Well, I am updating before November so that's good! However, due to the turn the story took in the first chapter of Arc III and the subsequent chapters, I had to scrap my outlined version of Arc IV as well as the outline of the last three or so chapters of Arc III. In other words, I have to rework the ending of Arc III and all of Arc IV in order to solve all the plot points that are brought up in Arc I and Arc II.

Bakura: yeah and you're updates are still gonna be extremely slow despite having 33 total prewritten chapters

School, life, school, trying to rework the ending of Arc III and all of Arc IV, school, writing my original story, school, working on my other fanfics, school...oh and did I mention school?

Bakura: SIX TIMES ALREADY!

Gees, no need to yell. Anyway, so please be patient with me! This story will be finished, eventually, but it will be finished!

Anyway, thank you to Guest, MasterDangel, Otaku-Nation666, Kami No Raijin, OBSERVER01, Blacksword Zero, Shadow-Shinobi666, harlequin320, B-Kira, Doommajor, ewertondragon, Scarease, Shimmering-Sky, and davycrocket100 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome.

And here is the first chapter of Arc II in which we get some more on the backstory of the OCs from basic training introduced in Arc I, Suzaku meets the Student Council, Lulu and Shirley get their date, Milly acts like...well...Milly and yeah. I hope you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

. . .

. . .

Arc II

Storms

. . .

. . .

"Fallen heroes scattered around

Deafened ears opens up to the sound

Painful cries rising forever more

Through the victims of life and of war."

—"Revelations" by Dragonforce [Album: Valley of the Damned (2003)]

. . .

. . .

July 22, 2015

Frost Manor, Pendragon

Rayne moved through her room, gathering her clothes and stuffing them into her suitcases, her long pale-blue hair falling over her shoulder. She paused for a moment and tied her hair back in a ponytail before going back to work packing everything she wanted to take with her.

Kay stood in the doorway, his own suitcases packed and resting in front of him. "You know, we could have already left if you'd thought to do this earlier," he said softly.

Rayne glanced at him. "Well, excuse me for forgetting," she huffed.

"I reminded you earlier too."

Rayne rolled her eyes. "Our dear parents are going to be home soon and I wanna get to the airport and outta here before they get home. Ethan'll be waiting for us at the airport, right?"

"That's what he said."

Rayne smiled and returned to her frantic packing. Ethan was an advisor to their mother and a friend of the family whom Rayne and Kay had always been close to. After he had quit three months ago, he still maintained contact with Rayne and Kay. He was the only one who was willing to help them run away now, though that was because he understood that they just wanted a chance to start over.

After all, if they had stayed, Rayne would be married off to some random nobleman that was likely going to be twice her age and she had no idea of what would happen to her twin. Kay was intelligent and knew how to pilot knightmares, due to the time he spent with the technicians, but there had been no mention of him joining the military or anything like that. As it was, their so-called parents didn't think he would amount to anything and had admitted that they didn't care what happened to him because he was worthless.

After hearing that, Rayne had been furious on her twin's behalf but was even more upset when she caught her brother crying in the library over their parents' callous words.

It was then that they made the decision to run away and, after calling Ethan and telling him about what happened, Ethan was quick to agree to help them.

"Okay, I've got everything together now," Rayne said, stuffing the last of her items into her suitcase and closing it before latching it. She grabbed the handle of the suitcase and turned to Kay. "Ready?"

Kay nodded and the two of them headed toward the doors to the manor, quietly to avoid attracting the attention of the maids, and left, hurrying toward the large gates leading into the manor.

"Where to, Lady Rayne? Lord Kayden?" the chauffeur that met them at the gates said, frowning when he saw the suitcases but he wasn't paid to ask questions so he said nothing.

"The airport and, please, Mark, don't tell Mom and Dad that we left," Kay said quietly.

"Not that they'll care," Rayne muttered.

Mark nodded and said nothing as he opened the door for them before taking the suitcases. As Rayne and Kay slipped into the back of the limo, Mark put the suitcases into the trunk and then climbed into the driver's seat.

Rayne saw Kay glance over his shoulder at the manor that was gradually getting smaller behind them as Mark drove away but she said nothing, nor did she glance back once.

. . .

12

A Series of Reunions

June 16, 2016

Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11

After the tragedy at Sapporo, Tadashi, his father, and his little brother had decided to move off Hokkaido and they came to the Tokyo Settlement. Even though his father was an Honorary Britannian, it was very difficult for him to get a decently paying job and he ended up working as a janitor at one of the clothing stores. Therefore, they only had enough to pay for a small apartment near the border between the settlement and the Shinjuku Ghetto.

Tadashi had taken the train from the Tokyo Military Base to the Shinjuku Ghetto as soon as morning dawned. As soon as the train came to a stop at the train station near the border, he climbed off it and immediately headed into the ghetto. He walked past the Elevens that were milling around, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket; he was dressed back in his normal clothes rather than the military uniform that he had been wearing for the past nine weeks. The rest of his stuff was back at the military base, which was where he was going to return after he spoke to his family.

The recently graduated recruits had some time to themselves to see family and friends and do whatever they wanted until they were given their posts. Almost everyone had gone back to spend time with their family and friends; as far as Tadashi knew, out of all of his friends, only Lila, Rayne, Kay, and Suzaku weren't going to spend time with their families. He didn't know why but that wasn't his business.

He felt rather proud of himself that he managed to finish basic training. He had proven that he could do it, despite everyone thinking that he wasn't taking the matter seriously, even when he was. And he had made friends while at the camp, including two very pretty ladies, and met another pretty lady who was also a princess.

Tadashi shivered at the memory of the death glare that Lelouch had given him when he had complimented Princess Euphemia, it was the same 'don't you dare get any ideas' glare that he had received when he called Lelouch's sister Nunnally 'hot'. He never made that mistake again.

By nature, Tadashi was a flirt but he was not stupid enough to get on the bad side of an overprotective older brother.

He neared the street where his family's small house was and made his way toward it. Walking over to the house, Tadashi pulled out his key and unlocked the door before slipping into the house. "Hey, anyone home?" he called.

"Big Brother! You're back!" A shout sounded.

"Oof!" That was the only thing Tadashi could say as he found himself knocked back against the door by his overexcited younger brother who wrapped him in a tight hug. "Yeah, Fuyuki, I'm back. You knew that I'd be coming home soon."

