Code Geass: The Grey Chessmen

by Generatedname

An unknown enemy encountered during a Refrain bust leads the newly formed Black Knights to a discovery that warns of a coming global catastrophe. The question is, will they be ready in time to face it?

3. Chapter 3

A/N: Alright, had to split this one into two parts. Originally, this was going to be the last chapter before Narita, but it turns out that a lot can happen in a few days when there are so many moving pieces in play. On a related note, while looking at the terrain around Narita, I was quite surprised to see a grand total of zero mountains. The area is, in fact, large, flat, open farmland, suburbs and occasional bits of forest.

Also, curse you Japanese for building your infrastructure sensibly and not in accordance with the whims of a fanfiction writer decades removed!

---

Chapter 3:

"-ighness? Your highness!"

"Nnhh...?" Cornelia groans as she's somewhat respectfully shaken awake.

She opens her eyes, wondering just who is brave or foolish enough to disrupt her sleep, and sees the form of a maid looking over her, a panicked expression on her face.

"Your highness! There's been an explosion! The Tokyo Bay Bridge is out!"

That snaps the princess into wakefulness.

"What?! When was this?" She demands, rolling out of bed, not particularly caring about her current state of undress.

"J-J-Just now, y-your highness! I was cleaning on the balcony and saw it happen!"

"And you decided to barge into my room and wake me?" Cornelia asks, quirking an eyebrow.

"I-I... Y-Yes, your highness..." The maid's panic grows.

"... Well done. Most of Clovis' former staff would have let me sleep. What is your name?" Cornelia asks.

"Ah... Camilla Beckett, your highness." The maid says, blinking in surprise.

"Camilla Beckett..." Cornelia nods to herself, making a note to increase the woman's salary. There is a time for decorum and propriety, and then there's a time when crucial bridges explode and the sovereign needs to be awoken at once.

"... Take me to the balcony." Cornelia orders.

"Y-Yes, your highness, but-"

"I'll dress myself later. For now I need to see this." Cornelia orders, and the maid nods, before turning and not quite sprinting out of the room to obey. Cornelia follows, and soon exits onto the eastern balcony of the Viceroy's Suite. There, out across Tokyo Bay, she sees the cloud of debris and smoke rising from the bay bridge. Fortunately, Clovis had enjoyed looking out over the city, and so had furnished the balconies with several sets of high-end binoculars. She grabs a pair, and starts looking closer, seeing shapes moving around in the darkness. Was that a Knightmare frame? It certainly wasn't one of hers, and it wasn't flashing like a Knightpolice suit would...

More importantly though, it seemed as though only the inbound span of the bridge was destroyed. The outbound one appeared to still be intact. Good, that meant logistics for the Narita operation would not be complicated by this.

Half an hour later saw a properly dressed Cornelia in the palace's command center, along with several of her junior officers and a somewhat nervous-looking member of the Knightpolice, who is giving a report on what had taken place.

"Our traffic cameras on the highway leading from Chiba to the Bay Bridge registered multiple record speed readings in the minutes leading up to the explosion. Upon examination, we believe the Black Knights were involved."

"Did they destroy the bridge, then?" One of her officers asks.

"Ah... No sir. Our cameras at the bridge were able to record the final seconds leading up to the explosion, and we believe that the Black Knights were chasing after a truck, which dispensed some sort of high yield explosive in order to blow the bridge and stop pursuit."

"Your Highness, this could be a golden opportunity. The Black Knights have foolishly revealed themselves, and we may strike a blow against them if we act now! Perhaps even capture Zero!" One of her officers suggests.

"Hmm..." Cornelia thinks for a few moments. The idea is tempting, but...

"... No. Unfortunately, the Black Knights are dispersing as we speak, and most of our military assets are currently being mustered for the Narita operation in order to exterminate the JLF. Chasing down a multitude of small targets, all going their own separate ways into the Ghettos is not something we can do right now." Cornelia sighs.

"However." She raises a hand to prevent protests.

"It is clear that whatever is in that truck is valuable enough that the Black Knights were willing to throw caution to the wind and engage in such a brazen chase for it. The truck's drivers were similarly willing to cause considerable infrastructure damage to stall pursuit, which they knew would bring the hammer of Britannia down upon their heads." Cornelia continues.

"Chasing down a myriad of enemies moving in all directions within the ghettos is beyond our capabilities at the moment, but a single truck is not. Officer, where is the truck now?" Cornelia demands.

"Ah... Your highness, we... It..." The officer pauses, and Cornelia feels a migraine coming on.

"Where is it? Spit it out."

"It drove into the Tokyo Underground, your highness. We don't know where it is now."

At that response, Cornelia breathes a long, irritated sigh. Of course it was the Underground.

During the Britannian invasion, the city of Tokyo had been heavily firebombed, and the Tokyo Settlement had been built atop the most ruined section of the city. However, while practically all standing structures in the area had been destroyed, the many underground constructions were left largely untouched. Old subway lines, underground highways, utility tunnels, bomb shelters, defensive fortifications... All had remained intact, and many of the surviving Elevens had taken up residence inside them, and had, over the past seven years, expanded them even further. It was a labyrinthine mess of tunnels, many of which were new and unmapped even by the Elevens who built them. During his reign, Clovis had tried twice to clear them out. Both attempts had ended in disaster, as within the claustrophobic confines of the tunnel network, Knightmares were useless, and the Elevens could strike and disappear anywhere, at any time. In the end, Clovis had been content to try and seal as many exits into the settlement area as possible and leave them be, though some entrances still remained, and if one knew where to go, they could vanish into the underground as well. It seems the truck's drivers had been in the know.

"There are only so many tunnels large enough for a truck to fit through, and we will know if they attempt to exit back onto monitored highways. Find me every map of the old Tokyo highway system we have, and assemble a force of Honorary Britannians. We will be sending them down into the tunnel as scouts while a response team waits on the surface. Once the truck is located, we send the response team in and recover the truck. Whatever is inside is clearly valuable, and will prove useful to have as leverage over Zero."

"Yes, your highness!"

With that, the search began.

---

"Onii-sama?" Nunnally's sleepy voice on the other end of the phone brings a smile to Lelouch's face.

"It's me, Nunnally. Unfortunately, it looks like I won't be able to get home like I planned." He says.

"O-Oh? Did something happen?" Nunnally asks.

"Unfortunately, it looks like someone blew the Tokyo Bay Bridge span leading into the Settlement. The police are locking down the roads looking for the suspects, so it might be hard for me to make my way back to Ashford. One of my friends here has offered to let me stay with him in the meantime though, so it's all fine." Lelouch replies.

"Oh no... Please be safe, Onii-sama..."

"Don't worry, I will. I'm safe where I am, and the police won't bother us. I just want you not to worry, alright? Can you promise me that?" Lelouch asks.

"I'll try..." Nunnally's response is unconvincing.

"Alright. That is all I ask. Goodnight, Nunnally. I'll try to get back home as soon as I can." He replies.

"Good night, Onii-sama..." Nunnally says, before the phone call ends.

Lelouch lets the smile linger for a few moments, before he snaps his phone shut and puts the mask of Zero back on.

He was in his private office on the upper floor of the Black Knights' mobile command vehicle. In the hours since the bridge explosion, reports had been coming in from his subordinates, and he had been preparing to carry out a search effort for the enemy truck. If Kallen lost her mother, then her mental state would suffer considerably, and she might turn against him for failing to save her. More importantly though, C.C had gotten aboard. He didn't know what had compelled the green-haired witch to sneak inside among the addicts, but she had done so, and now it was up to him to pull her out.

His laptop pings with a message from Inoue, bearing good news for once. It appears as though the Knightpolice frame salvaged from the recent battlefield had enough parts intact to get one of the two frames captured two nights prior back up and operational. That was unexpected. He'd anticipated just using them as parts hulks for Kallen's Glasgow, but if a second Knightmare frame could be brought up and running, he certainly would not object. He approves the proposal, before returning his attention to the maps of Tokyo and its underground network of tunnels. The former was an official Britannian map of the Tokyo Settlement and its surrounding ghettos. The second had once been a Tokyo subway map, but had since been heavily annotated, drawn on, and expanded on to create an absolute mess that Ohgi had claimed was reasonably up to date.

This, of course, created a problem. The truck had almost certainly entered the underground via the route near the Tokyo Bay Bridge. This left it with a limited variety of options by which to leave without exiting into Britannian-controlled territory. Unfortunately, he also had a limited amount of manpower. With this in mind, he had ordered several units to split up and post sentries by the likely exits outside of the Tokyo Settlement, under the assumption that the Britannians would in turn cover the ones within... And what Britannia sees, he might as well see too.

He smirks. Perhaps it was time to pay the Tokyo Settlement Police a visit.

In the meantime though, he had issued orders to station pickets outside the most likely exits in the Ghettos that the truck would use. The rest of his men, he had ordered back to their safehouse, where Kallen's Glasgow and their motor pool was kept ready. Here they would wait, alert and ready to move out as soon as the truck was spotted.

Standing up, he stifled a yawn beneath his mask. The sun would rise soon, and he needed sleep. A few final orders, and then he would rest.

First though, one last round of inspections. Exiting his office, he descends the stairs of the luxurious mobile home, currently parked in the old train station that served as the Black Knights' safehouse within the Shinjuku Ghetto. He passes by Minami, fast asleep on the couch below, before stepping out into the parking garage floor. It was a good location, and his predecessor had chosen well. A parking garage adjacent to a subway station not only allowed for enough room to safely store and maintain the Black Knights' motor pool, but the railroad tracks led underground, allowing for his forces to move around undetected to various points on the surface. Of course, his organization would outgrow this base sooner or later, and he had been searching for additional locations to use as secondary bases, but recent events had caused this to take a back seat to more pressing matters.

"Zero-sama." A few Black Knights salute as he passes, and he returns the gesture.

Up ahead, a Knightpolice frame has been hoisted up against a wall, suspended by a crude scaffolding that would probably give any trained maintenance personnel an aneurysm, as well as several ropes tied from the ceiling. The other two Knightpolice frames, one from two nights ago, the other from the most recent battle, are laid out in front of it, with armor panels removed.

"Inoue?" He calls out.

"Yes, Zero-sama?" The blue-haired woman pokes her head out of the cockpit.

"How soon can you have that Knightmare operational?"

"Give me a couple hours. Kallen took this one out cleanly. All that needs to be replaced area the cockpit electronics, the chair, and a few quick patches to the armor plate."

"So simple?"

"Yes. The other one from two days ago was not in as good condition. The head was completely wrecked, the cockpit block was shot up, and there was a lot of damage all over its body. Good only for scrap and spares. The one we just brought in though, it looks like Kallen's knife took out the pilot, but narrowly missed the cockpit electronics. It's just a matter of swapping the ones in here out for new ones." Inoue replies. As she speaks, she reaches down and tosses out the upper half of a display screen.

"I see. Good work on spotting this. Do you have any idea who would be best as a pilot?" He asks.

