Author's note: Hello, my dear readers. I'm really sorry about updating the story so late... I gave an estimate that it would be up by the new year but now it's May. I have never been this bad at punctuality before. Therefore, I owe you guys an explanation, which would be given in the paragraph below.

1. I had some trouble with some personal matters last December, which led to mild depression. I've gotten much better since last January, though.
2. I joined a sports team sponsored by my battalion, which had an intense training period from January to April. Honestly, I could've found some time to write, but I didn't feel like it since I was constantly exhausted.
3. Writer's block. I think this chapter was even more difficult to pen compared to the last one. This chapter may be a lot shorter, but I found myself stuck a lot more often here.
4. An overseas trip followed up by involvement in the preparation of the Trump-Kim Summit in late May to mid-June.

I'm aware that some may view the above as a bunch of excuses. I won't deny that there has been more than one occasion where I could have spent my time continuing this story but I didn't. I apologize to my readers for this. I know it can be frustrating to wait. Now that I'm better and my sports team's annual competition is over, I have a lot more spare time on hand. My word probably isn't credible anymore... nevertheless I will try my best to keep writing. Afterall, according to the plan, there are only one or two chapters left.

I know that the above was quite a lengthy tirade. However, before we get to the meat of this chapter, I feel like I need to address something - another rant incoming. After the release of the previous chapter, 'Bloodstained Aries', one of my readers who had dutifully followed this story since I started it, pointed out his dislike for it and promptly unfollowed me and the story.

I assumed it was because of the startling changes in tone and direction, plus the addition of gore galore. I mean, in chapter 22 we had the male and female lead licking each other's wounds and getting engaged, plus the Sword of Akasha was dealt quite a pretty bad blow (not like they've won once since Chapter One anyway). Then in chapter 23, we had Lelouch losing for the first time, Shirley screaming her lungs out hatefully at Rolo, who had regressed to a mechanical and doll-like order-obeying spy/assassin, and Darlton's head going off like a pinata. And to top it all off, both main characters are captured by the 'bad guys', who are suddenly a military force to be reckoned instead of a bunch of pompous asshats reminiscent of villains from a kids' show, à la Team Rocket.

Yes, I knew the chapter had the potential to be controversial and upsetting. I'm aware that despite that, most of my audience received 'Bloodstained Aries' positively. To all those who belonged to the former group, I'm sorry that it was a jarring experience for you, but I do not regret writing it'. I believe it was a bold but necessary move to push the story forward… and honestly, I enjoyed writing it. It was a breath of fresh air.

Furthermore, I would like to reinforce the fact that this fic is a blend of romance, action and drama. It was never meant to be a light-hearted romance fic. I'm fairly sure you all are aware of that when I decided to axe Shirley's dad. And a word of warning, while this chapter's level of bloodiness isn't as explicit as 'Bloodstained Aries'... do expect a fair amount of brutality, probably more than the previous one. No worries, I won't take it anywhere too extreme (not going to be 18+ material).

I apologize for the wall of text and disturbing some of my readers. If you are against the change in direction and need an outlet, you're welcome to discuss this at length with me via PM. Rant over, let's proceed to The Unravelling of Masks. Enjoy.

Chapter 24
The Unravelling of Masks

"Your Highness! Wait!" Euphemia turned a deaf ear to the frantic calls of her bodyguards. The pink-haired princess rushed forward to the charred and smoking villa, ignoring the fact that the hem of her white dress was brushing against the burnt and blackened ground. She had managed to slip past her guards, who were just opening the door of their armoured limo. She did not slow down and pushed the somewhat ajar double wooden doors wide open. Euphemia retched, immediately overcome with the fetid stench of blood and gunpowder. Her mortified eyes were greeted by the crimson stained hallways of the Aries Villa, unidentifiable bodies and limbs, which were scattered all over the place. Her fists were clenched from anxiety, and she fervently prayed that her half-brother was still alive and that he would be found somewhere in his residence. The princess gingerly stepped over the corpses and shards of broken glass just as her entourage of heavily armed and armoured bodyguards caught up to her.

"Your Highness, with all due respect, but you should've let us go ahead first. The complete withdrawal of hostiles has not been confirmed by Kururugi's team yet. We might not know if there's still a terrorist hiding inside the residence, hoping to snipe a person of import among the reinforcements." One of the knights spoke up, and there was a murmur of assent rippling through her group.

"They have no reason to target me," Euphemia brushed off her guards' suggestion brusquely. "And there's no time to waste! We should get searching for Lelouch at once-"

"Her Highness Cornelia explicitly told us not to allow you to be in unsafe situations, Your Highness." The same knight countered. There was a hint of dread in his tone, clearly highlighting his fears of being punished. In fact, the pink-haired teenager was not even supposed to be here. Once Cornelia was notified of the situation with the Aries Villa, it took Euphemia half an hour of persuading and begging her older sister before she relented. The Third Princess was allowed to check the place in person, only if she was accompanied by an entire platoon of knights, all handpicked by the Second Princess herself.

"I won't be. You all would be escorting me, yes?"

The guards groaned in unison, although they hastily quietened under her sharp gaze. Euphemia shook her head in exasperation, wondering how could they prioritize the orders of her older sister, who was not here in the flesh, over locating her half-brother, who might not even be alive for all she knew. "No! He has to be! They must be alive! Nothing could have happened to them!" The pink-haired royal insisted to herself. She suddenly charged towards the stairs, and her companions hurried to keep up with her.

Euphemia paused momentarily, the noise of booted feet running having reached her ears. She glanced towards the landing of the staircase and sighted Suzaku and his team of a dozen Honorary Britannians. They reached the villa close to half an hour before her party - the Second Princess displayed little hesitancy in deploying them to the incidence site instantly when she received the news. She made eye contact with Suzaku hopefully, but one look at his face, etched with concern, told her that his report would not bring her any relief.

"Any sign…?" Nonetheless, Euphemia crossed her fingers and asked Suzaku, who made his way down the stairs to kneel in front of her. Under usual circumstances, she would insist that he rose, but right now she hardly cared.

"Nothing so far," Suzaku's tone was laced with despondency. "We've just finished combing the East Wing, the bunker and the lounge as well."

The princess's shoulders slumped momentarily. "How about the West Wing?"

"We've yet to-"

"Let's move, then. We should not tarry here." Euphemia interrupted and briskly whisked herself off towards the said wing. The knights blinked in surprise at her sudden assertiveness and quickly followed suit. As she half-ran down the corridors of the villa, negative thoughts began popping up in her head. "What if they're not here? Or what if we stumble upon their bodies? Ohh… don't think such depressing lines!" She glanced sideways to Suzaku, who was keeping up with her with apparent ease. "Suzaku... what if we don't manage to find them?"

