Notes: I notice some people still expect this to play out exactly like canon. But with this chapter, that really becomes impossible. Not that I planned to do that anyway. Oh, a note on Kallen: I forgot about her. Yes, really. So I've jammed her in the story, and I have a realistic excuse as to why she wasn't at school: um, it's SCHOOL, and she didn't want to be there, especially not with Britannians. But she WAS there at one point (so they have her records), she just "got sicker" (read: stopped going in order work on her mad Knightmare skillz). You can accept that, yes?
Chapter Summary: Kallen gets an undercover assignment from Zero. Lelouch plays "Hide and Seek" with Euphemia and Suzaku. Nunnally befriends a Knight, although neither of them realizes it. Nina meets one of her idols. Lelouch's secret is exposed, sort of.
Of Monsters and Men
A Code Geass Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Part 3: Zero's Ace at Ashford
Kallen Kozuki was one of a very small number of women in Ohgi's resistance group, but that had never bothered her. The moment they'd realized she was easily the best Knightmare pilot among them, they'd stopped treating her like a little girl. Now it was no surprise when Ohgi saved the most difficult missions for her, because she was willing to do anything to free Japan from Britannian control.
Then Zero had come, and everything had changed. Suddenly, they were the Black Knights, and it was no longer just about freeing Japan, but freeing everyone considered weak and trapped in a corner. Kallen didn't really have a problem with that, either: the more allies they made, the easier it would be to take back Japan in the end. But Zero had completely disrupted the chain of command. There was no obvious rank, except that Zero was in charge, and he sometimes discussed his strategy with Ohgi ahead of time. And since Kallen generally stuck to Ohgi like glue, she was usually, but not always, in on such things.
Perhaps Zero hadn't been with them long enough to recognize her talents, or maybe he had a problem with a woman being among the elite. But Kallen had no intention of losing her spot, even if it meant getting right in Zero's masked face and telling him how it was going to be. After all, she knew she was too valuable to kill, and even if Zero didn't, the others would instantly turn on him if he tried anything underhanded.
With her mind made up, Kallen had no doubts about marching up to Zero's Sutherland that day, where he and Ohgi were discussing something over what looked like a set of blueprints. To her surprise, Zero lifted his head in her direction as she approached.
"Ah, Q-1. Just the soldier I was looking for."
Kallen couldn't help the tingle of pleasure that ran up her spine. Zero was looking for her! And he didn't see her as a girl, or a woman, but a soldier! She quickly schooled her face into a calm stare, especially when she noticed that Ohgi was doing his best not to laugh. Had she really been that obvious?
"I have an assignment just for you," Zero went on. "But first, tell me your age."
She blinked, realizing with some amusement that this might be the only time she wasn't tempted to lie to a man about her age. She had a feeling that Zero would be able to tell if she was lying, and it was probably vital for the mission, anyway. "I'm seventeen, Zero."
"As I thought, you're perfect for the infiltration. I know I can trust you not to fail me. Ohgi tells me that you're one of his best operatives."
Kallen shot him a brief look of thanks, but Ohgi missed it: he was too busy covering his mouth with his hand, almost as if trying to hold back laughter. "What do you need me to do?"
"You," Zero said simply, "are going to school."
"What?!" Kallen snapped, instantly losing her temper. "Dammit, Ohgi! I told you that I wasn't going back to that stupid academy with a bunch of spoiled Britannian brats! Who do you think-"
"Those spoiled Britannian brats have easy access to information that a Japanese student would be hard-pressed to obtain. I need you there, Q-1, because I already have a plant in the school, but he can't continue to go it alone. You will make contact and assist him in his mission."
Her eyes widened. "Wait! You said... then he's Britannian?!"
"Yes, and as such, he has experienced the cruelty of that corrupt empire firsthand. Surely you, being half-Britannian yourself, can appreciate that?"
Kallen winced, wishing Ohgi had left out that part about her. "Yes, but-"
Zero placed his hand on her shoulder. "I realize it won't be easy or even to your liking. But you are the only one who can do this, Q-1... no, Kallen. I need you to be my eyes and ears at Ashford Academy. My man on the inside is talented, but tends to attract far too much attention. You will be able to move about much more freely, with the proper cover story."
