Interlude 17: Into the Mind of Madness

It's getting worse.

Lulu is clearly getting frustrated with our lack of action and having to wait.

Putting the traitors at Kyushu to the sword didn't help either. I may not be around the base as much as he is, but I can tell that there's a feeling I'm not wanted here.

On the upside? It's obvious that the ex-JLF soldiers and newcomers are the ones irritating the mix. Though there might be someone higher up agitating them...

At least the veteran Black Knights don't care. The command staff in particular are very laissez-faire about protocol and things like that.

Then again, it might just be my charming blonde personality winning them over.

I look over the reports from today's current news from our informants. Nothing major, seems like everyone is taking advantage of the ceasefire to relax.

I stifle a giggle at how Euphie was 'relaxing' the other night. The girl was practically glowing the next morning.

And who would have thought sweet little innocent Euphie would be such a deviant in bed? And I say that in the most affectionate manner possible.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being slutty if you feel that way. Sex is SUPPOSED to be fun, after all. And given her vivid descriptions of how Suzaku and Lelouch made love to her via double penetration?

Euphie had the best night of her life.

She even told me so herself. In between her vivid descriptions of their throbbing cocks and hard bodies, anyway.

To get a night like that for her first time...heh. You really are a sweetheart, Lulu.

I know those three. And I can recognize Lelouch's handiwork when I see it. Suzaku has too many issues to make that suggestion, and Euphemia is far too shy.

I sigh audibly at my desk. Being a rebel against the Empire is harder than I thought. It's not as glamorous as Princess Leia makes it look in the movies.

I've seen Lelouch's eyes glaze over at times as he blasts through reams of paperwork. Kallen and I help when we can, but...well...

There's a reason I made him Vice President of Ashford's Student Council. Alright, a few reasons. Most of them for my own amusement, and to try and get him to lighten up.

One of the more serious reasons, is that Lulu is amazingly good at red tape and paperwork. I asked him once if such a skill was genetic.

His response? "Given just how many of my siblings are utterly incompetent and unqualified to even be secretaries? The apple has strayed very far from that particular tree."

It's...somewhat unnerving, how much he's changed at times.

But then I remember how much he had kept everything locked up and pushed almost everyone away to arm's length. And I realize this is the best he's been since those long-lost days in Pendragon.

I frown at one of the papers I'm browsing. What is this? Departure and arrivals of patrol aircraft?

"Reid, why am I looking over records about patrol aircraft?"

Diethard Reid looks up from the report he was writing, some stubble on his chin. Zero has clearly kept him busy as well.

"Zero said he wanted to check for pattern discrepancies and potential gaps in the air coverage."

This is one of the worst parts of dealing with Lelouch. Whenever he has a plan, he never lets anyone else in on it until he's done working on it. And sometimes not even then. "Did he say what we're looking for?"

Reid scratches his chin as he considers my question. I'm amazed he finds time for this AND holding a full time job.

"He said he needed a possible flight path for high-altitude aircraft, something that would skim around the sensors and patrols."

Do we even have any serious airpower? Anti-air, sure. But Britannia is largely unchallenged in terms of controlling the skies. What can one single aircraft do?

Reid yawns and rubs his eyes, sagging back into his chair.

This is as good a time as any to ask him. I've been hankering to find out the answer to a few questions.

"Mr Reid, why did you join the Black Knights?"

What the hell...his eyes just lit up like someone told him he won a million pounds in a sweepstakes.

"To see HISTORY being written," he says with a reverent intonation.

I knew this guy was off, but okay...

"History?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

He stands up, leaning over his desk, looking me in the eye.

"Tell me Miss Ashford, what do you see when you look at Zero?"

A sexy slice of lean beefcake, for one thing. But he doesn't need to know that.

"A man unlike any other in the world," I say slowly.

He nods, a light of fanaticism in his eyes. Seriously, this guy is nuts. Why the hell did Lulu hire him?

"You asked me why I joined? To see something new! To stand at the side of a legend! To watch real news being made instead of scripted propaganda..." he says with a desolate voice.