Fuyuki Akiyama released him and stepped back with a sheepish smile, his dirty blonde hair falling into his face. "Yeah, I forgot," he said.

"You'd forget your own head if it weren't attached, kid," Tadashi said, ruffling his younger brother's hair.

Fuyuki scowled and swatted his hand away. "Stop that," he said. "So how was training?"

"Tiring but I got through it," Tadashi said. "Is Dad home?"

"He went out to get some groceries but he should be back soon," Fuyuki said. "So tell me about training."

Tadashi chuckled but nodded and the two brothers headed over to the couch before sitting down while Tadashi talked about what happened the past nine weeks, including about the friends that he had made.

"Two of 'em were pretty girls at that; Lila has a kind of no-nonsense serious attitude and often scolded me for not acting professional, though she did calm down as the training went on. Rayne, on the other hand, is temperamental; she actually slapped one of the other girls that we were training with twice," Tadashi mused.

Fuyuki raised an eyebrow. "Reminds me of Mom," he said with a small sad smile at the mention of their late mother.

"And you," Tadashi said.

"I'm not temperamental," Fuyuki protested.

"You can be," Tadashi said with a grin.

Fuyuki huffed. "So what about the others that you met?" he asked.

"Well, Dimitri's like Lila and Kay's a quiet bookworm. Suzaku's an Honorary Britannian like me but he's easy to get along with. Then there's Prince Lelouch," Tadashi mused.

"Wait, you met a prince?"

"And a princess but that's another story. But, yeah, Lelouch was training with us and he was actually an all right guy, nothing like what one would expect of royalty. He treated us normally and never acted like he was superior to us," Tadashi said.

"Well, we both know that not all Britannians are bad. I guess the prince has just been added to that list," Fuyuki said.

The door clicked open at that moment and Fuyuki jumped up as their dad, Hachiro, walked into the living room, carrying a couple of bags of groceries on his arms. Fuyuki joined his father and immediately began helping to carry the groceries to the kitchen as Tadashi stood up.

"Tadashi, welcome home," Hachiro said as Tadashi walked over to help.

Tadashi smiled. "Glad to be home. I doubt I'm gonna be able to stay for long though. I'm gonna be assigned to my post soon," he said.

"At least we'll be able to spend some time together before you have to leave," Hachiro said. "I was thinking of making breakfast for dinner tonight. What do you say to that?"

"Anything's better than what we had to eat during training," Tadashi said with a grimace as he carried the rest of the groceries into the kitchen and placed them on the table.

"Then how about eggs, bacon, and pancakes?" Hachiro said.

"Sounds good to me!"

Fuyuki chuckled. "You never say no to pancakes," he said.

"Who in their right mind would say no to pancakes?" Tadashi asked in confusion. Pancakes were the best breakfast food to ever be invented, in Tadashi's opinion anyway. "Do we have any melons?"

Fuyuki, who was putting the eggs and bacon that their dad had brought into the fridge, glanced at him. "We still have some cantaloupe," he said.

"Awesome."

. . .

Duncan Manor, Osaka Settlement

Dimitri walked into the manor behind his parents, thinking about the damage that had been done to the ghettos as well as the edge of the city. He knew that it had been caused by the terrorist attack by the Crimson Sakuras at the end of February.

The maids gathered around them and Dimitri's parents were quick to give them a few orders, such as fixing Dimitri's favorite, chicken parmesan with fettucine alfredo, for dinner. "We have something to celebrate," Dimitri's father, Lord Eric Duncan, said with a proud smile after he gave the orders out.

"We are very proud of you, Dimitri," Dimitri's mother, Lady Diana Duncan, said with a smile as she pulled Dimitri into another hug. "We knew that you could do it. You have our blood in you and I know that you will make a wonderful soldier, fighting on the frontlines just like your father and I."

Dimitri hugged his mother back but said nothing. He didn't want that. He didn't want to be on the frontlines, he would prefer working behind the scenes, like as a navigator or anything involving a computer. Not only was he good with navigation but he was also very good with computers and that was what he wanted to do with his life.

However, his parents didn't know that about him. Dimitri didn't exactly tell them that he could hack into various places, that was not something that he wanted to become common knowledge since it wasn't exactly legal and something he only did if absolutely necessary. For example, there was one time when someone hacked into his family's security system to turn it off and he was able to not only trace the hacking job back to the person responsible but also turn the security system back on just in time to catch the assassins that were going after his parents.

However, he had hinted to his parents that he would rather be working as a navigator but they never really seemed to hear him when he said that. They thought that he would be better suited for the frontlines.

But maybe he should tell them about what he really wanted to do with his life now that he was done with basic training.

The three of them walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch.

"So do you know which regiment you'll be placed in, Dimitri?" Eric asked as he turned to his son.

"Not yet. It won't be for a couple of days," Dimitri said. He hesitated and then said, "Mother? Father? There's something I'd like to tell you."

"What is it, sweetie?" Diana asked, glancing at him.

"I know that I will likely have to fight on the frontlines but…I just wanted to say that I don't want that. I would prefer it if I could work from behind the scenes, like as a navigator or in the research and technological development department than fighting on the frontlines," he said.

Diana smiled patiently. "Sweetie, in order to do that, you have to have an extensive knowledge of computers and technology, something that one can only get after years of schooling beyond high school and definitely not something that one gets during basic training," she said.

Dimitri frowned but couldn't fault his mother's words, not entirely anyway. In order to work in the research and technological development department or even as a navigator, one needed to know more than what was taught in basic training. Many had to go to universities in order to gain that knowledge but, for Dimitri, he had taught himself. He supposed it wasn't the same thing but he didn't think it mattered how one gained knowledge, so long as they were willing to work to gain it.

He didn't say that though. "I suppose so. Maybe I will go to a university," he said.

"If you wish, though you won't be able to until after your term in the military is over with," Diana said. "Now then, why don't you tell us about the last nine weeks? How was training?"

So Dimitri spent the next hour, while they were waiting for dinner to be ready, telling his parents about his time in the military, including the acquaintances that he had made. When he told them about Prince Lelouch, though, they exchanged glances.

"So that's what happened to the Eleventh Prince after he was reintroduced to society after being missing for six years," Diana mused. "I had wondered since the Royal Family didn't release anything regarding him and Princess Nunnally after announcing their survival."

"I think it's good that he has joined the military," Eric said. "I remember when I first joined the military. I wasn't much older than Dimitri is now."

