A/N: Here is the next chapter. Hope it is enjoyable. Explanations at the end.

Gun Shop, Second Level of Tokyo Settlement. 10:30 p.m.

In the lower level of the Tokyo Settlement, among the commercial district, yet hidden in a corner shop, sat a little establishment named "Richardson Weaponry." It was a quaint little shop, nothing too fancy, but still effective in selling should someone need firearms. Its owner, a graying man, known as Mr. Richardson was known for his extensive knowledge of various forms of firearms. Little did most people know, he was actually a sympathizer, and frequently provided weapons for resistance members. Although Britannian himself, he was never one to think highly of his country, and born into a commoner family, faced his own discrimination from noblemen.

It was a slow day, nothing eventful really happened which he grew to enjoy. He usually stayed after hours to polish his guns, and tonight was such a night. Having closed shop hours ago, he sat in a spare room in the back of the building where he sometimes sat late into the night to clean his collection. After a few silent seconds, he heard a faint knocking and stopped. Nothing followed so he assumed it was his imagination. Continuing with his cleaning, he felt it was time for him to head home. So finishing his final gun, he stood from his stool, but again heard knocking. Waiting momentarily to see if it happened again, he heard a few more knocks.

"At this hour?" The older man wondered before going out to the front. Someone was knocking at the shop's door. Peering through the blinds, he saw a hooded figure at his door, and wearily shouted out, "Sorry, the shop is closed!"

The figure then pulled down their hood, revealing someone Richardson recognized. Going to the door, and opening it slightly, he peered through to make sure his eyes didn't deceive him. The girl's red hair was an obvious clue, "Kōzuki? What are you doing here?" He questioned the girl. They didn't know each other well, but he met with her brother back before he died. More acquaintances than anything, and in return he seemed to be the only Britannian their resistance cell seemed to cooperate with.

"I need to talk." Kallen stated seriously.

Richardson looked passed the door, and to each side. Seeing how no one was around he told her to come in quickly. She complied, and stepped into his little shop. After closing the door and locking it, he turned to face her, "It's late, a girl shouldn't be this far out from the residential district."

"Ohgi and the others are dead." Kallen interrupted bluntly.

The old man looked at her baffled before shaking his head, and walking over to his counter, "Seems bluntness runs in the family. Your brother was always straight to the point," He leaned on the counter, and crossed his arms, "I'm sorry about your loss, but that doesn't answer why you are here."

"I need you to help me contact the JLF." Kallen's reply was rather outlandish.

"Alright...did not expect that. What makes you think I could do that?" He questioned the girl.

"Every rebel cell in Tokyo knows you supply them with guns, so I need you to set up a meeting for me." Kallen explained.

"Wait, wait, wait...it's not like I know them by first name. Besides I wouldn't know how to start with "setting up a meeting"." Richardson argued.

Kallen stepped closer, and glared at the old man, "Everyone died so I could live. They sacrificed their lives, and I've done nothing but idly sit about for the last few days. I will not let their deaths be in vain."

The bespectacled man rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Listen...you probably don't want to hear this, but shouldn't you try and live a normal life? I mean, you fought hard with your friends, but maybe now is the time to stop."

Kallen seemed offended by his suggestion, and was going to retort when a resounding boom stopped her. The windows shook slightly due to the force.

Richardson walked over to the window, "What the hell was that?"

The clock read 11:00 p.m.

Shikine Island, Off the Coast of Tokyo.

Lieutenant Colonel Foyer rushed into the base's command center.

"What's the situation?" He questioned the various soldiers inside the command.

"At exactly 11:00 p.m., hundreds of enemy transports entered our radar's range. So far we the radar detects hundreds of transport boats, and at least a hundred aircraft. We theorize they purposefully kept a distance, so our radars could not detect them, but have now started heading toward Area 11."

"Quickly send this information to General Colivett in Area 11. He must prepare a proper defense." Foyer ordered only to be met with stares.

"That's the thing, sir. We've tried, but communications are down. Our array is still up, so it must be a problem with Tokyo's communications." He was informed.

