.

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C.C: 'Lelouch, a young outcast prince of Britannia, possesses two great powers. One of them is Geass, the absolute ability to compel any person to do whatever he commands. The other is the Black Knights, his military force assembled with the intent of destroying the Britannian Empire ruled by his father. Veiling his true identity behind a mask and the codename Zero, Lelouch has made his move to avenge his mother's murder and to create a world in which his younger sister Nunnally can find happiness. What will be the final outcome of these actions? At this point, no one can predict...'

OP - COLORS

"I feel that you underestimated Master Lelouch's intelligence," Sayoko frowns.

"Yes, but there were still some consequences to his actions that even he couldn't have seen coming. No one could have."

STAGE 9

Refrain

Kallen stiffens in unease. She doesn't care too much if her personal life is revealed alongside the struggles her mother had, but it still makes her a bit uncomfortable.

Gino eyes her. "You okay?"

She nods. "Everyone's gonna find out anyway, so let them see."

"Hm?" He's confused but continues watching.

Inside a luxurious mansion is Kallen, who is revealed to be sleeping upside down in nothing but her underwear.

"I didn't mean to let them see that!" Kallen blushes and shouts and sends glares around her as the boys look away. "A.A, you pervert!"

"I didn't record these episodes, so don't blame me. Besides, I'm a woman with dignity too, you know." A.A pouts.

Suddenly, a loud crash awakens Kallen, so she puts on her clothes and exits her room.

"Okay, you all can look now."

"That was fast. What a relief," Rivalz sighs.

The crash is revealed to be Kallen's mother, who is kneeling next to a broken step ladder and what appears to be a damaged wall clock.

Ms. Kouzuki: "Kallen. I mean, miss. Forgive me. I didn't wish to wake you."

Kallen: "Again?"

Ms. Kouzuki: "I'm sorry. It was the step ladder this time, it broke."

Kallen: "Well, just get it cleaned up. And be quick about it. I have to leave for school," She replies, annoyed.

Cornelia's stare softens. "I get the sense that you don't get along with your mother."

"I didn't. Things aren't that way anymore."

"Still, if the step ladder broke, the least you could've done is make sure your mother is okay. It sounds like she fell."

The redhead lowers her head and nods guiltily.

Ms. Kouzuki: "Mistress, you've been attending school quite a bit lately. Making any friends there?"

Kallen: "I don't see how that's any of your business!" She returns to her room and slams the door shut.

Kallen lowers her head with guilt.

Leila frowns, not being able to imagine treating her own mother like that considering how loving both of her parents were, and clearly, Ms. Kouzuki seems like a kind woman.

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.

.

Later that night in a warehouse, a shady deal is going down.

Businessman: "I know it's for welfare, but why waste it on the Elevens?"

Drug dealer: "That's why I'm selling it to you, my friend. The Eleven population could use a little thinning out, if you ask me."

"Britannia was behind the refrain epidemic? That's..." Kaguya bites her lip.

Kallen clinches her fist in anger. "Britannia ruined my life. First, the invasion. Secondly, my Brit father divorces mom to marry into nobility. Then to find out where those shipments came from, the same ones that..."

She stops herself from spoiling it. They'll find out about her mother's addiction anyway.

As this is going down, Zero suddenly appears near the warehouse alongside the Black Knights.

"This must be that time when we received reports that the Black Knights began a war against refrain," Guilford notes.

Cornelia nods.

Drug dealer: "Your payment will be transferred to your wife's account."

Businessman: "Princess Cornelia is a soldier. This sort of thing doesn't interest her all that much."

Cornelia scoffs. "Idiots. That doesn't mean that what you're doing isn't illegal. It just wasn't a priority under my rule because I ordered the police to focus on terrorist activity."

Suddenly, the lights in the warehouse go out, and the two are startled when machinegun fire is heard right outside.

Businessman: "Hit the lights! Turn 'em on!" He crouches in fear.

The drug dealer runs over to a circuit breaker and flips a switch, bringing the light back.

Then, they see them. The Black Knights and Zero, all standing on the second story catwalk, staring at them.

Businessman: "You're... You're the-!"

The next day, Kallen suddenly stands up in the middle of class.

Kallen: "-The Black Knights!" She shouts as all her classmates stare at her in silence before laughing.

"That made me cringe!" Tamaki buries his face in his hands.

Kallen sighs. "Yeah, well, I was exhausted. At that time, I'd be lucky to get 5-6 hours of sleep, but I'd usually get even less while operating on tea."

After class...

Shirley: "That's not like you, dozing off in class like that."

Kallen: "Well, I uh..."

Rivalz: "You could learn a thing or two from Lelouch. He's an expert at sleeping in class."

Kallen: "Huh? He's not sleeping now, is he?"

