Soulriders 5.0: Legend of the Unending Games

<--->

Babel tower. A wretched hive of villainy, her brother often jokes, but this would be the first time Kallen lays her eyes on it. Stanley Stadtfeld is an absentee father for the most part. Usually, it is because he spends his time doing business in places like this, but today he made a special exception for Kallen to accompany him. Perhaps it is guilt for not spending enough time with her, or for missing her sixteenth birthday a week ago, when he was out of the country. Whatever the reason, Kallen finally has her chance to be out of the house and experience Britannian culture at its finest.

Despite that, Kallen dresses quite casually, favouring denim shorts and a form-fitting top. Babel tower, a symbol of man's inability to communicate- both classically and literally, to her mind. Even without her brother's stories, she's read the papers and even some illicit magazines, spread about through the ghettos, and they've clued her in to what goes inside that place.

If her father feels guilty, she reflects, he has an odd way of showing it. When she finishes preparing, she heads out of her room and down to the elaborate foyer of their house. "Dad! I'm ready!" she calls. Even so, it has been a while since she got together with her father, and she won't begrudge him (this time.)

"Kallen, what are you wearing?" her mother gasps, hiding her shocked expression behind her hand. She had been waiting just outside Kallen's room. "That's not how a proper lady should dress," she scolds quietly, throwing worried glances behind her back to check whether anyone has seen her.

"Then I should be just fine in Babel Tower," she replies, confidently and with just a hint of foolish pride. "What's the problem? It's not like I'm there to do business or anything."

"You can't embarrass your father," Kasumi Kouzuki tells her, looking reproachfully at her rebellious daughter. "Not in front of his business partners."

"Hmph, I'm just there to get shown off, am I?" mutters Kallen, with a black look. She likes these shorts, dammit! It's hard to run in a dress. Those proper lady clothes never really facilitate athletics.

"Don't be like that," her mother says, her eyes pleading now. "You need to be ready soon, if you want to be on time. And you want to impress everyone, don't you?"

Using that trick isn't fair at all, thinks Kallen. How can you say no to eyes like that? Ever since simply scolding her failed to get results, her parents have been resorting to dirty tactics like that, and they work almost every single time.

Maybe it's a sign that she's not fifteen any longer. Fine, just for today, she'll play the proper young noblewoman. "I'll go change," she mutters, admitting defeat.

Kasumi pats Kallen on her head, just like she used to do when the redhead was still young, before it became too embarrassing and she demanded that her mother stop.

"Mum!" she complains, as her justifications for feeling mature plummet and become a damning indictment of her all too obvious youth. She stomps back inside her room and slams the door in a very unladylike fashion, before rooting thorugh the more disused segments of her wardrobe for a dress.

Emerging in a slightly less daring outfit (less leg, a little more clevage), she nonetheless draws the line at wearing heels.

When Kallen is reunited with her father, he looks her over, seeming to approve of her appearance. He makes no comment on her tardiness, almost acting like it is expected.

A limousine driven by a local servant Kallen had not seen before takes them through the Tokyo settlement. Babel Tower looms ahead, located near the border with the ghetto, and Stanley looks dispassionately outside at the fenced off area where Elevens struggle to make ends meet.

Kallen is somewhat less dispassionate, but takes at least some satisfaction that she and her brother's efforts haven't gone entirely to waste over the past few months. It's unfortunate that if her father knew, helping would suddenly become much, much harder. For now, at least, access to her allowance gets more done than being grounded but vocal about her misgivings.

Getting her mind of things, she decides to talk. "So... what're we doing at the tower?"

"I'm meeting a few scientists," he responds, being unusually open with Kallen. Often, the best way to ensure her father would close up and act indifferent is to ask him about his work. "They are looking for investors, and the Stadtfeld family may yet sponsor them."

"What kind of scientists?" asks Kallen, willing and able to pry. The core details of business would be what her father looked at, of that she was certain, and so he'd be looking at the probability of a good return.

Kallen, for her part, was mainly interested in what they were producing.

"Pharmaceutecals," Stanley says curtly. Though his expression never changes, something in his posture makes Kallen think that he's waiting for something. His next words support that feeling, when he asks, "Would you like to see their brochure?"

"Sure," she replies, shrugging. She already doesn't like them, however. Pharmaceutecals need test subjects, and there's no shortage of those in Japan so desperate for money that they'd subject their bodies to all sorts of odd things. After all, it's often more accurate to test on humans than animals.

The brochure doesn't go into the testing methods, instead featuring glossy diagrams and graphs of progress, indicating successes which look entirely too inflated. Even with Kallen's limited knowledge, she doesn't believe that it is possible to achieve such results in the amount of time that is shown for development. The projected payoff is likewise off the charts. This is the first time Kallen is confronted with the amount of wealth her father holds, if he is getting involved in business ventures such as this.

"What do you think?" he asks, and it doesn't sound like a casual question.

"It stinks," she replies, candidly. "They're too desperate for support."

"They do seem that way," Stanley agrees. "And still, knowing this, I am headed to meet them. What does that tell you?"

"If the venture receives enough capital from other sources, then it could still be profitable? Besides, the company itself could present other opportunities. And there's always seeing who else is interested in their product."

"All true," he agrees, nodding. "But above all, I've had the Holy Grail Foundation run through an extensive background check, and its results suggest that fantastic as the numbers seem, they might actually be underestimating what they are sitting on. A true panacea, existing in the modern age of sakuradite and knightmares. It would revolutionize the world."

"By panacea, you mean a kind of universal medicine?" asks Kallen, suddenly interested. "That.. that would be incredible! If they could produce it in sufficient quantities..."

"From appearances, they are actually trying to weaken it, creating different strands specifically tailored for various inflictions and ailments to boost the potential profits," Stanley continues, shaking his head. "Incredibly, this seems to be what they seek funding for, as they've run into technical difficulties while their current source of funds is having second thoughts."

"That... doesn't seem right. Wouldn't that make it harder to access for those who need it?"

"Those who need it are the ones who can afford the treatment, as with everything else in life," he says.

"How expensive is it likely to be?" asks Kallen, dubiously. Not everyone is born into wealth, and most people can't help it when their nation gets invaded. Life isn't fair naturally, but when the means to make it so is discarded...

"Astronomically so, at first. Then, once competition catches up, prices would drop, but the acquired brand name would ensure they continue to sell well."

He pauses briefly, before adding, "You would be provided for, of course, should you need anything."

That's Stanley Stadtfield for you, as awkward as ever. It irritates Kallen. She doesn't get sick to begin with, and there are too many out there that do.

"I'll try and avoid putting it to the test," she defers, glancing out the window at the oncoming tower.

He shifts, perhaps in discomfort.

"You are the Stadtfeld heir, Kallen, and no longer a little girl," Stanley Stadtfeld says at last. He lays his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. "You are true nobility, and as such, have a great duty. To Britannia, to the crown, to your family name. It comes above all else. Getting involved in the business world will help you learn all you need to do to make me proud."

That catches Kallen rather off-guard. It's not like her father to be this frank, and she's momentarily silent. But there's something missing.

"I thought Naoto was to be the heir," she replies, cautiously. "He's older, after all."

"Someone who runs off to play resistance in the ghettos can't be the heir to the Stadtfeld name," he says, a note of something Kallen can't easily identify in his voice. Is that disappointment? Anger? "He has too much of his mother in him."

Stanley's eyes bore into Kallen. "Your grades are excellent, and despite your naivete, so is your mind. You have all the qualities one needs to make it in the real world. To succeed me."

It's the moment of truth, isn't it? Learning the trade and then succeeding in the business world would certainly put Kallen in a position to get things done. In a decade or so, maybe. If she's willing to ignore people who all need help right now.

But it's rather too late for her father to try and put his values into her. "The real world? What's that? Hiding in limosuines and glass towers?"

He sighs, and the eye contact breaks. "Perhaps you are too young to see beyond instant gratification, Kallen. It doesn't matter. You still have two years yet to mature, before you have a real responsibility to uphold. That time might be what you need to go past empty rhetoric."

"It's not me who needs gratification," retorts Kallen, staring back at the Eleven- no, the Japanese ghetto. Did her mother really marry this man? Was she always that meek?

"If we're talking about the responsibilities of nobility, what about those 'beneath' us? It's two-way, isn't it?"

After giving it a moment's though, Kallen doubts any sort of marriage actually took place between her parents.

"We hold a responsibility for those under our command," Stanley agrees. "Be that in combat, business or other aspects of life, that remains true. Beyond those working for the Stadtfelds, however, the responsibility falls onto the other noble houses, with the crown caring for those left."

"Well, they don't do a very good job," replies Kallen, petulantly. "Someone has to pick up the slack."

"The proper way would be to lead by example," Stanley tells her patiently, now reclining in the limo's leather-covered seats. "It is also the most effective, except when it comes to royals. But realistically, Kallen, you would not have many direct dealings with them."

"Who'd want to? Just looking at Prince Clovis on the television is enough to make me sick. If the others are anything like him..."

"Be that a teenage outburst or your true feelings, you would do well to keep them strictly to yourself," he says sharply. "If you are tried for Lese Majeste, even I won't be able to do anything about that."

"Of all the.." mutters Kallen. Lese Majeste? That such a law exists is surely proof of inequity. Some can't stand up to criticism, so they execute the voices responsible? That's not justice.

But no matter what she wants, Kallen can't refute the truths of this world. Some people are born into power and stay there, and that's just how it is. All the people who could change the world have no reason to want to do so. It's just luck. Could she be different? It's a nice thought, but it doesn't seem likely from her position.

"People are not equal," Stanley says, as if having read Kallen's thoughts. "The personal motto of Charles di Britannia. One might say it's one of the key truths in our world, one you can't go against no matter how much you try and struggle. But after accepting it and finding your place in the world, you can start to exercize your influence in earnest."

"People are the same," replies Kallen. "Everyone wants the same things, don't they? Food, family, happiness. There's enough in the world to go around. If people aren't born equal, then it should be the job of those with power to make it so. Otherwise, what's the point?"

"Whenever people are artificially made equal, stagnation occurs," Stanley tells her. "Look at the EU, or the Chinese Federation. Social stagnation. Financial stagnation. People stop going forward. Humanity halts. Rather than working harder to provide better for their family, to gain prestiege to feed their egos, for whatever reason -- people start putting in the least amount of effort into their jobs. Why bother? They would be provided for equally just the same. More and more would live on welfare, inevitably, taking this theory to its logical conclusion and resulting in the total collapse of the system. The same holds true for other systems than economics, of course."

"That's all theorizing," retorts Kallen. "You can't judge people by that."

She sighs, moodily slouching in her seat. "Besides, it ignores the individuals. When people aren't equal, the top might be very nice, but those at the bottom have no hope without help, no matter how much they fight. It takes luck and circumstance if you go it alone. Or did the Stadtfeld family truly climb by itself, from the beginning?"

"It does allow for certain movement, mostly within the social class but sometimes beyond it," Stanley accepts. "The Honorary Britannian system is the best example of this. However, it is pure arrogance for an Eleven to hold hope that he would become the next Emperor of Britannia. If you accept this statement as truth, you are in fact embracing His Royal Highness's motto. As for the Stadtfelds, our achievements go back to the time where the new continent which was to become our homeland was discovered. The conditions were different, allowing for an opportunity for us to move up. An opportunity, perhaps, like the one dangling before us right now."

"I don't deny that there his truth in his motto," retorts Kallen. "It's an unfortunate aspect of society. I don't accept that if it was no longer true, people would crumble. That's all I'm going to say about it.

"As for this opportunity, tell me, what really changes if we seize it?"

"We are neither Pendragon sycophants nor highly-placed enough in society to affect events on a truly global scale. In this Area 11... perhaps, but not beyond it. These medical developments, however, are years -- even decades -- ahead of anything else currently in development, not to speak of what is publicly available. Control over that would translate into power even more than the revenue would."

"And then what? We have power, but where does it go?" asks Kallen, frowning. "What's the Stadtfeld plan for the world, Dad?"

Stanley looks conflicted for the first time since the conversation started. He looks outside, finding something in the distance very interesting all of a sudden.

"It's Babel Tower," Stanley tells his daughter. "We're about to arrive. This conversation would have to wait for another time."

And he is right. The tower is just ahead, its majestic appearance concealing the acts that take place within for the amusement of Britannians.

<--->

<--->

Opulence greets Kallen from every corner, as exaggerated and decadent as they come. This must be how Prince Clovis lives, her mind supplies spitefully. But the Governer-General of Area 11 does not rub shoulders with the kind of people that frequent Babel Tower.

The crowd is mixed, and the difference is always easy to spot. The Britannians are the smiling, the fat, the pleased. The Elevens all serve them, their eyes downcast. A man is fighting a lion with nothing but a sword and shield in an arena below. He must also be Eleven. His arms have gashes, but the lion is chained, and seems to be losing as a result. Britannians are cheering; not everyone for the man, Kallen notes.

Her father walks past all this, straight past the kowtowing serving girls and into a back room. Several men are there, including a particularly obese one. His baldness only accentuates that fact. A dark-skinned man with bleached dreadlocks who carries himself no less arrogantly than a noble is seated across from them at the oval table. Stanley Stadtfeld moves to seat at the same side, albeit at a distance from the other man. He gives Kallen no visible cues, but she feels that she is expected to follow him.

Kallen doesn't act rashly, but nor does she make an effort to hide her disgust. Viewing the surroundings with contempt, she wonders if people will assume she's merely another arrogant noblewoman. Certainly a number of the other ladies she saw had such expressions, though their context is certainly very different.

Unspeaking, she takes a seat next to her father, already wishing she hadn't got out of bed today.

The Elevens she passed closely by flinch, so Kallen's mask, if that is what it is, seems to work.

"Good, you're here," the man with dreadlocks says loudly. "And you even brought a date. Wish I'd thought of that."

Stanley doesn't acknowledge him. "Mister Asprius," he speaks, and the bald man starts. "I believe we're here to listen to your presentation." His tone makes it clear that he wants to proceed swiftly.

Kallen's brief glance at the man speaks volumes.

As for the Elevens, perhaps they, too, deserve her contempt. Do they think that working here could ever improve their lot? There's no bright future for people who debase themselves like that. She tries not to think about what that makes her, right now.

And yet, not everyone has a Britannian father to give them another option.

Asprius struggles out of his seat, and one of his aides dims the lights, as a presentation appears on screen descending from behind them. As Kallen watches, the same glossy pictures from the brochure scroll across. No questions are asked; the presentation progresses quickly.

"Why one should invest is obvious," Stanley states when the lights come back on, the screen remaining hanging in the background. "Yet, why you would beg for funds is not."

Asprius looks uncomfortable, wiping the sweat acquired on his forehead with a large handkerchief. Kallen catches the hint of a family crest on it; the man must be nobility himself, albeit likely of far lesser standing than her own.

The higher nobles get to be blunt to those beneath them, who in turn harbour grudges and seek to raise their status. This isn't just a business meeting, but a reaffirmation of rank. It's all terribly pointless.

So why does she feel so smug when her father puts the man in his place? Kallen places her elbows on the table, leaning forward in anticipation of the man's response. It doesn't seem like a simple case of nerves at meeting such influential figures.

As her father raises an eyebrow ever so slightly, Asprius throws a glance at Kallen. Unlike those the man seated on her father's side had been throwing her none too discretely, this is hardly a leer.

"Kallen will be heading the project, if we decide to involve ourselves. She needs to know everything," Stanley says, brooking no disagreement.

The dreadlocked man whistles, eyeing her speculatively, now.

Kallen is surprised despite herself. The first, stupid thought that leaps into her mind is that between her ghetto escapades and this new project, there's no way she's going to have any time to get schoolwork done.

"Please, go ahead," she urges, attempting to mask her feelings on the matter for the sake of proprietry. If she really is in charge, then she's wonderfully poised to make a difference.

Given her age and her father, though, that remains a pretty big if.

"R-Right," Asprius says. He wipes at his brow again as a futile way to gain some time to think, the act transparent to Kallen. "We have made many advances at the facility we currently have, but with more space and better equipment, our effectiveness would rise considerably."

"This means hiring more staff as well?" the dark-skinned man speaks, being on topic for the first time since the meeting started.

"Ah, no," Asprius responds. "We feel it is, umm, imprudent to train more men at this time. Our experiments are very, ah, specialized."

"Doesn't that have implications for when we go into production?" asks Kallen, trying to think back to what studies she's actually accomplished in the field of business.

"Well, true...." The handkerchief makes an appearance again. Asprius's hand is shaking.

"Why don't we cut straight to the chase?" a woman asks. She seems to be in her mid-twenties. Her skin is dark as well, though of a different shade than that belonging to Kallen's admirer. She is briefly reminded of her history lessons, of when the Holy Britannian Empire made an effort to civilize the savages that had illegally occupied the land that was to become Dallas eventually rather than crushing them as they only deserved for the impunity. "The reason you two are here is because we can trust your discretion."

As Asprius stares at her in shock, the woman continues. "It is a manner of permits. Some of the equipment and perishables we require need them, and we don't want to answer any questions why we would like to acquire them. Bribing our way all the way up to the Governor-General's office is also an unappealing option."

Acting illegally isn't something that automatically garners Kallen's ire, not anymore- it's about who's doing so, and why. She wonders how much of the Statdfeld's wealth rides on decisions made in places like Babel Tower. They wouldn't have been invited if such dealings hadn't been made before, after all- never mind their trustworthy discretion.

When she thinks about it, she's almost amused. Perhaps, if she'd been a more straight-laced daughter, she wouldn't be here today.

"What sort of materials are you referring to? Regardless of your feelings towards the state office, I would like to see a projection of where our funds will go."

Perhaps Kallen is right; an outsider wouldn't be invited so casually. Yet her father did claim that this opportunity was unique, on par with that which centuries ago placed them where they are now.

"Very well," the woman says, and pushing her slipping glasses further up the the bridge of her nose, begins to explain. Her speech is almost too rapid to understand, but Kallen feels relief at it, as most of the terms go over her head. Asprius was not lying when he said that the field of study was quite specialized. The only things that seem to not belong are a set of drugs Kallen recognizes from her ghetto excursions; she believes them to be suppressants or anti-depressants -- something to do with the mind. Additionally, an unreasonably large sum of money, in her understanding, is going for something under the generic name of 'containment protocols'.

"What's the purpose of the anti-depressants?" asks Kallen, taking an interest in the details she can understand. "Furthermore, are these containment protocols a stand-in for material necessities, or a more emphereal set of policies?"

The woman looks surprised briefly, before shaking her head. "They're not anti-depressants, although that is a possible, though unintended, use for them." She gives Kallen a curious glance, before proceeding. "Both. Clearly, a facily must be tailored to contain foreign elements if certain events were to occur. Extensive planning must go into that, and the upkeep is quite considerable as well. The figures I've provided would suffice for a period of two years."

"What sort of scenarios will be provided for?" asks Kallen, frowning. It is medicine development, and given that they need to test it on all kinds of illnesses, there might be the possibility that something goes wrong, releasing unusual bacteria into the air.

But she's no expert in this, and the cost seems rather excessive.

"Beyond the standard containment for airborn and other virii that might be the unintended products of our research, the facility will also require a special unit custom-made to handle Patient Zero, Lilith--"

"You're saying too much!" Asprius exclaims, looking extremely worried as he glances between his three guests.

The woman stares him down coolly, despite being half a head shorter than him. "Any halfway competent man who made it where they are would deduce as much from the materials alone. There is no need to be coy. Instead, we should do what we can to proceed with the experiments without delay."

Stanley remains silent, but Kallen feels his gaze bearing down on her.

"Explain," replies Kallen, curtly.

"Without Lilith, we cannot proceed," the woman responds, equally curtly. "She is essential to our research."

"Bah, you always treat it as a person! Nothing good will come out of humanizing that-- that thing," Asprius exclaims, sputtering.

The woman chooses to ignore his outburst, staring at Kallen as if having sensed that the success or failure of this meeting depends on her.

"Who, or what, is Lilith? I'm not interested in allusions. Only facts," the teenager returns, similarily ignoring Asprius' whining.

"Lilith is a codename," the researcher explains patiently. "The mother of all demons; it felt appropriate. She is Patient Zero, as I've already stated." She then launches into an extensive explanation of what the term means. The gist seems to be that it is a patient that spreads a particular disease while remaining immune to it due to certain antibodies in their blood.

During the description, Kallen sneaks brief glances at the other participants at the table, in order to try and gauge their feelings on the matter.

"Is she a voluntary participant? What sort of condition is she kept in?" asks Kallen, slowly.

The dreadlocked man seems bored, while her father is impossible to read.

"Insensate. In a permanate vegetative state, for everyone's safety, including her own."

"How dangerous is her infection, exactly?"

"It strikes at the mind. The infected have to be put down. We've lost two men that way with the first generation containment unit."

"Will your treatments be able to purge the infection from her once completed?" continues Kallen, somewhat unhappy. Grim necessity of medical futures? Or a callous abuse of human dignity?

Something new -- is that scorn? -- shows in the woman's eyes. "It's not impossible to achieve, one day," she responds.

There wasn't really any doubt, not in a place like this. Did her father know this to begin with? It's impossible to tell. If the girl is truly infectious, though, she can't be let into the public. Yet...

"How is her own safety at such risk that she's kept unconscious?"

"The conditions she is being kept in would break the strongest of minds. They are necessary for our safety, but remaining insensate... you may call it kindness."

"The spread of this infection can't be contained in any other fashion?" queries Kallen, somewhat dubious. "How is it transmitted, exactly?"

The woman falters, slightly, before firming up and responding, "The main agent is of a psychosomatic manner."

Kallen instantly recognizes the reason behind the woman's brief hesitation. What she had just said is ridiculous. The word would normally apply to the causes of stress, from everything she's learned in school.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," replies Kallen, disbelief tinging on her words.

"Mind over matter," the woman states. "Except... exported outwards at a certain range."

As she speaks, Kallen notices the long faces on the research team, to the last. One is even cradling his head in his hands.

"That is only one theory," Asprius interjects, throwing the woman a glare. He looks at Kallen apologetically. "We have yet been unable to determine the true nature of this infection, only isolating the requirements for containment. We will, of course, continue this venue of research."

"One moment, please. You're saying she's transmitting a psychological affliction?" asks Kallen, frowning. "And no physical component is involved? No bacteria or the like?"

"No, Lilith deals direct physical damage without--"

"That's enough, Jean!" Asprius snaps, wiping at his bald head furiously. "Miss Kallen," he continues, turning to face the redhead once more. "I apologize for the outburst. All we have been able to observe is that closeness to the specimen inevitably results in those near developing terminal symptoms. We can't tell as of yet whether the first level of containment had been breached -- we have several, naturally, to prevent it from spreading on -- or if something we have not taken under account has occured. We are, however, investigating the matter. Rest assured that we take great care to protect those under our employ."

To her side, Kallen's father nods in approval. The gesture is slight, but it reenergizes Asprius. "Unfortunately, recently, we have neglected this field of study due to our dwindling resources. However, it will most certainly receive a high priority once we are back on track!"

"I'd like to see the details of what occured during these breaches, as well as the methods of containment," replies Kallen, attempting to emulate her father's steely gaze. "Firsthand, if possible. Along with the history file for this patient. I'm curious to know how you were able to recover such a dangerous woman. Clearly, you must hold several other theories for this... phenomena," she adds, the word ringing with slight derision.

"I would like to see them, as well. There's also the matter of how this particular study relates to that seen in your presentation." Steepling her hands on the table, she lowers her voice just a slightly, and carefully watches the man's face, judging whether or not he's suitably impressed.

"Make no mistake, the Stadtfeld family is interested in your proposal, particularly if the applications are as broad as you've suggested. But it seems there are risks involved beyond the financial, and I will not abide our name being tarnished."

The dreadlocked man lets out a snort at that.

"We can provide all that," Asprius says cautiously, "but we cannot divulge such technical information before a committment on your side. Regarding the relevance, the antibodies Patient Zero is capable of producing have a wide variety of applications. It is as simple as that."

"And these antibodies? Can they be replicated?"

Jean starts to say something, but Asrpius speaks before she does. "To make a long story short, effectively yes."

"I will hear the details sooner or later," Kallen promises, turning to her father. "Any concerns?" she murmurs, deferring the next play to him.

"How long would it take to prepare the new facilities?" he asks, taking the reigns.

"Once we have all the proper permits--"

"You do. How long, then?" Stanley repeats, sounding less patient this time around.

"A month. Another month for the special containment module. Then--"

He cuts off Asprius again. "Let's take three months, then, with plenty of time to spare and account for incompetence." While the overweight man flushes, Stanley continues, "Three months from now, we will tour the facilities and receive the full technical briefing at that time. You would leave nothing out."

Asprius looks relieved. "Then, it means--"

Her father does not quite glare, but the effect is the same. "We will provide the finance for the next two years. If you fail to show results outside a laboratory during that time...." He trails off, and an uneasy silence remains in the room. For the first time since arriving at the meeting, he turns to acknowledge the man Kallen assumes was the other potential investors. "The Stadtfelds seek no partnerships in this venue at this time."

His words produce a deep scowl, but no retort.

Kallen spares the man another glance, more than a little relieved that she won't need to interact with him beyond today. Looking back at the scientists, she raises an impatient eyebrow, awaiting their response.

They are a strange study between humiliation and relief.

Stanley nods, standing up. "We'll handle all the little details on our end. Within twenty-four hours, you would be ready to proceed." His words carry the weight of finality behind them.

<--->

<--->

On the drive back from Babel Tower, Stanley Stadtfeld remains silent, something in his posture warding Kallen off from starting a conversation. She's left to admire the scenery and muse on what she had learnt during her first business meeting. Thus distracted, it comes as a surprise to Kallen when her father speaks to her.

"The Britannian Areas are governed by royalty as a rule," Stanley says. "But there have been exceptions to this; it is merely a way for the Emperor to reward his children and test their skills rather than writ into Britannian law." After a brief pause, he adds, "You asked me what we could achieve, Kallen. What the Stadtfeld plan for the world was." Stanley's posture stiffens ever so slightly. "I intend to take us all the way up, as high as one outside the royal family can go. And once there, I would need a vice governer I could trust."

The limousine arrives to the Stadtfeld estate then, and he opens the door, walking into the house without waiting for an answer.

Tight-lipped, Kallen steps out the opposite side, slowly walking around the car to follow several metres behind her father. Is he serious- he's always serious.

Stanley Stadtfeld no doubt thinks he is doing a good thing for his daughter. In a single day, he's done more than any amount of pleading or berating ever could to change her mind. The issue remains, however- he's still thinking about the Stadtfelds- status, prestige, power- as if they're ends in and of themselves.

That's not what Kallen stands for. But would it be better to go along with it, and see what she can do from such a position? Or is the Brittanian way inherently flawed, no matter what ones intentions are?

She thinks about it as she heads to her room to get changed, but no easy answer presents itself.

Kallen's room has been cleaned in her absense, but otherwise remains the same. Her eyes are drawn to the pictures proudly displayed on her dresser, of her mother with Naoto and herself, and of Naoto and his best friend, Ougi, standing with their arms around each other's shoulders, grinning stupidly at the camera. Kallen had teased her brother a lot about what she called his 'special friendship' with Ohgi, which is why she keeps the picture prominently displayed along with the other one.

Naoto. What would Naoto say?

Her brother is an infuriating specimen. That he's dedicated to the plight of the Japanese is quite clear, and he's assembled a group of like-minded individuals. They're small, but determined.

So why does he sometimes seem so reluctant for Kallen to come along? And what would he think of this? The route Kallen could step onto might put the siblings into conflict with each other, which she wouldn't be able to stand. Doing things in half-measures, too, is an attitude that can leave you with nothing.

Well, there's no sense wondering about it when he's not so far away. Kallen gets changed into the clothes she started with this morning before reaching for her phone, quickly sending off a message to her sibling indicating her request to meet up sometime.

A reply comes a few minutes afterwards. Naoto is busy at the moment, but could swing by some time in the evening. His message asks if nine works for Kallen.

She sends one back, stating that whenever is fine- but she'd rather meet in a park nearby than at home. Experience has shown her that putting her brother and her father within sight of each other can lead to some very foul tempers, and now isn't the time for that.

That done, she sets out her room in search of food and refreshment.

The foul tempers tend to be on her brother's side. For the most part, her father alternates between ignoring his presence, dismissing him like a particularly disgusting insect or outright frowning if he is truly angry about something Naoto had done that might 'bring shame to the Stadtfeld name', in Stanley's words. Still, if Kallen wants her brother to be in any mood for a serious discussion, meeting him outside is certainly the right move.

He accepts, and when she's out there to meet him at a bench they sometimes use as the rendezvous point several hours later, Naoto doesn't disappoint, showing up on time. Except he brought Ohgi. Why does he always have to bring Ohgi?

"Nii-chan, why do you always have to bring Ohgi?" queries Kallen, with a smirk, giving a short wave. "With him and his dumb jokes, we'll never be able to have a proper discussion."

It's not a serious rebuke, of course. Ohgi would find out everything, anyway. The two of them are truly inseperable, hence the ribbing.

Ohgi gives Kallen a hurt look that looks so genuine that had she not known the man for years might have fooled her.

"He's my designated driver," Naoto tells her with a smirk. "I heard about your trip earlier today. Since you wanted to talk right after returning, I figured I'd need to get smashed after listening to your insufferable teen angst." He spreads out his arms dramatically. "So, lay it on me. Your brother is here."

"Bastard," replies Kallen. Technically, it's actually true, but the word long-since lost it's sting. Between each other, anyway. Heaven help anyone else who decides to use that word.

"Dad was really serious about this one," she begins, pursing her lips. "It came out of nowhere, really, but he's putting me in charge of this.. this weird project. We spent the whole time listening to a pretty shady presentation. It's the next big thing, they told us. It might even be true."

"So how is it going to help Britannia subjugate more lands?" Naoto asks, taking a seat. Ohgi frowns, but keeps to the background as she siblings speak. "Did they find a way to make Knightmares fly?"

"If they did, I would've been on board like a shot. You could use that, couldn't you?" remarks Kallen, testily. "No, it's less about Britannia. More about the Statdfelds. Medicine- really strong stuff. They reckon they've got a cure-all on their hands, above and beyond the stuff on the market today, and all the other projects in development."

She spreads her hands. "Guess what! If it works, we're rich...er. Dad is pretty confident. He's never talked about becoming a governor before, but he thinks that this is the first step on the way."

Naoto shows disbelief at Kallen's words, which only grows into incredulousness as she mentions the full extent of their father's plans. "If he is saying that much... and he's serious, you said?" He frowns, matching Ohgi. "It must be damn revolutionary. Money alone won't get you the job this far from the seat of power. There has to be something else, a way to blackmail the existing order, either indirectly or...." Naoto trails off, shaking his head. "Is that even possible?"

