Title: Code Geass: Lelouch, the Next Step
Author: SkyDragonKing
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Tragedy, Action, Fantasy
Rating: M - Mature
Summary: After everything he's done, all of the regrets, the people he's hurt, Lelouch would leave it all behind in the Zero Requiem. Yet, fate seems to have chosen a different path for the demon as he is faced with demons of his own.
Chapter 2: Dancing Ghosts
"BANZAI!"
The troops charged in towards the mobile stronghold which bore the crest of The Royal Family of Britannia.
The landscape, desolate, a hollow shell of the once thriving Japanese neighborhood that was filled with markets, apartment complexes, but now a rotting carcass of what was. Buildings crumbling as the heavy war machines rolled through the busy streets, although they were never occupied with the sort of passersby beforehand.
"Come on you Brit bastards, show us what 'ya got!" A voice rang from one of the rolling machines; a humanoid design, with a sleek, steel body, fully armed yet damaged from repetitive use and little maintenance. It's cockpit, which stuck out from behind what can be considered its head, was where the hoarse voice came from, the command center of this machine.
This is a Knightmare Frame.
Another Knightmare, identical in design but in better condition, suddenly charged towards it, colliding, knocking it out of the way before an enemy missile crashed at the now former position of the first Knightmare.
"Keep an eye out, Tamaki!" A woman's voice shouted out from the second machine to the first. The man inside the first machine smirked confidently as he re-centered his Knightmare, putting himself back into formation. In fact, these two Knightmares were part of an entire brigade of machines, advancing in an arrow formation, approaching from the right side.
"Relax, Inoue. I saw that coming a mile away! Now then, let's kick some Britannian ass!" Tamaki shouted. Some spit escaped his mouth, landing on his scruffy, brown bearded chin as his eyes of the same color sparked with fires of enthusiasm. His outcry gaining the support of his brethren as they gave another battle cry.
"That cocky attitude can get you killed, you know!" Another Knightmare rolled up, this time a male voice came out. The source was a man who shared the same blue haired, yellow eyed color pallet of Inoue, who was in another Knightmare of the same design as the first two.
"It can also get me laid! Now come on, Sugiyama, we have to stick to Captain Ohgi's plan here!" Tamaki retorted as he sped his machine up, taking a slight lead ahead of the others.
The heads of Inoue and Sugiyama's Knightmares shook their heads in disapproval.
"Look who's talking about following orders." Inoue remarked dryly as her's and the rest of the Knightmare Frames of the same design rolled their way over the hill with the Landspinner systems attached to the backs of the ankles of the machines. Wheels revving, pushing each Knightmare forward, coming into clear view of the looming Britannian mobile base.
...
"Prince Clovis!" A flustered man called out as he ran into the main control room.
A man standing at above average height, with long, flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, of slender face and build rose from his decorated throne. Dressed in flowing purple garb with golden trimmings, the man turned to the newcomer.
"Yes what is it, Bartley?" Clovis asked rather impatiently. Bartley stumbled as he approached the prince.
"My lord, the enemy is advancing towards us-!" He tried to inform before Clovis cut him off.
"Any fool can see that General, however, it's no problem. Those fools can't match our current fire power. Why, even with just the royal guard we have present here, those filthy rebels don't even pose a threat to us!" Clovis so boldly stated as he turned his gaze to the active, computer projected map that showed the current layout of the area and all units, enemy and ally on it.
Bartley shook his head anxiously; the sweat dripped down the side of his round face, the monocle over his left eye began to slip from his perspiration, his blonde moustache dampening.
"No sir, that's not what I'm referring to!"
"Then what is it?!" Clovis impatiently snapped at the bumbling general.
"T-there's another unit advancing from underground. Our infrared scanner just picked it up…!" Bartley said as he approached a keyboard and made a few clicks, switching the system to infrared mode. Clovis, amongst the other officers in the room could see the encroaching troops Bartley mentioned.
"...!" Clovis quietly growled as he observed the new happenings.
"My lord, we believe this new coming squadron is being led by…!" Bartley gravely stated before he gulped.
"The Kishin…!" The general said with baited breath, his anxiety getting the better of his speak.
Clovis' eyes widened at the new bit of information as he gritted his teeth.
"You think my arrogant brother would lend me a hand…" the prince grumbled as he turned his back to all in the room, facing his throne.
"Sir, your orders?" Another officer spoke up. Clovis, the Third Prince of the Empire, turned to face his officers.
"I really hate violence…!" Clovis muttered as he bit the end of his thumb through his white glove.
The infrared image of the incoming rebel forces zoomed in on the lead unit as it came ever closer.
Everything at the Rounds Ball was going swimmingly. From Milly's perspective, it was a great night so far. Her first public event as the fiancé of Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, she couldn't be happier, heck, she even got the stiff to dance!
The Ashford girl thought this as she conversed with another long time family friend, Nina. Surprised that her soft spoken, studious friend even made it to the evening festivities, Milly tried to keep up with the technical and sophisticated speak of Nina and the girl's colleague, Professor Croomy but the task was proving to be more than she bargained for.
"So, you think your research project will be ready for practical use soon?" Milly asked. She tried sprinkling in spot inquiries here and there; there was no way she could maintain the intellectual pace of the two other women, but she stayed involved… or she tried to at least.
Then Milly's eyes wandered.
"Well, I hope so within the next few months or so, you see the quantum..." Nina's scholarly explanation was phased out. As Nina went on about atoms and ions and whatever's, the bride to be caught wind of the piano piece that was being played suddenly stop.
'What is Lelouch staring at?' Milly wondered, catching her fiancè looking like a deer in the headlights, or rather, like he had seen a ghost.
Following Lelouch's line of vision, she spotted a small group of people gathered at the opposite end of the terrace as Nina rambled on. Milly glanced at Nina and nodded, falsely signaling that she was listening.
Milly quickly scanned the group, nothing really worth noting, besides the fiery orange head of long, flowing hair she spotted at the rear. Her eyes traced back to Lelouch, watching him. Her brow furrowed as she frowned slightly.
…
The party goers chatted amongst themselves as Bismarck led Guilford through the side of the room, avoiding as many as he could.
"If I may ask, what is the meaning of this, Lord Waldstein?" Guilford asked as he and Bismarck left the Hall through the side door Lelouch had entered through at the start of the celebration.
"Cut the formalities, Guilford, you needn't be explicit all the time." The one eyed man said as he continued to lead the Fifth Knight further away from the celebration.
"...Okay then, Bismarck, why drag me away the way you did?" Guilford retorted as he walked with Lord Waldstein until they made it to a dark hallway.
"Well Guilford, of all the Knights I find you to be the most trustworthy." Guilford's expression lightened at his superior's compliment.
