Demons – Absolutely. It's a no-win situation for poor Suzaku; it's exactly like Julius Caesar in that regard, now that I think about it. Nice catch.

HESpecOps – Glad you enjoy it. And trust me, I haven't forgotten about Miss Nu.

MBlaster – Who knows?

Findarato – I have plans for Euphemia that I'm leaving on the table for now.

[*****]

SHIBUYA DISTRICT, TOKYO SETTLEMENT

Lelouch and Rivalz were walking down the intersection of Tokoi and Kodama, in search of a place to eat dinner. Lelouch had the good brunt of an hour before Kallen hopefully contacted him; he wouldn't hear anything until at least seven. It had been a remarkably successful day for Lelouch, and he figured he deserved to treat himself to something good. Rivalz ultimately chose a chain-based Britannian steak joint on a commercial strip mall. It was brightly-lit, comfortable, and full of people. Rivalz was cutting a path through a giant porterhouse, while Lelouch picked at a plate of ribs and mashed potatoes. It was good, but Lelouch would always prefer the taste of Ankimo. It was rare to find genuine chinmi in Area 11.

You'd know that better than anyone, Suzaku… I wonder how he is.

"Man, we had Roy practically crying today," Rivalz exclaimed, counting through a roll of bills. "Never use a Desperado if you aren't prepared to have a backup."

"That's one of the basic tenets of chess," Lelouch mumbled, rattling the ice in his soda. "I wish we had more challenging opponents."

"Well, not everyone's as smart as you, dude."

Lelouch chuckled in agreement. There were two televisions above the bar; one was a basketball game, which Lelouch and Rivalz quickly lost interest in, and the other was NHK Newsline, and for a while, Lelouch and Rivalz watched it in silence. They passed the time by doing a game of people observation, one of Lelouch's personal favorites, where they would look at people in the bar or passing nearby and make up stories about them from a single glance. Rivalz would always come up material ranging from outlandish to lewd to outright impossible; Lelouch was more of a romanticist about the people he examined. He believed that everyone was the hero of their own story.

"…But it makes sense, I mean, look at her purse!"

"Rivalz, that doesn't explain her beard. Or how she got it in the first place," Lelouch turned back to the news. "How are things with Milly?"

Rivalz groaned, and he became flustered, like he always did when he discussed his crush. "Honestly, if she keeps up what she's doing, you can have her. She never seems to want to do anything unless it relates to her interests."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "But you like her."

Rivalz swept a hand through his hair, and laughed vaguely. "Can't help myself, I guess. You know Shirley has the hots for you, right?"

The newsline eventually turned to Diethard Reid. He was a tall, physically slight man, but the impression he gave was one of pure self-possession and confidence; clean-shaven, long blonde hair drawn into a ponytail with a long blonde curl running down his forehead, small white teeth and deep-set, crystal-clear eyes. He was a well-spoken man, always enunciated clearly. Tonight, in the art deco-styled newsroom, Diethard was reporting on Shinjuku.

Well now. This should be interesting.

"Good evening, world, this is Diethard Reid. This recent update on the Shinjuku Ghetto incident is truly harrowing. It is revealed that the events on the Metropolitan Expressway one week ago, starting at 2:00 PM and ending at 3:36 PM, were due to a skirmish between the Britannian Area 11 military police and Eleven terrorists, which stemmed from the latter's capture of a payload of toxic gas, which had been produced by Elevens and captured by the Britannian military for the safety of the Area 11 citizenry."

Great. Where does the truth begin and the lies end?

"Crap! Lelouch, you didn't get involved in all that during that day, right? I kind of lost track of you when the truck sped away." Rivalz looked at Lelouch, worry painted on his face.

"No, no. It was unrelated. The trucks the soldiers were shooting at were way away from where I was. I was kidnapped by nobles, like I told you."

Rivalz sighed in relief. "Well, that's the best thing that could happen in a crappy scenario like that."

"…Viceroy Clovis was vowed tonight to take all necessary measures to contain the potential spread of the toxic gas and punish those responsible for its theft. No further updates have been issued on the whereabouts of the gas," Diethard continued on the screen.

Lelouch tried to hold back a gigantic smirk.

"A statement issued by the Britannian military has officially confirmed that the theft of the gas was due to sabotage, espionage, and deception amongst the Britannian forces, and the suspects, along with the prime suspect, have been have been officially announced."

What.

"As follows: Corporal Marcus Jaxon, Sergeant Vector Sykes are considered involved in the plot. However, the prime suspect is reportedly Private Suzaku Kururugi. All three will be taken to a court trial and be brought in front of a Justice and Jury, where the matter will be decided accordingly. Prince Clovis had this to say about the crisis…"

Lelouch felt the wind knocked out of him tenfold. Just like that, his good mood was gone, stung by the sudden news. At that moment, it was just Lelouch in the world, a little shell-shocked, subdued, wondering how this would turn out. He replayed Reid's words in his head over and over and his revolutionary spirit flared up. Suzaku Kururugi did not deserve this – he was innocent as possible. Hating the absurdity of the situation, Lelouch looked back to the television.

"…Kururugi and the other suspects will be transferred to a municipal cell in two nights' time. The transport vehicle shall be driven down Central Street, and during that timeframe…"

Lelouch rose from his chair.

"You leaving?" Rivalz piped up, who looked a little worn-out due to the news.

"Yeah. I'm gonna walk around, see if anything interesting's going on."

"I'm gonna head home. I got homework to do, and so do you," Rivalz said, nudging Lelouch's elbows.

"Eh, I have better things to do."

Like saving a good friend. Things are happening faster than I thought they would. It's time to take the initiative.

