Project Zero. That was the name she gave it.

It all started there. One error of unknown origin started all of it. Nobody knew how or why.

The lab is deeply buried underground, the only distinguishing feature that could reveal an entrance to something buried under several feet of sand. The lab has many computers all displaying large amounts of programming data. A couple screens show a silhouette of a Red Reploid, with several reports displaying all over each of its body parts. Holographic screens are displayed all over the room having millions of combinations of zeros and ones written all over it. Binary is displayed in just in every corner. There are tables around of each of the computers, with millions of papers and several generators throughout the entire room. A door stands in the middle room sealed shut In the middle of the room is a large capsule, possibly containing something in it. A computer is built into the capsule complete with a disk drive and monitor, displaying the name "Project Zero" on it. Several scientists, both human and reploid are working on each one of these computers; many of them appearing exhausted and or tired. Several of them, including the reploid ones drinking coffee to stay awake. Some are already sleeping at their desks; some who fell asleep are waking up after sleeping for more than 10 hours after they feel asleep at their desks.

They are very tired. She could tell that. But they had no choice. The efforts to contain the spreading virus had all been in vain. Or so they believed. Much equipment was destroyed ever since Neo Arcadia was ransacked by Zero in order to destroy Weil once and for all. And the resulting laser attack on Neo Arcadia had done them no good. With almost no weapons at hand, there wasn't much hope of being able to stop the new virus, or even determine where it's source was. It could be there within a few hours.

But then they found him. Zero. His body; while intact was torn up and he was in a coma of some form. His helmet was several miles away from him. His armor was badly damaged and his body exposed several wires and cable while blood leaked out of him. However when I scientist theorized he could survive somehow, they had no choice to begin Project Zero: A massive plan in order to rebuild the shattered reploid.

They had made great progress with the development. They sowed back up Zero's body and rebuilt and all damage he had suffered. His blood that he had was refilled and his helmet was repaired and his armor was all polished up. But they had one problem: Zero's brain. It was not functioning. The damage he had suffered at Ragnarok's fall had damaged his brain. Although it was rebuilt, most of it required it to be reprogrammed: A fate she wished would not be the case. No one in the history of Reploids ever successfully analyzed Zero. His body was too unique to copy. Some even wondered if he was truly a reploid…or another breed of robots all together.

Regardless how, she was willing to take it on. They had worked feverishly every day while the people built an underground shelter waiting for the possible inevitable. Many people barricaded themselves in, hoping, praying she could accomplish it. She after all did make a substitute energy source that was not E-Crystals. She had the skills…or at least she hoped she did.

"But this way different than making an energy source." She muttered. "Zero is a unique reploid that no one could ever duplicate. What are the odds that I could restore him?

"You know Ciel," Another scientist said. "Even if we wake him up, the fact of the matter is that we're reprogramming him. There's a good chance that Zero will not function correctly or not even working at all."

"All we need to do is wake him up." Ciel said. "Zero has a backup memory that will restore him to what he was before he slipped into this coma. But even getting him on is complicated. None of us know what where doing. We've made so much progress, only to learn we have not learned a thing about him. This is not like the previous encounters at all."

"I can't believe this is happening." The co-worker said. "The year we need him and now we can't get him on. That virus that is out there is both biological, and electronic. When it hits this place, everyone human and Reploid will be affected."

Morale was completely down. Zero was the only one who had the anti-viral cells to resist it. They had him right there, and he couldn't do anything.

"The only one who would have been able to repair him 100% is the original designer." Another worried scientist responded.

"And nobody knows who or what made him. The only one who could recreate him perfectly or even better would be him." Another scientist with a long mustache said.

"And the poor bastard died out over a hundred years ago didn't he?" Cerveau said. "What rotten luck to for us huh?

"I say we pack it in and wait for death." Another scientist on the far side of the room said. "We aren't going to finish him before the virus consumes us."

Ciel began to cry. She should have warped out Zero when she had the chance. But Zero refused that she beckoned him to and wished to continue to fight Weil. Although he had successfully destroyed Doctor Weil, Ciel was unable to teleport him back to command safely. They would have been able to survive no matter what Zero said. Even if the place hit Earth it could still have survived.

"I shouldn't have listened to Zero." I just should have done it. We could have done something else. We could have stopped Weil. So why? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN! We're all going to die now because I'm just stupid."

Cerveau looked at Ciel as she balled her eyes out. He went over to her and put his arms around her body.

"It wasn't your fault, Ciel." He said. "It wasn't anyone's fault. Zero did what he needed to do. We never saw this coming."

"Cerveau..." Ciel said lightly. "I could have..."

"Ceil," He said. "Why don't you get some sleep? You'll feel much better after that."

"Yeah..." She said. "I think work has finally gotten to me."

The two walked away from the lab. Ciel was in almost complete despair. Cerveau held his arm over her shoulder and his other hand in hers holding it tightly.

He and she walked down the dimly lit hallways as he escorted her to her bunker. Ceil stumbled a lot as she was working for more than 48 hours, under humid conditions in a cramped environment. Her health had been severely damaged for the past two months; she had been in out of the med room suffering from several infections, viruses, and or otherwise. The doctor warned her that any more work could be life threatening. Yet she continued to work. Cerveau knew she needed to get sleep now before any more damage was caused to her.

