AN:
Samurai Seven: I doubt Lelouch, Suzaku, and Kallen really need a buff.

Leon Kennedy: I'm sure learning how to fight would help OT Lelouch, but combat in C's world is drastically different for him, as will be shown.

Alan Wake: OT Lelouch will have his fun in this chapter.

Guests: I'm trying to be fair to all parties. I'm not going to be sadistic to OT Lelouch, as his character has been through enough already.

DarkDremora: You're not too off with your guess.

Chapter 74: V.V vs Lelouch

V.V and Lelouch flew through the sky, trading kicks, and punches. Of course, from only observing the duel for a second, anyone could tell that the former was the superior combatant. But, where V.V had skill, Lelouch had the power, as his projections across C's World formed faster, and were much stronger. The blond pulled his hand back, and formed a spike in his palm, only for it to be stabbed by Lelouch's sword, "Damn. He's better than I thought." V.V grabbed the blade, only for his opponent to swing it wildly, severing his hand.

"This is good. As long as I keep this up, we'll win." Lelouch kept his distance cautiously, making sure to give himself enough time to perceive V.V's next move. However, the same couldn't be said for the pair below, as they struggled against Marianne, who proved herself to be a difficult opponent despite her inferior frame.

Suzaku desperately tried to keep up with the Ganymede as it effortlessly glid around C's World as if it weren't even touching the ground, "So this is Lelouch's mom!" he blocked a strike with his MVS, only to be opened up for an attack from below, "She wastes no movements! Everything she does can be effortlessly extended to fit the situation!" after getting kicked away, he did a backflip, and recovered, only to be pressed once again by two fists, which damaged his chest cavity, "No way! Is she trying to get to my energy filler!?"

In a desperate attempt to renominate himself, Suzaku activated his slash harkens, pushing the demonic women back. Though, this apparently did the opposite, as she instead ducked the harkens, and sent her hand into the Lancelot's head. She slowly began applying pressure, trying to rip it off. That's when the slash harkens returned, intending to strike her in the back, so she promptly let go of the Knight, and ducked, before pulling away, as Kallen clumsily tried to land an attack with her MVS dagger. "Crap. She's so fast!"

"I guess she was called Marianne the flash, for a reason."

"Still insane to think Lelouch is related to her. I mean, they're nothing alike."

"Really? I see-"

Before Suzaku could finish his sentence, the Ganymede blitzed his position, knocking him away with a kick to the stomach. Then, it focused on the Guren, by sending its arms out wildly, overwhelming the pilot as she desperately pulled away, "I'm still not used to how responsive this thing is!" the red head shouted as the G-forces from the Guren suddenly pulled her forward.

"You'd better hurry!" Suzaku shouted as he zoomed back into action, swinging his MVS down with great precision, only to have it side-stepped as Marianne disarmed him with a kick. Though, she didn't bother to pick up the weapon, as she pressed the attack.

Thanks to it's long arms, the Ganymede effortlessly grabbed the Lancelot as it tried to retreat, and pulled it back for a knee to the chest. The only good thing about this fight, was that Marianne didn't have a way of actually winning, as all of her attacks only dealt mild damage to the Lancelot and Guren. However, if she took even one attack from them, she'd fall apart in an instant.

Of course, they would have to hit her first.

Kallen maneuvered the Guren behind her opponent, hoping to sandwich them for a pincer maneuver. Only, this allowed the Ganymede to slide to the side, and send the red Knightmare flying into the Knight, knocking them both to the ground. Suzaku instantly recovered from the attack, and pushed the red head off himself, before moving in for a close-quarters encounter, where he thought he would have the advantage.

Marianne kept the Lancelot at arms length, making sure he couldn't touch her with any of his punches, while she could freely attack him. Anytime he tried to push forward, she would simply move behind him and slash his back. There had to be an equalizer, and this Kallen wasn't it. She was turning into more of a hindrance than anything else.

Speaking of which, the red head charged into battle one more. In her mind, she intended to take care of the Ganymede herself, as she could feel the Guren had the speed and agility. She just needed to learn how to apply it. This would prove difficult, as once Marianne felt herself being sandwiched once again, she pulled back, and grabbed the surger, trying to rip it off.

Though, thanks to Suzaku's efforts, he managed to scare her off just as that was about to happen. "We need to work together." he stated as Marianne recovered in a strangely low stance to the ground.

"Screw that! I just need to touch her once! Then-"

"I'll win." V.V's haunting voice echoed throughout C's world as he kicked Lelouch to the ground, "Just one touch." his hand inched close to the Prince's face as he struggled to keep the boy at bay. The raven-haired boy opened his mouth, and fired a spike into V.V's head. Then, he kicked him into the air, before chasing him down. "Didn't know you could do that…" the blond muttered as he pulled out the spike, and tanked another hit from the Emperor's blade.

