Hi everyone, thanks for waiting. Now we're back onto the Code Geass storyline. This is one chapter I've been looking forward to writing as a certain revelation comes to light that might put things into a certain perspective for our aspiring heroes. So, with that being said, let's get started.

Nunnally Held Hostage

Lelouch hung by the wall in Area 11's international airport as he waited for his partner, while also on the phone with a few other close associates of his.

"The Guren MK II's repairs have proceeded on schedule." Optimus relayed. "Ironhide has also taken the necessary steps towards training our new recruits. So far, things appear to be proceeding rather nicely."

"Anything about Rai's Geass?" Lelouch asked.

"Fixit and I have managed to subject Rai to a thorough testing of his own neural net." Ratchet responded. "From what we've gathered, it would appear his Geass is near identical to yours. Only it seems his is more auditory, rather than visual. Simply put, they only need hear Rai's voice in order to be affected by his Geass, unlike yours which needs direct eye-contact. But the command has to come directly from Rai, and it can't be broadcasted through communication or even recorded devices."

"I see." Lelouch nodded, this could be incredibly useful. "What about his potency?"

"It would seem that the energy manifesting his Geass appears to have stabilized somewhat, it's not as erratic as before." Optimus answered. "But the power itself still remains strong and we are advising him to use his power only when absolutely necessary."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Lelouch agreed.

"Now, in regard to our organization, it would seem Kyoto and the military district of India have come to terms with each other." Ratchet began. "They will be sending their top scientist to us momentarily. And the Black Knights' change over to a cell-based structure is now 92.4% complete. The members have been ranked into fourteen tiers, and we've managed to infiltrate all Britannian military warehouses, thanks to the information you were able to gather from Cornelia."

"Good but tell them not to do anything rash." Lelouch insisted. "If we show our hand too early, Britannia and the Decepticons may suspect a traitor. I'd rather not have a potential ally executed." Though he spoke in a professional tone, Optimus and Ratchet both understood what Lelouch was saying. He didn't want to put his elder sister, and indirectly Euphemia, in danger. "Now, what about Tohdoh?"

"Still nothing. It would seem he and the Four Holy Swords have gone underground, even Kyoto has lost contact with them." Optimus informed.

"That doesn't mean they're dead though." Lelouch said. "Pretty sure Britannia would want to make an example out of 'Tohdoh the Miracle Worker', rather than keep it quiet. If you find anything, let me know immediately. Now, what about Ohgi and his 'house guest'?"

"Still nothing." Ratchet answered. "The woman he's with appears to have completely recovered physically, but her memories still haven't returned."

"Understood, continue with the work, alright?" Lelouch then hung up as he saw the disguised C.C. arrive. She wore a dark blue business suit with a dress, black heeled shoes, along with glasses and a black wig.

"Are you sure you want me to be the messenger?" She asked him. "And why have me take a plane? I could just go there via Groundbridge."

"I'd rather not tip off the Decepticons or my so-called 'Uncle' about you just yet, this is the safest way." Lelouch explained. "And if you look humble, they'll look down on you. That's how it works in the Chinese Federation."

"I don't know about that, but I have some humility." C.C. responded.

"Good, now you can put it to use, how's your passport?" He asked.

"Not a bad forgery, I'm all set." C.C. said.

"Be careful out there, alright?" Lelouch told her before they went their literal separate ways.

The young revolutionary left the airport where he saw Bumblebee's vehicle form parked outside. He entered the driver's seat as the yellow scout began to drive off.

"[Well?]"

"She's on her way. With any luck, we might establish some allies in one of the world's major superpowers." Lelouch responded.

"[From what you've told me though about these 'High Eunuchs', they're not all that different from the Britannian Emperor. Is that going to be a problem?]" Bumblebee asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Lelouch answered. "But if we play our cards right, we might just gain a valuable ally."

"[But we also gotta be aware if things go south right?]" Bumblebee asked.

"Trust me, I know. I've learned that the hard way." Lelouch replied.

"[Well, what do you know? Looks like you are capable of learning?]" Bumblebee teased.

Even though the translator could only translate the Autobot scout's 'bleeps' into monotone words, Lelouch had been with Bumblebee long enough to know when he was being serious, sarcastic, or just plain teasing, in which cause Lelouch chuckled. "Yeah, guess you're kinda rubbing off on me."

The Nemesis

Meanwhile, Suzaku walked towards the bridge of the Decepticon warship with Dreadwing close behind him, having brought him here after the young soldier requested, or rather demanded, to see their leader. The door to the bridge opened where they both could see the Decepticon leader with his back turned to them and his hands placed behind his back.

"How could you do it?!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"Suzaku." Megatron acknowledged as he turned around. "And Dreadwing. I don't recall summoning you."

"Young Kururugi had requested for me to bring him aboard to speak with you, Lord Megatron." Dreadwing answered as he bowed. "Actually, I wish to speak with you as well on the same subject."

"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Megatron looked directly at Suzaku who narrowed his eyes.

"How could you let Airachnid back into the Decepticons?!" Suzaku shouted.

"Ah, so you've met with her." Megatron noted.

"Do you have any idea what she's done? What kind of person is she is?!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"A sadist, a butcher, a hunter, and an infiltrator." Megatron answered. "I'm well aware of whom I bring into our ranks. And I'm also aware of her recent activities since coming to Earth."

"So, you know about what she did in the ghettos?" Suzaku questioned, to which Megatron nodded. "Then why did you bring her back?!"

"I must agree with Suzaku, Lord Megatron." Dreadwing also spoke, but unlike Suzaku, he spoke in a more calm and rational tone. "Airachnid deserted us, and even attacked our own soldiers. Yet she has not even received a proper punishment?"

"I assure you that she has been thoroughly punished." Megatron assured. "And I have ensured that she truly gives her all to our cause. I can understand that her return to our ranks may be… difficult for you, especially to you Suzaku, given how she was once your enemy and her recent… actions against your people. But your cooperation is essential."

"Lord Megatron I…" Suzaku stuttered for a moment before speaking firmly. "I will follow you and carry out your orders, that won't change. But… I don't know if I can work with someone like her."

Dreadwing was silent but quite sympathetic in Suzaku's opinion. Personally, he'd likely put down Airachnid just to ensure she won't harm an innocent again or try to back-stab them.

Megatron's expression became quite serious. "Suzaku, do you wish to know why our enemies continue to succeed? It is because they stand united." That got Suzaku's attention as Megatron continued to speak. "As much as it pains me to admit, Optimus has acknowledged Zero as his equal; and following that, it seems the Autobots and the Black Knights view each other under the same light. Of course, this contrasts heavily with Britannia's own current nature as the empire itself is quite divided, even among those in the royal family. You've been made aware of that, haven't you Suzaku? Before Japan's fall, you and your family looked after the late Lelouch Vi Britannia and his younger sister Nunnally upon their exile as their father deemed them to be nothing more than political hostages."

Suzaku looked up in surprise, how could Megatron have known about all that?

Megatron read Suzaku's expression and gave his answer. "I do well to learn the history of those within my cause, to see what they can contribute. That includes you. You would do well to remember that. Getting back to matter at hand, despite the rather, unpleasant situation surrounding those children, your family at least made their stay relatively comfortable. That is until the Empire invaded Japan, knowing their prince and princess would likely die, which of course, they tragically did. And yet, Britannia refused to take responsibility, instead choosing to place the blame on your nation, which is why they are so heavily discriminated against. Suzaku, you must admit that any family that sacrifices their own and chooses not to take responsibility, is not what one would call, ideal."

"I… I admit that it's not perfect, at least right now." Suzaku admitted. "But there are those in the royal family that do want to change their ways! Princess Euphemia herself admitted as such!"

"I can agree, during my time acting as her bodyguard, Princess Euphemia does seek the same reforms." Dreadwing acknowledged.

"The Sub-Viceroy." Megatron stated. "And what of Cornelia, the current Viceroy who holds the most power?"

Suzaku didn't expect that, but while he didn't have an answer to give, Dreadwing however did. "She holds the Empire's discriminatory views as first priority."

"And thus, you can see the divided nature of the royal family." Megatron said. "Suzaku, if you truly do seek to change this world for the better, you must be willing to deliver better results. If the Decepticons are the ones to bring stability to this war-torn planet, more people, including civilians of Britannia, will be more willing to side with us. And if Britannia's own people want change, then the Empire will have no choice but to abide by their wishes."

"You sound like we're working against the royal family." Suzaku pointed out with narrowed eyes.

"They are not our enemies." Megatron replied. "Though you could say we are… competing with them of sorts. We may not have the power to change Britannia's ways right now, but that can change if we deliver the necessary results. In order to do that however, your cooperation is essential. We Decepticons will be best equipped to be this planet's protectors only if we are united. That means each and every one of us."

"Including Airachnid?" Suzaku questioned.

"Yes." Megatron told him.

Both Suzaku and Dreadwing were rendered silent with that declaration, they both saw the logic in Megatron's explanation, but that didn't mean they were alright with it.

"Is there anything else?" The Decepticon leader asked the pair.

"No, my liege." Dreadwing bowed his head.

"Then you may go. I will contact you should I need you." Megatron turned around.

Dreadwing bowed before leaving. Suzaku was right behind him. Once the door closed automatically behind them, the words Megatron told him brought up a certain memory from Suzaku's childhood. It wasn't a pleasant memory, but it wasn't a necessarily bad one either.

