A/N: My oh my, what a pity. My last upload before I leave on Saturday, but not to worry, I'll have a laptop with me, so you may get a chapter in the middle of March if I have enough time on weekends to work on it.
Now, we've passed a rather large milestone, in which 200 people have followed this story, which is totally epic! We're also rather close to 150 favorites, and those numbers are gonna surprise me when I get in contact with the internet whenever I'm allowed to.
But here you have it, Chapter 12 of Into the Fray.
"This Knightmare handles like a dream" Franz said, whipping around a corner, lance at the ready.
"Of course it does" Lelouch said, changing the grip on the lance in the hand of his machine "It's an upgrade on the Gloucester model, making it faster, more agile, stronger, and tougher. Ruben really outdid himself."
The machines were equipped like regular Gloucesters, but differed from the others in a stunning way.
All the frames were painted stark black, with the only color being provided by the golden lances, the accents on their capes, and the large number zero, also on their capes, to signify that they were the Zero Squad.
"How does it feel to be in Knightmare, rather than a Lazlo, your highness?" Jeremiah asked, checking the ammo count in his anti-personnel rifle.
"I'll admit, it's certainly different" Lelouch said, grinning as he prepared to take vengeance on the terrorist cell that had ordered the killing of his sister. Oh and get Code R back while he was at it.
"Do not kill the civilians. Try to spare as many of them as possible from crossfire. I've already got members of Bull Company going around and getting people out of the combat zone" Lelouch said "They've all been issued with pictures of the terrorists, so they don't escape."
Pushing their frames, which Ruben had dubbed 'Whirlwinds' deeper into the heart of the Ghetto, they caught sight of a truck driving towards them, being followed by several VTOL gunships.
"That must be the poison gas!" Franz shouted into his radio, just as the truck turned off and into one of the old tunnels.
"He's going to escape!" Suzaku said, pushing his Whirlwind after the truck, but stopping at the low opening.
Lelouch quickly came up behind him and opened the cockpit, riding the descent wire down to the ground with his personal rifle slung on his shoulder.
"Come on Suzaku, that truck won't have gone far" Lelouch shouted, as his friend opened his cockpit and rode to the ground. "I've had feelers out in all the Ghetto tunnels, and this one, if I'm right, has a pretty big ditch that it won't be able to cross...hopefully."
Both of them ran into the tunnel, hearing the revving of an engine and the useless spinning of tires, and there was the truck.
While Suzaku moved around to get a clear shot at the driver, Lelouch moved towards the trailer in a blind spot, and climbed up the ladder on the side.
Dropping into the cargo hold, most of it was taken up by a bulky container with odd looking spikes jutting out of it.
All at once, the container opened, as Lelouch stood mesmerized by the bright light coming out of it.
And then the smoke vanished, and lying inside was...(you can already guess)...a girl! With green hair no less.
Quickly, and quietly, Lelouch took her outside of the truck and began undoing the straps binding her legs together, as Suzaku came around.
"The driver is...unconscious, and this doesn't look like poison gas" he said, helping Lelouch with the straps.
"Clovis obviously lied to me. He lied to all of us. Whatever this is, it's Code R, which is the project I'm supposed to be taking over" Lelouch said, holding the girl. "Get back to your frame, and call this in to the Zero Squad. Tell nobody but them, not even Clovis."
Suzaku nodded, and ran off back the way they came, and just as he was out of sight, bright lights flicked onto Lelouch and the girl.
"Well, what do we have here?" A voice in the darkness mused.
They stepped as one, into the light where Lelouch could see them all. There were ten, nine soldiers and one officer, all brandishing weapons in his direction, and dressed in the uniform of the royal guard.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lelouch asked, standing up and holding the girl in a bridal carry.
"Oh, my mistake, your highness" the Captain said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "We're under direct orders from Prince Clovis to secure the poison gas and kill anyone in the area, and it looks like you're in the area."
