Rise of the Black King

by Above the Winter Moonlight

When their royal heritage is revealed, Lelouch and Nunnally Lamperouge are forced back into their roles as members of the Imperial Family. As he sets upon a new path, Lelouch faces uncertain alliances, dangerous enemies, dark secrets, forbidden love, shocking betrayals, and a war that could destroy all that he is trying to achieve. Very AU. Lelouch/Shirley & Suzaku/Euphie.

36. A Vacation Gone Wrong

Thank you to Blacksword Zero, nexus4123, Lulu Blackstar, B-Kira, DYnoJackal19, harlequin320, chimera629, Stickman629, Shadow-Shinobi666, Imperial warlord, god of all x2, MichaelJCaboose007, F.C.C.S, Wisegirl12xx, ASTARCRAFTPLAYER, Frost5, MOR the Divine Being, OBSERVER01, and Shmmering-Sky for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and, as usual, reviews are much appreciated.

. . .

July 22, 2016

Main Base of the Japan Liberation Front, Narita, Area 11

"This is Diethard Ried, reporting live from Sapporo on Hokkaido Island where I have just witnessed a miracle and the birth of the Demon Prince of Britannia!"

Josui Kusakabe narrowed his eyes at the proclamation of the Britannian. The battle that he and the rest of the Japan Liberation Front had been watching since it began airing had just ended and Kusakabe was beginning to get irritated. Not so much by what he had just witnessed but more because Katase and Tohdoh were still refusing to do anything about it.

"He's a dangerous enemy. We should do something!" he exclaimed, turning to gaze at General Katase and Kyoshiro Tohdoh, the latter of whom was meditating with his eyes closed.

"What, exactly, should we do, Josui-san," Katase asked warily as he watched the scene on the television screen. When he saw that it drifted back to the main announcer, he muted the television.

"I dunno but we've gotta do something!"

"I'm wary of going against Prince Lelouch right now, not when he has such a win on his track record. He won against the Liberators. Do you think we will stand a chance against him?" Katase asked.

"Tch. You talk like a coward, Katase. Where's the fearsome warrior that you once were?"

Katase's jaw clenched. "All I'm saying is that we cannot hope to defeat Prince Lelouch without having a plan, especially not when he has proven himself a brilliant strategist. His win over the Liberators is proof of that," he said.

"Sounds like excuses to me," Kusakabe said with a scowl. "Even if we don't launch a full-scale battle against Britannia, we should still make a statement! Show Britannia that the Japanese are not dead yet!"

"And how exactly do you suppose you're going to do that?" Tohdoh asked quietly, breaking into the conversation, though he kept his eyes closed.

Kusakabe faltered and he gritted his teeth because he knew the Miracle Worker was right. He didn't have a plan. "I'll come up with one," he said. "One that will allow us to make a statement to Britannia. We will show them that the Japanese are not dead yet and that we will continue to fight for Japan's freedom, no matter what it takes."

Without another word, Josui Kusakabe turned and strode out of the room, his mind already coming up with possible plans to make his statement against Britannia loud and clear.

. . .

36

A Vacation Gone Wrong

April 4, 2017

Ashford Academy

Friday dawned with an overcast sky that promised rain but Adeline barely noticed it as she leaned against the railing, her phone resting on her ear as she folded her arms across the top of the railing. "They really did that?" she asked, brow furrowing in surprise. "I thought they were going to use them as hostages."

"So did we," Michal said.

"And Prince Lelouch destroyed them?"

"That's what it looks like. According to the logs and reports that Reyes managed to obtain by hacking into the system, the Black Knights were ordered to kill anyone who fought against them and arrest anyone who surrendered."

"And no one surrendered?"

"It doesn't look like it."

Adeline whistled. "Man, they sure were stubborn sheep. I don't know whether to feel glad that we won't have to deal with people like the Yamato Alliance any more or scared because of what happened to them," she said.

"A mix of both might be best," Michal admitted. "Not that I really care about what happened to them but we'll have to tread carefully around the prince. The last thing we want to do is to incur his wrath upon us, especially not since Unity does want to, somehow, get his support sometime in the future."

Adeline sighed, gazing over the railing to where Prince Lelouch was leaving the Clubhouse with his knight at his side. "Can we really get his support?" she asked.

"Unity thinks that if we can confirm his suspicions and learn more about him, and it turns out that he does resent his family and Britannia, then we will be able to gain his support," Michal said.

Adeline sighed, brushing a strand of golden hair out of her face as she watched the orange-haired form of Shirley dart out of the clubhouse to Lelouch's side. She took his hand and said something that Adeline was too far away to hear and Lelouch shook his head before saying something himself. He then lifted Shirley's hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it before saying something else as he released the hand. He walked away, waving at a blushing Shirley who was joined a moment later by a grinning Milly.

"This is all riding on whether he resents his family and Britannia enough to turn against them and I just don't know if he does," she said softly and ran a hand through her hair before deciding to change the subject and finish the conversation. She shouldn't leave Nunnally alone for far too long since she was her bodyguard. The last thing she wanted was to get on the bad side of the prince, especially not if she wanted to prove herself and get closer to the prince to obtain more information. "So has anything happened?"

"Not really beyond what happened at the Weapons Depot. Thankfully, no one is pinning the blame on us but that's only because Unity released a message to the media letting everyone know that we had no knowledge of what the Yamato Alliance had done nor do we have any ties with them. I don't know if it will work but it seems to be working so far," Michal said."Also, Kallen and B.B. are spending more time together recently but she only said that he's asking her a lot of questions for some reason. Ohgi hasn't decided whether he and the Kozuki Resistance will join the Liberators or not. Unity is getting worried because of the lack of movement from Nightfall but, other than that, nothing's happened."

"It really is odd that Nightfall hasn't made a move since December. I mean, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth but what's he waiting for?" Adeline said in confusion.

"Something big, possibly. Perhaps it will have something to do with that Sakuradite conference at the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel that's happening next week. It would be an ample opportunity, even if the prince won't be attending," Michal said.

"Next weekend? That's when Milly's taking the entire Student Council on vacation there, if I remember right," Adeline mused thoughtfully. "Nunnally wants to go and I have no doubt that she'll be able to convince Lelouch to let her go so I'll have to go with her as her bodyguard."

"If you do end up going there, let me know and we'll set things up so that we'll be able to provide backup should it be necessary," Michal said.

"Understood. Tell Brother that I say hi. I'd best go. Bye, Michal," Adeline said and hung up before heading toward the stairwell.

She made her way over to the clubhouse and entered it before heading toward the meeting room where she knew everyone, but Milly and Shirley, were gathered; the aforementioned girls were still outside as Adeline had overheard Milly still teasing Shirley about something.

She walked into the room and took a seat beside Nunnally who gave her a small smile in greeting. "How was your talk with your uncle?" she asked.

"It was nice. I haven't really had time to talk with him all that much so it was nice to hear his voice again," Adeline said.

"At least you were able to talk with him and I got to spend time with Big Brother," Nunnally said with a bright smile before she frowned.

Adeline noticed the look but she wasn't the only one and Rai, who was sitting on Nunnally's other side attempting to fold an origami crane, glanced at her. "Is everything okay?" he asked softly, kind blue eyes filled with worry.

Nunnally shook her head and then smiled at Rai. "Yeah, I guess..." she trailed off and sighed. "I guess I'm just worried. Big Brother...he looked so tired and stressed today and, according to Suzaku, he hasn't been sleeping much since that terrorist attack four days ago."

"He is the Viceroy. That does have a lot of duties and responsibilities attached to it," Rivalz pointed out.

"I know but the way he looked, it's almost as if he's been working practically nonstop since he was sworn in, not even stopping to rest. Even his visits here are shorter than usual and not as often as they used to be. I understand that he has his duties and responsibilities to take care of but...I just fear that he's taking too much on his shoulders and he's gonna collapse under the pressure," Nunnally whispered, folding her hands together in front of her as worried bluish-purple eyes gazed at the table.

"You know, he does look stressed and tired, more so than usual in the past couple of days," Euphie admitted, brow furrowing in thought. "I think he needs a break."

The door opened at that moment and Adeline turned her gaze to it to find a red-faced Shirley and Milly making their way into the meeting room. Shirley took her seat on Kallen's other side while Milly sat at the head of the table, her gaze fixed on Nunnally. "Everything okay, Nunnally? You look really worried," she said.

"She's thinking about Brother Lelouch," Euphie explained, stretching out an arm over Rai's, as she was seated on Rai's other side, and placing a hand on Nunnally's arm. The sandy-brown haired princess placed her hand on Euphie's and gave her a slight smile, though her posture still suggested she was worried.

"I, personally, think that he needs a break," the pink-haired princess added.

Milly tapped her finger to her lips. "You know what? I think you're absolutely right!" She said. "He really did look tired and stressed; he needs to relax and just let go for a little while, catch up on his sleep!" She then grinned at Shirley and added, "Wouldn't want him falling asleep in the middle of your next date, eh, Shirley?"

Shirley blushed before she shook her head. "He really did look tired when we were talking," she said softly.

"Well, that settles it! Lelouch is coming with us to Lake Kawaguchi!" Milly declared.

Silence descended on the meeting room; it was so still that one could hear a pen drop.

