Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass
Lelouch was slouched together on a chair. He was exhausted, and already sore. C.C. had informed him that his increased regeneration also involved his muscles, meaning that the perfect regime to build muscles while they were still mostly human was every day, meaning that this torture would become a daily occurrence. He looked up when Nunnally was rolled into the kitchen.
Something was wrong. Nunnally was tense, and even though she was blind, her head was turning, as if trying to locate a threat. "Nunnally, is something wrong?"
Nunnally's head turned at him. "Big brother? Is that you?" she asked.
"Of course it's me Nunnally. Is something wrong?" He asked. He approached her, but she seemed to tense up.
"You feel... different. It's making me nervous." Nunnally admitted.
Lelouch's eyes widened. Could Nunnally feel what had happened to him, like a doe sensing a wolf nearby? He remembered his own reaction to C.C., something that still happened, only now it was a tingle instead of a full-blown alarm. He crouched before her, and gently took her hand. His heart ached when he saw her instinctively twitch. "Nunnally," he spoke, his voice soft and almost desperate "you know that I would never, ever hurt you, right?"
Nunnally's head tilted, and she nodded, realizing that her brother thought she was scared of him. "Of course big brother, I don't know what was wrong with me." She hugged him tightly.
"Nothing is wrong with you Nunnally. It's my fault. You see, I've had a rough day yesterday, and I've met a few odd people, so I guess I was tense. Or," he tried to joke, "it's because I ran a few laps this morning, and my stench insulted your sweet nose." He poked it, and was overjoyed when Nunnally laughed. It seemed that she had completely accepted the new him, or at least his presence didn't terrify her anymore. It would have crushed him if his sister feared him.
Nunnally sniffed, and dramatically inched back, holding her nose. "Ugh, to the shower, big brother, you stink!" She called, but she was smiling.
Lelouch smiled, but mocked outrage. "What? How dare you, you little traitor!" He called as he gently tickled her, earning more laughter from his squirming sister.
After half a minute, he released his panting and giggling sister. "I love you, big brother." The little angel whispered into his ear as she pulled him in a hug.
Lelouch smiled. "I love you too, Nunnally."
Nunnally gave him a grin. "Now to the showers."
Lelouch saluted. "Yes ma'am." She had him wrapped around her finger, and they both knew it.
-0-
Jeremiah felt the urge to strangle the man in front of him. "So you're telling me that even though the autopsy of prince Clovis all but confirmed that a fierce duel between him and his killer has taken place, since he died in a state of physical exhaustion, meaning that he was doing something pretty strenuous, like dueling, there were no clues? Clovis was decent with a sword, so whoever killed him, no matter how good he was, has to have left something behind. Dried sweat, hair, anything, yet you're telling me you found nothing that hints at who did this?"
The technician shrugged. "We didn't find anything. However, that does not mean that there hasn't been anything there at some point. It's just that if there was, a horde of idiots trampled it into oblivion."
Jeremiah winced at that. Numerous nobles had forced their way into the MCC, probably looking for documents that could damn them, and they had been completely careless in their actions. Everything moveable was thrown around, and one had even tried to filch the dead viceroy. Jeremiah had personally put a bullet through the baron's head, for disrespect against the departed and attempted theft from royalty, which had told the other vultures to not even think about it. "I see. Still, a prince has been killed, we cannot simply say that the culprit has not been found."
The technician, a purist at heart, gave him a look. "Well, one could always make a culprit..."
Jeremiah's fist slammed onto the table. "I want the culprit caught! A scapegoat will only show the true culprit that his actions have no consequence, and might lead to repeat-performances! We have to find the real culprit!"
"So, you want us to search the entire MCC, if I understand you correctly, sir."
Jeremiah nodded. "If there's even a chance that it works, then I will personally ensure that no stone remains unturned!"
The technician shrugged. "It's your call. But that might take a while."
Jeremiah looked at him. "You have a week. That's about as long as the death of his highness can be kept under wraps. I want the culprit caught by then."
"We'll do our best, but looking at the odds, you'd better prepare a plan B, just in case."
Jeremiah nodded. He really wanted the culprit, but if the alternative was admitting to the public that they had no idea who did it, then a scapegoat would be unavoidable. Damn those self-absorbed nobles. He had half a mind to charge them all a hefty fine. Come to think of it, that was not a bad idea. A fine, or time in prison, for obstructing the investigation of the murder of Prince Clovis. After all, as the old Britannian saying went: 'If you want to really hurt a noble, aim for his wallet.'
-0-
School as a vampire was a bit more difficult than Lelouch had expected. Of course, classes were as boring as ever, but his aching jaw was making things complicated. He had already told Sayoko that he felt that he needed some milk, and the maid had agreed, which somewhat unnerved him.
However, the real problem began when he ran into Milly. Milly was one of his oldest friends, they having played together since Lelouch was three, and she had always been a cheery and baffling girl. But in his entire life as a human, Lelouch had never actually seen Milly as a girl.
