You know lying down in a brightly lit surgery room staring into the eyes of the guy that just finished cutting open my stump, removing burned nerve endings and anchoring a four- to five-centimetre-thick metal attachment point to the end of my stump is particularly awkward, especially because the surgery had to be done with localised painkillers.
The surgeon -Doctor Francis, an associate of Ruben- had protested vehemently but I had insisted. With how on edge I felt right now I didn't trust my passenger not to swarm the room the moment I was unconscious.
I sighed softly and adjusted my limp arm so that I was comfortable once again and continued listening to Doctor Francis talk about what immuno-boosters I would be taking for a week and what I was supposed to do if I ever felt any kind of burning, persistent aches and such.
I listened to the old seventy something man's words intently, he was clearly experienced and professional. I had learned to value the opinions of respectable older folk; this man was certainly like that.
"Other than that Miss Hebert I don't have much to tell you but please do not strain yourself for at least a few days and give your body a day or two to settle before you attach your new… cybernetic." I smiled good heartedly but raised an eyebrow.
"Sceptical about my work?" I asked half-jokingly.
The thin old man let loose a throaty laugh. "No, no. I know how you youngsters get when defending your work, I was just like you once. I'm not sceptical about it since you decided to install it on yourself, and if dear old Ruben is vouching for you, you must be a smart young lass.
I'm more surprised to see something straight out of fiction brought to life right in front of my eyes. The world just seems to be getting odder and odder." He spoke.
"Isn't it just?" I affirmed. He chuckled a bit and then moved closer to me to help me out of the bed. The elderly man helped me as I got up with somewhat unsteady steps. I rapidly regained my balance after the first few steps and gingerly let go of Doctor Francis, but he escorted me to the changing room inside the clinic, nonetheless.
He had suggested I stay the night inside the clinic so that he could keep an eye on me, but I had declined his offer, my house wasn't far from here, a mere twenty-minute walk. So, I bid my goodbyes to the kind Doctor, changed into my actual clothes, and left the clinic with my bag.
I didn't head directly back to my home however, instead I took a cab into a workshop in the edge of the Britannian settlement. After getting off the cab I breathed in the cool night air and stared at the three-story tall concrete block of a workshop. Inside my new arm should be ready just waiting for me to pick it up.
I idly stared up and down the itchy connection port now firmly attached to my right arm. The point where it met flesh wasn't visible as the bandages that covered it would only be taken off twenty-four hours later.
I would be getting a proper arm back after so long… I wouldn't have to stop and adjust my arm or lock my joints into place every time I was doing something with my once dominant hand. It felt… oddly like nothing.
I was proud of the cybernetic, but for some reason I really didn't feel much about getting my arm back. Lisa's shadow had appeared on a window but didn't say anything. I didn't much care why.
The entirety of my attention was drawn by how hollow it felt to get my arm back. I stared at the empty space which would normally be occupied by my prosthetic, I could almost feel cramps and spasms coming from that empty space. I gritted my teeth.
Effort builds upon effort Taylor, work for long enough and your accomplishments will pile so high you'll change the world… Will I be able to see what that change brings about though? Or will I be sacrificed again? I breathed out to calm myself.
Just don't think about it, look at the present. I forced my legs to move towards those doors. Step by step I neared the frosted glass windows of the door and eventually I pushed them open. My first glimpse into the building was a middle-aged woman speaking to someone on the phone behind a simple wooden desk.
She glanced my way and smiled, she gestured for me to sit and wait as she finished her talk. So I made my way to the side of the well-lit room and sat down on an old fashioned leather couch for a minute or so when finally she called out to me.
"Miss Hebert, you're just on time. Mister Chambers finished your order an hour or so ago. I'll take you to the storage area so that you can pick up your package." I followed her through a door towards the back of the building.
We passed by a few doors with the muffled sounds of machinery coming through them and after at most a minute or two of walking we arrived inside a storage room stacked mostly with large boxes with the names of various industrial machines stamped on them.
