Chapter 29 - The Power of the Geass

Fade, Naruto, Robin, and Starfire sat around a circular table in an isolated room where they could discuss certain things in peace. After having some new arrivals, they needed to discuss which groups would be getting some new members and then discuss the lack of teamwork within these groups.

"Well, what do you expect? We've hardly had any time to train together as teams, nor have any of us been assigned to any legit missions." Fade explained while pretending to be upset over the matter. However, that was far from the truth. She was happy that she didn't have to spend time with her team. AKA, the 'love triangle.' Starfire nodded her head in agreement to Fade's statement and then turned to look at Robin.

"She is right. We have only met with our teams once. I wish to spend more time to have the getting to know time with everyone." Starfire cheered.

"Also, with Trigon growing stronger, we need to better acquaintance ourselves with everyone's powers if we want to have some sort of teamwork." Naruto chimed in. Fade watched Robin's face fall into an expression of determination. She knew what that look meant. Instantly, she shot her other two fellow leaders a glare.

"You are all right." Robin stated, slowly rising from his chair and turning his back to them in order to look out the window. His gaze was fixed below on the island grounds, where most of the Tower's inhabitants were out playing around. "When this battle with Trigon emerges, I don't want us to be so unprepared that we will end up paying an awful price and losing someone we love." He muttered and then turned back to face his fellow leaders. "As leaders of these teams, we cannot allow our comrades to charge into battle with their own comrade's powers foreign to them. As commander of the Teen Titans, I declare we spend the next 3 to 4 weeks training, fighting, and hanging out with our teams… and only our teams. To make this as effective as I can, each team will be sent to a different area in the world where they will live together, away from the other teams. Understood?" Robin stated, his determination practically radiating off of him.

"…That's all fine and dandy… but, where do you suppose we go?" Fade asked.

"That will be decided later. As for the new members… how many are there?" Robin asked.

"Four." Naruto muttered while sighing and resting his cheek on his palm as he stared out the window.

"Four? There are four teams... so one for each." Robin said while punching his fist into his palm, an accomplished smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Robin, you know math!" Fade teased and the boy wonder shot her a glare.

"Anyway, I guess we could just pick who we want." Naruto shrugged.

"Wouldn't that be a bit… wrong?" Starfire asked. "The teams weren't originally chosen like that."

Fade nodded. "It is a bit unfair… what do you think, Robin-" Fade stopped when she noticed Robin typing away at the large computer in the room. She raised an eyebrow, curious about what he was doing.

"Done." He said, a smug smile on his lips. Fade walked over to look at the screen.

"?" She questioned. "Is that how you created the teams, too?" She asked and he nodded.

"So, who goes with whom?" Naruto drawled out and let out a big yawn. Fade scanned over the new teams listed.

"Aiko is now with Team One, Snake is with Team Two, Ran Mao is in Team Three, and Lau is in Team Four." She read aloud. Starfire nearly leapt with joy.

"Friend Aiko is a part of my team! It has been so very long since we have done the 'hanging out' and I have missed her quite a lot!" Starfire exclaimed while clapping her hands and spinning in circles.

Fade stared at the list of names again, her lips pressing into a hard line. Robin noticed her distress and touched her shoulder.

"Something wrong?" He whispered. She stared at him for a moment before sighing.

"I have a proposition." She began, which caught everyone's attention. "I want to remove some people from the teams." She finally said after a few minutes of silence. Naruto's eyes widened, as did Starfire's. Robin remained calm, yet curious.

"What do you mean? Like… remove them from the Titans?" Naruto asked with disbelief in his eyes.

"No." Fade said quickly. "I mean from the training; the fighting…. Some of them aren't fully equipped enough for a battle like the one we are preparing for." She said sadly. "I don't want them to get injured….or killed." She whispered. Starfire's eyes saddened as she realized Fade was right.

"I'm assuming you're referring to Akihiko and Misaki?" Robin asked. Fade shook her head.

"Not just them. Ciel, too." She said.