"What?" Rivalz said. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Milly? I mean, he's a prince and the Viceroy. Not only would we be hounded by the media the entire time but he's also the Viceroy."

"He needs a day off or he's gonna just collapse from exhaustion if nothing else," Milly said firmly, folding her arms across her chest.

"I agree," Euphie said with a nod. "It'd only be one day and I'm sure Sister can handle his duties for a day. I can ask her; besides, I'm sure she'll agree that Brother Lelouch needs a break."

"Besides, he can always go in disguise," Adeline pointed out. "I mean if Nunnally's going then I have no doubt that the prince will not let Nunnally go unless she's in disguise."

"And I'll have to go in disguise myself anyway so why not? It's just one day," Euphie said.

"I dunno..." Rivalz sighed. "I suppose we could ask."

"That's the spirit! Who knows? He might say yes!" Milly said cheerfully.

Euphie looked at Nunnally and grinned.

Nunnally gave her a small smile in return.

Adeline, noticing the two knowing glances that the two princesses exchanged, had this odd feeling that the prince wouldn't really get any say in this decision.

. . .

April 5, 2017

Lelouch's Office, Viceroy's Palace

Lelouch jolted out of the doze he'd unintentionally slipped into at the sound of someone knocking on his door. Rubbing his eyes and putting down the pen that he'd been holding in his right hand, he straightened up, covering his mouth as he yawned with his left hand. "Come in," he called.

He really was rather tired. Ever since the destruction of the Yamato Alliance five days earlier, Lelouch had been practically throwing himself into finding out as much as he could about the Liberators as well as the other resistances in the area. With the Yamato Alliance's attack, Lelouch was starting to feel a bit paranoid after the relative silence that came from the other resistances in the area; the Liberators hadn't made a move since they sent that message to him, Nightfall had as of yet to make an appearance since that message he left in December, and the other terrorists seemed to have vanished all together.

It made Lelouch jumpy, especially that message from Nightfall. Why hasn't he attacked yet? Is he really attempting to lull me into a false sense of security before striking? Or, maybe, the Liberators have something to do with why he isn't attacking? Unless they are helping him and their telling me that they do not want me dead is just to draw me into that lull of false security. But why would they tell me about the Yamato Alliance? Unless that was also only to get on my good side before they turned around and stabbed it.

Lelouch just didn't know. He knew that many of his thoughts was likely just his paranoia, a paranoia that had been heightened since the incident with Tara, but he couldn't get them out of his mind. It was why he was trying to find any and all information and try to find out just what the terrorists around Area 11 were up to.

That wasn't the only thing that he was dealing with either. He was also trying to track down B.B. and deal with an annoying green-haired witch named C.C. who absolutely refused to answer most of Lelouch's questions.

And, of course, he also had his duties as Viceroy of Area 11 and dealing with the aftermath of the Yamato Alliance's vicious massacre of those Britannian students and his subsequent annihilation of the Yamato Alliance. That was a heck of a lot of paperwork and written condolences that he had to get through.

Needless to say, Lelouch was feeling overworked again.

Not that he was complaining, out loud, because he knew he had to get it done. He couldn't become lax or lazy in his work and had to keep working as hard as he possibly could because he knew that the Emperor would not tolerate that. And he had, as of yet, figured out a way to keep Nunnally safe from the Emperor; if he could accomplish that than he might gain some more freedom to work through his own plans regarding his goal.

A cough sounded, reminding Lelouch that someone had come to speak with him and he, pulling himself from his thoughts, turned to gaze at the newcomer, a bit surprised when he found both Euphie and Nunnally in front of his desk. Adeline was leaning against the wall by the door to the office, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes fixed on the windows behind him.

"Nunnally? Euphie? What are you doing here?" he asked surprised. He hadn't realized school had already let out for the day.

"We came here to see you, Big Brother," Nunnally said with a smile. "You look tired. Did you get any sleep last night?"

"I'm fine, Nunnally," Lelouch reassured her even if he had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep the night before, and that was only because of Suzaku's and Jeremiah's badgering. They had done that the other times that Lelouch nearly fell asleep at his desk, or attempted to pull all-nighters in the few weeks it's been since he became Viceroy.

Nunnally didn't look convinced.

"Oh, we also came here to ask you a couple of things," Euphie said, clasping her hands together and smiling. "First off, Milly's taking the Student Council to Lake Kawaguchi."

"And I wanna go with," Nunnally said.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. He may trust Milly with Nunnally, and the Student Council to a lesser extent, but that didn't mean he trusted anyone else around Nunnally, especially not when her identity as a princess was now public knowledge.

"Before you say no," Euphie said quickly as if expecting Lelouch to say that; considering she and Cornelia were the only two of Lelouch's half-sisters that he tolerated while growing up and, thus, knew him better than the others did, he wasn't that surprised. "We'll take precautions. Adeline will be going with us and both Nunnally and I will be in disguise. It's not like she's going to be the first girl in a wheelchair to go on vacation."

"Milly's already coming up with a disguise like a wig, glasses, and different clothes, that kind of thing," Nunnally added.

Lelouch continued to study them, a small frown on his lips. "I don't know. You've never been out of the Tokyo Settlement before, except to go to Pendragon, and I'm not sure I feel comfortable letting you leave."

"Don't you trust Milly and the Student Council, Big Brother?" Nunnally asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"Yes but I don't trust anyone else," Lelouch said.

"Then why don't you come with?" Euphie suggested.

Lelouch's head snapped to Euphie and he narrowed his eyes again. "Euphie, I have my duties as Viceroy to attend to. I cannot take a vacation, especially not at a time like this," he said.

Euphie sighed and planted her hands on her hips. "You need rest and you need to relax," she said firmly. "We're not blind, Lelouch. We know that you've been rather stressed lately and overworked and haven't been getting enough sleep lately. The dark circles under your eyes is proof of that."

"Euphie, I am far too busy to take a day off," Lelouch said.

"Please, Big Brother. It's just for one day. You could use the break and we could spend some time together as a family. Of course Suzaku will come too," Nunnally said and flashed him the puppy-dog-eyed look that Lelouch could never say no too. Not that he didn't try but, when Euphie joined Nunnally in flashing those dreaded puppy-dog eyes that Lelouch couldn't say no to, he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

"Fine!" Lelouch said with a sigh. Then he thought about it and added, "But only if you can convince Cornelia to take over my duties as Viceroy for the day."

"Deal!" Euphie said and bolted out of the room.

Lelouch blinked and sighed, knowing that Euphie had Cornelia wrapped around her little finger, much in the same way that Nunnally had him wrapped around her little finger.

. . .

Convincing Cornelia had not been that hard. Euphie had her wrapped around her finger and, with Nunnally helping Euphie convince Cornelia to do what she wanted, it only made it easier. But then, Nunnally noticed that Cornelia didn't seem opposed to the idea even before Euphie had put on the puppy dog eyes. She was sure that her elder half-sister had noticed just how tired and overworked Lelouch was just as she and Euphie had.

"Great, thanks Sister," Euphie said with a big grin and then darted out of the room.

Adeline took control of Nunnally's wheelchair and followed the excited pink-haired princess as the three of them returned to Lelouch's office. They found him watching Tadashi with exasperation in his eyes, one hand holding his pen between his fingers while the other was resting on his desk. Tadashi was currently flopped, upside down, over an armchair with his legs on the back of the chair and his head resting on the floor and he seemed out cold.

"Um, what happened, Big Brother? We weren't gone for that long," Nunnally said confused.

"I have no idea," Lelouch said. "He just came in, sat on that armchair like that, and passed out."

"I think he might've had something to drink or something," Rayne said, peering at Tadashi's face. "Yeah, he looks a little flushed. Dunno if that's caused by drinking or not though."

"I sure hope not. Drinking on the job? He could get arrested or, worse, demoted," Lila said.*

Everyone looked at her.

"Um, I think you have your priorities a little backwards there, Lila," Rayne said with a sweatdrop.

Lila flushed in embarrassment.

"I didn't drink nothing," Tadashi grumbled. "I just got a bit of a…" He sneezed violently and started coughing, "...cold and..."—he yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes—"accidentally took nighttime cold medicine instead of daytime so I'm kinda...outta it." He yawned again and not once did his eyes open.

Lila moved forward and rested a hand on Tadashi's forehead, humming in thought. "It's more than a cold. You have a fever."

"Does that explain why I feel hot?"

"Probably."

"Though I have to wonder, just how did you end up in that position to begin with?" Kay said bewildered.

"I dunno. It's comfortable."

Everyone stared.

Tadashi either didn't notice or just ignored it.

Nunnally, remembering why she was there, turned her attention to her big brother. "Oh, by the way, Big Brother, we talked with Sister Cornelia," she said.

"Oh? And what did she say?" The amused resignation in Lelouch's tone told Nunnally that he likely already knew what she was about to say but she said it anyway.

"She said that you need a break and that she'll take over your duties for the day while you and Suzaku come with Euphie and me to Lake Kawaguchi," Nunnally said with a beaming smile, her bluish-purple eyes bright with excitement. Not only was she excited to spend some time with her big brother but she was also excited to be leaving the Tokyo Settlement. According to Adeline, that was another reason why Milly scheduled the trip when she had; she thought that it would help Nunnally if she had a change of scenery.

And Nunnally was inclined to agree.