Of course, he knew her gender, and Rivalz's adoration was impossible to ignore, but Lelouch had never really pulled any conclusions from that. Milly was Milly, that was all there was to it. Another factor that might have influenced Lelouch's belief in her asexuality was the fact that she didn't act like a girl. She cared little for clothing, not counting her fetish with costumes, she always caused a ruckus, she played nasty pranks, she had never met an animal that she feared or overly adored, and she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty with anything. No, she acted like an odd mix between a boy and a little girl, and Lelouch had always found that refreshing around her. She was a friend, she was a plague, she was a keeper of his secret, his true identity, and that was it.
Rivalz had once said that the only change puberty had done with Lelouch was that it made him grow taller. He agreed, since he had not really gotten real interest in women.
It appeared that vampirism was determined to succeed where puberty had failed.
-0-
Lelouch was walking down the hallway, minding his own business, when he was suddenly jerked back by the collar. "What's the big..." He started, but stopped when he turned his head and spotted Milly.
"Hey Lelouch. Just making sure that you're not running off gambling again, the student council needs your service as vice-president. The papers are piling, and... Lelouch, are you okay?"
Lelouch's eyes had wandered up and down Milly's frame, and that feeling he had with Shirley was back. Milly was gorgeous. Her angelic face, that belied her deviousness, her clear blue eyes, her luscious lips, her figure, and her large breasts. She had the biggest pair he had ever seen, and his body wished to hold her tightly. There was a small voice in the back of his head that was shouting 'You knew her when she was four. And you know she's evil!', but a second voice simply countered with 'Look at her. You know you want that.'
With a superhuman show of willpower, he snapped himself out of his stupor. "What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'll do the paperwork in a minute, I just want to... Earth to Milly, anybody there?"
Milly's eyes had wandered up and down his body, dulling slightly in the process, while her face began to flush. When Lelouch snapped his fingers in front of her nose, she shook herself, as if waking up from a dream, and blinked. "Sorry, I think I stepped out for a minute. Where was I? Either way, we, meaning you, have a lot of work to do, so I will personally ensure you don't run away from it." With that, she turned him around, grabbed him by the shoulders, and shoved him forward. Lelouch knew her antics too well to try and protest. He knew that on some days you were the pigeon, and some days you were the statue.
-0-
The rebels were in a small discussion as to what to do with the Sutherlands that they had managed to salvage. While most of them had been either destroyed or abandoned, they still had a good dozen left. Tamaki of course wanted to use them for grand attacks, but Ohgi had a different idea.
"Look at it this way, we are the only Japanese in Britannia that have Sutherlands. Nobody else has them. Not Kyoto, not the JLF. The best they all have are Glasgows that they tune to perform better. Britannia on the other hand has these things en masse, and they have both the newer model, the Gloucester, and that white monster."
"Exactly!" Tamaki interrupted. "We have machines that nobody else has! That's why we should use them for something big!"
Ohgi shook his head. "We have the Sutherlands, but they will soon be more of a hindrance than a help." He stated.
Kallen nodded. "We could barely maintain one Glasgow, and not even that really well. We just don't have the resources for twelve Sutherlands Tamaki, and you know that."
Tamaki grumbled, but nodded. "So what do you suggest? We wrap them and send them back to Britannia?"
Ohgi shook his head. "Of course not, that would be stupid. No, we'll give them to Kyoto. They have the means to analyze and maintain them, and a tuned Sutherland will probably be better than a tuned Glasgow. Japan is already two steps behind the enemy, if these Sutherlands can even the odds just slightly, it may go a long way."
Tamaki nodded. "Fine. But how do we tell them that we have the Sutherlands? It's not like they'll contact us."
Kallen bit her lip. "Actually, that may happen. We gave the Britannians a pretty hard beating, and they will want to know how we did it. I wouldn't be surprised if someone contacted us soon. We can just ask them to take the Sutherlands with them then."
Minami raised his hand. "Maybe we should keep one Sutherland. We lost our Glasgow, and lets be honest, that thing was scrap-metal."
Kallen nodded. The machine had failed her in the worst possible moment, and she was not too eager for a repeat-performance, not that it mattered, seeing that the Glasgow was completely trashed. She had always liked being in a cockpit, feeling that this was where she belonged, but the Glasgow had always left her unsatisfied, as if she could do more than the stupid machine would let her. Maybe a Sutherland would be more of a challenge. "So it's a waiting-game for the moment." She summarized.
Ohgi nodded. "Little we can do until we're contacted." He looked at her. "Kallen, I think you should go back to school for a while."
Kallen stared at him. "What? No! I hate that place, it's overflowing with arrogant Britannian brats, and the dorks try to look up my skirt, and..."
"I don't think Naoto would be happy if he knew that you are abandoning your education." Ohgi stated.
Kallen's face grimaced in self-pity. "That's really not fair Ohgi." She sighed. "Fine. I'll do it, for Naoto. But not before Kyoto contacts us."
Ohgi smiled. "See Kallen, was that so hard? Who knows, you may make friends there."
Kallen raised a brow. "Not likely Ohgi. Not likely."
-0-
The next few days went fairly routine. Lelouch woke up every morning at roughly four, drank a bottle of milk or two, before his maker and personal slavedriver sent him out for numerous exercises until he dropped to the floor, a small heap of misery, and was allowed to take a shower before having breakfast with Nunnally.
