Black Knights HQ, 3:20pm
The Black Knights were doing the final checks on the Guren Mk II, the Gekkas, and their Burais. Everyone could tell that even Zero was stressed about it, especially since this battle would give them a big advantage if they won. If they won, there would be no more Cornelia, no more Glaston Knights, and they would have the Lancelot and Suzaku. They would have Suzaku and the Lancelot regardless...as long as things went according to plan. Ohgi was helping Tohdoh do some final adjustments on Tohdoh's custom Gekka. "So...I hear that you knew Suzaku when he was a kid", said Ohgi, breaking the silence. "Yes I knew him. Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi asked me to teach Suzaku how to defend himself. He caught onto how to do a spinkick quite quickly...some military officers started calling him 'Spinzaku'. I thought it was just childish. He didn't have any friends growing up. Thats why the Prime Minister wanted me to teach him how to defend himself, so that he could go into the military and rise in the ranks to keep honor within the Kururugi family", explained Tohdoh as he continued working while thinking back to before the war. "He didn't have any friends? That must have been pretty boring for him. I heard that his mother ran away too. Sounds like a retty rough childhood", said Ohgi. "She didn't run away. That was just a cover up. Not even Suzaku knows this and no one else should, I promised to carry this secret to my grave, which I have, the Tohdoh from seven years ago is gone, now im just one of the surviving members of the JLF, so theres no harm in telling this secret now, but you can't tell this to anyone", said Tohdoh. "Alright. What is it?" asked Ohgi. "Suzaku's mother didn't run away, she went to Britannia and told them about the large Sakuradite deposits which set the stage for the war. We found out where she went when she showed up with some Britannians who wanted all the Sakuradite mining rights. She was blamed for treason and was sent away from Japan. We later learned that the Britannians killed her when she was of no more use to them. Suzaku never learned what happened to her. He was never told that she returned. The last that heard of her was that she ran away to somewhere", explained Tohdoh. "Whoa...So Suzaku's mother sparked the war-" Ohgi was cut off by Tohdoh. "And the Prime Minister just unintentially fanned the flames by denying Britannia the mining rights", said Tohdoh, "Suzaku did eventually get friends. But it didn't last long". "What do you mean 'didn't last long'?" asked Ohgi. "The Britannians sent over two people as political tools. Lelouch and Nunally Vi Britannia, children of the deceased Marianne Vi Britannia. Suzaku befriended them, despite the princess being eight years old, blind, and having no use of her legs, and the prince being dark, unathletic, and a genius chess player and stradegist. When Britannia declared war on Japan, the Prime Minister tried to force Suzaku and the princess to marry so they could try to stop the war. He was willing to go far as to eliminate the prince. I managed to stop him in time before he caused too much harm to the prince. Afterwards I convinced him that harming a prince was no way to end a war. After that, Suzaku, Prince Lelouch, and Princess Nunally escaped, only to see the Britannian forces above Mt. Fuji. Suzaku survived, but prince was killed trying to save his sister. In the end they both died, their bodies were never found", explained Tohdoh. "I can't beleive Suzaku went throught so much at the young age of ten. Wait...you said that Prince Lelouch was a genius chess player and stadegist right?" asked Ohgi. "Yes...whats your point?" asked Tohdoh. "That sounds a lot like Zero. He's a brilliant stradegist which he has more than proven to us. I've also noticed that he sets things up like a chess game. He takes a map, divides it up into square sectors, calls eack one like its a square on a chess board, and makes references to chess. Like calling Kallen the Black Queen, calling us the Black Knights, Suzaku the White Knight, him earning the name the Black King, and saying checkmate when we are or are close to winning a battle. Do you think that Zero and the prince are the same person?" asked Ohgi. "Prince Lelouch was only ten at the time, and Zero sounds like he's more around the age of most of us. But if the prince had been older, I wouldn't completely doubt it" said Tohdoh as he Ohgi finish working on the custom Gekka, "Before you ask why I told you about this, its because here, your my superior...Zero's second in command". "To be honest, I think there's someone higher up than me but stil below Zero besides C.C." said Ohgi. "Really who do you think it could be?" asked Tohdoh. "With Zero it could be anybody. It could be the emperor for all we know", said Ohgi. Tohdoh knew that Ohgi was joking about it possibly being the emperor, but he was right...it could be anyone. "Ohgi! Tohdoh!" said a voice. They turned around to see Asahina Shōgo running towards them. "Whats going on Asahina?" asked Ohgi. "We just got a transmission from Suzaku. It said that Prince Schneizel put together a special anti-Black Knights squad called The White Knights and the Lancelot is the commander of the squad, and they're all compatable with float units. He said that the engineers are were attaching the float units as he was sending the transmission. Also, Britannia is sending out a new prototype seventh-generation knightmare called the Merlin, it's going to be feild-tested in the battle by Prince Schneizel, if it's successful, it will become his personal knightmare, like Kallen with the Guren, Suzaku with the Lancelot, and Zero with the Gawain", said Asahina without breathing the whole time, "We also got a transmission from Zero after he left to check on some things. He said that something came up and that he's sending his right-hand-man to take command while he tends to his business". "It looks like you're right Ohgi. There someone higher up than you but lower than Zero besides his mistress C.C.. Asahina did he say what their name was?" asked Tohdoh. "No he didn't, but he said that we were to return to the mobile HQ to meet up with him. He also said that you kow him", Asahina explained, the last part directed at Tohdoh. "Now even I'm curious about who this is. Lets finsh up and meet at the mobile headquaters. Asahina, find Kallen and rest of the senior commanders. Tell them to let everyone know that we will meet up them just outside the battlefield", said Tohdoh. "Yes sir!" Asahins saluted, bowed, and left to find everyone.
