It has been far, far too long, folks.

So, I'm not here to make excuses. I been gone for a while, and I feel shitty about that, but I did have my reasons. Anyway, I'm back, and I'm going to try to get back on a weekly update schedule. Not on a set day every week, but at least one chapter every week. That's the plan.

When I last posted a chapter, I confessed that I was really just lost- that I didn't know what to do next. In the intervening couple of months, I have drawn up timelines, I have brainstormed, I have planned, and I am ready to carry this story to its conclusion. If reading that sentence made you scared, don't worry- we got at LEAST 15 more chapters before we're through, and this is just Act 1. Act 2... well, I'm not fully planned there, we'll see how it goes. Reassess once Act 1 is done.

I want to take a moment to thank my readers, you guys, for your continuing support. In the time that I was gone, can you guess how many messages I got from angry readers, pissed that I'd just stopped updating? ...Give up? None. Not a single one. I got plenty of messages asking if I was okay, and hoping to see me back soon, but not a single reader got uppity at me, or demanding. You guys are really classy folks, and I really, really appreciate it. This one's for you.

I'm also posting Side Story 7 at the same time- for those of you who aren't familiar with the Side Stories, I'll do a quick refresher- they're little episodes from the perspective of other characters in the story. So it's the same story, the same universe, just other people. They aren't necessary to understand Armed Resistance- you can skip them and be totally fine just reading the main story- but if you like the universe, and want more, I recommend them. Plus, there is plenty of information that is ONLY in the Side Stories- it just never comes up in the main story. Today's chapter? Let's just say that if you're wondering what Suzaku's up to, you might be entertained.

Chapter 35... dig in.

I stared across the table at Kyoshiro Tohdoh, who was staring back at me. It had been a few hours since he'd contacted us, asking for our aid. He hadn't offered many details over radio, for fear of eavesdropping- only that he and the Holy Swords had taken some people under their protection, and then found themselves inadequate to defend them. The wake-up call that they couldn't handle it came about the time the Four Holy Swords went down to three- they lost a member in the fighting. They shook off their Britannian pursuers long enough to call us for help, and we sent in the cavalry, and pulled their asses out of the fire. Then we sat down here, to talk. That was about five minutes ago.

Finally, Tohdoh cleared his throat. "I thought you would be in your... armor," he stated, gesturing at me.

I glanced down at my clothes- I was wearing a simple black kimono that Karen had bought for me, as a gift. "My battle armor is just that- for battle," I answered simply. "It's only necessary when I am to appear more... publicly. It's overkill for when I'm just dealing with things around the base."

There was another silence. Tohdoh shifted in his seat, and the shift caused the handle of his katana to move into the light. That katana... that's the sword Colonel Kusakabe wore. The one he stabbed me with... and the one I subsequently handed over to Tohdoh. In return, Tohdoh had given me a sword of my own- a black and blue katana that I wore on my hip practically all the time these days. He wears the sword of a terrorist and kidnapper to this meeting... I can't imagine it's anything but an intentional insult. I narrowed my eyes, but since I was wearing goggles, he couldn't possibly have noticed.

"I hope the last few months have seen you well-" I began, but Tohdoh raised a hand, and I stopped, frowning.

"Zero, let's dispatch with the pleasantries. I don't trust you, and you know that. But I asked for your assistance, and I did so knowing that there would be a price attached to them. I didn't ask that price because I wasn't in a position to negotiate. Whatever you had in mind... we will pay it. If you want our Knightmares, they are yours. If you want our service, it is yours. A debt repaid," said Tohdoh, lowering his head slightly with distaste.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and then released it, and opened them. "A price?" I repeated, my voice betrayed my suppressed anger. "A price. I offer you aid in your time of need, no questions asked, not ensuring that it won't be too much for my own men to handle before I do so, and you come in here, wearing the sword of a kidnapper and a terrorist," I snarled, and Tohdoh's eyes widened, "and then you have the audacity to ask me my price? Like I am a mercenary, like I am a whore? Draw. Your. Sword."

Tohdoh's face paled. "Zero, I did not-" he began, but I did not let him finish.

