Chapter 20
CC turned off the radio and leaned back in the co-pilot seat with a sigh. Absentmindedly she rubbed the wound on her right shoulder where the bullet had exited. Much of the damaged tissue had reformed and much of the pain had subsided. The only reminder of the unfortunate event was the bloodstain around the torn cloth of her Infinity costume and a dull pain that was getting duller with each passing minute. Lelouch took a quick glance back and, seeing what she was going, cleared his throat impatiently, snapping her back to the Gawain's cockpit.
"Well, what did they say?"
"The sub hasn't moved from its original position, just as I told you it wouldn't," she said plainly. "It does sound like your favorite pilot may have persuaded them a little though."
The raven-haired teen chuckled. "Yes, that does sound like her. I certainly don't envy the person who managed to make her angry. Just sit back and relax, we should be seeing them any minute now if they surfaced like you instructed."
No sooner had the words left his mouth, a small black speck appeared on the horizon, quickly growing in size as the large knightmare neared it. Eventually the shape took the distinct form of the Black Knights' newest base of operations. Lelouch put the Gawain into a hover one hundred feet above the deck as one of the several cargo hatches began to slowly open. As the large double doors came to a halt, he slowly reduced power to the float systems and allowed the black frame to descend into the cavernous hold. As soon as the Gawain's feet struck the floor with a muffled thud, the motors re-engaged, this time in reverse, and the great steel doors once again began to close. For a moment the cavernous hold was devoid of light before the overhead lights kicked in, bathing the area in a harsh white light.
Lelouch felt a tinge of pride as he saw his Knights standing attention at the far wall, looking for all their worth like the elite organization they were, the core members at the head of the small procession. Based on their shocked expressions, he surmised that they hadn't fully accepted that he and CC had managed to commandeer such an advanced unit, despite their assurances to the contrary. Grinning in amusement at seeing his subordinates' disbelief, Lelouch donned the mask of Zero and waited for CC to do the same. Once they had both made the transformation back to their respective personas, Lelouch typed in the command for the Gawain to kneel and open the cockpit hatch.
The pair swiftly leapt onto the shoulders of the machine and walked down to greet the group, who had slowly begun to approach them. Rakshata wasted no time in brushing past them and walked straight to the float system on the back, motioning for her technicians to bring over several computers to begin examining their newest toy.
"Take care that you do not go overboard," CC cautioned her. "Wouldn't want you to make it impossible to fly, would we?"
The Indian woman scoffed at the remark. "Don't worry, I'm just curious what the Earl of Pudding has been up to lately. Plus I'm practically dying to look at what I can do with those hadron cannons," she added with a hungry grin.
She took a deep inhalation draw from her pipe and turned her attention back to the knightmare with a hungry gleam in her eye, everyone else in the room long forgotten. CC then shifted her focus back to Lelouch, who was busy trying to placate a jealous and complaining Tamaki.
"Ah, come on!" the older man whined. "Why are you the only ones who get something like that? If you gave me a flying knightmare, I could win this whole thing by myself."
Kallen rolled her eyes at her childish friend. "I don't know, maybe Zero and Infinity are the pilots because they are our leaders?" she replied sarcastically.
"Yes, and I doubt that you have the mental aptitude to use such a machine at any rate," CC quipped, earning a laugh from both of his friends. "You would most likely crash it into the ground, if you ever managed to get it in the air that is."
Tamaki, his face reddened with anger, turned to face his new tormentor. "I don't need to take that crap from Zero's mistress! What makes you think that you could do any better than I could in that thing?"
Lelouch cleared his throat, cutting CC off from making a scathing remark. "We will discuss that later Tamaki, understood?"
The loudmouth simply nodded and took a very sudden interest in his feet.
"Good, there are matters that I need to take care of now if there is nothing else for the time being," he said as he began walking past them. "Kallen, would you come to my quarters as well? What I wish to discuss may be of interest to you."
"Um yeah," she said surprised. "Lead the way, Zero."
With a slight nod, Lelouch started walking, the small group of Knights parting to either side to allow both of their iconic leaders and the knightmare ace to pass. They waited, standing at attention until the hangar door had hissed closed behind the trio. Todoh then turned to face the gathered low rank members and quickly dismissed them with orders to return to their duty stations to prepare for departure from the area. It wasn't long before only Todoh, Chiba, Ohgi, and Tamaki were left standing there.