"Also your connections to the Royal Family are stronger than the other Rounds, so that certainly helps." Guilford's delight then took the form of a frown as Bismarck finished his thought.
"So, what is it that you need to confide in me, Lord?" The First Knight met eyes with Guilford as the two stared for a second or two.
"It's not much of a secret, think of it more as a...preview of what we'll be dealing with." Said Bismarck.
"..." Guilford remained silent, awaiting the news.
"I just received word from Tokyo; although it was small, there was an attack on Prince Clovis' transport."
"W-what, was that?!" Guilford shouted in a whisper, eyes wide from the shock. "When did this happen?!" Calmly, Bismarck answered.
"Rebel forces retreated not so long ago, and we'll receive more information from the prince's troops throughout the evening. However, in light of this I'm calling a meeting at The Round Table tomorrow immediately following my conference with his majesty."
"...Understood sir…!" Guilford said exasperated, trying to calm his nerves.
"Good, now go inform the others, and please be subtle, especially where Nonette is concerned right now." Bismarck said, "She really needs to lay off the sauce…" he mumbled with his back turned to Guilford.
"You're not coming back?" Guilford asked, Bismarck stopped as he heard. "Sir?"
Guilford repeated.
"No." Came the response as The First Knight looked over his shoulder. The decorative patch bearing the insignia of the Knights of the Round looking back at Guilford.
"I have some small matters that require my attention." Bismarck said as he resumed to tread a path to his unknown location.
"Do as I've requested Guilford, I'll see you and the others at eleven hundred hours." Guilford stiffened his stance, standing straight as a board.
"As you wish sir." Bismarck heard Guilford say as the latter gave a salute while he continued to walk down the hallway, into the unlit corridors of the Royal Palace adjusting the eye patch he wore.
...
There was some mumbling caught by the microphone as band members scuffled around the stage. Then another song began to play as several band members dropped their instruments while others changed theirs.
As the applause for the last song died down, the four men who no longer carried instruments all stood before microphones, with one closest to the center of the stage stood out ahead of the other three.
"We have a request from an 'anonymous' partygoer that we're gonna play for you all now." They began a new song; the lead man sang a verse while the other three provided chorus.
To lead a better life
Came the first lyrics to the song; Milly's eyes widened as her head spun around to the source of the music. Her face lightened up, it was her favorite song. The song continued with the rest of the opening verse as a chord began to play with the singing.
I need my love to be here…
"Excuse me…" Lelouch said rather out of the blue.
'I at least owe her this.' He thought to himself.
"H-huh, w-w-w-wha…?!" Was the response he received from the other party.
Milly's eyes began to move frantically, hoping to find her fiancè. She was definitely getting him to dance with her for this song. She just had to.
'I do owe her.' Lelouch thought as he held his hand out.
"Would you do me the pleasure?" He asked to the girl with his hand fully extended to her. A deer in the headlights, she was shocked as her cheeks began to redden intensely.
"...!" The poor girl couldn't find the words. Her hand just moved to his, shaking from nerves.
'At least this much!' His thoughts continued as he gently took her hand in his before turning, leading her inside, away from the terrace and towards the dance floor.
She couldn't find him however; Milly scurried around the area, desperately searching for Lelouch. Leaving Nina and Cecile behind, she searched. Now of all times she couldn't find him, and while her favorite song was playing too. Where was he?!
"W-w-wait…! You're Highness! Are, are, are you even s-sure…?!" The girl stumbled over her words, but not her feet as she stepped behind Lelouch, finally reaching the floor.
"Yes, I am." Lelouch said with a small smile as he took the lead, their dance beginning.
Here, making each day of the year.
"B-but, I never introduced myself, and…!" The girl continued to look down at the floor, their feet moving to the slow music.
Milly's search went on as she weaved through the crowd. She even heard some whispers about a 'prince'. Her quest lead her to the edge of the dance floor when she found him. Her eyes went wide' she found him, but she also found the same fiery orange hair from before
"Shirley." Lelouch said. Her olive green eyes went wide again. How in the world did a Britannian prince know her name, her expression asked.
Changing my life with the wave of her hand.
Shirley looked up at the prince as he lead her through the dance.
"Shirley Fenette, I've heard about you. Through your father, I mean...a chain of connections." He said hesitantly as he stepped. They became even closer; she almost choked on her breath.
Nobody can,
Deny that there's something there.
The song continued.
"W-why…?!" Shirley tried to ask, but the words wouldn't come out. Lelouch looked into her eyes for the first time since they began to dance.
Both of us thinking how good it can be.
He could see the twinge of sadness in his own eyes through the reflection in hers. Her brow furrowed as she tried to process everything that was happening. All of this, so sudden.
'It's not enough.' Thought Lelouch.
"Just…" He began to say. Memories of his last moment with Shirley swam all over his mind. They held hands then too.
'Not even close.' His grip tightened.
"Just trying to make someone's day…!" He said quietly as he let out a breath. He closed his eyes as he kept his smile. Lelouch couldn't look her in the eyes and say that, not after what had happened. Lelouch stepped back and twirled the ginger haired girl around before bringing her back, one arm around her waist.
...and if she's beside me I know I need never care.
Shirley continued to look at the Eleventh Prince, and to anyone she seemed shocked and confused. Not unlike the other spectators the dancing couple had collected.
She has no idea what he was talking about, he knew that looking at her; even now she looked more nervous than anything. But he just…
He just had to do something…!
"Thank you."
His mind stopped as she smiled at him. Her cheeks weren't red for a change but there was now a thin layer of perspiration glistened on her forehead, still nervous.
I will be there, and everywhere…
Sang the song as the pair continued on, drawing more and more attention as time went by. They continued the dance as eyes were on them. Some people chattered as Milly could no longer watch and walked away, teary eyed.
"Shirley...!" He whispered as the song came to a close.
Here, there and everywhere…! The final chord played and the crowd applauded the band's performance.
Her nerves once again getting the better of her, Shirley quickly stepped back to bow. Before she could lower herself however, she felt Lelouch's hand grab her shoulder.
"Huh?" She squeaked as she looked up. Looking down, Lelouch shook his head before he began to walk away, his hand leaving her.
"Thank you, Shirley." He said quietly so no one would hear him; Shirley could only watch in confusion as the prince walked off. As he did, a number of people huddled around Shirley to inquire about her time with the Eleventh Prince of the Empire
Meanwhile, from behind one of the curtains that the Knights of the Round emerged from at the start of the celebration, there was a woman hidden by shadows. Her figure completely unseen by the partygoers, she looked on at the processions as she twiddled her long hair.
"What a nice party, it's a shame I wasn't invited." She said as the celebration carried on throughout the night.
