"I thought for sure that the new Viceroy was going to see through my deceptions," Leila said with a sigh to the assembled Black Knights. "That was no meeting; it was an interrogation. I don't know how long she spent grilling me about my relationship to Clovis and what I knew about the Black Knights, but it was clear that she suspected me."

"Well, the significant other is all too often the killer," Milly offered. "And it doesn't take a genius to see that the relationship was progressing unnaturally quickly. Of course she suspected you."

"I think she still does," Leila frowned. "I doubt that she has real evidence against me, but it is likely that she hopes that if she continues to observe me I may give myself away or lead her to collaborators. I also no longer have the sort of access to the Government Bureau that I did when Clovis was Viceroy."

"She questioned Jeremiah too," Lelouch murmured. "Fortunately, he reports that he was able to convince her of his loyalty for now through their shared admiration of my mother. Before she was the Witch of Britannia, our new Viceroy Cornelia was the head of the guards at Aries Villa." Lelouch chuckled. "As I always say, the best lies weave in an element of the truth. Of course, he doesn't have unfettered access to Cornelia, but he's still well acquainted with the officials who remain from Clovis' administration, and can help us keep tabs on them from the inside."

"If her reputation is anything to go by, she's far more dangerous than Clovis ever was," Kallen spoke up. "It won't be long before she starts targeting and wiping out Resistance groups."

"True," Lelouch admitted. "She's more than competent at what she does, whereas Clovis' skill as a strategist was lacking, and his administration rife with corruption. But for the moment, her priority is catching us, as our actions are having the most destabilizing impact on her rule over Japan. And if we can convince the public that we're doing a better job at bringing criminals to justice that she is, she will have to devote more of her attention and resources to that in order to maintain the faith of ordinary Britannians in their government, which will in turn relieve pressure elsewhere."

"Seems reasonable enough," Arthur said lazily, stretching himself out on some cushions.

"But before any of that can happen, we need to track down the Black King."

xXx

The Black King himself was an elusive figure, but his minions were far easier to find. They operated throughout the Tokyo Settlement, running protection rackets, brothels, and most lucratively, Refrain trafficking rings. Many of the criminals they targeted were semi-independent, pledging fealty to and delivering a cut of their profits to the Black King in exchange for being permitted to operate in his territory. This sort of decentralized organization naturally had advantages in frustrating those who would seek to dismantle the Black King's criminal empire. The crooks who made up the bulk of his minions only knew a few names of consequence outside of their own smaller gangs, typically their suppliers, and the enforcers who would periodically visit with orders from the Black King or come to collect tribute from them, with dire penalties for those who fell behind with their payments.

Progress was slow at first, but the Black Knights continued to brave Mementos, and as they forced more criminals to turn themselves in, they saw an accelerating pace of returns. Not only were they starting to have a significant effect on disrupting the Black King's Refrain trafficking operation, but each criminal whose heart they stole now seemed to bring them closer to the Black King, spilling names of enforcers ever higher in his hierarchy. It seemed certain that they would discover the Black King's whereabouts and his true name before long.

Of course, the search for the Black King was not limited to Mementos. Lelouch continued to work his contacts in the gambling scene for information, and the other Black Knights kept their ears open for any scraps of information that might prove useful. Diethard was also a great help. While he was disappointed that Leila's trip to Pendragon had provided little new insight, the opportunity to write an expose on the mob in the Tokyo Settlement was more than adequate compensation for him, and he shared several new leads with Lelouch.

But as always, the Black Knights had to lead double lives, even in the midst of their search, and that came with certain duties on Ashford Academy's Student Council.

"I need you to give these to Kallen," Milly told Lelouch, visiting the Clubhouse and pulling him aside on a weekend morning. She produced an envelope, sealed with the Ashford Academy crest.

"What is it?" Lelouch asked cautiously.

"Her middle school transcripts," Milly replied. "I can't just hand them to her here at the Academy when other people are around. It might attract too much unwanted attention."

That at least made sense. Kallen's middle school transcript would undoubtedly reveal her half-Japanese ancestry. While the SSDF was now officially defunct at Ashford Academy, racism against the Japanese was still well-ingrained in many members of the student body. It would do no good to let that secret slip out. Too many awkward questions would be asked, which would lead others to look more closely at the Ashford family, the Student Council, and their loyalties. But…

"I don't mean to be rude, Madam President, but isn't this something that you could handle yourself?" Lelouch asked. This felt like a setup.

