I'm liking the increased traction we're getting; the last chapter had the most responses so far so let's keep that going. Because of those responses, I made sure to respond to each of them separately as with the last chapter, I forgot to do that. This one had to be reworked a bit, and some stuff had to be removed from the final draft as they didn't serve a narrative role, but I'm happy with the final product. Got even more happiness while writing this, was watching a shit ton of cute dog videos where these massive, intimidating dogs are super gentle with kittens and babies.

Chapter 6: Secrets and Truths

'Can you confirm that?' Xingke asked a question he prayed wouldn't receive the answer he knew was coming. Around him, he and the rest of the Black Knight command had been seated in their main conference hall on Horai island, watching the events play out.

'Yes, sir. Pendragon was hit by a F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead…it's gone.' One of his aides replied, looking like a light breeze would blow them over, not that he blamed them as he too felt that chill.

'That son of a bitch! He destroyed his capital?' Tamaki yelled, his brash nature giving voice to all their mental questions and shock as this was far outside anything that could have ever been expected from the White Prince, who won most of his battles without firing a shot and mainly played his enemies against each other.

'Just how far are you willing to take this? He's not only crippled his empire, but with the UFN representatives taken as his hostages…' Tohdoh ground his teeth together as Nagisa slammed her fist onto the table as the news looped the footage of the representatives being forced onto his transport, all while the bastard stood to the side with that damned smile of his.

'I knew we shouldn't have trusted them! We should have thrown him off the side of the ship when he had the chance.' Xingke silently agreed with Tamaki at the moment. He had never been a fan of Zero, seeing him as a dangerous player, and the masked man hadn't won him any favors for his stunt at kidnapping her majesty at gunpoint. Despite that, he also could see that he was an extremely reliable ally, one of their best weapons against Britannia, so much so that he had been in full support of Chairman Kaguya stripping that buffoon, Ohgi of his command for falling into the same trap that those eunuchs did when they made their deal with Schneizel.

'Xingke.' He was knocked out of his thoughts by Todhoh, who had managed to calm the rest of them down, reminding the General Commander that he wasn't working with the pieces he wanted, but with what he had, regardless of his opinions on them.

'I know. Recall all crew, send word to the rest of our forces that we're departing for Japan as soon as we're supplied.' He stood up as he talked, making his way to the door. 'Call in our Chinese and Indian troops as well, as well as the Britannians as I can't imagine they knew or approved of this. We'll need all we can get if we're to go up against Bri-Schniezel's latest weapons.' He prayed that there was enough of a command structure left for them to open up talks as this was sure to be a battle for the ages and if they lost…

'Are we?' Kallen was filled with anxious energy, she wanted to move at that moment and stop this but at present, she was stuck in an Indian research facility, having been watching the events with the rest of the mechanics, mechanics that were now rushing about, orders being screamed in Hindi as they worked at near breakneck speeds to move supplies and load Knightmares into transports.

'Just got the word, they're loading the Guren up for transport now, we'll be in the air in around 30 minutes.' Rakshata, the ever-calm, replied as she read through a document on her tablet, though she noted she was holding a pipe a little tighter than normal.

'45 minutes? That's too long, I can fly there much faster.' Kallen wasn't about to let that bastard Schneizel any more time to move, she had seen what he had done with Ohgi and the others with only a few minutes, and she didn't want to imagine what threats, lies and half-truths he could be weaving for them. All assuming he doesn't just start disposing of whoever he deems as less useful.

'Patience, my child may have a near-mac speed flight speed, but those energy wings drink energy like an old drunk, you'll need to stop to refuel at least 6 times.' Kallen had to bite back the retort there, even after their month of trials and modifications or as Rakshata put it, 'cleaning away the stench of that Earl of Pudding's touch' from the Guren, they hadn't managed to solve its energy consumption issue. Like the 7th Gens to the 5th Gens, they couldn't stay on the field as long, so they made up for that by trying to allow them to get more down in that smaller amount of time.

'But-' Still, it wasn't like she couldn't meet up with friendly troops along the way, and if they were lucky, she'll arrive almost an hour before the transports could.

'No butts, she's impressive but she can't take on whatever that power-hungry fool, Schniezel's going to be bringing to the table, and I haven't finished any sort of countermeasure for his F.L.E.I.J.A.s.' Rakshata frowned, she wasn't a tactician or a strategist and left that to more capable people, but she wasn't an idiot. She didn't think someone like Prince Schneizel would have made this move if he only had those damned .I.J.A. A situation made worse by the fact that even with the anonymous tip about their designs and details, she still hadn't managed to work out a way to counter them.

