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16.66% Dauntless (Code Geass) / Chapter 1: Chapter 1:All Good Things Come to an End
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Dauntless (Code Geass)

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Chương 1: Chapter 1:All Good Things Come to an End

Chapter 1: All Good Things Come to an End

Lelouch paused on his way down the street outside the nearest bank where he had just deposited his latest winnings to take in yet another altercation occurring across the street. There were two armed men – most likely soldiers – violently subduing a middle-aged Eleven man who looked like a street vendor.

Logically, Lelouch knew that he should just move along. These kinds of atrocities happened all over Area Eleven every day and his preventing one incident would do little in the course of the long run. Nor would his efforts be widely acknowledged. And nor would it prevent the soldiers from exacting retribution on the vendor once Lelouch went on his way.

However, to just leave the vendor – Eleven or not – to be viciously assaulted while continuing on his way was simply immoral. It was in his power to at least grant the vendor a short reprieve from the beatings. And most soldiers would think twice about assaulting a Britannian citizen, even if that citizen mouthed them off.

So he crossed the street, hands casually in his pockets, and joined the small group of Britannian spectators that were enjoying the violence.

"Pitiful, isn't it?" Lelouch mused loudly to his neighbor, a man in his mid-twenties in a business suit. "That the only way these soldiers can prove their worth is to beat on an unarmed Eleven. What a sad display of their prowess." He scoffed.

The soldiers paused and turned to look at him, eying him up and down. He was just a skinny teenager. Not a threat. Nevertheless, one of them pointed his baton straight at Lelouch's chest and scowled.

"You some kind of Eleven sympathizer? You feel bad for him?" The man demanded.

"Hardly. I feel worse for you." Lelouch countered without missing a beat. "That the sole purpose of your existence is to brutalize an unarmed civilian is a little sad."

"This Eleven," The soldier said, using his baton to point back at the cowering man on the sidewalk, "Is guilty of deliberately getting into Viceroy Prince Clovis's way. He is mostly likely a terrorist and was attempting to assassinate the prince."

"And here I was laboring under the delusion that we actually had a judicial system." Lelouch drawled after a moment of hesitation.

Was Clovis close then? How close? He scanned his eyes up the street and felt his mouth go dry when they landed upon the royal entourage half a block away observing the violence. For an instant - the briefest of seconds - his eyes met with Clovis' and . . . there was recognition.

"Lelouch?" The prince queried in astonishment even as the student began to turn away.

"Shit." He snarled under his breath and took off running as fast as he could – which was, unfortunately, not very fast. He turned down an alley, knocking over anything he could reach to slow down the inevitable pursuit as he fled.

"Follow him!" He heard Clovis yelling behind him. "Get that student and bring him to me! Prince Clovis la Britannia commands you! Get him!"

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Lelouch gasped as he ran out of the alley and turned towards the nearest train station. He was lucky; there was one already waiting in the station preparing to leave. He scrambled over the ticket barricade, shoving a handful of small bills into the security officer charged with overseeing the ticket-taking's chest before barrelling onto the train. The door slid shut a second behind him and the train lurched forward.

Lelouch stood gasping, hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath and think. Clovis had seen him. He needed to make a plan. What would Clovis do now? Would he use the media to do the searching for him?

No, that would only make Clovis look like a fool. He had been declared dead seven years ago. If Clovis started proclaiming on the news that he was alive, it would only serve to lose him support. Lelouch could well accept the fact that his family had never been particularly popular amongst the Imperial who's-who.

So that meant that Clovis was restricted to sending his own men searching for him. It was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand he wouldn't have to worry about any random civilians revealing his identity and location. On the other hand, it meant that the people coming after him were armed combatants and he would have little to no chance of overpowering them to get away.

So what choice did that leave him?

The hard one.

His cover had already been blown and those soldiers had gotten a good look at his school uniform. Nunnally's cover hadn't. He couldn't compromise her. He couldn't risk Clovis finding her too. He would do anything for Nunnally. He would do anything to keep her from being used as a political tool, even if it meant bowing his own head to the Emperor. He pulled out his phone, pressing the first number on his speed dial before bringing it to his ear.

"Sayoko?"

"Master Lelouch." The woman replied calmly. "Are you alright? You sound out of breath."

"Sayoko, I need you to get my sister prepped to leave. Immediately. Pack everything you can into a car and get her out of Ashford Academy. Take her to Reuben's vacation house for now until I can figure something else out. I'll try to get back before you leave, but in case I don't, can you please hand the phone to Nunnally now."

"Will you not be joining us then?" Sayoko asked.

"That's impossible right now."

"I see. I'll get Nunnally."

He heard the gentle swishing of clothes for a moment as Sayoko moved to find her mistress before the phone was handed to her and Nunnally's gentle voice came over the speakers.

