Fractured Existence

by Daemon of Wrath

He stained his hands in the blood of his father, his friends, his brother. All to protect who is most precious to him. As his life ebbs away, he has been given a second chance. A chance for redemption. A chance to prevent the deaths of many. A chance to heal. With the end of his former, fractured existence as Ludger Will Kresnik, comes forth the birth of Victor vi Britannia.

6. Chapter 6

Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the author of so many good stories that I'm pretty sure I told you all about now, so I don't think I should be so repetitive. If you still don't know, refer back to my earlier author's notes.

Anyway, he is a good friend of mine, and I highly recommend all of his stories!

Sorry about the long wait. Stuff happened. Reality happened. School happened. And working on other projects with Demons Anarchy happened.

Well, enough about that. Time to give you all what you've all been waiting for.

Like, Follow, Review, and tell us what you think! Thank You to everyone who continue to support this story.

XXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 5: Aftermath

Lelouch sighed heavily as he entered the clubhouse, his destination down the hallway. 'What a day...' he muttered, shaking his head. He still couldn't really understand the weight of what happened, but either way, his life was on the straight path for chaos. 'Saving Suzaku on a national news show... This has to be the craziest thing we have ever done.' A smile soon followed. 'Still, at least Suzaku is safe.'

He was relieved for his best friend to be alive, although a tad disappointed he didn't join them. But he then understood why Suzaku walks the path he chose.

"...If Victor wasn't there...I'm pretty sure that I would've been completely against the idea and try everything in my power to drag him to my side." He mused. He finally reached his destination. He knew that Lyoko arrived before him, so he mentally prepared himself to figure out how to explain his and Victor's absence to his sisters.

Once the door opened, Lelouch put on a small smile. "Yo, I'm back."

"Welcome home, Lelouch."

The boy stopped dead, eyes wide, and his jaw hung in mid-air. Sitting there, right next to Nunnally, who was folding cranes, and Lyoko, who was currently matched in a glaring contest with the one beside their beloved younger sister... was the green-haired woman from before.

'How in the hell is she-?!'

"Grr..." Lyoko growled, staring at the woman heatedly. She then turned her attention to Lelouch without breaking eye contact. "Big brother, what is your relationship with this woman?"

"Wh-what do you mean...?" Lelouch asked nervously. He did not like where this was going.

"I'm so glad, I was worried." Nunnally smiled in relief, quickly changing the subject, much to Lelouch's gratitude.

"I'm assuming you ate out tonight, judging from your appearance." The green haired woman continued casually as she finished folding a paper crane.

"Thank goodness, I was afraid you and Victor had gotten caught up in that uproar caused by those men Zero and Nemo." Nunnally continued.

"We tried calling you two, but neither of you two answered your cell phones." Lyoko continued. "By the way...Where is Victor?"

"Oh, er..." Lelouch started to sweat. Oh boy, he saw that one coming. "H-his boss called him in, saying something about an increase in customers..."

"Oh, I didn't know that young man was a chef." the green-haired woman said nonchalantly. "Does he make pizza?"

"You didn't answer my question, Lelouch." Lyoko said, still glaring at the woman. "How do you know this woman?"

"I've been wanting to tell you, Miss C.C. has been waiting for the both of you as well." Nunnally added.

"Huh...? C.C...?" Lelouch repeated the name in confusion. This was the first time he learned of her identity.

"You have a strange friend, Lelouch! She only goes by her initials." The youngest sibling giggled.

"So you do know her!" Lyoko accused, still not breaking from her glare.

"W-well, er..." Lelouch stammered. "She's... How do I put this?"

"I do not approve of this!" Lyoko growled. "I will never approve!"

"Oh? Approve of what?" C.C. asked curiously, holding up her blue paper crane.

"Of you being my brother's girlfriend!"

...

...

...

"...Huh?"

"I was also wondering the same thing." Nunnally repeated the question. "Is C.C. your girlfriend?"

The green haired girl turned to the youngest Lamperouge sibling. "He made a promise of our future together." She then turned to the raven haired man at the door. "Right?"

"A future together...? You mean marriage?"

"WHAT?!" Lyoko shot up from her seat, her glare sharper than before.

"W-what?! No!" Lelouch shook his head. "I've only met this woman once!"

"Then why is she insistent that she's your girlfriend?!" His twin interrogated him.

"She's just kidding around."

"No I'm not." C.C. stated bluntly.

"Well, you're certainly doing this sooner than most." Nunnally sighed. "Even earlier than Victor."

"How?!" Lelouch all but demanded. "He hasn't even gotten himself a girlfriend!"

"That's beside the point!" Lyoko shouted, finally breaking away from their glaring contest. "The fact is, you and this woman are having a fling! I will absolutely, no matter what, NOT ALLOW IT!"

"Your overreacting!" Lelouch growled, becoming annoyed.

"OVERREACTING?! I'M PERFECTLY CALM AND SANE!" Lyoko yelled back, further proving Lelouch's point.

"I'm telling you, she is not my girlfriend! Nor do we have a relationship!" He insisted.

"Yes we do."

"No, we do not!" Lelouch snapped at he witch. "Quit making things worse!"

"Oh, why not?" C.C. grinned. "It's so fun seeing you squirm."

"Dammit woman!"

"See?! You two are even arguing like an actual couple!" Lyoko was biting into a handkerchief that she pulled out of nowhere. "And after all my attempts to get you and Shirley together!"

"I'm telling you, it's not like that!"

Nunnally couldn't help but giggle. "I don't think I've seen them so lively since that one time when Lelouch stole one of Lyoko's cupcakes on her birthday..."

"Please don't bring that up again, Nunnally..." Lelouch face palmed. He really didn't wish to recall that event...mainly because it hurt just from remembering. Honestly, that was the first time Lyoko had ever looked downright murderous and angry. And unfortunately for him, he was on the receiving end of it.

"You guys are one giant ball of fun, aren't you?" C.C. chuckled into the sleeve of her outfit.

Lelouch felt a tick mark on his forehead. "Why the hell are you even here?"

"I came to see you... and that young man. Victor, right?"

Lelouch's eyes widened. She was here to see his brother as well? First, she came back from the dead, and now she's here wanting to speak with them? Just what was going on?

"He's not here right now, but he'll be back later."

"Why do you want my brother anyway?" Lyoko interrogated.

What she said nearly made Lelouch's heart stop. "I figured I might as well get a good look at that body of his."

'Oh dear god...' he paled. 'She didn't say what I think she just said, did she?'

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh..." Lyoko's brain tried to process this before short circuiting. "...WHAT!?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Miss C.C.?" Nunnally asked innocently. The twins thanked God that she was oblivious to what that could've meant.

"What?" the woman shrugged. "He's a rather excellent specimen. Also, I'm not sure you noticed, dear girl..." C.C. looked at Nunnally. "But your brother is certainly the kind of guy to make a woman all hot and bothered... If you catch my drift."

Well, that did it.

SMASH!

"Oh, C.C., look..." Lelouch drawled out, looking down at the smashed tea cup. "You're all wet... Come on, let's get you some dry clothes." Before the woman could form a retort, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her up, glaring at her. "Also... we need to have a VERY long talk."

"But...why can't we talk here?" She rebutted.

"Just follow me!" Lelouch quickly pulled her away to a different room.

"...What just happened?" Nunnally asked her sister.

"...I have no idea..." Lyoko answered.

Once they were upstairs, Lelouch threw her into his room. "What in the hell was that?!"

"What ever do you mean?" She questioned innocently.

"Who are you?"

"See said my name. I am C.C."

"That's not what I meant. Why are… aren't you-"

"...supposed to be dead?" She finished for him.

"I see..." Lelouch's eyes narrowed, his left eye briefly developing Geass. "So it really was you..."

"Dissatisfied?" She hopped onto his bed.

"On the contrary, I am grateful. The power you granted my brother and I has sped up our schedule quite tremendously."

Lelouch said with a smirk, a hand touching his left eye.

However, C.C. gained a frown. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"You were the one who gave me the power to control others to me and that armor to my brother, weren't you?" Lelouch said, frowning himself when she asked that. C.C., however, shook her head. "I don't recall giving that young man any power."

Surprise lit his features, and his eyes widened.

"Wait, you weren't the one who gave Victor the Chromatus?"

The green-haired witch smiled slightly. "Chromatus huh? So, my guess was right... He really is a Kresnik."

"A...Kresnik...?" Lelouch asked in confusion. This name was unfamiliar to him. If the woman before did not grant him any power, then how did he come in possession of that armor? "What do you mean by that?"

"The Kresniks are a cursed family, sentenced to wear the armor of death, alongside the spear to pierce space and time." C.C. answered. "All members of this family are cursed, one way or another."

"Wait, hold on." Lelouch stopped her from continuing. "You mean to say the Kresniks are a family who were...cursed...with the Chromatus? But how is that possible? Victor is my full blood brother."

"A Kresnik was a member of the Royal Family." C.C. answered with a knowing grin. "As such, it isn't so surprising. Although, only a handful are born with the Chromatus."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "...So you know who we really are."

"Oh, relax, pretty boy. We have a contract, and so long as you keep your end of the bargain, I won't say anything."

"...Very well then." Lelouch nodded. He was taking all of this in. His family bloodline is cursed with a cursed power, and Victor being the only few to utilize it? "So the Chromatus only manifests for a select few? If it is a curse that passes through bloodline, I would've thought many more would access it."

"To be honest, even I don't know everything about it." C.C. responded. "All I know is that the Chromatus is, quite literally, an armor of death. The stories of the poor guys who end up with it never have a happy ending."

"Wh-what...?!" Lelouch did a double take. Did he hear her right?

"What I mean is..." C.C. Clarified. "...Those who overuse its power...end up dying. Continuous use of the armor slowly kills them."

Lelouch's eyes widened to the point where they seemed to bulge. If Victor overused the Chromatus... He would... die...?

"...you mean...Victor would...?"

"Yes." the woman nodded nonchalantly, as if she truly cared nothing about the unfortunate Lamperouge. "He would die... a very painful death."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, this armor thing..." Nagata said as he and the others gathered around. "It's called a Chromatus?"

Victor nodded. "Yes. As far as I know, I'm the only one who possesses it. It has four levels, each more powerful than the last."

"So...what level was the one you used on that Spirius Sutherland?" Nagata asked.

"Level One."

Tamaki's eyes widened, an expression mirrored by everyone. "Wait, for real?!" he shouted in disbelief. "That was just a starter form?!"

"So, then, that full armor we saw you in back at Shinjuku..." Kallen recalled the battle, having heard of it from everyone. "Was that a Level 4?"

"That's correct." the reborn Kresnik nodded. "Considering the situation, I wanted to get rid of that Knightmare as quick as possible."

"Kinda overkill how you did it though." Sugiyama remarked.

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Victor had completely decimated that white Knightmare. Not even its core survived.

"That may be. But I feel more at ease now that we do t have to deal with anything like that for a while."

"Well, I'm glad we at least got one thing straight with the Purebloods..." Ohgi said before frowning. "I still don't understand why Kururugi didn't join us."

"It's because Suzaku believes he can change Britannia from within, despite knowing the fact that his chances of success are close to zero." Victor answered. "He wishes to help Japan in his own way, though he plans to do it, I have no idea."

"That's kinda hard to believe, considering he chose to become an Honorary Britannian..." Tamaki muttered.

"But why would he go through this? Knowing that it would most likely end in failure?" Inoue asked.

