C's World
"I must say, Joseph. Out of all my children, you have always been the most interesting to witness." Joseph heard Charles' voice said with a curious tone.
"I prefer idiotic, thank you very much!" Joseph said snooty-like, and then realized something. "Oh hey, I can speak in complete sentences again." He said.
"C's World is able to provide what was taken outside. Now you can be a normal chattering monkey instead of a half brain-dead one." Charles told him snidely.
"Well how about you stop hiding in the shadows and confront this chattering monkey, dad?" Joseph replied with snide as well.
"We can if-" Charles tried to say.
"Come on dad! Stop being a baby and show yourself!" Joseph continued.
"Perhaps if you-" Charles tried to say again, starting to get annoyed.
"Hello! Dad! Where are you! Show yourself! Huh! Yoo-hoo! Huh! Hello!" Joseph continued to shout to clouds around him.
"BEHIND YOU, YOU IDIOT!" Charles shouted angrily.
Joseph paused at that and then turned around to see his father looking at him with a very annoyed expression.
"Oh...Hi dad!" Joseph said simply before waving at him with his dopey smile.
"You really are an ignoramus." Charles said bluntly.
"Pretty sure I'm a Leo." Joseph corrected.
Charles' eye twitched in annoyance.
"So this is C's World, huh?" Joseph said as look around the area. "Whoa! What's that?!" Joseph asked curiously as he ran next to his dad to look at the strange object in the distance.
"That is the collective consciousness. The collection of human minds, both living and dead. One might even call them, God." Charles told him solemnly.
Joseph stared at it in awe. "Wow. It's looks like DNA but with people. (Gasps) PNA! Or because it's God, it could be...RPG! And the R could mean...Rapid! Of course they are moving at a slow rate, so maybe...Rabbit! Wait, no. Rabbits are also-"
"Why are you here?" Charles blankly interrupted. Knowing if he were to hear anymore of his son's mindless ramblings, he would have a migraine.
"Well, Pop. While you are my father and I do love you very much, I'm here to stop you!" Joseph told him determinedly.
"Oh?" Charles asked with faux-surprise. "And tell me, what is it exactly that I'm doing?" He asked, feigning ignorance.
"...Well...I don't know! I just know it's bad!" Joseph continued with his determination.
Charles couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"You always seemed to be the type of person to look at things black and white, Joseph. Even going out of your way to help Lelouch despite everything's he's done." Charles observed.
"Hey! Little bro has made mistakes, I won't deny that. But at least he's had good intentions." Joseph argued.
"And who's to say I don't?" Charles asked.
"Oh don't go all Thanos on me, dad. I've seen your speeches, you're all about putting down others even if you feel bad about it, not doing bad things for the right reasons. And the fact you're trying to compare yourself to Thanos is offensive! In fact, I think Thanos himself would be offended!" Joseph said, feeling offended.
"I don't know who that is." Charles said dismissively.
"Well that's a shame, because Infinity War is a great film! You should watch it!" Joseph said passive-aggressively.
"The POINT I'm trying to make..." Charles began with gritted teeth. "...is that not everything is ever as it seems. After all, Lelouch was only able to make it so far due to lies and deception." He said after calming down.
"Well that's the cost of being a superhero sometimes. You gotta take on the burden that are lies to protect those you love, even if it costs yourself." Joseph said dramatically, putting a hand to his chest and looking up at the sky stoically.
Charles stared at him unamused.
"You're wrong. When we realize that lies have no meaning in the endless flow of eternity, those personas will vanish. When we understand each other, conflict will disappear." Charles told him.
Joseph just gave him a strange look before a heartfelt smile appeared on his face.
"Dad, are you coming out to me?" Joseph asked, fully supportive.
"Oh for the love of...!" Charles said, feeling very annoyed, as he waved his hand out towards the endless clouds in front of him.
The area around them turned into a library.
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Joseph said in excitement. "I wonder if I can do that?" He asked himself.
"What I say will soon be reality." Charles told him as he grabbed a book from one of the shelves called Paranormal Phenomena. "You see, this is my Ragnarok Connection. Soon these masks known as deceit will be discarded by the world, revealing the truth." He said philosophically as he read the book. "You wish to know..."
Oooooooooooooooooh!
"...what it is..."
Charles would have continued monologuing if he didn't hear the loud singing of a popular Theme song.
Who's lives in a Pineapple under the sea?
Spongebob Squarepants!
He turned around and was shocked to see Joseph watching a cartoon on a TV that manifested out of nowhere.
"This is so cool! Free TV!" Joseph said happily.
"But...how did you...?" Charles tried ask, shocked that his son was capable of such a feat.
"Oooh! I wonder if it's on here." Joseph asked himself as he waved his hand.
As he did so, the TV fast forward to an episode when a pink starfish goes "Uhhhhh..." and a blue squid continuously bangs his head on the cash register.
"Man, I love this episode!" Joseph said as he laughed at the TV.
"Are you even listening to me?" Charles asked calmly, over his shock and just getting annoyed at his son's antics.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Just give me one sec." Joseph said offhandedly as he didn't even turn to look at his dad. Instead, he continuously rewound the footage of Squidward banging his head against the cash register, getting a laugh out of him every time.
Charles could feel his teeth grinding together as he closed his book in frustration.
"It couldn't be Lelouch I dealt with tonight..." Charles whispered to himself in aggravation.
...
Ikaruga
The Black Knights(including Villetta) sat in the same meeting room they had Schneizel, Cornelia, and Kanon in earlier. This time it was Kaguya, Tianzi, Xingke sitting in their seats across from them with Xianglin and Hong Gu standing behind them, and they did not look happy.
Not. One. Bit.
"So...does one of you want to explain why Zero was taken prisoner by the Prime Minister of Britannia and why three of our comrades, which includes our Ace pilot, are now on the run?" Kaguya asked with a calm and patient voice. Though the look in her eye would say she was anything but.
Most of the Black Knights looked at Ohgi and Tohdoh to explain things.
"Um, L-Lady Kaguya. I'm not sure what you were told but..." Ohgi began nervously.
"Uncle Joe and Kallen told us plenty! They said you betrayed Lelouch! His own brother, your leader!" Tianzi said angrily.
"Calm yourself, your Highness." Xingke said as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Joseph's alright?" Tohdoh asked with surprise and relief.
"Wait, you know Lelouch is Zero?" Ohgi asked with shock.
"That, as well as his Geass power. Which Tianzi was able to provide the details with." Kaguya said.
"Whoa, wait a minute! You already knew about his Geass?!" Tamaki asked incrediously.
"Uncle Joe told me everything back in the Chinese Federation." Tianzi said more patiently.
"Seriously?! He tells the girl he only met a day prior, but not his second best bud?!" Tamaki asked angrily.
"Missing the point, Tamaki." Sugiyama said tiredly.
"If they told you about Lelouch's Geass, then you know what he did a year ago at the SAZ! You have to see why we gave up him up to Schneizel!" Ohgi reasoned.
"Without even hearing his side of things? Without even giving him the benefit of the doubt? After everything he's done for us?!" Kaguya asked, her anger starting to show.
