Code Geass: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward Chapter 6: The Good, The Bad, And The Orange, a code geass fanfic

CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

Here we are again! In this chapter, Suzaku, Cecile, and Lloyd all make their return to the story! As do Shirley, Nina, Milly, and... uh... Rivalz. So, as I established in the previous chapter, Jeremiah is Nunnally's father, Lelouch is oblivious, Emperor Charles is well aware but keeps quiet for his own reasons (coughShits&Gigglescough) and Clovis is still alive... for now.

Also, the main paring is Lelouch x Kallen, but it's going to be a slow burn romance, so... it'll take a while before they actually show interest in each other on a romantic level. I'm talking at least another 17 chapters or so. I plan for this to be a 40 - 50 chapter story, so I don't feel the need to rush any developments between characters. Also, this story will take place over the course of at least 1 & 1/2 to 2 years, with several weeks or even months between certain battles.

On another note, this chapter introduces some more real world weapons into the story. Please note that despite this, the backgrounds of certain weapons are obvious changed to reflect the alternate timeline that Code Geass takes place in. Therefore, any brand that is American-made in real life is Britannian-made in Code Geass. Also, because NATO doesn't exist in the Code Geass universe, the NATO designation for certain ammunition types is excluded.

Also, if Britannia is anything like America, then people drive on the right side of the road, and so that's how I'm describing things in this story when people drive cars around, and that means I'm also describing most vehicles having their driver's seats and steering columns being on the left side of the vehicle. That's what makes sense to me, so... it just makes it easier to write. It also means that teenage characters in this story probably have drivers' licenses while still in high school, which isn't allowed in real life Japan, but this is fiction.

Also, Shirley's hair will be described as orange in this story, since... you know, its fucking orange. Kallen, however, is red. The more you know.

Anyway, I want to make clear that chapters which aren't based on pre-existing episodes of canon Code Geass will probably take longer to write than chapters that are based on pre-existing episodes because there are no clear outlines or references for how to structure these particular chapters. Chapters based on pre-existing episodes have a basic outline that I can use for reference, making those chapters easier to write.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include Code Geass OST 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, The Fifth Element Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1997) by Eric Serra, Can't Buy Me Love (1987) by Robert Folk, and Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is not a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From Code Geass OST 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007): Zero, Strange Girl, Cold Nobility, Invisible Sound, Outside Road, Devil Created, First Signature, Boyhood, Last Adolescence, Lack of Power For Wisdom, Feel Ambivalents.

Music From The Fifth Element (1997): Koolen, Akta, Mina Hinoo, Leeloominai, Korben Dallas, Badaboom, Human Nature, Leeloo, Heat.

Music From Can't Buy Me Love (1987): Broken Moon, Rent Me, Geek Groove, Thinking of You, Siberia, For You, Don't Forget.

Music From Halo 2 Anniversary OST (2014): Not A Number, Jeopardy, Charity's Irony, Cracked Legend.

Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme

01. Cracked Legend (Warehouse delivery), 02. Feel Ambivalents (Kyoto House meeting), 03. Jeopardy (Lancelot test), 04. Geek Groove (Sub shop meeting), 05. Siberia (Lunch between friends), 06. Occupied Thinking (Clovis's plot).

Music After Ending Theme

07. Not A Number.

OPENING THEME: Princes Of The Universe (by Queen).

CHAPTER 06: The Good, The Bad, And The Orange

A Warehouse, Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11, Friday Evening, September 29, 2017 ATB

"So, how long are we supposed to wait again?" Tamaki asked for the umpteenth time as he leaned back against a support strut. He and the others had been summoned to the warehouse, owned by Ohgi and lent out as storage space to others for cheap money, nearly an hour earlier. Tamaki was starting to get anxious. He could only stay still and in one place for so long.

"Have some patience, Tamaki," Kallen said. "He'll be here," she added. She was getting annoyed by Tamaki's constant whining.

"When? We've been waiting for almost an hour already," Tamaki retorted. Kallen frowned at the man and shook her head. Kallen then felt her phone vibrate before retrieving it from her pants pocket.

She looked at the caller ID to see who it was before answering it. "Kallen, we'll be at the warehouse in just a minute. Have the doors open for us," Lelouch said over the phone.

"Affirmative. Q-One out," Kallen said, nodding her head as she ended the call. "They're almost here," she said to everyone as she got up from her chair and rushed over to the doors of the warehouse before pressing the button to open them. The large doors slowly slid open as a large vehicle drove up past the doors before backing up and aligning itself with the open doorway.

Sitting on various crates and stool, Ohgi and the other members of his cell watched as a large delivery truck backed up into the warehouse. Once the vehicle had come to a stop, the passenger side door of the cab opened and Zero stepped out to walk around to the back. Ohgi gestured for the others to follow him as they joined Zero at the door of the truck.

Zero unlatched the locking mechanism and the door slid upwards over the roof. "Yoshida, Inoue, grab the ramp," Ohgi said. Inoue and Yoshida nodded their heads before darting over to a large structural pillar to grab an adjustable mechanical ramp, pushing it over and lining it up with the back of the truck before using a lever on the side to adjust the angle of the top part.

"Ramp's good to go!" Inoue grinned. Ohgi nodded at her before he looked back at the truck to see something very weird. Zero was already inside the truck... and standing next to the ramp. Ohgi did a double take before he realized that there were two Zeroes.

That must be What's-Her-Name wearing the other Zero outfit, Ohgi realized as both Zeroes started unloading various boxes and crates from the truck. He quickly moved forward to start helping with the unloading process. Over the next forty minutes, nine people had emptied the truck of all of its contents. Once the door was pulled back down and locked into place, Zero-1 walked up to the driver and gave him a command.

With red tinted eyes, the driver nodded his head and began making his way out of the warehouse, taking several turns and looping around the ghetto twice before making his way to a security checkpoint near the outskirts of the Concession. He wouldn't remember anything by morning. Lelouch's Geass would make certain of that.