"This is treason!" Lelouch shouted, faintly aware of how hypocritical it would be soon. "You'll be committing regicide!"
"Frankly, I don't care, as long as Prince Clovis gets what he wants. With you dead, he'll be in a position to take over the Sub-Viceroy position, and then all we need to do is oust Cornelia, which shouldn't be too hard" the officer said, grinning as he leveled his pistol.
"Ready!"
"Aim!"
But before the final order could be given, the cavern shuddered as the cab of the truck exploded, killing the guards and throwing Lelouch and the girl away, into a separate tunnel as rubble cascaded down and blocked the way they came.
He got up, and checked the girl, who seemed to be alright, although still unconscious, and he reached for his radio, only to realize that it was missing.
"Dammit! I have no way of contacting my men, or calling Clovis off!" Lelouch thought, noticing a weird marking on her forehead.
Once again, he picked up the girl in a bridal carry and started walking, with only a slight limp now.
If there was one good thing Lelouch could say about Britannia, it was that the healthcare system was incredible.
He had been shot, and now a few days later, his limp was getting better. That, or it was getting better due to self preservation.
Trying to recall where the tunnel came out was useless, because the explosion had sent him in a direction known as back, instead of something like...east, cause that would be far too easy.
Finally, he found stairs leading upwards, and heard screams as well as gunshots.
"Prince Clovis said to leave nobody alive" he heard one voice say, just as his cell phone rang.
Just his luck, to be back in the area of reception now that he wasn't underground.
All at once, he was hauled out of the stairwell and thrown against the wall, the girl, well, she was starting to come around now, finally.
"Well Prince Lelouch, it looks as though your story ends here" the Captain said with a haughty attitude. "We'll just say the terrorists captured you and killed you."
Pulling out his sidearm, the Captain fired a shot, that was sure to hit.
Except that the girl had gotten up, and shouting "He mustn't die!" she jumped in front of the bullet.
It hit her square in the forehead, and she fell over, a pool of blood spreading from the wound.
Lelouch couldn't help but involuntarily shudder as it surfaced the memories of the pictures that he was sent of Nunnally.
Bending down and checking vitals, she was dead, much to his anger.
"Oh, what a pity" the Captain said, faux disappointment in his voice "We were supposed to bring her back alive, but too bad that the terrorists tortured her to death.
"Now, your highness, say goodnight."
With that, the girl, who was just shot, suddenly reached her hand out and clasped onto his wrist, and a feminine voice rang through his skull.
"You don't want it to end here, do you?"
Lelouch felt as though he had taken something, as he seemed to be transported away from the warehouse, and into somewhere with swirling and spinning lights all around, as the voice continued.
"You appear to have a reason for living. If I grant you power, could you go on? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract and you accept its conditions.
"While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"
Suddenly, his father's voice rang out, and he saw Charles in a strange place, with several other men.
"A convergence with the Ragnarok Connection? So the myth is beginning once again?"
And then Lelouch was left in a black void, and shouted "Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract!"
All at once, he was back, standing in the warehouse with Clovis' royal guard pointing their weapons at him.
A smug smirk adorned his face, as a menacing aura descended onto them all, making the guards a little uncomfortable as they looked around.
Lelouch flipped his wrists, and two blades appeared in his hands, just before embedding themselves in the skulls of two guards, and then shots rang out.
Once they were done, every member of the guard, excluding the Captain, fell to the floor, deader than dead.
"How the tables have turned" Lelouch said, stepping over the bodies of the murdered civilians, and toward the cowering Captain.
Another shot echoed, and the officers pistol flew out of his hands.
"You seem hesitant to kill me. Why is that?" he asked aloud, tapping his chin with the barrel of one of the two guns he possessed.
"Pl..please, your highness" the officer said, starting to plead "I was just following orders!"
"Like any good military man would" Lelouch said, feeling a power growing in his veins. "And now you will follow mine."
