Ashley squinted at the weathered sign plastered on the ruddy wall of the sewer. It was hard to make out from the service lights alone, but he could see the makings of a faint layout. "There's a maintenance shaft at the next juncture, on the right side," He reported. "We could be out in a couple of minutes."

"And where would it put us, you oaf?" Kingsley asked impatiently.

"Behind the library," Ashley said, ignoring the insult. He didn't care what Kingsley called him, so long as they were back aboveground and breathing fresh air.

Kingsley shook his head. "No. That won't do at all, I'm afraid, we'll have to keep going."

Ashley took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. We can't kill Kingsley, He reasoned with himself. Shaing needs him, and he has the Emperor's protection. Still, it's a wonder it took this long for someone to try and kidnap the bastard. Even more puzzling is how the princess managed not to put a bullet in his head the second he opened his mouth.

"Alright then," He said evenly, just barely managing to avoid rolling his eyes. "Then what do you suggest?" He couldn't keep an edge of venom from entering his voice as he spat out the last few words.

Kingsley sneered. "If we emerge now, we'll be in the middle of the city, free for anyone to find us."

"But everyone's back at the station," He argued. "Or will be soon enough."

"Oh, have you grown a sixth sense then?" Kingsley snarked. "Are you omniscient now, Mr. Ashra? Or are you merely guessing?"

He scowled. "Guessing. But-"

"But nothing," Kingsley dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You're right, they are likely on their way to the station, but what if they aren't? What if they saw what I intended, and stayed out of the chaos? Or what if they are simply slow to reach the station? Then we'll be caught out in the middle of the city with no fallback. Underground, we have the advantage. We're out of sight, we have distance even if they learn where we went, and any who wish to pursue will be forced out of their Knightmare. Besides, these sewers are a maze."

"No, actually, they aren't," He said, his anger getting the better of him. He'd stayed quiet for the last few hours, but he was sick of it. He could deal with Jean's fawning over Shaing, and he could even deal with most of Kingsley's petty insults. But not if he was going to get them all killed. "Not for our purposes. We need to get out of the city, right? And we can't go above ground till we get at least to the edge of town." He glanced back at the wall, double checking he was right before continuing. "Well there's only one path from the radio station to the edge of town. The princess, and Kururugi, and anyone else who wants to follow us are going to know that, too. And all they have to do is follow us. Sure, we have some distance on them, but for how long? You aren't exactly an olympic runner. And even out of their Knightmares, I don't like our odds against a Knight of the Rounds, let alone everyone else after us."

Jean looked nervously between him and Kingsley. "Ashley, perhaps you should-"

"Perhaps the person in charge of our lives should use his head a bit more when putting us at risk!" He shouted, cutting her off. "He's supposed to be some kind of genius, isn't he? All he looks like to me is another crazy lord, and I've had plenty of experience with those back in St. Petersburg."

Kingsley glared at him coldly. "All of our lives are worth nothing. Not when compared to the will of his majesty. Do you think I would waver for a second if the Emperor asked me to lay down my life?"

"No," He snorted. "You're worse than Rowe is to Shaing, when it comes to the Emperor. And that's all well and good for you, but I happen to enjoy living. And I don't see how getting ourselves killed is supposed to help his majesty."

Kingsley seethed in silence, and for a moment, Ashley felt a triumphant sense of vindication having finally voiced all of the complaints laying in the back of his mind ever since this damn mission began.

Then reality came back to him, and he realized what he just said, and who he just said it to. He sucked in a breath, and unconsciously took a step back.

To his surprise, Kingsley's voice was calm when he spoke again. "I shall allow you your little rant this once, Mr. Ashra," He said evenly. "In the spirit of fairness, I have not been entirely forthright with you, and neither of you have much to go on outside of my own word." His brow furrowed. "Which should be more than enough, but I suppose it's my fault for expecting you to at least meet my already low expectations. You are correct. Our current course of action is by no means a guarantee of safety. In all likelihood, we will be overtaken before we reach our destination. I am not blind to my physical fitness, or lack thereof. But it remains our only course of action. Everything I have done since the two of you stumbled upon me has been done to ensure we have the best chance of survival. If we had simply tried to hide within the city, we would have been found. Perhaps we may have been able to lay low for a day, perhaps two, but Kururugi would have guards at every exit, and the longer we stayed, the more time he would have to sweep the city inch by inch. By throwing out a challenge to my pursuers, I pit them against one another, that we might only have to deal with the survivor, and a hopefully weakened survivor at that. If either you or Ms. Rowe have an alternative suggestion, one which does not end with us being found within hours, then by all means let it be known!" He held out his arms dramatically.

"I never said I did have a better idea," Ashra refuted.

"No? Then what's the purpose of this little outburst?" He demanded. "What's the point? What do you want of me? To hold your hand and tell you you're going to make it through alright?" His lip curled in disgust. "Is this the sort of cowardice that passes for Britannian's this side of the world? We are at war. Death is a possibility for all of us. Our lives are not what matters, but our legacy, what we leave behind, and I will not go to my grave having done anything less than my absolute best in service to the Emperor."

