"I am Zero."
Those three simple words had captured the attention of the world. Spoken in English so that the entirety of humanity could know that a legend was born this day, and echoed out at such a volume that even the difficulty of finding an audio sensor was barely an inconvenience. From the nation that once was Japan, to the Chinese Federation, to even the capital of Britannia itself.
So to focus on one specific student council room seemed quite small in the grand scheme of things.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
"Shush! I'm trying to listen, Shirley!"
"...mhm, I agree with Milly..."
The room was tense simply because of one man on tv. Well, mostly tense. I was ecstatic. I was witnessing the first public appearance of Zero! This was one of the defining moments of Code Geass!
Although, from how silent I am, I probably don't look very enthusiastic. I am trying my best to not make any noise, because if I do, my excitement with leak through, and I'll have to answer a lot of questions that I'd rather not. Honestly, I think me not saying anything is more showing that I'm panicked rather than excited.
The announcer was saying something that wasn't important in the slightest. He was basically just restating the circumstances that Zero arrived in: the military surrounding Suzaku that was now surrounding Zero as well, the fact that he seemingly didn't have any weapons, and of course, Zero possibly being a terrorist and the stupidity of such an action if he is. Suddenly, Britannia propaganda became so readily visible. How didn't more people see it?
"I've seen enough, Zero," Jeremiah Gottwald spoke with obvious sarcastic disdain. Despite the slightly choppy audio quality – he didn't seem to have a personal microphone, or a good quality one at least – he quite clearly thought this to be the worst plan he's ever seen. "This little show of your is over!"
He shot his gun into the sky, signaling several more Knightmares to descend from the clouds. Every single Sutherland held a rifle directly at the masked man. It seemed like a situation that no one could escape.
Oh, how wrong those thoughts were.
"First things first," Jeremiah continued, "why don't you lose that mask?"
For a moment, it seemed like Zero was going to comply with Jeremiah's demands, lifting his hand to his mask. But then suddenly, it went further, ascending above his head. He snapped his fingers which signaled the compartment behind him to blow open, revealing a large metal orb with cylinders near its top.
All the student council watching from Ashford were speechless. One because that is her default state, but she was just as worried as the others were; two because they were filled with a mixture of fear, awe, and confusion; and me because I was trying not to squeal in utter excitement.
The announcer mentioned something about the device's purpose being unclear and was waiting to see if Zero explained what it was. But that was promptly put out of mind when Jeremiah aimed his pistol at the masked terrorist with a paniced look on his face. The tension was palpable among the student council.
"You intend to shoot?" Zero asked almost rhetorically. He sounded like he was in a play more instead of a deadly standoff. You couldn't help but admire his bravado. "I think you know full well what will happen if you do."
There were a few short moments where the audience was able to consider exactly what would happen if the Acting-Consul were to shoot. Would the ball blow up? Or perhaps the terrorist wanted to perform a significantly cleaner crime with chemical warfare? He was wearing a mask, after all. I'm sure that's what was going through Milly, Shirley, and Nina's heads at the moment.
Meanwhile, I was doing my absolute hardest to not so much as smile a millimeter, and probably failing. I honestly wished I could be there in person, but even the Rivalz part of me knows that that is a horrible idea. Even just seeing this on the television was awe inspiring. I very well might have passed out if I was right there next to him.
Jeremiah finally spoke up after considering his options. "Fine, what are your demands?"
"An exchange. This, for Kururugi," the masked man replied.
"Like hell," Jeremiah spat out. "He's charged with high treason for murdering a prince. I can't hand him over."
Was it just me or was there some pained hesitance in his voice? Oh, that's right. Jeremiah doesn't actually hold the same ideals that the Purists do; he only joined because there weren't many other places in the military to go after Marianne's death. He might have also joined because the Purists were prominent in Japan and he wanted to search for Lelouch and Nunnally, but I'm not too knowledgeable about the Purist faction's political decisions.
With that in mind, his reluctance to let a royal's supposed killer to go free, regardless of the circumstances, probably sat very poorly with him. Seemed like he' still bitter about not protecting Marianne. Jeremiah's loyalty and desire for redemption even now are prominent in his character. It's very admirable if I'm being honest.
