Sorry for the wait, but WE ARE FINALLY AT CANON!
Anyways, I don't own Code Geass
Enjoy~
Ch. 12
Lelouch, Leabella 8
Lelouch stared wide eyed at the chess board before him. Leabella did the same, although one of her eyebrows was raised. Schneizel, who was sitting across from his little sister, leaned back in his chair nodding.
Leabella blinked running the passed few minutes again and again in her head. "Well, I believe I should say congratulations,Leabella," Schneizal brought her out of her thoughts with his words. She looked up at him in surprised. Lelouch whipped around form the chess board to his older brother in distress.
"You didn't cheat, did you?" she sputtered out. Lelouch looked at his older sister.
Schneizal chuckled, and the two twins looked at him. "I'm afraid I did not," the second prince said getting up from his chair, "This game is all yours, Leabella."
Lelouch watched in sorrow as his brother walked out of the room. Leabella stayed still, staring at the black queen in her hand. Had she really done it? Beat Schneizal as chess? She never dreamed of it being a reality.
Lelouch looked over at his sister with a frown. They were never competitive, but something about chess was always different. Their score between each other in the game was always even. But, now Leabella achieved something he didn't. Lelouch bit his lip suppressing the ache inside him.
He blinked up at his sister when he heard her whisper, "I won." Lelouch saw Leabella staring down at her black queen, the piece she had used to take out Schneizal's king.
"What's this?" Leabella asked curiously looking from the small box in her hand up to her older brother's face.
Schneizal smiled down at one of his favorite younger sisters. "Think of it as a little reward from our match last week," the prince said walking away right after petting the princess's head affectionately.
Leabella giggled, not minding her older brother messing up her hair. She looked around the corridor. At one end, she saw the retreating form of the second prince, and down the other end, she eyed her twin brother hiding behind a column. The third princess raised an eyebrow, walking over to her little brother with her present behind her back. "Lelouch, I thought mother took you to piano lessons."
Lelouch looked down at his feet, "We just returned." Leabella tilted her head a bit. Why was Lelouch avoiding looking up at her? After a long awkward pause, Lelouch blurted, "Why was brother here?"
Leabella squeezed the small box in her hands. "I think he had a message for mother from father," she lied smoothly. Lelouch frowned, and she winced. The two had never kept anything from each other. They never told each other any lie. Leabella broke that untold promise, and they both knew it.
"Okay," Lelouch said coolly as much as he could. Along with his sister, he wasn't all that great at adjusting the tones of their voices just yet. Whenever they meant to sound threatening, they still sounded more like children. Both twins stared the other in the eye, as if daring to make the first move. But, they didn't know how. They never were in this sort of situation with each other. Leabella felt almost guilty for winning that game against Schneizal. Lelouch was boiling with jealousy. Ever since that match both had been asking Schneizal for a game, but every time, the prince had something to attend to. Leabella wanted to lose to her older brother again, and Lelouch wanted nothing than to be his sister's equal again.
Isabella 17
"How is it?"
"It's amazing!"
"Heh," Isabella replied.
"Oh, well sorry," Kallen shot back, "I haven't been in a military grade knightmare like somebody."
"Don't get so frisky, Cupcake," Isabella said maneuvering her knightmare to trip up Kallen's in her attack, "You'll slip up like that."
Kallen grumbled, getting herself up.
"Hey, Kallen!" both girls turned their knightmares to see Yuuto standing a couple yards away. "Let me get a crack at her."
Kallen smiled inside her knightmare. "Yeah!" Isabella waited as the two switched positions. She shifted a bit uncomfortable in her seat. This knightmare need a bit more getting used to. She was so used to European models. She barely even touched Britannian ones. Too alien.
"Alright," Yuuto said already inside Kallen's knightmare. "Let's do this."
"Hm," Isabella started smugly, "You remember what happened last time?"
Yuuto smirked in his cockpit, "Yeah, I won." He laughed when he heard a retort striking Isabella's knightmare.
Kallen watched from some ways away against the warehouse's walls. "I thought you'd be here," Kallen whipped around seeing Kaname at the entrance of the warehouse.
"Hey," Kallen greeted as her leader approached her.
"Is that Isa and Yuuto?" Kaname asked marveling at the knights' skilled spar match.