Flashback – Seven years ago

The ten-year old Lelouch and Suzaku, along with the seven-year old Nunnally whom Lelouch gave a piggyback as she couldn't walk, trekked through a barren wasteland riddled with corpses of men, women, and children.

"Where are we going? Are we getting moved to another place again?" The blind little girl asked as Lelouch carried her.

"It's one of the Kururugis' homes." Lelouch answered. "This time, it's the main house, okay?"

Suzaku stopped for a moment as he saw all the dead bodies around him, his face filled with so many emotions: sorrow, regret, terror, grief, and overall shock.

"Keep on walking, Suzaku." Lelouch told his friend once he noticed his hesitancy.

"But…" Suzaku stuttered.

"Keep walking." Lelouch told him for firmly. Truth was, Lelouch did feel bad for all these people, but Nunnally was his first priority and he would see to it that she was safe.

"Where are we? It smells really bad here." Nunnally wondered.

"We're going by a garbage dump, right Suzaku?" Lelouch turned around, only to see his friend crying. A sympathetic expression formed on the young exiled prince's face as he walked towards his friend.

"What's wrong, Suzaku?" Nunnally could hear his subtle sobs. When he didn't have an answer to give, she reached out her hand to caress his face in an attempt to comfort him.

"Nunnally…"

"My mother taught me that a warm touch is good for tears, do you think it's true?" She asked with a warm smile.

"Suzaku."

He was brought out of his memory with a slight startle as he looked up to see Dreadwing looking toward him with concern.

"Are you alright? You stopped for a moment."

"I'm fine." Suzaku replied. "Just… thinking about an old memory."

"You were rather close with them, weren't you?" Dreadwing asked, getting Suzaku's attention. "Lelouch and Nunnally. They were your friends?"

"Yes." Suzaku confirmed with a nod. There was a part of him that wanted to tell Dreadwing, whom he trusted, about Lelouch and Nunnally. But now with Airachnid back among the Decepticons, he didn't want to take any chances.

"I am sorry for your loss." Dreadwing apologized. "I can understand what that loose is like. During the War for Cybertron, my brother Skyquake died on the battlefield."

That completely caught Suzaku off guard as he looked to Dreadwing in surprise.

"My twin and I shared a split-spark." Dreadwing explained. "Metal but two halves of the same life-force. Even across our warring planet we could 'sense' each other, so-to-speak, and when his spark was no more…"

"I'm sorry." Suzaku said sincerely.

"I understand your origins as well as your ambitions." Dreadwing told the boy. "If you feel that you need to talk to someone, I am here. Both as a fellow soldier, and as a friend."

Suzaku smiled. "Thank you Dreadwing. I appreciate that."

The Next Day – Ashford Academy

Lelouch and Rai walked towards the building about ten minutes before classes started. "So, what did Ratchet say?" Lelouch asked.

"Oh, just the typical 'I needed that!'." Rai joked but became serious when he saw the look on Lelouch's face. "But, pretty much what you and everyone else are telling me: don't use my Geass unless absolutely necessary. Trust me, I know."

"Just making sure, especially considering who you're apparently contracted with." Lelouch commented. "Speaking of which, you still don't remember that?"

"Sorry, but, I don't." Rai confirmed. "But when I do know, you and everyone else will be the first to know."

Lelouch nodded, but soon heard a familiar voice call to them. "Lelouch! Rai!" They both turned to see Suzaku running toward them. "What's up? You know, they're gonna hold you back if you don't start coming to class, Lelouch. In fact, I think you've been skipping out to, Rai."

"You're one to talk." Rai commented in a friendly tone, while also hiding a slight hint of resentment. "You've been skipping here and there to."

"I have work to do." Suzaku replied. "It's just the Black Knights and those Autobots have really been on the move, lately."

"Hey, I thought you were in engineering." Lelouch said, feeing an expression of ignorance, which Suzaku seemed to buy.

"Um… we're shorthanded, so they move me around." Suzaku answered.

Both Lelouch and Rai inwardly winced, knowing exactly where Suzaku has really been. Lelouch still held out hope that his friend could be saved and redeemed, while Rai was slowly beginning to lose trust in Suzaku, but that didn't mean that he thought that he couldn't be saved.

"Hmm, still, how about dropping by for dinner more often?" Lelouch asked. "Nunnally misses you. Are you free this evening?"

"Yeah, I could come tonight. But are you sure it's okay? I don't wanna cause…" Suddenly Rivalz pulled up to the three boys in his personal vehicle, much to their surprise.

"Hey, Lelouch!"

"Geeze you almost ran us over!" Rai exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked Rivalz.

"I heard the president's out doing a blind-date-thing again!" Rivalz exclaimed in distress.

"Yeah, today." Lelouch confirmed.

"Today?! Why didn't you tell me about it!?" Rivalz pulled Lelouch in by the collar.

"Because you would have a spaz attack, kinda like right now?" Lelouch answered as he gently freed himself from his friend's grip.

"I'm NOT having a spaz attack!" Rivalz practically screamed.

"Then what would you call driving in here like a maniac and freaking out like this?" Rai questioned irritably. As much as he liked Rivalz as a friend, he could be quite the drama queen. Personally, he'd considered introducing him to Ironhide or even Ratchet just so they can hammer that out of him.

"It's okay, I didn't know about it either." Suzaku tried to give some form of compassion himself, which Rivalz didn't seem to take.

"Don't give me your emo-routine!"

"Emo?" Suzaku didn't know how to respond to that.

"Guess compassion's not a fashion these days." Rai muttered disapprovingly.

Lelouch sighed at his friend's antics. "Look Rivalz, if it's any consolation, Milly doesn't have much of a choice in this either."

"That doesn't help." Rivalz commented, lowering his head.

The young revolutionary simply shook his head and decided to move past this. "So anyways, are we on for dinner tonight with Nunnally?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Sure." Suzaku answered but was surprised to see Lelouch running away toward the clubhouse. "What about school?!" He called out to him.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back! I'm just gonna go tell her about it!" Lelouch called back as he ran off.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't forget about his classes." Rai said to Suzaku and Rivalz as he ran to catch up with Lelouch.

While Suzaku seemed to understand, Rivalz fell to the ground in comic despair. "My life is over, and they're worried about dinner."

In the dining room of the clubhouse, Nunnally held an origami crane in her hand with a smile, when she heard the door open.

"My classes don't start till second period Sayoko." She said, thinking it was her loyal and loving maid. However, that was not the case. Nunnally could only look in confusion as she heard a pair of claps.

The man who had just entered the room was none other than Mao. His arms and legs were completely wrapped in bandages, with his right arm as a cast, and the visor over his eyes. He smiled sadistically once he laid eyes on the young and helpless girl.

"Are you surprised?" Lloyd asked the stunned Milly. "Match-making dates are usually in hotels or restaurants."

Earl Lloyd Asplund was in fact the arranged blind date that Milly's parents had set her up for. While she dressed rather nicely, he was in his casual lab attire. And as Lloyd said, they weren't in any nice restaurants or hotels, but rather in the Camelot Division. Of course, Cecile had made sure there were no Decepticons present during Milly's visit. As per Cornelia's instructions, the Decepticons' existence was to be hidden from the public so that it would be Britannian forces that were fighting the Autobots and the Black Knights.

"I suppose that's true, but I'd heard that you were a very unique person Lord Asplund." Milly said.

"'Unique', what a delightfully artful way to put it." Lloyd said as he went back to work on his computer.

"I'm surprised you're interested in a girl from the downgraded Ashford Family after it lost its rank." Milly said.

"Oh, but I couldn't care less for loss of rank." Lloyd replied.

"Excuse me." Cecile had walked over and provided a tray of tea for the pair.

"I'm sorry to trouble you." Milly said to the older woman.

"Not at all, take your time." Cecile replied.

"No need for that. Why draw it out, let's get married." Lloyd said bluntly.

"Huh?! That's it?!" Milly had not expected that at all.

"Getting cold feet?" Lloyd said with his typical indifference.

Ashford Academy – Clubhouse

Lelouch and Rai had entered the building and were walking down the hallways. "We can't keep this up forever, Lelouch." Rai told him. "You know things might escalate with Britannia and the Cons soon."

"I know." Lelouch acknowledged. "That's why I plan to tell Nunnally tonight after dinner."

"You're really going to tell her?" Rai asked. "I know you said you were planning on it when we brought Shirley in but…"

"Like you said, Rai. Things will likely escalate." Lelouch explained. "Milly's done a great deal many things to keep us safe, but not even she will protect us from the Decepticons. And personally…" A small smile formed on his face. "I've been waiting to introduce Nunnally to Optimus for a while."

"What about Suzaku?" Rai asked, causing Lelouch's smile to face. "You know he's going to find out sooner or later."

"We both know that's going to be a lot more complicated." Lelouch commented.

"That's an understatement." Rai said. "Not only is he a Britannian soldier, but he's been working with the Decepticons to! They even have their symbol engraved in his Knightmare! Who knows what lies Megatron has told him? I know he's your friend and… and I still care about him to it's just… if were not careful, he might end up becoming our worst enemy."

Lelouch's face indicated he was contemplating a great deal of thought. "I know. But, first things first."

Rai nodded as telling Nunnally first was probably the best idea, they can work things out with Suzaku later, and preferably when they talked about it with the Autobots and the other Black Knights as well.

They both entered the dining room. "Nunally!" Lelouch called his sister. "Suzaku's gonna…" However, both he and Rai were surprised to see Nunnally wasn't there. However, at the edge of the table, they both found a circle of origami cranes surrounding a photograph of Nunnally. She was tied to her own wheelchair with a strip of tape over her mouth.

