Disclaimer: Own nothing.

A/N: I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Not a lot had happened last chapter, so the response was lesser than usual. I was greedy for more *pout* Anyway, I hope to make up for it in this chapter.

Chapter Eight: Movements

The light of a single monitor on the wall was the sole source of illumination in the room. The monitor displayed a dark-haired teenager doing his homework. Every now and then, he would shift his attention to the chess board next to him, and continue the game he had initiated against himself earlier that afternoon.

The chess game was interesting. The teenager made sure that it lasted long, sometimes (deliberately?) making mistakes to make the situation more difficult for both sides. They believed it was his way of learning to exploit weaknesses, or to evade said weaknesses.

And they were sure that the boy was probably bored, and this was his way to entertain himself.

They were responsible of monitoring every move the boy made, flickering the monitoring from one camera to another as they followed him through the school. If the boy happened to leave the school, they'd follow, but it was difficult; they weren't sure how the boy got away from them, but it happened all the time. They needed more people to monitor the boy more closely. Their boss told them to keep their eyes on him, which was literal, as the surveillance was visual only (No audio). They made sure to stick to that duty.

But sometimes they were bored. When bored, they would leave the duty to one of them, and the rest would leave to have a break (which could last for hours). They believed that nothing could happen, as no one knew they were there.

Once, they had returned to find their abandoned partner asleep. After scolding him, they reviewed the surveillance tapes, and saw that their target had stayed in his dormitory. Another mishap happened on Halloween; they weren't able to figure out the boy's costume. Finally, they decided to duplicate one of the boy's mundane days, and mark it as Halloween's day. The boy's serious nature would convince their boss that the boy simply skipped the celebration. Which might not be far from the truth, they contemplated, as the boy had been down the whole week before Halloween. Thankfully, their boss had not asked them about it.

Knowing that their boss was not merciful, they decided to keep their silence about any mishaps. As long as the tapes showed the boy's every moment in the school, their boss wouldn't suspect a thing.

They didn't know their boss' identity, or his goals, and they didn't care that what they were doing was unethical. However, they always turned off the monitor and stopped the recording whenever the boy changed clothes, and gave him three minutes before continuing (their boss' instructions). And there was no surveillance in the bathrooms.

The fact that they were being paid rather handsomely for that was a great incentive to follow the anonymous orders.

"A gorgeous afternoon like this is rare in winter." One of them grumbled, "Why can't he go outside like normal kids, and we would have followed him?"

No one bothered to answer. They were bored again, but they couldn't afford new mishaps so soon, so they focused their attention on the boy as he resumed his homework.

-----------------------------

The cell phone vibrated. It could only be him. She picked it up.

"Yes." She said quietly, careful to continue her delicate work.

"A reminder . . . Today . . . 5:30 . . . my room."

Her smile was unperceptive. "Roger."

"Don't say such a weird sentence in front of others. Don't blow your cover."

"Of course."

-----------------------------

"—Rollo is focusing on piloting Knightmares, says he wants to be on the field,"

"What?" Lelouch hissed.

C.C shot him an admonishing look, but the effect was significantly lessened by the fact that she had her teeth in the slice of Pizza (Was this the fifth order or the sixth?). And even if it was in full effect, Lelouch thought in cold anger, he wouldn't care.

"Why would he join them?" Lelouch demanded in a harsh whisper. "He's only fifteen!"

They were in one of the many branches of Pizza Hut. Lelouch was infinitely glad that they changed their disguises every time they wandered in any of the branches. However, rumors about someone eating such incredible orders had made Pizza Hut even more popular. The reasoning was along the lines that it must be really good to make a slim girl eat such huge amounts. Lelouch supposed that if C.C was overweight, people wouldn't even blink.

Still, eating around ten boxes of Pizza must be some kind of a record.

C.C finished her current piece, "Do you really want me to answer that?" her gaze was a bit more unnerving than usual, but Lelouch met it head on, positively glaring. "Ok, but don't you dare claim that I have not warned you." She didn't give him a chance to brace himself, "He's doing it to avenge you," she said nonchalantly.

