Code Geass: Kallen of the Revolution

[Corwin]

<--->

[11:56] Kallen is left to her own devices, secluding herself in her room after refusing a trip to the hospital. The commotion outside is ignored, as she tries to come to grips with the awakening of her Geass, the power bestowed upon her by Lucille. Much remains nebulous, but there is one thing Kallen ends up realizing; opening herself up that fully again to another person carries with it the risk of feedback.
[11:59] In more ways than one. Her chest still feels slightly sore, but she can't let herself be put out of action. A valuable lesson was certainly just learned. Reflecting on that for the time being, she glances at the clock in her room.
[12:01] Kallen does not need a clock to tell that it's night-time, although the device makes it easier to narrow down the timeframe. It is 2:34AM.
[12:11] It could be dangerous to test at home, Kallen realises, and the streets will be all but deserted. For the moment, she expects a report from one of the security people when her father's condition is ascertained, so she waits around fifteen minutes-
[12:11] -before deciding on her next move.
[12:14] One might have come earlier, when she had yet to fully reascertain control over herself. Even after waiting until almost three o'clock, no one arrives to disturb Kallen.
[12:18] Perhaps she should head out her room, then, and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. If anyone is still wandering around the house at this time, she should see them.
[12:20] Someone is slumped just outside Kallen's room. It is her mother, leaning against the wall. Her head is drooped, and she seems to be sleeping.
[12:25] Her mother. A desire to use her Geass on her surfaces, immediately followed by some incredulity. Can Kallen really use this on the people she loves? Struggling with this for a moment, she decides that, to begin with, this is unseemly. She puts a hand on her mother's shoulder and tries to shake her awake.
[12:30] "Kallen," Kasumi murmurs, before awakening. Her eyes lock onto her daughter.
[12:32] "You can't sleep out here," mutters Kallen, staring back for a moment, before dragging her eyes away. What could she do? Infuse her mother with anger? Make her happy? Confident? Would it last beyond the moment? Would her mother even survive? "I'll take you to your room."
[12:35] "You're alright," Kasumi says, forcing on a smile. It seems shaky. "Please don't worry about me." She stands up on her own. "I can make it back."
[12:39] Kallen scrutinzes her mother and attempts to judge the accuracy of her declaration.
[12:40] The dominant emotion in her mother seems relief.
[12:42] "Alright," replies Kallen, sounding doubtful, before continuing on her path to the kitchen.
[12:45] No one disturbs Kallen on her walk. She finds the kitchens darkened, all staff apparently asleep at this hour.
[12:56] Returning with her glass of water, Kallen goes straight to bed. Sleep comes easily, her dreams plagued by her father. One of them, a repeat of the vision she had during the making of the contract, wakes Kallen up at dawn. The house is still silent.
[12:59] She doesn't often get up and go out early, but she will today. Excitement and adredaline pump through her- today's the day it really begins. All doubts have been cast aside, and she has a power that can win against Britannia. The first order of business is learning how to use it-
[13:03] -a task she approaches with gusto. Getting dressed in her uniform, and sticking a more casual set of clothes in her bag, she sets out a good hour or so ahead of schedule, intending to get changed elsewhere. Perhaps heading to a park is the first place she can try things out.
[13:09] The part is reasonably empty when Kallen gets there. A few Elevens are busy setting up stalls there, and a young woman is jogging, an unleashed dog with a collar following her.
[13:16] The first step, Kallen reflects, is making contact. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, she produces a book to read, before glancing at one of the elevens. She doesn't want to go overboard, but there needs to be something small, yet noticable. Irritation, perhaps? It wouldn't be the first time an eleven was frustrated with their job and it should certainly show on her face.
[13:24] Pretending to read her book, Kallen sneaks glances at the nearest Eleven setting up his stall. It sells hotdogs, from what Kallen can see. The man, in his early twenties, does not appear to notice her as he works.
[13:28] The signal of the Geass burns brightly in Kallen's eye as she continues to observe the Eleven. Perhaps it is this scrutiny, or he might have sensed something, but he turns his head to look at Kallen. A scowl appears on his face almost immediately, and he switftly turns away from her.
[13:32] Could it work the other way, then? The stall should be set up shortly, and then she might deign to buy something to eat, as well as attempt to infuse the man with a bit of good cheer to offset her work.
[13:34] Kallen spends close to half an hour in the park, waiting, and more Elevens arrive to set up their stalls. Kallen's target is finally ready, and puts on a happy smile.
[13:41] Kallen puts her book away and wanders over. "Hotdog, please," she asks, pleasantly. Her mind focuses as she asks the simple question, channeling a wish and desire for a world where someone can simply be themselves, without any masks or fakery.
[13:44] "Right, of cour--" The man stills as he gazes into Kallen's eyes. His happy smile melts away, replaced by a scowl. He directs his attention to his products, rather blatantly ignoring Kallen. His handling of the hotdog is rough. "Here you go." The vendor sounds rather rude, too, now.
[13:49] It seems as thought eye contact could be necessary. Taking the hotdog with a weak 'thankyou' accompanying it, Kallen starts wandering away, but not before glancing at another vendor- one who isn't looking at her- and attempting to inspire frustration at his situation.
[13:54] The vendor Kallen passes by doesn't seem any different from observation alone.
[14:00] Kallen eats her hotdog. It's rather good, for fast-food. As she returns to her bench, however, she realizes that she wasn't served with any ketchup or mustard, a fact that becomes apparent when a trio of Britannians approach the same stall and receive the same treatment. Unlike her, they don't seem to be content to let it pass, as their angry voices announce.
[14:07] Kallen doesn't sit down when she is treated to this debacle, and grits her teeth. This, too, is a good opportunity, she reminds herself. In more ways than one. She starts to approach the trio, deciding to enforce some ironic justice on them.
[14:08] The men, looking to be in their early thirties, don't notice her approach. "Who the hell do you think you are?" their apparent leader demands arrogantly. "My father's a viscount! I'm next in line! A dog like you who lost the war should beg at my feet to be allowed to serve me!"
[14:10] "You're rather old to be calling for daddy, aren't you?" mutters Kallen, just loud enough for the men to hear.
[14:11] The speaker and one of his followers turn around, while the remaining man continues holding the struggling Eleven up by the front of his outfit. An expression of deep resentment is on the vendor's face.
[14:17] A deep sense of shame and guilt exudes from Kallen towards the men. They get to live like royalty, while so many others, like the man being held up, have to struggle through life. Instead of make life even worse, surely they should take the opposite tack?
[14:20] The faces of the two redden. "What do you want?" the noble snaps, angry and embarrassed at the same time. "You look like a student. Are you skipping?"
[14:30] "On the same note, don't you have better things to be doing than messing with elevens?" asks Kallen, rolling her eyes.
[14:33] "We crushed their pathetic country! They should be priveleged just getting this chance to work and earn our money! It is my duty to teach this Eleven his place!"
[14:52] Disgust for the arrogant man wells up in Kallen, a completely genuine emotion. Instead of transmitting it straight to the would-be viscount, however, she forcibly attemps to instill this feeling in his friend. "Duty? It is your duty to bully those beneath you, then?" asks Kallen, glowering.
[14:54] Almost purpling, the man moves to backhand Kallen in what he surely sees a casual manner, while his follower glowers.
[15:15] It doesn't seem to be working as she intended. Perhaps it's only transferring the emotion, without the purpose behind it. If so, that's a problem- but she'll be damned if she lets some fop punch her! Stepping quickly out of the way, she snorts. "It seems you don't know of chivalry, either," she mutters.
[15:22] The noble's hand passes through air, and his companion eyes him in disdain briefly, before masking his facial expression.
[15:23] "You!" the noble demands, purpling. "What is your name, girl?"
[15:37] "Is that the first thing you say to a lady you would strike?" demands Kallen, shaking her head and addressing his friend. "It seems you follow quite the brute. Someone needs to teach him his manners," she states, attempting to push the feeling she's already instigated even further into the man's consciousness.
[15:38] He isn't so quick to hide his disgust, even as the noble turns to look his way. His hands are clenched, arms shaking. The noble seems taken aback.
[15:40] Kallen glances over their shoulders at the other man, the one holding up the eleven. She takes another step back, quite curious about how the scene will play out on it's own from here.
[15:46] "I-- I have something I need to do," the man to Kallen's right forces through gritted teeth. He turns woodenly, and walks away. "Hey, Robert!" the noble calls after him, before gnashing his teeth.
[15:46] "Martin, we're going," he declares, stomping off in a different direction. "The air here is filthy from Elevens breathing too much."
[15:46] Martin lets the Eleven vendor off, pushing him back where the younger man lands on his behind, and follows swiftly.
[15:51] It seems that Kallen can't just will any emotion she wants, she realises. Empathy implies that she can only transmit what she actually feels, and it's magnified depending on how strongly some emotion is present in her. She offers a hand to the eleven, her face apologetic.
[15:57] He scowls up at her, muttering, "Damn Britannians." Kallen's hand is rejected.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Kallen starves herself.

Not all that much, but enough to make her plenty hungry. Rather than immediately sating her appetite, however, she takes to wandering around a local strip mall, intermittently staring at random passers-by and channeling this rather simple desire straight towards them, then watching to see if they buy some food.

She tests this out from a variety of ranges (ranging from a street vendor selling roasted chestnuts to a guy on a roof a couple blocks away), as well as through glass, on anyone wearing dark sunglasses, and via the occasional reflective mirror.

The mall is well-lit from the high glass arcs that form the ceiling several stories above Kallen's head. Some thought clearly went into the design; she is reasonably certain that the light has to be reflected just right to provide sufficient illumination.

She stands out. Girls Kallen's age are still at school, and the Elevens who can't afford to go tend to stick to the ghettos they live in.

Direct eye contact; Kallen's experiments determine that one is needed. Opaque glass serves as no proof against her will, but attempts to impose it on others via reflection outright fail. Hardly everyone succumbs to Kallen's desires and pauses to purchase some food, but she can tell by the way her test subjects's eyes linger slightly on the food stands and restaurants that she is either being effective. Of course, it could well be that the food on display is really that inviting.

A curiousity she stumbles upon is that merely having someone look back at her is not enough. She must lock eyes with someone to be able to use her Geass. While not a problem normally, what seems like a particularly shy person steadfastedly refused eye contact and showed no signs of being affected. Further testing confirmed this. Eye contact needs to be maintained for a fraction of a second before Geass takes hold.

The effective range seems to be the maximum distance Kallen and her target can both lock gazes without the use of devices such as binoculars.

Kallen gives in to her hunger at long last, eventually finding some takeaway and finding some secluded table to consume it at.

She muses for a short moment before pulling out her phone and scrolling it to a number she hasn't had reason to call for quite some time. As promised, it's time to contact Ohgi.

After four rings, Ohgi picks up. "Yes?" he asks, sounding casual. To Kallen's ears, it feels forced.

"Ohgi-san," replies Kallen, quietly. "It's been a while. How are things?"

"So-so," he responds. "You could say it's been slow lately."

"Not the same around here, I'm afraid. I've been to some meetings, and things are picking up. I've made a decision, finally," she replies. She doesn't have evidence for Ohgi. She can't tell him her father is responsible for Naoto.

But that won't change anything, and she doesn't doubt that Ohgi has his own suspicions, anyway. "We should meet up in the next few days sometime. When's good for you?"

"Tomorrow, around--" He pauses. "After school lets out. Any time during the afternoon is good."

"Alright. I'll be sure to come by. Tell Inoue I said hi," she adds. "I've missed you guys."

"I'll make the arrangements." There is an awkward pause, as if Ohgi wanted to say something more, but it drags on.

"Sure. I'll bring some drinks. See you then," replies Kallen, awkwardly ending the conversation and hanging up after a similar goodbye.

Best not to dwell on it too long, she reflects, checking her watch. There's still some time before she feels like heading home, but if her hypothesises are correct, there's no need to do any more testing on passers-by.

Maybe she'll go to school today after all, even if it means showing up only for afternoon classes.

After a quick stop to change into her school uniform, Kallen makes her way towards Ashford. She arrives several minutes before noon, at a time where heading into the class would be more trouble than it's worth. A recess is just around the corner, however.

Most of the students in her class will file out to the cafeteria for lunch, and Kallen loiters alongside the path, awaiting the toll of bells and the inevitable tide of teens.

Kallen's wait is hardly a lengthy one. The bell comes as expected, and so does the mass of hungry teens who couldn't possibly spend more time thinking about math or history.

It shouldn't be too hard to locate Irene by sight. Kallen's usual method involves listening to her talk to Teresa, but even Irene can't compete with dozens of stomping feet, a few catcalls, and plenty of shouting.

"So what if you brought lunch today?" Irene's voice briefly rises above the rest, the familiar whine pitched just so. "Don't you want to come to the cafeteria and eat with me?"

As Kallen listens, Irene exclaims in indignation, "What do you mean by that 'no'?!"

Kallen sweeps herself into the crowd, wondering if she can get a glimpse of Lelouch or Shirley- no, he never eats at the cafe, and she'll probably linger in the room. Either that, or they'll hang out in the council office.

"Allow me to take her place?" she asks, once she manages to make her way through. "I'm not that hungry, but I wouldn't mind a drink."

Lelouch seems absent, though Shirley can be seen at a desk near the window, gazing outside. Her chin is propped on her elbow, and she seems melancholic.

Teresa gazes at Kallen coolly even as Irene breaks out into a smile and waves ecstatically.

"Hi! Did I miss anything important?" asks Kallen, directing her glance at Teresa. Such a question would clearly be wasted on Irene.

"Not particularly," Teresa responds, looking away. She is the picture of indifference, and her question comes almost as a surprise to Kallen. "Were you ill?"

"Yes, a little," replies Kallen. "I think the worst is over, though."

Irene looks worried. "Shouldn't you have stayed home, then?"

Teresa snorts.

Kallen rolls her eyes at Teresa, before she shrugs. "I stay home too much as is," she replies. "If I don't come to class, how am I supposed to beat Lelouch?"

"Beat... Lelouch?"

It doesn't seem as if Irene comprehends.

"He's top of the class, and I'm second!" complains Kallen, starting to walk towards the cafeteria. "I mean, we both sk- er, miss classes every now and then, but at least I don't sleep through them when I show up. And yet.. well, I made a vow. He will fall against my might this term."

"Would you care to place a bet on that?" Teresa offers, appearing interested.

"My victory is certain. You would be making a fool's wager," replies Kallen, nodding. "I don't know if I could do that to you."

"This fool gets a date with the one who ends in second place," Teresa suggests while gesturing at Irene, looking strangely satisfied. "It's even an extra incentive for you to win over Lelouch. It is a bet you clearly cannot avoid making, as that would serve as an admission of your inner doubts."

"Hey!" Irene exclaims. "Where do you get off calling me a fool? And furthermore, I don't want to go out with Kallen!"

"Wait, how do you plan on convincing Lelouch to go out with Irene?" blurts out Kallen simultaneously, before she flushes and glances at the girl. "I don't swing that way!"

"And the admission does not fail to come," Teresa says smugly. "At least the inner Kallen is honest."

"The inner Kallen has a few things she wants to say about you. Pray I keep her under control."

"Oh no, the weak girl too ill to show up for morning classes will take her revenge on me," Teresa deadpans. "Irene, save me from her harsh words."

Irene looks confused. "Umm...."

"She wants you to hide her in a closet until school is out," supplies Kallen, helpfully.

"I wouldn't be talking about closets and hiding if I were you," Teresa mentions casually.

"Silly Teresa, you just need to be more honest with yourself," replies Kallen, patting the girl on the head.

Teresa's glare is quite intimidating for a high school girl. Without her unique upbringing and forming experiences, Kallen would be properly terrified.

Kallen beams back at Teresa, in imitation of that Stephanie woman.

Teresa makes a cross, stepping away. "Keep back, you evil, unnatural thing!"

Kallen laughs openly, before turning back and starting to continue on to the cafe.

Kallen idly chatters about various topics to the girls as they wander through the cafeteria (she settles for some tea). "Are you coming with us after all, then?" she remarks, glancing at Teresa.

Teresa sighs. "It's quieter that way, isn't it? You have to look at this like at an investment."

"An investment?" Irene pipes up.

"Into my peace of mind."

"You left yourself dangerously open to a quip about overeating just now. You're slacking, Teresa," admits Kallen. "Something the matter?"

"I won't even pretend to understand you."

"Hey, Irene, who'd you go with on the valentine's dance way back then?" asks Kallen, a couple more minutes into the conversation. She takes a sip from her tea, peering at the girl with curiosity.

Irene freezes. A piece of toast slides from her suddenly-nerveless fingers, dropping on the cafeteria table buttered side down.

"That subject is taboo," Teresa intones gravely.

"For... both of you?" coughs Kallen, glancing away.

Teresa snorts. "I had a proper date. Worry not, I would not dare to take your Irene away."

Irene's head drops, forehead meeting table.

Kallen reaches over to shake the girl's shoulder. "I think I broke her," she mumbles. "Breathe, Irene, breathe!"

"The dangers of chasing our illustrious vice-president past the point of no return," Teresa agrees, nodding along sagely. "I don't believe I've seen the president as ecstatic as when she caught that particular group. Incidentally, I have pictures."

"The president was excited by all points of the event, to the rest of the council's detriment," mumbles Kallen. "I can't remember the afterparty. I don't think I want to, frankly."

"And you looked so happy with Cardemonde, too."

Irene moans, and Teresa pats her back. "There, there."

"We had a fight afterwards. It was a short and stormy relationship, and things have never been the same."

"Really?" Irene asks. Though she has yet to look back up or even reveal her face, she sounds undeniably curious.

"He stepped on my feet too much, I mean, he's just too short! So I told him to stop, then he said I was just using him anyway, so I can't complain, I mean, come on, now."

"Those student council meetings must be awkward, now," Teresa comments. "The casual way you act around each other; a mask that hurts you both."

"I don't think I can hurt him more than Milly-chan does..."

"A valid argument."

"Still, it beats most of the clubs, and we get to play with the, uh, highly intricate systems holding the school together." continues Kallen. "You guys know you can count on me for favours... except ones involving funding."