"You did not intend to insult me to this degree? No, Tohdoh, you only intended to insult me a little. Just a little, not enough to truly anger me. You didn't want to spit that much on my hospitality. Draw your sword, coward. I will draw mine regardless."

"What... did you call me?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"I called you a coward, and I should have called you a fool as well," I spat. "Draw your sword. This is your final warning."

"No," he answered, shaking his head. In an instant, I leapt forward, pulling my sword from its shealth, and slashed at him. Tohdoh jumped out of his chair just in time, and my blade bit into the leather.

"Draw," I demanded again, my eyes gleaming. "I have no armor, I have not extended my helmet. I have no advantage here. It is just me, you, and our swords. Your men aren't here for you to be an example to. My men aren't here to interfere. Draw."

I slashed again, and this time he drew his sword, blocking the strike. "You are making a mistake," hissed Tohdoh. "I am not your enemy here!"

"Is that so?" I asked, stepping back and circling, looking for an opening. "My stated 'enemies' have shown me more courtesy than you have today. Forgive me if I'm having trouble with the distinction!" I lunged again, snapping a diagonal slash at his shoulder, which he swiftly parried, and backed away from. "I have been patient, Tohdoh!" I continued. "I've helped you when you needed it- sent you aid several times over the last few months while you and your Swords ran around like fools, getting nothing done. I accepted that you couldn't follow me so long as you couldn't trust me. But you have to choose, Tohdoh!

"You can't just leech off my resources, and then spit in my face! You can either work with me or not! You don't get it both ways!" Tohdoh stabbed at my arm and I knocked his sword aside with a slap, and then countered with a slash, which he parried. "For all your talk about things that are more important than the individual, you're doing a hell of a lot of standing on your own damn pride!"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand my honor," sneered Tohdoh, and our blades met again in a flash of steel. "It must be a foreign concept to you."

I slashed hard, and when he blocked the blow, it staggered him, but he recovered before I could follow up. "The Japanese aren't the only ones who care about honor, you self-centered jackass," I snarled. "We're fighting, right now, because of honor! Because I'm tired of you scorning mine!" I shuffled forward, and tried for a vertical slash, which he blocked. I leaned into the sword, trying to overpower him, and he did the same, our blades meeting in a lock. "I am willing to put aside my personal pride to get things done! This is true! And it's a skill you never seem to have mastered! But I've had enough. Your services aren't worth the amount of shit you spew!"

"You think I can't set aside my honor to get things done? You think the only reason I'm not with you is because I don't like you, Zero?" he spat. "Trust is not the same as like! I and my Swords do not serve you because I don't believe that you will save this land! I don't believe that's your goal!"

"Then what is my goal, o wise leader? What purpose have I gathered all these men and women together for, what is my diabolical plan?" I demanded.

"I don't know!" shouted Tohdoh. "I don't know, and that's what worries me! That's what scares me! You have all these weapons, all these men, and I don't even know how you're going to use them! You'll reclaim Japan, maybe, and then what? Your army won't just disappear! Your followers won't just stop following! You'll still have this force, and it's anyone's guess what you'll do with it! One thing I'm sure of, you won't just use it to lock down the borders!"

We both shoved as hard as we could, and repelled each other, sliding away. I came to a stop, and leveled my sword, its steel catching the light with a gleam. "And what does that matter?" I snapped.

Tohdoh blinked, hesitating. "...What?"

"What does it matter what I do after?" I repeated. "Why should you care? I will have freed Japan, you can be damn sure I'm not just going to hand it back over to Britannia! And you know full well that I have no interest in running it! So why don't you say, 'I'll follow you until Japan is free, and then I will stay here'? Why can't you make a temporary ally instead of a permanent enemy?"

His eyes darkened. "And why should I stoop to following a man who doesn't have Japan's interest at heart? Why should I be a... an opportunist," he said, spitting the word like it was a curse, "rather than an honorable warrior? And what makes you so damn sure that you'll win? How can I be certain you won't just give up when Britannia hands you a major defeat?"

