Author's Note: Happy Holiday!!! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year. My sincerest appreciation for your patience :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass in any way or form.
Recommend: For best viewing pleasure, set your width to ½.
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Chapter 7
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The first time he saw the green-haired girl was in a painting when he was visiting the family mansion in Liverpool.
"Who is she?" his five-year old voice chirped. His tiny finger pointed at the portrait. The girl dressed in a satin, blue gown, sitting on a bench in a garden.
His grandfather's slouch form paused in the track, his cane stilled on the plush carpet.
"She was the one who safeguarded our ancestors," he smiled down at the curious toddler.
"Like a goddess?" he asked.
The older Bristol's smile widened. "Yes, my little Nicolas, just like a goddess who watched over us," his big palm patted him gently, "And if you ever see her again-"
"But she will be an old girl."
Grandpa laughed out in delight. "That's my boy," the old man leaned in and grinned mischievously. "But goddess does not grow old like us, and when you happen to see her, recite this and she would know who you are…"
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Nicolas could scarcely believe that the fairy tale that he had been told as a child was now in front of his eyes. Five generations of Bristol waited for this very moment to fulfill their allegiance.
His hand felt for the small of his back and unsheathed the bejeweled ceremonial dagger that was passed down from his father. He flipped the blade to extend its hilt to the girl, a formal gesture of a liegeman to his lord, and his eyes met the quizzical golden orb steadily. "Your blood is our blood, your honor is our honor, and if ever Clan Bristol could serve you or yours with blood or treasure, we are yours to command."
********
Kallen heaved for one last time, strained whatever might that she had left on the most exhausting day of her life and forced open the heavy hatch. The last pulsar discharge against the hideous monster took every last fleck of energy, everything down to the emergency ejection system. She had no way of knowing what happened to Gino or to the thing that she fired upon.
She scrambled out of the narrow opening, gun in hand, fully expecting to be shot at upon her exit, but the startling silence dawdled her movements.
Not far away from where she landed, a small gathering of soldiers were working diligently on a prone form on the charred floor. A large numbers of Imperials gathered a good distance away from them; no one seemed to notice her emergence.
Then a shuffle of bodies revealed the luminous green hair that would only belonged to one person.
"Lelouch!" Kallen rushed forward. And there is only one person that C.C. would cradle in such manner.
"Halt!"
"Drop your weapon!"
"Drop it! Drop it now!"
The soldiers had their weapons up and aiming at her in an instant, their warning shouts fell on deaf ears.
Then a shot rang out.
********
The words were just about to tumble from her lips, when a gunshot rang out behind her and the bullet ricocheted off the floor nearby.
The offspring of Bristol, the man named Nicolas instantaneously revered the direction of his weapon and interposed himself between her and the source of the attack. And so did everyone that followed him forward when Lelouch regained himself.
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C.C. was genuinely surprised that such chivalry still existed. The name sounded distant, but the recital and the pledge were sincere. There seemed to be little dispute with the rest of the soldiers that came with Nicolas.
"Ma'am." A stocky solider approached warily from the side, and draped a rough blanket over her starkness and Lelouch, deliberately not looking in her direction. The man retreated immediately back to the small circle of whispering soldiers.
"Is this what I think it is?"
"Yes."
"I don't fucking believe it…"
"What the hell is going on-"
"What should we do, Sergeant?"
"Listen, all of you," C.C. heard Nicolas's voice, "what I am about to do is considered to be treason by many, but it is something that I must do-"
"How is saving the emperor consider to be treason?" a voice sounded with good humor, at that everyone peered at her direction. "It would be treason if you are taking all the glory," the same man added with a smile.
"Do you have to be such a cheeky bastard all the time, Ingram?" Nicolas grunted.
A few murmurs and nodding heads were all it took for them to fall in tune and start treating Lelouch.
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"Lelouch!" two voices resonated at once. One with dreadful apprehension, the other was in rancorous fury.
She turned slightly toward the male voice when the second shot rang out, this one missing wildly.