"Do you really think I'm one to pull a fast one on you?" Milly pouted.

"Absolutely," Lelouch replied without hesitation. "Doubtlessly there's a gold mine of blackmail material you could manufacture out of a misunderstanding of the situation."

"Well, you got me there," Milly said with a light laugh. Her expression then turned into a frown. "Normally I would do it myself, but my parents have set up another marriage interview for me this morning with some Earl…"

"You'll just scare them off on purpose, like you always do."

"You make it sound so sinister, Lelouch!" Milly chastised him. "Though I suppose people might have even more reason to think that Clovisland is cursed with the old Viceroy's passing."

That explained quite a bit. It was no wonder then that amusement park constructed by the late Third Prince had developed a reputation as an unlucky place where couples would break up with each other; Milly had been using it as a location where she would break up with unwanted would-be fiancés.

"They never see it coming, do they?" He asked with a chuckle. "Somehow, they always think they'll be different from all of the others who have tried to win your hand."

"That's right," Milly replied. "Once you've sat through a few dozen of these interviews, they're all the same. I'll be trying my hardest not to be bored out of my mind and at least put on a show of trying to please my parents."

"All while you work to sabotage the match."

"Yup!"

"Very well, Madam President. I will bring this to Kallen. She is a fellow member of the Student Council after all, and I am its Vice President."

"That's right. You can't slack off all the time, even if you're Zero."

"Really now? You're concerned about people learning Kallen's secret, yet you spout that one so casually?"

"It's fine! It's just the two of us, and Sayoko is in on it too now, from what you've told us."

"Nunnally doesn't know," Lelouch said darkly. "And we will keep it that way. I don't want her getting involved. This isn't a time to be getting careless."

"Right," Milly murmured. "Forget that I mentioned it."

"Mentioned what?" Lelouch asked with a smirk.

"Oh, you!" Milly giggled. "But there is actually something I forgot to mention… you'll need Kallen's address." She handed him a slip of paper. "It's written down here."

"I'll see that her transcripts are delivered without incident," he said, turning to leave. "Don't torture that Earl too much."

"What's the fun in that? But make sure you have fun too, Lelouch!"

"Get your mind out of the gutter. Nothing is going to happen between Kallen and myself."

xXx

Stadtfeld Manor was situated alongside one of the major highways crossing the Tokyo Settlement, but it was cut off from it by tall walls, gleaming white like the rest of the Britannian city, with battlements crowning the towers at each corner of the enclosure, though they appeared to be purely decorative. They were clearly meant to seem imposing, but it came off simply as heavy-handed artifice to Lelouch, stemming from misplaced delusions of self-importance.

Getting in was easy enough. He simply told the guard at the gate that he was a classmate of Kallen's, and he had been asked to bring something to her. It was the truth, after all.

Once inside the enclosure, he saw that that the perimeter was heavily wooded with row upon row of carefully arranged trees, which served to conceal the wall from view. An immaculately maintained lawn filled the center of the enclosure, with a path made of white slabs of stone leading to the manor itself, located about three-quarters of the way back. Stadtfeld Manor stood four stories tall, with two long wings flanking the central hall. Its slanted, orange-tiled roof was broken up by dormer windows, four on a side, and each wing appeared to have its own chimney.

Of course, the manor was modest compared to the Aries Villa, and utterly dwarfed by the Emperor's palace in Pendragon. While undoubtedly quite wealthy to be able to afford such a fine home, especially compared to commoners, to say nothing of Honorary Britannians or the Japanese in the ghettos, the Stadtfelds were only a mid-ranking noble family. Still, even a Count with a home in Area 11 would have a grander ancestral estate back in the Britannian homeland. Kallen had spoken little about her family life, but Lelouch could only presume that the Stadtfelds either had significant investments in Area 11, or ties to the military.

Climbing the steps to the entrance, Lelouch knocked on the large double doors. After a moment, they opened, and he was greeted by a Japanese woman wearing a maid uniform. The maid's brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and at a glance she still seemed fairly young, but there was a certain weariness that came with age that seemed to prematurely hang around her. If Lelouch had to guess, he would say that the maid was actually closer to her early forties. But there was something about the maid's eyes that immediately caught Lelouch's attention. While any fire that might have once burned within them seemed to have been long since extinguished, they were exactly the same shade of blue as Kallen's. Looking closer, there were other facial similarities as well. Could this maid be…?