Lelouch used this opportunity to position his palm toward V.V's chest, firing a large spike through, creating a gaping hole that left the blond groaning with pain. After that, he put a foot on the Immortal's shoulder, and kicked him back toward the ground.

V.V landed with a thud, healing his body in the process, "Luckily, our healing seems to be more or less equal. It's just the potency and speed of his attacks that are the problem." he clasped his hands and fired hundreds of spikes toward the incoming Lelouch like he were a fighter jet. Though, this proved futile, as the Prince flew through the attacks effortlessly, sending a kick into V.V's chest once he got close.

The Immortal barely blocked the attack as he was pushed back. If it had been any stronger, it would've broken through his guard. But, now was his chance to send shock images throughout his opponent's body, and since they were in C's world, he would have the added pleasure of viewing them. Giving him insight as to what was going on. However, Lelouch knew this, and quickly severed his own leg, shocking Vincent as it suddenly exploded in his face, leaving behind a mangled corpse as it quickly healed from the injury. "How am I supposed to beat V.V? I can't kill him, and I surely can't seal him away. He'll just break out and come after me again." he observed as the man in question healed his bloody face, "Perhaps… no. Marianne's not even really here, so I doubt it would work. And even if she were, she hasn't mastered her Geass, so I can't have her steal his code." he shook his head, "Crap! What's the Dimensional Supervisor thinking!? Bringing him here to kill me? There has to be something else!"

The two Dimensional Supervisors watched the battle from afar. Neither were enjoying the spectacle, as fighting wasn't something they enjoyed, especially if it happened within C's world. "He's right. Lelouch doesn't have any way of dealing with V.V. And the same can be applied to the latter. So, they're effectively within a stalemate." one observed, "I understand you wish for one to beat the other, even you have to realize that there has to be some kind of tipping point that'll create a winner."

The other Dimensional Supervisor shrugged, "That's why we'll wait. Eventually, either V.V or Lelouch will tire out, and with that, the requirements for merging their Codes with C's world will e complete. It'll be even better if both get tired, then both will be dealt with. All that'll be left is the new Lelouch and Charles. But they'll deal with themselves" she let out a breath as the Guren and Lancelot were tossed around by the Ganymede, who held her own with maximum effect.

"So what? You're not taking a side?"

"Don't try to reprimand me about that. From what I can tell, you're not taking a side either. That's our job, after all. We're just observers."

The Caretaker of Space and Time looked off to the side, "And yet… you brought V.V here."

"It was going to happen anyway. I'm not breaking any rules." the Dimensional Supervisor answered as Lelouch and V.V clashed once again. "This showdown was meant to happen, I just sped up the process"

The other woman closed her eyes, feeling the presence of C's world as the Sword of Akasha's screams echoed throughout. "The worst case… would be if either chose to retreat and fight another day."

"Do you think V.V's capable of such a thing?"

"Only if Lelouch tells him about us in detail."

The Dimensional Supervisor looks at the boy, "You think he would?"

"I believe V.V's already suspected something's off. It'll be only a matter of time, especially if Lelouch realizes that this is the only way of getting rid of Vincent temporarily."

"And in that time… he'll try to find a way to eliminate him… doing my job for me…"

Lelouch desperately tanked a concentrated blast from V.V, sending himself hurtling toward the ground. Just before he crashed, he recovered and flew out. Weaving between the Ganymede and Lancelot as their legs clashed in a high kick. "V.V and I are practically in a stalemate. Perhaps a quick chat to assess the situation could prove useful." the Prince landed on the Lancelot's shoulder just as the Ganymede separated. "Alright. Let's talk." he said as V.V rested on Marianne's Knightmare.

"About time you saw reason." the blond stated as Suzaku and Kallen panted heavily. They were clearly worse for ware, while Marianne stayed relatively fresh, "So, let's start with introductions. Though, I don't think mine is necessary, I'll it anyway." he cleared his throat, "My name is V.V."

Lelouch let out a huff, "My name… is Alan Spacer."

"Alan?" V.V's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "No letter initials? Strange…" while he was suspicious on the inside, his body showed no hints of such a thing, "Well, Alan. What are you doing here?"

"You first." the Prince demanded

"Fair enough. I sought you out, so I'll answer first." V.V put a hand on his chest, "I'm here due to the Dimensional Supervisor wanting you dead. Now, my question for you, is why?"

"I suppose… they don't like someone wandering around C's world for so long."

"How long have you been here?"