A maid walked into the living room before Eric could go down memory lane and bowed. "Lord and Lady Duncan, dinner is ready," she said.

"Thank you. You're dismissed," Diana said and stood up at the same time as Eric and Dimitri followed suit before following his parents into the dining room for dinner.

Later that day, Dimitri found himself in the library with a book opened on his lap. He also liked reading, though he preferred adventure novels to anything else. He also preferred the classics, hence why he was reading his worn-out copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin for the third time.

He paused in his reading when the door opened and a maid walked into the room, holding a phone in her hand. "You have a call, Lord Duncan," she said.

"Thank you," Dimitri said, saving his spot in his book and taking the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Dimitri, been a long time," a voice that Dimitri hadn't heard in years sounded over the phone.

He blinked. "Ella?" he said.

"Oh, good, you remember me. I thought you'd forgotten about me since it's been so long since we last spoke," the voice of Ella Weitz, a girl that Dimitri had befriended before he and his family had moved to Area 11 following its creation. She was the one who had gotten him into drawing, though he narrowed the focus to landmarks that he saw in real-life or on paper.

"It has been a while," he said.

"Yup. So how've you been?"

"I've been good. I just got done with basic training," Dimitri said.

"You joined the military? I never expected you to do that," Ella mused. "I always thought you'd become a map drawer or a computer technician or something like that."

"I decided to go with the military," Dimitri said.

"…Let me guess, it's 'cause of your parents," Ella said and, before Dimitri could respond, she added, "They want you to follow in their footsteps but don't ya think that you should do something that you enjoy rather than what your parents want? I mean, it's your life. Look at me. Mom wanted me to become a stay-at-home housewife but I made the decision to become a journalist instead and Mom supported my decision when I told her about it."

"So you're going to be a journalist?" Dimitri asked.

"Yeah. I've already got an internship lined up with the journalist Heather Quill but don't change the subject! We're talking about you here. Look, if ya don't wanna be in the military, you shouldn't be obliged to be in the military just to satisfy your parents. I mean, it's your life, you should get to choose how you want to live it," Ella said firmly.

Dimitri sighed. "I know but I'm going to, at least, give it a try, Ella. Besides, I'm already committed at the moment so I'm gonna stick it out and see whether this is the life I want or not," he said.

"I guess that's your own decision, though I still think you should've become a computer technician, considering how scarily good you are when it comes to computers," Ella mused. "Well, I have to go now. It's four in the morning over here and Mom isn't gonna be happy with me if she finds me awake and on the phone this early. Bye, Dimitri, and don't be a stranger! At least call every now and then."

Dimitri smiled a little. "I will, Ella, goodbye," he said and hung up. He handed the phone to the maid, who had patiently waited for him to finish, before returning his attention to his book, while thinking about his old friend's words.

. . .

Mall, Tokyo Settlement

Lila walked passed the various shops and restaurants that lay around her, studying the clothes that hung on display in the various clothing stores that she came across. She had come to the mall mostly for something to do, since she didn't exactly want to go home.

Her parents had found out about her signing up for the military one week after she had left for basic training, thanks to the help of a maid, and had been close to coming to the training camp itself and dragging her home kicking and screaming. However, in response to the letter they sent, she had told them point blank that she was sixteen and that she could take care of herself; she told them that she wanted to do this and that, since sixteen was the age in which Britannians were considered adults, they didn't have any say in her decision.

They had been furious with that but, at least, they didn't try to forcibly drag her out of training.

Lila sighed as she came to a stop outside of a clothing store and decided to take a look inside. She knew that her parents meant well but they were just so protective of her, coddling her like she was a fragile porcelain doll that could break if they let her out of their sight for more than a few minutes. She wasn't fragile, though, and she hated being coddled. However, she knew her parents only did that because she was their miracle child; they were told that they would never be able to have a child and, when she was born, they nearly lost her during the birthing process. That was why they were so protective of her.

She wandered past racks of clothing, tracing her fingers over them and pausing at a rack of dresses. Even if she wasn't a girly girl, like some of the girls that she had grown up with, she didn't mind wearing dresses, so long as it wasn't all the time.

She had a little money with her so she decided to see if she could find something to wear for when she wasn't working. She did have a few days to go before she would be assigned to her post after all and might as well be comfortable while enjoying the sights of the Tokyo Settlement. It was hot and jeans and a t-shirt were making it hotter.

Due to being coddled by her overprotective parents, Lila never had the chance to actually check out the sights of the Tokyo Settlement and she was going to take advantage of her free time to do that.

She finished looking at the dresses, finding a pretty peach-colored dress with thin straps and a high neckline. Fishing it out of the rack, she held it up against herself, noting that it looked like it would fit her and then headed for the fitting room.

Slipping out of the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing, Lila slipped the dress over her head, noting that it fell to just above her knees. She turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror as she moved the straps so that they rested on her shoulders. The dress fit her snugly and didn't show too much skin so she decided to get it.

She paid for the dress, deciding to wear it out of the store, and, after getting the tags and anti-theft device removed from it, walked out of the store, her old clothes stuffed into the bag that the cashier had given her for the dress. She started walking around again, scanning the store when a voice called out her name.

"Lila!"

She turned and frowned when she found her parents running towards her. What're they doing here? Her parents rarely, if ever, came to the mall, deeming it too crowded for their tastes, hence why they always sent maids to do any shopping that needed to be done at the mall.

Her mother, Lucy, drew her into her arms as soon as she came within arm's reach. "I'm so glad you're all right," she said.

"Of course I'm all right, Mother," Lila said, her voice muffled since her face was pressed into her mother's chest. "I told you in my last letter that I was fine."

Her mother released her and frowned at her. "You shouldn't have joined the military, Lila. It's dangerous," she said sternly.

"I wanted to, Mother," Lila said, folding her arms across her chest. "I didn't want to become a doctor."

"Honey, being a doctor is a perfectly respectable position," her father, Caleb, said.

"Yeah but I just don't want to be a doctor." At least not one in a hospital.

"You could be helping people…"

"So would being in the military and, this way, I would be protecting people so that they wouldn't have to go to the hospital," Lila said. She has always been interested in the military, ever since she had learned of her father's exploits as a member of the military before he left when her mother became pregnant with her. She had only heard those stories from her aunts and uncles though, despite her parents actively discouraging them from telling her those stories.

