I'm very sorry for taking much longer than I should have. 2020 may have been gone, but I guess chaos is forever.

Still, I will always work hard to get these stories out for you all.

The immediate city of New Delhi could clearly see the chaos of the Knightmares fighting. Everyone got inside and tried to go underground if possible, but the populace was unprepared for a Knightmare attack; never did they think it would happen, with the Federation having formed a truce with the Empire.

One person witnessed the fury with mild amusement from her window, her eye shining with the symbol of Geass. Speaking into her phone, she said "Yes, the attack has begun. With Zero present, I am not sure how long we can hold it; his knightmares have already arrived. We need to hurry if we're to secure the dear, I will be there shortly."

She quickly hung up, and ran out the door, her pink hair flowing behind her.

Outside, a lone motorist on a motorcycle parked on the street. He waited, and the woman from above hopped up behind him. "Time to go." She said. The cyclist charged up his motorcycle, and rode off.

Todoh fired off a shot at a stray Sutherland that tried to take a shot at him. Another tried to sneak up behind him with a hidden blade. Quickly, he spun his wheels and turned his knightmare, raising his blade. Once in position, the thrusters on the blade activated, adding speed to his slice. The Knightmare was split in two, and collapsed.

"Todoh, look out!" Chiba jumped at another knightmare rushing for Todoh's side, grabbing it with her massive claw. The blade inside destroyed the head.

"Thank you, Chiba." Todoh acknowledged as he fired off his shoulder guns at other enemies.

"It's going to be hard to keep them contained!" Chiba said as she backed up to the Zangetsu, covering him and firing her wrist guns.

"Maybe not." Todoh said. "They seem very concentrated here."

"I'd guess they want control of parliament!" Chiba said as she threw a slash-harken from her shoulder, decapitating another.

"No, I don't think it's that simple." Todoh said, blocking rounds with his sword. "There's something else. I just can't fathom what."

A Sutherland tackled him, pushing both knightmares back. It took aim at the Zangetsu's head, the slash-harkens ready to deploy. Quickly, the Zangetsu and Kitsukami turned. The later swiped it's claw, throwing the harkens off-target. They turned again, and Zangetsu threw its sword from down up, destroying the frame.

Shaurya ran down the hall, and into the elevator. The Black Knight women joined him. "I hope I'm not too late." He prayed as the doors closed.

"It's hard to believe your race was even capable of making a terrible weapon such this." The squad commander said as he looked at it in awe.

"You believe you are the only people who matter, and were taught to look down on others." Pateyah said. The commander backhanded him, his rifle adding more weight to the punch. Wiping his lip, Chawla sneered. "You are incapable of anything but making enemies. And one day, that will be your downfall." The commander just kicked him again. Before he could beat him further, his earpiece came alive.

"Commander," the voice of Suzaku Kuurugi shouted. "…do you read?"

The commander pressed it. "Yes, your highness! I read you!"

"Our soldiers have gone rogue, and they're tearing the place apart! Get the minister to disarm the weapon! We can't risk it accidentally going off!"

"Understood, sir!" The commander prodded Chawla with the barrel of his rifle. "You, get up! Disarm this thing!"

Chawla got up, wiping the blood from his lips again. "It will take a while. This weapon is complex."

"Well, get to work." The commander said.

Chawla sighed, and walked over to the command console. He presses the buttons, seemingly complying.

Suzaku's Lancelot landed behind him. "Suzaku!" Gino shouted as he ran up to him, the Tristan also waiting for him. "What's going on!?"

"I wish I knew." The Knight of Seven said. "Right now, we have to assume everyone is the enemy."

"Understood." Gino said as he grabbed the pulley and climbed into the Tristan. "Did you call Anya?! I know she's sick, but we could use her help!"

"She's not answering." Suzaku said as he closed the hatch to his unit. "Until further notice, assume we're on our own."

"Right." Gino responded as he got himself situated in the cockpit.

Suzaku then noticed a red button beep on his communicator. That meant it was of the utmost importance. Switching it on, he said "Kuurugi."

