The glaring had stopped at least, but the tenseness in the air refused to leave. Then again he could hardly fault them for it. He would have felt much the same, in their shoes. To them, he was a monster, a war criminal, one who had committed countless atrocities only for them to rescue him.
Aren't I?
He dismissed the thought almost immediately. It wouldn't do any good thinking like that. What's done is done. The past cannot be removed, but the future is never set. He was a product of his actions, his successes and his mistakes. Chief among them being his trust in Suzaku.
He had been prepared for Suzaku to kill him. Come to terms with it. He could understand it, and while he did everything he could to win the Battle of Tokyo, his death was a distinct possibility. It always was, every step of the way. After all, if a king did not lead how could he expect his subordinates to follow?
What he was not prepared for, however, was the depths that Euphemia's death had plunged Suzaku to. He had not simply killed him. No, he had thrown him at his father's feet in exchange for a position as a Knight of the Rounds, then stood by as his father broke him. Worse, he facilitated the existence of Kingsley, keeping watch over him and bringing him back to Pendragon time and time again, whenever the strength of the Emperor's Geass began to be overwhelmed by Lelouch's own hatred of the man.
Unbidden, his eyes flickered over to his side, at the sleeping form of his sister. Cornelia sat leaning against the wall of the cave quietly resting. I suppose she must be exhausted, He mused. He let her be for now. She certainly earned her rest.
He had thought he was going to die there. Forced to slowly rot and wither away, going mad in a cell as Suzaku watched dispassionately. One, maybe two more visits to the Emperor, and he was sure his mind would have been gone. He had accepted it. He might have even welcomed it.
His death would mean an end to his rebellion, yes, and an end to his dreams. But it would mean an end to the pain as well. No more hallucinations. No more hauntings of those he had failed. He wouldn't have to wage a war against his own mind simply to think straight. He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else as Kingsley.
And…and he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else as himself. Perhaps it would even be just. After all, even without Kingsley, how much madness and chaos had he wrought? He killed Clovis. He was responsible for Shirley's father's death, as well as countless others at Narita. The soldiers under his command, the ones he had abandoned to chase after Nunnally…
And of course, there was Euphie.
He had given up by the time Cornelia had found him. He thought she was just another image from his past, there only to haunt him. It was not the first time he had seen her. He was ready to die. He had lost hope. He had tried to escape, tried to form a plan while fighting a losing battle with his sanity. But that had failed as well. He had given up, just ready for it all to end.
But Cornelia hadn't. For reasons that as of yet eluded him, Cornelia hadn't left him there to his fate. She had gathered a strange crew of allies from the EU, and sacrificed her titles, her status, the life she had known since birth, all to free a half mad traitor who had murdered her sister.
It vexed him. The whole insanity of it all was maddening. He refused to believe her claim that it was simply because he was her brother. Schneizel was her brother. Odysseus was her brother. And she had known them for far, far longer than she had known him. Why would she betray them, for his sake? A single brother, one who had given her no reason to save him? In fact, he had given her every reason not to.
Only…in spite of the ridiculousness of it all, he couldn't deny the truth of it. Cornelia had returned, she had saved him. Seemingly for nothing, but she had done it all the same, throwing her life away.
His hands fell to the bundled up cloak beside him. He grimaced. It was a pointless, useless gesture. It didn't mean anything.
She ruined it, laying it on the floor, He thought, even as he tried to tell himself it didn't matter. All so I could have something to rest my head on. It was stupid. It didn't make any sense. He was unconscious, he didn't need to rest his head on anything. And even if he did, they were fleeing for their lives. They had far more important things on their minds than his comfort. But still, she had taken the time to give him something to lay on. Why? To gain his trust? To put him at ease? What did she want from him?
Why…why did she care?
It puzzled and infuriated him to no end, and he was no closer to an answer than when he first struggled to consciousness. There had to be something. Some piece he was missing. She had mentioned Geass, in their first meeting. It was…it was hard to remember, but that had stood out to him. Which meant she knew about its existence now. Perhaps she sought answers? Or even to utilize it?
How he wished he knew. How he wished he could be certain. Instead, he was forced to guess at something he didn't even begin to understand.
Cornelia stirred, slowly waking. Her eyes fluttered open, her face a sleepy grimace. "How long was I asleep?" She mumbled.