"Like I said. Cutting-edge. The scientists were really dodgy types, you know, the kind who like to dodge the ethics commission. The other guy at the bargaining table- another investor, I think- he was like that, too. He looked like a real thug. Dad shut him down- it was pretty funny, actually."

Kallen chews her lip. "I think it's possible. They've got a patient on their hands- Lilith, they call her. She's apparently highly infectious, but her body produces natural antibodies that resist even the strongest diseases. Hell, the scientists didn't even know exactly what virus she's spreading. But the results seem real."

Naoto's eyebrows shoot all the way up to his hairline. "I won't bother asking you if this is legit or not. That man wouldn't have wasted his time, right? But why take you along? What could you possibly contribute to running research like this, shady or not?" Perhaps sensing he had said too much, Naoto quickly adds, "Nothing personal." It doesn't sound particularly convincing.

"It's not about what I contribute. It's about what I learn," replies Kallen, thickly.

"To each their own, I suppose," Naoto says with a shrug, beginning to deal with what she had told him. "Good luck with your venture into the field of edgy medicine."

"Don't be like that," snaps Kallen, suddenly angry. "Even if I'm meant to be a figurehead, there should still be something I can do to help from there. The group needs money, right? And the medicine itself?"

She clenches her fists. "Besides, I don't support their methods, and this could be the best way to change them."

"You can't seriously think they'll let you take any with you. Do you have any idea what would happen when -- not if -- you get caught?" Naoto asks, raising his voice. Ohgi puts his hand on his shoulder, and when Naoto agitatedly jerks his head to look back, Ohgi shakes his slightly.

Sighing, Naoto continues in a somewhat calmer tone. "If this really is a dodgy group of scientists skirting their ethics, you can't get involved. This is just the sort of thing I've been trying to keep you away from, for your own good!"

"You've been trying to keep me away from everything!" retorts Kallen, furious at her brother's hypocrisy.

"As if it's better to just sit and stew at school every day, doing nothing! Helping the Japanese, and now this- what, you want me to become like those vapid idiots Dad wanted you to marry?"

"I want-- dammit!" Naoto runs a hand through his hair in anger, messing it. "I want you to stay in school like a good little girl and get your Britannian diploma and then make something with your life. You know people like us can't get the same opportunities. Even the schools we have are not on the same level, and that's got nothing on what we can do with the rest of our lives."

"It's because I'm doing that that Dad wants me to do this! And I think this aparthied is bullshit, and you know it!"

Kallen clenches her fist. "And if I just stay in school, do things the proper way, that just makes me part of that system. You know, that one you're trying to change? If I'm doing that, and you're doing this, where does that leave us, huh? Or don't you care?"

Naoto laughs, with equal parts incredulousness, self-deprecation and pure anger. "Change the system? Kallen, you really are still a little girl. We can't change a thing. We can't win. All we can do is keep on trying to hurt the Britannians for having hurt us, because we can't let go. Because we can't forget what it was like before, and how the invasion happened."

Ohgi looks uncomfortable at Naoto's outburst, though at least no other park-goers are remotely in the area to overhear.

A crack resounds throughout the park, and a furious Kallen stares down her brother, eyes narrowed. If looks could kill...

"Then what's the meaning of everything we've done so far, huh?" she growls. "'If you're gonna fight, fight to win.' That's what you told me, once. I never forgot it."

Withdrawing her hand, she snorts. "Nii-chan, I never thought you'd become so pathetic. You don't deserve the name 'Kouzuki'."

Turning on the spot, she starts to walk away, leaving her anger on high boil and showing no signs of turning it down.

"How fitting that a Stadtfeld heiress should try to take everything from me, even my mother's name!" he shouts back. A stomping sound suggests that he's doing the same as Kallen, walking away.

Kallen continues stomping away, shutting away the tears in her eyes, and doesn't stop or slow down until she storms back inside the house, reaches her room, and slams the door.

<--->

<--->

[13:11] Kallen tears the brush through her hair, wincing slightly as it pulls a little too hard. She hates this, but it's become habit, ever since she started working with the Japanese resistances. Don't let others see your true measure, and all that. But after her confrontation with Naoto, maybe that won't be necessary. Maybe the face she puts on at school will become her true face.
[13:13] Maybe people will take this version of her more seriously. Who can tell? She's already decided she's going through with this medicine business, and looking like a rebel won't help there. Grabbing her bag, she waves a quick goodbye to her mother before running out the door and heading for the train that'll take her to school. She could probably get driven, but that's just too ostentatious.
[13:17] It's already visible enough that she doesn't stay at the dorms. Being driven to school would surely portray her as a snob, ruining any chance she might have of mingling with all students but the most sycophantic ones. Kallen has a strong suspicion that her father approves, or he would have had her driven regardless of her own wishes on the matter.
[13:19] Not unless he hired at least three strong men to drag her into the car every day. Kallen enjoys it when she's given things or asked for her thoughts. Outright ordering her leads to teenage creativity, something all parents wish to avoid. Still, she has to force herself not to run when she reaches the campus, instead affecting the demure posture she's been practicing for months.
[13:19] Naturally, the first thing she does when she arrives is look for her friends.
[13:22] Irene and Teresa are already in class, although only the former would really qualify as a friend. The other girl is too cold even to those close to her. A better example that what Kallen finds while walking into the classroom could not be found; as Irene chatters excitedly about something, Teresa looks disinterested, only nodding slightly once in a while as her eyes stray about the room.
[13:24] "Good morning~" greets Kallen, setting her books and stationery and assorted other school things by her desk, taking her own seat shortly thereafter. "How did the weekend go?"
[13:26] "Alright," Teresa responds, after a brief greeting of her own. Irene is more vocal, instantly bombarding Kallen with questions ranging from her health to the latest fashions and whether Kallen would like to go shopping after school lets out.
[13:27] Kallen is fine, thank you, and blue is clearly currently in, except when the D'Arcy family is wearing it. As for shopping, she doesn't have any particular plans that can't wait this evening, so why not? She also asks Irene how things are progressing with her latest crush, and if she's sure that this time it's the real thing.
[13:30] Irene merely sighs dreamily in lieu of responding. Following her rather obvious stare, Kallen sees a boy enter the classroom. He's cutting it a bit close; although the bell hadn't rung yet, it would any moment now. He turns to look at her briefly, and Kallen can't help but think he has striking purple eyes. Then, the moment is broken and he moves towards a seat near a window.
[13:31] A girl with long orange hair throws him a glance when she thinks he's not looking, Kallen also notices as she follows the boy's journey.
[13:31] "Isn't he dreamy?" Irene sighs again, leaning over Kallen's desk.
[13:32] "Maybe so, but competition seems to be fierce," replies Kallen. He was pretty good-looking, but seemed a bit haughty. Not like Kallen's type at all, really.
[13:34] "He's not your type," Teresa casually comments. Her eyes linger on him briefly. Irene stands up, balled fists on her hips as she glares at her other friend. "And I suppose he is yours?"
[13:34] Several of the nearby students turn to look curiously.
[13:35] "Hey, calm down! He can hear you," hushes Kallen, putting her hand on Irene's arm.
[13:37] If he does, the boy in question is certainly ignoring the proceedings, staring outside the window, chin propped on his hand. Irene, for her part, behaves unreasonably, pulling back petulantly. The force necessary to pacify her before the teacher's inevitable arrival -- there went the bell -- would be beyond that of a meek, sickly Britannian girl.
[13:38] Far be it from Kallen to prevent Irene from fighting for what she believes in. Irene finds herself easily able to slip free, and Kallen affects a hopeless shrug. There are more important things to embarrass yourself over, honestly....
[13:40] As her friends continue to bicker in their familiar way, Kallen can't help but feel a bit of jealousy. But they had been together since junior high, while she had spent that time in a school with other Japanese. With Elevens, her new friends would say. There is a part of their history she is simply not privy to.
[13:44] And her old friends from back then had trouble seeing her as anything but a noble heiress, now. It was hardest when they let their eyes drop around her, out of habit. Because of that, she started seeing them less and less....
[13:49] Such is the nature of existing in both worlds. It would be so much easier to immerse herself entirely into one and forget all about the other, and Kallen enterained such thoughts before. But while she might have chosen her mother's side if it came to that, the way Kasumi keeps on encouraging Kallen to become more involved in the Britannian system only serves to sow more confusion.
[13:49] The teacher enters, order is swiftly restored with a few carefully-placed words, a show of the mysterious power that adults have over adolescents.
[13:50] Classes proceed, teachers coming and going. This, at least, was kept from the Japanese system, although Kallen suspects the real reason behind the scenes is to avoid forcing the more haughty nobles going to Ashford from, heaven forbid, walking too much between their classes.
[13:53] Over lunch break, Kallen learns more about Irene's crush. Lelouch Lamperouge, apparently the vice-president of the Academy. Top grades, standoffish, projecting casual disinterest at everyone and everything. It feels a bit strange that she doesn't know who serves as the student body representatives, but Kallen hasn't been going to Ashford long.
[13:53] Classes resume. It is during sixth's period that Kallen's routine is interrupted. The intercom broadcasts, "Kallen Stadtfeld, please come to the Principal's office." The message repeats, a female voice behind it, and then the system turns off with a crackle of static.
[13:55] Thoughts on what exactly the student body will do for her flee from her mind. What could this be? Nothing untoward has happened at school, so- no, she has good grades, and it might be something about that. Sliding out of her chair, she feels the eyes of the entire class on her as she leaves the room.
[13:58] They are, with a single notable exception. Irene looks like she wants to come with her, sitting at the edge of her seat, but prudence apparently wins over. Teresa merely nods reassuringly at Kallen, and then the redhead is in the corridor. The Principal's office is somewhere she had only been once, with her father's secretary when he signed her up.
[13:58] Kallen had been furious when she wasn't allowed to come with her mother, but it was Kasumi herself who ended up talking her down.
[14:01] Kallen loves her mother. Loved. It'd been her who unknowingly put Kallen on her original path in the first place- she couldn't stand to see her mother's name and heritage besmirched. Then Naoto had galvanised her even after her mother seemed to become.. meeker. And now he's just spending his efforts in useless rage. It made her feel powerful, once, to help him.
[14:02] Now she sees their efforts for what they were; useless rage, aiding nothing. And that leaves her powerless. And that, in turn, makes her angry again. Everything she sees today seems to put her in a blacker mood, and so when she reaches the office, a slight scowl crosses her features.
[14:05] Inside, Ruben Ashford is seated behind his large mahogany desk. His sombre expression throws Kallen off for a moment, before she realizes that they are not alone. Kasumi Kouzuki is seated on one of the chairs facing the desk, holding her head in her hands. She turns around in the chair as Kallen enters; there are tears in her eyes.
[14:06] "Mum," calls Kallen, softly, walking quickly over to her and putting an arm on her shoulder. "What happened? What's the matter?" She hasn't seen her mother cry like this in years. Not since the war. Kallen swallows. She's not going to like this.
[14:08] "It's Naoto," Kasumi says. Her voice is very quiet, and her shoulders shake as she struggles to talk. "He was drinking. There was... there was an accident. Oh, Kallen...."
[14:11] An arm on the shoulder won't do. This demands a hug, and Kallen finds herself repressing her own tears. "N.. Naoto? An accident? What... I don't," she manages, gripping as tightly as she feels guilty.
[14:14] Kasumi gasps. Kallen must be hurting her with her strength; her mother had always been frail. "He's dead, Kallen," she sobs, her voice piteous. "I had to go and-- I saw--"
[14:17] "Sshh. Be strong," whispers Kallen, slackening her grip. That's right. Kallen is the strong one, here. No matter how much it hurts, she can't just break apart in front of her mother, she can't rely on her mother, but her mother has to rely on her. "I'll... let's go home," she whispers, glancing pleadingly at the headmaster.
[14:21] The principal nods. "We'll take care of everything else when you are able to return, Miss Stadtfeld," he says, and Kallen feels her mother stiffen slightly in her arms.
[14:25] Stadtfeld. Kouzuki. The names are tightly tied together, though an impassable gulf seperates them. Gently, Kallen helps her mother up, and escorts her out the room. "Are the police still around? I can talk to them," she says, heading towards the carpark- her mother have better been driven here for this.
[14:29] Through tears, Kallen manages to get the full story. Apparently, Naoto was driving under the influence in the dark of night, and ran his car off the road. Her mother had to identify his remains at the morgue; no matter how she tries, Kallen can't get her to talk about that. She did, however, drive over to the Academy. Her car is parked across two spots precariously.
[14:31] Ohgi. Wasn't Ohgi supposed to be driving? Would he have let Naoto drink and drive like that? Especially after what Kallen just did? It stinks. Kallen wants it to stink. She doesn't want to be responsible for her brother's death. "I'll drive," she whispers, upon seeing the car.
[14:32] Her mother protests, as she always does whenever Kallen does something irresponsible. And as usual, her feeble protests fall on deaf ears.
[14:34] With her mother in a state like this, there's no way Kallen is going to allow for a repeat accident. Indeed, she could be accused of driving like an old woman, with the caution she applies to the car. "Does Dad know?" she asks, wincing at her own words.
[14:37] Kasumi truly does not seem to know, having rushed out of the Stadtfeld estate as soon as she got the call from the police. Naoto was identified as a Kouzuki, so their mother was the one notified. There is no record of the relationship between her parents, Kallen can't help but think bitterly.
[14:39] It's sickening to think of her last words to Naoto. If she'd known this would've happened, she'd have said something nicer. Then maybe it wouldn't have happened. What if, what if, what if... it strikes her that she will have to be the one to tell Stanley, if he hasn't found out on his own. If he will even care.

<--->

<--->

[16:00] Keeping to the road, Kallen manages to drive herself and her mother home. There is no way she'd be able to park the car properly in the underground garrage, certainly not in her state, but plenty of adult Elevens are on the grounds. Any one of them could handle the menial things while she goes to look for her father.
[16:03] Kasumi comes first, however. After leaving the car in the hands of a valet, she makes sure her mother can sit somewhere comfortable and rest for a short while. The lounge would do, especially if it's not occupied at the moment, and proprietry be damned.
[16:04] Cleopatra is there, and the scorn in her eyes as she looks at Kallen and Kasumi is unmistakable.
[16:05] Ah, a target for Kallen's anger. "Where's Dad?" she asks, shortly, not leaving her mother's side just yet.
[16:07] "Skipping school?" the woman asks, making a show of looking at an ornate clock hanging proudly next to a large picture frame. It is one of her father's wedding with her step-mother.
[16:09] Kallen never did find out if the marriage was of love or out of convenience, but she wishes for the more amoral choice with every fibre of her being. "Where is he," she repeats, straightening up. She'll be damned if she tells Cleo what happened like this. The little bitch will probably glow with joy.
[16:11] Kallen doesn't recall ever seeing her father show anything that might be seen as love. "On another business trip," Cleopatra says, forcing the words out. She must be clenching her teeth behind that fake smile of hers. "Did he not tell you?"
[16:13] "I suppose that makes two of us," retorts Kallen, heading into another room to find a phone. God, she's pathetic, she suddenly thinks. Can't even let go of a grudge, just for a short while. Naoto would be disappointed.
[16:15] Her father's voice answers after one ring. He has always been prompt answering his mobile phone like that. "Yes?"
[16:16] "Dad, it's Kallen," says Kallen, before suddenly freezing up. How should she break this news? Will he care? What will he say? "Something happened," she stutters, her voice suddenly choking.
[16:18] "I'm listening." A loud announcement sounds in the background, like Kallen would expect to hear at an airport or a train station. "What is it?"
[16:18] "It's.. Naoto's dead," she replies. "Car accident," she adds, too quickly, her voice starting to tear up.
[16:19] "I see," he says, after a brief pause. Stanley's voice sounds as unflappable as always.
[16:22] Kallen is silent, and the phone trembles slightly in her hands. God, it was harder saying it than she thought.
[16:24] "Was there anything else?" Stanley asks. Boarding to a flight Kallen can't discern begins, she hears being broadcasted. "I have to go."
[16:24] "No. That was it," replies Kallen, hanging up.
[16:26] At least he didn't gloat, a small corner of her mind says. There was no love lost between the two even before her father pronounced that he had no son during one particularly bad argument with Naoto.
[16:28] If only giving up ties of blood was that easy!... Kallen heads back into the lounge, somewhat more sombre than before. "Mum, do you want some tea? I'll get some," she offers, in a small voice.
[16:30] Kasumi is alone in the lounge when Kallen returns. She raises watery eyes to look at her daughter, before nodding piteously.
[16:33] Kallen handles it herself, instead of having a maid do it, as Cleo would've done. Life goes on, with all it's petty trivialities, she thinks, sullenly. She brings the cup and saucer back to her mother, setting it on the coffee table before sitting next to her. Somewhere along the way, she wipes her eyes.
[16:35] A crashing sound brings her attention back to her mother. The cup had been dropped, shards lying broken all over the floor. At least it was only tea that spilled over the rich carpet below, or that stain would never have gotten out.
[16:36] Kasumi's hands are shaking.
[16:39] The stains. There's nothing Kallen can do but whisper nothings into her mother's ear and take her hands, holding her steady. There's nobody else, nobody her mother can grieve with, nobody who she can expect to understand her pain.
[16:44] <--->
[16:44] The funeral is a quiet affair. Only her mother and Ohgi attend it along with Kallen. She herself was forbidden to go by her step-mother, who claimed those were her father's orders, but even if that were true Kallen had no intention of obeying.
[16:46] At least he was buried as a Kouzuki. She couldn't really take that name from him. A Statdfeld funeral would no doubt have a hundred attendants, each one less a friend than the last. Kallen thought she would cry here- but she well and truly exhausted her tears in the earlier days. Only numbness remains.
[16:48] Her mother is crying. She never seems to stop, lately. Ohgi looks the saddest Kallen had ever seen him.
[16:50] Is it wrong to block out the tears? It's habit, lately, and Kallen curses herself for those traitorous thoughts. She approaches Ohgi, offering a simple greeting. "Hey."
[16:52] He nods at her. It is also the most aloof Kallen had ever seen him.
[16:54] Nobody is really approachable at a time like this. "Nobody else came," she murmurs. Didn't he have other friends amongst the elevens? Or had they lost their respect for him, too?
[16:57] "The others will stop by later," Ohgi tells her, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. He looks away. "This could have been a trap. Naoto wouldn't want us to risk it." His voice breaks as he says her brother's name.
[17:02] Ah. That was a lie. Ohgi was always the levelheaded one, not Naoto. Though it's not like he'd want them to get caught or anything, he'd just... be too busy. "Ah. I'll miss you all, then," she replies, softly, glancing at her mother.
[17:04] He nods stiffly, moving away.
[17:05] "Hey, Ohgi," she manages, swallowing. "Weren't you supposed to drive him home? Especially after... after that."
[17:08] That stops him cold. "That was just a joke," Ohgi says, not turning around. "But I offered. He insisted, though. Wanted to be alone. I... I couldn't deny him that, not the way he was. It was my fault."
[17:08] The last sentence is said so quietly Kallen has to strain her ears to hear it, and even then she's left wondering whether it is instead the result of her imagination, making up things she wants to hear.
[17:09] "No it wasn't," she whispers back, pressing her eyes into her hands. "It wasn't."

<--->

<--->

[17:17] Scandalous! Outrageous! Horrific! The tabloids would spit out their ridiculous headlines if they saw where the Statdfeld heiress wandered about- if they even recognized her. Heiresses do not dress the way Kallen does, they do not receive brief greetings from rowdy eleven youths, and they certainly don't carry a concealed knife or wander into possible rebel hideouts.
[17:18] Yet Kallen is doing all these things, a few weeks after her brother's funeral. It's time to determine what her place in this world is. With her brother gone, who's in charge? What's happening? She wants to know.
[17:22] The place is a dump, and Kallen knows it's not just a front; it looks even worse on the inside. It does, however, serve as the headquarters for Naoto's resistance group, based out of the Shinjuku ghetto. Ohgi and five others are there when opens the door, but they don't draw weapons on Kallen as she enters. The scouts must have relayed that she was coming.
[17:24] They did, the first time she came along. It was rather terrifying then, but she can look back and laugh about it, now. "Hey. Are things better or worse?" she greets, walking in with easy confidence.
[17:26] "Hey, just because we had a few setbacks doesn't mean things are worse!" a short man -- Tamaki Shinichiro, Kallen thinks his name is -- calls out. He slams a palm against his chest. "I am a natural-born leader!"
[17:30] "Right, right. Seriously, though, what's happening?" asks Kallen, addressing Ohgi- the natural leaders are nice and all, but the ones who actually learned something about the deal are surely a better choice.
[17:31] "We haven't regained our prestiege," Ohgi tells her. He's being more blunt with her than she's used to. "Membership is low. Funds are scarce."
[17:33] "Is it the same for the other groups?"
[17:33] "No."
[17:38] "Well. I can't do much about the former. But in a few months, I could do something about the latter," continues Kallen, glancing at Ohgi. "You know what I'm talking about."
[17:40] Ohgi doesn't seem to, at first, but then his eyes light up with recognition. He shakes his head. "It's too dangerous for you."
[17:41] "It surely is," replies Kallen, shrugging. "Got a better idea?"
[17:43] His silence answers that. "We can't do anything about that place. Not with our current members, not with the equipment we have."
[17:49] "That's not what I meant," replies Kallen, shaking her head. "The budget we're allocating to the place goes towards a number of shady permits. If I cut some off the top, the scientists can't threaten to tell anyone. Leave the experiments to one side for the moment- the money is what we need, right?"
[17:51] Ohgi frowns, but Inoue Kikuko, the only woman in Naoto's core group, nods thoughtfully. "So there's something going on with shady scientists?" she asks.
[17:55] "Yeah, the Statdfelds are backing them. I'm getting put in charge of the project from the investor's end, so it's a good opportunity," replies Kallen.
[17:57] "So we have to accept scraps off the Stadtfeld table to survive," Yoshitaka Minami says in disgust. Kallen does not know much about the bespectacled man; he usually prefers to remain silent whenever she is around.
[18:00] "It's theft," replies Kallen, suddenly. "We've done theft. Only the details are different." She glances at the others in the room, attempting to gauge their reactions.
[18:03] Inoue is intrigued. Ohgi is frowning, but there's too much baggage there for Kallen to see what he really thinks about the plan on its own merits. Minami's opinion is clear as day. Sugiyama and Yoshida look undecided, while Tamaki just looks confused.
[18:03] "There is more of an opportunity here than mere theft," Inoue declares.
[18:04] "What do you mean?"
[18:06] "If they can't threaten to tell anyone about being ripped off, there must be more at stake than just your average look-the-other-way bribe to the local cops," Inoue states, looking at Kallen for confirmation. "That itself is the opportunity."
[18:09] "Yes, that's true," replies Kallen, frowning. "The scientists are developing medicine, powerful medicine that goes beyond what's presently on the market. A panacea of sorts. That's part of it, but there's also the methods they're using. We can't condone them..."
[18:15] "...but we can't easily stop them, either. I'll have more information on exactly what it is they're doing in three months, when I tour the facility, but I know it involves a variety of illegal permits, to the point where they would be expelled by the governor himself, were it discovered. And their backers, too."
[18:18] "Way to burn off your bridges," someone says appreciatively. Turning around, Kallen sees Nagato enter the warehouse. The core group really is together, now, and Naoto's empty spot has never been so glaring. "Alright, I think we should do it. What have we got to lose?"
[18:22] "What I'm hoping," continues Kallen, "Is that the scientists will complete their project. I don't think anyone is gonna argue that better medicine is a good thing. The distribution, well, that's something else."
[18:24] "It's a risk," Inoue says, "but the rewards justify it." She sends Tamaki a glare, and he almost jumps, before nodding frantically. "Yeah! That's right! Let's do it, guys!" Yoshida frowns briefly, before nodding. Sugiyama does likewise, except without the frown.
[18:28] "I'll have more details in three months, like I said," replies Kallen, grinning. "I'll work out a way to get some money across to you by then. We should use that time to make inroads with the other groups. The facility won't be located near here. If we're going to take action nearby, we'll need help getting through the suppressed zones."
[18:29] Ohgi nods heavily. "We still have the old contacts. For something large enough, the others will cooperate."
[18:33] "Alright. I'll be pretty busy once it gets underway, so I won't be able to contact you like this so easily. There's just one thing." Her voice takes a sharper quality. "Whatever we do, we can't afford to unleash an epidemic across the settlement. ANY action we take will have to be precise. If this is handled wrongly, we won't be supporting the Japanese. We'll look like enemies of humanity."
[18:34] Minami shifts at that. "You mean that they would have samples of deadly toxins stashed away in their lab? Lethal viral strains?"
[18:38] "You can't study medicine without knowing what you're up against," replies Kallen. "As I said, whatever they're developing is exceptionally powerful. I know they have some seriously heavy-duty stuff there- stuff that there may not yet be a cure for." She frowns. "For that reason, I don't want this information to spread too far."
[18:39] "Once it's time to act, we won't be able to keep it to ourselves," Ohgi says, seemingly accepting the plan. "Kallen, this would be too big for just our group."
[18:42] "I know. We'll let the others know before we begin, but I don't want anyone acting before the time is right. If we pull this off properly, the others will follow our lead, but if someone else strikes first... someone who just wants to cause damage, then we're all finished."
[18:45] "Don't worry about it," Tamaki says, coming up to Kallen with a swagger and putting an arm around her shoulders. "This plan would work! I know it!"
[18:47] After the meeting is over, Kallen corners Ohgi out the back of the meeting shack, where nobody else is around. "Should I have told them about Lilith?" she asks, sighing.
[18:49] "I don't know," Ohgi admits honestly. "I just don't know, Kallen."
[18:51] She sits on a rickety chair, abandoned long ago and used only for important talks, where nobody can hear. "When it's all said and done, what are we standing for?"
[18:52] "I think it's different for everyone here," Ohgi responds, brushing a hand through his messy hair. "There is a lot of anger without any other outlet for it around here."
[18:56] "That won't take us anywhere... say, Ohgi, where can I do the most good?" she asks. "As a Statdfeld, or as a Kouzuki? Don't just tell me what's safest for me, I don't care about that." She laughs. "I never cared about that."
[18:58] "If not for yourself, then for whom?" Ohgi asks her suddenly. "What is the yardstick for measuring this 'most good'?"
[19:01] "For the Japanese. For anyone living in an unfair world," replies Kallen, steadfastly. "I don't want to be like Naoto, just looking for something to hate. So..."
[19:04] "You... didn't know him like I did," Ohgi says stiffly, looking away. "For the Japanese? There are two paths, trying to protect them from Britannia, or using influence within Britannia to help them. Naoto chose the former. You...." He shrugs. "I don't think someone can walk both paths. You know what your brother wanted for you. That's all I'll say on the subject."
[19:08] "This plan of mine could easily be given up," reflects Kallen, sadly. "Did you see the way Yoshitaka looked at me? He thinks I'm still just a spoiled kid..." She stands up, shaking her head. "As promised, I'll contact you in two months. By then, I'll... I'll know what to do." She starts making her way out of the alley, beginning the trek from the ghetto to the settlement proper.
[19:08] If anyone can walk both paths, though... it would be someone like her, wouldn't it? Someone both Britannian and Japanese....