Gone was the angelic feature and eloquent grace, instead, a face marred with blood and angry scrawls, the second prince of Holy Britannia Empire, limped clumsily from the burning wreckage, his attires ragged and smoldered.
"Lelouch!" Schneizel snarled again. His gun swung forward…
A loud burst shot away the pistol and shattered his hand. He cried out in pain, his crooked face reflected as much, his voice shuttered, "Even in death, you defy me." He gritted his teeth. More men moved beside Nicolas, forming a human wall in front of her and Lelouch.
A tousle noise beside her announced the arrival of the fiery-haired pilot, but C.C. kept her eyes on the wounded prince before them.
Schneizel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, when they reopened, his features were once again composed and graceful. His left hand withdrew a small device from his torn coat, of which everyone flinched slightly.
With a calm and even voice, he extended it toward them. "With our life, the world shall have pe-"
Another shot rang out, this one from a completely different direction. The still handsome, saintly feature of the second prince of Britannia distorted in surprise, a puff of pink mist burst out from the side of his temple and with another three-round burst exploding his face a second later.
********
Manser tossed the pistol back to the captain that he snatched it from, leaving behind his jaw-dropping adjutants and bodyguards and trudged forward toward the small gathering.
"Secure that device," he nodded to the headless corps of his former lord and stared into the eyes of a SAS Sergeant.
"Who do you have there, sergeant major?" he motioned.
The Sergeant almost snapped to attention but caught himself. His eyes roamed across the ensemble of men, clearly stunned by what had just transpired.
"Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia," a feminine voice announced from behind the speechless Sergeant.
"And who might you be?" he asked the naked girl who emerged from the rank, focusing on her eyes.
"I am his proxy," she stated simply. Her golden orbs stared back unflinchingly. Manser found himself to have no other reason but to believe her. After all, she was the one who tamed the Demon King and brought back the young emperor. He was there when the carnivorous jaw gnawed into her forearm, and the ensuing reclamation. Without pause, he pulled at and attempted to straighten his wrinkled uniform, snapped to attention and with the brisk clack of his heels, with every accompanying officers mimicked a split second later.
"What is thy bidding, my lady?"
********
A stalemate.
Hong Gu stared into the master plot with consternation. The untimely Imperial counter offensive hurt him badly, but thanks to the quick thinking of his commanders, they were able to moderate the loss to an acceptable level.
Neither side possess enough firepower to destroy the other, although the formidable Lancelot Albion could easily tip the balance of power toward the Imperials, but ever since its initial pass over his battered formations, it kept an watchful eye on the upper quadrant of the sky fortress, denied any of his attempt for a swift capture of the command nexus.
The corridors inside became the battleground and ever junctions turned into the focal point of the conflict as both side funneled in men and equipments in a contest of willpower over the domination of the sky fortress.
The Federations had the advantage in numbers and aptitude in close quarter combat but the Imperials were well armed and heavily entrenched. Few of the units in the first wave enjoyed the initial confusion upon landing but most suffered hideous causalities once the hostility was initiated. He and his staffs were hoping that their new combine-arm tactic – mixing battle frames with infantry units would yield favorable conditions. But the estimation proved to be overly optimistic. As reports flooded in, it became evidence that the Imperials were well prepared for his assault. Some casualty figures reached as high as seventy-five percent, in few cases, complete annihilation. It seemed odd to him that virtually all defending units possessed anti-frame weapons of some kind, and there were sporadic reports suggested heavy combat prior to the breaching operation.
Fortunately for him and his men, they were able to gain access to the main hanger after the missile bombardments. And his engineers were working tirelessly to restore the overloaded shield generators in hope of refuting additional reinforcements to the Imperials. More importantly, his weapon specialist assured him that the Imperials no longer had direct control over the F.L.E.I.J.A. However, without capturing the command center, the fearsome weapon is of little use to him as well…
"General." His deputy approached him. "We detect surface vessels approaching our position, and…" He hesitated. "We can't allocate enough units to confront them," the man trailed off.
Hong Gu pursed his lips, he had allow the possibility that Imperial would furnished reinforcement before his own arrived. But he did not count on those terrible waves of missile bombardment to wither his numbers by such a great margin.
