Code Doom: Revenge

by Nomaddum

Two worlds are mired in war and destruction. The day of the most terrible prophecy is near. And only the most valiant heroes will be able to fight the great evil. And while the legendary Doomslayer sleeps, humans and Autobots strive to free the Earth from the tyranny of Britannia and its true masters - the Decepticons. Crossover Doom x Code-Geass x Transformers

5. Chapter 4: The Curtain Rises

Warning: I do not own the rights to Code Geass, Transformers and Doom, these rights belong to Sunrise Studio, Hasbro and id Software.

And I want to thank KobeAlpha9 for his positive feedback. I hope that my fanfiction will not disappoint you in the future.

" Command..." - Geass voice commands.

(OST...) - Musical themes and songs used in fanfiction.

---

Chapter 4: The Curtain Rises

The Shinjuku Massacre was over. By that time, the sky was slowly starting to darken, the sun was setting towards the horizon, painting the edge of the sky a bright and colorful gold, harmoniously shimmering into the scarlet shades of the clouds. But it was not the landscape that had appeared that fascinated people, but the huge number of threads gathering into one giant chain going from the ghetto to the location of the Mobile Base under the supervision of the Britannian troops, who a few minutes ago received a personal order from Prince Clovis to cease fire and provide assistance to both the Britannian military and the Elevens. The soldiers did not know what had just happened, but no one was going to contradict the orders of a member of the imperial family. However, this did not mean that it could not be discussed or resented.

- Why the hell are we letting the Elevens go?! - demanded an explanation, communicating with the officer on the radio, indignant Jeremiah. - And what about the poison gas they stole?!

- Sir, this is an order from His Highness, Prince Clovis. - the soldier answered fearfully.

- What about General Bartley? Get the General Staff involved in this matter! - Gottwald advised the commanders.

- They are not at their posts, sir!

- WHAT?! Are you saying that Prince Clovis is alone at the headquarters now? - he exclaimed in shock.

And while the Britannian officers argued and cursed, Kallen and her comrades walked along with the rest of the Japanese, accompanied by the army and medical personnel. She, like all the other civilians, could not understand what had happened. Why did the organizer of the genocide order a cessation of hostilities? And why did he suddenly demand that assistance be provided to the residents of Shinjuku, and even properly escorted to the location of the medical centers? What even just happened? However, what worried her most were the fates of some of her comrades who had gone somewhere after the evacuation of Shinjuku had begun. Those truck and car drivers, that girl on the bike, or that mysterious voice from the radio - where had they all disappeared to? But no matter how hard Kallen tried, the answer did not come to mind. She could only hope that she would meet them again one day.

---

Mobile Base G1

- Lelouch, I am so glad to see you! - said the third prince, fear in his eyes despite the smile of relief he had put on him. - They said that you died when Japan was annexed. How fortunate that you have returned. We must immediately go to our homeland and tell this good news to father!

However, Lelouch only felt disappointment, as once again he saw the cowardly and deceitful image of his older brother.

- Is that so? So you want to use me as a bargaining chip in negotiations? Do you need me to remind you why we were even considered instruments of diplomacy?!

Clovis gasped in fear when he saw the black-haired guy aiming at his head. But what's more, he understood that his younger brother was very angry at his family and the country that not only threw him into the trash heap of life, but also almost killed him during the destruction of Japan.

- That's right. It's all because of my mother, who was killed seven years ago. - Lelouch answered for him, remembering that ill-fated day when his mother was killed, and his sister, the innocent and tiny Nunnally, received a terrible psychological trauma, because of which she became disabled.

He clearly remembered the huge pool of blood that covered the carpet on the stairs, he clearly saw the pale and bloody corpse of the dark-haired woman, who covered the frightened girl with her body, whose legs were shot at point-blank range, and whose eyes shone and trembled with horror, as if death itself passed before her eyes.

- Despite the fact that she bore the title of "Knight of Honor", my mother remained a commoner in the eyes of the aristocracy. And because the emperor devoted more time to her, it is not surprising that the other imperial spouses despised her! - with each passing second his voice became heavier and heavier, forcing Clovis to fall more and more into animal fear. - Although they presented it as the work of terrorists, but I am not a fool to understand the truth. And it is that it was you who killed her!

- IT WAS NOT ME! - the blond screamed, frightened by the sound coming from the gun. - I SWEAR TO YOU, IT WASN'T ME!

- Then tell me everything you know! You can't hide the truth from me anymore! - a bird symbol lit up in the pupil of his left eye, which in the blink of an eye penetrated the azure eyes of the third prince, forcing him to submit to Lelouch's will. - Now tell me, who killed my mother?

Clovis, unable to resist his brother's order, happily answered:

- I don't know, but I can tell you who for sure can know. These are my older brother and sister - Schneizel and Cornelia.

Lelouch was very surprised by this, thinking that it was Clovis's supporters who killed his mother, but apparently even he did not have the courage to commit such a treacherous murder.

- They were at the center of everything that happened? - Lelouch asked for details, but Clovis said nothing, only silently smiling at him.

"Apparently, if a person is unable to answer, then he simply hangs in place, waiting for the next command." - the former prince suggested in his mind. - Okay, do you know anything else?

And again nothing, from which Lelouch concluded that his half-brother only knew about some confusion of Schneizel or Cornelia in that incident. And even then, it seems, only at the level of rumors, since he could not give out any details about the investigation. But at least it is better than nothing at all.

At that moment, the power of his eye dried up, which is why Clovis, returning to his previous state, sharply began to deny it:

- I swear to you, it was not me! I had nothing to do with the death of your mother!

- I believe you! - Lelouch said, again pointing the gun at his brother.

- No... You can't!

The trigger clicked and the steel tip flew out of the barrel, accompanied by a whistling vibration that echoed throughout the room. Rushing at great speed, it pierced the blond's skull, leaving behind a hole in the prince's forehead and a blotch of blood on the throne, onto which Clovis fell under the strong pressure of the shock wave.

"He lived ingloriously and died ingloriously." - the former prince summed up, looking at the sitting corpse of his older half-brother.

---

Having passed the patrolmen and sentries, Lelouch reached the place where the yellow car was supposed to be waiting for him. The horizon was clear, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. No one would know anything, since he covered all his tracks by taking the gun and turning off all the cameras and audio recordings. Everything went flawlessly: Britannia had collapsed for the first time, one of his brothers and supposed killers was dead, and he himself had not been caught by any of the soldiers. And now Lelouch could leave the ghetto with a clear conscience. However, there was still one unresolved issue, and it was now in front of him.

A yellow and black muscle car or a robot transformer, capable of smashing to smithereens such an advanced nightmare as that white one, was now patiently waiting for him until it noticed the approach of a familiar silhouette.

- Everything went well. No one noticed how I got out. - the young man said with a victorious grin.

In response, the robot sighed to himself, and then opened the door, thereby inviting the former prince.

- If you want to give me a lift, fine. - Lelouch confided, climbing into the passenger seat.

- [Optimus, this is Bumblebee. Mission accomplished. Prince with me.] - Bumblebee squeaked, turning to his leader.

- Got it. - Prime answered in a calm, ringing voice. - We'll gather at the meeting point.

- [Accepted!]

During all this time, Lelouch tried to listen to the so-called "voice" of the car, but alas, he could not understand anything.

(OST "We Have Returned" - Transformers: Prime, by Brian Tyler)

The muscle car started its engine, after which it sped away from the Clovis Mobile Base in the direction of the abandoned warehouses. However, on the way from another street, a group of five cars was following them and, in some way, catching up with them. One of them was a red and blue truck, the other was a motorcycle with a driver who looked like a woman. Then a loud and creaking horn of the first was heard, as if calling to follow it. Unexpectedly for Lelouch himself, some strange wormhole appeared on the path of the group, shimmering with all shades of green, which greatly resembled a star. But the object that appeared did not make the machines stop, on the contrary, they accelerated to quickly hide from human eyes.

The former prince was even more surprised to find himself inside an energy tunnel, which made him think about a portal or something like that. And he also received confirmation of his hypothesis when he began to feel sick and nauseous in his stomach, which usually happens with sudden movements during a trip, flight or even teleportation. Because of this, he was not able to fully follow the change of scenery: from the suede and withering ruins of the ghetto to a room fully equipped with more advanced equipment, similar to a train departure station. When Lelouch was finally able to recover from the first motion sickness in his entire life, he looked outside, dumbfounded by the presence of larger humanoid robots, one of which met him with a reserved and cautious look, as if it was not particularly happy to see him here. The robot had a white and orange color, but the first thing that distinguished this mech was the presence of a heart cardiogram symbol on the bracers, which in turn identifies this robot as a medic. Another bot, which the former prince of the Empire spotted, looked larger, with powerful limbs, a main body on which a triangular hole of some kind of turbine or cannon gaped, and had a red color, but on its head module, reminiscent of a helmet of heavily armed infantry, a bright blue visor flaunted.

But these first two robots were only the first drop of shock and horror for Lelouch, because as soon as the movement of the other machines stopped, the yellow muscle car kindly opened the door for him, which allowed the guy to go outside. However, the next moment the bodies of the cars began to disintegrate, move in different directions and subsequently transform into humanoids, which horrified the former prince even more. From a compact blue mech, which used to be a motorcycle, to a gigantic, even larger than a regular nightmare, red and blue, which had previously been a regular tractor. And it was the largest one that struck the young man when its shadow completely eclipsed his silhouette along with the others. Lelouch literally felt how they were staring at him with their curious and at times even suspicious glances, but his eyes were riveted by the gaze of the tallest robot, looking at him with a share of compassion, but from which there was an air of authority and charisma.

- Just look at him, it seems he has lost the power of speech! - grinned the shorter red robot, whose head had horns.

And Lelouch himself realized that he was in a state of prostration and bewilderment from what he saw, which allowed him to come to his senses.

- You... You are not ordinary robots, right? And you definitely can't be called nightmares, am I right? - He asked hesitantly, wondering what would be the easiest way to ask the robots about their origins without accidentally offending their feelings.

- That's right! - the same white and orange robot replied, grinning sarcastically.

Then one of the mechs stepped forward, shaking the surface with his steps, like the titan he was, and then knelt down on one knee, bringing his face close to the former prince.

- You, Lelouch vi Britannia, the seventeenth heir to the throne of Britannia? - asked the red and blue titan, whose ringing voice literally oozed charisma.

- Uh, yes. - Lelouch answered confusedly, shocked by how huge the robot's face was.

- My name is Optimus Prime. We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron, otherwise known as Autobots. - Prime introduced himself and his race, surprising the boy even more.

- Alien... intelligent... machines? - the former prince stuttered, still not believing that all this was real.

- You think correctly, prince! - the same red bot with horns teased.

- But if you... are from another planet, then... how can you speak Britannian?

- We learned Earth languages from your global database, which you call the "Internet." - Optimus answered, getting up from his knees. - I am the leader of the Autobots and, in particular, my team. - He pointed at all the Autobots in the compartment. - A specialist in weapons and training of fighters - Ironhide.

Lelouch looked towards the hand, seeing a maroon-colored Autobot waving his huge blaster cannons like some kind of cowboy, who then points them directly at him, which makes the guy a little wary.

- You feel a little shaky in your knees, punk? - he asked with a hint of menace.

- Whoa, whoa, quiet down Heidi! - the neighboring green bot, looking like some kind of thug or heavyweight from a wrestling club, exclaimed excitedly.

- Relax, I just wanted to show off my guns! - Ironhide answered frivolously, hiding his "guns" back in his hands, as if such a greeting was normal for him.

- Our medical officer and scientist, as well as my deputy - Ratchet. - the leader of the Autobots introduced his white-orange friend, to which Lelouch responded with a knowing look, since he had long assumed that a medic was standing in front of him.

- And I am the caretaker and head of technical maintenance of this ship and Ratchet's assistant. - a new voice declared, to which the former prince responded by turning around, after which he beheld a small, human-sized, bright orange robot with wheeled chassis instead of legs. - Call me Fixit! - he introduced himself in a friendly tone.

- You... are smaller than the rest... - Lelouch said in a restrained but surprised tone, trying not to offend the Autobot with his statement.

- It's all because I represent a special kind of my fellow tribesmen. I am Minicon. And I am very happy to eat you!

- What? - the young man said in bewilderment.

- Eat... see... - Fixit hit himself on the head, which looked very comical from the outside. - ... to greet you. - he sighed heavily about hopelessness. - Sorry, it's just that my system is a little glitched due to some damage. - he extended his hand, more like a swollen crab claw, which somewhat surprised the young man.

- Um...

- What? Isn't that how people greet each other? Shake servos?

- Well, we call them hands, but that's right, too. - Lelouch replied, hesitantly shaking the cold, metal "hand" of the minicon.

