"Lelouch"-Speech

'What'-Thoughts

"{Live}"-Geass Command

"Stop"-Loudspeaker

"Report"-Radio

Chapter 22: Hostage Situation

September 14th,Tokyo Settlement, 6:32 A.M.

Kallen

Kallen had awoken inside her new home inside the Tokyo Settlement. True to Lelouch's word, the house was pretty basic. Basement, kitchen, two bedrooms, living room. However, Lelouch had spent money into the furniture and decor of the place, and the house was very nice, by all accounts. As Lelouch said, the landlord hadn't bothered them ever since they moved in. Her father moved back to the Homeland almost the morning after they left, so as to not arouse too much suspicions.

Kallen got up and quickly got dressed for school. Upon leaving her room, and passing into the living room, she saw Arita~no, her mother, talking with a man in a suit.

"Well," the man said, standing up, "I believe that no discussion is needed for today. I'll return in a couple days for a final check up."

"That would be nice. Thank you."

Kallen had half expected the man to be working with the Black Knights, but, no, Lelouch had legitimately gotten a physiatrist to help. Not only that, but her mother was doing much better with the rehab than even the physiatrist believed.

Unaware to either of them, Lelouch had actually Geassed Arita to help streamline her rehab process. If she tried to take any Refrain, her mind would have a negative, but not hurtful, reaction, discouraging her to not take any.

The man stood, walking past Kallen, giving her a 'Ma'am', before leaving the house.

"I must say," Arita exclaimed, "That Lelouch has done far more than I've ever expected when he said he'd be helping us."

"Lelouch may be Britannian, but, unlike most people, he doesn't discriminate against our people." Kallen went to a toaster, placing bread into it.

"You like him, don't you?"

Kallen nearly dropped the bread into the sink.

"Buddaby," Kallen sputtered as she fumbled the bread, "What makes you think that?!"

"Kallen," Arita smirked, "I may be your mother, but, remember, I know what it looks like to be in love."

Kallen started sputtering, trying to come up with an excuse.

"I don't even like the guy."

It was a weak excuse, but the fastest one she could think of. Lelouch, a week ago, had come to check up on Arita and see how she was adjusting. Needless to say, Kallen was still in the 'He's a Britannian Prince, so he should stay away' phase, and rushed him off, calling him something mean, but she couldn't remember.

"Oh, and your father and I didn't have a 'love at first sight' relationship"

Kallen then tried a different tactic, one she would regret.

"Besides, he's already with Shirley."

"Didn't you say he was with Milly when I first asked about him?"

Kallen stiffened as a board. Arita simply gave a sad smile.

"Kallen, I've been a maid to a Britannian noble for years. I understand that most nobles may take a wife and multiple mistresses."

'Mom, just SHUT IT!'

"Would I prefer it if you were the only woman in his life? Most certainly. However, so long as he can make you happy, then I'll be content with that. Besides, it's quite clear that he at least cares about you a lot. He spent plenty of money ensuring that we're well kept for until my rehab is done, and he recommended a good business I could work at afterwards that tolerates Numbers like me."

Yeah, that business was owned by Reuben, and would be keeping an extra eye on Arita. They don't want their ace pilot having a mental breakdown due to her mother dying.

Kallen's face lit up like a rocket. Her only saving grace was that the toaster shot the bread up, and she took that as her chance to leave. Grabbing the toast, she picked up her bag, and left the house.

'Mom, you don't know anything about that man.'

'Oh, and you do?' The treacherous part of her mind retorted.

'Brain. Shut it! He's the son of the man who put our people in this situation to begin with.'

'It's quite clear he hates his father more than you do. If anything, he may be Britannian in blood, but he's Japanese by heart.'

'Then how about the fact that he doesn't care about how many girls he has under his thumb?!'

'Oh, now you're just being stubborn. While he might find it...annoying, he isn't as stubborn about it as you. Besides, if anything, this at least proves he has plenty of stamina for bed acti~'

' Brain Silent exe, activate.'

'YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE FAC~' The treacherous part fell quiet, and Kallen let out a sigh of relief. She then made her hair into the fashion of her sickly persona. She approached a car, with a man smoking against the door. When he saw Kallen approach, he dropped the cigarette before crushing it, then opening the back door. Ever since the assassin Mao first attacked, each member of the Student Council had an Ashford Security Guard nearby, watching for any signs of trouble.

Kallen entered the car, and it drove off towards Ashford.

Tokyo Settlement

Ohgi

"I hope you are feeling better, Miss." Ohgi politely said, offering a cup of coffee to the woman. The woman had woken up last night, but he didn't want to press her so late. So, he decided to let her rest until the morning.

"Thank you." she replied, sitting on the bed. However, when she brought the cup to her lips, it was still very hot. "Ah, that stings."

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I should've expected it to be hot if it just came out."

After a moment, the woman spoke up.

"How did I get here?"

