This is the first chapter(at least for this chapter) of the New Year! I won't ask how any of you are doing, as even for early readers, this will be a late question. However, I should be a few chapters deep into that third CG project by now, so I hope that you'll check it out if you haven't already. It's up for early readers and on Ao3 and .

I tried to cut things back for this chapter as the last chapter ran long, but not by much. Still, it was a bit longer than I aimed for with this, as I planned a lot and didn't want chapters to read as too high-paced. Still, at the same time, I also don't want them to come off as incredibly long either, as I like a long read, but I don't want to write long chapters, you know? If you thought the last chapter was filled with bombshells,… you'll see an even bigger one here as I've put the set-up in; it's time to trigger that bomb.

Chapter 11: Death of a Peacock

"The third option…is that the one who killed Prince Clovis…was me."

If Zero's declaration was the explosive, then one could call the response that followed the result of that shock as the street, no, the entire world went silent at Zero's statement, people watching from all walks of life, from stunned and eager for more commoners, to an arrogant and disinterred emperor, none could turn away from Zero as he admitted to the crime without a once of fear or shame, but a king's strength and pride. Time seemed slow as ears and bodies might have heard it, but minds struggled to understand what happened.

Zero continued to stare what could turn into his imminent death in the eye, his mask unable to blink as he took danger by the hand and took her to the dance floor with all the world in the audience. He clapped his hands, the sound causing the spectators to flinch back from the haunting, measured applaud he gave the still-stunned Margrave.

"I must applaud you, Margrave. While I knew you wouldn't find me, I had never thought that you'd get it so fabulously wrong that you'd arrest an innocent man; then again, you only looked for what, 48 hours? A little more?" Zero continued to applaud the man, the guns of the knightmares still trained on him. "Perhaps you might have had better chances if you didn't rush to the finish line."

To the world, it was clear that Zero was mocking Jeremiah for not capturing, putting any lingering doubt that he was the culprit; Cecile was now incredibly invested as if it was the killer, which meant the case against Suzaku had fallen apart. Not even the Purebloods, with all their power, could continue with this joke now, not when they had announced that Suzaku was a lone actor in his crime.

"Wait, what does this mean? This masked man calling himself Zero. No, we can't be sure who he is! But in any case, he claims to be the real assassin, so where does that leave the case and current suspect?" As the news reporter kept up with things, as flabbergasted as the rest of them, the members of the JLF were paying close attention, Tohdoh most of all as there was something…familiar about that voice, he didn't know what, but it felt…familiar.

The student council was just as invested for different reasons, as this seemed impossible and insane. Even while Nina shook in terror at the monster in human form, the rest wondered about the state of the case and what this masked man thought as he had no cover, no Knightmare-nothing. All he had done was offer himself and his driver to die in a bullet storm on international TV.

"Sonofa-there's no way out of this!" Ohgi would agree with that sentiment if he heard it, as this went way beyond what Zero explained to them. Forget his role in their escape; he wouldn't be able to get into position before the Britannians blew them to pieces!

"Zero, you better have a way out of this, or I'll find you in hell and kill you again!" Kallen whispered as loudly as she dared so that Zero would hear it, but not the many cameras pointed at them.

"Back to our little deal. It's quite the bargain, wouldn't you agree? To save the lives of hundreds of precious Britannians, all you need do is hand over one Eleven." As Zero continued to speak, Diethard, a man facing off against metal Titans, captured all of it on his camera. The man's eyes were wide with excitement and anticipation he hadn't felt in years, as he felt in his bones; he was witnessing history in the making.

'This is all one big performance to him! And he's the main lead!' He realized that Zero had the stage presence of a veteran actor who, with so little, could captivate an entire audience. He wished to see more; he had to see more from this man. 'Zero you, masked bastard, you better not die just yet.' Britannian, he might be, but he found himself rooting for the criminal.

Jeremiah was soundly in the opposing camp as this masked fool had ruined everything. Still, more than that, his fury was born from finally seeing the face of the man who caused him to fail the royal family a second time, and this time, he wouldn't let them escape into the night! "Mad, he's mad, I tell you! Can you slay a prince of the realm and insult his memory by disguising some truck as His Highness? You'll pay the price for mocking the crown, open-!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Zero's calm words ceased him, as the man didn't yell, but they pierced him to his bones. No, it wasn't so much the words, but how the who that spoke them, as he had only felt like this when standing before a true leader of men, someone who could command an entire room with little more than a glance and a word.

However, while he could shake off that feeling quickly enough, everything else from this man-made him cautious about him. "And what would stop me from bringing justice to you, Zero? Will you beg for your pathetic life?"

"DMT. My driver and myself are equipped with them." Jeremiah's heart dropped, and a part of him was relieved that he had heeded his caution, but the rest was now in a full-blown panic. While most of the viewing audience and Diethard wondered what they meant, Jeremiah and Viletta started sweating.