"Afraid not. Some of the men have been practicing on one of the old simulators, the one that Kallen used to practice on back in the day, and there are a few, but I think it would be best for your to decide."

"I see. Thank you, Inoue. Keep up the good work." Lelouch turns and keeps on moving. In truth, he had intended to claim the Knightmare for himself. He'd driven the Ganymede before, and was no novice, though he probably would not be a match for someone like Kallen. More importantly though, it gave him a convenient platform to command from, with reasonably good sensors that no other unit in the Black Knights' inventory possessed.

Moving further into the complex, he ascended a set of stairs to a floor that had been converted into makeshift barracks and storage space. While many of the Black Knights lived in the Shinjuku Ghetto itself, some of them did not, and required housing on-site. Some cots and crude wooden walls for privacy, creative plumbing work by Tamaki to create a makeshift shower out of one of the bathrooms, and some portable stoves turned the old train station into a place his resistance could truly call home.

He heard tapping from one of the larger rooms, and he walked inside to see a small crowd of people assembled inside. On the far side of the room, a wooden table had been set on its side, and a man was busy carving names into it with a pocketknife. Lelouch looks down the wall, and quickly recognizes the names on it as those who recently died. The entirety of N1 squad, P2's anti-armor specialist, several members of P4 and P5... Further up the board he saw the members of R1 from the previous drug deal, whose vehicle had been destroyed by plasma fire. Further up still, and he reached names he no longer recognized. Members of assorted resistance movements that had been lost before they joined the Black Knights, he assumed.

"Zero-sama?" One of the assembled men looks back and spots him. The carver freezes.

He shakes his head.

"Carry on." He replies softly, and the carving resumes.

He watches in silence along with the rest as the carver finishes, before stepping back. With that, several other Black Knights begin moving up to the wall, waiting their turn to pin some small mementos to it. Some photographs, trinkets, and other such things, all nailed to the wall beside the names on it.

"... Zero-sama?" One of the men in the room turns to him. Lelouch recognizes him as the leader of P7 team.

"Yes, Mikisugi-san?" Lelouch replies quietly, turning to face him.

"... In that last fight, N1 team, they..." The man trails off.

"I heard over the radio... They... Their leader just turned around and shot them." He says softly.

"Yes. It was the alien in the room that you killed." Lelouch replies.

"I know, I... I heard you when you said they could control our minds, but... I didn't really believe it, until..." The man shudders.

Lelouch nods, saying nothing.

"... How can we even fight against such things?" The man asks quietly.

"They just... Took over his mind and made him shoot his friends, then just casually shot him too. Didn't even stand a chance... What do we even do against something like that...?" He says, looking up into Zero's mask.

"... There are ways around this. Even if we do not understand how the aliens control our minds, there are still ways to work around it. I am already planning ways around this, and soon you will all know." Lelouch replies. In truth, he only had the barest inkling of a plan. His Geass... He had no idea how it would interact with an alien mind control attempt. Would the alien override it? Would the Geass prevent it? Could he use his Geass to release someone from mind control? He did not know, and he was not willing to gamble his life on his power's interaction with something he didn't understand. That just left shooting the mind controlled ally before they could open fire... And that was simply unacceptable. If he ordered it, morale would plummet, and he might even face a mutiny. His people would be hesitant to shoot their friends in time, and if he himself did it, it would breed resentment.

"I see..." Mikisugi nods, seemingly accepting his words.

"For now though... Remember the dead. They gave their lives in the name of our dream. A new Japan, free from the Britannian crown and from alien overlords. We cannot allow this sacrifice to be in vain." Lelouch says.

"I won't." Mikisugi nods again, more resolutely this time.

With that said, Lelouch turns back to the wall, looking over the names once more. One at the top catches his attention. Naoto Kozuki... That one was familiar. The leader of the Shinjuku Resistance before he'd come along. Killed by Clovis only a few months before the Shinjuku Massacre. From what he'd heard, the man had been a good leader. He had cleared the Yakuza out of Shinjuku, gained the trust of its people, and trained a disciplined and capable resistance cell, setting the perfect foundation for the rise of Zero. It was a pity he was dead, Lelouch mused. He would have liked a chance to get to know the man.

With that, he turns and leaves the room, moving further into the train station.

Soon, he spots Ohgi leaving one of the bedrooms.

"Zero-sama?" The older man notices him as well.

"Ohgi. Are you heading off to sleep as well?" Lelouch asks.

"Ah, no. Not yet, at least. Kallen is in there." Ohgi replies quietly.

"How is she?" Lelouch asks.

"She's... Not doing well. I was able to get her to sleep, at least, but... She isn't taking what happened well. I don't blame her either. First Naoto, and now this..."

"I know." Lelouch sighs.

"Will she be fit for battle? I will need her ready when the time comes to start the rescue operation." He asks.

"She will be. I made sure of that much." Ohgi replies.

"Good." Lelouch sighs.

"In that case, I will get some sleep myself as well. I've told the men to wake me if something comes up. Our search teams are in position, or will be in position shortly. As soon as something comes up, I will be ready. Rest assured, we will get Kallen's mother back." He says.

"Very well." Ohgi nods, though he raises his hand.

"Oh?" Lelouch asks.

"In the warehouse, as the truck was leaving, I heard you call out for C2. I don't remember anyone having such a callsign among our forces." Ohgi says. Lelouch mentally curses his lack of control while nodding.

"Yes. C2 is an agent of mine. During the confusion, she slipped in among the Refrain addicts and got onto the truck. If the truck slips the net, she has a means of contacting me." Lelouch says. A half-truth. C.C did indeed possess a cell phone through which she could contact him, though reception was nonexistent in the tunnels beneath Tokyo. Whether or not she would use it though...

"Oh..." Ohgi breathes a small sigh of relief.

"I see. Though why keep her secret from us?" He asks.

"It was by her request." Lelouch replies, thinking rapidly of a cover story, resolving to brief C.C. on it later.

"You might have actually met her, if only indirectly."

"What?"

"The poison gas capsule you stole from Clovis? It was not poison gas. It was a prison meant to secretly transport her." Lelouch replies.

"What?!" Ohgi gasps.

"Yes. I stumbled upon her in Shinjuku after your friend's truck crashed, and freed her. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you were." Lelouch says.

"But... Who is she? Why would she be in that capsule?"

"I believe she was a subject of human experimentation by a secret project of our former viceroy. She has been understandably unwilling to speak on the matter, but if it was bad enough that poison gas was used as a cover story..." Lelouch trails off.

"T-That's horrible!"

"Exactly. She got her justice though. It was she who gave me a way into Clovis' command center after the massacre, allowing me to get in close and do the deed." Lelouch answers.

"Good. At least that monster is no longer around to torment her." Ohgi nods, giving him a small smile.

"Unfortunately, I believe this also affected her mindset when she saw the victims being taken away. Now, I suppose, it is up to me to pull her out of the fire, along with Kallen's mother and the others... And I fully intend to do so." Lelouch declares.

"I'll be right there beside you to help. I wasn't able to save Naoto, and I am not about to let Kallen lose her mother too." Ohgi nods.

With that, the two of them go their separate ways, Ohgi to a free bedroom in the barracks, while Lelouch retired to sleep in his office aboard the luxury RV.

---

Kaguya Sumeragi stepped out from around the street corner and looked herself over. She had abandoned the elaborate lavender and white kimono she normally wore in exchange for a replica of a Black Knights' uniform, which she had commissioned two weeks earlier following their official debut. Kirihara had not approved, but he had critically only disapproved after she already had the uniform in hand and he couldn't do anything about it. Of course, she had also made a few alterations of her own. A skirt instead of the short pants and a red bow for a bit of extra color... Nothing too major. She'd still be able to pass as a Black Knight, right?

She shook her head. No, her future husband's security would have to be able to stop her. She'd be sorely disappointed if they did not.

With that in mind, she looks around before entering the train station where she had been told the Black Knights were headquartered. By now the sun was high in the sky, but fortunately the street was empty. She slips inside the train station entrance, and looks around, immediately spotting a pair of guards.

"Hello! This is the Black Knights' headquarters, right? I'm Houraisan Kaguya~! Here to join up!" She waves.

The first guard looks her over and frowns.

"Check the list." He orders his partner, before turning to her.

"You look awfully young to be joining us." He says, narrowing his eyes at her.

Good, they didn't just let her in.

"Well, I've always been told I'm smart for my age." Kaguya replies with a smile.

"... We don't just take walk-ins asking to join. If we want you in, we'll contact you." The guard replies, taking a slightly haughty tone.

"That and we don't take children. How old are you, again?" He continues.

"Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady her age?" Kaguya replies.

"She's not on the list." The second guard comes back.

"That settles it then. Girl, I suggest you lose the uniform and go home. It's not safe to be walking the streets looking like a Black Knight, and I'm sure your parents are worried." The first guard says.

Alright, they didn't just let her in through the front door. Points to Zero for setting up some basic security. There were quite a few resistance groups who'd let anyone join so long as they didn't look too Britannian and asked nicely.

"Move along. Now." The guard repeats himself after a moment, and Kaguya nods, before leaving the station. She heads back across the street, before retrieving a briefcase she had carried with her, containing information for Zero, the bare-bones briefing the Six Houses had prepared for him, some money, a shipping manifest, an invitation for a future meeting, and proof of her identity. She then reaches into her pocket and pulls out her gold circlet, carefully putting it on.

Then she turns around and heads back into the train station.

"Alright girl, you know we can't let you in, why are-"

She raises a hand and cuts him off.

"My name is Kaguya Sumeragi, and I represent the Six Houses of Kyoto. I am carrying important information that must be delivered to your leader as soon as possible." She declares, fixing the guard with her best imperious glare.

She then turns around, opening the briefcase and pulling out a large, square gold block.

"As proof of my identity, I have with me the Privy Seal of Japan." She presents the artifact in question for the two of them to see, and she takes a small amount of satisfaction in watching their eyes widen as they realize what exactly they were looking at.

The Privy Seal was the personal seal of the Emperor of Japan, and unlike many other Imperial artifacts, it had been saved from the Britannian looters. It had been kept hidden and safe in the Kyoto Group compound near the Fuji mines since the end of the war. Now it was here, acting to underscore the importance of Kaguya's visit, as well as the importance the Six Houses as a whole placed on it. After letting them both look at the item, Kaguya stows it away back in the briefcase before turning back to them.

"Now, you will take me to Zero at once." She orders.

The two guards look at each other.

"... I'll escort her." The second man says.

"Right."

"Thank you." Kaguya nods, smiling now.

"Oh, and by the way... Good on you for stopping me. I'd have been severely disappointed in my future husband if his security was found lacking." She giggles as she sees their reaction to that bit.

Well, there was no formal betrothal yet, of course, but the man (or at least, she assumed Zero was a man) who stood the best chance of freeing Japan needed every shred of legitimacy he could get if he was to do the deed. A rumor from an offhand comment would suffice for now.

Her own personal fantasies, of course, had absolutely nothing to do with this whatsoever. Nothing at all.

