Hello! Sorry for the long wait! School and working on several stories at once will do that to you! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, cause I tried to go Joker crazy writing it!

Also, thanks for the reviews. I made a big mistake with "Calares'" name! I'll try to pay more attention to those small details.

Disclaimer: Kodachi Claws commands Clamp and Sunrise to hand over the rights to Code Geass so I can animate this!

"He got away!" CC yelled over the cell phone as she drove her motorcycle onto the highway.

"He may not be zero, but he's still as clever as ever." Kallen answered over the cell, sounding lethargic and weak, no doubt from Lelouch's earlier chemical surprise. "CC, he's scared, he won't listen, and I don't blame him."

"No matter how smart he still may be, it will only take one accident to show the empire his geass is back, and I doubt whatever part of Zero is left within him can get him out of this alone." CC stated. "I'm going after him! I'll start at Ashford Academy!"

"I want to go, but…" It sounded like Kallen was heaving again, which CC would've thought impossible by now considering she already puked three times before.

"…understood. Kallen, you go get some rest. I'll get Lelouch!" "If I'm not too late." She thought. She put petal to the metal and tore through traffic.

"So, finally caught him?" Milly teased Shirley.

Shirley's face flushed red again, but this time she didn't freak out. "Something like that." She whispered. "Milly…you think, after this…?"

Milly saw where this was going, and for once, acted serious. There were times to tease her, but this wasn't one of them. Depending on how the date went, Shirley could either wind up happy or heartbroken. "Shirley…I'm going to be honest with you. Lelouch is a very independent guy who doesn't like to be tied down by anything. Whatever he sets his mind to, he won't let anything stand in his way…" Shirley looked discouraged, although not surprised. "However," Milly continued. "…he's kind and caring towards his friends. Whether you two become a couple or not, he'll always be there for you. If nothing else, he will give you a chance, and he could never hate you. You've got a lot of qualities a lot of guys like as well."

Shirley then smiled. "Thanks, Milly. I needed that." The two finally reached the train station and got their tickets out. "Shoot!" Shirley cried. "I forgot my pass!"

Milly responded "Just buy another one."

"No! My pass has so many pounds left on it! I'll never forgive myself for wasting that much money!" She suddenly turned around and headed back to the academy. "I'll see you later, Milly! You have a good trip without me!"

Milly just waved back. "That girl can be so forgetful at times." Milly sighed. Then, she covered her face as she giggled. "Maybe…just maybe, Lelouch will take the train with her."

"We're going pretty far." Lelouch observed as he followed his teacher.

"It's a big school." Viletta noted as she led the way.

"Unless you're trying to tire me out like you do in PE, I don't see the point in this." Lelouch stated. If that was what she was doing, she could have just said he was doing make-ups for PE and be done with it instead of beating around the bush.

"There's some major cleaning up near the east side." She told him. "The groundskeeper normally has to do it all by himself, but I figured you would be glad to help him today." She gave him a sarcastic smirk on that note.

Lelouch groaned. Any physical work was punishment enough, but now he was going to be tired AND dirty. He was going to need a major bath tonight when he got home. Speaking of which… "Listen, I should tell Rolo…"

"No need." Viletta told him. "I already told him for you; he should have left for home a few minutes ago." Viletta turned around, staring at him intently. "Move it! I haven't got all day!" She quickened her pace.

Lelouch had to bite his tongue. "Now's not the time." Best to get his punishment over with as politely as possible at this point.

Shirley ran through the school grounds. "I hope they haven't locked the classrooms yet!" However, just as she was halfway to the main academic building, something caught her eye. A young boy seemed to be hiding in the bushes. "Isn't that Rolo?" What was he doing there? Then, something shiny flashed in her eye. Something metallic. Quickly, Rolo stuffed it in his clothes and pulled something else out. Facing the direction Rolo was facing, she then saw Lelouch and Viletta heading to the far east. "What in the world could Miss Vileta be making Lelouch do?" There was nothing there for anyone to do for fun or punishment.

"Be on your guard." She heard Rolo say. "I'll be with you shortly. " Then, he swiftly made his way through the bushes, sneaking about and making sure to stay out of the two's sight.

Instinctively, Shirley took cover too. Something wasn't right. If this was a game, Rolo was being quite the actor. But Rolo was always too quiet and reserved for most anything fun. Shirley carefully snuck behind a rock to get a better look at him. She had to clamp her hands over her mouth. Rolo was holding a syringe in his left hand; on top of that, she could tell by the bulges in his coat that he was also hiding a knife and a pistol. "Is he…No! There's no way that can be right!" But there was no other logical reason for Rolo to be carrying weapons; he was planning to kill Lelouch. If Shirley yelled now, he would only get herself killed and he would target Lelouch next. It may have been foolish, but Shirley knew her only option was to shadow Rolo and warn Lelouch when he had a chance to escape.

"Miss Viletta…I don't understand. The area here looks pretty clean to me, and even if it wasn't, we're practically off school property now. What is it you really need me to do?" he wondered. He couldn't see how devious she could possibly make her punishment here.

Viletta simply stopped, and prepared her spy pistol in case anything went wrong. "What you are going to do, Mr. Lamperouge…is die."

Before Lelouch could even react, Rolo sprung out of hiding and activated his Geass. Both Viletta and Lelouch were frozen in place. As easy as this seemed, Rolo knew better than to get cocky and take his time "Now." Rolo briskly walked towards his target, needle ready.

"Nooo!"