Ashra laughed then, a crazed smile spreading across his face. "You think it's just dying I care about? I'm a soldier Kingsley, and unlike you I don't sit in a comfy chair giving orders from miles and miles away. I've come within an inch of death hundreds of times. I don't particularly want to die, but that's not what's bugging me." He scowled. "It's that in a handful of days, I've gone from fighting on the front lines, earning glory for my name and spending my time fighting and laughing. And now? I've been taken from the battle, forced to slink around like a rat in the dark, and forced to abandon my Knightmare. For what? You?" He sneered with disgust. "What makes you so important?"

Kingsley's reddened in fury. "I have done more for for your pitiful province in three months than-"

"That's just it," Ashra said, cutting him off. "You come here, swooping in out of nowhere, and win the war for us. You, some random brat younger than me that no one on earth has heard of before. You're no one. There's no possible way you should be able to do the things you have. By all rights, you should just be another noble's son given some ceremonial command because his father's someone important, while the men in your service do the actual work. But you aren't. You're different. In three months, a half mad cyclops has nearly won us the damn war. And because of that, because you don't have the decency to be the useless prick that you should be, now everyone on earth who knows you exist is after you! Which means they're after us. Do you understand now, Kingsley? I don't care about dying. I care about dying stuck in a sewer, away from my Knightmare, from my men, from a real fight, cut down like a peasant for the sake of a psychopath who has made my life hell, and who shouldn't even exist!"

Kingsley's lone eye widened in surprise at his rant. Ashley expected outrage, anger, and probably a few more threats, but they never came. Instead, Kingsley considered him carefully, with a look he hadn't seen before. "You want glory, then?" He finally asked. "Recognition? A chance to prove yourself?"

Ashley scoffed. "I don't have anything to prove. I want a fight, and I want to not die like a dog!"

"A fight you'll have, I can promise you that," Kingsley swore, casting a look back the way they came. "As for whether you live or die…that is a matter entirely in your own hands, and in the hands of fate."

"Yours too," He growled. "You're the one giving orders, remember?"

"Perhaps, but if you expect me to put your life above my duty to his majesty, this conversation has been pointless," Kingsley warned. "However…I have no greater desire to die here than you do. And I assure you, I am doing whatever we can to give us the best chance of survival. So before we are overtaken and slain or captured, shall we put to bed this little argument and keep moving? At least for the moment?"

Ashley sighed. That was as good as he was going to get it seemed. "Fine," He agreed reluctantly. He didn't like Kingsley, but even he could admit the man was their best chance for getting out of this alive.

He turned his eyes back to the sign on the wall, searching for anything that might give them an advantage. His eyes widened in interest. "There's a larger room further down, on the way to our exit," He observed. "Not sure what the purpose of it is, but it looks pretty big compared to these tunnels. If we were going to make a stand, that'd be the place to do it."

Kingsley nodded. "Excellent. Is it far?"

He shook his head. "No. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

"Then we should hopefully reach the room before our pursuers catch up to us," Kingsley said. "With a bit of luck, we'll be able to use the lead we have to our advantage."

Ashley snorted. "We're in a bit of a short supply of that, these days," He muttered.

They ran in silence as they moved close and closer to the station, leaving Leila alone with her thoughts…and her guilt as well.

It was her fault Kingsley had escaped. And it was her fault that they were desperately chasing after him in the unlikely hope that they would reach him before someone else did. Kingsley was about to slip through their fingers, and if he did the blame would lie with no one but her.

She should never have even considered waking him, really. But her own stubbornness and goodwill had gotten the better of her. She took her watch far longer than she should have, as she didn't want to wake the others until she needed to. And when she could finally stay awake no longer, she turned to Kingsley.

Partially because she couldn't bring herself to wake Akito or any of the others, but also out of a desire to heal the rift between Kingsley and the rest of them. Akito, Ryo, the others…they obviously didn't trust him, and for good reason. Kingsley was the architect of more misery for the EU in living memory than any one man aside from the Emperor himself.

But that Kingsley was supposedly a fabrication. A lie. He was a victim as well. And ever since Cornelia had rejoined them, he seemed lucid enough. She thought it would be harmless, letting him take over a shift. It would help the others trust him a little.

But she had been a fool. Her own nature played against her, and the trust she had naively placed in the stranger had been predictably broken.

Not that it was anything new. How often had her own heart worked against her? Always, always she tried to see the best in people. Give them every opportunity to earn a second chance. How many times had Ryo, Yukiya and Ayano tried to kill her and escape before they learned to trust her?

She had trusted the General too, once. Placed her faith with him, believed in him with all of her heart. And he had thrown her to the side for the sake of political convenience.

A great weight settled on her shoulders, as all of her many mistakes tore at her mind. She was a fool to trust Kingsley would remain lucid. A fool to believe in the General. What was she to him, really? A somewhat more competent protege than some of his other subordinates? A useful tool, who's loss would prove annoying, but by no means irreplaceable?

Leila had seen General Smilas as a second father, almost, a pillar of support after her parents' deaths. It seemed all he saw her as was expendable. Had he shared a laugh at her expense with the rest of his men? Poor little Leila, naive Leila. She should have known better. Known she was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

And look where her good will had brought them. Isolated and stranded in the heart of Euro Britannia, with a Knight of the Rounds bearing down on them. The General had betrayed them, the only help they had was the promise of a train they might be able to catch, and worst of all Kingsley had escaped them as a direct result of her actions, potentially rendering their entire mission pointless. Everything, the princess sacrificing her status, putting their lives at stake, the General deciding to betray them, all of it would be for nothing.