"Three days," He said calmly.
Her eyes shot open, the weariness gone from her face, replaced with an urgent surprise. "What?" She hissed.
Lelouch allowed himself an amused smile. "Twenty minutes, Cornelia," He said, honestly this time. "And now you're awake. You're welcome."
She scowled. "I was already waking up," She grumbled.
"And now you're up even faster," He said, affecting a cheerful tone.
Cornelia shook her head. "I don't suppose anyone's gotten anything meaningful done, have they?"
He shrugged. "You were asleep. The rest of them can't stand to look at me, which is why I suspect they've gone to huddle near their Knightmares. In the interest of not suddenly gaining a bullet in my head, I elected to remain near you." Even if he couldn't trust her, better the devil you know than the one you don't.
"That was probably wise of you," She admitted. "But we can't sit around in this cave forever. We need a plan. Kururugi is no doubt searching for us already, and it won't be long before we're found. We need to move."
"We do," He agreed. "But where exactly do you plan on taking me?"
"Any suggestions?" She asked.
"I'm your prisoner," He reminded her. "It's hardly my choice."
"You aren't my prisoner, Lelouch." Cornelia sighed. "I just went through the trouble of freeing you, didn't I?"
"So if I wanted to leave, right now, you wouldn't stop me?"
"Do you even want to leave, with how you are right now?" She asked.
Lelouch pursed his lips. A good question. One he didn't have an answer to. The truth was, he wasn't sure how long this bout of lucidity was going to last. He felt fine now, but how long would it really be before Kingsley took control? Maybe a few hours. Maybe not. Maybe Kingsley was gone for good now, for whatever reason. Perhaps being away from Suzaku removed some mental block in his mind, and he was free of the bastard. Or maybe the next time Kingsley took control, it would be the last, and Lelouch would become a prisoner in his own mind for the rest of his life.
He had no idea. And no way to stop Kingsley if he did take over. Not on his own. But he couldn't trust Cornelia either. It was time for answers.
Lelouch sighed. "What's your plan, sister?" He asked, his eyes darting over to the mouth of the cave to ensure they were well out of earshot. "Where do you imagine we go from here? If you really don't intend to kill me, as you claim, then do you mean to hide me away somewhere for the rest of my life? What exactly do you think is going to happen?"
"I…" Cornelia breathed out in frustration. "I am trying to help you. However I can. I was focused mostly on just getting you out of the palace, I figured everything else could wait until after."
He paused, considering his next words with caution. "Cornelia," He began. "What do you think I intend to do, now that I am free from Suzaku? What do you think I want?"
She considered him carefully. "You will go to Japan," She said. "Find the Black Knights. Pick right back up where you left off."
He nodded. "Yes. Now that I actually have a chance again…I refuse to simply stand by while the world falls apart to war and chaos. I aim to do something about it, and Britannia's grip on the world. I am a traitor, Cornelia, in ways you could never be. So when I ask you what it is you intend to do, I do so because I need you to understand just what it is I mean to achieve. I am not going to stop until Japan is freed, until Britannia can no longer oppress innocent lives, until I have answers for my mother's murder, and her killers lay dead at my feet!" Somewhere in his little speech, his anger had sparked, and his tone had taken on a bitter snarl.
Cornelia's eyes widened in surprise at his words. "You…your mother. You've done this all for your mother, haven't you?"
Inwardly, he cursed himself for slipping up. He hadn't meant to reveal so much to Cornelia, but he supposed it didn't really change anything. "No," He denied. "Not…not just for her. But yes, I've been trying to learn what I can, however I can."
Cornelia was quiet for a moment. "I don't care about Britannia," She finally said. "I don't care about father. Not anymore. What do I want? I want to heal you, brother. I don't want to see you suffer anymore. I want Kingsley to be a distant memory, left behind us, and I want the rot of Geass carved out of you. I'm your older sister, Lelouch, I want what I've always wanted. I just want you to be safe. I don't know much about Geass, and it pains me to admit it, but I'm not certain I even know how to help you. But I'm going to try."
Lelouch was stunned by her honesty, and her earnestness. She sounded genuine, as if the only thing in the world that mattered at this very moment was making sure he was alright. He hated it because he couldn't trust it, and hated himself for wanting it to be true.