"So what do you guys think those two are talking about?" Tamaki asked. "And why did Zero want Kallen to listen in? You think she knows something we don't?"
Ohgi shrugged. "I don't have any ideas what Zero and Infinity were so eager to talk about with her. How about you Todoh, what do you think?"
"To be perfectly honest, I do not care what they are talking about. A good soldier does not question his superior's motives. If they want us to know, they will tell us all in good time."
Tamaki groaned in annoyance. "Oh come on, you don't really believe that do you? Aren't you guys even a little curious about what they're up to? All this mystery stuff is killing me here!"
Chiba rolled her eyes while Todoh just sighed at the young man's childish antics. While the brown haired man kept going on about expressing his desire to know what their masked commanders were up to, the two former JLF fighters silently made their way to the door to see to all final preparations for the sub's impending departure from the area. Ohgi looked longingly at the door as it hissed shut behind them but he was unable to make his own escape as Tamaki threw one of his arms over his former leader's shoulder.
"Hey!" the brown haired man yelled. "Are you even listening to what I said?"
The former terrorist commander sighed. "Not really, I agree with Todoh on this one. As long as they continue to support us the way they have, they have the right to keep a few things private," he said as he extricated himself from his friend's hold. "Besides, it probably isn't anything that important anyway."
"She what?!" a certain redhead cried as she jumped up from her seat. "You can't be serious, right?"
Lelouch motioned for her to retake her seat in front of his desk. "I'm afraid that it is true, Princess Euphemia li Britannia is aware of who I am or rather, who Zero is," he confirmed tiredly. "There is nothing to worry about though, she—"
"What do you mean there is nothing to worry about?" she asked worriedly. "Of course there is, one of our enemies knows who you are! What if she decides to tell her military? You could be—"
Lelouch held up a hand for her to be silent. "As I was trying to say," he began calmly, "we can trust her to keep my identity safe for the time being. Our means may differ but in the end she wants the same thing as we do: the Japanese people to regain their independence."
Kallen snorted in a very unladylike manner. "I still don't like it Lelouch. I would sooner put my trust in Diethard than I would in any member of the royal family."
One of CC's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. "Oh? So you believe that everyone in the Britannian royal bloodline is evil, unjust, and undeserving of trust?" the immortal asked her monotonously. "I'm afraid that is where you and I disagree Kallen. While it is true that most of them are indeed just that, there are a select few that don't share the same views as the Emperor and his children. Isn't that right Lelouch?"
The raven-haired teen shot his accomplice a warning glare before nodding. "Yes, there are several who are genuinely good people that believe in fighting violence with peace. Euphemia is one such person and because of that she won't be alerting the authorities."
The flaming haired ace sighed and stood up. "I hope you two know what you're doing, because I sure don't," she said as she started walking for the door, pausing at the threshold for a moment before continuing. "But if you want to trust our enemies, I guess that's your choice, not mine."
And with that she opened the door and quickly exited the room, the door automatically closing behind her with barely a whisper. A brief silence permeated the air as Lelouch considered the girl's words, wondering how the others would react if they were told what he was thinking.
Certainly nothing good, he decided with a sigh. It's amusing to think that they despise Britannia's discriminating ways yet their mindset is nearly the same.
With a shake of his head, Lelouch rose from behind Zero's desk and strolled over to the couch which CC had lazily spread out on, cuddling her cheese-kun doll close to her chest. The green haired immortal didn't bother to turn her head towards the tall form of her accomplice. Lelouch looked down at her with his arms crossed, a scowl slowly appearing on his face from the annoyance he felt at not even being acknowledged.
"You may want to stop glaring at me like that Lelouch, your face could become permanently stuck like that," CC said, the mirth in her voice slipping through her stone faced demeanor. "If I did not know better I would say you were trying to kill me with that look alone."
The raven-haired teen's frown slowly morphed into a playful smirk. "You know as well as I that it wouldn't work, not for long at least. I must admit the idea is tempting though."
