Part IV: Only Mercifully
"Evil is a moral entity and not a created one, an eternal and not a perishable entity: it existed before the world; it constituted the monstrous, the execrable being who was also to fashion such a hideous world. It will hence exist after the creatures which people this world."
-Marquis De Sade
"This is it?" Kallen glanced around. "This was her last verified location?"
Sayoko nodded wordlessly, standing at the entryway. They were standing inside of a small chapel, just on the outskirts of the Settlement. It was tranquil, and quite beautiful, with a single breathtaking stained glass window behind the altar, streaming sunlight passing through and creating an effulgent glow.
Frowning, the pilot of the Guren gave the place a careful sweep. It didn't seem like the kind of place C.C. would have gone. The mysterious woman had never seemed particularly religious, and indeed, seemed more like the type to abhor any kind of dogmatic practice. She seemed to rational, or maybe too cynical, for such things.
Perhaps she had been praying for Lelouch?
Kallen wondered at that for a moment, before shaking her head. Now wasn't the time to speculate.
"Hello?" she called out hesitantly. "Is there anyone here?"
There was a shuffling at the back, and a thinning head of gray hair popped out, followed by bespectacled face that reminded Kallen oddly of Lloyd. His tall, lanky frame seemed to unfold out of the doorway of the back of the church, dressed neatly in the simple black cassock of a priest.
"Yes?" he asked pleasantly, voice carrying an odd lilt to it, peering out at her. "May I help you, miss?"
Kallen nodded. "Um, yes," she shifted, unsure of herself, "Have you been at this church long?"
The priest nodded, smiling genially. "Yes. More than ten years now. I came in the initial immigration after the Brittanian invasion, and have been minding this church ever since."
The redhead felt a measure of relief wash over her. Good. Then there was some chance. "Do you remember a few years ago, a woman came to this church? She had green hair, and amber eyes." It felt odd, describing C.C. to someone, but she felt confident that, if this priest had met C.C., he would remember. She was not exactly a run of the mill person, after all.
He cupped his chin thoughtfully, tapping his index finger against his cheek. "A green haired woman… hmm… When exactly was this?"
"On the day of the Emperor Lelouch's death," Sayoko answered, still standing at the entryway.
The priest's eyes widened. "Ah yes, that young woman. Yes, yes, I remember her. Very hard to forget a girl like that," he muttered, shaking his head. "She came here to pray, she said. She seemed bereaved by something tragic. I believe I thought I heard her cry, even, but perhaps that was just my old mind's imagination."
Kallen blinked at that, her line of thought stymied by the idea that C.C., distant and seemingly emotionless, showed actual tears.
She cared more for Lelouch than she had let on, it appeared.
"Father, did she leave any indication of where she was going, after she left?" Sayoko asked, stepping in for Kallen, who remained mired in her own thoughts. "Anything at all would be of great help to us."
The priest shook his head. "I'm sorry, I spoke very little with that woman. I didn't even catch her name. She left this place on foot, if it helps, but she never said anything about a destination."
"I see," the ninja maid murmured, and bowed her head. "Thank you for your time, father."
"No, please, no need for formality," the priest replied, shaking his head with an embarrassed look. "It is my duty and pleasure to serve. I wish I had been of more help."
"You've been enough help, thank you," Sayoko responded courteously. Kallen nodded absently in affirmation, still dazed, and the two women left the church after bidding the man goodbye.
"Damn it Lelouch, how am I supposed to find that pizza woman?" Kallen muttered to herself as they stepped outside, crossing her arms in annoyance.
"Lelouch-sama would not have left you a task he did not believe you could do, Kallen-san," Sayoko assured her gently.
The redhead wrinkled her nose, the statement of support not doing much for her mood.
"He expects a lot, then. How am I supposed to find someone who doesn't exist in any official records, and who hasn't been seen in over two years?" she bit her lip and scowled. "He could have at least given me a hint… not just saying something stupid like 'follow the smell of pizza'."
"Perhaps there is more wisdom there than Lelouch-sama's words betray," Sayoko murmured thoughtfully, tapping her lip. "I believe he was trying to leave you a hint, Kallen-san."
"But what sort?" the younger woman asked, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "And why couldn't he just tell me something instead of making me work it out for myself?"
To that, Sayoko only smiled and shrugged. "Lelouch-sama is a genius, Kallen-san. I can barely guess at how his mind works, and I would not assume to know his reasons. But," she added, "I do believe that his reasons are justified."
At that, Kallen had to agree. She had once doubted Lelouch, doubted his reasons and ideals, and in the end been proven so terribly wrong. This time, she would trust him, as he apparently trusted her.
"I'll trust him," she murmured quietly.
"Perhaps we should start by posting up pictures of her and asking the Black Knights stationed around the world to look for her?" Sayoko offered.
Kallen considered it, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "It wouldn't work. C.C. might get spooked. Lelouch did say that she didn't want to be found, after all. And if no one's reported any sign of her before now, I don't think something new will pop up so easily."
Sayoko frowned contemplatively. "Someone has to have seen her, though. If she'd taken a job of some sort, or rented an apartment of some kind, there should be some kind of record, somewhere."
"C.C.? Working?" the thought made her snort in amusement. "She's not the type to work. Even if she wanted pizza, she'd just find a way to mooch off of someone to get it, just like she would with Lelouch…"
Kallen trailed off, eyes growing wider.
"Kallen-san?" Sayoko questioned, glancing at the younger woman.
"Sayoko, what happened to Lelouch's money, after he died?" the redhead asked slowly, suspicions already forming in her mind.