A strange bird-like sigil appeared in his left eye, as he said {Lelouch vi Britannia commands you, die!}
Red rings appeared in the man's eyes, and he said, with a somewhat crazed expression "Happily your highness!"
Pulling the ceremonial dagger off his belt, and with one clean swipe, the man had slit his own throat, and lay dead in a pool of his own blood, a gurgle coming from him every now and again.
A quiet noise started to sound in the empty space, which steadily grew into maniacal laughter, coming from Lelouch.
"With this power, my dream to crush Britannia will soon be a reality!"
The crazed laughter subsided, as he looked back at the girl who had given him the power, and walking back over, he picked her up in a bridal carry once again, so that she may have a proper funeral.
Outside the warehouse, the screams of pain and terror persisted, as soldiers loyal to Clovis continued the slaughter, while men loyal to Lelouch attempted to get as many out of harm's way as they could.
Running back to where he left his Knightmare, Lelouch pulled out his phone to see who called, and of course, the caller ID read 'Shirley.'
"I knew I should've changed that damn number" he muttered, finally reaching his frame and grabbing onto the winch line.
Safely back in the cockpit of his Whirlwind, with the girl safely behind him, Lelouch opened a private channel with the Zero Squad.
"Jeremiah, give me a report!"
"Your highness!" came the relieved voice of his second in command "Prince Clovis has ordered the...cleansing...of the Ghetto. Our troops refused to participate and are still attempting to evacuate civilians, but troops with their loyalty sworn to Prince Clovis are relentless with their attack. What are your orders?"
"Continue with the evacuations and attempt to stall Clovis' troops from harming anymore civilians while I call a cease fire" Lelouch said, pushing his Whirlwind back, and towards the G-1.
Stopping his KMF behind an old office building, he jumped out, and used his new power on a nearby soldier, ordering him to take his uniform off and then kill himself.
Clad in a simple foot soldiers uniform, Lelouch made his way to the G-1, and then inside.
He used this power to order anyone he saw inside, to leave the base at once, and not come back inside.
Reaching the command room, all eyes were on him, except for Clovis, who was sitting in his throne talking about how incompetent all his men were.
{Leave} was all Lelouch said, as his left eye flared with the power.
All the men on the bridge complied with his orders, leaving and ignoring the loud protests from Clovis otherwise.
Stepping inside, Lelouch brandished a pistol in hand and aimed it at Clovis, and said "Prince Clovis, you've overstepped your bounds. Order a ceasefire at once."
"Who do you think you are ordering a Prince of Britannia around? Eleven scum!" Clovis sneered, just as a shot was fired, embedding itself in the wood an inch to the left of his head.
With a pause, Clovis said "I see your point."
Standing up, he opened a channel to all troops.
"Attention all troops! Clovis la Britannia commands you all to ceasefire at once! All Britannian troops are ordered to render aid to all injured civilians whether they are Britannian or Eleven! That is all!"
The lights clicked off, and there was a lone spotlight on Clovis.
"Are you satisfied?" Clovis asked, contempt and anger clear on his face.
"Very" Lelouch said, smiling beneath the mask he wore.
"Well now, should we sing a few lively ballads to pass the time? Or how about a game of chess?" he scoffed, still annoyed with the intruder.
"Now chess sounds like an excellent idea" Lelouch said, stepping forward into the light and removing his helmet.
"Lelouch!" Clovis shouted, jumping up from his seat "What is the meaning of this?"
A simple laugh left his mouth as Lelouch started to talk "Clovis, are you really so incompetent, that instead of taking the blame for your failure, like a noble person would, you would pin it on terrorists, and then eradicate anyone who has the slim chance of coming into contact with your project?
"I guess I was wrong all those years ago, when I looked up to you as the gentle, caring older brother that you were. Instead, I was looking into the eyes of a man, who when he failed would throw a tantrum and spread the blame on anyone but himself.
