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"Kallen" - Speech
'Lelouch' - Thought/mental communication
"{Die}" - Geass Command
"Halt!" - Loudspeaker
"Roger." - Radio/Walkie-Talkie
Chapter 31: Geass vs. Code Geass
The Next Day
Camelot Research Centre Assigned Hanger, Area 11 Administration Building, Britannian Tokyo Settlement
"Hmmm…" Lloyd Asplund hummed as he read the data on the screen in front of him. "Yes, I can see why you are less than pleased with the Bedivere's performance. While she was a marvel of her day and age, and even now her defensive systems are still among the best I've ever seen, she's quite slow and a bit of a power hog compared to current Knightmare designs."
"So?" Nonette asked impatiently. "Can you modify and update it or not?"
"Oh, I am certainly capable of doing so." The Earl of Pudding acknowledged absently with a wave of his hand. "I've actually done quite a bit of study on the Bedivere's Shining Luminous and Halo Luminous systems in order to develop my Lancelot's Blaze Luminous system. I've actually already built a blueprint on how to improve several of the Bedivere's and Gawain's major issues as a bit of test bed for some of my new systems designs before I started using them for the Lancelot. Dearie me, yes; it would be quite simple. Unfortunately…"
"What?" the Knight of Nine asked suspiciously.
"I have no funds." Lloyd shrugged, a disinterested deadpan entering his voice as the discussion turned to something he had absolutely no interest in. Funding was such a bore. "Most of my funding for the Lancelot has been spent, with what's left reserved for repairs and possible upgrades until the next time Prince Schneizel deigns to renew our budget. And, as you know my dear, money is what makes this world go round, particularly when it comes to scientific research and development."
Nonette gave the white and gold Knightmare Frame being tinkered with by Camelot techs a glower. She was very much certain this 'lack of funds' had little to do with costs of that frame and more with the Lord of Pudding's excessive perfectionist streak when it came to his current magnum opus.
Still, the eccentric lunatic was the only one in Area 11, if not the world, that could do what needed to be done in time for her to have her rematch. Sighing slightly, she quickly turned back to face Lloyd and drew out her personal tablet. She tapped it furiously for a moment before turning it around to face Lloyd. "Is this enough?" she demanded.
"Certainly!" the manic smile of the Head of Project Lancelot would have scared any normal person. "Let's see…yes, I can get it done within the next fortnight. What of your fellow Knight of Round? It's my understanding that her Exeter was positively mauled."
"She's so deep in denial that she's practically swimming towards Cairo." Nonette snorted contemptuously. "I'm going to lay a beating to her in the simulators using a basic Gloucester that'll prove that she needs to upgrade her equipment. Expect the Viceroy to summon you to work on 7th Generation Frames for her Royal Guard and herself as well."
"Ah, I was wondering if Princess Cornelia would be anxious to upgrade her equipment in light of Rakshata's latest toys ripping through her men like a hot knife through butter." Lloyd mentioned casually. "Will she be wanting one for Princess Euphemia as well, do you think?"
"Euphie? Piloting a Knightmare?" Nonette looked as if she were about to burst into laughter before she her expression suddenly turned thoughtful. "Have one sketched up for her. Better to have it and not need it than for her to need it and not have it."
"As you wish." Lloyd wandered off, doing a quick appraisal of the maintenance work being done to the Lancelot before returning to his office. Sitting himself down behind the desk, he tapped his computer open and waited patiently for it to boot up and link itself to the mobile server where his division of Camelot stored all of the important research data.
He opened several new project files onto the computer and began to brainstorm names for his newest projects, always a fun pastime. "Hmmm…Princess Cornelia's Knightmare should be called something…fear inspiring would likely fit her best…ah…the Morgana." He mused aloud, typing the name into the head for his newest design folder. "As for her Royal Guard…Well, her Knights of Honour should have ones a bit better than the others…ah, Accolon, le Fay's lover. That'll do. The rest…Ywain, one of Morgan le Fey's offspring, will do for them I think."
After logging in and typing this in a little document, he paused. "Now, Princess Euphemia's Frame will be a bit harder to think of. Something not explicitly offensive…perhaps a support-style frame would be best for her…something that can aid her fellow warriors when on the field…ah-hah!"
A positively vulpine smirk crossed his face as he typed in something. Sitting back, he nodded in satisfaction. That'd do finely.
Princess Cornelia's Knightmare – The Morgana
Guilford P. Guilford and Andreas Dalton's Knightmares – Accolon
Princess Cornelia's Royal Guard – Ywain
Princess Euphemia's Knightmare – The Nimue
Nodding to himself, he saved the file and opened another one. Now for the modifications and upgrades needed for the Bedivere. In retrospect, all of the problems in the Shining Luminous and Halo Luminous were blatantly obvious and were mostly a result of the technology of the time it originally produced and that no one had bothered to upgrade it since no one outside the late Empress Marianne had been able to make the persnickety machine move.
The Shining Luminous, for example, was simply nothing more than an outdated form of the Blaze Luminous system he'd developed. Replacing it with one would probably be the simplest modification he was going to make to the Prototype.
The Halo Luminous was far more problematic, as he had mostly ignored it in favour of developing the Shining Luminous into the Blaze Luminous. That was simply due to him seeing Shinning Luminous as the more flexible and easily adaptive system while the Halo Luminous was much more cumbersome and ill-fitting for the design he'd already had for the Lancelot at the time.
Fortunately, the battle data that the Devicer of the Bedivere had provided gave him plenty of data regarding the stress threshold of the Halo Luminous, as well as of the power consumption ratios at various power settings. Modifying the existing generators and tweaking the correct ratios of power vs. output should be doable. A few updates to the core generator and relay systems wouldn't hurt either, the ones currently installed were badly outdated at best and utterly obsolete at worst.
The next thing was the lack of Sakuradite located at key points throughout the body of the Bedivere. That was what allowed the Lancelot its inhuman speed and agility. All the Bedivere had were a set of modified Gloucester servos, which was why it was so slow. Once those were swapped out and replaced with a slightly modified version of the system he'd developed for the Lancelot then the Bedivere would be a far more dangerous beast. A few tweaks and upgrades to the Core Luminous of the Yggdrasil Drive and overhauling the power systems with a few upgrades should reduce the power consumption to at least half of what it was.