CC turned her head to look at the teen, returning his smirk with a knowing one of her own. "Didn't your mother teach you that isn't how you treat a lady, your highness?"
"She did, so it is quite fortunate that the only other person here is a witch, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, followed soon by a brief chuckle.
CC rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Don't you have anything better to do than harass me? Perhaps running your revolution?"
The grin slowly faded as Lelouch was reminded of what he had originally wanted to talk about. He walked over to the unoccupied couch across from hers and took a seat, muttering something about willful women that made CC's smirk grow a fraction of an inch. Once he had comfortably settled into the soft leather, Lelouch locked eyes with his contractor and began speaking, all humor now gone from his voice.
"Tell me, what do you know of those ruins we found on Kamine Island? They appear to have connections to Geass and if Schneizel is interested in them, I am as well."
CC sat up from her relaxed position, all the while holding his gaze evenly. "You are correct in saying that they are connected to the power of geass. Think of it as a thought elevator, a way to transfer one's conscious."
She took a brief pause to recall all that she knew of the elevators, the Sword of Akasha, Ragnarok, and Charles' plans with them all. For a brief moment she considered holding back any information regarding the emperor but quickly dismissed that thought. She had made her mind up to tell him everything she knew, short of time travel anyways, when a familiar voice entered her mind.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea? I do not think that he is ready to learn all of this. Perhaps holding back—"
No, she interrupted sternly. There is nothing to gain by hiding this from him any longer; he has the right to know. And I don't think you are giving him enough credit, he was able to save your miserable existence and take over the world almost singlehandedly.
Abraham made a sound that sounded like a sigh. "Fine, there is nothing I can do to stop you from telling him anyway. Just don't come to regret it later."
I won't, this is the right thing to do. She thought, cutting the connection shortly thereafter before once again shifting her focus back to Lelouch, who had remained silent as he waited for further explanation.
"The thought elevator on Kamine Island is not the only one in existence. There are several others scattered throughout the world, most of which are under direct Britannian control or will soon be."
This news surprised the raven-haired teen and sent his mind reeling from the implications. "Are you saying that the reason that the emperor has been invading other countries is just to find these ruins?" he asked cautiously. "What could be so important about these 'thought elevators' that my father would be willing to destroy half the world to control them?"
"I'll tell you but you must promise to remain quiet until I have finished. Can you do that?"
Lelouch simply nodded and
This is it, CC thought tensely. Either he accepts what I tell him or he will lose it.
"Decades ago, as a child, your father came into contact with another code bearer who goes by the name VV. On that day they made a contract that granted Charles the power to rewrite the memories of any person and in return they swore to create a world with no lies."
CC took another pause to gauge Lelouch's reaction to what she had said so far. If she had expected him to be angry or stunned, she was to be disappointed. Instead of either of these reactions he simply sat there looking at her thoughtfully, leaning to one side of the seat, his head braced against his right hand.
She took a deep breath before continuing. "Over the years VV and Charles grew close to the point of declaring themselves brothers, all the while working to ensure that your father became the next emperor. Not long after they succeeded and he took the throne, he met your mother and she was quick to take up their dream. Around this time I came into contact with the newly crowned empress and, in exchange for promising to end my life, I granted her a geass and agreed to help them fulfill their goal."
"Her geass, the power to transfer her mind into that of another, remained inactive until the day she was attacked at the Ares Villa." Another pause as she collected herself to tell him the news that could prove to be his breaking point. "Contrary to what was reported however, Empress Marianne did not die that day—"
Lelouch jerked up in his seat. "What did you just say?" he demanded angrily. "I know what I saw that day, my mother was murdered in front of Nunally! Because of that my sister was blinded and handicapped, so don't try to belittle that by saying it didn't happen!"
CC broke contact briefly as she recalled the last time he had been this antagonized; nothing good had happened then either. "I didn't mean it like that Lelouch. I know that you are reminded by that day every time you look at her and I know how hard it must be. But what I'm telling you is the truth, your mother isn't dead, not in the traditional sense anyway."
The ebony haired teen sighed and slowly sat back down, however reluctantly. "Fine, go ahead and continue."