He'd then go to school, the ache in his jaw lessening with time, and kill time in class. Then Milly or Shirley would drag him to the Student Council for duties, and to make sure he didn't make a break for it. Fortunately it seemed that the reaction to the girls was lessened after the first time, although that it also reacted to Nina was a slight annoyance. He was trapped on a council with three girls that his body wanted to ravish, and little outlet. God, this was torture.
The evenings were simple. Dinner, pleasant chat with Nunnally, tucking her in, then going to bed, where a pizza-devouring monster in the shape of an attractive girl waited to milk him for some red juice.
Rinse and repeat.
On the fifth day, something broke that cycle. A red-haired, busty, attractive, and oddly familiar something.
-0-
Class had been going on, not that Lelouch really cared, for five minutes when the door opened. Lelouch turned his head... and again felt his mouth dry up.
The girl was beautiful, the girl was dazzling, but most of all, she was familiar. He had seen her before, and not just in class. He quickly regained control of his features.
The teacher looked up. "Ah, Miss Stadtfeld, how nice to see you. You are doing better I presume?"
The girl nodded. "Yes, thank you."
"Good, then please take a seat."
When she walked past him, Lelouch had a déjà vu. Images of a truck with a large capsule flashed before his eyes. Not only that, but the girl's voice had immediately been compared to other voices, and his mind had found a close match, disturbed only because the 'registered' voice had come from a radio. His eyes narrowed. 'Are you the pilot of that Glasgow?' He wondered.
To Lelouch's disdain, Rivalz had noted that he was looking at someone, and felt it necessary to share with Lelouch all the knowledge he had on her.
"Kallen Stadtfeld. They say she's sick or something. Misses a lot of classes, but still at the top. Kinda like you, only worse. Either way, she's the only child of the Stadtfeld-family, meaning she's well bred and rolling in money. You know how to pick 'em."
"It's not like that." Lelouch stated. 'Liar.' Said the small voice in his head, but Lelouch ignored it. "It's just that we haven't seen much of her. And what's with the 'well bred' Rivalz, it's not like she's a dog."
Rivalz laughed. "You know what I mean." He went into a pose imitating the Britannian emperor "We Britannians are the supreme race of man! Conquest is in our blood, and we live by the rule that only the strongest deserve to rule! The stronger you are, the higher you are socially," Now he shrugged and laughed, letting his imitation drop off him "at least in theory. As we both know, most nobles feed off their ancestors' achievements, and looking at Kallen here, who couldn't hurt a fly, well so much for propaganda. Cute she is, but a touch too sheltered for my tastes."
Lelouch shrugged, but silently chuckled. If that girl really was who he thought she was, then she was many things, but sheltered was not one of them. Well, confirmation was something that was easy to get for a vampire.
-0-
Kallen felt very sorry for herself. The chatter of those girls that had declared herself her friends was getting harder and harder to bear. She had originally allowed their presence as the gossip they had could and on rare occasions had held important information, but they were so annoying!
The man from Kyoto had come two days ago, asking for details of their victory and any military military machines they might have witnessed, and they had happily informed him of the mystery-voice and that white Knightmare that had almost defeated them at the last minute. Then they had told them that they had a number of Sutherlands for Kyoto. The man had immediately offered 10.000 pounds per machine, which, while being a fragment of what they were worth, was still a hefty sum for a Japanese. They had argued for and against taking money, and decided on a compromise. They would give them four machines for free, as the original idea had been a donation for the furthering of Japan's freedom, and that the money offered could also be used to develop better weaponry, and any of the remaining seven machines they were willing to part with would cost 7.000 pounds.
Tamaki had been upset that they were giving up on that much money, but the argument that the money was needed for the quick development of tools to kick out the Britannians had finally broken his protest.
Kyoto's man was only too happy with the offer, having expected them to raise the price rather than lower it, and promised that Kyoto would buy them all.
The next evening they had shown and packed up all but one Sutherlands, and paid in cash.
That had the problem that Kallen no longer had an excuse to stay away from school, and Ohgi had reminded her of her promise. So she had dragged herself to school. To these chatterboxes. Shit!
Rescue came in the form of a bee, one of the most harmless and friendly insects, if you didn't provoke them, that had apparently smelled her lunch and invited itself, which sent the girls running with panicked shrieks.
Kallen wasn't really scared, but it was an opportunity to get away from the Britannians, so she rushed into a few bushes, before swatting the bee out of the air. "Damn I hate this! I'm sick of acting like a freaking invalid!" Then she noticed that there was a boy next to her, looking fairly amused. 'Crap, I think he saw that.'
-0-
Lelouch had to smile. 'Couldn't hurt a fly, eh Rivalz?'
The girl smiled nervously, and Lelouch had to beat down another wave of desire from his vampiric side. As soon as he was back, he was going to ask C.C. if there was really no way to stop this. "Can I help you?"
Lelouch's smile widened, causing a slight blush to rise up the girl's cheeks, and nodded, activating his power. "Yes, you can. You can answer some of my questions. First, were you the pilot of the Glasgow in Shinjuku?"
Kallen's eyes turned blank. "Yes."
"Why terrorism?" He asked.
"Because I'm Japanese." She answered, and Lelouch wondered if there was something wrong with his power, before she added "Though technically, I'm a half-blood."
Lelouch nodded. "I see. Britannian father, Japanese mother. One more thing, do you even know what you stole from the Britannians?"