Nunnally sat at her desk while she heard the piano music played throughout. She ceased her writing and looked out one of the windows in her room. Her quarters also overlooked the Aries Villa's courtyard just as Lelouch's did, infact their rooms were on the exact opposite sides of the courtyard. When he left his curtains open, like he did at that moment, Nunnally could look into his room.
Lelouch was currently playing the grand piano he kept in his quarters, the same piano he had started playing as a toddler. Nunnally heard the music as if Lelouch was playing right in front of her. Actually, Lelouch had often played for his little sister as he was learning advanced techniques. He was always so hard on himself, she remembered. If he screwed a single note up, he would stop and play the entire song over again.
Yet, Nunnally heard him miss a few notes as she wrote at her desk just a short while ago, but instead of stopping, Lelouch kept going and worked with his miscue. When she thought about it, Lelouch did seem to be acting differently…
"No breaks!" Came the sharp command and whack of a baton on the desk's surface as the instructor scolded Nunnally, the princess flinched at the act.
"...Yes, Miss Lohmeyer." Nunnally said rather dismissively as she resumed her writing.
She didn't know why she had to have an instructor come and give her lessons at home. She wanted to go to school, an academy like Euphie did, and Cornelia and Milly; Nunnally hated this homeschooling. Yet her mother insisted on this, and how she convinced a political advisor to the Royal Family to become her teacher was another thing altogether!
Still, Alicia Lohmeyer was one strict lady, as Nunnally felt her icy glare from behind. Looking at the seated princess through her thin framed glasses, the instructor shifted the bun her brown hair was tied in, with her hand. She kept a diligent eye on her student.
As Nunnally continued to write, her mind went to Lelouch's music playing again. After learning everything, he only really played his piano when he was stressed out. Nunnally picked up on that after hearing the music following every disagreement he had with Mother, Euphie, Clovis and basically everyone else.
Lelouch was a pretty stubborn person.
'He must really be driving himself crazy about this meeting with Father later.' She thought as she gave his bedroom window a look. His curtains danced in the cool breeze the late morning had to offer as the sound of his piano traveled through.
"Hmm?" She noticed her pen had stopped working suddenly. Out of ink? Already? No, she just began using that pen. She held it closer and examined it to find the problem, her fingers fiddling with it.
"I thought I said…" Lohmeyer was about to scold the distracted Nunnally yet again when a loud, shrill yell came.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Said...sorry, yelled, a familiar feminine voice, surprising Nunnally and causing her to accidentally shoot ink from her pen, and all over Lohmeyer. The piano playing stopped and was followed by a thud and a crash.
"I think Lelouch is in trouble." Nunnally mused to herself before she caught a glimpse of the ink covered Lohmeyer, uh oh!
Marianne stood in Lelouch's room after having just kicked his door open while he was on the floor, the surprise knocking him off the piano bench and crashing into the stand that held all of his other music sheets. Papers were dancing all over the place, some covering their owner and he sat on the ground looking up at his mother, albeit, a little frightened of her.
"...!" He sat, mouth agape as Marianne went on. She stood, backs of her hands on her hips, and her eyebrows raised! That was the sign of destruction…!
"I mean really Lelouch, what on earth were you thinking?! You're engaged need I mind you, and yet you go off and dance with another woman right in front of your fiancè! Did you even think about what you were doing?!" She ranted to her son who was still stuck on the floor, face frozen in shock.
"I-I-I…!" He tried to say something, but Marianne was far from done.
"You what?! You want to make not only yourself, but me look bad in front of everyone?! Unless you just like making everything difficult for everyone around you? I swear, Lelouch!" Marianne went on, and just like a mother should, she put her son on a guilt trip.
She wouldn't understand, however, the reasons behind his actions at the Rounds Ball the night before. What he felt when his eyes found Shirley standing there, the guilt was indescribable.
At the moment Lelouch felt the same thing but now for Milly. It hadn't occurred to him at the time, but his 'reunion' with Shirley must've made absolutely no sense to his bride to be. Who knows what thoughts might have crept through her head.
Either that or Marianne was just exaggerating for the sake of her yelling at him. Lelouch had no idea what to believe anymore.
"Set things straight with Milly as soon as you can! Understand?!" Lelouch gulped and nodded. He knew not to get on her bad side; even though she was his mother, Marianne was a ruthless woman being a former high ranking Knight of the Round and all.
"Yes ma'am." He said before Marianne huffed.
"And I made them play that damned song…" She muttered, slamming his door shut behind her, causing even more of his things to fall to the floor. Once she was gone, Lelouch gave out and fell on his back, exasperated, letting himself be enveloped by the scrambled sheets.
"Never thought I'd have to go through that ever again!"
"...!" Kallen huffed as she paced around. Her eyes glaring at the defenseless punching bag as a small bead of sweat dripped down, grazing the corner of her eye and trickling down her face.
All alone in the Round's private facility, Kallen tensed herself up as the droplet of perspiration fell off the edge of her jaw. Once the bead of sweat hit the matted floor beneath her, Kallen sprang forward landing a heavy kick on the bag, making it sway almost as far up as its chain would allow.
The Knight of Eleven wasn't in the best of moods this morning following last night's events and this was the perfect means of letting loose.
'Where the fuck does he get off?!' She asked internally.
The punching bag came back down, but before it can make a return swing, Kallen stepped quickly and gave it a hard driven knee creating a defying boom. It didn't cause such a big swing of the bag, but the lady knight had enough time to set herself up for giving that poor bag a barrage of punches.
"I don't know…!" She absently said aloud as she let another hard punch loose.
"What he…" Another punch.
"Expects…!"
"I'm. Not. Ob-li-gated…! At. ALL!" She yelled as she fired off more punches before finishing her assault with the hardest right hook she had thrown in a good while, the punching bag going as high up as it would go. It came swinging back down, only to be stopped by Kallen's outstretched hand.
Covered in a thin layer of sweat, she panted as she reached over for her towel, her hand slipped on the workout bench adjacent, causing her to almost lose balance, almost. Kallen knew she left a towel there and it's not like it got up and walked away in fear, though most people probably would have.
"Why don't you save that ferocity for the battlefield, Stadtfeld?" Kallen turned to find Dorothea, the Knight of Four standing in her regular military attire with a stolen towel in hand.
"When did you…?" Kallen breathed as she held her hand out.
"You let your emotions get the better of you, Kallen." Dorothea said, pulling the towel further away from her colleague but still holding out, almost taunting Lady Stadtfeld.
"Yeah, so what?!" Kallen said as she tried swiping the towel away from the older woman, but was simply too slow it seemed. Dorothea smirked as she held the towel up and waved it slightly, not getting any applause from the red haired knight.