"Is something wrong, brother? Sayoko sounded like she was tense." Nunnally asked, immediately picking up on the dire situation.

"I'm sorry." Lelouch said thickly, the words seeming to stick in the back of his throat. "I'm sorry, Nunnally. They saw me. Clovis did. I'm not going to risk them seeing you too. So . . . I'm sending you away for a while with Sayoko."

"Lelouch." Nunnally said softly, "Don't do that. I'll go with you. I don't care where I go so long as it's with you."

"No." Lelouch said firmly. "I won't let you do that. Please, Nunnally, don't fight me on this. Let me protect you."

There was silence on the other side of the line for a long moment as his sister analyzed the situation. "You're going to let them catch you, aren't you?" She accused.

"Hopefully not, but I know I don't stand a chance against armed soldiers." Lelouch mumbled.

"What are you going to tell them about me if you get caught?" Nunnally asked softly.

Lelouch hesitated. The only thing that would absolutely keep her safe, so long as she wasn't discovered was . . . "I'll tell them you died during the war. That I wasn't able to save you." He said firmly, even though just thinking of such an outcome made his heart clench anxiously.

"Oh." Nunnally said, sounding somewhat disappointed. "You've already planned it all out, haven't you?"

"Yes. I'm coming to see you now, but don't wait for me. If I'm not there by the time Sayoko is ready to go, just leave. I'll make sure you're well taken care of, Nunnally."

"I know you will, Lelouch. You've always taken care of me."

"I love you, Nunnally." Lelouch choked while mentally preparing himself for the possibility that this could be the last time he talked to her for a long time.

"Love you too, Lelouch."

He hung up the phone with hands that were slightly trembling. He told himself the tremors were aftershocks from the exertion of running for his life, but he knew it wasn't quite true. Adrenaline only did so much. With a grimace, he shoved his phone into his pocket before getting off at the next stop.

He scanned the crowd furtively and was relieved when he didn't see any soldiers. Quickly, he went to the ticket dispenser and legitimately bought himself a ticket. The last thing he needed was to be caught on the train without paying right now. Then he boarded another train heading away from Ashford and rode it for a half an hour before hopping trains again and riding it to the station closest to the school.

It took him almost an hour to get back to Ashford Academy and he arrived just in time to see Sayoko loading Nunnally into a nondescript black sedan. He took off towards the car, cursing his deficient physical prowess as he began gasping from the exertion. Thankfully, Sayoko was watchful and noticed him pelting across the campus.

"Nunnally." He gasped as he came around the car and sank to his knees next to his sister who was already belted into the back seat. He reached out and hugged her closely, desperately trying to memorize every single thing about her, from the few freckles on her cheeks to the way her hair smelled.

"Lelouch." She whispered, her hands running over his face so she could have some clue as to his expression.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Nunnally murmured soothingly. "But you should come with me."

"I can't. He already saw me. And he recognized me. He knows I'm still alive. If he doesn't find either of us, he'll suspect that you're alive too." Lelouch explained. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Nunnally. I want to be with you. I want to be there to watch out for you, but I can protect you better from far away right now."

Nunnally frowned and Lelouch saw the beginning of tears forming in her eyes. It was time for them to go. If she started crying, his resolve just might shatter and despite his best intentions he might flee with her, knowing full well that he would be putting her in danger.

"You have to go now, Nunnally. Don't ever forget that I love you." Lelouch said, holding firm to his resolve.

"I won't, Lelouch. And be careful." Nunnally said softly. "I still don't want to believe everything you said about what happened after Mother died, but I trust you. And if it's true, you'll need more protection than I will. So you worry about looking after yourself, instead of worrying about me. I'll have Sayoko with me so you won't need to worry. But you won't have anyone."

Lelouch smiled softly. "I'll be careful." He promised as he slowly let go of his sister and got shakily to his feet.

Sayoko bowed respectfully to him. "Don't worry about a thing, Master Lelouch. She'll be well taken care of." The ninja promised before climbing into the front seat of the car and starting up the engine. Lelouch watched despondently as his entire reason for living drove away from him, waiting until it turned the corner off campus and disappeared into the busy Tokyo traffic before turning into the clubhouse.

There were things he needed to do now. Preparations he needed to make.

Without stopping by the Student Council office, he went directly to his room to access his computer. He took a detailed accounting of his finances before transferring the majority of his savings into Sayoko's personal bank account. Still, it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough to provide Nunnally with everything she needed, with the lifestyle she deserved. He would be damned if he left her to live in poverty.

Frowning at the capital left to him, he quickly set up a match before leaving his room.

"Come with me, Rivalz." He ordered as he entered the Student Council office.

