Kallen continued to maintain her grip on Lelouch, her knife at his side, staring intently at him. It seemed that she was wrestling between the impulse to kill him and eliminate someone who knew her identity, versus her better judgment, which would know the risks of committing a crime that would be hard to conceal, and the potential benefits of a continued alliance with him.
"Killing me out in the open like this won't solve anything, you know," he told her quietly. "Arthur's right. If someone sees you, your cover is blown anyway. Besides, he thinks that you can trust me. You've learned to trust him, haven't you?
"You know, you're way too calm about this," she replied, giving him a funny look. "Most people would be freaking out right about now if they were being held at knifepoint."
He smirked. "That's because I know that you're not going to kill me, Kallen. At least, not for now."
Annoyance flashed in Kallen's eyes. "Wanna bet?" She moved her hand forward another inch, holding the knife insistently at his side. "It would only take me seconds at most."
"If you were truly convinced that you needed to silence me, you would have already done it," Lelouch replied. "Besides, aren't you at all curious to know why I of all people would oppose Britannia?" He shrugged. "But if I'm wrong about any of this, then go ahead. If we can't work together, then nothing will change. It would make everything that we just went through meaningless. Is leading an existence where nothing can change really living? Or is it no different than being dead?"
Kallen tensed slightly, and he was certain that he had struck a chord. From how Kallen had reacted to them earlier, he knew that there had been truth in Shadow Villetta's words. Kallen had been prepared to throw her life away in a battle that she couldn't hope to win, because there was little else left that she had to live for.
"You said… you had lost someone too, right?" Kallen began slowly. "Or was that just a lie? Maybe you were just trying to use us to save your own neck, and thought you could tell me whatever I wanted to hear?"
"I meant what I said, Kallen." He sharpened his own tone, though he kept his volume low, so that only she could hear him. "I find your behavior now strange. You were fine fighting alongside me earlier in the Metaverse, even though you could tell that I was Britannian. You even suspected who I was. But as soon as you knew for sure that I was your classmate, your first thought was to threaten me." He let out a chuckle. "Then again, who would believe that the apathetic Student Council Vice President, who rarely pays attention in class and always used to sneak off to go gambling, would harbor a passionate hatred for his own country?"
He leaned in closer, looking directly into her eyes so that she could clearly see the conviction in his own.
"Then again," Lelouch mused, "It's almost as unbelievable as the shrinking violet really being a formidable fighter. We both wear masks, not only in the Metaverse, but this world as well. I guess we're more similar than either of us thought, Kallen. So why shouldn't we work together to destroy the Empire that we both hate? Loathe as I am to admit it, I can't do it on my own, even with my powers. But there's strength in numbers, isn't there? You can get a lot more done with three people than just two. Besides, it never hurts to have someone else watching your back. So let's keep each other's secrets safe, and not say a word of this to our classmates."
Kallen slowly lowered her knife. "Hmph! Fine! But don't think I won't act if I find out you've deceived me. As you've seen, I'm not some fragile wallflower, and nor am I afraid to get my hands dirty if I have to." She gestured with the hand that wasn't holding the knife, raising her fingers so that they were inches away from his throat, drawing them through the air across it. Her meaning was obvious, and while she could have conveyed the same threat by miming the motion across her own throat, she likely was trying to increase its intimidation factor by being more in his face about it. "I could put you or any other Britannian at this school in a world of hurt if I have to... even if I have to act like a freaking invalid most of the time here."
"Of course," Lelouch nodded. "My life is yours should I fail to uphold my end of the bargain. Of course, the deal goes both ways. I'll be counting on you in that world, and I expect that you'll safeguard my secret as well." He let out a harsh laugh. "I'll grant that you'd definitely win in a straight fight, but I've survived far worse than you'd ever suspect from a privileged Britannian student. I have no intention of dying after the hell I've been through."
"You haven't even said what your secret is, save for the fact you lost someone and that you also hate Britannia," Kallen grumbled. She sighed. "I know what that feels like, and I'm sorry for your loss." She shook her head, and bitterness filled her words. "But don't talk to me about living through hell unless you were here on the ground when Britannia was bombing entire cities, or your family was wandering through the ruined countryside afterward, struggling to survive, not even knowing if you would have enough to eat from one day to the next. You were probably still back in the Britannian homeland."
