Chapter 10

Lelouch Lamperouge Makes Friends

The dawn greets Sayoko with bright rays bleeding through her thick black curtains, the sun shot lines of yellow at her covered pupils with the accuracy of a League of Shadows archer, forcing her away from her sweat dreams. With a resentment that all ninjutsu masters have against the sun and other sources of light, Sayoko covers her face with the body pillow she hugs to sleep, wanting just a few more minutes of bliss before her alarm goes off.

From the other side of her room, on top of a vanity, a little demonic skull screams an electronic recording of a cheesy-villainous laugh, eyes signaling red, continuously, flickering on and off in a powerful light that made sleep impossible.

Even with her face deep into the pillow, she could still hear the skull going "HA!...HA!...HA!"

Sayoko opensone eye. 6:05, the dial the skull rested on says.

The ninja maid jumps out of bed tempted- very tempted- to murder the novelty alarm clock from the other side of the room. Her bare feet touch the cold floors without even shivering.

Stretching, Sayoko feels and sometimes even hears every one of her battles, noises came from places and certain joints felt stiff. She wasn't old, far from it, but years as an assassin's life makes all bodies pay the toll with pain.

As nude as the day she was born, Sayoko walks up to the cheap, dungeon arcade merchandise clock, with a slap to the top of the shiny dome head, the alarm stops, cutting the electronic laughter mid- "HA~"

At that, she loses all hostility, having grown too attached to the little skull to destroy it.

Besides, she enjoys appearing naked in front of a pair of eyes, even if they're just light bulbs flashing red. She bought this monstrosity in her teens, and loved it ever since. A reminder of her phase as an admirer of the dark and morbid.

She was sixteen, what did you expect?

Years ago, she loved wearing nothing but black and listening to loud, rebellious music that her father hated. At night she spent most of her time in her room just writing sad poetry. It wasn't good, truthfully, the poems now make Sayoko cringe, but it was a phase.

If only all teenagers had simpler phases and not…rebellion.

"Ugh! My god." Sayoko said, groaning at the date shown on the calendar.

Today was the day Master Lelouch's mask parts come in, the shipment will arrive in bulk and work will finally begin in his stupid mask.

A fishbowl more like it, Sayoko thinks, she saw the designs herself, it was so obviously an attempt at replicating the look and feel of a Knightmare frame's factosphere.

From the amount of wire work in the design, it might even work like a factosphere.

In her opinion, Master Lelouch cares far too much about aesthetics. She understands the importance of appearance, but her young master was a bit too obsessed with the ideas in his head, ignoring the challenges it would take. A simple cloth mask or maybe a hood would have the same kind of effect and would require less materials and engineering to fabricate.

But who was she to judge?

Sayoko began putting on her uniform, and on top of that, her maid outfit. Her customized league armor was tight enough to be worn underneath most things, it didn't chafe. The feeling was similar to a gymnastic leotard.

If gymnastic leotards had ballistic resistant fibers.

Sayoko would always wear her "ninja suit" as Lelouch called it, because no matter what role she was playing, be it maid or nurse, the custom-made league armor will always be her true uniform. Her second skin, no matter what she wears to try to hide it.

As always, she arrives at the Ashford Academy right as the rest of the staff were coming in. She says hello to a few workers, an old Japanese janitor greeted her with a salute as always. She arrives at her place of work through the back in the kitchen entrance where she began her first duty of the day.

Master Lelouch's diet consisted of a light-ish protein meal, an egg and chicken scramble with minor seasoning. Sayoko made these specifically to mimic the rations the league gave their members, with the added bonus of actually tasting good. She sneaked in a few calories in the breakfast from time to time, a hash brown and some sausages to just give him some fat in his bones, God knows he needed it.

With breakfast on the table, Sayoko goes to her master's room, knocking on the door while holding his morning protein shake on a tray.

Sayoko hates the smell of protein shakes, herbal tea would be better for a growing warrior, but Master Lelouch never did like tradition when something much better and efficient was available.

Sayoko opens the door and found the bedroom empty. She frowns. The bed was clean too. No signs of anyone sleeping on it recently.

Putting the tray back to the kitchen, Sayoko listens and hears the distinct cry of flying metal a floor above her.

Among the many spacious rooms in the clubhouse given to them by the Ashfords, one was left barren, void of furniture to be spacious for the sake of only one purpose.

Training.

Training until his body ached and begged him to stop, or at least when his skills were still at the level his inner perfectionist told him to be.

Lelouch didn't have a choice, like a sword, one's skills in combat must be properly maintained, leave it sheathed and eventually the blade will rust and loose it's edge.

Shirtless, Lelouch is covered in a thin layer of sweat, perspiration pools around his back and falls from his brow, his workout routine more than half-way done.

He holds the short, single edge blade in his hands as if it was a part of his body as he goes through a series of katas and drills, his speed growing faster and faster, in steps of eight, the polished steel sword of his reflects so much light, it looks like fans of metal were spinning and encircling around Lelouch's body.

All without a sound above the whistle of steel. Like a true ninja.

His bare feet tread lightly on the wooden floors, barely touching the ground, his footsteps made no noise, catlike and predatory.

The only sound that could be heard was of his ninjato cutting through the air in fast, high-pitched whistles that seemed to be able to cut through flesh just as much as the blade itself.

Lelouch is in a fight, and in his own head, he has an opponent.

The imaginary opponent is skilled, far better than any rapist or mugger in the streets, but still he didn't have a chance.

Lelouch was faster, stronger, and like a shadow, he was simply there, a force you cannot escape from. A force that should be feared, or else…

But the simplicity of this training began to bore him.

More, he thinks. He'd simply imagine more opponents. Fighting against multiple foes as the League intended. His imaginary opponent becomes a horde, all ninjas, simple sword drills against single opponents wouldn't cut this kind of situation.

Satisfied and even bored with his basic drills, the student of the deadliest ninja in the world began performing the advance sets; faster and more elaborate blows coupled with acrobatic feats such as backflips and air kicks. The drills designed to use not just weapon in hand, but to use the entire body as a weapon.

Less as a combat drill, and more as an all-encompassing exercise for the body, forcing Lelouch to surpass his limits of agility and strength. And with the shuriken inside his new belt; an exercise of accuracy as well.

For five-straight minutes, combining the exaggerated kata of traditional martial arts with the raw and savage moves of modern CQC, Lelouch became a hurricane of destruction, a blur of elaborate movements, his sword and kicks were the powerful gale force winds that could knock anything down.

But no hurricane would be complete with flying debris.

Lelouch has modified the utility harness, removing the straps, Lelouch kept only the belt and added a new feature; a shuriken release mechanism that allowed him to store and draw shuriken quickly.

In the middle of this intense training session, Lelouch would test them out.

Lelouch draws and fires his shuriken. Even in air, he could pull out one or more shuriken and throw them in one fluid movement.

His targets were the stationary blocks of wood tied on the walls of the impromptu training room, measly two-inch square targets that would be a challenge for most people to even see when jumping in the air.

But Lelouch wasn't most people.

He could not only pick out the targets, he could draw on them as well.

And draw, Lelouch did, throwing shuriken that hit the targets on the walls with amazing speed and precision, all while in a constant flow of combat.

Sudden and swift, fast and deadly, powerful and focused, Lelouch's fighting style has come a long way from simple boxing and aikido, to becoming the embodiment of hundreds of combat disciplines and fighting styles, condensed into the near physical peak of human performance.

A martial arts masterpiece.

Nothing would dare walk up to Lelouch in this heightened state of martial prowess. For if any did, they'd surely come to harm.

Just then, Sayoko opens the door.

Lelouch becomes aware of her presence, he finishes up the last of his imaginary opponents, embedding the short blade of his ninjato into the ground were his imaginary opponent lay. A moment later he throws his last two shuriken at Sayoko.

