Kallen kept looking around, her eyes nervously taking in the looks on her fellow soldiers. Todoh stared shamefully at the ground, the once proud man now reduced to a mere pup ready for a beating. Inoue's tears threatened to fall, along with the confusion planted so obviously on her face ready to accompany them. Asahina 's eyes were closed, no doubt playing out every scenario of the painful confrontation in his mind. She bit her tongue; nothing she said would make their failure disappear.

Her mind was muddled. She couldn't remember what happened, other than being humiliated by that black Knightmare, and the devastating realization that Zero had just surrendered to the enemy. How he could just stroll in there with that perfect confidence…she would've trembled at the very thought of it, as would anyone else.

But what was even more embarrassing was the fact that the enemy let them go. They threw the Black Knights back, like some unwanted prey. It was like proclaiming their worthlessness to the entire world, and it wounded her deeply, especially when she was a very high officer.

The knights were all lined up in hundreds of neat rows, with she and Todoh being at the very front. Their hands were behind their backs, disappointed eyes following their every movements. From what Kallen could understand, no one remembered what happened either, other than being attacked and captured. No one saw anything else, besides being surrounded by enemy Knightmares whose designs were incredibly similar to theirs. Except they were lighter, faster, stronger.

Built to conquer.

She was shocked out of her thoughts when she saw Zero's figure. He had a darker aura than usual, his cape brandishing itself like those demonic wings Naoto would scare her with. His mask reflected everyone's fearful expressions; the aristocratic costume didn't make anything easier. It reminded her of how insignificant she was, a child compared to a sublime deity. She stiffened when he stopped in front of them, a few yards away from his soldiers. Though he had no microphone, his voice boomed throughout the base.

"May I ask why you were on Kanime Island?"

No one dared to answer. The brave soul that did was sure to show up the next day half-dead, bitter, and cold. After a few moments of silence, he boomed, "Why were you all on Kanime Island?"

Kallen flinched at how angry he sounded. So, being the responsible leader she was, she took a deep breath, and said in a tiny voice, "L…Lady V-Vivien-"

"Q-1," Zero turned his body toward her. "You take orders from me, no one else."

"Y-yes sir."

"And as for all of you." He swiftly glared at the many soldiers who squirmed in their places, anxious to avoid Zero's sentence. "I want you turn over your Knightmare keys to me. You will only use them when I am present. Understand?"

"Yes sir." They all said in their monotone voice. Kallen was most reluctant, as she gripped the key around her neck. The Guren had been with her since Narita, and through the years, even with its changes, the machine was still her child, her baby. But when Zero waited patiently for her, it was then she tore away the key from her neck. One by one, the soldiers threw their keys on the ground, heartbroken at the apparent "cruel and unusual" punishment. She never looked at the commander again.

Zero, meanwhile, paid no heed to her emotions. After the incident, he docked their salaries by almost 30%, and put them all on probation; he was to hear nothing more of the incident. With the trust of their leader greatly compromised, it was all the Black Knights could do in order for him to stay by them, for without him, they were nothing.

He dismissed them flippantly, not even bothering to look at his superior officers. Kallen shivered, staring at him longingly, before leaving. Her eyes were trained at the heels of the knights, many of which pushed and jabbed her, muttering about how she should've been the only one to get punished. Wasn't it her fault that Zero was captured? Why should they be included if only Kallen screwed up? She gave them the evil eye, making them grumble angrily.

Her eyes caught sight of a faint shadow, however, up in the balconies. It kept moving, like it was dancing. It seemed strange, so she decided to look up. There was nothing there.

She heard Zero call her name, and she jumped, spinning around to find him walking up to her. "You seem distracted," he mused. "You can't direct the Zero squad if you're like that."

"I…I understand," she whispered.

"I expect better from you. Don't disappoint me again."

"Yes." When he walked away, Kallen looked up again. She was about to turn away, when she squinted her eyes and caught sight of a silhouette amongst the shadows. From what she saw, the figure was tall and slender, and with the exception of the white feather hanging from the cuff of their sleeve, there wasn't anything else she could determine from the stranger. There was a golden eye that captivated hers, and for a while, she couldn't do anything but stare back. It was soft and warm, like honey, and it reminded her of home, and all the memories that came with it.