"I doubt this is a coincidence. Quickly prepare the base for defense!" Foyer shouted to his men who moved about frantically.

"Sir, we've detected a battleship entering firing range!"

Not a second later, the base shook due to the impact of canon fire. Everyone were forced to the ground by the increase in fire.

Meanwhile on said battleship, General Cao of the Chinese Federation, and Atsushi Sawazaki stood within the command center deep inside the ship. Various monitors and radars displayed throughout the room, with various Chinese soldiers working at the stations.

"General, we've made contact with Shikine Island Base. Should be send a platoon to attack?"

The grizzled man shook his head, "No, merely continue the barrage with the battleship's canons. We must keep them from countering our invasion. The initial wave of Japanese soldiers must arrive without trouble. Keep targeting their anti-air turrets. We mustn't allow them to shoot down the VTOL gunners or bomber planes. We need them to secure a route for the VTOL transporting the Gun-Ru frames. Our main goal is to get a battalion into the Fuji mines!"

The Japanese man to his side looked at him confused, "General Cao, have you forgotten that our goal is to take the palace, and secure the various highways leaving the settlement?"

Cao didn't bother looking at the former cabinet member, "No, the High Eunuchs ordered me to keep the mines as top priority. With those captured, Britannia won't dare interfere."

Sawazaki grew serious, "You clearly don't know Britannia, they'll charge into the mines without a second thought."

Again Cao refused to face his counterpart, "Not if we rig the mines to blow. I doubt even Britannia could stand losing so much Sakuradite."

Sawazaki grew angry, "This was not a part of the plan! The High Eunuchs agreed to help if we established a direct trading of Sakuradite with China! Do you plan to take Tokyo for yourself!?" Sawazaki quickly turned confrontational, but was stopped by several Chinese grunts.

"You are ignorant, Secretary Sawazaki. Britannia will not stop merely because you take the capital. They'd rather sacrifice the 50 million Britannians living in Tokyo than admit defeat. That is why we must hold something they hold dear hostage. Their empire is built on Sakuradite, and luckily Japan is home to the largest Sakuradite mine in the world. If we threaten to detonate all the Sakuradite in the mine, we would not only take out their largest energy supply in the detonation, but most of Tokyo as well." Cao explained, causing Sawazaki to grow angrier.

"You madmen! An explosion of that magnitude would wipe most of central Japan off the map! All the Japanese within the ghettos would be turned to ash. The land we are trying to liberate would be heavily scarred by such an action!" Sawazaki shouted.

"The land you are trying to liberate. China cares not for the liberation of your nation, and would easily burn it down if it meant surpassing Britannia in at least one aspect." Cao replied coldly gaining a snarl from Sawazaki.

"It is clear you are unfit to be here, Secretary Sawazaki. The stress of such an expansive operation is too much for an office worker such as yourself. See to it that Sawazaki is kept away from this command center." Cao ordered.

Two soldiers grabbed the balding man by his arms, and begun dragging him out of the room, "My fellow countrymen will never listen to you! They'll never let you detonate Mount Fuji!" Sawazaki fought against the armored men, but was easily pulled away from the general.

"As if they have a choice. From here on, Tokyo shall be under the Chinese Federation's control." Cao replied indifferently. The time has come, the battle for Tokyo has begun.

He heard the cacophony of screams all around him. His view was obscured by a heavy cloud of dust, and black smoke. Yet he could not care about the chaos around him, or of his current state. The girl he held in his arms, as he knelt on the crumbled sidewalk, was all that mattered. Through the purple hue of his visor, he looked over her unconscious form, and grew angry as he looked at her injuries.

He was not fast enough to cover her whole body, and she suffered greatly because of him. The right side of her torso was badly burned, possibly third degree, he didn't know for sure. Her clothes were in shambles, leaving her modesty shattered, but he held her close. Afraid that if he released her for even a second he would lose her. Her head was less burnt, since it was semi-covered by parts of his cape when the explosion erupted, but that did not mean it was unscathed. It was red, and her skin was peeling while her hair was covered in dust and soot. What he ignored was her right leg, it took the most damage. Nearly black, her skin couldn't even be called such, as it was nothing but a bubbly, charred mess with blood seeping out.

