"Wake up, Lelouch!" Cried a tall, beautiful blonde. She smacked Lelouch's head with a rolled up paper as she continued. " I know you were sleeping; your hand stopped moving!" she admonished, earning a grin from Lelouch's blue haired friend, Rivalz. He, Lelouch, Milly, Shirley, and Nina Einstein were assembled around a dark colored table and were supposed to be working on rebalancing the activities budget for the umpteenth time, but no one aside from Lelouch was remarkably capable. Nina would have been, of course, had she wanted to. But she was usually too absorbed in her own studies and curiosity. That left the blonde troublemaker, Milly, the blue haired simp, Rivalz, and the helpful but woefully incapable orange haired Shirley.
Lelouch sighed discreetly.
Shirley.
He had been torn apart by what happened to her last time and the guilt had lingered, even if he didn't really show it.
He hadn't loved her like she loved him. He may have found her attractive, yes. And, if he had wanted a normal life, he might have one day turned her way. But he didn't love her. She was one of his best friends and it ached to know that he was the cause of her demise.
"Well you don't have to beat me up over it, do you?" Lelouch deadpanned, turning his attention back to the blonde troublemaker.
"Hah, serves you right for ditching me like that!" Rivalz chimed, gesturing with a pen.
"That's right!" Shirley said, eyeing Lelouch from the seat next to his own. "What was with you yesterday?" She inquired.
Lelouch groaned internally. While he had missed his friends, he hadn't missed the bickering and scrutiny that came with it all.
"That's enough you guys. Let's not get side tracked here!" Milly reprimanded. "If we don't come up with a fix for the budget there won't be money left for anything at all!"
"You know it would have been nice of you to remind of us this mess a day ago!" Shirley protested.
"I would have to say a day later. Then we could have given up." Rivalz quipped.
"Good idea" Lelouch said, smiling. "We could still do that."
"GUTS!" Milly shouted, bringing the conversation to a screeching halt.
"Still trying that 'guts' spell again." Rivalz commented with a wince.
Lelouch leaned forward emphatically. " I don't think your magic is gonna do much."
"Actually, it's got me going, madam president!" Shirley said, raising her hand.
Milly smiled, raising to her full height and putting her hands on her hips. "Supple and willing! That's what I like!" she said, eyeing Shirley's curves.
Completely oblivious to what Milly was actually getting at, Shirley boasted "I train hard in the gymnastics club!" and flexed her right arm.
Smirking, Milly crossed her arms. "That's not what I was getting at." she said, looking down at Shirley's clothed breasts. "You're a ten. You've been filling out in all the right places. From what I've seen in the girls bathroom, anyway."
Blushing, Shirley crossed her arms over her chest. "W-what are you talking about you perv!?" she demanded.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Elsewhere, a black car drove up to a checkpoint. Two Britannian soldiers saluted as the car resumed it's steady march forward and past the checkpoint after a brief stop.
"Bartley was a fool." a blue haired man stated in the back of the car. The silver haired woman next to him turned her head, asking "How so?"
Jeremiah Gottwald grimaced. He had never been a particularly good actor, and knowing that Villeta would soon become a thorn in his lord's side made it difficult to play along. However, his orders were absolute. He was to act like nothing had happened until he could reconvene with his lord after the trial.
"The killer has breached our heaviest security twice now. This inspection is little more than a farce." he stated.
Amber eyes turned to meet his own. "Now that Prince Clovis is out of the way, us purebloods can-"
Jeremiah raised a finger, interrupting her. "Let me handle that."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Kallen! It's been ages!" a school girl cried as she crowded near the 'sickly' redhead as Lelouch rounded the corner to his next class. Just seeing her again, after everything they had gone through, affected him. His palms were sweaty and his vision swam. His heart thundered in his chest, and a warm fuzzy feeling pervaded throughout his chest as he laid eyes on her. There she is. He thought, trying and failing to keep a small smile from his face.
"We've been worried sick all this time!" one of Kallen's 'friends' exclaimed.
"You're okay now, right?" another asked.
"Yeah." Kallen replied easily. "I just have to take it easy for a little while."
Lelouch smirked. It was hard to believe that Kallen had ever fooled anyone into thinking she was meek and frail, but she was a good enough actor. Resisting the urge to wake her then and there, he took his seat. Things would have to play out more or less the same way they had for the next week or so.
Catching his stare, Rivalz nudged his friend. "What's up buddy? See something you like? You've got a thing for her, dontcha?" he whisper- shouted in Lelouch's ear, catching Shirley's attention.
Lelouch shrugged modestly. "Just thinking this is a rare event, that's all. She hasn't been in school since the start of the term."
"Kallen Stadfeld. They say she's sick or something. She barely show up to class last year, too. And yet her grades are top of the class. And she's the heir of the Stadfeld family, which means she's well breed and rolling in money! Man, you sure know how to pick them!" Rivalz continued, eliciting a small blush from Lelouch.
"It's not like that." Lelouch lied.
"Ah, you don't have to hide it! A touch too sheltered if you ask me, though."
