boys will conquer [2/2];
i use excessive italics and dashes and i cannot lie
chapter 2! c:
Word Count: 3500+
-
"Student council assembly?"
"Yup."
"That's rare of you to go to."
"Best to keep an eye on the enemy, I say."
"Ah."
-
"Now a statement from our Student Council President, Lenalee Lee."
She stepped up to the podium - a tall girl with long pigtails extending gracefully from her head to her waist, a radiance of importance surrounding her. Lavi rolled his eyes as he leaned on the wall next to the doors of the auditorium. What a typical school president. Nothing special at all.
"Thank you. Good morning, Black Order Institution. I would just like to address a very serious case that has been going on in the school for the last few months. Nothing has been reported to the student council or the administration as of yet, but it is a heinous enough situation that I must make note of it to everyone. Apparently there have been a few students using threats and blackmail to bully others, and although their behavior and identities are kept secret from authority figures, it is prominent enough throughout the school for the student council to have picked up on it. Obviously this type of aggressive and hurtful behavior towards other students is unacceptable and downright disgusting, and should be apprehended."
Lavi raised an eyebrow. A paragon of justice, now, was she?
"To those who are participating this distasteful behavior - let me just warn you." Her eyes seemed to find Lavi at the back of the auditorium. "I will not allow you to take advantage of innocent people at this school, and I will not stand by and watch these events unfold. Take my word for it. I will make sure you are caught and punished rightfully." Her gaze drifted back to the general crowd again. "That is all. Thank you for listening. Dismissed."
Throngs of whispering people - presumably about the public message Lenalee gave to the perpetrators - streamed through the doors, throwing a glimpse at Lavi as they passed. Lavi only smirked and didn't spare them a look. His eyes were focused on the new adversary, the one and only student council president.
Lenalee, as she walked down the aisle towards the doors, locked eyes with Lavi. She stopped shortly before the doors and turned to him.
"It's rare to see you here, Lavi-kun."
"Well, I do like to know what's going on in my school, sometimes."
She nodded curtly. "I see. Have a good day then."
He gave her a quick, two-fingered salute. "Same to you, Miss President."
Without a second glance, she walked through the doors. Lavi chuckled.
"Well, well. Let the games begin."
-
The library doors burst open, and Lavi entered with a bounce in his step. Kanda blinked and stared at him.
"You seem happy."
"A bit. You done counting the money?"
"Yeah." Kanda motioned to the stacks of bills. "Monthly revenue is a little over three hundred fifty pounds."
Lavi whistled. "Nice." He turned to Kanda. "You need me to buy you anything?"
"Nope."
"Right." Lavi began piling the bills into a small briefcase. "I have good news."
"…What is it?"
Lavi momentarily paused and looked up excitedly at Kanda. "Finally things have gotten interesting. Student council prez just announced that she was going to be our opponent."
Kanda raised an eyebrow. "Opponent meaning…?"
"Meaning she's going to hunt us down, of course, Yuu-chan!"
Kanda's eye twitched. "And why should we be happy? It's just a stupid girl."
"Yeah, but she's not just any stupid girl. She's one of those idealist people, you know, people who think the world should be one way when it really isn't." Lavi closed the full briefcase. "Which means she can't be easily bought. Which makes the whole game harder and so much more fun to play." He smiled at Kanda. "Don't you agree?"
"So what is your brilliant plan this time? If she's really an idealist like you say, then she won't go away easily. She'll keep coming at us until we're properly detained."
Lavi laughed, a loud and hungry laughter, which shook Kanda sometimes and made him think Lavi was inhuman. "Yuu, the wonderful thing about idealists is that if you break their view of the world…you'll break them."
"You're really scary sometimes, you know?"
"Ah...only for you."
Kanda whacked him with a paperback book. "I changed my mind. I want you to buy me some soba noodles."
-
Lenalee Lee sat at her desk in her dormitory room, legs propped up on the table, pen tapping her slightly parted lips. Her homework lay on the table in front of her, unfinished, as she scanned through the student records in the school database - something only she could access to, as her brother was the school's headmaster.
She squinted at her computer screen. "Lavi…no last name. Abandoned as a child, then adopted…expelled from seven previous schools on accounts of violence, inappropriate behavior, misconduct, the like…" She scribbled some words onto the little notepad in front of her. "IQ of 150 and above…first in the class in everything, including athletics…"
She clicked through another series of pages, then found a different file. "Kanda Yuu, of Japanese heritage. IQ of 150 and above as well, second in the class in everything, including athletics…son of…?"