"General," another lieutenant approached with a folded message.
His eyebrow arched up and a thin smile graced his lips. He handed the paper to his deputy.
"Evacuate the staff; we are relocating the headquarters to the Damocles."
********
Everything went by in a flurry of motions.
She was vaguely aware that someone had relieved her sidearm that she held with loose fingers. She spared but one glance as Gino was pulled from his crushed battle frame and placed on a gurney. And C.C.'s monotonous directives were like a heedless reminder of things that should be carried out only by herself. But at that moment, all Kallen Kouzuki could focus on was the bruised and batter form of Lelouch vi Britannia, the man that she betrayed twice before, the man she loved more than herself.
All my fault. Her self-loathing regurgitated in full force.
Looking down at their entwined hand, the barely concealed bruises underneath the thin sheet, the faint perspiration on his visage and the short, shallow breath. She couldn't hold back the gush of regret and sorrow from brimming, soddened her cheeks.
Only if I had more courage…
"Courage derives not from bravery but confidence," C.C.'s callous tone interrupted her self-pity, "And confidence comes only from faith."
Kallen blinked. She looked up at a pair of golden eyes which gazed down at her with impassiveness. No longer bare, C.C. had already changed into a two-tone, tight-skin outfit that showcased her fabulous contours. And before she could ask questions, an Imperial officer approached with haste.
"Milady, Viceroy Nunnally refused to leave the sky garden, she requested audience with the emperor in person."
C.C. snorted lightly, "So head strong, just like her brother."
"And she holds the second detonator," the officer added in a whisper.
"Am I wrong?" She smirked.
"Milady?"
"It was nothing, a working one?"
"Apparently so," the older man nodded.
"And the rest?" C.C. said it almost like an afterthought.
"Lord Gottwald has re-positioned his forces as per your instruction. The first transport should be arriving inside five minutes. We have conceded the lower half of the fortress to the Chinese and have firm control of key junctions; at this rate we can deny the control of Damocles indefinitely, and with more-"
"General," C.C. cut him off coldly, "Damocles is useless without the F.L.E.I.J.A., and yet we have to prevent the Federation from duplicating the technology…and that leaves us only one option."
"My apology, I fully understand." The older man lowered his head in embarrassment.
"Continue your phase withdraws." C.C. started walking.
"But milady, the transport-"
"Evacuate the emperor onto the first available medical shuttle." She paused in midstride, she turn back and her eyes settled on Kallen and their hands.
Kallen's lips trembled with dread. It was so hard, begging for something that she wanted to do the most. But she already made up her mind, even if the world turn against her, she would stay by his side.
She closed her eyes, hands clutched on his flaccid fingers, summoning courage and trying to save herself from as much humiliation as possible, "Hm…m…may I-"
"When did you ever need my permission to do anything?" C.C. snatched away her words. "Aren't you his Q-one?" C.C. leaned her head to one side. "Your order is with him."
Her green tresses whirled around her back before Kallen could respond but she heard C.C. spat, "I don't remember ever being your secretary, you can tell her that yourself."
Kallen's eyes stayed on her with bafflement as C.C. rejoined the group of waiting officers and the medics started moving the gurney toward the lines of waiting evacuees.
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Nicolas's index finger tapped idly on the trigger guard while waiting for the point man, a corporal from the Twenty-First Regiment who arrived with the first wave of assault transport that slipped past the Chinese interdiction.
Their order changed scant minutes before they landed; from neutralize all personnel to reinforcing the garrison, if not for Lady C.C.'s timely intervention. If something were to happen to the communication equipment or if they could not overcome the Federation jamming…the thought alone sent cold chilled to his spine.
He would have follow through with the order and kill everyone in the hanger or be killed in the process, including that pretty army Staff Sergeant that he almost ran into outside the mess hall.
He didn't recognize her at first, until Lady C.C. stopped in front of her and "requested" for her under garments.
My name is Merry. She whispered shyly as she was buttoning up her uniforms.
Ma'am. He was so stunned by the turn of events that was the only word that came out of his mouth. Perhaps he could-
"Clear."
