[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

[swordofzero]

Suzaku turned slightly, just enough to make contact with the knife. He glared at Mei his eyes screaming in pain. This wasn't Mei, this was a shadow, a twisted monster. She had killed Lelouch... he brought his sword up, ready... if he couldn't save Lelouch, then he could at least avenge him.

[stopwatch]

Rolo watches it unfold with a mute horror. Before he can so much as blink his brother is breathing his dying breath and his weapon fades with his life.

Lelouch is dead. His brother, dead. He never thought that...

He just stands there. It's surreal. He looks to his hands, the knife, and then he's snapped out of whatever it was he'd been stuck in when the little girl attacks Kururugi. Lelouch said to trust him, and Rolo hates him for having failed his brother, hates himself for the same reason, but he'll trust in him. Just a little bit.

Rolo doesn't cry. It's a weakness, after all, and to show weakness is to be eaten alive.

He lunges forwards, switchblade at the ready-- while Mei is preoccupied with Suzaku, he goes to silently bring the blade into her side. There's still a good chance she can get away, but it is worth the risk.

[idkmybffxiao]

"Let's play, Suzaku-- ah!"

The lunge from Rolo caught her eye and the girl, even quicker than her regular self thanks to her weapon, spun out of the way. She evaded Rolo's strike, but doing that left her wide open for the knight...

[veepofchess]

"Close her eyes," he whispered to Suzaku. And with that, he finally passed. His sword disappeared entirely. His body was no longer racked with coughs, but instead his blood trailed out in a small trickle.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku heard Lelouch's voice for the last time and glanced to the side just in time to see the sword fade out of existence. Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes and he nodded a bitter helpless nod.

"Yes... your majesty," his eyes flashed hatred at the shadow and he rushed forwards thrusting the sword forwards, aiming at the shadows chest.

[idkmybffxiao]

And that was the end of the shadowy child. The sword went right through her, right through her chest, not unlike the same way the original Mei had died in this round. She gave Suzaku a surprised look before fading away...

[swordofzero]

Suzaku's tears fell steadily as, once the shadow monster was gone, he turned back towards the bodies of Lelouch, Euphemia and Nunnally. "I'm sorry..." He knelt next to Nunnally's chair and did as Lelouch had asked him, closing her eyes; eyes that had been open for a painfully short amount of time. "I'm sorry..."

He turned to Rolo, the young boy who was not truly Lelouch's brother, but who Lelouch seemed to consider as such. He was the only one left, the only one who Lelouch was trying to protect who was still alive. Suzaku had failed protecting the others, failed at protecting Lelouch himself but he couldn't give up, not while Rolo was still alive.

"Stay close Rolo, I'll look after you." His voice was still breaking; he scrubbed his hand over his eyes. He couldn't break down, he had to look after Rolo, he had to do his best to defeat these monsters that had killed his friends.

He glanced at the other boy, they should probably stick together but Suzaku was too shaken to actually approach or ask.


I didn't know what Sherlock was doing after this so I'll leave it to you to chose if he joins them or not.