Ben Johnson was, above all else, a man of great personal pride. Because of this, he did not appreciate insinuations that he was shallow, such as those made by Cecianah Kozuki.
If that's the case, thought Ben musingly, watching her from across the table, then why are you so attracted to her? Although it was not as though Cecianah was not attractive (quite the opposite, in fact thought Ben), most boys were turned off by her somewhat curt and sharp attitude. In addition to this, she rarely did anything with her hair and almost never wore any makeup, and was thus generally ignored by most of the male population of Ashford (or at least those looking for dates. She had good friends within the male members of the student council).
It was very unexpected, therefore, that she had caught the much sought-after eye of Benjamin Johnson, star of the football team and most popular bachelor of the school. After breaking up with his girlfriend a few months before, the female population had waited with bated breath to see who he would choose next. Therefore, it came as a surprise to everyone when rumors began to creep around about Ben's next love interest. At first, people had laughed off the idea as a silly and half-hearted attempt to start a rumor. But when people jokingly asked Ben about it and he neither confirmed nor denied it... Well, that got people intrigued. What confused people further was that these rumors had been circulating for several months, and everyone had generally agreed they were true. But for some reason, Ben had still not asked her out. He had never hesitated to ask any girl he even thought he might like, but now he was hesitating. And that's what all of those competing for Ben feared most of all. Though hopefully, those rumors will be confirmed within the next few minutes thought Ben, smiling to himself. It had taken months to find the perfect opportunity (or rather, to muster up your courage thought Ben wryly to himself), but as of today he had two tickets to a concert (classical music, since he had heard Cecianah was into that kind of thing. He couldn't stand it, but he'd grin and bear it for her), it was a nice, sunny day, and he had woken up on the right side of the bed (quite literally, in this case; he judged whether a day would be "good" or "bad" depending on which side of the bed he got out of in his sleepy stupor).
The more he studied Cecianah, the more enraptured with her he became. He thoroughly enjoyed her naturally glossy black hair, and found her intense amber eyes intriguing. However, the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that what attracted him was not her appearance but her personality. Or rather, how little he knew of it.
When he had joined the student council sophomore year, Ben had found Cecianah somewhat amusing. Though she treated him with barely concealed disdain and contempt, he had simply shrugged and laughed it off as he always did. However, as time went on, he found himself catching little glimpses of her true personality. Little comments she made, her opinions of subjects in class, and little, seemingly random things that brought out a tiny smile, Ben slowly began to notice these things. And he began to wonder: Who really is Cecianah Kozuki?
Of course, she hadn't made it easy for him, with her disapproving glances and occasional snide comments, and Ben more than a little discouraged and depressed at times. However, in the end he always came to the same conclusion; that she must be playing hard-to-get. Yeah, that's got to be it he had always told himself. But after today, everything would be different. After all, it wasn't as though-
"Ben? Ben? Hey, are you listening to me!" demanded Rachel Ashford, the student council president.
"Of course, I was, Madame President." said Ben, looking up at her and beaming his most innocent, charming smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"That's not going to work on me, mister." said Rachel, looking down at him disapprovingly. "If you don't start concentrating, I'm going to send you back to the Psychology Club as a test subject again." Ben shuddered. He had been subjected to the blushing, giggling, and barely concealed hidden messages in the questions of the girls of the Psychology Club enough to last him a lifetime, and then some.
"Glad to see you're properly motivated." said Rachel, resuming her position at the head of the table and getting back to business. Rachel Ashford, favorite niece of Headmistress Ashford, was a blond, blue-eyed, energetic, and pretty girl. If Ben was the most popular Bachelor in school, then Rachel was probably the most popular bachelorette. Though she was known to be something of a tease, this didn't stop hoards of boys from asking her out on a daily basis. Many saw her as a younger, cuter version of the school's very attractive headmistress (though as far as Milly Ashford went, several boys had expressed a willingness to "tap that," but that was another story).