"No," Zero's voice cut through the very air, demanding the attention and curiosity of all listening. "You're mistaken, Jeremiah. He's no murderer." The camera suddenly got a close up of Zero's mask and like it was rehearsed, he turned directly into it as he spoke his next words.
"The man who killed Clovis was myself."
I immediately heard a series of gasps around me. From the subdued but horrified inhale of Nina that I could barely even hear, to Shirley's much more exaggerated and loud one. Interestingly, I didn't hear one from Milly, or if I did, it was even quieter than Nina's, which was very hard to believe. I turned to face her, only to see a hard gaze directed at me. Uh oh. I think she noticed that I didn't look surprised by this.
She sent a silent message just with the gaze: "We're going to talk later." Somehow, I get the feeling that she saw through my facade. Now, I need to come up with an excuse for... whatever she's suspicious about!
The announcer said something again, but this time I wasn't paying enough attention to make anything out. I only was able to listen to Jeremiah's utterly rage filled rant: "He's mad, I tell you! Disguising his truck as his Highness's! He'll pay for mocking the crown!" Yep, definitely still bitter about being unable to protect the Empress.
"Careful," Zero started. "You don't wish the public to learn of 'Orange', do you?"
I couldn't stop my grin this time. I couldn't have even cared that Milly made a slightly confused noise.
"If I die, it'll all go public. If you don't want that to happen..." There was a pause. When he continued, there was an underlying demand to his voice. I could tell that it was him using Geass. "...you'll do everything in your power to let us go, your prisoner as well."
Immediately, there was a change in Jeremiah's tone and posture. No longer was he performing the best interests for the Purists; he was now serving the supreme will of Zero. He let Suzaku go.
From there, a couple things happened. Zero activated the strange ball, releasing what was initially though to be toxic gas but was actually just smoke, and Jeremiah actively attacked his own men in order to help Zero and his posse get away. Not long after that, transmissions ceased, likely cut off directly by whoever was in charge off television.
To say that everyone was tense was an understatement. The silence almost felt wrong after that showing, yet no one could say anything more. It was just too heavy.
Then Shirley just couldn't contain her shock anymore.
"WHAT THE FU-"
After Nina covering her ears and looking like she was about to have a panic attack, Shirley looking like she just committed a horrible sin, and Milly and I finding Shirley's slip up utterly hilarious – with me actually trying to hold my laughter back as it was a serious situation – we all managed to calm down. We talked about who Zero was and what his goal was. Nina looked like she wasn't able to talk much without breaking down, so the rest of us sent her back to her dorm.
Between me, Shirley, and Milly, we were having a more in depth conversation about the masked terrorist. Shirley, surprisingly, found the man to be quite noble. "He wanted to save someone who was being falsely accused," to put it in her words. She said that if he just wanted to cause trouble, then he wouldn't have rescued a random Eleven.
Milly was much more realistic. She believed that Zero thought himself to be a hero, but his methods weren't exactly just. She didn't know what to think of him yet. So she decided that until he proved himself otherwise, he was just another terrorist.
There wasn't much more said after that. I was purposefully vague, although I was closer to Shirley with my outspoken opinion. Internally, I was practically a Zero fanboy! I just couldn't fully express that without being suspicious.
"Well, I think it's getting pretty late," Shirley stated with a yawn. "We should probably be going."
"Yeah, that sounds good," I agreed. "Guess we'll see everyone tomorrow, then! See ya guys!" I began to make my way to the door, hoping to escape Milly.
"Bye Rivalz!" Shirley called out.
"Hold it!" I stopped in my tracks when I heard Milly shout. There goes trying to avoid her. She continued, "Rivalz, would you mind if we talked for a little while? I have something I need to ask you."
The half of me that died logically knew that she was wanting to talk about my reaction towards Zero, but the Rivalz half just had to think of something much more romantic. As such, I couldn't keep myself from having a slight blush on my cheeks.
Nervously, I responded, "S-sure, Milly! What specifically?"
Before answering my question, Milly turned to Shirley and said, "I'm sorry, but this is a bit of a private matter. Nothing serious, just want some privacy."