Suzaku was silent for a few seconds before he tried his best to be as optimistic and reassuring as he could. "Don't worry, Your Highness. I'm sure we will locate them."

"I know, but I mean - what if we don't?"

"Even so… maybe they escaped?"

"Or captured." Another of Euphemia's knights suggested darkly.

"How come we did not receive any word of the attack from Lelouch himself?" The Third Princess muttered, upset. "And why we only caught wind of this when a report was submitted by a civilian to the police?" The very minute they were notified that Lelouch's residence was under attack, they had sent an entire battalion of Knightmares as reinforcements, including the Lancelot Conquista. Unfortunately, they were too late and only arrived at an empty house with the wreckage of destroyed Gareths strewn around the burning surroundings.

"Either he got caught too off guard that he could not make any calls for reinforcements, which is unlikely seeing how tight the security is... or the communication channels he tried to reach were jammed." Suzaku's expression turned grave. "I would say the latter - considering how much effort Lelouch put into defending this place, the battle was probably a siege."

"Preposterous! That would mean that they know what frequencies our channels are operating on!" A soldier listening to their conversation interjected. "We do not give away such sensitive information to anyone except our own."

"There's no way Lelo- His Highness would not at least try to reach out to Princess Euphemia during a battle," Suzaku reasoned. "Paranoid as he is, I think he did not suspect us."

"Insolence! Are you insinuating that there's a member of royalty involved in the affairs of terrorists?"

"Carine and Guinevere were, Sir Albert," Euphemia reminded the knight, who looked on the verge of getting into a fistfight with the Honorary Britannian. "Do not assume there is no one else who is secretly on the side of the Sword of Akasha."

"As you say, Your Highness." The knight in question grumbled and shot Suzaku a disgusted glare, who ignored it. The party resumed their search in silence and surmounting anxiety, for everywhere they turned, they only found more bodies of the fallen and no signs of life.

"Ugh!" Euphemia turned away when they reached yet another corridor full of dead people. Upon inspecting the bodies, she put a hand to her mouth as bile rose in her throat and she repressed the urge to throw up. Suzaku supposed that he couldn't fault her, for he found himself wincing at the scene. It wasn't merely due to the sheer amount of corpses. The unsettling bit was the state of them. Previously, most of the cadavers they came upon had usual bullet wounds or gaping, bloody holes in them - indicating a use of a large calibre firearm. But even so, all those paled in comparison to the grotesqueness of the bodies now. Body parts and guts were strewn all over the area, and the majority of the corpses were torn asunder.

"A sickening sight." A balding knight muttered as he knelt down and bent over to scrutinize the corpses. He repeated this gesture half a dozen more times to different bodies in the room, while the rest busied themselves with attempting, rather futilely, to identify any of the dead. "And a peculiar one, too."

Euphemia grimaced and forced herself to step forward, mindfully trying not to trod on the bodies. "What do you mean by that?"

"The appearance of the corpses, Your Highness. Some looked to be impaled, hacked or cleaved by an edged weapon. A few of them are exceptionally brutal - split from shoulder to hip, head to the crotch or simply at the waist. Abnormal wounds in a gunfight."

"An edged weapon…?" Suzaku frowned in consternation. Why anyone would choose to wield such a thing in the age of firearms confounded him. Furthermore, there were numerous victims of the mysterious weapon - or weapons, Suzaku corrected himself. For a lone man to deliver so much death with a mere blade would be ridiculous. Such feats were unheard of - until an image of a tall, built green-haired cyborg flashed in his mind. "Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald!"

"What was that, Kururugi?"

"Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald!" Euphemia repeated and snapped her fingers in excitement. She beamed at Suzaku for his exclamation - she wouldn't have thought of the cyborg that quickly. "He could be the one behind this! He uses a blade as his primary weapon!" The royal looked around wildly for any sign of him, but there were simply too many bodies lying around to even single out an exceptional individual like Jeremiah. "He might be still around here as well-!"

"-es… I'm 'ere…" A barely audible voice croaked. The members of the search party spun around, trying to pinpoint its origin. Among the sea of corpses, there was a gloved hand waving around weakly.

"Margrave Gottwald!" Euphemia rushed to his side, nearly tripping over a severed arm in her haste. The noble was lying face down, and she struggled to turn him over. His bodyweight, enhanced by cybernetics, was significantly heavier than most men. Her knights moved to assist her, and soon enough they succeeded in seeing Jeremiah's face. It was pale, his right eye - his bionic one, was rolled up. A mix of what appeared to be blood and fluids were trickling down from the side of his mouth. "Oh god… what happened?"

"They… came. The Sword… of Akasha," Jeremiah rasped. Every word seemed to be a painful task for the cyborg. "And… Percival… as well."

"Don't speak anymore! You need medical attention-" Euphemia started, but Jeremiah slowly raised a shuddering hand to stop her.

"I must. My… life support systems… offline for… two hours. Wouldn't… last much… longer." Jeremiah coughed up more blood. "Suddenly… all of our… Knightmares just stopped functioning… and so did I."

"A Gefjun disturber?" Suzaku guessed, his eyebrows furrowing. That was the only thing that came to his mind that could disrupt Knightmares' operability that severely. However, he was certain that the Gareths were fitted with Gefjun disturber shielding. "Unless they had the technology to disable the shielding too."

"Don't… know," Jeremiah gave a lopsided shrug as his right shoulder no longer responded. "They… took His Highness. And Miss Fenette."

"The Sword of Akasha?" The Margrave nodded. "Where?!"

"Not… sure. I just… happened to… see them… passing by this… corridor." Upon hearing his words, Euphemia's and Suzaku's expression turned crestfallen. Jeremiah suddenly grasped the princess's hand and squeezed it with his remaining strength. Euphemia let out a startled cry, and her eyes met Jeremiah's functioning one. She found herself unable to look away - the desperation and anger in his gaze were gripping. "I… failed her… again. Him. Them. Don't… give up. Find… them. Save… them! And make them... pay."

"I will, Jeremiah. I promise." Euphemia's tone was solemn. "Now, we need to get you to the medic-"

"Came...lot. Only they… can help me. But… first…! Save them..."

"I know. We'll find Lelouch, that's our top priority." Euphemia reassured the agitated Margrave. "Meanwhile, I'll ask someone to bring you to Camelot as fast as we can."

"Thank you… Highness." Jeremiah finally smiled, and let the darkness take him.