Due to her.

Why couldn't she learn? Why did she have to be the way that she was? She wanted to think the best of people, she wanted to treat them kindly, but it seemed every time she tried it backfired on her!

"Leila?" Akito asked gently, snapping her out of her thoughts. She blinked in surprise, only now realizing they had slowed down, coming to a stop near the corner of a building. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine," She lied poorly. She had been so entrenched in her own thoughts, she hadn't even realized she had stopped running. Of course she wasn't okay. But that didn't matter. First, she needed to make things right. "We need to keep moving if we're going to have a chance of finding Kingsley."

"Keep moving where?" Cornelia asked rhetorically. "We've reached the station."

Leila frowned in confusion, then all at once the sounds of fighting reached her ears. Metal clanging on metal, and the booming sounds of gunfire. Gunfire that could only be coming from Knightmares. Her eyes widened. "Someone beat us here."

"That was expected," Cornelia sighed, peering around the corner. "But it might not be too late. I see Kururugi in his Lancelot, and two others I don't recognize. Knights of the Rounds, going off their Knightmares, which doesn't bode well for us. There's six or seven other Knightmares fighting them, and a number of others scattered around the street in pieces. If we run into the station while they're distracted, we have a shot. First, though, find out where the others are."

Akito nodded, pulling out a communicator. He exchanged a few words with someone on the other end, before putting it back away. "Yukiya and the others are close, on the other side of the station. They say there's another entrance they can use. We can go in the front, make our way into the station and meet up on the inside."

Leila nodded. "Good. If Kingsley tries to flee from either exit, he'll run into one of us."

"He won't," Cornelia said with a strange conviction. "He knows that would be too brazen, even for him. He'll have something else up his sleeve, mark my words."

"Well, you're the expert on Kingsley, so we'll have to take your word on it." Leila winced at the sound of shearing metal, and she swore she heard a faint scream. "Let's just go now, before Kingsley and his friends mop up whoever it is they're fighting at the moment."

They didn't waste any time, breaking into a sprint the moment they had a chance. Once or twice, she threw a look behind her, and she thought she saw one of the unmarked Knightmares looking her way, but none of them gave pursuit. None of them could, being far too occupied just trying to stay alive fighting off Kururugi.

The glass door of the entrance was shattered, allowing them to simply waltz in the front door. The lobby was empty, as were the halls as far as they could see. "So...just pick a direction and go?" She said, mostly to herself.

Cornelia still answered her. "I suppose," She sighed. "May as well head straight, closer to the heart of the building. That's where we're supposed to meet the others, yes? From there we can work our way around the rest of the station."

Leila nodded in agreement, and together they went, walking quickly but carefully. It wasn't a race to the station anymore, it was a search for Kingsley. Running around the building with no sense of where to look wouldn't accomplish anything, and besides, Kingsley could have had the time to lay traps. They needed to move with at least a bit of precaution.

"There," Akito said suddenly. "Above us, one of the gas pipes have burst. There's a few spent bullet casings on the floor…we aren't the first ones here."

"Shit," Cornelia cursed. "I don't see any blood…there's that at least. But who is it? I assume someone chasing Kingsley, but who? Kururugi is still occupied outside."

"Maybe it's whoever's in those unmarked frames," Leila suggested. "Maybe some other third party. Whoever it is, I doubt they're good news for either us or Kingsley."

"Then let's stop sitting around and find him before they do!" Cornelia said irritably.

Leila couldn't fault her for her tone, not now at least, and so she only nodded along in agreement. "We need to be careful, though," She warned.

Cornelia grunted, once again taking the lead.

Leila sighed, falling in behind her. The princess needs to exercise more caution if we're to succeed, She observed privately. Getting us all killed won't help Kingsley. Still, she wasn't going to argue with Cornelia. Not when she was the reason Kingsley was gone in the first place.

The sound of gunfire suddenly roared, popping off further into the building. At once Cornelia took off without a word to her or Akito.

"Cornelia!" She called, chasing after her. Akito quickly passed her, staying on the princess's heels.

They didn't run for long. The three of them turned one final corner and came to a screeching halt.

In front of them were soldiers, though from where Leila couldn't tell. They were taking cover behind a table that had been flipped over, presumably hiding from someone further down the hall, someone she couldn't quite make out…

"Leila!" She heard a voice call out, and her eyes widened in surprise. Yukiya. "They're mercenaries! They're here for Kingsley, and they tried to kill us!"

The mercenaries turned suddenly, now aware of their presence. One began to raise a rifle, and without thinking, Leila grabbed Cornelia's sleeve, pulling her back around the corner. More gunfire erupted in their wake, keeping them from helping Yukiya and the others.

"Who the hell are they?" Cornelia growled. "Kururugi wouldn't use mercenaries, and they don't seem to be affiliated with the Knightmares fighting outside."

"Maybe we worry about that after we don't have to deal with them trying to kill us!" Leila hissed.

Cornelia didn't answer, drawing her rifle-sword to pop out of cover and fire a shot off before quickly returning. "They have better weapons," She said. "Though we outnumber them by two or three, I think, assuming Yukiya is with the others. I only heard his voice, I didn't see him or any of the others."

"He should be," Leila said.

"Good," Cornelia nodded. "Of course, that doesn't matter if we can't close the distance between us. The mercenaries have better weapons and a better position."

