Knighta or Justice?
Chapter 4: "The Princess and the Purpose"
by AstroCitizen
Mount Justice, arbow, MichiganhRhode Island (a.k.a. The Cave or The Secret Sanctuary)
United States of America
The Retaliation plus one day
"NO! Please don't!" Nunnally screamed.
"Too late," one of her unseen tormentors, a boy, sneered at her.
"You had your chance, princess," the other, a girl, added.
She was alone, and she wasn't sure where she was. Princess Nunnally vi Britannia had some experience in this area, so her calm hadn't fragmented, not much anyway. Her captors hadn't badgered her with questions about stuff that could allow for an easier invasion of Japan, or breaking into the viceroy's palace. Not yet anyway. What she'd been asked about was obviously meant to affirm who she was, and then what had happened to her since the invasion.
Still, the series of questions, even in the relative comfort she'd been allowed, had added to her apprehension. Finally, tired of waiting for the axe to fall, she'd balled up her courage and pretty much demanded they stop playing nice with her.
"You can beat me up all you want," she cried suddenly, "but it won't do any good! I don't know anything that can help you!"
Now she desperately wished she could take it back. It had only been going on for a few minutes, but time means nothing when you're in agony.
"I can't take anymore! Stop!"
"You're the one who suggested torture, Your Highness. And everyone knows you royals are supposed to be obeyed tout de suite."
"You want it to stop, then give us… uh, give us the command codes!"
"Yeah! And troop movements! Where are they?!"
Nunnally let loose a loud whimper which begged them to stop. She wouldn't be able to take much more, and they knew it, doubling their efforts without pity.
She sensed the girl move upwards from her torso, and Nunnally flung her arms over her head instinctively. A bad move, as she felt the girl's hands grab onto her arm. Her fingers were long and might be considered slender, but they were cordlike, strong with calluses along her forefingers and the tips of her thumbs. Caught in her steely grasp, Nunnally was helpless as, just as she feared…
"PBBBBBTHPTHPTHPTHP!"
… the girl covered her mouth over her forearm and blew a raspberry against it.
Abandoning her feet, the boy had taken over from his partner, his fingers now zipping all around her tummy as he tickled her unmercifully. "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" he demanded to know, affecting a growl in his voice.
The two fronts were too much and in spite of herself Nunnally collapsed into a squirming, giggling ball, nearly falling off the couch in the living room where they'd been talking together.
"Stop it! Stop it! I'm gonna peeheeheeheehee!"
/ * YJ * /
Sometime later, a more composed princess propped herself up on her elbows, allowing the wind to catch and play with her hair. She was outside. At long last, she was outside again.
She was on a beach, or rather close by it. The air had a slight salty taste to it, and there was the sound of waves rushing to and fro in the distance. Taking a bite out of the sandwich in her hand, she faced up at the sky as she chewed contently. She could feel the heat of sunlight but a good breeze on her face kept her cool wherever she was.
"Where" was the main question right now. She'd suddenly fallen asleep after someone had gotten into the shelter, and there was no way to tell how long she'd slept. She knew she had been moved, as when she'd awoken, she could feel that she was still underground but not beneath Ashford Academy. Even before she became aware of the difference in layout, a subtle change in the geology told her it was somewhere else.
This brought her to her captors, whom she was still getting a handle on. So far, she knew they were all teenagers, from her age to probably senior-class old. At first she'd clung to the possibility that they were students who'd accidentally found the elevator and were playing a prank, but that seemed unlikely to happen, nor their getting her past Sayoko.
The one who'd gotten into the shelter had either been disguised as or just looked like Shirley. Also, they spoke Britannian with only regional accents, except one whom she figured was their leader. This meant they weren't spies from China or Japanese insurgents, which was probably for the best, especially the latter. Despite the best efforts of Lelouch to whitewash the truth, over the years she'd gathered enough to paint a frightening portrait of how her half-brother Clovis had run Japan. As such, unless they were from the J.L.F. – and even then she would have needed Suzaku's Tohdoh-sensei right there with her – insurgents would have likely taken turns beating her up for real. At the moment, the most likely scenario was they were from the Euro Ultra-union, but a part of her doubted that too.