"About a month." Lelouch lied, "No breaks."

"Really?" the blond put a hand on his chin, "I have no idea how long that is in real world time. Now I wish I had figured out how to calculate C's world time. No matter. The most important part of this is that C's world doesn't appreciate visitors overstaying their welcome."

"So… all they told you was to kill me?"

"Yes." V.V said, not fully convinced by 'Alans' reasoning, "Are you sure that's all they want?"

"Why would I lie?"

"I didn't accuse you of doing so."

The two stared down each other intensely as the tension grew suffocating. It was apparent to V.V that he wouldn't get the answers he wanted, and Lelouch could practically sense his frustration. "If I hit him with a big enough attack, that might deter V.V enough to retreat." the Prince clenched his fist, secretly forming a spike within it, "Only one way to find out."

Lelouch threw out his hand, causing a massive spike to emerge that was way too fast for V.V to dodge in time. Luckily, Marianne saw the attack coming, and maneuvered out of the way, saving the blond as he continued to rest on her shoulder like a parrot. Though, their problems didn't end yet, as Suzaku suddenly tackled the Ganymede, throwing V.V into the air, allowing the Prince to tackle him, firing a spike into his stomach.

The blond felt his body get torn in half as the spike severed his spine, causing him to blank out for a second from the pain. Even still, this wasn't enough, as V.V gripped his nephew's head tightly, before ripping it apart, allowing for both of them to fall to the ground, bleeding out.

However, their injuries wouldn't stay, as in the next instant, they healed their bodies back to normal. "That hurt!" Lelouch clenched his jaw as he narrowly dodged his uncle's incoming strikes.

Meanwhile, Marianne threw Suzaku to the side just as Kallen rushed in to join the fight. Due to the opening, the Ganymede luckily pushed itself back just out of reach of the surger arm, then it grabbed the metallic arm, and pulled the Knightmare close, intending to send a knee toward their face. The red head saw this coming and leapt into the air, using her captured arm as an anchor to gracefully float over the Third Generation Frame, before landing. Using its MVS dagger, Kallen attempted to bisect her opponent across the waist, but this ended up failing, as they quickly retreated just as the blade came in contact with their body.

Luckily for Kallen, she managed to catch the fingers of the Ganymede just as it got out of range, "One hand down!"

"Nicely done, Kallen-"

Before Suzaku could even finish his sentence, Marianne took this moment to fully separate the red head from her ally. Like a man possessed, the Ganymede pulled the Guren toward itself once more, this time ripping off the surger hand by slamming its de-fingered arm into it. Then, it used the dismembered limb to stab the red head's cockpit, causing her to scream in pain.

The Knight stood up in horror and rushed to his friend's aid, only for Marianne to grab the MVS fork knife from the defeated Guren, using it to hook onto the Lancelot's incoming MVS. She leveraged her body to force Suzaku to the ground, and spun around to deliver the final strike to his head. Once she dealt with him, Marianne's eyes darted toward the Guren, which she could tell were seconds from exploding. Thus, she backed away, leaving the defeated pair of Knightmares to be destroyed together.

Lelouch heard the haunting explosions just as his blade clashed to V.V's bare skin, "Kallen! Suzaku!" he cried before getting kicked into the ground. Upon hitting the ground, he cried out in pain, just as his uncle appeared in front of him, and kicked him once again, sending him flying toward the fiery wreckage of his friend's Knightmares.

"I just wanted to talk, you know? I just wanted to find out more about C's world. But, you had to make this difficult. Their deaths are your fault, 'Alan'. If that even is your name." V.V scolded the boy, "Now, tell me everything you know, unless you want to lose your life too."

The Ganymede stood victorious behind the blond, as knocking could be heard within the Lancelot. Suddenly, Kallen, with a half burnt body, walked out of the wreckage, dragging Suzaku, who was also half burn, "Lelouch…" she muttered before collapsing behind him.

The Prince looked at the red head's defeated body as she barely managed to keep herself and Suzaku alive with her healing, "So… you chose to save him?" he smiled, "Good job, Kallen." he stood up with new-found confidence, "Don't worry. I'll bring you back to full health."

V.V's eyes widened just as he was sent flying away by a large spike, catching Marianne in its range too. After dragging across the ground for a few meters, the Ganymede exploded, dealing massive damage to the blond's back, luckily destroying a part of the spike with it, allowing him to break free. "Where did that come from-"

Just before he could finish that thought, another spike struck his eye, forcing him onto his back. Unbeknownst to him, his nephews attacks had grown exponentially in speed and strength. Now, V.V was on the complete defensive as countless spikes began raining from the sky. With his uncle busy, Lelouch healed both Suzaku and Kallen, "Get ready. It won't take long for him to get used to the tempo." he stated while recreating the Guren and Lancelot. "Think you can take on Marianne again?"