"Isn't that wonderful, Big Brother?" She added, clapping her hands together and smiling brightly.

Lelouch smiled faintly back. "Who else is going?" he asked.

"Umm." Nunnally turned to Euphie who tapped her finger to her lip in thought.

"Well, I'm going and naturally Adeline will be going. Nina, Milly, Shirley, and Rai are the only other ones that are going; Rivalz had to work and Kallen had a doctor's appointment that day so she can't go," the pinkette said.

Lelouch hummed but nodded. "This Friday?" he asked.

"Yup. We're leaving around noon this Friday and then coming back Saturday afternoon," Nunnally said. "Oh I am so looking forward to this! This is going to be so much fun! I hope we have a good time."

"I'm sure we will, Nunnally."

"Does this mean we get those two days off too?" Rayne wondered out loud.

"I highly doubt it," Dimitri said.

"I will inform Cornelia that if she has need of your assistance for any reason then you will aid her as you would aid me but, unless she calls upon you to help her, you will have leave for those days. Keep your phones on at all times just in case," Lelouch said.

"Oh I hope nothing bad happens 'cause I really want a day off," Rayne said with a grin.

"Don't jinx us, Rayne," Kay said dryly.

"I'm not going to jinx us," Rayne whined.

"Will you please stop talking so loudly? My head hurts," Tadashi whined.

Lelouch waved a hand toward Tadashi. "Go and get some rest, Tadashi, and see if sleeping helps at all. You have leave for the rest of the day," he said.

"Thanks, Lelouch," Tadashi said, flipping his legs off the back of the armchair and getting to his feet, only to fall backwards into the armchair. "Ow. Note to self: don't do that. And why's the room spinning?"

"You got up too fast," Lila said.

"Oh."

. . .

April 7, 2017

Westbound Train

"We have a lot of people accompanying us. Are you sure we'll be able to fit everyone into one compartment? Or should we just get two?" Shirley asked, looking at Milly uncertainly.

"Hmm." Milly tapped her finger together as she observed the compartment. "It looks like we'll be able to fit six in this compartment alone, even with Nunna. So...there are nine of us and six spots." She grinned brightly and turned to Shirley and the orangette had this odd feeling that Milly had a scheme in her mind, and one that she likely didn't want part of.

"Um, Madame President?" she said uncertainly.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it. I've figured everything out," Milly said brightly.

"H...How?"

"You'll see!"

"O...Okay?"

Nina arrived and greeted them quietly as Milly took her luggage and put them in the compartments above the seats. Rai came next and Adeline, Euphie, Nunnally, Suzaku, and Lelouch, all dressed in casual clothing and disguised to hide their appearance, arrived at once. Euphie's hair was in a ponytail and she had a pair of glasses over her eyes, Suzaku and Lelouch wore caps on their heads and sunglasses over their eyes, and Nunnally had her hair tucked into a sunhat and her eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses as well.

"Well, you definitely gonna blend in with the rest of us," Milly said. "Well, the train's gonna be leaving any minute now so let's get situated."

Lelouch, taking control of Nunnally's wheelchair, moved her into the compartment and got her situated near the door, strapping the wheelchair in place so that it wouldn't be jostled during the turns. Nunnally smiled at Lelouch as he straightened up and took a seat beside her. Suzaku slipped into the compartment to sit down beside him and Milly pointed to Nina and Rai.

"You two, you'll sit with me," she said and all but pushed the confused white-haired boy and dark-green haired girl into their seat. Once they were seated, Milly turned to Adeline, Euphie, and Shirley and beamed brightly.

"I know exactly where you're going, Shirley," she said brightly and, grabbing Shirley's arm, tugged her into the compartment.

"What…? Madame President, what are you…?" Shirley broke off as Milly turned her around and pushed her backwards into Lelouch so that she was sitting on his lap.

"M...Madame President!" Shirley cried, her cheeks going red. She didn't know for sure but she was positive that Lelouch was in shock himself.

"Perfect. Now...Euphie...hmm...Eh, can't be helped." Milly gently pulled Euphie into the compartment and proceeded to push her straight onto Suzaku's lap.

Suzaku yelped, his face going bright red, while Euphie's own cheeks went red. "M...Milly?" they both cried.

Adeline studied them, shrugged, sauntered over to Rai, and sat down on his lap.

The white-haired boy sputtered, looking about ready to pass out, his cheeks bright red.

"Well, that worked out quite well," Milly said, clapping her hands together and flopping into the only available seat left, which was next to Nina, who was in between her and Adeline and Rai.

"I...I...this...I can't..." Suzaku stuttered out, holding his hands above his head as if trying hard to not touch Euphie in a way that some might consider inappropriate.

"I...I'm sorry about this, Lulu," Shirley gasped, twisting her head to look at Lelouch. She had to admit she was surprised to see that, while Lelouch had recovered from his shock quickly, his cheeks were still a little red.

"I have a feeling this was Milly's plan all along," Lelouch said.

"I...I can sit on the floor," Suzaku stuttered.

"No...I can sit on the floor," Euphie insisted. Shirley could hear the quaver in her tone and see that the blush was still on her cheeks.

"No, I insist, Euphie, er Your Highness. A princess shouldn't sit on the floor," Suzaku insisted.

"Neither should you and didn't I say to call me Euphie?"

"It's better if I sat on the floor rather than you."

"I won't let you sit on the floor."

"And I won't let you sit on the floor, Your Highness."

The two of them stared at each other with pure stubbornness in their eyes.

"Well, then it's settled," Milly said, clapping her hands together. "You'll just remain like that until we reach Lake Kawaguchi! Problem solved!" She completely ignored Suzaku's protests.

Rai had stopped sputtering but he was now staring at nothing with bright red cheeks; Shirley wondered if the poor boy had gone into shock.

The train started moving before anyone could say anything else. It jostled down the tracks and Shirley squeaked when she felt herself jostle to the side but Lelouch's slender arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. "L...Lulu?" she stammered out.

"You'll be steadier this way," Lelouch said.

Suzaku had done the same to Euphie, though he looked greatly uncomfortable and always made sure his hands were only resting on Euphie's stomach. "S...Sorry but...I don't want you to fall or anything like that," he stuttered out.

"T...That's okay," Euphie stammered out herself.

Adeline, for herself, just leaned against the window to keep herself steady since poor Rai still seemed to be in shock. "I think I might've broken Rai," the young golden-haired girl said, casting a glance at the white-haired boy.

"Ah, he'll be fine," Milly said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Hopefully so."

. . .

Mount Odake, Area 11

Kallen made her way down the hallway of the new base of operations for the Japanese Cell of the Liberators. After the destruction of the Yamato Alliance, Unity had decided that the Kozuki Resistance would be allowed to join Michal's cell of the Liberators, even though they hadn't fulfilled their end of the bargain yet. After much discussion with the rest of the Kozuki Resistance, who were all in agreement, Ohgi decided that they would join, especially when Unity and Michal agreed to let them maintain their name and their independence.

They wouldn't be an official cell of the Liberators, unless they changed their mind in the future, but the Liberators would help the Kozuki Resistance so long as, in turn, the Kozuki Resistance helped the Liberators.

And that was why the were currently in the new base for Michal's cell, heading toward the command post at the heart of the base. Their base was a large cabin near the peak of Mount Odake, which was located west of the Tokyo Settlement. While the cabin didn't look like much on the outside, it was bigger on the inside; according to Michal, he managed to buy it off a rich former Japanese nobleman who used to use it as a vacation home. How that happened, Kallen didn't know but she wasn't really complaining.

"So why are we here?" Tamaki wondered.

"Michal just said he wanted to talk to us," Ohgi said.

"Wonder about what?" Sugiyama said.

"Maybe our next move or something like that? I mean we haven't really made a move since we tipped the Demon Prince off to what the Yamato Alliance was doing and nothing's really happened since then," Yoshida said.

Kallen sighed, folding her arms across her chest. She had agreed to joining up with the Liberators, because they were the Kozuki Resistance's best chance at getting the supplies and weapons they needed to pick up where Naoto had left off, but she still didn't entirely trust them. It was made even more difficult to trust them due to the fact that Unity had agreed to supply them and aid them, so long as they were aided in return, even before the Kozuki Resistance had fulfilled their end of their deal with Unity. It just made no sense and Kallen couldn't begin to figure out what was going on in Unity's mind.

"What's up, Kallen?" Ohgi asked.

"I dunno. I just...why would Unity change his mind like this? I mean, he said that he wouldn't really aid us unless we captured the prince and yet he suddenly turned around and decided to aid us even though we haven't captured the prince yet. It just doesn't make sense," Kallen admitted.

"Hey, I ain't looking a gift horse in the mouth," Tamaki said.

"I have to agree with Kallen though," Ohgi said. "We'll just keep an eye on things and see if we can figure out what's really going on here."

The group entered the command post in the large living room of the cabin and Kallen was surprised to find that B.B. was there. The amber-eyed young man was seated by the window, gazing out at the forest that sloped away from the cabin and barely gave them a passing glance.

Michal and Reyes were also in the room, Reyes was talking on the phone in Spanish, while Michal was scanning pieces of paper that were scattered on the long coffee table. He looked up and waved Ohgi and the rest of them forward. "Welcome," he greeted them.