Whoever they were, they'd done their best to be nice, she could admit that now. At first, she'd been afraid and responded promptly to their questions, but still she may have come off as rude or superior. The "torture" they put her through had broken her trepidation, but nevertheless she wondered who they were and what they were going to do. In fact, it seemed that now that they had her, they didn't know what to do with her. Like they hadn't totally thought things through.
They'd asked some questions again after she'd visibly relaxed, including her reasons for hiding. As such they got out of her that she'd been living in the Ashfords' panic room ever since Lelouch had called the school in a panic about being seen and recognized about a year ago. With that, her two handlers had promptly gathered her up, slapped together a meal in a basket, and taken her outside. She was now sitting on a blanket over a large slab of rock, possibly part of the breakers when the tide was in, having a picnic.
"There you are," a voice came out from a short way away.
It was the group's leader, whom she'd heard speaking briefly when she first woke up. He was the one who spoke with a foreign accent, one she couldn't identify. He had a mild smell of brine to him that suggested he lived and worked by the sea.
Could he be a spy who poses as a fisherman? she wondered, considering his accent would give him away as a foreigner.
"Hey, Ka – Diver! Hey there, Diver!" the boy, Dash, called out.
"Pardon?"
"Yeah, Dash here was calling out to you, Diver," the girl, who'd introduced herself as Diane, responded, emphasizing his name. "Are Dan and Dawn and the others going to join, too?"
In her mind's eye, Nunnally could see the leader, whom it was obvious had just been nicknamed "Diver," pinch the bridge of his nose as she heard him sigh. Then there was the chuf-chuf-chuf sound of feet upon sand as he walked closer to the slab.
"Diane, did you have to take her outside? She could have eaten in the kitchen, and been more comfortable."
"It looked like shoving that thing over the sand was a bear, come to think of it," Dash muttered, facing away toward where her wheelchair stood. Diane shushed him for it.
"Nunnally's been living underground since they found her brother alive," she said defensively. "I couldn't stand the thought of not taking her out for a little while."
"That was very considerate of you, and I am sure the princess appreciates it," Diver said. "But she is not a guppy who followed you home for you to indulge and pamper."
"'Puppy'," corrected Dash. "You said 'guppy'. It's a puppy who follows you home."
"Not where I am from," Diver responded with a touch of amusement.
Nunnally heard Diane groan in mild irritation at this. "Like I was saying, we just took her outside to get some sun. And Dash was supposed to leave a note in the kitchen saying where we'd gone."
"Yes, and I eventually found it… on the floor," Diver responded.
There was pause, then Dash sputtered, "Hey, she dared me to box up the food, get the blanket, and have things set up before they got to the beach. And it was in the kitchen, like she said." There was another pause, during which Diver apparently gave Dash some kind of a look. This prompted Dash to whisper to Diane, "Okay, you're wearing your school uniform on three dates, now."
Nunnally had heard them perfectly well, provoking a giggle.
"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" Diver asked.
"I'm… starting to," she responded as she faced him, carefully testing the walls of her new prison.
As she said so, she felt around and, finding the picnic basket, fished around for another sandwich. Finding a normal-sized one, as opposed to the quadruple-deckers Dash made for himself, she plucked it out. She then tossed it into the air, where the large dog – huge, really – that had accompanied them easily caught and ate it.
She turned her face towards where she'd first heard Diver's voice as others came up the path. There were three of them, one of whom called out to them when they were closer. "There you guys are! I was about to break out my dousing pendant."
Nunnally tensed up at that voice. It was the same girl who'd disguised herself as Shirley and found the bolt hole. She was the one to blame for her being taken from home. Such as it was, Nunnally admitted to herself.
"Princess, please stay here," Diver said to her deferentially. "We need to talk amongst ourselves for a moment." He then whistled and told the dog to stay, making sure she had a guard… or perhaps so she wouldn't try to escape. Either way, he stayed as ordered and flopped by Nunnally's side, encouraging her to pet him.
Pushing the picnic basket and thermos next to her for easier access, Dash and Diane got up and, with the crunching sound of sand underfoot again, walked away to meet the rest of their group.
/ * YJ * /
DASH: So, what's the update? How upset is the League?
GIRL #1: I'm not off the team or anything. Not everyone's happy I kidnapped the princess, but they get why I did it.
DIANE: You were thinking of Greta, weren't you?
GIRL #1: [silence] He buried her so he could run off and do his own thing, so… yeah.