When the first explosion erupted next to her he managed to tie his cape around her, and pull her towards him, and embraced her to cover her completely. He protected her from the next explosions which rang off next to him. At first he believed he merely wrapped his cape around her, but when the thick smoke cleared slightly he was met with a surprise.

Wings sprouted from his back. More specifically from the armor plates which protected his back. They parted the cape at their origin, and wrapped around him protectively. The left one was a black much darker than his cape, and the right one was a silvery white. They appeared to be feathers, similar to a bird, but at upon much closer inspection, they were still metallic in nature. Although their movement and appearance suggested otherwise, his new found wings were definitely made of metal. Something which he could only attribute to the supernatural. As they moved, some "feathers" would fall, and disintegrate into obscurity.

When he initially set his sights on Shirley, he thought she was dead, and he felt anger more than anything. After holding her in his armored arms for a few seconds he felt her movement. The gentle rising of her chest was also a clue. Shirley was alive, but she wouldn't last long. He needed to get her to the hospital and fast if she was to survive, and he now had the power to do so.

"This power granted my deepest wish once again. Like back in Shinjuku when I wanted to destroyed the white knightmare... When I fought it, I seemingly received the ability to take over knightmares. I must test it more to know its full extent. Though now is not the time to ponder over such overwhelming discoveries." Yet thinking about his fight with the white knightmare, and its explosive conclusion, he felt as though he had yet to realize something. He felt he knew the pilot, but his view of obscured by dust and smoke, only giving a blurred image of a pilot in white before the explosion overtook the area. He rid his head of lingering thoughts, he needed to focus on saving Shirley.

(A/N: Yes, this is real. I'll explain at the end.)

He stood with Shirley held in his arms, as if he were carrying a bride. His wings, worked in his favor and like his cape, they followed his thoughts. Bringing Shirley close, and wrapping his cape around himself to protect her, he readied himself to take off.

"Let us see how this works." Lelouch thought before he bent his knees slightly, almost instinctively. Although his knees were bent slightly, he pushed up ward with unexpected force which cracked the cement underneath his feet. He instantly shot upward, and cleared fifty feet. The sudden height made him subconsciously hold Shirley tighter. He looked down where he stood, and noticed how his takeoff blew the smoke from the area, causing several people to notice him.

Ignoring their shocked yells, he looked forward towards the direction of the nearest hospital, "More propulsion than I expected. I'll have to take it slowly for Shirley's safety." He thought before his wings flapped, and pushed him forward. He held Shirley tightly as he flew over highways. Even from this height he could see plumes of smoke rising in the distance.

"This was planned...whoever did this shall pay." He thought angrily before realizing he was near the hospital. Slowly descending, the entrance came into view. He could see various ambulances leaving the hospital, and various paramedics swarming the entrance. He thought to descend, and his wings flapped to slow him down enough for a calm landing.

The moment his metal boots hit the cement, he heard panicked shouts, and faced police officers aiming their handguns at him. His wings came apart into hundreds of feathers, before they all vanished.

"What the hell is that thing?!" A asked his comrades.

"I don't know, just keep aiming at it! If it moves unload everything you have!"

Lelouch didn't have time for this so he took a step forward causing the officer to take a frightened step back.

"Don't you move!" He tilted his head to face the officer who shouted at him. Said man turned pale at the sight of his emotionless, reflective visor.

"I suggest you put down those guns," Lelouch started, the venom in his modulated voice striking fear in the officers, "The moment you shoot, I will kill everyone here." It was not an empty threat, and Lelouch didn't give them time to doubt his words as he walked forward. With trembling fingers, the cops held their guns. Lelouch continued walking, and silently the cops agreed to break their makeshift defense line. Walking passed them, Lelouch walked towards the entrance. All the onlookers didn't dare stop him.

A female paramedic rushed out with her partner, too busy with her own thoughts to notice him, "Not only do we have several injured at the Concert Hall, but I just heard there's a fire at Ashford as well - ."