"So how will I know him, Zero?" she finally asked, resigning herself to this. If Zero needed her, and was giving her a chance to prove herself, she couldn't refuse.
"You only need to look for, as I said, someone who has experienced Britannia's cruelty. Trust me, you'll know my agent before the end of your first day."
"Don't forget to pack your lunch," Ohgi chimed in gleefully, earning a dark glare as Kallen stomped off.
"You're not really going to run around campus looking for Lelouch all day, are you?"
Euphemia ignored Suzaku's question and continued to walk quickly through the building, stopping to peer into every room they came across.
Suzaku sighed and simply kept up with her, already knowing the answer. After searching each of the places at school that Lelouch was known to frequent with no luck, they'd started looking everywhere else. It had only taken ten minutes for Suzaku to admit to himself that this was no longer just bad luck. Lelouch was actively hiding from Euphemia, and so was Nunnally, for that matter. No one had seen either of them, nor did anyone seem concerned about their absence. It was almost as if the two siblings were expected to be missing that day.
It was only after they passed the cafeteria for the third time that Suzaku finally grasped Euphemia's shoulder and brought her to a stop. "This isn't going to work, Euphie. If Lelouch is going to the trouble of hiding both himself and Nunnally from you, then we'll never find them this way."
"Then what do you suggest, Suzaku?" Euphemia asked, clearly starting to lose her temper.
"You'll only meet with him on his terms. We need to find out what he wants. I think we'll have to split up."
"Why?" she demanded at once.
"Because Lelouch wouldn't hide from me. I'll talk to him for you. All we're doing right now is wasting time. Why don't you go wait in the principal's office? You shouldn't run into any trouble there."
"It's just school, and I can handle myself-"
Suzaku gently grasped her hands. "Euphie. Please. I know you want to see Lelouch very badly, and I promise that you will. But you have to trust me. I can physically drag Lelouch to you if all else fails, but that will only happen if I find him first. I can't do that if I don't know that you're somewhere safe. So will you please go to the principal's office and wait for me?"
"Fine," Euphemia agreed reluctantly. "But don't take too long, Suzaku. It isn't fair that everyone but me gets to see him."
Suzaku sighed as Euphemia turned and walked away. "I'm starting to miss the old Euphie. She was never this stubborn."
"Perhaps she learned it from you," said a familiar voice in his ear.
His eyes went wide as two feminine arms slipped around his chest, embracing him from behind. He didn't dare move, as he'd recognized the voice as that of the mysterious green-haired girl from Shinjuku.
"Don't do anything too suspicious, people can see us. And I've decided that you two are far more trouble than you're worth," C.C. stated, resting her chin on his shoulder. "But Lelouch insists that you are useful still, so I will leave you with a warning. If you endanger our plans, I may have to harm you. I was labeled as poison gas for reason, you know."
"What do you want from me?" Suzaku breathed.
"Nothing. But Lelouch advises you to keep your princess on a shorter leash, and that you bring her to this location at the designated time." C.C. slipped a folded note into his pocket. "You both need to be more careful. They were bound to be watching each of you individually, so you'll be under three times as much surveillance, now that you're together. Remind the princess of that the next time she decides to visit, two days in a row, having taken few precautions to move about undetected. She may not be interested in hiding from them, but the rest of us are."
Suzaku was about to ask a question when he was shoved hard from behind. By the time he regained his balance and spun around, C.C. was nowhere to be found. "She's running errands for Lelouch now?" he murmured, frowning. "What is he up to?"
She hadn't even finished her first day back at school, and already Kallen had the beginnings of a serious headache. It was bad enough that she had to put up with brainless bimbos poking their noses into her business, as well as horny boys eyeing her like a piece of meat. But on top of that, she'd seen no one that matched Zero's description of having experienced Britannia's cruelty.
Well, except Suzaku Kururugi, but he couldn't possibly be Zero's man, as he was far too stupid to realize Zero had a much better chance of freeing Japan than he did.
Nobody seemed to have any visible scars at all, for that matter, and why would they? Britannians were so incredibly sheltered compared to the Japanese, and Kallen knew that better than most. She could think of no better way for an entire people to experience life's worst hardships than to lose a war. Even slaves like Suzaku had some value to Britannia, but Numbers weren't even human in the eyes of the empire.
