"I'm…Zero?" CC only nodded her head. "That's crazy! I'm not even Japanese!" the teen responded.
"Neither was Zero, despite what he fought for." Kallen said. "Though you wouldn't have been high on my list of 'Who is Zero?'"
"This is crazy…" Lelouch whispered to himself. "Zero has to be dead! The Empire would never allow him to live-!"
CC crossed her arms and sighed. "This is going nowhere." The angry and manipulative, yet just and inspirational prince she had met a year ago was gone. And though she didn't want to admit it, it hurt to see him like this…
"Lelouch…" Kallen approached him. "…you probably don't recognize me; we hardly talked to one another in class."
"What?"
"It's me: Kallen, Kallen Stadfeld. Although I prefer to go by Kallen Kozuki…"
Lelouch looked confused at first, but then his eyes widened in recognition. "Wait…I remember now! I wasn't there, but Milly and the others told me on the day of the Black Rebellion, you revealed yourself as a Black Knight! I don't understand, but please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone I saw you…"
Firmly, she grabbed his wrist. "Lelouch, I don't completely understand what's happening either! But this life you're living is a lie! I'm sure we can find some way to-"
"Shut up! Do I look remotely like anyone who would be Zero!" Lelouch shouted as he managed to yank his wrist away from her.
"Enough with the questions, Lelouch!" CC yelled. "Had I known I couldn't completely break the seal, I wouldn't have even attempted this. But now that I have, your life is in danger, and you must come with us!"
Lelouch collapsed, his body visibly shaking. "No, this is crazy! I have to find my brother-"
"Your sister." Kallen interrupted. "You have a little sister, not a little brother."
"You're lying!" Lelouch screamed. "How many more lies are you going to spew out of your mouth! If you're going to kidnap me, just do it!"
CC approached him, and handed him a photograph. "By the time Kallen and I managed to leave Kamine Island, much of your room was cleaned up by the army. But, it seemed you planned that far ahead; I managed to find this under a floor board."
Lelouch couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was indeed him; next to him was Suzaku, both in their school uniforms. But, in the center in front of them, was a girl, perhaps 2 or 3 years younger than them. She was in a wheel chair, and judging by her closed eyes, possibly blind.
"Hnnn!" he grunted, clutching his chest. It felt like his heart was going to burst, as he felt a sudden feeling loss. But he couldn't remember this girl. It had to be a doctored photograph; but even PhotoMagic had its limits, and Lelouch knew how to find the most obvious flaws in such a photograph. This one looked too real to be faked.
"It doesn't matter that you're unconvinced; I've awakened your Geass, and unless you learn how to use it again, you will be a danger to everyone around you." CC said.
"Geass?"
"A power used to dominate the minds of others. Yours is the Power of Absolute Obedience; no matter what you request, others will do as you say." CC gave him a mirror for him to look into. Lelouch only stared into it; at this point he was too exhausted mentally to scream. But it frightened him all the same. His left eye had the same glow he saw in the Baron; up close, he could see the light make the shape of a bird. "You used to be able to activate it at will, but you've used it so many times that it is permanently active. The emperor was able to seal it away, and to save you I reactivated it"
Before anymore could be said, a Knightmare burst through the wall. It had gold plates, a demon like head, and wielded two sword staves. "One of yours!" Lelouch yelled.
"No, it's definitely Britanian!" Kallen responded as she ran back inside her Guren.
Urabe looked at the new foe's specs on his knightmare's interface. "It looks fierce, but I wouldn't worry about it too much; it's like that Lancelot, but this is clearly a model intended for mass production. With you, this should be over in no time!"
"Great!" Kallen exclaimed. "Then let's end this quickly!" The Guren charged, and almost clamped down on the new Knightmare's head…then it suddenly vanished. "Wha-?" Kallen then felt a sword slash across the Guren's back. "How the hell did that-?"
Urabe made a swipe at it with his sword, but once again it vanished. Before Urabe could exclaim his surprise, harkens fired from above and snapped the Gekka's arm off. "Shit! What kind of new technology is this!"
Even to Lelouch, it looked as though the Knightmare was able to teleport. It also seemed intent on destroying everything in its path, including the soldiers who were standing in place, doing notihng to protect themselves from the fighting knightmares as they were trampled over. But CC saw the reality of it. At first, she thought Kallen and Urabe were purposely stalling. But she realized what was really happening. "Geass!" CC turned to Lelouch and yelled "Stay there! We'll protect you!" Quickly, she hopped into the Burai and charged. Using the machine's remaining arm, she locked the Knightmare's arm and kicked it down to its knees.
"C-C2?" Kallen asked, coming out of the Geass trance.
"Kallen, this is a Geass user! I don't know exactly what it does, but I'm the only one immune to it! Take Lelouch and get out of here!" The Burai was stabbed right through, below the cockpit, grazing its camera. CC managed to fire her gun before her sensors went dark. The Gold Knightmare's left arm was blown off, but it wouldn't relinquish its hold. CC, just like she said, was immune to the effects of whatever Geass the pilot possessed, but that didn't save her from the fact the other Knightmare was superior and that she already had taken damage with Zero's unit. "GO! I'm immortal, remember!" CC yelled.