'The fact that the Devicer actually deployed it in its current form in live combat is actually rather impressive.' The silver-haired scientist mused to himself. 'She was very lucky that whoever is piloting Rakshata's crimson Knightmare lacked the combat experience to overcome the Halo Luminous. From what I could see, all that the enemy Devicer had to do was draw things out until the Energy Filler ran dry. Very careless, but the Bedivere is bleeding edge technology, and even one of the original three Knightmare pilots can make mistakes.'
Technology came in several levels. The mass-produced Knightmares were generalist machines intended for just about anyone who entered the cockpit to be able to use them. Limited Production Knightmares were similar to Princess Cornelia's Custom Gloucesters, customised for a specific group or purpose and required specified training to use properly. Prototypes were generally known as 'cutting edge' and were difficult for anyone to use. Initial Prototypes like the Bedivere were bold steps into the unknown and were known as 'bleeding edge' technologies. Very, very few people could use them in any capacity, let alone as well as Nonette Enneagram had used the Bedivere.
All the upgrades Lloyd was planning would actually downgrade the Bedivere from Bleeding Edge to merely Cutting Edge since he was using more common tech rather than the prototypes produced specifically for the machine at its creation, but it would also double the combat abilities of the massive Knightmare Frame, as well as increasing its Expected Operational Time.
Feeling rather pleased with himself, Lloyd opened his drawer and took out a pudding from the refrigerated compartment he had built within it. He never went anywhere without this desk because of this little compartment. Everyone had their vices and guilty pleasures and Lloyd would happily admit to being an addict when it came to his sweets.
As he devoured his snack, the Earl mused about Warrant Officer Kururugi. As his commanding officer, he had, of course, requested to see the results of his interview with the psychologist. Being denied on the grounds of doctor-patient confidentiality had done little to stop him from hacking into the database via the intranet and seeing the file for himself.
A Martyr Complex, a lack of self-worth, guilt up to the nines and a complete disregard for his own life…Lloyd had a niggling suspicion that the conclusion drawn by Princess Euphemia was not quite on the money due to his knowledge of what Kururugi had said while working with Camelot. He mistrusted 'personal emotion', preferring the stability of the system, of what he viewed as 'justice,' instead.
That spoke to Lloyd quite clearly. It meant that Suzaku Kururugi did not trust himself to make the correct decisions when he was emotional. The Earl may be a bit off in the head, but he was also a highly intelligent man who was accustomed to dissecting the real meaning of people's words when they assumed he was too bizarre to understand anything other than Knightmares and pudding. Kururugi was so simple to read that it was almost painfully obvious to Lloyd.
He couldn't very well let a defective component get the Lancelot destroyed, so Lloyd had signed off on Princess Euphemia's order to give the boy medical leave. Records indicated that he hadn't taken ANY leave whatsoever since he joined the Army a year ago; that was just plain not healthy. Even Lloyd needed his pudding breaks.
"Better get back to the grind, I suppose." Lloyd hummed as he finished his treat. Tossing the container into the bin, he set out to start organising the moving of the Bedivere into Camelot's hanger. Then the real work would start.
Oh, this was going to be ever so fun!
Later
Zero's Office, Black Knights Temporary Headquarters
Lelouch looked up when a knock sounded on his door and quickly replaced his helmet onto his head. "Yes?" he offered once it was securely in place and the voice disguiser activated.
"It's Ohgi…can I have a word, Zero?" the man asked.
"Of course, come on in." the Masked Man said in surprise. He hadn't heard of any matters arising; perhaps Ohgi was bringing something urgent to his attention early.
The former leader of the Kōzuki Cell entered, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Taking a seat at Lelouch's gesture, he had a look of hesitation on his face.
"Now Kaname. What seems to be the problem?" Zero asked.
"It's…about the raid I led." Ohgi started. "I…"
"If memory serves, everything fell into place rather smoothly." Lelouch remarked, his mind going over the AARs that Ohgi and the rest of the ranking officers on the raid had turned in.
"It did, but…" Ohgi hesitated a bit more. "I…enjoyed it."
"Oh?" the Masked Man tilted his head to one side slightly. "Go on."
"I enjoyed having everything going right, having the plan I helped develop go right. Seeing everything go without a hitch." The former teacher said worriedly. "It's not like me, Zero. I've always seen all this as a necessary evil to get our homeland back, not something to be enjoyed, but now I'm starting to get a thrill out of it all. Do you think that something's wrong with me?"
Lelouch chuckled. "Ah…Kaname, Kaname, Kaname…come. Let's go for a walk, I think I can explain everything better with a few visual aids."
Puzzled, Ohgi stood and followed him as the costumed man left the office and headed to a small balcony that overlooked a large room being used to train the Black Knights. Some were practicing hand-to-hand under Mamoru's watchful eye, while others were practicing their pistol and rifle skills with several former JLF men supervising. Still others were using the former cockpits of the Burai as simulators, with one of Rakshata's scientists overseeing the simulations to gather data on the pilots and their abilities.
It filled Ohgi with awe. Just a few short months ago, they had been scrambling to train and equip one small resistance cell with firearms and barely managing to keep up with the maintenance for a single, half-broken Glasgow that they had pulled from a scrapheap. Now, they were hundreds strong, with enough equipment to last them years without needing to raid or deal with the black market for supplies. It really put into perspective how amazing Zero was, to have been the one responsible for it all.
"This is what we've built together, Kaname." Zero said, gesturing out at the numerous training men and women. "An army, ready and willing to lay down their lives if necessary to defeat Britannia. But an army is nothing without a number of things. Mere numbers and equipment are not what make up an army; they merely provide the body for which it can act. A cause is important, for it provides the soul gives that body purpose. Dedicated sergeants and other non-coms provide the bones that support it. Belief is important too, providing the soul and fire that forces that body into action. However, it is the leaders of the army that serve as the most vital lynchpins, for they are the body's mind, that which guides its progress and ensures its survival. It is those who command that will, when push comes to shove, decide whether an army rises to greatness or falls tumbling into the abyss.
