Chapter 45: Mind Games Part 1

Kaguya arriving at Ashford might bring some challengers, but not nearly as big as an person from C.C.'s past who finally makes their move

'Kirihara, you old bastard, I'll find some way to get you back for this,' Lelouch thought to himself, knowing that Kaguya, being here and being so Milly-like, would only bite him in the ass later.

"Oh, you two don't look happy to see me," Kaguya pouted, looking close to crocodile tears, Lelouch could see coming in his sleep. Still, Suzaku, if he could, wasn't nearly mentally strong enough to resist the bait.

“N-no, it's not that, Kaguya, it's just been a while, I wouldn't have ever thought you'd come here since…well, how family can be." Suzaku searched for a diplomatic way to talk about his lacking connections to his family, who disowned him when he joined the army.

Kaguya could have outed him, but she wasn't so cruel and went along with it. Besides, with him being out of the loop for so long, there were some things they needed to discuss in private. "Well, for your information, there have been some changes, and I was able to attend. Ashford sounded like such a fun place. You should have called; I had to find out you were involved in a cat hunt from the principal."

She caught how Lelouch’s face pinched in annoyance while Suzaku looked a little comfortable at the memory. “It wasn’t really an official event, just the President being curious about his secrets.” Suzaku gestured towards Lelouch.

Kaguya smelled a juicy story and leaned in. “Did she find anything good?”

“Ahem,” Lelouch coughed, interrupting the two. "Should we really discuss such right now?" He didn't need to say it, but they were surrounded by a growing number of students, curious about what was happening, and no doubt forming more rumours.

"But if we don't, you'll find some way to wiggle out of it, just like you always did in training, but on the other hand,"  Kaguya latched onto him once more, shamelessly feeling up his arm and chest. Lelouch's brow twitched, but he refrained from acting as some of the girls watching grew enraged with jealousy at how casually Kaguya could speak with him and even touch him. “Oh yes, you’ve finally decided to exercise your body along with your mind.”

There were many ways one could react to that. Someone like Suzaku would have been frank about it. Rivalz perhaps would have bragged, if only for Milly. Kallen would have been as red as the Guren and probably lashed out by now. Shirley had a similar shade of red but was more vocal than physical with her disapproval. Milly would have soaked it in and no doubt groped Kaguya right on the back.

But he wasn't any of them; he went on the attack. "And someone's grown a backbone. I recall once upon a time you called me a demon and ran off crying.” Lelouch smirked as she frowned at him, a crossed look flashing across her face.

She smacked his side, but released him and stood closer to Suzaku. "How rude, bringing up a maiden's vulnerable moments. I would have hoped you developed a little more manners, wild boy."

“Define manners," Lelouch asked, but Suzaku saw he could perhaps keep the mood from escalating.

“He’s gotten better, enough that he found a woman willing to tolerate him.” Suzaku joked, to which Lelouch turned a dirty look his way while Kaguya gasped, glee clear in her eyes, and she jumped for joy.

“No way! Tell me everything!” Oh, she had to meet this woman; she simply had to. She would need tips if there was, no doubt, a lovely and capable maiden whom Lelouch could trust enough with his bed.

“Hold on, hol up some second!” Rivalz broke things off, as he was getting sick and tried to not know what the hell was going on. Namely, who was this girl wearing their middle school uniform? "Who is this, and how do you two know her? You can't just act like old pals and say nothing," Rivalz asked, pointing at the trio, leading Kaguya to turn towards her cousin, tears in her eyes.

"Suzaku, haven't you talked about your family? Are you ashamed of us?" Kaguya whimpered, wiping away tears as she made herself look small in grief.

"Wha-no, of course not, it just never came up!" And once more, Suzaku fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

"I don't talk about my past so openly. Before Suzaku showed up, Rivalz wouldn't have known he existed, much less that we're friends." Lelouch was blunt, leading to Kaguya huffing, but she was more excited for this coming challenge. Meetings with Kyoto, organising her people's resistance, working with international actors, and up till recently, being the Black Knight's biggest supporters within Kyoto-

All that just wasn't the type of excitement she was looking for. She had made advances in the game of politics, double speak, and backroom deals. She had seen and done things that would horrify Suzaku and most decent people- all for the sake of Japan and its future- but while some kept her up at night, she yearned for something low-stakes yet seemingly impossible.