Kallen knew that with a little effort, she could easily partake in the luxuries that most Britannians enjoyed. But that was why she fought so hard: for everyone that didn't have that choice, but deserved it all the same. She knew what it felt like to be weak, and it was something she would only wish on her worst enemies. To be so weak that you had no control over your own life was just like being dead, in her eyes.
Unfortunately, there was some value in being weak, or being seen as weak, in Kallen's case. Twice now she had "wandered" into restricted areas, only to be gently escorted out by concerned faculty members that knew of her prolonged illness. She loathed the pitying looks they sent her way, but it was all part of her disguise, so she had to put up with it. Zero had been right: no one would ever suspect her of any wrongdoing, thanks to her condition. But she still hadn't located his agent, and it was really starting to annoy her. It shouldn't have been so difficult to spot someone that had been crushed under Britannia's boot. Considering the sheer military might of the empire, that person would be lucky to be walking at all.
That last thought had barely crossed Kallen's mind when she walked out of the library, glanced to the left, the right, and then did a double-take.
Moving casually across the campus lawn was a young man, clad in the expected black uniform with gold trim. He was smiling, which shouldn't have been odd, but it certainly looked odd on him, as if he hadn't had reason to do so in several years. Kallen might've stopped paying attention there, except when her gaze moved down the boy's arms, she found that his hands were attached to the back of a wheelchair. In that wheelchair was a young girl who clearly couldn't walk, and that was what set off the alarm bells in Kallen's head.
Some of the other students had come off as nice or even friendly, but Kallen had felt no real warmth from them, either because there was none, or because she wouldn't allow herself to feel any with a Britannian. Yet there was nothing but warmth with this pair. There seemed to be a permanent smile on the girl's face, and when the boy reached down to brush a loose strand of hair out of her face, she grasped his hand and pressed it to her cheek. It was such a small thing to Kallen, but she could see that it meant the world to both of them. She felt bad for ruining the moment, but she was almost convinced that she'd found Zero's man.
"Excuse me!" she called, waving slightly as she approached them (she had to remind herself not to run too fast for a sick girl).
Curiously, the boy's face seemed to close up as he looked at her, the smile being replaced by a thin line that was about as inviting as razor blade. Kallen very nearly changed her mind, but wouldn't allow herself to be scared off by a mere look.
"I'm sorry, but could you tell me where the Student Council usually meets?" Kallen asked, offering a hesitant smile. "I'm supposed to talk to Milly there later, but I forgot to ask where it is, and I guess she just assumed I remembered..."
The boy was about to open his mouth, but the girl in the wheelchair cut him off. "We can do better than tell her, can't we, Lelouch?"
He blinked and gave Kallen something resembling a patient smile. "I guess we can. Lelouch and Nunnally Lamperouge, at your service."
"Oh, I didn't mean to be any trouble," Kallen said quickly. "You two are busy, right? If you just give me directions, I'm sure I can-"
"It's not a problem," Lelouch interrupted. "Nunnally likes the fresh air, and we weren't going to class today, anyway, Miss...?"
"Kallen Stadtfeld. I used to be a student here, but I had to stop attending because of my illness. But I guess I recently lucked into a bit of better health, so here I am again."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen," Nunnally said warmly.
Kallen couldn't help staring a little, as she finally noticed a little detail that had escaped her attention initially: Nunnally hadn't opened her eyes the entire time. "Um, nice to meet you, too, Nunnally." Upon realizing that Nunnally most likely wouldn't see it if she were to bow, Kallen began to reach for the girl's hand. She was a little surprised when Nunnally's hand rose to meet hers, barely missing grasping it at all. "How did you...?"
"You just sound like the kind of person who shakes hands," Nunnally replied with a small smile.
Kallen must have looked very puzzled, because Lelouch added, "My sister is blind, Kallen."
Her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorr-"
"I'm pretty sure it wasn't your fault, Kallen," Nunnally said, her smile not dimming in the least as she gave Kallen's hand a light squeeze.
"I-It's just that I didn't realize," Kallen stammered, her cheeks glowing. "I'm so embarrassed..."
Nunnally gave her hand another squeeze. "Don't be embarrassed, be our friend!"
"It isn't something you would think to ask if you'd never met Nunnally before," Lelouch explained. "So it's not as if we could or would blame you for not knowing. Besides, you asked us for directions, so it's like an indirect compliment."