"It's alright, we get by on whatever funding we receive," Teresa says, not sounding concerned. She belongs to the computer society, Kallen thinks. That subject, like far too many others, never really came up.

"I've heard you guys supplement your income," remarks Kallen. They do have some pretty expensive toys in that lab, she recalls. She had to go there once for some reason, and it impressed even her.

Teresa looks shifty.

"Sets a good example. Yes. That's what Milly would say," mumbles Kallen. "What do you do, Irene?"

"Our--" She sniffs. "Our budget! Noooo!"

"Fashion. Nasty business," Teresa comments.

Kallen pauses for a very, very long moment, taking a long stare at both Teresa and Irene.

"I'm guessing childhood friends. That would account for the divergence."

Teresa shrugs lightly. "Would anyone else hang around her unless they were desperate?" She pretends to notice Kallen just then.

Irene punches Teresa's shoulder before the redhead could respond. "Why do you always have to be so mean?!"

"Yes! Why do you always have to be so mean?!"

Teresa looks incredulous. "I need a reason?"

"For the sake of argument."

"'Why not' serves me well."

"Consider your earlier question. And then, perhaps, reverse the object?"

"Ah." Teresa pretends to consider this. "Maybe you're both desperate?"

"Ah, you've found me out. But don't get me wrong. I only like you for your looks," replies Kallen, attempting to keep a straight face and almost succeeding.

Teresa raises an eyebrow. "I think that's enough innuendo for a single lunch break. You might break Irene, and I'll be the one stuck with the delicate repairs."

"Repairs?" Irene asks curiously despite herself.

"To your fragile psyche."

"You started it," replies Kallen, setting down her cup and standing up. "I won't be able to resist if I stay! I'll see you back in class."

Teresa gives her a disinterested wave, while Irene spares a smile for Kallen in between glaring at the other girl.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[13:03] Shirley is in her seat when Kallen returns to the classroom. She seems melancholic. It doesn't take much to deduce the reason; Lelouch's seat is empty.
[13:05] "Shirley-chan!" calls Kallen, wandering over to sit next to the girl for the remainder of lunch. "Something the matter?"
[13:08] "Ah, Kallen!" Shirley immediately perks up, so much that it feels somewhat fake. "No, nothing. Just that stupid Lulu not showing for classes today."
[13:09] "Your loss is my gain, I'm afraid," remarks Kallen, withdrawing a pair of cans she bought earlier. "You like grape, right?"
[13:11] "I don't hate it," Shirley responds, hesitantly accepting the drink. Her smile drops. "I just can't concentrate today, Kallen," she confides in the redhead. "Lulu has never done this before. Not to such a degree."
[13:12] "Eh? He skips all the time..." replies Kallen, snapping open her can.
[13:12] "But Rivalz is here," Shirley mutters. "And the President said there was nothing wrong with Nana-chan...."
[13:20] "I'm guessing his phone is useless," replies Kallen, sighing. "I.. I just wonder, Shirley. Why does this bother you that much? Lulu's the kind of person who keeps a lot to himself..."
[13:21] "It's-- that's because--" Shirley reddens, and leans over to whisper to Kallen. "You know why!"
[13:25] "Sorry, sorry," replies Kallen, unable to resist a smile. "You're too good for him, Shirley, honestly. He probably wanted to be alone, or he's got something he can only work out by himself." Kallen pauses. "One day, I think he'll tell you about it. People can't stay bottled up forever, not really."
[13:27] "I... don't want Lulu to shoulder everything himself," Shirley says quietly. "I want to be there for him, and help him. He... if you watch him closely, you can see that he's really burdened. But I don't know how to tell him that he doesn't have to face everything alone."
[13:34] "Hey, Shirley... why do you like Lelouch?" asks Kallen, suddenly. Her voice is low, but not teasing- it really wants to know.
[13:36] "It wasn't always like that," Shirley responds, for once not blushing when the subject of her crush is breached. "He was clearly very smart, but Lulu kept on acting like a slacker. He would skip some classes, too, and go gambling with Rivalz. It was really irresponsible!"
[13:39] Shirley frowns. "I didn't like that Lulu, but something made me want to understand why he wasn't trying his best, so I would always watch him." She pauses. "It happened one day, entirely by accident. I was going through a park and there was a Britannian couple harrassing an Eleven selling cotton candy.
[13:41] Lulu was there with Nana-chan and their maid, and he was passing by, when the man started going about being a Duke. That Lulu... I have never seen this side of him before. Although that man towered over him, he cut him down with just a few short sentences, and made it seem as if he wasn't even trying to do that, before purchasing some candy for Nana-chan and walking away calmly."
[13:42] Shirley sighs, her expression becoming dreamy. "I started paying more attention to him after that, and I got to see many other sides of Lulu. Like his caring side, which he normally only shows around his sister."
[13:46] "It takes guts to stand up to someone like that just on your own, but to do it for someone else..." murmurs Kallen, taking a sip from her can. "Yeah, that shows character. I wish I could see that side of him, too."
[13:49] Shirley's own juice container rests forgotten on her desk. "I've seen it happen again, too," she says, sounding a bit hesitant. "Like when a Britannian youth caused a traffic accident with an elderly Eleven couple. No one lifted a finger to help, but he just casually attached the man's car to a tow truck that stood at a red light nearby with a cable, and got it towed away. For the longest time, I worried if Lulu might be someone who hates Britannians. But that's silly, right, Kallen?"
[13:52] "Yeah," replies Kallen, instantly. "It's stupid to hate people like that. He's Britannian himself, anyway. Just like us," she adds. "He's helping the elevens, isn't he? I really respect that. Someone needs to stick up for them."
[14:05] "So I'm worried today." Shirley sighs again, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "What if something happened to Lulu?"
[14:08] "Yeah..." mutters Kallen, but then she shrugs. "Did you try calling him? I mean, Lulu is pretty smart. I don't think he'd get himself into trouble he can't handle..."
[14:17] "I didn't want to, at first, but then I tried. His phone was turns off."
[14:22] "I'm sure he's fine, either way," replies Kallen, firmly. "Honestly, I'd be more worried if Rivalz *was* with him. They gamble with aristocrats, right? That's probably more dangerous than anything he'd do alone."
[14:23] "Lulu always wins, though...." Shirley trails off. It's hard to say whether she's admiring Lelouch's talents or being reproachful.
[14:23] "That's why I'd worry. Nobles are prideful."
[14:25] Shirley nods somberly. "He really should be more careful."
[14:26] "Probably... oh, do we have a council meeting today?"
[14:27] "That's tomorrow, I think," Shirley responds, shaking her head.
[14:29] "Ah, well. He doesn't miss them, so we must properly chastise him when it begins," decides Kallen.
[14:29] "But wouldn't Lulu already show up the next day before it?"
[14:30] "Well... yes... he might do that," mumbles Kallen. "But! You cannot discipline him in a classroom setting!"
[14:30] "And it will be easier if Milly is also there," she adds.
[14:31] "And Lulu can't resist Nana-chan!"
[14:32] "All the conditions will be cleared," adds Kallen, darkly, and then she giggles. "That's how he says it, right?"
[14:32] Shirley giggles as well. "You sounded just like him!"
[14:38] <--->
[14:39] Somber-faced servants greet Kallen as she returns home at the end of a busy day. Lelouch never did show up, and Shirley was soon back to being worried. However, she assured Kallen that she was fine and went home right as school let out.
[14:40] "Is there word on Father?" asks Kallen within seconds of getting through the door.
[14:41] "Baron Stadtfeld is still in intensive care," a maid answers. "The Baroness has not left his side."
[14:41] "What is the diagnosis?"
[14:42] "The Baron is yet to wake up." The maid looks reluctant to continue.
[14:43] "Is he at least in a stable condition?" asks Kallen, grimacing.
[14:44] "His life is not in danger," the woman states diplomatically.
[14:45] "Thank you. At which hospital is he staying, presently?"
[14:46] "Tokyo General, in the His Highness Clovis ward."
[14:49] "Thank you." Kallen starts heading to her room. "I'd like to have some tea in an hour or so. Please have a car ready for afterwards."
[14:52] The maid bows. "As you wish, Milady."
[14:53] Kallen gives the servant a nod, and then heads back to her room to drop off her things and get changed. Her day doesn't end there, though, as her next move takes her back to her father's study.
[14:56] It has been cleaned, though the broken glass is yet to be replaced.
[14:58] Her father must have left behind some of his own notes and details on the Holy Grail Foundation. Of course, Kallen doesn't expect to find anything gripping, but contact details would be a start- and he may have plans of the facility as well. She doubts, somehow, that he would have trusted her fully to do her job.
[15:00] There is surprisingly little paperwork relating to her father's work; all the important details must be kept in his personal computer. When Kallen boots that up, however, she is required to insert a password. While not an expert, she is aware of security measures that alert other systems if too many wrong guesses have been made or shut down access altogether.
[15:02] Her father is certainly no idiot, and she somehow doubts he would have left behind a password she could simply guess. There's little point even trying.
[15:03] It was worth checking out, anyway. She picks up the phone and makes a call to the Holy Grail Foundation, intent on re-establishign a rendezvous.
[15:04] "Hello! You have reached Holy Grail, how may I direct your call?"
[15:04] If she weren't aware of the organization's true nature, Kallen might be fooled by the casual, cheerful greeting of the receptionist.
[15:05] "This is Kallen Statdfeld. I'd like to speak to... Balsam. Dr. Jean Balsam. Is she presently avaliable?"
[15:06] "Please wait a moment as I check," the receptionist says pleasantly, and Kallen is placed on hold.
[15:07] Irritating, but what else can you expect with phones? At least the organisation picks up.
[15:09] "Miss Stadtfeld." The response is sudden, and the voice has changed. It sounds like her call got put through. "What can I do for you?"
[15:11] "I'd like to pick up my tour again. However, there are only a few select things I have interest in. I will speak bluntly, Dr. Balsam- I want to hear things as they are. I've no need for the posturing of your associates or the PR department. That is why I've called you."
[15:22] There is a lengthy pause before Jean responds. "What would you like to see?"
[15:26] "I would like to see your project. Methuselah, I believe? An overview of your methods, your immediate goals, and a progress report. Your project, I believe, is the one we have invested into above the others, no?" Kallen pauses. "I also have an interest in your safety procedures. I am frankly shocked that such an incident could have occured yesterday. If it was up to me... but no matter."
[15:27] "I will be coming by in two days time. Since you were no-doubt prepared yesterday, I don't think you'll have to do much work in order to get ready." Kallen makes sure she sounds rather haughty, with every expectation that she will be obeyed.
[15:29] "You are very brave," Jean says. Not able to see her face, Kallen can't tell whether the other woman is being sarcastic or genuine. "Alright. I'll play tour guide. Metushelah is my life, after all."
[15:31] "Very good. I will see you then," replies Kallen, hanging up shortly thereafter.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The ride to Tokyo General ends far too quickly, as far as Kallen is concerned. The staff is polite, showing courtesy at every step, yet a heavy cloud hangs over her as she is taken to a private room in the ICU.

Her father lies on the bed, pale. He seems uncoscious. Cleopatra looks up from her place beside him, and the glare she shoots at the door causes the nurse accompanying Kallen to flee outside, where two bodyguards are in attendance.

Kallen moves to stand by the bed's side, studying the results of her handiwork.

"What did the doctors say?" she asks, her tone sombre.

"The first fourty eight hours are critical," the woman says, sounding strangely subdued to Kallen. "Hope, best of care. The usual doctor drivel."

"What exactly..." starts Kallen, before she stops and starts again. "Did they say what exactly's wrong?"

"Looks of a stroke, but something strange about it." Cleopatra looks frustrated. "There were no signs!"

There isn't much Kallen has to say to that, though she's troubled. If the cause is mysterious, then she certainly can't afford to attack people like this where she has even a passing connection to her victims. For now, though, she should be fine.

"You should spend some time with him," Cleopatra is saying in the meantime. "Stanley... though he's not conscious, he mutters your name. From time to time." She sounds resentful.

"I see," replies Kallen. "I'm told you've been here for some time. You should probably get some rest," she adds, facing the woman. Of course, she can't forget her other reason for coming here, can she?

The resentfulness in Cleo's tone isn't uncommon, but she can never truly take it out on Kallen. As she learned a short time ago, servants- and Kasumi- suffer for Cleo's temper, something Kallen felt helpless to prevent.

All she wants to do is imbue Cleo with sympathy towards them- not disdainful pity or scorn, but a real wish to make things better for them, or at the least avoid making them any worse.

Cleopatra flinches. "Rest. Yes. I need rest," she says mechanically, walking past Kallen to the corridor. She stumbles as she reaches the door, and visibly forces herself to straighten up.

And then, Kallen finds herself alone with her unconscious father.

Kallen takes Cleo's vacated seat. Her hand rises to support her head, and for some time, she sits there in contemplation, wondering just what her father is seeing behind his closed eyes.

Kallen spends several hours by her father's bedside. He moans occasionally, though from appearances Stanley Stadtfeld is not in any kind of physical pain. Kallen hears her name, but anything else the man mutters during those episodes is entirely illegible.

Eventually, visiting hours end. While Kallen could muscle her way past hospital regulations -- Cleopatra certainly had, it is rather clear -- she wouldn't truly be able to rest at the hospital.

And then, a new day dawns.

Kallen was hardly so sick or uncomfortable herself that she would've wanted to stay at hospital. No, she might be nervous, but not regretful. Still, she stayed up late, and getting out of bed seems a chore.

She can't skip a part of school every day, though, and eventually drags herself into her uniform, and steps out into the hall, in search of breakfast and a newspaper.

A pair of maids are gossiping rather loudly in the dining hall; perhaps that is the reason Kallen overhears them as she heads there in search of breakfast. 'Mistress Cleo' seems to have been behaving very strangely the other night, shutting herself in her room and sending her personal maid away.

Kallen steps into the dining hall, clapping her hands. "Hisui! Is breakfast ready?" she asks of the nearest maid, dropping her bag in the corner and moving to take a seat.

Hisui, as it so happens, had not been gossiping with the others, and is thus able to bow calmly while the rest of the servants present look abashed and considerably worried.

"Of course, Milady," the maid says. "Should I set the table for you?"

"Please," replies Kallen, not sounding upset in the slightest, though she decides she probably shouldn't sound too cheerful either, given the circumstances. "Oh, and I'd like to read today's news, as well."

"Very well."

With another bow, Hisui departs. So does the gaggle of other maids, leaving while they are still able to.

Soon enough, the older redhead returns with two daily papers, one of them geared for the financial market crowd. It looks to be a subscription of Kallen's father.

The front page of the regular paper is occupied with His Royal Highness Prince Clovis dedicating an art museum to Britannian war orphans. Many sympathetic stories are run side by side, continuing further in the paper's pages.

Kallen is promptly reminded of why she doesn't like to read the paper, and sets it aside as soon as breakfast arrives. After she's finished that, though, it is surely time to go to school.

Kallen ends up arriving early for a change, barely tasting the doubtlessly-perfect breakfast. Not many students are around at such an hour -- forty minutes before classes start -- except for those with clubs that meet during the mornings.

Kallen finds herself aimlessly wandering around the school, wondering if she'll see someone she knows in the interim.

It happens as Kallen is climbing a flight of stairs. One moment, she is pausing at the midway platform to gaze outside at the quiet, empty courtyard, and the next someone is flying right at her from the landing! No, not right at her, Kallen realizes a moment later. The chestnut-haired girl is about to plummet into the platform head-first.

"Think fast!" Naoto's voice echoes in her head from some stupid game he liked to play from years ago. It did take Kallen some time before she managed to start winning it. Automatic reflexes take over to catch the oncoming basketball- er, person, with the shock pushed into a temporary holding area until the contest is resolved.

The girl crashes into Kallen, her impact sending the redhead stumbling! Her back hits the wall with enough force to make the windows in the landing rattle.

"Not so hot right now, are you?" a female voice drifts from above. "Going to call for your brother?"

Kallen's first priority is making sure the girl (and herself) are okay, but she is certainly going to remember that voice.

"Are you alright?" she asks, before turning her voice to the speaker from above. "Are you trying to kill someone?!"

"Crap, there's someone there! Let's go, Carrie, come on--"

"So what?" that same voice from before cuts through the objections Kallen hears from another girl, also coming from somewhere above. A girl appears on the next landing, her face sharp. Her golden hair reminds Kallen of Milly's, and her posture screams aristocrat. "Are you telling me that I have to run? From a beggar girl like her?" She points below, as if in a challenge.

Kallen realizes that she is clutching Nunnally to her chest. The blind girl is pale, looking terrified.

"Why, not at all. I will ensure that your bravery is shown for all the world to see," spits Kallen. "Two healthy girls against one in a wheelchair! Your parents would be so proud!"

"The upperclassman is going to call our parents on us, Minny. Imagine that," Carrie says, her voice dripping with scorn. "In fact, why stop there? Let's get the whole school involved--"

"No!"

It takes Kallen a moment to realize that it was Nunnally who had just shouted so desperately.

"Please, no, you can't!"

Kallen glances briefly at Nunnally, before her eyes narrow and she moves her glare back to Carrie. "You sicken me. Get lost!" she snaps, summoning up memories of fear- she has no shortage of them- and flinging a portion of that dreadful feeling into the arrogant noblewoman above her.

That does the trick. Carrie's name is being called by her friend -- follower? -- but the sound of retreating footsteps is unmistakable.

Nunnally is shivering in Kallen's grasp.

A creaking sound catches the redhead's attention. A wheelchair is slowly being pushed, and a moment later, yet another blonde appears behind it. She wears a junior high outfit. Unlike the previous girl, her hair goes down quite a ways, stopping a few inches above her waist.

Kallen looses her grip on Nunnally a little, and settles for rubbing the younger girl's back. "They're gone, Nana-chan, it's alright now," she says, glancing at the approaching girl with a thankful expression.

The girl's look is calculating, her eyes sharp. But that only lasts a moment, and a tired smill comes on her face. "Thanks for saving Nunnally," she speaks gratefully.

"Alice!" Nunnally exclaims. "I... I mean...."

"You're welcome," replies Kallen, sighing. "Creeps like that should be kicked out the school. I swear, if I see them again..."