[*****]

NHK NEWSLINE BUILDING

Diethard Reid lived for a good adventure and a good story. He had been a correspondent in the Chinese Federation, countries throughout the European Union, and Homeland Britannia, for multiple agencies and news services, but there was no greater source of action and intrigue than Area 11. He could not have reached there without the company and support of his fellow employers and journalists, and yet he did not regret a moment of it. Being in harm's way was, to Diethard, what a journalist was born to be in, and Japan had made headlines as one of the most dangerous places to be in the world, at least for Britannians. Journalists, businessmen, soldiers, politicians, even doctors were at great risk when entering the republic. Just a handful of foreign journalists still visit – he was one of those, and was very proud of it.

Once the six o'clock broadcast was done, and Diethard met his coworkers, congratulating them and assigning tasks, he left to go into the archives room and dialed Jeremiah Gottwald's personal number, pouring himself a glass of wine he kept in a small refrigerator. They were good friends who kept in contact, who'd met after Diethard's correspondence with him during a conflict in the European Union. Jeremiah answered after the first ring.

"Hello, Reid."

"Hello, Margrave Gottwald. How are things?"

"Pretty good, actually. You did very well – a little monotone for my tastes, but that's fine."

Diethard smiled and drank. "The masses love hard figures and cold facts. I didn't have much to go on, but I made do."

"And thanks for that. Does this give you any ideas to join us Purists?"

"Not a one," Diethard replied, grinning mysteriously. "A pure-race organization? Sounds fascist, Your Excellency."

"Fascism is such a strong word," Jeremiah joked, sighing into the phone. "But you do understand my views. Only Purebloods should be allowed to serve in the military – the whole Honorary Britannian system is a joke to begin with."

Diethard let the remark pass. He didn't care either way – he much preferred the civilian sector over the military. It was too rigid, too orthodox, by-the-book. Diethard simply wasn't like that, even if people like Jeremiah was.

"Oh, and thank you for not announcing Villetta Nu as one of the suspects," Jeremiah said, firmly, taking a deep breath. "It would have ruined her reputation, and by extension, mine."

Diethard leafed through a book of tasks for the coming night; what cameras should be set up and where, how they should align the shots, et cetera. "Why do you care about her anyway, Jeremiah?"

"Hm?"

"The Purist Faction is full of Britannians who were all born into high-class nobility like yourself, right? Villetta Nu really isn't. You told me all she has is a knighthood, which isn't much in comparison. She's at the bottom of the food chain."

He heard Jeremiah sigh into the phone. "She's served me well. And we're friends, anyway."

"With benefits?"

Jeremiah paused. "Sure, whatever, Reid."

Diethard laughed. "About the plans we made for Kururugi's transfer?"

"Yes. Are they decent enough?"

"We should line the streets with patriotic Britannians."

"You catch on quickly," Jeremiah complimented. "Be sure the cameras can see his face clearly. I'll try and organize the police vehicle to do so."

"Just be careful. There might be some terrorist groups who would look to assassinate Prince Clovis, or maybe free Kururugi."

"I'll be providing security personally," Jeremiah boasted. "We've put too much time into this to be spoiled by some measly Elevens."

"Time will tell. Good night for now, Jeremiah. See you in two days' time."

"You as well."

[*****]

SHIBUYA

Lelouch, privately overlooking Tokyo from atop a parking garage, felt his phone vibrate. It was eight o' clock. Releasing a breath Lelouch hadn't realized he was holding in, he quickly attached his vocal distorter to his phone, making sure it was turned on, counted to three, and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"…Zero? Is this you?"

Kallen. "Yes, Q-1. It's Zero."

She gave a nervous laugh, took a moment to answer. "I… It's good to hear from you again. Your voice is… weird. Did you buy a synthesizer?"

"Yes. There's no such thing as being too careful."

"I understand." The fact that she could speak so freely pleased Lelouch – it meant she was somewhere private. Lelouch's eyes swept the horizon line, overlooking the structures of the distant buildings and skyscrapers. "How… did you figure out where I worked?"

"I have agents who keep tabs on areas around Japan for me," Lelouch smoothly replied. "But none of that matters. Are you available tomorrow?"

She was free, and they both knew it. "I can make time… why?"

"I figure it's time to show myself. This long-distance relationship isn't working out."

Kallen gave an exasperated laugh, and Lelouch heard her breathe. "How… how can we trust you?"

The question surprised Lelouch. "I saved your lives, no?"

"You did, but… I don't know anything about you. All I know is that you're a voice, talking to me from somewhere close, but not too close, who seems to know everything about what's going on, where, and why. I'm grateful, but I'm still suspicious."

Fair enough. "Then I'll give you an ultimatum. I will be at the Ryuta Scrapyard at six in the morning. Get as many revolutionaries together as possible and find me. If you show up, I expect you to listen to what I have to say. If not, you may return to your normal life."

"…Alright, Zero. Six in the morning?"

"Six in the morning. Stay sharp, Q-1."

Click.

[*****]

BRITANNIAN LABORATORY

AREA 11

The roar of portable generators, the ringing metal of tools, and the bright hum of digital readouts and machines would be aggravating to any other person; to Cecile Croomy, it was all she had gotten used to. Lloyd always spent his time inside the illuminated engineering lab, tinkering away at whatever ridiculous design or Knightmare Frame was thrown at him. However, his days and nights had been occupied with the design of what Lloyd called The Lancelot, aided with a considerably large loan and funding from the military, grafted to the Special Corps. They had been working on nothing else, and after months of work, Lancelot was almost fully operational.

Cecile was adjusting the charge and ejection system of the cockpit, checking her notes and charts and making sure everything was in place.

Lloyd shimmied his way out from underneath the Knightmare and raised his arm outward. "Cecile, darling, I need a Landspinner Energy Hose. The SR-71 model, please?"

Cecile widened her eyes and hurried to retrieve it from the nearby inventory space. "Why not the standard SR-39? This hasn't exactly been approved for combat."

"And that's the fun of it! Besides, SR-71 has been made to have better speed and mobility over rocky terrain. Lancelot deserves nothing less than the very best!"