She nodded her thanks. "If you recall the geass that she was granted, your mother had the ability to transfer her conscious. When I said that it had never activated, I was not being one hundred percent accurate. It was only as she lay there, bleeding to death that it finally became useable."
The sudden change in Lelouch's expression from barely restrained anger to one of realization signified that it had clicked for him. "You mean to tell me that she was able to save herself by taking over someone else's life?" he asked cautiously. "Is that why my why father dismissed the investigation, because he knew she was alive?"
"Yes, that's right," she affirmed. "But to be honest, I'm not sure if he knew at the time that she had survived."
"I see," he muttered, deep in thought. "And I suppose that you left because you do not agree with their plan to somehow use these ruins to make their dream come to fruition."
CC simply nodded.
"I wont ask you for your reasons, they are unimportant in the long run anyway," he said calmly, his mind already working to formulate several different scenarios in which his parents might be attempting to realize their dream, dismissing each and every one of them as absurd.
He stood up and silently strode over to the couch that CC sat on. Stopping in front of her, he looked down, violet irises meeting gold, and offered her his right hand. His eyes practically burned with a resolve very much like when he had confronted both of his parents together for the first and last time.
"I appreciate your honesty in this matter," he said firmly. "We can worry about my parents later, for the time being we just need to continue as we have. What do you say to returning to Ashford right now for a few days of rest?"
CC took his proffered hand and rose to her feet. "I think that is the best idea you have had in the last few days, Lulu," a devious grin slowly graced her lips that did not bode well with him. "And I still have not forgotten about that pizza you promise me."
Of course you haven't, he thought despairingly. At this rate I wont have enough funds to feed Nunally much less myself. I wonder if she will be fine with something besides that accursed Pizza Hut…
"Welcome home Lelouch, CC," Nunally greeted cheerfully as the pair walked through the door. "Did you get all the research done on that project you told me about?"
Lelouch set down their overnight bags and knelt at her side, taking her hand in both of his. "Yeah, I learned a lot more than I had thought we would," he answered with a nod in CC's direction. "Since we're done with that project, I won't be going on any more trips for a while. Enough about my boring work though, what did you—"
A low rumble from the young girl's stomach interrupted him. Nunally looked down in embarrassment, her cheeks tinged pink. Lelouch gave a brief chuckle before standing up and ruffling her hair.
"I guess I better start dinner, why don't you have CC help you set the table for just the three of us?"
Nunally nodded happily. "Ok, I'll tell you what happened while you were gone when we eat."
"I would like nothing more," he said with that smile that he used for her and her alone. "Everything should be done in about half an hour."
While Nunally turned to asking for CC's help, a task the immortal was not all too happy at being forced into, Lelouch began walking towards the small kitchen, mentally going through all the ingredients and steps he would need to prepare their meal. Switching on the lights, he made his way over to the refrigerator and pulled out the cheese, tomatoes, and some leftover dough he had from baking bread for the student council's bake sale a couple weeks ago to fund Milly's hot springs trip. After several minutes of working he placed the uncooked pizza in the oven and set the timer for the required amount of time.
While he waited for it to cook he turned his attention to brewing a pot of tea and, once the water had reached a boil, brought it out to the small dining room attached to the kitchen. As he walked through the threshold he saw both girls sitting at the table at Nunally giggling at some private joke while CC wore a small smile. The sight of seeing his little sister and CC acting carefree brought a small smile to his face, the scene oddly reminiscent of his life as a young prince enjoying his days with his sister and half-sister.
I think I could get used to this, he thought to himself. When this is all over, I'll make sure that we can enjoy more moments like this. All of us, Nunally, Euphie, Suzaku, and even CC, will know this happiness again.
It was then that CC noticed his presence behind her, turning around in her seat to face him, the smile still there and her golden irises reflecting a serenity that he rarely, if ever, saw coming from her. And then the look was gone, replaced with the one he had come to know and accept as a part of her, that same guarded look that radiated all of her hard earned knowledge and experience. When he didn't say or do anything, she raised one of her finely shaped eyebrows questioningly.
"Are you just going to stand there staring all night or do you plan on joining us?" CC asked rhetorically. "A person could get the wrong idea if they saw you spying."