Rai's expression was one of both shock and even fear, while Lelouch's face contorted that of anger and terror. They both heard Lelouch's cell phone ring. He quickly answered it.

"Yes?"

"Lelouch!" He heard his sister's distressed cry.

"Nunnally! Where are you right now?!" Lelouch exclaimed as he and Rai both exchanged worried looks.

"I don't know, but I can't move!" She grunted a bit as apparently the phone was taken away from her.

"Nunnally!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"It's me Lulu." A new voice spoke from the phone, one Lelouch never thought he'd hear again as a chill went down his spine.

"Mao…!"

"What?!" Rai practically screamed. "He's alive!"

Lelouch put the phone on speaker so Rai could hear as Mao spoke. "You and your little Autobot buddies dropped your guard Lelouch. Just because you all thought I was dead."

"Mao listen, C.C. isn't here right now." Lelouch said.

"That's why I came. Someone immune to my Geass would be troublesome, now." Mao replied. "I'll save my encounter with her for a later date, probably with a squad of Vehicon troopers to make sure she doesn't get away from me this time. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I haven't told Megatron anything about you or the Ark's location yet, I'm keeping those cards close to my chest for now. But first things first, I'm gonna pay you back for that little session the other day. Feel free to bring in your amnesiac friend if you want since he's with you."

"So, you're within five hundred meters of us?" Rai asked, as that was likely how Mao knew he was with Lelouch at the moment.

"Of course, wanna try and find me?" Mao challenged in a sadistically playful tone. "You boys have a time-limit of five hours. Oh, by the way, since the game is just between the three of us, no calling in any of your Black Knight classmates or the Autobots. I'm not in the mood to get shot up or literally squashed underfoot. Although Britannian medical science is amazing, you can thank them for my return!" He laughed sadistically.

"You really are a sick piece of crap!" Rai exclaimed.

"You might wanna watch your language Mr. Amnesia." Mao warned. "Considering I hold the cards. You guys really should have made sure I was dead, maybe even have my body dumped in a river or something? You left off the finishing touch, and now dear sweet little Nunnally's in a bind! What a quandary, what a quagmire, what a crunch!"

"Nunnally has nothing to do with this!" Lelouch exclaimed just as Mao hung up, leaving the two young Black Knights alone as they silently looked towards each other with worry.

"It's not a very nice way to play a game, you know?" Nunnally said, still tied to her wheelchair, as Mao began to walk away. "If you do something to make my brother or my friend sad, I'll never forgive you!"

Mao laughed once more. "Oh, well aren't you a sweet little angel." He turned around to walk away, leaving her there. Once she was out of earshot, he took out a separate communication's device. "But, before Lelouch finds you, I've got my own call to make."

The Nemesis – The Bridge

Megatron turned around once the main door opened to see Soundwave and Shockwave enter the bridge of the warship. "Lord Megatron." Shockwave bowed.

"Shockwave, what did you find in regard to our guests?" Megatron asked. "Anything further on your study of this mysterious Geass?"

Ever since his arrival on Earth, Megatron had delegated Shockwave to learning more about Geass from the group known as Code R that they've captured after the Battle for Narita, and now it would seem Shockwave had some information to give.

"From what I've learned, it would seem that the information of the human identified as 'Mao' is indeed correct." Shockwave began. "The one known as 'C.C.' has the ability to grant Geass to others, as well as the power of immortality. Code R was a project spearheaded by the deceased Prince Clovis and was to be kept secret from remainder of the Britannian royal family. I am uncertain of what Clovis was trying to achieve, but our captives have said that he has tried to learn the secrets behind C.C.'s immortality, perhaps to provide it for himself, but I cannot say for certain."

"And with Clovis deceased as you said, is there anyone else who can provide us with more information?" Megatron asked.

"There is." Shockwave nodded as he turned to Soundwave, whose visor showed the image of a certain man who worked directly for Clovis. "General Bartley Aspirus. He was head of the research team and served directly under Clovis. Currently incarcerated in Temple Tower in Pendragon under suspicion of conspiracy."

"Anyone else in the royal family?" Megatron asked.

"Negative." Shockwave replied.

"Hmm." Megatron began to think. "Just because Clovis intended to keep it secret, doesn't mean such a concept was loss to others. Perhaps, others are at least aware of the existence of Geass, and not just Code R."

Suddenly, Soundwave's visor shifted to a communication line which bounced up and down, indicating he was receiving a transmission, something that caught both Megatron and Shockwave's attention.

"A transmission on the Decepticon communication channel?" Megatron questioned. "Patch it through." Soundwave immediately walked up toward a console on the side and pressed a few key commands to answer the call. "Who is this?"

"Awe, have you forgotten about me, Megatron?" A familiar voice teased. "And after all I've done for you."

"Mao." Megatron acknowledged, though this was a surprise, it wasn't something to be overly excited about. "You're alive. Surprising."

"Guess it seems you've underestimated me." Mao replied. "And I hope this means that our deal is still on the table."

"You mean how you said you could deliver the immortal known as C.C. to me?" Megatron questioned irritably. "I seem to recall Zero outwitting you rather easily."

"He caught me off guard! It won't happen again!" Mao stated in an annoyed tone of voice.

"And how can you be so certain? Zero has proven to be someone who is not easily disposed of." Megatron said.

"I can get rid of him for you, right here, right now." Mao said, which got Megatron's attention.

"Is that so?"

"Unlike you, I know Zero's weakness." Mao began, acting as though he had all the cards. "I've got someone he loves so dearly, and because of that, he's practically pudding my hands. I promise that after I play with him for a little bit, I'll deliver his severed head on a platter, along with some information about the Autobots you might find invaluable. And after that, maybe you can help me get C.C.? I promise to give you a sample of her, so long as I keep the rest. Does that sound like a deal?"

"I will allow it, Mao." Megatron told him. "But keep in mind, I don't often give second chances. If you want my help, you must prove yourself able to contribute to the Decepticon cause."

"Trust me, when I'm done, you'll be begging for me to have a place at the table." Mao said before hanging up.

Megatron gave an annoyed scoff, honestly Mao was far too arrogant, even more so than Starscream.

"So that was Mao." Shockwave observed.

"Indeed." Megatron confirmed.

"He is far too childish." The Decepticon scientist said. "Lord Megatron, why do you entertain this? You already know of Zero's identity. What can Mao possibly contribute?"

"Very little, as it would seem." Megatron answered. "However, I did not expect him to survive, and it is quite rare to catch me by surprise. Soundwave, I trust you've traced the signal?"

Soundwave nodded as he had the coordinates. He displayed them on his visor: Ashford Academy.

"Good, deploy Laserbeak." Megatron ordered. "I want to observe what it is he has planned. One way or another, his Geass will serve our cause."

The silent Decepticon opened a small Groundbridge portal in front of him before deploying Laserbeak from his chest, who flew into the portal before closing.

However, this also left Megatron a moment to think. Clovis' project showed that he was aware of the existence of Geass, or at least of one individual who could grant it. But Mao was proof that Code R didn't know everything about Geass. Clearly there was more to this mysterious element than meets the eye. Megatron also learned from Mao that others possessed the ability, one including Lelouch. And if that were the case, are there other Geass users out there that Mao isn't aware of? Or, perhaps there are others like C.C. out there that have the ability to grant a Geass? Though Megatron never knew Clovis, he read from his files that he was a rather crude politician, but he was neither a warrior nor a strategist, he wasn't among the most intelligent of Charles children, and Charles himself was more than a little intelligent. Megatron would know, he trained Charles and knew him as a young boy. In fact, the only other person who really knew Charles personally was…

Megatron's optics widened slightly in realization, before they narrowed. "Soundwave. After this little 'episode' with Mao is concluded, I want you to investigate everything regarding Victor Zi Britannia's death, and his life up until that point while you are at it."

"The deceased twin brother of Charles Zi Britannia?" Shockwave asked, his interest peaked.

"He was the only one Charles ever truly trusted." Megatron explained. "However, it only occurred to me till now, that I never really gave much thought in regard to young Victor's apparent death, or that I really questioned how he died… if he is truly deceased."

"You believe that he lives, and possible he and the Emperor are working together in the shadows?" Shockwave asked.

"Charles may be a coward, but he's no fool." Megatron answered as a hint of anger of a possible betrayal became laced in his voice. "He is definitely hiding something from me. And I am not one to keep secrets from."

Ashford Academy – Student Council Room

Nearly everyone was present in the Council Room, aside from Lelouch, Rai, Nunnally, and Milly. While everyone else worked, Kallen and Suzaku appeared to be feeding Arthur as they also engaged in some small talk.

"So, the pres is out for a date, eh?" Gino asked. "Well, whoever the lucky guy is, good for him. I mean, she's practically a bombshell from heaven!"

"Don't remind me!" Rivalz slammed his face onto the table in a depressed state.

"I'm guessing you have a crush on Milly, right?" Monica asked in a slight teasing manner. For some reason, this got Nina's attention as she blushed slightly.

"That obvious?" Rivalz asked.

"A little." Monica replied.

"You seem to gaze at her every time she's in the same room." Anya said stoically as she was at her phone still. "All signs seem to indicate a form of emotional attachment."

"Emotional attachment?" Rivalz wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Oh, come on, stop teasing him!" Shirley chastised the three Knights of the Round before patting Rivalz on the back "Don't worry Rivalz. If you just asked out Milly yourself, I'm sure she'd say yes."