Kallen shrugged as she stood up, "Could've at least repaired my clothing." she muttered while hopping into the Guren with a smile, "Don't worry. I think… I've got used to the Guren." she said with fake confidence. In truth, piloting the Guren was extraordinarily difficult. In order to even make it do what she wanted, the red head had to move her whole body with the machine, which was something she didn't know she could get used to, "How my other counterpart was able to pilot this thing is beyond me. But… I'll do my best."

"What about you, Suzaku?" Lelouch asked as the Knight slowly walked up to the Lancelot.

"She just caught me off-guard the first time. It won't happen again. I swear." he entered the White Knightmare with a confident smile, "Kallen. Thanks for saving me back there. If you didn't step in-"

"You can thank me by shutting up for the next 24-hours." the red head stated jokingly, "But seriously, don't get into another one of those situations. I didn't exactly save you out of the kindness of my heart, after all."

"Oh yeah? And for what purpose do I serve now?"

"I need you to help me beat that infernal woman." she stated as Marianne piloting the Ganymede appeared before them, "I hate to admit it, but… you're better than me at piloting these things. So, I'll follow your lead from here."

Suzaku smiled, "Don't worry. I won't let you down."

"But first." Lelouch slammed his hands into the ground, "Time for a change of scenery."

To V.V's surprise, multiple structures erected out of the ground, replicating the capital of Zilkhstan: Grablhad. "No way! Is he projecting the landscape below into C's world!?" the boy felt a building lift himself upward, leaving the Ganymede to face off against the Guren in a small street. "Just what the hell is this?" he wondered as Lelouch retreated toward the palace, "Another Code signature? Did he- no way. It can't."

As the Lancelot flanked the Ganymede from behind, V.V flew toward the palace, hoping to catch Lelouch before he reached the heart of Grablhad. Marianne quickly turned around and blocked the incoming attack from the White Knightmare, getting pushed back slightly as the Guren rushed forth, attempting another pincer maneuver.

Once she got close, Kallen sent her surger arm forth, forcing the Ganymede to duck, allowing the metallic arm to collide with the Lancelot's shoulder, knocking it back slightly. Then, she took the initiative by punching the Guren in the chest, gaining some breathing room as her opponents separated. Her attention turned to Suzaku, as she got in closer, sending a punch into his face, pushing him into a building just as his foot collided with her chest.

The Ganymede slid back, straight into the Guren's iron grip. With this, the red head slammed Marianne into a building, causing the woman to groan in pain as she felt rubble bounce off her frame. That's when she finally felt the Guren's grip release he as it pulled its fist back for a strike. Thankfully, she managed to duck the strike, and kick her opponent into the building. "Ugh. Does this arm serve any other purpose than just being a hindrance?" the red head struggled to stand as she felt a foot get planted on her chest.

At that moment, Suzaku came rushing in to tackle Marianne into another building, causing it to collapse atop them in a large cloud of smoke. "You okay, Kallen?" the boy asked while leaping out of the rubble.

"No. This arm is useless!" she proclaimed while staring down Marianne, who shook off the rubble from her Knightmare.

"Seriously? It doesn't serve any purpose?"

The red head scanned her cockpit, "I mean… my right control looks different… but that's about it. Then there's this thing… surger meter? What's that?"

Marianne suddenly leapt toward Suzaku, sending a kick into his head, knocking him into Kallen. The two recovered quickly and rushed the former Knight of the Round, sending a flurry of combined strikes that forced their opponent on the back foot, "No way. Are we actually in sync?" Suzaku wondered as he and the red head pulled their fists back for a synchronized strike with their left and right hands, respectfully.

Marianne lifted her arms to block, only for them to be obliterated upon coming in contact with her opponent's strikes. Though, only the casings came loose as she crashed into a building, sending shrapnel into the Guren's cockpit, as Suzaku raised his Blaze Luminous to deflect the incoming pieces. "Damn it!" the red head cursed as her controls remained unresponsive, "What happened?"

"She hit your energy filler!" the Knight reported as Marianne shakily stood up, "It's just a one-on-one now."

"You're telling me I managed to master this hunk of junk?" she took out a piece of metal from her shoulder, and slammed it on the dashboard, "Useless." her eyes wandered to the surger meter, "If only I could've made use of that somehow."

Suzaku desperately held his arms, blocking a single punch from the Ganymede. Though, this strike proved troublesome, as it slid past it guard, and struck his face. Using this opportunity, Marianne gripped the Lancelot's head, before slamming it to the ground. Now in the position of dominance, the former Knight of the Round began sending punch after punch into the boy's chest, hoping to rip open the cavity, and disable it for good.