As the doors of the warehouse were pulled shut, the group began lining up the crates and boxes that had been unloaded. Before anyone could open them, however, Zero cleared his throat as he walked over to the load and stood before everyone, with the other Zero standing next to him. "My fellow resistance fighters, before we begin this meeting, I would like to introduce my accomplice, Zero-Two. She was with me in Shinjuku in August, and she is the one who gave me the power of Geass," Zero-1 explained.

Zero-2 then reached up and took off her helmet, revealing a mane of lime-green hair to everyone. "I am Cee-Two," she said as she looked around at the group. Everyone stared at her in varying states of confusion, with the exception of Kallen.

"Um... okay," Tamaki said quietly, scratching his head.

"You may also refer to me as Zero-Two," C.C. said as she looked around. Sighing, she decided that a proper explanation was in order. "The poison gas canister that you stole back in August did not contain poison gas in it. It was a transfer module meant to contain me," she explained.

"Therefore, since you are responsible for my escape from Clovis and General Bartley, I have decided to accompany you in your efforts to fight back against Britannia," C.C. said. Everyone slowly nodded their heads as they processed C.C.'s words.

"Um... why were you in that canister in the first place?" Inoue asked her curiously.

"I was being used as a living human test subject for illegal experiments," C.C. explained tersely.

Inoue's face blanched at the explanation. Meanwhile, Yoshida scratched his chin in contemplation. "Experiments? Zero here said you were the one who gave him his Geass. Is that related to these experiments?" Yoshida asked her.

"Yes," C.C. replied with a nod of her head. Yoshida then nodded his own head solemnly in understanding.

"Now, with Zero-Two's introduction out of the way, let us begin unpacking our new... equipment," Zero said as he held up a crowbar. Everyone else grabbed tools to open the crates and joined in. Before long, all of the lids had been popped, and the various items were being lifted out of the crates and placed onto some nearby tables.

"Hey, are these our new uniforms?" Minami asked as he held several sets of black pants and jackets in his arms. The others quickly made their way over to crate holding the clothing and retrieved the uniforms for see them for themselves.

"Indeed, they are," Zero replied with a nod of his head. "Ladies and gentlemen, from this night forward, we are no longer just a rag-tag team of resistance fighters. Tonight, we become... the Black Knights!" Zero announced proudly.

"The Black... Knights?" Sugiyama asked Zero.

"Yes. We are the Black Knights," Zero reiterated. "Our mission is to bring justice to those in need of it. To help the weak, and remind the strong that it is their duty to protect the weak rather than conquer them!" Zero said proudly.

"Now, onto the next order of business," Zero said as he walked over to several weapons that had been laid on the tables. Some of the weapons were familiar to the group, such as the MP5 submachine guns and its more compact variant, the MP5K, along with certain pistols. Many of the larger rifles, however, were new equipment that none of the newly-formed Black Knights had ever laid their hands on before now.

C.C. was the one who began the lecture, as her longevity meant that she had more experience in handling most weapons than anyone else in the room. She picked up one of the assault rifles and held it up for the Black Knights to see. "This is the Heckler and Koch Gee-Thirty-Six V assault rifle. It was originally going to be given to the Britannian military in the nineteen nineties as the mainline service rifle, but due to souring relations between Britannia and the Euro Union, this never happened," C.C. explained.

"However, private security forces operating within Britannia and working for the Britannian government have adopted the weapon, thus making it readily available on the black market and allowing us access to the gun through channels that would otherwise be inaccessible," she said.

"Um... how do you know all of this?" Yoshida asked her.

C.C. ignored Yoshida and continued explaining the weapon. "The weapon fires standard five point fifty-six by forty-five millimeter rounds, and it can be set to semi-automatic or fully automatic modes. There is no burst fire unless you adjust your trigger tapping accordingly while using full auto," she explained.

"You're way too young to know this stuff," Minami muttered under his breath.

"I'm older than you think I am. I only look like I'm young enough to still be in school," C.C. snapped. Minami blinked at her in surprise. "Anyway, the next weapon on our list is the Heckler and Koch Gee-Three A-Three Battle Rifle," C.C. said as she put down the HK G36 and picked up the HK G3A3 Battle Rifle. It had a mostly black body with olive green colored furniture on it.

"This weapon was developed in the nineteen fifties and did see widespread use throughout Europe and Britannia, especially during the First Pacific War. The version I'm holding here is the A-Three variant, which is the most commonly distributed variant. While this weapon was widely discontinued after the introduction of the Gee-Thirty-Six, there are plenty of Gee-Threes left in the world, making large quantities easy to purchase at a reasonable price. The ammunition it fires is the seven-point-sixty-two by fifty-one millimeter round. The ammunition is not interchangeable with the Gee-Thirty Six. The standard magazine holds twenty rounds in it, although the weapon can also hold fifty-round drums. Because we do not wish to attract too much attention, we are sticking with the twenty-round magazines for now," C.C. explained.

"You've used these guns in the past, haven't you?" Inoue asked knowingly.

"Of course. I've been in my share of fire fights over the course of my lifetime. Maybe I'll tell you about them someday," C.C. replied with a smirk.

"Wait, just how old are you?" Ohgi asked C.C. curiously.

"Hey, man! You don't just ask a lady her age," Tamaki exclaimed with a frown. "That's rude," he added, shaking his head in dismay at Ohgi's lack of manners. "Besides, she was locked away by the Brits in a lab and used for illegal experiments and stuff for who knows how long. That's probably why she looks so young," he then added as an afterthought.

"Anyway, let's continue with the lecture," C.C. said as she placed the G3A3 on the table before grabbing a Howa Type-89 Assault Rifle and holding it up. "This is a weapon that many of you should be familiar with," C.C. said. "The Howa Type Eighty-Nine Assault Rifle. It fires five-point-fifty-six by forty-five millimeter rounds. It was the standard rifle of Japan's military prior to the Invasion, and it is mostly likely still used by the JLF and other resistance groups with access to such hardware," she said.

