Findarato – No worries 'mon.

Game777 – Well, of course. He is the original Lelouch.

BlueSaiyan – This won't be the last time Baron and Charles cross paths.

Sacchin – Hmmmm.

BartWLewis – I wonder if he will… hmmmmmmm…

Republic – Wish granted.

Game777 – Actually, funny thing you mentioned that, and I'm glad you did. The Lelouch in Chapter 26 is not the Lelouch we've been following. I mentioned Mao, and Mao hasn't been introduced in this story yet (but he's coming soon, spoiler alert). The Lelouch in Chapter 26 is, wouldn't you know it, Time Baron, and it's a legitimate dream sequence, showcasing the multiple Lelouchs he's come to know over the course of his long lifetime. So the reason he hasn't asked any questions is because he's pretty much numb to it all (and he's lucid dreaming). As to why he refers to himself as just "Lelouch" and not "Time Baron" in the dream, and why he saw the entire cast of the show in a single ballroom… Well… I'll leave that up to your own interpretation~ But suffice it to say, Chapter 26 will be brought up again, much like how the seemingly random Chapter 9 and 10 will be as well.

Thanks for sticking with me through all the craziness, y'all!

[*****]

EURO-SWEDEN (CURRENTLY UNDER BRITANNIAN OCCUPATION)

"…And things are a little bit wild over here."

"I'd say so, Kewell," Marika Soresi stated, nervously toying with a few loose strands of hair. There was an evening lull in the war, and it was foreboding as all hell – even though things were relatively quiet in Ostersund, it was obvious that the Euro-Norway soldiers were close, that they were just out of sight, and that it would only be a matter of time before they stormed in to liberate Sweden. Marika had used the precious moments of silence to call her brother, Cornelia presumably having no problem with it. She'd just wanted someone to talk to outside of the war, and her brother was always the best guy to turn to in that scenario. But when Jeremiah Gottwald answered the call instead of her brother, she was confused, and then promptly horrified when she found out the news.

"Your brother has been badly injured after a scuffle we had with some terrorists. Thanks to a Chaos Mine."

"…Can I speak to him, please, Jeremiah?"

"Day by day he's recovering… and it looks like he's in a talking mood. I'll put him on for you… also, my sincerest apologies. Best soldier I've ever known."

Marika rubbed her eyes; she wanted to cry, but Kewell would probably make fun of her if she did. "Kewell… are you in any pain?"

"A Chaos Mine does wonders to the body," Kewell muttered, his voice strained with frustration. "It's a miracle my Knightmare took most of the damage as it is… it's getting better, though. My body, I mean. Sutherland's fried. Britannian medical science is… good. There's still a burning in my midsection and legs… I can't move my neck a lot without it hurting."

"Oh, brother…" Marika muttered, stunned. It was one of the very few times she'd heard him upset. "I know I've said this a million times, but I'm so sorry."

"It's not too bad... I actually haven't had a cig in a week or so."

That brought her comfort. "Oh! That's good!"

"It was… really bad the first couple of days. It just added more pain, but the doctors insisted. No smoking in this room. Makes sense, I guess… I can still kinda feel the… urge, you know, to have one… but it's going away."

"Under better circumstances, I'd say this is good for you, but…"

"My wounds are getting better every day…" he responded, his voice faraway and small. "What about you, Mars? How are things in the E.U.?"

Marika sighed, looking over her purple tactical armor and her mighty, imposing Gloucester frame. "For now, poorly. We've got about three divisions handling them… one in the East, one in Africa, and one here in Scandinavia. We've tried pushing through towards the west but the opposition is fuckin' unbelievable. Prince Schneizel's been trying to send us supplies from Russia, but sometimes our planes get intercepted by E.U. anti-air weapons… and then they get our presents."

"Thieves," Kewell snarked, coughing.

"And we failed to get Norway… right now, we're twiddling our thumbs and hoping that we can keep ahold of Sweden and Finland, but things aren't looking fantastic. The E.U. has troops everywhere – they're a whole lot bigger than us, Kewell."

