"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
- Aristotle
Chapter XXIX: The Eildons
Location Unknown
August 26, 2025
No sooner than when Lelouch regained his senses did he feel the butt of a rifle slam into his back, forcing him into a kneel. His ears picked up similar sounds near him, simultaneously just as Kallen and C.C. were forced down on either side. This was then followed by a harsh bellow from one of their apparent captors, ordering that they keep their hands behind them and not to make a single motion; Lelouch heard the commands, but between the sudden bashing and the previous episode, whatever it was, he could just barely make out the words of the commands. Which really didn't matter too much in itself, at least compared to the overall message. That they were no longer in Ryukyu and, wherever they were now, they were very much in trouble.
Upon regaining his focus, Lelouch dared look up and toward their captors. They were clearly military, dressed in what appeared to be traditional combat armor, but that was as far as he could recognize. The design of said armor, which was assumedly colored in white, was of a type and origin that Lelouch failed to discern. If anything it looked somehow more advanced than their Britannian and Eurasian contemporaries, as well as made of material that did not correspond to modern technology. And that was before one looked over the weapons, which were even more unlike anything Lelouch had seen on and off the battlefield. Rectangular in shape and of various sizes and designs, they almost reminded him of the VARIS rifle that the Mordred and Lancelot both used, yet were far more streamlined and adapted for human usage. And somehow, as impossible as it sounded, Lelouch had a feeling that they functioned similarly.
"Don't bother with your Geass, Your Highness," one of the apparent soldiers stated to Lelouch, who could only glare up with newfound disdain. "We've encountered similar powers to your Absolute Obedience before. Your commands will have no effect on us."
Is that a fact? Lelouch thought, visibly angered at the usage of his imperial title. At the very least that indicated they knew who he really was, which inadvertently showed how informed they were. Very much not standard Britannian or Eurasian soldiers, though if Lelouch's ears deciphered the voice from the facemask's filter, he imagined the one before him was of Britannian origin. "In that case, does the Tibet Convention still apply? May I simply give you my name, rank and serial number to end this affair?"
A metallic, ghostlike laugh emanated from the faceplate, which was also of a kind Lelouch had never seen before. Some sort of domed, faceless carapiece design that, like the rest of the tac armor it came with, looked entirely removed from modern technology. As well as very unnerving to look upon.
"I'm afraid not," the trooper stated, right before nodding toward an unseen subordinate. This time, the rifle butt slammed into the back of Lelouch's head, dazing him momentarily. "Not that you have any of those things as you are presently, Zero."
Shaking off the haze, Lelouch adopted a frown. Somehow he should have seen that coming.
"Yes, we know who you are. All of three of you," the trooper looked between Kallen and C.C., with the former having adopted a murderous glare upon Lelouch getting clubbed. "And though I would normally be within my authority to execute two Geass Users, my superiors want you alive for the moment."
Lelouch just barely managed to keep from smirking at that little tidbit of information, as it indicated far more than the speaker realized. Clearly this was an anti-Geass unit, one intended to hunt and fight both users and Code Bearers. That only left one possibility toward their faction, and it wasn't Britannia.
"Now, on your feet," the trooper commanded, his fellows forcing the trio to stand once more. "Consider yourselves our guests for the foreseeable future."
This time, Lelouch allowed the smirk to form. "You have no idea," he exclaimed, just as he opened his right hand, allowing an object to drop toward the ground. Something that was small and coin shaped, but was very much not a Britannian pound sterling.
With a single 'ding' upon impact, the miniscule Gefjun bomb detonated, generating a wave of pure white light across the space. Having already closed his eyes and prepared, Lelouch simply waited as Kallen and C.C. – the former drawing her tanto and activating her Geass – sprang into action. Weapons fire and confused shouting soon erupted, somewhat muffled by the abundant ringing, but the result remained inevitable. The enemy – blind, deaf and confused – was up against two of the best martial artists in the Black Knights. In a close-range battle no less.
By the time the ringing died down and Lelouch opened his eyes again, the entire contingent had been effectively dealt with. White armored corpses now lay strewn across the ground, either cut down in their armors' open gaps or simply having vital body parts broken in one way or another. Only two of their number remained alive, and were now, in an ironic reversal, forced into a kneeling position with Kallen and C.C. both subduing them from behind. Their helmets had been stripped off, and though their eyes were kept closed for the moment, it was only a temporary delay at best.
Smiling in triumph, Lelouch moved over the pair, looking down on them bemusedly. "My apologies for our harsh manner," Lelouch exclaimed. "If anything, I should be thanking you for bringing us here. For you, or someone above you, has presented us a rare opportunity."
Lelouch's smile then emboldened as he clarified. "A firsthand account of you Eildons and your order," he stated, relishing their abject shock. "Something that will serve me, and the rest of the Black Knights, well in the future."
Both soldiers grit their teeth as Kallen and C.C. flashed matching smirks. The latter pair then reached out with their hands and pried one eye open on each, all while Lelouch reached up to his own left eye and removed the contact.
"Having said that," the Demon King exclaimed as he opened his left eye, which now shone with the light and sigil of his own Geass. "Consider yourselves my slaves for the foreseeable future."
Black Knights High Command
Naha, Okinawa, Ryukyu Republic
Kaname Ohgi could not remember, for the life of him, ever being overcome with as much sheer terror as he was now. Not even the death of Naoto Kouzuki, and the knowledge that he was the next in line to lead his resistance cell, had instilled him such dread and despair. As well as an ever growing fear for the absolute worst possibility.
It hadn't even been an hour since the event in question had taken place, and it had taken place within the span of a moment. For the briefest of moments, Lelouch had been doubled over in his chair, clawing at his left eye in obvious pain. By the time Ohgi had summoned Sayoko and other household staff to his aid, he had fallen out of the chair and was visibly struggling against his anguish, fighting for control against a force neither he nor anyone around him could identify. The same force that – again through means that Ohgi could not fathom – had suddenly caused the air to shift within the library in the next few moments, not unlike a burst of lightning about to strike. Which was almost precisely what had occurred, right before the eyes of Ohgi and the others.
In but the flicker of an instant, Lelouch had completely vanished. Disappeared altogether, with only the sound of displaced air filling the resultant vacuum indicating he had been there at all. All in an event that Ohgi, much to his horror, had not seen take place since before the Black Rebellion. Specifically upon the slopes of Shikine Island.
Realizing, in spite of all facts and logic, what had just happened, Ohgi had attempted to contact Kallen and C.C. They, however, had apparently disappeared as well; their apartment phone and respective cells had gone unanswered, effectively verifying, once and for all, that the transference was indeed Geass related. Thus the General immediately set back out for headquarters while Sayoko set out for Kume to report to her father. Everything became a whirlwind of motion and activity thereafter, such that Ohgi felt more a witness to those events as opposed to a participant. Much less one who had set everything into place.
