Code Geass Lelouch of the Lost Tale

[StrifeHavoc]

A/N: While I had no intentions of posting any new stories, I ran into a problem. My other beta for my War of the Seven Kings hasn't finished going over the latest chapter in time, and I feel bad about breaking my chain of updates. Updating one of my other stories would've been preferred for me, but I had none that were ready, well more not ready in the way they didn't have their beta work done, expect for this ONE.

This was another being done by main beta and co-author Greatkingrat88 (author on fanfiction.net) last year, and like my War of the Seven Kings story I was intending to stockpile a bunch of chapters pre-made in advance I got six chapters of this story pre-made with a seventh underway, but maybe posting this story for good feedback and allowing me to talk more about this story openly might help with its development.

I do intend on finishing my Fate/Grand Order and CG crossover, Danganrompa/CG (I just need a better beta for that one, especially for the killing games) Honkai Impact and CG and others I got my eye on, but I refuse to post anything that isn't at their best as they can be, so this is my first Code Geass story that starts Lelouch off as he had in canon unlike the Demon and his Knights, which I also plan to continue later once I solve the pacing issue, I felt things were advancing too fast.

BUT to avoid any copying and pasting of the main series, my goal is to make use of every OVA, light novel, games and side stories as well as changing events for better outcomes for Lelouch since my beta let's just say has some issues with R2 that I share, so don't expect a Zero Requiem in this. But everything else will be used to greatly expand on things and take things in new directions, so it will follow canon at least in spirit up to a certain point before diverging completely.

And inspired by a certain Seerking's Code Geass story, Lelouch is more proactive in preparing for his rebellion in ways you will see in this chapter. You'll see some Easter eggs and shout-outs/scenes inspired to his story as a salute for his story is one of my favorites and he did provide very helpful suggestions and ideas.

I will say this story was intended to have Lelouch and Monica Krushevsky as the main pairing, but after becoming aware of recent lore changes that has Monica as Lelouch's half sister, something I was left very salty about. So, the main pairing will be Maya Disel and Lelouch Lamperouge.

Now I know folks will ask, so let's get it out of the way, will it become a threesome or a harem. For a harem, probably not, but if I do it would only involve four women at most, since Greatkingrat88 has some strong opinions on Lelouch and harems, which I respect and understand. But he would have to be the one to convince me to go along with it, since I'll to justify it. A threesome is most likely through, but I rather focus on Maya and Lelouch becoming a couple first then worrying about that right now, so we'll see after the story reaches a certain point. I say that too, because I am not sure how open Maya would be a threesome or what would be needed to make it work best in a believable fashion. Since Maya will appear in chapter six, which should tell you how long ago these chapters were made and when including the information I used for ideas. Its just after all of the work I put into the early chapters I refused to let them go to waste.

So without further ado let us begin.

---

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." – Sun Tzu

Chapter 1

Know yourself​

"Are you ready for this, Lelouch?" a cheerful, feminine voice called out.

Inside his cockpit sat a purple-eyed seventeen-year-old boy in a black school uniform with matching shoes. In her own cockpit sat Lelouch's opponent, around his age with long blood-red hair, green eyes, and a cocky smile on her face.

"I am ready," Lelouch replied, feeling confident.

Every time I see this, it always feels a little tacky.

Lelouch reclined in his chair. In between caring for Nunnally and living a life in exile, this little hobby of knightmare jousting had turned out to be a decent distraction. He had fallen into it only recently, and found it sufficiently challenging to be worth his time. It wasn't quite chess, but it required a keen mind and fast reflexes.

The arena they were in was based on a medieval jousting tournament, but whoever had designed it had taken too many liberties with it. Some were understandable, given the fact that instead of horses they were using large, humanoid machines. The arena was larger and more open to accommodate their use of Knightmare Frames. Still, at the same time, Lelouch questioned how colorful the rest of the arena around them was.

If I am not mistaken, balloons didn't exist during the middle ages, Lelouch thought.

He was piloting a Knightmare Frame model known as the RPI-13/G Prytwen, an offshoot of the Holy Britannian Empire's first combat-capable Knightmare. It had been unleashed seven years ago during the invasion of Japan, the RPI-11 Glasgow. Compared to the other Knightmare Frames used by the military, the Prytwen didn't quite match their combat performance, but the Prytwen did possess excellent mobility.

"Are you two ready?"

Lelouch spoke through the comms, addressing the two teammates who had agreed to join him in the coming battle.

"I am ready, Lelouch," came the reply from his teammate, the blonde, blue-eyed Monica Krushevsky. Like other female students of the school they attended, she wore a sandy jacket and a white dress shirt.

"I am good to go too." The third member to speak up was Marirrosa Noriega. She had long burnt-orange hair tied into a top-knot ponytail and brown eyes.

"Okay. Watch out for Sandra. She'll be our biggest threat," Lelouch said. "She'll likely be expecting us to be gunning for her first, so take out her teammates hard and fast."

"Going for three against one seems a little excessive," Monica commented, sounding unsure of the idea.

"Our opponent and her two teammates are part of the reigning KMF League champion team. We can't afford to go easy on them. I agree with Lelouch we need to hit hard and very fast," said Marirrosa.

"Thank you, Marirrosa," Lelouch said, appreciating the vote of confidence. "Sandra especially is the most dangerous as both the Captain of the Fireballs, and the best KMF League pilot."

Their opponent, Alessandra Dolos- nicknamed Sandra by her friends- was the Jousting and Formation Competitive Knightmare Frame League champion. She was also known as the Blade Gangster, a nickname she had earned for her preference for swords in her matches, and for being the granddaughter of Britannia's most notorious gangster, Ernesto Dolos.

Sandra had formed her own KMF League team, the Fireballs, with her childhood friends. The strong bonds they had developed as friends turned them into a highly competitive and effective team under her leadership. Their effectiveness had allowed them to claim the championship title two years in a row so far despite being in high school, making them the youngest champions the league had seen so far. With that in mind, Lelouch knew he was fighting an uphill battle.

"I am aware the odds are stacked against us," Lelouch admitted. "However, if we can swiftly eliminate her teammates, we might have a chance."

"Maybe, but her friends aren't pushovers either," Marirrosa cautioned.

"I know."

Sandra's teammates for this battle were Lily Erdmann and Matoaka Granger, skilled pilots in their own right.

Lily should be a priority to eliminate, since she is the more tactical of the Fireballs.

Lelouch knew from both his interactions with Lily and seeing her performance in past games that she was responsible for devising the group's tactics. These accomplishments and successfully applied tactics of hers were enough to have gained her the title the Queen of the Fireballs.

Matoaka, on the other hand, was the quiet one on the team. Not exactly stoic, but she simply didn't interact with anyone outside of the Fireballs, so Lelouch didn't have a good read on her skills as a pilot. Still, Lelouch had the footage of her past matches to go off, which showed Matoaka as one of the more versatile members who can play defense or offense. Furthermore, she was the most driven when it came to crushing opponents to the point some called her a savage, which was also due to claims she had the DNA of one.

They are likely to expect I'll target Lily first, so Matoaka would likely step in to defend her.

"So, what's the game plan, Lelouch?"

Lelouch weighed his options.

"Alright, this is what we're going to try…"

Meanwhile, Sandra and her teammates were discussing their own strategy before the battle.

Unlike a regular KMF league match, which involved jousting in formations between two teams with five members, the match would be fought in teams of three until one team had all of its members disabled. Lelouch did not yet have a full team, and the league had been kind enough to accommodate him.

"Alright, Lily, what do you have for a battle plan?" Sandra asked.

Lily was in quiet contemplation for a moment, before opening her green eyes. She used a hand to brush some of her long blonde hair away from her eyes.

"I believe Lelouch will attempt to eliminate me and Matoaka first," Lily answered. "In fact, because he knows I am your team's strategist, I'll likely be a priority target."

"Well, that's pretty ruthless of him," Sandra remarked.

"So, he wants to take us out so he can triple-team Sandra?"

Matoaka spoke with relaxed confidence. Her blonde hair and mocha complexion with her blue eyes made her the most recognizable among her friends.

"I won't let him hurt my babies," Sandra said, cracking her knuckles in anticipation.

"Don't worry. I know what we need to do to take him down," Lily offered with a smile.

A few minutes later, the two teams were ready for battle. Both teams took positions on opposite sides of the arena, knightmares at the ready.

"Prepare for combat," a computerized voice announced.

The pilots within their respective machines gripped their control sticks tightly as tension filled the air.

The tension kept mounting until...

"BEGIN!"

The two teams began racing towards one another as Sandra started grinning like a predator ready to pounce on her prey. She drew her machine's dual Electromagnetic Blades.

Lelouch boldly sped towards his enemy, his team zigzagging and moving in an evasive pattern. He knew the match would be decided on what happened the next few seconds.

"Hold firm," Sandra ordered, "Anticipate their movements and counter. Lily, keep to the back. We'll give them the rope to hang themselves with."

Then, at the last moment, the elaborate pattern of movement changed, Lelouch taking the fore with a direct charge right to the middle of the group.

What's going on? Why are they charging right at us? Thought Lily. She had expected them to try and find an angle to take her down, but instead Lelouch aimed right at Sandra, set on a ramming course.

"Damn it," Lily began, intending to warn her teammates.

Unfortunately, her warning came too little too late. Lelouch slammed right into Sandra's knightmare, the surprised team leader knocked off balance. Evasive maneuvers was core to the sport, and she hadn't expected her opponent to try and crash into her. Sandra braced herself, their machines grinding against each other. The chaos and surprise lasted but a moment, but it was all Lelouch needed.

Capitalizing on their confusion, Monica attacked Lily using her Prytwen's halberd. Lily narrowly dodged the blade aimed for the head of her machine, but she failed to notice the magnet harken fired at her. It struck the head of her machine before Monica followed it up with a strike with her halberd. The blow landed, eliminating Lily from the fight.

"That was a feint, a sneaky yet bold move," Lily complimented as a 'game over' screen appeared on her monitor.

"LILY!"

Sandra was stunned; what Lelouch pulled off aside was a bold yet dangerous move. However, she shoved that thought aside, intent on avenging her friend.

"You're going to pay for that one, Lamperouge!"

Lelouch grinned. "Maybe, but you're going to have to work for it."

Of course, that was easier said than done, and all Lelouch had probably done was anger a dangerous enemy. The shield was holding, but he knew it wasn't going to last unless Monica and the others took out Matoaka. If Monica and Marirrosa could join him, then Lelouch might have a chance to take Sandra down.

Unfortunately, Monica and Marirrosa were having a hard time trying to pin down Matoaka and eliminate her. Armed with reinforced knuckles on her machine, Matoaka was dodging and fending off Monica and Marirrosa, hoping to buy time for Sandra to take Lelouch down.

"Damn, she's really nimble!" Marirrosa remarked as Matoaka dodged a swing from her twin Electromagnetic Blades.

"Monica, take this!" Lelouch shouted as he backed away from Sandra, tossing his shield towards them. He quickly drew his own twin pair of Electromagnetic Blades to meet Sandra's own swords, as they quickly became locked in a sword duel. Monica understood Lelouch's idea, and fired a magnet harken to seize the discarded shield.

Spinning her machine while keeping the shield at a distance, Monica was aiming to use it as a blunt weapon to hit Matoaka's machine. Surprised by the unexpected move, Matoaka readied herself while trying to keep track of Marirrosa in one corner of her eye, who was moving to attack her from behind. Monica detached the shield once she was done using it to force Matoaka away. She released it after it gained enough momentum, swinging it around to hit the back of Sandra's machine. Rushing Matoaka, the pair were working to overpower the Fireball member.

Monica engaged her, trying to strike her limbs, but Matoaka dodged her attacks. However, Marirrosa struck from behind with her sword, mindful to avoid accidentally hitting Monica.

Meanwhile, Lelouch was struggling to stop Sandra from mopping the floor with him. Until now, every time Lelouch had faced Sandra or another member of the Fireballs, each bout always ended with a stinging loss. It was a track record Lelouch was not happy with, but through his losing streak, Lelouch had gained valuable experience. He had faced Sandra enough times to be familiar with her fighting style, some aspects he imitated for his own use while reacting on instinct. He might not be able to counterattack, but he could fight defensively against Sandra.

"You've gotten better. After all of those times I creamed you, I guess you can hold your own now," Sandra complimented.

"I guess I had to get better eventually," Lelouch said, deflecting another sword swing.

"Maybe, but how long can you keep it up?"

Meanwhile, Monica dodged a punch from Matoaka's machine, before the Fireball backed away to avoid an attack from Marirrosa. The brawler didn't waste a moment to counter thrust, aiming to take either of her opponents, knowing one of them would inevitably land a lucky hit on her. Knowing one of them would go down, Marirrosa charged in. Instead of dodging Matoaka's counterattack, she took the hit to grapple her opponent.

"Nail her, Monica!" she cried.

"Got her!" Monica shouted. Matoaka tried to move out of the way, but Marirrosa had a firm hold of her. Matoaka's blade run through Marirrosa's knightmare, twisting hard, and the damage was enough that she would be eliminated within seconds, but there was nowhere for Matoaka to run. With one clean swipe Monica beheaded the knightmare, instantly defeating her. Now it was two against one.

Lelouch saw that Monica was still standing, and grinned confidently. Sandra saw it just as well, but she didn't seem worried.

"Two against one? Bring it on!"

Lelouch was struggling against Sandra, but Monica quickly joined the battle with a grin on her face. Lelouch tried to break away to allow Monica to take his place and engage Sandra head-on. However, escaping from the Blade Gangster was no easy feat. Close quarters combat, as her nickname implied, was Sandra's specialty. As Lelouch tried to dash away, Sandra was hot on his feels, hammering his shield with her blades.

Thankfully, Monica was no junior pilot either, and charged right in. Forced to either collide or back off, Sandra picked the latter, meeting Monica head on. The two women went blow for blow, Monica's skillful handling of her halberd allowing her to parry Sandra's swords. The weapon had the advantage of reach, but with an opponent like Sandra, a single mistake could be fatal. Lelouch held back, waiting for an opportunity to join the fray and take Sandra out.

Without Marirrosa our chances of winning have dropped, but we still have a chance.

Should Lelouch fail to time his attack correctly, he could lose, or accidentally strike Monica, resulting in them both being eliminated. So Lelouch readied his blades and prepared himself to strike at a moment's notice, hoping his timing would be correct.

"You're a born natural at this, Monica," Sandra complimented.

"Thanks," Monica replied with a smile.

I am not sure why, but I am enjoying this.

"But you still lack experience," Sandra cautioned, just as she managed to slip one of her swords past Monica's halberd.

The strike nearly claimed her head, but Monica managed to evade it by just an inch. However, Sandra's attacks had disrupted Monica's momentum, allowing Sandra time to prepare a follow-up attack. It was now that Lelouch made his move, intending to attack Sandra from behind. However, Sandra had expected the attack. In a split second she decided to follow through with her attack, hoping to finish Monica and then parry Lelouch in time. Sandra rammed into Monica's knightmare with ease, driving her second blade into its chest, eliminating her from the fight. Now Sandra only had moments to react before Lelouch could deliver a finishing blow.

Sandra drew her sword out of Monica's machine, turning to meet Lelouch's attack head-on. In what seemed like an eternity the two closed in, Lelouch coming at her fast. At the last second, Sandra used one sword to deflect Lelouch's first strike. The second cut into Lelouch's cockpit just as his second sword cleaved the right arm of Sandra's machine off.

Lelouch had been defeated, and Sandra had won.

"I suppose this was to be expected," Lelouch said with mild annoyance, as the words 'Game Over' appeared on his screen. Exiting the cockpit he stepped out of the simulator, where he was greeted with lively applause. Besides Marirrosa and Monica waiting for him, their battle within the simulated arena had drawn a crowd.

"I am sorry we didn't win," Lelouch said, apologizing to his teammates.

"Don't sweat it, Lelouch," Marirrosa said, stretching her arms. "We all knew what we were getting into, but boy did we get close."

Monica nodded, "Yes, I agree. Your strategy nearly worked."

Suddenly, a girl wrapped one arm around his neck and draped it over his shoulder.

"How about that, the Vice President of the Student Council came close to taking down three of my friends!"

The girl who cheerfully congratulated Lelouch was a year younger than him, with short green hair and light blue eyes. She was dressed in the same school uniform as other students.

"Easy, Sokkia," Lelouch said, trying to free himself from another member of the Fireballs. "I didn't win."

"Yeah, but you got Lily and Matoaka. You even got close to getting Sandra, too," Sokkia Sherpa beamed.

"I say if Lelouch could find two more people, he could form his own KMF League Team," Sandra added as she, Lily, and Matoaka approached Lelouch.

"That feint you pulled off was impressive. You managed to fool me," Lily said, disappointed she was the first to be defeated. Even so, she was clearly impressed with his efforts.

"Considering my opposition, I couldn't hold back. But for my plan to work, I had to recruit the right talent," Lelouch said, nodding at Monica and Marirrosa.

Before today's match in the Knightmare Frame League Clubroom, Lelouch had needed at least two to serve as his team members. None of Lelouch's friends on the Student Council had the skills he needed, so Lelouch spent time observing those who came to the clubroom to challenge the Fireballs. Ultimately he had convinced Monica and Marirrosa, after determining they were the best candidates out of the other students who challenged them. Lelouch hadn't known them personally, so approaching them had been a little awkward. However, after some persuasion, the two joined him in his team battle against Sandra.

"I wouldn't mind joining you again for another team battle," Marirrosa said with a smile.

"I second that; your leadership was impressive." Said Monica.

"It was nothing," Lelouch replied.

"Nothing? Stop being so modest. I think your match is going to be the talk of the school for the next few weeks," Sokkia said, pointing to the students who had come to the KMF Club to watch the battle.

Lelouch sighed in mild annoyance, "I suppose."

Suddenly Lelouch felt his watch vibrate. Quickly, he took a look at it.

"Anyway, I need to go," he said, "I have an appointment to keep."

"Wait, Lelouch," Marirrosa said, trying to stop Lelouch as he attempted to leave the clubroom. "Could we meet up tomorrow?"

"Yes, I would like to get to know you better," Monica offered.

"I don't see why not." Lelouch said.

He might as well establish more friendly ties with two of the school's naturally gifted Knightmare Frame pilots. They could face down champion competitors like the Fireballs.

"Anyway, I need to get going. I'll see you all tomorrow," Lelouch said before making his way out of the club room.

"Man, he is always into something, it seems," Sandra remarked, placing both hands on her hips.

"Indeed," Lily said.

---

A short time later, Lelouch was riding in the back of a cab, alone with his thoughts.

A disappointing loss, but I suppose it was for the best. Defeating the reigning champion of the KMF League might have drawn far too much attention.

Lelouch Lamperouge wasn't fond of losing, but winning wasn't his real objective. True, he put a lot of effort into his plan to win and finding the best among those who challenged the Fireballs. His real objective, though, was to test his skills as a leader and a pilot, all for a specific goal. For a vow her made seven years ago.

I swear. I swear, Suzaku. I will obliterate Britannia one day!

Lelouch remembered the vow he had made to his first friend, following Japan's defeat against the Holy Britannian Empire. Seven years ago, one of the world's strongest superpowers had invaded the small island nation to seize its vast Sakuradite deposits, after diplomatic relations fell apart. Despite the people of Japan fighting fiercely, the small nation was quickly overwhelmed by Britannia's superior military the sheer size of the invading force.

Japan fell one month after the war began, renamed Area 11.

Surviving the war against steep odds, Lelouch had vowed vengeance. Not because Japan was conquered, but because of his deep and personal hatred for the Britannian empire.

"We're here," the cab driver said.

"Right," Lelouch said. He paid the driver, and stepped out.

Lelouch walked toward his destination. He could have had his friends drive him here, but the young man didn't want anyone from Ashford Academy to know about this. He had been careful to craft a very specific image of himself for the world to see, to make sure his fellow students didn't question the things he did. If they knew about the things he got up to, Lelouch feared it would raise too many questions.

Entering a shop, Lelouch was greeted by an older man in formal dress, wearing a pair of glasses.

"Ah, welcome," the shopkeeper greeted happily. "I am sure things are going well at school?"

"They are. But let's get down to business. Do you have my order?"

The shopkeeper nodded.

"Of course, sir. Everything has been done as you requested."

The shopkeeper disappeared into the back room, returning a few minutes later with a large package. He laid it on the table.

"As per your request, I have modified these copies of your school uniform," the shopkeeper explained. "Each of them has the special carbide panels I told you about installed in between the fabric. The latest in body armor, strong enough to protect against standard firearms."

"Excellent. This is even better than just the bulletproof vests I looked into," Lelouch said, pleased.

"Considering how dangerous Area 11 can be, sir, you can never go too far to protect yourself. In fact, many nobles in Area 11 agreed. Instead of wearing a bulletproof vest…"

"They instead had specialized plates woven in-between the fabric of their coats so they could wear a bulletproof vest all the time," Lelouch said.

The shopkeeper nodded, "Exactly. But please remember, even if the plates stop the bullet you'll still feel the impact. It will be painful. It can still break your bones."

"Better that than dead," Lelouch replied.

"Of course, sir."

The plates, as Lelouch was told, were carbide discs with ceramic matrices and accompanied laminate. When used, they created cutting edge body armor. Unlike a bulletproof vest, these could skillfully be woven into a jacket. The price for his school uniforms and a select few coats to have these plates inserted might have cost Lelouch a considerable sum, but the young man felt the price was worth the extra protection the plates would provide. He wouldn't have to worry about questions raised about why a high school student would wear a bulletproof vest. Of course, as far as anyone else outside of Ashford Academy would be concerned, Lelouch was merely taking steps to protect himself in a hostile Britannian colony.

It had been a useful excuse for him.

"Now I could order more or have some of my other clothes modified if I needed, right?"

"Yes, sir," the shopkeeper nodded. "Just provide the proper funds, and I'll handle the rest."

"Good," Lelouch said, clearly pleased. "Now, my other arrangement?"

"A car should be out back, ready to take you."

---

An hour later, Lelouch had been driven to an underground shooting range. The facility was discreetly run by a private military contractor, and it had everything a Britannian gentleman with a lust for war could desire- plenty of guns, an obstacle course, a gym, and ammunition for days. One of his old chess contacts had given him a recommendation, and for a modest fee Lelouch came here at least twice a week; more if he could find the time to get away. For what he planned, he would need to know how to fire a gun, and to build up a little stamina.

There were rows of booths, facing several moving targets, which were cardboard cutouts of people. Some looked like your average civilian, but mixed in among them was hostiles armed with guns. Wearing a pair of protective pair of earmuffs and safety glasses over his eyes, Lelouch used an assault rifle to hit the targets.

Mindful to avoid hitting the civilians, Lelouch struggled to shoot all of the targets in time. He aimed for the head and heart. Although he missed a few times, he did strike the targets.

"TIME!" the instructor shouted, and an alarm sounded. Lelouch stopped firing immediately.

"Three minutes and twenty seconds. You have improved by forty seconds," the gruff and imposing instructor said. He was a tall, muscular black man, bald and never seen without his shades.

