The Tale of Blood and Geass

Chapter IV: An Ode to the Falsely Accused

Act I: The Wrong Suspect

There was a tiny, victorious smirk on my face as I walked back to the Clubhouse with the embarrassed redhead. It was funny how a passionate warrior such as herself who was able of mercilessly killing her enemies was so easy to fluster. A few carefully chosen words, a right expression and a tone suiting for the situation and she's easy to manipulate, like a puppet moving at its master's accord.

A voice in my head suggested she would be a perfect partner in bed, but I forced it away again. Kallen was already wary of me, and Milly did not help the situation by suggesting I was a vicious womanizer no less. Which I was not, of course. The look Kallen had given me then was hard to forget, and she had made it clear she did not approve of such actions around her. I bore no illusions about what she would do if I did not comply.

She looked quite good in my clothes; they fit her quite snugly, hugging her curves. I wondered if I was really that thin before, as my body has changed accordingly to my new existence. "Well, Miss Stadtfelt, how do you like the Council so far?"

She looked at me in surprise, before recovering and answering, sounding like she did not trust her voice. "I like it all very much, thank you for accepting me." I wanted to roll my eyes at how pathetic she sounded. I like the warrior side of her way better.

It was a lie, no doubt, for those lips had cursed Britannia and its citizens far too many times to be true. It was another reason why the JLF and the other resistance groups were no good, both for Britannia and Japan. They were a simple hindrance, which I fully intended on erasing forever. They were senile and corrupt, so desperately holding to their narrow-minded beliefs, letting their hatred for Britannia lead them. As such, they will never be able to free Japan, as their treatment towards those who are not Japanese will only slow them down, as they would never be able to gather any allies they so need.

They only thought about what was good for Japan, and as such were beyond outdated. Britannia made Japan into what it is today, but at the same time made it too dependent on Britannia, so if they freed Japan in a swift and effective strike, it would only end in their defeat, as such action could only be successfully completed with months of careful preparing and planning.

And besides, even if they succeeded in freeing Japan completely, Britannians and Japanese would only change places. Now it would be the Britannians who would be oppressed, and the Japanese would do the same thing they did to them, causing the blood spilled to go to waste. It was too bad they were deep in denial to ever think out of the box, to look at the bigger picture.

I must have spaced out while we were walking, as we were not in the hallway, but in the Clubhouse, where the complete Council was watching TV. I looked at my watch, noticing Jeremiah was supposed to give his speech about Clovis right about now.

As expected, he appeared on the screen, along with his fellow purists who have never looked so high and mighty as they stood behind Jeremiah, each one of them dressed in their uniforms, on which the symbol of the Purists shone proudly.

Jeremiah himself was dressed in his uniform a cape draped across his chest, a mask of sorrow fixated on his face. "With great sorrow, I must reveal a tragic truth to all of you..." He began clearly struggling to keep his voice strong, which was obviously meant to fool the public into believing the words he was about to speak were indeed true and legit.

He was a good actor, I admit, as a single tear fell from his eye, expressing how saddened the news had left him. I did not pay attention to the rest of his speech, even as my friend's eyes widened in sheer horror. Even Kallen was surprised, probably never having thought that I would go to such lengths.

It was a good thing Nunnally was not here, as she still loved our family, even after all that's happened. I admired her sometimes, how enormous her heart had to be so she could love everyone.

Jeremiah's speech was so cliché it made me cringe. How could the public believe him was truly beyond me. Oh well, another proof how alike they were to sheep. Not to mention how overused an predictable it was, simpler than simple. That's probably why it worked like a charm. Maybe such tactics could work with Kallen and her friends? To make use of their cheap morals and make them realize further fighting their way was hopeless.