She then put the assault rifle down on the table before moving on to the next weapon, which was a very long-barreled rifle with a set of "legs" attached under the barrel. C.C. picked it up with a slight upturn of her lips. "This is the M-Ninety-Nine Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, developed by the Zijiang Machinery Company in the Chinese Federation," C.C. explained to the Black Knights. "It is semi-automatic and its magazine can hold up to ten rounds maximum. It fires twelve-point-seven by ninety-nine millimeter rounds," she added.

"Make sure the check your target and see what is behind it, because the bullet can over-penetrate certain materials and keep going," C.C. added. "It is, after all, an anti-material rifle. These are armor-piercing rounds, so be very careful when firing," she said firmly.

"We only have a handful of these, so don't lose them," she added before putting it down on the table. C.C. then walked over to the heavy weapons that were still in their crates. She reached inside and picked up a very large olive green tube with a pistol trigger and grip, along with a mounted sight. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the M-K One-Five-Three Shoulder-mounted Multi-purpose Assault Weapon," C.C. explained as she held the weapon in both hands and presented it to the Black Knights.

"It fires unguided munitions at the enemy, but if you know how to lead your target, then you can take down a Glasgow pretty easily, although I'm not sure how it will fare against Sutherlands. The explosives it fires will definitely damage a Knightmare's hand-held weapons, so focus on those instead of the Knightmares themselves," C.C. continued.

"After using it, do not get rid of it. This weapon is reloadable," C.C. said with a grin. "With this, you can disarm a Knightmare and leave it vulnerable to attack or hijacking by your teammates. We only have a limited number of these babies in our arsenal, so do not lose them," she said firmly. "Also, despite having these weapons in our hands, the SMAW will remain unused until we have greater numbers and are fighting out in the open. If we play our hand too early, then the Britannians will adapt. They know the dangers posed by rocket launchers, but as long as they don't know we have them, they shouldn't feel the need to take those precautions just yet," C.C. added.

Ohgi then raised his hand, causing C.C. to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "Yes, Ohgi?" C.C. asked him.

"Um... we've actually used RPGs in the past against Knightmares, as recently as the battle in Shinjuku, in fact," Ohgi said. "Sooo... they already know that we possess that kind of equipment," he added.

C.C. sighed in frustration. "Well... the ammunition is hard to come by, so we still aren't using the SMAWs until later anyway," she said firmly. The rest of the night was spent showing the Black Knights (including Zero-1) how to disassemble and reassemble their new weapons, followed by the counting of magazines and performing a full inventory of all guns and ammunition.

When they were finished, Ohgi looked at Zero curiously. "Uh, hey, Zero? I couldn't help but notice that there seems to be a bit of a surplus of equipment here. Are you expecting us to go through this stuff in a hurry, or was it just cheaper to buy everything in bulk?" Ohgi asked him.

"No. It is only surplus for the time being. When our numbers grow, you will see that acquiring everything in bulk was the smart thing to do," Zero replied.

"Grow? We're gonna be getting more members?" Ohgi asked him. Zero nodded his head in response.

"Yes. In order for us to actually stand a chance of surviving more than a few operations, we need to increase our numbers. This means that we will need to start recruiting soon," Zero explained. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"For now, however, it will be just the nine of us. We will need to secure at least one more successful mission together in order to bolster our reputation among the people. To prove that we can make miracles happen," Zero said firmly.

The Sumeragi Estate, Area 11, Saturday Morning, September 30, 2017 ATD

Sitting in a circle around a small table in a room with an old wooden aesthetic were the six leaders of the Six Houses of Kyoto, also known as the NAC. They were an organization of elite Japanese industrialists and plutocrats, who the Britannian Empire had left in charge of running Area 11's major industries, particularly its Sakuradite mining operations, following the surrender of the nation after the one month war. Britannia had decided to leave these natural-born "Elevens" in charge of these industries on the assumption that the economy would flow much more effectively if managed by a collaboration of local industrialists working alongside Britannia rather than being run by solely Britannia itself.

However, the NAC also secretly supplied funding and equipment to various resistance groups within Area 11, including the JLF. It was basically an open secret among everyone, but since there was never any solid evidence to confirm any links between the NAC and the various resistance groups, no one ever bothered to do anything about it.

There were several documents held in front of these men and single female. The lone female of the group, 16 years old Kaguya Sumeragi, held up a document and raised an eyebrow as she read it. When she was finally finished, she lowered the document in his hand and cleared her throat. "Zero is the name this man gives himself," she said before glancing around at the others. "However... there are no individuals or groups with whom we are associated who bear this moniker," she added.

The older men in the group all nodded their heads in agreement. The leader of the group, Taizo Kirihara, opened his mouth to speak. "I have recently spoken with the JLF. There have been no rogue soldiers or officers who could be identified as this masked individual. Furthermore, none of the other resistance groups that the JLF have contacted know anything about this person's identity either," Kirihara said. "It appears that this Zero is a newcomer," he added.

"So it would seem," Tatsunori Osakabe said, nodding his head in agreement. "However, he claims to be the one responsible for the death of General Bartley during the Battle of Shinjuku, and it is confirmed through multiple sources that he managed to force the Britannians back without firing a single shot at them himself again in Shinjuku the other week, apparently convincing one of their own to take up arms against the others," he added suspiciously.

"Not a single shot? Not one bullet fired by himself?" Kaguya asked with wide eyes. Tatsunori nodded his head in response. "That's incredible," Kaguya said in awe.

"Do we know how he did that?" Kirihara asked.

"Well, the report mentions Zero having some kind of large canister behind him, apparently the same gas canister that the Britannians claimed was stolen by terrorists during the Battle of Shinjuku," Kaguya said as she picked up another document and re-read it. "Most audio recordings of last week's incident are of rather low quality, but the transcripts of all recorded dialogue between Zero and the Britannians mention something called 'Orange'," Kaguya said.