"Thank you," Lelouch replied, putting the gun down.

"I know we can make you achieve a faster time. But for now, it's time to move onto shotgun and the course."

The instructor gestured for Lelouch to follow him, leading the young man to another room within the underground training complex. A mock-up of downtown Tokyo had been prepared. The instructor led Lelouch to a table where a shotgun, military issue model, was prepared.

"You got twelve shots and twelve targets," the instructor explained. "You'll be timed, but watch out for friendlies."

"I understand," Lelouch said, picking up the shotgun.

Knowing his instructor would judge him on his preparation and handling of the weapon, Lelouch carefully examined it before loading it. Once he was prepared, Lelouch waited for the alarm to sound before entering the course to seek out his targets. Upon coming around a corner, Lelouch nearly shot an unarmed woman, but he held off at the last minute. However, a hostile target appeared behind the woman target. Lelouch sidestepped to get a clear shot before opening fire, scoring a direct hit.

Moving through the course, Lelouch kept checking his targets, avoiding the civilians and firing upon any hostiles.

This training might have been tiring for him, but like his time at the KMF League Club, Lelouch's time here had a secondary purpose. Officially, he was undergoing firearms and advanced weapons training as a young Britannian learning survivalist skills. Thanks to Area 11 terrorist problem, no one questioned it. And as long as Lelouch had the money, no one really asked him for his reasons.

However, just becoming a skilled marksman wasn't Lelouch's goal. He wanted knowledge from the instructors, under the pretense of furthering his understanding of weapons to better defend his home from terrorists. Granted, the weapons and firearms training Lelouch was receiving would be useful, but ultimately Lelouch's goal was to learn about more than just weapons and firearms.

Upon eliminating his final target, the alarm buzzed. Although he successfully eliminated all twenty targets, Lelouch's overall time was not very impressive, to say the least. He knew why.

"Mr. Lamperouge, your shooting is good, but physically you are pathetic!" the instructor boomed.

"I know," Lelouch managed in between sharp, gasping breaths.

If there was a third reason for the training, he undertook it was to address what Lelouch saw as a significant liability. He had always been physically weak, with poor endurance. Although he might have ignored it, it was a liability. He did not imagine himself as a frontline fighter, but still, Lelouch recognized the potential dangers his frail body could pose to him.

"Okay, we need to address that. Spend two hours in the gym. Double time it!"

After changing clothes to a simple white shirt and black shorts, Lelouch spent the remainder of his time at the gym.

Damn it, it's been barely five minutes, and my body is ready to drop.

Using a treadmill as the first of his exercise regimen, Lelouch pushed himself. Yet, sadly it was already beginning to give out. He felt deeply frustrated over how weak his body was, which only cemented his reasoning. It would be a liability if he didn't take care of it.

"Lelouch, is that you?"

Surprised, Lelouch looked over his shoulder to see Monica. She was dressed in her own work-out attire, consisting of a black and green trimmed form-fitting tank top with matching Yoga pants.

"Monica!" Lelouch exclaimed; he was just as surprised as she was.

"I didn't expect to run into someone I knew here."

"Likewise," Lelouch said as he struggled to force his body to keep going.

"Maybe you should take a break," Monica said, noticing Lelouch's exhausted state. He was sweating profusely.

"I can't," Lelouch said in between breaths. "I need to keep pushing."

Monica sighed, shutting off the treadmill. Lelouch reflexively seized the moment to catch his breath.

"What, why?" Lelouch said after recovering himself a little.

"Clearly, you needed it," Monica pouted with both hands on her hips. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?"

Admittedly, Lelouch was aware of his exhaustion and the fact that his shirt was almost completely soaked in his own sweat really drove the point home. Knowing there was little more he could do to argue, he reluctantly conceded.

"Fine. You win."

Monica smiled, satisfied with her victory. A few minutes later, the two were sitting together at a table, drinking bottled water.

"So… like I said, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Monica commented.

"I could say the same thing."

"Have you been coming here often?" Monica asked, taking a gulp of water.

"Yes, for the past year, actually," Lelouch answered, taking a sip from his own water. "I've been wanting to keep anyone from the academy knowing, if you don't mind."

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing," Monica replied. "In my case, I don't want my mother knowing."

"Deal," Lelouch replied with a smile.

Monica laughed for a moment, before regaining her composure.

"Anyway, if you come here often, I wanted to ask if you would like to work out together," Monica asked before looking around the gym. "I don't see too many women who come here, so I feel a little nervous coming alone. It would nice to be here with someone I know."

"I don't see why not," Lelouch said, seeing little issue with the proposal. "Is it alright, though? You don't know me very well. Other than today, and maybe bumping into you once or twice, that is."

Monica simply smiled. "Then why don't we amend that?"

"How so?"

"Well, let's get to know each other better," Monica suggested. "I spent most of my childhood in the Homeland before moving with my parents to Area 14."

"That used to be… Papua New Guinea?"

Monica nodded before asking Lelouch, "So did you live in the homeland too?"

"I did. But after a while, I moved to Area 11."

"I see," Monica remarked before asking. "No parents then?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You didn't mention them," Monica answered before apologizing. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have assumed."

"It's fine. You're not wrong either," Lelouch acknowledged. "My mother died while we were young, and our father abandoned us."

Monica was at a loss, "I am sorry to hear about that. I am know what it's like, losing a parent, but I am appalled to hear you were abandoned."

I imagine you would be...

Lelouch had heard about the demise of Monica's father, Alexander Krushevsky. It had been all over the news a few months ago.

The Krushevsky family had first made their name in Britannia's earliest days during the age of revolution, rising from near poverty to build an empire of selling arms and ammunition. Their fame and power had only grown since, and today, Lelouch knew the Krushevskies controlled not only an extensive military company, but a veritable business empire of subsidiary companies and organizations, especially in media and technology. Most noteworthy to Lelouch was that following the Ashford Foundation's fall, Krushevsky Industries acquired many of the Ashford Foundation's former engineers and chief designers before producing the first successful combat-ready Knightmare Frame, the RPI-11 Glasgow.

During Britannia's invasion of Japan, the Glasgow's success had cemented Krushevsky Industries as the Holy Britannian Empire's primary supplier for next-generation military technology and weapons. Unfortunately, it also made Alexander Krushevsky- head of the family and Monica's father- a target of anti-Britannian Organizations. Despite being protected by his own private militia, during a weapon demonstration at Area 14, a group of terrorists infiltrated the demonstration, killing all Britannians present, including Alexander. Now Krushevsky Industries was being run by Monica's mother, Penelope Krushevsky.

"It's all water under the bridge now. It happened a long time ago."

"I suppose, but I blame myself for bringing it up."

"Don't worry about it," Lelouch said, realizing a change in subject was needed. "Anyway, what brought you to Area 11?"

Monica sighed, "My mother sent me here to attend Ashford Academy after she blocked me from joining the military."

I see. So you wanted retribution for your father's death.

"You're the only child of the family, right?"

Monica nodded.

"I imagine your mother didn't want to risk losing you as well."

"She said as much."

"Yet, instead, you've come here," Lelouch said, gesturing to the gym they were in.

"That is true," Monica said with a smile, "so can I assume your reasons for coming here are similar?"

Lelouch gave his response some thought before answering, "In a fashion, yes."

They spent the afternoon together, getting to know each other better. A few hours later, after doing a few more exercises, they parted ways.

---

At present, Lelouch was at his desk reading some books, writing down notes in a notebook. Among the books on his desk were volumes about Britannian military strategists and tactics, but there were others there as well. Some books were not of Britannian origin, but their text was in Japanese. However, Lelouch learned how to read and speak Japanese alongside learning French, German and Chinese. Learning how to read Japanese was mostly for reading the other books in his private collection. Still, the languages he had learned to speak and understand would be useful later. To bring down Britannia, Lelouch would need to convince the Chinese Federation and Europia United to aid him.

In the notebook, Lelouch wrote down a list of weapons he needed to acquire when gathering followers. The real purpose of his time with those men at the PMC was to learn more about firearms, so he could discreetly learn which weapons would be practical for arming his followers with. For instance, he had already learned that arming your followers with advanced guns would not be best, because some weapons required specific training to make the most of them. Then there was obtaining ammunition, and there was proper care and maintenance to take into account, not to mention cost.

These Russian weapons would be easy to obtain with the right source. They are user-friendly, and very little training is required to use them. They are more durable than the assault rifles from the Chinese Federation most terrorist groups use.

Upon finishing, Lelouch put down his pen before closing the book to read one of his favorite books, The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It was second to his favorite book, A General Essay on Tactics by Jacques-Antoine-Hippolyte, Comte de Guibert. He had not been able to find any copies in Britannian, only in Japanese, making learning how to read it a requirement.

No matter what, I still how much to prepare for.

Lelouch's thoughts were interrupted with a knock on his door. Lelouch quickly hid some of his books and move his notebook into his drawer. Once he was done hiding away what he didn't want anyone to see, he responded to the knock on his door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, big brother."

The door opened as a young fourteen-year-old girl in an electric wheelchair rolled into the room. She had long sandy brown hair, but she was left blind from the trauma she suffered as a child while paralyzed from the waist down.

"Nunnally?" Lelouch said in surprise before looking at the clock by his bed. "Oh, I see."

Lelouch had been so engrossed in his planning and studying that the former prince had lost track of time.

"It's time for bed, brother, but could you help me?" Nunnally asked. She was already dressed in sleepwear for the night.

"Of course, Nunnally," Lelouch replied, rising from his desk.

Around this time at night, Nunnally would come to ask her brother to move her into bed. On occasion, it would be the maid who helped care for Nunnally's needs, but it was usually Lelouch who was called upon.

"You seem so busy with your books, brother," Nunnally said as Lelouch followed her down the hall to her room.

"I have been fortunate to find some good ones that have piqued my interest," Lelouch admitted.

"Would you mind reading one of them to me some day, brother?"

Lelouch hesitated and almost said no, but instead, he replied.

"Sure, but I am not sure how interesting you would find them."

Moments later, the pair reached Nunnally's room. After she finished parking her wheelchair by her bed, Lelouch scooped Nunnally before laying her down on the bed.

"I just hope you are not pushing yourself too hard, brother. You seem quite busy these days," Nunnally expressed with concern.

"Sorry, but maybe later this week we can spend more time with one another," Lelouch offered, pulling the covers over his sister.

"That would be wonderful."

"Yeah, it will be. Good night, Nunnally."

"Good night, brother," Nunnally offered before going to sleep.

After turning off her light and leaving the room, allowing the automatic door to close, Lelouch recalled the events of that day.

Only a select few knew what really happened to Nunnally Lamperouge, what left her blind and unable to use her legs. Officially it was trauma from an accident when their mother tried to protect her, but the real story was much more tragic. Their mother had been gunned down right in front of them, shielding Nunnally with her own body. However, that was merely the opening act for the hard times ahead for the siblings.

They had been members of the Royal family, but after Lelouch confronted his father about his mother's death, about Nunnally's state, they had been banished here, to Japan, as political hostages.

Living in Japan under the care of its leader, Kururugi Genbu, had been challenging to say the least. At least Lelouch made friends with the prime minister's son, after a rocky start between the two. It had made life in Japan easier until Britannia invaded, abandoning the royal siblings to their fates.

Despite the considerable odds against them, the siblings survived the war.

I vowed I would destroy Britannia one day, and I shall once I have all of the pieces I need.

Lelouch walked back towards his room, anger flaring at the memory of those events. More than anything, Lelouch wanted to see Britannia destroyed. From the ashes of Britannia's destruction, he would remake the world into one where Nunnally could find happiness.

No matter how much knowledge and studying I do, I will make it happen. But first, I need to determine how I will begin.

---

A/N: As people likely noticed from my previous Code Geass story I just couldn't resist using something from John Wick, and expect some bits from Hitman at some point as I drew inspiration, but this chapter shows what I mean by Lelouch being more proactive in his efforts to prepare for his rebellion. Using his time at a PMC, which provides training for bodyguards and the like to not only make an effort to address his physical and endurance issues, but learn more about firearms in a way he can apply it to building his own resistance movement on what kind of weapons would be easy to handle and user friendly overall for civilians he would no doubt recruit from the ghettos.

And his battles against Sandra and her Fireballs, give him opportunities against live opponents in Knightmare Frame combat, more so than the simulator he owns as shown in Lost Stories.

Yes Sandra, Sokkia and her Fireballs are in Area 11 as part of a plan, as mentioned above, by Clovis to expand the KMF League to the other Areas of the Empire with a huge promotion campaign to say the least.

Marirrosa I brought in as a student of Ashford Academy, mostly to better refine her backstory since there were some things unclear about it, which all I will say at this point to avoid spoilers.

Maya's other choice of gender and identity Mario, I am considering bringing in as well as Maya's twin brother, and I got a plan in mind for that, so what say the rest of you?

Thank you all for reading and I look forward to the feedback, the next chapters up to chapter six are ready to go with chapter seven needing beta work, so I might do a new chapter posting every two weeks so I can have time in-between postings to make more chapters and get beta work done.

 

[StrifeHavoc]

A/N: This chapter being posted can mean one thing, the next chapter of my War of the Seven Kings has been delayed again, its finished, but the beta work isn't. So once again I wish to thank my main beta and co-author Greatkingrat88, and others who chipped in ideas for this story. I don't think I need to say where I am going with this chapter, so let's get right into it.

---

Chapter 2

The Spark​

The following day, at around noon, Lelouch headed downtown for an appointment at the Terminus Hotel and Casino. Sitting in the side car, Lelouch was reading a book while Sokkia drove the motorbike.

"Thanks for taking me," Lelouch said as they neared their destination.

"I told you, don't worry about it. Today has been kinda slow, so this is a nice change of pace," Sokkia replied, with her usual cheer.

"Still, I was concerned when Rivalz wasn't available."

Rivalz was spending his lunch period preparing for a make-up test he missed due to his work as a part-time waiter at a popular Britannian café. Unfortunately, this didn't leave Lelouch with his preferred mode of transport, and he was left without a ride. Thankfully, having heard about his troubles, Sokkia had offered to drive him in Rivalz's place.

Lelouch worried Rivalz might have been hesitant to let someone infamously known throughout the world of the KMF League as Crasher drive his bike. Sokkia was one of the more well-known members of the Fireballs, recognized for being Britannia's record holder for the most specular Knightmare Frame crashes. She didn't mind the title; in fact, many admired her even more for it; she had come out of every single Knightmare Frame crash unharmed. This was remarkable, given how flashy and showy her crashes tend to be. Denying Lelouch's concerns Rivalz accepted, thinking it would be an honor to have a sports star handle his bike. Before taking Lelouch, Sokkia had made sure to wear a pair of sport shorts under her skirt to preserve her modesty.

"You know I am surprised a guy like you doesn't have his own Driver's License," Sokkia commented.

Lelouch merely shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Well, there have been some issues I need to take care of, but I hope to resolve that soon."

The truth was Lelouch's background was falsified, to hide who he really was. The former prince was concerned his attempt to obtain a Driver's License might lead to his true identity being uncovered. There would be a background check, and somebody might notice something was off.

"Maybe you should fly to the Homeland and get it there. I heard the extensive background checks they run in the Areas are a real pain," Sokkia commented.

"Maybe I will, if nothing else works," Lelouch replied.

A short time later, they arrived at their destination as the pair found parking near the entrance reserved for motorbikes. As the two left their helmets and gloves behind in the side car, the two of them began walking towards the main entrance. However, across the street, a sports bike advertisement drew their attention.

"Oh, this one of the ones I did," Sokkia replied with a bright smile.

Lelouch looked at the advertisement on the enormous monitor across the street. It showed Sokkia riding a white and blue sports bike. The speeds and sharp turns Sokkia were performing were impressive. She was perhaps the most skilled of her teammates in athletics. The ad ended, and Sokkia came to a stop. The way she leaned forward and showed off the words Durandal printed on the rear of the shorts caused Lelouch to raise an eyebrow.

"Are you alright with that? That seemed a little too suggestive, doesn't it?"

"Nah," Sokkia said dismissively with a hand wave. "Besides, I am the exclusive model for Durandal Sporting Goods Products. Especially for this line of sport bikes, because even if Crasher rides it, our bikes will never break!"

I am not sure if that is something you should be proud of, Lelouch thought, feeling it was more insulting to her.

"Besides, they have been good sponsors for my teammates and me," Sokkia replied as she and Lelouch continued walking.

"I suppose," Lelouch replied with a sigh.

She is challenging to make sense of sometimes, Lelouch remarked internally.

Since meeting her and getting to know her, Lelouch had come to know Sokkia as a very sincere, cheerful, and lively person. However, she had some quirks to be sure, sometimes speaking her mind without restraint. Even more baffling was how she willingly partook of the Student Council President's wildest of ideas and schemes without a second thought. Adding to that was the fact that Sokkia was, without a doubt, the smartest girl in class, rivaled only by another girl he knew, and Lelouch himself.

"So, where are we going?" Sokkia asked.

"We're heading to a Penthouse, follow me," Lelouch said, gesturing for Sokkia to follow him.

---

Around the same time in another corner of the city, a large semi-truck was hurrying along the highway. Inside the driver's cab sat a man with long black hair, wearing a blue coat with a matching dark blue hat. Sitting alongside him was a young woman with red hair, peeking out from the hat she wore. She wore an identical uniform.

"Anyone following us?" the driver asked, cautiously using a side mirror to glance at the road behind him.

"No sign yet," the girl replied.

"Okay, so far, so good. The sooner we can get to the subway and out of the city, the better," the driver replied, clearly worried.

"Relax, Nagata. We got away clean," the girl said confidently.

"I hope so, as long as Tamaki did his part," Nagata replied.

Unknown to the pair, a Britannian Police VTOL followed them, the pilot staying out of their sight.

---

Lelouch and Sokkia arrived at their destination, a man in a black suit allowing them entry. The pair were led through the spacious penthouse apartment until they entered the living room where at the center, Lelouch saw the Shopkeeper he had met yesterday. The Shopkeeper was sitting at a table with a chessboard between him and his opponent. Although they were in the middle of a game, the Shopkeeper seemed ecstatic to see him arrive.

"Thank goodness you have arrived. You are a lifesaver, young man," the Shopkeeper said, greeting the Lelouch.

"So, this is your replacement, a schoolboy?" sneered the aristocrat.

"You must be my opponent," Lelouch said, sizing him up.

"Hey, I heard of this guy; he's Sebastian Smith, the famous fashion designer," Sokkia remarked.

"Now that you have mentioned it, I think Shirley and Milly have mentioned him," Lelouch said.

Sebastian Smith was recognized as one of the boldest young designers of his generation. According to what Lelouch had heard about, he was the head fashion designer for Venus Fashion, Britannia's oldest and most prestigious couture brand. He wore an appropriately extravagant and luxurious outfit, all purple and lace.

"It's wonderful to be recognized, but it's time to see if you can provide a better challenge than the old man," said Sebastian.

"I shall," Lelouch replied as he swapped places with the old man.

Meanwhile, Sokkia began examining the chessboard. From a casual player's perspective, the situation looked grim. Presently the Shopkeeper was losing and badly, but instead of feeling concerned for Lelouch, she was confident.

"I think you got this, Lelouch. I would say you could win in about nine to ten minutes," Sokkia remarked.

"Huh?" Sebastian exclaimed.

"Excellent. That should give us plenty of time to get back to school for our next class."

"Ten minutes. Did anyone tell you that you have only twenty seconds per move?"

"Plenty of time," Lelouch replied before he moved the king.

"You start with the king? What a funny boy you are. What's your name?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge," Lelouch replied as the game began.

---

Across town back at Ashford Academy, Monica was sitting among a group of her fellow students. Marirrosa was with them alongside Sandra and Lily, with three others among them. The oldest had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing the standard school uniform, being the eldest and most buxom among the group.

"So, how would you girls feel about joining the Student Council?" Milly Ashford said to Monica and Marirrosa.

"Really?" Marirrosa asked, clearly surprised.

"I know you have been having trouble with finding the right club. However, the Student Council is always looking for a few extra hands," Milly offered cheerfully.

"I have had trouble finding a club. My half-Britannian heritage has been something of an issue," Marirrosa remarked.

"No one has tried to harm you, have they?" Monica asked, concerned.

Marirrosa shook her head, "No, just the usual teasing and discrimination you might expect."

"I am sure they are just jealous. Clearly you are beautiful, and you got a great figure," Milly said.

Marirrosa nearly choked on her sandwich in surprise but managed to drink some water to take care of it.

"That's not something you should just say to someone right out of the blue," said another girl.

The next girl sitting with the group had long orange hair and lime green eyes, being a year younger than Milly.

"Worried she might be a contender, Shirley? She and Lelouch became friends yesterday," Milly said, teasingly.

"Madam President, please. It's not that," Shirley said, sounding exasperated.

"Are they usually like this?" Lily said quietly to the young girl next to her. The girl in question had dark hair tied into small pigtails hanging over her shoulders, and indigo eyes. She wore a pair of glasses over them.

"Milly means well, so nothing she does is malicious," Nina Einstein replied. "I think she might just be trying to encourage Shirley to act on her feelings. She has a crush on Lelouch."

"I see," Lily replied, but she wasn't sure if Milly's idea of encouragement was a good idea.

Of course, I think half of the girls in this school have a crush on Lelouch. Even I find him quite appealing, Lily admitted to herself.

Monica and Sandra both watched Milly's teasing of Shirley, and indirectly Marirrosa continuing to unfold as the former of the two wondered if they should intervene on their behalf.

I am not sure if Marirrosa would be interested in joining the Student Council after that…

---

Back at the hotel, Lelouch smiled triumphantly as he moved his last chess piece into position before declaring,

"Checkmate!"

Sebastian looked at the chessboard in stunned silence as his loss sunk in.

"Eight minutes and five seconds. Even faster than I was expecting," Sokkia remarked, checking her watch.

"I…" Sebastian began, shell shocked from his loss.

"I know it's hard to accept, but you got-" Sokkia began, but Sebastian cut her off.

"What a magnificent display," he proclaimed.

"Huh?" Sokkia and Lelouch exclaimed, in chorus.

"I've been having too many easy victories. This game was becoming boring. Thank you for a challenging game," Sebastian exclaimed.

"Not the reaction I've gotten used to expecting," said Lelouch.

Typically, whenever he defeated a member of the nobility, they would either be in utter disbelief, or try to deny what had happened. There were even some who challenged him again, betting all they had, including rare instances where they even added the clothes they were wearing to the wager. This was the first time Lelouch met someone who had done neither.

"I am glad to have found a challenge. I'll pay you extra for it," Sebastian offered.

"Who am I to say no?" Lelouch replied with a satisfied smile.

A few minutes later Lelouch and Sokkia were leaving the building to start their return trip to Ashford Academy. As they drew nearer to the parked bike, a broadcast on one of the building wall monitors began playing. An image of the Britannian flag appeared, as a female announcer spoke.

" We apologize for the delay. His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, third prince of Britannia, will now address the nation."