"It's because he has something to fight for. Something to live for."

"And what would that be?" Minami asked curiously.

Victor smiled sadly. "Us... Suzaku wants to make Britannia a better place for me, my brother, and our sisters... Back then, Suzaku used to hate Britannians. Hell, he and Lelouch NEVER got along in the beginning."

"Wait, you mean you and your brother were childhood friends with Suzaku Kururgi?!" everyone was surprised. So the son of the late Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi, had close ties with the Lamperouge siblings.

"That's right. Although, it didn't really start out that way..." Victor began to reminisce.

"When we first arrived at the Kururugi Shrine, we had to live in a small shack. Because Nunnally was blind, and because Lyoko and Lelouch spoil her so much, they lied to her and told her it was just like our old house. Then Suzaku came in and tried to pick a fight with us. He even went so far as to insult Lyoko, which ended up getting Lelouch pissed and tried to fight him." Victor shook his head. "If he had partaken in training, he might have stood a chance..."

"But, he didn't." Kallen giggled. "He has the body mass of a twig."

He couldn't help but laugh at the jab of his brother. "After Suzaku beat the crap out of Lelouch, I intervened."

"What happened?"

Victor only gave them a smirk. "Ten seconds."

"Wow. Nice!" Kallen slapped him on the back.

"He threw a punch first. I just grabbed his arm, flipped him over, and pinned him." Victor remembered.

"Hahaha! He should've known better to attack someone older than him."

"So, what happened after that?" Inoue asked, wanting to hear more of his story.

"Well, after that, Nunnally got terrified by what was happening and stopped us. Once Suzaku saw he was blind, well... I think you get the gist."

Ohgi whistled. "Helluva way to meet someone who becomes your best friend."

"Tell me about it. After that, Lelouch, Lyoko, and Suzaku grew to be close friends. To the point of being inseparable. And Suzaku would always refer to me as 'Victor-niisan.'"

"Heh. I can see that. It's like how Naoto and I used to be." The afro-haired man nodded.

"Still, gotta admit, him becoming an Honorary Britannian, just for you guys?" Kallen said with a look of awe and astonishment. "I have to admit... That's something."

"Yes, it is..." Victor nodded in agreement before sadness came to be reflected in his eyes. "Although, I can only hope nothing bad will happen to him. We've already lost our mother, and we damn near lost our sister... I won't lose someone else important to me."

"And we won't let that happen." Ohgi placed a hand on his shoulder, catching the revolutionary off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"You saved all of us back in Shinjuku, and everyone in the Ghettos. You and your brother were Britannian, but still chose to help us Japanese. You saved Nagata. And you saved the rest of us who were in the Honorary system. You have done so much for us. Helping you is the least we could do."

"Are you certain? Because things would only get more dangerous from her on out." It wasn't as if Victor was ungrateful for their help. He just didn't want them to get killed by the consequences of his and his brother's actions.

"In case you forgot, Vic." Nagata grinned. "We're terrorists. We're pretty much getting into dangerous jobs as it is."

"...Point taken. But still, after Clovis's murder and the incident Lelouch and I just caused in saving Suzaku, we're going to be up against enemies like the Royal Guard, the Pure Bloods, Spirius, and even those from the Imperial Bloodline, such as the Goddess of Victory, Cornelia li Britannia." After saying his half-sister's name, nostalgia filled his mind.

"Hey, with you and Lelouch, I'm sure we can handle her." Kallen said, not in the least bit intimidated.

Even still, Victor was worried. If he knew Lelouch, he would underestimate her and think that she was like Clovis, someone who knew nothing about the battlefield. In fact, he couldn't have been farther from the truth. Cornelia was not a strategist like Schneizel, but her abilities on the battlefield had more than earned her name as the Goddess of Victory."

He knew her battle prowess first hand. After all, it was her and her knights that helped train him during his years at the academy. He fondly recalled the times when he was to practice Knightmare Combat with her. Being inside a Knightmare gave him a rush of excitement and adrenaline that nothing else could compare to, and being able to fight with them only enhanced the feeling. He would mostly be beaten by his trainers, but he would show improvement every time.

However, there was also another factor to consider: one that had confused him without end.

Cornelia had three knights. The first was Andreas Darlton, a skilled commander on the battlefield. When it came to strategies and warfare, he was the best you would ever see, especially since he had partaken in several wars in the past several years. The second was Gilbert G. Guilford, a young man with a brilliant mind, and also level-headed. He was utterly devoted to Cornelia, so much so that Victor was sure that the man would gladly marry her, if given the chance. Together, Gilbert and Darlton were more than worthy of being Cornelia's knights.

However, it was the third that could truly instill fear and awe into any that saw his combat prowess.

The Twin Blades of Victory... Julius Kresnik.

It was something he didn't understand. Just like the Spirius Corporation, another piece of his old world had made its presence in this one. However in this world, he and Julius were not related by blood. As he looked back, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. He still vividly recalled when his Julius sided with the others in giving up Elle to the Prime dimension. That feeling of betrayal, by his own brother no less, hurt more than anything. He was unable to think clearly. In a frenzy of anger and turmoil, he slaughtered his friends and brother as if they were vicious monsters.

He couldn't help but also notice how this Julius and his were so similar that they were practically alike. They were skilled in combat, and was the caring older brother figure to the Lamperouge siblings along with Gilbert and Darlton. He even shared an affinity for Victor's tomato dishes along with everyone else. A smile appeared on his face upon recalling the people that he was close to eat his batches of tomato cupcakes.

On the battlefield, he was just as terrifying as Victor's brother. No matter who his opponent was, they were met with a pair of twin blades that would end their lives in but an instant. Just like Victor, his Prime Self, and his brother, this world's Julius was also a practitioner of the dual-blades. In fact, it was Julius who taught Victor the fighting style back while he was still learning about Knightmares.

If that really was Julius... then Victor wasn't sure how to feel.

On one hand, he was joyful to see a familiar face. On the other hand, seeing that face reminds him of the betrayal and pain he felt upon killing him back in his dimension. On another note, he was worried about facing him as an enemy on the battlefield. On another note, he was relieved he was doing okay. On another note, he was worried about which Julius this actually was: the Prime dimension Julius or the Fractured dimension Julius. If he were from the Prime Dimension, then he wouldn't truly know Victor, just someone who looks like him. If he were the Fractured dimension Julius, then he was worried that he still held a grudge for killing him back in his dimension and come for revenge. On another note, he wanted nothing more than to talk to his older brother again...something he was never able to do ever since he killed him.

All in all, Victor was under turmoil.

"Hey, Victor, you okay?" Ohgi's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "You look pretty tired. Why don't you head on back?"

"Wha- huh?" Victor snapped back to attention. "O-oh. Yeah, you're right. I should get back soon, otherwise my little sisters will be worried where I was. Thank you for your Help Ohgi, everyone. My brother and I will contact you later."

"No problem!" the afro-haired man smiled. "Take care!"

Victor nodded, and left the hideout.

XXXXX

Elsewhere, in another part of the world, a large desert had become one giant battlefield. Large machines resembling the G-1 Bases were being obliterated by several Knightmares, all of the same model. Unlike the Sutherlands, these were much more stylized, bearing horns on their heads and a dark purple color, all holding lances. At the head was a different machine entirely.

Unlike the others, it was colored dark blue, and lacked the cape they all wore. Instead of the golden lance, it held twin silver blades, each as long as the arms themselves.

One of the machines tried to destroy oncoming group, but the one leading the charge advanced. It easily evaded each explosion as if it were nothing but child's play before leaping high into the air, the blades twirling around in it's hands before it came back down, slashing the machine down to size.

"Hmph," a man with a scar on his face smirked. "Lousy Knightmare knockoffs."

"They should have been wise to surrender from the start." another, a younger male with black hair tied back and glasses, said in agreement. "What do you think, Julius?"

The pilot of the blue Gloucester, a young male with light brown hair and thin-rimmed square glasses, merely smiled. "I will say this at least," The Twin Blades of Victory, Julius Kresnik, said whimsically. "Their defiance is something to be admired."

"That may be, but it is for naught as they won't even come close to us!" The man with the scar barked as he impaled an approaching machine.

"Agreed!" The younger male nodded as he skewered another tank-like mechanism.

"Hah...You guys got me on that one." Julius sighed. He struck an incoming machine his right blade, effectively cutting it in half. Further behind the enemy lines, an explosion consumed the base of the resistance group. Standing amongst the blaze was a dark red Gloucester with long, twin horns on its head with a white cape fluttering behind it. In its hands was a golden lance.

"Gloucesters?!" one of the enemy commanders cried in panic. "B-but they're supposed to be...!"

"T-that blue Knightmare..." another shook in fear. "It-it's the Twin Blades of Victory! B-but, if he's here... Then, that means...!"

"So, it's Cornelia...?!" the main leader gasped when everything began to be consumed with crimson. "A single unit?!"

Within but moments, the entire battlefield was stained with a sea of flames.

Inside the cockpit of the leading Gloucester, a young woman with long, vibrant pinkish red hair smiled in pleasure, having defeated all the enemies that stood before her. "Well, I suppose Area 18 is now official." Cornelia li Britannia smiled.

Her the communication window of the visual screen within her Knightmare turned on. "My lady, about our next course of action..." The scar-faced man spoke.

"Sorry to have you clean up after my foolish younger brother."

"Please don't apologize, my lady. We live to serve our places with you."

At this, Cornelia smiled. "Do you think Area 11 needs our usual treatment?"

"Yes, milady."

"Good." The Goddess of Victory looked out to the side, deep in thought. 'I'll drive you out into the open...Zero...Nemo! Clovis will be avenged!'

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Lyoko was having a giant dilemma in her life as she dragged herself out of bed.

She was still caught up with what that woman, C.C. had said the night prior. She had trouble sleeping because of it. She felt as if her brothers were in danger from this woman, and it was up to her to protect their chastity.

Normally, such a situation would be the other way around. Normally, it would be the older siblings worrying about the younger one, but Lyoko was not like most siblings. Her brothers could handle themselves, she had no doubt about that whoever this C.C. woman was, she was trouble. As such, she had to keep an eye on her.

There was no way in hell she would let that... that... hussy... have her way with her brothers!

Of course, it wasn't just the green-haired woman that had caused sleep depravity. It also had to do with her dreams again... of the one that resembled her brother.

They looked so much alike, aside from the fact that her brother had black hair and the man in her dreams had white hair. Yet they both possess a similar fighting style. Lyoko thought this to be more than just coincidence. But she had no idea who to turn to in order to speak of this phenomenon.

In her dreams, the young man had reminded her brother of a great deal. They both bore the same kind and caring personality, yet the young man with white hair was much softer, and lacked the discipline an older brother should bear. He also cared about his friends to a great deal, and wouldn't hesitate to protect them on a moment's notice.

It was also apparent that he was an excellent cook, just like her brother.

This was too much to be simply coincidence, or her psyche trying to manifest an image of the ideal man in her perspective. She highly doubted it was the latter. But even so, she had to talk to him about this.

Once she slid her clothes on, she began to brush her hair in front of the mirror, wanting to deal with the pesky loose strands. It wasn't until she started to reach the harder parts that her nose began to twitch, catching the smell of something absolutely wonderful.

"When did big brother get back?" she wondered, recognizing the wonderful aroma as her brother's cooking anywhere.