"Yes," Kirihara said, nodding his head in agreement. "It would seem that this canister and 'Orange' are somehow connected, but we still do not know how Zero got a hold of this canister to begin with or why he used it the way he did. If it had been filled with poison gas, then surely he would have recorded a message about it and sent it to the other nations of the world to reveal Britannia's violation of international treaties, rather than simply use it to scare a police force into submission," Kirihara said.

"Something doesn't seem right about this," Tousai Munakata said. "It is rather perplexing, to say the least, that the Britannians would not have confiscated the canister as soon as possible following the conclusion of their fight in Shinjuku during August," he added. "Even with the death of General Bartley, certainly the Britannians are smart enough to not let something so dangerous lay around and not retrieve it properly. So, that begs the question of how Zero got a hold of it? Does anyone know how someone could grab something so dangerous from the Britannians without raising any alarms?"

Everyone shook their heads in response. "So, perhaps Zero is in league with the Britannians as part of an elaborate plot to earn the trust of the resistance groups while learning their secrets," Kirihara suggested.

"It would certainly explain how a Britannian Pureblood would take orders from the enemy, as well as how this Zero was able to acquire that canister of poison gas, assuming the gas was still inside of it by the time he had obtained it. And since this Zero wears a mask, his true identity is hidden from everyone. He could very well be a Britannian spy or perhaps an Honorary Britannian spy," Munakata said, reaching up to scratch his beard contemplatively. "Putting on a dazzling display to earn the trust of the Japanese resistance so that he can infiltrate our networks and feed information back to his handlers," he added.

"Perhaps," Kaguya said. "But we must learn more before we can make any decisions on how to handle this Zero figure. We must gather more information about him," she said. "We cannot take any definitive courses of action based solely on speculation," she added. "Doing so would only lead us to expose ourselves and give the Britannians reason to crack down on us," she stated as she looked around at the others.

"We must tread carefully, lest we tie our own nooses to hang from by accident," she added firmly.

A.S.E.E.C. Testing Facility, Outskirts of Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Noon Time...

Stationed near the outskirts of the Tokyo Concession was the main research and testing facility of the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, led by Earl Lloyd Asplund. The ASEEC was part of the Britannian Special Research Division, also known as the Camelot Engineering Corps, founded by Britannian Prime Minister Prince Schneizel el Britannia. Camelot and its subdivisions had been given special autonomy outside of regular military jurisdiction by Schneizel himself, with special acknowledgement and approval by Prince Clovis following a brief incident after the establishment of the main facility in Area 11 years earlier.

Inside the main testing lab was the first seventh generation Knightmare Frame, the Lancelot, developed and designed by Lloyd Asplund himself.

Sitting inside the cockpit of the Lancelot, Suzaku Kururugi sighed as he began the warm up sequence for the machine once again, wearing his standard white and black pilot suit with gold trim. "Test Pilot Kururugi reporting. All systems are reading as nominal so far," Suzaku said into his headset. "Excellent!" Lloyd Asplund replied over the headset from the observation room he and Cecile Croomy were standing in.

Over the next thirty seconds, multiple green lights shone around various buttons and switches throughout the cockpit. A small digital screen flashed the words 'SYSTEM READY' at Suzaku in large green letters. "All systems are now powered up. Awaiting further instructions," Suzaku said into the headset, glancing over at a small screen to his left where Lloyd and Cecile could be seen analyzing data.

"Uh, yes. Very good. Okay, today we are going to be testing the newly installed emergency ejection system," Lloyd said over the com.

"It's about damn time," Suzaku muttered under his breath. "What was that?" Lloyd asked him through the headset. Suzaku looked at the screen to his left and saw the lavender-haired man giving him a sly grin. "Uh, n-nothing, Sir," Suzaku said with a gulp. He and Lloyd were on rather good terms with one another, but Lloyd could also be quite scary when sufficiently provoked.

Of course, Lloyd never exploded into outward bursts of anger. No, he manifested his discontent in other ways that were far more subtle. For instance, insisting on repeating a certain test multiple times or insisting that Suzaku stay and help him analyze data that he knew Suzaku didn't fully understand for hours on end were some of the ways that Lloyd would reprimand the boy. And then, there were the... unorthodox tests that he would insist Suzaku perform with the Lancelot.

Suzaku had learned very quickly to always keep his mouth shut around Lloyd if he had already eaten prior to any tests. After all, cleaning up the cockpit after losing his lunch was something he wanted to avoid if at all possible. Sometimes, it was very difficult to air out the smell of bile, and it could take days for the cockpit to smell decent again.

"Okay, Suzaku, I want you to move the Lancelot to grid section D-Six. That should put plenty of room between the Lancelot and the safety net by the back wall when you eject," Lloyd said over the headset. Suzaku nodded his head in understanding. "Affirmative. Moving Lancelot to designated coordinates," Suzaku said.

The main testing chamber resembled a very large gymnasium with a grid-marked floor. Moving the seventh-generation machine over the floor without landspinners, Suzaku soon arrived at the designated grid points and parked the Lancelot. "Grid section D-six has been reached. Awaiting further instructions," Suzaku said into his headset.

"Good. Stand by for one moment," Lloyd said over the headset. Suzaku nodded his head. "Affirmative," he replied.

A minute later, Lloyd's voice sounded over the headset. "All right! Suzaku, prepare for the first test of the Emergency Ejection System! Enter the code and pull the lever!" Lloyd chirped excitedly over the headset. "Affirmative," Suzaku replied, nodding his head as he entered a six-digit numerical key sequence into the main computer to activate the emergency ejection system before grabbing a lever and pulling it.

A small LED screen up by the Factsphere monitor lit up with a short countdown timer on it. In less than three seconds, the timer reached zero. Looking around the cockpit, Suzaku waited for the vibrating feeling of the booster jets activating to tell him that everything was working.

Nothing happened. Blinking in confusion, Suzaku looked back up at the countdown timer. It had reached zero, and yet nothing had happened. "Uh... Lloyd? It isn't working," Suzaku reported over his headset. "What!? B-But... how!?" Lloyd exclaimed in confusion over the headset.