Lelouch walked over and set the tea and cups on the table. "I was just enjoying watching you act human," he retorted with a smirk as he poured them each a cup. "Besides Cera, I thought it was rather endearing, one might even say cute."
Nunally gasped at hearing her older brother's comment, obviously surprised by what she took as flirting on his part. CC's reaction was much more rewarding for him however as her face immediately took on a slight pink shade as she looked away. Upon seeing how well his comment had worked on the both of them, Lelouch began chuckling in amusement as he continued to pour the tea.
"If I didn't know better CC, I would say that I was getting to you."
She shot him a glare that, had she not been red in the face, might have actually proven convincing. Unfortunately for her though, she was still blushing from his earlier comment, rendering any actions on her part thoroughly ineffectual.
"Shouldn't you be taking care of dinner?" she muttered quietly, still not making eye contact.
The raven-haired teen shrugged. "I suppose so but it is much more amusing to do this. Besides, it is only natural that I be allowed to have my fun after enduring yours, wouldn't you agree?"
"That's not a nice thing to say to a girl Lelouch," Nunally scolded him. "I don't think that it's fair to CC to tease her like that."
He immediately caved, just as they all knew he would. "Fine, I apologize for taunting you CC. I'll go check on the food then, it should be done any minute now."
He quickly handed each of the girls a cup before briskly walking out of the room. The two of them just sat there in silence, sipping at their tea for nearly a minute before Nunally set down her cup and looked right CC, who's face had since returned to its normal pale complexion. The green haired girl watched curiously at the younger girl across from her but remained silent, continuing to enjoy her tea as she waited for Nunally to say whatever she wanted to.
" CC, can I ask you something personal?"
She set down her cup with a sigh. "Sure Nunally, I'll try to answer as best I can."
"You and Lelouch have been acting different lately, are the two of you fighting or something? I don't mean to pry, I just don't like to see you like that."
CC's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "Don't worry Nunally, Lelouch and I are fine, we have just had a few things to deal with lately," she said reassuringly. "I appreciate the concern but you don't need to worry, ok?"
The brown haired girl nodded. "Alright, I'm glad that it's nothing, I don't think I could handle seeing either of you mad at each other," she said with a tinge of sadness in her voice as the mere idea of that possibility was voiced.
This poor girl, she has gone through so much yet she still puts more concern in others. CC thought morosely. This time I'll make sure she sees her dream come true without anymore suffering. At the very least I owe her that much.
"CC, what's it like to um… to have a boyfriend?" Nunally asked embarrassedly. "I would ask Lelouch these kinds of questions but he freaks out a little whenever I try."
One of CC's eyebrows rose questioningly. What is she talking about? And then it hit her, the deal they had made when she had first enrolled. Oh, that's right, as far as the school knows Lelouch and I are dating. Between our duties with the Black Knights and everything else, I had completely forgotten about that…
"Well Nunally, it's… different from what I am used to," she began calmly. "I'm not sure how to explain it exactly but I can say that even Lelouch has his moments when he makes me smile."
"Although those moments are certainly outweighed by his complete obliviousness to anything girl related," she added with a smirk. "How anybody can be so smart but so clueless if beyond me."
Nunally giggled at this statement. "I know what you mean, my big brother isn't exactly good when it comes to dealing with girls." Her expression turned a little more serious, the mirth in her voice however remaining. "I have noticed that he does seem happiest when he is with you though. Correct me if I'm wrong but you two don't have many secrets between you, do you?"
Hearing this come from the lips younger girl in front of her made CC's heart skip a beat, if only for a brief moment. Granted she already knew that Lelouch was a different man around her but all her doubts about the exact nature of their relationship had taken its toll. There were still times when she doubted whether she ever really had a chance of finding that happiness that she sought, that happiness that only the raven-haired teen in the other room gave her. And although she knew that it was by no means gone, CC felt that doubt dissipate, like clouds after a long storm, from hearing Nunally's opinion.
The brown haired girl tilted her head to the side when she received no reply. "CC, are you alright? I didn't say something wrong did I?"
CC shook her head before immediately realizing the gesture could not be seen. "No, you didn't say anything wrong Nunally, I was just thinking," she reassured the younger girl. "I guess you're right though, we don't really have many secrets between us."