"Ah, hello," Ohgi said.

"I'm sure that you're wondering just why you're here, right?" Michal said. "I do apologize, especially to you, Kallen, since I know you had to skip school to be here but I thought it would be best if you knew where our new base of operations was located."

"So this is it?" Tamaki said. "It's a hell of a lot bigger than it looks like on the outside."

"It's meant to be that way. No one looks twice at something that looks plain and small on the outside," Michal said. "Take a seat. You're free to explore if you want too. Also, Unity sent along some new uniforms for you; he says that they're a gift but you don't have to use them if you don't want to."

"Is that all you wanted to tell us?" Ohgi asked.

"Not exactly but I don't have enough information to really tell you of the other reason why I called you here. I only know about this because one of my contacts within the JLF sent word to me that the JLF were up to something and I have been attempting to figure out what since then," Michal said.

"You think the JLF are making a move?" Inoue asked, picking up one of the uniforms. It was black with green accents and the new crest of the United Liberators, which was the name Unity had given to those who remained that followed him, on its right shoulder; it was identical to the normal Liberator crest, except that the U was on top of the crossed swords rather than behind them.

"It's possible."

"Then that's good, right?"

"It depends on just what they are planning on doing."

B.B. tilted his head backwards, away from the window. "And if they are doing something that you do not approve of then what will you do? Set the Demon Prince on them again?" he asked.

"No."

"Besides, Prince Lelouch isn't in his office today," Kallen said, causing all eyes to turn to her.

"He isn't?" Reyes echoed, closing his phone and stuffing it away.

She shook her head. "His sister convinced him to go with her on a one day vacation out of the Tokyo Settlement."

"Do you know where they're going?"

"Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel."

"Hmm, the same place as the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting? I wonder..." Michal trailed off, his brow furrowed in thought before he shook his head. "No. It'd be too risky, far too risky."

"What're you going on about?" Tamaki asked.

"Nothing. Go ahead and explore or grab something to eat. If I discover anything important then I'll let you know."

"He's acting like he's our leader and, frankly, it kinda bugs me," Tamaki muttered.

"Yeah, I agree," Yoshida muttered.

"C'mon, we may as well listen," Ohgi said.

Kallen cast a sidelong glance at Michal who was muttering quietly under his breath, scanning through the reports on the table. She bit her lip. The Liberators...the biggest resistance in the entire world...the only resistance to have a twenty win streak against Britannia…the same resistance that was supporting Kallen's brother's resistance.

Even after what happened with Naoto…

Am I betraying Naoto's memory by working with the Liberators, even though they abandoned us? Kallen shook her head, chewing on her lower lip. Reyes had apologized for that and, while Kallen would never forget that, she couldn't deny that it hadn't been their fault that Naoto was dead.

It had been Tara's.

Kallen really wished that she had been the one to catch Tara trying to kill Nunnally. She wouldn't have just beaten the crap out of her, like Adeline did, though; she would have likely killed her.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she followed Inoue out of the living room.

. . .

Westbound Train, Near Lake Kawaguchi

"So whatcha looking forward to the most when we reach Lake Kawaguchi, Lelouch?" Milly asked brightly and grinned. "Seeing Shirley in a bikini?"

"M...Madame President!" Shirley cried.

"What? It's an honest question."

Lelouch snorted. "Only you would ask that kind of question, She-Devil," he said dryly. "I don't know honestly."

"I'm just glad that you get to rest, even if it's only for a day. I was getting worried about you, Big Brother, 'cause of how tired and overworked you've been lately," Nunnally said. "So I'm sure this vacation is gonna be great for you."

"I suppose. I hope you will have fun yourself, Little Sister," Lelouch said.

"So long as I'm with you, I'm sure I will," Nunnally said.

"What about you, Suzaku?" Milly asked.

"Um...I dunno. I've never been to Lake Kawaguchi before," Suzaku admitted. He was still feeling very uncomfortable with the fact that he had a pretty pink-haired princess, and his best friend and prince's younger half sister at that, seated on his lap. He found himself hoping that Cornelia never found out about this incident. As it was, he had this odd feeling that Lelouch wasn't exactly thrilled with the predicament Milly forced them into but he hadn't said anything, for which Suzaku was glad. He had seen Overprotective Older Sibling Syndrome before and he did not want to be on the receiving end.

"Who here has been to Lake Kawaguchi?" Adeline asked.

No one raised their hands.

"So it's gonna be an adventure for all of us," the golden-haired girl added with a grin. "I'm looking forward to it, especially the swimming part. Do you think I'd look good in a bikini, Rai?" She winked at Rai who started sputtering, blue eyes wide, and cheeks red.

"I think you broke him again, Adeline," Shirley said and Suzaku winced in sympathy for the white-haired boy.

Adeline just laughed.

"Wonderful, Adeline has turned into another Milly," Lelouch muttered.

"I heard that sarcasm, Lelouch. What's wrong with me?" Milly said, folding her arms across her chest and pouting at Lelouch.

"Nothing's wrong with you. I just think that two She Devils conspiring with each other is going to be the doom of the entire world," Lelouch said nonchalantly.

"Oh you're exaggerating," Adeline said with a wave of her hand. "It'll only be of Ashford Academy."

"That does not ease my worries at all."

The train entered a tunnel, causing shadows to engulf the compartment and Nina gasped, her hands clenching into fists. Milly turned and smiled softly at Nina, reaching out and taking her hands in hers. "It'll be okay, Nina. Lake Kawaguchi is a resort and a vacation destination mostly for Britannians; it's not at all like the ghettos. The only Eleven there will be Suzaku and you get along fine with him."

"Yes, I know, but..." Nina trailed off and Suzaku could hear a tremble in her voice.

"It'll be fine, Nina," Nunnally said with a beaming smile. "We're all here so you won't be alone."

"Nunna's right. We're all gonna be right there with you the entire time," Milly said, squeezing Nina's hand.

Nina gave them all a shaky smile.

The shadows of the tunnel faded as they headed down the final stretch to reach Lake Kawaguchi.

"Oh, wow, it's beautiful," Adeline exclaimed.

"It really is," Nunnally gasped. "Isn't it, Big Brother?"

"It is," Lelouch said.

"I've never see anything like it before, not even at Pendragon," Euphie said, leaning closer to get a better glimpse of the sparkling lake and shifting on Suzaku's lap. Suzaku blushed again and Lelouch gave him an amused smirk.

The train came to a halt and Milly stood up and stretched. "Well, let's go get checked in and then we can decide what to do. What do you say? Food? Swimming? Any preference?" she asked.

"I don't care," Shirley said with a shrug. "Food does sound good too."

Adeline hopped off Rai's lap, causing the white-haired boy to let loose a quiet breath of relief, and grinned. "I could use some food too. I skipped breakfast this morning," she said.

"Fine with me," Lelouch said, unwinding his arms from around Shirley and she stood up, brushing her orange hair out of her eyes.

Euphie hopped off Suzaku's lap once he released her and he was a little relieved. He had a sinking filling that he'd have to deal with that on the way back though.

. . .

Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel, Area 11

Nina followed the rest of the group as they led the way into the hotel, gazing around but, true to Milly's words, the only Eleven that she could see was Suzaku. She wasn't exactly comfortable around Suzaku but she did get along fine with him, after learning that Suzaku was likely the only person that Lelouch truly trusted around his little sister. And he was also a Knight of Honor so that did count for something in Nina's eyes.

But she was still a bit skittish around other people. Usually it was only around Elevens and men, with Lelouch, Rivalz, Suzaku and, recently, Rai, being the only exceptions, but she just didn't like crowds. It was a no wonder Milly had such a difficult time getting her to be more social.

"Nina?"

Nina jerked out of her thoughts and blinked when she found Lelouch watching her with concern in his amethyst eyes. He stood nearby with Nunnally in front of him and Suzaku standing at his side. "Yeah?" she said.

"You stopped. Is everything okay?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeah, you okay, Nina?" Nunnally asked concerned.

"Oh, uh, I'm fine. I just...I was just thinking...it's okay...I'm fine," Nina said a bit quickly.

Lelouch didn't seem to believe her but Nunnally smiled and nodded. "That's good. C'mon, we should keep moving or we're gonna lose Milly and the rest of the group," she said.

"Oh, right," Nina said and fell into step beside Lelouch as he, pushing Nunnally's wheelchair, began walking again, Suzaku matching him step for step on his right side. "Um, where's Adeline?"

"I told her to go on ahead 'cause Big Brother's here now and so's Suzaku so I'll be fine with them nearby," Nunnally said as they entered the lobby of the hotel and Milly waved them over.

"I've got the room keys and our assigned room. Do you wanna head up there now to drop off our stuff or just go get food first?" she asked curiously.

"I say we drop off our stuff. It'll be a hassle to carry all of our stuff around all the time." Adeline curled an arm around Rai's shoulders and yanked him forward so that his face was pressed into her chest. "Don't you agree, Rai?"

"Uh...Y...Yeah..." Rai stammered out, blushing.

"Adeline, you've turned into a Milly clone. There's no saving you now," Lelouch said.

Adeline laughed and released Rai who immediately darted away to stand beside Suzaku, the blush refusing to leave his cheeks. "Hey, she's a fun gal to be around," she said with a shrug. "She makes life way funner."

