I really am starting to wish that didn't do away with being able to turn off guest reviews. It really fucking irritates me when I have something to reply back and can't.

I'll keep this small reply short, since I guess I can address it to all of you; just because I asked for Geass suggestions for a fair number of characters DOES NOT MEAN that all of them are getting Geass.

Some of you also enquired about lemons. Writing smut is an entirely different thing from regular writing. If I'm not in the mood for it I'm not going to force it. That'll just end up being subpar writing, and I refuse to do that. At the same time, I'm not about to delay the story just for that. When I get in the mood for smut, I'll write some as inserts to the main story. I'll put them as outtakes up on AO3 – where my username is Primordial_Vortex – and let you guys know when they're posted.

-]|[-

Turn 03 – Zero

-]|[-

"The council doesn't require much actual work, I guess. Beyond occasional paperwork, we'll sometimes plan school events. We also fix the budget for the clubs." Yesterday had come and gone with some planning and yet more perverted teasing of Kallen. She had finally fled the room practically steaming like a lobster at around 11 when Milly declared that she and Lelouch had a bed to break, and that they were welcome to watch. Funnily enough, C.C. even one-upped her by actually taking the offer and snidely giving them pointers from her perch on his dresser. Now, the new day had dawned and Lelouch had met up with Kallen. They were walking through the clubhouse as he informed her about her new duties as a member of the Student Council.

"I see." She said, "You mean like the cultural festival?"

"Yep…" He hunched over in depression, "And the cross-dressers' ball, along with the absolute silence party." Kallen's eyebrows twitched as he brightened up, "Swimsuit day was awesome though."

She twitched again as that perverted grin spread across his face. "…Why? The hell?" She finally got out.

"Blame Milly. She has the silliest ideas most of the time." She fully expected the perverted grin that followed, "She does strike gold occasionally though."

"Bloody perverts." She groused.

They entered the room where the rest of the council was waiting only for him to hear Nunnally's hysterically miserable voice, "Lelouch, it's awful!"

"What is it?" He asked as he and Kallen picked up the pace and sped into the room. The rest of the council and his sister were crowded around a TV.

"Prince Clovis has been found dead." Milly turned to them with a meaningful look. Kallen gasped and she whipped her head to Lelouch.

'Oh…right… How the hell did I forget to tell her about that?' He nodded slightly and then jerked his head to the set.

Rivals and Shirley were glued to the screen, "They say he was killed!"

The scene changed to one fitting a press release. A tall man with perfectly coifed blue hair was standing at the podium. The name attached underneath him by the studio was Jeremiah Gottwald. "Prince Clovis has been taken from us. He fought for peace and justice against all of the Elevens.
He died a martyr. We must all bury our sorrow, and carry on his will!"

The scene was interrupted and this time Lelouch twitched in shock, his eyes going wide. Milly and Kallen both noticed his expression get increasingly shocked and both started to get worried, "We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news! The man suspected as the murderer has been captured! According to this report, the suspect is an Honorary Britannian. Private Suzaku Kururugi, a former Eleven and Honorary Britannian! I repeat, Suzaku Kururugi arrested for murder!"

-]|[-

The room was darkened, with only a few lights leaving them able to see each other. Jeremiah was sitting across from a battered-looking Suzaku holding a gun in a plastic evidence bag. They were surrounded by other Britannians in military outfits, "Do you know anything about this weapon, Suzaku Kururugi? It was the one used to rob Prince Clovis of his life. The barrel striations leave no doubt, and we've done a little homework on you as well. You're the eldest child of Japan's last acting prime minister, are you not? Your motive here is clear."

Suzaku didn't let his treatment affect him, "You're making a mistake. I have never even laid eyes on that gun! Honorary Britannians aren't allowed them!" Just as he finished his statement, one of the guards kicked his chair out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. He barely held in the grunt of pain.

"We've found your fingerprints all over this weapon. You're also suspected of murdering members of the Royal Guard." Jeremiah sneered, "Come clean now, and you'll be judged as an Honorary Britannian and not some worthless Eleven."

"I didn't do it!" Suzaku told Jeremiah's boots, and ate a pair for his trouble.

-]|[-

Nunnally was in Lelouch's arms, trembling, "Suzaku? Our Suzaku? We haven't seen him since…since the war." She whispered so that Rivalz and Shirley wouldn't hear.

"Looks like he's still alive." Lelouch said, a troubled look on his face. His friends surrounded the two of them.

"It wasn't true what the news said, was it?" Nunnally begged her big brother.

And Lelouch could answer with absolute sincerity, "Of course not. Suzaku do something like that? They're mad. The truth will come out…one way or another." He murmured into her ear. He threw Kallen a meaningful look. She swallowed and nodded imperceptibly. Lelouch stood and put his sister into her chair.

"I'll take Nunna to the gym." Milly said, having caught the look, "No doubt Grandpa will hold an assembly for this. Let's go guys!" She started wheeling Nunnally out, followed by Rivalz, Shirley and Nina.

Lelouch and Kallen took up the rear, though at a far slower pace than them, "Sorry…" He winced when he caught her glare, "With how much we had to go over yesterday… How the hell did I forget to tell you that?" He mumbled to himself.

She snorted, "How indeed?" She sighed and took on a serious look, "Did you really…?"

"No…C.C. did. She deserved it after all he did to her. I'll be taking the credit for it though." He told her, "And it's now the perfect time for my debut." He said, "Can you gather your group?"

"Debut?" Her eyes widened.

"That's right…we're going to rescue Kururugi." He said, determination filling his soul.

"Are you crazy?!" She hissed, "How the hell are we going to manage that?!"

"Keep your voice down." He admonished, "And don't forget our secret weapons. I have a plan. Their intent to parade Kururugi around to incite a Britannian hate-frenzy tells me a lot about their motivations and their characters." He grinned viciously, "They're going to regret that."

…

They were all now lined up in the gymnasium, which had a gigantic screen at one end of the room. Milly's grandfather was speaking at a podium before the student body, "Truly this is bitterly painful incident for all! The viceroy of Area 11, our beloved prince Clovis has been lost to us forever. However, we can and will bear the weight of this tragedy, and from this darkest of hours draw strength."

-]|[-

Tamaki's rough voice roared in the air, "That's why we should've issued a freaking statement sooner! We could have taken credit for it!"

Oghi sighed, 'Why me?...' He turned to the man who was stomping away furiously, "Take credit for what? The assassination we knew nothing about?!" he yelled at the retreating man's back, "Naoto…I'm just not cut out for this. I'm no leader…" He groaned as the door slammed.

-]|[-

Lelouch met up with one of his regular noble lures. The old man was a master tailor and costume maker; one of the best in the business. He was also a hopeless fool when it came to gambling, and regularly got himself into trouble which Lelouch bailed him out of. They had long ago begun a partially symbiotic relationship that had made Lelouch quite a fortune. But for now, that wasn't why he was here. The old man's glowing red eyes showed why he was here, "Yes, everything is just as you requested. We have the best in the business working on it. Once the slide system is in order, it's all yours. Once I've erased all of the evidence I should forget this ever happened, right?"

"That's right." Lelouch said, "I'll be back to pick it all up later. I have much more work to do today…"

-]|[-

Lloyd sounded despondent as he stared at his repaired Lancelot, "We've lost our most essential part…" He grumbled.

Cecile really wished she wouldn't refer to Suzaku as a part, "Can't we do it without him?" She pushed past her irritation, no matter how much she wished they could do something about it.

"I wish. Neither love nor money will get us a replacement pilot good enough. The other units never let them go." He sighed lackadaisically, "Besides…even if we could, they wouldn't match his readings. He got an operating efficiency of 94 percent! How do we replace that?!"

