Chapter 12

The Next Morning

Ashford Academy

"How's campus life treating you?" Kallen heard Ohgi say through the phone, as the girl stood on one of the rooftops of Ashford. A good place to be alone so no one will overhear the person she was calling.

"Stifling," Kallen said dully. "I was stuck in history class yesterday. Look, maybe I should just head back."

"The army is on a high alert right now. Stay there, and let things cool off."

"But what about the voice on the radio?" Kallen asked.

"Can't go looking for a voice. Besides… Naoto would be happy to see you back at school."

Ohgi heard Kallen sigh, no doubt thinking of her brother after just mentioning him just now.

"Forget about Shinjuku for now. I'll be in touch."

"Alright. I'll see you later," With that Kallen closed the call.

In history class, Lelouch was asked to speak the lesson concerning the education of the Tudor Dynasty. "The aristocracy was highly educated. With such an emphasis on edification and training, they produced a superior breed of ruler. And secondly, they possessed heightened efficiency. Since only…"

Kallen could raise her eyebrows without turning to the boy talking. It was just… what was this gut feeling she was having? Why did the sound of his voice… sound so…?

"No, it couldn't be." Kallen thought. "I don't remember the voice well enough to be sure."

"Alright That will do." Miss Kennedy said as Lelouch finished and sat back to his seat, and the teacher continued. "With the enthronement of Henry the 9th, son of the great Elizabeth the 1st, the golden age of the Tudor Dynasty…"

Lelouch noticed that ahead of him, Kallen had closed her pocket mirror down, with no doubt she had been observing him.

"All I gave her was the knowledge that I know of shinjuku, however..." lelouch stared at her.

'If he knows who I am.' Kallen think.

'Then as soon as possible...' He still stared at her.

'I need to take care of him.' She takes a glance at him.

A transport drove down the empty highway, escorted by several Sutherlands. Inside, sat General Bartley, and in front of him was the closed casket of the deceased Prince Clovis.

"And the research center?" Bartley asked the com next to him.

"Transferred to Narita last night."

"Right then," Bartley said, and the call ended. The general could only hang his head and look at the coffin with a sorrowful look. "Forgive me, Your Highness."

"Say, Lulu." Shirley said to Lelouch, the teen now packing his backpack up now that the class had been dismissed. "We're about to head over to–"

"Sorry," He looked in the direction of Kallen who was chatting with her friends. "Maybe next time." That left Shirley confused.

"You gotta go straight home then, huh?" One of Kallen's friends said.

"What do you have a curfew?"

Soon, they all fell silent when they noticed Lelouch Lamperouge approaching them, his attention focused on Kallen.

"Can I… help you?" Kallen asked.

"You think you could spare a minute? I need to talk to you."

That caused all the girls, including Shirley to look in confusion.

"Yes. I was expecting you's asked me to." Kallen said.

The girls are screaming when they see this.

BOOM!

"WHAT?!" Bartley exclaimed at the sound of exploding metal outside the transport. He stood up in horror when the roof of the transport was peeled off by a Sutherland; not one of the escorts.

"I hope you can see how determined we are now." That voice. It belonged to Jeremiah Gottwald.

"But I've already told you!" Bartley started sweating again.

"You don't remember? Still clinging on to that pathetic excuse of yours?!" Jeremiah yelled as he got out of his cockpit

"Just ask the others!" The general said, desperately. "They'll testify that…!"

"Ducking the blame? You're pathetic!" The margrave eyed the man with disgust. "You shan't remain at His Royal Highness' side any longer!"

Ashford Academy

Where are we?" Kallen looked at the surroundings of the separate building Lelouch led her to. The interior was very nice indeed. A staircase that led to upper floors, several clothed tables, and glass chandelier at the center of the ceiling.

"It's the club house for the student council," Lelouch explained. "They built it as a ballroom for various special occasions."

"I don't understand," Kallen said, looking at Lelouch. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Here it is!" They both turned in the direction of the upper floor, where Shirley held up a small data chip. "I found it! Look! This is it, right?"

"Ah! That's it! The experiment data!" Nina thankfully said as Shirley handed her the data.

"Oh, man" Rivalz said tiredly. "My back is hurt now."

Then the door slid open to reveal Milly in an apron carting in a wheeled cart of food. "Were you able to find it? I finished up on my end, so why don't we start?"

"Whoa, Amazing!" Rivalz said with joy at the sight of the food.

"Way to go, Milly!" Shirley praised as well.

Milly set upon the table exquisite dishes, salads, and a pot of stew. "Please, you can adore me more!"

"Um…" Lelouch asked. "What is all of this?"

"Didn't you bring her here because you knew? We're inducting Kallen into the student council." That surprised Kallen. "It was my grandfather's idea."

"The schiol principal did?" Lelouch said.

