16Note One: I will take requests. However, I refuse to write lemons and I won't write slash or incest pairings (I have nothing against slash but I just can't write it. And I just absolutely refuse to do anything involving incent [and I count Lelouch being paired with any of his half-siblings as incest]). I'm pretty much open to requests but, if you've got one, please PM me and I will let you know if I accept or decline the request.
Note Two: This story will also have oneshots and short stories set in the universes created by my Code Geass stories, Divergence (and its currently unnamed sequel) and Rise of the Black King and if the oneshot or short-story is set in one of these universes, it will be posted in the Setting section at the beginning of the oneshot/short story
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I never have and I never will. I am only saying this once; therefore, I will not repeat it in later chapters.
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The Tales of Geass
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1
Favor
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Genre: drama
Rating: PG 13 for language and safety mostly
Summary: Just how did Kallen end up working at Babel Tower?
Main Characters: Kallen Kozuki, C.C.
Setting: Canon-timeline. Pre-Turn 1
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It was late. Stars speckled the black surface that hung above the Tokyo Settlement and Kallen Kozuki gazed up at it briefly before starting to walk again, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her sleeveless jacket. The warm early spring breeze ruffled her red hair, caressing her cheeks and she brushed a stray strand out of her face. She knew that it would probably be a good idea for her to get inside; she knew of just how vulnerable Numbers were after dark. While she was only half-Japanese, she still identified herself as a Number; not to mention, she wasn't exactly supposed to be outside as it was.
One year had gone by since the failed attempt at the Black Rebellion. One year had gone by since the supposed 'execution' of Zero. One year had gone by since Kallen had discovered the shocking truth; that Zero, the man that she admired and respected, the man that created the Black Knights, was none other than the exiled prince and former classmate of hers—Lelouch vi Britannia.
She had been in shock when the traitor Suzaku Kururugi had revealed that Zero was Lelouch on Kamine Island. Shocked and angry, angry that Lelouch would keep such a thing from the Black Knights; that he had used them. However, her views changed a bit when C.C. came to her, after Lelouch's capture and the Black Rebellion ended up failure, and explained the truth. That he kept his identity a secret because he knew that the Black Knights would have never trusted him and would never have accepted him as their leader if they knew that not only was he Britannian but he was also an exiled prince.
She had then pointed out something that Kallen hadn't thought of.
"You respect and admire Zero and yet Zero and Lelouch are the same person and have always been the same person. Now that you know the truth, do you no longer respect and admire Zero?"
Kallen had to admit that she still admired and respected Zero but she couldn't find it in herself to feel the same way toward Lelouch. A small part of her mind knew that it was stupid of her to try and see Zero and Lelouch as two different people but that was how Kallen felt.
One year had gone by since Lelouch's capture and the Black Knights, under C.C.'s leadership, had finally put together a plan to get Zero back. They had discovered that Lelouch had been returned to Ashford Academy, though C.C. wouldn't explain how she knew, and so they were planning on getting him back. Their plan involved staging an attack on Babel Tower, where C.C. found out that Lelouch would be heading to in a week—again, no one knew just how she got this information and she refused to say—and then ensuring that C.C. and Lelouch were reunited.
Kallen didn't know why C.C. insisted that getting Lelouch to her was priority. She only said that it would help in the long run.
However, while they were planning this operation, it became clear that Britannia was still hunting them when they launched a surprise attack on the Black Knights that resulted in the arrest of Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Nagisa Chiba, Shinichiro Tamaki, and Kaname Ohgi, as well as many other Black Knights.
That was a clear problem in their plan.
They had another problem.
Just how were they going to get C.C. and Lelouch back together?
That was what the rest of the Core of the Black Knights were discussing when Kallen decided that she needed some fresh air. They hadn't come to a decision when she left and she was sure that they were still undecided.
She knew it was dangerous to be wandering around the Tokyo Settlement, mostly because her face was printed on many Wanted posters that hung on the walls of the settlement, but she had still gone. It wasn't as if she wasn't armed; she had her knife on her and she knew how to take care of herself.
She paused in the middle of the park, frowning and her hand went to the small wallet in which she kept her knife when she heard a noise behind her. She gripped it and the knife ejected; her eyes narrowed as she listened for the sound again but there was nothing. She frowned but didn't relax as she started moving again, pretending that she was just an oblivious girl who had no idea that someone was following her.
She heard the noise again and jumped before whirling around but couldn't see anything but the trees that swayed gently in the warm breeze. She frowned to herself, relaxing her hand slightly. Must've been the wind, she thought and turned around, only to jump back, her knife in her hand in an instant when she caught sight of the large burly man standing behind her.
"Well, well, pretty girls like you shouldn't be wandering 'round in the dark," the burly man said with a lecherous grin as he strode forward.
"Stay back," Kallen warned, tightening her grip on her knife.