"I found you bleeding in a harbor. Since you're Britannian, and I'm an Eleven, I didn't think taking you to a hospital would end up very well for me."

"Wait, why?"

Ohgi was confused. 'Does she not know why Elevens get a bad treatment?'

"Because Elevens are considered Second-class citizens, and mostly labeled as troublemakers."

"Why? What did you do wrong?"

'Has this woman lived in a basement? Wait~' "Ma'am, what do you remember?"

The woman looked puzzled, but then tried focusing. However, she soon got a headache.

"Nothing? I remember a gunshot, and pain. However, anything before that is either blank or blurred." She soon began taking quick breaths. "Why can't I remember anything? What if I have family looking for me? What if~"

"Hey, hey," Ohgi exclaimed, placing a hand on hers, "You don't need to worry. You're safe here."

The woman began calming down, however, her distraught look didn't leave.

"Thank you. I don't even know your name, though."

"It's Ohgi."

"Ohgi. Thank you."

"Since you can't remember, how about, until you do remember, I'll call you….Chigusa."

The woman thought about it for a second, before smiling, "That sounds lovely."

Ohgi nodded, before standing up. "Well, Chigusa, I have work to do. I'll be back in a few hours." He got a piece of paper and wrote numbers on it. "This is my phone number if you need anything. For now, rest and, once you start feeling better, you can take a look around."

Chigusa nodded, before Ohgi left the house, making his way towards the Nest.

Ashford Academy, 7:46 A.M.

Cornelia

Inside Lamperouge Manor, Cornelia slept, listening to her music, with Arthur sleeping against her stomach. Normally, she'd wake much earlier, however, work has been taking a toll on her, and she's been sleeping later and later. Her eyes were starting to flutter open when she squinted them shut due to a bright light.

"Nyaa," Arthur complained as he woke up as well, agreeing with Cornelia's discomfort and using his paws to try to cover his eyes. Cornelia opened her eyes and, once the brightness subsided, she saw that Sayoko had opened one of the blinds.

"Miss Levett," Sayoko said as she tended to the room, "It's nearly time to begin your work."

In the past, Cornelia had insisted that Sayoko use her surname of Li Britannia when they were alone. However, the past year, she hadn't bothered to correct her.

'I've promised to stay by Lelouch's side, but, have I considered the cost?' Cornelia lifted her head up, taking out the wireless headphones, a gift from Milly for her music. She got out of bed, revealing a red nightgown, and she went to the coffee machine, pouring a mug. Cornelia headed to the open window, overlooking a large portion of Ashford Academy.

During the years that they spent here, she had grown to adore the simplicity of the school. Despite Millicent's best efforts, Ashford was as close to a normal life Cornelia had ever known. When looking back at her life growing up in Pendragon, she'd be hard pressed to return home to the political minefield known as the Imperial Court. Would she be bored as hell having a simple life, most certainly. But it was a happy sort of boredom, if that makes sense.

It was the major factor of why she looked up to Lady Marianne, and still does. She started with nothing and fought her way to the top. She didn't think about prestige or glory, she simply went forward being herself. Even when she became an Empress, she still maintained most of what made her unique. Unlike most of the Imperial Family, there wasn't a single flaw she could find. Guinevere and Carine had a bloodthirsty attitude, Odysseus was more timid than the average person, her father...well, is her father. Cornelia herself had a draw towards warfare, but that had tempered itself in the years. Normally, that would be cause to think that Marianne was hiding something sinister, but Cornelia never bothered.

Looking across the campus, she saw Euphie walking down a hallway. She noticed that Euphie's hair was starting to get longer. Before it only reached down to her shoulders. Now, it was nearing the middle of her back. No doubt a haircut was needed in the future. Cornelia turned her head to a nearby mirror, and noticed that more of her natural hair color was starting to show. Since the whole thing started, she hadn't found the time to reapply the hair dyes.

"Lady Levett," Sayoko said, "Perhaps you should heed your sister's words."

"Absolutely not. I have no intentions of allowing Euphie to join the Black Knights."

"She's not asking for that. Simply to be included more directly."

"And you don't think I understand the implications. I don't care how she puts it, she hasn't had a real fight in her entire life. I don't want her to end up like me."

While Euphie grew up, Cornelia always feared that she'd become warrior minded, much like herself. Thank God Euphie didn't turn out like that, as Cornelia couldn't even imagine her blood-sister getting into a Knightmare, or picking up a rifle.

'But, if she ends up in a combat situation, would she start to become enthralled with it, like me?'

Turning back to Euphie, she saw Rivalz walking closely behind her, and it looked like the two were having a chat. Cornelia's grip on her mug tightened.

'Seems I need to give Rivalz more school work.'

"You shouldn't be so hard on Mister Cardemonde, my Lady." Sayoko commented.

"He's not anyone near the requirements needed to be with my sister."

"You simply place too high of a standard."