I almost rolled my eyes as they revealed Suzaku as the main suspect. It was so predictable, him being a honorary Britannian, and the son of the late prime minister of Japan. Too easy, even a child would figure out it was nothing short of a set up. However, it obviously worked, as everyone besides Milly gaped in horror. Not surprising, as Milly had the experience in the Court, and as such could see through the lie rather easily, if not instantly. Shirley, on the other hand, believes the media way too much, and she isn't the brightest person around, but still rather nice and refreshing to have around. Her naivety is possibly what makes her so enjoyable to have, as she did not have a single violent and manipulative cell in her body.

It was Nina's reaction that was alarming. I could hear her breath hitch right at the mention that Suzaku was Japanese, and see as her whole body shook. Not to mention the widening of her eyes, before she looked away, muttering something I could not quite catch. That only served to confirm my suspicions. The thought had come before in my mind, but I did not have enough of the necessary proof. I just thought she was like that to everyone. However, I know better now. She was not just shy and timid - she was a xenophobe.

It made me think what her parents were thinking before sending her here, if they knew about her mental state. I doubted that they had the knowledge, as they would've prescribed her some medicine and warned the teachers. However, at the same time, she did tell us that she was not in the best of relationships with her parents. It was possible that they sent her here to punish her, knowing full well about her xenophobia, and possibly even caused it, and scared the poor girl even more.

I felt pity for her. She was brilliant, but there's barely a line between brilliance and insanity. Maybe I could use my power to help her get rid of it? It was not a bad idea and I'll keep it in mind, but I needed to see its limitations first before using it. I already knew I could use it only once per person, which was a great shame, but I guess it was fair, as the game would be far too easy otherwise. I have always liked a challenge, have I not? I even planned my revolution without it. It's only a tool, but I won't let myself become so heartless that I would rob people of their free will on a whim. No, my mental state was not yet that bad. I honestly hoped it will never reach that level. I was aware that I'm not the sanest person around, but never on that level of cruelty.

I only did what I deemed necessary, but it did not mean that I enjoyed doing it. Some things just have to be done, no matter how much I resent the idea of doing them. It's a principle that had built so many empires in the past. Either you dirt your hands, or you become dirt on another person's own. It's a simple, yet often tough choice to make, but it keeps the world going.

You cannot change the world by following the rules - a puppet will never become the puppet master obeying its master. It has to fight back and know that there's no honor in war. Never was and never will be. Being honorable has never paid off, and even if it does, it's only in short term. No hero was ever born who hadn't dirtied his hands more than once, no matter how hard he tried not to.

There's a reason why Britannia wins its wars - it's because it does not play fair, it realized long ago that they won't succeed in anything if they don't play dirty, and it's a policy that keeps them going. By taking everything from its enemies, it destroys the county and the people's will to fight. It crushes them with no mercy, and trains them to be loyal dogs.

It's indeed pitiful that society's fallen to this, but it is not something that can ever be stopped. It's one of the reasons why not a single resistance group ever succeeds in doing anything. They do not know the rules of the game they're playing. It's just that that when they lose, they lose their own lives.

My army WILL be different and it will crush Britannia! That I swear. I could make skilled soldiers of those terrorists, and I won't even need to force them.

Act II: The Many Perks of a Contract

I stifled a yawn as I walked to my room. Today was a busy day for me by all means, including the confrontation with Kallen in school, and picking up the costume afterwards. Oh yes, I even had a costume ready for my introduction. Creating it was a tremendous and not to mention tiresome business. It had to be special, memorable, an attire that will become a synonym for justice, which will make the nobles and other worthless scum weak in their knees, reminding them that I WILL come for them and make them regret all their needlessly cruel and greedy decisions and force them to change.

I have never tolerated such useless freeloaders, and I'm not about to start now. Even the Japanese nobles were not so much better, but I had hope they would change now after seeing what they had caused with their stupidity and sheer nonchalance for anything save for expensive parties and women, that they had learned their lesson the hard way.