Shirley looked a bit confused, but nodded. "Sure! Hope you guys have fun!" And with that, she walked out the door.
There were a few moments where Milly was waiting for something, presumably Shirley moving out of hearing distance. During that time I decided to sit down. I wasn't blushing anymore, but I was just as nervous.
A few more seconds passed when Milly turned to me with a surprisingly hard look. "Care to explain what you were smiling about during that news report?" When she said this, it wasn't with the cheer that she usually had.
I couldn't help but gulp. I was actually scared. Not as much as I was when I was in Shinjuku, but this was a different kind of scary.
"W-what do you mean? I was just too shocked to really react." I tried to say convincingly. I failed.
"Don't give me that, Rivalz! I could tell that you were trying your hardest to not show any excitement that I know you were feeling!"
I couldn't help but cringe at that. "W-well, that's... um... I... well you see..."
I was honestly torn. Should I try to keep her in the dark or tell her a portion of the truth? I don't know. But, now that I'm thinking about it, she was probably the closest to Lelouch. She might be willing to assist him, or at least not rat him out, if she was made aware of his involvement with the Black Knights and Zero. I wouldn't be able to explain how I know that Zero is Lelouch, but maybe if I were to just show that Zero's actions were even the slightest amount justified...!
"Milly," I said pensively, "were you told what actually happened in the Shinjuku ghetto?"
Milly let Rivalz say all that he wanted to. It was obviously a summation of events that left out a good amount of details, but it got the point across. To hear that Clovis would do such a thing, she had trouble believing it. She wasn't nearly as close to him as some of Lelouch's other siblings, but she still had considered him a friend once. Now though...
She looked directly at the student council secretary. "So, Clovis caused all the deaths in Shinjuku, and you and Lelouch had managed to be right in the middle of it. Am I getting that right?"
Rivalz nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I guess all that made me think that maybe Clovis deserved to die. And then that Zero guy was saying that he was the one who had done the deed, I don't know, I guess I kinda admired him."
He looked a bit downcast at that last part. The thing was, Milly couldn't tell if it was from him feeling guilty or if he somehow became a much better actor sometime in the last week. Which, when she considered what Rivalz had to go through, might not be to far-fetched and idea; trauma can do things to you; she'd know.
As she considered all she noticed that had made her suspicious of Rivalz, his explanation seemed to account for everything: his excitement before the broadcast; his eyes being full of something she couldn't place; even him not being surprised with the reveal that it was Zero who killed Clovis made sense if he was at Shinjuku when it happened.
Of course, she wasn't a normal person who was satisfied when she got the answer she was looking for. No, she was Milly freaking Ashford. She always wanted to discover truth, she's the most ambitious person on campus, and she's one of the few people who have managed to outsmart Lelouch on occasion.
So she simply asked one more question she had. If Rivalz could give a satisfactory explanation, then she'd let the issue go. But she wouldn't stop until she got one. So she was glad that there was one thing that she was still confused about.
"What's 'orange,' Rivalz?"
He instantly went through several thought processes at once. He seemed to go pale, coughed in surprise, and wanted to laugh all at once. He almost doubled-over as he stammered and stumbled over himself.
"W-well! That's um... I, uh..." Bingo.
"Rivalz," she said much stricter this time. "You could have just denied that you knew what it was, but you didn't. It didn't even cross your mind, did it?" She could see him physically swallow in fear. "I'm going to ask again, what is 'orange' and how do you know about it?"
Rivalz was sweating bullets. Whatever he knew about it, it was sure to be very important. Milly couldn't help but adorn her infamous cat-like grin, albeit much more reserved than it normally is.
She could tell that Rivalz's mind was absolutely racing right now. She had a thought, and decided to move in between the blue-haired secretary and the door. When Rivalz looked even more despondent at this new development, Milly couldn't stop her smirk from growing.
Rivalz continued to deliberate over his options, looking more and more conflicted as time passed. Eventually, he sighed and a majority of the tension exited his body.
"You really want to know?"
Milly was admittedly slightly shocked. She had expected for Rivalz to just slip up in trying to keep a secret; the fact he was so open was slightly jarring. It was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
"Mhm! What is it?"