"I entered the proper code and pulled the lever, but nothing's happening," Suzaku reported once more. "Oh, of all the-wait, I think I know what went wrong! I probably forgot to set up the rocket boosters! I guess we'll have to take the frame apart and re-wire everything again," Lloyd said over the headset, causing Suzaku to frown as his right eye twitched at Lloyd's words.

I'm going to die in this machine, aren't I? And it won't even be on the battlefield, Suzaku thought to himself in dismay. I'm gonna die because Lloyd will probably switch the ejection system with the self-destruct by accident, and when I activate it on the next test... boom. My tombstone will probably read 'Here lies the heavily burnt and partially reassembled corpse of Suzaku Kururugi. He died while testing a safety system meant to save his life in the cruelest of ironies', Suzaku thought to himself bitterly.

Suzaku was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of Cecile's voice over the headset. "Suzaku, bring the Lancelot back to the starting point. We're gonna spend the rest of the afternoon taking it apart again," Cecile said. Suzaku nodded his head and grabbed the controls to move the Lancelot backwards. As soon as he pulled the control yokes back, he felt the cockpit vibrate as the rocket boosters activated. "What the-oh shit!" Suzaku swore in realization.

The boosters fired and sent the escape pod hurdling back through the air, scraping against the ceiling of the room. Inside the cockpit, Suzaku screamed bloody murder in surprise as he was taken on a wild ride, before the escape pod finally crashed into the safety net near the back wall, ending the brief but chaotic test.

"Suzaku!? Suzaku!" Cecile and Lloyd both cried out over the headset as they tried to contact the young man. As soon as the escape pod had impacted against the safety net, the airbags had deployed and smothered him until he found a button to deflate them. His right eye twitching in annoyance at what had just transpired, Suzaku forced himself to take several deep breaths.

"Oh, I guess the emergency ejection system does work after all!" Lloyd exclaimed happily over the headset. Suzaku groaned in response. My life is a never ending nightmare from which there is no escape, Suzaku thought to himself as leaned back in his pilot seat and slowly shook his head.

The Primary Observation Room, 30 Minutes Later...

Looking over the data from the test, Lloyd smiled to himself. "My, my, my... it would seem that I had accidentally mixed up some of the wiring," he said, his smile faltering slightly. Standing behind him, Cecile shook her head before looking over at Suzaku, who was sitting in a chair nearby, still wearing his pilot suit.

"However, this does prove that the Lancelot has a functioning emergency ejection system," Lloyd said as he turned around to look at Cecile and Suzaku. "I'd say this calls for a celebration," Lloyd said with a smile. Suzaku resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Tonight, we're having subs!" Lloyd exclaimed, causing Suzaku and Cecile to blink at him in confusion.

"Subs?" Cecile asked Lloyd, slightly confused. Normally, the man would suggest pudding for any celebration, as that was his favorite food. His sheer adoration for the substance had earned him the nickname of "The Earl of Pudding," among many other nobles and people who had to interact with him on a daily basis, as Lloyd was, in fact, an earl.

"Absolutely," Lloyd replied as he turned around to face his coworkers, nodding his head in confirmation. "The test may not have gone exactly as planned, but it still proved that our newest modification works. Thus, a celebration is in order. It'll be my treat," he explained. Behind Lloyd, several other maintenance personnel could be seen through the windows of the observation room, putting the escape pod back into the Lancelot's frame.

"I'll go call my favorite shop to place an order. Suzaku, why don't you get changed into something else. I may need you and Cecile to go pick up the food. I can't remember if they deliver or not," Lloyd said as he walked away go find a menu that he had stored somewhere. As Lloyd disappeared from the room, Suzaku sighed and stood up.

"I'd better go get cleaned up, just to be safe," he said as he glanced at Cecile. Cecile nodded her head in agreement. It wouldn't do to go walking around in public while wearing a pilot uniform and smelling of sweat.

The Tokyo Concession, Area 11, One Hour Later...

Driving through the Concession in an ASEEC marked van, Cecile looked at her GPS before searching for a parking space near Sal's Sub Shop. Keeping the front windows of the van rolled down slightly, Cecile brought the vehicle to a stop before backing up to parallel park into a space behind another car. Sitting in the passenger seat next to her, Suzaku sniffed the air as the smell of food from various eateries in the area wafted through his nose.

Cecile soon turned off the engine and took the keys out of the ignition. With both of them wearing the standard orange and black uniforms of the Camelot Research Division, Suzaku and Cecile got out of the van after unbuckling their seat belts. As Suzaku waited for Cecile to walk around the front of the van to reach the sidewalk, he realized that she hadn't locked the doors.

"Uh, Cecile-san? Shouldn't we lock the doors?" Suzaku asked her. Cecile shook her head in response.

"Nah. We won't be away too long. We'll be in and out," Cecile replied confidently as she strode over to the doors of the sub shop, he heels clacking on the pavement of the sidewalk with every step. Following behind her, Suzaku glanced around the neighborhood, noticing a handful of people on the sidewalks looking at him suspiciously. He forced himself to ignore them as he followed Cecile into the sub shop, where the aroma of meats, cheeses, and toasted bread wafted through the air.

Stepping into the shop behind Cecile, Suzaku soon noticed two girls around his age approaching from the other direction of the sidewalk. One of them had dark green hair and glasses, while the other one had long orange hair and a bright smile on her face. Suzaku held the door open for them as they drew closer.

"Thank you!" the orange-haired girl chirped appreciatively as she stepped inside the shop, briefly nodding her head at Suzaku. Suzaku returned the nod before the other girl tentatively approached him and stepped inside, her eyes wide with a nervous glint as she attempted to keep distance between herself and Suzaku.

"Nina, come on," the orange-haired girl said, gesturing for her friend to pick up her pace. Nina nodded her head and focused her attention away from Suzaku as he closed the door gently and returned to Cecile's side. There was a short line made of two people in front of them, but otherwise the shop wasn't very busy.

Stepping up behind Suzaku and Cecile, Nina and her friend waited in line. Nina eyed Suzaku warily, while her friend raised an eyebrow at her. "Is something wrong?" the girl asked Nina.

