"The best way to get people to accept the need for change is to not give them a choice"
-William Wess
Chapter 5
Learn to Fly
Kendo, Suzaku had decided a long time ago, was one of the most therapeutic ways he could relax and burn off energy. Of course, as a young boy he had loved it for the sheer joy of being able to swing a sword (even if it was only wooden), and as he got older the fact that it was a practice steeped in the traditions of his Empire only made it more appealing.
Though that love for the Empire had faded, his passion for the sword remained.
And there was no time that Kendo was more invigorating to him than when facing a skilled opponent- and his opponent here and now was one of the best he had fought, barring Toudou-sensei and a few others.
The familiarity they shared with the other's style of fighting too, helped make this match even more intense than it should have been- they had practiced together for years, and knew how the other would respond and move almost as well as their own.
Which was why they had been staring at each other for well over a minute since the match began, neither of them ready to commit to the first strike just yet.
Of course, Suzaku also knew the temperament of his opponent, and knew she wasn't one to just sit around and wait for a fight to come to her.
As if on cue, his opponent sprang forward with a powerful, two handed downward stroke, moving with swiftness that belied her slight frame and the weight of the armor she wore, yelling out her intended target, as per the traditions of Kendo.
"Men!"
Suzaku sidestepped the wooden sword handily, even with the bulk of the Kendo armor on his limbs, watching the wide downward slash slide past him easily, and responding with his own furious shout, "Kote!"
As announced by his intentions, his shinai flew down hard, but his opponent's reactions were superb and he only managed a glancing hit, not enough to count as a point. Carried by both their motions, they moved past each other, backs to each other for a moment before they spun around to continue the fight.
Simultaneously, they both cried out "Do!", aiming for the other's chestplate. Their attacks collided and were deflected off of each other, and once more they moved past each other, returning to their original positions.
They both backed off from each other, eyeing the other warily as they moved just outside of striking range, the first two exchanges being enough to tell that direct charges were ineffective. Though he had been the one to strike the first blow, Suzaku knew it counted for little here.
They circled around each other, footsteps feather light against the wooden floor of the dojo, waiting for the other to make the first move, or more precisely, the first mistake.
Deciding to chance a feint, Suzaku dipped his sword a fraction, weakening his guard by giving the appearance of growing lax.
As expected, his opponent's more impetuous, hot-headed nature took hold, and she took the bait, driving forward, this time aiming for a minor, but likely easier point, her sword going for his wrist guard.
In a flash, Suzaku moved into the attack to allow it to miss by bare inches, coming forward with a powerful cry of "Tsuki!"
To his surprise and utter dismay, however, his opponent pulled just far back enough to avoid the thrust, which left him utterly vulnerable to counterattack. With a fluid motion, she moved her wrist and came out with a powerful sweep and a cry of "Do!"
Suzaku winced as the shinai impacted with ferocious force, against his chest plate, and felt his opponent brush past him in a ready stance. Perfect execution and form- a full point this time.
Turning, Suzaku bowed deeply, a gesture returned by his opponent. The solemn nature of the moment was broken a moment later as his opponent took off her mask and flashed him a victorious grin.
"That's a point for me," Kallen said cheerily, absently wiping a bead of sweet from her brow.
"You've gotten better," Suzaku complimented, smiling back. "Toudou-sensei's been giving you lessons?"
"Only sometimes," Kallen asserted stubbornly, her cheeks, already flushed with exertion, coloring a little darker with embarrassment. "You've gotten better too though."
"All I usually do is practice every morning alone for an hour or so," Suzaku shrugged, scratching the back of his neck, "It's been a while since I had a good sparring partner."
"First time you've seen each other in three years and you two decide to have a sword duel," came a sudden, familiar voice, sounding bemused.
Both Suzaku and Kallen turned to face the newcomer.
"You are the weirdest fiancés ever," Naoto finished, chuckling.
"Onii-chan!" Kallen exclaimed embarrassedly, flushing as always at the mention of the engagement, dropping her sword in surprise.
"Naoto-san!" Suzaku said with a tone of pleasant surprise, extending a gloved hand out in greeting. Though it was a gesture atypical of Japanese nobility, Naoto moved without hesitation and took the hand, shaking it firmly.
"Suzaku-sama," Naoto said, bowing his head politely. "It's good to see you again."
"Oh come on, please none of that formal stuff," Suzaku muttered, sounding vaguely annoyed. "You and I have known each other for years."
"Protocol is protocol," Naoto replied cordially. "And we're not in your country estate in Kyoto."
"You've gotten a lot less fun since you joined the military," Suzaku said glibly, but he smiled in understanding. "You know when they told me they were sending a new military commander over, I didn't expect you and the 75th, much less Kallen."
"The old men over in Kyoto probably thought this assignment was a good 'test' for my mixed unit," Naoto responded, crossing his arms with an unreadable expression.
"Your unit is Brittanian and Japanese, right?" Suzaku questioned, sounding hesitant.
"Yeah," Naoto nodded. "Posting us in their homeland is probably a way for the Empire to evaluate our 'worth'."
"But our military record," Kallen began to point out slowly, but her brother shook his head.
"We can win countless victories against the Equatorial League and the Eurasian Federation, but until the Empire knows for sure we can even fight against Brittanian insurgents… they won't trust us completely," Naoto interrupted, sounding tired. "Integrating colonies into the Empire is a process that takes time."
"We shouldn't have to," Suzaku muttered darkly, drawing looks from both siblings. Noticing this, he quickly added, "But the work you two have been doing… earning prestige for the Brittanians… its good work. I just don't know if it'll change anything."
"We have no choice but to try," Naoto replied, shrugging helplessly. "Changing the system of the Empire will be slow, but it's the only way."
Not necessarily, Suzaku thought to himself, thinking of the golden Caliburn that laid so close underground. Destroying this system would be faster.
But such thoughts were practically treasonous, and though he might have trusted Kallen enough with it and Naoto was someone dear to his heart, they were still members of the Japanese military, and telling both of them right now just simply didn't seem like a good idea.
"Anyways,:" Naoto continued, breaking the moment of silence, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we should have a formal meeting about the state of things in this country. There's a lot of stuff we need to talk about, and the faster we start, the better."
"Of course," Suzaku said softly, nodding back.
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"So, Suzaku-sama has a fiancée?" Euphemia asked curiously, glancing over at Milly. The two of them were cleaning one of the formerly unused guest wings of the mansion, now occupied by the Kouzuki siblings.
"Oh yes," Milly answered, a tone of pity in her voice that confused the pink-haired ex-princess, "They've only been engaged for a little while, but they've known each other since they were children."
"Children, huh?" Euphemia murmured to herself. She had also known Suzaku since they were children, according to him. It made her suddenly long to remember those days, if only to have some more memories of Suzaku.