With a jolt, Shirley awoke. Unfortunately for her, this time it was not to the gentle rays of sunlight spilling from her bedroom window, and she was definitely not on her cosy quilt king-sized bed. It was to the startling and intense chill of ice-cold water on her bare body. Her surroundings were pitch black, due to what felt like a thick blindfold wrapped around her head several times. Instinctively, she started to shiver and jerk away, but the latter action was to no avail. The redhead quickly realized that her wrists were held down by what felt like metallic bands. Her teeth chattering slightly from the cold, she shook her head wildly, sending droplets of water flying in a futile attempt to shake off the blindfold while her memories of recent events returned.

"She's awake, she's awake, at long last!" An exuberant cackle echoed throughout the room, and she cringed. There was something about that voice - high pitched and filled with mirth, which made her insides shrivel up.

"I can see that for myself, Sir Bradley." A second voice rang out. It sounded smoother and deeper than the first, but no less sinister. "Agent Haliburton, remove her blindfold."

"Yes, master." Shirley tensed at Rolo's familiar yet emotionless voice. There was a sound of shuffling feet, followed by the brief yet uncomfortable sensation of the blindfold being pulled and yanked. After a few seconds, the cloth came off and her eyes were instantly greeted by a glaring brightness. Disoriented, Shirley blinked rapidly and shook her head, trying to get used to the sudden light.

"Welcome, Miss Shirley Joseph Fenette." The calm yet unsettling voice said from Shirley's right, causing her to crane her neck in order to catch a glimpse of its source. The sight of it did nothing to reduce her unease. A tall man sat in a red-and-gold cushioned chair, its design akin to a throne. She was unable to capture his facial features, since he had a circular white and gold mask on, with three small spikes sprouting from the top. He wore a set of robe-like long sleeves and trousers of a colour that matched his mask, save a dark purple undershirt. His outfit was complete with a set of highly polished boots and a cape, which was also gold-trimmed and ivory. The entire get-up felt incredibly out of place, especially in the dank and dim room. "I see you are now awake. You must pardon us for your dressing... or rather the lack of it. We had to ensure none of you had any tracking devices on."

"He must be the leader. Such a ridiculously grand costume, but he has such a foreboding aura..." Shirley mused to herself. She stared at the man, expecting him to start talking. However, he merely gazed back at her without a word. The redhead gathered her courage and asked aloud. "Where am I? Who are you? What is this place?"

"Ah, forgive my manners! I'm known as Infinity to my underlings. That is an alias, of course." The masked man replied, cocking his head at her. "As for where we are… this is the Sword of Akasha's last few hideouts, now serving as its main headquarters."

Shirley's heart started sinking with dread. She was truly in the hands of the terrorist organization that tried to kill her and her fiance for so long. "... If I'm here... then Lulu must be-!" She frantically looked around but failed to spot her fiance.

"Looking for someone?" The owner of the first voice Shirley heard since she regained consciousness spoke. She swivelled her head to spot a vaguely familiar-looking man dressed in flamboyant attire, adorned with badges and medals - maybe he was at the ball in the palace months ago, she thought. He was hunched over and scraping two daggers together in a corner to her left. He was lanky and had hair of two colours - burgundy at its roots and auburn for the rest. It was combed up, except for a strand hanging down across his forehead. He leered at her, his grey eyes flashing with levity, akin to a sadistic predator who had cornered its prey. "He's here as well, you know? Your dear Lulu."

"Where is he?" Shirley demanded, her concern for Lelouch drowning her fear. The man stared at her, his amused expression switching to one of surprise. She met his gaze evenly, refusing to let him intimidate her, although she felt so small in front of him. "I want to see him!"

Luciano burst out laughing immediately. "Incredible! You do have some nerve, saying such words to my face despite your position! I suppose a mere commoner like yourself should not know of me. I'm Sir Luciano Bradley, Knight of Ten of the Round Table, the Homicide Genius! And not to worry, we haven't done a single thing to him. Not yet, that is." His laughter died down, and he glanced over at Infinity, which only confirmed Shirley's thoughts that the robed man was in charge.

"Fret not, miss. What Sir Bradley said is true. We have not touched a single hair on his body yet. That might change soon, though," Infinity said, his voice still silky and serene. Shirley felt a chill run down her spine. "That will depend on how you two behave."

"What... what do you want from us?" Shirley swallowed. Beads of nervous sweat begin appearing on her brow.

Infinity smirked under his mask. "Before we get to that, let's reunite you with your lover. Oh wait, your fiance, I mean." He snapped his fingers, and another light bulb, which was a good twenty metres away from her, came to life. It cast a white fluorescent illumination on another figure, who was hidden away in the darkness all this while.

"Lulu!" Shirley momentarily forgot about the other three people in the room as she finally saw the prince again. He was secured to a steel chair and unclothed, much like herself, and blindfolded. However, he did not seem to be conscious, and he only stirred slightly when she called out his name.

"Oi, wake up. Your girlfriend's waiting." Luciano grabbed a bucket, which was half-filled with ice cold water. The Knight marched over to Lelouch and promptly dumped the bucket's contents over his head. In an instant, the dark-haired adolescent jerked and sputtered. His disoriented movements came to a forceful halt as Luciano yanked at this blindfold, swiftly undoing it and tossing it aside.

Lelouch blinked once, twice, then thrice as his eyes adjusted to the light. He began to frown once he registered his surroundings, his predicament and the occupants of the room. He tried not to let his discomposure show when he sighted his fiancée among them. "Shirley... Rolo... Luciano... and one unknown. This is bad. Rolo... he's a spy, isn't he? Luciano, the pilot of the Percival is here too. This means we've lost the battle and been captured by the enemy. The last guy in the mask must be the person in charge. He must have been unable to find the key to the Damocles, and wants it from me... but if I give it to him, he wouldn't need us alive anymore." He groaned audibly. "The Aries Villa isn't too secluded or far away from Pendragon City. The public should have noticed the attack... Euphemia and the Emperor should be aware of it possibly before the battle even ended. They would be mounting a search and rescue operation now. All I can to do is stall for time and hope for the best." With that in mind, he decided to pretend he was still in the process of waking up. "What…? Shirley?"

"Yes, it's me! Are you okay?!"

Lelouch groaned again and shook his head. Now that his blindfold was off, Shirley saw that he sported a black eye and bruising on his forehead. "You must have done quite a number on him during his capture, eh, Haliburton?" Luciano jested.

"I didn't. The others were the ones who weren't very gentle to him," Rolo said, a tad defensively.