"Your rule of this area, it's disgusting. I intend to cleanse vermin like you from the world. I started by killing your Royal Guard, for threatening a member of the Imperial Family, I'll continue by killing you, after I get some answers, and then I'll finish by killing the terrorist cell that ordered the killing of my sister! Now, how do you explain the slaughter of the civilians?"
"What does it matter?" Clovis scoffed "They're just Elevens."
At once, Lelouch felt rage flare inside of his body, as he activated his power and said {Obey me!}
Clovis immediately stilled, his eyes ringed in red, as he said "Yes master."
"Tell me something" Lelouch started "What do you know about the murder of Marianne vi Britannia?"
"Very little" Clovis said, in a monotone voice that didn't fit him at all "My brother, Second Prince Schneizel, and sister, Second Princess Cornelia know more than I do."
"Schneizel! Of course" Lelouch thought, clenching his fist in anger "And Cornelia. I'll get answers later. I know she'll willingly give them to me."
"Is there anything else? Anything at all?" Lelouch said, without releasing the hold on his power.
Clovis was silent, and Lelouch took that silence for an answer.
"Now, I want you to write your own suicide note, let me read it and then kill yourself once I deem it appropriate."
"Yes master" Clovis said, getting up and walking robotically to the planning table, where he pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen.
Not even two minutes later, he was finished, and he handed the paper to Lelouch.
It read the following:
"I, Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of the Imperial Britannian Empire, and twelfth in line for the throne, have made a horrific mistake. In attempting to cover up my own foolish problems, I ordered the massacre at Shinjuku Ghetto, claiming the lives of hundreds of Eleven civilians.
"These lives were needlessly lost in a struggle that was caused by my own orders, and now those lives are on my conscience. It is clear to me that I will never be able to wash the sins that I have committed away, so I refuse to have this weight upon my shoulders.
"The act of taking my life was my own, and was the fault of nobody but my own foolish orders. Please forgive me for all the pain and suffering I have caused the civilians of Area 11 and all the people of Britannia I have let down.
"Signed: Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of Britannia."
"Very good. I approve" Lelouch said, taking the note and sealing it inside an envelope.
Clovis nodded mechanically, as he took out the sword that was on his hip, which was more for show than anything else, but it was still pretty sharp.
Without a second thought, the blade was buried in his abdomen, and he fell over, blood pooling on the floor below his now lifeless body.
Once again, crazed laughter rang through the dark confines of the room as Lelouch dropped to his knees.
"With this, no one will be able to stop me!" was his shout, after the laughing subsided and he got up.
Walking out of the G-1, he made sure that nobody saw him, and he safely made it back to his Knightmare.
Safely back inside his cockpit, Lelouch removed his helmet, and started to wipe the sheen of sweat from his forehead.
"Prince Lelouch, come in please!"
Punching a button on his console, Lelouch answered "Yeah Jeremiah, what's up?"
"I don't know what you did sir, but Clovis ordered a cease fire."
"I'll fill you in on it when we get back to the palace" he said "Have the infantry companies remain to render aid and help with removal of...bodies, but dismiss the Knightmare and armor troops."
"At once your highness!"
Lelouch thumbed the button to silence the radio as he slumped back in his seat, the weight of what had just transpired hitting him fully.
In the past week, two close members of his family had been killed, one was slain by his own hand, and he had been wounded, but that really didn't matter.
"Clovis was at fault. He countermanded my orders, and caused an indigent slaughter. I don't see him as a member of my family anymore. He doesn't deserve that title" Lelouch thought, slamming a fist on his console, before remembering something and turning his radio on.
"Jeremiah, Villetta, come in please."
"What is it sir?"
"Come to my position. We've got some business to take care of now."
"At once."
Not even five minutes later, they were both there, and Lelouch had them on a private channel.
"Alright, we're going to go and raid the terrorists hideout. Kill nobody until I give the order."
"Yes, your highness!"