"I…see?" Ohgi temporised. He agreed with what Zero was saying but couldn't see what it had to do with his own problems.
"I am not the only one who leads here Kaname; I am just one of many." Zero continued. "We have General Todoh and his Four Holy Swords. They are a symbol of both the desperate fight during the Invasion and of the seven long years of resistance. Kallen is an amazing front-line combatant and an inspiring example of the 'general who leads from the front' ideal, her skill and grace inspiring her allies and demoralizing our foes. She also serves as a potent reminder that half-bloods can be on our side as well, that not everyone with Britannian blood is our enemy and should be viewed as such. And then, there is you, Kaname Ohgi."
"Me?" the brown-haired man blinked in stupefaction.
"Yes, you." Zero chuckled. "A humble former teacher who rose to lead a resistance cell after his best friend was cruelly slain by the Britannians, who managed to keep his Cell together when others would have either been too loose and let them fragment apart or too strict and broken them apart. Who made the decision to follow me when all seemed lost. You are what those idiots in the Britannian News Networks would call a success story; you started with nothing and are now one of the leaders of the Black Knights. You have grown and risen with the feats that you have managed to accomplish and you have every right to take pride in that."
"I…ah, I don't see it as anything exceptional." Ohgi said uncomfortably. "I'm just doing what I can for my country."
"Considering the more unpleasant members of the former Yamato Alliance and Major Kadzuki's 'Neo Shinsengumi', it would seem that true loyalty to one's country is somewhat rarer than you might imagine." Zero remarked dryly. "But I digress. You came to me because you are worried about your mental state. I can assure you that you are perfectly sound of mind."
"But…" Ohgi protested.
"Listen to me for a moment." The Leader of the Black Knights told him. He then gestured out at the array of Japanese men and women beneath them again. "We lead them into battle and it is under a tacit understanding that we leaders do so; that understanding being that the footsoldiers and Knightmare pilots be willing to follow our orders and lay down their lives if need be. In exchange, they expect us to make their sacrifice worth it and to not sell their lives cheaply."
Turning his faceless helmet towards Ohgi, Zero continued. "What you have described to me, Ohgi, are the classic symptoms of being bitten by the Command Bug."
"Huh?" the former teacher was confused.
"To command men in battle, and to command well in battle, is one of the most addictive feelings to exist for humankind." The Masked Man explained softly. "The thrill of a successful battle is the sweetest, most exhilarating sensation that can be felt, rivalled only by sex. All good commanders feel it. The less said about those unfeeling enough to send men to battle as if they were cattle the better. You are perfectly well, my friend; you are merely becoming a soldier, and a leader of men at that."
Ohgi looked stunned. "But…I'm not soldier material." He protested weakly.
"Not by natural desire or inclination, true." Zero acknowledged, "But you are someone who was born with the ability to lead, something that I'm sure came in useful during your time as a teacher. It was in part due to that fact that you were able to keep the Kōzuki Cell in one piece after your friend Naoto was captured and killed. And in your time with me, I have been subtly teaching you the art of command, which you have assimilated admirably. The fact that you have been bitten by the Command Bug is both a good thing and a sad thing, Ohgi."
"Sad?" Ohgi asked in surprise.
He couldn't see Zero's face, obviously, but the former teacher had a feeling that if he could have seen it, Zero would have been smiling sadly at him.
"As I said, to command well in battle is exhilarating." The Masked Man explained quietly. "But that feeling turns to ash in your mouth at the news of every injury, every death, suffered by those under your command. It is sometimes referred to as the burden of command or the burden of the mighty, especially to those who know, like and care for those under their command. It is a glorious, yet painful thing."
Ohgi felt a lump form in his throat at this. Zero was confessing a weakness to him. He was actually confiding in Ohgi. He felt very much honoured by this. Then what Zero had said fully registered with him; it was simultaneously a confession and a warning about what the former teacher would face himself down the road.
"We've…not had any serious casualties yet." Ohgi mentioned, trying to encourage himself.
"Emphasise the 'yet' there and you'll be correct." Zero said grimly. "Make no mistake here, Ohgi, we've been very, very fortunate with Cornelia. She's been grieving for her brother, distracted by her sister rebelling against her authority and been the victim of both typical Britannian arrogance and lack of understanding of the original culture of the 'Numbers' in the Area, but we can only count on those distractions to last so long against her. She is an experienced military general, after all, not to mention Britannia's best field general in several generations."
Ohgi gulped. "So…we're going to lose people." He stated.
"We are going to lose a lot of people." Zero corrected, his voice sounding dead even through the modulator. "I am an excellent strategist and tactician, but I am neither omniscient nor infallible. Cornelia has led the armies of Britannia to victory on over a hundred battlefields and has brought five of the current Areas into Britannia…pardon me, with the defeat of the Middle Eastern Federation, make that six."
"Ri-right." Ohgi nodded.
"That's why I'm glad that you seem to be growing into your role as a commander, Ohgi." Zero said as he placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "You may be the 'base commander' on the new organisation chart, but Todoh and I cannot be everywhere at once. The Black Knights need good commanders to take up the slack where we cannot be. You are one and I hope to tutor Kallen to be a commander as well."
"She's pretty hot-headed to be a commander." Ohgi said with raised eyebrows.
"She may be quick to anger, but I have confidence that she can temper that aspect of herself." Zero stated confidently. "Now, I must be away. I have meetings and other items of importance to be doing. Ohgi, remember what I have said. You are a good commander."
With a swish of his cape, Zero strode off with a friendly nod to Ohgi, who was somewhat frozen from the confidence his leader was showing him. He shook himself out of his stupor a moment after his leader had left and smiled ruefully. He had started the day worried about his mental state, but now he had a much more pressing concern…living up to his leader's confidence in him.
'And to think, life used to be so simple!' he thought with a chuckle, feeling like a weight was removed from his shoulders.