"You can't!" Nunnally insists, her small fists clutching at Kallen's uniform. "Please, Kallen-san, you can't tell my brother--!"

A shocked expression appears on her face, as if she had realized she had said too much.

"But if you don't do something about people like that, they never stop! Believe me, I know," replies Kallen, gently easing Nunnally into her wheelchair. "Is this the first time they've pulled something like this?"

She narrows her eyes. "Not to mention that this is beyond even normal bullying."

"Y-Yes!"

"No."

The two answers come together.

"Nana-chan, you should...." Alice sighs, and shakes her head. "Look, this is your friend, right? She can keep a secret, so just don't lie to her. It'll go badly if you do, won't it?"

"You don't deserve that sort of treatment," adds Kallen, agreeing wholeheartedly. "I won't stand for it even if you tell me otherwise."

"Maybe you can talk some sense into Nana-chan, then," Alice says, grimacing. "I know I've tried."

"I'm... already such a terrible burden," Nunnally says despondently. "On my brother, on Milly-san, on Sayoko-san...."

"It'll be a burden on me if I know people like that are running around the school without getting what they so richly deserve," replies Kallen, before she sighs.

"If it wasn't you, Nana-chan, it would be someone else. I would do something about it no matter what, so please don't blame yourself for the idiocy of others."

Nunnally looks scared. "My brother is already dealing with so much, Kallen-san. Please, just... please don't add to...." She is unable to proceed, as her words turn into sobs.

Alice takes it as her cue to scale down the stairs, leaving the wheelchair behind, and brush a hand through Nunnally's hair. She gives Kallen a tired look.

Like running off to cheat aristocrats of their money, Kallen thinks, but then she wonders if he does that because he likes to, or because he has to.

In any case, Kallen isn't all that familiar when it comes to dealing with teary people- her relationship with Kasumi is testament to that. No, she realises, she just can't stand it to start.

"I won't tell him, but I can't promise I'll let that witch go if I see her up to something again," she replies, quietly. "Are you sure you're fine? Shall we go to the infirmary?"

"I'll take care of her... it was Kallen, right?" Alice says, relieving the redhead from her burden. She doesn't struggle with Nunnally's weight, slight as it is.

"Yes, that's right. And you're Alice, nice to meet you." Kallen looks rather concerned, and sighs. "Look, I'll give you my number. Call me if something else happens, okay?"

Alice nods, memorizing it. She keeps on rubbing Nunnally's back with a motion that seems rather practiced, and it appears to work. Soon enough, Nunnally has calmed down enough to thank Kallen with a small voice.

"Thank you." Those two words were never delivered with such emotion to Kallen before.

"Not at all," replies Kallen, sure that Nunnally can tell, somehow, that Kallen has a small, rather sad smile. "Be careful."

Alice carries Nunnally up the stairs, though she doesn't place the blind girl in her wheelchair just yet. She murmurs something to her, too soft for Kallen to hear.

The smile she sends Kallen's way contains that same sadness, along with a measure of guilt.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

It is slightly disturbing to see that kind of attitude being ingrained into nobility, even this young. She knows she can hardly play school cop (and, honestly, she has trouble standing for people who refuse to stand up for themselves, even if given a chance), but some things are just too extravagant...

She starts heading ot her own classroom after the incident, happy enough to while away some time there until it properly begins.

It begins to fill up with people. Shirley shows up twenty minutes before the bell, telling Kallen that their practice ended early.

Irene and Teresa arrive together just as the bell rings, bickering all the while. Upon spotting Kallen, Irene waves enthusiastically, while Teresa merely nods.

No Lelouch, again? He's pushing it, Kallen thinks... until she recalls Nunnally's words from earlier.

She looks unusually despondant when she returns Irene and Teresa's greeting, as a result.

Irene starts making her way towards Kallen at that, but the teacher's arrival puts a firm stop on that. For the next two classes, Kallen is taught history back to back.

Shirley looks melancholic throughout, except for a brief period when she gets called out, resulting in a very flustered Shirley trying to find the spot she is supposed to read from.

History, amongst her least favourite subjects, as taught in the Britannian curriculum.

Soon enough, it will be recess, and she'll have a chance to talk to her friends.

Irene stretches out the kinks in her arms as the teacher gathers up his material and leaves the classroom. Shirley darts outside before he even had a chance to close the door, surprising Mister Kerrigan enough to get an indignant squawk Kallen manages to overhear, if just barely.

"Hey, Shir-" manages Kallen before the girl evacuates the classroom, leaving Kallen with her hand half-raised and feeling a little silly.

Picking herself out her seat, she decides to catch up to the girl! She wants to talk to her about something, anyway.

A flash of orange hair is just ahead! Kallen gives chase; after spotting Shirley just rounding the next corner, she realizes the other girl is headed for the stairs. Soon enough, there is little doubt. Shirley is headed for the upperclassmen classrooms.

"Hey, Shirley! Wait up!" calls Kallen, jogging after the girl and deftly avoiding oncoming traffic.

Shirley skids to a halt just outside the door to Milly's classroom, looking back.

Kallen swiftly catches up, pausing just near the girl. "What's going on?" she asks, suddenly remembering that she should probably be breathless. Oh well...

Shirley tries to formulate a response, obviously caught by surprise. Another thing that is obvious is that she is terribly worried.

Kallen blinks for a second, and peers into the classroom in front of her. Whatever it is, Milly probably knows about it, too. Or, if she doesn't, then she will soon enough.

The door is open, students inside chatting to each other. Milly can be seen by a window seat, looking outside, her chin perched on her hand.

"Umm, Kallen, umm, what are you doing here?" Shirley blurts out.

"Erm. I wanted to talk to you about something!" replies Kallen, coughing, and looking away. "I mean, sorry, you're obviously busy."

"I--" Shirley suddenly realizes that they are in a corridor and they don't really belong there normally. Already, Kallen and Shirley are gathering curious looks. "You know why," Shirley whispers to Kallen.

Milly seems to notice the commotion, standing up.

Kallen shrugs. "I think this is what I wanted to talk to you about," she mumbles, sounding abashed.

Milly gives Shirley and Kallen a friendly wave, sauntering over. Most of the students nearby go back to their business at that.

Kallen briefly locks eyes with Milly as the blonde approaches, smiling, and she instantly realizes that smile is fake.

"Umm, President!" Shirley exclaims after stammering, falling back on Milly's title. "Can we talk? Please?"

Kallen can't help but be caught up in the worry of the situation, backing away from the door and appearing quite pensive.

"Step into my office," Milly says with a smirk, leading the way to a nearby restroom. She places an out of order sign on it outside after entering. The pair of girls checking their makeup vacate the grounds immediately, without so much as a word from Milly, who then proceeds to check the stalls.

"You have my undivided attention!" Milly tells Shirley, who fidgets.

Kallen puts a hand on Shirley's shoulder. "I believe Shirley-chan here is worried because Lelouch has managed to miss two days in a row, and nobody seems to know where he's gone," she states, sounding slightly worried herself.

"Oh, is that so?" Milly laughs, waving her arm airily. "Sorry, sorry! He called earlier. That Lulu! Would you believe he entered himself into this stupid student-exchange program?" She fakes shock. "I was surprised, too!"

"What?!" Shirley exclaims. She can't seem to proceed past that.

"Milly-chan..." replies Kallen, glancing away from the older girl. "Nobody here is going to buy that."

"I know, I know!" Milly exclaims. "Life, stranger than fiction, right?"

"Because then he would be leaving Nana-chan alone," continues Kallen, sounding cross.

"It's only for a little while!" Milly protests. "I'll take real good care of her. Lulu made me promise that!"

Though she looks cheerful throughout, something about that last sentence doesn't sound right.

"Milly," Shirley says hesitantly. "If... if that's what happened, why didn't he tell m-- anyone else?"

"Well, you know how much he hates publicity, our vice president." Milly shrugs, her blond locks dancing over her shoulders. "I'm sure he'll contact you once he has settled in."

Kallen turns back to face Milly, shrugging. "I was talking to Nana-chan earlier today," she replies, slowly. "She wasn't speaking as though she knew Lelouch had gone anywhere."

Shirley gives Kallen a surprised look, but Milly is unflappable. "Ah, is that so? Perhaps she was only being polite. That girl doesn't have a mean bone in her body, you know. It's not easy for her to reject her brother's suitors and their quest for information."

Shirley colors at Milly's words.

"Yes, perhaps, unless I wasn't asking after him in the first place. She was asking me not to tell him something. That's fine, and I respect keeping secrets, but it wouldn't make sense for her to say that if he wasn't going to be around, would it?"

"A compelling argument," Milly agrees, nodding. "You couldn't possibly use that newfangled invention... what was it called...? Ah! Phone!"

"Phone. Lelouch."

It's hard not to roll her eyes.

Shirley is looking lost. "Ah, did something happen with Nana-chan?" she asks, glancing between Milly and Kallen.

"It's..." mumbles Kallen, clenching her fists. "Milly, has Nana-chan had.. trouble here?"

Milly is still smiling, but Shirley recoils suddenly.

"What kind of trouble?" the blonde asks amiably, taking a step forward. The act is a bit intimidating.

"With other students," replies Kallen, subconsciously amazed that Milly is capable of intimidating her after what she's already gone through in her short years.

"What do you mean?" Milly insists, coming closer still. "What kind of trouble would Nunnally have with the other students of Ashford?"

"I'm talking about bullying."

Kallen bites her lip. "It's cowardly stuff being done to her... but she would have preferred I didn't tell you. I wasn't going to, but- I can't stand it! She didn't want Lelouch to know, didn't want to give anyone anymore trouble, and that's why I'm so concerned!"

Milly turns away abruptly, leaning on the marbel by the sink. Her hands are gripping it so tightly they are white.

"Nana-chan... is being bullied," Shirley says in disbelief.

"It must have been going on for a while," mutters Kallen. "Aristocrats, I think." She leans a hand against the wall, feeling suddenly drained.

"I'll... take care of it," Milly says, sounding equally drained. "Tell me what happened."

Kallen gives a short description of the events, omitting details about her Geass as necessary; the story is still quite believable in itself.

"Carrie and Minny, I think it was," replies Kallen, quietly. "I made them get lost, but- I've always thought that unless you do something yourself, these problems never go away. I've thought that, but when it's Nana-chan..."

"I understand," Milly says heavily. "That girl, Alice, I'll get the rest of the details from her." She finally turns back, and her smile is visibly strained. "Though it's not easy, please try to respect Nunnally's wishes."

Shirley, looking suitably horrified, is about to interject and Milly raises a hand. "No buts. It must be very important to her."

"We all have important things, and we all worry," murmurs Kallen. "Certain secrets are rather harmful to keep entirely to yourself."

"There are decisions she should never have been forced to make," Milly says quietly, and starts to leave.

"Should we worry about Lelouch, too?" asks Kallen, suddenly, and her voice sounds pleading.

Milly leaves this question unanswered.

Kallen turns from Milly at that, placing her hands on the sink after she turns to leave, and she studies her face in the bathroom mirror.

"We have to do something," Shirley states. Gone is the shocked, horrified schoolgirl that could barely string two words together after hearing Kallen's recount of the bullying. "Just leaving it to Milly isn't right."

"Do you have any ideas?" asks Kallen, massaging her forehead. "I.. I don't know. I wish she'd asked for help, then it would be easy!"

"Then we have to find out the reason!" Shirley insists. "If we do, maybe we'll be able to understand! Because... because Milly knew. And she didn't tell us!"

"Shirley, I- some people really do have secrets they have to keep, even if they don't want to. I mean, you're looking at one, I just- how would we find out? We can't just ask her!"

For once, it seems that Kallen is the insecure one, whilst Shirley leads the way.

"We... we have to confront the President! Even Milly wouldn't be able to evade it any longer if we had conclusive proof. Lulu... he didn't transfer, and you know it too! We have to get at his records and shove them in the President's face!" Shirley blushes all of a sudden. "We-- we don't have to get physical with her or anything, so... so there wouldn't be any literal pushing and shoving, but--" She literally begs Kallen with her eyes to stop her from talking.

"They- would be on the school computer system, right?" replies Kallen, focusing on having a task instead of whether or not she should do it in the first place. "Teresa's in the computer club, maybe if we ask her... she's irritatingly sharp, though."

"R-Right!" Shirley nods furiously. "It's called paperwork but it really must be in the system!"

"Of course! And we can look at his permanent record, too."

"Yes-- wait, what?"

"It will all be there. He must have a weak point, at which I can finally defeat him."

Kallen blinks. "Er, forget all that. I'll ask Teresa during lunch. Maybe you could, uh, talk to Irene for me and make sure she's... somewhere.. else."

Shirley makes a face. "That would be cheating-- oh, of course! I'll do my best!"

"Talk about fashion! She can talk about fashion. It is one of her five topics."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[13:47] Shirley fidgets over the following two classes, drawing a reproachful look from the teacher more than once. But eventually, the bell for lunch break rings.
[13:47] Teresa stands up, rebuffing Irene's prodding to go eat together by claiming she's busy.
[13:51] After the dismissal, however, Kallen sidles out after Teresa and follows her alone, hoping Shirley keeps Irene busy if necessary. "Just how busy?" she queries, faux-curious.
[13:52] "I'm going to hack into the school's systems to adjust our club's budget," Teresa states matter of factly. She seems to be heading towards the computer club's room. "It will be boring. You don't have to come."
[13:53] "Good. I need you to hack into the school's systems and let me view the student records."
[13:54] She raises an eyebrow, pausing to regard Kallen. "Strange. You don't seem to be joking."
[13:56] "I'm still not sure if you were or not," mutters Kallen, shaking her head. "Anyway. Can you do it?"
[13:58] Teresa begins walking again, moving quicker than before. "If I have a good reason to," she responds in a quieter voice.
[14:00] Kallen easily matches pace, her hand dragging against the side of the wall. "Is there something you want?" she asks, candidly.
[14:02] Teresa shrugs, not missing a step. "I'm rich and I have people I tolerate, who don't hate me back. Is there more to life?"
[14:08] "I'm envious that you can be so content. Depends. Are you more interested in having favours owed, or in mysteries?"
[14:09] Teresa considers the question. "Both. I'll do it for you for a favor and a mystery. And for you taking the heat if your incompetence in handling the procured information somehow traces back to me."
[14:13] "Only if you shut up about it under any circumstances yourself. I'll have as much faith in you as you do me," replies Kallen, dryly. "As for the mystery, it's simple. The question is 'why would the president lie?'"
[14:15] "I'm not an idiot," Teresa says indignantly. "And the President? You are referring to Milly Ashford, of course? The woman who stoops to underhanded trickery at every turn?"
[14:15] "Mmhmm. In this case, it's with regard to a very specific lie. You'll see when you get me the records. Well, you won't see, but that will be the point, of course."
[14:22] "My interest, you have it." Teresa reaches the computer club. Three other members look up as she enters, all in their age group. "Tournament is postponed, sorry," Teresa announces, not sounding apologetic one bit. She points at the door. "I need the room."
[14:33] Kallen clearly doesn't need to exert any authority. If she has any, here. Which she is moderately certain she does not.
[14:35] The students, two girls and one boy, shuffle outside. They look disgruntled, but neither talks back to Teresa, despite her curtness. She locks the door after them, and takes a seat before a station that looks just like the rest to Kallen. "Alright. What are we looking for, specifically?"
[14:36] "Lelouch's record. We're looking to see what school he transferred to," replies Kallen, matter-of-factly.
[14:39] "He transferred to another school?" Teresa looks briefly stumped. "Well. That would explain for the absense, I suppose." She executes a set of commands from the keyboard, not touching her mouse. Kallen can't help but think it's strange, but Teresa doesn't pause as she types a bunch of nonsensical words into a nondescript, black window. "Transfer records would do the trick just as well, right?"
[14:41] "Sure. Those for this year will do, right?"
[14:43] "Apparently not." Teresa frowns, examining the information. "No transfers this year. Maybe it's not on file yet."
[14:44] "No, that's what I expected. And needed. Can you print the data for me?"
[14:44] "Sure, I can print an empty page."
[14:45] Teresa snorts. "I can't even call it a waste of precious laser toner."
[14:45] "As long as it's very clear no transfers have happened this year, I'm satisfied.
[14:47] "I'll see what I can do," Teresa mutters. "You know, this hasn't been particularly mysterious or worth my time. You'll remember the favor, at least?"
[14:50] "Sure, sure, favor, got it. It can be as mysterious as you like," replies Kallen, walking over to the room's printer.
[14:52] The printed page looks like it came from the official school documentation, though being printed on regular paper would easily single it out.
[14:55] It looks pretty boring to Kallen, but she'd have been worried if it actually said Lelouch transferred to the mainland or wherever. "Thanks. And now, I must go! See you in class."
[14:56] "You probably will, I have no reason to skip now," Teresa tells her, not looking up from her monitor.
[14:57] Returning to class, Kallen finds both Shirley and Irene gone. A bit of asking around reveals that they went for the cafeteria, and that is where Kallen finds the two.
[14:58] "Shirley-chan!" calls Kallen, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Excuse me, Irene, I'm borrowing her for a moment," she states, before dragging Shirley away.
[15:00] "Wha!" Startled, Shirley doesn't resist as she is pulled away, leaving a confused Irene alone.
[15:02] An empty room is an easy thing to find in Ashford, let alone if you're a councilwoman who can evacuate lone students with a glare. "I got a transcript of this years transfers. As you can see, it's empty," states Kallen, dropping the sheet of paper on a table. "The question is... what now?"
[15:06] "There is a meeting today," Shirley says, biting on her lower lip. It doesn't take much insight into the human psyche to realize she's nervous. "We just have to show up early for it and corner Milly."
[15:09] "We don't have to, you know," replies Kallen, awkwardly. "People usually have a reason to keep something secret. Sometimes they're even good ones."
[15:10] Shirley studies the paper Kallen dropped. "I understand," she says slowly, reaching for it. "I can have this, right?"
[15:12] "Shirley, nothing would change no matter what it was, right?" asks Kallen, placing her hands on the table.
[15:20] Shirley retrieves the sheet of paper, clutching it to her chest. "Yes," she says. "Nothing will change."
[15:23] Kallen looks at Shirley, then, gazing right into her eyes, and lingering a little longer than could be normal.
[15:24] Kallen feels an overwhelming fear, a terror that threatens to swallow her whole, only held at bay by her determination.
[15:26] Swallowing, Kallen nods to Shirley. "You're right. It's probably something really dumb anyway. You know, embarassing. I can't possibly miss it."
[15:27] Shirley looks flustered. "Is there something on my face?" she stammers.
[15:28] "Eh?" asks Kallen, glancing away. "Aha, I have no idea what you're talking about!" she states, turning back to the door.
[15:30] "I'm relieved," Shirley says quietly. "Because I thought I would have to do it on my own. Thank you, Kallen."
[15:32] "Ah, come on, Shirley, this doesn't rate thanking me for!" replies Kallen, flustered. "It's not like I don't have my own interests here, and besides, we don't know if we'll end up happy or sad, and this is just what friends do anyway."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Despite her words, when class starts after recess, Teresa is not in attendance. That trend continues throughout the rest of the day, until finally, Kallen has no more classes ahead of her.

