Author's Note: So, who's pumped for the Volume Finale? Whoo?

Okay, look. If you're reading this, please review! I'll give you cookies... metaphorical cookies... please?

Disclaimer: If I owned any of these series... Shirley wouldn't be dead, and Adam would be a little more like Magneto. So, it's probably a good thing that I don't own them.

Food

It's Probably Important. We're Not Sure How.

The unidentified red-haired man walked ahead of Lancer, his gait half-leisurely stroll, half-stalk. Lancer leaned over closer to Milly.

"You know this guy?" he asked quietly. She nodded.

"His name is Nails," she explained in the same tone. "An information broker or private investigator or something. He does work for Lelouch every now and then."

"Not going to try to kill you?"

"No. Not unless I take away his cigarettes." Lancer gave her a dubious look. "What? I'm serious!"

"I can hear you," Nails replied in a sing-song tone. Lancer leaned away from Milly and tried his level best to look interested in the wallpaper. Milly rolled her eyes, and shoved her hands in her pockets. She turned down the hallway that would take her into the school proper, and through there to the cafeteria. It was odd, she hadn't been here in years, and yet she still knew the campus like the back of her hand.

"This way, guys," she called over her shoulder.

"So," Nails said casually, turning and racing back to catch up with the group, "Mob's still mad at you."

"You'd know, wouldn't you," Milly replied casually. "You go a week without getting someone to try and kill you yet?"

Nails laughed. "Wow, acid. Someone's got a bite now."

"Not much of one," Lancer said.

"Seriously, though," Nails added, the humor evaporating from his voice almost instantly, "News got out you were coming back next week. Boss went nuts. You'd think he'd be over it by now."

"Criminals these days," Lancer agreed. "They've got no sense style. Now Medb? She had style."

"Didn't she arrange your original death years after the original slight?" asked Adam, presumably cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but she spent those years planning it!" Lancer replied. "Seriously. She even covered all the bases—got me to break a geass, played on my honor, the works! This guy? He's just throwing assassins around!"

"I'll be sure to criticize him over that when we have our final confrontation," Milly said frostily. Lancer made an uncomfortable face, and the conversation ended.

The first thing that Milly noticed entering the cafeteria was that the room had been repainted. Then she noticed the new tables, and the row of vending machines that sat next to the window you went up to when your food was ready. Then, and only then, did she notice that there was a stack of plates that could beat Adam and Misaka combined for height in the middle of the room. And the two little girls one in a pink jacket, one in black, were eating beside it, digging into the dessert of the day (looked like pecan pie) with gusto.

"It's not Bueno Viorgno, but it's still really good!" the one in black said cheerfully.

"It really is good, Luki!" the other girl agreed with just as much enthusiasm.

"Glad you feel that way," Nails said casually. Both girls stiffened, then turned to face him with big, innocent smiles plastered over their faces.

"'Can they actually eat that much?' Misaka asks, as that much food does not look like it can fit safely into the human stom—" Misaka began. She trailed off as 'Luki' suddenly materialized directly in front of her face.

"Hey! I know you! It's one of those clone girls!" she said excitedly.

"'Oh. Oh no,' says Misaka, recognizing the two crazy girls." Adam placed an arm in between the two, glaring as if to say 'alright, break it up.' Milly was fairly sure she could differentiate between Adam's different glares, but it could be tricky at times seeing as all anyone could see at a given time was half of his face. Luki and her sister smiled a little longer, then huddled together.

"Do you think he wants to play, Noki?"

"This isn't the canon one, Luki."

Adam looked nonplussed (well, the corner of his mouth turned down, but Milly figured that meant nonplussed). Nails grabbed the two by the backs of their bunnie hoodies, and dragged them over to the counter. "I don't suppose you paid for all this," he hissed.

"But we DIIIID!" wailed Noki.

"Let's just make sure of that," Nails groused.

Milly, Lancer, Adam and Misaka stared after them.

"They come around here often?" Lancer asked.

"The girls are new," Milly replied.