Before Rolo could react, he saw a large, sharp rock hurled towards him. He couldn't stop that with his Geass, and was hit right above the eye, paralyzing him in pain. "AHHH!" Despite being an assassin, usage of his geass spared him from feeling the pain and endurance a normal soldier would and made most basic training for him unnecessary. Not to mention he was still very young. Soon, he collapsed on the ground.

"Lulu!" Shirley screamed. She tried to pull the young man along, but he seemed frozen in place. "Uggh! Come on! Move it!"

Finally, she felt his muscles relax, and he seemed to respond. Thrown off balance by the tugging, he tripped. He looked up at her, confused. "Shirley? What are you-?"

"Damn it!" Viletta cursed. Quickly, she raised her pistol at Lelouch. Shirley pulled him up and forced him into a run. And then the Britannian soldier pulled the trigger.

CC loaded her gun as she got off her bike. She heard the shot, but she didn't know the who, what and why. But she had one obvious guess. "Please, Lelouch…you must live!" She ran as fast as she could in the direction of the shot, hoping she wasn't too late.

"Shirley, what's going on!" Lelouch practically screamed as Shirley dragged him along, although she didn't need to in a time like this.

"I don't know! Just keep running!" she hissed.

Lelouch was in full panic mode again. All he needed to know right now was that his own teacher had tried to shoot him, and that he had to get the hell out of there. Quickly, the two ducked into the corner of the main building. The two tried to keep quiet, but their hitched breathing would easily give them away if they weren't careful. Lelouch cautiously took a peak around the corner onto the main grounds.

Both Rolo and Viletta were running as if in pursuit. His brother was also sporting a rather ugly bruise, and looked furious, something he never saw him express before. The two did a quick scan, and thankfully did not appear to find them. "Damn it, Rolo!" Viletta growled. "You had him!"

"Let's see you try to recover from having a rock dropped on you!" The young teen retorted.

"If you were a real soldier, you would have been able to overcome that-"

Lelouch then saw Rolo pull out a switch-blade. "Do not TEST me, wench." Lelouch couldn't understand why Viletta was frozen in fear by Rolo of all people, but even more perplexing to him was why Rolo was carrying weapons at all. Never mind why he wanted to kill him in the first place. "Just search the area, quickly." He said. "Shoot him, but not in a fatal spot. I want to finish him off myself."

Lelouch nearly choked on his breath. His mind couldn't comprehend what was going on. First accused of being Zero, and now…"Uhh…" Lelouch looked to Shirley, and had to clamp his hand over his mouth, both out of shock and disgust. Shirley was bleeding profusely from her torso; it looked like the bullet hit a major artery. With the teens' adrenaline from their run, neither noticed.

"Shirley…"

Shirley struggled to speak. Whether it was because she had trouble breathing, or because she was in pain, he couldn't tell. "Lulu, you've got to get out of here…"

"No, not without you! You saw them, and now they'll be after you too!" Lelouch could see from the stain on her shirt that she losing too much blood; she was in no condition to run. That left only one option; Lelouch picked her up bridal style…and tried his best to hold his grunts in. "Damn, any other man could have done this with ease! I guess everyone was right when they told me I shouldn't cut…"

"Lulu…" Shirley said hoarsely

"Don't talk." He whispered. "Just try to stay awake. I'll get you someplace safe."

"…y…your eyes, Lulu…"

Lelouch realized his sunglasses must have fallen off in all the commotion. But this was not the time to be worrying about that right now. "Focus on staying alive. I'll explain the eye later."

Shirley nodded weakly. Even with her mind foggy and clouded with pain, she couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with the light in Lelouch's eye…and a sense of dread.

Quietly as he could, Lelouch got them through the most covered area of the school grounds. However, Lelouch had great difficulty in moving her, which hampered their progress. If Lelouch didn't hurry, they were either going to be caught, or Shirley…"No, I can't think like that! Hurry, Lelouch! While there's still time!"

Finally, the road was in sight. "We're almost out of here, Shirley; hang on." Again, Shirley nodded weakly.

"Found you." Lelouch turned around in fear, and saw Rolo right behind him. Before he could react, both he and Shirley were frozen in place once more by Rolo's Geass. "Enough of this." With the element of surprise lost and no chance of faking an accidental death, Rolo discarded his syringe and pulled out his switchblade. He took a step, and immediately fell back as he was fired upon. CC, in the bushes, was aiming her pistol at Rolo. The boy wisely ran for his life; he couldn't kill C2 nor freeze her in place.

Finally, his spell wore off on Lelouch, who dropped Shirley due to his confusion. "What! How did-"

"No time to explain!" CC yelled. "If you want her to live, get on!" she yelled pointing to her bike. "We have medics!"

Lelouch may have only hesitated for a second; with the fiasco from earlier that day he was tempted to take Shirley and run. But he realized that CC was their best chance for survival now. Quickly, he helped Shirley on her feet. "Shirley, stand up. We're going to get out of here." Shirley had nearly passed out, but thankfully seemed conscious enough to follow directions.

However, Rolo was not going to let his pray get away without punishment. "This is all your fault!" He screamed as he took aim with his glock.

Shirley saw what was happening, and with every bit of strength left in her, pushed Lelouch out of the way. The young man could only stare in horror as Shirley was taking shots meant for him. "SHIRLEY!"

CC fired back at Rolo, but only managed to shoot his weapon hand. Not as good as a kill, but for now, it would do. What mattered for now was Shirley's life. "Hurry!" CC extended her arms to help Shirley onto the bike. By paramedic standards, they were doing everything wrong, but they didn't have that luxury of following correct procedures.

"Shirley, stay strong! We're going to get you help!" Lelouch shouted as he cradled her back and supported her on the bike.