With a grunt, Cecile carried the portable Energy Hose over and stood above Lloyd. He grabbed it eagerly and began implementing it into the Landspinner system.

"How much Sakuradite is Lancelot running on right now?" Cecile questioned, eyeing him anxiously.

"About twenty-two doses."

Cecile took a breath to calm himself. "Lloyd, we agreed on nineteen—"

"Lancelot deserves nothing less—"

"Than the very best," she cut in. "But it might prove to be volatile!" She shook her head in vague amusement and irritation; Lloyd could be like a child when around his creations.

"Oh, whatever," Lloyd drawled; Cecile could hear the whir of the Landspinner Generators spinning up. "Besides, it's not like Japan isn't already full of Sakuradite. We have so much easy access to it now! So we can afford to take risks."

"They call them risks instead of rewards for a reason, Lloyd," Cecile sighed. "We haven't even gotten a devicer yet, not since Suzaku got arrested."

That had been eating at Cecile. Her first impression of Suzaku was a good one – not only was his track record and maximum Knightmare efficiency – topping at 95% - superb, there was a look in his eyes that said, "You can trust me." They'd requested for Suzaku to be released into their custody, so that they could be held responsible for his actions rather than the police, but they'd basically told them to politely piss off and leave him to the mercy of the justice system.

Or lack thereof.

Lloyd sighed, setting his worried glance on the Lancelot. "He's an Honorary Britannian. The Purists have been in charge of the military lately, thanks to Clovis' decree, and you know their opinions on Elevens. What's the readout on the energy filler?"

"72 percent. I just wish we could Suzaku's readings and track record to his advantage."

"I doubt there's any way he'll be found innocent anyway. His fate's basically sealed," Lloyd sighed, unnaturally sad. "And here I thought it we had something going."

Cecile smiled sadly. "Don't make me laugh, Lloyd."

"But I digress! We have work to do, and we've filled our saccharine quota for the day," Lloyd said, wiping his forehead with a rag. "The positron rifle will need more energy cells…"

[*****]

BRITANNIAN CONTAINMENT CENTER

Villetta Nu sighed with exasperation and slouched back onto the concrete bench, tipping her head back, and closing her eyes. A day or so had passed since her apprehension; she had been given a "special cell" due to her involvement and association with the Purist faction, but it didn't make being imprisoned any more comforting or any less claustrophobic. She'd hoped this cell, the first she'd ever been in, would not be the first of many to come in her life.

She had been questioned, extensively, by a pair of political investigators, who grilled her about the circumstances surrounding Shinjuku, about the mystery surrounding the Royal Guards, about the rebels, about all sorts of things that nearly made her head spin. Villetta had, realistically, given what amounted to an "I don't know and you better accept it" and the investigators, more than likely pissed over the failure of the Shinjuku operation, just took her to a cell where she could be alone with her thoughts.

"Why did you rescue Private Kururugi so recklessly?" they'd asked, using the "recklessly" as emphasis so they didn't offend her.

It's simple. I need to ensure Kururugi lives. It's my purpose.

But there were some thoughts, just white noise in the back of her head, like passing dreams, that wondered exactly why she needed to protect Kururugi all of a sudden, why this suddenly mattered to her now, of all times, and that maybe it was just a little odd that a member of the Purist Faction is suddenly attending to and caring for the needs and life of an Eleven – a private in the military, as point of fact, who were usually treated as little more than meat shields. But she suppressed these treacherous, somewhat familiar thoughts, with repeating to herself: I need to ensure Kururugi lives.

A familiar figure and sight for sore eyes: Jeremiah stepped up to the cell, holding the key. "Hello, Villetta."

"Jeremiah," Villetta breathed, relieved. "I hope you're planning on freeing me."

Jeremiah chuckled and unlocked the cell, stepping inside and closing the caged door behind him. "That's treason, Villetta." He sat down across from her, somewhat awkwardly due to his long legs, and folded his hands in his lap.

"You don't… honestly believe I had anything to do with what happened in the ghetto, do you, Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah rocked on his heels, body rigid. "No. Not for a moment. But… there is evidence suggesting the contrary, and I'm afraid I can't overlook that."

I didn't do anything wrong. "Those Royal Guards… they were dead the moment I got there. I'm not a part of that."

"Yes, that's something everyone agreed upon," Jeremiah admitted. "You were dispatched to take care of snipers before checking in on Commander Gillan. But you're sure there was nobody in the warehouse alive other than Kururugi?"

Villetta wracked her mind and tried to think. All that came by were vague, distorted images, mute incomprehension that didn't mean much to Villetta. She thought she saw the shape of someone, someone vaguely familiar, but not familiar enough that her mind could recall it. With some effort, Villetta shook her head and put her hands on her chin.

"Why did you risk your life to save Kururugi? He's an Eleven. An Honorary Britannian, sure, but an Eleven nonetheless. He didn't earn it."

"It was my duty. I had to ensure his safety," Villetta said, her eyes lighting up and then quickly resuming their usual steely gaze.

Jeremiah looked stunned. "What on Earth? Villetta, your duty was to ensure the mission went off without a hitch."

"… Given how suddenly the rebels got the upper hand, would it have mattered?" Villetta said, assuming her original countenance almost as quickly as she had abandoned it. Jeremiah looked puzzled.

"You have a point. But it's out of character for you, Villetta. I can't comprehend why you'd risk your life for a lowly Eleven."

"I had to ensure his safety." Why can't he understand?

Damn it, I need to come to my senses—no, Kururugi's safety must be ensured.

"Glad to see we're on the same page here," Jeremiah drawled, shaking his head. "Maybe I'm looking too deep into this. But, regardless, it was suspicious, and suspicion regarding the Shinjuku events is bad."

Villetta's eyes widened. "Am I going to be genuinely imprisoned?"