Lelouch shook his head, and let his own bitterness enter his voice. "No, Kallen. I was living within sight of Mount Fuji when the invasion started. I saw Britannian aircraft in the distance. They were like a swarm of insects at first, but blackened the skies on what had been a sunny summer day as they drew overhead and began their attack."
"Huh?!" Kallen started, thrown off-balance. "That's exactly what I saw on that day! But Britannia doesn't show footage of what it was like for ordinary Japanese people, just going about their lives when-"
"They were shattered forever," Lelouch finished for her. "There was so little warning that you and your family wouldn't have had much time to prepare before you needed to evacuate. I know my sister and I barely managed to escape with our own lives. And the aftermath was just as you described it: hell on Earth."
"First you comfort me about my brother, and then you can actually understand what my people went through," Kallen said, a more uncertain look on her face now. "At least a little, anyway. It's that, or you're very good at faking it. But assuming everything you've said is true, why would you be in Japan at the time of the invasion? It doesn't make sense!"
At that moment, the bell for their next class rung.
"Oh, look at the time!" Lelouch said, adopting a tone more like the one he usually used around Ashford Academy. "As much as I'd love to continue this chat, Kallen, we're both late for class, and I doubt that our absence has gone unnoticed. We should head back, before we invite even more questions about where we were."
"Grrr... You're really going to leave me hanging like that?" Kallen snarled. But after a moment, she sighed, and her posture shifted to assume the meek facade that he had known. "Fine. But I'm going to get a complete explanation out of you, Lelouch, and it had better be sooner rather than later." Her words were soft-spoken, but they still contained the steel of her true self.
"I promise that you'll get it."
Of course, he was lying, a behavior that came naturally to him after years of hiding his true self. He couldn't give Kallen a complete account without bringing up the fact that he was an exiled prince, which he doubted that she would react well to. But there were ways to explain his past... Lying was an art form, and a master of the craft could weave a deception with nothing but the truth...
Just not all of the truth.
xXx
As Lelouch had surmised, their absence had been noticed, though no one else could possibly know that it was due to an unplanned trip into the Metaverse. They had missed lunch and most of the next period as well, precluding the chance for Lelouch to meet with Milly during the school day to share his concerns regarding Shirley's injuries. In the old days, he could skip class with little consequence. But the SSDF had reported his absence to Coach Nu, who not only extended his detention, but assigned a double-length detention to Kallen as well. Kallen's offense should have only merited a regular-length detention at worst, but Lelouch suspected that it was Coach Nu's way of getting back at Kallen for daring not to participate in gym class.
Technically, Coach Nu wasn't even the proper authority for assigning such a detention to Kallen, as Kallen hadn't missed her class and was officially excused from most gym activities. But with the meek facade Kallen maintained at school, she hardly protest the injustice of it loudly.
Moreover, the revelation that Villetta was a spy did much to explain why Headmaster Ruben Ashford seemed to do little in the face of her usurpation of such authority. The old man was wily enough that he almost certainly either knew or suspected Villetta's true role at the Academy, and thus he would outwardly be the model of cooperation, so that his loyalty would be beyond reproach. That show of loyalty would enable him to continue to protect the secret royals in exile whom the Ashfords had sheltered in the years since the war.
The headmaster also hadn't yielded on Suzaku's continued attendance at Ashford Academy. A cynic might say that doing so would upset whichever noble was sponsoring Suzaku, but Lelouch knew that was just a useful excuse that could be offered to Coach Nu. The headmaster was a better man than one who was motivated purely by self-interest, and was simply trying to do the best that he could in a difficult situation.
Lelouch couldn't talk to Kallen during detention, as Coach Nu kept a close watch over them. But while Villetta had an air of hostility toward them, it seemed that she didn't recognize Kallen as being Japanese, nor that either of them been inside of her Palace.