The rest of the Order's upper echelons had been alerted immediately after his return, and Ohgi daresay they had all moved as though another Devastation had just erupted. Rakshata, who had been recalled from India, was presently gathering a science contingent together for Kamine, while all information regarding Geass and all related topics were being dug up from the archives. Special Forces and maritime units were already being deployed for search and rescue, in case the wayward trio somehow ended up anywhere around the Sea of Japan. And on the probable chance they had ended up farther out, Diethard was having the Intelligence Division reach out – discreetly of course – to any and all contacts around the globe, from the Ashford Underground in Britannia to other such networks in Eurasia. All while ensuring that the Black Knights' lesser ranks and Ryukyu's citizenry – and, God help them, the rest of the world – remained blissfully unaware.
Even now, what was likely an hour since everything started, secure channels both in and out of Ryukyu were being established, commands were being given and the sense of dread and anxiety over the worst possibilities permeated that much more throughout. The latter was especially felt by Ohgi, who, having more or less performed his role, could just slouch in his office chair and standby for another line of communication to reach him. The one that he both anticipated and feared at the same time; the one that would report on Lelouch, as well as Kallen and C.C., being found at last. Whether still breathing – at least for the former two – or not.
God in Heaven, Ohgi felt himself actually pray, despite never being overly religious. Not that he ever discounted His existence of course; in fact, he was utterly counting on Him being there now. Please let them be found. And, by all means, let them be alive and well…
A knock at the door then snapped him back, causing him to automatically reply. "Enter."
The door shifted open, allowing Kaguya to do just that. Suddenly finding himself in the presence of the Prime Minister of Ryukyu, Ohgi, despite the strain, rose to his feet.
"Madam Prime Minister," Ohgi greeted, trying his best, and failing, to sound welcoming despite the lack of positive emotion in his voice. "I take it you've heard?"
"Barely five minutes ago," Kaguya confirmed, taking a seat in one of the desk chairs. Entirely unhindered in movement, despite her blindness. "What happened Kaname?"
Daring to sit back down himself, Ohgi took another moment to formulate an answer. "I don't know how it was reported to you, but it is more or less as it sounds. One moment Zero was in front of me, and the next moment…" he looked away in apparent shame.
An action that, again despite her blindness, Kaguya did well to pick up on. "From what I understand," she deliberately moved on. "This has occurred once before."
"Yes, on Shikine eight years ago," Ohgi confirmed. "Though we hadn't realized it until well after the fact. Schneizel's ambush prevented us from witnessing the exact event."
Kaguya recalled that particular event. Indeed, the Avalon's sudden arrival followed by a hadron cannon barrage from the Gawain would have easily covered up the sudden disappearances of Lelouch, Suzaku, Kallen and Princess Euphemia. Still, that was only a minor detail in the present. "In that case, could this have been prevented?"
Though it was a simple enough question and Kaguya by no means meant it to be an accusation, Ohgi somehow felt it as such. "I'm afraid I cannot say," the General answered regardless. "Despite the spontaneity of the event, we were more concentrated on retrieving Zero and then-Captain Kouzuki than figuring out how they had been moved from Shikine to Kamine in an instant. And even if we had tried to figure it out, we likely wouldn't have been able to discern anything, beyond the obvious."
"The ruins on Kamine," Kaguya concluded. "I had heard Britannians, Prince Schneizel in particular, had been especially interested in them."
"Zero and Major Kouzuki's accounts verify that Madam Prime Minister," Ohgi agreed.
Kaguya paused for a moment. "Do you think we will find anything now? Especially with Colonel Chawla and her Science Division on the project?"
Ohgi frowned. "I couldn't tell you ma'am. Colonel Chawla is a brilliant scientist and inventor, but her scientific knowledge is strictly grounded in the modern world. And though the Science Division includes some Britannians, I don't think any of them were involved in Code R or the Rosenberg Institute. Not that the former ever broke ground on the subject matter."
The General shook his head. "No, unfortunately, we're more likely to find Zero and company the old fashioned way than from Kamine. Much less figure out how they were removed."
Now it was Kaguya's turn to frown. That wasn't just a needle in a haystack; that was a needle in a silo filled to the brim with hay. Perhaps multitudes of such silos even.
Ohgi sighed. "Basically, we don't know where to begin, but damn it all, we're going to find them anyway," he declared. "Otherwise liberating China is as far as we're going to go. And obviously, none of us want it to end there ma'am."
"As you say General," Kaguya replied, remembering that particular exchange she had with Lelouch. In which he had explained to her his idealized world, and she had replied with her desire to see it. It seemed so long ago now, but she remembered it with total clarity, again despite her inability to physically see.
No, Kaguya resolved to herself, that dream couldn't end before it began. Lelouch was still out there, as was Kallen and C.C. And they would be found and returned. As Lelouch had been from Crown Day, which also felt long ago now.
And yet, in spite of that resolution, the Prime Minister felt her uncertainty remain in place. As did the Vice Commander.
What is this place? Kallen thought as she, alongside Lelouch and C.C., followed their "escorts" down another corridor or passageway. Now that they were out of danger – inevitably just for the moment – she and her two compatriots were able to look around their present setting. A setting that was very much unlike anything they had ever seen before.
On the initial observation, it was obvious that they were underground. How far down none of them could fathom, but they could definitely tell as they looked up into the air that they were in a cavern of some kind. By that impression, Kallen would have expected them to be in a basin or facility of some kind, not unlike what Xiaopei had been. Basically a collection of conjoining rooms and sections that interlaced throughout the underground layer, akin to a gopher's nest or an ant hive. Needless to say, this was far from the actual fact.
Rather than a gopher's nest or an ant hive, the apparent Eildon basin took the form of an underground city. A literal city, as in a collection of buildings placed within an enlarged chamber, each of various sizes and shapes. That being said, their architecture and composition – a uniform rectangular design, yet appearing as though they had been chiseled out of the finest stone rather than "built" – were far from anything Kallen had seen in her lifetime. In fact, much like the body armor of the soldiers they previously encountered, they looked as far removed from the modern world as possible. As though they indeed harkened from another time and place beyond.
She had inquired toward their apparent hosts sometime earlier about it, but neither of them could give her a definitive answer. The best they could tell was that the city had been built by an ancient civilization long since passed, and that the Eildons had since established their base – one of them at least – there. This was best signified by assorted white banners place across the different "ruins", each displaying a peculiar rune. As well as the standard line of patrols and various other figures moving about the cityscape of course.
Such was the case when one of their guides signaled for them to take cover behind a nearby corridor, which Kallen and the others quickly followed on. A moment later, the telltale grinding of landspinners could be heard, followed by a white Sutherland appearing from one of the nearby avenues.
Naturally she frowned as she watched it disappear. "You people have knightmares too?" she demanded in a hushed tone.
"Indeed we do Major," one of the enslaved soldiers dutifully replied. "Mostly Britannian hardware. Nothing overly fancy, but they work all the same."
"I'm sure," Lelouch answered, also frowning. The more he saw and learned of the Eildons and their cabal, the more he felt galvanized by that newfound knowledge. When C.C. had explained the organization's existence to him, Lelouch had simply assumed they were a gathering of scientists or a cult that was centered on the containment and research of Geass. Certainly they would have had a paramilitary wing of some kind – only idiots would choose to live and function in this world without some form of defensive measure – but nothing like what he was seeing before him now.
