The sound of a heartbeat is heard before the title disappears as the darkness opens up like someone's eyes opening to the bright blue sky and the sound of cicadas chirping before the camera shifts to half of what is clearly C.C's face, who is watching a pair of boys rock-climb up a hill, Suzaku, who reaches the top before helping the other one up, Lelouch.
The setting is revealed to be near Mt. Fuji, and C.C dressed in a dark blue yukata with sunflower patterns similar to the surrounding.
'She was there with us that long ago?' Zero, who slowly turns his head towards the girl, is startled before he quickly looks back at the screen.
While everyone else is confused as to why she's observing the two kids, behind his mask, Lelouch frowns. 'That heartbeat... It can be interpreted as mine, but it is also C.C's. The darkness represents her loneliness as well as mine. You are not alone anymore, and neither am I.'
Subtly, Lelouch intertwines his fingers with C.C's, who slightly trembles at having their minds suddenly connected as she hears his thoughts similar to when she first gave him Geass as well as all the other times she shared her memories with him.
Everyone in their row is able to see that they're holding hands, so the others paying them attention are confused as to why Leila and Akito are grinning in the green-haired woman's direction.
"C.C, why were you stalking Lelouch?!" Kallen demands an answer, only to get ignored. "Hey! Answer me!"
"Who says I was stalking him? Perhaps you're the one obsessed with him?" The Witch taunts, earning a blush from the redhead.
"N-No!"
C.C: 'The date was August 10 in the year 2010 of the Imperial Calendar.'
"Yo, what?! We can hear thoughts?! That's... so invasive!" Gino shouts with a half-smile, half-grimace.
Kallen frowns. "And why is that an issue to you?"
"N-No reason."
C.C: 'The Holy Britannian Empire had just declared war upon Japan. The far east nation had held fast to its neutrality. And now Britannia looms as the world's only superpower.'
The scene shifts from the two kids observing a massive Britannian fleet of aircraft approaching above Mt. Fuji to a map of Britannia's tactics used during the invasion showing forces sent from a total of nine different bases: two in California, one everywhere else in Iowa, Seattle, Hawaii, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, the Marshal Islands, and the Philippines.
Leila frowns. Even though the E.U isn't considered a superpower by everyone else and was eventually conquered by Britannia, they were never truly defeated as resistance kept fighting on until they gained their freedom.
Being not called a superpower was an insult to her nation and its many states, having contested many territories that they held onto.
She cleared her throat. "I would like to say that your statement is incorrect, C.C. At that time, Britannia was not the only superpower in the world. The E.U was the second. Even if we were losing the war, we had been fighting Britannia since the end of the Second World War in our states with major geographical home-field advantage, such as Euro-Russia, Siberia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Sure, everything west, southwest, and east of those locations fell, but not after we punched Britannia in the mouth."
C.C nods. "I see. You're right. My apologies."
She smiles. "No need! Just wanted to educate everyone about that little tidbit."
Akito feels his face warm when he sees her smile.
Everyone else who doesn't know Leila can't help but stare at her and wonder why she fought against her own country, especially Cornelia, but Kallen and the orange farm residents felt a great deal of ever increasing respect for her.
C.C: 'Rights to Japan's underground resources became a hotly disputed issue, straining the already deep rooted diplomatic tensions between the two sides.'
Squadrons of Britannian F-22 Raptor fighter jets are shown as well as a submarine firing anti-ship missiles and a capsizing navy destroyer in the midst of heavy combat at sea as it then shows a massive explosion taking out a village and Britannian troops storming the beaches.
Tohdoh feels bittersweet, knowing that Britannia may have only won because of their knightmares, but not before Japan gave them a nasty taste of what their future resistance would be capable of.
C.C: 'In the deciding battle for the mainland, Britannian forces introduced into combat the humanoid autonomous armored knight, known as the knightmare frame. The enemy's forces were far greater than anticipated, and the knightmares obliterated the Japanese line of defense in the mainland with little effort.'
People are shown being held at gunpoint as well as an entire urban city set on fire due to bombing raids.
It's obvious to all watching that such bombings were very widespread, resulting in the deaths of several millions, if not tens of millions.
Tohdoh narrows his eyes. "Is that... Chiba?"
"What?" Chiba says.
"I was referring to the city."
Anya shakes her head. "No, that looks more like Akihabara."
The very few otakus in the audience, such as Anya, mourned the loss of Akihabara.
C.C: 'Japan became a dominion of the Empire. The country was stripped of its freedom, its rights, and its name. Area 11."
The Japanese flag can be seen fading away, replaced by the Britannian flag, earning glares from the Black Knights in the audience.
C.C: 'The defeated and once proud nation of Japan was rechristened with a mere number.'
A road filled with debris, military vehicles, and signs of battle is shown with the same two children from before.
Suzaku looks down sadly, a defeated expression on his face, but next to him, Lelouch stands up with a face full of determination and hatred.
Lelouch: "I swear... I swear, Suzaku, so help me... I will one day... OBLITERATE BRITANNIA!"
A drum roll crescendos as Lelouch's theme song begins playing, the opening theme.
While many others are confused by why they're listening to music instead of watching the events unfold, Anya bobs her head left and right enthusiastically as she jams to the song.
Even Gino begins getting into it. "Hey! This is pretty nice! I have no idea what he's singing, but at least we have subs."
Anya half-glares at him. "Weeb."
"Why am I not in this opening for more than five seconds?" Kaguya muttered. "I look so lame, too."
C.C, who has learned Japanese over her many years of walking the Earth, feels her breath catch in her throat as she manages to stop her tears from welling up at the beautiful song.
As the song comes to an end, the title of the episode is shown:
STAGE 1
The Day the Demon was Born
Cornelia clasps her hands together in anticipation. 'It's going to show us how Lelouch became Zero.'
"So this must be that day, huh." Kallen ponders, still feeling tons of anger at both Britannia and herself for not being able to protect so many of her countrymen that were murdered in Shinjuku alongside countless other incidents.
Britannian Residential Area, Tokyo Settlement
A Britannian VTOL is following a semi-truck without making any sound as the pilot reports the truck's speed and direction. His superior is heard giving out orders as three different trains can be seen traveling.
It may seem like just an ordinary day in Britannian-occupied Japan, but these trains are also working in coordination with one another to enter the battlefield but not get too close as they are secretly carrying reinforcements in the form of backup knightmares, all while the truck is being tailed.
A news report on TV details how a terrorist bombing in Osaka resulted in 59 casualties, of which 8 of them were Britannians and 51 others.
"Ha! They don't even call us or any foreign non-Britannians by their given nationality or number!" Chiba scowls.
"Um, sister? I have a question."
"Yes, Nunnally?" Cornelia turns around.
"You were the Viceroy right after Clovis. Were the news reports of such incidents accurate? Or did they ever embellish violent crimes against Britannians while downplaying the ones against the Japanese or others?"
"Of course they did. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happened all the time. Very rarely did the truth ever get out. The media was corrupted by our politicians, and the only good journalist I can think of is Diethard Ried."
Tamaki blinks in surprise. "What happened? I thought you woulda endorsed such reports?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Even if I was once arrogant and racist, even the old me would've preferred the truth over the mountain of lies my father built."
"I'm surprised you know what endorse means, Tamaki," Kallen jokes.
"Shut up." He rolls his eyes.
"But in all seriousness," Cornelia swallows her pride, "I'm glad to see you Black Knights grew out of petty terrorism."
"We weren't terrorists, though! We were fighting for freedom!" Ohgi gets defensive.
"No, no matter how you look at it, you were killing innocent people," Lloyd states.
And he is right.
An older gentleman is playing chess against a very pompous noble. The clock on the table beeps to alert the gentleman that his turn is over.
Guard: "You're out of time," He announces, making the old man sweatdrop nervously. "From here on, you'll make your moves every twenty seconds."
The noble is casually filing his nails and smirks.
Noble: "Heh. Very well, I'm game."
The door opens as two students enter.