"Fascinating… so the other Villetta knows everything the real one does, but the reverse is not true," Lelouch thought to himself. That was a blessing, though Lelouch wasn't so naive to believe that they were safe from being discovered. Coach Nu was likely to consider anyone who opposed her at Ashford Academy suspicious, and she would focus her investigations on himself and Kallen if she subconsciously realized that they were rebels. Then there was what Shadow Villetta had said about planning to frame Suzaku, which certainly meant it was on the real one's mind as well.
Short of that realization, detention simply seemed to drag on interminably. It was made all the worse knowing that he now had power, and tentative allies in his fight, yet he was still forced to conform to society's rules, at least for the time being.
But finally, it was over.
As they left detention, Lelouch asked Kallen, "Have you thought of joining any clubs?"
She gave him a funny look. "What brought this up?" she asked softly, careful to stay in character for her supposedly sickly self. The SSDF was out in force on campus, conducting its night watch.
"All students are required to be part of at least one club. I think I know one that would be a good fit for you. If you're interested, you can find me at the Student Council Clubhouse after school tomorrow."
"Oh… I see," Kallen replied softly. "I'll try to I can drop by then."
Hopefully, she would see the benefits from having an excuse to meet each other regularly through club activities. Of course, the club in question would be the Student Council. It counted for the purpose of the requirement, and it was the only club at Ashford to which he belonged. He had little doubt that he would be able to persuade Milly to accept a new member.
They split up, Kallen leaving through the Academy's gate to return to her home, while Lelouch proceeded to the Clubhouse. The Ashford family had given him and his sister a small suite as their living quarters in there, along with the assistance of Sayoko Shinozaki, a twenty-four year old Japanese woman who had previously served as Milly's personal maid, and was nothing but efficient in her duties.
"Welcome home, Master," Sayoko, bowing with professional courtesy. "Your sister is waiting for you in the dining room. Dinner has already been prepared for the two of you."
"Thank you, Sayoko," he replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes. Try as I might, I can't always be there for Nunnally when I want to be, but you always take such good care of her in my stead." He grimaced. "I hope I didn't make her worry... It's already so late, but here you are, on top of things as always."
"I'm sure that she'll be happy to see you, Master Lelouch. "I've already informed her that you would be arriving late tonight."
So Sayoko had gotten wind of his detention. Mentally, Lelouch began preparing himself for the questions that Nunnally would surely ask him.
"You never cease to amaze me with how little gets by you, Sayoko."
"Please, think nothing of it." Sayoko smiled slightly. "I am honored to serve the two of you, and I will never give you anything less than the best of my abilities." She paused. "I shall take my leave now, if you have no further need of me tonight, Master Lelouch."
He nodded. "You've earned it, Sayoko."
He made his away over to the dining room. Stepping inside, he announced, "I'm home, Nunnally!"
"Big brother, you're back!" Nunnally called happily, rolling over on her motorized wheelchair.
The shower of bullets that had killed their mother, Empress Marianne vi Britannia, had struck Nunnally as well, shattering the bones in her legs. Britannian medical science was the most advanced in the world, especially where royalty was concerned, and it had managed to set them back together so that they could have a chance to mend. It had even been able to eliminate most scarring from his sister's wounds and the procedure itself. But in spite of the seemingly miraculous nature of some of its cures, it couldn't fix the damaged nerves that controlled Nunnally's legs, leaving her permanently disabled.
It was a testament to Nunnally's inner fortitude that she had managed to bounce back after the tragedy, still the kindhearted sister he had always known. Yet she still bore mental scars from the attack, and had developed what the doctors believed to be psychosomatic blindness. Since that day, her violet eyes had always been closed, as if shielding her from having to witness the terrors of the world.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I missed you, Nunnally," he told her.
She frowned. It was an expression that he hated to see on her face, since meant that she was sad or disappointed, two things that he didn't want Nunnally to be after all she had gone through.
"I heard you were in detention for skipping class," she said quietly.
"That's only part of the story. Coach Nu didn't like it when I stood up to her for picking on another student."
"You mean Kallen?" Nunnally asked.