That Night
Lelouch's Room, Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy
Lelouch typed away at his computer with a smirk at the sounds of feminine moaning behind him. Tonight was one where neither Sayoko nor C.C. had been willing to let the other go first with him, so they were having a competition to determine that. The first to make the other climax was the winner. The first couple of times they had done this, the Immortal had won hands down, but Sayoko was nothing if not a quick learner, so it was less of a sure thing for C.C. than it had been.
Meanwhile, he was manipulating the stocks that he held in several companies via cut-out's and fake names. They were all companies held by nobles who mistreated and abused the Japanese/Elevens/Honorary Britannians in their employ. Unsafe work conditions, blatant abuse of power, embezzling on the part of several Britannian work supervisors and other, more sordid occurrences had been confirmed via word of mouth by the Black Knights.
Sayoko had also infiltrated the owners' mansions and placed several devices in their computers which allowed Lelouch to hack them as if their firewalls and security software didn't exist. Their passwords hadn't been changed for five years in most cases, which was sloppy security, typical of an arrogant noble. Lelouch had now located several accounts each with at least a million Pounds apiece in them and was working on draining them and rerouting them via several accounts and then physical transfers to accounts that he held via pseudonyms.
Also, he had discovered a hefty amount of blackmail material on several nobles that had been in Clovis' inner circle. That would prove useful as an alternate way of bending them to his will that didn't rely in his Geass. Already, only a few short months after gaining it, he could feel his power fighting him when he sealed it away. He would have to redouble his mental discipline in order to acclimate to this new resistance.
Additionally, thanks to Rakshata's assistance, he finally had the necessary knowledge to complete the power armour that he had bought from the lab in Area 4. What she had done was to complete the theoretical data on miniaturising an Yggdrasil Drive to the size needed to power the suits. She had also successfully reduced the size and weight of Energy Fillers to allow them to be powered properly.
Lelouch was still wary of overreaching with his science, so he had decided to start at a halfway line between Knightmares and power armour. He was very glad that he had Geassed an entire team of Britannian engineers into his service whenever he needed them, so the new lab and manufactory in Theta Base's central area was being rapidly assembled even as he leisurely hacked into the accounts of nobles and stole their money. He already had the raw materials (thank you, Sumeragi Heavy Industries) and all it needed was a week or so of his undivided attention before he could have a prototype up and running.
He stilled as Sayoko cried out her loss as she climaxed beneath the verdette's skilled fingers and tongue. The kunoichi maid was always somewhat down whenever she lost one of these battles, regardless of the fact that C.C. had literal centuries of experience on her in the lovemaking department.
"Mmmm, that was very good, Sayoko." The succubus-like woman purred as she revelled in her victory. "You almost had me that time."
"…I'm sure." The maid deadpanned as she panted, coming down from her climax. The sound of someone getting off the bed and padding towards him was followed by a pair of slender arms wrapping around him and a pair of soft sensations touching his back.
"Hey there, loverboy." A certain Immortal said sultrily into his ear. "Ready for bed?"
"I am…now." Lelouch said softly as he finished a last line of code. He set the computer to shut down before quickly turning around and swinging a very naked C.C. into straddling his lap. "Someone had some fun with Sayoko." He remarked.
"Mmm…well she is a lot of fun." C.C. purred as she felt her lover's hands softly moving over her body. "Almost as fun as you blond friend would be. Out of curiosity, exactly what do you have planned for Millicent? She's very obviously becoming more and more withdrawn as talks between the Ashford and Asplund families get further along."
Lelouch's hand paused in their wandering for a moment before resuming. "Milly is a priority, at least once we deal with our little insider conspiracy problem over in Kyoto House."
Both Contractor and Contracted scowled at the memory of Taizō Kirihara basically telling them to be patient and wait for his men to gather sufficient evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the two sitting members that they all knew were responsible for supplying the Neo Shinsengumi with their new Knightmares and other supplies. It was to the point that all of the supplies from the Six Houses were being searched in case of tracking devices or other, more explosive, contents being slipped in with them.
"So am I allowed to start seducing her yet?" C.C. asked after a moment.
The raven-haired youth looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Since when have you ever needed my permission?" he asked in mild amusement as he stood up, hoisting her with him. The woman in his arms squeaked and wrapped her arms and legs around him on instinct as he headed over to the bed.
"Since you…mmmm!...told me hands off after Lake Kawaguchi!" she gasped as her lover started to nibble at her neck, and she instinctively bared it to him for more.
"Well she broke up with Nina, meaning she's a free agent." Lelouch murmured as he squeezed her shapely rear. "By all means have at her, love. She could use a pick me up after dealing with that obnoxious hag of a mother of hers."
To say that Lelouch disliked Melisande Ashford was akin to saying that the Invasion of Japan had caused a bit of disruption to the Japanese way of life. Even before she had tried to convince him to sacrifice himself and Nunnally on the altar of her ambition, he had thought that she was vain, shallow, arrogant and someone who thought herself above everyone around her. Afterwards, the Exiled Prince had known that eventually, he'd have to eliminate her to protect Nunnally. This determination being made by him at the tender age of thirteen.
"Well I'll do my best to entertain her." The verdette smirked at him as he laid her down on the bed, with Sayoko feeling sufficiently recovered to sit up and watch her master start to pleasure C.C. with almost agonising slowness. "Now get inside me, dammit!"
"As the lady wishes." Lelouch smirked down at her. There was no more serious talk for the rest of the night.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
The Next Day
Student Council Room, Ashford Academy
Milly let out a jaw-cracking yawn, barely managing to cover her mouth in time. She was not getting enough sleep, especially with her ever loving mother sending snippy notes to her regarding how well the negotiations with the Asplund Family were going.
'A trophy wife.' The blond girl thought bitterly. 'I'm going to become a goddamned walking arm ornament, just to facilitate my family's return to the nobility and so the Earl can get his hands on the Ganymede's combat data.'
She had met Lloyd Asplund the previous week and he had been very candid about why he wanted to marry her. It had puzzled her, as she had thought that, as the Ganymede had been used as the basis for the Glasgow, that the Britannian Military, as well as Camelot, would have access to all of its test data, including the numerous tests that Marianne the Flash had conducted inside of it.