The image of the flag faded, revealing a young man in his early twenties with blonde hair. As much as he tried to project the image of a just and capable ruler, Lelouch knew his blue eyes hid a more unpleasant side of him. He could try to hide it, but no matter how well dressed Clovis was, it not change his true nature.

"To all my imperial subjects! Including, of course, the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the empire of Britannia!" Clovis began. He extended his arms outward as he continued to speak. Lelouch could only roll his eyes in annoyance.

He's wearing a white cape and has the flag behind him. What a farce. It's all PR with him, thought Lelouch.

"Do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest, only to be torn apart!" said the prince, dramatically reaching for his chest as if he was in pain. "The remnants are filled with rage and sadness! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one, a virtuous battle to protect the well-being of one and all! Now then, everyone! I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice, in the line of duty."

As Clovis held his hands up in prayer as the screen faded to the Britannian flag, and the female announcer spoke again.

"A moment of silence, please."

Sokkia joined in, as did everyone else, but by the time it was over, Lelouch was gone. She almost panicked. Hurrying to the bike, she found Lelouch paying for the parking meter to release the bike.

"You didn't join in?" Sokkia asked, dumbfounded.

"I saw no point. Clovis's television appearance was nothing more than an act to boost his public image," Lelouch said dismissively.

"Isn't that really harsh?"

"It's all about self-gratification. I assure you, I am certain Clovis cares little for others, and plenty about his image," he offered confidently.

"That sounds really depressing, coming from you," Sokkia said with a sigh, accepting her helmet from Lelouch. "You live up to your reputation as an ice prince, don't you?"

"You prefer making people smile with your performances in the KMF League?" Lelouch offered as a counter and a way to change the subject to something more positive.

"Absolutely," Sokkia replied with a big smile.

She is quite the character, Lelouch mused.

Ever since he had met her, Sokkia been an oddity. Her cheerful and lively disposition hid an intelligent mind that could manifest when he least expected it, especially when they faced each other in a simulated battle.

---

"Damn it!" the red-haired girl cursed. "Nagata, we're being followed!"

"What!? Where are they, Kallen?"

Kallen pointed to the side mirror. A Police VTOL was following them.

"That guy must have been tailing us for the last fifteen minutes," Kallen reported.

"DAMN IT!" Nagata roared before slamming one hand onto the dashboard. "Tamaki didn't follow his part of the plan, didn't he? He was supposed to cause a diversion. Now we have a major problem!"

"What should we do?"

"We'll need to make for the Subway tunnels, but if we run for it now, they'll come after us."

"They are trying to follow us back to base, aren't they?" Kallen deduced.

"Most likely," Nagata said in agreement. "We'll keep driving as normal, but we need the nearest entrance to the subway."

"I'll find one before," Kallen drew a map from the glove box to search for an alternate route. She spent three minutes frantically browsing through the map before finding a viable route. When she finally found one, Nagata drove the truck to the direction she suggested.

---

Elsewhere around the same time Lelouch was reading a book in the side car, while Sokkia drove towards the academy.

"Say, there is something I have been meaning to ask you," Sokkia began. "Why do you open with the king? Usually whenever you take over a game someone is in the middle of, you move the king first."

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

"A lead by example mindset?"

"You could say that," Lelouch answered, when suddenly a loud noise behind them drew their attention.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Sokkia shouted as she tried to get out of the way of the speeding truck coming up behind them. "THIS IS A NO PASSING ZONE!"

Sokkia managed to get away from the truck, but when the truck tried to get around them it sped off an off-ramp, leading to an abandoned construction. The truck was going too fast with the road quickly running out, crashing into the unfinished structure.

"Huh?" Sokkia said, looking down at the bike, which was losing speed. "Damn, something's busted."

She pulled the bike off to the side as it lost power, as the dust clouds the truck crash had created began to settle.

"Uh, that wasn't my fault, was it?" Sokkia said, sounding worried.

"You didn't crash, so I consider that a plus," Lelouch replied.

Sokkia shot him an annoyed look. "You're being sarcastic, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Lelouch replied shrugging his shoulders before changing the subject. "Right now, you said something is wrong with the bike?"

"Yeah, it's not moving, but I don't know what's wrong with it," Sokkia said, starting to panic.

"Calm down. Let's deal with one problem at a time. I can always call a tow and have a local mechanic take care of it," Lelouch offered.

In the corner of his eye, he saw something. He thought it was some trick of the light, but when he looked again, he saw a shimmering light appear above the truck before vanishing.

What was that?

"Hey Sokkia, do you see this?" Lelouch said, but looking over his shoulder he saw that Sokkia was totally absorbed with the bike.

Looking to the side, Lelouch noticed that a group of people had gathered. Much to his irritation and disgust, he could hear some of the chatter from the peanut gallery. Instead of doing something to help, they were content to gawk at the crash and blame someone instead.

Those idiots...

Leaving the gloves and helmet in the side car, Lelouch hurried down toward the truck. Sokkia didn't notice him make his way to the crash, as she was busy panicking about Rivalz' bike.

"Damn Lelouch, what do we do?" she said. When she got no response, she looked up. Realizing he was no longer near the bike, Sokkia leapt up and began searching for the young man. Thankfully, it didn't take long for her to spot Lelouch approaching the crashed truck.

"Wait, is this the Good Samaritan thing he does?" Sokkia said, recalling something Rivalz had told her.

Rivalz had once told her that at times, Lelouch would intervene and help if there was somebody in need. For example, there was an incident during Lelouch's freshman year, where he and Lelouch came across a fender-bender accident. The young, snobbish driver of the vehicle was clearly at fault, but had tried to blame it on the elderly owners of the car he hit. When no one was watching him, Lelouch had calmly left the side-car, and calmly attached the snob's car to a tow truck, before walking away. The truck dragged away the man's car, defusing the situation and saving the older couple from paying for damages. Lelouch had never bragged about it, simply brushing off the incident as nothing.

"You know, you could've asked for help," Sokkia said with a sigh, running to help Lelouch.

As Sokkia approached the crashed truck, Lelouch was up on a ladder near the trailer. Then, suddenly, the truck reversed. Sokkia just narrowly backed away in time to avoid being hit, but Lelouch lost his grip and fell into an open panel on the roof of the truck. A shocked Sokkia watched the truck speed away.

Lelouch was trapped inside, although he didn't know why the truck had suddenly reversed and driven away. As he tried to find a way out, his situation progressively got worse.

" Stop the vehicle! Surrender now and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court!" The voice came, carried by a loud speaker, presumably one from a pursuing Britannian military VTOL gunships. It could only be that, judging by the sound of gunfire and the truck swinging to the right and left to evade gunfire. " Stop and surrender at once. Give up now or we'll shoot to kill!"

Of all the trucks I chose to help… Lelouch thought, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Scrambling to look for something he could use, Lelouch knew that jumping off the truck while speeding would result in him breaking his neck on the highway, or getting shot. Yet, at the same time he knew staying would result in death, either by Britannia or the terrorists driving this truck.

As Lelouch examined his surroundings, he checked some of the crates and the large device aboard the truck when he heard a door about to open. As Lelouch hid behind the large machine, he saw someone emerge from the cab of the truck wearing a white coat. She was around his age, with spiky red hair and blue eyes.

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu root?" she suggested to the driver.

The girl removed the coat she had been wearing, revealing an outfit consisting of brown shorts and a red sleeveless top with brown straps and attachments.

"Kallen! Let's use it here," The driver called from the front. "Why not?"

"No, because that will just cause a bloodbath!"

Lelouch watched Kallen enter the cockpit of a RPI-11 Glasgow Knightmare Frame stored at the back of the truck. Granted taking it could've given him a way out it, but it would have failed. He not only lacked the activation key, but even if he did get his hands on it, chances were he would be killed or arrested as a terrorist.

If they are going into the subway, maybe I'll have a chance to slip away unseen by both sides, Lelouch decided.

He did not like the sound of 'bloodbath', though. Thinking on it for a moment, he realized the device he had been hiding behind had to be some kind of bomb or biological weapon. He stared at it nervously. For all he knew, it could go off at any moment. He approached it carefully, almost falling onto it as the truck made a sharp turn. Catching himself against the device with his arms, he trembled. Briefly, he looked for some sort of panel, maybe some way to disarm the bomb… but what would he do? He didn't know the first thing about sophisticated electronics or bomb disarming. He was completely left at its mercy.

Just as he pondered this, the truck started to slow down.

I don't see anyone coming, Lelouch thought. This could be his best chance to escape.

He cautiously approached the doors of the truck, glancing out into the ruined and partially collapsed subway tunnel. Some light from above seeped through holes in the ceiling above, illuminating the tunnel very slightly.

Okay. I'll make a dash down the tunnel behind the truck and find an alternate path away and escape, Lelouch thought.

Glancing at the discarded coat Kallen had left behind, Lelouch noticed a green light in the corner of his eye. Kneeling down, he moved some of the fabric, discovering a communicator that had been left behind. He pocketed it, since it could be useful, and hopped out of the truck.

That communicator should help me monitor the situation. Hopefully, I can stay ahead of the terrorists and Britannia, he thought.

Unfortunately, upon attempting to exit the truck, he heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards him. Before he realized what was happening, he saw a figure flying through the air and spinning around, delivering a flying roundhouse kick to his chest. He raised his arms to block, but the force behind the kick was enough to send him tumbling to the ground. Lelouch tried to get back up to his feet and fight back, but he was quickly pinned to the ground. Glancing up at his attacker, Lelouch realized they were a Britannian soldier.

"Are you Britannian?" Lelouch managed, the soldier keeping him pinned down.

"That's enough mindless murder," the soldier snapped, as the gas-mask over his mouth detached.

"Wait! I'm not one of-" Lelouch started, but the soldier interrupted him.

"Planning to use poison gas. Don't play dumb with me!"

"Get off me," Lelouch shouted, finally managing to twist a leg up to force his attacker off of him.

"I'm not here by choice. And if that's poison gas, it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?!"

"What? My god…" the soldier said, as some kind of realization dawned on him.

"Mindless murder?!" Lelouch snapped angrily as he stepped into the light from above. "Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!?"

"Lelouch…" the soldier said. He removed his helmet. "It's me, Suzaku."

Although older by seven years since he had last seen him, the brown hair and green eyes made Suzaku Kururugi easy to identify. Seeing his first friend he made in Japan in a Britannian soldier uniform was shocking to say the least, especially considering Suzaku was the son of Japan's last Prime Minister.

"You became a Britannian soldier?" Lelouch exclaimed, stunned.

"Yeah," Suzaku admitted, understanding Lelouch's surprise. "What about you? Why are you here, of all places?"

"Just what are you implying? I just had the misfortune of ending up here, purely by accident," Lelouch said irritably, but he understood why Suzaku would suspect him.

Suddenly the device's sphere-like center began opening. Locks around it began undoing themselves. Lelouch wasn't sure, but what he thought was a bomb was a containment vessel and the rough ride had triggered the capsule's opening.

Before Lelouch could react, Suzaku tackled Lelouch to the ground, placing his gas mask over Lelouch's mouth to protect him. However, instead of poison gas, the capsule opened to reveal a young woman with long green hair, yellow eyes and a white straitjacket, the kind worn by Britannian prisoners, restraining her arms and legs.

"That's not poison gas," Suzaku said in shock. Lelouch watched with an equal amount of surprise and awe.

In moments, his mind was already racing to understand the situation. This capsule wasn't poison gas, but a cover story to mask its true purpose. Lelouch assumed the terrorists probably believed the same, because he couldn't think of any other reason, they would steal it. He just couldn't imagine them risking that much by saving one girl.

Suzaku caught the woman as she began to fall out of the capsule, as Lelouch slowly got to his feet.

"Suzaku, tell me the truth. This girl doesn't look like poison gas," Lelouch said as Suzaku gently laid her down on the floor of the truck.

"It's what they told us in the briefing," Suzaku answered, undoing the straps binding the girl's mouth, arms and legs. Although she had regained consciousness briefly, the girl seemed to have passed out once she had been released, but Lelouch stayed on guard.

"An obvious cover story. Suzaku, did you inform your superiors you found this truck?"

Suzaku's eyes widened, and Lelouch realized he already had.

"Lelouch, you need to leave now," Suzaku said urgently.

"And the girl? I don't think your superiors are going to react well to you discovering the truth of that capsule," Lelouch warned.

Suzaku looked down at the girl. She gave him a pleading look. After some consideration, Suzaku said,

"Take the girl and get out of here, but help me close this capsule. If they can't tell she's gone, they'll have no reason to suspect me of anything."

It was a risky idea, and Lelouch didn't like leaving his friend behind to deal with triggerhappy, prejudiced superiors looking for any reasons to punish a Japanese conscript, but there was no choice.

"Alright," Lelouch said reluctantly, looking to the girl, "can you move?"

The girl nodded, managing to stand. As she climbed down from the truck's open door, Suzaku and Lelouch just managed to close the capsule, making it appear as it hadn't been opened. Lelouch leapt down to join the girl. The two of them made for the tunnel behind them, hoping to find an alternative exit.

"Take care, Suzaku," Lelouch said as he and the girl hurried away.

"Don't worry. As long as no one looks inside the capsule, I should be fine."

Luckily for Lelouch and C.C, the pair were long gone by the time Suzaku's superiors- members of Clovis's Royal Guard- arrived on the scene. Suzaku had even retrieved his helmet, putting it back on in time.

"Well done Private Kururugi," the Royal Guard commander offered as he inspected the site. "What of the driver?"

"He's dead, sir. It seems he bled out," Suzaku replied with a salute.

Unknown to Suzaku, the driver had actually managed to play possum, appearing to be dead when Suzaku first inspected the driver's cab. He had realized none of his comrades would arrive in time to save him, and it seemed more soldiers had arrived to retake the poison gas. Nagata had only one option available to him.

Reaching for a device attached under the dashboard near the steering wheel Nagata armed explosives he and Kallen had installed on the truck before fleeing with it.

"Death to… Britannia," he said with his last breath, flipping the switch. "Long live Japan!"

The explosion engulfed the tunnel the truck had been in. Suzaku was knocked out, a piece of debris hitting him as the explosion's shockwave sent him flying. His helmet and body armor protected him from fatal injury. The Royal Guard were not as fortunate, as the explosion sent shrapnel all around, killing them instantly. The blast left a large dust cloud, rising from the street level above the tunnel. Even Lelouch and the girl felt it.

"What was that?!" cried the girl.

Lelouch stopped for a moment, then led them to take cover in an abandoned subway music store. The pair waited quietly to see if anyone was coming, but after a few moments of silence, Lelouch felt reasonably sure they weren't followed.

"If I can find a map of these tunnels, maybe I can find a way out," Lelouch said, thinking out loud.

He didn't know every single tunnel and passageway by heart, and chances were they could be caught by either terrorists or Britannian forces. The girl complicated things further. Walking her back with him to Ashford Academy in a prisoner's outfit would draw too much attention. Not to mention the risk she presented to him, should someone identify her and inform Britannia of her location. That they would go as far to hide her under the story of a poison gas capsule meant she was important to somebody powerful.

I find it hard to believe anyone would dispatch the military to retrieve a single girl, even with the poison gas cover story. It has to be either Clovis, or someone close to him, who might have the influence to pull this off without too many questions being asked.

The more Lelouch thought about it, the more he suspected Clovis was involved. Was she a mistress, maybe? No- there were plenty of pretty girls, and nobody would put this much effort in just for sex. Some sort of high-ranking official, maybe? Unlikely. She had to have some unseen value, either as a hostage or something else.

"Why do they want you so badly? What is your value to them?" asked Lelouch.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Is that so? What is your name?"

"I am called C.C."

"C.C? What kind of name is that?"

"It's my name."

"Fine, but answer my first question? What value do you have to the Britannians?"

The girl offered only silence, and Lelouch was unsure whether it was trauma from what she endured, or simply refusing to answer. He contemplated leaving the girl behind, but with her having seen his face, she could identify him and place him here, and he did not need that kind of attention.

"Fine then. Don't answer, but follow me unless you want to be stuck down here!" he said sharply.

He checked to see if the coast was clear. When they were ready to move, a violent tremor suddenly shook the store. Another tremor came moments later, followed by what sounded like an explosion. These were artillery strikes, Lelouch realized, not an Earthquake. He turned on the communicator he had recovered from Kallen's coat.

" Those damn Britannians!" Kallen shouted. A voice spoke in return.

" Kallen, can the Glasgow still move?"

" Don't worry Ohgi, it's all right. I'll decoy them! Get the people out of here. The only ones that'll be captured are those of us in the resistance."

"I know, but we're trapped. They've got us completely surrounded," Ohgi replied.

Turning off the communicator, Lelouch sighed. He realized it was a mistake to have lingered for too long, but it might not have made a difference anyway.

"So that was their plan," Lelouch said. "They didn't just want to recapture you, they also wanted to wipe out the resistance cell in one fell swoop. They allowed them to escape to the Shinjuku Ghetto so they could follow them, surround it, then begin a systematic elimination of everyone here to dispose of any potential witnesses. I am sure the leaders of the resistance cell here will be captured for interrogation to find out how they learned of the poison gas."

C.C. was silent. Lelouch wondered if she was evading his questions because of trauma, or something else.

Just who or what are you? Why would anyone go this far?

"Follow me. We need to find a way out," Lelouch said.

"Fine by me."

"Could you handle yourself in a fight if needed?"

"I could," C.C. answered. "You're not planning to take them all on at once, are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous. But we may need some disguises to move around the ghetto more easily."

"I see. That would be acceptable."

Lelouch sighed before continuing on his way with C.C. following him. However, he was growing more alarmed and worried as the subway tunnels shook with every artillery strike. He needed to escape, and he couldn't risk approaching any Britannian soldier, since they were no doubt under orders to gun down any potential witnesses.

That exchange I overheard confirms the ghetto is completely surrounded. I'll need a disguise or something in order to slip past them.

First Lelouch needed to find a way to the surface, but almost every tunnel or passageway leading up was sealed or blocked by rubble. The two continued an aimless search of the subway tunnels, seeking a way out, but the sound of gunfire reached their ears as they neared an old subway station. Cautiously following the tunnel, they arrived at a subway station, where three Britannian soldiers were standing before a wrecked subway car. Lelouch hunkered down, sizing them up, trying to assess the situation.

There is a way out, Lelouch thought. There had to be a path to the surface if the soldiers were down here.

Using a hand to gesture for C.C. to follow him, the two made their way towards the exit, keeping to the wall while using the pillars of broken concrete to hide themselves from the soldiers. As long as they didn't notice him, he could escape and…

Suddenly his cell phone began ringing. Lelouch cursed himself. Damn it!

"Who's there?!" demanded one of the soldiers.

The soldiers turned around, opening fire. Lelouch was in good cover behind a slab of concrete, but as flashlights found him and the soldiers advanced, he realized he couldn't stay. A burst of gunfire narrowly missed him, striking just an inch from his feet, and Lelouch ran, heart thumping. If only he could get to the next piece of cover-

He saw two of the soldiers taking aim, and time seemed to slow down. Was this it?

But then the girl threw herself in front of him, her body wracked with bullets. She convulsed, and collapsed. Her bloodied body toppled on top of Lelouch, who fell onto his back.

He was panicking. He was as good as dead now. This girl… she had bought him a moment of time, but only a moment. His heart was racing, as he could see one of the soldiers walking towards him, aiming his rifle. The moment his flashlight found him, he'd be gone.

I can't let it end like this. There is so much I need to do. And… I can't leave Nunnally alone, Lelouch thought.

Suddenly a hand grabbed Lelouch's shoulder, and in that instant, he was transported into a realm he could not find the words to describe. The world around him had crumbled away, and he was in a reality beyond the one he knew. He saw images and flashes of a world and space he could not begin to comprehend.

Through it all, a female voice spoke to him.

"It seems you have a reason to live. If I gave you power, could you go on?"

What is this?

"If you promise to make my one wish come true, I shall offer you power, and I shall be your accomplice from this moment forward in whatever you wish to accomplish. But know this, accept this contract and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"

Lelouch was questioning if any of this was real, until he saw an image of his father, the Britannian Emperor, standing among robbed figures in a temple-like structure. His resolve hardened.

"A convergence with the Ragnarök connection? So, the myth is beginning once again?" Charles zi Britannia declared. Upon seeing him, Lelouch lost whatever hesitation he had in accepting the power.

"Yes," he declared, "I accept the terms of your contract!"

The next instance, Lelouch was back where he was, but he was aware that something about him had changed. He could feel something in his eye. It was not painful, just… unusual.

The soldier approached, removing the girl's body to inspect him.

"What, what's a Britannian kid doing here?" The soldier said, sounding surprised.

"You shall do as I command," Lelouch said. He wasn't sure what this was, but somehow, he intuitively knew what to do.

"I shall do as command," the soldier replied in a monotone.

"Kill your comrades, then take off your uniform. Once you are done, find a ditch then kill yourself," Lelouch commanded.

"Understood," the Britannian soldier replied, returning to his comrades.

"So did you-" started one of them, when the afflicted soldier raised his rifle and fired two rapid bursts, catching both of his companions in the chest. A finishing shot to the head ended the both of them, and the soldier continued to obey his instructions. Lelouch watched, both fascinated and shocked.

Did…did I do that?

Lelouch observed as the soldier remove his uniform before walking off into the tunnel to find a ditch to commit suicide in. He looked at the green-haired girl's body, lying limp on the ground. He hadn't known her more than maybe half an hour, but she had still given her life for him. Now she was… gone, and this whole operation would be for nothing. Whoever she was, Lelouch hoped she would be at peace.

It took him a few moments to collect himself before he walked over to the two dead soldiers, picking up the discarded uniform. Using this, he had a way out of here.

Before Lelouch could begin changing, he heard something coming from within the subway car. Picking up one of the rifles the soldiers had dropped, Lelouch cautiously inspected the subway car. The sound of someone weeping could be heard among the corpses piled inside. Lelouch stepped over the bullet-riddled corpses of the dead civilians, and found the source of the crying. He carefully moved two bodies, a Japanese man and his wife judging by their close embrace. Under them was a young teenage girl, looking to be around fifteen. Her parents had died shielding her with their bodies.

She had brown hair tied into a pair of long pigtails and brown eyes, wearing a white, tattered dress shirt and a pink skirt. She was covered in the blood of her family, and very much in shock.

Lelouch waved his hand in front of her eyes. He didn't see the girl respond, which was not surprising given what had just happened. She seemed barely aware of him looking down at her.

The logical choice would have been to leave her, but Lelouch didn't want to risk her telling her the wrong person about his presence. And… the look of horror and stunned silence, combined with her pigtails, reminded him of Nunnally.

I should leave her, or use this power to make her forget seeing me, but…

He found himself unable to leave her. The image of Nunnally, held in the arms of his dead mother, would not leave his mind. He remembered how powerless he had been, how horrified and weak he was then…

Maybe now he could make a difference.

Lelouch knelt, and respectfully closed the eyes of the girl's parents, before offering her his hand.

"Come with me if you want to live," he said.

The girl did not respond at first, but her eyes began moving, focusing on Lelouch.