"Are you… one of Mistress Kallen's friends from school?" the maid asked after a moment. She had a gentle voice, but the moment of hesitation made Lelouch think that she thought that he was another type of friend, and was simply being polite in not asking him directly.

"I am," he replied. "We're on the Student Council together. The President asked me to bring something over for her."

The maid nodded. "Just one moment, please." She turned and called up the stairs that stood across from the entrance. "Mistress Kallen. Mistress Kallen!"

"Lelouch?" Kallen asked, slowly coming down the stairs, dressed casually in a light pink blouse with a short white skirt and black stockings, wearing her hair straight as she did at school. "What are you doing here?"

"Madam President sent me."

"Huh?"

"Where would you like me to show him to?" The maid asked Kallen. "The parlor perhaps, or maybe - "

"We'll be in my room," Kallen replied coldly. A look crossed her face as she realized the implications of what she had just said, and started, flushing bright red, "No, I mean we'll -"

"It's alright, Mistress Kallen," the maid said softly, a warm smile spreading on her face. "I'm so happy for you."

"Oh, I heard you had a friend down here," a haughty voice said from above them. Looking up, Lelouch saw a woman standing by the railing of the staircase. Like the maid, the woman bore some passing resemblance to Kallen, for she too had eyes of the same shade of blue, though her features were those of a cruel beauty, in contrast to the maid's gentle features. The woman was clearly Britannian, a noble, judging from her attire, wearing a purple dress with a high collar behind it, and a white layer underneath, cut to accentuate her chest. Her long blonde hair was elaborately styled into what she must have thought was an elegant style, pulled up into a tall, curled bun, held in place by a thick red hairband, while a long bang ending in a ringlet dangled at the side of her face. She had further adorned herself with a long pair of golden earrings, almost teardrop shaped, and red lipstick. Overall, she had the look of one trying too hard to be like a fashion model, and could only be the Countess, Mrs. Stadtfeld.

"I knew it would be a boy," Mrs. Stadtfeld continued. "There had to be a reason why you've been out so late. Until a month or two ago, you were skipping so much school to sneak over to the ghettos that I was sure it was going to be an Eleven." Mrs. Stadtfeld's eyes narrowed as she appraised Lelouch. "I suppose you could have done far worse for yourself. He has some charm at least. Still, no there's no fighting one's blood. If not an Eleven, of course you would settle for a commoner."

The maid shifted uncomfortably.

"You're the one who's enjoying Dad not being around here," Kallen shot back defiantly, totally unlike the meek mask she usually assumed when not in the Metaverse or among the resistance. "While he's off for work back in Britannia, you bring a different man here every night!"

Anger flashed across the Countess' face. "You really are that Eleven's ungrateful child to dare slander me like that," she replied icily. "How disgraceful. I wouldn't have any need for you if I could bear my own heir."

There was a sudden crash. The maid had backed into a vase filled with flowers that had been mounted on a pedestal by the door, causing it to fall and break.

"Oh dear… what have I done?" The maid asked with a small gasp.

"What's wrong with you?" The Countess demanded in frustration. Clearly, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

"Forgive me, milady," the maid said softly as she set to work picking up the pieces. "Forgive me."

"Can't you do anything right?" The Countess continued to berate the maid. "Besides selling your body, that is." Mrs. Stadtfeld sighed, and turned her attention back to Lelouch. "Do whatever it is you're here to do, boy. No doubt rutting with her. It makes no difference to me. It's all an Eleven's daughter is good for. But don't you dare speak of this to anyone, or think that you can demand anything from us, if you know what's good for you."

"You…" Lelouch began, clenching a fist. The way Mrs. Stadtfeld treated Kallen… it was just like how so many of the nobles at Pendragon had thought of him and Nunnally, except Mrs. Stadtfeld didn't even try to hide her disdain behind a facade of decorum.

Kallen grabbed his wrist, as if to silence him. "As I said, we'll be in my room." She proceeded to practically drag him up the stairs with her vise-like grip, pulling him past Mrs. Stadtfeld.

"Keep it up, and you'll end up like that brother of yours," Mrs. Stadtfeld sneered.

xXx

"Why didn't you say anything?" Lelouch asked once they were in Kallen's room. It was a vast room with wide windows that let sunlight stream in, causing the crystal chandeliers to sparkle. Kallen had a piano with a barbell and some smaller weights under it, a desk, shelves with what had to be hundreds of books on them, a circular table with chairs around it, a large flatscreen television, a dresser, a mirror, and a four-poster bed in the corner. But for everything in it, the room felt too large, to the point of seeming almost empty.