The ninja maid paused. "I'm not sure. Lelouch-sama never left any kind of official will, likely to keep up the appearance that he wasn't expecting what would happen. Most of his public assets, like the Imperial treasury, were taken over by the new government. As for his personal bank accounts…" she blinked. "I don't know. The only ones who ever used that account were Lelouch-sama and…"
"And C.C.," Kallen finished triumphantly, a satisfied smile on her face. "She used his money all the time to buy pizza. Why should she stop after he's dead?"
Sayoko's eyes were like saucers as she nodded in realization. "If Lelouch's personal accounts, the ones under Lelouch Lamperouge, are still active and in use, then we can use them to find C.C."
Kallen nodded, a determined grin on her face. "Follow the smell of pizza, huh Lelouch?" she wondered out loud, chuckling. "You could have just told me."
00000
"You really saved me back there," Ougi chuckled, almost delirious with relief, rubbing the back of his head nervously as the two of them stepped inside of the Prime Minister's office (a job that, for now, remained with him). "Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Zero replied smoothly, inclining his head in acknowledgement. Ougi nodded back gratefully, and then looked away, out the window of his office, saying nothing.
They were silent for a while, both caught in their own private reflections. Ougi, wondering how to proceed from here, when less than an hour ago he had resigned himself to being jobless and dishonored. Suzaku, contemplating whether or not Lelouch had known he could accomplish such a task, and what would come next.
"So, how did the investigation at Jeremiah's farm go?" the Prime Minister asked suddenly, glancing over at the masked hero.
Suzaku froze. How exactly was he supposed to explain the events of the past few hours? And should he even? Did Lelouch want his influence to remain a secret?
Deciding it was best to preserve the integrity of the Zero Requiem first and foremost, Zero replied, "Jeremiah is innocent, but he has provided us with new information. I'm currently having him work with us in our investigation- his Geass Canceller will prove a powerful weapon."
Ougi furrowed his brow, looking skeptical. "You're sure he can be trusted?"
The masked man nodded back. "I believe he can. For right now, though, Minister, I can't divulge any more information than this. Not until I'm completely sure." Which was more or less the truth- no need to worry anyone about the vague details Lelouch had given them until Suzaku had confirmed them.
The older man looked over at him, obviously trying to decide whether or not to trust him at his word. Finally, with a reluctant nod, Ougi looked away. "I understand."
"Thank you," Suzaku said quietly, sincerely.
"What about Kallen? Where is she?" Ougi asked, flicking his eyes back towards the other man.
"Kallen's working with the new information we've been given. She's handling part of the investigation while I help maintain things here in Tokyo," Suzaku responded, using a very vague, but nonetheless correct version of the truth.
Wryly, he wondered when it was he'd gotten so adept at lying with the truth. More of the magic of wearing the mask of Zero, he supposed.
"Well, hopefully there won't be any more problems from here on in," Ougi said, chuckling somewhat nervously.
"Let us hope," Zero replied ominously.
00000
"Damn that Zero!" Hideyoshi swore, ripping off his tie in a fury as he stormed into his office. Behind him, his aide, Hanekoma, locked the door behind him accordingly.
"I haven't been this humiliated since I was shot down by Brittania," he seethed, a twisted expression of hate on his face. The phantom ache in his leg, the result of his Knightmare being destroyed at the battle of Narita, flared up as he remembered the deeply held loathing he carried for the empire that had stolen more than a year of his life, his physical health, and his honor.
"There was no way to predict that Zero would make such a move, sir" Hanekoma assured him. Hanekoma Tokugawa was a bespectacled man, thin enough to be called weedy, but with a keen mind and a knack for handling and arranging matters that made him an excellent aide.
The Cabinet Secretary whirled on him violently, slamming his fist down on his desk. "This was your plan, Hanekoma!" he snapped irritably. "You assured me that the vote of no confidence would come through without a hitch. I manipulated that dullard, Ougi, into making that speech, I had everything under control… until that masked bastard showed up!"
"Sir, the vote was only delayed…" his aide tried to interrupt, but Hideyoshi's eyes narrowed and he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"The vote is dead!" Hideyoshi snarled viciously. "Thanks to Zero, nobody's going to back this proposal!"
He panted slightly, anger lessening as he sank back down into his desk chair. "There is no more vote of no confidence," he muttered.
Hanekoma was silent for a moment, fixing his glasses on his nose.
"Well, sir, that's only if hostilities stay at this level," he said languidly, face intentionally expressionless.
Hideyoshi froze. "Just what exactly are you saying, Hanekoma?" he asked slowly, raising his head as he did so.
"Our associate has promised you command of a Japan free of Brittania," Hanekoma murmured quietly, face still betraying nothing. "That promise still stands."
The Cabinet Secretary gave him a suspicious look. "And what has this mysterious benefactor to gain from helping us to this extent, exactly? You never did explain that."
Hanekoma shrugged. "Our associate despises this false peace with Brittania as much as you do. The goal of all of this is to show the world that Japan and Brittania cannot stand together. A goal I believe you share."
Hideyoshi smirked, confidence returning as he leaned back into his chair, folding his hands and propping up his elbows on the arms of the chair. "So what did our… friend, have in mind?"
His aide smiled back, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Just keep your eyes and ears open, sir, and have our forces in place. The opportunity will come."
Unnoticed by Hideyoshi, beneath the sheen of his glasses, Hanekoma's eyes glowed with the distinctive crimson aura of a Geass.
00000
Nunnally breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Schneizel's report about the decision reached by the National Diet of Japan, and beside her, Kaguya' terse grip on her chair relaxed considerably.