"Lelouch!" Milly exclaimed. "You were supposed to be here two hours ago! How are we supposed to get everything ready for the upcoming festival if our own Vice President is shirking his duties?" She demanded before striking him with a rolled up pile of papers.

"Sorry." He said distractedly as his eyes sought out his friend, who was currently hidden behind a towering stack of paperwork. "Rivalz, I need you to drive me somewhere now. Please." He pleaded. Taking public transit now would be too risky. He was almost certain that some of Clovis' men had seen him entering the train station. He had simply been lucky that he hadn't been caught while trying to get back to Ashford.

"Off gambling again?" Shirley demanded disapprovingly. "You know, Lulu, if you actually applied yourself to more useful things, you could achieve a lot."

Lelouch ignored the lecture, instead gesturing impatiently between his friend and the door. Rivalz hesitated, glancing nervously at Milly, as though asking for permission. Milly, for her part, had completely lost her joking facade and was trying to catch his eye.

He glanced at her and nodded almost imperceptibly before Milly's bright, fake smile returned. "Oh, fine!" She exclaimed. "Go on then. A little male bonding time never hurt anyone."

"Really?" Rivalz exclaimed, bewildered. "Thanks, Madame President!" He shouted before sliding away from the table and quickly rushing out of the room before she could change her mind.

Lelouch sent Milly a strained smile before following his friend out and down to where Rivalz kept his bike. He helped Rivalz roll the bike out of storage - a task he usually left for his friend to do - before jumping into the sidecar and pulling his helmet on. Another benefit of getting Rivalz to drive him was that his face would be at least partially obscured so there was a lower chance of being recognized.

"So, what's the big rush, Lelouch?" Rivalz asked as he kick started the bike and slowly pulled out of the parking lot.

"I have a match." Lelouch answered vaguely before giving his friend the address of the nobleman that was to be his opponent.

"Huh." Rivalz said noncommittally, chocking Lelouch's unusual behavior up to nerves about the match.

They were granted access to the nobleman's estate and shown to a large, extravagantly decorated drawing room, at the center of which, a Britannian in his fifties sat in a plush armchair next to a chessboard. He'd chosen white.

"Ah, so this is the infamous L.L." The noble man chuckled. "I have to say, I expected you to be a little older."

Lelouch nodded his head politely. "Duke Granstein." He greeted. "You know what they say about judging a book by it's cover. Though, if you're up for testing me, I propose a change in the odds."

"Oh?" The nobleman asked, quirking his eyebrow in interest.

"Ten to one odds, sir. You will retain the full minute allotted for your turn. I, however, will be restricted to only twenty seconds per turn. I'm willing to bet two thousand pounds."

The nobleman frowned as he studied his opponent for a moment.

"What are you doing, Lelouch?" Rivalz hissed.

He could understand why his friend was nervous. Lelouch had never attempted handicapping himself like this before during a match. But he was strained for time and he needed the money.

"Just watch." Lelouch murmured.

"I accept." Duke Granstein said finally, gesturing for Lelouch to sit across from him.

The game was more difficult that he'd anticipated. It turned out that Duke Granstein was actually a pretty decent chess player and the self-imposed handicap limited Lelouch's ability to think too many turns in advance. Quite honestly, he almost lost. It would have meant he'd lost everything. But at the last moment a sudden wave of inspiration hit him and he managed to trap the Duke's King in checkmate between his only remaining Knight and his Queen.

"Checkmate." He said quietly, his eyes still scanning the board for any conceivable way for the nobleman to escape. There wasn't one.

The Duke chuckled. "Well, you certainly are good." He said before waving his hand to one of his staff members. "Lucy, darling, go get the boy his money."

Lelouch bowed politely a few minutes later as the woman counted out his money and handed it to him. He handed half of the stack to Rivalz, who stared at the unusually large amount for a moment in awe before tucking it into the inside of his jacket and following Lelouch out.

Their next stop was a bank where Lelouch deposited the newly acquired ten grand directly into Sayoko's account.

He was just settling in to the sidecar outside the bank when an exclamation behind him drew his attention. "There he is!"

A soldier was pointing right at him.

"Drive, Rivalz!" He hissed as his friend pulled the bike away from the curb.

"What the hell is going on, Lelouch?" Rivalz demanded as he divided his attention between watching the road and trying to figure out what Lelouch was thinking based on his facial expressions. "Those guys were after you? Do you think Duke Granstein ratted us out? Oh God, my parents will kill me if I get arrested for underage gambling!"

Lelouch frowned, staring firmly down at his hands. He had hoped he'd be able to get a couple more matches in before Clovis' men found him. He had, ideally, hoped to acquire Nunnally at least a hundred thousand pounds before the life he had created for himself was wrested from his grip and replaced with the gilded cage of the Imperial family.