"I disagree, Madame Prez." said Justin Thompson, with a broad grin that loudly declared his intention to derail the conversation from any ending that might result in hard work. "I think it's good that Ben is finally giving some serious thought into coming out of the closet." Justin Thompson, a sophomore with blond hair and purple eyes, had won over the hearts of many a female student (both upper- and lower-classmen) through his sly grin, humorous comments, and thoroughly charming manner. Though he wasn't quite as popular or well-known as Ben, he certainly had his own sizeable and dedicated fan club (both in a figurative and literal sense in this case), and the two were great friends. It was also a running joke between the two that Justin would always insinuate that Ben was gay.
"Why don't you just shut up, Thompson?" said Ben, chucking a pen at him from across the table. "I notice that I'm on the football team and you're not, so who's more likely to be gay?"
"Right. Because in order to prove that I'm not gay, I should participate in an activity that where people watch each other change into their underwear, tackle other men onto the ground, and pretend to have massive orgies."
"What is that even supposed to-"
"Ahem." Nickolas Einstein cleared his throat. "Let's do try to get some work done. We are the student council, after all. We need to set an example." Nickolas Einstein was a somewhat short, round-faced boy who was not exactly the most popular person in school, the result of his shortness, glasses, and formal manner of speaking. Though he also had great friends in the student council, he was teased mercilessly by an admittedly small but nevertheless relentless group of certain boys. Despite this, he was universally recognized as one of the smartest people in the entire school, challenged only by Cecianah Kozuki herself, prodigy that she was.
"Way to kill the atmosphere, Einstein." quipped Ben.
"No, Nickolas is right." said Raiko Kozuki. "We really need to get some work done."
"Quite so." said Cecianah, glancing at the clock. "And some of us have places to be."
"What, got a hot date somewhere, Ces?" asked Ben jokingly. Cecianah only responded with a look that sent him hurriedly back to his paperwork.
About half an hour later, Rachel not-quite-officially closed the meeting. "All right, people, that's enough for today. Pack it up." Like a rocket, Cecianah rushed to the door. Ben, feeling his chance slipping away, hurried after her.
"Hey, listen, uh, Cecianah, I heard that you like classical music, so, uh-"
"Ben, whatever it is, can it wait? I'm in a hurry right now."
"No, but listen, I just-"
"Later, Ben." Cecianah practically ran down the hallway, leaving behind a very lonely and forlorn looking Benjamin Johnson.
Unbeknownst to Ben, Raiko Kozuki also watched Cecianah's retreating figure, eyes narrowed in anger.
Though she was almost late, Cecianah made it on time to the café. Quickly glancing around the room, she L.L. at an expansive table in the corner, and hurried over to meet him.
"Good to see you made it." said L.L. as she sat down. "Anybody tailing you?"
"No, no one's following me. Or at least, no one that I could see. I'm not exactly used to this kind of thing yet." She responded, still trying to catch her breath.
"Well, you'd better get used to it, because the enemy you are facing is highly resourceful, wide-spread, and highly placed. You never know who's an enemy and who's not. Until you have succeeded in your fight against them, you need to understand that these people will never stop hunting for you. They're probably the only other people on earth who know what happened in that garden yesterday, and because of that they both fear and hate you."
"Can you tell me more about them? These… People?"
"Certainly. You're a student, correct? I assume you've discussed the Roman Empire?"
"Uh… Yeah, if only briefly. Weren't they an Italian-based empire that attempted to make Britannia a colony around 0 A.T.B.?"
"Correct. Although there wasn't really a 'Britannia' back then; it was more of an uncivilized, disconnected land with no central government and multiple groups of warring clans. However, after Rome began to invade Britannia, an individual managed to unite the clans and actually managed to repel the Romans.