"The Black Knights don't need Zero anymore." Ohgi stood his ground.
"You've only gotten this far because of him. To just throw him away like he's disposable…" Xingke said with disgust.
"He's the one who treated us like we were disposable. He fooled us from the very beginning. With that despicable Geass power!" Ohgi said angrily.
"He helped you use your superpower to get this far! And what happened with Princess Euphemia was an accident!" Tianzi argued.
"No offense, your highness. But that excuse Joseph used won't work just because you want it to." Chiba said dismissively.
"Chiba, that's enough!" Tohdoh scolded her, making her flinch.
"Regardless whether or not it was accident, it doesn't change the fact you gave him up to our enemy. Without even consulting us!" Kaguya said, losing more of her patience. "What did you even give up for him in return?" She demanded an answer.
"Uh, well..." Ohgi said awkwardly, wondering how to tell them.
"Japan." Tohdoh said simply, shocking the three of them. "He said he would give Japan back to us if we could kill Zero..." He told them, head down in shame, Tamaki along with him.
Xingke's eyes narrowed in rage. "You what...?" He asked slowly as he tighten his fist.
But it was Kaguya who slammed her fist down in rage.
"You sold out Zero for that?! Without even any guarantee he would follow up on his word?!" Kaguya asked angrily, her calm demeanor leaving the building.
"And even if he did, what of the UFN? They would have been left out of the equation!" Xingke said, absolutely livid.
"Well, I..." Ohgi stuttered, trying to explain himself.
"Lord Xingke, Lady Kaguya, please. Ohgi was just trying to make the best deal considering the cirumstances." Villetta intervened.
"No offense, Miss Villetta. But you really don't have a say in this manner." Tianzi told her sternly, shocking her and Ohgi.
"Your highness, please. Chigusa hasn't shown any ill-intent towards us. She's our ally now!" Ohgi tried to reason.
"Doesn't make her a Black Knight. And I personally don't trust anyone who treats Zero as bait." Kaguya said dismissively.
This caught the interest of the rest of the Black Knights.
"Bait? What is she talking about?" Minami asked.
"Chigusa?" Ohgi asked.
Villetta shuffled in her seat nervously.
"I suppose that's a conversation that'll have to be held later. Right now, we have to mitigate the damage you've all caused." Xingke said, moving the subject along. "As of now, your ranks in the Black Knights have been demoted to simple foot soldiers and are suspended from any activity until further notice. The only ones excluded from this are Rakshata and Urabe since they did not willingly participate in Zero's betrayal and didn't receive any knowledge of it beforehand." He ordered.
Now this definitely shocked the group, besides Diethard, Rakshata, Tohdoh, and even Tamaki.
"You can't be serious?!" Chiba asked incredulously.
"But who's going to lead the Black Knights then?!" Ohgi asked.
"I'll be taking command since it's clear that none of you are fit for leadership at this moment." Xingke told them.
Diethard just sighed and got up from his seat.
"And where are you going?" Chiba asked.
"If I can't do my job, I have no reason being here. Feel free to have eggs on your faces if you wish." Diethard said blankly.
"The egg on your face was when you decided to film Zero's 'noble' death. I knew your game since I first laid eyes on you Diethard. You go where the crowd wanders and if things seem dicey, you run like the rat you are. Don't act like this isn't a deserved punishment." Kaguya told him with a glare.
"And as Uncle Joe would say, 'deal with it or take bags to moon!'" Tianzi proclaimed, making the others look at her in a confused manner, except Tohdoh and Rakshata who both chuckled.
Diethard just sighed and walk out of the room.
"Hmph. Jerk." Tianzi muttered with a quiet pout.
"I understand that this needs to be done, I'll accept this punishment." Tohdoh said without complaint.
Tianzi looked at him with a solemn expression.
"Lord Tohdoh, Uncle Joe told me how much you meant to him and I can see how much he means to you. So it surprises me that you went along with this, I want to understand your actions." Tianzi said.
Tohdoh thought about it before taking a deep sigh of breath.
"Truthfully your highness. I am still asking myself that question..." Tohdoh said sullenly.
Tianzi eyed him and could see the regret on his face. "Perhaps when you find your answer, we can discuss reinstatement." She said with a soft tone for the first time since the meeting began, surprising Xingke, Kaguya, and Tohdoh. "For now, you are all dismissed." She ordered.
"Except Lady Rakshata. Please stay for further discussion." Xingke added.
Tohdoh nodded and got up to leave, Minami and Sugiyama followed as well.
Ohgi tried to get a word in. "Lady Kaguya, please, we just-"
"Dismissed, Ohgi." Kaguya said, not wanting to hear it.
Ohgi hung his head low and left with Villetta following him.
"All this for that idiot..." Chiba said bitterly as she got up to leave as well.
"The fact that you think this is why you were demoted, shows how little you deserved your rank in the first place." Xingke told her.
Chiba gritted her teeth and went along her way.
"I know it doesn't mean much. But I really am sorry." Tamaki said apologetically.
"It doesn't." Kaguya dismissed instantly.
"But it is acknowledged." Tianzi added.
Tamaki nodded and walked away in a sad mood.
"What do you need of my genius, your highness?" Rakshata asked casually as she continued to smoke her pipe.
"We know we lost a considerable amount of knightmares during the battle. But do you think we have enough that are functional to give aid for a rescue mission?" Kaguya asked.
"We have intel that Kallen, Rolo, and Joseph are in the process of trying to rescue Zero. We want to send as many soldiers as we can to Kamine Island with Urabe leading them.
Before they could continue the conversation, one of the scientist who worked with Rakshata came in the meeting room.
"Rakshata, Urabe's ACM has left the hangar despite it's unfinished condition." The scientist told her, shocking the rest of the group.
Except Rakshata who just gave them a lazy smile.
"I guess he already beat us to the punch."
...
Outskirts of Kamine Island
The battle continued to rage on between the four rebels and the Britannian Army. Suzaku had his hands full taking on Bismarck while Jeremiah chose to take on Monica and Gino at the same time. Kallen and Rolo chose to deal with the regular soldiers, given their lack of advanced equipment.
While they were putting up a good fight, the odds were slowly starting to turn against them.
"Damn it! My energy fillers are starting to run low!" Kallen said stressfully from inside her Sutherland.
"Can't say I'm better off." Rolo said as well from inside his Sutherland. "Jeremiah, Suzaku, how are you holding up?" He asked.
"The Knight of Three and Twelve are not to be trifled with, I can see why they are ranked so highly. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up." Jeremiah said from inside the Siegfried as he continued to defend himself.
"And it feels as though the Geass command Lelouch placed on me is trying to will my body to leave. I can't say with certainty I can win this fight either." Suzaku said from inside the Lancelot, his eyes continuing to glow with red.
"Well we can't give up! We have to push forward, for Joseph!" Kallen said with determination as she continued to mow down as many knightmares as possible.
"You should all accept your defeat with grace! It's only thing you can do now knowing that your deaths are inevitable." Bismarck told them as he continued to clash with Suzaku.