That, however, didn't look like it was going to happen.

"Turn down here." Lelouch said, pointing towards an alley that would pop them out on a one way road. It would at least limit the direction the soldiers could approach him from.

"What's going on?" Rivalz demanded loudly. "We should pull over. We can get in serious trouble for evading these guys!"

"They're after me. Nothing you do at this point makes any difference." He said tiredly.

"Why are they after you? What did you do, Lelouch? This isn't just about gambling, is it? No, the military wouldn't have anything to do with that."

"Rivalz, I want you to promise me you'll take care of the others for me." Lelouch said finally. Involving someone else in his mess was selfish. "Try to keep Milly in line. And keep Shirley from freaking out too much. And make sure Nina doesn't spend all of her time cramped up with that computer."

"What are you talking about, Lelouch?" Rivalz demanded. "You do all that stuff!"

Lelouch sighed. "Pull over."

Rivalz reluctantly complied, torn between compliance with the law and loyalty to his best friend.

"And don't tell anyone about Nunnally. Never mention her again. Understand?" Lelouch ordered, a determined fire in his eyes.

"What? Yeah, okay, Lelouch. But what are you going to do?" Rivalz asked as he rolled to a stop and stared at his friend.

Lelouch slowly unfastened his helmet and got out of the sidecar. "Get out of here, Rivalz." He said dejectedly, as he stepped up onto the sidewalk and waited. "I can handle this on my own."

Rivalz hesitated but complied, gunning the bike's motor back into gear before pulling back out into traffic. He drove to the end of the block before pulling over again, watching Lelouch's still form in his rear view mirror.

Lelouch waited, an oasis of stillness in a sea of moving pedestrians until the soldiers that had been pursuing them emerged from the crowd and hurriedly converged on his location. Just his luck, it was the same two soldiers he'd mouthed off earlier.

"There you are!" One of them shouted, drawing his baton and slamming it into Lelouch's face. "The prince wants to see you, boy."

The impact of the blow staggered Lelouch and almost sent him to the ground. He was caught, however, by the second guard and a pair of handcuffs clicked firmly around his wrists. He didn't resist. It was inevitable. One man could not stand against the might of Britannia. One man could not even stand against a fraction of Britannia.

Rivalz waited until he saw Lelouch get handcuffed before gunning his bike back into motion and speeding back to school. He raced across campus and into the clubhouse, opening the door to the Student Council office so forcefully that it left a dent in the wall.

"Lelouch was just arrested!"


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Chương 2: Chapter 2: The Long Goodbye

Chapter 2: The Long Goodbye

Lelouch grimaced as one of the soldiers forcefully shoved him into the backseat of a car, his head roughly colliding against the door on the far side of the vehicle. He tentatively licked his lip and was thankful that it hadn't split when the soldier had assaulted him. His cheek, however, was swelling and probably already bruised.

One of the soldiers slid into the backseat with him while the other joined the driver in the front.

"Squad Four has acquired the target." The soldier in the front said into a crackling radio as the car pulled away from the curb and joined the flow of traffic.

"So," The soldier in the backseat said, "what's your name, boy?"

This was why he hated the Britannian military so much. They were all mindless goons. Clovis said jump and they jumped. Simple as that. No questions asked. No explanations sought. These oafs didn't even know who their target was.

Feeling rebellious (and more than a little vindictive), he decided to ignore his would-be interrogator, instead turning his head to look out the window. He regret the decision a moment later when the soldier's fist collided solidly with his ribs. He grunted and glared at the soldier.

"Answer the question, boy." The soldier in the front seat insisted. "Before he really gets into it. You could end up in the hospital if you're not careful."

Good cop, bad cop? How cliché.

"If your prince didn't see fit to apprise you of the situation, I don't know why I should." He retorted scathingly, earning himself another punch – this time to the chest, which sent him into a fit of coughing.

It also caused the brute afflicting the damage to chortle as though the sight of Lelouch in pain was something of the utmost hilarity. Lelouch was comforted, however, because he knew that he'd get every blow back. With interest. Clovis had always been a stickler for preserving the sanctity of the royal family. This man was as good as dead.

"You think you're a real tough guy, don't you, kid." The soldier next to him sneered.

"Not at all." Lelouch gasped as he recovered his breath.

Humphing disdainfully, the soldier crossed his arms over his rather broad chest and leaned back in his seat. "You're just lucky the prince wanted you alive. You'd hate to see what I'd do to you if he didn't, you mouthy bastard."

"And I'd hate to see what he'd do to you if you did kill me." Lelouch mouthed off one last time before resuming looking out the window.