"Who told you that?" Had it been Sayoko? Well, gym class had been hours ago, as had been their return from the Metaverse. There had been more than enough time for Sayoko...
"It's going all around the school. They say you came back together." Nunnally paused. "To be honest, I had thought that you would go out with Shirley one day. But I'm happy for you, big brother! Just try to stay out of trouble, and be gentle with her, okay?"
It took Lelouch a moment to make sense of what his sister had just said, absurd as it was.
"Nunnally, you've got it all wrong!" he began in a panic. That was the sort of rumor around about Kallen and himself, and it had spread so quickly?
It took some time to persuade Nunnally that he wasn't actually going out with Kallen, which was made all the more difficult because he couldn't obviously tell her the truth of what had happened in the Metaverse, let alone that such a world existed at all. In the end, he wasn't entirely sure if she believed him, or if she thought that he was just too embarrassed about the whole thing to tell her the truth. But at least nothing obviously supernatural came up in her questions, so he could count that as a win.
In any event, between everything that had happened that day, Lelouch felt exhausted. He finished dinner with Nunnally, but once he returned to his room, he knew that he wouldn't be able to remain awake for long. He had enough wherewithal to briefly check his phone before going to bed, and sure enough, the Metaverse Navigator was back, in spite of him deleting it earlier. But as soon as he laid down, he was out like a light.
xXx
Once again, he awoke to find himself in a dream, in the blue prison that was the Velvet Room.
The young girl, Shi, peered nervously into his cell. "Mr. Inmate's back!" she squeaked.
"It's about time," Tsu said contemptuously, making it clear she still hadn't forgiven him for frightening her sister.
"Welcome back to my Velvet Room, Trickster," Igor said in his deep voice. "Now that you have entered into a contract and taken your first steps into the Metaverse, it is time to continue our conversation from before."
Lelouch stood up, glaring at the bizarre old prison master. "The Metaverse Navigator - was that your doing?"
"Very perceptive," Igor replied, signaling his approval. Igor's mouth was twisted into a demented grin. Then again, Lelouch hadn't seen him use any other expression before, which only made Igor seem more obviously inhuman.
"Yes, I granted that app to those who showed particular potential, so that they might awaken to their powers and become Tricksters who would avert the coming of Ragnarok. I will also grant the Navigator to those who may be useful to you as fellow thieves."
Thieves? It was true that his Persona had manifested as a literary phantom thief, but what exactly would they be stealing? He left that question unsaid though, for Igor's response had brought another question to mind.
"So Kallen's brother was one of those with 'potential'?"
"Ah, yes. But he fell when his rehabilitation had barely begun. What a truly foolish end… I pray that your own rehabilitation is more fruitful."
There was little sympathy in Igor's words, and Lelouch decided that he didn't like the strange old man. Insofar as Ragnarok was somehow connected to his father, his own interests at least partially aligned with Igor's for now. He also needed information on the Metaverse that it seemed only Igor would be able to offer him. But he would not let himself forget who was jailing him in the Velvet Room.
"To that end," Igor continued, his tone now much more pleasant, "Your rehabilitation cannot be undertaken alone. You will find that there are those who you will be able to confide in, and who will lend you their strength in turn. I am pleased to see that you have already begun to make such bonds."
Did he mean…
"Your power is like the number zero, Inmate," Tsu said coldly. "It is empty, practically worthless by itself, fitting of a Fool. You saw how laughably weak your Persona was next to the girl's, didn't you?"
"But zero is also a beginning, from which the Trickster can realize infinite possibilities," Shi continued, timidly at first but gaining conviction as she spoke. "The Trickster is a wild card. Supported by his friends, the Trickster may bring hope where there was none— "
"But he may just as easily bring ruin," Tsu interrupted.
"Indeed, such power may yet give you the means to stop Ragnarok, but only time and the strength that you find from others will tell," Igor concluded.
"Are you three saying… that... the power of... friendship will save the world?" Lelouch asked, bewildered. He shook his head. "You're joking, right? That's just too cliche."