Already Lelouch knew that this was a fight he didn't want to have; one he knew that he would have face in the future, but still something he would have rather avoided. Britannia was bad enough, and Eurasia would be when the time came there as well. Yet at least Lelouch understood both of them. The Eildons, on the other hand, were a wild card that, like Geass itself, held too many unknowns and variables. To go against such a foe would be to invite any possible outcome, something that Lelouch had gone out of his way to avoid in the past.
Still, that didn't change the fact that he and the Black Knights would eventually face the Eildons in the future. Due to the aforementioned reasons, the organization was an even bigger threat than Britannia. Thus, it had to be dealt with as swiftly and as efficiently as possible, such that it would be of no further thought or consequence.
Especially before V.V. decided to support the Empire openly, through which the Eildons' apparent technosorcery would merge with Britannia's legions. The thought actually made Lelouch shiver, though he did well not to let it appear on his face. He could already imagine how someone like the Emperor, Schneizel or Johann would handle such power. And that wasn't discounting the possibility that the Eildons had their own able commanders.
"Let's keep going," the other soldier spoke up, interrupting Lelouch's line of thought. The group began moving again not long after.
He remembered it vividly, even though it had been eight years since the occurrence. Despite that passage of time, it continued to haunt him to the present day, like a stain or blemish that he could not rid himself of. In fact, his shame had only increased that much more since then. For through that instigator's continued existence, the memory of the one who mattered to him most – the one he had failed to protect when it indeed mattered most – was betrayed that much more.
That would be corrected in time – not too much longer in fact – but for the moment Jeremiah Gottwald could only wait. For the time being he sat in the darkness, a small table holding a barely touched glass of wine beside him, his eye – his remaining natural eye – closed as he contemplated. For how long had he truly lived in shame? The time measured would have indicated eight years after the event in question – and fifteen years after the event that had spawned it – but it felt more like an eternity to him. Such that he could barely remember the life he led before, back when he was Colonel Jeremiah Gottwald of the Imperial Army. And well before that, Jeremiah Gottwald of the Imperial Guard.
Granted, it wasn't as though the event in question was some noble act that the instigator had thwarted. He could admit that he had acted dishonorably then, using an innocent man – whose innocence Jeremiah had been blinded to due to his victim being an "Eleven" – as a scapegoat for Prince Clovis' death and a means for the Purists to gain a higher position in the Britannian military structure. He had been very much the fool, putting so much emphasis on the purity of Britannia's higher ranks, ignorant of the consequences of his actions. In a way, he supposed he deserved the shame he had received then, as well as his fall from grace thereafter. Through those things, he had remembered his loyalty and his honor, as well as the one he still served.
No, the Orange Incident, as it was still referred to by those who remembered, wasn't the source of his shame now. Rather, it was the one who had perpetrated it; the one who had given him the title he had once despised. The one who betrayed the memory of his liege, especially through his actions in the present. The one who had betrayed his Empress and sullied her name from well beyond her death.
That was what made Jeremiah's blood boil. He had had his chance to end it then and there; to prevent Empress Marianne from being dishonored by her misguided bastard of a son. And he had failed her. Yes he had not been aware of Geass at the time, and even if he had he could have done nothing once the Power of Absolute Obedience had taken him, but he had still failed her. For the Orange Incident had been the launching pad for Zero's ascension, from an unknown to Britannia's main enemy. One that was infinitely more dangerous than the entirety of the Eurasian Union or Chinese Federation, and especially the Japan Liberation Front and their ilk. One who had wrought total destruction not only on Britannia, but upon the innocent as well. All in the name of his beloved Empress, who he undoubtedly believed to be avenging.
Thus for the last eight years, Jeremiah could watch, helplessly, and wait as Lelouch continued while his Empress remained unavenged. In an act of defiance against his own master, the Emperor had retained Lelouch for the war against Eurasia; not that Jeremiah could have laid a finger on him then, as he was still going through rejuvenation and cybernetic modification at the time. Even so, it angered him that Lelouch had not only been spared, despite the severity of the Black Rebellion and all that followed, but that he was made into one of Britannia's most prominent leaders and warriors. Such that even the Knights of the Round – in which Empress Marianne herself had once been a part of – recognized him as their own pupil.
Fortunately, V.V. shared his sentiments, and had long promised him his vengeance, both for himself and his Empress' behalf. In all honesty, while Jeremiah was grateful for this opportunity, he did not entirely trust the ancient Code Bearer, who obviously had his own agendas – up to and including Ragnarok, whatever that was. However, for the time being, he was Jeremiah's patron. Through him his body, damaged and inefficiently modified through Code R, had been upgraded into a true weapon; one that could easily counter and destroy Lelouch and his so-called Absolute Obedience. Through him he had obtained a high position within the Eildons, from which he could ensure that no other Lelouch vi Britannias could rise up to upset and desecrate the order of things. And through him, he would at last lay Marianne's soul to rest, her tarnished legacy forgotten thereafter.
Only after that could Jeremiah move onto what mattered even more. For fifteen years, well before the Orange Incident, Marianne's killers had been spared justice from their own crime. And though he still had yet to learn their identities, Jeremiah had long since vowed to correct that mistake as well. He was their long awaited executioner, whose axe had been stayed for far too long. No matter who or what they were, their time would come. And their deaths would be both the reckoning and vindication he had sought for so long.
But for the time being, he had his initial vengeance to fulfill. Which, upon his eye opening as though from a deep sleep, he knew was at last at hand.
Without a single word or command on high, Jeremiah rose from his chair and took a final sip of his wine. After momentarily savoring the flavor, he then proceeded into the shadows, where he would best track his prey. Until the inevitable moment, when his axe would, at long last, fall.
Again their escort ushered them to hide, causing Lelouch, Kallen and C.C. to duck behind another nearby corner. There was a clearing up ahead – what might have been the equivalent of a plaza – with two figures standing around a fragmented structure of some kind. Though they both wore white uniforms with the Eildon emblem somewhere on them, on closer inspection Lelouch saw that they were very different individuals. Almost to the point of contrast.
The first was clearly a scientist – or "researcher" they seemed to be referred to as – given his somewhat clumsy build, the way he spoke to his colleague and the datapad that seemed eternally clutched in his left hand. The other, however, was a figure Lelouch didn't recognize. Neither a standard scientist nor military type, the best that Lelouch could describe the opposite man was "unassuming". A thin man with short hair and a non-descript face, the only thing that truly stood out about him was the clip on monocle over his right eye.
Yet as Lelouch watched the exchange play out more, he saw that researcher actually feared this man. Though the former did well to project some strength in his responses, his body posture and the slight wavering in his words indicated that he was genuinely frightened. As though his compatriot would become aggressive at any given moment, and so must be treated with the utmost caution, if not genuine subordination.
"Hunter," one of the escorts muttered. "Charged with tracking and dispatching Geass on the individual level. Usually when a conventional armed response is not required."
Even through the faceless helmet, Lelouch could pick up on the man's distaste. "Nasty bastards. They can get really messy at the worst of times."