"You're going to be taken to a court trial. We're going to have you in a secondary vehicle, taken down a private route."

Villetta exhaled, feeling very tired. Up until that point, despite all of the evidence, Villetta never realized just how much trouble she was really in. "Why am I in a secondary vehicle?"

"The one Kururugi is going to be transported in will be filmed live. I figure you don't want your face shown on TV as a suspect."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you, Jeremiah… I still don't quite understand what I did wrong."

Jeremiah gave her a final, bewildered look, before rising from his seat. "What's changed in you since Shinjuku?"

This time, Villetta had no answer. Jeremiah bid her goodbye and exited the cell, placing the key back in the compartment of his belt, telling her not to worry and that the court likely wouldn't imprison her because of her status and knighthood. But Jeremiah left the cell with worry stirring in his bones, and a general feeling that the great unknown was closing in him on him faster than he would have anticipated.

[*****]

RYUTA SCRAPYARD

Kallen felt it the moment she approached the threshold of the scrapyard: whatever was going to occur had already been decided. Her being there, whatever she had to say, whatever she thought, would make minimal difference. After Zero's phenomenal success in the ghetto, and the apparent network of agents, spies, and couriers he had under his belt, she was wondering why he'd even bothered seeking out the assistance of the resistance cell to begin with.

But luckily, she wasn't alone. When she'd called Ohgi the previous night and informed him of the details, Ohgi almost immediately agreed; he'd been wanting to meet Zero anyway, at least to thank him. He told her he'd go contact the others, see who was interested and available that morning, reminded her to stay safe, as if she wasn't already leading a dangerous life. But whatever was going to happen would happen to them all, or at least to her and Ohgi.

Kallen rubbed her eyes and waited outside, nervously checking around her to see if anybody was watching her. The scrapyard was out-of-the-way and unimportant enough that nobody would suspect a resistance member being there, but Kallen had no desire to chance it. It was early, and she was tired, but she was rational enough to know that even the smallest mistake can ruin everything.

She heard footsteps and swiveled around to see the familiar faces of Ohgi and Tamaki, walking towards her, the former in a hurried stride, the latter with an uncaring swagger. Kallen relaxed and felt a little less alone when they approached her.

"Hey, Kallen," Ohgi said, yawning. He looked utterly nervous. "What's the status?"

"Zero hasn't contacted me yet. Is it… just us three?" Kallen felt unexpectedly disappointed, but at the same time, she saw it coming.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Ohgi said, exchanging a quick glance at Tamaki. "Everyone else was too busy or weren't trusting enough."

"I just wanna see what he looks like," Tamaki said, trying to seem uncaring and suave. "Am I crazy for being curious?"

"Well—"

"Don't psychoanalyze me, Kallen," Tamaki quickly responded, stretching.

"I'll commit that to memory," Kallen said, all the stiffness had gone out of her.

Kallen's cellphone began chirping, and there was a blaze of excitement in her eyes. She fished through her jacket and pulled it out; the tension was palpable when she answered the phone. "Yes?"

"Head toward the front. Near the big pile of rubble that cuts the sky."

Zero's distorted vocals were unforgettable. Kallen hung up the phone and motioned for the others to follow her. There was nothing more to say; there was only action. Kallen walked through, trying her best to maneuver over the rubble and trash, the vast debris of crushed cars, scrap electronics, coils of wire, all kinds of pure junk.

They continued looking around, not daring to call out Zero's name. After traversing through a choked galley of debris and wreckage, almost impassably thick, Kallen was beginning to wonder if this was really worth it, if pressing on would yield a good result, or the vague feeling that Zero had led them into a trap—

Kallen almost whipped around to yell at Ohgi, before Tamaki proclaimed:

"Holy shit!"

Kallen pivoted on her heel to face Tamaki, and found what he was staring at.

Zero!

Standing atop a crushed car was a solitary masked figure, dressed what looked like a complex, purple-clad custome with an enormous cape that encircled the head; the head in question was encased in a mask that seemed to protrude with spikes and edges. Kallen had to force herself not to look away; this was undoubtedly, unquestionably Zero, and he looked like a force to be reckoned with. Kallen had no idea what to anticipate, but she assuredly hadn't anticipated this.

"So you came," Zero exclaimed, folding his arms. "I'm pleased. It's a pleasure to meet you all again, this time in person."

"…"

"…"

"You're very quiet people," Zero continued, his off-putting vocal distorter not helping.

"…I-It's a pleasure to meet you, as well, Zero," Ohgi said for the group. His voice was calm, but Kallen could detect the underlying notes of awe and grandeur, and possibly fear. "Before we begin… I want to thank you for saving our lives. We honestly didn't think we'd get out of there in one piece."

Zero listlessly waved his hand. "Oh, please. It was nothing. Prince Clovis is many things; among them, he is easy to predict, easy to play."

He talks about it so easily…

"Yeah, about that… how did you do that?"

"When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near," Zero quoted, taking a seat and placing his hands on his knees. "That's The Art of War. Deception is a powerful tool; never underestimate it. There was a lot available to me in Shinjuku. Terrain, enemy mobility, things like that. All I needed to do was utilize them."

"Yes, but… how? How did you hack into our communications? How did you always know where the Sutherlands would show up? Or the other infantry? Or just…"

Zero faced Ohgi. "I have my ways."

Cryptic. "Zero?" Kallen addressed, which caused him to look over at her. "If… if you have your ways, like you said… why do you need us?"

Zero emerged, his helmet moving; he was examining each of them. "Britannia won't fall to terrorism."

Didn't exactly answer my question. Kallen felt her pride flare up, her revolutionary fervor coming into play. "Terrorism?"

"Dude, we're not terrorists!" Tamaki spoke up, clenching his fists. "That's just a word that the media likes to throw away to scare people!"

"We're freedom fighters," Kallen added.