Cecile leapt on it, "Then tell them that! We have to get them to let Suzaku go! We both know he didn't do it!"

"They threw away my testimony." Lloyd sighed, "The purebloods are in charge now, with General Bartley being disgraced. They'd never let an Honorary Britannian go. According to them, it's impossible for the culprit to be from the military. But if the criminal is an Eleven, it paves the way for Margrave Jeremiah to shut down the practice of granting natives Honorary status."

"But then what about Suzaku!" Cecile pleaded.

"They'll find him guilty." Lloyd said in annoyance, "Guilty, guilty, guilty. They'll put him through a kangaroo court they own and put him to death."

"But!"

"Say, would that be altruism or humanitarianism?"

"You're playing word games at a time like this?!"

Lloyd shrugged and grinned sadly, "Is there anything else can I do? You know where this case is headed the same as me."

-]|[-

In another part of the Settlement, another group was discussing the same thing. Shirley was listening to Lelouch's somewhat scathing description of the Purebloods attentively. "I see…"

Rivalz came up on Lelouch and clapped him on the shoulder, "Lelouch, what are you up to later? We have the day off and it would be such a waste to just sit around! Some of our opponents have been asking for a rematch."

"Don't you dare go gambling!" Shirley wagged her finger at them.

"Give me a break Shirley…" Rivalz groaned.

"No, she's right. I have other things to do right now. I found a much better opponent." Lelouch said, looking through his phone and sending Kallen a text.

"Really?" Rivalz gasped, "You gotta let me in, old buddy!"

Lelouch chuckled at the thought of bringing Rivalz to a battlefield, "Sorry bud, it's not your type of game." And with that, he walked off, leaving both his friends staring at his back in surprise.

…

"Nice car." Kallen grinned as she flicked on a pair of sunglasses to match Lelouch. She got into the passenger seat and marveled at the interior.

"Nice car." He grumbled, "Only seventy-seven ever made and she calls it a nice car."

Kallen's eyes widened, "Really? What is it? Was that safe? Wouldn't they have your name?"

Lelouch smirked, "Remember we have a ninja. The noble I won it from probably fled as far around the world as possible. Didn't do him any good. He knows silence is golden now. It's an Aston Martin ONE-77. This car is the only reason I bothered getting my license. Thankfully Lamperouge – while not exactly uncommon – isn't the rarest last name out there. Nunnally and I were far out of the public view back in Pendragon. Most people wouldn't be able to recognize either of us on sight, and all of the ones who could would have no interest in working in the DMV. I don't usually get to drive it unfortunately. Rivalz almost creamed himself last time I let him ride shotgun so we usually just take his moped. Usually I end up just taking the DB11 out instead."

Kallen grinned, "You going to let me take it for a spin?"

A snort was her only response. "Maybe the other one if you're a good girl." She flipped him off, "Anyway, Milly and C.C. are going to meet us there soon. I have to get you fitted out."

She turned wary eyes to him, "Fitted out for what?" She asked suspiciously, "You're not going to do something perverted again are you?"

"Maybe later." Lelouch shot back with a smirk, "We're going to get you a set of blades and I'll need your measurements. Eventually our group will have a regular uniform and a battle outfit as well. So, we're going to our secret facility."

"If you try to put me in some kind of chainmail bikini I swear to-" All thoughts of future pain visited on her partner fled her mind as they hit a stretch of road where he could go as fast as he liked. Kallen whooped in exhilaration as the V12 engine roared.

-]|[-

"Holy shit!" Kallen exclaimed. Her jaw was slightly unhinged as she took in the sight, "How the hell did you all set this up?"

"My mother funded it before…" He trailed off, and was surprised to feel her hand on his arm. He offered her a light smile, "…It was nearing completion by then. The Ashfords had always been our allies. Ruben let the facility go dark up until Milly and I reactivated it."

"There are so many Japanese here!" Her eyes were shining in joy.

"That's right. We saved most of these people from their circumstances. Death… starvation… ridicule… You name it. These were some of the brightest minds in Japan, and now they're our brightest minds. One day, they'll be free to show it." Lelouch smiled as he led Kallen to the second basement floor and through a set of double doors, "How are you doing, Shizuka-san?"

"Lelouch-sama!" The dark-haired woman started in surprise, "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. The mechanism hasn't broken has it?"

Lelouch grinned, "Not at all. The blades are working fine. Kallen here needs to be fitted with a set herself."

"Of course!" The woman bowed, "Kallen-sama, please sit." She gestured to the chair in front of the desk, "Do you have any preferences?"

"I have no idea what to say." Kallen said sheepishly, "Are those retractable blades like the one Lelouch carries the only kind?"

"No, we have another design as well. Lelouch-sama and Milly-sama gave us a fairly big budget when we were designing them. They have to be made with extreme precision, after all." Shizuka told her, "We can also have the blades deploy into your hands. They're more of a hassle to re-hide though. You have to do it manually."

"I'll take that type then." Kallen declared, "I think I'll be able to maneuver better like that."

"Of course!" Shizuka smiled, "Do you prefer a straight blade or a slightly curved one?"

"Curved." Kallen smiled, "Definitely curved."

"Excellent." Shizuka took a few notes down, "Colors?"

"Don't really care." Kallen shrugged. She preferred form to function in most things.

"Crimson then." Lelouch smirked, "Anyway, I need another set made for myself, Shizuka."

"I though you said they were working fine?" Shizuka was bewildered at the request.

"They are. I'll be keeping them for civilian use." Lelouch said, "I need the new set colored black with purple and gold."

"Of course. They'll be finished within the week."

"I'll need mine faster than that. Make one of them my regular colors and I'll just have this one redone until then. Now, time to go get you measured Kallen. Have a wonderful day, Shizuka-san."

Kallen bowed to the woman, "Sayonara, Shizuka-san." She followed Lelouch out the door, where Milly and C.C. were waiting. "You two got here quick."

C.C. had a gleeful look to her, "Milly owns a Rolls Royce Wraith and she let me drive."

"Never again!" Milly said, a wild look to her, "She's worse than you!" She pointed at Lelouch accusingly. Lelouch burst out laughing.

Kallen pouted, "Lelouch won't let me drive his." She shook herself and grinned viciously, "Now…where are these machines I've heard so much about?"

Lelouch sighed, "We can show you… but unfortunately, the white Knightmare we faced far outclassed anything we've been able to come up with. Thankfully, I was able to acquire the two pieces we managed to blow off of it. We have R and D working on reverse-engineering it as well as analyzing the Sutherland I managed to steal. I also managed to get piloting data for the regular army as well as some of the schematics for the Seventh Gen before we killed Clovis. It'll probably be a few weeks before we have something proper to test. At the very least, we need regular units that are better than Sutherlands. Most likely we'll have to deal with Gloucesters from now on, and they'll cut apart Glasgow knockoffs. Before the battle, we only had the Third Generation Ganymede to base the designs on, so they're not that great."

Kallen looked like he had punched her cat, "You can't tease a girl like that Lelouch." C.C. and Milly chuckled lightly.

-]|[-

Kallen had led her comrades to the old Tokyo Tower. They had been told to not follow too closely, since obviously she couldn't be associated with them. Kallen was growing increasingly irritated with the announcer, "Britannia's resounding victory over Japan opened the unenlightened nation's eyes to its true place in today's world order. Since then the empire and Area 11 have walked hand in hand down the road to revival."

She held back a snort, 'Unenlightened my ass. We weren't a fucking third world country, you sons of bitches.'