All three of them turn towards said person, who is sitting up and facing the window away from them, his eyes closed.

"How does he fall asleep like that? I couldn't possibly sleep in class with so many noisy people around," Nina ponders.

Akito points out, "He's not really asleep though. His eyebrows are furrowed, which can only mean that he's trying to plan his next move as Zero."

Cornelia feels a foreign sense of panic for her brother. "C.C, how was Lelouch's health?"

"In the beginning, his health was average. However, as the war continued, he slowly lost some weight, and his exhaustion became very apparent."

Tohdoh shakes his head in disappointment. "A capable mind such as his needed plenty of food and rest."

L.L closes his eyes. 'Well, when you're CEO of a big company, I'd like to see you eat and rest while keeping productivity high.'

C.C silently laughs at his thought.

Rivalz: "I don't know what he's up to night after night. But he sleeps through about half of them these days."

Kallen raises an eyebrow, wondering what could be keeping Lelouch up. She'd soon brush it off as nothing important as his problems are, in her mind, not as important as hers.

This mentality of hers is a factor that blinded her from discovering that he's Zero.

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.

.

Cornelia: "The EU is starting an offensive along the El-Alamein front. We can't go on dragging our feet around here. I want to solidify domestic affairs. It's high time Area 11 was made a satellite nation.
For that to happen, we need to stamp out terrorism, of course.
But another major problem is the rampant abuse of refrain amongst the Elevens.
Productivity is plummeting. It's coming in on the Chinese Federation's Kyushu route. We have to put an end to it."

"Wait, what?! I thought that the Britannians were the ones manufacturing refrain!" Kallen exclaims.

The former Viceroy shakes her head. "No. You can't keep blaming Britannia for everything."

Xingke interjects before Kallen can protest. "I will be the first to criticize my country. China uses as many underhanded tactics as they can to weaken people of other South Eastern Asian nations before invading them. Importing drugs like refrain is just the tip of the iceberg."

Schneizel nods. "Because Area 11 was surrounded by so many colonized territories of the Chinese Federation, tensions between them and Britannia became high."

Euphemia: "Yes, but be careful."

Cornelia: "You, as well. I don't want you leaving the settlement."

Euphemia: "Cornelia, what about the Black Knights and Zero?"

Cornelia: "I'll let them roam free a bit longer. I owe them that for saving your life. However, upon my return..."

She cups Euphie's cheek.

Tamaki blushes. "... I know she's Princess Massacre and all, but are we about to get some yuri action?"

"What does yuri mean?" Cornelia looks at him suspiciously.

"Lesbian!"

The purplette glares at him. "How dare you lewd my sister!"

She attempts to get up, fully expecting A.A's invisible magic to keep her seated down, but much to her surprise, she's able to roam free, so she immediately begins approaching Tamaki.

Tamaki panics. "Wait! Let's talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about! Now suffer my wrath for saying so many bad things about my precious little sister!"

She punches him hard, bruising his cheek, and knocking him out cold as she returns to her seat.

Cornelia: "Once I've cleaned up this Area, I'm entrusting it to you. Try to stay out of harm's way from now on. All right, Euphie?"

Flashback

Zero: "Because Clovis was an offspring of the Britannian Emperor. That reminds me... You're one of his children too, aren't you?" He points his gun at Euphie before lowering it. "But I suppose for now..."

Flashback End

Euphemia: 'When he spoke to me that night, what was he alluding to?'

"Is it possible that she figured out Zero's identity?" Leila is surprised by how perceptive Euphemia is.

Cornelia nods. "I think she had her suspicions. It makes sense considering her behavior at the SAZ prior to the massacre when Zero requested an audience with her alone."

Suzaku tries not to tremble. 'Euphie, did you know it was Lelouch? But why didn't you tell me?'

Euphemia: 'Suzaku, what would you make of all this? About what Zero is doing? And of me?'

Tamaki jolts awake and rubs his cheek. "Ow... You hit me!" He glares at the purplette.

"Yes, you deserved it."

"Why? I don't remember saying anything wrong."

They all sigh.

"It appears I hit you too hard."

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.

.

At school, Kallen leans her hand against a wall outside the Student Council room and yawns.

Kallen: "Man, this double life sure is a killer."

Then, she hears voices inside the StuCo room.

Milly: "Come on, Suzaku, hold him down!"

Lelouch: "Damn it, Suzaku, cut it out!" Kallen enters the room. "Stop it! I'm not kidding!"

"What is happening? This sounds vaguely gay," Gino snickers.

Suzaku blushes, and Lelouch's face turns blue as he tries not to vomit.

Cornelia's eyebrow twitches in annoyance. "Can you, for the love of God, stop sexualizing Lelouch!"