'We'll arrive at Horai Island in around 8 hours, it'll take around that time for everyone to get ready to fight so you should take the time to rest before the storm, Kallen.' Instead, she focused on what they could do, this wasn't going to be an easy affair, nor a painless one and they didn't need their ace to be stressed and sleep deprived.

'Yes mam…' Knowing that the conversation was over, Kallen nodded along and turned to leave, wondering about how things could have gone so badly so quickly while praying that they could stop things before they went over the edge. Too many had already died, she didn't care for Pendragon but that was more the nobles rather than the millions of commoners and numbers who would have been caught in the blast. As she returned to her quarters and laid down, trying to get some rest, she recalled how she wasn't able to kill Suzaku, which lead to Tokyo but how she'll make damn sure Pendragon would be the last victim of the F.l.E.I.J.A. and the insanity of Schneizel.

The familiar sound of the jet exhausts of a plane flying through the air woke him, vision bleary, Gino rose from his place spread across a few seats in said plane's cargo hold, the Tristan fastened down near to him. 'Wha…Where am I?' He thought aloud, having no memory of even getting into a place, all he could recall was heading to bed, and…it was a blank after that.

'It's good to hear you're awake, my lord.' He turned his attention to one of the flight crew, the man looking haggard as she saluted him as one would a man of his title. Looking at himself, he was surprised to see that instead of the comfy commoner clothes he had brought with Rivalz that he had been wearing as he went to bed, he was dressed up in his full uniform, crisped and iron with his cape acting as s sort of blanket.

'What's happening?' He asked, wanting answers.

'The Prime Minister has lost his mind, my lord. Pendragon's gone.' He froze for a moment, looking at the crewman with an intense gaze for information, that look being enough for the woman to quickly inform of the events of the last 20 minutes, from how Schneizel tricked the empire, destroyed the capital, nearly wiped out the royal family and now has taken the UFN leadership hostage.

After that quick rundown, he stood up, not even thinking as he strapped his cape back into position, his mind more focused on what he had just learned. 'I knew he wasn't the man he presented but…' He had hoped that with the emperor's death, his schemes would end as it wasn't like Princess Cornelia seemed concerned, and his reasons had been reasonable, Emperor Charles wasn't fit to rule, so he didn't suspect that he would attempt his schemes with his elder brother on the throne. 'What about the others?'

'Dead sir, they had all be called back to the Imperial palace before the attack.' This was news to him, but considering the time, he had at least 18 hours of memory missing so Emperor might have wished for his Knights to be present for what was supposed to be a first step to neutral cooperation for a better world order.

'I… was supposed to be there, how am I still alive?' That was another question he wanted the answers to, as he couldn't for the life of him understand how and when he got into this plane, nor recall any orders to deploy.

'Devil's luck, I would say. You ordered us to load your Tristan for transport last night and arrived just before we took off. You seemed dazed and tired, so you took a quick nap.' He had no memory of that. 'As of right now, you're the sole survivor of the Knights of Round, making you the Knight of One.' The flight crew member bowed once more, the weight of it all making his knees weak.

'I'm not-forget it.' He stopped himself, it wasn't like anyone believed that Anya was alive anyway. 'Our destination is?' For now, he needed information, and he needed it quickly as he wasn't going to sit back.

'Pearl Harbour sir, we'll arrive there in little over 8 hours. What shall we do once we land? Command is gone, and-' He interrupted the woman as he turned to his machine, his eyes hardening.

'Once we land, refuel, and trade out crew, you'll all deserve a good rest.' He didn't wish to push them, they were part of the reason he was still alive to make Schneizel pay for his crimes, and when this was over, he'll be sure that they were properly rewarded for it.

'What about you, my lord?'

'I'll be heading for Japan, the Black Knights will be fighting Schneizel, and I want Britannia to get a piece of flesh from him.' He wouldn't be stopped this time around, he didn't step up when Schneizel voiced his plans before, but he refused to allow him to get away with it. And with the Royal family all but wiped out, he was one of the last commanders his country had, so he'll gather as many knightmares and ships as he could while they refueled in Hawaii.

As his enemies gathered and planned their counterattack, Schneizel reclined back into his seat, a glass of wine in hand as one of his attendants gave him the latest. 'Sir, we'll be landing on the Chesterfield in a few minutes, they've already prepared for the hostages.' He smiled, as those two escorts had been manned by people loyal to his righteous cause.