"So, when you do, you're technique gets sloppy and you telegraph your movements. Calm down some." Kallen rolled her eyes at Dorothea's words and approached the dark skinned woman.
"Yeah sure, now give me the towel!" She reached for the towel yet again, but like before, Dorothea seemed to be too fast for Kallen.
"...!" Kallen growled, this was already on her nerves and sitting there pretty heavily, and yet, there was Dorothea with an arrogant smirk on her face. If she just held still for one second…!
"If you don't want to listen to me, then perhaps I should simply show you what I am talking about." The Knight of Four said as she reached for the end of the golden tassel that kept her Knight's Robe in place, undid it, and then pulled the dignified garment off her shoulders before lightly draping it on the bench near her.
Dorothea now stood before Kallen, assuming a fighting position, on the balls of her feet, shoulders square, hands up and clenched. Kallen stared at her for a short moment before sighing again.
"Are you serious?" She asked acerbically with the back of her hands on her hips, a brow raised. The other woman nodded. Not looking amused, Kallen lazily stepped on to the same mat as Dorothea was; she did not want to do this now. However, Kallen looked up at her challenger with a sudden shudder of anticipation rolling down her spine when their eyes met.
"How do you wanna do this? Should I get the gear?" Kallen asked smirking, pointing her thumb to the side of the room where the gloves and pads for sparring were kept. Without taking her eyes off the younger knight, Dorothea slightly relaxed her stance and adjusted the black gloves of her uniform. Something about this, they're exchanging of glances, seemed to make Kallen rather anxious.
"No, we won't need them." She said with a grin as she resumed her stance, her eyes fixed with Kallen's. The Stadtfeld girl tightened herself as she exchanged glares with the Ernst, before a deeper breath let her into a fighting stance of her own.
"The first one to get pinned down loses." Dorothea added to the terms of the challenge. Kallen remained silent.
The staredown continued, Dorothea's grin staying true as Kallen scowled, inhaling as she pulled her fist back.
"Suit YOURSELF!" Kallen came charging in, leaping from her position, her leg swinging around, about to hit its mark at the left shoulder. That is until Dorothea's forearm sprang up and blocked the kick effectively with a sharp twist of the hips in the same direction. The force caused both women to recoil, Kallen more so.
"Grr-argh!" Kallen grunted as she spun upon her landing, one knee leading as a fist came right for Dorothea's midsection until the challenger's hand swatted at the assault and danced clear of it. Sweat still coating her, Kallen slipped slightly on the matted floor but not enough to throw her off balance. Kallen then took another stance, both knees bent slightly, one more outstretched than the other.
The grin finally broke when Dorothea took her turn to throw a kick, Kallen ducked it in time, but feeling the force of it threw her off guard.
"I saw you and your father last night." Dorothea said calmly as Kallen came at her with another punch.
"So…!?" She breathed as she let out hit after hit, none really hitting their mark.
Then it hit Kallen, the words rather; her eyes widened as far as they would go. Yet, as quickly as it came, her shocked expression changed, twisted into a look of anger. Teeth gritted, fists clenched, Kallen charged at Dorothea.
As hard as she could, Kallen drove her right fist forward with pure ferocity. She gave a loud grunt as her punch was met by Dorothea's shoulder. She didn't care if it didn't hit its mark, Kallen was making that punch count!
Kallen pulled her fist back, the fire still burning fiercely in her eyes. How dare she?! Dorothea had no right!
Another heavy punch came to a loud thud as it hit the same shoulder of Dorothea's. The older woman winced upon impact. Good, it was working.
Dorothea threw her arm up, hand reaching for Kallen's arm, but the Knight of Eleven was the faster one this time. Kallen cocked her fist back, ready to fire another heavy hit.
When she let her punch go, her target vanished. Too late to stop, Kallen was committed to her action; Dorothea had ducked and kicked a leg out, sweeping Kallen off her feet.
Before she had a chance to do anything else, she was on the floor; Kallen quickly tried to move but felt weight hold her down.
Dorothea had won.
Holding both her wrists down, and hovering over her, legs resting heavily on top of her's, Dorothea had Kallen pinned down. It was so fast, Kallen didn't even realize until it was too late. She tried to move, but Dorothea had her secured.
Kallen glared up from her defeated position, the same anger spread across her face.
"Now do you see what I mean?..." Dorothea said in between breaths.
"STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS!" Kallen shouted back as her arms squirmed under Dorothea's grasp.
"Stay in control then, Kallen!" The green eyed woman argued loudly. Kallen ceased her struggling. "I said one thing and you flew off the handle; look how easily I knocked you down. You fail to notice things; if this was a battlefield, you'd be dead." Dorothea said.
The two women exchanged glares yet again, but this time was different than the last. Kallen looked up at Dorothea, still upset, however, now she had a sense of intimidation from the exchange. Was this that anxiety she felt earlier, before the spar? Dorothea's green eyes shone brightly from Kallen's perspective; like a predator towards its prey.
"..." Kallen remained silent as she caught her breath, her expression remained. Scoffing, at the younger knight's silence, Dorothea stood up, letting Kallen go.
Without saying a word, Dorothea walked over to the bench, grabbed her robe and pulled it over her shoulders. Then she reached for the towel and patted her face down.
Kallen remained in her lying position, down on the floor, now staring at the ceiling. The women's exchange replaying in her mind, the look in her eyes; the fourth knight of Britannia, the second most powerful woman in the military to Princess Cornelia, Dorothea Ernst was frightening.
Kallen thought this as she looked up, until the coveted towel landed on top of her, covering half her face. Her hand grabbed the slightly dampened rag and finally sat up, just in time to catch Dorothea before she left.
"Our Round Table meeting is being pushed back a half-hour." Was all Lady Ernst said, her back to Kallen, the robe's emblem of the Rounds facing her. Kallen remained silent.
"Be careful Lady Stadtfeld...I want us to stay at twelve." Dorothea's quiet parting words before the door slid open and she stepped through. Not so scary now.
Kallen only stared at the door, now standing, towel in her hands. Her silence lasted for only a brief moment longer before she slammed the now soaked towel down on the floor and shouted, frustrated as she heavily punched the bag behind her.
"Um, Lelouch…?"
"Hmm. Oh…!" Lelouch turned to find a surprise.
"Milly, what're you doing here?" He asked his fiancè as they stood in the hallway, just outside of Lelouch's room, the prince closing the door behind him. Now in a much more modest dress than the previous night, red with white frills and a big pink hat with a long white ribbon.
"Well…" She began, but not directly looking at Lelouch. Her eyes went to floor, to side and to the floor again.