"Attention please. Paging Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, Ashford Academy.
One of your personal effects has been turned in at the kiosk on the observation deck.
I repeat."

'Here we go.' Kallen mused as she went to the front desk, "Thank you mam." She took the phone from the receptionist and walked up to the observation deck, where she knew her crew would be waiting. After a few seconds, the phone started buzzing. She raised an eyebrow at the name that popped up, 'Why Zero?' She wondered, "Hello?"

"You know what to do, Goddess." Lelouch's teasing tone came through the phone. She twitched.

-]|[-

"Prince Clovis' Memorial was handled quite well. Well done." Jeremiah congratulated the pony-tailed blonde, "A bit weepy for my tastes, but…"

"The masses love a good tearjerker, your excellency." Diethard responded obediently.

"Spoken like a true TV-man. Still I have to acknowledge the finesse you've shown. You did well in the short time you had. One would almost think you were expecting His Highness to meet his untimely end." Jeremiah rested his cheek on his fist as he said this.

Diethard had to hold back a scoff, "It's quite common for memorial programs to be set in advance for important people."

"Oh?" Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, "Does that include myself?"

"Recent event may have bumped you up the list a bit your excellency." He had to hold his smirk back, but Jeremiah's face didn't change.

"Meaning I wasn't important enough to rate one until now. How honest of you." He almost chuckled, "Ever think of enlisting? I have a need for good information officers."

"I'm afraid that job is not for me. Not my cup of tea."

"You prefer the civil sector I take it? No matter, I have another favor to ask of you. Tomorrow night Suzaku Kururugi will be transferred to his court-martial." Jeremiah said, and was pleased with the response.

"Then the streets must be lined with Patriotic Britannians."

"Excellent. You catch on quickly. Make sure they can see his face." He held back a victorious grin, "I'll be there personally aboard my Sutherland. If anyone even thinks of causing trouble, they will be executed on the spot."

-]|[-

When Kallen and her cohorts entered the train, she immediately realized that every single person in there previously had already fallen under Lelouch's Geass. She could see the red rings that surrounded their eyes, though it became clear that no one else could. Or at least none of her friends mentioned a thing. Was that because he had used it on her already or because she had her own? The train took off, and Kallen waited for Lelouch to call again. "Hello?"

"Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?" His voice came through, though this time it sounded darker. More synthesized.

"I see the Britannian city. The one built over the ashes of our homes. It was stolen away from us and built on our sacrifices." Really, did Lelouch have to be such a ham?

"And on the left?" He asked again.

"Our city…what was left to us. The remnants of our desiccated city after the Britannian sucked it dry." Her light irritation must have been apparent to him.

"Sorry, but for now you need to play along." He sounded apologetic as he hung up. She already knew what to do.

She sighed and led her friends through the train after catching their attention. Not a single person even flinched as they were bumped into or pushed lightly out of the way. His power truly was terrifying. When she opened the door, she just barely managed to turn her snort into a gasp. Oh, he was a ham alright. "Was it you?" She asked for her friend's benefit. To them, a single man was standing at the opposite end of the train. They couldn't make out his features, because a black cape cloaked him as if he was wrapped in darkness. There was a golden sigil on the back of it. Kallen recognized it as the Geass sigil with a sword going through the middle of it and some added spikes to the crane.

Lelouch didn't answer, "Hey! Answer us!" Toru Yoshida yelled angrily, after another attempt at getting his attention failed.

Lelouch whirled around and faced them, just as the train went into the tunnel and the room went dark. Kallen's eyebrow twitched, 'Okay, so he's a ham…but he's a fucking impressive ham. That timing…'

Lelouch was wearing a royal purple suit with long, wrapped sleeves that wrapped around him like a glove…almost like it was a bodysuit. There was a white ascot around his neck. The embroidery – from the suit down to the matching shoes – was the purest gold. The matching black cape he wore had a royal purple liner on the inside and it wrapped perfectly around him and formed spikes framing his head. His head was covered with a mask they couldn't possibly know would soon become iconic. It was a spiky, black and indigo contraption that engulfed his entire head. A golden Geass sigil was stretched on the bottom and in the center was an opaque piece of glass or some other material. "So…what did you think of my tour of the settlement?"

Tamaki growled, "This was a fucking waste of time. There's no way it was this joker."

"I wished for you to have a true appreciation of them…" He held up his left arm to their right, "The settlement…" his left spread the cape open revealing the full outfit, "And the ghetto."

'He's a showman…' Kallen mused silently, 'But he's a good showman. He probably could have been an actor.' She begrudgingly admitted.

"Yeah…we know it." Oghi said, "There's a difference between us and them. A desperate difference! That's why we resist them."

"Resist?" The masked man seemed to be surprised, "And you think resistance will do something do you?"

"What was that?!" Tamaki roared, instantly furious. The man did true justice to the stereotype about the temper of redheads.

Lelouch was unconcerned, "Your resistance is nothing more than a passing irritation to the Britannians you truly despise. To the nobility and the military, you are nothing more than bugs to be squashed." He sounded almost amused, "To the civilians, you look like nothing more than idiots refusing their Empire's hand at best and barbarians at worst. Most of them do not understand the way you suffer. So all your acts of terrorism succeed in doing is igniting a patriotic frenzy in them."

Kallen had to hold back her irritation. They had discussed more than enough for her to know he was right. Tamaki had no such luck, "Why you cocky son of a bitch!" He rushed forward, fist raised and ready to pummel the arrogant bastard talking down to them.

"Tamaki no!" Oghi and Kallen both yelled – for different reasons – but they were ignored.

"Take this!" The redheaded idiot put all of his weight into the punch, looking to break that stupid mask and his face in one hit. Lelouch casually stepped out of the way and he punched the wall instead, "Argh!" He cried, cradling his injured hand.

"I hope you shoot better than you fight." Lelouch commented blandly, and Kallen had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. He ducked under a wild kick and slapped the man in the back of the head as the train made a turn. Tamaki's momentum with the train carried over and flipped over and landed in one of the empty seats with his legs in the air. His face was almost touching his crotch. "Stay down." Lelouch flicked his arm and the point of his shiny new black blade extended. The point stopped right before Tamaki's eye, who almost relieved himself then and there.

"Tamaki you idiot!" Oghi roared furiously, "Do you think before you act?! I knew bringing you was a mistake!" Lelouch retracted the blade as Oghi apologized profusely for the idiot's actions. The redhead was still cradling his arm as he performed the walk of shame back to his comrades.

"Sit down and shut the fuck up!" Kallen hissed and shoved him into a chair. "Sorry." She bowed lightly to Lelouch, more for their benefit than for hers'.

"Water under the bridge. We have more important things to discuss." Lelouch told her. He stared at them for a moment, "Your cell was better than most I've seen. You could follow orders well and to my delight you at least tried your hardest to limit civilian casualties. That put you several squares above the rest. That is why I made the decision to approach you."

Oghi sighed and murmured a thank you, "We never approved of harming innocent people. Too much blood has already been spilt to add non-combatants to it." He glared lightly at the man after saying his piece, "But are you saying you think our resistance is pointless? What are we supposed to do then? Just let them win?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." Lelouch said blandly in response to the first question, "Terrorism isn't going to do a thing. It won't get you your name and home back. All terrorism does is make Britannians – younger Britannians especially – who would otherwise have been sympathetic to you despise you. What would you have done if your episode with the Poison Gas had gotten half of the Settlement killed because of a stray bullet?" The entire cell cringed.

"It was never supposed to go like that." Lelouch didn't miss the glare Oghi shot at the redhead, who flinched hard, "We were supposed to be long gone by the time they realized something was wrong."