DMT, Dead Man's Trigger. It is a near-suicidal tactic used only by the desperate and fanatical. "Dammit!" Viletta cursed, slamming her fist into the side of her cockpit. They couldn't move against him as they didn't know the nature of the device. It could be the literal thing, and should either die, the gas would be released, or it could be something else, like a pressure plate that Zero now stood on or a trigger his driver had to keep pressure on.

Jeremiah has to bitterly lower his hand as he wishes to give the order to take revenge for his Lord, Prince Clovis. Still, his duty as a knight of Britannia compels him to protect its people. He couldn't; he wouldn't take actions that would see thousands of his people die meaningless deaths, even to avenge a prince.

But while Zero seemed as insane as he thought, there had to be a method to his madness, right? If they were equipped with DMTs, they would need something feasible to be carried; otherwise, who else did they expect to escape if Jeremiah lost his mind and handed over Kururugi? Zero had to know that if he and his driver messed up even a little, it could spell their deaths along with everyone else there.

"There is but another odd thing about you, Margrave Jeremiah. And that's you're a hypocrite." Zero tapped his foot twice, a signal to Kallen, who, despite how insane it seemed, drove closer to Jeremiah, whose feelings of insult were growing stronger as Zero continued to flaunt how untouchable he was to them.

His arms swung out, his cape bursting open like the wings of a great bat, its interior as red as blood. "Only a hypocrite and charlatan would organize all this because you wished to make a show of your false of Kururugi after you falsely accused him of killing just one man."

Zero leaned closer, Diethard following him, like the audience who hung onto every word the masked man said. "And yet, here you stand, you and your tin men and dogs in uniforms who served under a pompous, arrogant fool of a prince guilty of much worse. Where is the judgment for you? Where shall we find the hang-man or firing squad?"

Jeremiah looked close to snapping, as anyone who knew him knew how devoted he was to Britannia and its royal family. For Zero to so openly, so arrogantly insult them and Clovis, the man he just admitted to killing with pride in his voice, nearly made the Margrave forget about the gas, about the DMTs, and gun the man down himself.

"You dare-!"

Zero cut him off with the force of a beast roaring over a pup. "I dare! And who are you to stop me, Margrave? Go on, speak! I speak the truth because you know what happened in Shinjuku. It wasn't mere gas or accident that killed those thousands of people." Zero seemed to be on a roll, commanding all, revealing all.

'He's going to do it?' Kallen thought as she knew this part well enough, but Zero didn't explain the how.

'Oh, please keep going!' Diethard begged in the privacy of his mind. He had suspected something with Shinjuku, having more clues than the masses, but he wouldn't have imagined that someone would be bold enough to admit it.

"You kept it from the world, but is a trial when the truth is meant to rise? Well, then, it shall rise and soar!" Zero held his hands like a priest when they praised God; the people were confused and scared about what he knew, as they had all heard about Shinjuku. But what did it have to do with Suzaku's trial?

Well, they wouldn't need to wonder long as Zero revealed it. "The people of Shinjuku were killed under direct order from your previous prince Clovis."

Just like the reveal of his hand in Clovis' death, his accusation that the prince they all knew to be kind, patient, and with the heart of an artist could ever partake in such wanton violence left many stunned. It seemed crazy for many of the Britannians who were listening, Nunnally especially as she knew Clovis. He could be bratty, but he was kind, gentle, and loving. This Zero person…they were wrong, they were just lying.

Even a sizable portion of Elevens who were watching or listening to this wouldn't pretend like life under Britannia was easy. It was designed to be challenging, but Clovis had never been as cruel as he could have been. His efforts to speed up becoming an honorary Britannian had even seen tens of thousands able to find proper work to feed themselves and their families.

"What does he gain from revealing that?" Tohdoh, who knew what went down in Shinjuku and that Clovis could, in fact, order such a terrible thing, couldn't help but ask himself.

"I don't know," Kusakabe replied, as they had long accepted Britannia and its evils and how its people never listened when they tried to tell them. If anything, all this would do was discredit Zero in the eyes of the masses.

"Wait, Clovis ordered those Elevens killed?" Rivalz asked, looking between Milly and Shirley, who both looked as stunned as he was.

"D-don't be stupid! He's lying!" Nina broke through her timidness to yell back at him, affronted that he would even consider the words of this masked Eleven.

Shirley was quick to agree with her. "Yeah, Clovis would never do that! He wasn't even a military man!"

Zero saw the doubt and felt the growing skepticism in Clovis's words. Clovis had been careful with his public image. Even he, who knew that it was a façade to some extent, wouldn't have believed that his brother could ever order a massacre.

Jeremiah had none of that. He recognized the man's voice from Shinjuku, and even if he hadn't been there personally, his Purebloods were. He would be one of the few who would know he wasn't lying, which explained why the man was growing increasingly pale while, paradoxically, his blood must be boiling with indignation.