"I've already joined the military, Mother, Father, and I've already completed basic training. I'm committed now," Lila said.

"I'm sure we can pull some strings to…" Lucy began.

"You don't get it, Mother," Lila interrupted. "This is something that I want and I'm not going to back out now. This is my decision. I'm sixteen now and that means that I have the right to choose what I want to do with my life, even if you don't like it." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at her parents stubbornly.

Her parents were staring at her in surprise but Caleb sighed and stepped forward. "Are you sure this is what you want, Lila? The military isn't going to be easy. You will be fighting and you will run the risk of getting hurt, or even killed, whenever you get into an engagement. It is not for the faint-hearted."

"I'm not faint-hearted. I can do this, Father, and I want to do this," Lila said.

Caleb nodded his assent. "Very well, Lila. You've chosen what you want to do with your life and, while I don't like it, I can't stop you from fulfilling your commitment. Just be careful," he said while Lucy stared in shock at her husband.

"I will, Father," Lila said, relieved that her father had seen reason and was willing to support her decision.

"Caleb, what are you doing? We can't let Lila stay in the military. She's going to get hurt or killed!" Lucy exclaimed.

"It's her decision, Lucy dear, and she's sixteen now. She's old enough to make her own decisions," Caleb said.

"But…but…" Lucy was clearly at a loss of what to say.

"Let's head home, Lucy dear. Lila, do you want to come home with us?"

Lila smiled, relieved that her father was actually asking her rather than demanding that she come home with them. "No, I want to explore Tokyo," she said.

"All right, just be careful."

"By the way, how did you know I was here?" Lila asked curiously since she doubted that they had just run into her on accident.

Caleb had the decency to look ashamed. "We tracked your phone, since I knew that you would be graduating from basic training yesterday. That was how your mother and I found out that you had joined the military and were in basic training," he said. "I'm sorry, Lila. It was wrong of us to do that."

Lila stared, stunned that they had gone that far to keep an eye on her, but she did hear the sincerity in her father's voice when he voiced his apology. Still, it was an invasion of her privacy that they would do something like that. "Just…please don't do that again," she said.

"We won't," Caleb said and gently drew Lila into a hug before releasing her. "Enjoy your tour of the settlement. C'mon, Lucy dear." He gently guided his wife away, leaving Lila alone with her thoughts.

She pushed those thoughts away, musing that she really shouldn't be that surprised that her parents had tracked her as they had. It did sound like something they would do. She wasn't happy about it but at least her father had apologized for it so that was something.

Turning around, she continued her walk through the mall, deciding to finish exploring the mall before going out into the settlement itself.

. . .

Meeting Room, Student Council Clubhouse

Milly made her way into the meeting room, noting that almost everyone had already gathered, including Nunnally who was smiling broadly as she chatted with Shirley. Milly knew why she was so happy; the day before had been Lelouch's graduation from basic training and that meant that he was likely going to visit her and the rest of the student council today. Milly had been the only one who was able to attend only because she had asked her grandfather if she could go and he agreed. The others hadn't thought to ask permission from their parents in order to go.

"So where's Kallen?" Milly asked.

"She's running late but she should be here soon," Shirley said.

As if on cue, the door opened and Kallen walked into it. "Sorry about that," she said.

"No problem, I just got here myself," Milly said brightly as Kallen took her seat.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Rivalz asked.

"Not much. Actually, I don't really have much planned for this meeting," Milly said with a shrug.

"Then why're we here?" Rivalz asked with a frown.

"'Cause Big Brother's gonna be stopping by today," Nunnally said.

"He is?" Kallen asked.

"Uh huh. That's what Euphie said when she called me before she left Area 11," Nunnally said. "Though I don't know when he's gonna get here."

"So that means you're gonna get your date tonight, eh, Shirley?" Milly said with a grin. "I certainly hope Lelouch likes the outfit you're gonna be wearing."

Shirley went red. "I…uh…I'm not entirely sure I should, ah, wear that," she said.

"Ah, c'mon, you look cute in it and he's definitely gonna like it, especially since it fits you so perfectly and shows off your curves," Milly said with a big, perverted grin that was the reason why some people, and by some people she meant Lelouch, called her a perverted She-Devil.

Shirley's blush deepened. "M…Madam President!"

Milly laughed.

The door opened at that moment and Milly turned, smirking when Lelouch walked into the meeting room, dressed rather casually in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at the smirk on Milly's face but, apparently, decided he didn't want to know as he wandered to Nunnally's side.

"Who just came in?" Nunnally asked.

"Guess who?" Lelouch said and Nunnally's face brightened up.

"Big Brother," she exclaimed happily, turning to face Lelouch and holding out her arms. Lelouch gently wrapped his arms around Nunnally's form, resting his chin on top of her head, as Nunnally's arms curled around his neck. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Little Sister," Lelouch replied.

Nunnally leaned back and smiled as she poked Lelouch's arms. "Whoa, I can actually feel muscles in your arms, Big Brother," she said.

"Oh, really?" Milly said with a large grin. "Why don't ya take off your shirt and show off those muscles of yours, Lelouch?"

Shirley looked about ready to pass out at the thought.

"No," Lelouch deadpanned.

"Ah, c'mon, I'm sure Shirley wouldn't mind seeing that," Milly said.

Shirley went red.

"No," Lelouch deadpanned.

Milly pouted. "You are such a spoilsport," she said.

"And you're a perverted She-Devil," Lelouch replied.

"And don't ya forget it."

Nunnally giggled. "Big Brother, is he with you?" she asked.

"He is and since he's being a stubborn moron,"—Lelouch glared at the door—"I guess I will have to drag him in here. Excuse me." He turned and disappeared out of the meeting room. He came back in a moment later dragging a very uncomfortable-looking Suzaku Kururugi that Milly had met the day before behind him, granted it didn't really look like Suzaku was fighting him that much.

At the sight of the Eleven, Nina shrank away, scooting so that she was hidden by her computer, her indigo eyes behind her glasses wide with fear.

"Lelouch! Did you really have to drag me in here?" Suzaku protested and Milly saw Nunnally's face brighten again at the sound of the Eleven's voice.

"Would you have come in otherwise?" Lelouch said dryly as he released the other boy.

His silence answered that question.

"Suzaku?" Nunnally said.