"Thank God," the Empress whispered softly.
"Thank Zero-sama," Kaguya joked weakly, relief filling her voice as well.
Schneizel nodded. "With Zero's influence, the crisis in Japan is calming. The climate is still terse, but the political situation is less charged than before."
Nunnally shifted, a determined look on her face. "I'm going to Japan," she declared suddenly.
Both other occupants of the room turned towards her with varying degrees of shock. Schneizel frowned, and Kaguya opened her mouth to protest, but the Empress cut her off with a fierce look.
"I can't stay here any longer and let others act for me," she said flatly. "I will not sit back and let this crisis pass without any action from my own person."
"Nunnally-san, it's reckless," Kaguya protested softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you want to do something, but you need to trust Zero."
"Kaguya-sama is right," Schneizel agreed, nodding. "The situation is calming, but it's too dangerous for you to go to Japan yourself."
"I can go in your place," the Chairwoman offered, giving her a pensive look.
The Empress shook her head. "It has to be me. The Japanese are being pacified by Zero's reputation, not out of trust and friendship to Brittania. The feelings of anger and hate are still there, only sleeping."
"Goodwill can be fostered in many ways," Kaguya murmured, and then fell silent.
"I'm sorry, but I've made my decision," Nunnally whispered, clasping the locket around her neck. "I need to do this."
Glancing over at the necklace, Kaguya finally understood.
Lelouch, after all, would never have sat back and let others take charge.
If Nunnally was going to protect this new world, this fledgling peace, she would have to learn to trust her own strength to do that.
"I understand." Kaguya squeezed her shoulder, just once, shutting her eyes as she did so. "I'll stay here and manage things from Brittania."
"Thank you," Nunnally whispered, placing her hand over the other woman's in gratitude.
"If that is your decision," Schneizel said softly, over their respective silences, "Then I will make the necessary preparations. If I may, we should take at least some precautionary measures to ensure the Empress' safety, and it will take some time to prepare them. The vote will not be for another seven days, so will this be acceptable?"
"Please try to make it within a day, Schneizel-nii-sama," the Empress ordered softly, and then, to herself, murmured, "I hope this will make the difference."
00000
Jeremiah made his way through the prison easily, brandishing special security orders directly from the Prime Minister that allowed him to bypass normal security protocols. Luckily for him, all of the Black Knights stationed there were new recruits, meaning they would have no knowledge of who he was or what he stood for.
He was also glad that Zero hadn't the time to accompany him here.
There was something he needed to confirm.
"Are you Corporal Satonaka?" he questioned, peering through the clear cell wall at the dark haired man in the Black Knights uniform that sat there, atop the bed.
The man's head shot up. His face was haggard, unshaven, and looked remarkably worse for the wear.
Jeremiah's suspicions rose.
"Are you… are you here to release me?" Satonaka asked desperately, a hysterical edge to his voice. "Please, you have to listen to me. I don't remember shooting that boy! One minute I was escorting Minister Ougi to his speech, and the next I woke up in the interrogation cell, I swear!"
His words were hurried and panicked, and to most people would sound like the frantic babbling of a guilty man.
But to a man like Jeremiah, who knew of darker powers than most men dared to dream of, it was a sign that his suspicions were correct. If so, then Lelouch-sama…
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time.
"I understand," Jeremiah said soothingly, inclining his head. His Geass Canceller opened, and the flash of blue light enveloped the room.
It clicked shut, and the light faded, leaving the Corporal slack against the wall, face pale and shaking.
"Corporal Satonaka?" Jeremiah questioned. "Do you remember anything about what happened prior to the speech?"
Shakily, the other man nodded. "I… I remember something now. I don't know how I forgot. Just before I went out to meet my squad, I heard… I heard a voice."
"A voice?" the former knight asked slowly. "What sort of voice?"
"It sounded… wrong. Like the throat was messed up or something. But I thought…" the Corporal paused, biting his lip, sounding hesitant. "I thought it sounded like a woman."
Jeremiah's stomach dropped.
I knew it, he thought grimly. That voice was hers, then.
Pressing on despite the sickening feeling in his gut, he continued, "What happened after that?"
"I did shoot that boy," Satonaka whispered, as if he hadn't heard, eyes wide and horrified, hands clasping over his mouth. "I remember it now. But…"
"But what?" Jeremiah asked, already knowing the answer.
Satonaka looked up, brow furrowed in confusion, jaw tight. "I… it was like my hands weren't my own. I heard that woman's voice in my head again, and then suddenly my hands were moving and I was pulling the trigger." He shook his head. "But… that's impossible, right? There's nothing that can just take control of a man's brain like that, right? I must have just… lost control or something."
"You never know," Jeremiah muttered darkly, turning and stalking back down the hallway. "There might just be something like that."
00000
The bank was fairly deserted, which Kallen was extremely grateful for, as her patience had worn down to nothing over the past few days, and dealing with an endlessly long line would not have helped.
"May I help you, miss?" asked a graying haired man at the front, dressed smartly in a black suit, standing just off to the side of the entrance.
"I need to see a statement on an account here," Kallen informed him briskly, and Sayoko stepped in line behind her. "Under one Lelouch Lamperouge."
The man's eyebrow raised a fraction at the name.
"Coincidence," she added, realizing her mistake. "He was born after the prince, so his parents named him after the other Lelouch." She gave him a smile and a shrug. "Bad luck on his part, I suppose."
With a doubtful look, the man bowed. "Certainly, miss." He gestured toward one of the free tellers. "Right this way."