Later, the students were released to the courtyard for lunch. Lelouch observed Kallen in her frail persona as she ran form a bee. Sensing his chance, he walked up to her.
"Uh, did you need something?" Kallen asked him timidly.
"No, only I wanted to say welcome back." Lelouch said with a small smile.
Kallen blushed and looked away ever so slightly. "Well, um, thank you."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Lelouch planned his next steps as he walked to his and Nunnaly's shared housing. He needed to awaken Kallen and Suzaku soon if he wanted to change the course of events. Waking Suzaku would give him another ally on the inside, assuming he could sway him over to their side. I'll have to remind him what my father is trying to accomplish. If they get to the thought elevator at Kamine Island before we do it could be game over.
And waking Kallen would… well, waking Kallen was mostly for personal reasons, though Lelouch would never willingly divulge that information to anyone. That said, if Kallen remembered the battles she took part in she would better be able to fight and keep him safe. Yes, it would certainly be necessary to wake both of them soon, and there would be two perfect opportunities withing the next week if he played his cards right.
"How was your day, Lelouch?" C.C. asked, sitting around the kitchen table and folding cranes with Nunnaly.
Lelouch's eyes boggled. What is she doing here!? He thought in shock.
"Just fine, thank you. I see you've met my sister." he responded as calmly as he could.
Nunnaly giggled. "Miss C.C. was just telling me that she is a classmate of yours, Lelouch. I didn't know you were tutoring?"
Though she couldn't see it, Lelouch smiled gently.
C.C. smiled, too. Nunnaly was just too cute. "Your brother is helping me prepare for the history text we have next week. I'm sorry to take up your time with him, Nunnaly."
Nunnaly giggled again. "It's fine. Good night, Big Brother." she said as Sayoko wheeled her into her room to get ready for bed.
Lelouch turned to C.C. just as the door began to close. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a whisper.
C.C. shrugged, continuing to fold a paper crane. "It's not as if i've never been here before." she retorted without looking up at him.
Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Technically speaking you haven't. This is an alternate timeline. It's impossible to predict how our actions might change the course of events." he said, sitting across from the immortal witch.
C.C. smiled lazily. "So what is our next move, then, Lelouch?" she inquired, turning to look Lelouch in the eyes.
Lelouch mused for a second, picking up a paper crane to study it. "I need to wake Kallen and Suzaku. And" he said, putting down the crane to look C.C. in the eyes. "I need a favor from you."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Bartley was in a lot of trouble. The Third Prince of Brittania had died not only in his presence, but under his watch. He had been participating in the operation in the Shinjuku before the prince took command himself. Their forces had been nearly wiped out before that experimental frame took the field and the terrorists completely vanished. Now he had been forced to move his men to the base at Narita, and he himself was in the back of the truck transporting Clovis, sitting with his head between his legs next to the coffin.
"I pray you'll forgive me, your highness." he said, never looking up.
Suddenly, the room of the vehicle was peeled away and a voice came over a loudspeaker. "I hope you can see how determined we are, now. This farce ends here!"
Bartley threw himself against the wall of the vehicle. "But- I already told you!" he shouted.
"That you don't remember? Still clinging to that ridiculous excuse?!" Jeremiah exclaimed from within his sutherland as he finished tearing the roof from the vehicle, his seat sliding back to allow him to look the disgraced former general in the eyes.
"Just ask the others!" Bartley shouted, sweat beading his face. "They'll testify that-"
"Ducking the blame? You're pathetic!" Jeremiah exclaimed, interrupting the man. "You shan't remain at his royal highness's side another minute!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Classes were wrapping up for the day when Lelouch made his move. Putting his books into his bag he walked up to Kallen, interrupting the conversation she was having with her 'friends'.
"Excuse me. Could you spare a minute? I need to talk to you." he said, shocking every girl in the vicinity. Kallen blushed, but stood up. "Sure."
She followed him out into the hallway as he lead her to the student council building. "I understand that you've been away from Ashford for quite some time, Miss Stadfeld." Lelouch began without turning to look at Kallen.
Kallen scowled. She truly hated that name. She was Kallen Kozuki, freedom fighter of Japan. "Yes. I've been sick for quite some time, and lately I haven't been able to get out of bed much."
They continued walking across the grounds, entering the largest, most opulent of the many buildings on campus. Being the gentleman that he apparently was, Lelouch held the door for Kallen and gestured inside with his free arm, again eliciting a small blush from the redhead girl. Kallen couldn't help but gasp as she beheld the interior of the building. Lavish and luxurious didn't even come close. The room was one big, three story ballroom, with support columns ringing a single flight of stairs that lead to the upper floors. The walls were a light, creamy tan color, and large paned windows ringing each floor. Tables were set up between the columns, and the school's crests could be found on the ground.
"I didn't even known this place existed." she commented as Lelouch followed her inside, his steps echoing through the room.
"It's the clubhouse for the student council. They built it as a ballroom for various special occasions." Lelouch answered, mirth lacing his voice.