"I am not one to jest over such matters, Trickster," Igor replied. "It is at the core of your ability, and you ignore it at your peril. Yet at the same time, you must take care not to pursue frivolous bonds, for they will do nothing to foster your growth. Instead, you should seek those who have also been robbed of places to belong, and those with strong convictions of morals or faith, with those from many walks of life forming a ring of support around you. In doing so, you will wear many masks, but you will also mature as well."
Igor was serious about this. And that left Lelouch with a dilemma. He would of course do whatever was necessary to hone his newfound power. But that meant finding people that he could open up to. He had made a habit of keeping his secrets close. He could call the members of the Student Council his friends, but with the exception of Milly, who knew his identity as a former prince, and now possibly Kallen, who knew of his Persona ability, he wouldn't consider them confidants.
"I see that this is troubling to you," Igor said, "but I am sure that you will rise to the occasion. Seek out and exploit the talents of whomever you can count as a confidant. Do not hesitate even to make use of my abilities, or else your rehabilitation will falter and be left incomplete."
I am thou… thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity
With the birth of the Fool Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
Wait… did that mean... Was Igor..?
"It appears that a new contract has been forged between us," Igor said with amusement. "I will continue to observe your rehabilitation with great interest, Trickster. And to commemorate this occasion, allow me to bestow a new gift upon you — the ability to tame the lesser Shadows of the Metaverse, and to make their powers your own. Bring me their masks, entrusted to you. Once you have done so, I will reveal my true role as the master of this Velvet Room." Igor paused. "Of course, Shadows rage against intruders to the Metaverse, so you may find it necessary to use force before they are willing to listen to your demands".
The prison bell rang once more.
"It appears that our time here is at an end once again," Igor said, looking up slightly. He turned his gaze back to Lelouch. "Go forth, Trickster, and become the thief that you were meant to be."
Lelouch awoke, this time to reality, though the world seemed far stranger than it had just a day ago. So much had happened to him... As for Igor's advice, he wasn't even sure where to begin. But setting that aside for the moment, his immediate objectives hadn't changed:meet with Milly, introduce Kallen to the Student Council, and return to the Metaverse so he could test the scope of his new powers. Only then would he know if he could use them to defeat Britannia.
On his way to find Milly before their classes began, he encountered Suzaku, heading across the Academy's grounds. His friend's brown hair was messier than it should have been, and parts of his uniform looked scuffed up, giving him a harried look.
"How are you holding up, Suzaku?" Lelouch asked, going over to his friend.
"The same as always, I guess."
Lelouch scowled. The same as always meant that the SSDF was up to its regular abuse of Suzaku, even though his friend would never say anything about it. "Be careful. You know that Coach Nu would love any excuse to get you in trouble." Thinking of what he had heard from her Shadow in the Palace, he lowered his voice. "I wouldn't put staging an incident past her either."
"I'll be careful, but I'd remind you to stay out of trouble yourself, Lelouch," Suzaku replied. "I heard you got detention the other day for skipping class. You really shouldn't - "
"I have no regrets."
"So what was it? Gambling? Or is it true that you were with a girl?"
Lelouch shook his head. "Even you, Suzaku?"
"Hey, we're both around that age, Lelouch. It's totally normal."
What was that supposed to mean? "Don't be so credulous, Suzaku. You know how rumors spread. The whole thing is just a big misunderstanding."
"Is it really?" Suzaku shrugged. "Well, I'll take your word on it for now, Lelouch."
In the distance, the school's first bell rang, indicating that they had just a few minutes remaining before they had to report to homeroom.
An apologetic expression crossed Suzaku's face. "Well, I've got run. There's something I need to take care of before class. I'll catch up with you later!"
Suzaku hurried off.
Lelouch shook his head. Suzaku hadn't always been such a stickler for rules, back when they were at the Kururugi Shrine. If anything, Suzaku had been arrogant, at least at first. It really had been Nunnally who had helped them come closer together. But something had happened to Suzaku since then.
