Gino left Kallen to go get a drink for the two of them.
She stood on top of the roof of the theater and leans against the guardrails deep in thought, not noticing the door behind her open as Gino shows up with a grin.
"Hey. Got you some coffee."
"Thanks."
He chuckles. "No prob."
The blond leans against the structure with her as they observe the city below them.
New Pendragon.
It's still mostly destroyed from the FLEIJA. Even now, the government is trying to fill the massive hole it literally left in the Earth so that they can even have a foundation to rebuild what they lost.
To think that such a powerful weapon exists, one that can atomize such a massive area, is enough to make anyone feel small.
They both take sips of their drinks as Gino got himself some tea.
Kallen sighs. "It feels weird to be living in peace times for once."
"Sure does. Won't this era make us unemployed?"
"Nope. Us Black Knights, and those who wish to work alongside us, such as yourself, are the keepers of the peace. We have to make sure it lasts and that Lelouch's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Countless others died, as well."
He broke the silence, "Speaking of Lelouch... Are you feeling alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, after Lelouch used his Geass on you, were there any side effects?"
"Well, as you've already seen, there was short-term memory less, although mine was quite different from most since I recovered quite fast."
"You know, it's still scary to think that there are people out there that have that kind of power. Geass seems so evil to me, and even in the right hands- or better hands I should say, even with someone like Lelouch, who I won't necessarily call good or evil, I wouldn't trust that person."
She smiles. "Thanks for worrying about me, but let's jump right to what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Okay." He straightens his slouched position at the same time as her.
"Gino, I know you have feelings for me, but I'm still trying to sort out my feelings for Lelouch." He looks down in disappointment. "But if you really want to date me, then I suppose we could hang out sometime, but only after we're done watching those three discs."
"Thanks, Kallen. Take your time. There's no rush. As a Knight of the Round, I would be honored if you would have me," He bows with a grin. "But for now, let's not let anything awkward get in the way between us, alright? Whatever it is you want us to be, I'm okay with it as long as we respect one another."
"Deal!" She reaches out a hand and offers a handshake.
They shake hands and return to their previous posture.
After finishing their drinks, Kallen says, "We should go get something to eat."
"Sounds good. Britannian or Japanese food?"
"Japanese, of course!"
He laughs and follows after her.
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The Black Knights are all gathered in a conference room alongside Schneizel and Cornelia. The only exceptions are Kallen and Zero, who aren't present.
Tohdoh sighs as he exchanges a look with the Chinese General. "After seeing the limitations of Lelouch's Geass, we think it's possible that the Black Knights may have betrayed him for nothing."
Ohgi frowns. "And what if he did use his Geass on us? Or what if he was at least just using us as an ends to a means?"
"Even if he was using us, we were using him to free Japan, as well."
Kaguya glares at Ohgi. "I betrayed him as well, but Ohgi, you knew Zero far longer than me, so it still seems so strange that you were very eager to get rid of him when the hearts of most began changing for the worse."
The Japanese Prime Minister opens his maw, trying to come up with a way to defend himself, but he couldn't find the words because deep down, he knows that she's right.
Tohdoh changes the subject by focusing on two of Lelouch's siblings in particular. "Cornelia, why did you join Schneizel when he fueled the betrayal? I heard he tried to kill you later on, so why?"
Cornelia winces. "Yes, he did. But I joined Schneizel only to get revenge against Lelouch."
Schneizel hums, "Hm... Perhaps I was also wrong. Perhaps Lelouch didn't use his Geass on any of you."
"How can you be so sure?" Chiba is beginning to grow more and more frustrated that they're slowly siding with the Demon Emperor.
Rakshata takes a puff from her hookah. "Use your brain for once, Ms. Chiba, Mr. Japanese Prime Minister. Pay attention to the way his Geassed victims have behaved while under its influence as well as after the Geass lifts. The hippocampus region of the brain suffers some sort of memory loss. It varies from person to person; for Kouzuki, hers was short-term, but for others, it can be long-term.