"And we won't be disturbed here?" Kallen asked, turning to look Lelouch in the eyes.
"I wouldn't say that." Lelouch again answered, this time with even more obvious amusement.
"There it is!" rang a female voice. Kallen and lelouch turned and looked towards the staircase, upon which were two young women. They were schoolgirls, judging by the uniforms they wore. "I found it!" a pretty, orange haired girl exclaimed. She turned and handed it to a mousy, dark green haired girl with glasses. "Oh, thank goodness." the verdette sighed.
"Good" said a boy about their age with dark blue hair. "My ass is killing me."
Before anyone could say anything, a tall, beautiful blonde walked in from a back room pushing a cart with food before her. "All done on my end. Shall we dig in?" She asked enthusiastically.
The trio at the top of the staircase voice their excitement at the prospect of food and rushed down as Lelouch asked "What is all of this?" knowing full well what it was. He had been surprised in the last time line by Milly's antics quite often, but hopefully this time he could keep ahead of her. And Arthur, now that he was thinking about it. Gotta do a better job of hiding my outfit this time around. Milly will adopt Arthur no matter what I do, probably. the genius exiled prince thought wryly.
"Don't you know?" Milly asked, turning to face Lelouch. "I thought that was why you brought her. We're inducting Kallen into the student council!"
"Huh?" Kallen asked eloquently, tilting her head to the side in confusion. What is this Brit talking about?
"It was my grandfather's idea, actually!" Milly chirped, continuing her work with the plates on the cart.
"You mean the principal?" Lelouch asked.
"Mmm-hmm. He thought it best with her poor health she'd have a hard time with regular club activities." Milly said, before stopping and turning to face them. "Oh, I'm Milly, by the way. President of the council. Pleasure to meet you!"
Kallen straightened up and bowed her head a bit. "Oh thank you, the pleasure's all mine."
Rivalz, Shirley, and Nina ran up, introducing themselves in short order.
"It's nice to meet all of you." Kallen replied meekly, hating every second of it. These Brits didn't seem to be bad people in the slightest, but she loathed having to act so meek and sickly.
"Um, Shirley? Can you put these on the table for me, please?" asked a quiet voice. Everyone turned to the sound of an automated wheelchair as a young girl with sandy blonde hair rolled into the ballroom, a tray of sweets in her lap. Strangely enough, her eyes were closed so tightly that Kallen thought she might hurt herself from the strain. It wasn't until the girl wheeled closer that Kallen realized she wasn't doing it on purpose; she simply couldn't open her eyes.
"Of course, Nunna!" Shirley said, rushing to help the younger girl.
Unnoticed by all but Kallen, Lelouch straightened up and scowled for the briefest moment, a tender, worried look entering his eyes. "Nunnally, what are you doing here?" he asked gently, but firmly.
At Kallen's confused look, Milly explained: "This is Nunnally, Lelouch's little sister."
Nunnally turned her head in the girls' general direction. "I'm still in the middle school group, so I can't be on the council yet." the young girl said.
"That's all right! You're a member in our books, Nunnally!" the blue haired boy, Rivalz assured, stepping forward to help the orange haired girl with the set up. Nina, the shy verdette, followed him.
Free of her burden, Nunnally turned to face Kallen. "Hi there. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen. I've heard so much about you from Lelouch!" she said gleefully. All at once the activity in the room ground to a halt, and six heads turned with varying reactions in the direction of Nunnally and Kallen.
Lelouch's eyes widened so much that they almost popped out of his head, cartoon style, and his mouth flapped up and down like a fish out of water.
Rivalz and Milly wore almost matching masks of mischievousness, both formulating plans to tease (or torture, in Milly's case) Lelouch over this later. Milly was also looking forward to using this to push Shirley to confess her not so secret feelings for Lelouch.
Shirley and Kallen were both blushing madly, the former stammering so badly it sounded like she had developed a stutter.
And Nina had brought up a hand to cover her mouth, gasping at the implications.
Nunnally may not have been able to see their reactions, but she giggled at them nonetheless. The room was silent for nearly a minute before everyone began to speak at once, sans Nina and Kallen.
"I knew you had it in you, buddy!" Rivalz shouted, clapping Lelouch on the shoulder.
"My, my, Lelouch. How could you do this to poor Shirley?" Milly teased.
"Madam president!" Shirley shouted, her blush going atomic.
Lelouch turned to each of them in turn, exasperated and desperately trying to do damage control. "It's not like that!" he insisted, shrugging his shoulders with his hands in his pockets. "I'm not interested in Kallen." he said, turning to look Shirley directly in the eyes.
Kallen, who had been keeping up her meek and weak facade, visibly reacted to this, crossing her arms and leaning her weight onto one leg. "You aren't?" She asked, her tone terse.
Oh shit. Lelouch thought, panicking. Of course he was. After everything they had been through last time, how could he not? Kallen was witty, fierce, talented, and driven How could he not be interested in her that way? And why does she care? He thought, perplexed. He hadn't awakened her yet. Was… was she interested in him? It made sense. She had kissed him in the last timeline. But that was after working together for an entire year. Had she always been interested in him?
