AN: Plot's gonna plot... or something...

Ryuto: The indirect Kiss thing with Kallen and Lelouch was moreso her getting flustered at the fact that Lelouch wasn't getting flustered. And Kallen definetly did the same thing for Nunnally as she did for Benio.

DarkDremora: It'd certainly be sweet of Lelouch to say that, but I need time to charge up some energy to think of that scenario.

Guest: I truly appreciate the information you've given regarding Code Geass, as I've learned a lot more about the series than when I started writing this fic.

Chapter 98: V.V

Area 11. Temporary Government Field Unit. April 26th.

Villetta leaned back in her seat with a heavy sigh. After Lila recently promoted her to Margrave, she had been bombarded with reporters, and paperwork. Of course, it's not like Villetta hated the new attention she was getting, as it was a gentle reminder of who she was now. Or at least, that's what she wanted to think. Despite her brand-new position, she was still worried about her predecessor; Jeremiah Gottwald.

She hadn't seen him since that night at Ashford, and the fact that the world seemed to move on from his disappearance so quickly genuinely frightened her. It's almost like he never existed, in spite of his achievements. "Damn it… am I even cut out for this?" she thought while stamping a paper, "I know Lila said I was the closest to Jeremiah, and that's why I'm the fittest for this position. But his sudden disappearance doesn't make any sense. Why would he just up and leave everything behind?"

She let out another sigh, feeling like banging her head against the desk for worrying so much. He was probably fine. If he was truly that weak, then he would've never become a Margrave in the first place. "Villetta." from the entrance to her tent, Cornelia stood with elegance, accompanied by her Knight, Guilford.

"Ah, Princess Cornelia." the Margrave stood at attention, "Is there something you need?"

"We were wondering if you had received any reports regarding recent terrorist activities." the Princess said while standing before the desk, which had a coffee stain toward the edge - a by product of its previous owner.

"R-right…" the dark-skinned Britannian opened her drawer, and handed over a folder containing a thick stack of papers.

"Whoa. That's a lot…" Guilford commented as he was handed the papers, "And these are all from just this week?"

"Actually, these have been sitting here for a while."

"What!?" Cornelia exclaimed, "You're kidding."

"Um… is there something wrong?" Villetta asked cautiously.

"Jeremiah told us…" the Princess cut herself off, "Never mind. Just make sure you report every instance to me. Understood?"

"Uh… yes, Ma'am."

Soldiers cleared the way for Cornelia as she stormed through the camp; anger showing all over her facial expression before she finally reached her office, where she almost tore open the thin entrance, and ushered her Knight inside. "He lied to us." she mumbled while taking the file from Guilford, "I trusted him, and yet he lied!"

"Yes. This is beyond unacceptable." her Knight added while sifting through the papers, "My Lady, some of these incidents were the reason for our supply line issues."

"Damn it. What the hell was Jeremiah thinking!?" the Witch of Britannia grabbed another paper, and recognized the name of the resistance group instantly, "Guilford, you remember how I asked him to specifically report to me any recurring incidents by these Elevens?"

"Yes. So, there's absolutely no excuse for him not to report it."

"You know what this means, right?" Cornelia sat in her seat, "He didn't go missing. He's gone AWOL."

"A traitor."

"Correct. Do you think he and Dasko were working together?"

"I believe there's a high possibility." Guilford stated, "But… there's no way we can let the public know about this. The backlash would be too great."

The Princess shook her head in frustration, "I still can't believe it. To think, Lila and Euphemia could've - no. I can't think about that. Prepare our troops." she tossed the reports that had been delayed for weeks, while keeping those that were relative over the past few days, "We'll be on high-alert all week. I want to make sure we stomp these pests out."

"At once, my lady."

As soon as her Knight left, Cornelia went back to checking papers furiously, "And to think I got complacent just because he told me we were doing well. Damn you, Gottwald. I hope you'll experience the fiery embrace of hell someday for making me experience such embarrassment."

Somewhere within the Chinese Federation.

"And this is… the Geass Order?" Suzaku questioned as V.V led him inside a cave, accompanied by two Eden Vital members, "It's worse than how I thought it would be."