We both broke into a run, and our swords met in a shower of sparks. I brought my blade back around, slashing viciously, and he blocked, and countered more quickly than I could have anticipated. I got my sword in the way of the slash, but I wasn't ready for the impact, and the blow sent my sword flying through the air. It soared, and then thunked into the middle of the table, sticking there with its handle in the air. "You are beaten, yield!" demanded Tohdoh.

"Fuck. That," I snarled, and I lunged forward, my eyes burning with rage. I felt Tohdoh's sword draw a burning line across my face, cutting my goggles down the middle, and as he stopped the blade, preparing to slash again, I shoved my shoulder forward, taking the point of the blade. The blade pierced my shoulder, and I was aware of intense pain, but through my anger, it didn't bother me. With my other hand, I formed a fist, and smashed it viciously into Tohdoh's jaw.

He fell to the ground with a gasp, and didn't get up. I pulled his sword from my shoulder with a hiss of pain as my anger slowly drained away, and lowered it to point at his throat. "That is how you know I won't just give up," I told him, blood dripping from my face and shoulder. "I don't get demoralized when I'm in a corner. I get angry."

Tohdoh stared up at me for a few moments, his gaze fixed on my face. "...I yield," he answered quietly.

There was a long pause as we were both still, him lying on the ground, and I standing over him with his sword in my hand, staring into each others eyes. Unlike others, he did not break away at my gaze, he met it, but as he did, I saw the emotion in his eyes change. They were... unreadable. Complicated. There was a lot going on in his mind at the moment.

I took a long, deep breath, and then lifted the katana away from his throat. In one smooth motion, I snatched up the sheath from where Tohdoh had let it fall, and slid the sword in with a clack. "Rise, Tohdoh," I told him. Slowly, Tohdoh came to his feet. I watched him for a moment, and then looked away. "You're too Japanese, Tohdoh."

There was a momentary sharp silence from the man. "...What does that mean?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

I sighed. "Japan is a fine nation, but it lost to Britannia for a reason. Not just military might. A stubbornness of mind. A strict adherence to tradition. Commanders knew that their tactics were failing, but would not change them, because that would be a shameful admission of failure on their part." Tohdoh did not respond. "Britannian thinking is hardly superior, of course. That's not my point. My point is... at a certain point, you have to let go of your nation's beliefs, and develop your own. Let Japan's values shape your own, but don't let them be your own."

"There are those who would call that treason, Zero- to abandon the beliefs of the land that fathered you," answered Tohdoh.

I glanced at him sharply. "Treason is allowing your nation to be destroyed because you can't admit you were wrong. Treason is declining an ally who could help you win the war because you don't like the color of his skin."

Fire burned in Tohdoh's eyes for an instant. "That's not what this is about!" he declared angrily. "This isn't about your blood!"

"Then what is it about, Tohdoh?" I demanded, my eyes narrowed.

Tohdoh opened his mouth, and then closed it, and lowered his head. "...I don't know," he answered quietly. "I don't know. It's an... intangible thing, whenever I am around you. Like there's something right on the corner of my vision that moves every time I try to look at it. There's something about you, Zero. Something about you that makes me fear where you'll be in a few years. You've built a revolutionary army in a matter of months, one that can fight Britannia on even footing and win.

"Some people can't imagine what you could do given years, rather than months. I can, and it terrifies me." He shook his head. "I told you, at Narita... that there were all these names for you. Zero, Prince of Elevens, Black King, Mask, Hope... and none of them fit. You're not Hope. You're not a King. You're a demon, you're a destroyer... you're a man who rules by force of presence. More like Britannia's Emperor than anything else."

My already narrowed eyes shrank to slits. "Do not," I hissed, "compare me to that man again."

Silence fell over us as we both realized we were a few sharp words away from dueling again. Tohdoh looked away, and I took a deep breath. As I did so, my vision went dark for a moment, and I stumbled. I bit back a curse. Tohdoh watched with concern as I sank into a chair. "Maybe... we should talk about this later," he suggested. "You're losing a fair bit of blood..."