"Hardly. All he needs to be is more courageous and less of the Council's comedian."

Surprisingly, now that she looks back on their early days in Japan, before the invasion, Suzaku would've been a good match for her.

'That is, before he earned such a defeatist attitude these days. How did he get this way?'

"He needs to be willing to lay down his life for her, even if it means facing his own countrymen."

"Are you talking about Rivalz," Sayoko commented, "Or someone else?"

Cornelia halted her mind, instantly thinking about Guilford at those words.

"Perhaps you should contact Guilford, my Lady. Not as Celaeno, but as Cornelia."

Cornelia sighed, "It's too much of a risk. I have no idea what Guilford's state of mind is in the years since we last met. Does he still have feelings for me? Would he hide the fact we're alive from the others? There are too many unknowns. Besides, Guilford isn't dumb. If he discovers me and the others are alive, it isn't that much of a stretch to realize that me and Lelouch are the rebel leaders."

Even during the Camlann Academy days, she did have a 'pull' towards Guilford. However, due to her status as a Princess, she couldn't pursue it, as it would look unfavorably in her father's eyes.

Sayoko simply stared at her.

"Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, my Lady. The heart has no metrics or form of measurement. And, all of it is irreplaceable."

With that, Sayoko, having finished, left the room to wake Nunnally. However, Sayoko's word struck her to her core. She indirectly said that every choice Cornelia makes, she better be ready to handle the sorrow those choices come with.

At least, that's what Cornelia interpreted as. Hard to tell what a ninja is thinking.

Tokyo Settlement, 9:09 A.M.

Unknown

A garbage truck driver was getting into his truck. As he was starting the engine, he heard a knocking on his door. He rolled the window down and looked out. His brain didn't have time to register the gun before it painted the truck ceiling.

The Nest, 11:02 A.M.

Zero

Zero inspected The Starless Sky, looking over the blade once more. He had a feeling that the infamous katana had more than a few tricks up its sleeve. He was currently in the training area, not his private ring, but the basic area used by all the recruits. Sayoko would be his dueling opponent, Tolia and Talio would take notes, and Ohgi and Tamaki, alongside a few others, would observe.

The door slid open, with Katase entering alongside another person. She had long light yellow hair and turquoise eyes, with a purple bindi on her forehead. She wore a lab coat over a loosely buttoned pink tank top and dark brown pants. On the tips of her fingers she held what appeared to be a kiseru pipe.

"Ah," Zero commented, "Rakshata Chawla. I see you've arrived. And a full day earlier than expected."

"Yes," Rakshata replied, ".When I heard of your anti-Knightmare rifles, I just had to expedite my arrival. The rest of my team will be arriving tomorrow. And I see you've been taking care of my child since Kyoto gave it to you"

'Child? Nevermind.'

"Of course. It's the only Seventh-Gen Knightmare we have. However, I hope that you'll be able to fix that. Talio, Tolia! Rakshata will be working alongside you as the third head of Research & Development. Do you object?"

"Nope," Tolia replied, emphasizing on the 'p', "Besides, we could use an expert on Knightmares."

"Oh," Rakshata toyously inquired, "Are you telling me the smartest people of the Black Knights aren't Knightmare experts."

Zero couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult.

"We're best with 'conventional' warfare, as our Arcadon rifles should attest."

"Ahh, so you are the minds behind those wonderful children."

"Oh yeah," Talio replied, "We got some designs for tanks and fighter jets, but we're keeping them on the back shelf for now. We do have a prototype fighter up near Iwaki, but that's about it."

"Wait, what?" Tamaki roared, "If our Arcadons can kick a Knightmare's ass, why aren't we building tanks or jets?"

"Tamaki does make a good point, Zero." Ohgi agreed.

"Simply put, we don't have the means to deploy them effectively. Tanks are not as fast as Knightmares, and our missions require speed. As for jets, we don't have the ability to hide them from radar systems. Any we launch could be traced back to whatever base we send them from."

Tamaki rubbed the back of his head, "I guess that makes sense."

"Now, onto other matters. Sayoko, are you ready?"

"Hai."

"Oh," Rakshata inquired, "And what are we testing this morning?"

"Last night, I received a gift from one of the houses of Kyoto," Zero raised the blade, showcasing it to everyone, "The sword of Oda Nobunaga."

That got every Japanese person's attention. Tamaki fell backwards from the shock, Katase nearly tripped on nothing, Ohgi was gobsmacked, and every other Japanese had similar reactions. Rakshata simply raised an eyebrow.

"HOLY KAMI!" Tamaki roared.

"I feel as though this blade has more to show than what we think." Zero pulled the katana out, while Sayoko prepared herself.

"Hey, Twins," Tamaki whispered to them, "Why doesn't Sayoko wear any of our uniforms, or at least have her own outfit."

"Because she's a loyal servant to the man behind Zero's mask. Nothing more, nothing less. Even if she does approve of our cause, she wishes to be nothing more than his servant."