"But we're stronger. Don't worry too much, Mars. You'll save the day, and I'll do my part here in Area 11."

In the corner of her eye, she saw Lord Guilford approach her. He, like everyone else, looked exhausted and ragged to the bone, but somehow he managed to keep his hair pristine as all hell. He faced Marika, adjusting his spectacles.

"Princess Cornelia has called for a strategy meeting… are you about finished?" Guilford whispered, with a sympathetic frown.

"I… yeah. Just one moment, okay?"

"My regards to Baron Soresi… I'll leave you be for now."

When Guilford finally walked away, Marika realized there were a few tears streaming down her face.

"G-Guilford says hi and wish you're well," Marika stammered, taking a deep breath to control herself.

"I share the sentiment…" Kewell muttered. "Do you have to go?"

"I do."

"I love you, Marika. Stay alive, please. We'll celebrate our victories another time."

She buried her face in her right hand, the phone in her left hand quivering. "K-Kewell, if I d-die…"

"You won't."

"If I die, Kewell, I just want you to k-know I love you, too, and I know how hard it must be for you, and I'm sorry, and I pray to God you get better, because I know you're s-strong as a rock, and I feel so, so bad—"

"Marika… worry about yourself, okay? Just… stay alive. Keep your comrades alive. I want you to return home in one piece."

"I will… I h-have to go. I love you, Kewell."

"And I you, Mars." He'd never been a man of many words, but he never needed many words to get his point across.

Marika was practically bawling by that point, but she tried her very best to suck it up and make herself presentable again. Her voice was still sort of hiccupping, and she felt a little bit lightheaded. She looked around at Ostersund – it was a beautiful, concrete city, somehow preserved from the madness of war. In days, maybe even hours, it would turn into a warzone.

Marika glanced up at the sunset-laden sky.

God, please let Kewell heal… and let me stay alive so I can come back home and thank him for everything. Just protect me, and protect him, too.

Marika picked up her transmitter. "My apologies, Princess Cornelia… I'm en route now."

[*****]

BLACK KNIGHTS MEDICAL PLAZA

Once again, Lelouch found himself thanking all the deities in the world for Geass. He'd managed to stumble upon an out-of-the-way hospital and a series of outbuildings and various foundations, and all it took was a little bit of convincing via his Geass to claim it for the Black Knights. No strings attached, no authorities (presumably) – as far as the investors were concerned, it was just an out-of-the-way medicine research facility, not a terrorist hideout. All thanks to Geass.

How many times have I used this power since I got it? Dozens? Hundreds?

Lelouch rubbed his gloved hands together, groaning as his everything ached. The events of the previous night were all a blur, like it'd happened in a trance. He vaguely remembered Kallen jumping in front of his Burai, her Radiant Wave Surger colliding in midair with a VARIS shot from Suzaku, causing an explosion of energy; he vaguely remembered the Black Knights corralling around Lelouch and Kallen's prone forms, helping Lelouch to his (his Burai's) feet and trying to find a way to drag the incapacitated Glasgow out of there. He vaguely remembered being horrified at how dismembered Suzaku's Sutherland and Kallen's Glasgow both looked, but he didn't recall any of the finer details; all he saw in his head was a mangled mess of robotic parts and bars. He vaguely remembered escaping with the Black Knights, and it was deadly quiet and tense as all hell, interspersed with brief intervals of fighting and shooting to keep the Britannians off their trail; he vaguely remembered arriving back at base, everyone in a state of alarm, trying to multitask between tending to the wounded and ensuring they weren't followed.

It was a horrific night of activity and work; yet, in the head, it all paid off, with the Lancelot destroyed and the Britannians terrified.

But at a cost.

Glancing over his chessboard, Lelouch sighed as he played a game with himself. The other side, the white pieces, were winning, but it seemed like the black pieces were starting to gain an advantage, thanks to a handy space clearance technique using his Rook.

We're going to need more bases. More weaponry. More preparation.