Kallen remembered, learning that the hard way, but she was still reluctant to leave behind an old comrade. Plus, C2 could still be captured. But she was right; if they were to save Lelouch, if not Zero himself, they had to leave CC to fight the enemy knightmare. "Okay! Just come back safe!" Quickly, the Guren and the Gekka made a beeline for Lelouch, who momentarily panicked again, but the Guren grabbed hold of him before he could get away. "It's not safe for him, not like this." Kallen knew there was only one thing to do. She didn't like the idea of it one bit, but it was either that or hand him over to Urabe. As excellent a fighter and good a comrade Urabe was, she didn't trust anyone but herself to handle this. "I've had to wear this for two weeks; may as well degrade myself further." she thought grimly.
Backing into a fairly stable corner, she halted the knightmare. Unlocking the hatch, she stepped out and climbed towards Lelouch. "Get in." Kallen ordered. Lelouch was visibly pale, and trembling. "Shit." Kallen grabbed him, and hefted him over her shoulders. "It's not safe out there! Come on!" The hatch shut, leaving the two in a precarious position. "Hands on the side, no sudden movements, and think about old men. Got it?" she ordered in a threatening tone. Though she probably couldn't see him, Lelouch nodded nonetheless. After seeing her kick ass at the casino, he really did not want to piss her off. Quickly, the Guren took off.
Just as it did, the gold knightmare destroyed the Black Burai. CC ejected in the nick of time, and made her getaway as soon as the escape hatch landed. The gold knightmare went for her at first, but then took a look at the two retreating Black Knights. It abandoned C2 and headed straight for them.
Vice-Roy Colaris sat on his chair, ready to give orders to the troops. Next to him was one of the High Eunuchs of the Chinese Federation, Gao Hai, with his body guard Li Xingke. They were in the middle of a diplomatic meeting, but the ruckus at the tower called for his attention. Insisting they accompany him, Colaris allowed them into his battle tank.
"The Black Knights are still active?" Xingke asked.
"So it would seem." Colaris responded. "Don't worry, though. They are just remnants of the past. Their forces consist of only a few Sutherlands and Burais, plus one other advanced Knightmare frame and the Red Lotus."
"The Red Lotus?" Xing Ke asked, intrigued.
"Zero's ace pilot apparently; the only things I know are that the pilot is a woman, and that she's good, good enough to fight on par with the Knight of Seven. As far as strength goes, she's the only one to worry about. But her frame is beginning to become outdated, and without Zero's tactics, she will not be able to pass through the barrier." The Vice Roy was certainly confident.
"We'll see." Xingke thought. If she was as good as the rumors said, Xingke had a feeling Colaris was seriously underestimating her abilities; no one became an ace by strength alone. Time would tell, he supposed. "If you don't mind, I've a question for you." Colaris waved his hand, allowing him to ask but not really caring for the question. "You've held most of the Black Knights prisoners for a year now. Should anything go wrong, they could escape and start an entirely new rebellion. Is this mercy on the emperor's part?"
Colaris scoffed at such a notion. "Of course not! We've been waiting to execute them for the longest time! But a silent one would only encourage more rebels; we need to catch as many as we can and display their execution publicly. The Red Lotus is in fact our prime target. When we capture the strongest of the Black Knights and execute her, the elevens will have no hope and submit to us."
Before Xingke could ponder any further, an explosion blew a chunk in the sky scraper. Two Knightmare frames leaped out, grabbed hold of the building to stabilize their descent. Xingke could easily see the red one was the one Colaris spoke of. "Show me what you've got."
"Shit! Kallen!" Urabe called as he looked at the army ahead of them. Granted, he knew a force would gather, but going into the plan he didn't expect to have Zero with them yet still out of commission.
"Yeah, I know!" the girl responded, preparing for battle. The Guren and Gekka split formation, taking on the Sutherlands. As Urabe sliced them away with his heated sword, Kallen took them apart with her knife.
"3'o clock!" Lelouch shouted suddenly.
Kallen reacted quickly, and grabbed hold of a Sutherland carrying a lance. "Goodbye." Kallen pressed a switch, and Lelouch witnessed the Sutherland beginning to boil from the inside before exploding. Without dropping a beat, Kallen shot her harkens at two other mechs approaching.
"You're nothing like the sickly girl you claimed to be back at school." Lelouch commented. As absurd as it was, he was quite amazed by Kallen's ability as a pilot.
"I could have kept it up if I didn't reveal myself to Milly and the others." the red-head replied non-chalantly, as if this level of stress was normal.
"There's too many of them for us to burst through, especially on this narrow highway!" Urabe shouted.
Kallen looked around, and spotted the Vice-Roy's vehicle. "Maybe if we take out the Vice-Roy, we'll have a chance! It's risky but at least taking out the head-honcho of this platoon will give us a chance to escape!"
Kill the Vice-Roy? No, it would only ensure that the army would be on their tail! It became clear to Lelouch that the Black Knights were strong fighters, but they lacked the minds of soldiers, especially high-ranking ones, trained in an organized and formal military. More importantly, no matter what they did, he would likely be killed in the crossfire, if not arrested as an accomplice. Somehow, he had to save his own skin. "Where's the communicator…there!" Quickly, he flung his hand over, but it did not go unnoticed by Kallen.
"Hey, what are you-?" Kallen quickly grabbed his wrist, knowing Lelouch had no chance of overpowering her.
But the Britannian student jumped forward for the switch, making it difficult for Kallen to push him back, the cockpit's motorcycle-like structure becoming a problem for Kallen. He succeeded in opening the channel, and shouted "Please, hold your fire!"
"What's this?" Gao asked as everyone in the chariot heard Lelouch made contact with them.