'Good, to be sure not to be rough with them, we're not savages.' He reminded him as he nodded and left, he wasn't left alone for long as his screen pinged with a call, but as this was a government plane, the only ones who would have the clearance code to even attempt to message him should have all been dead. 'Oh, this is a surprise.' Regardless, he didn't see any issue with this as he placed his win down and answered the call, being greeted by the fury that was his younger sister, her face fitting of someone called the Witch of Britannia.

'What are you thinking, Schneizel!' She yelled at him, her surroundings clueing him into the fact she was a plane, probably still flying away from the crater that was Pendragon.

'Cornelia, I didn't expect you to survive, but I suppose someone was bonded to.' His demeanor didn't shift, despite the fact he was speaking about how one of his family had survived his attempt to kill off 99% of them.

'I have Guilford to thank for that, he received a warning from Kururugi. Considering that he discovered your plot early, I presume that you're already dealt with him considering he wasn't in the capital?' She replied as the man himself was just as surprised as she about the message he had received as he was heading off to bed.

'Not quite, I have no clue why he gave you an advanced warning, but he's known about my plans for quite some time now, he is one of my supporters.' Schneizel took some joy at seeing her shocked face at the reveal that he had acquired someone of his skills for his plans.

'Schneizel recruited me because of my skill, he needed pilots of my caliber for his plans to succeed.' Suzaku said. He was dressed in his full Knight of Round Uniform, even if both he and Kanon felt like he wasn't deserving of it anymore. The two were on the bridge of the Damocles, the flying fortress was massive, being over 3km long and boasting some of the most cutting-edge technology. It was so large that along with the many facilities dedicated to command, maintenance, and other military affairs, it also came built with residences and gardens befitting that of any royal, though Suzaku saw no purpose for the latter and assumed it was Schneizel indulging on that royal lifestyle he was so used to.

'I doubt that was the only thing that motivated him to offer you a seat at the table, Sir Kururugi.' Kanon eyed him, the knight being able to tell his unseen hand lay on his pistol; he didn't trust him, he expected them and quite frankly, he didn't blame him as he had already betrayed two masters, in that context-what was a third?

'He offered me the one thing I couldn't refuse, the one thing I've been fighting for.' He replied, thinking back to the call he had with Schneizel that day in Area 18. He was skeptical of it, he knew that few if any still trusted him, so to approach him with the information he could have just as easily handed over to the emperor was a risk. No, he thought to himself, Schneizel doesn't take risks, he knew that he would agree, so he didn't need to keep all his cards close to his chest. He had already made gains to prove himself when he lured Lloyd and Cecile into a trap, capturing the two and throwing them into the cells on the lower levels of the flying fortress, his new master seeing use for them in the future

'If we all do our parts, then you shall finally have those islands as your domain.' Kanon replied, turning back to the many screens displaying all sorts of information.

'I'll go speak with her. Afterward, I'll be overseeing the final deployments, no doubt that the Guren will be arriving soon and our forces need to be prepared.' He said, turning around himself to walk off, he wouldn't admit it, but he felt a small urge of excitement, as he had come to enjoy their battles as she was one of few that could push him, and this time he had a machine that could keep up.

'Do as you need, I'll remain here, overseeing everything else till his majesty arrives.' Kanon replied, smiling as he thought about how his lord's dreams were finally becoming a reality.

'He wouldn't.' Cornelia breathed out. She would be the first to admit she didn't like Kururugi, and how at first it was simply for his race but he had earned her respect, far more than most but even now, after all, he had done, all she couldn't forgive him for, she couldn't see him doing such a thing. It was one thing to try and assassinate her father, it was quite another to stand aside as millions were killed.

'Come now, do you believe that, Cornelia? You were there where he swore loyalty to me and set out to kill our father.' Schneizel reminded her, watching as she recalled that night, and how she nearly attacked him once he revealed all that he knew about geass, their father's plans, and Euphemia's fate as just another pawn in a game few knew was even played, even fewer being active players in.

'He's the only one either, this has been something I've been working on for years, to that end I've gathered soldiers, pilots, engineers, scientists, politicians-all that would be needed to build an ideal world.' He continued, smiling as he recalled all the years, he spent working for this, recruiting people not just from Britannia, but from wherever he could find the talent and loyalty.