Noble: "Hmph. Did your substitute arrive?"
Old Man: "Thank heaven I'm saved! Haha. Are things going well at school?"
Noble: "What do we have here? School boys?"
Lelouch: "Hmph! Well look at this, a nobleman."
Noble: "I envy you kids today; you have so much time on your hands. Time for regrets. What's your name?"
Lelouch: "Lelouch... Lamperouge."
"Rip-off James Bond delivery!" Tamaki gripes. Even if he loved the man who was once Zero like an idol, he will complain about the smallest of things.
He is ignored.
Cornelia raises an eyebrow and turns to all of Lelouch's closest associates at school. "Really? Gambling?" Rivalz tries to duck. "Nunnally, was that Cardemonde boy a bad influence on Lelouch?"
Nunnally shakes her head. "It seems they ditched class often, but I know Rivalz is a good person. He would never hurt Lelouch."
She glares at Rivalz one last time before huffing and turning back to the screen. "Hmph. He better have been."
Guilford is surprised by his liege's protective nature for Lelouch. Then again, this was before he became Zero, so it makes sense.
'So a part of her still loves me, huh... even if it's buried underneath a sea of hatred,' L.L bites his lip, feeling regretful.
'This is what the infamous Demon Emperor did in his free time.' Akito is amused. However, deep down, he has a bad feeling that even if Rivalz was a good friend to Lelouch, the choices they made for the places to spend their time would end poorly.
"There are all sorts of better ways to spend your time, Mr. Cardemonde," Leila voices her disapproval. "I would've suggested spending time studying together with your friends and finding out what you want to do in life, discussing such things with them. As soon as you graduate high school, you'll be thrown into the adult world with whatever skills, experiences, and knowledge you have, and you'll have to survive on your own instead of surviving off someone else's money like most of you rich kids do."
"R-Right," Rivalz stutters. "Um... How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Rivalz!" Milly elbows him.
"I'm 21," Leila responds. "So is Akito."
Rivalz studies the chessboard.
Rivalz: "Woah! Now wait a minute! You can't win this one. It's impossible, right?"
Lelouch doesn't even turn towards him as he stares down the arrogant noble.
Lelouch: "Rivalz? When do you think we would have to leave in order to make our next class?"
Rivalz: "Uh, 20 minutes if we bust our hump."
Lelouch grins.
Lelouch: "Then be sure that you drive safely on the way back. I'll need nine minutes."
Noble: "Nine minutes?! You only have 20 seconds per move!"
His opponent raises the black king off the board.
Lelouch: "Enough time." His voice is calm, but it carries a hint of annoyance at being doubted as well as arrogance.
Noble: "Hm? You start with the king?" He cackles.
Lelouch simply gives him a small, seemingly innocent smile.
Zero gulps. 'I know that mischievous smile. Behind it is a sadist.'
Tohdoh sighs. "That fool. He has walked right into Lelouch's trap. Besides, one should never underestimate their opponent."
Rivalz scratches his head. "I wish I could remember the time I spent with Lelouch, but I don't."
The scene changes to Ashford Academy as a group of three girls are eating lunch together outside.
Milly: "Where's Lelouch?" She says in her mom voice.
Shirley: "He went somewhere with Rivalz."
Milly: "What? Maybe it's poker this time?"
Shirley is frustrated with the behavior of the two boys.
Shirley: "They seem to forget that they're on the Student Council! They're off gambling for money! Lulu may be smart, yet he wastes his brain on stupid things. If only he'd apply himself in school, he'd get high grades."
Milly: ""Ohhhh, I wish my darling Lulu would be a serious young man~." How adorable is that."
Shirley: *Blushes* "Please, madam President..."
The current and former members of the Student Council as well as Nunnally all lower their chins as they look at the scene in sadness.
How they miss Shirley very much.
For Lelouch, he felt the most guilt. 'If only I'd have talked to her about her feelings for me a lot sooner, and rejected her nicely, then she may still be alive!'
The scene goes back to the truck as it shows the two people inside it, one of which is clearly Kallen Kouzuki under her hat.
Gino chuckles. "You know, you guys sucked at disguising yourselves. By trying not to look suspicious, you got the opposite intended effect."
Kallen laughs nervously. "Ahahaha... I suppose so."
Nagata, the driver of the truck, is pissed.
Nagata: "PERFECT! After we'd finally steal this damn thing... It's all because Tamaki couldn't stick to Naoto's plan. And now, we've got a PROBLEM!"
He refers to the VTOL that they noticed, something that has added a ton of pressure to their mission.
Little did he know that the sudden stress of seeing the aircraft would cause him to crash, changing the history of the world forever when a certain Britannian schoolboy goes to see if the truck's occupants are okay.
A flashback to a few minutes ago shows that the noble Lelouch was playing against got destroyed as he stares at the board in shock and anger while Rivalz speaks as they exit the building.
Rivalz: "I LOVE playing against the nobility! When they lose, they always pay out of pride. By the way, 8 minutes 32 seconds is a new record."
Lelouch: "He also didn't have much time to move either, and as opponents go, the nobles are tepid. They're just overprivileged parasites, that's all."
Schneizel nods in agreement. "Very true. They hold no true passion for the game compared to how Lelouch did, and how I do. Mr. Cardemonde, do you wish to learn chess? If you want, you and I can play sometime."
Rivalz's eyes light up in excitement. "Yes! I'd love to."
Schneizel nods, turns away, and lets out a sadistic snicker at how he'll destroy the poor boy, all while Cornelia sweatdrops next to him.
Rivalz: "Well then, why don't you challenge one of the Elevens? They're nothing like us Britannians."
His tone is arrogant.
"Excuse me?!" Chiba shouts.
"I'm sorry," Is all Rivalz can say.
"Yeah! You better be!"
"Chiba! Sit down!" Tohdoh commands. "This is all in the past. No use crying over spilt milk."
"But sir-"
"So, what's next? Are us Japanese going to start demanding reparations for the war from students? You do realize how childish that is, right? He was a victim of hateful propaganda. The boy has learned and grown, as have all the Britannians in this room, I'm sure. Besides, kids can barely think for themselves, which is why we have a minimum voting age here in Japan, among countless other things adults can do that children cannot, so don't you dare make the mistake of blaming our bloodshed on the innocent."
Chiba sits down, embarrassed, knowing he's right.
The three Britannian soldiers in the front row nod in approval of Tohdoh's code of honor. Children should always be off limits in war, but unfortunately, civilians are often the easiest target and the ones that suffer the most.
Kaguya silently thanks Tohdoh, as do Xingke, Jeremiah, and anyone with a heart.
As they exit, they hear strangers talking about the news, specifically the terrorist bombings.
"What are they trying to prove by killing innocent people?!"
"Those Elevens terrify me."
Tamaki frowns but doesn't say anything. Normally, he'd be the angry idiot that goes off guns blazing, but he bites his tongue, knowing that Lloyd and Tohdoh are right.
Looking back at it, he can now see why ordinary Britannian citizens were terrified of his people.
Still, to this day, such racist remarks do serve to mildly stir his mood, and not in a good way.
An announcement is made that Clovis will address the nation, the Third Prince of Britannia.
Clovis: "To all my imperial subjects-"
Lelouch and Kallen glare at their respective screens, with Kallen having hers in her truck.
Clovis: "including, of course, the many cooperative Elevens, who choose to serve the empire of Britannia-"
Kallen: "WE'RE NOT ELEVENS, WE'RE JAPANESE!"
Clovis: "do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest, only to be torn apart. The remnants are filled with rage and sadness. However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism OF ANY KIND! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one, a virtuous battle, to protect the well being of ONE AND ALL! Now then everyone, I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice in the line of duty."
Britannian citizens watching participate in a moment of silence.
Xingke scoffs. "What a fake speech. It's obvious that he never meant a word of what he said. No offense to your brother, you three, but Prince Clovis didn't seem like a good leader, much less a righteous one."
