Author's Note: Well, I have nothing else to do, so I figured I'd write a third chapter today. A reviewer told me "Please update!" and so update I shall! Now that the stage is set, it's time for the plot to get rolling! Read and Review! ^^

Disclaimer: I still do not own Code Geass.

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Monica awoke, looking up at the relatively clear sky out of her window. Seeing the large crater in the distance, it was hard to believe that a city had once stood there.

However, her reverie was brought to a sudden end as a large face suddenly appeared in hers, a broad grin plastered upon it.

"Hey, Monica! Any new developments!" Gino said, grinning. Monica slumped backward and sighed.

"I've instructed the doctor to arrange a meeting with the one who's been looking for me. Hopefully, everything will be revealed soon." Monica said.

"Well that's good news. I have good news as well." Gino said, grinning. He held up a small green object, shaped like a wedge and trimmed with gold.

"The key to the Lamorak! So you're already working on getting us out of here?" Monica asked.

"Affirmative. You catch on quick." Gino grinned widely.

"Well, that's good news. You should keep that for now, since I might be found with it and questions would be asked. But how did you get it?" Monica cocked her head curiously.

"Pretty simple, actually. I found the head mechanic and stole it from him. He didn't even notice it was gone." Gino grinned.

"I expected as much. Hopefully, there won't be much of a fuss when they realize it's gone. But that means we need to hurry. I've already recovered almost enough to walk well. Once we know who's after me, we need to leave as quickly as possible. But Gino… We're going to need some way to distract the guards long enough to get to the Lamorak, right?"

"Not to worry, not to worry! I've already got something set up." Gino grinned. "I sabotaged some of the energy fillers for the base's Knightmares to explode when I push this detonator." Gino said, holding up a large button.

"Clever. Just make sure one of those fillers doesn't blow up the Lamorak." Monica said.

"Don't worry about it. Everything's going according to-" Gino was cut off by footsteps coming very close. "Sorry!" Gino dived below the windowsill as the door swung open.

A man with light brown hair and eyes, so much so that the latter neared red, entered the room. He was tall, nearing about 6 feet, and wore a black tunic under a high-collared white military coat trimmed gold. Several medals and large gold pauldrons with rubies at their centers dictated that this man was clearly important. The door closed behind him, and Monica thought she heard the rigid clack of soldiers taking up guard posts outside.

The man smiled calmly, smugly even. "Greetings, rogue Knight of Twelve, Monica Kruszewski. You have been wondering who was looking to meet with you. That person is myself, although I had remained incognito hoping not to be associated with this. I am Brigadier General and former Grand Duke Dietrich Hughes of his majesty Lelouch vi Britannia's army. Now then, I have a proposition to make." The man smirked at the look of surprise that momentarily crossed Monica's face. "Pretending to have lost your memories was a clever tactic, but don't underestimate me. I had a bug planted in this room, so I know all about your meetings with the Knight of Three. Gino Weinberg, you may stand. Concealment is useless. I know you're there." Dietrich smirked as Gino slowly rose from behind the windowsill. "Now then, down to business. You see, the Hughes family is an old one, a family of pure Britannian stock. We prospered under the rule of Charles zi Britannia, the emperor who the two of you formerly served, and recently failed to avenge. We are of the same mind, you and I, Monica. You see, as you know, Lelouch has abolished the aristocracy and elevated the numbers to our level. This limits our opportunities for glory, prosperity, and power. But say someone Lelouch trusted, his loyal general, for example, suddenly gathered an army of skilled pilots, led by the remnants of the Knights of the Round, and managed to depose him, as you sought to. You had not the manpower to succeed, but with legions at my command, you could with me. We could bring back the aristocracy, and those who have inherited the nobility of generations would once again rule over those who are unfit to lead. In return for joining me, I will hide both of you from the emperor and will return you to your glory as Knights of the Round once we retake the empire. What do you say?" The general grinned widely.

Gino replied first. "Sorry, but you can count me out. You see, I'm all for getting rid of Lelouch, but bringing back the nobility that was what caused Lelouch to turn out like he did? You say they've inherited the nobility of generations, but I wasn't aware that "nobility" was something kids could get from their parents." Gino grinned at the slight shock that registered on Dietrich's face at this comment. "What, surprised I don't believe in your nobility? If you recall where I came from, I didn't respect racial or class differences even as a young boy." Gino smirked. "It's no different today."

Monica forced herself to her feet, and grinned. "I think I'm going to have to agree with Gino on that one. The forces of the nobility have let us down too many times before, and honestly I don't think you have the power to face someone like that so-called "Knight of Zero," Suzaku Kururugi." Monica grinned.

Dietrich grimaced, and then sighed.

"Well, I suppose that since you've recovered all your memories, and you have decided to side against me, I'll just have to turn you in. Even if you aren't helping me kill Lelouch, you're still helping me earn his favor so ultimately I can take control." Dietrich snapped his fingers, and immediately five Britannian elite guards entered the room. "Gentlemen, these two individuals are actually the former Knights of the Round. Kill them." Dietrich said, turning and leaving the room. The guards saluted, a chorus of "Yes, General!" echoed through the room as Dietrich left. They raised their rifles.

