Edge of Soul
Disclaimer:I do now own Code Geass.
Author Notes: One reason- Real Life. After facing my final exams and coming out in one piece I can at last focus on updating. Sorry for the long wait but I hope this chapter is satisfactory. It isn't up to my usual standards since I just got back to writing after a long hiatus. Thanks for support and encouragement.
Kingrichard360: Lelouch was always biased xD Thanks for the review!
InsanePurpleLove: Well, now that school is over (forever) everything will be amazing. Thanks for the review!
Furudere: He isn't exactly a scientist. He also isn't a rebellion leader. For now. xD Thanks for the review!
AisloreIV: Thanks for the review!
Chapter 3: Konnichiwa
Japan.
Lelouch never thought he would actually return to the country that had taken away everything he had cared about. But it was no longer Japan. Area 11 was the name given by the Britannians to the once proud nation.
Glancing at the sleeping boy beside him, Lelouch sighed. Despite his assurances that he could do it alone, Rolo had insisted on accompanying him. He didn't mind Rolo company since the boy anyway didn't talk much but the hero-worship in the boys eyes whenever he looked at Lelouch made him uncomfortable.
"Please put on your seatbelts. We will be landing in 5 minutes."
Rolo's eyes snapped open at the loud announcement and looked around disorientated before remembering where he was. Smiling sheepishly at Lelouch he fastened his seatbelt and Lelouch did the same.
A slight jerk indicated their touchdown. Lelouch closed his eyes and leaned back.
They had arrived.
"Here we are Sir." The taxi driver announced in English though it was clear that he was half Japanese. Lelouch reflected that he may be of the higher class who had a chance of getting a small job instead of living in complete poverty.
Lelouch got out with Rolo and looked up at the house. He had managed to a book a small villa for them in advance. The house was small yet fully furnished and it would be more than enough for the two of them. It had a homey feeling about it. But Lelouch didn't care about all those things.
As soon as he entered, he set up his laptop on the coffee table.
"Lelouch?" Lelouch looked at Rolo impatiently. "Don't you want to eat and freshen up first? It was a long flight."
Lelouch sighed irritably. "We have no time to relax. The faster we find CC, the faster we can go home. "He turned back to his laptop.
"Sir"
"I need the last confirmed location of the target."
The man on the screen nodded. "It will be sent to you in a few minutes. It should be noted that this location is of a month back."
Lelouch didn't reply and closed his laptop with a sigh. Leaning back on the couch he was sitting on, he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.
"Did you need something Rolo?" He asked keeping his eyes closed. He didn't need to open them to see the boy still hovering near him.
There was a minute of silence before Rolo muttered. "No Lelouch."
Lelouch pursed his lips as he glanced at the boy. Rolo looked completely jet lagged. Lelouch frowned. He should've just left Rolo home. The boy was going to slow them down. Yet Lelouch couldn't continue on his mission without Rolo. Resisting the urge to sigh in his impatience, he waved his hand at Rolo. "Go and get some rest. We will start our search tomorrow."
"Huh?" Lelouch was in no mood to explain him.
"I don't need a brain dead assistant with me." Lelouch said instead as he stood up and made his way towards his room without a backward glance to Rolo. He wished he could get rid of the boy who seemed to hero worship him but Lelouch couldn't deny his usefulness. So he let Rolo tag around. It helped that Rolo didn't like to talk much.
Now to do some more research before setting out to search CC.
"Pizza Hut?" The incredulity in Rolo's voice was not disguised. Lelouch glanced back at Rolo who was staring up at the fast food sign.
"Are you sure we are at the right location?" Lelouch inquired.
Rolo blinked before nodding. "Yes, this is the building for sure. Doesn't look like a place an immortal would be spending most of her time in."
Lelouch sighed before entering. It was filled with people. Lelouch made his way towards the counter.
"How may I help you, Sir?" The lady behind the counter smiled brightly. A bit too bright for it to be real.
"Did you see a green haired woman with amber eyes over here?" Lelouch smiled brilliantly. "I am new to Japan and I was supposed to meet her here but I lost her number." The lady blinked in confusion before frowning.
"I can't say I have." Lelouch pursed his lips. "But we used to have a regular costumer with amber eyes though she used to have black hair. But it has been nearly a month since she last came here."
Jackpot.