The trio of Knightmares sped off down the ruined streets, as all around them, men were rendering aid to people caught in the crossfire and were removing bodies.
Reaching the warehouse behind the old city hall, they all dismounted and started towards the entrance.
Jeremiah and Villetta were armed with assault rifles, while Lelouch had one revolver gripped in his hand, while the other was tucked in his shoulder holster.
The door slammed into the wall with a mighty crash, bathing all the people inside in a bright beam of sunlight.
"It seems as though we've reached the root of the problem" Lelouch proclaimed in a loud voice, drawing his cape around his body as he stepped through the door, his guards close behind.
The people inside, terrorists, if all the weapons everywhere had any bearing on it, all raised their hands as the safeties clicked off on the assault rifles.
"So this is the Shinjuku Resistance Cell" he said, looking around while taking a few steps closer. "It seems that there are more here than Kallen told us."
"Hey whaddya know about Kallen?!" one of the member shouted, a man with obviously a loud mouth who had red hair.
"Silence!" Lelouch shouted, firing a round into the ceiling to drive the point home.
The terrorists jumped slightly at the sound of the voice coupled with the gunshot, and the man promptly shut his mouth.
"This is the cell that ordered the assassination of my sister" he said, walking around in front of them all, looking them up and down. "Killing a blind and crippled little girl is a bit extreme, don't you agree Ohgi?"
The man looked taken aback, as he said "How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot" Lelouch said, a smirk twisting onto his face "I know you're the leader of this cell, after Naoto died, even though he really didn't so just tell me why you ordered the killing of Nunnally vi Britannia, and we'll be done here."
"I didn't order the killing" Ohgi said, before pausing "What do you mean Naoto's not dead?"
Another shot rang out, smacking into a wooden crate off to the side, and Ohgi jumped, looking back at Lelouch.
"What do you mean you didn't order the killing? My sister was slain by a member of your resistance cell. You're the head of said cell, so you would've given her the order" Lelouch said angrily, rage building inside him.
"I didn't order Kallen to kill any crippled girl!" Ohgi shouted, taking a step forward. "I ordered her to kill you or Princess Cornelia!"
A stunned silence descended on both parties, as Lelouch looked on in shock.
The defiant expression the man wore left no room for lies, he was telling the truth.
If he gave that order, then Kallen must've twisted the order and killed Nunnally on her own volition.
"Very well then" Lelouch said, stepping back behind his Knights "Open fire."
Automatic gunfire clattered through the warehouse as Jeremiah and Villetta methodically mowed down the terrorists, leaving none left alive.
Once the fire died down, Jeremiah said "I thought we were going to work with the terrorists..."
"Jeremiah" Lelouch said, walking to the door "These people had a hand in the murder of my sister. Nobody who does something like that has any place in a rebellion that I'm running."
The door to his room slammed shut, as Lelouch put the strange woman down on his bed, regarding her with curious eyes.
It was about an hour after the battle had finished, and oddly enough, her head was fully healed.
Shrugging his shoulders he went to the bathroom that was attached to his bedroom and, after undressing, he got in the shower.
After about twenty minutes, he got out and dressed in somewhat..casual clothing, a pair of slacks and a polo shirt, and stepped into his room.
The strange woman was still there on his bed, so he stepped out to go to his office and work on his after action report.
Viceroy's Office
Cornelia sat at her desk, pen in hand, but not working, not moving.
She was alone in her office, with Guilford outside the door, and Darlton at one of the many naval bases in Kyushu performing an inspection tour.
Her vibrant eyes were empty as she continued to look at the form in front of her without care.
Abruptly standing up, she dropped her pen on her desk and began pacing back and forth, rubbing her temples with her gloved hands.
"What's wrong with me?" she muttered, looking out the window onto the grand gardens outside.
Of course, she felt the hurt of Nunnally being ripped away right after she had found her, but that wasn't it. There was more to her feelings than she ever knew was possible.