"You really think so?" Rivalz asked hopefully, as Nina continued to listen, thinking a bit in regard to a certain pink-haired princess. Would Euphemia go with Nina if she simply asked?

"I don't see a reason why she shouldn't." Suzaku put his two cents in. "I'm mean you're a really decent guy."

"And since when are you the expert on relationships?" Kallen questioned.

"Maybe you can give me some advice Kallen?" Rivalz asked. "I mean, you seem to be hanging out with Lelouch quite a bit."

Gino looked toward Kallen in surprise. "Wait, you and Lelouch?!"

"Don't, okay!?" Kallen looked away, trying to hide her blush. "It's none of your business."

"Huh, you know, now that I think about it, you also spend a bit of time with Rai to." Monica observed.

"Wait, she's in a reverse-harem?" Gino asked. At the moment, Kallen really wanted to punch Gino, but Shirley beat him to it as she elbowed the Knight of Three. "Ow!"

"Gino, you're a nice guy, but there is such a thing as too personal." Shirley told him.

"Sorry." Gino rubbed his arm.

"Don't mind him, guys." Monica apologizes for him "Gino might be a top-notch Knightmare pilot, but he's got zero social skills."

"Hey, I got some social skills!" Gino defended. "Back me up, Anya!"

"You really don't." The emotionless girl said. "In fact, you don't have much social life outside the Knights of the Round, or the Student Council."

"Gee, thanks a lot guys." Gino sulked into his chair.

"Gah!" Suzaku felt a sharp pain in his hand as Arthur bit down onto him. Something that forced Kallen to hide her laugh.

However, that laugh came to a stop as Lelouch and Rai both entered the Student Council room, the former had his cellphone to his ear.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Rivalz greeted.

"Lelouch, Rai, be honest with me, do I have good social skills?" Gino asked, most of the Student Council not noticing the distressed looks on their faces.

"Huh, what?" Lelouch wasn't paying attention.

Shirley did notice something, however. "Lulu, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, just looking for something." Rai said as he Lelouch were about to leave. "Don't mind us."

"Eh, yeah. Talk to you later about dinner, Suzaku." Lelouch said as he and Rai left.

"Seems those guys have better social skills than you, Gino. Maybe you could take a hint." Monica teased.

"Yeah, I think I will." Gino said.

However, while everyone else seemed to resume their small talk, Suzaku noticed something off with Lelouch. He had known his friend long enough to know that something was really wrong, and Rai was giving off the same kind of vibe. "Hang on guys, I'll be right back." Suzaku left the room.

It wasn't just Suzaku who noticed something was wrong to. Shirley had a bad feeling in her gut to, so she exchanged a quick glance with Kallen. The red-haired girl seemed to get the message as she nodded to her friend, before Shirley stood up from her seat.

"Something up, Shirley?" Monica asked

"I… I just forgot that I have to check on something." Shirley answered before leaving the room as well.

"Lulu, if you and your amnesiac buddy do a hand-stand while searching for me, I'll extend your time-limit an hour." Mao mocked through the phone as both Lelouch and Rai were standing on a stairwell. Rai noticed the distressed look on his friend's face.

"Lelouch, you can't let him get to you." Rai tried to get him to calm down.

"I know, but still…" Lelouch looked at the photograph of his tied-up sister, desperation clear in his eyes. "We know he's within five hundred meters of us, so he's still on the campus. But…"

"Lelouch."

Both he and Rai turned around in surprise to see Suzaku coming up the stairs. "Suzaku! What are you doing here?!" Rai exclaimed with worry, as this startle also caused Lelouch to accidentally drop the photo onto the ground, allowing Suzaku to see it.

"That's… I thought so, something's happened to Nunnally."

"Nunnally? What's happened to…" Shirley walked onto the scene as well, much to everyone else's surprise. However, she gave an audible gasp as she even covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my god!"

"Shirley!" Suzaku exclaimed as he tried to think of a good cover up for Lelouch. "Don't panic! But you have to…"

"She's knows." Lelouch revealed with a serious look in his eyes. "Suzaku, she knows about me and Nunnally, and who we were."

Suzaku could not contain his look of surprise. "What…!? How?!" As he was trying to wrap his head around this particular revelation, Rai quickly walked up to Shirley and whispered in her ear so Suzaku couldn't hear him.

"Shirley, don't panic, but it's Mao."

That caused Shirley to gasp as she remembered that man all too well. The same one who kidnapped her, read her mind, used her as a hostage to get to Lelouch and nearly killed her. She would have screamed and panicked, until Rai glanced to Suzaku, silently reminding her about his current position in both Britannia and the Decepticons and not to accidentally reveal any sensitive information. This was enough to calm down Shirley a bit, but she was still quite fearful.

"Suzaku, I promise I'll go into the details later." Lelouch told his friend. "But right now, Nunnally needs our help."

"Okay." Suzaku nodded, knowing everything else can wait. "But Lelouch, who did this? It can't be a Britannian or someone from the royal family!"

"No, this has nothing to do with our bloodline." Lelouch answered. "Just a psychopath who wants to keep a girl all to himself."

"But he does know about Lelouch and Nunnally's identities." Rai revealed.

"I see." Suzaku understood. "So, we can't go to the police or the military."

"No, we can't go to any outside help here." Lelouch responded, casting a glance towards Shirley, silently telling her that they can't call the Autobots or the Black Knights for this, something she understood.

"So, we'll have to do it ourselves then." Shirley said, becoming serious. This took all three boys by surprise. The last thing Lelouch or Rai wanted was for her to be anywhere near Mao again.

"Shirley, no you can't! This is too dangerous!" Suzaku stated immediately.

"I know!" Shirley argued. "But… but I want to help! I know about Nunnally, and I know what she's been through… it's all just so heartbreaking. And now… now she's in the hands of a monster who's ready to do who-knows-what to her?! I can't let that happen! Nunnally's my friend and I want to help! Lulu, Rai, please! You know I can help!"

This caused a great deal of conflict to stir in Lelouch. He could likely find a way she could help, but at the same time, he was terrified of what Mao would do if he got a hold of her again. Rai put a hand on his friend's shoulder however, calming him down and giving him a nod. Lelouch, in turn, nodded back.

"Shirley, you stay with us at all times, okay?" Rai told her. "Don't go off on your own and listen to everything we tell you. Can you do that?" He asked as he gently put a hand on her shoulder.

The brunette, in turn, nodded with a serious expression. "If there's anything I can do to help Nunnally, I'll do it."

"Lelouch, are… are you sure?" Suzaku asked, still not completely on-board with this.

"I'm sure." Lelouch replied seriously.

Suzaku sighed with reluctance. "Okay. But we are going to have a talk about this once we're done." Lelouch nodded in understanding. "So, do we have any leads?"

"Just this photo." Lelouch replied. "And I know that he's somewhere very close bey, watching me." Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization. "And now that I think of it, I heard the sound of running water to!"

"Water…?" Rai snapped his fingers. "He's in the circulation system!"

"The lower levels." Lelouch stated.

"But how do we get down there?" Shirley asked.

"I know a way, come on!" Lelouch quickly ran back down the stairs with Suzaku, Rai, and Shirley following close behind.

"Something's still off, though." Suzaku noted.

"What is it?" Rai asked.

"Lelouch, normally you'd hone right in on that." Suzaku observed.

"Suzaku, my sister's been kidnapped! So, pardon me if I'm under a bit of stress right now!" Lelouch snapped, causing Suzaku to stutter

"Sorry."

"Guys, please! We can't fight right now!" Shirley tried to stop them from snapping at each other, as Lelouch had led the group to an elevator.

"She's right, we can't afford to lose our cool right now." Rai also said as Lelouch put his student ID into the elevator's console, but it was soon rejected. "What's going on?"

"He changed the codes; we'll have to hack into the system." Lelouch said as he was already in the process of hacking.

"But that's against school rules." Suzaku pointed out.

"It's a life-or-death situation, Suzaku. I think we can afford to bend the rules a little." Rai told him somewhat irritably.

"He does have a point." Shirley also agreed. Though Suzaku wouldn't admit it, he knew they were right and Nunnally's life was at stake, but that didn't mean he necessarily liked it.

"Don't worry, I'll change it back later." Lelouch answered as he finished and the elevator door opened, allowing the four of them to step inside.

As the elevator began to descend, Suzaku's eyes narrowed slightly. "Lelouch, I see. This is how you've been getting off campus, isn't it? Your little 'escape route'."

"It's what I used to use when I gambled." Lelouch answered. "I haven't used this thing since."

"Well good thing you do know how to use it, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten to Nunnally." Rai said.

"Speaking of which, do you have a plan Lulu?" Shirley asked.

"Without knowing what our enemy has in store, there's not much I can plan ahead for." Lelouch reluctantly admitted. "So, I guess we'll have to improvise."

"That's a first for you." Suzaku noted. "I've never seen you improvise before."

"You gotta open yourself to learning new things." Lelouch said. "Otherwise, you'll never change."

Shirley and Rai both exchanged silent glances as they likely knew what he was talking about. This was something he learned from his time with the Autobots, probably from Optimus. However, the elevator soon came to a stop.

"Everyone, hide!" Lelouch stated as he and Shirley went to the left side of the car, with Rai and Suzaku on the right side just as the door to the lower levels opened. "How's it look?" He asked as Suzaku pulled out a mirror to get a look into the hallway without revealing himself.