At least the Japanese were more honorable people than their Britannian counterparts. They had accepted Nunnally and myself with no prejudice on their part, not thinking twice about our heritage. I have learned so much from them, from their food traditions to their battle tactics and such. It was all so interesting to the young me, and even now, I find myself asking Sayoko for traditional Japanese meals and using their chess tactics.

The meeting with the rebels was scheduled for tomorrow, so I had to prepare some tactics for that also. I believed they shouldn't be too difficult to persuade.

I did not even bother to knock on the door, as I very well knew that C.C. had heard my steps even before I had stepped into the hallway. I was not prepared for the sight that greeted me. C.C. was there in all her glory, dressed in only one of my spare shirts, which fit her excellently, shamelessly exposing all of her. Even I, a virgin who has never thought of a woman like that, could not stop my eyes as they roamed. I whipped my head in the other direction, feeling shame for my actions and having such thoughts so unusual for me. Was this what Rivalz had told me so long ago? Was I finally going through puberty?

"Welcome back, Lelouch." she greeted, and I could hear the dry amusement in her voice. She had obviously noticed how my eyes had wandered, or even if she had not seen that, the blush on my face was more than obvious. "Your day was eventful, I take it?"

I nodded, finally managing to look her in the eye."Yes, quite." I agreed, quickly unbuttoning my school uniform. "I scheduled a meeting with the rebels, and retrieved this." I pointed at the suitcase lying next to me.

She raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested in the suitcase, or rather, its contents. "What's in it?" I did not bother to answer with words, I threw the suitcase at her, which she caught with ease. She did not comment on the action, but analyzed the contents. "It's... rather interesting, I suppose." she commented at last.

I shrugged. "It's supposed to provoke interest at first, but with time, It's going to be the face of revolution, a face that would remind Britannia that it is not untouchable."

"You're aiming to become a symbol, then?"

"Yes. Symbols never die, as you know, and I will become a symbol the world could never forget, even if they want to."

"Oh, you're an interesting contractor indeed." there was a smile on her lips, and I shuddered, for it was not something I have ever seen, so animalistic in nature, yet so disastrously beautiful. It was a smile a hunter would show its prey.

I have never known how to respond to compliments, so I stayed quiet and changed the topic to something I knew she was interested in and I was actually comfortable with. "I have several plans for rescuing Suzaku, so even if only Ohgi and Kallen decide to help me, I'll still succeed in saving him. Technically, I could do it alone, as I have Jeremiah and Villetta with me, and could easily do it."

"However, you need them to trust you. If you do it alone, they would be suspicious and refuse to help."She continued where I left off, and I nodded. It was true. If even one of them could see me in action, then it would all be worth it. They're like dogs; you throw them a steak and they won't attack you, you give them more and they will begin to follow. Not much of an army, but a fine beginning.

Before I could retire to bed, there was something that I was still confused about. According to Jeremiah, Clovis's body was found without any visible injuries. No cuts, no bruises or even a single drop of blood on the crime scene. Needless to say, the investigators were quite puzzled. I did not match with the screams I heard while leaving. She must've done something and I had to know what, if only to sate my curiosity.

"Could you elaborate something?"

"It's about Clovis, is it not?" C.C. looked at me and murmured, as if reading my thoughts. There was not a trace of anger or even annoyance on that ageless face of hers, only the blank expression I was already used to seeing on her face.

I did not like the fact that I could be so easily read by someone, even if that particular someone has been around for centuries. It was a sign of weakness, which I could not allow. Seeing as I had no other choice, I nodded in confirmation.

"You see, I did not lower myself to his level and simply tortured his body, I tortured his mind. It's a special ability of mine. By tricking his senses into feeling the torture he'd put me though, I broke him down completely, and he could see the horrible pain he had caused me. In his head, it had been going for hours, if not days, but in the real world, only a second had passed. To anyone inspecting his body, it would appear that he died naturally, peacefully. But of course, the truth is far from that. That's probably the reason why no one is allowed to publish the pictures of his body." She elaborated as asked, no trace of remorse or anything alike in her tone. Her features were peaceful, if not satisfied.

