Sith3p – Hence why I love writing this shit. Sometimes life gets in the way, tho.
Game777 – Unstable psychos are the best type of psychos. And yes, Clovis will make his return. And it will be fabulous.
Republic – Trust me, I'm a Kallen fan, too (in case you haven't noticed by the many Kallen scenes we've had thus far) – she's our deuteragonist, after all. As for Rolo and his involvement with the Black Knights, well, Lelouch is going to keep an eye on that troubled boy, especially once he starts witnessing Rolo's incredible abilities and murderous tendencies. Lelouch may be impulsive, violent, and opportunistic, but he's no dummy.
[*****]
"Good evening, world. This is Diethard Reid, reporting for NHK Newsline. There's quite a lot to report tonight.
After the fateful battle at Viceroy Palace, fought between the Black Knights and the Purists, the Black Knights have begun waging a campaign of thorough, widely-publicized small-scale ambushes, insurgency operations, and counter-attacks against Britannian forces within Area 11. Though larger-scale actions are infrequent, it's clear to everyone that the Black Knights have kept steadily growing in power and influence, inspiring a wave of revolutionary fervor in the Eleven populace as a whole. Just last week, the Black Knights initiated a raid on a suspected Britannian military base, managing to oust any and all authorities present, culminating in the theft of any valuable supplies present."
The air was choked with the sounds of gunfire and action, constant motion. The Britannian MP officers were in trouble, and they all knew it – the Black Knights had taken them completely by surprise, and they somehow seemed to know the layout of the facility like the back of their collective hand.
They weren't sure if there was a mole, or if their systems got hacked into, or what, but somehow the Black Knights had the upper hand on the Britannians. Short, curving corridors, circular rooms, the numerous freight lifts interspersed throughout the base – they wound up helping the terrorists rather than impeding their progress.
The Black Knights cut the officers to pieces like it was nothing, like it was a game: all the MP officers saw were silent, brutal soldiers darting swiftly between patches of cover; all they heard were isolated bursts of gunfire strafing and zig-zagging across the rooms, the intermittent, concussive pop of a grenade exploding, the terrified reports of their comrades, the booming, inhuman voice of Zero echoing across the spacious yet compact halls.
Finally, the Britannian remnants unanimously decided "fuck this" and booked it. Those that managed to survive either integrated themselves elsewhere or sought shelter under Jeremiah's roof.
Silence, then restless footsteps moving forward, browsing the area. "Zero, I think that's the last one!"
"Act quickly! Take anything that seems valuable and load them into the eastern garage – we're going to have Sugiyama and Eitaro's units spirit them away with their Knightmares. Sugiyama, Eitaro – whilst your comrades gather up their supplies, I want you to line some explosives along the walls on all sides! Be prepared to detonate them the moment we leave!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Tamaki. If you please, let's go with your plan. Focus only on me – don't reveal your comrades' identities by accident."
"Hell yeah! Thanks, Zero!"
The terrorist in question, pulling out a disposable night-vision camera and sweeping it around the destroyed, debris-ridden base, then focusing on Zero, who proceeded to strike a grand, triumphant gesture. Tamaki then pointed the lens at his crotch and turned the video clip off after dry humping the lens of a few times.
"…Interesting ending, Tamaki. I want to have a look at the footage later on, but make sure what you filmed gets passed along to Diethard. He'll know what to do with it."
"Over and out, Zero!"
After everything was finished, the Black Knights retreated into the night, blowing the MP hideout sky high with a deafening boom, like lightning. By the time the authorities arrived onto the scene, they were too late – all that the Black Knights left behind was a singular, torn Japanese flag, hanging where the Britannian flag once hung.
[**]
"For a brief period, it was suspected the rebels went into hiding, or deep cover in military terms. However, recently, a high-profile Britannian officer and some of his men were destroyed by roadside bombs in Matsumoto – five were reported injured from the ambush, three dead. A wide assemblage of conspiracy theories popped up after that incident. Many have claimed that some of Area 11's own countrymen – Britannian countrymen – have turned against the authorities and started aiding Zero. There are some theories that the Black Knights have a network of spies and moles within the military, which had led to a program led by Baroness Villetta Nu to do an updated background check and status report on each and every soldier and military civilian in Area 11."