I smile, starting to get the idea of what he wants. "Not a fan of our news networks, Diethard?"

He snorts in disgust, settling back into the chair. "I've been a producer for almost a decade. How often do you think I get to see anything that wasn't prescreened for public consumption?"

I twirl a lock of hair in my hand, "Probably never, if I had to guess."

Looks like that was the right answer. And isn't that a depressing commentary on the empire?

He nods, a bitter expression on his face as he sips a cup of tea on his desk.

"Murrow was right. In this country, news serves the state, not the truth. Or rather, the truth itself is in service to the state."

I sit on the desk, swinging my legs. So much for majoring in journalism and public relations.

"Probably a bad time to mention 'reporter' was one of my possible career choices, then?" I say jokingly.

He looks up, eyes shifting in concentration.

"No. You have the instincts, you have the drive. Far be it from me to discourage anyone with a sincere passion for it from going into journalism."

He rubs his forehead, looking up at the fluorescent lights, "I joined Zero, because I was tired of living a lie producing the garbage that passes for news and television. Hi-TV News? More like Hi-TV Brainwashing."

Case in point: The Shinjuku Incident. The coverup tried to paint it as a terrorist clean up. Same with Saitama. Poison gas, my cute little derriere. I know what gunshot wounds look like.

Lulu had one when he found his way to me, after the war...

"So that's it? You just joined up because it was fun?" I say with a mischievous smile.

I can't really cast stones, obviously, considering I did pretty much the same thing via motorboating Lulu with my breasts until he cried uncle.

He chuckles, shaking his head.

"No, though I won't deny thrill-seeking was part of it. That's a part of good journalism, after all."

Wonder why he looks melancholy then. Something about what he just said is eating at him.

"In truth, I would likely have joined at some point because I was drawn to him. For all the reasons I said."

I raise an eyebrow as I turn to face him, showing off some leg to distract him.

Wow, not even looking? I'm as much hurt by that as I'm impressed.

"Instead, he came to me. And in talking to him, I came to the conclusion that I was mistaken."

"About?"

Reid sighs, gazing at me with an intense look.

"He is not a man. He is a force of nature, as uncontrollable and unyielding as the wind."

Reid takes a sip of his tea, sighing.

"I thought I would get a story, to see a legend being made. Instead?"

He looks at the ceiling with a sense of starstruck wonder, "He made me a part of the story..."

Whaaaat? That makes even less sense than earlier.

He makes a gun sign with his fingers, grinning with a hint of madness, "He called me one night, and conducted an interview while I was being targeted by a sniper, demanding I speak only the truth."

Prior to working with this guy, I'd be alarmed at Lulu doing this. After spending time under his wing, however?

Diethard Reid is an amazing producer, a stellar journalist, and a competent spymaster.

But...? He's really crazy. Crazy enough that Lulu recruiting him at gunpoint makes perfect sense.

"So what did you do?"

Reid smiles in contentment, "He asked me what I'd give to see a miracle. The world destroyed and reborn. What price would I pay?"

I blink, surprised momentarily. Every now and then, Lelouch does something that seems so much grander and more awe-inspiring than the regular world we live in.

Kallen occasionally bitches about his not making any sense.

Please. He's making plenty of sense. It's the world that's gone mad.

I've known him almost all my life. Enough to know him even with the changes he's gone through. Enough to know that I still love him...

"What did you say?" I whisper, enraptured by the story.

"That no price was too great. That I would give anything and everything to see it."

Reid closes his eyes, a blissful smile on his face, "And thus, I swore an oath of allegiance as his retainer. Do you know what it's like, to be disappointed in the day-to-day drudgery, the same themes repeating endlessly? And then to suddenly behold the path of inspiration?"

He opens his eyes, the earlier mania tempered into something more solid, more lasting, more familiar.

"I knew then and there, that I had found my king. Oh, he was not shy about informing me of the price of treason," he says, waving off the threat.

I've seen that look in the eyes of people before. But men like him? Almost never.

