0000~K~0000

C's world appeared to be little more than a flight of stairs, a single helix going up and down from the floating doorway from which they had entered. Kallen took one step, but then froze. or, her suit did. with all her might, she tried and tried to take that second step. She did it, in the end. but it was like lifting concrete. The uncoordinated effort set her stumbling and only her superior reflexes prevented her from tumbling over the side of those steps into the white nothing beneath.

C.C., stepping inside to her left, kept a blank face . "Something wrong Kallen?"

"Suit's not working right. The muscle-enhancement quit on me." voice only slightly betraying her panic underneath Kallen tried again for a step. Had something broken in their previous fight? Kallen had not noticed taking any damage. Damn, she only just got this beauty, and she'd broken it already. How were they going to get out of here without it? how was she supposed to fight Charles without it..?

"It's not the suit. Sakuradite doesn't work in C's world." C.C. deadpanned.

"Say what?"

"Sakuradite doesn't…"

"I heard you the first time, damn it." The Ace turned on the witch with true anger. "You might have mentioned this before I took a suit dependant on the stuff to fight the undead Emperor of the Britannian Empire."

C.C. blinked slowly. "Undead is a bit of a heavy term for Charles really. And I really don't think you'll need to fight him."

"Of course I have to…" Kallen fought her machine, true panic setting in. "I have to protect Lelouch. From an undead ghost." her back was running with sweat, and it was not just from the exertion of moving her dead machine. "And I'm without my weapon."

"Oh, look. There he is." C.C. provided coldly, pointing down. only about twenty steps beneath them, he stood waiting in all his royal, arms relaxed and behind his back. Kallen took a moment to commiserate that here, his imposing body very much attached to his head. A giant of a man, looking very tangible and not ghosly at all. And very much alive and as immovable as a mountain.

She was going to die. No, worse. she was going to fail. Still, Kallen opted for movement over the armor her suit provided, and hit the eject button. She'd just have to fight Charles the old-fashioned way. Landing, she jumped on the balls of her feet, striking down for the previous king and without pause. Her springing action was met with a frown and a slight inclination to the side of the man's head. Then her first landed straight and forcefully in the man's nose. The force moved him back only an inch, and Kallen was only momentarily distracted to note, he did not falter at all. Instead of focussing on this troubling fact, Kallen kept up her barrage: a flying kick, connecting with precision to Charles's midsection. It was like hitting a wall, for all the reaction she got. But the ace did not let that slow her down.

Without even pausing to land, she turned mid-air, back of her heel connecting to that very material and very attached head with a crunch. This time, Charles let out a shocked breath, and took a step to the side. Kallen landed in a crouch, pleased as she squinted up at her handywork. Charles's wide eyes stared at her as he grazed his temple with a hand. Then his eyes narrowed as he studied his now bloody hand. After a slow blink, his unnerving eyes focussed on her. and then… then he grinned. widely. "Amazing. Such skill. Such strength!" He boomed.

Well, that was just… wrong. And not a proper reaction to get when you were trying to kick someone down dead.

Swallowing back worry, Kallen kicked out again in a faint, then moved in close to deliver another punch straight to the nose. It didn't land; the dead king had grabbed her arm and pulled her close, enveloping her in a bear hug.

"Such a beautiful woman." The dead man intoned, changing his hold to a one-armed near-carres. "Strong, fair.." Charles's thumb grazed her cheek almost lovingly. "Talented..."

He hardly seemed to notice her struggles; Kallen's hands clawing at his back, half trying to fight for room both the room to breath, and a hold to break free. She need not have bothered, for the that impossibly strong man closed his free hand around her throat and stretched his arm. He held her easily at arm's length, and she found herself dangling over the side of those stairs, over nothingness. Kallen scratched and punched his hands and arm, but it did nothing to relieve his grip.

The dead emperor kept his gaze at her as she struggled, vision already turning dark at the edges as both breath and blood circulation were cut nearly off, but started at as soft foot-fall behind. "why hello witch, it's been too long."

"Hello Charles." C.C.! C.C. could save her!