As it turned out, the Earl had freely revealed to her, that only the most basic of data had been retained by the military for some reason. All of the data to do with Marianne the Flash and her use of the machine in combat had been erased completely by persons unknown…aside from the copy held by the Ashford Family.
While it was something of an insult that he was totally uninterested in her as a woman, it was also something of a relief that he had assured her that she could do as she pleased with herself after the marriage. The fact that it was looking increasingly like she was going to marry him was not pleasant, but the Ashford Heiress could see no way out of her conundrum.
She was glad that everyone else was busy today; Lelouch was doting on Nunnally in the Clubhouse, watched over by Sayoko, Suzaku was STILL on medical leave, Shirley was at the Swimming Club, Kallen was god knows where, ditto for Nina, while Rivalz was busy talking to people in the Settlement about the up and coming Ashford Academy School Festival.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Arthur." Milly said to the patch-eyed cat, who meowed at her in response. "Yes, I know 'Lelouch the Second' would have sounded better, but what can I do when the original says no like that?"
"Nya."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Milly sighed as she tried to refocus herself on the paperwork, but she just couldn't concentrate. She also thought that she was forgetting someone…
The door opening brought her back into focus. Looking up, she saw Celesta, Lelouch's first lover, enter the room, closing the door behind her. A flicker of jealousy rose up inside of her, but the Ashford Heiress quashed it rather firmly. Lelouch deserved to have someone to share his bed with, and it wasn't like Milly hadn't played the field herself despite her feelings for Lelouch; she had to have seduced half of the girls in her own year before settling down for a bit with Nina.
"Hey Celesta." She said with a faint smile. "Lelouch is in the Clubhouse if you need to see him."
"I've just been there, actually." The verdette replied with a smirk. "No, I'm here for you."
For some reason, the way she said it combined with the look in her amber eyes made Milly flush in a very not-unpleasant manner. It had been a long time since she had seduced someone after all…or perhaps she was the seduced one in this scenario?
"Oh my, what would Lulu think to you seducing me?" Milly leered at the other girl, who merely smirked back.
"Oh, he'd probably ask that I be nice enough to record some footage of us in flagrante delicto." She replied with a returning leer. "I know for a fact that Lelouch likes it when Sayoko and I put on a show for him."
That pulled Milly up short. She was not used to being on the back foot when it came to matters of the body with other girls, but she was getting the very good sense that with Celesta, she was in way over her head.
"I am surprised that we haven't found you lying naked in Lelouch's bed in the past couple of months." Celesta continued. "Given how jealous you've been of Sayoko and I."
"Wh-whaaa-?!" Milly squawked in surprise, flushing red. "Jeal-…! Who's jealous?!"
"You." The matter-of-fact tone of voice that the amber-eyed woman used to reply with stopped the Ashford Heiress from spluttering any further. "You're torn between being happy at him letting someone into his heart aside from his little sister and severe jealousy that the first one in wasn't you."
A lump formed in Milly's throat from hearing that. 'Just how does she know that?!'
"Foolish girl." Celesta said gently, advancing with a slow gait that made her hips swish from side to side enticingly. "Do you really think that someone as observant as Lelouch hasn't noticed your feelings for him? That he was going to just stand aside and let your bitch of a mother marry you off like a filly at market? He has a plan for dealing with the arrangement with the Asplund Family, Milly Ashford. I am merely the messenger and an enticement for you."
"E-entice…" the buxom blond gulped, a flutter of hope in her chest. "Y-you mean…?"
"Yes." Celesta said with a slow nod as she halted in front of the frozen Ashford Heiress. "He likes and wants you, Milly. He knows that you would rather die than sell him and Nunnally out to Britannia or to your mother. All this time, had you had the courage to reach out to him, he would have accepted you. Now, he is reaching out to you. The only question…"
At this she leaned down and placed her mouth next to Milly's ear. "…is if you'll accept him as he is, along with Sayoko and myself. We're his lovers, so we come as a package deal. The offer is on the table, girl. All you have to do is reach out and take it. Now choose."
Her shaken and off-kilter psyche pulled itself back together instantly and her decision was made a split second later. Milly had wanted Lelouch for so, so long that it was actually difficult to remember a time when she had not. Nor did she really have any desire to remember such a time. She had tried to bury her feelings for him and had ended up hurting poor, poor Nina in the process.
Milly knew that Celesta wouldn't have come here with this offer unless Lelouch had specifically asked her to. He wouldn't allow her to play with the hearts of his friends, lover or not. Thus, when Millicent Ashford drew a delighted Celesta into a deep kiss, it was with the knowledge that it was a kiss that would lead to her being freed from her mother's schemes and machinations, and also to her being Lelouch's third lover.
It didn't take long before Celesta was straddling Milly's lap and undoing the other girl's shirt.
Ten Minutes Later
Outside of Ashford Academy
Desmond exited the car that he had 'requisitioned' from a member of Code-R. He had been forced to go back to the Tertiary Site of Code-R in Fukuoka in order to inform them he was going to execute, pun fully intended, his primary mission. Quite why they wanted a face-to-face report was beyond him, but the one who had asked had been Joseph Fenette and the Geass Order assassin was rather fond of him, in the way that a scientist was fond of a rat running through a maze, useful for the moment, but ultimately disposable, so he had acquiesced to the man.
He had chosen the car both because he was rather fond of going fast, and a Ford Mustang 2015 Galpin Fisker Rocket was certainly fast, and because the owner was an unmitigated turd who looked down his nose at Desmond for whatever reason. The Assassin would have happily killed him some time ago, but the man wasn't worth the annoyance replacing him would cause his master or the scolding he'd receive because of it.
So stealing his Tokyo Settlement muscle car was an acceptable substitute.
"Tch…what a pathetic excuse of a place." The assassin muttered as he eyed the Academy disdainfully. He saw himself as being vastly superior to the hoi polloi that infested the world and had no time for such mundane concepts such as compulsory education. He had been privately tutored in the important subject of dealing death and that was all that mattered to him.
Rollo, he knew, had some kind of interest in the idea of a mundane life. It was such a bizarre thought for Desmond that his (self-appointed) rival had such a strange fascination for such a pathetic existence; truly, life was strange.