The nobleman and his aides came for the Black Knights deep in Britannian-held territory late one night, around 1:00 AM, down unguarded roads under a bright moon. By the time they'd set everything up, Lelouch counted about ten guards assisting the nobleman, who were doling out a handful of thin, metal crates containing money, weapons, Knightmare parts, medicine. The nobleman's guards looked as tense as could be, one twitch of the eye away from imploding – they weren't sure why their employer was helping out the Black Knights, why their employer was blackmailing them into helping out the Black Knights with him.
The power of Geass.
"As you can see, Zero, I never forget my promises," the nobleman proclaimed, tapping his chest proudly.
"I can see. Thank you."
The Black Knights were getting more and more money each day – mostly illicit funds, save for the cash that came out of Lelouch's account (and even that was money stolen from the Homeland years ago, enough to sustain him for so many years) and whatever came out of the Black Knights' pockets. There were the sympathetic elements within Japan, like Kyoto; local support, like the integrated terrorist cells. But, as Lelouch found out, stealing money was a hell of a lot easier than earning it – whatever they managed to steal from the Refrain drug busts and Military Police raids was more than enough to keep the war effort going on.
But occasionally, Lelouch had to rely on Geass. Not that he minded. Geass was a sure-fire way to get whatever he damn well pleased.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, Zero?"
Lelouch tensed. He glanced over at his comrades, making a silent gesture. They unslung their weapons.
"Hey, put your guns down!" a gruff voice shouted.
The nobleman's own guards raised their weapons.
Mexican standoff. "No thanks. You were awful at chess, anyway," he whispered to the nobleman. Immediately, Lelouch bolted for cover, pulling out a pistol. "Kozuki!"
"Fire!"
[**]
"The Black Knights have begun to wage an effective propaganda war against the Britannians as well. Pro-terrorist graffiti and posters have been spotted in areas across Area 11. The Tokyo Settlement; Shibuya; the Telmen District; Kurume; Sapporo… and numerous others. A particularly famous image of a silhouette of Zero, wearing a Japanese flag as a cape, has been making the rounds, circulating across the internet. Speaking of which, pro-terrorist websites have appeared on the internet recently, and BIGLOBE has made a series of efforts to shut them down and track down the anonymous creators. A pirate radio run by terrorists have appeared, broadcasting from a secret IFF signal carted across Area 11. However, there have been reports of Britannians tuning into it by accident."
Rivalz, holding out his phone, had managed to shock and surprise Milly Ashford, and she didn't think she was easily surprised or shocked. Although she couldn't exactly figure out Shirley's mesmerized expression, Milly was positive the girl was just as shaken as she was. Thank the Lord that Nina wasn't there – she would've had a nervous breakdown on the spot.
"…and the opposition is as strong as ever! Those foot-up-your-ass Britannians are going to learn that you don't just take away our freedom and get away with it! You can go ahead and lie, saying that the war's over, that this is just mopping up, just taking care of a handful of unruly Elevens. Well, the Japanese are gonna tell everyone who's listening the bald-faced truth – that there's still a war, that we're winning, and that Japan is going to be fucking liberating, and we're gonna slaughter every single Britannian that stands in our way of justice!"
She wasn't sure who was talking – it certainly wasn't Zero – but Milly had a feeling he wasn't a very nice person.
The recording Rivalz got kept going on – there were interviews with field commanders, speeches from Zero, discussions on recent terrorist actions, war songs, all kinds of things. But they'd all heard enough, and Rivalz clicked off his phone, slumping back into his chair.
God, I got chills.
Milly squeezed her wrist to quell the shaking.
"My friend called me up the other afternoon, said, Tune into 103.3 and you're gonna crap yourself. So I did, and I heard this. Dug out my phone, started recording it cos I didn't wanna miss it… and… well. Damn. Should I turn this into the authorities?"
Milly shrugged. "Not quite sure."
"They probably already know it happened, anyway," Shirley noted, nervously toying with a few strands of her orange hair.
"It's a scary world we're growing up in, guys," Rivalz muttered. "I just hope Lelouch is okay… we haven't heard from him in what feels like forever."
Milly nodded, lost in thought.
Is this what he was trying to avoid?
"I didn't really get that whole twin prince thing, but… if it's what he wants, then, hey," Rivalz continued, rubbing his eyes. "Just wish we could see him again."
"You're not alone," Shirley said. "Do you know where Nina is?"
Rivalz shrugged, perplexed. "Said she was working on something… science-y. Didn't really get it. Might as well have been in another language."
"But she's okay, right?"
"Well, yeah. Pretty sure."