Kallen nodded gratefully, sharing a look with Sayoko, who hid a smile as they made their way over to the teller's window.
"May I have the account number and pin, please?" the teller smiled genially, bowing her head politely.
The redhead froze. Lelouch never gave her that information…
"One moment," Kallen said, glancing back at Sayoko with a questioning look.
The maid gave her an apologetic look, a silent way of saying that she had no idea what that would be.
"The account number and pin, miss?" asked the young lady at the window again, tilting her head to the side inquisitively.
Coughing, Kallen looked back at the teller, went to her pocket and retrieved her military identification, and said in a low voice, "Look, I'm a Major with the Black Knights. I need to see the statements for this account as a matter of international security. It may hold valuable evidence for an ongoing investigation."
The teller's placid features distorted briefly into worry, before she bowed her head again. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but then I'll need to see a warrant."
"Didn't you hear me?" the redhead said with a low growl, "This isn't a joke!"
"I'm sorry miss, but the security of our client's accounts is one of our top priorities, so this is standard issue," the other woman apologized.
Kallen bit her lip in frustration. Was this not the way Lelouch wanted her to find C.C.? He would definitely have thought about such a simple matter as the account number and pin, if he had…was he just betting on her having a warrant?
Suddenly, the teller's eyes widened. "Oh, wait, miss, your name… Kouzuki Kallen, correct? Is that the name listed on your I.D.?"
Blinking, frustration giving way to confusion, the Guren's pilot nodded hesitantly, unsure.
"We've been holding onto a package for you for quite some time, on the request of one our clients," the woman at the window said cordially. "Please, wait right there and I'll have someone bring it out to you."
Dumbfounded into silence, Kallen once more looked back towards Sayoko, who merely smiled.
"Lelouch-sama always plans ahead," she whispered, sounding amused. "I believe this means we are on the correct trail, Kallen-san."
After a few minutes, one of the security guards appeared behind the window and handed their teller a small white envelope.
"Here you are, miss. This is your name, correct?"
Kallen nodded wordlessly, taking the envelope, eyes glued to the small writing on the center, in Lelouch's familiar flowing script. Her name.
She tore open the envelope, wherein laid a single sheet of paper with only two lines.
The account number, and the pin. Nothing else.
Her lips quirked. Lelouch really did plan for everything.
"I believe this is the account number, and the pin," Kallen said, and repeated the numbers back to the teller, who processed it. "I'll need the information about the last known transaction from this account."
"Please, wait one moment," the teller said cheerfully, fingers nimbly clacking away on the keyboard as she peered down at the screen. "The last known transaction was at a Pizza Hut in Cancun, Mexico, miss. Yesterday evening, at around six o'clock."
Kallen blinked, shaking her head. "I should have known,' she muttered, chuckling. "I'm getting on the next flight there, then."
Sayoko bowed her head. "Then this is where I will take my leave of you, Kallen-san. I will stay here and aid Jeremiah-san and Zero-sama in their efforts."
The redhead glanced back at the older woman in confusion. "You're not coming with me?"
"This was a task Lelouch-sama left to you, and you alone, Kallen-san," the maid said softly, smiling. "I believe C.C.-sama would be more likely to appear if you were alone."
Kallen nodded in understanding. "Thank you for your help, Sayoko-san. Good luck."
"To you as well, Kallen-san," Sayoko replied warmly. "Godspeed."
00000
"Empress, please, this way," said Lilliane, one of her bodyguards, handpicked by Zero from the ranks of the Black Knights, who was currently pushing her wheelchair down towards the hangar where the Imperial jet was waiting. Behind her trailed a contingent of four other bodyguards, each keeping a careful sweep of the private hangar attached to the palace at New Pendragon.
"Thank you, Lilliane," Nunnally said softly, placing a grateful hand over the older woman's own. "I know I may be putting great pressure on you and the rest of my staff by leaving the Empire little over a day after announcing my intention, but time is of the essence."
"No thanks necessary, your majesty," she replied genially, smiling. "It's our duty to serve."
Nunnally smiled back warmly and nodded. "You're a good person, Lilliane-san."
"The Empress is too kind," the bodyguard said embarrassedly, blushing slightly, bowing her head. She stilled, however, and Nunnally felt the older woman tense, a low breath exiting her lips as though to rid herself of the light atmosphere.
Knowing it was best to stay silent and observe, the Empress waited for a sign of what had triggered the response from her bodyguards.
"Who's out there?" Lilliane questioned briskly, and her other four bodyguards unholstered their weapons.
A voice called out to her, coming from the plane.
"Get back, Empress!" Lilliane scrambled backwards, pulling her wheelchair frantically as the other four bodyguards made a human barrier between her and the Imperial jet.
All four soldiers pointed their weapons at the plane, just as a figure stepped out of waiting jet.
Nunnally's eyes widened.
"You are-"
00000
He could hear the birds chirping outside, singing their songs to each other, without a care for the troubles of the world of humans.
That was what he had always liked about nature, why he practiced meditation so often. Being able to pull away, even for a moment, from the constant turmoil and conflict of the physical world was a blessing that a man like him, who had been bred for war and who excelled at it, was rarely allowed.
"Toudou-san?"
Toudou Kyoshiro opened his eyes slowly, meeting the eyes of Toudou Chiba, formerly Nagisa Chiba of the Four Holy Blades, and now his wife of a few months (Chiba herself had never pressured him to marry her, but within a year of living together he'd gotten a call from Kaguya-sama- three weeks later he found a ring). She leaned against the doorframe, hesitant to enter the meditation room. It was the one place in the house that she rarely ventured to, knowing that her husband desired quiet when he was there.