One challenge she had never managed to scratch in her younger days was getting close to the vi Britannias like Suzaku did. Now, older, wiser, and more mature, she was ready to climb that mountain, even if she couldn't plant her flag, so to speak, not yet.

"Since Suzaku hasn't done so, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kaguya Sumeragi, Suzaku's cousin." Kaguya introduced herself with a cutesy bow.

“Cousin, eh?” Rivalz scratched his chin, but a smile bloomed across his face. “Well, you seem to be on good terms with Suzaku, so you’re on good terms with me. I’m Rivalz Cardemonde, and I'm the student council secretary. You need anything, you can always come to me."

"Oh, such a happy helper. The council is lucky to have someone like you." Kaguya complimented, meaning most of it, as he didn't seem like a slime ball. Besides, she doubted Lelouch would tolerate such, yet they seemed close when she approached. "As for the aide, what sort would that be?"

Rivalz's face hardened, just a little, as he leaned forward. "Some people around here might not be the friendliest if you catch my drift." He gestured with his eyes to the ground, which seemed unsure about what to think or do about her, but some seemed downright hostile. Sure, some were just jealous girls, but he was concerned about others.

Kaguya glanced around at them, spotting those same things and opinions in their faces, and laughed it off. Free and proud, she laughed at their suspicions, envy, and racial hate.

“Oh, don't worry, I'm used to people eyeing me like a worm or target. But if my softie of a cousin can manage here," Kaguya nudged Suzaku’s side, to which he playfully batted her away. "Then I have a feeling I'll have no issues. Thanks for the offer, though. I won't forget it.”

“So, shouldn’t we be getting to class? I wouldn’t want to be late on my first day.” Kaguya asked, as while she would love to keep chatting, she did come to learn from here after all, or see what passed for education in Britannia.

"I can show you the way to the middle school division. I've walked Nunnally there a few times." Suzaku offered, beating Lelouch to the punch.

"Oh, thank you, Suzaku! Please lead the way, brave soldier." Kaguya clapped as Suzaku turned to lead her towards her destination, leaving Lelouch and Rivalz to pick up the bag with the crowd and make it to class on time.

Line Break

Classes came and went without fanfare. Outside the new rumours being kicked up, Lelouch and the rest could manage without anyone being ballsy enough to ask them about it or speak loud enough that he could hear them.

When lunch came around, Nunnally arrived with Alice and her sisters, but also Kaguya, as she had been placed into his sister's class. Already, the two were getting along swimmingly. Milly's immediate attention to the younger girl only frightened him and the rest of the council as Kaguya soaked up all of Milly's wild schemes.

When she learned about Claude and Shirley, she pestered the former till she could hardly speak about it, joined by Milly. He would have aided her, but he knew a lost fight when he saw one. It was hard enough to convince Claude not to join in, but she got her kicks by sitting on him and laying her head across his shoulder, demanding he feed her like a cat.

He wasn't sure what to think about the notion that he was housebroken enough to do just that, much to Suzaku and Kallen's amusement. It seemed like the two enjoyed seeing him thrown off his game. Eventually, they got some alone time with Kaguya.

Line Break

“She’s a member of Kyoto?!” Kallen blurted out.

They had managed to find some time away from the others, as Milly got into a story about how she broke the heart of some noble her parents had tried to set up with last winter. He and Claude went to collect the pizza she ordered, while Kallen claimed she would be showing Kaguya around the student council building so she knew where their rest rooms were.

They couldn’t go to his private study, but the room was far enough from the rest that they could talk.

"Why don't you scream it louder? We want to make sure the rest hear us after all," C.C. dryly commented as Kallen turned to yell but stopped at the last second.

"Is it hard to blame her? She's met Kirihara; she probably assumed we were all middle-aged men at the youngest." Kaguya asked, more for Kallen's benefit, to take attention off her.

"But isn't Kyoto run by superpowerful Japanese families who sided with the Britannians?" Kallen asked, recalling how C.C. and Lelouch characterised them during their meeting with Kirihara.

“It is, and I’m the current head of the Sumeragi clan after my parents were killed.” Kaguya smiled, yet it didn't reach her eyes. She had already brought it up with her cousin as he led her to class. Her mother was poisoned, and her father happened to get caught in a Pureblood raid, one which targeted a legitimate warehouse storing medicine and food for the ghettos.

