27 「After Party at Shikine」

The party wasn't exactly what he had expected, since most parties he had been to in his past life were more so teenagers jumping around, grinding against one another. It seemed more formal at the Ashford Academy, but that was probably because they were a much more formal lot.

If they could consider the Council as formal. Milly was inappropriate, but found every licking moment to celebrate or do something. There was an event for everything in her book. She had to make competitions out of everything to. It was rather amazing to see someone so optimistic, who was really just trying to keep herself distracted.

Now some hours after the party, they have found themselves off the coast from the Island of Shikine. Apparently something was going down and Suzaku had to be present. Without a doubt, Graham knew that he had no choice but to be here. If he wasn't it was likely going to be a bloodbath with the loss of Suzaku and Lelouch.

While he was in a sense best friends, and childhood friends, with both of them. If he hadn't made the promise to protect Lelouch, he wouldn't have bothered to come. He would have also taken Kallen with him.

However there were multiple reasons why he stuck around, other than the promise to Nunnally. The main reason, Zero was a good symbol to have and could be used to manipulate others with for his own gain.

Lelouch wanted nothing more than to Obliterate the rotting country which had abandoned him and his sister. Which left him open to assassination and constant threat of death should their identities be revealed.

He would do anything to stop his sister and himself from becoming someone else's political tools again. This was something Graham would not only exploit, but to help things move smoothly.

Lelouch was generally in charge, but Graham was practically allowed to do anything he wanted.

As Diethard was looking over the operations on board the submarine, both Graham and Lelouch approached him from behind. Anya of course close in tow with Graham.

Graham on the other hand was dressed in his armor, while Anya was wearing her crop top, boots, long gloves, socks and a pair of white shorts held up by a belt. The belt had a golden buckle and her crop top had a golden trim, like many members of the Britannian Military and Nobility.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" The blond arrogant man looked over the two of them. However seeing the look on Graham's face and the mask of Zero blankly glaring at him, he felt an unpleasant feeling.

"You are not in charge of Military affairs, Diethard. you've overstepped your bounds this time... After abandoning your post at the port. You're being suspected as a turncoat. I am turning you over to the Lost One here..." Lelouch gestured to Graham, who then gestured for him to follow.

The media man did as he was told. He followed Graham and both of them ended up in the torpedo room. It was isolated, there were no weapons here, no airlock.

"Why have you possibly brought me here?" He pushed his hair back extravagantly, he thought he was invincible. He believed Zero needed him in this time and all.

That was until he watched as Graham opened one of the tubes. His eyes moved over to the girl with pink hair and red eyes. "What is he doing?" He questioned the girl as it seemed Graham was giving him the cold shoulder.

"Tell me, Mister Diethard, at this Depth. Will it be the pressure or the drowning that kills a man?" Graham asked curiously as Diethard was slowly catching onto what was going on. His eye darting over to the door, then over to the open tube.

"You... You can't do this. Zero needs me!" He shouted at the man as Anya began closing the door, sealing the hatch. "You... UNLOCK THE DOOR GIRL!" He pointed only for Graham to slap the hand aside and sucker punch him once in the face.

"You shouldn't have sent Kallen to kill one of our agents."

Diethard stumbled back and felt the front of his uniform being grasped into Graham's fist. "Wha... I didn't know!"

"Then you shouldn't have acted. Your ambitions are going to be the death of you." Graham gravely informed him, kicking out his shins and putting him on his knees.

He was then pulled and his face shoved partially into the tube. "St-stop... Please, I need this!" The tube made his voice echo. The desperation was real, there were tears in his eyes, blood leaking from his nose.

Graham bashed the side of Diethard's head against the exterior of the tube, tearing flesh and disorienting him slightly.

"Yes... You need to die. Good thing you noticed," Graham rolled his eyes as he started pushing Diethard's head into the open tube. He was giving some good resistance, flailing his arms, kicking out at him. It was ineffective though, Graham just kept putting more and more weight on him, using inhuman strength to keep him subjected.

"No! I can't die here! I have to show the world what Zero can do!"

"You can leave that to me, traitor..." The moment that Diethard heard the words that he was being branded with, his struggle intensified. "Yes... You're a traitor. You will be remembered as such. Don't worry, I know others who can do a better job than you with media and communications." It began to sound as if he was reassuring Diethard that his work would go on without him, even though he was being discredited and practically burned at the stake.

Anya stood at the bulkhead hatch and watched. It wasn't her first time watching people die. She had witnessed plenty people be gunned down, stabbed. She was from Britannia and she was a Military officer.

Her red eyes however didn't focus at all on Diethard, but Graham's' face. Despite the words he was using, despite how he was trying to kill a man. She could see the wide range of emotions which weren't present in his voice.

The struggle lasted for about ten minutes before Graham closed the torpedo tube on the man's arm, causing him to scream. His arm had been broken and he had then be successfully stored in the tube. Once it was locked, his screams and cries came down to a low murmur.

"Pressurizing," Graham stated as he would turn a red knob attached to a metal pipe. The screaming quickly returned, this time with even more pain, but within seconds there was a pop sound just as water began to fill the tube. "And pop goes the weasel."

Anya simply stood there staring at him, watching as the tears left his eyes and clung to his chin, before falling to their untimely demise against the metal floor at his feet. "I'll get Kallen," She went to undo the hatch on the bulkhead, then paused when there was no response. Glancing over at him as he leaned against the tube, she would let go of the hatch and walk towards him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "Graham," she whispered quietly as she rested her chin against his torso. Looking up at him, as he blankly stared back down at her, she wanted to make him smile. "Graham, are you the Graham Cracker?"

Finally he looked at her, a small stiff of a smile appeared across his lips hearing the pun, despite how stale it sounded. He reached over and caressed her cheeks with both hands. She wasn't entire sure why he was touching her face, but it felt like some sort of romantic gesture.

"You did it because you had to," She seemed to push herself up, her face getting closer to his. She was attempt to reassure him, to rationalize his choice to kill the man. "He would have ruined everything. Wouldn't he?"

Graham snickered quietly, "You're starting to sound a bit like my conscious." Closing his eyes, he would place a hand on the top of her head, while the other moved to her shoulder. "And here I was promising you a more attractive future and all I've shown off the bat is ruthlessness." He wore a blank smile across his face as he pointed this out.