Chapter 5.985 Deciding Point

She thought that it was enough that she incapacitated the unknown Knightmare. But then she saw how the pilot came out of the wrecked machine... seemingly unhurt. And afterwards, her scanners detected... metal and Sakuradite on that person?

Marianne hastily landed her Mordred and came out as she rushed towards the point where she saw Lelouch and the other girl, fearing the worst. Since seeing how that rogue pilot has been attacking those two earlier, there's no doubt that he intended to take their lives at the earliest chance he got!

That's what she thought until she arrived and saw the half-man (half-machine?) holding Lelouch's unconscious body and crying over it.

"Lelouch... let go of him... you monster!" cried the red-headed girl before she too has passed out.

Marianne frowned. Regardless of the situation, she couldn't leave this situation alone. And she couldn't allow Schneizel to recapture Lelouch—Marianne let out a faint gasp as she saw Lelouch took a few gasps of breath. Meaning that he's still—!

"Come with me, if you want to save that child!" Marianne spoke aloud, as the machine man glanced up towards her. She turned towards the other girl.

She might as well take the girl along as well. Seeing that Lelouch seemed to care about the girl a lot, it might end up being trouble if he didn't see her again later.

She turned back to get into her Mordred again before coming back to fetch the trio.

Chapter 5.99? Jeremiah Gottwald I

When he returned without achieving his goals, he went towards the secret laboratory at the heart of Pendragon in order to ease his frustrations. To which he was taken by surprise to see that the researchers were working on something—someone?—as he came closer to check on what was it they were working on.

"What're you doing here?" he spoke as one of the researchers turned around to greet him.

"Master V.V... it's a cyborg that was taken from Area 11. It appeared to have taken quite a bit of damage, so we thought that maybe we could try to repair him."

V.V. frowned. "From Area 11? Who brought him here?" he asked as the man answered.

"Lady Anya did. She came back with two other youngsters, to which they were already taken away for treatment. She didn't know what to do with this man so we offered to take him in."

V.V. frowned again, as he was aware that in reality... Anya was, in fact, Lady Marianne.

So what was it that woman was planning in secret? And two youngsters? Could it be?

He shrugged before turning to take a look at the machine-man. "Very well, do everything you can to fix this man. And then after that, return this man to Lady Anya. He should serve her well."

But then a thought had occurred to him to make use of this situation. "But before that, inform me first before sending this man back. I have a mind to add to him a few more upgrades that might turn out to be quite useful."

The researcher nodded his head. "As you wish," said the man before resuming his work on the cyborg. V.V. smiled.

What a chance! he thought. Just as he happened to have almost completed the Geass Canceller system...

Chapter 5.99? Jeremiah Gottwald II

The child had arrived at the villa again, asking about any more progress regarding the two youngsters that were taken to the place from Area 11. He told the child nothing much... aside from the fact the prince was still bed-ridden and the girl has done nothing else but to care for the said prince. The child left in a huff again, as usual, reminding him again that it was thanks to him that he was still able to function to this day.

Regarding that, he admitted that what the child said was true. But he had caught some details in the past while those researchers have been repairing his mechanical parts. That whatever that Anya was doing had something to do with the late Lady Marianne and having heard that... there's no way that he could go against his true master's wish.

So regardless of what this V.V. was telling him to do, he would do all he could in order to protect Lady Marianne's only son! Even if that son used to be Zero, the one who had been the reason for his current state. The fact that Prince Lelouch used to be Zero was irrelevant!

What's important now was for him to protect the prince at all cost!

A/N: Was mulling about how to type this extra part for a while... and then I just remembered that I still had the plothole regarding the Geass Canceller being unresolved. So might as well fill in the gaps. Need to edit some bits on Shadow Sun to fit these parts in... cos I forgot about it lol.

Since there's a big time gap in between Muddled Path and Homecoming, I decided to make the chapter numbering being vague to reflect that gap.