"There's a message for you, from Chief Secretary Hideyoshi," Chiba said softly, holding out a white sheet of paper for him, moving closer so he wouldn't have to stand up from his kneeling position on the floor.
Giving her a curt nod of thanks, he took it wordlessly, eyes scanning the page without expression. When he was finished, he shut his eyes, exhaled, and continued sitting still.
"… they want you to come back to Japan and lead the army, don't they?" Chiba whispered. "They need your support if they're going to make this secession real."
He said nothing.
"What will you do, Toudou-san?"
Without opening his eyes, Toudou replied, with a slow, deliberate tone, "I must think on this. I will give them their answer when I am ready."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Chiba turned and left, leaving him to his thoughts.
There is no place for a man like me except on the battlefield, is there? he thought to himself humorlessly. No path for me except for war.
00000
One long flight sandwiched between a snoring older gentleman and a hyperactive brat who was glued to the glowing screen of his portable gaming system, a brutally hot drive in a taxi with a broken air conditioner and a lecherous driver, and several attempts at getting directions from the locals later, Kallen had arrived at a small, out of the way beach front house where the local Pizza Hut had said it made daily deliveries. While out of town and out of their normal radius of delivery, their mysterious patron always tipped generously and ordered enough food for three people.
Or one pizza loving witch, Kallen added sardonically, shaking her head, stepping nervously towards the front door.
What was she going to say? They hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms, after all, and they hadn't seen each other in years…
She swallowed, suddenly standing still, unwilling to make the final steps towards the door.
This was stupid. Why send her, of all people? Why not Suzaku, who had been in cahoots with C.C. and Lelouch for that whole crazy scheme of theirs? Did C.C. even want to speak with her?
"I should just leave," she said suddenly, feeling totally and utterly foolish, and started to turn-
And came face to face with the witch in question, who was dressed in a simple, flowing white sundress, an overly large straw hat over her head and a playful look on her face.
"I'm surprised," she commented lightly, "I thought you would be standing there for at least another minute or two before trying to run off. Were you really that scared of me?"
"I-" Kallen opened her mouth once, twice, and then, finally sputtered back, "I'm not scared of you!"
"You were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn't realize I'd been following you since you walked into the Pizza Hut in town," C.C. taunted whimsically, hands clasped behind her back as she leaned in, putting her face inches from Kallen's. "I'm disappointed, you know."
The redhead frowned. "And why's that?"
"I bet Lelouch you would have gotten here by yesterday, according to the schedule. But alas, I suppose I overestimated you." The witch chuckled, and pulled back, turning away. "Took you a while to check Lelouch's bank accounts, hmm?"
"It was a long flight," Kallen said defensively, crossing her arms with a huff. "Stop trying to get on my nerves."
"Was it? I suppose you don't get paid enough to make first class," C.C. said, giving her a pitying look over her shoulder.
"I don't want to hear that from someone who lives off of other people's money," the redhead snapped back testily. Her salary was not bad, damn it. Sure her apartment wasn't as nice as Gino's, or even Tamaki's, but she was a single woman and didn't need that much space anyway, right?
"Technically it's my money now," said the witch playfully. "Lelouch left me with enough to live off of for quite a while."
"I can see that," Kallen muttered, a tinge of envy in her voice as she glanced behind her at the house. While relatively small, in comparison to some of the other houses that lined the coast, it had a beautiful view of the ocean and was quiet and secluded, near picturesque.
"You like it?" C.C. grinned, stepping past Kallen, towards the house. "I practically twisted Lelouch's arm into building it for me using the Imperial Treasury a month after the Damocles battle. All private, anonymous contracts with various companies that never knew who was really paying for it. I travel around a lot, but I like coming here to rest for a while."
Her jaw dropped. "You… you…" Kallen shook her head, unable to find the words. That was just like C.C., to not only freeload off of Lelouch's personal funds but an entire Empire's.
"Well, I suppose you had better come inside," C.C. said, interrupting the other woman's silent consternation with a playful smirk, stepping into the house without a backwards look, expecting her to follow.
Kallen gritted her teeth and followed her inside. Now suddenly not having talked to C.C. in years made a lot more sense.
"Close the door behind you," C.C. instructed, tossing her hat off casually onto a couch (leather, expensive leather, Kallen observed enviously) and strolling off down a small hall towards an open door. "I need to change. Make yourself comfortable."
Kallen glanced around the room, feeling decidedly not comfortable. The living room was combined with the kitchen, and looked silly, innocuous even- Cheese-kun stickers and posters on the walls, several pizza boxes stacked on the counter of a kitchen whose stove looked as though it had never even been touched. On the couch there was an overly large Cheese-kun plushy, the same one that C.C. had carried throughout the war, and on the wall there was a large television that was playing a random game show. There was a table in the center of the living room portion with a chess set that looked to be in the middle of play, which was the only thing out of place in the décor.
Outside, the lapping of the waves against pristine white sand was audible, and the large windows revealed a green-blue ocean that shined like diamonds.
God, this was gorgeous, disregarding the Pizza Hut promotional decor. Suddenly her modest one bedroom apartment made her feel like a bum.
"Why Cancun?" she found herself asking aloud, glancing back towards the door.
"Warm water, warm sand, lots of sun," came C.C.'s reply, muffled through the door as the sound of clothes shuffling and falling to the floor became audible. "Why not?"
"Dunno… I just… never pictured you for a beach person, I guess," Kallen said, shrugging.