Lelouch shook his head, aware that everyone's eyes were on him right now. He was quickly getting a headache from this random turn of events, and he was quite sure something like this hadn't happened last time. And the only other person who could have influenced events like this was… C.C. It had to be her; Jeremiah hadn't met Nunnally since the battle at Shinjuku. Celeste… I swear I'll get you back for this. He thought angrily. Now- to deal with this mess.
"Look, Miss Stadtfeld. Though I'm sure our paths have crossed before, we've only just met. And while you may be a charming young woman, I don't yet know you like that." Lelouch stated, hoping beyond hope that this would placate the two women staring holes into him at that moment.
Kallen blushed, looking away from Lelouch in embarrassment. So Pretty Boy thinks I'm charming? She thought cynically. She was well aware of the lustful gazes many boys their age, and even some of those older than them, leveled at her when they thought she wasn't looking. She knew what they said about her. None of these Brits were particularly stealthy, or quiet for that matter, so it wasn't a secret to know that she was highly sought after by the male populace of Ashford Academy.
But just about every single one of them went about it the wrong way. They were crass and rude, making dirty comments about her looks or claiming that 'one so fair should have the privileged to be seen in the company of a royal' and other such drivel. Ignoring the fact that, on her father's side, she was herself a member of Britannian High Society, Kallen could barely hide her disgust for these Brit snobs as they paraded around with their puffed up chests. And she had never been particularly interested, before, too. Lelouch, distant as he may have been, was the first to call her anything as tasteful as 'charming'.
"Moving on, I believe we still have to celebrate Miss Stadtfeld's induction?" Lelouch said, breaking Kallen from her thoughts and leveling a withering glare at Milly, who was smiling in such a mischievous manner that the exiled prince was sure she was going to try something. Apparently she got the message, because her smile faded quickly, turning into a pout. She almost seemed to say "fine."
Confident that he had averted that particular disaster, Lelouch set about handing everyone present a plate. "Now, let's eat, everyone!" he said, grateful that that was over.
"Right!" Rivalz exclaimed, disappearing for a moment and returning with a bottle of champagne. He placed it on the table with a loud thump!
"Champagne?" Nina asked. "We're on the student council, we shouldn't!" She insisted.
Making a grab for the bottle, Shirley said "No, we're going to get in trouble!"
Lelouch's eyes widened. He had forgotten about this. After a minute or so of wrestling with Shirley, Rivalz turned towards his best friend. "Lelouch! Heads up!" he shouted, tossing the bottle to Lelouch. Lelouch caught the bottle as it sailed towards Kallen, intent on preventing a repeat of the previous timeline's events. Pushing Rivalz down, Shirley dashed towards Lelouch.
"You're not getting away with this either, Lelouch!" she said, trying to grab the bottle from his hands. "Wait, Shirley! Be careful, you could-" he said, falling down. POP!
The cork flew at Kallen, who skillfully knocked it aside, only to be doused by champagne.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
This is why I hate Brittannians. Kallen thought, lathering her arms with soap. She was showering after the little champagne fiasco, down one of the hallways in the student council building. She turned at the sound of a knock at the door.
"It's Lelouch. I've brought you some clothes."
"You can come in." she said, drawing the curtain in order to ensure that he didn't see anything.
Lelouch entered with a barely audible sigh. "Sorry about all this. They can be a little… much." he said, setting the change of clothes down on a chair near the curtain.
"It's ok. Nothing wrong with cutting loose every once in a while, ya know?" Kallen responded honestly.
"These are some of my clothes. Hope that's okay."
"It's cool, don't worry about it. That was fast." Kallen said, scrubbing her shoulder. "You went all the way to the boy's dorm?"
"Actually, I live here. It'd be pretty hard for Nunnally to stay in the dorms." Lelouch said, leaning against the wall. "The principal let's us stay here as a favor."
"I see…" Kallen responded.
"Anyway." Lelouch said, turning to walk out before pausing. He would have to wake her up at some point soon. Why not have a little fun with it?
"Just don't mention Shinjuku to anyone." He said, nonchalantly.
"What did you say?!" Kallen demanded, dropping the soap in her hands in shock. No way… could he be the voice?
Lelouch hid his smile behind his behind a fake yawn, though he was confident she couldn't have seen it with the curtain drawn anyway.
"What's that?" he asked as if clueless. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you."
Kallen turned to glare at the Pretty Boy through the curtain. Whether he was the voice or not, if he somehow knew about the events in Shinjuku he would have to be silenced one way or another.
"I'm sorry. Could you hand me that pouch over there?" she said, turning off the water and reaching a hand through the curtain towards the pink pouch she had left on the counter.
"Sure." Lelouch said, walking over and grabbing it.
He held it out to her, turning his head away respectfully.
She grabbed it in her right and, and, grasping his arm with her left, asked "Where you the one in Shinjuku?"
Lelouch smirked. "Now that would be telling."