<--->

<--->

[15:31] It is not often that the student council president pays one a visit, and even less frequent when she merely asks you to accompany her without a clear reason. Even Lelouch is intrigued by Milly Ashford's presence in class, Kallen briefly notes, and then her attention returns to the voluptious blonde as the latter repeats, "Would you please take a walk with me, Miss Stadtfeld?"
[15:33] "Eh? Ah, certainly," replies Kallen, setting aside a slightly old, dusty book she's been reading. Tiny letters on the cover indicate that it's an introduction to accounting. Lately, she's had to cram in a lot of stuff, and there never seems to be enough time. A break is certainly appreciated.
[15:35] Whispers all around them set the stage for their retreat, Milly leading the way. She's heading outside of the school building, Kallen realizes, not breaking her stride. "I'm sorry for taking you away from your dusty old books," Milly says, without a trace of sarcasm in her voice. "I'm certain this won't take long."
[15:35] "No, I'm glad for a break," replies Kallen, and curiosity soon gets the better of her. "But what's this all about?"
[15:37] "My grandfather asked me to talk to you," Milly responds, glancing back at Kallen. They are headed for the student council building, and not for the first time, Kallen wonders just why an entirely separate complex is required for that purpose. Surely, a room or two in the school proper would suffice.
[15:39] "Should I be worried?" replies Kallen. She reaches the same conclusion she's reached before- if it's Britannian, it has to be big!
[15:41] "Only if you've done something wrong," Milly responds with a laugh. They arrive, and upon stepping inside, a woman in a maid outfit stands there by the stairs to the second floor. She bows deeply, saying, "Welcome, Miss Ashford."
[15:41] "This way," Milly tells Kallen, waving her along, after greeting the maid, Sayoko, back.
[15:43] Kallen bows shortly to the maid herself, in greeting (certainly not what one would expect of a Britannian), and sweeps after Milly, becoming more intrigued as she does so.
[15:46] The second floor holds a large open space sparsely populated with a large oval desk and several chairs, dedicated for student council activities that escape Kallen for the time being. Milly allows Kallen to step inside, closing the double doors behind her.
[15:46] "Like I said, my grandfather asked me to do this, so it's official," Milly starts with. "But at the same time, I could've refused, so it's nothing too bad."
[15:47] "Too bad?" asks Kallen, raising an eyebrow. "Taking me away from campus, into a secluded building, nobody around but us two... clearly, you are a suspicious person," she decides, but she smiles as she says it.
[15:49] "I'm not here to have my way with you," Milly says, sounding strangely disappointed as she speaks. But then she looks at Kallen, who can see that the blonde is about to get serious. "We want to know why you lied on your application, Kallen. Until we know the reason, it seemed like a good idea to ask in a safe place. Sayoko won't allow anyone to come up, so you can speak freely."
[15:51] "Lied? I didn't..." begins Kallen, before pursing her lips. "Are you referring to my ancestry?"
[15:51] "Your mother is listed as dead," Milly tells her. "But that is not the truth, is it?"
[15:53] "No..." replies Kallen, clenching her fists. "She is very much alive. I suppose I have my father to blame for this. Since I'm half Britannian, half Eleven, and he's so very concerned about status..."
[15:55] "You didn't know," Milly states. "That was unexpected." She sighs, throwing her hands up. "I had this whole speech prepared about how we Ashfords didn't care about status and you could confide in us. There go two hours I'll never regain again. I should just have you take responsibility for that...."
[15:56] "If you deliver it, I can listen attentively," replies Kallen. "My father doesn't tell me much about his dealings. I should have guessed something like this would happen, but, well.. the headmaster met my mother only a few weeks ago. I just assumed he already knew."
[15:57] "Grandfather was quite surprised," Milly informs her, hopping onto the desk. "But he knew better than to approach you right away."
[16:00] "Pass on my thanks," replies Kallen. "Um... I don't feel I should have anything to hide, but all the same, if some of the other students were to find out, it could get a little hard."
[16:03] "I suppose so," Milly agrees. "We Ashfords might be radicals, but look where it brought us." The words feel like they should be delivered with bitterness, but Milly doesn't sound particularly regretful. "Still, we do have to follow the Empire's law. It might be best if we just pretend to be ignorant of your ancestry."
[16:04] "I know that most couldn't hope to afford it, but are Elevens really barred from attending the school?" asks Kallen, frowning.
[16:06] "In practice, yes," Milly says bluntly. "You wouldn't think that with just a cursory knowledge of the laws, but the entire bureaucracy is drafted into stopping them at every turn. It would take... oh, I don't know, a royal or someone of equal standing in Area 11 to cut through all that red tape and get an Honorary Britannian accepted."
[16:06] She pauses. "Your case is different, of course, but presents other problems."
[16:08] "It would be embarrasing for father, but I'm a Britannian citizen. It's about what people think more than anything, really."
[16:09] "Forgery is still a crime," Milly points out. "But it is your life, after all."
[16:10] "The Ashfords don't seem the type to press charges on something like this," replies Kallen, gratefully. "I just wish things didn't keep working out this way, but there's not much I can do about it. At least, not while I'm still in school."
[16:14] "On the contrary!" Milly exclaims, pulling herself up to fully stand on the desk. "While here, one can influence all those impressionable minds of the new generation of Britannians!"
[16:14] She poses, gesturing grandly. "Those poor lambs yearn for a leader to teach them how to live life to the fullest without regrets! Someone to teach them how to treat their fellow men and women! Here, in high school, this honorable institution of learning!"
[16:17] Kallen applauds from her chair, rather impressed by the president's declaration. "Before they're set in their ways! You're right, the opportunity is here before me. Where do I sign up?"
[16:19] "Right here!" Milly pronounces from her high perch, before continuing in a stage whisper, "Actually, if things worked out to our satisfaction, I was supposed to tell you to get yourself in a club by the end of the week." Straightening up, she continues loudly, "But there's no need for it now! For I have seen your spirit, and it is fit to be on the student council!"
[16:22] "Ah- the council? Well... I can't really do any of the sports clubs, and I'm not that interesting in chemistry, so actually, yeah, that'd be great! It's compulsory, isn't it?"
[16:23] Milly's eyes acquire a hard glint. "Yes. No one can escape being in a club as long as they are Ashford students." She looks like she wants to cackle.
[16:26] "I remember reading the brochure. The selection is rather... diverse. Seriously, aren't the students too young for a winery club?"
[16:27] "It's okay, it's okay!" Milly waves at Kallen dismissively. "Everyone should be free to explore their limits and enjoy their youth~"
[16:30] "Right! So what's the first order of business?"
[16:33] "We must have a party to welcome you into our ranks!" Milly announces. A mobile phone appears in her hands, as if by magic. She dials it, and once the line is connected, cries out, "Get to the club house right away!" before hanging up.
[16:36] "Extravagant! What are the other members like? I only know about Lelouch, and he's a bit..." Kallen tries to finagle the right words, and gives up. "Is he a womanizer?"
[16:38] Milly jumps down nimbly. "He only has room for one person in his heart," she says, sounding amused, though Kallen feels there's something off. "But he's very popular, isn't he, that boy? We also have Rivalz and Shirley in our ranks--"
[16:40] "Nunnally!" The doors slam open, Lelouch standing there and breathing heavily, covered in sweat. He leans on the wall for support. "Did anything--" Lelouch stops abruptly, taking in the room's inhabitants. "President," he says in a low voice. "What was this all about?"
[16:40] "Ah, good that you've made it here so quickly!" Milly says in a businesslike manner. "Meet Kallen Stadtfeld, our newest member! She already knows all about you, of course."
[16:41] "Yes, yes. Make sure to thank Irene for introducing you, day after day," adds Kallen, before raising an eyebrow. "Um, are you alright?"
[16:42] Lelouch twitches.
[16:42] "You will be on cooking duty," Milly proceeds, appearing blissfully ignorant. "We'll require a cake as well."
[16:45] Milly is a true inspiration, and Kallen takes careful notes on how to deal with the resistance next time she speaks to them. "A man who can cook? How rare," giggles Kallen. "No wonder the girls are all over you."
[16:47] He gives Kallen a glare that loses some of its shine due to the way he's wheezing. Is he actually struggling to stay upright after what must've been a brief run?
[16:47] "You'll have to start right away," Milly says. "There's not much time left before classes let out, and I would like to start then."
[16:48] "And we should be among those attending them," Lelouch says through gritted teeth.
[16:48] "Don't be silly!" Milly objects. "You're already top of your class, what more do you need to learn there?"
[16:49] "Woah, rival," mutters Kallen, narrowing her eyes.
[16:50] Lelouch is back to glaring at Milly fully, but before he can protest further, a smile comes across her face. It could be best described as wicked.
[16:50] "Nunnally will be there as well," Milly says, and her voice carries a hint of warning in it. "I could just have Shirley cook if you want to go back to class."
[16:50] Lelouch blanches.
[16:51] "Is Nunnally your girlfriend?" asks Kallen, innocently.
[16:51] Milly laughs so hard at the question tears come to her eyes, and she clutches her sides to stay up.
[16:51] Lelouch can't seem to decide between glaring at Kallen, gaping and blushing furiously.
[16:52] Kallen tilts her head in wonder, bemused by Milly's expression. "Ah, just a crush, then?" She gives Lelouch a light punch on the shoulder. "Fight-o~"
[16:54] Milly collapses, draping herself over Kallen at the last moment to prevent herself from falling to the ground as she very nearly goes into hysterics. Lelouch sniffs, and stalks out of the room.
[16:55] "Ah, you're heavy," lies Kallen, attempting to feign discomfort with Milly's sudden weight, tempting as it is to pick up the president by the waist and swing her around.
[16:56] It takes a bit of time for Milly to recover. "Their love is as beautiful as it is dangerous," she says, launching into a fresh set of giggles.
[16:58] "But he seems rather shy for something so... racy," remarks Kallen. "Do you think he needs inspiration, or something like that?"
[16:58] Milly grins widely, wiping away her tears. "Yes. That just might be what he needs!"
[17:01] "He just needs the perfect opportunity, doesn't he?" asks Kallen, musing to herself. "Isn't it Valentine's day in a few weeks? We could stage something..."
[17:02] "An excellent idea," Milly announces, placing her hands on the redhead's shoulders. "Kallen! You must work together with Shirley on this very important project. I leave it all in your capable hands."
[17:04] "Alright- uh, where do I start?" coughs Kallen. It's a very real concern that she might think too small, and with the president so enthusiastic, that just won't do.
[17:05] "You know about our themed festivals, don't you?" Milly asks, and Kallen does, as it so happens. Every month, it seems, there is one ridiculous event after another. Some persistent rumors abound that the president is planning a reverse-gender cosplaying event in secret.
[17:06] "I think the entire district knows."
[17:09] Milly pulls herself up at that, visibly proud. "Our Valentine's Day event will have people pair up by capturing the opponent's flag!" Milly tilts her head, then. "A flag actually seemed like a good idea at first, but now it has the wrong sound to me. Just come up with something better!" Nodding as she considers the issue resolved, Milly continues.
[17:09] "And everyone will dress as the other gender. But since we can't make things too easy on everyone, the school would be transformed into one huge obstacles course!" Milly grins wickedly. "Those who have, at the end of the festival, failed to secure a token, will have partners for the After-Festival Dance randomly assigned to them by yours truly!"
[17:12] "Woah, the rumours were true. How will you force the student body to comply?" asks Kallen, deepening her voice and attempting to emulate the more devious people she's met over the years.
[17:14] "You show the proper initiative," Milly says, her own voice deepening in return. "And that's a silly question, Mister Stadtfeld! The rule of the student council is absolute! Why, if anyone were to go against it, their entire club's funding might dwindle to nothing, which would be a terrible, terrible shame."
[17:16] "You are truly a dangerous man, Mister Ashford. Even the names of those who have crossed you have been erased," replies Kallen, steepling her fingers. "Very well. We have an accord."
[17:18] "A wise choice," Milly says curtly, and then surprises Kallen by smiling brightly. Kallen is hard-pressed to believe that the blonde remains single. There are even rumors that she keeps on declining marriage invitations from nobility left and right.
[17:19] "So. Who is your bride-to-be?"
[17:20] "Hmm. Perhaps I'll have my prospects fight over me," Milly muses.
[17:20] "An interesting choice. I'll inform Shirley. Will she be coming by?"
[17:22] "I'll formally introduce you at the party," Milly promises, back to her old self. "You might even know her -- you're in the same class. I know you haven't been in much due to your circumstances, and you've just started here, really, so it wouldn't be strange if you hadn't."
[17:26] The party is being held in the very room Milly had cornered Kallen, as it turns out. Kallen can barely recognize it, however. Banners abound, and Milly shows up with party hats and confetti, making the occasion an even livelier one.
[17:26] A blue-haired boy is introduced as Rivalz, while Kallen finds that she does recognize Shirley, at least peripherally. She often spends her time observing Lelouch covertly, and Kallen has to wonder what the president was thinking when she assigned the special project to the two of them.
[17:30] "Ah, Shirley, hi!" greets Kallen, going on the attack. "Did Milly tell you the news, yet?"
[17:31] "Ah, excuse me?" Shirley asks. She seems a bit absent-minded, looking around the room for something.
[17:32] Well, she should certainly know who Kallen is (frankly, the marquee is rather embarrasing). "Hello? Earth to Shirley?"
[17:33] "Yes, I'm sorry!" Shirley does look apologetic. "This is your welcome party. So... welcome!"
[17:35] "Many thanks. Let's have a good working relationship," decides Kallen, offering Shirley a slice of cake.
[17:36] Shirley accepts it, giving Kallen a warm smile. "I'd like that," she says, but then her eyes focus on something behind Kallen.
[17:37] Kallen tilts her head backwards to assess this new- er, no, not a threat- situation. Yes.
[17:39] A girl in a wheelchair is at the entrance. An older girl with two pigtails and glasses is pushing her chair. "Nina-chan! Nana-chan!" Shirley waves at the two. "Here, come meet Kallen!"
[17:41] Which one's which? It's hard to see either as Lelouch's type, especially when he has so many other options. Maybe he's a bigger man than she thought? "Hi! Want some cake?"
[17:44] As the two approach, Kallen is able to study both girls. The one with glasses and freckles and an all-around shy attitude seems to be Nina, a grade below Kallen and Shirley, which along with her uniform would place her in junior high.
[17:44] The girl in the wheelchair is very pretty, and as the distance between them shortens, Kallen realizes with a start that she is blind. Nevertheless, she directs a smile towards the redhead. "Cake? I would love some."
[17:45] "Lelouch made it. He's a very talented young man," describes Kallen. "Though, you'd all know that much better than me, I'll bet," she adds, dextrously producing a slice of cake on a paper plate, along with a plastic fork, and carefully handing it to the chairbound girl.
[17:47] She accepts it with what must be a practiced motion, even as her face lights up at the description. "I see you've met Nunnally," Milly says, appearing behind Kallen and startling Shirley. "She and Nina are our future comrades! We have spots reserved for them on the council for when they start high school!"
[17:49] "You don't leave anything to chance, do you?"
[17:49] "What is this chance you speak of?"
[17:49] "Some might say it's what makes life interesting!"
[17:53] "That's just silly," Milly dismisses, before kneeling in front of the wheelchair, taking Nunnally's hands in hers. The younger girl is lucky she had just placed her fork on the saucer holding the cake, Kallen notes. "Do you need anything?" Milly asks. "There's plenty of food to go around."
[17:53] "Ah, no, a cake is fine," Nunnally responds awkwardly.
[17:53] "Don't be shy!" Milly insists. "After all, Lelouch did his best making a feast just for you--"
[17:53] "Hasn't the joke gone far enough, president?" Lelouch interrupts her, walking up to them. Unlike a few hours previously, he is calm and collected, his stride confident.
[17:56] Kallen glances curiously at Lelouch- the Lelouch she's used to seeing in class seems to have returned, leaving the effortlessly teasable individual somewhere in the closet.
[17:58] He seems the same, right until the moment he throws a brief glance at Nunnally. Having watched him, Kallen spots a tenderness in his striking purple eyes that she wasn't sure he could feel.
[17:58] "Lulu!" Shirley exclaims, stalking up to him. "Where have you been? You need to properly welcome Kallen!"
[17:59] "We're well acquainted," interrupts Kallen, stepping up next to Shirley. "Though, he's recovered swiftly," she adds, thoughtfully. "Qualities necessary for working closely with the president, I presume."
[18:01] "You learn quickly!" Milly exclaims, letting go of Nunnally's hands and standing up. She pats the girl on her head, before placing a party hat over it.
[18:01] "We are," Lelouch agrees evenly. "Welcome."
[18:01] Shirley does not seem satisfied with such a greeting.
[18:02] "Thank you," replies Kallen, rigid and formal.
[18:04] "You could at least try to make an effort," Shirley berates him. Lelouch rolls his eyes.
[18:07] For the puppy eyes Shirley keeps giving Lelouch, she's certainly hard on him. Clearly he needs a little defending, and Kallen does this by pointedly eating her own slice of cake. It is quite delicious, after all.
[18:10] "It really is quite delicious," Nunnally says, and Lelouch starts.
[18:10] He looks down at her, a soft smile on his face. "Really?"
[18:10] "Yes!" the blind girl responds enthusiastically.
[18:11] It really doesn't feel right to tease the two of them when they're so adorably sweet, so Kallen lightly tugs on Shirley's shoulder. "I need to talk to you about something," she whispers. "Privately."
[18:13] Shirley snaps out of glaring pointedly at Lelouch, and nods at Kallen. "Alright. Did you mean right now?"
[18:13] "Sooner the better! I think it's an important matter to you, though," she replies, conspirationally.
[18:14] "Why don't you come over today, then?" Shirley suggests. "Daddy isn't home, and he took my mom with him this time. We could order out and talk!"
[18:17] "I'd like that!" agrees Kallen, a little enthusiastically. Home life is getting unbearable. Cleo is one thing, but it's been weeks and Kallen's mother still has not improved. Sure, it still stings Kallen... it still stings a lot, but isn't there a limit? "I'd like that a lot. Let's rent some movies, too."
[18:18] "Alright!" Shirley's face suddenly falls. "But we can't have popcorn. Daddy strictly forbids it." Shirley looks away, muttering quietly, "Because it requires a microwave." She looks rather embarrassed.
[18:19] "Didn't you say he's not home?"
[18:19] "But! He would know when he returns!"
[18:19] "He would?"
[18:20] "Because, because maybe it would blow up?" Shirley fidgets.
[18:20] "Well, if you put it in too long... ahaha, no way! Popcorn is totally easy to make."
[18:21] The look Shirley throws Kallen is envious, annoyed and anxious all at the same time.
[18:22] "Ah, well, there's always pizza," continues Kallen, though she does prefer food she can throw without consequence.
[18:23] "Yes, there is!" Shirley brightens up. "Daddy is always very happy when I use the credit card he gave me to order out!"
[18:24] "He must trust you! That's what you need out of parents."

<--->

<--->

Shirley lives in a two-story house, with the second level apparently all for her use. A brief tour of her house reveals that out of the three rooms available, two are pretty much guest rooms. She prefers to spend as much time with her parents as possible, Shirley explains, sounding embarrassed, and the two find themselves downstairs in the living room. There are no servants, Kallen finds; they truly are alone.

"What kind of movies do you like?" Shirley asks her, grabbing the remote. Her phobia of electronic devices does not extend past the kitchen, it seems.

Most of the films Kallen likes are censored, sadly.

"My dad makes me watch a lot of documentaries," she puts forth. It's not a lie! They're the only films he bothers to buy, and she's not interested in anything Cleo watches by default. "But I like foreign dramas a lot, and, well, action films are one of my guilty pleasures."

"We can watch action films!" Shirley agrees. She flips through the channels with practiced ease, reaching the right one and ordering a movie. "This is one of my favorites, and I think you'll like it too because it's sorta like a documentary except there's action, too!"

The movie in question is Joan of Arc. "She was a really strong woman, and a true role model!" Shirley gushes. "I always cry at the end when she dies...." There is an awkward silence, before she asks quietly, "I just ruined it for you, didn't I?"

"It's fine, I read the book," replies Kallen, referring to the textbook in her bag. "But y'know, I love those brave people who stand up against impossible odds. Boudacia, Odysseus, you know, those heroes who fight fate."

Shirley recovers almost instantly once Kallen reassures her that they can still watch the movie, and soon, it comes on. This must be a remake, because everything looks very authentic, and Kallen thinks she saw the lead actress somewhere. Perhaps in a commercial?

"Yes," Shirley agrees. "You must love the story of King Arthur as well, don't you? Of how he stood firm against Roman imperialism with a handful of men and after winning against the odds went on to build Britannia?" She blushes. "Well, he started it, at least."

"And it continues to this day, the greatest and most long-lasting empire in history," reflect Kallen, deciding to count the historical inconsistencies she can spot within the film. "Although they seem to have forgotten that story, lately."

The movie starts with the tale of a peasant girl in the Britannian province of Lorraine who receives a divine geas to protect the Holy Britannian Empire from French aggression. She grows, training in swordplay -- an inordinate amount of time is dedicated to teenage Joan prancing around in skimpy peasant clothing with a sword, all sweaty.

"Yes, there hasn't been a remake in over a decade," Shirley agrees, sounding sad. "But there are rumors that Joan-- I mean, Isabella Augustine, would play Lady Guinevere in a reinterpretation of the story!"

Movie swordfighting is great fun to watch, though these scenes are probably more interesting to the guys.

"She's so typecast as the unfortunate heroine," complains Kallen. "I think she'd make a better Morgana."

"A villain?" Shirley gasps.

"Sure! She's got the cheekbones for it," decides Kallen, watching a fight scene involving a lot of yelling from the protagonist. "I mean, she plays strong types, doesn't she? But Guinevere isn't a fighter or anything, it'd be hard for her to portray the Lancelot/Arthur relationship with her record."

"I suppose that's why they would 'reimagine' the story," Shirley suggests, as Joan survives a dastardly French attack on her village, which is burnt to the ground. When Joan returns from her daily training, all she finds is scorched earth and a dying child with an adorable rag doll begging her to avenge them.

The next scenes depict Joan rallying together an army.

"I wonder if it'll be cringeworthy," replies Kallen, eyes rooted to the TV. "These scenes really get to me," she adds, turning silent.

Shirley doesn't respond. A sidelong glance at her reveals that she is tearing up, biting on the tip of a handkerchief.

Joan's army proceeds to win many engagements through what appears to be a combination of her leadership and blind luck. Things go awry, however, when she goes to participate in a cease fire summit. It turns out to be a ruse by the French, who use the chance to rout most of Joan's forces. She herself receives a deep wound, but still leads a small vanguard against the massed French army to allow the rest of her forces to retreat safely.

Joan does indeed die at the end, Kallen finds, unrepentant and praying for a victorious Britannia.

"It was nice, but they got some details wrong," reflects Kallen, speculatively watching the credits roll. "Though the last battle was very accurate."

Shirley nods, turning teary eyes towards Kallen. "Where Joan single-handedly fought through two dozen men, already wounded, just to save the viceroy," the orange-haired girl says, sniffing. "I always thought there was something between them. It was all so tragic!"

"Well, love gives you power! Whether it be for your country or for a man," declares Kallen, nodding firmly.

Shirley wipes at her eyes with the handkerchief, before glancing at Kallen, as if unsure whether to offer it to her as well.

Kallen holds up her palms in refusal. "I'm fine! Wanna get that pizza?"

"Oh, sure!" Shirley jumps to her feet. "You must be hungry, I'm sorry, I didn't think--!" She rushes off, and Kallen discovers the reason when Shirley begins thumbing through a booklet. From the cover, it contains the menues to various takeout places.

Kallen doesn't feel particularly hungry after her welcome party, but she has the distinct feeling Shirley would take it the wrong way if she told her as much.

She lets Shirley pick the food, making appropriate affirmative gestures when necessary, While the order is taking place, though, she channel-surfs on Shirley's moderately impressive entertainment system. The Britannian stations aren't really her thing, although recently she's taken to watching the news (edited as it is.)

Though one wouldn't notice, if it is their only source of information. The Britannians are nothing if not experts at propaganda.

A segment on the news has the Governor-General, His Royal Highness Prince Clovis declare that he would make Area 11 a safe place for all, Britannians and Elevens.

Tall, blonde, handsome, and able to woo noble ladies on the one hand and order a slew of executions on the other. Kallen hates the sight of him, and turns the TV off.

"Hey, Shirley, how long have you been living in Area 11 for?" she calls, when the girl gets off the phone.

"This is actually just my second year," Shirley responds as she turns around, phone clutched cutely between her shoulder and ear. "We travel with Dad's work a lot, so this is the first time in over a decade that we could stay for more than a few months. It's been really great because I can make friends here!"

"You had to move that much?!" asks Kallen, surprised. "Don't you keep in touch with people over the net or anything? It'd be great to have friends across the world."

"Well, it's just not the same," Shirley says sadly. "When you're a transfer student coming in the middle of the semester and know that you probably won't be around for the next one, it's kind of difficult-- Ah, yes, I would like a large pepperoni pizza, please!" Shirley glances at Kallen. "Extra cheese?"

Kallen makes a face. "I like my heart, thank you."

"Yes, please!" Shirley says brightly, and hangs up after confirming her address.

"...no, that meant no. This pizza is gonna be lethal," mumbles Kallen, putting her hand on her chest. Breathe, girl.

Shirley grins. "I know, I just confirmed that we would like some soda along."

"Meanie," complains Kallen, smiling despite herself. "Ah, yeah! Milly-chan said she wanted us to run a Valentine's day festival thing. It's um really drastic oh god the boys are going to complain so much."

"They always do when she announces things, but not at the end," Shirley says, placing the phone down and returning to the couch. "So what's the plan?" She suddenly looks apprehensive. "It's not Naked Apron Day, is it? Milly promised never to bring that up again!"

"I won't ask. No, it's gender-role-reversal day! Everyone dressed as their opposite. Hence the complaining, though I suppose naked aprons would be worse if everyone-"

Kallen slaps herself on the cheek, shaking her head. "Anyway, the idea is that everyone has some kind of token, and you try to steal the token from the target of your affections!"

Shirley blushes, though whether from the image Kallen's words manage to conjure up or the mention of a 'target of affections' is hard to tell.

"Get it and you go to the post-festival dance with them. Fail to get any and... Milly picks."

Kallen leans in close to Shirley and grips her by the shoulders. "*We must absolutely not let Milly pick our partners.*"

"R-Right!" Shirley agrees wholeheartedly, despite her stutter.

"So I'm thinking we assign people to groups," decides Kallen. "And give them all a particular starting position. Since we pick where they go, we can set it up so we can catch whoever we want."

She chews her lip thoughtfully. "Though I don't have any particular preference."

Shirley is looking away, her blush flaring up once more.

"How about you?"

"Well, you know--" Shirley leaps to her feet. "Maybe I should check up on that pizza? They're sure taking their sweet time delivering it!"

Kallen's eyes stray to the phone that's already in Shirley's hands. "Really?"

"Probably?"

"I'm sure it'll be here any second!"

Shirley drops back to the couch. She still can't bring herself to look at Kallen.

"Ah, come on, it's no use keeping this secret! Otherwise, your chance will be gone!"

"Chance? What chance?" Shirley sounds panicked. "There is no chance!" She suddenly looks sad. "Maybe that's true...."

"There's always a chance," replies Kallen, seriously. "But if you don't have any hope, you lose before you start. If you're fine with that, though, then there's still the matter of who you don't want to get caught by. That's very important. Possibly the most important thing."

"That's true!" Shirley agrees, her head whipping to face Kallen, even as a fire starts in her eyes. "We must absolutely protect ourselves before all else!"

"Very well. We must select a suitable starting position!"

"How about the student council room? It's normally off limits to the regular students."

"Excellent. It's got a good view of other parts of the campus, too, so we can follow people. Or lock the doors. Though we still need to watch out for Milly."

Shirley nods enthusiastically. "Just this once, she won't get what she wants! We'll outsmart her!"

"We'll beat her at her own game!"

The words somehow sound foolish to Kallen as soon as she says them, but Shirley doesn't seem to notice, pumping her fist in the air enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

"Which means we need to pick decent guys!"

"Well, there are a few in our class," Shirley muses, tapping her lips thoughtfully. "Rivalz would also make a safe match, but it would be just too cruel to do that to him. He has an enormous crush on Milly!"

"We pretty much get our pick, because I have a feeling every other girl in class is going to be going after Lelouch. As long as we put him somewhere hard to get, they'll be kept busy."

It is the first time Kallen can't easily read Shirley's expression.

"Why would they want to?" Shirley asks. "All Lulu ever does is ditch classes to go gamble!"

Kallen's eye twitches. "And he's still top of the class. That's.. that's not right."

"It's not!" Shirley goes into full lecturing mode. "Lulu should pay more attention to his studies, and-- and-- not be so cold to his classmates! He should participate more!"

"Is he a nobleman?"

"He sometimes acts like one, doesn't he, but I heard from Rivalz that he actually despises them," Shirley confides, before a horrified look comes over her face. "Umm, Kallen, I didn't mean--"

She ends up ducking her head. "Please forget that," Shirley requests quietly.

"Uh, no, it's fine," replies Kallen, glancing away. "You can speak freely about that stuff, it's not like I don't understand that viewpoint. A lot of nobles are pretty... despicable."

"But he shouldn't generalize like that! It's stereotyping and that's wrong!" Shirley insists suddenly. "That's like... that's like looking down on elevens just because they're elevens!"

Kallen eyebrows shoot up. "You're right. It's disgusting either way," she replies, hesitating slightly before plunging ahead. "Actually, I grew up in Japan. Before it was called Area 11, and so when I see nobles treat the people like trash, it.. it makes me pretty angry."

Shirley doesn't seem to know what to say to that. Kallen easily sees that she wants to ask -- quite a lot, if her intuition is spot on -- but can't bring herself to do it.

"Not quite what you expected to hear out of the Stadtfeld heir, is it?" asks Kallen, self-disparagement evident in the name.

"I didn't know there were nobles living in Area 11 before... well, before!" Shirley blurts out.

"Well. Not so many living, no. But there were always business trips," replies Kallen. "Intermarriage was uncommon, but..."

Shirley looks scandalized. "You mean it actually happened? You know someone like that?"

"Yeah... I do," replies Kallen, "But I'm not supposed to tell," she adds, hurriedly looking away. "Actually, forget I said anything."

"Marrying a number..." Shirley says quietly, not completing the sentence. She doesn't need to, however. Kallen is all too aware of the discriminating laws created to 'preserve the purity of the Holy Britannian Empire'. One example is that no child of a union from a Number and a Britannian may inherit the Britannian's hereditary title, although money, funneled into bribes, can always resolve such matters. It's hard for a Britannian to find the incentive to 'marry down', as it so happens; perhaps inconceivable.

You'd have to be a real idiot to go around and spread rumours like this, then, muses Kallen. A real idiot.

"You travelled around a lot because of your dad, right?" she asks, changing the subject. "What exactly does he do? What were the other areas like?"

"Well, Dad's in the military," Shirley says, as a silent agreement is formed to put the previous topic behind them. "But he's not a soldier or anything like that. He serves in logistics; that's the fancy name for making sure everyone has the right supplies and such." She laughs to herself. "Not so glamorous, right? But he's my Dad and I love him-- and I can't believe I said something so corny." She drops her face in her hands.

Is that jealousy, Ms. Statdfeld? It won't do. "Your secret is safe with me," she replies, gravely. "Getting food to people is important. Speaking of which, it actually has been a while, now."

"I did want to call them!" Shirley protests, just as the bell rings.

Armed with a box of pizza and some soda Kallen had never seen before, Shirley returns, all smiles. "Yeah. I'm actually really proud of my Dad! He works so hard just so that everyone would be safe and taken care of!"

"Did you tour around a lot? See all the cool sights?"

"We went to thirteen of the fifteen areas!" Shirley exclaims, before laughing in embarrassment. "Well, it's seventeen areas, now, since we've settled here. I really liked Area 7, but it didn't have as many Britannians my age in the settlement, and we weren't allowed to leave it."

Kallen thinks it's one of the African areas, though she's hard-pressed to recall more details.

She should. She had old textbooks, back from before the war (before they were all put out of circulation) that talk about Britannian expansion from the viewpoint of a free Japan. There was a list of names, there, of states that were conquered. You can't even find that on the net anymore.

"Not being allowed to leave is a pity, really," she opines, reaching for the box of pizza and setting it on the table. "I'd love to travel more, myself."

"You have your whole life ahead of you!" Shirley pronounces, before dissolving into a fit of giggles. "I sound like an old man."

Kallen hits Shirley with a pillow. "None of that! We are teenagers, and we demand instant gratification!"

Shirley squeals, before lunging for a slice of her own.