He didn't know why. Adrenaline was coursing through his body, making his instincts react to the closest threat.

Sayoko rolled her eyes beforeshe catches the two shuriken with one hand, her index and pinky finger catching the metal stars by the openings in the middle, making a rock-and-roll hand salute near her face.

"Nice catch." Lelouch remarks, sheathing his sword away.

"Breakfast is ready." Sayoko says calmly, spinning the two shuriken in her hand, making them look like tiny buzz saws.

Lelouch catches his breath and nods. "Breakfast would be nice."

Sayoko puts the tray with the protein shake by the nearest flat surface and turns around, throwing the metal stars over her shoulder as one would with a towel.

They fly, faster than Lelouch could have ever imagined shuriken could fly when thrown at such a casual angle. He follows their trajectory. Too fast, he thinks, unable to act in time.

The first struck his swords' hilt, putting it in an angle, nearly ripping it out of Lelouch's grasp. The second shuriken came only a second later, hitting the guard, launching the short sword out of its sheath.

Lelouch looks at the empty scabbard and then to the sword with an impressed half-smirk.

Sayoko had disarmed just him without even looking.

I needed this. Lelouch thought. He needed a reminder that no matter how good you get, someone is always out there that's better.

And thank God, she was on his side.

It was a Wednesday, yet Lelouch's Ashford uniform was still on a hanger. Instead, Lelouch wore a plain white shirt, some working slacks and boots, and a pair of heavy duty work gloves. He dressed ready work, and just the way he walked said he didn't even care he had a class in a few minutes, no panic only a casual walk to get the things he needed. Books on engineering in his arm, a few papers and a laptop in the other as he passed by Sayoko, who asked.

"Don't you have school today?"

"I do. I'm just not going."

"Any particular reason?" Sayoko asked, frowning.

"I'm busy."

"Where?"

Lelouch heads to the elevator, pressing a button on the wall to open the hidden door, from inside the elevator, Lelouch gives her answer.

"To the Prowler."

Apparently, the all-terrain, combat vehicle/knightmare frame cockpit AKA the Prowler did not come in any shade of black. Painting a vehicle was easy, a simple task only taking a few hours with the use of the right paint and paint blower.

Modifications were another story.

The beast of a vehicle may be the hardest hitter on four wheels, but much of the Prowler's systems were outdated, some parts were even older than Lelouch.

It was expected that a prototype weapon wouldn't be usable off the bat. The newly painted armor hard to be removed for painting, leaving only the aluminum chassis and electrical systems.

Not wanting to literally watch paint dry, Lelouch took this as an opportunity to try-out his newly acquired knowledge in engineering.

Ruben Ashford wrote the literal book on robotics. Fundamentals of Robotics Engineering in a Post-Sakuradite World is still a widely popular and universally taught book in sciences institutions in the academia of Britannia today.

The book was so notoriously simple, simple enough that most teens without prior knowledge could pick it up and understand most of what was going on. As the co-author Al Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it."

It came to no surprise to Lelouch how easy it was to learn, the Ashford family, after the turn of the century, transitioned from mere weapon smiths to educators, teaching any who came to their ancestral home, the Ashford foundation provided the free education to many who would later become the inventors of the new age of technological advancement.

This book was a culmination of such achievement, Lelouch scanned the book, cover to cover, and the best read he's had and found it an even better source of knowledge than the factory of assembly-line of knowledge Ashford academy has become.

The book taught him just enough to modify the Prowler, not enough to be a scientist/inventor, but enough that he'd get a few bells and whistles attached without the whole thing exploding.

Besides, he could always ask Ruben for help.

With goggles on his eyes, Lelouch welds a few mods at the front of the sports-tank (a designation combining sports car sleekness of the vehicle with its very military applications). Sparks flying at him as metal and metal connect, the yellow light of his arc wielder illuminating his face.

It's a useful skill, wielding. Lelouch picked it up to make a living when he was hiding out in India modifying and eventually racing cars.

India's racing has very few rules when modifying vehicles, creativity was as important as functionality. Flamethrowers and spear canons, Lelouch armed race car with only a single minigun once, and he used that sparingly before parting with it.

It was fun to add though.

Lelouch still remembered the sparks and shouts of a busy shop, the flames and gunpowder, the open shooting range where new gun mods are tested just five-feet to where Lelouch ate his curry for lunch.

He could still taste the gunshot residue on his rice and the fiery taste of gunpowder cooked steaks.

Lelouch pulls up his google to inspect his work. He eye-balls it, judging with his sight as well as his gut. He nods his head in satisfaction.

This is where the expended ammo casings eject.

Several hours passed like nothing when you were working on something you loved. Now at six o'clock in the evening, Lelouch receives his first shipment of graphite.

Lelouch smashes a piece with a baseball bat, testing its tensile strength.

It shatters like a pencil tip. "There's something wrong with the graphite." Lelouch said dropping his bat to the ground in irritation. Sayoko caught something close to pettiness but held her tongue.

"Shame." Sayoko goes. "At least the next the next five hundred thousand will be up to specification."

"This is terrible!" Lelouch's voice grows dark, turning into a growl. "The shipment won't be here until next month." Disappointment and set backs were expected for a project of this scale but to for something so simple to go wrong, it infuriated Lelouch to no end. "Not to mention the production time. These will take us back two months, at least."

"Yes, terrible." Sayoko's tone lowers as she said that, keeping her voice audible and just that.

Lelouch grasps his baseball bat with both hands and brings it down on an entire box of graphite parts. It made the sound of charcoal getting crushed.

That still didn't make Lelouch any less angry.

Lelouch throws aside his bat with as much noise as possible and went back to work on the other side of his workplace.

Sayoko cleans up after him when she deemed it safe.

With so many spare knightmare parts laying around, Lelouch hastily assembleda crude though efficient computer station. Sayoko had always been jealous of people who could build things and not just destroy and could never stop admiring the things her master could build.

The improvised setup comprised of one spacious escape pod becoming the chair and computer desk while a more sophisticated knightmare's three panoramic display monitors have been recycled into simple computer monitors, the screens were literally held together by a knightmare frame's hands, while everything in the workshop, from the heaviest equipment to the smallest light bulb, was being powered by his mother's Ganymede's power source.

The symbolism did not escape Sayoko.

Lelouch powers up the makeshift computer system and begins to work. He pops open a book from his desk and places it on his makeshift table, using it as a guide of sort, learning by doing as he types away at his computer, always checking the book in case he makes a mistake but doing so less and less as he got the feel of it.

Lelouch stopped learning from schools a long time ago, they no longer worked for him. This was his education. Robotics and programming would be his subject tonight.

Sayoko watched as the seventeen year old boy ran his fingers across the keyboard the same way a pianist would play Beethoven. Instead of a note, he made a command, a program that would become a war machine's song, the last many would hear.

It was a concept Sayoko could never hope to understand, how a few numbers and letters would make a machine kill a human being and get better at it with each new line of code as he had called it.

But Sayoko did understand one thing, and that's when a person buries themselves in in work to stop feeling bad about something.

And she understood, above all else, just how unhealthy that kind of pattern would become.

"Master Lelouch, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Lelouch lets out an exhausted groan. "No, I will not let you buy those skimpy maid outfits you found online."

"That's disappointing, but I wanted to ask you was if you made any new friends at school lately?" Sayoko asked.

Lelouch stops typing for a moment and averts Sayoko's expectant look. Trying to look indifferent, Lelouch redoubles hitting the keys.

"That depends on your definition on the word friend." he replied, trying to sound above such things.

"Spoken like someone who has no friends." She concluded.

"I have friends!"

"Name one that's not Miss Milly."

Lelouch paused typing. He looked up at her and found his voice a second later. "There's you."

"I'm your maid. That's like calling a whore your girlfriend."