"Such is life, Bismarck. But I don't intend die just yet!" Suzaku told him as he went on the offensive with all his might.
"Fool, you're already dead." Bismarck said with a vicious grin from inside his knightmare.
Jeremiah, on his end, continued to dodge attacks from Monica while shoot spikes at Gino.
"What's wrong, Orange Boy? Zero's not here so you're substituting your so-called loyalty for the dimwit instead?" Monica asked with a mean tone.
"Serving Prince Joseph is still serving Lord Zero, as I know that's how he would have wanted it, that is where my loyalty lies!" Jeremiah told her passionately as he spun his Siegfried at the Florence which kept its distance. "But what of yours, Lady Monica? You truly wish to continue serving that vile being of an Emperor?" He asked from inside his knightmare.
"Unlike yours, My loyalty holds true! I didn't trade sides!" Monica told him angrily from inside her Florence.
"I don't see it that way, and perhaps you shouldn't either." Jeremiah told her.
That confused Monica, the statement implied a deeper meaning. "What are you..."
"LOOK OUT!" Gino yelled quickly as he shielded a chaos mine that burst at them, which was launched by Kallen.
"Damn it! Almost had her." Kallen said bitterly from inside her knightmare as that was her last piece of heavy arsenal.
"I'm nearly out of ammo." Rolo said through the comms as he joined Kallen and Jeremiah.
"I'm down to a few bullets and a stupid stun grenade." Kallen said with annoyance.
"Kallen, Rolo, stay behind me. I still have enough power." Jeremiah ordered as more sutherlands started to surround.
"You're going to protect us while battling two Knights of the Round and the Britannian Army? Screw that! We're not going to let you play sacrificial hero of all times!" Kallen said as she was ready to use whatever arsenal she had left.
"How noble of you, Black Knight. You could have made a spectacular soldier for Britannia." Bismarck said with mocking tone as he fired his cannon at the huddled group.
By a split-second, Suzaku swooped in and used the Lancelot's shields to protect them.
"Damn it. My shields are down to near-zero..." Suzaku said quietly from inside the Lancelot as he saw the aftermath after blocking such an attack, he practically brought his knightmare to the brink of shutting down.
The group was now surrounded by the three Knights of the Round forces from both the Emperor's and Schneizel's command.
"I have to say, you made an entertaining spectacle. But I think it's time to end this game." Schneizel told them on the intercom and they could practically hear the shit-eating grin on his face.
...
Avalon
Schneizel watched the battle with a solemn Cornelia, a worried Cecile, an intrigued Lloyd, and a neutral Kanon.
"Not to say I am not a heartless person. I shall give you one last chance, surrender now and the only thing you'll face is lifetime imprisonment." Schneizel offered casually.
Cecile looked at the Lancelot with shaky eyes, mentally begging for Suzaku to stand down.
...
Outskirts of Kamine Island
"Please Suzaku and Kallen, it doesn't have to end with anymore death tonight. Same goes for you Rolo." Gino pleaded, wanting to end this peacefully.
The knightmares floated there suddenly for a moment before Suzaku decided to speak.
"I think I speak for everyone when I tell the Prime Minister he can go fuck himself." Suzaku said with a smirk.
...
Avalon
"Son of a!" Cornelia said angrily.
"SUZAKU, NO!" Cecile screamed.
Lloyd quietly snickered, and Kanon gritted his teeth.
...
Outskirts of Kamine Island
"HA! Took the words right out of mouth!" Kallen said triumphantly.
"Not the words I would have used but the feeling is mutual." Jeremiah added.
"The consensus among us is clear. Do what you need to do." Rolo said solemnly as he prepared his final assault, along with the others.
"(Sighs) Very well." Schneizel said boredly.
"I'm sorry guys..." Gino said ruefully as he readied his guns from inside his Tristain.
"I shall make it quick." Monica said respectfully as prepared to finish them from inside her knightmare.
"I'm glad I got to meet you, Joe. I'll say hi to your mother and sister for you." Kallen said with a sad grin from inside her knightmare.
"I wish I could have done more, I only hope it was enough." Jeremiah said determinedly from inside his knightmare.
"Lelouch, Nunnally..." Suzaku said with a regretful tone.
"Goodbye, former Knight of the Round." Bismarck said solemnly from inside his knightmare.
The Galahad glowed a bright red, ready to take them all out.
*BAM*
Only for a knightmare to slam into it, causing the cannon to destroy other Sutherlands instead.
"What?!" Bismarck said angrily from inside the Galahad, wondering who took his kill.
"Mind if I go for a round?" The Black Knight asked snidely as he swung the ACM's elbow at the Galahad's head.
"Urabe?!" Kallen asked with shock.
"You're here!" Rolo said with disbelief.
"Where did he-" Gino didn't get to finish his question as one of the Siegfried's spike hit the Tristian in the shoulder.
"This fight is not over yet!" Jeremiah said determinedly as he threw the Tristian at the Florence.
...
Avalon
"(Sighs)So many distractions..." Schneizel said with a bored and tired tone.
Cecile looked on with some relief.
...
Outskirts of Kamine Island
"Guys! Where's Joseph?!" Urabe asked quickly from inside his ACM as he dodged attacks from Bismarck.
"Kamine Island, confronting Emperor! Lelouch isn't here! Suzaku's on our side!" Kallen explained just as quickly from inside her knightmare.
"Wait, really?" Urabe asked with surprise as he tried to fire at the Bismarck, who swiftly dodged the bullets and quickly came to attack him.
Only for Suzaku to come in and block his attack.
"Really." Suzaku confirmed.
Urabe then took that moment to throw a stun grenade at the Galahad's head.
"Urgh! Damn your cheap tricks!" Said an angry and temporarily blind Bismarck from inside his knightmare.
"Then you all need to get on that island and help him. I'll keep them occupied." Urabe told them, shocking the rest.
"Huh!? Urabe, you can't be serious?!" Kallen asked incrediously.
"You can't take them all on by yourself!" Rolo said with worry.
"And you have a damaged knightmare!" Suzaku added.
"Maybe not, but I can hold them off until you get done whatever it is you need to get done." Urabe said determinedly from inside his ACM.
"But...but that means..." Kallen said with scared tone as her eyes widen in realization from inside her Sutherland.
"Consider this my repayment. Now go." Urabe said with a tone of acceptance as he flew away from them and fired upon other Sutherlands, taking them out one by one.
"URABE!" Kallen cried out to her comrade, only for Suzaku to block her way.
"Kallen, we have to go." Suzaku said solemnly.
"We can't leave him!" Kallen argued.
"He's giving us a chance to escape! You want to spit it back in his face?!" Suzaku asked angrily from inside his knightmare.
"He's right, Miss Kallen. We must go help his highness." Jeremiah said from inside his knightmare as he joined the rest of the group.
Kallen looked at the ACM. Despite it being only partially fixed, Urabe flew around the Sutherlands like it was nothing. She gritted her teeth and tighten her fists around the controls, knowing she was going to have to make the tough but necessary decision.
"Goodbye Urabe." She said with sad acceptance.