"He thought it best with her poor health, she'd have a hard time with regular club activities." She turned to the said girl. "Hi, I'm Milly, the president of the student council. Pleasure to meet you."

"Oh…" Kallen was still surprised by all of this. "Thank you, the pleasure's all mine."

Rivalz, Shirley, and Nina came down to meet the red hair girl.

"Hi, I'm Rivalz, the secretary!" Rivalz said. "If there's anything you need help with, I'm your man!"

"Kallen, you remember me?" Shirley asked. "I'm a member of the swim club. I'm Shirley Fennette!"

"Oh, right," Kallen said.

"Um, hi there," Nina said, very shy. "My name's Nina."

"It's… nice to meet all of you…" Kallen said.

Then there came the sound of an electronic wheelchair coming in. Kallen turned to see a young girl coming in a wheelchair, on her lap were two packs of pizzas, and on top was a plate filled with sweets.

"Shirley?" Nunnally said. "I'm sorry, but do you think you can set these on the table for me?"

"Oh, sure, thanks, Nunna!" Shirley smiled and she went to help the disabled girl.

"Nunnally, what are you doing here?" Lelouch asked, making Kallen confused.

"This is Lelouch's sister." Milly said, causing Kallen to glance back at Lelouch and the girl.

"I'm still in the middle school group, so I can't be on the council yet." Nunnally said.

"That's all right," Rivalz said. "You're an honorary member in our book."

"Hell, there," Nunnally said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen."

Kallen was touched by the girl's kindness. Despite her disabilities, she sounded very sweet. "Thank you." She smiled. "You as well."

"All right!" Rivalz said, and he pulled from under the table a bottle of champagne. "Shall we kick this off with a toast?!"

"Huh?" Milly said.

"Champagne?!" Shirley exclaimed.

"But we're on the student council, we shouldn't!" Nina said, now getting worried more.

"Ah, c'mon, loosen up, you guys!" Rivalz said as he went to uncork the bottle, but Shirley grabbed a hold of the bottle.

"No way!" She and Rivalz started to struggle for the bottle. "We're gonna get in trouble!"

"What's going on?" Nunnally asked, not seeing what was happening. Milly went to give a the girl a glass of orange soda.

"Lelouch, catch!" Rivalz yelled as he tossed the bottle in the air, with Lelouch managing to catch it in his hand.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Shirley exclaimed as she went for Lelouch. "You're not getting away with this either, Lulu!" Their struggle caused them to fall back, and the force cause the cork to pop out.

The cork went in Kallen direction, but the girl quickly swiped it away, but she couldn't block the stream of champagne coming from the bottle.

Everyone looked in shock, with nervousness settling in.

"What just happened?" Nunnally asked.

Kallen grunted as she continued washing her body as she showered in the bathroom. "This is why I hate Britannians, for crying out loud..."

There came a knock at the door.

"It's Lelouch. I brought you a change of clothes."

"You can come in. The shower curtain's closed." She spoke.

Lelouch entered the bathroom, and he briefly caught sight of Kallen's silhouette through the curtain, and he turned his head away, almost embarrassed. "Uh… I'm sorry about all this. I know they can be a little over the top, sometimes."

"That's okay. Nothing wrong with cutting it loose every once in a while, you know?"

Lelouch set the clothes on the basket. "These are my clothes, hope that's okay."

"That was fast, you went all the way to the boy's dorm?" Kallen asked.

Lelouch entered the bathroom, and he briefly caught sight of Kallen's silhouette through the curtain, and he turned his head away, almost embarrassed. "Uh… I'm sorry about all this. I know they can be a little over the top, sometimes."

"That's okay. Nothing wrong with cutting it loose every once in a while, you know?"

Lelouch set the clothes on the basket. "These are my clothes, hope that's okay."

"That was fast, you went all the way to the boy's dorm?" Kallen asked.

"Actually, I live here," Kallen stopped at his words. "It would be pretty hard for my sister to live off in dorms. The principal of the school lets us stay here as a favor."

"Oh, I see." Kallen said, but still curious.

"Anyway..." lelouch was about to go out. "Wait..." he heard kallen and stop his track.

She pass her heand out of the curtain. "Can you hand me my pouch over there?" He see her pouch in the table.

"Sure." Ge picked it up and hand it over to her. He gave it to her without looking at her naked.

She suddenly grabbed his hand startling him. "You are livelier than I expected."

"Were you shinjuku on that day?" She interogated him.

"What do you mean?" He played dumb.

"Don't olay dumb" She didn't buy lelouch's lie. "Why did you mention shinjuku?"

"Is there somwthing wrong with shinjuku?" Said lelouch still playing dumb at her.

"Do answer a question with a question." She grit her teeth in anger.

"Is that a yes or a no?" She picked her pouch and draw a knife from her pouch. "I don't want to hear anything else."