Whether it's true or not is irrelevant, He tried to tell himself. What matters are her actions. "Then…you want to know more about Geass, I assume? How to heal me?"
She nodded. "I…if we got to Moscow, I was planning on eventually making contact with the Black Knights, if I could." His eyes widened in surprise. "I assume there's someone there who knows about Geass? Who could help you?"
She must be lying. Even if she was trying to help him out of genuinely good intentions, he couldn't accept she would try and work with the Black Knights. He just couldn't.
But…but she was offering to now, wasn't she? At least temporarily, in the interest of helping him. Slowly, he nodded. "There is," He said, thinking of C.C. "Someone who knows far more than I do, and if there's anyone in the world who may be able to help, it would be them."
He saw her shoulders sag in relief as she let out a long breath. "Good. At least we have a plan, then."
He frowned. "You don't….you aren't actually considering…"
"I told you, I don't have any other leads," Cornelia said. "So if it means turning to the Black Knights, then it means turning to them. The only problem is, I don't have an inkling of an idea as to how to actually contact them."
He hummed in thought. "Tell me what's happened since my capture," He asked her. "I uncovered a little while stuck with Suzaku, but not much, and my mind wasn't clear then. I need a better understanding of where everything stands if I'm to make a plan."
Cornelia nodded, and he was grateful for the change in subject. "After Suzaku captured you on Kamine Island, the Black Knights' assault quickly fell apart."
He scowled. "Yes, I had put that together, sister."
She ignored him, carrying on as if he hadn't said anything. "Most of the command structure of the Black Knights were captured, though a few escaped. Kallen Kouzuki was the most prominent, and it's believed she's leading your forces in your absence."
Kallen? Then that meant…good. Even if she were disillusioned in Zero, at least she still believed in his vision. In the dream that the Black Knights represented. "There's a woman," He said. "An accomplice of mine, with green hair and amber eyes. Was she among the captured?"
Cornelia frowned. "I don't recall the description. Who is she?"
"The only person who might have a chance of helping us," He told her. "It was she who gave me Geass."
Her expression soured. "I am trying to help you," She growled. "Not give you back to whoever started this whole mess."
He raised an eyebrow. What exactly does she think? "Be that as it may, she is our only option. And besides, we have a contract. I can hardly leave her without fulfilling my side of the bargain."
"I would say you've paid enough with all the madness your Geass had caused," Cornelia said, a pained look crossing her face. "Can you even trust this woman? What if she sells you out to Britannia?"
Lelouch laughed. "I can promise you, she has no interest in working with Britannia." Not after what Clovis did to her. "Why do you think I'm not dead?"
She frowned. "Because the Emperor wanted to use you as Kingsley?"
He shook his head. "That was only an added bonus. The real reason is to lure her out. As long as I live, she and I have a contract. And only someone contracted to her can grant her wish."
"You're being vague," She accused.
He shrugged. "I don't know all that more than you do. She's far more infuriating than I, trust me. It's a wonder I managed to get that much out of her. But you can rest assured knowing that she will not work against our wishes."
Cornelia's brow furrowed. "Then…then if this woman needs you for something…she'll make sure you live to see it through?"
"She will," He confirmed with a nod.
She sighed. "Then I suppose a slim hope is better than none. We have a plan, at least, but that still brings us to our first issue. We're halfway across the world from Area 11, and with no way of reaching the Black Knights."
"It will be tricky," He said, an idea beginning to form in the back of his head. A grin spread across his face. "But I know a surefire way to do so."
"How?" She asked.
"Zero must return," He announced. "And it must be in a way so shocking, so outlandish, so daring it could only be the real Zero. There can be no doubt."
"Absolutely not!" Cornelia hissed at once. "With how you are now? There's too much risk. You're unstable. What if Kingsley emerges in the middle of whatever ridiculous nonsense you try to pull off?"
"Do you have any better ideas?" He snapped.
Cornelia sighed, leaning back against the wall of the cave. "Not really," She admitted. "But we'll figure something out. We have a bit of time. Not much, but a little. And we have Leila and her squad as well. First things first, I imagine getting back to Area 11 would probably help?"
He nodded. "It would be a start. But I have no idea where the Black Knights have been hiding for the last eight months, and no idea how to reach them. That's why they need to come to us."