"I couldn't save your family, but I doubt your parents would want you to die. I can at least make sure their sacrifice wasn't in vain," Lelouch said, motioning with his hand again.

Slowly, trembling, the girl offered her hand and Lelouch pulled her up. At first, her legs did not seem to want to work, but thankfully she regained enough awareness to begin standing. She was shaking from what happened, but at least she was standing up. She continued to tremble, but Lelouch managed to walk her out of the subway car before finding a fallen concrete pillar for her to sit on.

Leaving her for a moment, Lelouch stepped behind the subway car to change into the soldier's uniform. Now, he wanted revenge for being dragged into this fight.

He carried the soldier's helmet under his arm as he stepped out from behind the subway after he finished changing.

"Will you be able to walk?" he said to the orphaned girl.

She was quiet at first, but as Lelouch walked up the stairs to check if the coast was clear, the girl finally spoke to him. She was in tears, her voice shaking as she spoke.

"Wait," the girl said. "Why did you help me?"

"Why not? Your family and those people were unarmed. They did not deserve to die. And neither do you," Lelouch replied. "They were killed because they just happened to be living in the ghetto, because someone wants to cover up something."

"Is that it?"

"No. But if you stay with me, you have my word you'll survive this," Lelouch offered, not wishing to reveal anything more to a stranger.

The girl was quiet and didn't stay anything further, but as Lelouch began to walk away.

"What is your name?" the girl asked.

Lelouch hesitated at first, but he answered.

"I am Lelouch. And you?"

"I am Benio…Benio Akagi."

"Benio. Right. Just stay with me, and you'll be fine. Just take cover when I tell you to."

Without another word, Lelouch departed the subway station. Upon emerging above ground, he saw a war zone. Columns of smoke were rising into the sky, and VTOL gunships hovered in the air over the ghetto, Knightmare Frames likely roaming about. Lelouch moved about cautiously. While the Britannians wouldn't shoot at him, there was a chance a resistance fighter would if they saw him.

It's as I suspected. Britannia had these forces prepared beforehand. However, if they want to keep a lid on what is really happening, they'll be limited to the forces they have now, Lelouch thought.

Lelouch kept to the alleyways, but eventually a Knightmare Frame- specifically an RPI-13 Sutherland- found him. The blue machine was Britannia's replacement to the aging RPI-11 Glasgow.

"What unit are you from? Your unit name and ID, soldier!" demanded the pilot from inside their cockpit.

"I am Private Tobias Rieper of the Third Reconnaissance Company. I obtained this item from one of the terrorists. Could I ask you please transmit it to headquarters for me, sir?" Lelouch said, offering the Terrorist Communicator.

"A terrorist communicator, huh," the pilot of the Sutherland said, opening the hatch. "Well, I still need to verify your ID first."

"Right, understood. But before we do that, sir, I'd like to borrow your Sutherland," Lelouch said as his left eye began glowing. "So, hand it over."

"Sure," the pilot said after Lelouch's Geass ensnared him. "No problem. Just take good care of it."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Lelouch replied with a grin.

---

A/N: And the Battle of Shinjuku Ghetto has begun, while it happened like canon there will be some differences brought up in the next chapter to change things up and add a few new elements going forward.

And yes Hitman game elements have sunk into this story again, XD.

All I will say for he next chapter, is that the Lancelot will not be the only possible problem Lelouch will have to deal with going forward.

Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you in two weeks for the next update.

 

[StrifeHavoc]

A/N: Thanks to Greatkingrat88 for his beta work and being co-author of the story, and to everyone who reviewed and gave feedback on the story.

So let us get to the action.

---

Chapter 3

Battle for Shinjuku Ghetto​

The battle was going poorly for the resistance fighters in Shinjuku, but Kallen kept fighting despite the increasingly desperate situation. Nearly an hour had passed since the battle- if you could call it that- had begun. She had managed to destroy a fair number of tanks and VTOL gunships thus far, but it would not be nearly enough. They were surrounded on all sides, and badly outnumbered. Kallen had always heard last stands were supposed to be glorious, but watching her comrades in arms die hopelessly felt anything but.

Just then, two Sutherlands pulled up within range, coming into view.

"It's our Glasgow friend," the pilot of the lead Sutherland commented.

Earlier, Kallen had faced a Sutherland on the highway leading into Shinjuku Ghetto, after launching to eliminate the pursuing gunships. A Sutherland had been dropped off to attack Kallen in response. It had nearly overwhelmed her, which wasn't helped by her Glasgow's right arm shorting out on her. Thinking quickly, she had jettisoned the arm at the right moment to confuse her enemy long enough to escape. Now that enemy had found her again, and this time he wasn't alone.

Knowing she didn't stand a chance against them Kallen fled the scene, her pursuers hot on her heels. She used the buildings for cover, a hail of bullets shredding through concrete and steel just meters away. She wouldn't be able to shake them this time. To top it off, the power indicator for her Glasgow was warning her that the energy filler for the machine was almost depleted. Thirty minutes left- and she'd be lucky to last another five. Was this it? Would she die like this, running for her life?

Until…

"The west entrance. Use the tracks to move to the west entrance," a voice said, speaking through the communicator she had left behind. Kallen was surprised, but that surprise turned into anger. Who was the stranger speaking on their coded transmission line?

"Who's this! How do you know this code?!" She barked.

"That doesn't matter," said the voice. "If you want to win, you'll have to trust me."

"To win?" Win? In a situation like this?

She weighed her options. Even now, she was moments away from dying. Even if she lost her pursuers, she would run out of power and be left as a sitting duck. Her choices were to trust a complete stranger, or inevitability die in battle.

How much worse could it get?

Deciding to trust the voice, she made her way onto an overhead bridge with train tracks.

"Okay, what am I supposed to do now?" Kallen asked as she sped down the tracks. Behind her, the Sutherland and its partner were catching up to her.

"You pathetic Eleven! If you simply run away, this hunt hasn't much to offer in the way of sport," the leading Sutherland cried, his voice echoing over the speaker system of his machine.

Suddenly Kallen noticed a train ahead of her heading towards her.

"Since you trusted me, you're going to win. Jump onto the train!"

"Gotcha!"

Kallen timed it carefully and jumped, which forcing the Sutherland to brace against the train as the red Glasgow skipped over the train cars.

"You think you can get through that way, hmm?" Jeremiah said, his eyes narrowing as an idea came to mind. "If that's your plan, then…."

He barked into the comms system, to his partner,

"You! Go after the Glasgow."

"Yes, My Lord!" replied the other Sutherland, speeding after Kallen.

As the pilot leaped into the air to follow Kallen, a pair of Slash Harkens struck the arm and upper leg of the Sutherland midair. The sudden damage and fall caused the machine to eject the cockpit, while the rest of the machine fell over the bridge. Scanning the area, Jeremiah discovered another Sutherland that had been hiding in a damaged building, overlooking the train tracks.

"What the...? Friendly fire?" Jeremiah said, reeling in shock. "What's your name and your unit?! We're after the one-armed Glasgow."

Jeremiah got no response. Instead, the Sutherland levelled its gun and opened fire upon him. His machine shook as a salvo of high-caliber bullets riddled its side.

"Oh my god, a terrorist?!" cried Jeremiah. He tried to turn to open fire on his attacker, but the legs of his machine had been damaged, leaving it unable to maneuver properly.

"You son of a-" Jeremiah began, cut off by the red of the Glasgow, slamming into his machine. Realizing the battle was hopeless, Jeremiah ejected, his machine launching his cockpit block a safe distance away.

"You saved me. But how did you get hold of a Sutherland?" Kallen asked. But when she looked to where the other Sutherland had been, it was gone.

"What? Where did he go?" she said, bewildered.

"Kallen! What the hell was that radio message earlier?"

Kallen turned her machine to see a group approaching her. Their leader was Kaname Ohgi, a young man in his mid-twenties with brown hair and matching eyes. He didn't carry himself like a natural leader, but Ohgi was a man who was easy to get along with. Following behind were the other members of the Shinjuku Ghetto resistance group, or rather what was left of them.

"What?" Kallen replied, speaking through the Glasgow's external speaker. "He contacted you, too?"

"Sure did," Ohgi said. "And Yoshida's group ought to be here soon."

Suddenly the voice spoke directly to Ohgi through the communicator he was holding.

"Are you in charge?"

"Uh, yeah," Ohgi answered.

"I present to you the cargo in that train over there. They're tools for your victory," Lelouch said. Kallen moved up, using her machine's remaining arm to open one of the train cars. Her jaw dropped when she saw what was inside. Each train car contained two Sutherlands, which counting the other cars meant there was twelve units.

"If you want to use them to win, then follow my orders."

Kallen watched in stunned silence as her friends and fellow resistance members checked out the Sutherlands. Obtaining a single functional Sutherland would be a huge deal for most resistance groups; demand was high and they were hard to come by. Twelve was a miracle. With capable pilots behind them, they would have a fighting chance against the Britannians now. But Kallen couldn't help but wonder how they obtained them.

"Woman in the Glasgow!" said the voice.

"Y-yes!" Kallen said, shaken from her thoughts.

"Stay where you are. Your unit's gonna run decoy. You got that?"

"Understood."

"Energy filler status?"

"About fifteen minutes worth."

"Then recharge it! In ten minutes, I'll contact you with your next instructions," the voice said, before ending the transmission.

Lelouch sighed as he lowered the communicator. This drew a response from Benio, who was sitting in the cockpit with him. Sutherlands were not built to accommodate two people, but they could in a pitch. But this left Benio with limited seating options, putting her on the side of the chair near Lelouch. The young man had contemplated leaving her somewhere else, but between Lelouch's lingering concerns about her knowing his true identity, and the fact that she could easily get hurt or killed in the war zone out there made it hard for him to let her go.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl.

"I am fine," Lelouch said, putting one hand on his forehead. "This has been more exhausting than I had thought it would be."

"I imagine, with what you had to go through to get those Sutherlands."

Obtaining the knightmares had been risky. After he had found a secure place, he had used his Knightmare's database access to look for anything useful, anything at all, and he had struck gold. The reserve Knightmares the army had brought just in case, pilotless and with the keys in the ignition. It had involved crossing an active battlefield to get within geass range, but once he had reached it, it had been easy enough to order the guards to drive the train into position, walk away, and kill themselves. The soldier's uniform he currently wore was very useful in getting close enough to use his power on the guards.

It felt risky to use this power he knew so little about so freely, but thankfully there had been no problems so far.

I should try to study this more in-depth when I have the chance.

"As tiring as this has all been, I must be determined to succeed. If I falter now, then neither one of us will survive this."

"So what do you plan on doing?"

"Well…" Lelouch said, a smile appearing on his face as he started to explain.

---

Around the same time, another group of Sutherlands was preparing for deployment into the ghetto. They were not part of the initial force that had accompanied the men being led by Prince Clovis, instead assigned as reinforcements. Now they had been reassigned to assist in dealing with the terrorists, to the surprise of the squad.

"Live combat?" said Liliana Vergamon, a young pilot. "I thought we weren't ready for that?"

The pilot of the Sutherland was seventeen, with long blonde hair, green eyes, with the features of a cautious, inexperienced soldier.

"I understand your concern, cadet Vergamon, but these orders come from General Bartley himself. Besides, the terrorists possess only small arms and some anti-tank weapons. They will pose little threat to you."

Her superior and instructor was a battle-hardened middle-aged woman with a stern expression, with black hair and brown eyes. She was within her own Sutherland, with commander markings upon it.

"Now listen up, the rest of you," Sergeant Hilda Merwin said, speaking to her students on a shared channel. "I know none of you were expecting live combat so soon, but we have our orders from the top."

"So we're just taking out terrorists who have stolen poison gas?"

"Correct, but so far, the poison gas hasn't been recovered. So don't exit your cockpits unless absolutely necessary," Hilda said. "Even through command assures us the terrorists are putting up a feeble effort to fight back, don't get careless. I've seen cocky pilots meet their end because they were too sure of having a superior machine. So don't get careless, or a well-aimed RPG could be the end of you."

One of the cadets felt the glare of her instructor upon her.

"Am I understood, Cadet Zevon?"

"Yes madam," Oldrin Zevon said.

Why would you think I am the careless one?

Oldrin sighed, gripping the control sticks of her Sutherland. Like Liliana, she had blonde hair, and her green eyes were those of a determined student wishing to excel.

"I am sure she meant it constructively."

It was Toto, a year younger than Oldrin. She stood out for having a darker skin tone, red eyes and white shoulder-length hair.

"I am not so sure, but I don't think she has a reason to worry," Oldrin replied on a private communication line.

Toto Thomason sighed, worried for her friend and master.

"As long as you don't get carried away, my lady."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Toto said with an innocent smile.

---

"Are you sure this will work?"

Ohgi was sitting in the cockpit of a Sutherland, the exterior microphone picking up the complaining of the more troublesome member of their group. Shinichiro Tamaki was the most brash and arrogant among them, his reddish-brown hair making him stand out even more.

"They've all had their IFFs removed. What if this is a trap?"

"The other side has total advantage in this war. They don't need to set any traps," Ohgi said, before issuing orders to the rest of his fellow freedom fighters. "All right, people, let's move. Get to your assigned points."

"P1, can you move? It operates basically the same as what you're used to." The voice said, speaking through the radio.

"Can't you tell us who you are, at least your name?" Ohgi inquired.

"I can't do that. What if these signals are being intercepted? But, for now, call me…" There was a pause. "Call me Zero."

"Zero?" Ohgi said, confused by the name.

"Anyway, if Q1 is on schedule, enemy Sutherlands, probably two of them, will reach you in twenty-three seconds. Shoot them through the wall," the voice said before Ohgi could question him further.

"He's out of his mind," Tamaki complained.

"Everyone, double-check your weapons!" Ohgi commanded.

Twenty-three seconds later, Ohgi and the others opened fire. As their bullets tore through the wall, Ohgi saw two enemy Sutherlands behind it, caught by surprise as they were gunned down. Inside the cockpit of his Sutherland, Lelouch was grinning upon seeing the lost signals upon his screen.

"It worked!" Benio said.

"Of course," Lelouch said, holding up a black king piece he'd taken it from an abandoned chessboard. "An ID signal can be a double-edged sword. Thanks to their IFF signals, I can monitor Britannian movements and counter accordingly. It helps that the man commanding them is as predictable as they come."

"So, you just have to issue orders?"

"Yes, and if they follow my orders, then victory will be within my grasp," Lelouch said, opening the comms channel to issue more orders. "P1, P4, P7, move a hundred meters to the right and fire your slash harkens toward three o'clock."

"You heard him. Do what Zero says," Ohgi said.

---

"What the heck?!"

Oldrin watched her Sutherland's tactical screen. Her fellow Britannians were being systematically picked off. Minutes ago, they had been told it would be an easy victory, but now she was witnessing the start of a disaster.

"How are the terrorists turning this fight around? Weren't they barely armed?"

"Quit the chatter, cadet," Hilda barked.

Oldrin, Toto, Liliana, and the rest of their class had advanced deeper into Shinjuku to engage the enemy. They had noticed other units being systematically picked off by enemy ambushes, one by one. Judging by the panicked communications, they had been not only caught completely off guard, but the enemy was using Sutherlands.

How did these terrorists get Knightmare Frames? I know the report said they weren't supposed to have any; Oldrin thought, wondering if their continued charge into the ghetto was a good idea.

"Enemy Glasgow, six o'clock!" a cadet called out, aiming her gun at the reddish machine.

"Let's take her out," another cadet shouted, advancing toward the Glasgow, which darted around a corner, zig-zagging to evade the fire coming its way.

"You idiots, what did I say!? I am ordering you not to pursue that enemy unit!" Hilda shouted as most of her students began chasing down Kallen's machine.

"Come on, instructor, we got this!"

"You four stay here to watch our flanks," Hilda commanded Oldrin and her friends, chasing after her insubordinate students. "I don't care who your parents are, if…."

Little did Hilda and her students know, the bridge they were running across had been wired to explode. Once Kallen had raced across the bridge, reaching the other side safely, and Hilda and her insubordinate students were in the middle of the bridge crossing over a collapsed section of the highway, the explosives detonated.

Oldrin, Toto, Liliana, and Marika could only watch in stunned horror. The bridge collapsed, with their fellow academy students and their instructor falling. They saw ejection blocks flying, but Oldrin couldn't count them all due to the falling debris crushing their machines, burying them in the collapsed subway tunnel below.

"Did anyone make it?" Marika asked fearfully, knowing that could've been them.

"I can't tell. Maybe only half made it," Toto said.

"How could this happen?"

She tried to wrap her mind around what had happened. Oldrin didn't even know what they could have done differently, but now with their instructor gone, she and the others would have to survive somehow.

"What do we do, Oldrin?" Marika asked.

"Let's withdraw and collect ourselves, then evaluate our situation," Oldrin said calmly.

"Right," Liliana said. Together, they turned their Knightmares around, retreating from where they had come.

---

"THIS HAS TO STOP!" Clovis shouted, rising from his throne. A guaranteed victory was turning into an embarrassing defeat before his eyes, his Knightmares dying one by one. Widely dispersed across the ghetto to optimize their mission of purging the ghetto, they had been picked apart within just an hour or so of combat. The enemy was always exactly where they needed to be, always catching them off guard. It was a disaster. Not only was such a defeat deeply shameful for a prince like himself, but he risked being exposed, risked the wrong people finding out why he was really here.

"Forgive us, your highness," Bartley said timidly.

"Good day!" Lloyd said, his face suddenly appearing on the monitor before them.

"WHAT?!" Bartley shouted, losing his composure. "We're in the middle of an operation here!"

"I noticed your little situation. I'd say it's time to deploy the AESSC's special weapon," Lloyd said hopefully.

"I don't have time for you, Lloyd," Clovis retorted, approaching the tactical console. "We need a change of strategy. Have our remaining forces gather together at this point, then prepare for an encirclement around this area."

Clovis pointed to an area on the map.

"Most of these terrorists attacked our forces more frequently here, and it's where we had them pinned down. They must be here!"

"Understood, my lord," Bartley said, issuing his orders.

This can't fail. They just got lucky. All I need is to pull together and crush them, Clovis thought.

However, should it fail, then he would be out of soldiers, except for those making up the encirclement.

---

Meanwhile, Lelouch studied the tactical screen, knowing the Britannians would be changing tactics. The fact he saw them gathering together in one place near the G-1 was proof of that.

Whoever is in charge knows they are running out of men, Lelouch thought, smiling to himself.

"Q-1, do you have an area map?" Lelouch asked through the comms.

"Yes, but it doesn't have any landmarks," Kallen replied.

"It's fine. The enemy is gathering their forces for an encirclement maneuver. I intend to bait them into a trap, so give me a moment. I'll give you further instructions in a moment," Lelouch said.

After putting the radio down, he noticed Benio looking at him strangely, as if there was something on her lips that she couldn't quite bring herself to say.

"If you have something on your mind, go ahead," Lelouch said reassuringly.

"How are you beating the Britannians so easily? Was giving the resistance their own Knightmare Frames that big of a difference?"

"No," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "It is true, giving them Sutherlands did make it possible for them to fight back more effectively. Even then, it wouldn't have been enough to ensure a victory. However, other factors are working my favor."

"What do you mean?"

"First, the enemy came into Shinjuku Ghetto, totally unprepared for any real resistance. The rebel fighters had only one Glasgow, after all. No matter how many members this resistance group had, they would've been overwhelmed and wiped out without my help. Their overconfidence could be forgiven under those circumstances. But, should your enemy obtain the means to fight back against you on equal footing, then your overconfidence becomes a huge liability. They charged into Shinjuku Ghetto with no plan beyond wiping everyone out, so they were disorganized and scattered, allowing us to wipe them out systematically. And frankly, their commanders are not very competent. They likely had a hard time trying to respond to our attacks."

"But they've gathered together to surround us?"

"Yes, and that will be a big mistake," Lelouch said, studying the map he had received from Kallen. It didn't take long for a plan to come to mind, which Lelouch didn't waste time sharing to prepare.

The lesson here is never underestimating your enemy, no matter what advantages you have, Lelouch thought.

---

Minutes later, the remaining available units began their encirclement to a corner and destroy the terrorists with overwhelming numbers. Oldrin, Marika, Toto, and Liliana were racing down one of the empty streets in their Sutherlands. As the encirclement was beginning, Oldrin and her group had been ordered to continue assisting where they could, without taking part directly. Apparently, command didn't want inexperienced rookies taking part in the operation to snare the terrorists in a noose. Oldrin led her group back into Shinjuku to help the military further, but she noticed something on her tactical map as she led them towards the old Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

A single allied unit hadn't moved from the same position for almost a half-hour.

Either that guy's machine was damaged, or he's the one leading the terrorists…?

Oldrin began to suspect the latter, considering transmission codes had been changed six times. It was proof the enemy was monitoring their movements then correctly predicting their actions allowing the terrorists to ambush them. Quickly, she relayed this to her teammates.

"Are you sure about this Oldrin?" Marika asked.

"I am certain of it."

"Why hasn't command noticed, then?" Liliana said.

"They might've been distracted by the rapid losses they've been suffering," Toto said.

I actually think the commanding officers in charge are idiots. My brother told me the men the Viceroy surrounds himself with are grossly incompetent officers. Especially General Bartley. He was just a civil servant before he was given the title of general, Marika thought, deciding to keep that to herself.

"Either way, that machine hasn't moved since the terrorists began their counterattack, so it's someone in trouble or the terrorist leader calling the shots," Oldrin said, leading her friends towards the target.

Unfortunately, Oldrin overlooked one critical detail. Just as they could see Lelouch's machine, he could see them. As they were distracted with their machines, their sensors picked up a tremor, with a large dust cloud rising to the sky.

"What the heck was that!?" Marika said.

---

At that moment, Lelouch laughed with glee as his plan unfolded. Clovis's troops were lured to an area with a large underground space, with weak tunnels on the verge of collapse, which the locals had marked as too dangerous to pass through. It wouldn't take much to cause a widespread collapse if anyone got careless, especially if they had a Knightmare Frame. Lelouch had immediately seized the opportunity to spring his latest trap; after Kallen and the others lured them in, they escaped through the subway tunnels.

On the way out, Kallen and Ohgi had triggered a collapse. In a domino effect, entire blocks collapsed, taking out all of the military units lured in, seconds after realizing they'd been had.

"It worked!" Lelouch exclaimed triumphantly.

"You seem very happy about it," Benio said.

"Sorry, I got carried away with the moment."

Lelouch noticed a group of Knightmares moving toward his location.

"Is that bad?" Benio asked.

"I did consider the possibility someone would notice, especially now with almost all enemy forces eliminated," Lelouch said. "It was risky, but worth it."

Although I am surprised it took this long for someone to notice, Lelouch thought, before picking up the radio.

"What are you going to do?"

Within moments, he had an idea.

---

"Okay, I think he should be above us," Oldrin said as she and her friends finished climbing up to the higher floors of the crumbling Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

"What's the plan?" Marika asked.

"Alright, you two will move up, while Toto and I will attack from below," Oldrin said.