She is led down into the train station's sublevel, soon entering a large parking garage. Looking around, Kaguya was impressed. Cars and trucks were parked neatly in rows within, some of which were painted black and modified with gun mountings or additional transport capacity, while others were painted in a variety of civilian colors, allowing them to blend in with ordinary traffic for covert operations. A few large semi trucks were present as well, but what really caught her eye were the four Knightmares. One was a Glasgow, painted bright red and clearly modified. The second was a Knightpolice frame, clearly a new acquisition as a few bullet holes in its cockpit block were still visible, though the armored plate was in the process of being removed and replaced. The other two were also Knightpolice, albeit damaged and cut open, likely useful only for spare parts. Nearby were a few armored vehicles, a mix of Britannian and pre-war Japanese designs, the former likely salvaged from Shinjuku.

However, she was led away from those, and towards a large RV, painted in a somewhat garish mix of gold, black and dark red. She recognized it as a Ford Grand Chariot 2016 Class A Luxury Motorhome. Only a few such vehicles were built, and their price range meant that they were only ever attainable by the nobility who used them as luxurious mobile vacation homes. How Zero of all people had managed to get his hands on such a thing...

The guard opens the door, and ushers her inside. Stepping inside, she looks left, and there she sees him. The luxurious living and dining room on the lower floor of the vehicle had been converted into a command center, and there, in the center of it all, sits Zero, surrounded by his senior officers. On the table in front of him are several maps with colored pins in them, and a radio can be heard in the background as a team carrying out some operation checks in, reporting no abnormal activity.

"... soon be departing for a few hours. Can I trust you to hold down the fort in the meantime, Ohgi?" Zero is speaking to a tall man wearing a red headband. That name is familiar. Her briefing on the Black Knights had mentioned him as the previous leader of the Shinjuku Cell.

That would mean the red-haired girl curled up on the couch next to the radio would be Kallen, their Knightmare pilot.

"I can do that, Zero. Where will you be going?" Ohgi asks.

"I will..." Zero trails off as he notices her enter.

"Zero-sama, I-" Kaguya raises her hand to cut off her escort.

"Let him finish. I will speak after." She says, looking back at Zero as his masked visage stares at her. After a moment, Zero nods and turns back to Ohgi.

"I will be dropping by the Tokyo Settlement Police station and getting us access to their traffic monitoring system. That would allow us to greatly improve our search efforts." He says.

"You think you can pull that off?" Ohgi raises an eyebrow, though he does not seem too surprised.

"I know I can." Zero replies, before turning back to Kaguya.

"Now then, Sumeragi-hime. What brings you here to our humble headquarters?" He asks.

He recognized her? Then again, before the war her existence hadn't exactly been kept secret. She had been betrothed to the son of the Prime Minister, after all, and Suzaku Kururugi wasn't exactly an unknown persona either.

"I am here to represent the interests of the Six Houses of Kyoto in the camp of the Black Knights." Kaguya replies.

"Recent events have caused us to reconsider our support for the JLF, and thus, from here on out, I will be acting as a liaison between our organization and yours."

"Recent events? The Lake Kawaguchi incident?" Zero asks.

"Among other things. I will brief you in full soon." Kaguya replies, before reaching back and opening the briefcase.

"First though, a message and a token of Kyoto's commitment to your cause." She reaches inside and pulls out several stacks of unmarked Britannian pounds and a thin folder, placing the former on the table and handing the latter over to Zero, who opens it and begins to read, taking the first piece of paper out.

"... A love letter?" Zero asks, and Kaguya immediately lashes out, snatching the paper out of his hand.

"L-Later!" She exclaims.

Zero stares at her for a few moments, before returning his attention to the folder.

"... A shipping manifest. I see..." Zero picks up the next piece of paper and begins to read.

"... Oh my. You were not kidding about your reprioritization of support. That is a lot of Knightmares." Zero notes, causing the others in the room to look up.

"Along with parts, weapons and ammunition, as well as support and transport equipment. You can keep the rolling stock they come on too." Kaguya confirms.

"Quite the investment indeed. The question though, is what do you want in exchange." Zero asks.

"That ties into my purpose for being here." Kaguya replies.

"Between Cornelia's recent rampage across the country and other recent events, the amount of hopes Japan has for liberation is rapidly dwindling. Though your group is new, it is thus far the only one left that has proven itself capable of getting results and possesses an acceptable ideological foundation." She says, noting the reactions from the others in the room. Some were excited that Kyoto was making such a large investment in them. Others, like Ohgi, looked concerned, seeing what this truly meant. The state of resistance in Japan was dire now that the lazy Clovis had been replaced with the active Cornelia.

"These Knightmares we have sent you are a token of our sincerity. The Six Houses of Kyoto take our partnership with you very seriously. In exchange, we wish for an indication of the same from you." Kaguya replies.

"What would that be? Do you wish for us to hit certain targets?" Zero asks.

"Nothing of the sort. You have your plans, and we would not complicate them with our own demands. No, what I want is simple. A token that you are willing to trust in us, just as we have put our trust in you." Kaguya leans forward.

"I want to see your face."

The other Black Knights in the room gasp, looking at her. Even Kallen sits up from where she was by the radio, curiosity overcoming whatever melancholy had gripped her before.

Zero is quiet for a few long moments, before he finally speaks.

"Is that all?"

"I believe so, yes. After all, I have already given you quite the dowry. It is only fair, then, that the bride know the name of her future husband." That part was off script, but damn the script, Kaguya could dream.

Zero chuckles at that.

"And what if I am some decrepit old man? Or what if I am simply wearing this mask because I am just that ugly? A young lady like yourself should be careful about pledging herself to a stranger like this."

"I doubt either of those. You don't move like an old man, and if it was simple ugliness, you would not wear that mask in private. Besides, I know the value that my partnership carries, and I believe you can do the most good with it." Kaguya replies.

Zero is quiet for another few moments, before he nods.

"Very well." He stands up from his desk.

"Z-Zero-sama?" Kallen gasps.

"I will be back shortly." Zero replies, as Kaguya does her best to hide her excitement.

She follows him upstairs into a large office in the back of the vehicle. Zero ushers her inside, stepping in behind her before closing the door.

"Quite the comfortable ride you have there." Kaguya notes, looking around.

"Indeed. It was not the easiest thing to acquire, but I manage. It is certainly a good option for a command center that can hide in plain sight." Zero says, standing on one side of the room. Kaguya stands across from him.

---

A quiet pandemonium breaks down in the command center as soon as Zero and Kaguya leave. The identity of their leader was, to put it mildly, a hot topic among the Black Knights, and now Zero was revealing his face upstairs?

Naturally, as soon as they heard the door close upstairs, several members of the resistance group, Kallen and Ohgi included, tip-toed their way upstairs to listen at the door.

With her ear to the door, Kallen hears the two of them talking.

"- am impressed, Zero. In terms of organization and equipment, you are probably the best resistance cell in the Tokyo area. The report I send home will be a good one." Kaguya says.

Kallen is not sure what to think of the girl. For her to just barge in here and start making demands did not sit well with her. On the other hand, if what she'd said about Knightmares was true...

"I am flattered." Zero replies.

"Though... I am somewhat puzzled." Kaguya continues.

"I understand why you wear that mask of yours in public, but for you not to show your face to your subordinates, even in your own headquarters like this? It is very easy to give off the wrong impression by doing so. One might think you do not trust your own men." Kaguya says.

That hit the nail on the head right there, and Kallen saw Ohgi looking thoughtful at that.

"On the contrary, I trust them with my life. From the moment I issued my first command to them in Shinjuku, I placed my life in their hands, and I trust them fully." Zero replies.

"So then why not show them?" Kaguya asks.

"Because what if one of them is captured? Britannia could then learn my identity from them. They have ways of making people talk, Kaguya. Even those who are loyal can be broken." Zero replies.

"But you are already the most wanted man in Japan. All that would do is put a face to the name of Zero. You would have to hide either way." Kaguya points out.

"Who says I do it for my own sake? If it were just for my sake, then no, I would not hide my face from my close subordinates. However, there are others close to me who cannot hide, who would be prime targets for Britannia to come down upon. It is for their sake that I wear this mask, and keep my identity secret." Zero answers.

"... Who would they be?" Kaguya asks, curiously.

"Oh, I'm sure you can figure that one out for yourself." Zero's response is bemused.

Then, Kallen's breath hitches as she hears the small hiss of Zero removing his mask.

For a few moments there is silence, and then...

"IT'S YOU!" Kaguya's ecstatic voice startles the assembled Black Knights.

There is a loud thump.

"It's been seven years! I thought you were dead! I-"

"K-Kaguya! Y-You're squeezing me-"

Kallen's eyes widen. She knows that voice. It can't be... Can it?

"They know each other?" Ohgi whispers aloud.

"Obviously." Minami replies.

"Seven years... They must have met before the war." Sugiyama notes.

Kallen says nothing, still listening intently.

"Sorry... Heh, I see you're just as scrawny as ever. Don't know what I was ever afraid of." Kaguya replies.

"So you see now, why I wear my mask?" That infuriatingly familiar voice replies, its composure regained.

"Yes." Kaguya replies.

"How is N-" Kaguya is interrupted.

"The designers of this place cut corners, and the walls are thin." Zero cautions in that same voice that Kallen had heard going over Student Council budgets, complaining about being forced into a cat costume, and ordering her to say nothing about Shinjuku...

"... your sister?" Kaguya finishes, more quietly now.

"She is fine. Healthy and happy, and I intend to keep it that way." Zero replies.

A sister. The pieces were all falling into place for Kallen, and she grits her teeth, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, barely restraining herself from kicking down the door and seeing for herself.

"I'm glad." Kaguya replies.

"So I take it that I have earned Kyoto's trust?" Zero asks.

"More than that. You see, you've gotten more handsome since we've last met~" Kaguya teases.

"I was under the impression you were betrothed to Suzaku."

"... It was called off." Kaguya replies, far less jovial than before.

"I see."

The two of them are quiet for a few moments.

It was him. It was definitely him. Lelouch Lamperouge, the Student Council Vice President, was Zero. She didn't know how he was able to fake that phone call in the shower, but the voice, the sister, the casual acquaintance with Suzaku... It was too much to ignore.

Her fingernails bit into the palm of her hand. Was this all a game to that boy? Mild-mannered schoolboy by day, Zero by night? She had seen Zero's theatrics firsthand. Was this all just some spectacle to him? The Black Knights just pawns for him to move around on his damned chessboard?

She takes a few deep breaths, and her fists relax slightly.

No. Even if Zero was Lelouch, he had still delivered them victory. He had saved them all at Shinjuku, led them to victory, killed Prince Clovis, all when he could have just kept his head down and weathered the storm. He had fought against Cornelia at Saitama, hurting her for daring to massacre Japanese people before withdrawing under her nose. He had raised the Black Knights from a small resistance cell to the largest group in Tokyo, one big enough for Kyoto to take note.