Suzaku turned to Nunnally and smiled before moving to Nunnally's side, gently taking her hand, much to the shock of the rest of the Student Council, except Milly, who already knew of the friendship between Lelouch and Suzaku, and Kallen who just looked confused. "It's me, Nunnally. It's good to see you again," Suzaku said.

"It's so good to see you again too, Suzaku. I thought we'd never see you again after we separated! But when Big Brother told me that he and you were training together, I was so happy," Nunnally said with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I was shocked to find Lelouch there, considering the last time I saw him, he had less stamina than a snail," Suzaku said and Nunnally laughed while Lelouch scowled at the reminder.

"So, Lelouch, aren't you going to introduce us?" Milly asked as Suzaku released Nunnally's hand and stood up, looking uncomfortable again.

Lelouch shrugged. "You already know him, Milly. This is Suzaku Kururugi, an old friend of mine from when we came to Area 11 before the invasion," he said.

Milly did already knew him since she had met him at the graduation ceremony the day before and the last name Kururugi was what told her all she needed to know. According to Lelouch, when he and Nunnally had been made political hostages, it was with Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi and his family that they had been placed.

"Well, you already know who I am, Suzaku," Milly said.

"I'm Shirley," Shirley said with a friendly smile as she stood up and held out a hand to Suzaku who took it and shook it in greeting.

"I'm Rivalz, nice to meet ya," Rivalz said.

Nina just shied away and avoided looking at Suzaku. Milly blinked sympathetically at her and Lelouch made his way to Nina's side.

"It's all right, Nina," Lelouch said reassuringly. "Suzaku isn't going to hurt you. I trust him, as you saw when I allowed him to be near Nunnally."

Nina swallowed but nodded and turned to Suzaku. "I…I'm Nina," she said quietly, ducking her head when Suzaku turned to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Nina," he said politely, though he kept his distance, probably noticing that Nina was still scared of him.

"I'm Kallen," Kallen said as Suzaku turned his attention to the last member of the council who had yet to introduce herself while Lelouch made his way back to Nunnally's side.

Suzaku repeated his greeting to her as well.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, why don't we break out the snacks and throw ourselves a little 'welcome home' party?" Milly suggested.

"Sounds good to me. We should bust out the champagne," Rivalz said with a grin.

"Rivalz! We're underage. We can't drink that," Shirley protested.

"But this is a special occasion! Lelouch didn't die from too much exercise during basic training."

"Thanks for that, Rivalz, really, and shut up, Suzaku," Lelouch said, adding the last part when Suzaku started snickering.

"I still say Lelouch should take off his shirt and show us his muscles," Milly said with a grin.

"No," Lelouch deadpanned.

Milly pouted.

. . .

Park, Tokyo Settlement

Kay and Rayne were wandering the Tokyo Settlement without a real destination in mind. They had gone back to Ethan's home soon after the reception after the graduation ceremony ended and had decided to walk around the settlement in the morning. They had already explored the settlement rather thoroughly during the last year but they really couldn't think of what else to do.

"So when are we going to be given our posts again?" Rayne asked, turning around so that she was walking backwards a few feet in front of Kay.

"I don't know. I think Monday," Kay said.

"So what the heck are we supposed to do for four days?"

Kay shrugged. "Almost everyone is just visiting family or friends and Ethan should be back from Narita tomorrow morning," he said.

"True." Rayne let out a yelp as she tripped over something and went tumbling into a bush in the park that they had been walking alongside.

Kay's lips quirked as he gazed at the dazed Rayne. "Have a nice trip?" he asked.

"Haha, how original, moron. Now help me up," Rayne said with a scowl.

Kay chuckled but held out a hand and gently pulled his twin out of the bush. She dusted herself off, muttering about how glad she was that it wasn't a rose bush.

A bark sounded and Kay and Rayne turned to find a large chestnut brown dog bounding over to join them. Rayne's face brightened. "Aww, you're so cute," she gushed, stretching out a hand toward the dog. The dog sniffed it and then rubbed his muzzle against it and Rayne giggled before petting the dog.

"He must've gotten free from his owner," Kay said, noting that there was a leash attached to the dog's collar.

"Let's see who you are," Rayne said, kneeling in front of the dog and gently lifting up the name tag. "Chestnut. Hmm, interesting name. All right, Chestnut. Let's see if we can find your owners." She stood up and gently took the leash before walking in the direction the dog had come in.

Kay trailed after her.

They found the young couple to whom the dog belonged near the heart of the park. The young couple smiled in relief when Rayne and Kay, with Chestnut walking in front of them, came within sight. "Chestnut! Oh thank goodness you're all right," the girl said, running to join the two teenagers and the dog. She knelt down and gently petted the dog while the guy came to a stop at his girlfriend's side.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," Rayne said, handing the leash to the guy who took it and nodded before he, his girlfriend, and the dog walked away after the girlfriend expressed her own gratitude.

"Well, that killed all of five minutes. Now what?" Rayne said.

"Rayne? Kayden?"

Rayne's face went cold while Kay frowned as a very familiar woman walked over to join them from behind Rayne. She was tall with a muscular body, short-cropped dark-blue hair and dark-blue eyes. She was dressed in a military uniform with the bars and silver epaulettes that marked her as a Lieutenant Colonel.

"Is it who I think it is?" Rayne asked, not bothering on turning around.

"It is," Kay said.

"Wonderful." The sarcasm was practically dripping from Rayne's voice.

"Hello Gretchen," Kay greeted his eldest sister politely.

Gretchen Frost narrowed her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest. "Hello? That's all I get after worrying about you for over a year? Parker, Matthias, Mom, Dad, and I were all frantic when we found out you were missing without so much as a note or a phone call to tell us where you'd gone, or that you were okay! We thought you'd been kidnapped."

"Like Mom and Dad would've cared," Rayne sneered, still not looking at Gretchen.

"Of course they would've cared," Gretchen protested.

Rayne snorted in disbelief.

"What are you doing in Area 11, Gretchen?" Kay asked.

His eldest sister turned to him. "I was reassigned to Area 11 but don't change the subject, Kayden. Have you been in Area 11 this entire time?" she demanded.

"What's it to you?" Rayne shot back scornfully.

"I don't know what I've done to earn such hostility, Rayne," Gretchen said with a frown.

"If you don't know then there's no point in me telling you," Rayne said.

Gretchen sighed but said nothing to that. "Mom and Dad are going to be relieved to know that you're all right," she said. "I should call them. I'm sure they'll want you to come home as soon as possible."