"These people just don't appreciate our taste in fun," Milly said with a pout.

"That's because your taste is usually humiliating or embarrassing or a combination of the two, She-Devil," Lelouch said.

"But it's still fun," Milly said, not at all fazed by Lelouch's words, or being called a She-Devil. She never was. Milly was a strange person but there was no denying that she was a good friend and she was good at coming up with ideas that were fun, even if they were insane and embarrassing. Nina could still clearly remember the bake sale incident and the fairy-tale themed ball, not to mention the cross-dressing incident.

Nunnally giggled. "It is pretty fun," she said. "By the way, Milly, are you planning on making a big pizza during the spring festival again this year?"

"Of course. Maybe we'll have a repeat of last year for Lelouch and Shirley, eh?" Milly said with a grin and a waggle of her eyebrows.

Shirley blushed. "Madame President," she cried.

Milly just laughed and turned around. "C'mon, let's go put our stuff away and then find a place to eat and then we can figure out what to do next," she said and led the way to the elevators.

After they put their bags away in their room, they left the rooms and headed back downstairs to get something to eat.

Nina smiled softly as she followed the rest of the group. This really does seem like it's off to a good start for a vacation, she thought. And...And maybe I can try and be more social like Milly has been trying to get me to be since we met. I mean...it's hard 'cause I'm really shy and not very comfortable around large groups but Milly and them are my friends.

She gazed around, trying to decide who to talk to while they walked down the hallway, and finally settled on speaking with Nunnally. However, before she could approach the kind-hearted princess as they entered the lobby on the floor they were on, the door slammed open. Nina gasped, fear flooding her as a group of Elevens stormed into the lobby wielding shotguns.

"All right, everyone! Hands where I can see 'em. Follow my orders if ya wanna live," the Eleven in the front ordered, pointing their gun at the group and the group immediately complied. Nina felt tremors of terror spread through her and she found herself shifting closer to the person she knew that was the closest to her, which was incidentally Lelouch.

The disguised prince's lips were curved into a frown as he complied with the order of the Eleven and Nina swallowed before doing the same. The Elevens herded them toward the far end of the building and into a large storeroom and they weren't very gentle. Nina felt herself being shoved in by the Eleven behind her and went tumbling past Lelouch and into Milly. She caught her and lowered her to the ground.

"On your knees. Hands on your head, now!" The Eleven barked, pointing his shotgun at everyone and Nina complied just as everyone else did.

A cry sounded and Nina watched, eyes wide with horror, as Nunnally was ruthlessly dumped onto the ground.

A quiet snarl sounded beside her and Nina was positive that Suzaku and Shirley grabbing Lelouch when they did was the only thing that stopped him from attacking the Eleven right then and there. As it was, when she looked at him, she could see tremors of fury surging through his body. Even though his eyes were hidden by sunglasses, Nina had no doubt they were blazing.

"Move it, girl," the Eleven spat, kicking Nunnally in the side.

Lelouch snarled again.

"She's crippled!" Adeline protested. "Let me help her."

"Che, fine," the Eleven said and Adeline moved to Nunnally's side, gathering her into her arms and moving back to join Nina and the rest of the group. Nina looked around, noticing that Milly, who was right next to her, had put herself in front of Euphie and pulled Rai over to sit beside her, shielding the pink-haired princess from sight. Suzaku and Shirley were seated on either side of Lelouch.

More people were herded into the storeroom and Nina swallowed, her fear still surging through her as Adeline moved to sit on Nina's other side; she and Nunnally placed their hands on their heads and kept their heads down.

Nina lowered her head but not before she spotted a camera and she found herself wondering just what was going on.

. . .

Mount Odake, Area 11

"So this is what the JLF are doing? Imbeciles!" Reyes exclaimed, staring at the television screen in which the anchorwoman was talking about the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, the fact that the terrorists, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe, had taken Chairman James of the SAM as well as several innocents hostage, and just what the meeting was all about. Kallen wasn't really paying attention to all of that; her gaze was fixed on the familiar people she'd spotted.

Milly, Nina, Shirley, Rai, Adeline…

That means that those other four people that are with them must be Princess Euphemia, Princess Nunnally, Prince Lelouch, and Kururugi, Kallen thought. She was glad that Nunnally had the foresight to go in disguise, as had the other more prominent people, but she was angry when she saw how that Japanese man hadn't even let Nunnally keep her wheelchair.

"What are we going to do? I mean...we're not just going to let them get away with this, are we?" Ohgi asked, shifting in the new uniform he'd decided to wear.

Michal shook his head and stood up. "No. We're only have about a ten minute drive to Lake Kawaguchi but I want to know more about the situation before we do anything. We need to know exactly what we're up against. Reyes, get any and all information on Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe."

"Right," Reyes said.

"I can help," Inoue offered.

"By all means. We need to find as much about him as possible to figure out just what he's going to do. We'll also keep an eye on the situation to see what we can figure out from that as well," Michal said.

Kallen swallowed in concern.

"Your friends are part of that group, aren't they?" Ohgi said quietly.

"Yeah," Kallen said quietly. "And Nunnally...they were cruel enough to not even let her keep her wheelchair. That's just wrong. She may be Britannian but..." She sighed.

"There are lines that no one should cross," B.B. murmured. "Thin, blurred lines between freedom fighter and terrorist or harming those who fight and harming those who don't. It seems to me that Kusakabe has tripped over both of those lines."

"Yeah, you're right," Ohgi said.

. . .

Storeroom, Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel

Suzaku's eyes widened behind his sunglasses and he ducked down behind Lelouch, using his friend and Shirley to hide himself when a very familiar Japanese man stepped into the storeroom. He was tall and burly with thick black hair and a black mustache on his face with a katana resting on his hip.

"What is it?" Lelouch stage-whispered.

"That's Kusakabe. He'll recognize me in an instant if he sees me, even with my disguise," Suzaku whispered as quietly as possible back.

Lelouch's hand clenched into a slight fist—Suzaku knew that he didn't have fond memories of Kusakabe from his time at the Kururugi Shrine—but he said nothing more.

"You are all here as our hostages because though you're civilians, you're still Britannians and still part of the country that took ours away from us and keep us oppressed," Kusakabe began, clasping his hands behind his back. "And you will remain hostages as long as our demands are not met by the Viceroy. So sit down and be quiet."

Lelouch's lips curved into a frown.

Kusakabe turned and, after instructing three of his men to remain behind guarding the hostages, he left the storeroom.

Nina was trembling with terror while Euphie had her head down, worry in her lavender purple eyes, and Adeline was shifting Nunnally into a more comfortable position. Lelouch was still, his hand still clenched and the frown still on his lips, while Shirley, Milly, and Rai exchanged worried glances.

Just what's going to happen to us? It's not like Kusakabe can actually give out his demands to the Viceroy when the Viceroy is here and incapable of receiving his demands, Suzaku thought. He feared the worst but was hoping for the best; in the situation that he was stuck in, that was all he really could do.

. . .

G1 Mobile Base, Shore of Lake Kawaguchi

"Son of a bitch," Cornelia scowled, slamming her fist into the armrest of her chair as she glared at the hotel and at the blank screen where Kusakabe had just demanded to speak with the Viceroy. Cornelia had tried to insist that she was acting in his stead and would listen to his requests but he'd just stated that he wanted to speak with the Demon Prince himself and refused to negotiate with her.

"This isn't good," Frost, the blue-haired girl that was part of Lelouch's Royal Guard, said. Lelouch had loaned them to her while he was on vacation and Cornelia had decided to call them in to help just in case she needed it since she knew that the Frost twins were strong knightmare pilots, Duncan was a technological genius, and Moore and the Eleven Akiyama were spot-on sharpshooters. She might be able to make use of their skills in this situation.

"Is there anything you can get on the situation, Major Duncan?" Cornelia demanded.

"I'm trying, Your Highness," Duncan said. "I have located Prince Lelouch; he has his phone on him and, while it's on silent mode, I can trace it. They're in a storeroom on the middle floor of the hotel."

"Anyway to get into the building?"

"Only one, the maintenance tunnel right here," Duncan said, bringing up a map of the hotel and highlighting the maintenance tunnel.

"We'll send a squad into the tunnel to see if they can get into the hotel itself," Cornelia decided.

"Is that wise, Your Highness? Prince Lelouch always used to say that when a rat is cornered then that is when they are at their most unpredictable," the shorter Frost said quietly. "And, in this situation, I've taken that to mean that if they've destroyed all but two possible ways to get to the hotel then it means that we can't assume that they don't know about the second way in because they're cornered and that makes them unpredictable."

Akiyama snorted. "You literally just quoted Lelouch almost to the word," he said.

Cornelia's eye twitched. "While you are in my presence, you will refer to Lelouch with respect," she said firmly. Lelouch let his Royal Guard get away with treating him informally but Cornelia wouldn't.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that, Your..." The rest of Akiyama's statement was cut off by a violent sneeze.

"Tadashi, you should've taken today off too. You're clearly not over that sickness yet," the shorter Frost said quietly.

"I'm fine," Akiyama said, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

The shorter Frost gave Akiyama a look that clearly said he didn't believe that.

"Major Frost does have a point though," Cornelia said. "We will send a decoy knightmare, remote piloted, into the maintenance tunnel to see whether Kusakabe really has something in store for us."