<--->

<--->

[14:57] A crash coincides with Kallen's return home, as if to welcome her. Incompetence is harshly punished in the Stadtfeld estate, and no hired help had survived being laid off after even a single mistake. Her father's ideology is that they must give their all if they want to keep on serving the family; whether the Elevens truly understand or even identify with what is expected out of them is irrelevant. The pay is higher than what one might expect of their positions, however, that much Kallen knows. Perhaps this is why such an approach is made sustainable.
[15:00] Whatever they need to do to survive, isn't it? There's no shortage of willing replacements. It's a wonderful way to greet Kallen, and she considers turning around there and then and going somewhere more palatable. She doesn't, however, and instead heads through the front door. It's possible nobody else is home, and she might be able to cover for the unfortunate servant.
[15:05] Heading into the kitchen, Kallen spots her mother on her knees, staring at a stain on the ground. Her hands are shaking. There are two cooks in the kitchen, but they pretend not to see anything, tending to their dishes while keeping their heads down.
[15:10] Or it could be the usual suspect, thinks Kallen, unreasonably spiteful. "Fetch the dustpan," she orders, curtly. She tried to be indulgent, before, but it's getting ridiculous.
[15:13] "Kallen," Kasumi says, raising teary eyes to her daughter. "I'm sorry! It just... it just...." She can't explain beyond that, but that at least is also just like what happened so many times in the past weeks. The closest cook -- the junior one, Kallen briefly notes -- stammers a hasty, "Right away, Miss Stadtfeld!" and rushes to execute her orders.
[15:17] "You, you can- you're sick. You can go to bed," decides Kallen, glancing at her mother's shivering fingers. "Just don't break anything else on the way. Please."
[15:21] "Break anything else?" a familiar voice asks. Cleopatra enters the kitchens, and Kallen can't help but think that this woman had never set foot inside in the entire time she had known her. She certainly looks like she stepped into a cesspool, judging by the expression dominating her face. As the cook rushes to sweep the mess, Cleopatra stops him with a gesture.
[15:21] "No. Let her clean it up. That's the only thing she's good for now, isn't it? Making messes. She might as well prove marginally useful by taking care of them." Cleopatra stares at Kallen the entire time she speaks, looking haughty and spiteful all at once. Ever since Stanley's business trips extended, becoming more and more frequent, Cleopatra had been testing her limits more and more.
[15:28] Cleo is correct, in Kallen's estimation, and the day she admits that is the day she slits her wrists. Her limit, it seems, is close at hand. "This kitchen is not a theatre of humiliation," she snaps. "Have you lost your way?"
[15:30] "Not so far to show such blunt favoritism, where others would be long gone for their incompetence," Cleopatra responds, attacking from another angle rather than accept Kallen's charge.
[15:36] "You've already spoken to father about this," recites Kallen, staring daggers back at Cleo. "As much as you enjoy depriving someone of work, this angle is closed. Don't you have something better to do, like ogle that young noble with the red car? Oh, sorry- does he come by at three or four?"
[15:38] Cleopatra seethes, her hands balling into fists, and takes an angry step forward. For a moment, Kallen thinks her step mother is about to slap her, but she manages to reign in her anger and turns on her heel, marching stiffly outside the kitchen without another word.
[15:41] Just let her try. *Just let her try*, thinks Kallen. She doesn't get many opportunities to demonstrate just how fit she is. Cleo's wrists look very slender, as if they'd break if gripped hard enough. She'd love to try. Glancing at the servants, she smooths over her expression. "Clean it up," she orders the cook, again. "Take a break after you finish in here. As for you- just go. Please."
[15:42] Her mother nods tearfully, and leaves through the service entrance.
[15:47] The next morning, as Kallen readies to leave for school, she passes by two men she had not seen before. They don't seem like guests, being clearly of Japanese descent. An unfamiliar woman approaches her, then, holding a wrapped package in her hands. "Your lunch, Miss Stadtfeld," she says, bowing deeply. The entire time, her eyes are lowered.
[15:49] Kallen glances at the two men with odd curiosity, taking the package shortly after and dropping it in her bag. "Thank you," she offers, sounding rather confused. Do the men look like servants?
[15:52] Giving them a second, more thorough look, that seems likely to Kallen. They wear white uniforms with the Stadtfeld crest, she discovers on closer inspection.
[15:54] "Did you start work here today?" asks Kallen, rather curiously. True, servants come and go, but she's not blind to such things. With only three actual residents on the estate (of which generally only two are present), there aren't all that many servants on the grounds.
[15:58] "Ah, yes," she responds, still not looking up at Kallen. "I am very lucky to work for Baroness Stadtfeld and the Stadtfeld family." The answer sounds rehearsed.
[16:00] "You two," she mutters, glancing at the men. "Cooks, right?"
[16:02] They startle, exchanging a nervous glance. "Was there a problem with your meal, Miss Stadtfeld?" the older one asks. "If you would prefer something different, we would be happy to comply."
[16:04] "That bitch!" mutters Kallen, tossing her bag into a corner and marching off back into the house. She wouldn't dare! She decides to check up on her mother first, storming to her room and knocking on the door.
[16:06] The servants look frightened as Kallen marches past them, but none dare question her. As she knocks loudly on her mother's door, a crash sounds from inside, followed by shuffling. Kasumi opens it afterwards, dark circles around her eyes.
[16:06] "Did Cleo do anything to you?" demands Kallen, pressing her hands against the doorframe.
[16:07] Kasumi shakes her head quickly. She seems frightened.
[16:07] Past her, a picture frame lies broken on the floor.
[16:09] "Good," mutters Kallen, losing a little of her fire. Her eyes slide towards the picture on the floor; her mother only has a few of them.
[16:10] It is upside down, but judging by the others she can see on her mother's desk, one of the few pieces of furniture in the rather spartan room, it must be the one with Kallen and Naoto when they were children, taken before the war.
[16:12] Her mother had been more lively, then. It's hard to believe she's the same person. It's hard to believe *Kallen* is the same person. She shakes her head. "You have savings, don't you? You need to take a holiday or something. Get away from this.. this.. this place for a while."
[16:15] "Where can I go?" Kasumi asks with clarity that is sadly lacking from her more and more lately. Her mother is an Eleven, Kallen knows all too well. It would take more than money to leave the Tokyo settlement for another, and a single frail woman wouldn't make it out on her own in the ghettos.
[16:21] "I don't know. Dad can-" begins Kallen, before her face winces and she clutches her temple. It's foolish to think that her father will go any more out of his way for Kasumi than he has already. Helplessly, Kallen looks away, and her body moves shortly thereafter. She should check on the other cooks, as well. So what if it's not befitting her station, it's not like they didn't all already know-
[16:21] -what Kallen is like!...
[16:22] Kasumi remains there by the doorway, looking after Kallen sadly as her daughter leaves.
[16:22] The cooks are gone. The entire kitchen staff has been replaced, in fact, Kallen discovers.
[16:26] Of course. After blurting out what she did in the kitchen, the gossip would have spread. She can't afford to have father find out, so she fired the lot of them on the spot. And she'll be more circumspect in the future, no doubt. It's her fault. No, it's Cleo's fault. And the bitch doesn't care about anything but looking pretty-
[16:27] -it's not like there's anything Kallen can strike back at! Fuming impotently, Kallen grabs her bag and storms out the house, leaving a trail of terrified maids in her wake. It's not their fault, she reminds herself. Someone elses loss was their gain. And if all the Elevens think that way, they'll be too busy fueding amongst themselves to do anything meaningful.
[16:32] The vice-president is absent when Kallen storms into class, causing a few raised eyebrows at the sickly girl. Shirley acknowledges her with a smile and a wave, but she seems to be frowning a lot as she glances at Lelouch's seat. "You look down," Irene comments, settling herself on Kallen's desk. "What's wrong? Your allowance ran out?"
[16:32] "That can't happen," Teresa states clearly. "It is only the beginning of the month, and most of us aren't like you."
[16:32] "But those shoes were so dreamy, and then I just had to get the matching dress!"
[16:35] Allowance? Run out? Except when she goes out with her friends, Kallen never even spends it. Lelouch is always late, anyway, if he even shows up, and in any case Kallen hasn't spoken much to him. "My stepmother is what's wrong," Kallen mutters, darkly. "Yes, everything wrong in my life can be traced back to her."
[16:37] "Ooh!" Irene gasps, sensing a delightful story behind it, while Teresa rolls her eyes. "Girls not getting along with their stepmothers. I'm shocked, shocked I say."
[16:41] "When Father is home, she's all demure and quiet and sweet and saccharine," rants Kallen, glowering angrily at the desk. "But when he goes away, which is roughly all the time, she's a real harpy. If a maid looks at her wrong, bam! Fired. She has some recruitment agency on speedial and can replace the entire kitchen staff in an afternoon if there's a bone in her fish. Or if they dare to smile."
[16:41] Her head drops on her desk. "She makes me sick, frankly."
[16:42] "Yes, truly a tale I have not heard before," Teresa says sarcastically. "Has she gotten to the part where you're forced to dress in rags while home?" Irene pats Kallen's back sympathetically, for her part, throwing Teresa a glare.
[16:49] "Oh, yes, woe is Kallen, I'm sure you're thinking," replies Kallen, uncharacteristically (for school) returning the sentiment and wanting to scream. "I don't even know why I'm complaining to you. Whether it's this, that, or the other thing, Teresa has heard this one before, and boy, is she not impressed!"
[16:50] "They're just servants, right?" she asks, showing a bit of surprise. "And your stepmom isn't executing them, is she? So what's the big deal here?"
[16:50] "It isn't fair!"
[16:51] "Welcome to life," Teresa says with a snort, returning to her own desk. "That's supposed to be 'welcome to real life', Teresa!" Irene corrects her, before throwing Kallen an apologetic glance. "Even though it's not right," she adds lamely.
[16:55] "I'm sure she'll be saying the same thing when fate comes around to her. It's just.. ugh. That stupid cow has only a single accomplishment to her name, and that is marrying father, so she can use his." 'Ours' is the proper term, Kallen reminds herself. "She's never done a single useful thing."
[16:56] "Well, have you tried talking to her? Telling her how that makes you feel?" Irene suggests.
[16:56] Kallen stares at Irene.
[16:56] "How do you expect to resolve your problems if you can't communicate?"
[16:57] Communicate? With her fake mother? While her real one is in the house, and both of them are equally useless? "It's complicated," she mutters, looking away.
[16:59] Irene shuffles uncomfortably. "Well, it always helps me when I buy stuff?" she voices. Too loud, apparently, as a snort comes from Teresa's direction.
[17:01] "That'll help me with the rags problem, I guess," mumbles Kallen, glancing over at Lelouch's desk. "So. Think your crush is going to show up today? The guys have a betting ring up on this, you know."
[17:02] "He doesn't ditch first period or anything!" Irene protests, going on the defensive. "It's just that Lelouch often has prior engagements. Like during the last two classes."
[17:08] "Oh? It sounds like he's seeing someone," drawls Kallen, lazily.
[17:11] Irene shoots up. "That's not possible! There's no way Lelouch would be having a secret rendezvous with some girl after school!"
[17:11] The outburst gets more than a few interested looks. One of those belongs to Shirley, who is pretending not to listen.
[17:12] "That's why he must leave during school, Irene," replies Kallen, patiently.
[17:13] "Do you know something?" Irene grabs Kallen by the shoulders, shaking her. "You must know something! Was there anything he said during those council meetings?!"
[17:16] "Eh? I must? There was? Wait, no there wasn't. Actually, I don't speak to him much." Kallen frowns. "Keeps to himself, really."
[17:18] Irene does not seem to have heard anything past Kallen's first words, an agonized look taking over her face. "No! How could that be?!"
[17:19] "If only you'd approached him all those months ago?" guesses Kallen, raising both eyebrows.
[17:20] Irene collapses on Kallen's desk, completely defeated.

<--->

<--->

(12:02) February the 14th. The school is in a state of anxiety Kallen had never witnessed previously, although she can understand her fellow students to a degree. They, after all, have not been privy to the design of the traps laid out across campus which presence Milly had so cheerfully announced before classes started. Even without that, however, Kallen doubts anyone could possibly learn anything that day. Not with the way some boys fit better into a dress than their female classmates, a fact which does not escape their notice.

Lelouch is absent through the first two classes, and Shirley, dressed dashingly as the brilliant Britannian detective Sherlock Holmes, is quickly losing her composure. Only two periods remain during this shorter-than-usual day; Milly had wanted more time to play before it is time for the evening festivities, and none argue with the student council president, even if they happen to be on staff.
(12:08) If Lulu doesn't show up, all of Kallen's preperations will go to waste! Could it be that he's attempting to dodge the show? No, he's the vice-president. Milly won't let him.

Kallen isn't doing her meek schoolgirl image many favours with her own outfit; the open black coat and pants, combined with the headband and bindings have her looking like a gangster. Her mean glare was perfected many months ago, but it's not often she breaks it out at school.
(12:14) Quite a few of the girls are sneaking looks at Kallen, in fact.

Lelouch does not show up as the third period ends, and Shirley looks quite worried. There are also hints of anger, and Kallen doesn't need to be close to the orange-haired girl to pick up on them.
(12:15) There's nothing for it. Kallen will have to call him. And force him into his outfit, if necessary.

Sneaking out the room for a moment, Kallen pulls out her cell, and gives the obviously recalcitrant vice-president a ring.
(12:17) The phone rings, and rings, and rings.... Kallen gets Lelouch's voicemail.
(12:19) For all the good leaving messages on THAT has ever done. Kallen isn't sure he even checks it.

This could be a problem, but there's always the backup solution. Lulu's loyal tagalong, Rivalz, should know where he's gone, and he can certainly be persuaded, one way or the other.
(12:19) Hence, Kallen wanders back into class to find the shorter guy.
(12:22) Finding Rivalz isn't a problem; Kallen knows which class he goes to, and she'd even visited it a few times before.

Finding Rivalz in a white and blue dress with heavy makeup and a blonde wig, complete with pigtails is another matter entirely. He seems to be dressed as Dorothy, the costume complete with a plush puppy that looks stapled to his right shoulder.
(12:24) Rivals looks far better in it than any members of the athletics clubs look in... anything, really.

Especially that guy in the tutu.

"Treasurer! Do you happen to know the whereabouts of our illustrious vice-president, who is too cool for school, even on a day like this?"
(12:26) "Lelouch is skipping?!" Rivalz exclaims, jumping off the desk he had been perching on. The dress flutters. "We cannot allow him to miss out on such a valuable life lesson!"
(12:27) "I agree! He is badly in need of instruction. In many things," responds Kallen, slamming an angry hand on a nearby desk.

"The question is... could he be hiding? Or running?"
(12:27) "Did you try calling him?" Rivalz asks, taking out his cell.
(12:27) "Yeah, he didn't pick up."
(12:29) "Ah, but who could possibly know where Lelouch is hiding? His deepest and darkest secrets?" The words sound somehow rehearsed to Kallen's ears, however. "I know! The president! Wait for me, Milly!"

Rivalz dashes out of the classroom.
(12:30) Well, when Rivalz doesn't know something, the answer *tends* to be 'go and see Milly' when it's not 'ask Lelouch'.

Kallen follows after him, as curious as anyone to know what her fellow students get up to in clandestine ways (and taking careful notes on how best to conceal her own activities, if necessary.)
(12:39) The drama club members are the most impressive, and Kallen has trouble determining their true genders at a glance. The rest of her classmates can be easily divided into those having fun with the festival the way Rivalz is, having either overcome or embraced their shame or lacking it to begin with, and the gloomy students who have put only a token participation into the events. From the way Milly was smirking when Shirley raised the possibility of some students rebelling in such a way during their last preparatory meeting, Kallen somehow thinks the blonde would have the last laugh.

Following Rivalz, Kallen enters the classroom in time to see him make a beeline towards Prince Clovis. A moment later, and the illusion is dispelled. The clothes might be a perfect replica of what Kallen had seen their beloved governor prefer, but the figure adorned in them is without a doubt quite feminine.
(12:40) Of all people, did Milly really need to impersonate the prince? (Isn't that a crime? Well, on campus, Milly makes the laws.)

"There's a serious problem, your highness," states Kallen, coarsely.
(12:41) "Can't it wait?" Milly asks, sounding aloof. "I'm in the middle of my daily manicure."
(12:43) "Your nails are important, of course, and I do not mean to interrupt. Yet, the Queen has yet to make her presence known! We fear she has absconded!"
(12:44) There is a glint in Milly's eyes at that. "Oh, has she, now?" she asks dangerously. "How dreadful."
(12:44) "Indeed. Inspector Holmes is frantic with worry."
(12:47) Milly laughs hearitly. "And we can't have that." She marches out of the classroom, Rivalz picking up the hem of her cloak reverently and following. "So where has the good inspector looked already? Or is he using his formiddable mental powers to locate tonight's runaway bride?"
(12:48) "The good inspector made his feelings known by... his temperament, more than his words," admits Kallen. "The Queen does not answer her phone, but little else is known."
(12:51) "Use those daintly arms to actually do manual labor the likes of answering a phone?" Milly gasps. "Surely, you expect too much of Her Majesty."
(12:52) "Communication is such a heavy burden," agrees Kallen, folding her arms and frowning.

"Perhaps she still yet sleeps?"
(12:56) "We must find out at once!" A phone appears in Milly's left hand, and she calls one of the numbers on speeddial. "Alfred?" she asks. "Has Her Majesty left the premises? Ah, I see, I see. And the-- yes. Oh? Excellent."

She terminates the call, smiling. "Lady Luluko has not left the premises. Alfred was quite insistent about that."
(12:58) "We will be on schedule, then?" replies Kallen, cracking a smirk. "All the other preperations are in place."
(12:59) "With one adjustment to the plan," Milly says, her smile downright evil. "Rivalia, with me!" she commands imperiously, striding off.
(12:59) Rivalz looks all-too-happy to tag along.
(13:00) This is a problem. It could be a problem. Kallen's plans don't, and can't, account for the president's flights of fancy.

But adjustments could be made, if she's around to see them! She strides after them, throwing fake glares at anyone who dares to impede her majesty's way.
(13:07) Milly is headed for the broadcasting club. Its members's sense of style is lacking, Kallen discovers as she follows her inside. The Japanese woman she had met the day Milly recruited her is there in a butler's outfit, along with a fake moustache. So is Nunnally, easily recognizable by her wheelchair. Kallen briefly thinks she came as a mummy, before she decides Nunnally must be dressed as a ninja.

"I have a wonderfuly announcement to make!" Milly announces, once the equipment has been readied for her. "Tonight, a special rule will be in effect! The first to catch our runaway bride, the beautiful and matchless Lady Luluko, may win her lips over as their prize! So I, Clovis la Britannia, have spoken!"

A roar sounds from outside, made dull by the thick walls of the broadcasting room.
(13:15) Nothing can possibly account for this! Kallen expected Lelouch to be chased, no doubt about that, but this last-minute incentive...

Well, she'll just have to activate some of the traps near the council building a little earlier than expected. Ten to one says Lelouch will be kept on the run, and that should be easy to track! Which just leaves Shirley...

...who will definately chase him. Will she? If it's put to her the right way...
(13:21) "Before we start the festivities, is there anything you would like to share about your mistress?" Milly asks, placing a hand on Nunnally's shoulder as she leans closer to the microphone. "For all those amongst you who can't wait to compete for Her Majesty's lips, an inside tip from her most loyal servant and protector!"

"Ah, onii-neesama, I mean," Nunnally stammers. "She sounded like she was in a bad mood this morning, and the rustling of her clothes sounded like she had a cloak on. I don't really understand why Oneesama would hide herself. She is so beautiful."

"And there you have it!" Milly exclaims. "A cloak! Search for a cloaked beauty!" She turns towards Nunnally. "Can you tell us more about it?"

"I, uhh, didn't get a good look," Nunnally returns.
(13:25) The chasing will start any minute. There's clearly not a second to lose!

Kallen slips away from Milly whilst she's doing her thing, and pulls out a palm pilot. An overlay of the school pops up on her screen, and she rapidly begins sending signals to the electronic traps, and pre-defined messages to the operational staff intended to set up the rest.

In her other hand, she uses her phone to call Shirley.
(13:35) Shirley picks up after two rings. "Ah, Kallen, this is kind of a bad time."
(13:38) "It's a terrible time! Luluko is planning to flee from the campus grounds!" returns Kallen, heading to the roof of the school building. 
(13:41) "Luluko-- Lulu would never do that!" Shirley insists.

Sayoko had taken over the microphone at Milly's request, and is lamenting having to work for such a shy mistress. Nunnally interrupts her, stuttering as she extolls her brother's virtues, stumbling over gender pronouns a few times in her rush.
(13:44) "You heard the Prince's announcement. And you know how *so very shy* Luluko is. She is definately planning on escaping," insists Kallen, wondering why Shirley would possibly think such a thing when Lulu skips class, oh, every three days or so, running up the stairs (they're faster than the elevator!)

"But! I think I know what route she'll take. Can you make it to the east garden? Oh, don't go through the lawn, the sprinklers are on high power."
(13:48) "Lulu would never do that," Shirley says, pausing. She adds quietly, "Not after the one time he did it. Milly can be very scary." She squeals then. "Warn me about those first!"

It sounds like Shirley is already somewhere on the grounds. Meanwhile, Milly is considering capturing Lady Luluko all for herself after being convinced to woo such a fine specimen of humanity, as Nunnally panics in the background, attempting to dissuade her.
(13:49) "Yesssss but this time a kiss is on the line!" replies Kallen, finally making it to the roof and using the opportunity to get a good view of the school below her. If only she knew Milly's password, she could use the student council camera system...
(13:54) She easily spot Shirley, drenched but undeterred, make her way to the eastern garden. "Kissing... Lulu...." Although she can't see Shirley that well from her perch, Kallen is certain a heavy blush is adoring the girl's cheeks.

"And now it is time for the event to begin!" Milly's voice announces over the speakers. "A flower. Yes, a flower! The first to bring one to their destined partner secures their dance partner. And in one special case, even more!"

Across the dull roar of approval cuts a scream of such rage it may only belong to the gardening club, Kallen reasons.
(13:57) Kallen never did forgive them for that time when they dropped the lilies in her face. Faking hayfever was painful, dammit! Why can't they be more considerate! This is a suitable punishment.

Now, the question is, where would Lelouch be? The answer is obvious; away from all the people. They'll soon be surging across the grounds, and Shirley should be expertly poised to go against the flow.
(14:14) Shirley is certainly in a position to both arm herself with a flower and ruin the chances of others to do likewise, though Kallen doubts the girl would actually do the latter.

Over the PA system, Rivalz desperately confesses to Prince Clovis, which results in a demand that the peasant be thrown outside for trying to go agains the rules.
(14:17) Not to worry. Getting to that garden is fraught with peril. There are only two safe routes! She might need to temproarily disable the traps for Shir- no, that would be cheating even more than necessary.

Kallen can't help but repress a snicker for Rivalz, but she focuses intently on exploiting her bird's-eye view of the campus. Lelouch can't hide inside forever. Sooner or later, he must come out!
(14:20) It doesn't take long for the masses to rush out onto the grounds. The traps do their best, delaying some and adding to the chaos. The students of Ashford are nothing if not determined, however, and no strangers to such festivities. From her observation post, Kallen sees as Shirley is forced to flee from what looks to be the entire membership of the male tennis club, dressed as their female compatriots.
(14:23) "Shirley, run around the bell-tower!" orders Kallen. A number of tripwires should be set off past there, triggering a deluge of fog and streamers from the upper windows! As long as she's fast, Shirley should outpace them, and her persuers. Did she know she was that popular? Of course she must.

Still no sign of Lelouch, however. He hasn't actually escaped already, has he? It's a problem.
(14:27) Shirley is athletic and agile enough to escape her unwanted admirers, disappearing from view. She keeps her cool, however, reporting her position via her phone.

There is no sign of Lelouch, in or out of a dress. The bell signalling the last period for the day rings, while Milly does her best to entertain her subjects by speaking of potential pairings she might choose for those unlucky to find their date or catch the ever-elusive vice-president.
(14:29) Kallen can't help but keep her ears open to hear if Milly is suggesting anything for her fellow council-members. It would be bad if Kallen was assigned someone awful and had to catch her own date. Very bad.
(14:33) Kallen and Shirley don't feature as examples. Perhaps suspiciously so, because when Nunnally innocently asks about them, Milly laughs evilly, before responding that Nunnally should really worry over being a perfect gentleman around Rivalz.
(14:35) Ulp.

Lelouch clearly isn't going to come out, and Kallen's patience is wearing thin. There's nothing for it. He must be in the school building, somewhere. Perhaps the library? The underground section? She'll have to search herself, and flush him out! And find a suitable guy along the way, because she won't be able to handle Milly's choice. Not at all.

The library, first, then, she thinks, plunging back into the depths of the school. 
(14:47) Sneaking down the stairs amidst the chaos, Kallen makes her way to the library unopposed. Only once she's there, however, does she discover that she is not alone. Someone is whispering, almost too quietly to make out the words. There is a flutter of white and blue from behind one of the bookcases.
(14:49) Someone else is plotting? Kallen will... let that slide!

But that was the colour of Rivalz's outfit, if she's not mistaken. Into the bookshelves she goes, hoping to confirm her suspicions before the target gets away!
(14:51) "Your plan failed!" Rivalz protests quietly into his mobile. "I couldn't stay around Milly-- wait, what do you mean all conditions were cleared? Lelouch!"
(14:53) Oho.

Kallen remains hidden for the time being, allowing Rivalz to chatter away into the other line. She strains her own ears to try and hear the tinny voice coming from the other end. Hiding, eh? Thinks he can outfox Kallen, eh?
(14:54) Rivalz complains for a long time, sounding quite betrayed. It always keeps on coming back to some sort of plan that was sure to land Milly as his dance partner.
(15:01) Lelouch vanishes, nowhere to be found, and eventually Rivalz ends up with Milly in the broadcasting clubroom? It's a decent excuse...

There's no way to track the transmission, though, but there's definately an opportunity for blackmail, and thus Kallen lays a heavy hand on Rivalz's shoulder. "Oi," she intones, in a deep, husky voice.
(15:03) Rivalz stiffens. "I'm going to have to call you back," he says in a squeaky voice, hanging up the phone.
(15:04) "So, Rivalz. What's all this about a plan?"  asks Kallen, leaning close to the boy's ear. "To catch the president? My, how bold! She'd certainly be impressed to hear about it."
(15:04) "You think so?" he asks piteously, not even bothering with a denial.
(15:05) "Absolutely. If it was put to her in the right way. A girl could be flattered! Or mortified," she muses, chewing her lip.

"Of course, it wouldn't do if she found out you were keeping secrets."
(15:06) "Mortified?" Rivalz asks, hanging on Kallen's every word.
(15:07) "Absolutely. But I can put in a good word for you. It's all about the phrasing," remarks Kallen. "I just need to know one thing."
(15:08) "What is it?"

The idolizing look Rivalz is giving her would be mildly disturbing even without the running make up.
(15:09) "Where is the vice-president?" Kallens asks, surrepitously setting her phone onto loudspeaker to ensure Shirley hears.
(15:13) "I knew it," Rivalz says in defeat. "Everyone always wants him." A muffled coughing fit emanates from the cell's speaker and he looks around in confusion before shrugging. "Where else? The secondary control room."
(15:16) "Hmph! I only want him to take part, as befits his position," declares Kallen, clicking off her phone. Shirley should be able to handle the rest, if she's got the will.
(15:18) There is really no time to find out, as the weight-lifting club, dressed as one in unitards, barge into the library. Their beady eyes scan the premises, and almost instantly narrow in on Kallen. Lillies, freshly-torn out of the southern gardens, if Kallen's memory serves her well, peek from beneath their clenched fists.
(15:24) Kallen's eyes grow to comical proportions as she sees the most inappropriately dressed team array itself before her. There's no escape, and too many to fight at once without knocking over bookshelves and generally upsetting the literature club (which would have... consequences most dire for Kallen.)

Milly must be responsible for this, somehow. That thought lodges itself in Kallen's mind as she withdraws her flower and hands it over to Rivalz, looking away as she does so.
(15:27) They groan, and Rivalz himself does not look particularly happy at this turn of events.
(15:29) And why not? Kallen is an excellent catch! Just ask those boys over there!

Clasping her hands together, she makes a faux-bow. "I'm sorry. I had no other choice," she states, only slightly sarcastically.
(15:31) He sighs, taking the flower, before letting his hand drop. And then, Rivalz throws his head back and howls, "Curse you, Lelouch!"
(15:36) When it is time for the dance, Kallen gets to discover that the talk of runaway brides wasn't just a metaphore. Lelouch is dressed in a flawless, white wedding gown, a silver tiara adorning his head. The light blush on his cheeks only adds to the image, and Kallen is forced to admit, if only to herself, that he is easily a candidate for the prettiest girl at the event.

Shirley is by his side, her clothes looking slightly rumpled which gets a lot of remarks, some snide. She hotly insists that it's due to water from the sprinklers.

For her part, Milly is escorting Nunnally. Sayoko, still sporting her moustache, manages to scare away anyone who tries to cry foul somehow, despite not looking particularly menacing to Kallen.
(15:41) She is an adult amongst children, after all.

Both she and Rivalz look slightly disconsolate, but Kallen isn't about to give voice to her complaints! It isn't as if she had anyone particularly in mind when she set out, today. Certainly not Lelouch, who makes a better fit with Shirley, anyway.

"Don't worry. Nobody escaped unscathed," she remarks to her partner as she approaches the other council members.
(15:42) Rivalz drops his head listlessly. "Milly," he whispers sadly.
(15:46) Really, he shouldn't be so obviously desperate. It's.. clingy, doesn't he know? Guys can't be clingy. It's unmanly, even if this is the day that roles can be reversed.

"Hey," she waves, winking slightly at Shirley as she closes in to the others. "That really does suit you far too well," she adds, addressing both in the couple.
(15:47) Lelouch turns away in a huff, like far too many offended noble women Kallen had the dubious pleasure of meeting briefly through her father.

<--->

<--->

(16:06) Kallen didn't dance very much; for a start, she never particularly enjoyed it to begin with, and as pained as Rivalz is, he could stand to spend a little more time focusing on his partner and a little less time craning his neck at Milly, losing the beat, and stepping on Kallen's toes.

It's almost a relief when the event is over, and Kallen has called a taxi to take both her and Shirley home. Most of the students have already returned to their dorms, leaving the two of them alone to chat.

"So, how was it?" asks Kallen, tired but happy for her friend, all the same.
(16:07) "I don't know," Shirley responds. Now that they are alone, Kallen doesn't think her friend looks as happy as she should be after a successful date. "I honestly don't know."
(16:10) "Well... would you do it again?"
(16:12) "I think... I think it's because I cornered him." Shirley turns to look at Kallen, her expression desperate. "You wouldn't want to be coerced like that, would you? He must think I'm awful!"
(16:15) The idea of anyone thinking Shirley is awful seems patently ridiculous to Kallen, though her second sentence does strike a chord.

"Well, he did go along with the event," allows Kallen, shaking her head. "I don't think he'd let himself be forced to do anything he doesn't really want to do."
(16:19) "Sometimes, you have to choose the least bad option," Shirley tells her. "I heard Lulu tell the president that, once before. He probably saw me... as that. His bad option."
(16:29) "I don't think you're being fair to yourself," replies Kallen, shaking her head. "Isn't shyness a better explanation? The president pushes these things a little.. roughly."
(16:31) "They're very close," Shirley says unhappily. Her jealousy is plain to see. "It's like the president knew Lulu all his life, the way she knows how to make him do everything she wants to."
(16:32) "That isn't exclusive to Lulu, though," points out Kallen, frowning. "Besides, if those two were to get together, then today would've been the day."
(16:35) Shirley seems to find that reassuring. "I suppose," she agrees. "And... it wasn't a total wash. I can admit it, now. I like Lulu!" Even though Shirley says the words, her voice is kept very quiet during her confession. She blushes heavily afterwards, too. "That's progress, right, Kallen?"
(16:36) Welcome to the day I met you, girl!