It was thanks to Lord Kirihara that she hadn't been destroyed during all that or married off to one of the other clan heads' sons or grandsons to secure her family as a vessel. It was also thanks to him that she was able to locate the business magnate who poisoned her mother and the Pureblood who organised the raid and had both been killed in assassinations.

Still, knowing their killers were bones in the dirt didn’t bring back her parents, and Suzaku had been nothing but kind and understanding with her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to —" Kallen tried to retract her statement, but Kaguya stopped her.

"It's fine…I…I've had time to handle it." If they noticed that she didn’t say she moved on or healed, they didn’t say. Kaguya instead moved to more pleasant things. “But enough about me, I was surprised when I learned you were the pilot of the Guren, but then again, your masked leader and my future husband is both handsome, but also young himself. A relief as I was half expecting someone Tohdoh’s age.”

Kallen would have considered the first part complimenting her skills, but she and Lelouch focused on that second part. “Future…husband…” Kallen looked towards Lelouch, pissed that he had this up his sleeve, but he seemed as lost as she was. Same as C.C., though she seemed less bothered and more mildly curious.

"Of course, when the Black Knights finally defeat Britannia, you'll eventually need a wife, won't you? A public face to the man behind the mask." Kaguya explained, hands on her hips with an assured look.

"You have confidence," Lelouch noted. However, it wasn't just speaking to her confidence in their victory over his empire of birth.

"You said I myself, I've grown a backbone." Kaguya stuck her tongue out at him, though she was more amused than angry. "Besides, I'm seen as something of a Goddess of Victory, and I've seen you and your Black Knights have the potential to finally free my people.”

“So, the Goddess wants to anchor her champion to our people, or do you just believe that a Goddess should only take on a Man of Miracles to be her groom?” C.C. asked, appraising the girl with eyes that Kaguya immediately could tell were far older, more experienced than her physical age dictated.

"Can't it be a little of both, but don't worry, I won't steal him from you. I saw how you two acted; your love is as clear as day." Kaguya approached her, gently grasping C.C.’s hands. “Besides, it’s not as if I can compete with you in that arena yet, unless of course he likes them young.” She turned a faux suspicious look towards Lelouch.

“He better not.” Kallen glared at her boss, daring him to stutter and not immediately deny it. Lelouch, for his part, just felt he needed a nap.

“I…don’t even know how to answer that.” He knew what she was talking about; it was on paper, political and pragmatic. Zero was a symbol that didn't belong to any one people or nation. But he had made himself into a critical component for Japan's liberation and long-term freedom. Thus, by marrying her, a virtually Japanese princess, he would be tied to Japan.

But this was Kaguya he was talking about. Knowing her, she was also smitten with the idea of Zero, much like so many of the girls at Ashford were smitten with the idea of Lelouch. But unlike them, she knew more. She was smitten with both sides of him if he was reading this right, and he knew it would only cause him stress later, especially once Milly figured out something.

Or worse, Suzaku. He didn’t need to know if the man was the protective type, but he knew he could probably kick his head off if angered enough.

Kaguya seemed to smile wider as she watched Lelouch slump. No doubt, he was thinking of ways he could deny her logic, but also how she would make sure she got some fun out of his irregular romance. Really, he needed more excitement in his life than animals and combat. "I am serious. I'm not going to attempt such for quite a while, but I wouldn't mind trying to get close to you, Ms. C.C."

C.C. pondered on this for a moment. As she felt…something about this upstart just strolling in and claiming she'll marry her warlock, but to her surprise, it wasn't annoyance, fear, or murderous intent. She wasn't sure why; this whole 'loving healthy relationship’ thing was a new concept to the old woman, or maybe it was just something with Kaguya, which didn't have her feed the princess enough shock images to leave her with nightmares for weeks to come.

“You’re a generous woman.” C.C. opted for a simple response.

“I like to think I’m more greedy than anything. There is a generous one here, that would be you. Not many women can hear such a claim and remain as calm as you, but you must have practiced with Kallen." Kaguya threw the proverbial ball towards Kallen.

“Excuse me?!” She both didn't catch it and got smacked in the face.