Perhaps I could not blame her for the lack of any remorse for Clovis. As much as it pained me to admit, Clovis deserved it all. He played with fire and burned himself. Or at least, that was what I wanted to convince myself was the truth. I could not help but feel sorry for my brother. A monster he most certainly was, but he was still my brother, a brother that had once been a caring and gentle person, just like Nunnally, who has always been fond of him.

The Vampire snorted and I realized I'd been staring into the wall, lost in my thoughts, which was obviously noticed by the immortal and I immediately knew what she was going to say, so the next sentence did not surprise me at all. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for that brat?"

Surprisingly, I found myself defending my late brother. "Brat or not, he's still my brother. Also, should we lower ourselves to the level of speaking ill of the dead?" I did not know what made me make such a rash decision, especially in front of her.

Not even now did her expression change. She still had that emotionless mask, and was not about to drop it any time soon. "I understand." She commented simply and offered nothing more. There was that wistful look again, and I decided not to probe any further.

I was confused, but I guess it was for the best after all. Last thing I needed was to get in a fight with an immortal who was clearly much stronger than me. I would never put Nunnally to that kind of risk. I was not concerned for my own safety - I could defend myself, which goes for Sayoko as well, but Nunnally on the other hand was utterly helpless and I could never forgive myself If I allow someone to hurt her because of me.

Not even my creator. I would rather die at her hands and throw away my life, peaceful world be damned! It would never be worth it if she was not there to cherish that world.

"You know," she spoke again after some time, "If you indeed continue with your plan for the rebellion, Nunnally is bound to get hurt, sooner or later."

I was not paying attention to her anymore, but as Nunnally's name spilled from her lips, I whipped my head towards her. What was she talking about? Nunnally was safe! Nobody knows our real identities, and she even has Sayoko to protect her, who was a ninja. I did my very best to assure her safety, and it's worked for 7 years. Why would it change now if no one were to find out my identity?

"What are you talking about?!" If I were in some other situation, I would've cringed at the alarmed tone, but right now, my mind was focused on only one thing; Nunnally. I couldn't care less if my maker laughed at me, or even got angry at me for that. Nunnally was the one thing I had left and I would burn all the bridges necessary only to save her. Including the one which connects me to C.C., nothing was worth more than Nunnally.

"We are not the only Vampires in the world." She explained with prompt, and I barely held back a snort. I assumed as much. Eradicating an entire race was impossible. To think otherwise was pure foolishness. Even Vampires are not an exception. "Some of them are working for Charles, and won't hesitate to kill your sister if they were to find out." The nonchalance in her voice was most disturbing, but then again, she did say that only I matter to her. The rest of my comrades were not her concern.

That did not mean this matter was not concerning. It was, extremely so even. If Charles had such powerful creatures at beck and call, ready to unleash them both at me and my sister, then I had better prepare for that. It was possible that my father would figure out my identity and try to get me by using Nunnally.

However, "That's the risk I'm willing to take. There's no way around it, and if it happens, then I'll abandon everything and get her back."

This time, it was C.C. who snorted. "Then you're more naïve than I thought."

I crossed my arms over my chest and uttered only one word as response for her comment. "Explain."

"Simple. If they were to catch your sister, do you really think they would keep her alive for you to rescue? They would either turn her into a ghoul or kill her." She dramatically paused as I tried to calm my nerves. Nunnally… a ghoul? A simple-minded slave? That was even worse than death, actually, it was death. The Nunnally I know and love would be gone forever, replaced by a slave in her body. The thought terrified me.

"Is that really what you want for your sister, Lelouch?" she asked quietly, her eyes glaring at my own, her gaze full of unspoken questions.

I shook my head and looked away from her. I did not know why, but it was uncomfortable, gazing into those cold eyes, the eyes of a killer. Before I could answer, I was forced to look into those golden eyes once again, as she lifted my chin, forcing me to look at her. Her touch was surprisingly gentle, nothing I would expect of a devious creature such as her.