Stopping in the middle of her office, she walked to the door and opened it, causing Guilford to look towards her from his post.
What he saw was Cornelia walking out of her office, and when he tried to follow, he was stopped with a sharp hand gesture.
Continuing down the hall, she had only one destination, and that was her brother's office.
When she got close to the office, she heard some rather...unsettling noises as the door crashed open and a sufficiently scared courier scrambled out.
Taking one look at the man, who withered under the gaze of the Witch of Britannia, she waved him off and walked into the office.
She didn't like what she saw from the moment she walked in. The courier could've at least warned her that she was walking into a veritable minefield.
Papers were strewn everywhere. They were on the floor, all over the desk, and a couple were actually stuck to the walls.
Ink had been splattered on the ceiling, most likely in a fit of rage.
And all the carpet had plenty of visible cuts all around it, and the source of it all was seated in a chair behind the desk.
Lelouch sat there, eyes downcast and dull, with a sword resting across his lap, and his Knights nowhere in sight.
The door closed with a barely audible click, and Lelouch looked up, his empty gaze and half smile made Cornelia shudder involuntarily, but she hid it well.
"Cornelia, how nice of you to visit. Now maybe I can actually get some help" Lelouch said, his voice grim.
"What can I do for you Lelouch?" she asked, not moving towards him, but not stepping away.
"I would like to talk to Nunnally, can you contact her for me?" he said, returning his gaze to the wooden surface in front of him.
And before she could stop herself, Cornelia said "But Nunnally has been killed."
At once, everything seemed to slow down.
Lelouch jumped up, sending the chair flying off to the side as he deftly pulled the sword off his lap and pointed it at her throat, as he screamed "Don't lie to me!"
The seconds ticked by as tension mounted between the two of them, and Cornelia looked on in slight fear.
She knew she would never be able to kill her brother, even if she wanted to. It wasn't possible. Her love for him outweighed any hate that she could harbor towards him.
Then, it cleared. She saw Lelouch shake his head, and blink a few times, before throwing the sword away and letting it clatter to the floor.
He stumbled backwards until he hit the wall behind him and sank down to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest.
For a moment, it was quiet.
Cornelia looked on as Lelouch sat there with wide, downcast eyes, as he held himself and started to tremble.
"I'm sorry" came his whisper, but she heard it nonetheless.
Cautiously, she walked towards him, daring him to make a move.
But he didn't.
All he did was continue to shake as he stared down at the ruined carpet, before Cornelia's boots invaded his field of view.
Cornelia sunk down to her knees and put a hand under her brother's chin, forcing him to look at her.
She saw something deep in his eyes, but she hadn't encountered it before, so she did what always had worked with Euphemia when she was unhappy.
Pulling Lelouch into a soft embrace, she allowed her fingers to run through his hair in a soothing pattern until she felt him collapse into and then return the embrace.
"Lelouch" she said quietly, putting her lips close to his ear so that only he could hear what she was saying...not that there was anyone else in the room. "This isn't you. I know you're upset, but just remember, I'm here for you.
"I will always be here for you, no matter what happens. You are my rock, and in turn, I am yours. You will never be alone in this world, and even though you're going through a tough time, I'm right here. You remember that."
The two of them stayed like that until Lelouch had stopped trembling and his breathing had evened out.
Both of them getting back up a few moments later, Lelouch said "I'm sorry. I really don't know what happened. I just sort of...lost it."
"A lot has been happening" Cornelia said with a tone of sympathy. "I'm always in my office if you want to talk to me about anything, and if I'm not, I'm sure you can find me."
"Actually, there is something" he said, moving his chair back to the desk and sitting in it. "I was wondering..."
His attention was drawn to a flashing notification down on the toolbar of his computer, and he clicked it.
The next thing Cornelia heard was a shout of "That mother fucker!" and a fist slamming into the desk in front of her.
"What is it?" Cornelia asked, urgency lacing her tone, before Lelouch looked away and the door slammed open.