Though, while she was preoccupied with doing this, Kallen leapt into the Ganymede's open cockpit from behind, and did the only thing she knew how to: fight. With a single punch to the temple, Marianne slammed her head into the dashboard as the red head forced the Knightmare off the Lancelot. "Nicely done!" Suzaku cheered as he exited his Knightmare, before rushing up the Ganymede, helping Kallen hijack it.

The red head pulled out her pink pouch, and activated her hidden knife. With it, she was inches from Marianne's throat as the woman struggled to fight her off. As Kallen forced her knife closer, she stared deep into her opponent's eyes, which were devoid of life. A true vestige of the woman it was modeled after.

Suddenly, Suzaku jumped in, and helped slam the knife down, causing blood to splatter in all directions.

"Who do you think you are!?" V.V exclaimed as he kicked Lelouch into the palace.

The Prince recovered by grabbing onto a pillar, and throwing himself back into his uncle, who took the kick to his chest with a groan. Then, the blond grabbed his nephews leg, attempting to rip it off, but at that moment, the raven-haired boy fired a spike through his foot, causing his opponent to groan in pain.

After that short exchange, Lelouch retreated into the palace, which soon came under fire by a seemingly endless amount of spikes, "You can't hide forever!" the blond taunted as he watched the Prince dart through the windows. He looked ahead, and saw a path Lelouch would be forced to take, so he preemptively sent out a layer of spikes that cut him off. However, his nephew never showed his face.

Instead, the raven-haired boy burst through the roof, now accompanied by Princess Shamna, who looked extremely confused. "Another projection!?" at that moment, V.V's greatest fear clouded his judgment, "he's trying to steal my code!"

While it was unknown whether a mere projection could steal a Code, it wasn't a chance V.V was willing to take. So, he quickly fired a blast of energy toward the Princess, hoping to obliterate her in one shot. But then, Lelouch jumped in and took the hit, before sending one of his own back. V.V clenched his chest as the ball of energy made contact with his chest. All three 'Code Bearers' fell into the palace below.

"C-crap…" the Prince muttered as Shamna glared at V.V.

"That boy…" she muttered, "He's V.V?"

"A personality? So is she not a projection?" the blond shook his head, "No. It's possible that 'Alan' managed to place one within her. Either way-" the wall behind him suddenly crumbled, revealing the Ganymede as it rushed in with Suzaku in one hand, "Excellent. Now that Marianne's here… I win."

However, instead of the Ganymede charging at Lelouch, it extended its hand, and grab V.V, capturing his successfully. Once the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Kallen was the one in control of the legendary Knightmare, while Marianne was nowhere to be seen. "Hold him still!" Lelouch shouted as he decapitated his uncle in a single strike.

As V.V's head floated through the air, multiple questions flowed throughout his mind, "how did they defeat Marianne? Who the hell is Alan Spacer? And why is Shamna here?" though, he left those questions to be answered later, as his body, which was still in the possession of the Ganymede, touched the metallic arm. "It's not direct contact, but it should do."

Due to C's world effectively having memories flow freely throughout it's realm, V.V didn't need to be connected to his main body to send or receive shock images to his brain. Thanks to this, his mind was flooded with memories of who his opponent, Lelouch, was. But that wasn't all. As, he also gained some more memories that weren't his own, but felt all too real.

"Vi Britannia!" those haunting words echoed throughout C's world as the blond healed his body from the head down, "Lelouch Vi Britannia! That's your name!"

"Crap! How'd he-"

"Though, you're not the one I faced before." V.V stood confidently now. All fear, and cautiousness he had before, disappeared. "Oh god! A second chance at life! Who would've thought something so brilliant could exist!" the town of Grablhad dissipated around them as Lelouch clenched his teeth in frustration.

"This can't be happening…" Lelouch told himself as he watched V.V spin around in pure ecstasy, "I can't let him escape."

"Don't even think about it." the blond's expression turned serious, "You blew it, nephew. You had one chance, and you blew it! Now, everything you worked hard for, will go to ruin!"

The Dimensional Supervisor's watched from above, "Well… this is certainly a development. If he's from that time, then he should know where the Sword of Akasha is."

"Aren't you scared?" the Caretaker of Space and Time asked.

"Only slightly." the Dimensional Supervisor let out a sigh, "Even still… we still have a backup plan."

"Really? You're thinking it could work?"

"You're going to put your faith in him? I thought you wanted him dead?"

"You already know the answer to that."