"N-No, Shirley," Nina replied. Shirley looked at Suzaku before glancing back at Nina. She then rolled her eyes and sighed as she shook her head in dismay at her friend's reaction to the boy in front of them.

"Nina, Nina, Nina. You've got to get over this phobia of yours," Shirley whispered in admonishment. Nina raised an eyebrow at Shirley in response. "Come on, he held the door open for us. I bet he's a proper gentleman," Shirley said with a smile.

"But he's... you know," Nina whispered in protest. Shirley simply rolled her eyes and shook her head yet again in response. She then reached forward and tapped Suzaku on the left shoulder, prompting him to turn around.

"Uh, yes, Miss?" Suzaku asked Shirley, expecting to be reprimanded for some thing or to be told to leave the shop because he wasn't a full blooded Britannian. His fears were turned on their head however, when Shirley spoke.

"Uh, I just wanted to say thanks once again for holding the door open," Shirley said with a sincere smile on her face.

"Oh. Uh, y-you're welcome," Suzaku responded, reaching up to scratch the back of his head in amazement. He wasn't accustomed to Britannians thanking him out in public like this, unless he was with Cecile or Lloyd. It was usually either scorn or nothing at all from other Britannians.

"By the way, my name's Shirley. Shirley Fenette," Shirley said as she held out her right hand to introduce herself. Nina's eyes widened at Shirley's actions. Suzaku glanced around nervously before reaching out and shaking Shirley's hand.

"Mine's Suzaku. Suzaku Kururugi," Suzaku said with a smile and a curt nod. Shirley nodded her head in response.

"Uh, this is my friend, Nina Einstein. Don't mind her," Shirley said after she saw Nina's eyes widen in response to being introduced. "She's... a bit shy around most people. I'm one of the few people she's friends with, so if she seems a bit nervous around you, don't take it personally," Shirley partially lied as a way of covering for Nina's xenophobia.

Nina recognized what Shirley was trying to do, however, and decided to let things roll without any protest. After all, telling the boy who had courteously held the door open for her that she was afraid of him because of his ethnicity would have been... a bit rude. So, Nina simply nodded her head timidly in agreement with Shirley's statements while occasionally glancing around the sub shop.

"Oh, it's all right," Suzaku said. "I know a few scientists who prefer to spend more time around computers than they do around other human beings," he added with a shrug. Nina's head perked up at hearing those words, and she actually took a moment to examine Suzaku's clothing, finally realizing that he was wearing a uniform with the ASEEC logo stamped on it.

So, this... Eleven... is working for the military? Does that mean he's an Honorary Britannian? Even so... I don't feel all that comfortable around him. Next time Shirley wants to go pick up food somewhere, she can take Rivalz or Lelouch with her, Nina thought to herself as Suzaku and Shirley continued talking.

"So, that uniform you're wearing; which branch of the military is that?" Shirley asked Suzaku as she noticed the ASEEC pin and the Private insignia pinned to the uniform.

"Oh, um... Special Research Division," Suzaku replied. "We test out new equipment and various things like that," he said vaguely.

"Oh. So, um, what do you do, exactly?" Shirley asked him curiously.

"Uh... well, I'm a test pilot," Suzaku replied. Cecile craned her neck to look over her shoulder as Suzaku talked with Shirley. One of the two customers in front of her was already standing to the side at the pickup counter while the man in front of her was placing his order.

"Ooh, test pilot," Shirley said. "That must be fun," she commented. Suzaku rubbed the back of his head with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah... 'fun'," he said with a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Only when I'm not being sent to the infirmary," he then added, prompting Cecile to roll her eyes as she listened to the teens conversing. Shirley gasped at Suzaku's statement.

"How often does that happen?" Shirley asked Suzaku with wide eyes.

"Um... not as much as it used to. Our safety standards have risen dramatically over the past couple of years," Suzaku replied. "Now I only get sent to the infirmary once every two or three months, as opposed to two or three weeks like I did when I started," Suzaku said. Shirley's jaw dropped at his words in shock.

"That's... I can't imagine being injured on such a constant basis like that," Shirley said. "You must be pretty tough if you can handle that kind of punishment," she added. Suzaku shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Well... I haven't died yet, so... I guess I'm pretty durable," he replied with a chuckle. Shirley nodded her head in agreement. Suzaku then felt someone tapping on his shoulders, prompting him to turn around.

"Our order's ready," Cecile said to him as she gestured to the large number of wrapped subs sitting on a platter on one of the counters. Suzaku nodded his head in affirmation before turning around to look at Shirley once more.

"Well, sorry to cut things short, but I've gotta get this food back to the lab," Suzaku said. Shirley nodded her head in understanding. "Scientists can't do science on empty stomachs," he added with a chuckle.

"Well, take care," Shirley said. "Maybe I'll see you around one of these days," she added, causing Suzaku to shrug his shoulders as he walked over to the subs.

"Maybe. It depends on how often I get out of the lab. It was nice talking to ya, though. Have a nice day," Suzaku said with a short wave before he helped Cecile pick up the rest of the subs and carried them out of the shop. Shirley watched the duo exit the shop before she moved forward in line with Nina to begin placing their orders.

Meanwhile, Suzaku and Cecile were busy placing the dozen or so subs into the van. After placing them on the seats and securing them with seat belts, much to Cecile's amusement, Suzaku returned to the front passenger seat and waited for Cecile to start the vehicle. "So, who was your friend back there?" Cecile asked Suzaku.

"Huh? Oh, just a girl I held the door open for," Suzaku said. "She was just thanking me is all," he added. Cecile smiled at him.

"Just a girl? Did she have a name? I mean, you two seemed to get along pretty well," Cecile noted with some amusement in her voice as she pulled the van away from the curb and drove away from the shop. Suzaku rolled his eyes as he noticed the teasing tone of Cecile's voice.

"Well, she said her name was Shirley," Suzaku finally replied.

