[Chapter 4] Hidden Depths

Ashford Academy – Area 11, 11 August 2017 a.t.b.

As the morning sun rises upon the settlement, with everyone getting ready to go on their day, one violet-eyed schoolboy walks away from Ashford Academy Student Clubhouse.

Lelouch sighs, making his way across a bridge. He stops, looking down at the river beneath him. His reflection stares back at him. Faintly, he can see the power within his eye flare up, the bird-like sigil appearing for a moment before disappearing.

This is my only weapon, and I don't even know how to use it.

"Lelouch?" He turns around, seeing a professor about to walk past him. "Wow, rare to see you up this early."

The schoolboy chuckles lightly. "Oh, I just have some things I gotta do for the president."

"Well, don't let me hold you up then."

As the professor is about to leave, Lelouch gets an idea. "Sir?"

"Hmm?" The professor looks at him.

"What exactly are the topics of your next exam?" Lelouch commanded, the power in his left eye powering up.

The professor's expression turns blank, his mind subject to Lelouch's. "The Great War, the First Pacific War and the decline in Eldian power."

So I haven't lost the power. Lelouch thought as he deactivates the power.

As the professor comes back to his senses, Lelouch calls out again. "Sir, what exactly are the topics of your next exam?" Again, he activates his power. Instead of obeying, however, the professor scoffs.

"Hilarious. Maybe try studying?" The professor walks away, shaking his head. "Just apply yourself. You'll do just fine."

"Yes, sir!" Lelouch said, with a smirk. As I suspected. I can only affect a person once.

Interesting. He'll make note of this limitation. In fact, he has to make a note of all of his power capabilities. He cannot afford to make the same mistake twice.

However, he decides he'll have to make tests another time. He has somewhere to get to. The former prince resumes his walk. However, he doesn't walk to the academy, instead, he walks out the academy gates.

His destination was the home of Maya Garfield, a classmate and fellow member of the Student Council. Normally, he would just be calling her over the phone and asking her to attend classes. However, he already tried that yesterday afternoon, to no avail. She just wasn't picking up his calls.

He had greater success in contacting their guardian as they answered his call. They've informed him about Maya's state, that as soon as she came back home, she barely muttered a hello before locking herself into her room. Not even coming out for dinner.

Clearly, whatever happened during her errand from yesterday didn't go well for her. Enough so that she didn't come back to grab some of her stuff that she left behind at the academy. Speaking of which...

From the bag he carried with him, he pulled out the blue origami crane of yesterday that Milly gave him. This honestly surprised him, as Britannia has been trying to crush Japanese culture and supplant it with Britannian values. Not just in culture, but even language; English is compulsory, and religion; Christianity is the dominant religion in Britannia and thus in Japan as well.

So for a Britannian such as Maya to have this means there's definitely more to the girl than meets the eye.

As he looks over the origami crane, he notices something. Inside the wings, he noticed some marks that looked an awful lot like...

"Writing?"

-~-

Garfield's Residence, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11

Sitting on a street corner, not too far from Ashford Academy, was a humble abode. Well, humble by Britannian standards, not as big as mansions that nobles commonly possess, but still greater than the homes within the ghettoes.

Perfect for the Britannian middle class.

As such, for Clarice Garfield, her home was perfect. Not too big that she would feel lonely, nor too small as to feel cramped. Affordable too. The blonde-haired woman with emerald-green eyes with glasses stood at a table, laying down breakfast. She wore a pink long-sleeved jacket with gold highlights that reached to her midriff. It also held a blue and white marker over her heart. Underneath the jacket, she wore a blue dress and heels.

As Clarice finished up, she gave a sad look to the stairwell, up at a specific room.

While she may not be Maya's biological mother, for a time, it felt that she had a good relationship with her. Even if Maya likes to keep a distance, she never got the feeling that she hates her. In fact, she and Maya spoke quite a bit. Sometimes when she even came back from the academy, she would discuss her day with her. That was their routine.

That all changed the other day.

When Maya came back home late, Clarice was reasonably worried about her and was about to ask her where she was before stopping. The reason for that was because when Maya got home and looked at her, Clarice felt her words and breath slip away.

Her eyes...

Her royal blue eyes, which used to shimmer with beauty, looked dead, the light within them snuffed out. The schoolgirl took a glance at her before walking past her, muttering something she could barely make out before walking up to her room, her movements stiff and robotic.

Whatever happened the other day had affected her. What was it? She doesn't know, and after receiving a call from yesterday and trying to get answers from Maya, only to blow her off and lock herself in her room, she may never know.

"Please stop pretending to be my mother."

Ding-dong.

As she hears the doorbell, she turns to her front door. Someone is at the gate? Who? Making her way to the door, she checks the interface to see. The screen turns on, revealing a tall boy wearing the Ashford Academy uniform.

From the academy?

She presses the speaker. "Hello. May I ask who are you?"

The boy looks towards the camera. "Hello, this is Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice President of the Student Council. I'm here for Maya Garfield, a fellow member."

The Student Council? Didn't Maya say she was a part of that? Wait, wasn't that the name of the boy who called her yesterday?

"Oh. Come on in then." She unlocks the gate and lets him in.

-~-

Inside the room, a bed creaks as its occupant shifts and moves, the blanket sliding off, revealing a girl with long black hair and royal blue staring blankly up to the ceiling. She glances at the clock beside her bed.

"It's also time for classes." She mutters, her expression never changing. Despite that, Maya Garfield felt like not getting up. Why would she? She didn't go yesterday either. Or the day before.

She thinks back to that day. She was on her usual errand whenever lunchtime rolled up. There she was, in the ghetto, not wearing her uniform but a pair of civilians, made of a black vest with a half-cape over a white buttoned long-sleeved shirt, a yellow tie, a black skirt with white stockings and red shoes. In her hands was a brown bag filled with food.

In front of her were children eating the food she delivered to them. She smiles, seeing the cheerful expressions on their faces. That alone always makes the journey here truly worthwhile. Especially since they were orphans.

She then remembers seeing a lot of Britannian VTOLs flying into the ghetto. She remembers that she and the children were looking up in fear and worry. Britannian has no reason to bring that much military power.

No good reason, at least.

And she was right. As soon as they arrived, they started shooting everyone. While running to find a spot where they could hide, she could hear gunfire and the screams that quickly fell silent soon after.

Why? She remembers thinking. Why are you doing this? What have these people done to deserve this?

Among the swirl of confusion, worry and fear, so too was anger within her. Anger at all the injustice happening around her. Anger at Britannia for the suffering it has done upon the weak and oppressed.

Anger at her cowardice for not being able to stop them.

Soon, they went underground to hide from the constant fighting on the surface. She thought maybe they could use the old tunnels for protection.

But that was a mistake.

Above her, an explosion rang out, knocking her off her feet and collapsing the ceiling. When she got up, dirtied and battered but unharmed, she saw a sight that haunts her nightmares.

Onee-chan!

Her hands grip the sheets as she closes her eyes, desperately holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Hana... Mari... Tomo..."

She couldn't save them. Try as she could, she couldn't be there for them when they needed it.

Her eyes open up, now with a glare.

"Britannia..." She growls out.

Yes, why should she go to class? Britannia was still out there, causing more suffering and ending more innocent lives. She can't keep being a coward. She has to do something.

But her strength alone will not be enough to defeat Britannia. No, she needs more than that. She needs support.