Lelouch was nonplussed, "Excuse me?"

C.C rolled her eyes, "You were 'killed' by terrorists. He wants revenge. So he wants to destroy terrorists." She said patronizingly.

Lelouch clenched his teeth. He was not particularly bothered by C.C's tone, but certainly aggravated by the news. He had hoped that Cornelia's protective nature would prevent such a thing, but he was not surprised. Rollo's devotion and admiration was fixed on Lelouch instead of Schneizel, so his 'death' must have hit him hard. Nunnally and Euphemia had Cornelia to turn to, but Rollo—

"When had he started?" Lelouch asked fighting to keep his voice controlled.

"A few days ago," C.C had finished another piece, and picked the last one. Thoughtfully, she looked at the empty pan, and then promptly called the waiter over, "Another one," she said simply.

The waiter was happy to comply.

"He's promising to be one of the best," C.C smirked, "He'd be happy to know you are concerned,"

Lelouch refrained from replying immediately. Rollo's decision was an obstacle he had unforeseen. But Rollo's training would probably take him a while, years even, if he was 'promising'. He might not even be dispatched in the field. Cornelia would probably stop him.

Even so, I have to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

"So he's not spending as much time with Nunnally and Euphemia as before," Lelouch concluded.

"I might as well tell you now," C.C was still smirking, "They are both scheduled to begin learning after two years from now. Not much time is left."

"Two years is plenty of time," Lelouch did not allow himself to be rattled.

"What are you going to do?"

"Later," Lelouch raised an eyebrow, "What about Cornelia?"

"Still the same as usual," C.C shrugged. "She had not budged an inch. You weren't exaggerating when you said that she was stubborn."

"I'm not surprised, but I had hoped that she'd stay out of the way," Lelouch was dismayed.

Sensing that the atmosphere was darkening, they hastily changed their attention to Nunnally and Euphemia's activities, which were significantly lighter and humorous. C.C's flat tone didn't manage to make the stories dull, and Lelouch still had vivid memories of their playful nature. They were barely thirteen now, so he supposed they still enjoyed outdoor activity that involved flowers and butterflies. He remembered that though his nature as a boy made him avoid such girlish activities, he was always close by, watching over them with their mother. Of course, he smiled with amusement, physical activity was not his favorite either, preferring to read or play chess instead. And, his thoughts became grim, avoid Schneizel at all costs; even back then he was wary of his oldest brother, and he was right.

It was not the best Childhood, but he was happy . . . until tragedy struck.

Lelouch blocked those memories vehemently.

"How long has it been since you last saw him?" C.C asked suddenly.

Lelouch knew who she was talking about, "A month," he said quietly. Technically, it had been three weeks, but that was an unscheduled visit, so it probably didn't count in Schneizel's book.

C.C looked at him suspiciously, "Even with all you are doing, you are still going to play his game?" she asked.

Lelouch glared at her, "I don't exactly have a choice here," he all but snapped.

C.C immediately backed off. It was a touchy subject, and she knew it.

It was a while before they parted ways.

-----------------------------

The cell phone vibrated.

"Yes." She said, aware that her voice was different than usual.

"Change your cloths."

"Right—"

-----------------------------

Suzaku was not a thoughtful soul.

Sure, he spent time doing his homework, and contributing to regular meetings, but he never did focus on internal thoughts, contemplating actions, and wondering what the hell was wrong.

So it was 'insightful' instead of 'thoughtful'.

And now he was criticizing his own thoughts.

Brilliant!

It was a new habit, really, thinking so much. But one he could not avoid when around someone like Lelouch Lamperouge.

It was unfair that his thoughts were focused on such undeserving target. Lelouch had made it clear all those weeks ago that he did not encourage Suzaku's trust in him, and it only made sense that he would not satisfy Suzaku's curiosity.