Nicolas's thought blinked back into present. He peered over to Nance, who gave him a nod, his light machine gun ready at the hip, covering the threat axis.
"Milady, this way please-"
Lady C.C. walked briskly past him, the sound of her heels echoed in the empty corridors.
"Milady, please let us-" He quickened his steps to catch up.
"I can handle myself just fine," she replied without pause, but then the pace slowed. "Oh? Do you not think I can fight?" Lady C.C. snickered.
"Ah…no, that was not-"Nicolas stuttered.
"I have led armies across the field of battles," she resumed her brisk pace, "just because I don't like it doesn't necessary mean that I am not good at it…like I have demonstrated earlier."
Nicolas kept his silence; somehow he got the vibe that Lady C.C. was not talking to anyone in his team. But what she said was true; looking back over to the twisted mingles of bodies; before anyone had a chance to shoulder their weapons, Lady C.C. replaced the magazine of her sub-machinegun fluidly, released the bolt with practiced ease and urged the team onward, without batting an eye.
The belligerent sentries greeted them with relief, the Federations had infiltrated all over the level through service access, the numerous corps and the sporadic gunfire accentuated that fact.
"Sergeant major," Lady C.C. intoned quietly, "keep in mind what I told you about the Viceroy." Her hand rested right above the door access, waiting for his response.
Nicolas bowed obediently, "Yes, milady, I will obey your command."
She gave a curt nod, but pause in midstride, "I dislike people who sounded like a pesky old wench, Lelouch," Lady C.C. spat, her hand pressed irritably on the door switch. "Would you seriously think that I will harm my sister-in-law?" A slight amusement entered her otherwise detached tone before she stepped through the open doorway.
********
Nunnally bit down on her lip, drawing a shuddering breath in an attempt to suppress the growing tremor from overtaking her limbs.
Mother, grant me strength. Grant me courage enough to stop Onii-sama from becoming the monster he was not, she prayed silently.
The sound of open doors caused her to flinch noticeably. She held the Key of Damocles high in the air, with both of her thumbs holding down on the trigger, lest those soldiers try anything foolish.
"Please don't try anything foolish." She tried her best to sound calm but failed miserably. "I just wanted to talk to the Emperor."
"What you are doing is foolish." A cold, unexpected voice pierced through the quietness.
"C-C-Two san?" Nunnally swallowed. "Is Onii-sama with you?" Nunnally asked with uncertainty.
"Yes," there are something laced within her tone, was it contempt or pity? "He is."
"C-Two san, please leave Damocles at once, me and Onii-sama have something very important to discuss."
The shuffling of feet and equipments announced the departure of soldiers and then came the slow, measured steps over the stone floor.
"Onii-sama, you are there, aren't you?"
No answer, but the steps are coming closer.
She brought the Key within her embrace, "I know you're here for the Key of Damocles, but I cannot hand it to you. I can no longer sit by idly and watch you bring forth destruction to the world." She summoned all her resolve, her courage and even her desire to open her window to her soul and show her brother that she meant every word that she said.
And standing in front of her, was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
********
"C-Two san?" Nunnally stuttered.
[She overcame the Geass by her own will?]
"Yes." Now out of her own amazement, C.C. took two steps closer to the crippled girl.
"Where…where is Onii-sama?" the young girl asked, her eyes gleaming. "I have been waiting for his arrival-" she clinched the scepter-like detonator closer.
C.C. stopped mere feet away from her, glaring down at her coldly, "So you can do what?"
Nunnally was taken aback by the coldness, but then she raised her chin purposefully, "so the world would have peace."
[C-Two, wait-]
Before C.C. realized what happen, her arm lashed out like a striking serpent, and slapped across the younger girl's shock stricken face, hard. The sudden rush of fury was unexpected but welcoming.
[C-Two!]
"What-" The younger girl's eyes widened in shock, one hand rubbing her now swollen cheek.
"Silence!" C.C. snarled. "You- you of all people should've known him better!" the accusation came out like a spit.
"I-" The light shaded purples were brimming with tears.