“Oh?” Now it was Kaguya’s time to look surprised. "I assumed that you were perhaps romantically involved since Lelouch only brought women here. We all support Zero and the Black Knights, so in a way, that makes us ladies of his court." She explained herself to them all, which, aside from C.C., threw them for a loop.

“We-i..no…” Kallen seemed to stutter through one response to another before she slumped into the chair next to Lelouch. “I can see why Milly likes you so much…God help us.” Did she like Lelouch like that? She didn't know, she's never given it thought. Sure, she respected him as a commander, and she could appreciate that he cared for their ideals based on how he conducted the Black Knights and took in the Irregulars. Feel some envy that Nunnally still had a brother like him around.

Hell, she had even socked him in the face when he expressed near certainty that he would somehow become some monster. She enjoyed having him around, as he was one of the few people she could really talk to on the regular. Unlike Ohgi and the rest, he understood the trouble and stress that came with having a double life. He had become a close and trusted friend.

But romantic interest? Or…sexual? She didn't think about that! Why would she? When Shirley clarified that she was interested, then Claude came in. She was damn sure they fucked at least once from how she found them at Narita…but then Shirley did join recently, and they didn't seem to be having issues-NO, stop it, brain!

Lelouch desperately needed a stiff drink and a nap, as they didn't know what he was thinking about. “I am going to get Kirihara back for this.”

Line Break

Night fell on the settlement, and Ashford was silent. Students were all in their dorms, or, in the case of those like Kallen and Kaguya, at home. It was to be a peaceful one. The Black Knights had no plans for raids or assaults on crime. Lelouch didn't know what Marrybell was doing. Still, he imagined she was going over battle data and creating a means to assault them, as while she was effective, that came from understanding the terrorist she hunted. Lelouch had been sure to design the Black Knights into a unique and effective body.

Dinner in the Lamperouge residence had gone as it typically did, and with Nunnally sent to bed, Lelouch and C.C. were also about to retire for the night.

His phone started to ring, not his ‘work’ phone, but his civilian one. “What is this about?” Lelouch sat up in bed, having been reading a medical textbook on neurology before he went to bed.

"Who is it?" C.C. grumbled, half asleep, and waited for her well-groomed hound to crawl in with her so she could hug him for warmth.

"I don't know," Lelouch asked. If it were the Black Knights, he would be more alert, as it could only be something important if either Ohgi or Tohdoh used his phone number. But it wasn’t, which was weird.

Picking it up, he saw it was an unknown number, which made his frown even harder. Assuming it was Kirihara, he answered and waited for the old man to gloat about getting him back, his retort prepared and ready to fire.

“I knew you’re answer.” Lelouch stopped, as the voice that came through wasn't Kirihara's. It was of a woman, one with a thick Chinese accent.

There were several identities this speaker could be, and just as many reasons for the call, but Lelouch couldn't think of many that didn't come with some danger to him and his household. “Who is this?” He absentmindedly reached for his bedside, where he kept a loaded gun

"She didn't tell you? I'm the most—" The voice lost its composure, nearly screaming, but they took a breath and calmed down. Forget it, put me on speaker. I know you're not alone.”

Lelouch glanced at C.C., who looked up with a single eye but immediately sat up when she saw his expression. “Why would I do that?” Lelouch asked, as the possibilities for this person shrank.

“I can’t force you, but you also can’t force me to do anything either, such as calling that terrorist hating sister of yours and handing her some incriminating evidence, Zero.” He nearly growled at the glee with which the unknown woman threatened him, and by extension, his house.

Again, he shared a glance with C.C., who was wide-eyed as he laid the phone between them.

“It’s on speaker.” He spoke up, louder than he could be heard.

They heard clapping coming over the line, childlike and excitable. “Good, real good. I want us to have a nice conversation, get the air cleared up. It's just a shame I'm not present, but I'm not dumb enough to be close enough to allow you to use your geass, whatever it is.”

C.C. didn't know why, but she felt like she knew this voice, whoever it was, not just for their geass comment but also for something else she couldn't put her finger on. Either way, in her experience, people she knew tended to be dangerous, and a call like this was far from friendly. “Lelouch…” she warned.

“C.C.! Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice, your real voice! Oh, but it would be better if you spoke to me, come on, say it-say ‘Hello, Mao.’” C.C.'s eyes widened, and her face paled; she almost fell back if not for Lelouch catching her without thinking, holding her close as she looked at the device like a bomb.