The woman, whose name I didn't know despite the fact she had introduced herself when I first came here, ignored them all and reached for a black carbon fibre box. She grabbed it by the handle and lifted it off the shelf. She handed it off to me and I took it with my left hand. It wasn't too heavy, but I propped it against my chest to support it anyways.
I thanked her and turned to leave but she stopped me before I could.
"Ah Miss Hebert, before you go, I just wanted to tell you that Mister Chambers quite enjoyed working on this so please, if you ever have need of our services for such things do call us. This has been a sort of return to our roots for us."
She did seem to be genuinely grateful. Still, I didn't really think I'd have much need of a manufacturing company in the future, it's not like I could get them to supply the Black Knights or me in my Weaver persona so this connection would probably lie dormant. Still, I had to at least acknowledge it.
"Of course, I'll call you if I ever need Chambers Manufacturing's services." I said, it was a simple platitude, yet it was enough for my purposes. I was escorted out by the woman, and she called a cab to take me home. I thanked her one last time and headed home. I needed to set this thing up and get ready for tomorrow's lessons.
As always tomorrow eventually came and I had to deal with the student body seeing my new cybernetic. Their reactions varied, for the portion of the student body that liked me (i.e., the commoners or rarely the lesser nobles) my new arm was the greatest new thing, and it was incredible that I was the one who designed it.
Now for the snotty brats with parental issues the size of my control issues it was entirely different. For them it wasn't possible that a commoner had designed something like this, she must've stolen it. Or they said that a cripple like me didn't deserve to get such a device.
I really didn't care much but when students interrupted my lesson to ask about it or whispered all the time in class about it, wrote notes when I called them out and even started talking with weird signs, I got a tiny bit annoyed.
I understood their interest, the gunmetal grey and black device certainly looked impressive with its smooth curves and life-like joints. Really it was almost a work of art, I hadn't expected it to come out so well, but Mister Chambers had gone above and beyond the crude schematics I had sent him. Now especially with Suzaku not at school my pristine cybernetic was drawing the attention of every single student.
I didn't look forward to what the rumour mill would produce. Still having a new arm was beyond worth the occasional annoyance.
With a soft smile I ran my hands down its smooth surface again and enjoyed the feeling running through me. My smile widened, the sensation felt so real, it might as well have been my actual arm.
I brought my head up to glance at someone I knew for a fact had been coming here but I didn't have the choice to avoid. A mathematics teacher that I'm sure I knew the name of but couldn't remember at the moment turned the corner.
He was a noble, as far as I knew only a baron. But to him owning the equivalent of a random farm somewhere in South America made him superior to me. I didn't respond to his glare, instead staring with dead eyes into his soul. Unlike how this song and dance went usually he didn't avert his eyes and instead stared at my new arm.
He went to say something, but I picked up speed and rushed past him. I heard him utter something from behind me, but I couldn't pick it up over the muffled giggles of the students around us.
I suddenly felt tired, that dipshit had been the second annoying noble I had dodged today, I dreaded how Suzaku himself would be welcomed back. If I was being treated like this despite being both a teacher and "Britannian", Suzaku would need Lelouch's full protection just to get by.
Speaking of Lelouch he was heading right towards me speed walking through corridors with such determination that it was scaring his usual fangirls away. Finally prepared himself to ask about Nunnally did he?
I turned to head down the stairs towards the student council room, it was empty right now with even Nina being missing. It would be the best place to talk about such an important topic. I kept one step ahead of him as he chased after me, deliberately leading him around corners until I was right before the student council room.
I leaned on to the wall next to the door and waited for Lelouch turn the last corner. Even though there were almost five metres between us I could clearly hear his strained breathing. Really, you'd think being a terrorist leader would help him get more in shape, but he still managed to somehow get tired after speed walking for five minutes.
He came up right next to me and I patiently waited for him to gather his breath. Lelouch didn't speak until he had fully stopped panting, he was far too proud to 'shame' himself like that.