"I see if our eyes, Margrave. You know that I'm speaking the truth, but to put any doubts to bed," Zero casually held a hand out his side and snapped his fingers. Kallen heard it and followed his order, pressing another button, activating speakers built into the base of the capsule. The speakers were hidden from view, but the six speakers coming alive couldn't be ignored.

"How could you let them get away?!" Jeremiah, Viletta, and the soldiers who knew him recognized the voice immediately, that was…Bartley? But how

"F-forgive me, my Lord. The blast was mainly directly upwards, but we're down by 3 men dead-" Jeremiah recognized that second voice as the dead captain of Clovis' royal guard. Was this a recording? But when did Zero get his hands on it? The background noise didn't give away much, but he could figure out that it had to be from that day.

"You could be the last one standing, and I wouldn't care! Why the hell do you think I only told you people about it?!" Llyod listened carefully as people skills escaped him, but word choice didn't. He spoke with the man that day, and he claimed poison gas, which was what everyone there was told. And yet, Bartley was talking like they were after something else, something Bartley chose not to say to them about.

"W-we'll continue the investigation; we'll access a map of the old tunnels quickly and cut them off before they can escape with it, " the captain replied before the line was cut. Yet, the recording didn't stop there, as Jeremiah found himself powerless to stop it.

"The plan's moved forward to the next phase." There, the people heard the voice of their deceased prince, but he sounded…disinterested, bored even.

"B-but your highness." Cecile gasped, realizing what was about to happen and why Bartley had seemingly tried to caution against it.

"If knowledge of the project gets out, I'll be disinherited. Tell them back home we're carrying out a planned urban renewal." Now, even Milly realized what was coming, as that response was loaded with implications. From the fact that they weren't really looking to poison gas but some other secret project that Clovis was keeping even from the homeland under pain of being disinherited.

"As Clovis, 3rd prince of the empire, I order you. Destroy Shinjuku Ghetto, leave no one alive!"

Zero's recording stopped there, but it did its job. As all knew Clovis, he made plenty of media appearances, so his voice was unmistakable. And it was that voice that they just heard order a massacre without shame or remorse. Whatever faith the people, Britannian or Eleven, had in their former Viceroy shattered after that short 43-second audio clip.

Kallen gripped the wheel harder, as she had never known…if they didn't steal poison gas, then what? What was so fucking important that Clovis tried to slaughter everyone to hide it? Did that bastard value his title and inheritance that much, or did he view their lives as so little? She wasn't the only one whose rage came to a boil as rebels across the islands were enraged by this, from the Kozuki group to even the JLF, whose members were already calling for blood, if not praising Zero for making Clovis pay with his life.

Britannians reacted differently as horror, disbelief, disgust, and, for some, numbness overtook them. Was it all a lie? If that was a lie, then what was true? The media, all the media sources, claimed that Shinjuku was caused by gas and that the military was there to help its residents, not massacre them! Clovis wasn't fighting soldiers or rebels; he was just wiping out people to save his skin.

It was worse among the families of soldiers who died as their families had been lied to. Now that lie was coming undone in the worst way as for most, they simply couldn't comprehend how the son or daughter, mother or father, aunt or uncle they knew, that they loved and most assuredly thought of, could be complicit in such a brutal, horrific act. Was their death now a karmic act of justice instead of a cruel accident, as they were told? People didn't know, but that question had already started to eat away at them.

It was worse for those who had survived, as a sizable portion now found themselves being watched by their family with fear, horror, and disgust at what they had done as many might have had reservations and might have even regretted following those orders when the dust had settled, but that was cold comfort now as for many, it wouldn't matter how you felt, what mattered was that you did it, and didn't speak of it after the fact. Zero's revealing the truth would cause many familiar bonds to crack, if not shatter.

The Ashford group was no exception to this mass of horror crashing into the settlement-no, the entire of Area 11. Nunnally had fallen silent, her radio dropping to the floor with a crack as tears fell like rain from her closed eyes, Sayoko holding the girl whose entire world was falling apart, as some of the few precious memories she had from her time as a princess, from before she was blinded and crippled burned away.

"I…I wished Brother Clovis stayed the same…that he didn't turn into father. I wanted him to stay kind." Nunnally cried as Sayoko, despite her own fury at learning why her people had been again put the sword, put that fury aside to tend to the grieving child who, like her, had lost something that night. Around them, the birds and dogs moved to comfort her, feeling her grief as they cooed or whined, trying to support the crying girl.

With the council, Nina nearly broke down, muttering how and how repeatably, her heart unable to accept the truth but her mind equally unable to outright refute the clear evidence. Rivalz had gone pale as paper and rushed to the paper bin they kept, violently emptying his stomach into it. But even the bitter, burning taste of his stomach acid couldn't distract him from what he heard, as he couldn't stop hearing Clovis' callous order in his head.