She smiled. "Is it us now, brother? I thought I was only traveling with you for some ulterior motive. Have you finally grown some sense?"
Lelouch scoffed. "Obviously, we're going to be traveling together for a while. I can't change that." He could, however, change the subject. "Well then," He cleared his throat. "We have a plan, or the beginnings of one. Shall we tell our new Europian friends? We need to move soon anyways. We've stayed put for far too long."
Cornelia rose to her feet with a tired groan. "I'll go fetch them. Wait here a moment."
He watched her leave, taking comfort in the brief few moments he would have alone.
He felt an itch begin to form, beneath his eyepatch. He ignored it, to the best of his ability. It wouldn't do any good removing it now. His Geass wouldn't work on Cornelia anyways, and there was no point in trying to antagonize her.
His thoughts turned once more to his sister, and he scowled. Why couldn't things be simple? Why couldn't she want him dead, or at the very least want to make use of his Geass, or use him as a way of luring out the Black Knights, or…or something that made sense!
No, instead she had to insist she was doing this for his own good. As if he were a child who needed her help.
He was grateful for her rescue, to be sure. He may not trust it, but being her captive was certainly a better prospect than slowly going mad in a cell as Suzaku watched. His options were limited, and he wasn't too proud to admit he would be dead without her.
He only wished he could understand why she bothered. It…it couldn't be for something as simple as family. He refused to believe it.
But then, hasn't everything I've ever done been for Nunnally's sake?
He shook his head. No. No, that was different. Nunnally was an inseparable part of his life. He hadn't seen Cornelia in eight years, and when they finally reunited, it was after he murdered Euphie. She had no reason to still consider him family. None at all.
So…so why did she have to insist on it?
Cornelia returned, with the others in tow. Leila greeted him with a nod. "Cornelia tells us you have a plan?"
"A course of action, at least," He said. "A destination. If we can get to Japan, I may be able to get in contact with a few people who can help us."
Their eyes widened. "Japan?" Ayano blurted out in surprise. "What the hell is in Japan?"
"I believe I just told you," He said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Allies. Allies we rather desperately need at the moment."
"It's better than what we had a few minutes ago," Leila said, in an effort to play the peacekeeper. "We have a goal, now."
"Yes, but there's the problem of reaching Japan," Lelouch said. "Kururugi is searching for us, and we don't have a chance of remaining hidden for long. The Knightmares are a boon and a curse both. We'll move fast, but any trail we leave will be plain to see. We're trapped in the heart of Euro Britannia, and sooner or later they will catch us."
"So what, we just screwed ourselves over to save your ass?" Ryo scoffed.
He shook his head. "I didn't say that, did I? It's a bad situation, but there's always a way out, if you bother to look hard enough. You're soldiers from the EU. Probably important ones, if they authorized this mission."
Akito's eyes flickered over to Leila. "The commander answers directly to General Smilas. The rest of us are just soldiers."
"Then Leila, you would have some way of contacting the EU, yes?" He asked. "You can get us out of Euro Britannia."
She sighed. "No. I can't. This mission was supposed to be as covert as possible. The Alexanders don't have the range to get communications through to our base. Not without alerting Britannian security."
Akito frowned. "We spoke to Anna as we were departing Apollo's Chariot?"
"When the Alexanders are connected into the Apollo system, yes, they have more range," Leila said. "But as they are now, we can't get a message back to Weiswolf."
"But they technically have the technology to do so, yes?" Lelouch asked, cutting in.
She sighed. "Yes, but it won't be secure. Kururugi will be on us immediately."
"He'll find us whether or not we send a message," Lelouch said. "The only chance we have right now is to get a call through to someone who can get us out of Euro Britannia. My only contacts are in Japan, and Cornelia just burnt the last of hers when she betrayed Britannia. That leaves the EU. The choice is yours," He said. "But you decided to throw in your lot with Cornelia and I. For all of our sakes, I suggest you at least try and make contact with the EU."
Leila stared for a moment, scrutinizing him. What she was looking for, he had no idea. Perhaps she thought he was trying to sabotage them, or perhaps she was considering whether it would be better to cut her losses, kill him and Cornelia, and try to make off on their own.
Finally, she shook her head with a sigh. "Everyone to their Knightmares. If we're going to power on one to get the message out, we may as well power them all on. We'll have to leave the second our call is over, and hope we're fast enough." She looked over towards him and Cornelia. "The three of us will have to be carried," She said. "There isn't enough room in the cockpits for two."