Kallen frowned slightly. "I cannot be completely sure, as we never had a chance to analyze it, but it was reported as medical equipment, but we had intel that said it was poison gas, and the Britannians' reaction seems to confirm it. But we lost it."
Lelouch nodded. So they had no idea just what they had stolen. He looked at her. "You will forget that I asked you questions pertaining to your terrorist activities, and that you answered them."
"Of course." She answered, before Lelouch allowed her free will to awaken. "Um, can I help you?" She asked again.
Lelouch shook his head. "No, nothing that I could think of." He walked away, leaving the girl confused. Then he remembered something. He turned his head. "Oh yeah, and you shouldn't mention Shinjuku."
He expected the usual trance, but Kallen's will was apparently very strong, and he had been distracted by her long, shapely legs. Damn this whole vampire-thing! Either way, instead of dulling, Kallen's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, don't mention Shinjuku?"
Lelouch swore silently. He had apparently used too little power, not to mention that he hadn't told her to forget it. He was preparing for a full-blown assault, when an idea struck him, curtsey of his vampire-instincts. 'Wait. If you delete her memory, then she will quickly forget you. Instead, let her think and scheme and plan, and then simple prove that you aren't who she thinks you are. That way she will remember you, making contact at a later time easier.' 'What if I don't want contact at a later time?' Lelouch's scheming mind asked. The vampire in him was humored. 'Look at her, of course you want contact. Lots of contact, preferably skin on skin, joining at...' Lelouch cut off his imagination at that point, before he embarrassed himself in front of Kallen, who had slowly begun to come closer.
However, he was spared having to make an excuse, as Shirley stuck her head out of the window. "Hey, Lulu, Kallen. Time for chem, you better get a move on."
Lelouch shot her a grateful smile, and Shirley's head retreated, red as her hair. Then Lelouch played panicked. "Aw crap! I have to set up class today! Gotta go, bye!"
"What? Wait!" Kallen called, overwhelmed by the events. But before she had regained her bearings, Lelouch had vanished. Still, her eyes narrowed. "Could he be... the voice?" She asked herself.
-0-
Lelouch swore. The day was over, and Kallen had thankfully left, but this whole vampire-thing was becoming a liability. So he went to his contractor and creator, to ask for advice.
He found her in his bed, munching a pizza. She looked up. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"These vampiric instincts are becoming more hindering than they are useful. Is there any way to stop these urges?" Lelouch asked.
C.C. smiled. "Ah, little Lelouch is finally experiencing what he should have been going through since thirteen. Thinking of girls. Sorry, but that's nature."
"Deciding against erasing a girl's memory of a suspicious action so that after otherwise scattering her suspicions she might remember me is not nature, it' foolishness." He countered.
Now C.C. frowned. That wasn't good. The reason his urges grew was because he suppressed them. The first few days had been okay, because his body wasn't ready yet, but it seemed that the first change was practically complete, his body was telling him that. It was not that he had to give in to the urges, but he had to accept them. If he fought against every single whim his body gave, then sooner rather than later, his control would slip. At that point, all C.C. could hope was that he wouldn't kill his victim. Everything else she could cover up, but a corpse was a corpse. "Lelouch, you don't have to do everything your mind tells you to, but you have to accept it as a part of what you are. If you flat-out reject it, then you might get split personalities."
Lelouch grimaced. He was having discussions with himself, but not to that point, nor did he want it to reach that point. He'd have to do something about that soon, but right now, he had to develop a strategy to somehow make it out of this mess with Kallen, preferably alive.
-0-
A growl escaped Jeremiah's lips. It had been six days, and there was not the slightest clue to the identity of Clovis's murderer. Those stupid nobles had destroyed every possible piece of evidence, a fact that he'd drill into their heads right after the declaration of his highness's death.
Jeremiah was no fool. If he could not present a culprit by the time the news hit the public, ergo tomorrow, then he would not only end his career, but utter pandemonium would break out, throwing Area 11 into chaos while rebellion would spread like an infectious disease. No, as bitter as it tasted in Jeremiah's mouth, there would have to be a scapegoat if the true culprit was not found.
The purist-faction knew this as well, and they expected the scapegoat to be someone that would allow them to overthrow the Honorary Britiannian-system, meaning that an Honorary Britannian, or at the very least an Eleven, would have to be the scapegoat.
While Jeremiah thought the whole propaganda nonsense, he had worked hard to get where he was, and he could not afford to be cast away yet.
He had not been stupid enough to believe that random terrorists had infiltrated Aries Villa and killed her majesty Marianne. She had withdrawn the security herself, and that would not have been done if she didn't expect someone that should not be seen by too many eyes, but that person was unlikely to be a Number or foreigner. No, those would, even with reduced security, not have stood a chance. It had to have been an inside-job. The Empress was not loved by everyone due to her status as commoner by birth, so an assassination on her was the most probable cause. A noble that hated her had asked for a private meeting, and claimed he didn't want to be seen, the kind empress agreed and withdrew security, and the noble sent killers instead, professionals that slipped through and murdered her. That was the most likely explanation for the events. The emperor's reaction also seemed to support the idea that he knew who did it, and that the culprit was a position of great importance, so the emperor had let him get away scot-free rather than risk a scandal. However, the culprit would have to fear an assassination by the emperor, so fleeing into another country would be a smart thing, unless it was another consort. And the only place that a noble could transfer himself to without looking suspicious was the at the time newly conquered Area 11.