"Doesn't help that they answer directly to the Grandmaster," the other stated just as disparagingly.
Both Lelouch and Kallen did well to commit those explanations to memory. They weren't much, but at least those pieces of information identified more of their enemies to them. And given that they both utilized the respective Powers of the King and Queen, it was almost certain that they would face these assassins directly in the future. A thought that did neither of them much comfort.
Fortunately it seemed they would not have to do so in the present. After a final terse exchange, the hunter turned around and marched away, leaving the researcher to all but collapse where he stood over the strain. He sat down on the foot of the structure, taking a moment to catch his breath. Conveniently within eyeshot of the group's present position, though from the angle of the corner, the scientist failed to detect the intruders.
Lelouch, again removing his contact, knew a vital opportunity when he saw one. Picking up a nearby fragment – some type of stone that may or may not have been from the ruins – he moved out of his hiding place and threw it at the researcher. It struck him square in the forehead, causing the man to reflexively look up as he just stifled a pained cry. Right into the former prince's left eye.
"Obey," Lelouch commanded just loud enough for his victim to hear. As luck would have it, the researcher had no apparent defense against his Geass, as signified when the man stood up with translucent rings around his irises. Clearly awaiting orders. "Now come here."
His newest slave did as told, walking over and ducking behind the corner. Taking another moment to replace his contact, Lelouch then continued. "Name and occupation."
"Professor Gerard Neboux, formerly of Sorbonne University," the man replied dutifully. "I am an archaeologist."
That made sense, Lelouch thought to himself. The Eildons certainly had the resources to draw top academics into their science wing. And they would need archaeologists in order to study these ruins thoroughly.
For a brief moment Lelouch was tempted to inquire on the good professor's findings there, but he reneged. There just wasn't enough time for that now. "What is your level of access for your order's database?"
Heine seemed to consider himself for a brief period. "I would say high," he answered none too proudly. "The Grandmaster has entrusted me with much reach and authority for my research."
"Good," Lelouch nodded, unable to stifle a grin. If V.V. himself was supporting this man and his scientific analysis, then it was a sure bet his claims weren't exaggerated. Not that Lelouch really needed that much from him; just a gateway into your computer network. He could take care of the rest himself.
He then turned to Kallen and C.C., who were looking very uncertain now. "Change of plans," he told the two. "You two will proceed with the original mission. Locate and secure our means of escape."
Kallen just barely resisted the urge to swallow. "And what will you be doing?"
Lelouch shrugged enigmatically. "Just a little side errand," he answered back with his usual grin. "It won't take very long…"
"No," Kallen objected rather harshly, much to Lelouch's surprise. As if the seriousness in her gaze didn't add to it. "If you're going to do something stupid, then at least take me with you. C.C. and our friends here can secure the exit."
Lelouch sighed. "That won't be necessary Q-1," he said, deliberately using her codename for emphasis. "I can manage on my own. And what I'm doing is hardly something stupid."
"You're going deeper into enemy territory with not but two Geassed bodyguards as your only protection," Kallen pointedly exclaimed. "I would say that's stupid enough."
"She's right Lelouch. This is a bad move, especially from you," C.C. spoke up. Her tone of voice was mild, but Lelouch could detect warning coming through it. "If your heart's set on this, then you'll definitely need better protection than these mind-numbed idiots…"
"We resent that," one of the enslaved soldiers quipped in apparent irritation.
The immortal ignored the outburst and went on. "Kallen is both your Queen and your Knight of Zero. And with her own Geass, you will be able to predict enemy movements more easily," C.C. pointed out. "By all facts and logic, you would be a fool not to take her with you. Wherever you're going and intending to do."
Admittedly Lelouch was rather taken back on this one. He would have expected C.C. to make a quip on he and Kallen going off on a "lovers' retreat" or something to that effect, but his contractor had forgone her usual sardonic wit for something much more desperate. And convincing, which he also admitted to.
Once more despite the temptation however, Lelouch reneged. "No," he answered, shaking his head. "As vital as this is, it won't mean anything if none of us can leave this place. And if and when he realizes what's happening, V.V.'s first objective will be to secure the Elevator and prevent us from reaching it."
He looked between the two women. "For that, I will need you both to guard it until my return."
Kallen didn't look pleased in the least. "I really don't like this Lelouch…" she tried to protest again.
This time Lelouch became firm. "I'm not asking you to like it," he answered back, his patience now spent. "I'm ordering you to do it."
Ears burning at that utterly direct command, Kallen's expression turned quite incensed. But she said nothing more. As much as it displeased – and discomforted – her, Lelouch was still her master and commander. And she knew better than to try and dissuade him when he was like this.
Seeing that, Lelouch turned to C.C., who retained a much more neutral expression. However, knowing her as well as he did, Lelouch could tell she remained just as displeased with this plan. She, like Kallen, just knew better than to try and argue it.
Taking that for what it's worth, Lelouch switched back to Neboux. "Now Professor," he addressed in forward respect. "Would you be so kind as to lead me to the nearest computer terminal?"
Intriguing, V.V. thought to himself as he continued to watch. He had to admit this was becoming much more entertaining than he had expected. To think that, despite his foe's present situation, Lelouch would choose to forgo his escape – at least temporarily, or so he believed – in order to fulfill some last minute clandestine mission. One that apparently involved access to the Eildons' information network; the Grandmaster could only imagine what his adversary intended to do there, especially with his obvious limits on time. Despite my disdain for you, Lelouch, I find you a most interesting opponent.
Indeed it was becoming quite a show. After the initial "trap", the Demon King, Red Dragoness and their immortal matron had done well to evade sentries, gradually progressing toward the Thought Elevator at the center of the complex. All the while performing their impromptu reconnaissance mission, as Lelouch had declared before, gaining as much information and firsthand observation that they could take in under the circumstances.
Unfortunately for them however, their movements and actions had fallen well within V.V.'s predictions. In fact, they were following his script perfectly. He had anticipated Lelouch managing to slip out of the beginning ambush, just as he had also known the Demon King would be unable to resist getting a look into the Eildons' inner workings, even when escape would have been far more prudent. And though he had worried the Red Dragoness – who had already displayed a keen cautionary sense, even without her Geass – would have picked up on the real trap, perhaps even the real purpose they had been taken there to begin with, she at least had fallen behind her master's lead. As did C.C.
Even so, V.V. hadn't anticipated everything correctly, as this sudden split between the two group illustrated. Splitting the holographic screen that displayed his quarry, with the one on the left showing Lelouch and his (for the moment) Geassed minions moving one direction and Kallen Kouzuki and C.C. moving the other, V.V. continued to watch both with simultaneous interest. No doubt the Demon King and former Black Prince had something deliciously insidious planned for this little side trip, especially if it required access to Eildons' data network. What was it, the Grandmaster wondered? Not that it would matter to him or his Black Knight lackeys in the end, which would come all too soon, but for the moment V.V. was rather interested.
After all, even the Eildons would have chinks in their otherwise impenetrable armor, and Lelouch was the kind of man who would be able to find those weaknesses. Subsequently allowing V.V. and the other Masters to amend them after all was complete.