Perhaps it was simply a survival mechanism in the face of Britannian rule. Any Japanese person, especially the son of Japan's former prime minister, who openly failed to bow down their heads and obey would be dealt with most harshly. Or, now that Lelouch was thinking of Suzaku's father, maybe the trauma of Genbu Kururugi's sudden suicide, that ended the war, had been what first changed Suzaku. He couldn't say for sure. He had been concerned with Nunnally's survival above else as they made their way across the ruined countryside, so he had hardly been in the right frame of mind to make accurate judgments of Suzaku's mental state at the time.
Lelouch sighed. He just hated seeing his friend this way.
But he had his own issues to take care of.
xXx
Lelouch was already tired of all the whispering and gossip surrounding his supposed relationship with Kallen, and having to explain it to Nunnally had been more than enough. So when he found Milly, he decided to head her off before she could pounce on the subject, as she surely would otherwise.
"Before we get started, any rumors you may have heard about Kallen and myself are false. But that's not why I'm here. I wanted to speak about Shirley."
"Ahh, I thought I had something juicy to tease you with!" Milly pouted.
Milly was blonde, and for as long as Lelouch had known her, she'd had a curvaceous, well-developed figure that had begun to mature well before most girls her age. He'd never paid overmuch attention to her looks himself, nor fully understood why it was such a big deal, but he would have to be living under a rock to not know that many in the student body considered her to be highly attractive.
What he did understand was that while Milly was undoubtedly spoiled by her grandfather, the headmaster, she was dependable in a way that belied her appearance and upbringing.
Indeed, after a moment, Milly's expression changed, her mirth gone. "This this is serious, isn't it?"
"It is." He proceeded to recount to her how he had noticed bruising on Shirley the day before, and how Shirley had tried to conceal her injuries.
"I'm worried about her," he concluded. "I was wondering if you might have heard of anything that would shed light on her situation."
"I have," Milly said with a frown. "You didn't think I wouldn't notice if my adorable friend on the Student Council was feeling down, did you? Or worse..." Milly added ominously. "From you've told me, 'down' doesn't come close to covering it."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that. Milly could be too "friendly" with Shirley at times, making perverted comments like a dirty old man, and she had a tendency to invade others' personal space, sometimes to the point of groping her female classmates when she got too excited, especially with Shirley. Lelouch knew Milly well enough to know that she didn't do it out of any sort of malice, and that she cared deeply and sincerely for all of her friends, but Milly was fortunate that Shirley had never chosen to report her for sexual harassment. Still, it had always rubbed him the wrong way, and it did especially now.
"Anyways," Milly continued, "the swim club is supposed to have a big meet in a few weeks. They've been training hard for it, and Shirley was expected to take part in it. But she hasn't been going to practice lately, and Coach Nu is now threatening to have her kicked off the team if she doesn't return. I was going to tell you about it yesterday, but I couldn't find you on campus when I went looking for you."
Lelouch clenched a fist. Everything that had transformed Ashford Academy into an oppressive mockery of its former self seemed to tie back to Coach Nu. Lelouch had no doubt now that she was pushing her team harder than any of the other students, save Suzaku, whom she hated simply for being Japanese. But somehow, he had the impression that Coach Nu had singled out Shirley for training that was just as harsh, even when Shirley, for all her skill as an athlete, wasn't nearly as strong as Suzaku was.
Why Coach Nu would target Shirley still eluded him. He couldn't imagine that Shirley could be harboring any secrets that would be of interest to a spy like Villetta, or what a girl as kind as Shirley might have done to earn her coach's displeasure. But perhaps the Metaverse would be able give him further insight into the false teacher's cognition upon another visit.
Of course, he couldn't bring that up with Milly, and he had hoped that there would be something they could do about it back at Ashford.
"There has to be something that we can do." Lelouch said, carefully controlling his anger so that he wouldn't raise his voice and create as scene. "If this is at all what I think it is, we can't let it go on."
"I know," Milly sighed, "but if we're bringing an accusation against a teacher, we need real evidence... especially considering the influence she's managed to gain over the school. And I can't exactly ask you to spy on the girls' swim practice, even as my Vice President, can I? You've already managed to get yourself in hot water with Coach Nu."