I shook my head. "We need to finish this now," I declared. "We're not putting this off, we're not waiting until this is convenient." I glared at him steadily. "No more time to think, Tohdoh. You've had months. It's time to choose. Are you going to fight, or are you going to stand and watch? Those are your options. Join the biggest movement to save Japan, or watch it stumble and fall without involving yourself. It's not the organization you would want for yourself, but you will never get exactly what you want. The JLF had the leadership you wanted, but not the power you needed. Nothing is perfect. Choose."

Tohdoh stared up at me for a few moments, and then nodded- but gently. "You're right, of course," he admitted. "This is bigger than me. This is bigger than you. This is about Japan, and you are its best hope. Even if I don't trust you completely, you're the best chance we will ever have for victory. I don't think I could ever trust someone of your intelligence in a position of power completely. My Swords and I are with you."

I held out my hand, and he took it, shaking it. "The Sword that fell in the fighting... who was it?" I asked quietly.

"Ryoga Senba," answered Tohdoh simply.

I nodded. Ryoga had been the oldest member of the Swords by far, both crafty and talented. But age had taken its toll- even if it was only slight, his reflexes hadn't been quite as fast as they once were. Presumably, that had led to his death. "Did you recover the body?" He nodded. "We'll do a service. He deserves that. And more."

The man took a deep breath. "Thank you... but we have other priorities right now. Let's get you to your medbay." He stepped up to the communicator on the wall, and pressed a button.

Nothing happened. He pressed another, and frowned. "Hmmm..." he mused, staring at it.

"Oh for the love of god," I groaned. I pushed him aside, and reached for the communicator. "Zulu requests medical assistance in Meeting Room Alpha, please." I turned to Tohdoh. "There. Was that so hard?" I asked, my vision starting to darken.

Tohdoh stared at me with concern. "You... are looking quite unwell. Do you want to sit down?"

"Just let me slip into something a little more comfortable..." I mumbled. "Like shock." Then I hit the floor, unconscious.

I seem to do that a lot.

I woke up in the Imperial Garden once more- the realm of my mind. The table was as it was when Mao had "visited" before- a bunch of chairs pulled up to it, and in each one, a person- a representative of elements of my mind. Clovis, my sense of responsibility. Cornelia, my anger. Nunnally, my affection. Odysseus, my sympathy. Schneizel, my manipulativeness (or, as he would prefer to be called, "resourcefulness"). And Emperor Lelouch... my hatred.

"Well," declared the Emperor with a shark's smile, "it's about time you showed that arrogant fool who's boss. You should have gone further, but still... well done. I was very tired of his bullshit."

"I still don't feel comfortable with him following us," sighed Clovis. "We did make General Tatewaki kill himself, after all. Whether or not that was a good call is irrelevant, but what is relevant is that we're now using his right-hand man as our own. It... bothers me."

The Emperor grinned wickedly. "Spoils of war, Clovis. We won him. He is ours now."

"The way you talk about people as things always creeps me out, Emperor," declared Cornelia with a shake of her head. "Even when you have a good point, you have to be all... weird about it."

I folded my hands. "This is the second time I have willingly called a meeting here. I have not done so to discuss the value of Tohdoh... though I am glad to have him with us. We have bigger problems."

Schneizel smiled. "We need to play cartographer, do we not? To draw a map for the future- how we will retake Japan."

I nodded. "Precisely. We have the power, we have the support. We need to act. We've fought Britannia in some significant military engagements, but it's just been whittling away each other's numbers. Thoughts?"

"The best action would be to take Kyoto," suggested Nunnally with a nod. "It is an ancient city, very near to the heart of the Japanese people. It would be a significant victory strategically and symbolically."

"A good idea from the cripple," noted the Emperor disdainfully. "Color me surprised."

"Britannia's control network is very centralized," added Schneizel. "Almost everything of importance is in Tokyo. We take Kyoto, establish ourselves there, and then hit Tokyo, and the country is ours. The rest would just be cleanup."

I frowned. "That seems... too simple. You're making it sound like even Kyoto is an unnecessary step."