Leila raised an eyebrow. "We have them surrounded on two sides," She pointed out.

"And they can sit there as long as they need to," Cornelia said in turn. "But while we're separated from Yukiya and the others, we can't keep looking for Kingsley."

"We could try rushing them," Akito suggested. "You and I are probably fast enough, and Ryo and Ayano aren't much slower. Go at them from both sides, we'll overwhelm them."

"An excellent plan, except for the fact I can almost guarantee that at least one of us would get shot in the attempt," Cornelia said in exasperation. "A helpful suggestion would be appreciated."

Akito scowled. "How about Leila and I get behind you and let the mercenaries pepper you with bullets while we walk up to them?"

Cornelia opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by the ringing of Leila's phone. She quickly answered. "Yukiya?" She guessed.

"Ryo," The voice came through. There was an edge of amusement in his tone. "We're in a bit of a tight spot, huh commander?"

"We'll be fine," She insisted. "But what happened? How do you know who they are?"

"We ran into them a minute or two before you showed up," Ryo said. "Did you see that big door they're posted up in front of? It looked like they were trying to break in. Ayano tried to negotiate with them, but once they figured out we were here for Kingsley they opened fire."

Then there wasn't going to be any reasoning with them. Still, something had caught her interest. She quickly peeked her head out, catching a glimpse of a sturdy looking metal door that the mercenaries were arranged in a loose formation around. "I see the door," She confirmed. "Do you know why they're trying to get in?"

"Yukiya checked, apparently it's a security room," Came the answer. "He thinks they're trying to find Kingsley through the cameras. Which means hopefully we can too, if we can deal with them."

"We can," Leila said sternly, her voice allowing no argument otherwise. "There's only four of them." Which meant there were probably more in the building, but they'll cross that bridge when they come to it. "We can't just run at them like Akito suggested…but we can act." She cast a quick look around her. "Do you see something you can hide behind? A table you can flip over, something like that?"

"Yeah, we got a few," Ryo answered. "Why?"

"Flip one over on its side," She instructed. "Get behind it and start pushing towards the mercenaries."

"Are…you sure that's a good idea, commander?" Ryo asked skeptically. "The tables are pretty sturdy, but those guns they have aren't a joke, they'll punch through without much trouble."

"Think it'll last a few seconds?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"It only needs to last a few seconds," She said, hoping to reassure him. "Get their attention on you, and we can shoot them from behind on our side."

"They won't be dumb enough to all focus on us," Ryo argued.

"There's only four of them," Leila countered. "Even if two focus on you, and two on us, that still means their attention is divided. It's better than rushing headfirst without a plan, and it's better than waiting for Kururugi to catch up and kill us all. Are you ready?"

Ryo sighed. "Yeah, gimme a sec. Once you start hearing gunfire, that's your cue. I don't want to get chewed up by bullets, Leila."

"You won't," She promised. "Good luck." The line disconnected, and she turned to the princess. "Ryo's gonna give us an opening. Get ready."

A few seconds later the shooting began, and the three of them came back around the corner.

Leila raised her arm, firing at the first moving thing she saw that she didn't recognize as a friend. She shot twice, and saw someone slam into the wall, forced back by the power of her bullet. Grazed him. Not enough to finish them off, however. The mercenary still managed to raise his gun with a struggle, returning fire.

With a curse, Leila ran ahead to the nearest piece of cover, a divet in the wall she could barely squeeze out of sight with. Cornelia and Akito were similarly forced to get out of the line of fire. Leila grimaced. So much for rushing them.

She took another quick look to gauge the situation. Cornelia must have landed at least one good hit, as the brains of one of the mercenaries was currently splattered against the wall. Ryo managed to scramble away to safety judging from the loud japanese cursing coming from down the hall, and Akito was safely pressed up against the wall, opposite to her. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when she saw him.

"This isnt working," Cornelia said.

"What gave it away?" Akito snarked uncharacteristically. The princess must be getting to him.

Cornelia scowled. "We can't keep this up. We're on a time limit, remember? We have to find Kingsley before Kururugi catches up, and make it to the train station without being followed before our last chance at escape gets away from us."

Leila grimaced. If only Kururugi and those other Knightmares hadn't been outside. They could have taken the time to carefully survey the station, find a safe entry point. Instead, they had been forced to run inside or else risk getting caught in the crossfire of the battle.

It was going to cost them. Even if there were only three mercenaries remaining, they were holding Leila and the others at bay. And every second they bought, was another second Kururugi had to catch up to them.

We can't afford to delay any longer. She had cautioned patience, urged against rushing in…but they weren't left with much of a choice now. She'd rather one of them risk injury than all of them risk death.

And if someone was going to risk themselves, it was going to be her.

She drew her pistol, spinning out from the crevice she had taken cover in. She raised her pistol, taking aim…and faltered. There weren't three figures anymore…there were four.

In the midst of the chaos, the metal door to the security room had opened, and a tall Japanese man in a black and silver uniform stood behind the remaining mercenaries, unnoticed by them for the moment. He quickly leveled his pistol at the back of the nearest soldier's head, putting a bullet through his skull. The mist of blood hadn't yet faded from the air when he quickly turned to the second closest, delivering another two shots to his head.

Leila snapped out of her haze, using the distraction to fire at the last mercenary. She was much further than he was, and her aim had never been the best, but two out of three shots hit her target and the man slumped to the ground.