"Sir Kuurugi." Schniezel said. Though he sounded calm and level-headed, Suzaku could only assume he was seething inside. "What is happening?"

"I wish I could say, sir. Our soldiers have gone rogue. I'm trying to get a handle on this, but I fear the damage will be inevitable."

"Do your best. Keep me posted."

Schniezel stared at the TV, as the local media reported the incident. He heard a knock on his bedroom door, but did not tear his eyes away. "Please come in, Cannon."

Cannon walked in, only in his pajamas and robe. Though it was late into the night, Cannon was expected to serve his master's needs 24/7. If he was ruing this expectation, he wasn't showing it. "Even though no plans survive first contact with the enemies, not even yours, this is most unexpected. Is it Zero and the Black Knights?"

"Zero was confirmed to be there, but this isn't him." Schniezel answered. "He has manipulated our men before, but I know for a fact he has to get in contact with his victims before they fall under his spell."

"Then it is someone else?"

"Yes. And perhaps individuals not directly related to the Black Knights."

"Then who? And why?"

For a moment, Schniezel just watched the chaos unfold. "That, I am afraid, cannot be answered at this moment in time."

A woman got river from the water. The water by itself was not suitable for drinking, but the government provided filtration tech and they always boiled their water. It was the same routine, nothing ever happened.

Suddenly, the water seemed to churn. What could be causing that, she wondered? Then, she saw the back of the Gawain Atlantean rise. Finally, it flew off fast enough for her to drop her vase. She just stared on, wondering what that was.

"You sure about this?!" Tamaki groaned in his cockpit.

"No." Ohgi conceded on the radio. "But it's getting bad; we need to send the other knightmares."

"But I wasn't trained for this!" He shouted.

"Sorry, but you're all we've got." Ohgi said at the bridge, staring at the stats nervously. "If we send any more knightmare pilots, we will be defenseless. It's getting worse, and I don't think the Holy Swords alone are going to cut it for much longer."

Tamaki groaned. "Run me through this again?"

"You need to wait until you begin to descend. Your float system should keep you from crashing. Once you begin to fall, break out of your pod. We will break the other pods on our end, and it will be up to you to grab hold of the Guren and Oberon while you descend, or else they're going to break apart like building blocks upon landing, assuming you don't crush the pilots among others."

"Right, no pressure." Tamaki whined.

"Ready?" Ohgi asked.

"No."

"That makes two of us." Ohgi said as he gripped the arm rests. "Launch!"

The pods rocketed out. "OHSHIIIT!" Tamaki heard about G-forces, but he never experienced them! He never thought they would be this bad! It felt like a giant, invisible foot smashed on him and slowly exerted pressure on him. He struggled to keep his eyes on the screen, but it felt like it was getting farther away…

Zero followed Rakshata towards the communication room. "Everyone will be hiding inside their homes." Rakshata said. "I don't think you'll be inciting a rebellion at this time."

"But everyone is listening to the radio." Zero reminded her. "It is the perfect opportunity to address them; I just need them to live for the future."

"It seems tragedies are always the perfect opportunity for you." Rakshata suddenly spat out. Zero stopped, looking away for a moment. Did that hurt? Could Zero feel regret?

"Unfortunately, you are correct." Zero conceded to her, turning to her. "There is a lot to exploit in misfortune and tragedy. I do not wish for it, or expect it to happen. I only adapt to the situation at hand; just believe me when I say I try my best to avoid the worst-case scenario."

"That's just it, Zero. I fear we have not even entered the worse case scenario yet." Rakshata said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. As always."

Rakshata opened the doors to the communications room. Several technicians were scrambling, trying to get the latest information. "What is happening out there?!" One of the technicians, a heavy-set middle aged man, shouted at them.

"Truthfully, we don't really know ourselves." Rakshata sighed. "But we need to deliver a message."

"To who?"

"Everyone." Zero stepped forward. "You can either let me speak, or I can make you let me."

An explosion rocked the compound again. The head moved and waved his arm forward. "Help yourself. We're leaving."