"What was I supposed to say about it?" Kallen asked sullenly. "You knew that I was half-Japanese. Was I supposed to tell you that my real mother was that clod of a maid who knocked over the vase? Or that my stepmother hates me for being half-Japanese?"

"You're a Black Knight," he said quietly, so that anyone who might be passing by and decide to eavesdrop on their conversation would be unable to hear him. "If you had only asked, we would have changed your stepmother's heart for you."

"That wouldn't solve things. If anyone needs her heart changed, it's my real mother. She's such a fool. She loved my father, but in the end, she became just his servant. She doesn't have any real skills, but she stays here no matter how much my stepmother and the other maids ridicule her, laughing like its nothing. She didn't have to stay in this house, you know. She's just clinging to an old lover who's jilted her! I just wish she'd go away."

"You don't mean that, Kallen, do you?"

I find her depressing." Kallen sighed. "Still, I suppose my home life could be worse," Kallen continued evasively, not meeting his gaze. "Three square meals and a roof, right? I mean, it's not unbearable."

'You're lying, Kallen. Neither you nor your mother can go on like this!" Lelouch said, his hands shaking as he suddenly rose from his chair and tightly grasped the table.

"I can handle myself!"

"You've held yourself together for now, but I can't believe that the same Queen who is beyond a doubt our fiercest and bravest fighter in the Metaverse is willing to meekly sit by and let this injustice play out before her eyes, all because of pride!" he hissed to her, daring not to raise his voice higher, lest he give them away.

Kallen looked as if she had been slapped.

"You're hurting, and so is your mother. Didn't you see her expression when she thought that I was your boyfriend? Didn't you listen to what she said? She was happy for you! She's not here for your father. She's here to be with and take care of you. My mother would face down all of the Emperor's other consorts and their knights if it meant protecting Nunnally and myself. Your mother may not be a warrior, but all the same, she endures that abuse for your sake!"

"What do you know of my mother?" Kallen hissed back. "You barely met her. I'm the one who's lived with her all these years!"

"I can only tell you what I saw and heard, Kallen. You don't have to endure this by yourself. Didn't we promise that we would see this through together? I'm one of the last people who would have thought I'd be relying on others like I have, but I couldn't have gotten this far without you and the others. So let us help you, Kallen. All you need to do is tell me your stepmother's name. Once the others know what you and your mother have been going through, they won't hesitate. That's what friends are for, right?"

"I… Her name is…." Kallen finally relented, whispering her stepmother's name to him.

"Thank you, Kallen."

"By the way, what were you sent to give me anyway?"

"Oh, this," Lelouch replied offhandedly, handing her the envelope. "Your middle school transcript. But that hardly seems important now."

xXx

"What the hell?" Milly exclaimed as Lelouch told her and the others about Kallen's situation at home. "I thought I had it bad, when that Earl said, 'Why draw it out? Let's get married,' like it was nothing. But that pales next to what you're going through," she said, turning to Kallen. "At least I'll be able to ditch this Earl soon enough. I don't care what mother and father say. I'll find a way. You can't do the same with your family. You should have told us from the start."

"I didn't want to trouble you with my problems," Kallen replied sullenly.

Milly shook her head sadly. "Some things in life we can bear on our own… but when you add them all up, they eventually break you."

xXx

"Who do you think you are?" Shadow Stadtfeld asked within her Distortion in Mementos, her glowing golden eyes glaring malevolently at them. "Don't tell me. Are you those Black Knights who killed Prince Clovis? You must be. You sent your calling card to me."

"Yes, we are the Black Knights," Lelouch replied, not bothering to correct Shadow Stadtfeld with the truth behind Clovis' murder.

"Yet you're Britannians… students by the looks of it… wait a minute…" Her gaze moved from Lelouch to Kallen and back again. "Could it be?"

Kallen stood her ground. "You've done as you've pleased while your husband is away. I'm through with it."

"I thought you seemed familiar," Shadow Stadtfeld scowled. "You're that Eleven's daughter, who my dear husband thought to name as his heir." Her words held no affection whatsoever. Her eyes glanced over at Lelouch. "And you're her boyfriend, who came over the other day. It all makes sense now. You've been marauding with the Black Knights all those times you were out late, Kallen." Shadow Stadtfeld laughed. "This is just too perfect! At last I can be rid of you and your mother once and for all!"