"But it's lucky Lelouch was with me when you asked, Kallen, or I might've gotten us both lost trying to show you the way," Nunnally giggled.
Kallen laughed weakly, wishing she could escape, but Nunnally was still holding onto her hand, and she didn't want to seem rude by pulling it away. Lelouch looked like the type to take such a thing (and indeed, most things, period) rather personally. He was probably only being as nice as he was because Nunnally was around.
"We'd better get moving," Lelouch said. "Milly won't mind if Kallen is late, but she'll think I was purposely trying to hold up the meeting."
"Wait, you're on the Student Council, too?" Kallen asked in growing horror. This was just getting worse by the minute.
"Even worse: I'm the Vice President. Don't worry, it's not nearly as exhausting as some of the other clubs, and you could probably get out of most duties by saying you were with Nunnally."
"But that would be dishonest," Kallen murmured.
"Not if you really were with me, and you were," Nunnally pointed out. "It wouldn't be lying if we were together most of the time. That's even more reason for us to be friends!"
"Just agree with her or you'll never get your hand back, Kallen," Lelouch advised.
"I would've let her go, eventually," Nunnally protested lightly as she finally released Kallen. "I just know a good friend when I hear one, and I didn't want you scaring her off, Lelouch."
He made a show of rolling his eyes as he started pushing Nunnally's wheelchair again, trusting that Kallen would follow. "Anyway, what were we talking about before?"
"Chess," Nunnally answered. "You were talking about opening moves."
"Right. Now, one of my favorites is knight to C6, which is-"
"Lelouch," Nunnally interrupted, "you do know that I don't have a chessboard imprinted on my brain? I really have no idea what space you're talking about."
Kallen stared at him blankly as he tried to explain to Nunnally what he meant. Lelouch had just uttered "knight to C6," which was of course the code phrase Zero had given her. He hadn't met her gaze at all, though, so while it was possible that it was just a coincidence, Kallen didn't think so. But it was still hard to imagine that Lelouch could be an undercover agent for Zero. After all, his sister was blind and confined to a wheelchair, so surely a large portion of his time was devoted to looking after her. On the other hand, no one would ever suspect him for that very same reason, so it really was ingenious.
She kept quiet as Lelouch and Nunnally went back and forth. Lelouch seemed to be of the opinion that one day, a dangerous kidnapper would snatch Nunnally and force her into a game of chess at gunpoint. Nunnally tended to think that if someone was going to go to the trouble of kidnapping her, they'd at least have the decency not to expect her to play a game that relied so heavily on sight. Lelouch said she was being silly, which made her laugh for nearly ten minutes straight.
By the time they finally reached the Student Council meeting room, Kallen was certain they'd forgotten about her entirely. The two siblings had slipped into their own little world again, where nothing mattered but the simple joy they experienced just by being in each other's presence. That's what she thought, at least, until Lelouch tried to blame their being late on her. Although considering the fierce look that Milly gave him, she could definitely understand why he'd want to shift the blame to anyone else.
"Am I going to be allowed in a Student Council meeting?" Euphemia asked as she followed Suzaku down the long hallway.
"I don't know, but Lelouch is bound to be there," Suzaku replied flatly. He was still very tense after his meeting with C.C., and he knew that this was going against everything she'd told him. But Euphemia had given him a kicked puppy look when he'd started to suggest that they try again tomorrow, and Suzaku had not quite perfected the art of refusing the Third Princess. And what could Lelouch really do in front of all their friends, anyway? Pout?
Then again, if Nunnally was present as well, Suzaku had a feeling that a single tear from her would defeat him and Euphemia both. But surely even Lelouch was not so diabolical as to sic his little sister on them. At least, that was what Suzaku desperately hoped.
"I'm really nervous all of a sudden, Suzaku," Euphemia admitted softly. "I've wanted this for so long, and now I don't what to do. What are you going to say if they ask who I am?"
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll just tell everyone that I know you from work. That's true enough, and Cecile has come to fetch me before, so I doubt they'll question someone from the military accompanying me around school. Everyone knows I have some 'special circumstances,' and this is just more of that. Besides, I doubt anyone that doesn't know you personally will recognize you."
