Author's Note: I want to give my gratitude, respect, and kudos to the reviewers who have been reading these chapters; I will take a little time to answer to some of the more interesting comments.
Guest 2 – Your observation about Jaxon is well-used and excellent. I had definitely thought about that – but put yourself in Lelouch's shoes for a moment. In the span of a single day, Lelouch has gained power beyond his wildest dreams, cheated death on numerous occasions, and strategically outdistanced a trained army of hundreds. That would make any man overconfident, and that's exactly what's going on. By this point, Lelouch feels practically invincible.
HESpecOps – Edgier, huh? Interesting – "edgy" was actually not something I had in mind, but if that's what happened, and it's a good thing, then sweet. And in response to your comment about a rogue Villetta… well, let's just say that due to the open-ended specifics of the Geass Lelouch put on her, she'll become much more involved with Suzaku from now on. That's all I'll say on it for now.
Demons – Even a monster has its limits.
TheAllSeeingWolf – Don't presume Lelouch is on the road to hell just yet. Also, no, I'm not going to make Lelouch a kickass Knightmare pilot. Weaknesses and flaws make a character interesting, and Lelouch's lack of physicality or combat experience was an interesting character trait. If I made him both incredibly intelligent and incredibly strong, he'd become boring to me.
That's all for now. Thanks a lot, guys. Glad you're enjoying the ride.
[*****]
The door to Clovis' secondary convoy slid open with a mechanical hiss.
"I ordered everyone to leave me be until further notice," Clovis barked. The figure in question stepped toward Clovis from the door. The soldier, wearing the gray slacks, armor, helmet, and visor of a measly Private, drew his gun from its holster and aimed it at Clovis. The resounding click of the gun hit Clovis' senses and he shot to his feet, backing up against a nearby wall. Fear had filled his soul, and not for the first time today.
What on Earth?! We have a traitor or a spy in our midst!
"Calm down, Prince Clovis," the soldier said, which didn't really help to sooth Clovis' racing heart. "I'm not here to kill you. Yet. I want you to order a ceasefire. There's been enough killing today, and I refuse to let any more happen under my watch."
For a moment, no one spoke. "Who… are you? Are you a double agent? Or maybe an Honorary Britannian? How you got past all the guards is a miracle, especially for an Eleven like y—"
Impatiently, the soldier shook his gun in front of Clovis, to bring him back to reality. "Don't stall. Do as I say, and you can live," he insisted.
…There's no other way out of this. I'll see to it that this simpering traitor is court-martialed soon enough. "Let me contact my Acting Field Commander," Clovis said, rising from his huddled spot on the wall and moving toward a desk, which contained a portable radio. Feeling his face grow warm, he took the radio from where it lay on the desk and held it up to his ear, studying the traitor for a moment.
"This is Viceroy Clovis. Bring me… yes, yes, bring me Field Commander Drummond, please…"
Clovis looked over at the would-be traitor, who nodded in response.
"…Drummond, you are to cease fire immediately! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, 3rd Prince of the Empire, I might add. And cease the destruction of any buildings and property…" Clovis said, then, as an afterthought: "And all casualties shall be treated without prejudice, be they Britannian or Elevens!"
With trembling hands, Clovis switched off the radio, put it back in the desk, and sat down on a throne placed in the room. I'm getting too old for this.
He lifted his gaze to the soldier, studying him. "There. Are you happy now?"
"Very. I liked the little touch at the end – very spirited."
"Wonder what we should do now? I could always have you tried and executed for subverting the orders of your superiors, going against your country," Clovis said, vaulting forth as much invective as possible. "You don't sound like an Eleven, but you assuredly have the tenacity and ignorant determination of one."
"Hmph. You know, you never were this bitter when you were a kid. In fact, you were pretty pleasant."
A moment of complete disorientation. The room felt incredibly tight, small. Clovis fell silent, his eyes darting around the room and back to the unknown figure at random intervals. A mixture of surprise, confusion, embarrassment, and fear whirled inside him, along with a vague sense of recognition. I've heard your voice before… the tone is so familiar…
"…What?" Clovis mumbled.
"An intelligent answer, like always. It's a pity. I always sort of liked you, at least back home."