Upon thinking of them, V.V. allowed a small frown to creep upon his face. Momentarily closing his eyes as well. "You might as well come out. It isn't as though you have escaped my notice."
Upon that, a white monolith appeared beside V.V.'s throne, proudly displaying the number 'III' upon its surface. "My apologies Grandmaster," the Third Master exclaimed. "But I was unsure whether it was prudent to appear before you at this time."
V.V. let out a bemused chuckle at this. "Yet you found it prudent to sneak a peek into the show, eh Oiaguro?"
He could almost taste the Third Master's own responding frown. Though their means of communication were quite secure, it didn't make the the one on the other side any more comfortable having his name spoken. Not that V.V. would have expected anything less from a former member of Britannia's Special Forces.
"As you no doubt have found, Grandmaster," the Third Master answered. "It is a fantastic show."
V.V. smiled in acknowledgment, right before adding after another moment. "And now for the rest of you."
Additional monoliths soon appeared, each number IV through VIII. All flanking V.V.'s throne alongside the Third Master's.
"Do not worry. I knew from the start this would attract your interest," V.V. addressed the six present Masters in understanding. "After all, I do not always get personally involved in such meager affairs. Much less arrange them so directly."
"As you say Grandmaster," the Fourth Master commented. "Though one would hardly call anything involving Lelouch vi Britannia a 'meager affair.'"
"Even more so as it involves the Red Dragoness and C.C.," VI pointed out. "On that note, are we concentrating entirely on Lelouch, or…?"
V.V. shrugged. "I think we can kill two birds with one stone here. Or kill one of the birds at least," he answered. "Once Lelouch is dealt with, C.C. will have no reason not to adhere to our wishes."
"And the Dragoness?" the Fifth Master queried.
V.V. shrugged again, this time indifferently. "She bears the Sigil, and so will be eliminated in due time as well," he declared. "But for now, Lelouch is our primary concern, and will be dealt with first and foremost."
He then took in anticipating breath. "A reckoning that is eight long years overdue, and will be held back no further," he stated. "So commands your Grandmaster."
With that given, the present Masters said nothing else, instead following their leader's example in keeping watch over the dual screens. By now the two groups had moved even deeper into the Eildons' domain, doing well in avoiding further sentries. All the while blissfully unaware of their being tracked from V.V. and the seven Masters.
As well as a certain shadow that was following Lelouch in particular.
He was well within the heart of the basin now, or at least close enough to it. Though Lelouch didn't possess a map or schematic for reference – instead relying on his "escorts" to lead him on – he could tell that they had moved even deeper into the scape. The armed patrols were becoming increasingly more common, alongside other such human activity. Where there weren't body armored soldiers on patrol, there were researchers either moving from one place to another or conducting their assigned tasks around the ruins. And that was not discounting the occasional presence of a white Sutherland or Gloucester on patrol as well, to say nothing of more exotic craft. Machines that Lelouch was still trying to wrap his head around in form and function.
One thing that did bother him, however, was the utter lack of alarm in the present. Not an actual alarm, since that would have alerted him that the Eildons were onto his – as well as Kallen and C.C.'s – presence, but rather the apparent lack of discretion and attentiveness from those they encountered. Surely another patrol had found the remains of the dead soldiers by now, and had alerted the local command that there were intruders. So why was there no reaction to this? Why were the patrols not directed to search out rather than simply move around, and why were the researchers not instructed to seek shelter?
Perhaps they still don't know we're here? Lelouch thought. Unlikely, he decided, as someone had taken great pains for them to be transported there from Okinawa. He didn't know how the Thought Elevators worked precisely, but from his experiences as well as his newfound knowledge, he suspected that it took much in the way of energy for them to function, let alone be utilized for a specific purpose. This meant that someone had deliberately gone well out of his or her way to get them to work, just to bring him to their doorstep. Yet the initial trap had failed, so why hadn't they run into another one? Why had they been left unattended for so long? Especially when the Eildons' objectives included eliminating Geass Users and incapacitating Code Bearers?
Well no matter, Lelouch ultimately decided. So long as Kallen and C.C. succeeded in securing the Elevator, they would not remain there for much longer; certainly not long enough for the enemy to become aware. Or so he hoped anyway, remembering just how delicate his position was within the present setting.
"We're here," Neboux exclaimed, nodding to one of the larger ruined buildings that was nearby. Several guards flanked its entrance, while at least one researcher was seen exiting it. Clearly it contained much.
"Alright," he stated, nodding in turn to his escorts. "You know what to do."
Nodding in turn, the soldiers waited until Lelouch was in front of them, to which the both came to either side as though they were forcibly escorting him. Neboux continued to lead them, walking up to the door guards, who looked upon the group inquisitively.
"Professor?" one of sentries started to ask.
"New subject," Neboux answered forwardly. "Just brought in."
The other guard eyed Lelouch carefully. "I see he didn't put up much of a struggle," he dryly commented, more out of amusement than suspicion. "What kind of uniform is he wearing?"
Neboux shrugged. "I'm afraid I wasn't filled in on that," he dismissively stated. "Only that he and his Geass are to be evaluated at the earliest convenience."
Much to Lelouch's concealed surprised, the two sentries did not challenge that. "Very well," the first guard replied, just as the makeshift door – one that had been added to the building very recently – slid open. Neboux then moved through with Lelouch only following after a hard nudge from one of his "escort's" rifles.
Daring to look up a little, Lelouch saw that the interior of the building was mostly the same as the exterior, save for the presence of modern – if unrecognizable – equipment and personnel. Through the various rooms and walkways, he saw researchers move about from one place to another, while Eildonic machinery performed whatever function they were designed to. A makeshift lab in other words, little different from the impromptu facilities Rakshata had setup eight years ago, back when the Order of the Black Knights was still in its infantile stages.
That being said, as he glanced passed the people and the devices to the building itself, Lelouch again wondered who – or what – exactly had created this place. A city that was entirely removed from every culture, ancient and modern, that came to Lelouch's memory. To say nothing of the mysterious aura that it seemed to contain, which was even more distant from anything the former prince could have recognized.
"Here," Neboux said, gesturing to another makeshift doorway. "My workstation, such as it is."
Entering a code into a nearby keypad, the door opened, revealing the lab to Lelouch and the two guards. Those within immediately looked up as Neboux entered, then followed by Lelouch and the soldiers. Once he verified that they were all looking toward them, the contact was removed yet again.
"Please ignore everything around you and continue your work," Lelouch commanded, sweeping his Geass over every eye in the room. Causing translucent rings to appear in each of them.
"Yes sir. As you wish," one of the researchers replied before turning away. The others followed thereafter, allowing Neboux to lead Lelouch to one of the holographic terminals.
"Is there anything particular you wanted sir?" Neboux inquired as he accessed the system. "Perhaps our latest evaluations in…?"
"As much as I would like to Professor, I'm afraid we don't have time for that," Lelouch answered. "Just get me in. I'll take it over after that."
The Professor nodded in acknowledgment. "As you wish," he said before engaging the holographic keyboard and typing away. Once he had gained full access, he stepped aside and allowed Lelouch to type in his stead.
