The Black Emperor

by Primordial Vortex

Being forced to carry his innocent sister through a sea of bodies would have broken much older men. For Lelouch, it merely strengthened his resolve. But he was only human, and let his mission slip to one other. Confronted with the possibility of failure and staunch allies in his corner, he swallows his pride and actually prepares himself for his rebellion. AU, harem

4. Turn 04 - A Princess, a Cat and a Witch

Hey everyone! I've discovered something!

I fucking hate Suzaku's last name. HATE. Every time it pops up I have to stop and think of how many times I have to ururururuururu. It just isn't becoming automatic.

I have to ask, what is C.C.'s name in your own personal headcanon? I'm not really partial to any first name in particular yet – though Cecilia is nice – but I really like the thought of her last name being Constantine for some reason. I'm still not sure what first name I'm going to give her.

It had been my intention originally to just outright skip the whole cat hunt. After all, there's no way this Lelouch would be incapable of catching Arthur. But… I decided some fun was in order.

Anyway, does the 'official' timeline for Code Geass look a little off to anyone else? According to the timeline on the wiki, the entire Black Rebellion from when Clovis is assassinated to when Zero disappears lasted all of two months at best? That just seems…kinda strange to me. It doesn't help that there are very few events listed for R1 compared to R2. I'm most likely going to have to only refer to it very casually, if at all.

Also, does anyone know where I can find the entirety of Oz and O2 online?

I have a question for you guys. How do you think I should approach scenes that switch perspective multiple times the way Suzaku and Lelouch's speech in Shinjuku lined up in the anime? I use the '-]|[-' for scene breaks where entirely new scenes start, and use '…' for scenes that are connected but have cuts in them. Overusing '-]|[-' seems like a terrible idea. I even completely avoid flashback that are obnoxiously labelled flashbacks, so having '-]|[-' '-]|[-' '-]|[-' in some scenes seem like it should be out of the question. What do you guys think?

A lot of canon to trudge through in this one unfortunately. I hope I succeeded in keeping you lot entertained. I tried to make some different dialogs… did a few scenes differently… but it's a bit difficult in these kinds of 'for want of a nail' fics that have so many characters. There's bound to be events that just flat out don't get directly affected by the nail. But I maintain that you can't just dodge them either. That's just lazy writing.

One last thing before we get on with it; Are Gloucesters fifth or sixth gen? The wiki has them listed as fifth, but IMO that doesn't make any sense. The whole point of the sixth gen was that not a whole hell of a lot happened in terms of improvements to Knightmare tech. The Gloucesters are clearly more advanced than the Sutherlands despite technically being remodeled versions of them, so it fits for them to be sixth doesn't it?

-]|[-

Turn 04 – A Princess, a Cat and a Witch

-]|[-

"Case No.107 against Private Suzaku Kururugi, Area 11 Military Forces. In the murder of His Highness Prince Clovis you are no longer a suspect, and are hereby set free due to lack of evidence."

Suzaku couldn't help but deadpan. Lack of evidence. Of course there was no evidence. He hadn't bloody done it. "What happened to the mountains of evidence Margrave Jeremiah had?" He heard his own voice mumble before he could stop himself, and had to hold back a cringe when he realized what he'd done.

The judge happened to hear him and the man let out a heavy snort, "Everyone knew it was a load of crock, kid. But if you'd prefer it I can have you back in your jail cell."

Suzaku just bowed with his face flaming, thanked the man and walked out with a duffel over his shoulder. "I can't believe it." He murmured, "Guess I really have to thank that damn Zero."

"Out of the way please!" He heard a cute, feminine voice yell out from above him. He whirled around and his eyes bugged out at the pink-haired lady falling from the sky. He idly noticed a makeshift rope made out of curtains hanging out of a window above the girl as he braced himself to catch her, "Oh!" She made a soft squeak as he caught her.

"Are you alright?" Suzaku had to hold back a blush as he eyed her. She was gorgeous with blueish violet eyes and her pink hair hanging long and loose except for two buns on the sides of her head. She wore a simple orange dress with a green vest.

She didn't bother answering the question and instead began to apologize profusely, "I'm very sorry! I didn't think there was anyone below me before I jumped!"

"Uh, that's okay." Suzaku said awkwardly, "I wasn't exactly expecting anyone above me as I walked out either."

"Oh my…" She recognized him of course. How could she not?

"Is there something wrong?" Suzaku blinked.

She looked down, before turning a bright smile at him that set his heart thumping, "Yes, something's wrong!" Her tone turned a little urgent, "The truth is…I have some bad guys chasing me. Can you help me please?"

…

"Thanks for helping me out there!" The girl told Suzaku brightly, "But we haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we? My name is Euphie!"

Suzaku had put on a pair of sunglasses. He wasn't exactly sure how they helped in concealing identities, but seeing as how they hadn't failed yet… "Euphie huh? My name is…"

"No, no, you're a celebrity." She grinned, "Son of Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi; Private Suzaku Kururugi."

He harrumphed in amusement, "You lied before. There's no one chasing you at all, right?" he didn't notice at all that the girl had already left to go chase a cat. She was on her knees before the poor kitty, who had an injured paw.

"Meow!" She appeared to be trying to talk to the cat, which amused the hell out of him even though it was getting her weird looks from elsewhere. "Meow, meow! Aww, does the kitty's paw hurt?" The cat hissed at her. "Oh, meow, meow, meow!" She offered a finger to the poor thing, and it began rubbing itself on her. She smiled and picked it up, proudly presenting it to Suzaku. He smiled and went to pet the cat himself…and it bit him, "Oh my!" Euphie blinked at his grunt of pain, "Cats don't like you huh, Suzaku?"

"I like em fine…" Suzaku winced as he attempted to pry the cat off his finger, "But the feeling isn't mutual."

…

For Suzaku, the next hour or so was the most fun he'd had in a very long time. He took Euphie around the Settlement, going to store after store. He couldn't help but start to like the kind, gentle girl. She kept making poses while window shopping at stores, which made him laugh. Her puffed-up, flustered face was quite cute. He learned that she had been a student in the homeland just a few weeks back and that she was on the last day of her holiday. He felt quite smitten with her, and honored that she would spend the day with him.

Unfortunately, he could tell almost immediately that she didn't feel quite the same. Whenever she thought he wasn't looking – which was quite often because of the sunglasses – she would start looking down and sad… maybe even despondent. She tried to make it look like she was having fun, but he could tell that something was deeply bothering her. Finally, he decided to say something about, "Euphie, are you alright?" She blinked and turned a questioning gaze to him, "I can tell that something is bothering you a lot. You've looked really sad when you thought I wasn't paying attention."

She sighed and turned her head to the ground. Suzaku frowned at that, thinking that was an emotion this young girl really shouldn't be feeling. Finally, she turned back to him, "I'm sorry Suzaku…" She said sadly, "I've been trying to enjoy myself…but I just can't get it out of my mind." She turned to him and all of a sudden, Suzaku started getting the feeling that he stood before a General. His spine stiffened as even her voice became authoritative, "Suzaku Kururugi… please take me to Shinjuku."

"What?!" Suzaku bit back a gasp as his eyes widened behind his 'disguise.'

"I have to see it." She turned away, "With my own eyes…" The last was a whisper.

-]|[-

"What are you doing?" Kallen asked Lelouch as she walked up behind him. C.C. and Milly were both to the sides having their own conversation.

He sighed, "I hate to do so but I really need to learn more about my Geass."

Kallen's eyes widened as she looked below and saw what Lelouch was staring at. Or rather, who. A girl whose name she did not know was standing before a wall and making a little scratch on it, "What did you do to her?" Her voice was a little accusing.

"My Geass seems to be the most powerful outright out of our three, but it also has quite a few more limits." He frowned, "I asked her to mark that wall once per day while she is a student here. Of course, I told her not to do so if she was sick or otherwise occupied, but if she has a free schedule, she'll come down and do so." Kallen looked and saw that there were at least two weeks of marks made on the wall.

"Well, at least you made conditions for where she wouldn't have to." Kallen said and glared at him, "If you hadn't I would have beat your ass bloody, accomplices or not." She growled, "Can you imagine what that poor girl would have done if she… say… had to go back to the homeland and that Geass activated?" Lelouch's widened eyes showed that he had not, in fact, considered that, "Idiot! You have to be more careful with that thing!"

"You're right." Lelouch let out a hiss of frustration, "Thank you Kallen. I've been making more than a few commands conditional and I'm glad I thought to do so here. I hadn't even considered that."

"Good to see you two are getting along!" Milly popped up between them brightly, which made Kallen jump slightly.

Kallen scoffed, "Don't get any funny ideas Milly!" She joined Lelouch in leaning over the rail, "Anyway, what else have you learned about it?"

Lelouch turned back and resumed watching the girl walk away, "To use my Geass, I need to have direct eye contact with the subject. Transparent objects like eyeglasses present no problem, but reflective ones like sunglasses do. The effective range is approximately 270 meters, and the subject appears to have no memory of events before, during or after the power is used. I think this is due to damage caused by the Geass interfering with the brain of the subject. Also… seeing as how the signal is optical I can reflect it." He grunted, "And of course, it appears as if I can only use it once per person."