"I thought I told you to escape? Jeremiah said he showed you the way to go…" Lelouch muttered, ignoring the conversation between Rolo and Luciano, as water dripped down from his fringe to his face.

"You expected me to leave you behind in that situation?" Shirley asked sadly. "I went back the moment I heard them entering the house."

The eleventh prince sighed heavily with exasperation. "Shirley… I could at least have the assurance that you were safe."

"And I would be plagued with the fact that I ditched you for the rest of my life," Shirley countered.

"Don't you understand? That was nothing you could do anyway! Look at where we are now. If you left me behind, you'll get to live!"

"Silence." Infinity interjected, stopping Shirley from making a retort. Both she and Lelouch ceased their bickering and turned their attention to him. "As much as it is entertaining to hear you two squabble, but unfortunately I do not possess the virtue of patience right now."

"... Yes, time is running out, isn't it… Schneizel?" Lelouch inquired, staring straight at Infinity's mask.

There was a long period of quietness. The only things audible was Shirley's breathing, which had gotten heavier and more frantic. At last, Infinity chuckled. Gloved fingers reached up to his mask and with a hissing sound, he pulled it off, revealing a mature, handsome face in its late-twenties with short light blonde hair. Cold violet eyes met amethyst ones. "What gave it away, younger brother?"

Shirley's eyes widened as she recognized the Second Prince and the Prime Minister of the Britannian Empire. Lelouch took a deep breath before he addressed Schneizel. "I had my suspicions at first, although the number of suspects was too great to be narrowed down to you. However, after awhile, it became apparent that there was friction between the leader and his underlings. Your subordinates were often overeager and bloodthirsty, while you never seemed to support their antics, instead appearing to be cautious and aloof."

"The last thing I needed to confirm my hunch was the latest battle," The Eleventh Prince continued. "Our communications were jammed, and that meant you knew what frequencies both the Emperor and Euphemia were operating on. With that much distrust and wariness among the royals nowadays, it had to be someone either extremely persuasive or appearing to be quite trustworthy… or both. Excluding those whom I trust and those who were eliminated… Odysseus, Cornelia, Euphemia, Carine, Guinevere and myself, there could only be one person left. And that was you."

"Well done. A splendid analysis indeed, although I daresay that something like this would be rather easy for a man of your calibre, wouldn't it?" Schneizel applauded mockingly.

"Honestly? You're right. It wasn't too hard." Lelouch snorted. He tested the strength of his bonds despite knowing it was pointless to free himself from the steel bands. "If only you didn't jam our comms, then I would have to consider our other brothers and sisters as suspects. Such as Clovis. He's always so lavish yet cruel as a viceroy to the people he's supposed to be governing. It wouldn't be too difficult to picture him as the leader, don't you think so?"

"Cut the crap, Lelouch." Schneizel's demeanour turned serious. "I didn't drag you all the way here to hear you yak about our useless siblings."

"Oh? So what's your purpose in getting me here?"

"You know what I want," Schneizel growled. "And you know where it is."

Lelouch's heart sank. Schneizel somehow knew that he had knowledge of the Key of Damocles and its location. He had to buy as much time as possible to make escape more likely. Therefore, he faked a frown, then proceeded to lie. "Don't beat about the bush. I have no idea what you of all people want with my capture. Isn't the Sword of Akasha simply after my life because of my so-called corrupted blood? It baffles me that they would go through the hassle of dragging me all the way to their base in front of their leader when they could have simply executed me hours ago in my home."

Schneizel let out a long, heavy sigh. "Are you sure you want to play it this way, brother? This base is underground and quite well-hidden, I assure you. We have all the time in the world, and no one except all five of us can hear you two scream." The last line was delivered quietly, but the threat was clear. Rolo shifted around slightly and sneaked a glimpse at Shirley, whose seat was right in front of him.

Lelouch swallowed and briefly looked towards his right, locking eyes with Shirley for a split second. Her peridot green eyes were as expressive as ever, and he could read her emotions - fear, anxiety and complete bewilderment. In spite of that, there was still only one option for him. "I'm still clueless about what you're after, Schneizel." He spoke a little louder than he intended. "Why don't you get to the point?"

The Prime Minister glared at his younger half-brother, before snapping his fingers in front of Luciano, who was standing by his right. The Knight of Ten shot his superior a quizzical look, and Schneizel mutely gestured towards the Eleventh Prince. At once, Luciano's eyes lit up, like a small child during Christmas who was told he could finally open his presents. He slowly trudged towards the shackled royal, cracking his knuckles audibly as he did so.

"The Key to the Damocles Superfortress. Does that jog your memory?" Schneizel asked again loudly.

"Not really-" That was all Lelouch managed to say before Luciano lashed out and backhanded him. It was immediately followed up by another punch delivered straight at his midsection, effectively winding him.

"Stop it!" Shirley cried out shrilly. There was a coppery taste in Lelouch's mouth, and he realized he bit his inner cheek when Luciano hit his head. He spat out a mix of saliva and blood on the floor, and the sight of it served to agitate Shirley even more. "Don't hit him! What on earth is this key thing anyway?!"

"Oh, your fiance knows, Miss Fenette." Schneizel's voice rang out, cool and intense. "He's just acting dumb. So long as he continues to feign ignorance, I have no intention to treat him gently."

"... Nonsense." Lelouch wheezed, panting. "I have never heard of such a thing." Schneizel's expression darkened, and he gestured at Luciano to continue. The Knight grinned sadistically and pulled back his fists. Lelouch barely had time to brace himself before a blow connected solidly to his temple. It was followed up by a strike to his nose, causing it to bruise and crack, and a jab to his diaphragm. An explosion of undiluted pain flooded every fibre of his being. Lelouch coughed and heaved, spitting out more blood.

"How long do you plan to keep the pretence up, Lelouch?" Schneizel held up a hand, bringing the beating to an end. "A few days after my faithful spy planted bugs all over your house, I managed to overhear a conversation between you and the Emperor. He entrusted the key to you, Lelouch. Isn't that right, Agent Haliburton?"

"Y-yes, master." Rolo stuttered. He appeared to be in deep thought and started when Schneizel called his name. The leader of the Sword of Akasha's gaze lingered on his servant for a several tense seconds before returning his attention to his captives.

"And ever since that day months ago, Agent Haliburton has been dutifully searching high and low for the key. But he has never managed to find it." Schneizel continued and ticked off his fingers. "I suppose I cannot blame him. A man of your character might have even anticipated the bugs and sent the key away to somewhere else. However, you should at least possess the knowledge of its current location."