"Uh, one question," Liliana said, with a concerned look.

"What is it?" Oldrin said, ready to attack.

"We can see the enemy leader thanks to his IFF, but just as he can see our forces through their IFFs, wouldn't he see us coming?"

An uneasy silence fell upon the group as the worrying realization set in.

"Uh, maybe he hasn't noticed us. If the commander in charge hasn't noticed him, then-" Toto began, but was interrupted by the ground under their feet giving way.

"What the hell," Marika shouted, starting to panic.

Unbeknownst to them, Kallen had been below them, having used her Glasgow's fist to destroy the support pillars holding up the floor Oldrin and her friends were on. Having been monitoring their movements very closely after zooming in his tactical screen and adjusting its view, Lelouch had told Kallen exactly when to attack, using himself as bait.

"Hold on tight," Lelouch said. Benio made sure she had a good grip.

Thanks to the combined weight of four Sutherland Units, the floor they stood on collapsed once enough support pillars and walls were destroyed. This of course meant Lelouch's floor would also collapse, but he had planned for that.

I just have to hope this part goes as planned, Lelouch thought.

His Sutherland speeding away from the collapsing floor, Lelouch turned his machine around to toss a Chaos Mine over the collapsing floor. With pieces of the ceiling above his head falling with the floor now and the debris from the floor itself, Lelouch feared this idea wouldn't work. Luckily for him, the Chaos Mine detonated as he wanted, raining rapid-fire shrapnel down upon Oldrin on her friends.

"MY LADY!" Toto shouted, using her Knightmare Frame to shield Oldrin. Her Knightmare Frame suffered crippling damage, triggering the auto-eject. Her cockpit block was just at the right angle to launch out of the building. Its parachutes deployed, ensuring Toto would land safely.

"TOTO!" Oldrin cried out.

Suddenly Kallen's Glasgow attacked, punching the head of Marika's Sutherland, triggering its auto-ejection system. Her surprise attack, combined with Marika's panic, made it easy for Kallen to land her blow.

Liliana tried to recover to attack Kallen in retaliation, but the Glasgow got the drop on her after using Marika's Sutherland as a shield before the cockpit-less machine could collapse onto the ground. Kallen side-stepped Liliana's machine gun fire, sliding up close and slamming her fist into the Knightmare's head, forcing another ejection. Only Oldrin remained, furiously charging at Kallen's Glasgow.

"Damn you," she roared, "you're going to pay for that!"

She dodged Kallen's attack, and using one of her Sutherland's slash harkens, she rendered the Glasgow's remaining arm useless. With nothing left to fight back with, Kallen was left staring at the barrel of Oldrin's machine gun.

"I've got you, Q-1," Lelouch said, as he opened fire on Oldrin's Sutherland from above, at the top of the collapsed floor.

Shit, how could I've forgotten about the enemy leader? Oldrin thought, realizing her folly.

Oldrin didn't have a chance to retaliate, as Lelouch's attacks shredded the head of her machine. The salvo tore into the front of her machine, forcing her to eject.

"You saved me again," Kallen said, watching Oldrin's cockpit block rocketed away from the building.

"I should thank you for coming when I called," Lelouch said.

"What's next?"

"The enemy will have to use the soldiers making up the encirclement to deal with us now," Lelouch said, bringing up the tactical map in his Sutherland. "They haven't called in reinforcements, because they want to keep what was stolen under wraps."

"Meaning holes are bound to happen in the encirclement."

"Yes. You and the others along with any surviving civilians can use the opening to escape," Lelouch said. Just then, he noticed something odd.

They've sent out some units breaking the encirclement as I've hoped. The units protecting the mobile command center have been greatly reduced to reinforce the breaches as expected, but…

What the enemy was sending into the ghetto was a large number of armed troop transports and tanks. The lack of Sutherlands being deployed was odd; only a small number were going out, not even enough to contend with them.

They have to know a force like that would be slaughtered against the Sutherlands we have, so why?

"This is B group, reporting enemy presence," a resistance member called.

"What is it?" Lelouch said feeling uneasy.

"Everyone ejected, but they took out four units in no time at all."

"Enemy numbers?"

"Just one. I think it's a new model. I've never seen anything like it- aah!"

Lelouch only heard static. Whatever had taken out the four had claimed him as a victim too.

Suddenly memories of his defeat at Sandra's hands came to mind, making him realize this enemy could be dangerous.

Lelouch, recognizing the potential threat, quickly devised a counterplan with a contingency.

---

At that moment, a white Knightmare Frame retracted its slash harken after using it to behead an enemy machine. Inside the cockpit, dressed in a white pilot suit, was Suzaku.

"Yes, I can do this. With the Lancelot I can stop all this at once."

Suzaku gripped the control sticks, seeking out more enemy units. He was still reeling from the fact that he wasn't just piloting a Knightmare Frame, but Britannia's first combat worthy prototype as the first seventh generation Knightmare frame. The pain he felt from his injuries were proof this was no dream, and the events that made him the pilot of the Lancelot replayed in his mind.

---

Some time ago...

---

"Are we having a bad day?"

Suzaku woke up to discover he was lying on a bed in a mobile field hospital. How had he ended up here?

Right, that explosion, then nothing….

"I guess you missed your chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi," said a strange man in a lab coat. He had light blue hair, and eyes to match.

"Are we still in the Shinjuku Ghetto?" Suzaku asked, noticing he was shirtless with bandages wrapped around his waist and chest.

"Yes we are, but you're probably in the safest place right now," Lloyd Asplund answered, waving his hand dismissively.

"You were very fortunate to have survived that explosion."

The woman with Lloyd was in her early twenties, with short dark blue hair and light blue eyes. Her orange and black uniform was different from any uniform Suzaku had seen before, but the woman's kindly expression put Suzaku more at ease.

"Your protective suit and helmet took the worst of the blast. The Royal guardsmen weren't as fortunate."

"Lloyd, you shouldn't be so causal," Cecil Croomy scolded.

"You're right. We have a more important matters to discuss," Lloyd said, turning to Suzaku. "Private Kururugi, how much experience do you have in piloting a Knightmare frame?"

"You're joking. An Eleven can't pilot a Knightmare Frame. All I've done is act as a test pilot in simulators," Suzaku said, shocked by the question.

Lloyd smiled, dangling a gold activation key for a Knightmare Frame.

"Well lucky you then, because nobody else wants it. So how about it?"

---

That was how Suzaku became the pilot of the Z-01 Lancelot. After having effortlessly crushed four enemy Sutherlands, Suzaku couldn't help but be awed by the Lancelot's combat potential.

People rejected being the pilot for this because it doesn't have an ejection mechanism?

Suzaku found the idea Britannian pilots turned down piloting the Lancelot because of that one detail strange. Given the machine's amazing speed and agility, as long as you were a skilled pilot, it wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately for his enemies, Suzaku was a naturally gifted Knightmare Frame pilot. Despite his only experience being the piloting of a Sutherland in a simulation, he was proving to be nigh unstoppable in the Lancelot.

If I can defeat all of the enemy Sutherlands, maybe I can end this. I could save Lelouch and that girl. Suzaku thought. Suddenly the Lancelot's sensors detected a heat signature. It was coming from the upper floors of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. A lone Sutherland was lurking up there.

Could that be the enemy commander?

Suzaku made his way up the building, using the Lancelot's slash harkens.

When the Lancelot reached the floor, the Sutherland turned and fled, hurrying down the other side of the building. Suzaku chased after the enemy machine in hot pursuit. Despite the Sutherland having a reasonable head start, the Lancelot was gaining on it. As the Lancelot started to close the distance on the Sutherland, the enemy headed into a partially collapsed mall complex.

"Now," Kallen called from the cockpit of the Sutherland that the Lancelot had been chasing.

Ohgi, Tamaki and the other members of the resistance group Kallen was apart of made their presence known. Suzaku realized he had been drawn into an ambush. Before he could react, they opened fire attacking the Lancelot from multiple directions while Kallen, using Lelouch's Sutherland, sped away to safety, turning around. The Lancelot was on the defensive, dodging a hailstorm of bullets, but it had something up its sleeve. From its forearms a green transparent shield materialized, deflecting all of the incoming fire. Of course, the Blaze Luminous shields didn't provide full protection, forcing Suzaku to push the Lancelot to its limits evading their attacks while using the Blaze Luminous to deflect whatever he couldn't evade. Fighting within a collapsed mall did provide the Lancelot with some light cover, but one mistake could mean the end for Suzaku.

If I die here, Lelouch and that girl may not survive.

"How the hell are we supposed to hit him?!" Tamaki shouted.

"Keep up the pressure! Don't let him escape, throw some Chaos Mines in," Inoue called.

Tamaki and some of the others followed suit, hurling chaos mines in an effort to destroy the Lancelot. Between the shield and the Lancelot's swift movement, none of them were doing any real damage. This only caused Tamaki and the others to become even more frustrated, just as Suzaku began fighting back.

Seizing an opportunity, Suzaku fired a slash harken before Tamaki's machine could hurl its chaos mine, causing it to misfire. The trigger of his Sutherland's auto-eject caused the chaos mine to be thrown in the wrong direction, catching two of his comrades in the shower of shrapnel. It was a lucky break for Suzaku, giving him the opening needed to begin fighting back. Rushing the nearest enemy, Suzaku beheaded an enemy Sutherland using the slash harken mounted on its forearm as a close quarters weapon.

He even used the enemy Sutherlands as make-shift shields when attacking them, since many among Ohgi's group were not willing to risk attacking their own comrade. Following Tamaki's unintentional blunder, it all quickly fell apart, with most of the group being taken out by the Lancelot, forcing an ejection, until only Ohgi and Kallen were left.

"How the hell did this plan fail? We had him completely outnumbered and surrounded?!" Kallen said gripping the control sticks of her Sutherland.

"We can take him," Ohgi said, boldly charging, but the Lancelot swiftly sidestepped the charge and beheaded his machine. As Ohgi ejected, Kallen was already advancing upon the Lancelot with its stun tonfa deployed, knowing that close quarters combat would decide the fight.

Kallen dodged the Lancelot's first swing, avoiding losing her machine's head. She followed up with a counter attack by attempting to bash the Lancelot's head in, but it pulled back to evade before attempting to attack again. Kallen used one of the Sutherland's tonfa to deflect its attack, aiming to counter, but suddenly slash harkens from the Lancelot's waist shot up, taking off the Sutherland's left arm and its head, much to Kallen's shock.

"It had four? THAT'S BULLSHIT!"

Like her friends before her, Kallen was ejected from the Sutherland.

"That should be all of them I think," Suzaku said, having soundly defeated all of the resistance fighters on his own, despite having been lured into a well-prepared ambush.

---

Meanwhile, Lelouch, was inside Kallen's Glasgow. He was using it to transport himself and Benio closer to the G-1. He was mindful to stay out of sight, and planned to park the machine in a safe place so he could disembark and walk the rest of the way.

Having recognized the threat of the Lancelot and fearing they couldn't win against an advanced prototype like it, Lelouch had offered Kallen his Sutherland and laid out a plan for an ambush by having Ohgi and the others gather in one place, hoping to overwhelm it. They had failed, but they had managed to distract it long enough that it wouldn't be a threat to him right now. He wore the soldier helmet and mask to conceal his identity while changing Knightmare Frames.

"Will Kallen and others be ok?"

"I don't know," Lelouch said shaking his head. "If that new Knightmare Frame is as formidable as I heard, then it's a toss-up. Maybe they won, maybe they lost, I have no idea."

"But it allowed you to get away, didn't it?"

Lelouch nodded.

"Either way, it works out in my favor."

"What do you plan to do?" Benio asked, as Lelouch parked the Glasgow in a ruined building just large enough for his purposes.

"Their only chance for anyone to survive will depend on how fast I can get to the man in charge. I need you to stay here and keep out of sight. I'll come back for you once I am done, I promise."

"Okay," said Benio, sounding uncertain.

---

Some time later, Kallen was running through the battle torn streets of Shinjuku, looking for Ohgi and the others. She had begun to fear the worst until she saw Ohgi wave her down and lead her into a warehouse that had remained untouched since the battle began. Inside, besides those who were part of Ohgi's resistance cell, it was full of civilians who had taken shelter here.

"It's your fault. This is what happened when you oppose the Britannians," a man called out to them, as Kallen, Tamaki and Ohgi passed by.

"What!?" Snarled Tamaki, "Why, you gutless coward!"

"How many people were killed because of this?!" A female civilian cried out.

"Shut up! Do you know how many of us were killed or captured? Do ya? Quit crying," Tamaki shouted.

"Kallen, what happened to Zero?" Ohgi asked.

"We switched Knightmares after he laid out his plan to deal with that new Knightmare Frame."

"What was he planning?"

"He didn't have time to tell me the details, but he said for us to hold out regards of what happens. He said he would end the battle."

"How?" Ohgi asked? Curious, he added, "Say, did you see what he looked like?"

"No,. He wore a Britannian soldier's uniform. The mask and helmet hid his face, but he had a young Japanese girl with him. Zero must've saved her, because she vouched that he could be trusted."

"Did you trust him?"

"We were winning against Britannia until that new Knightmare Frame got involved, so yes, I decided to trust him."

"So, what now then?"

Before Kallen could answer, the doors to the warehouse were blown open. A Britannian tank drove in, flanked by soldiers leveling their rifles at them.

"There, you see! Instead of following somebody we don't even know, we should've used the poison gas," Tamaki shouted to Ohgi.

"But we…"

"Damn Nagata to hell!" Tamaki said not giving Ohgi a chance to finish.

The blood drained from Kallen's face. This was the end, wasn't it? She had made it this far, fought back, got some hope from that Zero person, and now she'd be gunned down along with everyone else by Britannian soldiers. But then, as the lead soldier from atop his tank was about to give the order to fire, a miracle happened.

"Attention, all forces. Cease fire at once," Clovis announced abruptly, his voice carrying over all the open comms channels.

"Huh?!" Said the leading officer, along with Kallen, Ohgi and others across Shinjuku Ghetto, as they heard the announcement.

"I, Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area Eleven, hereby command you, all forces deployed in Shinjuku: you are ordered to cease fire at once. You are also to cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered, cease fire at once. I shall allow no further fighting!"

---

"There, are you satisfied?"

Aboard Clovis's G-1; the Third Prince sat upon his throne. Lelouch had just shut off power to the bridge, leaving them in the dull gloom of emergency power. The two were alone, thanks to Lelouch having successfully infiltrated the G-1. All it had taken was a few key uses of his geass. Clovis' guard had been small, with only a small infantry detachment around his command unit. Luckily for Kallen and the others, he had made it just in time to save their lives.

"Very well done," Lelouch replied, keeping his gun trained on Clovis.

"And what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads, or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"Now that sounds very nostalgic, especially since you and I never finished that last chess game over seven years ago. I guess it would be here in Shinjuku Ghetto we would finish that game."

"What?"

In the shadows of the dark command center Lelouch removed his helmet, tossing it aside before he slowly approached Clovis.

"I am disappointed you don't remember, seeing how we had always played chess at the Aries Villa. Of course, I would always win."

"You, who are you?" Clovis said, with growing anger.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it big brother?" Lelouch said, stepping into the faint light near the throne. Finally, Clovis could see the face of the man who held him at gunpoint. The anger gave way to shock as he recognized the face of the man who had beaten him, time and time again.

"The eldest son of the late consort Marianne and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne, Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service," Lelouch said, mockingly bowing before his older half-brother.

"Lelouch… impossible, I thought you were dead?"

"Clearly you were wrong. And now I've returned, to change everything."

Rising to his feet, Lelouch approached Clovis with his gun aimed at the cornered prince. His earlier anger gone, Clovis now seemed a mix of fearful and relieved.

"This is an unexpected reunion. I-I am overjoyed to see you, brother. I was told you had died along with Nunnally when Japan became Area 11. Come, we should depart for the homeland immediately," Clovis said hopefully.

"So, you could use me as a tool for diplomacy, or to further your own ambitions for the throne? It seems you've forgotten why we were used as tools in the first place," Lelouch said coldly.

A look of realization appeared on Clovis's face.

"That's right. It was because my mother was killed," Lelouch said with growing anger. "My mother was a Knight of the Rounds, but a commoner by birth. I knew full well that the other imperial consorts despised my mother for both her commoner heritage and how confrontational she could be."

Lelouch fondly remembered his mother in that moment. At one time, he had thought she was the emperor's favorite. He even recalled a time when Marianne would ride into a ballroom, picking a fight with three of the emperor's consorts at once whenever one of them picked on Nunnally. But the memory of her dead body holding a terrified and wounded Nunnally came into mind, and a great anger rose within him.

"Even though you made it look like the work of terrorists, I'm no fool. You people killed my mother! Then you tried to have us killed during the invasion to better justify seizing Japan, didn't you?!"

"I swear to you brother, it WASN'T ME!" Clovis cried out, terrified.

"Then tell me what you know. I will have the truth one way or another," Lelouch said. His eye glowed red, and the strange new power flowed through him. "Tell me everything I want to know!"

In seconds, Clovis was snared by Lelouch's Geass, putting him into a cooperative trance-like state.

"Tell me, who killed my mother?" Lelouch demanded.

"My brother Second Prince Schneizel and Second Princess Cornelia, they could tell you."

"Were they the masterminds behind it? I know Cornelia used to be the head of security at our villa," Lelouch said, but Clovis said nothing.

I see. So he truly knows nothing, then.

"Why did you try to purge this ghetto of everyone? Tell me, what was so valuable about the girl in the capsule?"

"The girl has been a subject of interest to my father, the Emperor. He has a keen interest in ancient ruins related to the girl and the mark upon her forehead. She has been the key to my research into the matter," Clovis answered.

So the Emperor is involved in this too.

"I was purging Shinjuku Ghetto to eliminate any witnesses who might've discovered the truth. If the public discovered her existence I would be disinherited or worse by the Emperor."

"So you killed all of these people, women and children, including my best friend Suzaku, ALL JUST TO PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION AND ROYAL STATUS?" Lelouch snarled, his anger boiling over.

"Yes," Clovis replied stoically.

After taking a moment to calm down, Lelouch glared at Clovis.

"I am done. I have no further questions."

Within moments Clovis regained his wits, unaware of what had happened.

"I swear it wasn't me. I had nothing to do with it!"

"I believe you," Lelouch said calmly. "However…"

Lelouch brought the gun to Clovis's face, with a hardened expression of cold resolve.

"Please, you can't! We may have different mothers, but you and I are still blood," Clovis pleaded fearfully.

"Maybe, but seeing how far you are willing to go to protect your status… sparing you would be a dangerous mistake for me, and besides….all of these people you murdered. They deserve retribution just as I'll seek retribution for my mother's death and my sister's crippling."

"NO!"

Those were Clovis's last words before Lelouch pulled the trigger, ending his life. The gun flared, and the prince slumped over in his seat, quite dead.

Afterwards, Lelouch calmly collected the shell casing before retrieving his helmet and mask. Quickly and quietly, he departed the command center, leaving Clovis's corpse behind in the empty command center.

Minutes later, as the sun was beginning to set, Lelouch managed to make his way back to Kallen's Glasgow where Benio was waiting for him.

"Did it work?" she asked.

"Yes. As you've heard, the battle is over. Let's get out of here," Lelouch said, motioning for Benio to follow him.

---

Elsewhere, Kallen was walking away with Ohgi. They were leaving the Shinjuku Ghetto in the company of the surviving civilians, glancing at the command center in the distance, wondering what Zero had done to force a ceasefire like that.

"Where did he put your Glasgow?" Ohgi whispered to Kallen.

"He said he would hide it in a building near the G-1 that would be out of sight. Not that it matters. It's a wreck with one arm missing and one not working right."

"I see. Well, maybe you better go back to Ashford Academy for now. Lay low for a while until things cool down," Ohgi advised.

"But-"

"No buts. I am sure Naoto would like to see you back in school. Besides, we're going to be busy relocating to a safer place, so its for the best."

"Fine," Kallen said reluctantly.

---

Somewhere in the sewers running below the ghetto, Lelouch led Benio through the dark tunnels, using the night vision of his helmet to guide them.

"Do you have anywhere you can go?" He asked. Picking her up and saving her had seemed like the right thing in the moment, but it occurred to him that he had no plan. It wasn't like he was capable of taking care of a girl all by herself, right?

"No," Benio said sadly. "My mother and father were the only family I had."

"I see," Lelouch said, wondering what to do. "I suppose you can stay with me for now. But we'll need to stick to the sewers and waterways. If anyone sees us, it could raise too many questions."

"Will that be alright for you?"

"I'll figure something out. I'm sorry, but I'll need to keep you out of sight."

"I understand. I… trust you."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

Easier said than done through…

---

A/N: Whew Shinjuku is done, while technically having the same outcome as in canon there was some changes and some new players such as Oldrin and her friends while they are attending the local military academy in Area 11, with Oldrin wanting to be far away from her uncle.

And we also see Lelouch's losses to Sandra and her Fireball did teach him lessons to never underestimate a lone unit especially if you have an advantage in numbers, showing that Lelouch took it to heart when he heard of the Lancelot tearing apart the resistance and their new Sutherlands.

Like in canon Lelouch kills Clovis, but not before getting some more information out of him.

Thanks guys for reading the chapter and in the next one Lelouch has to figure out what to do with his new charge and what will come next.

 

[StrifeHavoc]

A/N: Thanks to Greatkingrat88 for his beta work and being co-author of the story.

So let us get to the action.

---

Chapter 4

Ripple Effect​

The sun had begun to set, but it was wasted on Lelouch and Benio, as the duo was traveling underground to avoid being seen together. Thankfully Lelouch had found a point in the old subway tunnels that connected to the waterways that traveled throughout the Tokyo Settlement, gloomily lit by the waning daylight seeping through the cracks.

"How are you holding up?" Asked Lelouch.

"I am alright. I'm just glad we're not walking in the dark anymore," Benio answered.

"I can't blame you. From here we should be able to reach Ashford Academy."

"How can you be so sure?"

"There is an elevator that leads to the lower levels of the academy with a secure passageway that leads into the waterways. I know the codes needed to enter and go as I please."

"How did you know about it?"

"One of my friends is the granddaughter of the academy's headmaster. He's the one who told me about the elevator and passageway. It was designed as an escape route in case of emergencies, and it also connects to a panic room," Lelouch said, leading Benio onward. "As for how I know where to go, I obtained a map of the waterways around Ashford Academy and memorized which tunnels lead to where, leaving some marks to guide me."

"Oh, I see. Like trail markers?"

"Exactly."

"So, what will you do once we get to Ashford Academy?"

"For now. I might have to hide you in the panic room until nightfall. Hopefully, I can move you into the Student Council Clubhouse to hide you until I can work something more long term out. I don't know if you'll be able to hide here at the academy indefinitely, or if it would even be a good idea for you," Lelouch said, sounding uncertain. He pointed to a chess piece drawn with chalk on the wall next to a pipe.

"Ok, but those chess pieces you drew?"