"Now, most historians agree that this individual was a political and strategic genius, to be able to unite so many different ethnic groups and have them fight together against what was then the world's greatest empire. However, what the history books won't tell you is that this man had another benefit that normal mortals could not conceive of… A Geass, just like you now have."
"How does this relate to the people who tried to kill us yesterday?"
"I was getting to that. Now, as you've obviously guessed, this man went on to become the first Britannian Emperor, and Geass and the royal throne have been intimately intertwined ever since. Indeed, there have been very few emperors who have not risen to power by using Geass, with Nunnally vi Britannia being the only significant contemporary example. Now, by this time rumors were flying back in Rome about a group of rebels whose leader had a demonic influence on men, a devilish power given to him by a witch. A group of prominent businessmen and leaders met together to discuss this new threat to the empire, and decided that they would attempt to study this new power, if it did indeed exist, and report their findings to the emperor when the time was right. However, all of their attempts to abduct this new leader or his 'witch' failed, with men mysteriously disappearing and never coming back. In a few years, the unthinkable happened, and Rome fell to Britannia, and as a result the empire completely collapsed. However, this group survived, and has slowly spread all over the world. They are everywhere; they could be anyone from the president of your country to your city mayor to the homeless man on the street."
Cecianah found herself more than a little nervous, glancing around the café apprehensively and wondering if anyone here was a member of this shadowy organization. "What do they want?"
"Traditionally, Umbra Imperatoris, which is Latin for 'Shadow of the Emperor,' has slowly attempted to study Geass and see how they could eradicate from the face of the earth. Originally, overthrowing Britannia was their first priority, but as Britannia grew in power, this goal seemed far more distant, and they turned their sights toward destroying Geass." At this, L.L. snorted. "Fools. They would have been better off trying to destroy the world's most powerful empire."
"Why is that?"
"Because, a Code-Bearer like myself, one who has the power to grant Geass, cannot be killed… As I'm sure you've guessed already."
"I see… And I need to fight these people using my Geass? I wish I knew more about it…"
"I could tell you everything you need to know. For example, I know that you have the ability to control the electrical impulses of a person's body. Depending on how hard you push, the person may or may not remember what they did under your influence. As a side effect of this, you can also influence electrical objects, such as cell phones or computers. Approximate range…" L.L. paused as though thinking hard. "Depends on atmospheric conditions."
"'Atmospheric conditions'?"
"Of course. Geass may be what people consider 'supernatural,' but it's just as affected by science as anything else is. All Geass powers operate through a medium, be it sound, skin, or eye contact, and it appears that yours operates by sending out some sort of signal. The range of this signal is apparently affected by the atmospheric conditions is attempts to pass through."
"Is that normal?"
"It's not entirely unheard of. I once knew a man who could read minds. His worked through a similar medium, but in the opposite way: If he was within 500 meters of a person, he could detect and read their brain waves. But I digress. The point is that your Geass has a range of, say, 25 meters on a really bad day and up to 300 kilometers if conditions are optimal."
"300 kilometers?"
"That's correct. Now that we know the specs of your weapon, we must decide how you will use it to fulfill your contract."
"That's right… About that contract you mentioned… Well, what exactly is it? You never said what I was supposed to do."
"Destroying Umbra Imperatoris is certainly part of it, and the part that you should probably take on first, since it benefits both you and me to do so. And in any case, the other part of the contract is deeply interrelated; doing so will inevitably help the other."
"But what is the other part?"
"You'll know that when you're ready."
Not exactly reassured, Cecianah leaned back in her chair. "Very well then. So tell me: how am I supposed to defeat these people?"
L.L. smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that. Let's discuss this over some food. Have whatever you like, tab's on me."
"You seem to be acting rather affluent for a man so secretive he can't reveal his face to anyone."
L.L. laughed. "In my, experience, my dear Cecianah, men who hide their faces are the best kind." Cecianah blinked noticeably. It was the first time he'd actually used her name. "But while we're waiting, we might as well find out a bit about each other. And I believe I have just the tool needed to do that." He pulled a briefcase onto the table and opened it up: inside was a chess set.