"Heh," Lelouch chuckled. "Like I said, I don't know anything. Perhaps you should get your hearing checked... or your state of mind. In fact, today's the first day I've ever heard of this Damocles- argh!" Luciano unsheathed one of his daggers hanging around his belt and promptly slashed at the fingertips of his right hand. The blade sliced open his skin, flesh and blood vessels, causing a small spurt of blood. He winced and contorted his right hand in an effort to manage the pain - the fingertips are rather sensitive, after all.

Before Lelouch could recover, the Knight of the Round drove the same steel knife straight into the middle of his palm. The prince jerked back, inadvertently slamming it his head against the back of the chair, and howled in agony. Tears swam in his eyes and he hung his head, struggling to endure the excruciating wound. He could hear Luciano giggling to himself and Shirley shouting incoherently, but he could not make sense of her words.

"Such pointless obstinacy. All I need you to do is to tell us where the key is, and your suffering would be alleviated." Schneizel drawled. He continued to watch his younger half-brother flinching and groaning, looking for any signs which indicated that he was at last willing to confess. "Hmph. So be it, then. Perhaps I should turn my attention to your lover instead. It may prove to be a lot more... effective."

Luciano immediately turned around to face Shirley, dagger still in hand. His expression could not be any merrier. She visibly gulped, wide-eyed, as he stalked towards her with a small but maniacal grin. Instinctively, she attempted to bolt out of her chair, forgetting that her wrists were clamped down.

"...Wait… a minute…" A weak voice made Luciano pause in his tracks. Lelouch was now glaring at Schneizel. "And just what do you plan to do… with the Damocles?"

"Are you finally admitting that you're the one who is safekeeping the key?" Schneizel replied, arching an eyebrow. He sat up in his throne-like seat in anticipation. Finally, the talks are going somewhere.

"I have not seen the blueprints, Schneizel, but the Emperor told me that it was a massive flying fortress. A technological feat which boasts immense long-range destructive firepower. If it's in the hands of a capable user and army, he could topple nations without much effort… according to the bastard of our father, that is. What exactly are trying to do with it?"

Schneizel allowed himself to smirk momentarily. At least Lelouch had dropped the flimsy pretence. "And why do you care, Lelouch?"

"If I'm going to tell you where the damn key is, I have to know the repercussions of doing so." The younger prince growled. "I might even be more inclined to divulge it."

The Prime Minister of Britannia cocked his head to the side and appeared to deliberate over his options. "I hardly see a point in explaining myself to you. I've decided long ago that while you possess cunning and a strategic mind, you're too idealistic and naïve for me to consider an ally. There's no way you would understand. All I need from you now is the key, brother."

"You're planning something big… aren't you, Schneizel?" Lelouch guessed, trying his best to prolong the conversation. The wracking pains of his ruined right hand made it difficult for him to think and articulate words. "Perhaps… a coup? World domination?"

"Like I said, you don't need to know," Schneizel said with a note of finality and impatience in his voice. "Tell me where the key is, Lelouch. Or it's her turn to taste the consequences of your stubbornness." He nodded towards Shirley.

"…" Lelouch opened his mouth, then closed it. His mind started racing – of course, he would not let his beloved come under harm under any circumstances, but giving Schneizel the location of the Damocles's key was put everyone on earth at the disillusioned Prime Minister's mercy. Whatever Schneizel planned for the world, there was no doubt it would be something which Nunnally, Euphemia, Shirley herself and his friends would oppose. On the other hand, Shirley had already suffered more than enough by choosing to stay at his side.

"Don't." Lelouch started as he barely heard Shirley whisper. They lock gazes, and he could see not merely fear, but trust in her eyes. She still was not sure what the key was, but if her fiancé's description of the Damocles was enough to enlighten her about what Schneizel was planning. Besides, if he was struggling to divulge it even with her wellbeing on the line, then she was certain the would be for the best if they fail to obtain the key. Lelouch gritted his teeth and looked away from Shirley. Deep down, he already knew the right choice that he should take. Unless someone comes to their rescue, they are already dead, whether he chose to hand over the Damocles key or not. It was already predestined the moment the identity of Infinity was revealed to them. However, the thought of allowing his lover to be tortured was perturbing, to say the least.

"Time's up, Lelouch. I gave you a chance, but you blew it." Schneizel let out an exaggerated exhale. "I do pity her, you know? I'd imagine that Miss Fenette here has already gone through so much because of her association with you. And despite that, you wouldn't do anything to shield her from further harm even if you have a say in it."

"Don't blame Lulu for everything that you people have done to me." Shirley retorted. She summoned whatever courage she had left in her to glare at her captors. If this was really going to be the end for them, she refused to allow the likes of them try to guilt-trip Lelouch. "He has done everything he could to protect me from you people. And I would never regret being together with him, no matter what happens."

Both Luciano and Schneizel turned to stare at the redhead, then the former broke out into hysterics. The latter smirked and shook his head. "Well said. Well said, indeed, Miss Fenette. Your bravery and faith should be extolled! But first, it must be put to the test." The last line was delivered with such a sinister undertone that Shirley could not help but shiver. "You may proceed, Sir Bradley. I look forward to see you make her eat her own words."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Luciano stopped laughing and made to move towards Shirley, with a twisted grin on his face.

The lithe teen tried to put on a brave front, denying herself to let any of her trepidation to show outwardly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lelouch watching her with an agonized expression. Gratitude filled her – even with the fate of the entire world hanging in the balance, he was still reluctant to let her come under harm. Fearful that he might buckle under the pressure of what was about to happen to her, she turned to address him. "Lulu." She called out, ignoring the Knight encroaching on her. "Please don't give in. Whatever I say or they do later, shut it out. Don't give them what they want. A lot of lives depend on this, right?."

"Oh quit yapping already, you dumb bitch," Luciano scowled. "It seems that you really have a death wish. I'll make sure to go extra hard on you." He glanced up at Rolo, who was still standing rigidly behind Shirley's chair. "You might want to take like, twenty steps away or something, Haliburton. Unless you want to get some blood splatter on that suit, and it sure doesn't look cheap."

Rolo blinked and stared at Luciano for a few seconds. He then swallowed and mumbled half-heartedly. "Sure…" The young assassin shuffled to the far corner of the room without looking back.

"And now..." Luciano rummaged around in his pockets, his fingers fumbling about before grasping a small key and taking it out. "The fun begins." He whistled merrily to himself and leaned forward. Much to everyone's bewilderment, he inserted the object in the locks of the cuffs binding Shirley to the chair. The noble then started freeing her from the metallic bands.