"Some petty men fed you with petty words and you bought into it so easily," she spat. "For all the blind men and women that I have encountered, you are the most brainless."
[Stop this-]
"I am not done yet!" Her voice was rising. "Did you not have the slightest clue how much pain and heartache that he had suffered for you? That this suicidal finale is how you repay years of his painstaking care? This is how you repay his love?" C.C. was shouting near the end. The tinkling sensation underneath the scalp enthralled her. It had been too long since her last emotional outburst and she took pleasure by the sheer intensity.
[C-Two…] Even Lelouch seem awed by her fierceness.
The wheelchair-bound girl doubled over as if punched in the belly. The sob that escaped her petite hand sounded both heart torn and agonizing. "I am sorry, I am so sorry…" Her voice was muffled by the still covered hand. "Please forgive me, onii-sama, I didn't know you have suffered so-so much for my sake. I don't want you to- my gosh!" Her hand reached for C.C.'s desperately. "What happened to onii-sama? C-Two san, please tell me onii-same is ok, please tell me that I didn't turn onii-sama into…into that…" Her cheeks were moist by tears, her eyes pleading.
[For God's sake, C-Two-]
"What did you see?" Although her tone was still aloof, the glare in her eyes was diminishing.
"Um…image-images of you…and onii-sama, otuo-sama and okaa-sama. There were others…" Nunnally's unfocused eyes still gleam with tears. But then her feature twisted into one of horror. "Oh my God, what have I done?"
"What Schneizel onii-sama nearly coursed you into doing," C.C. amended. The contempt she had on "onii-sama" didn't go without notice. "Don't think too highly of yourself."
"I have activated the release trigger…" the younger girl confessed in a mush tone, unable to look up.
"So I heard."
[Would you stop bashing her already? She has had enough for one day, if you need to blame someone-]
"Of course I blame you," she snapped. "Not you," she peered at the startled young girl. "If you were to keep Nunnally in the loop from the start, none of you would be in this shithole right now."
"Are you, are you talking to onii-sama?" Nunnally ventured hesitantly.
"Yes," C.C. sighed. "As nagging as ever. Before you ask, yes, he has already forgiven you and no, you cannot stay behind with the Key."
"But-"
C.C. kneeled down so she can look at the young girl level-eyed. "It does not befit the future empress of Britannia to have herself blown to particles." She smiled lightly. Her hand wrapped over Nunnally's that held the Key of Damocles and gently interlaced their fingers over the scepter. She bowed her thumb until theirs was touching and in one swift shove, nudged Nunnally's off and with hers firmly on the trigger.
"No," Nunnally exclaimed. But C.C. already had the scepter firmly in hand.
[What the hell are you doing!?]
"I didn't think it will come to this…" she muttered. "Sergeant Major," C.C. barked over her shoulder. The man appeared out of nowhere before the stone path. "Take the Viceroy back to the landing bay," she commanded.
"I can deactivate the switch," Nunnally blurted out in panic. "Schneizel onii-sama taught me how."
"There is no turning back when the switch was undone. He had anticipated yours and Lelouch's intention. I doubt we could even leave this chamber without triggering the bomb." C.C. leaned down and wiped tears off the younger girl's cheek. "Go back to Lelouch and let me take care of the rest."
"No, it is not supposed to end like this- I don't want this-" Nunnally struggled futilely even as the soldier heaved her over his shoulder.
"Milady, perhaps I can-"Nicolas offered.
"You cannot," C.C. affirmed. "This is my wish, do this and I will hold the vows of the Bristols fulfilled."
The man visibly struggled with half a dozen emotions before the gunfire out made him relented. "Wish you well, milady"
"C-Two san, C-Two san, nooooo-" Nunnally wept brokenly and watched her savior wave goodbye at her with a wan smile.
"The lineage of Geass ends today," C.C. whispered, watching the twin figures disappeared through the doorway.
********
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lelouch seethed, his hands balled into fists of rage…or was it fear? He couldn't tell which one was which. When he came to, he was standing in front of a large painting with C.C. standing beside him. The hazy memory of something dark and brooding still haunted him. It took him little time to realize that he was watching on from C.C.'s perspective. And he did not like the direction where she was taking it.