But then again, Suzaku was not about to tell him about his 'other' life, his current mission. Of course, it's not like Lelouch had such dark secrets, so Suzaku would have appreciated it immensely if the other boy would at least behave naturally around him. But ever since the Kimono Incident (Suzaku still blushed slightly at the memory), Lelouch did not feel right. Suzaku frowned slightly as he looked at the back of Lelouch's head (They were currently in class). What a 'natural Lelouch' would entail, Suzaku had no idea. If he was honest, it almost felt as if Lelouch had Multiple Personality Disorder. It wasn't that he was moody, Suzaku nodded to himself pensively. It was as if different people are running around through the day claiming to be Lelouch.

In class, that was not evident, but the changes were tangible in the clubhouse. A fine example would be like this: one day, Milly would be bullying Lelouch mercilessly, but he wouldn't fight back. The next day, he would be highly argumentative. If they see him again, he would be less aggravating, but would not be pushed around easily.

Suzaku would have explained that away quickly if that was the only irregular activity. He moved his attention to oddity number two: Lelouch began confining himself to his room instead of the roof, again, not worrisome, if there were no other symptoms.

What most worried Suzaku, if he was to be completely honest, was his friendship with Lelouch. Whatever his 'personality' was, he would stay away from Suzaku if they were alone, or would ignore him to talk with the other occupants of the room (Shirley blushed under the attention).

Suzaku was miserable.

Kallen was quick to notice, of course, but she ignored him. Things were not quite right between them, which did not mean much, as they were not that close. Kallen had always claimed that if they were on opposite sides, she wouldn't hesitate to rip him to pieces. Suzaku believed her.

Suzaku made up his mind.

He was going to resolve the problem today.

-----------------------------

Cornelia glanced at Rollo wearily. His decision to join the military training was aggravating her, making her slightly anxious.

They were playing Chess, a game that their Father was adamant they learn and respect.

For a moment, she remembered her little brother Lelouch. Had he been alive, he would be the Emperor now. What would he have done? He had been only 12 when he had died (her heart pounded painfully at the bitter memory), but he had shown his talent in Chess games and outwitting his peers, and sometimes Cornelia herself, though she was three years older than him. Their father was proud of Lelouch's skill, though it was probably unknown to Lelouch himself. Would Lelouch have been a ruthless and cruel Emperor? Would he have been able to stop Rollo, or would he have chosen to encourage him? Ah the wonders of 'what if' games.

From a political stand-point, Rollo's actions are admired in a male leader. Chances of him becoming an Emperor were nonexistent, so the only path left was military-related triumphs.

However a strong reason made her ignore the current issue, and concentrate on more pressing issues.

She moved her queen. Unbidden, Lelouch's words were remembered, saying in firm, far from childish voice.

If the King does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?

Indeed, how could they?

-----------------------------

Lelouch cursed under his breath,

He was standing in front of his open footlocker. Though it had an innocent appearance, the note's origin made it ominous. He knew it was almost time to receive said note, but he had hoped—as he always did—that Schneizel would be too busy, or deem the meeting not worth his time.

His hopes were always dashed away, and he had no reason to expect that this time would be any different.

Mechanically, he unfolded the note. He stared at it incredulously.

He must have been staring at it for a long time, because a tanned hand snatched it away.

"Is a love letter that shocking?" a familiar voice said in amusement. "Let us see—"

He whirled around in panic, ready to snap at the aggressor, but the words died in his throat when he saw the look on Suzaku's face.

"Last time was unplanned, so I'll give you time to recover." Suzaku quoted, and then looked up. "Recover from what? Who is SEB?" he frowned in worry, "Calm down, Lelouch, I've never seen you like this before,"

Lelouch growled, and snatched the note back. Of all the times to sign with his bloody name! He thought aggressively. "Don't follow me!" he hissed, and stomped away. He wasn't running; it's not like he was frightened.

But he was frightened. And the cause of his fear was not Schneizel. It wasn't until he made his way up to roof that he realized the real reason of his fear.

