First, I'd like to say I'm sorry this is kinda late! Almost a whole week... Hahaha... I've been feeling a little under the weather, and I've had a bit more homework than usual, and on top of that my mom tends to jack my laptop because hers broke. Aha, oh well. Without further ado, here's the third (albeit kind of short) chapter! Please enjoy!

Also, I figure I might put chapter 4 up this weekend to add suspense, because if I stick to Thursday updates, it won't be suspenseful enough. Besides, where's the fun in updating 2 days in a row? Stay tuned, my lovely fans!

The weekend came around, but I felt it would be uneventful. Suzaku had left after a call from Cecile and Lloyd, so it was just me and N.N. for the day. I scrolled through the channels for something to keep me occupied, lying idly on the couch.

"Huh...? Who's this guy?" I stopped clicking away, seeing a masked man who apparently called himself Zero.

"I aim to better the world, and that starts with eliminating the oppression of the Britannian Empire..." He went on for a while, but I found myself distracted and stood up, stretching my arms.

"Someone actually rebelling against the Empire... I envy his courage. But what can he possibly do? He's just some guy in a costume, with a fake identity and a fake bravado to match..."

N.N. looked over at me, popping some grapes into his mouth. "Who can say for sure? He may prove to be the hero Japan needs, and if that should be the case, he'd soon gain an army. Even small numbers can be victorious if the leader so has the power."

I chuckled. "We sure are putting a lot of thought into some cocky vigilante, aren't we?"

"What can bring about the most change is often overlooked," he responded.

"Well, whatever. You want to go out and do something? You'd think I'd be more used to being home with little to do but I'm itching to get out."

"Hmm? What do you have in mind?"

Walking to the door, I shrugged. "We'll just see what fate has in store."

Once we were outside, we wandered about, murmurs of Zero popping up every now and then. I turned to talk to my immortal companion, but my eyes were quickly drawn to the sound of an angry, pained shout.

"You damn Britannian bastards! I hope that Zero really does wipe you out!"

One of the Britannians delivered a swift kick to his ribcage. "Shut up, filthy Eleven! That fool is nothing but a coward, and we'll see to it that he regrets his decision to go against the mighty Britannian Empire!"

The other Britannian sneered at the man on his knees. "It's very naïve of you to believe in someone hiding behind a mask. How can you be sure he's not trying to butter you all up? He may be a threat to the Empire, but I see no reason you should get your miserable little hopes up."

They proceeded to cackle and assault the man. I narrowed my eyes and stepped forward. "Hey, leave him alone." Three pairs of eyes fell on me, and a few surrounding stopped to see what was going on, but continued on with their business.

The taller one, who had started the beating, let out a barking laugh. "And just what are you going to do to stop us?"

"I'm glad you asked." I smirked, looking into his eyes. A triumphant feeling washed over me as his knees buckled and he grunted in pain.

The shorter one, who had a thin mustache and a snooty air about him, stared, bewildered. "Wh-what are you?! How did you do that?!"

"Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to kill him. Now, you'll go and not speak a word of this to anyone, won't you?" A quick glance around showed that no one had really been paying much attention. What was one Japanese to several haughty Britannians? The Britannian attackers, one grimacing, hurried off after casting me indignant glares.

I helped the Japanese man to his feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you." He looked suspicious and wary. "Have a nice day, miss."

I nodded cheerfully, happy with my success. "You too."

N.N. was straight-faced, but seemed almost impressed. "Well done, Asami. You see, your power isn't all bad."

An idea came to life within my head, and I looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I suppose it isn't really meant to be."