"There's a machine gun linked to the security camera." Suzaku answered. "The lag on these systems is tight. Point zero-five seconds."

"How do you know that?" Rai asked.

"I've seen this kind of equipment before at work." Suzaku answered.

"So, it's military tech." Rai's said disapprovingly. "How the hell did this guy even get it?"

"I think a better question would be, how do we get past it?" Shirley asked.

"We'll have to head back up and disable…" Before Lelouch could even finish however, Suzaku had already ran out into the hallway. "Wait!"

"Suzaku!" Shirley yelled with worry as she, Lelouch, and Rai saw him get to work.

The turret opened fire, but Suzaku was fast enough to avoid all the bullets, albeit just barley, before quickly running up the wall to jump and deliver a spinning airborne kick to completely obliterate the gun and the camera.

Shirley was rendered speechless while Rai was simply surprised before a serious look formed on his face. 'Probably learned that trick from the Cons.'

"Of all the reckless moves..." Lelouch wasn't exactly fond of Suzaku pulling a stunt like that, but time was still of the essence.

"Come on, let's go. Nunnally's waiting for us." Suzaku said as he ran deeper into the hallway, with Lelouch, Shirley, and Rai right behind him.

They came to the end of the hall, toward a large door that opened almost automatically for the group, revealing the circulation system inside. It was a massive chamber with a 'waterfall' of sewer water at the end. However, at the very end of the chamber was the person they were looking for.

"Nunnally!" All of them exclaimed as they ran into the chamber.

The bound girl was surprised to hear those voices. "Lelouch, Suzaku, Rai, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's us!" Rai told her.

"Nunnally, it's gonna be okay." Shirley also said, surprising the younger girl.

"Shirley? You're here to?" Nunnally asked in worry.

"We're all here." Lelouch assured. "Don't worry, we're gonna get you…"

"Wait!" Suzaku stopped their advance. "Up there!" He pointed to a hanging device that slowly swung back and forth above Nunnally's head. Lelouch instantly knew what it was.

"A bomb."

"What?!" Shirley almost screamed. "How in the hell did he get a bomb?!"

"Oh, you brought Shirley with you." Mao's voice rang through Lelouch's headset. "I'd be happy to see her again. But I'll play along since she and Kururugi came on their own. Can't wait to see how the 'meddling kids' deal with this." Once he hung up, Lelouch practically snarled wanting nothing more than to ring Mao's neck.

"Hey guys, look up there. Upper right corner." Rai pointed to the group a small camera that was attached to the wall.

"So, he has a camera." Lelouch observed, while also getting Rai's subtle hint. 'Which means, we're outside his range. So, he won't be able to read our minds down here. But he can still see everything we do.'

"Nunnally, we're going to defuse the bomb." Suzaku smiled sincerely. "It's okay, don't worry. Lelouch and I can do anything together, plus we got two more friends here."

Despite the otherwise terrifying situation she was in, Nunnally had complete faith in her older brother and her friends. "That's right."

"Okay, so what do we know about the bomb?" Rai asked.

Lelouch need only take a glance at it to get an idea of how it functions. "Its motion sensitive. Solenoid inside supplies energy that keeps it constantly moving."

"What does that mean?" Shirley asked.

"If an external force interferes with the motion, then it explodes." Lelouch explained, causing Shirley to look in surprise.

"So, let's just move Nunnally out of the way." She suggested.

"No, it's not just the bomb itself, but the area around it. Moving Nunnally even an inch will trigger it." Suzaku assumed.

"How much damage would this thing do if it were to blow up?" Rai asked.

"it would wipe out everything within five or six hundred meters, minimum." Suzaku answered.

"But that would take out almost the entire school!" Shirley exclaimed.

'He'd not only take out the Black Knights' leader, but his two ace pilots, all my friends, even Bumblebee, Arcee, and Cliffjumper who are stationed here.' Lelouch thought. 'And since Suzaku's here, I can't call Optimus for back-up. Mao probably has the trigger to, and with that camera, he'd see any Autobot or Black Knight that would show up here. And with so many innocent people potentially getting caught up in the explosion…'

"How are we gonna diffuse the bomb without stopping it?" Shirley asked.

"We might have to cut the line, but it has to be extremely precise." Rai assumed. "Even one tiny mistake, and Ashford Academy will be a smoking crater."

"I think I might at least know which line to cut." Lelouch said as he looked at the bomb again. "He's not a pro, so I could figure out which lines are dummies. But it's too much of a risk. As Rai said, we need to be extremely precise about it. We'd have to cut the line without disrupting the motion."

"So, it's impossible…?" Shirley asked, getting rather fearful that they might not have a way out of this situation.

"No, it's not." Suzaku stated. "I'll do it."

"Now is not the time to show-off Suzaku!" Rai exclaimed.

"I'm not showing off! I can do it!" The young Honorary Britannian replied.

"We don't have enough information to pull it off, though!" Lelouch said, not willing to risk his sister's life.

"There's a time-limit here, we can't afford to play it safe!" Suzaku insisted. "As for information, Its staring you right in the face. I'm a soldier, Lelouch. Can you use that information?"

Meanwhile, in a grocery store, Sayoko strolled through the halls, picking up food for Lelouch and Nunnally. However, she felt her cell phone ring and saw that it was Suzaku's phone number on the Caller ID

Ashford Academy

Mao stood at the far end of the academy's privately own chapel. Behind him was a massive scale-like device. However, as he stood, he couldn't stop himself from hearing all the random thoughts of every student and teacher in the school, and it was really starting to annoy him.

"Stuck up little brats." He scowled "No wonder I hate schools so much." However, he soon smiled malevolently as he heard the familiar thoughts of his intended target.

'What now? What's he got planned for me next?' Lelouch thought as he walked up to the chapel. 'That camera trained on Nunnally is transmitting to Mao. Is he here? I can't believe he'd still be here at the school. What a whack job. I told Suzaku and Rai to stay with Nunnally, while also telling Shirley to keep the Knights of the Round off my back. I can't call Optimus or the others for help. Guess I'm on my own.'

Lelouch walked into the building, where Mao eagerly waited for him.

"Well, if it isn't Casanova!" Mao greeted mockingly as he clapped his hands. "No weapons, no Autobots, no friends, no strategy, you didn't defuse the bomb or even call Daddy Optimus! What's wrong Lulu?"

"I'm not explaining anything to you!" Lelouch glared. "The final game, is it ready?"

"Let's put an end to this." Mao revealed a fully assembled chessboard. "With your specialty."

Meanwhile, the vehicle modes of Bumblebee, Arcee, and Cliffjumper continued to sit in the school's parking lot. "Hey, you guys wanna hear something funny?" Cliffjumper asked.

"You'd tell us anyway even if we said 'no'." Arcee said.

"That Knight of Three guy, Gino, I heard from Rai that he wanted to take Bee street-racing." Cliffjumper said. "I mean, he's got a pretty cool looking Knightmare, why not race with that?'

"Guy's eccentric." Arcee said. "Reminds me of someone else I know."

"Ah snap!" Bumblebee played a rapper's voice through his radio.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Cliffjumper humored. "You know what else is funny?"

"You not taking a hint about shutting up?" Arcee joked.

"Admit it, you love the company!" Cliffjumper joked back.

"[Hey guys. Shirley's heading this way]" Bumblebee got their attention as they saw the brunette schoolgirl running toward them. "[She looks upset]"

"Guys! Guys! Help!" She called to them as she came to a stop to catch her breath right in front of the three disguised Autobots.

"Whoa, kid what's wrong?" Cliffjumper asked with concern.

"Mao's alive!" Shirley exclaimed.

"What?!" Arcee practically shouted, but still remained in her vehicle mode.

"That psyco mind-reader?! I thought he kicked the bucket! I'll call Optimus!" Cliffjumper said.

"No! You can't! He has Nunnally!" Shirley quickly said. "And he has her practically tied to a bomb! If any other Autobot or Black Knight shows up, he'll blow up the entire school!"

"[Where's Lelouch?]" Bumblebee questioned.

"Keeping Mao busy, he has a plan." Shirley explained. "I can't go into the details just in case Mao's listening right now. But Arcee, Cliffjumper, Lelouch wants you two outside the chapel. That's where Mao is right now. If something goes wrong, he wants you two on stand-by."

"What about Nunnally?" Cliffjumper asked.

"Suzaku and Rai are on it." Shirley answered.

"Suzaku?" Arcee questioned, not liking the sound of it.

"Guys, I know many of you might not trust Suzaku right now, but I know he cares about Nunnally and wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Lelouch is counting on that." Shirley said. "Please, just trust him. I do."

Arcee and Cliffjumper glanced to each other, despite still being in vehicle mode. "Okay, I might not trust Suzaku right now, but I trust you Shirley." Arcee said.

"If Lelouch needs us, we'll be there for him." Cliffjumper added.

"[What about me?]" Bumblebee asked. "[I'm Lelouch's guardian.]"

"And that's why he needs you to stay back, Bumblebee." Shirley explained. "If something goes wrong and people see you transform… practically the whole school knows your Lelouch's car and…"

"[It could reveal his identity as Zero]" The scout understood. "[Alright, I'll stand down]"

"Thank you so much for understanding. And… for your help." Shirley said sincerely.

"Hey, we're all friends here kid." Cliffjumper assured. "Any time you need us, we'll be here."

"We better get moving." Arcee said as she began to drive off. "Personally, I'd love to squash that ego-maniac under my heel myself." She drove off with Cliffjumper right behind her.

