I don't own Code Geass

...

Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11, 2017

"Are you the man I was supposed to meet?" Kaname Ohgi flinched at the woman's annoyed tone.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I'm Kaname Ohgi, and I've been selected as the rep-"

"I couldn't care less about who you are. Just point me to the drop off point so we can begin operations," the woman said coldly, moving past Ohgi to get into the slum. Ohgi frowned, annoyed, but bowed to the woman in obedience.

"Please follow me," he said, power walking in order to get in front of her and lead the way.

It only took them a few minutes to arrive at their destination: a large, bombed out auditorium that had been repurposed as a field hospital. Within its confines, the inhabitants of the ghetto and refugees from Saitama awaited, huddled together in wailing masses. The groans of the wounded and the dying were punctuated by the screams of children as they cried out for their parents.

Ohgi had been here for several hours trying to create some kind of order out of the miserable figures while they waited for the Britannians to arrive with the medical supplies. He was still shocked at the generosity of the monsters who had tried to butcher them. Worried that it might be some kind of trap he had contacted Zero, intending to warn him. The rebel leader had surprised Ohgi when he told him that it was his doing and to cooperate with the agent the Britannians sent.

"Here we are," he said, turning to the woman. He frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked as he observed the widening of her eyes and the dropping of her jaw. Her jaw snapped shut but the look of astonishment never left her eyes.

"I'm fine," she said forcefully. "Let's get started."

Private Viletta Nu marched brusquely past him, leaving Ohgi behind to stare at her retreating back.

….

Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11

"Of the troops that were fielded at least thirty-six percent were reported as casualties, including almost three squads worth of KMF's and…" the speaker trailed off uncertainly, glancing up at the Viceroy. Cornelia caught him with a stony glare. "All of those who were aboard the G-1."

The only sign of the Viceroy's discomfort was the way she clenched her hand into a fist. The aide coughed and continued. "Per the Viceroy's instructions for a full investigation it has been concluded that demolition charges were placed on several of the support beams keeping the highway suspended. Once detonated, the weight of the road and the vehicles on it brought it down. For the sake of this debriefing we can confirm that all of those who were on the highway when it was demolished are KIA.

"It is not yet known how the terrorists knew where to place the charges, nor for that matter how they were able to prepare so quickly for our arrival."

That's simple enough, Cornelia thought angrily as the aide sat down. There's a spy in our midst. When she had calmed down after Darlton's death it had been simple to realize that Zero had known they were coming. Every defensive emplacement had been carefully planned out, every trap laid perfectly. He had even known where they were going to park the G-1. And that meant that she couldn't trust a single man in her entourage.

Well, except for Guilford, she amended. With that in mind, Cornelia had secretly assigned her Knight a special assignment: track down the leak and plug it.

"If Zero knew where we were going to be, why didn't he destroy the bridge while Princess Cornelia was still aboard?" one of the nobles asked, bringing Cornelia out of her thoughts.

"He meant to capture me, you fool," she scoffed contemptuously, turning her scolding eyes on the noble in question. "If Zero managed to take me prisoner, Princess Euphemia would have become Viceroy in my stead. He could have made any demand of her he wished, including freeing Area Eleven."

And Euphy would do it too, the Viceroy admitted wryly. As much as Cornelia loved her sister she wasn't blind to her faults. She followed her heart which, while endearing and a part of what made Cornelia love her so much, meant that she was much more prone to make mistakes. Her little escapade into Shinjuku had been a near heart attack that was only slightly ameliorated with the knowledge that she had been accompanied by a Britannian soldier, a relief that vanished when she learned just who that soldier was.

Keep your filthy hands away from my sister, Kururugi, Cornelia silently warned, or you'll answer to me.

"The trap we made for Zero backfired," Cornelia declared. "I accept full responsibility for our defeat and the casualties incurred. See that the families of the fallen are compensated for their loss. Several officers have put subordinates up for commendations. None are to go below Third Class.