Suzaku: "Sorry, Lelouch. But it's the president's orders."

"Good soldiers follow orders," Anya deadpans, to which Gino laughs.

"That was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid."

A.A files her nails. "66 points to anyone who gets that reference."

The camera slowly pans from the entrance of the room to the right, where Lelouch is tied to a chair, being held down by Rivalz and Suzaku while Shirley works on his makeup.

Suzaku and Rivalz are dressed like kitty cats.

Shirley is in a somewhat revealing outfit while her hair is tied to the back in twin tails.

"What is happening?" Jeremiah quivers in fear of what they could be planning to do to his lord.

Leila sweatdrops. "Wait, isn't this all related to that Cat Festival Lelouch mentioned in Episode 7?"

Akito nods. "I think so. I'm jealous of you guys. You lived such carefree lives."

"Would be nice if I could remember," Milly pouts.

Lelouch: "Yeah, like you're not enjoying this at all?!"

He wiggles his body, attempting to escape, but his two male friends are too strong for him, mainly the brunet.

Shirley: "Will you hold still?!"

The President, who has cat ears on her head and a paw on her hand, notices Kallen and moves her paw like a cat.

Milly: "Goodmeowning~"

Kallen: "Good... morning, I guess. What is all this?"

Rivalz: "What do you mean? Didn't we tell you? It's our welcome party for Arthur."

Kallen: "Sounds like fun...?" She says unsurely.

Meanwhile, Nina is off in a corner on her computer as always, wearing a tiger costume.

"Are ya addicted to yer computer or somethin'?" Tamaki asks Nina, who flinches. "You really oughta catch some rays and touch some grass more."

"Are you telling her to smoke weed?" Lloyd grins mischievously.

"What?! No, ya fuckin' idiot!"

The irony of Tamaki calling Lloyd an idiot was not lost on Cecile, who giggles.

Milly: "Well, classes are postponed, we might as well have some fun, right?"

Shirley: "I set some stuff aside for you over here. To make up for all my getting so upset before. Take your pick." She gestures to the other costumes available.

Kallen: "What?! For me?!"

"You sound surprised that they'd try to include you out of the goodness of their hearts," Cecile says.

"I don't blame her," Sayoko sympathizes with Kallen. "Being a half-Japanese and half-Britannian is already rough enough. She doesn't know who she can trust on the Britannian side."

Lelouch: "She doesn't need a costume."

Kallen: "Wha-?"

Lelouch: "You're already wearing a mask, right?"

Kallen raises an eyebrow: "You really are a riot, you know that? You ought to be on television."

Rivalz: "What do you think, Miss TV Star?" He gestures to Shirley.

Suzaku: "Oh, I thought that she meant Lelouch?"

"She did," Nunnally rolls her eyes at Rivalz. "But thank you, Rivalz."

"Huh? What for? I didn't do anything."

"You broke the tension between Lelouch and Kallen."

"They didn't seem that tense to me..."

"Yes, but when Lelouch brought up old history, or in this case, Kallen's half and half heritage that no one else was aware of at the time but those two, then it does make things a bit more likely to turn violent between the two if the differences between people keep getting pointed out."

Shirley: "Would you quit joking about that? The whole thing's a huge pain in the butt! We've been hounded with questions day and night. Even in the bath!"

She's referring to the Lake Kawaguchi hostage situation that three of the four StuCo female members were trapped in as the media made it a big deal about her, Nina, and Milly.

Milly: "We haven't been able to leave school grounds in a week." One could just hear the pout in her voice.

As she says this, crowds of cameramen and journalists are standing outside the school entrance gate.

"If there's anything Lelouch did right as Emperor, it's killing the paparazzi," Schneizel states as he bitterly remembers the times he was stalked by them everywhere but his own home.

Milly nods. "Even as a news anchor myself, I have to agree. Those people are the worst."

"You're only saying that because of your experience with them," Jeremiah points out. "Not that you're wrong, but if you weren't captured by terrorists and made an internet sensation, then perhaps you would be singing a different tune."

Rivalz: "Not that I don't feel for you, but I don't see why we can't leave either."

Milly: "Hmm, that's the price of friendship. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: "It matters not that we were born apart, upon this day, we die as one.""

Rivalz: "Is that your idea of a love quote?"

Milly: "If I go down, then we all do." She says while moving her paw playfully.

L.L shuddered. The foreshadowing is strong with Milly.

Rivalz: "That's a little dark. Right, Suzaku?"

Suzaku: "I'm glad... that we could all be together again. You know, like this," He says while trying to hold back tears.

Just about everyone rolls their eyes.

Nunnally groans. "Ugh Suzaku. You always brought the group's mood down."