I need to find that voice. She thinks about the voice that led her and that group against a fight they had no chance of winning. When she had stolen that Knightmare from that Britannian soldier.

Ah, she also needs to find her origami crane. She must have dropped when she was in the ghetto last time. Though, when she went there yesterday, security around the ghetto grew tighter, though. There was no way she could enter without getting caught and having to answer some very uncomfortable questions.

It's why she came late last night, meeting a worried Clarice waiting for her.

She winces, remembering what happened. While Clarice isn't her biological mother, she takes care of her as if she was. And for that, Maya's grateful. She still feels bad for blowing her off yesterday. It's just that... she really wanted to be alone.

"Maya!" Speaking of which. Maya turns to the door, where she heard her foster mother calling her out. "Someone from the student council is here for you!"

"Huh?" Someone came for her? Well, now that she thinks about it, it makes sense. She left the academy, only to not return. So, of course, they'd send someone to check on her.

For a moment, she contemplates just staying in her bed, hoping that ignoring the call might get them to leave before deciding otherwise. If it's the president, she'll somehow figure out how to stick with her throughout the whole day.

Despite being a recent member, Maya knows very well how Milly Ashford can act. If she wants something, she'll figure it out.

So, with a sigh, she rolls off the bed, fixes up her appearance as much as she can, and exits her room. Walking down the staircase, she sees a surprising sight.

Clarice stood by her table, her bag for work nearby her. And standing next to her wasn't the President of the Student Council but Lelouch Lamperouge, the vice president. Who, in contrast to the energetic President, was more cool-headed and, while an easygoing person, he's kind of lazy as well. He doesn't interact much with others, outside of a few people. Though she doesn't have much to say on that, given her own fairly aloof deportment.

Honestly, she thought he was the type of person who would take the easiest route when possible. A boy with a great mind that Shirley says he squanders. It's no wonder he gets along with Rivalz.

"Maya." Clarice smiled at her. "Nice to you coming down. I'm sure you know of Lelouch." She gestures to the boy, who nods at her. "Apparently, he came here to bring back your stuff."

Lelouch hands over a bag to her. Hesitantly, she reaches out and grabs the bag. She looks inside and is surprised to find her school supplies that she left back at the academy. "I advise taking your stuff with you next time. Who knows who could've stolen them if we never picked it up?" Lelouch said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you." She mutters, nodding in gratitude.

Clarice's smile dims a bit as she notices how more soft-spoken she's gotten. While not much of a talker, Maya was never like this.

Before she could reach out to her, she looks down at her wristwatch and her face falls as she sees the time. "Well... looks like I have to get to work. Maya, I'll be seeing you this evening. Have a good day. And please go to the academy." As she grabs her bags and opens the door, she pauses and looks back at Maya before stepping out.

Maya looks at the closed door before looking down with a somber look. She really needs to apologize later to her.

"She's very kind." Lelouch said before turning to her. "You're lucky to have such a considerate guardian."

"Thank you. Though I doubt you came here to only say that." She looks him in the eye. She doesn't like how harsh she said that, but she has a feeling that he wasn't just here to drop off her stuff.

Evidently, she was right. Lelouch didn't address her tone as he explained himself. "You're right. I also came here to ask why you were absent yesterday."

Ah, shit. "I... uh... I was sick." She quickly said, wincing at how generic and unconvincing her lie was. A raised eyebrow from the schoolboy showed as much.

"Your voice doesn't sound hoarse and your appearance isn't that of an ill person." As he makes his observations, Maya takes a surprised backstep. She looks down at herself, a dash of red on her cheeks as she now realizes the state of her attire. While her hair was slightly unkempt and even she couldn't hide the wrinkles from yesterday on her clothes, it wasn't the appearance of a sick person.

"You don't look pale, but your face is red. So maybe you are coming under something." He raises his hand, about to place it on her forehead, but she takes another step back.

"AH! Um, t-there's no need, really!" She sighs, calming down. "Ok fine, I wasn't sick." She frowns at the smirk that is on his face. He knew what he was doing.

"Is that so? Then pray tell, why weren't you at the academy?" He asked.

"Um..." She holds her arm, thinking of a suitable excuse.

After a moment of silence, Lelouch spoke. "If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to involve your guardian, as per my responsibility as vice president. And I have a feeling you don't want that."

He's right. She doesn't want to involve Clarice in this if she can. Otherwise, she would be more worried and she doesn't add more to her plate. Not anymore than she already has.

She sighs. "Alright. Something... happened during my... errands back on Monday." She gives a glance to Lelouch before turning away. "There was an... accident. Someone... very close to me..." She chokes, the words refusing to leave her throat as memories come flooding in.

She stares, sitting on the ground, watching the small hand that was surrounded by blood creeping out from underneath the rubble.

She closes her eyes, trying to keep back the tears. She won't cry now. She already did so, and it didn't bring them back.

"I'm sorry."

She turns to him, surprised to see what looks like an apologetic look on his face. "Why..."

"I forced you to bring up painful memories, not knowing what you went through and for that, I apologize." He places his hand across his chest and gives her a small bow, his words sounding more genuine than before.

She shakes her head. "It's fine. You didn't know. It's why I didn't return to the academy."

"I suppose it would be too much to ask if you could return today, then?"

Maya stays silent, rubbing her arm. Lelouch stares at her, awaiting her response, though he probably already knows her answer.

"I... I don't..."

"A moment before you answer." Lelouch interrupted, bringing something out from his bag. Her eyes widen as she sees what's in his hands.

It was the blue origami crane she thought she had lost.

"This is..." She reaches out and takes the crane, cradling it in her hands.

"The President found it left behind in the clubhouse, along with your stuff. I apologize, but I took the liberty of reading what was inside."

"Huh?" While she feels her anger flare at the fact that he read what was inside it, a curiosity takes her as she actually never saw it.

"Eh? Is this an origami crane?" Maya looks at the paper crane in her hands.

"Yep!" A cherry young girl said smiling. She had black hair with twin pigtails with brownish-red eyes. She wore a white apron over a grey shirt. "Because you kept bringing us food from the city, I wanted to pay you back. So, ta-da."

Maya smiles. "Thank you. I love it. My father used to make these for me." As she checks over the crane, she notices markings in its wings. "What's this?" However, before she could unfold the crane, Hina stopped her.

"Ah! No, no, no, don't open it!" The young girl waves her hands over the crane.

"What? Was that writing?"

"Nooo, don't look! It's a surprise!"

Hina was very adamant in telling her not to read what was inside, so she didn't. She did, however, take it with her everywhere. It was just such a lovely gift she could not just leave it alone.

Hina...

Shaking herself before she falls into another mournful state, she slowly opens up the paper to reveal the writing.

A soft gasp escapes her lips, as Maya looks down at what's writing while Lelouch watches her.

Her vision grew blurring as she felt something dripping past her cheeks. Bringing a hand up, it's then she realizes what was going on.

She's crying.

"Hina..." Maya sobs, falling to her knees. She presses the paper to her chest, her sobs growing louder.

"I don't know a whole lot about you," Lelouch said as he watched her. "But from what I have gathered, you're a kind person, someone who many cherish."

He turns to leave. "I'll tell Milly you can stay at home until you're ready. I could send you any material you-"

"No, wait... it's fine." Maya said, sniffing while rubbing her eyes. "I can get ready soon. Please wait."