CC tore through the streets, wasting no time and paying no heed to the speed limit or cops. Quickly, she turned on her Bluetooth. "Kallen, get Shinta and Musashi ready in the medical bay!" CC shouted into the receiver. "Someone was hurt! Yes, he's safe, but he's not our main concern right now! You'll see soon enough!"

Meanwhile, Lelouch pressed his school uniform against Shirley, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "Why? Why did this have to happen? I don't what exactly is going on, but she can't die because of me!" "Shirley." Lelouch whispered into her ear. "You have to live."

Shirley was fading in and out of consciousness. Her wounds were making it nearly impossible for her to breathe as it was, and traveling at high speeds wasn't helping either. But some part of her mind was conscious, one that was breaking the spell of a Geass she never knew she had…

Britannian soldiers dragged her along. She was arrested a few days ago, what for, she did not know. She begged the soldiers to tell her what she was being charged for, but they wouldn't answer. She was brought to a corridor, and forced to kneel. "Oh no, Shirley, they got you too?"

Shirley turned to see her classmates in the same predicament. "Milly! Rivalz! What's going on!" she shouted.

That only earned her a slap across the face from the soldier. "Quiet!" He barked. "You will conduct yourselves properly in the presence of His Majesty!"

"His Majesty?" Shirley thought in disbelief. What in the world could she have done that required the emperor's attention?

But in that moment, the Emperor himself stood before them, dispelling any skepticism of the soldier's claim. "So, this is my errant son's merry band of friends? I'm not impressed." None of them dared to speak a word unless questioned. "So, none of you ever suspected the criminal Zero to be my son, your classmate, a Britannian Prince?"

Rivalz couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Lelouch! No way!"

"It's true, Rivalz." Milly told him. "The Prince part anyway, Lelouch is one of many of His Majesty's sons. I was the only one who knew…but Zero…no I can't imagine him being the leader of Japanese rebels."

Shirley than asked. "You mean that guy with the dark hair? He's Zero and Royalty?"

Milly growled at Shirley, pissed at what she thought was childish behavior. "Shirley! Of all the times to hold your grudge-"

"Silence!" The Emperor commanded. He then walked over to Shirley, inspecting her like she was a lab animal. "It seems we're not so different after all; to use his own friends like this…" The Emperor gave a sadistic smile. "I believe this is a perfect opportunity to test our newest invention. Enter, Gotwald!"

At his command, a blue-haired man with what seemed to be an orange monocle entered. "How may I be of service to His Majesty?" he bowed.

"I wish for you to test the Geass Canceler. On this girl." He pointed to Shirley.

"As you command." Jeremiah walked in front of the girl and looked at her. "Yes, I see. She has indeed been cursed by Geass. I will rectify this at once." His cybernetic eye rolled back to reveal what seemed like a blue bird inverted. A blue light surrounded both of them, and Shirley screamed.

Shirley finally collapsed, exhausted. The light vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Lelouch…is Zero…?" Milly and Rivalz looked at her shocked. What in the world could have coerced Shirley into believing Lelouch was Zero?

"The device has been a success, my lord." Jeremiah bowed. "Do you require any further service?"

"No, Gotwald. You've done well." Jeremiah backed away, into the dark. Shirley was now quivering.

"What have you done to her!" Milly shouted. The outburst was worth a blow to the head from the butt of a rifle.

"I haven't done anything…yet." The Emperor sneered. "In fact, if anything, I undid the memory block that your dear friend placed on her. It seems he wronged her somehow in the past, and made her forget everything about him.

"Lulu…why…why did you..." Shirley was in tears now.

"Shirley?" Rivalz asked. Neither he or Milly cared if they were going to die; they just wanted Shirley to be safe.

"It's true." Shirley sobbed. "Lelouch is Zero. I discovered it for myself when I accompanied an Officer. Some madman nearly got me to kill him. I…I didn't know what to do! I wanted to avenge my father, but I loved Lulu too much! Then…he used some kind of power to make me forget everything about him!"

Milly and Rivalz's faces paled upon this revelation. It didn't bother them that he was Zero as much as it was he twisted Shirley's mind in order to protect himself.

"Now you understand." The Emperor said. "It seems my son erased your memory of him in order to cover up his secret life. All the feelings you had for him…gone, but not the instant you discovered the truth, correct?" Shirley's silence was all he needed to confirm his suspicions. "I can see you are so terribly conflicted." He cupped her chin, and looked her right in the eye, giving her an uncharacteristically kind smile. "But I can restore everything to the way it once was. I can erase the hatred, the confusion…"

For a second, it seemed Shirley would scream yes. However, her eyes narrowed and gave him a different answer. "…no."

"No?" The emperor's smile turned into a stern frown.

Shirley gave him a determined look. "There are so many things I don't understand about why Lelouch is Zero. But he would never willingly harm his friends! What he did to me, it was only to protect me from myself! If only I had been stronger, Lelouch would have trusted me. I know it!"

"And what makes you so sure of that?" The emperor questioned.

"Because…if what you say is true…that Lelouch is your son…just by looking at you, I can see why Lelouch formed the Black Knights. And I know what you are about to do is a greater evil than anything Lulu is capable of!" Shirley yelped as he backhanded her across the face.

The Emperor only looked at her with slight annoyance. "Well, than it is fortunate that none of you have any say in the matter. Don't worry; all of you will undergo this treatment, including everyone who has ever studied and worked in Ashford Academy! Guards! Make sure their eyes are facing forward, and that they don't blink!"

The guards did as they were told as they pried the students' eyes open. "No!" Shirley screamed. "You have one too!"

