Chapter 12 - Hatching Plans

Disclaimer: Team Dragon Star does not own Code Geass.

This chapter was brought to you by Gohan-to-the-Max, Lord Helen and Razamataz22.

…

Kallen paused as she let those few words settle in. Thanks to the music playing, only she had been able to hear what Lelouch had said but she must have misheard. He must have said 'queen' or 'quiche' or anything. Just not that.

The look in his eyes, however, told otherwise. Lelouch knew exactly what he had just said and he knew just who he was talking to.

Around them a few whispers were starting to spread as a handful of people noticed the shocked expression that covered Kallen's face. While many thought nothing of it to start off with they couldn't help but hear what others were saying and how one jealous girl 'apparently' overheard Lelouch ask Kallen out on a date.

This was all going on behind the backs of the two individuals who had seemingly gathered the attention of everybody in the hall. "Can… can we talk about this somewhere more private?" asked Kallen, slipping into her weak persona. Lelouch merely nodded in response as he felt Kallen's fingers grip around his wrist and start pulling him out of the crowd, many of the students parting at the sight of them.

From her position a little ways away, Cornelia rubbed her eyes with her thumb and index finger whilst groaning ever so slightly, thinking that sometimes Lelouch simply wanted to push her over the edge. Perhaps she needed a vacation, somewhere far away and as punishment Lelouch could deal with this crap on a day to day basis for a while. There had to be a country nearby that she could conquer, that'd be a good way to spend a few weeks off.

...

Closing the door, Kallen looked down the empty hallways to make sure that the coast was clear before turning her undivided attention onto Lelouch. Before he could say anything, she had grabbed him by his shoulders and slammed him into the opposing wall. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you!" stated Kallen through grinding teeth, doing her best not to shout out her rage in fear of somebody listening in.

"Shinjuku," said Lelouch calmly without the slightest trace of fear in his eyes.

"What?" replied Kallen as her grip loosened a bit.

"I was in Shinjuku that day," stated Lelouch drawing back on a conversation that they had had weeks earlier. "Like yourself though, I couldn't afford to go blowing my cover over something, especially with the background I have."

"Are you… are you Zero?" asked Kallen completely taken aback.

"I'm Lelouch," said the boy in question, which caught Kallen off guard. "Prince of a disgraceful nation and ally of the Black Knights."

Kallen's grip became completely loose as her hands dropped away from Lelouch's blazer. Her gaze dropped downwards as she tried to register everything that was going on. Not only was one of her schoolmates a prince but he was fighting alongside her on the battlefront, even if she never saw him. What part did he play in all of this? Just why had Zero never made it clear that Lelouch was a part of their group? Or was this simply all a ruse and the person in front of her truly the man behind the mask?

Then again, did it matter?

Focusing her eyes, Kallen concluded that Lelouch was a member of the Black Knights and until she discovered anything new, that was all he was. Nothing more, nothing less. "Alright then, so what now?" she asked.

"I don't know, I can only leak so much information before I start getting interrogated," said Lelouch as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to have to go underground for a while as the paparazzi won't get off my back until they've had their fair share of photos, not to mention I have to go through Knightmare and physical training with some of the strictest people imaginable. Too much suspicion was raised when I managed to get the information out about the execution of Tohdoh and I only barely managed to get out of that one without a trip to the dungeon."

"I understand where you're coming from," said Kallen knowing what it was like to keep these sort of things hidden away. She could only imagine though how many precautionary steps Lelouch would have to make in order to get away. "The question is, what do you want me to do? You wouldn't have risked your cover just to tell me we're on the same side otherwise you would have done it while you were still just a student."

"I can only assume that everybody out in the foyer believes that I've asked you out on a date," said Lelouch knowing how troublesome this plan was. "That's what's going to happen though, we're going to go on a date."

Kallen's mouth slowly opened not having any idea how to respond before her fist clenched threateningly. "What the hell is that going to do?" she almost yelled, once again doing her best to keep her voice down in the case that people were listening through the door.

It was then that a dangerous gleam entered Lelouch's eyes and Kallen couldn't help but feel as if this was a well thought out plan in the making.

"We're going to stage a kidnapping."

...