"What on earth are you doing, Sir Bradley?" Schneizel asked sharply, one hand dipping towards the handgun he kept on his belt.

"Don't go shooting me in the back, Your Highness." The Knight of Ten called over his shoulder. "It's just my way of doing things. Besides, she's such a precious prey, and I rather play with her than administer boring, traditional torture." A manic gleam shone in his eyes.

Rolo frowned. He vaguely recalled that Shirley received moderate amounts of training in unarmed combat under General Darlton. "I wouldn't recommend that, Sir Bradley."

"We don't have time to entertain your antics." The Prime Minister added, now fingering the handle of his pistol. However, he did not draw the weapon and continued to watch with narrowed eyes.

"You guys are a bunch of wet blankets," Luciano groused. The band holding Shirley's left wrist clicked open and he turned to work on the remaining one. "Trust me, they cave in quicker this way, Your Highness. Even if you give them the advantage of movement, despair will envelop them whole once they realize they don't have a chance." With another click, the last band opened, leaving Shirley unrestrained. "Now, little girl, go ahead on and ru- argh!"

The redhead did not hesitate in the slightest to seize her opportunity. The moment her binds were free, she decided to act right away. Since Luciano was leaning over her while working on the bonds, he would be able to see her legs and arms and thus could see most attacks coming. Therefore, she headbutted him with all the ferocity she could muster.

Shirley did not even know what prompted her to fight. Even if she somehow became the victor, Schneizel and Rolo could step in anytime and use their firearms to shoot her. Maybe she just refused to give Luciano the satisfaction of having his own way. Perhaps the idea of not going down without a challenge did not sit well with her. Or she was just that fuelled by desperation that she refused to succumb to the feeling of helplessness against her captors.

Luciano instinctively stumbled backwards and clutched his head. Taking the opportunity of his vulnerable position, Shirley lunged forward from the chair and kneed him in the groin. The effect was immediate – he yelped in pain and his stumble became a full-fledged keel, which ended up in him sprawling to the ground.

Lelouch and Rolo were both transfixed by the sight. They watched with awe and surprise as the Knight of Ten quickly tried to get back up, knowing that being on the floor would give him a severe disadvantage. However, Shirley had no intention of allowing her opponent to recover. She aimed a kick at his temple, knocking his head painfully against the stone floor.

"What the hell… there's no way I, the Vampire of Britannia, am going to lose a fight to a goddamn civilian girl of all people!" Luciano thought furiously. He forced himself to ignore the pain, refusing to let it eat away at his mind. He needed to see what she was trying to do next, then counterattack. If he really let himself get beaten, his already wounded pride would be at stake.

Shirley stepped forward and attempted to stamp on Luciano's solar plexus. However, he was no longer unprepared. He easily saw it coming. As her right foot descended, the lanky male seized her leg by the calf and rolled towards his right, sweeping her left leg off the floor.

The orange-haired teen was caught off-guard and she dropped to the floor with a solid thud. Her adversary quickly regained his footing and charged towards her with his left arm pulled back, poised to strike. Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Shirley barely managed to scramble to her feet and dodged the punch Luciano threw, which was targeted at her head. However, that move proved to be a feint – the moment she sidestepped to the left, he kicked out with his right leg, catching her square in her chest with the sickening sound of cracking bone.

Shirley stumbled back with a hiss, disoriented from the pain. Luciano pressed his advantage, giving her no quarter. Just as she looked up, she received a vicious uppercut, lifting her up in the air. The redhead landed on the floor, her instincts screaming at her to rise. However, her attempt to do so was swiftly aborted when Luciano strode forward stomped on her abdomen, evoking an agonized shriek from her.

"You think," Luciano hissed venomously, his eyes frenzied. Shirley squirmed weakly, struggling against his bodyweight to no avail. "A pathetic little girl like you could have bested me in a fight? I got to admit, you got guts and caught me off-guard, but I'm not a Knight of the Round Table for nothing. And now I'm going to make you pay for that humiliation just now, bitch!" He seized her by the hair and started dragging her towards the wall.

Lelouch watched the brawl unfold in front of him with dismay. The fight had started off well for Shirley with the element of surprise on her side. However, it appears that whatever training she had undergone was insufficient for her to stand against a Knight of the Round. He supposed it would be shocking if she did manage to defeat Luciano, but even if she did, it matters little. Schneizel and Rolo were armed, and the latter was probably well-trained in unarmed combat as well. The logical side of his mind argued that at least her decision to fight bought any potential rescue party some time, whether she acted on that line of thought or not.

In spite of that, the dark-haired royal now was unable to convince himself that Shirley's choice was the best one. There was a glint of cruelty and fury in Luciano's eyes. That was far more disturbing to Lelouch than the Knight's previous glee, and he hated his powerlessness now more than ever. Luciano continued hauling the adolescent towards the wall. Lelouch turned to face his elder half-brother, who was observing him with a smug smirk on his lips. Anger at the vileness and injust of it all rose within him, and he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off the blond's face. Nevertheless, he put aside his rage and pride. "Schneizel… that's enough."

His whisper, while barely audible over Shirley's trashing, was heard by Luciano and he halted. Schneizel raised an eyebrow. "Continue, Sir Bradley." The Prime Minister instructed, before returning his gaze to Lelouch and asked innocently. "You said something, Lelouch? I didn't catch that."

There was a sickening crunch as Luciano threw Shirley face-first against the wall, and she fell to the floor in a crumpled heap for the umpteenth time. Pain coursed through her body. Her abdomen was sore and several of her ribs were cracked. It hurt to even breathe. Her lower jaw and nose stung badly. The latter felt out of place – there was a high possibility that it was broken. Her forehead sported a nasty bruise when it smashed into the concrete wall.

Unfortunately for Shirley, her tormentor was far from satisfied with his work. "Come on, where was the bravado? Where was the fight in you just now?!" Luciano roared. He stepped on the lower portion of her right leg, pinning it to the floor. His gloved hands seized her ankle and twisted it savagely, instantly ripping the ligament apart. Tears immediately came to her eyes and she screamed – a shrill and bloodcurdling scream which echoed incessantly around the chamber.

"I said that's enough, Schneizel!" Lelouch cried. There was a note of plea in his voice. "I have never begged anyone for something before, but this shall be my first! Stop hitting her!" The terrorist leader could not help but lean back in surprise and appeasement. Since the many years since he had known the younger prince, he never saw him like this. The eleventh son of Emperor Charles had a reputation for not only being sharp, but very proud as well. It would be considered a miracle to hear him implore a friend, let alone an enemy.