"Yeah," Kallen answered, "They're great, right?"
Kaname smiled at the teen's going interest in the machines, "Tell them I got to talk to them when they finish this round, okay?"
"Got it," Kallen said absent-mindedly focusing on the knightmares.
"It's poison gas?!"
Isabella frowned. "Yes," she replied slowly.
Kaname slumped in his chair across from the ratty couch Yuuto and Isa were sitting in inside of his poor excuse for an office. Isabella looked over at the flicking ceiling light, surprised the run down building even had any electricity. She looked over to the group leader as he gripped his hair leaning on the arm rests of the chair.
"Prince Clovis has been trying to gain support from the Japanese and Honorary Britannians; so any move he makes against Japan would back fire, " Isabella explained.
Yuuto spoke then, "From what we know, this isn't some weapon campaign in Britannia, so they developed the gas in discretion—which only means one thing."
"They plan to use is in secret," Kaname moaned.
"And cover it up," Isabella said glaring at the wall behind Kaname.
After a moment, Kaname sighed letting his hands fall forward, "We have to do something,"
Yuuto grinned, "That's why we're here, boss."
"Hey, I got the uniforms, R.R." Yuuto said walking into Leabella's office. In his hand were the standard uniforms for workers in the delivery system the military used.
"Honestly!" Yuuto blinked seeing an upset R.R. sitting on Leabella's desk chair with his feet propped up on the solid wood desk yelling into the princess's ornate phone. The soldier silently questioned what the immortal would do if any other person walked in on him like this. Sweat dropping, he quickly erased the thought thinking of the unspeakable things the boy would do to that poor soul. "We could have been more organized about this!" R.R. shouted.
"That would be too much trouble," Leabella said on the other side of the phone. She swiftly locked the door to the Student Council room of the club house with the keys that she had snagged from Lelouch when she had him for class earlier and put the cellphone on speaker placing it on the large desk and setting her gym bag down.
"What are people going to think when you magically appear out of nowhere?!" Richard ranted.
"I've already arranged it with the Principal," Isabella said unzipping her bag taking out a thankfully unwrinkled dress. She fluffed out the ruffles of the skirt laying it down on the table as she took out her shoes and signature arm warmers, "I am not to be greeted at the gate of the school or mauled by the student body. I shall have a set of chosen students show me to the venue under the context that they are in my guard andgive a speech on how proud Britannia is on having a wonderful academy in Area 11 educating bright young people and requite more soldiers to become my father's pawns." Leabella started taking off the blond wig over her pin curled dark hair. Tossing the wig in the bag she started undoing the pins.
"…If something happens I am going to give the biggest 'I told you so's ever."
"Isabella said that we were to meet the Princess here right?" Suzaku asked Eiji outside the club house.
"Right," Eiji said looking at his watch, "Any minute now."
Suzaku shifted in his uniform, "Shouldn't we have changed into our military uniforms?"
"Isabella said it would be too troublesome; plus, Leabella said wearing our military pins are just fine," Eiji said remembering the blonde pestering him on and on in the morning during soccer practice. He didn't mind Isabella, but her attention in front of the team got him wolf whistles in the locker room. "Plus moving the sub-viceroy will be easier if we blend in."
"Right," Suzaku agreed.
"Yes, yes," Leabella said removing each pin, "Now, if you don't mind I'm running late, and you are not helping."
"I can see it going downhill from here, Leabella." And Richard hung up. The princess grumbling settling on the edge of a chair removing each pin at a steady pace.
"Ugh, this is taking too long," she moaned when she looked up at the clock on the wall.
'Isabella did say they would be in the Student Council room preparing the speech…' Eiji thought to himself. He looked over at Suzaku, "I'm going to go check on something. You stay here in case something happens," Eiji said.
"Yes," Suzaku said standing at attention.
"Ah, Finally!" Leabella exclaimed as she ruffled out her curls haphazardly.
"Let's see it should be in the west wing…" Eiji said trying to remember the directions the Basketball coach gave him last month to turn in the club's budget to the student council.
"Damn," Leabella mumbled lacing up the back of her dress, "I had to bring a dress without a zipper.
"Bingo," Eiji said, knocking on the door. "Your Heighness? Isabella?"