If this were some sort of cartoon, Lyoko would be levitating off the ground and slowly floating over to the source of the heavenly odor. It wasn't far off from the truth as she followed her nose into the kitchen. Upon entering, she was greeted by the sight of her older brother cooking tomato omelets, sprinkling the cheese on the yellow substance as it was heated by the frying pan. She had to stifle a giggle from seeing what he was wearing over his usual attire:

A light blue apron with frills.

"And just what are you laughing at?" Victor asked with a stern glare, but a warm smile soon replaced it. "Sorry I was late getting back home. Work was a lot busier than usual."

"I heard from Lelouch." Lyoko nodded, taking her seat. "He said your boss called you in."

"Yeah...That's right." Victor nodded, playing along to his brother's excuse. "There was a sudden increase in customers and we didn't have enough staff to keep up with the orders, so I was called in. I didn't get done until around midnight. Sorry for worrying you."

"It's fine." the raven-haired girl told him with a smile. "I'm just glad your okay. Me and Nunnally were worried that you and Lelouch might have gotten caught up with Nemo and Zero's festivities... Speaking of which, did you see it?"

"Yeah." Victor nodded. "I really couldn't care what they have in mind... I'm just glad Suzaku is okay."

"Yeah, me too!" Lyoko smiled, a warm blush appearing on her cheeks. "I'm glad they saved him...!"

"Oho? Are you blushing?" her older brother said teasingly. "I hope you aren't planning on making me an uncle any time soon... Not that I mind Suzaku being my brother-in-law."

"B-B-B-B-Big Brother...!?" Lyoko sputtered, her face transitioning into an even deeper shade of red. It was due to Victor's words that scenarios were now playing in Lyoko's head. As these processed, it was a wonder her face hasn't combusted from being so red and warm. "Wh-what are you talking about?!"

"Oh, please." the reborn Kresnik rolled his eyes with a coy grin. "Don't think I don't know about that little crush you've had on him since back when we were kids."

"Uh...I...thought you forgot about that..." Lyoko tried to brush it all aside, but her brother wouldn't let it be so.

"Well, like I said. I'm not against having Suzaku as a brother in law. And I know the two of you would be great together."

Lyoko's face was probably an even greater shade of red than Kallen's hair, which was saying something. Victor let out a laugh when he saw her squirm, her face bright red, and continued going back to fixing breakfast.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Looks like you've become rather popular." C.C. remarked as she munched on a slice of pizza, staring at a magazine featuring Lelouch and Victor in their respective Revolutionary personas. "Everyone in the world is looking for you."

Lelouch, instead of giving her the response she expected, glared at her in annoyance. "Did you have to use my credit card to buy yourself breakfast?" he asked, a tick mark pulsating above his forehead. "Speaking of which, who in their right mind has pizza first thing in the morning? I would get it if you were pre-heating, but THIS early?"

"Is there anything wrong? Pizza is an excellent source of nutrients. It has grain, dairy, protein, and vegetables. I would say it is a great way to start a day." C.C. rebutted with her own argument.

"...I'm not even going to point out your false reasoning." Lelouch shook his head. "And seriously, don't use my credit card to buy pizza."

"Ah, whatever..." C.C. shook her head, not caring in the least bit for his protests. "So, what's this Orange business?"

"You know, for someone who doesn't answer my questions, you sure do ask a lot yourself."

"You don't have to answer."

Lelouch smiled to himself. "It's something I just made up."

"Oh? So you just devised that identity on the spot?" She was actually amused.

"Yes. As far as the Pure-Bloods are concerned, Orange is some sort of code-name or project that Jeremiah is trying desperately to keep secret, even if it meant discrediting them."

"To the Purebloods, Britannians could never commit a crime, and thus, they can trust one another easily. However, if you place a seed of doubt or mistrust, suddenly that bond will begin crumble, and will be replaced with suspicion. Thanks to Jeremiah's actions, the Purebloods have lost credit, and relations with the police are shot all to hell." The future Demon Emperor grinned wickedly. "Now, all that is left is watch the fireworks fly."

"Huh..." the witch nodded her head in understanding. "So, are you fine with all the commotion you created?"

"Hardly." the smirk on his face made him seem demonic, especially with the glint in his eyes. "This world... is destined to fall further into chaos."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, big brother..."

"Yeah?" Victor looked up to see a disturbed look on Lyoko's face as he placed the food on the table. "Something wrong?"

"Well, it's just... How do I put this..." Lyoko bit her lip in frustration. She wanted to ask if he had any relation to the boy she saw in her dreams, but how would she ask? Direct confrontation? Play coy? Make it subtle? "Well... Ah, screw it... I've been having these weird dreams lately."

"Dreams?" her brother frowned. "Like what?"

"I dunno... They're always focused on this one boy... And, the strange thing is, he reminds me of you... In more ways than one, actually."

Warning bells were beginning to sound off in his head as he sat down and bit into his loaf of bread. "Really?"

"Big Brother... Can I ask you something?"

The incoherent words were a result of "Sure" from him eating his food.

Lyoko sighed, and looked at him straight in the eye. Victor had to wonder what had his younger sister so worked up, but chalked it up to her probably thinking about her ideal man or something akin to it.

However, sadly, that was not the case.

"Does the name Ludger Kresnik mean anything to you?"

Victor promptly started to choke on his food.

"Ah! Big Brother!" Lyoko shot out of her chair, moved behind him, and wrapped her arms around his ribs, giving him the Heimlich maneuver. A piece of food shot out of Victor's mouth, finally allowing him to breathe. He grabbed the glass of orange juice nearby and chugged it down. After finally calming down, he turned to his little sister.

"...Where did you hear that name?"

Lyoko froze at his gaze. It no longer had that kind and gentle warmth, but was now replaced with an icy cold edge, a ruthless look with the silence of regret and sadness.

"It-it was his name..." she stammered, looking away from his eyes. "The boy's name in my dream... His name was Ludger Kresnik."

Victor's eyes widened in alarm and shock. Just what did this mean? Why was his little sister getting dreams of his former existence? He had left that life a long time ago. But now...it's as if the past life is catching up with his. He couldn't let her or Nunnally know of who he truly was. It would only endanger them.

"It's..." he tried to say, looking away with a sad look on his face. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Lyoko asked. "You looked... really scary for a moment."

"It's nothing, really." Victor tried to insist. "You just... surprised me with that is all." Before Lyoko could try to continue the subject, he quickly pushed it away. "Anyway, where's Lelouch?"

"He's still upstairs. Along with..." her brain was now processing the sudden realization of who else is occupying the clubhouse aside from Nunnally's and Sayoko.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" The sudden scream she let out nearly sent Victor falling to the ground, literally jumping out of his skin when he heard it. "Oh crap! He's with that hussy!"

"Wait, what's going on?!" Victor asked, but he found no answer other than her grabbing his arm and being dragged all the way upstairs. "Gah, Koko! Ease up! You're gonna tear off my arm!"

"No time for that! We have to protect our brother before he becomes tainted by that woman!" Lyoko argued as she ascended the stairs two at a time, barely paying attention to victor tripping occasionally.

"Wait, what?! What woman?"

XXXXX

C.C. looked over at the door as she bit into her pizza. "I could be wrong... But do I hear something stomping up towards here?"

Lelouch sighed, palming his hand to his face. "That would probably be my sister."

As if on cue, the door was slammed open with so much force it damned near threw it off the hinges. Lyoko was panting, her face slightly bathed in sweat while Victor looked more confused and disheveled than anything. As soon as the twin saw the green-haired witch, she pointed an accusing finger at her. "Alright, you've overstayed your welcome, you witch!"

"Witch?" C.C. smirked in amusement. "Out of all the insults you could come up with, it was that?" She giggled into her hand. "My dear Lyoko, you are truly an inspiration to toddlers dreaming of becoming rappers."

"Shut it witch! Just get out of here!" Lyoko walked up to the woman, grabbed her by the arm that was holding a slice of pizza, and harshly pulled her out of the room. As she did this, Victor had gotten a better look at the woman's face. His face held the expression that he just saw a ghost.

"Wh-what?! But...you were..."

"I know, Brother..." Lelouch sighed. "I just don't get it either. We watched her get shot in the head, and yet, here she is, alive and well..." A scowl settled on his face. "And using my hard-earned money to buy pizza."

"Pizza? This early in the morning?" Victor questioned. He knew the importance of having a balanced diet, and eating junk food in the morning is definitely not good for one's health. "And she's using your winnings money?"

"Yes! If this keeps up, I may have to sneak out of school more often just to cover all her pizza bills. I have no idea how she can pack it away."

'If what I saw in the memories were any indication, then obviously she doesn't gain any sort of body fat at all.' he thought with a slight sweat drop. "So then... What exactly has got Lyoko so worked up about her?"

"She said something that ticked her off, and now Koko thinks we're supposed to be engaged or something." Lelouch scowled, shaking his head. "I swear, that woman lives to make other people's lives a living hell."

"Was that all she did?" Victor asked, taking a seat on his brother's bed. "I mean, you must have asked her about how she was alive and whatnot."

Lelouch nodded, whirling around to face his brother in his chair. "Yes. It's definitely her, as she asked me if I liked my power. She also..." A disturbed look appeared on his face. "Told me... about our family."

Victor's eyes widened, surprised by this sudden revelation. There was a secret of the Imperial Family that he never knew about? If so, then how could have that woman known about it? And why tell Lelouch this secret? A knot was forming within his stomach, as if he were dreading the truth that Lelouch had known. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it, as if it would confirm his fears. But curiosity got the better of him, and by learning this information may help him keep his brother and sisters safe in the future.

"...What did she tell you?" For some reason, Victor felt like he was going to regret asking.

"Victor, be straight with me... How long have you had the Chromatus?"

If Victor hadn't worked on maintaining a composed persona in the past, he would've been gaping in shock and anxiety. The secret of the Imperial Family...involved the Chromatus? But that was impossible. The Chromatus was a power passed down by the Kresnik Bloodline, which should've resided only in the worlds of Rieze Maxia and Elympios. How did the very idea of it get here? As part of the Britannia bloodline no less!

Should he tell Lelouch the truth? Or just lie? He saw the implications of both. If he were honest, then by the look on Lelouch's face, he probably knew some of the negative effects of the Chromatus and forbid him from using it. If he lied, then Lelouch would eventually discover the truth and lose trust and continue to worry about him. So...he went with option three.

"...Why do you ask?"

"That woman, C.C... She told me about it." Lelouch answered. "She said that it could be used by a family called the Kresniks. She called it an armor of death... and that whoever was given that power would..." He looked up and looked at Victor with almost pleading eyes. "How long have you been using that power?"

It shook him to his very core. Lelouch had always been an embodiment of nobility: smart, charismatic, sarcastic when he wanted to be, bu above all else, a calm and cool facade. Seeing him like this... it was almost painful.

"...Before I answer your question... Did she say what happens to those who abuse the Chromatus?"

"...She did...If someone overuses the Chromatus..." Lelouch couldn't bring himself to finish, knowing the horrid truth.

"...Lelouch...what did she say?" Victor's tone was not one of demand nor anger, but of brotherly concern. He didn't want to see Lelouch in turmoil like this.

"...If one abuses the Chromatus...they will be slowly...killed by the armor, ending...in a very painful death..."

The older man winced, and looked down at his hands.

For a moment, he could have sworn he had seen the bloody stains created from the corpses of his friends and brother.