"That's not gonna happen," Rayne spat. "I'm seventeen, which means I don't have to do a damn thing that they say anymore and good riddance."

"Rayne…"

"No. Mom and Dad never cared about Kay and me. They always ignored us and even admitted that they didn't want any more kids after Parker was born! Why do you think I was constantly getting into trouble? I thought it would make them pay attention to me. I thought that if they would take the time to actually scold me and tell me what I did was wrong then it would show that they cared. But you know what they did? Nothing. Not a fucking thing! They told the maids to handle my punishment. They didn't even care enough to punish me themselves! The maids were more parents to me and Kay than Mom and Dad ever were!"

"Rayne…" Gretchen began again.

"Did you know that they were going to arrange a marriage for me? They didn't even take into account what I wanted," Rayne interrupted angrily, whirling around to glare at their eldest sister. "What if I wanted to go into politics? What if I wanted to go to the university? What if I wanted to join the military? They never cared enough to ask me what I wanted and decided to just give me away like I was just a gift to be handed off to some random noble!"

Gretchen looked shocked. "I'm sure Mom and Dad wouldn't really do that," she said.

"Mom said that's what she would do. 'It'd be better for our name if she gets married off.' That was exactly what Mom said almost eight years ago. I remember those words to this day, I can't get them out of my head because they're proof that Mom doesn't care about what I want, she only cares about the family name! And I got sick and tired of it! That's why I left without telling anyone. Because I was sick and tired of the neglect and of being treated like a commodity, like my own feelings didn't matter!"

Rayne turned around and stormed off without another word, kicking at the ground with her hands stuffed into the pocket of her pants.

Kay watched her go and then turned to Gretchen. "I left for the same reason as she did, mostly. I didn't like living in a place where I was ignored by my own parents so I won't be going back, even if Mom and Dad want me to. Rayne and I are part of the military now, Gretchen, and we will likely be stationed here in Area 11 and that's fine by us."

"You two joined the military?" Gretchen said surprised.

"Yes, because both of us felt that we could find ourselves in the military and prove that we are not worthless children who would never amount to anything," Kay said softly, his own hurt in his voice since he could still remember the day he had heard those words come out of his parents' mouths.

"Kayden, you're not worthless…" Gretchen began.

"Mom and Dad seemed to think so," Kay said. "And it's Kay, Gretchen. I go by Kay now. I have to go."

Gretchen swallowed, looking rather distressed, but she nodded. "You two are seventeen now. No one has any say in what you do now but…just know that I do care about you, both of you. So do Parker and Matthias. Even if we never got the chance to really show it, we do care about you."

Kay gazed at Gretchen, searching her face but could see only sincerity. He smiled softly but said nothing.

"If you're in the military now, do you know where you'll be assigned yet?" Gretchen asked.

"Not yet. We will most likely know by Monday. We just graduated from basic training yesterday."

Gretchen smiled a little. "If I had known, I would have gone to your graduation. Maybe you'll be placed in the 11th Regiment. That's where I was reassigned," she said.

"Maybe."

. . .

Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement

Shirley looked at herself in the mirror, biting her lip as she turned around in the green dress that she was wearing. It fit her form perfectly, accentuating her curves—just as Milly said it would—and flowing down to just above her knees. The straps were thin like spaghetti noodles but, at least, the neckline didn't reveal much of her cleavage. When she had first seen the dress Milly had picked out for her, Shirley had thought it would be a bit too revealing but, now that she was actually wearing it, she realized it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

"And now we just need to fix up your hair," Milly said cheerfully as she guided Shirley over to the chair and sat her down. "I'm thinking we keep it down. That's simple enough but maybe a few clips to keep your hair out of your face."

"Is this really necessary, Milly? It's one date, it's not like I'm going to prom or something," Shirley said, blushing a little at the mention of the date. She still couldn't believe that this was happening; she was actually going on an actual date with Lelouch, with the boy she has been crushing on for years. It was like a dream and she found she didn't want to wake up from it.

She also had to hope that she wouldn't make a mess of it. She always did get very flustered around Lelouch and hoped that wouldn't happen during the date.

"Of course it's necessary, Shirley. You've gotta make a good first impression, eh? How else are ya gonna be his girlfriend?" Milly said, running the brush through Shirley's hip-length orange hair.

"G…Girlfriend? I…It's only one date! A…Anyway, he's a prince and I'm just…me. He would never choose me to be his girlfriend," Shirley said.

"You don't know that. Don't be so pessimistic. He agreed to the date, didn't he?" Milly pointed out.

"I…I guess so," Shirley said nervously. She didn't hold any hopes that this one date could turn into something more. While she would like to someday call herself Lelouch's girlfriend, she knew that it was unlikely to happen, especially after finding out that her crush was a prince. A prince wouldn't date a commoner. It just didn't happen.

Milly finished brushing her hair and then turned her around so that she was facing her. "Look, Shirley, I know I tease you and all but I do want you to have a good time and don't let such thoughts ruin your time. He will always be the Lulu that you became friends with. It doesn't matter that he's a prince, he's still Lulu, remember that."

Shirley swallowed but nodded. "You're right," she said softly because Milly was right. Lelouch hadn't started to treat her or Milly or the rest of the Student Council any differently when his royal heritage was revealed. He was still the Lulu that Shirley had become friends with and started crushing on.

"And if you're nervous, here's another piece of advice," Milly said, fetching two clips from Shirley's vanity and gently clipping her hair so that it was out of her face but allowing a few locks of orange hair to fall over her shoulder. "Be yourself and have fun."

Shirley smiled a little and stood up. "Thank you, Milly," she said and walked over to her bed. She sat down and began pulling on the green wedge heels, strapping them on and then standing up. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful," Milly said with a grin.

Shirley blushed. "T…Thank you," she said.

"Lelouch should be showing up soon. Let's go. I'll walk ya to the gates," Milly said.

"Okay."

The two of them left Shirley's dorm and headed across campus toward the main gates. The sun was starting to sink beyond the horizon and, while the campus wasn't as active around that time, there were still some students who were milling around. All of them spotted Shirley and murmured to each other, looking confused, but quickly went about their business by a stern glare from Milly.

"The last thing we want is for someone to see you with Lelouch and spill the beans to the media," Milly muttered.

"Y…Yeah, that wouldn't be good," Shirley said.