The panic was gone from my body and I relaxed. Panicking would do nothing good, not in this situation. I did not know how it was gone so out of sudden, but I had a feeling C.C. had something to do with it.

"She's your Achilles' heel, Lelouch. We both know that." She nipped at my ear, and chills ran up my spine from the sensation. I barely stopped myself from releasing a low, embarrassing groan. Her breath smelled of spring, chilly and sweet. "But first, let's do something about your hunger, shall we?" It seemed like she was very aware of my reaction and smirked slyly and slowly began to undo the buttons on my shirt, her fingers leaving a burning, but oddly pleasurable trail on the skin of my chest she could uncover. This time I could not contain the moan that escaped my traitorous lips.

In that moment, I did not know what had possessed me, but I did not shy away from her touch, I openly welcomed it, despite the fact that I even I realized this was out of character for me, but I could not force myself to stop her. The pleasure was not the same as the one blood could provide, and I doubted anything could replace that accursed red liquid, but it was something I have never experienced before, something I welcomed.

"You see…" she breathed onto my neck, grazing her fangs and nuzzling it. It was a strange feeling, but I could not say it was not pleasurable. "Blood is not the only way we can quench our thirst, as I'm sure you already know…" she licked my neck and blew on it, causing me to shudder at the sensation. She knew how to please a man, and was not afraid to show it to me.

Reacting on an instinct I did not know I possessed, I tangled my hand into her hair and ducking my head down, I connected our lips together, her sweet taste overwhelming me. I felt her smirk and return the kiss with, if possible, even more passion. She nipped at my lips, and our tongues battled for dominance, neither one of us planning on giving the other the pleasure of winning even this little battle.

Shoving me down on the bed, she straddled me almost immediately and began to rake her fingers on my chest sensually, occasionally brushing them against my nipples. Not to be outdone, I ran my hands all over her, our lip-lock never broken. She moaned, the sound muffled by my mouth, but the vibration was sweet all the same.

After a couple of minutes she broke the kiss. I let out a groan of protest but she silenced me by trailing those soft lips down my neck and collarbone, kissing my skin and creating wonderful sensations I've never felt before. Feeling confident all of a sudden, I unbuttoned her own shirt with haste, eager to touch her, to feel her. I was surprised to find her completely bare beneath the shirt, but it only served in making my actions easer. Almost as if she had anticipated this… I must have reacted to the new revelation somehow, for she kissed me again, silencing the part of my brain still working.

Rest assured, for the rest of the night was something I won't be forgetting any time soon.

Act III: The Decision

"Planning already?" her voice rich with sleep, the immortal woman regarded to me, still lying on my bed, a comforter the only shield against the chilly morning.

I gave her a side glance and nodded. I suppose there's not harm in explaining my plans to her, especially not after all we'd done yesterday. "Yes. After all, the meeting with the rebels is today. I have to plan my actions carefully, as I still need them to help me."

She yawned and helped herself with some coffee Sayoko had brought to my room. The trusty main hadn't commented on the green haired beauty in my bed, but only gave me a small smile and left. Knowing her, Nunnally was already informed of the fact, and was likely preparing to tease both of us, myself mostly, knowing her.

"Technically, you don't really need them or their approval. " C.C. commented, sipping at her coffee.

I instantly knew what she was getting at, and immediately dismissed the idea. Snorting, I answered her.

"I don't have no desire for mindless slaves if that's what you're implying. They couldn't do anything without my instructions, rendering them hopeless in the situations I'm not able to predict- ambushes, for example. Besides, it's so much more interesting to see them make slaves of themselves out of their own free will."

Not surprised at my answer, the Vampire leaned back on the bed, still idly sipping at her cup of coffee. "However, as slaves they wouldn't be able to betray you or disobey you." She pointed out.