The pen slipped from her fingers as she stood up and slammed her fists onto the desk. "Kanda Yuu…is really…?"
-
"We need to become the victim."
"And how is that going to help, oh wise one?"
Lavi pouted. "I'd appreciate that statement without the sarcasm, Yuu-chan."
"Bastard."
"How loving our Yuu-chan is -"
Kanda's fingers curled into a fist. "I understand what you want us to do. Get a random kid, make him go to the girl and ask her to confront us, and as a final bargaining chip, he tells her that we bullied him into asking her. But why make the process so complicated? There are easier ways to deal with her. And besides, acting like the victim won't dispel her belief that we, in fact, are the ones who are disrupting the school. It might even instigate her more and add fuel to her cause."
"Yuu, Yuu…I don't think you understand the point. In all other types of scenarios, we would most certainly have to act as the bad guys. But in this case, she is the perpetrator, the one making the move. She is the one coming to us, invading our territory, accusing us. Imagine what a mindset would do to a person like her. Once she understands our motives, she'll curse herself for so easily falling into our hands, but at the same time realize she has done something completely against her honor code. In this weakened state of mind, she'll back down more easily. It'll be like checkmate with two moves. Besides," he laughed softly, "It's much more fun this way."
"So you aren't interesting in turning her away at all. You just want to play with her mind."
"Well, well…" Lavi's devilish, green eyes flicked towards Kanda's. "When did Yuu-chan get so good at reading my thoughts?"
-
Palms slapped down against the mahogany desk. "Are you just telling me to ignore it?"
"I'm just saying, dear Lenalee-nee-chan, that perhaps letting the whole school know you're planning a vendetta was not a good idea."
"So? I wanted those two to know that I do not approve of their behavior. Lavi was in the audience today, so it was a perfect opportunity to address him without a personal setting."
"Was it selfless honesty telling the enemy of your intentions, or was it a selfish declaration of war?"
"Why are you criticizing me, Aniki? Shouldn't you be gung ho about apprehending them too? With all of your diatribes about an equal -"
"Another thing, Lenalee-chan. What makes you so sure that they're Lavi and Kanda Yuu? As far as I can tell, they're both respectable students. I even had the opportunity to talk with Lavi myself, when he was applying to this school, and he seemed like a very honest, smart young man. The kind of person you're describing and the person I talked to are two different people."
"But Aniki! You should have - you know what his record's like! He's been expelled seven times! Seven! And for most of the same concerns - don't you think it's got to do something with this?"
Komui sighed. "Lenalee-chan, I know, I know. I knew that fact full well when I accepted him into this school. But his past isn't something you can rightfully use against him, even if it is responsible for his actions now. Although our conversation was brief, the one thing I do know about Lavi is that he always has a reason to do the things he does. Besides, I rather have a liking towards the kid."
Lenalee grimaced and backed away from her brother's desk. "So your reasons for not supporting me, Headmaster, is that you take a liking towards this delinquent?"
"Well yeah, pretty much."
A short bleeping suddenly pierced the air like an explosion of dynamite. "Ah, it's the phone, Lenalee, sorry I -"
She had already stormed out of the room.
-
By the time it was ten o'clock on Tuesday morning, a kid had already confessed to Lenalee Lee that he was blackmailed into sending her to the library, and the Student Council President was marching over with all her might, guns loaded.
The doors swung open and she angrily strode in, pigtails bouncing with each step.
"'Bout time," Lavi murmured. He settled down in his favorite armchair. That's right - he could fight this entire battle sitting down. It was all too easy.
"You." She pointed at him with a shaky finger. "You horrible person."
"Why, whatever do you mean, dear President?"
"You know what I mean. Is this your kind of idea of a joke? Or perhaps a prodding at my side?"
"What are you getting all up in arms about? I merely wanted to talk this out like the civil people we are."
"Alright fine, let's make this civil. What do you have to say about your actions, huh? Or the rumours and accusations flying all over the school about the two bullies lying in wait in the shadows? Names are never mentioned in the reports, but it's very clear who they are all referring to."
"Lenalee. You must understand, these are, as you have said, all rumours and accusations. Please see that these are only the jealous outcries of students who have been longer at this school than we have, yet Kanda and I have risen to the topmost echelon of every possible subject. First-class grades, extraordinary athletic ability, not to mention all the teachers love us."