A sigh escapes Cornelia. "Indeed."
Rivalz and Lelouch are about to mount Rivalz's street bike with a side-seat.
Rivalz: "Well aren't you gonna join in?" He says, referring to the moment of silence.
Lelouch: "Aren't you?"
Rivalz: "Heh. It's sort of embarrassing."
Lelouch: "And I agree with you. Besides, spilling tears over those people won't bring them back to life now, will it?"
Rivalz: "Daaaang! That's dark, buddy!"
"What an asshole! No wonder the Demon Emperor never cared about anyone or anything but himself!" Chiba mouths off again.
"Ms. Chiba, if you insult my brother again, I'm going to do something terrible to you," Nunnally threatens as she glares at the woman.
Everyone gasps, even L.L. No one expected the kind Empress to threaten someone over an unfriendly comment on Lelouch, but then again, this is pre-Zero Lelouch they're watching, so it's no surprise that she would be upset.
Nunnally continues, "You can disagree with me, you can say he was evil, deplorable, the worst of the worst... but you better have a damn good reason."
Chiba's mouth snaps shut, to which Kallen lets out a satisfied but annoyed exhale that says, 'Thank you, Nunnally! I hate that bitch.'
Lelouch: "It's all about self-satisfaction. It doesn't matter how hard you try. You can't do it... There's no way you can change the world..."
Zero couldn't believe his ears. Whatever happened to destroying Britannia?
Then, he had to remind himself that this Lelouch hasn't met C.C yet.
Still, he knows that somewhere deep down is that same angry Britannian boy with a blazing furnace of a heart.
Lelouch was never one quick to forgive, much less forget.
As the cameras turn off, Clovis is showered with compliments from rich Britannians. As the viewer's camera pans over to a corner where a familiar figure, Diethard, is leaning against a wall, one man remarks how their true purpose is to support Clovis' reign in any way they can.
Diethard mutters, "His reign is a pathetic sham."
"Hey! It's Diethard!" Tamaki throws his feet up and reclines his head into his hands. "Whatever happened to that guy? He was pretty chill."
"He died..." Zero says.
All the Black Knights, except Chibitch, lower their heads in respect.
A fat guy in a military uniform, General Bartley, is seen running over to Prince Clovis.
Bartley: "Y-Your Highness!"
Diethard: "A soldier?"
Clovis: "Gawd, how boorish of you."
Bartley: "I beg your pardon, Your Highness."
Diethard gets up and is about to leave.
Diethard: "Not another appearance for him. I hope it's not as dreary-"
Clovis: "You fool!" He shouts, making Diethard stay for a moment longer to see what happened.
Bartley: "The police were informed that it's medical equipment. That's all. If I scramble the army, they'll be arrest-"
Clovis: "Deploy the royal guard! The knightmares, as well."
Jeremiah and Villetta are seen starting up their respective Sutherland's.
"It really was Clovis that ordered Shinjuku's destruction, huh." Nunnally feels disappointed and sad.
Zero hesitates to reach out, not knowing how to raise her spirits. L.L sees this and emits his overly-protective big brother aura.
The two gamblers are headed back to school on their bike.
Rivalz: "That first move you made... Why'd you start with the king?"
Lelouch: "If the king does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"
Rivalz: "What's with that?"
Lelouch: "With what?"
Rivalz: "Do you fantasize about running a major corporation?"
Lelouch: "No way. Ambitions like that will ruin your health."
The audience, especially those loyal to Lelouch and his closest loved ones, sigh.
Suzaku clenches his fists. 'It's as if he was lying from the very beginning. Why do I have a feeling the evil inside of him was there, all along? It was just waiting for the right opportunity to strike.'
Then he winces as he remembers all the terrible things he did, knowing he has no room to talk.
And so, Zero shall forever suffer in silence.
The same truck from before appears, honking at the two bikers.
Rivalz screams, "AHHHH! We're gonna die!"
Anya giggles softly. "Lelouch is lucky he wasn't isekai'd by that truck!"
L.L scowls. 'I heard that!'
Nagata curses at the two, "You idiot! Watch where you're going!"
He veers the truck left.
Kallen: "No! Not that way!"
It was too late.
The truck hops off a ramp and into a sandy construction zone before crashing into a pillar supporting a bridge.
Rivalz stops his bike.
Rivalz: "Ehhhh... Was that our fault?"
Lelouch doesn't sound too concerned when he says, "I don't think so."
The VTOL pilot, now likely giving away that he and the person he's talking to work for the police, notes that the truck has crashed. Control replies that the military will take over under General Bartley's reply.
VTOL Pilot: "Him?!"
Lloyd giggles. "Even the police officer knows Bartley, while an excellent strategist, is a terrible tactician."
"Um, what exactly is the difference?" Tianzi innocently says.
Xingke headpats her. "Your Highness, strategy is knowing what you have to do, the goals you set before yourself. Tactics is the step-by-step process by which you accomplish said goals. That's why Suzaku Kururugi was a strategist but never a tactician. Tacticians are the brains of the two. Lelouch was both."
"I see."
General Bartley is strolling towards the mission command room, a worried look on his face.
Barley: 'We have to retrieve it at all costs. That thing! In the wrong hands...'
"My guess is that it wasn't poison gas like it was said to be, was it?" Kaguya notes.
"No, it wasn't." Zero says.
Lelouch takes his helmet off as he approaches the edge of the bridge to see what happened while Rivalz remarks about the bike losing power.
Instead, he catches sight of something very strange. At the back of the truck is some strange distorted light that almost seems to take a human-esque shape, moving in such a way as if to tell him to come closer.
'Was that you?' Lelouch asks C.C mentally.
'Yes.'
The orange farm residents briefly stare at them as everyone else looks confused.
Zero has a feeling that was C.C's doing. The moment she did that is the moment his best friend's fate was changed forever.
Other people, Lelouch notices, are simply standing there, talking, taking pictures.
Lelouch: 'All those idiots...'
Deep down, he's comparing them to the same people that don't do anything when an entire group of people gets bullied around, such as the Japanese, and yet, they'll wonder why no one is helping them when something happens to them.
While Kallen and Nagata have lost consciousness with the former only now beginning to stir, both stuck in their seats against an airbag, Lelouch tosses his helmet into the bike and runs down to the truck.
Lelouch: "Hey! Are you alright?!" He tries to push a pillar out of the way but is unable to, so he instead gets on top of the truck's side-ladder and peers into the top hatch to see if anyone is inside, all while Rivalz is pushing his bike while walking and complaining about Lelouch flaunting his pride and that they'll be late to school.
Nunnally clutches her skirt in agony. 'Oh, big brother. Even back then, you were simply trying to help someone because you really were a good person. How could it all go so wrong? When did you end up joining the Black Knights? We could've been happy together, but were you the one who wasn't happy?'
The boy in questions grits his teeth when he senses that Nunnally is sad, seeing her body language. 'Dammit Suzaku! Do something to help her!'
Zero hesitantly reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder, but much to his shock and hurt, she smacks his hand away.
L.L is also surprised. 'Nunnally...'
Suddenly, a blueish portal-like environment is suddenly seen for a brief second as it closes in on Lelouch's concerned face.
?: 'It's you. Finally, I have found my...'
Confused, Lelouch looks around for the source of the voice he heard.
"That was C.C!"
"Yes Kallen, I am C.C." -_-
"C.C, do you think you could please explain how your power works in this scene?" Guilford says. "You were inside that capsule of supposed poison gas, right? There is no possible explanation any of us can come up with as to how you were able to lure Lelouch there, much less see him."
"... Let's just say I'm someone who was closer to him than he thought, even for the Lelouch you're seeing. For someone as smart as he was and as good as his memory was, he could be forgetful at times."
Her words left almost the entire audience confused.
One person in particular, Anya, realizes what she means. 'So she needs to know those she makes her contracts with beforehand. She must've known him as a kid. Perhaps that bitch Marianne used her in some way. I only remember bits and pieces of them being seen together.'