"You should never count on plans surviving contact with the enemy. The point stands." Lelouch didn't let off the gas.

Yoshida growled, "Where do you get off?! Are we supposed to just roll over for them? We dream of a Japan free from Britannia!"

"A Japan free from Britannia?" He asked acerbically, "I wasn't aware I was dealing with necromancers. Perhaps I should go elsewhere."

"What was that?" Naomi Inoue – a purple haired woman – spat out furiously.

"You think Japan is dead?" Tamaki growled heatedly from his corner, looking like he was going to get up and charge again.

"I thought I told you not to speak again." Kallen turned an evil glare at her fellow redhead, despite the fact that even her ire had risen. He flinched and settled down again, settling for glaring at the masked man.

"Explain yourself!" Oghi commanded.

"When was the last Tatara fired up?" Lelouch shot at him, "The last chunks Tamahagane made?" Oghi flinched, "When was the last time you had a tea ceremony? The last time there was a Coming of Age Ceremony? The last time people flooded the shopping districts in kimono?" As he had gone on, it was as if a weight had settled on their shoulders with every point made. "When was a last time you taught a bright-eyed child Japanese in a classroom?"

"Stop it…" Naomi mumbled, her eyes filling with tears.

"Your people have been beaten down. You've had your pride crushed. Your lives destroyed. You even had your names stripped away. Your government was eradicated and all that are left are former military leaders and the richest of the rich, who have had to throw away their pride just to survive."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kento Sugiyama roared, though this time Kallen and Oghi were both quick enough to hold him back, "Let me go!"

Lelouch suddenly just sounded exhausted, "Your common people are doped up on Refrain." There was a hiss in the room as the name of that hated drug was said, "And even if they weren't your numbers were decimated. Your youngest barely even know what Japan is."

Kallen was just as angry despite having been through this whole discussion once already, "So what?!" She snarled, "You think we should just give up?!"

"Oh heavens no." He looked all the world as if he was shocked by the suggestion, "What I'm saying is that there is no freeing Japan." The group had settled down, though they were still glaring at him, "You all have just lost too much. Like it or not, the Japan you remember is dead and there's no bringing it back. Even if you manage to get rid of Britannia, you're starting from scratch. So much culture lost… so many traditions…" He said, "And it'll be a long, long time before your people recover. If you don't just get yourself reconquered by Britannia or pecked at by those Chinese vultures of course."

Several of them were grinding their teeth, but realized the man was right, "So what are you suggesting?"

"What I'm saying…" Lelouch said patiently, "Is that the only way this is going to end is if you cut off the head of the snake. Terrorism will do nothing but force the common people to hate you and turn public opinion against you. Not every Britannian is a horrible person. Most of them just know nothing but the propaganda they're fed from birth. And I'm sure even the Japanese are getting tired of it. How many of your own people cursed your names after Shinjuku?" He asked rhetorically, taking note of all the flinches. Having Kallen on his side from the beginning had been an excellent decision for many reasons, and this was one of them. "You have to know your enemy. It is not the people of Britannia or even Britannia itself. It is the nobility… the fat and lazy parasites who have done nothing to earn what they have. It is the corruption that plagues it. It is the attitude of superiority and arrogance that pervades it. And I could go on and on, but at the head of it all is that man. The one fueling all the hate, by shouting out that, 'All men are not created equal.' If you want to one day be able to proudly call yourselves Japanese once more without fear of reprisal, then it is a war you must wage. But not on the innocent. You have to take up your swords and fight for justice!"

She saw that her friends were looking uncertain, so she still had a role to play, "Don't be absurd! That's all easy enough to say, isn't it? As if we could trust someone who won't even show us his face!"

Yoshida jumped on that, "She's right! Lose the mask!"

There was silence for a moment, and Oghi spoke up, "Yeah…will you show us your face or not?"

"Very well." Lelouch said, "But it won't be my face I show you, but rather my power." He was smirking behind that opaque panel, Kallen knew, "If I make the impossible possible, then might I have earned your trust?"

-]|[-

"He killed the Britannian Prince!" One of the voices in the room said. Most in the room were together next to a flag of Japan.

"Yeah, but he's an Honorary Britannian!" Another of the men in uniform roared back.

"His father was Prime Minister Kururugi!"

"Yeah," The sneer was practically audible, "The same man who gave up Japan. The people don't know that do they?"

The general of the Japan Liberation Front – Tatewaki Katase – asked, "The Shinjuku affair was performed by the Kōzuki group, was it not?" He was an older fellow sitting with his arms and legs crossed.

In front of him on one knee was a much younger man with black hair slicked back which flared out near his neck. He also had a black goatee. He was Lieutenant Colonel Josui Kusakabe, "That's right. Currently they're led by a man named Oghi."

Katase sighed and inclined his head down, before looking back at Kusakabe, "Has Kururugi's family said anything?"

"No, sir. They broke contact with him once he joined the military." The Lieutenant Colonel told him.

Katase turned to the one man who wasn't discussing with the rest of the group. He was sitting seiza with a sheathed katana next to him, "Your thoughts, Tōdō?"

Tōdō was a tall man with a serious air to him. He wore a fancier version of the dark green uniform most of the others wore. He was starting to lose hair near his temples, "We have no duty to join him in a public execution."

"Such cowardice!" Kusakabe spat, "Are you really Tōdō the miracle worker?"

Tōdō was unfazed, "You shouldn't confuse miracles with idiocy. Even if we go, they'll just kill him ahead of time. Nothing will be gained and too much could be lost."

-]|[-

"Congratulations!" Lloyd told his devicer cheerfully, "Those two you asked me about weren't on the list of casualties."

"That's good to hear." Suzaku let out a sigh of relief. He had bruises all over him and his arms were lashed to him by his strait jacket. Even while inside this glass prison he was still being treated poorly. He hadn't eaten much in the past couple of days either.

Lloyd sighed, "Not much luck on your end though." The man was pouting, "You may be getting a trial but nobody is on your side."

Suzaku looked surprised, "But…trials are where the truth comes to light!"

Lloyd let out a despondent chuckle, "I expect there'll be more smoke and mirrors than anything. The truth is scarce of late. Anyone with a brain knows you aren't to blame…and that includes your accusers."

Suzaku's face hardened with determination, "If you tell me that's just how the world works… then so be it. I have no regrets."

-]|[-

Day had gone and night had come. The streets leading to the Palace were empty of vehicles, but not of people. Oh no, there were scores of people lining up on both sides of the road, including the bridges. There were drones with cameras providing video to every set in the world. At Ashford, Milly was watching the event with a stone face. Inwardly, she was begging, 'Lulu…Kallen…please be safe!' The rest of the Student Council sat watching the set with much less trepidation than her. In a darkened room in the clubhouse, Nunnally sat with Sayoko out of sight, holding a radio in her tiny hands.

"Any moment. Any moment now." The announcer said with bated breath, "Just look at the crowds lining this route! All of them waiting! Waiting for the man accused of killing our beloved Prince Clovis! Waiting for Honorary Britannian Suzaku Kururugi to pass by!"

On the side of the road, was a HiTV van. Diethard was inside of it with his crew, growling out orders, "Camera 5 is a little slow. Talk to me, Charles. Have you got your crowd set up?" He waited for a moment, before growing irritated, "What? The studio? Let them wait! There is no delay. Everything is going according to plan. Here he comes…"

"I… I can see it! They have the suspect! Suzaku Kururugi is headed this way!" The announcer yelled as the crowd started clamoring for blood. Knightmares surrounding an open-back military vehicle were heading their way. The noise level started increasing tremendously.