He looks back at her with a small smile. "Sure then."

With a nod, she stands up and leaves. As she makes her way to get ready, she looks down at the paper with a smile. Written on the paper was a single sentence in kanji.

I LOVE YOU, ONEE-SAN!

-~-

Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11

"Nunnally-sama."

With a gentle nudge, Nunnally lightly groans as she wakes from her slumber. "Sayoko-san?"

Shinozaki Sayoko stood by Nunnally's bed, leaning over to nudge her. "It's time to get ready, my lady."

"Where's Lelouch?" Nunnally asks as she sits up in her bed.

"Sorry, but your brother had to live early to complete what he said was Student Council matters." She said, picking up the girl and gently placing her in her wheelchair.

"Is that so?" Nunnally sighs. "That sucks. I was hoping to have breakfast with him this morning."

Sayoko smiles at the girl as she wheels her to the dining room. "Apologies, Nunnally-sama. Maybe tomorrow morning."

"Hmm."

After breakfast, Sayoko helps Nunnally into her uniform and wheels her towards the academy. There, by the entrance, stood Alice, leaning on the door with her arms crossed. As soon as she saw Nunnally, she gave a smile and pushed off the frame. "Morning, Nunnally."

"Good morning, Alice." Nunnally said with her usual smile. "It's great to hear from you today. You're early, too."

Alice grins. "Just didn't want a repeat of what happened."

"Repeat?" Sayoko blinks.

Alice flinches as Nunnally quickly answers her maid. "Uh, it's nothing, Sayoko! Just had a little trouble yesterday. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure? It's my duty to ensure you're safe."

"Don't worry. It's fine. Alice helped, so it's all good."

Sayoko frowns but concedes. "Very well, Lady Nunnally, Lady Beaumont." She steps back, allowing Alice to wheel Nunnally to her classes. As the pair moved away from the maid, Nunnally let out a sigh. "That was close. You've got to be more careful, Alice."

She scoffs. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I still think you're being stupid, though."

"Maybe I am." Nunnally's hands grip her skirt tightly. "But just this once, I want to do something on my own. I can't keep relying on my big brother."

Alice frowns. "But that's what big brothers do. At least, that's what I heard. They watch over their little sister."

"But who watches over him?" Nunnally turns her head to her. "There's not much that I can do besides smiling at him. Just this once, I want to do something that'll have Lelouch look at me with pride, instead of worrying over me like always."

Alice looks down at her. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, every time I see him with you, he always looks at you like he's proud."

"...Really?"

Alice grins. "Yep, he's always smiling when you're around. So, really, you have nothing to worry about. Besides, you're not alone. I'm here, after all, ready to push you wherever you want to go."

Nunnally looks forward, a smile growing on her face, this one more genuine than usual. "Thanks."

"No problem." Alice said with a smile of her own, before covering her mouth and letting out a loud yawn.

"Hmm? Did you get enough sleep, Alice?"

"Huh? Oh, it's fine. Just had to do some late-night homework. It was really annoying."

-~-

Ashford Academy Courtyard – Area 11

At the Ashford Academy gate, a particular sight greeted the students of the academy.

Walking down the courtyard was Maya Garfield, dressed in her Ashford Academy uniform. While she was absent yesterday, her presence wasn't the source of the students' attention. That was who stood next to her. Lelouch Lamperouge, the vice president of the Student Council and considered one of the most handsome students, was walking side by side with her. His face was stoic, revealing no emotion, while Maya walked with her gaze on the ground beneath her feet.

"This was a terrible idea." Maya mutters. This level of attention was new to the girl. For most of her time here in the academy, she was just another face among the crowd. Even when she became a member of the Student Council and had a bit of attention directed to her, it was never on this scale.

"I agree." Lelouch glances around, not liking the attention as well, though he was better at hiding it. "We should have gone down another route. Well, it's too late to do anything, so ignore them. They'll get bored soon."

Maya knows this. However, it isn't just the attention she's worried about. It's what comes after that's she more afraid of. Students like to talk. And from those talks comes gossip. And from those gossips, there's always a chance of rumors popping up. She's seen it happen before and now, looking around, it seems likely that there'll be ones about her and Lelouch.

This is just the worst.

Eager to distract herself from the constant attention, she switches her focus to the boy next to her. Lelouch wasn't exactly as she expected. Underneath that cool exterior was a boy who was more compassionate than she expected. What was more surprising to her, though, was him reading that letter.

Or, more specifically, him understanding it.

Britannians didn't bother learning the Japanese language. It's basically a national policy to ignore anything Japanese, most considering it as 'inferior' to traditional Britannian values. Yet, this boy could read the letter. This begins the question...

How and why does he know Japanese? Could he also speak it?

Distracted by her mind, she walks into someone. She yelps, the sudden collision knocking the both of them to the ground. Maya groans, her face flushed as she looks at the boy she just knocked over, who's groaning as well. A nearby student rushes to help him up.

Great. I just made this day even worse.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

The boy groans. "It's fine. I wasn't paying attention, so it's... my... fault..." The boy said, though it sounded like she heard a Japanese accent, which surprised her. He trailed off though as he turned to her, his eyes growing wide, as well as the other student, who she noticed was a girl.

The boy had brown hair and maroon eyes. He also wore the same uniform as the boys in the academy. Near him was a tablet on the ground, playing a video. The girl helping him up had brown hair and eyes, with the same uniform as her. However, one thing was obvious about the two to her.

They were Japanese.

The boy rockets to his feet and gives a deep bow, the girl following suit. "A-apologies! Forgive me for making you fall!"

As Lelouch helps her to her feet, she tries to calm the shivering couple. "It's fine-"

"What's going on here!?"

Maya turns, and a small grimace appears on her face as she recognizes the two boys who have appeared. They both wore the uniforms of the academy, except they had a yellow armband on their left arm.

These were prefects, members of the Student Self-Defense Force. A club that has taken itself into policing the academy, enforcing its rules and protecting from anything it deems threatening to the student body.

Maya's grimace grows as she watches one boy look at the two bowing Japanese, no attempt being made to hide his contempt. "What did these Eleven do to you?"

This was the reason Maya wasn't very fond of them. Its members showed no kindness to the Japanese students. Harassing them whenever the moment came.

"Nothing, I just walked into him. That's all." She quickly explains.

"Is that so? Then why didn't he move out of the way?" The boy sneers at the brown-haired boy. "It should be a simple matter."

"Wait, it wasn't Shu's fault!" The Japanese girl steps forward.

"What was that?" The boy glares her down.

"Wait, sir! It's my fault!" The Japanese boy, Shu, steps in front of the girl, his hand across his chest. "Let me bear responsibility." He said, staring at the Self-Defense member in the eyes. The girl stares at him.

"Shu..."

Around her, Maya can hear the students that surround them mutter.

"So it's the Eleven's fault then, right?"

"Why didn't he move out of the way?"

"Poor Maya. Hope she isn't hurt."

"What was the principal thinking, letting them in?"

"I guess, even as Honorary Britannians, you can't expect much."

The more she hears, the hotter her anger grows. She walked into him! How was it his fault!?

Britannians.

"Now, now. Don't be hasting, The boy," Lelouch steps in, catching the prefect and the Japanese couple's attention, and picks up the tablet from the ground. "He didn't see her coming and Maya was a little distracted, so you can't put all the blame on him." He then looks down on the tablet, which plays a video of a pink-haired girl in red singing.