"Who are you?!" Clovis could feel his voice echo throughout the room. The man stepped forward once more, and Clovis felt this soldier was towering over him despite being roughly his height.
"Suppose there's no avoiding it."
The soldier peeled off his helmet and visor, and let it drop on the floor.
!
Clovis swallowed hard and stepped back, eyes widening with shock. His throat tightened and eyes watered.
"…Lelouch?"
[*****]
Lelouch gazed at Clovis expectantly. His half-brother, who had once been a light in his life, who had once been fun-loving, ambitious yet ambitionless, artistically gifted but terrible at chess, had turned into… this. This pathetic man, begging for his life, suffering near breakdowns when he didn't get his way. Prince Clovis la Britannia, a Viceroy when he should have been a musician, a commander when he should have been an artist. A killer instead of a lover. The look in his cyan eyes was not the same bright light Lelouch remembered from so many years ago.
What has Britannia done to you, my poor brother?
The way Clovis was looking at him was a little unnerving; he was acting like he'd seen an angel appear right before his eyes, dazzling him into silence.
More of a ghost than an angel.
"…Lelouch?" Clovis questioned, quietly, his voice a wisp on the wind.
"Yes, big brother. Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th Prince and 17th in line for the throne. The fallen prince of Britannia. It's been a long time, brother."
Clovis breathed in the deep, measured breaths of someone with the wind knocked out of them.
Lelouch felt his thoughts crystallizing and solidifying in his head. Every task at hand has been accounted for. The soldiers outside have been possessed to keep watch and prevent passage into the base – any Knightmares that could return to the base here are probably too busy accounting for their losses and tending to their wounded allies, anyway. There's nothing in my way now… and you have some explaining to do, Clovis.
After what felt like an eternity, Clovis held his hands on his head and exhaled, eyes wide with pleasant shock. "Lelouch! Lelouch! I'm so glad, Lelouch, you're alive after all! I heard you had died during the takeover of Japan… at least, it's what I'd heard."
"You'll need more than the Britannian military to bring me down," Lelouch proclaimed, smirking.
"I… I can see that! Oh my god, what good news, you being alive!" Clovis said, almost delusional in his unexpected glee. "Why did you join the army? Was it to prove to the world that you were alive? Oh, who cares, you need to come to the Homeland with me! I'll make arrangements to leave with you as promptly and swiftly as I ca—"
The sight of Lelouch aiming his pistol at Clovis' forehead stopped Clovis in his tracks. Lelouch's eyes were wild with suppressed anger.
"No. You are not taking me back there, dear brother. Just what kind of solution is that?" Lelouch snarled, his voice deadly quiet. "I'll just be used as a political tool again. Have you forgotten what happened so many years ago? The reason I was exiled to begin with?"
Clovis' eyes were fixed on the barrel of the gun; he gently dropped his hands to his sides. "H-how could I forget, Lelouch…? Marianne's death hurt all of us…"
Lelouch withdrew his pistol, keeping it at his side. "That's right, Clovis. My mother's assassination."
"I'm so sorry that happened, Lelouch," Clovis muttered apologetically. "Everything changed after that day… I'd like to find the terrorists that killed her and execute them myself."
A furious look was in Lelouch's eyes. "Terrorists? Don't you dare give me that spiel!"
"Le—"
"My mother may have been a Knight of Honor, but she was born a commoner! I know the other empresses and consorts looked down upon her! I know they did! Terrorists? That's a bald-faced lie and you know it! That assassination was orchestrated!"
Clovis, taken aback, stepped toward Lelouch, his hands raised. "No! Please believe me! Why don't-?!"
Lelouch raised his gun, cocking the hammer with his thumb.
"I didn't kill her! I swear it! You have to believe me!"
"This coming from the same man who ordered the mass murder of hundreds of innocent Japanese!" Lelouch retorted. His knuckles were white where he clutched the butt of the gun; the barrel had begun to waver and strafe, driven by the energy of Lelouch's rant. "You're just a killer, Clovis! That's all you are! You'll do anything for your own gain!"
"I—I!" Clovis shut his eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
No shot came. Clovis slowly opened his eyes again, his heart racing. Lelouch was panting, attempting to compose himself. There was a red glint in Lelouch's eyes.
Finally, the answers I want are in sight.
"You're going to follow my orders until I tell you otherwise."