Schneizel gave a sort of shrugging motion. "Kyoto is important as a testing ground, so that we may ensure that Tokyo goes as smoothly as possible. We have never conquered a city before. There will be complications. It is best to discover what they will be before the final showdown." He shook his head gently. "Where to hit isn't the real question we need to ask. What we need to ask is how we will fight the Knights of the Round."

Cornelia nodded. "Twelve of them. Whereas we have Karen, Rivalz, C.C., Tohdoh, and the Four- or rather, Three Holy Swords. Oh, and you, of course," she added, nodding at me. "So that's eight on twelve. I've seen worse odds, but the numbers don't really put me at ease. Plus, we only have four machines that can rival theirs anyway."

I sighed in disappointment. "Rakshata and Lloyd are good, but I doubt even they can come up with four new Frames before it comes time to fight Britannia."

"They don't need to," shrugged Schneizel. "They need to come up with one, and make it four times. That's how the Swords have always fought- all using the same sort of Frame. We don't need to be the Knights of the Round in order to fight them. We don't need every Frame to be unique and special. We just need them to be powerful enough to fight."

"Perhaps, then, we just need to put our faith in Shirley," suggested Odysseus.

Clovis shifted uncomfortably. "I think it's important that we trust and support her, but it's a little much to expect her to come back with a solution to all our problems, Odysseus."

The bearded man shook his head. "She doesn't need to give us that much of an edge, you guys. You're not thinking about this the right way. She just needs to give us a little push."

Cornelia frowned. "'A little push' won't even the odds with twelve state-of-the-art Frames, Odysseus."

"We won't be facing twelve state-of-the-art Frames," explained Odysseus patiently. "Don't forget that we're not the center of the universe. Britannia couldn't afford to send all twelve Knights at us at once. The moment they did, China or the European Union would hit them. They can send ten. Maybe. That's assuming they only leave one Knight to handle each of the other Empires, which seems rather on the low side."

I blinked. "He's right. I don't know why we didn't think of that before... but we're not Britannia's only problem, and they can't respond to us in full force because of that." A grin slowly spread across my face. "We can do this. We can actually do this."

"There is a lot left to plan, Lelouch-" began Schneizel.

"I'm sure I don't require the full council to figure it all out, Schneizel, but thank you," I answered. "Meeting adjourned."

At this point, I was so accustomed to waking up in hospital beds that it wasn't even alarming. It took a moment for my eyes to focus, and then I saw Dr. Tohsaka standing over me, writing on a clipboard.

"Since you are about to ask, it is seven thirty-seven p.m., and it is still Monday, December 15th, 2017," she declared without looking up from her papers. "Your condition is quite good, I expect you'll be able to walk again in half an hour or so. You lost a fair bit of blood, but that's pretty much it, as far as real danger goes. We got more blood in you and cleaned up the wound. Your shoulder's going to be spotty for a while, but it should function. Also, you're going to have a real pretty scar across your face from the slash across the nose. That's all, though."

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you... doctor. You must have worked very fast."

A smile quirked at the corner of her mouth. "When I heard that the two of you were meeting alone, I knew enough to get started prepping a bed. I was certain one of you would need it."

As much as I didn't care for the logic, it was hard to argue with her when she had clearly been right. "Where's Tohdoh?" I asked, instead of arguing.

"He's locked up, for the moment. Pretty much everyone can guess what happened, but without you to corroborate his version of events, we weren't going to take chances with a man who stabbed our commander," answered Tohsaka. "He's being treated well, and he's a patient man. I wouldn't worry about it, just see him when you're ready." She slipped her pen in her pocket, and headed for the door. She pulled it open, and then paused. "Oh, and one more thing, Zero... you've already gotten the speech about being more careful in general, and you didn't so much follow it, so I'll set that aside. Just don't get yourself really hacked up. Prosthetics really aren't that fun, unless you're a man like Lloyd." Then she stepped outside, and after a moment, Karen stepped in.

"How are you feeling, Lelouch?" she asked quietly.

"Slightly uncertain as to why I keep making a pincushion of myself, but otherwise fine," I answered wryly. I flexed my injured arm, and winced as pain shot up my arm. "I guess Tohsaka didn't give me any painkillers."