“You…you can’t be...” Lelouch’s brow creased at C.C.’s reaction. She was almost unflappable, only rarely exposing more of her soul. He wanted to see that, but not like this, never when she seemed so scared.

The woman, this Mao person, laughed over the line, as if pleased with the reaction from C.C., which only boiled Lelouch's blood. “Surprised, well, don't be. I'm still kicking, and cheering, and screaming and hating!” Mao switched to Mandarin for a moment before she again calmed. She wasn't the most collected person, but that made her dangerous in other ways. “Don't worry, C.C., we'll be together again, just like the old days. I just need to finish some work.”

“What do you want, Mao?” Lelouch demanded, sick of the games, but Mao only laughed at him.

“Oh, so aggressive, so assertive, so demanding and cruel,” She started as if complimenting him, but switched to mockery. “We hardly met, and you're already showing off more of your twisted, beastly side than you show your friends. The side that drives you to kill with rats and birds, landslides and fire. Smiling all the while because you’re just a bad animal.”

How would she know that? The military hadn’t released a shred of evidence about how he used rats and birds. “Is there a point to this? You wouldn’t have called if you didn’t want something? Just know that if it puts my sister or my friends at risk-” He left his gun, and instead called upon his shinbuki. He summoned a flintlock repeating pistol from the King's Armory, just as he used during his trial.

This was the first time C.C. had seen it, yet she focused more on Mao. “Yes, yes, you wouldn't oblige me, and you have plenty of fail-safes in case I did reveal you as a brother killer to the authorities. A little birdie told me as much

."

"One hour, Saitama ghetto in one hour. I'll give you further instructions from there. Don't be late, don't bring anyone but C.C.; I'll know if you try, and I've already made my own plans in case you try to double-cross me.” Mao cut the line. Immediately, Lelouch was moving to stand, but C.C. grabbed onto him. When he looked back at her, she was alarmed; she was scared.

“Lelouch, you can’t. Not you.” She pleaded with him, but he couldn’t let this go unanswered. Mao was a threat he couldn't ignore.

"You heard her; I don't have much of a choice." He still held onto C.C., letting her hear his heartbeat while he felt his heartbeat and tried to assure her that this wouldn't be something they couldn't come back from. However, as much as he wished to avoid it, there was something else that needed to be addressed. Chantal…Who was that? How do they know you?”

Chantal didn't want to talk about this; she never wanted to bring up such memories, but… she couldn't lie. She couldn't keep it from him when it would endanger him and risk the life she was starting to build.

So she turned her head and, with a meek voice, told him, "Mao…was my contractor before you. Her geass is different from yours."

“Why?” Lelouch tried to keep his voice as soft and unthreatening as possible, even as he boiled with fury at this Mao.

Chantal shook her head, though he still couldn't see her expression. “It’s different for each person, not just the irregulars. In her case, she can hear the thoughts of anyone within a 500-meter radius. She can even dig into the subconscious if she concentrates hard enough.”

Lelouch frowned, as that sounded especially dangerous. And when he considered how Mao spoke, she had to be within 500 meters of Ashford. That could easily put her beyond the walls, and the detection of his night watchman, Gustavus. None of the birds would be up either.

No, that was just the tip of the iceberg of this woman and the threat she posed.

"Lelouch, that is the worst type of opponent you can face; she'll know your every move before you make it. She's probably close by now and listening in." C.C. spelled it out, as no matter what, he was a warrior who thought of how he would move, speak, fight, and react. He would be an open book test to Mao, but if she could hear anyone from half a kilometer away just by their thoughts, it wasn’t as if he could…

Lelouch gently peeled C.C. off him, something about Mao’s commands not making sense. “And you? I thought you were immune, so why did she demand you show up too?” C.C. had mentioned once that geass has no effort on her. But if his didn't work, wouldn't that apply to Mao's? C.C. could approach, and she would never know unless she had cameras or people helping.

Was that why she called for C.C.? So, she couldn’t sneak up?

C.C. considered that, but she knew Mao and how she acted, at least…how she used to. “She…she was only 6 when I made a contract with. She didn't know how to read, write, or do anything. What was good or evil, all she had was me, all she could depend on was me, I became the closest thing to a mother she had, but I was still a perfect stranger, and…and then I left. Still, I never thought she'd come into society like this."