Lelouch examined Clovis' face as the Geass order took effect. For what felt like a long moment, Clovis didn't say anything. But soon, he developed an impassive look in his eyes, completely neutral. He was at Lelouch's beck and call.
"Yes, as you wish," Clovis recited robotically. Clovis was gone, replaced by a machine that would do as Lelouch wished. It simultaneously excited and repulsed him.
I can issue as many orders as I want so long as I phrase it right… that'll be helpful.
"Alright, Clovis. You're going to answer the coming questions."
"As you wish."
"…The poison gas canister from earlier. Did you know the contents weren't actually poison?"
"Yes. I was fully aware of the girl. I wanted to retrieve it, lest there be a public outcry."
"Why did you volunteer to become the Viceroy, Clovis? What happened?"
"I wanted to gain Father's attention and respect. After watching my anti-military brothers and sisters fade into obscurity while those in the military became renowned, I did not want to be left behind."
Something snapped inside Lelouch, and he tightened his grip on the pistol. "Father"? He's barely human, let alone a good father. That blind, insufferable, ego-driven monster, who didn't care about my Mother's death, who took the happy life I had in the Villa and in Japan away in the same breath…
Remembering something, Lelouch gathered himself. "Wait! Private Kururugi! Is he alive?"
"Yes. He was brought in by Villetta Nu, a member of the Purist Faction and Sub-Commander of Jeremiah Gottwald, who did not answer to any questions posed to her and vanished from thence."
Possessed. You could say that. Lelouch's shaking stopped, and he exhaled; he had very few non-materialistic comforts in Japan, and knowing Suzaku was at least breathing was one of them. So he managed to get help in enough time… consider us even now, Suzaku.
He found his voice at last. "Alright, Clovis. I want to know the truth… it can't be hidden from me anymore. Who killed my Mother?"
This is it…
"I don't know," Clovis said, frowning.
Lelouch felt the nervous heat of failure. "Then who does?!"
"My brother, 2nd Prince Schneizel el Britannia, and my sister, 2nd Princess Cornelia li Britannia, could tell you."
Lelouch's hand trembled. This was totally unexpected. Clovis' claims didn't add up, not in the slightest. Lelouch remembered, from years ago, how Cornelia had served as Security General in the Aries Villa, and based on the conversations he'd had with his sister Euphemia – and rarely, Cornelia herself, who was always working – Cornelia idolized Marianne. She always listened closely whenever Marianne was nearby, always tried to make sure Marianne's wants and needs were met, always shut down anybody who directed hateful or slanderous words towards Marianne.
Schneizel, however… Schneizel had always been difficult to figure out, to Lelouch. He was mystery personified. There had always been something disconcerting about him; Lelouch came to suspect that he would never fully know him, that he would always be more than he appeared to be.
I know so little about him, and yet we played chess all the time… even when he was telling the truth, I always had the feeling he was either lying or covering up his true feelings. Birds of a feather.
"Cornelia and Schneizel. Our own siblings? They killed her?"
"I do not know."
Too excited to concentrate, Lelouch set the gun down. "That's all you know, isn't it?!"
"Yes."
"Wait for further orders."
"As you wish."
Lelouch raised his pistol once more and held it to Clovis' temple.
Flashes of Shinjuku, of the girl's corpse, of Suzaku's wound, flew through Lelouch's mind. I should end him. The brother I once knew is dead! This Clovis is a sham. A pathetic, simpering clone, who kills to get his damn way!
Don't you do the same? You have the same sickness.
No! He ordered the purge of an entire people! There's no question of right, or wrong, or hypocrisy here! He needs to atone for his actions!
Every muscle was tensed, Lelouch's eyes never moving from Clovis' own, which radiated with a piercing blue intensity despite having the sleeplike look of Geass possession painted on his features. They gave his face an ageless quality.
"Lelouch, come listen to this! I composed this earlier! I think you'll like it, come quickly! I call it A Flower in C Sharp Major!"
"How can you be so good at this game, Lelouch? Why can't you be more like Euphemia and lose easily?"
"I'll be the world's greatest musician, Lelouch, one day! All the girls will swoon over me like they do with you!"
"Should I use more watercolor or acrylic?"
"Oh come on, follow me, you could use the exercise!"