Much like Rivalz, Shirley had thrown up but hadn't been fast enough to reach a bin and instead did it out the window, the cry sobbing all the while as she kept asking how Clovis, the artist prince with the smile of a saint, could do that. This left Milly, who was visibly disgusted and horrified but the most composed of the group, to help Shirley the best she could before she passed her and Rivalz bottles of water from their mini fridge.

Zero watched Jeremiah, pale, sweaty, and speechless, with not a hint of remorse or hesitation. He had planned for this, and while he was sure the truth would break Nunnally's heart, it was an act that he would need to stomach, not just for his plans, not just to see Britannia burn, but to ensure that Clovis would be remembered for the sinner he was, not the saint he dared to falsely act like.

That would be just another way for him to see justice done for the people of Shinjuku, but still, one man who participated in that massacre stood before him. His flabbergasted face would typically amuse him, as nobles had the best-dumbfounded faces, but right now? All it did was infuriate him.

"Men, women, children. The young and old. The healthy and sick. Guilty and innocent. Such distinctions didn't matter. Clovis condemned ALL to die to protect himself, to ensure that his privileged life built on an ivory tower would remain untouched, even as its base was bathed in blood." Zero's voice conveyed deep grief and anger as he turned to face Diethard, the man near salivating at the show Zero was putting on.

"That was why I chose to act. That was why I led the rebels to victory, why I ensured that dozens of Britannians troops died screaming as the earth itself opened up, giving them a view of hell before they were swallowed by it." Zero's voice continued to unnerve. How inhuman it sounded, how akin to a beast from hell. A tone that perfectly matched the grief and yet tones of glee Zero seemed to feel for the deaths he caused, for in his eyes, now the eyes of the world, those who were slain by his hand had deserved it.

Zero turned back to Jeremiah, locking the plan with his faint reflection off Zero's mask. "Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. For handing down cruel deaths to the innocent, I, in turn, handed Clovis a cruel, slow death. The first step of his eternity of suffering as he shall burn till he's atoned through his agony." Zero moved and spoke with the conviction of a priest…or a crusader.

"And yet," Jeremiah could feel the shift. Those at home might not, but those present could. Diethard could only compare it to scenes from religious movies. Only this would see the Britannian as the condemned sinner, with Zero as an angel dressed in black. "Margrave, was it not your unit that led the charge? How much blood did your blade spill that day? Can you feel the weight of your sins wrought by your hands? Do you even care?"

That reminder that he was present, that he and every Pureblood on that bridge have left them forced to bite their tongues. Clovis was dead, so too were his staff, and thanks to Jeremiah, Bartley was in a cell. That meant that when the people needed a face to assign to the tragedy, his face was found to be a perfect fit, and he knew it. It didn't matter what he said; if he defended himself, he would only confirm Zero's accusation; if he expressed regret- real or not, he would come off as cowardly and deceitful as he didn't reveal this earlier but was seemingly forced to.

Jeremiah was sure Zero knew that, that he had planned for it. So he knew when Zero pressed, it was only to further bury him. "Well, speak up, Margrave Jeremiah! Where is that arrogance? Where is your righteous anger for your prince? The world listens, so defend your foolish prince, defend your sinful actions, defend them like the good attack dog you are!"

"You hold your tongue, for you know the truth. You have no right to be arrogant. You have no right to feel fury when you are the sinner when you are the fool! You know that if any need hang, every one of your but Kururugi will be left limp at the gallows." Suzaku watched it; even if he hadn't been forced to be silent, he would have been like this Zero; they were something else.

"So I repeat it: A trade. The device to me back for Kururugi. And if you need it made clear, if we are harmed, stopped, or otherwise undermined, I shall release it if you need it made clear. Not just that, but I'll ensure that Clovis' sins will be for naught, as project Eden, and in ugly, putrid glory will be released." Zero finalized his ultimatum, though Jeremiah was in a terrible position to argue it for multiple reasons.

He could feel the power that he and the Area 11 Purebloods held slipping away, as with such a strain in their name, no one in their right mind would stand with them. He couldn't make a move against Zero now, not with the threat of the DMT hanging over their heads, nor could he even try to reveal it to clear the area; he could see how the people were rapidly turning on him, and the anger they held for Suzaku for the belief he slew Clovis was now firmly on him and the rest of the Purebloods. They would never believe him, and should he try and force it…

And now, he was being threatened by whatever 'Eden' was. 'Damn you, Bartley. Why did you keep your fat mouth shut?' He cursed the fat general, as he was kept in the dark about Prince Clovis' true aims and now had no clue what Eden was, but the implications were horrifying. If his prince had been willing to wipe out a ghetto to keep it secret, even from the homeland, then even a child could only imagine that the truth was something so cruel, so vile, so monstrous that should it get out, it would ruin not just those involved, but anyone connected to it…

And that would include the Imperial family.