Well, he had still come to ask me if I could do anything for Nunnally, I guess he could sometimes overcome his pride, especially when it came to his little sister.
"Did you have to make me chase you like that?" He complained. I smirked at him and replied with as much sarcasm as I could manage.
"I thought you could use the exercise." He made an astonished face, and I was forced to hold myself back from laughing.
"I actually just didn't want to talk right there in the halls, so I wanted to bring you here." I clarified.
He straightened himself and replied with an offended tone. "What do you take me for Miss Hebert, an idiot? I would've asked to talk to you in your office."
"And that would sick all your fangirls on to me with all the gossip that would bring. No thank you, I already have a lot to deal with." I pointed towards my new arm and got a look full of sympathy from Lelouch in return. I continued. "But we have something more important to talk about than this, don't we?" Without waiting for his reply, I opened the door to the empty student council room and made a go on signal to Lelouch.
Suddenly serious he entered the room quickly and I followed him in closing the door as I did so. The moment the door was closed Lelouch began his plea.
"These cybernetics you made… with those people. Could you pull some strings to help Nunnally walk again?" Oh boy. I began walking towards the couch as I thought his question over. Could I pull some strings and get Nunnally something to help her walk?
I threw myself onto the couch as Lisa's shadow appeared on the windows in my peripheral vision. I didn't dare risk looking at her, Lelouch was annoyingly sharp and if he figured something out it would be troublesome. I still listened to her tough.
"Nunnally can't walk because her legs have been crippled by gunshots, so to get her to walk you'd need someone to either amputate her legs so that they can be replaced by something like what Suzaku has. But if you do that, her skeletal structure might have become too weak to support the cybernetics, along with her already frail build that might make normal cybernetics near impossible." I leaned back into the couch to try and ignore Lelouch's pleading eyes.
For the cybernetics to work we'd need to somehow reinforce Nunnally's skeletal structure, which is way too far out of my expertise to even think about. We'd need to bring more people in and that would attract attention. No, it would be easier to build a sort of exo-skeleton around her hips and legs.
"That would need a port into her spine. Not exactly an easy surgery to do especially if you're planning to keep things down low. I doubt Doctor Francis could do one, a surgeon that would be comfortable doing those kinds of surgeries is already rare, one that would keep it down low is practically a cryptid."
It all comes down to how both Lelouch and Nunnally need to be kept hidden. I sighed deeply. "I probably could if I got to talk to the right people. In fact, I just might be able to talk to a Britannian Princess to speed track things. But-" I leaned forward and stared into Lelouch's terrified eyes.
"- that wouldn't really be to your benefit, would it? What with the needing to be kept hidden and all." I finished and kept looking Lelouch right in the eyes as he weighed his options.
He decided on a course of action in a second or two. "How long have you known?" He said coldly.
"Since your actual names were announced as dead on the TV and I met you when Ruben brought you along. You didn't even change your first names, nor your appearance just used fake documents."
"That long!? Yet you didn't make use of it, why?" I chuckled at his disturbed look.
"I'm not some kind of political mastermind Lelouch, I simply didn't want to see two kids forcefully taken away and possibly killed. Actually, make that definitely killed, you and your sister would've been torn apart by the nobles in the 'homeland'." I said simply.
"You would've still been rewarded by the crown for it."
"Would the Emperor kill himself and end the monarchy if I did so?" My voice came out in a deadpan.
Lelouch looked at me like I had grown a second head as if he had not understood a word I had said. "What?" He asked with confusion that was unlike him.
"I don't care about much in the world, this job is more than enough for the bare necessities and money isn't all that important to me unless I can use it for something worthwhile. So, what could they even offer me?"
Lelouch's face was morphed by incredulity. "No, no, I'm not going to argue about this. It's an exercise in futility trying to understand why you do what you do. If you were going to give us up to the crown, you'd do it when you first learned of us."
"Glad to see you're now capable of understanding when something is an exercise in futility." I said sarcastically.