"Good night, Lelouch!"
A painter, a composer, a cook, a designer, a man with so many ideas swirling in his head, a good brother, a kind soul—
A murderer, a coward, a venal man, a liar—
Just kill him! He'll rot with the Royal Guard in hell! One more obstacle out of your way!
The image of Clovis' body amongst the corpses of the Royal Guard stunned Lelouch, and he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. Lelouch put the useless pistol back in its holster at his hip. The adrenaline roaring through his system had passed; the electricity of the moment and the sparks shooting through his skull has dissipated, leaving Lelouch hollow and tired, like the crash after a sugar rush. He tasted blood where he'd bit his lip.
Jesus, Lelouch… The weight of what he'd done today came roaring through him. A target with a familiar face was far worse than an unfamiliar one.
Lelouch tried to keep his hands still, to slow his breathing.
No. I can't kill Clovis. I should, I absolutely should, but I can't.
"My final orders are ready. Are you listening?"
"Yes," Clovis mumbled, with that Geass-produced monotone Lelouch had come to recognize.
"I am going to exit out of this convoy and escape from Shinjuku. In five minutes' time, starting from the exact moment I leave this vehicle, you will forget that this meeting ever happened, that I am still dead, and you will return to your life as a Viceroy."
"As you wish."
Lelouch nodded and turned to walk out. "That will be all."
The automatic door slid open to greet Lelouch. He walked out, not daring to look at Clovis again, for fear he might jinx the situation. There was not one soul nearby who wasn't under the effects of his Geass or close enough that they would be a problem.
Getting past the guards was the easy part. Time to leave.
[*****]
ABANDONED HOTEL – TEMPORARY RESISTANCE CELL HIDEOUT
Kallen Kozuki sat at a table in the courtyard of the hotel, drinking water. The others were inside, discussing the events of today, strategies and plans for the coming weeks, counter-strategies and backup plans as well. She didn't fancy herself a thinker, or a tactician, so she stepped out for some air; the others left her be. The sound of gunfire, helicopters, rockets, and grating Landspinners were distant memories now; all Kallen felt was the light autumn breeze on her face and the soothing rhythms of nature, undisturbed by war or machinery. The charms of Japan took over as they always did, charms that made the war bearable and worth fighting.
We nearly died today. Although the Britannian forces had eventually pulled out of Shinjuku or hung back inoffensively, to tend to their wounded, Kallen and Ohgi weren't taking any chances. They'd hurried down across rebel-held roads, skirting the Britannian guns and ordinance, eventually making it to their "base of operations", a hilly town on the edge of the Tokyo Settlement; from the hotel, one could see the tall, industrial skyscrapers and bright casino lights of Area 11.
Area 11. What a name. We're more than numbers in a machine. We're a people.
But the odds looked laughable. The entire population of Japan's rebel-held areas totaled up to just under a million. Britannia's military forces did not have an official count about how many soldiers were serving for them, though it assuredly was much more than a million. To Britannia, an empire with resources and money beyond imagination, the conquering of Japan would be little more than a police raid to them. The Britannian military had been tried and tested in countless wars over the years; some of the rebel forces barely knew how to operate a gun, let alone fight a war against a military superpower.
It's amazing we even managed to keep these Knightmares up and running, or even steal them in the first place.
The Japanese resistance had been fighting a losing battle for a long time. Some battles, some days, were different.
Today was very different.
Zero. He'd come out of nowhere – everyone already had their own theory. Ohgi believed he was a Britannian soldier who'd turned rogue, which might have explained how he knew where the Britannian Sutherlands were going to go. Others thought he might have been an agent of the Japanese Liberation Force. Tamaki believed Zero was a really intelligent hacker, given how he managed to direct the trains toward them and got the code for their communicators. All of these theories had weight, but one thing was certain: he was not on Britannia's side. Everyone had moved amazingly fast from disbelief to acceptance – if someone like Zero came along, then it had to be a good sign.
Everyone came back full of hope. Tired, exhausted, possibly traumatized or scared, but hopeful. To Kallen, that was enough for now.
But one skirmish in the Ghetto isn't gonna help us. Each day, the combat draws closer to the center of Shinjuku. It's only a matter of time before they figure out our multiple hiding spots, figure out where our spies are. They'll cut us down. We need another miracle, like today… we need power.