An ugly look crossed Shadow Stadtfeld's face. "Do you have any idea how infuriating it's been having to put up with that ugly Eleven whore? Where is she anyway right now?"

"Milady, I'm sorry!" the voice of Kallen's mother said. A Cognition of her appeared and began groveling at Shadow Stadtfeld's feet. "Please, punish me for my incompetence! I'll bear anything for my Kall- ugh!" Cognitive Ms. Kozuki doubled over as Shadow Stadtfeld delivered a vicious kick.

"Thank you," Cognitive Ms. Kozuki said after a moment, gasping for breath. "I deserve this."

Shadow Stadtfeld drove her heel down into Cognitive Ms. Kozuki's back, causing the Cognition to gasp in pain once again.

"You presume that you deserve anything better than a miserable death in the ghettos," sneered Shadow Stadtfeld.

"Stop it!" Kallen cried.

"What's this? You would speak on behalf of your wretched mother, Kallen?" Shadow Stadtfeld jeered. "You, who always give her the cold shoulder, and act like she's a pest you can't wait to be rid of? Your worthless Eleven blood aside, how does that make you any different than me?"

"I…" Kallen struggled to reply, but only managed to mutter incoherently.

"If only you knew the true depths of your own cruelty, Kallen," Shadow Stadtfeld continued, twisting the knife. "Did you know that when my husband named you his heir, I agreed on the condition that your Eleven mother never be allowed to see you again?"

"What?"

"That's right, Kallen. Your father acceded to my demand too. But your mother… You have no idea how much she begged, throwing yourself at your father's feet, sobbing nonstop, pleading that she be allowed to stay with her little girl."

"So… it's true… she really stayed in his house…. For me…" Kallen was trembling. "How could she be such a fool… or maybe I'm the fool…"

"And my husband…" Shadow Stadtfeld's features contorted into a snarl. "My husband had too much affection left for that filthy Eleven! He broke his word to me, and let her into our household as a Servant! He would never allow me to fire her, because deep down, he still loved her more than he did me!"

"Do you have any idea how much my husband's betrayal hurt me?" Shadow Stadtfeld continued to seethe. "It isn't easy to look this beautiful, and I had an impeccable noble lineage on top of that. It should have been a perfect match. What did that homely, useless Eleven skank have that I didn't?!"

"You're one to talk about someone being a skank," Kallen shot back, latching on to her stepmother's blatant hypocrisy like a lifeline.

"What choice did I have? Your father would barely touch me, especially knowing that I was barren. But dashing young officers and other powerful noblemen were all too happy to console me." She cackled. "It really is intoxicating you know, being able to wrap so many foolish men around one's finger."

"Despicable," Leila murmured.

"I know," Milly agreed. "Teasing guys and getting others to do your bidding is fun and all, but you don't have to be a vicious harpy about it!"

Arthur hissed at Shadow Stadtfeld as only a cat could. "Queen and her brother took me in when no one else would. I'm not about to let you get away with any of this!"

"Are you ready, Queen?" Lelouch asked.

"I can't change the past…" Kallen murmured. Her voice gained strength. "But I can atone for it… and that starts now!"

"Foolish girl!" Shadow Stadtfeld shouted back as darkness enveloped her. "You won't have that chance," the now transformed Shadow Stadtfeld purred wickedly. Her skin had become as pale as alabaster, while her blonde hair had turned jet black, now cut short, but still in a way that one might consider stylish. She was practically nude, save for thin straps of snakeskin, speckled white and black that tightly wrapped around her figure, with a live snake draped over her shoulders, down her back, and along her right leg. Her hands and feet were now webbed, and she had long, sharp, black claw-like nails, but her golden eyes remained as malicious as ever. "Do you like the new me? It's the last thing that all of you will ever see."

The temperature of the air plunged, and large ice crystals began forming around them, significantly larger than those conjured by a typical Mabufu spell. Freed from Shi and Tsu's lockdown, Ippon-Datara easily weathered the cold for Lelouch, now resistant to ice spells. Kallen was not as lucky, and was knocked to her feet, her teeth chattering and her skin looking pale and bluish. The stillness and rigidity of ice was inimical to Kallen's passionate nature, and while the others remained standing, it sapped much of their strength. Whether Shadow Stadtfeld had gotten lucky or not was irrelevant, for she wasted little time in pressing her advantage. She lunged forward, raising a hand high as she prepared to rake Kallen with her claws, while her snake reared back to strike as well.