"But after all, what man could betray the one who showed him a vision of such magnificence? Demon King Zero is the hero this world needs. And I can but give everything I have to that cause. Because Miss Ashford...I believe in him," he says in a tone so overwhelmed, that his hand cannot help but quiver in excitement.

The look in his eyes has but one name.

Loyalty.

I tap my fingers on the desk, "There's just one thing I want to know. Why haven't you tried to find out who he is? Aren't you curious?"

I'd be looking myself if I didn't already know.

"No, Miss Ashford, I—"

I hold up a hand, "Just Milly. Miss Ashford makes me sound old," I say with a light smile.

"Very well, Milly. I do not wish to know because he actually said something about it already. That he would reveal his face when I had proven myself further."

He smirks at me, "But you already know, don't you? What is he like when he's not wearing the mask?"

I give him a cheeky grin, "I'm not just another pretty face, Diethard. Contrary to our reputation, we blondes aren't just for fun."

He gives a respectful nod, laughing to himself, "Ha ha ha, true enough. I have limited avenues to ask, so I thought I should make the attempt. Aside from you, only Q-1 and his mistress seem to know his identity."

I snort at that description. Mistress? Yeah, right. CC has him wrapped around her oh-so-dexterous fingers. They're a match made in hell.

Some women would be jealous of the attention he gives her. They wouldn't see what I do.

She's lonely. She needs him as much he needs her. And they both need people to anchor them through their madness.

"I will say this, Diethard. If you don't screw him over, you couldn't ask for a better friend. But if you provoke him?"

I lean in, giving him a hard look, "God help you. Because none of us, the people who care about him, can stop him when his bloodlust is inflamed."

Not entirely true. But I don't intend to elaborate.

"I see. You care that much for him?"

I give a smirk, confident in what I'm about to say.

"In some ways, he's as mad as you are. But he has my heart regardless."

Reid yawns as he gets up out of the chair, "Zero has good taste, then. And I think I need to call it a night so I can be awake tomorrow. Zero wanted me to look into this group called the Brotherhood of Nod. So far all I've got is some connections in the former country of Russia and the Middle East."

Russia? Wait a minute.

"Diethard, Grandpa took in a lot of Russian defecting engineers and scientists for the Ashford Conglomerate, back when the country fell. Maybe we still have something in the family archives."

I remember Grandpa telling me Nina's grandfather Al and her uncle Leo said that it was a good idea once.

Reid blinks at me, all tiredness gone from his face like a hound who's caught a scent. "Can you get us access?" he says eagerly, practically drooling at the possibilities.

Understandable, really. Family archives of nobility are a treasure trove of information. But access is usually restricted to family only, or Imperial Inquisitors.

For a newshound like Reid? I just all but gave him a map to El Dorado.

I glance at the clock, wondering what time it is.

Yikes! 2 AM?! I have a test tomorrow, I need to go home and sleep!

"Can we do it tomorrow night? I've got school in the morning."

With a visible effort, he dampens down his enthusiasm and nods.

Ashford's beautiful and amazing president needs her beauty sleep after all.

The test thankfully was just on biology, so I'm confident I aced it.

The political science quiz later? Not so much. I'll probably have to do a makeup test at some point.

Alternatively, I could ask Lulu to tutor me. But that feels like wasting his time, and he's busy enough without me throwing trivial things at him.

It's like asking Leonardo da Vinci to tutor you in anatomical drawings. You really wouldn't feel right using their time for something so minor, no matter how good the lesson would be.

I rub the bridge of my nose as I sit at the student council room's table. I should go take a nap.

I look up to the sound of someone grumbling and a dull thudding sound.

Well, well. Hello, Kallen. Feeling like sleeping at the table too?

"Rough night?"

Kallen looks up from where her face was laying on the table.

"These late night hours are killing me," she groans.

I smile in sympathy. While Britannia seems to be resting, I'm sure their command staff is likely working overtime as well.

"Did Lulu get any sleep either?"