At least he doesn't have any, she added mentally.
Nunally beamed upon hearing this but before she could say anything, Lelouch stepped through the door, carrying a large, steaming pizza. CC spun around and stared eyed the pizza hungrily as soon as the scent of the still bubbling cheese reached her nostrils. Lelouch imperceptibly faltered in his steps from the intensity of her stare; she looked as if she might pounce on him any minute. Fearing that she might do just that, Lelouch quickly placed the plate on the table and began cutting off several slices for himself and Nunally; CC would of course get whatever he did not immediately take.
"So what were you two discussing?" Lelouch asked, not taking his eyes off the task at hand. "Nothing inappropriate I hope."
"It's a secret," Nunally said with a giggle. "CC and I were just having a nice talk, you shouldn't worry so much Lelouch."
Lelouch gave an appreciative chuckle. "Alright, if you say so. Why don't you tell me about what you did while we were away?"
"Well Sayoko taught me more about origami and I'm trying to learn how to make a dog right now. It's pretty hard though so I'm not very good at it yet," the young brunette explained excitedly. "Oh and the student council took me to Clovisland yesterday. That was really fun but I wish that you and CC could have been there too, I think that you would have liked it."
It sounds like I need to have a talk with Milly and Rivalz later…
"Yeah, it does sound like fun Nunally, maybe I can take you there again sometime," Lelouch offered with a smile as he set a plate down at each set seat.
Nunally beamed. "Can CC come as well?"
Lelouch made a glance at the girl in question; she was already ravenously devouring her third slice. Shaking his head in mild disbelief, he sat down at his place beside his sister.
"If you want to but I'm not sure that she would want to go honestly. CC doesn't really like that sort of thing, isn't that right—"
"I'm not sure where you got that idea from Lulu," CC interrupted between bites. "I enjoy going out, not that you would know since you are always busy with other things."
"Wait, you haven't taken CC out on any dates?" Nunally asked, surprised. "That doesn't seem fair to your girlfriend Lelouch."
Lelouch coughed as he choked on his pizza. "My what?" he blurted out in shock. Apparently he had also forgotten about the rumor that they had created to make his life easier.
CC mouthed the words 'play along' to him, knowing he would if for no other reason than not making his little sister feel bad. Nodding in understanding, he indicated that he expected her to explain everything to him later.
"Well, we have been pretty busy lately so I haven't found any time to do that. But I guess I will have to make time, won't I?"
Nunally nodded in agreement before moving on to other topics, most of which were directly or indirectly related to their relationship. Once in a while the conversation was punctuated by Lelouch and CC having one of their good spirited 'debates' at which time Nunally would remain silent and just listen contentedly. It was not long however, before the brunette let out a yawn, causing Lelouch to glance at the clock. Realizing that it was now nearly 10pm, he decided that it was time for her to get to sleep. As he escorted Nunally to her room, CC decided that she might as well follow the younger girl's example and walked off in the direction of her and Lelouch's shared bedroom.
Figuring that Lelouch would be busy with his sister for a while, CC didn't bother locking the door as she entered the room, switching on the lights as the door hissed shut behind her. Quickly kicking her shoes off into a corner, she quickly began removing her Ashford uniform, lazily tossing each article into an unkept pile on the floor, deciding that Lelouch would pick it up for her later. Just as she was removing her skirt, the door hissed open to reveal a gawking Lelouch, his mouth hanging open in surprise at seeing CC in nothing but her underwear. It wouldn't have been as bad if she had been wearing her usual underclothes but unfortunately for both of them, they were currently in the wash, forcing her to resort to wearing a lacy set that Milly had given her as a gag gift not long after learning of her sleeping arrangements.
The pair just stared at each other, neither saying a word; there wasn't really anything to say at any rate. Slowly, they both felt their faces heat up, serving to only further the awkwardness of it all. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but was no longer than a few seconds, Lelouch turned on his heels and walked back out, making sure to shut the door behind him. Once he was out in the hallway, the raven-haired teen leaned back against the wall and rubbed his temples in and effort to clear his mind of what he had just seen; it wasn't working.