"You've learned quite a bit about it. I'm impressed." C.C. walked over and joined the three, "Though you'll excuse me if I'm a little dumbfounded that you got the exact range it'll function for." She let out a little giggle, "Or do you plan on putting a little range-finder on that helmet of yours, boya?" The three girls began giggling at his expense.

"Laugh it up." Lelouch grumbled, "Just you wait… I'll make you do some stupid dance in front of the school."

"It won't work on me, remember?" C.C. sing-songed.

Lelouch turned the devil's own grin on her, "Who said anything about my Geass? It's been three weeks Witchie." She stiffened at that dark grin, "I know how you tick now. I'll have you enrolled in the school and give Milly free reign on you."

"That's the best you can come up with?" She snorted, "I don't exactly have any reason to follow through on it do I?"

"Don't you?" Lelouch held up a finger, and her eyes bulged out. Spinning on the tip of his finger was a little rectangle she swore she had in her bra.

"Nooo…." She mewled, pawing for it.

"Can't exactly order all the pizza you want without my card, can you?" Kallen and Milly burst into laughter.

"Traitors!" C.C. mumbled, which just made them laugh harder, "How did you even get that? It was in my bra!"

"Nin~ja!" He turned her sing-songing against her, "Very nice pair by the way." He grinned perversely.

Kallen turned to Milly, "Isn't he your boyfriend?" She looked bewildered, "Aren't you going to… you know… at least yell at him for that?"

Milly frowned, "Wait a minute! That's right! How dare you Lelouch!" She then made Kallen facepalm as she turned to C.C. and groped her, "You didn't let me watch! Hmm…I'd say these are more than just 'very nice' Lelouch."

Lelouch started to chuckle, "Don't want to feed her ego too much, do we?"

"Perverts!" Kallen groaned piteously as C.C. glared and started groping Milly back, "I'm surrounded by perverts!" She slumped to the floor.

-]|[-

"Shinjuku Ghetto…" Suzaku sighed, "Ruined once more. The people were just starting to return to it too…" He trailed off sadly. All around them were signs of the devastation wrought on the Japanese. What had once been a bustling city was now just a ruined reminder of what Britannia had done. Buildings were toppled over. Roads were full of holes, both from Knightmare rounds as well as bombs. But most damning were all the bloodstains Euphie could see. She could tell exactly where the bodies had lain as they walked through the city. The place was just a desolate hellscape, with the pristine Britannian city standing almost mockingly off to the side. "The Shinjuku Ghetto is finished…"

"I hadn't wanted to believe it…" She whispered, "Prince Clovis… he ordered all of this." Tears began leaking silently from her eyes. She saw posters and hand-drawn messages in what had to be Japanese on the walls of several buildings. Several candle burned, placed by parties unknown. She had brought one as well, and she placed it on the windowsill of one of the buildings that curiously had no wishes. She let out a strangled gasp when she looked inside and realized that it had been missed in the cleanup. The bodies were still there… including a child and what could only have been his grandparents. Dark, dried blood was splattered all around the room. She stumbled back and then emptied her stomach of the lunch Suzaku had bought. She started to sob outright, "WHY!" She screamed, "Why would he do this!" Suzaku put an arm on her shoulder and dragged her away. She didn't need to see this. Euphie continued sniffling and trembling slightly as they walked, until they came upon Shinjuku's ruined park. There were gifts placed everywhere near wooden stakes that could only have been tombstones. Stapled to them were pictures, probably of the ones who had died.

Their attention was attracted by two voices, "Man…how could Prince Clovis do this?" It was two Britannian students who hand somber looks on their faces. One of them had a camera and was taking pictures of the area.

Neither of them looked particularly happy, "They didn't deserve this…" The other said in the same tone as his friend. "Those look like hummer rounds…" He pointed, "They even used heavy machine guns?" The one with the camera made sure he got a shot of it.

-]|[-

"This info about Zero! Is this accurate?" Jeremiah yelled in excitement. He hadn't been able to do a damn thing about Zero during their first meeting, but this was a different story. Zero didn't have scores of Britannians held hostage this time nor was he wearing a damn dead man's switch. He would wipe this stain from his record and present that masked bastard's head to Princess Cornelia when she arrived.

"Yes, sir. Lord Kewell contacted me!" The Pureblood feeding Jeremiah the information said. This was a necessary sacrifice for the continuation of their order. Jeremiah had been their leader during that debacle so now he would serve the same purpose he had meant for Kururugi. As long as he lived, they would be called into question for allowing Zero to escape. They weren't entirely sure what 'Orange' was either, but it couldn't have been good if it was only after they learned of it that Jeremiah had made the decision to let them go.

"Right. Set up a cordon around Shinjuku Ghetto Sector 4 at once!" Jeremiah told them, and sent his Sutherland speeding through the streets.

"Cordon Sector 4. Roger!" The member said and clicked the mic off, "Okay, ball's in your court now, Lord Kewell." He turned to smirk at his partner. With Jeremiah gone and taking all of the blame, there was a possibility that they could earn their stripes once more.

Only both gasped as a sharp blade swung between them, "I wished for you to connect me to Lord Jeremiah, but I can see you're a little busy." Villetta glared coldly at the two members. She too had been suspicious of Jeremiah, but she had found it more than a little strange that he had experienced memory loss in the same manner that many of those from Shinjuku had. She was no traitor and she wouldn't be selling him out like this. If he was complicit the way she feared then she would execute him herself, but she wouldn't allow him to be backstabbed by cowards either.

-]|[-

"You damn Britannian bastards!" The sound of yelling near where they had heard those two boys from earlier caught Euphie and Suzaku's attention. They whirled around and watched as a tall redhead slapped the boy's camera right out of his hand, the sound of plastic clattering to the floor echoing in their ears, "Are you here to mock our suffering some more huh?!"

"Tamaki no!" One of the other Japanese with him yelled, trying to drag the man away.

One of the students had his hands up, "We don't want any trouble man." He had a sad look on his face, "We don't like this either! We just wanted to document it. That's all." He looked away, "They shouldn't be able to hide this…"

Tamaki seemed to have been caught by surprise, before his face contorted in rage, "Yeah right! You damn Britannian pigs are all the same! I bet you were crowing about this before that broadcast and now you're pretending to feel sorry for us!" He seized one of the terrified students by the lapels.

"Please stop!" Suzaku ran up the hill towards them, "No more violence!"

"Stay out of this!" Tamaki swung a backhand at the brown-haired man and knocked the glasses off his face.

Several of them gasped, "You're Suzaku Kururugi! You killed Clovis!"

"That was Zero you idiot!" Another shot back.

Tamaki spat on the ground, "Tsk. This guy is nothing more than a slave. Big deal. You're an Honorary Britannian. You think anybody cares? You happily sold your pride, your people and your own soul! You think you can call yourself Japanese!?"

"You're wrong!" Suzaku took a step forward that could have been construed as aggressive, and Tamaki took the unintended bait.

"I'm not wrong you Britannian lapdog!" he roared as he charged forward and threw a punch. Suzaku reacted immediately and grabbed his outstretched arm and flung the man to the ground in a devastating toss. "GAH!" Tamaki let out a gasp as all the air was forced from his lungs.

"Stop this right now! I'm a trained soldier! Don't make me fight my own people!" Suzaku stood tall.

Tamaki scrambled to his feet and spat again, "Like hell you're our people!"

But one of the Japanese men strode forward and grabbed Tamaki, "Baka! Stop it! This isn't worth it!" He started dragging the redhead away as he screamed obscenities at Suzaku.

The other Japanese man turned and looked at the students, who weren't looking nearly as sad or charitable anymore. He sighed and swallowed his pride, bowing to them, "I'm very sorry about him. That damn idiot's temper is going to get him killed one of these days. It really does mean a lot to us to see some Britannians paying their respects." With his piece said, he walked away.

One of the students – the one kneeling on the floor – growled, "At least the film was okay."

"I can't believe I ever felt bad. Those assholes deserved it! That asshole… my camera man…" He spat furiously as he checked the fragile camera out to see if it was still functional, "Wish he had gotten killed instead."

Euphemia had wandered up and her face twisted in anger, "I do not want to hear talk like that!" She marched to the two boys who flinched, "Too many have already died!" She deflated as the boys began to quail at her fury and shook her head. She shoved a small roll of bills into his hand, "Here. Get your camera repaired." She smiled tiredly at them, "Thank you for caring. I know that guy ruined things, but I guess every bunch has a couple bad apples huh?"

The student looked ashamed, "I… yeah." He closed his eyes, "Thank you miss." He and his friend walked away.

"Suzaku…" Euphie handed him back his bag.

"Is it bad to be weak?" Suzaku asked, "Back then when I was ten, the world seemed like such a terribly sad place. A world without any hope at all. Starvation…disease… racism. Constant war and terrorism… the never-ending cycle of hate… The cycle must be broken. Somebody has to do it." He couldn't possibly know that the same conversation was happening elsewhere between four conspirators. "Of course, it's doubtful if the one who does it will make all the bad things go away… but at the very least… a world without war. We can reach that dream at least. No one should have to lose more of the people they love."

"And how would you go about it?" Euphie asked curiously.