Rakshata blows on her hookah pipe. "From what I've observed, it looked like some kind of telepathy. Obviously. She was communicating her thoughts to the boy without even opening her mouth."
Nina nods. "I-I agree! That brief glimpse we saw looked like neural pathways."
"Mmmmhmmmmm," Lloyd hums. "Now if only His Majesty would've let me perform a little tinkering on that mysterious power of his, or even hers, then-"
"Again, Earl Asplund, what you seek is a death wish!" Jeremiah scolds. "The last time someone wanted to know more about that, a certain someone we all know silenced them permanently."
"I wonder who?" Schneizel smirks knowingly.
Ohgi shivers.
As Lelouch continues calling out, Nagata wakes up and puts the truck in reverse before hitting the gas, forcing the Prince, who recognizes that it's too dangerous to hang off the side ladder, to climb up and drop down the hatch and into the truck.
Lelouch: "Stop! I'm in here!"
He gets tossed around a bit before he manages to brace himself against a wall.
"So, that's how Lelouch ended up in the Shinjuku Ghetto. I had no idea he was in there with us!" A bewildered Kallen says.
Rivalz watches awkwardly.
Rivalz: "Soooo, would ya call that a hit and run?"
Kallen fixates Rivalz with an exasperated look. "We clearly didn't hit any vehicles or people, so no, it wasn't a hit and run."
He laughs nervously.
Lelouch studies the inside of the truck, remarking how one would think about putting a ladder inside the truck.
Cornelia sighs. "Foolish brother! It's not a military vehicle. I don't know of any civilian assets that have ladders inside them, and even if they do exist, chances are that they're extremely rare."
"I guess it goes to show that even back then, Lelouch always desired to fight in the war and for things to go completely his way." The statement comes from Zero.
Everyone nods, even L.L. He wouldn't deny it.
"Stop the vehicle!" The voice of a Britannian pilot booms as three Apache helicopters are chasing after the truck. "Surrender now while you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court! Stop, and surrender at once!"
An M230 chain gun pops out from the belly of one of the helis and begins firing its 30 mm rounds at the truck, forcing Nagata to swivel left and right to evade.
The two occupants of the truck's seats grit their teeth in tension.
Nagata: "Now what do we do?! That's the army!"
Kallen takes her hat off and says, "Have you forgotten? That's what I'm here for."
"My girl's face reveal!" Gino squeals, making her roll her eyes.
As the truck passes through a tunnel, Lelouch ponders out loud the two possible outcomes if he jumps out: Break his neck or get shot.
He begins consider calling someone but is forced to stay quiet as Kallen enters the cargo compartment and passes him as he hides and watches.
Kallen: "Can you enter the subway via the Azabu root?"
Nagata: "Kallen! Let's use it here! Why not?"
Kallen: "Because that would mean a blood bath!"
She walks up a staircase that will allow her to enter the cockpit of a knightmare.
"I'm surprised. You didn't want to kill innocent Britannians? Commendable." Cornelia remarks.
Kallen shrugs. "No matter what you think of the resistance groups, we weren't all terrorists, at least not under Ohgi. We intended to steal the poison gas to make sure it wouldn't be used against our civilians while also considering future possibilities of targeting your military."
Lelouch: 'I've seen her before...'
Rivalz calls out, "Lelouch, come on! Where are you? We've gotta get to school!"
"Did you not see him fall into the truck? I thought that was obvious." Sayoko quirks an eyebrow.
"Ahahaha... I'm not exactly the most observant person."
Lead Britannian Heli Pilot: "Target is moving from the settlement toward the ghetto."
Britannian Army Commander: "Copy that! Corner 'em!"
Lead Britannian Heli Pilot: "Roger!"
The heli pilot prepares to spew another volley from his chain gun, but before he can, something comes flying out of the truck's rear door, which is now partially open, and towards the heli, snatching it out of the air like a flyswatter and destroying it in an explosion that startles the other two heli pilots.
Britannian Pilot 2: "A slash harken?!"
The rear door pops open, revealing a maroon and black colored Glasgow that jumps out into combat.
Britannian Pilot 2: "A knightmare!"
"Crap! These guys are real terrorists!" Lelouch begins panicking as he tries to run toward the rear door and jump out, only for it to close in his face.
Kallen: "You fellas know full well what this badass mother can do!"
She drives forward, dodging bullets and taking out yet another Apache.
"Wow. I've gotta say this is a whole 'nother side of you I've never seen before, Kallen. You look so determined," Milly is impressed.
Tamaki smirks. "That's our Kallen for ya!"
The girl in question looks at Milly. "Wait... Why are you able to remember me but not Lelouch? This has to be some sort of Geass involved, but I don't see why he would use his on only the two of you."
"To make them forget so that he won't be ashamed of them being disappointed in their supposed friend," Ohgi answers.
"It wasn't him." All eyes turn towards the soft voice of Anya.
"What? How do you know that?"
"I just do. No spoiling the fun in that when what we see will reveal all."
"Tch!" Chiba clicks her tongue.
"Um... Is there any way we can help them get their memories back?" Nina directs her question to the scientists.
"I can," Jeremiah points towards the orange piece covering his left eye. "I have this Geass Canceler on my left eye. It will completely undo any and all effects and orders of a Geass command."
"Really?!"
"I won't use it on them right now, though. Its effective range is too large for me to use as it is deployed everywhere around me within a certain distance. Besides, there is a certain person in here who doesn't deserve their Geass removed. I'll help those two students after we are completely finished with this R1 disc."
Rivalz shrinks impatiently. "But that's a whole 25 episodes..."
Gino looks around, lost. "What the hell is Geass?"
"I'll do you one better! Why is Geass?" Rivalz says.
Jeremiah: "The rest of you, back off. I'll take this guy. I can only assume you dug that obsolete relic out of some scrap heap. An over the hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland! Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of our glorious Emperor!"
The Black Knight's janitor snorts. "You really were a racist prick, Jerry. What happened? Ya become unenlightened or somethin'?"
His sarcasm is met with a laugh. "Quite the contrary."
His Sutherland is air-dropped right in front of Kallen as he aims his machine gun and fires, destroying her KMF's left arm. The KMF shakes turbulently.
Nagata: "Kallen, we should both split up! Both of us can't risk being killed! Run for it!"
Kallen: "But...!"
Villetta's Sutherland uses its landspinners between a building and a pillar support of the highway to climb up before she cartwheels and lands within 20 yards of Nagata's truck, whose eyes widen in fear as she opens fire, forcing the truck to take a hard left.
Villetta: "Ha. Simpleminded Eleven."
"Bitch..." Chiba mutters.
"Bitch!" Kallen makes her opinion known to everyone.
"BITCH!" Tamaki adds at a much higher volume.
Ohgi glares at them. "Leave her alone! She's changed!"
"It's fine. Let them." Villetta sighs. "Besides, this isn't even the worst thing I've done."
Kallen tries to fire her smoke bomb and shoot it at Jeremiah, but it doesn't budge, so she panics.
Kallen: "No way! It's stuck!"
As Jeremiah closes the distance between them, he raises his KMF's wrist-blade to up to strike.
Jeremiah: "Secondhand junk!"
At the last second, the smoke bomb fires and hits the Sutherland's blade, blocking his vision due to the cloud, impeding Jeremiah's progress as Kallen fleas.
Jeremiah: "I will admit, I really like your spirit. However..." He smirks evilly.
Meanwhile, Lelouch is checking his phone again while seated against an uncomfortable bench in the truck.
This time, his morale is seriously dropping.
Lelouch: 'No cell phone reception. We're out of range. Judging from the darkness and road surface, we must be driving along the old subway lines. They're heading for an exit somewhere in the ghetto. Getting out would be dangerous. Still... Okay, I've got it. I'm not big on the military but I'll take their protection. If I give them a terrorist communicator...'
He grips a radio he found in the truck.
Lelouch: 'Oh, wait. I forgot...'
A traffic sign reads of two different upcoming destination.