They reached the gates to find a limo already parked outside with Lelouch leaning against it. He was dressed in a suit and tie, which made Shirley wonder just where they were going to dinner. He straightened up when he saw Shirley, his eyes widening a little when he caught sight of her.

Milly chuckled. "Damn, I wish I'd brought my camera. It isn't every day that Lelouch is shocked speechless," she said. She paused for a moment and added, "Maybe I can run back to the clubhouse and grab it before you leave."

Lelouch pulled himself out of his shock at that and said flatly, "You wouldn't get back in time. Our reservation's for eight thirty so we really have to get going."

Without waiting for Milly to respond, Lelouch turned to Shirley and held out a hand. "You look beautiful, Shirley," he said with a genuine smile.

Shirley blushed but took Lelouch's hand in hers, her blush deepening when Lelouch brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. "T…Thank you," she stammered out.

"Aww, you're a natural, Lelouch, even if this is your first date," Milly gushed.

Lelouch gave Milly a dry look but said nothing to that as he turned to Shirley. "Shall we?" he said.

Shirley nodded slowly and followed Lelouch as he led her to the limo. The chauffeur opened the door and Shirley climbed into the limo with Lelouch just behind her. "So where are we going, Lulu?" she asked as the door closed and the chauffeur moved to the driver's seat.

"I had to really think about it, since I wanted a place where we could have some privacy and I won't be mobbed by the media should they get wind of this," Lelouch said.

"You think they will?" Shirley asked.

"It's possible."

"So where're we going?"

"You'll see."

. . .

Blue Haven Restaurant, Tokyo Settlement

The Blue Haven Restaurant was a seafood restaurant located at the very heart of the Tokyo Settlement next to a park. It was done in a myriad of different shades of blue with gentle instrumental music playing in the background. There were round tables and booths scattered across the first floor of the restaurant as well as outside on the patio but there were also tables on the second floor and on a balcony that jutted out over the patio that offered a beautiful view of the park.

"I've heard of this place. It's usually really hard to get a reservation and it's really expensive," Shirley said, glancing at Lelouch as he led her into the restaurant.

"You forget who I am, Shirley," Lelouch said with an amused sidelong glance as he walked over to the hostess, Shirley's arm hooked in his. She was fighting to suppress the blush at how close she was to her crush.

The hostess looked up and smiled. "Hello, Your Highness," she greeted Lelouch. "Table for two on the balcony in the private section, yes?"

"Yes," Lelouch said.

The hostess fetched two menus and then stepped out from behind the hostess stand. "This way," she said and led the way to the stairs that would take them to the second floor.

The hostess led them passed a few tables on the floor and passed the glass doors onto a small area of the balcony in which there was a small circular table resting on which was a set of silverware, a basket of bread, and two glasses next to the sets of silverware.

The hostess placed the menus on the table as Lelouch pulled out Shirley's chair for her. She blushed, thanked him, and sat down. He nodded and took a seat across from her.

"Your server will be right with you," the hostess said and walked away

She was replaced a moment later by a young man. "Hello, my name's Steven and I'll be your server for today. Would you like something to drink to start off?" he said.

"Um, an iced tea with lemon would be fine," Shirley said.

"I'll have the same," Lelouch said.

Steven nodded. "I will be right back with that, Your Highness, ma'am," he said with a slight bow and walked away.

Shirley opened her menu and began scanning the options. "What's it like being a prince? Um, I mean, you've always been a prince, I just mean, ah…" She broke off, blushing in embarrassment at her attempt to start up a conversation.

"It's taken some getting used to again," Lelouch admitted, scanning the food items on the menu. "Go ahead and order whatever you want. I think I might go with the lobster. I haven't had that in a long time, not since Mother made it for me and Nunnally and told me to eat it or go to bed hungry."

Shirley chuckled at that. "Yeah, Mom and Dad's done that to me too when I was being stubborn and wouldn't eat what they cooked for me when I was younger," she said.

"I think that's happened with everyone at one point," Lelouch commented nonchalantly as the server came back and placed their teas with lemons as well as a pair of straws on the table. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Your Highness. Are you ready to order?" the server asked.

"Shirley?" Lelouch said, turning to Shirley who went back to scanning the menu.

"Ah, I think I'll go with the Filet Mignon," Shirley said.

The server nodded and wrote that down before turning to Lelouch. "And you, Your Highness?"

"I'll go with the Grilled Rock Lobster," Lelouch said.

The server wrote that down as well. "That will be out soon, Your Highness, ma'am. Would you care for some appetizers while you wait?" he asked as he took the menus.

"Some fried calamari sounds good," Shirley said.

"We'll go with that," Lelouch said.

"All right. I'll bring an order out," the server said and left.

"So what's happened at Ashford since I left?" Lelouch asked. "Nunnally told me about the bake sale and the fairy-tale-themed ball."

"Well, those are the major things that have happened," Shirley admitted, sipping at her ice tea. "Nunnally helped with the decorations for the fairy-tale-themed ball and everyone really liked it. I saw people dressed up as princesses, knights, witches, the big bad wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, and so many others."

"What'd you go as?" Lelouch asked curiously, sipping at his own tea.

"A fairy godmother. Milly made the outfits," Shirley said and blushed.

Lelouch blinked in understanding sympathy since he knew just as well as Shirley of just what Milly was like.

"But I had fun," Shirley said with a small smile.

"That's good."

The server came back with a plate of fried calamari before walking off again and Shirley picked up one of the pieces with her fork before eating it. "Fried calamari is my favorite kind of seafood," she admitted.

"Personally, I like halibut and lobster," Lelouch admitted.

"Yeah, those are good too," Shirley said, amazed by how easy it came to her to talk with Lelouch. She would usually get flustered whenever she tried to tell him how she felt and yet here she was chatting normally with him.

I suppose Milly's advice on just being myself really is working, she thought.

Their main meal came at that moment and they spent the next thirty minutes chatting about Lelouch's exploits during basic training while they ate.

"So she really slapped her?" Shirley asked.

"Twice," Lelouch said. "The first time, I felt she deserved it but then that was because she was badmouthing my mother. The second time, though, Rayne just lost her temper. Kay pointed out that it could have been worse and Rayne could've broken Vivienne's jaw."

"Wouldn't she have gotten into trouble for that?" Shirley asked.

"She ran the risk of get discharged. I'm sure if the Drill Sergeant had witnessed the first time Rayne slapped Vivienne, she probably would have been the second time around," Lelouch said, swallowing a bite of his lobster.