"You are full of bullshit."
"Language, dear President, language. And may I ask you, who was the one who decided to intrude upon our territory in the first place? Eh?"
"I've seen through your ruse, and I refuse to be affected by it."
"Do as you like, but doesn't it go against your morals -"
"I really don't care about morals anymore, if that's what it means to take you two down."
Lavi was taken aback. "Well, then. But there is something called playing by the rules, you know."
She turned to Kanda. "And you, Kanda Yuu. I didn't expect the heir of such a prestigious family to be conniving and hobnobbing with this sort of…bastard. You've really sunk to low standards."
Kanda's eyebrows narrowed and his fists started clenching with an unhealthy strength.
"Yuu-chan?"
Kanda merely glared. "Well," Lenalee said, "seems like I made an impression on one of you. Good day." She turned her heel and left without much flourish.
"Hmph. What a miscalculation. I thought she was an idealist, but she can be that type of scary person as well." He stood up and brushed off his pants. "Yuu?"
"…What?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Wow, was what she said really that offensive?" Lavi chuckled. "Don't worry about it. She'll pay for what she did to you. Doubly." His finger stroked his chin gently.
-
"Kanda."
"What."
"I have an idea."
"I don't want to know."
He let out a chortling laugh. "Actually, you do."
-
Lavi called this the comeback battle.
"Yuu, how fast can you spread a rumour?"
"Rumours?"
"Yeah, you heard that prissy little girl. Saying there are rumours and whatnot about us…"
"As there should be, didn't we spread those ourselves?"
"I'm thinking we should counteract those rumours with something else. With rumours about…our beloved school president."
"Destroy her reputation."
"Not only that. She doesn't realize what monster she's provoked. She doesn't realize that most humans are spineless cowards, and given the choice, would rather side with the dragon than the knight if it's death they fear…"
"True. We do have the delicate blackmail and bribery network, after all."
"Let's utilize it. Counterstrike number one."
-
On Wednesday morning, when Lenalee stepped into the classroom, she noticed something in the atmosphere was completely different from the day before. There were whispers, and everyone eyed her in a certain, something that she couldn't pick up on but knew was wrong.
All through the morning she was baffled by the uneasiness, but come lunchtime all was solved.
"Lenalee-san! Lenalee-san!" Her vice president came hurtling up to her like the building had fallen to pieces, like a disaster was occurring.
"What is it, Mitsuko?"
"Oh, Lenalee-san, someone spread some horrible rumours about you!"
"…Rumours?" She had an inkling, but didn't want to say it.
"Yeah, I heard some about how you had a twin brother locked up at home in a cage, how you torture kittens, even one about how at night you engage in…" She blushed bright red. "…prostitution. I-in any case, there are a lot more, and they're getting out of control!"
"Che. Lavi did this."
"H-how is this possible? You only met with him yesterday…"
"No, that sort of impossibility is something only Lavi has the ability to overcome."
"There's something else…"
"What is it?"
"Well…there are some people going around saying that you're not fit for president and trying to convince everyone…"
"That…son of a bitch."
-
By mid-afternoon, there were a throng of protestors in the courtyard ("Impeach Lenalee! Coup d'etat!") and she had received numerous death threats in the form of notes or scribbled over her desk.
"Ah, Miss President, how's your day going?" The worst timing and the voice she hated and detested the most. She whirled around and gave her sweetest smile.
"Lavi-kun, I'm doing fine, as you can see."
"Seems the kids are treating you badly. You want me to take care of them?"
"No, I'm fine. I have a certain amount of dignity that doesn't allow these childish pranks to get to me, you know. If I let this sort of thing bother me, I can't call myself a competent Student Council President, now can I? Good day."
"Good day." Amidst the student body's collective stares, she walked through them without much thought.
"How is it going?" Kanda adroitly appeared at Lavi's side seemingly out of thin air. Lavi was used to this by now, he didn't even as so much flinch.
"What a persistent bitch, really."
"Time for counterstrike two, I guess."
"Yes."
-
Meet us in front of your locker at 8PM.
That was all the note said. No sender, no handwriting, not even excess words about how she was hated. She had assumed it was Lavi and Kanda, to give an ultimatum of some sort, largely because this was just their style to do so.
Instead she had met up with a group of disgruntled delinquents who weren't ready to talk but to do quite the opposite - that is, beat her up.
She avoided another swing of the bat. "Can't you at least tell me why you're doing this?"