Lelouch, I hope you, Nunnally, and Euphie are safe, she thought as Guilford, nodding, gave out the order.

. . .

Mount Odake, Area 11

Kallen paced in the living room of Michal's base, watching as he sorted through all the intelligence that Reyes and Inoue had gotten for him. He didn't look happy and kept glancing at the television screen that was still showing the hotel highjacking in the background, his brow furrowed and worry in his eyes.

"Michal suspects that Kusakabe is going to do something drastic soon," B.B. murmured.

"Why haven't the negotiations started though?" Tamaki said with a frown.

"It's very likely that Kusakabe wants to speak with the Viceroy himself but, since the Viceroy is currently among the hostages and Kusakabe doesn't know that, he can't do that," Reyes said. "But that just means that the hostages are in much more danger because Kusakabe's an unpredictable person."

"The prince isn't someone who would sacrifice innocents for no reason. What happened with the Yamato Alliance is proof of that," Kallen said. "But...he would do anything to keep his little sister safe."

"You know that for sure?" Michal asked.

"I've seen the way he acts around her. If anything, I'd say he's a bit of a siscon," Kallen said with a shrug.

"Then it's likely he won't do anything unless his little sister is in danger. Otherwise, it would only lead to his little sister being put into danger." Michal straightened up and clasped his hands behind his back and turned to Kallen and her friends. "I have a plan that will help us to beat Kusakabe and rescue those hostages."

"Why?" Tamaki asked. "I mean, I get that they're innocents but what's the point?"

"Unity recruits anyone who is willing to fight back against Britannia's tyranny, including Britannians themselves should their eyes be opened to the truth about Britannia's rotten core. This will be our way of reaching out to the public by showing that we are not terrorists and we do not condone what Kusakabe is doing. That's the main thing that Unity has been trying to get across but it hasn't been working that well here in Area 11; Nightfall's actions have not helped this at all. This may be our chance."

"And the hostages will be safe?" Kallen asked, thinking about the friends she'd made on the Student Council.

"Yes. The hostages will be safe."

"And the prince? This might be our chance to capture him now that I think about it," Sugiyama said thoughtfully.

Michal shook his head though. "It's too risky, especially not when too many people know that he's there. If he isn't with the other hostages, the Britannians may jump to the wrong conclusion and, despite his reputation, Britannians do respect him. So it would be best if we didn't do anything. Will you help me and Reyes accomplish this goal?"

Kallen glanced at Ohgi who pressed his lips together in thought. Finally, he turned to the rest of the group. "What do you think?" he asked.

The group exchanged glances before looking back at Ohgi and nodded once.

"Okay. We'll help," Ohgi said.

"Thank you," Michal said.

. . .

G1 Mobile Base, Shore of Lake Kawaguchi

"Wait, I see something. What's going on?" Rayne said, pointing to the display on the table.

"Zoom in," Princess Cornelia said and the screen zoomed in. Rayne's eyes went wide when she saw that the terrorists were standing on the top of the building with a hostage with his arms tied to his sides by thick rope.

"Oh dear God, they're not gonna do what I think they're gonna do, are they?" Tadashi asked, looking horrified.

"Please don't," Kay whispered, staring.

Lila looked away, biting her lower lip.

The terrorist shoved the hostage off the building and Rayne tore her gaze away, even though she knew that the result of that incident would not be shown on the screen. Still…she may have killed before but it was all in the name of protecting the innocent and because she was part of the military. To actually kill someone like that was terrible.

Damn terrorists, Rayne thought.

Cornelia's jaw clenched. "Despicable barbarians," she growled.

The screen flickered on and Kusakabe gazed coolly at the purple-haired princess. "As you see, that is what you are faced with, Sub-Viceroy. So either you allow me to speak with the Viceroy face to face or I will continue to kill a hostage every thirty minutes," he said coolly and his image flickered before vanishing.

Cornelia's hand clenched into a fist. "So they're going to kill a hostage every thirty minutes until their demand to speak with Lelouch is met, we can't get close to the convention center because of that linear cannon that took out the decoy knightmare, and..." She trailed off but Rayne saw worry in her indigo eyes.

"Perhaps we can negotiate with them. If we can get Prince Lelouch out of there at least then that will help stop these executions," Guilford said.

Cornelia shook her head. "If we do something like that then all we are doing is legitimizing terrorism," she said firmly.

Besides, who's to say that Kusakabe won't just kill Lelouch should he find out Lelouch is that close to him? Rayne thought. Especially since I know Lelouch well enough to know that he will not give in to whatever demands Kusakabe has.

The door slid open and a soldier darted in, looking shocked. "Your Highness!" he said.

"What is it?" Cornelia asked.

"A vehicle is approaching us. It looks like a normal armored truck," the soldier said.

"Where is it coming from?"

"Mount Odake."

"Your Highness," Dimitri called. "We're being hailed. The channel's encrypted and it's voice only but should I put it through?"

"Put it through," Cornelia ordered.

The screen blanked and then a voice sounded. "Your Highness, it is a pleasure to speak with you," a calm voice with a Russian accent said.

"Who are you?" Cornelia demanded.

"I am Michal, leader of the Japanese Cell of the Liberators."

Shock rippled through the bridge and Rayne gasped, her eyes wide. "But...the Black Knights took you out at Sapporo," she exclaimed, forgetting for a moment just whose presence she was in.

"The Demon Prince may have succeeded in annihilating my cell but there were survivors and I have recreated my cell. Rest assured, I am not here to pick a fight with you. I don't approve of what the JLF is doing; they are going against the very rhetoric that the Liberators stand for. Therefore, we would like to offer our assistance, this time only, to you, Princess, to get the hostages out."

"What's in it for you? Why would the Liberators, who are Britannia's biggest enemy at the moment, actually help us?" Cornelia demanded.

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does! I am not letting you by until you tell me what it is you want and why you're really dong this."

"The longer you try to convince me to reveal my intentions, the smaller the chances of the survival of three of your siblings get. We know that Princess Euphemia, Princess Nunnally, and the Viceroy himself are among the hostages. Do you really think they're going to remain hidden forever?"

Cornelia growled but Rayne feared that Michal was right, especially considering that they were killing off hostages. If they reached Lelouch, or someone that Lelouch cared about, then it would be all over.

"I know that you don't trust me and I don't trust you. I fight to liberate Japan and all of the world from Britannia's tyranny but that does not mean that I can just let the JLF get away with this. I care little about you or about your siblings but I do understand that, in this situation, they are innocent."

Cornelia grounded her teeth together. "Fine. We will let you by," he said.

Guilford and everyone else looked at her in surprise.

"I thought as much. Good day, Princess." The sound fizzled out and Cornelia stood up, turning to Guilford.

"Order everyone to withdraw and allow the Liberators through. And gather the Glaston Knights. If I am right then we may be able to achieve three objectives at once."

What do you have planned? Rayne wondered silently.

. . .

Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel

Lelouch was tracking the three terrorists, watching as they made their rounds, and determining the best place to strike. If he could get close enough to them, and get all of the hostages out of his line of sight, then he could settle this matter. He could assure the safety of his little sister, best friend, friends, and the other hostages and confront Kusakabe, mostly to keep up appearances and ensure that this never happened again. Kusakabe had gone too far, especially with the killing of the hostage, and he was going to reap what he sowed.

He was thankful that the sunglasses hid his eyes because it prevented the terrorists from noticing that he was watching them and calculating the best possible strategy to use.

All those strategies flew out the window in the wake of what happened next though.

One of the terrorists moved a bit too close to Lelouch's group, causing a terrified Nina to gasp and stammer out, "A...An...Eleven."

"What the…? What did you just call me? We're Japanese, dammit!" The terrorist shouted, whirling around and pointing his shotgun at Nina causing her to jump.

Dammit, Nina, Lelouch thought. Nina may be a friend but her fear of Elevens was something that really didn't help the situation that they were in.

"We know that. Just lay off her," Milly protected, tightening her grip around Nina's shoulders.

"Well, then correct her. We're not Elevens!" The terrorist shouted.

"We will, okay?" Shirley snapped.

You two are not making this situation any better, Lelouch thought, frowning at the situation. He could see that it was spiraling out of control.

"Don't take that tone with me, you Britannian brat!" the terrorist snarled.

While he was saying that, Lelouch saw Nunnally shift toward Nina and gently take her hand in hers. "It's okay, Nina. Calm down," she said with a gentle smile. "Everything will be okay." She turned her gaze to the furious terrorist and added, "Can't we just calm down and let it go? It was simply a mistake after all."

It would be just like Nunnally to try to calm the situation but Lelouch knew that it wasn't going to work in his little sister's favor.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, you stupid Britannian!" The terrorist shouted, lashing out with his shotgun and Nunnally cried out in pain when the shotgun struck her, knocking her to the side.

Fury exploded through Lelouch and the only thing that stopped him from launching himself at the terrorist for daring to strike his little sister was Suzaku. Even Suzaku was shaking but it was clear that he had slipped into knight mode, the mode in which he was supposed to protect Lelouch. He obviously thought that if Lelouch attacked the terrorist then it would jeopardize his safety.

He was probably right.

"How dare you?" Adeline shouted and launched herself at the terrorist. The terrorist whirled around and fired. Cries of shock sounded and Adeline cried out in pain as she was sent tumbling back to the ground, blood gushing from the wound in her shoulder.