"All that matters is that we get moving," He said. "We can't afford to stay put."
It was pure chance Anna was present to see Leila's message.
She had been a frantic mess ever since the General's announcement, terrified that at any second they would receive news that Leila and the others had been captured and executed, or that the rest of Castle Weiswolf would be declared as traitors as well for the crime of association.
In a futile effort to curb her anxiety, she had stationed herself at her desk, relentlessly searching for any scrap of new information about what Smilas's next steps might be with an almost obsessive dedication that only served to further exacerbate her worry.
Always, always her eye would drift to the corner of her screen, vainly hoping the symbol would light up indicating that Leila or someone else from Wyvern Zero had opened a line of communication with the Castle. And always, always she would be met with disappointment.
Until, quite suddenly, she wasn't.
Her breath caught in her throat with a choked gasp, and she felt her heart begin to hammer. She sat there staring as the seconds ticked by, seeing but not quite accepting what it was she was looking at.
Until, quite suddenly, she did.
Snapping out of her shock, she immediately opened the line. "Leila?" She asked desperately. "Yukiya? Akito? Please, someone say something!"
"This is Leila Malcal, Commander of Wyvern Zero," Leila's warbled voice came through, and Anna nearly collapsed out of relief. "Anna? Is that you?"
"Yes," She breathed out. "Are you alright? Are all of you okay?"
"We are, but we're in a bit of a difficult situation," She said. "If you can, try and get through to the General. We need transportation out of Euro Britannia, and we need it as fast as he can manage it."
Anna froze. She doesn't know. Of course she doesn't know. She was stuck in the heart of enemy territory. Anna doubted she had a chance to stop and tune in to the news. "Leila…" She said nervously. "A lot's happened since you left. A…a lot. And none of it's good."
"Anna…" Leila said slowly in a careful tone. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Is the General okay?"
"He's taken over the EU," Anna blurted, unable to keep herself from letting it all out. "He said you and the others were bought off by Princess Cornelia, and called you traitors to the EU. He used you freeing Kingsley as an excuse to overthrow the Council of Forty, and now he's declared himself President of the EU!"
Anna was met with silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment she feared the connection was lost. "The…The General called me a traitor?" Leila repeated, her voice cracking with emotion. She sounded hollow. "He…He's overthrown the government?"
Anna hated that she had to be the one to tell her friend the awful news, but she needed to know. "Yes," She said sadly. "And none of us know what he's going to do next. He says he's going to attack Euro Britannia, but I don't know if he'll call all of us at Weiswolf traitors next, or-or what. It doesn't make any sense. Nothing makes sense anymore! Ever since you left, it seems like the whole world's gone crazy!" She was panting now, and there was a tightness in her chest.
"Anna," Leila said, and a bit of conviction had returned to her voice. "I'm sorry for everything you're going through. But we need your help. All of us do."
She blinked. Of course they did. What was she thinking? This wasn't the time to be panicking! The others needed her help! "What can I do?"
"We need to get out of Euro Britannia," Leila said. "Suzaku Kururugi is hunting for us, and he won't rest until he's got Kingsley and the princess both I fear."
"Then…then you really are working with the princess?" She whispered fearfully.
"No," Leila said quickly. "Not like you're thinking. Cornelia approached me with an offer to remove Kingsley from play. I accepted, for the sake of the EU and for Britannia as well. No one should be forced to suffer because of Kingsley."
Anna sighed in relief. Then…then there was a reason, at least. She knew Leila couldn't be a traitor. That wasn't who she was. "Give me a second," She said, pulling up a map of St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas.
She frowned. "Do you know where you are? Roughly, at least."
"Not far from the city," Leila answered. "The princess tried to leave by train, but we had to double back into the woods to escape pursuit. We're somewhere northwest of the city, I believe."
Anna consulted her map. "I…I think I can try something. There's a town nearby, Westminster. It's new, a Britannian settlement, but a train runs through the edge of town, delivering shipments of supplies to the border. I could try bribing an official to leave one of the train cars empty and unlocked. You would have to be there before it left, though."
"The princess already tried to take a train to Moscow," Leila said. "Wouldn't they be on the lookout?"