"Mm. What about the other girl?" Cecile asked him, remembering that there had been two girls.

"Um... I think her name was, uh, Mina... or was it Nina?" Suzaku replied, scratching his chin in thought. "Great. I can't even remember the name of someone I met five minutes ago," Suzaku snorted with a shrug. He didn't say anything about the girl's obvious wariness of him, and he personally didn't want to dwell on it either. That was back in the shop, and he was on the road again, so there was no need to get himself into a funk by thinking about it.

"Well, at least you talked to a girl in public. That means you're a grown man now," Cecile joked, causing Suzaku to roll his eyes in response before letting out a chuckle. Cecile then turned on the radio to let some music play as she drove them back to the base.

The Government Borough, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Monday, October 02, 2017 ATD

Stepping out of an elevator, Villetta Nu walked through the corridors of the Government Borough's Personnel Division. Holding a bag of homemade lunch in her hand, she strode through the corridors before making a right turn to head down another hallway. Despite Kewell's warnings, Villetta couldn't find it in herself to avoid all contact with Jeremiah.

He was her friend, after all, and he was the one who had allowed her to join the Blood Purist Faction in the first place, to give her a chance at gaining a hereditary title and allowing her bloodline to have nobility. Even if he no longer had the power or authority to grant her even the lowest title of nobility, the man was still her friend. She owed it to him to not abandon him after something that was, according to all available evidence, beyond his control or ability to predict.

Upon reaching the door to the office where Jeremiah had been assigned, Villetta detected the faint scent of citrus in the air. The door was an old wooden one with a knob handle. Knocking gently on the door, Villetta waited for a response. "Come on in," said a slightly tired-sounding voice.

Villetta raised an eyebrow before she opened the door and stepped inside, pausing mid-step as she took in the sight of Jeremiah cleaning the floor around his desk. He had two buckets next to him, one filled with plain water and one filled with soapy water. "What happened?" Villetta asked him curiously. Jeremiah pointed to a smashed orange and a broken carton of orange juice with a note attached to it.

Stepping over to the carton, Villetta picked up the note and read it to herself.

Here's your daily dose of Vitamin C, Orange Boy!

Villetta frowned in disgust. Looking around the office, she saw another unbroken carton of orange juice nearby, along with some oranges that had been placed into a paper bag. "When did this happen? Who did this?" she asked with a frown.

"Don't trouble yourself over it," Jeremiah said tiredly as he finished wiping his floor and threw the hand rag into the bucket of plain water. Villetta opened her mouth to protest, but Jeremiah cut her off. "It won't do either of us any good to retaliate over this, Lieutenant," he said with a sigh of defeat.

There was a weary look in his eyes, as though he had already accepted that this was his lot in life from now on. Villetta felt her heart clench at seeing Jeremiah already accepting defeat so easily, when he had been the one who taught her to fight for what she wanted. "That doesn't make it okay," she finally said.

Jeremiah looked at her with a tired expression on his face. "No, it doesn't. But... there's really nothing we can do. Filing a complaint will only make things worse, and if they catch wind that you're trying to help me, you'll start receiving similar 'gifts' from your fellow Purebloods," Jeremiah said.

"But... after everything you've done for the Empire, for them to treat you like this-" "Is to be expected. Villetta... when I joined the Purebloods, it was an attempt to save face for my failure to protect Empress Marianne," Jeremiah said as he sat on his knees. "I loved her... and I let her die on my watch," he added forlornly. "It was only because of my status as the personal Knight for the Empress that I was able to reach the title of Margrave within the Purist Faction," Jeremiah continued.

"And, at first, I behaved zealously to earn everyone's trust, but... whenever I would look at pictures of Marianne and Nunnally, I would have to ask myself if I had made the right choice. So, I decided to use my position within the Purebloods to try and keep them under control, and of course to give people the opportunities they needed in order to prove themselves," he continued as he looked Villetta in the eyes. "The Purebloods aren't known for accepting commoners into their ranks, Lieutenant, and prior to my appointment as their Margrave, every commoner who applied was turned away. You are among the very few commoner-born members within the organization, and even that is tenuous at the moment, since you have yet to receive a hereditary title," he added.

"I wish I had acted sooner and given one to you, then perhaps you wouldn't need to worry, but... it's unlikely that Kewell is going to promote you," Jeremiah said with a sigh. Villetta's face fell as she absorbed Jeremiah's words. "He always thought that I was too soft for allowing commoners into our ranks, but I ignored him because I knew that it would be the biggest hypocrisy for me to follow that line of thought. After all... I loved a commoner," Jeremiah said with a sad smile on his face.

"I would have followed her to Hell and back had she given me the order," Jeremiah said with a wry smile.

"Jeremiah... do you... do you believe that Princess Nunnally may still be alive?" Villetta asked him hesitantly. Jeremiah looked at her curiously. "I... I heard from Kewell that you've been searching the Area for signs of the exiled children since your arrival," she elaborated.

Jeremiah nodded his head in understanding. "I... I don't really know. Sometimes, thinking that she might be out there waiting to be found is all that keeps me going. Honestly, the hope that they might be alive is all I have left at this point," Jeremiah said with a sigh.

Villetta looked up at the clock on the wall. They had twenty minutes left for lunch. "Well, maybe you have already gotten your lunch for the day, but I'm hungry," Villetta said with a smile as she set down her lunch bag and pulled out its contents. Jeremiah reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out his own lunch, thankfully untouched, and began to retrieve his food as well.

"We've got twenty minutes," Villetta said.

"That's plenty of time," Jeremiah replied as he began eating his sandwich.

Twenty Minutes Later...

Walking through the corridors, Villetta Nu smiled as she made her way back to her office. Her lunch with Jeremiah, while somewhat somber, was still decent enough. As she reached her office, however, she noticed that the door seemed slightly ajar. Villetta slowed down as she approached the door, remembering that she had closed the door properly when she had left to find Jeremiah.