The thought felt strangely embarrassing to her, and she quickly busied herself with folding the last of the towels.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Milly said cheerily, clapping her on the shoulder so suddenly that Euphemia nearly jumped out of her skin. "Suzaku won't forget you!
"F-forget me?" Euphemia blinked.
"Just because he's got a fiancée doesn't mean he's out of your reach!" Milly added cheekily, squeezing her on the shoulder. "Every man needs a mistress!"
"M-mistress!" Euphemia squeaked, dropping the towel.
"Who's a mistress?"
This time, Milly too seemed spooked as both of them turned to see the confused face of Kouzuki Kallen.
"Kallen-sama!" Milly said, looking vaguely embarrassed, the closest to shame she ever seemed to show. "You startled us."
"Milly-san, right?" Kallen said slowly, waiting for confirmation. "It's nice to meet you."
"I'm flattered you've heard of me," Milly said graciously, bowing as deeply as she could.
"You really don't need to clean up after me," Kallen added gently. "I'd really rather take care of those things myself."
"Oh no, please, it's our pleasure," Milly responded politely. "Taking care of Suzaku-sama's guests is an honor."
"I suppose taking care of him makes taking care of anyone else rather easy," Kallen joked, chuckling.
Milly smiled. "You would know best, Kallen-sama." With a glance over at Euphemia, she added, "Euphie-chan, introduce yourself."
Euphemia, who had thus far been studying Kallen's features silently, was startled out of her observations, and said hurriedly, "Euphemia", with a clumsy bow. After a moment, she added, "K-Kallen-sama."
"Sorry, she's new," Milly said apologetically, smiling. "Still learning her manners."
"It's quite alright," Kallen replied, and gave Euphemia a wide, friendly smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Euphemia."
"Nice to meet you too," Euphemia echoed quietly.
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"So where'd you run off to yesterday," C.C. asked softly, hands folded to support her chin, elbows propped up on her desk, eyes on the teacher at the front of the class.
"I told you yesterday, I just got lost," Lelouch responded vaguely, refusing to meet her gaze by burying his gaze into the textbook.
"Sure, got lost in the city of your birth, doing routine shopping that should have only taken a couple of hours. And you didn't even finish the shopping, earning you a 'punishment game' to be decided on the president's return," C.C. said tartly, raising her eyebrow, without moving her gaze over to him. "Riiiggghhhttt…."
"Look, just drop it," Lelouch muttered, rolling his eyes.
"She was looking for you too," C.C added airily.
Lelouch bit his lip irritably, not wanting to rise to the bait. "Who?"
"Your diligent student," C.C. said tonelessly, her lip curling in an unreadable smirk.
"She already called me. I know." Lelouch continued to stubbornly avoid her gaze, not wanting, for whatever reason, to have to speak more on the subject. "In fact, on that note, how did she even get my number?"
"I was surprised she didn't have it already, what with you two being so close and all," she replied whimsically, though there was an edge to her voice.
"Why do you even care?" Lelouch muttered, finally looking over at her. "What's it to you?"
"Lelouch-kun? Is there something urgent you need to talk to C.C.-kun about?" asked the teacher, peering over at him through glare-filled lenses.
"Nothing, sensei," Lelouch said promptly, keeping his features schooled straight.
"Good. Then, if you wouldn't mind reading the next passage…"
Lelouch briefly recalled what they were discussing, narrowed down how far their class reading had likely progressed since the start, and then made a best guess on what he was supposed to read.
The passage he located, however, gave him pause, and a wry, incredulous smile crossed his face for a brief moment.
"The Shichitenno, translated as 'The Seven Heavenly Kings', were formed during the closing months of the Meiji Revolution. During this time, the Tokugawa Shogunate was sending more and more of its soldiers after the Emperor, in an attempt to regain control over the rebellious clans by removing the symbolic head of their movement. The first Shichitenno were elected as seven skilled swordsmen who forsook all bonds to the clans of their birth to swear undying, everlasting loyalty to the Emperor as his personal bodyguard, bound till death to protect his divine majesty. They are ranked as 'Ichiken', 'Niken', and so on and so forth."
The teacher, obviously annoyed that he had failed to catch Lelouch off guard yet again, coughed and nodded, trying to hide his displeasure. "Yes. Very good, Lelouch-kun. Can anyone tell me who some of the current members of the Shichitenno are today?"
"Asahina Shogo-sama," came one of the girls, who giggled.
"Toudou Kyoshiro-sama," came one bespectacled male's voice.
"Kouzuki Kallen-san," Lelouch found himself saying, before he could stop himself.
"Good, good, very good. Kouzuki Kallen-san is especially one you all should note- she's your age, but she's already risen to the position of Nanaken amongst the Shichitenno. She's a remarkable young woman."
"She's my idol!" a female voice asserted.
"She's so cool!" a girl giggled.
"Hot too," one of the boys called loudly, earning scathing looks from the girls and a hearty amount of nods from the boys (who in turn earned their own scathing looks).
"That's quite enough," the teacher said firmly, shooting the outspoken boy a harsh look. "Since you seem so eager, Saru-kun, you read next."
"Aw, sensei…"
"Now, Saru-kun."
Lelouch shook his head, briefly wondering what Kallen would have thought of being the subject of so much idol worship. And, more amusingly, what the people would think if they knew just how strange she really was.
I wonder what she's doing now, he thought to himself absently.
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"Following the incident in the London Underground, there's been over a dozen incidents of insurgency, rioting, and terrorism occurring throughout the territory of Brittania proper," Sancia reported quietly, reading from a printed sheet of paper. She sat to Naoto's right at the conference table, as befitting her rank as the XO of the 75th. "No additional sightings of the golden Knightmare Frame, codenamed 'Kinma', that was observed fighting for the rebels in the Underground have been reported."
"Where did this thing even come from?" Kallen asked, sitting across the table, to Suzaku's direct left.
"Likely from whatever illegal shipment Kusakabe was bringing into the country," Naoto muttered, casting a dark look at Major Minami, who was now in charge of the remnants of Kusakabe's regiment.
"The Colonel informed none of us as to the reason why we were being mobilized, nor that he had done so without the official consent of Prince Suzaku," Minami said stiffly. "I said as much in my official report."
"You're telling me not one of you had any idea what the Colonel was doing? We have a number of financial statements to indicate Kusakabe was diverting military funding into his own private projects under several dummy corporations and accounts, and you, his Executive Officer, knew none of it?" Naoto's tone was critically skeptical, and exceptionally harsh.
"The Colonel kept his own counsel. And anyone who might have known was in his command squad- the squad that was murdered by Kinma, if you recall, sir," Minami said bitingly, adding the honorific almost as an afterthought.