"Why do we need a Student Council President anyway? All you do is cause trouble for us! You only listen to those sniveling weaklings…" She dodged a barrage of punches, then ducked a roundhouse kick.
She was talented at martial arts, but not talented enough to take on thirty angry people out for your blood, really. Shit, at this rate, I'm gonna get murdered…
"I'll listen to you all! Really, I will. Just please stop this madness -"
"Did you just say…please stop?" As she held back two assailants at the same time, she quickly spun her head in the direction of the voice. A mere silhouette leaning against the lockers, but the trademark crazy hair - it was Lavi.
"Yes, goddammit, I did. What's it to you?" She threw them back and parried another blow.
"Ah, I see. As Student Council President you cannot lay a hand on another student, or else your job will really be in danger." He stood up straight, shoved his hands in his pockets, and stood directly behind her. "If you want it to stop, get down on your knees and beg for your life."
"Never." She was flung back a little but still held her ground. The one thing she didn't see, however, was a fist that connected with her stomach, and she crumbled to her feet.
"You've got the first part down. Now beg. I'm completely serious."
"Lavi…I hate you." One guy kicked her in the face and another started landing punches. She was starting to lose consciousness.
The shadows sighed. "You really are one inconvenient person, you know? But I guess it can't be helped." He grabbed the wrist of the one assaulting Lenalee and sidestepped in front of her. "Playtime's over, boys."
"But boss, you said to beat her up…"
He twisted the other one's arm in an impossible direction, and he screamed in pain.
"I said…it's over." He heaved the punk, now with a sprained wrist, into his friend's arms. "Get lost."
They all but scrambled away, knowing his strength. Lavi bent down and stroked the hair out of her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Don't touch me." Uncontrollably, her breath became hitched and tears rolled out of her eyes.
"It's a bit fitting, isn't it? The one who gave the battle cry in the first place…should be the one to cry in the end."
"How could you do this to me." It wasn't even a question of "why" anymore.
"Personally, in my eyes, what you did to Kanda was much worse. You knew, the details of his family affairs are in his records, and you read them. You should know how much Kanda hates his family, and the guilt he feels now that they are all dead. Now we're even."
She brusquely stood up, wiping her face, and Lavi stood up alongside her. "You're evil. You're a monster."
"Hurling these hurtful words towards your savior? You should be grateful, Miss President, I may very well have saved your life. Who knows what they would've done with you?"
"You were the one who made them -"
"And that's exactly why you shouldn't play around with us." He leaned towards her face. "I can give, but I can also take. Don't forget that we are the puppeteers at this school and we've got everyone dangling on our strings, including you. Play by our rules and we won't cause any trouble that we shouldn't. But interfere again and I will make sure there is chaos every day, every night, and by the time you catch us at it, no one will want to hear you out anymore."
Lenalee was seething. Lavi smirked. He could tell she wasn't one to back down, and his choice made it difficult for her to figure out what to say next.
"Just…"
"Yes?"
She looked up at Lavi fiercely. "Just tell me one thing, and perhaps I'll consider leaving you two alone. Why are you doing this? Why all the underhandedness? Why do you enjoy making others suffer and do your bidding?"
Lavi laughed. "It's very simple, Miss President, I'm surprised you haven't figured it all out already, given your perceptiveness. Well, I'll say it in simple layman's terms." He stood up and brushed himself off. "Power…and money. Those are the only two things that matter to me, and I'll use whatever means I can to achieve them. You'll have to learn that I always get what I want. Are you satisfied now…Miss President?"
"I knew it. You're horrible. You're…" Her fists clenched even tighter.
"So…is it safe to say that we've won this round, if not the entire game? Your defeat was determined from the moment you bothered Yuu at the library. Don't you agree?"
Lenalee slowly lifted her finger and jabbed it at his face. "I'll find a way. As Student Council President, I'll find some way to make sure you're punished!"
She started to walk away, but Lavi disrupted her with a low voice. "And who made you God?"
She turned around. "Excuse me?"
"Who made you the one to decide that we were to be punished? Are you God? Do you enjoy dealing out punishments like some divine overseer? Has your position perhaps gone to your head?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't -"
"Lenalee Lee, you are not God. You are merely something that has lost to a chess piece that simply made the better move over yourself. There is no good or evil in this game." Lavi turned to walk away. "There are only winners and losers, and it all depends on what side you're on that determines your view on life."