Kallen scowled, her grip tightening. "Answer me!"
"You really are a livewire" Lelouch replied, turning to look at her and willing his newly acquired geass to activate in his eye. Kallen stared as a red crane flew into her own eyes, and started as memories flooded her head. I'm just glad she didn't stab me.
Lelouch waited patiently for a minute or so as Kallen merely stared into his eyes. Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in his right shoulder. He looked down incredulously to find the pink pouch pressed up against his shoulder, it's small blade piercing an inch into his skin.
"What was- mmmmp!" Lelouch never got to finish. Kallen jolted forward head first, her lips slamming into his with such a heat that it left him stunned, his brain short circuiting. The knife in his arm certainly didn't help matters. He fell back, and she fell with him, pouch and all.
Leluch opened his eyes a few seconds later, and found that he was looking into the tear filled eyes of his Q1. "I watched you die! Suzaku, he… you were run through." she said, her voice wavering. "I'm ok now. I'll explain everything later, er, um. After you get dressed." he asserted, averting his eyes.
Kallen looked down at her bare body, her eyes going wide in shock. She looked back up at him after a second and Lelouch felt a jolt of fear run down his spine. Everything he had thought about Kallen was the absolute, unadulterated truth. She was clever, witty, smart, talented, and beautiful. She was also prone to small acts of aggression when surprised, cornered, or agitated.
Wham! Lelouch reeled back, his left hand clutching at his stinging cheek, and audibly sighed. Exactly my point. He thought, looking at some point on the far wall just past the huddled girl.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"When are you going to tell me what's happening, here?" Kallen asked irritably, walking with Lelouch down the hall. One second she was stabbing the pompous brit, and next thing she knew she was kissing him. Kallen harumped, turning her head and refusing to look at Lelouch. How are we back at Ashford? I saw Suzaku kill him.
"Tonight, here in my room." Lelouch whispered, keeping his face neutral. "You can't tell anyone; they don't know yet."
"Don't know what!?" she whispered harshly in return.
"Listen." Lelouch said, turning and grabbing Kallen's upper arm in order to keep her from going any further. Thankfully, she didn't fight him. "You know about my geass, right?"
Kallen nodded, choosing not to say anything. She could hear the others just past where they were.
"I got another one, in C's world. I was dead, just like you said. But I couldn't accept what I had done. All the innocents who had died. All the unnecessary deaths. Euphemia, Rollo, Shirley, Inoue, Yoshida, Urabe, Senha, and Asahina. Did they really have to die?"
Kallen found herself holding her breath as she stared up into his eyes, her own searching for any sign of deceit. She found none. Instead, she saw remorse and pain in his amethyst eyes.
Lelouch shook his head, staring somewhere behind the redhead. "I couldn't live with what I had set in motion. Then, I discovered that I couldn't die with it either. I promised that, given another chance, I would have changed everything. I still plan to rebel. But maybe, this time, everyone else doesn't have to die." he continued, looking Kallen in the eyes once more.
Kallen flushed red. She'd carried a (not so secret) crush for Zero, and then one for Lelouch, for while. It was times like these that she was reminded why.
"While I was there, I was given that chance. I was sent back in time with another geass, only this one allows me to awaken those around me." the exiled prince finished.
"So no one else knows?" Kallen asked, putting everything together.
"Exactly. Milly, Shirley, Rivalz. None of them know. The only ones I've been able to wake so far were C.C. and Jeremiah. The four of us will meet in a yet to be determined location after I awaken Suzaku." he replied, slipping her a small disposable phone. He turned and continued walking, forcing Kallen to do the same.
The two of them turned a corner just in time to hear the newscaster on the clubroom's tv announce Prince Clovis' death.
"Lelouch, it's awful!" Nunnally cried, breaking Lelouch's heart. It pained him to hear his sister like that, no matter the circumstances.
"What is?" he asked, turning to shoot Kallen a look that screamed 'play along'.
Milly turned to face the two. "Prince Clovis has been found dead."
Rivalz followed, saving "They're saying he's been killed!"
Kallen and Lelouch both faked a gasp, and Lelouch focused closely on the broadcast. I wonder if anything else has changed?
A man with mid length, ginger hair was standing behind a podium, his silver eyes intense. The words Press conference with Kewell Soresi and Margrave Jeremiah from the state broadcast room played out at the bottom of the screen, the captions giving Lelouch an idea of what his knight had changed. Lelouch grinned discreetly. Very crafty, Jeremiah. Allowing Soresi to take charge of the 'investigation' and take the blame of the orange incident should allow you to shift the blame and save face, and you won't be seen as a racist down the line.
"Prince Clovis has been taken from us! He fought for peace and justice against all the Empire's enemies!" Soresi spat from his place on stage. "He died a martyr! We must all bury our sorrow, and carry on his will!"
The tv panned out and went to a reporter sitting behind a desk.
"We interrupt this broadcast with braking news!" The man suspected as the murderer has been captured!
The screen changed again, showing Suzaku being escorted by several armed soldiers.