"Why you-" Naoto began angrily.
"Stop it, both of you!" Kallen interrupted pleadingly, shooting her brother an irritated look. "This isn't helping anyone. Suzaku, what do you think?"
Suzaku, who had remained silent throughout the whole discussion thus far, seemed startled. "I… uh…"
"That brings us to another question that has yet to be addressed," Sancia said quietly, meeting his uncertain gaze. "With all due respect, Prince, where were you during this incident?"
Naoto gave him an apologetic look, while Minami also gazed over at him with a questioning look.
"I was taking a leave of absence," Suzaku said stiffly, praying his lie would not come through his eyes. "I was unavoidably detained, and by the time I was able to return the crisis was over."
"My prince… without meaning to sound rude… that day you never reported in to the command center," Minami said softly.
Suzaku felt trapped. How the hell was he supposed to explain why he, the nominal highest ranking official in Brittania, wasn't at his post at such a critical minute? And without revealing that, in fact, it was he who had killed Kusakabe and a large portion of the military forces that day?
"I don't think you have the right to criticize Suzaku, Major, or you, Lieutenant," Kallen cut in suddenly, practically leaping to his defense. "His being there would not have helped the situation any, would it? The fact remains that the Colonel is dead, and with him our best chance of finding out what happened that day."
Suzaku shot her a grateful look, which she acknowledged, but continued on speaking regardless. "What we need to do now is figure out what to do from here."
"My sister is, of course, right," Naoto agreed, looking grateful for his sister's intercession- whereas she was outside of the chain of command, Naoto had to remain impartial and keep control over both his own regiment and the remnants of Kusakabe's forces- showing any kind of consideration towards Suzaku would have been detrimental to that cause. "We have a lot more problems right now. Casting blame and suspicion can wait."
"Apologies, Suzaku-sama," Minami murmured, a sentiment echoed by Sancia as well.
"Well, aside from the insurgents, there are a few other issues to talk about," Naoto asserted, opening his own folder of papers up. "The lost Eurasian Federation tanker Kaiser Krieg, for one."
"The one they're accusing us of seizing… right?" Suzaku said, sounding doubtful about his own information. "What does that have to do with us?"
"The homeland has ordered a tightening of all border patrols, especially in the English Channel," Naoto answered. "Apart from my own regiment, we've also been assigned a battlegroup from the Navy to help fortify our position."
"Do they believe it'll come to an invasion?" Minami asked, eyes wide at the very thought of an all out war between the Empire and the Federation. Everyone knew the conflict was coming- the only real question was how much longer the false peace could last.
"As of yet it's just the Eurasian Senate that's making accusations. Our intelligence states that Einherjar hasn't mobilized any forces to the front yet," Sancia replied, her tone neutral. "Talks will begin shortly, we've been told. This is just a precaution."
"However, you never know with Einherjar," Naoto muttered darkly. "Just because they haven't received any orders doesn't mean they aren't going to act."
"What do you mean by that?" Suzaku questioned, being unfamiliar with the organization. "Einherjar… that's the Eurasian Federation's military, right? How could they do anything without the consent of the Senate?"
"Not exactly," Naoto corrected, shaking his head. "They're a private military company, nominally, albeit one that is permanently contracted and attached to the Eurasian Federation as their standing military, and have been since the Unification War dissolved the national militaries of the individual nation-states. The main point is that while they technically take orders from the Senate, the leaders of the organization actually possess more power than the Senate, and control a great deal of the government."
"You sound very familiar with Einherjar," Minami noted quietly.
"I've fought them before," Naoto alluded, that dark tone returning to his voice that spoke of memories he was trying to keep forgotten. "I try to learn as much as possible about my enemies."
"Well they're not our enemies yet," Suzaku insisted, folding his hands. "I know Kyoto probably gave you specific orders, Naoto, but I'd like to stress that I want all our naval actions to be strictly defensive- under no circumstances are they to fire unless fired upon first."
"Understood, sir," Naoto nodded. "At any rate, that incident should be one of our lesser concerns. There are still a number of other problems out there that are far more pressing. The Brittanian Liberation Front for one thing, and our mysterious golden Knightmare Frame, and whatever Kusakabe was smuggling into the country aren't exactly small fires in our forest."
"What about this… 'Reaper'?" Kallen interrupted slowly, drawing looks from around the table. "Do any of you know about it?"
"Reaper… it's a drug that's been hampering a lot of productivity, according to Secretary Tamaki," Minami said, after a moment of struggling to remember the information. "A few of our own soldiers have had incidents of using the drug as well."
"I haven't read any reports on it," Naoto blinked, glancing over at his sister in confusion. "Are you sure it's a real problem, Kallen?"
"I'm sure," Kallen said firmly, meeting her brother's gaze determinedly. "The streets are flooded with this stuff, from what I've heard, and people are suffering. We have to do something about that."
"With all due respect, Kallen-san… 'Reaper' is just a drug. If we crack down on it, it'll just get replaced by one of those other drugs. Stamping out something like that is hardly a priority at the moment," Minami interjected politely. "And mounting a full scale attack on the drug runners would only be diverting valuable resources that we need to fight off insurgents."
"If the people are happy and content, they wouldn't become insurgents," Kallen shot back fiercely. "If we can help alleviate their suffering, even for a little while… that could be worth it."
"We'll look into it," Naoto promised, giving his sister a reassuring look. "I'll have Sancia do a proper investigation right away. If there's nothing else we need to discuss, I suggest we get to we get to work immediately, people."
As they stood- Suzaku first, with the others bowing to him, as per his station, followed by Kallen, and then Naoto- and left, Kallen caught Suzaku just outside the doors with a mischievous grin and pulled him off.
"You and I still haven't had a decent talk," Kallen reminded him, smiling.
"So we haven't," Suzaku agreed. "Come on, I know a place."
As the two wandered off, chattering more like the teenagers they were than the titles and responsibilities people always tended to see them as, Naoto shook his head and smiled.
"Ah, to be young again," he muttered.
"Commander?" Sancia blinked.
Naoto shrugged, flashing her a smile.
"Come on Lieutenant. We've got a war to prepare for."
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"So that was Kouzuki Naoto, huh?" Kento muttered, as they exited the meeting room through a separate set of doors. "He's about our age, but he's already got the commander of a whole regiment. Nobles really do get special treatment."
"I don't know about that," Minami countered quietly, straightening his glasses. "I've read his service record. He's done a lot of work with special forces before being promoted to Commander, and he's earned more medals than a lot of older officers I know of. Being a noble helps, for sure, but he seems like he knows what he's doing."
"I hope so," Kento said, scratching the back of his head. "Most of our guys were decimated by the battle in the Underground, thanks to that damn golden Knightmare. We need a good commander to help get this country back under control."