Bitterly, he realized that he had no other moves to make; all he could do…was dance to Zero's tune. "I…accept your terms," Jeremiah ground out, to the shock of Viletta and Kewell. The man turned to the soldiers guarding Suzaku and gave them an order: "You! Release the prisoner at once!"

"Sir?" one asked, confused, but Jeremiah didn't have the time, patience, or interest for it.

"Are you deaf? I said release him!" He yelled at him.

"What on Earth are you doing, my Lord?" Viletta cried.

"Are you bowing to a terrorist, Margrave Jeremiah?" Kewell asked, Jeremiah, turned to his subordinate, furious that after that, he still had the gall to try and undermine his authority. Could he not see the writing on the wall?

"I won't repeat it! Follow my orders, or it won't just be you who pays for it!" He yelled, both biting their tongues as they remembered even if Zero was full of it, there was still the DMT, and after that downright anti-Britannian sermon, should their actions kill even just a single Britannian…it won't be the Elevens, they'll need to worry about.

So, they said nothing as the soldiers followed their Lord's orders, freeing Suzaku and escorting him down to the road, where Kallen watched in awe as everything Zero had just done was like watching a messiah in action, decrying the twisted and evil with justice as his backer. That being enough, not a single bullet was fired.

"He…he did it?" she asked as Zero tapped his foot again before jumping off onto the road to meet Suzaku. Kallen quickly unbuckled her seatbelt to follow suit.

'I can't believe it. Despite having no weapon on him, he was the one that forced Jeremiah's hand! Zero, you marvelous son of a bitch, this can't be your only performance, more! I need more!' Diethard begged as he felt like he had watched the greatest performance of his life. A scene comparable to kings and heroes of legend and history. A feat that even David couldn't match was that he needed a stone when he felled Goliath.

All Zero needed was his words.

"I can't be sure of the details, but Kururugi's release has been brokered. If the allegations are true, one can't help but ask: Was he ever involved? What role did acting consol Jeremiah play in it? And what is Project Eden?" Lloyd and Cecile watched, both very interested in those secrets but not so much surprised Jeremiah bent to Zero's demands. He had little choice by that point.

The trio they just met in the middle, the crowd's anger growing to a fever pitch as Suzaku frowned at that and towards the man who saved his life by coming forward for the crime he was accused of. "So, who the hell are you?" Suzaku's collar shocked him before he could say more, with Kallen glaring at the stupid thing while Zero's mask gave nothing away.

"Typical, they didn't even allow you the right to speak to defend yourself." Zero didn't need to say more, not when his performance had done enough to sow distrust and frustration in the people. Zero noted that an innocent man who couldn't speak would merely be the icing on the cake, which the Purebloods would have to eat.

"Zero, it's time," Kallen told him, with Zero nodding.

"Well then, let's depart, but not without one final gift to the Margrave." Zero stated as he pulled out a remote and pressed it, releasing gas from the device. Upon the sight of it, panic ensued, as the people's anger turned to fear in an instant, and they turned to flee. Zero grabbed onto Suzaku and pulled him along as he and Kallen raced towards the edge of the bridge, where Ohgi should be waiting for them.

"You cowardly Eleven-!" Viletta turned to try and attack them, as with the gas released, there was nothing to stop them, only for a boon to go off, and her unit's right leg was taken out at the knee, causing her to drop and her gun to fire wildly into the air.

"Villetta?!-crap, I'm down!" Others saw this but were too slow to react. Kewell was the next one down, his unit's left arm taken from the shoulder, and the strike's impact threw him into his controls before a second took out his left leg.

Off in the distance, atop a building, C.C. calmly continued to target and fire on the Purebloods, who, in the confusion, completely forgot about Zero. The woman smirked at her role in this little plan of her contractor, but she had to admit, he was quite the showman and a resourceful one at that. "I still need to ask him how he acquired a Knightmare frame sniper rifle." She mused that the Glasgow was something she could see him getting; it was even one of the older variants to boot. Incredibly common, cheap, and hard to trace to any buyer or seller.

Turning her attention to the side of the road, C.C. saw Lelouch, Kallen, and Suzaku drop into a blanket fired by Ohgi moments prior, slowing their fall enough that their landing in the vacant train car was been be…relatively harmless. She hoped the boy knew how to land, or she'd tease him for busting his ankle for a while. But the train started moving, as planned, with Ohgi taking his escape route, with C.C. seeing no one chasing after either.

"Well, that was my part in this done. It was an atypical way to treat a girl when you take her out for a night on the town." C.C. chuckled as she fired a few more shots, stopping only when her magazine was spent before she meant her escape. She will be long gone when anyone finds her perch, just like Zero.

With the settlement in an uproar, it had been shockingly easy for the 4 to make it out undetected, heading to an old theatre deep enough in the ghetto where they met up with the rest of their shocked comrades. Zero didn't brag or boast about his victory, only requesting that he be allowed to speak with Kururugi alone as he escorted the boy deeper into the theatre, leaving the rest by the entrance where they didn't need to use a torch to see.