"Yes, sometimes one or in a pair as a way to tell me which way I am going. But it also helps make it harder for anyone else possibly pursuing me to follow."

"Smart. Lead the way then," Benio said, following Lelouch as the chess pieces Lelouch drew led their way.

---

Back at Shinjuku Ghetto, Suzaku had disembarked the Lancelot. He was tired. He had somehow survived that ambush against the terrorists in Shinjuku Ghetto, and it was starting to catch up with him, mentally and physically. With that unexpected cease fire, Suzaku had been assisting in recovery efforts, searching for any lost Britannian soldiers who were missing and retrieving the cockpit of the pilots who had been forced to eject from their machines. The battle may have been over, but the mess the conflict left was enormous. The Britannians had expected an easy victory against an enemy that could barely muster a single Glasgow, and had suddenly found themselves not only matched, but defeated. A calculating, cunning enemy had ruthlessly exploited how spread out they were, and Suzaku had been there to pick up the pieces.

"Well now, I must say today was lucky for us. Congratulations, Private Kururugi. You not only got us more combat data than we hoped for, but you clocked at a ninety-seven efficiency rating," Lloyd said, practically giddy with the raw data he had collected.

"Very well done indeed. I think you defeated all of the terrorists on your own," Cecile said encouragingly.

"Yes, but I think one got away. It wasn't a threat but…" Suzaku said, remembering the damaged Glasgow that fled, wondering if that had been the commander or someone else of import. He had focused on that one before he was led into that trap.

"Excuse me, is Lloyd Asplund here?" It was a severe-looking military man, approaching with a dark look on his face.

"Who is asking," Lloyd said.

"Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, of the Elite Knightmare Frame squadron," His expression darkened further as he saw Suzaku in a pilot suit. "May I speak to you in private, sir? There is something I wish to ask of you. I promise to make it worth your while."

"Interesting," Lloyd said, adjusting his glasses. "Alright. I trust you can handle the rest, Cecile?"

"Of course, sir. Come along, Suzaku," Cecile said, beckoning Suzaku to follow.

Jeremiah led Lloy to an unused troop transport, closing the hatch behind them for privacy.

"Before I ask for a favor," Jeremiah began, "I must ask, why is an Eleven piloting such an invaluable experimental weapon as the Lancelot?"

"Simple. We couldn't get a pilot. We actually had our eyes on you, but General Bartley said you refused," Lloyd replied frankly.

"WHAT?!" Jeremiah snapped, surprised. He took a deep breath to steady himself, looking as if he'd bitten into a lemon. "I see. It's unfortunate to lose such an opportunity, but I can arrange for the Lancelot to be used in more battles for more combat data."

"I am listening…"

"Is your sponsor the Prime Minister, the Second Prince?"

"Correct," Lloyd nodded.

"I would like you to help me arrange for a chance to speak with him," Jeremiah asked before adding. "Do this for me and I promise to ensure your Lancelot will have all of the opportunities for more combat data it can have."

"He is preparing to leave for a summit. It might be close, but I can arrange it. As long as you keep your word," Lloyd said with a hopeful smile.

"Worry not. Given what I heard of the Lancelot's performance, it would be wasted off the battlefield."

In the back of Jeremiah's mind, his anger continued to simmer.

Earlier, Jeremiah had returned, entering the G-1 to speak to Bartley about the cease fire. But upon reaching the command center, he had found something he didn't expect. Prince Clovis was dead, with General Bartley and the staff officers present while investigators were going over the scene.

"You are to tell no one of what you saw," Bartley commanded upon seeing Jeremiah.

"You left his highness alone… what happened?!"

"I…. I… don't remember," Bartley said, only angering Jeremiah further.

"You don't remember?! A prince of Britannia is dead and you don't remember why you left him alone to be killed?!"

"That is not what happened! If you spread word of what happened, I'll see to it you and your Purebloods are held accountable," Bartley snapped back. He was sweating, but he was showing flashes of anger.

Jeremiah seemingly complied, but he had no intention of allowing what he had discovered to go unpunished. They might cover up what happened, or their incompetence would allow the real killer to get away. Margrave Jeremiah had friends in the homeland he could contact to help him, but he would need the backing of someone powerful and well above Bartley to help him.

I won't allow what happened to go unpunished, not like Lady Marianne and her children, Jeremiah thought, barely containing his anger.

---

It was late. Hours had passed since the disaster in Shinjuku. Back at the military academy, Oldrin was in one of the stalls of the showers cleaning up. She, Toto, Liliana and Marika had all been recovered shortly after Clovis had called the ceasefire. There was no question Shinjuku had been a complete disaster for the military, but for Oldrin, it ran deeper. Her failure to take down the terrorist leader had left her furious.

"Damn it!" She snarled. Her temper flaring, she punched the wall in front of her.

"Hey Oz, take it easy," Liliana said from the shower stall next to her.

"Look, at least we got a pat on the back, compared to what happened to the rest of the class," Marika offered.

"I agree, my lady," Toto said from the stall next to Marika. "All things considered, we did well. And our commander did praise us."

"Sure, but…" Oldrin said with a defeated sigh.

"Look at least we survived that counter ambush," Liliana said, trying to cheer her friend up.

"I know, but we should've had that guy!" Oldrin said, clenching her fists.

"Look, the commander said whoever was calling the shots likely predicted our moves by reading the movements our forces made and countering accordingly," Liliana pointed out, as she began to work shampoo into her hair.

"When I spoke with him earlier, my brother told me Prince Clovis, General Bartley, and three of his staff officers commanded the battle," Marika began, sighing. "He had less than pleasant things to say about Bartley and those staff officers. Before becoming a General, Bartley was a civil servant, so he has no military qualities other than his loyalty to Clovis. As for the other officers, his highness surrounded himself with men who had a lot of unpleasant rumors surrounding them, such as all of them having bribed their way to their positions."

"So basically you are saying a major reason why we lost is because the men running the show were incompetent," Oldrin said dryly before starting to use shampoo on her own hair.

"With respect, that isn't the only reason, my lady," Toto said matter-of-factly. "Our forces made the bigger mistake of overextending themselves very early in the battle. Such overconfidence in the face of a few insurgents would not be atypical even for experienced military officers. The fact remains our side suffered larger losses than the other side. Even if we did technically win in the end, it was a humiliation, and it's sure to mean more trouble in the future.

"So to sum it up, our side was careless and incompetent," Oldrin said, her annoyance plain in her tone.

"It's not hard to imagine why they got cocky," Marika said, rinsing her hair. "From what I've heard these terrorists had only one Glasgow which barely functioned according to my brother, and the rest were fighters using assault rifles and anti-tank launchers. There was no way they'd have been able to turn the battle around. It wasn't even a battle, as far as they were concerned."

"Ok, so how did they get their hands on Sutherlands then?" Oldrin asked, as she too began rinsing her hair to apply conditioner.

"Well that's the baffling part, according to my brother when I asked him it seems the Sutherlands the enemy used were stolen from our side during the battle," Marika revealed stunning her friends. "They've been questioning one of the pilots, but he doesn't remember anything. Shockingly, the majority of units the enemy used were reserve units under guard. They vanished and their guards turned up dead."

"HOW!? That makes no sense! One pilot had his stolen and forgot what happened?! And what did the guards do, just give the Sutherlands over to the enemy? Ow-" Oldrin snapped,but stopped when some conditioner got in her eye.

"I agree that shouldn't have been possible?" Liliana said, stunned by the revelation.

"Did the enemy force the pilot out and hack their activation codes? Maybe even got the codes from the guards?" Liliana inquired.

"Even if that was the case, it takes time to hack a Sutherland. Given their security protocols, it would've been exceptionally difficult to do in the middle of a battlefield," Toto pointed out. "As for the reserve units, they are more than likely easier to use since they didn't have an assigned pilot, but even they shouldn't have been able to seize those machines without anyone being alerted."

"Well, most of the Sutherlands were destroyed, so it might take time for them to determine if they were hacked or not," Oldrin said.

"Still, to have stolen so many Sutherlands from our forces during the battle… how could a bunch of terrorists with one barely functional Glasgow pull that off?" Liliana asked, massaging the conditioner into her scalp and hair.

"Maybe this was something else? Maybe another group intervened to save them?" Marika suggested.

"That would make sense. The change in tactics didn't happen until the middle of the battle," Toto said in agreement.

Oldrin said nothing, but she did wonder.

If that's true, then who or what were we dealing with?

---

Across the city, Lelouch had found his way back to the area where he had ended up trapped, aboard the transport truck. As exhausted as he was, he needed to ensure he could fabricate a convincing cover story. As he had explained to Benio, no one could learn he was at Shinjuku; it could endanger both himself and his sister. Although he had taken precautions to keep his identity hidden, he knew he shouldn't lower his guard, especially considering the uproar Clovis' death would cause.

The murder of the Viceroy of Area 11 and a Prince of Britannia would no doubt drive an investigation to find the killer, which made it more crucial that he leave nothing to chance. Even before killing Clovis, Lelouch had ordered Bartley and his fellow officers to leave Clovis unattended, but they were instructed to ensure any record of his arrival and presence was removed while covering his own escape. He even made sure to take the shell casing after he killed Clovis, and intended to hide the murder weapon.

I don't like leaving Benio alone after what she went through, but I can't have her stay in Ashford Academy without raising too many questions, Lelouch thought.

Lelouch had an idea of how to get her taken care of, but he would need a plausible cover story and hope the person he planned to ask would help him. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of tires skidding to a halt. Lelouch looked over his shoulder to see Sokkia arrive riding a sportbike, a rental judging by the red and white markings.

"Lelouch," Sokkia said, staring at Lelouch. "LELOUCH!?"

She practically leapt over the bike, embracing Lelouch in a smoldering hug. Lelouch struggled against it as she began crying hysterically.

"Calm down, Sokkia. I am fine," Lelouch said, trying in vain to calm down his overly emotional friend. He was thankful no one was around to see his situation. After trying and failing to calm her down, Lelouch decided to let her work it out of her system. It took several minutes, but eventually Sokkia exhausted herself and finally stopped crying.

"Are you done letting it out?" Lelouch asked flatly.

"Uh-huh," Sokkia answered, nodding.

"Okay, so could you release me?"

"Oh, right," Sokkia said, forgetting she was holding Lelouch in a bear hug.

She let go and Lelouch stepped back, straightening out his uniform before asking,

"I know you'll ask me this first, but where were you, Sokkia?"

"Where was I? Where did you go!?"

"You didn't see me on top of the truck that crashed earlier?"

"I saw you run towards it, but I didn't watch you since I had to move Rivalz's bike off the road," Sokkia said, wiping away a lingering tear.

Ah, Lelouch thought, recognizing an opportunity.

"I see. So you didn't see what happened to the truck?"

"I heard it drove off, and I saw you fall inside of it," Sokkia said. Damn it. This might be a problem, Lelouch thought.

"So I panicked and tried to chase down that truck, but with the bike dead I had to rent a sports bike," Sokkia said.

"Did you know where that truck was going? Anything else about it?" Lelouch asked. Should he use his Geass? No, not yet. Let's find out what she knows first.

"No, nothing. I was too busy trying to find you. I spent all afternoon and most of the evening," Sokkia said weakly. "Those stupid traffic restrictions near Shinjuku didn't help. I mean, why!?"

So Sokkia didn't know the truck was the target of the police and military, Lelouch thought, quickly thinking of a cover story, drawing inspiration from a billboard he saw on a nearby building about seeking truck drivers.

"The truck I was stuck in was transporting goods to be sent to the homeland via the harbor in Chiba, you see. They failed to notice I was aboard until it reached the end of its route. By that point I was found, and I explained the situation. They weren't happy about what happened, but I managed to work it out. I was reimbursed for the inconvenience, so I had to get back here. I wanted to be sure Rivalz's bike was taken care of."

"Really? That's quite the adventure," Sokkia said, impressed.

"Well it's nothing I would readily do again if I can help it, but let's take care of Rivalz's bike. I'll arrange for it to get it towed then repaired," Lelouch said. It seemed Sokkia had no suspicions, thankfully. With her as a witness my cover story should be more accepted, Lelouch thought.

"Afterwards I'll give you a ride back to the academy. I owe it to you," Sokkia offered.

"On that?" Lelouch asked, pointing to the sports bike.

"Yes. And don't worry I can do it easily," Sokkia said with a bright smile that made Lelouch feel uneasy. Hesitantly, he nodded.

"Alright, if it's not an issue for you."

"Nah it won't be," Sokkia said, waving her hand dismissively.

Why do I have a feeling I'll regret it?

Thirty minutes later, after Lelouch had Rivalz's bike taken care of and towed to a mechanic for repairs. Right now, Lelouch found himself holding onto Sokkia's waist, the young girl riding down the street at close to fifty miles an hour. Not only that, but despite the added weight of a passenger, she was impressively dodging and jumping over anything that could have blocked their path. Holding on for dear life, Lelouch regretted not listening to his instincts and politely declining Sokkia's offer, but he had no way of knowing that Sokkia was capable of such feats on a bike. She was a part-time sports model and acknowledged as among the most athletic of students at academy matched by her other teammates and friends, but he had not expected this level of insanity.

At least I am getting a good alibi out of this, Lelouch said, as he desperately held on as he almost got sent flying off the bike for the sixth time.

---

"Sounds like you had a rough night," Lily Erdmann said, watching Lelouch sigh before moving a chess piece. He had just finished telling Lily what had happened the previous night, and the two were sitting in their classroom with a chess board between them. The young man was seated at his usual desk, while Lily had brought a chair to sit opposite of Lelouch for their game. Monica had joined as an observer.

"I think rough night might be an understatement," Monica remarked, leaning over Lelouch.

More so than you could possibly know, Lelouch thought.

"Well, I never imagined Sokkia was capable of such feats with a sports bike. I heard she is among the best in physical education class in the academy, but still I didn't think she could ride a bike like that," Lelouch said, waiting for Lily to make a move.

"Sokkia is a lot more energetic than most people think. Even as a kid in the orphanage we all lived in, she was the most active. She couldn't sit still, so she spent a lot of time outside playing games and riding her bike," Lily explained, before taking a moment to contemplate her next move.

"Orphans?" Monica said.

"Oh right, Sokkia, me, Stephanie, and Matoaka were all from the same orphanage in the Homeland," Lily said, moving a chess piece. "Unfortunately it was closed down to make room for new military facilities, but lucky for us, Sandra and her family took us in."

"So you all knew each other back then?" Monica asked, watching as Lelouch made a countermove to Lily's last move.

"Yes. Sandra and her family were helping our orphanage as part of the Citizen Rehabilitation Program started by First Prince Odysseus eu Britannia. In exchange for amnesty and aid from the government, after the Dolos Family's criminal empire collapsed, they had to work towards the public good. Taking care of the orphanage was one such way," Lily answered before going back to contemplating her next move against Lelouch, as she was finding herself in a bind.

It's impressive how the introduction of the Knight-police unit changed so much. In fact, the introduction of Knightmare Frames in general changed a lot of things, Lelouch mused, confident of his impending victory.

The once feared Dolos Family had stood at the top of Britannia's criminal underworld in the Homeland for decades since the time of Sandra's grandfather, who turned what had been a small poor family into a noble household and leaders of a international criminal empire primarily based in the Homeland, its reach extending across all corners of the Empire.

But the introduction of the LE-E106 Knight-police, a unit fashioned after the Glasgow created after the new RPI-13 Sutherland replacing the Glasgow as Britannia's new primary Knightmare Frame changed all of that. Armed with their new armor and advanced sensors, the Knight-police overpowered the Dolos Family enforcers, weakening and ultimately collapsing their criminal empire, as many of their business partners and criminal allies fled to the Areas where the laws were, as Sandra put it, full of holes.

The Dolos Family couldn't escape their empire's collapse, but thanks to the Rehabilitation program the noble household would survive, if only as a minor house. However, Sandra's rise to fame as the champion of the Jousting & Formation Competitive KMF League allowed the family to regain some prestige especially thanks to all of the corporate sponsors, leading the Dolos family to focus on entertainment enterprises where they found some success.

"Then you all formed the Fireballs. No wonder your teamwork is so solid," Monica said, impressed.

"We've literally known each other for the longest time," Lily said with a chuckle.

"Not to interrupt the fond memories you are relieving Lily, but check," Lelouch said with a grin.

Lily's eyes went wide realizing she was in a bad position. One wrong move would win the match for Lelouch.

"Right, uh," Lily said, trying to think fast before an idea came to her, moving up a rook to block the check. Taking the rook would set her up to take whatever took the rook with her own knight. "Ah-ha!"

"Good move," Lelouch said, impressed.

"Does anyone beat you at chess?" Monica asked, recognizing Lily was still in a bad spot even if she escaped losing the match for the time being.

"Only one person has, and it was Sokkia," Lily said, watching as Lelouch made a move.

"Sokkia? I thought she was more athletically minded," Monica asked.

"She is, but she does love to play games against people from board games to chess," Lily said, taking time to consider her options before making a move. "She's actually better at chess than I am, but she managed to beat Lelouch once."

"Huh. No offense, but I wouldn't have considered her the chess playing type at first glance," Monica said.

"No that's personally reasonable, and I think that is part of the reason why she ended up besting the whole chess club, like Lelouch did. They underestimated Sokkia, assuming she was just an overly cheerful and energetic young woman. Still she is much better than me," Lily said.

"Don't sell yourself short Lily, you're not bad yourself. You are still leagues better than the members of the nobility I challenge and the chess club," Lelouch said encouragingly ,making his move.

"That says a lot, coming from you," Lily said with a smile.

But as they played, a sudden commotion near the entrance to the classroom got Lelouch's attention. He glanced towards the door, noticing a group of girls surrounding a new arrival, a familiar girl with combed down shoulder-length red hair, blue eyes and a drowsy expression.

That's her, Lelouch thought, recognizing Kallen instantly, keeping his expression neutral to hide his surprise. The hair is different, but that looks like her.

"Kallen it has been ages. Welcome back," one student exclaimed excitedly.

Same name too. It has to be her. He felt certain the Kallen who arrived in class was the same one he had seen in Shinjuku. Lelouch made a mental note to look into it.

"Well buddy, enjoying the company?"

Monica, Lelouch, and Lily were joined by a young man with a tanned complexion, gray eyes and spiky blue hair and a happy-go-lucky disposition.

"I take it you got back from checking with the mechanic, Rivalz," Lelouch said, moving another black chess piece.

"Yeah, thanks for covering the cost behind the repair. Jeez, I didn't realize things would get so hectic for you without me around," Rivalz Cardemonde said with a sigh, before joining the trio at the table. "And today we get the return of Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, I didn't think her comeback would draw such a crowd."

"She's not a new student? I don't think I've seen her," Lily said, noticing the other female students crowding around Kallen.

"I am not shocked you would say that. Some people say she is sick, or something. Nothing terminal or anything, but her frail health has not only kept her from playing sports but kept her out of school for most of the year. She is the only daughter of Lord Stadtfeld, which means she is well-bred and rolling in money," Rivalz explained.

Quite the cover story, Lelouch thought.

"I see she is quite popular, despite her long absence," Monica commented.

"Yeah, just like someone else I know," Rivalz said, playfully winking at Lelouch.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lelouch asked while raising an eyebrow.

"It's not obvious?" Rivalz said, glancing at Lily and Monica sitting near Lelouch.

"Why would that matter?" Lelouch asked.

Lucky for Lelouch, the conversation was interrupted by a couple students taking their seats behind them, apparently watching the news on their smartphones.

"They used poison gas?" Said one of them.

"That's scary, Shinjuku is about thirty minutes from here," another student said.

"Oh my god! I saw smoke rising over in Shinjuku, it must have been the gas," a female student said, her tone frightened.

"Did they say anything else?" the first student asked.

"Other than the terrorists were dealt with, nothing else," the second student said, which got Lelouch's attention.

No mention of Clovis's demise? That's odd. There had been no news reports about Clovis when he woke up this morning, which made him wonder if something else was happening or they were trying to put together a report on events with the hope of having a killer to present as a scapegoat. Given how disastrous events in Shinjuku had been for Britannia, Lelouch wondered if they were purposely hiding Clovis's death out of fear of how the Homeland would react once the truth comes to light. The crushing defeat they suffered in Shinjuku was bad enough, but having a Prince of Britannia dead on top of that would lead to outrage and possibly anarchy in Area if the situation was mishandled in any way. Especially given what they were trying to cover up already…

How long will they hide it, before they have to reveal what happened to Clovis? I doubt I'll be caught, so will they use a scapegoat instead?

---

Back at Area 11's military academy in Tokyo, Oldrin, Toto, Marika and Liliana wondered why their class was four students short. Their thoughts were interrupted when their instructor, Hilda, entered the room followed by a young woman. Oldrin's jaw nearly dropped when she saw her. She was here? Now?

Her reddish brown hair and violet eyes made her stand out. Her hair was neatly styled into a ponytail while the rest was left hanging while dressed in the academy uniform.

"Alright Cadets! As you've noticed, Cadets Jenner, Davis, Richardson and Clark will no longer be with us due to their insubordination and getting most of their class caught in a trap. Needless to say, their parents and the top brass weren't happy about that," Hilda said dismissively while no one in the class complained. "The rest of you, except for a handful, were already punished enough for following those idiots, but in their place we have a new cadet joining us. May I present Marrybell mel Britannia, formerly of the Royal Family."

"Thank you," Marrybell said politely to Hilda, then turning to the class. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance. Please, do not let my name concern you. My status as a member of the royal family was revoked years ago. In status, I am no different from the rest of you."

"You can take your seat next to Cadet Zevon, Cadet Marrybel," Hilda said professionally.

"Hello Oldrin, it's been a while," Marrybell said as she took a seat next to Oldrin.

"Yes. I didn't expect to see you in Area 11," Oldrin said.

"Alright, enough chatter. We have work to do," Hilda said. "Now, about that last encounter. The critical mistake that happened on the tactical level was…"

As the lesson began, Oldrin kept glancing at Marrybel. What was she doing here?

---

Later that day, Lelouch managed to track down Kallen during lunch time, finding her sitting among her friends in the courtyard. As Lelouch contemplated a way he could approach her, he saw the girls panic and flee as a bee flew near them. Kallen on the other hand, seemingly too slow and drowsy from sickness barely moved away. She retreated behind a nearby tree while her friends fled the area, which was just perfect for Lelouch.

That took care of itself. I just need to approach her.

"I don't get it, why is a bee after me? I wonder if there's a hive nearby," Kallen wondered out loud. She angrily killed the bee with one swipe of her hand, momentarily dropping her facade. She stood up, venting her anger before biting into her sandwich. "God, I hate this! I'm sick of acting like a freakin' invalid!"

Kallen just now noticed Lelouch, standing mere feet from her with an impressed look on his face. Crap, he saw me…

Any doubts Lelouch had about the Kallen before him being the same one from Shinjuku were gone in that instant. He glanced around one more time to make sure no one was around.

"Can I help you or something?" Kallen asked after hastily finishing the piece of food she had in her mouth.

"You will answer my questions," Lelouch commanded, activating his Geass.