"I don't know how to do it. But if I stop trying, then my father's death will have been in vain." Suzaku said quietly, "My own father died, because he had to sacrifice his life in that war."

They both gasped and whirled around as an explosion rang in the distance. They watched as black smoke started to rise into the sky, "No!" She yelled, "Why won't they give these people peace!"

In the distance, Jeremiah was surrounded by four other Sutherlands, "Jeremiah!" Kewell said through his speakers, "As long as you live, we Purebloods will be marginalized at best. Letting Zero – Prince Clovis' murderer – go free has put a black mark next to all of our names. We'll have to wipe away our disgrace before Princess Cornelia takes up her post here!"

"Kewell! You dirty coward. That sighting of Zero was a lie, wasn't it?" Jeremiah spat furiously.

Kewell had a determined look on his face, "Sorry old friend, but this is just business. For our continued survival and prominence, you have to die! I don't know what Orange was but it was only after he revealed that part that you released Kururugi! Because of that, we have an easy call to make! We won't let the Purebloods be sunk!" He laughed then, "I really must thank you! If you hadn't made the decision to scapegoat that damn Eleven this all wouldn't have been possible! I'll take good care of the Pureblood Faction for you!" He and his cohorts charged.

-]|[-

"Suzaku!" The Lancelot's trailer skid to a stop near the two and Cecile opened the door.

"Miss Cecile!" Suzaku's eyes had widened. How in the world had they known where he was? Suddenly he felt mortified. How long had they been following him and Euphie?

"It's dangerous here. Get in!" Cecile told him as he and Euphie ran up to the trailer.

"Seems like the Purebloods are having a petty squabble." Lloyd said uncaringly, before his face went that standard Smug Lloyd look, "Too bad about your acquittal though! Looks like you're stuck working for me." He turned away to go back to his seat, but Suzaku's voice caught his attention.

"Please wait! This is a good situation to get battle data for the Lancelot isn't it?"

Cecile gasped and Lloyd smirked at the boy, "Oh ho…"

Suzaku turned, "Sorry Euphie. This will be goodbye for now. I need to do this. I think I can stop them with the Lancelot. I have to try. I... I must!"

-]|[-

"Damn you dirty cowards!" Jeremiah roared, "You think four against one is enough to stop me?!" He fired the grenade on his assault rifle at the ground before Kewell's Sutherland, pelting the machine with rocks and dirt. Kewell growled as he was forced to shield himself, but Jeremiah hadn't been idle. He had turned as the jousting lance passed where he had been standing and clotheslined the hapless and traitorous Pureblood. As the Sutherland fell, he equipped himself with its lance and backed out of the encirclement. Jeremiah grinned as his blood sang in his veins, "There's a reason I was our leader, Kewell. You never could beat me in a fair fight."

"We'll see about that, Orange!" Kewell and the three others charged. Jeremiah brought his Stun Tonfa to bear on his arm and met the lance straight on. He pushed his Sutherland's arm to the side and threw Kewell off balance, sending his lance into the knee of one of the other enemies. He managed to evade the retaliating thrust of the third Sutherland but the fourth had circled around and taken his back.

"Damn it all!" He cursed as warnings popped up over his screens. The screeching of metal told him what the screens said. One of the lances had taken one of his Landspinners from him, halving his mobility. Kewell had recovered and thrust again, this time catching him on the other leg as he deflected it once more.

"So I guess even the mighty Jeremiah Gottwald can be beaten! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" Kewell crowed victoriously as three of the four of them charged, looking to impale Jeremiah from every direction.

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! You're all Britannian soldiers!" A new voice rang through the air. Jeremiah's eyes widened as twin Slash Harkens pierced the ground and made the traitorous Purebloods disengage.

"Suzaku Kururugi?!" Jeremiah choked out, "The advanced weapon, Lancelot! Why the hell is that Honorary Britannian helping me?!" He yelled out as the Harkens crashed back into the white frame.

Kewell growled out, "What business do the Special Corps have here? Interlopers will die!"

"Not a chance!" Suzaku yelled calmly. He reached behind his machine and pulled out two white and gold swords, which flashed red at the middle before closing in. The whole blade turned red. "I can't ignore this meaningless battle!"

Kewell's pupils were trembling in their sockets, "No way… MVS! They've perfected them?!" Suzaku crossed his blades in front of him. Kewell grew serious even as sweat poured from his brow, "It doesn't matter! I won't retreat here!" He fired his Slash Harkens, and his fellows followed suit.

"We're all on the same side here!" Suzaku ground his teeth in irritation. Why couldn't they see that? He leapt and slashed right through Kewell's Slash Harkens, before beginning to cleave through the others. One of them was cleaved right down the middle and through the extremely strong cable which was built to survive the stresses and rigors of flinging anchors around. He was cutting through them so easily that it almost broke their resolve. This damn prototype was just too strong! Suzaku landed and sliced off the arms of one machine and then bent down into what was almost a three-point landing. His elbow rose and blocked the lance, showing that the Lancelot's armor was far more advanced than a standard Sutherland's armor. Suzaku then kicked the enemy's legs out from under him and spun to cut right through Kewell's lance and arm.

"We can still kill him at least!" One of them responded to Kewell's yell by trying to spear through Jeremiah, who blocked with his Stun Tonfa. "Damn it!" Kewell growled as a sixth Sutherland appeared, knocking the Pureblood right off of Jeremiah and revealing herself to be Villetta.

Euphie was panting as she ran through the corridors, trying to reach the battle and stop it. She finally ran into the light as Kewell ordered a retreat, "I'm using a Chaos Mine!"

"Stop it right now!" Euphie screamed just as the weapon of death was thrown into the air. She gasped in shock and recognition as it began to hover there.

"Euphie no!" Suzaku yelled as the eyes of the Purebloods all bulged out in shock at that face. All of them instantly recognized her. Suzaku brought Lancelot in front of her and activated the Blaze Luminous. The green shields blazed into existence and he layered them as best he could to try to protect the pink-haired angel he'd met.

The Mine started screaming and pelting the area with molten shrapnel. They all pinged off of the Blaze Luminous and went careening elsewhere. Suzaku's foot got scratched which was the first real damage the Lancelot had taken all day. The Purebloods on his side both crossed their arms and weapons over their cockpits for more protection, which was a prudent move as the slightly less powerful, but no less deadly shrapnel peppered their machines. Jeremiah's machine had its head and Factsphere damaged while Villetta's arms took the brunt of it. Finally, the Mine finished its dirty work and fell to the dirt, spent.

Euphie uncrossed her arms from where they had been positioned to protect her face with that same serious look that had sent a shiver down Suzaku's spine earlier. She marched forward, fury on her face, "Everyone! Lower your weapons!" When it seemed that no one was responding, she yelled, "NOW!" Instantly, weapons from all of the machines in that desiccated and destroyed stadium clattered to the floor, "In my name, I command you!"

"I-it can't be!" Kewell shuddered.

"I am Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Empire! I am taking command here! Fall back! NOW!"

"Yes, Your Highness! We are truly sorry!" The soldiers chanted as they all fell to one knee and assumed the Knight's pose.

Suzaku left the Lancelot, "Your Highness! I beg your apology! I had no idea who you were."

She turned to him, her eyes lidded sadly as the boy went from a cute friend to a subject. She had really hoped she would be able to keep her identity secret from him. She turned back with a sigh and yelled again, "All of you, disembark from your Knightmares at once!" The men and woman practically flew to the ground, before kneeling before her. Suzaku followed their lead and they all kneeled before her. "Explain yourselves immediately! What possessed you to act like such barbarians at the site of such tragedy!"

"Your Highness…" Kewell chewed the inside of his cheeks before he was interrupted by Jeremiah.

"Princess, I had been alerted by the Pureblood dispatchers that Zero had been sighted in the area!" The Blue-haired man said calmly, somewhat more used to dealing with royalty than the others. "I was unable to do anything during his first appearance because he wore a dead man's switch. He had every Britannian in that debacle held hostage and they didn't even know it. I was forced to let him get away lest every Britannian there die. I was determined to bring him in today, but it turned out that this was an ambush! They wished to do away with me in an attempt to wipe their slate with her Highness, Princess Cornelia. Suzaku Kururugi and Villetta Nu came to my aid!"

Euphie turned and glared at the five men, who could only tremble and stare at the ground, "Well? Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"Your Highness…" Kewell could only panic at the fury in her eyes. His voice failed him.

"All five of you are hereby demoted to the lowest rank our military possesses! I strip you of your Knighthood, effective immediately!" Euphie glared at them, and all five of them started looking like men who had already died. Their bodies just hadn't realized it yet. She turned to Jeremiah, Suzaku and Villetta, "Gottwald, Nu!" The two of them stiffened, "Get these men out of my sight! Send copters to pick up their former Knightmares. I can bring one of them back on my own."

"Yes, your Highness!" The two yelled. They entered the more undamaged Knightmares belonging to the traitors and each grabbed two of the men.

Now, Suzaku and Euphie were alone once more. Her eyes were still lidded as she stared at him. "Suzaku, you and I bear a similar deep pain. You have lost your father as I have lost Clovis."