He had held her last night, after she'd seen the truck carrying her mother vanish into the city, out of sight, and swore he would save her.

Another deep breath.

Inside, Zero had clearly put his mask back on, as his voice was once again modulated.

"Now then, about that secret briefing you had for me?" He asks.

"I will tell you later, where the walls aren't quite so thin." Kaguya replies.

"Oh? You are concerned my men would learn something they shouldn't?"

"No. It is just that it is a lot to process, and it would be better if you heard it first, adjusted your plans, and then told them. A leader deserves to have a chance to come up with a course of action in peace."

"I see. Then... I suppose I will speak with you on this later tonight. For now, I have something else I must attend to."

"The police station?"

"Yes."

With that, the sound of Zero standing up causes the Black Knights to sneak away downstairs. Kallen, however, does not follow. Walking away from the door, she instead turns away and heads off to one of the other bedrooms aboard the mobile home, where she lies down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"... I need a miracle... Zero..." She whispers, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.

Zero had sworn to her that he would save her mother. He had promised that they would get her back. If he was telling the truth... Then she could allow herself to be led by Zero. However, if those gestures had been lies, a manipulative attempt to jerk her chain and keep her doing as he wished... If that were the case, then she swore then and there that she would put a bullet in Lelouch herself.

---

"Aaaaahhh... What a sight!" Senba rumbles as he leans back against a tree, eyes half-shut as the sun shines down. Toudoh nods, looking around. Though it is hardly the tallest mountain in the area, Mount Takanosu still afforded a beautiful view of Mount Fuji in the distance to the southwest, the metallic shell built over it by the Britannians hidden away on its opposite side. To the northwest, meanwhile, the mountains continued to slope up towards Mount Kumotori, and to the south the tall buildings of the Tokyo Settlement could just barely be seen past the ridges and mountaintops.

At this time of year, the trees had regained their leaves, and the mountains were covered in beautiful greenery, and though the wind was still chilly, some hikers still made their way up the winding mountain trails. To the average person, Toudoh, Chiba and Senba must have seemed like a band of locals, casually hiking up

Toudoh, however, was here for a different reason. During the war, the Japanese government had rapidly built bunker networks throughout these mountains. Most were only partially completed at the time of surrender, and none had been used in combat, but Toudoh knew that had they actually been completed they would have formed a truly formidable defensive barrier that could, if well manned and commanded, resist even the overwhelming power of Britannian Knightmares.

However, though they were never used for their intended purpose, they still remained. Their entrances and firing slits were now concealed by foliage, but if one knew where to look, the concrete structures could still be found, and they would make the perfect start for a new base.

Of course, perfect was still relative. By far the biggest challenge was distance to Tokyo. The nearby town of Okutama was some sixteen kilometers away from the outskirts of the sprawling metropolis that was centered on Tokyo, and some sixty kilometers from the Tokyo Settlement itself. On one hand, the distance would afford the occupants some breathing room, away from the watchful eye of the Britannian administration. On the other hand, it would also complicate operations inside the Tokyo area itself, as well as create a logistical challenge for the Black Knights to relocate.

Fortunately, there were several factors in favor of the site outside of the old bunkers. The first was that there was an old rail line running from Okutama towards Tokyo, ending just eight kilometers away from where they stood at the mountain's peak. Asahina was down there now, inspecting its quality. The railroad itself was still operational, though it was on its last legs. The Britannians cared little for old Japanese infrastructure not directly related to Sakuradite extraction, and the once popular holiday train running along its length could no longer keep itself afloat. No Britannians rode it, as the last legal station for it was all the way out in the Shinjuku Ghetto, and tourism was no longer something that many Japanese could afford to think about. However, the fact remained that it was still in good operating condition, and that it provided the perfect link between the Black Knights in Shinjuku and the prospective base location around Mount Takanosu.

With that said, there was still much work to be done. The proposed base specifications submitted to him by Kyoto were ambitious, to say the least. This would not be some simple hole in the ground. Oh no, Kyoto had grand plans for this place. An underground hangar complex, for both aircraft and Knightmares, as well as an associated airbase. A powerful radar station on the nearby Mount Kumotori, capable of covering much of Japan. Barracks for the troops to live in relative comfort, and storage space to keep them fed. A large manufacturing center, intended to slowly replace the extant production lines around Mount Fuji, as well as a laboratory to both research alien technology and design new equipment for manufacture. Defensive installations, to ward off both Britannian and Alien attack. All of this and more, to be built beneath a thick, protective layer of rock that could withstand artillery bombardment.

For most, such an undertaking would be ludicrous, but not for Japan. The Sakuradite boom of the late 20th and early 21st century had led to considerable advances in digging technology, and unlike many of Japan's other industries, this one had only grown stronger following the Britannian occupation. Once the site was confirmed, Kyoto would provide the excavation equipment, and the digging would commence.

"Hmm... They're awfully busy today, aren't they?" Chiba notes, staring out at Tokyo through a pair of binoculars.

"Hm?" Senba looks over at her.

"The Brits have a lot of VTOLs in the air right now. Looks like they're dropping people into the ghettos." Chiba reports.

"Considering what happened last night, I don't find that surprising. Someone blew the bridge across Tokyo Bay. That's not something the Britannians can just let slide." Toudoh says.

"Damn amateurs... Making it harder for the rest of us." Chiba sighs.

"And a lot of innocents are probably gonna suffer as a result. We might end up seeing a second Saitama." Senba sighs, stepping away from the tree and picking up his own pair of binoculars.

"If so, then Zero will once more rise to fight them." Toudoh replies.

"He has proven himself capable of inflicting damage to the Britannian army, and Urabe is on standby with his Burai to provide assistance and ensure Sumeragi-hime's safety. Still, the Britannians have been shown that they can no longer move around inside the Ghettos and kill Japanese with impunity, and unless Cornelia is a fool she will not attempt such a move again."

There is silence on the mountaintop for a few minutes, before Chiba sighs.

"... I hate this."

"Hm?" Senba turns to her.

"This... Everything, really. With the JLF it felt like we were still part of something, working to free Japan again, but now? Everything's gone again... Just like seven years ago." The woman says.

"Not everything. Japan remains, and so long as it does, we will continue to fight for it, be it under the flag of the JLF or that of the Black Knights." Toudoh replies.

"But what if the Black Knights are lost as well? What if Zero dies, or worse, turns out to be a charlatan who got lucky? What do we do then?" Chiba asks.

"That's where I come in. Even if Zero is a fake, the Black Knights are real. My word still carries weight, and I would be able to take over command." Toudoh answers.

"Let us hope it does not come to that. Kyoto is putting a lot of faith in the Black Knights, and we just put in a lot of hours driving out here and hiking up all this way." Senba grumbles.

"Indeed." Toudoh nods.

"Now then, let us continue. There should be a bunker entrance nearby, and hopefully it won't be rusted shut." Toudoh nods.

---

The Tokyo Settlement hadn't quite been placed under martial law, but there was certainly an elevated military presence on the streets. Soldiers in full armor stood on street corners, Knightmares and APCs drove in traffic, and checkpoints had been set up around important buildings.

It was, of course, entirely pointless. The men responsible had no intention of making a terror attack, and the Ghettos were already under watch, but Lelouch supposed he should be thankful. In his Britannian soldier's uniform, it was easier than ever to make his way towards the Tokyo Settlement Police headquarters. All he had to do was keep his back straight, walk with a purpose and in a pinch, use his Geass to deter an over-zealous officer.

He made it to the police headquarters without any major incident, seeing a pair of guards on station.

"Good afternoon." He waved as he approached, causing them to look over at him.'

"Same to you, private." One of the men gave a lazy wave, a moment before Lelouch's eye glowed red.

"Now, you will tell me where to find the people in charge of the traffic camera system, and then ignore my presence."

"Officer Chalmers' office is on the second floor."

"If he's not there, he's probably in the computer room next door."

Lelouch grinned as he nodded politely, before stepping past the two geassed policemen, entering the building.

"Do you have something, private?" Another officer asked as he entered the lobby.

"I have a message for Officer Chalmers. Can you lead me to his office?"

"Of course." The officer replied, before turning and opening a locked door with his keycard, leading Lelouch upstairs. Upon reaching his office, the man blinked as the geass wore off.

"Huh?"

"Thank you, sir. Should be able to give it to him now." Lelouch nods.

"... Are you alright? You look like you could use some rest." He continues after a moment.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Ever since that bridge blew, we've been on call nonstop. Damn terrorists... Should just shoot the lot of them." The officer groans.

Lelouch says nothing, merely shrugging as the officer turns, grumbling as he walks away. Once he was gone, Lelouch opens the door to the office and steps inside. The man inside looks up, straight into Lelouch's eye.

"You will follow all orders I give you."

"Yes, my lord." The man nods, standing up and giving a salute.

"Good. Tell me, are you familiar with the truck that blew the Tokyo Bay Bridge?"

"Yes, my lord."

"You will forward all sightings of this truck to the following address, and then delete all evidence on your end." Lelouch orders, writing down an email address and handing it to the officer.

The man looks it over, then puts it in a nearby paper shredder.

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. Now tell me your phone number."

"11-109-547-2296."

"If you receive a phone call that begins with the words 'Alan Spacer's Pizza' you will immediately follow all commands issued over the course of the call."

"Yes, my lord."

"Good." Lelouch is about to leave, but suddenly a thought occurs to him.

"What sort of non-lethal weapons do you have in your armory?"

"We have tasers, shock batons, flashbangs, shotguns with rubber slugs, tear gas grenades and grenade launchers, sound cannons, fire hoses-" Lelouch raises his hand.

"Enough. Who controls access to this supply?"

"Quartermaster Kimmel."

"Where can I find him?"

"The armory building beside this one. He has an office near the entrance."

"Good. That will be all. If asked, you will say that I delivered a routine request for a status update."

"Yes, my lord."

With that, Lelouch turned and left the office, making his way back down and out of the building.

The armory was easy to find, and the officers didn't so much as spare him a second glance as he walked inside.

"Quartermaster Kimmel?" He asks the man inside.

"That'd be me." The man replies, looking up from his desk at him.

"You will follow my instructions." Lelouch orders.

"Of course, sir. What can I do for you?"

"Give me a detailed inventory of your stock of flashbangs, tear gas grenades, tasers, taser batteries and shock batons." Lelouch orders.

The man complies, rattling off a list of non-lethal weaponry, not just by type but by exact make and model. Lelouch listens for a few moments, before nodding to himself.

"You will record the following items as being requisitioned from your stock by the military..." Lelouch begins, requisitioning a large amount of the aforementioned equipment.

"Yes, my lord." The man writes it all down.

"Once the paperwork is in order, you will load the items into a truck and drop them off at the following location." Lelouch pauses, reaching into his pocket to pull out a map, pointing out an area near the Shinjuku Ghetto where the supplies could be retrieved with little effort by the Black Knights, a place that he himself had used to enter the Tokyo Settlement just a few hours prior.