"She gave you a little, Lelouch, but both she and I think you could probably use the negative feedback," she smiled grimly. "It's not like people are suddenly attacking you, you know. You're doing your damndest to provoke them."

"Or them to provoke me. But that's not really important, I guess," I shrugged, staring at her face. She looked strained and tired, and I frowned slightly. "Is something the matter? Other than, well, the obvious."

She hesitated. "Nothing... major, I just... it's nothing," she said dismissively, but I knew her too well for that.

"Karen. It's you and me. It's Lelouch, not Zero. What's the matter?" I asked softly.

She shook her head. "That's the problem. If I tell you... well, then it becomes a matter for Zero. It's bigger than a personal thing... sort of."

I leaned back. "Why don't you just tell me, and we decide what to do?"

Karen stared at me gently for a few moments, and then sighed. "It's... my mom, Zero. You remember her?"

I did. "She is serving a sentence for Refrain possession, right?" I asked, and she nodded. "I understand that you would-" I began, and then I froze. Oh, god. "...Of course," I said quietly, lowering my head. "If Britannia realized the connection between you two..."

She nodded miserably. "I... this is why I didn't want to tell you. This isn't a problem that can be talked away, but it wouldn't be right, using the Black Knights to solve my personal problems. But she's in a Britannian jail right now, and it seems like it's only a matter of time before they try to use her to... to get to me."

I sat quietly for a few moments. I cared about Karen, a lot. I wasn't sure if I loved her- the word "love" seemed pretty alien to me, a concept oft mentioned, rarely seen- but she was very important to me. I wanted to help her any way I could... but it would be really, really stupid to do a prison raid for one person. It would be a lot of danger for personal reasons, and it would likely tip Britannia off as to Karen's involvement on the off chance that they hadn't figured it out themselves. I took a deep breath. "I'll make some calls, Karen. I'll see what we can do. There might be a more quiet way of getting her out."

She didn't meet my gaze, but instead focused on her hands. "I... I won't hold you to that, Lelouch. We... we have to save Japan first. That's our priority. Personal isn't the same as important."

We were both silent for a few moments, and then she stood, and left. When did that become true? It used to be that personal was the only thing that was important. My personal ambitions, my goal for revenge... what's important now? We say "Japan", but at least in the beginning, that was an excuse. That was what I told others, because if I said "so I can kill my father," they wouldn't have gone along with it.

Is that still what it is? Am I still just after my father, or is it something more now? ...Tohdoh was certain that I wouldn't stop after Japan was free. Will I? Will that be enough? Idly, I reached into my pocket for my knife, to flick it open and closed, but it wasn't there. I frowned. Tohsaka must have set it and my other personal items aside.

How long had I had that knife? I had bought it a few days after Nunnally died. After the funeral, after Mr. Ashford had sat up with me, helping me have an outlet for my grief, I had finally fallen asleep, and woken up the next day feeling... tense. Like I was waiting for something to happen. It took me a while to realize that I was just waiting for a chance... a chance to get my revenge. On Britannia, on the Emperor, on the whole family. And in the meantime, I prepared for what needed to be done. Saved what money I could. And bought myself a knife.

A gun, that was too dangerous. If I got caught carrying a gun, any number of bad things could happen, but certainly my plans to destroy Britannia would grind to a halt. But a knife... that was okay. That was legal. Butterfly knives, they were a little more of a grey area, but with a clean record, you could get away with it. So I went out on a Sunday, and spent all afternoon finding the perfect knife. Slim, strong, good balance, smooth action. Since then, I've had to clean and sharpen it fairly regularly, but it's served me in good stead.

There were two important things about a knife. One, it was only as good as the man behind it. If you wielded a knife, especially a butterfly knife, without knowing what you were doing, and you'd only hurt yourself. Two, and this was true of any weapon... it was just a tool. A means to an end. It only did what you made it do.

But that wasn't the case with people. Wasn't the case with the Black Knights. They had minds of their own, and when I gave them orders, there was always a chance that they would say no. The rebellion we'd gone through- ha, the Black Knights called it Black Wednesday- proved that. Former JLF members who decided that they didn't like the orders I was giving. And were they wrong? Their main issue had been Cornelia, and my identity- both issues that I had mishandled. The rebellion inspired me to fix them. To make them right.