"Man, I didn't really think he could do it," Sugiyama stated.

"Who is this guy? No way he's just some random resistance fighter." Yoshida asked, as he had met some suicidal people before, the type that would strap bombs to their chests and enter buildings, but Zero was anything but.

"That's crap, how many times can a bluff like that work anyway?" Tamaki asked, as their little stunt at the end exposed the fact that they didn't have gas, or Zero swapped it out if they did.

"You gotta give the guy some credit, though," Ohgi, who had sat on a crate, defended the masked man. "Bluff or not, he managed something we all thought impossible. Like he said, he performed a miracle…something that even the JLF, and certainly I couldn't even dream of. Even better, he ensured everyone would know what went down that day."

Ohgi smiled, as it felt great to know that, and the rest shared that feeling. How often were their people's suffering ignored or blamed on them? They had resigned to Shinjuku being the same, but Zero changed that.

Inoue agreed as she had lost friends in the massacre. To be able to say that their losses would be remembered for the tragedy felt like a balm to the heart. "Yeah, I'd like to see the Britannians try and cover it up or justify it now. Zero tore into Jeremiah and humiliated him."

"But what the heck is Project Eden?" Tamaki asked, as none of them had ever heard of it and were eager to find out what fucked up stuff Clovis was involved with or even how Zero managed to discover it.

Yoshida shrugged. "Beats me. He didn't say a word about it till then and there. But I can only guess that whatever it was, it had to be something not even Britannia can justify."

"He found a weakness, and he's hammering at it," Ohgi repeated Zero's words to them, the man recalling the conviction and strength in the masked man's words from that meeting on the train. He had been wary and thought him mad, but after tonight, maybe a little madness could go a long way. "I always thought a full-blown war with Britannia would be impossible, but maybe with him…we can strike at its throat and rip it out."

Kallen was also reminded of Zero's, but she was more willing to believe even before they saw what he could do. Looking toward the door to where Zero was, she wondered what more he could do? She didn't know, but she did know one thing. She would follow him even if the others rejected Zero's offer to join him.

"It looks like they treated you rather roughly, Kururugi." Suzaku rubbed at his neck, the shock collar laying at his feet. Looking up, he confirmed for the 2nd time that they were alone in the ruined theatre, where Zero sat himself on the rubble of the caved-in sealing on stage. Looking every bit the calm, collected operator. No, Suzaku thought, more like the star performer as where the man sat, the moonlight from the hole in the ceiling shined through, bathing the man in black in bright, white light.

"As you've seen, the Britannia you serve as little more than a beast, riddled with rot and disease that, if not put down, will drag the rest of the world with it into hell." Zero stated, his shoulders resting on his hands as he observed Suzaku over his clasped hands. "I wish to see that beast die, its limbs broken, its heart ripped from its chest, its head mounted on my wall. But to do that, I shall need allies, powerful ones at that…allies like you."

Suzaku paused, as that wording told him enough about the type of person Zero was. He was dead set on fighting, just like everyone else, even when fighting was what led them to this point. "So it's true them, you killed Prince Clovis?"

Zero didn't immediately answer, and when he did, he asked, "Why don't you ask me what you really want to know?"

"That is what I want to know. Did you kill a prince of the realm? Do you know what they'll do to the Elevens for the death of a royal?" Suzaku yelled at him, marching a few steps forward.

"Elevens…" Lelouch chewed on that. That was nothing like the boy he once knew—someone who deeply loved his country and carried a strong pride for it. That boy would never use such a term when in good company. Well, I'll say it again. I killed Clovis, both for his sins against the Japanese and because he was an enemy commander. This is war, after all, and it must be conducted as such."

"You call that war? You unleashed poison gas into the crowd!" Suzaku yelled at him, and to his shock and anger, Zero chuckled at it. Did he see it as a joke? What, did their lives not matter because they were Britannians? He was nothing but a hypocrite, the same as what he accused Jeremiah of being.

Zero raised his hand, stopping him from charging the man, and she got his amusement under control. "I apologise, Kururugi. I was not laughing at you or your anger. I merely found it amusing and a little admirable that you could feel such indignation for people who not too long ago were baying for your blood."

"That doesn't mean that they deserved to die. They didn't know I was innocent." Suzaku countered.

"And they didn't, for there was no poison gas, neither at Shinjuku nor on that bridge. I merely acquired a similar vessel and had it filled with colored smoke. The result? Not a single death, though there were bound to be injuries." Zero replied, Suzaku recalling that at least Shinjuku was correct, but there was something else. If he knew that, then did he find the truck?

But Suzaku focused on the man's words as he wondered aloud. "The result, is that all that matters?"