"You need to know your enemy, and your place," Zero responded, shutting them both down. "It isn't the Britannian people or civilians. It's the corrupt system itself!" He looked at the sky. "The very system that's okay with stripping a country of its autonomy, culture, and rights."

Kallen pulled her gaze away from Zero, nodding. She knew he was right, and she felt very guilty about it.

He's right. Terrorism is just a nuisance. It won't change anything…

"What you've been fighting isn't a war. It's more like a turf battle between gangs. You chase money, power, territory, and fight to stay alive. You need to take it to the next level and risk your life for what you actually believe in!"

Tamaki folding his arms, an insulted expression on his face. "So what? It's easy to just say whatever the hell you want. How about you take off your mask?"

Kallen glanced up at Zero. Will he?

"Please. Show us your mask," Ohgi said, as politely and sensitively as he could manage.

"…Very well. I'll show you."

Zero lifted his hand to his face, and Kallen steeled herself, fantasizing about what Zero could possibly look like under the mask. Based on the body posture, he was tall and thin. Is he Japanese? He has to be. He couldn't possibly be from the Chinese Federation – they want to conquer Japan too. Is he from the EU? An independent country?

After a tantalizing, sustained moment, Zero dropped his hand. "However, I won't show you my face. I will show you my power instead. I have shown you that the impossible is possible once before. If that isn't enough to prove that I don't have your best interests in mind, then I don't know what is."

Kallen was too exhausted and too amazed to object.

"Can we know something? Anything?" Ohgi spoke up, confounded.

Zero paused, and for a moment Kallen thought he would say nothing more.

"I'm Britannian."

Kallen took a deep breath and stared at Zero. A sudden coldness hit her core, and multiple question marks rose up inside her head. He's Britannian?!

"Are you for real?!" Tamaki said, breaking the stillness.

"Yes. I don't work for the Britannian military, however. I have never worked for them, and I never will."

"But if you're Britannian…" Ohgi began.

"That's presumptuous of you, to assume all Britannians are okay with their country's policies," Zero quipped, turning sharply to Ohgi.

"I'm sorry—" he responded, his face slightly red.

"I understand, however. The fog of war."

"Then why?"

"I must make amends for my Homeland's crimes and wrongdoings. If Britannia keeps doing what they've been doing, it will ruin them, and the world as a result." He paused, letting it sink in. "You all have to understand. I'm willing to put my time, energy, resources, and life on the line. I have no idea how it's going to turn out in the end, but I hope I can at least atone for all the damage Britannia has done to the world at large."

"…And you believe dismantling the system will do it?" Kallen asked, carefully.

"I know it."

The moment of decision was upon them. Kallen turned to the face the group, which seemed even smaller than it did before.

"Before any of you say anything, I'd like to let you in on the details of what I wanted you for. It's about Kururugi."

"Kururugi?" Ohgi repeated. Zero nodded and Kallen realized Zero's ties to Japan were deeper than she originally anticipated, especially for a Britannian.

"He's going to be escorted to a court trial. A very, very public one; I have a feeling the military and media are working together on it. And because of the Purists' influence over the military, Suzaku is all but guaranteed to be executed for it."

Kallen rubbed her arms. "It's a pity he's getting arrested for the gas instead of us. They've probably already retrieved it by now."

"No. I have it in my possession."

Ohgi's eyes snapped up to Zero in mute shock, and Tamaki stammered to say something but came up with nothing.

He's just full of surprises. Unbelievable!

"And it's going to be the key to our success. All I ask is for your assistance. The three of you will do just fine."

"What?! Do you know how many we'll be facing?" Kallen asked. "Not to sound alarmist or anything, Zero, but that's way too risky!"

"You defeated dozens of trained soldiers in Shinjuku. This is the same thing, just on a smaller scale." Before anybody could speak again, Zero reached into his cape and pulled out a single picture; Ohgi took it, and Kallen could see what looked like a decrepit convoy, probably once belonging to the military but left behind somewhere. She guessed that it was how Zero had managed to sneak in and out of Shinjuku with relative ease.

"The interior doesn't matter; it just needs to function, drive. And it should, unless something suddenly short-circuited. The exterior is what matters. I need the Japanese symbol painted on it."

Kallen could feel the edge of a knowing, appreciative smile playing at her lips. Ohgi was about to respond, but Tamaki burst into laughter, his cheeks reddening; he managed to look even younger than he was at that moment.

"Oh man, Zero! You've got some big kintamas, dude!" Tamaki proclaimed, turning toward him. "You know what! Screw it. I'm with you. I'm in!"

"Tamaki!" Ohgi called, raising his hand to interject.

"Dude, what other choice do we have?" Tamaki cut in, tipping his eyes toward Ohgi, shooting him a look of annoyance and a little desperation. "We're about ready to collapse! For the longest ass time, we've been fighting and fighting and fighting these pointless, small fry battles. What happened in Shinjuku was the biggest thing that's happened to us in a long damn time! And I think we've got nothing left to lose. I dunno about you, but I signed up willing to die, and shit, man, if I gotta die, I'm gonna die doing somethin' I think is right!"

A flicker of simultaneous worry and pride crossed Ohgi's face. Ohgi returned his gaze to Zero, who was now standing above him.

"…If I agree to this, do you agree to help us?"

"Second thoughts?" Zero piped up. Kallen thought his voice had softened, but it was hard to tell with the voice changer he had attached to his helmet.

"I'm kind of in your debt, anyway. You risked your life for us, and I figure you deserve the same from us," Ohgi confessed, taking a light bow. "Valor, wisdom, benevolence. We treasure those qualities here in Japan, and you've so far shown all three. I'm with you."

"Sweet," Tamaki said, sticking a thumbs up. "Didn't want to be lonely."

"It comes down to you, Miss Kozuki." Zero folded his arms behind his back, waiting for her answer.