"Place an order to the manufacturing plants to replace the Knightmare Frames we lost in Saitama. Send out a recruitment call to refill the slots that are now unoccupied. I'll encourage academy instructors in the Area to speed up the training of new Knights to pilot them.

"It should go without saying that any information coming out of Saitama needs to be suppressed. We cannot allow the Elevens to know of Zero's victory. I will not tolerate any act of rebellion." She stood.

The nobles rose as she did, waiting expectantly. "If that is all," she said, "then I will consider this meeting adjourned. All Hail Britannia!"

Their arms crossed their bosoms.

"All Hail Britannia!"

…

Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11

"Our top story tonight, construction crews are reeling after a terrorist attack that left dozens dead.

"The attack occurred three days ago during an urban renewal effort in Saitama Ghetto. Crews were hard at work laying the foundations for new apartment buildings when terrorists calling themselves the "Yamato Alliance" opened fire on unarmed workers. They were quickly met by forces under the command of Viceroy Cornelia, who was overseeing the reconstruction personally. All of the terrorists who participated in the cowardly ambush have been confirmed as deceased.

"The amount of casualties taken by Britannian forces has not yet been confirmed, nor the rumors of the involvement of the masked terrorist Zero, the alleged assailant of previous Viceroy Prince Clovis.

"We'll continue to update you as the story develops."

"How terrible," Shirley Fennette said as she covered her mouth in horror. "How could they do that to innocent people?"

"Not only that," Rivalz added, grimacing, "how could they do something that would hurt their own people? They were building new homes for the Elevens!"

"It's despicable," Suzaku said angrily. "They're too cowardly to fight real soldiers so they target people who can't fight back."

"What do you think Kallen?" Shirley asked, turning to her. She was surprised to see the young woman's stricken expression. "Are you okay Kallen?"

Kallen's head snapped to and nodded. "I-I was just thinking about all those people that got killed," she stammered weakly. "They said Zero was involved. Do you think he might have been captured?"

"I doubt it," Lelouch said, his eyes glued to the budgetary papers under his pen. "If the Viceroy had managed to catch him, she'd be singing it to the hills. If he was involved, they certainly don't have him in custody. Now can we please get back to this paperwork? I'd rather have it done before nightfall."

"What's got you in such a pinch Lelouch?" Rivalz asked as he sat down. "Used to be you were barely involved in this kind of thing, now it seems you're on top of all your studies."

"Nearly being killed changes your perception on a few things," Lelouch replied as he made some notes on a request form. "There's a lot of things in life that I've been taking for granted and I intend to correct that."

Listen to Lulu, Shirley thought with a smile. So much more mature than he used to be. The reason for his newfound maturity made her frown, however.

When Suzaku first started attending Ashford Academy, Lelouch had immediately had him inducted into the Student Council, and had told them about Shinjuku. Her heart had ached at the carnage that her Lulu had seen, and she had been terrified at his description of almost being killed by Britannian soldiers.

It almost seems like a good thing though, she couldn't help but muse as she watched Lulu work. He was intense, focused. He was spending more time with them and was taking the club work much more seriously than he used to.

Lelouch's regaling of them with Suzaku's part in saving his life in Shinjuku had more than softened the others up to the prospect of an Honorary Britannian joining their ranks, though Nina was still nervous around the young man. Rivalz and Milly had warned up to him immediately and Kallen, also a new inductee, worked with him rather closely after some initial distrust. And of course there was the fact that he and Lulu were old friends.

If Suzaku knew Lulu as a child, I might be able to learn something more about him, Shirley thought. Pushing the happy thought aside for the time being, she picked up her pen and began her own paperwork.

…

Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11

They're just Elevens, Viletta told herself for what had to have been the hundredth time as she directed the medics to a fresh batch of injured. The cold epithet did nothing to stop the sick feeling in her stomach.