- And my name is Warpath! - the larger red Autobot introduced himself. - I really like giving bad guys a good beating! - he said enthusiastically, hitting his fists.

- And you really like waving your cannon around. Should I remind you of how you smashed the door to our ship's engine room? - Ironhide reminded him with irritated sarcasm.

- Come on, old man! I just decided to help Prime!

- And almost damaged the main shield control panel because of it!

Lelouch did not listen to the argument between the bots any longer, when the other members decided to continue their greeting:

- They call me Cliffjumper! But my friends call me Cliff. You can call me that too if you want, I won't mind. What can I say about myself, I'm a big fan of chatting about life and all that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, I don't bite. - the shorter red bot, who used to look like a Dodge Challenger with his feet on the hood, which was on the head module, introduced himself in a joking tone.

- O-okay. - the former prince said confusedly, surprised by the overly optimistic and friendly mood of the Autobot.

- Arcee. - the Autobot answered briefly. - My specialty is intelligence and espionage. That's all you need to know.

Lelouch was somewhat taken aback by this cold greeting, thinking that this woman did not trust him very much.

- Come on, partner, don't be so distant, he's not our enemy after all. - Cliff said, teasing his partner's silence.

- And I'm Bulkhead - a strongman and the team's heavy artillery. I like to crush enemies with my own hands. - the green thug introduced himself.

- I can see that. - Lelouch answered, swallowing in fear at the size of the former Hummer-HX.

- And you also managed to meet our scout Bumblebee. - Optimus said, pointing at the yellow bot, who, for the sake of the show, played a rock melody and made an impression of a professional warrior, showing several hooks with his hands.

- So, Bumblebee? Well, it's nice to finally meet you! - Lelouch said, slightly raising the corners of his lips in greeting.

- [Me too!] - the yellow bot squeaked pleasantly, which stunned the guy.

- Um... guys, why can I understand you, but not him?

- Unfortunately, his voice module was damaged in battle, and this is the only thing we could do with limited resources. But despite the fact that his speech is understandable to Cybertronians, humans are not able to understand what he says. - Ratchet explained.

- I see. - Lelouch said sympathetically, remembering the current state of his sister.

But then he looked around to examine the space around him. The hall was so vast that it could accommodate several hundred, if not a thousand people. And the Autobots present here also looked very human than the Nightmares used by Britannia as the main combat unit of its army. However, as soon as the former prince's eyes stared at what was behind the glass, he immediately exclaimed in shock:

- We are underwater?!

- That's right, we are currently located five hundred kilometers from the coast of the country you call Japan. - Ratchet answered, pointing to their current location on the screen.

- And what you are standing on, kid, is a sacred place for all Autobots. Our transport ship, the Ark. - Arcee continued.

- But unfortunately, it ceased to be so after the Exodus. - Cliffjumper said sadly.

"Exodus? From their planet?" - Lelouch thought. - And why did you end up on Earth, what made you leave your home planet?

- We are here because our planet became uninhabitable. It was destroyed as a result of a civil war. - Optimus answered, kneeling down to let the boy hear the story better.

- War? With whom?

- We fought against the Decepticons. - Optimus wanted to start, but Cliffjumper intervened with his explanation:

- They are a bunch of psychos who always babble about world domination and everything else. - He folded his arms over his chest and showed a grimace of disgust, which surprised Lelouch.

- I see, and you think that they are on Earth?

- More than likely. - Arcee began. - Our ships came out of the same portal when Cybertron fell into darkness.

- And why did you wage this war? - the former prince asked.

- First of all, to control the world's energon reserves. This is the fuel and life force of our race, including the Decepticons.

- And, unfortunately, your planet is rich in natural reserves of our energon. You call it Sakuradite. - Ratchet clarified, thereby catching the guy off guard.

Lelouch had always known that Sakuradite was a kind of "gasoline" for the Knightmares of Britannia, but he had always thought that there was something cosmic, if not alien, about this mineral, and now he was receiving news that Sakuradite was actually called energon and was the life force of alien robots.

- Judging by your expression, none of the humans know about the presence of Decepticons in this world. - Ironhide said with a grin.

- What are you talking about? - the black-haired guy asked, confused.

- We believe that today's Britannia is nothing more than a shadow, a puppet state controlled by the Decepticons behind the scenes. - Optimus explained, which stunned the young man.

- What? - he said in shock.

- And how do you think Britannia got this kind of technology? I mean the Nightmares, who are remarkably similar to us? - Warpath asked, emphasizing the last words, which stunned the former prince of the Empire even more.

- Besides, the ideals of your Empire are in many ways the same as the ideology of the Decepticons, who also believe that "might is always right", "only the strongest survives" and other nonsense associated with the doctrine of superiority.

Similar technology, similar ideals and policies - everything that Britannia boasted about as the third superpower in the world is just a parody of the ideology of aliens? Lelouch could not believe his ears and the fact that the national idea of his homeland was just a shadow of some robots, which made him shudder and feel angry at the same time.

- I have never heard anything like this! - he said in a depressed tone.

- We believe that only the Emperor himself and a few of his chosen followers know about the existence of the Decepticons. And from your reaction, I doubt that the rest of the Britannian Imperial Family knows about this. - Optimus answered calmly.

The boy gasped in horror at the mention of his father, but at that very moment he was consumed by rage, because it seemed logical to him, considering the fact that he had dealt with him and Nunnally seven years ago, justifying it with his boastful speeches about the superiority of the strong over the weak, which made him involuntarily clench his fists and grin with anger.

"It turns out that my country, which for centuries mowed down entire nations of the world, destroying millions of people on the path of its greatness, which abandoned me and Nunnally to our fate and which almost killed us during its invasion of Japan, turns out to be nothing more... than... A PUPPET?! - Lelouch said furiously in his head. - So, my desire to take revenge on Britannia is false?! My hatred for my father and desire to build a world for Nunnally in vain?!"

- Well, now it's your turn to tell us about yourself. - Arcee intervened with interest, thereby interrupting Lelouch's thoughts. - Why did the prince need to fight against his own country?

- And how are you still alive? - Ironhide was also interested.

- True, because according to the data, Lelouch vi Britannia, along with his sister Nunnally vi Britannia, died during the war between Britannia and Japan seven Earth years ago. - Fixit explained, showing official data from the news archive.

- You just answered your own question. - Lelouch answered vaguely, expressing his anger, which puzzled all the Autobots, even Optimus, who had maintained an outward calm until then.

- Um... how about starting from the top? - Cliff asked, not understanding the meaning of the guy's statement. Lelouch, having let off some steam, calmed down, returning to rational explanations:

- What do your records say about the death of my mother, Empress Marianne?

- They... say that Marianne vi Britannia died as a result of a terrorist attack seven years ago. - Fixit answered, confused by Lelouch's first answer.

- And you're only half right. It was seven years ago, but it was not a terrorist attack! - the former prince answered, clenching his fists even tighter, which stunned all the Autobots. - The Villa of Aries, which was my home at the time, was the safest place in the Empire, even more so than the Imperial Palace. Random terrorists simply could not penetrate there.

The unexpected discovery of the truth stunned Team Prime. Although they assumed that the eleventh prince could know something about the details of his mother's death, they certainly did not expect this. Some even sparked a spark of horror from this.

- Are you saying... that this was... an inside job? - Cliff asked in shock.

- There's no other way to call it, because after my mother was killed... - Lelouch began his story, scrolling through his memories from seven years ago in his head. - ... I requested an audience with my father, the Emperor of Britannia.

---

Seven years ago.

The Imperial Palace, the capital of Pendragon.

- Present at the audience is Lelouch vi Britannia. The eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the seventeenth heir to the imperial throne. - the ceremonial herald announced.

A black-haired teenage boy with purple eyes entered the throne room. He was dressed, as befits a member of the imperial family, in a ceremonial uniform and a cloak with the coat of arms of the ruling family. Passing the ranks of aristocrats who bowed their heads before him, the young prince approached the stepped terrace leading to the throne on which sat the current ruler of the Empire - the 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia. Despite his advanced age, the ruler of the world looked quite large and muscular, as if aging did not concern him at all. His grimace of silence and insensitivity on his face stood out especially, which was a characteristic feature of his image as the leader of the largest superpower in the world, occupying a third of the land of the globe. It was this man who embodied, if not personified, the power of the greatest empire in the history of mankind.

Standing at the very bottom of the step, young Lelouch bowed before his father, thereby demonstrating humble respect.

- All Hail, Your Majesty! - the boy exclaimed as a sign of humility and respect. - My mother, Empress Marianne, has died.

The prince hoped that his father would express his sympathy for this loss, after all, Charles loved his wife very much and doted on her, often visiting her with him and his sister.

- Old news, what of it? - the emperor answered in an emotionless and even bored tone, shocking his son.

- What? What of it? - Lelouch said in shock, standing up.

- You asked for an audience with me to tell me this news? - then he turned to his herald. - Call the next one. I have no time for these childish games.

This statement shocked the boy even more, who believed that his father would take his side in this matter. However, now the world in which Charles, Marianne, he and Nunnally spent time together began to collapse under the pressure of the emperor's indifference. The guards were about to throw the prince out of the hall, when he immediately shouted, clinging to his last hope:

- Father!

And it seemed to work, because Charles gestured for the guards to step back.

- Why didn't you protect mother from sin?! You are the emperor! The greatest man in this country, if not in the whole world! You should have protected her, and now you don't even visit Nunnally! - Lelouch said in a pleading, demanding tone.

- I don't need this loser! - the Emperor answered in a cold tone, which discouraged the prince.

- A loser?

- Being strong is what it means to be a member of the imperial family. We must be the personification of the power of our Empire, the face of progress that moves our country into a bright future. There is no place for worthless weaklings among us.

And at that moment, the boy realized what kind of family he lived in and who surrounded him. The once former pride in belonging to the greatest family of the Empire crumbled to dust, giving way to raging rage and contempt for the ideals that the aristocrats preached to him and in which there was no place for love or affection.

- Then I do not want to be your heir! I renounce my claims to the throne! - he exclaimed emotionally, which made all the nobles gasp in shock.

- Then you are dead, Lelouch! - The Emperor said loftily, taking his son by surprise. - You have always been a corpse to me, since your birth! Who gave you beautiful clothes, a cozy home, the food you eat, and your very life?! I gave you all of this! In other words, you are nothing to me, because you never existed, so don't you dare say such nonsense. - He stood up from the throne, putting his hand forward. - You were just a ghost in my life, an empty space, not worthy of my attention! You initially had no right to the throne, nor to live in the imperial family! But you and Nunnally will still be useful to Britannia, as tools of diplomacy. I am sending you to Japan as political hostages. And this is my final decision!

Lelouch took these last words with incredible horror, which is why he even fell to the ground at the sight of the impressive image of the cruel and merciless head of the family.

---

Present time.

- Those were the last words my father ever said. After the audience, I was kicked out of the palace and exiled to Japan on a private jet with Nunnally. And then you know what happened. - Lelouch finished his story, hiding his face full of anger and malice, but his hands were clenched into fists so tightly that their knuckles were white to a snowy shine.

The Autobots simply could not believe what they were hearing. A father had kicked his own son out of the family just because he had demanded justice for his mother, considering it stupidity and weakness. Even Optimus himself widened his optics, frozen in horror and disbelief. He could have expected anything, but certainly not this.

- Damn it... Lelouch I... I'm so sorry. - Cliff said in a daze and with sympathy. - I don't even know what to say.

- I know! - Ironhide said sullenly. - And I'm saying it only now! We will immediately... open a groundbridge directly to the emperor's palace and destroy him! - He got furious, preparing his cannons for battle, which caught the former prince by surprise, who did not expect such sympathy.

- What? - Lelouch said.

- I completely agree! - Arcee supported, expressing anger on her face. - If we do this now, then all this lawlessness will come to an end!

- What?

- I thought that there was no one worse than Megatron, but I was wrong. - Bulkhead said angrily, transforming his hand into a huge mace. - If you decide to do this, then I am ready to crush this piece of meat into a pancake this very second! - in a fit of anger, he did not even notice how he damaged Ratchet's tool with his blow to the table.

- BULKHEAD, I NEEDED THIS! - he shouted in desperate indignation.

First, Lelouch found himself in the thick of the confrontation between Britannia and the rebels, then he saw his friend die at the hands of the Britannian military he hated, then the truth about the existence of extraterrestrial life was revealed to his eyes, and now these same aliens showed him sympathy and even zeal to avenge the fate that the emperor had prepared for him.

- The Groundbridge? - the former prince asked with interest.

- Yes, the very portal we just passed through when we got here. - Cliffjumper explained, pointing to the empty tunnel. - A smaller version of the Spacebridge.

- What does this mean then?

- The Spacebridge is a portal system used on Cybertron that allows for the transportation of supplies and personal items from one place to another. The Spacebridge, as its name suggests, is capable of moving objects from one part of the galaxy to another, while the Groundbridge is limited only by the orbit of the land... soil... - Fixit hit himself with his hand again. - Earth!

