Hello again. Like I said, this was written while I was writing the last chapter (can you guess which part?).
To Spunkay – yes, Kallen's eye color was a mistake. All the pictures I have of her don't show her eyes well enough. So I took a shot in the dark. Too lazy to go back and change it. So instead, I now decree that the color once expressed as "blue" will now be called "green" and vice versa! (No, not really. I wish I had that kind of power. U.U)
This was a long chapter for me. 8 pages even without the ANs. Incredible considering I had initially intended to put more events into this chapter. But I stopped myself because I wanted to update this soon and it wouldn't particularly matter one way or the other.
For readers of my other story, I SWEAR I'm going to update very soon. This story is just easier for me to write so I tend to go back to it first. Sorry. ^_^;
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"A Field trip? …Today?" Lelouch asked in confusion. It was early morning and their group sat gathered on the lawn under a large oak tree as they waited for school to begin. Shirley leaned forward and slammed her hands on the cloth they at on as if it were a desk. She gave the prince an exasperated stare.
"How do you not know about it?" she asked. "It's all Mr. Trimmer's talked about for days." Rivalz chuckled and shrugged.
"Come on, Shirl. How many his classes has Lelouch actually gone to this week? Or this month for that matter?" Suzaku and Shirley frowned disapprovingly.
"You really shouldn't skip so much Lulu." She said with a pout. The black haired teen lay back against the tree.
"Why shouldn't I? I don't go and my grades are still better than his." He stated nodding towards Rivalz. The blue haired boy pouted.
"Not that much better." He said. Lelouch raised an eyebrow.
"Are you even passing?" he asked.
"YES, I AM passing, thank you very much!"
"I guess that depends on what you mean by passing." A voice murmured. All heads turned to look at Nina who, at the silence, looked up, blushed and looked away. Rivalz's eyes widened and he stared at her in betrayal.
"Et tu, Nina?" he half asked, half wailed. Milly chuckled and patted the mousy girl on the shoulder approvingly. Kallen had a hand over her mouth and was turned away to keep from laughing. Lelouch smirked at a point well made, Suzaku smiled, and Shirley put a hand over her eyes and sighed in exasperation.
15 minutes later, the group split up. Most went off to their respective classes while Lelouch, Rivalz, and Shirley got on the charter bus they would take to their destination: Britannia's Ancient History Museum – A study of eras before the start of the Imperial Calendar (that's indicated by the a.t.b.).
Lelouch stared out at the passing scenery unseeingly. Every now and then, one of his friends would say or do something that required his attention, but other than that, he spaced out. Which may have been why he didn't notice the two nondescript cars that circled them, at times staying at one side, moving behind, then ahead, then to the other side, in no particular order.
Their bus stopped at the door of the museum their school had rented for the day. Its door opened, ready to release its teenaged load. At that time he did notice the small round object that rolled into the bus, as if someone had tossed it onto the top step. It rolled lazily along, kicked to and fro as the students began gathering their things. The prince leaned into the aisle and carefully picked up the small object.
"Whatcha got there, Lelouch?" Rivalz asked, leaning over the seat to see over his friend's shoulder. Lelouch scrutinized the small ball. It looked harmless. He turned it over in his hands once more, blinking in surprise at the appearance of a small red light. Violet eyes grew wide. He didn't even have a chance to respond before the ball popped open, releasing what had been a highly pressurized gas into the air in a burst.
X=======X=======X
Violet eyes shot open in shock. Their owner blinked slowly, bleary with the smog of chloroform still in his system. He tried slowly to move, but found he couldn't. Not arms, nor legs, or even mouth. His limbs were bound with wire and his mouth covered and gagged with cloth.
Lelouch let out a mute sigh and stared up at the ceiling. It was a dark concrete, illuminated sporadically by a yellow light from outside the room. He turned his head to the right. A set of vertical bars a couple inches apart separated him from a long hallway made from the same dark concrete. The prince turned to his left. His eyes widened.
In the cage along with him were his history classmates. All 18 of them, tied up in some way. Most were still unconscious and those that weren't looked as if they wish they were. Lelouch's eyes narrowed and he scanned the crowd for a moment before his gaze met Rivalz's who was seated position a couple meters away. The younger boy stared at him with wide eyes before raising an eyebrow. What do we do?
Lelouch shrugged and went back to staring at the ceiling. Right now, there really wasn't much they could do. Their mobility was limited to slithering and his mind was still too muddy to consider a way to work with that.
The sound of several loud footsteps captured their attention, waking those still unconscious. 5 men, all wearing dark green jumpsuits appeared in their vision. They were Britannians.
"What should we do with 'em?" One of the men, a large, gruff looking one in his 40s asked. The man at the center of the group, lean but built, with dark red hair and blue eyes leered down at the group.