"Eiji?" Leabella whipped around at the clock, "U-uh, sorry!" the princess started lacing up the dress as fast as she could. She flitted over to her place at the table where she had laid down a copy of the speech,
"Do you need any help, Princess?" Eiji asked on the other side of the door.
"No," Leabella said quickly picking up the paper between her lips bring it over to the rest of her stuff. However on the way, she failed to notice Shirley's roller skates on the floor, "I'm just taking care of so-AH!"
"Princess!" Eiji tried for the locked door, but all he could hear was a struggle and then a loud thud before he forced it open. The soldier looked around the now silent room. He did not come upon a Princess but an open bag settled on the table for him to see. "A wig?" Eiji blinked. 'A blond wig?'
The soldier snapped out of it when he heard a groan on the other side of the room.
"Princess!" he ran over to her, helping her foot from the roller skate.
"Ow," she moaned rubbing her shoulder, "Thanks," the princess said as he helped her to her feet.
"Um, Princess," Eiji started.
"Leabella," said girl corrected slightly stumbling to her shoes.
"Are you Isabella?" Leabella froze while tying the ribbon on her shoes around her ankle, "Princess."
Leabella sighed tying the bow and standing. She looked over at her open bag where she had left her blond wig, "Yeah."
Suzaku stood his ground just outside the club house looking over the courtyard. He perked up when he heard the door open. Turning around he found the breathtaking Leabella walk out in a pale blue dress.
"Ready, Your Highness?" he asked.
Leabella looked up at him and smiled, "As I'll ever be."
"Eiji, are you coming?" Suzaku said when said boy stayed at the door.
Eiji looked at Leabella knowingly, "No, I'm going to help Isabella prepare the pickup car for Leabella. You keep her safe; I shouldn't be long."
"Okay, then," Suzaku said as he started to lead Leabella, "This way, Princess."
Leabella snorted slightly, "Suzaku, we're hardly around anyone. You don't have to be so formal."
"E-eh," Suzaku blushed embarrassed, "right!"
"That went surprising well," Lelouch sighed in relief. As the student filed out of the gymnasium, he looked over to Leabella seated upon the most comfortable seat on campus that Lelouch and Rivalz could find and haul up on the stage under Milly's orders.
"It's an honor to have you at our academy, your Highness," Milly said approaching Leabella, who was flanked by Suzaku and Eiji.
"Oh, it's a pleasure," Leabella said as Lelouch walked over. His sister looked over to Suzaku ad Eiji, "It's so nice to see the school that two of my men are going to."
"Not to mention Isabella," Shirley added coming up next to Lelouch, "She a great friend. Did you know that Lelouch is her brother?"
Leabella tried not to stiffen at the question, "Y-yes. It was one of the reason why I had Isabella admitted here."
"Isn't it great when you hear about family reunions like that?" Rivalz said swinging an arm around Lelouch's shoulders making the prince uncomfortable. Leabella scratched behind her ear looking over at the clock on the wall of the gym, praying for Yuuto to get the school faster. Lelouch chuckled lowly.
Eiji looked over to his princess seeing her shift in her seat. He raised an eyebrow. He almost never saw she look so nervous—the last time was when her squad was hounding her about a marriage proposal from the son of Duke Spacer. He looked over at Rivalz, wondering what it was about his question that made Leabella so on edge.
"That was a lovely speech, Princess," Leabella visibly brightened from Eiji's observation.
"Oh," Milly piped, bring Nunnally closer to the group of teens, "Your Highness, this is Nunnally, Lelouch and Isabella's younger sister."
Leabella smiled fondly at the disabled girl, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nunnally."
"Likewise, your highness," Nunnally replied, a smile gracing her face.
Eiji looked at Nunnally curiously. He had known her as Lelouch's younger sister briefly knowing her from conversations with Suzaku, but she seemed familiar. He had never really met the girl, but there was something there. Eiji looked over at Lelouch. Nunnally and Lelouch shared very few physical features. He had to guess that perhaps they shared the same eye color. Eiji blinked noticing Lelouch staring at him. It took him a moment of looking at the boy for his eyes to widen and for his vision to snap to his princess.