DIVER: Zatanna, I can see how the viceroy's actions may have reminded you of Harm, but Princess Nunnally is plainly still alive. Her brother was hiding her to protect her from their family.
BOY #1: Doesn't really change the whole "upside-down Anne Frank" situation, Kaldur. And trust me, I know about living underground half the time.
DIVER/KALDUR: His methods may be questionable, but his actions speak for themselves. From what we've gathered, Lelouch is actually one of Britannia's more humanitarian governors. Since taking over, he's freed up the laws his empire loaded upon the Japanese.
GIRL #2: Oh, so in addition to making the trains arrive on time, he's guaranteed the natives standing room at the back. Let's throw him a parade. [slow clapping, which suddenly stops]
DIANE: Please don't. My dad practically invented that.
GIRL #2: Oh. Sorry, girl.
DIANE: Which leads right back to the heart of the problem… with some families, blood means no more than [snaps her fingers] that. Do we really want to give her back to him? To any of them?
DIVER/KALDUR: Such things are out of our hands. The League is sending a small squad to confront the Britannian royal family, to give both notice and an opportunity for them to sue for peace. Where it goes from there, what happens next, determines our next move.
GIRL #2: Which means either more fighting but no telling when and where, or standing around while a deal barely worth its own paper gets fussed over.
DIANE: Maybe both. Do we honestly think the politicians can handle this?
BOY #1: We're already involved, hand-in-hand with the government. The League wouldn't have been able to secure all those people in China without help from Checkmate.
DIANE: [sighs] I suppose they have to do something to look like they're on top of things.
GIRL #2: 'scuse me, but is anyone else worried about those Checkmate guys? That's not something that got thrown together; that was something that's been in the works for awhile.
DIVER/KALDUR: My king has on occasion mentioned world leaders grousing that they depend too much upon the League for dealing with the unusual, Rocket.
DIANE: Don't remember anyone complaining when cities were getting covered in mutant kudzu last year.
DIVER/KALDUR: Nevertheless, the sentiment is there: They want an agency immediately answerable to them, and Checkmate it seems will provide that answer.
GIRL #1/ZATANNA: Yeah, but how much longer before we become the unusual? I don't want us to wind up like the J.S.A.
DASH: Let 'em try, "Z". Until then, a little less work for us, right?
BOY #1: Speaking of how things are being handled, the word is that everyone stays where they are for now – raiders and other soldiers at Guantanamo, cultists and their kids under medical observation, ringleaders in this specialized prison they're calling "The Brain Trust," and Sir Psycho-pants in Arkham. Those goons Wonder Woman brought in are the exception, but that's to show Britannia they better take us seriously.
GIRL #2/ROCKET: What about Audrey Hepburn over there? [silence] What? I watch old movies, too.
BOY #1: Kind of up in the air. Before anything, the Manhunter wants to examine her, find out how real her hysterical blindness is.
DIANE: He thinks she's faking it?
DIVER/KALDUR: I'm afraid that it is nothing so mundane. Given the Britannian emperor's involvement in psychic research, it is possible her condition is not unlike Red Arrow's programming.
DASH: If that's the case, why wait for him? Megan was able to clear up Roy and Conner, too. Let her reboot Nunnally's noggin.
BOY #1: Miss M's still taking care of Conner. Between his reaction to Sakuradite and the fight with Chemo last week, he's going through another bout of Slapper-depression.
GIRL #1/ZATANNA: Plus, if it's anything like magic, Cadmus programming may be apples and oranges to what this Geass is. Better to play safe and let Manhunter do it.
BOY #1: Well, I hope that he's right. If so, it shouldn't be too long before she can see again.
DASH: Yeah, I bet she'd love to see your old trapeze act.
BOY #1: If I couldn't see for a long time, the first thing I'd do is go and just people-watch somewhere, like at the mall. But, us putting on a little circus act again… that's a thought.
GIRL #1/ZATANNA: [Milly-ishly] Oh, yeah… back in your white tights and red bolero jacket, huh, Danny?
BOY #1/DANNY: Hey, wait, I-I didn't mean it like that, okay?
GIRL #2/ROCKET: Not that I'm not interested in this but… "Danny"? Since when are you Danny?
DIVER/KALDUR: It is just "Dan," actually. For security purposes, "Diane" here has taken upon herself to resurrect, and to expand, a cover identity the Team once used for when we are around the princess.