"Pick one to play with. Leave the others alone for now." He stated. The students gaped at their captors in horror. Play with?
A short man approached the bars gripping them tightly and smiling manically as he peered at them. He raised a hand and pointed at Shirley.
"That one! That one! The one with the tits!" He shouted. Several of the men grinned in delight, clearly agreeing with his tastes. Lelouch, Shirley, and Rivalz's eyes grew wide. The girl let out a muffled squeaking sound and tried to retreat into the wall behind her. The leader's eyes trailed her body before rolling. He let out an exasperated sigh.
"No." he stated. All heads turned to look at him.
"Why?!" His men whined.
"The last thing we need is leave a DNA trail through a child. And that one looks…especially fertile." He answered with a smirk. The girl in question turned a dark shade of crimson, visible even in the sparse lighting.
"To be on the safe side, just pick a boy." The group scowled and grumbled in annoyance. The leader frowned right back.
"A hole's a hole, alright? So either pick one or go fuck yourselves." He growled out. Suddenly happy with their option, the men peered into the cage in hope of finding a decent looking one. It wasn't long before they did.
"He's cute."
"Like a girl."
"You sure he ain't one?" another asked. The group stared at their new target, Lelouch, and tilted their heads. The black haired boy glared bloody murder back at them.
"Aww, look! He's angry!" one cooed. The prince's gaze darkened and for a moment they all stilled. Those were the eyes of a man who would likely chuckle while he tortured someone to death. They seemed to look down at them, despite the fact that he lay below them. As if to imply that they were ones that should be afraid. And they were for a moment, scared breathless.
The leader's eyes widened and he took in a slow breath from his lips. Expression growing into one of lust, of excitement. A manic grin formed on his face.
"I want to be the one to break him." He breathed. His men watched him, the fear slowly fading from them, leaving the old excitement behind. They nodded, grins plastered on.
The large man reached into his pocket and took out a set of keys. Choosing the right one, he slid the cell opened and sauntered over to their prey. Taking care not to look into the teen's eyes – lest he turn to stone – he lifted the slim frame up and onto his shoulder. Shirley and Rivalz struggled, letting out muffled screams for their friend. Lelouch looked up at them from the large back. At his fear stricken face and her tear streaked one. His expression softened into a reassuring one. Calm down, I'll be okay. Both nodded, looking hopeful and preying the boy had a plan. After all, if anyone could get out of this, it was Lelouch.
The prince took care not to wince when he was dropped hard onto a thin mat from the high up place that was the enforcer's shoulder. The leader, Cross, got on the mat and straddled his prize. He smiled at the dark stare he received.
"That's right." He breathed, "Struggle, hate me, scream. Get angrier and angrier. I love those eyes, so calm and yet filled with so much rage. Beautiful." He leaned down and bit at Lelouch's earlobe, his hand trailing down the slender figure and reaching around cup the teen's ass. Violet eyes widened when he felt a finger try to push into from outside his clothing. The teen squirmed, shifting himself as much as he could in the position. The hand pulled away and joined the other in loosening his clothing.
"We get to play him next, right?" the short man asked eagerly. Cross chuckled.
"Oh yes." He murmured against Lelouch's ear, "You're all going to get to play with him. For as long as you want. You're ours now." He finished in a whisper. Lelouch's eyes widened then narrowed, struggling more violently now.
Cross smirked and slammed the palm of one hand against the prince's neck, pressing him into the ground and momentarily cutting is airflow. The man reached into his waistband and pulled out a small dagger. Cross moved his hand so that the crook between his thumb and ring finger were pressed against the pale throat while the other digits curled around it. He took the dagger and pressed to tip lightly against Lelouch's neck, slowly trailing it down, slicing the boy's thin black clothes down the middle. A thin red line was left along the pale skin in its wake.
The captive closed his eyes tightly then opened them again. Tear filled eyes stared unseeing up at the ceiling, mind shattering levels of panic rising inside him. "NO NO NO NO NO." He thought as the situation began to really sink in. "They can't, they can't! Suzaku…Suzaku…where…plea-" he thought, the words becoming more erratic and unfocused as his cloths were fully lost…as his mind disappeared in turn.
Violet contacts slowly dissolved to reveal crimson eyes underneath, the wings of the Geass symbol flapping erratically. Cross pulled up off the teen and pulled the bound legs up so Lelouch lay on his back with his legs up at a 90 degree angle, resting against the redhead's chest. The man looked down at his toy, excited at the look of fear on the boy's face and the feel of the body shaking beneath his own. He grinned and let his fingers trace the ring of the boy's entrance, savoring every second of this moment. Cross blinked slowly when he noticed the change in the eyes that stared up at him. Blood red. They were brilliant, even better than before. His own eyes glittered with glee.
"NO! NO! DON'T! GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!" The prince screamed in his head. Cross' eyes widened and he slowly got up, blue eyes glowing and rimmed with red.