His figure disappeared into the shadows around the corner. "Which will you be, Miss President?"
chapter 2! c:
Word Count: 3500+
-
"Student council assembly?"
"Yup."
"That's rare of you to go to."
"Best to keep an eye on the enemy, I say."
"Ah."
-
"Now a statement from our Student Council President, Lenalee Lee."
She stepped up to the podium - a tall girl with long pigtails extending gracefully from her head to her waist, a radiance of importance surrounding her. Lavi rolled his eyes as he leaned on the wall next to the doors of the auditorium. What a typical school president. Nothing special at all.
"Thank you. Good morning, Black Order Institution. I would just like to address a very serious case that has been going on in the school for the last few months. Nothing has been reported to the student council or the administration as of yet, but it is a heinous enough situation that I must make note of it to everyone. Apparently there have been a few students using threats and blackmail to bully others, and although their behavior and identities are kept secret from authority figures, it is prominent enough throughout the school for the student council to have picked up on it. Obviously this type of aggressive and hurtful behavior towards other students is unacceptable and downright disgusting, and should be apprehended."
Lavi raised an eyebrow. A paragon of justice, now, was she?
"To those who are participating this distasteful behavior - let me just warn you." Her eyes seemed to find Lavi at the back of the auditorium. "I will not allow you to take advantage of innocent people at this school, and I will not stand by and watch these events unfold. Take my word for it. I will make sure you are caught and punished rightfully." Her gaze drifted back to the general crowd again. "That is all. Thank you for listening. Dismissed."
Throngs of whispering people - presumably about the public message Lenalee gave to the perpetrators - streamed through the doors, throwing a glimpse at Lavi as they passed. Lavi only smirked and didn't spare them a look. His eyes were focused on the new adversary, the one and only student council president.
Lenalee, as she walked down the aisle towards the doors, locked eyes with Lavi. She stopped shortly before the doors and turned to him.
"It's rare to see you here, Lavi-kun."
"Well, I do like to know what's going on in my school, sometimes."
She nodded curtly. "I see. Have a good day then."
He gave her a quick, two-fingered salute. "Same to you, Miss President."
Without a second glance, she walked through the doors. Lavi chuckled.
"Well, well. Let the games begin."
-
The library doors burst open, and Lavi entered with a bounce in his step. Kanda blinked and stared at him.
"You seem happy."
"A bit. You done counting the money?"
"Yeah." Kanda motioned to the stacks of bills. "Monthly revenue is a little over three hundred fifty pounds."
Lavi whistled. "Nice." He turned to Kanda. "You need me to buy you anything?"
"Nope."
"Right." Lavi began piling the bills into a small briefcase. "I have good news."
"…What is it?"
Lavi momentarily paused and looked up excitedly at Kanda. "Finally things have gotten interesting. Student council prez just announced that she was going to be our opponent."
Kanda raised an eyebrow. "Opponent meaning…?"
"Meaning she's going to hunt us down, of course, Yuu-chan!"
Kanda's eye twitched. "And why should we be happy? It's just a stupid girl."
"Yeah, but she's not just any stupid girl. She's one of those idealist people, you know, people who think the world should be one way when it really isn't." Lavi closed the full briefcase. "Which means she can't be easily bought. Which makes the whole game harder and so much more fun to play." He smiled at Kanda. "Don't you agree?"
"So what is your brilliant plan this time? If she's really an idealist like you say, then she won't go away easily. She'll keep coming at us until we're properly detained."
Lavi laughed, a loud and hungry laughter, which shook Kanda sometimes and made him think Lavi was inhuman. "Yuu, the wonderful thing about idealists is that if you break their view of the world…you'll break them."
"You're really scary sometimes, you know?"
"Ah...only for you."
Kanda whacked him with a paperback book. "I changed my mind. I want you to buy me some soba noodles."
-
Lenalee Lee sat at her desk in her dormitory room, legs propped up on the table, pen tapping her slightly parted lips. Her homework lay on the table in front of her, unfinished, as she scanned through the student records in the school database - something only she could access to, as her brother was the school's headmaster.
She squinted at her computer screen. "Lavi…no last name. Abandoned as a child, then adopted…expelled from seven previous schools on accounts of violence, inappropriate behavior, misconduct, the like…" She scribbled some words onto the little notepad in front of her. "IQ of 150 and above…first in the class in everything, including athletics…"
She clicked through another series of pages, then found a different file. "Kanda Yuu, of Japanese heritage. IQ of 150 and above as well, second in the class in everything, including athletics…son of…?"
