HOME | DD

Description
8:00 p.m., Ashford Academy, Alistair's room. Alistair was looking over the security camera footage, around the school, with C.C. near him.

C.C.: You know how to make some crude habits.
Alistair: Considering that the Primebloods are around, I can't take any chances. Knightmares are noticeable, but ground troops? That's another story. They could murder students, while they're asleep.
C.C.: You really think they'd resort to that?
Alistair: You're talking to the guy that killed the most evil person on the planet, and his omnicidal bastard son. The answer's pretty clear.
C.C.: Honestly... I'm sorry about what happened. You were living a normal life, then Hawking let Britannia take everything away from you. I've never felt emotion, in a long time, and knowing you...helped me open up. I guess being immortal paid off. (chuckles) The sucky thing is, I can still feel pain. How's your Geass been?

It was then that C.C. noticed the hilariously shocked expression on Alistair's face, as he looked at the computer screen.

C.C.: What are you looking at? (looks at computer screen, surprised) Oh, my God, in Heaven. Is that your friend, Nina? How-? How is that even possible!? Why-? Wait, is that Nunnally? Oh, thank God. (looks at Alistair) You alright?
Alistair: (closes laptop) We speak of this to no one.
C.C.: I'd rather not talk about it. Ever.
Alistair: I was cool with being the student council president of my elementary school. I was cool with living in Las Vegas. I was cool with killing Mercer and Hawking. But, I am not cool with...whatever the hell that was!
C.C.: Same.
Alistair: I'm gonna need that company that you keep giving me.
C.C.: Say no more.

40 minutes later, at the Lamperouge side of the clubhouse, Lelouch checked up on Nunnally, who was in her bed.

Nunnally: Lelouch?
Lelouch: Oh. Sorry to wake you.
Nunnally: It's alright.
Lelouch: Well, your fever's gone. Alistair actually missed you, a little.
Nunnally: (shivering) Lelouch...
Lelouch: I'll see you in the morning. (gets up)
Nunnally: (sits up, frightened) I can't take it, anymore! I can't keep it a secret, from you!
Lelouch: (kneels down, again, holds Nunnally's arm) Nunnally, calm down! It's going to be alright!
Nunnally: (crying) We killed Alistair's parents!
Lelouch: (surprised) What...? What did you say?
Nunnally: We invaded America, 10 years ago! It was the testing ground for the Knightmares! We killed 50,000 people, including Alistair's parents! We took an arm and a leg from him, ruined his life! I feel so guilty, Lelouch!
Lelouch: But... But, he...
Nunnally: No, it wasn't just an invasion! It was an immediate plan, by that awful, awful man, Samuel Hawking!
Lelouch: Him...?
Nunnally: Lelouch, don't you understand what we've done!? Is there anything we can do to make everything up, for him!?

Lelouch said nothing as he got up and walked toward the door.

Nunnally: Lelouch!? This isn't something we can walk away from! We have to do something! Lelouch!

As Lelouch exited Nunnally's room, he entered the dark dining room, then stopped. His whole body was shaking as he collapsed to his knees, covered his face with both hands and began crying and screaming.

Lelouch: (thinking) This whole time, I thought he had the happiest life anyone could have. I was wrong. (screams out loud, continues thinking) I thought that those drawings were his imagination, at work. I was wrong. (out loud) Why!? Why!? (thinking) Everything he said was true. Being a mercenary benefactor, the trail of broken hearts... He was being completely honest. (out loud) Why him!? Why!? (continues crying, thinking) He was orphaned. Because of me. Because of Britannia. Because of my former father. Because of Hawking.

Lelouch slowly removed his hands from his face, and his tears were no longer for sorrow, but for rage.

Lelouch: (out loud, enraged) No more.

2015 a.t.b., Salt Lake City, Utah. Mercer was gazing at the group of former Agents of Civility, alongside an android, still awaiting an answer from the group.