As the technicians fled, Zero and Rakshata moved towards the console. "I'm going to get it ready. So, what are you going to tell my people?" The tech genius asked.

"Nothing." Zero replied. "You're going to speak to them."

Rakshata turned to him in utter shock. "Me?!"

"I needed one of the Chawlas to address the people. Right now, you're all I've got."

Rakshata nodded nervously, and flipped the channels. "What do you want me to say?"

"What do you want to say?" Zero asked.

Rakshata stopped again to face him. "Just what are you planning?!"

"As I told you, my original goal was to convince your father to aid us. That has flown out the window now, and it is up to you to tell your people what they need."

Rakshata looked away, and sighed. "I told you, when I joined, it was just to test out the Guren."

"That may have been true, but I knew from the day you accepted my offer, there was more to it than that. If you wanted to test such a dangerous weapon, the Empire would have been a better option for you. You offered your aid because we shared a common goal: The Fall of Britannia."

Rakshata sighed; still she did not protest his reasoning. "Would this be a good time to tell you public speaking was always my worst talent?"

"I already surmised as much too." Zero repeated. "And in fact, I'm counting on it."

"It's chaos out there!" One of the soldiers in the underground chamber yelled.

"How much longer?!" The commander yelled, waving his pistol at the minister.

"A few minutes." Pateyah said. "I can't help it; the technicians put in a lot of failsafes."

"A shame." The commander said. "If you had the balls to use this earlier, you could have rivaled our own power. Maybe even overthrow the federation and become an independent nation again. The Empire admires that; our nations could have been friends."

"Indeed." Pateyah said, hesitating as his finger hovered over a button. "But, I suppose there's no time like the present." Finally, he pressed it, and the cylinder ejected a red mist.

"What have you done?!" The commander fired his pistol, getting the minister in the shoulder. However, he couldn't do more; they were all collapsing from the biochemical weapon taking effect.

"They would have taken him down here!" Shaurya yelled as he and Zero's women ran down the catwalk after him.

"It was very bold of your father to make such a weapon!" Fadah said. "It was also very stupid and immoral! And coming from me, that is saying a lot!" Shaurya said nothing.

"Regardless, this is proof we need to work together!" Kallen interrupted.

"For now." Shaurya said. "Only because we have no choice. You still brought this upon us!"

"Are you sure about that?" CC asked. "Britannia had us. They could have taken us and your weapon, and be done with it; this act of aggression will complicate their relationship with the federation. Why would they risk this?" Shaurya said nothing, only focusing on the path ahead.

He found the rooms for secret projects. Normally, they would have to check the doors one by one. But one caught their eye, and immediately, they knew it was the one: the window was covered in a red haze. "No." Shaurya ran forward, and tries to pry open the door.

"Stop!" Kallen yelled, pulling his arm away. "You'll spread it!" Shaurya could barely restrain himself. He and his father seemingly had a falling out just minutes ago, yet his instincts couldn't bare to lose him. Whatever his failings, he was still his father.

They jumped when a tan hand pressed against the glass. Pateyah looked straight at them through the glass. It seemed some terrible burns were spreading across his skins, but he didn't show any pain. "Shaurya." He said through the intercom. "Under normal circumstances, I would have told you I built this to protect our country. But the truth is, I built this to protect so much more. More than I can explain."

"Bapa!" Shaurya yelled. "Hold on, we'll find a way to get you out! We'll get a doctor-!"

"There's nothing to be done!" Pateyah shouted back, before coughing up blood. "Shaurya, I hoped you wouldn't have to! But we have no choice now! You must go with the Black Knights!"

"Is this thing on?" The people were a bit surprised to hear a woman's voice on the radio, having heard a man speaking earlier. "My name is Rakshata Chawla. I am the eldest daughter of Pateyah Chawla." Then, there was a pause.

On the other end, Rakshata sweated. She looked to Zero, who only nodded. "Bastard." She thought. It was so easy to have a mask like that; she had no idea how he was really feeling. Putting it in the back of her mind, she turned back to the microphone.