He was frightened of what Suzaku might think . . . what would Suzaku say if he knew who Lelouch really was? What if Suzaku knew that he was so weak that he allowed his brother to overpower him the past few years? Suzaku would be disgusted . . . ashamed of their friendship . . .

Suzaku wouldn't trust him anymore.

So what? Lelouch thought angrily. It's not as if the path he had chosen would allow him friendships. He needed allies, power, and strategy. He did not need friendships. Any friend would be a weakness, and Schneizel was a master of exploiting any weakness that Lelouch might have. Schneizel had enough cards against him, and he couldn't be contemplating adding more—

But he had already fallen. It was too late. He trusted Suzaku. He cared about Suzaku, and Schneizel had already suspected something. Lelouch had promised that he would never trust anyone other than C.C, his accomplice in this. But he had the audacity to trust that Suzaku would never betray him.

What right did he have to trust though? Suzaku granted his trust to Lelouch Lamperouge, and not to Lelouch Vi Britannia. And he knew what Suzaku's role in this, and meant him no harm, but—

Lelouch swore vehemently, and slammed his fist on the safety bar. It didn't help, but only made it worse. He cursed again, cradling his hand to his chest, and wincing slightly.

The sound of footsteps behind him caused him to tense instinctively.

"I'm sure the bar is not to blame," Suzaku's voice reached him, and to his own surprise he relaxed. He resolutely did not acknowledge the new presence.

"Let me see that," Before he could stop him, Suzaku took Lelouch's injured hand in his own with surprising tenderness. Lelouch couldn't help noticing how different their hands were. Lelouch's had long delicate fingers, pale, and undeniably smooth. Suzaku's fingers were long as well, but rough, tanned, and calloused. Nice, protective hands. A flutter in his chest made its presence known as he watched Suzaku examining his hand.

"It's gonna bruise, of course," did Suzaku sound regretful? "But you have not broken anything. It will probably be a pain to hold your pen tomorrow. Use your left hand to carry anything."

He squashed the stupid feeling, and thought of ice water to control the blush that was threatening to make an appearance. "Thanks for the diagnosis," he deadpanned.

Suzaku grinned, before his mood shifted again, "I'm so sorry that I made you angry," he said remorsefully, and Lelouch fought hard not to blink, "I shouldn't have read that note, but you looked so pale, well, paler than usual—" Lelouch glared at him, "And I was concerned," Suzaku finished lamely.

"Don't be." Lelouch was not about to let Suzaku off the hook, but he didn't want to pique his curiosity. When in doubt, Lelouch thought, ignore Suzaku Kururugi.

"I shouldn't ask—" Suzaku began hesitantly.

"Then don't."

"Ok, that's enough!" Suzaku sounded so angry that Lelouch had to acknowledge him. He tried to not wince as Suzaku directed a scorching glare in his direction. "That's enough, Lelouch! You have been sulking for two weeks now! Ever since Halloween, you have been avoiding me like the plague. And your shifting personalities were not fun to observe either! What have I done to warrant this? Are you angry that I witnessed a weak moment in your life, Lelouch? Because if that's what it was, then you are being ridiculous! You can't be strong all the time! Be natural for Heaven's sake! Stop trying to push me away, damn it!"

Suzaku was breathing heavily, and Lelouch stared at him. He was sure that it's been a long time indeed since someone had last scolded him like this. Concern was obvious, kindness and exasperation was entangled so tightly, and warmth that enveloped Lelouch, like a blanket. And he could not shrug it all off.

For a long while, there was stunned silence; Lelouch suspected that Suzaku had not expected the outburst more than he did.

"I—" Lelouch began, but uncertainty made him hesitate. Was he supposed to apologize?

But Lelouch had broken both the silence and Suzaku's sudden trance.

"Don't say you are sorry," Suzaku said firmly, "because you are probably not. Just promise that you won't push me away." Lelouch was reluctant to make such promise, "I don't need your protection, Lelouch," he added, in an obvious echo of what Lelouch had said after Suzaku had 'saved' him from the Pirate.

And Lelouch couldn't help it.