"What I do best," C.C. replied without looking over.
"How could you be so sure?" Lelouch demanded. "How do you know that the bomb cannot be deactivated?"
"Would you bet Nunnally's life on it?" C.C. looked over her shoulder. "You wouldn't be this naïve, would you? That Schneizel will let the two of you have a chance to work it out?" When there was no reply, she resumed her steps on the marble floor, with Lelouch trudging close behind.
"But it doesn't have to be you," Lelouch protested. "It could be that Bristol guy or anyone of my-"
"No," C.C. stated firmly. "This would be a fitting end for the Witch of Britannia."
That caused Lelouch to stumble in his footing, "End? Ho-How? Why? Wha-what about our child?"
She stopped abruptly. "Should never be born," C.C.'s voice cracked, her features fell. "I don't want to see yet another child tormented by the Geass, especially ours, Lelouch! I can't bear to put an end to our child just like I did to Mao!"
Lelouch was thoroughly confused. What had brought this on? Didn't they just profess their…feelings to each other in this very place? Had that been a dream after all?
"But you don't know that," Lelouch blurred out.
"And you don't know it wouldn't!" C.C. snapped back, tears brimming.
"C-Two…" Lelouch tried to offer his comforting hands but C.C. drew out of reach.
"Your…affection for me made me happy," C.C. whispered. "Very happy for as long as I could remember. Because I knew they are genuine and not from some illusions out of Geass." She met his eyes. "I've made my choice," she turned away suddenly and began her brisk pace once more.
"Wait just a minute," Lelouch made an attempt to grab at her hand, but C.C. shook it away.
"I forbid you to do this to me witch," Lelouch screamed. The sudden outburst caused C.C. to stop cold in her movements. "You will not leave my side again, not without my permission!" His features fell then. "No more sacrifice," he hissed in agony. "Not even at my expense."
"What an ego-"
"Stop this already," he sighed. His head leaned backward in resignation, after a few moments, his eyes open in frustration. "What is it with you and self sacrifice? Let's not even mention the hundreds of times that had happened before my lifetime. You were willing to sacrifice yourself so Mao won't give me away. And you offered yourself in exchange for my safety just earlier today. Was my pledge not enough to assure you now that you need to blow yourself up at the very first opportunity?" he demanded.
Her gaze of silence only infuriated him further.
"You could be doing this for any numbers of reasons, but you know what? I really don't care. If this is what you really wanted, then you shall receive." He stumped away from her and then faded from her view.
********
"That was easy," C.C. murmured with content, but the stray tear rolling down her cheek was anything but. She knew it would be difficult, but her newly awakened emotions almost made it unbearable. It would soon be over, she promised herself. The look in Kallen eyes and the fondness conveyed by their joint hands were enough to finalize her design. For someone as damaged and tainted as she was, not even Lelouch could spare enough love to overcome her darkness – at least that was what she wanted to believe. Her free hand came over her abdomen, and prayed fervently that her child would forgive her selfishness, that he or she would understand her reason behind this-
Flash of illuminations caused her to look overhead. That must have been the Chinese reinforcements that the General was telling her about. She looked down at the Key of Damocles and at up again toward the rumbling footsteps outside. It felt like déjà vu all over again. How many times had she been contemplating her foolishness while waiting for her impending doom? No, she corrected herself. This time was different. This time she found the person she had been looking for her entire existence and she was able to return that love by her own volition-
The elaborately carved double door swung open and the Federation soldiers poured in, weapons leveled at her. A middle-aged man, presumably the commander, walked through the parting crowd. C.C. recognized Hong Gu as he approached with his body guards.
"Milady," the Chinese general greeted her with a terse nod.
"General," C.C. replied impassively.
"Milady, we wish you no harm, all that we required was the Key of Damocles and the means to disarm the warheads."
At least he was straightforward.
"But of course, General, all you need to do is ask," C.C. smiled thinly. She offered the scepter with her extended hand.