Putting the violet-eyed boy to one side, Desmond had a job to be getting on with. He quickly checked that his clothes, black trousers, a red t-shirt, blue jacket and a yellow bandana around his head, were all in place and that his weapons, a standard-issue Britannian Army pistol and numerous multipurpose knives, were secured underneath them before crossing the road and walking towards the gates of the Academy.
'With my Ward of Absolute Slumber, this job will be easy as pie.' Desmond thought smugly, and he had some right to be smug. Unlike a lot of other Geass that were designated as 'Wards of Absolute X', Desmond's did not have to be centred on himself as the activation point; he could freely choose any position within his line of sight to act as the centre of his Geass' Area of Effect.
Once activated, a dome would encompass the area he designated, forcing everyone within that area to fall to the level of consciousness that he had designated. This could vary between coma-level unconscious, fast asleep, drowsy, sleep-drunk, wide awake and even hyperactively awake. Also, aside from the mental strain to activate and remove the Ward, he suffered no strain from maintaining his Ward, only requiring he stay in the same general area.
There were three drawbacks to this awesome power. First, he couldn't vary the level of consciousness among different people inside his area of influence; they all had to be affected at once and with the same state, which meant that he had to remove them all from that state simultaneously as well. Second, the effect wasn't permanent; the targets would come out of their area of forced consciousness after about three months if he didn't remove it himself. Third…he was, for whatever reason, blind and deaf in a random eye and ear while it was active.
Compared to many of Lord V.V.'s other bestowed Geass, this was actually a very mild side effect. Sometimes he didn't even lose an eye or an ear while it was active! Compared to Rollo, whose heart went into arrest whenever he used his, or another Assassin who had developed a constant nervous spasm in his right hand after repeated use of his Geass, Desmond felt as if he had gotten off remarkably lightly in regards to his power.
Reaching the gates of the Academy, he looked up and estimated the approximate centre of the school building, which was thankfully within his line of sight, and then established the boundaries of the Geass as the perimeter walls of the school grounds before a crimson crane appeared in his left eye and, with a flap, the Ward of Absolute Slumber was activated.
Those who also possessed a Geass or a Code would have seen the flicker of a dome of crimson energy spreading over the entire Academy; indeed, Lelouch and Sayoko did spot it out of the corners of their eyes, but before they could do more than blink, they found themselves dragged down into slumber.
Desmond, although it had been far from his intentions, had chosen a time of day when there were precious few students on campus, as well as a particular moment when no one was doing anything potentially dangerous; no one was cooking, climbing ladders or swimming in the pool. Shirley had gotten out of the pool just a handful of seconds before Desmond had activated his Geass and was currently sleeping quietly atop the Swimming Club President, to whom she had been talking to at that moment.
Only two people remained awake within the boundaries of the Ward of Absolute Slumber: C.C., who was immune to Geass as a Code Bearer, and Milly Ashford. Not that Desmond was aware of that.
"Well, that's the hard part taken care of." He said cheerfully. "Now we get to the fun part!"
With C.C. and Milly
Both girls froze in shock as an odd sensation washed over them. Considering Milly was completely topless, with C.C. seconds away from joining her, it looked rather odd.
"What was that?!" Milly asked shakily, all thoughts of fun gone.
"Something bad." 'Celesta' replied calmly as she stood up. "Get dressed…I think Lelouch's father may have sent an assassin after him."
Milly gawped at her. "Y-You know-?!"
"That vi Britannia's his actual name? Yes." C.C. said as she buttoned up her shirt. She was not happy about being forced to abandon her seduction of Milly; whoever was responsible was going to get it. "Do you have any training in firearms or knives?"
Caught off guard again, Milly nodded. "I'm rated above-average with pistols."
"Good old Reuben, I knew there was a reason I always liked him." The verdette smirked. She walked over to a set of drawers and opened one, removing it from the slides and flipping it over, revealing a pair of civilian-standard pistols taped to the bottom of it.
"Where the hell did those come from?" the Ashford Heiress asked in surprise, even as she caught and automatically checked the pistol that C.C. had thrown to her.
"Lelouch likes to have contingencies for all circumstances." The other woman replied as she checked her own weapon. She then pulled out another drawer and retrieved a couple of ammo magazines, throwing one to Milly. "We don't know who or what is out there, so keep your eyes peeled and pace your shots. Also, you might want to put your bra and shirt on, at least."
Flushing, Milly did so. It was a very nice view, the Immortal had to admit, but she couldn't be distracted while a Geass Assassin was around. The fact that she was registering a background tingle suggesting the presence of an active Geass via her Code meant that it was not an eyesight-type Absolute Geass like Lelouch and Sayoko's, or an Evolved Absolute Seal-type Geass like Charles' own. That meant it was most likely a standard Absolute Ward-type Geass, one that activated in an area rather than within the user's line of sight. Those were frequently powerful, but possessed one or two severe limitations that curtailed the use of them considerably.
With Geass, the more limitations one possessed, the more powerful it was. Lelouch's Geass of Absolute Obedience possessed the most limitations that C.C. had ever encountered. Not even Elizabeth the First of Britain's Ward of Absolute Charisma, George Washington's Geass of Absolute Intuition or Charles zi Britannia's Seal of Absolute Consciousness had been anywhere near as complex, with only Charles' own Geass coming close to his son's own.
Once Milly was no longer a tantalising distraction and temptation for C.C., the two opened the door…to find a teacher sprawled out on the floor, snoring away like a nest of machine guns.
"Mr Morgenstern?" Milly blinked as she knelt next to him and tried to shake him awake to no avail.
"Don't bother. He won't wake up." C.C. grimaced. She recognised the Geass of the Lethe Killer and that meant that this was going to be harder than she thought. "This is a Geass effect."
"Geass?" Milly looked confused.
"A supernatural power. I'll explain as we go." The verdette said. "Follow me and keep your gun ready."
As they jogged along, C.C. explained Geass, Codes and her link to them to the Ashford Heiress, who was understandably sceptical of the whole thing. This was until the Immortal proved it by pulling a knife from her pocket and cutting a long line down her arm that healed in under thirty seconds.