"It's progress, yep, but am I really the one you need to admit it to?" asks Kallen, coyly.
(16:40) Shirley's blush refuses to disappear. "I don't think I'm ready for that step, yet," she demurs.
(16:44) "Aww. Don't you get it, Shirley? This is your big chance!" exclaims Kallen, clapping the girl on the shoulder. "Look, I bet tomorrow, if he even shows up, he'll come to school all cool and calm and collected, like normal. But this time it'll be a front, and he'll be secretly wondering what you really think, just like you're wondering what he really thinks, and ten to one says he won't actually tell you unless you make the move, here. He's.. he's.. receptive! An investment opportunity."
(16:46) Shirley seems dubious. "It might seem easy to you, Kallen, but--" She stops suddenly. "No. I shouldn't talk like that. You must have things you can't talk about, so you know it's not easy."
(16:48) "Ah... well," replies Kallen, having no snappy comment for such an uncannily truthful statement. "Yeah. I haven't really.. thought about boys much, so, well, there's probably a lot I don't get."
(16:51) "I saw," Shirley admits. "I mean, you didn't look like you were enjoying yourself much with Rivalz."
(16:51) "Well... he kept stepping on my feet."
(16:51) Shirley giggles. "Yes, that would make for a bad date."
(16:52) "Don't get me wrong, he's a nice enough guy! Just.. not my type. Probably," allows Kallen.
(17:00) "Rivalz is a good friend," Shirley agrees.

<--->

<--->

(15:14) Kallen knows the way to Shirley's place very well by now. This isn't the first time she's come seeking elysium (although she hasn't put it that way to the girl.) She often wonders if Shirley suspects there's anything wrong with her; it's only when home is too much to bear that she runs away for a night.

She arrives at the door soon enough, knocking politely.
(15:17) If Shirley has an inkling into Kallen's home situation, she doesn't show it. However, Kallen always finds herself welcome, even in the rare event when both of Shirley's parents are home.

The orange-haired girl opens after a few moments, during which Kallen overhears a thud. Shirley is rubbing at her left elbow absently, giving Kallen an embarrassed smile.
(15:20) "Hey!" greets Kallen, effortlessly masking her features and smiling back. "What didja break?"
(15:20) "Oh, I hope that nothing," Shirley responds, blanching.
(15:22) Kallen steps inside after that, dropping her light bag near the entrance. "Parents home today?" she asks, kicking off her shoes.
(15:24) "Mum should be back later. She got called in to work," Shirley responds. She doesn't mention her father, and by that very omission Kallen understands that his work has taken him away from home once more.
(15:26) "Aha. Then I shall order takeout for the three of us as repayment for your hospitality," declares Kallen, kneeling down near her bag and pulling out a few cases.

"I brought a few movies along! A couple of them are old Japanese flicks- they're, um, censored, so don't tell anyone I have them. But I think you'll like them," she rambles.
(15:28) "Foreign-language films?" Shirley asks, looking dubious at the prospect. "Or dubbed? Though whether that's better...." She trails off, tapping her lips thoughtfully.
(15:30) "There are subtitles? I think?"
(15:31) "Oh, I can understand, umm, Japanese, but... well, it's just not the same? That doesn't mean we can't watch them, because you clearly gave this a lot of thought and oh just shoot me now."
(15:33) "How many langauges can you speak, anyway?" asks Kallen, as she heads towards the Fenette's recreation room.
(15:35) "I make it a habit to learn the local language," Shirley admits, looking away with a light flush over her cheeks. "It's such a geeky quirk, isn't it?"
(15:35) "Are you kidding? That's really impressive!"
(15:37) "I... kinda hope that by being able to communicate, I'll be able to make new friends easier." Shirley sighs. "But it's anything but easy. Or it was, until Area 11." She sneaks a peak at Kallen to judge her reaction, trying not to be obvious about it.

She fails.
(15:41) Kallen has long since gotten used to Shirley's mannerisms. It's a refreshing honesty that she needs to see from time to time to keep her spirits up.

"I think it's admirable," she replies, entirely truthful. "I do think it's a pity that you don't get much chance to use it in the settlement. I mean, I can speak both langauges, but I've never really sat down to learn either, you know? I just picked them up. Like, it'd be impossible for me to learn a new one from scratch, now."
(15:42) "Oh, I'm sure that's not true!" Shirley insists. "If you have one you're interested in, I could help!"
(15:43) "Eheh~ well, I'd be more interested in learning Chinese, or French," admits Kallen. "More than the langauges of the other areas. But, you know, you could really make a career out of that kind of knowledge."
(15:45) Shirley's dubious look returns, but she doesn't voice her objections. "So what did you have in mind?" she asks, glancing at the stack of movies.
(15:47) "Oh, well, there's this one movie about a blind swordsman, and-" replies Kallen, grabbing one of the cases. They're a bit dusty; she hasn't dug these out for a long time (and certainly hasn't watched them at home).

As she opens one of the cases to take a movie out, an old photo slips out of the box, but she doesn't notice as she heads towards the media player.
(15:49) Shirley is oddly twitchy, Kallen notices upon reaching her friend's media equipment.
(15:50) "Something the matter?" questions Kallen, turning the devices on and setting up tonight's home entertainment.
(15:51) "I wasn't looking!" Shirley immediately protests, jumping.
(15:54) "Hah?" asks Kallen, turning back at her friend and seeing the photo lying on the couch. A little confused for a moment, her eyes widen, and she lunges for the photo in a hurry, quickly tucking it into her pocket.

How could she have forgotten? She'd hit it there ages ago because she was scared someone would take it away, along with the movies. It was dumb and childish, but it was the sort of thing Naoto told her about. Of course, the Britannians didn't care about taking away an old momento of Kallen's time with her real family (as she thinks of it),, but paranoia does odd things to a person.
(15:55) Shirley swiftly moves out of the way as Kallen leaps at her wildly, holding her hands in front of her chest.
(15:57) "You.. weren't looking, right?" asks Kallen, flopping onto the couch. "Sorry."
(15:57) A whimper from Shirley is the only response as she shakes her head furiously.
(16:00) "Really! I shouldn't get so jumpy, especially not here. Uh. Want something to drink?" asks Kallen in a flurry, standing up abruptly.
(16:01) "S-Sure." Shirley seems shaken, but she manages a nod, starting towards the kitchen. As Kallen moves abruptly, she involuntarily shuffles back.
(16:06) The next few minutes pass rather awkwardly, and all of a sudden, Kallen feels like a stranger again. But after she and Shirley both mutely sip their drinks, she eventually sighs. "So, ah, Shirley. Think you can keep a secret?" she asks, fatalistically. 
(16:07) Shirley looks very worried, Kallen thinks.

"I wouldn't just go around and gossip!" she says, but rather than sounding offended, concern is the emotion coming through the most.
(16:11) "I know you wouldn't," replies Kallen, smiling. "I'm sorry for not trusting you. To tell the truth, the woman in that photo is my mother. I'm not supposed to tell people that, but... well. There it is. You get what that means."
(16:13) Shirley isn't quite sure what to say.
(16:16) Neither does Kallen, really. She feels slightly silly, all of a sudden.

"And that's that. You know what, just forget it, I'll, um, put something else on oh god now I'm the one who wants to be shot."
(16:20) Shirley watches Kallen's movies in silence. The one with the aforementioned blind swordsman is a captivating tale, and recent enough that the filming techniques are modern.

"I won't tell anyone," she says suddenly. The words are spoken carefully, rather than blurted, as if Shirley had spent considerable time formulating her response. A sideways glance at Kallen changes all that, and she adds in a rush, "But that's not what you want to hear, right? You're not ashamed or anything, or you wouldn't keep that. So. So. I'm sorry. It must be very hard."
(16:23) "It's... really not. I mean, there are plenty of people out there who have better things to complain about than me," replies Kallen, shaking her head. "My own problems are pretty meaningless, really, it's not like I'm dying or anything."

Just ask Teresa, she thinks to herself.

"But thanks. Really, I mean it."
(16:25) Shirley nods tersely, and continues to watch the movie. On even a cursory examination, however, her attention isn't on the film, and the girl seems edgy.
(16:28) Part of Kallen wants to just leave.

But if she does that, then Shirley will just be edgy the next time she sees her. And then probably the time after that, so..

Once the movie ends, Kallen ignores the subject entirely. "So. Homework. As discussed, I will do enough science for both of us in return for concessions on english. Are we agreed?"
(16:31) Shirley holds no objections. As they settle comfortably with their homework, she seems quite pensive. More than usually so, while working together. When she writes something in her notebook, Shirley seems almost absent-minded.
(16:35) Whereas Kallen focuses almost entirely on it with unusual drive.

"Pizza or noodles?" she asks, at one point.
(16:37) "I'll go order!" Shirley volunteers, making good on her escape.

Now unguarded, Kallen thinks she sees her name scribbled on the open page of Shirley's English notebook.
(16:40) Kallen sneaks a peak at the other pages in Shirley's notebook while she's out the room; the girl literally wears her mind on her sleeve. That can't be good.
(16:43) Most of it is filled with lecture summaries and drafts for homework alike. It is only over last few pages, those that had to have been written earlier that day, that Shirley deviates from that pattern. It is as if the assignment is to write an essay, and she starts doing so, but loses focus. Lines are crossed out; as are entire paragraphs. She even started the whole thing from scratch a few times.

Shirley wonders why Kallen doesn't trust her, whether she doesn't look trustworthy, and other variations on the theme. The entire thing reads fairly pessimistic.
(16:48) It's not that Kallen doesn't trust Shirley! But why would Shirley really want to know any of this? Speaking of it around her feels so selfish and, well, arrogant.

Leaving the book back on it's original page, Kallen drops her head on the table with a thump. That's not entirely true. No matter how much she trusts Shirley, she can't tell her everything. Lilith, for example. Or Naoto.
(16:50) Shirley returns, taking her seat. "I, umm, ordered both. It's okay, right?"
(16:51) "I don't mind," replies Kallen, lazily. "I won't get fat no matter how much I eat."
(16:52) "That must be nice," Shirley says with a hint of jealousy. "We work really hard at the swimming club."
(16:56) "You must enjoy it, though, since you're on the council as well."
(16:56) Shirley flushes scarlet. "It's the pervert president's fault."
(16:57) Kallen snorts. "Did she hand-pick everyone there? I was wondering why I never saw anyone ask about joining."
(16:58) Shirley mutters something about a demand for tribute. She hasn't been this embarrassed even while discussing Lelouch.
(16:59) "Ah, come on, let's trade secrets all night! Nothing spoken in these walls shall leave them," declares Kallen, forgetting about homework and turning her chair to face Shirley.
(17:08) "I-- I was the newest, in the club, and also had, she said, ah, actually, that was the only reason, really," Shirley rambles, squirming.
(17:09) Shirley ducks her head in shame.
(17:09) "I, I know I'm not qualified, but I try to work really hard!"
(17:12) "The only qualification necessary is squirming when the president tells you to," mutters Kallen. "I predict the school will be very different after she graduates, mark my words."

<--->

<--->

[14:41] It is a rare day when Stanley Stadtfeld returns home during recent times, but Kallen knew this was one occasion he would not miss for the world. It has nothing to do with the family... and everything, at the same time, as this visit might set the tone for a relationship that would then push the Stadtfelds to higher status, breaking through the glass ceiling most nobles have over their heads.
[14:48] Status, over other nobles. But those distant from these games see it as all the same. You need to be close to a glass ceiling to see the boundaries it creates- those far away pay little heed to such divisions. The more Kallen thinks about it, the more these trials seem so frivolous.
[14:49] And yet, she might be the one playing them tomorrow. The point of it all, in the end, is power, and that's what's necessary to make change, regardless of where it comes from. After freshening up, she heads outside to greet her father for the first time in... how long, now?
[14:53] It must have been a month, at least. The Stadtfelds have many residencies, and the manor in Area 11 is merely one of them. Kallen's father had been busy with work ever since the original meeting with the Holy Grail representatives he took Kallen on,
[14:53] and from what little she had been able to piece together, Stanley's work had focused in arranging all the various details and making certain the firm's acquisitions went smoothly. A limousine awaits outside, and he sits inside, barely visible through the partially opened door.
[14:57] Kallen steps towards the car. She can see herself in one of the reflective windows; clad in an austere suit that she has never worn before, tailored for the occasion. It fits perfectly; a model Britannian, she is. Walking past the taunting mirror, she takes her place in the car. "Good morning, father," she greets, resorting to formality -- the only langauge she believes she can share with him.
[15:00] He nods, not speaking, but as Kallen turns to close the door, the reflection tells her that he spends longer than necessary looking at her, before nodding again, this time to himself.
[15:00] "You've made a list of the topics you wish explained, as well as questions that remained after the presentation?" Stanley asks, after giving the order to drive.
[15:01] "I've come prepared," replies Kallen. A notepad in her inside pocket exists to remind her, if necessary. "Will you be leaving it all to me?"
[15:03] "We'll be working together," he responds, a shift from the previous stance. "I will handle the financial matters; you would be in charge of operations at this phase."
[15:06] "Regarding that, where will the bulk of the responsibility for the distribution of any finished product lie?"
[15:09] "You shouldn't worry about that," Stanley tells Kallen, looking outside through the limo's tinted windows. "By that stage, you would have complete control over the project."
[15:13] A blonde looking only a few years older than Kallen is there to meet them when Kallen and her father arrive at the facility. Her nametag reads as Stephanie Miller, and she introduces herself as the head of public relations.
[15:13] "Well, now," Stephanie says as the initial greetings have been exchanged. "Who will be joining me on the tour?"
[15:18] After a brief pause, Kallen steps forward. "I shall be," she states, assuming her father would have already said as much if he intended to participate.
[15:21] He casts an approving look at her, although Kallen doubts anyone not familiar with the man would interpret it as such. A man exits the building, clad in a black suit, and Stanley heads towards him with a nod at Stephanie and Kallen.
[15:21] "Is there anything you would like to see first?" Stephanie asks.
[15:24] "A summary of how this facility is segmented to begin with," decides Kallen. "After that, I would like to inspect the primary containment unit first."
[15:30] Nodding, Stephanie gestures towards the entrance and begins walking. The building itself is several floors high, the only one in the barbed wire-warded facility. "None of us actually stay on the grounds," she explains, "and it was decided that concentrating the various departments around the main laboratory complex would improve efficiency and productivity, thus cutting costs.
[15:30] As a result, we make do with a single structure, some areas of it are shared, and as such, segments might be a wrong word to address the spaces each department has for itself."
[15:32] Kallen follows the woman with short, precise steps. "I see. What departments are present, and roughly how many people are on staff here during the main working hours?"
[15:37] "We employ eighty three people, although only half of them, forty two, are researchers. The rest fill other important positions, most of them in security in some way," Stephanie responds, matching her speed to Kallen's. "The scientists are divided into four roughly equal group, each studying an aspect of our product to find applications for it.
[15:37] The strategic thought committee examines their progress routinely and sets new goals for the department heads to meet or work towards, should a change become necessary."
[15:39] "Are the scientists divided based on their fields of expertise, or are they roughly equivalent to one another?"
[15:41] "As the fields of study overlap, the only real division a non-scientist might spot in the work the departments do is one between civillian and military applications," Stephanie confides in her. "Each department is more geared towards one of the two, and thus tends to have likeminded staff on its roster."
[15:43] "It sounds as though the clash of goals might cause some friction."
[15:46] "None at all!" Stephanie is quick to reassure Kallen. "As matter of fact, much of our society's current progress has been made as a result of wartime technology finally making its way to the general public in new and exciting applications! Here, we have a unique opportunity to skip past that slow step and utilize our resources properly to achieve this all that sooner."
[15:48] "It's good to hear we don't require an actual war to proceed," admits Kallen. "So, what projects are being worked on at present?"
[15:54] "We currently have only one department studying anything with military applications, which would be work on the V-series second generation nerve agent," Kallen is told. The insides of the facility where they pass seem rather drab and no decoration of note exists, though the grounds are kept clean, she can see.
[15:54] "Another, working closely with them, is trying to tailor a short-term innoculation to it which could be distributed ahead of time. Due to the importance of Knightmares on the battlefield, we believe both would find a use with specialized teams or the police, to put down riots in the most humane way possible."
[15:57] "Nerve agents? Knockout gas, I suppose?"
[16:02] "The second generation attempts to increase the potency without losing any of the properties of the original which made it such a popular hit with the armies of old," Stephanie responds. "Next, we have the cosmetics section -- we are about to pass it, in fact." Stephanie gestures to her left, where there is a door Kallen would not be able to tell from the rest.
[16:02] "It is the project closest to fruition. We have already found a way to encourage the skin cells to regenerate, making one look ten years younger with ease. The issue that must be overcome is the freshness of the cosmetics, for it to become a viable commercial product, but we are very optimistic about solving that last hurdle!"
[16:06] "If so, it would be popular across the empire." Normally, Kallen would dismiss such a statement as grandiose advertising. Given what she knows about this facility already, however, it seems like the claim might indeed be true, which makes it no less a waste of effort than if it wasn't, to her estimation.
[16:08] Stephanie beams at her. "We are diligently working to deliver it to them, rest assured of that."
[16:14] "Naturally. I'm glad to see that the work being carried out at present is more about the practical rather than the theoretical," responds Kallen, sounding rather severe. "However, I believe the final project is the one we're most interested in..."
[16:19] Stephanie's smile droops for the briefest of moments, but she recovers swiftly. "Ah yes, the Metushelah project. I'm afraid it is the theoretical one, headed by Doctor Jean Balsam. It is nowhere near practical stage yet." Her words sound as if she doubts it ever will be.
[16:21] "Is the good doctor present here today? I'd like to have a word with her later," responds Kallen, promptly dismissing Stephanie's nay-saying.
[16:23] "That's right," Stephanie responds. "All the department heads have made themselves available today."

<--->

<--->

"Very good. I'd like to speak with them after I've had a chance to see the containment module for... Lilith, I believe she was called. This facility was established primarily with her in mind, yes?"

"Yes, you've mentioned a desire to observe the primary containment unit for the test subject, Miss Stadtfeld," Stephanie agrees, pausing. "However, it is in a restricted area, obviously, so you would need to undergo a briefing on the safety measures. Perhaps you would like to do that after you have examined our facilities?"

She seems to be waiting on Kallen to decide the next point of their tour.

"No, that can wait," replies Kallen, shaking her head. "I of course have an interest in the various projects, but this is the most important part of the facility. Let us proceed with the briefing."

She produces a notepad and flips through it to a page with a few notes scrawled down. "There have been problems in the past with containment of the subject. The measures taken to solve these issues are of most importance, and best discussed when they are close at hand."

Stephanie continues to smile, and leads Kallen through a long corridor towards a room. Though she hadn't contacted anyone during the trip -- that Kallen could see, at least -- an image is being projected over the white screen taking up most of the opposite wall. Comfortable chairs have been set up facing it, two in number.

The presentation is headlined with 'Safety'.

Kallen takes a seat, preparing herself for what will likely be a rather dull (but possibly important) lecture.

The lights dim, and Kallen is aware of Stephanie's presence behind her.

The presentation is brief, only taking up all of fifteen minutes. The basic information is detailed first concisely. Kallen learns that there are three relevant security perimeters, and that crossing the second requires special clearance that must be reissued periodically after exhaustive psychological and physical tests. Stephanie interjects quietly, saying that in Kallen's case, this otherwise rigid requirement was wavered by the management this once.

The last perimeter is not to be crossed except in emergencies. Kallen gets the idea that doing so would be hazardous to one's health, and was only planned with only imminent containment breach in mind as the absolutely last means of stopping it.

Next, she is shown the chamber. It is rather disappointing at first glance. A large see-through octagon is placed in the center of the room. Five elongated modules that remind Kallen of metal coffins, sleek and shiny, extend from what is identified as the core, forming a star. It's not real footage, but rather computer-generated animation.

The camera moves back, and Kallen sees that a circular chamber looking much like a donut goes all around the innermost room. She's struck with how there is no privacy; only the floor and ceiling block light. The walls, such as they are, happen to all be entirely see-through.

The bulk of the actual equipment appears to be behind the last layer. Here, sections are finally closed off from one another. There are four in number. Stephanie fills in, perhaps needlessly, that each is intended for the use of one department.

"All the departments access the subject through proxies? Am I correct in suspecting she isn't directly handled by any of the teams?" queries Kallen, scrawling her own diagram of the design in her notebook.

"That was one of the conclusions reached by our analysis of the accident you've mentioned, Miss Stadtfeld," Stephanie responds. "Right now, no one is allowed near the core itself."

"Can you tell me more about the accident? I'm not aware of the details at this time." Kallen pauses. "If there are reports or logs I can view, that would also be fine."

Stephanie hesitates. "I'm afraid that the logs have been accidentally destroyed during a routine systems check. The IT department head had been severely reprimanded for this oversight, and his wages were docked."

"Unfortunate," replies Kallen, her tone clearly disapproving. "Nonetheless, can you give me an account of what occured?"

The lights come back on, and Stephanie rounds the chairs to face Kallen. "Of course, Miss Stadtfeld. Two members of our security force identified a possible breach and approached the test subject's chambers. They were not trained in the use of specialized protective gear. As such, they did not have clearance to enter the premises, but our internal investigation revealed that they may not have been aware of that fact, being recently new on the job." She frowns ever so slightly. "As it happens, there was a containment breach in progress, but the two panicked as the automated security protocols engaged and attempted to correct the situation manually. Their actions damaged the computers in charge of the process, which alerted our researchers, but by the time they arrived it was already too late to do anything for the security men who had gone in."

"In some part, it comes down to a regrettable, but fundamentally human error," replies Kallen. "Even a short exposure is lethal, correct?"

"That is correct."

"What caused the original breach in question?"

"Regrettably, the systems in charge of containment were too heavily damaged. We've also lost several days's worth of data in the process, as we could not afford to keep an independant, secure backup facility at the time."

"You must have had some idea," responds Kallen, gesturing to the projection. "It would be difficult to compensate for future breaches without knowing how they have occured in the past."

"We believe that the materials we used for containment were themselves eroding over time," Stephanie responds. "We have since switched to a new alloy and have devised methods for oversight."

"What did you suspect was the cause of this erosion?"

"The liquid solution used to keep the test subject sedated and docile."

Kallen nods, and stands up from the (admittedly comfortable) chair. With a snap, her notebook closes and is slipped back into her pocket. "I see. I've no other questions for now. Let's proceed."

With a smile, Stephanie leads the way. There is no way to access the core without passing through one of the research areas, and the one she chooses is the cosmetics division. Stephanie gets more than her share of smiles and friendly greetings, and then they pass through and reach a metal door. Stephanie slides her magnetic card through a slot near the entrance, and the door raises into the ceiling.

A small, elevator-sized chamber awaits, and Stephanie steps inside, gesturing for Kallen to follow.

Kallen strides after her, briefly glancing aroudn the cosmetics section as she walks and favouring those inside with her own smile, small as it is.

Contrary to popular opinion, the scientists working on cosmetics are not in dire need of them. They return Kallen's greetings politely, but for the most part keep their distance.

"This is just a security procedure," Stephanie says, as the door slides closed. The main lights in the cramped chamber go off, as red emergency lights take over for them. Kallen can hear air compressors at work.

"Better safe than sorry, especially in this case," is all Kallen has to say to that.

The door onwards opens just as the lights return, and as Kallen steps out the inner chamber is revealed to her in all its sterile glory. There is the core, and the five modules connected to it, the donut-shaped corridor surrounding it, containing monitors and other equipment. A difference becomes apparent from the presentation, however. The core is not see-through, but dark red in color.

"The core is not transparent?" asks Kallen, with some surprise.

"We've found that this method of containment gets better results," Stephanie tells her.

An alarm sounds.

"This is routine," Stephanie immediately speaks.

"Is there a way to view the interior despite that? A camera, I suppose?"