"Die!" Shadow Stadtfeld shouted.

"Ippon-Datara!"

Lelouch's Persona appeared and swung its sledgehammer, bludgeoning Shadow Stadtfeld in the side, sending her flying away from Kallen.

"Zero!" Kallen said, looking up at him with gratitude in her eyes.

"You little!" Shadow Stadtfeld screeched. "You'll pay for striking me like that!"

Jeanne d'Arc materialized, healing the Black Knights with Media. However, a number of them still seemed worse for wear. Lelouch understood the implications immediately. Of his allies, Leila was the best healer among them. However, Shadow Stadtfeld's offensive output was significantly higher than what Leila could mitigate on her own, so her spells would rapidly wear down the Black Knights unless someone else were to assist Leila with healing duties, at least until they could identify their foe's weak spot. Milly and Arthur together could probably make up the difference, but then that would mean three of the five Black Knights were simply reacting to Shadow Stadtfeld's attacks, and Kallen's ability to launch an offense would be severely hampered if she got struck with an ice spell. No, that would never do. The course he had to take was clear.

"Tama! Diamond! Go on the attack! I'll back you up!"

"Got it, Zero!" They called back. Master Cat and Medea appeared above their summoners, wreathed in blue flames.

"Garu!" Wind buffeted Shadow Stadtfeld, causing her to grimace, but she remained standing.

"Agi!" Medea conjured a fireball and launched it at Shadow Stadtfeld. The flames struck true, and Shadow Stadtfeld howled as she buckled under the spell.

"You've got this, Zero!" Milly shouted, performing a Baton Pass to him with a paw gloved hand, filling him with the power of Fortune.

"Apsaras!" He called again, casting Media over his allies. Empowered by the Baton pass, it restored them to peak fighting form. Even Kallen was back on her feet now.

"That's how you want to play?" Shadow Stadtfeld snarled, rising to her feet. "I guess it's time for me to fight fire with fire. Maragion!"

Bursts of flame erupted around the Black Knights, on a similar scale to the ice spell that Shadow Stadtfeld had cast earlier. Leila cried out in pain and fell to her knees as her Persona was struck, forcing her to experience what it must have felt like when Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake.

"Don't like fire, do you?" Shadow Stadtfeld laughed. "Now time to fan the flames! Though I doubt any of you will be standing after this! Magarul-"

"Not a chance!" Kallen shouted, as Suzuka Gozen slammed into Shadow Stadtfeld from above, interrupting her spell.

"Why, you little Eleven br-"

"I'm not an Eleven, I'm Japanese!" Kallen snarled back. Suzuka Gozen swung her blade, decapitating the snake wrapped around Shadow Stadtfeld with a single strike.

"Ugh!" Shadow Stadtfeld collapsed. The snake had been a part of her, and evidently she felt its loss keenly.

"What are your orders, Zero?" Kallen called back, keeping her stepmother's Shadow pinned down by Suzuka Gozen.

"Commence an all-out attack!"

Lelouch, Arthur, and Milly dashed forward, joining Kallen to pummel Shadow Stadtfeld with everything they had. As much as he wanted to help Leila, who was still in distress, they had a chance to end the fight, and he would be a fool not to take it. Shadow Stadtfeld was too much like Azazel, with multiple elements at her command, allowing her to ruthlessly target their weaknesses if given the chance. She couldn't launch multiple attacks at the same time, like Azazel could, but each of her spells packed more of a punch. He'd just be opening Leila and the other Black Knights to another volley of Shadow Stadtfeld's spells if he hesitated now, and that could prove fatal.

"How…" Shadow Stadtfeld groaned as she reverted to her human form. "Curse you, Kallen. This isn't over…. I…"

"No, you've lost," Lelouch retorted, standing over her. "Anyone can see that." The other Black Knights closed a circle around Shadow Stadtfeld. After a moment, Leila joined them, slowly rising to her feet as she summoned Jeanne d'Arc to restore her strength.

"Are you okay, Queen?" Lelouch asked, turning to the red-headed Black Knight at his right side.