DASH: Yup. He's Dan. Conner and Megan are Dean and Dawn again. Red Arrow is Dane if we see 'im. I'm Dash, obviously. We've decided you guys are Diver and Kadabra, which leaves…
GIRL #2/ROCKET: [silence] Call me Daisy, but not if we run into Static, okay?
DASH: That "Black Lightning, Jr." kid? Never even met him. What's the problem?
GIRL #2/ROCKET: Just some secret identity stuff I accidentally heard him say once. Just… don't bring it, up, 'kay?
BOY #1/DAN: Diver, Daisy, Dash, and Kadabra?
DIANE: And Doggie. Wolf is Doggie around her.
BOY #1/DAN: [groans] C'mon, Artemis! We're the Daring Dangers, not the Beagle Boys! And I'm not doing any kind of Cirque du Soleil performance for anyone. Not in that getup.
DASH: I just said trapeze act, dude. You're the one who brought up the French spandex crowd.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: [feigned horror] Oh, the zoo-manity. [laughs]
GIRL #1/ZATANNA: The Daring Dangers… those were the gypsy circus troupe i.d. you guys used in Europe, right? Megan mentioned that to me months ago.
DASH: Whoa, that was a lot of M's. [silence] Waitaminute! If you'd called yourselves The Masked Marvels, that'd make my name Minus, right?
GIRL #2/ROCKET: As opposed to… ?
GIRL #1/ZATANNA: Anyway, it's not a bad idea to dust off if we have to go back again undercover.
DIVER/KALDUR: A strong possibility. In the meantime, once Manhunter has examined Nunnally, for better or worse, a more permanent situation will be arranged for her.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: Why can't she stay here?
GIRL #1/ZATANNA: In the cave? The entire reason I brought her here was she was being treated like a jealous king's daughter in some fairy tale. And based on the picnic, so do you.
BOY #1/DAN: Exactly. If she's going be a hostage, than she's going to be our hostage, with emphasis on the "host". This means she gets to live out in public again with – whaddya call 'em? – other people.
DASH: Dan-o's right. Besides, she used to go to school under a cover identity; I'm sure she can do the same here again.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: Okay, let's consider this. Even if we can fix it so she can see again, we can't just give her lunch money and drop her off at the bus stop every day. She'll still need a school with a good special needs program. Does the school in town even have one?
BOY #1/DAN: Assuming that it does, I'm not sure Conner or Megan can explain spontaneously growing a little sister. Gotham City may be our best bet.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: Bad idea. The kids at Gotham North will eat her alive.
DIVER/KALDUR: Another good reason that Gotham Academy is under consideration.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: What?!
BOY #1/DAN: It does have a good special needs program, and she'll have security.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: Yeah, me. She'd have two guardians if she went to Happy Harb— what's so funny?
DASH: [snickering] Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
DIVER/KALDUR: Artemis, we are not even sure the League will allow the princess to go to a local school during her time here. However, in the event she is, you are best suited for looking after her. You have practical experience living with someone confined to a wheelchair… their emotional needs, the day-to-day inconveniences, things someone unfamiliar might not even think of. But most importantly, you and your mother create a family setting. She needs that far more than bodyguards at the moment, and it would be good for you as well.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: You want me to play big sister? [silence] My family hasn't the best track record with regards to sibling… sibling "valry" I guess you'd call it.
BOY #1/DAN: No, but I get what you mean. [quietly] Guess I'll be the one to help with her English homework.
DASH: You said it yourself, Artemis… "Some families." That doesn't have to be the family you build.
DIANE/ARTEMIS: [silence] Ready to play house already, huh, Dash?
DASH: There's… no safe way to answer that, is there?
BOY #1/DAN: Nope. Sorry, Minus.
/ * YJ * /
Denied sight, Nunnally's hearing had been become uncanny over the years, Rivalz having once badly attempted to compliment her by saying she had the ears of an elephant. Still, a little help every now and then was welcome. While arranging their picnic, Dash had chosen a spot where the wind was blowing towards the beach rather than from it, cutting down on the likelihood of sand getting into their food. Just now, the wind had also been useful in carrying their voices, and she'd caught every word her captors said. While she didn't understand all of it, it had been interesting. And educational.