Lelouch had much to say about that admission, but now wasn't the time. “The power of the king empowers and isolates, that’s what you told me, isn’t it?” He got up and went for the closest, grabbing some clothing and getting dressed. “We’ll discuss this later. We need to get to Saitama.”

Line Break

The trains ran 24/7 in the settlement, but those connecting to districts bordering the ghetto shut down at 8 PM and would only open again at 6 AM, a measure to ensure that most Elevens wouldn't be in the settlement at night unless they had a valid reason and papers.

Even so, Lelouch didn't trust them to be discreet, so they drove there. Neither dressed in their gear, as Zero going out for a nighttime drive could spark its own issues. Instead, they wore civilian clothing as they left Ashford. Lelouch had messaged Sayoko that someone had come up and that she was to keep an eye on things.

She had been curious and concerned, as he would suspect from her, but he couldn’t tell her what it was, not yet. He was just grateful she trusted them enough that she didn’t ask questions and just wished him and C.C. luck.

The drive itself was a quiet one, an uncomfortable quiet. There was much Lelouch wanted to ask and know. He could hardly understand his thoughts, but he kept his peace. C.C., for her part, seemed more withdrawn than ever, trying to harden herself for this, as she didn’t know what this was about, but she knew it wouldn’t be pleasant for any of them, not when Mao was…

When they arrived, they had done so with 11 minutes to spare, even though Lelouch had to avoid most patrols and geass the checkpoint security to let them in and out without recording it.

Driving into the ghetto, the effect was immediate. It had never been a nice place to live, and the night made it worse as there were no street lights or electricity, not coming from the city like in the settlement. Here, things ran on generators and batteries—or at least, they did.

His sister's raid on the place destroyed most of the little these people had. More buildings destroyed, more leaders and important figures killed. More bodies to the ever-mounting pile of corpses Britannia built itself upon. Now, people didn't dare be seen, and despite his care being beaten up and very much not military, people fled from them, terrified they would start shooting.

Coming to a stop, Lelouch kept an eye out. Although he knew the Yamato Alliance had been slaughtered to the last man, that didn't mean gangs wouldn't give them trouble or that a new rebel group wouldn't have formed and taken offense to two foreigners just driving up at 11 PM.

"She said to arrive here, but didn't give a set location," Lelouch muttered, as the ghetto was massive. What did Mao want from them? Was it an attempt to lure them into a trap and let angry locals tear them apart?

As if answering his statement, or perhaps she heard his thought, as Lelouch's phone rang again, it was an unknown number. Answering it, he skipped the pleasantries. "Where are you?"

“Oh, don’t be so impatient, Lulu." Lelouch glared at the wall. Mao was pushing it. “You arrived early, so we have plenty of time to handle you. See the building 4 blocks down, with the old clown outside? Head there, park your car, and enter. You can bring whatever weapons you have; it’ll make this more fun if you struggle before you die.”

Lelouch and C.C. turned towards it, seeing that it looked like an old channel building that could host live studio audiences.

“You think you can kill me?” Lelouch asked, only for Mao to blow up at him.

“I will kill you! You’re a liar, a thief, a bad man!” Lelouch raised an eyebrow at her outburst, but didn't comment as she yelled loud enough that C.C. could hear her. “And I’ll do it, I’ll win and C.C. will be mine, she’ll have to be mine!”

'Mao isn't sane, she's rambling and losing her temper at the slightest provocation, but I can't use that; she's close enough to hear my thoughts.' Lelouch theorised, but with Mao again cutting the line, the two followed her orders and approached the building.

As they drew closer, they could see more signs of what the building once was, but had fallen to decay and disrepair. It looked like it had been many stories tall, but at some point, the top floors had collapsed in on themselves, leaving walls that only went as far as the fourth floor.

Entering, they found no light, forcing both to pull out flashlights to illuminate the path. They kept an eye out for traps and possible flaws that could see a wall or roof come down on them. As they moved further into the darkness, both could feel that someone was off, that they were missing something, but what?

"Lelouch," C.C. spoke her first words since they left Ashford, gesturing with her light to a sigh left on the wall up ahead.

Thieves to the left, My C.C. to the right

The path diverged as the signs pointed out, leaving little room for misreading, but also for planning.