She heard someone call her name, so she dealt with them. When Kallen turned back, the stranger was gone.


Suzaku was in a bad mood that day, and he took it out on his knights.

It wasn't their faults; he knew that. But because of a certain guest, he was forced to play the bad guy again, his annoyance growing out of hand. He even considered gagging said guest and locking him in a closet, even if he was on thin ice with Euphie.

Lelouch kept wandering the newly constructed base, unbelieving that such a magnificent palace could be Suzaku's new home. The Corinthian columns wrapped its stone around every greek myth there was, from Zeus to Hades to even Poseidon. The immortal carefully took note of the cold marble beneath his feet, surprised at the Geass sigil embedded in the main room. There were large, Romanesque windows in the dining hall, and Baroque paintings sprawled the house, creating an air of peace and liveliness. Yet there was still evidence of Japanese influence, a reminder of the Black Knights' previous origins. There were many yaguras near the rooms, and just outside the building, old Palisades provided remnants of a sort of playground, with pine trees everywhere. Rock gardens, along with the traditional Britannian gardens, decorated the lawns. Still, it was a bit much for Suzaku to take. He never liked big places to begin with, so Lelouch's curiosity was justified.

Still, Suzaku never thought Lelouch could be so…restless.

He had trouble keeping track of his friend, so much so he had to make Lelouch promise he wouldn't wander off the best (an extremely difficult promise to achieve, though it be an empty one). He kept examining precious items received from Kaguya and Tianzi, and commented surprisingly on Xing-ke's tastes in architecture. With all the questions he kept asking Suzaku, it was no wonder Zero was so weary. "I don't know," he said exasperatedly.

They were in the galleries, looking at the medieval Celtic tapestries the EU had so eagerly given to them. They were imitations, of course, but they were still beautiful. Lelouch picked up the fabric and examined it. "Oh? Zero isn't supposed to be ignorant of the past. I hope you know that."

"Yeah. Now, about your eye-"

"I already told you. The Geass is gone, so you've got nothing to worry about. How about that one?" Lelouch pointed to an insignificant gift Lady Florence had given Zero before. "I suppose everything's fine now?"

"Um…yeah. Never thought you'd be the artistic type." Then of course, Nunnally had so casually reminded him Lelouch was always a feminine guy. It worried Suzaku for a second, however meaningless is concerns were.

Lelouch picked up the little snow globe and shook it, blinking at the powder. "Is this from the UK?"

"It is. Huh, that's weird; I figured you'd already have explored the world."

"I lived in an era where Britannia was glorified in every possible way. Could you blame me?" He stared at the snow globe for a bit, before putting it down on an oak desk. He turned to Suzaku. "What about my eyes?"

"It's just that…" His finger went up to his left eye. No, other eye. "Yeah, that one. It's gold."

"Huh." Lelouch shrugged, sneaking a look past his friend. The rock gardens were inviting. When they were hostages, Genbu Kururugi hated Lelouch and his sister, and though he gave them food and shelter, he wasn't apt in allowing either of the two to wander the Shrine. Lelouch had heard about the gardens from his mother, and wanted to look for himself. Unfortunately, the plan ended with Suzaku confiscating all his snacks and being locked out of the Shrine.

Ah, good times.

"Lelouch!"

"Ah, sorry. Yeah, it's supposed to be some kind of charm I guess. Euphie might've put in on me for protection." With that said, he brushed past his friend and made his way to the gardens. Suzaku followed closely behind, an amused grin tugging at his lips. "Did Euphie…lock you up?"

"…No?"

"It's just…before, you were never interested in anything. Now you look like you're ready to explore the world."

"I have to decline." Lelouch carefully maneuvered himself on a smoother path, welcoming the familiar humidity. Horai Island wasn't far from Japan, and immediately Lelouch felt nostalgic. "I have an idiot to look after."

"You and Euphie could come back."

"I don't think we'll take that chance. Besides," Lelouch's eyes slid to Suzaku's, "there's a lot to do, what with Vivien and all."