The pen slipped from her fingers as she stood up and slammed her fists onto the desk. "Kanda Yuu…is really…?"
-
"We need to become the victim."
"And how is that going to help, oh wise one?"
Lavi pouted. "I'd appreciate that statement without the sarcasm, Yuu-chan."
"Bastard."
"How loving our Yuu-chan is -"
Kanda's fingers curled into a fist. "I understand what you want us to do. Get a random kid, make him go to the girl and ask her to confront us, and as a final bargaining chip, he tells her that we bullied him into asking her. But why make the process so complicated? There are easier ways to deal with her. And besides, acting like the victim won't dispel her belief that we, in fact, are the ones who are disrupting the school. It might even instigate her more and add fuel to her cause."
"Yuu, Yuu…I don't think you understand the point. In all other types of scenarios, we would most certainly have to act as the bad guys. But in this case, she is the perpetrator, the one making the move. She is the one coming to us, invading our territory, accusing us. Imagine what a mindset would do to a person like her. Once she understands our motives, she'll curse herself for so easily falling into our hands, but at the same time realize she has done something completely against her honor code. In this weakened state of mind, she'll back down more easily. It'll be like checkmate with two moves. Besides," he laughed softly, "It's much more fun this way."
"So you aren't interesting in turning her away at all. You just want to play with her mind."
"Well, well…" Lavi's devilish, green eyes flicked towards Kanda's. "When did Yuu-chan get so good at reading my thoughts?"
-
Palms slapped down against the mahogany desk. "Are you just telling me to ignore it?"
"I'm just saying, dear Lenalee-nee-chan, that perhaps letting the whole school know you're planning a vendetta was not a good idea."
"So? I wanted those two to know that I do not approve of their behavior. Lavi was in the audience today, so it was a perfect opportunity to address him without a personal setting."
"Was it selfless honesty telling the enemy of your intentions, or was it a selfish declaration of war?"
"Why are you criticizing me, Aniki? Shouldn't you be gung ho about apprehending them too? With all of your diatribes about an equal -"
"Another thing, Lenalee-chan. What makes you so sure that they're Lavi and Kanda Yuu? As far as I can tell, they're both respectable students. I even had the opportunity to talk with Lavi myself, when he was applying to this school, and he seemed like a very honest, smart young man. The kind of person you're describing and the person I talked to are two different people."
"But Aniki! You should have - you know what his record's like! He's been expelled seven times! Seven! And for most of the same concerns - don't you think it's got to do something with this?"
Komui sighed. "Lenalee-chan, I know, I know. I knew that fact full well when I accepted him into this school. But his past isn't something you can rightfully use against him, even if it is responsible for his actions now. Although our conversation was brief, the one thing I do know about Lavi is that he always has a reason to do the things he does. Besides, I rather have a liking towards the kid."
Lenalee grimaced and backed away from her brother's desk. "So your reasons for not supporting me, Headmaster, is that you take a liking towards this delinquent?"
"Well yeah, pretty much."
A short bleeping suddenly pierced the air like an explosion of dynamite. "Ah, it's the phone, Lenalee, sorry I -"
She had already stormed out of the room.
-
By the time it was ten o'clock on Tuesday morning, a kid had already confessed to Lenalee Lee that he was blackmailed into sending her to the library, and the Student Council President was marching over with all her might, guns loaded.
The doors swung open and she angrily strode in, pigtails bouncing with each step.
"'Bout time," Lavi murmured. He settled down in his favorite armchair. That's right - he could fight this entire battle sitting down. It was all too easy.
"You." She pointed at him with a shaky finger. "You horrible person."
"Why, whatever do you mean, dear President?"
"You know what I mean. Is this your kind of idea of a joke? Or perhaps a prodding at my side?"
"What are you getting all up in arms about? I merely wanted to talk this out like the civil people we are."
"Alright fine, let's make this civil. What do you have to say about your actions, huh? Or the rumours and accusations flying all over the school about the two bullies lying in wait in the shadows? Names are never mentioned in the reports, but it's very clear who they are all referring to."
"Lenalee. You must understand, these are, as you have said, all rumours and accusations. Please see that these are only the jealous outcries of students who have been longer at this school than we have, yet Kanda and I have risen to the topmost echelon of every possible subject. First-class grades, extraordinary athletic ability, not to mention all the teachers love us."
"You are full of bullshit."