A snort is her only verbal response. That bad?

"So what happened?"

Kallen yawns as she raises her arms overhead, making her chest bounce with the motion. Mmm, hello miss fun and miss happy. Bury my face in you? Yes, I'd love to—

"Milly, stop salivating over my tits."

I look up from her chest to see Kallen giving a look that plainly says I got caught and she's not amused.

"But Kallen, they're just begging me to play with them. How can I turn down breasts better than mine?" I say with the smile that Nunnally referred to as that of a 'hungry tigress'.

The redhead's response is to slowly hit her head on the table, "Why does everyone's attention gravitate to these? They're just breasts, for God's sake."

"Extremely well formed, firm, voluptuous, and well proportioned breasts. Consider it a compliment. I know I do, when people are looking at mine."

Besides, it makes it easier to get away with things if 'floatation device hypnosis' is in play to distract people.

I grin, enjoying Kallen's frustration. Silly redhead, flirting is for fun.

"Unlike you, I'm trying NOT to attract attention. This is just like when Lulu showed up in the locker rooms the other day," she grumbles.

Locker room? My, my, someone works fast. I suppose I can't blame him though.

"So how was he?"

She immediately jerks her head up in shock, face red.

"What?! No! We didn't do anything!"

I lean in closer, leering at her, a twinkle in my eye at the mischief to be had.

"Then why is your face redder than your hair, Miss Stadtfeld?" I say, toying with a lock of her hair.

She looks away, mumbling something quietly.

"One more time, please?"

She throws her hands in the air, an annoyed look on her face.

"Alright, alright! We danced naked in the showers to a song by that band, the beat-somethings! Happy?!"

Beat? Oh! The Beatles. Good taste, Lulu. Naked dancing, though? Mmm, you're such a romantic.

"And that was it?"

She smiles sheepishly, "Well, I was tempted. I mean, Lelouch naked, dripping with water, smoldering eyes, can you picture it?"

Oh god yes. That man is MADE of sex.

I giggle to myself at the imagery of what he and I have done in showers.

"Umm, Milly? Please stop doing that. You're being a dirty old man again," Kallen says with a pained expression.

I raise an eyebrow, "Oh please. Like you're not thinking it as well."

Kallen rubs her nose, making a strangled sound before responding.

"Jesus fucking Christ, I already told him I wasn't ready. Do I have to tell you to knock it off too?"

Not ready? Wait...does that mean...?

"Meaning?" I ask in a sincere quiet voice.

"He agreed to stop flirting with me and doing...things...until later. I said we'd go out on a date or something after we took this country and see where things went," she says in a hushed tone, like she can't believe she agreed to it.

I pull her into an exuberant hug, smiling radiantly.

"Oh Kallen, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

She squirms, glaring at me, "Dammit Milly, cut it...wait. You're not groping me?" she says in surprise.

I release her, holding her shoulders. I think this explanation was long overdue.

"カレン、あなたはバカです。" (Kallen, you're an idiot.)

"What?! If I'm an idiot, you're a blonde bimbo! And since when do you speak Japanese?!" she yells in indignation.

I sigh, letting go of her shoulders.

"Since 8 years ago when I first came to this country, back when it used to be called Japan," I whisper, with a melancholy smile on my lips.

"Oh..." she says sotto voce, a surprised look on her half-Asian features.

She can pass for Britannian, true. But I've lived in this country the better part of a decade, a little longer than Lelouch himself has. And while I can't claim to have the breadth of weird esoteric knowledge about the culture that Lulu possesses? I know what epithantic folds look like.

I've seen Kallen without makeup and naked. Even if I hadn't seen her records, I'd have realized she's part Japanese.

"I enjoyed being here in Japan before the war. Grandpa and the rest of the family left after Lulu's mom got killed. It was...nice, for a time."

Kallen gives me a searching look, before sighing.

"Alright, why the insult? This is like one of Lulu's tests, there's something you want me to figure out and you're insulting me to get me to consider a point of view."