The Caretaker of Space and Time smirked, "You're right. But I just want to hear you admit that I was right."

"Never."

"Then it looks like your existence will be washed away with my victory."

"I suppose this is what I get for interfering."

The two looked at each other, before disappearing.

"So… if my calculations are correct… Suzaku Kururugi should be able to aid me. While Kallen Kozuki will do everything in her power to kill me." the blond smelled the fresh air as he dodged as spike from Lelouch, "Too easy."

"Quit gloating!" the Prince appeared over his uncle, and attempted to bisect him, only to have his blade deflected, with his body following soon afterward.

"You're right, nephew." V.V stated as he outstretched his hand, "I've got things to do, and you're kind of in my way. Fear not. We'll face each other once again, but next time, I'll have Marianne's vestige AND Charles by my side." he smirked as he disappeared from C's world, "I'll see you at the sword, Lelouch."

"Damn it!" the Prince cried as he realized what this meant, "Princess Shamna! I need your aid! I beg of you!"

Shamna snapped out of her trance, as she felt her mind getting overloaded with information, "First, explain. What's going on?"

Somewhere in the E.U.

"Uncle?" Schneizel questioned as V.V, for the first time in a while, called him through video call, "Is there something amiss?"

"Actually, there is." the Immortal sat in his bed and gazed upon the Britannian fleet which had docked for the night, "How long do you think it'll take you to finish negotiations with the E.U?"

"It should take no less than a month. We already are pushing the advantage given our great leaps in Knightmare advancements. Why?"

"Afterward, I need you to head straight to Area 11."

Schneizel's eyes widened with surprised for a second, only to return to normal in the next, "Might I ask why?"

V.V shrugged, "I was just thinking of a family reunion, you know? After all, I'm sure your sisters would appreciate their brother aiding them in eliminating the Black Knights."

"Something's wrong. V.V doesn't even care about the Black Knights, or rather anyone in the royal family for that matter. So why is he-"

"Schneizel." his uncle's haunting voice broke him out of his thoughts, "You understand the task I'm giving you, correct?"

"He always does this. Giving me no time to think." the blond Prince sighed, "I understand, uncle. I shall head straight to Area 11 after the E.U is dealt with."

"Excellent." V.V rubbed his hands together, "I hope to see great success in your future endeavors."

Once his uncle left the call, Schneizel leaned back. His eyes wandered the hotel room, which he had already checked for bugs, "Why does he want me to commence operations in Area 11? If it's the thought elevator, why doesn't he just go himself with Charles? Or are they having another falling out?" he stood up, and walked over to his mini fridge, and gazed upon the variety of alcoholic beverages before him, "They've been having a lot of those recently, haven't they?" he chose a scotch and headed grabbed a glass from a nearby stand, "I'll never understand why they believe they can perfect the world through communicating through higher powers. They're just like everyone else, instead of solving the human problem, they intend to avoid it all together." his eyes rested on the European landscape before him, which was on fire with a revolution afoot, "that's why… my world will make full use of the human conscious. Fear. Greed. Hatred. I'll use it all."

As he was lost in his own thoughts, below hundreds of citizens fought against military police as they crowded the streets, throwing firebombs in outrage, "We'll never side with Britannia!" some shouted.

"Get that bastard out of here!"

"They don't belong."

Even though Schneizel couldn't hear their cries from his perch, he smiled. Not one of genuine care, but a sadistic one that had long since lost it's feeling, "I won't turn away from humanity's flaws, as they are the most powerful emotions one could possess. Those same emotions can bring nations to their knees, or even build Empires. To turn away from those emotions, is to turn away from humanity itself. That's something father, or even uncle, don't seem to realize."

Holy Britannian Empire.

"Yes, Rolo?" V.V tapped his foot to a melody in his head,

"M-master V.V! I apologize for my failure in eliminating-"

"Just listen to me for a second. What's your status?"

"W-well… Clara is still-"

"No. I don't care about Clara. I'm asking about your current status."

"M-my status?"

"Just answer the question, you pup." the blond tired of his Geass assassin's hesitation.

"I-I'm currently held up in my apartment. The Black Knights have-"

"Black Knights?"

"Y-yes."

"Find their leader, and assassinate him. I don't care about anything else."

Rolo gasped in shock, "I'll do as you ask without fail."

"You better." V.V hung up the phone and smirk, "And you. Yes you. The ones watching me right now." he put a hand on his chin, "I bet you're wondering why I'm not heading to Area 11, correct?" he let a dramatic silence take over, "Well, in truth, even I'm not ready to face off against the boy and his petty gang of misfits. Also…" he looked off to the side, "Charles and I aren't exactly on good terms right now. And without him, I'll just be fighting an uphill battle again."