For all their advancement, it seemed the Eildons' data network ran exactly like a conventional intranet, allowing Lelouch to find what he had intended quite fast. After that, he took just a little longer to isolate what he felt was the best choice, and then place it into the available messaging system. Once that was accomplished, he sent it away to where he wanted it to go.
"There," Lelouch said once the task was complete. "That's all I needed. You have my thanks Professor."
Despite that, the Professor eyed Lelouch curiously. "If I may sir," he inquired. "What exactly did you just send off?"
Lelouch shrugged indifferently. "Nothing of real importance. Just a set of coordinates to a specific geographical location," he answered. "Don't worry, I assure you it won't affect your research." At least not directly.
"I see," the Professor obviously didn't understand, but with or without Geass' influence, ultimately decided it was no matter. "Then I take it your business here is concluded?"
"Yes," Lelouch confirmed, looking toward the still Geassed soldiers. "And I'm afraid my leave is long overdue…"
"Oh I don't know about that," a new, all too recognizable voice spoke up from the doorway. "I'm sure you can stay for a little longer, Your Highness."
His guards immediately drawing their rifles upon the new arrival, Lelouch adopted a frown and closed his eyes. Like so many others, that voice was one he thought he would never hear again; not after the latter events of the Black Rebellion. "So you're here as well," he deadpanned, his frown deepening. "Orange."
Smiling nostalgically toward the name he once so hated, Jeremiah casually walked through the door, observing his target like a wolf to a cornered hare. The researchers, still under the influence of Geass, continued their work as the cyborg moved to stand before the former prince. All while ignoring the rifles that were trained on him.
"I must admit I'm at an impasse," Jeremiah said, his eye remaining fixed on Lelouch's back. "Eight years ago, all I could think of, dream of, was avenging myself upon you. And that when the time came, I would feel nothing short of absolute vindication."
The cyborg then sighed. "But, as you can see, I'm a different man from what I was then," he continued. "Now I feel nothing for myself and only pity for you."
That one actually surprised Lelouch, though he did well to keep Jeremiah from seeing it.
"Pity for what you could have been," Jeremiah went on in apparent solemnness. "Had you not chosen the path of the Demon King."
Indeed, unless Lelouch's ears were failing him, he thought he pick up on regret in Jeremiah's tone. What could have caused that exactly?
Well, again it was no matter. Lelouch needed to escape, and that was precisely what he was going to do. "I see you still have a penchant for the overdramatic," Lelouch countered as he turned to at last face Jeremiah, taking note of his Eildon uniform and cybernetic refinements. "Even with those fancy upgrades."
"Heh, as if you were one to talk of the overdramatic Zero," Jeremiah shot back, allowing some amusement through. He then extended his right blade. "Now then, will you come quietly? Or do you wish to pray for a real miracle?"
"Neither I'm afraid," Lelouch answered as the two soldiers leveled their rifles further. "Why would I need a miracle when I can just have you shot?" he said as he raised his right hand, fingers set to snap.
"Hmph," Jeremiah smiled, just as the cover receded from his left cybernetic eye. "If only it were that easy," he exclaimed as the inverted blue Geass sigil appeared within.
Upon the wave sweeping over the room, Lelouch immediately realized what happened. Even before his former escorts and the surrounding researchers started to reorient themselves.
"Wha…?" one of the soldiers exclaimed as he shook off the last of Absolute Obedience's effects. Right before Jeremiah swept his blade about and charged.
Damn it! Lelouch thought as he was just able to draw another flashbang and throw it down. Another Gefjun empowered light soon erupted, filling the lab in pure white.
When it dissipated, Lelouch was nowhere to be seen.
"Bastard!" one of the formerly Geassed soldiers furiously hissed as he and his comrade looked about. "We'll find him sir!"
"No," Jeremiah gestured with his hand for the pair to stand down. As much as he understood their humility and rage, this was one hunt he would not allow anyone else on. A hunt that he would see through to the end, no matter what stood in his way. "He's mine and mine alone."
Another patrol moved by, forcing Kallen and C.C. to again move for cover. They were getting more commonplace now, especially as they moved closer and closer to the Thought Elevator's position. C.C., at least, found this very much annoying; as though they couldn't take two or three steps before another group of soldiers or a jumped up white knightmare came around the corner. She was starting to wonder if they were ever going to make it to the Elevator at this rate, at least before the next century.
Eventually however the soldiers moved by, once more missing the two Black Knights. That was enough of a window for either of them, and so they moved again, running across the avenue to the next set of buildings. Gradually drawing to the center of the complex, where their destination and means of leaving this thrice damned place awaited.
All throughout, C.C., while doing well to remain aware of her surroundings, made it a point to keep watch over her other partner in crime. To put it succinctly, Kallen was mad. Though she did well to focus on their given mission, as well as the obstacles that lay in their path, she could not disguise her emotions from her contractor. Kallen was seething mad, such that she practically radiated excess fury. And she had every right to be, for while C.C. didn't quite share her emotions, she understood exactly where she was coming from.
That really was a bad move Lelouch, C.C. thought to herself as she continued moving, keeping up with her partner's advance with relative ease.
"Damn it," she overhead Kallen hiss, and then gesture for them to stop. It looked like one more patrol was coming around, or at least that was what they both initially assumed. However, rather than the marching of footsteps, or the grinding of landspinners, there was another addition to the oncoming collections of sounds. That of a soft, barely noticeable "hum", not unlike the drive system of a VTOL.
A convoy, C.C. realized as the collection of vehicles came into view. Under escort by four flanking Sutherlands, a hoverbed truck moved down the avenue, hauling a rather large, and entirely covered, cargo segment as it passed by.
"What…?" C.C. suddenly heard Kallen murmur, horror evident in her voice. "What is this…?"
The immortal frowned at this. Clearly her partner had activated her Geass to take a peek into the compartment. And just as obviously she did not appreciate what she found within. "What do you see?" she whispered.
As the convoy moved away, Kallen leaned back against the wall, her Geass fading out of her left eye. "Capsules. Like the one you were in eight years ago," Kallen exclaimed, barely able to hold back the horror. And accompanying nausea. "The one Nagata and I…!"
"I know," C.C. reassured her, remembering that event all too well. Her frown deepened as she watched the transport truck move even further away. "And I suppose these don't contain chemical weapons either."
Kallen nodded, apparently too overcome with disgust to explain further. Not that C.C. could blame her of course. Those tanks were designed to house Code Bearers and keep them in stasis, and so the actual chemicals and machinery within had not been intended for human survivability. In fact, that was exactly how they kept their cargo bound: by forcing the subject into a perpetual "dead" state, with only the associated Code keeping the subject's soul, or whatever one called it, tied to this reality. Not something for mere mortals, even those with Geass, to comprehend, let alone gaze into the way Kallen just did.
Still, C.C. thought as she continued to watch the truck and its escort move, until they disappeared down the apparent street. I guess this means Ragnarok is nearing completion.