"Feisty, ain't ya? Well, we're gonna need some girls like ya. Clients like 'em feisty," the man said.
Kallen's eyes widened marginally as she realized what this man was implying and she quickly looked for an escape route, only to find that three more men had joined the first and completely surrounded her.
She was trapped.
Damn it! How did I get into this mess? Kallen scolded herself furiously as she tried to figure out a way out of this mess. She tightened her grip and prepared to attack. If she could take out one of these men before the others could grab her, she might be able to make a break for it.
She jumped, aiming her knife for the neck of the one in front of her. For being as big as he was, he was fast; he dodged and Kallen's knife only managed to nick his neck before he grabbed her arm and twisted it. She cried out in pain as she was forced to drop her knife before she was thrown back into the circle of men.
The burly man kicked the knife away, one hand resting on the cut on his neck. "Looks like we're gonna have to tame you, bitch," he said coolly, striding forward and Kallen scrambled back, only to find herself bumping into the legs of the man behind her. The man behind her grabbed her arms and yanked her to her feet but Kallen was not going to give in without a fight.
She started struggling, trying to kick the man where it hurt but he just lifted her off her feet. Her struggling was starting to tire her out but Kallen kept moving, glad that she didn't get tired that easily.
"Oy! Quit fighting, ya bitch," the man in front of her snarled.
Kallen responded by kicking him in the stomach. Damn. I was aiming for his groin, she thought as the man staggered back a little, one hand going to his stomach. He glared at her and raised his hand as if to slap her.
"Tsk, tsk. You were only left alone for maybe five minutes," a very familiar, apathetic voice said and Kallen's eyes widened as C.C. walked calmly out of the shadows, her green hair falling over her shoulders and her golden eyes fixed emotionlessly on the four men.
The burly man, who had gotten his breath back by this time, grinned lecherously at C.C. "Oh, you're just as pretty as she is. Two new girls? I think the boss will be happy," he said and pointing to two of his men. "Grab her."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," C.C. said calmly.
"Shut up, bitch," one of the burly man's men snapped and strode over to C.C., reaching out to grab her.
She remained unconcerned, unfazed. "I warned you," she said and grabbed the man's arm.
The man froze, his eyes went wide and then he began screaming, jerking his hand out of C.C.'s grip and grabbing his head, falling to his knees as he continued to scream. The second man stared at his companion, eyes wide and, when C.C. stepped toward him, he bolted in the opposite direction.
"Get back here, ya coward!" The burly man shouted but the man just kept running.
C.C. calmly walked forward and gazed at the man who was holding Kallen while Kallen was staring at the screaming man that was now sobbing, trembling, and curled into a fetal position. "Let her go," C.C. said calmly.
The man holding Kallen swallowed and then let Kallen go before bolting while Kallen rubbed her arms, wincing as her fingers ran over her arms. She was sure they were going to bruise.
"Damn it! You coward, get back here!" the burly man shouted and then whirled around to glare at C.C. and lunged toward her, intent on grabbing her. She calmly grabbed him when he got close enough and he froze before he started screaming and grabbing at his head, falling to the ground and adopting the same position as the first man that C.C. had grabbed.
C.C. turned to gaze at Kallen who was staring in horror at the screaming man and then at C.C. "We should leave," C.C. said.
"W…What did you do to them?" Kallen demanded.
C.C. didn't respond right away. Instead, she walked over to where Kallen's wallet had been kicked and picked it up, tucking the knife out of sight and tossing the wallet at the red-head. She caught it and repeated her question.
"I simply showed them a very shockingimage," C.C. said calmly and turned to face Kallen, adding, "Let's go."
Kallen frowned at C.C. as the green-haired woman walked away and quickly hurried after her. She realized that if C.C. hadn't showed up, it was very likely that she would have been dragged into the business that those men were obviously part of; she suspected it had to do with prostitution and shuddered at the very thought of being forced to be part of that.
She saved me, she thought. "Thank you," she said.
C.C. cast a sidelong glance at her and shrugged dismissively. "I've come up with something that may enable me to get close to Lelouch," she said as they entered the secret entrance to the current base of the Black Knights.
"What is it?" Kallen asked.
C.C. stopped and turned to face Kallen. "I have a favor to ask of you," she said.
Kallen frowned but, since C.C. did save her and she kind of did owe her, she said, "All right. I do owe you one. What's the favor?"
When she saw the smile that crossed C.C.'s lips, a smile that reminded her very much of Milly when she got into one of her moods, Kallen felt a chill go down her spine.
She had a very bad feeling she wasn't going to like what C.C. had in mind.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: I know this might not exactly fit what happens in Turn 1 of R2 and might feel incomplete but I did my best
Kallen: you want me to what?!
C.C.: (smirks) exactly as I said and you did say you owe me one
Kallen: damn you
Blaze: well, I hope that you like it and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