"A good commander…" Minami murmured, trailing off distractedly.
Kento flicked a glance over at him. "You're thinking about that voice again, aren't you? The one we let have command of the battle." After Minami nodded back, he continued, "Why didn't you add that in the official report?"
"Because it would have gotten us both demoted or even discharged, Kento," Minami explained patiently, crossing his arms. "Success or not, we put a lot of military assets in the hands of a complete unknown."
"Who do you think that guy was, anyways? Some kind of retired general? Maybe one of our own guys who didn't want to show us up?"
Minami gave a noncommittal shrug. "I doubt it was one of our own. Neither of us is well connected enough to overrule someone and take the credit for that miracle, and so whoever did it could have easily come to light and told the truth. Since they didn't, I have to assume he didn't want his identity known for whatever reason."
"A civilian, then?" Kento said disbelievingly. "He'd have to be…"
"A prodigy," Minami agreed, nodding his head. "A born strategist."
"We could use him now, I gotta say," Kento muttered, shaking his head. "Whole country's off its rocker. If the Brittanian Liberation Front hits us hard, I don't know if we can really fight back."
"Let's hope you're wrong," Minami interjected, though inwardly, he was already preparing for the worst.
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"Man, that class felt like it took forever," Rivalz yawned, stretching his arms out and rolling his shoulders tiredly.
Shirley hummed in agreement as they stepped out of the classroom, absently flipping through the textbook for the next class.
"Well well, it's Lelouch-san!"
Shirley froze mid page, and resisted the urge to look up- she could feel Rivalz's eyes on her, waiting for her to take the bait. He's lying, he's lying, he's lying, she chanted in her head.
When she didn't, he continued to speak as if she had taken the bait regardless. "You know, it's funny, I didn't really take that guy for a player type, but man, you should have seen that girl he was with yesterday! Kouzuki Kallen-san, man, that guy Lelouch really aims high! I mean, you're pretty cute, Shirley, but Kallen is just…"
He trailed off, suddenly noticing the murderous aura that emanated from Shirley like a poisonous miasma. Before he could react, however, Shirley delivered a solid punch to his jaw with a sniff of "Men!"
"I see you're as spirited as ever, Shirley-san."
Shirley yelped and spun around, coming face to face with the bemused face of Lelouch Lamperouge.
I guess he wasn't lying.
"I apologize for missing our session yesterday," Lelouch said slowly, with a trace of mirth in his voice. "You sounded upset when I spoke to you on the phone, so I thought I'd make amends in person."
"No, its fine," Shirley said quickly, crossing her arms and looking away. "I'd hate to make you miss your date."
"Date?" Lelouch blinked.
"You know, with that girl you were with yesterday…" Shirley paused, remembering Rivalz's exact words. "Wait, what did he say about Kouzuki-"
Lelouch's eyes widened, and before she could finish, he clapped his hand over her mouth and pulled her aside, over to the corner stairwell, out of view of the milling students.
"Shh! Not so loud!" Lelouch said hurriedly, putting a finger in his lips.
"Wait, so he was telling the truth?" Shirley's eyes widened.
"Look, I just happened to run into her yesterday, and got roped into being her guide for the day. That's all." Lelouch shrugged, giving her a nonplussed look. "But she asked me to keep it quiet, as they haven't made any official announcements about her being in the country yet."
"So you just happened to run into the Empire's most famous teenage girl?" Shirley said disbelievingly, raising her eyebrow. "Who just happened to decide you of all people would do as a tour guide around sunny little London?"
"Okay, when you say it like that, it sounds crazy. But it's the truth," Lelouch asserted firmly, giving her a look. "Please pass this on to Cardemonde-san too. The official announcement will come in a day or two, but for now…"
"I got it, I got it, I won't tell anyone," Shirley promised blandly, though behind her back she had her fingers crossed.
"Thank you," Lelouch said, flashing her a smile that left her feeling uncomfortable about knowing how quickly she would be breaking her word. "Well, seeing as how we're already here, how about we head over to the Student Council Room to resume our sessions?"
"Uh… I'll meet you there. I need to do some things," Shirley said evasively, and without waiting for a reply, she dashed off.
Once she got outside, to a secluded garden well away from the milling students who were heading home, and made sure she hadn't been followed, she took out her cellphone and punched in Gino's number.
"Mary had a little lamb," she muttered impatiently, after the ringing clicked off.
"Whose fleece was white as snow," sing-songed Gino cheerfully. "What's up Red?"
"Kouzuki Kallen is in town, that's what's up," Shirley hissed quietly. "You know, one of the Emperor's personal warriors?"
Gino blew out a long, slow breath, and swore. "Damn. Guess we shook 'em up harder than I thought. How'd you find that out?"
"That guy, Lelouch. He met up with her yesterday, apparently," Shirley explained quickly.
"Oh, so that's why he blew you off?"
I am going to kill Rivalz.
"He did not- look, that's not the point. What's important is, Rivalz corroborated with the information, and ID-ed her himself yesterday. Probably forgot to phone it in, the idiot," Shirley added, shaking her head.
"Well now, I guess those tutoring sessions are doing more than helping you with your math," Gino muttered, sounding bemused. "After that little tidbit, I'd say you should keep up your relationship with this Lelouch guy. See if you can get anything else out of him, and find out how he knows Kouzuki Kallen."
"On it boss," Shirley responded smartly.
"I'll bet. You know, if you just softened up a bit, I bet you'd have this Lelouch guy eating out of the palm of your-"
Click.
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"-hand. Huh, she hung up on me," Gino blinked, shaking his head as he put the phone down on his desk. With a bemused look, he glanced over at Kewell.
"That's an interesting piece of intelligence Fenette has obtained," Kewell murmured, sounding impressed. "I guess the retaliation of the Empire is going to start with her."
"I'm more worried about whatever additional reinforcements she's brought with her," Gino muttered. "One Knightmare pilot isn't too much of a big deal."
"Sir, if I may object…" Kewell paused, as if hesitating. "I've seen reports about this Kouzuki Kallen. She was the one single-handedly responsible for the fall of a Mediterranean Pact fortress in Gibraltar, and the one who destroyed a whole company of Einherjar's Knightmare Frames at a border skirmish in Pakistan. She's not just some ace Knightmare Frame pilot- there's something different about her."
"You sound worried, Kewell," Gino noted, a tone of concern in his own voice now. "This chick really scares you, huh?"
"I just don't want to underestimate the kind of force we're up against," Kewell muttered, sighing deeply. "People say this Kouzuki Kallen is a genius Knightmare Frame pilot, the likes of which haven't been seen since the late Marianne the Flash. Only the First and Second Swords of the Shichitennou are reputed to be more skilled, and that might only be due to inexperience."