"Language, dear President, language. And may I ask you, who was the one who decided to intrude upon our territory in the first place? Eh?"
"I've seen through your ruse, and I refuse to be affected by it."
"Do as you like, but doesn't it go against your morals -"
"I really don't care about morals anymore, if that's what it means to take you two down."
Lavi was taken aback. "Well, then. But there is something called playing by the rules, you know."
She turned to Kanda. "And you, Kanda Yuu. I didn't expect the heir of such a prestigious family to be conniving and hobnobbing with this sort of…bastard. You've really sunk to low standards."
Kanda's eyebrows narrowed and his fists started clenching with an unhealthy strength.
"Yuu-chan?"
Kanda merely glared. "Well," Lenalee said, "seems like I made an impression on one of you. Good day." She turned her heel and left without much flourish.
"Hmph. What a miscalculation. I thought she was an idealist, but she can be that type of scary person as well." He stood up and brushed off his pants. "Yuu?"
"…What?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Wow, was what she said really that offensive?" Lavi chuckled. "Don't worry about it. She'll pay for what she did to you. Doubly." His finger stroked his chin gently.
-
"Kanda."
"What."
"I have an idea."
"I don't want to know."
He let out a chortling laugh. "Actually, you do."
-
Lavi called this the comeback battle.
"Yuu, how fast can you spread a rumour?"
"Rumours?"
"Yeah, you heard that prissy little girl. Saying there are rumours and whatnot about us…"
"As there should be, didn't we spread those ourselves?"
"I'm thinking we should counteract those rumours with something else. With rumours about…our beloved school president."
"Destroy her reputation."
"Not only that. She doesn't realize what monster she's provoked. She doesn't realize that most humans are spineless cowards, and given the choice, would rather side with the dragon than the knight if it's death they fear…"
"True. We do have the delicate blackmail and bribery network, after all."
"Let's utilize it. Counterstrike number one."
-
On Wednesday morning, when Lenalee stepped into the classroom, she noticed something in the atmosphere was completely different from the day before. There were whispers, and everyone eyed her in a certain, something that she couldn't pick up on but knew was wrong.
All through the morning she was baffled by the uneasiness, but come lunchtime all was solved.
"Lenalee-san! Lenalee-san!" Her vice president came hurtling up to her like the building had fallen to pieces, like a disaster was occurring.
"What is it, Mitsuko?"
"Oh, Lenalee-san, someone spread some horrible rumours about you!"
"…Rumours?" She had an inkling, but didn't want to say it.
"Yeah, I heard some about how you had a twin brother locked up at home in a cage, how you torture kittens, even one about how at night you engage in…" She blushed bright red. "…prostitution. I-in any case, there are a lot more, and they're getting out of control!"
"Che. Lavi did this."
"H-how is this possible? You only met with him yesterday…"
"No, that sort of impossibility is something only Lavi has the ability to overcome."
"There's something else…"
"What is it?"
"Well…there are some people going around saying that you're not fit for president and trying to convince everyone…"
"That…son of a bitch."
-
By mid-afternoon, there were a throng of protestors in the courtyard ("Impeach Lenalee! Coup d'etat!") and she had received numerous death threats in the form of notes or scribbled over her desk.
"Ah, Miss President, how's your day going?" The worst timing and the voice she hated and detested the most. She whirled around and gave her sweetest smile.
"Lavi-kun, I'm doing fine, as you can see."
"Seems the kids are treating you badly. You want me to take care of them?"
"No, I'm fine. I have a certain amount of dignity that doesn't allow these childish pranks to get to me, you know. If I let this sort of thing bother me, I can't call myself a competent Student Council President, now can I? Good day."
"Good day." Amidst the student body's collective stares, she walked through them without much thought.
"How is it going?" Kanda adroitly appeared at Lavi's side seemingly out of thin air. Lavi was used to this by now, he didn't even as so much flinch.
"What a persistent bitch, really."
"Time for counterstrike two, I guess."
"Yes."
-
Meet us in front of your locker at 8PM.
That was all the note said. No sender, no handwriting, not even excess words about how she was hated. She had assumed it was Lavi and Kanda, to give an ultimatum of some sort, largely because this was just their style to do so.
Instead she had met up with a group of disgruntled delinquents who weren't ready to talk but to do quite the opposite - that is, beat her up.
She avoided another swing of the bat. "Can't you at least tell me why you're doing this?"