"You probably want to know about last night." Lelouch said, remembering his mother's rampant tirade earlier that morning. Marianne was right though, he couldn't just brush Milly off as he went about his day.
After all, she was his friend too.
"Yeah." Milly said quietly through a sigh. This was odd, Lelouch thought. Knowing Milly, he expected an emotional outburst, much like his mother's. Yet Milly now, seemed more, well, sad.
Sad…
He had forgotten how shy she could be as he once recalled Sayoko's musings about the girl.
"L...look Milly, if you're worried about what happened…" He began frowning himself as he stuffed his hand in his pocket, the other holding firmly to a laptop under his arm. Lelouch saw how blue Milly appeared.
"Don't be." He said, causing Milly to finally look up at him.
"Then why?" She asked back as her grip on the strap to her bag tightened.
"She's just an old acquaintance from a long time ago. Her father works for the government research facility so I...It was just the first time I saw her in a very long time." Lelouch went on. He didn't know what to say to be honest; Lelouch was never in this kind of situation before, what was he to do? He had to find a way.
Milly was silent as she crossed her arms, eyes to the floor again. Lelouch took a breath before he continued any further. Here goes nothing.
"Milly...y-you know I don't deal with my emotions too well, but you should know...how I feel about you and nothing is going to change that. You should never have to worry about something like this." He said, and it was no facade. Milly was one of his closest friends...and now, his fiancè.
Before he could make another move, he was trapped in another aggressive hug like last night's. The mood may have been different but the impact was the same. Milly had her arms wrapped around him tight.
Actually, the impact was also different; more weight was put into the embrace.
"Can you promise me that nothing is going to change?" She whispered into his ear, and it opened his eyes some. Nothing will change?
If she only knew. Lelouch took a brief moment, but he finally responded as his free hand slowly rose and wrapped itself around Milly. The other still held on to the laptop and his bound notes for later.
"Oh...t-that's right. You have that conference with your father, right?" Milly said as she stepped back, adjusting Lelouch's collar and lapel, lightly patting him as she went. Lelouch watched her as she did this before she slowly brought her gaze back up.
"Yeah." He said quietly. Lelouch noticed how close Milly was to him now, her hands connected behind his neck. He...had an idea of what she was expecting. They were engaged after all.
However, this was Milly! Lelouch couldn't deny her beauty, but he never viewed her in such a way. Milly, in Lelouch's eyes, was something of an older sister; always looking out for him at Ashford Academy while she kept his and Nunnally's secret safe, despite the constant teasing and insane antics to embarrass him.
Yet, given this new position, Lelouch had a couple of things to think about, especially now that Milly's face was several inches away from his. He was engaged to her now, and with that came certain expectations and obligations he was to meet. If he didn't, Lelouch would only cause more distress for one of his closest friends.
That, as well as incurring the wrath of Marianne again…!
"All right, well don't let me keep you." Milly said, her hands lightly brushing his face as she brought her hands back to herself, her fingers gently tracing his jaw; Lelouch had a really good poker face.
He leaned in.
A short kiss, lips locked for a brief moment before they both pulled away. Lelouch had an amazing poker face as he gave a small smile; internally, he was actually feeling dizzy.
Was this the first time he kissed someone and not the other way around? Maybe but...Milly's lips sure were soft.
'STOP IT!' Lelouch scolded himself mentally, as Milly's hands dropped to his shoulders and then slid to his chest before she pulled them back.
"I'll let you know when I'm done with everything." He said with a straight face. Milly nodded before she did a quick curtsy.
"As you wish, your highness." She said with a playful tone and a silly grin, much like her usual self. Lelouch did his best to repress the heat rushing to his face.
"He he, right…" He said, wearing a rather sarcastic expression before Milly walked off. Lelouch watched her go, her hips sway…
'Dammit, stop! This is not the time for that!' He shook his head as he internally scolded himself yet again. He looked in the Ashford girl's direction one last time to see her leave his sight. Once she was gone, Lelouch looked around.
"Where was I going again?"
…
Lelouch remembered as he now sat in the emperor's war room. The columns, arches, the vaulted ceilings, and the exceptionally wide, carved stone fireplace gave an intimidating feeling to the room as Lelouch sat at the table. Not to mention the large portrait of Charles hanging above the fireplace's stone mantle.
At the moment, however, Lelouch wasn't really paying any attention to the setting. Lelouch kept pondering over his reason for being there. There was something Jeremiah mentioned about a decision that the prince was to make, however, as much as he researched, he couldn't figure out what it was he had to chose.
Looking away from his notes, Lelouch's eyes were fixed on a certain someone, someone who wasn't present at the ball the previous night. Not that Lelouch was offended by this person's absence in any way, what bothered him was the fact that this person was here alone.
"Ah, Earl Maldini, I didn't expect you to be here alone today." Gino said as he greeted the nobleman, Kanon Maldini who was the aid to a particular royal sibling.
Along with Lelouch, Kanon and Gino, Jeremiah was in attendance, as was Bismarck, Cornelia, Odysseus, Guinevere, their assistants, Alicia Lohmeyer to document the meeting, and Luciano who was standing in for Dorothea.
Odysseus and Guinevere, the Crown Prince and Princess, were the eldest of the royal siblings yet Lelouch always considered them to be removed from matters of war. Just as someone else of note that Lelouch found to be absent.
"Everyone please take your seats so we may begin with this meeting." Bismarck said as the chatter in the room ceased and everyone eased into their cushioned chairs.
"I'd like to take this opportunity and relay His Majesty's apology he gave to me this morning. He is unable to take part in today's proceedings due to other matters." The First Knight continued on.
'Big surprise there.' Lelouch mused to himself.
"Did he at least give a reason this time?" Guinevere asked dryly. It looked like Charles was just as distant from politics as Lelouch recalled.
"I'm sorry Princess, but I am not at liberty to discuss his majesty's personal affairs." Bismarck commented as the hologram projector in the center of the table turned on.
"His majesty would have liked Prince Schneizel to lead today's meeting, however, due to Earl Maldini's presence I can only assume that the prince is also incapacitated." Gino commented as Kanon rose from his seat.
"Your assumption is correct, Lord Weinberg. Prince Schneizel is still negotiating with German officials on a peace treaty. Anything that happens here today will be related to his highness by me. I hope the prince's absence won't be an issue for you all." Kanon explained before he gave a slight bow to the ecclesiastic crowd around him. He sat himself back down.
Lelouch gave a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't mind missing out on his half-brother, Schneizel el Britannia the Second Prince of the empire and perhaps Lelouch's biggest rival amongst his siblings. Cunning, eloquent, charismatic, and exceptionally deviant, Lelouch knew Schneizel was a man to be reckoned with.