'Lies, we both know our father knew far more than either of us, he wouldn't have allowed you the time to build such a force that opposed him.' Cornelia seemed to gather herself back up, the surprise had faded from her face which returned to its normal expression.

'He did, but he was also disinterested in the affairs of this world,' He chuckled at that, as while he didn't realize just how much their father knew, it was a blessing in disguise. 'But I suppose he thought he'll enact his plan before I could mine.' He couldn't help but find the idea that his secrets being known were the reason their father never did anything funny.

'Ragnarök.' Cornelia muttered, getting Schneizel to nod.

'Yes, his plan to trap the world in the past, if nothing else, our defiant younger brother managed to kill that in the cradle.' He was impressed by that, as with no army to his name, he still managed to do the impossible, and considering that Suzaku's information had largely proven accurate, it was a feat made even more impressive by the fact Charles was an immortal at the time. 'But he wasn't the only gem in the rough that was his class, as while he kept her father's attention on the occult, his classmate provided me with the final piece needed.' He finished with a larger-than-normal smile on his face.

Nina was truly a gift, a Godsent even as without her research, his plans would have been greatly diminished in their effect as while he had recruited rocket expects from the E.U. during his campaigns against them, none could build him small enough missiles that had the accuracy, range, and payload capacity to truly discipline the world. But with the F.L.E.I.J.A., he found his solution, and the best part? He didn't even need to do much, it was child's play to weaponize her near-insane hatred for Zero and the Japanese, and thanks to his ploy with Suzaku and Lelouch, he managed to get his field test to prove their viability outside controlled tests and simulations. It was tragic that the Tokyo settlement had to suffer, but it was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

It was quiet after that, the call between the two royals still going but neither saying a thing, even Guilford who he knew was present was silent. 'So,' At last, Cornelia spoke, it was soft but had the presence of an ocean pulling back before the tsunami hit. 'For all this madness, you killed our entire family, destroyed our home? You call Lelouch and our father monsters, but what are you?' She asked, her eyes staring right into his soul with a piercing fire that would make a man shiver and turn away in fear, but he was no man, not anymore.

'I'm a savior where they're destroyers obsessed with self-serving goals.' He answered as he had a higher purpose, he did what he did was the sake of others and they did what they did for themselves. His father preached ideals he didn't believe in, and his brother used lies and magic to control his followers. But he was different, he offered a path to peace, a better future.

'Saviour? You have gone insane! What savior butches millions just to make a point?' Cornelia roared, his face turning ugly with murderous rage.

'All of them, Cornelia. For saviors to prove themselves to the people, and gain control over them, they need to both perform miracles, but also spark fear through shows of overwhelming force.' His brother wasn't the only one of their siblings that read religious texts.

'Such acts are reserved for Gods.' Cornelia pushed back on him.

'Then I shall become a God. And through the power of Damocles, I'll demonstrate my power to the world, and impose a new solution, one not of winning hearts and minds, but a system that ensures peace is maintained.' Cornelia looked disgusted as she looked at him, her enraged frown becoming a sneer.

'And as a God,' She started, her gaze scornful, even more than when she would speak of Lelouch and the monster he became. 'You're decided our family had to die? That you and you alone are judge, jury, and executioner?'

'A small act to atone for our past wrongs in the grand scheme of things, but you're wrong, I didn't kill all of them as one of our sisters agreed to join me.' He replied, reaching for his wine.

'Marrybell?' He chuckled, it was a good guess, she was capable and could be useful, but she was far too rigid for his tastes.

'Not quite, it was Nunnally.' Here, he took much more enjoyment at her shock as he sipped his drink, he hadn't meant this surprise to be for her, but rather for their brother in case he remained a player, but he liked the results regardless.

'Don't you dare lie, she died during the 2nd Black Rebellion when Kururugi killed her!' Cornelia slammed her hand on the armrest of the chair she was seated in, tears close to falling as recalled the event, and how she wished death on Kururugi for being the cause of it.

'That was the official story, but not the truth. She lives Cornelia, you can speak with her if you like, she's on board the Damocles right as we speak.' He replied, reaching for the remote to make the call should she ask.

'You,' Cornelia glared at him, making it clear that she didn't buy it, or more accurately she didn't want to believe him but alas, the truth was often painful. 'You expect me to believe any of that?'

'Franky, it doesn't matter what you believe, only what is true. I expect to see you soon, sister. If you value your and Guilford's lives, you're submitting to the might of Damocles.' With that, he ended the call right as his transport landed in the hangar of the Chesterfield.