The man in the security room looked over to her with suspicion, and Leila realized he was beginning to raise his gun.

She dropped her own. "We aren't here for a fight!" She said quickly, hoping to get him to pause. If he was willing to come out of his makeshift bunker to mop up the last of the mercenaries, maybe he would be more reasonable than them. "This doesn't have to turn into another shootout."

"Leila?" Ryo called from down the hall. "What's going on? Are those mercenaries dead?" She realized she was the only one who wasn't still hiding behind cover. "Everyone just stay still for a moment!" She pleaded. The last thing she needed was the strange man getting an itchy trigger finger by too many of them jumping into view at once.

"Who are you?" The man demanded in english. "How many of you are here?"

"Six," Leila answered honestly, seeing no reason to lie. If he saw them all at once it might set him off, but if she simply told him how many they were calmly he might realize he was outnumbered without doing something stupid. "And my name is Leila Malcal. I'm a commander in the EU." She paused. "Or, I was. I don't think they like me very much right now." She shook her head. "Look, we aren't looking for a fight. Be reasonable here."

"Malcal…" the man narrowed his eyes. "You were the one who took Kingsley. You and the princess," He spat. "If you think I'm going to let Kingsley go with the viceroy, you are mistaken."

She heard Cornelia mutter to herself. "Viceroy? Why would someone call me…?" Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Cornelia freeze. "Black Knight," The princess realized. "He's a Black Knight."

Leila frowned, looking back at the man. She looked closer at his uniform, edged with silver, then cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. Then again…why would she? Weren't they finished when Zero died? Why would a single Black Knight be here, now, halfway across the world from Japan and caught up in the middle of this mess?

Before the Black Knight had a chance to run, or worse shoot, Cornelia emerged from her own hiding spot. "Leila was right," She said. "This doesn't have to end in a bloodbath."

The Black Knight laughed. "Rich words from the Witch of Britannia. I remember hearing about Saitama, even if I wasn't there for it. You're a butcher, and if you think I'm going to give you the chance to-"

"Enough," Cornelia said harshly. "We don't have the time to mince words. You are here for him. As am I. This doesn't have to end the way you think it does."

The Black Knight scowled. "Oh? Then am I supposed to let you murder him then? Drag him back to Britannia?"

"I freed him from Britannia, you idiot!" Cornelia hissed. "If I wanted him dead, I'd have no lack of opportunity to do so! We were seeking you out!"

The Black Knight was taken aback. "You…what? That doesn't make any sense."

"We came to an agreement," Cornelia growled. "I was helping him! Looking for you and your little band of miscreants."

"And I'm simply supposed to take your word for it?" The Black Knight scoffed. "He fought you for months. Resisted you. Humiliated you. And now what? You've forgiven and forgotten?"

Cornelia clenched her fist, breathing in deeply in an effort to reign in her anger. Leila was surprised she was making so much an effort, but more than that she was intrigued. Nothing they were saying made any sense to her…why would Cornelia and Kingsley be seeking out the Black Knights? That must be why they needed to go to Japan. But it doesn't explain why. Even the Black Knight seems puzzled.

"You're here for Kingsley," Cornelia said. "Which means you know what he looks like. But do you know who he really is?"

The Knight's eyes flickered over to Leila. "Yes. Do they?"

"No, and I aim to keep it that way," Cornelia said, causing Leila to frown. "But…if you know who he is, and who he is to me…is it really so hard to believe why I would want him free?"

"Yes," The Knight said immediately. "Because of what he's done. Even if she did start a massacre, she was still-"

"Another word and I'll lose my patience," Cornelia warned. "Listen to me you fool! There's six of us, and one of you. As it stands, you have no chance at all of getting to Kingsley, and even worse odds of making it out of Euro Britannia. You have the extreme good fortune to have run into the only people after Kingsley who need your help, and would be willing to help you in turn. We aren't here to kill Kingsley, or any other awful thing you think. We are here to help him."

The Black Knight regarded her with suspicion, but didn't raise his pistol. "He said your sister was the key to your heart," The Knight finally said. "No matter what, she came first to you. Swear on the memory of her life, and on her grave that what you say is true."

"I swear it," Cornelia vowed. "On my sister's life. On her memory. On my own honor, whatever little that is worth to you. And if you still don't trust me…then once we reach Kingsley, and bring him to his senses, you can speak with him yourself."

Leila looked between the two of them cautiously. "Then…have we come to an arrangement?"

The Black Knight shot one last glare at the princess, before holstering his pistol with a sigh. "Yes, we have. At least until I speak with…Kingsley myself."

Cornelia breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's all I ask."

"My name is Urabe," He introduced himself. "I'm a Black Knight, in case you haven't gathered that yourself. Now where are the rest of you?"

Akito came into sight, and Leila called for the others to reveal themselves as well. "It's alright!" She said loudly. "We're good here!"

Ryo was the first to come into view, glaring suspiciously at Urabe. "A Black Knight? In Euro Britannia, after Kingsley? What the hell is going on?"

"I'd like to know myself," Leila sighed, before glancing back at Urabe. "But it doesn't matter. Not right now. The important thing is we're on the same side." And apparently, the princess knew something about why the Black Knight would be here. That would have to be enough for her for now.

"That remains to be seen," Urabe said, glaring at Cornelia.