"What did you say!" Lelouch shouted louder than he intended, but he did not care as his mind raced with the worst scenarios.

The paramedic noticed him, and physically jumped back, her partner doing the same. They were struck with fear, so Lelouch shouted again.

"Answer!"

The two looked at each other unsure of what this armored beast wanted, but though back to what he previously asked, and faced him with as much courage as they could muster.

"Ashford...we heard the fire engine is heading there due to an explosion."

Lelouch's rage reached new heights, but he kept himself from running off in a frenzy. Unwrapping the his cape, he revealed the injured girl in his arms, "You will save this girl." He commanded as he handed Shirley over to the paramedics who grew shocked at the sight of the injured girl. They quickly took her from Lelouch, and called over another paramedic to cautiously brought over a stretcher. He turned, and with a thought his wings "sprouted" for lack of a better term.

"Know I hold you responsible for whatever happens to her." He stated calmly before taking off forcefully. He flew over the skyscrapers, and turned to face the direction of Ashford Academy. Even from here he could see the smoke rising. Without hesitation he blasted towards the school. Flying at speeds he couldn't measure, he saw the settlement below pass in a blur. His wings flapped every few seconds to keep him in the air, and as he neared the school he slowly began descending.

He could see the smoke, and fortunately it was no where near the council building where he lived with Nunnally. Passing through the smoke, he flew over his home, and landed a few feet in front of the entrance. His armor faded away as he deactivated his geass, and he ran up the stairs and went to open the door, but Sayoko beat him to it.

"Master Lelouch, you're alright." She sounded relieved. Lelouch went to pass Sayoko, but another explosion sounded in the distance. They both turned, and saw a small light emerge. Then they heard a high pitched whistling, so Lelouch ran down the stairs, and onto the pavement. He looked up to see a trail of smoke, and followed it. What he saw froze him. At least a hundred aircraft flew over southern Tokyo, which would soon cover the sky above him. The explosion he heard was from one of the gunships shooting a rocket in this direction.

"This is not a terrorist attack...it's an invasion!" Lelouch shouted as he ran back, and into the building.

"Sayoko, quickly prepare water, food, and first aid. I'll go get Nunnally!" He told the diligent maid. Without question she bowed her head and ran off to do as ordered.

Elsewhere Oz drove the car he stole from Spencer as far from the palace as he could. The bombs detonated as planned, so his job was done. He drove down a freeway which led south where his hotel resided. Luckily it was late so there were hardly any cars on the road. As he drove something in the distance caught his eye. He quickly realized what it was and veered his car to the ride in an attempt to dodge. The projectile made contact with the road and exploded. Oz rammed into a railing, and guarded himself against the explosion's shock wave which shattered the car's windows.

He felt small pieces of glass stab into him, but deemed the pain tolerable. Once it was over he exited the car, and looked up with wide eyes. Coming from the south, he could see hundreds of gunships and transports entering Tokyo airspace.

"What is this…?" He questioned baffled by the turn of events, "The JLF doesn't have the means to carry out something of this scale..."

He watched as several more missiles were released, and landed throughout various places in the settlement. The gunships neared, and he got a view of their distinction.

"The Chinese Federation...was Peace Mark lied to? This is not a liberation...its an invasion!"

Lelouch ran up the grand stairs which led to the second floor rooms. Mindlessly he maneuvered his way to Nunnally's room. He did not think about his steps or when to turn, merely to get to Nunnally and ensure her safety. The hallways were memorized, so he easily made his way to her room. Without checking if she was awake or not, he rushed inside and turned on the lights. She already sat up and was shaking.

"Brother?! It's happening again!" She exclaimed frightened.

Lelouch rushed to her side, at speeds far exceeding his normal athleticism. He brought her into his arms, and hugged her tightly, "I'm here Nunnally." He spoke softly to her. Despite the booms in the distance, he allowed her to have this comfort. The noises of war. The constant explosions overhead, the sound of gunfire ringing through the night. The sleepless nights they spent as they hid from the Britannian invaders. Not knowing if they'll survive another day. An entire month of uncertainty; of constant horror. Something children like them should never experience. Seven years ago, yet it seems so recent. Now it's happening all over again.