Hong Gu's eyes widened, drew his sword and behind the covers of his men.
"Fire!"
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C.C. shut her eyes and waited for her deliverance, her body cringed for the inevitable.
The foyer erupted into a thunderous storm.
The bone crushing pain that she expected from the hail of gunfire didn't come. Instead, her shuttered vision was shrouded by a darker shadow. The loud, sickening sounds of impacting flesh were muffle by-
No!
Her eyes snapped open, and stared into the fiery glint of her beloved.
"What-"
Lelouch leaned in and crushed his lips with hers, robbing her words. It only took her an instant for her arms to wind about his neck, but he caught her right hand, the one holding the damned scepter and wrapped over it.
Then he recaptured her mouth and kissed her again with the same passion that was reciprocated. She was certain that without the "distractions" at the moment he would have push her down on the stone floor and devoured her then.
"…when we are done here witch," he snapped spitefully, breathing hard, between kisses. "…I will have you all to myself." Lelouch broke the kiss. "And this time no one can deny me."
C.C. was trying to catch her breath, the exhilaration of seeing him again made her lightheaded. "But what about Nunnally?" she asked dazedly. "What about her future?"
"Not at the expense of you," he seethed. "Or my child."
"You are such a fool," she croaked, her voice cracked. "You will regret this one day." But she leaned in and kissed him fully, while the dancing dark curtain behind them soaked up all the hailstorm.
"Promise me," Lelouch uttered hoarsely, after their fervent kiss, "no more sacrifice."
C.C. gazed up into his gleaming eyes, nodded once, a thin smile formed at her swollen lips. "Another contract?"
Lelouch smirked back. "It should be rewarded by my outstanding track record."
She feint contemplation, but at the last moment, gave him a light peck on the side of his mouth. "It is done," she beamed.
"So it is." He picked up their joint hand that held the Key of Damocles. "Shall we?"
********
Such trouble that you have wrought for me, Nunnlly. That was what Lelouch told her sister in a not-so-pleasant tone, his stony face betrayed no emotion. Nunnally burst in tears then, chanting endless apologies until she was carried off to the last waiting transport.
I entrust Nunnally in your care. The dark cloak spewed from his back formed into shapes of chiropteran wing, it quivered once and unfolded itself slowly. The pair of beaming ruby focused on her. I need to go to her. He didn't have to explain who "she" was. You have never failed me, Q One.
She could only nod. Her eyes sting with tears. After everything she had done to him, Lelouch still considered her to be his Q One. That was enough for her. It ought to be enough. That was what she kept on telling herself, after watching his departing form through the open ramp, after Nunnally collapsed with exhaustion in her embrace. And even now, looking on through the foggy window at the retreating sky fortress, she wondered if she could have done more for him.
"We have to go back to Onii-sama, please, Kallen-san, I beg you," Nunnally pleaded. Her hands were gripping at her arms so hard she was sure to get bruises.
Kallen brought the frighten girl back into her embrace, who was now crying fully between sobs. "Have faith Nunnally." She stroked her curly hair gently, trying desperately to still her own tremors. "We must have faith in him and what he believes in." She had decided then, if nothing else, that she would continue his legacy, even at the expense of-
I need to go to her. He didn't have to explain who "she" was. Moments before Nunnally was carried in by the soldiers, Lelouch woke suddenly by his own accord. . The hand she was holding twitched slightly, before his red gleaming eyes snapped open. Everyone backed away from the gurney except her as the black mist emanating from his body once more.
"Look!" someone exclaimed.
Kallen didn't have to follow the sound of the voice, because she was already staring at it. The shining speck of magenta appeared at the bottom of Damocles. For a few brief seconds it simply glowed in place, gaining radiance and luminosity, but just as quickly, blinked symmetrically in all directions. The blinding sphere of F.L.E.I.J.A. consumed everything in its path and crumbled it to atoms.
In the aftermath of cheers and tears, Kallen knew, without the benefit of the doubt that the pain in her heart and the tears in her eyes were a testament of her love and respect for the Demon King and his Queen.
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To Be Continued…