"Then at least we aren't trying to kill each other," Leila snapped in irritation.

"Do you have any idea where Kingsley is?" Cornelia asked.

Urabe shook his head. "None. Those mercenaries found me almost as soon as I entered the building, chased me down into that security room. I had wanted to use the cameras to hopefully find him, but I haven't had the chance. I was expecting them to break into the security room at any moment."

"You're welcome for the rescue," Ryo snarked.

Yukiya stomped on his foot, eliciting a yelp of pain. "No doubt you've been kept occupied," He said smoothly as if nothing happened. "But the mercenaries are dealt with. If you excuse me, I can check the cameras, try and find what I can." He gestured for the Black Knight to step aside, and entered the security room himself.

"He knows what he's doing," Leila reassured him. "Yukiya's very skilled."

"They aren't the ones who concern me."

Before Cornelia could open her mouth and ruin the tenuous truce between them, Leila changed the subject. "The Black Knights," She said quickly, clearing her throat. "I didn't think you were still around. Thought you all disbanded after the Black Rebellion."

Urabe scowled. "No. Not disbanded. Not the ones who stayed true at least. Most of us were captured, but a few slipped through the nets of Britannia."

"Any enemy of the Empire is someone I can call a friend," Leila said in an effort to be diplomatic.

He snorted. "Then you're a fool. Didn't you say your own nation was displeased with you? A shared enemy does not make us allies."

"But a shared goal does," Leila pointed out. "Being obstinate isn't going to help anyone, especially not Kingsley. You can at least make an effort to try and work with us."

Before Urabe had a chance to answer, Cornelia cut in. "Do any of you hear that?"

Leila frowned, straining her ears. "No? I don't hear a thing."

Cornelia paled. "We should. We should be hearing the sound of Knightmares clashing together outside, rifles being fired. If it's silent-"

"-Then it means Kururugi must have finally dealt with the ones outside," Leila realized fearfully. "He's probably in the building by now, if not already closing in. Yukiya?" She asked, raising her voice so he could hear. "Please tell me you've found something."

"I have," He confirmed, emerging from the security room. "I checked the camera's history. Kingsley and two other Britannians I didn't recognize went down a maintenance shaft and into the sewers only a few minutes ago."

Leila tilted her head in puzzlement. "Someone already found Kingsley?"

"He seemed to be leading them," Yukiya said. "Outside of that, I have no idea. I think I know where they're going, though. I looked at a blueprint of the sewers, and there's a path that leads to the outskirts of the city, not far from where we left our Knightmares. It's almost a straight shot from here to there. Maybe those two Britannians decided to steal our Knightmares, or maybe they brought their own. Either way, it looks like that's where they're heading."

"Then it's where we are heading," Cornelia said with a nod of her head. "Thank you, Yukiya. Now please, if there isn't anything else, I'd like to get Kingsley before either Kururugi finds us and kills us, or Kingsley manages to slip out of our grasp forever."

Yukiya blinked in surprise at the words of praise from the princess, before shaking his head. "I don't see any reason to delay."

"Then by all means," Cornelia gestured for him to lead. "You're the one who can find the maintenance shaft. Lead on."

With a bit of hesitation on Yukiya's part, and no small amount of suspicion on Urabe's, they fell in behind Yukiya as he led them down the hall.

Despite the danger, and despite Kururugi getting closer…Leila was pleased with herself. They were catching up to Kingsley despite all the odds that were against them, and they had even managed to avoid one fight.

For now, at least. The Black Knight obviously didn't like the princess, and it was clear the feeling was mutual. But there was peace, for the moment.

It only needed to last until they found Kingsley.

The last of the Europian interlopers stumbled away from them. His Knightmare was badly damaged, one arm severed, half of its head blown apart by one of Gino's stray shots, and little more than a crumpled mess.

The Knightmare raised its last arm in a halfhearted attempt at a defence, only for Suzaku to sever it at the elbow with an almost lazy swing of his sword.

This was their leader, Suzaku recalled dimly. The one who tried to broker peace. Marcus, or Marco, or something like that. He had lasted a long time, all things considered. Seven minutes was a long time to hold out against three Knights of the Rounds, even if they were outnumbered. Had they been anyone else, then the EU may have been victorious.

But they weren't, and so there they were, standing around the last survivor of the brief battle. Seven minutes, but it still felt like an eternity. They were on a time limit, and every second they delayed was a second more Kingsley had to either prepare for them or flee. Or for Malcal to catch up, if she hadn't slipped in already.

"Bloodthirsty mongrel!" The man hissed, his damaged speakers clipping in and out weakly. "You're nothing more than a sword for the Emperor to point at! An upjumped attack dog, too stubborn to see sense!"

"And you're the fool who tried to parley with a Knight of the Rounds," Suzaku countered. He felt his irritation at the man growing. He had the gall to infiltrate enemy territory with a squad of Knightmares, and wanted to accuse him of being bloodthirsty? Of not seeing sense? "Where does that leave you, I wonder?"

"Dead, now," The man laughed bitterly. "And maybe I even deserved it, as you say. But don't worry, Knight. I won't be alone. You'll join me before long."

Suzaku leveled the Lancelot's sword towards the fallen Knightmare. A grim smile crept across his face. "I am not so easy to kill as that," He said sadly. Lelouch saw to that.