Suzaku forced back a sharp inhale, "Yes Your Highness… Zero took him from-"

"That is not what I was saying!" Euphie said sharply, "I will never be able to remember the memories I held of Clovis with anything but pain for the rest of my days. All of them are now stained by the blood of all the innocent people he ordered slaughtered. I'll never know if I ever knew him at all or if it was all a façade from the start." Suzaku looked at her, completely stupefied as her eyes filled with tears of pain, "I don't know how that kind and gentle man became a barbarous murderer but I will not call him my brother any longer! I can't…" She whispered brokenly, revealing that her conviction wasn't as strong as she wished it to be.

"Princess…" Suzaku breathed, unable to believe this was the same young lady he had spent the day with.

"Suzaku… will you help me?" She held back her tears valiantly, not letting a single one fall, "I too believe that no one should have to lose a loved one on a battlefield any longer. Will you help me make that dream a reality?"

"Yes! I am unworthy of your kindness!" Suzaku bowed his head, exasperating Euphie. She didn't want a subject damn it! She had enough of those!

-]|[-

"So, how's the work going?" Kallen asked Lelouch. They were down in the labs and she was staring at the new model they were working on. Milly had been called away by her grandfather for some unknown reason, so it was just her, Lelouch, and C.C. right now.

"It's going swimmingly." Lelouch had a dark grin on his face. "Making sure to get working parts off that white monster to tinker with was one of the best decisions I ever made. It is beyond innovative. Its creator – one Lloyd Asplund if I recall correctly – must be an utter genius."

"What made it so powerful?" C.C. asked, remembering how it was able to wipe the floor with Sutherlands even after it was missing an arm and a leg.

"Every Knightmare Frame before it has used Sakuradite in only the Yggdrasil Drive and in the Energy Filler." Lelouch explained, "But Sakuradite is a powerful superconductor. This White frame – this Lancelot as it was called in the iteration of its production I was able to get from Clovis – uses a much larger Core Luminous than normal, allowing it to conduct more power. But that's not all. It also has Sakuradite scattered all throughout the frame itself in strategic locations. That's what gave it such incredible response times and speed."

"Wow, something that simple gave it that much of an edge?" Kallen sounded amazed.

Lelouch began to chuckle, "It's more complicated than that. It was actually so powerful that even the above average Knights could barely get it over 40% sync. Apparently Earl Asplund blew all of the budget only on the machine and all of the experimental technology he stuffed into it. The damn thing doesn't even have an ejection seat!"

"Is he mad?!" Kallen blurted out in shock, "How the hell could he justify that? If whoever he found to pilot it died he'd be screwed twice over! He'd have to rebuild the damn thing and then find a new devicer on top of it!"

Lelouch chuckled again and shrugged his shoulders, "I never said he wasn't insane, just that he was a genius. Needless to say, we won't be doing that."

Kallen smirked, "Alright, so we've gotten good data. How close are we to a working prototype?"

Lelouch sighed, "Somewhat. I hate to say it, but not even my best scientists are half as good as this Asplund guy. They're working hard but some of the data is obsolete compared to the real deal. They don't want to tinker too hard – especially on that Blaze Luminous – and risk destroying it before we're able to have a second one working. It doesn't help that we need a mass production unit just as much as we need an extreme prototype. But thankfully there's actually some good news." His sigh turned into that vicious grin that Kallen idly realized sent shivers down her spine, "Not only was there some decently up-to-date information on a still-incomplete weapon called the VARIS Rifle in the data, but I was contacted by Kyoto. We're getting our very own Seventh Generation suit from them sometime soon and this VARIS seems like it'll be insanely powerful when it's completed." Kallen gasped and her face lit up with a blinding grin. "And if it's coming to us, then its creator no doubt will come too." He held up a data pad showing off an Indian woman with blonde hair and tan skin. She had a purple bindi on her forehead and had only one button of her top done up, exposing the large amount of cleavage it was barely holding back, "Rakshata Chawla. One of the most brilliant scientists in the world. She has degrees in everything from cybernetics and robotics to medicine and textiles. When she arrives, our development pace will skyrocket."

"Isn't Kyoto also sending us their mass produced unit too?" C.C. asked, idly flicking through her data pad.

Lelouch snorted, "I'd have already told them not to bother if it wasn't for the worry that they would keep the Guren too. They're just shoddy reimagined Glasgows with improved arms capable of blocking. Hopefully we'll never have to use them. I plan on ripping them apart for materials when they arrive."

"I'm just surprised we're getting this much time to prepare." Kallen said with a cute look of befuddlement on her face. She was honestly a little confused. They didn't even have a new Viceroy yet.

Lelouch smirked, "It turns out that my decision to broadcast Clovis' deeds was more of a masterstroke than I had thought it possibly could be. Several Areas started to fight against their regimes and the Middle Eastern Federation is currently giving the Empire hell. It was as if the broadcast gave them a booster shot. They're still going to fall, but it's taking far longer than it should have. Princess Cornelia is probably going to be our new Viceroy if I know that bastard half as well as I think I do and she's currently locked up forming Area Eighteen."

"Why are you so sure about that?" C.C. inserted herself into the conversation once more, "You have other siblings, don't you?"

Lelouch snorted, "Hundreds of them with at least a hundred stepmoms. I could probably count the number of them that I know the names of on my fingers."

Kallen looked incredibly amused as C.C. smirked, "Yes, Charles is randier than a jackrabbit isn't he?" Lelouch made a face which Kallen copied, "But that doesn't really answer my question."

"Schneizel would be an option, but he's the Prime Minister. He can't afford to be locked to the Viceroy position here. Odysseus may be the Crown Prince but he's a kind man. Too kind for the situation. Carine would be an option, but that bloodthirsty brat is the last person he wants sent to this hotbed the way things are now. Especially after the broadcast revealing what Clovis ordered. Guinevere… she'd be more likely than Carine, but that's not saying much." Lelouch sighed, "That leaves Nelia and Euphie, which complicates things." He saw their eyes widen in surprise at the pet names, "They were the only two of my non-direct siblings that I actually cared for."

Kallen let of a hiss of air, "Are you going to be able to fight against them?"

"Yes." He said with certainty. "Regardless of my feelings for them, I will fight them, if for no other reason than to test our capabilities against theirs. Nelia isn't like Clovis. She's an actual general and one of the most successful ones in history. I'm eager to pit our forces against her." He smirked.

"I see." Kallen grinned fiercely, "Hopefully it won't be too much longer on our machines then. I'm also eager to fight this Goddess of Victory!"

Lelouch smiled, "You'll get your shot Kallen. Don't you worry about that." He sighed then, "Nelia was always a military woman but she only became a Blood Knight after mine and Nunnally's 'deaths.' If I were to speak truthfully… I hope to bring them to our side at some point."

Kallen bit her cheeks, "Are you crazy?" She yelled, "Cornelia is loyal to Britannia! Why would you waste your time on that!"

Lelouch snorted, "Please… Nelia is loyal to Britannia only because she's loyal to her family. And possibly because if she wasn't, the bastard would hurt Euphie to get to her. She never cared about any of them the way she cared for me and Nunnally, and she cared for us about as much as a rock on the road compared to how much she adores Euphie." He smirked, "And I know Euphie. She'll not be happy with the revelations about Clovis and the things he's done. If I had to describe her… it would be a technical pacifist. She hates fighting and war, but she's spent too much time by her sister's side not to know how the world works at times. I wouldn't be truly surprised if she wasn't better than most of our cell at Knightmare piloting… even if she would hate every minute of it. There's no way Nelia would allow her to be helpless. If I can get her to our side – and she loved us as much as we loved her – it is that much more likely that Nelia would follow."

"You're playing a dangerous game Lelouch." Kallen hissed.

"I know." He replied tiredly, "Especially if she has too much time to allow her rage at our deaths to affect her once she arrives here in Japan. I'll have to hope Euphie can curb her. They adore each other after all." His gaze turned dark as he turned to the redhead, "But don't mistake my compassion for foolishness Kallen. I won't put us or our revolution at risk. If they don't join us… then they're enemies." He tapped underneath his left eye, and Kallen got the message.

"Just as long as I can hold you to that." She said with an exasperated smile, "Now why don't we-"

SLAM

They jumped and turned around, eyes widening as they gazed upon the rare sight of Milly Ashford looking absolutely fire-spitting furious. "Oh hell." Lelouch groaned, "I know that face." Milly ignored them and grabbed a glass from the table. She whirled around and threw it so hard that it practically exploded on the wall. Lelouch surged into action and wrapped his arms around Milly, pinning her arms with his. "Shhh…" He cooed in her ear, "Calm down love."

"Let me go!" She tried to kick out, which Lelouch stopped casually. "I just want to break things right now!"

"Holy shit!" Kallen watched with wide eyes, "I've never seen her like this!"

"I didn't think she could get like this." C.C. looked like she wanted to hide behind Kallen, which was hilarious as she was the immortal one there. "She's always been unflappable."

"I have." Lelouch deadpanned, "What did the whore do this time?" He asked in dark exasperation. Kallen and C.C. looked at each other and blinked. They both shrugged in equal amounts of confusion. Finally, Milly stopped struggling and burst into tears, whirling around in his arms and burrowing her sorrow into his neck.

"Oh hell, Milly what's wrong?" Kallen couldn't help it. She went and wrapped her arms around her friend and her boyfriend, trying to soothe the girl at least somewhat. C.C. looked vaguely uncomfortable, before a pointed glance from Lelouch had her doing the same.