"You brats. You are our hostages and you will act like them," the terrorist snarled, slinging his shotgun over his back and, reaching down, he grabbed both Nina's and Nunnally's arms and yanked them way from the group.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Nina screamed, struggling violently to escape.

Nunnally tried to break free from the terrorist's grip but her face was white with terror.

Lelouch wrenched himself free from Suzaku and stood up. "Let them both go now!" he barked out in a commanding tone that caused everyone in the room to turn and look at him as one.

"Lelouch..." Suzaku whispered but he didn't try to stop him.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" the terrorist snapped.

Lelouch strode forward, removing his disguise. "I am Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Holy Empire of Britannia and Viceroy of Area 11," he said, locking eyes with the terrorist, activating his Geass. "And you will release those two girls, order your men to render medical attention for the girl that you shot, never harm anyone in this storeroom ever again and order your men to do the same, and take me to your leader."

The terrorist stiffened, his eyes widening as the red ring of Geass encircled his irises. "Fine then," he said, releasing both Nina and Nunnally. He gestured to the two men with him. "You, come with me. You, go and tend to that girl's injury and do not harm anyone else in this room. Is that clear?"

The two terrorists that had joined the leader exchanged glances but they saluted. "Yes, sir," they said.

The taller one that the lead terrorist had indicated moved forward while the shorter one left the storeroom only to return less than a minute later with a first aid kit.

"Well, let's get going, Viceroy. Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe will want to speak with you," the lead terrorist said, grabbing Lelouch's arm and gesturing to the taller man to bring up the rear.

"I insist that my knight be allowed to accompany me," Lelouch said flatly and locked eyes with the second terrorist, activating his Geass again. "And you will let my knight accompany me as well as hand over your weapon to him when we reach Kusakabe's location." He added the last part only loud enough for the two terrorists to hear, though he knew the first one wouldn't remember ever hearing that.

"Fine. The prince's knight will come with us. Everyone else. Stay here and be quiet," the second terrorist shouted, the ring of red around his irises.

Suzaku stood up and moved to Lelouch's side, removing his own disguise to show that he was, indeed, Lelouch's knight.

Lelouch cast a sidelong glance at his friends, looking mostly at his terrified little sister. "I will be all right," he reassured her. "Everything will be okay. Don't worry. You are all safe now." He turned and followed the two terrorists as they guided him out of the storeroom and Suzaku quickly fell into step beside him.

By the time they reached the office that Kusakabe had claimed as his own, the second terrorist stopped and, removing his gun, held it out toward Suzaku. Suzaku looked confused but, at Lelouch's nod, took it.

The first terrorist knocked on the door. "Lieutenant Colonel, we have Viceroy Lelouch vi Britannia hear to speak to you," he said.

"The Viceroy? You mean he was here this entire time? Send him in," Kusakabe ordered.

The terrorist opened the door and gestured for Lelouch to enter. Lelouch stage-whispered to Suzaku, "hide the gun and follow me" and stepped into the room. He didn't have to look to know that his knight was doing as he said.

Kusakabe hadn't changed at all. He still had a perpetual look of arrogance on his face and the disdain that he showed toward Lelouch was just as obvious now as it was seven years ago.

"Ah, Viceroy Lelouch, the Demon Prince. What a marvelous surprise," the Japanese man said with a smirk, his katana resting on his lap. "Had I known you were here from the very beginning, I wouldn't have bothered with contacting Princess Cornelia. You look well. And you as well, Kururugi. It has been a long time since I've seen you."

Suzaku's lips thinned but he said nothing.

"Save the pleasantries, Kusakabe. You have demands, I'm sure," Lelouch said blandly.

"Very well then," Kusakabe said. "There are prisoners that are being held by you Britannians and I want them to be released, unharmed, immediately." He gestured and one of his men walked forward to hand a folder to Lelouch.

Lelouch took it and flipped through the pages, lips curving into a frown. All of the prisoners that Kusakabe wanted released were dangerous and just as radical as Kusakabe seemed to be. They had been arrested because their radical terrorism had led to them making a mistake and Britannia was able to apprehend them. That incident had occurred while Lelouch had still been in Osaka but he still kept abreast of the situation as he was supposed to.

"So you will release them and I will release you, your knight, and the remaining hostages. Sounds a sound deal, no?" Kusakabe said.

"Perhaps. Tell me though, Kusakabe, what exactly do you plan on accomplishing with all of this?" Lelouch said, closing the folder and lowering it, fixing piercing amethyst eyes on Kusakabe.

"To gain attention, of course," Kusakabe exclaimed. "To show Britannia and the world that the Japanese are not dead yet."

"By killing innocent people?" Suzaku demanded.

"They're just Britannians, traitor. They're part of the country that destroyed our own but then you wouldn't understand anything about that, the son of the disgraced Prime Minister who committed suicide rather than fight against Britannia," Kusakabe sneered.

Suzaku flinched.

"Leave my knight out of this, Kusakabe," Lelouch said coolly.

"Yes, yes, of course," Kusakabe said. "Very well then. So you will release those prisoners now, correct?"

Lelouch placed the folder back on the table closest to him and clasped his hands behind his back. "I do not recall ever saying that I would agree to your demands," he said.

"What? But you said..." Kusakabe began.

"I believe I told you that I would listen to your demands. Did you hear me say that I would adhere to them?" Lelouch asked blandly.

Kusakabe snarled. "So you won't?"

"No."

"Then you'll die," Kusakabe snarled and, removing the katana from his scabbard, launched himself at Lelouch.

Suzaku reacted in an instant, whipping out the gun that had been given to him and firing a single shot that struck Kusakabe directly in the forehead.

"Suzaku, close your eyes, now!" Lelouch ordered.

Suzaku lowered the gun and closed his eyes tightly while Lelouch locked eyes with everyone else in the room that were moving their hands toward their weapons. He activated his Geass and hissed, "Die!"

Suzaku gasped but Lelouch ignored it as he watched the rest of Kusakabe's men do exactly as he ordered and turned their weapons upon themselves.

Once they were all dead, Lelouch deactivated his Geass and turned to his knight. "You can open your eyes now," he said.

"You...You...You killed them?" Suzaku whispered, opening his eyes and staring at Lelouch.

"They would have killed us if I hadn't. In this kind of situation, I had no choice," Lelouch said.

"B...But...you could have told them to surrender or something," Suzaku insisted, looking pale.

Lelouch hummed. "I suppose I could have," he said.

He wouldn't apologize for what he did and he knew that Suzaku knew that. His words were probably the closest that Suzaku was going to get to an actual apology and he knew that just as well.

"Just...my prince, please don't do that again?" Suzaku said. It was more of a question.

Lelouch studied his best friend and finally inclined his head. "I will try, unless there are no other alternatives. Will that suffice?" he said.

Suzaku sighed. "I guess it's gotta," he said but it was clear he still wasn't happy with what happened.

. . .

Kallen quickly guided the hostages toward Tamaki and Inoue who was escorting them to the life rafts that were waiting at the base of the hotel. As she did so, she looked around and, while she had caught sight of Nunnally in an instant—she was being carried on Adeline's back near the back of the crowd of hostages—she saw no sign of the prince or his knight, which further confirmed the other hostages' words.

When Kallen and her group had arrived to secure the hostages, as per Michal's orders, one of the first things they'd heard was about how Prince Lelouch had revealed his identity to protect two of the girls that the terrorists were threatening. Kallen had no doubt that one of those girls was Nunnally; she was the only one that Kallen saw Lelouch revealing his identity to save. She may not know him that well but that was the feeling that she got from what she did know about him.

But that also meant that he and Kururugi were likely with Kusakabe. She had already informed Michal, who was heading toward Kusakabe's location with Reyes and Ohgi, about that fact but he hadn't gotten back to her. Considering that they were running on limited time, Kallen wasn't too surprised.

She was thankful that the new uniform the Liberators had given her also came with a hat and a mask that hid her face. The Student Council members would recognize her in an instant and that would blow her cover; she wouldn't be able to return to Ashford Academy if that happened. It was also easy to move in and not that hot, despite the fact that it covered her entire body like a bodysuit.

"Keep moving. We're on a tight schedule," Tamaki shouted at the hostages.

"Be a little more sensitive, would you?" Inoue said curtly.

"Well, I don't wanna be here when things go to hell in a hand basket," Tamaki retorted.

"Things haven't gone to hell in a hand basket yet?" Adeline, who was just passing by Kallen, echoed.

"Oh be quiet and just move," Tamaki growled in irritation.

"Yeah, yeah. Nunna, you okay?" Adeline asked the quiet girl on her back.

"I'm worried about Big Brother," Nunnally whispered. "Is he...gonna be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Adeline reassured the sandy-brown haired girl. She shifted her grip on Nunnally and started walking against. A pink-haired girl that Kallen was positive was Euphie, Rai, and Shirley came next with Milly bringing up the rear of the group of hostages guiding a quietly stunned but still shaking Nina at her side.

The communicator around Kallen's ear buzzed. "Status on the securing of the hostages?" Michal said.

Kallen turned her communicator on and, waiting until Milly and Nina were out of earshot, said, "All the hostages have made it to the evacuation point and are being escorted to the rafts as we speak."