"Afterwards, you will return and erase all records of this meeting not related to the paperwork. If asked, you will say that you were carrying out an order from the military."

"At once, my lord." The man nods, quickly finishing the paperwork before standing up and beginning to load the truck. Lelouch nods, then exits the building, getting into the truck because why would he walk back? Soon it is loaded, and Lelouch is headed back towards the ghetto.

While not exactly an elegant solution, it was better than nothing, and he had promised his men that he would provide some form of countermeasure to mind control. If they were quick on the draw, it might even prove to be an effective one.

---

Had things been a bit different, Hinata Mikami mused, she might have ended up a resident of the Tokyo Underground, eking out an existence in a strange, subterranean world, where Japan's surrender had no meaning. The Honorary Britannian wondered how that would have gone as she crawls out of another narrow tunnel, her night vision gear allowing her to see even in this place, where it seemed like electric lighting was unheard of.

"... Private Mikami here. Do you read me?" She whispers.

"Go ahead." The voice of her platoon commander, who had stopped some time ago to relay communications back to the surface, where the Britannians waited.

"I've entered a large tunnel. Not sure how far it goes. Is it on the map?" She asks.

"Ah... Wait one." Her leader replies.

She stands there in the dark for a few moments, before he replies.

"... Negative, looks like it's a new addition." The man sighed.

Hinata cursed softly. If there was one thing the Japanese down here could do well, it was dig. With old mining equipment, tunnel bores, and simple shovels, the Japanese of the Underground had created an elaborate labyrinth beneath the city's ghettos.

"Right. I'm turning..." She looks down and checks her compass.

"... South. Heading south now." She says quietly, before beginning to move along the edge of the tunnel, her head on a swivel. In her Britannian armor, she looked like any other soldier, and to the Japanese down here, that alone warranted her death. At the very least, the mission was serious enough that the Britannian leadership had allowed them guns.

This tunnel really was huge. One could probably fit a Knightmare down here without any issue. It was also strangely empty, save for a single set of rails down its center. She had no idea where it went, or how far... But in time she spotted a second tunnel branching off, with a few pillars to support the ceiling. It looked almost like a bare-bones train station, of sorts, with a ramp leading up, presumably towards the surface, or at least some other, older tunnel network.

She pauses, about to report the situation when she hears something, and immediately ducks down behind a pile of rubble.

"... seemed angry when they called. Said something about Black Knights." A deep, male voice growls.

"Masters always angry." Another man replies, his voice equally deep and gutteral... Unnaturally so.

"Angry or not, they call and we answer. What do they want from us?" A third adds.

"They had to hide down here. All the Brits are looking for them. Want us to take their cargo off their hands and transfer it to other Masters when they come." The first says.

Mikami peeks out from behind her cover to see three figures moving towards the ramp. Each one is huge, standing close to eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and an almost ridiculously over-muscled frame. As one of them laughs, she catches a glimpse of sharp teeth, not unlike those of a gorilla.

She'd heard stories that the people down in the underground had mutants among them, who'd gone mad and became deformed from the lack of sunlight and eating mold off the walls, but even now, as she stared at the things drawing closer and closer to her hiding space, she couldn't believe it. There was no way! That had to be some kind of urban legend. A myth... And yet, there they were...

Her grip tightens on her rifle as she sees that all three of them are armed. One with a rifle of his own, the other two with pistols and machetes.

As they drew closer and closer to her position, she takes a deep breath, and knows that she only has one choice now.

Standing up, she takes aim and, before any of her enemies can raise their weapons, she opens fire. The leader, the one with the rifle, takes multiple hits to the chest before she swings the rifle to the side, catching the second as they charge towards her. He falls too, and she leaps back, just barely avoiding a swing from the third monster's machete.

"BRITANNIAN BITCH! I'LL EAT YOU ALIVE FOR THAT!" The monster roars, giant, razor-sharp canines on full display as she scrambles back, raising her gun and squeezing the trigger. Two shots are fired, and then it clicks empty.

A moment later she feels a sudden hammer blow against her chest as the creature returns fire, her armor saving her life as she scrambles back, reaching for her sidearm as the beast charges, machete raised, letting out an inhuman howl.

Mikami screams as well as she grabs her pistol and brings it up, firing into the creature's chest. Two bullets hit and it stumbles back, roaring in pain, before stumbling forward once more, weapon still raised.

She fires again, and again and again, screaming and squeezing the trigger until at last the beast falls forward, and her gun clicks empty.

She lies there, panting for a few moments, before the creatures' words hit her.

The truck? It was nearby?

The Viceroy had personally promised a considerable sum to whichever one of them managed to locate it...

"P-Private Mikami here..." She radios, reloading her guns.

"I read you. Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah... I... Just had a run-in with some locals. I think the truck might be nearby. I'm going to investigate now."

"Roger, I've got you. Patching you through to Command now."

Mikami carefully reloaded her guns as she began to creep up through the side tunnel leading off from the railway.

Suddenly, a new voice comes through her helmet.

"Give me a status report, Private." She recognized it immediately.

"Yes, your highness!" She says. The Viceroy was watching over her? This had to be really important... She could only hope that it wasn't the bad sort of important though.

"I encountered three... Creatures down here. They were talking about their Masters bringing a truck down here, and that the Black Knights were somehow involved. I'm going up towards where I think they were headed now." Mikami reports.

"Creatures?" Cornelia asks.

"Y-Yes. They... Those things weren't human. They were huge, with big, sharp teeth, and massive muscles, and..." She trails off.

"I-I swear I'm telling the truth. They're dead right behind me. I can take some pictures if-"

"No. The truck takes precedence. The response team will look through the area later." Cornelia says dismissively, in a way that lets Mikami know just how skeptical she is.

"Yes, your highness." Mikami says, moving up the ramp, looking around until she reaches the top, where she sees two large furrows in the unpaved tunnel.

"... Tire tracks. I see tire tracks in the dirt here." She says, beginning to follow them.

"Good work. If you spot the objective, don't draw attention to yourself. Stay hidden and keep an eye on the target until the response team arrives." Cornelia orders.

"Yes, your highness." Mikami says as she continues to follow the tracks, until eventually she hears voices, just around a bend.

"... water... please... water..!"

She pauses at that, and begins to move up slowly.

"Shut up in there!" Another voice barks.

"P-Please, we-"

"Quiet! Or I'll put a bullet through your brain!"

Mikami peeks around the corner... And there it is. The reason she and all her other fellow Honorary Britannians were down here in these wretched tunnels. It was a large semi truck, recognizable by a hole in its roof and the upper portion of its back door. Several men in black suits stood watch around it. Strangely, they all wore sunglasses despite the pitch black darkness of the tunnel.

"I see the truck!" She says quietly.

"Roger. We have your position. You have done well, private. Stay calm and stay quiet. The response team is en route now." Cornelia says.

"Yes, your highness."

Mikami stays as still as she can, listening to the truck's guards making their rounds... Though it was clearly not all. From within the truck itself she can hear quiet sobbing and soft voices. There were people in there!

Dutifully, she reports it.

"Your highness, I think these guys are human traffickers." She says.

"I will let the response team know to watch their fire. They have just entered the tunnels now. They will be at your position shortly."

Mikami nods, and continues waiting, hands clutching her rifle.

The seconds tick by with agonizing slowness as she waits, watching the men around the target from her hiding place.

Suddenly, two of them look at each other and nod... And without any warning they raise their guns and point them directly at her.

Bullets slam into her hiding spot as she ducks back into cover.

"T-They've spotted me!" She cries out as one of the men stops shooting, the other continuing to hose down her position with bullets, keeping her suppressed.

"Grenade out!"

She gasps and as the grenade lands she falls down and curls up, trying to put her armored plates between herself and the explosive-

BANG!

Pain lances through her legs, and the ringing in her ears drowns out all other noise. It takes her a few moments to realize she is screaming.

"Move it, you two! Get on! The Brits know we're here, and they'll be on us any moment now!" She dimly hears the shout form the direction of the truck.

"Private! What happened!" Someone shouts over the radio.

"I-I'm hit... G-Grenade, I..." She hears the truck's engine start.

"T-They're moving... I... T-They're..." She gasps, blindly grasping for a tourniquet, feeling herself growing weaker, tears running down her face.

Not like this... Please, not like this..!

"Commander Cunningham! We have wounded in the tunnels and the objective is on the move! Repeat..."

Not like this... Not alone in the blackness...

Cornelia's voice grows softer in her ears, as does the roar of the truck's engine as it speeds off, her lifeblood spilling out over the tunnel floor through broken arteries.

Her fingers weakly clutch at the tourniquet, shaking as she tries to pull it around her leg, but it's no use. Already her vision is starting to fade, and she can't stop the bleeding... She doesn't even have enough tourniquets, not enough for both legs...

Soon, her grip slackens, and the tourniquet falls loose, her vision going dark. A minute later, private Hinata Mikami is dead.

---

Cornelia allowed herself a moment of silence for the fallen Eleven, thinking of how much of a shame it was that they hadn't made it out of the tunnels. Since she'd come to Area 11, she had quickly come to realize that competence and loyalty were in short supply in this particular little corner of the Empire. Nobility schemed and tried their best to line their pockets under the table. The police were, she suspected, responsible for half the crime in the Ghettos, and the entire Area's garrison leaked worse than her half-brother Rodney nel Britannia's prize yacht after he ran it aground in low tide.

Originally, she had been completely opposed to using Honorary Britannians for any sort of crucial military work. For most things, she still was. However, she had to admit that the Elevens had performed their search with skill and professionalism, despite the dangerous environment she had put them in. They had accomplished their mission, and the late Private had given her life for it rather than flee. She wasn't the only one who had been proving themself either. Though she would never admit it, Suzaku Kururugi had been proving himself a capable Knightmare pilot, and when combined with her brother's big white toy, he could accomplish miracles on the battlefield. After all, it had been thanks to him that anything at all was salvaged from the debacle that was Shinjuku, and he had later saved her sister's life when she had been caught in the crossfire between the Purists.

It certainly wasn't a good look for Purist ideology when its chief proponents were shooting each other in the streets and scrambling for whatever scraps of political power remained available to them, while the Elevens they so despised were acting like model soldiers.

"Your highness, we have completed a composite map of the tunnels in the area. Sending it to Sir Malthus' unit now." One of her aides reports.

"Good work." Cornelia replied, and she meant it. To map even a part of that labyrinth in so short a time was no small feat.

"Order the Elevens to fall back and withdraw from the tunnels. The objective has been located, there is no more need to risk them down there."

"Yes, your highness!"

"Your Highness, we have received the map. We're moving to cut the target off now." Sir Raleigh Malthus, the leader of the response team, reports in.

The team in question was composed of a Sutherland and twelve footsoldiers. Overkill for a single truck, but there was always the possibility that they had rendezvoused with allies down below. The Eleven had not reported any reinforcements before she was killed, but that did not mean there weren't any.

"Roger. Take them in alive if practical. Watch your fire around the truck though, there may be VIPs inside that have crucial intel on the Black Knights." Cornelia reported.