He laughed.

So Suzaku did not need his protection? It was interesting that he had said that, considering that Suzaku did not know Lelouch's past, or his current situation. But he had had to make sure that Schneizel would never be able to see this conversation. And he knew perfectly how to accomplish that.

"You idiot," Lelouch said good-naturedly.

And it was as good as a promise to Suzaku.

-----------------------------

Rumors were spread freely, eagerly, and wild. Seldom rumors stayed in one place, without moving, a rumor echoing another, becoming wilder with each retelling. It did not need funding, or advertising. Rumors sometimes garnered attention from the Media, if they thought it had a ring of truth, or it could be believable. Rumors deemed too wild and outrageous for the public were ignored. Sometimes, they were considered dangerous, and treated as a sacred taboo, especially if it was politically related, and especially in the Middle East area and its neighbors.

The situation was unstable. Terrorism was such a recurring event that no one flinched in surprise any more, only grief and hopelessness that mounted each day, wondering if they were next . . . wondering if there was another way . . .

Knightmares are capable of huge damage, all of them agreed, but nothing was done to limit the time it was in the field. The civilians were sure that the Knightmares dispatched to stop the terrorists did more damage than any of those terrorists had hoped to accomplish. Buildings and properties were destroyed, innocent bystanders (their only fault was being in the wrong place at the wrong time) lost their lives in the most brutal ways imaginable. Civilians tried to rebuild, tried to stand up on their own, only to have their efforts destroyed again. Some wondered why they even bothered to build anymore. Some wondered what the hell they were still doing there. Most, however, linked all the damage to the presence of Britannian Forces on their land. If they were not there, terrorists would not try to attack them. If they were not there, there would be no huge machines to destroy their land.

Therefore, it was not a surprise that hating Britannians was a given, and wanting to destroy its current government was an ambition of most.

Any new hope was cherished. So the current rumors were hush-hush. Over interest in them meant either one of the two: join them, or expose them? Mysterious incidents began to appear, sudden revelations of corrupt corporations and therefore destroyed, only to be replaced by organizations build by an interested investor.

People could not help hoping again. Terrorism was receding, their supporters dwindling.

With such consequences, was it that hard to believe that the Black Knights were real?

-----------------------------

Tohdoh examined the documents their 'helper' had provided over the past three weeks. Even Urabe could not have given them such precise numbers of the Britannians forces. No arrests were made, which was not a surprise, not when Schneizel was focusing on another goal. A goal they had dreaded since it had all begun.

And Tohdoh hated to admit it. The forces that Britannia had already gathered were enough to annihilate an army.

It was surely more than enough to destroy Japan's Purification Front easily.

Tohdoh scowled.

"Kirihara—" He muttered.

T.B.C

-----------------------------

IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTES: *take a deep breath* IwillleavetoZurichonthe18thofMayandwill returnonthe4thofJulynoupdatesthroughthatperiod *Readers looking at Luna in confusion* Oh all right! I will leave to Zurich on the 18th of May, and will return on the 4th of July. No updates through the period. *wince* I wanted to write extra chapters so that I'd update them through the period, but they were not collaborating lately (especially Lelouch, but Suzaku is a sweetheart XD). And I will be distracted in Zurich, so chances of updating is nil. I'll try, but I won't promise anything.

I'll make sure to update on the 11th July, 2009. I promise that at least.

Free talk: This chapter had been loaded with extra hints, some obvious, some that were probably ignored. Do not worry, by the time I finish this, I'll probably have answered all your questions. BTW, some might think Tohdoh was talking to Kirihara, but he was actually talking to himself. Questions are welcome, and I'll answer them if they don't disrupt the story's flow, or spoil it for you. Here's a thought: I need a beta-reader badly; I'm no good at editing, and I want one who already likes this story. Is there any volunteers?

Thank you so much for the encouragement and continued support!

Hint: *arrow flashing rather pointedly at the review button* please? Just so I'd know your opinion. I'm starving here ;)

Take care,

La Luna Negra