I relaxed on the chair, now fully facing the woman. "It has its advantages, true, however, why would they betray me if I give them no reason to do so? As for disobeying, I'm not that arrogant to think my actions would be unmistakable. Disobeying can be good in some situations." I argued

"You do have a point." She sighed, "However, it still depends on the circumstances. You never know what could happen."

I smirked slightly at the small win over the Vampire. Winning against her still left a pleasant taste in my mouth, for which reasons I still do not know. "Moving on, I'll have them meet me in a train, since Tokyo Tower is a bit too risky, not to mention crowded. Plus, it adds to the dramatic effect I want to show them. Since it's a train, there will be very few security cameras, if not at all."

"It will also limit the time you have to persuade them to join you. However, knowing you, you've already taken that into consideration. Smart, I must admit."

I felt pleasant warmth in my chest at the compliment, but otherwise made no move to acknowledge it.

Taking a sip of my own earl grey tea, I continued, "Judging from the profiles Jeremiah sent me, I think Kallen and Ohgi are the most likely ones who will join me right away. The rest of them should follow suit. If their leader trusts me, it's only a matter of time when they do too."

"What about your powers and Vampire origin? Are you going to keep them in the dark about it?" she asked with vague interest in her voice and I frowned at the question. Truth be told, I have already considered the possible consequences for both of those cases.

Seeing as my father has over one third of the world in the palm of his hand, I knew C.C. was telling the truth about other Vampires working for him. She had no possible reason to lie to me. Having that in mind, I was not as stupid to think he wouldn't figure who I was over time, and my army is bound to find out the truth eventually, whether I like it or not, for my actions will seem like miracles to them. It would be way better if they would hear the truth from my own mouth rather from my enemies, as then they would know the risks and could not blame me for not telling.

It would certainly make the task of earning their trust way harder, but should benefit me in the future. It was better this way, as they could betray me in the worst possible moment. Like this, they would at least respect me out of fear, and would not dare to oppose me, at least before I would find out about their plans and stop them from plaguing the rest of my future forces.

My identity, however, is probably a greater problem, but I already have a couple of plans on how to deal with it when the time comes. Planning that far ahead was not a good idea, even for me.

"Yes. It would make things more risky, but I can lose way more if I don't tell them. It's an investition for the future. I'd rather preserve the future of my rebellion, and keeping them in the dark about it would not help my case for too long. Of course, not everyone will know the truth - only the core members, as others could rat me out to Britannia and ruin my plans."

If she was surprised at my answer, she did not show it, settling for an indifferent mask. "I see your point. However, at least allow me to come with you to the meeting and help you in case something goes wrong." she proposed, to my great surprise.

Smirking, I answered. "Do you think I'm that weak that I cannot defeat a few of poorly trained terrorists? My, I'm hurt." I feigned a pained expression at the end.

Recognizing my remark as teasing, she smirked in return. "It's nothing like that, but I don't want to miss your big reveal, as I have hope in you and your flare for the dramatics."

"Why thank you, milady." I mockingly gave a small stage bow. "In that case, you are very welcome to join me and enjoy the show I'm going to be providing."

"I'm looking forward to it." she said, and added after a while, "Shouldn't you be in class?"

I chuckled lightly. "No. It's P.E. and I'm not about to break the habit of skipping it just because I'm a Vampire."

Act IV: The Fateful Meeting

I stood in the front of the train, dressed in my costume with C.C. sitting behind me, pretending to be one of the passengers. As I would have to introduce her later, she was wearing a face mask and a wig, just in case. The security cameras were shut off and other passengers geassed. The stage was ready; I only had to wait for the other participants in our little play.

I wasn't surprised to find their whole cell present, I wondered if they took me for an idiot; they were rather easy to spot, even without actually seeing their faces. Their whole appearance practically screamed "I'm a resistance member". Oh well, even more things to point out to them and make them realize how hopeless they truly are without me and my advanced planning. Had it not been for me, they wouldn't have survived Shinjuku, and for that, they're indebted to me and I plan on collecting all of it. Every last bit of it.