Who knows what the girl is doing? Certainly not Kallen, though she hopes the girl didn't get pulled in anywhere.

Would she spill if she did? Hopefully not, but who knows, with her? She'll head to the council office with Shirley soon enough, but maybe go past that room and see if she's still there along the way.

Shirley does not question the detour Kallen takes her on. Upon arriving to the computer club's room, they find the door locked. Someone is inside, judging by the flourescent light coming through the crack below the door, and the sounds of typing from within.

Kallen knocks on the door!

The typing stops!

"Who is it?" Teresa's voice drifts faintly through the locked door.

"Me. When you didn't show up, I thought you got caught," remarks Kallen, before shrugging to herself.

There are sounds of shuffling, before the door opens. Teresa is there, taking in her visitors dispassionately. Her phone is flipped open.

"Hello, Kallen plus friend," she greets. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing much, but it'd be bad for me if you were in trouble, so I came to check before heading to the council meeting. As I can see now, my worries were pointless."

Kallen starts to turn, at that. "Well, see you."

"Kallen," Teresa calls after her. "How about a nice chat? Now would be good." She looks at Shirley. "The friend will have to wait outside."

Shirley appears thoroughly confused by the entire thing.

Kallen frowns. "If it's about before, Shirley's fine to come," she notes, stepping into the room. What else could it be?

"I see."

Teresa returns back to the same computer terminal Kallen had seen her use before. With a befuddled glance at Kallen, Shirley steps in after them.

"Oh, do close the door," Teresa requests, and Shirley fumbles with the key before accomplishing the task.

"Before we start, I just have one thing to say," Teresa states, briefly raising the phone. "Consider this an improvised deadman's switch. It is important that you both understand what that means."

"I bow to your diplomatic skills," replies Kallen, sarcastically, focusing her stare on the other girl. "What, you're going to say something I don't like?"

"I think that's a certainty," Teresa agrees. "I like living, but I can't stand having fake friends. So I can't really look the other way, here, even if it's dangerous."

"You've lost me."

"So here you were, promising me a mystery," Teresa muses. "Your mystery was pretty damn boring, but it had the promise of being more if only I dug past the surface."

Shirley, seemingly forgotten by Kallen and Teresa, merely listens quietly.

Teresa smiles wryly. "I guess I can see why you've always been so reserved, but it's not like we're all 'My father is an earl, lick my boots!' gutter trash. In a way, I'm disappointed in you, Kallen."

"You looked up my files as well," guesses Kallen, narrowing her eyes.

"I've looked up everyone's files," Teresa corrects. "Imagine my surprise to find four people who don't exist attending Ashford, one of them being one of my best friends."

She taps her lips, pretending to think. "Or maybe that was her cover."

Kallen spares a glance at the monitor before returning to Teresa. "The truth may be more boring than you think," she responds, dryly.

The monitor presently shows an image of the corridor outside the clubroom, covering both ways. It is extremely unlikely someone would pass the door to the room without Teresa noticing it ahead of time.

Teresa shows visible signs of irritation at Kallen's words. "You idiot! Do you know what you're getting yourself involved in?!"

"You're the genius. You tell me. I only know my own circumstances," shoots back Kallen. "So what am I diving into? Ashford is truly a place of many mysteries."

"Of course Lelouch did not transfer," Teresa says with a snort. "How could he? The Lamperouges don't exist." Her eyes narrow. "Your papers were very good. The best money can buy, I'd wager. Theirs, however... there can be no other explanation. The Ashford family threw their entire crumbling weight behind those identities. There is something here that one of the great noble houses, even in these times, has done its utmost to hide."

"If they were that secure, then how did you find the traces? Because of the war, Japan was the easiest place to deal in new identities and such just afterwards," replies Kallen, not bothering to address the land by the proper name in this company.

She does glance at Shirley, though, and puts a hand on her shoulder. Some or all of this would probably be a shock to her.

"There is a very technical explanation that I'll have to charge you for, if you'd like to hear it," Teresa says with an arrogant smirk. "But you're right. I couldn't have done it myself. I had a few of my contacts help me out and collate the information. Right now, they don't have the full picture. But if anything happens to me, it will get to them."

Shirley looks surprisingly calm, although Kallen finds it strange that the orange-haired girl isn't fidgeting as is her habit while standing in the same spot for too long.

"Do we have to deal like this?" asks Kallen, sounding rather upset. "I wouldn't do anything to you, Teresa- no, I wouldn't go that far to protect that secret, anyway." She snorts. "My dad is something else, but what he doesn't know won't kill him."

Teresa suddenly tosses her phone to the ground. It bounces, sending up a spray of bits from its plastic cover. "I don't want to do it like that either!" she exclaims. "But you are all paired up, and then Lelouch disappears-- it reeks of some bad... I don't know. Espionage? Real espionage? I still can't say that seriously, but what else could there be?"

Shirley squeaks, startled!

Kallen gives a hollow laugh. "Espionage. All we wanted to do was find out why Nunnally wasn't asking for help."

She drops into a wheeled chair, steadying it against the desks. "Well, Shirley, now we know. We didn't even need to talk to Milly. What do you think we should do?"

"We still don't know anything," Shirley says quietly. "Not really. But... but I think that...." She trails off, and looks at Kallen with a hopeful expression on her face. "Wouldn't it be easier on Milly and Nana-chan, if they knew they had someone to talk to about their troubles, without worrying about hiding things? And... and Lulu, when he comes back...." Her face falls.

Teresa's own expression is unreadable to Kallen. "If you're really not connected to any of that, get away while you can," she suggests to the redhead. "You and your friend. You don't want the military as your enemy."

"The military as our enemy?" asks Kallen, almost rhetorically. "That'd be new," she mutters, slightly sarcastic.

She turns to address Shirley, sounding sad. "I don't know, Shirley. It's one thing if you reveal yourself. But when someone comes prying... I don't think that's usually interpreted favourably. Besides, they have each other, by the sounds of things."

Teresa looks frustrated. "Take it more seriously! That girl's identity is flawless, but it's still fake! Even the highest levels of civillian government don't have that kind of power! It's like... like an unmarked weapon. You don't get issued this stuff unless your authority is pretty damn absolute!"

Shirley begins to respond to Kallen, but pauses at Teresa's words.

"Don't think for a second I'm not being serious!" hisses Kallen, wheeling on Teresa. "Who are you talking about now? I can't play keep-away without that, at the very least."

"Alice McDougal, coincidentally attenting Nunnally Lamperouge's class," Teresa hisses back. "Even knowing about her must be many kinds of badness!"

"What, then?" Shirley interjects suddenly. "We pried, yes, but now that we know we can't just look away! And if things are going so great, then why did Lulu disappear? Why is Milly lying about it? Why is Nana-chan being abused and hiding it?!" She looks angry, though it doesn't seem to be directed towards Kallen. "I can't pretend things are perfect!"

"They're not!" responds Kallen. "So there's a military spy on Nana-chan already, you're saying? Then their cover is already blown in the first place, and not by someone terribly benign. Though it seems as though it's not so hard to find out, if you try," she adds, glancing at Teresa.

"First thing's first. We need to tip Milly off," she decides, suddenly. "You don't think she already knows, correct?"

Teresa frowns. "For military intelligence, yes. Maybe for a determined conglomerate as well, if they had cause. Not for just anyone." She sighs. "Look, this can't get out, but you know how everyone gathers information about each other? The Chinese are no different. But while you could retroactively alter your own databases, you can't really go to your so-called enemies and do the same to them, too. So it's really all about who you know, and where."

Shirley looks reassured by Kallen's exclamation.

"Whatever this is, it's an internal Britannian matter. It's not surprising that it'd slip under the Chinese radar, surely."

"It probably did," Teresa agrees. "Lucky us?"

"I can guess how you'd catch me and the Lamperouges. But someone out the military? If foreign intelligence doesn't know, then how can you tell her ID is fake?"

"That's the thing. It's not. It's perfect, in fact!" Teresa exclaims. "But it is a fact that our friends the Chinese never heard of her during those happy days she was supposed to have been raised on the mainland. We leave traces everywhere; that's a fact of life. Not just birth, marriage and death certificates, but school records, utility bills and what have you. It's all there, relatively open for those who know where to look."

"I'm guessing it's not possible- or rather, far too dangerous to pinpoint her backing," replies Kallen, gritting her teeth.

"I just told you who is backing her. Even though I talked about the military, it's not like this is standard fare along with basic training. Considering her age, unless we've hit upon the fountain of youth while I wasn't looking, it has to be special forces under the auspice of military intelligence or military intelligence itself."

"I meant 'who is giving her orders'," clarifies Kallen. "You know, the ever-important details part."

"Try capturing and interrogating her," Teresa suggests. "Maybe after hitting her fist with your stomach a few times, she would be in the mood to divulge those details."

Shirley laughs suddenly, looking surprised herself at her own actions. "I'm sorry," she says, wiping at her eyes. "This is just too much for one day."

"You get used to it," mutters Kallen. "Look, we're already late for the meeting. Teresa, we're heading off. Thanks for the warning, but getting involved is rather predetermined on my part. The smart thing to do is follow your own advice, but you hardly need me to say that, really, do you?"

"We're all going to die," Teresa deadpans. "My brothers warned me my friends would be the death of me, but I always thought they were being mean."

"Just don't get into a car with Irene, and you'll be fine."

"And here I thought my day couldn't get worse."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The brief stop by Teresa's club took longer than Kallen expected; by the time Shirley and she are finally at their destination, the student council chambers are full. Rivalz is there, which is rather a given considering Milly has graced the meeting with her presence. Nina and Nunnally are likewise in attendance, huddling together in a corner as they discuss something too quiet to be casually overheard.

"You're late!" Milly announces sternly. Shirley jumps. "Should I institute penalty games in the future?" the blonde asks menacingly.

"But then we wouldn't dare show up at all," replies Kallen. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Bookkeeping," Milly responds. "I suspect a grave offense has been committed! There is one club that has been drawing an inordinate amount of funds, a club with a very strong connection to one of the members of this sacred council."

It is unmistakable; she is almost glaring at Shirley and Kallen as she speaks.

"When you say 'inordinate', is there a... scale you have in mind?" asks Kallen, glancing briefly at Shirley before returning her gaze to Milly.

"Don't confuse me with words!" Milly exclaims, posing. A sheet of paper is clutched in her raised fist. "These numbers can't be wrong!"

"Did you doublecheck them?"

"Why, this is the very reason the student council was formed!" Milly declares. "To check and doublecheck everything for me!"

"Umm, Milly, doesn't that make us all your gophers?" Nunnally hesitantly asks. Milly laughs heartily at the question, but it is noteworthy she doesn't refute the statement.

"How much money can the swimming club need, anyway?" queries Kallen, reaching for the paper. "You have a pool, you have water- really, Shirley, what else is there?" she asks, teasingly.

Shirley looks horrified. "They didn't buy new swimsuits again, did they?" she asks, suddenly looking worried. Just looking at her, Kallen can tell all worries about Lelouch and Nunnally have escaped her conscious mind.

Rivalz's grin serves as confirmation, and Shirley blanches. "I'll quit! I'll quit for real this time!"

Milly's rather good at this, Kallen thinks, mournfully. "Well, it's simple, no?" she states, glancing over the figures. "We'll just cut their funding for the next three months- oh, and make them serve as waitresses during the end-of-semester dinner. Shirley, you get to tell them."

The glare Shirley sends Kallen is not fake one bit. "Who decided that we became the service club?!" the orange-haired girl exclaims. "We just like to swim! Is that so wrong? And it is true that only girls keep on joining our club, but... but that doesn't mean anything! Please leave us alone, President!"

Milly smiles widely. "So you admit it, then? Your club's hidden nature?"

Shirley steams in silence.

"Who runs the club activities?" speaks up Kallen, reaching for a club listing nearby. "I fear that the joining demographic would be rather dependant on that. Perhaps we could shake things up..."

"Well, there's Maria--" Shirley says, her train of thought derailed.

"Before that!" Milly interrupts her. "Something must be determined. That so-called training camp near the end of the semester. It seems someone on this council authorized more than a dozen student to go on an all-expenses-paid trip, despite not being active members in the swimming club."

"I had nothing to do with it!" Shirley protests. "I couldn't even go!"

"Shirley, I'm going to demonstate how not to sign a form," states Kallen. "Rivalz! A paper and pen, if you will."

The spiky-haired boy provides them, grinning.

Kallen pauses for a moment, and then scrawls out some flimsy contract about donating $1,000 pounds to a chocolate fund, appending on the end, with small letters, "P.S. don't look now, the military is spying on you." "President! You would agree that this is exactly the sort of form Shirley must not sign, yes?" asks Kallen, thrusting it in Milly's face.

Milly's eyes widen comically, and her jaw drops. That alone is enough to direct Rivalz's attention to her rather than some form.

"What?" Milly asks eloquently.

"It is an incredible sum," agrees Kallen, slamming the form on the table. "Observe, Shirley! Pay no respect to this document. It deserves nothing but ink. Lots of ink." Kallen is fairly certain that no part of the form will be legible once she's through with it and the pen. "Some treats are nice, but moderation is required! You have to learn to say no, preferably in such a fashion that they shall never, ever ask again1"

"We can't work without refreshments," Milly declares, regaining her faculties. "Rivalz, this very important task must fall upon your capable shoulders!"

He salutes sharply. "Yes, President!"

The boy isn't even out of the room before Milly whirls back on Shirley. "It might be a bit heavy to carry on his own. You don't mind helping Rivalz, do you? I sadly can't ask the weak, frail, sickly Kallen."

The words, they are like knives, but Kallen stoically endures them.

Shirley nods hesitantly, running to catch up. That leaves Nina and Nunnally, the former looking curiously at Milly.

"And it occurs to me that this is one activity which Nana-chan would find too boring," the blonde says, sounding regretful. "Nina, would you mind--"

Nina seems to know what she is about to say, and smiles hesitantly. "Of course, Milly. Don't worry about it."

For her part, Kallen simply takes a seat, looking slightly impatient.

Milly, for her part, looks like the goddess of patience herself. She leans on the desk casually, looking for all as if she's actually waiting on Rivalz and Shirley to return with the drinks.

When everyone is out, Kallen just sighs. "I don't know what your big secret is, and frankly I'm prepared to drop it if you tell me to after I tell you what I've got. Don't blame me for doing some digging, though."

She leans back in the chair, staring at the roof. "Did you know there are four students in this school with falsified records? The first is myself, and no matter how much money my dad throws at this, it won't go away.. Lelouch and Nunnally Lamperouge are a close second, and I know you have your reasons. But the fourth... I met her just today. Alice McDougal isn't the simple student she appears to be."

Kallen returns her gaze to Milly after that, attempting to gauge her reaction.

Milly seems quite composed, but the instant Kallen's eyes meet hers the redhead finds it hard to breathe. It is as if her heart had stopped for the briefest of moments, and only after the feeling has already passed does she realize that it was not her own.

"She has Eleven parentage, then?" Milly is asking, and Kallen understands the usage of that term is intentional.

There is also something else. A terribly familiar emotion she cannot quite put her finger on.

Kallen swallows. "No, but you've guessed what I'm going to say, haven't you?"

There it is again. A sudden realization comes over Kallen; it's not a complicated emotion like she first thought it would be, but a combination of two very simple ones she has felt when it came to her own family -- a very strong urge to protect someone you love, and the willingness to kill for that goal.

Milly herself is silent. "I think I need to have you spell what you think you know out for me, Kallen," she finally says.

"Alice is a spy from some division of Britannian intelligence," replies Kallen, point-blank. "It is the only explanation for the emptiness of her records. She has no real existence before Ashford. Oh, there is a birth certificate, a couple of addresses- that's it. None of the usual traces of someone bumbling through life. And it is clear that she is watching Nunnally. Look them up yourself if you don't believe me, I'm sure you have the means."

Kallen tears her gaze away at that, shoving that feeling aside as best as she can.

"I would like to hear how you've reached that conclusion," Milly says neutrally. "Every student is vetted, as you yourself are well aware of. Alice's record has no irregularities."

Milly might sound calm, while inside she's anything but. She also seems to be wavering on something; for some reason that escapes Kallen, Milly is thinking of her maid quite a lot.

Kallen pauses for a moment, and then sighs. "Because the records of her that exist within the current civil databases don't exist in a data dump taken a few years prior," she replies. "They must have been retroactively edited on a wide scale, but there are certain systems even intelligence can't alter at will."

"And how did you come to have access to such obviously priveleged information?" Milly presses.

"I know a guy."

"I'm afraid that answer won't do, Miss Stadtfeld," Milly says, and something about her demeanor changes. She's come to some kind of decision, Kallen realizes.

"If I told you, would it make a difference?" questions Kallen, rolling her eyes. "Your family is still strong enough to get this information on it's own. Check it out. Or don't check it out. Either way, my part is done, I see."

"A secret stops being a secret when too many people are involved," Milly responds to that. She smiles, and for the first time since they met, Kallen sees malice clearly on display in that smile. "Please allow me to be perfectly blunt. To protect those two siblings, I won't stop at words."