"Ouch. That cut deep, Sayoko. Real deep. Deep enough to warrant a therapy conversation with my psychiatrist about relationships and my inability to keep them because I'm scared I'd lose them." Lelouch said, trying to joke, but only causing Sayoko to worry more.

"You know, you can't just go on living like this." She chides, it was almost motherly but kept her distance. "Like it or not, you're a seventeen year old boy who spends most of his time alone in a dark bunker."

Sayako swivels his chair, making Lelouch face her. "As the person whose job is to literally look after you it is my duty to tell you that you need to go out there and meet people."

Rebellious eyes glared at her. They might have scared thugs or petty criminals before, but to Sayoko they still looked as cute as the day he first glared at her years ago.

Adamant, Sayoko clears up the desk, suspending all of Lelouch's work until her demands were met. Even with all his accumulated training, Lelouch wouldn't risk a direct confrontation with the woman whose skills he holds in the highest of respect.

"Fine." Lelouch relents. "But after I make friends, we get back to the mission and I will hear no more of these personal questions, do you understand."

Even when she was getting her way, Sayoko still looks as if she's getting the short end. "I'll need proof."

"I'll show you their contact info."

Sayoko nods. "You've been here three months. I expect more than three new contacts in your phone."

Three? The average for friends is two. "That's outrageous!"

"What I did to a group of mercenaries in Osaka was outrageous." Sayoko countered. "That city block is still being repaired to this day."

Lelouch looked at her with unwarranted suspicion. "Why do you want this anyway?"

Sayoko looks around the room, eyeing the dark corners, then her eyes fall to Lelouch. "You can't expect me to believe you can recruit people to your…rebellion if you can't even manage to make friends out of people you're stuck nine hours a day."

Lelouch mulled over it for an instant and relented. "That's a good point."

"Are you're going to put yourself out there?"

"Never said anything about that."

"Do it for me. I've never asked anything of you that you couldn't handle."

Lelouch shifted his gaze away from her.

"I know what it's like to be your age, I used to be a high school student myself, once."

"You make it sound like that was a decade ago." Lelouch commented.

Sayoko let out a quick "Shut up." before continuing.

"I didn't know how to make friends, all I ever did was sit quietly at the back while all the other kids were talking- and if you're having a hard time thinking about me in a Japanese schoolgirl outfit, I can get my old uniform for you. If you want I could-"

"Pass." Lelouch dismissed the proposal immediately, Sayoko continued.

"Most of the other kids were afraid of me, I was the "Heir to a Dojo" archetype, unapproachable unless by the MC. Sadly, no MC ever came to do perverted things to me. It wasn't their fault, back then, all I really cared about was martial arts, learning everything I could to pass on my family's school of martial arts and inherit my father's dojo. Sound familiar?"

Lelouch refuses to give her an answer.

"In short, it was lonely. When other kids hung out, I went straight home training. Most girls had groups of friends, I only had my knives. When my high school life ended, I look back and saw all the missed opportunities."

"Your point?" Lelouch said callously. To him, he doesn't have a high school life. Like everything that wasn't his mission, it was as fake as Lelouch Lamperouge.

Sayoko steeled herself, this battle would be a difficult one indeed.

"You can't socialize with people your age. I know you have a personal mission, I understand, I truly do but I have a mission as well. The Ashford family hired me to keep you safe. What you're doing is approaching obsessive, it's simply not healthy. You shouldn't neglect your social health, especially in your teens." Sayoko paused for breath, letting herself imagine where her young master's life was heading.

"You'll end up a lonely depressed man who'll be alone all his life." The kunoichi said with experience. "At best."

"And at worst?" Lelouch asked.

Sayoko gestures at herself.

"Me."

Lelouch stares at her. He opens his mouth, before anything could come out resembling a word, Sayoko spoke.

"I'm not saying you should be the life-of-the party, it's not like you. But try forming some connections, talk to people, be around people who don't want to kill you." Sayoko gives him a sweet smile. Encouraging him to the best of her ability

"I prefer being alone." Lelouch said.

Sayoko nods frowning.

"No, you don't." she says quietly.

Lelouch honestly couldn't understand Sayoko's motivations. She wanted what was best for him, he knew that, but he had what he wanted, all the connections he needs. He could see his sister again, he and Sayoko were close again, he found Jeremiah and the knight remained ever-loyal to him, and Milly seems to tolerate him now.

He had the four people he cared about.

Adding the growing rapport he had with Rugen that made five, right? So what he's an old man who's also my boss, work people can also be considered friends.

It's not like he couldn't make more friends his age, Shabah, that psycho also would count, they had a lot of things in common, they told jokes, shared stories, and were sort of each other's only friend in the League before Shabah left and was never heard from again. Shabah might be dead somewhere, but all things considered, Lelouch knew he could still socialize with people…just not with actual people people.

He remembered Nyssa, the little archer, he missed her, he wanted to pat her head some more, rub the curls and knots in her hair until it frizzed up. Lelouch even picked out the next movie he should have watched with the girl he considered a little sister.

Then they came back to him.

His sister Euphie dancing with him, pink hair blowing in the wind, her sweet laughter and smiles turning his frowns into smiles. Her mission in life to push away his sorrows.

He missed Cornelia, her strict face turning into a warm smile, her even stricter words, he even missed having his cheeks pinched by her when she felt it necessary to punish him for running in the halls of the Aries Villa or getting Euphie into trouble.

Lelouch swallowed a lump, as he kept remembering about the past that was once too painful to dwell in.

His older brother Schneizel, the last time Lelouch saw him, his brother was as old as Lelouch is today. Lelouch could barely remember him, only the chess games they've played seemed to remain with him. His brother's face, a blur, a smirk, and yellow hair.

Schneizel was a different man now, Lelouch learned of his brother's political and military achievements, and that he was a father now as well. His brother was already a man with a wife and child, now. Lelouch doubted they could recognize each other if they ever do meet.

For the sake of his brother's wife and child, Lelouch hoped they never would.

And Suzaku. He missed the Japanese boy more than his own siblings. The friend he made all on his own, his sibling-student, the brother he chose. The brother he left behind.

Lelouch spent hours searching for him online and in the deep web, unlike his famous royal siblings, Suzaku was beyond his reach. An internet search could find news on any of his half-siblings, the only piece of information Lelouch has ever gotten from his network about the last Kururugi was he was adopted by a Britannian family, the trail goes cold there.

Could he still be alive? Were his new family treating him well? Had he become a hostage? Lelouch theorized as much, the Britannia's could have set him up to be adopted by an influential family to be used as a hostage if Japan ever mounted a real resistance.

That was speculation. Lelouch knows better than relying on speculation.

But Lelouch took comfort in speculation, fantasizing about Suzaku's life, about what his friend could be doing out there. Maybe he was fighting like me? Lelouch had once dreamed of one day finding his friend had become an ally, a freedom fighter and political leader, leading his fellow Japanese against the Britannian oppressors.

A few nights, Lelouch laid on the league's hard cots, dreaming of the two of them fighting side by side, two brothers-in-arms against a global super power. Back-to-back against insurmountable odds, knightmares and soldiers falling at their feet.

That was the dream.

Dusan showed him the reality, showed him a vision of Suzaku, and gave him the sword that he used to kill the image of his best friend. The lesson was clear, he can't dwell on the past, on silly dreams of a silly boy living a fantasy where everything gets fixed and everyone lives happily ever after. Out of all of Dusan's lessons; that one stuck out and would stay with him for as long as he lived.

Lelouch stopped walking, the image fresh in his mind, leaving him a loss of muscle control.

Dusan may not be breathing at his neck anymore but the man still left his mark on Lelouch. Despite hating the man sometimes, whenever Lelouch trained his worries and emotions away he couldn't help but miss Dusan. He shouldn't, with everything he's done, Lelouch should hate him, he should have let him fall to his death.