"...I've had this power since I was born." Victor answered the question heavily, earning a look of absolute horror from his brother. "Lelouch... Do you recall what I asked Suzaku, back when we rescued him? If he could handle the weight and consequences of his actions? Those words were once spoken to me by someone I trusted with every fiber of my being, someone I could call a brother..." he closed his eyes in reminiscence, remembering his happier days with Julius, back when he used to be Ludger Kresnik. "There is a reason those with the Chromatus have the power to destroy the world... It is because we can destroy them... Worlds that never came to be."

"Destroy...worlds...?" Now it was Lelouch's turn to be confused. "How is that possible?"

"...It is the ability of the Chromatus." Victor recalled the explanation of this ability, knowledge he gained in his earlier years when he first began to use it as an agent of Spirius in his old world. "With it, the user is capable of traversing dimensions into an alternate reality of what could've been."

"If I had to use an example... Let's say we chose to never helped out Kallen and the others back at Shinjuku? That we left Nagata to die back there? What do you suppose would happen?"

"Everyone in the Ghetto... would be dead."

"Correct. That is the sort of world that exists; a counterfeit based on possible actions... a Fractured Dimension."

"A Fractured...Dimension..." Lelouch placed a hand to his temple, trying to take this all in. After all, being told by your older brother that his power involved the destruction of possible alternate realities was pretty heavy to swallow. "...It all just seems so..."

"...Unbelievable?" Victor finished, as if foreseeing what he would say next. "I know the feeling. Those were the same words I said when I first discovered this concept."

"But, brother..." Lelouch muttered, clenching both of hands together tightly. "That power... If you..."

"I know the risks, Lelouch." Victor said. "But, I will tell you this: No matter what comes, heaven or hell... I will continue to use this power, and for a reason." He stood up, walking over to his brother and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Lelouch looked up to see the older sibling smiling. "Even if I die, if I can protect you, and the family I have... then I will be a happy man."

"Big...brother..." Lelouch didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was angry and frustrated that Victor would keep using a power that would eventually lead to an agonizing death, while being sad and despairing for the same reason. On the other hand, he was touched to tears by his brother's determination and concern for their well being.

"Hey now, don't go crying on me!" the reborn Kresnik chuckled. "You're gonna make an old man feel bad!"

"Sh-shut up! I'm not crying!" Lelouch argued as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He had a right to be emotional. His brother was literally risking his life for him and their sisters.

"Uh-huh. Well, c'mon. Breakfast is ready."

"Right... Hey, aren't we forgotten something?"

Victor was about to ask what they had forgotten, and then heard the sound of what sounded like a banshee screaming. "I'M NOT LIKE THAT OKAY?!"

"...Oh, right." Victor sighed, face-palming. "So much for a peaceful breakfast."

"Well, might as well get it over with. Hopefully Lyoko manages to calm down." Lelouch sighed, wishing for the impossible as he went downstairs.

"Yeah. And I have to see to our 'guest' as well." Victor followed.

Somehow or another, he really wasn't looking forward to this meeting, especially if this C.C. woman was just like how C showed him.

He really didn't think he could handle another Muzet.

XXXXXXXXXX

Suzaku couldn't help but feel confused once he stepped out of the building, dressed in plain casual clothing rather than tattered prison garments. "What happened?" he muttered aloud. "I'm free to go?"

He was confused by everything. After speaking with Zero and Nemo, Suzaku returned to his Court Marshall. But due to the actions of the Revolutionaries and their proclamation of being Clovis's murderers, he was deemed innocent by the court. So here he was now, walking through the streets of the settlement. However, his thoughts were broken by a voice above him.

"Out of the way please!"

Suzaku's eyes snapped up, widening at the sight of what could only be descriped as a mesh of orange, white, and pink falling down upon him. "Look out!"

Tossing his bag, Suzaku braced himself and stretched out his arms, catching the girl effortlessly. 'She's lighter than I'd thought she would be.' he thought wryly before getting a good look at her. Instantly, he felt a blush coming to his cheeks. 'Wh-whoa...'

The girl was cute, probably even cuter than Lyoko in his opinion. Her pink hair was tied into two buns on either side, yet a large majority still hung past her shoulders. Her choice of attire was a simple white shirt that bore elegance, and with it, an orange skirt. She appeared dazed for a moment, snapping back to reality, and noticing that she was in the young man's arms. "Oh-oh!" she gasped, quickly looking up at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize anyone was down here!"

"Well don't worry. I wasn't expecting a girl to come falling from the sky and into my arms either." Suzaku smiled kindly.

"Oh my..." The girl became worried all of a sudden.

"Hm? Is there something wrong?" The girl looked down for a bit, as if deep in thought, before bringing her head back up, a smile on her face.

"Yes, there is something wrong. The truth is...bad guys are chasing me. So considering the circumstances could you help me please?" As she spoke, Suzaku was oblivious to the make shift escape rope made from drapes on a higher floor.

Suzaku frowned, but nodded. "Sure."

He was unable to shake the feeling that he had seen this girl somewhere before.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yo, boyo." C.C. greeted, waving her hand while ignoring Lyoko's seething red face. "Ah, the older brother. Nice to meet you."

"And you as well..." Victor nodded, still wary of the woman. Based on his knowledge of her, he knew that C.C. Is an ally due to her contract with Lelouch. But he was still going to keep an eye on her as she knew about the Chromatus.

"Big brother, tell this woman to leave!" Lyoko had all but demanded, glaring at him. "She's a blight to you and Lelouch!"

"Oh, for the love of..." Lelouch groaned in irritation. "For the last time, Koko, she and I are merely friends, nothing more. Also, unfortunately, she will be living with us for a while..."

"WHAT?! OH HELL NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS HARPY TO CORRUPT MY DARLING LITTLE SISTER!"

Both brothers had to cover their ears lest they go deaf from Lyoko's shrill outburst. Seriously, the girl had a pair of lungs.

Lelouch was the one to speak first. "Look, I don't like this as much as you do, but due to circumstances, this is the only place she can stay."

"But-but!"

"Lyoko." Victor cut in, giving her a stern glare. "She will be staying with us, because she has nowhere else to go..." He didn't miss the smirk on the immortal witch's face. "However, that doesn't mean she will get to break this house's rules. Also, for the sake of decency,"

'And to avoid further drama' he mentally added.

"She will be staying in your room, Lyoko."

"WHAT!?" Lyoko shouted once more. "Why does this witch have to stay in my room?!"

"Because Lyoko, you didn't want her to 'corrupt' Nunnally, and you are the only other girl in the house sans Sayoko, and you said you wanted to keep an eye on her, so here's your chance."

"Khr..." the raven-haired girl scowled, glaring at the witch who shrugged her shoulders in nonchalantly. "Fine!"

"Also..." Victor continued, turning his attention to C.C. "No more using my brother's money to buy pizza. In fact, you are NOT allowed to buy any sort of junk food this early in the morning. Do I make myself clear?"

"Whaaaaaat?"

"It's the rules that you're going to follow if your living under our roof. And that is final. Do I make myself clear?" Victor insisted.

"...Mrgh...fine." She murmured.

"Finally... No pizza in the morning."

The look of absolute horror on her face was enough to make Lyoko break out into a fit of laughter, and Lelouch smirk back in victory.

"Wha-what?" C.C. stuttered. "Y-you can't do that!"

"Like I said, so long as you are living in this house, you will follow the rules. If you don't like it..." he stabbed his thumb at the door. "You're free to leave anytime. Your choice... Miss C.C."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm really sorry about this..." the pink-haired girl that Suzaku had met said apologetically, bowing her head profusely. "I didn't mean to get you mixed up in all of this."

"Oh, it's no problem, really!" the teen tried to assure her.

The two were walking through the streets of the settlement, each holding a crepe that they purchased from a nearby stand as they were feeling peckish.

"By the way, I don't think I ever caught your name." Suzaku now realized. He was so caught up in what happened, the thought never occurred to him till now.

The girl fidgeted at the question, looking off to the side. "Oh, my name is..." A pause. "Euphie!"

'Euphie?' Something clicked in Suzaku's head, a memory back from when he was a child, but the details were muddled. "I guess I should introduce myself. I'm-"

"I already know who you are." Euphie said with a smile, stopping. "You're a celebrity. Son of the late Prime Minister of Japan, Genbu Kururugi... Private Suzaku Kururugi!"

"Ah...that's right...I guess I'm pretty well known because of the news, right?" Suzaku laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

That had been a major understatement. Because of Nemo and Victor, he was practically on every news channel, newspaper, and magazine, mentioned at least once or twice since the articles mainly focused on the two masked figures in question.

His mind drifted back to his conversation with Nemo, about how he had questioned his resolve and asking if he was fully prepared for what was to come of his actions. He could see that Nemo and Zero trusted each other, it was to be expected from accomplices, but he felt that it was so much more than that.

There was also the disturbing similarities between Lelouch and Zero.

No matter how Suzaku thought of it, the revolutionaries and his two best friends were so similar it was scary. He desperately wished that his fears were simply false. He didn't know what to do if they were true.

"Hello, mister Kitty Cat!" Suzaku was broken from his thoughts when he saw Euphie playing with a dark blue cat with a black spot over one of it's eyes. "Mew mew~"

The teen chuckled with a smile, recalling a similar scene with Victor when they were children, taking care of a small white kitten with brightest shade of blue Suzaku had ever seen.

He wondered if he was doing well in his old home. Smiling, he extended a finger to the cat that Eulhie was tending to. "Hey there little guy..."

In response, the feline opened it maw.

CHOMP!

"Oh my." Euphie said while Suzaku winced in pain, feeling the feline's teeth digging into his skin.

"I forgot me and cats don't mix so well..."

XXXXXXXXXX

Lloyd sighed in exasperation once the metal car containing the Lancelot rolled up to the street, stopping at the red light. "I hope he isn't still waiting for us..." the scientist muttered. "We were running behind."

That was an understatement. Due to the incident in the Shinjuku Ghetto, the Lancelot was practically scrapped, it's core destroyed. It would take a lot of work and funds to restore to what it was before and include the upgrades. In short, they were in a bit of a pickle.

"Well, at least we have a spare unit for him to use in the mean time." Cecile said, looking back at the cargo. Standing next to the ruined Lancelot was a machine with a similar design, except with blue instead of gold with a horn emerging from its skull. "I still can't help wonder what that armor was... I've seen anything like it."

"Indeed." Lloyd nodded in agreement. "Sakuradite is a rather powerful metal. Hell, it's practically the strongest temperamental steel you can make. For it to be destroyed so easily is rather terrifying..." A scowl appeared a second later. "Just let that little brat wait... Soon, my Lancelot will turn him into scrap iron!"

"Lloyd, please calm down. I know you are upset, but rash decisions would just cost us in the long run." Cecile reasoned. "Besides, with what we have now, I don't think we should try to pursue that man any time soon. By the looks of it, he barely broke a sweat."

"Gah, don't remind me..." Lloyd groaned, shaking his head. "Still, who would have thought that Nemo and that armor were related? From what I saw, the power he displayed was relatively weaker than when he fought the Lancelot."

"Perhaps it was because he only had his arms covered?" Cecile wondered before she recalled something. "By the way, Lloyd... about this Grail project you've been working on... What made you decide to start it up?"

The man smiled, pushing up his glasses. "Suzaku's skills in the Lancelot were quite surprising, and while the defeat at the hands of Nemo set things back, we were able to gather quite a bit of data. Also, Prince Schneizel asked us if it was possible to create a series of mass-produced Knightmares with the same capabilities as the Lancelot."