"Charles Zi Brittania engraves into your mind…false memories of a false life!" All three screamed as what they remembered of Lelouch and Nunally was twisted and distorted. And then their world went dark…

Kallen waited anxiously for CC's arrival. It worried her that they needed their medics on full alert. But, if Lelouch wasn't hurt…who was? Finally, C2 and Lelouch arrived, carrying a bloodied girl about Kallen's age. "Shirley!" Kallen was distraught. Although she once took the entire student council hostage, it was only for their own protection; except for Nina, they weren't bad people. That was shown when they openly welcomed Suzaku as part of the council. And as much as she hated to admit it, being part of their antics together was fun. She blamed herself for the death of Shirley's father; after that, she promised herself she would do everything she could to protect them, even if she would eventually branded as a criminal.

She snapped herself back to the present as Shirley was laid on a stretcher and taken away. "CC, what happened!" Kallen screamed.

"I don't know." The witch replied. "She already had a gunshot wound when I finally got to Lelouch; he was trying to save her. However, his assassin took another shot…and Shirley took it for him." Though CC was known for having the emotion of a rock, she clearly spoke with regret that someone dear to Lelouch was hurt. Kallen began to cry, as she put her hands over her mouth. Without another word, she ran to Shirley's side.

CC had a bad feeling that if even by some miracle Lelouch got his memories back…they lost Zero forever.

"Is she going to make it?" Lelouch asked the medic. They had worked hours to stabilize her, while Lelouch just waited, never speaking a word to anybody. He was surprised the Black Knights would even treat a Britannian, civilian or not; he was at least grateful for that.

"I'm sorry…" the army doctor said. "…but it doesn't look very good. All the bullets hit vital organs, and it took a long time for you all to get here. She lost a lot of blood, and we don't have any to give her, assuming you knew her blood type in the first place. To be honest, our supplies are very limited, and it's a miracle we were able to bring her back from the brink. I'm sorry; we'll do everything we can, but there's little hope for her." He patted the boy's shoulder. "If you wish, you can see her now. She's still in critical condition, but at this point it's best to let her body heal, so we won't be doing anything for now."

"I'll go with you." Kallen said, affirmatively. Lelouch could see her eyes were red and puffy, most likely from crying. "Shirley was a classmate of mine. No, more than that…she was also a friend."

Lelouch and Kallen held their heads low as they entered the room. Shirley had tubes connected to every part of her body, a breathing apparatus and IV included. It pained both of them to see someone whom they've known to be so full of life in this state. Despite everything that happened, Kallen wanted to cheer up Lelouch, but she herself was not feeling happy for the same reasons as he. Plus, any attempt to do so would likely make things worse.

"…Lulu…" Shirley stirred, and struggled to open her eyes.

"Shirley!" Lelouch ran to her side, as did Kallen. The former clasped gently her hand. "Shirley! Are you awake!"

"Lulu…" she sounded terribly weak and frail. "…I can't see."

"Don't worry, just relax. The doctors are doing everything they can. You're going to be fine…" A complete lie if he ever told one. But telling her the truth wouldn't exactly help her. "More importantly, I'm here for you. Everything's going to be alright now." He stroked her hand, and he could tell she felt it by the way she smiled.

"Lulu…I remember everything now…"

Lelouch's eyes widened. "Shirley…I don't understand…"

Kallen was shocked too. She knew the entire school was brainwashed to believe Lelouch's younger sibling was a boy, not a crippled girl. But the way she said it, something else bothered her. "She…she knew?"

"You…you…are Zero…" Shirley managed to finish.

Lelouch was remarkably composed for being hit with that accusation again and from a close friend no less. Then again, Shirley's well-being was his main concern. "Shirley, just relax. Don't strain yourself too much."

"It's…it's true. The emperor did something to us…to make us forget…" Shirley let out a terrible cough, prompting Lelouch to hold her.

"Shirley!"

Kallen came forward and stroked her other hand. "Shirley, it's me, Kallen! Just get some rest, you'll pull through!" Tears poured down her eyes, knowing she was telling her a useless lie. She only hoped a miracle would occur and she would make it.

"N…no…I can't…he has…to know…" Shirley summoned up all her strength, and tightened her grip on Lelouch's hand. "There's…so much I…don't know." Shirley's breaths were becoming shallower by the second. "But what I do know…is that you became Zero…in order to save…us all…"

"Shirley, that's enough!" Lelouch shouted. His own tears were beginning to cloud his vision, but he didn't care.

"Lulu…you will need to be strong…and know…" At this point, Shirley's voice became so weak no one could hear her. But both Lelouch and Kallen had deduced what she said by reading her lips. "I love you."

The EKG flat lined, and the doctors rushed in once at once. "SHIRLEY!" Lelouch screamed as he and Kallen were pulled away. The medics desperately tried to pump her chest, but even a simpleton could tell there was no hope for her now. Lelouch collapsed on his knees, crying. "Shirley…"

Kallen was crying too. "Oh Shirley. I'm so sorry." Her father's death she could live with. This…she wasn't so sure.

Finally, the medics accepted she was long gone, and pulled the cover over her body. "Well, what are we going to do now?" one asked. Suddenly, Lelouch broke into a run towards the exit. "Hey!" one of the Black Knights shouted.

He raised his rifle, but Kallen pushed it down. "Hold your fire!" she commanded.

"But Kozuki-sama! He'll rat us out!" the soldier complained.

"No, he won't." CC told them. While she wasn't with the two teens when Shirley died, she saw the whole thing. "He's traumatized, and he resents us, that much is true. But it was Britannians, and people he believed he cared about, who ultimately pulled the trigger on him and caught the poor girl in the crossfire. If it's vengeance he seeks now, he knows that destroying us will do nothing."