"Thank you for everything." Rolo said with respectful tone as he watched the battle on his screen from inside his Sutherland.
"Hold it! You're not going anywhere!" Monica said as she and Gino came towards them.
To which all four them released all of the stun grenades and flares that they had.
Gino groaned from the blinding light.
"Damn it!" Monica said angrily from inside the Florence as the combination of smoke and bright lights obscured her vision.
As the sky was now filled with smoke, the four comrades flew down to the island.
"That should distract them for awhile, and hopefully give Urabe a little more time." Kallen said with resigned breath.
"He saved us, Kallen. We can't take it for granted." Rolo said on her screen.
"We honor him by aiding his Majesty now." Jeremiah said with a respectful tone on her screen as well.
Kallen looked at them with surprise and then nodded with determination. "We're coming Joe."
"I just hope he's okay..." Suzaku said worriedly.
...
C's World
"BLEAHBLEAHBLEAHBLEAHBLEAH..." A blue pill-shaped creature continued to say to a bunch of dancing cactuses on the TV Joseph manifested.
Joseph watched with amusement as he did the same thing.
Charles stood behind him with a twitching eye and gritting teeth.
...
Kamine Island
Kallen, Suzaku, Jeremiah, and Rolo ran through the island, making their way to the cave.
"Do you think they're inside C's world?" Kallen asked.
"C's World?" Suzaku asked.
"A place where the collective minds meet together, at least that's how V.V. described it. I know the gateway to C's World is inside the cave, but I don't know how to gain access." Rolo said.
"Indeed, that's one secret V.V. never told." Jeremiah added.
"Then I guess we'll have to figure it out when we get there." Kallen asked.
"Hold!" Suzaku told them quickly as he gestured for them to stop running.
"What is it?" Kallen asked.
Instead of answering, Suzaku hid behind some trees and gestured for them to do the same, which they complied.
"Look." Suzaku said as he pointed towards the entrance of the cave.
It was Anya and C.C.
"Anya?" Suzaku said with surprise.
"And C.C.?! What the Hell is she doing here?!" Kallen said with surprise.
"Did she regain her memories?" Rolo asked.
"If that's the case, why go with Anya?" Jeremiah asked.
"Whatever the reason, I don't like it." Kallen said with a suspicious look in her eye.
...
"Joseph's not here. I guess he found a way inside." Marianne said as she examined the gate.
"I wonder how Charles is putting up with him so far." C.C. said with a bored tone.
"Knowing Charles, he's handling it like a champ. But the poor dear is probably reaching his breaking point." Marianne said with pity.
"Do you really plan to go in?" C.C. asked.
"Yes, of course. Charles has been waiting for us after all. This would've been so easy if you'd only given him your Code. Oh well, I'll go first, all right?" Marianne told her as he put her hand against the gate. "Just you wait C.C., soon you'll have your wish." She told her excitedly.
"You mean the wish to die?" Kallen asked as she came into the cave with a gun pointed at them, along with the rest of her group behind her.
"Ah, the infamous Kal Pal that C.C. told me about. A pleasure to finally meet you." Marianne said with a delighted tone.
"Anya?" Suzaku said quietly, sensing something was off with her.
"Not exactly. I would love to explain further but I have to go see my husband now." Marianne said cheerfully before the gate glowed a bright red.
It was then Anya's body started to collapse. Thankfully, Jeremiah came and caught her in time.
"Whoa, what happened?" Kallen asked with surprise.
"Is she alright?" Suzaku asked with concern.
"She's fine, just unconscious." Jeremiah said as he gently put her down on the ground.
"The four of you made it out of there it seems. Glad to see you in one piece." C.C. said casually.
"Can't say the same to you. You get your memory back and just abandon Lelouch too." Kallen said harshly.
"Actions out of my control unfortunately. But it seems it won't matter too much in the long run now." C.C. said solemnly.
"Who was that?" Suzaku asked her, confusing the group.
"Changed sides, Suzaku? That's definitely a surprise." C.C. said, ignoring his question.
"That wasn't Anya speaking to us, so who was it?" Suzaku asked again, more assertive.
"...I suppose it doesn't matter to keep it a secret anymore." C.C. said after a moment. "Tell me, are any of you familiar with the Emperor's consorts?"
...
Outskirts of Kamine Island
Urabe tried his best to keep up with the three Knights of the Round, but alas they eventually surrounded him. His ACM barely functional now, warning signs and sounds blaring all around him.
"Damn...I was hoping...to buy them...a few more minutes..." Urabe said from inside his knightmare with an exhausted breath, blood leaking from his mouth.
"I must admit, for an inadequate knightmare, you held on must longer than I anticipated." Bismarck complimented
"But your mission proved to be for nothing, Black Knight." Monica commented in a somewhat sympathetic tone.
"Yeah...truth to be told...I'm not exactly proud...to be a Black Knight right now." Urabe said bluntly. "This...was for my friends..."
"Yeah, they do seem pretty cool. Unfortunately, I think they ran out of luck." Gino said sadly. "When the time comes, we'll make sure their deaths are quick." He told him wistfully.
"I won't hold my breath..." Urabe said dismissively.
"What a waste of my time." Bismarck said with annoyance from inside his knightmare as he fired his cannon.
The blast hit the ACM dead center, obliterating it completely.
What they didn't count on, was the cockpit getting away. It launched itself away from the island.
"A backup...emergency eject system? Thanks...Rakshata..." Urabe said gratefully from inside his cockpit before he passed out from blood loss and landing into the ocean.
The knights and soldiers saw this as well.
"Should we arrest the Black Knight, your Highness?" Monica asked Schneizel from inside her Florence.
"No, there's nothing he can do now. I want you and Gino to join Anya on Kamine Island and look for my brother and his friends. See if you can prevent them from attacking the Emperor." Schneizel ordered on her screen.
"It shall be done, your Majesty." Gino said through the comms.
...
Avalon
As Monica and Gino headed towards Kamine Island, Schneizel had his eyes on Bismarck.
"As for you Bismarck, why don't join me inside? I believe we have some things we need to discuss." Schneizel suggested.
...
C's World
"My, Joseph. How you've grown." Marianne said nostalgically.
Joseph and Charles turned around and saw the Marianne enter C's World to greet them.
"I gotta say, the beard suits you quite well." Marianne complimented.
"Marianne. I see you've finally come." Charles said with a relieved tone, finally escaping Joseph's buffoonery.
Marianne was actually expecting Joseph to be surprised if not shocked by her sudden appearance. Instead he just stared at her blankly, and then suddenly gave a chuckle, followed by a slap clap.
"Bra-vo, father. Very impressive." Joseph said in amusement to Charles with a smug grin on his face.
Marianne smile turned to a befuddled frown while Charles just stared at him blankly.
"Excuse me..." Charles asked, wondering what on Earth Joseph was talking about.
"Look, I get it. We're at the climax in the villain fight so gotta pull off some crazy plot twist to get me more riled up." Joseph said playfully. "Thus! You bring my dead auntie into the game to trip me up." He said as he went over to Marianne's side and wildly gestured at her. "Maybe even seduce me." He added.