The two Eden Vital members who stood guard at V.V's door looked at each other, as if saying with their eyes, "Is he talking to us?"

The Immortal rolled his eyes, "Besides, I can't risk a similar situation to what happened last time. Otherwise, it'll be truly over. No. this time, I'll be extra cautious. I have all the time in the world. Better to be safe than sorry."

C's world.

"Whoa. Time travel?" Shamna rubbed her temple in frustration, "Forgive me, but this is a lot to take in."

"I don't expect you to understand right away. However, I just need your help, otherwise-"

"Yeah yeah. End of the world. Surprisingly, that's the easiest thing to understand." the Princess gazed upon C's world, "I knew this place could grant wishes, but I didn't think that was one of them."

"So you understand?"

"Yeah. Besides, if everyone does lose their free will like you said, then Shalio…" images flashed in her mind of the young dictator her brother had become after Zero's visit. "It'll be too late to save him."

Kallen, who was still feeling the effects from those shock images, stood up as a small pedestal erected out from the ground, "What… the hell is that?" she asked while falling to her knees.

"Throughout Zilkhstan, there were multiple temples that were constructed, that allowed for communication to C's world. They're not as strong as thought elevators, but in this case, you don't need to be realized into the world." Shamna explained as she walked up to the pedestal, and placed her hand on it, "You just need eyes, right?" a chalice materialized upon the top of the porcelain structure, "By dipping your hands into this, you'll see into the real world, through the eyes of your other self."

Lelouch stepped forward with a smile, "With this… I should be able to see everything that's going on. Or, at the very least, from my other versions eyes."

"Lelouch, I need to know, what do you plan on doing from here?" Shamna asked as Suzaku helped Kallen up.

"I'm going to stop V.V, obviously. I can't have him destroying everything I worked so hard to-"

"But didn't you already lose everything you fought for?" the Princess cruelly pointed out, "Or are you simply fighting him to give Kallen and your other self another chance?"

The Prince took his hand off the pedestal, and faced the woman, "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm asking: Why are you fighting?"

Lelouch turned to the podium once more, his eyes stern with conviction, "I'll fight to right the wrongs of my past. A second chance." he echoed his uncle's words.

Suzaku's eyes widened, "What? But I thought you said-"

"I won't enter by other self's body. What's his is his. The world he's built so far, is something he'll own completely. However, V.V is an otherworldly power. He's someone who I need to defeat. A phantom of a failed timeline."

"Aren't you the same?"

"Are you just trying to antagonize me?"

Shamna shrugged, "Not at all. From where I'm standing…" she points her finger dangerously close to his face, "You and V.V don't sound all that different."

The Prince's eyes widened, "I'm not the one trying to end the world here."

"Is that so? Because from the ideas circling in your head, it sure doesn't sound like that."

"You read my mind!"

"So what?" the Princess took a step back, "After you instill those shock images into Kallen and Suzaku, what'll happen to them? Think about it." she pointed at the red head, who could barely stand, "She's still recovering from only a second of those, and yet you want to etch another timeline's version of her into her soul? What about her originality?"

Kallen and Suzaku stared at Lelouch with wide eyes, "Lelouch… what's she talking about?" the latter asked as the former clenched her sides in pain.

The Prince sighed, "I was… planning on essentially 'downloading' the Suzaku from my timelines memories into you." he points at Kallen, "And 'downloading' the memories of the Kallen from V.V's timeline into you."

The red head clenched her jaw in anger, "What the hell!?" she stumbled toward Lelouch and struck him across the face, which he took without hesitation, "I thought you were different!" she punched him in the gut, "So what? You were planning on replacing me with… with whatever the hell-"

"No." the Prince interrupted her, "I'm not replacing you. I'm merely instilling the experiences of another Kallen into you. That's it. You'll still have your own memories."
"But who will she be at the end of it all?" Shamna stepped forward, "All the earlier memories will match the old Kallen's, but then-"

"I know it-"

"Let me speak." the Princess stopped Lelouch from interrupting her, "She'll essentially become the Kallen from V.V's timeline against her will. And to what end? So you can have a Knightmare pilot to fight Marianne? How selfish."

The Prince looked at the ground, his hair covering his eyes as Kallen backed away from him, "I'm no saint. I've realized that. What I'm asking of you… both of you, isn't ethical. However, if you do this for me, I swear I'll return you to your original bodies with all my might."

"And what about those memories!?" Kallen shouted as she punched him again, "Won't I keep those once I return!?"

"I'll try to erase them the best I can."

Suzaku looked down, "You're… trying to play god here. Aren't you?" he looked his best friend in the eyes, "You want your cake and to eat it too."