"Ciel? But with Sebastian he's-" Robin started but Naruto cut him off.

"Sebastian isn't even on the same team as him, remember?" Naruto stated and Robin clenched his jaw, the situation finally registering in his head.

"Exactly. While Ciel has been trained well by Naruto, he's still only 13… and he's human." She stated and everyone nodded. "He is at risk." She finished.

"You trained Akihiko, right, Fade? Why is he unable to battle? He seems strong to me." Naruto questioned. Fade sighed.

"Usag- er, Akihiko does have some knowledge in basic martial arts… but his motivation is to protect Misaki. Also, he is still human." She stated.

"Robin is human, too. So are you and the other ninjas." Starfire pointed out and a confused expression overcame her as Fade shook her head.

"Robin is indeed human, but he never lived a 'normal' life. He was trained to fight and to be a hero since he was young. The same thing applies to us ninjas. We're designed for combat. Ciel was born into a high-class family where due to horrible circumstances he had to take over the family business at the age of 10. He has only been able to accomplish all that he has because of his demonic butler fighting for him. Ciel doesn't even know how to dress himself properly, much less fend for himself." Fade explained. "Misaki grew up living a normal life and knows how to support himself… but let's face it, he's not a fighter. Misaki is more like a maid or a house wife rather than a warrior…. And Usagi san?" She sighs and smiles. "Usagi san is Usagi san. He's a giant child who only lives for Misaki. He's had almost everything handed to him and really his only skill is writing. Those three are the definition of human; they're fragile." She finished and looked over at her comrades.

"So… what exactly is your plan with this?" Naruto asked.

"Yes… if we leave them behind at home and if the enemy was to invade… how could they protect themselves?" Starfire asked, a horrified expression on her face as the thought of her new friends being in danger crossed her mind. Fade nodded.

"I thought about that too. I also wanted to remove Pluto from my team as well."

"Pluto? The demon dog?" Robin asked, while raising his imaginary eyebrow.

"Yes. Sebastian told me that Pluto acted as a 'guard dog' at the Phantomhive Manor. Surely he can become our guard dog here. They will have some protection."

"Some… but not all." Naruto whispered; still not convinced that this is the best option. "The enemy could surely overpower Pluto if they had the right numbers. Then what?" Naruto asked. This left Fade speechless; she didn't know how to answer. The sound of Robin's fist slamming into his palm broke the silence.

"I've got it." He announced. "While we are training, one group will remain at the Tower… and in the event that we go away somewhere to fight this war against Trigon, I will call in some old friends to come and protect them at the Tower. We aren't the only Titans, you know." He said while smiling. Fade smiled too.

"I never thought of that! That's a great idea!" She said and Robin smirked.

"Of course it is. I thought it up. This is why I am the leader of the Titans." He bragged and Fade slugged him.

"And this is why I never compliment you, you egotistical dunce." She muttered. "Now that there are more spots open, I'd like to suggest something else… I think Ran Mao and Lau should be on the same team. I heard Ran Mao is Lau's servant; she won't follow anyone else." Fade stated.

"Well, Misaki and Akihiko are both being removed from Naruto's team, so they can take their places. Aiko and Snake will remain with the teams I assigned them too." Robin said.

"Sounds good… so, shall we go gather the troops and reveal the new plans?" Naruto asked and everyone nodded. "Well now, I can't wait to see how Ciel's pride handles it." He whispered.

Fade sighed as she stood in front of everyone, silently cursing Robin for giving her the dreaded task of informing them of the recently decided plan. She looked over at Ciel and cursed the boy wonder once more. She knew Ciel would hate her for this. She took a deep breath.


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"Alright… we team leaders had a meeting the other day; a meeting about this upcoming war… and we have come to a decision." She started. She looked over to Naruto, who nodded at her in support. She released the breath she had been holding. "Ciel, Misaki, Pluto, and Akihiko will no longer be a part of these teams." As predicted, Ciel shot up from his spot on the sofa, his childish face twisted in anger and disbelief. Misaki had dropped the plate he was washing and his mouth was open in shock. Akihiko and Pluto shared the same expression of boredom.