"I don't revel in bloodshed nor do I derive pleasure from abusing the weak, but I do what I must to obtain my desires." Schneizel finally said. "Are you finally going to cooperate, Lelouch?"

"Lu… lu… don't-!" Shirley managed to groan before Luciano kicked her in the torso again. She retched violently, expelling droplets of bright crimson all over the floor.

Lelouch's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the grisly sight of his fiancé coughing up blood. He clenched his fists, ignoring the stinging sensation as his nails tore his skin and bit into his flesh. The silence seemed to grow heavier as it dragged on.

"I grow impatient," Schneizel spoke smoothly. He leaned forward, bringing both his hands together and resting his chin on them. His intense blue eyes scrutinized his younger brother, who was clearly in a dilemma. "You don't want me to be impatient, don't you, Lelouch?"

Feeling the Prime Minister's gaze upon him, Lelouch looked away and inadvertently ended up staring at Shirley instead. Despite her condition, she continued to dissuade him by shaking her head. The lanky male eyed her mutely in a mix of incredulity and admiration. Even when she was in the midst of a brutal beatdown, she still did not relent in her attempts to convince him not to give in.

"This is taking far too damn long," Luciano growled. He grabbed a fistful of Shirley's hair, dragging her in front of him. The Knight wrapped his arm around her neck and started squeezing - barely enough to slowly but gradually deprive her of oxygen. "If you don't give us the answer we want to hear in a minute, I'm gonna gouge one of her eyes out and shove it down your throat."

Lelouch turned pale. "A minute?" He repeated, aghast. "I can't-"

"Shut up. And if you think I won't do it, you're welcome to try me." The burgundy-haired noble unsheathed one of the knives at his sides. A muffled moan escaped from Shirley as the tip of the dagger glinted dangerously close to her right eye.

Schneizel's complacent grin grew bigger. The tormented look on Lelouch's face combined with his continued silence confirmed that he was still vacillating between his two options. With that in mind, the Second Prince decided to push him a little further. "Lelouch. If her slow, gruesome death fails to convince you, then regrettably, we have to take even further drastic measures. This is far from the worst we can do." Schneizel began stroking his chin in an almost mocking manner. "After all, I could hardly believe it when you returned to Britannia without Nunnally in tow. You two were inseparable as children, and I doubt you would allow her to be separated from you during your exile. Yes... She must still be in Area 11, is she not?

"No, she's not," Lelouch gritted out. Despite that, his appearance only looked more harrowed.

"Shortly after your return to Britannia, Cornelia was dispatched on a mission she deemed secret. The four of you, including Euphemia, were thick as thieves during childhood," Schneizel continued. "If your younger sister is still alive, it's not tough to guess that you requested Cornelia to guard her once you received news of the Sword of Akasha's return. It wouldn't be difficult to arrange a little visit to Area 11. Where could she be, though? Perhaps I would check Ashford Academy first. The Ashfords were so supportive of your mother."

The grinding of Lelouch's teeth was so loud that it was audible to Schneizel, who sat a good five meters away. "It's all logical guesswork, but your reaction tells me I'm right. And while there is no pride or honour in maltreating a cripple, alas, the distasteful means I have to take to achieve my dream."

Lelouch had enough. His limbs were shaking and sweat was dripping from his brow. Macabre images of Nunnally started flashing in his mind, and there was a severe throbbing in his head. His ruined right hand stung badly. Maybe he should just give in. Nunnally and Shirley wouldn't want him to, as it might possibly put the world at Schneizel's mercy. But what has the world done for him? What has the world ever done for them?

"Lulu." Shirley managed to gasp out faintly. Her voice brought Lelouch out of his reverie, and he turned to stare at her. She could see the despair in his eyes through her tear-blurred vision. The redhead wanted to shake her head again, but now that his little sister was brought up, she knew that there was little chance he would continue to refuse. Who was she to tell him to disregard the safety of Nunnally, whom he had taken care of and grown up since she was born?

"Ten seconds more and she'll lose an eye," Luciano cheerfully called out. The dagger descended, now only a couple inches away from Shirley's right eye.

"I just need a little mor-"

"I thought I told you my patience has run out," Schneizel said flatly.

"Five."

"Damn it, I didn't want to do this-" Lelouch bit down hard on his lip.

"Three, two-" The knife was now millimetres away from touching her pupil.

"Alright! You win! I give in!" The dark-haired prince yelled at the top of his lungs in desperation. His shoulders sagged in defeat, and his throat was raw from the screaming. "I've had enough! I'll tell you where the damn thing is! Just stop it already!"

Schneizel and Luciano shared a look of triumph before the former gestured at the latter to let go of Shirley. The Knight glanced at the limp female contemptuously before releasing her, and she slid to the floor with a soft whimper. "Pathetic," Luciano muttered, sheathing his dagger. The sadist within him urged him to inflict more suffering on the now hapless female, but he kept it in check. He only had to wait until Lelouch spill the beans and Schneizel to check whether the key was genuine. After that, he probably would have all the time in the world to satisfy his perverse desires to his heart's content.

"I'm all ears, Lelouch. The blond leaned back. His lips curved into a small and expectant smile. "Speak."

"...It's not in the house. Nor is it in the grounds." Lelouch confessed. His eyes darted around the room, and he felt a pang when they passed over Shirley. There was a small trickle of blood flowing from the corner of her lips. Her nose looked squashed and her right ankle was twisted at an angle which made him nauseous. Now that he was going to spill his guts, all the torture she had undergone had amounted to nothing. However, he was unwilling to see her get brutalized any further. "I entrusted Jeremiah to bury it eight kilometres northwest of the villa."

Schneizel sighed and turned towards Rolo. "Agent Haliburton." The assassin did not respond. He was staring in Lelouch's direction. "Agent Haliburton!" He jumped, and swiftly swivelled around to face his master, who was waving a map and a marker. "Pass this to the Eleventh Prince. And Lelouch, if you would be so kind as to guide him so that he could mark the location on the map."

"Yes, sir," Rolo crossed the room in several long strides and grabbed the map and marker before hurrying over to Lelouch while trying to avoid meeting his eyes.

Lelouch scrutinized the map, which encompassed the Aries Villa at its centre and an area with a radius of ten kilometres. With the bands still in place, he could not lift his hands. Instead, he extended the index finger of his left hand - his right one still smarting painfully from his wound, and Rolo pressed the map against it. "To the east, then a bit to the north," Lelouch muttered. The assassin mutely followed his instructions, and this went on until the prince's finger finally rested on a forested region northwest of his residence almost at the edge of the map. "Here. It's over here. Obviously, you can't zoom in on a physical map. But it's buried in the clearing with two fallen trees."