"Thank you Miss. It seems like she isn't the one we are searching for. Thank you for your help." Lelouch smiled charmingly before making his way out with Rolo.
"Looks like we are on the right track." Rolo remarked.
"But we still have a long way to go."
And that was how Rolo and Lelouch went to each and every single Pizza Hut around the city searching for a woman who seemed to have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth.
"Where the hell can she be?" Lelouch rubbed his forehead. He hadn't anticipated that it would be this hard to find the immortal woman. True, she had managed to slip away each and every time but this time he was sure that she didn't go by herself.
They were currently seated in another Pizza Hut with no sign of the immortal. A few Pizza Huts they had gone too had seen a woman with amber eyes but all the sightings had been nearly a month ago.
"Maybe she left Area 11?" Rolo suggested.
"No." Lelouch shook his head. He didn't know why but for some reason he was sure that CC was still somewhere in Japan. There was no reason for her to move to a completely different country when she thought she was safe here. The previous times she had been tipped off before anyone could reach her but this time Lelouch had been careful not to let anything slip. Not to mention he had also set up spies at airports in case she tried to move.
"We can search a few more Pizza Huts." Lelouch declared as he got up. He had to find CC. There were a few questions he wanted to ask her. As he walked through the streets with Rolo by his side, he thought about what VV had told him about CC and his mother. It was highly probable that VV had been lying but Lelouch didn't think that he would lie about something that Lelouch could easily catch.
Time passed as they visited a few more Pizza Huts without any success. It had grown dark as they roamed on the streets. He studied the shops around him. It was nearly midnight and they were no closer to finding CC then when they had come to Japan. A huge yellow sign caught his eye.
"Let's go in there." Rolo looked startled yet hesitantly followed Lelouch into the bar.
"Why here?" He whispered as they entered the bar.
"Bars are the best place to gather more information." Lelouch whispered back. Glancing around, Lelouch chose a corner table that was relatively shielded from prying eyes and he hoped that no one would realize that they were underage. Of course, he could always pay them off but that would be a waste of his time and money. Not to mention their secrecy would be for nothing.
As they sat down, loud guffawing was heard from the nearby table. Rolo frowned but didn't say anything.
"Do you think we can find anyone to help us here?" Rolo asked, studying the people around them.
The people around were mostly commoners who had come to relax after a particularly hard day. Lelouch couldn't see anyone who could be useful to them.
"Prince Clovis is a truly great man!" A man from the nearby table roared. Lelouch wrinkled his nose in distaste. How could he forget that it was his half-brother Clovis la Britannia who was in charge of Area 11.
"Yeah, did you see all the plans he set up?" Another man laughed.
Daring to glance behind, he noticed that the men were all wearing the formal uniform of Britannian military. They seemed to be people a bit higher up the rank.
"I think we should go home and try again tomorrow. If you are so sure that she hasn't left Japan then she might've gone to some other city." Rolo stated.
"But hasn't he been acting really weird lately?" The blonde's words were slurred but he held the attention of the men around him including Lelouch's.
"Weird?"
The man nodded vigorously. "Yes! He spends all is time in that research lab all day. What do you think he is doing?"
"Maybe he is making a new set of indestructible clothes!" Another man stupidly commented.
Sensing chance of some information, Lelouch activated his geass. At once, all the loud conversations were over powered by the voices flooding in his head. And that was the sole reason he didn't like using his geass in public places. Bending down to massage his head he sifted through the voices until he found something interesting.
'These people…. They are joking about it like its nothing. But little do they know that the Viceroy is on the verge of a great breakthrough. Of course, they aren't supposed to know about it….. I hope they don't find out about it in the Homeland.' Glancing back at the table, he noticed the only man who wasn't dressed up in the Britannian Military uniform. Red headed with bright blue eyes and thin frame, the man looked out of place with the burly soldiers.
"Those scientists are boring. All they do all day long is roaming around with clipboards." Another man grinned.
"Hey, hey! I am a scientist too you know." The red haired man grinned lightly.
"You are one of the cooler ones Andrew." They laughed. Lelouch made a mental note of his name. "But what do you people do in the lab all day?"
"That's a secret." The man, Andrew, winked. They all shook their heads and went back to their on conversations.