"What..." Marianne said in exasperation.
"Joseph, that's really is Marianne." Charles said blankly, not wanting to give Joseph the satisfaction of being annoyed.
"Oh pah-lezz. Maybe to the unsee eye, one could be fooled." Joseph said dramatically, not buying it at all. "But any moron would clearly see this is an imposter WITH A FLESH MASK!" He yelled triumphantly as he suddenly grabbed Marianne's face.
"AAAAHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Marianne yelled in pain as Joseph kept pulling her cheeks.
Had it been heard actual body, he definitely would have ripped it off by now.
"CEASE YOUR CHATTER, DOPPLEGANGER! I SHALL MISSION IMPOSSIBLE YOU!" Joseph declared as he continued to pull on her face. Which ended with them falling to the ground and rolling around. "You put superglue on this thing?!" He asked.
"What is wrong with you!? Get off of me!" Marianne yelled angrily as she tried to get away from him.
While this was going on, Charles just stared straight ahead with a tired expression on his face.
"...Why did I ever have kids...?" Was all Charles asked.
...
Kamine Island
The group stared at C.C. with shock.
"...My...my Lady Marianne..." Jeremiah said with dread in his voice.
"The whole time, she hiding inside Anya, using her." Suzaku said with his own uneasiness.
"And you gave her that power." Kallen stated bitterly.
"I don't create the Geass abilities, it manifests from whatever the owner desires." C.C. explained.
"Still, you weren't hesitant?" Rolo asked catiously.
"I wanted my wish to be granted. I didn't care too much about the risks at the time." C.C. said.
"And now Joseph has to deal with the reveal of his dead aunt, who knows how that will affect him!" Kallen said angrily.
...
C's World
"Okay, fine! It's not a flesh mask, but it's clearly a WIG!" Joseph declared as he now went for Marianne's hair instead of face.
"AHHHH!" Marianne screamed with pain as he pulled her hair like a maniac! "YOU IDIOT! IT'S REALLY ME!" She said angrily as she finally pulled herself off of him.
"Oh really?" Joseph said sarcastically. "Well, if you're really Aunt Mary, then what color is my underwear?!" Joseph asked with a pointed finger.
"What the Hell kind of question is that?!" Charles asked himself, feeling annoyed.
However, Marianne just chuckled. "Spongebob boxers." She said smugly.
Joseph silently gasped as his eyes widen in shock. "Aunt Mary...it really is you..." He said quietly.
"She got it right?!" Charles thought as he looked with at his wife with subtle bewilderment.
"It really is me, Joseph. However I can only take on my original appearance while I'm present within this system. Not that I expect you the understand the science behind that." Marianne said dismissively.
"Whoa. Did death make you more grumpy or something, Aunt Mary?" Joseph asked, surprised by Marianne's demeanor.
"No, it's just let me stop wearing a mask." Marianne said solemnly.
"Joseph, I think it's time to tell you what Ragnarok is." Charles said as he waved his hand in front of a painting.
It looked like it was rewinding to a specific point in time.
And when it stopped:
Do you like waffles?
Yeah, we like waffles!
Do you like pancakes?
Yeah, we like pancakes!
An animated music video about breakfast appeared in the painting, baffling Charles and Marianne.
They turned back around and saw Joseph dancing to the tune.
"The ultimate breakfast song!" Joseph cheered as he continued to dance. Only to slowly stop when he noticed Charles and Marianne were silently glaring at him. "(Sighs)Buzzkills..." Joseph said with a spout as he ceased his dancing.
Finally having control of the images around them, Charles rewound back to a time when him and his brother were children.
"Half a century ago, my elder brother and I existed in a Hell on Earth." Charles began his tale as he showed images of carnage from the painting. "Our family was just rivals competing for the throne." He said solemnly.
"The 'Emblem of Blood' Era." Joseph stated with sudden seriousness. Remembering his mother telling him the horrific stories of the horrific era.
"Yes. Assassinations occurred with regularity. Daily betrayal spawned by lies. Killing each other off. My own mother fell victim to it." Charles continued as he showed an image of his mother's body flatten by a cart.
"Grandma..."Joseph said sadly.
"My brother and I were sickened and angered by the world. We therefore both swore an oath. To create a world without lies." Charles continued as he showed a younger version him and V.V.(formerly known as Victor) placing their palms against each other.
"Both C.C. and I agreed to this as well. V.V., however…" Marianne spoke up.
The painting fast forwards to Marianne standing on the staircase inside Aries Villa. It was the dead of night and she came to greet V.V.
"What did you call me for today? I cleared everyone out of here. I even had Cornelia withdraw." Marianne told V.V.
"Sorry to do this. Especially without Charles around." V.V. told her blankly, not really meaning it.
"Is this about the Sword of Akasha?" Marianne asked.
"Hm? Oh, no. This is only about Charles." V.V. said, she didn't understand. "Ever since he met you, Charles has been acting like a different man. It seems to me that you and he have come to enjoy learning more about one another. You realize that if this continues, the contract we made will never be fulfilled. I'll be left alone." He told her, Marianne's eyes widen in what he was implying. "From the beginning of time, it's always been the woman who's led the man astray." He said darkly.
"Lady Marianne." One of her security guards spoke up.
"I told you to stay out of here." Marianne scolded.
Only for her to get barrage full of bullets in the back.
"AUNT MARY! NOOOOOOO!" Joseph screamed in agony as he placed his hands on the painting, watching his aunt perish.
"Joe, I'm right here, remember?" Marianne said with a deadpan.
"...Oh yeah." Joseph said, remembering it was just a recording. "Still, V.V.'s a dick!"
"That I can agree with you on." Marianne said.
"The job's done. Right. Begin the cover up. Maybe we can make Nunnally out to be the witness. It's imperative that this looks like it was the work of terrorists." V.V. said into a phone.
"He's the reason Nunne's blind and crippled! OH, THAT LITTLE...! He is so lucky my giant Phoenix guardian already blew him away!" Joseph said angrily.
"Your giant...you know what, forget it." Marianne dismissed, not wanting to dive into that rabbit hole. "Anya Alstreim. The young girl who had arrived a week earlier to be schooled in etiquette. My Geass power was to cross over into another person's mind."
The painting showed a dying Marianne looking at a scared nine-year old Anya, hiding behind a pillar. Marianne's left eye went red, revealing her Geass.
Joseph gasped in surprise. "Aunt Mary! You were a superhero this entire time?!" He asked with shock.
"The power that had been dormant for so long activated for the first time as I was dying. I hid inside Anya to save myself from being killed by V.V." Marianne explained to him as the painting showed Marianne's Geass flash into Anya's eyes, taking over her body.
Joseph's eyes widen in realization. "So you've been controlling Anya's body this whole time?! Does she even like taking selfies?!" He asked angrily.
"Not all the time. Just when I needed to converse with Charles privately." Marianne told him casually.
"And that required the use of my own Geass sometimes to make sure she didn't get suspicious." Charles explained.
"Oh, so she's just the pickles in your guy's burrito, eh?! Not cool!" Joseph said, peeved for Anya's sake.