Just like her highness Cornelia, Jeremiah Gottwald was not a man who left things at well enough, especially not things that had to do with a person he adored. So he had transferred himself to Area 11, to find the killer and make him pay. Even if it was a consort, he as a mere margrave had to build a reputation and connections to reach her, so he had joined the organization in which the murderer was most likely to hide, and in which he could rise socially the fastest should the culprit be back in Britannia after all, the Purist-faction. He was closer to the murderer than ever before, he simply could not afford to raise suspicions now!
So with a heavy heart, he started to look for a poor soul that would have to be sacrificed on the altar of dirty politics. Dirty politics, what a tautology.
-0-
It was the second day since Lelouch messed up, and he was slowly starting to worry for his health. While he had the early mornings for himself, which C.C. still planned out with physical exercise that left him gasping for air, for the rest of the day, Kallen was beginning to show signs of stalking, shooting him distrusting glances, and it seemed that she was plotting how to make him disappear.
Fortunately he had devised a tactic that would ensure her that he was not the voice, and maybe gain some connections with the terrorists. Still, he needed to do it quick, before Kallen's hand slipped and he vanished for good.
So he did something that his human-mindset called reckless and his inner vampire greatly approved of, he approached the gorgeous girl that was scheming to kill him.
-0-
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked Kallen.
Her eyes narrowed. "Sure. I was wondering when you'd ask." A second later, both winced, as that choice of words sent Kallen's 'friends' into squeals.
Either way, Kallen followed Lelouch. When he led her into a side-building she had never really noticed, she couldn't hold in her curiosity. "What is this place?"
Lelouch smiled. "The clubhouse of the Student Council. Well, it was designed as a ballroom, and on some occasions it is used as such, but most of the times we of the student council are the only ones here."
"So we won't be disturbed here?" She asked.
Lelouch smiled and nodded, but his attention was drawn to a call from the upper floor. "Found it madam president!"
He looked up. "Shirley?"
The carrot-top looked down. "Oh Lulu, Kallen. They're here!"
Now Milly's head peaked out. "Ah Lelouch, you brought her. Good, now I don't have to do it."
Kallen was suitably confused. "Um, what's going on?"
Milly came down the stairs. "Well, grandfather mentioned that with your constitution, you have problems joining a club, and since all students have to join a club I thought you'd fit in the Student Council."
Kallen smiled weakly. "I really appreciate it, but I don't think..." She started, not too keen on having to spend even more time with the Britannians.
"Nonsense." Lelouch interrupted, not really getting what was going on, but knowing that Kallen would be easier to watch if she was in closer proximity, take either meaning you like. "It's in fact pretty neat here. We have to calculate budgets and plan events, but in return, we get easy access to pretty much everything. In some situations, we can go to places off limits even to the staff."
At this Kallen started to consider it. Easy access to Britannian information, and perhaps some ways to discreetly leave school. She couldn't call in sick every day, after all. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try it out." She stated.
Milly clapped her hands. "Good! We've already prepared some things for your welcoming-party."
Kallen blinked. Welcoming-party? The girl sure was confident. Then she heard a new voice. "Um, can someone help me with these?"
A young girl in a wheelchair had entered, balancing a tray with glasses on her lap. Lelouch somehow mutated from uncaring ice-prince to kind caring helper. "Nunnally? Wait, I'll get it for you."
Was this really the same guy she had shadowed the last two days? Milly saw her confusion and smiled knowingly. "Quite a change, huh? This is Nunnally, Lelouch's sister."
She bowed into Kallen's general direction, and the older girl realized she was blind. "Hello. I'm still too young to be a member of the council, but it's very nice to meet you."
Kallen couldn't help it, she had to smile. The girl was just radiating sheer innocence and cuteness. Kallen knew that being in the Britannian society, she had to have gone through a lot. She suddenly felt a bit bad about her plans of getting rid of Lelouch. Did she really want this girl to suffer more? "It's very nice to meet you too."
The class-clown, Rivalz, apparently found the atmosphere a bit lacking, so he laughed at Nunnally. "Don't worry, you're an honorary member in our books Nunnally. So, how about a toast to our newest member?" He asked, pulling out a large bottle of what looked like champagne.
Shirley was on him in the blink of an eye. "Rivalz, we're underage! We're did you get that? Give me that!"
Rivalz twisted and turned, before tossing the bottle to Lelouch. "Relax," he called out "it's only Ginger Ale."
Shirley didn't believe him, and pounced on Lelouch. "Yeah right, let me see that bottle Lulu!"
Lelouch, a bit confused about the turn of events, simply lifted the bottle into the air, Shirley trying to reach it, causing them both to lose their balance. They dropped to the floor, and for a moment, Shirley blushed when she felt so close to her crush.
POP!
Then the bottle fired its cork, aiming at Kallen, who swatted it away. However, the liquid, which turned out to really be Ginger Ale, shot out of the bottle, pouring on her head for a good four seconds, before the pressure dropped, soaking her shirt and skirt. Everybody stared.