"Nothing."
What.
"Huh?"
"I mean, it literally doesn't exist. It's not real. It was purely made up," he explained.
"But... that doesn't make any sense! Mr. Gottwald let Suzaku Kururugi go when Zero mentioned 'orange!' It has to be real!" Milly was feeling pretty lost. If Rivalz was lying, then he went with one of the least believable one possible. But, he also had little to no reason – or ability – to lie in the first place. The entire situation didn't make much sense.
Rivalz chuckled a bit. "Yeah. In that context, it doesn't make much sense, huh? But, I don't think I can fully explain the full circumstances without sounding crazy, so just trust me on this, okay?"
Just what could the full picture be? Why would the leader of the Purists know what 'orange' is if it wasn't actually a real thing? How would Zero know about it and be confident in his plan's success if it was a fraud? How would Rivalz know about at all?! If it didn't exist, then there shouldn't be any evidence of its existence in the first place! And what was Rivalz hiding that would make him sound insane?! So many questions and about zero answers!
"W-well... you don't know that for certain! I, for one, happen to trust all my friends on the student council! No matter who they are and what they do, I will trust them all with every part of me!" She was desperately hoping to appeal to Rivalz sense of camaraderie to get him to talk.
"I'd like to tell you, believe me! But I need you to trust me on this. If I say one thing wrong, everything might go wrong, and this world will lose itself." Instantly, Milly thought he was exaggerating, but after searching through his words and their meaning, Rivalz wasn't making things seem bigger than actually were, at least in his mind.
For the first time in many years, Milly didn't know what to say. If Rivalz was being serious, and he was still in his right mind – which he seemed to be – then the world was going to end, and the idea that it was seemed utterly ridiculous. This accusation, if it came from literally anyone else, would be a bold-faced lie.
But this was Rivalz, and Rivalz was notorious for being unable to hide things from his friends. Even his infatuation with herself was fairly obvious – but then again, what healthy teenage boy wouldn't find her attractive? Regardless, the fact that Rivalz was trying to be secretive was at best intriguing, and at worst was incredibly concerning.
Milly spoke up again. "Are you sure you can't tell anyone? If you're being coerced into doing something, I can help! If you and Lelouch have bitten off more than you can chew, you guys can tell me!"
While she wouldn't ever admit it, maybe even to herself, Milly didn't want to lose Lelouch a second time. He was her best friend, and has been for a long time. When she thought he died, she felt like a part of her went with him. If she lost him again, she didn't know what she'd do.
Rivalz smiled at that, and it was an authentic one at that! "Trust me, if anything does happen that we'll need–" he paused and winced a bit. Milly could tell that he hadn't meant to say that. What he had meant to say, she felt was simple say 'I' instead of 'we'. Nevertheless, Rivalz continued, "that we'll need your help, I'm not going to be too hesitant to ask!"
The Ashford heiress couldn't help but smile slightly at her friend's sincerity. Despite his hiding of information, he hadn't really lied. Perhaps others would say that omitting the truth is still lying, but Milly grew up with Lelouch and she had learned this: if a real friend lies, they do so to keep you safe. Granted, Rivalz and Lelouch were two separate and different people, but considering Rivalz hardly lied to begin with, she felt that the advice was still applicable.
Speaking of Lelouch, Milly had a feeling that several of the questions she still had could be answered by the ex-prince. While she could tell that Rivalz was basically done talking, Lelouch was a well of new information. Even if he wasn't involved in whatever Rivalz is, Lelouch is smart enough to give a unique perspective into everything that was going on.
Milly decided to move away from the door. "Alright. You're free to go. I get the feeling that you won't be answering any more of my questions."
Rivalz chuckled a bit at that. "Yeah. Hope that I haven't ruined your opinion of me with all that. There are just things I can't tell you. I want to, believe me, I just can't right now."
Milly wore a slightly somber smile on her face at that. Whatever it was that Rivalz was hiding, it must have been big if he wasn't mentioning anything about it. He was usually the kind of person to say what was on his mind without much of a filter, at least when among friends.
"I'd like to believe that, Rivalz. Just don't think that you're too macho to ask for help from a girl!" Milly exclaimed with her usual vigor, albeit slightly subdued.