"Is that so..."

"Of course, there's also another reason." Lloyd continued. "It was a request from Julius."

"You mean the Twin Blades of Victory, Julius Kresnik?" Cecile asked with widened eyes and tinted cheeks. She was fully aware of the man, being one of the three Knights of Princess Cornelia, and one of the empires best fighters. And suffice to say, Cecile had a bit of a crush on the man. A bit meaning that she kept several photos of him.

"No, I mean the other Julius." Lloyd said sarcastically. "Yes, of course the Twin Blades. Who else would I be talking about? Ever since he witnessed Nemo's debut and learned what he is capable of, he's been wanting to fight against him." A sigh followed. "It also doesn't help the fact that the new Viceroy also wants a piece of him and Zero included.

"So Princess Cornelia is going to be the new Viceroy of Area Eleven? But why would Julius want to fight Nemo so badly?"

"Beats the hell out of me..." Lloyd shrugged before noticing two people walking out on the street. "Well, hello..."

Cecile followed Lloyds line of sight, her eyes widening upon who came into view. "Hey, isn't that Private Kururugi? And isn't that girl...?"

XXXXXXXXXX

In another area, Julius Kresnik reclined in his chair as the flight continued drag on. If there was one thing he hated, it was how long it took to reach another part of the world, especially by plane. He HATED plans. Still, the time certainly gave him some interesting time to look up any information they had on the two masked men who killed Clovis.

Nemo was truly a sight to behold in Shinjuku, clad in scarred armor with power that had far surpassed anything he had seen. The spear he wielded was also powerful, straight like an arrow and piercing through all that stood before it. He was like power incarnate.

But it was the armor that interested Julius more than anything else. "The Chromatus, eh..." he muttered curiously."Never thought I'd see someone outside the Royal Family with it. And he's already achieved Level 4.

He was fully versed with the Chromatus, as he learned the truth of the royal bloodline a long time ago. How he acquired such information, nobody knew. But it didn't matter as nobody even knew he had it.

Julius had always been interested in the workings of the Chromatus, knowing all of its potential and abilities, and seeking any information relating to it. Unfortunately, with such a topic, he had to tread carefully. If the Emperor learned of his search, it would not bode well for him.

As far as he knew, and as of now, he knew of only four people with Chromatus: Nemo, the masked man who saved Suzaku Kururugi alongside Zero, Charles zi Britannia, the Emperor, the snake Rideaux, and finally Bisley Bakur, the CEO of Spirius Corporation.

There was also another thing that intrigued Nemo: his fight style. He wielded dual blades in an underhand fashion.

He was a practioner of the same style as Julius.

It was an unorthodox yet effective style. Not many people practice it. The only ones he knew who fought with this style were himself, and the young prince that he trained years ago, Victor vi Britannia, also known as the Black Knight.

The theory of Nemo and Victor being one of the same were high, as the motives were practically obvious, given the prince's protective nature of his siblings.

A smile appeared on his face. "Well, things should be interesting at least."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you okay, Suzaku?" Euphie asked in concern as she bandaged the cat's ankle. "It looks like it hurts. Do you not get along with cats?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I like them just fine..." he told her, moving to pet the cat. However, he was met with a hiss, and recoiled. "Unfortunately, the attraction isn't mutual."

"I think unrequited love is the mark of a kind person." Euphie said reassuringly. As she said this, the cat leapt off the concrete step it was sitting on and ran. "Oh...the kitty ran away..."

"Kind of reminds me of someone else..." Suzaku chuckled, earning a curious look from Euphie. "Oh, sorry. He's this small cat me and my friends looked after when we were kids. He really didn't like me all that much." he couldn't help but cringe at the painful memories. "I think he saw me as his personal chew toy."

Even though it happened so long ago, those memories are still precious to him. A thought popped into his head. If He saw Lelouch and Victor, then maybe he can see the little kitten again.

"By the way, Euphie..." Suzaku released himself from those thoughts as he turned to the pink-haired girl. "Why did you lie about being chased?"

"Do you ask because you are concerned about me?" She smiled softly.

"Huh?" Suzaku turned to face her. "Uh, um...of course!"

"Good~! Then you can accompany me some more!" Euphie stood up and pulled Suzaku up by the arm.

"A-alright." Suzaku, not knowing how to properly respond, agreed, lifting up his tote bag.

"Come on it'll be fun!"

Smiling in resignation, Suzaku followed Euphie all around the Settlement, not knowing that he was being followed by Lloyd and Cecile, the former having an amused smile on his face.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Meow~"

Victor sighed as he looked down at Lulu, who was wagging his tail, sitting on the ground and looking up expectantly at his master. "The answer is no, Lulu." the elder Lamperouge told the cat, though it did not look deterred in the least. "I mean it."

"Meow~"

"...Seriously, no." Victor's resolution was beginning to waver. "...I mean it; I'm not giving you any."

"Meow~" The large cat was now nuzzling up to his master, gazing at him with large, beady eyes.

"...Okay fine!" Victor relented, his determination breaking from the adorable kitty look. "But don't blame me if you can't move from overeating later."

Victor bent down and dropped the small portion of food. Lulu mewled in delight, dawdling over and greedily consuming it. He sighed. "I swear, this cat..."

"You do realize that one of these days we'll have to pick him up by the knees, right?" Lyoko asked as she walked into the room.

"Lyoko, what are you doing here?" Victor asked in surprise. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I figured I might as well skip, though only because Nunnally's sick." the oldest female of the siblings smiled. "Someone has to look after her, right?"

"Well, that may be. But you didn't have to go through this trouble. I'm still here." He reasoned. He knew that Lyoko had a tendency to skip class like Lelouch, and to a lesser extent, Victor when he was still in school. Even so, he didn't want his sister to fall behind.

"Oh, hush." Lyoko told him. "Anyway, do you need help setting up dinner?"

"Nah, I think I got it." Victor replied, smiling at his sister. "Still, thanks for offering."

"No problem... By the way, what's the deal with that green-haired woman?"

At this, the eldest Lamperouge frowned. Just how was he going to explain this to Lyoko. She is not like Nunnally. She is critically observant and suspicious of the unusual. If Lelouch were here, he'd be able to devise a convincing lie on the spot. Oh how he wished he had his brother's ingenuity at this moment.

"Well..." Victor tried to find an excuse, but he was failing miserably at the moment. "She is... How do I explain this...?"

"She is what...?" Lyoko crossed her arms, expectant of an actual answer.

"She's..."

"Oh, what's this?" C.C. voice echoed from behind them. "Talking about me from behind my back?"

The two siblings turned to the source of the voice behind them. Sure enough, it was C.C. leaning against the door frame. Both were speechless for separate reasons. Lyoko was fuming at the woman, while Victor was taking to moment to process what she was wearing:

A dark blue, buttoned shirt with rolled up sleeves and dark pants.

"Why the hell are you wearing my clothes?!" the eldest female Lamperouge demanded angrily. Victor, on the other hand, was admiring her hourglass figure. Truly, those curves were dangerous. This was perhaps one of the perks of being married, yet also a downside. He could look at other women, but he wasn't allowed to touch them.

He had the unfortunate pleasure of experiencing Lara's anger... and it was suffice to say that it left him scarred for life. Just imagining the event was enough to nearly make him shiver out of traumatic experience. "Well, I didn't really have anything else other than little prison suit." the witch shrugged her shoulder. "Still, I didn't peg you for a tomboy."

"Wha?!"

"By the way, boyo..." C.C. smirked, doing a little pose. "Like what you see?"

Victor immediately turned away and went back to fixing dinner, effectively hiding his blush. 'That woman truly is the devil...' he thought in embarrassment. 'It's like dealing with Muzet all over again! I hope HE had better luck with her!'

"Big brother! Stop looking at her!" Lyoko slapped the back of his head...hard.

"Ow! I'm sorry!" This feeling reminded him of Lara on occasions.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about." C.C. said nonchalantly. "So, what's for dinner?"

"None of your business." Lyoko glared at the woman. "She who does not work does not get to eat!"

"Fine." the woman shrugged her shoulders again. "I'll just get myself some pizza."

"How?" Victor asked, incredulous. "You have no money."

"You said I couldn't get pizza with your brother's money." She held up a familiar looking card. "You never said anything about yours."

"Why you little..."

"All's fair in love and war, little Vicky." C.C. grinned, earning a glare from the young man.

Lyoko instinctively took several steps back, a look of horror on her face. 'Oh no... She didn't just call him by that nickname, did she...?!'

"Alright...first off...NEVER call me that! How did you even learn of that anyway? And second...Give me back my credit card!" He spoke heavily.

C.C. just stuck her tongue out before moving to the next room.

"Lyoko, man the kitchen!" the reborn Kresnik snapped his head at the girl, who squeaked when his gaze fell on her. "I have a witch to hunt!"

"Wait, w-what? Hold on!" Lyoko shouted, but it was all for naught as Victor stormed after her. "...What were you even cooking?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, you came here from the mainland?"

"Uh-huh!" Euphie nodded. She and Suzaku explored more of the settlement, passing by the display windows of shops. "I was a student there up until last week."

"Last week? So what are you doing now? By student, do you mean High School? You can go sightseeing anytime, can't ya?"

"Well, unfortunately, it's because of some circumstances. Today is my last day, so I wanted to see everything I can before..."

"Ah, I see..." Suzaku nodded in understanding before he stopped to notice the television showing Nemo and Zero during their escapade with him from the other day. "So, they're still showing this, huh?" he said with a hint of morbid amusement. Euphie tilted her head in confusion before following his gaze. "What happened that day almost seems like a dream."

"Actually, Suzaku, I've been meaning to ask..." Euphie inquired. "Zero and Nemo... what sort of people are they like? You must have talked to them."

Suzaku was thrown off with that question, but he couldn't blame her. She was like anyone else, wishing to learn more about the enigmatic figures that had shaken Britannia to their core. "Zero... he is a hateful person, consumed with his hatred for Britannia."

"Really?" Euphie's eyes held no shock, only curiosity. She was not so naive; she knew the horrific acts the Empire has done to the Colonies and its inhabitants. Still, there wasn't much she could do. "And...what of Nemo...?"

Suzaku had to think. "Nemo... I think it's rather hard to describe him, really." he answered truthfully. "He's hard to read, but I cold get the same sort of feeling I did from Zero, but nowhere near that level..."

The conversation and questions Nemo had demanded of him came to mind.

"He's... also wants to see Britannia change for the better as well." Suzaku finally decided. "When I refused to join them and explained my reasons, he asked me if I could handle it."

"Handle it? What do you mean...?"

"He wanted to know if I could handle the consequences my actions bring about. The Choice. The decision. The Destruction. The creation...All of it..."

Euphie's eyes widened in surprise. "You see, ever since I was young, I had wanted to make Britannia a better place." Suzaku continued. "No hate between Britannians and Numbers, no more wars or needless fighting... Just peace. Quiet, peaceful times." the teen smiled. "One of my friends from childhood... She can't see or walk because of an incident, and she always wanted to see a gentler world. I figured that I could make that dream a reality by changing the system. Zero said I was a fool for thinking that, but Nemo understood my decision, and asked me if I would be able to handle whatever may come from this path."

"Suzaku..."

"That's why...I will stand by my decision. I will make her wish come true. I am willing to endure all of it if it means that they will be safe and happy..."

"I see..." Euphie smiled brightly. "This girl must be very precious to you."