The man was a killer, as strict as he was savage. The perpetual cause of all Lelouch's pain under the League's training. Lelouch was sure it was a psychological thing, a trick or a type of brainwashing that the League employed to make him completely loyal to their cause.

Why else would make Lelouch care about a man who made it his sole purpose to break him? He shouldn't worry if Dusan ever woke up from his fall, he shouldn't. The man fought against him, tried to kill him.

Yet, Lelouch missed him as well. He missed him in every gym class. In every lap the coach made them do, whenever he saw snow, Lelouch fondly remembered the sled. In every barbequed fish, he remembered the grilled fish Dusan couldn't cook properly but it still tasted better than the meals the League gave.

And the basketball games. "Hand-eye Training" he called it. He never played basketball until that day. Now basketball was fun, their fun, the only time Lelouch enjoyed himself in his four years of training.

Basketball made him feel like a son.

And Dusan was the closest thing he had to a father. A real father. And that was the real tragedy of it.

"No one could replace them. Any of them." Lelouch told himself as he finally got to the Student Council Clubroom. Ready to take Milly's offer and become Student Council Vice-President. Ready to make friends and socialize as Sayako wanted.

He walks in, expecting just a plain room with chairs stacked on the side, a few piles of papers, and maybe Milly doing some work for once with her council.

The former prince opened the door to a room full of students, all angry and all asking questions.

Lelouch had seen- and allegedly instigated- prison riots more organized than this. The clubroom was in its maximum capacity, People were pushing towards the student council. An angry mob, all from different clubs. Lelouch noted at the first sight of all of them.

He checked around, looking for where Milly was in this mess, not surprised this would be her fault. His blonde secret friend, was nowhere to be seen. Lelouch took a wild guess that her absence could be the cause of this mess.

To the left side of the room, members of sports clubs wearing uniforms that barely held together and showing off equipment ready to break, complaining about priorities to a blue haired boy.

Behind them, representatives of the gardening club with literal pitchforks, arguing with the equestrian club jockeys. Tensions seem high and nearing breaking point. Just one more insult would lead into a brawl.

Not all the bickering and chaos was by the boys, girls seemed to be targeting their own gender. A few girls surround a familiar face with the singular determination of vultures.

Lelouch recognized her from her bright orange hair, Shirley Fenette is her name, if he's not mistaken. They have classes together.

Shirley…the name swirls around in Lelouch's mouth, a pun landing at the tip of his tongue.

He hears a small yip amongst the ruckus, and looks down, under the table he sees green. A girl with green hair tied in braids, her knees brought up to her chest, her glasses barely visible under the table.

Lelouch has seen many shades of hair around the world. An untold number of blonde variations in Britannia, shades of brown in Japan, monochrome heads ranging from pale as snow to black as ink in Asian countries like India and Philippines, and a painter's platter of different shades of hair belonging to the multi-national members of the League of Shadows.

Green hair was a rare thing.

The mousy green-haired girl looks at him, pleading for help her, no sign of doubt that Lelouch wouldn't. It was a look of helplessness and discomfort in her eyes that poked at the gentleman his mother raised in him, pushing a few loud students away, Lelouch makes his way to the girl, the fools seemed too engross in sharing their grievances to be polite or even notice him.

"What's your name?" he asked as he gets down on one knee to look at her eye to eye. She's a lot shorter Lelouch realized from how low the table is.

"Nina." something in her voice cracked, a bit of hostility at the pleasantries.

Pleasantries Lelouch dispensed with, but not before giving his name as manners dictate. Perhaps she could be a friend, at least one Sayoko will be content with so he can go back to work.

"I'm-"

"I know who you are." Nina cut him off, he didn't expect such a dry response. Nina's hidden salt aside, Lelouch offers her his help.

"Let's get you out of there." he said, giving her his hand. Then Nina shakes her head so much her glasses almost falling out.

"Aren't you stuck?" Lelouch asked, having incorrectly accessed the situation.

"No." he could barely make what she said out. "I just…don't like it when there's too many people."

Lelouch nods in agreement having felt that way before only with armed psychopaths. "What would you have me do?"

"Get them to leave." Nina begged, the girl looked to be close to tears. Lelouch always hated seeing girls cry.

Using that bit of that hate, Lelouch stood up and yelled.

"Everyone quiet!"

Lelouch's booming voice froze them all. The noise of the room dialed to zero and all eyes looked to him in fear and curiosity.

After a moment of silence, one equestrian club member, a jockey built like a line-baker, goes up and says. "And why should we listen to you?"

It was at that moment the temperature of the room dropped to near arctic levels.

Lelouch doesn't reply with a retort, he only stares at the idiot with the nerve to talk back to him. Lelouch would make him regret that, for every second under Lelouch's glare was torture.

There's just something about witnessing tragedy after tragedy, seeing your friends die, being betrayed at every turn, and killing men you admire that can make your eyes glisten with absolute hatred.

With that hatred, Lelouch's glare could have been staring down a lion, and the lion would back down, for a predator knows to fear something that fears nothing.

This goes on longer than was comfortable, especially to the equestrian club member who spoke out. Lelouch kept his violet gaze on him in silence, giving the jock time to regret standing up to him by opening his mouth.

The ones watching were terrified of making a sound and eliciting Lelouch's anger, creating a silence that threatened to give plenty in the room an anxiety attack.

Any second now, something would snap and these two would come to blows.

Until the jock looks away and slumps back, shrunken down to a size Lelouch found acceptable.

Finally, to everyone's relief, Lelouch spoke.

"Those who are not members of the student council will leave this room and will wait outside until called upon." Lelouch said in a deliberate downward inflection in his voice, telling everyone within earshot that there will be no debate, and the conversation ended here.

Simply glad to not be in the same room as Lelouch, the club representatives leave one by one until the color of the floor could be visible again.

The student council room was, for the first time today, filled with members of the student council.

Lelouch lowered his hand, and Nina took it, using it for support as she got out of the table. She looked at him, her eyes not meeting him, as she said. "Thank you."

"So that's where you went." the blue haired boy said.

Lelouch looks between the two other occupants in the room, Shirley Fenette and a boy who, now that Lelouch could see him better, looked strangely familiar.

"It seems I've caught you in a bad time." Lelouch spoke, remembering to bring his voice a few octaves higher to sound nicer. "I'm looking for Milly."

Suddenly, Nina spoke up. "Wh-Why would you be looking for Madam President!?" she asked urgently, pushing herself towards him.

Lelouch raised a brow at how she asked but let it be for now.

"I've come to accept her proposal."

"Proposal?"

Lelouch nods to whoever said that. "Yes, I've come to be Vice-President of the Student Council."

"She did what?!" Shirley made herself, and her dislike for him known. "She made you Vice-President?"

Lelouch would have to be careful about her, it seems his reputation followed him. "Officially, I haven't been the assigned the role yet. Nor have I accepted."

The orange haired girl looks at him like he kicked her cat into quicksand. "But you've come to accept?" She wasn't even trying to hide her hostility, it amused the warrior in Lelouch a bit, made him feel right back in the League of Shadows refectory.

The blue haired boy didn't share her dislike at his appointment. "Really?"

"You want to join the student council?"

Lelouch smiles, finding a mate in two moves.

"I was told it's mandatory that all students must be a member of a club, but my job schedule as an employee of Ruben Ashford doesn't give me much free time." Lelouch began.

"I would love to be a member, but it seems you have more pressing concerns right outside that door." Yes, the angry mob only Lelouch could control, and an oh-so-subtle reason to make him the VP.

"I'll come back at a better time." Lelouch turned around, knowing that they would all speak up and be the friends Sayoko wanted for him.

Along with giving him the position of student council Vice President.

How does Lelouch know this? Because he's a genius, and he knows forcing people to do something would never work the way you want it to.