"C.C.! do something."

"I am." said the witch, and sat down on the stairs. Elbows on knees, she stared down at them. Charles gave her one look, and then dismissed her, focussing solely on Kallen.

"Yes," the dead man intoned, "you are worthy. Beyond worthy, I'd think." Kallen started kicking. Trying to hit him in the face, in the shoulder, anywhere. She didn't care if he dropped her. Even if there was only oblivion under her feet. A forever of nothingness. A fall through eternity. As long as he'd release her, she'd worry about that later.

"I would be honored to have you..." he pulled her close again, whispering into her ear- simultaneously providing her feet with ground to stand on, "as my daughter-in-law."

Toes grazed ground and Kallen redoubled her efforts, kicking the man in his side, in his chest, on his ear. "Perv!" she raged, not letting his failure to react dishearten her. Though it was like hitting stone. And his words… "What?"

"Wait. what?!"

Charles released her beaming the most benevolent smile. "We are natural allies, you and I." The dethroned monarch continued, chuckling softly. "After all, we want the same thing."

"Lair!" Kallen snarled, backing up, turning. Trying to put this mountain of a man between herself and the abyss. "You are Lelouch's enemy. And I am, always, on his side."

"Are you, really?" He moved forward, hands again at his back, but he stopped when he noticed her backing up.
"Kallen Stadtfelt." his tone was one for a conspirator: low and soft. "The one thing my son craves is the one thing I know you would never grant him."

She gasped. "No."

"Well, at least not grant it willingly. Of course, he could trick you." His eyes fixed her, a searching stare. "Do you want him to trick you? Again?"

"I just want him to live…"

"As do I, my dear. Which is why I have gifted him with half my code. I just want him to live, have a family. Acquire genetic happiness. fulfilling one's purpose."

Kallen gave him an odd look, completely confused. when he did not follow with an explanation right away, Kallen turned her look to C.C., who provided with a sigh. "Charles is, at heart, very much a Darwinist. He believes his genes to be superior. He believes his line is destined to rule. Of course, for his line to rule, his lineage needs to continue."

Kallen blinked again, turning back at the monarch, who helpfully provided: "offspring. why, would you not like the little pitter-patter of tiny feet in your future?"

Kallen turned red in the face. Children?! "Ah. Well, I haven't thought that far ahead. really."

"You haven't?" for once, the ghost-man looked unnerved. "All this talent and power wasted would be wasted, because of a lack of planning? Oh, my dear girl! No, it will you do. Now. think about this: I'll let you build a family. And once you have children- enough children, I will leave the final choice up to you."

Kallen could not have replied with anything remotely intelligent, face beet red and stuttering. luckily, the King disregarded her efforts. cutting over her uncaringly. "I would have prefered more of my line to sire, and more than one woman to father my offspring. Well, Nunully is not quite out of the race. But more importantly it has occured to me it's quality over quantity. Let's face it, despite how many children I've had, only a few remain alive. I have decided I need to be economical with what I have left."

Kallen laughed; a confused, mirthless sound. "you really care for no one but yourself, do you?"

Charles blinked, then shrugged. "I care for nothing but my line. Myself included. So just get me some nice, sturdy grandchildren. Ones that will live and have children of their own. And I'll leave the final choice up to you."

Kallen folded. "Alright. what choice."

"I can either take my code back, or give all of it to Lelouch. Bearing the full code will leave him infertile, of course. Taking it back will likely leave him dead in a week, the way he's been going. But I'd be willing to give you time to change him. C.C. would like that, would you not, my which? So, I should think it would be you'd want to chose yourself. It doesn't really matter to me. I just want my bloodline, safe for eternity. But if that's too much to ask, secured for another generation."

Kallen felt betrayed. "did you know about this, C.C.?"

"I suspected." she answered, uncarily. "but I'm really glad we had this talk. now everything is cleared up."

Kallen was yet to be convinced. "How will we know you won't go back on your word, Charles? How will we know that, if you become immortal, you will not try and take over the world?"