"What?" Ciel and Misaki shouted in unison. Fade sighed and gave them an apologetic look.

"It's for your own protection…" She started.

"Let's face it; you aren't able to participate in this level of fighting yet. You could be killed." Naruto stated while crossing his arms.

"What Naruto is trying to say is… in order for us to protect you, we are taking you out of the fight." Fade explained.

"No, you're treating us like children!" Ciel shouted, his cheeks burning red from his frustration.

"Well, you're acting like children now!" Naruto shouted back, shocking the Earl and causing him to calm down a bit.

"Let's hear Keira out…" Misaki said after a few minutes while placing a hand on Ciel's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Fade smiled at Misaki in thanks before continuing her explanation.

"Trigon is not like any other villain we have faced. He's dangerous; merciless… and he will not hesitate to kill. He's assembled a team of villains that all of us have had trouble defeating in the past. Ciel, despite what you say… you're still a kid." She flinched at the glare he sent her. "… and your fighting technique is still premature… Sebastian isn't on your team anymore… he can't protect you all the time."

"The hell he can't!" Ciel yelled; his face flushed in anger. Sebastian took this opportunity to intervene and he gently touched his master's shoulder and bent down to whisper in his ear.

"Young Master, you are acting quite childish indeed. Miss Hatake does indeed have a point." He whispered and stared at his young charge with concern in his eyes. Ciel smacked his hand away.

"You're only defending her because you're in love with her! You are my butler, Sebastian! You are to never disobey me or go against my wishes!" He shouted, causing a sea of gasps. Fade looked away in embarrassment. Sebastian, however, seemed unfazed.

"My lord," He began and waited for his master's attention before continuing. "I am merely your pawn in a game of chess; you're tool to victory. I will never lie to you, nor will I go against your wishes. I belong to you, body and soul." Sebastian stated while getting down one knee and placing his hand over his heart. "I am yours until the very end."

Everyone was speechless, including Ciel. Lelouch glanced over at Fade, who was staring at Sebastian with wide eyes. He could see the pain in her eyes. Ciel looked over at the girl as well, not sure what to say and slightly ashamed that he had acted out in such a way.

"Well, I believe that's enough for today." Fade said, ending the silence. She laughed forcefully and scratched the back of her head. "I'm sorry for this sudden news, you guys, but it really is for the best. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some preparations to tend to." She waved to everyone before using her powers to teleport out of the room. Everyone muttered amongst themselves and would throw a quick glance over to Sebastian. Sebastian was emotionless as he rose to his feet and placed both hands on his master's shoulders.

"Come, young master. It has gotten quite late and it is way past your bedtime." He said with a blank smile. Ciel blinked at his butler with shock before nodding.

"P-perhaps you're right…" He muttered before looking back to where Fade had been standing. Why did he say such things? He really was a child…

The two left the room and everyone else soon dispersed. Only Lelouch and C2 lingered in the room. The immortal girl looked over at her partner with emotionless eyes as she tried to read his thoughts. She saw the look in his eyes and sighed.

"Go after her." She said finally as she began walking towards the door. Lelouch said nothing as he watched her leave. He didn't really hear her anyway; his decision had already been made. And with that, he headed off to retrieve his heart.


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Sebastian closed the door to his master's room and walked over to the boy who was sitting on his bed. In silence, the butler began to undress the Earl and then dressed him in his nightshirt. Ciel watched the demon curiously. Sebastian was behaving differently. All life seemed to be gone from his eyes. His movements were slower; sadder. It was both pathetic… and heartbreaking to watch. Ciel could even tell his demon was upset… something he had never seen before in all the years he has been with Sebastian… and it was all his fault.

"Seba-"Ciel started but was cut off by Sebastian tucking him into bed.