Euphemia hoped he was right. She'd only put on some glasses and styled her hair into a long braid. True, it was something she'd never done in the palace or when making public appearances, but her confidence was shaky at best right now. Ironically, Lelouch had always been the one to encourage her when they were children, and now he was the one making Euphemia doubt herself. Not for the first time, she realized just how dangerous an enemy Lelouch would be if he ever decided to oppose Britannia directly. While she had believed him dead for years, some small part of her had always feared that he was alive, plotting to avenge his mother's death by destroying the Imperial Family.
She was about to force those thoughts away, but it became a moot point as Suzaku led her into a meeting room. Euphemia had no time to prepare herself as she stepped in and spotted Lelouch sitting near the window, a rather bored expression on his face, with Nunnally right next to him.
For a moment, Euphemia completely forgot how to breathe. Lelouch, her long lost brother and best friend, was alive and right in front of her. And from the look of it, if he had the luxury of being bored, then hatred and revenge had not consumed him as she'd feared.
An instant later, Lelouch flicked his violet gaze up to her face, and with that simple motion, Euphemia suddenly recalled how to breathe. Only now she forgot how to do it quietly and at the usual speed. Tears pooled up in the corners of her eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure, but it was an uphill battle that she had little to no chance of winning. She was only seconds away from bolting across the room and flinging herself bodily at Lelouch when something actually did stop her.
Lelouch moved his gaze away, and briefly passed his thumb over his lips.
"Our little secret, Euphie," murmured a voice in her head, "and this will be our signal."
It had been years, but it was something that Euphemia either would not or could not forget as long as she lived. Shaking her head slightly, she brushed the tears from her eyes and sat down beside Suzaku, aware that she was getting some odd looks. Thankfully, the Student Council President snapped at everyone when she realized they weren't listening, quickly regaining their attention.
Euphemia snuck another glance at Lelouch, but he seemed a little preoccupied with the redhead on the other side of Nunnally. Still, there was a small, pleased smile on his face that definitely hadn't been there before. Feeling an almost childish sense of glee flow through her, Euphemia relaxed and slipped her hand into Suzaku's. She could be calm, for now. But the moment she got Lelouch alone, she was going to hug him until he was on the brink of suffocation.
Outwardly, Lelouch was smiling. Inwardly, he was seething.
Suzaku and Euphemia had completely defied him. Well, that was wrong. It was all Euphemia, because clearly Suzaku had no way of controlling her. That was really not too surprising, but it still irked him that his instructions had been ignored entirely.
Even more frustrating, Lelouch knew his anger, however righteous, wouldn't last. He could never stay mad at Euphemia, even if she deserved it. Nunnally came first in his heart above all things, but Euphemia ranked just after her, and for good reason. She had been Nunnally's first playmate, and the only sibling to never even notice that their mother was of common birth. She had been the first to comfort Nunnally after their mother's assassination (Lelouch had been too busy throwing things, still reeling from the idea that he'd lost both his mother and the privilege of ever looking into Nunnally's eyes again). Those things alone would've won Euphemia a permanent place in his heart, but on top of all that, she genuinely adored him and never hesitated to show it.
But Euphemia's presence at Ashford could only be a bad thing. One of the few consistently negative things about Euphemia was that her older sister was never far behind. The thought of Cornelia discovering them here was disastrous at the very least. It was hard to say what she would do exactly, only that it would surely be detrimental to their health, if not fatal. If Euphemia had believed they were dead, then Cornelia might very well try to make the reality match up with her false memories, whether she wanted to or not. There was no telling what Geass command had been used on Euphemia, or even if Cornelia were under the influence of the same one. That was exactly why Lelouch hadn't wanted to risk encountering either of them until he'd put certain safeguards in place. He couldn't use his own Geass on Euphemia again, so he would have to ply her with his natural charm, something that had never been too difficult. But there was no choice with Cornelia: Geass was the only way she wouldn't report his and Nunnally's existence to anyone else.
But the more immediate problem was getting Euphemia to realize just how dangerous their being together was, without completely alienating her. She could be a valuable ally if she were more careful, and Lelouch honestly didn't want to hurt her, or cause problems with Suzaku by doing so. But she needed to be reprimanded, however gently, for this mistake. A few days apart was the best solution: it would give Lelouch time to relocate Nunnally if necessary, and to improve his defenses around the school. Already he had used his Geass on practically every teacher, as well as the students who gossiped the most. They would inform him if anyone from the military, Imperial Family, or someone who just looked suspicious, set foot onto the campus. He was still reluctant to do the same with his friends, but Milly was the only one he could count on, as she alone knew his true identity.