Lelouch moved a white pawn forward.

We barely managed to pull out of that one alive.

Lelouch captured that white pawn using one of his Bishops. It was an excellent stress reliever, this game.

At the very least, this will get Suzaku out of our hair for a little while. But machines can be rebuilt… and who knows, they might've had another Knightmare in R & D the entire time.

Lelouch knocked off the chess pieces off his board, causing them to scatter across the carpeted floor.

And those images…

Out of all the things Lelouch remembered about last night, what he witnessed during C.C.'s Geass meltdown were the inexplicable, hard-to-parse images that flashed through his mind during the whole ordeal. Images of snow, ghosts, fire, Geass… the whole thing filled him with a fine dosage of confusion and fear… no, fear, wasn't quite the right word. "Dread", more like. They gave him a feeling of dread, dread of the unforeseen, of the potential unknown.

Were all those images things Suzaku saw in his lifetime… or C.C.?

Although Lelouch suspected the latter, he liked having his options open.

A knock on his door. Lelouch quickly slid his mask back on, stretching his neck. "Enter."

The door slid open with a mechanical hiss, and Lelouch was honestly surprised to see Ohgi standing there. It was obvious he was just as exhausted as Lelouch, if not more so – at least Lelouch had gotten a modicum of sleep. There were a couple of burn marks evident on the back of his hands, and patches of his Black Knight clothing were torn, but all in all he looked alright… save for the look of finality on his face.

Lelouch steeled himself for a lengthy harangue, one that he knew, deep down, he fully deserved.

"I'm leaving."

Lelouch blinked. He hadn't expected that. Removing his mask and carefully placing it atop a stack of papers, Lelouch steepled his hands and glanced up at Ohgi.

Nothing I say is going to change his mind, is it?

"…Did I hear that right?" Lelouch began with a puzzled frown.

"Yes. As of today, I'm retiring from the Black Knights… I've already notified Kallen, Tamaki, and the others about this."

That's presumptuous of you to think you have that kind of authority. "Ohgi… is my status as a Britannian Prince affecting your choice in any way?"

"…A bit," Ohgi muttered, his quiet, gentle voice betraying how serious he was. "There's others that're suspicious of your motives… but, honestly, if you planned on betraying us, you would have done it already."

"Then why are you leaving?"

Stupid. You already know the answer.

"You and I have very different ideas on fighting, Zero," Ohgi confessed. "Forgive me for my bluntness, sir, but… it's not boding well with me. It's not that I disagree with your goal… but I disagree with your tactics."

The ends justify the means, don't they?

"We barely escaped from that compound with our lives, Zero… Lelouch. Barely. More wounded than we need, some of our Knightmares are totaled."

"This is war. Things happen."

"This was avoidable."

Lelouch clenched his fists. Ohgi was one hundred percent right, but damn it if Lelouch didn't like it.

"…Ohgi. I appreciate your honesty. Don't be afraid to be direct with me… but, for the record, I never said you had the express authority to decide on whether or not you can leave."

Ohgi's veneer of composed self-assurance almost cracked when he looked down at Lelouch. "I'm willing to take that risk, sir."

Lelouch wanted to use his Geass so badly. Hell, he'd already been overindulging in it, so why not do more to feed the addiction? All he needed to say were two simple words—

Stop it, Lelouch. Stop. Take a breather.

Lelouch did just so. "You're speaking from your heart, aren't you, Ohgi?"

"I am… sir."

A moment of decision, then: "…Then go. You're free to leave," Lelouch said, sighing.

Ohgi blinked and stared at Lelouch, blankly. "I… You're serious?"

Lelouch almost laughed at how the power had shifted back to him. "Yes."

"Thank you, Lelouch," Ohgi effused, holding out his hand. "I won't reveal your identity. I promise. As far as I'm concerned, your secret's safe with me."

Heard that spiel before. But for some reason, Lelouch believed Ohgi. He'd been honest with him throughout the conversation, so why not now? Lelouch shook Ohgi's hand, firmly.