"The young master needs his sleep; we have quite a busy day tomorrow." He said with a fake smile before leaving the room. Sebastian paused as he closed the door, his hand covering his face as he became lost in thought for a mere second. Brushing off his thoughts, he made his way towards his room. However, he was stopped by Rin blocking his path; Naruto was with him. Sebastian blinked once before smiling towards the two.

"Good evening. What brings you two so close to my quarters at this time of night? Especially you, Rin. We have training early in the morning. Shouldn't you be-"Sebastian quickly dodged, causing the kunai to wiz by his head and pinning to the wall behind him. All amusement vanished from the butler's face as he stared at the culprit; Naruto.

"You're a real piece of shoot, you know that?" Naruto growled.

"I don't know what you mean." Sebastian stated; his face blank.

"What you did to Fade. That was low." Naruto hissed, his eyes narrowing. "And then you don't even go to apologize. What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled and clenched his fist.

"Yeah! I mean, she's your girlfriend, right? Why would you practically reject her in front of everyone?" Rin chimed in while sending his mentor a glare. Sebastian gave them a smile.

"There must have been some kind of misunderstanding. There was no 'rejection', as you put it. Miss Hatake and I were never involved in an intimate relationship. I have always belonged to my master and only my master." Sebastian stated coldly.

"That's a load of crap." Naruto spit out. "I've seen the way you look at her and how she looks at you. Don't you dare stand here and say there was nothing intimate about it!" Naruto yelled as he slammed his fist into the wall. "Oh wait, I forgot. Demons are cruel. Demons use humans. Demons can't love." Naruto yelled, flashes of his own childhood filling his head. Rin looked down sadly as his comrade's words had also affected him. "Fade really is a fool for loving you! She should have stayed with Lelouch! At least he actually loved her-"Naruto was silenced by Sebastian slamming him into the wall. His eyes were a dark purple, his pupils slits, and his fangs were enlarged.

"Don't you dare say I do not love her." He spat as a low growl emitted from his throat. Naruto glared at the enraged demon, completely unfazed by the death-grip around his neck.

"If you loved her, you wouldn't be standing there, fighting with that ninja while my partner makes his move." The three men turned their heads to see C2 standing at the end of the hall, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at them softly. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly and his grip on Naruto's neck slackened.

"Lelouch is going after Fade. You should know that he has an ability… an ability to make her his again." C2 whispered as she shifted her gaze to the floor. Naruto's eyes widened a bit.

"His geass… he's going to use it on her, C2?" Naruto asked.

"If I am correct, that is his intention." C2 answered sadly. "He only wants her…" She whispered. Naruto let out a startled gasp as Sebastian released him and he fell to the ground. Before another word was said, Sebastian had vanished.


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Fade sat on the rocky ledge of a nearby waterfall. Not many people knew about this place, she only did because it was one of Raven's favorite training places. After Raven showed her this place, it had become Fade's thinking area. She sat near the water at the top of the waterfall, her arms hugging her knees to her chest as she stared out at the T-shaped Tower in the distance. She shivered slightly as the chilly night air brushed against her bare arms.

"Here." A voice whispered as something was draped across her shoulders. Blinking in shock, she grabbed the cloth and looked up to see who had disturbed her quiet environment. Lelouch smiled at her and sat down before adjusting his cape that he had placed on her. "That should keep you warm. It's pretty cold out here." He stated and then leaned back, using his arms for support. Fade said nothing as she returned her gaze to the tower.

"Why are you here?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"To see if you're okay. That was one pretty harsh break up." He smiled softly. He watched as her hands grasped her arms tightly. "I can see you're in pain." He said softly and brushed his fingers against her hair.

"It's not the first time." She replied curtly and brushed him off. He sighed and pulled his hand away.

"I know… and I am sorry. I really am…" He whispered and then lifted his head to look up at the stars.

"No amount of apologies can make up for what you put me through." She whispered coldly.

"I know. I'm scum." He chuckled slightly. She turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with anger.

"I don't think this is a joking matter." She hissed. Lelouch smiled and placed his hand on her cheek.