"Yes, your highness!"

Cornelia watches on the CIC's central display, which now shows a rough composite of the tunnel network, as the team makes its way down, moving quickly to cut the truck off from escape.

"I hear them!" One of the men calls out.

"Get me a live feed." Cornelia orders, and a moment later one of the monitors on the room switches to show a camera feed from the Sutherland, just as a truck rounds a corner in the tunnel ahead of them.

"HALT! IN THE NAME OF VICEROY CORNELIA, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" The Knightmare's loudspeakers boom as the Sutherland levels its gun at the vehicle, the soldiers doing the same.

The truck hits the brakes a moment later, quickly slowing to a halt just in front of the line of soldiers.

"EXIT THE VEHICLE WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR! ANY SUDDEN MOVES AND YOU WILL BE SHOT!"

The truck's doors open, and two men step out, wearing black suits and sunglasses. Both raise their hands.

"STEP AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE! SLOWLY! YOU WILL SUBMIT TO A FULL SEARCH, AND THEN BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY!"

The two men comply, beginning to move closer to the line of soldiers, offering no resistance.

Cornelia frowned. Something wasn't right here. The two men hadn't even said a word. Despite the situation, both looked completely calm and at ease...

She opens her mouth to say something, but in that moment the radio picks up two sudden shouts.

"N-NggaaaaAAAAHH!"

"G-GET OUT, GET OUT-!"

"What the? Marcus, what is-"

Suddenly an explosion rang out over the radio, and the camera shuddered before falling down onto its side. On the tactical map, a beep indicated that the Knightmare had just been lost. The camera was still live though, and on it she saw one of her soldiers move up, shooting several of his surprised comrades in the back before getting hit in turn. His killer doesn't have time to say anything though, as the two suited men draw guns of their own and shoot him in turn, before turning around and running back into the truck, which accelerates over the now-dead soldiers and away, towards the tunnel exit.

The entire engagement took only a few seconds.

The entire CIC was silent in shock, and Cornelia was no exception.

Her own men had just shot each other to death, for seemingly no reason. These weren't some of Clovis' dregs, or crooked cops either. These were her own men, who'd served with her in Africa and the Middle East before coming here. They would not just betray her for some human traffickers they'd never met with before... And yet, the evidence was there.

"Y-Your Highness, o-one of them is still alive!" An aide pointed at the tactical display, which showed one of the response team as still active. The rest were all marked as lost.

"Patch me through to him, now!"

"At once, your highness."

The radio crackles to life a moment later.

"-nonononono... Oh g-god... W-What have I done... I... T-That wasn't me... I-I..."

"Soldier! Report!" Cornelia growls.

"It wasn't me! I swear it wasn't me! I didn't do it! They got in my head, made me pull the trigger, I-I swear... I-I..." The man babbles in response.

"How long until we can get a second team down there?" Cornelia orders.

"Ah... T-Thirty minutes, your highness."

Cornelia growls, but nods.

"Get them down there ASAP to recover the bodies, and get some VTOLs in the air and keep an eye on that truck." She orders.

"Yes, your highness!"

Unfortunately, though the VTOLs are scrambled, and they soon catch sight of the truck, Cornelia knows it would be some time yet before she can get a properly sized force of Knightmares to go after it. It would require an airlift to get them into position ahead of the target, after all, and as luck would have it, the majority of her heavy airlift units had been ordered south the previous day, in order to pick up General Alexander and his force for the Narita operation.

Damn it all... If only this had happened a few days earlier, she would have had it all in hand. Now though... She was no longer so certain.

---

Down in the Black Knights' headquarters, Zero had just returned from his mission, and now a meeting was being called.

From atop his command vehicle, Zero surveys the Black Knights as they filter in, gathering in a group below him. Kaguya and Ohgi stand beside him, the former looking rather giddy at the whole affair, while the latter is giving Kallen a concerned look. The redhead in question is leaning against a pillar down below, not meeting either of their gazes.

"Kaguya, I imagine that you may have questions for me after this meeting. I ask that you please save them for after it is over." Lelouch says to the younger girl, who nods.

"Of course, Zero-sama." She nods, still smiling as Lelouch turns to address his troops.

"Attention!" He calls out, bringing the idle chatter to a stop.

"First, I would like to thank you all for your diligent efforts thus far. I know that these past few days have been particularly intense for us, but you have all done your jobs well." He says.

"As all of you know by now, we are now in conflict with an enemy of extraterrestrial origin, possessing advanced technology and which has demonstrated their nefarious intent towards humanity." He continues, adding this more for Kaguya's benefit than anyone else's. He hears the young girl gasp beside him, and a quick glance shows her as looking deep in thought.

"However, out of all their capabilities thus far, the one that has caused us the most grief is not their advanced weaponry, but their ability to seize control of our minds and bodies during battle, with tragic results. As of this moment, we have no idea how such a capability works, nor how to truly stop it... However!" Lelouch declares, the entire room's attention locked squarely on him now.

"That does not mean it cannot be countered. From my observation of alien behavior in combat, I have determined several probable limitations of this power, and have devised a means by which we can mitigate its damage." Excited whispers begin to break out in the crowd, and Lelouch lets them speculate for a moment before speaking again.

"They are as follows!" Lelouch begins counting off on his fingers.

"First, the ability requires line of sight to the target. Both Tamaki and the late Ryouma were controlled by an alien that was either in the same room as them, or in an adjacent one, looking through the doorway."

"Second, they require a rest period between seizing control of multiple minds. After wiping out N1 using this ability in our last engagement, they made no attempt to mind control any members of P7 team before they were killed. They also may not be able to control multiple individuals easily at once. While they were able to apparently control multiple Refrain addicts, it appears that they took advantage of the drug-induced hallucinations in order to herd them into the truck, rather than taking full, direct control of them."

"Third, not all their kind are capable of this mind control. During both of our engagements with them, only one alien attempted a mind control attack against us, even when others would have been at a significant tactical advantage had they done the same. Though this is admittedly speculation on my part, it may be that only the leaders of this alien race may be capable of such things." Lelouch continues. All of this, of course, was simple speculation based on what little evidence he had available. However, there was one, final point that he knew to be true. He takes a breath, preparing to continue, only to be interrupted as there is a loud, metallic knocking on the door into the parking garage.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Lelouch looks up, the rest of the room, turning in shock as well, only for the door to open, revealing...

"Hey! You didn't start planning without me, did you?" A jovial voice calls out, as a man in a black trench coat, fedora and sunglasses enters, before looking up at Zero.

"Special Agent Black Joker reporting for duty!" He gives a mocking salute, the rest of the room staring at him.

"... They let you out already?" Lelouch asks in return.

"Hell yeah they did! Zero, you magnificent bastard! I don't know how you managed to pull this off, but I owe you big for this!" The man removes his hat and sunglasses.

"Tamaki?!" Ohgi shouts.

"You're back!" Inoue laughs.

"Of course! You think I'd stay even a second longer than I had to in that hospital? Of course not, the fight's out here!" Tamaki replies, walking towards them... And promptly smacking into a concrete pillar.

"Ow! F-Fuck... Still a bit loopy from the painkillers, I guess."

"Heh, take it easy for now, Tamaki. Getting you back into the hospital would be a lot harder a second time around." Lelouch says grinning under his mask.

"Ha! Please, Special Agent Black Joker doesn't take things easy!" Tamaki grins.

"What's that all about anyway?" Ohgi asks.

"Ask Zero-sama! He's the one who made it up!" Tamaki points at Lelouch. Ohgi gives him a questioning glance.

"... In order to get him treated for free, I may have been able to convince the doctors into thinking that Tamaki here was a deep-cover OSI agent tasked with infiltrating the Black Knights. Codename: Black Joker." Lelouch replies.

"You're kidding me!" Ohgi laughs.

"I am entirely serious."

"... You know he's never going to stop calling himself that." Ohgi chuckles.

"It was a necessary sacrifice." Lelouch replies dryly.

"And I got a new toy out of the deal too!" Tamaki grins, showing off his arm. Though at a glance it looked lifelike, Tamaki's wrist suddenly folded down, and panels opened up from the elbow down, revealing a concealed submachine gun.

"Pretty cool, no?"

Lelouch allows the Black Knights to chatter for a few moments, before clearing his throat.

"Ahem."

The room quieted down.

"As I was saying, there are several apparent limitations to the alien mind control, but by far the most important is this. As Tamaki can attest, and as was similarly shown with Ryouma, their control is NOT instantaneous. In both cases, they had several moments where they apparently struggled against the alien for control before it took over their mind." He states.

"Yeah. I just... It was weird. Like someone was reaching into my head, trying to grab control of whatever part of me controlled by arms and legs. I didn't even know what was going on at first..." Tamaki says.

"Yes, but it took them a few seconds to take you over, yes?" Lelouch asks, and Tamaki nods.

"Yeah, it did, even if I couldn't really do anything to stop them..." He says softly.

"Still, it means that during this time, action can be taken to stop further harm." Lelouch replies.

The room falls silent at that.

"You... You don't mean shoot them, do you?" Sugiyama asks hesitantly.

"No. At least, not in that sense." Lelouch replies with a placating gesture.

"As some of you may know, I have recently paid a visit to the Tokyo Settlement Police. During this time, I infiltrated their headquarters and gained access to their traffic monitoring system in order to help us locate the target truck." He says.

"During that time, I was also able to requisition a variety of non-lethal weaponry for our personal use as countermeasures against mind control attacks." Lelouch says, before reaching into his cloak and pulling out a taser.

"This is a standard police taser. This particular model, a TazoGun Model 5, can be used up to three times before having to be reloaded. They have a maximum range of fifteen meters, though practically speaking they're only accurate out to five." Lelouch says, quoting the operating manual.

"When it hits a target, it causes body-wide, involuntary muscle spasms, resulting in complete loss of conscious control of the body. This is important because there is a possibility that the aliens are capable of controlling a body while the mind is unconscious, but their control is almost certainly still focused on the brain and mind, not the body itself. This weapon breaks the brain's control over the body, and thus ensures that the alien cannot do anything with it. While the experience is certainly unpleasant, I believe all of you would prefer it to the alternative." Lelouch says.

"Each of you will be issued one of these for all operations where aliens may be involved. If there is an indication that someone near you is being mind controlled, you are to immediately taser them before searching for the controller. If you ARE being controlled, then use those moments you have to make it known. Shout out, scream, do everything you can to make it so that your teammates can incapacitate you before you are forced to kill them. Understand?"

"Yes, Zero-sama." The men below reply.

"Second." He pulls out a grenade.

"This is a flashbang grenade. I trust you all know what it does. The aliens we have encountered thus far have all possessed very large eyes, and seemed to be able to see quite well in the dark. It may mean that they are thus more vulnerable to bright light. If we can blind and disorient them, it may be enough to stop them from being able to control us, as well as make them easier to kill in general. I have secured a large supply of these, and will be able to acquire more in the future should they prove successful."