South: What's with that thing, Tex? Some kind of inbred cousin of yours?
Alison: I don't think he was conceived, that way.
South: Then, what is it?
Mercer: What, you don't listen to the rumors? Come on! Take a guess!
South: Do I give two shits about who you are?
Mercer: Counter-dependent! Wow! I've never seen counter-dependency of this magnitude! It's not even physically possible!
Bautista: Identity confirmed: Mercer.
South: Who?
North: Full name: Mercer Hawking.
South: Hawking has a kid?
Bautista: I believe the term is "bastard" child.
South: No one asked you, Bitch.
Bautista: You are not even trying.
Mercer: It's actually good to meet you, former Agent Texas, Agents North and South Dakota, Carolina, Washington, Florida, and... Uh...
Bautista: I am designated as Bautista.
Mercer: (pauses) Cool. Anyway... Here I was, traveling around, when I sensed some AIs. Turns out that it's the twins. Give them to me.
North: Like hell!
South: Can't even get the stupid mute out. So, tough shit.
Mercer: It's not a request. I'm taking them from you.
South: A Meta. Great.
Mercer: Oh, yeah! Before I forget... (pulls out detonator, pushes button) Should work from this distance. Gonna miss some pacifiers, though. Probably wiped out 5 blocks.
Alison: What...? How many people!?
Mercer: (pauses) Not enough.
South: I've had enough of this douche. (activates Geass) Enjoy having your brain explode.

As South's Geass reached Mercer, Mercer was unfazed by it's supposed effects.

Mercer: You do realize that I'm already insane, right?
South: Aren't you supposed to die, shitstain?
Bautista: How are you doing that, with your mouth?
Mercer: Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. Daddy dearest's blood runs in my veins.
South: (deactivates Geass) Okay... Hawking's bastard kid. Let's say I believe that, now. What else do you have on him?
Alison: He's delusional, for one thing. He thinks Alistair is his twin brother.
Mercer: Did you know that I eradicated Connecticut off the map?
South: Is he kidding?
North: No.
South: Wow.
Florida: That really doesn't explain the question on why he's here.
Mercer: You know, It's kinda rude to talk about someone, when they're right in front of you.
Florida: Okay... Why are you here?
Mercer: (smiles sinisterly) Because, bitch... I kill people.
Florida: (pauses) Yeah, screw that!

Florida charged at Mercer, and Mercer backhanded Florida away, straight into a building.

Mercer: Trust me, Mr. Optimist, fighting me is pointless. Once Alistair gets his memories back, we can kill the whole freaking planet. (laughs)

While Mercer was laughing, he felt a large hand grab his shoulder, and turned around.

Bautista: Would you care to repeat that, you son of a bitch!?

Bautista punched Mercer, causing him to reel back 5 feet.

Mercer: Thank you, sir. May I have another?
Bautista: Agent Florida! Are you alright!?
Florida: Ow...
Bautista: All of you, leave! I will deal with Mercer, and catch up.
North: I thought you reprogrammed yourself to only kill Hawking?
Bautista: This "Mercer" is composed of Samuel Hawking's DNA, as well as having Hawking's blood in his system. These parameters...are acceptable.

Bautista charged at Mercer, while the others watched from afar.

Meanwhile, at a military base that was built miles away from the city, Alistair exited his car alongside Ocelot, while the mercenaries carried Knight to the medical wing of the base. General Chase approached Alistair and Ocelot.

General Chase: Been a long time, Alistair. (salutes) Good to see you.
Alistair: General Chase. You took over this place, right?
General Chase: (stops saluting) Yes, sir. The Enclave was using it, but we fought our way through. I see that you took out the Legion, without breaking a sweat.
Alistair: Yeah. I've got the wound to prove it. First encounter with Metas.
General Chase: Metas? Damn. Well, I sent Tex and her Agent friends to recruit more Agents that defected from Civility, but they should be back, by now.

Immediately, Alistair, Ocelot and General Chase saw the smoke coming from the city.