- So I can easily get to any point on the planet through this... Groundbridge? - Lelouch asked thoughtfully.

- In a second, you just need to enter the coordinates of the place you want to go to and you're already there. - the minicon answered, proud of Cybertronian technology.

The former prince responded to this with a sly half-smile, believing that he had hit the jackpot:

"This could come in handy!"

However, all the indignation of the Autobots came to naught when their leader spoke up, returning to his old calm appearance:

- Although I agree that Lelouch's past is tragic and that the Emperor should probably be punished for all his crimes, we cannot commit such an unprecedented act, as it will lead to catastrophic consequences not only for Japan, but also for the rest of the world.

Lelouch was surprised by Prime's calmness, but at the same time he felt in him the charisma that a true team leader is capable of, which allowed him to suppress his anger and listen to his words, since he spoke the truth.

- I agree with your leader. - he supported Prime, which amazed the other bots.

- Are you serious, will you forgive this emperor for all these atrocities? - asked Arcee, raising her eyebrow in surprise.

- Absolutely not! - the guy exclaimed sharply, frightening the Autobots. - I am more eager to destroy Britannia and everything connected with it than you are, believe me! But look at the place it occupies in this world, what lands are under its iron fist? If you were to cut off this hydra's head now, then anarchy and a struggle for power would begin throughout its entire territory, not only between the rebels and the ruling authorities, but also between the aristocracy and even members of the imperial family. And I'm not talking about other superpowers, like the Chinese Federation and the European Union, who are just waiting for the moment when riots and uprisings of the numbered ones begin in the Empire. - explained both his and Prime's point of view on this issue.

Many Autobots hissed in despair, reluctantly accepting this truth, but they also heeded the voice of reason.

- In addition, if our fears are confirmed, then after our intervention the Decepticons will also try to pull the strings, if not openly oppose the resistance movement. And this will lead to much more terrible losses among the people. - Optimus said.

- That's why you didn't want to interfere in our conflict? Were you afraid that your Decepticons would retaliate? - the young man suggested, although he guessed that it was true.

- Exactly so. - Prime nodded affirmatively.

- However, now that we have really interfered in your war, sooner or later the Decepticons will also try to fill this gap, whether we want it or not. - Ratchet complained, crossing his arms on his chestplate.

- But the problem is that we don't know how and when the Decepticons will want to interfere. The only thing we can do is be ready for their appearance. - Ironhide sighed heavily.

- Lelouch, forgive me for being blunt, but the official records say that in addition to you, your younger sister Nunnally also died. Now, considering that you're alive, I can ask: is she... - Fixit tried to ask, but his tongue just wouldn't come.

- She's alive and currently lives with me at Ashford Academy. But because of the wounds she received during the assassination attempt, she became crippled and blind. - Lelouch answered, hiding his face, full of sorrow and pity.

This news made the orange minicon gasp in horror.

- Sorry... I'm sorry. - he apologized shamefully, to which Lelouch responded with a surprised look, but still said with an understanding smile:

- Thank you.

An awkward pause arose between the man and the Autobots, which after a while was interrupted by the red horned bot's speech:

- Well, since we've covered all the details, it's time to move on to the main topic of this conversation. Lelouch, would you like to join our team?

This caught the former prince off guard, given the differences between him and the Autobots.

- We both hate Britannia, and the Cons will sooner or later show up on the scene. We know the Decepticons, and you know Britannia. See what I'm getting at?

- And given the recent battle, you have the makings of an excellent strategist. - Ironhide added.

- To be honest, for a human, your plans are, shall we say, more or less "reasonable." - Ratchet said, almost breaking into thoughts.

- Um... thank you. - Lelouch said in confusion, not knowing how to interpret the medic's comment.

- With your brains and our firepower and strength, we could wipe out all the bad guys in no time. - Bulkhead compared, kneeling down and bringing his face closer to the former prince.

- Well, what do you say, Your Highness? - asked Arcee, although she was very worried about the smirking look of the guy.

Lelouch really showed devilish enthusiasm, because it is not every day that you can meet talking thirty-meter-tall robot aliens and receive signs of sympathy and attention from them. And since he personally saw how the yellow Autobot made the white Nightmare, who was mowing down whole packs of Sutherlands, puff and fight seriously, then he could only imagine what the giant Optimus Prime was capable of against mechs like the white knight. Plus, the Autobots could become excellent allies if it turned out that the Decepticons were really manipulating Britain behind the scenes. So there are no options here.

- Okay, I accept your offer! - the former prince agreed with a grin.

- Excellent. Then welcome to the team...

- Stop-stop-stop! - The Autobot medic suddenly intervened. - Not so fast!

- Why is that? - Cliff asked.

- Before we accept him into our team, let me ask you something personally, Lelouch... - Ratchet addressed the guy directly, who seriously tensed up under the medic's intense gaze. - ...what is this power that you possess?

- Power?

- Yes, the power with which you made the Britannian soldiers die. - Arcee explained.

Bumblebee played the recording of the moment when Lelouch ordered the guards to die, after which they shot each other.

- How did you even do that, if it's not a secret? - Bulkhead asked with interest.

Lelouch frowned, looking intently into the optics of the green brute, after which a red bird symbol appeared in his left eye. Then he said:

- Tell me your deepest secret!

The mark flapped its wings, flying towards the blue sensors, but the suggestion had no effect, causing the brute to only raise an eyebrow in bewilderment.

- Um, do you mean awkward or purely personal? - asked Bulk.

"It didn't work?!" - Lelouch mentally said, shocked by what had happened.

The other Autobots were somewhat taken aback by such an unexpected order from the guy. They were surprised by the symbol in the eye, but some were outraged by the fact that the former prince had the audacity to hypnotize their comrade. In particular, Ironhide, Arcee and Ratchet looked closely at the shocked young man, sensing something was wrong.

- Oh my god... something is glowing inside your optics. - Fixit saw this sign, fearing such a surprise. - Can all people do this?

- No. I received this power only recently, while all that chaos was happening in Shinjuku.

- And you decided to test it on us? - asked Arcee, looking intently into Lelouch's eyes.

- Without even asking permission? - said Ironhide indignantly.

- To be honest, this is only the fifth time I've used it. - the guy admitted, scratching the back of his head. - I can only influence a person through direct eye contact. That's all I can say.

Many of the Autobots thought, trying to figure out their next course of action. Apparently, the former prince's power is capable of influencing the minds of people only when they look directly at them, but this same ability cannot affect the mind of a Cybertronian, which gives them a considerable advantage.

- Hm, considering that you know so little about this power, perhaps it would be better if we study it to understand the consequences of such an impact on the human mind. - Ratchet said thoughtfully, kneeling down closer to Lelouch's level. - Now keep this power activated while I scan your body.

Lelouch considered it advisable, considering that he knew nothing about this ability, but he wanted to find out a lot about it: what other limitations were there besides direct eye contact, were there any side effects for both the owner and the victim? The only one who could answer all these questions was that green-haired girl, but at the moment she was unavailable and it was unlikely that Lelouch would ever be able to see her.

One way or another, the guy allowed himself to be scanned, nodding affirmatively to the Autobot medic. A hole opened from one of the bracers, which then lit up with flat beams of green color. Moving his hand up and down and vice versa, he took measurements, after which he heard:

- Probably too late to ask about this, but do you know anything about our biology? - Lelouch asked, wary of the process, which he compared to an X-ray scan.

- Hm, I've spent quite a while studying your primitive anatomy. - Ratchet replied sarcastically.

"Primitive?" - the young man said to himself, offended.

- While it is a little... more complex than Cybertronian biology, your organic systems are somewhat similar to our exoskeleton. - the medic turned off the scanner, rising to his feet. - Scan complete.

- So, what now? - Lelouch wondered.

- For now, you should return back to Ashford Academy and lay low. - Prime replied.

- Sounds reasonable.

- We've tuned your communication device to our frequency. - Ratchet said, returning to the bridge control panel.

- Oh, convenient! - the young man said in surprise.

- And if anything happens, we can contact you. We, in turn, will try to find out something about your power.

- I understand. If I know anything, I will immediately inform you.

Optimus nodded in response, then turned to his yellow friend:

- Bumblebee, escort Lelouch back home and organize covert surveillance in the form of a car.

- [Will do, Optimus.] - the scout agreed, transforming into a car and opening the door for the former prince.

- The Academy coordinates have been entered. - the Autobot medic announced, lowering the switch that launched the portal to the earthly place.

A multi-colored and sparkling whirlwind appeared from the tunnel, after which Lelouch sat down in the driver's seat. Bee closed the door behind him, and then moved off, slowly moving towards the teleport. As soon as they dissolved in the vortex, he immediately switched off, leaving the Autobots to ponder. But the silence did not last long, because a chain of questions followed:

- Are you sure about him, Optimus? And I do not mean his strategic talent, but his essence. When I looked at him, it seemed to me that I was looking into the eyes of "you know who"! - Ironhide asked warily.

- I agree with Ironhide. - Arcee supported. - The boy may be smart, but I can't help but sense from him a feeling of... mistrust towards us.

- And it could not be otherwise, Arcee. One of his brothers or sisters deprived him of his mother and crippled his sister, and then his own father banished him from the country, thereby signing his death warrant. I would definitely not forgive him for such a betrayal, and I would also not trust anyone, sensing a catch. You know very well what it's like, partner. - Cliff commented.

The Autobot lowered her gaze from this, remembering her past, connected with the death of Tailgate, which made her fragile heart harden and withdraw into herself, if not for the appearance of Cliffjumper in her life. She understood perfectly well that the red bot was right and that she had no right to say such a thing, because, unlike her, Lelouch had literally had almost everything taken away from him since childhood. However, she could not get rid of the feeling that the British prince was very suspicious.

- However, this does not mean that I am completely on his side, considering the fact that he used his power against us without even warning us. - Cliff expressed his position.

- Maybe he was trying to... demonstrate it to us? - Bulkhead tried to reason.

- Although I agree that Lelouch may have his own trust issues, I sense an echo of light in his intentions. And I believe that despite his own suspiciousness and alienation from everyone, this boy also needs support, although he himself does not notice it. And given our current situation, we simply need his strategic thinking and knowledge of the Britannian Empire. - Optimus finally answered, making it clear to everyone that he was on the side of the young man in this matter.

- Okay, I understand you, Optimus. - the maroon veteran agreed.

- Well, since we have accepted this kid into our team, then what are we going to do now? - Warpath asked, addressing everyone.

- We will wait. - Prime quickly answered. - Considering Lelouch's behavior, I can confidently assume that he killed Prince Clovis, which means that sooner or later people will find out about it.

- Do you think that's when Megatron will show up? - Ratchet suggested.

- As for me, Megz doesn't care about the death of another representative of the imperial family. This happens quite often, considering the intrigues they arrange behind each other's backs. - Arcee said.

- It is impossible to rule out such a possibility. I can only hope that Lelouch will be ready for this moment.

---

Mars City Station, planet Mars.

The camera of the research drone sent to observe the Academy detected the appearance of the exit of the ground bridge, from which a yellow and black muscle car with a black-haired guy inside drove out, which did not go unnoticed by VEGA, which immediately notified its creator:

- Professor Hayden, the drone recorded the opening of the groundbridge near the walls of Ashford Academy. A car with Lelouch vi Britannia on board came out of it.

"So, he has already met them." - Samuel suggested, tearing himself away from signing another document. - Good. Let the drone continue observing the object. Any changes in his actions are to be reported to me personally.

- Understood.

Then the head of the UAC heard the ringing of his PDA, which showed the subscriber's name. The head of the Expeditionary Operations Department, Steven Aldridge, reports even at the moment when the city is plunging into a quiet sleep.

- Yes? - Hayden answered.

- Professor, Andrew's team has passed the two hundredth kilometer. They have reached the shores of the Blood Sea, as you said, sir.

- Accepted. Let them put a "marker" and return to base. They need rest.

- Yes, sir!

The operation is in full swing. The expedition has reached the shores of the bottomless Blood Sea, which means half the way has already passed. All that remains is to move the gunboat to the place of the beacon through the portal and then the UAC will have a direct road to the Kadingir Sanctuary.

But the professor also understood the danger of flying to the flying island, given that huge clusters of Cacodemons had been spotted around it. And countermeasures were needed for them. The former seraph quickly entered the data of his colleague from the Delta technical laboratory, located in the Enpro complex, into the PDA.

- Professor Hayden, how can I help you? - the scientist asked in a pleasant tone.

- Betruger, can you equip the Highland shuttle with a version two-zero plasma emitter?

- Easy as pie, sir. Just tell me when I can do it.

- If possible, then right now. If not, then do it tomorrow, but most importantly, as soon as possible.