They played while waiting for their food to come, and Cecianah was amazed by his skill. For this first time in her life, the child chess prodigy found herself really being forced to think about her moves and how they would affect the overall situation. Just as the food arrived, Cecianah made the decision to move her king towards to opposing side.
"Oh? That seems a rather odd move. Why move your king?" asked L.L.
"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" asked Cecianah. "Or she, in this case."
"Interesting. I once knew a man who said something remarkably similar. However…" L.L. moved his king right next to Cecianah's.
What! thought Cecianah wildly. He's giving me victory? No… It's not just that. He said the whole point of this game was to get to know each other, right? Then this is a test. But what exactly the test was about, or what the correct answer was was beyond Cecianah. However, she considered the situation carefully, and decided that there was only one path she should take.
And slowly, deliberately, she moved her king forward and took L.L.'s king, thereby winning the game.
L.L. seemed, if anything, even more surprised by this move. "And may I ask why you did that?" he asked.
"If the enemy you have described to be is as insidious as you say it is, then I can't hold back at all." said Cecianah, watching L.L. closely. "Anything that will prevent me from winning must be cast aside, including my own conscience or pride. If I see an opportunity, I cannot afford to ignore it."
Was that the outline of a smile beneath that scarf? "I see. Cecianah, it seems you may be a little wiser than that man was. I think I've found the right person to make this contract with."
He packed up the chess set, and they began to eat. Cecianah decided that she was officially intrigued by this man. Who was he, really? And why did he need to keep his face hidden? However, she decided, these things weren't as important as his ability to help her defeat Umbra Imperatoris. Protecting herself and her family took priority over her personal curiosity.
But before they moved, on Cecianah had one more question… "L.L., why did Umbra Imperatoris target me specifically? I can't see any specific factor that would single me out. I'm a normal person, or at least I was until yesterday."
"The mentality of these people is hard to understand, even for me." explained L.L. "Their dedication to their goal is wholehearted: these people generally are raised from birth to be completely loyal to the organization. Within the organization is a complex set of unspoken rules that all potential members must learn from inference before becoming full-fledged members. I once tried to create an organized sleeper-agent system within the organization-"
"So you've tried to take down this organization before?"
"Yes. However, the said attempt was unsuccessful, because anyone who had been raised as a normal person was too far outside the mindset of an average member of the organization to even begin to understand the rules they followed. Most of them were eliminated, even if though they hadn't shown any outside sign of their true intentions. But once again I digress. As to why you were targeted… I'm not entirely sure, but I have my suspicions. My best guess is that you are the daughter of another code-bearer."
"What… You mean my real mother…? She was somehow related to all this?"
"Yes… Or, at least, she was if she is who I think she was. I have my suspicions, but I can't confirm them for sure. Not right now, anyway. I have a location on her, but that can wait until we get the wheels moving."
"Just one last question… If Umbra Imperatoris targeted me from the museum, then doesn't that mean they already know who I am? That means they could send someone after me at any time."
"That seems a significant possibility, which is why I had you look for anyone tailing you. Luckily, that doesn't seem the case, and in any case, you weren't their primary target going in. That would be me. Since the team that tried to kill us didn't have any contact to the rest of their command structure for security reasons, then they probably assumed that I killed them using my "demonic powers." However, you can be assured that they have contacts within the police, and depending on how observant they are, Umbra Imperatoris may already know that two people walked away from that encounter yesterday. So watch your back. Now, here's the basic idea…"
Half an hour later, Cecianah walked out of the café, feeling elated. It really is a brilliant plan she thought. All that remains is to put it into action. Several blocks away, an Umbra Imperatoris agent was thinking a remarkably similar thought as looked up at the Black Knights U.S.J. charter headquarters and raised the radio to his mouth to initiate the attack.