Milly was right there. "I assume you've already tried speaking more to the other members of the swim team?" Lelouch asked.
"Yes," she nodded, "but they stop talking to me when I try to press them on it. Grandfather used to give me a lot of sway to do what I wanted here, no mater how silly it was, but now, when I know that something's wrong, I can't do anything about it! It's so frustrating!"
Lelouch had already come to the same conclusion. At this rate, nothing would be done about it, Coach Nu would remain untouchable, and Shirley would continue to suffer.
That was unacceptable. Coach Nu would pay if she was harming Shirley in any way.
"I guess we'll just have to do the best we can to support Shirley though this," he said with a shrug, concealing his true thoughts.
"Yeah… that's what friends are for," Milly said with a forced smile. She was trying to stay upbeat and keep everyone's spirits up in her own way, but it was clearly taking its toll on her.
"On an unrelated note, since Kallen's attendance has been steadier lately, she really should join a school club," Lelouch continued, trying to seem casual. "I was thinking that she would fit in well on the Student Council."
Milly's eyes lit up. "Oh, so it is true! Trying to keep your new girlfriend close, Lelouch? But what would Shirley think?"
"I told you, it isn't like that," Lelouch said firmly. "As I was trying to say, Student Council work wouldn't be physically demanding on her, and would give her the opportunity to make plenty of new friends. She's been absent so much in the past that I think she's missed out there."
"You're no fun like that, Lelouch," Milly pouted. "But we'd be happy to have her on the Student Council! We can throw a welcoming party for her tomorrow. I'm sure that would help everyone forget their troubles for just a little bit."
"I'll let her know then."
"Don't tell her anything about a party!" Milly urged in a hushed voice. She put a finger over her lips. "Keep it a surprise!"
"You have my word, Madam President."
xXx
Kallen arrived outside the Student Council Clubhouse after school, as she had promised. Lelouch was already there, waiting for her, having returned to the Clubhouse himself as soon as class was over.
"I'm here, Lelouch." Her voice was meek, but it held a faint edge of impatience. Along with how her arms were crossed, it made her come off as rather passive-aggressive. She had to be itching to let her true fiery personality out. "You said that I should join the Student Council. What now? Do I go in?"
Lelouch spied Arthur in the distance behind her, hiding by some bushes.
"The other members will have to put it to a vote, but the President asked me to show you around and go over the duties of the Student Council, to see if you're still interested," he lied. "She'd love to have you on the Student Council though." He paused. "By the way, there was also a history project that I wanted to discuss with you, about the importance of castles to medieval Britannia's feudal system."
There was no such project, but it served to signal his intention to visit the Metaverse with her without mentioning the supernatural or saying something that would more overtly draw the SSDF's suspicion, should any of its members be snooping around.
"Fine," Kallen said, perhaps a bit brusquely for her chosen guise. "Lead the way."
Walking with Kallen and Arthur to an isolated corner of the campus, Lelouch experimentally opened the Metaverse Navigator on his phone. He saw that a set of keywords had been saved to the app's log, and he read them aloud.
"Palace: Castle. Owner: Villetta Nu. Location: Ashford Academy."
The world seemed to momentarily flicker around them, and his phone vibrated in his hand, as if resonating with the keywords. But when the sensation had passed they were still in the real Ashford Academy.
"Do I need any more proof that you're just an amateur at this?!" Kallen asked with clear irritation. "You don't need to say it out loud after the first time! Just start the navigation already, or else I'll do it."
"Quiet!" Arthur hissed. "The last thing we need is one of those overzealous humans hearing us! The Cognitions of them are bad enough in the Palace."
Lelouch didn't answer Kallen's question, but simply selected the destination corresponding to the saved keywords with a touch. He didn't need to be told what to do a second time.
"Beginning navigation," a voice generated by the app announced.
The world distorted around them, the scenery of the real Ashford Academy changing to the hedge mazes and keep of Villetta's Palace. Almost before he realized it, Lelouch found his school uniform replaced by the same long black trench coat, gray waistcoat, red gloves, and white domino mask that he had appeared upon summoning Arsene.