The one with a right arrow reads, "Shibuya 3rd Street."
But the one straight ahead is Shinjuku 3rd Street.
Akito gulps. "You know, I've only been to Japan for a month or two on vacation after the war ended, even though I'm Japanese, so this will be my first time seeing ghettos in Japan..."
"Huh?! You've never been to Japan before that?!" Tamaki exclaims, only to receive a smack on top of his head from Kallen. "Ow!"
"You're being rude, idiot." She sighs and turns back to Akito. "Where are you from, by the way? I would assume the E.U, but where were you born and raised?"
"A state called Italy. Before the war really amped up in Europia, I never saw any ghettos since my parents were rich and I was raised in a mansion on a beautiful beach. However, that all changed when a traitor in my family killed everyone..."
His mood drops a little at the memory of his older brother, Shin, so Leila takes his hand.
Rivalz is shown pushing his bike and complaining about Lelouch abandoning him as the scene shifts to Lloyd, who is staring into Bartley's rotund face and soul.
"Tis I, the greatest scientist in the world." Lloyd grins.
"2nd to only me, Earl of Pudding," Rakshata quips.
"Ha! You wish."
Lloyd: "Ah-ha!"
Bartley: "W-What are you doing?"
Lloyd: "Looking at a man who blundered... Am I right?"
His comment serves to only irritate the General.
Lloyd: "You really screwed this one up. Terrorists came along and stole whatever it was that you and Prince Clovis were secretly working on. Retrieving it is simple, but you want to sweep up all of their compatriots in addition. Let the terrorists go and you can find their hideout, too."
"I bet you didn't think of that yourself," Rakshata says. "You're the kind of person who doesn't care about politics. You only care about your own career so long as it focuses on science."
He simply giggles creepily.
The bespectacled man turns around to Cecile behind him.
Lloyd: "Congratulations! Your reasoning was spot on!"
Cecile: "It was nothing. I just thought it was strange..."
"I was right. Suck it!" Rakshata brags.
Bartley: "Okay, that's enough. What is it the Special Corps wants out of this?"
Lloyd: "I'm merely saying that I'd like to assist with the cleanup!"
Bartley: "To assist?"
Lloyd: "Correct. Because it's data I want."
Cecile: "Excuse me, but what in the world have they just stolen anyway?"
The General winces.
Bartley: "Chemical weapons. In other words... Poison gas."
He says that as Lelouch is seen with his phone in his hand, contemplating the situation, sitting next to something that is most definitely NOT poison gas.
"Kouzuki, how did your group even get such information with your limited resources?" Schneizel asks.
She frowns. "There was a leak. Whoever did it was probably killed for disagreeing with the way Britannia rules, much less had a habit of invading peaceful countries under your slimy father. Pictures were intercepted online, and the leader of my group at the time, my older brother Naoto, took a team with him to attempt to steal it, which he succeeded at. Unfortunately, he was killed in the process as he stayed behind to hold off pursuing Britannian soldiers while the truck was handed off to crew after crew until it eventually came down to Nagata and me."
"You made his sacrifice count, at least." The encouragement comes from C.C.
Kallen's back straightens. "I suppose so. Thanks."
The Witch of Britannia growls. "Kouzuki, I respect your kind a lot more now, but do not insult my late father! He may not have been perfect, but I still love him and will defend him to death."
"I'll call him whatever the hell I want, lady! And how could you stick up for that man while not doing the same for Lelouch?!"
"Lelouch was a monster!"
"No, he wasn't!"
As they bicker, the oldest Britannian royal sighs. 'Oh, Cornelia. How naïve you are to think father cared about any of us. If only you knew the kind of things he involved himself with...'
"Stop fighting! Please!" Nunnally pleads, to which they both stop. "This is not what my brother would've wanted. Sister, you may not understand it, but what about you, Kallen? Do you really know why Lelouch died?"
"... I do." Her lips quiver as she remembers the man she admires.
Royal Guard: "The terrorists are hiding in the subway system. Your mission is to locate the weapon that they've stolen. Investigate the old subway system that runs through the Eleven residential district in the Shinjuku Ghetto. Report in the moment you spot them. Recovery of the target will be handled by us, the Royal Guard.
You people bear the honorary title of Britannians now, but you were born Elevens! Therefore, the stench of these monkeys oughta be a familiar one! If you want to earn the right to carry arms, then show some results! This is your opportunity to show your loyalty to Britannia!"
Honorary Britannian Soldiers: "Yes, my lord!"
Sayoko glares at the screen in disgust. "How any of these Honorary Britannians fight for the enemy is beyond me. They're all traitors."
All the Japanese present nod in agreement except for Zero.
As the royal guard gives his speech, the substantial damage to the Shinjuku Ghetto buildings, as well as the Ghetto's residents, are shown. The vast majority of them are homeless, living in the streets, and the men who are out supplying food and water for their families don't have many places to go. Some are pushing debris from destroyed buildings on carts, making do with what they can to rebuild their homes from poor construction material.
One such man is shown holding his terrified daughter that hides behind him upon seeing the Honorary Britannians repel down via rope and scatter into the ghetto to search for the truck.
Upon seeing the fear in the little girl's eyes, Suzaku sighs and mentally berates himself. 'I was such an idiot.'
"The conditions in Shinjuku look quite similar to the Euro-Japanese ghettos I saw when the war got to me," Akito says.
"Which ones were worse?" Kaguya inquires.
"The mainland Japanese ones, by far. At least with the Euro-Japanese ones, we had access to clean water and didn't have to worry too much about killed... for the most part. Crime rates were still be pretty bad, though, but on the bright side, most of our ghettos weren't destroyed by our own government. Families were able to stay together, and segregation, while it existed in the military, wasn't legally enforced elsewhere."
"Not legally enforced? So I assume it was culturally enforced? For example, parents of European kids not letting their children become friends with their Japanese peers?"
"Correct. Of course, none of what I said means that Leila and I haven't seen our own fair share of war crimes. We have. It's just that Euro-Japanese people usually had it only slightly easier than our mainland brethren. The war still ended up destroying many of our lives."
Nagata is shown driving the truck one-handed, groaning in pain, the windshield shattered, and his left arm resting to the side, leaking blood from Villetta's gunshots.
"Nagata..." Ohgi purses his lips sadly.
His wife squirms. "I-I'm sorry... Ohgi..."
"Chigusa..."
"Let me guess!" Tamaki loudly interrupts. "It's okay to betray your friends and people who've known you far longer than some bimbo MILF-"
"Hey! Just because my hair is silver doesn't mean I'm old!" Villetta shouts.
She's ignored as Tamaki continues shouting at Ohgi, "-like you did with Zero! But for the sake of sympathy points, you'll pretend to be sad for Nagata!"
"Huh?!" Gino gasps. "You guys betrayed Zero?"
Tohdoh nods. "It was going to come out sooner or later. My guess is that they will show it in the third disc, the one named Round 2."
Ohgi sighs. "Tamaki, you were in on it, too."
"I sure was, but only because you guys would've started questioning my loyalty towards all of you and because I was confused and emotionally destroyed! For fuck's sake, Tokyo had just got fuckin' nuked, and I was pissed off beyond belief!" Nina lowers her head in shame. "At least I feel remorse for my actions, unlike you! And I get why he did everything after that."
"You understood Lelouch's death?" Kallen says, amazed at her friend.
"Of course I did! I couldn't have been more proud of that man... kid... whatever. Shit, it's always us young ones that suffer in war, huh?"
He may be the most useless in combat, and he usually isn't smart, but Tamaki caught on to the gist of the Zero Requiem, despite not knowing its name nor the fact that Suzaku is the new Zero.
As Nagata drives further into the tunnel, he has no choice but to keep going, despite a massive hole in the middle of the road, which the truck falls into and shakes violently.
The passenger in the rear manages to stay on his feet, despite the shock.
Lelouch: "An accident?! Or else..."