Lelouch scowled at me and clicked his tongue.
"Tch, no matter. What's more important is unless I want us exposed you can't do anything for Nunnally." He said with anger and disappointment in equal measure. He hid it behind the scathing tone, but I could easily see the despair hidden behind the mask.
"I didn't say nothing. So long as you can find a surgeon capable and willing to perform a surgery on your sister's spine or and keep it down low, I could find someone to do the mechanical design part of what would be needed."
I couldn't involve Lloyd and Cecile, those two were too closely tied to the government to trust with something like this, especially since I was already straining their willingness to keep secrets for me with my identity.
But regardless of the supposed difficulty of the Task seeing a small, an oh so very rare genuine smile on Lelouch's face was quite worth it. It was little thing but the fact that it was real and filled with hope was what shocked me.
I couldn't remember him ever smiling like this at anyone other than Nunnally. "I will find one, Miss Hebert. I will find an appropriate surgeon, no matter where I must search." He said with excited determination. It was nice to see that emotion on his face instead of his usual masks and apathy.
I still waved him off, I knew for a fact that he'd eventually find that surgeon, but if he was going to keep running the Black Knights as well the point might just be moot.
If Japan was ever recreated, we could do away with the whole secrecy thing… well there would still be some secrecy but when the guys checking the numbers are on your side hiding suspicious spending and keeping people from talking is much easier.
"Don't rush Lelouch, you're one to take risks to get what you want. Don't let your habits rule you this time." I said simply as he turned to leave. It made him stop for a second.
"I won't, Miss Hebert. I will never put Nunnally in danger." Somehow his words didn't reassure me. Yet I watched him leave, nonetheless.
With an odd feeling of dread, I stood up and gazed out the window of the student council room into the open garden of Ashford Academy. Somehow the feeling of dread that had overcome me was pointing towards something. Kallen was stalking behind Shirley through the garden towards a nearby bus station.
This unusual situation wouldn't have been too much of a problem had it not been for the fact that both were carrying pistols underneath their clothes. Just my luck.
Kallen Stadtfeld Terrorist in a Tough Spot
The entire day I had been wracked with anxiety over the way Shirley acted. Every single lesson I shared with her was filled with the fear, that she knew of my identity or that she had seen Zero's face and had reported him. I had come to… not exactly regret my decision of letting her go but rethink the consequences it might bring.
My hands roamed over the grip of the gun I kept hidden underneath my cardigan periodically, so much so that some of my classmates had asked if I was having an issue with my bra. It provided a neat excuse but it's still way to embarrassing!
Regardless of that uncomfortable situation I followed the unusually silent Shirley whenever I could without drawing suspicion. She hadn't yet done anything that would indicate she knew anything was up. That still didn't set my heart at piece though, she was clearly bothered by something.
The possibility that it was just the death of her father existed, but it was too risky to just leave her be. So, when the school day finally ended, I didn't stop tailing her. I followed right behind her as she got on a bus and rode towards the edge of the Britannian settlement.
I knew for a fact she lived in the dorms of Ashford; this was beyond odd. I kept following her as she got off at the very last station. It wasn't exactly a bad neighbourhood, just one that was on the lower end of the middle-class spectrum, we both stood out like sore thumbs here.
Thankfully no one approached either Shirley or me as I tailed her to a nearby park. I didn't know how she knew of the park here, but something had made her come here right now when she was in such a state.
The park wasn't anything special, it had a play set with swings and other sorts of toys for children to enjoy. The toys were somewhat old but well maintained with not a spec of rust on them. It looked like a beloved community playground.
I hid behind some trees and bushes as I watched Shirley wander through the playground sometimes staring into empty space or one of the different parts of the playground longingly for several long seconds. It felt like I was violating Shirley's privacy, but that disgusting feeling wouldn't stop me.