Most of the soldiers were satisfied with the answer, but Kallen wasn't. If Lelouch wanted revenge, and would not direct it against them, then what? She walked towards CC. "Do you think…he'll…"

CC shrugged. "I can't say. Even if he has the power of Geass…he is not the man I made my contract with." While she was careful to guard her emotions, the fact that the Lelouch she knew was gone, perhaps forever…filled her with emotions she did not allow herself to feel for centuries.

Lelouch ran out into the streets, not caring where he went. A part of him placed blame on the Black Knights, and he wanted to turn them in. However, the green-haired girl genuinely tried to help Shirley, as did the medics. And without provocation or logic, his teacher and brother tried to have him killed, and wound up taking Shirley's life in the end. His mind and feelings were tearing at each other. Finally, he reached a crowded street, and collapsed. He didn't care if he drew attention, he didn't care about anything really. His friend was dead, and as far as he was concerned, it was his fault.

"Shirley…why…why did you have to die?" And what she said…there was no logical explanation for the nonsense she told him in her final moments. There was no way the Black Knights could have brainwashed her into believing that. No drug could do that so soon, let alone on a dying person. "Then…what they've been saying…is true?" But he didn't understand how the student council could have been brainwashed into "forgetting" his so-called past…him included. As he got up to walk, he looked into the window, and noticed his eye in the reflection.

"The power of Absolute Obedience." He remembered C2 telling him.

Lelouch remembered its effect on the soldiers and possibly the school nurse. But whether it was true or not, it defied all logic. Besides, why didn't the two girls who kidnapped him show no reaction when he requested something? "That will have to be answered another day. I've got bigger problems right now." Lelouch thought. Vileta and Rolo were the ones who killed her in an attempt to go after him. He would make Villeta pay. But Rolo… "I'll find out what to do with him when the time comes." He thought. However, despite everything that happened, he couldn't bring himself to even imagine doing Rolo harm, justified or not.

He closed his eye and began walking through the streets. He made sure to cover his eye good; too many people were giving him a weird look as it was, and even though Lelouch was skeptical about its power, he knew just the appearance of his eye would attract unwanted attention. "We interrupt today's programming for breaking news." Lelouch stopped as he passed by a television store. "Tragedy has struck Ashford Academy today as one student murdered another in cold blood."

Lelouch had to stop himself from gasping. They were talking about him! "No, impossible! Even if they tried to frame me, there's no way they could set it up so quickly! They don't even know that Shirley's really dead!" He had to quell his emotions for now; reacting to it would only draw attention.

"Security cameras recorded the murder of Ashford Academy Senior Shirley Finette." One of Shirley's school photos was shown. It then showed security camera footage of Shirley, or what seemed to be Shirley, walking the vacant school grounds. "The camera caught Miss Finette in the courtyard of the school. It is presumed she misplaced something after school hours and returned for it. It was then she was approached by a male student…" A student who looked very much like Lelouch approached her.

"What!"

The narrator then described the situation as the footage rolled. "It appears as though the two had an argument; as she turned around to walk away, the male student then assaulted her from behind." Lelouch's rage at being framed temporarily subsided as it rose from watching what looked like himself began to beat Shirley to a bloody pulp. He knew it was fake, but the fact that someone would dare fake footage of him murdering a friend made his blood boil. Then, his picture showed up.

"The suspect is believed to be Lelouch Lamperouge, also a senior at Ashford Academy. He has black hair, and violet eyes. His height is about 5'7 and weighs about 120 lbs. If you have seen this man, do not approach him. Call police immediately. He is considered extremely dangerous." The TV finally switched to its normal programming.

The passerby's were immediately taking notice of him. Lelouch realized he had to run. Thankfully, everyone seemed to back away from him. But if he didn't hurry, he was going to have a run in with the police soon…

Viletta watched as the broadcast played across stations in the immediate area of Tokyo. Satisfied, she turned to her two actors, still dressed up as their respective roles. "Good job you two."

"Shirley" took of her mask first, revealing a short-haired blond man underneath. "I'm just glad my slender body could still be of some use." He then proceeded to take his chest pads off. "What are they feeding kids these days? She's pretty well-endowed for a little girl."

"Lelouch" took off his own mask, revealing a rather shaggy looking man with a thick beard. "That was quite a performance you made us do. Do you think it will work?"

"I don't expect the police themselves to be of much help. However, groups of them will find Lelouch, and Rolo will intercept each and every one of them. Should he still fail, we'll have a rough triangulation of where he hides. He'll be caught, and killed, soon enough."

"You also don't know if this Shirley is really dead." One of the actors reminded her.

"That's irrelevant for right now. She took several shots to the chest; not even the best trained soldiers can survive that easily, so she has no chance. We've already bribed the local authorities to say she was beaten to death, and we're finding a solution for the body as we speak. Even if by some miracle she did live, the Black Knights will not let her leave. So, our little conspiracy is going to work out pretty well."

The blonde said "Yeah yeah. Listen, are we going to get paid for this? We've done this undercover job for over a year, and you finally let us use our best skills. I'd imagine in a situation like this, our services are no longer required."

"Besides, we're private contractors; the military can't boss us around without compensation."

Viletta gave an annoyed frown, and pulled out a checkbook. "You have a point." She conceded grudgingly. "I should have known top spies such as your selves would want to leave as soon as possible." She handed out checks to each of them. "Go. Get out of my sight before I cancel the account."