"There, you see?" Diethard clicked his mic off and then let out a little scoff, "What a circus this has turned out to be. I'm just as corrupt as any of them."

Outside, the people were roaring, "MURDERER! SCUM! YOU DAMNED ELEVEN! WE WANT OUR PRINCE BACK!" The voices – male and female – were yelling. Suzaku had a sad look in his eyes as people jeered at him. He didn't do it damn it!

The announcer – who had been silent letting some of the yells be heard – came on again, "Voices of resentment! Voices of anger! All of it growing louder! Voices bearing testament to a people's love of their Prince! Righteous voices judging the terrorist!" The Sutherlands had come much closer now and they started crossing the bridge, "Margrave Jeremiah – who was integral in settling this case – will be presiding over the trial as Acting Viceroy."

Suddenly, Jeremiah's radio clicked on with a bit of static and a soldier's voice came on, "Acting Viceroy Jeremiah. There is a vehicle approaching the main highway from Third Street. We just let it through as you instructed but..."

"Do you think your target is a terrorist vehicle?" Jeremiah turned on his radio and asked. He was wearing an incredibly fancy-looking outfit put together meticulously by the tailors. He looked immaculate, just as he wished for this appearance.

"Well…sir… it's Prince Clovis' car."

"What? The prince's car?" He chuckled, "Well looks like we've got a comedian. Don't worry about it. Just let them through to us." He put his arm up and signaled for a stop. "All forces hold here!"

The announcer got on the mic again, "There was no scheduled stop here. Could there have been some sort of accident?" They then patched a different person onto the mic, "This is site 5. There is a vehicle approaching them! It's… it's Prince Clovis' personal transport! And it's heading straight for them!" A very fancy-looking white car was on the way, with the Britannian flag proudly displayed on the trailer. Kallen was in a chauffer's outfit in the driver's seat. Despite the knowledge of Lelouch's power as well as her own, she was still sweating heavily. So many things had to go right here for them to pull this off and she was very afraid that there was no possible way Lelouch could have predicted everything.

The car rolled to a stop in front of Jeremiah's leading Sutherland, and the man roared, "You dare desecrate His Highness's transport? Come out of there!"

Gasps erupted as the flag ignited near the bottom and almost instantly burned to cinders. Behind it was a man wearing an outfit that would soon come to be iconic. He was sitting on a throne with his legs crossed regally and most of his fingers crossed over a knee as well, "I am… ZERO!"

Well if one wanted to send a message, that certainly was a way to do it. The crowd erupted in noise as they all started asking each other what was going on. All cameras were panning over his form as the announcer began shouting in a panicky voice, "Wh-who is this person? This man calling himself Zero, standing before a full military convoy!" All around Japan… All around the world… people were watching and taking note. "Could he be a terrorist?! If he is… what a foolish move to make! He's trapped here now!"

Kallen started to sweat a bit heavier as Jeremiah shouted out, "Had enough, Zero?! Your little show is at an end!" He shot his gun into the air and the Airlift Copters disengaged from their cargo, sending four more Sutherland units plummeting to the ground. They crashed to all four sides of the fake vehicle and surrounded it. Kallen bit back a gasp and forced herself to try to remain calm. Even her Geass couldn't get them out of this! Jeremiah sneered viciously, "First things first… Why don't you lose that mask?"

Zero unclasped his fingers and raised his right hand to his mask, giving it a feather-light touch. He looked like he would indeed be removing it but instead, he raised his hand in front of his mask and snapped his fingers. Just once. Kallen had her cue, and she pulled a lever on the console. With the sound of pistons actuating, the panels making up the car's fake facade blew apart and clattered to the pavement. Behind Zero was an immediately uncomfortable sight for every military man on the highway. The dark-red, bulbous, teardrop shaped poison gas container sat right behind him. Pipes and pressure gauges were coming out of it and it was clear from where the arrows sat that the device was primed. Only it had been modified from the last time it had been seen. A bank of large monitors had been welded to a steel frame sitting snugly around the device, pointing towards the crowds. There were also large sound bars to ensure everything Zero needed to be heard would be.

Lelouch smirked behind his mask as Jeremiah and the rest of the Purebloods paled to the color of curdled milk, 'Yes, Jeremiah… You never saw inside of this thing, so you assume it's full of poison. You could have evaded this all if you hadn't allowed us to come close. You were so sure you would be able to advance your goals with this circus. Your arrogance will be your downfall here.'

"Can all of you watching at home see this? It's some sort of device, although its purpose is unclear. Stay with us and we'll see if this so-called terrorist has anything to say!" The announcer roared.

"You bastard!" Jeremiah seethed in panic, 'He's taken every single Britannian here hostage and not one of them even knows it! How did he find it?!' He resisted the urge to grip his hair.

"You intend to shoot? I think you know full well what will happen if you do." Lelouch couldn't help but taunt the man, "You should also know that I'm wearing a DMS, as is my driver. I wouldn't risk anything if I were you."

Jeremiah grit his teeth, 'DMS? What's he tal- FUCK. Dead man's switch. He has us trapped. Damn it all! My own hubris has doomed us! I have to figure something out here! I have to stall!' He ground his jaw so hard he was risking his teeth shattering inside his mouth, "Fine. What are your demands?"

"Simple, my good man." Zero mocked his opponent, "An exchange. I give you this, in return for Kururugi."

"Preposterous!" A vein bulged dangerously on Jeremiah's forehead, and all thoughts of finding a way out of this fled from his head, "He's charged with High Treason! I can't simply hand over the man responsible for our beloved Prince's death!"

On the side of the road, Diethard had cussed out a camera operator who wouldn't do his damn job. He had to go out with a shoulder-held camera himself because of these damn amateurs. He started filming just in time to catch Zero releasing a dark laugh, "You think me a fool, Jeremiah?" Diethard's eyes widened in excitement, "Evidently you're starting to believe your own lies." The crowd started to murmur as Jeremiah stiffened, "To those uninformed, allow me to enlighten you. Honorary Britannians aren't allowed guns. So unless you are admitting that your security is so lax that you allowed him to get a weapon AND get in the Mobile Base completely unscathed, then there is no way for Kururugi to have done the deed." The patriotic crowd started to look at one another in shock as they remembered that little detail.

'This is all a show to him!' Diethard was practically salivating.

"You bastard!" Jeremiah choked out. There was no recovering from this. Not politically at least. He held out a trembling pistol and tried to aim for Zero, but his aim was as poor as his judgement.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Zero wagged a finger derisively, "Your aim looks a little shaky Jeremiah. I wouldn't risk it. You might hit this little container behind me." The gun's trembling increased, "But back to the matter at hand, no? I will exchange this container for Kururugi, who is innocent of the crime you've accused him of." He smirked behind his mask, "If it's all the same to you, Margrave, I prefer that other not take credit for my own deeds."

The crowd silenced immediately as Jeremiah started sweating buckets, 'He can't mean...!' Was the general thought running through everyone there.

'Shit!' Kallen cried in her head, 'Damn it Lelouch! What the fuck are you doing!' This was too much. Jeremiah looked as if he might snap at this rate and just end it.

Zero chuckled darkly, "That's right…Acting Viceroy… The one who killed Clovis… WAS MYSELF!" Pandemonium erupted as several people started screaming.

'Then if I can capture you… but how?! That damn dead man's switch! He probably has a trigger too!' Jeremiah was going over scenario after scenario and coming up with only failure.