Villetta glanced around the hallway cautiously before opening the door and stepping into the office. She scanned the room for signs of anything out of place, but nothing seemed to have been touched or moved around in her absence. She then scanned the floor as she cautiously walked over to her desk.

Her eyes widened before narrowing as she saw the orange sitting on her chair. On the monitor to her computer was a large note as well. Grabbing the paper and holding it up for inspection, Villetta quietly read the note to herself.

Oranges can be healthy, but too much can be bad for your health, Lieutenant. Good health is important for those who wish to advance in their careers. Just a helpful reminder!

Villetta's eyes twitched and her lips pulled back into a snarl as she used both hands to rip the paper in half before tearing it further into pieces. "Assholes," Villetta growled as she picked up the orange and threw it into the trash bin next to her desk.

The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Later That Evening...

Sitting back in his chair while in his personal office, Clovis looked at the most recent E-mail that had been sent to him. It was a confirmation letter regarding a shipment of Sutherlands that was being sent to Area 11 in the next two weeks. Sighing, Clovis ran his hands through his hair as he looked over at his TV, which was displaying a news report on the Orange Incident and the rise of awareness regarding Zero.

"Fucking media," Clovis growled in contempt.

"And yet the masked figure known as Zero still remains unidentified. Official sources state that the investigation into the incident and this Zero figure is still underway, with more information to come in the future," the female newscaster reported.

"Wonderful," Clovis muttered sarcastically under his breath while rolling his eyes. He then picked up the remote and turned off the TV before returning his attention to his computer screen. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself.

This Zero definitely has Geass, which means that C.C. has found a contractor. And yet... neither Uncle Vincent or Father have contacted me to inform me of this. Of course, Father is unaware of my knowledge regarding Geass and Uncle Vincent's identity, so why would he say anything to me anyway? Still, Uncle Vincent could at least inform me, but then again... if I call him without having C.C. in my possession, he'll dispose of me, just like the last poor bastard who disappointed him, Clovis thought to himself with a shudder.

Doesn't mean he can't call me, however, Clovis silently added. Okay, Clovis. Let's think about the situation. Zero is definitely C.C.'s contractor, which means she won't be too far away form him... or her. That helmet probably had a voice modulator or something built into it. Only an idiot would let their own voice be heard without modification when standing against the military while also trying to hide their identity, Clovis thought to himself.

So... if I capture Zero, then C.C. will likely try to save them. She wouldn't dare let another contractor go after that last one. So... in order to capture C.C., I need to also capture Zero, but how do I do that? How? Clovis scratched his head in thought before he looked at the E-Mail on his computer monitor.

Zero... would likely have used their Geass on members of the military and the police by now in order to gain access to critical and otherwise confidential information. That's only logical. After all, Zero had to have some way of knowing about the Shinjuku Raid in advance in order to pull off that Orange stunt, meaning... Zero also has access to our networks. Even if Zero hasn't compromised any of our personnel, they still have access to our networks, Clovis realized.

"Therefore..." he said out loud as an idea began to form in his head. He slowly read the E-Mail on the Sutherlands and checked the scheduled arrival date. "Plenty of time," he said with a smile. Since Zero is using information on our networks to keep up with us, we have to use that against them! It's like Lelouch would do when playing Chess against me back in the Aries Villa! He would always tell me something about his strategy just so that I would get overconfident and walk into one of his traps! That's what I'll do here! Oh, Lelouch! If only you were still alive, you'd be proud of me for following your example, Clovis thought gleefully to himself.

ENDING THEME: A Kind Of Magic, by Queen.

PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME

In the next chapter of Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward, The Black Knights make their first coordinated strike on a shipment of Knightmares being delivered to a military outpost along the coast of Area 11.

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 06! Boy, did it not deserve to take so long to write! Anyway, the Black Knights have now been properly formed by Zero, C.C. has been given a proper introduction to them, and Clovis is trying his hand at plotting things in advance.

I've also finally given Shirley some screen time, along with Nina, both of whom I haven't really had do much since their introductions in Chapter 03. And, of course, Suzaku is back, along with Lloyd and Cecile.

The next chapter will also not be based on any pre-existing canon episodes of Code Geass, which means it will take me at least a week at minimum to write it as well.

And, as some of you may notice, C.C. isn't going to always be aloof and cryptic every time she makes an appearance. There are going to be occasions throughout the story where she is more forthcoming about certain things than she was in canon, and also keep in mind that she has a vengeful streak, as she displayed toward Bartley.

I, Anguirus1955, command you... let me know what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!

SPECIAL BONUS OMAKE

"The Black... Knights?" Sugiyama asked Zero.

"Wait, I have an idea for a better name!" Tamaki shouted excitedly. Everyone looked at Tamaki oddly. "Okay, let's hear it," Zero said hesitantly.

"Okay. We should call ourselves... the PIRATE MONKEYS!" Tamaki said with a grin. Everyone raised their eyebrows at him. "It... it's an awesome name," he said.

"Um, okay, that sounds 'nice'. But, how about something a little less... stupid?" Zero suggested.

"Ooh! Okay, I've got another one!" Tamaki replied eagerly. Ohgi smacked himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand, while Kallen silently shook her head in dismay.

"Okay, the new name should be... THE RESISTY!" Tamaki exclaimed proudly. Everyone blinked at him in confusion and then disgust. "So? What do you guys think? Pretty sweet, right?" Tamaki asked them group. Everyone scowled at him before charging forward and raising their fists to begin pummeling Tamaki into submission, including C.C.

"Resisty is a stupid name!" C.C. shouted as she decked him in the lower jaw.

"I hate your headband!" Kallen exclaimed as she landed a kick on Tamaki's stomach.

"TASTE THE PAIN!" Inoue exclaimed in a gruff masculine voice as she knelt down and punched Tamaki in the gut.

"Take that, fool!" Zero exclaimed as he twisted Tamaki's right arm.

Soon, Tamaki was just a limp curled mass of twitching limbs on the ground. "S-Sorry," he groaned out. Everyone nodded their heads in acceptance before moving on to the next order of business.

End of Omake.