An Honorary Britannian, like the rest of them, covered from head to toe in black armor and features indiscernible, hears the crash, his high tech visor flashing green.
The truck struggles to move, but to no avail.
Nagata: "The tire's stuck... Please, Ohgi... Find me...!"
"Oh, he'll find you, alright," Tamaki begins. "In his nightmares, that is."
Ohgi furrows his eyebrows. "I cared for the guy, despite what you think!"
"Suuuuuure."
The driver, despite his pain, reaches out and flips a switch to open a side door to the cargo compartment.
The perspective of the Honorary Britannian is shown. His visor is revealed to be night vision goggles, which zoom in as he sees the poison gas and signals his silent confirmation and location to his superiors.
However, he also spots Lelouch.
"Oh no..." Kallen stresses. "I know he makes it out of this, but still!"
Lelouch is about to climb up the poison gas to get out of the truck to find a way out, but before he can, a whoosh of air alerts him to another presence.
The same Honorary Britannian from before charges at him, jumps, and does a 720 degree spin kick, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there by his collar.
"Fuck! Of course it's him!" Kallen rages.
"Who?" Rivalz is confused.
"... You'll see." She silently seethes.
The blue-haired boy gulps, but he grins. "That guy's got the moves, though."
'Still got the moves,' L.L thinks.
Lelouch: "Are you Britannian?!"
Suzaku: "That's enough mindless murder!"
Lelouch: "Wait! I'm not one of-!"
Suzaku: "Planning to use poison gas! Don't play dumb with me!"
Lelouch: "Get off me!"
The Prince manages to kick Suzaku off.
Lelouch: "I'm not here by choice. And if that's poison gas, it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?!"
Suzaku: "My god..."
The soldier seems to recognize Lelouch.
Lelouch: "Mindless murder?! Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia?!"
Suzaku: "Lelouch? It's me... Suzaku."
He removes his helmet and grins at his friend.
Lelouch is surprised as he remembers the little boy he used to hang out with, he took refuge with, he survived with.
Lelouch: "You... You became a Britannian soldier?"
He asks in disbelief.
"They never saw each other in those seven years since the invasion? Strange," Tianzi says.
"What is strange, Your Highness?"
"Aren't friends supposed to stick together, even in each other's darkest moments? If a person loves someone so much the way Lelouch and Suzaku did, as if they were brothers, then why go their separate ways?"
Her innocent question to Xingke makes Suzaku close his eyes for a moment in grief for his supposedly dead friend.
"It's usually not that simple. People become torn in their loyalties to others and their duties. Here, the answer isn't obvious who left who since both of them were very complicated individuals, but we'll soon find out."
Although Xingke says that, he himself has his own suspicions that Suzaku was the one that left Lelouch, but he won't say that in case he somehow ends up wrong.
Regardless, for a man of his intelligence, Xingke is one of the very few who has an idea who Zero is.
Suzaku: "Yeah. And what about you?" His tone turns accusatory. "You're a..."
Lelouch: "What are you saying?!"
Suddenly, the large, round capsule of supposed poison gas activates as a white light beams, the air vents extend, colored air begin pumping out, and a rainbow pattern of lights like a dance club parties by itself, alerting the two.
"What's with the extra light show?!" Milly laughs. "Seems a little too much."
The Honorary Britannian tackles Lelouch with a cloth over his friend's face to protect him.
But much to their astonishment, as the capsule opens, out falls a beautiful girl in a straight jacket. She has long green hair, a tad difficult for the two to see due to a bright golden light enveloping her.
Suzaku: "That's not poison gas...? What is it?!"
"What is he, stupid? It's clearly me," C.C deadpans.
"C.C! So it really was you!"
"Yes Kallen, I am C.C."
"That's not what I meant!"
L.L smirks fondly. 'I think I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you. I just never realized it until much later.'
C.C sends him a small grin. 'I know.'
Kallen is seen camping near one of the entrances to the underground complex, talking over the radio.
Kallen: "In all the confusion, I left it in the coat."
She's referring to their main radio abandoned on the truck, now in Lelouch's hands.
Ohgi: "It's okay. The Glassgow's circuits are usable. So, were we right?"
Kallen: "Think so. I bet it's poison gas like Intelligence said."
Ohgi: "And Nagata?"
Kallen: "I don't know. I think he made it underground."
Little did they know, Nagata is laying on both seats of the truck in a world of pain, slowly bleeding out.
Lelouch is seen cradling C.C near him with an arm as he reaches over and loosens the harness on her face, making sure she can breathe.
Pizza Girl hides a smile. 'Even back then, you were a gentleman to me.'
'... I hit you once. I can't forgive myself for many things, and that's one of them, so I'm hardly a gentleman.'
'Lelouch, we've already had this conversation before. You need to stop blaming yourself. Besides, I was used to being treated that way as a child and rough-housed as a prisoner of Code-R.'
'That doesn't make it okay! I will never accept that dark part of myself, because even if I did terrible things while lying, that's not who I want to be! And you should never accept being treated that way.'
'I don't. Not anymore.'
Milly giggles. "Is it just me, or do the two of them look really cute together?"
Nina, the only one other than Kallen to escape Charles' Geass, nods shyly as she briefly remembers the few times she saw Lelouch and C.C together. They looked so perfect.
Meanwhile, Rivalz and Kallen make jealous noises.
"Good. I'm adding them to a potential list of ships."
Cornelia leans over to Guilford and whispers, "What is that Ashford girl talking about? Potential ships? She's not planning on stealing military vessels, is she?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. I think it has something to do with romance. I heard her say something about the two of them looking cute together."
"Argh!" Cornelia facepalms at her own obliviousness.
Lelouch: "Tell me the truth, Suzaku. Poison gas? This girl?"
Suzaku: "Hey, it's what they told us in the briefing. I swear!"
"Fucking idiot believed everything he was told and never questioned anything! God, I hate him," Tamaki scowls.
Zero grins sadly. 'I deserve this.'
Two sets of large light fixtures illuminate the darkness and catch the old friends by surprise as Suzaku stands up to see a squad of Britannian soldiers that work for the royal guard.
Soldiers who aren't Honorary Britannians. He instantly had a bad feeling about this.
Royal Guard: "Stinking monkey! Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"
Suzaku: "But sir, I was told this was poison gas!"
Royal Guard: "How dare you question orders!"
"I don't understand." Cecile is distressed, her motherly instincts kicking in. "Suzaku accomplished the objective, so why would he be treated like this?"
"If you think this is bad, then... Prepare for worse," Jeremiah warns.
"Jeremiah is right. This kind of behavior was common among Britannian and Honorary Britannian soldiers," Cornelia explains. "Kururugi is lucky he wasn't killed after accomplishing his mission. Thrown away like a piece of trash."
Suzaku shudders, knowing her last statement is an accurate prediction of what happened next. Just without the dying part.
He really was an idiot and a push over.
Lelouch: 'This is bad. A poisonous situation which would pose a threat to Suzaku's superiors if it's unleashed.'
Royal Guard: "However, in light of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient. Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist."
The guard offers a pistol.
Schneizel's calm demeanor disappears into a frown and a barely noticeable glare, unhappy that a member of his family is being threatened, especially that it's his favorite sibling.
"But he's Britannian! And a student, you fucking twat!" Even Chiba is engraged.
"They're trying to silence all potential witnesses," Schneizel sighs. "Still, that doesn't make this okay."
Suzaku: "But he's not a terrorist! He's a civilian who got caught up in all this!"
Royal Guard: "You insubordinate little...! That's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty and your life to Britannia?!"
The camera pans to Nagata's wounded resting form, a picture of his wife and child clipped onto the truck's dashboard.
Suzaku: "Yes, but... but I can't."
Royal Guard: "What?"
Suzaku: "I won't do it, sir. I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir."
He turns to Lelouch and grins at him stupidly, as if neither of them are in danger.
Royal Guard: "Very well."
The guard lowers the gun and shoots Kururugi in the back.