"He had a Britannian accent; a hostage, perhaps?" Xingke asked.
The voice on the other end of the radio appeared to confirm his suspicions. "My name is Lelouch Lamperouge! I am a Britannian Student from Ashford Academy, and the Black Knights have taken me hostage! I have a little brother, Rolo, and I-hey, let me go!" The voice was cut off, confirming Xing Ke's suspicions.
Still, Colaris waved it off. "We know of one Britannian who joined the Black Knights; it's not impossible for him to be another accomplice. Besides, our priority is to capture and eliminate the remaining Black Knights. If we turn this into a hostage situation, they'll only get away." Colaris pressed the communicator in his chair. "This is Viceroy Colaris. The cowardly Black Knights are trying to trick us into thinking this is a hostage situation. Ignore and destroy them; though do try to capture the red one alive if you can…"
"Yes, my lord!" The soldiers responded.
Xingke tightened the grip on his sword. The viceroy's course of action did not surprise him in the slightest; but even so, it made him sick that the Britannians would sacrifice one of their own commoners for victory. Still, he could not do anything, lest he risk war with Britannia. He could not allow them to attack China, especially the Empress. Sometimes, diplomacy really was nothing more than a lesser evil.
The Sutherlands fired, and Kallen swerved to dodge. Lelouch, desperate to get out of the line of fire, pressed the communicator again. "No! St-"
"It's no use!" Kallen shouted. "The Britannians are more interested in destroying us than rescuing you!" Kallen then thought "And if they know about you're secret Lelouch…you just put yourself in even more danger."
Immediately, Kallen began to go ahead with the strategy she thought of. "No, don't!" her hostage shouted.
"Lelouch, shut up!"
"Kallen! Taking out the Viceroy will not throw the troops into chaos like you think! That will only make them chase you more furiously; a mere viceroy is sure to have a second-in-command!"
"What other choice do we have!" Kallen shouted as she threw another knightmare over the Guren's shoulders and shot her harkens. Another one nearly managed to shoot her at point blank, but she dodged in the nick of time and sliced the enemy's arm off.
"Taking out the leader won't be enough! You need to create a situation where the troops need to be at the leader's side!"
Kallen, despite the heat of the battle, took a moment to think about this. He had a point; as usual (when he's Zero, anyway), his idea was better. "Even with the amnesia, he still has his military mind…" Looking back at the viceroy's carriage as she parried the Sutherland's attacks, she began to think of ways to put Lelouch's strategy to use. Looking between her and Urabe, she realized that there was one problem with the strategy. "One of us has to stay behind…" Suddenly, the gold knightmare from the casino flew out of the sky scraper. As opposed to falling like others, it went airborne. Kallen hated to admit it, but she knew she had no chance, not unless she could figure out how that knightmare seemed to manipulate time.
"I'll do it." Urabe suddenly declared.
"What! Urabe, don't…"
"There's no time! You and Zero-sama need to get away from that thing while you can! Besides, you're the strongest of our force, Kallen; I'm expendable." Almost like he was directly facing him, Urabe addressed Lelouch. "And kid, I have to admit that I didn't believe Zero was just some teenage punk. But from what Kallen and C2 have told me, it's the truth. I know this may seem scary, but now you've got a big responsibility on your shoulders, not just to Japan, but to the world! Even if you don't believe your Zero, you're going to have to be strong and find him deep within." With that, Urabe took off to strike down the viceroy.
Though Kallen desperately wanted to help her comrade, she knew her priority was getting Lelouch to safety, and if she died with him, so would Lelouch. Even if he wasn't the Zero she knew, at the moment she saw him as a poor teenager who had to be protected, now her responsibility. "Thank you, Urabe!" Kallen's Guren drove to the side of the highway and leapt off.
Before the Sutherlands could pursue her, Urabe slashed through them and made a beeline for the viceroy. The carrier and other Sutherlands fired upon the Gekka, turning it to Swiss cheese in no time. All concentration was lost on Kallen as the Brittannians attempted to defend their commander. Urabe, coughing up blood, knew he wouldn't be able to kill the viceroy; at least, not directly. As the Gekka's leg broke down, it pulled out a grenade. "Long Live…Japan!" The resulting explosion caused the freeway to collapse, taking the knightmare frames and the viceroy's chariot with it.
The Guren made a rough landing on the street, but managed to get away from the chaos. There didn't seem to be much collateral damage; granted, in war, it was something one had to put in the back of their mind. Just like when Shirley's father was killed at Narita, Kallen had to accept any unfortunate casualties and move on. Still, even with her hatred of Britannian discrimination and class structure, she was glad it appeared no innocent bystanders were killed.
"Hang on, Lelouch! We're going to high-tail it out of here now!" She pressed on the gas, and the Guren's wheels spun so fast the rubber was burning. The knightmare tore through the streets, causing civilians of all classes to clear the way. She could here sirens in the background, as well as commands over the radio from the military to apprehend her. To her relief though, most of them were focused on rescuing the viceroy.
"Where are you taking me!" Lelouch asked.
Kallen had to think about that for a second; she didn't want to, but they had nowhere else to go. "It looks like…my home. Away from home, anyway. For now."
The Guren approached Shinjuku Ghetto, making its way into what looked like a condemned building. "This doesn't look safe." Lelouch commented.
"When you're in my position, you can't be picky about where you live." The red-head replied. The Guren then settled into a standing position in an obscure corner of the building. "Besides…we're not going up."