Kallen gazed at the setting sun and smiled.
It's the least I can do for you, Naoto.
[*****]
ASHFORD ACADEMY
Lelouch arrived at Ashford in darkness. He'd taken a stolen Knightmare from the military out of Shinjuku, leaving it behind in the forest-like gardens of an abandoned industrial park; it would be good enough for the time being. With that done, he'd walked the last miles home slowly, zipping up his jacket.
Ashford, you're a sight for sore eyes. It was like a hidden world. In Ashford, there was no war, no racism, nothing serious beyond gossip, classroom drama, and the mischief of the Student Council. It had been a perfect haven for Lelouch, back when the Britannia-Japan war had first begun and he had nowhere else to run to that the soldiers wouldn't find him. Ruben K. Ashford was a kindly older man, all gentle eyes and small movements, and he hadn't hesitated to shelter Lelouch from the war for some years, especially knowing Lelouch was the child of Marianne, who'd been a friend of the noble Ashford house.
The former Student Government Clubhouse had been Lelouch's home for years, and he felt the urge to say a prayer when he walked onto the brick porch, facing that familiar white door with the faded bronze doorknob. Lelouch fished out his keys, vaguely remembering that he still had the casino earnings from earlier today in his vest pocket, and cautiously stepped inside the dark house. By this time, based on the lack of lighted windows, Sayoko was hopefully asleep, and Lelouch didn't want to wake her up.
Hope I didn't worry anyone by being away for so long. Lelouch left his shoes by the door, carefully tip-toed down the hallway, and entered his room, taking care to not have the door creak too loudly. He peeled off his Ashford uniform and shirt, tossing them half-heartedly into the container in his closet, and opened the blinds. It was a starry, quiet night. Lelouch turned back to his bed and collapsed onto it, the clean and comfortable sheets welcoming him like an old friend.
Geass.
Lelouch rubbed his eyes and pulled out his cellphone, holding it over his moonlit face. He looked terrible: messy hair sticking up and out in random places, tired eyes: the general look of a man who'd stared death in the face and managed to live through it by chance. He finally got a good look at what his Geass looked like. When he turned it on, he noticed a tiny, bright red, bird-like sigil in his left eye with "wings" that circled around his pupil and stretched out to his iris.
Lelouch rubbed his eyes. He knew he'd lost himself today, lost time. It had been the strangest day of his life, bar none, and easily the most exciting, wonderfully evocative, and fearful day he'd had in years. In the span of a few hours, Lelouch had felt his mood swing, bend, and break in astounding ways; he couldn't compare it to anything else. What had started as a doomed death match between a schoolboy and an unstoppable Britannian military had turned into a power dream turned reality. Lelouch gambled to feel power; there were few things in the world more satisfying than seeing an over-privileged nobleman write him a bank note in defeat. Maintaining the illusion of power helped Lelouch feel like he still had a card to play, that the world hadn't forgotten about him, that he still had hope. But gambling was small fry in comparison to what he had now.
And it shattered my rationality today. Lelouch wasn't afraid to admit it, at least to himself. Even now, after the fog of war, Lelouch could still feel a small power-induced high burning in his bones. You should be here to keep me in check, Suzaku. You too, Euphie…
I used this power to help a group of fighters be free of tyrannical rule… with a power that breaks the wills of people. What a thin line.
On one hand, there was a side of Lelouch that wanted him to Geass everyone from the start and take over; slaves beneath his control. It was that side that was fostered by years of hate and spite towards his Father, that side of him that fantasized about dark things when he wasn't messing around with his friends at Ashford or out gambling. That side had drove him to make the Royal Guard commit a mass suicide. But, at the same time, there was something about Clovis' post-Geass look that upset Lelouch; it was the look of someone whose willpower had been beaten, like someone having their arm twisted into compliance.
Like a machine.
Lelouch shuddered.
I can't keep using this Geass to harm people. I like my free will… I should only use it as a backup. And besides, there's other problems. I might need some of the victims to be more than just "mindless servants", and I can't use it on a lot of people. It would look suspicious if a great deal of people began turning to me for no reason. It'd just draw too much attention…
Lelouch nodded imperceptibly, as if to certify this. Geass was a fail-safe, and just that.