At the same time, Gino raised a conspicuous red button, and pushed down upon it. A large explosion rocked the complex, and the guards stumbled their weapons misfiring. Gino reached through the window, grabbing Monica and swinging her over his back before sliding down the embankment toward the Knightmare hangar. Sirens echoed through the base, and soldiers were running everywhere as smoke rose from behind the medical building.

The guards quickly recovered, dashing to the window and opening fire on the two fleeing Knights. Monica cringed as one of these bullets tore through the right side of the white medical jumpsuit she wore, but it left her unharmed.

Gino cleared the slope and took off at a run for the backdoor of the hangar. Technicians and pilots were running in panic from the any exit, and black smoke was belching from the building behind them.

"Nice work, Gino. You really did some damage." Said Monica, grinning. Gino nodded in reply, and dashed into the building.

The hangar was full of flames. Several bodies littered the floors where Knightmares being put through maintenance had suddenly exploded. However, two Knightmares stood, miraculously unharmed.

The closer of the two was about five meters tall, and painted a dark green with gold and gray trim. Its head unit was sleek, with two gold factsphere sensors built into its deep green surface like eyes, sitting between two streamlined antennae which arced backward off the head. The shoulders were large, like long gray spikes protruding forward off the Frame. These concealed high-power Hadron cannons. The arms were long, and heavily armored, bedecked with plates of green and gold, with long, wedge-shaped silver wrists guards that tapered to a deadly looking point. Looking closer, one would realize that these were Slash Harkens, made larger by being charged by a Maser Vibration system. Under these plates were hidden Blaze Luminous shield generators meant to protect the Lamorak's arms. On the undersides of the wrists were two large barrels housing heavy anti-armor repeater cannons.

The Lamorak's torso was heavily armored near the top, looking like a third spike between the two Hadron cannons, but it soon grew thinner near the waist of the Frame, evidently to provide greater mobility. The torso was mainly green, although gold lined it. On each side of the waist was a large plate shaped like two wedges. These were actually pairs of Slash Harkens. The gray and green legs of the Frame were also fairly lightly armored, ending in the land spinners below. On its back was a green integrated flight system, its two large gold prongs extending like more antennae from behind its back.

The second knightmare was of a similar design, except it was entirely cyan. Its head had only one antenna, protruding like a spike from the back of its head, and a single factsphere sensor like a lone eye in front of this. Instead of the dual Maser Vibration Slash Harkens, it instead had only light plating. In its left hand, it held a large, black lance. Instead of Hadron cannons on its shoulders, it had triplets of Slash Harkens. The Lionel had the same leg design as the Lamorak, only more heavily armored, and also had an integrated flight unit on its back.

However, there was one difference between the two Knightmares. The Lionel, unlike the Lamorak, was active, its Factsphere sensor glimmering as it acquired its targets.

"DOWN!" Monica warned, pulling herself from Gino's back and pushing him down behind a large pile of Knightmare debris just as the Lionel opened fire on them.

"Damn it! Who's piloting that thing?" Gino wondered aloud. This inquiry was answered sharply by an all-too-familiar voice from the Lionel's loudspeaker system.

"Hello again, Gino Weinberg. That pilot would be me. I'm surprised that you made it past all my guards carrying that infirm girl. Obviously I should have listened to your plans longer before I made my move. Otherwise I'd have heard about what you were going to do to escape. But unfortunately for you, your escapades end here, Knight of Three. Today, you die." Dietrich Hughes' smug voice echoed through the hangar.

"That bastard. Alright, Monica, we need to make a break for the Lamorak. I'll distract him and force him to exhaust his ammunition in his wrist cannons, you dash for the Lamorak. Here's the activation key." Gino tossed Monica the key. "You think you can make it, though?" Gino looked concerned.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me." Monica grinned. Gino smirked back before dashing out from cover and pretending to make a break for the door.

"Trying to run away? Take this, you traitorous SWINE!" Dietrich opened fire with all the cannons, bringing down the exit door and forcing Gino to dive behind a support pillar as the bullets raked the hangar. Dietrich continued firing, bringing down the pillar and part of the roof. Gino just barely dived out of the way in time.

Dust filled the air as Gino rose to his feet, looking upward at the lone light of the Lionel's Factsphere Sensor searching the debris for him. It would be seconds before he was found, and then it would be all over. The dust cleared, and Gino found himself looked directly up at the Lionel as it raised its cannons.

"Goodbye, Knight of Three!" Dietrich's cry of triumph was, however, cut short by the clicking of his cannons' empty magazines.

"Get away from Gino, you backstabbing elitist scum!" Echoed Monica's amplified voice as the Lamorak came online and launched its MVS Harkens at the Lionel, the left Harken shattering the Lionel's lance and the right Harken striking the Lionel directly in the heavily armored chest, sending it flying through the wall of the hangar.

However, the roof began to collapse above Gino. Thinking quickly, Monica darted forward, covering Gino with the Lamorak's Blaze Luminous shields. She reached a metal hand down, and picked up Gino, lifting him up to the cockpit which she allowed to open, the pilot's seat sliding out.

"Hop in, Gino, and sit tight." Monica directed. As soon as Gino was inside, Monica closed the cockpit and launched after the Lionel and Dietrich.

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Author's Note: Bit of a cliffhanger, but I felt this was a fitting place to end chapter. Please Read and Review! I'd like any form of constructive criticism. Thanks for reading!