Jeremiah and Villetta bounded through the open door to see what threats were in Lelouch's office, and were surprised that he was swearing at his computer.
"Jeremiah, Villetta, exit the office now, and close the door. Come back in when I tell you to" he ordered, and they obeyed, leaving quickly and shutting the door.
Before Cornelia had a chance to react, Lelouch already had made his move.
{Answer my questions} he said, activating his power and looking deeply into her eyes.
"What is it you wish to know?" Cornelia said, looking at him blankly.
"Would you commit treason against Britannia to join me if I was heading a rebellion to overthrow Charles zi Britannia?"
"Yes" she answered.
"Why is that, and how would you do it?" Lelouch asked, getting very interested.
"I would do it for several reasons. First off, Britannia has grown too large and for far too long it has followed the path that the strong will always crush the weak. That isn't something that I would like to be a part of.
Cornelia continued. "Secondly, I happen to love you, and that would count for a large part of my reasoning, but I was planning to betray Britannia from the moment that you and Nunnally had been exiled to Japan.
"How I would go about it is getting the loyalty of many members of the military, and then showing the corruption and turning them against Britannia. I'm in a high position of power and have free rule over all Britannian troops in Area 11. I would free this area from oppression, and once the Britannian counterattack was repelled, I would turn my resources to a direct invasion of Britannia itself."
"Who else knows about this?" Lelouch queried.
"My Knight, Guilford, and General Andreas Darlton" Cornelia answered, tone unwavering.
"She's telling the truth" Lelouch thought as he regarded the woman he loved, the woman he needed by his side. "I hope I don't regret what I'm about to do."
Lelouch released the hold he had on Cornelia, and buzzed for Jeremiah and Villetta to come back into the office.
Cornelia shook her head as she cleared her fuzzy vision, watching Jeremiah and Villetta walk back into the office.
"Cornelia, I do have a question for you" Lelouch said, drawing her attention back to him.
Giving a nod for him to continue, he did.
"What would you do for me? Would you stand by my side until the end of time as my ally, forever, and through good and bad?" Lelouch asked, idly playing with a black king from a chess set.
"Of course I would" Cornelia retorted "I've no reason not to, and we would be a powerful team against any terrorist threat that came up against us."
"I'm not talking about terrorists" Lelouch said, giving Cornelia pause "I'm talking about treason."
She was taken aback. Regarding her younger brother with wary eyes, she said "Just what do you mean treason?"
Lelouch elaborated as if it was nothing. "I mean, if I committed treason against the Empire of Britannia, would you work with me, or against me?"
This is what it all came down to. Lelouch was putting it all on the line by telling Cornelia about this much, but because of the answers he had gotten, he was confident.
Drawing in a sharp breath, Cornelia said "I would work with you in a heartbeat."
"Glad to hear it" Lelouch said, looking at something on the monitor and frowning.
"I've uncovered some rather...unsettling news, which is why I shouted earlier. It seems that Charles zi Britannia didn't care about his children in Japan anymore. I managed to get into the OSI database and find this" he said, spinning the monitor around to face her.
Skimming the document, Cornelia brought her hand up to her mouth to stop it from falling open.
"The termination order of Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia?" she said, grasping at what was going on.
"Yes" Lelouch said with anger "It seems that an OSI team was sent in to kill Nunnally and I at the Kururugi Shrine, in order to make us martyrs, but they failed because we had already gone, so the Emperor told everyone that the Japanese had captured us and killed us.
"You're probably unfamiliar with how the OSI operates, but any assassination contact needs to be drawn up and signed personally by the Emperor, before being scanned into their system."
"How could he...do that?" she asked, in horror.
"That's not all" Lelouch said, holding up a hand "Oh no. During my time in Africa, just before I was recalled to Pendragon, my Knights and I came back from Riyadh to this."
Pulling up another window, Lelouch let play the copy of the propaganda reel that Diethard and Colonel Hartley had made while he was away.
