Chapter Three
Infinity

Lelouch paged through the book he'd read a thousand times, not really reading it, just trying to get his mind off of... Well, everything. He was so stressed he almost wanted to stab himself, despite the fact that it would do nothing. The Black Knights were in a frenzy, trying to get themselves in order after Zero's death. Kallen hadn't shown up to school since the event, and Lelouch feared her rage when she found out that he was alive.

Actually, it almost made him laugh. She'd probably try to kill him, or at least hurt him.

"Lelouch?"

"Eh?"

Rivalz had elbowed him, and Lelouch realized that the entire class was looking at him.

"I asked you, Mr. Lamprouge," The teacher said, "what one common Roman battle strategy was."

"You want only one?" Lelouch chuckled, "You need to step up your game, teach." The class laughed, "But one common one was the Wedge, which is just as it sounds. The legionnaires would get into a formation like an arrow and wedge themselves through the opposing army's forces."

The teacher nodded, "Good to know that you know your strategy, Lamprouge."

His internal alarm flared, and he looked up at her dangerously, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, it's on the test." She said, "Why so hostile?"

"No reason." He grumbled, lying his head down on the desk.

The door to the classroom opened, Kallen Stadtfeld, or Kallen Kōzuki as she preferred, was standing in the doorway, looking quite wrecked.

Lelouch felt bad, but he knew that her emotional reaction was necessary, and it had caused quite the uproar with the Japanese and other Numbers around the world who saw Zero as a beacon of hope- and now that he was thought dead, they would rebel with all the force that they had held back.

He raised a hand, "Hey, Kallen. Where ya been?"

Immediately she looked up, saw him, and Lelouch almost ran. She stormed towards him, grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and slammed him against the wall behind him.

"You son of a bitch!" She shrieked, "How- how dare you!?"

Lelouch merely chuckled, "I'm impressed, Kōzuki. You've been in the same room as me for a mere minute and you haven't pulled a gun on me. Perhaps this anger would be more suited to the battlefield?" He cocked an eyebrow in question.

She pulled a pistol from her purse- one she always had on her, for obvious reasons- and placed it against his chest.

Lelouch laughed, "Oh, Kallen... You honestly think that's going to do anything?"

"I don't care if it doesn't kill you," She hissed, "I just want you to feel the pain that I felt!"

The classroom was still. What had Lelouch done to piss off Kallen to the point where she was going to kill him? And did he call her "Kōzuki"? Was Kallen really... an Eleven?

Lelouch only whistled in response to her words.

"I understand." His voice was gentle now, placing his hand on the barrel of the pistol to move it off of his chest, "I understand that you're upset. We've lost a lot of people recently, and what I did to you was anything but okay. I'm sorry. I may be who I am, but I am human. I know how you feel, and I'm sorry." The gun was at Kallen's side now, tears pricking the edges of her eyes.

"I never thought I'd hear 'I'm sorry' out of your mouth." She said, her voice sounding tight, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, get rid of the gun, as it's kind of illegal to have in a classroom-"

"Oh, like you care about what's legal."

"-and we'll get along like civilized human beings. Okay?"

Kallen nodded, and left the room to dispose of her weapon.

The room was silent, and Lelouch watched his classmates, awaiting their reaction. Rivalz spoke first.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Perfectly fine." If by perfectly fine, I mean tearing myself up with guilt, feeling stressed because of what the Black Knights will do without a leader, about how Nunnally will react to this, and most of all what she'll say to Suzaku for-ahem- killing someone... Then yes, I am perfectly fine.

"You got held at gunpoint, and you didn't even squirm!" Said one girl in amazement.

"Yeah!" Another responded, "And if you're perfectly fine right now, then you've gotta be some sort of bravery god or something!"

The class erupted into giggles and praise for Lelouch, but his mind was elsewhere, the thought of Nunnally, Suzaku, Cornelia, C2 and all those he loved... What would happen when the truth came out? The Emperor was dead, but now they had Schnizel. While quite trustworthy, Schneizel was also incredibly selfish, and would use his power to get what he wanted for himself. Would he keep Nunnally as the Vice Roi? Would Suzaku still be a Knight of the Round? Would Schneizel question Nunnally about her living through the Japan-Britannia war? Would he ask her if Lelouch was alive? Lelouch had made it clear to say that he was not, although he hadn't told Nunnally why...

Oh God... If Nunnally was still blind... Perhaps it was best she stay that way. She didn't need to know... That it had all been a lie. That Marianne had never died, that she and His Majesty had been plotting this whole time...

That was why, when it came down to it, now, Lelouch would rather be called by his birth surname "vi Britannia" then that of his alias, "Lamprouge". It had been his mother's maiden name, which was why he'd taken it. He'd believed his mother had been murdered unjustly, which she had, but that did not excuse her actions.

To top it all off, he could never tell Nunnally that he'd killed both of their parents.

"Excuse me." A voice came from the doorway. Lelouch turned, seeing Cornelia standing there, eyeing him, "If I could speak to Lelouch Lamprouge, please? As requested of the Vice Roi."

The class stared at Lelouch. And Lelouch stared at Cornelia.

"If you don't pardon me asking, Your Highness..." Lelouch said, feigning nervousness, "Wh-what would the Vice Roi want to talk to me about?" He chuckled nervously.

"Princess Nunnally tells me none of that. I am merely her correspondent with the people and generals due to her lack of mobility." She made sure to make it clear. I don't know what she wants. I just know she wants to talk to you.

Lelouch chuckled nervously, "Well, who am I to discard such an invitation?"

Suzaku stood, "Princess Cornelia, if you don't mind I'd like a word with the Vice Roi, as well."

People turned to stare at him, for a moment forgetting his position and who he truly was, but seeing only the slight upturn of his eyes and darker skin that made him Japanese.

"Of course, Sir Kururugi." Cornelia said with a smile, "The Vice Roi is always happy to see you."

Lelouch resisted rolling his eyes and followed his half-sister and best friend out the door.

"I think Nunnally just misses you." Suzaku said, "She asks about you all the time."

Cornelia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, she does. It gets irritating."

"Well, I see you missed me, too." Sarcasm dripped heavily from Lelouch's words, and Cornelia smiled coldly.

"You killed my sister, little brother." She said, sounding nonchalant, but the hurt and the coldness underneath made Lelouch look up at her, "And for that, I cannot forgive you. I'm helping you because I don't want you to feel the same pain I did."

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