Lelouch chuckled and he had an evil smile on his face, "Indeed, it was I who punished Clovis. Perhaps… perhaps the people deserve to know the true face of their beloved Prince! The man who begged for his life! Begged. Like a dog!" With those words transmitted to every station, dormant Geass commands he'd layered earlier in the previous days activated, preventing any from shutting off the broadcast. The whole world was about to see this. Every station started playing the same video as the screens which suddenly crackled to life beside the gas container.

The video that began playing was of Bartley in the G1 yelling at the Royal Guard, "They got away?! And you call yourselves the Royal Guard?!"

"Forgive me, my lord! The blast was mainly directed upwards, but the-"Came the voice of the man Lelouch had personally killed.

"Why the hell do you think I only told you people about this?!" Bartley was practically spitting. His eyes were bulging in panic.

"W- We'll continue the investigation!"

The camera panned over to Clovis as he spoke. He had his fist under his chin, "The plan has moved forward to the next phase."

Bartley whirled around in surprise, "But, but Your Highness...!"

"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!" The Prince stood and yelled out, his powerful voice ringing clear.

Villetta, Jeremiah and Kewell stared at the screen in horror. This… this was… They were finished. The people would no doubt be horrified and the Numbers would have their fighting spirit reignited. There was no stopping it either. Those panels were too close to the container to try shooting at them. Jeremiah's mind was flying, trying desperately and failing to think of a way to stop this. But all of those thoughts blanked out as new images started playing.

Immediately, shouts of disbelief started ringing out from the crowd and across Area 11 and even in parts of Europe, a frenzy erupted amongst the Japanese resistance groups. But that uproar was nothing compared to the uproar that came as the scenes changed to recordings of the soldiers slaughtering innocent Japanese people. Men and women – old and young – were shot without remorse. The sounds of panic and despair spewed from the screens. Even the most patriotic of Britannians near the roadside couldn't help but retch as panicked crying from children who couldn't even have been one yet were silenced by the roar of bullets. And all of it was from the perspectives of Britannian soldiers and Knightmares.

Several people had started to sob uncontrollably in horror as yet another defenseless child was shot dead on camera. Lelouch had made sure that those scenes would be caught as well. A smaller video was put at a bottom corner of the main video showing proud Britannians spewing their guts out in the crowd and looking altogether flabbergasted and horrified. The pallid faces and tears streaming from several horrified eyes were also powerful images. It had been absolute hell getting so many studio people under his Geass to ensure this broadcast would stay live, but it would be well worth it. At the same time as he would be showing the Britannians the true face of their Empire, he would be showing the Japanese that not every Britannian was pure evil.

"Hoh, it appears not every Britannian agrees our dear Prince's actions…" Lelouch – ever the showman – waved his arm towards the crowd to his left just as a pale and trembling but smirking Diethard focused on him. Lelouch tapped his heel on the hood of the car and Kallen began advancing, completely shocked that they were still alive. Jeremiah had a dead look in his eye as the truck came closer, "So Acting Viceroy…what will it be? Shall I tell the public about Orange? If you don't agree or I die, it'll all go public!" The wary crowds erupted again and even the soldiers were looking at each other in bewilderment and questioning one another.

"What?" Jeremiah finally shook himself, but in incomprehension rather than the relief he had hoped for. The truck stopped again and Zero finally stood.

Lelouch grinned as a special panel on his mask slid open and showed off his left eye, "If you don't want that to happen… Then you'll do everything in your power to let us AND your prisoner go!" It started glowing that demonic red as the crane appeared inside of his iris.

Jeremiah stiffened as the red rings appeared around his eyes as well, "Let them go…" The crowd gasped, "You there! Release the prisoner!"

Villetta Nu choked and yelled out, "Jeremiah! What did you just say?!" She was still thinking of a way to salvage this, denying the truth she already knew. They were finished.

"Give them the prisoner!" He roared back, "No one is to interfere!"

Kallen had gasped and started to stare in disbelief. Even knowing about Lelouch's Geass and the plan, she hadn't honestly believed things would have gone this perfectly. They had actually pulled this off?! 'No!' She shook her head, 'We're not out of the woods yet. Don't relax Kallen!'

Kewell Soresi rolled his Sutherland closer, "Jeremiah! What are you doing?!"

Jeremiah turned and roared, "This is an Order, Lord Kewell!"

Suzaku was released and began walking forward towards Zero, who had jumped off the truck and walked towards him. Kallen was close behind with her head down, trying to make sure she wasn't recognized if she happened to be caught on camera. To aid in this, she was wearing a black wig with curly, butt-length hair and green contact lenses with some strange designs on them. She had put a regular sick-mask over her face to further obscure her features right before disembarking from the truck. Suzaku reached them and immediately tried speaking, "Who the hell are-" His collar electrified and shocked him to silence.

Lelouch clicked his tongue behind his mask in irritation, "So they didn't even allow you to speak. How entirely pedestrian."

Kallen spoke up, deepening her voice a bit, "Time to go, Zero." She honestly wanted to give the man a hug at this point. This was crazy and he pulled it off! Way off to the side, a very, very old Knightmare Frame that didn't even have weapons was transforming from a hidden drivetrain for the train into its full Knightmare form. It was primed and ready with a cheering Oghi inside of it.

Villetta cursed and entered her Knightmare, "If they get away we're finished!"

Lelouch smirked, "Well, time to go." He pulled out a detonator and clicked the button. The gas container started spewing a toxic-looking but truly harmless purple haze. The crowd started to panic and try to run as Zero wrapped Suzaku in his cloak and the three of them jumped from the bridge. Oghi fired the tarp with his Slash Harken mounts which broke their fall and put them perfectly inside of a truck which sped away.

The panicking purebloods turned to try to follow despite Jeremiah's furious orders to let them go. Only as Kewell went to speed after them, his legs were blown off, "WHAT?!" His Knightmare crashed to the asphalt and he struggled to push it up with its arms to try to get a view. Then he saw it. An urban camouflaged Knightmare of a design he didn't recognize was far across the way. It was massively bulky and seemed to be made entirely of cannons. Every single one of them could move independently of one another, and they were all acquiring targets. It was using its Slash Harkens to anchor itself to one of the tallest buildings, "Watch out!" he yelled to no avail as the thing had already fired.

Every other Sutherland there had parts of themselves blown off by the unknown machine. Shards of twisted metal rained onto the pavement and showers of sparks rained from the broken machines. Even Jeremiah hadn't escaped the fury. Inside the bulky mess of a frame, C.C. sat grinning, "Sorry boys!" She sing-songed as she let out another wave of fire and finished disabling every machine – including some of the aerial copters – that could have pursued, "No glory for you today!" She had found herself participating in the rescue after Lelouch and Milly had shown off their prototypes.

"What the hell is THAT?" Kallen screamed, almost in horror. The frame she was looking at was massively bulky and unwieldy. It was humanoid with thick armor plates. Each arm had two sniper cannons on adjustable levers and there were half a dozen more that acted as 'wings' that could swivel forward. She was twitching as she eyed the monstrosity.

Lelouch chuckled, "We did warn you, didn't we? That's one of the failed prototypes. We envisioned it as a very long range sniper unit that would be capable of moving stealthily and providing heavy support from far behind the lines. Unfortunately, when it was built, the original frame couldn't handle all of the weight. So we had to make that sturdier, which made it bulkier. It became too heavy for regular Slash Harkens to pull it and for regular Landspinners to push it. So then we improved those…which made it heavier again. It all just kept building up and building up until finally we ended up just throwing our hands into the air and calling it. Even if it has immense firepower and extreme range a set of Sutherlands could have a damn tennis match around it. I think you could stick it next to 'sitting duck' in a dictionary if it ever lost the range advantage. Plus we never got the damn stealth system to work. The materials we were able to get our hands on at the time were either too flimsy or too heavy. After all, when it was built we didn't exactly have as many people working on it or the funding we had even three years later. It's one of the earliest designs."