<--->

<--->

[23:16] "Please wait here, Miss Stadtfeld," Stephanie requests, ignoring Kallen's question in the process, and makes her way to a red phone mounted on the outer wall near the exit.
[23:17] Kallen assumes her actions will answer her question soon enough, and turns to look back at the red-shielded core.
[23:19] The red is moving, as if following some sort of current.
[23:19] "Who scheduled this experiment?" Stephanie is saying, just barely audible from Kallen's position. She sounds agitated. "Everything was to be suspended for the tour!"
[23:24] It shouldn't be dangerous, theoretically, or Stephanie would already be heading back to the elevator. But Kallen isn't the type to stay put. Depending on the way Stephanie's conversation goes, she might just intervene and take the phone from her.
[23:28] "That woman!" Stephanie exclaims, the word sounding like a curse. "But with the third pillar in the state it is--"
[23:28] There is a thump, audible through the inner wall.
[23:30] Kallen doesn't lose her serious and collected mask as she approaches the guide. It isn't personal, so this much is simple to maintain. "The containment is complete, yes?" she queries, with a frown. "May I?" she adds, reaching for the phone.
[23:32] "Yes, of course," Stephanie says with practiced ease. Kallen can't detect a note of hesitation in the woman's voice.
[23:32] The thumping sound repeats. A hand is pressed against the octagonal core, chasing away the red.
[23:32] Stephanie's complexion loses a bit of its color.
[23:37] In that moment, Kallen takes the phone from her hands. "This is Kallen Statdfeld. Just what is going on in there?" she demands, as if commanding a maid at home. "Be precise."
[23:43] "Please hold," an unfamiliar voice informs Kallen, and it sounds as if the other side was muted.
[23:43] 'Are you there?'
[23:43] The words simply spring up in Kallen's mind.
[23:47] Kallen's mask drops for an instant, betraying her sudden fury at being dismissed so. Reminding herself that she is indeed here, she glances back towards the hand pressing against the window. "Well?" she asks, this time for Stephanie's benefit.
[23:50] "We're currently under lockdown, I'm afraid," Stephanie says, sounding accomodating. Her gaze falls on the hand pressed persistently against the core's envelop and she pales even further. "Under our revised security protocols, there are no overrides."
[23:53] "We can't get out, I take it," replies Kallen, irritably. "Normal procedure for experiments?" she adds, handing the phone back to Stephanie. "I thought she was meant to be kept insensate."
[23:56] "There is a slight malfunction within the pillar system," Stephanie responds, losing some of her composure. "It is minor and cannot affect anything past the second layer. Our technicians are working on it, trying to stablize the third's link--" She trails off abruptly, her eyes drawn to the core.
[00:04] "Incredible. You knew all this, and didn't think to inform me before we entered?" replies Kallen, more angry than scared. She shakes her head, and turns back to the glass. "What happens to us if the first layer is broken?" And the girl inside is awake. The hand on the glass tells Kallen exactly what she thinks of her own situation. But if she's that dangerous just by existing...
[00:06] Stephanie does not respond.
[00:06] 'You are there.'
[00:06] Another thought appears in Kallen's head, this time as a statement rather than a question.
[00:10] Kallen raises her hand to her head, backing a step away from the glass. Her thoughts aren't her own. What is this, that exportation of psychological illnesses- or something complex like that. She's certainly here, and she's definately not going anywhere. Does that mean she gets to die?
[00:12] Mechanically, Stephanie approaches the inner wall. Her hands ball into fists, arms raising, and then she slams them against the barrier. It doesn't seem to achieve anything, but she repeats the motion time after time.
[00:12] 'Help me.'
[00:12] Kallen realizes that there is a voice speaking to her, belonging to a young woman.
[00:16] "You want out?" Kallen finds herself saying. "I'll get you out!" she decides right there and then. She'd already decided this three months ago, but the matter of compensating for cirumstances still remained. She approaches the red barrier herself, hoping for a closer look.
[00:18] A sigil flashes through Kallen's mind as she closes the distance, reminding her of the letter V.
[00:18] 'I want out,' the voice confirms. 'Get me out.'
[00:21] The core would be sealed, making it difficult to get inside. The voice isn't natural, Kallen already knew, and that abruptly causes a lot of things to make sense to her. "But.. you kill people," she states, glancing around the second layer for a possible way to enter the first.
[00:24] As the presentation detailed, there is a single access point into the innermost chamber. A keypad is by its side, and a sequence of numbers appears in Kallen's mind.
[00:24] 'I defend myself,' the voice protests.
[00:28] That is, indeed, a viewpoint Kallen can understand. Not quite herself, she advances on the keypad, though most of her will does remain her own. Who wouldn't strike back when attacked, and who wouldn't want to break their imprisonment, anyway?
[00:32] The system accepts the code Kallen inputs, and the door opens. Off to its side, Kallen feels a sudden, strong pull as air rushes into the inner chamber. Her ears pop.
[00:34] She braces herself with a hand against the doorframe, before she swallows. She doesn't feel like she's about to die- but you wouldn't, would you, until it happens? A bullet, a knife or a shell can kill you in an instant when you don't know it's coming. Still, she walks inside the chamber, closer towards the reddish core.
[00:37] The air is thin. Kallen feels light-headed.
[00:37] 'You're close,' the voice tells her, sounding desperate and encouraging at the same time.
[00:38] The distance isn't far, she knows. But how is she supposed to open that thing? There should be a switch or a release, somewhere...
[00:40] There is no way, Kallen instinctively understands. The only controls in this chamber exist to purge the core.
[00:40] Kallen feels a very strong need to touch the core where the test subject's palm is visible, pressing against it from within.
[00:41] Brute force could work! If only she had a Knightmare, then matters would be simple. What a stupid thought to have, she wonders to herself, pressing her hand against the containment unit.
[00:45] "Hello." Why had she thought the voice belonged to a woman? What stands there facing her is a teenage girl Kallen's age. No, not quite standing. They both are floating in a black void. "Welcome," the girl speaks again. Her smooth green hair goes well past her feet, easily twice her height, while her eyes are a soft amber. "I've been waiting for you."
[00:48] "W-w-w-w-w-what is this?!" shrieks Kallen, her ordinary faculties snapping back full-force. "For me? Since when?"
[00:50] "Since I learned of you," the girl says patiently. It takes another moment to realize that all she has to preserve her modesty is her hair, floating all around her in the emptiness. She smiles, much like a child would. "I am very happy right now."
[00:52] This isn't the time. "Well, I wouldn't be too secure! I planned to free you eventually, but things aren't ready yet, and besides, it looks more like I'm the one trapped!"
[00:53] "I know." The green-haired girl doesn't sound worried. "I'm the one who trapped you."
[00:55] "Well, I can't do anything for you in here," replies Kallen, crossly ignoring her common sense. "And even if the core broke, somehow, there's the airlocks."
[00:56] "Everything you need is right here," the girl announces, pressing her hand against her chest. A sigil glows red on her forehead. "Because there is indirect contact, this is made possible."
[00:59] "Something strong enough to break through those doors? What is it?" queries Kallen, not quite comprehending.
[01:02] "Something strong enough to break through those doors. To break through the glass ceiling of the Japanese. To dethrone Charles di Britannia!" The girl's voice becomes more impassioned as she speaks. "It is a power I have, a power I can give you for my freedom. Such is the contract."
[01:03] "You really can read minds, can't you?" queries Kallen, frowning. "I'm fine with that, but what do you intend to do once you're free?"
[01:04] "I'll follow you, and become your ally," she responds. "Because I'm Lucille."
[01:05] "-huh. Yeah, that's not the kind of lie I'd expect. Then I'll do it, and worry about the aftermath later," replies Kallen, more calm than she can remember being. "But if you've toyed with my desires, I'll kill you myself."
[01:09] "I cannot die, even if I wanted to," she tells Kallen, the sigil glowing so brightly that it's paintful to look at. Kallen plummets into the void suddenly, and the girl's last words reach her, as she repeats, "Because I am Lucille...."
[01:11] Images flash by Kallen, appearing and disappearing without warning. Suddenly, her mind focuses on one scene, zooming in. Her father is there, as well as one of his aides.
[01:11] "How far does he plan on dragging the Stadtfeld honor through the mud?" her father asks, sounding angry, an emotion it is rare for him to show.
[01:11] "Don't worry, Baron," the man by his side says curtly, bowing. "The matter will be settled."
[01:15] It's Naoto they're talking about. Her father never gets angry at anything else. But what's this about settling things...
[01:18] Another scene is shown to Kallen. That same aide approaches Kallen's father, who is seated in a leather chair in his office, overlooking the Tokyo settlement from height.
[01:18] "It was a car accident. There were no witnesses. The police report will show that he had been drinking." Stanley moves in his seat, and as if anticipating that, the aide quickly adds, "That report would be under the name of Kozuki, as well as all official documentation."
[01:21] The possibility she didn't wish to consider is shown before her. It's not her fault, after all. It's her father's. And he dared to speak to her. A strange elation settles in her chest. There aren't any doubts left now, on any matter she can name.
[01:22] Knowledge flows into Kallen's mind as soon as her doubts disappear. Geass, the Power of the King. It is within her grasp, now.
[01:22] Kallen blanks out.
[01:25] <--->
[01:25] "Severe exposure--" "--no signs of genetic tampering." "This never happened before--" "--must have been the gas!"
[01:25] Fragments are all Kallen catches as she drifts in and out of consciousness.
[01:26] She can't concentrate on such things. What was this about power? That's why she was willing to endure this in the first place, because the powerless can't change a thing...
[01:32] Geass. That word allows Kallen to find focus. The Power of Absolte Empathy. With it, she can make others undergo the same suffering she had. With it, the Britannians in their shining towers can be made to understand the hurt, the anger, the resentment -- the pain -- that the Japanese went through, when they were trampled, shuffled off into run-down ghettos. Made serfs in their own land.
[01:32] Voices are arguing in the vicinity.
[01:33] "Risk of contamination?"
[01:33] "High. Her brain patterns are barely within tolerable levels. Lilith had to have come in contact with her! She cannot be allowed to live!"
[01:33] "We can't-- the funding for the project--"
[01:33] "The gas has a memory suppressant. This might prove unnecessary!"
[01:33] "What, pass whatever happened as a hallucination?"
[01:33] "Hallucinogens are being developed here, it's not beyond the pale!"
[01:36] A hallucinogen? Killing her? Killing Kallen, right when she has the very thing she's needed all this time? It's clearly time to wake up and hear out their lies. She murmurs, quietly, and starts to pull her body up.
[01:37] Kallen finds herself restrained. A face comes into view "Miss Stadtfeld? the woman in a white lab coat asks. "Do you know where you are?"
[01:40] "Where I... am?" she asks, twisting her head about.
[01:42] "You're safe at the medical center of Holy Grail, Miss Stadtfeld," the woman informs Kallen, who finds out she is in a white straightjacket. "This was placed on you for your own safety," she is told once the woman notices her realization. "What is the last thing you remember?"
[01:42] "I was... making a phone call, I think," she replies, dazedly. "Then I was put on hold."
[01:47] The woman looks beyond Kallen's field of vision, before smiling reassuringly at her. "I'm afraid that you've had a brief brush with what is called an anticholinergic agent, which made you experience a toxic reaction known as acute anticholinergic syndrom. It is completely reversible with the proper treatment, however, which we have already administered to you."
[01:48] "So I'm fine now?" asks Kallen, automatically. "My senses are clearing up."
[01:49] "Yes, any sensations caused by the disassosiative should disappear within a matter of days."
[01:50] "Can you get this thing off me, then?" she asks, glancing down at the straitjacket. She won't be staying here long, that's for sure.
[01:51] "Ah, of course," she says, hastily beginning to do as Kallen had requested. The tugging feeling is unpleasant.
[01:53] "What exactly happened?" asks Kallen, bearing it for now. "That tour guide was with me. Was she alright?"
[01:56] "Naturally," another person speaks. She comes into view as Kallen's arms are finally freed, revealing herself to be Jean. A hiss alerts Kallen to a door opening farther down the room, the view blocked by the woman.
[01:56] "The hermetic seal from the cosmetics lab failed for reasons we are still investigating. You two, who were farther from the epicenter, received a lighter dose and should recover completely in no time."
[01:59] "Were there other victims?"
[02:01] "The scientists in that lab are all being treated. Recovery will take longer, that is all. It wasn't a lethal dose." Jean sounds dismissive of them, as if those scientists were beneath her.
[02:01] There is the sound of footsteps. "Are you well, Kallen?" Stanley asks, coming over to the bed.
[02:02] "Yes. I'm fine," replies Kallen, sounding rather pleased to see her father. "I don't think I need to rest or anything."
[02:04] "Is this true?" he asks, addressing the woman in the lab coat.
[02:04] She nods hesitantly. "Miss Stadtfeld can be released, but I recommend bed rest for twenty-four hours to be on the safe side."
[02:07] Kallen disagrees with this prognosis, and she swings her legs out of the bed to demonstrate. "How long was I out?"
[02:08] "Five hours," Stanley tells her. Kallen's body feels perfectly fit.
[02:11] She nods to herself, checking out what she's wearing. "Right. Let's just go. There's obviously some things we need to talk about, later."
[02:13] It's not something Kallen would ever wear in public of her own will, but the straightjacket covers her body and, now that her limbs have been freed, she can move well enough in it.
[02:14] "Ah. Yes. Change of clothes, first," she adds, glancing angrily at the nearest doctor. "Geez. Was I convulsing or something? I'm not sore or anything, so probably not, but geez."
[02:16] "You--" Jean begins to say, but the other woman swiftly takes over with, "--it wasn't anything severe, but we felt the precaution was warranted."
[02:20] Kallen is supplied with a change of clothes, as her own have been contaminated, according to the explanation from the Holy Grail medical team. After that, a limousine takes Kallen and her father home. Stanley spends the entire trip in silence, although near its end, he asks her, "Do you really feel alright, Kallen?"
[02:22] "I am well enough. But I had no wish to remain in their care," replies Kallen, sounding rather cross. "I have some things I want to discuss with you at home, on that note."
[02:23] He nods, letting the conversation end there. Once at the Stadtfeld residence, he strides through the foyer. "You should have returned three hours ago!" Cleopatra complains, but Stanley does not even glance in her direction, proceeding straight into his study.
[02:24] Ah, the secondary target. She can remain an eyesore for a little longer, Kallen muses, giving her a bored look before proceeding after her father.
[02:25] The doors close after Kallen. Her father stands by the window, looking outside.
[02:26] "They are deceiving us," Kallen states, checking the door. They won't be disturbed in here, she knows. "Rather blatantly, if I may say so."
[02:26] He does not move. "How so?"
[02:29] "By all indications, the results promised to us originally remain a distant dream. Additionally, solid information surrounding the previous incident has vanished, in a variety of ways. It is clear they are hiding things from us." Kallen snorts. "Even I will notice when it is so obvious."
[02:31] "They are cutting corners," her father comments. "However, they can deliver on the medicinal front within two years. That much seems to be true."
[02:33] "How do you know?"
[02:34] "I examined the data, same as you. Kallen, what is your basis for stating that our newest acquisition is far from achieving our goals?"
[02:43] "Did I state that?" asks Kallen, raising an eyebrow. "It is a matter of attitude. The guide did not believe that project was of merit, and that doctor in particular is not respected. The organisation itself doesn't believe it's possible, and seek to use our funds for their other projects." She shakes her head. "There's also the matter of the test subject herself. If my hypothesis is correct-
[02:44] "-medicine is probably the last thing on their minds."
[02:45] "The matter of the test subject?"
[02:46] "Yes. But before we talk about that, I'd like to talk about our family," remarks Kallen, almost casually.
[02:48] Stanley remains silent, his back rigid, for almost a minute. "Go on."
[02:52] "Stadtfeld. Once it's under our name, it's also under our protection. Only the three of us are left, now... ah, what am I saying? It's been that way for years... but I never asked. Father, why did you come for us in the first place?"
[02:56] "One day, you will understand that, Kallen," he responds. "Was that all?"
[03:03] "No. Because I need to understand today," replies Kallen, shaking her head. "I just don't get it. You came out all this way to find us. Did it make you feel good to.. save us, I guess that's how it must've seemed to you." She snorts. "Rejecting that wasn't such an unnatural thing for Naoto to do, I guess. I'm not that stupid. But it makes me wonder if it was out of love or duty."
[03:04] "Consider it what you wish," he says curtly, still not facing her.
[03:08] "I won't leave until I receive a proper answer." Kallen's voice is rising, and she steps forward. "Was it because we were dangerous, perhaps?"
[03:11] "There must have been side-effects after all," Stanley mutters to himself, finally turning around. "Kallen, you are not yourself. You should get some rest. I'll call for Jonathan to take you to your room. We can discuss our acquisition afterwards."
[03:14] "No. We will discuss why you killed Naoto right now," replies Kallen, her voice rising slightly, almost heedless of the others living within the house. "But it's clearly meaningless to ask you with words." She has this power, doesn't she? Then now is the time to use it. Her Father never understood Naoto, or what he and Kallen lost. She'll show him why this sense of noblesse oblige is so fake-
[03:15] -she'll show him every reason Britannia deserves their hatred, how everything that was lost can't match up to what was gained!
[03:20] Stanley reaches for the phone, perhaps to make good on his... offer? Threat? He stops, however, as a red sigil in the shape of a bird taking flight appears in Kallen's right eye.
[03:26] Kallen recalls it all, now. How peaceful, how idyllic her life had been in Japan, with her mother and big brother. And how utterly crushed she, as a young girl, was crushed the same time Britannia invaded with its knightmares. The horror of seeing your world destroyed before your very eyes.
[03:26] The despair of struggling to survive, while watching others, far too many others, who don't make it. The shame of concealing who she is, no matter where she is. The uncertainty of not truly belonging anywhere, of being an alien, an outsider in both Britannia and Japan.
[03:26] The stabbing loss of one's name and identity, as Japan is renamed Area 11, as Kozuki Kallen becomes a Stadtfeld. The pain of losing a beloved older brother.
[03:29] Stanley's body spasms, as he backs away. His elbow smashes through the window, sending shards of glass outside.
[03:39] It resurges something in Kallen herself. She hadn't had the freedom to feel this angry for such a long time. The lies she was fed. The lies she had to tell. She had to live in this fake household for the sake of those who didn't survive, just waiting powerlessly for a chance to come- watching her mother was the worst. She couldn't even bear the same name anymore!
[03:42] A distant father who saw her and her brother only as tools. He couldn't see that he was a symbol of the thieves that stole everything from her. He told her lies about protecting the family, but all he cared about was a title! He'd even kill his own son to protect a mere name- no being like that deserved respect. True nobility could never be so cold! The hypocrisy of it is something to be scorned.
[03:46] A strangled scream escapes from Stanley's throat, and he collapses brokenly on the floor, his body continuing to seize. Over her emotional high -- now, Kallen can identify her state for what it is -- the redhead hears people rushing towards the study.
[03:49] What were the effects- Kallen isn't sure. Was it too overwhelming? Probably. Her eyes shoot up in panic, and she glances towards the door.
[03:51] The sudden panic snaps Kallen out of her high, sending her crashing. It's hard to breathe, her chest constricting.
[03:51] "Baron Stadtfeld! Are you alright, My Lord?" a voice asks urgently from the other side of the door.
[03:54] No, she's stronger than this! Kallen tries to push herself up, it'll be bad if she's not in good shape when they come in!
[03:55] The door flies open. Men clad in black. Security. Three of them are at the doorway.
[03:58] She can't think rationally in this state! Was it because this ability was reciprocal? She certainly looks shocked and speechless, and security doesn't know her like the maids or Cleo does, as long as she can masquerade as healthy in front of them...
[04:01] With a cry of "My Lord!" two of the men rush to Stanley's side. One of them kneels, while the other presses a hand against his ear, no doubt listening to instructions coming in through his earpiece.
[04:01] "Miss Stadtfeld," the remaining man speaks sharply, moving towards Kallen. "What happened here? We heard shouting...."
[04:02] "W-we were talking, and then he just started convulsing," stammers Kallen, looking up at the security officer. "He wasn't mad or anything, I think it might be a heart attack!"
[04:06] "The front yard, six minutes. Understood," the man standing by her father says clearly, kneeling next to Stanley as well. "We have to take the Baron outside. A medical helicopter will be here to evacuate Lord Stadtfeld soon." He adds something too quiet for Kallen to overhear, and the other man beside him parts Stanley's lips, placing something in his mouth. They pick him up.
[04:06] "Are you alright, Ma'am?" Kallen is asked. "You look a little pale."
[04:09] "Well, I'm- why do you think I'm pale?!" replies Kallen, her voice cracking.
[04:10] Her father is carried past her, outside the door. A small shard of glass falls from his suit, landing on the floor in front of Kallen.
[04:14] She doesn't feel regret. For the one who killed her brother for the sake of callow status, no amount of atonement would be enough. Her gaze lingers on the glass for a moment, before she clasps her fingers together. "I'm going to my room. Have someone call me when you know Father's condition," she instructs, starting to take steps back towards her sancutary in this place. Her place, really.

<--->

<--->

[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.

<--->

<--->

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.

<--->

<--->

[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.

<--->

<--->

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.

<--->

<--->

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."

<--->

<--->

[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."

<--->

<--->

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."

<--->

<--->

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.

<--->

<--->

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.

<--->

<--->

[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."

<--->

<--->

"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."

<--->

<--->

[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."

<--->

<--->

"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!"

<--->

<--->

"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!"

<--->

<--->

"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.

<--->

<--->

"If you're busy, we can take it," offers Kallen, glancing at Jean.

"Take it?" Melanie asks, glancing at Kallen curiously. "Ah, yes. This is Summers from Preventative Care. Listen, we've got some sort of glitch here."

Jean looks stoic to Kallen's eyes. If there were an identifiable emotion in her at that time, it would be mild curiousity.

"The call, I meant. Never mind," replies Kallen, shrugging, and waiting for the results of the call.

"Right. Right." Melanie is nodding as she listens. "I see. Thanks, guys."

She hangs up, and her pleasant demeanor changes as she grabs Kallen's hands. "This is bad!"

"What is bad?" replies Kallen, sounding slightly strained.

"They weren't following protocol!" Melanie whispers harshly. "Something must've gone wrong. We have to get out of here, and quickly!"

Kallen grits her teeth. It can't have been Inoue, she should be gatecrashing the security room around about now. Which means someone else is playing a game.

"You go on out. I'll let people know what's going on," says Kallen. "Security's probably been compromised, so just get clear."

"What people?" Melanie asks, looking around the empty lab. "Maybe you don't understand, but the person who answered me said... he said he was new...."

She trails off, looking at Kallen in apprehension.

"What exactly did he say?" asks Kallen, frowning. "It's not a containment fault we're talking about, is it?"

The question snaps Melanie out of her slight daze. "He said it was a routine lockdown for testing purposes." She shakes her head empathically. "That would never happen!"

Jean nods, off to the side. "Bullshit reason. An outsider might give or receive it, but there's nothing routine about across-the-board security measures."

Gritting her teeth, Kallen reaches for her phone. "Hold on a second," she says, heading for the door and starting to call Inoue.

"This is a bad time," Inoue says, picking up after two rings. Kallen picks up on a hum behind her, usually assosiated with heavily-ventilated electronics.

"All the entrances have been locked out. I can't get in until you get the security people to unlock them. It sounds as though they've already been compromised," replies Kallen.

"Ah, no," Inoue responds, sounding harried. "That would be us. Give us a couple minutes."

The door into the corridor opens, Melanie leaving the lab through it.

With a quick glance to make sure nobody else is around, Kallen grabs Melaine by the neck with one arm and across the face with the other, putting her into a sleeper hold and making it impossible for her to cry out. She promptly drags her back into the lab, kicking the door shut behind her, and chokes the scientist until she's knocked out.

Melanie flails in Kallen's arms, but the shock of being grasped and Kallen's training make all the difference, allowing the redhead to subdue the older scientist.

"Nice," Jean deadpans, arms crossed over her chest.

The door to the lab swings shut.

Kallen lugs the scientist into a corner of the room and drops her behind a console, before turning back to Jean. "The others should open this up in a couple minutes. Try again then," she says. shaking off her wrist.

"Something went wrong?" Jean asks, not seeming too concerned over the fate of her fellow researcher.

"Yeah. Not sure if some security person locked things down, or the others did by accident," replies Kallen, edgily. "There's no alarms going off, so we can wait and see for a bit."

"Or there's a silent alarm and things are pretty bad," Jean says helpfully. "For what it's worth, I don't think that would be the case. It's far more likely your team was too lax, or the security personnel was on the ball. At the same time, there couldn't have been enough time to do much, not with the plan we have developed."

"Wouldn't they have a panic button, at the least?"

"No panic button is ever truly absolute," Jean responds, "since it could always be hit by accident. And people being who they are, they often leave the passcodes for overriding it within reach. No one truly wants to consider a violent hostile takeover out of the blue, but being fired for locking down the facility without the means to undo it has to occupy their minds at least once in a while."

"Ruins the point of it all, really," mutters Kallen, wandering to Melanie's console to see what she was doing before she was interrupted.

"Not that I'm complaining."

"I suppose," Jean agrees. "Are you any different? If I were to search your room, would it be impossible for me to discover the password to your personal computer?"

Kallen guesses it involves simulations of some sort. One is close to finishing.

"My computer and a high-security facility are two very different things!"

"Yes, they have the expectation of security and privacy, here," Jean agrees sarcastically. "While you how many maids?"

"I never use the thing anyway. If important things were on it, I'd use it more often and wouldn't need to write my code down," replies Kallen.

Jean smirks. The simulation finds this time to end, displaying a graph. A prompt requires user input, though for the life of her Kallen isn't certain which values to feed into the parameters displayed.

Kallen's phone rings as she contemplates the screen.

"I'm here," answers Kallen, having no idea what's going on and stepping away from the screen.

"It's some sort of security measure," Inoue tells her from the other side of the line. "Seems like they run the IDs of anyone coming in, and ours got flagged. Long story short, we took over so quickly the goons over here didn't even have chance to act upon it, but being this effective ended up working against us, since we have no idea how to deactivate this without merely causing more trouble for us all." Her voice turns accusing as she points out, "Your Britannian friend didn't tell us about this feature."

"Everything else was detailed- dammit. One moment," replies Kallen, turning to Jean. "Why didn't you tell us that our IDs would be flagged on entry? It's triggered the lockdown and we can't undo it as is."

"Didn't know," Jean responds simply, frowning. She's irritated, though she manages to keep it out of her voice, perhaps due to the curtness of her reply.

"I wouldn't say we can't undo it," Inoue interjects. "Actually, things might work out well enough, but we'll need to deviate from the plan. This lockdown affects more than our destination; as long as we play it up as a routine systems check or something equally full of technobabble, we might keep the personnel here divided while we breach through the outer shell of that observation deck in force."

"If we can seal off the areas we won't be going through and keep our escape route clear, then we won't run into any trouble while we go to work, right?"

"We can't seal off everything, since that would be pretty obvious, not to mention require our intervention. But many of the key sections are already in lockdown, and one of us could stay here while you work on that outer shell and Tamaki goes to direct traffic from the spots still accessable."

There is a muffled exclamation Kallen can't make out.

"Alright. I'll get to work now. Should only take me a few minutes," responds Kallen, digging in her bag for her equipment and heading for the containment entrance.

Kallen had practiced placing the substance, although nothing quite feels the same when she has to do it for real. Jean vacates the premises altogether, ostensively to be on the lookout, and then Kallen is ready to execute her plan.

The charges were already partitioned out. Affixing three of them to various joints of the door, Kallen sets the fuses for only a few seconds, before backing a safe distance away and averting her gaze- the stuff isn't so much loud as bright, as she recalls.

It is not a true explosion, Kallen remembers, although her goals are achieved just as well as the thermite reacts, burning a rough oval shape through the door. A simple kick would displace the metal in its center, now, allowing one to proceed.

Bashing it down is child's play to Kallen, and she slips through the improptu entrance, leaving the sterile, but clean lab for the more bleak-seeming observation deck.

She has to repeat this one more time in the small, claustrophobic booth serving as a decontainment unit. It smells of burnt metal, but Kallen endures, and another flash later she stands on the observation deck looking in. No one else is in attendance.

Of course, this doesn't take her close enough to get the real work done. Sparing only a few moments to glance around the confines, Kallen starts towards the central containment's entry point, wondering if the code is still the same, or if she'll have to force this door, too.

One thing is clear to Kallen; she can't force this door, not if she wants to have any thermite left for the containment unit itself. She's already stretching thin a supply that was supposed to be more than enough for two such jobs.

Then there's nothing for it but to try the code she used last time. Of course, she could try breaking the glass between her and the chamber if it comes down to that.

Two things happen as Kallen enters the code Lucille provided to her previously. The door unlocks with a hiss, and her phone rings.

"This is going to be a bad time very soon," notes Kallen, when she picks up.

"Three minutes," Inoue informs her, voice tight. "Some crap about a timed notice going out to all project heads. Nothing we can do about it short of crashing the entire system, and we can't crash the entire system."

"Understood. I'll meet you back at the van afterwards," replies Kallen, starting towards the central chamber.

"We're going after the other objective, abort if you can't get anywhere in time," Inoue says, before the call disconnects.

Dropping her phone back in her pocket, Kallen advances on the unit, ready to start placing her explosives.

"Are you there, Lucille?" she speaks to the otherwise-solid sphere. "Do you know I'm here?"

There is no discernable reaction. Kallen's head feels unusually light while in this chamber.

"Must be kept dormant when tests aren't being run," murmurs Kallen, rapidly affixing her remaining explosives the stress points on the equipment. She practiced this already, she drilled it in while staring at the blueprints. As long as Jean's hypothesis is correct...

As long as Lucille is a being that can regenerate from anything, there should be no problem, a small voice in the back of Kallen's mind whispers.

The flash heralds a breach of the containment module. Red liquid pours out, leaving Kallen standing ankle-deep in the stuff. It makes her want to heave.

Her nice white scientist pants are getting all stained, Kallen notes, trying not to choke or vomit- dammit, she's seen worse! She saw plenty of awful things, seven years ago! She can handle this.

Something floats out of the unit, brushing against the lower edge of the hole Kallen's thermite burnt through it. The distinct smell of sizzling flesh fills the thin air.

Or maybe she can't. Thinking of seven years ago might have been a mistake; it calls up some of Kallen's worst memories; some of people dying in front of her. Some of corpses, brought about by burns and bullets and shrapnel.

It's hard to reaffirm that she's doing the right thing, but her resolve hangs on by a thread. She slowly tries to approach the hole she's made, even as she starts to heavily cough.

Kallen makes waves as she struggles to reach the unit, and the body rocks along with them, giving her a better look for a brief instant. It is Lucille, and she is lying face down in the dark liquid.

It takes more effort than she cares to admit to try and do something as simple as turn the body around with shaking fingers, and she tries to pull the girl's head above the water. Kallen stares at the results of her handiwork, legs locked in place despite the urgency.

Her stomache is burnt badly, requiring urgent medical attention. Lucille's legs scrape against the hole's lower edges, trailing smoke, but Kallen doesn't pay much attention to that. It is taking all of her willpower to remain firm in the face of all the blood.

It's blood, her conscious mind realizes. Kallen is standing ankle-deep in blood, her sleeves splattered with it from her efforts of dragging Lucille out the rest of the way. Blood surrounds her from every direction.

There's so much. It's like the baths at Ashford. Slightly warm, a bit steamy. More clingy than water, though. "Just like a bath," Kallen murmurs, closing her eyes to her surroundings. She can ignore the sight that way, but the smell still permeates. "Goddamit, Shirley. You have to faint like this. Aren't you supposed to be on the swim team?"

There is no response, nor would she expect one. Closing the eyes helps some, although the smell remains. The blood continues to cling to Kallen's exposed limbs, almost eating away at her, and no amount of self-persuasion changes the skin-crawling sensation for the better.

If she doesn't get out of that place, and fast, Kallen's mind might not hold.

<--->

<--->

The room is not that big, Kallen reminds herself. There's only around five or six steps between her and the observation deck, which will be sterile, cold, and clean. Was clean.

Biles rises in her throat, and she can taste it spilling over, but she refuses to let it go any further before she finishes staggering out this red sea.

Dragging Lucille outside, Kallen stumbles, her head feeling light.

The hallucinogens, Kallen suddenly realises. Did they get released? Is the light-headedness just the depressants inside the containment?

It's difficult to concentrate, and once she pulls Lucille clear of the security door and the onslaught of fluid, she turns away and starts puking her guts out.

Everything is tinted with red, but Kallen can't focus. Lucille is lying motionless behind her, and she can feel her there, Kallen realizes before that thought as well is swept away.

Not again, she can't falter in here! Spitting the last of the bile away, Kallen bites down hard her her lip.

Blood. It's in the air itself, permeating it. As Kallen's teeth pierce her lower lip, it mixes in with hers--

Kallen's cheek stings, a sudden clarity instilled in her. As she comes to her senses, Kallen sees that the emergency red lights have kicked in, and the door to the containment unit had been sealed off. Jean is standing there facing her, once Kallen's eyes focus enough to see the doctor, hand raising to slap her again.

Kallen's hand grabs Jean by the wrist and squeezes for a second before she realises who's in front of her. She glances over her shoulder an instant later to see if Lucille is still there.

Lucille is still lying on the floor, probably where Kallen dropped her. And she's still dead.

"Back to your senses," Jean says matter-of-factly, nodding. "Good. You were in torpor."

"Torpor? How long?" asks Kallen, shaking away the last of her mugginess. First thing first.

"We're behind schedule," Jean informs her. Kallen notices that Jean is wearing a backpack. "By two whole minutes, if not more. I've never expected such a scenario, so I'm not even sure how the higher ups would respond. If it's that fool Asprius, he's predictable, but if not...."

"How long'd she take to get better? We have to start running now," responds Kallen, kneeling next to Lucille's body to try and pick it up.

"Beats me," Jean says. "Minutes we don't have, at a guess." She heads into the lab, stepping through the openings Kallen had created earlier.

Kallen grits her teeth, and reaches out to try and pick up Lucille again, before heading to the doors at a light jog. If they hurry, they should still make it to the van before security teams get all over them. If.

Getting Lucille through the holes is time-consuming, but Kallen succeeds in the task admirably. Jean is already waiting by the lab's entrance, looking outside. "No one's here so far," she tells Kallen.

"Alright. Alright. Carpark. We need to go there. Do you have a car? Doesn't matter, any will do," mutters Kallen. "I'd take point, but I bet you don't wanna carry her."

Jean gives the blood-covered corpse in Kallen's arms a dark look, and swiftly turns around, leading them through the complex. The red lights are flashing everywhere, but there is strangely no movement until they reach the exit.

"All vehicles would be in a separate building," Jean informs Kallen without looking back. "And we can't really bluff our way through. The brute force approach it is."

"Tell me when," replies Kallen, not really able to drag Lucille around and shoot straight at the same time.

"When," Jean says, and Kallen is unable to tell whether the doctor is being sarcastic or not. But then, Jean had already punched a sequence of numbers on the numpad, not even bothering with her card key, and the doors open an inch with a hiss. Jean pushes on them to open farther, and then grabs and pulls the rightmost one to make an acceptable exit; it doesn't seem to exert her much.

She slips outside, and so could Kallen, if she stepped sideways through with her charge.

Kallen slips after the doctor, glancing briefly through the door before pulling Lucille along with her.

The way to the garage seems clear, judging by Jean who is already halfway there. The gate to the facility had been lowered, Kallen tells. It's eerily quiet.

There hasn't been any opposition yet. It niggles at Kallen; if they were that late, surely alerts would have been raised and security is already en-route. As she starts out with Lucille, she keeps an eye out for places where someone could be in hiding, uncomfortably aware of how little she could do on reaction should someone pop out.

Jean disappears into the garage, a single-story building by the looks of it. Kallen had never had cause of visiting it, and it is separate from the main complex.

Glancing over her shoulder at the roof, Kallen continues after Jean.

Nothing. There is not a soul in sight.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jean's voice sounds as Kallen makes it all the way to the garage entrance. The scientist sounds slightly incredulous. "I am double-crossing the Foundation, of course!"

Dashing into the entrance after Jean, Kallen briefly adjusts her hat to make sure it's hiding her hair and glances at the conversation. She doesn't stop moving, though, heading towards the nearest suitable seeming-car- speed is important, but it must also be big enough!

A glorified valet is blocking Jean's way. Kallen is not used to them carrying weapons, however, and her movement catches his eye. The man startles, but then the gun begins to align on Kallen's form.

Kallen freezes on the spot, and stares at the man. The torrents of blood, so fresh in her mind- the loss of control, the fear, the need to *get out*. A second is all it will take to give the valet a taste.

His hand, already shaking, seems to convulse. He glances at the gun in it dumbly, before an almost blissful expression overcomes him.

Jean barely manages to turn her head away so that the valet's brains splash against her left cheek and not her face.

Snapping out of her reverie leads to a new horrifying sight. It's all Kallen can do to wipe it off her face before Jean can look at her. If she can't rely on her willpower, stupid pride could come in close.

People aren't the same, she reasons. That's why she could keep walking and he killed himself. He just had no reason to live. Is that it?

"Get his- get the keys off him," she instructs Jean. "Quicker than hotwiring."

Jean nods silently, and kneels down to frisk the corpse. She retrieves a set of keys, and presses a button on the keyholder. An alarm beeps once, before being turned off. It is the third car to Kallen's right, a beaten up Volkswagen beetle.

"Is there not something better?" mutters Kallen, glancing at the other nearby cars and starting to haul Lucille toward the beetle in any case.

The other cars are available for hotwiring. Jean makes her way to the beetle, getting into the driver's seat.

It'd take too long. Kallen isn't the best at that, and if she can save a minute now, they might lose all pursuit to begin with. She lugs Lucille into the back seat of the beetle, before getting in the passenger side herself, and pulling out her phone.

Jean uses her lab coat to make herself as presentable as she could under the circumstances, tossing the garment back atop Lucille once she is done with it. She starts the engine, glancing at Kallen for confirmation.

"One sec," mutters Kallen, briefly trying to call Inoue.

Inoue doesn't pick up after several rings.

Nothing for it. "Let's go," orders Kallen. "My side to the gate."

Jean depresses the gas pedal at that.

As the car makes its way to the gate, a guard comes out, holding an automatic weapon at it in no ambiguous terms. There is no warning to surrender, although the act of aiming could be considered such.