"Well, we can't exactly live in the lap of luxury on the surface." the blond explained as they passed a few pillars, before reaching the lift, which took them deeper into the facility.

Suzaku took note of the massive underground city, where thousands of people seemed to be living their daily lives like normal, completely oblivious of their situation, "No way. Do… do they seriously live here?"

"Yep. This is where those who don't belong go to live their lives. As you can see, we have a fully functioning society, where everyone's free to thrive at their own pace." V.V tried his best to sell this 'paradise' to the Knight of Seven.

Of course, the boy didn't believe a single bit of this as they waltzed through the streets, "It looks like they're all scientist. Certainly a far cry from not belonging in society."

"Well, let's just say looks can be deceiving." the Immortal stated as they entered a large chamber, where the two guards left them alone to speak, "Now, if you'd please follow me, I can show you our new projects and-"

"Cut the crap." Suzaku put his foot down, "Tell me, are you really from that time?"

V.V sighed, clearly disappointed that he couldn't continue the tour, not like this. He knew of the risks of bringing the boy to his hideout. Yet, there was some part of him that was positive the chance of winning Suzaku over was high. He just had to use the right words. "Yes. I was there when he slaughtered them."

"For real? So you know how dangerous they are?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be surprised if she comes bursting into this place someday to wipe it out, or use it for his gain."

The two spoke vaguely, in fear of being overheard by unsavory ears. On the plane ride here, V.V informed Suzaku of his involvement in his timeline; withholding his involvement in Nunnally's assassination, of course. After all, Suzaku should still think it was Charles who orchestrated everything, which was just false. Hell, Charles didn't even know about the killing until after Lelouch's massacre had begun.

And, while he still holds a grudge against the boy for killing his brother, V.V intended to use him to the fullest, before eliminating him. Though, little did he know, that Suzaku had the very same thought.

Upon hearing about the Geass Order, the Knight of Seven made a decision to destroy this place. It was just the 'when' that he was debating. If, in this talk, he wasn't given a legitimate reason to keep them around, he'd burn everything to the ground without hesitation. He wouldn't allow 'Geass' to continue to fester in this world if he could help it. However, if there was a good reason, he'd simply destroy it at a later date. There was no rush, after all. At least, not for him.

"So, you're saying Zero's alive?" Suzaku asked, opting to get straight to the point, especially if that was what the blond was alluding to.

"Exactly. I even know where he is right now."

"Then why haven't you killed him yet?"

"I'm not in the position to do such at thing."

"Give me a frame, and I'll do it." Suzaku said with frustration, which had the same effect upon V.V.

"Ugh. Not even you could do that. Especially since you'd be outnumbered."

"I'm beginning to think you're lying to me." the Knight pressed while putting his hand on his sword, "Provide me proof at once. Otherwise, I'm leaving."

"Now hold on, Knight of Seven." a young voice called from behind, causing V.V to sigh, "Uncle wasn't done speaking yet."

"Uncle?" Suzaku questioned as he faced two cyan-haired boys, "And who the hell are you?"

"How about you take off those shades first?" the first boy asked politely, "It's pretty disrespectful to wear them indoors."

"Nah. I know what you Geass freaks are capable of. The shades stay on."

"Freaks? That's certainly an interesting opinion." the second boy said with a smug smile, "Perhaps you should be nicer, especially since you're in the 'freaks' territory."

"Castor, Pollux. Don't challenge Suzaku." V.V ordered, "You haven't seen what he's capable of yet."

"But Uncle-"

"No. My word is final, understood? Now, introduce yourselves kindly."

The first boy let out a soft sigh, before saying, "My name is Castor Rui Britannia." he pointed to the second, "And this is my twin brother, Pollux."

"Oh great. There's two more people I've never met before." Suzaku thought while keeping a hand on his blade, "Wait… they called you uncle. Which side of the family are you from?"

V.V sighed, and chose to tell the truth, as it would make the upcoming parts easier, "I'm Charles brother. Though, I'm not eligible to the throne due to… circumstances." he motioned to the Geass Order, "While I am welcomed in the capital, my place is here. Carefully planning for a brighter future."