"Alright, alright, you made your point. I won't mistake her for a pretty face," Gino said agreeably, waving his hand in dismissal. "I'll get a message to the higher ups, let 'em know we've got this genius in our midst. You go and have some fun somewhere else."
"Sir?" Kewell blinked.
"If you're right about how much of a threat this Kouzuki Kallen is, you'd better get some rest. Chances are, we won't get much in the next few weeks," Gino said. Noticing Kewell about to protest again, he spoke again, overriding his subordinate. "That's an order, Kewell. You've been pulling double-duty for me since Lenard died, not to mention arranging for the repairs and resupply of our men. You need to get some rest. I can handle some of the boring stuff for a few days without you."
Kewell gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, my lord."
"Yeah, yeah, now go on, get!" Gino waved him off, chuckling to himself as Kewell departed. "And he's the older one."
Reclining into his chair, Gino crossed his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling contemplatively. "A genius Knightmare Frame pilot, huh?" his lips twisted into a wry grin. "Wonder where we can get one of those."
Unconsciously, he thought back to the golden Knightmare Frame, and of course, it's mysterious, but undoubtedly skilled pilot.
If they could somehow get in contact with him… but no, no one had heard anything about a golden Knightmare Frame since that battle.
What is that guy waiting for, Gino thought to himself.
From the brief encounter they had, Gino had the strong sense that the pilot was someone who was very firm in his or her convictions, someone who wouldn't tolerate something he or she determined was 'evil'. Someone like that, well… staying quiet, especially with the kind of power they possessed… it was impossible.
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"This is your 'place'?" Kallen said, blinking.
The two of them were standing in the same local park that Suzaku liked to meet up with Lelouch at, just off to the side of the main path, with both of them wearing hats and sunglasses to conceal their identities. It was the late afternoon, and the number of people in the park had swelled up to a comfortable number of pairs of young couples out for a date or laughing children being looked after by their parents.
"Hey, don't knock it," Suzaku said defensively. "I like this place."
"I guess you would," Kallen agreed reluctantly, shaking her head. "You always did like scrabbling around in the grass."
"So did you," Suzaku reminded her.
"True," Kallen said, refusing to give ground. "I never said it was a bad idea. Rather, I guess you could say it fits you. It means you haven't changed a bit, Suzaku."
Suzaku had nothing to say to that, and they drifted off into companionable silence as Kallen gestured over to a nearby bench for them to sit, both of them just watching the rest of the park inhabitants pass on by as they sat upon the sun-warmed wood.
"Can you believe it's been over ten years since we first met in Kyoto?" Kallen said slowly, glancing up at the sky, which remained the same blue as it had when she was a child. "It seems like so long ago now."
"I remember you pushing me into the mud a few minutes after we met," Suzaku jibed, grinning.
"Only because you said I couldn't play samurai with you," she shot back. "You told me to go play with my dolls."
"And you responded by decking me and introducing my face to the dirt," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"I was seven! And you were being chauvinistic," she added as an afterthought. "I made you admit girls could play in the mud with boys at the end, though."
"By pinning me and refusing to let go till I did," Suzaku grumbled, absently rubbing his arm as if recalling the memories made the pain return. "And when Toudou-sensei came out and saw us, he scolded me for getting myself pinned so easily!"
"Toudou-sensei is a wise, wise man," Kallen said in a faux mysterious voice, causing Suzaku to roll his eyes again.
"And a harsher teacher than anyone I've ever met," Suzaku chimed in. "I swear my bones still ache from every Kendo lesson he drilled into my skull. How is he, anyway?"
"Toudou-sensei? He's fine. Still trains all the time. And Chiba-san still has a crush on him and hasn't told him!" Kallen added, giggling.
"I still don't buy that. I just don't see it," Suzaku said disbelievingly, shaking his head.
"You're a boy. You're blind to that kind of thing," Kallen said condescendingly, patting him on the shoulder.
"I guess I am," Suzaku agreed reluctantly, knowing good and well he was no expert on girls, not like Lelouch anyways. And speaking of his male best friend…
"By the way, I can't believe you met up with Lelouch yesterday," Suzaku muttered, shaking his head in wonderment. "You just happened to spot him on the street and recognized him from a picture I showed you?"
"He was getting mugged," Kallen answered, nodding along. "He was all ready to just lay down and let that drug addict walk all over him, rather than fight back."
"That's Lelouch," Suzaku agreed, sighing. "He always prefers 'diplomatic' solutions. He's never one to challenge the system when he can adapt to it and work from the inside."
"I thought he was crazy at first. But he really believes that outright brute force won't solve anything," Kallen murmured, remembering their encounter with the Brittanian boy and the shopkeeper. Lelouch had kept her from attacking that shopkeeper, recognizing that the short term value of standing up for the boy would ultimately only make things worse for him.
"Sometimes there's just no other way," Suzaku said to himself, before continuing in a louder tone, "Well, I'm glad you two got along. You two are my best friends- I'd hate for you two not to be able to like each other."
As he finished speaking, his thoughts were distracted as a shout erupted just at the edges of his hearing, causing both of them to turn around, spotting a crowd forming at the far end of the park.
Glancing over at Kallen, he found her already moving forward, and his own feet followed after, moving swiftly toward the commotion.
They arrived at the edges of the crowd, keeping well to the back to avoid being spotted and potentially recognized.
There, at the center, was the source of the commotion- a ragged, unshaven Brittanian man in tattered, filthy clothes was being kicked by a furious looking Japanese man, who was clutching a woman, obviously his wife, close to him. The woman looked terrified, and was sobbing into his chest, with a narrow cut on her cheek that drew blood and her blouse sleeve in tatters, looking as though someone had ripped it with brute force.
"What the hell is going on here?" Suzaku said loudly. The three people in the center of the crowd paid him no mind, but another man turned over to him and Kallen and answered.
"That filthy drug addict tried to rob that woman while her husband was buying them a drink. Reaper addicts are scum. They just can't move on with their lives- just make everything harder on the rest of us who are trying to live," the bespectacled man, another Brittanian, spat. "He deserves this."
"Please stop!"
A little girl, probably barely older than ten years old, had hurled herself between the angry husband and the Brittanian.
"My daddy's been bad, I know! But please, leave him alone now! Let me take him home!" she pleaded, sobbing over her father's beaten body.
"Move girl! Your father is beyond help!" a woman in the crowd shouted, and moved forward, trying to pull the girl back. "All you'll do is get yourself in trouble too!"
However, she fought ferociously, holding fiercely onto her father's prone form and refusing to let go. "Let me take him home!" she begged again.
"My wife is bleeding!" the husband roared back. "My wife! I can't let that slide, girl!"
