Since Sunrise owns Code Geass and Sega owns Sonic, all I can say is that they are highly recommended.

Chapter 9-Judgement and Memories

- Storage Building -

Zero, Nightshade, and the Black Knights infiltrate at breakneck pace. Approaching a garage door, the lights power down and gunfire is heard within. The Black Knights are seen after the lights turn on.

- Classrom -

"The Black Knights!" Kallen jumps up from her seat, having everyone laugh at her unexpected comment.

After class, Rivalz cocks his head up and points to Lelouch, "Talk to him. Lelouch is an expert on sleeping in class. Shadow, not so much. He stays up with him to make sure everything went alright. Shadow only needs, like, three hours of sleep to be fine."

Shadow nods, "Speaking of, I think he's asleep right now."

Nina pulls on Shadow's arm, "I'm surprised you still feel well, sleeping for only three hours."

"Actually, three is minimum, maximum is six. And my arm's not that elastic, be careful!"

"Heh, sorry."

"Nina, I've never seen you aggressive in this school ever."

"Shh. I still get scared easily, just less easily."

"Less easily, huh?"

"Yeah, you've had quite an impact on me."

"Did I now? I'm surprised at this, too."

- Later -

Kallen yawns from lack of sleep and hears a ruckus.

"Come on Suzaku! hold him down!"

"Dammit, Suzaku! Cut it out!"

Kallen opens the door to see Lelouch tied to a chair by Milly, Shirley, Suzaku (obviously), and Rivalz. Shadow and Nina, however, are at the computer.

Milly notices Kallen, "Good meow-ning!"

"Good...morning, I guess. What is all this?"

Shadow chuckles, "I thought we told you. It's Arthur the cat's welcome party."

Shirley points at a clothes rack, "There's tons of stuff to try on, also making up for my upset at you."

"She doesn't need a costume." Lelouch butts in, "You're already wearing a mask, aren't you?"

"You know, you're a real riot sometimes. You should be on tv."

"I don't think that's necessary for my brother."

Shirley agrees, "We've been asked questions day and night. Even in the bathrooms!"

Rivalz furrows his brow, "Not that I don't feel for you, but why can't we leave?"

Milly smiles, "That's the price of friendship."

Shadow sighs, "The romance of the three kingdoms. It matters not that we were born apart. On this day we die as one."

Nina smiles and blushes, "That's so cute. Is that an idea for a love poem?"

"For you, anyway,"Shadow makes Nina blush even more, "For the others, if one goes down we all go down with them."

Rivalz questions himself mentally, "Yeesh, that sounds dark, right Suzaku?"

Suzaku starts forming tears, "I'm glad, that everyone together again."

"Come on. We're supposed to be unwinding in here."

Shirley is the one to stop laughing first from Rivalz dragging Suzaku down on his fall, "That's what's so refreshing about Suzaku."

"Sometime we just want him to get a clue, you know?"

"Oh, sorry about that."

Rivalz presses his cheeks together, "Come on, you love it, putty tat." Everyone bursts out laughing once more.

Everyone, later, go their separate ways, fixing and tidying up, Shadow and Nina stay on the computer. Nina zones out back to Euphemia.

"Are you alright, young man and lady?"

"Hey,"Shadow snaps her out, "You alright?"

"Mind's still on that night..."

"It's okay, Princess Euphemia gave us a free one and we should actually thank her next time."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Rivalz spots Lelouch, "Hey, buddy. Haven't seen you much lately."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. What do you do when we're not around you?"

"So many occupations, sorry."

- Later, Council Room -

Shadow, Nina, Lelouch and Suzaku just sit around.

"Man," Shadow starts, "Embarrassing how you teared up like that."

"It's called honesty. Try it."

"You're kidding right? Why would I ever lie to friends? Especially Nina and my own brother?"

"Ouch!" Suzaku is bitten by Arthur.

Lelouch branches off, "Well, good thing the Black Knights were there to save 'em. That's all I can say."

Suzaku pauses, "If they wanted to catch criminals, they could have join the police force, you know."

"Eh, they probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I tend to agree."

"The police may not be that effective right now, but they could evoke change from within."

"Yeah, and in the process they get all tangled up in bureaucracy."

"If they had done everything in their power to change things, that might hold water. What constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? Nothing but self-satisfying gratification. I got to go back to the base pretty soon."

Shadow nods, "Have fun, don't the door hit you on the way out."

Shirley passes through the door. Shadow noticing, he urges both himself and Nina out to leave the other two alone.

Shirley takes a small sigh and walks over to Lelouch, "If you have some time-"

"'Back to base,' that was an interesting choice of words. 'Go back.' He thinks that's where he belongs."

- Plaza -

Lelouch finds Kallen watching an Eleven getting beat up. She walks but he stops her short, "No. There's five of them. You wouldn't stand a chance at all."

"So you think I should just ignore it?"

"Take a look. If we intervene and help him, he won't sell anything tomorrow. It was his choice to become a Britannian slave. A price paid for settlement work."

"Even so!"

"What are you guys just sittin' there for? Don't tell us you feel sorry for him. Who are we kiddin', you feel the same like us, right?"

Lelouch grins, "Not quite,"He activates his Geass, "But you're tired of beating up Elevens, aren't you?"

"...Yeah this is boring. Let's hit the arcade!"

"Well, they got bored pretty quick, huh?"

After talking awhile, Lelouch goes home with a slap mark on his face, due to "acting like the critic and judging people."

- Night, Factory -

Zero nods to Nightshade and they signal the other Black Knights to advance. Shooting through a garage, Kallen and her glasgow shoot other hostile forces trying to escape death. She is soon barging through another garage, but with people affected by a memorization drug called Refrain. Spotting her mother, she stops the woman from falling, who is under the illusion of a dead son to take care of Kallen.

Kallen then is shot by a police unit.

Zero and Nightshade just stand there, "Corrupted filth." chasing both Knightmares down, they see the police wrecked.

Lelouch then turns to the woman kallen was holding, "So this was her mother?"

C.C. watches from high among the shelf, "False tears bring pain to those around you. False smile brings pain to one's self."


I'm getting this thing done faster than I expected. The next update, Chapter Ten: Against Cornelia 2, will probably be up tomorrow sometime after I land in Boston. Even so, happy reading!