"So Lelouch…has the ability to order anyone to do anything, and Sayoko has the ability to read someone's emotional state?" Milly asked for confirmation after she picked her jaw up from the floor.
"Yes." C.C. nodded.
"And whoever is attacking my Academy can put people within a set area to sleep. Why am I not asleep as well then if the only one immune to these 'Geass' things is you?"
The verdette leered over her shoulder at Milly. "Because I was using my Code on you to passively scan your nervous system for areas of sensitivity. I must say that it's a surprise that your breasts are so naturally sensitive. I had to alter Kallen's to be more sensitive in order to wear her down a bit."
"…what?" Milly asked flatly.
"It's a minor power that isn't really of any use for anything but seduction or torture." C.C. explained airily. "My Code lets me scan the nervous system of anyone I touch, but I can also tweak it so that the areas I touch are more or less sensitive to being touched. The longer the contact, the more I can do. Considering one time I held Kallen on the cusp of orgasm for over fifteen minutes, I have had quite a bit of contact with her. Her breasts were slightly sensitive when I started, but now I'm willing to be that she has a hard time not touching them excessively in the shower."
"…leaving aside the fact that you've messed with someone's body without their knowledge, you're saying that the only reason that I'm awake is because we were fooling around?" the blond girl asked flatly.
"Yes, although I can assure you that I had no knowledge of this beforehand." The Immortal scowled. "Had I known, I would have held off until after this was dealt with to seduce you. As it is, consider my seduction of you merely slightly postponed rather than curtailed."
"Noted." Milly said with a light blush. "But what can we do about this assassin? He should know about you and your powers based on the fact that Lelouch's bastard of a father probably sent him."
"Possibly." C.C. smirked. "That being the case though, you are already an unknown variable for him. And, if we follow a plan that I have, you will become an even bigger threat for him. Tell me Milly…do you wish to make a contract?"
Minutes Later
With Desmond
Strolling along the corridors, which had only the occasional sleeping student or teacher sprawled down them, was getting rather boring, Desmond decided. Now if he were an exiled prince of some description, where would he be?
Spotting the large clubhouse, the boy sighed and shook his head. Of course. He'd be in the largest, most obvious building in the campus. Desmond scolded himself for not taking the ego of a Prince, even an exiled one, into account.
Changing course, the Geass Assassin took advantage of an open window to hop out and wander over to the opulent-looking building. He personally approved of living a grand life if you had the means, but wasting money on a school building? Please.
"Knock-knock." He said cheerfully as he kicked in the door leading into the clubhouse. No one was in sight, which was irritating. Another drawback of his power was how insufferably easy it was after he had applied his Geass; everyone was asleep, no one to resist or halt him. It made being an assassin somewhat boring, actually.
Smirking, Desmond found two of his targets. The crippled princess was slumped forwards in her wheelchair, with her brother collapsed on the ground next to her. An Eleven maid was slumped forward on her seat at the table.
Perfect.
"Ah, so the prodigal son has been laid low." He sneered at the sleeping raven-haired boy. "Lelouch vi Britannia…Lord V.V. wishes you dead. Consider it a mercy that I'm letting you die in your sleep. No pain, no suffering…all things considered, I'm being downright kind, really."
As he spoke, Desmond drew his pistol and levelled it the defenceless Lelouch's head. "Die."
His finger started to squeeze the trigger, but he halted when a sharp pain exploded in his leg, swiftly followed by something knocking the pistol out of his hand.
"AAAGGGHHH!" the boy shrieked in pain. He wasn't used to being hurt outside of training!
Looking down, he saw a throwing knife sticking out of his leg, as well as one clattering to the floor. The wound was weeping blood and was starting to throb. Just who had done this?!
"Stay…" a female voice croaked. "Stay…away…from…my…master!"
Sayoko Shinozaki staggered to her feet, eyes half-lidded as she fought the urge to sleep that Desmond's Geass was forcing on her.
"What the…impossible!" the assassin exclaimed in utter disbelief. "You're resisting my Geass?!"
While it was ultimately impossible to ignore the effects of an Absolute Geass, it was possible for those who had a strong enough will to temporarily resist one. Such resistance was usually only a handful of seconds before the power of the Geass overwhelmed the target. As Desmond's Geass affected the human sleep cycle, a completely natural function of the human body, it was even harder to resist. And yet, this woman was standing, somewhat shakily, and was still awake!
Unbeknownst to Desmond, Sayoko was using a meditative state to stave off and resist the almost overwhelming urge to sleep. It was an ancient ninjutsu technique that was used to force the user to stay awake even if they were dead tired. The kunoichi had barely been able to enter the state before sleep had overwhelmed her and she was almost certain that she couldn't last much longer.
"Heh…" Desmond chuckled as he removed the knife from his leg with a grunt of pain. "You lowly Eleven bitch…not only do you somehow dare to resist my power, you also have the gall to wound me. I am going to take my time in tearing you to pieces!"
With a synchronised flick of both her wrists, Sayoko suddenly had a pair of knives in her hands as she moved in between Desmond and his targets. She said nothing as she prepared to lay down her life in the defence of her master and mistress. Desmond drew one of his own with an angry sneer of contempt.
"Well now, isn't this an interesting scene?" a female voice drawled, making both Sayoko and Desmond look to its source. Leaning against another door leading into the room, a superior smirk on her face and her arms crossed across her chest, C.C. was a very welcome sight for the kunoichi.
"Celesta…" she whispered.
"Rest, Sayoko." The Immortal told her. "I've got this."
"I'll…leave it…to you, then." The ninja-maid answered as she slumped to her knees and lowered her head. C.C.'s smirk grew as she realised that Sayoko hadn't let herself fall asleep quite yet; she was playing possum until she saw an opportunity to strike at the enemy.
She was really starting to grow incredibly fond of that vicious, clever little kunoichi. She'd have to express her appreciation once their rodent problem was taken care of.
Speaking of a certain vermin…
"HOW?!" the teen shouted. "You should be asleep! Even if you possess the willpower to resist like that Eleven Monkey did, you should still be feeling utterly exhausted and drained of energy!"
