. The woman grunted in pain, holding her shoulder as she bowed toward the masked girl.

"許してください、お姫さま…" (Forgive me, Princess…)

Alice glared up at her uncle, tapping her foot, "Well?"

The man sheathed his weapons, pulling off the balaclava, revealing the craggy but roguishly handsome face of an older man with a dark beard starting to grey, a headband around his forehead, and a black patch over his right eye.

"Heard this place went to hell after Zero's campaign crashed and burned. Figured it was time for an EVAC. Now… what the hell is going on, kiddo?"

Small OSI ex-Princess Laila made to say something but was intercepted by her Knight's hand smothering any fresh tactless commentary in its infancy.

Alice fidgeted for a moment, then sighed, "Let's go into the other room, I'd rather not say this out here."

The wheelchaired girl turned and opened the door, "Follow me, please."

General Tohdoh slowly sheathed his blade, casting a wary eye on the one eyed soldier, "Are you certain of this cour—?"

"If Alice is willing to trust him, I will give him the chance to explain himself," the girl interrupted.

Moments later, the door shut, everyone seated around a conference table, Alice standing behind the masked girl, Nemo behind Laila, Tohdoh and Snake on opposite sides of the table.

"Name, rank, and unit, sir."

Snake gave a salute from his brow, "SD Robert Plissken, Britannian Special Forces, OSI Lieutenant Colonel, retired."

Tohdoh nodded at the crisp reply, "What is your mission here?"

Bob reached into his jacket slowly, pulling out a cigar and matches, sparking a light as he puffed on the tobacco, prompting a disgusted look from Alice.

"Do you have to smoke those smelly things?"

Snake blew a smoke ring towards the ceiling, then gave her a flat stare, "Kiddo, I've been worried sick about you for weeks now. And I just snuck into the Black Knights trying to get you out and fought two goons who even I think are pretty decent. Don't give me any of your lip about my cigars," he groused.

"Say, Snake, did you sneak in with a box?" Laila asked, her tone impish. She didn't so much as react to her Knight's hand slapping her upside the head.

The single remaining eye on his head narrowed at the question.

"You got a lot of guts asking that, knowing who I am, and what I do to punks bothering me about that."

"I can't help flirting with danger," the pixie admitted, voice now demure, gaze cat-like as she grinned at him. "Your exploits are legendary. Heard you retired. And lo and behold, I get to meet the Snake Plisskin in the flesh…"

"Don't get too cocky. You're still an OSI flunky to me. I have no problems knocking off any number of you scum."

"Doesn't stop me from admiring that level of ruthlessness. Reminds me of a certain man we all know of, really," Laila replied, licking her lips as she locked her eyes on his.

Tohdoh side-eyed Laila, "For those of us NOT involved in Britannian clandestine operations, can you explain who this man is, Princess?"

"Snake Plisskin is the boogieman who made the entire Office of Secret Intelligence so terrifying, pretty much singlehandedly. The poster boy, you might say, that helped its reputation grow to nigh-mythical status – one that it doesn't really live up to these days, admittedly. They try to make up for it with sheer casual cruelty, but it's not really on par with his exploits," Laila gave the aforementioned boogieman a toothy grin and a pair of finger guns. "This man is an assassin, hitman, troubleshooter, and a killer of the highest caliber. He has personally seen to the deaths of hundreds to thousands of people, from guards to leaders, evading any and every security measure known to man. Snake is essentially if Marianne the Flash decided to take a sex change, smoke, and join the OSI for King and Country or shits and giggles."

The masked girl tapped her fingers on the table in irritation at that comparison.

She hummed and in mock surprise, snapped her fingers as if she just remembered something. "Ah yes, and he killed five hundred sixty-two people in a heavily secured base armed with nothing more than a butter knife and a cardboard box, in a single night."

Before Laila could continue, Alice turned towards her, "Are you trying to provoke him?"

"The meme will never die," Laila quietly promised. "OSI has written whole manuals about Snake Plisskin. Try as they might now to quietly dismiss him, minor and elite personnel alike know and aspire to be like him. Hilarious, I know. But… alluring all the same."

Snake tapped ash from his cigar into a tray on the table, "I thought they would have shut up about it, already. I retired over ten years ago."

"They never really stopped. HICOM likes to pretend you don't exist, but we all know better," Laila leaned forward, a hungry expression on her face, her Knight's hand on her shoulder in warning. "I know better…"

The taller blonde walked over in an indignant huff and punched Laila in the head, "That's my uncle you're perving on! Cut it out!"

"Don't acknowledge it, you'll just encourage her," said Nemo sagely as Laila cackled.