Milly leaned back in her chair. That day, when I heard about what happened to the governors…
She'd called her grandfather almost immediately, saying that she loved him.
I just got so scared. I couldn't believe it… nobody at school believe it. One minute, everyone was talking about Lelouch, the student turned Prince… and then everyone was talking about the massacre… but, honestly, I thought it was a one-off thing. Britannia isn't the… greatest place in the world…
Memories of Lelouch ranting at length about how corrupt the Britannian system was, how his father was an "uncompromising, selfish, hateful son of a bitch", popped up in her mind.
But they're strong. They've taken care of terrorists before. They always do… but they're losing. I don't get it. What's different?
"Guys…" Shirley started, swallowing nervously. "What if they come here? To the school?"
Milly smiled sweetly. "Shirley, don't think like that."
"I'm serious! What if they come here…? I mean, we're a Britannian school!"
"A liberal Britannian school. We'll take in anyone, regardless of who they are."
"Subtleties like that may not matter to them…"
Shirley had a point.
"…I'd probably jump in front of a bullet for you guys, if it's any consolation," Rivalz mentioned, patting Shirley's hand. "Or, at the very least, push you out of the way. Because if I have enough time to jump in front of you, I have enough time ta push you out of the way."
Milly, smiling, took both of their hands. "We're going to be fine. Really. This whole mess isn't going to come to us – Ashford is well-hidden, and well-protected, everyone. But if it does – and that's if – then we'll do everything in our power to keep the student body safe. It's our duty as the Council, anyway. We've got a friend in hiding, working day and night for… something, to keep us all safe. Let's do the same, okay?"
Shirley nodded, a ghost of a smile crossing her face.
And maybe once all this is done, everything will be back to normal.
"You think I should join the army?" Rivalz questioned.
"Do you?" Milly asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rivalz laughed exasperatedly, relaxing. "Hell no!"
[*****]
PURIST HIDEOUT – TOKYO SETTLEMENT
"…In conclusion, the war continues to rage on and it shows no signs of stopping. Although large swathes of the populace in Area 11 have not been affected, there are analysts who believe it's only a matter of time until the fighting reaches the center of the Tokyo Settlement. In other news, Viceroy Jeremiah Gottwald and the Purists have agreed to hold a publicized funeral for the deceased Governors of Area 11; the location of the funeral remains a secret, as per—"
Click.
Jeremiah felt good to be back in his predominately-blue Viceroy's uniform – it was a hell of a lot more comfortable than the scrubs those nurses had him wear. The moment he'd put on his imperial epaulets and donned his red Purist sash, he'd felt like his old self again. Honestly, it felt good to be out of the hospital – he could finally resume doing what he did best: laying down the law. And given how violent and corrupt Area 11 had become in his absence (he still suspected that Doctor Ohtani, the Eleven bitch, had kept him at the Shibuya Red Cross out of pure, unadulterated spite), there was a lot of law to start laying down.
Truth be told, he was doing a decent job thus far. He'd been in office for a little under a month – Villetta had been with him the whole time, and Kewell had finally been released from hospital about two and a half weeks after Jeremiah re-entered office. Almost immediately, the Purists instigated a series of counter-operations, ones that had been in development for a long time, only to see the limelight in the wake of Zero's attempted assassination.
Villetta ordered a background check and search of every soldier and military civilian in Area 11, save for the guards currently protecting Prince Schneizel and Princess Euphemia (they were part of Schneizel's team from Russia, and unless Zero's influence reached across the world there was no way they could have been involved, or so Villetta hoped). They'd tried to make it as unobtrusive and unbiased as possible, but there was some backlash, especially from Honorary Britannians.
Sato, Caitlyn, and Valerio began devising a system to implement more security cameras and defense systems across the Tokyo Settlement, and possibly beyond, if the budget allowed it – already, eight locations had allowed it, and twelve others were presently discussing it with the Purists' attorneys. Taran, having collected a vast array of discarded terrorist equipment – most of it old junk, but some of it fairly useful – tried his hand at cracking the Anti-A11 Signal, that damned signal that had allowed the terrorist radio to anonymously broadcast without persecution.
Jeremiah and Kewell, for the most part, were just trying to clean up loose ends. Even though Bartley was on their side, at least for the time being, they hadn't forgotten about Prince Clovis, how obsessed he was with keeping the Shinjuku Incident – centuries ago, Jeremiah thought – under wraps from almost everyone. Kewell, in particular, was worried about a destroyed science bunker he'd found some time ago in the Hirosaka forests. It was a property owned and operated by Clovis, but when Kewell and his team stormed the facility, he wasn't there. In fact, nobody was there, and the bunker had been almost completely totaled. Nothing was salvageable.