At some point in time during his altercation in the back seat with the soldier, an armed escort of four Knightmares had joined them. Apparently, Clovis didn't want to take any chances of an assassination attempt. Either that or they thought Lelouch had enough resources and men to stage a rescue. Neither outcome seemed likely.

They arrived at Clovis' palace a half an hour later, the presence of the Knightmares taking care of the busy traffic in the downtown area. Really, no one wanted to drive too close to a Knightmare. One wrong move and it was all over and you were crushed by a twelve ton giant fighting robot.

His captors dragged him proudly through the corridors to Clovis' office, the malicious one who'd shared the backseat with him making sure to take long strides so Lelouch had to scramble to keep up despite the pain in his chest.

They approached the door to Clovis' office and his captors announced themselves to one of the prince's assistants as Sirs Jean Carmichael (the good cop) and Evan Pearce (the walking dead man) who had "apprehended and subdued the target". The assistant stared in wide-eyed horror at the sight before her. She, it seemed, had been fully apprised of the situation. In a horrified daze, she tapped on the door to Clovis' office.

"They're here, you're highness." She said weakly into the intercom, her eyes never leaving Lelouch's brutalized face.

Instead of being commanded to enter the office, the door suddenly swung open and Clovis was there. "Lelouch!" He cried joyously. He took one step before coming to a stunned halt in the threshold of the door as he took in his appearance.

Both of the soldier's bent to kneel gracefully in front of their lord. Pearce actually punched the back of Lelouch's knees a second later when he didn't immediately follow suit, sending the teen roughly to his knees.

"Hello, brother." Lelouch said calmly, eyes defiant as he knelt with his back straight and his arms still bound behind him.

"Brother?" Carmichael whispered in stunned disbelief.

For a moment, Clovis didn't move as the blood drained completely from his face as he stared at Lelouch completely aghast. Then he flushed a brilliant shade of furious red and began shouting. "Bartley! Guards! Arrest these men! They've assaulted a member of the Imperial family!" He howled and in a rush of confusion the room was suddenly filled with armed men and Clovis was kneeling in front of Lelouch looking mortified.

"My God, Lelouch, what did these heathens do to you?" Clovis demanded before shouting for the key that would release Lelouch's arms. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sure I'll survive." Lelouch grumbled as he was fussed over by Clovis. The handcuffs were released a moment later and he experimentally flexed his arms, wincing a little as the movement shifted his bruised ribs.

"Execute them!" Clovis snarled when he saw Lelouch's expression. "And someone send for a nurse."

"We didn't know!" Pearce cried suddenly. "We weren't told he was a prince! Who is he?"

Lelouch slowly got to his feet, grimacing when he twinged a tender spot before turning to scowl at the soldiers. "My name . . . is Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire."

The room fell silent and even the struggling two soldiers ceased their movements for a moment to stare at Lelouch incredulously. His name, despite his apparent lack of popularity, was still well known it seemed. He was the son of Empress Marianne "the Flash", a military legend. He was also supposed to be dead.

"Nicely done." Clovis chuckled softly. "Very dramatic." He said before draping his arm over Lelouch's shoulder and escorting him into his office, closing the door firmly behind them. "Sit, please, my brother." Clovis said, gesturing towards one of two opposing arm chairs around a small coffee table. "Let me take a look at you."

For a moment Clovis simply stared at him, taking in the way Lelouch had grown, how much he looked like his mother as opposed to his father, and the condition that his soon-to-be-executed soldiers had left him in. "I'm so glad you're alive." Clovis finally breathed. "I searched everywhere for you and Nunnally but I never found a trace of either of you. Tell me, what . . . what happened to Nunnally? Where is she?"

Lelouch forced a slight grimace onto his face, "Nunnally's dead." He said bitterly. "It's difficult for a crippled, blind girl to survive in a war zone."

Clovis made a small sound in the back of his throat, almost like a whimper before reaching across the small coffee table between them to reassuringly clasp Lelouch on the shoulder. "I am so sorry, Lelouch. I tried. Please believe me, I tried to find you. I was here even before they stopped the airstrikes searching for you. I tried to convince Father to postpone the invasion until we'd found and retrieved you two, but he didn't listen to me."

Lelouch bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from scoffing. He couldn't tell if Clovis was telling the truth or was simply trying to comfort him. It was difficult to imagine Clovis willingly entering a war zone for any reason. His brother had always been a narcissist and cared for his own life and his own goals above all others. But then again, he and Clovis had been close when they'd been younger and Clovis had been outraged by the Emperor's treatment of the vi Britannias.

Lelouch had no difficulty, however, believing the part of Clovis' story where the Emperor had refused to rescue them before the airstrikes had begun flattening the country. His father was a merciless bastard and Lelouch hated him.