At first she hadn't known where to send the doctors. So many people were injured, from debris and accidents to shrapnel and bullet wounds. Even now, fourteen hours in, they still had not treated even a third of the people gathered.

We're beginning to run low on supplies, she thought morbidly as more crates of bandages and medicine were hauled in. There's no way we can treat all of these people in just one day.

She gritted her teeth in sudden anger. What the Hell am I thinking, she stormed. Why should I care about how a bunch of Elevens are doing? A snarl crossed her face and her hands clenched. They should all just be-

Someone tugged on her hand. She whipped around, ready to rip the head off the offender, but saw no one. She quirked her head left and right, confused. She felt her pant leg being tugged. She looked down.

Down into the eyes of a girl no older than six. Viletta was stupefied. The girl held up her right hand in a careful fist, the thumb of her left hand poked into her mouth. She grunted around the finger. Viletta stared down at her in shock. The girl grunted again, insistent. Viletta continued to gape at her.

"I'm sorry about this, don't worry, I'll take her back." The Eleven- Ohgi isn't it? - pressed his hand gently but firmly into her shoulder, directing her away from the stunned woman. "This way child, your guardians are worried about you." Viletta heard her squeal in protest and watched as the girl shoved her fist into Ohgi's stomach. Ohgi curled over her and did something Viletta couldn't see. She heard him say to her, "Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets it. Thank you." He stood back up and shepherded her over to a group of elderly women, putting whatever it was she had given him into a pocket on his coat.

The Eleven spoke to one of the women then returned, scratching his head. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly. "She got away from her guardians. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again."

"What did she want to give me?" Viletta asked, still staring at the girl.

"Huh?"

Viletta huffed impatiently. "You told her you'd make sure I got something from her, so what is it?"

Ohgi shrugged uncomfortably and stuck his hand in his coat pocket. "Hold out your hand," he told her. Viletta ignored the flash of annoyance at having an Eleven telling her what to do and stuck out her hand.

Oghi pulled his hand out and covered her own. He pulled away, leaving in her hands a slip of pink folded paper.

"What is this?" Viletta asked, cradling what appeared to be a paper bird.

"It's an origami crane," he answered. "According to folklore, if a person was to make a thousand of them, they could make a wish for whatever they wanted."

Viletta looked up at him in wonder. "Why did she give this to me?" she asked.

"I think she was trying to say "Thank you"," Ohgi replied, diverting his eyes to where he'd taken the child. "Her guardians say she doesn't talk, so this was her way of expressing gratitude."

"You keep using the word "Guardians"," Viletta observed. Though she could guess the answer, she had to know: "Where are her parents?"

The Eleven shook his head sadly. "They don't know, and she's not telling. She and her family were living here when Prince Clovis' troops arrived. I guess," he continued quietly, "they were killed in the crossfire."

Viletta's heart seemed to jump into her throat. All of a sudden she found it hard to breathe.

She whirled around, marching away as hastily as she could, ignoring Ohgi's worried calls as she sped away.

…..

A.S.E.E.C. Headquarters, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11

Milly Ashford checked her watched impatiently as she sipped her tea. She'd been waiting for more than an hour for her latest suitor to show up and she was beginning to get annoyed.

What kind of man stands up his potential bride-to-be? She fumed. It had been a surprise when she learned that her latest suitor would be meeting her at the military installation where he worked. When she arrived, she had been quickly shuttled to his office by Major Cecile Croomy, his assistant in R&D and chief designer.

"Lord Asplund is hard at work right now on one of our projects," she had explained apologetically, "but I'll make sure he's up here in a few minutes."

"A few minutes my ass," Milly said out loud, taking another angry sip of tea. What could possibly be keeping him?

"That's it!" she declared after another ten minutes had passed. "I'm leaving."

The second she said that, the door to Earl Asplund's room slid open, revealing Major Croomy dragging a white-haired man by the arm into the small office. "I am so sorry, Lady Ashford," she apologized. "The work we were doing ran overlong and I couldn't pull him away until now."