Alistair: Mercer.
Ocelot: Not good.
General Chase: Son of a bitch.

Back in the city, Bautista and Mercer continued their battle, with Bautista landing an uppercut on Mercer, then clotheslined the back of Mercer's neck, when he fell. Bautista grabbed Mercer's right arm and began pulling on it.

Mercer: Whoa, buddy! What the hell do you think you're-!?

Bautista pulled off Mercer's metal arm, from the forearm, and Mercer screamed in pain.

Mercer: (screaming) You shit! Oh, you don't even know how much that hurts, you bitch! God dammit!
South: I was not ready for today.
North: I don't think any of us were.
Mercer: (gets up, panting) Do you know...how long it's gonna take...to put that back on?
Bautista: Pardon me-?

Mercer's right bicep started glowing red and the hole where part of his arm used to be fired a red energy beam at a building, and destroyed it. Mercer snatched the part of his arm that Bautista was holding and placed it back where it was supposed to go.

Mercer: (arm spins into place) Thanks to the new upgrades that daddy dearest suggested... An ultimately fruitless effort. (clenches right hand) But, if it's any consolation... That hurt like hell.
Bautista: My mistake was starting at the wrong end. My next attempt...will be on your head!
Mercer: Yeah. And your second mistake was assuming that I'm not omnicidal.

Bautista charged at Mercer, again, and his slow strikes missed Mercer completely, until Bautista clotheslined Mercer's throat and launched him into an abandoned building.

Mercer: (groans) What the hell's goin' on?! Where the hell am I?! (exits building) Hey, guys! Can you tell me where I am? I think that blow took that memory out!
Bautista: It's not where you are, it's where you're going!

Bautista sprinted toward Mercer and punted the cybernetic abomination into the sky and far away from the city, showing his true prowess.

Alison: Damn, dude.
Bautista: Why are you still here?
North: Well, we're not gonna leave you, all alone. We're friends.
South: I've got nothing better to do, so, I'll stick with you guys.
Bautista: I am not fully capable of killing Mercer. If he gets his hands on Eta and Iota, as well as other AIs, he will be unstoppable.
Alison: Well, do you know where the hottest volcano in the country is? 'Cause Alistair said that melting him in said volcano is the only way to immobilize and kill him.
Bautista: Negative. However, we can make it. First, we need to leave.
Alison: We've got an APC.
Bautista: That will do.

2017 a.t.b., Ashford Academy. Lelouch was leaving the clubhouse, and saw that C.C. was leaning on one of the trees.

C.C.: First, you needed me to do something, now you don't? What's with you?
Lelouch: I'm going to face Kyoto, myself. I don't care if I die.
C.C.: Excuse me?
Lelouch: You knew, didn't you? About Alistair's past? His parents, his friends, his limbs?
C.C.: Nunnally. So, you understand?
Lelouch: I'm through screwing around.
C.C.: So, you want justice, for what happened to Alistair? Revenge?
Lelouch: Revenge doesn't exist. There is no "strong", there is no "weak". There is no justice...just us. It isn't "revenge"... It's karma.
C.C.: And the opera ticket?
Lelouch: I have to cancel.

Lelouch's cell phone started ringing and Lelouch answered it.

Lelouch: Hello?
Shirley: (over phone) Hey, Lulu... Uh, about the date, tonight...
Lelouch: I'm sorry, but I have to cancel. I can't make it.
Shirley: Huh? You sound sad, Lulu... What's going on?
Lelouch: Did you know that we invaded Alistair's country, 10 years ago?
Shirley: Wait, what?!
Lelouch: Yeah. It was the very first testing for the Knightmares. 50,000 innocent lives were taken.
Shirley: Oh, God...
Lelouch: That's why I sound like I'm in a funk. I don't wanna bring the mood down with the details.
Shirley: It's okay! I understand! Just... I hope you feel better, Lulu.
Lelouch: I hope so, too. (closes phone)