The bit about them posing as a circus act played across her mind. For some reason, she dwelled on the part about one of them, a young male gymnast evidently, putting on an aerialist act while in tights just for her. She felt herself blush and so abruptly shook her head, getting her train of thought back under control.
Continuing her review, she felt now like she understood them just a bit more, what kind of people they were and their reasons for what they'd done. They worked for some group of people, "The League," that had evidently been contracted by whomever Britannia was now at war with to infiltrate and do some damage to the Empire. This didn't mean they were fighting the battle for them, as the mention of this Checkmate agency – something that could very well interest Lelouch – meant they needed some manpower for large-scale operations.
More importantly, her kidnapping was less ominous now. They hadn't known she was there, they just somehow learned there was a secret place beneath Ashford Academy and one of them, Zatanna, had been sent to check it out. Based upon the connotations of these Harm and Greta people, it sounded like Zatanna had kidnapped her in the spur of the moment, afraid that she was in danger. She still preferred if they'd stopped to talk about it, but knowing her reasons made Nunnally a tad guilty for the ill feelings she'd harbored against her.
While she may have a better grip on who she was dealing with, that didn't fill every void she was feeling right now, though.
As she pondered this, she moved her hand carefully along the blanket by her side until she could feel the thermos. Taking hold of it, she refilled her drink, correctly guessing when to stop by the feel of its weight and the echo of the liquid hitting liquid off the inside of the cup. She'd done all this with precision born of years' experience reading the world through her fingers as much as her ears. Usually, Sayoko or one of her friends did it for her, but she could do such simple things as easily as if she could still see.
It wasn't juice, but rather fruit punch, the kind of "flavored sugar-water" she could imagine Lelouch having kittens about her drinking. With a wicked little smile, the thought prompted Nunnally to take a deep draught of it. She idly wondered what color it was. She wondered if she would have to wonder for much longer.
"The Manhunter wants to examine her, find out how real her hysterical blindness is," Diver had said.
It had taken everything not to exclaim, to pepper them with a thousand questions even though it would show she'd been listening in on them. They'd talked about her blindness as if it were something a doctor's prescription could clear up, or like taking a computer to the electronics club or a fix-it shop after Rivalz had used it. To help her open her eyes again, and to see all that the world had to offer and all that she'd been missing!
And they talked like they'd do it for me no matter what! she said to herself, stifling a giggle that threatened to burst out. They're not going to dangle it in front of me, demanding I do something for them in exchange for it. They'll just do it because it's wrong I was made like this and it's something they can fix and if they can I'd be so happy and grateful so very, very…
Grateful.
Her emotions suddenly stalled out, the exuberance she'd just felt draining out of her. Her gratitude… too often it was all she had to give. Lelouch had once complimented on her smile, saying it was her way of payment for the things she could not do herself. He'd spoken so lovingly, but a part of her had felt hurt, as it hit her how much she smiled for others. If what he said was true, and she never knew Lelouch to lie to her without good reason, than to be grateful all the time meant to be dependent all the time, too.
Suddenly her drink didn't taste so sweet. Thoughts of being grateful, and being reliant on others all swirled around her head. The same circle she'd lived through with Lelouch and her friends was beginning here all too easily.
It shouldn't be this way, she thought. I should be able to depend on myself. I'm a princess of Britannia after all… aren't I?
Somewhere in the world gathering dust – or perhaps decorating a chamber pot in Carine's villa – was a tiny crown, a tiara really. It wasn't a reward, though, but a gift, bestowed upon her by rote of her parentage. "Princess Nunnally" had never been a role she'd undertaken, and therefore not one she'd ever really earned.
Years ago, while she'd still been convalescing from the attack on Aries Villa, her father – in his own, tactless manner – had outlined to Lelouch that everything he had was owed to his title, which was merely a consequence of his birth. Ironically, it was after Lelouch had lost his crown that he started behaving like a prince.
Nunnally had similarly lost any privileges but what Lelouch, and later President Milly, could provide for her. Now those were gone, too. It was now either be utilized by her captors, however a friendly bunch they seemed to be, or finally stand on her own two feet… metaphorically speaking.
Whatever country was at war with the Empire, being a princess was sure to make her technically an enemy official to be detained even if she wasn't put on trial. On the other hand, it also made her somebody important, someone they'd listen to if she was willing to cooperate. She could offer to serve as an ambassador for Britannia, enabling her to contact the royal court and convey that their new enemy was willing to open to a dialogue in spite of the history between them. Another option upon contacting home then occurred to her, as she would be in a prime position, and would be an unlikely suspect, for spying.