The gasp of the red haired girl echoed in my ears as she stepped into the front wagon. To any other being here, it would be barely noticed, but it was clear as the ringing of bells in my ears, for I was not a normal human and never will be. I smirked behind the mask at the shocked faces of her comrades as they followed suit and came in. Oh yes, I could certainly get used to this.

"We-were you the one in Shinjuku?" Kallen asked shakily, and I saw the leader, Ohgi, move his hand to his pocket, where I could see the outline of a gun. I frowned. If they thought they could intimidate me, they were dead wrong.

"Yes." I nodded in answer. "I am the one who arranged the cease-fire, and made sure Clovis will never hurt anyone again. It was my duty as a person who fights for justice." I searched one of my pockets, and was greeted with a gun when I looked up again. I narrowed my eyes. Hm... so that's how they want to play? Completely fine with me.

It was the other redhead, Shinichiro Tamaki, according to the data Jeremiah sent me. Barely finished high school, worked at a computer factory, no family. Arrested several times for intoxication and starting fights. A fine example of a simple brute. Nothing I couldn't handle, both physically and psychically. Just for the show, I decided to use only words in order to stop him. After all, he was not the only one with a gun on his person, and I couldn't risk that new power C.C. was talking about earlier.

"I apologize if I've done anything to upset you, but is there really a reason for you drawing that gun?" I asked calmly, and saw the redhead's eyes widen slightly.

He had obviously not expected me to be so calm about it. His grip on the gun tightened and he grunted in response, "Wearing that mask is enough of a reason! Why don't you loose it and then we'll talk!"

The rest of their little group looked shocked at the scene, frozen in place. "What are you doing Tamaki? Put that down!" Kallen shouted, and woke the others from their little daydream. The redhead did not listen, though and I chuckled lightly, causing them all to look at me in wonder.

"It's alright, really." I offered, getting ready to strike and teach the fool a lesson once and for all. I would not allow myself to lower to his level and assault him. "Tell me, what makes me so suspicious in your eyes? I saved you all in Shinjuku and even stopped Clovis from committing a crime again. Don't believe me? Well, have a look at this." I threw a cravat at the redhead, who caught it. It was the cravat Clovis had on him when C.C. killed him. I had previously spilled some blood on it, just for the dramatic effect.

"This is Clovis's cravat!" Ohgi gasped.

"Indeed. Will you please listen to what I have to say now?" I asked and the redhead put the gun down begrudgingly glaring at me all the while.

"You see... Britannia will never fail if you continue this petty little act of yours."

Tamaki raised his gun again and yelled in protest, "What do you mean by that? Who are you calling 'petty'? Look at your outfit first, ya freak!"

The urge to throttle that moron was almost overwhelming, but thankfully, for both his and my sake, my self-control prevailed and I had to take a deep breath to relax. "What I'm implying is that little acts of terrorism will bring nothing good to you or the Japanese people. It practically gives the Britannians even more reasons to detest you and make your life even harder." I elaborated calmly, as if talking to a child, which this man practically was.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Wait around doing nothing, bowing our heads to Britannians our whole lives!?"

I shook my head. "Nothing of the sorts. Although, for an average civilian that choice of action would probably benefit them the most. However, you are different. You gave up on that kind of lifestyle and choose the path of a fighter."

They were mulling over my words, but I knew they all agreed with me. "If you wish to have even the slightest chance at challenging Britannia, join me!"

"We don't even know your name!"

Ah, that was a fair point. The Tamaki person had stopped me before I could properly introduce myself. "I apologize for not stating my name earlier. I am Zero!"

"...Zero?"