God, she is so sexy when she's being brainy. I nod in answer to her unspoken question.

"Why do you think I have the festival culture here at Ashford, Kallen?"

Given the raised eyebrow, she probably never thought about it.

"Because you're a party animal, and a fiendish troll?"

Okay, maybe she has thought about it.

"Both true. But there's another reason. It's to make people uncomfortable and question things. And to stop being repressed."

She leans on her hand, interest captured. And definitely exasperated at my antics.

"Alright Milly, you're cute, but I'm kinda burned out right now. So please just spell it out for me. What do you think is being repressed?"

I frown, "The fact that Britannians are two-faced hypocrites about sex."

I lazily gesture to the window, "Think about it. We allow polygamy, official mistresses, and our deviancy in private is legendary. But do we talk about any of this openly? Of course not."

I sniff in anger, "We Britannians barely tolerate public displays of affection beyond hugs or kisses. If I want to French kiss a girl in public, I shouldn't have to deal with people giving me the stink eye."

Clearly Kallen was not expecting this topic.

"So the festivals are just to make people more open to being lovey dovey in public? Bullshit," she says with an eye-roll.

"It's also to make people question things. A lot of our classmates are in a daze, inundated with propaganda and constantly told not to question authority. So what do you think is their response to my abusing my authority for crazy ideas?"

There we go, there's the light bulb going on.

Kallen puts her hand on her forehead, laughing hysterically.

"Hahahahaha! You mean, hahaha, this whole time, hahahaha, you've been trying to make people question you AND the propaganda they're spoon-fed?! Buwahahahaha!"

I smirk, doing a mini-curtsy in my president's chair.

"Never underestimate a blonde with a brain," I say, blowing her a kiss.

Kallen takes a deep breath, trying to stop guffawing, and only half-succeeding.

"Ha ha ha, okay. So has anyone ever figured this out?" she says, calming down.

I purse my lips as I blow air out, thinking back.

"Pretty rarely, to be honest. You can't really question the official line on things openly too much. You're nobility, you know this," I say pointedly.

She hits the desk gently, her fist shaking, eyes burning in anger.

"I've never liked being a noble. All it's ever gotten me has been frustration, heartache, and feeling trapped in an endless cycle like a snake eating it's own tail..." she hisses, grinding her teeth.

Now where have I heard THAT sentiment before?

"Funny how you and Lulu have almost the exact same sentiments," I say airily.

Raised eyebrow? Ohh, right. You don't know the story. Thank you, Britannian education system.

"You know Marianne 'The Flash', Lulu's mom? She was a commoner before she became Empress. So imagine how much scorn Lelouch and Nunnally had, growing up."

"Surprised the consorts didn't try to do something to her."

I shake my head in disagreement.

"They probably wanted to. But two things stopped them. One, she was the favorite wife of the Emperor. And there's also an unwritten rule that assassinations of consorts is off-limits."

Similar rule for the nobility, too, but not as heavily enforced. A legacy from the Emblem of Blood.

"And two? Lady Marianne was utterly terrifying," I say in a dead tone of voice, raising a finger.

"Okay, why does everyone keep going gaga over Lelouch's mother? Even CC says I could be as good as her. And I don't get what the big deal is."

I gape at her, mouth open. CC said that?! Does she not realize what that means?!

"Kallen, the kind of acrobatics you and Suzaku do with the Guren and the Lancelot? She could do with the Ganymede."

At that, she leaps to her feet, eyes incredulous and mouth wide open in shock.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I've seen that thing move. It barely moves as well as a Glasgow. It doesn't even have Slash Harkens!"

I give her a hard stare, "The manual for Knightmare Combat, the first standardized one that all other Britannian ones use as the template. Who wrote it?"

She throws her arms up in the air, "How should I know? There were a bunch of people who wrote it!"

I continue staring at her, "And who wrote the very first edition?"

She rolls her eyes at me, "The principal author was an MVB..." She suddenly stops speaking as the truth hits her. "No fucking way..." she whispers.