"It wasn't your fault, Clovis." Lelouch said, deciding to give his half-brother the benefit of the doubt. For now.

"Can I get you anything?" Clovis asked hospitably, "Wine? Scotch? Brandy?"

Lelouch chuckled. "Just water is fine. I am still technically underage."

Clovis scoffed, "You're a prince, Lelouch. The normal rules don't apply to you. And I promise I won't tell anyone that I'm allowing a minor to drink in my presence. So, do you still have your heart set on water?"

"Yes. Just water." Lelouch answered.

"Fine. Fine." Clovis waved airily as he procured a bottle of water from a mini fridge and poured a glass of brandy for himself.

"So . . ." Lelouch began slowly after Clovis had reseated himself, "what are you going to do with me now that you've caught me?"

"You make it sound like you're a felon." Clovis joked, but upon seeing Lelouch's serious expression he changed tactics quickly. "I've already called home. Schneizel is in the process of tracking down our father as we speak. His Majesty has been growing more and more distant over the last couple years. Schneizel is the one who is pretty much running the show now."

"I see." Lelouch said noncommittally before taking a sip of his water.

Clovis sighed. "I'm not going to ask you why you didn't try to contact us after the war. I'm pretty sure I understand."

"You understand nothing!" Lelouch suddenly snarled, despite the part of his mind that was telling him to just shut the hell up and take whatever was to come with mute neutrality. "We were abandoned! We were sent here as nothing more than political bargaining chips and then we were discarded when a better opportunity presented itself. Like broken toys. It was unforgivable."

Silence reigned in the room for a moment as Clovis stared at Lelouch wide-eyed. Yes, he was angry. And his anger was inconsolable. Clovis was, however, saved from trying to come up with a response to his tantrum by the nurse's arrival at the door. He hurriedly bade her to enter and proceeded to make sure that Lelouch was very thoroughly checked over. There was something about Lelouch's anger that sent shivers down one's spine. It was the way his eyes darkened into a brooding violet, like pregnant storm clouds. And quite frankly, Clovis wasn't equipped to deal with it.

Halfway through Lelouch's examination, Schneizel returned Clovis' call.

"Lelouch?" Schneizel asked after demanding Clovis hand over the phone.

"Hello." Lelouch replied, forcing his voice into something halfway pleasant.

"Is it really you, brother?" Schneizel asked.

"It's me." Lelouch affirmed.

"Thank God. I can't wait to see you. Clovis should be making your travel arrangements right now. You've been summoned to Pendragon. Father wants to speak with you. And the rest of us can't wait to see you either. Euphemia is practically jumping off walls." Schneizel informed him.

So, back under the Emperor's heel. What would he be used for this time? Or would the Emperor's patience with him finally be exhausted? Would he find himself the unfortunate victim of an impossible 'terrorist attack'?

"I see. Well, no doubt I'll be seeing you all very soon. Send Euphemia my love, if you see her. That may calm her a little."

"Lelouch . . ." Schneizel hesitated. "Never mind, we'll have plenty of time to talk when you get back home. I'll see you soon."

Clovis waited until the phone was hung up before letting out his frustration.

"Sometimes I just want to slap that guy!" Clovis exclaimed. "Ordering me around like some servant." He grumbled as he sent a message to his private plane.

"He is Prime Minister now, isn't he?" Lelouch asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, yeah," Clovis said, waving his hand airily. "Now, we have three hours until your plane departs. That's not a lot of time for a party so we'll have to do that some other time. What we do have time for is public announcement."

Without consulting Lelouch in the slightest, Clovis began dialing into his phone and contacting his PR people. Within an hour, Clovis' office was filled with cameras, lights, and media people. Lelouch was pushed into a chair where he was assaulted by a makeup artist with a huge brush. By the time she was finished with him, it was impossible to tell that he'd been hit in the face with a baton only hours ago. He was then stuffed into a brand new black suit complete with ruffled collar and an Imperial purple short cape – something he hadn't worn since leaving Britannia over seven years ago.

Clovis was a natural at this kind of stuff. He was everyone's archetypal charismatic leader. He didn't even squint under the harsh stage lights. Lelouch, on the other hand, had spent the last seven years trying to avoid undue attention. So this was not exactly his forte, despite his sometimes dramatic flair.

"To all my Imperial subjects, including all the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the Britannian Empire," Clovis began, dramatically throwing his arms out wide.

Meanwhile, at Ashford Academy, the Student Council was in full panic mode. Shirley was on the phone with the police demanding to know what Lelouch had been charged with. The police officer on the other end of the line had no idea what she was talking about, which figured. Rivalz was pacing while constantly second guessing himself, wishing that he'd never pulled over. He'd almost driven himself to the point of hysteria. Nina may have 'allegedly' hacked into the local police database to determine if they were just giving Shirley the run around.