"Like anyone would believe that." Suzaku's eyes narrowed as V.V continued speaking, "There's obviously something deeper at play here. Not only does he know Lelouch, but he's aware of my actions in the past timeline."

The blond sighed and motioned the Knight to follow him down a hall - which he reluctantly did, "Oh, and the reason we know of Zero - or should I say Lelouch's - presence in India, is because of those two. Castor and Pollux." he explained while rounding a corner, "We've come in contact with an organization called Peace Mark, and have offered them the job of 'liberating' the Federation of the High Eunuch."

"And how does that confirm that Lelouch is alive?"

"Because," Pollux stepped in, "When we had a covert discussion with the members of Peace Mark, they mentioned a team-up with the Black Knights."
"That doesn't prove anything. It could be anyone leading them."

"Are you sure? What purpose would a resistance group have in the Chinese Federation?" V.V brought up, "Everyone here is too scared to stand up against the High Eunuch. The only one with the balls is Lelouch."

"So, what's the plan?" Suzaku asked skeptically, "We'll wait here for them to attack? How will we explain Britannian involvement to the Federation?"

"Leave that to me." Pollux stepped in, revealing his eyes, which both had Geass symbols, "I'll simply Geass the High Eunuch into serving us. That'll cover everything."

"You have the same ability as Lelouch?"

"Exactly. Except mine is superior." the boy said all too confidently.

"Have any proof of that being the case?" Suzaku - once again - asked skeptically.

"I don't see why I wouldn't, right, Uncle?"

No. What V.V told Pollux was that his Geass might be able to overpower Lelouch's Geass. When two similar Geass commands clash, who wins? There are a couple factors. The first obviously being age. The longer someone has their Geass, the stronger it'll be. Then there's mastery, which is the main factor V.V used in determining Pollux's strength, due to his Geass appearing in both eyes - of course, the blond didn't know if it was just his Geass' innate effect or not. Finally, there was the strength of the Code bearers.

Naturally, the older the Code Bearer, the stronger the Geass they give - so any Geass V.V can give, C.C can do better. While Lelouch obviously takes two of the three categories, there's still a chance Pollux can pull through with sheer mastery alone - if his Geass is truly mastered, that is.

"Meh." the blond shrugged while opening a door, "I don't see why you're concerned with being superior or not. After all, we're planning on killing - not subduing - him."

At least, that's what he said on the surface. Pollux instantly understood that he had to hide V.V's true plan of Geassing Lelouch into finding out where Nunnally was. For what purpose was a mystery even to him. Nonetheless, Pollux had his own plans.

"So you want me to join the fighting, right?" Suzaku asked as they now stood in a room, where a single window was present with a closed shutter, "If so, I have a few conditions."

"Name them."

"What!?" Pollux exclaimed, "Why are you giving him a-"

With a single hand raise, V.V silenced the boy, allowing Suzaku to speak, "If there are signs of the battle being lost, I'm pulling out."

"That's… a very interesting proposal. I thought you wanted Lelouch dead at all costs."

"Even so, it's clear you're the greater evil here. Especially with that deranged psycho on your team." the Knight eyed Pollux, who scowled in return, "He'll basically be Lelouch 2.0 if I don't deal with him, so hopefully I can get both to fall in battle." he turned to V.V, "Yes. I do want Lelouch dead. However, if it comes at too steep a cost, I'll be gone faster than you can even realize." he began scanning the room, "And honestly? If this is all we have, we're being set up for failure."

"Relax. Despite not being the Emperor, I still hold considerable power within Britannia. For instance, I can call in favors." with a single finger snap, V.V signalled his next guest to enter the room, "Meet Oiagros Zevon. Leader of Pluton. A secret organization within Britannia that does my bidding."

"Not your bidding." the relatively young-looking man corrected, "Emperor Charles' bidding."

"Wait… Zevon?" Suzaku questioned, "Are you related to Oldrin?"

"Ah… so you've met my niece." the man's face turned melancholic, "I don't have much connection to her other than being related by blood. However, that's neither here nor there." his face turned stern, "We'll be working together in the future, Knight of Seven. I hope that you won't be disappointed with my unit's performance."