"Why are you apologizing, Cecile? It's not like we're missing anything important," Earl Asplund said.

"Lloyd!" Cecile squeaked, horrified. "You're speaking to the heir of the Ashford Family, the most prestigious group in the Area!"

"That prestige didn't exactly help them when Empress Marianne was killed so I don't see why you should bring it up now."

"Lloyd!"

"I'm sorry," Milly said, shaken and feeling hurt. "I'm afraid I've interrupted something important. I'll be going now."

"No, please Lady Ashford, Lloyd's tired and being impolite-"

"I feel fine actu- ugh!"

"-and will apologize presently," Major Croomy finished, pulling her elbow out of the Earl's rib. She turned a sickly sweet smile on him. "Won't you Lloyd?"

The Earl coughed than made a deep bow. "Lady Ashford, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my thoughtless words, I meant no disrespect."

Milly nodded, saying, "I accept your apology in full, Lord Asplund."

Before she could make to leave, Major Croomy said loudly, "Now that that's been settled, I'll leave you two to your date." Before Milly could say anything otherwise, the major stepped out quickly and closed the door.

An awkward silence descended upon the pair. Milly was seriously considering finding an excuse to leave when Lord Asplund said, "Well, you've come all this way, may as well enjoy it. Please, Lady Ashford, sit down."

Milly followed through with his request, watching as he sat down and poured himself a generous helping of tea. He took a sip, making a face as he swallowed. "Blegh!" he said, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tea's gone cold. How long has it been sitting here?"

"Over an hour," Milly said, smiling pointedly at him. "Incidentally, that's how long I've been here."

"What a happy coincidence! If I may ask, why didn't you keep the heat going?"

"Unfortunately the sad fool who occupies this office doesn't have a hot plate to keep the heat on."

"I shall have to speak with this man; he clearly has no idea how to treat fine tea!"

Milly giggled girlishly. "I don't think you'll have to go too far to find him." They both laughed, high and loud and utterly false.

It did not take long for silence to once more settle among the two, one no less uncomfortable than the last. Finally Lord Asplund coughed quietly and said, "Lady Ashford, may I be completely honest with you?"

Arching a fine eyebrow inquisitively Milly said, "Certainly, Lord Asplund, I would ask for nothing less."

"Please don't call me "Lord Asplund"," Lord Asplund said, waving his hands in front of him. "It's far too formal and I've never been one for such niceties. Please just call me Lloyd."

"If that is what you prefer, Lloyd. And please, call me Milly."

"Thank you," Lloyd said, relaxing in his seat. "What I said when I first came in here is the absolute truth, Milly: for all the prestige your family has, politically your name is mud. You've been stripped of all rights and titles as reserved for the nobility, no matter the pretensions your family amounts to. You have plenty of wealth but we both well know you can't simply buy your way into the nobility. Thus this marriage: a chance to make connections with a powerful family, namely the Asplunds, and your slingshot back into the Court.

"Being the only child of the Ashford Family, you've essentially been prostituted out to the highest bidder so your parents can call themselves "Lords" again. But the fact of the matter is that, other than your attractiveness, which I really don't care about, and your obvious wealth, there is literally no reason for anyone to marry into the Ashfords. Have I got this right so far?" He paused, awaiting her answer.

Milly nodded, stunned. Never before had one of her "dates" gone like this- usually the prospective husband would spend the entire time complimenting her looks, if not ogling her openly, and they usually ended with her doing something to throw them off her back. Now she sat before a man who'd kept her waiting for more than an hour, insulted her and her family to her face, and given a concise and logical reason as to why he shouldn't marry her.

"If, in your opinion, that is the case," Milly asked, "then why did you agree to this date?"

"Because while I don't care as to whether or not you are pretty," Lloyd said, pulling off and rubbing the lens of his glasses on his coat, "there is something in your family's possession that I do happen to want."