Maya admits she has a beautiful voice, though she wonders where has she seen this girl before.

"Onee-chan, listen to this. Doesn't she have a lovely voice?"

She remembers now. That was the lead singer Hina showed her in the ghetto. an underground Japanese music band. She heard it was popular with many in the Settlement.

Lelouch hands over the device to Shu, who hesitantly grabs it. "That's a lovely song." Maya barely picks up the whisper from him. "Though do try to be more subtle. Otherwise, you might invite not-so-friendly attention."

The two Japanese students look at Lelouch wide-eyed before nodding rapidly. Shu hugs the tablet, his eyes moving back and forth between Lelouch and the glaring The boy before settling on Maya. With one final bow, he said. "I apologize for making you fall. Please forgive me."

The two then proceed to speedwalk away.

"Hey, wait! We're not done here!" The boy makes to grab the fleeing boy. But Maya speaks up. "It's fine, really!" She winces at the loud tone but continues. "It's fine. I'm not hurt."

The boy frowns, glaring at the fleeing Japanese couple. "Come on, buddy." His friend said, grasping his shoulder. "She said it's fine, so let's leave it."

The boy sighs, frown still in place. "Fine then. But next time something like this happens, report it straight to us."

Finally, the boys leave. The crowd, seeing the resolution, leaves as well, with some students grumbling about how it ended. Soon, the courtyard clears out as students make their way to classes.

"Well, that certainly could have gone better." Lelouch said. She turns at him before noticing something. While his expression looks unchanged, she notices faint changes, like his brows being lower and a hint of something in his eyes. So faint she almost thought she imagined it.

Was... was he angry as well?

However, as soon as she noticed it, it disappeared as he began walking towards the campus. "Let's get to class before we're late. Otherwise, we'll never hear the end of it from Milly."

"R-right." Maya follows him. However, her gaze turns to Shu, who joined a group with other Japanese students. The boy rubs the back of his head while the girl pesters him, looking around for injuries. The others around him shake their head at him, as if embarrassed.

The Britannian students gave the group a wide berth, ignoring their existence while others glanced with not-so-friendly looks.

Maya looks down at the ground, her fist tightly clenching her bag.

I'm such a coward.

-~-

Highway, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11

Driving the highway was an armored personnel carrier escorted by several Sutherlands. However, instead of an infantry squad, inside sat the lone General Bartley, who held his head in his hands, his expression revealing that of an exhausted man.

"Say again?" He said, his voice echoing through the vehicle.

"M-most of the research reached the destination. However, one team got intercepted by some terrorists along the way." Next to him, the screen displayed a secure connection to one of his subordinates on the research team.

Bartley releases a long sigh. "Were they able to fight them off?"

"Yes. However... the terrorists run off with the case. Later reports said they found the case, but it's empty. They took it, sir."

Bartley's eyes grow wide. "Inform General Yan he has to locate the terrorists immediately! We cannot afford to lose the Genome!"

"Yes, My Lord."

Bartley turns to the coffin that sat in the middle of the APC. The coffin of the late Prince Clovis. Adored on top of it was the flag of the empire.

"Forgive me, Your Highness."

-~-

Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11

Later in the day, as students were enjoying their lunch break, Kallen stood by the roof of the academy. She leaned on the railing, her phone in hand.

"So, how does it feel to be back at school?" Ohgi's voice came through the device.

"Stifling. Today was history class." Or, as she would more adequately put it; Britannian History.

Most of what was being was Britannian history and if any other nation's history got brought up at all, such as her own, it was through the lens of the Britannians.

So obviously biased and littered with misconceptions.

Out of all the classes in this academy, saying history was her least favorite class is putting it lightly.

She sighs. "Maybe it would be better if I stuck with you guys."

"No can do. The Britannian Army's on high alert. More than usual. Word in that people saw white clothes roaming around even. Better you stay where you are."

"Then what about the voice on the radio?"

"Forget about it. We can't keep after a voice with no lead. Besides, Naoto would be happy seeing back at school."

She looks down, a small frown on her face. Yeah, Onii-chan would be happy. It's just...

She wishes she could do more.

"Just lie low for a while. Don't bring any attention to yourself and-"

"Yeah, don't use my ability. I got it." Kallen huffs.

She can hear Ohgi's chuckle through the phone. "I was going to say don't bring up Shinjuku, but sure, that too. See you later. I'll contact you again." He hangs up.

Kallen stares down at her phone, pondering. Ever since Shinjuku, all she's been doing is hiding. She understands Ohgi's concern but-

Shinjuku? Her eyes widen as a memory comes to mind.

The boy with violet eyes looks her in the eye. "Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku."

Why did he bring up Shinjuku?

Wait a minute, his voice...

Could it be him?

Back in class, Lelouch stood up, answering the teacher. "The Aristocracy was highly educated. With such an emphasis on edification and training, they produced a superior breed of rulers. Secondly, they possessed heightened efficiency, since only a few of their very best were carefully chosen to be amongst their ranks..."

As he continued, Kallen, sitting in front of him, listened closely to his voice. Is it him? I can't properly tell. My memory isn't reliable.

When he finished, the professor nodded. "Thank you, Lelouch. That will do." She then turns to the class. "With the enthronement of Henry IX, son of Queen Elizabeth I, the golden age of the Tudor dynasty..."

As Lelouch sits down, he sees that Kallen watching him through the mirror in her handheld case, which she quickly closes, and looks ahead, acting as if she wasn't watching him. However, he wasn't blind to her sudden attention and had a good reason as to why.

I only mentioned Shinjuku, yet it was enough to get her suspicious.

The redhead girl's mind races. If he knows about my involvement in Shinjuku...

At the first opportunity... As Lelouch kept his eyes on Kallen, she glanced back at him.

I'll have to take care of him/her.

-~-

Highway, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11

General Bartley watches in horror as the roof of APC peels away as if made of paper instead of metal. "I hope that with this, you can see how determined we are." He hears Jeremiah Gottwald's voice as his Sutherland tears off the crumpled sheet of armor.

Around the APC, other Sutherland surrounds him, draped with the same red shoulder pads that adorned Jeremiah's Sutherland. At the feet were the remains of his protection force, all the Sutherland's heads destroyed.

"B-but I've already told you-"

"That you don't remember? Still clinging to that pathetic excuse!?" The cockpit of Sutherland opens with a hiss as Jeremiah pulls out, dressed in his pilot suit. He glares down at the shivering general with disdain.

"J-just ask the others! They'll testify-"

"Ducking the blame!?" Jeremiah's glare grows even harsher. "You shaltn't remain by His Royal Highness' side another minute!"

-~-

Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11

As the bell rings, signaling the end of the day, students rush out, bent on enjoying their afternoons.

As Lelouch finishes packing his things, Shirley walks up to him with a bright smile. "Hey, Lulu! Want to tag along?" She asked.

"Sorry. Maybe another time." Lelouch declines and walks off, leaving Shirley to blink and then pout at his dismissal.

However, she then watched him walk towards Kallen, who was surrounded by her female classmates.

"Hey, how about we have a tea party? Kallen, come join us."

"Uh, sorry. I can't. Don't want to upset my parents."

"Ah, so you gotta go straight home, then?"

"Wait, so do you have a curfew?"