"Gotcha."

Zero held the katana in one hand. He didn't pull out his dagger, but, if he was going to use both blades, he'd need to get acquainted with using a katana one handed.

'One more reason we need to get Tohdoh.'

Zero lunged at Sayoko and began attacking her. Sayoko may not be a master swordsman like Tohdoh, but she was still far better at reacting than Zero. For now, she would simply block his attacks while he gets a feel for the weapon. However, Zero was noticing something strange: Everytime he clashed the katana against hers, the red line down the middle would give a dim glow, and small sparks would form along the line.

When his latest clash impacted, a small flicker of fire formed on part of the line.

'What?'

However, it was at this moment that Sayoko took the offensive. When she swung her blade, Zero blocked it. When they impacted, the Starless Sky's blade erupted into flames. Everyone was jaw dropped, except for Rakshata, who simply raised an eyebrow in amusement. Ohgi backed up and collapsed to the floor while Tamaki, who was sitting in a chair, leaned back in shock, causing the chair, and himself, to tip backward and fall over. Zero simply stood, looking at the flames, noticing that, at no point, do the flames go past the handle guard.

Finally, Talio had enough. "Would someone get a fire extinguisher?!" Ohgi quickly got up, and was about to grab one attached to the wall.

"Wait!" Zero commanded, halting Ohgi in his tracks. Zero looked back at the handle, and the small lever. He pulled it down, much like he did last night, and the red line turned black. Slowly, the flames died out. Zero put the sword back in its sheath.

"What a fascinating blade," Rakshata commented, "To think that such a weapon existed in the 16th century."

Tolia had an almost hungry look to her eyes. "I must inspect it!" Tolia actually lifted herself into the ring, expecting Zero to allow her to figure out how it worked. However, Zero wasn't going to give her complete satisfaction.

"Tolia," Zero retorted, "This blade is over four hundred years old, and is one of Japan's greatest treasures. You can make observational and surface analysis, but I won't let you disassemble it."

Tolia groaned, and he could faintly hear her mumbled 'Fine', before she took the sword, and the Twins left to examine the blade.

7:13 P.M.

Zero and Katase entered R , intending to see if they discovered anything about Starless Sky. He saw that Tolia was still looking over the blade, while Talio and Rakshata were busy discussing something.

"I see," Rakshata replied, "From the sound of it, you made a mobile version of my Gefjun Disturber."

"Wait," Talio retorted, "You made your own version of it?"

"Hmm, correct. Though, I have to ask, how did you make it so that it wouldn't disable the attached Knightmare?"

"Ugggh, don't get me started on that," he groaned as he rubbed his hands against the sides of his temple, "Took us about three months to get a working KDS that was compact enough to mount on a Knightmare. Initial tests would completely disable Knightmares but, as you said, they would shut off the piloting Knightmare. After almost a year of trial and error, we got a working KDS that wouldn't hamper the attached Knightmare. Unfortunately, it doesn't shut down nearby Knightmares, simply plays haywire with their systems."

"Hmm, I'd very much like to see the designs myself. Perhaps we could create a wonderful child."

"You have an...interesting idea of inventions."

"Don't you consider any of your inventions your children?"

"Yes, I just don't say that out loud."

"I take it you two are enjoying yourselves?" Zero interjected.

"Of course, Zero." Rakshata confirmed.

"What have you discovered?"

"This is fascinating," Tolia commented, before she opened a holographic screen, "I'm not exactly sure what we're looking at."

Tolia zoomed in on the black metal.

"We've been able to identify that most of this blade is made up of tungsten, which is concerning all on its own."

"How so?"

"Tungsten wasn't discovered until 1781, and wasn't used until 1903. So, how is this blade made from a metal that wasn't discovered until two hundred years later?!"

"And the red line that can combust into flames?"

"Ah," Talio continued, "The metals we've found are the mentioned tungsten, but also copper, which seems to be the catalyst for why the blade combusts upon repeated hits."

"Which leads to this little info," the screen zoomed even closer revealing metal components, "Which has led us to this."

Several of the metal components in the blade registered as 'Unknown'.

"What are we looking at?" Katase inquired.

"We're not sure," Rakshata replied, "This third material seems to be what most of the blade is coated with. It seems to be what causes the flames to die quickly. We've been up and down the elements table, but nothing seems to match what this metal is. Not only that, but we've discovered a thin layer of this metal is coated on the inside of the sheath. In theory, this means you could simply place the blade into it while the flames are still there, and they would die off quickly."

"Which leads us to our most recent discovery," Talio replied, bringing up the sheath, "Look closely at the inside, right at the 'exit'. You see this metal bump on the inside."

"Yes," Zero replied, however, he quickly had an idea, "Hold on. Hand me the sword."

The Twins, already guessing that he would show what they were going to say, simply gave him the blade and sheath. Zero gripped the sword, pressing it against the bump, before pulling it out at a rapid pace. As he did so, the sword grated against the bump, creating a shower of sparks, instantly igniting the blade.