"Get a bit closer and slow down," murmurs Kallen, hoping that being a bit closer will give her a good vantage point. Summoning fearful memories to mind is a bit easier, and she tries to make this guard break and run, if not repeat the act of the last.

Kallen isn't certain she is successful as the car slows down by the gate, but then the guard seems to panic and shoot wildly! A shot sends a spiderweb of cracks through the windshield, and another takes out the sideway mirror on Kallen's side!

Some people are different from others, indeed.

At least his aim is shot! From behind the dash, Kallen bashes at the windscreen with her own gun a bit to break away the glass, and returns fire!

Kallen's aim is true, and the guard crumbles.

Jean stiffens suddenly.

As the moment drags on, no more guards come out of the shack serving as their security post.

"I'll go open the gate," mutters Kallen, glancing briefly at Jean.

Jean doesn't respond, sitting very still.

Freezing herself, Kallen turns her head to Lucille.

Lucille hasn't moved, and Jean's blood-splattered lab coat is draped over her head.

Kallen reaches over to pull back the coat, and briefly reaches to touch Lucille's hand.

A pulse, it's hard to compare it to electricity but nothing else comes even that close, surges up Kallen's hand.

Contact. The word is voiced in her head, although not by Lucille. That fact becomes clear, when she says Kallen's name in her mind.

"Can you hear me?" Kallen thinks/says/feels. "We're getting out of here. That woman is an ally, now. Trust me."

Kallen gets a flash of insight. Two men are at the guard post just ahead. One of them is on the phone, while the other is holding an automatic weapon much like the first guard. They both seem frozen in time.

If she's trusting Kallen, then surely Kallen can trust this. It's from her, isn't it, this near-instinctual revelation, but it makes her path clear.

Stepping out the car, she starts ducking towards the guard station, pistol in hand.

An afterimage of the guard post remains even after Kallen breaks direct contact with Lucille. If she wanted to, Kallen feels, she could look inside, disregarding walls and any other solid or opaque obstacles along the way.

She tries to expand her senses in that way when she reaches the door, focusing on the last place she recalls those two guards. Even if they're not still frozen, if she can kick in the door and fire in one motion, there's no way they could get her before she got them. Not if she knows exactly where they are.

Hell, she could even just shoot through the walls.

It's there, that image that she was shown -- granted? The guards don't react to Kallen's presence, and the door is left ajar, which makes it easy to kick in.

Kallen shoves it open and glances around the room for the gate switch, taking the time to disarm the guards as she does so.

As soon as Kallen touches the guard, the afterimage slips away. He blinks owlishly, lowering his eyes impossibly slowly to Kallen's hands on his weapon.

Wrenching it away from his fingertips with a twist, Kallen smashes the butt of the weapon across his face on the return!

A crunch is her reward as the man's nose breaks, splashing blood around. It is instict more than anything that gets Kallen to turn towards the remaining guard. He only holds a pistol, but she knows there is no way to stop him from firing it at least once, and he is at point blank range.

Kallen pulls the trigger on her appropriated weapon, sending a spray of bullets arcing across the guardpost towards the man as she twists around!

The guard jerks back, his face a ruined mess. His finger twitches again on the trigger, and the roof acquires a hole.

The mechanism to raise the gate is easily found, and it appears undamaged.

Kallen doesn't pay him a second glance as she reaches to trigger the mechanism, and then returns to the car.

The gate has risen by the time Kallen has made it back to the car. She's trailing bloody footprints, and has been for a while; it is only now that she truly comprehends this.

Jean is slumped in the driver's seat, her head pressed against the top of the wheel.

Biting her lip, Kallen heads for the driver's seat entrance, and briefly check's Jean's pulse.

She's alive. As Kallen thinks that, an echo in her mind repeats the words.

That's a relief, she muses. Not much of one, but still. If slapping Jean on the cheek to wake her up is ineffectual, she has to manhandle her around before she can take the car to check out where the van was.

As Kallen moves the unconscious doctor over, she finds the task more difficult than hauling Lucille around. She even finds herself short of breath near the end.

Running around like this is getting tiring. Fatigue. The show must go on, and Kallen gets in the driver's seat and starts taking the car about.

It takes only a slight drive. The service entrance is riddled with holes. There is no sign of the van, though there's a small pool of blood on the ground where the van was parked.

There must have been a firefight. It looks like they got away, albeit shot at. Kallen starts taking the car out as well, intending on heading back to Shinjuku. Setting the phone to loudspeaker, she dials Ohgi's number as she drives.

Kallen gets out of the compound, although driving with a cracked windshield proves to be a chore, especially as she lacks proper training.

Ohgi picks up after the fourth ring. "Yes?" he asks, his voice sounding a bit strange to Kallen.

"I've gotten out," replies Kallen, wondering how her voice sounds, as well. "Do you know about the others?"

It sounds surprisingly cold and professional to Kallen's ears.

There is a lengthy silence. "Kallen?" Ohgi asks at last. "I thought we'd lost you."

"I got held up. Something in the containment lab, hallucinogens, gas, you know," replies Kallen, not quite sure how she'll put everything to them when they get back. "But I'm, um, okay now."

Limits. Lucille breathes the word into Kallen's mind, and then there is a gasp.

It is as if a veil had been removed from Kallen's conscious thoughts. Things feel sharper. So does pain. Ohgi is saying something, but it is suddenly difficult to focus on parsing his words.

The car swerves slightly as Kallen falters. "What was that?" she says, trying to work out where her pain is coming from. She wasn't shot, was she?

Kallen's chest hurts. She's never experienced pain this sharp before.

"Kallen?" Ohgi sounds worried as he calls her name.

There are no other cars along this road, but to get to the ghetto she would certainly pass quite a few, and a checkpoint as well.

"I'm... I'm not okay. Ohgi? Where are you?" asks Kallen, swerving the car to a stop to the side.

"Covering Tamaki," Ohgi responds. "About to, anyway. He's going to pass through in a few. What's wrong, Kallen? Is it the gas?"

Kallen looks down at her chest.

There is a blood stain.

Kallen starts to swoon, putting a hand over her shirt. "I.. ah. I've been shot," she replies, stupefied.

"Where exactly are you?" he asks, his demeanor changing. Ohgi sounds professional, now, and a detached part of Kallen's mind muses how unlike him that is. "I'll divert Yoshitaka to you."

"About a mile out from the main gate," replies Kallen, her voice starting to slur. "Straight down the road. In a beetle."

"Hold on," Ohgi tells her. He says more, but Kallen once again tunes him out, leaning back in the driver's seat. Breathing is easier if she just lets go, Kallen finds.

She should try and stay conscious until help arrives, Kallen realises. Just in case. She tries to lean back in the chair, and turns off the engine, one hand resting gingerly on her chest.

Kallen catches sight of herself in the rearview mirror as she desperately tries to stay awake. Red circles have replaced her irises, though the red is faded, almost washed out. The full weight of what is happening hits her; she had been shot in the chest. It's serious. Her continued existence has been placed in doubt.

She's dying. Would die, would definitely die if she was on her own. Why did she ever think she was invincible? She had this weapon, something that could really change the flow of history, and she's going to die after getting shot by a guard on her own payroll.

It'd be funny, if it was happening to someone else.

Kallen manages to hold on long enough to see a car drive towards her, but then the last of her strength leaves her, and all that remains is the darkness. Her last conscious thought is that it's true; breathing really is easier when she lets go.

<--->

<--->

Kallen finds herself drifting in and out of consciousness. During a particularly lucid period, she senses more than sees another person by her side, but far too quickly even that sensation is swallowed by the overwhelming darkness.

And then, there is light. Kallen is lying on a bed. The room she is in is small, only a bed and a chair to it, set with its back to the sole window. That is the source of the light, serving to illuminate a figure seated there patiently with a golden halo.

"Welcome back," Lucille says. Her voice is almost gentle, but the way she pronounces things is off, as if she had not spoken for a great while and almost forgot how to pronounce the words.

Kallen turns her head a little, rolling against the side of the pillow. She peers silently at Lucille, taking a few moments to remember to breathe, to see where she is and who she's talking to.

Breathing is a tad more difficult than she remembers, but there is no pain.

"I am affecting you right now," Lucille says reassuringly. "You would not feel discomfort from your wound."

Kallen resists the urge to clutch at her chest and feel her wound; there's no sense making a bad thing worse.

"Are you alright?" she asks, rather pointlessly.

"I've fully recovered from my death," Lucille responds rather bluntly.

"Sorry. It was the fastest way," mumbles Kallen. How badly was she shot, she wonders. Will she get better?

If Lucille is privy to those worries, she doesn't show it.

"I hoped to establish physical contact as you arrived, but I suppose it couldn't be helped," she allows. "What matter is that I am now free. And, as promised, I will follow you."

There is an emphasis on the promise, as if the word means more than the dictionary definition would imply.

"My ally," replies Kallen, pulling herself up in bed a little. "You already know what I want?"

Lucille merely stares at Kallen in response.

"If nothing else, it's obvious by my company," she murmurs. "I won't be going anywhere for a while, though. How.. how bad is it?"

"Penetrating chest trauma," Lucille recites. "Your chances of dying were low, no higher than ten percent at the most. One of your ribs stopped the bullet at the cost of breaking, and in turn lacerated the lungs. Surgery to stitch the wound and drain blood from the cavity was required." She pauses, perhaps for effect. "I do not believe there is any expectation of scarring or other complications. You should make a full recovery in time."

Kallen is quiet for a few moments, and then speaks up again. "I thought I was going to die. In such a stupid way. It was almost funny."

"I would not have been amused," Lucille notes. "As it is, your treatment plan is spread out across five weeks. You would be wise to heed it."

"I see. If that's all, then I guess I'm lucky. Do you know about the others?"

"I know enough," Lucille responds. "The amusing man is just fine aside from a minor scratch over his left brow."

"And Inoue?"

"I mean, the woman?"

"She might lose the leg," Lucille answers bluntly. "There was considerable blood loss, but it is not expected to be detrimental to her long-term recovery prospects. Several of your allies covering their retreat were wounded in the firefight, but there were no fatalities."

"Ah." It could've been worse, Kallen thinks, her eyes retreating to the ceiling. At least none of them died.

"Do you know when I can start going up and about again? I have to... go home. I can't be gone for too long, or someone might start looking for me," murmurs Kallen, not really having anticipated merely getting wounded as opposed to either killed or healthy.

"There is no need to worry about that," Lucille informs Kallen. "It appears we are in luck. The Akihabara Tragedy has overwhelmed all Britannian medical and communication systems. It is not unusual for you to have been out of touch with your home for several days."

"The Akihabara Tragedy? What happened?"

"The Britannian government accused Eleven terrorists of using chemical weapons in the commercial district of Akihabara in the Tokyo settlement," Lucille responds. "That is a lie, of course. Those were biological weapons. The mortality rate is quite phenomenal, although a prompt quarantine combined with administering the proper counter-agent helped stop it from spreading onwards."

One of their pre-planned retreat routes was adjacent to Akiharaba, Kallen remembers.

"They used the nerve gas in Akihabara?" sputters Kallen, in dismay. "To cover the escape, I'm guessing? How many people were affected?"

"It wasn't a nerve gas," Lucille corrects her dispassionately. "The correct term would be 'plague'."

"Does it really make a difference?"

"Pestilence also works."

Kallen slumps back in the bed, somewhat distraught. "Casualties, how many casualties?"

"Unlike with a nerve agent, the capacity for infecting others after the initial exposion would surely cause millions of them," Lucille tells her. "There is no effective way to immunize dozens of millions of people even if enough of the counter-agent existed for that. Those caught in Akihabara during the weapon's release are already dead whether they keep on breathing for now or not."

"I... understand," murmurs Kallen. "What do you think of that, Lucille?"

"I have neither developed nor used the weapon," Lucille responds after a moment's reflection. "I don't believe I can be held accountable."

"What do you think it says about a person who is willing to cause such an incident?" presses Kallen. "This happened as a result of my actions, whether planned or not. I.. this isn't how I wanted things to go."

"There exist several paths towards your goals," Lucille voices. "This is but one of them, but included amongst them all the same."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You can use this."

"How can I possibly use the deaths of hundreds- thousands of civilians?!" blurts out Kallen, closing her eyes. "Their deaths... I caused... no. Not their deaths, but.. the ones that will live?"

"Millions," Lucille corrects her. "And I'm saying that because someone will. You can count on that. Those people have already died, and nothing you do can change that. If you insist on taking responsibility for those deaths, why do you intend on letting them go to waste?"

"I've... I've killed millions of people," murmurs Kallen, staring at her hands.

"Yes. You have." Lucille sounds resigned, standing up. The light obscures her features, making her seem much like the angels of myth with her long emerald hair moving behind her with the motion. "I will leave you now. When you need me again, I will be there."

"I..."

Kallen puts her hands over her eyes, scrunching up her face. Use that? She wants to vanish, as if she never existed. Shuddering, she lets her arms flop to the side, and stares at the sunny window outside. What has she done?

The door closes behind Lucille, and Kallen is left alone. Her chest constricts painfully, but the scene outside her window does not change, remaining deceptively innocent.

<--->

<--->

"Morning," a familiar voice greets Kallen as she awakens. Inoue's voice. She sounds weak.

"Hi," comes the groggy reply, as Kallen's eyes being to blearily open.

It is early in the morning, she can tell that much. Inoue is seated by her bedside in a wheelchair. It's not just the voice; she seems pale as well.

Kallen looks Inoue up and down, and she slowly props herself up on the bed. "Inoue. How are-" Stopping herself, she tries to focus on the woman's face. "What's up?"

Inoue still seems to have both legs, though one is heavily bandaged. "You heard?" she asks, not elaborating.

"Yeah. Lucille's been filling me in," replies Kallen, clasping her hands in front of her. "Things got fucked up."

Inoue nods. "I won't dress it up as something it's not. We secured the nerve gas with time to spare, but I found another project listed in the system. Since we were going for broke anyhow, Tamaki and I went after it." She pauses. "We contacted you, time was getting pretty damn close. There was no answer, and we thought of going to get you."

She snorts, but there is no amusement in the gesture. "It may sound more heroic than it was. We didn't get far; time was up, and the security response was overwhelming. I stupidly got shot during the escape. We made it to Ohgi, and his team covered us well. Too well, it seems. What we didn't count on was the army joining in once we were on the brink of a successful escape." The pause this time is longer. "You know the rest. I passed out somewhere at the point our situation went to hell. Then, I woke up to... this."

"I.. got messed around with in the containment chamber. Passed out. Jean had to wake me up, and... well, I got shot opening the gate. And then made it about a mile before realising it'd even happened. Then..."

Kallen turns back to the window. "I didn't know they were working on toxins like that. I should've been more thorough."

"Everything is paralyzed," Inoue says. "On our side. On theirs. Oh, the media has all sorts of fiery rhetoric, but it's obvious the occupational government is in disarray. No one knows how to react... to something like that."

"Of course. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Plague as a weapon, with this kind of mortality- it's just unheard of," replies Kallen, dismally. "How are we supposed to proceed? The media blames us, and it's not exactly wrong- our own people can't approve..."

"Of the Japanese casualty figures?" Inoue suggests dourly. "No one wants to be a stepping stone towards some vision many doubt as it is."

"Who actually pushed the button?"

"Not my place to say," Inoue responds tightly. "Want to blame someone, blame me. I was in charge after Ohgi bailed."

"Kouzuki! Inoue! You've got to hear this!" Yoshitaka bursts into the room, holding a small radio. "--once again bring you the outrageous statement made by the terrorists!" a woman's voice says. It sounds incredulous, but as the message is played all thoughts of the announcer flee Kallen's mind.

"The occupation army suffered a terrible setback that day in Akihabara, where we took their might and turned it against them!" a female voice announces, and it sounds impossibly young, perhaps around Kallen's age. "This victory did not come without its price. It was not us, however, who chose to position a military regiment in the middle of what they termed a civillian area! Those of you with Elevens relatives -- those trecherous Japanese who sold their name and history to submit to the Britannian occupiers -- to you I say, such is the price of treason! To the free people of Japan, may your spirit grow strong with this blow against our mortal enemy!"

"There you have it," the announcer's voice returns, sounding shaky. "The terrorist calling herself the Black Queen, taking responsibility for unforgivable crimes against countless Britannians callously murdered in the Tokyo settlement three days ago. Prince Clovis announced--"

Yoshitaka twists the volume dial, lowering it past the easily audible. "Every channel was broadcasting that message just minutes ago. Radio, tv, you name it." He sounds incredulous, much like the anchor woman.

"That is- they are condoning it?" blurts out Kallen, sounding amazed. "That's madness! They'll just drive every last 'eleven's'-" she spits out the name- "opinion firmly towards the Britannians! If they wanted to ensure a resistance could never succeed, they've taken the right step!"

"Except those who will be too scared to have anything to do with them," Inoue interjects sourly. "You've met her, right?" she directs to Yoshitaka. "Did she seem as loopy as she sounds?"

He shakes his head, the question seemingly snapping him out of his shocked stupor. "Charismatic, yes. Suicidal? Something's not right here."

"You know her?"

"Who is she?"

"That meeting, in the Saitama ghetto," Inoue tells her. "Remember? She's their new cell leader."

"No, because nobody felt like it was worth telling me," shoots back Kallen, rather sourly.

"We'll run every goddamn detail by you next time, princess," Inoue snaps bitterly. "Not right? Whatever. Did we manage to contact the cell?"

Yoshitaka shakes his head. "Not yet. They must be getting overcome with all sorts of contacts. Why would they bother with taking our call first?"

"Does it matter? We can't support them now that they've come out and taken the credit for this."

"It's more complicated than that, Kallen," Yoshitaka tells her. "We're an offshot of the Japanese Liberation Front, and so are they. It's not up to us...." He trails off. "Maybe that's why? It's actually a challenge to the JLF?"

"Did you meet them at their HQ? We could just... go there, if so."

"To Kyoto?"

"Not the JLF, this Black Queen. What's her real name, anyway?"

"Beats me," Yoshitaka says. "Going to Saitama right now is pretty dangerous. It would be easier to wait until tensions cool off a bit. The army's got a hairtrigger right now."

Kallen feels a familiar, comforting presence just beyond the door.

"Stuff is going down right now. Can we really afford to sit around?" argues Kallen, before having a strangled look as she sees Inoue.

"Sorry. Look, the other cells are going to make up their own minds soon enough. The longer we wait, the more might decide they might as well go out with a bang and join up with her. Can we at least get in contact with them?"

"Like I said, we're trying!" Yoshitaka exclaims. "This is pointless." He drops the radio at the foot of the bed, stepping outside.

Lucille enters in his stead, closing the door behind her. Now that Kallen can get a better look at her, she sees that Lucille is dressed in a plain shirt and pants combination of dark colors, leaning towards the brown.

"Great," mutters Kallen. "I guess you were right," she adds, as Lucille walks in.

"That comes as a surprise to you?" Lucille notes calmly. Before Kallen could respond, she adds, "I can get you there."

"Great. When can we leave?"

"Can you even move so soon?" Inoue asks Kallen.

"Probably not without messing myself up even more," replies Kallen, with a wince.

"It would be a risk," Lucille voices, and Inoue nods. "Sounds like it."

"They've already taken a position we need to stand against, so there's not much reason to go there just to talk," mutters Kallen. "We should take steps to disassociate ourselves."

"The only way to do that on our own would be to distance ourselves from the JLF," Lucille notes. It gets another nod from Inoue. "Yes, that makes sense. We would be a joke if we denounced it while remaining affiliated with Saitama."

"How do you think the JLF will react?"

"That depends on Toudou, doesn't it?" Inoue asks. "The man of miracles. Even as the leadership is thrown into disarray, Toudou will make the right choice for Japan."

"He doesn't seem the type to approve. I'm guessing we won't find out either way for a while."

"It might be just as well," Lucille muses, gaining Inoue's attention.

"What do you mean?" the blue-haired woman asks, and Lucille tilts her head to look back at both Inoue and Kallen. "Responding at this time, as tempers and emotions are at an all-time high, can only serve several reasons. We could counter-claim this... credit, I suppose." She says the word with audible distaste. "We could also denounce the act, of course, but then what? If we offered to lay down our arms, effectively surrendering, enough goodwill and, perhaps, a pardon could be gathered. The other option would be a clear vision that runs counter to both official Britannian and Saitama intentions, but can we truly present one at this point? If we had one that other groups and citizens on both sides alike could embrace whole-heartedly, I suspect we would have gone ahead with it publicly already." She spreads her arms in a gesture of helplessness. "It is unfortunate, but outside those three options any sympathy we offer will be perceived as crocodile tears, and rightly so."

"Is our vision really that difficult to understand? We want a Japan, ruled by the Japanese, without all this stratification and primogentiure bullshit that Britannia brings with it. Where everyone can be treated as an equal. We don't want a Japan where those who don't toe the party line get threatened with death and exile, which is the only thing I see their policy leading to."

"Good luck convincing the ruling class to give all that up," Inoue mutters. Lucille remains silent.

"What ruling class?"

"People like your father," Lucille says bluntly. "Until enough of them agree to your vision, I fear it would not become reality."

"Leave that to me," replies Kallen. "I'll make them see the errors of their ways."

<--->

<--->

Two days pass without any change in Kallen's status, though Lucille assures her that she is getting better. The emerald-haired woman also seems to restrict visitors to Kallen; the other possibility is that her fellow resistance members are shying away from going to meet her. Inoue is the exception, though she seems somber and uncomfortable during her visits.

The news are filled with hysteria, not all of it originating from the Britannians. Prince Clovis, however, comes off as indecisive, increasingly distancing himself from the public eye.

A visitor appears on the fourth day since Kallen had woken up. Though she had seen her only a few times, Sayoko has a certain presence that makes her hard to forget. "Is this a good time?" she asks, standing at the doorway to Kallen's room wearing a tattered brown overcoat.

"Sayoko-san? Anytime is a good time for you," replies Kallen, with a pained grin. "They're not letting me out for a week, so if I don't get visitors, all I have to do is stare at the ceiling."

"So it seems," Sayoko allows. "Would this mean that you would be in a position to travel within a day or two, then?"

"Yeah... do you mean outside of Tokyo, or is this a local trip?"

"Only a local one," Sayoko responds. "Mistress Ashford would like to see you at your earliest convenience, if your earliest convenience is after the memorial ceremony scheduled for the day after tomorrow at Ashford Academy."

She bows politely.

"Would she terribly mind if I surprised her?"

Sayoko does not quite smile. "Depends on the surprise."

"No more than she does me."

Sayoko bows, not responding to that.

"Is there anything you would like me to tell Mistress Ashford when I return?" she asks, straightening up.

"Let her know that I'll be there to see her. And that when it comes to chess, I hate playing as black," replies Kallen, letting her head rest back on her pillow.

"I believe black is quite taken," Sayoko responds, making her way outside.

An hour later, Inoue shows up for her daily visit. She brings food -- some real food, and not the nutritional mix Lucille insists on treating Kallen with. Placing the tray on the bed by Kallen, Inoue wheels herself over to the window, pushing it open.

"It is another nice day outside," she says, almost as if suppressing a sigh.

"Whereas the inside is stormy and tempestuous?" replies Kallen, eagerly starting to scoff down the food laid out for her.

It is Beef Stroganoff made with shiitake musrhooms, and a side of rice. The taste does not disappoint.

"Something like that," Inoue agrees, and this time, the sigh is audible.

Wiping her lip after a hasty spoonful, Kallen starts angling to sit a bit straighter in bread, and gazes towards the window. "What are they thinking in there? I'm guessing there hasn't been any contact yet...."

"Not with us," Inoue says, shaking her head. "But even though Kyoto sent delegates, there's still no official reaction from the JLF. What are they thinking?!"

"Yoshitaka said it was a challenge. Maybe it's working," notes Kallen. "When was the last time you remember the JLF really taking a stand on something? They're probably still arguing over whether to support or disavow the group."

"Maybe they're wondering if it was an empty threat," Inoue voices. "The Brits sure are."

"D'ya think they'd believe us if we told them what actually happened?"

"I don't think it's a problem of believing," Inoue responds with a grimace. "Would the Brits believe us? Sure! It's what comes after that's the real issue, because the truth doesn't change what happened."

The clink of cutlery is the only sound from Kallen's bed for a minute or two, and she soon sets down her fork. "So. I wanted to ask. If you were unquestionably in charge of things, here, how would you have things proceed?"

"In charge of what?" Inoue asks. "The operation? Already tried that. Our little outfit? There's not a hell of a lot we can do unless we can suddenly secure funding, intelligence and hardware outside the JLF framework. The JLF? Yeah, that'd be different. I sure won't jerk the guys below around like that for days."

Inoue grows silent afterwards. She recovers in record time, chatting about news from the ghetto and sharing light anecdotes, but Kallen doesn't need to cross eyes with the older woman to feel the weight of the responsibility she carries with her.

Days continue to pass. Kallen feels strong enough to get out of bed and move about her room. It is during one of those exercizes that Lucille walks in, carrying folded up black clothing in her arms.

"Hey. I plan to leave today, and go back into the settlement. There's someone I need to see," says Kallen, sitting down on the bed as Lucille enters. "Are those for me?"

"Yes. That woman delivered them to you," Lucille responds, laying the black dress out on the bed.

She places a matching pair of shoes and a purse nearby.

"Mourning apparel," murmurs Kallen, lifting up the dress and pressing it against her to check out the fitting. "She thinks of everything. I guess I'll skip checking in at home and go straight there."

"There are no pressing matters at your home," Lucille affirms with a brief nod. "You can handle getting dressed, I presume?"

"-wait, you've checked?" asks Kallen, looking up in surprise.

"I checked."

"How?" asks Kallen, a little more snippish than she should be. The prospect of having a virtual stranger checking out her life, ally though she might be, is still oddly distressing.

"I walked, then I took a train, then I walked some more."

"And you just... looked?"

"I made sure you weren't missed." Lucille frowns. "Is that not to your liking?"

"Nooooo, just, I mean. If you're going to do something like that, can you... tell me?"

"I can."

"Alright. I'll get changed, and then... no, we should talk," replies Kallen, resisting the temptation to keep putting it off. "About this Geass. I mean, it's incredible, like magic. I guess you'd know all about that. Why couldn't you use it to free yourself earlier? It's.. mind control, isn't it?"

"There is that element," Lucille agrees. "But it could also be blocked under certain conditions."

"Will we need to worry about them? The Holy Grail people are still in one piece, and, well, they might try something."

The left corner of Lucille's mouth raises in a smirk. "Worrying is always prudent, but between the two of us, we should make a sufficient team."

"Yeah, and forewarned is forearmed. If there's something that could stop my Geass..."

"The only ways I know of to counter a Geass are either stationary, or other Geass users," Lucille responds, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I can handle the latter, and you rescued me from the former. It really is that simple, I'm afraid."

"Right. Other Geass users... it never even occured to me. There obviously can't be many," she notes, starting to pull off her top to get changed. "Do you know any others?"

"None that should've survived till the present day," Lucille tells Kallen without inflection in her voice. "Really, this is an aspect of your power that you should not worry overmuch about. I am, after all, the strongest Code bearer."

"I'll take your word. So, what aspects should I concern myself with? I think I have it sorted. Fairly long range. Eye contact, and a memory of feeling." Kallen pauses. "It doesn't even have to be mine."

"You can best express what you have gone through yourself, unless you have a vivid imagination, which just happens to break all the rules," Lucille agrees. "I'm not sure there's anything related to Geass you should concern yourself with. My gift is perfect."

"Only how to use it best, I guess," mutters Kallen, slipping on the dress. "So. How do I look?"

"Like you're going to a funeral."

"Perfect," she responds, picking up the purse. "Will you stay here while I'm gone?"

Lucille shrugs. "I can. Do you want me to?"

"Please. I'll probably go home afterwards, but I'll stay in touch," replies Kallen, starting to head for the door, before stopping nearby. "Where's Jean?"

Lucille smiles, and the expression is terribly menacing, Kallen notes.

"Contained."

Kallen shivers, but turns to look at Lucille with an empty expression. "Take me to her."

Lucille seems excited, but merely nods and steps out of the door, gesturing for Kallen to follow.

It is a short walk. Kallen heads after Lucille down the corridor. The latter stops at a door at the end, and withdraws a key from her pocket, tinkering with the lock for precious seconds. She pushes the door open afterwards, and Kallen is greeted with a familiar sight -- a replica of the containment unit, albeit smaller in size. Unlike the one she rescued Lucille from, this one doesn't have the blood.

Jean's naked form is floating within, eyes open and unseeing.

As she slowly walks towards the containment unit, Kallen twists her head towards Lucy with a grimace, and she taps at the glass view.

"Excellent work. You've contained the deadly threat of a rogue doctor, recently converted to the cause. Well done."

"I do surprise myself sometimes," Lucille says proudly.

Kallen spots movement in the tank out of the corner of her eye.

Her eyes are inevitably drawn towards it, if only for a moment. "How did you build this thing? And conceal it?" she asks, sounding disgusted.

"I didn't, actually," Lucille says, and Kallen sees what she means without an elaboration. While seeming a replica at first glance, there are notable differences once she is close by. "I just found the largest jar I could."

Kallen can't spot a thing, though as soon as her eyes drift away from the tank she catches another sign of movement.

"What were you thinking?!" snaps Kallen, whirling back to Lucille. "I already geassed her! Revenge is fine, but I gave her a conscience. I made her regret it. Anything further was pointless. She's no use dead or worse."

"I have to thank you for that," Lucille says, and that sinister smile of hers makes another appearance. "Without your help, this wouldn't have made for nearly as perfect a punishment."

"Get her out of there this instant!" retorts Kallen, all but shouting.

"Then my suffering means nothing to you?" Lucille asks, the smile disappearing as her lips form a flat line. "I cannot accept 'she's better now' as an excuse and let her go unpunished."

"The point of punishment is instruction, not self-satisfaction. And this-" Kallen taps the side of her head- "Can get the job done that much faster. If it's atonement you want, then you got that when she helped break you out."

"The point of punishment is also self-satisfaction," Lucille argues, "though at the center of the issue is the factor of deterrent. It is key that those who would dare to attempt such a thing towards me would know well of the consequences that await them, and no one has been deterred by a slap on the wrist before."

"And who exactly will know of what happened to her? Did you plan to mail the jar back to the Foundation?"

"I'll do even better by freeing her. Eventually."

"I can't let you go through with this. This Geass is a two-way street," interjects Kallen. "If I force someone to conform to my ideals, then I have to live up to them myself. If there's nothing to fear from the Foundation... then I see no purpose in tormenting her to cow them. If it bothers you, go and strike at their head."

<--->

<--->

"While I wouldn't say that the Foundation is no longer a source of worry entirely," Lucille says carefully, "we have different priorities. The message I need to send extends far beyond your lifetime."

"Isn't secrecy your best defence? I'm sure many would wager their lives if immortality is on the line. What's fifty, a hundred years to forever?" Kallen glances at Jean with no small degree of pity. "For every man who is dissuaded, another will look at this and see injustice, or a challenge."