"The suspect identified is an Honorary Britannian! Private Suzaku Kururugi, a former eleven and Honorary Britannian! I repeat, Suzaku Kururugi has been arrested for the murder of Prince Clovis!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Do you know anything about this weapon?" Jeremiah asked, seated behind a desk and face to face with Private Suzaku Kururugi. "It was the one used to rob Prince Clovis of his life!" Kewell shouted, slamming his nads down on the desk. Jeremiah raise a hand, quelling Kewell for a moment. His lord wanted him to avoid making an enemy of Suzaku at all cost, which was why he wanted to exercise restraint during this investigation.
"The barrel striations leave no doubt, Private. This was the weapon that killed his highness. According to Sergeant Soresi, this weapon was found on your person." Jeremiah stated factually.
"You are making a mistake! I've never even laid eyes on that gun!" Suzaku protested.
"Come clean now! You'll be judged as if you were born a Britannian. And not some worthless eleven! " Kewell spat, venom in his voice. He gestured, and the soldiers flanking Jeremiah stepped forward, striking Suzaku. Jeremiah signed, raising a hand and stopping them from going further. This is going to be a long day.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"That was Suzaku they mentioned on the news, wasn't it? Nunnally asked, clutching her
brother for support. Lelouch was tucking her into bed fore the night. "Yeah. It looks like he's still alive." Lelouch responded softly.
"Lelouch?" Nunnally asked.
"What is it?"
"It wasn't true what the news said, was it?"
"Of course not. The news just made a mistake. Suzaku would never do something like that." he assured her, covering her with an orange blanket.
"Good night, Nunnally." Lelouch softly said, walking out the room and turning off the lights, closing the door behind him.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"So what are we going to do about Suzaku?" C.C. asked languidly, laying on her back on the small couch in Lelouch's living room. Kallen and Lelouch were seated at the nearby table, both of them scowlinging at her.
"Is it really a good idea to wake him?" Kallen asked, exasperated with the verdette's actions.
Lelouch drummed his fingers on the table aimlessly. "Aside from yourself and maybe Gino, Suzaku is the greatest knightmare pilot in the world. And while we may have been at each others' necks many times, I trust him."
Kallen sighed. "FIne. I assume we're going to be doing something similar to what we did last time?"
Lelouch grinned. "Something like that." he said, confirming her suspicions.
"You're planning something, aren't you?" Kallen asked dryly.
C.C. and Lelouch both laughed, further aggravating the spirited red head.
"Of all people, Kallen, you should know by now that I am always planning something." Lelouch responded, smiling brightly.
"Yeah, well. You know my feelings about this." Kallen retorted.
C.C., mirth still painted upon her face, smirked. "Yes, yes. We know all about your feelings, Queenie."
Kallen's face turned the same color as her hair as Lelouch stopped laughing.
Kallen stammered for a solid thirty seconds as C.C. laughed at her expense. Lelouch, meanwhile, knew better than to say anything.
Finally, Kallen recovered her witts, saying "At least I'm honest about my feelings, C.C." causing C.C.'s laughter to die swiftly. Both girls stared at each other from either side of the room, causing Lelouch to feel even more uncomfortable, somehow.
The teen cleared his throat, eager to get the conversation back on track. "Kallen, C.C. has… agreed… to a request that I asked of her."
Kallen raised a single slender red eyebrow. "What does it have to do with me?" she plied.
"He wants me to grant you power of your own, girl." C.C. said cryptically.
Kallen stared at the verdette for a long second. "You mean…?"
Lelouch nodded. "Yes. Should you accept, you'll receive a geass of your own."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
This is sooo stupid! Kallen thought, walking through the junk yard with Ohgi in tow. Why did they have to meet in a junkyard, of all places? After last time she figured Lelouch would have chosen somewhere else, but that would have been too easy, wouldn't it? Exactly why I have feelings for that idiot again? She thought sourly. Because he's saved you more times than you can count. Because he's a genius and a gentleman and a warrior with an unmatched intellect. Because he betrayed his country and his family, all to protect his little sister. A traitorous voice whispered from the confines of her subconscious.
Shaking her head hard, Kallen came to a stop. This should be-
"Thank you for coming." Came Le- Zero's voice off to their left. How had she not figured it out last time?
"Zero!" Ohgi exclaimed, wheeling around to face the masked teenager.
Zero nodded in response, scrutinizing the two of them. Kallen had to force down the blush that threatened to make itself known at that.
"Just the two of you, then?" Zero asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm sorry." Ohgi said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "If you could just give us more time-"
"No." Zero said with finality. "Just the two of you will be fine." he said coolly.
Kallen balked, though it was just an act. She had spent the better part of an hour going over the plan with Lelouch and Celeste. "That's crazy! You can't seriously think the three of us can do this; there'll be too many of them!"
Zero straightened just a bit. "With the three of us present, all tasks at hand will be cleared. Beside, an associate of mine will be watching from a distance, with instructions to intervene only if there is no other option."
Ohgi frowned. "An associate?"