Viceroy Palace

This was one of the few times Cornelia could relax with her younger sister, and not worry about fighting, politics, or anything. She and Euphie both sat on the roof garden of the palace, the elder sister lying down and laying her head on Euphemia's lap.

"It's been a while since we could spend time like this." Cornelia said, in a completely relaxed state. "There have been so many unexpected events since we came here." Cornelia playfully grabbed her sister's stomach and tickle her, causing Euphie to laugh. "All of that desk work, it's making you fat."

"Hey, cut that out, it's not funny." Euphie said, despite the laugh she shared with her older sister.

"Sounds like you two are having a good time." Both royal sisters looked in surprise to see Nonette walking toward them.

"Lady Nonette!" Euphie was about to straighten herself out, but Nonette held out a hand.

"No Euphie, please." She assured. "I was only going to ask if I could join you. I mean, there's nothing else to do, and with Gino and the others at school, it's kinda boring all by myself. If, that's alright with you, anyway."

Cornelia seemed hesitant for a moment, but Euphie was the first to smile. "That would be lovely, Nonette. Please." She motioned for her to sit down next to her, which the Knight of Nine didn't hesitate to accept.

However, Nonette noticed a small look of reluctance in Cornelia's eyes, causing Nonette to frown slightly. "Cornelia, can I ask you something? And I want you to be honest with me."

"Yes?"

"Are you afraid of me?" Nonette asked.

Euphie was surprised, and even Cornelia didn't expect that. "No, I don't fear you. You're a Knight of the Round and I respect you, it's just…"

"Cornelia." Nonette spoke seriously. "It's alright, I'm not going to judge you."

The eldest of the Li Britannian siblings looked down slightly. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find you… somewhat intimidating. But you're no Luciano Bradley and thank god for that." She put in a tad bit of humor to ease the situation a bit, which caused Nonette to stifle a chuckle before Cornelia continued. "Truth is, I guess I've always been envious of you."

That took both Nonette and Euphemia by surprise.

"You're a far more skilled warrior than I could ever hope to be." Cornelia continued. "Someone recognized by my father and made a Knight of the Round. True, I'm a princess and I've got a pretty good track record myself, at least I had one before coming here…" Nonette and Euphie looked both serious and sympathetic respectively, knowing what she was talking about. "But… I guess I'm just not in your league."

"Cornelia, don't beat yourself down." Nonette told her. "You think I'm better than you? Well I don't think that at all. I might be a Knight of the Round, but I only got to where I am because I pushed myself, but I didn't do it just to earn the Emperor's approval. I did it because I didn't want to lose to my rival."

Cornelia had not expected those words to come from Nonette's mouth. "You consider me your rival?"

"I always have, since our time in school together." Nonette said with an assuring smile. "You might have lost before, but I know you're capable of so much more. But, if you need any help, I promise I'll be there. I don't just consider you my rival, Cornelia. I think of you as my friend."

For one of the few times in her life, Cornelia had been rendered speechless. Nonette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine, someone she considered to be her better, had just told her that she considered her to be both her rival and her friend. It was both surprising and relieving at the same time, as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Suddenly, being around Nonette didn't feel so bad.

And just as suddenly, a small frown formed on Nonette's face. "And as your friend, I'm so sorry I couldn't help you." She spoke. "You were captured by the enemy and abandoned by our so-called 'allies'. And I couldn't do anything about it. I hope you can forgive me." It wasn't just in regard to Cornelia's previous predicament she was speaking about, however. A part of her was also speaking in regard to her Kaizaren, as well as his own family, those she swore to protect but failed and believed to have been dead for seven years. But now he's apparently alive. She can only hope that he was safe.

Cornelia wasn't quite sure how to respond to this either, but she soon found she wouldn't have to as both her and Nonette were pulled into a hug by the younger princess.

"I'm just glad you're both here, safe and sound." Euphie said honestly. "So, let's just enjoy this moment we have together and… and not worry about the Decepticons, or the Black Knights, or the Autobots, or anything else."

That seemed to have ease the otherwise tense situation as both Cornelia and even Nonette returned the hug before all three of them relaxed to look at the garden that surrounded them.

"Don't you two think this garden looks familiar?" Nonette asked the princesses.

"You're right, it's almost exactly like Lady Marianne's." Euphemia observed. Even Cornelia recognized the resemblance. "I heard Clovis ordered them to build it like this."

"I'm surprised he liked her villa that much." Cornelia said. "Since he was always fighting with Lelouch there."

A sad look formed in Euphie's eyes at the mention of her brother's name. "I suppose he thought of Lelouch as his rival."

"Clovis actually considered Lelouch his rival? Even though he was barley ten years old?" Nonette asked in a joking tone. "Wow, Clovis really needed a hobby. Or a girlfriend."

Though that joke did cause Euphie and Cornelia to laugh slightly, it also became somber for them both as they were reminded of three important people in their lives who were taken away from them.

"We need to stabilize this area, and deal with Zero and the Autobots as soon as possible." Cornelia said with a somber, yet firm resolve in her voice. "To avenge Clovis, as well as Lelouch and Nunnally."

"Honestly, I'm a bit worried that if were not careful, it won't just be them we'll be avenging." Nonette said.

Cornelia knew exactly what her friend and rival was talking about. "Euphie, I don't want you anywhere near the Decepticons until this whole mess is over, understood?"

"Trust me, I know." Euphemia already had a bad feeling regarding the Decepticons. "But I can safely say that I trust Dreadwing. He's not like the others we've seen."

"You're right. At least Dreadwing has a code of honor. Which is more than I can say for… pretty much the rest of the Decepticons." Nonette said. "Listen, Euphie, even you Cornelia. If anything happens, or they try anything, I promise I'll be there for both of you. I swear it."

Ashford Academy

"You see, this scale is the bomb's detonator and it's cancellation switch." Mao explained to Lelouch as they began their game of chess. Just like before, Mao's pieces were white with the scale on his end also being white; while Lelouch had the black pieces and the scale on his end was black as well. "The chess pieces we capture, will go here." Mao had already captured Lelouch's pawn and placed it on his scale, causing the meter to tip closer toward him. "If the needle swings all the way toward me, the bomb goes off. You and I will be fine, but most of the school, including your precious sister, most of your friends, and even Bumblebee, Arcee, and Cliffjumper will be a memory. If it swings toward you, however, the bomb will be disarmed. In short, if you win the game, you not only save your sister, but all your friends to."

"Your mind is twisted, no wonder C.C. left you." Lelouch scowled.

"Provoking me won't work. I can read your thoughts, so I know what you're trying to do." Mao said.

"If that's the case, then you have to know whatever arrangement you've made with Megatron is a farce." Lelouch told him. "You really think he's going to honor his end of any deal you've made with him? There's a reason they're called 'Decepticons'."

"He won't have a choice, considering I've got information that's invaluable to him." Mao replied. "First is your identity, second is the location of the Ark and Optimus Prime. And third, how about your little conversation with Big Sis Cornelia the other day." Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "You really shouldn't be surprised. You used your Geass on her to not only learn all about Britannia's military operations here in Japan, but even that despite everything, she still loves you." A mocking smile formed on his face. "And you love her to, you want to patch things up with her. How sweet. How about after I'm done here, I tell Megatron about this? I can have C.C., Big Sis Cornelia, and even sweet little Euphie all to myself. I can only imagine just how much fun we're going to have."

Lelouch really wanted to strangle Mao right now. But he had no choice but to play his game, so he did. However, much like in Narita, Mao was able to easily counter all of Lelouch's moves. Already he lost three of his pawns, his bishop, and his knight. The needle was swinging closer to Mao.

"I'm afraid you're not the type of person who can keep your mind, empty." Mao continued to read and mock Lelouch. "There's a part of you that's a critic, one that you've actually modeled after Daddy Optimus, acting as the little angel on your shoulder, making sure you don't do anything morally wrong. And there's another part of you that's an observer, a little devil on your other shoulder, which you view as your real father, who wants to model you after him. You really want to be just like Optimus and nothing like your old man. You're that type of person. But I know all your thoughts, so I'm always a step ahead, you can't win."

Mao captured Lelouch's remaining knight and put it on his scale, causing the needle to tip closer towards him. Lelouch scowled, and Mao was able to read what he was thinking.

"Bravo!" Mao clapped as he saw Lelouch move his next piece. "Your plan is to think of seven things at once to confuse me and trip me up! But you see, if I focus my Geass directly on you, it's easy to tell which one is your true thought." He captured another of Lelouch's pawns. "Ah, your last plan is failing you as well. You underestimated me, and that's why your sister is…" He threw the piece onto his scale.

The needle was less than a centimeter away from the red zone, where the bomb would detonate. Now Lelouch was getting more than a little bit nervous. His eyes and body trembled.

"What do I do?" Mao mocked, reading Lelouch's fearful thoughts. "Optimus, what would you do? How would you save Nunnally from this madman?" He took out a coin and purposely dropped it on the ground, just to make Lelouch startle. "Sorry, sorry, I dropped it." He picked up the coin and clapped once more. "Your turn, better hurry." He noticed Lelouch's hesitancy. "Looky, looky, time is running out. Your little sister is not gonna make it, and you're gonna loose the rest of your friends to." Lelouch looked about to move his king. "Ah, is that the right move? Are you sure you wanna do that?"

Lelouch hung his head down. There was no way he could beat Mao, not with his sister's life, all his friends' lives, in the balance. He saw there was only one way out.

"Isn't this enough?" Lelouch pleaded, almost out of desperation. "Please stop it Mao…"

"I can't hear you very well." Mao sung.