"Zero." I nodded. "I am not a person, but an idea! Zero is nothing, but at the same time everything! I have the power to bring down Britannia, and will not hesitate in my quest. But for that, I need assistance. As you may know, a lone man cannot challenge a pack of wolves alone, no matter how powerful he might be, for he could bring down one of the wolves, but the rest of the pack would kill him. However, once he attacks with his allies the situation changes drastically! Yes, there would be sacrifice, a couple of men could die, but they would only help their allies in defeating the pack!"

They were staring at me, as if confused. Could it be possible that the words I'd used were too complicated for them to comprehend? Were they truly this foolish?

"You said you had a 'power' that could defeat Britannia, right? What is it?" One of them spoke out, the female one, Inue if I am not mistaken.

This was the moment I either gain or lose everything. I saw C.C. get ready to attack, and she gave me a small smirk. I too prepared, geass at bay and hands ready to knock the guns out of their hands. "It is a trump card I'm always ready to use, my last line of defense if you will. That is one thing the Emperor and I share - the Power of Geass."

"What is this 'geass' thingy?"

"It is something very dangerous if it comes in the wrong hands, like the Emperor's for example. Using it, he had secured his position as the next Emperor and it's one of the reasons why he seems untouchable, but it is far from the truth, as even he could lose to another Geass user rather easily." I explained with prompt. I did not know what exactly my father's Geass was, but for now it was not important. My Geass is the one which will be in the spotlight, and I could always lie to them about his. For now, they couldn't see me hesitating.

"Is it a weapon of some sort?"

"I guess you can say it is." I confirmed, and could swear I saw their eyes shine as they went through the possibilities. Too bad I'll have to disappoint them, as only i am capable of using the power. " I can force people to do my bidding, for my power is the Power of Absolute Obedience. Clovis was one of the first people I've used it on. I think you can already guess what my request was."

"... the cease-fire?" Kallen muttered

"I understand if you do not believe me, but I shall demonstrate it tonight, when I rescue Suzaku Kururugi, without a single injury on anyone's part."

"How can we know that you won't use it on us, too?" Tamaki asked again, and the rest of them nodded, expecting my answer.

I laughed, the voice modulator I had put into the mask making it even worse for the rebels. "As every power, it is not without its limits; I have to look you in the eyes for it to work, and as you can see, I have this mask preventing me from doing just that, even if I wanted to, which I do not. Would I really waste my time explaining all this to you if I wanted to use it on you?"

"I guess not..." Ohgi replied, still a little scared of me.

I sensed another question lingering on their lips, and decided to indulge them on the topic. "You see, you might ask why I don't simply use the Power on everyone and spare myself the trouble, but the answer is a very simple one; I do not enjoy using the power when I don't have to, I dislike the idea of mindless slaves, which is why it's my very last resort."

"What about the passengers? They seem way too quiet for my liking!" Another one quipped in, Sugiyama I believed.

I wanted to roll my eyes at the sheer absurdity of the question. With all the information I have told them, they should be able to figure it out on their own. They weren't the brightest of the sorts, I guess. "They're under my Geass. Their order is to ignore anything suspicious in this train. I think this is proof enough for you of my honesty?"

"But you said it was your last resort! Why use it on them?" The idiotic redhead questioned yet again, gesturing at the blank faces of the passengers as they sat, ignoring us all.

"I had no other choice, and after all, what harm could this possibly result in?" I replied, and added, "Your stop is near, my friends. Anyone who is interested in helping me free Kururugi is welcome to join me at the Junkyard in Shinjuku."

"Alright." Ohgi nodded, "We'll think about all this, Zero. We owe you at least that after all you've done for us and the people of Japan. I cannot promise that anyone will come, but I promise we'll think hard about it.. Also, while I still do not trust you, I thank you for telling us all this instead of enslaving us." He bowed and left the wagon with his friends in tow.

This is the longest chapter so far, but still slow as always. What can I say? I'm a slow writer.

I'd like to thank my beta, Draconias, for all the ideas he's provided me with, and I encourage you to check out his stories, especially if you love Nunnally.

Until next time,

-The Demon Prosecutor