"Did you hear that, Kanon?" Schneizel suddenly raised his voice.

"I did, Your Highness." A voice blared through the speakers. The said devices were not visible due to the lack of lighting in the room. "My team and I are ready to go once we get the map.

"Good. Make it quick. The Emperor's troops might be keeping a tight watch. If you meet them, tell them you're under my orders to aid in the search of both the Eleventh Prince and enemy forces. Agent Haliburton, pass the map to Kanon," Rolo quickly obeyed and scurried off without a look back.

"And now, we wait." Schneizel showed his prisoners a sickeningly smug grin. "I pray it isn't a fake or a clever trap, Lelouch, for Miss Fenette's sake. She doesn't look too healthy, but I'm sure with her indomitable spirit, she could endure some more punishment."

"Fuck off, Schneizel." Lelouch spat. Luciano's eyes flashed dangerously and he stepped forward, but a raised hand from Schneizel stopped him. The minutes ticked by in silence, which was only broken occasionally by Rolo's return to the chamber and Luciano's bored groans. The minute ticked by, and eventually, it was close to reaching two hours before the speakers crackled back to life at long last.

"Your Highness. We've got the Key of the Damocles."

"Any trouble?"

"None at all, Your Highness. There were a few troops roaming around the area, but none of them spotted me."

"Excellent. Have you run a comparison check with the one we've designed to confirm its authenticity?"

"Yes, Your Highness. It's definitely the real one."

"Well done, Kanon. You've done an impeccable job." The lanky blond's grin could not possibly get any wider. He rose from his seat. Finally, after more than a decade of scheming and nine years of chasing after the key, he obtained the instrument which would allow him to make his dreams into reality. Schneizel glanced at his younger brother. "I suppose I should thank you, Lelouch, for cooperating with us in the end."

Luciano eyed the prisoners with a hungry gleam in his eyes and stepped towards Shirley. However, before he was able to do anything else, Schneizel cleared his throat and glared at the Knight. "I know what you're thinking of, Sir Bradley. But now is not the time. My scouts have already reported that a swarm of troops is already heading towards our direction. While they are slow since they are searching while moving, it wouldn't take them long before they stumble upon this base. If we leave too late, they would notice us as well. We need to leave at once or risk discovery."

"Oh come on, Your Highness. All I ask for is fifteen minutes at most. Maybe only even ten."

"No." The finality in Schneizel's tone was absolute.

Luciano scowled and wanted to protest, but the Prime Minister glared at him with such severity that he decided against it. He glanced sideways at their captives. "How about them, Your Highness? We don't need them anymore."

"Execute them." Schneizel dipped a hand in his pocket, retrieving a handgun. He flipped the weapon so that he held it by its barrel and its handle faced outwards before thrusting it towards Rolo. "Agent Haliburton, you'll do it."

"Me?" Rolo asked blankly.

"You heard right." Schneizel stared down into the pink, unblinking eyes of his longtime servant. He could not detect any signs of unwillingness or insubordination in Rolo despite him questioning his previous order. "Extinguish their lives. This is the last step before your assignment is complete."

The assassin silently reached out, his gloved hands wrapping around the pistol.'s handle. It was small and fairly light compared to most handguns he had used. A weak groan caught his attention, and he looked at its origin. Shirley, upon hearing the Second Prince's words, was now attempting to crawl towards Lelouch. Her accumulated injuries make it more than difficult enough to move quickly. Rolo observed her slowly making her way towards her fiance with an unfathomable mien.

"Kill her now, Agent. Time is not a luxury we currently possess." There was an undercurrent of agitation in Schneizel's voice. Rolo glanced at his master and noted, somewhat uneasily, that both of his hands were in his coat pockets - a place where small weapons can be placed and concealed without its outline being too apparent.

If Schneizel's words registered with Shirley's mind, she ignored them. The battered teen persisted in dragging herself in her fiance's direction, who gazed at her with a wretched and crushed expression on his countenance. Her heart shattered - she had never seen him looking so gutted and tearful before. "It's okay, Lulu., Shirley whispered hoarsely. She reached up and managed to lay a bloodied hand on his right thigh. "You did your best. I could feel you struggling. Thank you for caring about me until the end. No one can ever blame you for this-" Her words were cut off as a sinister, cool sensation of metal rested against the back of her head. Shirley turned her neck ever so slightly and glimpsed Rolo kneeling behind her.

"Rolo..." Lelouch shook his head. He knew it was impossible for his captors to be merciful, but nevertheless, just the very thought of her dying because he selfishly got her involved in his danger-filled life was so unfair that it made him wish that somehow at least her life would be spared. His vision started to blur as tears came to his eyes. How foolish his end was. His will was too weak, and because of that not only he was going to die, but Schneizel was triumphant as well. Even in death, he could not prevent his opponent from becoming the victor. Worst of all, Shirley was going to lose her life along with him. All because he failed to control his emotions on that one fateful dance, many months ago in Ashford Academy.

"My apologies, Shirley. This is how I have lived for the past decade." The brown-haired youth said, his voice devoid of emotion. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the pistol, its trigger creaking due to the increase in tension. The barrel continued to point towards her skull unerringly. "Perhaps sometime in the next life, we can truly be friends."

Shirley closed her eyes for a brief moment before looking straight up into Lelouch's amethyst orbs. Tears became falling from them, and several landed on her dishevelled hair and cheeks. She could feel the guilt, remorse and misery radiating from him, and wished, albeit foolishly, that his last moments would not so full of self-reproach and negativity. Before the slender female knew it, she was starting to cry too. Shirley smiled sadly and put all her remaining strength into squeezing his thigh. "I love you, Lulu."

There was a collective flinch as a thunderclap filled the dimly lit room, and the silence which followed it was more deafening.

Author's Note: Yay, another cliffhanger! I guess some of you guys probably wish to wring my neck after ending on a cliffhanger again, especially after such a long hiatus. Sorry about that, but I feel it's the best point for me to stop writing this chapter. Any more content belongs to the next one. Which might be the final one if there's not too much content. I'm not going to exceed 20k words for a chapter ever again...

Another thing I should apologize for should be torture bits, I think. To be frank, it was super hard for me to write them. I get a little squeamish while working on that part. While I don't think it's that bloody or repulsive, but there's something definitely... offputting about describing one of your favourite characters in fiction getting the stuffing beaten out of her. Ouch. Perhaps that's a mark of an amateur writer?

Anyway, let me know what you guys think about this chapter! It's not an easy one for me to write, so reviews would be welcome. Cheers, and till next time.