Anna shrugged. "Maybe. But maybe not. Westminster is a small town, and the train doesn't deliver passengers. I can probably forge some records, hide the train's presence and change the schedule so that they don't think it's supposed to leave for a few days. It's the only thing I can think of that would get you to the border fast and hidden. You'd be shot down in an aircraft, and there just isn't much I can do from here. I'm sorry."
"No, don't apologize," Leila told her. "You've just saved our lives, Anna. I promise, we'll get out of this, and we'll…we'll figure out what to do with the General." She paused. "Westminster, you said? I'll have Yukiya pull up a map, and then we'll have to move as fast as we can. Britannia has probably already gotten a fix on our location. This isn't a secure line."
Anna swallowed nervously. "Stay safe, Leila," She said. "We need you here."
"I will," She promised. "We'll come back, I promise."
The line cut out, and Anna let out a breath. It's alright. They're okay, and they were coming back. Leila would come back, and everything would be sorted out with the General.
At least, she hoped so.
They stopped in their tracks, both of them noticing the immediate flare of activity on their radar simultaneously. "Do you see that?" Ashley asked, already knowing the answer.
"Four IFF Beacons lighting up out of nowhere," Jean confirmed. "It has to be them. But why the hell would they expose themselves like this?"
"It could be a trap," Ashley suggested.
She blinked. "I think that might be the smartest thing that's ever come out of your mouth." She shook her head. "It's possible, but why bother? There's four of them, and as far as they know, every Knightmare Frame in St. Petersburg is looking for them. There's no way they can fight them off."
"Every Knightmare Frame in St. Petersburg is looking for them," Ashley pointed out. "Which means we need to hurry if we want to have a chance of getting to them first. Shaing said not to let ourselves be identified if we can help it. We might not have a choice if we wind up surrounded."
Once again, Jean found herself agreeing with Ashley, much to her irritation. "Our first priority is to make sure Kingsley stays out of Kururugi's hands." To what end, she still wasn't sure, but it wasn't her place to question her master's orders. "And to learn why Cornelia would kidnap Kingsley, if we can."
"Again, that means moving, fast," Ashley complained.
For once, she didn't argue with him, tightly gripping the throttle of her Knightmare. "You're right," She said, the words causing her physical pain to utter. "So let's not waste anymore time."
In a flash, they were racing through the forest, closing in on their prey.
Good news, my internet is…mostly back to normal. It isn't great, but I at least have a connection to my laptop while at home, which is better than what it has been for like, a week and a half now.
Now, onto the less good news. Since I am now working more frequently, I find myself with quite a bit less time on my hands than I used to. First off, NO, I am not abandoning this fic, or going on a hiatus. Absolutely not. Writing is way too much fun, and we haven't even reached the interesting part of this fic yet, in my opinion. However, I am considering changing uploads to be biweekly rather than weekly, to give me more time to a) get a few more chapters in my backlog, as I only have three written ahead of this one, and b) give me more time to work on finishing plotting (Which is thankfully at chapter 51 now) and working on other fics.
Now, to clarify. Eleventh Prince was going to go on a brief hiatus regardless. And I may not even wind up going biweekly-It may not be necessary. But it also might be. If I do, it gives me a lot of breathing room, and lets me work on other fics as well so I avoid getting burnt out.
In the end, it boils down to this: I can keep the current schedule, and basically race myself to keep my current pace up while dealing with work and other stuff, leaving me basically no time to read, play games, or work on other fics.
Or, I go a little slower, go biweekly, and Shattered Mind ends up coming out slower at the benefit of giving me space to work on several projects at once. This means Eleventh Prince will come back sooner, and one shots will be released more frequently. And it goes without saying that biweekly would only last until I've given myself some breathing room.
As I said, it's not certain though I'm definitely leaning towards going biweekly. Let me know in the comments. The main problem is, I don't want to lose momentum on Shattered Mind. It's been really nice seeing how much people enjoy my work, and I'd hate to sort of take the wind out of its sails, so to speak. Still, I do think it's best for the future of the fic. And either way, the next chapter or two will still be weekly as I decide what to do.
Plus side, it's my birthday tomorrow! So that's fun. I also have an overnight shift the same day, so, you know, you win some, you lose some.
Next Chapter: Sunday, December 7th