"Suzaku!" Gino shouts in concern at the same time as on-screen Lelouch. "Shit. I don't see how Lelouch made it out of this alive. He obviously did, but how?"
'Geass!' Kallen, Cornelia, and all others who know about it think.
Royal Guard: "Well, Britannian schoolboy, not a good day to cut class. Collect the girl. After you've secured her, kill the student!"
Britannian Army: "Yes, my lord!"
Nagata: "Death to... Britannia..."
Despite his pain, he thinks that now is his opportunity to take some of them with him, so he reaches out to flip open a panel, his eyes glancing to the photo of his family as he grins sadly but determined to finish it all.
If the resistance can't have the poison gas, then Britannia can't either.
Nagata: "Long live... Japan!"
With that, he pushes the hidden button under the panel and sets off an explosion, suicide bombing himself.
Even though the explosion was directed upwards, it forced the Britannian troops in the vicinity to take cover, providing the opportunity for Lelouch to escape with C.C, which he immediately takes.
Soon, Bartley is seen scolding the royal guard in Prince Clovis' personal Head Quarters.
All the Japanese present bow their heads in respect for Nagata's sacrifice, especially Kallen. She knows that, much like Urabe, Nagata was a valuable comrade that never cared about who their leader was as long as he or she is competent.
She feels grateful to them for saving Lelouch's life.
Viceroy Clovis listens to Bartley directing the operation in boredom.
Clovis: "The plan has moved forward to the next phase."
Bartley: "But, but Your Highness!"
Clovis: "If knowledge of her gets out, I'll be disinherited. Tell them back home we're carrying out a planned urban renewal here. As Clovis, Third Prince of the Empire, I command you! Destroy Shinjuku Ghetto! Leave no one alive!"
"FUCKING BASTARD!" Tamaki, Kallen, and Chiba shout.
Cornelia growls, hating how they spit on her dead brother's name, but knowing that arguing with them about this is a waste of energy.
"Clovis was a fool," Schneizel states, shaking his head in disappointment.
It is no wonder that terrorism in the former Area 11 was so high.
Dozens of helicopters along with hundreds of knightmares are deployed into Shinjuku as they begin "displacing the population" for their "urban renewal", also known as committing genocide.
The audience can only watch in horror and disgust as Japanese men, women, and children are slaughtered for nothing.
Jeremiah participates in the slaughter gleefully as tanks provide long range artillery fire.
The present day Jeremiah is given tons of dirty looks by most of the Japanese present with the sole exception of Sayoko.
Clovis smirks triumphantly while watching his forces close in on the ghetto and gain ground, as if this were nothing but a game to him, not seeing or experiencing the horrors of war for himself.
Nunnally frowns. 'How could you be so cruel, Clovis?'
C.C follows after Lelouch while the two run as fast as they can, attempting to escape through the corridors of the subway station. Tremors from the explosion ring out, and in the darkness, she stumbles and falls over rubble which, combined with her high heels, doesn't exactly make running easy, all while Lelouch leans against a wall and holds his face, eyes wide in terror.
Lelouch: "What the hell are you?! This chaos is all your fault, isn't it?! Not only that, but Britannia has even killed Suzaku!"
C.C simply stares at him with an unreadable expression.
"Yes, she was the one at fault, but only indirectly," Nunnally states. "Besides, this goes to show that big brother had his flaws. In a stressful situation, he wasn't above blaming the first, most convenient person."
Gino stares down at his Britannian Knight of the Round uniform in shame. "This... This is insane! Why do all this because of one person?! It's not like you did anything wrong, right C.C? All those Japanese people didn't deserve to die because of you, right?"
She shakes her head. "Of course not. You'll see why."
The two main characters are seen crawling on the staircase that connects the subway to the main floor as Lelouch looks over his shoulder and tells C.C to stay quiet, not sure if any soldiers lurk nearby.
His questions are answered by a submachine gun spraying at least a dozen shots into another Japanese man.
Royal Guard: "Report."
Britannian soldier: "We found only Elevens here, sir."
Royal Guard: "You're sure of it? That exit comes out here?"
Britannian soldier: "Yes, sir. It matches up with our map of the old city."
Lelouch turns his head towards behind him towards C.C and, even to the audience, makes it obvious that he's considering turning around with her and going back the way they came so that they don't get killed.
However, his head whips back around in horror when he hears a little child weeping, only for a gunshot and silence to follow.
"This, Cornelia, is war." Kallen points at the screen when she notices the discomfort on the delusional woman's face when the child was murdered without mercy. "Did you really think the reality of it all would be something glorious? Well, who am I kidding. Of course you did. You're spoon-fed lies."
The Goddess of Victory chooses silence, a sign that she has conceded to Kallen's point.
"Oh god, I feel sick to my stomach," Nina is horrified. "And to think that I invented the FLEIJA..."
Milly hugs her as she frowns within her own discomfort at these violent scenes.
"I'm partially at fault, as well, Nina. I'm sorry for having ever recruited you for such a terrible weapon," Schneizel said.
He's sorry for traumatizing her. He's sorry for giving her nightmares. He's sorry for putting the blood of tens of millions of innocents on her hands.
However, he is not sorry for deploying FLEIJA to try to seek world peace.
Lelouch's phone rings out, and his heart nearly stops as he fishes for it and immediately hangs up on the caller.
He hopes no one noticed the sound.
But it's too late. The soldiers heard it and are now alerted to another presence for them to put down.
Shirley: "Huh?" She's shocked that he hung up. "... That jerk! He hung up on me ! I can't believe it!"
The Student Council members all chuckle, including a silent Zero. However, the accidental comedic relief Shirley brought only makes them miss her even more.
A soldier shoves Lelouch with the back of his gun, forcing him to be lined up against the wall while most of them point their guns at him and two submachine guns hold a worried C.C back.
Royal Guard: "What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end."
Lelouch: "You scum!"
Royal Guard: "Still, you did well for a student, but that's to be expected. You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future."
C.C: "He mustn't die!"
Right as the royal guard pulls the trigger, C.C jumps in the way and takes the bullet in his stead, hitting her right in her forehead and dropping dead.
"WHAT?!" Everyone but the orange farm residents, Akito, and Leila shout. Oh, and Tohdoh, Xingke, and Schneizel.
"How?!" Kallen whips her head to C.C. "I saw you many times after this. We even fought together, and towards the end, against each other, so how?!"
Lelouch: "You shot her!"
He kneels down next to the girl and reaches out to her but doesn't touch her, her long green hair sprawled out behind her, eyes closed, blood oozing out, looking like some kind of gorgeous tragedy to be preserved in a museum.
Royal Guard: "Our orders were to bring her back alive if possible. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll tell our superiors that the Royal Guard found the terrorist hideout and killed them all. Regrettably the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think, schoolboy?"
Schneizel's expression and tone remain controlled, but his fury is building. "The way that officer dares to speak to an innocent person like that, much less threaten them, and the fact that said person happens to be my little brother, infuriates me greatly. I would've had these soldiers executed in an instant. And for saying that he would've lied about what really happened..."
"I agree!" Cornelia snarls, much to everyone's surprise. "Lelouch never deserved this! Now, because of Clovis' ambitions, Lelouch will be set onto a path of no return... and then Euphie will..."
Lelouch: 'How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed... And this girl... Now, I'm about to die. Before I've had a chance to do a single thing with my life. It's gone in a heartbeat... Nunnally!'
He envisions his poor, innocent, adorable blind, crippled sister in her wheel chair, sitting outside at the Aries Villa in peace.
Nunnally bites her lip, holding back tears at the fact that Lelouch was thinking of her in what he thought was his last moments to live.
L.L quickly takes his wife's hand and kisses it before anyone can notice.
'How did you move your hand like that after dying?'
He receives the mental image of her smirking.
' I'm a witch.'
Suddenly, C.C, who should be dead, reaches up and grabs his hand, causing Lelouch's vision to change drastically to a combination between the neural pathways of his own brain and something else entirely.