She pressed a switch on the control panel, and the Guren immediately descended via a hidden elevator. Lelouch watched in awe as an intricate underground layout was laid before his eyes. A shelter made of reinforced steel, high and large enough to house several knightmares…while Britannia probably had something similar and better, considering the status of the black knights, he was impressed. Either Zero had a lot of money (which was highly probable), or the Black Knights had some generous sponsors.
"He made this?" he asked, referring to what he once believed was the deceased leader of the black knights.
"More or less." Kallen replied. "Oddly enough though, he got the workers to do this for free, and to keep their mouths shut afterwards. What's more, they did this with only enough time to eat and sleep for a few hours. Otherwise, it was non-stop, and they got it all done 5 times faster than it would otherwise."
"He must have been quite the motivator." Lelouch commented, genuinely impressed.
"Yeah." Kallen mumbled. "That's one way to put it." "Or perhaps sorcerer is a more accurate description…"
The Guren's cockpit opened, and both occupants exited. "So, what now?" Lelouch asked Kallen as she walked ahead of him.
"There's a couch over there in the corner; just relax for now. You look like you're about to have a heart attack."
"Yeah, being shot at isn't exactly good for one's health." Lelouch replied sarcastically.
"Just go clear your head." Kallen replied firmly. "I need a shower, and a change of clothes. I don't think I need to mention anything else, do I?" She hinted at something with a growl and a warning.
Lelouch sighed. "Seeing you is the last thing on my mind, especially given the circumstances."
Kallen replied curtly "Good." She was made her way over to the showers, but stopped and turned around, this time looking more sympathetic. She could tell Lelouch was scared, but not just for his own life.
"I have a brother…"
Kallen sighed. "Lelouch." She got his attention. "I'm sorry for everything that happened. I know we just turned your life upside down, but we're desperate. Had we known this would be a bust, we would never have attempted this. But I need you to trust me now; you need to know the truth."
Lelouch groaned. "I don't even know where my brother is."
"I've a feeling he's okay." Even Kallen could figure out that boy was a Britannian spy. But it was best not to bring that up for now. "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll answer everything I can." With that, she walked away, leaving Lelouch in his confusion.
"Rolo, are you okay?" Lelouch whispered to himself.
Vileta anxiously watched the scene unfold on television. The attack on the casino by the Black Knights, and Lelouch playing hooky…she knew this was no coincidence. The emperor was supposed to have altered Lelouch's memories, but she had a feeling a being like C2 could reverse it. "If he has his memories back, he will have to be killed. But, I'd imagine the emperor cares about him to some degree. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have this undercover job." She could speculate all she wanted to, but she was still under orders from the emperor, and sound logic or not, his word was absolute. She then dialed a number on her cell. "Rolo. Are you there?"
"I'm here." Lelouch's "brother" replied on the speaker.
"Report."
"I got separated from Zero in the chaos. I immediately boarded a knightmare and engaged the black knights. I saw him conversing with them, but he didn't seem to be in control; I think the false memories are still in place. However, they still got away with him, even with the power of my geass; I believe C2 was the one to stop me. There was no other explanation for the unit's apparent immunity."
"Did you manage to capture her?" Viletta asked, which she was told was the main reason to keep Lelouch alive, although she had her doubts.
"Negative. The other knights were getting away, and I had to catch up; her unit was demolished at that point, so she was no longer a threat. And if she failed to restore Zero's memories before, I doubt she will try it a second time."
Villeta hissed "Rolo, our primary mission is to capture C-"
"That is YOUR primary mission. MY mission is to observe Zero, and if necessary, eliminate him." Rolo warned her on the other end of the line.
Villeta gulped. Rolo was an extremist when it came to his missions, and he let nothing, not even Britannian military, stand in his way. And if she felt powerless against authority and superiors before, it was nothing like working with Rolo.
"I will search for Zero. In case he manages to return to Ashford, inspect and interrogate him. If nothing else, I'm sure he has some useful information on the remainder of the Black Knights. Over and out." Abruptly, he hung up the phone.
Vileta hung up, sighing. Something was about to change in the near future…but she had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.
"Miss Vileta?" Vileta turned around to see Shirley standing in the doorway in her office. The naïve girl shouted "I just heard! The attack on the tower! Is Lulu…"
"I don't know, Miss Finnette." Vileta replied, desperately trying to keep her composure. "Rolo was found by the police, and he will be returned shortly, but he got separated from Lelouch."
There was another thing about her part-time job Viletta hated; not only did she have to restrain herself from killing Zero, but this girl as well, the one who shot her, causing her to lose her own memories and fall in love with a filthy eleven. She heard from the emperor that Lelouch in turn erased her memories of him, and the emperor, in a great show of irony, erased his. "Karma is a bitch indeed." Vileta thought, trying to conceal her smirk.
She then addressed Shirley like any teacher would. "I can assure you, the police are doing everything they can to find him." Shirley still trembled worrying about him. "Besides, Lelouch is an exceptionally brilliant man; I'm sure even if he's in trouble he can make his way out of this mess." Villeta turned back to the television screen. "Though if he comes back, I'm going to make him run 50 laps for his punishment! If getting attacked by terrorist doesn't do it, attacking him with his weakness will traumatize him into never cutting class again!" she growled, keeping up the act. She then turned back to Shirley. "Now, I believe you have class at this time?"