This made the verdette blink in surprise, but then she realised something that made her chuckle in dark amusement. "Ah…so the little hobgoblin V.V. didn't tell you that I am like him."
"What?" Desmond scoffed. "Lord V.V. is beyond humans."
"He is a Code Bearer…as am I." C.C. stated, raising one hand to part her bangs and revealed the mark of her curse on her forehead.
"Impossible…impossible!" Desmond whispered in disbelief, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he gazed upon the mark of a Code Geass. "Lord V.V. is the only one who is deserving of such power!"
"Tch. A partisan of the hobgoblin. How irksome." The Immortal scoffed. She stood up and rolled her neck, cracking sounds coming from it as she assumed a basic defensive stance. "Enough of this. Talking to you at the moment is pointless, so I'll just beat you until you're unable to resist following my orders."
"DIE!" Desmond shouted, leaping forwards and swiping at her with his knife. C.C. leaned back to let the blade pass her harmlessly before arresting his arm with one hand and then twisting his wrist until he was forced to let go of the blade. The verdette then executed a perfect over the shoulder throw that sent the assassin sailing out of the room and through a window, leaving him to crash-land in a rolling heap on the grass outside of the clubhouse.
Bending down and picking up the knife, C.C. idly examined it and found it was an excellent weapon. Flipping it into a reverse-grip, she elegantly leapt out of the window to confront Desmond, who had staggered to his feet, face red with fury, and drawn two more knives.
"You…!" he seethed.
"You aren't accustomed to being thwarted." The agate-eyed woman observed. "I suppose that's understandable to a certain extent; with your Geass, the Ward of Absolute Slumber, I would suppose that you've become accustomed to accomplishing your assassinations without any impediments or obstacles. A pity."
"I'm a better damn assassin than Rollo!" Desmond shouted. "I'm the best assassin in the Geass Order!"
"It was the Geass Directorate when I was last there." C.C. corrected him absently. "Rollo…ah, the one with the Ward of Absolute Suspension? He was just finishing his basic training when I left. Was he the one who was supposed to come on this mission?"
"I can do any mission that he was sent on!" the boy snarled.
"Except you didn't take or read his full briefing." The Immortal smirked. "If you had, you would have taken care of Lelouch while I was elsewhere instead of walking into the lion's den like you have."
With a roar of pure, maddened rage, Desmond charged forwards. C.C. met him blade to blade, parrying and deflecting both of his weapons with her single one. Her reflexes were insanely quick, the product of seven centuries of on-and-off combat training in dozens of different fighting styles and martial arts, several of which had parts dedicated to knife fighting.
Learning to fight had been one of the ways she'd chosen to pass her eternity, and humans knew so many diverse and interesting ways of killing or harming each other that it had taken a long time for it to get boring.
Knocking him off balance, C.C. swung her leg around and kicked him in his sternum, sending him flying back a couple of feet and also driving the breath from his lungs. Wheezing, the Agent of the Geass Order glared at his target in fury.
"If you had any sense of self-preservation, you would be running right now." The Immortal mentioned idly. "Your assassination has failed and you are against an opponent who cannot be killed. Also, if you were smarter? You'd remember to watch your back."
"Please. There are only two people here that I need to watch out for; that Eleven bitch with the knives and you." Desmond sneered.
"Au contraire." Milly said as she sauntered up behind him, stopping three meters from him as he whirled around to gape at her. "I'm Milly Ashford, the Student Council President of this school and I don't take kindly to people trying to kill my childhood friend."
"What the fuck is wrong with this place?!" the Geass Assassin howled in disbelief, head darting between the two women if furious confusion. "Why is it that three people were unaffected by my Geass?!"
"Language." The Ashford Heiress scolded him playfully. "Now, if you would be so kind as to surrender and undo your Geass' effect on my school, I would appreciate it."
"Fuck you, bitch." Desmond sneered and started to run towards her. C.C. smirked and nodded at the blond girl, who took a deep breath and then focussed, making the crane symbol of a Geass appear in her left eye before she raised a fist and clenched it.
"Argh?!" Desmond screamed as his muscles spasmed and moved out of his control, making him flop onto his knees, with his arms supporting himself. Blinking, he tried to stand up, only to find that, aside from his face, he was completely helpless within his own body.
"What is this?!" he demanded.
"This is Milly's Geass, the Ward of Absolute Puppetry." C.C. explained as she walked over to him and knelt beside his head. "Within a certain distance of herself, Milly can take control of the nervous system of every human that she can sense and move them as she pleases. As you may or may not know, a Geass is derived from the desires of the person it is gifted to. Milly desires for those around her to dance to her tune as she pleases. A very fitting Geass, wouldn't you say?"
"When you put it like that it makes me sounds so…Machiavellian," Milly pouted in protest. "I prefer to think of myself as more of playful trickster than a puppet master."
"Of course you do." C.C. responded sarcastically, before turning her attention back to the assassin and her eyes grew dark. "Now as for you…"
"You…!" Desmond ground out.
"You will undo your Geass effect immediately." The Immortal ordered simply, staring down at assassin like he was an insect.
"Fuck you!" Desmond snapped. He would have gone on, but his jaw snapped shut at a twitch of Milly's hand, and he couldn't move it at all.
"Now, here's the thing, boy." C.C. said whimsically, her voice completely at odds with the air of cold and terrible murder slowly starting to build around her as she stared down at him. "I have been alive for seven centuries. Seven hundred years. No, I did not stutter there. In that time I have been both tortured and torturer and I know exactly how to break arrogant little peons like you; in fact it was a favourite hobby of mine for a decade or two before it started getting old. Your choice is to either undo the effect of your Geass, and earn a quick, painless death, or you can be obdurate, in which case I will take my time slowly breaking you and turning you into a bleeding, whimpering, mewling lump of bleeding, crippled flesh that I will not permit to die until I am satisfied that you know what pain and suffering really is."
Ignoring the tinge of green on Milly's face, the Immortal Code bearer brought her face close to Desmond's pale and sweating own, staring him right in the eyes and showing him exactly how serious she was.
"So then, Assassin of the Geass Directorate," she breathed. "Make your choice."
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Next Chapter: Assault on Code-R, Fukuoka
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