'I wonder how they would react if come to know what we are actually experimenting on. She isn't human so it doesn't really-'
"Let's go." Lelouch abruptly stood up making Rolo blink.
"What?"
Lelouch didn't bother repeating himself and began walking towards the exit, his mind alight with possibilities. Lelouch didn't talk until they were back in the safety of their house. He flopped down on the couch and titled his head back, staring at the ceiling.
"Clovis." Rolo glanced at Lelouch in confusion. "What?"
Lelouch smirked. "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?" Seeing Rolo's confusion he proceeded to explain. "It seems like CC has disappeared from the face of the Earth. We know for sure that she hasn't left Tokyo Settlement. And then we hear the men in the bar talking about some secret research project supervised by Viceroy Clovis. Project that even the Emperor isn't informed about. If CC hasn't left Japan then the only person who might have realized her potential and has enough power to keep her hidden is-"
"Clovis la Britannia" Rolo completed.
Lelouch smiled and nodded.
"But if he does have her, how can we get her back? We don't even know where she is being held."
Lelouch sat back with a thoughtful expression on his face. Silence reigned for a few moments. Lelouch idly looked through the newspaper articles scattered in front of him before sitting up with a smirk.
"Lelouch?" Rolo raised an eyebrow.
"Get ready Rolo. We are going to Ashford."
The Art Exhibition was an event that was put up in honour of Clovis. Lelouch knew that the only thing his brother loved more than expensive clothes was the work of art. So he knew for sure that Clovis would be present at the exhibition.
Adjusting his thick framed glasses, Lelouch appeared more like a tourist from Britannia on a casual visit. Young and innocent. Tightening his hold on the book in his hand, he lazily twirled the pen as he tried to spot anyone interesting before Clovis arrived. All the people present were either nobles or someone of high stature. People who would not have any idea of what was happening around them. Of what was going to happen.
He hadn't bought Rolo with him. He preferred to be alone than to have that boy tagging along with him wherever he went.
As usual his bother preferred to be fashionably late. Lelouch never did understand the meaning of being fashionably late being a punctual person himself. But he wasn't the most social person and nearly never attended any kind of social event so his knowledge on that was limited.
"Viceroy Clovis has arrived."
Lelouch merely grinned as he stood back and waited for his dear brother to enter the room. It was time he got his answers.
The people parted and Lelouch got a glimpse of Clovis before he disappeared into the crowd. It wasn't long before he came on the stage and took his seat- which resembled some kind of throne- while some old man began speaking. Everyone turned their attention to the stage. Lelouch found himself studying Clovis. His half-brother hadn't changed much since the last time Lelouch had seen him. Except that he had gotten more flamboyant.
He knew that it was a risk for him to activate his geass in the presence of this many people. But he knew that he might not get such a chance again. So, he decided to take the risk. A bird like sigil appeared in his left eye as the thoughts of people around him invaded his mind.
'Ahh this is so boring….'
'I wonder what Martha has done with her hair…..'
It took everything Lelouch had not to kneel and clutch his head. Instead, he began shifting through the dozens of voices in his had until he found the one he wanted.
'This delightful work of art is really wonderful. But I hope that they wind this up as soon as they can. Bartley did say that they have a few discoveries they want to share with me about the woman. Mariah Campbell still hasn't submitted me the reports I had asked for. Julian Hawthraw is slowly starting to get on my nerves. Maybe it is time to dispose of him.'
"And Mr. Clovis, who is a great painter himself will be handing over the-"
'I wonder how long he is going to blabber on all this nonsense. I have to talk with Mr. Finette too about shifting the location of the labs to Narita. The less connection I have with it the better.'
"And now Mr Clovis will address the gathering."
'At last!'
Clovis stood up regally with a charming smile adorning his face. Taking the podium, he looked at the audience. "It brings me such happiness to see such budding artists and painters among the young Britannians. It gives me hope that Art isn't lost yet and-"
"Ouch, sorry!" Lelouch looked up into sharp blue eyes.
'Damn it! I am late for the raid. I have to get to Shinjuku as soon as possible.'
Lelouch was left staring after her retreating figure as she squeezed between people in her effort to leave the building.
"And with this, beauty and happiness can be spread and given to all people around us." As Clovis concluded his speech a smirk found itself on Lelouch's face.
Ashford Academy had more surprises in store for him then he thought.
"So did you find out anything Lelouch?"