She nodded. "A part of me wanted to kill her. But beating the crap out of her felt good enough." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm a terrible person, aren't I?" She met Shadow Stadtfeld's gaze. "As much as I hate to admit it, you were right about what I used to think about my mother. I wanted her to just disappear. But there were good times that we shared together, her, Naoto, and I, before the war." She clenched a fist. "I want to start things off again on the right foot. And I know that won't be able to happen if I kill you. I've done a lot of things that my mother wouldn't approve of, but that would be a step too far." She laughed nervously, glancing at her fellow Black Knights. "Besides, I have a promise to keep. No killing, right? At least when we can avoid it…"

The others nodded.

"Just tell me what you want of me," Shadow Stadtfeld replied irritably.

"You'll stop abusing my mother," Kallen said firmly. "You'll tell the other maids to leave her alone too! And you won't be bringing any more men home with you."

"As you wish," Shadow Stadtfeld sighed. "But if you think that your mother is going to have a happy ever after just because you've beaten me, you're sorely mistaken…"

Without another word, Shadow Stadtfeld vanished into light. The still cowering Cognitive Ms. Kozuki also disappeared with its mistress.

"You did well, Queen," Lelouch told her.

She shook her head. "I can't believe that I was so blind to what was in front of me this entire time. You opened my eyes." There was a curious look in Kallen's blue eyes, peering from beneath the lotus mask, one that Lelouch hadn't seen from her before. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time in a new light. "Thank you, Zero," she said softly.

Lelouch felt the Chariot resonate between him and Kallen. Whatever that look in Kallen's eyes meant, he sensed that their bond had taken a major step forward.

"Ooh, you've charmed another one!" Milly piped up. "But what will poor Shirley think?"

"B-be quiet! It isn't like that!" Kallen spluttered, though her denial didn't seem quite as forceful as usual.

"Don't worry…" Milly said with a grin. "I'll give you two plenty of space when we get out of Mementos…"

xXx

Returning to the real world, the Black Knights headed their separate ways. Milly headed straight back to Ashford Academy, while Lelouch detoured to pawn off the loot from their latest excursion into Mementos. Kallen of course went straight home, eager to reunite with her mother.

Lelouch had just finished up his errands, and had begun to head back to Ashford Academy himself, when his phone rang. Picking it up, he saw that the call was from Kallen.

"Kallen?"

Kallen sounded uncharacteristically panicked. "L-Lelouch! It's my mother! She's…."

"What happened?" He said urgently.

"I got home, and…. I found her collapsed… there's a syringe nearby…. I think she's overdosed…."

Lelouch knew the answer before he asked, but he had to make sure. "On what?"

"I… I think it's Refrain! Lelouch, what do I-"

"You have to get her to a hospital right away."

"But she'll be… "

"Arrested for drug use and imprisoned," Lelouch finished. "But if you don't, she'll probably die."

"Right…" Kallen said, audibly failing to hold back tears. "I'm calling an ambulance now…"

There was a pause. After a moment, Kallen's voice returned.

"It's done…" she said miserably.

"I'm sorry, Kallen," he told her.

"Lelouch… can you join me at the hospital?"

"I'm on my way."

xXx

"I drove her to this," Kallen said desolately as they waited in the hospital. "If only I had noticed sooner…. She wasn't just breaking things all the time because she was clumsy… She wasn't always like that… It was a side effect of the Refrain… she was taking it to relive the times before…"

"What's done is done," he told her. "You're here for your mother now, and that's what matters."

"But!"

"You can't put all of the blame on yourself either, Kallen. You may not have treated your mother well, but you acted out of ignorance, not malice. Giving her the cold shoulder is nothing compared to actively seeking to make her life a living hell, like your stepmother did."

Kallen nodded, though she only seemed slightly less miserable.

What must have been hours passed. The uncertainty of her mother's condition must have been gnawing away at Kallen. Really, it was fortunate that a hospital like this would take an 'Eleven' at all, though Kallen's noble status certainly helped things along. For all of the ills that Britannia inflicted on the world, its medical science was among the finest in the world. If anyone could help Ms. Kozuki pull through, it would be the Britannian doctors and nurses here, among the best in Area 11. They might be as bigoted as any other Britannians for all Lelouch knew, but to negligently lose a patient would reflect poorly on the hospital and their own status as professionals, to say nothing of incurring the displeasure of a noble.

"Kallen Stadtfeld?" a nurse said, stepping into the waiting room.