"Where will you go now, Ohgi?"

"I'm going to join up with the JLF."

That got Lelouch's attention. "Really?"

"I'd been offered to join their ranks a long time ago. Kyoto, too. I wanted to, but I didn't want to abandon my friends either… but seeing how far we've come, from a hole in the ground to having actual bases, having an actual fighting chance, I think everyone's going to be okay. I'm going to do my part… I'll try to get the JLF up off their butts. They've been in hiding for way too long, and the time for revolution is ripe. So why not take the opportunity while I have it?"

Immediately, Lelouch began strategizing, turning to practical matters. "Ohgi. If you manage to bring the Japanese Liberation Force back and in fighting condition, or at least close enough, contact me immediately. I will not ask you to join me, or serve under my command, but we can make a deal. Divide our attention amongst the Britannian-occupied areas in Area 11."

I've been trying to get them on my side via Kyoto for a while now, but having a direct agent is going to do wonders. Amazing.

"That's… that's actually a terrific idea!"

"You really should have started your leavetaking with that."

"Yeah… but, Zero, I can try my best, but there's no guarantee they're going to take my word for it."

I have a guarantee. It's called Geass in some circles. "Keep in contact with me, Ohgi. Your comrades are going to miss you."

"And I them," Ohgi said quietly. "I'm sorry if I've offended you, Lelouch, it's just that…"

"Ideologies are bound to clash from time to time. Don't worry about it, Ohgi. The only thing I was worried about was you spilling secrets, but I have a feeling you're not going to do so. If you do, well… let's just say that'll be one hell of a day."

Ohgi shivered. "Duly noted."

"Dismissed. It was a pleasure serving with you."

"And you as well, Zero… I have faith that you're going to do great things for Japan, okay? You're doing the right thing, and you haven't led us astray… much. I just believe that it's high time I do my part as well."

"Do what your heart tells you to do."

Ohgi nodded; at the threshold of the office door, he turned back to Lelouch.

"Also, uh, there's a group that wants to meet with you at the Depot. Group of freedom fighters."

Lelouch's eyes twinkled vaguely with interest. "Tell Kallen I'll be en route. Say your farewells."

"Already have… so long for now, Zero."

"Mm."

Ohgi left and Lelouch glanced at the floor, his gaze wandering over the fallen chess pieces.

His fist collided with the nearest physical object, which happened to be a stapler. It clattered onto the floor, some staples falling out.

[*****]

AREA 11 RESEARCH FACILITY

The Lancelot looked terrible. Like shit. Suzaku felt horrible just looking at it. Charred debris, random wires and steel bars sticking out here and there, shattered technology and colored glass. The cockpit had been crudely torn down the middle, and it had burn marks and tears stretching across the back; somehow, though, the pilot's seat was okay, much to Lloyd's bitter amusement. When the technicians managed to dig the Landspinner guts out of the wreckage, all that was left were a bunch of wet-looking steel bars, energy vaguely dripping out the bottom. The storage room itself didn't looked much better – there were signs of war everywhere. Broken boxes, stained walls, ash and dust collecting on the outer layers of the blast shield.

That was probably the worst part. Suzaku wasn't allowed to forget his failure.

He was right there, right in my sights… and I didn't get him. I was so close to stopping him, and then he somehow got away. I failed twice last night… and one of those failures cost me the greatest machine on Earth. Suzaku felt free flying the Lancelot. In spite of all the complicated technology and terminology and the fact that half of the words in the instruction manual didn't make any sense, there was just something about flying that thing that give him an unbridled sense of freedom, of… happiness, almost. During the tests, anyway – he'd only gotten the chance to use it once in combat, much to his disappointment, and that was a failure because of an energy malfunction.

It just seems like we've been experiencing a string of failures after failures lately…. Call it bad luck, call it karma, call it Zero, but it sucks regardless.