Confused, Milly asked, "And what would that be?"

"The Ganymede," Lloyd answered simply, sliding his glasses back on. "An experimental Knightmare Frame piloted by Empress Marianne herself before her untimely death. She used that machine to push Knights like Bismarck Waldstein to the absolute breaking point. While it has nothing on what I'm currently working on, I would like to study it and acquire data that I may have use for on my own projects."

"So you want to marry me to gain access to an old Knightmare?" Milly asked. The thought made her feel offended.

"Precisely!" the Earl said tactlessly. "The machine holds too much value for your family to ever sell it and they'll likely keep the blue prints tucked away in the hopes of mass producing it on their own later on. Marrying you is the only way I'll ever get my hands on it."

Milly drew in a deep breath. "Considering you've just given away your entire reason for this," she asked archly, "why should I now go along with it?"

"Has anything really changed my dear?" Lloyd returned, frowning when he unconsciously took a drink of the tea. "If you say no to my marriage proposal you'll simply be shuffled off to the next noble in line who wants to cash in on the Ashford fortune and their daughter, and where would that leave you? Eventually you'd have to choose someone with much less noble intentions than I."

"As if your intentions are in any way noble," Milly retorted.

"I am at least being honest about what I want," Lloyd pointed out. "I'm not interested in taking you to bed or forcing you to be anything you don't want to be. If you want a boy, or girl if that's your thing, on the side, be my guest. If you want to live in a separate home as far away from me as possible I'll be perfectly fine."

"In other words a relationship without an actual relationship," Milly pieced together. Lloyd beamed at her.

"Exactly."

It's a tempting offer, she had to admit. What Lloyd was offering her would allow her to fulfill her family's wishes but also remain her own woman. She'd be married but she'd still have her freedom.

Still, the thought didn't sit entirely right with her. Or rather, a certain boy's possible reception kept her in doubt. How would you feel about this, Lelouch? She wondered. She looked up at Lloyd hesitantly.

"Is it okay if I take some time to think it over?" she requested.

The Earl shrugged, nodding politely. "Take your time," he told her. "I have plenty here to occupy me while you make your decision. Just remember everything I've said."

Milly nodded in assent. She grabbed her hand bag, made a polite farewell, and strode out the door.

…..

Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11

Where is she? Ohgi wondered frustratedly as he searched the streets around the auditorium. He was nervous: if the other Japanese in the Ghetto saw a Britannian woman on her own, let alone a soldier after the massacre, well, he really didn't want to think about how well that would go over.

"Private Nu!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Where are you? We need you back with the injured! Private Nu!" He received no response. He stumbled over a pile of rubble as he made his way further into the ghetto.

He found her standing in the bombed-out ruins of an old café, her back turned to him, shoulders shaking.

"Private Nu," he said, quiet enough to not echo but loud enough that she would hear him. She made no indication to having heard him. He stepped closer. "Viletta," he asked in shushed tones, "are you alright?" He laid his hand gently on her shoulder.

She jerked away from him as if she had been burned, turning around. The sight of her astounded him: her hair was frizzy and out of place, dried mascara trailed in lines down her cheeks, and her eyes were large and puffy. And, in a way he hadn't noticed before, she was unmistakably beautiful.

Perhaps it was the vulnerability she was showing now, the shedding of the quintessential Britannian shell that had surrounded her, the very humanity that now shown so clearly in those watery eyes, but she now seemed to be the most extraordinary creature he had ever seen.

Ohgi swallowed audibly, then checked himself. What am I thinking? he berated. Get in gear Kaname. She's Britannian. "You shouldn't be out this far, Private Nu," he said, checking around them. "There are some bad men out here who would take the chance to jump a Britannian woman."

"Why should you care?" Viletta demanded, her voice choked. "Isn't that what you want? Isn't that what all of you Elevens want? To see all of us dead and gone?"