Zero nodded as if he expected the question. "Just that; an associate. Rest assured; this individual has similar reasons for fighting Britannian as your own."
Kallen and Ohgi shared a look. "He hasn't let us down so far." Kallen pointed out.
"Ok." Ohgi said, nodding emphatically.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Parked off to the side of the road was a van. Inside were a camera crew, all lead by a man with blonde hair.
"Camera five is a little slow. Talk to me, Charles! Has your team been deployed yet? What, the studio? Let em wait! Nothing's been pushed back; everything's going according to plan! Here we go!" he barked into his phone before sighing. His name was Diethard Ried, and once again he was responsible for making sure the world saw 'true Britannian Justice'. It was nothing but a farce. He had, as a younger man, had a passion for discovering the truth. He wanted to leave no rock unturned, and now look at where he was. It was disgusting.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Kewell Soresi was having a relatively good day. He'd managed to convince Jeremiah Gottwald to let him head up the investigation of Prince Clovis's murderer. No longer would he be stuck in the blue haired man's shadow. This investigation would surely curry favor for him with the royal family, and when the next Viceroy was chosen for Area Eleven, it would be Kewell Soresi, not Jeremiah Gottwald, who would lead the Purists. All he had to do was frame a useless, dirty eleven!
He was currently standing out of his knightmare's cockpit, his pistol drawn as the convoy inched forward. The convoy was made up of five sutherlands, his own as well as the four ringing the platform that carrier Kururugi to his final destination. As far as Kewell was concerned, this eleven filth was already dead. It was only a matter of time.
"Commander!" came a voice on his sutherland's radio.
Scowling, Kewell Soresi palmed the button on his earpiece. "Yes, what is it?!" he demanded. "You are interrupting an important operation; you better have a damn good reason!"
There was a pause as the man on the other end digested this, trying Kewell's patience even more.
"Sir, there's a vehicle approaching the main highway from third! We let it through as per orders, but…"
"What? On whose orders?!" Kewell demanded. He hadn't ordered anything of the sort!
"Well, sir… it's Prince Clovis' car." the soldier on the other end reported uneasily.
"WHAT!?" Kewell steamed. He raised his arm. "All forces, halt!"
The convoy came to a complete top within seconds. Voices whispered from the crowds as the knights watched for any sign of trouble. A car came up upon the horizon, pure white with gold trim, the flag of the Empire of Britannia emblazoned on the front. The oddly shaped vehicle crawled to a stop in front of the convoy.
"You DARE desecrate Prince Clovis' royal transport!?"Kewell roared, and the accompanying sutherlands all leveled their weapons at the vehicle. "Come out at once!"
There was a flash as fire devoured a portion of the cab, burning it away to reveal a figure covered in a black cloak with gold trim and wearing an oddly shaped, black mask. Everyone reacted in shock at the sight of the darkly clad person.
"I am… Zero!" came a voice, booming, from the vehicle.
Kewell raised the pistol in his hand. "I've seen enough, 'Zero'! This show of yours is over!" he shouted, firing a single round into the air.
Four sutherlands dropped from vtols, completely surrounding the transport. The resulting wind caused Zero's cloak to flutter, revealing a red underside.
"First things first." Kewell said, reveling in the spotlight. "Let's have you remove that mask!" he said gleefully, leveling his pistol at the masked figure.
In response, Zero raised his arm into the air and snapped. Inside the cab, Kallen pushed a button and the false part of the vehicle fell away, revealing a large, round device with numerous cylinders sticking out at odd intervals.
Kewell's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets. That can't be! He thought in panic.
Lelouch smirked beneath the mask. Yes, Soresi. You never saw inside this thing, so you assume it's poison gas.
"You bastard…" Kewell muttered. "He's taken every Brittannian here hostage, and he's done it without them even knowing it…"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Inside the van, Diethard was livid. He couldn't hear! Something interesting happens for the first time in his career, and some low life camera man refuses to do his job! Swearing, the blonde haired man grabbed a spare handheld camera and ran outside.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Fine." Kewell muttered bitterly. "What are your demands?"
"An exchange." Zero mused. "This canister for Kururugi."
"LIKE HELL!" Kewell shouted, incensed. "He's charged with high treason for the murder of Prince Clovis! I can't hand him over!"
Lelouch smirked under the helmet. "You are mistaken. Kururugi is no murderer."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Diethard ran up behind the leg of one of the sutherlands, focusing the camera on the man calling himself 'Zero'. He simply had to get a good angle on this!
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Zero resumed just as the camera settled on his masked face, turning to look directly into it as he said "The man who killed Clovis… is me!"
All at once the crowd, as well as those watching from around area eleven and the rest of the Britannian Empire, gasped.
"For a single eleven, you'll save scores of precious Britannians. I find that to be a bargain."
"You're mad! MAD!" Soresi shouted, again leveling his firearm at the masked man."Disguising that filthy thing as his highness' vehicle? You'll pay for this!" All at once, the four sutherlands surrounding the vehicle leveled their weapons at the masked man.