"Yes fucking way. That's how she got to be a Knight of the Round, and later empress. Kallen, I once saw her ride the Ganymede into a garden to smash the place up because one of the consorts was bullying Lulu and Nunna."

Kallen sits down, visibly impressed.

"Huh. Sounds like a..."

Wait, why is she looking pale?

"Oh god...does Lelouch have a mother complex?" she says, shivering.

Mother complex...oh. I start guffawing as the idea suddenly fits for me.

Kallen really is a lot like her, isn't she?

"Hehehehehehe! I never thought of it before, but, hehehehhehehehe, it fits! Congratulations, Kallen, you get to be Nunnally's sister AND step-mom! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Kallen shrieks in outrage as she tackles me to the ground, "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TELL THEM YOU SAID THAT, YOU BITCH!"

I laugh out loud as she wrestles me to the ground, enjoying her flushed face and heavy breathing.

At the moment, she's straddling me, arms pinned, my face inches from her...ohhh, red silk panties? Very tasteful, Kallen.

"Had enough?" she says, taking a deep breath.

I grin and take a slow lick on her panties, causing her to gasp.

"Ahh!"

She scrambles off me, face red, "Goddammit Milly!"

I crawl over to her, holding her cheek, "It's your fault, you know. You just keep teasing me and tempting me. You should take responsibility, naughty girl," I say breathlessly as I give her a slow kiss.

She responds at first, and then pulls my hair firmly, smirking at me as I wince.

"I'm not going to say I don't want to. We both know that's bullshit. But one? Lelouch gets my virginity, if I do decide to give it up at some point. And two?"

She kisses me fiercely, her tongue invading my mouth, causing my eyes to go wide.

Mmmm, somebody learned how to kiss. Or is this just natural talent?

She stops and pulls back, panting.

"If anything happens, it's on MY terms, understand?"

I nod eagerly. Oh hell yes, where did this dominant fiery girl come from?

She lets go and sits back in the chair, giving me a pointed smile.

"That's really all I had to do, huh? Just be honest with you, him, and CC."

"That is exactly what I'm trying to do. Get people to be honest with themselves and their desires. And it worked out beautifully with you, you sexy, sexy red lotus girl," I sigh breathlessly.

She blushes, "Were you and Lulu always like this?"

Oh boy...that's a loaded question.

I sober up, shaking my head solemnly.

"No. He wasn't like this at all. The Lelouch you see nowadays is far different than how he used to be, even back in the days when we lived in Pendragon."

I take a sip of water, feeling the room turn gloomy in anticipation of what I'm about to tell her.

"You have to understand, Lelouch and Nunnally were basically abandoned by the Royal Family after he challenged his father publicly. His mom dying changed him a lot."

"Wait, what? He challenged the Emperor? How come nobody knows about that?" she says, tapping her cheek.

I shake my head, "It was hushed up. Only a few people who were there that day know about it. My family, the Ashfords, were stripped of our titles and lost most of our territory and wealth. We left for Japan to get a fresh start."

I sag into the chair. I hate telling this story. It always ruins whatever good mood I'm in.

"Lelouch and Nunnally, on the other hand? They got thrown out of the country, ostensibly as diplomatic representatives, but in reality as hostages."

She nods, pouring a glass from the pitcher of water we keep on the table and taking a sip.

"I know. He told me about this the first day we met."

I close my eyes, remembering when I saw him again, all those years ago in Japan.

"Did he tell you that he, Nunnally, and Suzaku escaped from soldiers from their own country? That they walked through fields of corpses? That they both lied to Nunnally and told her it was garbage dumps when she asked about the smell?"

She blanches, eyes going wide. It's a horrific picture to imagine. Three young children traversing a country-wide war-zone.

"Even today, neither of them want to elaborate on what they saw. Lelouch had a scar from a bullet wound that he still doesn't talk about. And Suzaku? Aside from his committing patricide...not unjustified, but still... he has a death wish that Lelouch keeps having to pull him out of."

I let a breath of air out, looking out the window, trying to let the sunny day recover some of my good humor.