Rivalz couldn't help but laugh at that. Milly noted a slight blush adorning his cheeks, but she figured it was just from relief. "Don't worry Madam President, I will! Or, wait..." His blush grew slightly as he realized that he misspoke.
Milly couldn't help but find the slip up funny and had chuckled a bit before saying, "Guess I don't need to worry too much!" She put her hand on his shoulder as she said this.
Rivalz, despite his embarrassment, despite Milly's teasing, was still smiling. He even joined in on her laughter after a few moments. Despite the heavy conversation they just had minutes prior, they still cared for and trusted each other; they still were teenagers who enjoyed being goofy.
A few moments of comfortable silence passed, then Rivalz finally gathered his things and left the student council room.
Now, Milly had an ex-royal to talk to.
I was feeling a flurry of emotions: nervousness from Milly's stern questions, embarrassment from her teasing, and the leftover joy from seeing Zero's first appearance. But now, I was making my way to my dorm room so that I could relax and figure out my next move. I was slightly overwhelmed from all that had occurred in only a few hours. It was pretty late when I finished talking with Milly.
I had meant what I said about the world losing itself; if Mao was able to figure out a way to beat Lelouch from my memories, and was able to specifically kill him, then Charles might complete his plan with no one to truly stop it. Mao might be more cautious if he learns of the Emperor's plan for "world peace," but with how unstable he is, that's about the furthest thing from a guarantee. Heck, he might even support it!
I wondered if there was a way to stop Mao without killing him. Simply put, Mao was ridiculously difficult to put down; who knows how much damage he could do if he was able to last even a moment longer than in canon.
Regardless, that was a problem for future me; present me wanted to relax and get some sleep so that I can get up early tomorrow. I was planning on making the lives of those in the ghettos even slightly better, after all. Yeah, I'm wanting to get them some food, but I know a place that's open 24/7; I can worry about that in the morning.
I found myself in front of my dorm room. I fumbled around for my key, eventually found the right one, and opened the door with a joking "Honey, I'm home!" My roommate, despite being a bit shy, had a nice sense of humor and would appreciate the joke; I expected a chuckle, maybe even the joke being continued.
I didn't expect to see a familiar green-haired immortal sitting down with a bored and slightly annoyed look on her face.
"Welcome home, 'dear.'"
Oh, World of C, help me.
Lelouch was feeling a very quiet anger as he traveled down the path. Suzaku, someone he once considered a close friend, had treated him like a genocidal maniac. Granted, he didn't know that it was Lelouch under Zero's mask, nor that Zero wasn't wanting any conflict at all in that moment, but it still made Lelouch upset. Lelouch had gone through all that with the main purpose to rescue the Honorary Britannian, after all.
It reminded him of how their relationship was before they became friends through Nunnally.
He shook his head. He had to clear his head. So what that Suzaku wouldn't work with Zero? That was an incredibly small problem in comparison to what he had planned to do. He had the ability to change the world, and he planned to use it to the fullest to take out the planet's biggest superpower.
He would need to plan his next moves carefully. There wasn't much he could do for a couple days except plan; nothing big, at least. For now, it would be wise to just lie low.
He quietly made his way toward the club house turned home for him and his sister. She'd no doubt be worried about him even if she didn't hear about Zero on the news. He'd just have to do his best to help comfort her if needed.
He finally made it to dining room after Sayoko directed him there. "Nunnally is inside, waiting for her older brother to come home safe," she roughly said. Hearing how much she depended on her and how strong she was being made Lelouch smile.
He opened the door expecting to only find a slightly frantic Nunnally. He called out in a slightly tired voice, "I'm back," wanting to make sure that she realizes that he will always come back to her.
What he got was the sight of his younger sibling crafting origami cranes with Milly.
"Welcome home, big brother!" Nunnally cried out happily.
"What she said, your highness!" Milly followed, deciding to tease him. Lelouch had to sigh. That little nickname was one that he felt conflicted about. On one hand, it reminded him about a life he no longer wanted anything to do with; on the other, it was clear that Milly was doing it to simply tease him, and only because they were so close. One upside was that she never used the nickname when anyone other than the three of them was around.