The man in question chuckled to himself, "As funny as this is? I got questions myself. Such as? Why the fuck is my niece with the Black Knights?"

Laila perked up. "Oh that easy, she's shacked up with—"

Her explanation was suddenly cut off by a blushing Alice putting her hand over her mouth.

"Okay… so who the hell are you?" He said, turning to the masked girl.

The girl slowly removed her opera mask, placing it on the table, pulling her hood back to reveal the stressed and weary face of Nunnally.

"Nunnally vi Britannia."

The one eyed man blinked, then put his hand on his forehead, chuckling to himself.

"Hahahaha… Well, well. Wasn't expecting to see the vi Britannia line still kicking around."

He smirked as he ashed his cigar, "So, how's your brother enjoying his promotion from prince to Demon King?"

"Edgelord," muttered Laila, extricating herself from Alice's grip.

Alice rolled her eyes at the quip, moving back to Nunnally's side.

"…I'm afraid my brother isn't enjoying much of anything right now. He's… in a coma," the princess said, her voice fading to a whisper near the end.

Quickly crossing the short space between them, Laila wrapped her arms around Nunnally as tightly as she could. "He will pull through, Nunna. Lelouch isn't the type to even let something as silly as a coma take him out for long."

Lt. Colonel Plissken took a deep breath before turning to Tohdoh, "Alright, Miracle Man, what's your next move?"

"A complete and total withdrawal from Japan. With our forces decimated, our spies being uprooted, and Zero incapacitated, we can no longer contest Britannian control of this country. Our preparations, including our plans to paralyze the Britannian economy, have to be abandoned or redirected elsewhere."

Snake rubbed his chin in thought, "You're up shit creek, huh."

Alice growled at her uncle for the crude description.

"Although? Are you people really so hard up that you have to use a pregnant woman as a bodyguard?"

Alice and Nunnally did a double take at the statement, turning to the now nervously fidgeting shinobi standing at attention nearby.

Laila undressed the ninja-maid with her eyes and smirked. "I doubt she wanted to tell anyone she was pregnant, Snake. If she did, she'd be taken off the roster and she wouldn't be here to make you break a sweat. Still, congratulations are in order!"

The ninja slowly removed her mask to reveal the face of Sayoko Shinozaki, her face framed by a rosy blush.

"Sir Gottwald and I… were not always careful in our passions."

"Ah yes, good ol' Jerry, Knight of Orange!" Laila nodded to herself, smirking. "He was always such a fan of the family."

Snake tapped a finger on the table, "Gottwald… heh. Makes sense that lunatic would be here. He was always dead-loyal to the vi Britannia line."

Nunnally gave Sayoko a cross look, "Why didn't you tell us? You're more than my brother's knight, you're family!"

The woman fell to one knee, cradling her injured arm, "Forgive me Lady Nunnally. I only wished to aid you in this desperate time…"

"Do not be so cross with her, Nunnally," Laila said, smiling softly, casting an appraising gaze upon the shinobi. "This woman risked her child to defend us from danger as her shinobi code demands… and her love for you and yours. Fortunately for us and the baby, Alice intervened before any lasting damage could be done."

Nunnally rolled forward, placing her hand on the ninja's shoulders, "Sayoko… please don't risk your child for us. We owe you enough for all the years you've taken care of my brother and I. You deserve this happiness."

Snake snorted, "So you're going with them, kiddo?"

Alice nodded firmly, "If you try and stop me, I'll kick you between the legs and run away. I'm not abandoning the girl I love, even if I wasn't her Knight."

Robert lit up his cigar, taking a deep pull before looking to Nunnally.

"I'm not at all happy with this. I knew your mom, and she was a real nutcase. Damn fine soldier, but a total lunatic."

"She let me use her breasts as a pillow once," agreed Laila, much to the horror of her half-sister. "And she had amazing taste in lingerie."

Nunnally gave an appalled look at her sister, "That's my mother you're talking about!"

Tohdoh wisely decided not to respond, simply rolling his eyes.

Laila shrugged, grinning widely. "Your mother was a crazy sexy MILF. Jerry and the other guards probably mentally masturbated to her every day. Cornelia frequently let herself be seduced by Marianne. Is any surprise I wanted to get in on some of that action?"

Plissken blew a cloud of smoke out at Laila's face.

"I'm damn sure you were too young for her, even as insane as she was. So stop riling everyone up, brat."