Get a hold of yourself Lelouch; it isn't as if you saw anything. He thought, annoyed at his inability to control his emotions. This is starting to become increasingly tiring; at this rate I'm going to end up getting a heart attack from that woman.
Straightening up from his position, Lelouch decided to try and clear his mind by clean up from their dinner. As his footsteps faded down the hallway, back in his room, CC was laying down on the bed, clothed in one of Lelouch's old dress shirts. Much like the teen working away in the other room, she was also having difficulty getting her mind off of what had happened. It probably didn't help that she also had to deal with an extremely nosey and bored being that had no qualms about voicing his opinions.
"Are you sure that you didn't have that planned CC?" Abraham asked gleefully. "Maybe you wanted to try and get his attention in a more direct sort of way? I must say though, I would have never figured you would try that."
CC groaned and further buried her head into her cheese-kun. For the last time, it was never my intent for him to walk in on me. Just the fact that you think that way is disturbing enough.
"What?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused. "I fail to see what the big issue is with him walking in on you while you were changing. It is not as if he hasn't seen that much of you before you know."
Of course you wouldn't see the problem, she replied exasperated from the seemingly endless innuendos. And if you remember, I was not even conscious for most of those moments you seem to enjoy bringing up.
Completely disregarding her statement, he continued. "My point still stands young code bearer, this seems to happen far too often to be simple coincidence. Time to just cut the foreplay and go right for the—"
Having heard enough out of the disembodied voice for one day, CC promptly cut him off by severing their mental connection. Shaking her head at the absurd commentary, she pulled the covers up to her neck and hut her eyes, hugging the large yellow plushy close to her chest. Just as sleep came for her, one last thought flared up in her mind.
Next time, I'm locking that damn door and burning this accursed underwear.
Lelouch was currently suppressing the urge to smash his head into the table. The reason for this was simple; Milly was giving her 'minions' yet another one of her (in)famous speeches about work productivity and their apparent lack of it recently. And unfortunately for all of the gathered student council members she showed no intention of giving up any time soon, despite having been going on for nearly five minutes now. Stealing a glance to his left, he saw that Rivalz was struggling to fight the urge from bolting out the door. Beyond the blue haired teen he saw that Suzaku, the ever loyal and eager-to-please person that he was, seemed to actually be listening to the blonde's tirade.
To his right sat CC and Shirley and neither of them seemed very pleased with Milly's lecture either. His orange haired friend was passing the time by discreetly drawing on the back of some form, fooling Milly into thinking that she was actually doing something productive. CC, noticing his glance, shot a quick glare at Lelouch that he easily read as saying that she was displeased, to put it nicely. It also did not escape either of them that Kallen was the only one absent from today's meeting.
I cant believe I'm saying this but I would prefer listening to you babble on, Abraham. CC thought in annoyance. At least you know when to give it a rest.
"I'm not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or an insult. But you're right on one thing: that girl can really get going when she wants to. It is rather impressive how she doesn't seem to need to pause to breathe though, I wonder how she pulls that one off?" he added as afterthought.
CC pondered this for a moment. She hadn't really noticed until that he was indeed correct about his assessment; not once had Milly paused in her speech to take a breath, not even when she had wielded a roll of paper like a sword against Lelouch and Rivalz at the onset.
…You know what? I'm not sure how she pulls that off either.
"You need to be more careful with this one from now on," he cautioned unnecessarily; she had figured that one out a while ago. Anyway, I have some good news and some bad news that you might be interested to hear."
Does this news happen to be good for you? Or is this actually something useful for once?
The bodiless voice scoffed at her question. "Everything I say has a point, sometimes it just doesn't make much sense at the moment. But if you don't want to listen, I guess I will just let you listen to Miss Ashford's absolutely enthralling lecture."
Enough games, just tell me this supposed news that you have.
Abraham chuckled at her attempt to play it off as nothing. "Well, the good news is you won't have to sit through much more of this meeting. You're probably not going to like the reason why though, hence the bad news."
CC sighed at the vagueness of his answer. What are you—?
"You'll see in about 5 seconds," he interrupted gleefully as he cut their connection, his laughter echoing.