"You're right Ciel." He said. "We could have teleported Zero. We could have returned to when we had the chance. But we would have been dead sooner if we didn't have let him go. I suppose either way we would end dead anyway; defeating Weil only delayed our inevitable annihilation from this comet. But I agree with why Zero did it. We will probably be dead before we are able to find the thing necessary. But there's still a chance we could revive him. But what would Zero think if he found you died to help him?"

"I know..." She said. "But...But...I can't sit here and do nothing."

"You have been already warned if you continue to overwork your brain, you will die." Cerveau said as they got to her room. "We have many capable scientists that can do the work you can. So please...don't overwork yourself. Just get some sleep. Get your health back in order before you come back."

"Cerveau..." Ciel said..."Your right. I shouldn't act like this. I need to get sleep. I've been way too tired now."

"That's right." Cerveau said. "You don't have to work so hard. I've seen what you were doing in order to work. You never eat. You hardly drink. When you do, you drink too much. Whenever you need to urinate, you hold it in as long as you can until you burst at your desk or can hold back the urge and rush the restroom. These all can give serious damage to your body. Rest for a few days and get back your health. When you're strong again, come back and will start working."

"Thank you Cerveau." Ciel said. "I...I...think I will. Take care of Zero will you?"

"Of course." He said. "I have to yell at the bastard for breaking my equipment anyway."

The two laughed remembering when Zero broke the Triple rod so Cerveau made him the Grapple rod. Then he broke that and he made him the Recoiling rod. Zero broke that and then broke the Shield boomerang. Finally Cerveau got fed up and told him to just use his fist. Turns out Zero were much more adept at fighting with his fists than with a spear anyway so it didn't matter to begin with.

"I'll be fine." Ciel said. "Thanks for your words..."

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! Virus infection imminent! Primary security door is opened!"

Cerveau looked as the whole place began to flash red. He sighed and looked at Ceil.

"Well..." he said. "We fought long and hard, but I guess this was inevitable. I'm sorry it had to end like this."

"It's okay." Ciel said. "I at least now we can get all the rest we need now. I'm glad we had this small time to talk before we all disappeared." Ciel said as she drew closer to Cerveau. Her arms went around him as did his. "Thank you Cerveau. The time we spent together was really fun during the resistance. I wish Zero would have been alive long enough to see this to the end."

"I do to." Cerveau said. "I suppose we'll see him in the afterlife. X too."

"I hope so." Ciel said. "I'd like to see him."

"Me too." Cerveau said. "But then again…"

"Cerveau!" A scientist called on com-link. "Zero! He's waking up!"

"What?" He said. "Are you serious?"

"Hurry!" The Scientist said. "There's something else going on. Hurry! Wait what's….AARRGGHH!"

"Hey!" Cerveau called into his com-link. "Hey! Respond to this message!"

No response came.

"Ciel! Come on!" He said as he ran down the hallway.

"Right!" She called back.

The two ran back down to the lab. When they got there, they saw him. Zero. He was floating in midair, his arms stretched out left and right. He seemed like as if he was in a trance. He just stared into the ceiling as if he stared into the great beyond. The lab was completely wrecked as if a bomb went off in that room. Every one of the scientists was missing. As if they had disappeared into nothingness. The lab itself looked as if was vanishing into light.

Zero just started into the sky.

"Zero?" Ciel asked.

Ciel held her arms out as the light consumed her. She watched as she and Zero split apart, and disappeared into the bright light.

Foolish Reploids. Now Reploids! All who are lost in history, all that are alive now, all who's existence has been cast into oblivion, I command thee: Follow me and Zero into this new world! Be the fuel for his power!

"Zero…."

"….."

"Zero."

"?"

"Zero."

"Huh?"

Zero opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was. His appearance was like black and white. He was in a strange white realm where all he could see was a single clock moving back and forth.

In front of him was a woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties. She wore no clothes, completely nude to him, with her long green hair covering her breasts, her hands covering the rest.

"Who are you?" Zero asked.

"I am C.C." She said. "I have something to ask of you."

"What's going on; where am I?" Zero asked.

"I have used the Power of the Kings on your dimension. I need your help Zero. Sooner or later, events will fold on my world that will drag the world into chaos. I need your help to break the chain of chaos."

"Break the chain?" Zero said. "How?"

"Protect the man who opens this capsule." C.C. said.

"Protect someone huh?" He said. He lay back down on the ground with his hands on his head. "But why?"

"There is no time." C.C. said. "I have a special capsule for you. So please, rest. You will be awoken when the time is right."

"Where is…" Zero began; but before he could finish, he suddenly began to become tired. As much as he tried to resist it, he began to become more tired and eventually fell asleep. It was at that moment that Zero was always in a capsule that he could not see from the bright light. Zero's existence fell between universes and entered from one place to the next. He watched as slowly and surely, the world spun all around him. Lightning sparks of energy flew and faded in all directions. And then…there was darkness.

And thus Zero no longer became Zero. He threw his title and name away and became the Red Knight, a warrior who would serve Lelouch De Britannia in his conquest of the Britannian Empire. And later his enemy who would try to kill him.

"In the Year 2010 in the common era, the holy empire of Britannia invaded Japan. The small island had no chance against the empire which was the last superpower in the world. Despite a lack of natural resources, the small island held a strict policy of isolation. With hopes to take the mainland, the Britannian forces mobilized the first of its Knightmare frames, a new kind of humanoid power armor. The results exceeded expectations and the Japanese forces forces fell before the might of Project Knightmare. Japan became part of the empire and was stripped of rights, freedoms, and even its name. Japan became Area 11: The designation of the defeated Japan."