"When you've got a treasury of cash to burn, why not get a beach front house?" C.C. responded lightly, and the door opened, to reveal C.C. in her familiar restraining suit.
"You kept that?" the redhead blinked in surprise.
"It has nostalgia value for me," came the airy reply, with a shrug of slim shoulders. "Besides, where we're going, it's going to be a bit chilly, and this is surprisingly comfortable."
"We're going somewhere?" Kallen said slowly, trying to get a sense of where this conversation was going.
C.C. gave her a sly look as she stepped into the kitchen, rummaging about for a glass of water. "We both know you're here because of that ridiculous recording of Lelouch's. Let's not beat around the bush, shall we?"
"Look, he didn't tell me anything, just that you would have the answers," the redhead muttered irritably, crossing her arms and looking away. "And on that note, I'd appreciate some goddamn answers, by the way."
"When we get to where we need to go, you'll understand everything," C.C. replied, lips quirking, a whimsical note in her voice as she took a slow swig of her water, leaning against the counter of the kitchen. "Besides, I don't like explaining myself twice."
"Why would you have to explain yourself twice?" Kallen questioned confusedly, brow furrowing.
"Because the other member of our little party isn't here," she responded with a lecturing tone in her voice, as though she were speaking to a particularly slow child, "Speaking of which, you should tell him to meet us. We'll likely need his help."
"Who?" the redhead asked slowly, gritting her teeth in frustration. Why did she ever expect C.C., of all people, to be willing to give her a straight answer.
"Your Zero, of course," C.C. said, in a long suffering tone, setting the glass down. The use of 'your' was not lost on either of them, and Kallen frowned.
"He's not 'my' Zero," she refuted, sounding annoyed. "And where are you taking us? You never did explain that."
"You've been there before," C.C. responded tartly, a playful smirk on her lips. "Both of you. Several times, in fact."
"That's a lot of places," Kallen snapped.
The witch sighed in a good natured annoyance, like a teacher coaching a problem student. "I'll give you another hint, then." She glanced up with an unusually sharp look and the crease of a smirk on her lips. "His mask fell apart that day, and you left him there to die."
The answer dropped into her mind like a hammer, and she wondered how she had ever overlooked such a place.
"Kaminejima," Kallen breathed, eyes widening.
"That's where your enemy lies in wait," C.C. said, nodding, "Tell Zero to head there and wait for us. He'll know where to go, but he won't be able to reach our target until I arrive."
"Why-" she began, furrowing her brow in annoyance and the never ending mysteries that kept standing her way, but she was cut off with a look.
"Like I said, it's annoying to explain twice, so you'll just have to wait," the witch interrupted briskly. "By the way, before we go, I should get Lelouch. I think he's still sleeping, the lazy bum."
For Kallen, it was like all the air had been sucked out of the room, and her heart skipped a beat, muscles tensing worse than before a battle. Her eyes tracked C.C.'s slow, deliberate strides towards the still open bedroom.
No way. No way. No way. After all this, after that recording, after leading us on a chase around half the world, he's still….
Kallen shook her head, trying to clear it of the thoughts that were threatening to overwhelm her. She tried to open her mouth, to say… something. Anything. But nothing came out.
All she could do was watch C.C. disappear into the bedroom, and hear her voice, somehow low and echoing, as though from a distant star.
"Ah, there you are, Lelouch," came the witch's chiding tone. "Come on, get up, get up."
Wait, since there's only one bedroom in this place… and probably one bed… does that mean…
Her cheeks flushed, and her fists clenched in a sudden wash of righteous feminine fury.
"Here he is," C.C. announced cheerfully. "Now we can go."
And the wave of righteous feminine fury was doused completely at the sight before her, and her every muscle unclenched, not in relief, but in sheer, dumbfounded shock at what her eyes were apparently telling her was in front of her.
"C.C.?"
The witch tilted her head quizzically. "Yes, what is it?"
Kallen wasn't sure how to phrase her question, how to phrase a reply, even. Finally, she just went with what was obvious, and pointed at 'Lelouch'.
"… that's a turtle."
"And his name is Lelouch," C.C. said, nodding, giving her a mild look that plainly followed up with 'And your point is?' Secured firmly between the witch's piano thin fingers, Lelouch the turtle lifted its head up once, snapped, and then settled back down. It was a small thing, just barely the size of her hand, and was kind of cute in a reptilian sort of way, she supposed.
She opened her mouth once, twice, three times, but only silence. Finally, with a voice that sounded like a trauma victim after the incident, "… you named your turtle Lelouch?"
"It's ridiculously slow and has an inordinate amount of pride for such a small creature," C.C. replied amusedly, moving towards the kitchen, where a small, clear carrying cage for the turtle sat waiting. "I thought it was fitting. I'm taking him with us because it could be a long trip and he tends to get rather cranky if I leave him alone."
Kallen shook her head. "You never stop surprising me."
C.C. gave her a bemused look as she deposited Lelouch the turtle into the cage and lifted it up, holding it casually in her right arm. "Of course. I'm C.C."
They shared a brief smile, and for a moment, at least, all the harsh words and cold silences and misunderstandings between them faded, and they were simply two old friends who hadn't spoke in a long time and were finally managing to rekindle the old relationship.
But, in this world, such warm moments aren't meant to last, especially not with such dark forces gathering on the horizon.
"We interrupt this program with a special announcement, taking you live now to Tokyo Haneda Airport, where her majesty Empress Nunnally Lamperouge's plane has just arrived," came Milly's cheerful, familiar tone, and her smiling face appeared on the parapet of the landing strip where the Imperial jet sat waiting.