"It's not… but you're finally looking at me." He whispered and her eyes softened as she stared into his violet eyes. He leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She froze.

"Lelouch…" She whispered.

"Do you remember how we first met?" He asked suddenly as he huddled her into his arms, much to her surprise. He rested his chin on the top of her head as she sat in his lap. "You were on a mission to recruit new members. You even went to the past and the future. You entered a battlefield when you came to my era. There were civilians trapped there, Britannian and Japanese, but their nationalities didn't matter to you." He whispered as his eyes softened at the memories.

"You and those innocent people were about to be shot down by the Britannian army. You stood there, in front of the guns aimed at you, and told them to give it their best shot and that you wouldn't let those people die. I was watching you from my hiding area in the battlefield and to be quite honest, I thought you were a fool. But as I witnessed you tearing down the enemies machines, I was stunned. Then those Britannians you fought to protect called you a freak and harassed you for being Japanese. They never thanked you. Yet, you smiled at them. You told them that no matter what they said or did to you, you wouldn't regret saving them… because to you," He paused and smiled as his thumb stroked her hand gently. "Everyone is equal." He pulled her away slightly so their eyes met. "And that's when I started falling for you." Fade blushed and looked away before moving out of his lap and back into her previous position.

"I'm surprised you remember that." She whispered.

"Of course I do." He chuckled. "It's the first memory I have with you." She turned to look at him, her eyes slightly wide.

"If you really did love me, why did you leave me to believe you had died?" She asked softly.

"My death brought peace. I needed that peace to last. The moment C2 recovered my body; we headed off on a journey to come back here. Sadly, trying to get back to the portal Raven had given us was much harder than expected. I'm sorry it took so long." He whispered and placed his hand over hers.

"I wonder why I attract guys who only inflect pain on me…?" She pondered aloud.

"What if I said I could take the pain away?" Lelouch whispered, catching her attention.

"What?" She stuttered, her eyes wide. He took both of her hands in his and stared at her with determination.

"All of the pain; I can take it all away. I can make you as happy as you were before I died." He stated and she let out a small gasp.

"How…?" She whispered.

"My geass." Her heart seemed to stop as she remembered the past events when Lelouch had used his geass. He watched her quietly and waited for her answer. She removed her hands from his and turned back towards the tower.

"I would forget everything… wouldn't I?" She whispered as she thought back on her life after she had lost Lelouch. He gently cupped her cheek and turned her back towards him.

"You would only forget the pain you felt because of me… and because of Sebastian." Fade bit her lip as she processed his words. He smiled as he watched her consider it.

"If I said I wanted to forget… would I be selfish?" She whispered. His eyes widened some and then he smiled warmly. She always surprised him. He had never met anyone who asked him if it would be alright to forget. Normally, they just demanded he do it right then and now.

"Sometimes, it's okay to be a little selfish." He whispered and leaned in closer to her face, his lips inches from hers. 'After all, I'm only doing this for my own selfish reasons.' He thought with a smirk. Fade's mind went blank as she stared into his eyes. She didn't realize that he was moving closer, or that their lips were mere centimeters away from each other's. However, a flicker of pink caught her attention as the geass symbol appeared in his eye.

She pulled away and shut her eyes quickly. Lelouch blinked in surprise at her actions and he quickly dispersed his geass. He touched her arm gently.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to forget?" He asked, almost franticly. She shook her head and shut her eyes tighter, this time in an attempt to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I can't forget!" She yelled, catching the boy off guard. Her eyes opened and tears leaked out. "I can't." She whispered. Memories of her life after losing Lelouch came rushing through her mind. "I can't forget this pain… the pain I've obtained from you made me who I am today." She smiled bitterly. "I don't want to change that. I am strong because of what I've gone through…" She whispered and wiped away her tears as she stood.

"But what about Sebastian? He hurt you too." He argued and rose to his feet as well.