Only a fool would outright demand for a position in the student council, especially with a member seemingly against his appointment. But if you could play the game right, influence them, make them want to have him as their Vice-President, and make them think it was their decision and then…

"Wait!" it was Shirley, the most reluctant member who called out to him. Right as Lelouch's hand was on the door knob, the only thing keeping the mob of clubs back.

Lelouch smirks before hiding it with a look of curiosity before he turns back around. "Yes? What is it?"

"We're really shorthanded, and if you want, you can be the interim Vice President."

"Yeah, we've been telling Madam Pres for months to get a Vice, now we've got one." Said the blue haired boy, who comes up to Lelouch. "I'm Rivalz, the secretary. We have-"

"History and Art together. I know." It took a while to remember that face. Rivalz chuckled a little

"Math too, but I keep skipping that one." He said

Lelouch smiled. "Me too." Who needs probability,anyway?

Speaking of low probabilities. "Where is Milly anyway?" Lelouch asked.

Shirley had the answer. "She called me and said she was with her family for an appointment."

Lelouch connected the dots rather grimly. "Ah. Family therapy."

This was their first ever session and Milly already hated going to these court ordered monthly visits, she hated the awkward silence of the drive, the clandestine way they dressed, and most of all, she hated the way her mother treated this whole thing.

Her mother considered it shameful to have to go to a therapist, the gossip it could bring, how scandalous it was for a family to be so dysfunctional, that they needed a third party to help them.

Even when they were in the waiting room, Millicent Ashford wanted everything to be perfect. "Milly, are you listening to me?"

Milly relied on her go-to response for everything. "Yes, mother."

"Then what did I just say?" came her mother's stern reply.

Milly wanted to bite out her tongue. "You said I should stick to the script, tell them that it's the stress of being the sole heiress of such a powerful family that makes me act out."

"And?" her mother prodded. "What will you tell the good doctor about your loving mother?"

Milly looked at her mother. "That you're a control freak who expects me to be your puppet and spread my legs for your next big meal ticket with a fancy tittle before his name."

"Damn it, child! This is why we are the laughing stock of the nobility."

Her father, the inheritor of the Ashford humor found it appropriate to joke in this situation. "Dear, we're not important enough to be a laughing stock of the nobility."

Milly let out a depressed laugh. Sometimes her father's jokes were just too funny.

Sometimes.

Before her mother could do anything, the receptionist came in from the other door.

"Ashford family?"

"That's us."

With another person in the room, Millicent Ashford became a completely different person. A bright smile on her perfect face made Milly want to puke. Millicent took her husband's hand and stood, with a sickeningly sweet voice, she said.

"Let's not keep the doctor waiting, dear."

Milly watched her father, his shoulders moved a little as if shrugging. He stood up and without a word followed his wife like a puppy on a leash.

He doesn't care about the therapy. Milly realized. He doesn't care much for anything, really.

She watched as her father lazily walked into the doctor's office, his posture hunched over, as if ready to fall asleep, while Milly's mother bolted into the therapist's office, no doubt wanting to get this over with as fast as possible.

Milly's father waited by the door for her. He gave Milly one of his laid back smiles, to calm her down.

"You coming?" he asked.

No one really asked her until now. Milly felt grateful that someone finally considered her thoughts on the matter.

Wordlessly, Milly walked towards her father. Her feet felt like jelly, threatening to topple her. Still she went passed her father and stepped into the office. A bad taste found its way into her mouth.

Doctor visits always made her uneasy. Bad news happens allot in doctor visits.

It's not like she was expecting the doctor to tell her she had cancer or something. She was afraid however, that after an hour with her family, the doctor will tell them that they're all awful people and shouldn't ever, be together again.

Milly knew they weren't perfect, but still, to be called failures as a family would hurt allot.

Behind her, Milly felt her father's hand on her shoulder, reassuring her as he led her into the office.

Milly felt his hand squeeze. Is he supporting me or am I supporting him? Her mind wondered.

"Don't worry, Dr. Guan is a professional." he said to reassure her.

Milly nodded, knowing everything she needed to know about her doctor from mother's briefing. Their doctor is said to be a world renowned psychiatrist, hailed as a genius. Which was rare considering that he was not a Britannian but a Chinese immigrant.

The three Ashford's stood near the door of the office. It was allot smaller than Milly thought only slightly bigger than her bedroom with only artificial light illuminating the room as the curtains were thick closed tightly. The walls were painted in a calming pastel shades of mint green with inspirational posters hung on the left side, one with a cat stuck on a tree that said "Hang in there" with another poster of a man apparently stuck on an island, "Isolation? Or Peace? It's up to you" the poster said, and Milly stared too long at that for her liking, trying to discern what that meant. Milly expected to see a lounge chair like in the movies but thankfully there wasn't one here for her mother to dramatically drape over. The only furniture in the room were four chairs, three plushy chairs on one side and across from them was their therapist, sitting on a chair that seemed plushier and much nicer than the rest, almost like a throne just less intimidating.

Like an idiot, Milly stared at his white hair, she'd never seen an albino before. She tried to fix her mistake and looked at the man's eyes only to find thick purple sunglasses instead of irises.

He can't handle sunlight. Milly realized, forgetting the difficulties of being an albino.

With a gesture, Dr. Guan finally spoke. "Have a seat." The doctor said, voice much more chipper than the boring drawl, monotone, Milly expected a psychiatrist to have.

Immediately, Millicent went for the chair on the center, Milly's father, not trailing far behind his wife, sat by her right side.

Millicent gave Milly a look and patted the chair on her left.

Milly walked over to the chair, picked it up and moved it across the room to her father's right side.

As they were all settled the doctor looked at all three of them, already making a few assumptions.

"Before we begin, Dr. Guan." Like she rehearsed, Milly's mom spoke in her usual privileged self. Hoping to con the doctor out of these sessions. "I'd please like to thank you for going to so much trouble for such a small-"

"Please, Mrs. Ashford, I prefer not to be too formal with my clients. I insist you call me by my first name to keep things from becoming…bureaucratic."

Milly's self-restraint stopped her from smirking at her mother's expense.

"Hi, I'm Ruben L. Ashford." Her father said the same way one would introduce himself in class or, you know, an AAA meeting. Milly waited for the synchronized reply of "Hello, Ruben…" but it never came.

"Good to meet you." The albino man says with a mildly bored expression on his face before gesturing to Milly.

Following her dad's lead, Milly introduced herself exactly the way her mother wanted. "I'm Milly Ashford, call me Milly." Emphasis on the Ashford.

The psychiatrist nodded, looking to say something. Milly thought he'd introduce himself but her mother butted in.

"And I'm Millicent Ashford, it's a pleasure to meet you, doctor."

The therapist just nodded giving her mother a smile, Milly noticed however that it didn't reach his ears

"I'm Doctor Mao Guan but I guess you already knew that." Duh. His name was on the door.

Like always, her mother laughed too hard at the little joke. Making Milly sink deeper into her chair.

"Just call me Mao or Guan, whatever you're comfortable with. None of this "doctor" stuff necessary."

He took of his sunglasses, turned to look at Millicent, then at Ruben L. and finally, right at her. Milly sat up straighter under his gaze. There was just something unsettling about his eyes that made the back of Milly's stand.

Maybe it's because they're red?

"So tell me…Why do you hate each other so much?"

Milly heard both a small laugh and an outraged gasp from her parents.

I might actually like these sessions.

"That's not fair! We were promised-"

"I don't care what you were promised." Lelouch chose a despotic tone, emulating the voice of a dictator in a movie he once saw, fitting since he was talking to a club of filmmakers.

The filmmakers club's advantage was their numbers, and with only two, they're power wilted allowing for Lelouch to rip and tear at their arguments at his leisure.

"These demands are far too extravagant. Do you really expect the school to finance casting professional actresses- a rising star no less- for a role members of the drama club can fill?"