"This isn't right," Kallen whispered to him softly. "He hurt that woman, but… this just isn't right."
Suzaku knew she was right. Without a word to her, he stepped forward, right into the center of the crowd, and cast off his sunglasses and baseball cap that kept his features obscured.
"In the name of the Empire and the Chrysanthemum Throne, stop!" he shouted loudly, drawing all eyes to him. "By the authority of my father , the Emperor, and in my own name, Kururugi Suzaku, and I am hereby taking this man into my custody! Any attempts to injure or harass him from here on in will be judged as an attack on my person and will be dealt with accordingly."
The cold, distantly authoritative tone of his voice disgusted Suzaku- to hide behind the name of his father and the throne he sat upon felt like the worst form of hypocrisy. But it was power, and no justice could live without power.
Silence fell in the aftermath of his declaration, followed by whispered murmurings of awe amongst the crowd, who pointed with wide eyes at him, shuffling now almost embarrassedly.
"My prince!" the husband shouted, moving towards him, though his wife was attempting to pull him away. "Please, you must judge this man! Deliver unto him the justice of heaven!"
"I…" Suzaku paused, trying to find the right words to say.
"My wife is pregnant, your grace," he pleaded, bowing his head. "I cannot forgive this man for attacking her… not even for the tears of a child. I beg you, give him justice."
Suzaku couldn't move, and whatever he was thinking of saying had been blown away by the man's pleas. Unconsciously, he looked back towards the father and daughter.
"Please let my daddy go," asked the girl, looking up at him with a heartbreaking sob.
Justice, or mercy.
One denied the existence of the other, and the life of a man was held in his hands. The sheer weight of the choice made Suzaku feel as though he were choking on air.
He was saved from making a decision, or perhaps damned for it, by the arrival of a couple of policemen who pushed their way through the crowd, led, surprisingly, by Kallen. They seemed momentary taken aback by Suzaku's appearance in the crowd, but quickly hustled the two parties away from each other, hauling the beaten man to his feet and slapping a pair of handcuffs onto his hands, despite the pleading of his daughter, whom Kallen led away with quiet murmurings of comfort.
All the while, Suzaku stood and stared, and wondered why he felt so utterly powerless.
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"A dice has six sides, okay? And each side has a probably of-"
"One-sixth, I remember," Shirley said impatiently, but Lelouch merely smiled.
"Yes, and therefore the expected value of the dice roll is…" he trailed off, waiting for her to finish writing down her calculations.
"Three point five," Shirley said triumphantly, and her victorious grin was met with a proud smile from Lelouch.
"Very good. You learn quickly, Shirley-san," Lelouch complimented, nodding his head in appreciation. "Now let's move on to something harder…"
Shirley groaned, and let her head hit the table dramatically. "We've been working non-stop so far. I need a break."
"Indeed. Straining your mind so much is starting to affect your features," C.C. chipped in with a cattish smile from behind the veil of a magazine.
"Oi, why don't you go shove it up your-"
"Fair enough," Lelouch cut in before Shirley could finish, giving C.C. a warning look. "Would you like some tea, Shirley-san?"
"Um… sure," Shirley said slowly. "Where are you going to get it though?"
"We have a tea maker," Lelouch assured her, gesturing to a small machine atop a counter. "I usually make some while I do work for the Student Council. C.C. doesn't care much for it, but the president enjoys a good cup."
"Tea doesn't go well with pizza," C.C. defended, absently turning the page of her tabloid.
Shirley blinked, but Lelouch merely sighed as though he'd heard this argument before, absently pulling two cups out of the wooden cupboard above the counter, setting them down as he poured out the tea.
"Its black tea, I hope you don't mind," Lelouch said pleasantly, offering her a cup after he was finished.
"That's fine," Shirley said neutrally.
"Well, since you two seem content with tea time, I'm going to excuse myself," C.C. said, standing up slowly, setting down her magazine carelessly on the table.
"Where are you off to?" Lelouch asked, sounding vaguely suspicious as to her motives in leaving.
"Why Lelouch, don't you know not to pry into a woman's business?" C.C. said coyly, raising her eyebrow. "It's embarrassing to a young flower like myself."
Young flower my ass, Lelouch thought.
"If you must know…" C.C. added slowly, "I'm going home. I'm tired, and it seems like you two are busy."
"Wait, just what are you implying-" Lelouch began, but C.C. had already walked out the door, waving absently. "God, I do not understand that woman."
"Don't you two live together?" Shirley asked curiously, over the rim of her teacup. "
"Doesn't mean I know how she thinks," Lelouch muttered, planting himself back down in the chair across from Shirley and taking a long, slow drink of his tea, looking annoyed.
Shirley decided to take a chance, hoping to steer the conversation towards the matter of Kouzuki Kallen. "So you're not going out with her, then, like all the rumors said?"
Lelouch snorted.
"God, no. Half the time she acts like she's my mother, the rest of the time like a domineering older sister," he rebuffed incredulously. "I don't know how those ridiculous rumors keep cropping up."
"Is that so?" Shirley hummed, and prepared her next words carefully, praying her tone sounded as disinterested as possible. "Then are you with Kouzuki Kallen, then?"
If this was a sitcom, Lelouch would have spit out his tea, spraying it all over the table like a busted water fountain. As it was, he merely choked, coughing violently until the tea passed through his system and he glanced up at her with watery eyes.
"Don't you watch the news? She's engaged to Suz- to prince Suzaku," Lelouch said, hastily amending his mistake of using Suzaku's given name so familiarly. "I told you-"
"I remember, I remember," Shirley said, waving her hand dismissively. "But it just sounds weird to me that someone so famous would just happen to make you her unofficial guide to the country."
She smiled coyly, giving him a searching look. "Maybe there's something more to you than meets the eye?"
Lelouch laughed self-depreciatingly, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not, Shirley-san. I'm just a student, same as you."
Sure you are, Shirley thought darkly, but kept that out of her expression as she continued, still pressing, "You said before you knew what it was like, losing someone to the war. Who did you lose?"
Lelouch looked taken aback, and hesitated for a moment before finally stating quietly, "My parents."
Shirley felt a pang of sympathy, but had to keep going on regardless of personal feelings. Whatever secrets Lelouch Lamperouge held, she was going to pry them out.
:"I'm sorry," she said quietly, casting her eyes downwards. "How did it happen?"
For a long time, Lelouch said nothing, and Shirley wondered if she had overplayed her hand.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"It was me. They died because of me."
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"They'll go easy on the man," Kallen assured him, walking through the door after a lengthy phone conversation. "My brother pulled some strings."
They had returned to the mansion in the aftermath of the incident- with their incognito status blown, there was really no other choice now. Distracted and not in the mood to talk, Suzaku had left Kallen to handle the details and gone up to his room.