Milly just shook her head and sniffled in their collective arms. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down enough to turn and return the hugs from the other two girls, "Thanks girls…" She sniffed again and wiped her tears.

"No problem." Kallen said unsurely, "But what the hell brought this on?"

"Her mother." Lelouch said, and both of the girls stiffened at his tone. They had gotten to know him much better the past few weeks. Lelouch didn't get angry often, and when he did it was usually obvious. But according to Milly, it was when he went cold that he was at his absolute most furious. And now hearing the utter wrath in his tone made them believe her.

Milly sighed, "My family is formerly of the nobility, as you well know. When Lelouch's mother was killed, the rest of the court jumped on us like a hoard of jackals trying to tear our legacy apart for supporting the ones they considered to be the 'Dirty' Empress." She led them to the tables and they took seats, "My grandfather was forced to abdicate his position as Head of the family, and it was his son that took over." She hesitated, so Lelouch took over.

"Which was the only thing that could not have happened." His tone was still dark, "Aldwin Ashford is a coward of a man who is easily browbeaten. He's afraid of his own damn shadow. So when Delores Selby decided she wanted to move up in the world of nobility, she grabbed Aldwin by the balls, said they were getting married, and that was the end of it." Both of the other two had their jaws open and Kallen's right eye was twitching, "When the Ashfords lost their noble titles, Milly was too young to be made the Head. Ruben was forced to give it to his son, which in actuality meant that Delores was made the Head."

"My mother did not take kindly to losing her noble status." Milly growled, "For the past seven and a half years, she's done everything in her power to raise our name up again. She's whored herself out in an attempt to get pregnant with some other noble's child. She tried to get other nobles into debt with her. She called in old favors… everything. And nothing worked. She's gotten increasingly rabid about it. To her, Nobility is the only thing that matters." She spat, "And three years ago, she suddenly remembered that I had breasts and started trying to involve me. She kept egging me on to try to force Lelouch to reveal himself. She knew I was smitten with him and was completely delusional with the thought that I could show a little leg and Lelouch would be eating out of the palm of my hand. She proved that she neither knew nor cared about him at all, and proved the same for me." Her hand clenched into a fist that trembled on the table. Kallen reached over and took Milly's hand in a show of support.

"Indeed." Still that cold tone, "So a year ago when it became clear that she wasn't getting what she wanted, she tried to arrange a marriage for Milly with a fat pig of a noble."

Kallen slammed her hands on the table and rose up in outrage. "WHAT?!" The glasses on the table jumped and crashed onto their sides.

Milly sneered viciously, "Sayoko made him reconsider." There was a dark tone of victory to her voice.

Kallen sat heavily, "How could such a sweet girl like you come from such a bitch?"

Milly smiled brightly at that, "All my grandfather and none of the whore and my sperm donor." Kallen and C.C. snorted.

"Anyway… the whore didn't try anything after the third attempt at arranging a marriage ended in the nobles in question suffering unfortunate accidents or suddenly cancelling for unexplained reasons." He had a pleased smirk which was mirrored by the three girls, "We thought she had given up on using Milly." He turned to his blonde lover, "So, what pig do I have to stick this time?"

Milly let out a heavy huff, "Unfortunately, it won't be that simple this time." She jerked her head to the side, where there were windows showing the Knightmare bays, "Earl Asplund."

"Damn." Kallen cursed.

"He'd be under heavy guard." C.C. murmured, "With the success of the Lancelot…he's currently their golden goose."

Lelouch chuckled, "No, you girls aren't thinking correctly. This is actually perfect." They snapped their eyes to him as he turned to a slightly-betrayed looking Milly, "Asplund isn't the problem here… they are. We don't have to touch him." She put his hand on his cheek, which immediately drew their attention to his left eye, "I want you to get your donors here." He had a dark grin splitting his face, "I don't care what lies you have to make up to do it. Say you're close to working me down. Say that Nunnally misses the homeland. Say I'd only agree to do it if I could have the two of you at the same time." He paused, and all four of them turned green, "Okay, maybe not that far. But it doesn't matter. Get them here and we'll be rid of them forever." The lightbulb went on inside their heads as his own eye started glowing a demonic red, "I am going to enjoy this."

-]|[-

Lelouch's eyes widened, before the right one started to twitch, 'What in the hell is he doing here?'

"I'll be joining the student body here at Ashford Academy beginning today. My name is Suzaku Kururugi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Suzaku gave a little bow at the front of the class.

The class clearly wasn't paying attention to the teacher and instead had their attentions solely on Suzaku during the lecture. The teacher didn't really care. He would be paid regardless of whether the young fools in his class realized that they could gossip some other time. So when the bell rang, he packed up and left the room without a care. The whispering started immediately, "What's an Eleven doing here?"

"He was a suspect in Prince Clovis' murder!" Another whispered heatedly.

Kallen had her sickly persona on, but she still spoke up, "But the teacher says the charges were dropped."

"He was suspicious enough to arrest wasn't he?"

"You don't really think he is a terrorist, do you?"

"Of course he isn't. The school board would know something like that." None of the students really cared about whether Suzaku could hear them nor how their words could affect him. They were wary of him even after the broadcast. They felt bad of course, but they were wary nonetheless.

Nina was fidgeting, "An Eleven…" This was her first time being near one since the broadcast… though to be fair, it had been a long time since the previous time too.

"He is an Honorary Britannian." Rivalz corrected.

"Still the same." She mumbled. Seeing the atrocities had deeply saddened her because she had seen that the Elevens were also human. But her fear was still there. It was poison in her mind… because of her memories.

Shirley had always been all heart. "We shouldn't be afraid of him. I think I'll go say hello and see what he's like." She smiled brightly and started to walk towards Suzaku, but Rivalz grabbed her wrist.

"The guy just got here. Let's not be too hasty now." Rivalz shook his head in what he hoped was a convincing manner.

The three friends and Kallen all looked at Lelouch in surprise as he got up. He had finished packing his bag but had just left it on the table, and made a beeline towards Suzaku. Suzaku's eyes widened at the fact that his old friend was approaching him. He'd honestly had no intention of speaking to Lelouch in this school when he'd noticed him sitting in the middle. The risk was too high that he'd be discovered. He entirely missed Lelouch's knuckles straining as he made a fist.

WHAM!

The whole class started to squeak in shock as Lelouch smashed his fist square into Suzaku's face, knocking the boy right off his seat. "LULU!" Shirley screamed in scandalized horror. His three friends were gaping with their mouths covered. The rest of the class instantly raised their voices and started to gossip. Kallen was staring at Lelouch in dumbfounded shock.

"What was that for?" Suzaku blurted out as he sat up, wincing as his face screamed. "That hurt! Wait…that hurt?" Lelouch had hit him hard enough to cause pain? Did he walk into some sort of bizarro world?

"I do believe I owed you that one!" Lelouch glared at the brown-haired boy. Instantly the gossip silenced. Did these two know each other?

Suzaku winced as he remembered the penultimate time they had seen each other.

"I have to go!" The boy said, looking at the small hand clenched weakly around his wrist.

"We need you here Suzaku! What about Nunnally?!" Lelouch looked desperate.

"I'm sorry Lelouch!" Suzaku tore his wrist out of Lelouch's grip, "My father is saying that he's going to fight to the last man! He's going to get our entire country destroyed! I have to talk some sense into him! I can make him change his mind! I know I can! He has to see reason!" He took off and started to run.

"SUZAKU!" Lelouch yelled hoarsely at his much-stronger friend's back.

"I'm sorry Lelouch! Tell Nunnally sorry for me too! I have to do this!" He stopped and whirled around to say that, "I'll come find you! I promise!" He turned back and too off once more, disappearing into the tree line.

Of course he hadn't found them again. They hadn't seen each other for seven years after all. Suzaku stared at the exiled Prince's violet eyes which were smoldering in satisfaction, "Yeah…I guess you did." He winced and clapped a hand to the wound, which was already purpling. The whispers kicked back up.

Lelouch grabbed Suzaku's arm and nearly wrenched it out of socket as he hauled the boy to his feet. Instantly, he wrapped his arm around Suzaku's neck in the perfect position to give the boy a noogie and dragged the boy out of the room. "Ack! Lelouch! Let me get my bag at least!" He was summarily ignored.

The rest of the class watched them go with dumbfounded looks on their faces. "What the hell?" Rivalz cried out, giving perfect words to the thoughts of the room.

-]|[-

"Jeez!" Suzaku rubbed his neck tenderly when Lelouch finally let him go. "Since when was Mister I-hate-exercise able to haul a trained soldier around?"

Lelouch snorted, walking over to the rails and leaning on them, staring at the grounds. "Since I had to carry Nunnally on my back through a sea of blood after you went after your father." He deadpanned. Suzaku flinched in despair, "It was a miracle that we were found when we were, because we wouldn't have lasted much longer. Or at least I wouldn't have lasted much longer, and Nunnally would have been alone." He stared up at the blue skies. So peaceful… nothing like they were back then, when smoke billowed and blotted out the sun for hundreds of miles. "Pride is worthless if it'll get you killed."