The geass flew into her mind, taking effect in the blink of an eye. "Of course," Kallen said, immediately snared by its power.

"Were you the one piloting the Glasgow in Shinjuku, against Britannia?"

"Yes."

"Why are you a terrorist?"

"Because I'm Japanese. Though technically I'm half Britannian."

"Half-blood? But why go so far?" Lelouch said, surprised by the revelation.

"It's because of my older brother. He died not too long ago. He wanted to liberate Japan from Britannia, so I wouldn't have to live with my father."

"I see," Lelouch said.

Her father must've had her with a Japanese woman, likely an affair. Britannia wouldn't allow a noble to have a non-Britannian as a wife. Even if she was a mistress, it would be looked down upon. I know Lord Stadtfeld is married to a Britannian woman, so if Kallen is his legal daughter then his current wife might've been unable to conceive a child, Lelouch deduced.

"So you've joined the resistance cell he formed to get revenge?"

"Yes. Even if I accepted becoming a Britannia to live a better life, I couldn't abandon my Japanese friends. So I chose to fight for them, because what meaning would my brother's death have if I did nothing, and I am not exactly free as the daughter of a noble," Kallen said with a tint of sadness in her voice.

"You're not wrong," Lelouch agreed, knowing that Kallen as the daughter of a notable noble family would likely be expected to be married to another noble to further that family's prestige and wealth at some point. "Now, tell me about your friends and that resistance cell you belong to."

"Of course," Kallen said, beginning to tell him everything she knew.

---

Elsewhere in Area 11, a black car was driving up to a security gate. Inside the car was a man with a tan complexion, slick blue hair and gold eyes, sharply dressed in a blue Britannian officer's uniform. His brows were furrowed in contemplation, deep in thought. Sitting beside him in the car was a young woman with yellow eyes that shone with an ambitious drive. She had light blue hair tied into a long ponytail, and a dark skin tone. She wore a personalized uniform, with a purple sleeveless coat, a white shirt, a red tie and a black skirt with long thigh-high boots.

As the car passed the gates of the compound, the officer's expression soured, and he finally spoke up.

"That ex-civil servant is such an incompetent fool. Why his highness trusted him so greatly I'll never understand," Jeremiah Gottwald said, not even trying to hide his contempt for Bartley.

"Are you referring to Bartley?" said Villetta Nu.

"The killer has breached our heaviest security twice already. This perfunctory inspection is a farce," Jeremiah said with growing anger. "Not only that, but Bartley and the other fools his highness surrounded himself with, left him alone with his killer. Then they have the gall to claim they remember nothing. We cannot allow this to go unpunished."

"If that is so my Lord Jeremiah, then this is a golden opportunity for us Purebloods to finally-" Villetta Nu began, but Jeremiah cut her off, raising a finger.

"Let's not be too hasty," Jeremiah said. "As much as I wish to punish Clovis' incompetent subordinates, and as much as this is a golden opportunity for our faction, we cannot be careless." His earlier anger subsided, that contemplative expression returning. "There are preparations to be made first, and when we act we must be swift and ensure we have the support of the Homeland. Then all we'll need to do is win everyone over."

"Does this mean you contacted the homeland without Bartley's authority?"

"Yes and no," Jeremiah admitted with a sly smile. "I contacted the Prime Minister, Prince Schneizel, through the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps he oversees and supports. Since they operate outside of the normal command structure, it was easy enough to speak to their leader to pass along a message in exchange for more opportunities for the Lancelot to see combat. Given its considerable performance during Shinjuku, I call it a win-win, since not using it would be wasteful."

However, Jeremiah's eyes narrowed as he thought of the current pilot of the Lancelot.

"Its current pilot is a problem, but I'll see to it that that issue is dealt with. We cannot allow an Eleven to pilot such an advanced weapon, given the danger it could be should he use it against us. We'll need to find a list of skilled candidates to provide a suitable replacement. After all, the Lancelot is too capable of a machine to remain unused, and if our actions lead to it beginning a new generation of Knightmare Frames for our soldiers, then I'll call that another victory we can claim by making it possible," Jeremiah said as an idea came to mind.

"What are you planning to do about the pilot, my lord?" Villetta asked. Jeremiah grinned.

"Easily dealt with. In fact, I see a way we can make the most of this. We just need to speak with the investigators to see if they found anything before, we can act upon it," Jeremiah replied. "Ideally it would be easier if the investigators find the killer, but if not I have an alternative plan in mind."

---

Meanwhile Lelouch had finished questioning Kallen, collecting all of the information he needed before releasing her from his Geass. Kallen, unaware of how much time had passed and what Lelouch had asked her, was confused for a moment before noticing Lelouch standing before her.

"Um, did you want something?"

"I've been looking for you on behalf of the Student Council. They would like you to come to the Student Clubhouse tomorrow afternoon."

"What for?"

"As you know, it's a requirement for all students to join a club, but given your health this has been a problem for you. So, the headmasters proposed you join the Student Council. There isn't that much work required and if you had to miss some days it wouldn't be an issue. I'll explain in detail tomorrow and answer any questions you have," Lelouch said.

"I see… the student council?"

"It would fulfill the requirements asked of all students, and other than maybe a few issues it's an easy job. I doubt it wouldn't be much of a burden, and it does have some benefits that you might find interesting," Lelouch said.

"Okay, I guess I'll come by tomorrow," Kallen said.

Normally Kallen might've refused, but she knew it was a school rule for all students to be part of a club or after school activity. It would be a smooth enough solution.

"Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow," Lelouch said before leaving. Now there is just one more matter I need to attend to.

---

Later that afternoon, after finishing classes and his Student Council duties, Lelouch went down to the part of the clubhouse where he and his sister lived. They didn't live in the dorms because of the lack of wheelchair access for Nunnally, and so the Headmaster had arranged for them to stay in the Student Council Clubhouse, which had everything they would need and more than enough room to accommodate them both. Having originally been built as a ballroom to host special events, it was equipped with a number of large rooms, one of which was used as the meeting room of the Student Council. It also had its own bathroom, kitchen, and shower along with an elevator for Nunnally to use to reach the second floor the siblings lived on.

"Welcome home, Lelouch-sama," a young Japanese maid said, greeting him as he entered.

Assigned to be Nunnally's caretaker by the Headmaster, she was a Japanese woman in her early twenties dressed in the traditional black and white western maid attire. She had short brown hair and matching eyes, and a gentle, dutiful disposition.

"Thank you, Sayoko. Has Nunnally returned home yet?"

"Not yet. She should be back in about a half-hour," Sayoko replied.

"Good. There is a rather sensitive matter I must talk to you about, and one I need your help with," Lelouch said.

Sayoko Shinozaki, formerly the maid who took care of the headmaster's granddaughter before she was reassigned to Lelouch and Nunnally, was the primary caregiver for the siblings, particularly Nunnally given her disabilities. Despite his deeply rooted mistrust and suspicious nature, years of dutiful service from Sayoko had earned Lelouch's trust. Such was the trust between them that Sayoko was among the small few who knew the true identities of Lelouch and Nunnally as disinherited and presumed dead members of Britannian Royalty. She had kept faith all these years, without having too much to gain from it. It was a rare thing, and Lelouch appreciated it deeply.

Of course, that didn't make what he was about to ask of her any less easy.

"It must be serious if you are asking me to come down here," Sayoko commented after Lelouch led her through an elevator down to the lower underground levels.

Ashford Academy and much of the Settlement itself was built upon layers, so there are many underground spaces, many of which go unused. Even Ashford Academy took advantage of this, Lelouch knew they had created a panic room they could reach by using the elevator. But they also made it so that the underground areas could be accessed, allowing them to use the unused spaces for shelters, or even escape pathways to the waterways in the event of a terrorist invasion or a similar emergency. Lelouch had been using those unused spaces for his own purposes; in one he had hidden things he'd rather no one knew about. But for now, he had one such space being used by Benio to hide in.

"It is, and it involves what had happened to me yesterday."

"The incident with the truck I heard from Miss Sherpa?" Sayoko asked, to which Lelouch nodded.

After leaving the elevator, Lelouch led Sayoko to a room. Inside was Benio, surrounded by a sleeping bag, some eaten snacks and food Lelouch had brought her, and a few books and a radio to keep her occupied while she waited for Lelouch to return. Sayoko looked surprised.

"You've come back," Benio said, glad to see Lelouch return.

"I said I would be back. Sayoko, I must ask you a favor," Lelouch said.

"A favor?" Sayoko said quizzically.

"Yes. I cannot tell you what happened right now, but all you need to know for now is that this girl has no place to go. I need your help in finding her a place to stay, and something to do. I can cover whatever costs are required," Lelouch said, aware he was asking a lot.

"I see," Sayoko said. "Is this to do with…"

"That part of my life we avoid discussing? In a sense, yes. It's related. You are the only person whose discretion I can rely upon."

She nodded. "I see. Are you two…"

"Nothing like that," Lelouch said quickly. "I just need your help, that is all. Can I count on you?"

Sayoko considered it briefly. She understood that if Lelouch was seen with a Japanese girl, buying things for her, it would raise… questions. Questions which a prince in hiding did not need. She knew Lelouch well enough, and decided not to press further for now. "Your situation must be complicated to ask for my help like this."

You have no idea, Lelouch thought, knowing this was a gamble.

"You could say that. I… suffice it to say she was a person in need, and I… couldn't leave her behind.

Sayoko looked at the girl. She does remind me of Nunnally. I suppose that's the rub, then.

"I see. I'll take her under my care as the daughter of a friend, which isn't too far from the truth," Sayoko said slyly.

"Thank you, Sayoko," Lelouch said before saying, his Geass could be useful if the situation demands it. "If anyone makes an issue let me know. I'll do what I can to silence anyone who might take issue with it or ask too many questions."

"Of course. I'll sneak the young lady out tonight and bring her home. I'll work on getting her some new clothes and setting her up."

"Here, this should cover any expenses and then some for your own use as you want," Lelouch said, giving Sayoko an envelope with some money inside.

"Thank you Lelouch, for all you've done for me," Benio said happily. "I hope to repay you someday."

"Thanks, but just worry about your own wellbeing for now. I am sorry you had to spend all day down here, but hopefully that will change now."

"I promise to repay you, I swear. If you need my help, just ask."

"Fine, just do as Sayoko says and help her out for now," Lelouch said kindly.

That's one problem solved, now I need to get to work on preparations. I should be ready just in case when they do break the news of Clovis's demise, Lelouch thought.

---

A/N: Well that is done, I took some chances to expand on some things here such as Jeremiah going to Lloyd to go behind Bartley's back to speak with the Second Prince and Prime Minister of the Empire, Schneizel. I've wondered how Jeremiah pulled off what he did, since it wasn't touched upon too much, but I am sure he likely got support from the Homeland and the okay to dispose of Bartley, arrest him then send him back to the Homeland for his incompetence and gross negligence that got a prince killed, as far as they know at least.

Then you got Jeremiah finding out, an Eleven and the son of Japan's last Prime Minister was piloting their most advance weapons which in hands set off alarm bells, his issues with non-Britannians aside I can't imagine anyone in Britannia would be fine with a foreigner piloting an advance weapon, understandably fearful he could use the weapon against them and steal it. Even through we all know Suzaku wouldn't, but at least those reasons for being against piloting him would make more sense even if this was also driven their views of Numbers too.

I had some worries with the scene involving Sayoko in which Lelouch goes to her to have her take care of Benio, at first I was going to have it that she would learn some more details about what happened, but I was advised against that.

As for the scene for Sokkia and Lelouch, for those who have read Oz of the Reflection story can probably guess where the inspiration of Sokkia taking Lelouch home on a bike came from. The hard part was trying to figure out how fast she was going, since in the manga she rode a bike at very impressive speeds with Oldrin and Leon as passengers on the same bike while easily dodging, jumping over and zipping pass people, vehicles and other obstacles. So with Lelouch alone I imagine Sokkia would be faster, so I did some quick research on the speeds athletes on bikes could achieve and based the speed off of that.

Next chapter the ball starts rolling for Lelouch and other events begin kicking off. Thank you for reading the chapter and thanks in advance for any feedback, favorites and follows.

 

[StrifeHavoc]

A/N: Thanks again to Greatratking88 for his work on this story for the beta work he does, and also his help in improving and enhancing the scenes near the end of the chapter and addressing some potential issues.

---

Chapter 5

Changes​

The following morning at the Britannian Military Academy, Oldrin, Marrybell, Liliana, Marika and Toto sat together in the mess hall, having breakfast together. After being reunited yesterday, Oldrin introduced Marrybell to her friends, bringing them up to speed on recent events.

"So, you knew Princess Marrybell when you were children?" Marika asked, wolfing down a fork full of scrambled eggs.

"Yes, I did. Her mother and mine were close friends," Oldrin said with a smile.

"Correct. But please, I am no longer a princess, royal blood or no," Marrybell said modestly.

"Sorry about that. Call it a habit my brother and parents pushed on me," Marika replied with a nervous smile.

Marrybell laughed, "It's fine. That habit seems pretty common."

"Wasn't your mother Empress Flora mel Britannia? One of the two people who was a rival to Marianne vi Britannia?" Liliana asked curiously.

"That is correct. Her family had a longstanding military tradition. With her parents never having any sons, Flora joined the military, rising through the ranks and eventually becoming the Knight of Seven before catching the eye of the Emperor himself alongside Lady Marianne. She was friends with Marianne, despite their rivalry, and also with Lady Oldrin's mother Olivia Zevon, who would become the Knight of Four. They were known as the Valkyries of Britannia, nigh unstoppable on the battlefield when together. Lady Olivia held the moniker of the Lioness of Britannia, Empress Flora the Red Fox and Marianne the Flash," Toto answered, beaming with admiration.

"It is tragic how they died, though," Marrybell said, thinking of her mother's passing.

"My mother was shaken by your mother's and Lady Marianne's demise. She and Sir Waldstein attended their funerals," Oldrin said sadly. "My own mother passed not long after."

"Sir Waldstein, the Knight of One?" Liliana said.

"Yes, he was close friends with Ladies Marianne, Flora and Olivia. Marianne was one of the few people to make Sir Waldstien fight all out against her in sparring matches. He gave touching eulogies at their funerals," Toto said.

"To think my mother and sister would die by a terrorist bombing, while Lady Marianne would die gunned down by terrorists," Marrybell said sadly.

"I can't imagine what that's like, especially when you consider they were royalty. Terrorists getting to them..- it should have been impossible," Marika said.

"Indeed," Marrybell said. Her eyes hid a lingering resentment.

The Knights of the Round was a title and position given to select individuals by the ruling Emperor or Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire. They were the best of the best, elite soldiers under the direct command of the ruler of Britannia. As such, they existed outside of the normal military chain of command and had executive privileges. Only the emperor had a right to command or discipline them. To become a member of the Knights of the Round was a great honor, coveted by many a noble. Lady Marianne was the first commoner to achieve the title, and at eighteen no less.

The title of Knight of One, however, was the most coveted title of all. Not only did this make you the personal bodyguard to the Emperor, but also his personal emissary, holding commanding authority over the other Knights of the Round, and exclusively the right to command any Area he or she chooses. Bismarck Waldstein, who held the title, was the strongest knight of the Empire for his unmatched combat prowess on the battlefield.

"Forgive me for asking, but how did you get exiled from the royal family?" Liliana innocently asked.

"Liliana!" Oldrin snapped.

"Sorry!"

"No, it's fine. Someone was bound to ask." Marrybell said, raising her hand dismissively. "After my mother and younger sister were killed by a child suicide bomber, I confronted the Emperor much like my half-brother did following the demise of Lady Marianne. Unlike him, I drew a sword against the Emperor when he showed disinterest."

"You drew a sword on the Emperor!?" Marika said in shock.

"Yes, I was… quite upset at the time, you understand," Marrybell admitted. "I was disinherited and lost my position within the Royal Family, but my older half-brother Schneizel el Britannia took me under his protection. I did spend time with Oldrin's family until her uncle Oiaguro Zevon killed Lady Olivia in a duel to take control of the Zevon Family."

"How did he get away with that?" Marika inquired, "Killing a Knight of the Round, let alone assaulting one is an instant death sentence."

"Legally it was a sanctioned duel, which involved the right to take control of the Zevon Household through a rarely used law." Toto said regretfully.

"I left the family before Oiaguro could take over fleeing to Area 11 to attend the military academy there," Oldrin noted. "I couldn't accept my mother's death regardless of my uncle's reasons, and I resented him for it."

"So that is why you came all the way here," Liliana said thoughtfully.

"Once my brother said I was properly prepared, he allowed me to travel to Area 11 to complete my military training, since he deemed the instructors here to be more capable. He hoped once my training was complete, I could help him by becoming a test pilot for the new Knightmare Frame his Camelot division was working on," Marrybell said, drinking a bit of orange juice.

"Camelot?" Marika inquired, swallowing a forkful of pancake.

"Camelot Engineering Corps. It's a Britannian Special Research Division founded and supported by my half-brother Schneizel. The project is headed by Earl Lloyd Asplund, a brilliant if eccentric engineer and inventor. They are operating here in Area 11 as the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, and have developed a successful working prototype of a Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame. However, they've been having problems finding a suitable test pilot," Marrybell explained.

"So that white machine that appeared in Shinjuku, that must've been it," Oldrin said. She remember that flash of white, that sleek machine easily cutting through the Sutherlands.

"Really?" Marrybell said, taking notice, "Tell me what happened."

---

Meanwhile, a convoy of four armored vehicles and an armored transport escorted by six Sutherlands were traveling down a cleared highway, heading for a military base at the harbor where a transport plane was waiting. General Bartley sat alone in the transport; next to him was an ornate coffin containing the body of Prince Clovis. His phone rang, and he answered the call. He knew who it was.

"The Research Team?" Bartley asked.

"They transferred to Narita last night per your orders," the caller replied.

"Very good. Begin covering up all traces, including this conversation," Bartley ordered.

"Yes sir," the man replied before hanging up.

"I pray that you'll forgive me, your highness," Bartley said, knowing it might be only a matter of time before he faced judgment. He couldn't remember what led to him and the other Staff Officers leaving Prince Clovis alone on the Command Bridge of his G-1, but by the time they came to, his highness was dead. Any record of who might've been aboard the G-1 had been erased with no trace of who the killer had been, despite their best efforts. The fact they couldn't remember a thing made the situation even worse for them, and the light guard detail on the G-1 made it a LOT worse; it was a recipe for disaster which Bartley knew was coming.

As such, he had ordered the research team charged with studying the girl they had kidnapped to be relocated to a hidden research base in Narita. He could face arrest for leaving Clovis alone to be killed, and as such he had done all he could to keep his reputation intact, covering up the illegal research happening without the Emperor's knowledge. Regardless, Bartley was determined to see his duty to Prince Clovis fulfilled until that time inevitably came.

Little did he know it was coming much sooner than he would've liked. Bartley's musings were interrupted by the sound of gunfire, explosions rocking the transport before it came to an abrupt stop.

"What in blazes is happening!"

Bartley tried to call for help, but no one answered. Moments later, he felt the transport shake as the roof of the vehicle was torn off. A Sutherland loomed over the open transport before the cockpit opened, revealing Jeremiah Gottwald as its pilot.

"Bartley, by the authority given to me by the Prime Minister of the Empire and his majesty, I hereby place you under arrest!"

"B-but- under what charge?!"

"Do I really need to tell you? Your incompetence knows no limits, you're pathetic! You shan't remain at his Royal Highness's side another minute!"

The door to the transport was opened, Britannian soldiers hurrying in to subdue and arrest Bartley. Outside of the transport the escort had been swiftly defeated, skillfully disarmed by Jeremiah and his group to avoid any needless casualties in their arrest of Bartley. Even as he was handcuffed, Bartley kept proclaiming his innocence as he was dragged away.

"Kewell, prepare to have Prince Clovis's remains moved to a new transport. Villetta, I want Bartley in prison and kept quiet until a prison transport can be prepared to send him back to the Homeland," Jeremiah ordered.

"Yes my lord," Kewell replied, "Shall I instruct our men to prepare for phase two?"

"Tell them to get ready once all preparations are complete," Jeremiah smiled triumphantly.

---

Later that afternoon at Ashford Academy, Kallen arrived at the Student Council Clubhouse where Lelouch was waiting, but discovered she wasn't the only one. Present and waiting were Marirrosa and Monica, who had also been called by Lelouch.

"Thank you for coming, Kallen, and we are all here."

"Uh why are they here?" Kallen inquired.

"They have been invited to join the Student Council as well, but allow me to introduce everyone, this is Marirrosa Noriega, Monica Krushevsky and Kallen Stadtfeld," Lelouch said, providing introductions.

"Nice to meet you," Marirrosa said, offering her hand to Kallen who shook it.

"Likewise, a pleasure," Monica said, offering her own hand as well.

"Sure, it's nice to meet you too," Kallen said, feeling awkward.

"There are different reasons you all may have joined the Student Council. Kallen is joining since her poor health prevents her from joining any other clubs. Monica is joining since she has a cram school to attend following classes," Lelouch said, giving Monica a knowing glance. "Finally, Marirrosa is joining because her half-blood status has made finding a club willing to accept her regrettably problematic."

Kallen noticed Marirrosa's saddened expression at the mention of her pure-blood status, and felt a pang of sympathy.

"Aren't the normal positions for the Student Council already filled?" Monica inquired.

"They are, but the headmaster decided more help is needed. You three fill that role neatly. Of course, the extra help is needed because of the Headmaster's granddaughter, the current Student Council President."

"Why?!" Kallen asked.

"I guess you did miss out most of the school year," Monica began. "Let's just say Milly Ashford has some very… wild ideas for events."

"Yes. I remember Swimsuit Day, where everyone was to walk around the school wearing only their swimwear. Some took it a little further than needed," Marirrosa said with a sigh.

"Not as bad as some other ideas. Remember the Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt?" Monica said. "I think the police almost got called for how chaotic that got."

Kallen looked at Monica and Marirrosa, wondering if they were serious. She glanced at Lelouch for confirmation.

"It's all true Miss Stadtfeld, I promise you. She has done other festivals like cross-dressers' ball, the absolute silence party and others," Lelouch said.

"So basically, we're helping you rein her in," Kallen deduced.

"Or at least keep her wild ideas for any new school events from gaining media coverage in a bad way," Lelouch said, confirming Kallen's suspicions. "Easier said than done, though. I could use all of the help I can get."

"What about the rest of the council?" Kallen asked.

"Well, our secretary, Rivalz, has a one-sided crush on Milly, so he usually goes along with her whims despite my best efforts to talk him out of it. Our treasurer, Shirley, does not have the energy to stop her, and finally Nina is very shy and spends most of her time conducting research, rather than doing any work on the council," Lelouch explained.

"So you've been alone in trying to keep the President in check," Monica asked. Lelouch nodded.

"Yes. Any help would be welcomed."

"You have my support," Monica offered.

"Yeah, and you've been much kind to me since I began attending, so of course I'll help," Marirrosa said supportively.