They finished dinner about fifteen minutes later and headed toward the entrance, only for the hostess to meet them at the door. "Ah, Your Highness," she said. "It might be best if you took the back way. I've already told your driver to meet you there."

"Why?" Lelouch asked.

"Someone let slip to the media that you were here tonight and there're reporters outside," the hostess said apologetically.

Lelouch swore irritably. "This was what I was hoping to not deal with," he muttered and thanked the hostess before following her as she led the way to the back of the restaurant and Shirley walked after him, wondering who told the media and why.

. . .

En Route to Ashford Academy

"Sorry about that," Lelouch said once they were on their way back to Ashford Academy, having left through the back exit of the Blue Haven Restaurant to avoid the media.

"It's okay, it's not like it's your fault," Shirley said with a reassuring smile. "I bet you've had the media hounding you a lot since, well, the museum…" She trailed off, shivering at the memory of seeing Lelouch get shot protecting Nunnally.

She felt a hand on hers and turned to find Lelouch giving her a gentle, reassuring smile.

"They've been leaving me alone actually but that could be because I've been avoiding them like the plague during the time between when I got back from Pendragon to when I left for basic training," he admitted.

"I can understand why," Shirley said with a faint smile as the limo rounded a corner. "So what will happen now? Are you going to be staying in the settlement?"

"Probably. I already know which regiment I'm taking command of and they're based in this settlement at the moment," Lelouch said.

"That's good. So you'll come by and visit?"

"Of course."

Shirley smiled. "Great, I'm looking forward to your next visit." She blushed and added quickly, "Ah, I mean, I'm sure all of us are looking forward to your next visit, not just me."

"I'll try and come by as often as I can," Lelouch assured her.

Shirley smiled.

. . .

Ashford Academy

Once they reached the school, it was already dark and stars glittered in the black sky above. Lelouch climbed out of the limo as soon as the chauffeur opened the door and held out a hand to Shirley. She took it and climbed out of the limo and the chauffeur closed the door behind her.

"I had good time tonight, Lulu," Shirley said shyly as Lelouch guided her to the gates, telling the chauffeur to wait for him, and led the way onto the campus.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Shirley," Lelouch said, leading the way over to the girl's dorm and Shirley smiled, glad that Lelouch was taking the time to escort her to her dorm. Despite the fact that she could have walked herself, it was dark and she felt more comfortable walking with someone else in the dark.

They came to a stop outside of the girl's dormitory and Shirley turned to Lelouch, biting her lip. "Um, maybe we could do this again sometime? Ah, if you want that is, I mean, if you don't want to, I understand," she said a bit too quickly.

Lelouch blinked at her. "If you want, we can do this again sometime," he said.

Shirley's cheeks were red but she nodded, smiling. "I'd really like that," she said softly. She hesitated again and then leaned forward and kissed Lelouch on the cheek, causing the prince to blink in surprise.

She blushed when she realized what she did. "Ah, have a goodnight, Lulu!" She said and bolted into the girl's dormitory, her face as red as a tomato as she ran. She couldn't believe she had actually kissed Lelouch, even if it was on the cheek, still!

. . .

Meanwhile, outside of the girl's dormitory, Lelouch watched as Shirley bolted into the girl's dormitory, half-surprised by the sudden kiss and half-bemused by Shirley's reaction afterward. His hand went to his cheek, which was covered by a light blush, and a small smile crossed his lips.

A flash of light followed by an "aww, how sweet" sounded behind him.

Lelouch jumped and whirled around to find Milly standing behind him with a camera in one hand and a smirk on her face. "How long have you been standing there?" Lelouch asked with a frown.

"I've been waiting for you two to come back for about fifteen minutes now. And now I got evidence that you actually know how to blush! I honestly didn't think you knew how," Milly said with a cheerful grin.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at the busty blonde. "Really, Milly? I doubt that's the real reason why you waited here," he said.

"Well, not really," Milly admitted, tucking the camera away and folding her arms across her chest. "I also wanted to know how the date went. I'm gonna ask Shirley later. So?"

"It went well, before the media showed up anyway," Lelouch said.

"Oh?" Milly raised an eyebrow.

"Some idiot let slip that Shirley and I were at the Blue Haven Restaurant and we had to sneak out the back way to avoid getting seen."

"One date and you're already sneaking around, eh? You sure are growing up, Lulu," Milly said with a grin.

Lelouch glared at the obvious implication of Milly's words and shook his head, deciding against responding to that. "I'd best be getting back," he said.

"Are you staying on the base?" Milly asked.

"No. Clovis told me that I could stay at the Viceroy's Palace until I, officially, get my assignment. I'll come by and see everyone tomorrow if I can," Lelouch said.

"Oh? You sure you don't wanna just see your girlfriend?" Milly said.

Lelouch rolled his eyes again. "Only you would think one date makes Shirley my girlfriend," he said. "And, no, she's not."

"But someday? I hope so anyway. You could use another girl in your life."

"So you said in one of Nunnally's letters to me. I'll see you later, Milly. Goodnight."

"Night, Lulu. Have pleasant dreams of your future girlfriend, and maybe more than simply pleasant dreams of her."

"Milly!"

. . .

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: and that was chapter 12! Nineteen pages, over 10,000 words. I'd say it was a good chapter

Kallen: yeah. By the way, where're Lelouch, Jeremiah, and Suzaku?

Blaze: ...I honestly have no clue. Bakura?

Bakura: oh they're surrounded by Britannian soldiers wielding Real Solid Vision Duel Disks

Blaze: who the hell gave those assholes Real Solid Vision Duel Disks?!

Bakura: Yami Marik

Blaze: damn it, Melvin!

Meanwhile, surrounded by Britannian soldiers wielding Real Solid Vision Duel Disks—

Lelouch: (activates Real Solid Vision Duel Disk and summons Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon) let's go, bitches! Bring it on!

Jeremiah: (activates Real Solid Vision Duel Disk and summons Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon) I'll kick all of your asses!

Suzaku: (activates Real Solid Vision Duel Disk and summons Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon) damn it, Jeremiah! That was what I was going to say!

Back in the computer room—

Kallen: shouldn't we help them or something?

Blaze: (glances out the window in time to see Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon, Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, and Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon lay waste to the Britannian soldiers) nah, they've got it taken care of. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged or Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC V Abridged. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.