"(Sighs)Moving on. It was then I realized that when my consciousness surfaced, I could communicate mind to mind with C.C. When she discovered the truth, C.C. left the directorship to V.V. and then disappeared." Marianne told him as the painting showed C.C. leaving with a suitcase.
"I spoke with my brother about it, however…" Charles began as the painting showed him and V.V at the Geass Order.
"I heard. What a tragedy. I shall miss Marianne." V.V. said blankly.
This caused Charles to glare at his brother and tighten his fist in anger.
"My brother lied to me. After we had sworn to create a world without deceit." Charles said bitterly.
"Oh puh-lease! You got some nerve playing the victim when you willingly sent Lelouch and Nunne to Japan like no tomorrow! All because he wanted answers about Aunt Mary's death!" Joseph said angrily.
"It was necessary!" Charles said angrily.
"Necessary for who? I know you don't like kids but you went way overboard!" Joseph spat back.
...
Kamine Island
C.C. had just finished explaining what exactly the Ragnarok Connection to the group and they were not taking it well. They were all pale and felt as though they somehow failed on a monumental level.
"So...all of the battle and bloodshed between Britannia and the Black Knights...all the heartache that we went through, that I put my friends through...it was all just to lure you out." Suzaku stated as he sank to his knees.
"In the end, it seems that big brother's rebellion was merely a nuisance. Just a ruckus in the world." Rolo said sadly.
"That...that can't be true..." Kallen said with shaky eyes.
"My Lady Marianne...why..." Jeremiah said as he felt his heart break.
C.C. didn't think she would care about these feelings anymore. But honestly, it hurt seeing them like this.
"I used Lelouch. I was fully aware of the truth the entire time. In order to bring about my own death, I had to make his survival a priority." C.C. said truthfully.
To which Kallen grabbed her by the shirt and slammed her against the cave wall.
"You damn bitch. I should have known you had an interior motive up your sleeve. To think I trusted you." Kallen said with hatred.
"I kept him alive, didn't I? Wasn't that enough to trust me?" C.C. asked.
"Not when it's for your own selfish gain! Do you even regret any of this?!" Rolo asked angrily. He was close to putting a bullet in her brain too, even knowing it wouldn't work.
"Not really. My sensibilities are quite different as an immortal witch. I abandoned my humanity long ago." C.C. said, though her tone did indicate she was a bit regretful.
Jeremiah then came to Kallen's side and brought his arm-sword to C.C.'s neck.
"You may still have your immortality C.C., but I still know my ways around interrogation. And unless you want to understand the full scope of that, I suggest you let us inside of C's World so we can assist his Majesty." Jeremiah said threateningly.
"Quite a threat from the cyborg who's trying to redeem himself. Perhaps you haven't changed much after all." C.C. said casually.
"You don't get to debate moral high ground with us after you just confessed you've been backstabbing Lelouch this whole time!" Kallen said angrily.
"Guys, enough!" Suzaku spoke up, getting their attention. He got back up and walked up to C.C. in a calm manner. "Kallen is right, you don't get to debate morals with us. But then again, neither do I. The sins I've committed are great, probably as great as Lelouch's, and I don't know if I can ever truly make up for them." He said quietly as he looked down in shame. But then he looked at C.C. again with determination. "But if Joseph has taught me anything, it's that it's never too late to try. So please C.C., send us to the other world. Regardless that you may think we're foolish, we can't wait here and do nothing. We have to help, please let us help." He said with an almost pleading tone.
Kallen, Jeremiah, and Rolo looked at Suzaku with surprise and could see he truly meant it. C.C. looked at him with an analyzing eye .
"You know Suzaku, I thought you and I were alike." C.C. said, surprising Suzaku. "In the way that we both wish to die and yet are unable to. But I can see that is gone now. You have a new spark that you haven't had in years." She said with a sad smile. "And I suppose I have the dimwit to blame."
...
Ashford Academy
Milly looked at the crater with empty eyes. Today had been a rather horrible day.
Not only did she witness a majority of the settlement get destroyed, she learned from Shirley and Rivalz that Lelouch was betrayed by the Black Knights and captured by Schneizel.
And what was she doing? Recapping the news like it was any other Sunday.
"Milly!" A News Producer shouted to her, getting her attention.
"Huh? What?" Milly asked, snapping out of it.
"I said, when the sun rises I wanna get a shot with ground zero in the background." The producer told her.
"Okay, gotcha." Milly complied quietly.
"Sorry about this. Relief will be here from Niigata and Nagoya by the afternoon so hang tight." The producer told her.
"It's fine. I'm okay." Milly reassured him, still with a quiet voice.
She then noticed something on the corner of her eye.
It was a green-haired scientist, head down shame, hair covering her eyes as she stood before the crater.
"Nina?" Milly said with quiet surprise.
...
Avalon
"We'll have ground forces searching for the rebels soon. But tell me Prince Schneizel, just how much do you know?" Bismarck asked with heated glare towards the Prime Minister.
"How frightening. What are you referring to?" Schneizel asked with fake unknowing tone.
...
C's World
"That's right. I sent both Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan to escape my brother's sight. That's also why I had Marianne's body secretly taken away." Charles continued to explain.
"As long as my body still exists, there's the possibility that I'll be able to return to it." Marianne said.
"Wait, so you're not a ghost of the Christmas past?" Joseph asked with a squinted eye.
"Oh my God..." Marianne muttered tiredly as she rolled her eyes.
"Anya and Nunnally became witnesses. Therefore it was necessary to rewrite their memories in order to protect everything." Charles told him.
"Nunne's memories?" Joseph questioned until he realized the implications of that sentence. "You mean her being blind wasn't trauma?! It was YOU!"
"You figured that out, but not the fact I'm still alive?!" Marianne asked with frustration.
"Marianne." Charles said patiently.
"I know, banging my head against a brick wall..." Marianne said defeatedly.
"I can't believe you Aunt Mary! First it turns out you're not dead, and now I'm learning you've been going along with dad's evil plan!? What else is a lie? Did you even want to conquer other countries? Were you the Emperor of Britannia to begin with? Is Rolo even my real brother?!" Joseph asked angrily.
"NO!" Charles and Marianne said with annoyed rage.
Marianne sighed in frustration before continuing. "Even though she was a false witness, there remained very real danger she would be killed."
"To ensure Nunnally's safety, proof was needed that would lead far away from the truth." Charles explained.
"The original plan called for only one immortal Code. However, for research to progress, we had to have an additional Code. In other words, without C.C., we didn't have a 100% guarantee that it would succeed." Marianne said.
"And in return, you would let her die." Joseph said, catching on.
"Exactly. But when Marianne was unable to persuade C.C. to help us, we were left with no choice. We were forced to use you, Lelouch." Charles said.
This confused Joseph.
"What does Lelouch have to do with any of this?" Joseph asked.
"When I found out C.C. was found Lelouch, I knew he would be the perfect tool to make sure she would be properly returned to us." Charles explained.
"And we could complete our plan." Marianne added.
"What plan!? What is Ragnarok!?" Joseph demanded.