"You got everything you wanted! Let Nunnally go!" Lelouch shouted.

"Huh?" Mao mockingly said, wanting Lelouch to say it.

"I admit it… you have beaten me."

That was all the madman needed to hear. Which caused him to chuckle like a hyena while clapping his hands as if he were a child who just gotten hold of a toy he always wanted. "Very well said! You're finally speaking your thoughts from the deepest part of your soul, huh? That feels great! Fantastic! But no." Mao grabbed his own king piece, much to Lelouch's horror as he knew what he was going to do. "This is… checkmate." He spitefully and sadistically put his own king onto Lelouch's black king and threw the piece onto the scale.

"NNNOOOOOO!" Lelouch screamed as the needle tipped all the way to the red. "…Nunnally…" He fell on his rear, believing he had just lost the most important person in his life.

"Hmm, let me see if she's burst into little pieces." Mao took out his hand-held device to see the live-stream but looked in surprise to see Nunnally was still alive, the bomb had not gone off. "What?! Why is she…?!"

Suddenly, the back window broke open, revealing Suzaku and Rai as they both leapt into the building.

"How did you…! You kept me focused on you!" Mao exclaimed, as Suzaku and Rai that was how they were able to get in close. Mao tried to pull out his gun, but Rai quickly moved to slap the gun out of his hands, letting Suzaku knock him down with a punch to the face, knocking the visor off his head.

"I am warrant officer Suzaku Kururugi of the Britannian military, and you are under arrest!" Suzaku stated as Rai helped Lelouch to his feet.

"Suzaku… Rai…" Lelouch muttered.

"You disarmed the bomb?!" Mao questioned in disbelief. "Impossible! You'd have to match your speed to the pendulum!" Mao looked into Suzaku's mind and saw he did just that before coming here.

"That's right, after Lelouch told you which line to cut." Suzaku confirmed.

"Yeah, don't you remember, Lelouch?" Rai asked with a small smirk, his own Geass briefly flashing in his eyes. "It was your plan."

Lelouch's eyes each had a red ring briefly form before they faded, and all Lelouch's recent memories came back. "That's right." He smirked at the madman. "Mao, it would seem this is my checkmate."

Mao's eyes widened in shocking realization. "Lelouch… Don't tell me…"

"Yes." Lelouch communicated to him via his thoughts as he and Rai both smirked. "I gave Suzaku, Rai, and even Shirley their instructions, while also having Rai use his own Geass on me to make me forget, so you wouldn't find out."

"Turns out, my Geass is a lot like Lelouch's." Rai communicated with his own thoughts as well. "Only I need people to hear me, as opposed to eye-contact. But I just found out I can focus it on a specific person if I say their name while I make the command. So even if other people hear it, they won't be affected by my Geass."

"I told Suzaku to cut the line to the bomb, and for him and Rai to come in while I kept you distracted and focused your Geass only on me." Lelouch continued. "I also told Shirley to tell the Autobots, who's minds you still can't read. Arcee and Cliffjumper should just be right outside this building, so you can't worm your way out of this one."

"You… you bet everything on your friends!?" Mao exclaimed as Suzaku grabbed his arm. "What if they failed you?!"

"It's a little something called 'trust' Mao. Something you wouldn't understand." Lelouch replied via thoughts.

"And if you're thinking about revealing our identities to Suzaku, don't." Rai also told him. "He doesn't know anything about Geass, and even if he did, you really think he'd take the word of a psychopath who kidnapped his childhood friend?"

Suzaku took out his own phone and contacted their other associate. "Sayoko, everything's fine now. Right, go ahead."

Back in the circulation system, Sayoko quickly began to untie and free the blind and paralyzed girl.

"Sayoko…?" Nunnally asked, feeling relieved that she was here.

"I'll have you free in a second." Sayoko assured.

Lelouch smirked in victory as even Rai crossed his arms. But Mao wasn't about to accept defeat yet. "You think you've beaten me, huh?" He tried to resist Suzaku's grip.

"Stop it!" Suzaku told him.

"Get your hands off me, father-killer!"

Suzaku's pupils shrunk as Rai gasped and even Lelouch was completely surprised.

Mao smirked once he saw Suzaku's horrified face. "You killed your own father seven years ago. He called for do-or-die resistance, and you thought stopping him would end the war. What a childish idea. The fact is you're a murderer!"

"That's not true! I just… I…" Suzaku stuttered.

"How lucky for you that no one ever found out." Mao continued. "All the adults lied to protect you."

"But all the reports said his suicide was a protest against the military actions…" Lelouch did not see this coming.

"A big, fat, lie! All of it!" Mao confirmed.

"Suzaku…" Rai looked at his friend with both shock and utter sympathy.

"I didn't have any choice!" Suzaku said immediately. "If I didn't… Japan would have…"

"That's how you justify it in retrospect? Well it explains your death-wish!" Mao stated, causing Suzaku to gasp again as Mao's evil smirk only grew. "You wanna save people's lives? It's your own wretched soul you're trying to save! That's why you're always charging into danger! Placing yourself on the edge of death!"

Suzaku screamed as he fell to his knees.

"You're no hero!" Mao continued to mock. "You're just trying to wash the blood off your hands! A little brat begging to be punished! It's no wonder Megatron recruited you! I don't know if he knows this or not, but there's no way he's stupid enough to not see your little suicide-tendencies! He yanks on the strings of your cheap pride and you dance like a little marinate!"

"Mao!" Lelouch angrily exclaimed, activating his Geass and looking into Mao's exposed eyes. "Never speak again!"

"No!" Mao tried to cover his face, but it was already too late. Lelouch's Geass flew into his eyes and altered his brainwave patterns. Mao opened his mouth, but he couldn't utter a word. All he could do was just moan and gurgle.

Rai tried to run and tackle him, but Mao grabbed him and threw him at Lelouch, knocking them both down. Mao then quickly ran for a side door, while also pulling out a Knightmare key.

Lelouch and Rai both quickly got up, but they didn't even have time to register what had just happened as the wall suddenly exploded outward. Rai was quick to pull the still-shocked Suzaku out of the way and behind some cover with Lelouch.

Both boys looked in shock through the hole to see a Sutherland just outside. Somehow, Mao was able to smuggle a military-grade Knightmare onto campus.

The explosion that had just occurred had alerted the entire campus, even startled those in the Student Council Room.

"What the hell was that?!" Rivalz exclaimed.

"Something appears to be causing a bit of a ruckus." Anya said, still as emotionless as ever, as while Rivalz, Kallen, and Nina were all startled, along with Arthur; she, Gino, and Monica were already on their feet.

Mao had read the mind of the pilot he killed to get this Sutherland, so he knew how to operate it. Though he couldn't speak, he glared hatefully through his screen as he aimed the Knightmare's rifle right at the trio of boys inside, with the intent on killing them.

However, Cliffjumper's vehicle mode came speeding out of the corner, ramming the Sutherland's legs to trip it up before he drove into its chest to push and drag it across the ground and away from the building.

"Good call with guard-duty, Shirley." Cliffjumper commented.

Arcee drove right behind Cliffjumper. "Get him off campus! We can't get anyone hurt!" She told her partner.

"Already on it!" Cliff responded as they were already making their way to the outer perimeter. Cliffjumper rammed Mao's Sutherland through the wall and onto the streets before both he and Arcee transformed and aimed their Energon blasters at the stolen Knightmare as it quickly stood up.

"You got two options, Mao." Arcee told him. "Surrender or resist."

"Here's hopping you resist." Cliffjumper smirked.

Mao gritted his teeth. 'You damn Autobots! If it weren't for you, C.C. would be mine! Well I'm gonna make sure you don't get in my way again!' He fired his Knightmare's rifle, while also shooting a pair of slash harkens, forcing the two Autobots to scatter before they both opened fire with their Energon blasters, already obliterating one of the Sutherland's arms before it rolled back to avoid the laser.

Already nearly every student at Ashford Academy had all gathered outside to look in surprise, shock, and even awe at the fight that was occurring in the streets. Many of them even took out their cell phones to take pictures or even record it.

At the same time however, Laserbeak continued to hover over the area as it recorded and broadcasted the events occurring back to Soundwave.

The Nemesis – the Bridge

Soundwave's tentacles attached themselves to the main console, allowing Laserbeak's transmission to be brought up on the main screen for Megatron and Shockwave to see. The leader of the Decepticons appeared less-than-pleased.

"I fail to see the logic in these actions." Shockwave commented.

"As do I." Megatron agreed with a growl as he tried to contact Mao directly. "Mao, how difficult is it to exterminate one single human being!?" He got no response. "Mao!"

Ashford Academy

While other students continued to watch the fight play out, Shirley remained inside Bumblebee as they too saw the fight from the parking lot, which wasn't that far from the action.

"[How in the name of Primus did that whack job get a Knightmare?!]" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"What about Lelouch?" Shirley asked with worry as she sat in the driver's seat. "Or Nunnally, Rai, or Suzaku?!"

"[I got a confirming text from Lelouch that they were all okay.]" Bumblebee replied. "[Sayoko also has Nunnally, so she's safe.]"

Shirley breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god. You think Arcee and Cliffjumper can beat him?"

"[You even need to ask?]" Bumblebee responded rhetorically, causing Shirley to smile as they, along with everyone else continued to watch.