He took his sword, shoving it cleanly through the crumpled Knightmare's cockpit. He drew back the blade, blood dripping down the metal. He flicked it off without a second thought, and turned to the station.

"How are we gonna do this?" Gino asked. "We still have to pinpoint Kingsley, and who knows who else got into the station while we were still fighting? We're untouchable in our Knightmares, but-"

"-But we can hardly sit around in them while Kingsley lies waiting," Suzaku finished. "We need to go in ourselves to retrieve them." Which put them at risk. They may be Knights of the Rounds, but outside of their Knightmares there was still only so much three people could do. Even compelled by Geass, he doubted he could survive a hail of bullets. Avoid them, maybe. Lelouch's command would probably force him to find cover, but that would prevent him from getting Kingsley.

It's a matter of perception, He told himself. I simply have to be in a position where I don't believe my life is at risk, or at least not anything I can't get myself out of.

With a sigh, he pulled his activation key out of the Knightmare's interface, opening the Lancelot's cockpit. He gestured for Gino and Anya to follow suit. "The narrow corridors should help with our fewer numbers. We should still be cautious, of course. There's no telling who else is here."

"Kingsley is here," Anya said with an unusual eagerness. There was something different in her voice…something more agitated. "Why are we still waiting around?"

She's probably just frustrated. So was he for that matter. Months of being chained to Kingsley, only for it to end in his capture just before they were set to return to Pendragon. It was infuriating, and made even more so by Cornelia's betrayal.

He remembered Lelouch's words, from when he first began to break through Kingsley's facade. He had asked him what Euphie would think, if she could see them now?

Lelouch was half mad, a second away from falling apart at the seams. His memory was blurred, his mind failing, and even if he managed to escape there was no telling what damage the Emperor's Geass had wrought on him. And even if he did recover…he was still a murderer. Still consumed by bitterness and hatred towards his father, towards Britannia, willing to throw anything and everything away for a chance at revenge.

Cornelia was little better. A traitor, one who had seemingly forgotten who it was that murdered her sister. She chased after the memory of a boy she knew years ago, in the vain hope that some vestige of who her brother once was remained.

He has changed in the last seven years. We all have. Lelouch was not the same person exiled ot Japan, and he was not the same person Suzaku knew at his family shrine. He wondered what Cornelia would do when she finally realized that? Would she be disgusted with what she's done, with what Lelouch has done? Would she try to make things right, or foolishly press on and stick with him anyways?

As for him…He shut his eyes. Euphie wouldn't even recognize me. She wouldn't hate him. Of course not, she was too good of a person for that, too pure. She couldn't hate him. But she would grieve for him, for what he had become.

And even as he remembered Lelouch's words…he remembered his own as well. It didn't matter what Euphie would have thought of them. Euphie was dead. And her murderer was far too close to escaping justice for his comfort.

Suzaku's boots hit the ground, and he rose to face the station. "I happen to agree with Anya," He growled. "We need to move. Now."

Jean wrinkled her nose as they trudged through the muck of the sewers. The smell wasn't half as pervasive as it had been earlier, but nothing about their little underground jaunt could be described as pleasant. Nevertheless, it was necessary, and she was not above dirtying her hands for the sake of the mission.

Though she wouldn't be upset if she could avoid dirtying everything else while she did it.

All for the mission, She thought in a vain effort to comfort herself. All for Lord Shaing. A scowl darkened her face. She didn't delude herself as Ashley thought. She knew Shaing used her, and she knew he would never feel the same way she did. But what Ashley never seemed to understand was that she didn't need him too. Shaing had saved her, given her a life, and a chance to make something of herself. How could she not try to repay him? Ashley didn't understand. She couldn't fail Lord Shaing, she just…she couldn't.

Her eyes shifted over to Kingsley. He led them, muttering irritably to himself as they pressed on. She caught only a few snippets of words, now and again, and none of it made much sense. From time to time he would flinch, or hiss and clutch his eye in pain.

She had tried to ask if he needed any help, but he only ignored her. She wasn't certain he even knew she and Ashley were here with him. He was in a daze, and one that had gripped him tightly.

She threw a quick look behind them with a frown. "How far behind us do you think they are?" She whispered to Ashley.

He shrugged. "No idea. Probably not far though, I'd warrant. Not with the way our lucks been going."

Her eye twitched in frustration. "Will you stop going on about your damn luck?" She sighed. "You're annoying. Luck doesn't have anything to do with it. We knew this wasn't going to be easy, stop complaining."

"I'll stop complaining when the world decides to throw us a bone," He said. His gaze shifted to Kingsley. "Though right now, I'd be satisfied if he just got his shit together."

Jean found herself agreeing with the infuriating man. They needed Kingsley, unfortunately, and at the moment Kingsley was…indisposed, for lack of a better word. "Any suggestions?" She asked, half mocking and half hoping for a genuine answer.

"Well he likes you more," Ashley pointed out, and Jean filled with pride until he finished the rest of his sentence. "On account of being a major kissass and all that. Look, just try to snap him out of it, will you? We need him sane, or at least lucid."

Once again, Jean wondered why Lord Shaing sent Ashley of all people to help her in this mission. Could he not have given her someone more serious?

Regardless, he does have a point, She was forced to admit. They did need Kingsley, and if either of them were going to get him out of whatever haze he was in, it would probably be her. Besides, it was her responsibility. She was Lord Shaing's Knight, and he had entrusted her with this mission.