However, Lelouch would have to wait and see, like with much of everything else lately, how things would turn up. Hell, Schneizel may very well be his best friend for all he knew.
"Can we please move to the issue at hand here? Hmm?" Luciano asked in a snarky manner as he was hunched over his part of the table. Jeremiah and Gino shot irked eyes at the Knight of Ten and his words.
"As you have heard, there was an attack on Prince Clovis' transport late last night." Bismarck began as video clips of the aforementioned attacks played. The image of Japanese Knightmare frames combatting Britannians, attempting to assault the large mobile base that was Clovis' transport.
"It's been made clear, as you can see, that this was an attempt by 'Eleven' rebels, specifically the 'Liberation Front'." Bismarck continued as images shot up of several faces Lelouch recognized.
"We don't know too much of this organization, if you even want to call it that, but we do know the identities of several key members. Whether or not they are commanders is debatable, but according to our sources it would seem likely." The Knight of One said as Lelouch quietly read off the names written under the images.
Shōgo Asahina
Ryōga Senba
Nagisa Chiba
Kōsetsu Urabe
Kaname Ohgi
Lelouch stared at the images intently, making sure that the people he once considered his best soldiers in The Black Knights were in fact those listed. He was on the other side of their struggle now...then again he was experienced in that regard.
"Are these the 'Seven Swords' Clovis' intel has reported?" Cornelia asked.
"We believe so, although I believe 'Shadows' is a more befitting name over 'Swords', wouldn't you agree, Princess? A bunch of ghosts clinging to past deliriums." Lohmeyer chimed in, everyone turning their attention to her. They mostly remained silent, save for Luciano's snickering.
"Thank you, Miss Lohmeyer, but speaking on the matter of ghosts we believe we finally have a visual of what we once thought of as an enigma." Jeremiah took his chance to speak as he pushed a few buttons.
"I'm sure you've read the reports over the time Clovis has been viceroy in Area 11. The name attached to all of the major attacks on Britannian influences, as well as that to the murder of Michele Manfredi." The Knight of Two explained before a new image replaced the profiles of the newly dubbed "Shadows".
What Lelouch saw when the images changed was eye opening to say the least. The picture put on display had within it, several fallen Britannian Knightmares as flames burst out from them. Sitting atop them was a customized Knightmare, one Lelouch had never seen prior to that moment, yet the image quality was too grainy to point out the details other than the fact that it was black in color and that it had horn like features on its head. What was more important however, was what was standing in the unique Knightmare's cockpit.
With a slight hunch this figure stood, brooding out from the cockpit of the machine. Black, padded armor done in the slender fashion of traditional Knightmare pilot suits with a very long, curved sword in its scabbard attached to the back. The face was covered by a mask, white with pronounced features such as a rigid jaw line, high-angled cheeks and a bold, swooping brow as golden fangs protruded from what was the mouth of the mask. Short, golden horns rose from either side of the forehead section of the mask. The face of a terrifying demon staring at the camera with which the image was taken. The broad strap that held the mask in place covered the top of the person's head with hair pouring out from under it, reaching the level of the chin of the mask. It was impossible to see who was underneath the mask through the openings in the eyes and mouth, but this figure already had a name.
"The Kishin, ladies and gentlemen, is quite real." Claimed Jeremiah as the others took in the image presented to them. "Going on the build, we figure that the Kishin is male, but that's really all we know."
"The rumors surrounding this...thing are a bit absurd, however, if this 'Kishin' is the one to have killed Michele Manfredi upon Britannia's conquest of Area 11 back in 2012, shouldn't justice be wrought down?" Cornelia inferred as she looked to her siblings.
Did she just say 2012? To Lelouch, that information made no sense; he would say that it was just a simple slip of tongue, but since it was Cornelia who said this, someone who was always certain of herself, that wouldn't be the case.
As far as Lelouch knew, Britannia invaded Japan in 2010 a.t.b (Ascension Throne Britannia). Going by Cornelia's words, something must have happened for this delay in Britannia's military actions.
"While you are correct Cornelia, I believe we should shift our focus to the rebel attack itself; this sort of thing is becoming ever more frequent!" Odysseus pointed out to the small counsel gathered. "It is the fourth attempt made on Clovis and his forces this year!"
"Yes, you're right brother, General Calares saw almost no opposition while he held the title." Guinevere nodded.
"Perhaps because Calares was the military, as compared to Clovis." Another said.
"What do you mean, Earl Maldini? Please explain further." Jeremiah turned to Schneizel's aid.
"Well, perhaps the increased aggression towards Prince Clovis is due to the possibility that the Numbers view him merely as a figurehead planted by His Majesty." Kanon elaborated his theory, but Cornelia shook her head.
"It still makes no sense; if anything, Clovis and his administration has pushed for unity during his time in Area 11, given all of his cultural projects." The Second Princess argued.
"The Numbers, or at least those of the Liberation Front, may take that as a sign of weakness. Cutting off the head of the snake, it's a classic strategy." Bismarck commented as he held his chin.
"A body without its head can not survive." Luciano sighed. "Then Princess Cornelia was right before; more action should be taken." He grinned, leaning over his part of the table.
"Then I suppose that brings us to the matter of you, Prince Lelouch." Gino looked directly across the table at Lelouch. Given everything discussed thus far, Lelouch had a pretty good idea why he was there now.
"Prince Clovis has vied for you to help him with political matters since he accepted the viceroyship two years ago. I think he needs you now more than ever." Odysseus commented to his half-brother. Lelouch looked over to the crown prince.
He now knew why he was there, but how everything was unfolding...it brought back memories. Lelouch's childhood; constantly bickering with all the other royal siblings when he wasn't trying to dote over Nunnally. His relationship with Clovis, like with most others, was competitive. Lelouch always did beat Clovis at chess.
"Well your highness?" Jeremiah said as he and the others looked intently at the Eleventh Prince.
It was a cruel twist of fate.
"If that is what is needed, then fine, I will accept under some conditions." Lelouch began, giving looks to the Knights and then to his siblings.
"I will be the Sub-Viceroy of Area 11."
They all gathered again, like the night before only now was official business. Those who represented themselves to the royals had returned and relayed what information they had gathered.
"So this thing is real." Viletta said as she stared at the holographic projection of the Kishin coming from the middle of the table.
They were gathered in a different location; somewhere that is off limits to all others save for His Majesty, The Round Table.
An area reserved to only those twelve mighty warriors chosen, The Round Table served as the meeting place to all of the Knights of the Round. In fact, the door to the Table's chamber only opens when all twelve knights use their keys at the same time.