Back on the streets, Mao desperately tried to throw a punch out with his Sutherland's only remaining arm, only for Cliff to easily catch the punch before bringing his other arm down to crush and destroy the second arm before delivering a kick to the cockpit to knock the Sutherland back. Mao could only gasp in shock as he saw Arcee's leaping kick incoming.

The kick was enough to send the Sutherland skidding down the street, and rattling Mao inside the cockpit. Just because he was able to learn how to use a Knightmare after reading its pilot's mind, didn't mean he was a master combatant, as the Autobots were no doubt proving.

"Mao!" Megatron contacted him through the Sutherland's communications directly. "Return to base immediately!"

Not seeing any other way out, Mao pulled on the ejection, shooting the cockpit out from what was left of the Sutherland, just as a Groundbridge portal opened up, allowing the cockpit to fly in right before it closed.

"And don't come back, freak!" Cliffjumper laughed.

"Uh… Cliff…" Arcee pointed to their left, where Cliffjumper's smirk vanished.

"Oh."

Nearly every student at Ashford Academy stared at the Autobots with awe and wonder, including those on the Student Council. Kallen herself was also there, and while she undoubtedly had some questions as to what just happened, she was greatly worried for her partners, especially as she saw the three Knights of the Round present; Gino's jaw had dropped, Anya remained as emotionless as ever, and Monica looked ready to call in the military.

Shirley saw all this from inside Bumblebee to. However, an idea came to her, and she was quick to get outside.

"[Shirley, what are you…?]"

The schoolgirl had made it past the crowd and put on the act of the 'innocent schoolgirl' before speaking. "Oh my god… you… you just saved us!" She spoke directly to Arcee and Cliffjumper as they looked down to her in surprise. She turned back to her fellow students. "These super cool transforming robots just saved us a from a terrorist! Isn't that amazing?!"

Kallen saw what she was doing and quickly joined in. "Yeah… that is amazing! I… I think they're called the Autobots."

"You mean those robots who work with the Black Knights?" One other student asked as the crowd of students began to speak with each other before they soon began to cheer.

"Hell yeah! These guys are awesome!" Rivalz exclaimed. "Oh man, this is so cool!"

As all the other students began to cheer to their saviors, some even took pictures with their cellphones. Monica looked in shock, as Anya's emotionless expression remained unchanged. Though Gino smiled as he tried to wave through the crowd.

"Hey, Cliffjumper right? It's me Gino! Nice to see you again!" He tried to get the red Autobot's attention, but he didn't seem to notice it admits the crowd of cheering students.

Arcee smiled as she glanced towards Kallen and Shirley, giving both girls a wink which they returned before smiling at each other.

Cliffjumper smiled as well. "Hey kids, love to stick around for autographs, but we gotta bolt." He and Arcee both transformed and drove off through the streets as the students continued to watch in awe as they drove off.

Meanwhile; Lelouch and Rai had helped Suzaku out as they made it outside. Though they weren't close enough to be pulled into the crowd; Lelouch and Rai had heard everything as they both exchanged smiles, having a good idea what Shirley just did and knowing just how beneficial this could be for them, the rest of the Black Knights, and even the Autobots in the long run.

However, their looks became serious and sympathetic as they glanced down at Suzaku, who was still in a state of shock over what Mao had revealed, apparently not noticing the presence of the Autobots even after they left.

"I just… I just…"

The Nemesis – the Bridge

"Mao." Megatron addressed the mind-reader as he stood before the Decepticon leader, while Soundwave was right by Megatron's side. "You have earned your place at the table."

The speechless Mao chuckled with an elated smile as he bowed his head. 'Just you wait, C.C. You'll still be mine! And you and I can be together! Forever!'

"Shockwave's dissection table!" Megatron sneered evilly.

Mao's elated smile turned into one of shock as he turned around to see Shockwave at the door to the bridge. "A logical choice, Lord Megatron." The Decepticon scientist nodded. Mao turned around to Megatron try and speak or ask why, but all he could get out of his mouth was a series of gargles and groans.

"You wish to know why?" Megatron began. "Because you've tried not once, but twice to defeat Zero, and you've failed each time. You believe if you read a person's thoughts, you know everything. While such an ability can be useful, you yourself seem incapable of using it properly. When your opponent outwits you, you lose all sense of self-control and enter a state of blind rage. You're no soldier, you're a child! Now look at yourself, you are incapable of speaking, no doubt a result of Lelouch's Geass."

That took Mao by surprise as he looked up to Megatron in shock.

"Oh yes, I've been aware of Zero's identity as Lelouch Vi Britannia for quite some time now." Megatron continued as his evil smile only grew wider. "I simply acted ignorant to test you and see what you're capable of. I'm not impressed. However, I will admit that your reveal of the existence of Geass, as well as the one known as 'C.C.' has opened my mind to new possibilities. So, rest assured, my dear Mao, you and your Geass will still have much to contribute to the Decepticon cause… a science experiment!"

Mao was struck with a horrible realization. He realized that he had never truly played Megatron, but rather Megatron had played him! He looked at the leader of the Decepticons' face in pure horror, as though he was looking at the face of the devil himself. He turned around and desperately tried to run away.

However, Soundwave deployed Ravage from his back, which ran and leapt at Mao, pinning him to the ground as Mao screamed in shock at the sight of the mechanical jungle cat that snarled and looked ready to bite down on his throat.

Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave all loomed over him. "He will be a fascinating case for study." Megatron said.

"I will leave nothing unexamined." Shockwave said as he reached down to grab Mao with his only hand before walking away.

Mao desperately struggled in Shockwave's steel-grip but was unable to escape. 'No! No! This wasn't supposed to happen! C.C! Help me! No… No! No! NO! NOOOOOOO!' He screamed as loud as he could as the doors leading out of the bridge closed behind him and Shockwave.

Meanwhile, on the sidewalk of a city in the Chinese Federation, the disguised C.C. stopped walking as she could feel it. Call it a connection with her Geass, or a gut feeling, but somehow, she knew, Mao was truly gone. Likely subject to a fate far worse than death.

She gave a long and sad sigh. 'I'm sorry Mao.' She thought to herself. 'I should have never given you your Geass. Forgive me, but I did love you. Wait for me… in C's World.'

However, a scowl formed on C.C.'s face as she heard someone's voice in her head that only she could hear. "What do you want? Oh, don't worry, he's in far more capable hands right now, though I'm surprised you care." A look of annoyance formed. "Don't give me that, the only reason I haven't told him about you is because he has such a high opinion of you, and I'd hate to see him crushed if he were to learn the truth. Don't think that means I'm still on your side."

C.C. smirked. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do know where the Autobots are, I'm just not going to tell you. I already told them about V.V., and I plan to tell them about Ragnarok as well, but right now, we've got a more dangerous threat on our hands. But I promise, once the Decepticons are out of the way, I'll tell them everything, and you can bet Lelouch, Optimus, and the rest of the Autobots are going to do everything in their power to destroy your precious project. And I personally can't wait to watch you, Charles, and V.V. all squirm when that happens!"

"You can yell at me all you want." C.C. said. "But this is the last time I'll be speaking to you. Consider our contract null and void… Marianne." She placed a hand on her forehead, where her Geass mark began to glow briefly before she severed her connection with her other contractor permanently, making it impossible for her to contact the immortal.

C.C. then resumed her walk. There was a part of her that did feel bad for not telling Lelouch the truth about his mother. But given how much he admired her, she hated to see the expression on his face should he learn the truth. He would find out sooner or later, but it would seem he'll find out later. There was a more pressing threat to deal with: the Decepticons.

Done.

So, on the positive side, Mao is finally gone! And this time, he has a fate much worse than in the cannon. As opposed to a swift kill, he is going to be dissected alive by Shockwave. Well, technically it's vivisection, but that just makes it all the more painful and satisfying. A much more fitting fate for someone like him. (evil laugh)

However, this also means Megatron is going to learn a whole lot more about Geass. In fact, he is already becoming suspicious that Victor (AKA V.V.) might still be alive. So, it would seem that Charles' secret project might not be a secret for much longer.

Speaking of which, C.C. has severed her connection with Marianne, so she won't be able to bother her anymore, of course this is going to cause some problems with Charles' inner circle and Ragnarok. C.C. knows the truth but hasn't told Lelouch or the Autobots yet, but she might eventually (but not for a LONG while. It's going to be quite some time however before they learn about Ragnarok).

And of course, probably most importantly of all; Lelouch and Rai know that Suzaku killed his own father. And (small spoilers) the Autobots are going to learn it in the next chapter as well. Lelouch hopes that if he and Optimus can figure some of this out, they might be able to turn Suzaku to the good side. I'm not saying if and when that'll happen, but you'll see.

One more thing: Lelouch had originally planned to tell Nunnally later that day about his identity as Zero, and introduce her to the Autobots. However, he's going to postpone that revelation as he wants to give Nunnally some time to recover emotionally from her ordeal, as revealing himself to be at war with Britannia and introducing a bunch of giant transforming robots to her might be a bit too much for her. I know he technically did the exact same thing with Shirley after his first encounter with Mao, but we all know how protective Lelouch is over Nunnally. So, while she WILL find out about them, it's not going to be for a little bit.

Final note. I know many of you are expecting to see Tohdoh in the next episode, and as much as I love the guy, I've actually got two more TFP episodes before I get to there. Sorry, but this is the only time in the entire R1 storyline that I can use these episodes as they introduce a certain element from Season 1 of TFP that will become crucially important for my overall Code Prime storyline.

I'll see you all soon with the next episode. Stay safe and stay healthy out there. Transform and Roll Out!