Shirley stood there, frozen as though she was a ice cube trapped within a tray. The colour from her cheeks drained, her breath short and rapid and it felt as though her insides had just left her body. It was almost as though she was torn into two, was she happy that her friend was finally going on a date? Or was she heartbroken because the boy she loved had feelings for someone else? It felt to her as if hours had passed and Lulu was still in there with the sickly girl.

Of course her mind was only playing tricks with her; she was becoming too absorbed in the rumours that were spreading amongst the other people in the hall. Lulu had never shown interest in anything as simple as a date, chances were that over the course of the past few weeks nothing had changed. Especially if what she thought about him was true, it would be difficult for him to fit dating into his busy double life. If Lulu was Zero, then it meant that he wouldn't have the time to date because of all the activities the masked man has been getting into as of late. Nervously, she twisted her hair around her fingers. Her head felt heavy as she wandered out of the main ballroom and into a silent corridor. Lelouch was spending a rather long time to just be talking to Kallen and the thought of him being with her made her feel sick. She forced herself to gasp for air, her heart beginning to beat at a slower pace... it should have been her with him. It was then when the ginger haired girl slumped to the floor unconscious.

Cornelia was also becoming concerned but for different reasons. She found the rumours that the rabble had been whispering simply preposterous. For starters the arrangements had already been set in motion for Lelouch to wed the Prime Minister of Australia's daughter under orders from the emperor himself. It was only a matter of time before the world would be aware of the emperor's plans, they were just waiting for him to finish his military training.

Looking at it from another perspective however she could see where such a thing could go on two levels. For starters, this would be a direct slap in the face of their father, something which would infuriate the emperor of the nation no doubt but would also give Lelouch a grand sense of satisfaction. It could also be a tactic to infuriate the Australians and force them to make a move out of their homeland and onto their soil. Very few could stand to see their honour stamped upon and do little about it and while the Australian defensive force was one of the greatest in the world, their offence had yet to be discovered.

Lelouch could set a very dangerous game in motion, yet somehow she felt like he knew exactly what he was doing. Shaking her head, she forced herself to abandon the idea. There was no possible way that her younger brother would ever think about going on a date of all things. Not with his duties to the kingdom and his duties to protect their darling Nunnally.

By now her younger brother must have been in there longer than twenty minutes, she wished he would come out before the rumours get more and more ridiculous. Some of his fellow students were saying things that made her blood boil, her younger brother wasn't a perverted sex addict, they had just misunderstood. Or was she trying to protect his innocence? What if Lelouch was just a typical, hormone filled teenage boy? What if he was truly his father's son and he was making love to the sole heiress of a noble family? Again she shook her head; she needed to teach her brother a few lessons on respecting the opposite sex.

...

Prince Lelouch left the room with his bow tie slung over his shoulder and a few of his top buttons undone. A smirk was on his face as he turned to face Kallen whose hair was a little bit scuffled up; he stretched out his arm to her as she grabbed onto it. She hated this plan but what she hated more was the illusion that Lelouch wanted to create to divert any suspicions of his plan. He was risking it all to meet Zero therefore he had to be thorough.

"Smile," Lelouch hissed to her under his breath as they reached the door leading into the main ballroom. "Look like you've just had the time of your life."

A red blush snuck onto her face as she gripped his arm tighter, she hated playing this weak girl who 'just got lucky' with a prince of Britannia. She wished she killed him while she had the chance but if he knew and worked for Zero, then she couldn't get rid of a valuable asset. At least not until his uses wore out. It only took a few seconds for the ballroom to go silent as the two re-entered and about ten seconds after that for thousands of questions to be yelled towards the duo. Flashes of camera's began to go off as Lelouch gripped her tighter, pulled her into his chest and whispered, "Sorry."

Her lips met Lelouch's and all she could think about was Zero and how much she wanted to end this Prince's life. She had a semi normal life (in her own opinion at least) and now she had to be careful. While they kissed him, she cursed at him and thought of thirty ways she could end his existence, each more painful than the last.

Despite this being Lelouch's first kiss, his thoughts were elsewhere as his eye scoured the room before his gaze fell upon his sisters. With the entire gathering watching his every move at that moment he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction from the look upon Cornelia's face. Even if everything else failed miserably, it would still be worth it as he believed that he would never see her jaw hanging so low ever again.

...

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