"Um, what just happened?" Nunnally asked.
Silence. A few blinks. More silence. "I'll tell you later." Lelouch finally promised, having finally regained his speech.
-0-
While this wasn't what he had in mind, it would do just fine. He had given Sayoko instructions and gathered some clothes that were loose enough for him that they should fit Kallen. However, there was one more thing standing between him and safety. It was blond, busty, and terrible at minding its own business.
"No Lelouch, this won't do at all." Milly shook her head.
Lelouch looked at the clothes he'd picked. "What's wrong with them? Do you have something that fits?"
Milly rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about the clothes for Kallen, I'm talking about your clothes."
Lelouch looked down on him. He was wearing the normal school-uniform. "What's wrong with it?"
Milly just shook her head. "Okay, first thing, give me the jacket." With that, she pounced on him, peeling him out of his jacket before he even understood what was happening.
"Milly? Hey, what's the big..." He started, now only in his white buttoned shirt.
Milly grabbed it and started opening the top-buttons. "Kallen in there is showing lots of skin, it's only fair if you return the the favor." Then she noticed something. "You've gained some muscle, when did that happen?"
Lelouch slapped her hands away before she could try and have him go topless. It was true, he had started developing some muscle, nothing grand yet, but a definite step up from his pale frame from before that fateful bite. "Milly, did you by any chance pick up some of your old romance-novels again?"
The blonde looked surprised. "How did you know?"
Lelouch groaned. "Never mind. Now hands off, Kallen might drown if we keep her waiting much longer."
With that, he walked right past her, shaking his head. Milly called out "And don't you dare come button it back up Lelouch!"
Whenever Milly read those books, she got oddly clingy and touchy with others, as if she was trying to turn those steamy novels into reality. He shuddered at the thought.
-0-
Kallen heard the door open, the shower-curtain blocking her from sight. She had heard that conversation with Milly, and despite all her toughness, she was embarrassed. What was that woman thinking? She turned off the shower so that she could hear him better.
Lelouch sighed. "Sorry about all this, I know they're a little much sometimes."
Kallen had to smile. "No problem. Nothing wrong with letting loose every once in a while." She did that in Knightmares.
Lelouch nodded. "Either way, I brought you some of my clothes. They should fit."
"That was fast." Kallen muttered, having heard rumors about the boy, and they painted him as a wimp in all things physical. "You ran all the way to the boy-dorms?"
Lelouch shook his head. "Actually, I live here." He heard her surprise, and added "It would be difficult for my sister in the dorms, so the principal let us stay here as a favor."
Kallen looked at the vague silhouette. "What about your parents?" She asked.
The figure stiffened for a moment. "We're orphans." He then replied, a certain edge in his voice that told Kallen that that topic was a sore point. "Well, I guess I'll leave you alone now."
"Wait!" Kallen called out, not wanting to waste such a prime opportunity. "Could you hand me that pouch over there?" She asked, and the shadow on the curtain began to move.
Lelouch had to pull his eyes away from the curtain. It was only her silhouette, but damn! He grabbed the pouch, noting it to be unusually heavy, and carefully extending his hand through the crack between curtain and wall. His hand was grabbed in a vice-like grip, the pouch falling to the floor. "Well aren't you a lively one?" He asked, mocking.
"Why did you mention Shinjuku the other day?" Kallen demanded.
Lelouch was tense, but his voice sounded amused. "Why do you want to know? Is there something wrong with Shinjuku?"
Kallen growled picking up the pouch and letting the knife slide free. "Don't answer my question with a counter-question. Are you the one from Shinjuku? All I want to hear from you is yes or no."
After a few moments that seemed to span eternities, the phone rang. Lelouch sent a prayer of gratitude to Camazotz, or whoever his race prayed to. "If I don't answer, we'll have Milly in here in ten seconds."
Kallen actually paled at the threat. According to the rumor-mills, the woman had a few screws loose, and nobody was certain just what team she played for. Thankfully Lelouch had picked up the phone.
"Hello? Ashford Academy Student Council?" He paused. "Huh? No, this is..." The pressure on his arm increased. He held the phone through the crack. "It's for you. He says he knows you."
Kallen's eyes narrowed, but she put down her dagger-pouch and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" She asked.
"Glad you're still alive, Q1." Rang a voice that she knew very well. She glanced through the crack, and saw Lelouch was definitely not speaking, just looking in a different direction to preserve her decency. So it had been a mistake. Lelouch was not the voice. Then the voice continued. "1600 hours the day after tomorrow, the observation-deck at Tokyo Tower. Come alone." Then the line went dead.
Now Kallen was not the type of girl that you left standing in the rain, figuratively speaking. She yelled into the phone, despite it being useless. "Wait! Who are you? How did you arrange that cease-fire order?"
Lelouch felt like he had been hit in the gut with a sledgehammer. Kallen had unknowingly pulled the curtain open, and DAMN! Her reigned in his drool, difficult as it was, and focused on his innocent-act. How did speaking work again? Oh yeah. "Cease-fire? Sounds like you keep dangerous company."
Kallen glanced at him, now nervous, and gave him a perfect view of her chest. Thinking was getting harder. "Um, well I..." Kallen tried to come up with an excuse, but she was coming up empty. Her head was feeling light, probably from all the embarrassment, making thinking harder.