"So Nunnally already left for Tokyo, huh? Things are progressing faster than I thought," C.C. commented airily, and Kallen shot her a curious look.
What does she mean by that?
Before she could follow up on the thought, Milly's voice broke into the silence, and a few minutes after that her suspicions were the farthest thing from her mind.
00000
Milly tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, holding the hair down flat as the wind from passing jets (running escort duty for the Empress) that soared overhead. "The Empress has stated she has come to Japan on a strictly goodwill mission. Undoubtedly she wishes to speak with the National Diet of Japan regarding the recent decision to vote no confidence in Prime Minister Ougi, as well as the motion to secede from the Empire…"
She trailed off, catching sight of armed guards fanning out from the buildings into a perimeter in front of the door of the airplane. "It appears that the Empress is about to disembark from the plane," she announced, peering down the strip. "This goodwill mission has brought both criticism and praise from members of the Empire, some of whom believe the Empress is being too lenient on the Japanese secessionist movement, while others are praising her determination to use diplomacy over military force."
The wind picked up, a howling gale, like wolves moving in for the kill. Somehow, Milly had a very bad feeling in her gut.
"These past few days have been a dark time in the Empress' reign, but I personally believe that she has borne them with greater strength and perseverance than any ruler of Brittania that came before her," she said slowly, and the cold chill in her heart grew. "Her refusal to allow this conflict to escalate has given many hope that a war can still be avoided, and so they welcome her arrival with open arms-"
And that's when Nunnally's plane exploded in a whirlwind force of violence and flame and noise, and everything suddenly went horribly, horribly wrong.
00000
"Oh God."
If believing Lelouch was alive earlier had felt like all the air being sucked out of the room, this was the feeling of having all things warm and good being drained out of the world, like some hungry shadow gnawed away the sun. Outside, she could still hear the peaceful noises of the ocean's gentle ebb and flow, the squawks of seagulls being heard from far away, deafened by the overwhelming, choking silence that strangled everything.
The television screen showed only fire now, scrambling bodies trying to put out the wreckage, trying to hope against hope that something, anything could have survived that.
Kallen clasped her hands over her mouth, and her eyes welled up, stinging so badly as unbidden tears started leaked from the corners of her eyes.
Nunnally was…
"Come on," C.C.'s voice was distant and rough, and Kallen barely acknowledged the other woman's hand grasping her wrist and tugging her towards the door. "We need to go."
Her feet were glued to floor, and she couldn't even process the words.
Just what… what were they supposed to do now? Without Nunnally, the world seemed colder, and darker. Would Brittania be able to continue as it was without its peace loving Empress?
"Kallen."
She looked up, meeting C.C.'s cool eyed, but otherwise expressionless gaze. If she had been in a better state of mind she might have realized it was too calm- but right C.C.'s ability to remain objective was a crutch she needed to keep herself stable.
"I know what just happened is terrible," she said, tone gentler than normal, "But with this, our job is more important than ever. Call Suzaku, tell him to meet us at Kaminejima."
Shakily, Kallen wiped away the errant tears with the back of her hand, swallowed, throat tight, and dipped her head in a shallow nod.
Nunnally… at least you're with your brother now. She shut her eyes, not wanting to break just yet.
When this was over, when they'd caught the bastards who'd done this… then she'd cry.
Until then, Kallen would carry on, and fight for the memory of those she'd lost. She'd done it before after all, and she was getting rather good at it.
00000
The fork clattered onto the cheap plastic table from Gino's nerveless hands as his mouth fell open, eyes wide like saucers as he watched the screen playing out before him in the command tent.
The MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) in front of him was already fairly unappealing, as was the case with most field rations (another reason Gino had gone into the Knights of Round as opposed to the military), but now, with his stomach dropping like an elevator with the cables cut from the top floor, he was definitely not hungry anymore.
This was bad. No, bad was an understatement. Bad stopped being an appropriate adjective three days ago when this base was destroyed. The point where they'd been screwed was when the media found out about what really happened here. Up the creek without a paddle was when Japan moved to secede.
At this point, saying the situation was completely FUBAR-ed might not even work right now.
There was only one thing he could say at a time like this.
"Fuck."
He stood up, abandoning the meal. He needed to act, and fast.
"Keima!" Gino barked, abandoning his usual friendly tone, panic and necessity overriding his normally genial nature. "I need you in here!"
"I'm already here, sir."
"Thanks, Keima," the former Knight of Three said slowly, turning his head to acknowledge his executive officer.
What he saw was not something he expected.
After all, it was pretty damn hard to hear your own Lieutenant's voice and expect a firing squad standing right behind you.
Keima pushed his glasses up, face expressionless as he stood behind the stony faced wall of men between him and what was likely his former commander "I'm sorry about this, Colonel Weinberg, but these orders come from the Chief Cabinet Secretary. You're to resign your command here at Shiroda forward base. I'll need your sidearm."
The five Black Knights leveling their rifles at him said nothing, eyes cold, and he knew there was no reasoning with any of them. They had followed him out of duty, not out of loyalty.
"Since when do you take orders from Hideyoshi, Keima!" Gino snapped furiously, narrowing his eyes, fists clenched so tight they felt like the knuckles would burst through his skin. "What about the Prime Minister?"
"Prime Minister Ougi is being detained as we speak," the Lieutenant informed him coldly, "He is being asked to resign his post, to avoid the humiliation of a vote of no confidence."
"Asked? This is a fucking coup de tat, Keima, and you know it! They just killed the Empress, for God's sake!" the ex-knight slammed his fist down on the table, scattering the remnants of his MRE onto the table. "Since when did you support the separatist movement?"