"Why do we need a Student Council President anyway? All you do is cause trouble for us! You only listen to those sniveling weaklings…" She dodged a barrage of punches, then ducked a roundhouse kick.
She was talented at martial arts, but not talented enough to take on thirty angry people out for your blood, really. Shit, at this rate, I'm gonna get murdered…
"I'll listen to you all! Really, I will. Just please stop this madness -"
"Did you just say…please stop?" As she held back two assailants at the same time, she quickly spun her head in the direction of the voice. A mere silhouette leaning against the lockers, but the trademark crazy hair - it was Lavi.
"Yes, goddammit, I did. What's it to you?" She threw them back and parried another blow.
"Ah, I see. As Student Council President you cannot lay a hand on another student, or else your job will really be in danger." He stood up straight, shoved his hands in his pockets, and stood directly behind her. "If you want it to stop, get down on your knees and beg for your life."
"Never." She was flung back a little but still held her ground. The one thing she didn't see, however, was a fist that connected with her stomach, and she crumbled to her feet.
"You've got the first part down. Now beg. I'm completely serious."
"Lavi…I hate you." One guy kicked her in the face and another started landing punches. She was starting to lose consciousness.
The shadows sighed. "You really are one inconvenient person, you know? But I guess it can't be helped." He grabbed the wrist of the one assaulting Lenalee and sidestepped in front of her. "Playtime's over, boys."
"But boss, you said to beat her up…"
He twisted the other one's arm in an impossible direction, and he screamed in pain.
"I said…it's over." He heaved the punk, now with a sprained wrist, into his friend's arms. "Get lost."
They all but scrambled away, knowing his strength. Lavi bent down and stroked the hair out of her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Don't touch me." Uncontrollably, her breath became hitched and tears rolled out of her eyes.
"It's a bit fitting, isn't it? The one who gave the battle cry in the first place…should be the one to cry in the end."
"How could you do this to me." It wasn't even a question of "why" anymore.
"Personally, in my eyes, what you did to Kanda was much worse. You knew, the details of his family affairs are in his records, and you read them. You should know how much Kanda hates his family, and the guilt he feels now that they are all dead. Now we're even."
She brusquely stood up, wiping her face, and Lavi stood up alongside her. "You're evil. You're a monster."
"Hurling these hurtful words towards your savior? You should be grateful, Miss President, I may very well have saved your life. Who knows what they would've done with you?"
"You were the one who made them -"
"And that's exactly why you shouldn't play around with us." He leaned towards her face. "I can give, but I can also take. Don't forget that we are the puppeteers at this school and we've got everyone dangling on our strings, including you. Play by our rules and we won't cause any trouble that we shouldn't. But interfere again and I will make sure there is chaos every day, every night, and by the time you catch us at it, no one will want to hear you out anymore."
Lenalee was seething. Lavi smirked. He could tell she wasn't one to back down, and his choice made it difficult for her to figure out what to say next.
"Just…"
"Yes?"
She looked up at Lavi fiercely. "Just tell me one thing, and perhaps I'll consider leaving you two alone. Why are you doing this? Why all the underhandedness? Why do you enjoy making others suffer and do your bidding?"
Lavi laughed. "It's very simple, Miss President, I'm surprised you haven't figured it all out already, given your perceptiveness. Well, I'll say it in simple layman's terms." He stood up and brushed himself off. "Power…and money. Those are the only two things that matter to me, and I'll use whatever means I can to achieve them. You'll have to learn that I always get what I want. Are you satisfied now…Miss President?"
"I knew it. You're horrible. You're…" Her fists clenched even tighter.
"So…is it safe to say that we've won this round, if not the entire game? Your defeat was determined from the moment you bothered Yuu at the library. Don't you agree?"
Lenalee slowly lifted her finger and jabbed it at his face. "I'll find a way. As Student Council President, I'll find some way to make sure you're punished!"
She started to walk away, but Lavi disrupted her with a low voice. "And who made you God?"
She turned around. "Excuse me?"
"Who made you the one to decide that we were to be punished? Are you God? Do you enjoy dealing out punishments like some divine overseer? Has your position perhaps gone to your head?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't -"
"Lenalee Lee, you are not God. You are merely something that has lost to a chess piece that simply made the better move over yourself. There is no good or evil in this game." Lavi turned to walk away. "There are only winners and losers, and it all depends on what side you're on that determines your view on life."
His figure disappeared into the shadows around the corner. "Which will you be, Miss President?"