I stood behind those bushes pistol firmly grasped in my hand carefully watching Shirley wander about in a daze. It must have been almost five minutes when something unusual happened. A man in an odd white coat wearing a visor over his eyes and headphones walked almost lazily into the park.
"Really woman, how wishy washy can you be? Instead of avenging your murdered Father you come to a park filled with good memories of him, as if mere nostalgia will make what has happened dissapear." He said with malicious incredulity.
His sudden voice cut through the sombre atmosphere and brought Shirley abruptly back into the real world. "Wh-what?" She uttered in shock. The man took it as invitation to continue his verbal assault.
"Or… or maybe it is just that you're really that vile? I mean you did use his death to get a quick pity kiss from that boy, didn't you?" Huh? What is he talking about? A pity kiss? Use her father's death?
I had been pretty confused that this random ass guy was just insulting Shirley out of the blue like that but now I felt like I was really missing something.
"I-I… I didn't- I mean, I didn't intend to use his death! No! No, I didn't d-" Shirley denied with tears in her eyes.
"But you did, you sly woman. You forced yourself on someone that couldn't care less about you, who lied to your face and probably laughed behind your back at you. You knew for a fact that if you didn't take advantage, you would never be able to get another chance! So, you used your grief to get into the pants of your father's killer! Disgusting, yet you go unpunished!"
HUH? I don't remember ever kissing Shirley?! Wait… does he mean Zero? Shirley knows Zero's civilian identity? Shirly got a kiss from Zero? Zero is our age… What? It felt like my brain was overheating when I instinctually drew my handgun out.
But before I could even aim the man called out to me without even looking towards my direction. "Now, now little terrorist, you point that gun at me, and I'll blow this scamp's head off her shoulders."
In response to his words my gun stopped coming up and my eyes roamed over to his left arm which had been hidden from me until now. It held a gun; it looked like one of the pistols cops carried. How had he known I was here? How had he even known I had been about to shoot him?
My hand had stopped at the threat of Shirley's death, but shouldn't I just shoot the guy anyway? She also already knew far too much apparently knowing Zero's civilian identity… It would be like killing two birds with one stone.
"Oh, what a dangerous mindset you have! Thinking about killing your own classmate despite letting her go just a night ago? Well, you did also kill all those allies of yours because it was convenient. I guess human lives only matter so long as it's convenient to keep them alive." He chuckled as he finished his words, causing my temper to spike.
My fists tightened instinctually to his words, but I did not rise to the bait instead keeping silent. There was something weird going on with him, it's like he could hear my thoughts. Could it be a power like Weaver's?
"Well, it's not much fun if you just keep the stoic act going all the time. Come out now little miss "all for the cause", I don't have all day. Of course, you could also not come out and then I'll kill the girl and you'll have to answer questions as to why you were the last one seen with her." He drawled out.
I… I couldn't risk that. Better that Shirley finds out my identity than I get caught up in a murder investigation. I stepped around the bush and trees I had been hiding behind and came out into the open with my gun still in hand.
"Kallen!?" Yelled Shirley. I chose to ignore her to keep my eyes on the odd man instead.
"Really, I'd prefer to be called Mao instead off 'the odd man', it's really dehumanizing… Oh, I forgot who I was talking to, you're particularly fond of dehumanizing your opponents are you not?"
The man's insufferable smirk pissed me off beyond belief but there was nothing I could do right now, I needed to find an opportunity…
But with the way he knew what I was thinking I doubted I would be able to find an opportunity to act.
"Exactly, you aren't going to be able pull a quick one over me, it's quite impossible to do so." His smug tone was grating to my ears, and every second he spoke made my urge to smash his head in flare.
"Kallen, wh-what does he mean 'terrorist'?" Shirley asked with trepidation. I opened my mouth, but no noise came out. I should've told her right then that I was the one who pulled the trigger that killed her father, that I was one of the Black Knights.
But it was Mao that acted first. "Oh, it's quite simple really. She is the same terrorist that under Zero's orders caused that landslide. Happily following orders from him so that she could 'liberate' her 'home'. She even had the gall to come to funeral of the man she killed! Though considering Zero came too I'd probably put them on the same level of uncaring." He said with a laugh.