Suzaku glanced over at Cecile and Lloyd. Cecile was as thin as a rake and stiff as a board – she admitted she hadn't gotten any sleep last night, and occasionally she would jump away from people that got too close. The sound of ringing metal seemed to bother her somewhat. Suzaku hoped it wasn't any kind of permanent PTSD – she seemed okay, just shaken. And possibly fearing for her safety. But she came to work regardless, like the grown-up woman Suzaku had come to know and respect. Lloyd was hiding his deep melancholy behind an aloof smile – Suzaku could almost feel the pain in Lloyd's eyes as the (former?) earl looked over his destroyed creation.

"At this rate, we'll have to start from scratch…" Cecile muttered, glancing over her data sheets.

"To some extent," Lloyd responded. "Lancelot took so long because we were experimenting with it, seeing what clicked, what didn't. But we decided on a final model, one that definitely works, and now all we have to do is order the parts again, follow the blueprints."

It's not so simple, is it?

"Assuming Prince Schneizel still wants to allocate his money for this project…"

"Mm. He will," Lloyd proclaimed.

Suzaku remembered seeing Prince Schneizel briefly after the night's events were over. Luckily, Princess Euphemia was okay, just a little surprised and spooked. Schneizel, however, said he was fine, but it was obvious something was off about him. He apparently remembered nothing about being interrogated by Zero – all he remembered was being found by Villetta's security detail, nothing before that.

What on earth did Zero do to Schneizel?

"We'll have to relocate," Cecile said.

"Already on it. Kurume set aside a facility for us. Coordinates are top-secret!"

"Good…"

"Alas, Kururugi, you know what this means."

Suzaku frowned.

"Without the Lancelot," Lloyd began.

"…No devicer's needed," Suzaku finished.

Cecile frowned, her eyes heavy. "We're sorry, but we aren't obligated to keep you here anymore because of the terms of our court document… we tried talking around it earlier today, but you're going back into active duty."

Suzaku tried to ignore the tears that threatened to spring into his eyes. He didn't want to go back. Lloyd and Cecile treated him like family. His status as a Japanese didn't matter to them… but his status as an Eleven determined everything in the military. He really didn't want to go back, back to the racism, back to the discouraging second glances and cold shoulders, back to officers that treated him as a conscripted asset at best, a meat shield at worst. He'd tried his best to earn their respect, but it was fruitless.

I'll have to go back to killing the Japanese again…

"Kururugi?"

Suzaku turned to the side, surprised to see General Bartley, still dressed in his stately uniform. Did he ever take that thing off?

"Yes, Sir?" Suzaku began, hesitantly.

"What brings you around, Aspirus?" Lloyd questioned, sorting through a toolbox.

"You're being transferred back into the military."

"…Yes, Sir. I'm aware, sir," Suzaku muttered, fatalistically.

"However, there's been a slight change of plans. You're going to be serving under me."

Suzaku blinked.

"Viceroy Jeremiah has okayed my proposition for forming an elite security team, composed of some of what I consider to be the best Britannian soldiers in Area 11. We decided it would be enough to compensate for the fiasco last night – officials and royals need more protection than we think, it seems."

"…But I'm not a Britannian."

"You're an Honorary Britannian. I'd argue that's, status-wise, close enough."

"And… the Viceroy—" A purist? "Ordered this?"

Bartley gave a tiny little smirk, adjusting his monocle. "For the record, Kururugi, he doesn't know. He gave me freedom to pick whomever I wanted."

Suzaku's breath hitched, filled with that same heady, impulsive excitement he felt when piloting.

"This would look excellent on a resume," Bartley slyly put in, and at that moment, Suzaku realized this General Aspirus knew a lot more about Suzaku than he let on.

I'll achieve nothing if I just waddle in obscurity for the rest of my life.

Eager to prove himself yet again, Suzaku nodded and dropped to one knee.

"I accept!"

"So dramatic," Lloyd chuckled. "But it looks like things are finally working out."

"Good for you, Suzaku," Cecile cooed, a bright smile on her face. Finally, things were looking up—

Wait.