"You didn't know Lelouch before Shinjuku...you didn't see what he was like."

I tear up, picturing the look he wore for years.

"Kallen...he was dead inside. His heart was closed up. Just going through the motions, not caring about anything...save one day avenging himself on Britannia..." I whisper in a faint voice.

It's hard to believe in light of the way he's acting nowadays. But at times, I can still see it. He's still hurting. It's just now he's trying to take joy in being alive again.

"If him being kinda crazy is the price to pay for my best friend, and the man I love, coming back to being a halfway functional human being? It's worth it to me," I say, steeling my gaze.

"I asked him about Britannia, once. If it still hurt. He said he had found things to fill the void."

I turn to see her blue eyes gazing downward sullenly. "Is he happy, Milly? I don't know. I worry that he's going go off the deep end someday...and that I might not be able to pull him out in time..." she says in a hushed tone.

Now this, I CAN help with. I move over to the chair next to her, holding her hand.

"You are helping. As am I. As is Nunnally, and Jeremiah, and Euphie, and all the others."

Kallen looks up in alarm at that last name, "Wait, Euphie? ...Do you mean Princess Euphemia? Did that idiot blow his cover already?" she groans out.

I smile nervously, "Well, she followed her knight slash boyfriend Suzaku here...and things happened."

Kallen grinds her teeth like she's about to explode...only to deflate and just thump her head on the table.

"It never fucking stops with this guy, does it?" she mumbles to herself.

I rub her back, smiling at the frustration she's feeling. Not that I'm not sympathetic. But she really should have figured out that Lelouch is nuts by now.

"Kallen, take it from someone who's lived in Pendragon. The peerage is loony, and the royal family is completely insane even by OUR standards."

I sigh, blowing air up at a strand of hair hanging over my face, "Lelouch may have been more of a prude and uptight back in the old days, but even as a kid, he was definitely crazy. I can't even explain it by bloodlines, because people who marry into the family like his mother are insane too."

The redheaded girl looks back at me with a tired expression and smiles, "Well, at least you're in good company. And thanks, Milly, I'm glad somebody tried to explain this ridiculous bullshit to me."

I hug her, sneaking my hand around to her ches—

"Don't even think about it."

I slowly lower my hand, smiling to myself. She's much kinder than the image she presents. Both the Ace of the Black Knights, and the soft-spoken Stadtfeld heiress.

As I walk out my front door to greet the new day two days later, my phone rings, alerting me to an incoming call.

Rivalz? He doesn't usually call this early. What's going on?

"Hey Rivalz, what's wrong?"

"Oh Mr. Cardemonde isn't available. I'm simply borrowing his phone for the moment."

What the?! Did something happen to Rivalz?!

"Alright, who are you? What have you done with Rivalz?" I say, glaring forward as I walk towards the clubhouse. This is definitely a situation where I need Lulu's input.

"Oh he's fine. Let me show you."

I hear some scuffling on the phone as Rivalz suddenly starts yelling over the line.

"MILLY! YOU GOT TO HELP ME! THIS GUY IS CRAZY! HE'S GOT ME TIED UP AND HELD AT GUNPOINT!"

My eyes go wide as the seriousness of the situation hits me directly. Is this Britannia?! Some spy agency?! The Chinese?!

Before becoming a Black Knight, all of the above would have been things I'd dismiss as flights of fancy. Now? They're all valid possibilities.

But why Rivalz? He's not connected to the Black Knights...oh no.

"What do you really want? Rivalz isn't your target, is he?"

A childish and disturbed giggling is the mysterious man's response.

"Hehehehehehehehe, oh yes, Rivalz. She really is scared for you. I can tell that just by her voice. You don't know what's going on? Well, I'll keep the surprise for a bit longer."

The giggling dies down as the voice, which come to think of it, has an asian accent, maybe Chinese, starts speaking again.

"As for what I want, hehehehe? Put Lelouch vi Britannia on the phone. Tell him Mao, CC's former contractor, says hi."