Zero didn't hear him. Instead, he got up and walked towards him, remaining in the light as he offered a hand to Suzaku. "Join me, Kururugi, and we shall see the Britannian beast brought to justice, even if the heavens should fall."

"Britannia as it stands now is a terrible place, but I refuse to choose violence. I'll change it and do it from within." Suzaku replied, Lelouch finding himself stomped by the statement.

"Within?" he asked, as…that was impossible. Britannia was built on evil, operated by evil, and run by it. There was no changing it; he should know! He was born in that snake pit.

But…Suzaku would know that better than anyone. He would know why they were exiled; he lived through the war. He was nearly killed by Clovis just to cover up his Code-R. He saw their evil and yet still chose this fate.

Suzaku didn't notice his confusion as he turned and walked away. "That's why I reject your methods; I know all about your type of person. You won't be satisfied till blood flows through the streets. You say you want justice, but really, you want violence."

"And where are you going?" Zero asked, choosing not to argue with him over justice and revenge.

"My court marshal begins in an hour."

"Are you mad?! It's a kangaroo court; you were guilty from the moment they picked you, and they knew it! What makes you think they wouldn't slap another collar and march you in front of a firing squad?" Lelouch demanded, losing his cool as Lelouch couldn't believe what his friend was saying. Did that bullet somehow damage his brain?

"If I don't go, they'll start cracking down in Elevens." Suzaku didn't stop, even as Lelouch felt like pulling his hair out. As for all the times for Suzaku to be a stubborn fool, he knew…

"As if they need a reason." They both recalled Shinjuku.

"Maybe, but I won't be the reason why they use this time." Suzaku finally stopped before cracking a smile as he turned back to Zero. "Besides, the entire world knows I'm innocent, thanks to you. They can't very well kill me for that, can they?" He asked, shrugging as if he wasn't risking his life for something…so….so…

"Why?" Zero asked, trying to understand. "Why return to a master that so clearly mistreats you? That doesn't value you or any other Japanese person as a person? Why choose this as the hill you die on like some stubborn fool?"

Hearing that part made Suzaku laugh. "You know, you're not the first to call me that? An old friend used to say that it always seems that I haven't changed on that front." With his back turned, he missed how Zero stiffened before he relaxed. Lelouch recalled those days as well. It was why his friend took a bullet for him, why he nearly died. Why he seemed do deadest on risking his life for nothing again.

Suzaku took Zero's silence as a chance to speak. "I would try and arrest you as regardless of the way, you still killed Clovis, but I assume that if I try, I'll be killed, and if I need to die, it should be in service of the people."

Turning, he couldn't see the man's face, but he could tell that he was angry. The collected veneer he had before, the confidence from the bridge, was gone. Suzaku guessed that the man was banking on his family name to build his cause. Well, he wouldn't get it.

With the masked man silent, Suzaku turned to leave; he needed to hurry to return in time. "I won't give up so easily, Kururugi. I will try again to recruit you." Zero left his stage, landing in the shadows of the aisles as he turned to Suzaku, who paused but kept his back to him. "But that shall be for the next time we meet. But before you go, indulge my curiosity."

"Shoot. So long as it's not Britannian military secrets, I'll try to answer honestly." Zero kept the snort at bay as if Suzaku would even know anything of worth.

"You claim that your life shall only be forfeit in the surface of the people, but which people are you referring to?"

Suzaku didn't respond to the question; instead, he walked off, leaving Zero alone as the masked man grumbled in frustration. His plan had gone off without a hitch; he had accomplished all his goals bar the most important one. 'He's as big an idiot as ever.' He thought about revealing himself, but while he did want his friend at his side, he wished for it to be born from a shared belief, not because of their friendship.

But hearing those responses and how Suzaku referred to his own people, he wondered if even that friendship would have worked because if not, he would only be putting his friend into an unwinnable position: Rat him out and betray their friendship, or say nothing and go against the system he was so dead set on being a part of.

He shook his head. He could think about that later; he had other things to attend to as he turned and walked to speak with the others.

Walking up to them, the rebels paused in their conversation to address him but were confused when they saw that Zero was alone. "Before I say anything, allow me to offer congratulations to you, Ohgi, and Kallen for an exceptional performance tonight. The plans couldn't have gotten off the ground without people like you to carry it out."

His praising the two got both to blush a little, odd. Were they expecting him to be cold about it? "Yeah, but next time, try to clue us into stuff," Ohgi stated, as his irritation at not being told everything was abated by their success and the man acknowledging that he didn't achieve it alone.

"Where's Kururugi? Is he taking a leak or something?" Tamaki asked, looking behind Zero but seeing that the man was alone.

Zero let out a quiet sigh. "Unfortunately, the additional goal of recruiting him failed. He chose to return to the settlement."

Hearing that had the expected response. "Wait, what?" Sugiyama asked as that couldn't be it.