"Look, I admit, I know I am not India's favorite daughter. I'm not asking for forgiveness. What I am asking you to do, is to look outside your windows. The empire has crossed the line; they do not care about borders, alliances, or neutrality. They simply take what they want, when they want it. And the Federation does not care to protect us. We are just an extension for resources, and if we die, all the better for them." Slowly, the citizens began to listen more attentively. "I don't have a perfect solution, but after today, we cannot rely on our local government to protect us any longer. Never mind the federation. We have to find the solution among ourselves, not to become the empire but something better. We can start by trusting each other. The goal of the Black Knights was never just about Japan, but the world. We can recognize the independence of others and be one with others despite our differences. Never lose sight in that, and in each other."

With that, she switched it off. "That was terrible." Rakshata sighed.

"No, it was perfect." Zero assured her. Despite his distorted voice, Rakshata knew he was telling the truth. "It is not grandiose words or beautiful voices that move people. It is heart."

Rakshata looked at Zero speechless. Then, the whole building shook. "The explosions are getting close." Rakshata said.

"That wasn't an explosion." Zero corrected her.

Suddenly some debris fell into the room. Rakshata ducked for cover under the desks, while Zero simply protected himself with his arm. Then, the roof literally came off, revealing the Tristan and the Lancelot pushing that part of the building away. The cockpit of the later opened up, revealing Suzaku. The Knight of Seven pointed his gun down. "Zero," he said. "There is no escape. Surrender now with your Black Knights, and I promise to plead on behalf of your life in front of the Emperor."

Zero stared back at him. "I appreciate the offer, Suzaku. I really do. But we both know there is no room in your heart for mercy. Not where I'm concerned, at least."

Suzaku's eyes narrowed. "If that is your answer," He slowly began to pull the trigger. "Then I shall oblige."

"Look out, Suzaku!" Gino yelled as his Tristan pushed the Lancelot out of the way. They ducked as a sword sliced at them. Had they stood in place, the sword would have decapitated the knightmares where they stood a moment ago.

"Zero!" Todoh yelled. "Your knightmares will be here any minute! I will hold them off!" Gino, having stayed in his cockpit, was the first to engage Todoh. His twin lances kept Todoh on the defensive. "The Knight of Three." Todoh smiled inside. "I've been curious about you for a long time." Todoh parried one strike, and used his Zangetsu's foot to stomp on the other lance. "I would love to fight you properly one day."

"You say that like you're not going to fight fair." Gino sneered back. "So neither will I!" Gino unleashed his arm turrets, forcing Todoh to roll away.

However, a slash harken nailed his arm. "Todoh!" Chiba shouted as her knightmare rolled forward. "You handle the Lancelot! I'll keep the Tristan off your back!"

"Thank you, Chiba!"

As his second sword engaged the Knight of Three, Todoh crossed his sword with Suzaku's MVS. "I'm not a child anymore, Todoh!" Suzaku yelled.

"I know." Todoh replied. The thrusters within his sword intensified, pushing the Lancelot back. "That makes this all the more disappointing!" The momentum carried them both into the building. The Lancelot wrapped its legs around the Zangetsu, preventing an early finish. "You think this destruction is worth it? Just to defeat us?!" Todoh shouted.

"Yes!" Suzaku shouted, making his Lancelot spin and throw the Zangetsu to the ground. "I would burn the world to see you all put in the dirt!" After a brief pause, Suzaku sighed. "But this is not my doing."

Elsewhere, a bunch of guards got into position to shoot down a group of human intruders. Before they could fire their shots, they were fired upon. Anya and a few others lowered their arms. The soldiers looked standard, except they were wearing their masks. And in Anya's left eye the sigil of Geass burned. "We're in, my love." She spoke into a cell, but her mannerisms were so different than what they usually were. "No complications so far, but Lelouch is up above." Anya stopped to listen to the other end. "Do not worry. I have faith Lelouch will survive this, and even if he doesn't, the living and dead will be reunited." Anya flipped the phone closed, and proceeded downward.

Hope this is enough for now! Next time the battles should escalate!