"I'm sorry…" Suzaku bowed his head, feeling more shame than he ever had in his life.

"Sorry does nothing." Lelouch said nonchalantly, "But it's been seven years. The past is the past. I promised myself that if I saw you again, I'd give you another chance… if for no other reason than Nunnally would want to see you again." He turned back and smirked, "After I knocked your lights out of course."

Suzaku smiled and grasped the outstretched hand, "Thank you, Lelouch." He paused, "Is that still what I call you? I hope I didn't blow it down there."

"Yeah, I still go by Lelouch." He said uncaringly, "Lelouch Lamperouge. Anyway, how in the world did you end up here at Ashford?" He then made Suzaku twitch when he turned lidded eyes to the boy, "You don't owe anyone…favors do you?" The way he said the word made the insinuation clear.

Suzaku's face turned bright red. "A-and now you're popping jokes too? You sure you're actually Lelouch?" Suzaku stammered.

Lelouch began to chuckle, "You spend years dating Milly Ashford and try to keep that stick up your ass firmly lodged."

"Ouch. Kaguya will sure be disappointed to hear that." Suzaku started to chuckle.

"Not really." Lelouch grinned, "I'm sure Milly would love to have some fun with the little Empress."

Suzaku blanched, "Don't you corrupt my cousin!"

"Corrupt?" Lelouch snorted incredulously, "Are we thinking of the same girl?"

Suzaku shook his head in bemusement, "Anyway, what happened to the green-haired girl? Did you both manage to get out okay?"

Lelouch's face went hard, "Yeah, but not from lack of effort on those Britannian bastards parts." Suzaku stiffened, "The Royal Guard found us and were perfectly ready to execute me to take her back. If the terrorists hadn't popped by I'd be dead and she'd be back under their thumb." His gaze seemed like it would bore a hole through Suzaku, "She told me some of what they put her through before we lost each other, and apparently that was the whole Orange thing that Zero guy was referring to. I'm happy he killed that son of a bitch!"

"Lelouch!" Suzaku gasped in shock, "He was your brother!"

Lelouch sneered, "As if I could ever care about someone who would torture a young lady for his own amusement and then order a genocide to hide his mistakes. He was no brother of mine." Suzaku swallowed and looked like he wanted to argue, so Lelouch pushed him off the subject, "Anyway, you never answered me. How the hell did you become a student here?"

"Ah!" Suzaku accepted the topic change immediately, eager to get off such dark thoughts, "Well, after my Court Martial ended in my favor, I met Princess Euphemia. She told me that seventeen year olds deserved to be in school, and she had me enrolled." He didn't notice Lelouch's eyes widen as he plowed on, "I actually guarded her because she requested to see Shinjuku. She was completely distraught…and said much the same about Clovis… she was near tears." Suzaku told him, looking down to the railing.

'Euphie is already here?' Lelouch kept a calm face, 'Without Nelia close by? My, my, I never expected her to let little Euphie out of her sights.' Outwardly he smiled, "How was she?"

"Sad." Suzaku said somberly, "She acted a bit like an airhead and tried to keep her identity concealed, but something happened that caused it to come out. She was forced to take command of some Pureblood fight. I've never seen someone switch gears so fast."

'Hoh…how interesting.' Lelouch had to bite back a grin. "Anyway, follow me. Classes as over for the day and I'm sure Nunna wants to see you."

…

The next day at school, an angry-looking Shirley marched right up to Lelouch before he had even gotten to his seat, "What was that all about yesterday Lulu?" She cried. The rest of the class immediately turned to them, "Why did you hit poor Suzaku! It's like you don't even realize you're the Vice-President!"

Lelouch snickered, "Like I said, I owed him that one."

Shirley's fist stopped shaking as she blinked. She had entirely forgotten about that, "Eh…? Wait, you two really knew each other?"

"Yes." Lelouch admitted easily, even as Suzaku had to hold back a facepalm. Hadn't he just told Lelouch last night that he had no intention of interacting with him at school?! "You know I lived in Japan before it became Area Eleven. He saved my life at some point. We're old friends." The class erupted into whispers at that.

Shirley's jaw dropped, as did Rivalz' and Nina's. She began to stammer, "B-b-but what was the punch about then?"

Lelouch shrugged, "He told me he had something he needed to do and that he'd catch up to us. I haven't seen him in seven years. So much for catching up, huh Suzaku?" He threw over his shoulder.

"Damn it Lelouch." The boy mumbled. He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed his head, "I never could find you! I apologized didn't I?" With that, the class visibly warmed up to the boy, which had been Lelouch's goal.

Now if only he could get the damn brat to not be such an idealistic idiot.

-]|[-

"Nina was scared of Suzaku…" Nunnally trailed off sadly.

"I know." Lelouch sighed, "Even after I gave them some information, some of them are still wary. All they know him as is Clovis' killer, even if that was disproven. Nina is very scared of his people because of what happened to her… We're trying, but it's slow going." He turned a concerned glance to his baby sister, "Nunna…how are you holding up?" he saw his sister stiffen, "You haven't mentioned a word… about what happened? I know you couldn't see it…but I'm sure you could hear it."

Nunnally let a tear slip from under her closed eyelids, "What can I say?" She whispered, "What could I possibly say knowing what I know now, big brother?"

He took her hand, "I'm sorry Nunna… I know how much you liked him when we were younger… but obviously, he changed."

She nodded sadly, "Do you…do you think there was any chance the video was made up?" She really didn't want her memories of her older brother stained.

Lelouch bit his lip. Spare her the pain, or try to get her to see? "I don't think so, Nunna." He said sadly, "We haven't seen him in years." He had to be resolute. Nunnally's head dipped and her lip trembled as she valiantly tried to hold her tears in. Thankfully, a respite came in the form of his green-haired witch.

C.C. walked in carrying a stack of pizzas. She was wearing his red jacket over a cute white top and skirt he and Milly had bought for her. She was also wearing pigtails. Nunnally sniffed the air as the delicious aroma filled it, glad for the distraction. None of them noticed the cat walk in behind her. "Again, C.C.? We have food here you know." Lelouch said in exasperation. He had his head turned, otherwise he would have seen the cat.

"And none are so heavenly as pizza." C.C. said snobbishly, "Besides…I'm collecting points." She said cheerfully. Her eyes widened as Lelouch stole a slice, "Hey, get your own!"

"Bacon and chicken tender!" Lelouch said in rapture, "I sure know what to get myself." He said snidely, "Seeing as how it's my card an all." C.C. puffed up in irritation.

"May I have one please, miss C.C.?" Nunnally gave the immortal a big smile.

C.C.'s heart couldn't help but melt. Nunna really was just too adorable, "Sure." She handed a slice over to the blind girl on a plate.

"Oh, so she gets one without complaint huh?" Lelouch mock-pouted.

"Nunnally is cute." C.C. replied haughtily, taking a decisive bite of her slice. Nunnally blushed happily. She was just so glad Lelouch had found someone so nice.

They heard a soft meow and all three perked up. Lelouch watched as the door slid open and just caught the cat's tail as it left the room, "How'd a cat get in here?" he wondered, before shaking it off. "So what?" He turned back to C.C., "You're saying you don't love me anymore?" He teased. C.C. snorted and turned her nose up at him. He laughed and stood, wandering back into his room. He had to finish putting his suit away anyway.

Nunnally finished chewing and was just about to say something to C.C. when they heard a crash. Lelouch practically flew back into the room, "That damn cat!" He almost crashed into the door as it was too slow opening.

C.C. blinked in shock and Nunnally had her lips opened slightly. C.C. stood and peaked inside of Lelouch's room, wondering what had the boy so spooked. Her eyes bugged out as she saw the case which held most of his gear inside was open on the floor. The mask was definitively missing. "Oh dear." She walked back into the dining area and saw that Nunnally was gone, "…This won't end well."

…

The cat was fast, but Lelouch was faster. As it was jumping outside of the clubhouse Lelouch practically somersaulted over it and grabbed it. His landing probably would have gotten sevens. He could hear it hiss as he held it in his arms. He pried the mask off its head with an irritated growl, "Like hell I'm getting exposed in such an idiotic way." He snorted, half in amusement and half in exasperation. He had the cat in one arm and the mask in the other as he went back inside.

C.C.'s eyes widened before she chuckled, "Oh good, you caught it. That would have been a disaster."

"You're telling me. Where's Nunnally?" Lelouch laughed as he handed the cat to the girl, who began petting it. It purred in pleasure. He walked back into his room and secured his equipment properly this time, and then stashed it. He got his answer when the PA system came on.

"This is Milly Ashford, your Student Council President. CAT HUNT, everybody!" Lelouch groaned as his lover's voice sounded out of every loudspeaker. C.C. began laughing hysterically, "Capture the cat which is running loose on campus! It took something from our dear VP, Lelouch! All club activities are suspended for the time being! Participating clubs will get priority on their budgets! And whoever catches the cat will get a super special prize! A kiss from a member of the Student Council! OHOHOHOHOHO!" At that queen bitch laugh, both Shirley and Kallen who were elsewhere on campus practically had their souls leave their bodies. Shirley fell off the highest diving board at the pools and almost belly-flopped into the water in her shock. Kallen on the other hand…

"What? Mem…members of the council! LIKE ME?!"