"How many times must I ask that you don't use that nickname, Madam President?" Came Lelouch's exasperated response.
Milly giggled. "At least once more, your highness!" This exchange caused Nunnally to join in on the laughter, to which Lelouch just groaned.
Nunnally explained that Milly came by a little earlier, and that both of them were getting worried about him, especially with Zero on the news; he wasn't answering his cellphone at all. Milly told Lelouch that she had some student council business that they needed to talk about, to which Lelouch narrowed his eyes. Despite her voice being how it normally would be, her eyes were filled a serious look that he hadn't seen for a while. Whatever she wanted to talk about was something she evidently didn't want Nunnally overhearing. The ex-Britannian royal silently nodded at her request, but was wanting to spend some with his sister before she went to bed.
Several minutes passed where he, Nunnally, and Milly just sat, talked, and made origami cranes. Lelouch wasn't too familiar with origami, so Nunnally – and to a much lesser extent, Milly – taught him how to properly fold the papers. It was a nice moment of calm that came at an great time; after the intensity of having to deal with Jeremiah Gottwald – who, as a sidenote, seemed slightly familiar to him – and the impending drama of whatever Milly wanted.
Eventually, Lelouch took Nunnally and helped her get ready for bed. He stayed with her for about five minutes after she was under the covers. His presence always helped her relax and sleep better. But sadly, the nice calm only lasted a few moments longer, as Lelouch had to talk to his old friend.
He and Milly had decided to sit across from each other in the dining area. If there ever was a time that the ex-prince was glad that C.C. was currently elsewhere, it was now. If Milly found her in his effective home, her mind would instantly go somewhere he doubted even his Geass would be able to fully pull her back from. If that's why she was here, then at least it wasn't anything more serious.
As he waited for Milly to find the right words to say, he continued to consider what she might be here for. Maybe it had something to do with Kallen and with how quiet she was being during the meeting; maybe Milly was worried that they weren't being welcoming or gentle enough. While that was certainly a possibility, Milly's reaction didn't really warrant such a small concern. Maybe she was worried about him since the whole fiasco with Clovis, Suzaku, and now Zero – as he was sure she saw the news – was lasting so long; she probably worried that he was grieving properly, which he wasn't sure he was. Even so, that didn't really line up with Milly's character. She would help someone get over sadness and depression with a celebration or party rather than talk about feelings. So what could she want to talk about?
What if... she wanted to talk about Zero? Milly had always been observant, more so than most of his friends; maybe she was able to put something together about Zero that Lelouch missed. Maybe she was even able to see his Geass activating; it wasn't too hard to believe that the camera was positioned in such a perfect way so as to show his red-filled eye. Maybe she was able to place his voice despite the modulator he used. There were a lot of things that could have given him away, and with how Milly was probably his closest friend, her being the only person to realize who was under that mask was very possible.
As Milly finally found the words, his worries turned out to be well founded. "What do you know about Zero?"
…
You know, being smart was a curse sometimes.
Now, with that said, what in the world was he supposed to do next?
AN
Hi. It's been a while. And right after I said that I wanted to do weekly at that. I'll admit, I was distracted by Persona 4 Golden that I got a couple weeks ago, and that I was writing my other fic for a bit, but I was mainly just being lazy. I apologize. I'll try to make regular updates from here on. It probably won't be weekly, but I'd like to try to have a new chapter out every two or three weeks.
That all being said, I did mean what I said about wanting to finish this story, or at least R1. I don't plan to drop this fic at all, or at least without informing everyone first. I'm not going to just fall of the face of the Earth.
I feel like this chapter is where the story is really going to start diverging from canon. Even just last chapter, I was admittedly feeling a bit lost for where I wanted this story to go. Now, I feel like I have a clearer vision of where it will end up. So in the end, the break I took might have been for the best.
All that out of the way, I want to thank everyone for reading this fanfic of mine! There are almost 10,000 on fanfiction . net alone, so the fact that so many people enjoy it makes me very happy! Thank you everyone! Every favorite, follow, and review has motivated me to keep going! I appreciate it all so much!
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and have a good day!