One girl notices Lelouch walking up to them. "Oh, hey, Lelouch. What's up?" The other girls turn to see him.

Lelouch, however, keeps his focus on Kallen, who stares blankly up at him. "Hey, do you think you could spare a minute? I need to talk to you about something."

"Huh?" Shirley and the girls gaped, the crowd of girls looking at each other in shock. Lelouch Lamperouge, aloof 'Ice Prince of Ashford' is asking for a girl's time?

"Sure." Kallen agrees further shocking everyone as she stands up and stares him dead in the eye. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask."

"Huh!?" Shirley gaped while the crowd of girls squealed in excitement.

Wait, what!? What's going on!?

-~-

Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11

Ouma Shu, a 17-year-old brown-haired and maroon-eyed Japanese boy, sighs as he walks to the border separating the settlement and ghetto, carrying his bento case.

Today just wasn't his day.

First, he wakes up tired because of staying up so late. However, in his defense, EGOIST just released a new video and there was no way he was going to miss its premiere. He felt a tad bit guilty, though, for making Hare worried when she caught what he was watching.

"You need to be more careful, Shu!" Menjou Hare said with a scowl on her face, which honestly looked more cute than threatening in his opinion. She had short, brown hair and brown eyes and she wore the female Ashford Academy uniform, which gave prominence to her rather large... assets. The two stood inside a high-speed train heading towards the academy.

"If the Britannian police catch you with this, you might get punished." His eyes rapidly move up to hers, who frowns. "I don't want you getting hurt, Shu."

Not wanting to upset her, after all, she was just looking out for him; he agreed.

And then, the incident at the academy happened. A girl knocked into him, yet the Student Self-Defense Force placed the blame on him and Hare. It was one of the few times he nearly got angry. Not because they blamed him unfairly but because they dragged in Hare, who was innocent in all this.

Luckily, it looks like it got resolved by the Student Council vice president, Lelouch Lamperouge, who even gave his tablet back with the same warning as Hare's. That surprised him, as he thought the Britannian wouldn't want to deal with an Eleven- with a Japanese student like him.

Though, I guess the proper term would actually be Honorary Britannian. Shu shakes his head. He may not be smart, but he knew that distinction only meant he would never be a true Britannian.

They'll never look at them as an equal.

Then he had to deal with added attention from not only the Britannian students but even from his fellow Japanese peers. Souta wouldn't shut up about it. Kanon wouldn't stop berating him for how dumb he was for not paying attention. And Yahiro just stayed silent, which he was both thankful for and annoyed by.

You ain't berating but you ain't helping me either.

Only Hare was the one defending him. Thank you, Hare. I really don't deserve you as a friend.

Shu sighs again as he makes his way into an abandoned building. Apparently, this used to be a university once, before the invasion. Now, like many things in the ghetto, it's devoid of life.

Which makes it his perfect hiding stop.

Inside, it wasn't much, but it was his refuge if he even wanted to escape from the outside. Sometimes, he even brings his laptop with him, either to play games or make videos.

Which reminds him, Souta has been hounding him to finish the video for the competition for the Movie Club. Well, he's almost done with it, so he'll just hand it over tomorrow.

"Oh, blooming wildflower..."

Now, he just needs to find a song that goes along with it...

"I beg of you, please tell me..."

Was that a voice?

"Why do people fight..."

It's coming from inside. As Shu walks deeper in, he stops, eyes wide.

"And hurt each?"

Sitting in the middle of the room was a beautiful pink-haired girl, half dressed in a red leotard, her naked back facing him.

"Oh, blooming valiant flower..."

She sat singing with such a beautiful voice. From above, sunlight shined through a hole in the roof, the girl basking in its light. Like she's an angel descending.

"What do you see from up there..."

Shu watches, mesmerized by her beauty and voice.

"Why is that people..."

Wait, she looks familiar.

"Can't forgive each other?"

Hold on, isn't she the lead singer of EGOIST?

He takes a step forward towards the beauty before a loud clang echoes through the building, stopping her singing. Shu looks down to see he kicked an empty can.

Looking up, he sees the girl look at him, startled. From behind her, an object makes itself known by moving in front of the girl. It was a small clear white machine with a single black line, curved on top, creating a U. On that line were two small hemispheres, each to a single slit across, acting as slit eyes. It stood on four legs with wheels at its soles, with a small tail with a glowing point.

What? Is that some kind of... some kind of robot dog?

He's given no time to ponder on that as the robot dog fires a wire wrapping around his leg and pulls, knocking off his feet and making him drop his bento case, popping its lid and revealing its contents. "Ah!"

As Shu struggles with the robot, he sees the girl watching him with fearfully red eyes, slowly crawling backward away from him, holding up her clothes to cover her chest.

"W-wait, you've got the wrong idea!" Shu said, pulling on the wire, trying to free himself. "I wasn't trying to spy on you!"

The girl didn't believe him as she continued crawling back. Eventually, she hits the table with the back of her head. The girl grunts, cradling her head. As she does so, Shu finally notices the torn cloth acting as bandages and the bloodstains that surround her.

Is she injured? Is that why she hiding in here?

Picking up his bento case, he makes his way near her, still struggling with the robot. Crawling and kneeling, he offers his bento. "Here. I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl stares with suspicion, and the robot lessens its struggles with him. She looks down at the food and back at him. She looks away.

Growls.

The two remain silent, though a bit of red appears on the girl's face. With a smile, Shu places the bento on the ground and pushes it towards her. She looks back at the bento while Shu shifts to sit further away.

After a while, the girl reaches out and grabs the bento case, occasionally glancing back at him. Grabbing a hold of the chopsticks, she pauses for a moment before another growl from below forces her to take the plunge.

At first, it was slow, but she picked up speed, devouring the bento case like a lion devouring its prey. Within moments, she cleared out the entire case, not leaving any crumbs. Shu stares gaped before looking up at the look of contentment on the girl's face.

He couldn't help it. He chuckled.

The girl's eyes shoot towards this, momentarily forgetting he was here. She glares at him, which only causes him to chuckle harder.

"S-sorry! It's just... I've never seen anyone clear out a bento case so quickly."

The girl frowns before pouting and looking away, a bit of red on her cheeks.

As Shu calms down, he thinks. Wow, it's been a long time since I've genuinely laughed.

A moment of silence falls upon the two, interrupted as the small robot detaches its cable from him, before making its way to the girl. Shu notices that one of its legs is sparking, making its movement look less like a slide and more like a crawl.

Huh, what happened to it?

"So... um..." Shu coughs, clearing his throat. "What's your name?"

The girl stares at him for a moment; the silence making him a little nervous. "Inori." She breathed.

Ok good, her name. He's making progress. "Nice to meet you, Inori. I'm Ouma Shu." He then looks at the wound on her shoulder. "That looks very serious. Should I call an ambulance for-"

"NO!" Shu jumps as Inori suddenly shouts at him with wide eyes, the robot dog crouching, looking ready to jump at him.

Shu holds up his hands. She glares at him, yet he can tell of the desperation in her eyes. She's injured and needs help but doesn't want it. The robot's leg sparks again, as it crouches in front of the girl.

Wait a minute, could there be more to this than he originally thought?

Just as he's about to open his mouth and ask, he hears something. Down the hallway from where he came in, he heard what sounded like footsteps.

But who's?