Shirley stuttered "Uh…yes, miss…but…"
"I'll let everyone know when Lelouch has returned, you can rest assured of that. In the meantime, I advise you to focus on class; if nothing else it may help to take your mind off Lelouch." Shirley excused herself quietly, and left. Vileta just sighed and turned back to the television screen. "I actually do want to see your memories restored, Zero…so we can finally put an end to you." After all, a power like Lelouch's, even locked away, should not be allowed to exist…
Lelouch carefully observed the photos on one of the billboards. All of them were photographs of the Black Knights; he recognized them through their mug shots which he looked at out of sheer curiosity. Some were more formal, suitable for a military army. Others were happier, with everyone celebrating. Except for Kallen, Lelouch never knew any of them personally, yet he felt some familiarity with each of them. One with a headband and curly hair, Ohgi he believed the police reports said, caught his attention for reasons he couldn't explain. He was better suited to be a civilian than a warrior, he could see that in his eyes. Another that caught his attention was a man with brownish, spiky hair, Tamaki he believed. He could tell he was a trouble maker, people like him often made a good chunk of military groups both good and bad, but like any pawn were necessary despite the trouble they could bring. Even if he had not researched the Black Knights, he would have still heard of Todoh Kyoshiro, leader of the Four Holy Swords and the Miracle Worker. He had to respect the man, as he defended his nation to the bitter end, even after its official defeat. If Japan ever stood a chance through their legitimate military, he was their best. After all, he trained Suzaku, who was now a Knight of the Rounds. If he entered the system like Suzaku, it was possible the Japanese would have been better off. But three people in the pictures drew his attention more than the others: Kallen, the girl called C2, and none other than Zero himself. Both Kallen and C2 at different times were seen at Zero's side on several occasions, though never together. He heard rumors of Zero having a mistress, but the girl named C2 obviously had an important position, and he knew Kallen wasn't that type of girl. However, Kallen seemed to spend a lot more time with the other Black Knights, both for business and fun, whereas C2 practically hung on the masked man. Given the fact that she wore a different uniform than the others, it seemed she was especially important. It was hard to gauge anything about Zero, obviously because of his mask. "Who are you really?" he found himself asking.
"Anything coming back?"
Lelouch turned around to see Kallen, this time dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He could see the clothes alone seemed to have put her in a better mood; maybe he could reason his way out of this now that she was no longer in fleeing for her life and in a hurry to get changed. Lelouch sighed and took a seat at the couch. "I feel…something. I can't explain what."
Kallen rubbed her head; neither she nor C2 planned on this, and she didn't think she was qualified to deal with this botched attempt. "I'm sorry to put you in this situation. But, this may have happened eventually whether you came into contact with us or not." Before Kallen could continue, she noticed Lelouch staring into a hand mirror. Judging by the creeped-out look he had, it seemed the existence of his Geass was finally getting to him. Quickly, Lelouch reached for a nearby desk and fumbled around. Finally, he pulled out a pair of sunglasses, and put them on. Kallen sighed. "That thing could get you in trouble if you're not careful." Lelouch only nodded, very slightly. "It's best you wait here. Once C2 returns, she will take care of that; she made arrangements to ensure your geass wouldn't go out of control again.
"Although, I wonder if that's what really happened a year ago." She thought. As much as she wanted to believe the SAZ massacre was an accident…to further his agenda, it would make sense for Zero to do so, especially with a power like Geass.
Lelouch twiddled his thumbs. "Tell me…if everything you say is true…what are you going to do with me?" Kallen hesitated to answer. "Look! No matter what you say, I'm not Zero! Even if in the past I was, I don't remember any of it! How can you think that someone like me could, WOULD lead YOU!" he exclaimed out of frustration.
Kallen flinched at his outburst. Everything he said was true. The way he was, they may as well have surrendered to Britannia. But it was too late to undo what had been done; if nothing else, they had to take responsibility for him. "Don't worry about being Zero; a fool could see that's a lost cause." Her voice carried a twinge of anger with the obvious disappointment.
"So…"
"So…we're just going to have to keep you here." Lelouch didn't panic to her surprise. In fact, despite the sunglasses he wore, he seemed…calculating. Kallen's guard instantly shot up. "Even if he's just a student now, his mind is as sharp as ever." Kallen reminded herself.
"This isn't what I want to do, but as you can imagine, in our position, we can't let anyone know where we operate. Don't worry, I promise you'll be treated well, and if the opportunity arises, we will release you."
Lelouch almost looked like he didn't hear her. "You know, you could have avoided this if you'd simply dropped me off. You wouldn't have to worry about someone ratting you out." That was a threat if Kallen ever heard one, but even with amnesia, she doubted Lelouch would simply snitch on them; not his style.
He sounded too confident. Kallen knew something was up. "There was no time. And, as I've explained before, at this point they would have killed you anyway." Kallen walked towards him, slowly. Both knew that the other was plotting something. "If nothing else, maybe you will witness the horrors that the Japanese had to endure and realize why the Black Knights exist…"
"…I have." Lelouch replied matter-of-factly. "I may be a Britannian, but I'm not blind to the injustice that the empire has brought not only to your homeland, but the entire world. But what difference can I make? Even if I really do have this mysterious power that woman claims I do, in the end I'm just a simple student. I have no military background, PE is the only class I'm close to flunking, even when I try…and I doubt the Black Knights would be willing to train such an individual with those weaknesses, Britannian OR Japanese."