Kallen nervously laughed, and gave an awkward shrug. It was clear that the rebellion was near collapse – everything Tamaki had said was right. They were unable to make much of an impact, let alone stay alive, and faced with the prospect of having to live a life of exile and secrecy if Britannia suppressed the riots and conquered the whole of Japan. The war was almost unwinnable; but only almost. Even in the worst and most trying of times, the idea of hope and victory hung around long enough to give Kallen the motivation to keep trying and pressing on. Zero was one of those bright spots, and the fact that he believed in their abilities enough to confide in them was enough to prove that there was hope for them yet.

A masked revolutionary, a redhead, a loudmouth, and a Jew walk into a bar…

Kallen rose quickly from where she was seated, regarding Zero for a moment, before making her ultimate decision:

"Alright."

Zero's shoulders relaxed. "Good. Thank you. I need to have the vehicle made and ready by tomorrow. The outside of the car is all that matters – I just need it to run. If we put our all into this, we can assuredly save Suzaku Kururugi."

[*****]

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, TOKYO SETTLEMENT

It was almost surreal, Lelouch thought to himself, standing atop a skyscraper overlooking Central Street some distance off. The rebels who had maintained a tenuous hold over Shinjuku, who had every reason to distrust and be paranoid of him, had believed in him and put their lives at risk for the sake of his mission.

Now I can save Suzaku.

Lelouch felt a tightening in his chest as he thought of Suzaku. He had to admit, he still had mixed feelings about Suzaku being a Britannian soldier. On one hand, Suzaku's motivation was clear and understandable to Lelouch, largely because they wanted the same long-term goal. But on the other hand, it was puzzling and upsetting to see how largely he'd changed in seven years, to morph from the outspoken, Britannia-hating kid that he was into a soft-spoken, awkwardly humble soldier who was willing to take a bullet for his friend.

Then again, seven years is a long time… and he did lose his father. Genbu Kururugi's suicide led to the impromptu surrender of Japan to Britannia, and it probably saved it from annihilation, but that probably haunted him all those years. At least I had the Ashfords to watch over me… he probably had no one.

"Zero," Ohgi spoke up, Lelouch's communicator buzzing to life. "The police transport is on the road and advancing towards the crowd and cameras. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am," Lelouch spoke, putting on his helmet before doing so. This will take some getting used to, but at least it's a cold mask. Plus it has this slide system. To test it out one last time, Lelouch pulled out the tiny slide activator – enough to fit in the palm of his hand – and pressed it, and heard a satisfying click as a singular square on the helmet, big enough to show his Geass eye and eyebrow; he closed it up again, going over the plans in his head over and over. Once everything was set and all evidence that he was atop the skyscraper vanished, he descended the stairs and made his way into the garage on the lower level, where Kallen was waiting.

No turning back now. Zero's grand debut can't be delayed any longer.

"Is everyone in position?" Lelouch asked.

"In position," Ohgi responded, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Ready whenever you are, man," Tamaki chirped back.

Kallen faced him, looking up at him. She was wearing a professional limo driver's outfit, a visor covering her eyes and hair.

"Anything else you need to take care of, Kallen?"

"…I'm ready," Kallen breathed. "Even if something happens… I'm ready."

"Glad to hear it. Let's go."

Deep in Britannian-held territory, Kallen keyed the ignition and pulled out of the garage. The transport's exterior had been completely redesigned from its neutral gray color; the sides of the truck now had a bright, bloody red standing out amongst a field of white, painted delicately and intricately enough to hide the fact that the interior was junk. The vehicle was able to function, but only just.

Kallen exhaled. "Just keep heading down here?"

"That's all I need," Lelouch said, climbing to the top floor of the van, opening a hatch and standing on top. He struggled to keep his balance for a moment, but settled into a comfortable position, Kallen slowing to help him keep his balance.

"B-1, you're listening to the radio, right? Any updates?"

"They just entered into the threshold of the streets, where all the people are," Ohgi began. "There's a lot of people yelling at Kururugi, calling him a traitor and coward. There's some other voices who are pleading that he's innocent, but they're trying to be silenced by riot police. Also, Clovis is in the transport, too. I think the Sutherland leading the transport might be Jeremiah."

Of course. That would be bad for ratings. "I see. I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"If they're already there, we should pick up the pace!" Tamaki announced.

"Be patient, R-1. They're going as slow as we are."

Eventually, a handful of figures standing atop a mobile catwalk setup appeared before Lelouch. It was the defensive perimeter, standing guard to ensure safe passage for the police convoy and making sure nothing happened. Lelouch felt the vehicle slow.

"No, keep going."

"What? Zero, look!" Kallen moaned, terrified.

"Trust me. We can't afford delays."

With reluctance, Kallen kept going. Lelouch could hear her labored breathing over the radio. When they finally approached, the guards noticed and scrambled to their posts, raising their guns and ordering them to hold still and keep their hands in the air. Lelouch did just so, raising his hands into the air, his left hand holding the switch. Quickly, muttering a prayer, Lelouch pressed it and he felt his Geass compartment slide open. He didn't waste any time!

"All of you! You're to let us pass without any sort of trouble! At once!"

There was a moment of deadly quiet as Lelouch waited, tantalizingly, for the Geass to set in.

"…Yes. You may enter," the captain of the guards announced, lowering his guns along with everyone else.

"Oh my god! Zero, how did—"

"I have my ways," Lelouch repeated. He was beginning to like that phrase. "Now keep going."

After skirting the guns, Kallen pressed forward, more confidently this time, probably relieved to be alive. Lelouch thanked a deity for his Geass, once again, and waited impatiently as they set off into the city. The sun was falling, casting an orange-pink glow over the city; Lelouch could just make out the small imprint of the moon in the sky.

So we'll meet again, Clovis. And you too, Suzaku. I just wish I could talk to you both outside the arena.