"Exactly!" A bunch of guys popped out of the goddamn bushes and roared gleefully. She practically jumped as high as her Glasgow in her surprise.

"Her ladyship's lips… I sure wouldn't mind a taste of them!"

"It's not gonna be like some lame peck on the cheek though, is it?"

"A kiss on the cheek would be fine with me."

"Wait. We can choose where she plants it?"

"Yeah! All right!" The perverts all yelled. Kallen had to resist the urge to break character and brain all of them. She ran away, though much more slowly than she could have. "There's no way that's how I'm gonna get my first kiss!" Selective memory loss was such a useful thing.

All around campus, students were cheering. One girl squealed, "Kyaaa! Does that mean Lelouch too?!"

"Actually, I'd like one from Milly…" another replied.

Her friends all turned to the blushing girl, "Please get back in the closet." One of them mumbled.

Milly's voice came back on as they were rousing themselves, "And when you do catch that cat, bring what it's carrying to me, to me, TO MEEEE!" Her laugh turned into a cough, and both Lelouch and C.C. were laughing their heads off.

He called the girl on her cell, "Sorry Milly!" He coughed as he broke into a set of giggles again, "You're too late! I already caught it!"

"Damn!" Milly laughed as well, "What did it take from you?" She began whispering until she was out of earshot of Nina, Rivalz and Nunnally.

"My mask." Lelouch switched to dead serious and his girlfriend began coughing hysterically.

"Oh praise the sun!" She cried out eventually, "That would have been a disaster!"

"You're telling me." He broke into a grin, "But we can hardly disappoint the school can we? What shall I replace it with?" After what Milly had gone through a few days ago, he would happily indulge her sense of fun.

Milly was silent, before she burst into laughter, "C.C.'s undies!" Lelouch's cheeks puffed out as he held back a laugh and then he turned an evil grin to his partner.

"What's that grin for?" C.C. goggled as he raised his arm and began to spin something on a finger. She blinked in shock before she looked down and pulled her shirt out, "HOW DO YOU KEEP DOING THAT?!" She watched as he began to cackle as he hooked her still-warm bra onto the cat's head and then threw it gently out the window. The cat ran off immediately.

He laughed, "I'll give it a head start shall I?" He kept an eye on it, making sure he could see what direction it was going in. It wouldn't do appear to not be chasing it after all.

…

The first two students to get close to cornering the cat were Shirley and Kallen, who had teamed up to catch it. Shirley had been wearing only her diving suit, so Kallen had given up her jacket. The cat had tried to hide under a table and Kallen had seen it out of the corner of her eyes, "Is that a bra?" She yelped in shock.

"Is Lulu cheating on Milly?" Shirley gasped out.

Kallen bit back a snort. Like hell that would ever happen. So what was going on? That looked like it might have been C.C.'s size. "Whatever. Let's just catch it and protect our kisses!"

"Wait!" Shirley's eyes narrowed, "Who would you kiss?" As much as her mind denied it, she knew in her heart that she was still attracted to Lelouch. Even with him already taken she still wanted to be the next in line. She was rather suspicious that if Lelouch had cheated on Milly with someone, it would be with Kallen. After all, he invited her to the Student Council out of the blue! They had never spoken before! "It's not Lulu is it?"

"Why the hell would you say that?" Kallen yelped, and in the conversation that followed, the cat escaped.

…

After about an hour of Lelouch 'panicking' while inwardly laughing his ass off, he and Suzaku had eventually met up as the cat climbed the tallest tower which housed the school's bell. "Lelouch! You're chasing the cat too?" He started racing up the stairs with Lelouch hot on his heels, "Wow, you weren't kidding huh? I can't believe you're keeping up with me! Remember when that bird got loose?"

Lelouch snorted, "Don't bring up ancient history!" They chased the cat outside of the building up on the roof. They idly noticed the rest of the student body underneath them.

Suzaku finally got an eyeful of the cat, and there was no mistaking what was on its neck, "Is that a bra?" He asked incredulously.

Lelouch stifled another snicker, "Looks like it." He passed Suzaku quickly and grabbed the cat. It began purring in his arms as he pet it gently. He unhooked the bra and stuffed it into its pocket.

"Wait a minute! Lelouch you're not cheating on Milly are you!?" Suzaku gasped.

Lelouch chuckled as he sat with his legs hanging off the roof, "Nah, this was just a game me and Milly decided to play. It was all fake from the start,"

"But that… kinda looks too small to be Milly's." Suzaku blushed heavily, having said that. He hurried to explain himself, "Not that I'm checking her out or anything!"

Lelouch turned a glare – even though a mock, it was still pretty convincing – onto Suzaku, "You better not be." Suzaku stiffened and he chuckled. "Relax. I'm just screwing with you. Let's get back down."

…

"That was fun." Lelouch chuckled as he gave Milly a kiss.

She pouted, "Aww, did you have to ruin my fun so early?" She turned to Suzaku, "So, what was the cat carrying?" She winked. Suzaku chuckled and zipped his lips. "Oh phooey, you're no fun." She pouted, resting her head on Lelouch's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Wait!" Rivalz cried, "Was this a set up!"

"Yep!" Lelouch laughed, and several people in the crowd blushed sharply as he took a bra out of his pocket and started spinning it around. "Milly was feeling kind of down so I decided to cheer her up." Several people in the crowd groaned.

"Wait!" Kallen gasped in shock, "So our lips were never in danger!"

"Ohohoho! Sorry Kallen, but Lelouch did catch the cat! So that means he gets the kiss!" Milly laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and pressed her breasts into his back, "So who you going to choose Lulu? And it better not be me! We do that all the time anyway! This is supposed to be a prize!" Kallen and Shirley stiffened. "For both of us." She murmured in his ear, before giving his earlobe a little nibble.

"But you are a prize." Lelouch countered immediately. Milly practically melted against him and there were scores of schoolgirls wishing to change places with her, "I can't wait to unwrap you later tonight." All the girls in the crowd blushed scarlet.

"Do you not have a filter?" Suzaku goggled.

"Nope. Oh Milly, since Suzaku was with me technically he should win too right? Instead of a kiss, he should get to join the council. We're friends anyway so it should be fine right?" Lelouch asked, before starting to eye all three of the Council girls perversely. Shirley lit up in a massive blush while Kallen started trying to shoot daggers at him with her eyes. Nina just fidgeted.

"Yeah, yeah." Milly said carelessly. Suzaku turned to gape at her. Was that really all she was going to say? How the hell did that work? "Anyway, who you going to pick? The sexy orangette… the sexy redhead… or the sexy librarian?" Now even Nina was blushing profusely.

"Hmmm…" He made a show of eyeing all three of the girls, inwardly laughing at their reactions. He was sorry to say that Shirley was just out. That was a can of worms he wouldn't be opening. Plus she was way too clingy. So it was really between Kallen and Nina. "They're all too cute." Shirley looked like a steamed lobster. He was actually a little worried about her passing out. Nina's glasses were completely fogged up, though that was both due to the comments as well as the fact that her imagination was currently running wild. Kallen looked incredibly embarrassed as well as ready to knock their lights out.

"How about this then?" Milly grinned, "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…" Eventually, her finger fell on Kallen, which was exactly what she had intended. The girl's face went redder than her hair.

"Nonononono!" She crossed an 'X' in front of her chest with her arms, "I want no part of this! Noooo! Lelouch!"

He gently took her hand and dragged the feebly struggling girl back inside the clock tower building. Just as they were out of sight, he started to snigger. "That damn cat stole my mask!"

Kallen immediately stopped struggling and choked, "Wha-" She began coughing, "Are you serious?!" Her voice sounded strained as she continued coughing.

"Yeah." He chuckled, "Apparently Nunna got spooked from hearing me be hysterical, so she went directly to Milly. By then I had already caught it, but she didn't know that and came up with the cat hunt." He explained.

She facepalmed, her coughing finally under control, "I can see it now!" She started to laugh, "Zero caught! Unmasked by cat!" He joined her in chuckling, "Phew, but I'm glad you guys were just joking about the kiss. That was smooth dragging me in here to tell me what happened." She twitched as his smile grew. She blinked and then she was wrapped up in his arms.

"Oh, after all this time you still can't read us?" His arms were around her waist and her face instantly became inflamed again.

"L-L-L-Lelouch!" She stammered and tried to push away. Her face flamed even redder as her hands pressed against him. She gulped heavily as she realized that being pressed up against him felt way too nice. "U-unhand me!"

"You're too cute." he chuckled. He leaned down, and she closed her eyes and sucked in a little gasp of air.

But nothing happened. She blinked her eyes open as she realized that they were still close, "Huh?"

He was smiling. Not the usual perverse smile he usually tossed at them though. It was a genuine smile full of affection. Her breath caught, "I would never steal your 'first' kiss if you didn't want it." He said sincerely.

She swallowed heavily – a heavy blush still on her features – and bit her lip. 'Well…I could definitely do worse…' Her heart was hammering inside her chest, and she was certain that Lelouch could feel it. "B-b-but what about Milly?"

He chuckled, "Don't play coy Kallen. You know she's as eager to kiss you as I am." And wouldn't that be a sight he'd love to see.