Zero lowers his head, looking ashamed while actually smiling bittersweetly.

Lelouch grins sheepishly, but then he winces in pain when Rivalz uses his shoulders as leverage and vaults over him to get to Suzaku.

Rivalz: "Come on! Hey, we're supposed to be unwinding in here!"

Rivalz wraps an arm around Suzaku and falls onto the floor with him, earning laughs from Milly, Lelouch, and Shirley.

"I miss this," Sayoko smiles.

"What?" Cornelia says.

"Seeing Master Lelouch smile like that. He'd rarely do so unless it was with Nunnally or his friends. The war took everything away from him."

"Like how he took Euphie from me?!"

"You have every right to be upset, but know that he has a reason behind every action he takes, and it's almost always cold, hard logic. Some of the things he did may be unforgiveable to others, but even if it means killing, he did it for a reason."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it!" Cornelia voices what Suzaku is currently thinking.

Jeremiah interjects, "You don't have to. Hell, it doesn't matter what you or any of us feel. All that matters is understanding him."

"You speak as though Lelouch is all that matters when he wouldn't have gotten anywhere without us," Ohgi argues.

Jeremiah immediately counters, "And you wouldn't have gotten anywhere without him, so what's your point?"

"..."

"Exactly. Master Lelouch was the one that mattered the most. He was the only one with the brains to come up with so many audacious plans."

Shirley: "That's what's so refreshing about Suzaku, though."

Milly: "Yeah, but once in a while, you just want him to get a clue, you know?"

Suzaku: "Oh, sowwy about that." He can't speak clearly as Rivalz is squeezing his face.

Rivalz: "Oh, you lovely puddy cat." Everyone laughs, even Nina.

Kallen: 'It's so funny to think I helped save their lives.' She tilts her head and grins, but no one can tell if that's a true smile or not.

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.

.

Kallen: 'Ever since we made our big splash at the hotel jacking, the Black Knights have taken the world by storm. We've become a friend to the weak, just as Zero proclaimed we would.
Terrorists who involve civilians, an overbearing military, criminal syndicates, corrupt politicians and profiteers, if the law would not punish them, then we would.'

"Vigilante justice was the only way things would change," Kallen crosses her arms. "There was no system in place that would allow us Japanese to rise through the ranks in society. We would always be bottom feeders because we were kicked down and told that we were nothing more than worthless dogs, so the only way forward was to show those at the top that if they kept refusing to give us what we wanted, then we would simply have to take it from them."

Tamaki nods. "Yep. This is how the Black Knights started. We weren't a full-blown military at this point. We were just a rag tag group of angry rebels fighting an evil Empire by just about any means necessary. Guerilla warfare and all that shit. We didn't battle with Britannia very often because Zero taught us patience and to bide our time, but when we attacked, we struck his assigned targets hard."

Kaguya sighs. "If only Suzaku didn't stand in the way, things would've gone much smoother."

A shot is shown of the Black Knights opening fire on other Japanese terrorists, likely a group that was causing trouble for everyone of both nations.

Another scene is shown of Zero and the Black Knights meeting with defecting Britannian soldiers, most likely Honorary Britannians, who are joining the Black Knights and now delivering them vehicles and weaponry.

"This is proof that the Honorary Britannian system was doomed to fail," Zero states. "If everyone could unite under one group to rebel, and said group has a really smart leader that could truly change things, then anything Britannia did was proven to not be in the best interest of what the Honorary Britannians, nor their people, would've hoped for."

Kallen: 'In the blink of an eye, we'd become heroes. Support for us has swelled. And we've even gotten our hands on some Knightmares again. Of course, no one could show that in public because...'

Japanese Woman: "Stop pretending you're a Black Knight!" She scolds her son, who is running around with a cape on while Kallen is walking passed them.

Child: "But why?" He whines.

Japanese Woman: "You mustn't ever say anything against Britannia. We're Elevens. Have you forgotten that?"

Kallen: 'Because our leader Zero had killed Prince Clovis. There are many in our ranks who wish to know his true identity, myself included. But if we push too hard, I suspect that he would vanish. And without him, I'm fairly certain we'd be finished.'

"Seems as though Kallen was Zero's only intelligent follower back then," C.C notes. "His identity was never important. He kept delivering on his promises, but all of a sudden, when the veil is lifted, you all turn your backs on him. I see lots of similarities between him and Christ."

"Are you saying you're as old as Jesus?" Cecile asks, to which C.C shakes her head.

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Nina is back in her room, typing away at her computer. However, her mind is somewhere else right now.

Flashback Euphemia: "Are you alright, young lady?" She asks her after saving her from the JLF guard that was harassing her at Lake Kawaguchi.

The memory makes Nina blush, and not out of shyness, her eyes glowing with a foreign emotion. No one can tell if it's love, lust, or obsession.