In response to his words, I saw Shirley collapse to her knees. Zero had been at Shirley's father's funeral… oh my god he is Lelouch isn't he? That apathetic sick fuck is really Zero.
I want to say they're nothing alike… Even that time with the phone makes it seem it's impossible. But is it? That could be faked, I already knew Zero was beyond smart, couldn't he have predicted what I'd say and prepare to trick me with a recorded message?
He could, he absolutely could. They shared a similar build too, all that was missing was the motivation and the difference between their personalities. As if Lelouch wouldn't just build an entirely fake personality, but that poses a more important question which personality is the fake one?
"You know I hadn't thought that you didn't know Zero's identity Miss Kouzuki, or is it Stadtfeld right now? I mea-" He abruptly stopped his words as he suddenly began looking around in irritation.
"Damn, that echo again. That faint voice getting repeated everywhere, what is it? Ugh, no matter. Look you two, I have a deal for the both of you. Let's go and talk to Lelouch altogether, no? Kallen can find out his 'real' personality, you, Shirley can get revenge for your father and make up for your crimes and I can pay that bastard back for stealing C.C from me." He ended his offer with such spite that it was a total tonal whiplash.
Where had his smug confidence and scathing remarks gone? Suddenly turned into anger when talking about how Lelouch had taken this C.C from him.
What even was a C.C? Regardless the deal was beyond stupid, even if Lelouch was Zero just exposing his identity and probably murdering him would do me no good. I lacked too much information to act on something like that.
It would be smarter to just get closer to both Zero and Lelouch to find out what is really going on inside his head. I wasn't stupid or emotionally vulnerable enough to fall for such an obvious trap and betray Zero.
Now Shirley on the other hand looked just broken enough to accept Mao's 'deal'. She had still not risen from her knees and was covering her own face with her hands muttering something inaudible repeatedly. It was not a sight I'd expected to ever see.
I'd seen much grislier sights before, but oddly this one was much more disturbing. It felt visceral to see someone I associated with the peaceful environment of Ashford forcefully brought into something like this and broken so thoroughly. I wished I could help her, but I might just have to be her executioner to protect Zero and the Black Knights.
"How disappointing, I thought you'd be more into making Lelouch pay for tricking you." I scoffed at Mao's words. What did he take me for, an idiot? I lie to almost everyone I meet every day. Sure, I was fairly pissed that Lelouch acted like an uncaring asshole during the day, but he must've become Zero for some reason.
"Tch, your ability to rationalise things away is particularly impress-" He suddenly cut himself of once again and noticeably winced. "Damn it, just what is that echo?" He hadn't lowered the hand that pointed a gun at Shirley, it was impossible for me to shoot him right now.
Instead, I decided to pay attention to the environment, to look for whatever it was that made that 'echo' he talked about. If I could distract him enough with it to get a shot off…
Suddenly a realisation dawned upon me. Everything had gone silent. The noises inside the garden had all gone silent, the was no crickets, no birds… Nothing other than some light wind blowing the leaves of trees around.
I realised what was about to happen and Mao knew from me, but nothing could've prepared him for when they rose from the ground. A cacophony broke out first, the sounds of thousands of insects emerging from the ground was instinctually terrifying it was something primal.
But that fear wasn't even needed, Mao looked around wildly shouting something I couldn't hear over the immense noise. Was he hearing something from the bugs? Maybe reading Miss Hebert's mind through them? Was that the echo? Miss Hebert's mind echoing through the swarm?
Now that he was distracted, I shot at his gun hand and blew his gun along with his hand right off. He screamed in pain and stumbled back. I rushed in and grabbed Shirley to pull her away. I dragged the unresponsive girl away from the shouting psycho and gently sat her back down.