"In that vein, I have also secured a large amount of tear gas grenades here." He pulls out a second grenade.

"These may be able to accomplish the same result. Exposure to the gas may be enough to debilitate and hurt an alien enough that it cannot focus and use its abilities on you. In a similar vein, the gas might obscure line of sight and make it harder for them to use it. Either way, I have acquired a large supply of them for experimental use." Lelouch says.

"Finally-" He is interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket.

Reaching down, he picks it up.

"Hello?" He asks, not recognizing the number.

"Zero. It's me." He hears C.C's voice on the other side.

"C2? Where are you?" Lelouch asks.

"We're on the move again. Britannians found the truck in the tunnel and spooked them out. We've just reached the surface, and I can see road signs out of the holes Kallen made." C.C reports. Her voice is quiet.

As if on cue, his computer pings behind him, alerting him to an incoming notification from the traffic monitoring system.

Then the radio sounds off as well.

"Zero! This is Team 8! The truck just blew right past us, heading east towards Fuchu, along route 20 East!"

Team 8... They were stationed in Suginami. Right then.

"You heard them! Everyone on the rescue team, get to the train now! Is everything packed?" Lelouch asks.

"Yes, Zero-sama!" Ohgi salutes, already beginning to descend from the RV's roof, Lelouch following right behind him.

"Good. I want to be out of here in five. Inoue!" He shouts to the woman in question as they pass her.

"Yes, Zero-sama?"

"You have command of the base while I am gone. Keep us posted."

"Yes, Zero-sama!" She salutes.

It is then that Zero notices that Kaguya is following him.

"Kaguya, you are not on the rescue team-" The girl cuts him off.

"No. What I've just heard means it is all the more crucial that I follow you and deliver my message. This is not the first time I have heard of the alien threat. Kyoto learned of them a few days ago as well. However, all we know of them is from Toudoh's secondhand reports. You, on the other hand, seem to have not only learned of them, but fought them directly, and seem to be heading off to do so again. I MUST go along and see this for myself." She says, her tone booking no arguments.

"... Fine. But you are to stay back and remain safe. I am not writing a report to Kyoto saying that you got yourself killed the same day I met you!" Lelouch replies.

"Heh, so my husband does care about me after all!" Kaguya smiles.

"Kaguya! Now is not the time." Lelouch barks.

"Yes, Zero-sama. I'll keep my head down and stay out of the fight." The Japanese girl nods and salutes.

They descend down into the train station proper, along with the rest of the rescue team. There a train is waiting for them, its engine already running. Behind the engine is a coach, followed by several flatbed cars, each one carrying several cars and trucks.

A man leans out of the engine's cabin as they approach, black-haired and with his clothes stained by grease and dust. He is Engineer Toyama, of the Tokyo Underground resistance railroad. The man had previously worked closely with Naoto's cell, and had since been recruited formally into the Black Knights, granting them access to a fast and undetectable, if very cumbersome, mode of transportation across Tokyo. It wasn't useful for short-notice transportation of small groups, cars and trucks were better for that. However, for moving large amounts of men and materiel with sufficient advance notice, such as for the raid that he had led the previous night, there were few options better than a train.

"Where to, Zero-sama?" He asks.

"Can you get us to Tama-Reien?" Lelouch asks.

"Can do!" The man nods, before grabbing a radio.

"Granite, come in! This is Obsidian. We have a heavyweight BK train heading down from Grand-S-J-S to FC-T-R. Set points, stop all traffic and clear the line. We are moving out at top speed and stopping for nothing, over!" He speaks rapidly.

There is a few moments' pause, before a response comes in.

"Granite here, I read you. Line is clear, thumpers are set to active and I'm changing points now. You are clear to depart when ready. Tell the boss 'Good Hunting.' Over."

"Roger that, I'll let him know. Obsidian out."

Lelouch nods to the man, before boarding the coach, the rest of the Black Knight rescue team doing the same.

Soon the train was leaving the station, quickly picking up speed. Their quarry may have eluded them the night before, but the Black Knights were not about to let their prey get away.

---

A/N: Alright, another long one. Originally, this was supposed to cover everything from the last chapter through to the start of Narita, but it turns out that estimate was overly optimistic. Still, I am satisfied with how it turned out, and I hope you all are as well.

First up, the big thing I've introduced in this story is the Tokyo Underground. I might have mentioned it before in previous chapters, but this is your first proper introduction to it. It is my answer to the question of how the Black Knights, Kyoto Group, and the many other resistance groups were able to move large amounts of heavy equipment and manpower around the city without being detected and intercepted. My answer was a large, complex network of underground railroads and tunnels, which started out as existing Tokyo underground infrastructure, including subway tunnels, bomb shelters, underground garages, road tunnels, etc. However, given its extensive exploitation of local Sakuradite deposits, Japan would have also possessed a very advanced level of tunneling and mining technology and know-how. More importantly, unlike a lot of other Japanese industries, this one would have been left largely intact by the Britannians as part of their deal with the Kyoto Group. This in turn would have allowed many pieces of industrial digging equipment, such as tunnel bores, excavators and the like, to make its way into the hands of Japanese resistance groups, who would thus begin digging like moles all over the Tokyo area. These tunnels would then become safe havens, storage centers, and supply routes for the Tokyo resistance network, as well as for Japanese who are willing to abandon the surface entirely in order to live completely free from Britannia. It would also create a good hiding spot for aliens and their servants...

Now, as for the chapter itself... Setting aside the obligatory response from Cornelia after she watched a piece of critical infrastructure explode under her nose, first up was an after-action report from the Black Knights. The warehouse raid was, for most of them, their first encounter with alien forces, and they saw exactly how out of their depth they were. Mind control is absolutely broken when no longer constrained by a turn-based system, and I wanted to hammer that fact home, both in the last chapter and in this one, with Cornelia's squad getting wiped out. The Black Knights would absolutely have serious concerns over it being used on them again, and so Zero would have to be quick to provide them with some form of countermeasure, even if it is uncertain and unreliable, if he wants to maintain morale. In this case, a taser is the ideal solution. If you can hit someone with a taser before the mind control is complete, it'll render the controlled body useless, and thus make the whole affair a waste of the alien's time. Zero would also explore other preventative measures as well, though only time will tell if the work...

During that first after-action scene I'd initially planned to include a conversation with Kallen as well, but a lot of the elements I'd planned to include in there were either retreads of what had been said last chapter, or would have been repeated in Kallen's mind during the subsequent scene. Thus, I decided to let Ohgi comfort her offscreen. He is, after all, a close friend of hers who has been working with her and her brother for years.

This leads into the Kaguya scene, and it is one I really enjoyed writing. For a side character whose role in the story was somewhat minor, Kaguya is an absolute well of potential and fun interactions. However, this leads to the elephant in the room. Specifically, Zero's face reveal to her so early on. My justification for doing so is that Kaguya is on a very short list of people to whom Lelouch would willingly reveal himself. These are: Kirihara, Kaguya and Nunnally (if she asked nicely in the right circumstances). Suzaku was on that list initially, but after he went back to Britannia after his rescue, he was taken off. These are the people that Lelouch was close to when he was living at the Kururugi Shrine, who knew that he despised Britannia, that he was sincere in taking up arms against it, and who would not judge him for being a Britannian prince. Kallen and Euphemia then, in turn, were added to that list over time, with tragic results in the case of the latter. With all that said, I feel justified in having Zero reveal himself to Kaguya so early on.

Of course, Zero's identity is hot topic number 1 among the Black Knights, who would definitely eavesdrop on their conversation in the hopes of learning something. However, while most of them would just hear a young man who was clearly a close friend of Kaguya's from before the invasion, Kallen would, I feel, make the connection. It is one thing to convince her that she was mistaken when she didn't know Lelouch, had never really interacted with him, and was was given the slip via phone call while in the room with him. However, now that she is in contact with Lelouch on a daily basis, knows of his relationship with Suzaku and of Nunnally, suddenly all the coincidences line up and create a probable cause. With that said, Kallen is not irrational. What she does next will be entirely determined by whether or not Zero is truly able to give her the miracle she needs. If he doesn't... Well, then there are going to be severe problems.

Finally, there is the Toudoh scene, which was a very late addition to the chapter, added mostly to fill space since it felt kinda awkward to just teleport Lelouch from the hideout to the police station. Still, it was a good opportunity for me to pop open Google Maps and search for an ideal spot to place an X-Com base. The criteria were:

1. It had to be underground, but still able to support aviation facilities such as a catapult and a landing strip. This meant it would have to be in the mountains.

2. It had to be close enough to Tokyo to allow for the Black Knights to continue operating within the city against Britannia.

3. It had to be distant enough, or geographically sheltered, to not immediately arouse suspicion whenever planes took off.

4. It had to have a rail line leading to it from Tokyo in order to allow the rapid movement of large amounts of materiel to and from the city.

Okutama and Mount Takanosu proved to be perfect. An underground runway system could launch planes into the valley where Britannian ground-based radar could not pick them up until they were a fair distance away. There was a rail line leading straight into Tokyo from Okutama, with it being a little over an hour and a half by rail from Shinjuku Station (probably less if you don't stop for anything), while it is at the same time a quiet, out of the way area that Britannia probably doesn't really care much about. There is even a large cave network nearby should the situation call for it. This scene in turn introduced the place, setting the stage for future developments.

Finally, I'd like to add a little(?) omake that came to me in the shower a few days ago and refused to leave my mind. It is entirely unrelated to the story above, but I figured I might as well add it.

---

Omake: Tokyo Drift

"And with that, I call checkmate." Lelouch says with his typical bored smile as the noble in front of him glances down at the board in shock. Around him, the small audience breaks into polite applause at the upset.

"W-Well then! Checkmate it is!" The man he was playing, a frequent patron of the underground casino they were in, blinks, giving him a grin.

"Good game, Mr...?" The man extends a hand.

"Lamperouge." Lelouch replies, taking the hand and shaking it.

"Lamperouge, hmm?" The man looks thoughtful.

"... Tell you what. How about another wager?" The man smiles, standing up.

"You want a rematch?" Lelouch asks.

"Oh no, you've already more than proven yourself in that department. I was thinking something a bit more... Active. You see, this casino also runs an underground racing circuit, and I happen to sponsor one of the competitors. The next race is starting soon, and I was wondering if you would be willing to place a wager on it." The man points to a nearby viewing gallery.

"What? Really! Come on, Lelouch, we have to see this!" Rivalz exclaims, excitable as ever.

Lelouch, of course, is not quite as convinced.

"... What are the terms?" He asks.

"Simple. Your chosen contestant wins, and I triple your payment. If not, then I get back what I've lost at the chessboard. Worst case scenario, you lose nothing you didn't already have coming here, and if you win, then you can get yourselves something nice. How does that sound?" The man asks.

Awfully generous of him... There had to be a catch of some sort...

"Come on, Lelouch! We can just win it back in another chess round later! It'll be so much fun to watch!" Rivalz pleads.