"If it weren't for me, you would only have one sibling left to protect!" retorts Kallen, hotly. "Can't you see I'm trying to help you?"

Maybe she has to use it, then. She doesn't want to. But if Milly persists, then she can channel that emotion straight towards her! There's no reason to turn on each other. None. She locks eyes with Milly again, preparing herself for the inevitable backlash.

"If you're trying to help me then don't do it in half-measures!" Milly snaps back at Kallen, uncharacteristically angry. She crosses her hands in front of her chest, looking away in a huff, breaking eye contact. "All I can see is someone I trusted waltzing in here and going on about how she poked her nose into things she shouldn't have with the help of all-knowing, mysterious friends. How the hell am I supposed to respond?!"

Frustration wells up inside Kallen, along with a suffocating amount of fear.

Kallen clasps her temple with her palm, letting the hand briefly shade her face. She takes two deep breaths before she speaks again, her words thick with pleading. "Milly, look at me," she requests. "Please."

"Haven't they been through enough?" Milly pleads, doing as Kallen asks.

"I.. don't know. I don't even want to if it's painful," replies Kallen, prodding Milly's mind- just a little bit, with a simple feeling of trust. It's something she has to borrow, but- Kallen trusts Shirley, Ohgi, and Milly- she can emulate that feeling, can't she, and cloud out that fear Milly is feeling?

"I can't leave stuff unturned like this, Milly! I- don't you know? Sometimes you act because you think it's best, even if the people you're doing it for don't like it." She shudders, slightly. "You see someone with a burden, so you want to help them carry it. That's all."

Milly clenches her fists. "I understand it! I do! We run our own background checks, after all... but not on this level! Do you even realize how this sounds? You're talking like someone who wants to get rid of competition!" She steps forward, taking Kallen's hands in hers. "I understand it must have been a shock, and it's okay if you don't like the family -- I've noticed that, you know. But don't blame them for that, please! Don't use them as pawns again!"

"I never wanted to do anything to them," replies Kallen, quietly. "Competition? If that was really it, I'd never have told you. But I- I thought you needed to know. What happens now is up to you." She steps away, wondering if her eyes are watering. Maybe a little.

"And what am I supposed to do?" Milly asks sadly, deflating. "If they know, then it's... I can't do anything about that."

Kallen looks away, staring at the table once more.

"I don't know. Either do something about the agent, or... if you have a secret that will inevitably be revealed, then prepare for that day."

Milly laughs bitterly. "Alice has been here for a while. If that had been their goal, the world would know it by now." She shakes her head. "This secret won't be coming out, no."

"If that's the case, then you've still got time to think of something," replies Kallen, closing her eyes. "She... probably reports to someone, and she has to have some way of doing that."

The sounds of distant footsteps startles Milly. She pulls on Kallen's hands urgently. "Since you had such resources, can you protect Nana-chan? Even if just her!"

"If I can think of a way, I will. Of anyone in this school, she's the least deserving of any trouble," replies Kallen, sincerely.

The footsteps are closer. Two voices are conversing, still too distant for Kallen to really tell apart.

"Lelouch left because he knew my family couldn't do it anymore," Milly tells Kallen hurriedly. "That had to be it! He knew what I couldn't say. But if there's a way to protect Nunnally, if she could be safe, I know he would be alright!"

Kallen nods at Milly's words, but when she hears the voices getting closer, she doesn't respond directly to the blonde's statement.

"President, isn't that a bit too mean? Shirley will be upset if she finds out the extent of your diabolical schemes," Kallen states, as if in reply to something.

"Yes, it would be bad for Shirley to find out," Milly responds, and though the tone of her voice is light and bantering, the look she gives Kallen is hard to misunderstand.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Shirley and Rivalz appear in the doorway, loaded with snacks and soft drinks. The amount feels excessive even had the group included the student council in full attendance; Rivalz is practically struggling under the weight. Shirley seems to be doing much better, though she gives Kallen a worried glance when their eyes meet.

Kallen winks at Shirley as she reassumes her position at the table.

"You do realise we have to eat all of this before the meeting is over, right?" she asks, casting a dubious glance at Rivalz.

"Nonsense!" he exclaims. "We can donate it to the less fortunate!"

"Who are defined as..."

Rivalz shrugs, looking at Milly for guidance.

The blonde giggles, covering her mouth. "I'm sure Rivalz would be able to determine who they are as part of his new duties, Kallen."

Kallen reaches for a bag of chips, snapping it open with a rustle. "Not the swimming club, then," she mumbles, munching away.

Shirley gets increasingly frantic as Milly resumes her attack on the swimming club. A particularly high moment of the meeting is when she subdues Shirley's fighting spirit by refusing to accept her resignation and finding a clause in the school rules that allows for that. Kallen can't help but note that it is written in a font so small she would need a magnifying glass to read it properly; Milly provides one on demand.

"Nobody could replace you anyway, Shirley. Who else would be our voice of reason and level-headed efficiency, representing the common student in a world of madness?" asks Kallen, with wide eyes.

Shirley sputters.

Milly claps her hands. "Well said, Kallen! And this adjourns our meeting. As agreed upon unanimously--" Shirley glares, but knows better than to speak up. "--the swimming club will be in charge of recruitement and entertainment for the upcoming school festival. That is all!"

Kallen stands up, stuffing a few bars of chocolate surreptiously into her bag. "Come, Miss Fenette! Let us leave the boarding students to their grim fate," she intones, heading to the door for the walk to the station.

Shirley follows, munching on a twinkie dejectedly.

The station isn't too far, and Kallen's upbeat mood remains during the exit. One of the perks to being on council is that meetings last as long as Milly says, which usually (though not always) results in getting out earlier than the norm.

"I talked to Milly," she admits, once the gates to the school vanish behind them. "Whatever this secret is, she's willing to take some pretty strong measures to keep it."

Shirley's face goes through several emotions rapidly, though the one that ends up dominant isn't much different from her previous dejection.

"So we're nowhere closer even after asking her?"

"Even further away, if anything," admits Kallen. "Milly didn't know where Lelouch was, either. The Ashfords were protecting them- from the military? The government? I'm not sure, but she thinks Lelouch left on his own. Because she couldn't do it anymore."

Shirley bites on her lower lip worriedly. "And he just left Nana-chan?"

"Yeah. I don't get it either. But nobody knows where to start looking," replies Kallen, frustrated. "The girl watching her might be our only lead."

"Maybe we can just ask her?" Shirley wonders out loud. "You said that she helped Nana-chan, right? Maybe there's some different explanation... I mean, since we don't know who Nana-chan is being protected from, maybe Alice is one of her protectors, too?"

"But if she's working for some intelligence agency, she won't take kindly to discovering that her cover has been compromised," argues Kallen, chewing her lip, before a light goes off in her brain. "But we should probably speak to her sometime anyway."

"Right!" Shirley exclaims, seeming to pick up on Kallen's train of thought. "We're all Nana-chan's friends, aren't we?"

"It's the least we can do! I bet I can tell with one conversation whether we can trust her or not," agrees Kallen.

Shirley nods, growing silent.

"Umm, Kallen," she says hesitantly as they wait at a traffic light. "You mentioned pretty strong measures. What did you mean?"

"If you think the president is intimidating during council meetings, you haven't seen anything," admits Kallen, glancing away. "She wasn't assured I wasn't some spy myself. I... don't know what she would've done if she wasn't satisfied."

Shirley doesn't seem to know quite how to respond to that.

"Teresa is probably right. Prying too far could get dangerous," continues Kallen, as the light turns green. "That's why I'm being cautious and only checking as much as I have to. The safest thing would be to do nothing, but..."

"I think it's strange," Shirley says quietly. "Doing only what's safe. Ignoring other people's problems and convincing yourself you're not involved." She gives Kallen a tentative smile. "I know I already said that, but I'm really glad you don't think that way."

Kallen doesn't realise she's smiling back for a second, and she takes a seat on a nearby bench. "It'd be impossible for me to think that way," she readily admits. "I like to think I can make a difference."

"I think I can make one, too," Shirley admits, following Kallen to the bench. "I've been thinking about my future, and I think I would like to do the same kind of work my father does."

"Your dad... he's a military logistics guy?" asks Kallen, finding her steady gaze slipping away from Shirley.

"Joining the military sounds kinda scary," Shirley admits, nibbling on her lower lip in worry once more. "But you can help people! Changing policy and things like that would be pretty difficult at the start, I know, but that doesn't mean we have to give up before even trying, and even if I can't help everyone at once, there would still be people whose lives I could make better!"

She flushes crimson, then. "Ah, I sound so arrogant!"

"Changing policy?" queries Kallen, taking a bite from her chocolate. "You might be stuck there for years before you're in a position to make a difference. The Britannian military is..."

She flushes, hoping she doesn't sound too hostile.

"Well," Shirley says hesitantly, "I don't mean policy on the governor scale. But!" She suddenly sits up straighter, turning on the bench to face Kallen fully. "There are other things, like distribution of funds and supplies and all sorts of logistical details that the governor general's office doesn't usually bother with! So. Umm. Rebuilding Shinjuku would be impossible, but what about feeding the people living in Shinjuku, who can't find jobs for themselves? Just because I couldn't make the former happen, is the right thing to do giving up and not even trying the latter, because it's just not a perfect solution?"

Shirley goes between self-assured and worried several times as she speaks, wavering without any apparent reason. In the end, she just looks pleadingly at Kallen.

"It would help a few people get by a bit easier. But it wouldn't address the real problems, like just why the people living there can't get jobs in the first place." Kallen shakes her head. "Just living off handouts... I hope more can be done to even the scales."

"I hope so too," Shirley agrees, lowing her head. "But there's only so much a commoner can do. This area called it a glass ceiling, right? I always found that term very fitting."

"One day, I hope to shatter it," murmurs Kallen, very quietly and only after nobody else could possibly hear. "I guess that makes me a hypocrite, in a way."

"You're planning on using your title?" Shirley asks just as quietly, looking intently at Kallen.

"I'll use whatever means I can to even the gap," replies Kallen, glancing aside. "And right now, that means that sometimes, I'm Baroness Stadtfeld instead of plain old Kallen."

"It must be hard," Shirley sympathizes.

Kallen laughs, leaning back in the bench. "If it were anyone else saying that, Shirley, I'd think they were being sarcastic," she remarks, standing up. "You're far too nice."

Shirley blushes at the praise, looking up expectantly at Kallen as the redhead stands up.

"Well, that's on some days. This afternoon, though, I'm off to be Kouzuki Kallen," she continues. "Oh, and I'll be taking tomorrow off sick, so can you e-mail me the math homework?"

"You'll miss the physics quiz," Shirley says worriedly.

"It's alright, I made sure to blitz the assignment," she replies, waving as she starts to walk off. "Take care on the way home, Shirley."

Ohgi and Inoue are the only ones around when Kallen arrives to the warehouse that serves as their current base of operations. "Something came up," Ohgi says by way of explanation.

"Really," Inoue mutters with a snort, "just sending one delegate would've been enough."

"Did you want to let Tamaki represent us?" Ohgi asks bluntly. That shuts the blue-haired woman up, but he continues. "Did you want to tell Tamaki that he wasn't allowed to go?"

This time, Inoue looks away. "Fine, whatever, you win this one."

"But you two stayed?" asks Kallen, slightly surprised. "Who are they off to deal with?"

"We had a meeting, so--" Ohgi starts responding.

Inoue cuts him off with, "Yes, I stayed."

Kallen looks curious, but decides to wait on pressing the point. "Anyway. The facility I told you guys about before has been completed and is already working. They are indeed working on producing a form of nerve gas, as well as innoculations- ostensibly for helping put down riots. It has pretty nasty implications for us if it's put into mainstream production, though."

"How far along are they?" Ohgi asks, and Inoue looks attentive as well.

"The gas itself is quite far along- I'd wager it's only months away from being in it's final form. I'm not as sure on the innoculations- my understand is that they're temporary shots that immunize the user for a short time," responds Kallen.

"The other issue is the means they're using to producing these toxins. They have a... test subject, patient zero, whatever you want to call it- a girl with unusual biochemistry. She's kept insensate in the middle of that facility, and they.. well, they conduct experiments on her."

Ohgi looks shocked.

Inoue, less so. "They have someone with natural immunity to the stuff, I take it?"

"Mmm. The original story they gave us was that she was infected with some lethal and highly infectious disease, one that she happened to be immune to due to her unique system. But I'm pretty sure that's a lie, given that I'm still standing in front of you today."

The reflexive flinching back is hard to mistake.

"What's the incubation period on this supposed disease, and how long ago did you see that patient?" Inoue asks warily.

"Subjects ostensibly perished within minutes of contracting the illness, and that would be two days ago, now," replies Kallen, flatly.

"However! All the records of previous containment breaches have vanished due to a random system failure," she continues, rolling her eyes.

"Sounds fishy, yes," Inoue agrees. She doesn't come closer to Kallen, however.

"Leaving my cooties aside... are we down with this?" she asks, fidgeting. "They have a couple of other projects running, but I didn't get to speak to their managers. I'm going back there tomorrow to continue my tour, so if there's stuff you think I should find out..."

"Does it look like we'll be able to infiltrate them?" Ohgi asks. "As cleaning staff, say?"

"Yeah, I think that might be possible, and I can get in easily. The real problem is getting away more than getting in, really. There's a scientist in there who's having second thoughts, and she might be willing to help us.

"Our objectives are really twofold- destroy or steal the poison gas and any research they've done on it, and rescue patient zero, forestalling any further activity."

"Rescue someone so highly visible?" Inoue asks dubiously. "I hate to be the cold, rational one, but what will we do with this patient afterwards?"

"Long term or short term?"

"Long term," Ohgi interjects. "There shouldn't be a problem in the immediate range, but we don't really have the facilities for long-term care."

"I don't believe she herself is actually in danger. Beyond recovering from whatever sedatives she's been pumped full of, I don't think we'll need to worry about that."

Kallen shrugs. "If I'm wrong, I'll take responsibility and work something out. As long as she's not being used to create weapons, I'll be satisfied."

"Take responsibility are an adult's words," Inoue says, strangely sounding approving rather than chiding. "So you're staking your nonexistent capital on this patient zero girl?"

"If you're asking about what I can bring to the table in the future..." replies Kallen, not sounding like she understands what Inoue is getting at.

"Not really," Inoue responds, sounding cheerful. "I'm saying that you're gambling with said future."

Kallen's face turns dour. "I feel like I'm being laughed at," she complains, dropping on a nearby chair. "Speaking of that, can you guys humour me for a second?"

"Oh, I was quite serious," Inoue points out. "This either makes or breaks you, and I would like to think that we're beyond simple threats and into the promises territory."

"I'm serious as well!" insists Kallen, abruptly standing up just after getting settled. "If I had to do this alone, I would! What else is there to say? I don't plan on backing out, even if you ask me to."

Ohgi looks like he wants to do just that, but Inoue merely nods. "Right, right. Settle down, no need for tantrums. So what did you want to be humoured about?"

"It's nothing, forget it," mutters Kallen, sitting back down. "Anyway. If we're doing this, then I can come back with some maps and more solid details on exactly where to go and what to do in the facility."

At a look from Inoue, Ohgi relents, nodding. "How quickly can you put it together?"

"Give me three days."

"We'll need more time on this end to prepare," Ohgi muses. "Three days for this-- a week overall?"

He glances at Inoue, who nods thoughtfully. "Should be enough."

"Works for me," Kallen agrees. "Anything in particular you think I should poke around for while I'm there?"

"Didn't you ask that already?" Inoue asks with a smirk.

Ohgi takes the question seriously. "Anything related to their security system and procedures that you think you could get away with learning," he responds. "You mentioned a random system failure. Could one be generated again, since you obviously think it was anything but random?"

"Then we got sidelined," retorts Kallen. "And I think it can."

"The only thing better than wiped security logs is said logs not being gathered in the first place," Inoue comments. "Shutting down the surveilence system would be golden. I can't think of anything past that which we wouldn't need to have actual data first to devise countermeasures. That data would include floor plans, personnel records and seemingly-irrelevant information such as when they collect their trash, right?"