"Pah. Fun sucker," Laila leaned back into her seat, savoring Nunnally's mortification as she turned back to the matter at hand. "Cornelia will be joining us; she really doesn't have much of a choice in the matter, not with so many of her loved ones at stake. The first wave of evacuation submarines will be here come tomorrow morning. They will take everyone to a hidden naval port in Libya."

She sent a lidded gaze towards the Assassination Uncle. "What do you plan on doing now, Snake?"

Robert: puffs on his cigar looking at Alice and Nunnally.

"That, is up to the princess here. So your highness, what do you want from me?" he said, going to one knee in front of her.

Nunnally looked the old soldier in the eye, taking a deep breath.

"Help us escape from this land. Give my brother the chance to heal and save the Empire from itself."

The girl clasped her hands together in a prayer pose, "Please, Sir Plissken."

Robert smirked at her and ruffled her hair gently with his gloved hand, "Princess, I've been around Alice enough times to know when a little girl is plucking my heartstrings to get something done. And I'm damn sure this worked on your brother every time, right?"

The wheelchair-riding girl gave a weak smile in response without saying a word.

"Alright, I'll do you a favor this time. But if Zero wants me to work for him? He'll have to work his charm himself."

Tohdoh gave a solemn nod, "Your help will be appreciated. We're being hounded by the OSI and various tracker units."

Snake curled his lip in a snarl, "The Vampire's goons. Killing those bastards is doing the world a favor."

"The Vampire himself is a bit under the weather. Shame, I really hoped that spider mine would have killed him," Laila grinned toothily at Plissken. "Think you can work that magic of yours and finish the job?"

Plissken eyed her cautiously, "So you're with those desert rats NOD, huh."

"That I am," admitted Laila without a care in the world. "They do good work, though. What'd you think of them? I don't think you've ever left your retirement home in New York City."

"For starters? I haven't been in New York City since I sent my retirement package to the outfit. And the news was all over about the glorious Knight of Ten destroying the evil terrorists NOD a while ago," he quipped.

"That was a great piece of PR," said Laila, grinning. "Britannia defeats the terrorists and wins the day once more… and I get to play Viceroy with all my toy soldiers, terrorists and all."

"All part of the plan, eh? Tche. This is why I retired from this bullshit. Alright, what do I have to work with?"

"I don't have as many operatives here in Japan as I'd like… A good sixty specialists in total. Assassination, reconnaissance, information warfare, and advanced demolition. Nemo here will be your 2IC. Say hi, Nemo."

The crimson haired young man inclined his head at Robert, lips thinning slightly.

The single blue eye flicked to Sayoko, "What about her?"

"Out of the question. She's already in trouble for risking the baby," Laila pointed out, glancing at the still apologetic shinobi.

"Do NOT endanger my Knight, sir," Nunnally said with a commanding voice.

"Ara ara, what a dangerous voice, Nunna~"

Snake nodded, "Relax. I'm not running a pregnant woman as a field op. How about it, Shinobi? Feeling up to overwatch?" he said to Sayoko, who was popping her arm back in with a grunt of pain.

"I… believe I can manage that."

The pixie nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well, Shinozaki as overwatch. What do you have in mind, Plissken?"

"Romanian Special Guard maneuver. Basically, a running retreat where you make the enemy pay for being stupid enough to chase you. It's an old trick from back before the Empire left for the colonies."

"You have a route in mind?" asked Laila, running several mental calculations on the feasibility of the proposed plan.

"Our targets will be the OSI goons. I leave it to the logistics people to figure out what you need. Our job is to spook the locals and make them jump at shadows."

Snake gave a rictus and terrifying smile, smoke framing his face, "I'm not covering your retreat, I'm scaring them enough that they don't know where to look."

Laila nodded, glancing at Nemo for a quick confirmation. At his nod, she grinned. "An easy enough task. OSI HQ was hit by the artillery bombardment back in Area 18 and they're still in disarray. Their best are dead or still in ICU."

Robert shrugged, "Feh. They'll have a backup somewhere onsite in Area 11. And Bradley will have a mobile command center with him. We just need to smash the local base and make sure they're working from scratch."

He pointed his cigar at the redhead, "Nemo, you and half the goons are with me. Get the rest of them on the streets, find the OSI ops and their base. I'll tell you how to ID them in public."

"No need, they know how to ID the local OSI thugs," said Nemo quietly.

"Bradley's team has their own markers and codes exclusive to the Knight of Ten."

Laila snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "What did you think I've been doing while Bradley was busy killing my people in Area Eighteen?" She leaned forward, a glint in her eye as she met Plissken's gaze evenly with a growl in her voice, "Until recently, OSI HICOM has been trying to kill me ever since Code-R was released to the public. It's only fair I kill them right back. And Bradley's bunch are almost as horrible at being human beings as he is. They share his sadism and other qualities. They're good.