"Fear not, Suzaku. For we only bring the cream of the crop into Pluton, so all of their pilots are top-notch." V.V explained, "And, I'm aware you've undertaken two squires due to Schneizel, correct?"

"Ah. You saw them accompany me to the capital?" Suzaku sighed, "Yeah. What about them?"

"Well, you can bring them along if you'd like, alongside Rai. I'm sure all three of them will provide some use to-"

"Rai won't participate in this." upon hearing those words, V.V raised an eyebrow, "I fear he may be too naive for this."

"Oh? That's… are you sure there's nothing else?"

"I'm certain." Suzaku lied while Castor watched silently, "What's his problem? I've hardly heard him speak."

V.V cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention, "Well, we also have one final weapon. The one who will lead the vanguard in a new type of frame." he pressed a button, and the shutters opened, revealing a room where a bunch of scientists were running around, doing tests while a large tube filled with green liquid stood upright in the center.

Upon further inspection, Suzaku gasped with horror, as he recognized the contents as Jeremiah Gottwald, who had his left eye gouged out, with a small trail of blood seeping out, "Why is he here?"

"Surprised? Last time you ended up killing him, but try not to this time." V.V explained while smiling proudly at his creation, "It should be done within a month due to already having the blueprints for success."

"It?" Suzaku questioned, "He has a name."

"I suppose you're right…" V.V shrugged, "Well, I'll see how he performs once the tests are complete."

"You gouged his eye out, didn't you?" the Knight asked with a hint of hostility, "Why didn't you use someone else for the canceller?"

"Because, he's the only one I know it'll work on. I can't risk having another subject fail." V.V calmly explained as his other guests looked on with confusion.

"Even so, this is wrong. Perhaps… I should deal with you first." Suzaku unsheathed his blade slightly, causing V.V to take a cautious step back.

Luckily, Oiagros stepped in, putting an end to the confrontation, "Wait, Knight of Seven. You need a ride back to the capital, correct? I'll gladly take you in my plane so we can further discuss this partnership." he leaned in and whispered, "Please. There's something important I need to discuss."

Regrettably, Suzaku sheathed his weapon and followed the Zevon out of the room, giving V.V a glare in the process. "Will he be alright, Uncle?" Castor asked.

"Obviously not. But, there's nothing I can do about it." the Immortal shrugged, "When the time comes, we'll eliminate him, and wash away like the stain he is."

A partnership born out of convenience was born within that hour. However, whether it bore fruit or not, was something only time would tell.

Zevon Private Plane.

Suzaku placed his Katana in the seat next to him, and crossed his arms as Oiagros sat in front of him, "I understand how you feel." the blond began strongly, "V.V isn't exactly someone I enjoy working with, either."

"What?" the Knight raised an eyebrow, "Is this some kind of test?"

"Not at all. I'm sure V.V has tried to fill your mind with a positive outlook on the order, but it's far from it." the Zevon explained with another melancholic look, "A few years ago… I lost my nephew to that bastard's schemes."

"Nephew?"

"His name was Orpheus Zevon. I remember the day vividly, as it haunts my dreams to no end." the man leaned forward, holding his hand in his head, "At first, it seemed like just another mission, but when it turned out who I had to kill…" he let out a shaky breath, "It's not a good place. I don't blame him for running away."

A few years ago.

"Team 1, make sure you do a cleanup sweep." Oiagros ordered from within his Pluton Gloucester, watching the flames burn brightly. "Team 2, check on sector 3. I don't want any witnesses left over."

Suddenly, a gunshot cut through the sound of burning wood, drawing the Zevon's attention due to it sounding like it's from a handgun. He maneuvered his frame to the source, where he caught Rolo standing over a girl's body with his pistol drawn. His hand shook violently, as if he was scared, "Rolo." the blond called once, "Rolo." Oiagros rolled his eyes and opened the hatch to his frame, "Rolo! Answer me." he approached the boy, and turned him around by grabbing his shoulder, "Hey!"