"Quite a bit." Lelouch slipped his coffee as he typed on his laptop. "Did you know that there is a terrorist in disguise at Ashford?"
"What? Who?"
At that Lelouch turned his laptop screen toads Rolo. "Kalen Stadtfeld or Kallen Kouzuki." On the screen was an image of a sickly looking girl. "A half Britannian half Japanese. "Turning the laptop back towards him he added, "She also has a brother. Naoto Kouzuki. The leader of a resistance cell."
"And how will that help us?"
Lelouch merely smirked. "That will help us quite a lot Rolo. They are going to help us capture CC."
"Did you find out her whereabouts?"
At that Lelouch sighed. "Not exactly. But I did find out the researchers that may be related to the Project. Bartley, Mariah Campbell, Julian Hawthraw and Joseph Fenette." Lelouch turned to look at Rolo. "I need you to find out everything you can about them."
Rolo leaned forward. "Then what should we do next?"
"Get the terrorists on our side."
Lelouch considered himself lucky that Ashford Academy loved holding festivals regularly. The Spring Festival was held just the week after the Art Exhibition.
"Welcome students and strangers, to Ashford Academy Spring Festival!" A loud and hyperactive voice boomed from the loudspeakers. "This is your day to enjoy the treats set out to you by Ashford Academy."
He didn't want Rolo trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Instead he sent Rolo to do some more information gathering. Meanwhile he had some things to do. If he recalled correctly than Kallen Kouzuki's class was 2-B. (It was hilarious how easy it was to hack into the Ashford Academy's Student Data and get all the information he required.)
The Haunted House.
He rolled his eyes at the lame scary attractions hanging around as he made his way through the class turned haunted house.
"Ahhhhh!" Lelouch looked bored as something- or rather someone- jumped out of a fake grave. He raised his eyebrow when he realized that it was the person he was searching for.
Kallen Kouzuki.
"Can't you show a bit of curtesy by at least acting scared?" She mumbled as she got ready to hide again.
Lelouch just smiled before moving on. So she was helping with the haunted house. So it meant that her bag would be lying somewhere nearby. The perfect opportunity for him. He made his way out of the class and looked around. Stopping a student, he smiled sheepishly.
"A friend of mine is acting as a ghost in the haunted house. She has my camera but I can't find her bag…."
"Oh! The bags of the students of 2-B are in the class over there." Lelouch smiled thankfully before going towards the class. It was luckily empty.
Entering the room, he looked at the different coloured bags littered around the class. His lips twitched in annoyance as he thought about going through all the bags to search for Kallen's. He didn't have any other choice if he didn't want to reveal himself to her. Sighing, he set to work. After a few minutes of looking around, he found it. Removing an envelope from his jacket, he placed it in her bag. His work here was done.
"My, my Sir, are you leaving already?" Lelouch sighed. He was nearly by the gate. He turned around and saw a busty blonde girl grinning at him lecherously.
"Aren't you going to enjoy some more of the stalls?" She asked and Lelouch recognized her voice as the one that had been blaring out of the loudspeaker.
"Well… I am running a bit late…."
"Madame President!" The blonde turned around and Lelouch took this chance to escape. His work here was done and the only thing left was to wait.
"Did you find out information about the names I had sent you?"
Rolo nodded. "They are all part of Clovis research team. At least that's what the official reports say."
"And the unofficial sources?"
"These people are part of a small team of scientists dedicated to special research and report directly to Viceroy Clovis." Lelouch leaned back as he processed the information.
"Any information about what the research is about?"
Rolo shook his head. "Surprisingly less number of people even knows about this let alone what it is about. The only thing I got is that the research is named 'Code-R'. But I did get the personal information on the scientists. Out of the four names you have given me 2 of them are worth looking into. Joseph Fenette and Bartley. The other two names you had given me are not a part of the special team."
Lelouch nodded making a mental note of the names.
"Joseph Fenette also has a wife and daughter. His daughter, Shirley Fenette, attends Ashford Academy." At that Lelouch blinked before smirking.
"Well that's convenient. Ashford Academy has a lot of unexpected surprises for us."
"So what should we do now?"
Lelouch glanced at Rolo before standing up. "Now we wait."
Author Notes:Ahh… Rusty rusty. Thanks for reading. Please leave a review. J