With each meter of their progress, riding forward at an even pace, Lelouch's breath became more irregular; he was anxious, but tried his best to push it out of his system.

"Yo, Zero! The radio is reporting that the prison car stopped, the Knightmares too! They know we're here."

Lelouch, excited, his senses reviving and his awareness heightening. "Good. In that case, there's no time to waste."

"Zero…" Kallen began.

"We can and we will rescue Kururugi."

I owe that much to him, anyway.

Finally, they approached the primary center of the action. Lelouch could see the prison convoy, which was surrounded on three sides by Britannian Sutherlands; on top of the vehicle, Lelouch could just make out the figure of Suzaku, who was leashed to the top of the vehicle. Lelouch pulled up sharply and stood tall, prepared to make his move; he could feel the eyes of the crowd around him. A lot of voices, tiny voices, began popping up, and Lelouch could catch brief fragments of what they were saying; it all added up to vague, empty surprise. He didn't blame them.

Lelouch looked over his shoulder, to ensure that the cover was still on top of the transport. Sure of it, Lelouch turned back, facing the Sutherlands that stood in his way of saving Suzaku. Lelouch quietly ordered to Kallen to stop moving, which she did. Lelouch could hear the distant din of reporters and cameramen talking about the recent events, how sudden they were; they were too afraid to get close to him, too intimidated. A helicopter was overlooking the events on the street.

"Stop! That's far enough!" The front-most Sutherland's cockpit slid open. From the pilot seat emerged the tall, blue-haired man Lelouch had come to recognize as Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, but there was something vaguely familiar about him that caught Lelouch short.

Have I seen you before? Somewhere?

"Who are you?" he asked, with his prevailing arrogant attitude.

"I am Zero!"

Jeremiah absorbed this news without expression. The crowds reacted differently; although they were mostly hushed and fervent, there were some cheers from people who saw the Japanese flag. Lelouch frowned pensively, trying to get a closer look at Suzaku; by the slumped and defeated pose Suzaku took on, it seemed like he was resigned to whatever cosmic fate had in store for him, no matter what.

Luck smiles upon you, Suzaku.

"Well, Zero, this is all very impressive, but I'm afraid your show has to end," Jeremiah boasted. The Knightmare Frames at the sides of the convoy moved forward and surrounded the vehicle at diagonal angles, angling their guns toward him. Kallen, wisely, didn't make any sudden moves, but Lelouch could almost feel her fear emanating from the car.

"You can start by removing your mask," Jeremiah commanded.

Whatever you wish, Gottwald. Lelouch, grasping a small detonator in his right hand, raised it to take off his mask, but stopped and switched on the detonator. It gave a resounding, bright hum, and Lelouch could feel the edges of the cover in the transport's cargo bay shoot outward, exposing the contents of the truck to the sky.

Revealing the canister of poison gas.

Jeremiah was suitably shocked and alarmed, struggling to react and form coherent words. In that exact moment, the balance of power shifted over to Lelouch.

That's right, Jeremiah. You never saw inside this capsule; you still think this is toxic gas. A huge bluff. Anybody else who knows about this dead, ignorant, or arrested… save for dear Clovis. I wonder what he'll have to say about this.

Jeremiah, startled, raised his pistol. "I ought to kill you where you stand!"

"Hah! Shoot me? You know what'll happen if you do. You think this capsule isn't rigged to explode if my heart stops? Go ahead. Let the civilians find out what's inside!"

Jeremiah lowered his gun hesitantly, then raised it again. "Why don't I just capture you?!"

Lelouch just laughed this time; the vocal synthesizer made it sound ominous and unsettling. I have the upper hand, Gottwald! It's about time someone put you in your much-needed place.

"What are your demands?" Jeremiah said, looking behind him into the convoy. Lelouch could only presume he was looking at Clovis. Of course Clovis would want to tag along. He wants his reputation to be spotless.

Lelouch gestured to Suzaku. "Let's trade. This for Suzaku Kururugi."

"Absurd!" Jeremiah said, not skipping a beat. "This boy is charged with high treason! I refuse to hand him over until justice is served."

"Justice?! What is justice, Jeremiah Gottwald, when you work for a military that manipulates the news for its own gain? What if the public knew this was a Britannian payload?!"

"What?!" The look on Jeremiah's face said it all. Jeremiah knew that Lelouch knew about the lies.

"Of course this isn't a Japanese capsule. They could have produced it for you, in an ideal world. You had the chance to use their skills before, but I suppose being brutal and imperialistic matters more to Britannia than anything else!"

Jeremiah's face screamed murder. "How dare you!"

"Why not spend a night in the graves of those you've killed?!" Lelouch shouted; by this point, he was speaking straight from the heart.

"They were collateral damage! Necessary sacrifices to pave the way for a greater world!"

"From someone who hides behind the funding and protection of Britannia, it must be incredibly easy to say that! You're either an idiot, profoundly cruel, or a criminal mixture of both!"

Taking so many lashes to his pride was too much for Jeremiah. "Enough, terrorist! I refuse to hand this treasonous Eleven over to you!"

"For a single Japanese, you'll save scores of innocent Britannian civilians. Not such a bad deal, I think."

"I don't think I'll lose any sleep taking out a scumbag of your kind!" Jeremiah said, raising his gun. Lelouch, before Jeremiah could even start, activated the slide system and was about to shout an order before—

"No! Wait!"

His finger hot on the trigger, Jeremiah hesitated. "Prince Clovis, my Lord?!"

Clovis began to climb out of the convoy and stood atop the platform where Suzaku was chained. Lelouch could just make out Suzaku staring up at Clovis in awe and surprise; Clovis was scared out of his mind.

His hand sweaty and nerves tightened, Lelouch released the switch for his helmet, placing his hand back at his side. I knew he would. He wouldn't dare let alone find out what's inside.