"I will join you, sir… but I do have one question," Suzaku began, rising. "Will I be able to return to the Lancelot?"

Bartley rubbed his bald head. "I… suppose, that if the Lancelot is remade—"

"When," Lloyd butted in.

"—Then I will allow you to return to Asplund and Cecile."

"Thank you, sir," Suzaku exclaimed, bowing again.

"Mm. Now follow me. I'm going to get you up to speed."

[*****]

BLACK KNIGHTS WEAPONS DEPOT

Something about this kid was unnerving. Downright unpleasing. Lelouch felt a kind of cringey fear spring into his stomach looking at this so-called Rolo Ohtani. He was a short, thin little guy – it looked like he hadn't seen a day of hard work in his life. But the off-kilter look in his eyes and soldier-like stance was off-putting as all hell. Behind him were a series of rugged-looking terrorists Lelouch had immediately recognized as the members of Eitaro's resistance forces. He'd seen them on television more than a few times, and now they were here.

So that's that. All of the terrorist cells have either been destroyed, dwindled down to tiny remnants, or have shacked up with the Black Knights. I think we may have made history here.

"I present to you the remnants of the Opposition," Rolo said. "We've all taken a pledge to serve you in any capacity you need us to. Whatever role you see us as."

Even the way he talks is strange as all hell. Not necessarily the words themselves, but that tone… it's so achingly formal. It's like a robot.

"I thought Eitaro Terada was the leader of this particular group. Are you a messenger of some sort?"

"You could say that."

Lelouch offered his hand to Eitaro. "I've read about your conquests. Seen you on the news."

"And we've definitely heard a lot about you, Zero," Eitaro muttered, shaking back, albeit hesitantly.

"What made you want to join the Black Knights?"

Eitaro spared a glance at Rolo, then to Lelouch. "Convenience."

"I suppose that's a good enough reason as it is."

"If I join you, I want to have control over at least my squad," Eitaro immediately demanded, and Rolo glared at Eitaro.

Ballsy. Should've expected that, though. "Granted. But you ultimately answer to me."

"…Fine, sure."

"In the northwestern part of this facility, you'll find a blue-haired woman, Naomi. She's our logistics specialist and operation manager. She'll get you initiated, distribute uniforms."

The group left, but Lelouch gestured to Rolo, who obediently stood on the spot. Once again, Lelouch felt that strange, sinking feeling fill his head again.

"What's your ethnicity?"

"I am a hybrid. I was born to a Japanese mother, Chinese father."

"Were you born in Japan or the Chinese Federation?"

"Chinese Federation. I left to seek out my mother after my father passed away. After I figured out Area 11 had been occupied, I left my guardian and decided to join the resistance after an unfortunate encounter with the police."

Creepy creepy creepy creepy. "Aren't you a little young to be involved in a war?" Says the 18-year old.

"I am skilled in firearms, tactical weapons, physical training. My speed is unmatched."

And cocky, too. "…Go join up with Eitaro's group."

"As you wish, Zero." He left, never losing that soldierly tightness.

Lelouch sighed and got to work, checking over everything in the depot. Rakshata and her team were working to finalize the Guren and patching up any wounds the armor received last night – although Rakshata was peeved that her "baby" was wounded, she shrugged it off when Lelouch reminded her about his Sakuradite promise.

And I need to see Kyoto soon as well. Add that to the list.

Minami reported some of his findings on the news – Jeremiah and Villetta were back in office along with most of the Purists, save for Baron Kewell Soresi, who was still recovering from Mine-inflicted injuries but was reported to make a recovery soon. The location of their new office, however, was being kept a secret.

Shouldn't bother using my Geass in this scenario, Lelouch decided after a while of thought. They'll make their appearance again when they want to. We're both biding our time.

In addition, Diethard Reid was still receiving and manipulating the information the Black Knights were passing along. The media war was going to be an epic one, and Lelouch had to give Diethard credit where credit was due – he somehow managed to throw in pro-Black Knights propaganda into his reports without drawing any attention to himself.