-~-

The sound of heavy boots echoed through the decrepit as Major Guin walked into the building, glancing around, arms locked behind him. The soldiers march past him, guns they spread out, securing the room, one soldier kneels, observing the bloodstains on the floor. The tablet in his hands scans the blood. "The blood is fresh, sir. She's near." He then turns to the empty bento case. "Note: target potentially not be alone, sir."

"Doesn't matter." He said before addressing the other soldiers. "Spread out and find her!"

"Yes, My Lord!" The soldiers march out, roaming the area.

Major Guin smiles. Finally, this chase nears its end.

-~-

Elsewhere, Shu and Inori are hiding behind a wall, watching past a crack as the soldiers begin searching for them.

"Aren't those Anti-Bodies forces?" Shu whispers, recognizing the symbol on the soldier's uniform.

The girl glances at him with wide eyes, before back at the soldiers. She would have dashed off by now, but she lost a lot of blood and could barely stand, much less run. As the girl clenches her hand and reaches for something behind her and the robot brings out what looks like a taser, Shu observes the two before looking back at Anti-Bodies forces.

While he'll admit he wasn't the sharpest knife in a shed, he can still understand that these guys were obviously after the girl. It would certainly explain how she got those injuries.

Has he just gotten involved in something he shouldn't have? Anti-Bodies, if he remembers correctly, were the private military arm of the GHQ. Usually hired to protect researchers and civilians in hazardous environments. That was what Haruka said.

So, why are they here, now? And after Inori?

Should he run away? This was definitely something beyond him. Maybe he can hide and they won't notice him?

He looks back at Inori and remembers. Her voice when she sang. her fear when he arrived. And the slight look of contentment when she finished the meal he gave her.

No, he won't run. He's done that already before throughout his entire life. Doesn't matter if she is a criminal or not.

Just this once, let him do something good worthwhile.

From her back pocket, Inori pulls out a handgun and readies herself. But before she could do anything, Shu grabbed her wrist.

"Wait. You're outnumbered and can barely move." He noticed her slow movement as they ran up behind this wall to hide. "I know a place where we can hide," Shu whispers, holding out his hand. "But you've got to trust me."

The girl looks at his hand, hesitant to trust him. But then she hears the encroaching footsteps of the soldiers. She stares into his eyes, which were watching her.

Waiting for her choice.

Hearing the footsteps getting nearer, she makes her choice.

She grabs his hand.

Just this once, she'll trust him for now.

-~-

Student Council Ballroom – Area 11

"I never knew such a place existed." Kallen said as she glanced at her surroundings. Both she and Lelouch stood in a large, 2 story ballroom. A large staircase connected the two floors. Around them were large tracery windows, bathing the ballroom with light, tables covered in a stark white tablecloth, and above them hung a massive, luxurious, sparkling chandelier.

"This is the Student Council Clubhouse Ballroom." Lelouch said, standing before her. "Built for various special occasions."

"So," She turned to him, staring him directly in the eyes. "We won't be bothered here, then?"

"Yes, that's correct." Lelouch said, staring right back.

The air between the two felt stuffy despite the large room. The tension between them built as the two prepared for what was to come next.

"Hey! I think I found it!"

Suddenly, Kallen and Lelouch looked up at the second floor to see Shirley smiling, holding up her hand. Pinched by her two fingers was a small green chip. "This is it, right?"

"Ah, thank you. You found our lab data." Nina walks up to her with a small smile.

"Ah, finally!" Rivalz said, walking up to them while rubbing his bottom. "All this crawling is killing my ass. You have to keep a better eye on that thing." He points to the chip. "Don't want to do that again."

"How did it get here, anyway?" Shirley asked.

"Ah, must have fallen out when I moved my supplies to and from the council room." Nina said, holding the chip to her chest.

Kallen and Lelouch watch them from the floor below, confused. Said confusion only grew as the double doors slid open, revealing Milly in a white fluffy apron pushing a cart filled with food, while Maya, also in an apron, followed her with a set of plates in her hands.

"Did you guys find it? Maya and I finished up on our end."

"Yep, we found it." Nina said, holding up her chip.

"Oh, wow!" Rivalz said as he observed all the delicious meals.

"Way to go, Milly, Maya!" Shirley said, clapping her hands over the delicious food.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Milly said with a grin while laying out the plates. "I know you guys adore us."

"I didn't do much, really." Maya said while setting down the plates.

"Nonsense!" Suddenly, Milly gives her a side hug. "You were a massive getting this all ready."

"What's this?" Lelouch finally asks, wondering why they were all here with food being laid out.

"Hmm? We're inducting Kallen into the Student Council. My grandfather's idea. I thought you knew, bringing her here and all." Milly tilts her head.

"It was the principal's idea?"

"Yep! He thought it best, given her poor health, that she'd have a harder time with regular club activities." She holds out her hand towards Kallen. "I'm Milly Ashford, by the way. President of the Student Council. A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Kallen shakes her hand, smiling. Next up, Rivalz walks in with a grin and a thumb pointed to himself.

"I'm Rivalz Cardemonde, the secretary. Anything you need, I'm your man."

"Shirley Fenette!" Shirley said with a smile. "And I'm also a member of the Swimming Club."

"Nina Einstein." Nina said softly, fidgeting a bit.

"Maya Garfield." Maya said with her hand across her chest and giving a small nod.

"Nice to meet you all." Kallen said, nodding at them.

Just as they were done with the introductions, the doors slid open again, with Nunnally rolling in with Alice behind her. On her lap was a tray filled with pastries.

"Alice, could you help set down the cakes?"

"Sure then, Nunnally." Alice said, grabbing the tray.

"You too, Nunnally?" Lelouch asked, surprised that his sister was involved as well.

As the blonde-haired girl helps her, Kallen stares at the wheelchair bounded girl. Milly notices this.

"This is Nunnally, Lelouch's little sister. And the other girl is Alice Beaumont."

"I'm still in the Lower years of the academy so I can't join yet as a proper member. Same with Alice." Nunnally turns towards Kallen and the rest. Upon further inspection, Kallen notices that she's also blind as well, as she has opened her eyes since.

"That's alright. Both of you are honorary members." Rivalz cheers her up, with Nina, Shirlet and Maya nodding in agreement. As they walked towards the table of food, Kallen glanced at them before turning back to Nunnally, whose existence surprised her.

Hearing so much about Britannia's 'Survival of the fittest' mentality, which they pride themselves on, she would have thought that people like Nunnally got treated harshly. Yet, everyone around here treats her kindly.

She supposes that there are Britannians who are more kind than stated.

Or maybe it's the fact that she's Britannian, that she gets exempted.

"Hello, Kallen." Lost in her mind, Kallen doesn't notice Nunnally moving up to her, until she's right in front of her. The blind girl gives her usual smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kallen looks at her, before giving a genuine smile. "It's a pleasure to be here."

Whatever the matter is, it doesn't mean she can't repay her kindness with her own.

"Now then! Let's kick this off with a toast." Rivalz declares as he puts down a champagne bottle in the middle of the table.

"Champagne!?" Shirley stared down at the bottle.

"Wait, we're Student Council. We shouldn't have alcohol." Nina muttered.

"Oh, lighten up, guys." Rivalz said, giggling as he tried to pop out the cork.

"No way! We're going to get into trouble!" Shirley grabs the bottle and tries to pry it off Rivalz's hands. A struggle begins as the two fight over the bottle. Nunnally, hearing the struggle, asks. "What's going on?"