"Is he insane? After all that work to save him, he will just walk back to die?" Yoshida demanded though Kallen recalled how Suzaku had acted on the way there. He was pretty quiet, not even with the collar; he seemed uncomfortable being close to them. You would think they were the ones about to put him to death.

"Did he have a reason, Zero?" She asked, Zero nodding at her being the first to ask a sensible question before he gave them the summary of his conversation with Suzaku. That known to them, Kallen still thought he picked wrong. "Idiot."

"Maybe, but it was his choice. While I will try again to get him to see our side of things, we should celebrate this operation's success and lay low for a few days. I'll need time to observe how things are shaken up to better plan our next move." Zero instructed them, with the group nodding as they exited. If Kururugi was siding against them, it was a good thing they picked a place that wasn't a base, but that meant that they should put as much distance between it and them as possible.

Zero lingered a little longer, watching them walk off, with Kallen branching away to sneak home. At the same time, things were still chaotic before he retreated into the shadow.

Riding the train, Lelouch was as relaxed as one could expect, with the settlement still close to a riot. The effect of their escape, the humiliation of the Purebloods, and the truths revealed for all the world to hear were only starting to reveal themselves. Paranoia and anger on one side, whether that be the authorities or the citizens, created more tension, which fed into the paranoia and anger of the other side.

For that reason, the train had much fewer people, as most rushed home to avoid the brewing unrest or were part of it. This would also be a perfect reason for his late arrival since he couldn't tell his sister that he would return coincidentally after Zero vanished. Instead, he was meant to arrive two hours ago, but with things such a mess, one wouldn't look twice as his business, which C.C. was helping with, ran late.

Speaking of her, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a text from the green-haired woman confirming that she had gotten away without issue and was returning his knightmare and weapon to the 'Null Lair'.

He texted her back that they'd meet before they actually stepped foot on Ashford grounds and to stop calling his base the Null lair, as it sounded like something an immature preteen came up with.

Keeping the animal theme going has been tricky, especially for chapter titles. Kallen, for example, is hard to pin down—a lioness? A she-wolf? Something else? Lelouch is already a dog, and Clovis was a peacock. But what about Suzaku and others? Suggestions on matching cast members to animals would be welcome.

Then there's the chapter's name, and with what dies here was Clovis' legacy. In canon, Lelouch never fully reveals why he killed Clovis; maybe he had no proof and still cared for him, but we don't know. He only tells Euphemia that Clovis begged for his life with the same tongue that ordered Elevens' deaths, a vague statement. As Viceroy, Clovis could be blamed for any Elevens deaths under his 3-year tenure. But here? During their confrontation, Lelouch snuffed out whatever love he had for his brother. He took Clovis's research on Code and copied the G-1's records without leaving a trace. Lelouch ensured Clovis's death would be seen as justified and damaged Britannia's reputation, pushing passive Japanese toward rebellion. Reminding them that Britannians could kill for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so is taking up arms really an extreme if you might die anyway?

Regarding Jeremiah—I like him. He's a beast. He returned from radiation and experimentation to kill Zero for Charles through his loyalty to Marianne. But at this point, Jeremiah fully believed in Britannian supremacy and noble exceptionalism. He enjoyed the Shinjuku massacre, calling it the most fun he'd had in ages. He's a prime example of how Britannia's dogma corrupts people. Despite his later redemption, I'm happy to roast him for it.

Cornelia is similar. She changes off-screen later, but we never see when and why. She wiped out a ghetto to lure Zero out and only cared about productivity. She cracked down on Refrain because it was affecting productivity, uncaring for the human cost, and disapproved of Euphemia's choice of Suzaku as a knight despite his loyalty and achievements. Cornelia resented Euphemia's challenge to Britannia's discriminatory policies. Some argue she was protecting Euphemia after what Charles did to Lelouch and Nunnally. But if that were true, we would have at least seen her discuss it with Guilford, someone she trusts.

Then there's the public's reaction. It's a harsh truth: people often have less of an issue committing evil than being called out. They'll defend celebrities or loved ones despite knowing they've done wrong. Lelouch forces Britannians to confront their complicity—what their empire does and what they allow. Numbers like the Japanese have no rights or dignity. Legally, Clovis did nothing wrong by killing Elevens to protect himself. However, acknowledging that would force Britannians to question their beliefs, something no one likes to do.

On some level, they knew. The Ashford students who bullied Suzaku found battle evidence in Shinjuku that wasn't in the news, yet they didn't question it. The same happens today—many prefer to ignore their government's dark past or shady present to avoid threatening their worldview or standing in the world.

Rivalz's reaction reflects this. He threw up from horror and realized he'd never questioned the news. As for soldiers' families—few are proud of relatives who fought for objectively evil causes, like the Nazis or Confederates. People resist labeling loved ones as wrongdoers, but here, Lelouch gave them no choice but to else accept something about themselves that would make them uncomfortable.

The next chapter will be out on February 7th

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