Black Knights Mobile HQ, 3:35pm
Tohdoh, Ohgi, Kallen, Tamaki, and the other original Black Knight members walked inside their mobile HQ. It was pitch-black inside except for the light coming from the outside due to the open door. There were no sounds except for the sound of the door closing on it's own. "I can't see a thing. Wheres the light switch?" said Tamaki feeling around for the light switch. "AHH! Tamaki! Thats not the light switch!" screamed Kallen as she wrapped her arms around her upper body. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! It was an accident!" cried Tamaki because he knew that Kallen was more than capable of killing him. "Im just going stand behind someone so that doesn't happen again", said Kallen as she stood behind Ohgi. "I found it", said Tohdoh before the lights came on. "If you want see what happened in the dark, the security cameras have night vision" said a voice. They all spun around and saw someone standing with their back to them looking at personel files for the Black Knights. He was wearing a Black Knights uniform and had black hair. Kallen almost passed out when he turned around. Standing before them wasn't a military commander or even someone Japanese for that matter like they had expected. Instead, was a Britannian who looked no older than seventeen. Ohgi and Tamaki recognized him from the warehouse, they didn't say anything because he shot them a glare that looked like it could kill a person or even destroy a knightmare. Tohdoh was just standing there in shock at seeing Lelouch Vi Britannia, Eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, alive, and wearing a Black Knights uniform. "I am Lelouch Lamperouge your commander while Zero tends to business", said Lelouch. Tohdoh was confused about why he had the last name Lamperouge, but Lelouch gave him a look that said to play along with the different name. There was complete silence until Kallen spoke. "What the-! Why the-! How the-!" Kallen stuttered. "Breath Kallen", said Lelouch like it was no big deal. "Your Zero's 'right-hand-man'! You're only seventeen, you go to school, you take care of you blind little sister who isn't able to walk, and you barely have any free time anyway! How are you Zero's 'right-hand-man'?" Kallen finally got out. "Im more Zero's second in command, but right-hand-man works too", said Lelouch. "Zero said that you were an informant", said Kallen. "While I'm at Ashford Academy I am. I am to make sure that your identity as Kallen Kozuki remains safe and to keep an eye on Suzaku. Besides, if it weren't for C.C. and I...Zero would be dead", said Lelouch. "What do you mean?" asked Ohgi. "The Shinjuku Ghetto. I was there, so were C.C., Zero...and Suzaku. I ended up in the truck that your friend was driving Kallen. I saw you get in the Glasgow. In Shinnjuku, the poison gas capsule malfunctioned and opened. It wasn't gas...it was C.C., Suzaku and I found her by mistake. C.C. and I got separated from Suzaku and thats when I ran into someone who I thought was dead, it was my long lost brother, who you all know as Zero. Our sister won't remember him, she too young when he disappeared", exlained Lelouch. "Zero is your brother!" said a freaked out Tamaki, "Older or younger?" "We're about the same age. Before you ask how we're 'about' the same age. It's because our father...well...how can I put this...'got around' a lot", lied Lelouch. "Sounds like you on a larger scale Lelouch", said Kallen. "A much larger scale actually. Thats not the point. Zero and I came up with the stradegy, so if any of you have any questions about it ask now", said Lelouch, "No? In that case, get to the trucks and lets get going. C.C. and I will follow behind in the Gawain. Lets move people." With that everyone exited the mobile HQ and headed to the trucks while Lelouch met up with C.C. at the Gawain. "Did they buy it?" asked C.C. as she was eating a mini pizza. "Yes they did. Now hurry up and eat that, we have to go", said Lelouch as C.C. stuffed the rest of the mini pizza in her mouth, wiped her hands, put on the gloves for her pilot suit, and sat in the seat that controlled the Gawain's Hadron Cannons while Lelouch sat in the actual pilot's seat for once. When they received they ready signal from everyone, the trucks took off down the street towards the battlefield as the Gawain followed behind them, high enough so that know one would see it.