The theater is deathly quiet as Cornelia sends a suspicious look Nina's way.

Nina shrinks, knowing that this isn't even the most embarrassing thing she's done.

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JLF Base

The Four Holy Swords and their leader are sitting under the Japanese flag.

Urabe: "Why would the masses flock around those who saved Euphemia?"

Senba: "Even Kyoto has said that they would send the Black Knights the Guren Mark II."

Asahina: "To those would-be Robin Hoods?"

Chiba: "They're not part of the resistance. Killing Kusakabe was proof of that."

Urabe: "The Colonel killed himself, didn't he?"

Senba: "Well, I hear they didn't try to stop him. In any case, Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh, we can't let this stand."

Tohdoh is meditating with his eyes closed, but he frowns at their comments.

"The JLF proved to be ineffective," Schneizel states and turns towards Tohdoh. "Apart from you, that is. So why did most of your subordinates doubt the Black Knights? Sure, their forces were much smaller than yours, but they were the fastest growing resistance cell."

"Urabe and I were the only ones willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but Chiba, Asahina, and Senba didn't agree with us."

Everyone eyes Chiba, who shrugs. "I... I don't know. Different leaders, perhaps? I only trusted Tohdoh."

.

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Kallen's mother summons her daughter to the front door of their house, where Milly is waiting.

Kallen: "Madam president?"

Milly: "I just dropped by to give you something."

Kallen: "Huh?"

Ms. Kouzuki: "Where would you like me to show her to? The parlor perhaps? Or maybe..."

Kallen: "We'll be in my room!" She snaps.

Ms. Kouzuki: "As you wish."

Kallen's Stepmother appears on the staircase.

Lady Stadtfeld: "Oh, I heard you had a friend down here. I was sure it would be a boy, out all night and missing school. not to mention all your visits to the ghetto. You're lucky your father's back in the homeland. No fighting one's blood, is there?"

Kallen's real mother backs away, not wanting to get involved in the fight when the subtle insult is thrown her way.

The redhead grits her teeth. "Yet another reason I hated Britannia. Under Nunnally, it's better, but politics and military aside, my own bitch of a stepmother insulted my real mom right to my face."

Cornelia sighs, unable to help but feel bad for her. "I'm sorry..."

"Huh? What are you apologizing for?"

"I don't know. I'm just sorry. I had you wrong. I thought you were just some kid that wanted to go against society because you were going through a phase, but I never considered that you had actual reasons."

"I-It's fine, I suppose. It's my bastard father's fault for abandoning mother and marrying that noblesse whore."

They're not exactly friends, but they're far from enemies, so the atmosphere feels awkward.

Tamaki breaks the awkward silence and complains, "Kallen, your stepmom is totally not hot! She's not ugly either, but I rate her a 5 at best. Wouldn't fuck that."

Normally, the redhead wouldn't allow such comments about other women, but because it's her stepmother whom she hates, she simply laughs it off.

Kallen: "You're the one who's enjoying dad not being around here, aren't you?!"

The teen and Britannian noble woman glare at each other, but a loud crash startles them out of it.

This time, Kallen's biological mother broke a flower vase.

Kallen's mother: "Oh dear, what have I done."

Lady Stadtfeld: "What's wrong with you?!"

Kallen's mother: "Forgive me, milady, forgive me."

Stepmother: "Can't you do anything right?! Besides selling your body, that is."

C.C offers a little solace, "Your mother was willing to do anything to protect you, even putting up with whatever hardships your stepmother would put her through."

"I know, and it wasn't just my stepmother, but my father as well. Some may say that he was also trying to protect us by marrying into nobility, but I only see him as the asshole that abandoned my real mother."

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.

.

Milly: "Quite the complicated home life you have, isn't it?"

Kallen: "So what was it you wanted to give me?"

Milly: "Grandfather asked me to pass this on."

Kallen: "You mean the principal?"

Milly: "Your transcript since middle school. I thought I'd better give them to you off of school grounds."

Kallen: "So my secret's out then, isn't it? That I'm actually an Eleven and Britannian half-breed. That was my stepmother down there. My real mother was that clod of a maid who knocked over the vase."

Milly: "And your father... Is he the head of the Stadtfeld family?"

Kallen: "My mother is such a fool. In the end, she wound up a servant. She doesn't have any real skills. And no matter who's ridiculing her, all she can do is laugh like it's nothing. She didn't have to chose to stay in this house, you know? She's just clinging some old lover who's jilted her."

Milly: "You really hate your mother, don't you?"

Kallen: "I just find her depressing."

"Hate is too strong of a word when it comes to my real mother. She did so much for me, there's no possible way I could feel such abhorrent things towards her."