"Ah, it's nothing. Just the usual." Alice said as she grabbed Nunnally's hand to give her juice. "Here you go, Nunnally."

Kallen raises a brow as she watches the struggle over the bottle. She turns to Maya, who stood by. "That doesn't happen a lot, right?"

Maya gives a strained series of chuckles. "Actually, it's almost a daily occurrence. I know, it shocked me too when I first joined as well. In fact, My induction was similar to yours, in fact."

"How so?"

"Well," Maya looks away. "It happened so fast that I didn't get to say if I wanted to join or not. Got swept up."

"Oh." So it was very similar.

"I-it's not all bad!" Maya quickly said, waving her hands. "They're good people and I've enjoyed my time with them."

Rivalz pulls the bottle to his chest and turns around, making Shirley reach for it over his shoulders. Seeing Lelouch standing behind her, Rivalz takes the chance and tosses the bottle above her. "Lelouch, heads up."

While surprised by the sudden act, Lelouch still catches the bottle. Shirley growls, pushing off Rivalz and rushes to him. "You're not getting it either, Lulu!" She reaches for the bottle, but he holds it above their heads. She jumps on him, trying to reach it but loses balance, toppling both her and Lelouch.

"Woah!"

"Ah!"

As the two fall, within the champagne bottle, pressure from its contents shaken by all the constant movement, reaches its limit. With a loud pop, the cork launches itself at high speeds.

Right towards Kallen.

Fortunately, with her reflexes, she quickly smacks the projectile away. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop what came next as a stream of champagne poured out just as fast.

All over her head.

The room falls silent. Rivalz slumps over. Nina covers her mouth. Lelouch, Shirley and Maya watch wide-eyed, shocked as the poor girl gets drenched in alcohol. Milly simply just blinks.

"What just happened?" Nunnally innocently asked, head cutely turning.

As the stream of alcohol lessens, one thought was going through the irate Half-Britannian's mind.

Somehow, she has a feeling that she won't enjoy her time here.

-~-

In the Student Council Bathroom, Kallen mutters angrily as she washes herself clean, water showering down from above. "This is why I hate Britannians."

What was supposed to be just a simple task of figuring out if Lelouch knew about her and Shinjuku quickly grew out of her control, and then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, she was a member of the Student Council.

Why did this have to happen to her?

She hears a knock on the door. "It's Lelouch. I bought you some clothes for you." Lelouch said, muffled by the door.

"You can come in. I've already drawn out the curtain."

The door slides open and the schoolboy walks in. He blinks, seeing that the curtain is closed, yet, because of the light, the silhouette of her naked body can be seen on the curtain. He looks away before stepping forward. "Sorry about all this. They can be a little over the top sometimes."

"It's fine. Nothing with cutting loose every once in a while, you know?" Though, did it have to involve her? Washing off alcohol was not how she planned to spend her afternoon.

"These are some of my clothes. Hope you don't mind." He said, putting the clothes down in a basket.

"It's cool. Don't worry about it." She looks over her shoulder. "That was fast. You ran all the way to the boys' dorm?" The walk to the clubhouse has shown her just how big the academy is. She knows how far the dorms are from here. Did he run? He doesn't sound out of breath.

"Actually, I live here." He said, making her turn around. "It would be hard for my sister to live in the dorms, so the principal lets us live here as a favor."

"I see." He really cares for his sister, huh? Everyone has those that they love.

She thinks back to Naoto, her own brother.

"Anyway..." Lelouch makes his way out of the bathroom before Kallen stops him.

"Wait!" She lets out an arm from the curtain, pointing to the sink. "Could you hand me that pouch over there by the sink?" He looks and sees what she means. A small pink pouch sat by the sink.

"Sure, then." He grabs it and walks up to the curtain. Looking away, he reaches his arm through the curtain, handing the pouch to her.

Suddenly, a powerful grip surrounds his wrist, making him drop the pouch on the wet bath. He looks down at his wrist, at her tight grip. "My, my, ain't you a live wire?" A strong grip for someone who supposedly has a weak constitution.

Behind the curtain, Kallen drills a suspicious look into Lelouch's head. "Were you the one from Shinjuku?"

"Shinjuku? What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb! You brought up Shinjuku the other day. Why?"

"Is there something wrong with Shinjuku?" He looks at the curtain, acting nonchalantly.

"Don't answer my question with another question!" As she reaches for her pouch, Lelouch notes a sudden rise of heat around her grip on his wrist. So, this is her ability, huh? Fascinating.

"Yes or no. That's all I want right now." She picks up the pouch and with a flick, a small knife extends from it.

A moment of tense silence surrounds the two, reminiscence on what happened earlier in the ballroom. Yet again, they get interrupted, this time by a telephone attached to the wall. Its ring draws the two's attention to it. She tenses, surprised by the sudden out-of-place call while Lelouch calmly looks at it, its blinking green light signaling an incoming call.

"If I don't answer it, someone will come. That okay?" Hearing nothing from her, Lelouch reaches for the telephone. He picks it up and answers. "Hello? Ashford Academy Student Council. No, this is... Oh, apparently it's for you." He hands her the telephone. "Says he knows you."

Kallen looks down, confused. Was it Ohgi or someone from the resistance? She places the pouch down by the bath and picks up the telephone. "Hello?"

"Glad you're still alive, Q-1."

Her eyes shoot wide open as she hears the familiar voice. It's him!?

Was I wrong? She peeks out the curtain, seeing Lelouch doing nothing but looking away. So, he's not the voice?

"16:00 hours. The day after tomorrow. The observation deck at Tokyo Tower. Come alone." The voice said before hanging up.

"Wait!" Kallen whirls around the telephone, unknowingly dragging the curtain open. "Who are you!? How did you arrange that cease-fire!? Hey, don't hang up on me!"

"Cease-fire?"

She flinches, remembering that she isn't alone. "Sounds like you keep dangerous company." He said calmly, glancing at her.

"Um... that was..." Kallen panics, her eyes darting around as she struggles to find an excuse.

"Let me guess? You're talking about a game, right?" Lelouch turns his head away. "Something online?"

Seeing an excuse, she quickly latches on to it. "Ah, yeah! You got me. Because... I've been shut up in my house for so long." She slowly let go of his hand.

"That's what I was warning you about when I brought up Shinjuku." He said, rubbing his wrist. "Seriously, some people will try to show you some pretty grim videos. It's disturbing." He then glances at the ceiling. "By the way, you know I can see you, right?"

It was then that she looked down and noticed that the shower curtain was wide open, revealing her exposed, wet body. She shrieks, cheeks red, pulling the curtain closed while crouching down, her back facing him. As she hugs herself tightly, she hears Lelouch saying. "Uh, I won't tell anyone." He leaves the bathroom, the door sliding closed behind him.

As he leaves, a glum Kallen looks down at the wet floor. "I was wrong." She whispers.

-~-

Elsewhere, Lelouch stood before Sayoko, with a recorder in his hand. Next to them was a table holding a telephone.

"Glad you're still alive, Q-1." The recorder plays his voice before he switches it off. With a smirk, he leaves the room.

Amazing what one can do with just a simple recording.

As he walks out, Sayoko wakes up from her trance and looks around, confused about how she ended up here.

-~-

"Man, now I feel bad." Rivalz said as he finished wiping the floor with the large white towel in his hands.