"As you wish, My Lord." He murmured. Lelouch blinked slowly, eyes wide.
"Untie me." He thought. Cross moved to stand behind the teen, drew a knife and began cutting the wire.
"Boss? What're you doing?" One of the men asked. The leader remained silent as he went about his work. The short man growled in annoyance and took a step forward. Lelouch head shot up and he tensed immediately. He glared wide eyed up at them.
"Die."
"Yes, My Lord!" the chorused. Each man drew his own knife and slit his throat. Cross came around to in front of his prince and got to work on the leg bindings, unperturbed by the group suicide behind him. Finished, Cross reached up and undid the cloth around Lelouch's mouth. The teen rubbed his wrists and then his lips before looking up at his captor. His eyes shifted to the tattered pieces of his own clothes, cut up in an effort to get them off him without untying him.
"Give me your clothes." He growled aloud. The leader complied immediately without thought.
"Where are my classmates and how do we get out of here?" Lelouch asked, his voice remaining barely above a whisper.
"The students are in the cells at the left end of the hall. The keys are in Big Ben's pocket. There's a secret passageway up to the main floor in the second to last door at the other end. The swipe card for the door is in your breast pocket." He said. The prince nodded.
"Is there anything or anyone else I should know about?" The man shook his head.
"Not here." He stated. Crimson eyes narrowed as the teen gave an acknowledging hum.
"Thank you." He murmured, "I want you to take your knife, cut off your dick, slit your wrists, gouge out your eyes and die." He stated without any emotion, as if it were a simple chore. Cross' eyes grew wide, and flickered for a moment in resistance. The red became solid again and the man gave him a warm smile.
"As you wish." Lelouch blinked slowly, looked away and sighed. Later he closed the door as he left the room, not bothering to check if his order would be followed. There was no doubt. Outside the room, the teen stopped and fell back against the door. He fell into a seated position and covered his eyes with his hands. He sat there, simply breathing, for several minutes.
"I'm losing my mind, aren't I…Euphie?" he whispered bitterly. His hands fell into his lap and he just stared at them for a moment before using them to push his body up off the ground.
"No thoughts. No thoughts." He sighed out. He made his way down the hall, taking the time to compose himself while he did. If nothing else, Lelouch was a good actor.
Lelouch entered the jail room, footsteps soft without the criminal's clunky boots. He walked up to the cell his classmates were in, the only occupied one in the area. When he began unlocking the cell, the teens looked up. They blinked once…twice…thrice.
"Lu…Lelouch?!" Rivalz cried happily. The black haired boy gave him a weary smile, now careful to keep his eyes unfocused and mind blank. For someone who could rarely be found not thinking, this was a bit hard. Just a bit.
He walked into the cage and withdrew one the knives he'd pilfered from Big Ben when he'd gotten the keys. He untied Rivalz first, then handed him a knife and asked him to help untie the others. When that was done, they filed out of the room and down the hall towards the exit. Lelouch stopped at the right room. Just as he was about to swipe the card, he felt arms wrap around him from behind. Shirley buried her face in her friend's back.
"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered as she slowly pulled away."But, how did you get away?"She asked. Lelouch closed his eyes and smiled calmly over his shoulder.
"I asked."
It was left at that. The other students were too exhausted to care how they'd gotten out as long as they were out. And just by the expression on his face, his friends knew to leave it alone, at least for now.
Later on they would find out that the containment cells they had been in were beneath the museum they had stopped in front of. How the group had gotten that built, they didn't know. As for their kidnappers, they were simply members of an black market ring that had probably been planning to set a ransom on them for some quick money.
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C.C. sat before her accomplice, his face cupped in her hands. She stared into his eyes, at the black Geass symbol that seemed to have grown since the last time she'd seen it.
"It evolved." She stated. Suzaku frowned from his place beside Lelouch. Neither of them had taken Lelouch's recount of the day's events. The brunette had actually crushed the iron he'd been using at the time in shock. C.C. had stopped eating. From the expression on her face, it was clear she wouldn't be eating for several more hours if at all that day. They had been happy, yet unnerved by the death order but refrained from mentioning it.
Lelouch burned the 'new' clothes, showered twice, and then, finally, let his lovers comfort, coddle, and drown him in blissful feelings. Lelouch, being the person that he was, had already calmed himself (mostly) with rational thoughts before reaching home. Not to say that he didn't appreciate their efforts. They had worked wonders on his mood.
"What does that mean?" The youngest member of their group asked. C.C. massaged her temples.
"Remember Mao?" both boys cringed. Damn straight they remembered Mao. "Your Geass is going to continue to evolve until you have no control over it." She stated. "For now, that means losing the need to speak in order to give orders."
"What's next?" Lelouch asked. The girl shrugged.