Lelouch and C.C communicate with one another again.

'This is why Kallen became my Q-1 on the battlefield. She hates almost anything to do with Britannia, but luckily, she didn't hate all Britannians, she only distrusted most of them.'

'She hated at least one of her parental figures that represents everything she doesn't want to become, so it became easier for her to follow you since you also feel that hatred for your father, even after his death.'

'My hatred exceeded anyone's. From the moment I rebelled, I knew that if anyone was going to kill Charles zi Britannia, it had to be me. I was not willing to accept any other outcome.'

Kallen pours tea for both of them.

Milly: "Well, this is getting a little heavy. Imagine, the wife and the daughter and the other woman, all living together."

Kallen: "Ah, it could be worse. Three square meals and a roof, right? I mean, it's not unbearable. Most of the time, anyway."

Milly: "That's good. Still, somethings in life we can bear on our own, but when you add them all up, they eventually break you."

Kallen wishes she remembered Milly's wise words and applied them to Lelouch after he got his memories back. He was nearly broken when he found out that Nunnally became the Viceroy of Area 11. He needed someone to tell him it's going to be okay, to share his burdens with, but she didn't let him because she needed Zero, not Lelouch.

Only now does she realize how much her words must've hurt Lelouch deep down.

Milly: "Oh, don't worry! I won't lie, I'm always hungry for secrets, but I'd never talk about this."

"Thank you for being a good friend to me, Milly."

"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for!"

Ms. Kouzuki is in her room, a room filled with graffiti on the walls saying terrible things about her.

She breathes heavily as she unlocks a locked drawer, revealing a syringe and multiple vials in a box.

Most of the audience doesn't know what the syringe and vials are for, but they keep quiet since they know they'll be shown the truth anyway.

One person in particular, Akito, figures it out. "I've seen those in Europia's ghettos before. I'm sorry about your mother, Kouzuki."

"Thank you." She nods gratefully.

Leila also knows what the syringe means, but she keeps quiet.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Lelouch and Suzaku are in the StuCo room.

Lelouch: "I can't believe you teared up. That's so embarrassing," He teases.

Suzaku: "It's called honesty." He reaches into a box that Arthur is chilling in, only for the cat to bite him.

Lelouch: "Well, good thing the Black Knights were there to save them. That's all I can say." He's reading a magazine with Zero on the cover.

Suzaku: "If they wanted to catch criminals, they could have joined the police force, you know? Why don't they, I wonder."

"Oh, maybe because the police doesn't let anyone but Britannians join, you scumbag! I swear Suzaku is willingly being ignorant!" Kallen shouts.

While Suzaku is too busy trying to interact with Arthur, Lelouch sends him a look as if he's stupid.

Lelouch: "They probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I tend to agree."

Suzaku: "The police may not be that effective right now, but they could evoke change from within."

Lelouch: "Yeah, and in the process, they get all tangled up in red tape and bureaucracy."

Suzaku: "If they had done everything in their power to change things, that might hold water. As long as they don't, then all of it's just self-righteous posturing," He refers to the Black Knights.

Lelouch: "Self-righteous?"

Suzaku: "And what constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? It's nothing but self-satisfying gratification."

Suzaku closes his eyes, cringing when he hears his idiotic past-self talk. For every time he criticized the Black Knights and Zero, it's ironic that all his words could've been used to refer to himself.

'At least Lelouch was actually trying to do something about Britannia. All I cared about was a position of power.'

The door opens as Shirley enters.

Shirley: "Oh, it's just you two?"

Suzaku: "Anyway, I guess I gotta go back to the base pretty soon. See you around, Shirley."

Shirley: "See you later." Now that they're alone, Shirley intends to ask Lelouch out. "So Lulu... I was, um... I was thinking if you had some time, you and I-"

Lelouch: "Back to base, now that was an interesting choice of words. 'Go back', implying that's where he thinks he belongs."

He furrows his eyebrows in anger at Suzaku's stupidity.

"The rift between Suzaku and Lelouch, at this point, is widening," Nunnally notes sadly. "It really was Suzaku's fault all along. If he had just stuck with Lelouch and been more honest, then so many things could've gone better."

C.C mentally chuckles. 'Shirley was trying to ask you out, but did you even notice?'

'I didn't until now.'

.

.

.

Kallen: "Refrain?"

Ohgi: "It's a psychotropic, makes you think you've gone back to the past."

Kallen: "Must be all the rage here in Japan."

As he finishes the call by telling her he'll inform her when they're ready to move, Kallen comes across a group of Britannian men harassing a Japanese hotdog vendor.

She sees that the crowd of people nearby are unwilling to do anything, so she's about to step in when Lelouch places a hand on her shoulder.