The Table itself was kept in a dark room as it itself illuminated the room. Celtic numerals, running through numbers one to twelve were carved into the walls and lit in the corresponding colors behind their respective seats at the Table. Similar technology was built into the chamber as was the Emperor's War Room.
"It would seem like it, wouldn't it?" Anya blandly answered from across the table.
All Knights sat directly across from those of the following number rank. In this order they sat in a clockwise manner: Bismarck, Guilford, Viletta, Gino, Nonnette, Kallen, Jeremiah, Anya, Kewell, Dorothea, Luciano and finally Monica. All in full uniform, all focused on the matter at hand.
"You said Prince Lelouch accepted the sub-viceroyship, but on certain conditions?" Monica asked aloud while she skimmed through the notes in front of her, looking over to the adjacent Bismarck.
"Yes, his highness asked that a few of us accompany him on his trip to Area Eleven, and I can see why." Jeremiah answered for him. "Although, that does make things more complicated for us." He said while turning a few heads.
"What of the matter concerning the Middle Eastern Federation? Negotiations went south, and they're getting ready to mount an attack on our–!"
"I will be overseeing the developments there myself, Kewell." Bismarck interrupted. "In fact, I took the liberty and arranged all of our current obligations to determine how to distribute ourselves." The cyclopean knight asserted as the other Knights waited for his elaboration.
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. This isn't one of your games, you know?" Marianne ranted from one end of the dining room table to Lelouch at the other. Her voice carried well in the dining hall of the Aries Villa. A few servants were scurrying around Marianne, tending to her every need as Lelouch simply sat and nodded.
"I'm well aware of that mother." He said, trying to hold back his annoyance. Lelouch had forgotten how trying Marianne could be, and nagging.
"Have you ever been around battle before, Lelouch? It's much more intense than what's shown on television; you have to pay attention t-" Marianne continued until her son rose from his seat.
"I know mother, you've told me about this many times. The Rounds accompanying me should be proof of that." Lelouch defended himself against Marianne's ramblings, but she didn't receive his response too well.
A roll came crashing into Lelouch's head.
"Don't get smart with me, Lelouch! As I was saying, you should pay attention…" The mother chastised her child, but said child had already phased her out once the impact of the baked good had gone and thought about other things.
'I wonder who of the Knights of the Round will be coming with me to Japan...' Lelouch's thoughts trailed from his mother's rant.
Then the memories he had of his former ace pilot returned to him. His latest thoughts of her walking past him as the Knight of Eleven.
'If she comes along, then maybe I can find out what her circumstances are; Marianne being alive couldn't have had that much of an impact. Kallen has definitely been one of the bigger surprises I've had.' He looked away as he thought deeper.
More memories of his ace went through his head, especially one his last encounters with her. The unrequited feelings she expressed towards him; he wondered if she thought of him the same way she did as he remembered her. Lelouch wondered if Kallen had even spoken to the Eleventh Prince of the empire.
…
Marianne's ramblings went on for a little while longer, and another dinner roll was tossed Lelouch's way for his not paying attention, but was dodged. He was finally allowed to leave in order to prepare for his move to Area 11.
"Thank God, that's over…!" Lelouch muttered as the dining hall door closed behind him.
'Now I can finish getting ready for tomorrow.' He thought to himself as we walked through the halls of the Aries Villa, making his way for his own quarters.
'I forgot how much Marianne can talk; damn woman gave me a headache! Better get used to it I guess. No telling how busy I'll be once I'm in Japan.' Lelouch's mind went on as he turned the corner of the hallway where his quarters were located.
'I don't even know how I'm going to approach the Liberation Front. I know who they all are and what their tendencies are, but...having to fight them?' Lelouch walked through his door.
'I also have to try to work with Clovis and get him to-' His thoughts were cut off.
"Hi, Lelouch." Huskily, Milly's voice carried through Lelouch's bedroom area.
"Hey." Lelouch said casually, completely wrapped up in his own thoughts.
'I need Clovis t-' His brain stopped once he registered what was happening.
He looked over to the direction Milly's voice came from.
Now, the biggest surprise he's had.
"WHAAA!" Lelouch's eyes almost popped out of his skull when he found Milly laying across his bed wearing nothing but lacy, black lingerie. If Lelouch's nose wasn't bleeding from this, it was because his blood was flowing elsewhere.
"What's seems to be bothering you, my prince?" The blonde beauty purred as she picked herself up, sitting upright. She patted the spot on the bed next to her. "Why don't you come here and work out your frustrations?" Milly gave a sly smile and shot Lelouch a sultry look.
"No-no-no-n-nothing's wrong…! Milly, I…!" Lelouch shook his head as he spoke sheepishly.
Milly laughed aloud as she rose from the bed and walked towards her fiancè with a certain swagger, like a lioness approaching her prey.
"Oh, really? It doesn't sound like nothing." She mused as she used her hand to close Lelouch's gaped mouth. "Tell me about it." Cooed Milly, before she traced her hands along his jaw and planted a short kiss on his lips.
Lelouch was completely frozen in shock, embarrassment, a mixture of those and other powerful, paralyzing emotions. The deer in the headlights was no match for the encroaching lioness.
"Come." Milly took Lelouch's hand and led him to his bed and sat him down.
"Ah, uh…!" Lelouch was quite literally...speechless, for lack of better words.
"I know you've been stressed out lately, so let me help you." Milly whispered into her fiancè's ear before she took a nibble of it and proceeded to pull his shirt off enough so that she could directly touch his shoulders as she massaged him.
'Okay, this is happening.' Lelouch kept to himself as Milly rubbed the top of his back, and it felt good…!
'Just relax, any awkwardness will only make this worse. I just need to relax and play it cool.' Lelouch reminded himself.
"Well, well, somebody's happy to see me." Milly said close to Lelouch's ear, as she pointed out Lelouch's...well…
This wasn't playing it cool. Lelouch's face went as red as it could get as his blood pumped elsewhere. Milly's hand began to trail down his torso.
"W-wait!" Lelouch hollered as he shot up from his seated position. Milly watched her fiancè, bewildered as he frantically moved away from her.
"What the-" The Ashford girl sat herself up as Lelouch pulled himself together, and...adjusted himself.
"Lelouch?" She said, dropping her sultry seductress act. "What's going on?" Milly rose to walk over to the man in question.
"Oh, uh nothing…! I'm great." Lelouch said sheepishly with a fake smile as he looked over his hunched shoulder, fixing himself.
"Great? Really, you expect me to buy that?" With her hands on her hips, Milly arched a brow at Lelouch. He wasn't going to get one by her, it seemed. "You seem to be awfully nervous." She added.
"N-no really! I, uh…" Lelouch tried to defend himself. He tried.