Neither spoke a word to one another. It was a mental face-off…one Kallen wasn't sure she could win, not against Lelouch, be it as Zero or Lelouch Lamperouge. Finally, she acted. "Hand over whatever it is you're plotting to use!" Quickly, she lunged for a grab. Though she was far faster than Lelouch, the Britannian anticipated it and fell to the floor, leaving her to kiss the couch.
"While you were busy bathing and erasing the memory of being a bunny girl, I took the liberties of exploring the circuit board…"
With the flick of a switch, the lights went out. "Shit!" Kallen knew that there was no stopping him now!
"…as well as that chemistry lab that seemed to be abandoned!" Kallen couldn't see anything but she heard what sounded like glass breaking. Before she could fumble for Lelouch, she breathed in some foul smelling stench. Quickly, she felt her stomach doing cartwheels and her legs began to lose their strength.
While Kallen was busy retching her meager breakfast from earlier that morning, Lelouch made his way for an escape. While he couldn't see in the dark any better than her and would probably take longer to get there than he should have, he made mental notes of where all the doors were located. Finally, he reached the end of the wall, and quickly felt for an elevator. He figured the Black Knights had a security code for entering, but not for exiting. His theory was proven correct as he heard the elevator doors swish open. Quickly, he punched the button for the top floor, and let out a slight sigh of relief has he traveled up.
He wanted to say he was kidnapped by the Black Knights…but it didn't seem that simple. For one, he had no family to pay ransom for him, and he was no politician. Those were the only two plausible reasons for the Black Knights to take him…and given everything that happened at the tower, they would have been better off leaving him to his fate. Despite that, they targeted him specifically. "How could they tell such a fantastical lie? Could I really be…?" Lelouch shook his head. "No, that's absurd! It's just as it appears: The Black Knights are as horrible liars as they are revolutionaries." He wasn't fully satisfied with that answer, but that would have to do for now.
Finally, the elevator opened at ground level, and Lelouch made a mad dash to stay clear of the area. It was amazing what he could manage once adrenaline was pumping through his system; he still wasn't a good sprinter, but at least he made it to a relatively safe area without having to catch his breath. As he made his way through the ghetto and back to the Britanian settlements, Lelouch realized something. "Rolo!" After all the chaos, he nearly forgot about him! Now was his chance to make contact!
Quickly, he dialed his brother's number on his cell. And much to his relief, he picked up. "Lelouch! Where've you been! I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you alright!"
Before Rolo could continue with his bombardment of questions, like any concerned brother, Lelouch replied "I'm okay Rolo. You wouldn't believe what happened to me! Are you safe!"
"I'm fine, thanks brother! Tell me where you are; I managed to salvage the bike. I'll pick you up."
Lelouch smiled. "I'm at the edge of Shinjuku ghetto. Near Northern Pervical Street."
"How in the world did you get all the way over there!" Rolo exclaimed.
"No time to explain; just pick me up as soon as you can." With that he hung up. Lelouch picked a place to hide and waited. And no matter how much he willed himself, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened with him and the Black Knights earlier. And it wasn't due to some post-traumatic stress.
After 20 minutes, Lelouch finally saw his brother in their bike. "Brother?" Rolo called.
"Rolo!" Lelouch practically leaped out of his hiding place and waved.
When Lelouch climbed into the passenger hub, Rolo seemed to look at him carefully. "Brother, what's going on? You know you can tell me."
Lelouch didn't turn to face him; instead, he just waved him off. "Not now, Rolo. I've had a really bad day, and yes, even worse than yours. Just drive. We'll be safe once we're in Britannian neighborhoods." Rolo did as he was told.
Once they were on the freeway, Rolo snuck a glance at Lelouch. The one thing that seemed off about him was that he was wearing sunglasses. Lelouch occasionally did wear them, but it wasn't particularly bright today, nor was it a special occasion. "Lelouch, is something wrong with your eyes?"
Lelouch seemed to nearly jump in surprise. "Uh…yeah. Kind of. I ran straight into a neon sign and I got a bit too close. It'll clear up."
"I think you should see the nurse once we get back to school; you shouldn't let these things go." Rolo stated with a slight tone of suspicion.
Lelouch fidgeted. "No, its fine, Rolo. I'm sure it will clear up soon. I don't need my eyes to follow the lecture anyway."
"Brother, I must insist." Rolo pressed.
Lelouch sighed; he couldn't make his brother worry over anything. "Just drive."
"Worried about your darling Lulu, Shirley?" Milly teased Shirley like she did every day.
Shirley nearly screamed as she suddenly flew up from her seat. "Madam Prez, please! Its study period, and I need to catch up on things!"
"That's a yes if I've ever seen one." Milly smiled slyly.
Shirley's cheeks practically turned the same color as her hair as she desperately tried to compose herself. Her worried expression suddenly became sterner. "Lulu is always going off gambling and getting into trouble. Fine. That's his business; see what I care." She mumbled.
"I'll be sure to let Lelouch know how much you don't care." Milly continued to tease her. Of course, Shirley and Milly were best friends, but even the best of friends poked fun at one another. In all honesty, Milly was just trying to cheer her up. But she knew when enough was enough; even though Shirley would never admit it, when she worried about him Milly's jokes helped her forget her anxiety. Besides, even though Shirley really was angry with Lelouch, she knew once he showed up again Shirley would be back to yearning for his affections again. It was quite cute really.
"Lelouch!"
That was Rivalz! Both Milly and Shirley ran out of the Library and into the hall. "Lulu!"