She was fairly certain that she had no more blood in her body. It all had to be in her face at the moment. "You two… you're not just playing with me are you?" Her voice was unusually small and timid. For all her fire, passion and combat experience, she was still a schoolgirl. "I've heard the rumors." She said quietly.

"Of course not." Lelouch brought a hand up to her face and gently rubbed circles on her cheek with his thumb, "You're not them. They all knew it was always no-strings-attached. We haven't even been interested in playing with anyone since we met you." Her eyes widened, "You're our partner. You'll be with us through thick and thin… just as we will for you." His hand snaked behind her head and started running through her hair.

She swallowed heavily, "If you grope me I'll rip it off!" She threatened after licking her dry lips.

"Duly noted." His smile became a toothy grin for a moment as his hand came to rest on the back of her neck, and then they closed the distance.

…

"So how was it?" Milly had Kallen wrapped up in a hug from behind and was needling the girl.

"M-Milly!" Kallen stammered, her face still blazing. She really could have done worse. Lelouch at least was an excellent kisser. She was chagrinned over the fact that she was still feeling hot under the collar, "G-go away!" She just felt confused about the whole deal. She had never expected to be in the situation. Not in her wildest dreams.

"You're right Lelouch! She really is just too adorable!" Milly laughed before planting a kiss on the flustered redhead's cheek and letting go. All good things had to come to an end though. Milly sighed and became serious. Kallen stopped blushing as she took in the blonde's countenance, "The whore will be here in three days."

"Are you really going to use it on her parents?" Kallen asked, pretty glad to be allowed to dodge her embarrassment. She jumped on the opportunity to forget her jumbled emotions and thoughts for the moment.

"They're not my parents." Milly said decisively, "Parents care for you and your opinions. Parents are there for you when you need them. They love you and protect you. Neither of them have ever done a thing for me. I haven't even seen them in five years. It's always the phone with them." She sighed, "Frankly, I half-wish I had Lelouch's Geass so I could do it myself."

"Even still…" Kallen said, "I guess I just never expected something like this." She sighed, "I guess I can't complain. I still have a love-hate relationship with my mother."

"Really?" Milly blinked in interest. "How so?"

Kallen was fine with talking about it. After all, Milly and Lelouch had both confided in her before. She could at least return the favor, "Like I said before, she stays in that house and just continually gets ridiculed by everybody else. She completely abandoned her pride. I just don't understand why she won't leave. I've even tried pushing her away myself, but she just smiles and takes it."

"Kallen…" Lelouch hesitated, "Have you not even considered that she may be staying there for you?" Kallen's eyes widened and she whipped her head to him, "I don't know her myself…but I do know you… and what kind of woman you are. I can't imagine your mother staying there and suffering abuse for an old flame who she knows will never come back."

"That… no! That can't be true!" Kallen shook her head, remembering all the times she had just treated her mother so horribly, "It can't…"

He took her hand, "Maybe you should think on it…before it's too late." She squeezed his hand and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. All of the embarrassed happiness, amusement and good feelings from earlier were gone. Now that the idea was aired…all she could feel was the sick feeling in her chest.

-]|[-

The school had once again been assembled in the gymnasium, where their gigantic projector screen was set up. Finally, after several weeks, it was time for Clovis' funeral. When the projector came on, it immediately became clear that this was not about to be a usual broadcast that involved a dead royal. Most of the flags were black – barring the actual flags of Britannia – and a huge, blown up picture of Clovis wreathed in flowers was conspicuously missing. There was but a single small picture frame of him, sitting before the casket holding his corpse. Very few wreathes of flowers surrounded it, and those few that were there seemed to have been hand placed by those that knew him.

Lelouch stood in the gymnasium with Milly to his left and Kallen to his right, "I hadn't expected such a… poor presentation." Kallen whispered.

"Clovis will be posthumously disowned today." Lelouch said with confidence. Her eyes widened, "Even Charles zi Britannia will know how the wind is blowing. He is a ruthlessly effective politician if nothing more. While most of those in the room care nothing for the commoners, he knows that despots have been disposed of by uprisings before. He needs a country and subjects to be an Emperor."

"Why bother with the procession at all then?" She asked curiously.

Lelouch smirked, "Because he'll make a spectacle of it. He will pretend to throw the commoners and the numbers a bone. In actuality, he will be telling his nobility that this means nothing. I suspect it won't even be a veiled attempt, but no doubt those in the homeland will eat it up. This is a rallying cry. That man cares nothing for his family."

"It's starting." Milly cut them off, gripping Lelouch's hand tightly.

So, that was him. Kallen's eyes darkened as an older man stepped up to the podium. He was tall. Much taller than any of them were at any rate, with a muscular and well-built physique. His long, white hair was styled into curls, much like people had worn hundreds of years ago. He wore a stately purple suit with golden adornments and a black cape fit for an admiral or a general over his shoulders. His white gloves crinkled as he gripped the podium tightly, "All men…are NOT created equal!" His booming voice echoed out of every set. Kallen's heckles rose immediately. THAT was what he started his own son's funeral with? Lelouch noticed her stiff shoulders and offered her a hand.

She squeezed it tightly. "Some are born swifter! Some with greater beauty! Some are born into poverty and others born sick and feeble! In birth… in upbringing… in abilities… ALL HUMANS ARE DIFFERENT! Yes, that is why people discriminate against one another! That is why there is struggling, competition and the unfaltering march of progress! Inequality is not wrong… equality is!" All around the world, people were watching. Some in rapture…others in hatred. Those of conquered territories sat with clenched fists and grinding teeth. The nobility toasted their Emperor.

"What of the EU, which made equality a right? Rabble politics by a popularity contest! And the Chinese Federation, with its equal distribution of wealth? An entire nation of lazy dullards! But not our beloved Britannia! We fight… we compete… we continue to constantly evolve! Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into the future, and there is no greater proof THAN THE DEATH OF MY FOOL OF A SON! He was proof that even having every tool and advantage given to them will never help those who are truly weak! Not even my own blood running through his veins made him strong! He himself was a fool and he died like one! On his orders hundreds were slaughtered, and he paid the price!" The cameras remained steady on him, though a single one panned over to poor Gabrielle la Britannia, Clovis' mother. Her image was overlayed in a tiny of the screen in one of the corners. Silent tears were pouring from her eyes, though that was the only sign of her despair, "But it was not enough that he died! HE ALSO BROUGHT SHAME TO OUR COUNTY! For this, he is no longer my son!" Gabriella could no longer hold herself together. She began sobbing outright, and with that action she knew her fate was sealed. She was no longer relevant and she didn't care. Her son was dead, her husband hadn't even looked at her in years, and now she couldn't even call Clovis her son publically. She may even have signed her own death warrant in the eyes of the other consorts with her tears. Would she be the next Marianne? Would her name even be mentioned in the obituaries? "His name is to be reviled and all decorations are hereby stripped from him! But us? We shall fight on! We shall struggle, compete, plunder and dominate! And in the end, the future shall be ours! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" He pumped his fist into the air.

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" The chants sounded from the loudspeakers into the gymnasium. Kallen was almost crushing Lelouch's hand, though that wasn't much better than what he was doing to hers. Milly was wincing, as she didn't have anywhere near the strength Lelouch had. But it didn't distract from her anger. Charles zi Britannia exemplified Britannia, just as her mother did. It was because of him and his policies that her whore of a mother was the way she was. She would fight this man alongside Lelouch to her dying breath.

-]|[-

And there we go. Charles always was a bag of dicks, but he was always one of the most charismatic bag of dicks.

I never liked how Jeremiah got slayed during the ambush. I gave him a bit more of a fighting chance, though even for him, four on one in exactly similar machines was pushing it too far. And Tamaki once again got to shove his entire foot down his own throat. Just when Zero was making some progress too huh?

Man, I had quite a bit of fun with the Cat Hunt. Like I said earlier, I had actually intended on just skipping the entire thing. But it was just too good of an opportunity to fuck with Kallen. They sure love teasing her don't they? Plus it gave me an opportunity to advance the plot a little bit. Hehehe… To be perfectly straight with you guys, that was probably the most heavily edited scene in the entire chapter. I just wasn't sure if I should have kept it. Let me clarify, Kallen has not joined the harem yet. That was just a kiss, and she's still very much confused about her feelings.

Anyway, next chapter starts off with a bang. Originally I had planned to have the confrontation in this one, but this honestly seemed like a good place to end it. Thankfully though, I did some out-of-sequence writing last week. Mrs. Ashford's punishment is actually already written, so all I have to do is let the fireworks explode.

Cornelia also finally arrives next chapter, after quite a big delay from working over Area 18. Cute little Euphie also seems to have a bit more of a spine too! She destroyed those rat bastards in the way she knew would hurt them the most. Clearly someone has been taking a few lessons.

Poor Suzaku is sure taking some heat. Hope he managed to clench those teeth. It was never explained in the series when exactly they were separated. Or at least I don't remember it and the wiki doesn't mention it. I thought that running off and trying to solve the problem on his own would probably fit Suzaku to a T.

Next chapter will definitely have a whole hell of a lot more action than this one. Nelia is stepping out of the frying pan and straight into the fire. Messing with the dates the way I did actually presented me with a bit of an opportunity.

Primordial out!