"Oh, come on Lelouch! It's not like we've never done this before!" Milly exclaimed, bringing her arms out before crossing them, causing some bouncing to occur. Lelouch did his best to maintain eye contact.
Wait, what did she just say? Wait, then she and Lelouch…he managed to keep a straight face as that huge bit of information came at him.
"Now what's going on with you? Lately you've been very nervous and stand-offish around me." Lelouch saw Milly's face change from irritated to insecure as she spoke. "I mean, is there something you're hid-" She stopped herself, and Lelouch saw her grow irritated again.
"Is it that redheaded girl from last night!?" Milly asked with some venom in her tone. Her inquiry about Shirley tossed Lelouch for a loop. He was innocent after all.
"What?" Lelouch blurted out.
"Ooh, it is isn't it!?" Milly shuddered as she turned on her heels and picked up the robe she had left on the nearby armchair, before putting it on, concealing her mostly naked body.
"No, of course not! I told you earlier, she's just an old friend!" Lelouch's eyes widened after he had said that, realizing he had raised his voice at Milly.
"Is that so?" Milly shot back.
"Yes!" He raised his voice again.
"Then tell me why you've been so distant!" She asked, no commanded Lelouch. This was a full blown argument now, and Lelouch had to choose his words carefully or else it would be a very bumpy road ahead as he prepared to leave for Japan.
"I...you wouldn't get it." The prince grumbled as he walked past Milly, buttoning his shirt back up. So much for choosing his words carefully.
"That tells me a lot!" Milly shot back sarcastically. They met eyes for brief moment before Milly spoke again.
"Lelouch, we're engaged, and if we're going to get married we can't keep secrets from each other like this. Tell me what's going on." She said, her eyes still locked on to his, and her words came across as sincere as her gaze.
"Milly…!" Lelouch practically whispered. Milly didn't sound like an betrothed aristocrat in the least. Not at all like those other women who, through family politics, had a spouse chosen for them with no genuine affection involved.
"I don't care if I don't understand, just tell me!" Milly implored him. Lelouch was taken aback by Milly's plea. It took him a moment to wrap his head around the situation in front of him, but as usual he adjusted. The tense mood that was there had toned down significantly.
"You'll think that I'm crazy if I told you everything." He started as she approached him with a small smile.
"Try me; remember when we were kids and you had all of those 'conspiracies'?" He didn't remember, he didn't try to either.
In a Britannian airship hangar, final preparations were being made for deployment. Amongst those heading out on assignment, were the highest ranking soldiers in the Britannian Military. One of the high ranking soldiers made her way across the hangar, moving past customized Knightmare frames until she came across one in particular.
It was red with one arm in proportion to the rest of the body, while the other was much larger and equipped with claws. The chest piece was white and extended out behind the head of the humanoid machine for the cockpit. All of the weapons systems that were meant to be hidden, were currently exposed as well as the cockpit being open. The Knight climbed the scaffold, blonde hair bounced with every step.
Looking in, the Knight saw the pilot of this Knightmare, Kallen, lying on her back along the seat as she flipped through a booklet.
"I hope this isn't your idea of R and R." The other knight said, interrupting Kallen's privacy. Kallen moved the booklet away from her face to see Monica, the Knight of Twelve looming over the opening to the cockpit.
"Just taking advantage of any down time." Kallen said as she sat herself up, revealing the front monitor of the Knightmare that had the name 'Bedivere' displayed across it. "These diagnostic checks are such a pain." She complained.
"Don't whine, your's didn't even start yet." Monica reminded Kallen, as she took a seat on the outer edge of the cockpit entrance, moving her light green robe so it wouldn't get wrinkled.
Reaching into her pocket, Monica pulled out a small piece of paper.
"Here." She said as she held it out for Kallen to take.
"What's this?" Kallen asked, taking the paper from Monica.
"It's Bismarck's finalized list of who's being deployed where. Why he wrote it down on paper, I have no idea." Monica explained as Kallen unfolded it in her hands.
"Probably doesn't trust digital medium with confidential inf-" Kallen mumbled as she read what was written down on the sheet. Her eyes were fixed on the location where she would be deployed.
"The recent attacks have the royals paranoid, so there are going to be more of us going to Area 11 with Prince Lelouch; that includes yourself, Nonette, Gino and Jeremiah." Monica explained as Kallen continued to stare at the paper.
"Actually, I heard it was only supposed to be thre-" Monica began until, someone had to ask.
"Why?" Kallen absently said aloud. Monica stopped and looked down at a frowning Knight of Eleven.
"Why what?" The blonde asked back. Kallen looked down, and just then, the intercom in her Knightmare began to beep.
Kallen turned around in her seat and answered the call. "Yes?"
"Lady Stadtfeld, we're ready for you at the testing grounds." A random male voice spoke through the Knightmare's communication system.
"Understood." Kallen replied before ending the conversation with the man and Monica. "Gotta go!" She said quickly as she got in proper position within the cockpit. Monica had to quickly jump off before the cockpit closed itself, sealing Kallen in.
The custom Knightmare used the land-spinners attached to its legs and rolled away from it's station and onto the runway. Kallen pushed a few buttons inside, and all of the exposed slots in her Knightmare closed and the flight pack on its back lit up as it activated.
"Are you ready, Lady Stadtfeld?" This time it was Cecile on the other end as the two women were connected via visual uplink.
"Yes, let's get this overwith." Kallen said with another frown.
"Okay then." Cecile said as Kallen maneuvered her Knightmare in a track starting pose.
"Bedivere, launch!" Cecile prompted before Kallen's knightmare blasted out of the hangar, on the runway before lifting off into the sky.
Watching the exhilarating lift off, Monica dusted herself off from the Bedivere's station.
"What the heck was that about?"
Okay, it's FINALLY HERE! I'm so, so sorry that it took this long to produce. It's been almost a year and I've only pumped out one chapter. I'm ashamed of myself T.T
Anyways, more things happened as certain scenes became more exciting, and I hope you all enjoy them.
Notice, this chapter jumped to an M rating. I probably won't make it official at this point. I just remembered that Code Geass aired on Adult Swim when it first came to the States.
I apologize if it may come across as slow paced, but I promise things only get more fun from here.
I won't say when the next part will come out, since I haven't the slightest idea as to what, when, where, and how I'll do the next part.
It will come, trust me...I just don't know when.
Also, the song used for Lelouch and Shirley's dance is 'Here, There, and Everywhere' by The Beatles off their 1966 album, Revolver. I take no credit for the song
This is two chapters in, and if you've been waiting all this time, I'm sorry. If you've been waiting all this time and read this entire thing, thank you.
Thank you for reading.
Please leave a review, let me know what your thoughts on the story is so far.
- SkyDragonKing ;)