"We won't know till it happens. In the mean time, you need to wear sunglasses until I can find stronger contacts for you." The prince nodded. He turned to look at his male lover, who winced. Lelouch blinked in surprise and looked away. That's right, although he couldn't use his Geass on Suzaku anymore, the teen could still feel it when it was activated in his presence. He stared down at his hands in his lap. How long? How long would it be before he could look Suzaku in the eyes again? A strong hand took hold of his chin and turned his head. Suzaku stared at Lelouch's face, unable to meet the black haired boy's continuously shifting gaze.
"Damnit Lelouch!" the boy muttered. "Look at me. It's fine, okay? You can't hurt me, right?" he pressed. Lelouch scowled, eyes shifting to stare blankly at his boyfriend.
"I can't hurt you. I can't hurt you." He muttered. The black haired teen cocked his head upwards despite the grip on his chin and looked down at the brunette. "Are you sure?" he asked with mocking sweetness. "I'm not thinking right now. My words aren't commands." He pressed against Suzaku's chest and pushed him onto his back. He leaned down so that their faces were almost touching. His voice sobered.
"What do we know? How do we know? As parts of my contract begin to disappear, how long will it be before you're affected as well? How can we know if it'll affect you if we don't test it out?" he finished with a tempting whisper. Suzaku's eyes widened then narrowed. His Geass activated and Lelouch's body visibly relaxed though he didn't move. Crimson eyes fell closed and Lelouch slowly sat up but didn't move from atop Suzaku.
"We don't know. We won't know. It's the future. So isn't it alright that we can't know?" A voice said thoughtfully. Both boys looked over at the witch. She had gotten up from the bed and now sat at the windowsill, staring out at the moon above them. "Speak no evil, think no evil, feel no evil, and we'll be fine, hmm?" Suzaku deactivated his power and stared up at the ceiling with a sigh. Lelouch simply gazed past C.C. at the night sky.
"It's not that simple." The prince muttered absently.
"Isn't it?" Suzaku asked. "Murderous intents don't do us any good unless we plan to express them. It's not exactly a bad thing to want to wash our hands of them." The Eleven sat up and wrapped his arms around Lelouch's waist. "Or don't you think you can do that?" he questioned teasingly. Crimson eyes rolled in their sockets.
"This from Britannia's Angel of Death?" the prince chuckled. Suzaku grinned.
"Unlike you, my actions don't require thought." Both Britannians balked.
"Is that supposed to make us feel better?" Lelouch asked with a laugh.
"Like hell it is. I don't know which is weirder, the fact that you implicitly insulted yourself, or that you've actually beaten the Black Knights that way." C.C. said. The brunette simply laughed.
"Maybe that's why he's so reckless." Lelouch said. Suzaku shook his head and cradled his chin on the curve between the prince's neck and shoulder.
"Too much thought makes you hesitate to do what your body knows is right. If your instincts are good, the first one will usually be right. Overcomplicating things gets you nowhere, Lulu." Lelouch rolled his eyes.
"I know. All I've done is conquer the world. I could have done so much more with my life." Suzaku squeezed his beau.
"Exactly. I'm so glad you understand." The prince groaned in mild annoyance, causing the other two to smile wider. C.C. got up and climbed back onto the bed behind Lelouch. She moved close to them and wrapped her arms around him, her fingers locking together at his chest.
"So?" she murmured, "Are we okay for now?" Both boys sat in silence for a moment before nodding. Lelouch wrapped his arms around Suzaku and let his fingers tap and trace along the bones that made up the brunette's spine.
"We have to be. We can't afford to let personal afflictions interfere with our goal. And that's okay. To not let ourselves hurt. It's okay because all the pain caused by the means will be outweighed by the end."
"But the end won't be the end, will it?" Suzaku murmured.
"Only the beginning." C.C. said softly.
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There it is, as promised! For some reason, I tend to start and/or end my sections with dialog. It's a bad habit. Like slouching when I type. Dammit. Also, I'm not sure if anyone's noticed, but the section breaks tend to change often. Just because I can't remember what I used last chapter. And if these ANs are too long let me know; I ramble.
I actually considered adding an actual rape in here but decided against it. I have too much going on as it is without having them deal with the trauma of rape. Suzaku's power makes it very simple to take the easy way out. Having the thugs as just some random underground group was another easy way out. I hadn't really intended to do anything more with them…so I killed them off.
I sometimes worry if I go OOC with Lelouch or Suzaku. I think I may be feminizing Lulu sometimes. But, geez, LOOK at the guy! It's pretty hard not to feminize him. Sunrise did a great job of making him…I suppose I can't use the word manly, but you get the idea.
Looking back, I'm sad…or rather, mad at myself. I haven't actually introduced Nunnally and Schneizel into the story yet. I will soon, definitely.
Anyway, please R & R.