"Right, I can handle that. I can give you the address now, at least, so we can figure out where to go after we bug out," replies Kallen, writing it down.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[13:22] "Stanley's in hospital," remarks Kallen to the others, stepping over a wooden beam on her way to what the locals always called 'tin-can alley'. "Stuck in a coma. The doctors think it could be a stroke."
[13:25] Inoue looks disinterested, a brief shrug serving as the acknowledgement that she'd heard. Ohgi is more attentive, nodding.
[13:31] "With any luck, he won't wake up for a while," she mutters, reaching the street shortly- it's a mostly empty little lane with a dead end towards the back. Targets are spray-painted on the back wall, but crates are stacked up just in front of it. Kallen starts heading the way, a plastic bag full of improptu targets in her hand. "It feels like an opportunity, I guess," she mutters.
[13:34] "To finish the job, so to speak?" Inoue wonders.
[13:40] Kallen starts stacking the cans on the table. "To get control of his assets," she elaborates, starting to return, distancing herself from the targets. "It feels like one, but no doubt he has advisors and subordinates taking care of things at the moment. It's like there should be a way to get my foot in the door."
[13:43] "Maybe," Ohgi agrees. "But I'm worried about how that would make you look. You can't inherit yet, and his wife or advisors could use that against you."
[13:46] "Yeah. Never mind the inheritance laws with regard to race," spits Kallen, dropping a brown canvas bag nearby and reaching into it, producing an old pistol (Japanese make, circa the war.) "Cleo'd need nothing more than my transcripts from middle school to shut that out for good."
[13:48] "So go through intermediaries?" Inoue suggests. "Lawyers have that whole confidentiality thing going with them. Hire one and have him work to undermine the bitch?"
[13:53] "Yeah, someone like her has got to have her own skeletons. I already know she sees other men, even if I can't prove it," replies Kallen, shoving a clip into the gun and chambering a round. "Hell, maybe a PI would do the trick."
[14:00] "Maybe," Inoue agrees, Kallen notices that a gun is now in her hand, the standard issue for Britannian troops, and the easiest firearm to obtain. "I could recommend a few, if you'd like."
[14:02] "I would," replies Kallen, holding the weapon in two hands and aiming at the target. "If I could force her to go far, far away, or to stay in her room and never come out..." She squeezes off a shot.
[14:05] A plastic bottle is clipped, dropping off a metal drum. "Nice," Inoue comments, Ohgi staying silent. "How deep would someone need to check with that Cleo, you think?"
[14:08] Kallen squeezes off another two shots in rapid succession. "My intuition says... not very far, she's not a subtle person. I never really bothered getting to know anything about her, though. It was hate at first sight."
[14:10] Shooting at two targets without giving herself time to right the weapon and aim causes Kallen to miss her second target. A third shot resounds through the alley, shattering the plastic cup mocking Kallen with its presence. "Why don't you just shoot her?" Inoue asks, lowering her smoking pistol.
[14:16] Kallen pauses for a moment. "Because I would be a suspect," she replies, after a moment. "And she's just a mean, spiteful airhead, anyway. I'd rather humiliate her." She narrows her eyes. "Besides, I'm ready to fight, but just murdering an inconvenience..."
[14:23] "You'll need to think about what it means to fight," Inoue says with a frown, putting her gun away. "If we hit that place you talked about, anyone there could become a casualty. Some bystander janitor who was unlucky enough to waltz into a crossfire... would you be fine with shooting him?" Ohgi looks upset, but Inoue tosses her hair, starting to walk out of the alley. "I know, I know, going now."
[14:34] "Innocent people might die," mutters Kallen, lining up another shot. "I can accept that. But it's one thing for someone to die in a warzone. That doesn't give us license to kill anyone we please." She fires another shot, dead center on another bottle.
[14:35] "The line does get blurry when we choose what to make a warzone, while denying Britannia a clearly-marked base of our own," Ohgi notes, leaning against the alley wall as he observes Kallen's practice.
[14:49] "Do you think that's cowardly?" asks Kallen, firing another shot. "We don't have a choice but to hide right now. I think it's important that we only attack the right sort of targets, and just because we have to do some things backhandedly doesn't mean everything is as such."
[14:52] "I think it's a necessary evil," Ohgi responds. "Inoue is just... she thinks in extremes sometimes."
[14:55] "Yeah. I don't blame her." Kallen sighs, letting her arm drop. "But in the end, I think being too extreme would make it impossible for us to ever take Japan back."
[14:58] "Being too radical may just work, too," Ohgi muses. "But I think you're right. It wouldn't give us the Japan we're fighting for."
[15:00] "Have you ever read about the resistances in other areas?" asks Kallen. "I think being too radical was their mistake in a lot of cases. You can only go so far, so many times, until your own people turn against you... because after a while, you aren't fighting for them anymore."
[15:06] "I know about resistance groups that tried to act noble like that." Ohgi shakes his head. "Nothing ever came up from that, either. People would rather just live their lives or join the honorary Britannian program, those with more extreme views didn't bother signing up, support was nonexistent from the start, rather than turning away from them.
[15:06] There must be some golden middle ground, but no one in Japan hit upon it, yet."
[15:11] "I might have an idea," murmurs Kallen, shrugging. "The key to success might be in a place nobody ever thought to try before."
[15:12] Ohgi looks curious, but doesn't press.
[15:15] Kallen snaps up her arm again, and resumes firing until all the bottles have been shot off the drum. "The Britannians are really efficient. Conquer some land, send your own citizens to colonize it, and before you know it, everything's assimilated into their culture. I think it's easy for outsiders to forget about the divide between Britannians themselves..."
[15:18] "And the way to victory would be to push it to the foreground?"
[15:20] "Yeah. The Honorary Britannian system..." replies Kallen, setting down her smoking gun. "I wonder if we could turn it on it's head."
[15:21] "I'm not sure I follow," Ohgi admits.
[15:22] "People join Britannia because they don't see any other option in life. Because they give up. But if we could show the Britannians how corrupt their 'betters' are, and not just that, but give them another option..."
[15:23] "Can we really provide another option, as we are now?"
[15:27] "I don't know. We need to be stronger, but..." She starts heading to set up new bottles. "I know what I think we should be doing! But I don't know how to get there. I'm still working on it, but I think we should really think about what our long-term goals are."
[15:30] "Maybe we should," Ohgi agrees. "But we've always thought about such things together, with everyone present."
[15:32] "I'll look forward to that."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"I'm going, Hisui. I'll be eating out tonight, so don't worry about dinner for me," instructs Kallen, smiling at the maid. "Take it easy."

The suit chafes a little, but she's getting used to it again, and Kallen steps outside to the waiting limosuine. This time, though, she's not entering alongside her father, instead as the sole representive of Stadtfeld affairs. To ruin them, some part of her reflects.

"Very good, Miss," the maid replies quietly with a deep, respectful bow. It is one custom Cleopatra, like many Britannian nobles, quickly integrated once they encountered it for the first time.

A brief call while she is en route ensures that Kallen is expected. Indeed, as her limousine pulls up to the complex's gates, Doctor Jean Balsam awaits Kallen next to the security detail.

Kallen hops out the car and walks briskly towards the gate, briefly checking her watch- right on time, as expected.

"Good morning, Doctor," Kallen greets, doing her best to present a confident front. "Shall we get to it?"

Jean inclines her head in greeting. "Of course. We can talk in my lab."

Kallen allows Jean to lead the way into the facility, though this time through she takes rather more scrutiny when it comes to the layout and security of the building.

One thing Kallen notices almost immediately is that security had been stepped up. A lot more personnel is now visible as she heads to the Metushelah research section.

"You are quite safe," Jean remarks, looking over at Kallen. "The incident from before would not reoccur. In a way, I should be grateful to you, Miss Stadtfeld. You played a considerable part in allowing my defensive protocols be approved at last."

That almost stops Kallen in her tracks, but she nonetheless keeps her pace.

"One of the reasons I've come here is to have this incident explained to me, now that I am well," retorts Kallen, crossly. "Defensive, you say. Yet from my perspective, it seems more likely that there was merely a need to stop this carelessness."

"Sending a glorified mouthpiece with you was a mistake from the start," Jean responds with a huff. "Still, you suffered no ill effects, isn't that right? And now you're back right to the scene of the incident, which means there is no lasting psychological trauma. We should just accept what's happened and move on towards the future."

"You devious- there will not be much of a future in this installation if that is your standard practice," growls Kallen. "What of the PR woman?"

"She's out on paid vacation," Jean tells Kallen. She doesn't look bothered, though her staff -- they are passing through the main Metushelah project lab right now -- is properly mortified.

"I am the Metushelah project, and the Metushelah project is me," she continues without pause. "It is my reason for existing, and you won't find anyone better. So either you're just putting on airs right now in hopes of getting concessions I'll willingly make even without theatrics, or anything I say is meaningless and we might as well clear that up now rather than after a very boring meeting where I try to dumb down my life's work yet again."

"Are you unable to comprehend that someone could, potentially, *be genuinely upset* with your behaviour?" asks Kallen, almost in wonder.

"Don't you have enough servants to bow and scrape for you at home?" Jean asks, frowning as she stops to look at Kallen with something which might also approach wonder. "It can't be that the only reason you went out of your way to come and even asked for me was just to ascertain your superiority over me. The success and failure of my project cannot possibly depend on such a stupid reason."

The lab is swiftly emptying, as the scientists flee it as diplomatically as they can make it. Their actions fool no one, least of all Kallen.

"You'll find it depends on more than one thing, but I can't help but note that endangering your beneficiaries takes a remarkably high position."

Kallen shakes her head and glances around the lab. "I've certainly decided where we stand on that already. As you wish, let us move on to the details of your project."

Jean nods curtly. "In the interests of delivering the best information I can, is there anything specific you want to know?"

She leads Kallen into a smaller room accessable from the main laboratory. At first glance, it appears to be a miniature version of it, but soon the differences jump at Kallen. One of them being that the electronical equipment looks more used, more worn out than in the main Metushelah section.

Another difference that is obvious the moment Kallen notices it is the bed set up in the corner of the smaller lab.

"Let's start with the goal of the project. Given that it is the only one remaining, it must be the universal vaccine, correct?" Kallen waits briefly for affirmation, before going on.

"For starters, I would like you to tell me about the project's origins and history. Were you the one who originally concieved it?"

"The project originates with Holy Grail's first sponsor, Lord Maldini," Jean says, gesturing at an available stool and claiming another for herself. "He was old and ailing, and didn't want to die. It is an easily-understood emotion; many people experience it at the twilight of their life. However, few of them are as wealthy or have their hands in as many things at our erstwhile sponsor was."

Jean looks straight at Kallen as she asks, "Do you know where the project's name comes from, Miss Stadtfeld?"

"A man who lived to an exceptional age. Biblical, if I recall. I'm not familiar with the specifics, but I can see the connection."

"That is correct," Jean says, faint approval showing briefly in her eyes. "Project Metushelah is man's attempt to attain immortality. I was chosen for my published theories in the field of gene manipulation, though it was not my main field of study at the time. My study of Lilith, however, allowed me to build on that theoretical foundation and make it real. It might be too early for you to worry about such things, but rest assured, Miss Stadtfeld -- I am very close."

"Beyond simply curing ills, you're saying you could stifle the aging process?" asks Kallen, her eyes wide. "Would it be an extension of life, or a complete halt to growing old?"

As she talks, Kallen begins to soak up Jean's emotions, gazing straight into her eyes.

Jean stands up, gesturing for Kallen to follow. By the bed, there is a small doghouse, but rather than a canine, it houses an old, fat cat. It's fur is white, the eyes a brilliant blue. Kallen thinks she saw something on the Discovery channel about it being a sign of deafness in felines.

"This is my cat, Dog," Jean tells Kallen with a twitch of her lips. "House cats live from fourteen to twenty years. How old do you think Dog is?"

Even without the brief eye contact, Kallen can tell that Jean is quite excited.

"Assuming this is for demonstrative purposes, I would assume between twenty and thirty years."

"Very good. I put him at twenty two, give or take. I specifically searched for an old cat nearing the end of its life for the sake of my experiment." Jean pats the cat's head, eliciting a tired flick of its tail, and returns to the large lab table taking up most of the space in the center of the room. "Unfortunately, my research had not progressed enough at the time of Lord Maldini's death, and we ran into debt. The Foundation's heads tried to save costs by cutting corners, which resulted in the accident and inevitably lead to yet more debt. The rest, you know."

"Does the rest of the facility know that this is the goal of your project, or do they- as I, until just now- assume your goals were only slightly less ambitious?"

"I don't pay attention to rumors," Jean says, but she sounds a touch agitated. "I know they talk about it behind my back, often painting the project in ludicrous terms. Quite frankly, while I am sorry to have our previous sponsor die and effectively take his funding away, we were not ready at the time. We are now. Dog is not the only animal subject I have, merely the first successful one." As if forgetting Kallen is there, Jean adds quietly, "Maybe I should use the formula on myself."

"Even if you did, it would no doubt take some time for us to witness the results," remarks Kallen. "Do you believe it's that close to completion, or that there would likely be no harmful effects were it to be tested on humans?"

"To put it crudely, if it works on monkeys and pigs, it should work on a human," Jean says with a shrug, straightening up. "I've gone as far as I could without actually testing the formula on humans, but if you want proof of my committment to the project, I'll stake my body."

She pauses. "You might be wondering why we haven't proceeded with the testing. As far as I can ascertain, that is because the Foundation heads want to see a stable synthetic formula completely independant of Lilith before going ahead. I disagree with that decision. The data we will gather from moving on to the next phase of the project may just give us that."

"The problem would be with reverse-engineering the relevant chemicals, correct? How would experimenting on humans give you additional data to proceed with that?"

"Our superior understanding into the human genome and the way we can communicate with the human test subjects are both factors, but the key one is that Lilith is a life form closest to a human. The smaller the divergence, the closer I feel I would get to the true holy grail." She smirks. "Pun intended, I suppose."

Kallen finally sits down on the stool, dragging it about so she can face square up to Jean.

"Basically, once you have a successful test done on a human, you can use that person as, oh, Patient One with regards to future research and development?"

"Without trying, there can be no promises. But I believe that, yes. Another hurdle to overcome is that right now, the serum needs to be administered at set periods; a standard dose is good for two weeks, although the exact time until it stops affecting the subject seems to fluctuate from sixteen to nineteen days. I believe that anyone born with the right gene therapy would be freed of this, but to actually create a stronger formula that doesn't need to be constantly reinforced is my true goal."

"If the serum only lasts for such a short time, how can you test for the extended lifespan- ah, the cat undergoes constant treatment?"

"All the test subjects do, yes," Jean affirms. "We don't have enough for the amount of subjects we would like, due to all the pointless projects springing up and cutting into our share." She huffs. "Cosmetics! Honestly."

"I was thoroughly disturbed when I discovered that it was receiving more attention from our work here than the project we signed up for," notes Kallen. "It will be dealt with sooner or later."

"They suck up to whomever's paying pretty well."

"I've noticed. Anyway, I also wanted to ask you about Lilith. You see, by the sounds of things, I don't think it's far wrong to suggest that you're intent on finding a way to... well, make humans similar in form to her."

Jean's eyes narrow down. "You understand that she's not human, then, beyond merely paying lip service to the idea."

"Ascertaining that is one of the reasons I've come here, as well as *just what happened* within the containment chamber."

"And what did happen there?" Jean asks, smiling for some reason.

"If I am to be your unwitting subject, then you shall be the one who gives the explanations," replies Kallen. "I can certainly say that mind-altering substances were involved."

Rather than explain, Jean looks surprised. "You want to volunteer?" she asks dubiously. "Your faith in my skills is commendable, but the Foundation would never stand for it. They'll just whine about me endangering our source of funding and it will be too troublesome."

"Wha- that's not what I meant! It was during your experiment that I was trapped inside the containment area whilst it was in the process of a breach!" exclaims Kallen, shaking her head. "Besides, I don't need an immortality drug right now...."

"Yes, you must feel as if you're immortal at your age," Jean agrees, nodding, as her confusion clears. "Anyway, I'm not sure if you're trying to entrap me somehow. Clearly you have realized that I am working on one thing and one thing only. I'm not involved in producing or testing any mind-altering substances."

"Entrap? No, but...." Kallen shakes her head. "Back to Lilith, since this may well be a misunderstanding on my part. If she'd not human, then what would you call her? Please don't tell me she actually is Adam's ex."

"She might well be," Jean responds with a shrug. "Still. I am not a very religious person, I have to say, but her existence is one I find best defined by the term 'demon'."

"A being with hate for all life, then? Let's hear about how you arrived at this conclusion."

"She in an immortal temptress who clouds the mind and offers bargains to man. The very image of a succubus, wouldn't you agree?"

"Er... what?"

Jean rolls her eyes. "There were no psychotropic drugs or any other kind involved. The incident you asked about was a fragment of Lilith's consciousness emerging. It was so traumatic to you that your mind couldn't handle it and shut down."

"She... tried to take over my mind? As if she was psychic? Why do I have to do so much just for people to tell me these things? More to the point, why is this, itself, not being studied?"

Jean sighs, not doing any particular effort to cover her annoyance. "I said as much during our initial presentation. And would have repeated the same had you come to visit me while I made myself and my team presentable and paused my work as I waited for that boring experience, which thankfully never came. I lack concrete proof because science at this time doesn't so much as acknowledge psychic powers, not to mention having no tools to study and quantify them. Don't blame me for not listening properly."

"Where did she come from, then? Yourself and your team presumably excluded, is the official theory for what she does really a... virus? Oh, no, I suppose there would be no theory at all, given how the records mysteriously vanish every time."

"Only Lord Maldini could tell you where he found Lilith. As part of the original team, I only received her along with a crude containment unit, the basic principles behind its workings and an ominous warning that the subject was adaptable. I took them to heart. Others needed fatalities to act."

"Every other time the containment has broken, did those involve die? Or were they later killed?"

"Does it matter?" Jean asks. "In any case, you asked if I wanted to turn humans into demons. That is not true at all. I seek to isolate the part that makes Lilith immortal and adapt it for our kind."

"It matters. It matters to me," responds Kallen, shaking her head. "She caused my mind to shut down, you say, but if that was all there was to it, there wouldn't be a need to deal with the others who are affected so harshly."

Jean eyes Kallen for a long while. "Is knowing the truth what's important to you, having all the facts? Or is it some pesky moral hangup where you just want to be reassured the world is a beautiful place?"

"This world, beautiful? I don't need you to tell me it's not," replies Kallen. "There is a hangup. Let's talk about it. You're holding a girl here. That's what she is, a girl, you don't know if she deserves it or not, just that she's different. So you use her. That discrimination is outrageous, isn't it?" Kallen's eye loses it's normal colour, replaced with a strange pink! It flares abruptly as she makes contact with Jean, the link between their minds rapidly established.

"It's outrageous. She's denied her chance to live. I won't let you tell me it's not outrageous. She deserves freedom. Everyone deserves freedom. Questing for immortality is pointless if we just sweep the lives unjustly spent under the carpet, and that's what this facility is built on- the whole place shouldn't continue. You understand that, right? You understand."

The look on Jean's face hardens. "Yes. There are no pretty words to disguise what I'm doing as just. I know that if there is a god, he would call what I'm doing wrong."

"Then we can turn back. There are ways we can use to release her from this place. You wanted to help people, right? That must've been why you began studying. Then we should start by helping Lilith. The research can already continue without her. You've said you'd put your body at stake- well, let me believe that. Don't you already have everything you need?"

"No," Jean responds, appearing to be a daze. "Without Lilith, there can be no more serum."

"You'll have to make do, because we have to take Lilith out of here. You won't be able to perform experiments without her consent any longer. You'll get your chance to ask her. This is the right way to do things, after we break her out. You'll help me, won't you? You will."

"I can't," Jean says, struggling with the words. "She'll kill everyone. I...."

"Was she killing everyone because that was her nature? Or because she felt she had no other choice?" challenges Kallen, the sigil fading from her eyes. "She's sensitive to the minds of others. She knew I was different from the others all around her. That's what I think."

Jean jumps back from Kallen, her back hitting the side of the table. A few vials on it shake, but Jean doesn't react to what had to have been a painful impact.