"I'm better."

The old soldier rubbed his chin, cracking a faint smile.

"Get your goons ready for a long day. I'll be back before dawn."

"Yessir," says Laila as she idly saluted him.

He nodded to Sayoko, "Sorry about that. Hope the kid is fine."

Plissken gave a quick salute, and walked out into the hallway, calling out, "Take care of yourself, kiddo."

Alice ran out to try and say something… only to see no trace of the master spy.

Sayoko raised an eyebrow, "Impressive."

The young blonde wiped her eyes, smiling warmly, "Uncle Robert always does this. I can count the times I've actually watched him leave on one hand."

Nunnally turned to her sister with a quizzical look on her face, "Laila, there's one thing I don't understand. Why did he get so angry when you asked him about sneaking in with a cardboard box?"

"It was a bit of old history, but he actually did kill over five hundred personnel in a base while hiding under a cardboard box and armed with literally nothing but a butter knife," the young OSI Major cackled for a few seconds before accepting a cup of tea from her Knight. "It's become something of an internal meme at this point. A legendary act from a legendary figure."

Alice gave a flat stare to the cackling girl, "You know he's punched operatives for less, right?"

"Does it look like I give a shit when he threatened to kill me?" Asked Laila dismissively, sipping her tea. Before she smiled vulpinely. "Besides… I might enjoy it. And who knows… he might too."

It took a moment for the words to penetrate Alice's mind through the shock she felt from hearing Laila say that.

"…That's my uncle. Stop perving on him."

Laila shrugged, "Well, your uncle's pretty hot for an old lad, that delectable John Bull prime steak that he is…"

Alice's deep orange eyes narrowed in suppressed anger. "You may be OSI, but I was taught how to fight by Uncle Robert. Don't make me use it on you."

"Did he teach you how to love a woman as well? He wrote the manual for seduction operations, too, you know."

The twin-tailed blonde's face turned red as her hand twitched with the urge to strangle the hellion taunting her.

Laila sighed, fanning herself at the sight of Alice's expressive features. "Ah, she really is adorable. However did you manage to get your hands on her, Nunnally?"

The aforementioned princess smiled congenially, "Well… she came to visit one day and informed big brother that she knew who we were and that she had erased records that could have revealed us."

"Hm. So there were backups, after all. I had wondered." Laila leaned over and gave Alice a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Alice."

Seeing that Alice was temporarily unresponsive, Nunnally continued with a wince, "You can imagine how Big Brother took that."

"Fire and brimstone, and maybe a little bit of embarrassment he forgot to do that himself, I wager?" said Laila, letting go of Alice and settling back into her seat.

"He told Alice to give him one good reason he shouldn't just kill her himself."

"Oh, as if deleting the backup records of his paper trail as Lamperouge wasn't enough. Lelouch was always such a demanding prat."

Ignoring the swipe at her brother, Nunnally took Alice's hand into her own, "She said, and I quote, 'I'd never betray the girl I love, not for a minute.' I was listening in from a hidden point… and… well… I had no idea she felt that way about me before then," she finished with a blush on her cheeks.

"Hmph!" Laila snorted into her tea. "And I suppose he was also loathed to kill your lover. How generous of his magnanimous-ness."

Giggling, Nunnally shook her head, "He staggered back as if surprised, and immediately asked Alice to pour him a drink after I entered the room. Well, after some taunting by Milly to make me realize I felt the same way about her…"

Alice by this point, had come back to her senses, torn between either blushing at the description or clobbering Laila.

Tohdoh, who along with Sayoko had been watching with amusement, chose then to speak up, "I'll escort Sayoko to the infirmary, we'll discuss operations when the Lt. Colonel returns… and how to handle the inevitable outcry if and when Cornelia switches sides," he finished with a grimace.

"Yeah, that'll be fun…" Laila's expression became sober as she set her teacup down. "But it appears we've gone very far off track with Plissken's unexpected entrance. I do believe we have other matters to see to, oh princess mine?"

With a heavy sigh, Nunnally nodded and fixed the opera mask back upon her face as she and Alice silently led Laila to a door marked with a medical cross, guards stationed outside.

"…brace yourself," was all Nunnally said before the door opened to reveal doctors working on Lelouch, checking machinery, his face paler than normal with an oxygen mask attached, bloody bandages around him and on a table, transfusion tubes hooked into his veins.

Laila braced herself and looked at Lelouch like how a mathematician would look at a book of numbers. Dispassionately. She walked slowly towards him, her footsteps light as she walked around the operating table to examine him from all angles.