"The Hardcore Twins?" Kallen asked, leaning over Milly's shoulder.

"Oh, is that what they're—wait, what?"

"Miss President!" Rivalz wailed, seizing Milly around the middle and weeping into her chest. Milly looked around—Gino, Rivalz, Kallen, Shirley, Suzaku, Nina, even Nunnally, pushed along in her wheelchair by Anya. With the exception of Lelouch, the entire Student Council had snuck up behind her without her notice. She turned and frowned at Lancer.

"What?" he asked. "You mean you didn't notice them?

"… So there we were, all on the back of the one go-kart, just rocketing down the hall," Gino announced. He reached forward as if grasping an imaginary steering wheel, clearly caught up in his own story. His supposed audience sat around an innocuous cafeteria table, paying him varying amounts of attention ranging between "vaguely interested" and "I was there, why are you telling me this." "Kallen, by this time, is sick of the whole game, so she climbs over Nina and gets her arm hooked around Rizalv's neck…"

"I'll admit," Milly said, "that's pretty audacious. I don't think even I would have thought of having a go-kart race throughout the school as not taking things too far."

"It was an accident," Rivalz pouted.

"Accident my foot!" Kallen snapped. "You knew what that button did!"

"It's not like I was trying to press it!"

Milly laughed. "You've had so many adventures," she grinned. "I wish I could have been there."

Gino trailed off. Milly suddenly became aware of everyone's eyes focusing on her. "I mean… I just…"

"Oh Milly," Shirley said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We wish you could have too."

Milly was glad it was Shirley saying it. From anyone else, those words probably would have been accusing.

"Anyone wanna hear about the time Kallen got a snake stuck in her shirt?" Suzaku asked. Kallen turned a charming shade of cherry red and turned on him.

"Kururugiiiii!" She shouted. Suzaku cringed.

"I'm sorry, it was the first thing I thought of!" he cried.

"Why was THAT the first thing you thought of?" Kallen replied. Shirley stared at Suzaku, blushing madly.

"But… Suzaku, you… you already have a girlfriend!" she wailed.

"That's not what I—I mean, I—Augh!" Suzaku attempted, before throwing up his hands in disgust. Then he rolled to the side, as Kallen's fist went through the space where his head had been a moment earlier.

"Hey, don't make a mess you two," Tamaki said, walking past holding a broom. "Cleaning up after you two is a bit of a pain."

"I thought you liked cleaning," Rivalz pointed out.

"There are jobs, and then there are jobs," Tamaki replied. "And that does not look like a fun job."

MIlly sat back, watching the exchanges take place. It was strange—she seemed nonexistent. She remembered that Tamaki had been working as the janitor to get some money before moving on to another job, but she never would have imagined that he'd have willingly stayed on in the same roll. Nina looked more at ease, what with all the Japanese in the room—no, wait, there was a slightly wild look in her eyes. Guess she wasn't quite over that phobia yet.

"I guess some things don't change," she mused quietly.

"What does that mean?" Nunnally leaned forward. Anya glanced over her head at Milly, looking away from her photograph of Kallen trying to grind Suzaku's face into the table.

"Nothing," Milly replied with a shrug. "Nothing really important."

"It sounded important," Nunnally replied. Milly smiled.

"Like I said, nothing we really need to worry about."

"You're uncomfortable," Anya said. "Not sure you belong anymore." Milly gaped at her. "What?"

"How did you—" Milly sputtered, "I mean, you—you just—"

"Wasn't too hard," Anya replied. "You've been acting weird this entire time."

"So that's what that was," Nunnally pounded her fist into her hand.

Milly leaned forward, flopping onto the table. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I won't be here long anyways."

Author's Note: So, this chapter turned out pretty short. I'm not sure what Reactsverse!Adam would think of Canon!Adam's recent actions, but I imagine that he'd be a wee bit put out with him. With this opening arc, I thought that I'd try going in with a general plan and playing things by ear. It doesn't seem to be working out. I'll have to put more work into the rest of this story.

Next Time: Night is a good time for assassins to attack. Poor assassins.