"I don't know how useful I'll be, but I suppose I can help," Kallen said.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lelouch said. Suddenly there was a noise from one of the rooms beyond the ballroom they were in. "Right, before they come I should offer one last warning. I recommend coming up with an excuse to skip out on this late night bonding event Milly will have planned."

"Why?" Kallen asked.

"To quote Shirley, Milly has the mind of a dirty old man sometimes. She's not a bad person, but she tends to go according to the beat of her own drum," Lelouch cautioned.

"Are you saying she swings, you know… that way?" Marirrosa asked, sounding hesitant. "She has uh, she has… expressed interest in my appearance."

"I am pretty sure she swings both ways. Shirley tends to be the object of Milly's teasing and has made some… suggestive comments about her figure. But don't worry, she's not that had a dirty mind, but she's not going to cross any boundaries. If something is too much, just say so and she'll listen."

"Sorry I am late," Rivalz said, being the first of the Student Council to show up. "Hi ladies. I am Rivalz, the secretary. If you need anything, I am your man."

"Nice to meet you," Kallen said.

"Sorry I am late, Nina needed help finding her lab work!"

The next to arrive was a young woman with long red hair, Shirley.

"Hi! I am Shirley, I am also a member of the Swim and Gymnastic Clubs," Shirley said, greeting the new council members, more specifically Kallen, since she knew Monica and Marirrosa.

Then came Nina Einstein. Shy and timid, just like Lelouch had said. Her long dark green hair was tied into a pair of small long braids that framed her face wearing large glasses over her indigo eyes. She wore the same uniform as Shirley and Milly, but unlike the two she was much reserved and quiet.

"Hi, I am Nina. It's nice to meet you."

"You too, it's a pleasure to meet all of you," Kallen said, greeting Nina, Shirley and Rivalz politely.

"It looks like I am just in time," Milly said as she arrived last pushing a cart of food, wearing a light blue apron over her uniform. "Let's all dig in!"

"Good timing, Milly," Shirley cheered.

"Yes, you all adore me, I know," Milly said proudly.

"If it wasn't obvious, this is Milly Ashford," Lelouch said, introducing Kallen.

"That's right. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen," Milly greeted with a bright smile.

"Yes, you too."

"Milly, where would you like this?"

A young girl of fourteen on an electric wheelchair with a tray of pizza and cupcakes sitting across her lap held up by the armrests of her chair had just driven into the room. Her wavy sandy blonde hair and the reddish pink and white school uniform she wore added to her gentle, kind air she gave off as she rolled into the room. Despite her blindness, she seemed to know where she was going.

"Don't worry Nunna, I got it," Shirley offered, taking care of the food on the tray she brought.

"Nunnally, what are you doing here?" Lelouch inquired.

"This is Lelouch's sister, Nunnally," Milly said.

"I'm still in the middle school group, so I can't be on the council yet," Nunnally said.

"That's okay. You are an honorary member in our book," Rivalz said; Nina nodded in agreement.

"Hello Kallen, it's a pleasure to meet you," Nunnally greeted.

"Yes, you as well," Kallen said, returning the greeting with a smile.

"So are we late," Sandra said as she and the rest of her team arrived. Among them was the sixth member of the Fireballs, a blonde woman with green eyes wearing a black business suit appearing to be in her late twenties. Jamie Hogan, Sandra's guardian, team manager and also known as the master of KMF League Wrestling, being the team's best hand to hand combatant.

"No Sandra, you are just in time," Milly said.

"Well, now that introductions are done," Rivalz began as he put what appeared to be a bottle of champagne on the table at the heart of the room. "Let's kick things off with a toast!"

"Champagne?" Shirley asked, shocked.

"But we're on the student council, and not to mention we're still minors," Nina pointed out.

"Don't worry, it's only sparkling cider," Lelouch said reassuringly. "After what happened at last year's Christmas party, I would never allow any more alcoholic beverages on my watch."

"Oh come on buddy, it wasn't that…" Rivalz said, before quieting as he felt Lelouch stare daggers at him.

Just what happened at the Christmas Party? Kallen wondered. Clearly nobody wanted to talk about it, other than Milly smiling mischievously.

"Anyway," Rivalz said, quickly popping open the bottle, "How about a toast to our new members!"

"Let's drink to it," Milly exclaimed, offering glasses for everyone.

Everyone raised their glasses as the welcome party began. Marrirosa approached Lelouch, looking apprehensive.

"Lelouch, are you sure I am fine joining the Student Council?"

"You'll be just fine," Lelouch said. Thinking for a moment, he thought he knew what her issue was. "You're worried about Milly, aren't you?"

Marirrosa nodded her head, "Yes, I mean compared to everyone else in the other clubs I've joined she hasn't been too bad, but…"

"I understand," Lelouch said, checking if Milly was within earshot by looking over his shoulder. "Rest assured, while she might tease and comment on your figure Milly won't take it further than that unless you allow her."

"What about Shirley?" Marirrosa asked.

"Shirley seems to be the exception," Lelouch answered before thinking how to best put it into words. "She might complain about it, but she hasn't really tried to stop her. They get along well, and the teasing is just… part of their dynamic. How or why I couldn't tell you. Just be firm on your position."

Sokkia on the other hand is among those more willing for a skinship grope than Shirley, Lelouch thought. From what Lelouch had gathered from off-hand comments, observations and discussions with Rivalz, Sokkia could only be described as a bigger pervert than Milly.

Speak of the devil; Sokkia joined the conversation while throwing one arm over Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch grunted, half-heartedly trying to wriggle out of her grip. Sandra also joined them, clearly amused by Lelouch's mildly annoyed reaction to Sokkia's gesture.

"Hey Lelouch, this is a swell party. Thanks for inviting us," Sokkia said cheerfully.

I didn't invite you guys, but whatever, Lelouch thought. That had to be Milly.

"You just need one more member, then you might finally have a full team for a proper match," Sokkia suggested with a thumbs up.

"Proper match, for what?" Kallen asked, overhearing them.

"An actual Jousting & Formation battle between the Student Council and us," Sokkia answered before turning to Kallen with a sparkle in her eye. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know how to pilot a Knightmare Frame?"

"Huh?" Kallen asked.

"I don't think so," Lelouch cut in, "She has spent most of the school year home sick."

"I've played a lot of simulators and video games, sure, but I don't think I am cut out for it," Kallen said, "Hey wait a sec, are you the Fireballs?"

"Yup. I guess you've been out of school for a while. I am the leader of the KMF League Club here, and we got fully functional simulators to boot," Sandra said proudly.

"I recognize you now, you're Alessandra Dolos, the Blade Gangster," Kallen said. Her eyes went wide. "I watched a lot of your matches."

"Thanks," Sandra said with a thumbs up. "But, please, just call me Sandra."

"Sure. It's nice to meet you," Kallen greeted.

I almost want to accept that offer to test myself against them, Kallen thought, feeling her competitive side stir.

"Hey Marirrosa, I am glad the Student Council took you in. I am sorry we didn't have any openings in our club for you, but we very quickly filled up on the day we opened the club," Sandra said regretfully.

"It's not your fault. Given your popularity and what your club offers, it's not shocking it filled up so fast. Just the same, I've been grateful for all you and Lelouch have done for me," Marirrosa said, smiling.

"I know, people practically stormed our club room all eager to join," Sandra said with a sigh. "It was a nightmare trying to sort through everyone and pick our members."

Lelouch decided to step away, to let the new members to mingle with one another, but Milly didn't seem to want to leave him alone.

"So is the Vice-President not going to mingle with the new members?"

"I've spent enough time with them earlier. They should be allowed a chance to mingle with their fellow council members," Lelouch replied, while on guard suspecting what direction Milly would take the conversation.

"True, but I couldn't help but notice they were all women. Poor Rivalz might be feeling outnumbered," Milly began with a grin.

Here we go, Lelouch said, having seen the conversation coming a mile away.

"If we include any more new members I'll try to pick a few guys who I can trust to do their jobs," Lelouch said with a professional attitude.

"Sure, but that is easier said than done isn't it?" Milly said with a wink, knowing exactly the problem was.

Lelouch had considered some boys who were interested in joining, but after some careful consideration and observation he decided to turn them down.

Why do I feel like the only sane person among the male population of this school? The majority are the kind of people I wouldn't trust to be near my sister. Spoiled, lazy or all of the above, Lelouch thought with disgust.

"You are quite serious, and many students are not like that. They see it as the closing days of youth and want to get the most out of those days before they graduate," Milly pointed out, suspecting what Lelouch might've been thinking.

"Hardly an excuse in my eyes."

Milly could only sigh, "Would it kill you to unwind a little?"

"It could," Lelouch responded dryly.

"Geez, and here I was hoping maybe you might get yourself a girlfriend. Next year will be senior prom, and it might be good for you to have somebody to take to it," Milly said, winking at him.

"You know how much of a problem that could be for me," Lelouch retorted, knowing Milly knew exactly what he meant. She was among the small few in Ashford Academy who knew about his identity as a former Prince of Britannia, and what he had been through since the demise of his mother.

"Yes I know, but why can't you try it at least? You're smart enough to avoid anyone finding out."

"Perhaps, but even I have standards, Milly. What kind of relationship would it be if I had to hide the truth about myself, even if it's for my own safety and Nunnally's?" Lelouch answered, keeping his voice down.

Lelouch wasn't interested in having a relationship with anyone in the academy. And even if he did, the risks involved would be great, for him and for her. Anyone who would be interested in him would have seen only the mask he put on publicly, not his true self.

"At that rate your sister worries you'll be single for the rest of your life," Milly sighed.

"Perhaps. I've no plans, as is. Maybe when the time is right…" He shrugged.

Speaking of Nunnally, though… Since he was planning to begin his personal war against Britannia, he needed to take steps to ensure his sister's safety. Working to take down Britannia would keep him away from Nunnally for hours, days, maybe weeks at a time. That was not even considering the potential dangers it would bring, but those were already present.

The Ashfords are sheltering me and Nunnally as liability insurance, but can that last?

The once mighty but now disgraced Ashford Family had sheltered them, to use as liability insurance against the chaotic transition of Japan into Area 11 following the war, but there was no guarantee their hospitality would last forever. If their efforts to marry off Milly continue to fail then Lelouch feared they might resort to restoring him and Nunnally to the royal family out of desperation. It was all the more reason Lelouch had to begin laying out plans when he could.

"Shame we can't be a couple," Milly said teasingly. "I know details that you can't share with anyone, wouldn't that be convenient?"

"Maybe, but you are already a handful," Lelouch replied jokingly.

"Oh, that's no fair," Milly pouted.

Lelouch did feel bad for Milly, offered up to be sacrificed for the ambitions of her parents. He only wished he could have helped. As much as arranged marriages were commonplace among the nobility, Lelouch despised the practice. She had been lucky so far; her family's modest wealth had turned off the few suitors her family considered worthy of their name.

"So what kind of girl would the Ice Prince of Ashford like?"

"None at present, and even if there was someone I wouldn't tell you," Lelouch answered.

"Don't be so cold, Lelouch," Milly said dramatically.

Much to Lelouch's relief, Sayoko switched the channel on the TV from a music channel to a news conference- one on every channel apparently, as Sayoko tried swapping channels repeatedly. On the screen Lelouch saw Jeremiah standing behind a podium, flanked by members of the Pureblood Faction behind him.

"Prince Clovis has been taken from us," Jeremiah declared before reporters in an extravagant room used by Clovis for public announcements. "He fought for peace and justice against all of the Elevens. He died a martyr. We must all bury our sorrow, and carry on his will."

"What, Prince Clovis was killed?!" Rivalz said in shock.

"That's awful," Nunnally said, looking down.

That's sooner than I thought. Who is their scapegoat? Lelouch thought. He didn't have to wait long, as another announcement came.

"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news," a female newscaster announced after an emergency news bulletin interrupted the broadcast. "The man suspected as the murderer has been captured. The suspect is an honorary Britannian. Private Suzaku Kururugi, a former Eleven."

Lelouch was stunned, staring wide eyed at the screen. On one hand he was glad Suzaku was alive, but knew he was as good as dead if he didn't do something.

---

Oldrin, Marrybell, Marika, Toto and Lilliana had just seen the news report. The group had been sitting alone at a table in the mess hall when the news broke. Marrybell looked at it with a quiet anger, while Marika and Lilianna were shocked. Oldrin, on the other hand, calmly contemplated something else.

Then the news of Bartley's arrest came, and the reason for it.

"That surrender during Shinjuku… that is what you told me what happened," Marrybell said, turning to Oldrin.

"That's right. It was odd at how sudden it was. Now it's clear why. His killer held him at gunpoint, forcing him to give the order," Oldrin said.

"How did it happen? There is no way anyone could've just walked in and shot a Prince!" Liliana exclaimed.

"Actually, maybe that's what happened," Marika said, and all eyes fell on her. "My brother told me they found out General Bartley and the staff officers with Prince Clovis left him unattended for more than a half-hour."

"Why?!" Oldrin demanded.

"No one knows. My brother didn't tell me."

"I am wondering if Private Kururugi is being used as a scapegoat? It isn't exactly a secret that the Purebloods want to remove all Honorary Britannians from the army and ensure only pureblooded Britannians can enlist," Marrybell pointed out.

"It is true, my brother joined the Purebloods for that reason," Marika acknowledged. "But is that really what's best for Britannia?"

Marrybell shook her head, "No. Unless as I've mentioned, they have a way to make up the difference. Good luck replacing all the soldiers that would disqualify."

"Right, so they basically just picked that guy as a scapegoat because he is the former Prime Minister of Japan's son then?" Marika asked.

"It sounds like it, but how did he get so close to Clovis? Then you consider Bartley and the officers surrounding Clovis for whatever reason suddenly abandoning him. I highly doubt a Honorary Britannian could've been capable of convincing them, unless they were in on the assassination plot. Which doesn't make a lot of sense, given how Bartley was very loyal." Marrybell added.

"Are we sure this is the case?" Lilianna asked.

"I feel we'll find out soon, because if Kururugi isn't the real killer then… it's possible those Purebloods might've just given the real killer a chance to cause chaos in Area 11 if they can't act on it properly," Marrybell said, frowning with concern.

---

Later that same day, but only now the sun had long set and it was early evening as Milly, Shirley, Nina, Sandra, Marirrosa, Monica, Kallen, Matoaka, Sokkia, Stephanie, Lily and Sandra's guardian Jamie were also present. They had gathered together inside the indoor bath house. A relaxing steam filled the room, along with a pool of comfortably heated water, just deep enough for someone to sit up to their waist within the water. The large bath itself was surrounded by orange stone columns, and the edges of the bath itself provided convenient seating.

Naturally everyone was as naked as the day they were born, which left some of them a little uncomfortable. Nina, for example, couldn't help but feel inadequate compared to the other, more beautiful girls. The voluptuous figures of Milly and Sandra especially made her feel inadequate. Milly might've been the most well-endowed among the women present, but Sandra matched her thanks to her athletic figure enhancing her already equally well-endowed curvaceous body. They were far from alone in this, and skinny, poorly developed Nina was reminded of her own situation at every turn.

Monica, Marirrosa and Kallen on the other hand, were nervous for a different reason. They were on guard, having been warned of Milly's proclivities.

"I am sorry about what happened. We tried to throw you guys a great welcome party. Then the news of Prince Clovis came, and I guess we all lost our partying mood," Milly apologized, sitting in the water near the center of the room.

"I suppose that is understandable," Kallen said, and though she kept an appropriately sad tone, she had no pity for Clovis.

It was Zero who did it, and yet… they nabbed a scapegoat instead when they couldn't find him, Kallen thought, recalling something that happened in the late afternoon following the party.

Earlier, when Kallen returned to her dorm to prepare for tonight's get together, but before she got started her phone started ringing. Reflexively, Kallen answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Glad you are still alive Q-1," a voice said.

"Zero!" Kallen said, sharp surprise running through her voice.

"The news of Kururugi's arrest has forced me to advance my time table. I had planned to meet with you and your friends in person to discuss the possibility of joining forces, but now the meeting will be asking for your assistance," Zero explained.

"Kururugi is innocent, isn't he?"

"You are correct, the Britannians failed to capture me so they decided to use a scapegoat. One the Purebloods intend to use as an excuse to purge the military of all Honorary Britannians, even though the Emperor is unlikely to allow such a move for practical reasons."

"Then you killed Prince Clovis?"

"I did, to avenge those he killed. He showed no remorse for his actions, and his hollow excuses could not save him," Zero answered.

"Well done on being the first to take out a Britannian Prince. Okay, I am interested, but I can't speak for the others. But I assume you want to save Kururugi, right?"

"Yes, and to use this chance to throw Britannian authority in Area 11 into chaos," Zero replied. Kallen could somehow imagine he must be grinning on the other line.

"How?"

"I'll explain in person. Go to the observation deck at Tokyo Tower. Be there by four pm the day after tomorrow. You can bring your friends, of course. Once you arrive there, I'll give you further instructions for the actual meeting place," Zero explained, abruptly hanging up.

"Hey, wait!"

The bath house was nice enough, but Kallen's mind was elsewhere. This whole school life was a charade, and her mind kept circling back to that mysterious call from this 'Zero' person. She felt relieved when the girls all grabbed their towels and left for the locker rooms, in no small part because Milly had wandering eyes- and there was no shortage of cute, well endowed girls in their company. Grumbling inwardly, Kallen started getting dressed along with the others.

"You know, it's a shame that girl couldn't join us- what was her name, Nunny something?"

"Nunnally," Milly corrected. "We try and include her as best we can, but it is how it is. She's wheelchair bound, and some things she just can't do. Besides, she's not very strong. She'll need to go to bed soon anyhow."

"That poor girl," Kallen said softly. "What happened to her, anyway?"

"Car accident when she was little," Milly said without missing a beat. It was a well practiced cover story, one she'd told enough times that it didn't even feel like lying. "Hit and run. Her mother died protecting her. She was lucky to survive, the poor thing."

"That's... awful. I'm sorry I asked," Kallen said sincerely.

Milly shrugged. "You can always ask. But yeah, it's a real tragic story. On top of all that, their father abandoned them. Lelouch and Nunnally were left orphaned, and it was my grandfather who had to step up and take them in. Lelouch has been taking care of her ever since."

"He sounds like a really good person, huh?" Marirrosa said, a little impressed.

"He's the best. Apart from his chess gambling habit, that is," Milly grinned. Gossip was her favorite part of these little get-togethers, and she couldn't resist throwing it out there.

"Illegal chess gambling? Now I've heard it all," Sokkia snorted.

"It's a noble thing," Milly said dismissively. "Of course, they're all not half as good as they think and Lelouch is a grand master, so it's easy money."

"I really wish he'd stop that," Shirley scowled. "I mean really, he should not be hanging with... unsavory types like those."

Milly laughed. "You know he'd never get a real job. Even with Sayoko helping him out, it'd take too much time away from his sister."

"Yeah, yeah," Shirley muttered dismissively.

"I never knew you cared this much about delinquency," Marirrosa said.

"She doesn't. She's just mad that her crush has other things on his mind than her," Milly laughed.

"Milly!" Shirley shouted angrily, quickly turning beet red. "I don't-"

"Sure you do. You really need to put some work in if you want him to notice you, you know. He's smart, but really dense when it comes to this kind of thing," Milly said amusedly, enjoying herself way too much.

"I'm not- you can't just- GUH!" Shirley said frustratedly, out of words and red as a stop sign.

"There's nothing wrong with it, you know. He's a good boy, even if he's not that interested in girls right now," Milly said innocently.

"You think he is..." Marirrosa began, but Milly shook her head.

"Nah. He's just really focused on school. If he was secretly gay, believe me- I'd know. Not all boys are crazy about girls, you know?"

"Speaking of," said Sokkia, letting a hand brush up against Milly's shoulder, "are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Sure thing," Milly said with a cheek grin, winking at the girl. "I made time just for you~"

There was a sudden silence over the room. Kallen raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. That was new…

"Are- are you two…" Nina began, choking on her words.

"You can say the word, you know," Milly said causally, sliding her shirt on and setting her hair straight.

"Les…bian?" Nina said, turning almost as red as Shirley. "I mean, not that- not that that's-"

"We're not," Milly clarified. "We're just doing this kind of… casual thing. Helping each other out, you know?" She winked, and Nina turned even redder.

"And we're not gay as such," Sokkia explained. "We both go either way. I guess I like girls more, but if the right guy came along… eh, why not?" She shrugged.

"That's… um…" Shirley said, stumbling over her words.

"Too much information?" Milly laughed. "I kept it less explicit than usual, didn't I?"

"No no, it's- fine," Shirley said awkwardly.

"I just sort of wonder how that even works," Nina blurted out.

"I could show you if you're really curious," Milly laughed. Nina was now officially as red as Shirley had been a minute ago, and shook her head.

"I didn't mean-"

"Relax, I'm kidding," Milly reassured her.

"I have to say, the way you're so… casual about it is what's unusual, I guess," Kallen said. "Not wrong or anything, but you're really one of a kind."

"I know what I like, and I go for it if I can," Milly said with a shrug. "And I like her."

Sokkia smirked.

"I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, but if you're curious…"

There was a bit of silence again. Nina was staring, and Shirley, although pretending to look very hard at her shoelaces, glanced up. It'll have to be me who asks, Kallen thought, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Without any of the juicy details. But sure, what's the deal?" She said with a shrug.

"No details? Spoilsport," Sokkia laughed.

"I can see why Milly likes you. You're as big of a pervert as her, aren't you?" Kallen fired back. Sokkia laughed.

"Kinda. I mean… it's really simple. Sex feels good. It's fun, and it's free. And women know what women like, it's not like guys where you have to teach them how everything works. And there's the added bonus that you can't get pregnant."

"When you put it like that, it sounds pretty simple…" Shirley muttered.

"You know, we should tell them about what we did last Friday-" Milly began cheerily, but Shirley cut her off.

"Nope," Kallen said firmly. "You can keep that one to yourself."

"Spoilsport," Milly echoed. "We're still young, still at school. What better time to enjoy yourself, have some fun? Whether it be with a guy or gal…"

"You know what? After this conversation, I think I'll join a monastery," Kallen said dryly.

"Yeah? Better watch out for perverted priests then," Milly shot back. Despite herself, Kallen laughed. As eccentric as the Student Council President was, she was certainly unique- and kind of fun to be around, once you got used to her.

---

A/N: Whew that is it and soon we are coming upon Lelouch's debut as Zero, and also in the next chapter Maya Disel will make her appearance at last.

So a lot of set up for that scene where Zero appears is being set up, which will come together in the following chapter.

And a clear shout out to SeerKing's own Code Geass story in this chapter, because if you really think about it...what would happen if Lelouch wasn't around as Student Council Vice President to curb some of Milly's more "wild" ideas XD. Since none of the other council members could do a better job.

Originally the bath scene followed more in line with the original picture drama, but my Beta had some concerns on how it portrayed Milly, being a huge Geass fan himself suggested a number of revisions including the bit between her and Sokkia, which sounded good to me.

Now the chapter will be out in two weeks provided my other beta doesn't finish the next chapter of the War of Seven Kings by then.

Until then, thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.