But either way, I'd have to show that I'm still alive, she thought anxiously. Lelouch would get into a lot of trouble for telling the Emperor lies about my death during the invasion. After a moment's pause, she continued to roll the prospect around anyway.
Whenever she really stopped to think about it, Nunnally eventually came to the conclusion that Lelouch had dropped the ball, and she was paying the price for it. He'd told her that he didn't want their father to use her like when they'd been sent to Japan as hostages, so he was going to claim she had died. Because of this, she would have to stay hidden until he was in a position where her reappearance wouldn't get either of them beheaded. Caught up in the rush, she'd accepted that logic without hesitation. She hadn't thought about which she would prefer – a limited freedom from a man she feared and hated, or prolonged imprisonment by her loving brother – but then, neither had Lelouch.
Since then, it had occurred that, as intolerant their father was of contradiction or defiance, their safety required nothing less than the end of his reign. But how was that possible? The Emperor retained ultimate power over the best knights, the best army, the best spies in the world, perfect for thwarting any attempt to depose him. And while he was no spring chicken anymore, she remembered him as a huge, healthy bear of a man which time had apparently done little about, so neither was he likely to drop dead anytime soon. As such, she was expected to wait and wait for years and years until Lelouch said it was safe.
How many years? she wondered, becoming increasingly upset. How long before he finally thinks he doesn't have to worry about anyone taking us to task for what he said? Ten years? Twenty?! I'll be over thirty by then… an old maid!
And then there were the conditions of her little haven. The bunker was supposed to be just a stopgap while everyone was abuzz over Lelouch's "resurrection", then he'd move her someplace better for the long haul. He was viceroy now, with more than enough influence to move her some place in secret, somewhere she could begin a new life without anyone getting suspicious. Instead, she'd remained in the Ashfords' shelter like a valued but rarely-used family heirloom at the back of a jewelry box.
She could tell that Sayoko and her friends on the student council felt the same way. However, they'd done little about it, preferring to follow Lelouch's lead. Perhaps that was why in the past few weeks she'd caught herself getting progressively snippy towards them. She wanted to think it was cabin fever, but no… she was feeling betrayed by them as well, as guaranteeing her safety had at some point become more important than she herself was.
Logically, being cooped up for so long in that windowless cocoon should not have bothered her. She'd been blind for years, so it wasn't like she was missing out on seeing things outside anymore than when she was inside, right? It should seem like she was underground all the time anyway, having long been past the point in her blindness where a part of her was always waiting for it to end, like it was caused by a blackout and any moment the lights would blink back on.
But the constant enclosure had actually elevated matters anyway. It denied all the little nuances that informed her whether it was morning, noon, or night, melting them together and skewing her internal clock. All she could sense were the four walls around as she moved to room to room and no more. She was feeling a darkness that was not just a lack of illumination or visual input, but a growing state of mind… Limbo. Being outside again, with the breeze, the sun, animals, flowers in the air, the sound of the surf, had been therapeutic for her. It also hammered it in that her new home had increasingly felt like an oversized sensory deprivation tank.
She came up short at the thought of sensory deprivation. From their conversation, she found out that the League hadn't just infiltrated Ashford Academy, but apparently had good intelligence on – and taken prisoners from – Britannian installations. They had mentioned uncovering her father engaged in psychic research, which she knew enough to mean stuff like mind-over-matter, predicting the future, or hypnotic trances, and so they questioned if her blindness was something that had been done to her.
Nunnally wasn't sure if it was a dim memory that had just popped into her mind, or merely a fantasy based on that suggestion, but a part of her could imagine, could practically see the Emperor standing over her, ordering her to close her eyes and never reopen them. She'd long surrendered to the truth that her father loved only power, power over the world even as he ignored the responsibility that ownership entailed. He'd seek power over the mind itself if the prospect was realistic, surely, and he'd not be above using one of his "lesser" children for a test of what he could do.
And if it's true, she thought bitterly, there can be no forgiveness. Not for him. Not this time. Not for this… betrayal.