"You came in contact with her," she whispers, shocked. "She talked to you, too."

"That's right," replies Kallen, her eyes locked on the other doctor. "Did you ignore her, in the end?"

"The only reason I'm not dead like the others is that she wanted to kill me with her own two hands," Jean whispers, her professionalism shattered. "I'll be the first to die. The first of many."

"It doesn't have to end in a massacre, because when she's released, I'll be there." Kallen narrows her eyes. "She... will not turn against those who free her. I believe that."

It is as if Jean realized something. Kallen can see the moment where something clicks inside the doctor's head, because she straightens up, regaining her composure.

"Now I see," she says, leaning against the table. "This is what you want to do. But we both know that you can't. That is why you went to me."

"You're astute. There are things you can provide me with to make this go smoothly, and at the least assure your safety."

She turns her head for a moment, gazing at the clocks within the room. A few seconds tick by as she thinks back in time. "I planned to act from our first meeting."

Jean laughs, her earlier amusement returning as it dispels all traces of recent gloom.

"You would be an interesting employer. Fine. As long as I have my funds, equipment and constant access to Lilith's blood until such a time I no longer need it... as long as you have a leash to keep that demon on...."

She shrugs her shoulders. "It might as well be free."

"I can handle most of that. The parts I can't, I won't promise, but I will enquire on your behalf." Kallen shrugs.

"Inquire away," Jean tells Kallen with another shrug. "As long as those conditions are met I don't mind defecting."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[13:16] "So who else is in on this daring plan, Miss Stadtfeld?" Jean asks Kallen, taking a spot by one of the computer terminals in her private lab. "The resources available and the ability of those participating might be cause for an alteration."
[13:24] "Forces of the local resistance. Based out the ghettos, of course. Resources..." Kallen shrugs. "For this, a few vans, explosives, and, of course, you and me." She walks to Jean so she can get a good look at the terminal when it's put to use. "Saturday night seems it'll probably be the best time."
[13:26] "For a date with Lilith? Might as well," Jean agrees with a snort. She is bringing up schematics for the containment chamber, Kallen can tell. "So how did a fine, upstanding noble like yourself get involved with this resistance?"
[13:30] "Because I'm not completely Britannian," replies Kallen, her voice fading a little. "And this society that replaced the old is... wrong, so there's only one thing to do."
[13:35] "I don't care," Jean states openly. "As long as my research continues, you could be with the EU or the Chinese." She points at the diagram positioned on the monitor. "As you know, there are several ways into the observation area, but only one to reach Lilith's containment unit. It is impossible to open that one without raising an alarm; that was how it was designed."
[13:36] Jean looks proud as she mentions that. "It might be possible to disguise it by causing an accident with the seals, but we did upgrade our securite as a response of that recent incident. Also, I somehow doubt Lilith would care to listen to you if you weren't there to spring her out in person."
[13:40] "I don't think we're going to pull this off without triggering at least a few alarms. I'm more worried about how to open it quickly."
[13:42] "I can handle that part," Jean admits. "But that depends on you being good on your word. I will be in Lilith's extreme range at that time, and if you don't have as good a leash on her as you think, Miss Stadtfeld, then I will die -- or be killed, whichever comes first -- and you would be left with the blaring alarms and security forces en route."
[13:44] "Would it be possible for me to get within her contact range again beforehand, without triggering another mess like the other day?"
[13:47] "You must understand," Jean says, "that Lilith's range is being manipulated by the containment unit. It expanded when one of the Pillars failed temporarily, but such a failure in itself causes an alarm to sound. With Lilith perfectly contained, it would be difficult to do it from a distance."
[13:52] "So short of getting close enough to touch the unit again..." Kallen pauses. "Is it necessary to disable these Pillars to reach the containment unit, or could I arrive there whilst her abilities are still limited?"
[13:52] "They control Lilith's cognitive level, that is all," Jean explains.
[13:59] "It'll be enough for me to hold her from blindly lashing out. If she wants freedom, then she has to work with us." Kallen shrugs. "Besides, you'll be too far out for her bare hands."
[14:09] "The second obstacle," Jean continues, focusing on the inner containment module itself. "There is no way to actually open it. Whatever samples we need are retrieved via robotic arms through openings far too small to let Lilith out. I'm not sure if even her powers of regeneration could handle being taken out this way, bit by bit."
[14:10] "How thick is the unit's shell?" asks Kallen, peering at the schematics. "We could cut through it. Blowing it open would probably be harmful to Lilith, and I presume that despite... regeneration... that she does in fact mind."
[14:14] "The single access point to the inner chamber is too small for the heavy duty equipment needed to cut through the containment module's envelop," Jean responds, sounding proud again. "You can't just grab a blowtorch and expect to get anywhere in a few minutes of work. My suggestion would be to delve into chemical weapons for this.
[14:14] Coupled with shaped charges placed just right, they'll burn straight through the container while delivering minimal damage to Lilith inside."
[14:18] "Thermite? Acid? We can get that stuff. Stick the schematics on a disk for me," replies Kallen, nodding. "When we break the containment, do you think Lilith will be able to move on her own? Oh, and can you get a map of the facility itself on screen?"
[14:21] "Acid would be a nice touch," Jean compliments Kallen, smiling briefly. "Her recovery rate is phenomenal. Acid and the like won't present a prolongued problem. The real issue is the drugs being supplied through her lifeline, and the suppression of her mental state done by the Pillars. The trick would also be to get her outside the containment unit before the off switch has been thrown.
[14:21] That never fails to kill her, as designed, and you would need for her to recover from that before she can move on her own."
[14:26] Kallen nods, and is about to respond, before something clicks, and her face turns to revulsion. "So... I'm sorry, basically, though, um. Extended lifespan was one thing, hell, even endless life, but you're basically saying she can recover from anything, short of... falling in a meat grinder?"
[14:27] "I believe she can recover from that as well," Jean says, shrugging. "We've just never tried such a useless experiment."
[14:32] "Genetics to one side, isn't that- I mean, the bits, they wouldn't-" Kallen flushes. "No, I don't think I want to find out. A world where everyone's like that... what do you think it would be like?"
[14:34] Jean looks disappointed. "And here I thought you understood when I called Lilith a demon. Oh well, I expected too much," she says bluntly. "Again, I must repeat that I don't want to recreate her, just the part of her that makes her immortal. I'm not trying to replicate her regenerative powers as well, because I find the idea of humans coming back from the dead distasteful."
[14:37] "Demon could mean a lot of things," mutters Kallen, remaining silent on the other matter. "Anyway. We have another operation we want to carry out here, namely getting our hands on the nerve gas the military scientists are working on. While I'm in the chamber with Lilith, the bulk of our forces will probably be at work in there. Does this place have an access point convenient for both facilities?"
[14:40] "Nerve gas?" Jean shrugs. "I could practically deliver it to you. Consider it my token of... something, I don't really care about the sucking up to one's employer part. You would need floor plans, access codes, guard schedules and security response plans, and I have access to all of those."
[14:42] "Yes, I noticed," replies Kallen, with a flat face. "Don't blame me for acting the part."
[14:47] "Now that you're finally being honest it's alright," Jean says, seeming to take Kallen's words for an apology. "A word of warning. It took me a while to compile the right conditions for keeping Lilith dormant and docile. If you ever change your mind about trusting her, I don't believe any mobile facility would do, unless it were the same size as Prince Clovis's personal mobile command center.
[14:47] Lilith's optimum range is just that great. It's hard to believe it started from merely requiring a touch."
[14:54] "We won't need that," replies Kallen, with certainty. "I can trust her. What about you in all of this? You'll need extraction, or will you be able to keep suspicion falling on you somehow?"
[14:57] "Are you kidding?" Jean asks matter-of-factly. "I'll be going with you. I sincerely hope that you'd realized by now that our technical personnel isn't incompetent. They'll know exactly who made this possible, after the fact. There's also my research being so important to me that I'm not going to be leaving it behind."
[14:59] "If you say so. I needed to know for sure, since I'll need to find a bed somewhere." She glances around the room, sizing it up. "This all the space you need to keep up with research?"
[15:00] "I can make do with a smaller space, but this is optimal, I've discovered," Jean responds. "It even has enough space to double as my living quarters."
[15:02] "Shouldn't be too hard, then. The equipment can all be replaced, I hope."
[15:02] "If cash is not a problem," she affirms.
[15:08] "You may have to amuse yourself without it for a while, but that won't be an issue, one way or the other. While you're putting stuff together, put in the details for the cleaning staff and delivery schedules and things like that. Getting in is the trick."
[15:11] Jean nods, bringing up the requested files and copying them. "It would be better if I walked out of here with the information myself," she suggests. "You could be searched if the others are still suspicious of you. Which they should be, frankly."
[15:12] "How often do you leave this facility?"
[15:14] "A good point. It won't be today if I do, but leaving around Wednesday would be fine."
[15:20] "Sure thing. You know the aquatics center? Go for a swim, and borrow locker 242 at around 4pm. Leave the disk there, I'll go get it while you're getting wet."
[15:22] "Exciting."
[15:23] "Espionage is literally as thrilling as it sounds."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Welcome back, Miss Stadtfeld," Hisui greets Kallen once the limousine takes the heiress back home. The maid has been standing at the gate in wait, and bows deeply once Kallen steps out of the car.

"Thank you, Hisui," replies Kallen, nodding at the maid with some curiosity. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing whatsoever, Miss," Hisui responds, straightening up. "How was your trip?"

"Uneventful. Ah, there's no need to wait outside for me," adds Kallen. "I'll often find myself not coming back when I would normally expect to, so I don't mind letting myself in."

"Of course, Miss," Hisui agrees. "Would you and your friend require refreshments?"

"-my friend? I'm here on my own," blinks Kallen, before a thought strikes her. "Wait, is someone here?"

Hisui is silent, nodding ever so slightly.

"-some cold drinks would be nice. The sitting room?" mumbles Kallen, striding ahead of Hisui to her destination.

"As you wish, Miss Stadtfeld," Hisui responds subserviently, heading off inside. Kallen notices that she is lead to her own room, however.

Kallen follows, then, wondering who would be paying her a visit at this time. Shirley? Milly?

Another bow, and Hisui gets out of the way. The door opens.

Milly is sitting at Kallen's desk, playing with one of her golden locks as she looks at a picture frame. It takes her a moment to realize that she has company, and then Milly flashes Kallen a smile. "Surprise!"

Kallen tugs at the tie on her semi-formal attire as she steps into the room, closing the door behind her. She can't help but smile back. "Enjoying yourself?" she asks, taking a seat on her bed (and absent-mindedly kicking one of the barbells to roll underneath it.)

"Quite," Milly agrees, observing the portrait.

The door to Kallen's room closes.

"Secrets," the blonde says suddenly. "I love them, but at the same time, I can't keep from learning them. It's like an addiction, you might say."

"With all the pitfalls that entails," murmurs Kallen. "I know what you mean, but you, er, knew that."

Milly swivels in her chair to finally face Kallen. "I don't know why, but something about you makes me trust you," she says bluntly. "And it's been so long since I could talk to someone about my problems--"

She cuts herself off, seeming amused. "Did I really ever have anyone for that, I wonder?" Milly muses out loud. "Lelouch, perhaps, was the only one...."

"I thought you were here to find out secrets, not spill your own," replies Kallen, feeling oddly guilty. "What about your family?"

"No one really cares. It's the usual teenage sob story." Milly waves her arm airily. "The only interest in me comes from who I could marry and what that would do to our status."

"Find true love, run away from home! I would support you!"

Milly wilts at those words. "One finds it difficult to do when they run away without you," she forces out with a grimace. "I'm not really here for that."

"Ah.. sorry. I wasn't thinking. I don't really have time to think about guys, soooo I just fall back to movie plots and uh I'll stop talking now."

"It makes sense," Milly muses, nodding at her. "Have you been a terrorist for long?"

Kallen grits her teeth. "This week just keeps getting better and better," she mutters. "Who have you been speaking to?"

"My, my." Milly giggles. "You need to learn to cover your tracks better, Kallen! This is one question where you should be outright denying your involvement in such nefarious acts with all the indignation you can muster!"

"That's Baroness Stadtfeld to you, and we are most displeased with your presumption," responds Kallen, sounding very upper-crust indeed as she peers at Milly. "No, seriously, why did you come here?"

"Because I can help, of course."

"You want to... what?" asks Kallen, her eyebrows shooting up. "Um. I'm sorry, this is the last thing I expected! Why would you want to basically commit treason?"

Milly rolls her eyes, smiling. "Really, Kallen, why are you asking the easy questions you yourself could answer?"

"Because it's dangerous, you know!" replies Kallen, sounding flustered. "The last thing I ever wanted to do was... involve people from school."

"The last thing I wanted was dodging boring engagements when I should really be doing something useful," Milly counters. "There is a saying, Kallen. It goes something like this -- 'For an important person, anyone can become a demon'. So I figured, what's stopping me? I have two of them, after all."

"That saying is... completely true," murmurs Kallen, sighing. "I just- do you think it's selfish to not want to see people you like in danger? Even if you're taking it on yourself? It seems to be a theme of my life."

"It is," Milly agrees, before shrugging. "What's wrong with being selfish like that?"

There is a knock at the door.

"Come in," calls Kallen, glancing at the door.

The door opens, and Hisui enters the room, bearing a tray with the drinks Kallen had requested. She doesn't speak, placing them on the table far enough from Milly so as to not bother the blonde, and bows. "Would there be anything else, Miss?"

"It's fine, Hisui," replies Kallen, distantly. "Thanks."

"As you wish, Miss Stadtfeld," Hisui says quietly, and retreats, closing the door behind her.

The tray also has a plate of cookies in addition to the refreshments, and Milly nibbles on one. "Where were we? Ah, yes. At the part where you would be asking what someone like me could possibly do to help."

"Property is always helpful," replies Kallen, absently reaching for the drink. "Of course, money is good too, until I can secure my inheritance. Hmm. Your family was involved with Knightmare design, correct? And you must clearly have people who can tail other people on your payroll..."

With a start, she sits up. "Look, help to one side, is this about protecting Nunally and Lelouch? Is that something that's not possible unless you take down Britannia?"

Milly frowns. "I think it's time we put our cards on the table." She glances at the door uncertainly, before shaking her head. "Yes, it's time. I will be alerted if we are overheard by someone who means us harm."

She crosses her legs, leaning back in her chair. "First, there is something you must understand, Kallen. We are involved in more than mere Knightmare design. Long before Britannia had any interest in this Area -- that is, long before Sakuradite had been discovered here -- we have held a considerable presence in what used to be Japan. As such, out intelligence capabilities here were unmatched... or so I've thought until this week. Even though I have been proven wrong on that front, they are still considerable, and I will provide you with our services if you were to help me."

Milly takes a deep breath. "And now that we've established that I'm worth more to your friends alive and friendly, tell me, just what does your group know about Lelouch and Nunnally? Leave nothing out."

"I... really hope you didn't come here with expectations. My group doesn't even know about Lelouch and Nunnally," replies Kallen, turning to face Milly directly.

"And I don't even know anything more about them myself apart from that they have some dreadful secret and they're not who they say they are- and being who I am, it doesn't bother me much at all, I assure you!

"The only other people who have an idea include- if you do anything I'll hate you- Shirley and another girl in my class, and I have no reason to distrust either of them."

Milly laughs loudly, and Kallen can detect a note of hysteria in her voice. "That's just perfect. We outmaneuvered each other flawlessly, the two of us."

"Keep it down, will you? I have no idea where there maids or Cleo or anyone is running around outside," hisses Kallen. "At least neither of us did something stupid before deciding to talk."

"It's alright," Milly says, smiling self-depreciatingly. "Did you really think I'd come to talk to you like this without a few precautions? Really, aside from going off on a mistaken assumption from the start, I like to think that everything went perfectly well."

She rubs her forehead suddenly. "I only have two ways open before me, and so, this is crucial. Therefore, Kallen, I need you to understand. You have to see the full picture, though I doubt your friends need to, if this information hasn't spread too far as yet."

"Whatever they were, they wouldn't be enough," mutters Kallen. "Anyway, look, I'll listen and I can keep a secret. As long as this doesn't mess up my other plans, I won't act on it."

"What do you know about me?" Milly asks in a seeming nonsequitur.

"You are Milly Ashford, space cadet."

Kallen coughs. "Sorry. You are Milly Ashford, scion of the Ashford family. I don't know that much about your folks, but I know you were doing rather better some time ago."

"I am also Milly Ashford, childhood friend of Lelouch and Nunnally," the blonde picks up, not batting an eye. "I was born in Pendragon, where I was raised until the Ashfords were forced into functional exile upon Empress Marianne's death. The Ashfords were aligned quite closely to Marianne vi Britannia; she was an amazing woman who raised from the common ranks by sheer skill and force of personality. What few have the privelege of knowing was that she was a loving mother who doted on her two children."

Milly locks eyes with Kallen. "My next question is, what do you know about Empress Marianne's assassination?"

"Next to nothing," replies Kallen, staring back at Milly. "It happened before the occupation. I couldn't even speak English at the time, and I never cared to research that slice of history. Jealous mistresses or something, wasn't it?"

Though no signs of her emotions appear on Milly's face, Kallen can feel the disapproval at the apparent flippancy of her words. "No one knows what truly happened. Some facts cannot be disputed, however. The Aries villa was one of the safest places in Britannia; it is extremely difficult to believe that mere terrorists would manage to penetrate its security."

Milly sighs. "That is where Nunnally lost her legs and eyesight, and where Lelouch lost his future. Their father discarded them afterwards, sending them to be killed in Japan. Only my parents' intervention saved their lives, as we created new identities for the two. Officially, however, they are dead, and I believe that Britannia would not allow anything to contradict this official version."

"You're telling me they're royalty- dead royalty, functionally in exile," replies Kallen, floored by this development. "And that if someone- anyone from Britannian intelligence discovers they're still around, they'll... want to keep the books straight."

She decides she needs a drink, and takes one. "I think everything makes sense, now."