Lelouch smiled. "Let me guess. A game, something online?"
Kallen nodded eagerly, and Lelouch bit his lip when he saw that the motion affected her bust. This was getting unbearable. "Huh? Yeah, that's right. With my constitution, I don't get out much."
Lelouch nodded absentmindedly, his brain seemingly shutting down. "I see." He gulped. "By the way, you do know I can see you, right?"
Kallen looked down on herself, then back at Lelouch. A blush crept over her face.
For Lelouch, suppressing the vampire had become impossible. He opened his mouth slightly, and was dully surprised when long, sharp fangs slid out of his gums. He knew that he had taken in loads of calcium, but there was no way that teeth should grow that fast.
Even more astounding was that Kallen didn't react to the fangs, or his now undeniably lusting gazes. Instead of ducking and pulling the curtain shut, she turned around, giving Lelouch full view of her front. That big and perky and all natural, Lelouch dully noted. He dimly felt his legs walking forward, his hand cupping her soft cheek, gently bending her head to the side, and biting down.
What flowed into his mouth was indescribable. It was as if euphoria itself had filled his throat, sweet and heavenly juice on his tongue, pure joy filling him. He dimly heard Kallen moan in pleasure as her arms wrapped around his head, while her soft breasts and hard nipples were pressing against his bare chest, sending shudders of bliss through him. A small part of his mind was grateful for Milly, as the two wet spots on his jacket would have been difficult to explain, while another part was wondering what that lovely musky scent was.
Then his mind slowly regained control, and he realized that he had to stop, or he would kill Kallen. Almost begrudgingly his fangs slipped out of her, saliva running down them in streams, filling the holes that the fangs had caused. Lelouch remembered his own experience and guessed that those holes would be gone in a few minutes. He looked at his first victim.
Kallen seemed completely out of it. Her eyes were glazed, her cheeks were flushed despite the blood-loss, and her breathing was quick and hard. Lelouch pulled the curtain close, less he do something he might regret later, and called out "Let's just pretend this never happened, okay?"
Later he would ask himself why he hadn't simply used his power to order her to forget, but the truth was, he was just so giddy for some reason that he completely forgot.
-0-
The rest of the day had gone off without problems, Kallen apparently really not remembering the bite when she came out of the bath. Another thing that Lelouch noticed was that the pressure that tried to urge him to jump the female members of the Council, barring Nunnally, was gone, replaced with simple appreciation of the female body, and the note to make then his in the future. Of course, the news that Suzaku was thought to be Clovis's killer was a shock, to say the least.
-0-
When he entered his bedroom that evening, C.C. smiled at him. "So, how was your first bite?" She asked.
Lelouch blinked. "How did you know?"
She chuckled. "You see, we vampires give off certain a certain pheromone that I'm smelling from you on two occasions. Either after we drank blood, or after we got laid, and since I don't smell any sex from you..." She didn't finish, nor was there a need to.
Lelouch frowned. "But you drink my blood every night, and I never smelled anything different."
"That's because you're still becoming a vampire. Your sense of smell is one of the last things to develop. But be assured, I do give it off. So, how was it? You did ensure that your victim forget it, right? And I hope you stopped before it got dangerous, a corpse is the last thing we need."
Lelouch shrugged. "I can't even find words that begin to describe it. As for memories, I didn't even have to use it. She just became still and flushed, then she practically invited me to bite her. After I was done, she just sat there with a glazed expression, breathing quickly. Don't worry, she's fine. She came out of the shower without a single indication that something was wrong But what happened? Not just did she practically offer her blood, but the mental pressure that always happened when I looked at certain girls is gone."
C.C. shrugged. "Of course it is. It was that strong because you were suppressing all your instincts as a vampire. Now that you satisfied one desire, your body knows that it no longer needs to push you so hard, and allows you to get used to it at your own pace. I'm sure that you'll have some more sips from others in the future, and since you controlled yourself at your first time, you can control yourself the next times you drink blood, as that gets easier, not harder to manage."
Lelouch nodded to himself, before hitting the bed in frustration.
"And what got you so angry?" C.C. asked, as most were euphoric after a bite, not upset.
"Simple. A friend I haven't seen in years is being made responsible for the murder of Clovis!" Lelouch replied angrily. "I have to get him out, but how?"
C.C. shrugged. "Well, unless you intend to take the blame for the act, then your friend is shit out of luck."
Lelouch glared at her, before he froze. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. It needs work, and a bit of daring, but it could work. I'll need some help... well, I have a meeting with the rebels anyways, so that'll do."
"That's all good and well," C.C. interrupted "but now come here and let me drink. Let's see what changed with your first taste of blood."
Lelouch sighed and prepared for bed, wincing as C.C. repeated his performance on Kallen. But while Lelouch quickly fell asleep, the day being just too much, C.C. was lying awake, pondering.
'As a newborn vampire, Lelouch should only have one ability. Even with me speeding up his changing by forcing his body to produce more blood, which will be vampiric in origin, he should be at least a month or two away from awakening a second ability, so how did he manage to use what according to his description can only be Charm? Then again, it may have something to do with... Yes, that's likely. He already had it, only weakened, so when I changed him, together with a new ability manifesting, it strengthened the ones he already had. He's probably going to be pretty good at spotting vampires.' She thought to herself, before cuddling herself to her plaything, and contently falling asleep, wondering what little Lelouch was going to come up with next.