There was also the problem of what to do with Nunnally. Odd as it sounded, Lelouch didn't want to risk her losing her temper with Euphemia again. Fortunately, it wouldn't be too strange if he asked Kallen to take her somewhere and keep an eye on her. He could pass it off as Nunnally giving her a tour (the look on Kallen's face alone would be priceless, and Nunnally would appreciate the chance to get to know her new friend).
Suzaku was very impressed. Once the meeting ended, Lelouch managed to get ten feet away from the room before Euphemia tackled him. And since Lelouch had all the athletic inclination of a wounded marshmallow, it spoke volumes about how much he had wanted to avoid such a scene in public. Thankfully, he'd managed to duck around a corner just in time, otherwise Suzaku would've spent the rest of the day fighting off Lelouch's horde of angry fangirls.
"I found you!" Euphemia proclaimed happily, rubbing her cheek against Lelouch's like a rather large housecat as she hugged him.
Lelouch laughed weakly. "You haven't changed at all, Euphie."
"Neither have you. It always took me forever to find you when we played this game. I swear sometimes you stopped yourself from breathing just to drive me crazy!"
"Nothing so clever as that, I'm afraid. Mostly I fell asleep waiting for you to find me, and it just so happened that I didn't snore."
Euphemia's eyes watered as she stared at his face. "Oh, Lelouch... I missed you so much." And before either Lelouch or Suzaku could stop her, she grabbed the sides of his head, lurched forward, and kissed him firmly on the lips.
Suzaku was uncertain what he found to be the greater injustice: that he had to watch Euphemia kiss someone else, or that the someone else appeared to be fighting with everything he had to get away.
The moment Euphemia released him, Lelouch sucked in a huge amount of air, his face nearly blue. "Euphie," he gasped, his violet eyes wide, "why...?"
"I just love you, Lelouch," she replied solemnly, and Suzaku found himself wiping away a tear.
"Yes, well... could you love me a little less next time? I almost passed out."
"You never used to mind so much."
Suzaku almost flung himself at Lelouch in a jealous rage, but regained his composure just in time to ask hoarsely, "This happened often when you were young?"
"Far too often," Lelouch sighed, never realizing how close he was to death by being hurled headfirst into a wall. "I wish you two had listened to me before. This is incredibly dangerous for Nunnally and I. Someone from the military has to be following you."
"How can you be so sure?" Suzaku countered. "Lloyd doesn't care where I go as long as I show up for work, and this isn't the first time Euphemia has gone out on her own. Why are you so certain that we've made a mistake?"
"Don't even attempt to grow a brain on me, Suzaku," Lelouch snapped, his eyes narrowing. "I've been running for my life a little longer than you have. Let me remind you two that this is my life on the line, and Nunnally's as well. I won't let anything jeopardize them. Nothing is more important than Nunnally's safety." He turned his glare on Euphemia. "Nothing. So if you expect to be part of our lives, we do this my way from now on. No more showing up in highly public places for teary reunions. No more visiting us two days in a row. I'll tell you when we can make contact from now on."
"That's fine," Euphemia said before Suzaku could protest. "So long as I get to see you two, I don't care how."
Lelouch's eyes softened somewhat as he looked at her. "It was good to see you again, Euphie. I'm only harsh with you because I must be to survive. But I'm doing this for your safety as well. You both need to be more aware of who you are and who might be watching you at any given moment. If I had learned that lesson earlier, perhaps I'd still have my mother. I don't want either of you to suffer so great a loss, so start thinking with your heads, instead of your hearts. Everyone else in Britannia does."
"That's not true, Lelouch," Suzaku argued.
"It's true enough. Play by my rules, or don't play at all. It's up to you." With that, Lelouch turned and walked away, seeming to grow more and more tense with each step.
"Why did you agree to his terms?" Suzaku asked.
"Because he's right. I only even found out they were alive because I was told by..." Euphemia's eyes widened, and she sagged against Suzaku as her legs gave out beneath her.