"What? No I-"

"And why shouldn't you," she railed, throwing her arms out to encompass the destruction around them. "Look at what we did! We destroyed your homes, your families, your very way of life! Why shouldn't you want us all dead? We leave you in squalor and poverty and only return to take more from you."

"What's brought all this on?" Ohgi couldn't help but ask. "What happened, Private Nu?" Her eyes bulged as he moved towards her.

She stepped away from him, seemingly trying to escape, but tripped over a fallen sign post. She fell to her knees, her hands coming down instinctively to protect her from the fall. She stayed there, turned away from him. Before he could go to help her she began to speak.

"We killed that girl's parents," Viletta choked out. "My unit was the one that burned Shinjuku to the ground. Our orders were to destroy the Ghetto, to leave no one alive."

Ohgi couldn't speak. She took note of that. "Now that concern of yours disappears. Do you hate me now, Ohgi? Would you kill me if you had the chance?"

Silence reigned between them for several minutes. Ohgi moved slowly towards her. Viletta looked up at him, exposing her neck to him, waiting. He crouched down in front of her and, reaching out, pulled her into a warm embrace.

Ohgi felt her stiffen in surprise but she didn't say anything. When he spoke his voice was firm, but not unkind. "I don't hate you. I can't speak for my fellow Elevens, but I don't hate you. Nor for that matter do I hate Britannians in general." He thought of Kallen as he spoke and her half-Britannian blood.

"Why?" Viletta asked, astonishment coating her tone. "Why don't you hate me? You should hate me."

Ohgi couldn't honestly answer her question so he said instead, "I was a teacher before the war. All I want is to stand inside a classroom again." He squeezed her a little tighter. "Hatred," he concluded, "has no place inside a classroom."

With no response forthcoming they stayed like that, huddled together in the cold ruins of Old Japan.

…..

Ashford Clubhouse, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11

Nunnally would describe herself as being exceptionally happy whenever Lelouch was around. Her state now, as her brother chatted amiably with their old friend Suzaku, could only be described as euphoric.

We're finally all together again, she thought happily. Granted they had reunited several days ago, but for Nunnally these visits seemed like once in a lifetime occurrences that could end at any minute. And considering Suzaku's occupation as a Britannian soldier, that possibility was a very real and frightening one.

"Come on Suzaku, it can't be that bad," Lelouch laughed as Suzaku finished describing his latest insane workload from his "mad scientist" boss.

"It is that bad!" Suzaku protested, though Nunnally could hear his smile. "The guy doesn't install ejection systems into any of the projects he's working on."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Nunnally asked, worried for Suzaku and his coworkers.

"It is," Suzaku confirmed, "but he's not very worried about it. To him, the pilot, or "devicer" as he terms it, is just one more mechanical piece in his machinery, and a far more replaceable one at that."

"Forgive me for saying Suzaku," Lelouch began, "but this guy doesn't sound like someone worth working for."

"In his defense, he's on a limited budget, and we're never really deployed into any combat zones. He just has pie in the sky dreams regarding his work, so his priorities are really skewed."

"It sounds like I need to have a talk with this man," Nunnally declared jokingly. "He needs to be reminded how important our Suzaku is to us."

"Uh oh," Lelouch said good-naturedly, "sounds like this "Earl of Pudding" is going to experience a Lamperouge's wrath."

Their laughter was interrupted when Nunnally yawned tiredly. Despite her protestations, Lelouch insisted on getting her into bed, and admittedly she was very drowsy when her head touched the pillow. She was put to sleep by her brother's kind reminder that they'd see him again tomorrow.

…

Ashford Clubhouse, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Fifteen Minutes Later

"Did you have the chance to speak with Zero after your rescue?" Suzaku frowned at Lelouch's question. The other boy was intensely interested in the terrorist, that much was clear, but Suzaku was concerned that this interest was slowly turning into something far more dangerous. He needed to nip this in the bud before that happened.