Leabella was talking with the other student council members, but he noticed a slight pause in her demeanor. She looked up at him briefly. Then his phone started ringing. He jolted in surprise getting the call quickly, "This is Minami," he said turning away from the group of teenagers.
"It's Aoki, We're outside," Yuuto replied sternly on the other end.
"Got it, be there in 5." Eiji hung up the phone turning to the group. "Princess, our ride is here."
"We'll escort you," Milly said, "It would be rude not to, even if Suzaku and Eiji are students."
Leabella chuckled getting up from her chair, "Alright."
"Good thing I made the brat stay at HQ," Yuuto muttered under breath seeing a horde of teenagers walking towards him with Leabella in the center. It would have been hard explaining a thirteen year old looking boy to the crowd. "Your highness," he greeted opening the door for Leabella.
"Yuuto," Leabella said steadily while wearing a smirk. She turned to the student council members, "Thank you, it was so nice meeting Suzaku and Isabella's friends."
"The pleasure was ours, Princess," Shirley said enthusiastically.
Leabella smiled, giving Lelouch one last brief glance—he was smiling at her.
"Why does Kallen get to have the nice knightmare?" Tamaki complained, "She the newbie!"
"Because she's smart enough the learn how to use it correctly," Isabella said hauling out a large bag from the office.
"And, what about you?" Tamaki retorted, "Yuuto is just as military trained as you."
"Yuuto is part of Leabella's royal guard. He's too busy to be here all the time," Isabella countered then called, "Nagato! Kallen!"
"Yeah?" the man walked over along with the red head. Isabella bent down the unzip the large bag bringing out to light grey jump suits.
"Here," Isabella handed each of them the delivery uniform, "You'll need this for tomorrow."
Kallen frowned down at the clothes, "So, we doing it tomorrow, huh?"
"Yup," Yuuto said walking out with a rolled up map of the ghetto and settlement, "Tomorrow, General Bartley's shipment is going to be shipped out from the military base to his personal science facility. To get there it has to go through a civilian shipping company that the military uses. That's our window."
"What is it again?" Nagato asked.
"It's poisonous gas," Yuuto said handing him a pair of keys, "This is the key to the truck outside, okay?"
Nagato nodded, and Kaname started, "Alright, let's go over the plan…"
"You're going to another match?" Leabella asked into the receiver upset. "You've seen the news lately. I told you not to go out today."
"Relax," Lelouch replied through the phone, "Besides, Rivalz was the one that set it up. If it makes you feel any better we'll go straight to school after."
Leabella grumbled fixing the blonde wig upon her head, "Fine."
"Alright. Tell Leabella I said hi if you get a chance, see you," Lelouch said.
"Will do," she replied, "Bye." She hung up the phone and eyed her military uniform in the mirror of the bathroom. "Ready," she talked to herself.
"Isabella will be at the pickup sight to make sure you get 'the package.'"
"Captain L-lamperouge!" a private saluted Isabella nervously as she walked through the shipping area of the delivery company.
"Private," Isabella addressed him. "I won't be long," she said smoothly, "Her highness requested that I inspect military used companies. Don't mind me."
"Y-yes, my lord," he stuttered returning to his post.
As she walked around the facility, she could hear the thoughts of the workers. 'Damn…why would Princess Leabella want this place to be inspected.' 'Crap, I need to make sure I don't screw anything up.' 'Just imagine her naked! Yeah….WAIT NO! Don't do that!' 'I can do this, it's just like any other day…'
Isabella smirked a bit keeping an intimidating sharp eye on the workers.
"Then, Kallen and Nagato will come in."
"Bring in the next truck!" a worker called. Isabella watched at a familiar truck made its way to the gate.
Isabella made her way to the gate keeper as Nagato handed the gate keeper Kallen and his fake IDs. The poor man jumped when Isabella peered over his shoulder 'inspecting' the IDs.
"Captain Lamperouge!" the man squawked.
"Now, now," Isabella looked at the man's badge, "Mr. Forbs, don't let me bother your work. How can the military have disheveled workers to transport cargo?"
"R-right, my lord," the man said handing Nagato back the IDs in a rushed manner.
Isabella walked with the truck as they got to the loading area. Nagato had his window open to her. "Everything run well?" she asked lowly.
"Yeah," he replied handing her the forged delivery report, "Yuuto got Tamaki to close off main roads that led here, so the actual cargo truck should be stuck in traffic right now."