"Tell him thanks," Suzaku said quietly, staring out the window, hands clasped behind his back as he stood stock still, same as he had since he arrived.
"What's wrong?" Kallen asked concernedly. "You've been out of it ever since we left the park."
She was met with a stony silence.
"Suzaku?" she said softly, suddenly afraid to break his thoughts.
"I just stood there," Suzaku finally said, sounding disgusted with himself. "I was forced to make a choice between mercy and justice… and I just froze."
"It wasn't an easy choice to make, and you shouldn't feel guilty about it," Kallen murmured, stepping forward until she was standing just behind him. "Besides, it's a matter for the courts, not you."
"Just because the prosecution belongs to a judge doesn't mean I didn't have a choice to make," Suzaku bit out frustratedly, hands clenching into tight, white-knuckled fists.
"It wasn't your fault," she urged, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Suzaku shrugged her off.
"It is my fault!" Suzaku shouted, shutting his eyes tightly. "All of this… the invasion… the reason why that little girl's father is a blank-eyed drug addict… it's because of us. Because of the empire. Because of me."
"Suzaku… I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You didn't know what would happen seven years ago, you can't be blamed-" Kallen began, but Suzaku cut her off.
"Ignorance isn't an excuse. Those people are suffering because of me. Because I betrayed them," Suzaku hissed. "I let my father's men spy on Brittania. I practically gave them half of the army deployment plans by letting them have access to the palace. I thought I was doing 'justice'… instead all I did was bring murder and death to a country of good people."
Suzaku glanced over at her with eyes full of bitter self-loathing.
"Everything is my fault."
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"They died because of you?" Shirley's voice was subdued, cowed by the sheer amount of sorrow that threatened to drown her in Lelouch's words.
"I caused their deaths. Because I tried to be a hero…because I was a fool who thought violence could change something," Lelouch whispered, throat choked with dark memories, "And in the end all I did was cause everyone I love to suffer."
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Kallen had fallen silent after his words, incapable of finding anything to say that would soothe the self-directed hate filled words Suzaku was saying.
"Ever since that day… I've tried to find a way to make amends. To do real justice in this world…" Suzaku murmured, fingernails digging deep furrows into his skin. "Today I had that chance, and I spent it doing nothing."
"You can't save the world all on your own," Kallen said, though her words felt cheap and hollow in the face of so much fury.
"I could have tried," was Suzaku's bitter reply. "I could have done something more. Been something more than a bystander to yet another tragedy."
"Suzaku…" she said softly, struggling to come up with a counter-argument to pull him away from his tumultuous thoughts.
"The world needs to change, Kallen," Suzaku whispered, glancing away. "I have to change it… to make up for letting this world become this way. But I can't do it by just standing around! Standing by and doing nothing is not what will change the world. All that does is let evil take control."
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"But it sounds like you were just trying to do the right thing. To help your family…" Shirley offered helplessly, somehow unable to keep trying to press for information about Kouzuki Kallen in the face of such sorrow.
"I acted on my own personal feelings. There was no right or wrong, no justice, no good in my heart. Only egotistical emotions of self-righteousness," Lelouch responded hollowly, looking away. "That's why I can't stand all those people who use violence in the name of 'freedom' and 'justice'. Because all they're trying to do is gratify their own needs, without a single thought to the good of all."
Shirley, though she knew Lelouch had no way of knowing, felt as though his words were a rebuke against every battle she had fought as a member of the rebellion.
Irritated now, she shot back, "Who are you to judge others? Just because of what happened to you-"
"It's because of what happened to me that I see everything so clearly now!" Lelouch snapped back, whirling on her. "I used to think like you do, Shirley-san. I used to think that you could do good with anger in your heart- I know in your heart you hate the Japanese for what they've done. But all that does is hurt others. What is necessary to change the world, to make things better, is not anger."
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Unbidden, as if caught by the fiery passion of Suzaku's speech, Kallen asked, "Then what will?"
000000
Shirley, paralyzed by the conviction that flowed from Lelouch's words, whispered, "What is necessary?"
000000
"Power," Suzaku answered, eyes blazing with the inferno of a revolution.
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"I don't know," Lelouch replied tiredly, in the voice of a man who searched only for atonement.
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From just outside the Student Council Room, C.C. leaned against the wall, hands clasped behind her back as she glanced up at the ceiling.
"You idiot boy," she muttered to herself tiredly, shaking her head. "Such a fool."
A noise at the edges of her hearing caused her to look up, just in time to see a flash of pink hair at the corner and a pair of crimson eyes peering hesitantly at her.
"You can come out, you know," C.C. droned, crossing her arms.
After a few moments, Anya stepped out from around the corner, expression placid and deliberately uninterested.
"I thought it was you," C.C. said, sounding bemused. "He's not busy, you know. You could go in and speak with him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Anya shook her head, and immediately turned and began walking off, but not before C.C. called out in a voice just barely loud enough for her to hear.
"You'll have to tell him sooner or later."
Anya said nothing, and C.C. laughed, before moving away as well, going, as she said earlier, back home, her expression now considerably lighter.
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"… you… really believe that?" Kallen asked hesitantly.
"Isn't that the doctrine of the Empire? Might makes right?" Suzaku responded rhetorically, sounding viciously bitter.
"Suzaku… you…" whatever she was about to say was cut off as the door opened, startling both of them out of their conversation.
"Um… sorry to interrupt, Suzaku-sama, Kallen-sama," Euphemia said skittishly, bowing her head politely. "But there's a phone call for you, Kallen-sama, from a Sumeragi-sama."
Kallen looked torn between finishing their conversation and answering the phone call. Finally, albeit reluctantly, she nodded.
"Thank you, Euphemia. I'll be right there." With a lingering glance at Suzaku, which clearly said We'll talk about this later, she turned and left.
Suzaku let out a low, slow breath, feeling the tension slowly slip away from his body, and he glanced over at Euphemia, offering her a weak smile. "Hey."
"Are you okay?" Euphemia asked, peering closely at him with wide, concerned eyes. "You look pale."
"I'm fine," he said softly, though his tone spoke otherwise.
Without thinking, Euphemia placed the back of her hand against his forehead.
"You're not sick, are you?" she persisted, moving her face closer, eliciting a heated blush from Suzaku.
"N-no, I'm fine," he assured her, pulling away embarrassedly. Way, way too close.
"We were just talking, that's all. How about you?" Suzaku asked, trying to divert the attention away from the previous train of conversation. "How have you been today? Any progress?"
"No," she answered, shaking her head. "Sorry, I still can't remember anything."
"That's alright. There's no rush," Suzaku responded gently, clasping her on the shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. "I promised I'd help you. There's no time limit on a promise."