It was around that time Clovis disappeared.
Meaning the Prince was either killed by terrorists or he personally destroyed whatever he had hiding down there.
Neither of those scenarios were particularly comforting.
So Kewell had spent his continued healing time digging up whatever he could find on that end, and Jeremiah had busied himself with overseeing repairs of the decimated Viceroy Palace, instigating continued operations in Shinjuku with his chief enforcers and commanders (esp. the smuggling operations and black market deals that area was notorious for), and augmenting the search-and-destroy plans he had for the Black Knights – it pissed him off to no end that the Black Knights had managed to stay hidden in a small, compact place like Japan.
Jeremiah glanced down at his agenda.
"Attend funeral with eulogy prepared
Bring replacements for A11 Governors up to speed.
Kill 0
Meet w/ Industry Minister
Arrange Sutherland deals w/ Drummond and Kyoto (keep investigating)
Reply to Lloyd's report abt. Relocation (Talk to Cecile abt. VARIS)
Kill 0
Meet w/ Bartley abt. Prince Schneizel & Princess Euphemia"
There was a lot of work to be done. And after Diethard's report, the Purists had become aware that there was even more work to be done.
"Bastard's getting cocky," a bandaged Kewell muttered, browsing through Jeremiah's bookcases. "Thinks he can walk all over the police and get away with it."
"Someone's sending Diethard all this footage," Villetta mentioned, leaning against the casing of the big window in the office, rubbing a finger across her chin. "I grilled the news station in Japan but I didn't found out a damn thing. They really have no idea who brings these tapes in."
"And yet they still broadcast them. God bless the pragmatism of the media."
Jeremiah drummed his fingers against his desk, taking a swig of soda pop. "We need to fight fire with fire. At this rate, Zero's going to control the news. I'm going to authorize every news station in Area 11 to not broadcast any terrorist material they get – instead, they're going to send it to our people for analysis."
"And do you think Diethard will listen? He's the main correspondent for all of this," Villetta pointed out.
"He's helped us before."
"He'll go where the action is."
"Then perhaps we need to step up the action," Kewell proclaimed, clutching his arm.
Damn right.
"Try to take it easy, Soresi," Jeremiah noted, then: "I want to play up this upcoming funeral for all it's worth. We need to make it as weepy and sentimental as possible, show the tragedy for what it is. There are some that already lost faith in those terrorists for their actions – this will just pour more salt in the wound."
And I was so close to convincing them to follow along with my arrangement, as well. Maybe their replacements will be more compliant to my proposal.
"Do you have your eulogy ready?" Villetta asked.
"Mmhm. Do you?"
"Yes."
"Should we keep as we are in regards to Clovis?" Kewell asked, with hesitance in his voice.
Jeremiah nodded. "We'll get to the bottom of this in no time. I trust Bartley, but it's obvious he still knows something we don't. Just because the Shinjuku Incident was closed by the courts doesn't mean it's over at all."
After all, that's the reason this whole mess began.
Jeremiah rose from his desk, looking out the window.
"We'll burn Zero to the ground. We'll teach him what happens to those who cross us… but all in good time."
[*****]
BLACK KNIGHTS WEAPONS DEPOT
Rakshata had really outdone herself, Lelouch thought, and he didn't think it was possible. The Guren had undergone a full recovery almost overnight – a handful of weeks, but that's semantics – and Rakshata's team had even taken the liberty of implementing brand new specs on the Guren to make it even better than it was before, thanks to the recent surge in supplies. Explosive shells could now be fired using a keypad in the cockpit, equipped with a tracer to boot, which would immediately lock on to any Britannian IFF Signals. It was far more convenient to just press a button rather than hit a multitude of switches and controls. The Landspinners had been thoroughly cleaned and refined; the Guren's hand gun had been given fresh ammunition belts and it now had some kind of grenade launcher on it, which could also be activated using the cockpit's keypad. The Radiant Wave technology was still the same as it always was, but that was fine, because it operated perfectly.
Of course, all of these new bells and whistles meant one thing: Guren was an energy hog. They were going to have to be very conservative with the Guren until they found a way around that unfortunate issue.
"Knightmares can't carry energy fillers on their backs, correct?"