Lelouch ended their embrace, and used all his strength to pick up Nunnally's frail body. He carried her to her wheelchair, but the building shook and nearly threw him off balance.

Lelouch wondered what it was, but his curiosity lasted no more than a few seconds before Sayoko rushed into the room with a duffel bag hanging over her shoulder, "They've started a bombardment to the south, near the bay, and it will be over us any minute."

Lelouch cursed silently. The building they resided was a good distance from the main building where he planned for Nunnally and Sayoko to seek shelter. The Tokyo Settlement was build for natural disasters, thus it had various evacuations centers around the settlement which also acted as bunkers in case of an invasion. The problem was the nearest bunker was still quite far, and clearly they did not have the time. Thus he planned for them to hide in the Lifeline level underneath the school which was a single level above the sewer system. It was Ashford's personal bunker should the need arise.

It was no where near as large as the Tokyo Evacuation Centers, but served as a stable bunker for at most 100 people. The problem now was getting to the elevator which led straight to said level.

"Should I use my geass to get there? No, the moment I do, I'm sure to be spotted and attacked. I may be invulnerable, but they aren't. One miss step, and they'll be hurt or killed. As shown with Shirley, I am not all powerful. Somethings can never be defeated. I need Sayoko alive and well, so she can care for Nunnally and protect her when needed. I'll have to provide cover for them...I'll have to take down any ships which fly over that Academy."

"Then so be it..." He whispered.

He decided to ignore the wheelchair, and passed Sayoko who silently followed. Admittedly, he struggled to carry Nunnally, but he felt the need to hold her close since he did not know when he would again. It is clear he could not stall his plans any longer. After this attack is over, he needed to find the insurgents who planned it. They were nearing the main room where they would exit.

"Nunnally...you know the things I do, I do to protect you." He spoke softly.

She held onto him tightly with her arms around his neck, "Yes brother." She sounded confused by his increasingly somber tone.

"This is no different. I need you to be brave for me, and to be patient." Lelouch crossed the threshold, and was now outside and in front of the building. The sounds of gunfire and explosions were louder.

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

Lelouch was focused on the skies above, the swarm of aircraft parted slightly and were now flying over various parts of the settlement. He now got a clearer view of the crafts, and his features hardened. Most consisted of VTOL gunships, while some were merely VTOL carriers which transported knightmares, and the very design of the gunships and knightmares gave clues as to who was invading.

"The Chinese Federation, they've finally decided to act, but they could not have done this themselves. There are more players on this field, and I will find them." Lelouch commented with a near hiss, but quickly focused on his current task. Not noticing the worried look on Nunnally's face.

"Sayoko, take Nunnally, and head to the main building. Inside you'll find the elevator which leads to the Lifeline level. The code to the elevator is 6011." He walked up to the maid, she shared Nunnally's surprise.

"Brother, what about you? Where are you going?" Nunnally asked urgently, refusing to let go.

"Nunnally, I am such a useless brother. I constantly cause you to fill with worry and sadness, but I must be selfish now. I love you Nunnally, and want you to be safe and well, and eventually happy. That is why I need you to be brave and patient, because your big brother will bring you peace and happiness, but it will take time." Lelouch explained.

Nunnally began to understand and shook her head violently, "No! I don't need anything else! I only want to be with you, and live together with Sayoko, like before...like now!"

Lelouch kept himself from giving in, "I know Nunnally...I am tired of the constant war, and merely want a peaceful world for you and myself, but this cruel universe seems to do everything in its power to keep us from such a life. That is why I will wait no longer. I will fight the cruelty of this world, and bring about peace. Not for me, but for you Nunnally." Lelouch concluded their conversation, and silently gave Sayoko a knowing look.

The maid nodded, and took Nunnally in her arms, "Forgive me Mistress Nunnally."

"Wait, no! Don't go!" Nunnally shouted as she reached out for him.

Lelouch grabbed her arm, and kissed her forehead, "I love you, my dear sister. I promise, I will return."