Satisfied, the spies for hire walked past the corridor. "Man, the rumors are just as I've heard; she is a total bitch."

"She's good-looking, but not worth the orders. It's a shame she ain't in the kitchen making my meals."

Viletta heard everything on the security camera. Normally, she would have pounded on the controls and hit the shooting range or the work-out room to quell her anger. But not this time; satisfaction was coming soon. "The skit is done, Rolo." She called on a speaker. "We no longer have use of them; kill them now. Afterwards, I'll tune in to the radio frequencies of the police. We should be able to find out something about Lelouch from them. Once I pinpoint a location, I'll forward it to you."

"Roger that." The kid at the other end of the line said. "I'll make this quick."

Lelouch didn't know where he got his new found stamina; he should have been on his butt hyperventilating by now normally. But he was thankful it came when it did, judging by the police sirens. Lelouch had no way of knowing what would happen if they arrested him, but if there was a conspiracy against him, the cops likely wouldn't do any good. Things took a turn for the worse when he noticed the cops running out of the cars, with guns and batons in hand.

Quickly, he ducked into an alley. Unfortunately, it proved to be a dead end. "Shit!"

"Freeze!"

Lelouch turned around to see a couple of cops with weapons drawn. "I didn't do anything!" Lelouch protested.

"Hands in the air now!" one of the cops shouted. "Though, if you want to die, I certainly wouldn't mind helping you with that…"

Lelouch slowly put his hands up. "Please! Just leave me alone!"

The cops suddenly stopped moving, and backed away, leaving the alley clear for him.

"What's happening?"

Lelouch overheard the radios; they were still close by. "Officer Falman, do you require backup?"

The officer replied "Negative. Tell all units to leave the suspect alone."

"WHAT!" the officer on the other line shouted.

"You heard me; leave Lelouch Lamperouge alone."

Lelouch didn't ask twice about what was going on. He just took the opportunity and ran straight out of the alley and as far away from the officers as possible. If they let him go because he simply asked them to, that could have meant only one thing: what CC had told him about his eye was true.

The sun finally began to set in Shinjuku Ghetto. CC and Kallen walked out of their hideout, preparing to search for Lelouch. They saw the whole broadcast, and knew they had to get to him. Their sources indicated that police had cornered him several times, but backed off.

"You think he's finally re-learning to use the Geass?" Kallen asked. Even in a panicky mind, Lelouch would surely see the effect his eye had on others by now.

"It seems that way." CC noted as she mounted her bike. "I can easily see how it can go wrong in his current state though. Very wrong."

Kallen nodded. In Lelouch's state of mind, the power could corrupt him or drive him insane; probably both.

"I'm going to check the settlements." CC said. "You check the ghetto. He's going to have to take refuge somewhere eventually. If he's there, you won't stick out as much as me."

"Be on the lookout for the two that shot Shirley." Kallen reminded her. "They're sure to pinpoint his location with the police. Not to mention it looks like their real target is you."

"I've already considered that. But understand this, Kallen…" Kallen listened. "If he still does not cooperate, what will you do?"

"I'll drag him back here, of course. He'll be safe." How could it possibly get any more complicated now?

"From Britannia, maybe. But not from himself." Kallen just stared at her, not understanding. "If he does not come to terms with what he is, he will never be whole again. He'll either become a devil like nothing before…or he'll be broken. Once that happens, he may as well be dead. Are you willing to let that happen?" CC asked.

Kallen thought about it, and realized CC must have been talking from personal experience. "How can we stop that, if only for his sake? Zero or not, I don't want to lose anyone else!"

CC revved up the engines. "If I knew the answer…I would gladly tell you. Now get going!" CC took off on her motorcycle, leaving Kallen in the dust.

Kallen took off for the ghetto on foot; it would have been easier with a vehicle, but a japanese with a decent mode of transportation would have drawn unwanted attention. Even though this Lelouch was clearly not the Zero she…was familiar with…she just couldn't leave him. She only hoped the poor young man could hang on, to both his life and sanity. If his memories were really altered, then she couldn't begin to imagine the turmoil he must be going through now.

"He's not here either!" Rolo yelled into his cellphone, after inspecting an alley way. "Are there any new reports?"

"Negative." Vileta answered on the cell. "It seems Lelouch has finally learned about his ability. Half the force refuses to even look for him, and the half that remains sane is afraid to go after him."

"Cowards." Rolo gritted his teeth. "What about C2?"

"We're looking Rolo, but she's a much more difficult target to acquire. With Lelouch on the run, I'd say just finding a clue about her has become more difficult."

Rolo looked around the ghetto; Lelouch was last sighted near this area. However, now he could be anywhere. Rolo growled "Damn it!" He spoke back into his cell. "I'm heading back to base for tonight; I won't be able to find him under these conditions. We'll resume searching in the morning, over and out." He hung up, and mounted his motorcycle. "Soon, Lelouch, I will find you…" He revved up the engines. "And when I do, I will end you, personally." With that, he took off.

Lelouch emerged from behind the dumpster as Rolo just left. For all he cared, he may as well just stayed there. Lelouch hoped there had been a reason for Rolo's actions. But it seemed the Black Knights told him the truth; Rolo was really out to get him, and he did not acknowledge him as a brother. Lelouch got up, and walked into the deep parts of the ghetto. "So many things happening. Nothing makes sense. Except…that I was once Zero." Lelouch had to accept it now. No matter how illogical it sounded, in that context the conspiracy against him was beginning to make sense. The Black Knights, Rolo and Viletta's actions towards him…Shirley's last words…"It's their fault! If they had never come for me, Shirley wouldn't have to die!" Thoughts of plotting revenge against the Black Knights swarmed his mind, but they weren't the only ones. "Miss Viletta. She was in on it. What about the others?" After being betrayed by Rolo, he realized anyone in Ashford could be an enemy. Lelouch had to grab onto a pole, as he began to hyperventilate. The madness of being brainwashed into living a false life was finally getting to him. He wasn't even sure who he was anymore.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Lelouch barely snapped out of it to see a gang of four Japanese surrounding him.