"She is." Suzaku nodded, a smile on his face as well. "The same goes for her older sister, and those two protective brothers of hers." He couldn't help but chuckle, scratching his cheek. "Victor-niisan was always so overbearing. I think he's worse than Lelouch."

Euphie soon paused. Victor? Lelouch? Younger sisters? Those two names and number of siblings match up quite well to the people Euphie held close ties to years ago. It sounded too similar to be just coincidence. A spark of hope kindled in her chest, hope that her siblings were still alive.

"Erm... Suzaku..." Euphie said hesitantly, wishing to be sure. "The girl you mentioned... would her name be Nunnally, by any chance?"

Suzaku raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Hai. Her older sister's name is Lyoko. Why do you ask?"

He didn't expect her to start crying.

She wasn't crying out of sorrow. Oh no. Her tears were being shed from absolute joy. Finally. After so many years...there was a solid chance that her siblings are alive! She couldn't restrain her emotions. She poured them all out right on the spot.

"E-Euphie? I'm sorry! D-did I do something wrong...?" Suzaku apologized in a panic. What did he say to make her cry? For some reason, he felt a menacing shadow of a familiar female appear in his mind. One of the things Lyoko taught him was to never make a girl cry.

"It's..." Euphie sniffed, trying to wipe her tears. "It's nothing, S-Suzaku... I-I'm so happy right now...!"

"E-eh?" Suzaku hesitated, wondering what she meant. He was still slightly nervous from seeing her cry, but then something popped in his head. She had started crying when he had mentioned the Lamperouge family. Was it possible that she was...

That was when something came back to him. Something that made him gasp in shock, his eyes wide.

"Wait... are you... Euphemia li Britannia?"

"...Mm-hm..." Euphie nodded, surprised that he managed to figure it out so quickly. "How...did you know?" she wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Well..." Suzaku rubbed the back of his head, thinking carefully how to answer. "...Victor-niisan, Lelouch, Lyoko, and Nunnally would talk about you and Princess Cornelia in the past. How all of you were really close."

"I see..." Euphie nodded again, still smiling with a tear-stained face. "When I heard that they were in the custody of the Kururugi family, I wanted to be sure... Suzaku... Do you know if... they're still alive?"

Suzaku frowned, unsure of how to answer her next question. 'What should I tell her? Victor-niisan and Lelouch didn't really tell me about Nunnally or Lyoko, and I know they don't want to return to the Royal Family to be used like pawns... So what do I do?'

He was in quite a dilemma. Part of him wants to lie and say that he hasn't seen them since Britannia's invasion years ago. And yet...When he looks into Euphemia's pleading big, pleading eyes...he just can't bring himself to do that.

Now what? He was torn between telling the truth and betraying his friends, and lying and hurting the feelings of the Third Princess of Britannia!

"I... don't know about Nunnally and Lyoko..." he said slowly. "But, I saw Lelouch and Victor-niisan."

"R-really?!"

He nodded. "Although... I haven't really seen them since Shinjuku. I have no idea where they are now, but I do know that they are alive. They weren't listed in the casualties."

Euphie's eyes widened. "W-wait, Shinjuku?!" she gasped. "They were in that chaos?!"

"I'm afraid so..." Suzaku nodded solemnly. "I was part of the squadron sent in to investigate the stolen canister. I happened to run into them by chance. They were actually trying to help the driver of a truck who crashed into a construction site earlier, unaware that the people inside were the ones who stole the canister.

"I'm afraid so..." Suzaku nodded solemnly. "I was part of the squadron sent in to investigate the stolen canister. I happened to run into them by chance. They were actually trying to help the driver of a truck who crashed into a construction site earlier, unaware that the people inside were the ones who stole the canister.

"I see..." Euphie said sadly, looking down at the ground. 'Victor, Lelouch... please, be alright.'

"So, Princess-er... Euphie..." Suzaku quickly corrected himself. It was obvious that she didn't want to be recognized in public. "Why exactly are you here? Oh, wait, the new Viceroy is coming. Never mind, stupid question."

"That's right." The pink haired princess nodded. "My sister is due to arrive later today, and I was to meet her when she arrived. That's why I wanted to explore the Settlement before then..."

"Ah, I see..." Suzaku nodded in understanding. "So, is there anywhere else you want to go?"

Euphie nodded. "Yes, actually... I want to visit the Shinjuku Ghetto."

Suzaku turned to her wide-eyed. Why would she want to go there? Knowing all that had happened in that place.

"...May I ask why?"

"I wish to see it all for myself..."

XXXXXXXXXX

Over in Spirius, Bisley and one other person stood before one another, their steel eyes glaring at the other. Of course, the only one present was Bisley. The other was shown only on the screen in front of me.

"Well, this is a surprise." the CEO said. "To think I would receive a call from his Majesty. Do what do I owe the pleasure, Charles?"

True to Bisley's word, the man on the screen was none other than the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Charles zi Britannia. His face was hardened in an expression of seriousness. "You know very well why I am calling, Bisley..."

"I take you have seen the news regarding Zero and Nemo?"

"Of course I have." Charles grunted. "It is hard not to, especially when your child unveils the power of the Kresnik family to the very world."

"You don't see him as your own?" Bisley smirked. "Well, aren't you the model father?"

"As if you are any better."

"Hehe...Fair enough." The Bear of a man shrugged before his face fell into seriousness once more. "Still, he is freely capable of achieving Level 4 and the lower levels at will without showing any sign of backlash or pain. Rather...It appears that he is able to use the Chromatus without experiencing the consequences. Don't you find it a tad bizarre?"

"Yes, that is an interesting point..." Charles nodded. "Perhaps it is the intervention of Chronos. I would not put it past him and Origin to find a way to stop us."

"Indeed..." Bisley glowered upon hearing the names of the Great Spirits. Truly, they were thorns in their sides, getting in the way of their actions. "Although...I wouldn't exactly say Chronos to be the culprit in this one, Charles."

"What do you mean?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow.

"You know the Great Spirit of Time. He detests humans. He would rather see the Kresniks fall into Divergence Catalysts instead of saving them from that fate, just so Humanity would fail the trial all the quicker."

"Hmm..." Charles leaned back in his throne. "You bear a point. If that is the case, then what has brought about that boy's newfound immunity?"

"I have one theory..." Bisley said, his fists clenching together tightly. "I know not of what had transpired, but it is safe to say that Victor has perished, and our world, returned to the void. Origin cannot revive someone, especially not while the Trial is still being undertaken."

"Then who do you believe is responsible?"

Bisley smirked. "The very same being that you and that pompous brother of yours are trying to eliminate... The Great Spirit of the Soul, C."

"C...!" The Emperor glowered, his folded hands tightening into fists. So God had chose to intervene in Humanity's Trial by sending in a fractured Scion of Kresnik? The Emperor was furious yet intrigued. If C really did send Victor to take part in the Trial...then there must've been a reason for the Great Spirit to do so. "...Your hypothesis doesn't seem to be wrong, Bisley."

"Now, it just begs the question: why Victor in particular? True, he is among the few to possess the full Chromatus, but his actions were hardly heroic material when he slaughtered those of Spirius, all for the sake of protecting his precious daughter."

"And also, why reincarnate him as a member of the Royal Family..." Charles murmured. "We can attest to this matter another time. What of Lelouch?"

"What about him?" Bisley asked, curious. "I will admit, his wits and talent with strategy are impressive, but..."

"You know that is not what I am asking."

The Emperor glared at the man. While he respected Bisley and saw him as someone he could minutely trust, his words still brought forth ire. He really didn't want to waste time talking about irrelevant things.

"Fine, fine..." The CEO held a hand up in surrender. "...I would say that Lelouch really is a dangerous individual given his intellect and cunning wit, but I don't believe he will be any threat to us. For starters, he lacks access to the Chromatus, like so many of your other children, save for Victor and few others."

"Unfortunately, this is not the case." Charles informed. "He was born with Chromatus, but we have no knowledge of what happened to the pocket watch."

"Oh, is that so?" Bisley said, surprised by this. He was not made aware that the boy possessed Chromatus. "Do you have an idea of what became of it?"

"Unfortunately...no..." The Emperor frowned. "However, I have the suspicion that a certain Great Spirit is involved with that."

"Oh? So you're saying that either Chronos or C chose to interfere again?"

"Perhaps..." Charles suggested. "Honestly, her interference has already caused me enough problems. If only I could eliminate her and the rest of her kind."

Bisley laughed. "Patience, old friend." he told him. "Patience... After all, the Sword of Akasha is nearly complete, is it not?"

"Hm...That is true." Charles nodded. "And if all else, we still have Origin's Trial to fulfill our wish."

"First things first, we must build the bridge to Canaan." Bisley stated. "And to do that, we will need to find the Waymarkers. We have already discovered four of the five, but the problem is that we have yet to find them."

"And which have you found?"

"So far, we have The Crimson Prototype, the Black Tortoise of the North, the Knight of Foresight, and the Twilight Emperor's Code."

"And the last?"

Bisley sighed. "The Immortal Demon Emperor is still lost to us, I am afraid. No one has found it yet, and none of my agents are powerful enough to retrieve the others. It's annoying, really."

"I see..." Charles closed his eyes in frustration. He then opened them again. "No matter. We will just have to make do what we have now. After all, those sons of mine will be leading the Waymarkers right to us."

"Heh, how true." Bisley laughed at the genius of it all. After all, what better way to obtain the Waymarkers than their enemies obtaining them for them? "By the way, I've heard that Cornelia will be the new Viceroy... Are you hoping to take advantage of Lelouch's bond with his sisters?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, Bakur." Charles answered. "Now, I must be going."

With that, the connection came to an end. Bisley let out a thunderous laugh, throwing his head back. "I never get tired of that man."

XXXXX

Suzaku couldn't help but feel saddened as he and Euphie walked through the ruined Shinjuku Ghetto. Everywhere he looked, he saw makeshift graves and missing person requests everywhere, all accompanied by the eerily familiar sight of a ruined city. "It was just starting to become peaceful again too..."

"Hey, get a photo of me next to this thing!" A male voice prudently remarked. The two turned to the side to see two Britannian Students. They appeared to be dressed for sightseeing as one of them had a camera around their neck. The other was standing next to the Memorial of the Shinjuku Ghetto, and making rude gestures at it.

"What are they doing?" Euphie asked, tilting her head while Suzaku clenched his fists together angrily. Honestly, while they may be Britannians, did they not know how to respect the dead? Obviously, someone seemed to agree with him, as three Elevens saw them and immediately went up to them, faces writhed in anger.

"Get the hell out of here, ya damned Britannians!" the red head demanded, glaring at the two. Immediately, they recoiled from the intensity, yet their shaky voices still retained their arrogance.

"H-how dare a filthy Eleven-!"

"Japanese!" Tamaki rebuked. "Not Eleven, Japanese!"

He knocked the camera out of the student's hands.

"Stay here." Suzaku told Euphie as he ran to the scene.

"You're wrong!" The other student had the guts to speak. "You seem to forget you people lost. You're nothing but a beaten dog!" If his goal was trying to rile the Japanese man's anger, then he succeeded.

"You racist pig!" Tamaki growled as he brought up his fist.

"Wait, stop!" Suzaku shouted as he ran up to the group. Tamaki, surprised, whirled around. His fists knocked up against Suzaku's sunglasses, the only thing obscuring his identity from Britannians, thus tossing them to the ground when Suzaku leaped back to evade.

The group was shocked, each with different reactions.