The black-haired boy's face was covered in fear - on the verge of tears - prompting the question, "I thought you've done this before. Why are you crying?"

"It… it was an accident…" Rolo mumbled in a mere whisper, "I was only aiming for his ear… yet she… she just…"

The blond inspected the bodies, and noticed the girl to have been shot through the back, with the bullet evidently exiting through her heart. However, it was the body she covered, that caused Oiagros to relive the most painful memory of his life, "O-Orpheus…" he instantly recognized the blond boy's lifeless body as his sister's son, "No… no… not like this. Orpheus." he moved to touch the boy's face, only to stop himself out of fear. In fear that he'd somehow make things worse, "O-Olivia… no… I've killed your child… another piece of your legacy…" he clenched his fist, feeling like screaming at the top of his lungs, cursing V.V for making him do this.

"Damn it… not only did I kill my sister… and stole her position… but now I'm killing her own - my own - flesh and blood for no reason." he looked at the sky and cursed himself. This was the burden he had to carry for the rest of his life. The sin he imposed upon himself for submitting to greed.

That's when Rolo's sniffles brought him back to reality. He knew there was no way V.V would accept the boy returning like this. But he couldn't take him in. No. That'd only make everything he did for naught. If he died now, then Oldrin would… "Rolo." Oiagros stood up with a stern face, no trace of remorse to be found, "Stop crying." the black-haired boy's eyes widened, "If you don't, then you'll be weak. Defective. Trash." he stepped forth, overshadowing the boy with his imposing figure, "You wanted to prove otherwise, right? Then kill your heart."

"I'm such a hypocrite."

"Kill with no feeling. This is your first real test."

"Rolo… I'm sorry. But I won't be able to help you. Not now. But maybe…"

"Do you understand, boy?"

"Maybe in the future… someone will come along and heal that hole in your heart. Someone stronger… someone who isn't tainted like me."

Rolo wiped his tears, and stood at attention. His eyes grew dull, as he said, "My apologies, sir. I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again."

"Excellent. I'll notify V.V of your outstanding performance."

Suzaku let out a sigh, he felt some sympathy toward Oiagros; it reminded him of when he was forced to kill Euphemia. The circumstances weren't the same, not even close. But it was close enough. "I'm… sorry for your loss." despite those feelings, these were the only words Suzaku could muster. He had no idea how to help the man with such a trauma - or maybe he just didn't want to…

"It's alright. I've… learned to deal with it." the blond responded while facing him with a poker face, "My point is, I don't like V.V. And it's clear neither do you. So let's work together."

"Wait… are you really suggesting…"

"Yes." Oiagros leaned forward, "I've been trying to atone for my sins by supporting Oldrin on the side, but it doesn't feel like enough. I need to end the cycle, by destroying the order, and killing V.V."

"Killing V.V? But that's not possible." Suzaku responded, "Sure, Lelouch figured out a permanent solution for getting rid of C.C, but even he acknowledged that killing her wasn't an option."

"I know, but I'm sure with time… we could find a way." the blond stated, "Please, I need your help. I beg of you!"

The Knight nodded in understanding, "Depending on how that battle goes, will determine how we get rid of V.V. I'll still leave the battle if it turns out to have gone awry."

Oiagros hummed, before saying, "V.V's not the type to get his hands dirty, so perhaps once we're losing, you can retreat, and attack the Order. I'll join you soon after without my troops. After all, they're practically defenseless without Pluton around."

"I see…" Suzaku leaned back, "We'll work out the kinks of this plan together. There's still a lot that can go wrong." he clasped his hands, deep in thought, "Besides… I can't leave this to Lelouch. The chances of him using the order for his own gain are too high. But am I really going to sacrifice the ability to kill him that day, so I can topple a bigger monster?"

The answer, was of course, a resounding, "Yes."

After all, the battle was already lost in Suzaku's mind. If he couldn't get the drop on Lelouch during the battle of Tokyo - where he had the advantage in tech - then how could he expect to kill the Prince in a scenario where the Black Knights would be 10x's more prepared? It's just sheer foolishness on V.V's part to truly believe this plan would work.

Black Knight Warehouse. Chennai.