That was a particular subject – one which led into many, many others – that C.C. didn't want to think about. Thus, as soon as she verified that it was clear to move again, she nodded toward her partner. "Come on. We don't have much time."
Though still taken back by what she had just seen, Kallen forced the revulsion away and nodded in return. Once she reoriented herself, the pair began moving again, darting across the avenue into the next alleyway.
Lelouch practically slammed himself against the wall, peering back toward where he had just fled. His breathing was heavy and his gun clutched in his hand as he took aim, expecting nothing less than his worst nightmare to come at him again. Indeed, for all of the things Britannia or the Eildons could have thrown at him, he had never thought he would return to face him. Much less with a power that nullified Lelouch's best weapon.
In hindsight however, he should have known better than to believe Jeremiah Gottwald had perished off of Kamine when C.C. brought down the Siegfried. The Orange Incident aside, he had been one of the Empire's most capable soldiers and commanders, and the cybernetic enhancements he had received from Code R had only made him even more valuable. Of course, back then Gottwald had been rendered a babbling, incoherent wreck as a result of those enhancements, but that was no longer the case here. Whether through the Eildons' refinements or his own force of will, he had somehow regained his former self. That made infinitely more dangerous, as did that Geass Canceller he now possessed.
Realizing he had another opening, Lelouch forced himself away from the wall and into a dead run. He knew Gottwald was still behind him, likely stalking him and waiting for the opportune moment to strike, but that meant Lelouch could simply deny him the latter as he made his way back to Kallen and C.C. On that, he was definitely starting to regret his choice in leaving Kallen behind; while he didn't know how well she would be able to fight against the proverbially clockwork Orange, she at least was a much better hand-to-hand combatant than he was, and would have definitely held her own in his place. And if C.C. were backing her up…
No, he couldn't think about that now, at least not until he reached them. Once he made it to the Elevator, which they had undoubtedly secured by now, they could find a way to deal with Gottwald once and for all. Until then however, Lelouch had to survive for that much longer. As well as keep to the background even more than he had before.
Unfortunately, it seemed to turn for the worst as Lelouch found himself in another open area; another kind of plaza or something equivalent. Gritting his teeth, he worked up his will and then began to run across the widened space, hoping that he was far enough from Gottwald that he would be able to reach the other side before his pursuer reached him. He failed, but it was not the cyborg assassin that stopped him. Rather, it was a figure that he was even more acquainted with.
Lights suddenly flashing on, Lelouch stopped in his run, raising a hand to shield his eyes. Through the blurred light, he could just see a silhouette standing before him, facing him. And though he couldn't quite see it at first, he knew that silhouette was smiling at him.
"Well well well," the voice – one that was even more familiar than Gottwald's – spoke in a silk smooth tone as its owned casually walked forward. "Prince Lelouch vi Britannia I presume."
Lowering his eyes, Lelouch watched in astonishment as the figure stopped just a few meters away, retaining his smile. "How I've waited so long for us to meet."
Again Lelouch found himself staring into his own eyes, which scanned him over with utter bemusement. It wasn't just over a telescreen now; he literally was staring at himself. From his black hair, amethyst eyes and slim profile to his original Imperial Army uniform, the black Knight of the Round styled cloak that Bismarck had given him before he shipped off to Africa and the complimenting black beret, the doppelganger was very much Lelouch's twin. A mirror reflection given form.
No, Lelouch mused as he straightened himself. That wasn't his twin in the present sense. It was his former self as the Black Prince of Britannia. Whose slot had been left unfilled following his liberation.
Then, upon his studying the opposite's face more closely, Lelouch realized there was something that it actually lacked. His scar. The one Suzaku had inflicted upon him years ago to keep his Geass from inadvertently reawakening. Instead, his opposite "self's" left eye remained entirely unblemished.
Blinking toward that "flaw", Lelouch suddenly let out a sharp laugh. "Is this it?" he nearly bellowed. "Is this the best you could send against me father? This cheap copy?"
"First correction," the opposite "Lelouch" spoke up again. "It was not Charles zi Britannia that saw to my creation, much less sent me to hunt you down."
If Lelouch didn't know any better, he thought he actually struck a chord with his opposite. "And second, I am anything but a cheap copy," the duplicate continued, smile then making its grand return. "In fact, you could say I am everything that you are, and were, supposed to be."
Lelouch adopted a responding sneer. "Is that so?" he answered disbelievingly.
"Indeed," the duplicate exclaimed before making a formal bow. "Rolo vi Britannia, at your service."
Lelouch couldn't help but frown at this. "Another of V.V.'s puppets."
"I'm the Grandmaster's best agent, yes," Rolo confirmed. "Again, I am all that you are, as well as what you were supposed to be. Before the Black Knights stole you away and returned you to your inferior state."
"Inferior?" Lelouch let out, arching an eyebrow.
"Yes, inferior," Rolo confirmed, gazing back at Lelouch in challenge. "An orphaned boy who ended up lost in the East, only managing to gain minor power through accident. All so that he could lead a rebellion that not only failed in the end, but ravaged the earth around it."
"As opposed to a toy soldier who lives only to advance the reach of an evil empire?" Lelouch pointedly countered. "Who lives a false existence within the corrupt and complacent world he once attempted to supplant?"
Now it was Rolo's turn to laugh. As though Lelouch had spoken the funniest of jokes. "If you think I was meant for such a mundane purpose, then you're even more foolish than I expected," he taunted. "The game, as I'm sure you've come to realize, is much bigger than that."
Lelouch folded his arms in open disdain. "Then what is this game?" he inquired. "If not simple conquest, then…?"
Rolo smiled even further. "Salvation."
Lelouch sniffed in renewed disdain. "That could mean anything," he countered. "Do you realize how many aspiring tyrants and butchers have proclaimed such?"
"I'm sure there are innumerable examples that you could point out to me," Rolo responded with apparent disinterest. "Unlike them however, we seek salvation not from mere mortals, but from something of much greater power. A power that has dictated the course of history for countless ages, and has engineered calamities that quell even the Devastation."
He nodded toward Lelouch. "The same power whose interests you ultimately serve," he said, now speaking in disdain. "Whether you are aware of it or not."
Lelouch couldn't help but blink again. What was this imitation speaking…?
"Surely you've wondered," Rolo continued. "How could a mere high school student rise to become the leader of an army and the instigator of a rebellion so vast that it shook the world to its core? How could you be a prodigy in the art of warfare even before you became an actual soldier?"
Rolo then glared in disdain. "And how could the power she had granted you be so perfect?" he posited. "So adequate toward your skill set, that it has allowed you to become not merely a warlord, but a messiah that can perform miracles?"
If anything, Lelouch was even more confused by these 'explanations.' "What are you saying?" he demanded vehemently.
Rolo's smile returned, but it had since taken a tone of viciousness. "I'm saying that you are, and have always been, a pawn," he declared. "Perhaps not one of the Emperor's playthings, but still a pawn."
His eyes narrowed. "A pawn that serves humanity's greatest enemy, whose oppression we Eildons seek to undo once and for all."
Hearing that, Lelouch resisted the urge to take a step back. Although he wanted to dismiss such words as the ramblings of a madman, something inside kept him from doing so. As though his instincts were telling him that all that had been spoken was true.