"Wait, aren't you... Suzaku Kururugi?" one of the Britannians asked, almost fearfully. "The one who killed Clovis?"

"Idiot, that was Nemo!" his companion scolded.

Suzaku looked at the Japanese group. He had expected them to lash out at him, due to his status as an Honorary Britannian. To his surprise, they did not. They only looked at him with mixed views: admiration, pity, and perhaps a bit of envy.

He focused his attention on the Britannians for now. "You two need to leave." he told them. "The dead deserve some peace after what's happened."

"What?!" The large student complained. "But we have every right to be here! After all, this place is just a colony for Britannia now!"

"That's right!" The lanky student next to him agreed. "This place belongs to our people now. Not to these Elevens!"

"Why you pieces of shit!" Tamaki growled, wanting to beat the shit out of them, but Sugiyama held him back.

Suzaku felt anger starting to rise. "Last time I checked..." he said slowly, his tone icy. "The Britannians didn't give a damn about the ghettos until now."

"Huh?" The Brits paused at his sudden words.

"Why would Britannians go to the crumbling Ghettos of a Colony when they could spend their lives in bliss in the pristine Ghettos? There is no real reason to be here where the original residents live. So tell me, why are the two of you here?" His interrogating tone left no room for back talk. Each word his spoke carried heavy weight behind it.

"Er... Well..." The first one couldn't really answer, but the second seemed to get angry.

"Aw, shut up, ya damn Eleven! Why would you care?! You chose to become an Honorary citizen, so that means you don't give a damn about what happens here!"

Suzaku winced, feeling as if he had been stabbed in the chest. How ironic how those words come back to bite him. He was about to reply to that when Tamaki finally snapped.

He slugged the bastard straight in the face.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" he roared. "What the fuck would some snobby brat know about his reasons for turning his back on Japan?! He may be an Honorary Britannian, but that don't mean I can't kick your asses until yer blue in the face!"

Suzaku was stunned by the man's actions. He was...defending him? A man, who gave up being Japanese to join the Honors System, betraying his roots. Yet the red haired Japanese man was defending him?

"H-how dare you?!" The slugged brat coughed out, his nose now bruised and bleeding. "D-do you know what you've just done?!"

"Hell yeah I do! I was putting a couple of spoiled brats in their place!" Tamaki cracked his knuckles.

"W-why you...!"

"Hey." Sugiyama growled. "You mess with one Japanese, you mess with us all. Besides, count 'em boys, it's three against two... Oh, should probably warn you. Tamaki doesn't know how to pull a punch."

"Ghe...!"

"Hey man..." the first Britannian said, unsure as he looked between them. "Maybe we should go... This just isn't worth it."

"Why the hell should we?!" The second retorted. "We're Britannians! We're nothing like those inferior Elevens! Plus, I need to make this bastard pay for breaking my camera!" Really, the bleeding Britannian did not know to quit while he was ahead.

"You can't be serious man, they'll kill us!"

"But-!"

"Dude, let it go!" his friend pleaded. "You really wanna get killed over something like this?!"

The first Britannian scowled, obviously not liking this idea. "Che... fine." he said in defeat before glaring at the group. "You better remember this!"

Tamaki spat on the ground in response as he watched them leave. 'Typical!' he thought. 'All bark and no bite! Seriously, why can't the rest of these Brits be like Victor and his bro?'

He then turned to Suzaku Kururugi, who was still stunned by what had transpired. Did these Japanese men really defend him from such slander?

"Hey, you alright man?" Tamaki asked him, snapping him out of his stupor.

"H-huh?"

"He asked if you were okay." Yoshida asked in concern. "Seriously, bastards like that need to be taught a lesson."

"Even so... Did you need to go that far?"

"Only way we know how." Sugiyama shrugged. "Besides, like I said. We Japanese look after our own." He smiled, offering a hand. "Even if you did become an Honorary Britannian."

"But...I don't understand..." Suzaku was still confused.

"What's there to be confused about?!" Tamaki asked back as he grabbed Suzaku's hand and placed it Sugiyama's. "Even though you're an Honorary Britannian, you are still good in our book."

"Definitely." Yoshida chuckled. "Names Yoshida. That's Sugiyama." He grinned as he stabbed a thumb at Tamaki. "And this hothead is Tamaki."

"Oi! Who're you calling a hothead?!"

"You just proved my point." Yoshida chuckled, Sugiyama joining in, much to Tamaki's ire.

"Dammit you guys!"

Suzaku couldn't help it, it was just too funny. "heheheheh..."

"Oh, come on!" Tamaki scowled. "You too kid?!"

"Suzaku!"

The teen blinked, turning his attention to see Euphie running up the steps. "Oh, Euphie..."

The girl finally caught up to him and paused to catch her breath. "I'm glad you're alright..."

"I'm sorry for worrying you..."

"That's fine..." she told him before noticing the group. "Oh? Was everything settled?"

"Y-yeah..." he answered hesitantly. "Though, they were the ones who did most of the work." Suzaku said, gesturing to Tamaki and the others.

"It...it was nothing..." Tamaki rubbed his head sheepishly. "Just trying to teach a couple of spoiled brats about respect for the dead. They don't know how many lives were lost due to their country."

"On that, we agree." Euphie nodded her head before a sympathetic look appeared on her face. "I know this doesn't sound much, especially coming from a Britannian like myself... and it is probably the last thing you wish to hear, but..." She bowed her head deeply. "I am truly sorry for all that we have done to you... No one should be stripped of everything that makes them who they are."

Suffice to say, her words shocked all of them down to the core.

Never before had a Britannain, aside from Lelouch and Victor, was so remorseful of their actions. This woman...was actually apologizing to them for the feats done by her country. If anything, her sentiments were mutual with the Lamperouge siblings. She also sympathized with them...as if she had witnessed such acts before.

"You..." Tamaki was about to say something, but was unable to get a chance as the ground shook.

An explosion came into full view at Bugeikan Stadium. "What the?!" Suzaku cried in shock before looking at Euphie. "Wait here!"

"What?" Euphie gaped, startled. "But-!"

She didn't get a chance as Suzaku shot off like a bullet, running straight toward the stadium.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Dammit!" Jeremiah scowled as he blocked a strike from a Stun Tonfa, knocking the enemy back. "Kewell, you bastard!"

"I can say the same about you, Jeremiah!" The Pureblood retorted as he and a few others in their Sutherlands surrounded the teal haired Margrave. "How dare you tarnish our name, Orange?!"

"I told you, I don't know a damn thing about that!" Jeremiah retorted, moving his Sutherland against the four.

It was supposed to be a lead to correcting his mistake, and clearing his name when Jeremiah learned that Zero was sighted. Then, to his shock, his own allies turned on him, ready to kill him.

Words failed to properly express this feeling of betrayal. Even more so when his former comrades turned on him over something he couldn't remember. He knew for a fact he was not Orange!

"Like we will buy that excuse! We know you know something about Orange, and because if that, you let Zero and Nemo go free with Kururugi!"

"Dammit, that was-!" Jeremiah scowled, firing off his rifle and managed to destroy one of his former allies' land spinenrs, rendering him immobile for a time.

"Silence!" Kewell shot back. "Che, to think you used to be in that filthy woman's Royal Guard... it's pathetic!"

Jeremiah's eyes widened with rage. "What did you just say, you son of a bitch?!" he had all but screamed. "Don't you dare talk about Lady Marianne like that, you filthy pig!"

"You still protect that worthless commoner?! Who cares if she was a consort to the Emperor?! She was not even of true noble blood, but a lone, filthy commoner!" Kewell mocked. "Her and her filthy offspring as well! They all died like the weaklings they are during the War!"

That had been the last straw. Kewell had crossed the line when he insulted Lady Marianne, but he went too far when he insulted her children. "Kewell...! I will end you! I will not allow you to slander Lady Marianne's name any longer!"

Insulting the vi Britannian family had been the last mistake Kewell would ever make. In that one instant, Jeremiah fought like a man possessed, evading each attack as if it were child's play. Some movements were especially hard to evade, and it did not leave him without some repercussions. His unit had lost it's left forearm, and the leg was badly destroyed.

One more hit, and it would be over.

One Pureblood got up behind Jeremiah, but the man was quick to dodge underneath the strike, and promtly slammed the muzzle of the rifle straight to the chest. "DIE!"

With a single click of the trigger, the cockpit was compromised. The Sutherland fell back, the Devicer dead and gone. The other stopped in shock, unable to believe that such at thing had happened while Jeremiah glared at them all with seething rage.

"Nemo should have killed all of you when he had the chance."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh boy, Orange Boy's really putting up a fight, isn't he?" Lloyd chuckled. "Then again, that's what they get for insulting Lady Marianne."

"That...I have to agree..." Cecile nodded in agreement. She knew very well how Jeremiah was loyal to Lady Marianne and her children. It was to be expected that The Margrave would act like this. "But still...do you think we should do something?"

"And what do you suggest we do?" the jovial man asked. "Last I checked, we don't exactly have a-"

"Lloyd!" a familiar voice shouted. "Miss Cecile! Are you two okay?!"

Lloyd grinned happily as he looked to see Suzaku running toward them. "Ah, speak of the devil." he chuckled. "Suzaku, fancy seeing you here!"

"We heard the explosion. Just what happened?!" The Private questioned.

"Well, we could waste time explaining it...or..." Lloyd tossed him the ignition key to the Knightmare frame. "You could just jump in and find out."

"Wha-huh?" Suzaku blinked, looking at the key and then back at Lloyd. "But... the Lancelot... It's still damaged, isn't it?"

"The Z-01, yes..." Cecile nodded. "But the Club is fully operational."

"The Club...?" Suzaku raised an eyebrow. What was the Club?

"The Lancelot Club." Lloyd explained. "It was the prototype model for the Lancelot. Fortunately, we still have it after the Lancelot's development was complete. You will be using that until advanced model is finished with repairs."

"So then, Private Kururugi..." the man chuckled, jabbing his thumb at the carrier unit of the truck. "What will it be?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Kewell couldn't believe this. "H-how...?"

Jeremiah allowed the last of the three Sutherlands to fall, the Devicer clonked out inside the cockpit. "It may be true that Lady Marianne was not of noble blood..." he said with conviction. "But her skills were unsurpassed! Not even Lord Waldstein could defeat her! She taught me and Lord Victor, and countless others how to fight in a Knightmare! You are strong, Kewell... But I have my honor!"

"Well, your so called 'Honor' has ruined the Purebloods!" The orange haired man argued. "It's all your fault that we are dealing with utter crap right now! This ends here, Jeremiah!" The Sutherland moved its hand to an object attached to its side.

Jeremiah's eyes widened. 'Don't tell me he's gonna-!'

"ENOUGH!"

Kewell was forced to move back, a slash harken slamming straight into the ground, where he once stood. "What!?"

"Where did that come from?" Jeremiah asked, shocked before he turned to see the source. Standing atop the stadium was a white Knightmare, bearing blue trims, and a horn standing tall and proud. "Wait, that Knightmare... is that?!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Kewell demanded.

"Stop it, you're all Britannian Soldiers!" Suzaku pleaded. His voice recognized by the two Purebloods.

"That's him...That's the Honorary Britannian...and that Knightmare...the Lancelot Club!" Jeremiah spoke in realization.

"Shut up, damned Eleven!" Kewell snarled, shooting several rounds. They were met with a transparent green barrier.