"But the President Milly said that she'd make calls on our behalf to get Sandra De-"

"She did." That was a lie of course, Lelouch knew very little of the student council's business, Milly's dealing in particular were pretty unknown. "And her agent informed us of that her casting was beyond your club's budget and would bankrupt the entire production and you've already exceeded the utility bills this month."

To prove his point, Lelouch showed the movie clubs electric bills.

"Whoever Ms. Dee is, I'm sure there are capable actresses in the drama club just waiting for such a…" he was about to say "vulgar" but chose to be diplomatic. "Difficultrole. And would gladly do so at a mere fraction of the price; say free pizza and doing her homework for a week."

The film club still looked disappointed and Lelouch said "Imagine the money you'll save for special effects. A film with this concept would require more budget for these space battles, don't you agree?"

There was some nodding and murmuring between the three representatives. Before they could voice out their consensus, Lelouch brought a hand down loudly on the table.

The shock was followed by Lelouch declaring with finality. "Then we are at an agreement."

"Rivalz, bring the next ones in."

"R-right." Rivalz stood up, opening the door for the filmmakers and with a retail person level of polite, he ushered the next batch of club representatives came, Per Lelouch's orders, the equestrian club came last.

While they were being seated, Lelouch pretended to write something important down. He let them wait for a few minutes as he doodled a crudely drawn horse, a hawk, and a magical sword that was engulfed in fire. He handed the note to Shirley it read:

Put a hand on your chin.

Look at the paper for a few seconds.

Then give me a frown and a shake your head.

Shirley acted better than Lelouch hoped and really pulled off looking at him with disapproval.

After making the equestrian club wait a few more minutes, Lelouch stopped doodling and looked up and addressed them for the first time.

"You've come to make a complaint?" Lelouch asked with such fake innocence that it made the other council members uncomfortable.

"Not me." The equestrian club representative said "The horses-"

"You've come to complain in behalf of horses?" Lelouch intercepted, ruining the representative's momentum.

That exchange summed up the negotiations with Lelouch pretty much dominating the conversation, the club representative barely got any word in and when he did Lelouch would bombard them with logic and counter-arguments.

In the end their club's budget was cut, and some of the horses would be sold and turned into glue if they wanted to change that. Or do the impossible and win the national equestrian tournament held in the capital.

It went on like this until all the clubs left, none were neither happy nor distraught, only neutral in regards to their treatment and deals.

At the end of the day, Lelouch managed to reign all the clubs and still have enough budget for Milly's idea of a school activity. A festival- she calls it.

"Well, that was brutal…" Rivalz commented as he stacked the chairs.

"Rivalz!" Shirley scolded in a hush tone, hitting the boy with the paper work for today's meeting.

"What? It was." He then gave a weary look at Lelouch who was carrying the whole table with one arm and moved it to its original position.

"No offense." Rivalz added.

"I'll take it as a compliment." Lelouch set the heavy table down and shrugged.

"Okay, I admit." Shirley told him. "You're scary-I mean, scary good at this."

Rivalz eagerly nodded. "Milly chose well for a VP."

Lelouch smiled, his plan working. He has made himself useful to the group, and if he played his cards right, indispensable. Soon, he'll be able to get their contact information, no friendships necessary, simply telling them that it's for council purposes. He's seen it done by classmates for group projects, and with exactly three numbers, he will have completed Sayoko's task.

"Does that mean I'm officially the Vice President?" he knew he already was, this was merely a formality.

Shirley smiled, it looked forced to Lelouch.

Perhaps Sayoko had a point. The analytical mind of Lelouch thought. Perhaps I've been too focused on my combative abilities that I've neglected my social skills. As a former nobility and a spy, I must rectify this.

"So…" Lelouch began, copying the conversation he overheard one of his male classmates say to a group of friends. "Do you wanna go get some pizza?"

The whole room fell silent again.

Lelouch internally chastised himself.

It's worse than I thought. My communication skills have been badly neglected. Calm down, try to find out what I did wrong and try to fix it. It's okay to make mistakes. But first I'll need to lighten the mood. Should I laugh to bring the tension down? No, wait. I haven't practiced my laugh. I could come off as antagonistic.

Rivalz laughed instead, fulfilling that objective. With the silence broken, everyone, including Lelouch relaxed.

"Geez, you work fast."

"Huh?" Lelouch asked sounding genuinely confused.

"I mean, asking Shirley out on a date is pretty-"

"That was not my intention!" Lelouch understood his mistake now, it was beyond idiotic, but he understood now, that without context and the poor direction, it may have unintentionally sounded like a date.

"I was asking if you all wanted to have pizza with me." Lelouch corrected, sounding confident this time.

"I'll pay." He added, knowing everyone likes free food.

It was Shirley who answered, she looked shaken by the mistake but nodded and went. "Well, we did solve a crisis and Madam President did say we should celebrate every victory no matter how small."

"How about you, Nina?" Shirley asked the mouse-like girl. "Do you want pizza?"

"Yes, I'd love some pizza." Nina said, looking directly at Lelouch.

"All right! That's awesome!" Rivalz was easy to please. "We do deserve a reward how about we bill it on the school?"

"Rivalz, no!" went Shirley.

"Just kidding." Rizalz added an awkward laugh. Lelouch should take notes from him.

When they finished cleaning up, Shirley and Rivalz left the room, Lelouch was about to follow them but before he could close the door to lock up, he noticed Nina was still in the room, typing on her computer.

"Are you not coming, Nina?" Lelouch asked, he needed her to come along for the third number.

The computer makes a noise, printing out documents. Nina pulls out the last before it fully comes out of the printer. She arranges them into a folder before giving Lelouch a stare he could not place.

A familiar tension fills the air, Lelouch didn't sense hostility, simply the feeling similar to air stirring right before a lighting strike.

Something important was going happen. Lelouch realized, and to his surprise, Nina walks up to him, eyes glues to the ground, clutching the folder to her chest.

Nina was shy, Lelouch didn't doubt that but she didn't seem to show it with the other two. Lelouch wondered if it was him personally that she didn't like.

So you can imagine Lelouch's surprise when she jumped next to his face and went.

"Is it true you're working for Ashford Arms and Armament?"

"Yes, but we're re-branding ourselves as Ashford-"

"And you're working directly under Mr. Ruben Ashford."

"Technically, he's my partner-"

"Is it true you're working on defense contracts?"

"Well-yes, but actually we're branching out with-"

"Security, information software and are looking for advance knightmare frame technologies."

"How did you-!? Who told you-"

"And that means you're going to look into Sakuradite right?"

"It's been discussed but-"

Nina hands him the folder with both hands for him to take, head bowed, shaking like a leaf.

Lelouch took it and suddenly saw her relax, at peace almost. Lelouch looked down at the folder.

"Is this for me?"

Nina ran before she ran out to the direction of Milly and Rivalz. Lelouch watches her leave for a second before following.

Pizza with the members of the student council was actually pretty enjoyable.

Though granted, Lelouch's description of fun had been permanently skewed to not needing to be on edge.

But…that was exactly what happened.

There was a Pizza Hut near enough to school that they only had to walk to get there.

And even though he had never been to this part of the city too often, Lelouch didn't feel the need to be prepared. On the way to the establishment, he engaged small talk with the others. Or more accurately, they tried their best to include him in the conversation instead of just letting him watch their group of friends fall into a bubble of banter and feel left out.

The things they asked were harmless enough. A "Where did you go to school before?" here, a "How do you know Milly?" and something more practical like "Do you have plans for college?" mixed in with some personal questions like "Do you have any family here?"

This and that.

Harmless enough questions.

The kind he could harmlessly answer with the truth. It was good that he already planned out his entire backstory. It wasn't hard for Lelouch to feed them the information. Though he made sure to keep some secrets.

When Lelouch started asking questions.