Lelouch: "No, there's five of them. You wouldn't stand a chance at all."

Kallen: "So you think I should just ignore it?"

Lelouch: "Go on, take a good look at that Eleven. If we intervene and help him win, he wouldn't be able to sell a thing tomorrow. It was his choice to become a Britannian slave. That's just the price you pay for working in the settlement."

Kallen: "Well even so..."

Bully #1: "You got a problem over there?"

Bully #2: "Not feeling sorry for this Eleven, are ya?"

Bully #3: "Nah, they feel the same way we do, don't you guys?"

Lelouch: "Not quite." He activates his Geass. "But you're tired of beating up Elevens now, aren't you?"

The bullies leave.

Seeing how the hotdog vendor was treated, Suzaku wonders how many more Japanese had their suffering prolonged because of his retarded 'change things from within' mentality when he could've simply joined the Black Knights.

.

.

.

Lelouch: "In some ways, Area 11 is better off now than the old Japan ever was. Being made a colony of the Empire has stabilized its military and economic position in the world. Elevens can even attain full citizenship through the legal process. It's easy to become a honorary Britannian.
Just a question of pride, really.
Though I can certainly understand why they'd resist."

Kallen: "And?"

Lelouch: "Hm?"

Kallen: "Knowing all that, what does Lelouch Lamperouge think about it at all? What do you wanna do?"

The two are now seated on a bench in a park with a big fountain in the middle. It would be the perfect setting for a romantic date.

Lelouch: "Nothing."

Kallen: "You know, you've got a lot of brains but you don't seem to be doing much with them. It's all Shirley talks about, saying how intelligent you are but how you barely ever apply yourself."

Lelouch: "That's why I don't do anything. That Eleven we saw back there could tell you. He could lead a better life as long as he bows his head to Britannia."

She's reminded of her mother, thinking that what Lelouch said applies to her as well, so she stands up and slaps him.

Kallen: "You must think you're pretty cool, huh?! Just playing the critic and judging the world from the sidelines! Guess I was a fool to expect anything more from you. You know, I really thought you were a better man than this."

She storms away, all while Lelouch rubs his cheek and smirks.

"God, I'm such an idiot!" Kallen facepalms. "It's now obvious that he was testing me to see if I was really worthy of being the Captain of his future Zero Squadron. He needed someone fearless, brave, rebellious, and willing to speak their mind."

"He would be proud of you," Zero tries to comfort her, but she doesn't acknowledge his words. He should've lost any right to even be in her presence the moment he attempted to force refrain into her blood stream.

.

.

.

Villetta shares with Jeremiah that she also suffered memory loss similar to his Orange incident and that all she remembers is that there was young person there, most likely a male student.

"Shit! Fuck off. You're so desperate to ruin my main man Lelouch's life," Tamaki flips her off.

Ohgi glares at him.

.

.

.

Night falls, and the Black Knights set up to ambush another drug deal at a warehouse-like building. This structure is massive.

Tamaki: "What the hell is Zero thinking? After all his talk about bringing down Britannia, he's just got us running around helping the police."

Ohgi: "Still feels pretty good to have the will of the people behind us, though."

Sugiyama: "Yeah, he's right. We're totally heroes on the Net."

Kallen: "Are we in the right? I don't know anymore."

Ohgi: "Kallen..." He glares at her.

"I bet you would've thrown her to the wolves like you did with Lelouch if she turned her back on her cause," Tamaki spits hatefully.

"That's not-"

"Fuck you, Ohgi. Maybe we should get rid of you, as well!"

"This isn't the French Revolution," Zero chides. "The time for head-chopping was over four years ago."

Lelouch sighs. 'You may not worthy of being Zero after all, Suzaku. I need to consider candidates to replace you.'

C.C gives him the surprised Pikachu face.

In the warehouse, workers are working on preparing to deliver the refrain throughout Japan, but they're interrupted by gunfire.

Tamaki: "The Black Knights have arrived!" He announces when they bust through the entrance.

The unarmed drug dealers flee as Kallen bursts through in a Glasgow, slamming through a garage door to enter the backroom.

There, she finds several Japanese addicted to refrain as evident by their conversations, as some believe they're getting promoted at work or married, things that happened long ago.

Flashback Milly: "When you add them all up, they eventually break you."

Kallen: "That's right, which is why I'm here."

Ms. Kouzuki: "Careful, it's dangerous to run like that."

Kallen: "Mother!?"

"Oh my god..." Cornelia whispers.

Ms. Kouzuki trips, but Kallen's Glasgow catches her.

Ms. Kouzuki: "Really, Naoto. Please, I need you to keep an eye on your little sister."

Kallen: "My God, how weak a woman are you, Mother... First, you give in to Britannia, then to a man, and now this... My brother is gone forever. Let him go!"