By the time I had turned back Mao was beyond shouting he was clawing at his own ears, as if trying to rip them off and shut something out. He screeched loudly enough that it was audible over the buzzing of Weaver's swarm. I stood unable to move as he clawed deep gashes into his own face screaming into the heavens about the noise.
I thought about ending his misery, but it seemed fitting to make him suffer like this. He had caused me a lot of trouble and now that Miss Hebert was here it was most likely impossible to get rid of Shirley… Not that I probably would have.
Still this hole screaming his lungs out thing is getting old, and Miss Hebert isn't doing anything to finish him off. She almost seemed surprised. Really the bugs were quite emotive once you learned to read them.
Hmm…though if he keeps screaming it's going to draw the police here. Moreover, seeing him ripping his own face off is not really a sight I want to have etched into my memories.
I began walking towards the writhing form of Mao and directed my gun straight at his temple. A crack went off followed shortly by a second one. Mao slumped down limply, clearly dead. I decided to be safe, twelve more shots followed. The coils in my pistol let out steam and the entirety of the pistol radiated heat once I finished unloading my magazine.
The bugs around us had calmed down once Mao was dead; the immense, black cloud had dispersed once again. A buzzing came from right next to me. Make that mostly dispersed, there was a human sized cloud forming right to my left.
"What was the deal with this guy?" Weaver's swarm voice asked.
"He wanted revenge from Zero for stealing something called C.C from him." I answered her and took a glance at Shirly, who had stopped her mutterings and was just looking off into space. That can't be good.
"And why did he target Shirley and you?" I grimaced, here comes the bad part.
"Shirley knows Zero's identity and he wanted to use her to kill him, I just happened to be here."
The bugs didn't reply for a while, I assumed Miss Hebert was thinking about what to do next. "I assume you now know as well?" The bugs chittered.
"Yes, I would need to be an idiot to not figure it out with the way he kept dropping hints. I think he meant to set me against him with the reveal. You already knew, didn't you?"
Somehow, I got the feeling that Miss Hebert was feeling incredible amusement. "I've known for a while. What a student council you lot are, all more troublesome than the last." Right… right.
"More importantly are you sure you don't know him?" I asked just to be sure.
"No, why would I?" The bugs asked. They spread out and reformed as if indicating offence.
"I assumed people with superpowers would now others with powers." I said sarcastically. The bugs suddenly dispersed, and a cacophony began to rise again. Thankfully for my heart the swarm calmed down before it could really get going.
"He had powers. What kind of powers?" The bugs spoke louder than before, with alarm.
"He could read minds. He had conversations with me despite me not speaking, knew information he couldn't know and well… I'm guessing he could feel what others felt to some point." I spoke, indicating the weird man's corpse. "Rings any bells?" I finished.
"No. Mind reading is not a possible power. Or rather it shouldn't be, the source of powers wouldn't allow it. Assuming he got his powers from the same source as I. But if there is more than one superpower source in the World other than the one, I get mine from it would be possible…" The bugs paused as if thinking something through.
I'd absolutely love to let Miss Hebert, think things through but we didn't have much time.
"I'd much rather we deal with the corpse and Shirley right now than the possibility of there being more people with powers." I said instead of waiting for her to come out of whatever thoughts she was having.
The bugs froze for less than a second and I got the feeling that all their eyes were suddenly turned onto me. A shiver ran down my spine, but I kept my face neutral.
"Yes… Of course, I'll deal with the Corpse you get Shirley back onto her feet and escort her back to her dorm." The bugs chittered with hurry. But I had to ask her something.
"How exactly are you planning on dealing with the corpse?" I asked with some worry and immediately wished I hadn't at her answer. Every single bug in the garden suddenly descended on to the corpse and I yelped and jumped back to get away from them all.
They ripped the corpse apart right in front of my eyes. I checked to see if Shirley was also seeing this, but thankfully she was fully unconscious. Great… Just great, I'm the only one that is going to witness whatever this is.