Sugiyama began listing off the items they currently had in inventory – they needed more explosives, more tactical armor, and more uniforms, funnily enough. Tamaki was checking over and cleaning the weapons in question with Sugiyama – Lelouch hoped the idiot didn't shoot himself on accident. Yoshida was helping maintain the vehicles and heavy machinery, fixing any bugs they saw.

Kallen was helping Rakshata run some diagnostic tests; when she finally got a break, Lelouch walked up to her. She looked okay, all things considered. She wobbled lightly as she walked, and parts of her outfit were torn and stretched; it was obvious she was wearing some gauze underneath her red flightsuit. She turned to face Lelouch, wincing as she did so.

"Glad to see you're better, Q-1."

"Glad to be better… I'm sorry about the Guren, sir."

"Machines get destroyed. I've heard enough about that from Rakshata – she'll talk about that. At length."

Kallen smiled and gazed over the depot, settling her weight on the railing, sighing.

"Sigh?" Lelouch questioned, adjusting his gloves.

"Just… look at how far we've come," Kallen said, eyes gazing over the Depot as if it were an oasis. "In Shinjuku, we barely held onto anything. Getting those Knightmares was… well, a nightmare."

Lelouch snorted.

"We could barely hold onto our weapons and vehicles, let alone maintain them. We didn't have one of the world's best scientists working on our gear. We didn't have the media supporting us. We didn't have a headquarters. But now we do… it's just so amazing. We've come so far. Even in my wildest fantasies, I didn't think we'd get this far. I don't think I'm scared about the future anymore… now I'm just anxious. Anxious for the future to come along. For our dreams to come true."

All Lelouch could do was nod.

"And, bit by bit… those dreams are coming true. I'm just hoping I stay alive long enough for it all to… come together. Like a puzzle."

"…What brought this on?" Lelouch asked, airily.

"Ohgi leaving," Kallen confessed. "He asked me if I wanted to go with him, Tamaki and some others too… I just didn't have the heart to say yes."

"Why didn't you?"

"I made you a promise, Lelouch."

The sentimentality was simultaneously heartwarming and sickening.

"Still holding true to that, huh? Even if the world turns its back on you?"

Kallen chuckled. "It already did that a long time ago."

Same. "Ah."

"But even if that happens… I'll do what I think is right. And all of this… seems right."

Lelouch looked down, and he saw C.C. staring at him silently.

"Hopefully, you're right, Q-1."

You and I have a lot to talk about, Immortal Witch.

[*****]

CHINESE FEDERATION AIRWAY

The low hum of an airliner.

The light breeze of a cold, midnight wind.

The cilial effect of tired eyes and yawning mouths.

Relative silence. The only thing illuminating the dark fields were the headlights of the plane.

The two men began talking on the airline strip.

"Were you followed?"

"Doubt it. But you know I could tell if they were following me."

"That's true. You have that ability."

"Kudos to you, for organizing all of this. Or maybe us. Cos I helped."

"Let's just be grateful V.V. isn't around at the moment. Don't forget your mission."

"You betcha, Prince Clovis. A sleeper agent it is."

Clovis watched as his would-be savior (and inside man) walked over to the airliner, bound for Area 11.

"Oh, and uh, Clover?" the agent spoke up.

Clovis winced at that nickname, but he shook it off, burying his thoughts. "Aye? You have something to say?"

"If perchance I don't find the target, and you do, don't let V.V. get to it. Keep the cargo hidden. At all costs."

"Aye. I have a vested interest in our item's safety, as do you. And if I discover anything else of interest, you will be the first one to know."

"Kay."

"My honor is at stake. Don't fail me."

"You too."

Clovis' savior boarded the plane, and Clovis turned to the nervous, fidgety soldiers that had "offered" (i.e. been blackmailed into) assisting him and his savior.

"Orders, Your Highness?"

"Let's go back immediately. Wouldn't want V.V. finding out about your betrayal now, would we?"