[Round Zero: part 1]

[utopiamods]

At noon on the rest day, every screen in the campus lights up. It's the girl from the introduction again! She's grinning fit to burst, and her voice is bright and excited.

"Good morning, everyone! Round Minus-One is now officially over, so we'd like you to all report to the lobby for a special announcement, immediately! It starts in ten minutes, so don't be late."

The screens all go blank, before simply displaying the flashing text ALL STUDENTS REPORT TO THE LOBBY FOR 12:10.

Reaching the lobby, you find it empty of the usual staff. However, the doors to the tramstation are blocked by a large stage, spanning the entire south wall. In the centre stands the girl, in the flesh and just as sickeningly cheerful as her broadcast.

"Hi, everyone!" She waves, tilting sideways as she does so, and then clasps her hands together. "Wow, it's really great to see you all in person at last! You've all tried a lot harder this week, and it shows! We're really, really impressed with everyone. Ah, even though there was a bit of cheating..." she pouts, and shakes her head lightly, "But that's okay. We forgive you! You all know better now.

"But what we've called you here to say is this! We've been working extra hard too, and we've gotten a lot done with your help. So much that we're nearly ready for Round One!

"However..."

She's still smiling. It's a little unnerving, "We have to do some maintenance first, okay? And I'm afraid it would be a problem if you were all alive for that... you could cause us a lot of problems. So we're going to get rid of you for a little while. Think of this as a final test!"

She snaps her fingers, and your shadows disappear. No, not disappear. That's the wrong word. It's more like... they're abandoning you. Nearly forty pools of darkness flow up onto the stage, and suddenly explode upwards in tendrils and globs of black. The girl laughs as they finish changing, as they take on your shapes. As they reach into themselves and pull out inky replicas of your own weapons. They all laugh with her, in the emotionless tones of the Voice from your dreams.

"You can all draw your own weapons now, okay? Fight hard!"

[mod notice: NOW EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS OOC POST BEFORE THEY REPLY.]

Comments

You called?

[veepofchess]

But there was another Lelouch. Darker, with some blood on him. Whose was unknown. He stepped between Suzaku and his real self and raised his sword. He brought the tip up mere inches from Suzaku's throat. As long as the blade was, there was a large gap for Suzaku to fill if he wanted to take him out.

"Traitor!" the shadow's voice accused. "Assassin! Take my mask, take everything I had worked for for yourself and give me nothing but death! You betrayed Japan, you betrayed Euphemia, and you betrayed me!" He spoke as though the betrayal to himself were the worst offense of the three.

[queenscheckmate]

Kallen instantly turned her head and... not only was their Gino, but some little girl and now... Le-- no, that wasn't Lelouch, just how that wasn't Gino. And it didn't help when the shadow redirected their attention to the fallen Nunnally and aftermath of Kallen's shadow killing Euphemia. That--

"Sulu, I know I'm asking too much of in you a short amount of time, but get I need you to get Lelouch out of here, now." It was a command, not a suggestion. She didn't know Sulu's strength and quite honestly, she needed Suzaku to fight.

She took the time to finally draw her weapon. She hadn't read much of the manual, but she remembered that much. "Utopia is here!"

Kallen was never a player, so she was always a weapon. But she never made a contract with anyone so this was the first time she had ever seen her weapon or experienced of the pain of it being drawn from her. Thankfully, the weapon was familiar to her and she was grateful for that.

The pain finally subsided and Kallen locked eyes with Gino. His once blue eyes now red disturbed her. But they were all gathered around in the same area and there was little space to fight. Kallen missed a shot at Gino on purpose to get his attention.

"You want to fight, then come on." Kallen knew she had to move away from everyone, so she did.

[trollofthree]

And Gino's shadow drifted after her, with the easy glide of a predator.

"Thought you'd never ask."

[queenscheckmate]

This would probably take more effort than she wanted to put out. The real Gino was dead and they hadn't gotten their relationship on good terms. Kallen mentally cursed herself for that. But she would stand and fight now, not letting her emotions get in the way.

"So. This is it huh?"

Pain!

[swordofzero]

Before Suzaku could reach Lelouch he ran into Lelouch, but it was not real Lelouch, real Lelouch was trapped under Gino, this was shadow Lelouch and he was angry. Suzaku stumbled backwards as the knife came to his throat. He had to get to Lelouch, this shadow was in the way.

In the way and speaking; Suzaku reeled backwards. Because it was all true; everything the shadow said. Suzaku almost couldn't move, it was all true... he was a traitor... he had betrayed...

No he had to get to Lelouch, real Lelouch; even if real Lelouch felt the same way as his shadow... and he probably did... he still had promised to protect him; he would not fail. He let out a roar of pain and waved his sword in front of him not caring if he hit the shadow or not, he had to get to Lelouch. He might be a murderous traitor but he would not... fail... Lelouch, not this time!

Re: Pain!

[veepofchess]

Suzaku's blade did knock the shadow's aside, and the shadow mostly seemed to be enjoying toying with him. He let Suzaku get past him, and laughed. Loudly, maniacally. It was a laugh that Suzaku and Kallen were used to hearing being directed toward their enemy. But no. He was laughing at their pathetic attempts to save their pathetic commander.