And people are different in another way... you had an obligation to them in return. Their service was as much a weight as it was an aid. You couldn't just use them however. You could manipulate them, sure. But in doing so, you owed them something. Even if you didn't know it... you were taking their lives in your hands. Japan, I thought. I owe them Japan. They have served me faithfully. I'm not going to stop with Japan... but I won't ask them to follow me past it. That's where I draw the line.

I picked up the phone on the side table, and told them to bring me Tohdoh. It was time for another talk.

I watched Tohdoh thoughtfully as he stepped into the room, and he did the same. He sank into a chair, and after a moment, he said, "You look like a man who's come to a conclusion."

I nodded gently. "I have, and so I thought it a good time for us to work some things out."

Tohdoh raised an eyebrow. "Organizational matters?"

I waved a hand. "That stuff is easy. First, we need to deal with your obligations. When you and the Swords came to us, you were protecting a transport. Men, women, and a few children. What is their story?"

"They are the surviving members of the Kyoto Group, and their families. You probably have not heard..." He closed his eyes. "Britannia raided the headquarters at Mt. Fuji last week. It was a massacre. Only these few were able to make it out, and they are still being hunted."

I sat up straighter in alarm. "Did Ki- the chairman make it out?" I asked, amending the name quickly. Very few knew the chairman's identity, so likely the name wouldn't be known to Tohdoh (except as a former head of government).

Tohdoh shook his head. "I only know that he is not with us. You should talk to Kaguya Sumeragi, she will know more."

"She is among the rescued?" I asked, surprised. "This is good news, at least. I will see to her first thing tomorrow. We will also have a service for Ryoga Senba- I know you wish to get to business, but we need to show respect to a fallen titan. Also, you should speak to Lloyd Asplund and Rakshata Chawla about new Knightmares for the Swords... I'm sure they can work something out for you."

Tohdoh fidgeted uncomfortably. "...Must I really speak with Earl Asplund?" he asked carefully.

I frowned slightly. "Have you two met?"

He cleared his throat. "He, ah... greeted us in the hangar. It was... an unpleasant meeting." He glanced at me, and then continued. "Specifically, he displayed his mechanical arm, and then began pretending that he had no control over it, and that it was trying to choke him."

My face was set in a neutral expression, desperately trying to suppress his laughter. "Did he now?"

Tohdoh nodded slowly. "I believe his exact words were 'You bastards, give me back my hand! Give my back my haaaand!'"

That was just too much. I burst into laughter, and Tohdoh stared at me morosely until I finished. "He's crazy, Tohdoh, but he's not a bad guy," I told him with a grin. "Weird sense of humor, that's all. He's not going to hurt you."

"If you are certain..." said Tohdoh cautiously, and I fought the urge to laugh again. He's intimidated by Lloyd? Good lord... "Oh, and Zero... should I... be calling you Zero?" he asked uncertainly.

I nodded. "'Zero' when I'm doing business, but when it's just social, you may call me Lelouch. Lelouch Gaspar... formerly Lelouch vi Britannia."

His eyes narrowed. "A prince... I'm sure you have reasons all your own for hating Britannia, then."

"That I do."

There was a moment's silence as Tohdoh considered this, and then he nodded. "Lelouch, then... who taught you to use a sword?"

The question caught me off-guard. "Taught me? Well, no one, really. It didn't seem that hard to me- you take the sword and put it in the other guy's chest. The rest is just reflexes and finesse," I shrugged.

He very gently pressed his palm against his face. "That... is wrong in so many ways that I can't even begin to explain. So instead, I will teach you. We will have lessons."

"I really don't think that's necessary, Tohdoh," I said weakly.

"A weapon that you don't know how to use is only a danger to yourself, Lelouch. You will learn to use it."

So that's chapter 35! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please message me, I always love to get them (and I do my best to respond). Reviews are also, as ever, appreciated. It's good to be back, guys!