"My response must be disproportional," Lucille argues. "I already chose a proxy instead of their entire employee pool. You would pity her, just because you forced a bit of conscience down her throat? What was she going to do with that newfound conscience of hers, then? Turn herself in to the authorities and confess to all her crimes?"

Kallen's ill humour is evident in her cackling at that remark. "The authorities? The police and government here are full of greedy fools who serve nobles, those who feel entitled to the edge of their sight. Here I was, hoping she could put her talents to work against them."

Pointing at the jar, she advances towards the door.

"If you want to make a statement, do it to someone else. I've already punished her. When I Geass someone, it might as well be transforming them into another person entirely. Anything more is pointless."

"If you insist on freeing that person," Lucille warns Kallen, "I would consider it an irreconcilable difference in our approach to life."

"What exactly are you saying you'll do?" replies Kallen, her voice rising.

"It is regrettable," Lucille says, her own voice steady, "but I could not follow a person I disagree with so fundamentally on matter relating to my future safety and well-being. Our contract was formed to rescue me, but that would not truly happen until and unless those responsible have been shown to suffer horribly as a result. If you persist in creating this split between us, then I would take my leave of you until such a time you decided to atone for your mistake."

"You and I don't use the same meaning of 'rescue'," replies Kallen, all but spitting. "I guess we won't be seeing each other again."

"I doubt that very much," Lucille says rather honestly. Something brushes past Kallen's cheek, and suddenly, there is movement behind her.

Kallen twists her head, a venemous retort at the tip of her tounge.

Jean is flailing desperately in the tank!

Kallen's eyes lock onto Jean's for a moment, before she starts scanning the room, looking for a means of opening or breaking the thing!

A folding chair set against the wall on the right might do the trick, as could the metal pipes thrown carelessly further down the room.

'When you realize your mistake, call my name,' Lucille's voice sounds in Kallen's head. 'If your repentance is sincere, I will come to your side.'

Then, something feels different, and it takes Kallen a moment to realize that something is indeed gone. It is Lucille's presence, which she had started taking for granted without even noticing it consciously.

It's replaced by a brief flurry of adredaline, one which Kallen uses to grab one of the metal pipes and swing it against the jar with all the strength she can muster!

The glass cracks from the blow, nasty aftershocks traveling up Kallen's arms. Her breath seizes, but another burst of adrenaline allows her to proceed!

One more should do it! She leans back, before whirling forward a second time~!

The container shatters! The liquid rushing out smells foul, and for an instant Kallen is certain she would be lost in the memories of a similar rescue, but the wrongness she assosiated with that time is not present now.

Still flailing, Jean begins to flow out with the water. She will land on the jagged glass below, Kallen thinks.

Kallen lunges for the onrushing liquid, no-doubt letting it ruin her new dress as she tries to catch Jean before she gets sliced up.

The dress wasn't going to escape this unscathed as is. Jean lands in Kallen's arms, flailing still.

Kallen pulls the older woman away from the glass and wet, eventually putting together that folding chair and trying to set her down on it. "You're out now. It's alright, now," she mumbles, feeling that it really, really isn't.

Shivering, Jean attempts to respond, frightened eyes glancing at Kallen, but instead she throws up all over the floor as soon as she opens her mouth.

Kallen avoids meeting Jeans' gaze, having little desire to acidentally get a glimpse of just what the woman feels right now. Instead, she glances around, hoping that the room has a forgotten blanket or something she can use.

A piece of dirty tarp is the best Kallen could do under the circumstances, unless she wishes to go back to her room for that blanket.

She will, soon enough, as quickly as she can, but not until she's managed to calm Jean down to the point where she can speak. "I'm going to go get a blanket and some clothes," she explains, kneeling in front of the distraught woman. "Then I'll get you into a bed."

Jean had finished expelling the liquid in her lungs, but every time she tries to speak, turning her head towards the sound of Kallen's voice, her body is wracked by dry heaves.

"Sshh. Don't try and speak just yet. I'll just be a minute," responds Kallen, quickly heading out the room and hoping to return with something to clean Jean up with and keep her warm and decent.

Kallen's pajamas would be tight on Jean in some places, but should fit. Other than that, her room has a blanket, and the bed covers if Kallen wishes to use those to dry Jean up.

Kallen grabs her pajamas and blanket, but spends a minute or two hunting down a bathroom to steal a towel from before returning to Jean.

Kallen is in luck, finding one on her second try. It's not a large body towel, but it would do.

Jean's shivering has worsened by the time Kallen returns.

Wordlessly, Kallen wraps the towel around Jean and starts to dry her off, before offering to help her into the clothes and lead her to the bed.

After accomplishing the task of putting Jean into her bed, clean and clothed, Kallen runs into Ohgi as she leaves her room once more. He looks startled, taking in the sight of the redhead in her dripping black mourning dress.

"We need to talk about something," says Kallen, heedless of her situation. "Come in here a second."

"Ah--" Ohgi coughs into his fist, and nods, following Kallen into the room allotted to her. "Are you alright? You look...."

He trails off as soon as his gaze falls on the woman lying in Kallen's bed, his eyes widening. "What is Patient Zero doing there?" Ohgi asks haltingly.

"Patient Zero- I see," replies Kallen. "So Lucille fooled all of you while I was out. I kept wondering, but never asked." Bitterly, she closes the door and turns back to Ohgi. "Ohgi, meet Dr. Balsam, the turncoat."

"I know who she is!" Ohgi hisses, keeping his voice low. He gestures at the bed. "That's the crazy doctor Bal-something-or-other that injected herself with all sorts of crap and ended up in containment. What does Lucille have anything to do with it?"

"Oh, come on! This was revenge!" replies Kallen. "Lucille wanted her to feel trapped, like she did! Any excuse would've done."

"Lucille's loyalty is not in doubt," Ohgi says sternly. "You shouldn't accuse her like that, Kallen."

"D'ya think I'd accuse her after breaking her out unless I had a good goddamned reason?"

Ohgi looks pained.

"Did she inject herself? Or were you just told about that later?" asks Kallen, walking over and peering out the window. "I don't care, she needs proper rest, not to float in a fucking jar for a few months."

"Inject herself?" Ohgi asks, sounding confused.

"With.. all sorts of crap? Like you said? Did you see her do it?" asks Kallen, through gritted teeth.

A light goes up in Ohgi's eyes. "You told us that when we were formulating the plan," he says, Kallen hearing a note of disbelief in his voice. "Did you... forget?"

"That.. is.. not what I said," replies Kallen, pressing a hand against her face. "Lucille was Patient Zero. Dr. Balsam was my contact within the group that helped us break her out. Evidently, that was not enough to win her back into Lucille's good graces."

Ohgi is looking at Kallen worriedly

"Lucille had been with us from the start, Kallen," he tells her slowly.

The silence drags on for a few moments, as Kallen bites her lip. "You're serious? She actually made you believe that?" she asks, staring at Ohgi. "How long has she been with us, exactly? When did we first meet her?"

"Na--" Ohgi swallows, and his gaze softens. "Naoto introduced her to you, when you first followed him to that warehouse we were using at the time. She was always so distant and cold, but he would laugh and call it businesslike. She really should have been the one to take over instead of me when he...."

"That- is- a- lie!" Kallen all but screams, lifting her head up to stare Ohgi in the eye. "I'm sorry. I don't know any other way to prove it to you but this. But she's fucked with your mind, and I guess you need stitches to fix a deep cut."

A series of images flash through her mind. That first time she snuck out, so long ago- there was no Lucille there. A more recent memory, when they were going over the plan to free the same. And how could it be complete without a memory of dragging Lucille through the lab after Balsam, all bloody and worn?

Ohgi stumbles, catching himself on the doorframe. Surprise, rapidly translating into shock. The sensation overtakes Kallen.

Kallen mirrors his actions, stumbling against the window. She drags her eyes away from his, settling on the wall nearby. "I'm sorry," she repeats, unable to quite squash her guilt.

She hears the door open.

"Don't go!" she calls, twisting her head back to the door, but thinking that it's probably already too late.

Ohgi is stumbling through the doorway, but he pauses at Kallen's cry, looking back at her. He seems terribly lost.

"Can you stay a while and- well, hear me out?" she replies, regaining her faculties and trying to steady her voice.

Ohgi nods, and Kallen realizes, looking at him, that he isn't trusting himself to speak.

It takes her a little while, but Kallen outlines the beginning of her voyage into the unknown; in loose detail, she tells Ohgi of the geass that Lucille granted her to free her with, the way she was held and used by the scientists of Holy Grail.

"I didn't tell you," she admits, glancing at the window. "Because how can anyone trust speaking to a person who can alter their thoughts at whim? I just- I never wanted to use it on my allies."

"I can't tell you this doesn't change anything," Ohgi says heavily, massaging his forehead. "I'm sorry, Kallen, I just can't. Don't take this the wrong way, but I need time to think. This... I still remember...." He shakes his head. "But that was a lie. What else is a lie? Why did I even get into the resistance?"

"I believe that Lucille changed minds only to ensure nobody thought her presence was unusual," replies Kallen, with a touch of sadness. "I haven't done a thing. Everything else... I don't think it would be fake."

"It's... Kallen...." Ohgi chuckles, though the sound lacks mirth. "You have no idea how much I want to trust you right now." He pauses. "And you really have no idea how much I trust Lucille, who started this cell with Naoto and me."

He snorts. "The good psychic girl wants me to trust her and believe her about the evil psychic girl, who is the only one who ever tampered with my mind. Until I can make sense of it on my own, I think I'll be... I'll just be home, Kallen."

"I understand," replies Kallen. "Well. Things will happen no matter what." She walks over to Jean's bed, putting a hand on the woman's forehead. "I guess everyone else thinks she's horribly contaigous, huh."

"That... was just a precaution," Ohgi says with a sigh. "It seemed prudent, in case she could cause another Akihabara, but on her own. If you're sure she's safe like that, I'll talk to the others."

"Thanks." Now it's Kallen who starts heading for the door. "I.. have to go see someone. I'll be back to check on her later." She stops just at the threshold. "I don't think Lucille will be around anymore. So it's gonna be up to me to use this. Working both within and outside Britannia? We talked about that. Well, I can do it. Just watch me."

Without further ado, she starts heading out of the building.

<--->

<--->

[12:55] "Welcome home, Miss Stadtfeld," Hisui's quiet voice greets Kallen, as the latter returns home in her bedraggled mourning dress. The maid is standing by the front gates, hands gathered in front of her, head bowed lightly.
[12:57] "Hello, Hisui. I'm glad to be back," replies Kallen, without very much feeling. She steps towards the maid and stops when she reaches her, peering at the home she hasn't seen for odds on a week. "How are things here?"
[12:58] "There is still no change in Mistress Cleopatra's condition," Hisui reports.
[13:01] "Can you indulge me for a moment, Hisui, and remind me what that condition is?" queries Kallen, starting inside the house.
[13:03] "Of course, Miss," Hisui agrees without even the slightest pause, following Kallen inside. "Upon receiving news that you were missing after the terrorist attack, Mistress Cleopatra had fallen ill. The doctors don't know yet when she will recover."
[13:05] She actually cared! Kallen stifles an ugly, disbelieving chuckle, and considers one or two more likely explanations. "I see. Is she resting at home?"
[13:06] "That is correct, Miss."
[13:12] "Alright. I'm already late, but I'm going to get cleaned up quickly and go out. I'll see her just before I leave," replies Kallen, starting to head for the bathroom. "Can you find something to substitute for this, Hisui? I don't think it can be saved, unfortunately."
[13:13] "I will do what I can, Miss," Hisui promises, still following.
[13:17] Hisui seems intent on helping Kallen with her shower, although she folds when Kallen would have none of that. Feeling human again after a relaxing soak, Kallen finds a fluffy bathrobe and a change of clothes set aside for her. The new dress is of dark blue, although it is plain enough to work in a pinch for the occasion Kallen has in mind.
[13:26] Before rushing out to school to see Milly, Kallen stops by Cleo's room. For the sake of deceny, she decides, she should visit the woman, and knocks on the door before letting herself inside.
[13:27] Kallen lets herself inside, there being no answer from within the room. Cleopatra lies on her bed, eyes staring at the ceiling. She doesn't react overtly to Kallen's presence.
[13:35] Kallen walks briskly towards Cleo's bed, and peers down at the woman. "Hey," she greets, not sure she has much else to say.
[13:36] Cleopatra's eyes follow Kallen's movements, the redhead notices as she comes closer.
[13:44] Kallen can't resist peering into Cleo's eyes to see if the woman is merely tracking movement, or actually feeling something at this point.
[13:45] Anger, fear and anything in between. The depth of the emotion makes Kallen stumble.
[13:48] Directed at her, huh. Kallen briefly toys with the thought of rearranging Cleo's mind. Maybe she should. Isn't Lucille responsible for this? Then anything else is probably a step up. She's sure Cleo wouldn't collapse if she vanished, so that can be the only explanation.
[13:49] Maybe she'll recover on her own. Kallen doesn't know, and, when she really thinks about it, she finds it very hard to care. Setting it aside for now, she departs, deciding to not bother here any longer and head over to Ashford.
[13:51] "Are you leaving again, Miss?" Hisui asks Kallen. The maid has been waiting for her in the main hall, it seems.
[13:52] "Yes, I've got to see someone, but I should be back today," replies Kallen. "There weren't any messages for me, right?"
[13:55] "No messages, no," Hisui says, visibly hesitating. "But Miss Fenette has been looking for you all week. She even visited twice, but would only say she would try again later."
[13:56] "Shirley did... Alright. I'll call her. What was she told?" asks Kallen, pulling out her mobile.
[13:58] "That you were personally directing Stadtfeld resources to help those caught in the attack," Hisui responds, sounding a bit worried. "Was that to be a secret, Miss?"
[14:02] Kallen doesn't quite answer that, pausing as she reaches the door. "Can I see a newspaper?" she asks, frowning for a moment.
[14:05] "Right away, Miss," Hisui says, disappearing into the kitchen. She returns with a daily moments later. "Would this do?"
[14:05] The front page comes as close as Kallen had ever seen a Britannian newspaper to slamming Prince Clovis for his continued inaction. Death tolls and human interest stories litter the next five pages.
[14:16] Kallen scans the stories briefly, searching for any mention of her family. Perhaps one of the interest stories revolves around the help she supposedly arranged? Who knows just how far Lucy went? Kallen would agree with this, at least.
[14:19] There are a few possibilities; Kallen had never gotten much into her father's business, but a few of the corporations involved in the relief effort sound like something in Stanley Stadtfeld's portfolio. The Stadtfeld Group itself is not mentioned, however, perhaps to distance it from any fallout should the decision to intervene end up being looked upon unfavorably.
[14:24] Kallen makes a note to contact those companies as soon as she returns, and meet with the organisers again to reverse that opinion. For now, she hands the paper back to Hisui. "Officially, not yet, but telling Shirley is alright," she replies. "I'm heading off, now."
[14:26] "Have a safe journey," Hisui says, bowing as Kallen departs.
[14:32] The school is deserted by the looks of it. Kallen is not obstructed as she makes her way inside. After traveling through the grounds for several minutes, she is slowly becoming convinced of that fact, when she sees movement in the student council building. A second look confirms that it is Nunnally, seating by an open window on the second story of the building.
[14:37] "Hi, Nana-chan!" calls Kallen, starting to head towards the large entrance to the 'council building' (isn't it more a ballroom?)
[14:39] Given that it is under Milly's control, that might well be the same thing.
[14:39] "Ah!" Nunnally exclaims, turning towards the sound of Kallen's voice. "Kallen-san?"
[14:40] "Yo! Is Milly around?"
[14:41] "Milly-san...." Nunnally trails off, biting on her lower lip. "I don't-- can you come in, Kallen-san?"
[14:42] "Uh, sure," she replies, obliging.
[14:46] Nunnally is alone, seated in on a comfortable-looking armchair. Her wheelchair is set against the wall a few feet away, folded up. She clearly had help getting there.
[14:46] "Milly-san is leaving," Nunnally tells Kallen once the latter had made it over to her. "Umm. Would you like to have a seat? Or... or something to drink?" There is a glass with what seems to be lemonade on a small table by Nunnally; it doesn't seem to have been touched.
[14:47] "I'm fine, thanks," replies Kallen, leaning against the wall with folded arms. "Leaving? Where too?"
[14:49] "The mainland, from what I, umm, overheard." Nunnally looks abashed. "People often forget I'm even here and talk around me...."
[14:52] "Huh. She wanted to speak to me earlier, so that's why I was looking," replies Kallen, sounding a little surprised. "Jealous?"
[14:54] "Jealous?" Nunnally echoes Kallen.
[14:55] "Well, a trip to the mainland could be fun," replies Kallen, stopping herself before saying that she wouldn't know. "Whatever for, though?"
[14:57] Nunnally looks worried all of a sudden. "To visit some old friends. I didn't know Milly still had-- I mean, that any were left after--" She seems to be getting more flustered with each attempt to explain.
[15:00] "Oh! Oh. I get what you're saying," replies Kallen, glancing away. "Well, even so, some ties just don't die easy, right?"
[15:01] "That's what I'm worried about," Nunnally mutters, almost too quietly to be overheard.
[15:02] "Why worry? Milly's pretty sassy, she can sure talk the talk and walk the walk. I pity whoever decides to scorn her, frankly."
[15:04] Nunnally reaches for her lemonade, almost knocking the glass over before she has it securely in her hand, and drinks from it. Her hand shakes slightly.
[15:05] "Uh- are you okay with this, Nana-chan?" asks Kallen, biting her lip. "Are you going to be okay?"
[15:07] "Of course!"
[15:07] It is a blatant lie, and Nunnally seems to realize that as well, her head dropping.
[15:09] "How long was she planning on going for?" asks Kallen, finally taking a seat next to Nunnally.
[15:12] "It sounds like a last minute decision," Nunnally says quietly. "But Milly seemed more and more worried recently. Especially since...."
[15:15] Kallen remains silent, crossing her fingers over her lap.
[15:16] "I'm not stupid," Nunnally continues in that same quiet tone of voice. "I know I'm troubling everyone. I always have been. But what can I do? I can't... I can't even move from here on my own."
[15:41] "I.. geez, Nana-chan. I don't know what you can do. What do you want to do?" asks Kallen, wringing her hands.
[15:44] "I--" Nunnally's breath catches. "I want to walk! And to see! And I want to see my brother, and my big sister, and Milly! And I want my mother back! I want to stop being such a burden! I want to be useful to somebody!" She gestures with her arms, and lemonade spills over the floor. "I want... I want to do more than just exist, Kallen!"
[16:26] It isn't right, and Kallen doesn't feel like she should be guilty, but for a moment, she wonders if Nunnally could've been healed by Lucille's blood. Silence hangs in the air after Nunnally's outburst, before an odd question comes to mind. Before Kallen can rethink it, she asks it- "What if you could trade places?"
[16:28] Nunnally doesn't respond right away, breathing heavily in an attempt to calm herself down. "Trade places?" she asks at last, not sounding like she understands.
[16:30] "If someone else could be blind, confined instead of you. Someone you don't know and would never meet," murmurs Kallen. "Would you do it?"
[16:33] "That's not fair," Nunnally whispers, brushing her arm across her eyes.
[16:44] "If someone decided to do that for you- would you hate them?" asks Kallen, her voice rising.
[16:47] Nunnally doesn't respond. Her shoulders shake lightly. She mumbles something, this time too quietly for Kallen to hear.
[16:52] Kallen stares into a nearby window. Her own reflection looks back, with an unbelievable grimace- it looks almost cruel. "Sorry. That was uncalled for."
[16:53] Nunnally does not respond. Kallen's reflection seems to be staring at her accusingly, and she is not alone. Kallen spots Milly standing by the door, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed before her chest.
[16:57] Kallen slowly stands up, and turns towards Milly. She meets the blondes gaze for a moment, before closing her eyes and stepping forward. "Hey, Milly. You wanted to talk?"
[17:00] "That's right," Milly says. She pushes off the doorframe, the blonde hair surrounding her face dancing at the movement. "If you would step into my office?" She gestures outside.
[17:04] Kallen shrugs, and wordlessly steps out of the suddenly-stifling lounge.
[17:06] Milly leads the way down the stairs towards the ballroom Kallen is quite familiar with. The two pass Sayoko on the stairs; she bows to Milly, before proceeding upwards.
[17:06] "I suppose it's not really my office, but it would do," the blonde says once they are at their destination. "I don't have much time, I'm afraid, so I hope you don't mind."
[17:08] "I'm sorry I couldn't make it earlier," replies Kallen, speaking quietly and hoping Milly does the same. "Nana-chan told me you were going to the mainland."
[17:10] "Shirley was looking for you," Milly says, waving off Kallen's excuse. "We can get into that later." She keeps her voice reasonably low; Kallen doubts anyone upstairs would hear them. "Yes, I'm going to the mainland. Pendragon, to be exact. You and Sayoko are the only ones I can count on to remain here and keep Nunnally safe until I'm back."
[17:13] "I'm going to be busy," replies Kallen, honestly. "I'll be running back and forth a lot. I can't be around her all the time. How long will you be gone for?"
[17:15] "Until I've accomplished what I'm setting out to do," Milly says just as honestly. "I can't guarantee I'll return. I don't need to add anything here, do I?"
[17:17] "What're your leads?"
[17:18] "Leads? All I have is one goal, to ensure the continued safety of Nunnally by any means necessary."
[17:22] "What are you planning? If you get in trouble, I could help you!"
[17:26] Milly pauses, and she looks at Kallen, as if evaluating her. "I don't think you can. But... once, during a better time, there was a girl who loved Nunnally very much. If there is anyone who could shield her, it's her. If she hasn't changed since that time, if I can get her to see me... a lot of ifs."
[17:30] Kallen turns her head for a moment. "Let's not put all our eggs in one basket," she insists, and her face darkens. "If I can trace the spies here, we wouldn't need outside help. If I call you and tell you it's resolved, I want you to come back."
[17:33] "Sayoko will be able to get in touch with me," Milly says, inclining her head. "But even if matters are resolved here, Area 11 may no longer be safe for Nunnally. A repeat of the attack on Akihabara... the inevitable reprisals from the Crown... any of those would endanger her, and there's not a thing I would be able to do about it.
[17:33] But... just because I can't leave Area 11 doesn't mean Nunnally has to stay here."
[17:35] "True. This place will be a warzone." Kallen shrugs. "I swear I'll protect her as long as she's here. I could move into the dorms, if necessary. I might not be around much-" she grimaces- "-but I'll be closer for some of the time."
[17:38] "That's all I ask," Milly agrees, nodding once more. "You know, if I don't make it back? I haven't known you long, but it's been fun all the same." She gives Kallen one of her famous, cocky smiles.
[17:44] "It really was. I'm kinda glad you like secrets," replies Kallen, managing a small smile. "And stop talking like you're gonna die. It doesn't suit you. Who'll run the school while you're away?"

<--->

<--->

Milly snorts in amusement. "Rivalz has been left in charge, believe it or not. He promised to be very dependable."

Kallen rolls her eyes. "I see. You'd think we didn't have a year ahead of us," she notes, stretching her fingers for a moment.

"Look, there's one other thing. If Brit intelligence is already onto Nunnally, then there's a possibility we'll be in a position where I have to choose to either spirit her away or let them take her. In a situation like that, the easiest way to keep her hidden and protected would be using resources through the resistance forces."

"If this unfortunate event takes place, Sayoko knows what to do," Milly agrees. "Hopefully, it won't."

"Is she to be my contact into the much-vaunted Ashford Information Agency?"

"Into everything." Milly doesn't even seem to think about her answer.

"Understood. Well, I've got to run. When you come back to Tokyo, don't be surprised if a few things have changed," replies Kallen with a smirk. "Be seeing you!"

Milly does not respond beyond a quirk of her lips. As Kallen glances back, leaving the premises, she sees that the blonde student council president is watching her depart, wearing her famous confident pose, hands placed on her hips, head tilted just so.

Heading back to the exterior of Ashford Academy, Kallen flags a taxi to take her to the Fenette residence, penning a quick note to Shirley over the phone to let her know she's coming.

About ten minutes after the mail is sent, almost as the cab is about to reach Shirley's house, she gets a hurried, 'Okay, I'll delay for a few,' response from Shirley. She didn't sign the mail as she often tends to do, a little quirk of hers.

It's not unusual for Shirley to be in a rush, but recent events are preparing Kallen's mind to wander in strange directions from the smallest stimuli. Hopping out the cab before it's even completely stopped and leaving a few notes on the dash, Kallen heads for Shirley's door and rings the bell.

The door opens on the second ring, Shirley adjusting her hair just beyond it. She smiles as she sees Kallen, but Kallen finds it hard to focus on the other girl's face, her attention consumed by the Britannian military uniform Shirley is wearing.

"I'm happy that you could make it after all," Shirley tells Kallen, sounding quite genuine. "I understand how busy you must be at this time, but I really didn't want to leave without saying goodbye properly. It's selfish, but I'm glad you're here to see me off, Kallen."

The reflexive grimace shows that Kallen isn't at all pleased at the prospect, though the context in which Shirley will parse her expression is still in doubt.

"You're going... now?" she manages, as if their conversation of weeks ago is entirely forgotten.

Shirley looks sad. She seems to contemplate something, before opening the door wider and stepping aside. "I can... I think I can delay by fifteen minutes. Won't you come in?"

"Yeah, sure," replies Kallen. "Did you decide now because of Akihabara?" she queries, regaining her composure and heading for the lounge.

Shirley ducks her head. She closes the door as Kallen steps inside, following the redhead.

"I can't just pretend it's alright, Kallen," she says, the sad look staying on. "I wanted to help all these people, but what could a schoolgirl do? And the most they would let me do is... is give blood for Britannians who were hurt. But that's not enough! And there were so many sick Elevens...." Shirley's posture becomes firmer. "So I signed up. I probably won't, you know, to pilot a Knightmare you need to be a noble, but that's okay!" Even though she seems more confident, she rambles on. "I'm on leave, actually. Milly asked me to come to the ceremony. I have to return to basic training. Umm. I don't know if I'll work with Dad when that's over, but whatever I do, I hope I'll be able to help others. No. I know I'll be able to do it."

"I'm sorry I missed it, but I got caught up. So are you still angling to get into logistics?" asks Kallen, sounding oddly neutral. "I mean, you can't really help many elevens from behind the controls of a Knightmare, so that's probably for the best."

Shirley nods emphatically. "It's probably for the best, but if I could-- anything is fine, because you can turn what you have into what you want it to be. Kallen, you're the one who showed me that! You're so admirable... even though your father fell ill and you have to run the company, you balance that and school, and even find a way to make a difference!" Shirley smiles tentatively at her. "I had doubts after signing up, because it's really scary, but when I thought about how you were working towards a better world, without even seeking recognition for all the good you're doing, it gave me strength to stay the course."

"Without seeking recognition? It's not a matter of modesty, you know. It'll go badly for me if the press takes an interest," replies Kallen, not sounding as frustrated as she could. "Half-breed and all that. I'm not that inspirational, and... I don't know how to put this, Shirley," she continues, her voice slowing down.

Shirley puts a hand on Kallen's shoulder, looking at her with concern. "Don't call yourself that. It's not true."

"I beg your pardon?" asks Kallen, pressing her hands on the table.

"You were born to two parents who loved each other," Shirley responds, that same tentative smile making an appearance again. "That's all there is to it, isn't there?"

Kallen snorts. "My dad isn't capable of love. The only reason he had to take me in was to prevent a scandal later- no, this isn't about me, it's about you! Shirley, it's great that you want to help the Japanese, but you're joining an organisation that's been oppressing them for the past six years! Remember the slogan? "People are not equal!" The military enforces that principle! Your goal is a contradiction..."

"I can't change what I am," Shirley tells Kallen. "I am Britannian. If Britannians are to be ruled by that slogan, then it would always apply to me, whatever I did. But... but even if it's true, so what? I know I'm not the same as the nobles or the Numbers. Does it mean I just give up? Even someone like me has to have a way to help! And I'll find it, Kallen! I will, without fail!"

"The statement is only truth because the military makes it so," insists Kallen. "The military and the royals and the other nobles- of course they want to enforce their superiority. I want that to change, Shirley! Britannians, numbers, whoever- we shouldn't just accept that and make the best of it. If we do that, then areas 18 and 19 probably aren't that far away."

"This might not be the best choice," Shirley admits, some of her enthusiasm leaving her. She embraces the redhead suddenly. "It's the best one I can make right now without feeling like a hypocrite. Please understand, Kallen."

"I'm worried about you," replies Kallen, leaning back to look up at Shirley's face. "Most people in the military are out for status, a shot at nobility, or even just the thrill. It's not a benevolent organisation, and you have to follow orders virtually unquestioningly. Even unconscientous ones- and for a common soldier, there's no way to argue if your commander is, say... a duke."

Kallen shakes her head. "Look, um. Setting that aside. If you want to help the elevens, then curbing the excesses of the army is probably just as effective as sneaking aid parcels through the cracks. If you hear about anything you feel is wrong, or oppressive, then.. please, tell me. With our positions, there are things we can both hear and do that the other can't."

"I'm glad." Shirley's smile becomes a bit teary. "Thank you, Kallen. Let's work together towards that better world!"

"You can't look like that at basic," chides Kallen, turning around to set her hands on Shirley's shoulders. "The drill sergeants will rip you apart, girl!"

Shirley wipes at her eyes with a hand, though her smile stays on throughout. "I'll do my best."

A car horn sounds from the street, and she darts a look at the door. "I ordered a cab before you came," she explains, returning her eyes to Kallen's face. "I guess this is goodbye for real, until I'm done with training." She leans over to kiss Kallen on the cheek lightly. "Good bye. I really liked having a best friend for a change."

"I've had too many farewells today," notes Kallen, shaking her head. "Stay safe out there, Shirley."

The horn sounds again, and Shirley disengages from Kallen's loose embrace, picking up a small backpack. If it weren't for Kallen's intrinsic hatred of Britannian military, Shirley would look like the ideal model for a recruiting poster.

There is another smile directed her way, and then Shirley runs outside, letting the door slam behind her. It takes several moments for Kallen to realize that she had been left alone in Shirley's house.

Awkward. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, Kallen quietly heads for the door herself, giving the house one last glimpse before stepping outside and reaching for her phone to call her own taxi.

Shirley didn't really understand what the redhead meant. Were the question of 'should the status quo be changed' be put to the ruling parties she spoke of, the answer would be along the lines of 'over my dead body', a condition that Kallen had little issue with fulfilling. Still, it wasn't as if Shirley was planning to be a real soldier so much as a desk jockey. Analytically, it's the best place for her to gather information and a safe place that's likely to be out the line of fire. When Kallen looks at it this way, it's a little bit easier to calm down.

<--->