Milly was poking her fingers together despondently, "We tried our best…" She was pouting heavily, "But unfortunately…that's pretty much the tale with all of these prototypes." She pointed to a dark red one three 'docks' over, "That one right there was our attempt at creating a transforming frame. We wanted to be able to fly with it."

"What failed on that one?" C.C. asked in curiosity.

"That one was one of our better projects actually. It's one of the more recent projects…I think two and a half years back. The transformation worked flawlessly…and it even flew pretty well. It maneuvered surprisingly well." Lelouch said, "I could even possibly claim it as a Generation Six. The problem was…" he started rubbing the back of his head ruefully, "It was flimsy like you couldn't believe. We tried to come up with some sort of system to counteract gravity, but we just couldn't make it work reliably. So we had to turn conventional, and fuel is horribly inefficient. Most of the energy is wasted, so we needed a whole lot of it. The weight of the fuel and the tank demanded a light frame, which meant that it couldn't take many hits at all. A stray shot in the wrong area would have had the tank leaking at best and exploding at worst. We just gave it up as a bad job."

Milly shrugged helplessly, "And that's kind of the story with most of our prototypes. Our ideas were great. Every single one was a test bed intended to give our frames some sort of edge over the Britannian frames. But they were either too ahead of the time or we lacked the resources to make them a reality. It didn't help that I'm a lousy pilot. Lelouch was the only one truly capable of testing most of the designs, and one person in safe simulations against static targets doesn't exactly give you the best data,"

"Damn straight." Kallen scoffed, "Still, I am impressed. You really were trying to innovate." She smiled, "You have a partner now Lelouch, so hopefully we'll be able to turn out a real prototype soon. You're right. Glasgow knockoffs aren't going to cut it." She started to snicker, "Too bad these won't either!" She started to laugh out loud as both Lelouch and Milly started poking at the ground with storm clouds over their heads.

C.C. had a smile grow on her face as she watched their antics. "No, they definitely won't." She said in amusement, "But that doesn't make them useless does it?" She looked at them as they jerked their heads to her in surprise, "All of these had a purpose in mind when you built them. Make them fill that purpose. Behemoth here was never meant to fight other Knightmare frames even at the beginning, so why was its lack of Knightmare-v-Knightmare capability what killed it?" She smirked at them as their eyes lit up and patted the now-christened Behemoth on the foot, "You two will be in the heart of enemy lines and all attention will be on you. It's the perfect situation for it to get a field test, isn't it? After all… it's always wise to have a backup plan… no?"

Shaking herself from the memory, she fired one last series of shots. After that, she disengaged and started lowering herself, her mission complete. She disappeared into the tunnels, "It's a good thing Lelouch is such a massive ham. If they hadn't been focusing all of their attention on him this damn thing really would have been blown up. Yesterday. I would never have been able to get set up." She mumbled to herself in amusement. Its purpose had been served, so it was time to lock it back up again. There was a reason this prototype had been rejected after all.

-]|[-

"I didn't think he could do it…"

"Yeah… who the hell is this guy?"

The Kōzuki cell were sitting with one another discussing the night's events. Tamaki was still sneering, "It's bull! How many times can a bluff like that work, anyway?"

Oghi sighed, "Even still…You gotta give the guy some credit…" He looked up at the night sky, "Nobody else could've pulled that off." He said with utter surety, surprising the hell out of Tamaki, "Not the Japanese Liberation Front… and certainly not me. We've always thought that a full-on war with Britannia wasn't a possibility at all. But maybe with him, it is." Kallen had to bite back a smile.

Deeper inside the building, Zero and Suzaku were facing off, "It looks like they treated you rather roughly. Now you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi…. Britannia is rotten. If you wish to change the world, then join me!"

"Did you…is it true you killed Prince Clovis?" Suzaku stood steadfast staring up at that mask.

Lelouch debated with himself, "Yes, I did." He said with finality. It wasn't that simple, but there was no reason to say otherwise right now. Those who deserved to know would know, "It is natural to kill an enemy commander on the battlefield. That is how war works."

Suzaku's expression hardened, "And the gas? There were civ-"

Lelouch immediately became angrier than he really should have been. He did not like where that statement was going. Especially from someone he considered a friend, though Suzaku had no way of knowing that, "Do you think me a butcher like your masters, Kururugi?" He asked acerbically.

Suzaku was instantly aware that he had probably made a mistake and he had to hold his ground, otherwise he would have taken a step back.

"Rest assured that the gas was nothing more than colored smoke. There was never any poison gas." Suzaku's eyes widened, shocked that this man knew that fact, "When I found that container it had already been opened. With how much gas could have fit inside of a container that well-built, it should have been enough to cover Shinjuku in a miasma of death and possibly even blow into the Settlement. The entire thing was a cover up for what your Prince wished to hide." Despite the mask's expressionless features, Suzaku knew he was being glared at, "And I do not appreciate being compared to a murderer like him."

Suzaku glared back, "What about those videos you showed! All that will do is incite more violence! You can't get anywhere like that! It's just going to get more innocent people killed!" He took a step forward, "Violence isn't going to do a thing! Japan lost! You have to change the empire from within!"

"Change the empire from with…" Zero seemed to freeze, before an incredulous laugh bubbled out of him, "I didn't think I was dealing with a child here!"

Suzaku turned away, "The ends are worthless if the means to get them are contemptible. I'm leaving. My court martial begins in an hour."

Zero watched him go with growing irritation, "The only reason you're getting a trial is because they want to find you guilty. That's how scapegoating works! The judge, the prosecution and defense… they're all there to kill you! No one is on your side!"

"And if I don't go, they'll start taking it out on other Honorary Britannians and the Elevens." It was at that moment that Lelouch knew his old friend was lost to his cause. If he was even referring to his own people by their number moniker in complete privacy, then he was part of the problem. "Besides, you've thrown a monkey wrench into the situation, haven't you?" he turned, "With what you did tonight, there's a good chance I'll be acquitted anyway. So for that, I thank you. As payment I won't take you to the authorities."

Zero stared at him for a moment, before he chuckled, "As if you could."

Suzaku's eye twitched and he turned away, "If we meet on the battlefield…I'll make you eat those words."

Zero shook his head in exasperation, "Fine then! Go if you feel you have to. I have no need for a poor, naïve fool like you! You think you can change Britannia from within? I'm just as likely to grow a pair of breasts. The only thing that's going to change is you, Kururugi. They'll work you to the bone without a word of praise. They'll put incompetents up for promotion ahead of you. They'll ridicule you and spit on you and your ideals. And if by some miracle you actually manage to get somewhere with your task, one day you'll wake up and find yourself just as corrupt as the rest of them. When that happens and you fall to your own despair, remember this moment!" Suzaku froze and clenched his fists, stiffly advancing into the dawn's light.

Lelouch sat heavily and let out a sigh. For a few moments, all was still before he heard one of the doors clang open, "Lelouch?" He turned and inclined his head toward Kallen, "Where is Kururugi?"

Lelouch let out a sad chuckle, "It appears we rescued a fool, Kallen." She blinked in shock, "I'm afraid mister Kururugi thinks it's possible to change the Empire from within. He's currently on his way to his court martial." Her jaw dropped and her eye started to twitch, He sighed, "I had hoped to have him on my side. We're old friends after all. But I have no need for idiots. It's a good thing that our primary purpose tonight was my debut, otherwise it would have been a complete waste."