He pulled out his cellphone, attached it to his ear, and pulled out the extendable mic, "Sayoko, call me the moment you are fully secured underneath the school, and not a second earlier."

It was the first time he actually looked at the maid, since she remained silent through his and Nunnally's conversation, but he could see the curiosity, and worry hidden skillfully on her features, but still protruding enough.

He felt the need to reassure her as well, "Sayoko, remember what we spoke about. Nunnally is the priority, so forget me, and be ready to die for Nunnally should that be necessary."

This didn't ease her confusion or concern, but she still bowed her head slightly, "Always...Master Lelouch."

Lelouch accepted her response, and nodded, "Then this is goodbye for now." He stated as he walked backwards away from Sayoko and Nunnally. He now stood a few feet away, and his eye suddenly glowed a vibrant red, and he was covered in armor instantly. Sayoko stood genuinely shocked.

"Go! I'll explain when I return!" He shouted, verbally kicking her into action. She turned and launched into a full sprint with Nunnally held firmly. She was quick, faster than the best athletes, as expected of the 37th successor of the Shinozaki School.

Lelouch's wings sprouted and split through his cape. He then leapt into the sky, his wings flapping as they worked to keep him airborne. He now had a clear view of the invading forces. The bombardment was rather light, given the Chinese Federation's expansive aerial forces. A hundred VTOL gunships, mixed with VTOL transports, and the four bomber planes. Though four was a good amount to cause destruction, but they were far too slow, thus they needed protection from ground and aerial fire.

This poses the question, what happened to the Settlement's defenses? What of the various radars which would detect such an invasion? The timing for this attack, is also too coincidental...is it possible they knew that Clovis was dead? They were smart to attack when the government was in shambles, but little did they know by attacking, they've angered him greatly. All that he holds dear resides within Tokyo, and this attack endangered them.

He faced the closest bomber, and pushed forward towards it. It was surrounded by six Chinese gunships, but he did not care. He needed to destroy any enemy over Ashford. His cape came to life and struck the two closest ships. The explosion shook the sky, and send the other gunship spinning.

He then landed on the dual engine plane which was bombing Tokyo. He grabbed the outside of the plane, crushing the panels, but not ripping them off. The high winds were hard to fight against, so he kept holding on for dear life. He then extended his cape to stab into one of the wings, and sent it through the right engine. The explosion ripped apart that side of the plane, and caused the giant machine to start losing altitude. Determining the current trajectory would pass over Ashford's grounds, he jumped off and opened his cape to test if the air resistance would catch like a sail. It did, and he slammed in (or rather through) another gunship, and was engulfed by the explosion.

"What the hell was that!"

Within the Battleship's command center, the various reporting soldiers were drowned out by the screams of the bomber squad.

"Bomber squad alpha, what is the situation?!" General Cao shouted.

"Evasive maneuvers now! Gah!" The captain of said squad's yell was followed by static.

"Captain Zhao, report!" General Cao shouted.

"General, Alpha squad was wiped out!" An operator shouted.

Cao turned to face said operator, "Do we know what wiped them out? Is it ground forces? Aerial forces?"

"I don't know."

The General scowled, and faced the map again. Several gunships were disappearing from the map, indicating their destruction, but it was only over a specific location A bit north from the bay, but not to far north to be in the center.

"Sir, the Japanese forces managed to get onto the main highway. Some claim to have visual on the area."

"Then pull it up!" Cao shouted angrily. The glass screen in front of him changed from a map into a small window which displayed live footage from a Gun-Ru. It was not a perfect live stream, but it gave a clear enough view. In the air in front of the highway, various explosions were seen. It was far, so Cao could hardly see anything, not to mention it was nighttime.

Then they saw it. The Gun-Ru zoomed in slightly, but it was still tiny. Not a jet fighter, or knightmare, just something humanoid.

"What is that?" General Cao asked no one in particular.

"Sir should they engage?"

Cao froze momentarily, wondering if they should attack the mysterious new enemy. It wiped out the gunships easily, but it stayed within the given airspace.

"What of the anti-air tanks?" The grizzled man asked.

"They are within range."