While Lelouch could be trusted to rant, ramble, and rave whenever memory of their exile and their father's attitude occurred, Nunnally had always kept quiet. Her brother worried about her enough without knowing how hurt she had felt when she learned how their father had decried them both. And besides, a tiny part of her felt pity for him, feeling half his reason was that he was trapped, a prisoner of Social Darwinism as much as anyone else. She clung to that belief, as it allowed her to understand him, if not forgive him.
Lelouch I can forgive, always. He's hurt me, but only because he's hardheaded. He thinks too much ahead and can forget people's feelings. But Father… if he made me a "weakling" that was useless to him, and then either couldn't fix it or just didn't care to...
Unconsciously, she bit into her sandwich in a way that made the dog whimper and back away from her, but she hadn't noticed. Her mind was fraught with thoughts and imagery, the kind she shouldn't be having, and with effort she calmed herself. She chewed mechanically as she considered all her options.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she came to a decision, but she squared her shoulders and wiped it away. No more tears came, perhaps because there simply were no more, or perhaps because they'd been dried out. Even as the darkness remained, a tiny ember deep within the abandoned princess had begun to sputter into flames.
Before I do anything, before I volunteer my services, before I choose to spy for the Empire, let's find out what more I can glean from them. If they can help me see again, if they can tell me more about what Father is guilty of, what Lelouch and my brothers and sisters have done. Let's see what they can do for me first, and then I'll give them whatever I feel like. I can do that; it's what I'm supposed to do. After all… I am a princess of Britannia.
Cautiously, the hound returned to her side as the aura of malice slowly faded, replaced by cold pragmatism. She ate healthily again, tasting her food and savoring the flavors of her drink as her mind swirled with thoughts of what could be hers if she could play the cards life had most recently dealt.
Eyes to see again, she mused. To know the world around me, to take it for all that it is, both the good and the bad. To, in a way, finally meet the people who share Lelouch's heart with me.
Legs that I can walk upon… perhaps, she added more idly, knowing her legs' wastage was not psychological in nature, but due to multiple fractures, loss of marrow, and damage to tendons. Still, it was something to consider.
Lelouch, she thought – just "Lelouch" – as her list continued. And why? To slap for abandoning her for so long? To scream at and berate for constantly treating her like a child, refusing her to shoulder any of the burden? To tackle to the floor and pepper with kisses, overjoyed they were together again? To laugh at for all his pretensions and willful ignorance, such as Shirley's affections, that even a blind girl could see? To at long last have a good cry with as they mourned their mother? Yes. Yes, all of that, and so much more.
Father. She left it at that, or tried to. She wanted to rationalize and think that it was to look him in the eye and demand answers, to get real justice and not his for a change. But she knew that to be a lie, her feelings too bleak and ugly to articulate, they scared her so.
To be honest, it was "The Emperor" she inscribed upon the list in her mind's eye, and underneath were footnotes of names alongside hurtful words or deeds, courtesy of a number of her half-siblings. She didn't wish to follow these either, as just the thought of seeing the look on the face of Carine when she returned to Pendragon hale and hearty threatened to twist her first wish into something wrong. So she tried to leave it at that.
"My health, my brother… my father," she consolidated with an affirmative nod. It was all she could ever want, less than what most would ask for, and more than one was likely to get in a single life. Eyes (and legs… maybe). Lelouch. And the Emperor.
And my own pet trapeze artist, added a voice that was hers yet had an indefinable difference. A cute boy all tight and muscley like Suzaku but my age who I can—
/ * YJ * /
Without warning, Robin spun around away from the group and dropped into a crouch. But for a curse muttered by Artemis, the rest were silent as they suddenly huddled into a defensive circle, alert for anything coming their way.
As quickly as it began, however, their "battle" ended as an explosive sneeze from Robin sent up a cloud of sand particles.
"Sorry about that," he said apologetically as he stood up again, rubbing his nose with one hand while the other waved free-floating grit away from his face. "Just came out of nowh–wh–what the heck?"
He'd spoken as he turned back around to the group and thus saw as, back at Artemis and K.F.'s picnic, the Britannian princess had started bonking herself on the head with her fist.
"What am I thinking?!" she cried out as she continued to chastise herself, unaware at the weird stares she was now receiving.
"Perhaps," Aqualad suggested after a moment's pause, "we can ask M'gann to do a preliminary scan after all."
Disclaimer: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. Young Justice is the property of DC Comics, Inc. and AOL-Time-Warner.