If so, Lelouch thought, now completely taken back. Then…?
"All that said," Rolo stated. "I'm afraid this is where you exit the stage Zero."
Hearing that, Lelouch snapped out of his thoughts and regarded Rolo threateningly. "The Emperor may have found you a useful tool, but I'm afraid both the Grandmaster and I think otherwise," Rolo stated, grin even more vicious. "You are far too much of a threat to keep around, no matter your abilities."
That grin emboldened even further. "And even if that were not the truth," he said. "Two of me would simply be redundant."
Finally overcome with rage, Lelouch let out a bellow as he took aim. Right before he could pull the trigger back, however, he thought he saw the sigil of Geass flash in Rolo's right eye…
Then Rolo was gone, having seemingly vanished. Right as Lelouch felt a sudden explosion of pain and blood from his chest. Where a golden blade had just emerged through.
Ripping the gold blade back, Jeremiah emotionlessly watched as his target, at last, fell to his knees. He and Rolo then walked around to again face the now bleeding Lelouch, who could only glare back up at them as the pool of blood deepened.
"Do not worry," Rolo proclaimed as he faced Lelouch's glare with his own amusement. "The world you have envisioned will come to pass. Only it will truly be a free and just world, not one that merely appears so."
Rolo then knelt down so that he could face the now seething Lelouch in the eyes. "The very world you dreamed for Nunnally."
Eyes widening at her name so brazenly spoken, Lelouch would have welled up and smashed Rolo's face in had he possessed the strength. Instead, he "merely" spat a goblet of blood into his clone's cheek, an action that drained much of his remaining strength in itself.
Sighing, Rolo rose back up and took out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping away the blood. He could allow his original to have that much. "Rest well Your Highness," Rolo at last finished, his Geass appearing again. "And know that your vision, and legacy, will be brought forth by more capable hands."
He then finished with. "Not the hands of Zero, but those of the true Lelouch vi Britannia!"
Both he and Jeremiah vanished an instant later. Leaving Lelouch, who had somehow grown that much colder during the transition, to fall forward against the equally cold ground.
"It is done," V.V. declared as he at last watched Lelouch fall. From that, monoliths then disappeared one after the other, until only the Third Master's remained. Staying in place for a moment longer, it seemed to briefly regard the fallen Lelouch. And then it too dissipated, leaving V.V. once more alone in his throne room.
Looking upon the Demon King's fallen form for that much longer, the Grandmaster allowed a triumphant smile to creep onto his lips. Such would be recorded as one of their order's greatest achievements. For now that Zero had been dispatched, there could be no further opposition to Ragnarok. Nor man's complete salvation.
As such, V.V. disengaged the Lelouch's screen and centered the one that contained C.C. and the Dragoness. Both were still moving, and both remained completely unaware of the events at hand…
It wasn't much further now, or so Kallen would have preferred to think. She didn't know how long they had been moving, but she had a feeling if she looked at her watch, it would have been at least an hour. Fortunately she was – purposely – too concentrated on getting to their exit for her to think about anything else, and if C.C. had any complaints about their constant motion, she was wisely keeping it to herself. Not that the immortal's silence was much comfort to Kallen; she had to be feeling the exact same anxiety deep inside as she did.
Yes Kallen was still angry over her last exchange with Lelouch, and yes she still thought he was an idiot, but not for the way he commanded her to follow through toward the end. Even his brazenness in running off on a "side trip" while still deep within enemy territory didn't bother her; god only knew how many times he had done such things in the past. No, what bothered her was that she wasn't there beside him – there to protect him. Especially when something would inevitably go wrong.
Indeed, that was what grated against her the most, far more than anything else. It was bad enough that they were in territory that belong to a militarized anti-Geass force. But to have Lelouch moving through it on his own, with but "commanded" slaves as his only protection, was too much for her to keep locked away. Such that, even now, she was tempted to disobey her orders and return to his side. Regardless of whatever dismay he would respond with.
Only one thing kept her from doing so, and that was the cold logic of his orders. Even with C.C.'s combat skills, Kallen was not going to leave her by herself to protect the Elevator – not when she had seen what the Eildons did to Code Bearers firsthand. And if they both double backed for Lelouch, then there was always the chance they could get bogged down and cornered, should the Eildons ever realize they had been breached. No, this was the only way, as much as it galled Kallen. They would fulfill their orders and reach the Elevator, thereby ensuring their escape back to Ryukyu. Otherwise none of them would be leaving this place, Lelouch included.
In spite of that resolution however, Kallen still couldn't dispel her weariness, and accompanying anger. Not when her instincts were all but screaming at her that something was indeed wrong; that they had made far too much progress for V.V. and his cronies not to have noticed. That, by leaving Lelouch's side, even by his direct command, he had left him vulnerable in the worst possible way.
Gritting her teeth, she forced that feeling back even further. She couldn't dispel it, but she could at least keep it from affecting her focus. After all, she was Lelouch's Knight of Zero. And she would be damned before failing the will of her liege, no matter how much she disagreed.
Thus she drove on, firmly set to carry out her current mission with her partner. Regardless of what her instincts, and her worst fears, were telling her to do.
Vision hazing and body growing that much colder, Lelouch was barely managing to claw his way forward now. The trail of blood that ran under his body was substantial, and his consciousness was becoming lighter by the moment, yet through sheer willpower, he continued to pull himself. All too literally at that.
"I can't…" he breathed, barely able to speak as though the air withered in his throat. No, he couldn't. He couldn't let it end like this. Not when he had done so much, and still had so much to do yet. "I can't…"
Deep down however, he knew it was for naught. Though he didn't know what parts of his body Orange had struck, he knew that he would not last much longer. And that, even if there were a means of healing available to him, he would not be able to reach it. His time, as it were, was nigh.
And yet, whether through his lingering will or his failing strength or both, he refused to give in. As though to do so was to undo all that he had accomplished. To fail, as both Zero and as Lelouch, in ending the status quo and bringing forth a new world for all. To lose all that he had come to cherish and fight for, as well as leave them vulnerable.
To leave behind those that he loved.
Thus he struggled – even if only by crawling – to keep his body active and his heart beating. Ultimately however, it was once more for naught. For as much as he willed himself to stay awake, to stay alive, he could not stop himself from slipping. Nor could he stop the world from growing dark around him, nor his body from becoming completely numb.
And then, managing to pull on his body one last time with his clawed right hand, he reached the end. What little strength he had left was fast dwindling, and his consciousness and self-awareness with it. He was tired now, far more than he had ever been before. And he just couldn't keep himself from fading.
"I…" he managed to breath one last time, right before the air left his lungs entirely. With his very last ounce of strength, he managed to close his eyes, as though he were simply falling into a deep sleep. One that would undoubtedly bring him the peace that the world around him had failed to do. One that, at the very, very least, would allow him to see his mother, Euphie, and all others he had loved from so long ago…
Taking some solace in that thought – his last thought as it were – Lelouch vi Britannia at last slipped away into the dark. With not but silence remaining thereafter.