He was being included and Lelouch wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. Feeling comfortable enough, Lelouch started some conversations. He didn't have to act this time, he spoke and they listened. Really listened to him.

Once they reached the branch, the Student Council immediately slipped into a booth off the side. Lelouch deduced that this was their usual place and that this wasn't the first time they've hang out in the restaurant.

"It's good to actually walk." sighed Shirley.

"I know, being in a room all day is bad for your health." went Rivalz.

Nina looked tired and panted heavily. An indoor girl. The grade in her glasses could have told you that. Lelouch brought her a glass of water.

Shirley looked at it and looked around.

"How'd you get that so fast?"

"I'm fast with my hands." Lelouch responded aloofly "I picked it up from my last job."

Nina took glass and guzzled it down. Their pizza arrived and so they chatted and dined on teenage delicacy.

The whole affair ended with sharing numbers and smiles as everyone had somewhere else to go to when they arrived back at Ashford. Lelouch waved goodbye to Shirley as she had swim practice later. Rivalz didn't say where he was going but left in a hurry saying he was late for something, leaving Lelouch with Nina.

"I'm going to head to my room, if that's okay with you?"

It's not that he doesn't know what to do, Lelouch simply had a lot of work to do including researching proper goodbye etiquette .

"Have you read the folder?"

Lelouch blinked, that was the loudest he's ever heard her speak. Her voice is much stronger than you'd expect.

"I was going to in my room." Lelouch answered. "If it's about business I don't conduct that in public." He told her like a businessman would, Ruben felt it necessary to brief him on how to speak on company matters.

"Is this your resume?" Lelouch asked.

Nina was a smart girl, the smartest person in school if the rumors were to be believed. Lelouch's grades were good despite his lack of formal education, but even with his intellect, there was something about Nina's mind that seemed to place a large gap between them. Just how big was debatable.

"It is." Nina said. "And more."

For Lelouch, class was boring he can't imagine how boring would it be for Nina. A mind like hers would no doubt want to find a place to use it. Ashford Tech would be a great place.

Besides, Ruben said they needed more bright minds on board, he never mentioned the age or qualifications.

"Ashford Tech would-"

"Thank you for your consideration!"

Nina ran before she heard his reply.

The girl wasn't athletic and ran at the speed of waddling penguin, Lelouch could have easily caught up with her. He admired her effort though and allowed her run from his sight.

After coming back to his room and finishing his tasks for the day, Lelouch in his pajamas finally got to reading Nina's resume.

He read it as a way to get ready for bed, he ended up not sleeping for the rest of the night.

The next morning, in full business regalia, Lelouch called for an emergency board meeting at 9:00. Ruben called in a said he had a breakfast at 9:30 so Lelouch changed it to 10:00.

Ruben arrived at exactly 10:15, still in his pajamas and carrying a plate of with a tower of French toast. Lelouch took a moment to collect himself before giving his presentation.

"She calls it a FLEIJA." He ended just as Ruben finished reading the first pages of Nina's work.

"My god. This could…" he pauses. One would assume this was in thought. This was in fact, because he had to put some jam on one of the pieces of toast. "If these are true, a single chunk of Sakuradite could power a city as large as the Tokyo Settlement for five years."

Lelouch did the math, and said. "Or vaporize it in five seconds."

"We need to make this." Lelouch said, voice darkening. "Before anyone else can."

"This is too big." He says through a mouthful of European breakfast pastry. "Even for me. Where can we even get the money?"

"Loan it. I know several banks that would love to invest on the cutting edge of Sakuradite technology, and better yet I've already narrowed it down to the ones who have rival companies who would suffer if a working prototype comes out."

There was a pause, Ruben swallowed his food. Brushed the crumbs from his face and wiped his hands on his robe. He looked directly at Lelouch and said. "No."

"What?" Lelouch pushes the paper back into Ruben's face. "With this, we could finally put Ashford Tech back on track."

"Under the science fair project of a high school girl? Investors would never risk such a thing."

"She's an Einstein."

"I'm aware of her last name, your highness."

There was a jab in Ruben's words. Lelouch wouldn't usually forgive such things. The Emperor would execute for less. And he wasn't his father.

"She's Al Einstein's granddaughter. Your partner's granddaughter." Lelouch began, not pleading but rationalizing.

"And what? You think a teenage girl has the knowledge and collected intelligence as one of the brightest minds that has ever walked the earth?"

"I'm just saying. Her last name could be what we need to get this company out of the mud."

Ruben looked like he was struck, Lelouch regretted his word choice.

A moment of sincere emotion finds its way in Ruben's eyes. Ruben shakes his head, mouthing words Lelouch couldn't hear, the old man's hand found its way to stroke his beard, scratching it in frustration as how most would pull their hairs. His eyes don't meet Lelouch's for minutes that feel like hours to the man. Then he stares right into the boy's eyes.

Lelouch catches something, a tiny glimmer of hope and reluctance in Ruben's face, along with a determined glare that Lelouch had a problem of matching.

"This isn't a game, you know that, right?" Ruben looks at Lelouch with something in his eyes Lelouch hadn't seen in a long time. Not since his mother's death had Ruben had that dark glimmer in his eyes.

Lelouch stares at him back. "I'm not stupid boy anymore, Ruben."

Ruben stays quiet, wanting on an answer.

"It never was. I'm good with games. Games are fun. They have rules that people follow. Business is dull and all the rules are wrong." Lelouch said.

"But I didn't just buy stocks for kicks. I didn't ask for this job because I had nothing better to do." Lelouch laid it out, hoping his words would hit. "It has always been my ambition to bring your company back from the brink."

"Why?" Ruben asked.

If they were being honest with each other. "Revenge." Lelouch said simply and leaving it at that.

Ruben nods, far too smart for lies. He was smart enough to know what was going on. And even smarter to not say them all out loud.

"This is my family's legacy. Not your company. MY LEGACY that's at stake here…" the father of Knightmare frames said voice almost desperate. Like a man on his last noble stand against a foe he could not hope to defeat.

"…or whatever's left of it." He mumbled, eyes far away, back to days gone.

"I know." Lelouch did, in some way, he shouldn't be able to understand, what with his family's legacy he wanted nothing to do with but burn down. But he could understand Ruben's fight, Lelouch knows an uphill battle when he sees one. His family name was the only weapon Ruben had left, and he's been doing his best trying to keep it from tarnishing.

"I can't force you to do this, to invest in such an endeavor. But with technology like this…"

"We could change the world." Ruben said with an almost sorrowful voice. "For the better this time."

Every idealistic scientist's dream; making the world better than when they left it. It was Einstein's dream- ideology even- that science should only be used for the betterment of mankind. After years of making weapons, Ruben might finally have something that could make his old friend proud.

His hand on the research papers, Ruben stares at the view of his office, and this time he didn't hate it. He didn't hate himself for just staring at the view while the world moved, and he simply went with the flow, slowly dying every day just waiting for a chance.

And it was in his hands, brought to him by the child of the woman he thought was his only shot at leaving a legacy.

He was wrong.

"Don't come to work tomorrow." the scientist said.

Lelouch stayed silent, he felt anxious for he prepared for Ruben rejecting the deal and didn't want to go through with it.

"Because tomorrow, I'll be out of this school. Trying to find investors and maybe even a grant for Miss Einstein's energy source."

Lelouch did nothing but smile. Ruben smirked at him, from behind. A look on his face that clearly stated, I got you for a second there, didn't I?

He didn't show it but Lelouch was relieved he didn't have use Plan B on him.

Ruben stood up, dropping his half-finished toast, leaving it on the chair. "Now let's go see this child genius."

Lelouch looks on, and gives himself moment to celebrate a small victory. A great weight has been lifted of his shoulders.

For he has put- what could be the most devastating weapon ever created by mankind- under his supervision. A weapon that could level an entire city would bring even the almighty Holy Britannia Empire to heel.