"Yes?" Kallen was at attention at once. It was a bit too much like a soldier for the frail girl that she pretended to be, but the nurse did not seem to notice anything out of the usual.

"You may see her now." The nurse glanced at Lelouch. "Is he with you?"

"I am," Lelouch replied. He didn't care if they drew the wrong conclusion about their relationship. It was important for him to be there with Kallen and help her through this, no matter what others thought.

Ms. Kozuki was seated silently in the hospital bed, dressed in a green hospital gown. There was a vacant look in her eyes as she stared into her lap, seemingly taking no notice of their presence.

"It was Refrain, as you suspected," the nurse told Kallen. "We've flushed the drug out of her system and her condition is now stable, but the after-effects of Refrain remain. She's unable to talk much now. She'll recover eventually, but it will take time. She'll be kept under observation here for a day or two, but then she'll be transferred to a prison hospital to await sentencing."

"How long will she be in there for?" Kallen asked.

"I can't say for sure," the nurse replied. "But a typical sentence for Refrain use is twenty years."

It was typical of Britannia… turn a blind eye to a drug specifically targeted at Japanese, and then hand out draconian sentences to the already downtrodden and depressed souls who had foolishly tried to indulge in happy memories of the past, while dealers in Refrain, such as the minions of the Black King, rarely were punished.

"Twenty years…" Kallen murmured sadly. She then leaned forward, toward her mother, and the words that came next were filled with determination, even as tears welled in her eyes. "But you wait! I'm working to change things when you get out, I swear to you! I'll make a world where you and I can live a normal life again! So, please, Mother!"

Unexpectedly, Ms. Kozuki reached out with a hand and clasped Kallen's, causing Kallen to let out a small gasp as her eyes went wide. Ms. Kozuki's gaze didn't turn at all, still staring at her lap, but then she spoke. Her voice was weak, but unmistakable.

"Hang in there, Kallen…. Hang in there, Kallen… My little girl…. I'm so happy for you…"

Lelouch wasn't sure if Ms. Kozuki was actually aware of their presence, or if it was just a lingering Refrain-induced hallucination. But those words at the end… he couldn't help but hear them as an echo of when she had greeted him at Stadtfeld Manor just the other day.

Kallen placed her other hand on top of her mother's, her face breaking into a tearful smile. "Don't you worry… I will… I promise you."

Through his bond with Kallen, Lelouch felt an upwelling of resolution within her. Not only did it resonate with him, strengthening his Chariot Persona to new heights, but Kallen herself seemed stronger now. While there was no guarantee that tomorrow, or let alone the future that Kallen promised her mother, would come, she now seemed ready to endure whatever trials lay before her with newfound determination.

And so he would continue to stand by her, living one day, one moment at a time.

A/N:

As I predicted, it took a few weeks for this one to come out, due to my real-world commitments. Fortunately, I have another vacation coming up soon, so hopefully I can get out a few more chapters then.

This chapter is heavily based on Episode 9 of Code Geass, Refrain. However, a number of differences emerge through the chapter, leading to a rapid advancement of Lelouch's Confidant with Kallen. Before this chapter, I'd mentally estimated Lelouch's rank with Kallen's Chariot to be about 4 or 5. I'd say he's now reached rank 7-8, which in turn would grant Kallen the Endure ability. Maxing a confidant a few dungeons into the game isn't unheard of, but it does require a strong focus on that Confidant, and it may occasionally be gated by progression in certain Palaces, so don't expect that Lelouch will be able to complete Kallen's Confidant right away. Like anything, bonds do need time (and the right catalysts) to develop.

Rewatching parts of Episode 9 as I wrote this chapter caused me to notice several details that had slipped by me on previous watchings of the show, such as the general layout of the Stadtfeld Manor, which is only seen for a few seconds at most in the series. The manga version of the scene also had some influence of the chapter, with Kallen explicitly accusing her stepmother of committing adultery while Kallen's father was away, whereas Kallen only implied this in the show.

Though Shadow Stadtfeld is her own special brand of nastiness, in a Jungian sense, she in some ways serves as a Shadow archetype figure for Kallen in this chapter as well, forcing Kallen to confront certain truths about how she'd treated her own mother that she had done her best to ignore. Accepting her own indifference and cruelty to her mother and resolving to move past it and make amends leads to greater self-awareness on Kallen's part, again following the classic Jungian process of individuation, which Persona draws from so heavily.

Until next time!