Steeling herself, she reached out a hand to get Kingsley's attention. "Lord Kingsley…?" She addressed carefully, hoping she didn't catch him off guard and set him on edge.

He turned with a frown, then all of a sudden he hissed, his eye widening as he clutched his head. "Where…" He growled forcefully through groans of pain. "Is…my sister?" He winced. "She…she promised she'd stay this time. She promised she'd come back."

She frowned, sharing a look with Ashley. "Sister?" She mouthed in confusion. Ashley gave a shrug, as surprised as she was.

She shook her head, and cleared her throat. "Lord Kingsley, I don't know anything about your sister. We need to keep-"

He snapped his head up to meet her eyes, sending her a murderous glare. She froze, shocked still in fear, feeling her heart stop in her chest. "I am not Kingsley!" He snarled viciously. He stumbled, losing his footing and having to catch himself on the wall with a grunt. "I am not…not…I am me," He muttered angrily, his voice beginning to slur. "I…" His eye rolled in the back of his head, and Jean stepped forward quickly to catch him in her arms.

"Shit!" She cursed, leaning him up against the wall. "The fuck are we going to do now?" Not waiting for another snary answer from Ashley, she gave Kingsley a light shake, hoping he hadn't actually passed out.

His head slowly rose, and he groaned again in pain. "My name…is Julius Kingsley," He whispered to himself in an almost trance-like voice. "I came here…at the Emperor's request. He sent me…trusted me…" Kingsley slowly stood, shaking his head.

"Are you…better, Lord Kingsley?" She asked awkwardly. He seems to have at least come to his senses if he's actually calling himself by his real name.

"I'm fine," He snapped quickly. "A headache. It passed. Let's keep going, we're nearly there." He pushed his way past her abruptly, leaving her behind with Ashley.

"Right," Ashley snorted once he was out of earshot. "He's fine. He collapses to the ground and thinks he's someone else, babbling about a sister who probably doesn't even exist, but sure, he's fine."

"He's lucid, isn't he?" She said impatiently. "That's what we wanted. We don't need answers to anything else, we just need to get out of here." With their lives, hopefully.

If Kingsley had another breakdown like that during the fight…

If Ashley's stupid luck is real, please work out in our favor for once.

I should have trusted my instincts, Shesthaal thought blithely. He stared at the corpses of his men almost dispassionately.

They had held their ground well, all things considered. The Black Knight had obviously escaped at some point, but he wouldn't have gotten through on his own. More likely than not some other party showed up, providing him with an opportunity to leave the security room and mop up the survivors.

They died well, He thought in an effort to console his guilt. They have done Zilkhstan proud. But the final rest had come for them, and Shesthaal still lived, along with the last seven of his men that had entered the town with him. Time was of the essence, they needed to find Kingsley before someone else did.

He wasn't in the building anymore, of that he was certain. It was why he had returned to the security room in the first place. The rest of the station had been searched, and he had been hoping to glean some insight from the cameras within.

"Who do you think it was?" One of his men asked behind him.

Shesthaal scowled. "It doesn't matter," He scolded harshly. "They have passed from this world, and into the next. How they got there is of no consequence."

They looked at him aghast. "Our honor demands-"

"Our honor demands that we see our contract through!" He snapped. His men's deaths were weighing on his mind more heavily than he thought. Soldiers died in war, of course, that was a fact of life. But these deaths were not necessary. He should have trusted his instincts, he had known something was wrong from the start.

He shut his eyes. What is done cannot be undone, only made right by our actions.

His eyes opened. They still had a chance. They could still finish the mission. Wordlessly, he walked past the corpses of the men he had been laughing with only hours earlier, walking stiffly into the security room. His eyes fell on the computer screen, showing a live feed of the surveillance.

He sat down, flicking quickly through the various cameras. Shesthaal frowned. Nothing. Just an empty building. Where was everyone? Kingsley they knew had been in the building, as well as the Black Knight. And someone had to have come by to kill his men.

Finally, he caught movement on one of the screens, and his eyes widened in excitement.

Kururugi. The White Grim Reaper was in the building, and so were two of his fellow Knights if his companions were who he thought they were.

Out of their Knightmares and isolated within the building, they made a tempting target…He shook his head. They are still Knights of the Rounds. They are not to be underestimated. And looking closer, there was something else…

They didn't move like they were searching for something. They were moving like they were following a trail.

He watched intently as they made their way confidently through the building, flicking through the cameras to follow them. When they finally reached a maintenance shaft hidden away in a boiler room, a smile crept across his face as he watched them climb down.

Shesthaal rose, turning to address what remained of his men. "I've found Kingsley," He announced proudly. "But I have not found him first. We will have to fight through three of the deadliest people in the world, not to mention whoever else is on his trail." His grin widened. "But we are the finest soldiers of Zilkhstan! Do we shy away from a challenge? Flee from a battle and abandon our contract!"

His men shouted out a fierce denial, and he nodded. "No, we do not. They have slain our brothers, and now they stand between us and our duty. We have been led on a long and tiring chase, but now that chase has come to an end."

His eye twitched, and he felt a burning itch in the back of his skull. It is begging to be used. "And so too shall they."

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, leave a comment, I read through them all!

Next Chapter: Sunday, February 9th