RING!

The phone rang.

Lelouch went to pick up the phone. "Hello, Ashford Academy Student Council. No this is… oh… It's for you." Kallen raised her eyebrows. "He says he knows you."

Lelouch handed her the phone through the curtain, careful not to peak through. Kallen took hold of the telephone and almost paused, before answering. "Hello?"

"I'm glad you're alive and well, Q-1."

Kallen gasped. It was him. The voice. The very same voice. The very same tone.

"Is something wrong?" Lelouch asked. She made a peak to see he was there, and the voice on the phone. It couldn't be. If Lelouch was there… that meant…

"Sixteen hundred hours, the day after tomorrow. The observation deck at Tokyo Tower. Come alone."

"Who are you?!" Kallen then demanded. "How did you arrange that ceasefire order?!" Unfortunately, she heard the call end. "HEY! DON'T HANG UP!" She pulled at the chord, which ended pulling the curtain open wide, which she was oblivious to. Lelouch quickly turned his head the opposite direction, almost feeling more embarrassed as it was.

"What do you mean, cease-fire order?" Lelouch asked, catching Kallen's attention. "Sounds like you have some dangerous friends."

"Oh, um…" She realized she shouldn't have said that. "This was just..."

"Shall I guess? It's about a game, right?" Kallen widened her eyes. "In a net, right?"

Online… yeah… that could work. "Uh… yeah, that's it. Because I've been shut up in my house." She loosened her grip on him.

"That's why I warned you before." He touch his hand that was griped before. "That bit about how you shouldn't talk about shinjuku."

"Those guys who'd intentionally show a person like you footage of that stuff." Lelouch said, now there was one thing he better mention. "Um, by the way... I can see you..."

Kallen froze, and she finally realized the open curtain, and looked to see her bare, soaking body… completely exposed for Lelouch to see, even though he was looking the other way. She almost cried out in horror as she quickly drew the curtain back, and bent down, crossing her arms over herself so tightly.

"Um, I won't tell anyone. Anyway I'llsee you Later." Lelouch said, and Kallen heard the door close, meaning he had left. She had never felt this so embarrassed. Her cheeks were red as her hair. And to think… that she had this gut feeling that… Lelouch was… it didn't matter anymore. "I was wrong."

"I'm glad you're alive and well, Q-1." Replayed the recording Lelouch device he had, sayoko suddenly wake up and confuse of why is she standing alone in a room. "Huh?"

After changing into Lelouch's clothes, Kallen walked with Lelouch down the hallway.

"Beyond occasional paperwork, we'll sometimes plan school events," Lelouch explained to her.

"The student council doesn't require much actual work. By the event, you mean like the Cultural Festival?" She asked.

Lelouch nodded. "Along with the Cross-Dressing festival, the Absolute Silence Party, and foing to class in your Swimsuit Day."

Kallen raised an eyebrow at that. "What are those?"

"Our president's weird tastes," Lelouch almost smirked. "She'll get you involved in thsi stiff soon, so be prepared."

As they both walked back into the ballroom, they noticed their friends in front of the TV.

"Big brother, it's awful!" Nunnally cried out.

"What is it?" Lelouch asked.

"Prince Clovis has died!" Milly said.

"They say he was killed!" Rivalz said.

"Prince Clovis has been passed away!" Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald proclaimed as he stood with the Purebloods, with Viletta and Kewell there as well. "While fighting for peace and justice against the Elevens, he died at martyr!"

"We all must push down our sorrow and carry on his will!"

"We've just received a new information. The man suspected as the murderer has been captured!"

"According to this report, the suspect is an honorary Britannian."

"Can it be..." Lelouch widened his eyes.

"Private Suzaku Kururugi. A former Eleven and Honorary Britannian." Lelouch see suzaku, his friend, in disbelief.

The executor

"Private Suzaku Kururugi. A former Eleven and Honorary Britannian."

Inside the executor, from the holodesk it was displayed the hologram of the Area 11 News channel for Arkainus, kainand and starkiller.

"So… their prince was murdered?" Kainand said.

"Hmph, I don't believe it." Starkiller said. He knows this must be a conspiracy, he already see the file of suzaku and his action at the field. He knows there is no way a noble to be killed by an eleven like suzaku that easily.

"So this must be a conspiracy." Kainand said.

"It is indeed admiral." Said arkainus.

"My lord, do you think…"

"We will not interfere." Arkainus said. "We will continue observing from the probe to see how this plays out. And when the result is presented… then we shall see."

Arkainus could see the news was the propaganda the britannian would give to demonize the elevens. The way this… Margrave spoke with such improvised speech was just pathetic to see. And how he proclaimed their Prince fought against 'Elevens' was killed by a former Eleven… was so easy for an idiot to see.