"Don't worry, don't worry! Suzaku won't forget you!"
Euphemia smiled beneath her lashes.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"WHAT?"
The window shattering shout caused both of them to turn around in surprise, and Suzaku bolted out the door, recognizing the voice as Kallen's.
He spotted her just around the corner, phone clutched against her head, eyes wide with sudden shock.
"You've got to be kidding," Kallen muttered, "I'm not doing it! I'm here as a soldier not a -"
The familiar voice coming through the phone was audible, even to Suzaku.
"Now, now Kallen-chan! This a direct order! Naoto-kun agrees with me that this will be good for you!"
"But…" Kallen tried to protest again, but the voice cut her off.
"No buts!"
Kallen groaned.
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"So how was the rest of the study session yesterday?" C.C. asked coyly, peering over at him from her desk. "Had a steamy academic discourse?"
"Nothing happened, and I would really like people to someday stop insinuating I'm having relations with various women," Lelouch muttered, frustratedly hitting his head against the desk. After the intensity of the discussion yesterday, he and Shirley had actually parted ways immediately after, neither of them quite sure what to say to the other.
"Is that so?" C.C. hummed, though she said nothing afterward, thankfully, and the teacher walked in moments later, preventing her from verbally harassing him further.
Thank God. I just want to get through this day in peace and get on with my life, Lelouch thought to himself tiredly.
"Attention people," he announced loudly, cutting over the eager chattering of students that always filled those scant few minutes before lessons began, "I have a very special announcement for all of you, one that you should all feel deeply honored about."
"He's enthusiastic," C.C. muttered under her breath, eliciting a smile from Lelouch, who ducked his head to avoid having his amusement seen by the teacher.
"I'm pleased to tell you all that we have a transfer student from the homeland today, one some of you might be quite familiar with. I want you all to give a warm welcome to Kouzuki Kallen-sama."
Lelouch's head jerked up so fast he probably should have gotten whiplash from the movement, and his wide, surprised eyes met those of Kallen's.
"Hello," Kallen said embarrassedly.
I get the feeling this is going to get very, very complicated…
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"You wanted Kallen-sama to go to school?" Sancia blinked, handing over a vanilla folder to him.
"She's practically been raised on the battlefield since she got inducted into the Shichitennou," Naoto murmured, a melancholic tone in his voice. "She's had to fight her whole life to prove herself… I want her just once to be a normal girl. Kaguya-sama agreed with me, and pulled the strings necessary to get everything arranged."
"Quite a doting brother, sir," she noted dryly, passing him a second folder. "This is all the data I've managed to obtain on the drug 'Reaper' that Kallen-sama had mentioned. It seems like she was correct in her assertion that it's been plaguing the country. According to Secretary Tamaki, a number of incidents in the factories have been directly caused by the abuse of this substance."
"Huh. I guess my baby sister's instincts are on the mark," Naoto said, sounding bemused as he flipped through the folder. "Well, we'll put it on the agenda. But I'm still a lot more worried about the rebellion than I am about a few drug lords. How much damage can they possibly do, anyways?"
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"Question: what do people value most?"
The man's eyes were wide and shaking, sweat running down a feverish face. His groans and desperate pleas were muffled by the duct tape over his mouth, and he strained against the thick brown ropes binding him tightly against the stainless steel metal chair.
"Oh right, I forgot." He smiled- or at least, his mouth moved in a twisted parody of one, devoid of any of the intentions that were supposed to be conveyed by the expression. With mocking gentleness, he ripped off the duct tape.
"Now, let's try that again," he said cheerfully, his free hand brandishing a gleaming knife centimeters away from the hostage's eyes. "Question: what do people value most?"
"P-p-please let me go," the man begged, tears streaming down his bruised, swollen cheeks, evidence of a vicious beating. "I promise, I won't skim profits off the top again. I'll stick to your regulations on how to deal out 'Reaper', so please…"
"Now, now, don't be rude, mister," he chastised, tapping his knife lightly against the man's cheek, pressing just enough to make a furrow, but not enough to draw blood. "I asked you a question."
"Please!" the tears were coming down harder now. "I've been a loyal member of the organization for years! Just let me go home!"
"Answer the question, and I will, I promise!" he said in a sing-song voice, waving the knife like a composer's baton.
"O-o-okay," the man panted, blinking in confusion. "People value… money?"
"Wrong!" he responded with a laugh. "It's their lives!"
And with that, he pressed the knife harder against the man's throat, drawing a thin line of blood.
"You promised!" the man shrieked, panicked, "You promised me!"
"I lied."
And with a single sweep and a raucous laugh, he slit the man's throat, letting the blood splatter violently across his hand, staining them a bright red.
An idle drop of blood landed against his cheek, and with a smile like the edge of a razor, he licked it away, savoring the coppery taste.
"Are you done having fun?"
With a grin, he turned around, absently dropping the knife and wiping the blood casually against his jeans. "Just doing a bit of cleanup, boss man. Can't let the middle managers think they can steal from the organization and get away with it."
"You seem to have gotten used to the persona of a drug-dealing crime lord," the other man noted. He stood silhouetted in the doorway, a massive, broad-shouldered bear of a man stood in the doorway, a dry smile on his face. "You haven't forgotten why I had you start the organization in the first place, correct?"
"I remember, I remember," he murmured, licking the blood off his fingers with a predatory look. "Dealing out 'Reaper' is just a test run for Balor. Doesn't mean I can't have fun with it."
"Well, I've got a new assignment for you."
His ears perked up, and he paused in his disturbing actions for a moment. "Oh?"
"The new Commander of the Japanese military forces is taking an interest in your activities. If they start looking too closely at 'Reaper', they might realize it's more than just another drug."
"So, you want me to run a distraction?" His grin took on a more feral nature. "Do you want murder, mayhem, or massacre?"
"All three," came the darkly amused answer. "I want you to do what you do best, mister 'genius of homicide'… show them terror. Give them something to worry over until Balor is ready."
"So… I can have some fun?"
"Yes, Luciano. Yes, you can have some fun. All the fun you want."
Luciano Bradley grinned a blood splattered smile that promised only murder.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's kill some people."
Author's Notes
Well this chapter came out quickly. I had a few more scenes planned, but unfortunately they would have broken the flow of the chapter and thus I've had to postpone them till next time. Luckily, that also made this come out all the quicker.
The meat of the chapter was the discussions between Lelouch and Shirley, and Suzaku and Kallen, which were another parallel to a pair of scenes in R1 (during the episode where they introduced Euphemia).
And yes, I know learning probabilities is probably not really on a high school agenda, but it's the homework I was doing between working on this chapter, so that's what they get to study.
Not much else to say here, so I'll leave off for now. See you next time.