Once that had finished playing, Cornelia wasn't looking too well, but Lelouch wasn't done yet.
"And just today, just today, Clovis ordered the extermination of all citizens in Shinjuku Ghetto! I've got the transcripts right here from the G-1" Lelouch shouted, pulling open a drawer and scattering the papers on his desk.
"I can vouch for that order" Jeremiah said stepping forward. "It was only changed after Prince Lelouch had gone off and then Clovis ordered a cease fire...which I'm still curious about."
Cornelia reached out and gripped one of the transcripts in shaking hands, reading it over several times before crumpling the paper, her features contorted with rage.
"That fool!" she roared, throwing the paper away. "His failure was reason to kill innocents? When I get my hands on him-"
Lelouch halted her tirade with a hand. "I've already taken care of it. Clovis saw my reasoning and found it very...attractive. These are the people that Britannia pushes on top. The corrupt and ugly state of their system needs to end. Charles zi Britannia is a disease to be purged, and nothing else."
"My lord...did you..." Villetta said, asking the question he had been waiting for.
"Yes" Lelouch said. "Clovis la Britannia was slain by my own hand, even though he left a suicide note that was written in his own hand, but I can explain it all."
Before anyone could say anything, the door to his office opened again, and in walked the girl with green hair.
"So I take it that you're the Code R project?" Lelouch asked her, and she nodded.
"What is your name?" he said, to which she responded with "C.C."
"Well now Miss C.C." Lelouch said, idly crossing one leg over the other "Can you please explain to me how you got shot in the head about two hours ago, and here you are, right as rain."
"I'm immortal" she retorted "I also didn't get a thank you for giving you your Geass."
"My what?" he asked.
"Geass" she replied, smirking slightly "The contract you entered, I gave you the power of absolute obedience in exchange for you to fulfill my wish."
"What is your wish?" Lelouch asked her.
"There will be time for that later" C.C. replied, going over to his desk and sitting on it. "I want to tell you some limitations on your power beforehand-"
"Uh, hello?" Cornelia said, waving to get their attention "What does this have to do with Clovis?"
"Excellent question" Lelouch said, getting up from his chair "C.C. as I've said before is the Code R project. Clovis was studying her for some reason, probably the immortality and this power, so she gave me this Geass when I was cornered by Clovis' Royal Guard.
"I used the Geass to kill the guards, and then 'convince' Clovis to write a suicide note and kill himself."
"Intriguing" C.C. said, looking at him with interest "It seems as though I found a worthy contractor."
"It seems that way, doesn't it?" Lelouch said, smiling wryly.
"Hold on one second" Cornelia said "How can you prove that this isn't just a hoax?"
"Easily, dear sister" Lelouch said, pulling out his phone and setting it to record video before looking at Jeremiah and Villetta.
{Hop on one foot while singing 'I'm a little teapot.'}
At once, both Colonels started hopping around on one foot, while blasting out the nursery rhyme at the top of their lungs, causing Lelouch to start laughing.
He let it continue, before severing the connection on his Geass, leaving two very confused officers standing there.
Replaying the video for them removed any and all doubts of his newfound power.
"Interesting" Jeremiah said, quelling his bruised ego as Villetta continued to flush with embarrassment.
"Now you see" Lelouch said "This is no joke. I do in fact have this power, and all in this room must not relay what you've seen."
All the people inside nodded in agreement, as Lelouch turned to Cornelia "Now, do we have the makings of a rebellion in the works, or what?"
"I'm confident we do" she mused getting up from her seat "What is your next step?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Lelouch said "Now, we removed the Purist Faction. I'll be dealing with them tomorrow morning...before..."
Trailing off, Cornelia looked at him with concern, before Lelouch abruptly started towards the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
She got her answer, but it wasn't as thorough as she wanted, because Lelouch turned and said
"I'm going to get some answers."
And then he walked right out the door.