"Euphie?! What's wrong?" Suzaku asked in alarm as he held her tight.
"Z-Zero," she breathed, tears spilling from her eyes. "He's..."
"What? Where?!" Suzaku demanded, his head whipping back and forth as he searched the hallway.
But Euphemia would say no more, and continued to stare in the direction Lelouch had gone, her mouth working soundlessly as she accepted that one of her greatest fears had finally been realized.
Kallen had no idea what had happened. She'd only meant to spend a few minutes walking Nunnally home after the meeting, so she could then track down Lelouch and finally confirm if he was really Zero's man. Only when she looked at her watch did she realize that she'd spent three hours with Nunnally. On top of that, Nunnally somehow convinced her to stay for dinner, which, according to the maid, Lelouch almost never showed on time for.
So of course he did that night, accompanied by an odd green-haired girl that was either a very talented spy or a very unskilled prostitute. Realistically, if Nunnally occupied as much of Lelouch's time as Kallen suspected, the latter was more likely. But that Lelouch was such a sucker for a pretty face was a bit disappointing.
The lousy prostitute excused herself halfway through dinner, having finished a few slices of cold pizza in record time. Kallen was relieved, as she didn't want any further distractions. Lelouch appeared to agree, excusing himself and Kallen by claiming that they needed to finish up some Student Council business.
They'd gone straight to Lelouch's room, where Kallen had immediately put a knife to his throat as he locked the door behind him.
"No more games," she snapped. "Are you-"
"You like getting straight to the point, don't you, Q-1?" he asked, smirking.
She sighed and put the knife away. "It's been a long day. What the hell is going on around here? Who was that weird girl with the pizza?"
Lelouch chuckled in a way she didn't care for. "You noticed her, did you? At present, she's a delivery girl. She handles things I can't risk doing in person. A little odd, but Zero approved of her."
Kallen's eyes narrowed. "He said you were his only agent here."
"He was right. I don't think she's quite devoted enough to be called one of the Black Knights at this point. For now, we have a mutually beneficial agreement. She won't be a problem."
"So what's this mission Zero was talking about? What kind of information are you after?"
An odd smile appeared briefly on his face. "Come now, Kallen. You're an accomplished Knightmare pilot, probably the best Zero has. Do you really think he would waste your talents on mere info gathering? That was just an excuse for anyone who might be listening."
"I don't understand," Kallen said slowly. "What am I supposed to be doing, then?"
"Tell me, how do you feel about Nunnally?" Lelouch asked, turning his back on her.
Kallen frowned, getting the impression that she wouldn't like where the conversation was headed. "She was nice enough. Why?"
"What would you say if I told you that she was under Zero's protection?"
She opened her mouth to protest, but then she realized that the evidence was there. Zero had dropped everything the moment he'd heard about the hostage situation at Lake Kawaguchi, even before the hostages had been shown on the news. Kallen had thought it strange that he wasn't even willing to take an armed man inside with him, but now she understood that he'd been less concerned with taking out the JLF faction, and more concerned with that girl remaining unharmed.
"But why?" Kallen finally asked.
Lelouch shook his head. "All I can tell you is that Nunnally is vital to the restoration of Japan, and Zero knows this. She may not have asked for his help, but she does need it. That's where you come in, Kallen. You are now assigned to Nunnally during school hours, whenever you're not called away by Zero. You are to be her personal Black Knight."
Nina had heard of people who claimed that God spoke to them in the weirdest places: theme parks, strip clubs, and even foreign snack foods.
Zero was not God, and perhaps because of that, he chose the communal restroom in the girls' dorm shortly after midnight. Nina would later realize that this was only because she herself happened to get up at that time, but it still meant that he'd awaited her arrival there for who knew how long.
Thankfully, he waited until she was done drying her hands before speaking to her, from one of the closed stalls, in that booming voice of his.
"Nina Einstein."
She very nearly tripped over her own feet as she spun around, eyes wide as the stall door swung open to reveal the familiar masked figure staring back at her. "Zero?" she gasped, clutching the sink so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Tell me, do you like the power I've given you?" he asked.
Nina frowned slightly, shaking her head. "Power? What power?"