She facepalmed, "Did he seriously…?" She stopped and let out a sound that was probably only audible to dogs.

He shook himself and stood, "Let's go home. We have work to do."

"Yes sir!" She rid herself of her resentment for Kururugi. If Lelouch wasn't bothered, then she wouldn't be either.

-]|[-

Subdued. Somber. Quiet. Those were perfectly acceptable words Lelouch could have used to describe his classmates. Most of them had bags under their eyes. Several were just listlessly staring at the ceiling while the teacher struggled to keep their attention. Ultimately it proved to be a futile task. No one looked proud to be a Britannian today. Or at least none of the students did. Last night's broadcast had been far too visceral. Finally, the teachers around the school gave it up as a bad job and had the principle declare classes cancelled until after the weekend. Several students just dove into club activities, eager to do anything to get the images out of their heads.

The Student Council did the same, meeting at the clubhouse, "I just can't believe it…" Rivalz had a dull look to him.

"I can't either…" Shirley replied lowly. Her face was still puffy from all of the crying she had done throughout the night, "How could Prince Clovis do that? He was always so kind!"

Lelouch sighed, "You want what you want to hear Shirley… or do you want the truth?" She stared at him with a look of surprise. Lelouch gave her a half-shrug, "The truth of the matter is, the face you see isn't always the face you get. Clovis clearly wasn't deserving of his position. Either he let the power go to his head and it changed him, or the face he always showed of the gentle and charismatic artist was just a facade."

Kallen had mixed feelings on the situation. At the same time that she was happy seeing her new friends actually thinking and being sympathetic to her people and disgusted with their rulers, it had been a very raw scene to expose regular schoolchildren to. "I was shocked too…" She said tiredly. She didn't have to fake that. It had been very late when she got home. Lelouch wasn't doing much better than her. He was even yawning at the moment.

Milly was watching the room with her Geass hidden behind her hand. She wasn't very surprised to see Shirley and Rivalz acting the way they were. Both wore their hearts on their sleeves most of the time, and Shirley was very emphatic just like her. No, what surprised her was Nina. Her emotions were like a hurricane inside of her. She had been confronted with the fact that the Japanese she was so afraid of were actual real people who were treated worse than dirt. Not only that… she had seen her faith in the royalty and nobility shattered just like the rest of them. Seeing a gentle person like Clovis order a massacre had thrown her into turmoil. She was terrified of the 'Elevens' but seeing them slaughtered like that was never something she wished for.

-]|[-

In another part of the world, another battle was waging, "Open fire!" The Arabian commander roared, "Do you wish to become another Area? Do you want to submit to these Britannian bastards and be slaughtered like cattle?! Like the Japanese were?!"

"HELL NO!"

"THEN ONWARD MEN! SLAUGHTER THESE MURDERERS!" The advancing Bamides all fired their massive cannons, wiping out the front line of the advancing armor. They had far greater range and power with their weapons. But their jubilation came to an end abruptly as much smaller Knightmares began speeding out of the smoke, avoiding the fire with laughable ease, "Gloucesters?!" The commander roared, "But they were supposed to be in Serupham!"

"Shoddy oversized imitation Knightmares." One of the men leading the charge spat. He was an extremely tall, very bulky man with a square jaw and a diagonal scar running down his face. He had shorter light brown hair but up in a spiky manner. This was General Andreas Darlton of the Glaston Knights.

"They would've been wise to surrender from the start." His partner said plainly as he destroyed another of the oversized, incredibly immobile behemoths. This was Gilbert J.P Guilford, the personal knight of Princess Cornelia. He wore thin, stylish glasses and had his black hair done up in a ponytail with some of the bangs escaping over his forehead. He was wearing the same red uniform as the other Glaston Knights.

"Damn it all!" The Arabian commander roared before they were distracted with their base behind them exploding into a fiery pyre. "Cornelia! One unit did this?!" Those were his last words. The Knightmare they piloted had been doomed from the start. It had no chance against properly designed machines. The massive conflagrations that engulfed them practically vaporized them. Not even their bones could be collected.

"Another victory!" Andreas smiled sharply at the job well done.

"Yes…" The Princess' voice sounded listless which made their jubilation come crashing down in worry. The Princess had been absolutely furious at the deaths another of her siblings in Area Eleven, but the broadcast that had played of Kururugi's escort had turned her vindictiveness to sorrow. "Another Area formed…number 18 I believe." She sounded about as excited as the desert they were in was wet.

"My lady…" Andreas wasn't sure what to say to the strongest woman he had ever met.

"Princess… about our next course of action…" Guilford trailed of hesitantly.

She sighed, "My apologies my Knights… It appears my brother has left us a mess to clean up." She trailed off herself, not sure what to think anymore. She was no stranger to war and killing… and unfortunately she couldn't even claim to be a stranger to killing civilians. As someone who refused to negotiate with terrorists in the past… innocent blood was on her hands. But this? Remorselessly ordering the deaths of thousands to hide your own mistakes? Babies slaughtered in their dead mother's arms? People who couldn't possibly have known or – in the case of the youngest – remembered whatever the fuck it was that he had been hiding? And who the hell was this 'her?'

It was a disaster her brother had left her with. An emotional disaster… a PR nightmare… and a shot heard round the world all at once. These Arabians had been absolutely vicious after the broadcast. Fairly ineffective in actual battle, but vicious. A surprise attack had almost cost Andreas one of his sons. They had even lost some of the ground they had previously gained. The Arabians had even begun suicide bombing to try to force the Britannians out. Ultimately it had been futile, but they had forced Cornelia to stay far longer in this damn desert than she had actually planned or hoped for. By now Euphie would have already arrived alone… hopefully she hadn't had too much trouble without her there.

"Please don't apologize, my Lady. We live to serve and our place is with you." Another of the Glaston Knights spoke up, loyalty shining in his tone.

She barely heard him, hardly even acknowledging the man. She stared up at the bright blue sky which was unfortunately starting to be blotted out by smoke, 'What happened to you Clovis? What happened to that gentle and talented artist I watched grow up?'

-]|[-

And that's a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed it!

Some small things:

We saw one of the disregarded but not discarded prototypes Zero has built! It was pretty much as stated… guns on legs. More dakka! MORE! I envisioned it as a bulky behemoth that ended up being roughly the size of a regular Knightmare frame, but far too bulky and heavy to properly maneuver. Its Landspinners can barely propel it even at maximum thrust. It's a good thing Britannian buildings are built strong, otherwise poor C.C. never could have gotten up there. :p

The only thing it was good for was what it was used for; sniping out multiple targets at once. That is likely the last it'll be seen. Poor Behemoth. :(

Jeez, Zero can be a bit of a dick in this one can't he? Stomping all over poor Tamaki and then breaking the Purebloods. Please Zero, tell us how you really feel. And speaking of the purebloods, I wonder what'll happen to them? Things didn't quite turn out the same did they? There was no active hunting of one another this time around and they were all taken out by enemy fire. And Cornelia will be turning up slightly later as well! The seeds have been planted, and not just in her.

I'm really on a roll with this one. It's been a while since I've been able to get three consecutive chapters out for one series. I'm really enjoying myself and getting to re-watch the series at the same time. Win-win baby!

What do you guys think I should name the think-tank that Lelouch owns? Ultimately it'll be a multinational things headed by Rakshata of course. The front company I named Nova. I'm talking about the secret one.

I can't help but be a little bit displeased with some of the dialog in this one. I can't tell you WHY I'm unhappy with some of it… some of it just nagging me a bit. Still, altogether minor. Some of it may end up being revised at some point.

Primordial out!