'With a blade such as this, it's no wonder Nobunaga was called the 'Demon of Oda'.'

Zero, with lowering the level, placed the sword back in its sheath, testing their theory. Steam poured from the thin gap between the sheath and sword, but they quickly died down.

"I must remember to personally thank the woman who gave me this."

"Wait," Katase exclaimed, "Are you saying that you know each of the Houses of Kyoto?"

"Correct. I also know two of them personally. However, that's for another day."

Minami entered, looking concerned. "Zero!"

"What news?"

Minami came up to him and whispered. "Mao's been spotted in Tokyo."

"Inform Cheval. He'll take over from there. I'll inform Celaeno when she returns."

Cheval is the one in charge of Ashford Security when Cornelia isn't around. With Mao having arrived, they need to move his friends to Ashford, then deal with Mao quietly.

Tokyo Settlement, 7:25 P.M.

Euphie Levett

Euphie and Rivalz were currently at the mall, getting supplies for the annual Ashford festival. It was still over a week away, but Euphie felt that, knowing Milly, she'd go overboard with the budget and supplies.

'He's a sweet boy. However, I know Nelly wouldn't approve. Not only that, but, he isn't the Knight in Shining Armor type. Either way~' She stopped her train of thought when she looked across the mall. A man wearing a tux was sitting on a bench. Her guard. Several meters away, a woman with a red jacket was also observing them. Rivalz's guard. They both, in sync, placed a hand to their ears. One of them then motioned to them.

"Rivalz."

"Yeah?"

She slightly jerked her head in their direction. Rivalz seemed to get the message.

"Have a safe trip, Euphie."

"You, too."

The two left, the guards following them. When they exited the mall, Euphie headed to a white car, while Rivalz got on his motorbike. The two departed in separate directions, so as to not be bunched together when Mao makes his move. A purple car, driven by Rivalz's guard, followed him.

After some time, her car stopped near an intersection, but there were three cars between them and the cross. Euphie looked down at her phone, and began texting to Cornelia. Before she could, a loud crash was heard in the alley on her left. Looking in the direction, she saw a garbage truck approaching at high speed.

"TRUCK!"

The driver didn't even bother looking, as he slammed on the gas, and began turning the car to go around the ones in front. It was too late, however, as the garbage truck rammed her car, sending it into the opposite alleyway. The impact rocked the inside and, when the truck stopped, the force was still enough to flip the car.

Euphie's head was a blur, she must've unbuckled herself once everything stopped moving. She went to the door that wasn't caved in and tried to open it. However, it wouldn't budge.

'Good thing I wore high heels.' Euphie turned around, and began slamming her heeled foot against the glass, eventually breaking it. As she crawled out, she turned to see her guard also crawling out his own window. He moved his hand to the radio piece, but a gunshot ended his life. Euphie slowly looked up to see a man. Even though the sunlight silhouetted his appearance, she knew exactly who he was.

"Mao." She growled.

Tokyo International Airport, 8:01 P.M.

Cornelia

"I still think this is a bad idea." C.C. commented as she held her bag, ready for her flight. Her hair was dyed red, much to her dismay. Thankfully, Cornelia said that, once she got back, she could use her hair dye removal to, well, remove it easily.

"Nonsense," Cornelia retorted, wearing a blood red version of her previous duster (much better, in her opinion), "Lelouch firmly believes that, by doing this, we could eventually get an ally. At the very least, the Federation won't allow Britannia to resupply from their ports."

"Not that. I'm referring to Mao."

"On that, I have to agree with him. When we go after him, you shouldn't interfere."

"If I didn't interfere back at Narita, Shirley would most likely be dead."

"No. The Twins and Robbinson were already going to go help Lelouch. You simply made it easier for them."

C.C. scowled, her eyes blazing with annoyance, even with the sunglasses blocking them.

"Look. I can understand possibly wanting to give Mao closure. However, it's not you that's at risk. Like you once said, he sees me and Lelouch as thieves, and will want to make us suffer. We can't let him live longer than he needs to."

C.C. scowl softened. She didn't like it, but she could agree to it.

"Good luck, Cornelia."

"You too, C.C."

With that, C.C. began walking towards the terminal. As Cornelia watched, her phone rang, indicating it was from Euphie. She moved to the windowed wall and answered.

"Euphie, done with shopping already."

"..."

Cornelia narrowed her eyebrows. 'Something's not right.'

"Euphie?"

"Guess again." Mao's voice answered. The implications were enough for Cornelia to nearly crush her phone in anger.

"Mao." Cornelia growled. It took all of her restraint to not scream his name, as she was in a very public place.

"Since you're much simpler than your brother Lelouch, I'll keep this short. I want C.C. I'll be waiting at Clovisland. You better be there before I start getting bored."