He nodded in understanding, "Order all within range to fire upon the enemy. It must be a new weapon created by Britannia, so hold nothing back!"

Meanwhile Lelouch remained in the air over Ashford, his eyes glued on the oncoming forces. By now the gunships broke formation, and purposely chose to attack him. Then several transports attempted to land on Ashford grounds, probably trying to get knightmares on the ground to fight him. He disposed of them, but they kept coming. As he eyed his next foes, he kept himself airborne. Sayoko should be only minutes away from entering the elevator, and with Nunnally safely underground, he could proceed with his other plans.

He was jolted from his thoughts when something rammed into him from behind. He elbowed whatever was behind him, and heard glass shatter, giving him indication that it was another gunship. The sudden loss of insulation did not stop the pilot, and Lelouch found himself in an odd position within the cockpit. The lower part of his back was inside, and his legs stuck out. Truthfully it was an odd position, almost humorous if it wasn't for the deadly situation he found himself in.

It was in this awkward, high velocity position that he heard his phone ring rather loudly in his ear. He kept himself from flinching at the sudden volume, and decided to lower the ringer's volume whenever he got the chance.

Having enough of this cheap attempt at an attack, he reached behind himself blindly trying to grab hold of the pilot who managed to slip from his grasp. After struggling, he managed to get a good hold on the pilot, and freed himself from his tight position with pilot in hand. As he plummeted toward the ground, he released his grip, managing to see the pilot's terrified face before stopping his descent.

The phone stopped ringing, but was quickly dialed again. Sayoko was the very definition of diligence. Undoing his helmet, he pressed the single button on the back of his phone, connecting the call.

"Master Lelouch, we have reached the Lifeline level." Sayoko's calm voice came from the receiver.

Various explosions rang around him, and some managed to smash into him which pushed him around in the air. Flapping his wings to clear the smoke, he turned toward the attack's direction, and noticed a good sized platoon took position on a secondary highway which eventually lead to one of Tokyo's main roads.

"Remain there until, you receive word from me, and no earlier. Should anyone other than me or any close acquaintance manage to get down there, they are to be apprehended or killed. Determining the course of action is completely up to you." Lelouch stated seriously.

"Understood." Sayoko replied before ending the call.

Lelouch dive bombed onto the highway, crushing the road underneath where he crashed. Without hesitation he jumped toward his enemies, and easily disposed of the closest tanks. As he did so, he noticed the very proudly displayed Japanese flags which confused him.

"The JLF is nowhere this big, even without the Chinese Federation. the JLF could not boast such an impressive army, and it seems all the forces on this road are Japanese." Lelouch thought. It was made obvious by the rising sun displayed on their uniforms which also matched tradition Japanese uniforms similar to those worn by the JLF. Yet the tanks and knightmares they used were Chinese which meant they allied themselves with the country in some form. He heard of Japanese exiles living in China, the numbers unknown. Could this be them, but to think there would be so many. It could be possible the exiles were working with the JLF, but as of now he was not sure.

Although they were fighting for the liberation of their country, he could not condone their actions. Britannia calls them terrorists, and they were acting the part now. Planting bombs all over Tokyo, and possibly killing who knows how many people. He witnessed one of the bombs go off first hand, and to say it was destructive is putting it mildly. Given he was only focused on the injured Shirley, so he did not observe the total destruction. Yet from what he heard and briefly saw, Shirley was not the only one injured, and was actually lucky to survive.

A giant caliber flew through the cloud, and rammed into him. He was blown off his feet, and sent further away from the Japanese forces. Seems they decided to formed a line of knightmares, backed by various tanks. Meanwhile the air above him was occupied by gunships, and arriving transports which dropped off more dome shaped knightmares.

They "closed" off his exit, surrounding him completely. He did not have time for this. The aerial forces were heading further north. Though he did have a chance to end this, although it was very slim. His posture relaxed, and he stood straight. His cape shrouded him again, and he faced the initial force which came from the south. His back was against the newcomers which dropped down.