Her eyes traced every agonized twitch, noting the blood that was occasionally dripping from his eyes, ears and mouth despite all attempts to stopper it. The only sound coming from him, the clinical sound of a heart rate monitor and automated oxygen. His form pale and listless, none of the vitality and presence that he would normally convey present.

The pigtailed princess let out a slow hiss of air before she closed her eyes and murmured softly to herself. Whispered prayers and threats fell silently as she struggled to recollect herself.

The trio left the medical bay silently, a heavy air surrounding them as they went back to the opulent room from before.

Alice sat down next to Nunnally, holding her hand as they both looked towards the clearly shaken form of Laila.

"Is he stable for the moment?"

Nunnally nodded as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before answering, "For now. The doctors are still working on him. There's something wrong that has them working on him round the clock, but they won't tell us what yet."

Laila's voice was emotionless. She was cold as ice and the little girl was gone. In her place was an inhuman thing, devoid of compassion or empathy. But to Nunnally's experienced eye, it was merely a mask for a terribly fragile soul who wanted to be seen as strong as their beloved brother. "Can he be moved?"

Nunnally rolled forward, opening her eyes as held Laila's hand, staring into her younger half-sister's eyes with determination, "No. I don't want to hear the OSI agent. I want my sister. And you're not as cold as you want us to believe."

A little bit of warmth returns to Laila's eyes, just a little bit. But it was all Nunnally needed to see that her words had the desired effect. She gave her sibling a brittle smile.

Nunnally looked up at her with a warm smile, tears falling down her cheeks, "We both missed you terribly, pixie."

Laila tried to reply, but shut her mouth instead. She closed her eyes and swallowed audibly. "I've many tea parties and soirees to make up for my absence," she finally croaked out.

"Yes, you do. But right now? I'll settle for a hug."

Laila hugged Nunnally close and buried her face into the Princess' hair.

"It's ok to be human, to cry. No one can be an inhuman machine all the time. Lelouch didn't want you with us just because of your skills or because you had connections."

Nunnally whispered into her sister's ear, tears staining the blonde's hair, "It's because he wanted to save one of the few siblings he truly cared about and keep you safe."

"I fear I've no more tears left to shed, oh sister mine."

Nunnally shook her head at her sibling trying to put on a good face, "Then I'll shed them all the more for you, sister."

Laila erected a mock pained look and cast it at the smaller girl. "Please don't. Or your Knight will be very cross with me."

The smaller girl hmphed at the mocking look, "I'm a princess. I can cry for my sister if I want to and she won't cry for herself. And if it helps bring your heart back, then a few tears is worth it."

"Oh sister mine, you have enough heart and kindness for all of us…" Laila sighed, she looked in the direction of Lelouch's pathetic state and clenched her teeth. "If only…" She turned her gaze back towards her half-sister.

"I can't stay for long, Nunnally. Bradley arrives within two days. He will want to begin immediately." Laila looked down at her feet with a grimace, "Without MacArthur to rein him in… I fear the death toll will be… horrendous, to say the least."

The brunette princess looked towards her brother's still, shallowly breathing form, "Then let's treasure this moment before the storm. And pray Cornelia comes to her senses soon."

"She will. I'm certain of it," said the small ex-princess firmly.

Nunnally took a deep breath before responding "We can't save everyone in this country, not right now. But we can keep hope alive."

Laila nodded and sniffed, managing a brittle self-deprecating smile. "I suppose we should get on with my penance… let's go back to the conference room."

Nunnally kissed her cheek, "You don't owe us any apology. Just be yourself and be safe."

They returned to find a full tea service prepared for them. Little squares of cucumber and salmon sandwiches, freshly baked mini croissants, small triangles of japanese fruit and cream sandwiches, a bowl of a pale white almost clear chicken soup, and of course, a pot of tea in the most girlish flowery colorful china.

Nemo stood next to the spread, wearing a butler's uniform and a long suffering look on his face.

Both Nunnally and Alice were momentarily surprised, taken aback by the sudden tea time setting before the former burst into a fit of giggling and drug her Knight of Honor down with her. Both girls held onto each other in their fits of giggles and laughter.

"Come, come, a tea party to lift this doom and gloom~" Laila said in the most saccharine tone possible. "I am, after all, simply being myself."

Nunnally hugged her, dragging Alice into an awkward group hug by extension. She looked at her half-sister with affection and mock exasperation. "Thank you, pixie."

Laila made a bow for her, a grin on her lips as she kissed Nunnally scandalously close to the lips. "Anything for my Princess."