"Sebastian…" She whispered his name and thought back on their moments together. She smiled warmly and hugged herself slightly as her eyes closed. "I am happy that I met him. I'm happy I fell in love with him. Because of him, I know that I can love someone other than you; I can move on." She turned towards Lelouch and smiled widely. "I don't want to lose any of the memories I've made with anyone; you or Sebastian." She said cheerfully, her expression full of pride.

Lelouch said nothing as he stared at the ground, his eyes hidden beneath his bangs. Fade looked at him worriedly for a second before walking towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Lelouch?" She whispered and she felt his body tense up.

"I'm sorry, Keira." He whispered before snatching her wrist and snapping his head up, his eye glowing pink with the geass's power. Before Fade could shut her eyes, his made contact with hers; activating the power. "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you to…. Forget all the love you have for Sebastian and to forget the time I had died." He shouted.

Fade's eyes widened as the order was being carried out. Large chunks of her memory vanished from her mind and from the impact of it, she lost consciousness and fell backwards, only to be caught by Lelouch, who held her closely to his chest. He stared at her sleeping face lovingly and brushed a strand of hair off of her face.

"You were the one person I swore to never control… but you left me no choice." He whispered.

"You." He gasped as he heard an enraged snarl come from behind him. He turned to see Sebastian standing a few feet away, panting slightly. "What did you do to her?" He hissed. Lelouch smirked and gently set the sleeping girl on the ground and then stood up to face the demon.

"We just talked. She got a bit tired and fell asleep." He smiled innocently before narrowing his eyes slightly at the demon. "But what would it matter to you, last I checked, Keira isn't your 'young master.'" Lelouch spat. Sebastian's eyes flashed violet and his jaw clenched. "It's funny, really. She was so convinced that you loved her, yet you practically dumped her in front of all of her friends… and for a guy, even." Lelouch shook his head and laughed.

"You left her in a state of depression and from what I've heard; she even made an attempt on her life once because of you." Sebastian hissed as his body tensed from trying to keep control.

"I loved her and I never stopped trying to get back to her… and when I finally did, she was with you. She was in love with someone who was lying to her and using her. Tell me, if you are into little boys, then why did you even touch someone like her?" Lelouch asked as he snarled at Sebastian with disgust. In a mere second, Lelouch was hoisted up in the air by Sebastian, who had a strong grip on his collar.

"You don't know anything about me, Mr. Lamperouge." Sebastian snarled. "But I assure you, I will show you everything you need to know momentarily if you did anything to her." Sebastian threatened and his grip tightened.

"Hey, stop it you two!" A voice called out, startling them both. The two men looked over to see Fade sitting on the grass, her eyes wide and fearful. Sebastian dropped Lelouch immediately, who fell hard on his rump. In a matter of seconds, Sebastian was at Fade's side.

"Are you injured?" He asked quickly and started examining her body. His hand was swatted away by an embarrassed and aggravated Fade. Sebastian stared at her in shock.

"I'm fine, Sebastian. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't invade my personal space like that." She glared at the bewildered demon before realizing Lelouch was grumbling in pain. She quickly scrambled over to his side and asked him if he was okay in hushed whispers. She then turned back towards Sebastian and glared.

"I don't know what you two were fighting about, but as team leader, I will not allow such behavior!" She yelled and was about to shout more when Lelouch's hand cupped her cheek. Her eyes softened and she turned to look at the former prince.

"It's alright, I'm okay. It was all a big misunderstanding. Let's just return to the tower, okay, Keira?" He smiled and her cheeks burned red. She averted his gaze and instead, answered him with a nod. Sebastian reached his hand out to her, his eyes still wide and full of disbelief.

"Keira-"He called out to her, only to be stopped in mid sentence by the death glare she shot him.

"Sebastian, I know we come from different countries, but, I consider it to be disrespectful and rude for someone to call me by my first name when we are nothing more than comrades." She snarled before using her powers to teleport her and Lelouch back to the tower. Sebastian stood there in complete awe. Then, he slammed his fist into the ground, leaving a large ditch where the waterfall once stood.