Chapter 4 is done. Another long one, but I wanted to at least come this far with the plot.
Lelouch has his first taste of blood, and it seems he has more than one gift. Sorry to those that expected something different, but the occasion was just too good to pass up, and a vampire's lust for blood will on the first meeting always beat the lust for sex. It's a simple system, drinking from a victim will tell other vampires to keep their fangs elsewhere, and multiple bites will increase the feeling of ownership. A vampire will, while appreciating female beauty in all its forms, restrain themselves to their own belongings, or willing partners if vampire, when choosing a partner for fornication. Which is why C.C. is impatiently awaiting the day Lelouch pops his cherry. And no, Kallen is not yet at the point where Lelouch sees her as his, she was only bitten once. She's marked, but it will take a number of bites, a large number of bites looking at Lelouch's mindset, before that point is reached.
As for why I had Milly act like that, one, it's plausible for her to actually do something like that, and two, Lelouch would have never survived her teasing if there were two, cough, asset-shaped wet spots on his shirt when leaving a room in which an attractive young woman was just taking a shower.
And no, Lelouch's charm-power and his mind-control are not the same. His commanding overpowers the free will, while his charm actually raises instincts and attraction to a point where the higher brainfunctions are shut down. Translation, the victim becomes so enraptured that they turn off their brain. The camera is rolling, but there's no film.
As for the bargaining of Sutherlands, yes, I know it's unlikely a small-fry cell like Ohgi's group would reject money, but at least in Ohgi's case, the reason he fights is patriotism, so considering his self-doubts he would think that the money should be used where it can really help free Japan, since he doesn't think that he could do much. Well, he hasn't met Zero yet. Plus, by acting like that, they would have done something that will put them in Kyoto's good graces, even before Zero shows up. Personally, I've always wondered why the Kyoto in canon knew of their cell. It had maybe ten members, and it was horribly equipped. It had one Glasgow, but aside from that, they were insignificant.
And yes, Jeremiah is still fighting for Marianne, and not a purist. It didn't fit his later behavior, like his willingness to work with 'Elevens', and later Kururugi. In my opinion, he judges people by their actions rather than their nationality, and I arranged it so that him joining the purists was not done out of despair or because he believed the bullshit-story of Marianne's death, but because he was working hard to bring the murderers to justice, his own brand if need be.
Oh, and no, Lelouch is not having split personalities, his arguments with himself are just brought by his conflicting desires, that are vocalized to better differentiate them, and because it's funnier that way.
And it takes more to becoming a vampire than being bitten, so to those wondering, no, Kallen will not turn into a vampire now.
And one more thing about my vampires. They are physically as superior to humans as a professional athlete is to Lelouch, if not more, but here, there is a limit. They will not endlessly grow stronger, as they are creatures of flesh, and despite the fact that theirs can handle much more than a human's, there is a point at which physical strength will grow no further for vampires as well. Otherwise C.C., being well over two millenniums old, would currently be able to juggle with Britannian MCCs, and that much strength is just overkill.
And for the one who said dying in battle is the best way to go, I'd rather die after a battle, succumbing to injuries, but knowing that the other bastard kicked the bucket first, courtesy of my boot.
Well, since I've said all that comes to mind right now, onto the Q&A
Q: What of Lelouch's physical condition?
A: It's steadily improving, with C.C. upping the difficulty every time he gets a little better. At the current point, he's still behind the average boy his age, but now only a few miles rather than light-years.
Q: Does C.C. still seek death, and would she get it if she passed on the Code?
A: For one, no, she does not particularly want to die. In canon, I believe the main reason she wanted to is because the human mind is simply not geared for forever, which the nun that gave C.C. her Code nicely demonstrated. However, the processes going on in a vampire's brain are different, so eternity does not equal insanity for them. The fact that sex and blood will still be really, really great no matter who you use or how often you do it also helps fight off nihilism. And no, if C.C. passed on the Code, she would not die immediately, she would merely be once again bound to vampiric mortality, meaning that decapitation will kill her, and a shot to the head has good chances of leading to permanent amnesia. And I don't believe that passing on the Code is fatal, even in canon. The nun was seen dead in a puddle of blood, and not old and wrinkly, so my guess is that she killed herself. Passing on the Code just sets the clock that was stopped when you got it back to work.
Q: Will Jeremiah defect earlier?
A: It is a possibility that I am taking into serious consideration. While I like him as a cyborg, that doesn't mean that he couldn't help Lelouch. I'm torn.
Q: Will Lelouch get a personal unit that is not the Gawain?
A: I haven't planned that far to be honest, but I consider it a possibility. Don't forget, as a vampire, Lelouch's capabilities as a sniper have gone through the roof, and being the schemer he is, it would not surprise if he decided to make use of that, not to mention that C.C., should she get herself involved, will also be much more versatile than she was in canon.
Q: Is there anything not human regarding Kallen and Suzaku?
A: Kallen no, she's just a ridiculously talented human. Suzaku? Well, there may be something, or there may not be.
Well, that's all for now, so
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