In the center of all this chaos, Milly leaned against the table with her arms crossed over her chest and a letter crumpled into one hand. She was unnaturally calm, her mouth tugged down into a small frown as she considered what the letter said. She was brooding.

They all paused in their activities when a national address from Prince Clovis interrupted the girlish soap opera that had been playing in the background.

"Rejoice with me today at the rediscovery of one of Britannia's lost treasures!" The prince said, grinning widely. "My brother who was once thought to be dead has returned to us. May I present to you Prince Lelouch vi Britannia! Eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire."

At which point the camera scrolled sideways to reveal . . .

"That's Lulu!" Shirley shrieked as she stared in open amazement at her one true love, phone hanging limply in her hand.

"No. That's impossible. That guy just looks like Lelouch. . ." Rivalz attempted to explain halfheartedly.

"It's true." Milly said quietly, her gaze fixed on the image of Lelouch on the television screen.

"To all of the residents of Area Eleven, both Britannians and Elevens alike," Lelouch said clearly and firmly, "I would like to thank you for the hospitality your country has shown me these last seven years. I am truly grateful that I was able to live amongst you as one of you. A piece of this country will always reside in my heart. But for now, I will be rejoining the rest of my family back in the homeland."

The Student Council members stared at the television, taking in the austere appearance of their Vice President. He looked regal, but cold, in a way. His face was completely neutral and his eyes seemed like they were completely devoid of energy. Dead eyes.

"Poor Lelouch." Milly said sadly, her fist crushing the letter in her hand a little more.

"What do you mean 'poor Lelouch'?" Rivalz exclaimed, "He's a freaking prince. Royalty! What the heck was he doing here with us anyway?"

"Wait, doesn't this mean that Nunnally's a princess?" Shirley asked. "Where is she anyway?"

Milly didn't answer until the transmission was cut off and the television went back to airing the soap opera instead. Then she very carefully and deliberately smoothed out the letter.

"I have a message here from Lelouch, you guys. Please listen while I read it to you." She said softly before beginning to recite the letter.

"Dear Milly,

First of all, I want to apologize for all of the drama this will create around campus. But I know you love the chaos so really I should be apologizing to the others. My cover was compromised today and so I will, unfortunately, be leaving you. I'm not sure what they're going to do to me yet, so please keep this secret from the others until that comes to light. If my reappearance is never announced, then it is safe to assume that I was taken in secrecy and summarily executed.

I have sent Nunnally into hiding and I've erased any trace of her from the school's records. I suppose that it's fortunate that she was so sheltered here. Most of the students here don't even know of her existence. I want you to swear the Student Council to secrecy. I will not have Nunnally turned into a tool for political gain. Nor will I allow her to become a casualty of someone's ambition. Forgive me if this seems harsh, but I will not forgive anyone who betrays me or Nunnally. She should be safe for now and anyone who compromises that will be considered my enemy.

With that out of the way, I suppose I can begin my farewells. I don't know if I'll be able to see you again. I don't know if I'll ever be allowed to return to Area Eleven. It ultimately depends on what the Emperor has planned for me. If I can still be useful to him, I think he may forgive this transgression. Though, that man has never been quick to forgive.

Milly, once all of this comes out into the open – or I suppose I should say if it comes into the open - please tell the others the real reason that I was hiding amongst all of you. I'm sure that the Imperial family wouldn't want that tale going public so I'll probably have to spin some elaborate fiction to cover their collective rears. You know the whole story, I think. Or at least you know the majority of it as your family became a victim of Imperial ambition along with my own.

You've always been a great friend to me, Milly. You've been my support and my confidante since I came to live with your family. You never faulted or accused us once for putting your family in danger – which I know we did. Your determination to see the brighter side of all things was one of the foundations for our survival here. Thanks to you, we not only survived, but we thrived. I will miss you dearly. Tell your grandfather goodbye for me as well. Hopefully, supposing I don't suddenly die under mysterious circumstances, I will be able to see you again.

Rivalz, you have been my constant companion for the last five years. You've been more than my chauffeur for our slightly illegal pastimes. You've been my wingman – my partner - so I'm charging you with taking care of the others from now on. That means that you're going to have to work hard to keep Milly in line. You can't just let her get away with all of her schemes just because . . . well, I won't reveal that particular secret of yours. Most importantly, make sure you keep them safe. All of you are precious to me, and I regret that I will no longer be able to be there for you. One more thing, Rivalz, please don't waste all of your savings trying to take over our gambling scheme. You're a terrible chess player.