Something supernatural.
C.C: 'You don't want it to end here, do you?'
Confused and terrified, but also very curious, Lelouch's tone shifts to a mixture between the three, his voice soft in astonishment.
Lelouch: 'What?'
"What the hell is happening?!" Gino is getting mind-fucked.
C.C: 'You appear to have a reason for living.'
Lelouch: 'The girl? That's impossible!'
The girl's form is shown naked and all over the place, her after images teleporting and disappearing.
C.C: 'If I grant you power, could you go on? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?'
Two large black planet-like bodies slowly come into view with a brightening star as the space around is in black and white.
"Solitude? In what way did Geass make you feel lonely, Lelouch?! You could have had all the land, homes, money, power, even women that one could ever possibly dream of!" Cornelia screams.
Rivalz nods. "That's all well and all, especially that part about having women- Ow! I was kidding, Pres!"
"Uh, guys? Are we not going to talk about how trippy this is?" Kaguya quirks an eyebrow.
"What am I watching?" Akito mutters.
"C.C, what do those two planets represent?" Leila asks softly.
"Those represent the dimension between your world and the world of code, the supernatural power that has kept me alive. It's a glimpse of a place that's somewhere in between death and the afterlife, but it is not a good place."
"I want to know what the other end of the contract was about." Schneizel casts a stare in C.C's direction as she remains quiet.
"Why does her hair have to cover her bing bongs?! Move out of the way!" Tamaki cries hysterically, earning a glare from C.C.
As C.C finishes speaking, white feathers appear on the screen, as if they once belonged to an angel, perhaps to symbolize what was once her innocence, and they transition to the next scene.
A crack on a stone wall is shown, a wall similar to the mysterious gateway on Kamine Island, representing one of the many Thought Elevators, unbeknownst to the audience, as this foreshadows the reason for the Emperor's invasion of the Areas.
Suzaku doesn't catch on, but Lelouch does. He grits his teeth as he catches the hint of his father's plan, but at the time, he was never able to discern it, despite being fed these hints.
'I wish you didn't hide so much from me.'
C.C nods.
'I'm sorry. At the time, I just didn't care about you enough to share.'
Not that she could be blamed, having lived over 700 years of torture. Such a life would make anyone uncaring of the fate of the world.
Children of the Geass Order are shown along with a couple frames of the planet Jupiter.
Again, Lelouch, being one of only four people who knows about the Geass Order alongside C.C, Jeremiah, and Cornelia, can't help but feel his blood boil.
These were just kids used as pawns of the Emperor!
"Did I just see Jupiter?" Nina blinks, not sure if she's seeing correctly.
"Yes, you did. I saw it, too." Rakshata confirms.
What could it mean?
How does it correlate to Geass?
It has to be a metaphor.
Maybe somehow related to Jupiter, the king of Roman Gods, the Roman God of the Sky and Thunder?
Or just God... Something that represents him...
These are some of the thoughts swimming in the minds of Nina, Lloyd, and Rakshata.
Then, a figure no one expected to see so early on is shown conversing with some men dressed like professional religious cultists in a completely foreign area, some kind of shrine.
The 98th Emperor of Britannia.
Charles: "A convergence with the Ragnarok connection? So the myth is beginning once again?"
It's always difficult for most to tell what Charles' true emotions are conveying, but the three royals in the room, along with Lelouch, are able to read some sense of worry in his booming voice.
Upon hearing his father's voice, Lelouch, unable to decipher Charles' words, and possibly running out of time to make his decision, narrows his eyes in hatred and determination.
Lelouch: 'Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract!'
Then, a gate slams shut in his mind to complete her end of their bargain.
Geass is now his.
.
.
.
Everything is back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be for someone in a war zone overridden by murderous thugs performing wicked acts left and right.
For Lelouch, it's as if time grinded to a complete halt when C.C touched his hand, or at least slowed down and that his entire conversation with her lasted less than a millisecond in the real world.
He didn't care about that or any of the other things one would normally discuss. Now is not the time to try to make sense of them.
As soon as time resumes, he places his right hand on his left eye.
The eye in which he can feel this blessed power surging through, and right now, he's holding it because his retina stings a little and his vision in that eye is too blurry.
It will take some getting used to, but this will do.
So, he stands up and faces the cowards pointing their guns at him, confidence surging through his entire being along with something else...
Something evil deep down inside him, slowly festering his soul with a rotten plague known as Geass.
Lelouch: "Say... How should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?"
"... Is he insane?!" Gino shouts.
"What the fuck. He has no fear! Go Lelouch, go! Here we go, Le-louch, here we go! *Clap. Clap*" Tamaki begins chanting, only for Kallen to lightly elbow him to shut him up.
While everyone else is muttering or lost in their thoughts, Akito's breathing begins slowly increasing in pace as he feels very uncomfortable at everything he just saw in the last few minutes for reasons he's not quite sure why, almost as if he were personally attacked.
Leila looks over at him in worry. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." He softly insists, although he doesn't quite believe himself.
Royal Guard: "Are you some kind of radical?"
Lelouch: "What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is just a schoolboy. Or have you finally realized? The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed."
He removes his hand as his left eye transforms into something inhumane.
Akito and Leila gasp in surprise upon seeing the familiar sigil of Geass in Lelouch's eyes. At this point, the former is trying but failing to forget the Geass command his brother implanted in his mind.
'No!'
Royal Guard: "What's happening here?!"
Lelouch: "I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you...now all of you...die!"
Akito's eyes flicker. "D-... DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!" He screams so loud that it startles everyone, even C.C, as he tries to resist the exact same Geass order.
"What's wrong with him?! Is he okay?!" Jeremiah stands up, approaching them but stopping when he not only sees Leila hold up a hand for him to stop, but also the familiar red irises of someone who has been Geassed.
"Akito! Calm down! I'm right here!" She hugs his side as he thrashes around.
A.A has paused the episode to give him a little time to calm down.
Slowly, he stops, breathing hard, his eyes closed for several seconds, making everyone worry before he opens them.
"... Lei...la?"
"You're okay. I'm here." She kisses his cheek, reminding him that her love is the one thing keeping him sane.
He wipes his forehead free of a line of sweat and nods to the others. "I'm good."
"Are you sure? Did Lelouch's Geass do that?" Cornelia demands, now unsure if it's even safe to watch these discs.
"No. It wasn't his Geass. I'm certain of that."
Everyone stares at each other weirdly as the show resumes.
While he watches, a part of Akito is shocked that Lelouch's Geass is so similar to his brother's, but the difference is that his brother's Geass took a purely malevolent form.
This one is different.
Royal Guard: "Happily, Your Highness!" He says with a creepy giggle before pointing his pistol at his own neck.
The other soldiers point their guns at each other.
Royal Guard: "Fire!"
Blood splatters all over the place and on Lelouch's face.
His face morphs from confusion upon seeing what he has done, as if he were possessed, to shock and pure terror.
Lelouch: 'That was the turning point. Since that day, I've lived a lie. The lie of living. My name too was a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies... I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refused to give up in despair. But now this incredible power... It's mine...'
And finally, his expression changes into a sadistic smile.
Lelouch: "Well, then..."
-End of Episode 1-
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.
.
The theater is utterly silent upon seeing Lelouch use his Geass for the first time.
Those who have never even heard of its existence before are in the most shock. Gino, Milly, Rivalz, and Tianzi.
The other 24 people are silent, all thinking the exact same thing: 'So this is how he began his journey as Zero, even if he isn't officially Zero yet.'
"Now we know his big secret," Akito says, although he highly doubts that Lelouch's military successes can be solely attributed to Geass since he seems like a highly talented individual, to say the least.
"Let us continue. I want to unravel big brother's secrets," Nunnally says.
They all nod except Zero, who is mourning the loss of Lelouch's innocence.
Something about seeing that horrified expression on his best friend's face, and for it to change into a sinister monster, truly broke his heart.
He had to steel himself as the next episode began playing.
To Be Continued