"I love my country, sir," Keima said softly, and, for a moment, he looked pained, a man trapped between loyalty to the military and loyalty to his country. "I don't want war, but if this is the road my country decides to take, I must follow. I will not fight my own countrymen."
Their eyes met, Keima's pained brown meeting Gino's furious blue.
"Please, Colonel. Don't resist," he pleaded quietly, glancing away. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."
Gino's flexed his fists. Good as he was, he couldn't take five armed men at point blank range, and even if he did, there were too many men here who were likely under the control of Hideyoshi and the secessionist movement now. A firing squad and his lieutenant were one thing, but an entire regiment was a different story.
"Fine," he muttered suddenly, slowly, deliberately laying his sidearm down on the table. "This meal tasted like crap anyway."
Keima's lips twitched, one of the few times his jokes actually made the stony faced Lieutenant smile. One of the Black Knights moved forward and took the gun from the table, handing it over to the Lieutenant.
"Oh, now you laugh at my jokes," Gino joked, grinning. If you can't go down swinging, go down laughing, right?
Keima pocketed Gino's gun, paused, and, after a moment of deliberation, saluted crisply. "For what it's worth, it's been a pleasure, sir."
"Wish I could say the same," the former Knight of Three replied, shaking his head. "But circumstances being what they are, I'd be lying."
They shared a brief grin, before the moment faded, and Keima looked away again.
"Take him out back," he instructed, sounding hollow and tired. "You know what to do after that."
The Black Knight in the center, a barrel-chested Corporal, stepped forward, prodding Gino with the barrel of the gun. "Arms up. Let's move, Colonel Weinberg," he ordered, tone gravelly. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."
"Yeah, yeah, I got you, no need to push," the ex-knight muttered, shaking his head, holding up his arms in the classic 'surrender' pose as he was marched out of the tent.
He risked a glance around. Outside, the protestors remained barred from entrance, likely oblivious to the sudden coup that was taking place in Japan right this very moment. They'd taken advantage of Nunnally's kindness and used it to decapitate the Brittanian government with a single stroke. With the Empire scrambling to regain control, Japan could easily pull together a new army out of secessionist Black Knights and whatever forces they were keeping in reserve. Xing-ke would be forced to respond, and who knew which side Toudou would take?
What's more, without its peace minded Empress, Brittania would abandon its attempts at diplomacy in favor of military force to strike back at Japan in outrage at this assassination, and everything they'd been working to prevent would come to pass.
Gino gritted his teeth. We've been played so easily.
Was Ougi even alive right now? Were they just going to shoot him too?
No, they couldn't yet. They were trying this as official as possible. Killing off a Colonel was one thing, but killing a Prime Minister would cause a mess of problems that they couldn't afford right now.
Besides, Zero was with him. If anyone could manage this crisis now, it would be him.
Unfortunately, it also meant Zero was all the way in Tokyo, along with whatever other allies that Gino had, and that they were all far, far away from Kyuushu, too far to help him.
Never thought this would be how I'd go out, Gino thought, more glum than frightened of the impending execution. Always figured I'd go down a little more… heroically?
His lips quirked. I never even managed to get a date of Kallen.
Speaking of whom… he was grateful she was out of the country for this. Hopefully she would get the news and stay far, far away, and not let her feelings get involved. Brittania would need her, odd as it sounded.
"This is far enough, Colonel," said the Corporal from earlier. "Turn around."
The familiarity of the sound of rifles being cocked and ready caused a bit of melancholy in him.
Was this all he'd known throughout his life? Fighting?
Seemed like kind of a waste now.
"Don't I get a last request?" Gino asked lightly, the corner of his lip curling up in the barest crease of a smile as he kept holding his arms up. "You know, a cigarette or a kiss or something?"
He paused, as if considering something, and tilted his head. "Well, not a kiss from any of you, of course. I'd much rather a pretty girl. Redhead, if possible. I like redheads."
"Sorry, no last requests today," the corporal replied icily.
"Not even a blindfold?" Gino continued airily, raising his eyebrow. "You guys are a terrible execution squad. Aren't you supposed to tie me up against wooden pole with a white blindfold and a cigarette? And you're supposed to have some guy having a dramatic count to three. Or is it three and then go? Does anybody know which it is?"
"You're a funny man, Colonel," the other man said, a hint of bemusement in his voice, and cracked a faint smile.
"I try," Gino quipped, smiling back.
The corporal warm expression faded, and he jerked his head coldly.
"Shoot him."
The terrible sound of gunshots, a manmade rumble of thunder, rang out.
And, like a falling star from Heaven, a body fell to the barren, empty ground, lifeless.
Author's Notes
Again, in case you missed the note in the previous chapter, I am now breaking up the last two chapters into two parts, as, like many readers noted, the length of the chapters was a bit clunky and harder to read.
This chapter's title is a reference to one of the chapters of Bleach, the full title being Countdown to the End: 1 (Only Mercifully).
Hanekoma Tokugawa, Hideyoshi's aide, is also a nod to another character in The World Ends with You. His first name is a taken from Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose first name went to Hanekoma's boss.
Corporal Satonaka is a reference to Persona 4's Satonaka Chie.
Why Cancun? Because it's beautiful, and hey, why not have C.C. living it up as best she can, right? I never understood why people always make her (and sometimes Lelouch) live in someplace cold or something. Lelouch the turtle is one of my personal favorite scenes. I might write a fic in the future that features him and C.C. more prominently.
The line from this last scene where the corporal goes "You're a funny man" is taken from Casino Royale's torture scene.