"I won't allow this to continue..." Suzaku growled, glaring at the enemy as the Club drew it's hands back, reaching for the hilts on it's hips. Upon grasping what looked like handles, it pulled, drawing out a pair of silver blades.

In the next second, they became pale crimson. Kewell recognized them immediately, and paled. "Oh my God... They perfected the MVS?!"

"...Too late...I won't back down!" Kewell spoke fiercely. He shot off his slash harken at the white Knightmare, only for it to jump into the air.

"You are on the same side!" Suzaku argued.

"Shut it! You know nothing!" The orange haired Pureblood yelled as he fired even more rounds.

The Club, however, despite being weaker, was still just as agile as its sister unit, gracefully evading each bullet and slashing up the oncoming slash harkens with ease. Jeremiah could only watch in awe and shock. The young man whom he had accused of murdering Prince Clovis was protecting him, the very same person who was responsible for setting him up in the first place! "Suzaku Kururugi..." he whispered. "He's... protecting me?"

The Lancelot Club landed and performed a sweep kick on the opposing Sutherland, but the latter managed to get away at the last moment. It charged in with its lance poised to skewer the White frame. But The Club sidestepped the incoming blow and ran its crimson blade through the pointed metal body, rending it and the wielder's arm in half.

"What?!"

'Unbelievable...' Suzaku thought in amazement, having never seen such a weapon do this to a Knightmare before. 'I knew Lloyd was a genius, a mad one too, but this is incredible!'

Kewell snarled as he aimed his other arm at Suzaku, rifle in hand. "Die you filthy-!"

"Don't forget your battle is with me, Kewell!" Jeremiah shouted, bringing the orange-haired man's attention back on him as he let loose with a stream of bullets, forcing the man back.

"Lord Jeremiah!" Suzaku gasped, but nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."

"We aren't out of the woods yet, Private Kururugi."

"Damn you...Damn you...DAMN YOU ALL!" Kewell roared in fury. "You filthy traitor and Eleven...! You will all pay for this!" Kewell backed away, discarded his rifle, and pulled out the cylindrical canister attached to his side.

"Th-that's...!" Jeremiah realized.

"Wait, stop!" Suzaku's eyes widened in horror when he heard that voice plead from the stadium entrance. He looked at his side monitor to see Euphie, accompanied by Tamaki and the others, rushing straight in.

"Oh no!" Acting quickly, Suzaku dashed in front of them, bringing up the Blaze Luminous shields. The cylinder, which Kewell threw into the air, released at long last. In the next second, a spray of bullets rained down upon them, the shields being the only things barring them and Death.

"Kewell, you cowardly bastard...!" Jeremiah seethed as he charged straight at the man. "You would attack innocent civilians?!"

"It's their fault for getting in the way! I'm not responsible for what happens to them!" Kewell retorted as he moved in for a punch with his remaining arm.

"And you call yourself a Britannian soldier! You're nothing but an opportunistic asshole who has no honor!"

"That son of a bitch!" Sugiyama scowled as he and the rest hung together closely behind the Club. "He actually tossed a Chaos Mine?!"

"I knew the Purebloods were crazy...but that bastard is just batshit insane!" Tamaki growled. If it wasn't for Suzaku and the Club shielding them, they would resemble Swiss cheese by now.

Kewell scowled as he avoided having his Sutherland's head knocked off by Jeremiah's Stun Tonfa, but was also quick to avoid the gunfire he unleashed. "Take your punishment like a man, you swine!" Jeremiah taunted with righteous anger. "You'll pay for putting those lives at risk!"

"All I see are four Elevens and what no-named Britannian!"

"Are you blind?!" The Margrave growled. "Do you have any idea who that is?!"

"No! Should I?!"

Finally, the mine ran out of ammo. The moment Suzaku lowered the shields, he retaliated. "This has gone on long enough!" the Honorary Britannia declared as he launched his slash harkens, destroying Kewell's leg and arm.

The sudden loss of limbs allowed Jeremiah the opportunity to knock the man down, performing a leg sweep. Kewell's Sutherland fell on it's side, and a rifle aimed directly at the cockpit. "Surrender, Kewell!" Jeremiah demanded. "You're finished!"

"Tch, as if!" the man spat. "I won't bow down to a fool like you!"

"You really don't get it, do you?!" the teal-haired man snarled. "Even if I don't kill you right here and now, what you have just done is grounds for treason!"

"What the hell are you saying?!" The Orange-haired man spat back.

"Are you really that blind and ignorant?! You were willing to kill a member of the Royal Family in the crossfire!"

Kewell froze. His eyes widened in horror when he focused his attention on the pink-haired girl. He recognized her almost immediately.

It was the younger sister of Cornelia li Britannia. If he wasn't terrified, he was now. After all, there was much truth to the story about the Goddess of Victory being protective of her sibling, and he wasn't executed by officials, he most certainly would be the Witch herself.

"Everyone, are you alright?!" Suzaku asked in concern as the Knightmare lowered itself down on its knee, the cockpit sliding open. "Is anyone hurt?!"

"No, we're good!" Yoshida shouted in relief. "Sheesh, the hell is up with the Brits lately?

"Yeah! Since when did all of them go fricking insane?" Tamaki voiced.

"I have no idea what's going on." Suzaku replied honestly. "I just got here."

Euphie knew why. Ever since the Orange incident, the Purebloods had lost all their prestige and credit, and Jeremiah having been called a terrorist in disguise. The media was absolutely raving about it, theories and speculations everywhere.

"Suzaku, are you okay?" she asked him in concern once he stepped out. "That looked intense for a moment."

"I'm fine." he replied, looking over to Jeremiah as he dragged out a stricken Kewell from his Sutherland. "Although... I'm not so sure about Lord Soresei."

Euphemia just watched on as Jeremiah dragged the Pureblood across the ground toward them.

"Well, doesn't he look shell-shocked." Sugiyama commented.

"W-wait, I didn't-!"

"Save your excuses, Kewell!" Jeremiah snapped before knocking the man out.

Painfully. It was a quick punch to the head, which could be heard where they were.

"Owch..." Tamaki winced. "That hadda hurt."

"Wouldn't wanna be that guy." Yoshida agreed.

Jeremiah then took notice of the Three Japanese men. "What are you doing here? This area was supposed to be off limits."

"Well, we couldn't leave this guy out to dry." Sugiyama said, looking over at Suzaku. "And what the hell happened? I thought you two were supposed to be friends or something."

"They were, until Nemo and Zero appeared." Euphie said before turning to Jeremiah. "You are Jeremian Gottwald, correct?"

The teal-haired man flinched, bowing his head. "...Forgive me for the unslightly display, Princess Euphemia."

The three Japanese men looked at the girl with large eyes. "Whoa, back up!" Tamaki shouted. "She's a princess?!"

Suzaku nodded. "She is Princess Euphemia li Britannia, the third princess of the Empire, as well as the sister of the Goddess of Victory, Cornelia li Britannia... who is going to be the new Viceroy."

Sugiyama and the others hid their grimace. 'Oh boy...' he thought in worry. 'Lelouch and Victor are gonna want to hear about this.'

"Well...we apologize if we were rude in your presence, your highness." Yoshida bowed respectfully. He may be Japanese, but he knows when to show respect to others deserving of it.

"No no. You weren't rude at all."

Tamaki didn't say anything. On one hand, he was pissed at the girl, not because she was Britannian, but because she was of royal bloodline. On the other hand, she wasn't like the others, in fact, she was like the Lamperouge siblings. She knew the suffering the people of Japan suffered, and wanted to help them.

It was a dilemma he never knew before.

"Lord Gottwald." Suzaku performed a quick and sharp salute. "Are you unharmed, sir?"

"I am, thanks to your intervention, private." Jeremiah nodded. After all that happened, he felt slight guilt. The very person he chose as a scapegoat was the same person who saved his life.

"I'm just doing my duty sir!"

"Margrave Jeremiah..." Euphemia spoke slowly, her voice bearing rare authority. "What exactly transpired here?"

The teal haired man sighed, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "...Your Highness, my associates have claimed to have found a lead on the terrorists, Zero and Nemo. So they led me to the place where they were allegedly sighted last. However, it turned out to be a trap. They ambushed and surrounded me, trying to kill me. They blamed me for the result of the Purebloods losing all credibility over this...Orange."

'Wow, when he puts it like that...' Sugiyama thought, slightly shooken up when he heard this. 'It kinda makes me feel bad for those guys using Geass on him.'

Even though the guilt was present, Sugiyama still knew that they had no choice. If they hadn't used Geass, then the execution would've proceeded as planned, and the Honorary system would be dismantled.

Truly, there was no such thing as both sides being winners.

"After that, you know how it went." Jeremiah continued. "Kewell nearly succeeded in cutting my head off when he..." Jeremiah growled. "When he insulted Lady Marianne. I couldn't forgive that, and tried to do the same to him. I had managed to kill three of them when Private Kururugi appeared."

Euphemia was unable to hold back her gasp. "You knew Lady Marianne?" she whispered in shock.

"Yes..." Jeremiah nodded, his eyes closed. His mind brought up images of the past, as a whole, bittersweet. While they included his accomplishments, they also included his failures, especially his biggest one of all. "...I was part of Lady Marianne's Royal Guard. Even before that she is the woman I respected most of all. However...upon that fatal day..."

Suzaku and the others looked at each other, some confused, but he was the only one that knew.

It appeared that Jeremiah had also been exposed to the corpse that had left Nunnally blind and horrified.

"Please, stop." Euphie asked of him, showing concern. "There is no need to remember that day..."

"Y-yes... You're Highness."

Euphemia turned to Suzaku. "Suzaku, may I speak with you and the Margrave... in private, later on?"

Suzaku frowned, but nodded. "Yes, you're Highness."

XXXXXXXXXX

Victor nearly choked on his food. "Wait, Lelouch, what did you just say?" the reborn Kresnik asked, recovering from his shock. "Tamaki and the others met Suzaku, defended him from some students, and MET Euphie?!"

"That was my reaction." Lelouch stated with a look of worry. "I knew the Emperor would send a new Viceroy... but to think he'd send Cornelia and Euphie." A scowl was set on his face. "He's throwing our sisters straight into the crossfire. Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Agreed..." Victor unknowingly tightened his grip on the silverware in his hands, threatening to bend them out of shape. "...Ever since what happened, I wouldn't be surprised if he sent all of his children to fight in a bloody war only to die." He added morbidly.

"At any rate, it seems like Tamaki and the others have already made contact with Euphie." Lelouch continued. "I addition, all the Purebloods, with the exception of Kewell, who nearly killed Euphie, and Jeremiah, who subdued him with Suzaku's help, are now eliminated... All except for that rumored cell."

"I see..." Victor folded his hands in deep thought. He truly hoped that the rumored cell wouldn't be taking action any time soon. They way things are now, they wouldn't stand a chance against them.

"Speaking of which, have we learned anything about that cell yet?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yeah. It turns out that Naoto Kouzuki, Kallen's brother and the former leader of the resistance cell, was investigating them. They're apparently backed up by a high-ranking member in the Spirius Corporation, and from what we know now, it seems like they're the top dogs in that particular food chain."

"And what are they called?"

What Lelouch said next nearly made Victor's heart stopped.

"They call themselves Exodus."

To Be Continued….

Preview:

"It's been a while... Victor."

"Our opponent is Cornelia... Defeating her will not be easy."

"I'm putting our lives in your hands! If you Brits do care about Japan... then kick their ass!"