The gunships shines their bright searchlight on him, as if the surrounding city lights weren't illuminating enough. Thanks to his tinted helmet, they weren't much of a nuisance, but still made him feel as though he was the main attraction of some strange show.

Ridding such ridiculous thoughts, he faced the towering knightmares whose guns were pointed at him. Yet they did not fire. Someone was interested in him.

"I will only ask this once!" He started, knowing he was being observed through the various cameras on the knightmares and grunts. Whoever led them got a clear view.

"Tell me who is leading this invasion, and where they are! Maybe then I'll consider letting you soldiers live! You Japanese men and woman who fight for your home are deserving of such mercy, but the invaders from China who use you for their own gain do not! This is it, this is where you choose life or death!" Lelouch's voice boomed over the cacophony of noise coming from the machinery present. Although it was not all that loud, it still managed to hold a superiority over the noise surrounding him.

Within the Chinese battleship, the operators all sat still, watching the main screen in the room. General Cao stood silently, the figure shown clearly on the giant screen in front of him.

"Secretary Sawazaki, what are your orders!"

Various voices of Japanese soldiers flooded in. Cao growled as they addressed the removed secretary. It was clear they considered the newcomer's proposition, although they hid it well, their fear seeped through their voices.

Cao saw it plain as day. He was losing them, and without the thousands of Japanese soldiers, his forces would be diminished greatly. Not to mention, the small band of JLF members who abandoned their cause for this chance, would grow suspicious as well. Sawazaki was locked away in the ship's cells, and Cao was too proud a man to go calling for the Secretary's help, so he needed to take control of this situation quickly.

"Connect me to one of the Gun-Ru's speakers!" He shouted to no one in particular, but various operators sprang at the order. The connection was made, and Cao readied his speech.

"Do not pay attention to this thing! Britannia believes you to be cowards thus they use such false words in an attempt to have you surrender! Know this, servant of Britannia, these men and woman know too well the evil that is Britannia, and they will not allow themselves to die like dogs! Proud soldiers of Japan, you who were turned into a mere number in Britannia's eyes, show them that they are wrong! Show them your pride! Your strength! Your determination! For today is the day Japan is liberated! Do not let this hindrance stop you! All forces fire upon the enemy!"

The Japanese forces remained still for a second, eyeing each other, and waited for the first move. It came from above, a rocket which hit Lelouch erupting in a grand explosion. This set off the barrage of bullets and missiles making contact with him. Again he found himself off balance, and being thrown around wildly due to the giant bullet round and explosives. He did not have time for any of this. Tokyo was still under attack, and those he cared for were caught in the crossfire. Though with his marred view, he could hardly keep himself up, so within explosions he would send his cape upward to cut down the gunships overhead, but would soon be thrown off his feet.

Growing tired of the attack he extended his arms wide, and held his palms wide open. His left hand pointed north while his right hand pointed south.

"Stop!" The same symbol from Shinjuku appeared in both of his palms. Glowing brightly an inch in front of his hands. The barrage halted suddenly, but did not stop all together since not all the shooters were knightmares. Believing this the perfect escape, he focused his power on the knightmare cores, pushing them into overdrive.

His wings appeared, and he took off into the sky, clearing some of the smoke. Busting his way through the aerial barricade, he flew high into the sky before the knightmares exploded. The highway soon collapsed from the force. Although these knightmares did not explode as much as the white knightmare back in Shinjuku, they still held the familiar pink glow, and were destructive when in succession.

He did not stay to admire the destruction, and was drawn to smoke arising somewhere it shouldn't. The north west, the high end district. It made no sense, the invaders were nowhere near the north, They were nearing, but even the closest were further east than west, and they were mere gunships, not transports. He made sure most transports stayed south of the Viceroy's Palace which was the center of Tokyo. Yet the smoke he saw came from north of the palace. It was possible some invaders managed to get passed him, but to get so far, and only focus in one area? Something was not right.

"I don't like this..." He said before flying toward the district.

A/N: Lelouch has wings?! What?! That is one of the more obscure and vague abilities this geass gives him. Although it is not directly stated in the manga, there are scenes where he uses them, so I've taken a few liberties with the explanation.