- Yes, sir, we will do everything possible! We will spend the whole night, but we will do it! - the scientist firmly assured.

- That's not what I need here, Malcolm. Zeal is good, but if you overexert yourself, you'll end up just like Chong Kim.

- We'll be careful, sir.

- Okay. Good night. - He ended the call, turning off his PDA, after which he sighed heavily at the sight of the shining night lights of the colony city against the backdrop of dark maroon hills. - Oh, it's not easy to monitor the condition of all the personnel.

Suddenly, the artificial intelligence came on the air again, bringing far from happy news:

- Professor, the Prime Minister of Britannia wants to contact you.

- Oh, again? - the former seraph said plaintively, since this is not the first time that another representative of the Empire's state regime wants to see the UAC on his side.

- Should I ignore the call?

- No, connect me with him, let's see what he tells us this time. - He turned in his chair to look at the face of a 27 year old blond man with light yellow hair and pale violet eyes, who was looking at the head of the corporation with polite courtesy through the television screen.

- Greetings, Professor Samuel Hayden, it is an honor to see you again. - The Prime Minister greeted.

- Prince Schneizel...

---

Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement.

Lelouch snored a little with his eyes closed, being in a state of half-sleep due to the drowsiness that had rolled over him after yesterday's return to the Academy. However, an attempt to plunge into the arms of Morpheus failed when he was hit on the head with a bundle of documents, from which, of course, he instantly woke up.

- Wake up, Lelouch! I know you're sleeping! Your hand stopped moving! - the girl with long sandy hair, white skin and blue eyes, dressed in the female uniform of the Academy, consisting of a double-breasted light jacket with a dark tie and a straight short skirt of the same color, sternly exclaimed.

The one bearing the surname Lamperouge looked around, remembering that he was still in the student council building, working as one of the secretaries of its president, who is just a blonde named Milly Ashford - the granddaughter of the current director of the Academy. In addition to Lelouch and Milly themselves, there were three more students in the office who were members of the student council: Rivals Cardemonde - a blue-haired guy with whom the former had participated in gambling just yesterday, Shirley Fenett - a red-haired girl with green eyes and Nina Einstein - a bespectacled girl with dark green hair and indigo eyes.

- Did you really have to beat me? - Lelouch said plaintively.

- That's also for abandoning me yesterday! - Rivalz boasted, taking into account that he was the only one who returned to the Academy after all the commotion on the highway began.

- That's right! - Even Shirley agreed with that. - What happened to you yesterday anyway?

"Well, I ran into a group of alien robots and now I'm going to declare war on Britannia. Oh, and Britannia is nothing more than a puppet of some other group of aliens!" - he joked to himself, knowing that his friends would hardly believe it, since he himself had a hard time believing the events of yesterday.

- Okay, that's enough, guys! - Ashford muttered, slamming her hands on the table. - Let's not get distracted, because if we don't set a budget for the club's activities, there won't be any money left for anything!

- What if it comes to that? - asked the shy Einstein, not taking her glasses off the laptop for a second.

- The Equestrian Club will be furious. And I wouldn't want those guys to break into our office on horseback. - Rivalz said jokingly.

- Rivalz, could you be more serious about student council matters? - Milly scolded him in a stern tone.

- You know, it would have been very kind of you if you had reminded us about this mess a day ago! - the green-eyed girl said discontentedly.

- I must say that if it had happened a day later, we would have given up. - the blue-haired man continued to joke with joy in his voice.

- Good idea, we should try it. - Lamperouge supported him.

- GUYS! - the head of the student council shouted indignantly, which alarmed her colleagues, especially when she stood in a commanding pose, like hands on the sides of her waist, and her gaze radiated an aura of displeasure of the head of the department.

- President, are you trying to use your "courage" magic again? - asked Cardemonde.

- Yeah. - She abruptly changed her mood from commanding to mischievous. - I just really want you all to give it your all!

- Somehow I doubt that your magic can somehow affect my intention to "give it my all." - Lelouch said with an alienated look.

- On the contrary, I think that it helps, President! - the motivated Fenett supported the mood, raising her hand up as a sign of her active participation.

- Flexible and ready, that's what I like! - Ashford answered with a thumbs up.

- I train hard at the gymnastics club! - Shirley declared with a proud grin.

- That's not what I mean. - Millie looked somewhere below Fenett's face, exclaiming: - Ten points. At least, judging by what I saw in the girls' shower. You filled all the right places, right? - she asked with a perverted grin, which made the girl blush.

Rivals laughed at another "dirty" joke of the student council president, also closely examining the "assets" of the brunette. Realizing this, Shirley turned away, covering her chest and said with embarrassed indignation:

- What... What are you saying?! Pervert!

- Our president is in her element as always. - Cardemonde responded with a cheerful grin.

---

After the meeting, the group, except for the perverted blonde, left the building towards the main building, where they walked along the corridor, past the classrooms, to then hear this:

- God, the president is a real pervert inside! She'll ruin a pleasant conversation with her dirty jokes! - Shirley said plaintively, drooping her shoulders in despair.

- Yeah... but... that's it, Milliy. - Nina answered uncertainly, shrinking from shyness.

- But look at it this way! We still achieved a balanced budget, right? - Rivalz said, remaining optimistic, walking carefree behind the group.

As soon as they entered the cafeteria, they immediately began to hear the conversations of some students discussing what was happening in the ghetto.

- They used poison gas? - one of the students wondered.

- Dude, that's weird, Shinjuku is only thirty minutes from here! - said another, surprised by the lack of any details about the chemical attack incident even on the Internet site on the computer.

Then Lelouch was attracted by a news report in which the presenter announces that the ghetto is surrounded by a ring of chemical defense troops, who are supposedly "liquidating the consequences of the poison gas attack." All the footage shown on the air is a set-up to convince the people that Britannia is trying to protect the Settlement from terrorists trying to harm the Britannian population. But here's what's interesting: a day has already passed, and the media still hasn't announced the death of Prince Clovis, which seemed very interesting to Lelouch, because the former prince did everything necessary to leave no evidence of himself. And since the death hasn't been announced yet, it means that the Britannian secret services are now trying to find someone to blame.

"No matter how much they rack their brains, they'll still have to announce Clovis's death and then we'll see how they get out of it. I wonder what the Autobots will say about that?" he thought to himself, watching the news with a serious look.

---

The Ship "Ark"

The Autobots were indeed watching the news coming from the mainland via their holographic panel, and they were also watching with interest how the Britannian media staged everything for the public.

- I wonder how long it took them to come up with such nonsense?! - Bulkhead said ironically, crossing his arms over his chest.

- Why am I not surprised that this is exactly how it's staged? - Ironhide asked himself sarcastically out loud.

- Ratchet, did they say anything about Clovis's death? - the Autobot leader turned to the medic.

- No, Optimus, apparently they are hiding this information so as not to cause anarchy in the entire area.

- And why would the cons' wannabes hide something that will sooner or later have to be revealed? - Warpath asked a very good question.

- Apparently, His Highness tried very hard to cover all the tracks before sending his murderous brother to the next world. - Arcee suggested.

- And since he pulled off this risky business so well, I can confidently assume that Britannia is most likely looking for someone who could take the blame for his murder. - Cliffjumper continued his thought.

- More than likely, but now the question arises: who will be this "scapegoat"? - said the Autobot veteran.

- What are we going to do, boss? Do you think this will attract Megatron's attention? After all, this is not the first time another representative of the imperial family has died. - asked the green brute.

- Perhaps, but we shouldn't take any action prematurely until Britannia finds whoever they think is responsible for the death of the third prince. - Optimus replied, keeping a calm face. - Any word from Bumblebee?

- He's at the Academy now. Nothing suspicious is happening yet. - Optimus replied, showing the beacon of a yellow bot parked in the parking lot in front of the walls of Ashford Academy on the screen.

Optimus nodded in response, but despite his outward calm, inside he was worried that the Britions would try to frame someone innocent as the killer, especially someone who was not Briton by blood.

---

Somewhere in Area 11.

The escort, consisting of only one car, which by the standards of other aristocrats is very luxurious and in some ways resembles a limousine, drove to the military base without any complications, because its passengers were high-ranking officers. One was a turquoise-haired man with orange eyes and white skin, the other was a dark-skinned woman with silver hair and yellow eyes. They were none other than the pilots of the Nightmares that participated in the operation in the ghetto: Jeremiah Gottwald and Villetta Nu.

- This former general is such a fool! - the first one said sarcastically.

- Do you mean Bartley, Lord Jeremiah? - the second one asked.

- The terrorists have already violated our most reliable security system twice. This superficial test is just a laughing matter!

To this, Nu responded with a sly look, full of malice and ambition, anticipating the future plan in action.

- Margrave Jeremiah, now that Prince Clovis is gone, we, the purebloods, can ... - she began to speak, when Gottwald immediately pulled out a phone from his pocket.

- Don't rush, Villetta, we still need to convince the others to accept our plan.

However, Jeremiah himself was unspeakably happy about Clovis's death, because after all, it would allow his faction to strike a blow against the system that, as he thought, allowed parasites to infiltrate the pure ranks of Britannia.

---

Lelouch had a hard day at work as the Vice President of the student council, but it also allowed him to accept some changes in his life. Namely, the presence on Earth of alien robots, which, as he now understood, were fighting for the oppressed elevens against the rule of the Britannian Empire. These giant machines, according to them, were only refugees from a distant planet, destroyed as a result of a civil war between the so-called "Autobots" and "Decepticons". And if one average Autobot is capable of giving a kick in the ass, as he realized, to a new generation of Nightmare, then a whole group of robots can be very useful to him to carry out his revenge. And in addition, he gained the power to control the will of people, just by looking at them.

However, the guy did not allow his newfound advantages to fool his brains, given the fact that there are only eight Autobots, not counting that minicon Fixit, while Britannia occupies a third of the entire planet and has a huge amount of resources and technology at its disposal. And if the Autobots are right that Britannia is controlled behind the scenes by Decepticons, then fixation on something can hurt the effectiveness of the resistance. One way or another, but going AWOL is not an option, so the former prince needs to wait for his new allies to give the signal to begin action. After walking a few meters from the main gate to the Academy, the black-haired guy found a huge crowd of students, who were looking at something in the parking lot with great attention and admiration. Among these onlookers was Lelouch's friend, who was looking at something with fascination. And Shirley was also there, shocked by the unidentified object.

- Hey, Lelouch, look what's here! - Rivalz shouted to the guy who somehow managed to squeeze through the crowd.

And what he saw made him open his eyes very wide. The students were examining and admiring the yellow and black Urbana 500, which was actually a disguised Bumblebee!

- Dude, check out these tires! They look like they're made of metal! - one of the students said in amazement, examining the wheels.

- What style! A racing one, I guess! - some student exclaimed joyfully.

- What a car! - Cardemonde admired with burning envy. - Some people are lucky! But I wonder whose it is?

- Actually... - Lelouch stepped out of the crowd, standing next to the car door. - ...it's mine!

There was a deathly silence for a moment, which was then interrupted by squeals of shock and surprise.

- WHAT?! Is this your car? - one of the students interrupted.

- No way! - one of the students said in disbelief.

- Wow, dude, you have great taste! - another student exclaimed.

- Lulu, is this your car? - Shirley asked in shock.

- Lelouch, when did you manage to get your own car?! And where did you even get the money from? - Rivalz asked in shock.

- I had to spend the bets somehow. - the guy decided to lie a little, considering the fact that the Autobot had now become his nanny.

- Oh, damn it! - Cardemonde hit his forehead with his hand, remembering yesterday's winnings. - Well, at least you spent them wisely. If I were you, I would buy myself a motorcycle, but if you look at it from the other side. - he got really excited, running around the muscle car from all sides and, so to speak, catching both Lelouch and the car in his lens.

- But why do you need a car, Lulu? You don't have a license, right? - Fenett asked, not sharing her friend's optimism.

- I'm just learning to get a license so that Rivalz doesn't give me a ride every time. - Lamperouge explained jokingly, making his friend fall into depression.

- Why are you doing this to me, Lelouch?!

- I'm just kidding. - then the former prince looked at the excited green-eyed girl. - And don't worry Shirley, I'm not going to use the car to street race.

- Better not! It's even more dangerous than gambling! - she warned in a scolding tone.

After a while and a few questions and exclamations, the crowd dispersed, allowing Bumblebee and Lelouch to finally begin a dialogue:

- Looks like you've got some fans, Bumblebee!

- [What can I say? Kids love cool cars!] - the scout squeaked, opening the door for the guy.

- Look, maybe the other Autobots understand you, but you're still deaf to me. - Lamperouge reminded him of their "language barrier".

Bumblebee responded by revealing his radio panel, showing a small manipulator with an earphone in its claws. Understanding the yellow bot's hint, Lelouch put the device to his ear. He didn't even have to adjust it, as the earphone automatically tuned to the bot's frequency.