Cornelia scowled. Clovisland was an amusement park built by, unsurprisingly, her brother Clovis. Ever since they shamed him during Suzaku's rescue, however, it's been largely abandoned.

"Oh, and, don't bother calling your brother. I have one of your men's radios. If I hear a peep of Black Knight information concerning my location...Well, I won't kill Euphemia, I'm not that dumb. However, you can bet that your dear brothers will find out who's under the masks. You better hurry. Your sister is looking oh so sweet."

Before Cornelia could crush her phone in anger, the call ended. Her mind was running a thousand miles per hour, and saw no signs of slowing down. A minute later, her phone rang, showing Lelouch was calling.

'I can't call Lelouch, or any one of my people. Mao will ruin everything if I do. I'm on my own. Think. Mao's right. I'm not Lelouch. I could never match his wit. How can I get Euphie back? He'll most likely hide her, and himself, in a secure place until I get within range of his Geass, at which point no plan will work. Even if I did bring the Black Knights, or even just Ashford Security, Mao would tell the Britannians~'

Cornelia let out an inaudible gasp.

'The Britannians.'

When she got out of the airport, she entered her car, and began driving off. She pressed a button on the roof.

"Greetings, Ma'am," A male voice with a germanic accent exclaimed, "How may I be of service?"

"Grant," Cornelia replied, "Could you hack into a specific phone for me?"

Grant was her car's onboard V.I. based on her old teacher Jonan Grant. Despite appearing like a simple car, it was equipped with bulletproof windows and tires, reinforced metal, and several other tricks. Including a specially designed hacking software. Though, the last one was made by Reuben, and Lelouch doesn't know about it. She wasn't keeping it a secret, he just never bothered asking.

"Most certainly, Ma'am. To whom are we wishing to speak to?"

"Get me Jeremiah Gottwald."

Viceroy Palace

Jeremiah

Jeremiah was currently walking the halls of the palace, wondering what had happened to Villetta.

'Her last message said she had a possible lead on C.C. Given what we know, it's likely she's dead, killed by Zero for getting too close. Damn him!'

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. When he picked it up, it simply said UNKNOWN.

'That's strange. Very few people know my personal number.' He answered. "Hello?"

"Greetings Margrave." Celaeno's voice answered. Jeremiah had to play this carefully. He had a guess at why she is calling him, and he had to choose his words carefully. Not because he's afraid of what the Black Knights would do to the Li and Vi Britannians, but because some of his fellow Britannians might overhear, and realize his mission.

"What do you want?" He calmly replied.

"I understand you're looking for some people."

'So they do know what Orange is!' "Where are they?"

"There's a situation. An assassin has kidnapped Euphemia li Britannia, in an effort to draw the others out of hiding."

Jeremiah nearly dropped the phone in shock. If it's an assassin, then, most likely, the people who killed Lady Marianne are still on the hunt.

"Lelouch and Nunnally are unaware of the kidnapping, however, Cornelia is. I think we both know about Cornelia's love for her siblings."

'Agreed. If there's one thing in this world she values most, it's her blood-sibling.'

"As such, she'll have no choice but to walk into the trap."

"Where?"

"Clovisland. It's abandoned right now, so the assassin will be able to see Cornelia approaching from a distance. He's found a way into our radio systems, so none of my forces will be able to assist. Hence, why I'm calling you."

"I'll be there."

"A warning. This assassin has a device capable of detecting anyone within a 500 meter radius. Whatever plan you've got, take that into account."

"You're not going to help?"

"As I've said, he's entered my systems. Zero can't make a move without him knowing. However, you can. Good luck, Jeremiah Gottwald."

The call ended, leaving a concerned Jeremiah. He began power walking to the ASEEC mobile base. When he entered, he saw Cecile and Suzaku working on another test run. They both turned and saw the concern on his face.

"What's wrong?" Suzaku inquired.

"Where's Lloyd?"

"He's with Dorothea," Cecile replied, "Working on her Knightmare. He'll be at it for the next few hours."

"Good. Follow me."

"What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way."

The Nest

Zero

Zero, along with several members of the Dark Council, were in his office, going about the place. Zero had a phone to his ear, but only got ringing. He slammed the phone down.

"Celaeno's not answering. We need to find Mao now!"

"We're trying," Ohgi exclaimed, "But we can't seem to pin him down. We can't use traffic cams, as accessing those would draw the police's attention, and we can't have them involved."

"We have eyes across the entire city, and we can't find one man!?"

Several of the people looked worried. They had never seen Zero actually angry before. Whoever this assassin is, he made a big mistake crossing Zero. Zero pulled out a map of the settlement. The map was divided into several districts, all grayed out.

"Where have we searched?!"

Minami and Ohgi input several commands, and several districts turned to green.

"We're currently extending our search to the docks, as well as the~"

"Wait," Zero interrupted, pointing at Clovisland, "Why haven't we checked there? Every area around it has been searched."