Rakshata dimly nodded, scanning her eyes over the vast array of Burais in the depot. "Not the current models, anyway. The Estrellas were bulky enough that we could just slap additional batteries on the back, underneath the cockpit… but, A.) we used batteries, not Sakuradite, and B.) they're sizable Knightmares. My pride and joy," she added sentimentally. "These Burais are sleeker, more elegant but not as… practical."
"I might consider having just a team of supply-bringers. They can hang near the backlines, and they could have energy filler packs waiting at the ready in case someone runs out."
The scientist nodded, pursing her lips. "Not a half-bad idea."
"It feels like the only way we're going to win against Britannia is by having the bigger, badder robots."
"They're more than just robots. But yes, you're on the mark, there. It's an arms race! And a fun one at that."
Maybe to you. It's a lot more stressful to me. Still, that Lancelot deal bought us some time.
Lelouch's communicator beeped once again, and he fished it out from the inner confines of his cape. "Yes?"
"Hey, Zero, it's Naomi… come to the training grounds. Physical training grounds. You need to see this. Sir."
Curiosity piqued, Lelouch nodded before reminding himself that Naomi couldn't hear nods. "Be right over." Click. "Continue as you are, Rakshata. You've been doing excellent work."
"You call it work, I call it play. Just don't forget about our promise, Zero!"
Lelouch chuckled to himself. "The more you remind me, the more I might remember."
The "physical" training facility was once a parking garage, before everyone unanimously decided they'd gut it out and transform it into something different – namely, an exercise facility of sorts. There were crates, tables, and containers scattered across the expansive garage, along with a makeshift training course lined with small barricades, targets to shoot and stab at, the works. It was so compact that every little sound echoed throughout the room. Ohgi had mentioned it made him feel claustrophobic.
I really wish he hadn't left. He's harboring secrets about me… and he was also a good field commander. Hopefully he doesn't get swallowed up into the "wait and see" mentality the JLF has, or if he becomes a tool.
Naomi had seated herself atop some crates, scratching her blue hair as she gazed over a report with starstruck eyes. Clearly, this was something fascinating, something that couldn't wait. In the corner of Lelouch's eye, he saw… Rolo.
I had a feeling you'd be involved. Rolo Ohtani had a fascinating air about him. He always looked like he was ready to pounce at a moment's notice – he was a series of tight, strained lines, just waiting to be unleashed into action. Always poised, always calm, yet… there was that hint of underlying danger that just didn't sit right with Lelouch. Given that Rolo was a new member, Lelouch usually put him in the suppressive lines, or had him helping out with logistics or something along those lines, but even so, Lelouch had a feeling Rolo knew a lot more than he let on.
And it bugged the shit out of Lelouch.
"Naomi. What's this you wanted to show me?"
"…You might wanna take a seat. Take a look at the course log."
Lelouch did just so. At the top of the page was Yoshida, who'd logged the course in about forty-one seconds. Below him was Segata, then Ohgi, then Kallen; at the very bottom was C.C., which didn't surprise Lelouch in the slightest. All in all, the average time frame for the obstacle course was about forty to eighty seconds, give or take.
"Okay."
Naomi cleared her throat, twiddled her thumbs. "Rolo. Mind showing me again?"
"It would be a pleasure," Rolo said, breathily.
Now Lelouch was interested. He watched as Rolo shifted his feet—
And in seconds, Rolo had finished. Lelouch blinked and damn near fell on his ass when he realized Rolo had practically fucking teleported to the other side of the room, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The targets were riddled with fresh bullet holes and knife tears; the barricades had scuff marks on them, signifying where Rolo's heels landed; the traffic markers they used for agility tests were all shaking, implying that someone had rushed by them very recently.
What. The. Fuck.
Rolo walked nearby Zero and Naomi, breathing heavily, vaguely clutching at his chest.
"That was… six seconds," Naomi muttered.
What.
"I've never seen anything like it before," she continued.
The.
"Couldn't do this in a million years."
Fuck.
"I…" Rolo began, taking a deep breath. "I'm well-trained." He looked up at Zero. "Was that satisfactory?"
"…"
Rolo and Lelouch just kind of stared at each other for a few moments, neither of them speaking a word. Rolo was staring at him with such crystallizing intensity that Lelouch almost forgot he had his mask on.
"Impressive, Ohtani," Lelouch finally admitted, coughing. "Where did you learn that… or how?"