"To make all beings the same person." C.C. said as she and the rest of Joseph's group out from the clouds.
"Seaweed?" Joseph said with surprise.
"The plan was to destroy God and unite all humans, living and dead into one-" C.C. tried to explain, only to swept into a bone-crushing hug by Joseph.
"Seaweed! You're you again! I missed you so much!" Joseph said happily as he swung her around.
"And I did not miss your hugs." C.C. said blankly with a tight breath.
"Guys! You made it!" Joseph cheered as he gathered his friends in a group hug, which they gladly returned. "So get this! Aunt Mary is still alive and is in cohoots with my dad!" He said with astonishment.
"We're aware, C.C. told us the story." Rolo said.
"Putting that on hold, how on Earth are you talking with complete sentences right now?" Kallen asked with shock.
"Apparently C's World is able to fill all the blanks in my brain, weird right?" Joseph said excitedly before becoming confused. "But how did you guys escape Schneizel's forces?" He asked.
Kallen looked down sadly at that.
"Urabe came in at the last minute and decided to hold off the soldiers all by himself so we could come help you." Kallen said quietly.
Joseph's eyes widen at that, realizing the implication.
"Uru..." Joseph said sadly.
"He was a brave warrior. His sacrifice will not be vain." Suzaku told him.
Joseph gave him a sad smile.
"Glad to finally have you with us, training buddy." Joseph said bittersweetly as he put his hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry it took so long." Suzaku said with a small smile.
"Lady Marianne..." Jeremiah said with awe and trepidation as he was afraid what he was seeing wasn't real.
"Hello Jeremiah, it's been awhile." Marianne said with a smile. "And hello to you again, Kal Pal." She said with amusement as she turned towards Kallen, who just glared in return. "Have you two finally become a couple or are you still too afraid to admit your feelings to the moron?" She mocked.
"Not that it's any of your business but I did tell him how I feel." Kallen told her, unamused.
"Which makes us a 'possible couple'. Thank you very much!" Joseph said proudly as brought Kallen to his side, making her blush with embarrassment but didn't pull anyway either.
Marianne couldn't help but laugh at that. "You kids these days."
"I must say, I'm surprised you're here as well Kururugi. I can't see any sense of you being here." Charles said dismissively.
"I'm sure you can't." Suzaku said dismissively as well. " I heard you're already immortal. That's why there's something I want know for certain. Why did you make this thing? For what reason?" He asked.
"Why. Because it's what Nunnally and Euphy both desired. They wanted a gentle world." Charles told them.
"Still lost on what's going on here." Joseph said with confusion.
"It is what I said before, with the Ragnarok Connection, they'll kill God and every single being, living or dead, would become one." C.C. said again.
"Everyone's thought would be the same, we would know what the other was thinking." Rolo explained.
"And feeling." Kallen added.
"Oh shit, a hive mind..." Joseph said with dread as he realized what they were talking about.
"These tragedies will no longer be necessary once the Ragnarok Connection is established." Charles said.
"Masks will vanish. Then everyone can be exactly who they are supposed to be." Marianne said with determination.
"Lady Marianne, why? Why would you agree to this plan?!" Jeremiah asked, desperate for an answer.
"Make no mistake, Jeremiah. I quite enjoyed the company I made here, I love my children and I even tolerate Joseph. But the world is a cruel place, built on the backs of others through lies and contempt. With Ragnarok, no one won't have anything hide behind anymore. And with C.C. finally with us again, we can finally make it happen." Marianne told him.
Joseph looked at C.C. with sadness. "So you did know the whole time." He stated. She could only look away feeling ashamed.
"The time is here. C.C., since we are all assembled, the plan can commence now. I will grant your wish, after everything has been completed." Charles said as he raised his hand and the Geass symbol glowed from it.
The Geass symbol on C.C's forehead glowed as well and the images that Joseph had seen so many times before started to appear.
The planets aligning.
A cloud made of skulls emerges.
Shadows walk among the living.
It was happening.
...
Kamine Island
"AH!" Anya woke up with a start. "What the…? Where am I?" She asked herself as she looked around and could see the cave shaking around her.
What she didn't know was that the same was happening for the entire world.
...
Northern lights shined above the island.
"What the Hell is going on?!" Gino asked with surprise from inside his Tristian
"I don't know!" Monica said from inside her Florence.
...
Ashford Academy
OSI Surveillance Room
The room shook around Shirley, Rolo, and the kids.
"This is not good!" Rivalz pointed out, feeling very terrified.
Not as terrified as the kids as they huddled up around Potestas who had them gather around Shirley. Their Geasses glowing brightly in their eyes.
"Aunt Shirley, it's happening!" Potestas said worriedly.
"What is?!" Shirley said, afraid to even ask.
"The end of the world." Longe said with dread.
"I want Papa!" Umbra said with a scared tone.
"Bring Papa back!" Kaecus cried.
"Don't worry, it's going to be okay. I got you." Shirley said with as much as a comforting tone as she could as she hugged them tightly. "Joseph, please hurry..."
...
Avalon
Schneizel looked at screen in front of him as he saw the Richter scale going off all over the country.
"What is this Bismarck?" Schneizel asked, very unamused.
"It must be His Majesty's plan come to fruition. If His Majesty succeeds in carrying out his vision, then whatever is left of the world would be yours to govern per his royal decree, although the sense of politics will have changed greatly." Bismarck told him with a sneer, pissing Schneizel off to a good extent.
...
C's World
"Behold! It's begun! The Sword of Akasha is slaying God." Marianne said with glee as the collective consciousness began to disappear and C's World began to collapse around them.
"Now once our marks of Geass become one, the old world will cease and a new world will spring forth." Charles said triumphantly.
Joseph and his friends looked at the collective consciousness with fear.
"This...this can't be it." Suzaku said with a somewhat pleading tone.
"We have to do something! Come on guys!" Kallen said as she pointed her gun at Charles and Marianne.
"Jeremiah, what about your Geass canceller?" Rolo quickly asked.
"Right!" Jeremiah said as he started to turn it on.
"Your weapons are useless here, you fools. Ragnarok transcends all of Earth's powers, the only thing you can do now is witness." Charles said with a sneer.
"Lady Marianne, please don't do this!" Jeremiah begged. "Think of your children! Would they really want to live in a world like this?!" He asked her.
"I'm doing this for my children, Jeremiah. With this, we can all be truly happy. They'll thank me in the long run." Marianne said with a sweet smile.
Jeremiah could only look at her with anguish, wondering how the woman he loved and respected so much could fall so low.
"Damn you!" Kallen said as she fired at Charles and Marianne, who remained unfazed by it.
"I told you, didn't I? It's pointless to try and stop what's coming." Charles said with boredom.
"And to think I actually willingly followed you." Suzaku said bitterly.
"Yes, and it came with great success didn't it?" Charles asked with a conniving grin, angrily Suzaku more.
"Big brother, what can we do? Should we retreat?" Rolo asked Joseph, who said nothing. "Big brother?" He asked again, confused.
Joseph just stared ahead at the collective consciousness slowly disappearing.
This new world didn't sound good, it didn't sound good at all!