I'll need to get in contact with the rebels somehow… if that Kallen girl is who I think she is, it should be simple. Hopefully the authorities or Britannian scientists aren't able to trace Geass somehow, or don't have any knowledge of it. Does anybody know anything about this power? It would be helpful to speak to somebody who does… after all, the one girl who should know everything about it is dead.
He hadn't liked seeing that girl die. Although Lelouch had known her for all of five minutes, watching her jump in front of him to take the bullet was difficult. She had saved his life, and Lelouch had no way to repay her now.
At the very least, I can help Suzaku… maybe, I could—
"Is that you, Master Lelouch?"
Lelouch immediately shot up, his eyes on fire. "Who's there?!"
"I-It's Sayoko, Sir. I… I heard footsteps. May I come in, please?"
Lelouch's breath was irregular for a moment; he calmed down and ran his hands through his hair. For a moment, just a brief one, he thought he was back in Shinjuku. Way to not draw attention to yourself, Lelouch.
"Yeah, y-yeah, come in…"
At that moment, Sayoko entered in, with measured politeness and an air of elegance about her. The maid was in her pajamas, her usual maid uniform discarded for a light blue shirt and pajama bottoms. She was wearing a pair of black reading eyeglasses, very small, that rode down the bridge of her narrow nose. Immediately, her eyes filled with reassurance and solace, and her body language became less tight.
"Sir Lelouch, what happened to you today?" She stepped up near his bed, sat on the edge of it. "Everyone has been positively worried sick at Ashford Academy."
Crap, Rivalz. I'd almost forgotten about him. "I was missed?" Lelouch muttered, stupidly.
"Mister Cardemonde came running back to the Ashford school room, terrified. He'd mentioned that a truck had presumably kidnapped you and drove off onto the Expressway! Everyone began searching for you in some way when your cellphone came to voicemail, for six hours straight."
Six hours. I was in Shinjuku for over six hours. Holy hell. "I… I got into some trouble gambling."
A flicker of interest crossed Sayoko's eyes, replaced by a tired look. "Master Lelouch, if I may say so, this gambling business is very dangerous… why were you attacked?"
"It was… some noblemen. They'd wanted to get back at me for humiliating them in a match."
Sayoko frowned, giving Lelouch one of the many, many concerned and plaintive looks he'd come to associate with her. "Why do you risk your life, Master Lelouch? Doing such things?"
"You've been my handmaid for four years, you should know." Lelouch wiped a hand across his forehead, sighing. "It's just satisfying… and today was a very, very satisfying match."
Sayoko steepled her fingers. She worked long hours, serving Lelouch and making sure that everything at his house or at the school ran smoothly, without fault. And given Lelouch's identity as an outcast prince, having a decent social life in any customary way was impossible. Which was a pity; she talked to everyone easily, without pretense, but knew when to be quiet or when and where she was needed. She was also one of the precious few who knew almost everything about Lelouch.
Until today.
"What's the definition of hope to you, Sayoko?"
Sayoko considered this for a moment, searching for an answer in Lelouch's eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"It's been a long day, and some boring philosophy will help me sleep."
"I think hope – true hope, anyway – is the ability to see or aim for a good outcome even in the direst of circumstances."
Lelouch shrugged and regarded her expectantly. "Pretty good."
"What is your definition of hope?"
"It's an anchor for the soul."
Sayoko gave a sudden, shining smile. "That's beautiful, Master Lelouch."
"Read it in a book.If you don't mind… I'm exhausted, Sayoko. I need to sleep, please." Lelouch placed his hand atop hers. "I promise you, everything is okay. I'll meet and explain everything to Milly and Rivalz and everyone tomorrow… but right now, I need to close my eyes and just… drift away. Okay?"
With a motherly, concerned look in her eyes, Sayoko nodded, leaving the matter be for the time. She stood and bowed respectfully. "I'm glad you're safe, Master Lelouch. Please, get some rest."
"You as well, Sayoko. And thank you."
She left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Sleep did not come to Lelouch for a while, his mind too active and too full. He thought about the future, Geass, strategies, Suzaku, Kallen, Japan, Britannia, all kinds of things, until finally he could not stay awake any longer. He closed his eyes, and let his dreams guide his hand.