"A Britannaian, here?"

"I gotta say, kid, you've got a lotta guts coming down here."

"And with hardly any muscle on his bones too!" One of the gangsters gave Lelouch a hard right, knocking him to the ground. It hurt like hell, but Lelouch practically welcomed the pain now. It was a good distraction from how reality as he knew it was being twisted. "Heh. I'll give him this much, he's no cry baby." He emphasized that with a kick, causing him to grunt.

"Any one of those stuck up Britannian brats would have been crying like a little bitch by now. Too bad for your sake those others have more common sense than you."

Another picked him up and slammed him against the wall, while the others felt his pockets. "Feh. He doesn't have much on him. The credit cards aren't probably worth much; he'll cancel the cards as soon as we let him go. Unless we kill him."

"Do it." The leader of the group ordered.

"Are you insane! The police will wipe out everyone here just to get to us!" one of them protested.

The leader retorted "They'll find any excuse to kill us all off; not even the knight of seven is enough to convince them to give us a chance, treat us like human beings! I say let's waste this brat and take what we can!"

"Yeah!" the others shouted in unison.

Lelouch received another slap across the face from the leader. "If only you gave Zero what he wanted, none of this would have to happen! We'd be willing to give you Britannians a fair chance!"

Lelouch was snapped out of his stupor, and now boiling with rage. "Don't...you…dare…say that name in front of me!" Lelouch hissed. He looked straight at the leader, revealing his Geass eye.

The leader pushed him up against the wall harder. "Watch your mouth kid! You're in no position to bargain!"

Suddenly, Lelouch began to laugh. It only grew, which creeped out the other gangsters. "Aren't I?" He then commanded "You…get on all fours and bark like a dog!"

The man suddenly released him, and began to act like an animal. "Shinji! What the hell has gotten into you!" one of the others yelled.

"And you! Bang your head against the wall, as hard as you can until you pass out!" The other one suddenly ran head first into the brick wall, staining it with his blood. He didn't stop; he kept hitting his head as hard as his body could muster.

"Ginjo!"

"You!" Lelouch ordered the next one. "Strip and streak the entire neighborhood 5 times over! Make sure you announce it for all to hear! Quickly!"

The next one did as he was told, and once in the nude, sprinted away. "Hey! Look at me everyone! I'm totally naked!"

The last gangster was now trembling with fear. The only thing he knew for certain was that this kid was making them do this. "And you…" Lelouch began.

"AHHHH!" He took off, running as fast as he could.

"I was going to ask you to do that anyway." Lelouch muttered. Lelouch once again began to laugh maniacally; however, it soon became crying. In a few minutes, he was on his knees in despair. "I'm a monster. I really am a monster." Then, he noticed something on the ground, something the last thug dropped. It looked like a vial. "Refrain?"

An hour later, Lelouch found himself near a construction site. It wasn't finished, no one was working, but if the signs were any indication he technically shouldn't have been there; all of which meant no one should bother him. Lelouch wasn't exactly looking forward to doing this; a part of him still told him not to do it. But Lelouch wasn't sure if he could even survive this new reality he was dealt with. His only hope of getting things back to the way they were…"Don't think. Just get this over with." He told himself. Quietly, Lelouch took a seat, and aimed the syringe for his wrist. "Whatever happens…at least I'll be with Rolo again."

He was about to inject the substance…"Lelouch!"

Lelouch quickly hid the syringe away and turned around. It was Kallen, dressed in a cotton shirt, pink jacket and blue skirt. "How'd you find me?" he asked, surprised.

Kallen replied sadly "Well, it wasn't hard. After seeing a man act like a dog and another flashing me, it was pretty obvious that was all your doing. By the way, regarding the later, thank you for scarring me for life." She added sourly.

Lelouch turned away from her, taking a deep breath. "What do you want from me?" he asked angrily.

"Nothing! I just want to see you safe!" Kallen insisted.

"Safe!" Lelouch stood up and screamed. "Like when you had the entire army chase me to get to you! When my teacher, and my brother tried to kill me! Ever since you came back into my life, Kallen, you've done everything but keep me safe! If anyone could have used any real protection, it would've been Shirley!"

Kallen turned away, visibly hurt. "Maybe…but what do you think is going to happen if you stay out here! You'll get attacked by gangs, you'll starve…what's out there, Lelouch! You can't go back!"

Lelouch screamed "I don't care! Anywhere away from you and that green-haired bitch is good enough for me!" He sat back down, and gave a sad laugh. "What she said was true. I do have that power she spoke of." He lifted his bangs to show her his eye. Kallen chocked on her breath. In his state, if he learned how to use it… "Now that you're here, at least tell me something." He stood up, and looked her straight in the face. Kallen was scared, but stood her ground. For his sake, she had to. "You know what this eye can do. Most anyone who knew would be terrified. A woman like you should be even more frightened…" Kallen gulped; he certainly had a point. "…Why did you come back for me, despite that? Are you still hoping I'll put on the Mask of Zero and give you your country back?"