"Well, you should." Shirley said, looking down at him with crossed arms. "Told you we shouldn't have the bottle."

"Nobody was going to know. Besides, aren't you a little curious about how it tastes?"

"No!"

Maya sighs and smiles as she watches Shirley chastise Rivalz. Off to the side, Milly, Nunnally and Alice watch as well. Well, Milly and Alice watch. Nunnally listens with a giggle. The President giggles as well before sighing and looking at the food.

"What now? Should we warm up the food?"

"I think so." Maya said. "Kallen may be back soon, so we might as well prepare."

Plus, she hated to waste all this food. Not only did she have a hand in making it, food was important and not everyone had access to this much food.

In her mind flashes the memory of Hina, smiling.

Before Maya could lose herself in her sorrow, she shakes her head. No, she won't lose herself in grief. She'll avenge them. She'll avenge them all. And she'll do it by going after the one who started it.

The Prince, Clovis. She heard him broadcast the ceasefire, so that meant he was there before that. He has to be the source. No one can command that many soldiers without his approval. And if it turns out he's not the source, she'll find them through him.

Suddenly, she heard a gasp coming from Nina, who sat at a table, using her computer. She had a look of complete shock.

"N-no way." She says, drawing everyone's attention.

"Nina? What's wrong?" Shirley asked, worried. She's never seen the usually timid girl like this.

Nina looks up at them. "T-this... M-maya! Please turn on the TV!"

Maya raises her brow but does as she says. Picking up the remote, she turns on the TV, wondering what this has to do with anything.

As the screen flashes on, luckily on the news channel, a female reporter in a blue suit is speaking.

"-assassinated. I repeat, His Highness, Prince Clovis, Third Prince of the Empire and Viceroy of Area 11 has been assassinated."

Maya's eyes go wide.

-~-

"You don't have to worry much about what we do in the Student Council." Lelouch said as he and Kallen walked down the hallway. After she finished washing, Kallen donned the clothes Lelouch. A brown, thick jacket over a long black shirt and grey pants. Overall, it gave her a masculine look, which made sense, as they were his casual clothes.

"Aside from the usual paperwork, we also plan the school events."

"Are you talking about the cultural festival?" She asked.

"Yes. As well as the cross-dressing festival, the absolute silence festival and swimsuit day." He said, looking to the side as Kallen gave him a look.

"What's up with that?" She asked, incredulous at the mentioned festivals.

"Blame our president." He chuckles. While the festivals annoy him a bit, he can't deny that there's certainly a genius in Milly's random choice of festivals. They help give the academy a boost in morale and overall never fails to improve someone's mood.

As they walked back into the ballroom, the two saw that everyone was huddling around the television set. Nunnally, hearing her brother's return turns and calls him out. "Lelouch, it's awful!"

"What is?" He asked.

Milly turns to him. "Prince Colvis has been found dead."

"They say he got murdered." Rivalz adds.

Lelouch's and Kallen's eyes widen, shocked. Both Lelouch and Kallen tuned in to the TV, as a reporter continued. "-from Margrave Jeremiah."

The screen transitions to showing Jeremiah Gottwald in his military dress uniform and a cape on one shoulder, standing in the State Broadcast Room, a crowd of reporters before him. Behind him were soldiers wearing the same uniform, minus the cape.

"Prince Clovis has been taken from us. He fought for peace and justice against the Eleven. He died a martyr!" Jeremiah said, glaring at the camera while holding up a fist. "We must bury our sorrow and carry on his will."

The former prince ponders on this recent development. Given that he hasn't been exposed and arrested, that means they finally found a suitable scapegoat. That would explain why they're announcing it now.

Yet, if not him, then who?

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news." Suddenly, the screen changes again, showing the female reporter from before. "The man suspected of the murder has been captured. This man is an Honorary Britannian."

Honorary Britannian? So they're using the Japanese then, huh? Lelouch narrows his eyes.

The screen shifts again, revealing the supposed suspect, and Lelouch nearly loses his composure, eyes flying wide open.

"Private Suzaku Kururugi, a former Eleven turned Honorary Britannian." On the screen, he watches as Suzaku being escorted down a walkway, wearing a white prisoner jumpsuit. Two Britannian soldiers held his arms, dragging him forward. The boy shouts, saying something that goes unheard. Suddenly, one soldier raises their fist and backhands him, silencing him.

"I repeat: Suzaku Kururugi, suspect of the crime of murdering His Highness." Lelouch watches wide-eyed at the screen, at the grimacing Suzaku with a bruise forming on his cheek.

-~-

Pendragon Suburbs, Pendragon – Holy Empire of Britannia

Pendragon. The Capital of the Holy Britannian Empire. An affluent city whose lights shined through the night sky like gems. At its center was the recently renamed 'Saint Darwin Street' district, an elevated section of the city where the Imperial family lives and rules. Populating the city were also large manors and mansions where various noblehouses and celebrities lived.

One impressive manor rested on the outskirts of the city. A massive, gothic-like structure, surrounded by an equally massive field. Around the fenced complex were guards patrolling, making sure nothing unwelcomed ever reached the manor.

Whether they be man or otherwise.

Inside the main office room of the manor, a tall, young woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes and creamy brown skin sat at her desk. She wore a dark green blazer and pants, a white buttoned shirt and a red cravat. She pushes up her circular glasses before looking ahead. "So, what do you have to report?" She said, stifling the urge to yawn. She may have woken up earlier than usual, but she's still a noblewoman.

Standing before was a tall man with slicked-back black hair and grey eyes with a monocle over his left eye. He wore a white buttoned shirt with a blue sleeveless vest over it, white gloves, grey trousers and black shoes. His old age shows as his face has wrinkles and even his grey has tints of grey.

An impeccably sophisticated butler, he was.

In his hands is a folder, which he places down on her desk. "The news gave the confirmation. Prince Clovis is dead."

The lady looks down at the folder with narrowed eyes. "Is that so? Well, that's a shame. Though I doubt that's only why you've awoken me." She said.

"No, My Lady." The butler said as she took up the folder. "It's what we found which may relate to him."

She opens it up and reads. After a moment, her eyes widen a bit before narrowing again. She looks up at him. "So, you found her there?"

"Yes, My Lady. While it's only a small glimpse before our agent lost them, we have confirmation that she is in the Tokyo Settlement."

She looks back at the folder. "And just as the prince is announced, dead. Think she did?"

"We don't know, My Lady. Could be possible. However, we need more information."

The noblewoman sighs. That girl just likes making things vexing whenever it involves her.

The noblewoman reads the entire folder before closing and putting it down. She then takes out a cigar and a lighter. With a flick, a flame lit up her cigar. She takes a breath before turning around in her chair, facing the large windows behind her. The moon shined, illuminating her and the office room.

"We'll continue the search, but she isn't our highest priority." She looks back at him. "What's happening in Tokyo and Fuyuki City is. Especially, Tokyo. I don't like the absurd burst of mana we're picking up there. Therefore, Walter, we'll focus our attention there instead. Who knows? Might run into her while we're there."

"Of course, Sir Integra." The man, Walter C. Dornez, placed his hand across his chest and gave a small bow before leaving. As he exits the room, the noblewoman looks back at the moon.

"Area 11." Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing takes another smoke from her cigar. "Such a chaotic nation you're turning out to be."