The Warlock's Queen

All-Out War I

Shirley woke up that chilly and misty morning with a dark circle and puffed up eyes. She cried almost the entire night. Slowly, the truth that Zero and Lelouch are only one, is sinking into her. She prepared for school early for she wanted to see someone. Someone important and someone she could ask help for.

Shirley ran as fast as she could to the Britannian Hall, down to the room where Suzaku resides. She knocked multiple times and Suzaku opened it with surprise.

"Shirley, you're early. What is the matter?" Suzaku asked as he motioned her to enter the room.

Shirley took a seat and gathered her courage to speak up. She was about to speak but her voice broke once again as her tears endlessly flow. Suzaku was startled of course, it was his second time to see the bubbly person he knew cry like a baby. He went near her and calmed her down by caressing her hair while he hugged her. When she's finally calm, she speaks up.

"Suzaku, I know this is shocking but I hope you'd be able to believe and help me," she said as she wiped off her tears.

"What is it?" Suzaku asked. "Take your time speaking, I don't want to see you breakdown once again."

Shirley inhaled, then exhaled. "The rebel you've been fighting against with, the rebel who killed one of the princes, the rebel who killed Princess Euphemia, the rebel who killed my father is someone we know," Shirley said, teary-eyed.

Suzaku was still confused, it seems unbelievable to him.

"What do you mean?" he asked for more details.

"Remember the person who is always not present in school or in our gatherings whenever the rebels appear," Shirley replied. She couldn't say Lelouch, it would break her heart in two.

Suzaku was quiet for a while until he put the pieces together and only one person comes into mind. His expression has gone poker face. He clenched his fist, wishing that the person in his mind won't be the person Shirley is talking about.

"But do you have any proof to confirm this?" he asked once more.

Shirley brought out the picture that she got from Mao and showed it to Suzaku. Her hands were trembling so Suzaku got the picture from her and looked at it intently.

He saw Zero and Lelouch, not in two individual but in only one person. Lelouch was wearing the black clothes, the black cape trimmed with gold and he was holding the mask of Zero. Beside him was a woman in white, her green hair falls down at her back.

"Lelouch," Suzaku blurted out with gritted teeth and clenched fist. "He is going against the law and has killed innocent people."

Shirley held his hand and pleaded. "Please, convince him to stop. If they found out about his identity, he'll be killed. He'll be labeled as a traitor. Please, Suzaku, help him go back the way he was before."

"I can't promise you that, Shirley. It seems he cannot be convinced merely by words but I'll give it a try. If he doesn't give in, then, I'll have to used force," said Suzaku.

Shirley simply nodded.

On the other hand, Lelouch and CC are on their way to meet up with Mao.

"Remember, I will meet up with him and you stay close. Pretend that everything is a coincidence," Lelouch reminded CC.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the witch simply replied.

As they are already near the meet ul place, CC had let Lelouch go alone. She has to wait for 10 minutes before appearing in the scene.

"Zero, you seem to be in a good mood," Mao greeted with his usual grin.

"Indeed," Lelouch agreed. "As for this meet up, I'd like to know the reason why you wanted to see me."