Milly rolled her eyes, stifling herself from laughing at Shirley's declaration just a minute before. Soon, she herself joined everyone else in the hall. Indeed, the Lamperouge brothers were there. Rolo was the same as always; Lelouch, however, seemed rather distressed. Normally, that wouldn't surprising, given the events that just happened, but it wasn't like Lelouch to be like that.
"We saw what happened in the tower! Are you alright!" one student asked.
"Have the Black Knights really returned?"
"How did you escape?"
"ENOUGH!" The entire student body was silenced upon Vileta's arrival. Lelouch didn't fear her; he could take whatever punishment she dished out. Besides, after a day of being caught in the crossfire and kidnapped, school didn't seem so tough.
As for Vileta's thoughts, the fact that Lelouch was wearing sunglasses did not escape her. Though she concealed it, fear started to overwhelm her. If he got his Geass back, who knows what he might force her to do? She had to find out whether his power and memories returned, but to simply remove the glasses to find out, was, for lack of a better word, stupid. Rather than risk being caught in his geass, she decided to do a little experiment first. "Rolo called me over the phone; he told me you hurt your eyes."
Lelouch turned and just stared at Rolo; if he had his sunglasses off, the students would have thought he was trying to bore a hole in the younger brother's head. "Tattletale." He mumbled.
"Go see the nurse, Lelouch. I'll decide your punishment later, as well as Rolo's." Viletta turned to address the rest of the class. "Everyone! Back to your study periods!" On her command, the students dispersed.
Lelouch groaned; he hated just going to the doctor's office; the school nurse was worse. At least if the former found something, they could do something about it. Nurses, especially in a school were in his view nothing a pharmacy couldn't replace.
"Are your eyes in any pain?" the nurse asked.
"No." he replied curtly.
"Do you have trouble seeing?" she asked again.
"No."
The nurse sighed. "Then what seems to be the problem?" It was clear she did not like her job very much.
Lelouch struggled to answer; sooner or later she was going to look at his eye herself. "Pink eye. Mild case; don't worry, I'm sure it will clear up soon." Lelouch, for once, wasn't very confident that this would work.
The nurse looked at him skeptically. "I'll be the judge of that. Now, take off your glasses."
Lelouch truly looked afraid. "I said, TAKE OFF YOUR GLASSES, Mr. Lamperouge." She repeated sternly. Lelouch sighed; in this situation, he didn't have a choice. Reluctantly, he removed the glasses, allowing the nurse to have a glimpse of the strange light in his eye. The nurse leaned in closer to observe…and covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my." She whispered.
"Listen, please don't tell Miss Viletta about what you just saw." Lelouch pleaded. Even as a commoner, he considered begging beneath him. But sometimes, one had to let go of their pride. "Just say you applied some eye drops and that whatever it is should clear up soon. I promise I'll see the doctor about this." Lelouch put his hands together in prayer fashion; he desperately did not want anyone else to know about this. "Please?"
The nurse was normally a stubborn woman, and Lelouch, despite his efforts, doubted begging would work. However, to his surprise, the nurse replied "Yes, of course Mr. Lamperouge. It will be our little secret."
Lelouch grabbed his sunglasses again and said "Thank you!" before bolting out the nurse's office. "That went a lot better than I thought it would." In fact, now that he thought about it, he wondered what was up with that creepy blank look she gave him. Then he remembered what the woman called C2 told him. About the Power of the King… "No! Forget what they said! It was just a kidnapping, however irrational, to make you come with them without a struggle…Absolute Obedience my ass." he thought, although he couldn't quite convince himself.
"Yes, of course Mr. Lamperouge. It will be our little secret."
Viletta clenched her fist as she observed the monitor, and chewed her lip. "It's true; he has his Geass back…"
"I have received orders from Central Command." Rolo closed his cell and walked up behind her. "Though his Geass has returned, his memories have not. In his condition, he's perhaps even more dangerous than he was as Zero; he's like a child with a gun. Out of control and unaware of the consequences. There's no telling what harm he could bring to others if we spare him…or what he might become, if he learns to use the power. Should the later occur, he will certainly won't be as 'heroic' as he used to be."
Viletta turned to him. "What has his majesty ordered?"
Rolo replied. "He is to be eliminated. He has outlived his purpose after all; it's doubtful that C2 will come for him again. Besides, memories or not, his majesty cannot afford to have another with the power of Geass."
"Yes, that is true." Viletta thought. "I think I know how to take care of him without causing a stir in the school. I'll need your help."
"Of course. After all, it was my job to kill Zero if something like this happened in the first place. Had you done it for me…I would not hesitate to send you to hell with him." In Rolo's mind, if someone else did his job, his reason for living would be eliminated.
Lelouch sighed as the lecture was finally over. This was one of the few classes that he actually did enjoy, but due to the events of earlier that day, he was unable to focus. He just wanted to go home and crash; unfortunately, Miss Viletta's punishment, whatever it was going to be was going to delay that even further and was likely to leave him even more tired. As tempting as it was to bounce and deal with it tomorrow, it was best to just get it over with; after all, with everything that happened to him today, how bad could it be?
"Lulu?"
Lelouch turned around to see Shirley looking at him nervously. "What's up Shirley?"
"Can…can we talk?" she asked.
Lelouch mentally sighed. He just knew it was a lecture he did not need to hear. "Can it wait?"