"I mean after." Suzaku stared out at the tiny pond. An angelic statue gazed back at the two with its lonely eyes, as if trying to invite the two to stay back for a bit. Lilies covered the pond with lotus blossoms in full bloom. Pink was the most prevalent, but Lelouch caught a few white flowers as well, their petals drifting away in the glistening waters. "You both could live here, if you wanted to."

"My wounded pride."

Suzaku sighed. "If you help me with Zero, then I'll let you stay here."

"I gave up being Zero long ago."

"You could be Zero again."

Lelouch shook his head. "It's far too risky. There's a good chance I'll be found out, even if they saw me die. I had no knowledge of when your Knights invaded, so I can't be sure of what they've already seen. I don't know the extent of Vivien's prowess either, so we're already at a disadvantage."

"No one can remember anything." A soft zephyr blew through the garden, and Suzaku relished in its warmth before continuing. "Vivien said Geass was only an imitation of what she can do."

"Yeah; I figured that." Lelouch stared at his reflection in the waters, while his mind sorted the thoughts sprinting through. C.C had seen Kallen take Titania to Zero, and since a reasonable amount of time has passed, it was safe to assume Suzaku already met with her. If there'd been an alliance between the two, Suzaku never would've considered protecting the castle from Kallen.

No, there's still too little evidence. He already suspected this was a trap, and though he never saw any cameras around, there could be bugs, but Suzaku would never resort to that kind of thing.

He, as well as Vivien, knew how important the Zero Requiem was. Should it ever break, the world would make Alfheimr the main enemy, and destroy them accordingly. Her position here was just as fragile as Lelouch's. But the question still remains of who is stronger; the Empress of Britannia, or Zero? "Do you have a meeting tomorrow?"

"I do. Surely you haven't forgotten about the invasion."

"Go easy on them. Even I never treated them in such an undignified manner."

"Kallen's probably beating herself up, you know." Suzaku leaned forth. "Especially with one of your soldiers. They took her out without even trying."

"You can thank Vivien for carelessly giving Euphie your military weaponry."

"You've captured one of our Knightmares?" Suzaku asked, his voice filled with mistrust. He allowed Lelouch to walk a few feet farther, before closing the distance between the two. Lelouch always knew more than he let on, and it was through that suspicion Lelouch caught the glimpse of the knowledge he needed to know.

'Our.' Our Knightmares. Lelouch knew Suzaku had some involvement with Vivien's schemes, but the statement suggested a deeper connection than previously thought before. So instead, he scoffed. "Yes, we did. We destroyed it afterwards. I'll reimburse you for the damage."

"Irony." And supposedly, they left it at that.

When that meeting came, Suzaku had everything planned out. His "I'm-so-very-disappointed-in-you" speech was ready; he believed that was all that was needed to draw them back. And it worked, from the looks of things, if a bit too well. He refrained from apologizing, though many struggled to wipe away the tears without his noticing. It was truly a remarkable sight; he even felt a little bad when he saw Todoh-sensei. But just as he was opening his mouth, he caught a suspicious shadow from across the balconies, a person who shouldn't have come out of his room.

Lelouch sat there with an incredibly bored look on his face, as he stared down at his former subjects. It was as though he completely disregarded the mental insults Suzaku threw at him, the chaotic panic rising from his chest. His legs were swinging lightly from one side to the other, as he waited for Suzaku to go on. He even gestured Zero to begin with his hand, causing the latter to flush.

Needless to say, after the meeting, Suzaku resisted the temptation to slam him to the wall. "Kallen might have seen you!"

Lelouch pretended to think for a bit, before chuckling. "You should probably introduce me then."

"Lelouch-"

"My eyes are two different colors Suzaku," he emphasized, causing the brunette to stare. "You can just say I was born without a voice. Dye my hair, paint my skin orange for all I care. If Kallen saw me, then you really should do something about it."

"You…planned it…"

"I'm supposed to be monitoring Vivien. How am I supposed to do that simple task when I'm stuck on Horai Island?"

He was going back on his word. "I promised Euphie I'd protect you-"

"We're here to save Nunnally," Lelouch interrupted, his protectiveness kicking in. "You can't let little inconsistencies like that get in the way." Needless to say, Suzaku agreed.

He apologized to Kallen afterwards.