"Geass. The Power of the Absolute Path." He stepped out of the stall, slowly approaching her. "Don't you find it odd that everything seems to be going your way suddenly? Everyone loves your art. You're President of the Art Club. No one can seem to say no to you. What did you believe that to be? Mere good fortune?"
"Then... you did this for me?" she asked, her heart swelling with even more gratitude.
"I merely provided the means. You did this for yourself, without even realizing it. That is the Absolute Path. Those under its influence are presented with a choice, and they will unfailingly choose the option that most benefits you. I only ask two things in return. First, that you never use this power without careful consideration of the consequences. Second, that you never try to use it on me."
"So... if I tried to make you take off your mask?" Nina asked hesitantly.
"In truth, I am immune to the power's effects. But if you will swear your loyalty to me, I will trust you with my identity."
"Of course!" Nina said at once. "Zero, you saved my life! I'll do anything you ask!"
"Thank you, Nina," Zero replied, and then he removed his mask. "Now, go back to your room. I will call for you soon."
Nodding rapidly, Nina practically fell over herself in her hurry to get back to bed.
Once she was gone, Zero walked back into one of the stalls, closed the door, and quickly proceeded to undress. Less than a minute later, a voice called out from the helmet.
"Was the plan a success?"
"You worry too much, Lelouch," C.C. replied, tucking the rest of Zero's outfit into a suitcase. "I told you I could handle this. Now all I need to do is make sure she sees me with you tomorrow."
"I'm still curious about one thing, C.C. How did you know she had Geass, and how did you know exactly what it was?"
"It's very simple," she answered. "I've seen it before. And I never forget an artificial Geass when I see one."
End of Chapter 3.
Endnotes:
Waha! Did you expect Zero to claim Lelouch as his agent? Once I tossed out the hint, I'm sure you did. A little non-canon twist to spice things up (and to cover for the fact that I forgot Kallen)!
I had to look up chess on the internet, it's been years since I played and I was never that good to begin with. Imagine my disappointment when I realized I couldn't use Q1 as a location on the board. So I just went with C6, which is the one of spaces a knight can move to from it's starting position. Not that Kallen would know that on her own.
I didn't realize Lelouch was Vice President of the Student Council until I re-watched the episode where Arthur steals the Zero helmet. I guess it doesn't come up often, or no one wants to admit that because he ditches school so often. Which reminds me, what's up with Nunnally's ears? She can tell that a cat several feet from her has a wounded leg, but she can't tell when C.C.'s standing right in front of her holding a pizza? Even more strange is the fact that Arthur slipped right by C.C. without her noticing, so he should technically be almost supernaturally quiet, unless C.C.'s senses just automatically dull when there's a pizza less than five feet from her...
Uh, about Euphemia kissing Lelouch. I don't know where it came from. But for Lelouch to pretty much become THE definition of "whipped" with Nunnally nowhere in sight, Euphie has got some kind of hold on him.
Lelouch must realize that Euphemia and Nunnally are the only princesses that aren't prejudiced against the Japanese, so it makes sense that one or both of them would play a major role in Japan's liberation.
I know Nina's Geass is weird. I noticed descriptions of both Lelouch's and Rolo's Geass have the word "absolute" somewhere in the title, so I felt it was required. Not quite as powerful or precise, since it's really more like a very long run of good luck than anything else. And all I meant by "artificial Geass" is that it wasn't gained through a contract, and consequently is a bit more passive.
Gah, fixed a little mistake: apparently C.C. hadn't touched Suzaku and given him scary flashbacks at this point in canon. But for all Suzaku knows, she could very well be capable of breathing poison gas, or even be composed of it.
Something else to point out: as this is Kallen's first day back at school, she's never actually met Lelouch before now. Now I've gotten a LOT of reviews claiming that this being their first meeting causes a load of problems. After some thought, I don't see it that way, and let me explain why. You can safely assume that Kallen still participated in Shinjuku, where Zero saved her and the rest of Ohgi's group. But as she wasn't attending school, there was never a chance for her to meet Lelouch, or suspect him of being Zero. I don't think it would take much effort for Zero to track down Ohgi's group, since he provided them with a trainload of stolen Knightmares. So Ohgi and Kallen would still participate in Suzaku's rescue, only without the weird museum trip and subway ride with Geassed passengers. I'll elaborate on all of this first thing next chapter, just to clear up any lingering doubts. Sorry for any confusion.