- [Do you understand now?] - the young scout's speech was quite clear and articulate.

- Yes! You have amazing technology after all. - Lelouch replied in amazement. - So, now you've become my nanny?

- [I was ordered to keep an eye on you. After all, you are part of the team now.]

- Have you seen the news yet?

- [I heard it on the radio, they only talk about poison gas. I thought they had already made an announcement about your brother's death.]

- He wasn't my brother. - Lelouch rejected softly, but with a distant look. - More like a person who played the role of a brother in our family.

- [Sorry.] - Bee rang out sadly.

- And what happened to you? I mean your voice. I heard from the others that you lost it during the battle...

- [Oh, that's not the most ordinary story, considering that during the war our comrades received injuries worse than mine.] - the Autobot waved it off, not finding his story interesting.

- We're in no hurry, so you can begin. Bumblebee had to give in and sigh heavily, so as not to spoil relations with his ally.

- [Well, you asked for it. As a scout, we were sent deep into the enemy's rear during the war, I was in the Delta squad, which was the best reconnaissance and sabotage unit among the Autobots. We were ordered to infiltrate Tyger-Pax to capture the energy purification plant, but unfortunately we underestimated the strength of our enemies. The rest of my comrades died, and I survived.] - Bee said, which made Lelouch somewhat saddened, remembering his loss. - [However, further interrogation awaited me from you know who? Megatron!]

- Megatron? - the former prince became interested, considering how much the Autobot focused on this name.

- [The leader of the Decepticons, who in addition to brute force possessed a sophisticated mind and charisma, thanks to which he could easily gain the support of other bots.]

"Hmm, a dangerous opponent." - Lamperouge suggested. - So it turns out that he could easily win the hearts of your compatriots and that is why you lost to him in the war?

- [No, Lelouch, we were forced to yield to Megatron. He is not some kind of political opponent or military strategist. He is the true embodiment of evil, who is ready to do anything for the sake of power. He gained so much support because those who once crossed him were destroyed! He never spares either his soldiers or us, his enemies. For him, the end always justifies the means and only the strongest has the right to have a place under the sun, and all the weaklings must be slaves, unquestioningly fulfilling any whims of their master. Does this remind you of anything?] - he finally asked the guy, who at that moment clenched his fists in anger, because these words sounded almost the same as the doctrine voiced by his father and all of Britain.

- Sorry for making you remember this. - Lelouch said shamefacedly.

- [No, it's fine, the exchange of information between allies is the key to trust between them, so consider that I am sharing valuable information with you about our future enemy.] - Bee cleverly got out of it, allowing the young man to smile slightly.

- You know how to convince, thank you. - Lelouch thanked. - So what happened to you after you were captured?

- [I was taken to Megatron, who demanded that I reveal the location of the Ark, but I refused. And then he personally tore out my voice module and left me to die among my dead friends. Luckily, the Autobot military forces were able to break through to Tyger-Pax and capture the city for a while. I was found and then taken to the hospital, where Ratchet treated me.]

- So, it was he who saved you? Because it seemed to me that he was not particularly happy with my presence.

- [It is not your fault, Ratchet always seemed to us to be an annoying grumbler, but in fact he is very kind, he just belittles his merits too much. He believes that he could do his job much better, which is why he often criticizes himself. I am actually very grateful to him, because if it were not for him, I would not be here.]

- Really? And I thought that it was because of my ability that he got so angry... - Lelouch abruptly interrupted himself, seeing a familiar silhouette surrounded by students through the glass.

- [What is it?] - the scout asked in surprise.

Lamperouge, seeing the familiar medium red hair and blue eyes, grinned slyly:

- I knew it! Look, Bee! - the black-haired guy pointed at the group of students.

The Autobot obeyed, directing his optics towards the girls, among whom stood out a red-haired student whose eyes seemed to be similar to European ones, but their edges were pointed, like those of a typical Asian.

- [And?] - the yellow bot said in bewilderment.

- That girl with red hair, I saw her in Shinjuku! - Lamperouge explained with confidence, shocking his partner.

- [Really?] - he sharpened his optics even more to carefully examine the girl's features.

- That woman in Glasgow. It was her. - the former prince clarified.

- [Wow! Do you know her?]

- No, I only heard about her. They said about a student who had very poor health, because of which she could not attend classes like all the other students.

- [And what is the name of this "sick" student?]

- I think her name is Kallen Stadfield. From a wealthy family, in charge of the entire settlement's transportation systems.

- [That's interesting! A Britannian woman, whose family is wealthy, is helping rebels fight against her own country? Why would she do that?] - the Autobot was genuinely amazed.

- I don't know, but we'll find out now! - Lelouch said with a sly smile.

- [Are you going to use your "vision" on her?]

- Vision?

- [Like the power with which you made the soldiers kill you.]

- I wouldn't call it a vision.

- [But we have to call this power somehow!]

Then the boy and the scout noticed how the girls ran away in horror, seeing something that scared them very much, with the exception of their friend, who instead of running away, slammed her hands, crushing, as it turned out, a bee, and then went around the corner of the building.

- [Ow!] - Bee said in surprise.

- I agree, we need to be careful, otherwise I myself will be crushed, like this bee! By the way, why does your name sound like the name of an insect? - Lelouch asked.

- [Better not ask how I got this name!]

---

- How I hate it! - Kallen exclaimed angrily, sharply biting off a piece of her sandwich. - "How tired I am of pretending to be a quiet and feeble invalid! And these annoying "friends", damn it!"

As Lelouch and Bumblebee had assumed, the girl turned out to be a member of Ohgi Kaname's rebel group, which was currently lying low after a controversial operation in Shinjuku, when she and her comrades were escorted by Britannian soldiers to a mobile base, and from there to a settlement, where Kallen was ordered to return to the Academy, pretending to be the daughter of an aristocrat, Gordon Stadfield, until the storm subsided. But this cover did not bring the girl much joy, considering that she had to communicate with the pretty rich kids of the Empire she hated, because of which she lost her brother. Absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't even notice how a young brunette with black hair and violet eyes approached her, until her gaze slid to the left side, where he stood calmly watching her eat while squatting.

The girl internally panicked, thinking that she had just revealed her disguise.

"Oh shit, he saw me!" - she said mentally, after which she tried to turn on her "secret identity" again. - Um, what can I help you with?

There was an awkward pause when the guy quickly approached her, causing her to back away, making a surprised face with eyebrows arched in a wave. But this lasted only until Lelouch activated his power in his left eye:

- I need answers from you! - he declared in a commanding tone. The red bird flew out of the eye straight into the girl's eyepieces, rebuilding the neural synapses of the brain under the will of Lamperouge's ability, after which shining rings of the same color appeared in them. For a moment, Kallen froze in place in a daze, but then showed her polite face:

- Of course, I will answer any question. - Stadfield agreed, smiling kindly.

- Were you the one who piloted Glasgow to Shinjuku? - the guy began with the most obvious.

- Yes. - the girl answered quickly and automatically.

- Why did you join the rebels?

- Because I'm Japanese, although technically I'm half Briton! - the girl said, which greatly surprised Lelouch, who realized that he had made an unexpected discovery for himself and the Autobots.

- Half-breed? But why go so far?

- Because...

While Lamperouge was interrogating the hypnotized student, Shirley was passing by on the second floor of the campus, noticing the two of them through the window, casually chatting with each other like friends.

"Lulu and Stadfield? What are they talking about?" Fenett wondered, feeling her heart pricking.

During the interrogation, Lelouch learned a lot from the so-called Stadfield. Her father is indeed the highly respected Gordon, but her mother is the eleven Akari Kozuki, who works as a maid in the Stadfield household, which essentially makes her a bastard and a half-breed in the family, along with her long-deceased older brother Naoto. Instead of adhering to the principles of the chauvinistic policy of Britannia, he decided to help his compatriots in the ghetto. At first, humanitarian aid, like food and water, and then fully, as freedom fighters, for which PGS was executed as a traitor, although he never associated himself with the Stadfields or the Empire that turned his country into ruins. And right during the execution, he declared that he would always be Japanese: both body and soul, after which he was shot. The girl saw this with her own eyes and forever remembered the words of her brother, who determined her life path and goal: to take revenge on the Empire for all the atrocities that it committed against the Japanese and against her family. However, now she has to pretend to be seriously ill in the eyes of other people, so that no suspicions arise about her connections with the rebels. But she was not satisfied with this, as she was eager to fight, intending to beat up the Britannian army after the ambiguous outcome of the mission in Shinjuku, which made Lelouch incredibly happy, because after all, she could be used as a pawn in his confrontation with the Empire.

A few seconds later, the power of the "vision" subsided, returning the blue eyes to their previous hue and shine. At that moment, the girl's consciousness cleared up again, returning to the moment when the girl awkwardly asked:

- Um, did you want something?

- No, I already got what I wanted. - Lelouch answered vaguely, confusing the girl. - Oh yeah, I almost forgot. - He activated his power again. - Don't tell anyone about what happened in Shinjuku.

"What? What did he say?" - Kozuki said to herself in shock. - What do you mean "don't talk about Shinjuku"? Why did you mention it? - She asked suspiciously.

This caught the guy off guard, as he expected that with the help of his power, he would be able to erase the very mention of this conversation.

"It didn't work?! Why? I looked straight into her eyes!" - flashed through his thoughts, after which he tried to hypnotize her again. - Go back to class!

But this didn't work either, causing even more suspicion in the girl.

- As soon as I get an answer, I'll leave right away! Well? - Kallen demanded more assertively.

"AGAIN?! Is it really possible that my power can only affect a person once?! - Lelouch suggested, feeling the tension from the rebel's intense gaze. - Damn it, what should I do? How can I get out of this?"

There were many ideas in her head on how to get out of this situation, but each of them was more absurd than the other, because the girl is not stupid and understands that if Lelouch lies, she will immediately recognize the deception.

But then unexpectedly came salvation, more than 170 centimeters tall, with orange hair and green eyes, shouting from the second floor:

- Lulu! Kallen! Chemistry lesson is about to start, if you don't want to be late, then hurry to the chemistry lab! - Shirley reminded the duo.

- Damn it, it's my turn to prepare for the lesson! Forget everything we just talked about! Nice to meet you, Kallen! - Lelouch said in a hurry, rushing towards the entrance to the campus.

- Hey, wait! - Kozukm shouted after him, but he was gone by the time she realized it. - He's gone!

The girl's suspicions only grew stronger, because the young man never answered her question, leaving the rebel in limbo, which fueled her skepticism even more.

"What did he mean by "not talking about Shinjuku"? And that voice..." - the girl thought it was familiar, but then she rejected this hypothesis, considering Lelouch an ordinary guy, not guessing what was hidden under the mask of a schoolboy.

The girl did not even notice how the yellow and black muscle car secretly, from around the corner, watched and eavesdropped on their conversation through the same earpiece that he gave to his partner. He was also stunned by the fact that the "look" did not work either the second or third time, which gave the Autobot a reason to be nervous:

"This may be a problem, but at least we can say that this power has a very big drawback or limitation!"

---

In addition to the separate dormitories for boys and girls, the Academy had another one, created for the members of the student council and now a refuge for a sweet and innocent girl who, unfortunately, is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to see with her own eyes, only listening and feeling any touches on the surface, as if they had become her new eyes. She had curly brown hair that stretched all the way to her back, a slender and thin waist. She was dressed in a simple green sundress, when evening came, and a pleasant cool breeze blew from the window.

Because of her blindness, she could not distinguish anything, but now the girl was happily working with paper, trying to make a figurine out of it. Next to her was a personal maid and bodyguard, dressed just for the first case and having, like most of the eleventh, dark short hair and brown eyes.

- Nunnally-sama, what should we do? He might be late again! - asked the Japanese woman, folding the paper together with the girl.

- I'll wait, Sayoko-san. Big brother promised that we'll have dinner tonight. - Nunnally answered with a firm, but gentle and friendly smile.

In response, Sayoko Shinozaki only gave a humble look, smiling at her mistress, who in her eyes seemed like the most innocent creature on the planet. Despite the hardships, she still continued to smile at everyone around her, be it Lady Ashford or her older brother and master Sayoko Lelouch, warming people's hearts, making the day cheerful and full of fun. Then the girl looked at the table, noticing that another paper crane was ready.

- That's it, this one is finished! - she said.

- Really? - the former princess touched the place where Shinozaki put the homemade product, fascinated, feeling its contours and borders. - Is it a bird?

- Yes, Nunnally-sama, it's a crane. - the woman answered peacefully.

- Amazing! - the girl said enthusiastically, jumping forward a little and clapping her hands. - The Japanese are so skilled.