"Careful now." Zero said. "You don't want to blow this out of proportion, do you?" he taunted, gesturing behind him at the capsule. Kewell grit his teeth. If any of them missed and struck the container, hundreds, maybe even thousands of Britannian citizens would die.
Zero tapped the top of the vehicle with his foot, and it slowly crawled forward just a bit as a slit in his mask opened up. "If I die, it will go off" he said, causing the crowd to start panicking as they realized what he was implying. "If you don't want that to happen, you'll do everything in your power to let us go. That includes Private Kurururgi!" Zero said, the red crane symbol flying from his left eye and encompassing Kewell's own.
"Right, understood." Kewell said, turning towards the platform Suzaku was on. "You there, release the prisoner!" he said, shocking everyone present. After a second in which no one moved to comply, he shouted "THAT IS AN ORDER!" and the soldiers guarding Suzaku began to free him from his restraints.
Zero met Suzaku halfway, and when he tried to speak the device around his neck shocked him violently. "You weren't even allowed to speak in your defense, were you?" Zero asked, supporting Kururugi with one arm. As the two of them climbed onto the vehicle, Zero reached into his cloak with the other.
Looking back at the crowd, Zero pressed the button he had procured, saying "Farewell, Britannians" and the three of them silently slipped away under the cover of a thick, billowing purple smoke.
When the crowds and the smoke cleared, the soldiers found no sign of the masked terrorist or his accomplices.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Lelouch waited until Kallen had asked Ohgi to return to their hideout to say anything. They were among the rubble in what was once Shinjuku, and he had set about removing the shock collar from his friend's neck. He had just finished dismantling the damned thing when Kallen returned, alone.
"Who are you?" Suzaku asked, rubbing his sore throat.
Zero angled his head. "An old friend." he said, removing the mask and activating his geass. "It is good to see you again, Suzaku.
Suzaku blinked, straightening up and the sloughing against a nearby pile of rubble. "This one again?" he said wearily. Lelouch tilted his head again. "This one?" he asked, perturbed. Suzaku laughed sardonically. "I have this nightmare often. Each time I have to kill you, Lelouch." he said, looking at Lelouch with sadness and fear in his eyes. Then he turned and looked at Kallen. "Though you're usually not here, Kallen." he said in such a lighthearted tone that it frightened Lelouch, who shared a concerned look with Kallen.
Kallen stepped forward, hands out at her sides placatingly. "I know what you mean, Suzaku, but this isn't a dream."
Suzaku blinked and shot her a confused look. "What do you mean?"
Lelouch answered. "This is real, Suzaku. This is actually happening."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"So after dying and going to C's world, you were returned with another power, and this time you plan to fight Britannia without destroying the world and killing everyone in it?" Suzaku deadpanned.
"That's the gist of it, yes." Lelouch nodded. "But I'm going to need your help to build a better world, Suzaku. For Nunnally and all those in it." Lelouch said, afraid of what his long time friend and enemy might say. Suzaku was silent for almost five whole minutes, staring down at the ground between them, then at the rubble all around him. After an eternity of tense silence, he looked up at Lelouch. "Ok. I'm in."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kallen leisurely walked up the stairs of the Student Council Club House. It had been two days since they 'rescued' Suzaku. Of course Lelouch had Suzaku return just as he had in the previous timeline. He argued that Suzaku would be more useful on the inside than out, as he would have access to Britannian military records and, most importantly, the Lancelot. And so Suzaku had returned to the courthouse, and the judge dismissed the charges yet again. Now free of all charges, Suzaku would also be at this meeting. Or, in Lelouch's words, their 'summit'. Kallen rolled her eyes. Lelouch could be so pretentious some times. I guess that's par for the course with royalty.
She turned a corner just to find Jeremiah Gottwald.. flirting? With Sayoko, Lelouch's maid. She sat for a second and stared, perplexed by what she was seeing. She stared for so long that Jeremiah noticed her presence, turning to address her.
"Ah, Lady Kallen. How have you faired?" he asked cordially, dipping his head in a bow.
"Lelouch mentioned that you had been awakened, Lord Jeremiah, but I didn't expect to see you here." She said, returning the gesture.
"My Lord desired my presence at this summit, and so I have come." Jeremiah explained simply. "It is good to see you in good health, my lady." he said, opening the door to Lelouch's room and holding it for her. The two of them entered together, finding Suzaku, Lelouch, and C.C. sitting around his kitchen table.
"Ah, Kallen, Jeremiah. You made it." Lelouch said, standing up to welcome them.
Sayoko lead them in, sitting them down, as was her duty as a maid.
Once everyone was seated Lelouch began. "All of you know why you are here. You're all aware of what happened before, and so we need to go over our next move together. Of all our former comrades" Lelouch said, turning to look them each in the eyes for a time "I trust those here today the most." At this he gestured to C.C., who merely rolled her eyes. "And so I have asked C.C. to give each of you geass of your own. I understand if you wish to decline, but our next step cannot wait any longer. We need to know your answers before you leave tonight."