"Well, you don't really. which is why I suspect Lelouch will just want to take the whole curse. Still, death is preferable over this limbo. And you'll have plenty of time to figure out how to end me and the code. Not to mention, life should be simpler without me bugging my boy's frailed sanity." Charles shrugged. "I really don't see a downside for you. truce?"

Kallen swallowed. was this treachery? No, she remembered. damn Lelouch and his stupid plans. this was a way out.

"truce."

0000~L~0000

What had once been the Demon Emperor groaned, and stared straight up with vacant eyes. Spreadeagled on the floor where he had landed. Well, Except his spine had righted itself at some point and his broken elbow and legs had straightened out. At some point, when he'd stopped breathing.. he groaned. Lelouch vi Britannia was not having a good day. Or, maybe week. Time was hard to tell in this place. He should probably get up now. Go fight his father again. Although, honestly, he didn't stand a chance. Also, he lacked the energy.

"There he is!"

Oh. Now he was starting to hear voices. Not his father's at least. "There he is! hurry!"

Was that… Kallen?

"I'm coming. I'm coming. No rush. He doesn't look like he's going anywhere."

Damn. He sure got C.C.'s uncaring drawl down right. Lelouch figured that meant he really had spent too much time with her. Still, as annoying as the witch had been, this was a nice dream. nicer than reality, at the very least. Perhaps he should indulge...

But then two faces swam into view, and Lelouch knew he was not dreaming these two. With a slow blink, he considered how this was possible.

the witch broke his referee. "Die of dehydration much?"

Lelouch let the question filter his addled mind, trying to piece back the last days- or weeks- of his life. "Ah, no; thanks for the concern, witch. My dear father usually managed to break my neck far before such as that set in."

"Good." Offered C.C.. "Death by dehydration is the worst. Or maybe starving…"

Lelouch stared past their faces, ignoring Kallen's fuzzy touches to his head as she tried to gauge what damage he had taken. "If you say so. Still, life sucks, and I've really –really- come to hate stairs."

"That should be dying, Lelouch. Dying sucks. There are just some things a person is not meant to go through more than once." The grey witch barked a sudden, mirthless laugh. "Guess we just got lucky."

Lelouch sighed, sitting up weakly, with the two girl's help, considering how he'd have to change his plans. "So. I didn't want you to come. but now that you're here, this should work out. too bad you couldn't have brought Mao too."

Kallen snorted. "`Funny you should mention Mao. Get up, we're here to rescue you."

"Rescue me.." silly women. "No, we're staying here. we need to defeat father. This might not have been my original plan but it works. We tie father up. And wait till they manage to seal the exit to the normal world. We stay locked in here forever. Evil is contained. in a safe place. But still a tangible threat. it's perfect."

C.C. snorted. "Perfect? they can't even see if you're still in here. And I'm pretty sure there are other exits. We will find them eventually. Might take a while. But the longer it takes, the crazier we'll be. And trust me, staying in this place of nothing with no food, water or much interaction beyond the four of us, we will go mad. Oh, well Kallen will die of starvation before long before that. Watching that, I promise you, will drive even the sanest of minds over the edge."

Yeah; it was far from perfect. Mostly because of Kallen. Poor Kallen. he had promised to keep her safe, hadn't he? Still, Logic said this was the best way.

Kallen started helping him to his feet. "Before you make any decisions, you have to come look at my new toy."

New toy?

oh no...

00-00

hey guys! so, finally a new chapter. boy, planning wise this whole story is just a mess. as are any notes on a plot/outline level. I think I definitely got better in that department. so, gonna work on surviving paradise a bit again, then see if I can just figure out the last plot things I made no notes on for this story. I should be able to tie it all up pretty fast. 10 chapters max I hope. but it's hard to say as there's some lines that I probably had in my head but obviously didn't feel the need to write down. lesson learned, ye?

special thanks to TX3100 for beta-ing.

tucky- I think everybody hates suzaku and kallen at some level. which is why I hurt them.. oh wait. I also hurt the characters I love don't I? well, it's ambiguous anyway.