The woman gave her mistress another happy look for such praise, feeling how she radiated an aura of goodwill and sincere admiration that was so lacking in the world around them, especially considering the regime established by her half-brother and the other governors-general in Japan, erasing the name of the country both from the map and from the pages of history, turning it into Area 11, and all its inhabitants simply people with the same number. The Japanese woman, despite the discrimination against elevens, voluntarily became a Honored Briton in order to serve the Ashford family, who did not share the chauvinism of the Empire, allowing many elevenths to study their native language in special courses. Sayoko herself had a good command of Britannian, although Nunnally herself insisted on learning Japanese in order to better understand other elevens, their culture, life, traditions, considering such an activity an exciting hobby. And now they could easily speak Britannian, but the former princess also understood Japanese terms with ease, like a squirrel gnawing a nut with unprecedented agility.

But suddenly the screeching of the door mechanism was heard, which Nunnally had been waiting for so long, because the one who entered the room was her brother, whose voice the former princess recognized very quickly:

- Sorry for being so late, there were problems in the student council. - Lelouch said excitedly.

- Welcome back, Lelouch-san. - his sister greeted him with a warm smile.

- Welcome back, Lelouch-sama. - the maid greeted him, politely bowing her head.

After a long day, Lamperouge, or Vi Britannia, was incredibly happy to return to the quiet and cozy corner in which he and his sister Nunnally were located, which could not help but cause a benevolent smile on his lips.

---

The Ship "Ark"

At the same time, the yellow bot was casually talking to the rest of the crew through the ship's bridge command panel.

- Are you sure about this, Bee? - Ironhide asked, feeling doubtful about the data that had been revealed.

- Without a doubt, Ironhide! The appearance matches! It's the same girl!] - the Autobot scout squeaked seriously.

The screen displayed an image of Kallen Kozuki with her red hair up from the bottom and dressed in a loose robe as she uncovered her Nightmare capsule during a brief respite in the Battle of Shinjuku, and a photo of Kallen Stadfeld, whose locks were combed to her shoulders. But most of her facial features, as well as her physique, completely matched her ghetto counterpart.

- Wow! This girl is not simple! - Cliff whistled, mentally making an analogy with his partner Arcee.

- And you say that Lelouch's power only affected her once? - the veteran Autobot continued his questioning, skeptical of such figures.

- [Yes! He tried to erase her memories of their conversation, but it didn't work!] - Bee confirmed, playing a recording of the conversation between the two people. - [And since he mentioned Shinjuku, now Kallen will be breathing down his neck, demanding answers from him!]

- Well, this could become a problem if nothing is done! - Arcee summed up, crossing her arms over her chest.

Optimus held the same position, while maintaining external calm.

- Did she see you, Bumblebee? - he asked finally.

- [No, sir! I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible!] - Bee quickly answered.

- Okay, keep your stealth mode, but from now on, be more careful when meeting Lelouch. If we learn anything about his power or any news from Britannia, we will immediately inform you.

- [Yes, sir.] - the scout obediently squeaked, turning off his communicator and switching to standby mode.

After that, an image of Earth appeared on the screen, which no longer attracted the attention of the Autobots, who began to discuss the information they had received.

- So, the prince can use his power on a person only once? - Bulkhead asked in bewilderment.

- Perhaps. - Prime answered thoughtfully. - Ratchet, did you and Fixit manage to find out anything about Lelouch's power? - he addressed the Autobot medic through the bridge panel.

In the only surviving laboratory of the Ark, the scientist and the minicon scanned and analyzed the data, surprised by the energy radiation indicators.

- Optimus, this energy... it's emitting readings I've never seen before. - Ratchet replied, his eyes wide as he watched the analysis. - Honestly, I have no idea what we're dealing with!

- So you couldn't find anything? - Ironhide asked.

- Well, we found out that it's a form of bioenergy, so to speak. And it seems to work on the same principles as Energon, but its properties and capabilities are different. - Fixit replied.

- We also found out that the energy only affects organic matter. Perhaps that's why Lelouch's power didn't work on Bulkhead.

- Even the most basic elements of our biology are made up of techno-organic material... - Optimus said.

- Which in turn brings us to the impossibility of using Lelouch's ability to influence the mind of any Cybertronian. - Ratchet summed up.

- But despite this, we still haven't shown much... bow... - the minicon hit himself on the body. - ... know about this power!

- However, if we do manage to find out something from the analysis, we will immediately inform you.

- Got it! - Prime replied, nodding to the medic and turning off the connection.

- Optimus, listen, even with Lelouch's power, this may not be enough. And if we were fighting only Britain, we only have eight bots! Ten, if you count Fixit and Lelouch. And Britain, although not as developed as we are, still outnumbers us. A hundred to one, if not a thousand! - the Autobot veteran warned.

- I know, Ironhide. And given our current situation, I can say with confidence that we need outside help. - The Autobot leader summed up in a serious tone, attracting the attention of the entire team.

- You mean other people? Are you serious, Optimus? - Arcee asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

- Well, we already know about Kozuki's group from Shinjuku. Even though many of them were eventually destroyed by that white nightmare, they fought with dignity. - Cliff added his comment, mentioning the ghetto rebels. - Besides, the girl from Glasgow is studying with our prince, which could give us an advantage.

- What about our motto "robots in disguise"? Are we really going to give it up? - Warpath asked, making the team think again, but then Prime came up with arguments:

- I agree that such an approach to the matter is fraught with risk, but Ironhide is right. We are catastrophically few in number to resist the numerically and qualitatively superior forces of Britannia and the Decepticons. But if we really want to fight back our enemies, then we will have to renounce our cover and stand face to face with other people. In addition, over so many years of its existence, humanity has quickly adapted to the challenges of the new time and since the Decepticons entrusted their technology to the Empire, we must in the same way help people get back on their feet and give them the opportunity to stand up for themselves.

---

A secret research laboratory, somewhere in Area 11.

General Bartley had never been so nervous in his life as he was now. The failed operation in Shinjuku, as well as the death of the third prince, had hit the portly aristocrat's status hard, given the fact that at the time of Clovis's death, he had been in a completely different place, leaving his master alone with the killer, something neither the authorities of Area 11 nor Britannia would forgive him for. But that was not what worried him most. Due to Clovis's death and the growing suspicions of treason, the Code R project was on the verge of being revealed to the public, something the general could not allow, given the top secret and important nature of this project. And despite the fact that the subject had broken free, all documentation had to be hidden immediately.

- Gentlemen, as you know, our project was a failure, - Bartley addressed the scientists who were in a lab full of straitjackets and spherical containers. - Therefore, this research unit is being closed.

The disappointing verdict surprised all the scientists, who had only recently learned that one of their curators, the third prince of Britain, had died.

- I have prepared a place for you in Narita, - he pointed to a map of former Japan with a ghetto marked on it. - Move everything there, including our test subjects. I will not be able to go with you, as a tribunal will await me. Although I do not remember what happened to me, the fact remains that all the officers were not at their posts at the time of His Highness's death, and this is already equivalent to... treason. - the aristocrat warned, swallowing nervously at the end. - Or even worse, I will end up on the carpet of the capital, and if His Majesty finds out about our plans, then...

The general's fearful tone made many of the scientists break out in a sweat, after which they obeyed the order, hastily collecting their things. Among them were folders with numbers written on them. In his haste to pack, one of the scientists accidentally dropped a stack of these documents, revealing the contents: data, analyses, and even photographs, which showed the image of a green-haired girl, who was being tortured in every possible way by the scientists in their experiments. But among them were also pictures, which showed the image of a blond guy in a straitjacket, who was lying on the operating table without waking up.

---

It was time for dinner between the Lamperouges and their maid. Due to her blindness, Nunnally could not eat normally, which forced either the maid or Lelouch to help the girl cut meat, serve a spoonful of soup, and everything else. And at that moment, the black-haired guy was cutting a steak for his beloved little sister.

- Onii-san, Sayoko-san just taught me the art of origami! - Lamperouge chattered enthusiastically, after which she accepted the cut piece of meat. - You need to fold the sheet of paper correctly and then you can make a bird, a boat or something else. - She wanted to take a sip of soup, but due to a loss of coordination, she somehow managed to find her mouth, leaving marks on her chin.

- Quiet, no need to tell everything at once, I'm in no hurry! - Lelouch said comfortingly, wiping his sister's face with a napkin.

- You're right, thank you! You know, I'm really glad you came, because yesterday you scared the hell out of me. - the girl reminded sadly.

- Oh! - the former prince said bashfully. - I'm sorry, I just had a lot of thoughts, that's why I didn't come to you, sorry.

- Really? Well, okay, it's not scary. - Nunnally answered with a smile, turning her hidden gaze to the paper crane. - Look. The Japanese have a legend that if you collect a thousand cranes, any wish can come true. What would you wish for, brother?

- Um... - Lelouch didn't know what to answer, since he never believed in any legends. - Well, I don't know, what would you like?

- I would like peace to come! - Nunnally quickly answered, as if she had predicted her brother's answer.

The guy was a little surprised, although he guessed that this would be her answer. Especially considering how much she had experienced: both joyful moments and dark events. Apparently, the fact that she is disabled makes her only smile, no matter how difficult it may be, because after all, this is the only thing she can do. But Lelouch still understood her desire, because he wanted it himself: to build a world in which Nunnally would be happy.

- When you can finally open your eyes, then I am sure that day will come. - Lamperouge promised sympathetically.

- Really? - As if sensing hope in these words, his sister asked.

- I am sure. - the guy answered with conviction, placing his hand on his sister's palm, but he himself did not believe it. - "Our future seems unclear. Right now, the Ashford family is protecting us, but how long can they cover us? How long will our wanderings in search of a safe place last? If our identities are revealed, even Rivalz and Shirley might abandon us!" - then Lelouch was sharply pricked by one thought as he remembered his first meeting with the Autobots. - What if... Hmm, they were ready to storm the capital as soon as I told them about my biography. They wouldn't use us as political tools. And if what they say about the Decepticons is true, then maybe... we should transfer Nunnally via the groundbridge to the Ark? - He looked at his smiling sister, and then smiled himself. - I always thought that peace on Earth was impossible, because of the path that Britain is currently taking... But perhaps with the help of the Autobots... she will be safe!"

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice how his sister lifted his hand, clasping her little finger with his in a knot, slightly surprising the guy.

- Sayoko-san taught me this the other day. It's called a Japanese promise. - the blind girl explained, and then began to sing. - Damn it, I hope to die eating a thousand needles if you lie! Pinkie's Promise Song! Hee-hee!

The guy was taken aback by such an "exotic song", but considering how much Nunnally wanted to see Lelouch, it was no wonder that she was trying to lay out everything she had managed to learn in his absence.

- Well, as for me, this is very scary! Looks like I'll have to eat a thousand needles someday! - he said in surprise.

- Right, so you better not lie to me, okay? - Nunnally asked playfully.

Although it looked like a game, for Lelouch it was much more important, because after all Nunnally was a ray of light in his difficult and dangerous business. And therefore, albeit in a cheerful tone, he still promised her:

- Don't worry, I will never lie, I swear! - he squeezed his little finger as a sign of taking an oath. - "At least I won't lie to you!" - he summed up, after which he returned to the process of gobbling up the food prepared by the maid, who was now looking at this idyll with a joyful smile.

---

The next day.

And again, during the break, Lelouch decided to visit his new partner, who was again surrounded by a crowd of fans taking selfies and examining him from all sides, each time admiring the chic look of the yellow and black car. As soon as the former prince reached the car, the students immediately besieged him with all sorts of questions, and some girls had the courage to ask him to give them a ride. And it is not surprising that they were so bold, because Lelouch was a famous person not by status, but because of his handsome appearance and aloof character, from which all the students fainted. And since he is so handsome, then why shouldn't he have a cool car?

But the guy was cunning, using the most vile techniques like "beautiful exit", which made the girls lose consciousness again. Having passed this stage, he was finally able to sit in the driver's seat, sighing heavily at the end.

- [It seems I'm not the only one popular with the kids.] - Bumblebee squeaked teasingly, watching the crowd of girls collapse.

- Oh, this has been happening to me since I entered high school! - Lelouch replied, sighing in irritation. - They stick to me like leeches!

- [Don't like being in public?]

- I don't like how fearless these hypocrites are. Most of the students are the children of rich aristocrats who run everything in the Settlement, for whom school is a place to find a worthy party of grooms or brides!

- [And that's the problem?] - the Autobot didn't quite get it.

- Girls like to hunt rich and handsome men. It allows them to increase their status and prestige in the eyes of others, which is commonplace in Britannian society. It was like that before the Empire changed its ideology, because it is a long tradition, going back a long time. - Lelouch explained, leaning against the door and looking at the scene outside.

- [So you are also a philosopher, Lelouch?]

- No, it is just the reality that surrounds us. No matter how technologically advanced Britannia is, many things in it have remained unchanged, even the desire for prestige, especially if it can be done at the expense of others. The Empire encourages this, because it represents the power of their doctrine, and the students do not understand this yet.