"Clovisland has been abandoned for several weeks. We don't have any eyeeeeees…" The Dark Council realized what Zero was implying.

"I need a drone there NOW! Reuben, contact Ashford Security, tell them Charlie and Delta are missing, possible location Clovisland. Have them use the Hive to bypass traffic. Expect wounded."

"Got it." Reuben ran out of the room, intending to join them himself.

Tokyo Settlement, 8:33 P.M.

Cornelia

Cornelia drove her car towards Clovisland, preparing her mind.

'I don't know what Jeremiah has planned, which will give me a slight advantage if Mao discovers I brought help. Can't figure out a plan if they don't even know the plan.' She saw she was now within 500 meters of the main entrance.

'Here we go. It's all on you, Jerry.'

She parked her car at the entrance and began walking through the amusement park. Nearing a stage, she figured a sociopath like him would use such a place.

"Oh, you wound me so." Mao's voice called out. Cornelia tensed up, moving her hand to her pistol.

"Ah, ah, ah." When Mao appeared, he had a tied up Euphie, with her mouth taped, right in front of him. Her head was bleeding down her face, with her having to close her left eye. He pressed the pistol against her lower chin to emphasize the point. "Why don't we put that away."

Cornelia scowled, forced to obey. She gently grabbed her gun, and tossed it to the side.

'I'm going to TEAR YOU APART!'

"Oh, such fire for your siblings. Though, I think I may have broken her. She keeps repeating 'I'm gonna stomp his foot.'. It's almost embarrassing to hear it. Now, onto other things. Where's C.C.?"

"Gone."

Mao placed the pistol to Euphie's arm, and fired. Euphie screamed through her gag and blood flowed down her arm.

"You shouldn't lie." He replied, placing the pistol back against her chin.

"I'm not!" Cornelia screamed, "I just sent her to the Chinese Federation for the exact purpose of getting her away from you!"

"You would do so much to keep us apart," Mao calmly said as he placed the gun against her head, "Well, if I can simply go to the Federation to find her, then I have no more use for her."

'I need to do something!'

"Why bother!?"

Mao lowered the gun, but kept it pointing at Euphie.

"Me and C.C.'s love for each other is something you'll never understand."

"If she does love you, then why didn't she run after you when you attacked Shirley and Lelouch?"

"You keep her locked up, away from my loving arms."

"Oh, please! C.C.'s centuries old and immortal. If it took the entire Britannian empire to keep her locked up, I doubt a few rebels could force her to stay. Face it, Mao, she doesn't love you!"

Mao's face turned hostile. "What do you know of love?! You, who gladly took Marianne's place!"

That hit Cornelia, as she was stunned into silence. Mao's face turned joyous. When focusing his Geass on a specific person, he could bore deep into their minds, and find their true thoughts, even ones that they themselves don't wish to believe.

"Ever since Lelouch accidentally called you his mother, you've tried to distance yourself from him, not wishing to take you precious Marianne's play as his mother. However, deep down, you like it. You enjoy seeing when Lelouch is proud of you. You raised Lelouch all these years, by yourself. Deep down, you consider yourself his mother." Mao's joy was returned when Cornelia started to tear up in horror. "However, you never bothered admitting it, cause you know that, by doing so, you'd spit on every memory of Marianne. How could you possibly know of love when you would so easily betray the memory of a loved one?!"

Cornelia's face was stained with tears, and a tear streak fell down Euphie's open eye.

"That's enough, Mao." A new voice exclaimed. Mao and Euphie turned their heads, while Cornelia turned around, and saw C.C., holding a pistol towards him.

"C.C.," Mao exclaimed joyously, "You actually came. I knew she was lying to me. I knew it!"

"Mao," C.C. calmly said, "Do you know why I left you?"

"It doesn't matter now. We can be together~"

"It's because I cared about you too much."

'What?'

"Wh~What do you mean?"

"Mao, I have lived for over 500 years. Can you imagine the horror of watching a loved one grow old and die, knowing that there's nothing you can do about it. This damn Code has cursed me."

"Then we'll get it removed."

"I left you," C.C. continued, not acknowledging his words, "Because I didn't want to suffer it again. However, I never considered how my absence would have affected you. Because of me, you've harmed who knows how many in your pursuit of me," C.C. raised the pistol at him, "But, no more. It ends here." However, C.C.'s arm was shaking. Even now, she didn't have the heart to kill someone she cared deeply about.

"You're lying," Mao screamed, pointing the gun at her, "YOU'RE LYING!" He fired, hitting her in the shoulder, and sending her to the ground.

Euphie then stomped his foot with her heel, causing it to bleed, and him to scream in pain.

'Smart. By constantly thinking the same thing, Mao had no idea when she would do it.'

Euphie dove away, giving Cornelia a clear shot. She herself dove for her pistol, however, Mao was quicker, and aimed his gun at Euphie.