And better yet. He kept it from the Emperor's hands.

There was no doubt in Lelouch's mind that Nina's research would fall into the wrong hands. And knowing Britannia's imperialist ways, they'd be heartless enough to use such a weapon on any nation that dares go against them. They might even bomb an already defeated country multiple times just to see which design would be better.

Lelouch would do the same if they were in his shoes.

Sayoko was busy cleaning the clubhouse's main hall when she sensed someone behind her.

"Three phone numbers, as promised." Lelouch said, showing his phone, right in Sayoko's face.

Sayoko blinked. "That was fast." she took the phone.

"They're members of the student council, I became acquainted with them, saved them from an administrative mess, now I'm Vice President." Lelouch gave as an explanation, perhaps thinking Sayoko didn't believe it.

"We all bonded over pizza and stress." He huffed proudly.

"Did you have a good time?" Sayoko asked as she inspected the numbers.

"I did." Lelouch told her. "Honestly, I can understand what you mean. Being with people who can't kill is very relaxing."

"Wow, you've even got a two girls in here." Sayoko expected him to get at most one girl's number but this is a welcome surprise. "Any of these girls catch your eye?" she asked.

Lelouch dismissed it immediately. "There's no time for that."

"So when are you hanging out?"

Lelouch figured it was the best time to bluff.

"Tomorrow."

Sayoko frowned. Lelouch hates seeing her frown.

"On a Thursday night?" Sayoko asked.

Lelouch didn't waver. "Yes."

Thankfully, Thursdays were when Rivalz worked as a bartender in the casino Lelouch used as his hunting grounds, naturally, Lelouch tagged along, hitching a ride on the sidecar of Rivalz's blue and white motorcycle.

"First time?"

A nervous laugh came from Lelouch. "Motorcycles aren't my preferred mode of transport." Lelouch gripped nearly bent the metal handrails as Rivalz accelerated to overtake a slow moving red car.

"You'll get used to it."

And Lelouch eventually did. Every Thrusday and Friday the two would gamble. Much to Sayoko's chagrin. Eventually, it became a bit of a habit for the both of them. Despite the rocky start, Lelouch naturally assimilated with his new group.

Milly was estatic when she found out. Having Lelouch as her underling was one of her fantasies. Rivalz was just happy that another guy was part of the group and took to calling himself, Lelouch's best buddy. Lelouch and Nina slowly began working together. Legally, Nina was a part-time research intern to Ashfrod Tech but in many ways, she was almost mentoring Lelouch. Her extensive textbook knowledge of Physics and Statistical Probability complimented well with Lelouch's self-taught Engineering and Ruben's generalist version of being a scientist.

Even Shirley was starting to warm up to him, though Lelouch can't help but feel that she's been acting…peculiar in last couple months.

Sayoko found her master actually smiling. It was strange. But there he was. Laughing with friends. Sure he was a workaholic who barely ever made time for any but when he did spend it with people he was actually physically happier.

Lelouch's progress came less as a shock, and more of an inevitable circumstance to Sayoko.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Sayoko asked as she ate rice balls on top of the Prowler's dashboard. A part of her wanted to see him struggle with something, but never the less she held her end of the bargain and insured the arrival of the graphite.

"Other than tell a joke, I mean."

Lelouch rolled his violet eyes briefly before continuing his inspection on the new graphite helmet. The shipment was delayed but thankfully the material was exactly to his specifications.

"Can't you eat someplace else?" he asked, dodging the question.

Sayoko found herself taking her lunch breaks in Lelouch's hidden-level more and more these past few months. She found it easier than having to traverse and entire building. Besides, it was nice and secluded and far from the other staff members Sayoko had to share a lunch hour with.

Lelouch's cave – or whatever single men called their garages or workshops these days- had the privacy she needed as well as the only place she could catch him throughout the day.

He practically lives here Sayoko thought.

"I like it here, Master Lelouch." She played with the tittle, normally she had a higher regard for their difference in class but not here. Not this place. This place was something else for them both, like a boundary between the worlds they inhabit as master and maid and the world they merged from as warriors of equal measure and weight.

"I love what you've done with the place."

Gone were the depressing crates of failed experiments, instead, they became permanently displayed in glass cases. Future Projects they've been labelled. The Knightmare frame skeletons- the parts that were left after Lelouch stripped them for spare parts- no longer took up a majority of the room, instead they became fixures, providing light and separation of spaces. No doubt, Master Lelouch had been spending his time reading interior design among other things. They served a practical purpose as well, as the Knightmare's sensors have been used to create a security network around the level of cameras and motion sensors. No doubt, they have a security protocol in them too.

"Done."

Lelouch rose from his desk suddenly. Admiring or judging his work from every angle. Sayoko took one last bite of her riceball and went over to him.

"Looks scary." Sayoko noted, looking at the sharp lines, and pointy edges. She knew those horns contained the radio antennas, and that the front was a giant factspehere sensors imputing data like a knightmare frame would instead of looking like a miniature space suit.

"It's supposed to be."

"It also looks a bit silly but in a good way."

Lelouch gave out a small hmm searching for the right word. "Unnatural, you mean."

Sayoko nodded. "Unsettling." Even she wouldn't want to see that in the middle of the night.

Lelouch raised the cowl to inspect it in the light of created by his mother's Knightmare frame. It didn't weight as much as he feared, close to the weight of a motorcycle helmet. Holding it in his hands, Lelouch feels just how tangible, how close his goals are becoming reality.

Lelouch's temptation takes control of him, he slowly turn the cowl around, ready to wear it. Just to see if it fits he told himself.

A notification from the clubhouse's front door bell stops him before he could put it on.

"I'll get it." Sayoko said.

Lelouch knew who it could be after two more rings. "No, it's for me."

At the door Rivalz had his motorcycle helmet on, right as lunch was about to start.

He was going somewhere, and if he was coming to talk to him, that could only mean he wanted him to come along.

"Hey, buddy. I got a call from the manager in bar, said he's in a really high-stakes game."

Lelouch puts his school jacket on, with a knowing look he tells Rivalz. "Let me guess, he's about to lose and he needs my help?"

"You got that right, so are you in?"

He didn't need the extra cash; the Prowler was nearly done and the suit was ready to be used. But Sayoko always said to he should have more fun.

"Oh, why not."

"Great, I'll go tell him while you get ready."

Lelouch shrugged, He already had everything he needs to finally make the first move against Britannia, what's one day where he could just gamble for the fun…

What could happen?

Two hours later.

This was bad. This was really, really, bad! "Stay quiet." He tells the girl that just came out of a gas capsule. "Wait here." He peeks his head out of the crates, and sees the Royal Guards.

"Report!" barked the C.O.

"We found only Elevens here, sir."

"You're sure of it? That exit comes out here?"

"Yes, sir. It matches up with our map of the old city."

Good, if he could just go unnoticed for a few more minutes-

His phone rings.

He curses his cellphone. Cursing every single device just like it. May the inventor of such a loud, noisy device be tortured in hell for all eternity.

He hears movement from behind him, the familiar sound of a loaded weapon shaking as it is aimed. He hates the sound of Britannian firearms.

A soldier- a Royal Guard no less- has found him. If he only had his ninjato, or at least a few smoke bombs, damn casino metal detectors.

More guards show up to surround him, they weren't taking any chances, all their big, loud, children killing guns, pointed right at him.

"This is not how I thought this day would go." He says, right as he's forcefully separated from the girl and shoved into a concrete wall.

End of Chapter.

AN: Just wanted to say that I'm terribly sorry for making all of you wait so long. I have no excuses. If you've been reading this since the story began I thank you for your patience.

My life has been hard. It's been unfair. And cruel. I've lost more than I ever thought I could loose and more. I truly suffered these past few years.

But I'm still here. I'm still writing.