"Excellent," Isabella said handing one of the cargo workers the report with what cargo went in the truck.
"Bring that trailer from General Bartley and the one from the sub-viceroy over!" he called. Isabella watched at the workers secured the trailers to Nagato and Kallen's truck. Once they were done, Isabella nodded for to start for the gate.
"I'll get done here, and meet you on the way to Shinjuku," Isabella murmured to them, and they drove off without a hitch.
Isabella sighed walking toward the exit of the shipping area. "Captain?" the Private from earlier inquired seeing her leave.
"It seems all is going well, keep up the good work," Isabella said to the soldier, and made a beeline for the public restrooms on the commercial side of the building. After changing into casual clothes she made her way to her motorbike outside. As she mounted the vehicle she dialed a number on her cellphone.
'Hello?'
"Lelouch," Isabella said quickly attaching the phone to her ear and putting on her helmet, "Where are you?"
'We just got out of the match. We're in the elevator of Peterson Blake Hotel,' Lelouch replied. Isabella looked over what she could of the skyline of the Tokyo settlement. That's not far from the ghetto…
"Alright," Isabella said starting her bike heading to Shinjuku, "Get to school as soon as you can, okay?"
'Is there something goin-?' beepbeep
"Huh? Sorry, Lelouch. I got a call," Isabella said. Beepbeep. "Call me when you make it to school." Isabella switched lines. "What is it?"
'Trouble!' Kallen said urgently on the other side of the line. Isabella immediately sped up taking a freeway ramp on Nagato and Kallen's route. 'Somehow the military got tipped off about us stealing the gas!'
"Dammit," she growled having an overview of the settlements roads on a screen on her bike, "Looks like Tamaki didn't do so well on blocking off those roads. Head to Shinjuku; I get there as fast as I can. Have they engaged with you guys?"
'No, for right now they're just following us.'
"Alright, keep it like that. It'll be a while until we get out of the settlement, we need to be close to Shinjuku if we're going to start fighting." Isabella said as the Britannian flag popped up on the screen of her bike. "What the…"
We apologize for the delay. Now, his Royal highness, Prince Clovis, third prince of Britannia, will address the nation.
Isabella narrowed her eyes as her brother appeared on her screen, along with other big screens throughout the settlement. Clovis…what are you doing now…
"To all my imperial subjects, including of course the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the empire of Britannia."
'We're NOT elevens. We're JAPANESE!' Isabella heard Kallen yell over the call.
"Do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest, only to be torn apart. The remnants rage in sadness. However, as ruler of Area Eleven, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because, the battle we fight is a righteous one. A virtuous battle, to protect the well-being of one and all! Now, then, everyone, I would like you to join me in observance of the aid who died for justice, in the line of duty."
A moment of silence, please.
'So, are you partaking in this moment of bull?' Kallen asked on the line.
"No," Isabella said frowning as her brother disappeared on the screens, only to be replaced with the Britannian flag, "Technically, Princess Leabella is in charge of the majority of military affairs in Japan, but that one time, the operation was under General Bartley's command. It just shows how unqualified he is as a commander."
'So, now they're using this slip up as some sad boo-hoo story?' Kallen scoffed. Beepbeep
"Got a call, be back," Isabella said.
'Don't be gone too long,' Kallen replied, 'The military is still after us.'
Isabella switched over. "Yes?"
'Hey,' Yuuto said on the line. Isabella frowned expecting Lelouch. 'Our squad has just been informed on the operation. From what R.R. got out of the soldier, they're telling the police that it's medical equipment, but telling MP's that it's poisonous gas.'
"I notified Clovis that I was meeting with a suitor today outside of Tokyo," Isabella said, "You're in command till 'Leabella' gets back."
'Got it.' Yuuto replied hanging up the phone.
Isabella sighed; she looked up at the sky, seeing the military air crafts following Nagato and Kallen in the distance. "I have a bad feeling about this," Isabella said. She frowned speeding up some, "Can't go back now."
Lelouch sighed as Rivalz made his way onto the freeway, not a few short miles away from where Nagato and Kallen where trying to escape the MP's.
There you have it! Hope you liked it. Responses are greatly appreciated. Byebye.