On the Damocles, near the top of the massive fortress sat a garden, designed by some of the best that money could buy, one filled with some of the most beautiful insects and animals to be found. But despite this, its lone occupant didn't care for it, she didn't feel any joy or contentment as she sat in her wheelchair, a novel written in braille lay forgotten on the table next to her. 'Your highness.' She signed, having heard him coming but hoping he would have decided to stay away as he had been for the longest time.

'Does such even apply anymore, Suzaku?' She didn't turn to him; she didn't want to give him such respect. 'The Imperial family is all but extinct.'

'Would you prefer I call you by name?' Suzaku asked, his tone far from its normally friendly and assuring she had been used to, but she appreciated that wasn't trying to act like he was still a friend to her.

'You don't have that privilege anymore, not after all the lies you and big brother told.' She told him in a scene that would confuse most, as she sat there, blind and crippled yet she still talked down to one of the best soldiers on the planet. Yet Suzaku could see what an ignorant observer couldn't; he could see her strength and he knew she hated him for his part in Charles's schemes.

'I won't forgive you; I don't think I can forgive you. If you had just been honest, maybe he'll still be here, Schneizel could have stopped brother.' Nunally let a tear fall from her closed eye, one she quickly wiped away.

'Does it matter? He would have been put to the sword for his crimes, if not he would have spent the rest of his miserable life in a small, dark cell in some faraway prison, left to rot with the rats.' Suzaku felt nothing for his cruel words, if she wished to be treated as an equal, then he shall speak to her like she wasn't a child that needed to be cuddled. Here, she turned at him, faster than he would have expected given her wheelchair and if her eyes had been open, he was sure she would have scowled at him with violet eyes as fierce as her father and brother.

'He'll still be alive! I would have gotten him to accept that I didn't want this, I didn't want him to fight!' She screamed at him, nearly throwing her book in his general direction before she took a breath and calmed herself. 'It doesn't matter what I want, we need to win this.'

'You say that, yet you side with Schneizel. Did you know what he's done with Pendragon? What he intends to do?' Suzaku asked her, using this chance to get some answers from her as out of all those he knew, she is among those who sided with Schneizel was the most confusing for several reasons.

'He thinks I don't, that I believed him when he said that he'll send a warning to Pendragon.' She has been smart, having invited him for tea shortly before he had to leave to continue the rouse that nothing was happening, during that discussion, she made sure to hold his hand the entire time and spread her concerns and questions throughout their time together. She would admit she didn't think he would be honest most of the time, but she caught all his lies regardless.

'You held his hand.' Suzaku stated, getting her to nod. 'If you know, then why?' She turned away from him, taking another breath as she grew tired from having to interact with her former friend and false protector.

'Because I'm tired, Suzaku. My brother did everything for me, and that drove him to evil and insanity. I know that Britannia wasn't ideal for me, I heard it every time others called me invalid when my brother wasn't around when father made his speeches when girls in my class said I'll never find someone to marry.' She was blind, not deaf. Milly and the rest did their best, and she would forever appreciate them for that, but she still attended a Britannian school that practices her father's beliefs down to a tee. Not a day went by when she wasn't reminded of her status, of how they saw her.

'I knew, and yet I still wasn't able to see, what brother was doing…all for my sake. If I had known, I could have told him I didn't want that, that as long as we stayed together, I could be happy but…' She always knew he kept things from her, but she had been foolish to think it was little things, things that parents often kept from their children. She started to suspect something was off all the back with C.C., but convinced herself he was just being shy about his love life, Heaven knows he needed one but looking back, that was the first sign she missed.

Then there was his disappearance for a full year after the Black rebellion, her father claimed he was busy but she knew he was keeping the truth from her, her brother who was always there wouldn't go for months without so much as a call. Then there was the call she shared with him as she returned to Area 11, the same call that Suzaku organized despite the lies that Lelouch was missing, how he sounded scared, adamant that they pretend like they're never met. After that, she realized that there was more going on than she realized and that Suzaku was a potential enemy, a fact he proved when she confronted him about the phone call, how quickly his tune changed as he all but rushed out of the room.

'I can't bring back the dead, I can't make it up to the families that lost people in all this fighting, all I can do is ensure that their deaths have some meaning by helping to create the world they fought for.' She finished.

'The dead have no say on the affair of the living.' Suzaku replied, his eyes narrowed.