"... Fine." Lelouch gives his friend a tired smile. He supposed Rivalz could use a break after acting as his chauffeur for so long.

"Yahoo!" The blue-haired boy cheers, jumping into the air before running over to the viewing gallery.

"So, who am I betting on?" Lelouch asks, following him.

"Oh, you'll see in a moment." The man replies as the gates near the starting line open, and the contestants begin to drive out.

The announcer begins to speak.

"WELCOME ONE AND ALL, TO THE ONE AND ONLY TOKYO SUPER STREET-RACE! I AM YOUR HOST, WALTER ZUM BRITANNIA, AND IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME OUR LOVELY CONTESTANTS THIS EVENING!"

Walter zum Britannia? Lelouch hadn't heard of that prince before, but his father did have over one hundred and eight consorts and at least one child by all of them so it was hard to keep track...

"FIRST, HAILING FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN SHORES OF ITALY, REPRESENTING THE FINEST OF FERRARI AND LAMBOURGHINI, THE ETERNAL RIVAL TWINS, MARIO AND LUIGI KARTINNI!" Two men drive out at that, one driving a bright red Ferrari, the other a bright green Lambourghini. The two men glared daggers at each other.

"NEXT, RACING IN THE NAME OF FAMILY AND TAKING LIFE ONE QUARTER MILE AT A TIME, IT IS BRITANNIA'S OWN WAYNE 'STONE-COLD' JOHNSON!" Another man, this one big and muscular, driving a modified 1969 Yenko Camaro SYC.

"It's him! Oh my god, it's actually him! The Family Guy himself!" Rivalz cheers.

One by one further racers are introduced, most of them unremarkable.

Then...

"ALMOST DONE HERE FOLKS! JUST ONE MORE! HAVING FLOWN IN ALL THE WAY FROM COLD SIBERIA, IT IS THE GOVNOVOZ, DRIVEN BY THE PETROVICH BROTHERS!" A giant, souped up septic truck roars onto the scene, drawing no small amount of ridicule from the contestants.

"DON'T BE FOOLED, FOLKS! THAT BIG RIG HAS MORE HORSEPOWER UNDER THE HOOD THAN ANYONE ELSE HERE, AND THE DRIVERS LOOK EAGER TO KILL!"

"Oh come on, who brings a truck like that to a street race?! Booo! BOOO!" Rivalz shouts.

"... AND FINALLY... LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE STRANGEST CONTESTANT OF THIS RACE! DON'T LET HER LOOKS FOOL YOU! SHE'S AN EXPERT RACER WITH PLENTY OF WINS UNDER HER BELT! INTRODUCING... THE BLIND BANSHEE!"

Lelouch's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and his jaw drops as he sees an all-too-familiar brown-haired girl drive out to the starting line, a blindfold over her eyes. She drove what could only be described as an incredibly souped-up wheelchair... thing, with her seat perched precariously over an absolutely gigantic engine, which drove an equally comically large set of wheels.

"A-a-A-Aa..." Lelouch's mouth worked, but no words came out.

"Holy shit, is that your sister?!" Rivalz gasps.

"A-Nu-a-nun-!"

"Ah yes, the Blind Banshee. She's my prize racer, she is!" The noble nods with a grin.

"Y-Y-A-Nun-Wha?!" Lelouch attempts to speak.

"Sir, t-there has to be some mistake, right? This has to be a PR stunt, right? S-She's blind!" Rivalz exclaims.

"Oh no! She's as serious a racer as they come! Now then... What is your wager?" The noble asks.

Lelouch is in no state to answer, having just had his brain run over by the informational equivalent of a cement mixer, so Rivalz stood up for him.

"... Putting it all on the Blind Banshee." His blue-haired friend declares, and the noble nods.

"A-Y-Nunners-wha-Racist-WHEN!?" Lelouch finally chokes out a coherent word.

"Oh, for a few years now! It took a while for her to learn, but now? Best damn racer I've ever met!"

"THREE... TWO... ONE..."

Lelouch's whole body shakes as he stares down in horror at his sister, who is currently eagerly revving the engine of her monster-wheelchair, which he noted didn't have any sort of safety systems outside of a single paltry seatbelt!

"GOOOO!"

Engines roared, and a moment later Lelouch sees the racers exit out of a cloud of dust. Nunnally was at the head of the pack, practically drifting around the curve before dashing for the exit towards the streets outside, followed by the rest of the racers... Save for one. A car that looked an awful lot like the one he'd used to rescue Suzaku drifted out of control and smashed into the barrier. Its driver, a familiar man by the name of Speedy Tamaki, stumbled out to many jeers from the crowd.

A moment later, screens around the viewing gallery turned on, and Lelouch is able to watch in horror as the race continues...

---

Nunnally grins widely as she speeds out into the cool night air. Though her eyes are closed, she can see everything perfectly, a complicated network of acoustic sensors in her car and helmet giving her an auditory map of her surroundings through a constant, precise set of directional tones.

This is what she lived for. Once upon a time she had been a happy, normal girl, able to see and run and play. Now though, she was blind, bound to a wheelchair, and made to listen silently as others played. When she was younger, the only way for her to alleviate the boredom was to drive her wheelchair up the top of a hill and then ride down it, enjoying the speed, the bumps, and the eventual tumble at the end. It was here that her love of racing started, as soon other girls would race her downhill, on foot or in wagons. Of course, she could not be satisfied by such things for long... And so she went faster... And faster... Until at last she ended up here, driving a souped-up custom rig that cost close to a million pounds, the wind buffeting her face and her hair, feeling the might of the engine beneath her, pressed back into her seat by acceleration...

It was perfect.

She grins widely as she steers around a truck on the freeway before hitting the accelerator again, the beeping in her helmet indicating that she was passing the truck and that the road ahead was clear.

HOOOOONNK!

Behind her she hears the loud honk of a familiar horn, followed by a crashing noise moments later. Of course the Govnovoz was here.

It wasn't the first time she'd raced against the infamous Shitdozer of Siberia, and it would not be the last. Every time it had nearly caught her, but she had a reputation as well. The Blind Banshee of Britannia would not lose to a Russian! Not now, not ever!

She increased speed as she heard the truck gaining on her, the drivers simply bulldozing their way through any traffic that got in their way. She weaves her way around a Ford pickup truck, only to hear it smashed aside a few moments later by the angry Russians. Poor driver... Still, she had a race to win, and so long as the Govnovoz fought dirty, she could never allow them to beat her!

As if on cue, sirens could be heard behind them as the Knightpolice arrived. Really though, they were all just part of the game. They had a deal with the Casino owner, earning a sizeable bounty for every driver they could catch, in exchange for said driver not actually being sent to jail. She hears the sound of a slash harken harpooning something. It seems they got their first payout... But it wouldn't be her!

---

Cornelia li Britannia was heading back to the palace following a military exercise when she had heard rumors of a traffic disturbance. Sending Guilford and the rest of her company on ahead of her, she decided to change course and make an example of some petty criminals who thought they could run an illegal street race in HER city!

As she maneuvered her Knightmare up onto the highway, she thumbed her loudspeaker controls, preparing to order everyone to halt, when she suddenly saw the face of the lead racer.

No way! It couldn't be...

NYOOOM!

The blind girl in her super-wheelchair zoomed between her Gloucester's legs without a care in the world.

HOOOOONK!

The truck right behind her just barely managed to avoid her as well, losing speed as it did so.

Well then! She could not let such impudence go unpunished!

With that in mind, Cornelia spun her Knightmare around and chased after them.

---

"AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE BLIND BANSHEE'S STILL IN THE LEAD! TRULY A GIRL WITH NO FEAR! WHY SHOULD SHE FEAR ANYWAY? SHE CAN'T SEE ANYTHING TO BE AFRAID OF! BUT OH NO! IT LOOKS LIKE THE GOVNOVOZ IS GAINING ON HER! AT THIS RATE IT'LL OVERTAKE HER! WHAT IS SHE TO DO!? DOES SHE EVEN KNOW IT'S THERE?" Walter zum Britannia narrates as Lelouch watches the race unfold. His fingers grip the metal railing tight enough to bend the gold ornamentation.

What the hell was this? Had he eaten something bad and fallen asleep? How could this night get any worse?!

"OHO! IT LOOKS LIKE A SURPRISE CONTESTANT HAS ENTERED THE RACE! IT'S... OH MY! IT'S THE VICEROY HERSELF! LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR CORNELIAAAAA!"

No, no, no!

His sister was still in the lead, seemingly not even noticing the giant purple Knightmare that was competing for second place with the angry Russians in the septic truck, its cape billowing out behind it as Cornelia pushed it to its maximum speed.

"Nonono..." He whimpered as the racers approached the finish line.

Finally, they entered the track again, and he watches in nail-biting terror as Nunnally screams around the bend, sparks rising from her wheels as she drifts almost horizontally before accelerating and crossing the finish line. Right behind her, the septic truck fails to make the turn and smashes into a thankfully deserted area of the stands.

"AND THE WINNER IS... THE BLIND BANSHEE OF BRITANNIA!" The crowd goes wild as two women in incredibly skimpy outfits that could charitably be called bikinis lifted Nunnally out of her seat and lifted her up as she raised her hands in triumph, a wide grin on her face as she removed her helmet.

Soon, she is escorted away from the track, and a minute later the elevator door near Lelouch opens, revealing his sister back in her normal wheelchair.

"I did it again~! And in record time, to boot!" Nunnally grins, then pauses.

"... Why does it sound like someone's pounding a jackhammer on a trampoline?" She asks.

"... I believe that would be your brother's heart." Her patron replies, counting out money from his pile of winnings and handing it to Rivalz.

"O-Oh? Lulu? You're here?" Nunnally turns to face him.

"N-N-Nunnally..." Lelouch chokes out.

"... Oh dear." His sister frets, driving over and picking him up, placing him in her lap.

"Ah... I am very sorry, Mr. Hamilton, but I must take my brother home."

"Oh please, nothing to be sorry about! You've made me a fortune once again, and your brother proved to be a delightful opponent in chess as well!" The noble waves.

Lelouch shudders as he feels Nunnally begin wheeling herself towards the exit, Rivalz walking along behind them with their sack of winnings.

"H-How... Long...?" Lelouch finally asks.

"Oh, about three years now! I've gotten really good at it!" Nunnally says with a smile.

"T-T-T-T-Three?!" Lelouch exclaims.

"Holy shit! You're a pro now!" Rivalz exclaims.

"Thank you! W-Well, Mr. Hamilton helped a lot. He built my Wonderland Wheelchair for me, you know!" Nunnally grins as they exit the building, only for Lelouch to nearly choke as he sees a figure standing there. Rivalz freezes as well, though Nunnally does not until the figure clears her throat.

"AHEM."

An absolutely livid Cornelia stares them down, holding a speeding ticket in her hand.

"EXPLAIN, LELOUCH. NOW!"

---

A/N 2: Electric Boogaloo: Well, that was longer than expected. Hope you all enjoy!