"Jeremiah Gottwald, I command you to adhere to the demands of Zero!" Clovis shouted imperiously, sounding more insecure than imposing or commanding. The crowd was livid and tense by this point.

"My Lord! Forgive my disrespect, but we cannot adhere to the demands of a terrorist!"

"Why so terrified, Viceroy Clovis?" Lelouch taunted, folding his arms. "Are you afraid that it'll go public?"

Lelouch knew all about it, and the absolute, fear-stricken look on Clovis' face sealed the deal. With those words, Lelouch could feel that he'd begun to stir up suspicion and bad premonitions amongst the crowd, soldiers, and he could even read it on the mysterious glare on Jeremiah's face.

"Is there something you don't want others to know?"

Clovis faced Jeremiah, his body wracked with worry. "Jeremiah Gottwald! I order you to do it! If you disobey my orders, I will court-marshal you personally! Do as Zero says and make the exchange! Please!"

Jeremiah, deciding not to be humiliated further, turned back to Zero, leveled his gun at him. "…Do I have your word you will take Kururugi and leave?"

Now. Lelouch opened up the Geass compartment and activated his Geass, feeling power surge through him. "Only if you and your men allow us safe passage."

He felt his Geass shoot forward, corrupting Jeremiah. In an instant, his demeanor changed, and he signaled for his soldiers to release Kururugi. They opted to do so after some hesitation. Lelouch hopped down from atop the truck and stood by the driver's window; he tapped it lightly and nodded to Kallen, who was as terrified and on-edge as Lelouch had expected her to be. The other Purists were arguing with Jeremiah, who kept rebutting them under the effects of the Geass; Lelouch tuned it all out as Suzaku was brought to him.

Suzaku was clad in a white Britannian prisoner outfit; it reminded Lelouch vaguely of the girl from Shinjuku. A look at his bruised face and Lelouch knew that he'd been pushed around in the cell. Suzaku looked shaken and surprised, but ultimately okay. Lelouch stepped up to him and shook hands with Suzaku, feeling relieved to see him in a much better situation than the one at the ghetto. A collar was wrapped around Suzaku's neck; when he tried to speak, it electrocuted him, causing him to wince.

"So they didn't allow you to speak. Figures. Come with me, Kururugi."

Suzaku, with an exhausted look on his face, nodded and walked up to the vehicle, trying to ignore the voices of the crowd. Lelouch exhaled shakily and listened for the sounds of pilots loading into their Knightmares. Sure enough, he could hear it happen.

"Zero," Kallen muttered, noticing something was up. Lelouch quickly got inside the transport, Suzaku in tow.

"Now, R-1," Lelouch muttered.

He could hear a Knightmare lunge for the vehicle. Too late. A massive impact shook the ground with a jolt; debris flew in every direction as a Slash Harken pierced through the group, managing to take out the Landspinners of a singular Sutherland. Before the other pilots could react, Tamaki's Knightmare raised its rifle and began firing shots in quick bursts, surprising all those present. The crowd began to scream at this moment and ran away from the action, a flailing mass of limbs.

"Go! Now! Get out of here!"

The vehicle turned around and tumbled away from the action, and Lelouch couldn't help but be reminded of Shinjuku. Suzaku held onto something as Lelouch clutched his seat; debris was strewn everywhere as Tamaki began popping more and more holes in the wall. Machine-gun bullets and rocket infantry slammed into the ground behind them and to the side, causing the armored truck to quake with some effort. Kallen floored it, traversing the route they took to get there and making their way to Ohgi. When Lelouch looked behind him, he saw Jeremiah's Knightmare doing some battle with the other Sutherlands, as per the Geass' demands.

Lelouch felt like laughing. I have to get out of here first! Almost all the tasks have been taken care of!

"Get out of sight, Q-1, if you can!"

"Okay, got it!" It was no good stopping. Innocence would not save any of them.

Finally, they got to Ohgi's rendezvous point. Tamaki was shouting over the radio; apparently, he'd managed to get away by ejecting the cockpit, leaving the husk of a Knightmare behind loaded with explosives so it detonated upon hitting the ground.

"Stop! This is it!"

The three stopped the truck and spilled out, streaking towards an overpass; beneath that were train cars and Ohgi's Knightmare. The Knightmare immediately ejected out a thick canvas for the three of them to jump onto, providing safe cover. Lelouch pulled Suzaku upright; adrenaline was driving him.

"Ready, Q-1?!" Lelouch shouted as Suzaku tightened his grip on Lelouch's shoulders.

"Ready! Go!"

They tumbled over the overpass and hit the canvas; vertigo overcame Lelouch as he felt the weight of the canvas drop, and for a terrifying moment he believed they'd miss the train. But then something fell from under Lelouch, and that was that: the three of them were falling free, collapsing onto the cold floor of the train. They hit the floor in a confusion of arms and legs, scattering across the floor. Lelouch came to rest on his back and struggled to get up.

My God, we made it!

Lelouch heard the tell-tale sounds of machine fire.

"B-1!" Lelouch shouted. You aren't dying on me yet!

"Get away from there!" Kallen announced to Ohgi.

"You guys get out of here! Just go! I'll—"

And just like that, the enemy Sutherland was stopped, hit by a rocket, a wick of smoke rising from the Sutherland as it collapsed to the ground below. Lelouch didn't have to look to know it was the corrupted Jeremiah. Lelouch went to where Suzaku was kneeling; he looked dazed, disoriented. Ohgi, wasting no time and not bothering to question why an enemy Sutherland was assisting them, pulled out of his disposable Knightmare Frame and took a jump into the train car, landing on his heels with a grunt, teeth clenched in pain.

"That's all." Lelouch pressed one last switch, the final key he needed to allow the train to exit into the dark tunnel, propelling them forward toward the harbor, where they would meet with the rest of the resistance cell to report about their success.

In the quiet, Lelouch took the chance to truly breathe.