"She wanted you here to keep you in check, and she's here, watching us, reading my mind," Lelouch stated, looking around the space, but he couldn’t see any cameras.

"We can't fight her," C.C. spoke, sounding defeated at the challenge and the woman forcing them into it.

"Just because we're on her terms doesn't mean we can't fight," Lelouch assured her, though she didn’t do more than nob as she turned towards her route, wherever it led.

Lelouch wished to say more, but there wasn’t much he could, so he just placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll play along, but she's not winning."

Line Break

The deeper he travelled into the building, the more things didn't make sense. He could hear creaking, but hardly saw dust. He found spots where windows had been, but they were boarded up. Signs of life in food and footsteps in the dust-covered floor, different sizes, but he couldn't so much as spot a single strand of persona effects.

Pausing, he did quick checks and concluded that this place hadn't been lived in, at least not recently, but that a group had passed through and done some work. The wood covering the windows seemed brand new, as did the food wrappers.

Mao had to have people work in this place, but why?

He would get his answer when he came upon a door. Above it rested an old sign that read 'Studio 2.'

Not knowing what lay beyond, Lelouch could only steel himself as he reached for the handle and pulled the door open. Stepping into the space, he found it dark, like the rest of the place, his footfalls echoing through what had to be a vast space.

"Lelouch?" C.C. spoke up, but that didn't make sense; she had gone the other way, hadn't she? But looking to the side, he saw a flashlight beam turn back on, pointing in a direction.

"C.C., what are you-" The darkness convulsed: old bulbs coughed, fluorescents thrummed, and the whole ruin detonated into light so bright it blinded both of them. cursing Lelouch let his eyes adapt to the newly lit room and felt like he had stepped into a strange nightmare.

He and C.C. stood by separate doors, and before them lay a perverse studio filled with obstacles that seemed to be a fusion of what soldiers would go through, a playground, and was designed by someone who hadn't slept in days and was on hard drugs.

A Salmon Ladder arced across a mezzanine, rungs streaked with rust and one end bent out of true. A line of Rumbling Dice leaned like toppled sentries, faces nicked and corners gnawed away. A Flying Squirrel hung crooked over a pit rimmed in torn tarpaulin, its far handle dulled and tilted. Between two crumbling walls, a Body Prop crouched, leather seams split and panels buckled. A grotesque Doorknob Grasper dangled like a crown of smooth moons. The Crazy Cliffhanger crouched on a shadowed ledge, its thin holds blackened and narrow, promising a brittle, fingertip test.

On cracked concrete, squat Robo Inferno machines idled on treads, their blunt arms capped with battered bats and clubs. They juddered and repositioned with a slow, mechanical insistence. Scorch marks and dented panels hinted at collisions long past, and oily tracks smeared the dust.

And above them, a rusted platform jutted from the gallery. A small silhouette leaned on the rail, face lit by instrument lights, smiling with a patience that felt like appetite. The lights aimed towards them, revealing Mao.

Silver hair cut in a blunt bob that never quite let her forehead breathe, pale skin that seemed to drink in light, and an hourglass figure, wrapped in a jacket, was a cropped, pale-blue shrug—clean lines and gold filigree that pretended at formality. Underneath, a long Chinese-style linen shirt fell straight and honest, maroon sleeves peeking from the jacket's short cuff. Across her throat, three black strips looped like a decorative collar; five more fell down the front, each finished with a dull golden circle the size of old coins.

Buckled straps circled her wrists, the same buckles echoed on the calves of dark trousers tucked into scuffed brown boots; one strap on her forearm was loose, one buckle undone, and the little imperfection made her smile all the sharper.

"Welcome to my little game. Who wants to play?"

Line Break

Back to the heat, but it's not enough that you'll need to be desperate to go out, as I had to do for some errands. There were also some issues over the week, which delayed the upload of A Third Way and nearly saw a New Britannia also delayed, but I managed to handle things. Now we have this chapter, which at long last will have Mao. I've hinted at their arrival in the story as far back as chapter 32, so yeah, it's been a while, but as you've been reading, a lot of stuff has been happening since.

It's funny to consider that in terms of the canon, I've only reached episode 14/15 out of 25. And there's so much more planned for R2 that I might as well write a separate story when I finally make it that far.