"Is that even the saying?" the red head mumbled as she shook her head, "Actually, it doesn't matter. I'm not going along with this plan. You got me?"

"Fine." Lelouch turned away as the red head quirked an eyebrow, "In truth… I only thought of that plan, because I'm taking the vestige of Marianne into account, alongside Charles' strength. With those three present, they'll cause a lot of problems." he faced his ally's "However, I won't be using this plan, unless it comes down to it."

The red head suddenly put the Prince in a headlock, "Hell no! You won't be using it at all!" she drove her knee into his back, causing him to groan in pain, "You're lucky I'm even putting up with you right now." she let him go and walked off in a huff, "I need time to breath."

Lelouch stumbled forward, and dusted himself off, before approaching the chalice, "You should return to your body now, Shamna. I'm sure others are wondering why you haven't awakened by now."

"You gonna be alright?" the Princess asked as she watched Suzaku follow after Kallen, "They don't seem too pleased."

"I'll be alright. There's a reason she hasn't left, and it's because, as much as she will deny it, she has faith in me." Lelouch answered, "By the way, there's something you want too, don't you?"

Shamna smirked, "You might call me a hypocrite for saying this, considering what I've accused you of, but I… need your help in bringing my brother from the edge. He's walking a line dangerously close to our father, and I don't want to see him fall."

The Prince nodded in response, "I understand." he stuck his hand in the chalice, "If I can, I'll send my other self to aid you. Though, there are no promises."

Shamna sighed, "Unfortunately, I know that's all you can do. Goodbye, Vi Britannia." she disappeared into a fine mist.

"Kallen." Suzaku called.

"The hell do you want?" the red head asked as she stared at the planet above.

"I'm just wondering… why are you staying?"

"Is that something you should really be asking me?" Kallen asked while rolling away from him as he sat down.

"Well… it's certainly out of character for you, considering before you were going to leave when I suggested hiding your Eleven heritage."

"Ugh." the red head rolled her eyes, "How clueless can you be?" she kicked his face, though not hard enough to knock him away, "The reason I'm not leaving… is because… despite what he says… his mind says differently."

Suzaku's eyes widened with realization, "Oh yeah. You can read his mind too, can't you?" he gasped, "Wait… doesn't that mean-"

"Finally, you're starting to get it." the red head sat up in a huff.

"You knew the whole time! Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because…" she sighed, "And you can't tell Lelouch this. After all, it seems like he hasn't figured this out yet, considering he doesn't have to look that deep." Kallen looked around, before facing Suzaku to begin, "In the human conscious… there are two types of thoughts. One, is surface level. They're what you're thinking of at the moment. Pretty easy to read, and you don't have to concentrate to view them. However, then there are deep thoughts, ones that we lock away deep within our subconscious only for us to know. These can be thoughtful memories, secrets, or really anything we hold dear." she sat back, "And… upon seeing Lelouch's plan, it outraged me at first, but then I looked deeper. That's where I saw his true intentions."

"He doesn't want to hurt us." Suzaku said with a smile, "Even I don't need to read his mind to know that."

Kallen chuckled, "You're half right." this information shocked the Knight, "If push comes to shove, he will force us into that role, and we won't be able to stop him. That's mainly the reason why I'm staying." she outstretched her hand, "Lelouch could do anything to us, and get away with it. He doesn't have to put up with our antics, but he chooses to."

"It kind of sounds like you've fallen for him." the Knight teased.

Of course, the red head didn't find this amusing. "Shut up." she punched him in the face, "It's just… he's not as big an asshole as I thought he was. That's it."

Suzaku rubbed his cheek, "Well… I'm glad you're starting to realize that." he stared at the sky, "Wait… why did you act surprised earlier? Did you just want to punch-"

Kallen's eyes narrowed, "Shut up." and she punched him again, this time even harder.

AN: Truth be told, while this was to progress the main plot forward, I also just really wanted to write a super-powered battle. Take a break from having to be creative with Giant mechs and such. Another thing, the battle between Lelouch and V.V was rigged from the beginning. Neither of them could actually dominate the other, due to their effective immortality in C's world. So a straight fight between them would always end in a draw. No exceptions. However, as explained by DS earlier, the two can be weakened, to the point where DS can effectively 'finish them off'.

I actually hadn't planned for the chapter to end that way, but now that Karma V.V has arrived, a battle for Japan is on the horizon.

Now, OT Lelouch, and NT Kallen/Suzaku, will offically know what's going on in the new timeline through, primarily, NT Lelouch's view. Just don't think about how awkward things could be.

I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting a few other things, but if there's need for clarification, ask.