I watched horrified as the swarm devoured the corpse like locust through a wheat field. Wherever the cloud touched was torn apart and consumed, layers of flesh stripped down to bone and skin flayed by thousands of hungry maws. A hollow chuckle resounded through my throat.
Once the bugs were done with the flesh they all stopped, and their eyes turned to me once again. Their gaze was ten times more terrifying now. I didn't ask her what she would do to the bones, instead I chose to do the sane thing and picked Shirley up with one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back.
I walked out the park as if nothing had happened in there.
I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a few nights after that…
Lelouch vi Britannia the Witch's Warlock
Going over financial reports, managing the logistics of the Black Knights, commissioning arms dealers for infantry weaponry these were all tasks I was used to. They had practically become routine, and C.C hovering around me lazing around was also par for the course.
What made this evening unusual was C.C's mood. She tense, incredibly so.
"What has you so wound up?" I found myself asking before I could stop myself.
The witch sitting motionless on my bed directed her amber gaze towards me briefly then went back to staring through my window. "An old contractor of mine just died… it seemed particularly painful."
I rose an eyebrow. "You have other contractors than me?" I said with some amusement and some curiosity.
After a small glare sent my way the immortal woman threw herself back onto the bed. "Of course, I do, or rather did. I contract anyone, whom I think is useful to me." She replied in her usual uncaring voice.
"Hmm, how hurtful. I thought I was special, a partner. Now I learn that I'm just another contractor." I replied with only partially faked offense.
C.C threw my pillow at me, which I caught gracefully. "You are the only one that can fulfil my wish. So do consider yourself very special." She drawled. I chuckled slightly but got back to my work. It shouldn't really matter to me that a few people somewhere have Geass, I had already taken such things into consideration when I made my plans. Still, I did have one more question to ask.
"I assume from the way you react to her Weaver isn't one of your contractors with the way you react to her then?" The moment I uttered those words C.C flinched like a cat, who had been sprayed with water. The way she reacted when Weaver was mentioned or neared was always amusing.
"Of course not! Don't even mention that… thing!" She hissed out.
"You must be joking, what could be so wrong with her that you of all people think that about her?" I said with a miniscule amount of apprehension.
"Do you not feel your skin crawl every time she nears? That thing is not human, it is a puppet acting like one! Filled with something vile." She bit out with distaste.
I couldn't understand why she reacted so viscerally though. Weaver could be terrifying but she caused no instinctual fear or revulsion in me like she apparently did for C.C. It would most likely be best to find out just what was going on there, but… It didn't really matter much. Weaver's usefulness came with an expiration date in the form the faction that was gathering under her.
I couldn't have division in the Black Knights leadership like that. But a Martyr with a dedicated following? Oh, a Martyr would do nicely to rally people behind the symbol that was Zero. That however, is a future plot to plan.
My eyes glanced over to the shipment info for a new custom Burai. Weaver is useful yet, I can't just have her dying for no reason. And some new equipment should go a long way to keep the battle hungry woman content and efficient.
An: So… Mao is dead. It kind of felt lame to kill a character that took like 3-4 episodes up in canon in a single chapter, but I also didn't want him to muck up all the drama I'm setting up in future chapters. Oh, and a little explanation as to what was going on with him.
Essentially when Taylor's swarm came into his range, he began to hear her thoughts coming in bits and pieces from every single bug she controlled, and this only got more intense as Taylor got closer. And when she entered his range of around 300~ -as he was not concentrating on his own range to keep it at its 500-metre maximum- he suddenly got both the sensory data, Taylor's thoughts echoing between every single bug. Which is not pleasant in the least.
So yeah… I hope you enjoyed the chapter and next chapter you get a first look at Taylor's Burai Custom. Which just like most other Burai variants probably won't last long. Like no one keeps their custom Burai around they always get replaced because they're frankly barely better than Sutherlands.
Okay this An is getting a bit long but I would also love it if you could tell me about anything you don't like about the way I write. It could be plot, it could be vocabulary, the way I format the story… Anything really.