Kallen underwent a similar transformation, her hair instantly spiking up as the lotus petal mask materialized over her face, while her Ashford uniform was replaced by her form-fitting suit. And of course there was Arthur, back with his mask and cape too.
"Time to resume our infiltration!" Arthur said. He glanced up at them. "But first, there's one thing that's been bugging me... Why am I the only one with a code name? I mean, we didn't really need them when there were only two of us, but now… you guys should have ones too." He turned to Kallen. "What about Lotus for you?"
Kallen started to open her mouth, but Lelouch cut her off before she could speak. "That would work, but I have another idea: Q-1."
"Q-1…" Kallen murmured. Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. "The Q-Queen! W-what are you playing at? That had better not be your idea of making a pass at me!"
Lelouch looked at her in confusion. Why were so many people jumping to conclusions today? "The Queen is the strongest piece in chess," he explained slowly, "As you have by far the most powerful Persona out of any of us, I think it suits you quite nicely."
"I'm not the kind of girl that flattery works on!" Kallen glared at him. "And don't tell me: you want to be called 'King'!" Her voice held only contempt at the mere thought of having to call him that.
"I would never patronize you like that," Lelouch replied. "And no… 'King' would be an arrogant title." He smirked as he thought back to the previous night's dream in the Velvet Room. Yes… the name was perfect for him. "I shall be…" He spread his arms wide for dramatic effect, his trench coat billowing out as he did so.
"I shall be Zero!"
"Huh?" Kallen said, looking genuinely surprised. "That's... not at all what I expected from you... For all that build-up, I thought you had something a lot more stuck-up in mind."
"Zero is by itself nothing, but from it all things are possible," Lelouch said, allowing himself to smirk once again. "How better to represent the miracles that we shall create together?"
Kallen groaned. "I take it back… you're still just as full of yourself as I first thought." She paused. "But I do have to admit it sounds kind of cool... almost like one of those masked heroes that they used to have on TV."
"Ah, you mean tokusatsu?" Lelouch asked. "I saw a few of those shows myself, so I can see why you would think that."
Kallen gave him a curious look. "Don't act like you know about that stuff, because if you think you're impressing me, it's not working."
"I know quite a bit more about 'that stuff' than you give me credit for. But we digress. Do you have any issues with calling me 'Zero', Q-1?"
"I didn't agree that you could call me Q-1. I'd much rather be something more than just a letter and a number to you." Kallen paused, realizing what she had said. "No, not in that way!"
Arthur shook his head. "I can tell already: the two of you are going to get along just fine."
"Not helping," Lelouch and Kallen said, to their mutual embarassment, at the same time.
"I told you," Arthur said knowingly.
"Um... anyways!" Kallen said quickly, eager to change the subject. "I have no problem calling you Zero. But why don't you just call me 'Queen' instead then? I mean, it's not a bad name, and if it's easy enough for you..."
"As you wish, Queen," Lelouch grinned.
"You know you can just admit that you like the name," Arthur said. "But is it too late to change my codename?" He looked up hopefully. "You've got those great names now, but I'm stuck with -"
"Tama," Zero and Queen said, once more in unison, causing Arthur to deflate somewhat.
"Oh, whatever!" he snapped. "Let's just get moving!"
They left behind a bewildered and terrified Milly Ashford, who had been listening from the other side of the hedge.
What was this place? What were Lelouch and Kallen up to, with that talk of codenames and everything? Normally, she'd be having a field day with it, but she was too freaked out at the moment from suddenly finding herself whisked from the Ashford Academy she knew to a strange place with an otherworldly red sky. And who was that third person with them? They had started talking about some kind of "navigation" when…
"Intruder on the grounds! Capture her!"
A/N:
For the next chapter, you can expect some dungeon crawling. And of course, Zero, Queen, and Tama will have to get Milly out of the predicament she's landed herself in!
Edit: Came back to this chapter and made some extensive revisions, fleshing out some scenes and reworking some a bit to try to have Lelouch more in character, and develop some conversations more, as they seemed much too rushed in retrospect. Really, some of these revisions were very long overdue.