"I'm very fast."
"Jeah, that's… obvious," Naomi said, smiling in an exasperated manner.
"And also focused."
"I see," Lelouch exclaimed, stretching his arms. "Very impressive indeed. Go find Eitaro – he's discussing strategy with Minami and Segata at the moment."
Rolo tilted his head, then nodded. "As you wish, Zero."
As he left, Lelouch felt chills shoot up his spine.
"That's… really incredible," Naomi breathed.
"I need to make a call. I think Kallen was looking for you earlier."
"I'll go find her. Do you want to hear the updated inventory list?"
"Another time. Thank you for… whatever the hell this was," Lelouch muttered, quickly exiting the facility and bounding up the adjacent staircase. By the time he reached his office, he hadn't realized he'd been running the entire time – it was the odd passing glance C.C. gave him that clued him in.
"Something troubling?" C.C. questioned, keeping her distance slightly.
Being shot tends to make one a little bitter. Lelouch pulled out his cell, nervously tapping in a number that had become familiar to him recently. "Vaguely."
"…Is it Geass?"
Lelouch had no idea how to answer… but it terrified him when he realized he couldn't say no to that query.
"…C.C. I'm sorry I shot you."
C.C. shrugged. "Been shot before."
Lelouch had no idea how to decipher that one.
Click. "Hey, Twin. It's been a while."
"What do you know about Rolo Ohtani?"
An exasperated chuckle on the other side of the line; it was impossible to parse.
"Don't joke around," Lelouch continued, wondering why his supposed double was so immature. "You're me from… another time, or something. What do you know about Rolo Ohtani?"
"Things are going to be different in this timeline, other-Me," Time Baron exclaimed, as if he was stating the obvious. "What happened in my Prime Timeline isn't always going to bleed out into other ones."
"What do you know?"
A sigh. "Just watch out."
Lelouch's stomach dropped. "Ah."
"Yep."
"What have you been up to in Pendragon?" Lelouch asked, walking behind his desk and turning on a short-wave television, browsing through the security camera feed.
"Work, lot of work, actually. Geass does most of it for me."
"Vague and cryptic as usual."
"So are you! I mean, you're me, after all."
Lelouch found one of the tapes of Rolo running the obstacle course, and his eyes were transfixed on the black-and-white tape as Time Baron droned on about his experiences at the Aries Villa.
It wasn't just some trick of the eyes – Rolo moved with almost exactly the same speed and physicality on camera as he had just a few moments ago, in person.
Does he have Geass?
"…and furthermore…"
"Baron. In this world of yours, does Geass vary from user to user? According to… some sources, it does here."
"Oh, yeah. Definitely."
Spooky. Lelouch glanced at C.C., who was listening in on the conversation with a façade of disinterest.
"Is… that man, planning to make any moves against Area 11?" Lelouch asked, glancing at his messy chessboard.
"Not so far. Although, he's going to meet with the Knights of the Round tomorrow. Discuss something. So, that might change. The old man may very well nuke Japan and be done with it."
"If that happens, you're going to let me know immediately."
"Hey, now. I'm already a mole for one person. Don't wanna dig too deep."
Lelouch groaned, then nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wait! I remember!"
"Huh?"
"…Baron. "Time Baron". How did my Mother die?"
"Oh. In my world, she didn't."
Lelouch swelled with excitement and anxiety.
"But I have a feeling she's very dead in this timeline."
And then the mood soured. "Damn it. Why?"
"Can't feel her presence."
Interesting choice of words. "I want you to look for clues about how my Mother died… Schneizel told me about how Marianne was carrying some kind of book wrapped in strange symbols and text the night she died."
"Book? That's weird."
"You're telling me. It was in the Archives one night and then gone the next. Schneizel mentioned that Cornelia had it last… but she's in the European Union right now. So that limits my options."
"Aight. I'll look around, ask around the Palace."
Lelouch stiffened and exhaled. "It's possible that our… Father, killed her."
"Who knows? It's different each timeline. Time will tell."
"Please keep looking…" After a moment: "Is the Aries Villa the same as I left it?"
"Almost unchanged. Like it was frozen in time. Only difference is that everyone hates each other even more now."
"Ah. That's… that's good."
"Mmhm."
"Don't forget the mission I gave you."
"I must be crazy."
"Why?"
"I mean, I'm talking to myself."
For once, Lelouch laughed.
"Very funny… I have to go. Stay hidden."
"Eh."