"I did, yes," Suzaku answered neutrally as he rubbed some dried tea out of his cup.

"And?"

"And what?" Suzaku asked.

Lelouch sighed in annoyance. "What was he like?" his friend asked him.

Suzaku shrugged. "About what you'd expect," he said, moving on to a used scone plate. "Egotistical, deluded, dangerous."

"That's the loyal soldier talking," Lelouch pointed out. "In the opinion of Suzaku, what is the masked revolutionary Zero like?"

Suzaku stopped, searching for the right words. "He's charismatic," the young soldier admitted, "and he's well spoken. He has this ability to make you believe whatever he says is the truth, no matter how ridiculous and illogical.

"He's smart," he continued. "I mean really smart. That much was evident on the bridge when he took me from the convoy, but also in Shinjuku, when he commanded the terrorists under his charge to victory and murdered Viceroy Clovis. And he knows just what words to use to get under your skin, what buttons will set you off, and how to completely undermine you."

"He sounds like a hero," Lelouch said, awestruck by Suzaku's description.

Suzaku shook his head vehemently. "He's no hero," he ground out angrily, "he's a coward, a man who uses civilians as a shield. He kills those who get in his way, even if they've already surrendered.

"And like all terrorists," he finished, "he's completely insane. He's deluded himself into thinking that he can take on Britannia and win, that he can use his meager resources to defeat the full might of the Empire. He's a fool, and if he isn't stopped soon, he's going to get a lot of people killed."

"I think Prince Clovis was proof positive that he can beat Britannia," Lelouch returned. "How outnumbered was he, how much hardware did he have in contrast to what Clovis used, and how many casualties did he inflict on Britannian troops in comparison to how many he took?

"And I seem to recall that it was Britannian troops that opened fire on that crowd, not Zero."

"That was only after Zero threatened the convoy leader, who then killed a fellow soldier."

"The fact that Zero was able tothreaten him with should really tell you something about the Britannian military."

"It tells me a lot about the military," Suzaku said, catching Lelouch off guard. "It tells me that there are a few bad apples, but that they don't represent the whole. It tells me you can't generalize a group just because of a few bad people."

"But what if the good ones are the exception rather than the rule?" Lelouch countered. "Or what if the good ones are mired in a system stringed along by the corrupt?"

"Then you work from within and change the system to something better."

"And if you can't? The system is in place because the good are overcome by their own principles. They won't do what must be done to change things."

"Their principles are what make them good," Suzaku pointed out. "What would you have them do with them?"

"If principles keep them in check and in bondage,"Lelouch began, setting the last cup aside, "then they should cast them aside, and do what must be done. Sometimes evil must be committed to destroy even greater evil."

Suzaku looked pointedly at his friend. "If we apply that logic," he said, "no matter what happens, evil remains."

"There will always be evil in this world Suzaku,"Lelouch said, returning his stare. "There is no Paradise on Earth. What marks a good man is how he's willing to face it."

"Then I'll face it with honor and integrity," Suzaku promised, "to the very end."

…

Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11

"We'll be back with more supplies soon," Viletta told Ohgi as the trucks began to drive off. "This operation will last as long as it is needed."

Ohgi bowed. "On behalf of the people of Shinjuku Ghetto," he said, "I thank you."

Viletta nodded. She turned around and opened the back door of her own truck, then stopped. She swiveled around, almost nervously, and asked, "Will you still be the representative for these people?"

She had surprised him, she could tell. He nodded and said, "As long as I'm needed, I'll be here."

She nodded, strangely reassured, and said, "Then I'll see you again soon."

She climbed into the back seat and motioned to the driver to take off. As they moved down the road she couldn't help but look out the window, at all the faces that crowded the streets on their way out. She searched and saw her: the little girl from earlier, thumb still in her mouth, waving as she left.

She couldn't stop herself. Over the concerned voices of her escort, Viletta Nu cried.