Most importantly, while they're under Geass, any form of free will is completely shut off, and the victim becomes what is essentially a human robot. I'm reluctant to use the term 'cyborg' since that would imply they have robotic parts in their mostly human body."
When she said 'cyborg', somewhere in the distance, Jeremiah sneezed.
Xingke nods. "Perhaps she's right. Maybe it's time to stop this foolishness by blaming every evil thing Lelouch does on Geass, because we know he relied on a lot more than just Geass. He relied on us. He trusted us, to an extent."
"Then how come he never removed his mask in front of us?" Chiba points out.
"If he did, would you really have listened to him? A former Britannian Prince? People like you were already suspicious of Diethard simply because Diethard was Britannian, but he still joined us and stayed till the bitter end. Lelouch, on the other hand, would've likely been killed by you Japanese Black Knights outright."
Tohdoh sighs. "The point of this meeting is so that we can hold each other accountable far more than we did with Zero, although I should say to a lesser degree because no one was punished for what we did to him. Innocent until proven guilty beyond any shadow of a doubt, is the way of the new justice system and is an idea that has existed for many decades, but it never came to fruition because of corruption so evil that it poisons the seemingly incorruptible.
Regardless of how we all feel about Lelouch, keep in mind what he, as Zero, wanted us to be: knights for justice, defenders of Earth, protectors of those too weak to protect themselves."
Rakshata adds, "I didn't take part in the betrayal, but as a whole, the Black Knights, the very organization he created that turned against him may have been the proverbial nail in the coffin that guaranteed Lelouch would become the Demon Emperor."
The room falls silent in thought for a minute.
Cornelia scowls. "Ms. Chawla, General Tohdoh, and General Xingke all make good points. However, don't expect me to just forgive everything he did, especially..." Her fists ball.
Schneizel nods. "Yes, yes. Now, how about we all go grab some lunch?"
"How can you be so dismissive of-"
"Sister, I know your pain. I also grieve for Euphemia. Frankly, I was so shocked when the SAZ massacre happened that I was unable to come to a decision to intervene and stop it. However, the longer you focus on that one event and not the bigger picture, then it becomes harder to accept reality. She wouldn't want you to be sad or angry now, would she? Especially not over her own siblings, even Lelouch.
Now, let's go grab a bite."
Tamaki checks a watch on his wrist to see that they have an hour of lunch break left. "Sounds good! I'm starving. The tab's on you, Schnitzel doodle!"
Cornelia sends Tamaki an annoyed look as they all exit while she mulls over his words.
Maybe he's right. Euphemia would likely be unable to stand the sight of her siblings fighting. She would never want this.
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This first break from watching the truth is the most uncomfortable Suzaku Kururugi has ever felt in his time as Zero.
Right now, Suzaku is all alone in a room with Nunnally as she eats her lunch.
They're in the rebuilt imperial palace. The Empress redesigned the building so that it would be unlike what her father and what her brother ruled over. She made it look a little less aristocratic and much more like the Aries Villa, but bigger. Just a really large mansion, but one that somehow doesn't make her seem less kind while still asserting her own authority.
Nunnally glances over at Zero when she hears what sounds like a stomach rumbling. "You should eat, Suzaku. Take off your mask and grab a bite."
He tenses when he hears his name being called. His real name. "I'm fine, your majesty."
His stomach growls again.
Much to his surprise, Nunnally smiles at him. 'Why would she do such a thing? I killed her brother!'
"You used to do this a lot when we were kids. You and Lelouch would get in a fight over something stupid, and while he would move on, you would stay mad at him for a while. It would happen right before dinner a lot. I'd hear your stomach growl and insist that you join us, and you refused by leaving the dining table."
Suzaku sighs and nods as he reluctantly removes his mask as Nunnally studies his face with a bittersweet expression. "Yeah. Then, you'd send Lelouch to retrieve me, and he'd threaten to bring me back... by any means necess-"
He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. Tears well up in his eyes and come pouring out.