'And yet you still carry big sister Euphie's pin.' She heard his breath change, it was feint but to her, it was as clear as a whistle. She heard it from Gino, on how he carried a pin on him at nearly all times, and recalling what he told her about the pin Euphie gave him, it was clear which pin he kept on his person.

'Excuse me, I must get back to preparations.' She nearly smiled at that, just like when she confronted him about the phone call she had with her brother, just as when she run off after beating up her brother when they first met for telling her sweet lies about their living accommodations. Even with all the power and blood he had gained, when faced with a challenge, he couldn't punch, he runs off like a coward.

'It's all gone, isn't it.' Lelouch opened his eyes, having been resting after their little trip to Pendragon. The two flew away from the capital, staying low and with their IFF turned off in a private jet that he had acquired for this side mission. His gaze landed on the pink-haired girl, her black wig off to the side while he still wore his teal one remained on.

'Unfortunately, it has happened as I foresaw it.' He replied, he didn't need to hear it in real-time to know that Schneizel had done it, but that left him with a question. 'Anya, why didn't you go all the way?'

'With Gino?' Anya's face took on a shade of red at his question, with him catching on to his poor choice of words quickly.

'Not like that!' He chuckled, finding the small confusion amusing as it reminded him of simpler times. 'I meant why didn't you ask me to bring him with us?' 4 days prior, she had approached him to ask that they save Gino, a process that took 2 days to plan, and using bother her newly acquired knowledge from Marianne, her old clearance and his geass to orchestrate the entire thing, they even managed to get his knightmare shipped out with him.

'I didn't want to make that choice for him, I didn't want to be like…her.' Anya hugged herself there, getting a look of understanding from him as he too wondered about that, about how his actions mirrored his father's.

'What about you? Do you feel anything about this? I know you guys weren't close but, they were still family.' Anya turned the attention back to him, letting him think about his answer for a bit as he looked out the window to the passing landscapes.

'There was a time when I yearned for their deaths when I wanted to burn it all to the ground.' He started, taking a second to process his feelings about it. 'But that time's passed. Now, all I feel is the relief that at least their deaths were quick and painless.' He didn't care for them, he hadn't for years and despite realizing how they were all played, that didn't change the fact that just about all of them were strangers to him at best or potential enemies at worse thanks to his mother's blood.

'But I'm not the only one who had family in the city, your parents?' He eyed her, his orange contacts in place, concealing his true eyes.

'We haven't been close for years, after' Anya was saddened by that, silently cursing Marianne in whatever corner of oblivion she was in. 'I was always deployed, never time to return home, barely any to return letters and calls. I'll miss them, but the parents I knew, they've been just memories in my head, strangers in reality. Knowing they're dead, it's sad…but that's it.' She barely remembered what they sounded like, didn't know if they'll approve of her, if they'll accept the truth but she suppose that they were part of the past, one she couldn't return to.

'Is that it?' Lelouch muttered to himself before he got up and walked towards the wine cabinet, grabbing two glasses along the way. 'Would you like a drink? This is one of the finest private jets we could steal, it only stocks the finest French and Italian brands.' He gave her a smirk as he held the bottle up for her to see.

'I'm underage.' Anya replied, getting him to laugh as it once more reminded him of Ashford.

'Shirley once said the same thing when Rivalz brought out this stuff, on the day Kallen was made a member of the council no less.' Anya's eyes widen a bit there, having heard only snippets about that day while a student, it sounded fun. 'Rivalz said that we deserved to cut loose now and then, I think that applies more to us, wouldn't you say?' Lelouch asked her, pouring himself a glass.

'Besides, two broken souls don't need to follow all the rules.' He stopped here, not filling a second as he waited for Anya to give him a response. She thought about it for a moment, before she decided to hell with it; if she was old enough to operate a war machine and fight in battle, she was old enough for this.

'I'll take a half-glass, you should probably do the same, else C.C. losses it when we return giggly and drunk.' She giggled, getting Lelouch to do the same as he imagined both her and Jeremiah being quite disapproving of that as he poured her that half-glass.

'Good call.' He said as he walked over with the two drinks, handing her his own as he took his seat. 'For our lost friends.' He lifted his glass to give a toast, with Anya doing the same.

'For our lost families.' She added, a smile of broken glass on her face, one matching the smirk he had.

'And for the lost future.' He finished as they brought their glasses together with a soft clink before they started to drink, telling stories to pass the time as if the world wasn't about to burn.

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