Rolo leaned against a crate, whittling down a stick he found earlier into a point; one that was sharp enough to pierce skin. Why? Boredom. He felt his skills deteriorating with each passing day, so he had to keep himself busy. Arguing with Clara was only bringing himself down to her level. Perhaps he should join Tohdoh and Naoto's training regiment? "Not in a million years." he scoffed at the idea.

"Didn't know you talked to yourself." the voice of Orpheus broke his concentration, causing him to knick his finger.

"Ow." the black-haired boy glared at the blond, who gave him another indifferent stare, "Why are you here?"

"To kill you, obviously." due to Orpheus' poker face, Rolo couldn't tell if he was joking or not, so he prepared himself for combat, only to earn an amused smile in return, "Just kidding. Though, when I do it someday, remember that I won't announce it."

The former Geass assassin clenched his jaw in frustration, and followed his guest, "Why are you here?"

"And why do you care?"

"Answer me. You're in our territory, so you have to give some good reason-"

"Our territory? That's odd. Because I don't think you're a Black Knight." Orpheus retorted while continuing his walk upstairs.

"You don't get to decide that. Zero does." Rolo retorted, "And I'm a member, just as Clara and Mario are."

"Is that so?" they arrived at the masked man's office, where Orpheus held off on knocking, opting to get one last comment in, "You'll never be a Black Knight. You're just someone who does as they're told. What do you know about freedom?" he said before knocking on the door.

In response, he heard a brief scuffle, followed by silence and a calm, "Enter."

Rolo watched as the blond opened the door, where they were greeted by the sight of Kallen promptly sitting on Zero's couch with her clothes slightly wrinkled. She was overlooking some files, pretending to be busy as her eyes kept wandering from Lelouch to Oz. "Zero." the blond called, ignoring all the signs, like a single strand of black hair hanging out from the mask, as if it had been hastily put on, "I'm just here to notify you that we'll be delivering a Knightmare frame to China."

"What? Why are you giving weapons to the enemy?"

"Apparently… India owes them one. But don't worry, Rakshata's promised me that it'll be too difficult for them to operate."

"That doesn't seem reassuring." Zero responded while facing Oz, "But I trust her judgment."

Kallen figured they were talking about the Shen Hu, and wanted to intervene. But second guessed herself, due to the current situation, there was no way she could change this outcome, "So why are you here?" she asked with an accidental hint of annoyance.

"I'm on my way to deliver it now. Just getting it out of storage."

"While I appreciate the information, make an appointment next time." Zero warned.

"Well, it was a last-minute thing, and since I'm here to get it, I might as well stop by to warn you."

"Wait… it's actually here?" Kallen pointed at the floor, "Like… here, here?"

"It's right next door." the blond responded, "But I've wasted enough time talking. We need to leave soon according to the schedule." he turned for the door, "Goodbye."

Rolo left with Oz, allowing both Lelouch and Kallen to breathe a sigh of relief once the door closed, "That was too close." he took off his mask and sat on the couch, where the red head laid her head on his lap, "We need to stop napping in the middle of the day, it's turning into a bad habit."

"Yeah, but it's nice, isn't it?"

"Of course." the Prince moved a strand of hair from her face, "But I don't want to get caught by Naoto again."

"Why? Did he do something last time?" The redhead asked, almost threateningly.

"Not at all. It's just a brother thing, you wouldn't get it."

"Is that so?" Kallen puffed out her cheeks, "Say… what do you think about the Knightmare?"

"Hm? I don't particularly care. After all, it's not like one frame will change anything, especially if it's too difficult to-"

"That's not what I meant."

Lelouch tilted his head in confusion, "Then what are you suggesting?"

"Do you think I could pilot it?"

The Prince chuckled while caressing his girlfriend's stomach, "Awe. Are you seeking validation?"

"Shut up…" she playfully punched his chest, "Just answer the question."

"Well, I don't see why not. With enough time, I'm pretty sure anyone could pilot any frame. But you're a special case." he gave her a genuine smile, "If you were put in the pilot seat of that Knightmare, you'd be able to master it instantly. I'm confident of that."