A shot rang out, and Cornelia screamed in horror. However, she realized something was wrong. Euphie wasn't shot. It was Mao, as he hit the ground in pain. Not only that, but there was a sonic boom just as the shot was made.

It was a sniper.

Jeremiah

600 meters away, on top of a building, Jeremiah looked down his rifle, with Cecile as his spotter.

"Did I hit him?"

"You hit just below his heart." Cecile replied.

"Any company, Suzaku?"

"None," Suzaku replied, checking down the door, "Tell me the bastard's dead." Suzaku was to make sure no one bothered them on the roof. When Cecile mentioned that the assassin shot Euphemia, he wanted to rip that man's throat. However, it was out of his hands. He trusted Jeremiah to take him out, and it paid off.

"He's getting back up!" Cecile exclaimed.

"No he's not." Jeremiah fired again.

Cornelia

A second round hit Mao in his back, and he collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. Cornelia ran to Euphie, and untied her. Taking the tape off, Euphie put her hand over her wounded arm. Neither of them brought medical supplies. C.C. approached the two, and began helping stop the blood flow. Cornelia's eyes burned with unbridled rage.

"Give me a second." She stood up, and walked towards Mao's unmoving body. She rolled him over and then, kneeling down, gripped his throat. He tried in vain to get her hands off his throat, but the blood loss made him too weak.

"I'll admit," Cornelia whispered, "You made some good points. I do enjoy Lelouch seeing me as a mother, and I know that it would spit on Marianne's memory if I accepted that. However, you didn't take one thing into account...The only thing that can match a mother's love, is a mother's wrath."

She then snapped Mao's neck, killing him.

Cornelia sighed, then quickly ran towards Euphie.

A couple minutes later, several armed men, wearing the Ashford Security uniform, began running towards them.

"Sir," Chevel, a man with blue eyes and black hair, exclaimed, "Lelouch sent us to assist."

Cornelia let out a cold chuckle as one of the men began applying a tourniquet to Euphie, "Bit late for that."

"Clearly. Your rides are here." Several of the guards picked up Mao's body, intending to dispose of it.

Escorting the three to the front entrance, Cornelia tossed her keys to Reuben, who got in her got and drove off. Two Ashford armored security trucks were waiting. The men escorted Euphie to the rear one, where a stretcher was waiting, along with other medical equipment. Cornelia decided to join her in the back. With that, the two trucks drove off.

'One more thing.' Cornelia pulled out her phone, and put the voice modulation effect back on. Before she even began typing a number, Jeremiah called her. Good timing on her part.

"Yes Margrave."

"What the hell was that?"

"I assume you're referring to the girl."

"Yes!"

"We had learned that the girl and the assassin were once close. I believed that sending her there would throw him off his game.

A lie, but one that must be said, or else Jeremiah might connect that Celaeno and Cornelia are the same.

"I'll admit, not my finest moment."

"And the Ashford Security forces?"

"Turns out Lelouch discovered the assassin and, fearing that both his siblings would perish, sent them in. A small boon. We'll be keeping a closer eye on the siblings so that such things won't happen again."

"...While I'm glad we avoided catastrophe, don't think this means we're allies. We had a mutual goal, and we achieved it."

"I understand. Very well, Margrave Gottwald. Have a good day." She hung up, before turning her attention back to Euphie. "Do you see now why I don't want you in the Black Knights? I can't bear to lose you." It was more than that, but Euphie didn't need to know.

"Nelly," Euphie replied, fighting through the dulled pain, "I'm not asking to get into a Knightmare, or pick up a rifle. We both know I hate fighting of any kind. All I'm asking is to let me do more than keeping an eye on Nunnally. Between me, Sayoko, and Shirley, we can easily keep an eye on her, not to mention all the guards we have. I want to work, to heal our men, to help their constructions, heck, even just simply laugh with them. That's all I'm asking."

Cornelia looked down, deep in thought. Privately, though, she would've been smiling, glad her sister still hated combat. However, she had to accept a growing reality: Euphie was getting older. And, with that, her ability to help also grew. She couldn't stop her, not after what she went through. To do so would do more harm than good.

"Very well. Once you're all healed up, though."

"Thanks. And, Nelly, about what Mao said. You shouldn't feel so bad. I mean, ever since we first came here, you pretty much had to be a mother to all three of us."

Cornelia smiled, leaned her head down, connecting her forehead to Euphie's. "I know. But, I don't want Marianne's memory to be wasted."

With that, the threat of Mao ended, and they could refocus their attention back to the rebellion.

Author's Notes: Mao's dead, and he isn't coming back. I figured he already had his chance to mentally attack Lelouch. Since that failed, he went after Cornelia, with much better results. At least until C.C. and Jeremiah came in.

Zero's sword, The Starless Sky, has a few more tricks than simply combustion.

Next chapter: The Double Edged Miracle

With that, I hope you enjoyed, leave a review, fav/follow, and I'll see you next time.