"Good work. We will be joining you shortly," Michal said.

"And the prince and his knight?"

"We have them," Michal said.

"Quite struggling. We aren't going to harm you or your prince," Reyes's voice exclaimed in the background before he grunted and started cursing in Spanish.

"I don't trust you. Unhand my prince," Kururugi's voice snapped.

"He's not harmed."

"You knocked him out!"

"..."

Kallen sweatdropped.

"We're just trying to get you out of here, no strings attached," Michal said in an attempt to placate the struggling Knight of Honor.

"I don't believe that for a second. How do I know you're not working with Nightfall?" Kururugi demanded.

"I'd sooner stab my eyes out with a spoon than work with that crazy bastard," Reyes said.

"We do not work with him," Michal said reassuringly.

The snort of disbelief told Kallen that the Knight didn't believe that. "If you really are just trying to get us out of here then let me carry my prince," Kururugi said finally.

"Very well. Bush?"

"Right." Embarrassment colored Ohgi's tone; he had been granted that nickname due to Reyes's rather weird sense of humor and it just stuck.

There was silence for a moment before Michal's voice came back. "We are nearing your location, Red Queen. Wait for us just inside the building," he said.

"Roger," Kallen said and turned off the communicator before turning to Inoue and Tamaki who'd walked back to join her. "Michal and Reyes are almost here. They told me to wait for them so go ahead and we'll meet you at the rendezvous."

Tamaki and Inoue nodded and left the hotel.

A few minutes later, Reyes and Michal walked over to join them with an irritated Kururugi and a semi-conscious and equally as irritated Prince Lelouch just behind him. The latter was walking, though he was holding his head and giving Reyes a look that clearly conveyed just how much he didn't like Reyes at that moment. Both of them didn't look harmed, though there were some splatters of blood on the casual clothing that they were wearing.

"Red Queen," Michal greeted Kallen.

"Michal," Kallen replied, lowering her voice in the hope of making it unrecognizable.

Judging by the way Prince Lelouch's inquisitive eyes studied her, it wasn't working.

Michal turned to face Prince Lelouch and Kururugi and bowed to the prince "Goodbye, Your Highness. Perhaps we shall meet again," Michal said and, gesturing to Reyes, headed deeper into the hotel. "Red Queen, escort the prince and his knight to the raft."

"Roger," Kallen said and gestured for Prince Lelouch and Suzaku to follow her as she led the way out of the hotel.

. . .

G1 Mobile Base, Shore of Lake Kawaguchi

Cornelia watched as the blank screen in front of her came to life with static and then, to her surprise, the crest of the Liberators appeared in front of the static. She noticed that it looked different but only slightly; the U was in front of the crossed swords. She didn't know why the crest had changed but then she wasn't entirely sure why the crest was being broadcast as it was. This wasn't a personal call; this was being broadcast worldwide.

"Citizens of Area 11 and people of the world," Michal's voice echoed from the static, sound clear despite the slight static in the background. "I am Michal and I am a member of the United Liberators! Today, we have accomplished what Britannia has failed to do; not only have we rescued the innocent hostages that were being held by the ruthless forces of Lieutenant Colonel Josei Kusakabe but we also rendered justice for the lives that Kusakabe's men were putting in danger. Kusakabe is dead and he died by our hands!"

"Find out where this is coming from now," Cornelia ordered.

"I'll see what I can do," Duncan said and his fingers began running rapidly across the keyboard in front of him.

"We killed him because, though we fight for the same cause, he refused to see that the lives of the innocent are not just bargaining tools, they should not be used to further one's own agenda! That is the core principle we Liberators adhere to. We will not sanction the murder of the innocent, the killing of those who cannot fight back, and we will fight against that, even if it means going against those who seek to fulfill the same goal as we, but our true fight is against Britannia."

"We have said this before, in many Areas since we were created, and we shall say it again here today, once again before the whole world. We fight to liberate the world from the tyranny of Britannia. We fight for the people who cannot. We fight for the weak being oppressed by the strong. We fight for the poor oppressed by the rich. We fight for the commoners look down upon by the nobility. We fight for the Numbers looked down upon by the Britannians. We fight for those who have no choice. We fight for those who are forced to do the bidding of others. We fight for those who are powerless."

. . .

Raft, Lake Kawaguchi

They're taking credit for what I did? Hmm. Lelouch turned his gaze to the hotel as the words of the Liberator echoed around them. But…Lelouch would never admit it out loud but a few of the Liberator's statements resonated deeply within him because he understood them.

. . .

G1 Base, Shore of Lake Kawaguchi

"We fight for those who see the truth. We fight for those who understand the lies of Britannia," Michal's voice went on, voice growing stronger and stronger and Cornelia gritted her teeth.

He had a passionate way of speaking and, while his tone and words did not quite exude the charisma that Lelouch or Schneizel exuded, he was definitely close.

"I can't pinpoint where it's coming from, Your Highness," Duncan said, lifting his head from his computer. "It's being bounced through several different signal towers and it's encrypted as well. I might be able to break the encryption but tracing it back, while probable, is not something that I can do without more time."

"Do what you can," Cornelia said.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Listen to me, Britannians, Numbers, everyone in the entire world! We are the United Liberators. We have spoken to you before and we speak to you now. No matter how you view us, as saviors or as bringers of destruction, as terrorists or as freedom fighters, we will continue to fight. We will not stop our fight no matter what. Our words have echoed throughout the world before and so shall they echo around the world again! People of the World, we shall Liberate this world from the tyranny that oppresses it!"

. . .

Throne Room, Pendragon

"Impressive speech," Schneizel el Britannia mused, listening to the words of the Liberator as he studied the static and the crest of the Liberators, also taking into his thoughts the change made to the crest. "Even if it is identical to the one they gave seven years ago, it is still quite well spoken."

"They are a nuisance," Emperor Charles zi Britannia said flatly, his purple eyes locked on the screen. "And they are stubborn but it's clear that they are still in Area 11."

"We did believe that there were two cells who infiltrated Area 11 and, according to Lelouch, there were a couple of survivors from Sapporo," Schneizel said. "Therefore, it is either the survivors have remade their lost cell or the second cell has made their move."

"Can you confirm that there are two cells?"

"No, Your Majesty, but I can contact Lelouch and General Andon, they may be able to confirm themselves," Schneizel said.

"Then do so, Schneizel."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

"But first, what is the situation in the EU?"

"There has been a limited number of terrorist operations since news of the Liberators defeat at Sapporo reached them. However, I have been in contact with Marrybell. She says that the terrorist group known as Peace Mark is the only one that seems to be doing anything but it's not attacks; it's mostly raids for supplies and they seem more of a support group than a fighting group. One of her Glinda Knights did intercept a communication however; according to the leader, the leader of Peace Mark, Oz, has set up a meeting with the leader of the Liberators but it's unclear of when the meeting is supposed to take place."

"So the only terrorist organization in the EU that is still causing mischief is attempting to ally themselves with the Liberators? Hmm. Keep an eye on the EU; this Peace Mark may be the first in a long line of smaller organizations seeking to join with the Liberators."

"As you command, Your Majesty. It would prove an even bigger nuisance if the Liberators gain more power than they already have. This same speech is what caused the Liberators to grow in size seven years ago. Why they are using it now, I do not know though," Schneizel said.

Charles turned to him. "And what do you believe will happen as a result of this?" he said.

"I believe that there is a chance that what happened seven years ago will happen again."

"That will not do. I want you to return to the EU and negotiate with the President of the EU and continue keeping the EU away from our borders. You will also inform Marrybell that she is to track down Peace Mark immediately and destroy them. Also, contact our resident Demon Prince; I want him to focus his attention on eradicating the Liberators in Area 11. He is to assume full command of the 11th Division in Area 11 immediately. Dismissed."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Schneizel bowed, hiding his small smirk. Exactly as I thought he would say and this will greatly help our cause. By giving Lelouch full command of the 11th Division, the Emperor has just handed all of Area 11 to Lelouch on a silver platter, he thought. Hiding his smirk behind an emotionless mask, Schneizel straightened up and, inclining his head respectfully to the Emperor, he turned and left the throne room.

. . .

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: DON'T KILL ME!

Bakura: why would they kill you? It wasn't a cliffhanger this time

Lelouch: probably because it's been two months exactly since she last updated

Suzaku: that is likely it

Blaze: sorry but I started rewatching Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V and started writing my own ARC-V story and...well...it kinda just distracted me

Bakura: no surprise there. Will we have to wait two months for the next update?

Blaze: no. I'm going to try to get it up by Sunday. I make no promises but I will try for Sunday.

Lelouch: what's the next chapter about?

Blaze: well, you know that enemy who last made an actual physical appearance in ch. 26?

Lelouch: ah and…?

Blaze: why must you assume there's an 'and'?

Lelouch: when it comes to you, there being an 'and' is almost always a given

Blaze: true. Well, let's just say a canon character will make an appearance earlier than in canon

Lelouch: what else?

Blaze: I have to rework a few things since some things might not make much sense, or be realistic, but I may just keep it as is if I can't figure out a more realistic alternative. Oh and go ahead and end the chapter, Lelouch

Lelouch: very well. Blaze hopes that you enjoyed this chapter and, as usual, reviews are much appreciated