Kallen turned red upon hearing the praise, causing her to push Lelouch's face away to avoid him looking at hers, "Stop it. You're just saying that."

"What? I'm serious." he softly moved her hand out of the way, and intertwined their fingers, "You're a prodigy when it comes to piloting. Only a fool wouldn't be able to see that."

"Since when did you gain such confidence?" the red head asked while peeking through her fingers.

"Hm? Wouldn't you like to know?" he said before leaning down to kiss her forehead, but as he tried to pull away, Kallen grabbed him by the hair, and pointed at her lips, which made him blush slightly.

Lelouch sighed internally and kissed the red head on the lips, causing her heart to skip a beat, "I didn't actually think he'd actually do it! I thought I pushed a little too far!" she watched as he pulled away with a blushing face, which helped to calm her heart, allowing her to return to teasing, "Look at who's red now~"

"Don't you dare…"

Rolo watched as the Shen Hu was loaded onto the back of a trailer, with Oz getting into the passenger's seat. He took one last look at the former assassin, before facing forward as the truck drove off, leaving a bitter task in the boy's mouth. Suddenly, he felt the stick in his hand get snatched by Clara, who waved it like a wand, "So, how was Orpheus?"

"Unsavory words as usual."

"What did he say?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Rolo turned his back to her, and tried to walk away, only to feel his arm grabbed.

"You know… he's wrong."

The black-haired boy shook Clara's arm off, with narrowed eyes, "So you were listening?"

"Duh. There's no way I can just let you wander unattended."

"Eavesdropping isn't-"

"An admirable trait. And neither is being an assassin, yet here we are." the pink-haired girl shrugged, "Rolo, if it makes you feel any better, I think you make a good Black Knight."

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm glad you've chosen to stay here, instead of run back to V.V. I was almost certain you'd betray us the first chance you get."

"I'm only here because of a Geass command."

Clara shook her head, "No. There was no such command given to you. So far, you've chosen to stay with us, because you like it here, don't you?"

"If that's what you think, then I can't change your mind."

"Oh, come on, Rolo. I know you enjoy it here." she playfully pokes his side with the stick, before returning it, "You don't even argue with me as much anymore."

"I've just grown to tolerate you."

"Perhaps. But it's still growth." Clara took a step forward, and put her hand on his shoulder, "Rolo, you belong here. Don't let Orpheus tell you any different. Follow your heart."

"How can I?" the boy looked toward the sea, "After all, I killed it years ago."

This made the girl snicker, before saying, "You can't kill your heart, silly. Rolo, you're not some robot who has to follow everyone's command. Every day I see you interact with Mario, Maya, Kallen, Naoto, and even Zero, as normal. Sure, your personalities a little rigid, but it's there. You've been slowly opening yourself up to the Black Knights with each passing hour." she giggled, "They sure are an amusing group, right?"

Rolo grunted while turning his back to Clara, making her smile even more, "I suppose you have a point… if only just a little."

"Of course I do." she slung an arm around his shoulder and began walking back to the warehouse, where Mario was waiting them like some a guardian, "Now that that's out of the way, you've gotta start hanging out with the group regularly, meaning no more making weapons from sticks." she grabbed his project and flung it into the ocean.

"You-" he grabbed Clara's arm, before slamming her into the ground, "I worked hard on filing that down!"

"Ow! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the girl shouted as he put her into an arm lock.

Meanwhile, Mario watched the display with a sigh, "oh well. At least there's some progress." he thought while heading back inside, knowing Rolo wouldn't do any permanent damage to Clara.

AN: I've only got enough energy to write one more slice-of-life chapter, and honestly? Even thinking about it is giving me a headache. I'm glad that the chapters I did write were - mostly - recieved well. However, I'm gonna have to charge up a spirit bomb to have another string like this. So, while there might be another slice-of-life chapter in between the upcoming chapters, there's gonna be a bit more plot focus.

Or maybe I'm lying and future me will suddenly get a burst of energy to write some more sweet chapters. I'll see tomorrow.

Also, the Geass clash rules were obviously made-up, and so was the bit with Oiagros and Rolo.