'That is why Kallen became my Q-1. She's quick to let go of the past, unlike Suzaku. I killed Euphemia, and he still got upset at how cold I was about it when he confronted me. There's no changing what's done, and Kallen accepted that.

Was I mistaken in making you my successor? However, I do believe in second chances, so prove me wrong... Suzaku.'

Suddenly, a machinegun opens fire on Kallen and destroys her Glasgow's right arm.

Kallen: "The Knight Police?!" She's forced to move forward in order to get out of its line of sight temporarily.

Yoshida: "Isn't that a police unit?"

Ohgi: "They're in on this deal? Tamaki!"

Tamaki: "Don't look at me! When I checked it out, there weren't any cops involved!"

Zero: "Corrupted filth..."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Tamaki messed up again," Kallen teases.

"Hey!"

Kallen is still holding onto her mother while driving.

Kallen: "You're in the way! Damn it! I don't need you! I don't want you!"

She raises her up high, about to throw her mom to the side, but her KMF's leg catches a bullet and collapses.

"Are you okay, Kallen?" Milly asks.

"Yeah. I was such an idiot."

"You've grown. Lelouch would be proud of you."

Ms. Kouzuki: "Kallen... Naoto..."

Kallen: "Go on, run. Get moving, you idiot!"

Ms. Kouzuki: "I'm here for you. I'm here for you, Kallen. I'm here, as I always have been."

Kallen remembers all the abuse her mother took for her.

Kalen: "Then that's... that's why you stayed in his house?! You stayed there for me? You fool!"

Cornelia looks down. "It makes sense now. We all have our reasons for fighting, no matter which side."

Schneizel nods, glad that she's slowly coming around.

The police knightmare raises a knife, prepared to strike, but Kallen still has two limbs left, an arm and a leg, so she raises a leg and kicks the enemy, grabbing the knife in a struggle to not get stabbed.

Kallen: "Or maybe... I'm the fool."

Her slash harkens grip a wall, so she drags the enemy knightmare with her and slams them into a corner of a storage shelf, severely damaging their cockpit and likely killing the pilot.

Ohgi and the others rush to help her out of her knightmare.

Ms. Kouzuki: "I'm so happy for you... You can finally become a Britannian now, Kallen. Nobody will ever be able to hurt you now, darling. And you're free to travel and use the phone anytime you want."

Lelouch: 'So this... is her mother?'

C.C watches from up high on top of a catwalk.

C.C: 'False tears bring pain to those around you. A false smile brings pain to one's self.'

"When I cry, no one cares," Tamaki grumbles.

.

.

.

Ms. Kouzuki is now in a hospital room with Kallen sitting next to her.

Nurse: "It's an after-effect of Refrain. She's unable to talk much. She'll recover eventually, but it will take time."

Kallen: "Mother, your sentence... you got 20 years."

"20 years... for drug usage?" Villetta is shocked.

"Yeah. Some justice system, huh," Kallen shrugs.

Tears well up in Cornelia's eyes.

Kallen sobs: "But you wait! I'm working to change things when you get out, I swear to you! I'll make a world where you and I can live a normal life again! So please, Mother..."

Her mother sits there despondently, so for a moment, Kallen thinks she's not talking to a person but rather a shell.

Her worries are relieved when she feels her mother reach out and place her hand on her daughter's.

Ms. Kouzuki: "Hang in there... Hang in there, Kallen... My little girl..."

Kallen: "Don't you worry... I will. I promise you."

-End of Episode 9-

If Suzaku thought he felt like shit before, he felt even worse now. Not only did he continue to fight to keep people like Kallen's mother down, but he almost used the same drug that has affected her family so deeply on the woman's daughter.

Nunnally looks at Kallen. "I'm glad. Big brother really did change things for the better, right?"

"He sure did."

Next Episode Preview:

Lelouch: 'Memories of the past? Those who indulge in them are foolishly happy because they assume that tomorrow is coming. But really, what guarantee is there of that? If Kallen is struggling to dispel such illusions, I'll stand by her. All we can do is live each day, one moment at a time.'

"Thank you for everything, Lelouch," Kallen tears up.

Cornelia clears her throat. "Kouzuki, may I ask how is your mother faring now? Is she better?"

"Eh? Well, she's not fully recovered, but she's much better than before. Refrain has permanently affected her memory, and she gets tired quite easily, but she is out of rehab now and is working again."

"Really? I'm glad to hear it." Cornelia wipes away a few tears of her own. To see such devotion a mother would have for her children reminds her of her own mother as well as how they both doted on Euphie.

A.A teleports to the front of the theater. "Alright everyone, it is time to eat breakfast. Go take a break."

To Be Continued