Shaking her head tiredly from the supposed deity's word games, CC began trying to piece together the vague clues to pass the time. Before she could come up with any inkling of what he meant, the door burst open, exactly 5 seconds after Abraham had finished, to reveal none other than Ruben K. Ashford, founder of Ashford Academy and Milly's grandfather. The gathered students immediately stopped what they were doing and waited to see what he was doing here.
CC, having not laid eyes on him for nearly 2 decades, was moderately surprised to see that he had not aged much. Other than his hair being completely gray, he looked much like he had back then. His cerulean eyes had not dulled at all, holding all of the sharp intellect and mischievous glint of his more youthful days. And despite being in his mid 60's he still cut a large figure, standing at just over 6 feet, and looked like he could still best younger men in a fight.
The former lord noticed her appraising stare and looked for a moment like he might recognize who she was but, thankfully for her and Lelouch, dismissed it as a simple case of mistaken identity. Without a second glance at anyone else, the elder Ashford purposefully strode over to his granddaughter, his noble upbringing readily apparent in his posture and brisk pace.
Stepping to the right of Milly, he pointed to a small, rarely used television set in the corner. "Millicent," he began, his soft baritone voice strong yet commanding. "Would you turn on the television to the news?"
With a quick nod, Milly did as she was told and quickly switched the old set to the local news station. On screen was a female reporter standing on the deck of a small boat, with a dark coastline behind her. Far off in the distance they could see the lights of several large buildings, with many smaller light sources surrounding it. Almost immediately, the voice of the reporter came over the speakers, bringing with it news that shocked all present, with the obvious exception of the eldest Ashford.
"For those of you who are just tuning in, we have breaking news. Rogue elements of the former Eleven government have taken control of the military base located in Kyushu. We have reports of seeing gun-rues, the Chinese Federation's knightmare frame, signifying a possible alliance between the rebels and the Chinese Federation."
The reporter paused as a large explosion issued out from one of the smaller points of light.
"What we have just seen was the destruction of one of the many Britannian Navy's destroyers that have been blockading the captured base. We have yet to see any attempt by Viceroy Cornelia to regain the base, most likely due to the heavy seas and lack of visibility."
While everyone watched the television broadcast with morbid fascination, Lelouch and CC quickly made their way out of the room, the raven-haired teen pulling out his cell as he rounded a corner. Quickly punching in the number for Kallen's cell, Lelouch threw open the door to his dorm, CC hot on his heels. After a few rings the redhead answered, her heavy breathing indicating that she was likely running as well.
"Kallen, have you seen the news?"
"Yeah, I'm coming to you now," she replied hastily. "Where are you right now? The student council room still?"
"No, I am getting a few things from my room right now. I want you to contact the others and tell them to meet us at the headquarters then meet me at the front gate in 10 minutes."
"Right, I'll see you there."
With a click she was gone, allowing Lelouch to turn his attention to CC. He wasn't surprised to see her already pulling out the suitcase that held her Infinity outfit and, seeing that she had already anticipated what he meant to say, went right to his closet and pulled out an identical bag. With a brief nod, they both hurried out of the room and towards the main gates. There was one thing that confused CC though about the suddenness of the attack. In her timeline the battle of Kyushu had happened nearly a week after the Kamine Island incident.
What had changed?
Author note: well I finally got the chapter done guys. Sorry it took so long but I have been dealing with some personal things and, when combined with 4 project courses in college, I have little time to get much written. And I'm going to be honest, I kinda lost inspiration to write anything for a bit but thanks to the continued reviews I was able to get my groove back! Unfortunately I will not be writing for a month or so due to the final few weeks of this term and the massive exams/projects that comes with it. I will officially begin writing again on June 12th and after that I will be on my summer break so that could probably mean more consistent updates.
Now for the chapter… I hope you guys liked it, I had some fun writing certain parts of it. One thing that a reader brought up last chapter reminded me to clarify that Suzaku indeed does not have the "live" command at this point in time. The reason for this is because Abraham was able to teleport them to Kamine Island quick enough to beat Lelouch to the punch. And I would like to thank another reader for giving me the idea to have CC introduce the Ragnarok connection to Lelouch earlier rather than later. Sorry if I forgot your names guys, I hope you know who you are anyway.
I will see you guys in late June/early July with the next installment of the ever-popular story All For You!