"Lelouch was disinherited," Milly says dejectedly, "for daring to suggest that his father should have cared about his mother. For demanding that he visit his crippled daughter in the hospital. He wasn't even royalty in name when he was sent to Japan. But, at the same time, he never lost the meaning of nobility." Her voice draws towards the wistful as she talks about Lelouch. "That noble idiot even spared me from having to tell him-- he left on his own. And that's why I have to do everything I can, Kallen! Because he'll never ask for help, even when he needs it so much, and I can't just stand by any longer!"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"You really did take a risk telling me. Even if they're exiled royalty, our movement could've used them as hostages." She gives a sad chuckle. "It wouldn't matter even if they denounced Britannia itself, I'll bet."

Shaking her head, Kallen sets down her class and extends a hand to Milly.

"But that won't happen. I don't like keeping secrets. but if you think helping us in our goals helps keep them safe by itself, then I can't refuse. I don't care if they're royalty or not- as far as I'm concerned, they're civilians, and it's up to them if they want a part in this struggle or not. Without telling the others, that may be the most I can promise."

"It... somehow didn't feel like one," Milly responds, frowning. "Strange, isn't it?"

She takes Kallen's offered hand, shaking it as the frown melts into a brilliant smile. "I knew you were trustworthy, Kallen! Just like Lelouch counted on me to keep Nunnally safe, I know I can count on you for that, if anything happened to me."

For a moment, Kallen looks slightly ill, but she forces a smile back onto her face. "Me? Sick little Kallen Stadtfeld?" she replies, giving Milly's hand a squeeze. "I'll do my best to live up to your expectations. And just because I don't tell the others about Lelouch's identity doesn't mean I can't help out of my own will, either. Are you sure he left of his own accord? Did you check with Nana-chan?"

"Kallen...."

Milly's hand drops to her side. The blonde leans back, resting her elbows against the table, and sighs. "You... have to understand. While I wasn't in audience -- the Ashford star was setting, already, and no one would bother to invite me to court -- the gossip made what happened clear. The emperor used Nunnally, he used her so-called weakness... that was the reason he threw in Lelouch's face when casting him out. Marianne was gunned down protecting Nunnally with her body; there was no way someone as athletic as her would have been killed, had she been on her own. While in Japan, through its conquest, turning it into Area 11... Lelouch was the one who had to bear the burden of keeping Nunnally safe and caring for her, entirely on his own for the parts of it we couldn't get to them. Lelouch is brilliant, but as long as she is around, he has no future. Alone, he might risk staking out with a new identity, but as long as any move he might make has implication for her safety...."

Milly shakes her head. "She blames herself." A snort. "No, that is an understatement. What Nunnally must feel cannot be put in words."

She pauses. "I already told you before, that Lelouch had to have left because he realized we couldn't protect them both. What was left unsaid, what we both understood, was that hiding Nunnally, who has no ambitions of her own beyond her brother's safety, was quite another thing entirely. But if I tell her that, after all the things she feels are her fault... I...."

Nunnally. The one person Kallen knows, she muses, that she would never be able to read. Not that she would want to, she realises, and nor is there a need to. To Lelouch, she suddenly realises, she must mean the same thing as Kasumi does to Kallen- only... with a grimace, Kallen wonders if he left because it would be easier to hide Nunnally, or if he wanted to get out of an unbearable emotional load.

Strange, to think she could only understand herself after thinking about the situation of another. She takes a deep breath.

"You can't hide both of them. So Lelouch left, but if Nana-chan knew the reason, she'd blame herself... but not knowing what your loved ones are doing is a terrible thing, as well. Until she finds out what happens to Lelouch, she'll just keep bottling it up. It's not a situation with an easy out.

"But it's all due to the evils of Britannia in the first place. This story, it... I've not thought much about the emperor, he's been a symbol to me. To think he could be this cruel to his own children- there's no doubt. The very core is rotten-

"But we can transform Japan into a place where they could live whatever life they choose." Sighing, she grips the edge of the desk. "It's funny that revolting can seem an easier task than merely telling the truth, but.. I understand."

"Cruelty... might require for him to care," Milly comments sadly, sighing again. "There is more, but I don't see a need to share it just yet. Most of the background information wouldn't really matter unless something did happen to me, and in that case, Sayoko is fully in my confidence. She would seek you out." Milly sneaks a glance. "If that's alright with you."

"I don't mind. In point of fact, I'm hoping to milk my father's name for all it's worth. Until I can't do that anymore, I'll be staying right here, so I'm pretty easy to find."

"She'll find you anywhere," Milly says, a mischievous smile playing on her lips all of a sudden. "In fact, she might prefer it if you took the effort to cover your tracks."

"What is she, a ninja?" asks Kallen, rolling her eyes. "I take it she caught me once, but you betcha I'll make it hard from now on."

"Oh, Sayoko is only a humble maid," Milly responds, smiling still.

"I'm sure she's as humble as she is skilled," mutters Kallen. "Anyway. Let's talk about ways you can help. I have an idea!"

"Oh?" Milly raises a delicate eyebrow.

"It is clear to me that not all Britannians can possibly be satisfied with their current ruler, or the current state of their nation. You're not. I'm not. Lelouch clearly isn't. There must be others. I'm.. not in touch with the social network of the high-rollers in Tokyo, believe it or not- perhaps, given a year or two, I could have been..." Kallen shakes her head.

"Anyway. There must be people out there who could be sympathetic to our cause. And there must be nobles out there who are truly sycophantic to the crown beyond the required gestures, and thus are close to it. I'd like to know about them. You see, the resistance can't work on it's own- no resistance, in any Area, has ever succeeded, and I believe one of the causes is the prompt colonization of conquered lands.

"But if some of the colonists themselves began working against their motherland..."

"It was attempted before," Milly states. "At the twilight of the eighteenth century."

She shrugs. "The idea itself is worth a try, however."

"Most things have been tried. Nothing has worked yet. But it will this time," replies Kallen. "I can make it happen- I'm in the best possible spot for it! There are numerous paths to victory, and they all begin with knowing who is who around here. Can you work on that for me? Prepare dossiers, find out who has influence and who doesn't, who might be willing to work for us for their own reasons and who might be coerced."

"It's not a problem," Milly agrees.

Kallen finishes off her glass and puts it back on the table, wiping her lip. "Oh. One other thing. The Ashford's were involved with Knightmare design, right? Can you tell me anything about that?"

"It was a joint development by the Ashfords and the Einsteins," Milly corrects Kallen. "Of course my grandfather, Ruben Ashford, is a noble and so it was his name that was connected to the project. Still, we at least have never forgotten our friends."

She sips at her long-forgotten drink before continuing. "We designed the Ganymede and Io frames, but they are now a couple generations behind the Sutherlands in use. I suppose they could have stood up to the Glasgows favorably...."

"Any knightmares at all would have made a difference seven years ago," replies Kallen, heavily. "Did you ever try piloting, out of curiosity?"

"Marianne taught me the basics," Milly responds, flushing lightly. "Sometimes I wish I showed more interest in her lessons than in... well." She coughs to alleviate her sudden discomfort. "We still have a few of the prototypes remaining, one at our very own school! Our goal, to use a Knightmare to create the world's largest pizza!"

Kallen chokes with a giggle. "Seriously? Where do you put the oven? And- god, all that dough, you'd have enough to drown in!"

"We are prepared for the consequences," Milly says gravely.

"You've got to let me have a look at it sometime," insists Kallen, pressing her hands on the table. "Er. And the other thing- can you get your hands on the schematics?"

"Quite frankly, they won't do you any good," Milly responds. "While it is possible to win with our designs against what's currently out there with a talented enough pilot, we lack any means of mass-producing them, and Britannia has no such problems. If we had such an ability, however... Nina's father wouldn't have a problem coming up with a new model making use of all the modern advances taking place during the past decade, and Nina herself is almost at an age where she could pitch in. Between the two of them and my grandfather, a superior Knightmare model that wouldn't shame the Ashford name could be born."

"Well, yes, we don't have any facilities now, but I don't think it's impossible for production to become possible in the future. But I won't think too far ahead just yet. I sound like such a dreamer..."

She shakes her head. "I'll wait until the current operation is done with before making more plans."

Milly nods. If she is curious about the operation Kallen mention, she keeps it to herself.

"It's funny. This is really all Shirley's fault," muses Kallen. "If she wasn't so concerned about Nana and Lelouch, I probably wouldn't have tried to investigate, and then we'd never have had that talk, you'd never have had me followed- would you?- and, well..."

"I doubt it," Milly agrees. "Hard though it might be to believe, I would much rather be planning our next school festival than gathering information on the students."

"No chance of running into dangerous secrets, there. Only making them," notes Kallen, nodding in agreement.

Milly grins. "That's half the fun!"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Nervous?" Inoue asks needlessly, and a look at the older woman's face reveals that she knows as much, using it as a chance to needle Kallen. This would be Kallen's third visit to the Holy Grail Foundation, and the first one where she lacks a convenient invitation, though she certainly hopes her knowledge of the security system and a liberal application of explosives would take care of that.

In the midst of preparations, Kallen had been wary of tackling the issues left hanging on the Ashford Academy side of things. Normally, their priority would be understandably lower than a planned terrorist raid on a secretive Britannian installation, although missing royalty and espionage understandably muddle the waters. Be that as it may, there is only so much Kallen can handle any given moment, and it was a guilty sort of relief that Shirley did not seem to pursue the matter, remaining somewhat distant over the remainder of the school week. No incidents on the Nunnally front and a lack of follow-up surprise visits from Milly further cleared Kallen's schedule, although she realizes that things cannot possibly proceed that way indefinitely.

"For the third time, no," insists Kallen, flatly denying it, and shoving Ashford out of her mind. Even now, this and that remain completely seperate, and she intends to keep it that way for the forseeable future.. Still, she aimlessly spins the white cap she needs to wear into the installation on her finger, fidgeting plainly betraying her anxiety.

Still, she can play it off as boredom. "It's almost time, though. Let's go over this once more, for luck."

"We get past security with our forgeries. They wouldn't really hold up at a prolongued investigation, but that's just fine. We wouldn't want to use non-disposables, anyway. Once we make it past the gates, our goal is to take over the security. Your gal on the inside would prep that up, and then the two of you will go on your until we get the all-clear."

Inoue pauses abruptly. "I never really bought the bullshit reason why you have to go alone to prepare the area or whatever, but I figure that if your Brit pal wants to sabotage these guys or steal their research, that's okay."

"Oh, and then we meet at that containment area and use thermite."

Kallen nods, and drops the hat on her head. "Switching sides hasn't changed her aspirations. If they're put to our use, then that's one step we might get ahead. Thermite's the only thing we could get to blast that thing open, anyway." She looks disgusted.

"Anyway, there's also the gas and innoculations. Once we've taken the security, we should be able to get samples of them without much trouble."

"That's the real reason Ohgi sold this to the skeptics, so we better," Inoues agrees.

Kallen leans back, and peers through the rearview mirror to see Inoue's face. "And? Do you agree with this mission? Or is it just indulging a brat?" she asks, both playful and wary.

"Can I take both?" Inoue asks with a raised eyebrow.

The door opens, Tamaki peering inside. "I'm here, so we can get going," he announces grandly. "Ohgi got a last moment call."

"Nothing bad, I hope," replies Kallen, turning from the mirror to Tamaki. "We're all set!"

"Nah, didn't sound like it," Tamaki says with a shrug, hopping it. "He'll be supporting us along with Yoshida in case there's trouble on our way back."

And with the shifting of gear from neutral to drive, the van sets off along the preplanned route. No sudden army checkpoints inhibit the trio's progress, and only the excitement and nervousness about the impending operation keep this from being a pleasant drive through the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement.

"I doubt they'll go all out after we make our getaway. There's some things that'd go badly for them if there's a full investigation," remarks Kallen, uneasy about how different the normally-familiar streets of the settlement seem in her circumstances. She has a sudden urge to check her gun one more time, but pushes that aside.

"Let them come!" Tamaki announces bravely, while Inoue shakes her head, keeping her peace.

The compound is visible, now, and the van pulls up to the gates. Tamaki shows his idenfication card to the guards, grinning like an idiot. His expression matches that on the card.

Why was he driving instead of Inoue, Kallen wonders. Well, confidence is good when it comes to deception. She leans back in her chair, looking supremely bored.

That part was reserved for Ohgi, Kallen recalls.

One of the guards heads back to their post, while the other says, "I need your identification cards."

Their plan anticipated that; the documentation no citizen or resident can truly get anywhere without would be deposited with security at the gate, and only released upon them leaving.

Kallen unclips hers from her chest and leans across to pass it to the guard. A little makeup and hairspray modified her appearance for the shot and the raid, and shouldn't leave a trail straight back to her.

The three cards are collected, as Inoue offers up her own, and the gate opens. The guard by the van waves it inside, and Tamaki salutes him happily, proceeding inwards.

The complex is by now a familiar one, although unlike the other times Kallen visited it, there is no one waiting for her.

While the truck pulls in, Kallen pushes a few buttons on her phone, sending a pre-written message to Jean informing her that they've just passed the gates. "Park over there," she adds, pointing to a spot just near the staff entrance.

Kallen's phone vibrates as the van parks by the staff entrance. It is the signal she arranged with Jean ahead of time; the doctor is ready.

"We'll be splitting up as soon as we're inside," Inoue says, glancing at Kallen. "I won't waste time on speeches. Don't die, and don't compromise the mission." She opens her door, telling Tamaki, "Let's go."

"Right," replies Kallen, with an affirmative nod. She slides out of the car and heads towards the door, quickly typing in the entrance passcode and stepping through.

Tamaki and Inoue are right beside her.

The light by the keypad glows green briefly, and the door unlocks. There is more to it, Kallen knows. Every employee gets a passcode of their own, and their movements are thus monitored by an automated computer system. When the one she had just used fails to act the way the system expects, a flag would be risen, requiring human attention.

Their plan takes that under consideration, of course. This constitutes a large part of why taking over the laboratory complex's security is first on their list. There is, however, no time to waste from this point on.

Leave it to Tamaki and Inoue to deal with the security stations; it's Kallen's job to meet up with Jean and then proceed into the central chamber. She keeps her head down as she wanders through the station, just like a dutiful janitor should.

Britannians in lab coats pass her by once Kallen is in the complex proper. None give her a second look, and many don't even bother with the first. They travel in groups of two and three, discussing an upcoming test of some sort.

Jean is the exception, leaning against the wall by a door to a laboratory which is left slightly ajar. As soon as she sees Kallen, she taps her foot impatiently. "Finally! Clean up that mess," Jean demands, pointing at the door. Wisps of colored smoke escape it occasionally; Kallen can't help but note that this particular corridor is not in as much use as the others she's traveled. People either make a turn as they come across it, or hurry through it, studiously ignoring making eye contact with Jean.

"Yes, ma'am," replies Kallen, with just a hint of dour irritation, and she briefly ties a handkerchief around her face before heading inside.

It smells rather bad, and the handkerchief is a welcome addition. A tray of what seems to be colored ice has been left by the door, and an electrical fan is blowing the resultant fumes outside.

Jean joins her inside shorty afterwards. "A truly vile product, courtesy of the cosmetics department," she mentions, closing the door behind her. "They called it a failure. I think it's the best thing to come from that group of brain-dead sycophants. How fitting that it should be on accident."

The smell is enough to make bile rise in Kallen's throat, but Jean seems unaffected by it.

Kallen turns to face Jean head-on, taking stock of the woman. "Perhaps the military segments should take note," she replies, briefly gauaging the scientist's feelings.

Resignation and excitement, a curious mix.

"I've tied up just about everyone left here today with a pointless demonstration arranged in my lab. It will be very flashy so the simpletons would be captivated for what should be enough to make things work. Incidentally, this also lead me to commandeer this laboratory for my temporary use." Jean indicates a set of clothes like those worn by the other scientists. "There is only so far a cleaning girl can get without raising all sorts of alarms. Go on and change."

"Good work," compliments Kallen, stepping to the part of the room that's least obscured by the fumes before getting changed (the better to protect her health!) "We've had no trouble. The others are moving the control room now. We'll be leaving through the south entrance when it's time., if all goes well."

"If all goes well," Jean repeats wryly. "Right."

The two proceed unopposed all the way to the outer ring of the containment complex. The door leading into the circular platform observing the containment unit itself, however, refuses to accept Jean's code. She tries again, and with the same results.

The laboratory Jean and Kallen are using for this is nearly empty. Only one woman is working off in a corner of it. So far, she hasn't done more than glance at the two as they entered.

"What's the problem?" questions Kallen, glancing briefly at Jean.

"My passcode is not being accepted," Jean deadpans. "That really shouldn't be happening."

"It really shouldn't," replies Kallen, frowning. "Who could've changed it?"

"Security?" Jean asks with a shrug. "It never happened before, though."

Kallen curses under her breath, and glances at the woman in the room for a moment. Stepping in her direction, she makes a coughing noise to attract her attention.

A brief glance of irritation, too quick for Kallen to establish eye contact.

The woman studiously tries to ignore Kallen afterwards.

Kallen makes an irritated noise. "Excuse me. Our passcodes aren't working," she states, flatly. "Do you know why they were changed, and who authorised this?"

"I'm afraid not," the woman says, finally looking up at Kallen. Though her words are polite, her tone makes it clear that she doesn't welcome the interruption. She peers closer at Kallen's face. "Excuse me, who might you be again?"

"Alexis Braid. I just started today," replies Kallen, churning through her mind to inflict the same feelings of trust on this woman that she did to Milly only a short time ago.

The thought of Milly and using Geass on her drags along a pang of self-doubt.

"Right. Melanie Summers," the woman needlessly introduces herself; Kallen can see as much from her nametag, now that she is close enough to her. "I'm somewhat busy right now, I'm afraid, as I work on a time-critical assignment. You should contact technical support." She gestures towards a phone placed on a nearby table.

"You don't happen to have a code to get in yourself, do you?" questions Kallen, with a pointed glance towards the door. "If you have a couple seconds, it'd save us some time, too."

With a roll of her eyes, Melanie makes her way to the door. She is refused access as well, however, a fact which makes her frown. "Well that's just wrong," she mutters. "Certainly looks like a technical glitch."

She makes her way to the phone she indicated earlier, picking up the handset.

<--->