Shirley, thank you for always being there to keep me on the right track. I know it may not have seemed like it, but I truly do appreciate that you cared enough to criticize me. You wanted what was best for me, and I understand that. So thank you for caring, Shirley. Growing up as I did, it was rare to find someone who actually cared more about my well-being than about what they could use me for. You are a treasure and I'm sorry that I won't be able to be there anymore. I am going to miss your compassion and constant worrying over me.

Nina, you have a brilliant mind and I will miss the in depth, late night talks we sometimes had about politics, philosophy, and the sciences. There were few others who were able to engage me as well as you. Don't ever hold yourself back because you're afraid of the spotlight. The world needs people with the ability to think for themselves. You're one of them, don't hide it.

I'm going to ask that you burn this letter when you're done with it. I've mentioned my sister in it so it poses an inherent threat to her continued anonymity. I'm also going to ask that you try to suppress the chaos that's going to occur if news of who I am gets out. Distract them. You should be able to put it out of their minds with a spectacular festival of some kind. I'm sure you can find something inane to celebrate.

I love you all, my dear friends.

Lelouch Lamperouge

Or rather . . . Lelouch vi Britannia, as that is who I now must be.

The Student Council room fell into a stunned silence for a moment as they processed the contents of the letter.

"So . . . what's the real story then, Madam President?" Shirley asked timidly.

Milly frowned. "When their mother was assassinated for currying the disfavor of some of the other members of the Imperial family – though the attack was blamed on terrorists – Lelouch and Nunnally lost everything. When the Emperor refused to investigate the attack to Lelouch's satisfaction, he renounced his claim to the throne. In response, the Emperor sent Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan to play as political hostages during the Sakuradite Crisis.

"But when Knightmare frames were finally perfected, the Emperor gave up on negotiation and just decided to invade. He abandoned Lelouch and Nunnally in a war zone. The Emperor left them to die." Milly explained. "That's why they never went back to the homeland. As Lelouch understood it, he and Nunnally were nothing more than disposable pawns in the Emperor's game. He wasn't about to go back to be used again. Not of his free will, in any case. I don't think he'll ever be able to forgive his father."

"That's . . . that's horrible." Shirley whispered.

"We've got to rescue him!" Rivalz suddenly exclaimed.

"Don't be an idiot, Rivalz." Nina said softly, "Lelouch knew that there was no going back after his identity was revealed. It's why he left the letter for Milly. He was prepared to go back and be used to make sure that Nunnally was safe. Besides, he's with Prince Clovis now. There's nowhere in all of Area Eleven more secure than where he is now. Are you just going to ask them to hand him over to you?"

"Nina has a point." Milly said. "Lelouch knew what he was doing. He allowed himself to be captured. If he hadn't, he would have gone into hiding with Nunnally."

"Lulu's so gallant." Shirley sighed. "Sacrificing himself for Nunnally's sake."

"Oh yeah," Milly said suddenly, standing up straight and facing the other council members. "I, Milly Ashford, as President of the Student Council, command you never to speak of Nunnally Lamperouge again! You are hereby sworn to secrecy."

"Yeah, because a threat from a royal prince wasn't enough to keep us quiet." Rivalz muttered. "I suppose we should hide all of Nunnally's things so if anyone comes poking around they won't find them."

"Rivalz!" Milly exclaimed before striking him on the head with the letter. "You were sworn to secrecy, remember? But you do have a point. New Student Council activity! Hide or destroy the evidence!"

Meanwhile, in a military base not too far away, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald was staring agape at the television where the son of Lady Marianne had just been shown. Alive!

"Jeremiah." Villetta said softly behind him when he didn't move for more than a minute.

He shrugged off her concern and hurried away. Prince Lelouch was alive! The only son of Lady Marianne was alive. And had been hiding all this time? That didn't matter. He had failures to make up for. First for failing to protect the boy's mother. And second for failing to protect Prince Lelouch and his sister Nunnally.

Was Princess Nunnally still alive?

Jeremiah frowned as he made his way through one corridor after another, making his way to the car park. No. If Princess Nunnally were still alive, they would have announced her survival as well. So, he had failed a third time. Three black marks on the ragged remains of his honor. Three sins to atone for.

He drove like a maniac to Clovis' palace, weaving his luxury sport car through traffic as though it hadn't cost more than most Britannians entire yearly gross income. It didn't matter. The car didn't matter. His life didn't matter and neither did the lives of those in the vehicles around him. The only thing that mattered was Prince Lelouch vi Britannia.

When he arrived, however, it was to disappointment.

"Lelouch? Oh, you just missed him, Gottwald." Clovis said airily. "He's already on the plane headed for the homeland."

"Then I respectfully request a temporary leave of absence, your highness." Jeremiah urged.

"Fine, fine." Clovis waved. "Go on then. Just let my people know when you'll be back."

"Thank you, your highness."


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