Kallen seemed to struggle for an answer. In this situation, she decided it was best to tell him the truth. "Yes…but I can see clearly the chances of that are nearly null." She then said with more conviction "But more importantly, I want to keep you safe!" She grabbed Lelouch's hands, surprising him. "Lelouch, I won't claim to know what you're going through. But I understand it's more painful than anyone should experience! If I was the trigger, I'm sorry for that! But all we can do now is move forward! If you come with me, I'll help you every step of the way! I promise!" She then felt something in his hand. "What's that?" Lelouch turned away, and Kallen knew immediately what it was. "Refrain! Where did you get that crap!" she shouted angrily, like an elder sister would scold her brother.

She began to pry his hand open as Lelouch tried to pull away from her. Unfortunately, Kallen's grip was too strong. "Let go!"

"No! This won't help you, Lelouch! It ruined my mother…" Kallen twisted the refrain out of his grip. "…and I don't care how bad you feel, I won't let it ruin you!" She smashed the vial on the ground, the contents leaking into the soil.

Lelouch was only stunned speechless. But his face quickly contorted back into rage. "What makes you think I even want to accept this reality! Everyone seems to think I'm Zero, one of my best friends is dead, my teacher and little brother tried to kill me, I'm wanted for murder and…and this!..." Lelouch pointed at his eye. "You think it's so great having this! I don't even know what I'll become as long as I have this!"

Kallen only tried to pull him out of the site and force him to walk with her. "Lelouch, come with me!" she repeated. "I know your life has turned to shit, but I can help you!"

"NO!" Lelouch suddenly grabbed Kallen's face. "I've had enough of you!"

"NO!" she screamed in horror. He was actually going to use it on her!

Before she could fight back, he pried open her eye, and he commanded "Disappear! Never show your face to me again!" Suddenly Lelouch doubled over in pain as Kallen kneed his stomach. She followed up with 3 karate punches and finally kicked him square in the chin, sending him flying. Lelouch hit the ground hard, and struggled for breath. "Just go away…" he whimpered as he hunched into a fetal position, his spirit broken.

Kallen breathed erratically. When he tried to Geass her, she was scared out of her mind. She would rather be killed by gunfire than turned into a slave. She was thankful he only asked for her to leave him alone. If she looked a second longer…"But what if I am affected, and don't know it yet?" she thought. Finally, after a good minute of trying to collect themselves, Kallen was the first to straighten out. "Fine. You'll get your wish." Her fists balled up in anger, and tears flowed down her cheeks. "I should apologize…for believing a bastard like you could ever be Zero! He was brave, wise, trusted his comrades always, never gave up…and what's more, when faced with defeat, he would come back stronger than ever!" she screamed. "He's everything you're not! So, you'll get your wish! Good day, and good luck your majesty!" she angrily cried. She then slammed what seemed to be a piece of paper on the ground, and ran off.

After a good few minutes, Lelouch crawled towards the paper. Turning it over, it was the same photograph he was shown earlier. He, Suzaku and that girl they claimed was his sister. His first instinct was to tear it apart, denying its authenticity, but something held him back. Instead, he tucked it in his shirt. "Trust me. I wish everything you said was true." He muttered to no one as he got up and headed the opposite direction.

Up above, unknown to the two teens, CC watched the whole thing unfold. She did not interfere, knowing she would be met with the same results as Kallen. A single tear dropped down her eye, as she turned and walked away.

Suzaku walked past the guards to the royal chamber. They eyed him with contempt, but it didn't matter to him. At his order, he could have the guards executed; he would need to explain his behavior to His Majesty, but as a Knight of the Round he was already in good standing. Finally, he reached his destination, and kneeled. "You wished to see me, Your Majesty?"

Charles rose from his throne and answered. "I sense something has happened with my errant son."

"Is he dead?" Suzaku asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"Far from it." The emperor replied sternly. "I sensed another with the code at work; C2 is the only one I could have sensed. And from what I have been told by intelligence, he has recovered the power of Geass. But, the false memories I implanted in him have remained intact." He sneered just thinking about it.

That certainly puzzled Suzaku; he suspected that the emperor almost had this planned, but it was not his place to question him. "What do we do now? We can't just leave him be; he is as much a danger to others as he is to himself."

"That is true. Follow me." Suzaku did as he was told, being led down a corridor with many, many pillars. "Tell me, Kuurugi. What would you do in this situation?" the emperor asked.

Suzaku replied without hesitation "I would kill Zero now."

The emperor looked back at him suspiciously. "Careful, Sir Kuurugi. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty…I think it is the most practical course of action. As he is now, Zero is no more than an animal. He will likely go mad with power, even more so than before. He won't start a revolution; this time, he will try to become God. I believe it is best that we strike now before that happens." Suzaku insisted. "While the grudge may be personal, my sense of justice and duty has always been stronger. If that had not been the case, than I would have ended him a long time ago, even right in front of you."

The emperor smirked. "Yes. I suppose you have a point. But, he's still a necessary pawn."

Suzaku asked "Is that why you spared him, my emperor?"

"Indeed. Let me show you something…"

The two exited the room of pillars, and Suzaku could scarcely believe his eyes. They had walked into an open space, which seemed high above the clouds. Impossible for even the highest of skyscrapers. Plus, it was nighttime, there was no way to see the sun now. The only man-made structure was a platform that looked Ancient Greek or Roman. It seemed to defy the laws of physics as nothing was supporting it! "Impressive, is it not?" Emperor Charles asked.

Suzaku was almost stunned speechless, and barely managed to ask "What is this place?"

"It is a sword. A sword for slaying God…"

That's all for now! Tune in next time, when one of the Black Knights' own turns on them! And you get bet Lelouch will be involved…