Bumblebee looked outside again, remembering the days when a similar system existed on Cybertron. And only a few took the path of resistance to the decaying society, which ultimately led to civil war. He himself never experienced these times, but often heard them from other Autobots, including Optimus Prime. The only thing he could do now was sigh in despair, since the current system of the Britannian Empire really encourages aristocracy, competition and prestige in society, making them the main attributes of the doctrine "The strong devours the weak".

- Speaking of power! Have you managed to find out anything about my ability? - Lelouch changed the subject, remembering his main question.

- [Unfortunately, no! Ratchet sees something like this for the first time. Sometimes there were moments when our doctor reached a dead end, but he always found a way out, and this was the first time he encountered something like this.] - Bee answered, surprised by the very fact of the impossibility of determining the essence of the bioenergy that had settled in the former prince.

- Hmm... - the guy chuckled thoughtfully, looking at the reflection of the rearview mirror, seeing a red bird symbol in his left eye. - ...Apart from you and the other Autobots, this is the only weapon I have, and none of us seem to know how it works!

- [I've been wondering for a long time: how did you even get this power?] - the scout squeaked with interest.

- Do you remember that girl I was with when we first met? She was the one who gave this to me.

- [The one with the green hair? But wasn't she dead when I covered you from the soldiers?] - the bot asked, replaying the last moment of his first meeting with Lelouch in his head.

- Yes, she was, but then she miraculously rose from the dead. - Lelouch answered easily, having managed to get used to this oddity, while Bumblebee was shocked by this news.

- [WHAT? SERIOUSLY?! HOW?!] - the yellow bot hissed in shock.

- Better ask who? Who was that girl?

- [You didn't know her?]

- No, I've never seen such a person before, but I also think that it was because of her that Clovis organized all that carnage in Shinjuku.

Bumblebee was once again stunned by the unexpected information. But then he came to a logical understanding of everything that was happening. However, he was worried about one more question:

- [Do you think the rebels knew what they were transporting on the truck?]

- I doubt they knew. The main thing for them was to steal some powerful weapon and use it against Britannia. And judging by how they ran away in a hurry, I would venture to assume that they did not have time to examine the contents.

- [I see. At least we did not allow the Britons to grab such a force for themselves. But something tells me we've gotten ourselves into a pretty crazy situation!] - Bee said ironically.

- I don't think a mysterious woman who can grant the power to bend others to her will and who can rise from the dead is crazy compared to meeting giant alien robots. - Lelouch answered jokingly.

- [Passed!]

Suddenly, someone knocked on the car window, drawing the black-haired boy's attention outside as the teacher called him:

- Lelouch! Classes will start any minute, as you know!

- Yes, sir! - Lelouch said as he frowned to activate his power. - Um, sir, what topics will be for the essay on your next exam?

A red mark flew out of the boy's eye, forcing the adult, who had not yet understood anything, to submit to his will.

- The humiliation of Edinburgh, the transfer of the capital and the theme of the war between the North and the South! - the teacher answered happily with his eyes glowing with red rings.

"Hmm, so far so good. The vision works." - the Autobot thought, watching the teacher's actions.

Lelouch deactivated the ability, forcing the adult to return to its original state to make sure that the power was not malfunctioning like yesterday, or had a limit, as it was supposed to.

- Sir, what exactly will be the topics for your next exam essay? - the former prince asked again, this time making the teacher laugh.

- You're a joker, Mr. Lamperouge. Maybe you should try studying, just make an effort and then I think everything will go great for you. - the man refused, continuing to laugh.

- Yes, sir! - Lelouch shouted after him, then closed the window again. - It didn't work.

- [Well, now we know for sure that the "vision" has a limit on the number of uses.] - Bee summed up.

- Even though it looks like that, I can't bring myself to call it a "look". - Lamperouge said, feeling uncomfortable when pronouncing the name of the ability.

- [As you wish. Oh, I forgot to mention!] - the Autobot exclaimed, drawing Lelouch's attention to himself. - [Ratchet also said that this will only work on humans, because our biology is completely different from yours. So when we meet the Cons, do not use this on them, it will only waste your energy and time.] - the Autobot warned, which intrigued the guy.

- These Decepticons of yours... are they... the same as their leader Megatron?

- [For the most part, they are just soldiers following their master's orders. But believe me, among them there are those who surpass Megz in terms of sadism and cruelty.] - Bee answered gloomily, puzzling the former prince.

- Do you really think so? - the latter said uncertainly.

- [Trust me, Lelouch, when you first meet them, you'll understand why!] - the scout assured, thereby ending this topic. - [By the way, about Kallen? What will you do with her, since you can no longer subjugate her to your will?]

In response to this, Lelouch smiled devilishly, saying:

- A Britannian prince with the power to control people recruits someone from a terrorist group to fight Britannia. What do you think will come of it?

The question intrigued the yellow Autobot, since he clearly understood the train of thought of his partner.

- [Oh, yeah, I can imagine it! But how will you do it, Lelouch? Because you accidentally mentioned Shinjuku yesterday, Stadfield has now become very suspicious of you!]

- I know! And I have a plan for this case! But first, I need you to write something down for me! - Lelouch asked with a sly grin, puzzling the Autobot.

---

Meanwhile, on the roof of the Academy, the rebel, dressed in a school uniform consisting of a tight, double-breasted and light-colored jacket with a green tie on which the Ashford symbol was displayed, a short straight black skirt, slightly revealing a view of her hips and aquamarine stockings, was having a casual conversation with her friend on the phone:

- So, how is student life going, Kallen? - her friend asked her.

- Awful! - the girl exclaimed with plaintive anger. - Yesterday I was in a history lesson, where they fed me all sorts of nonsense about the superiority of Britannia over the rest of the world! Listen, Ohgi, maybe I should go back?

- Too risky, Kallen! The army is currently on high alert, so we should wait it out! - Kaname explained, being in the shelter with his comrades. - Stay there until the situation stabilizes!

- What about that voice on the radio? Or those drivers who helped us in Shinjuku? - the red-haired girl asked in a more serious tone.

- We didn't even have time to learn their names or faces, so it's unlikely that we'll see them again. Besides, Naoto would be happy to see you back at school.

The last words hit Kallen hard, causing her to once again remember the old days, flowing into the day when the youngest Kozuki lost her brother.

---

Two years ago, Tokyo Settlement.

A huge crowd of people shouting curses at a guy with red hair and blue eyes tied to a pole. Not far from him was a squad armed with the traditional "funeral" rifle, hiding their faces in a gray mask. The face of the condemned man did not show any fear, shame or embarrassment, he stood firmly, fearlessly looking into the eyes of his executioners, when a herald in a ceremonial uniform and in the presence of nobles such as the third prince Clovis announced the sentence:

- Naoto Stadtfield, you are sentenced to death by firing squad for high treason against the Holy Britannian Empire, illegal arms trafficking, and for supporting terrorist groups. Do you have anything to say before the execution?

The crowd fell silent for a moment to hear the words of this "traitor", who belonged to pure British blood. Apparently, the aristocrats tried to gather more chauvinistic persons in the square, even among the honored ones. Without thinking twice, he finally said:

- You accuse me of betraying Britannia, but you are mistaken! I have never considered it my homeland! My home is here! My heart belongs to Japan! - the guy exclaimed more firmly and unwaveringly. - And I will never exchange it for any other! I am Japanese and always will be: both body and soul! And my name is not Stadtfield! I am Naoto Kozuki! And I am proud to be born with this last name!

- Enough! - the herald angrily proclaimed. - Carry out the sentence!

On command, the soldiers stood in a single line, loaded their weapons and, putting their rifles to their shoulders, began to aim at the tied body to the cries of anger and fury of the crowd, sending curses in the direction of Kozuki.

- You can kill me, but believe me, the day will come when your Britannia will be destroyed! - the twenty-year-old boy exclaimed at the end, seeing familiar faces in the crowd.

They were girls, looking with horror at what was about to happen to their family member. But the only thing they saw at the end was Naoto's relaxed and sincere smile, which was forever imprinted in the memory of two girls: his mother and younger sister.

- Aim!

Another moment and...

- Fire!

The space was covered by the roar of released lead under a huge amount of smoke coming out of the metal barrels. The pupils of the fifteen-year-old girl contracted from shock and disbelief at the sight of the riddled corpse of a Japanese man, from which blood was pouring, staining his light clothes with huge red spots. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. And all this happened under the cheers of the crowd, praising the greatness of Britannia. Fury was born in her heart, coming out in the form of an uncontrollable cry of despair and grief mixed with a heart-rending scream. It was then that Kallen saw the true face of Britannia, half of whose blood flowed in her veins, swearing to take revenge on her for everything she lost at that moment.

---

Kozuki looked at the bracelet with a pendant, which contained a photo of her older brother. She loved him, considered him to be who she wanted to eventually become and missed him even when she was at the Academy. But some memories still made themselves known when Naoto sometimes went too far in caring for his sister, which at the same time amused her and at the same time made her feel nostalgic for the lost times.

- Forget about Shinjuku for now. I'll be in touch, see you soon. - The group leader said, hanging up.

"Shinjuku… I guess he's right, but…" Kallen muttered to herself before remembering her encounter with the black-haired boy yesterday, who said, "Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku!" No… that couldn't have been his voice!"

---

After her conversation with Kaname, Kozuki returned to her studies, forcing herself to control her anger at the teachers who preached the superiority of the Empire's ideals over other peoples and nations. All this time, she kept an eye on the one who sat in the last row, absentmindedly reading a book or snoring right in front of the teachers. It bothered her that there was something suspicious about the black-haired boy. First of all, those words about Shinjuku. What did he mean by not mentioning the ghetto? And why did he demand silence? There were many questions, but there were still no answers, which seemed strange to Kallen. She asked other students about this guy, only to learn his name: "Lelouch Lamperouge". She had never heard of a student by that name, but the others said that he had been studying at the Academy since the first grade, which surprised her. Scrolling through the memories in her head, she immediately realized that she simply did not notice him in elementary school because of his isolation from the others. And if not for those words, she would not have paid attention to him. But Kallen felt that there was something else... familiar about Lelouch. His voice. It felt like she had heard it before. She could remember, because he was exactly the same as back in Shinjuku, but she could not believe this coincidence. And the fact that he practically does not communicate with anyone only strengthens her suspicions.

And so, when the bell rang for the last lesson, and all the students began to pack their things, Lelouch noticed out of the corner of his eye how Stadfield was watching him through the mirror of his makeup. The operation could already begin.

As soon as the former prince wanted to address him, he was immediately called out by the brown-haired girl from the student council:

- Lulu, are you coming?

- Sorry, another time. - he answered in an apologetic tone, surprising Shirley.

Kozuki, noticing how he was walking towards her, quickly put away her makeup. A huge number of thoughts were seething in her head. Had she been exposed? How? Or had he decided to answer her questions after all?

One way or another, Lamperouge closed the distance between them, not paying attention to the silence of the other students, who were watching in amazement as one of the handsome men of the Academy approached the Stadfields' daughter.

- Kallen, could you spare me a minute? We need to talk. - He asked with a friendly smile.

The question caught everyone by surprise, especially Shirley, who had previously seen them behind the wall of the building, having imagined something, but now these fantasies were even stronger when her friend so casually addressed the red-haired girl. But the next moment, she, one might say, turned to stone, hearing this:

- Of course, I was wondering when you would finally ask. - Kallen agreed with a gentle look, shocking the surroundings.

- WHAT?! - Fenett immediately said under the cries of shock and disbelief of the guys and the squeals of enthusiastic students, whose cheeks turned red as a tomato.

And then the whispers began:

- Wow, is there really something between Lelouch and Kallen?

- Damn, how I envy Stadfield! She got such a handsome man!

- Do you think they have already done this?

Fenett took all these words as stakes piercing her chest, which made her frown, clenching her fists:

- Lulu, damn you!

---

Area 11

After the evacuation of the personnel, General Bartley decided to accompany the late Prince Clovis on his final journey. Having decorated the armored personnel carrier with various wreaths and the flag of the Holy Britannian Empire, which was to carry the open coffin with the third prince inside, he, accompanied by several Sutherland Nightmares, drove the transport to the funeral. But at the same time, the general was also talking to someone on a secret communication line:

- What happened to the research center?

- Transferred to Narita last night, sir!

- Got it, see you later! - finished Bartley, hanging up the phone and nervously clutching his forehead. - Forgive me, Your Highness, I let you down!

But suddenly the convoy was stopped by the destruction of the leading Sutherland, which was blown to pieces by Slash-Harkens that appeared out of nowhere. Bartley was almost thrown out of the cabin by such a surprise when the driver braked sharply.

The next moment, the rest of the Nightmare guards were destroyed by several shots to their head modules, thereby depriving the transporter of an escort.