Shirley fidgeted. "No! It…" Then she looked away nervously. "I guess. If that's what you want." Her tone was more subdued than usual when she said that.
Lelouch felt like kicking himself. Her crush on him was obvious, and at times annoying. But it was always nice to have someone worried about him, even when you had friends who were fully confident in your independence and well-being like Milly and Rivalz were. Before she could walk out of sight, Lelouch tapped her shoulder. "Shirley, wait. It's okay." Shirley turned around, surprised. "I had a stressful day, that's all. But if it's important, that should no reason for me to hear you out."
Shirley blushed slightly. "You probably don't want to hear about this…but the truth is, Lulu…I worry about you." Lelouch let her continue. "I understand that a normal life isn't good enough for you, I can even empathize with that. But, you should know, that there are other people who care about you outside of Rolo. And…and we all worry about you when you go off and do things most other people shouldn't, even if we don't show it." Lelouch liked the fact that Shirley didn't suggest he give up his hobbies altogether, although at this point he was seriously considering it. "So, could you at least keep that in mind…?" Shirley then mumbled "…if not cut back."
Lelouch smiled slightly. "Thanks for the concern, Shirley. But it's okay; I have everything under control." He brought her chin up to hers, causing her to turn red as a tomato. "Although, after everything that's happened today, I'm thinking I'll at least take a break from fooling around with the higher-ups." Shirley turned an even darker shade of red, if that were possible, but smiled nonetheless.
"Thank you. For listening to me." She said.
"Oh, why don't you just give him the tickets already?" Milly shouted from down the hall as she proceeded to exit the academy, winking at the two.
"MADAM PREZ!" Shirley shouted back; it was hard enough just to talk to him about his vices as it was.
"Can she get any more flustered?" Lelouch wondered. "Shirley, you have something for me?"
Shirley whined, looking around, and back at him. "I-it was something I thought you might want to do…with me."
"Oh?"
Shirley reached into her purse, and presented the tickets to Lelouch. Shirley, too embarrassed to see his reaction, looked away. "Opera." Truthfully, Lelouch wasn't fond of opera. But he figured maybe he should finally give into Shirley's wishes this one time. Although, he couldn't help but feel a sense of Déjà vu…
"Uh…I'm sure this is not your thing…but…" Lelouch clasped his hand on Shirley's, gently pushing it down. Shirley gasped at his touch.
"Sure, why not. Who knows? This may be the one opera I enjoy…"
"How bout sports then?" Rivalz snuck up behind him and gave him a hard slap on the shoulder.
"Croquet is decent enough." Lelouch replied curtly, massaging his stinging back.
"Pfft. That doesn't count. You don't even run." Rivalz retorted.
"Golf?"
"Anything someone of your physical aptitude can do, it doesn't count." Rivalz gave him a goofy smile, and walked off, waving goodbye. "Enjoy your date! Oh, and the next time you go gambling, take me with you! A story of excitement and adventure is sure to impress Milly!" He practically ran out of the class before Lelouch gave his answer.
"I wouldn't bet your life on that, and take it from personal experience, it's not fun!" Lelouch shouted. He then turned his attention back to Shirley. "So, what time then?"
Shirley, this time prepared and more composed, answered "This Saturday, at five. But I figured we could grab a bite to eat, if that's okay with you."
"Sure, why not." Lelouch answered politely. He actually smiled; a part of him was actually looking forward to this date.
"Mr. Lelouch Lamperouge, please see Miss Viletta in her office." The voice over the intercom commanded.
"Great." Lelouch grumbled. "Listen, Shirley. I'll catch you later. Saturday, at 3, okay?"
Shirley really smiled when he said that. And Lelouch couldn't help but think that she looked pretty cute when she did for real. "Thank you, Lulu! I hope Miss Viletta's punishment isn't too bad!"
With that, she took off. "She's not a bad person, really. In fact, she really is quite nice." Though Lelouch had his doubts for a long term relationship, he didn't see any reason why NOT to take up her invitation.
"Lelouch Lamperouge, to Miss Viletta's office, NOW."
Lelouch grumbled, a little bit more angrily this time around "Alright already." His spirits seem to have crashed back down to earth again as he made his way to the commando teacher's office.
Vileta opened her drawer, and observed her glock. "Finally." Despite how eager she was to end Lelouch's life, she was scared to. What if he was playing her and Rolo? Not just today, but during a good tenure of her assignment? Lelouch was as wise and cruel a manipulator as his father could be. Playing the fool would not have been out of the question. She also did not know exactly how his geass worked; the emperor was very vague about those details. Even if he really was still in his amnesic state, he was still dangerous, just like Rolo said, like a zoo animal; tamed, but still unpredictable. "I need to do this quickly." She loaded her gun, and gave Rolo a quick call. "I'm ready. Back me up."
"Roger."
She tucked the gun behind her back just in time to see Lelouch walk in her office. "Okay; do your worst." Lelouch dared her.
Viletta just rolled her eyes, and growled "You're going to regret that attitude of yours."
"Doubt it." Lelouch replied, still challenging her.
Viletta passed Lelouch, ordering "Out in the courtyard. NOW."
Meanwhile, Rolo observed the scene from outside. "This is the end." He pulled out his knife, and slowly stalked the pair from afar.
I hope you enjoyed so far! Things are going to be a living hell for Lelouch, but soon he will be the hero of justice (or demon) he was meant to be! About maybe halfway, he will also be Lelouch as we remembered him. So, just enjoy the fun of seeing him get there.