By any means necessary.
Whatever it takes.
The ends justify the means.
He has no idea what to believe in anymore, but in the end, all he cared about was achieving results after what the FLEIJA had done. Still, that didn't make their deeds any easier to cope with.
"N-Nunnally... I still hate him for what he did to Euphie, but I... I miss him."
"Just know that it wasn't all your fault nor was it all his, either. Geass destroyed both your lives."
"Then it's C.C's fault that he's gone. Lelouch. Euphie. Shirley. All of them are dead because of that Immortal Witch."
"Perhaps... But maybe that was the cost of their contract."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe her wish was something of such a large magnitude that it would take the lives of multiple people."
He scoffs in disgust. "What kind of wish could only be granted by killing those we care about?"
"Maybe that's just what Geass does? Maybe it's like a wish."
Suzaku found it hard to breathe for a moment as his mind flashes back to the day before the Zero Requiem was completed.
"He said something similar to me."
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.
While Lloyd had offered to buy lunch for Cecile, Nina, Milly, and Rivalz, and while Akito and Leila took their time off to deal with the fact that they're going to learn more about Geass, the power they're a little afraid of, Lelouch and C.C found themselves in their hotel room they rented for the week.
C.C sits on the edge of the bed, undressing herself, haphazardly tossing her clothes onto the floor.
Lelouch groans as his back meets the mattress. He stares up at the ceiling, deep in thought about their predicament. "What am I to do now?"
She snuggles up to him. "I understand that you're anxious about revealing your identity to them, but you will have to at some point."
"I know, but..."
"Is it the possibility that they may try to attack you? If so, you should know that there are more people than you may think that are willing to protect you."
"I suppose so, but that's not it."
"Then what is it, my demon?"
"It's..." Lelouch sighs. "It's that I'm scared how certain people will react to the knowledge that I am alive."
"So you're referring to Nunnally, Suzaku, and Kallen. Those last two may get violent, but I wouldn't worry about Nunnally."
"You don't understand. I don't want Nunnally to know all that I've done and look at me with disappointment. I'm so used to her looking up at me and admiring me, not seeing me in a negative light."
"Lelouch..." C.C cups his face and kisses him. "Silly boy. Even after all you're capable of doing, for all your intelligence, you worry too much."
"Or I don't trust others easily."
"Even your own little sister?"
"That's not..."
"Have you forgotten? Even if the truth shows itself to her, there's nothing she'll see that could ever make her too upset with you, especially after the way you had to pretend that she was nothing more than your prisoner during your reign as Emperor because she knows that you lied for her sake."
He found it easier to breathe. Still, the knot in his stomach didn't go away, it only loosened, but it's definitely better than the anxiety he was just experiencing.
Lelouch smiles. "I feel better now. Thank you, C.C."
C.C blushes and looks away while nodding. Clearing her throat, she sits up. "We should get something to eat."
He chuckles at her to which she returns a weak glare. "Let's order some room service, then. What would you like?"
"Do you even have to ask? I want a cheese pizza. Olives are optional. No tomatoes. Tomatoes are disgusting. No peppers or onions either. Just a cheese pizza. Oh, and add tons of barbeque sauce."
Deep down, she has begun plotting revenge against him for making her lose her usual stoic demeanor, but in reality, it would be more along the lines of a reward for both of them.
Let's just say it involves C.C tying Lelouch down. Literally.
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The meal break ended, and an hour and a half later, everyone returned to the New Pendragon theater in the imperial palace.
A.A is standing on the stage at the front where the screen is. "Are you all ready to continue? Do you have any questions?"
Cornelia begins, "Yes! Why-"
The silverette teleports away. "Fufufufu. I'm kidding. I can read your minds. There's no way I would answer your questions when you can just see it for yourselves."
The next episode begins as Cornelia thinks of how irritating that mysterious closet sadist of a woman is.
To Be Continued