If he were to let this happen, it could mean the end of everything.
After everything they been through. After everything Lelouch endured! He couldn't give up now!
He had to take a stand!
And there was only one way he knew how.
"Hey Rolo? What do I always say?" Joseph asked.
"Huh?" Rolo asked, not understanding.
"That thing about being stupid. What was it?" Joseph asked as he looked back at his brother.
"Um, 'Do something, do it stupid'?" Rolo said in a confused manner.
Joseph then cracked his neck "Exactly." He said with a wild grin, having made his decision.
He then charged past the others.
"What the-" Suzaku said in surprise.
"Your highness?!" Jeremiah said with shock.
"What the Hell are you doing?!" Kallen asked with disbelief.
"Something stupid!" Joseph said excitedly as he ran closer towards the collective consciousness.
"Are you insane! You can't touch the collective consciousness!" Charles said with shock, realizing what Joseph planned on doing.
"Can't stop me!" Joseph said before blowing raspberries at them.
"Joseph, wait! You don't know what will happen!" Suzaku tried to warn.
"Gotta try!" Joseph said determined, just feet away from the edge.
"Don't do it!" Kallen screamed.
Once he came to the edge, he jumped towards the collective consciousness.
"GERONIMO!" Joseph yelled crazily as he dived towards the RPG.
"JOE!"
"BIG BROTHER!"
"JOSEPH!"
"YOUR MAJESTY!"
Kallen, Rolo, Suzaku, and Jeremiah said with despair.
"You fool." C.C. said with quiet sadness.
As Joseph reached his hand out towards the collective consciousness, making contact with the strand, a bright light seemed to envelope over him, he let out a scream before he evaporated into nothing.
The group of friends looked on with wide eyes, stunned into silence.
The next thing Kallen knew, she was on her knees.
"...J...Joe...?" Was all Kallen could think to say, tears forming in her eyes.
"He's...he's gone..." Rolo said with wide, shaking eyes.
"Wha...no...no, that can't be!" Suzaku said in denial. "He must have...he had to..." He stuttered, trying to think of an excuse.
"The collective consciousness is not something meant to be touched. He could very well be dead at this point." C.C. said quietly.
"No...NO!" Suzaku said angrily as he slammed his fist on the ground. "I failed...I failed again..."
"My Prince..." Jeremiah said with sadness in his voice.
Even C.C. couldn't help but look down with a bit of remorse.
"(Sighs)Always the fool." Charles said disappointedly with a small bit of regret.
"His recklessness was going to get him killed one day. Too bad for him he won't get to experience the new world." Marianne said nonchalantly.
Suddenly, the shaking stop. In fact the entire collective consciousness seemed to freeze, as if suddenly put on pause.
"What?!" Charles and Marianne asked with shock, not expecting this at all.
...
Kamine Island
Gino and Monica looked around in wonder.
"It stopped?" Gino said completely confused from inside his knightmare.
"Gino!" Anya called out to them.
"Huh!? Anya?!" Gino said with surprise as he saw her on his monitor.
...
OSI Surveillance Room
"What just happened?" Rivalz asked out loud, not sure what to think of this
The kids were confused too until they gasped in surprised glee, their Geasses still shining brightly, but this time a bright purple color instead.
"Guys? What is it?" Shirley asked.
The kids looked at her with relief and joy.
"Papa." They all said together.
...
C's World
The collective consciousness suddenly started to put itself back together.
"What's happening?" Kallen asked with surprise.
"Is this part of Ragnarok, C.C.?" Suzaku asked her.
"No...this is...nothing I've ever seen before." C.C. said with rare confusion.
It was then the collective consciousness started to glow a purple hue. It then started to vibrate and give off a strange sound, as if electric guitar strings were being played with a cello bow.
As the group watched this unfold, C.C.'s eyes widen with shock and realization.
"It...it can't be..." C.C. said with a shaky voice.
"C.C.?" Rolo asked with concern.
"It's impossible." C.C. said with shaky eyes, realizing what was going on.
Suddenly the world around them rebuilt itself back to the way it was before with its clouds and platforms, shocking the group.
"Charles, what is this?!" Marianne asked a bit scared now.
"I don't know! This isn't right! This isn't what's suppose to happen!" Charles said incredulously.
"Look!" Jeremiah said as he pointed towards the collective consciousness.
Something started to appear from the strand, a little black dot of sorts.
But as it got closer, they could see it was the shape of a person, floating slowly towards them.
As it got closer, the group's eyes widen in shock as they started to recognize who it was.
It was Joseph!
Except he was glowing the purple hue that came from the collective consciousness!
"J-Joe...?" Kallen said with awe, relief, and a bit of fear.
"Big brother?" Rolo also said with surprise.
"Holy shit..." Suzaku said, stunned by what he was seeing.
"What happened to his Majesty?" Jeremiah asked with shock.
"Hmmhmmmhmmm..."
Suddenly, they heard quiet chuckling.
"Hmmhmmmhmhahaha..."
Chuckling that soon became a zestful giggle.
Where was it coming from one may ask?
None other than C.C.
"C.C.?" Suzaku asked with concern.
"HahahahaaahaaahaaaHaHaHaaHa."
Soon the giggle transformed into full blown laughter.
Not the kind of laughter that ensued joy and happiness, this one was maniacal, loathsome, and empty.
"HAHAHAAAAHHHAAAHAHAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHAAAAHAHAAHA!" C.C. howled as she fell on her behind with a plop as she held her head in her hands.
Honestly, it scared both Kallen and Rolo to see her like this as they were used to seeing here be emotionless and uncaring.
"C.C.! What's gotten into you!?" Marianne asked, terrified of what she was seeing.
"All this time...and I never even saw it." C.C. said with defeat in her voice.
"You know what's happening, don't you?! Was Joseph given a Geass?!" Charles asked angrily.
"If only it were that simply, Charlie." C.C. said with a mocking tone after she breathed a sigh of relief after laughing so hard. "For awhile now, I always wondered how Joseph was capable of so many of the feats he was able to accomplish. I thought Geass might have been the case, that he was given one to enhance his durability or one was placed on him so he could be protected." She said with a shallow smile as she looked at the dimwitted Prince floating towards them. "But turns out, it goes deeper than that..."
Joseph stared at the group, a bright purple Geass flaming in both his eyes.
C.C. looked at the scheming Emperor and Consort as she spoke with of Finality in her voice.
"Joseph doesn't have a Geass, nor was one placed on him.
He is Geass.
It courses through his blood.
Embedded in his DNA.
He is the Child of the Dimensional Supervisor."
To Be Continued...
*MIC DROP*
And thus, all is revealed!
...Well almost. Next chapter is going to dive a lot deeper into the origins of that last statement.
I had a lot of fun writing Charles and Marianne dealing with Joseph's personality as well, always nice to see idiots drag bad guys down to their level!
I thought a lot about killing Urabe in this chapter, but in the end, I feel like the guy deserves to actual live throughout the entire story this time around.
Next chapter will have more twists and turns to read and I'm excited to show you what I have in store!
Until next time, enjoy the chapter and tell me what you think!