- What... What is happening?! - the general said in shock, not believing his eyes, when one of the attackers addressed him through the loudspeaker:

- I hope now you see how determined we are, General! - a voice familiar to the general confidently answered.

- Jeremiah Gottwald?!

In response, the pilot grabbed the roof of the transport, exposing the cabin with a frightened Bartley and a soldier-driver.

- I already told you, I don't...

- You don't remember? We've heard this song many times before, General! - the voice in the speaker darkened, when the next moment the capsule was opened, showing a turquoise-haired Briton with orange eyes, whose face reflected anger and disbelief in Bartley's words.

- Then ask the others! - he exclaimed angrily. - They will give exactly the same testimony!

- Dodging guilt? - Gottwald spat contemptuously. - You are pathetic, and therefore you have no right to be near His Imperial Highness!

At that moment, Bartley finally understood what he had gotten himself into. The radical part of the middle and lower officers decided to take matters into their own hands in order to advance their vision of the world.

"Idiots! Because of your ambitions, everything can go downhill!" - Bartley said to himself with angry disappointment.

---

Ashford Academy

Leaving the stunned crowd behind, Lelouch and Kallen went to the student council building to finally talk about the recent incident. The boy and the girl had their own thoughts on how to start a dialogue. The Japanese girl decided not to stand on ceremony with this "scary" boy, preparing to immediately interrogate him on all points. She even reached for her "instrument" in a rather cute pink bag with one hand. However, so that he would not notice anything, she needed to distract his attention, turning it to the luxurious style of the building's architecture and interior, more suitable for evening balls and celebrations:

- Wow, I didn't know such a place existed. - she said quietly and with weakly expressed delight.

- This is the student council club. Although it was originally built as a ballroom for various kinds of parties. - Lelouch answered with feigned disinterest, feeling how the girl was drilling him with an intent gaze the entire way. - "I need to move on to the second phase as soon as possible, or she'll drill a hole in me with that look!" - he awkwardly told himself, praying that everything would go well.

- And no one will bother us here? - Kallen asked with interest.

- Yes.

"Excellent!" - she said, grinning to herself, as her hand began to take something out of her purse.

But at that very moment, some noise reached the couple on the upper floor, forcing Kozuki to abruptly hide his interrogation tool and look up in surprise with Lelouch.

- Here! Found it, Nina! Look! - Shirley shouted, handing the dark-haired and petite girl in glasses some kind of microchip.

- What a relief! - Nina answered, holding the flash drive. - Thank you, Shirley!

- Oh, how good that we found them, I beat my whole ass. - the blue-haired guy said in a plaintive tone, rubbing his butt.

Then a blonde with olive-yellow hair and blue eyes entered the main hall from the kitchen, dressed in the usual uniform of Academy students, on which there was a kitchen apron. And apparently, the girl brought with her all sorts of goodies in a cart, although Lelouch did not know why the student council president spent her energy on such delicacies.

- You found it, it's just that I've already finished eating, can I help you search? - she asked worriedly.

- Everything is fine, president, and, wow! - Rivalz said with joyful excitement, examining the buffet, or rather the Swedish cart.

- Wow, Milly, you tried hard! - the brown-haired girl inhaled the pleasant aroma of food. - Mmm, how delicious it smells!

- You're offending me, guys! - the girl giggled mischievously, taking off her apron and noticing that Lamperouge and Kozuki stood rooted to the spot at the sight of the whole incomprehensible process. - Oh, you've arrived!

- Um, Milly, what's going on here? - asked the young man, blinking his eyes in surprise.

The student council president raised an equally confused eyebrow, thinking that the former prince already knew the reason for all this.

- Didn't they tell you? - Ashford looked towards Shirley, who in turn awkwardly replied:

- Sorry, Milly, I didn't have time to tell him!

- Well then, I understand. Lelouch, starting from this moment, Kallen is now a member of the student council! - the blonde explained, folding her hands on her sides of her waist.

"WHAT?!" - Lelouch and Kallen said in unison, shocked by the unexpected news.

- Actually, it was my grandfather's idea. Considering that Kallen is in poor health, he decided that it would be difficult for her to do other club activities. - Ashford explained, coming closer to the red-haired Japanese girl. - By the way, my name is Milly, the student council president! Nice to finally meet you, Kallen!

The rebel was disappointed that she couldn't get information from the black-haired guy, which caused her internal irritation. But she had to keep her alter ego again:

- Thank you, it's a pleasure! - Kozuki thanked in a quiet and gentle voice.

- My name is Rivalz, I'm the secretary of the student council! If you need help with anything, I'm your man! - Cardemonde smiled widely.

- Hello, I'm Shirley, a member of the gymnastics and swimming club. Nice to meet you! - Fenett introduced herself in a very friendly tone.

- Um... hello... my name is Nina! - the bespectacled girl introduced herself, somewhat shyly.

- Nice to meet you all! - Kallen bowed politely.

Then, unexpectedly for Lelouch, he heard the familiar voice of his younger sister:

- Shirley, do you think you can put this on the table?

She came out of the door with several pizza boxes from a well-known brand and a tray of sweets lying on the girl's paralyzed knees. Seeing her, Kozuki showed sympathy for the Briton for the first time in a long time, thinking that the poor thing had a very hard time being blinded and paralyzed.

- Oh, yes, of course, thank you, Nunna! - the brown-haired girl answered, taking the heavy load from her thin and weakened legs.

- Nunnally, what are you doing here? - Lelouch indignantly addressed his sister, attracting her surprised attention and making Ashford sigh dejectedly.

- You didn't tell him that either? - Millie asked again, looking sternly at the brown-haired girl.

- Yes, sorry, President! - the girl said bashfully, putting the food on the table.

- Oh, okay. Kallen, meet Lelouch's sister, Nunnally!

- Nice to meet you, Kallen! - the girl introduced herself with a sincere smile, touching even the unapproachable Kozuki with her goodwill. - I'm still studying in the middle school group, so I can't be a member of the student council yet.

- That's right, you're an honorary member of our club! - assured Rivalz, already feeling the festive atmosphere throughout the hall of the building.

- I'm also glad to meet you! - Kallen said tenderly, putting her hand to the disabled girl.

- Well, everyone has met, and now... - with a sly smile, Rivalz abruptly took out the contents of the cardboard bag, stunning everyone present. - ...a toast!

The contents turned out to be a bottle with an elongated neck made of green glass and a gold label wrapped around it with the name of the brand of alcoholic drink.

- What is this... Champagne?! - Shirley said with both shock and indignation.

- But... we're... still minor! - Nina tried to reason, panicking and embarrassed, feeling that something was about to happen.

- Come on, guys! We could take a sip for that! - Cardemonde tried to stick the bottle opener into the cork, but suddenly an obstacle appeared in the form of an indignant brunette.

- I won't let you! - the girl tried to take the bottle away, but the blue-haired guy turned out to be more agile.

The chase began! Fenett ran around the buffet, trying to snatch the bottle from the laughing Rivalz, who was enjoying the entertainment that had begun, as if he had been counting on it, provoking Shirley, who advocated a morally puritanical way of life. Milly and Lelouch laughed a little, while Kozuki frowned, feeling a suffocating and squeezing feeling of disgust towards the Britons, who were having fun and enjoying life, while she and her compatriots suffered from the hopelessness and despair that permeated the entire enslaved Japan. Because of this, she even quietly tsked, turning her face away. But Nunnally had an expression of concern and incomprehension of the situation that had arisen.

- Um, what's going on? - Lamperouge asked excitedly.

- Nothing like that! - the blonde lied with a chuckle, handing the innocent girl a glass of juice. - Here you go!

- T-Thank you, Milly!

- Lelouch, catch it! - Cardemonde exclaimed, throwing the bottle over the head of the dumbfounded Shirley.

Lamperouge didn't even have time to understand why he had to take part in this comedy, as he immediately received champagne under his nose.

- Lulu, just try it and you won't get away with it! - the brunette threatened, throwing a stern look at the guy, which made the guy shudder a little.

She had already managed to shorten the distance at a run, when suddenly, unexpectedly for herself and the others, she hit something and lost her balance, falling on Lelouch, who did not have time to react to Shirley's fall.

And as a result, Lamperouge and Fenett found themselves knocked down on the ground, accompanying themselves with cries of surprise.

- Ow! - the former prince groaned painfully, feeling pain in his lower back from hitting the marble floor.

- Sorry, Lulu, I didn't mean to! - the girl apologized, opening her eyes.

But then her face turned red, seeing in front of her at a close distance the appearance of a person for whom she seemed to have unconscious feelings.

But then Lelouch felt how the cold bottle began to tremble, which made him look together with his friend at the drink, which, due to all this running and shaking, was so shaken that all the contents were bubbling and were ready to burst out under strong pressure.

- Oh no! - Lelouch said, anticipating the worst.

A moment later, the cork flew out of the neck, like a bullet from a gun. Kallen, having good reactions honed by years of training, dodged in time, allowing the wooden cylinder to bounce off the column, drawing angles in different places until it crashed into Rivalz's forehead, thereby paying him back for her carelessness.

But at that very moment, a pale yellow liquid splashed out, soaking the jacket and shirt of Kallen standing next to her. The entire student council was shocked by the outcome of this whole mess, forcing Stadfeld to see them in a less than favorable light.

- Oh, sorry, Kallen! - Shirley apologized with awkward shame, watching as the red-haired girl's uniform absorbed the alcoholic drink.

---

- This is why I hate the Britons - Kozuki barked angrily, furiously washing away the smell of alcohol.

Milly apologized harshly to her for what happened, promising to punish Rivalz in the future and giving her a chance to wash away that sour smell in the shower as compensation. Barely containing her anger, Kallen quickly left the party, ending up in the restroom, which had a stall with a shower head and a curtain. She was about to interrupt the whole interrogation when she heard a knock on the door.

- Kallen, it's Lelouch, he brought you a change of clothes. - the black-haired guy said. - Can I come in?

- The curtain is drawn, so yes!

Lamperouge quickly entered, putting a set of men's uniforms in an empty basket.

- Look, I'm sorry about this, I know they went a little overboard, but...

- It's okay, I understand! Sometimes you need to take a break from time to time! - the girl waved her hand, slowing down a bit in rubbing her skin with a washcloth.

- I see... thank you! I brought you a set of men's clothes! - Lelouch said uncertainly, somewhat embarrassed and covered at the sight of the blurred silhouette of a naked Kallen washing her hand.

- Wow, you came all the way to the boys' dorm just for a set of uniform?

- Actually, I live here! - Lelouch rejected her words, surprising the girl. - It would be difficult for my sister to live in the dorm, so the director, who is the grandfather of our president, agreed to shelter us here.

- Oh, I see! - Kozuki said quietly, thinking about her brother, but then the thought of the original purpose of their dialogue shot into her head.

- Well, in any case, we hope that you will like it here. - the former prince said hopefully, already getting ready to leave the shower.

- Wait! - the girl exclaimed sharply, stopping the guy and sticking her hand out from under the curtain. - Could you please pass me my bag?

Lelouch scanned the surrounding space with his eyes until he noticed what he was looking for on the sink, taking it in his hands.

- Here! - he handed her the thing, but was then unexpectedly grabbed. - What?

The next moment, Kallen twisted the guy, wrapping the limb to his back.

- What are you doing? - Lelouch asked in panic bewilderment.

- Why did you talk about Shinjuku? - Kozuki resisted, demanding answers.

- What do you mean? - the young man asked pretending, considering that it was too early to reveal his disguise.

- Don't pretend! A few days ago, you mentioned Shinjuku, why?

- And why are you asking? Is there something wrong with Shinjuku? - the former prince persisted, despite how tightly the rebel was squeezing his wrist.

- Don't dodge the question! Otherwise... - she picked up her bag from the floor, with a click of the lock taking out the blade of a pocket knife, which in an instant was at the guy's throat. - ... I'm not responsible for myself!

But at that very moment the threat came to naught when the phone rang in the room, which allowed Lelouch to breathe a sigh of relief, since at that time there could only be one subscriber.

"I'm in your debt, Bee!" - the former prince said to himself in gratitude. - If I don't answer the call, then someone will definitely come here, catching us with a knife.

The girl again hissed in disappointment, cursing the one who dared to call at that very moment, when she was one step away from revealing the truth. Seeing no other way out, Kozuki let go of the guy, who then answered the call. Or rather, he imitated an answer, since the Autobot was waiting for the moment when his partner would hand the phone over to the rebel.

- Oh, is that so? Yes, she is nearby! - Lelouch answered with feigned excitement, catching sight of the completely naked, slender and trained body of the Japanese girl. - Yeah, good! It's for you!

The girl was surprised by such a surprise, but still decided to take the phone, asking questioningly:

- Hello?

- Glad to hear from you again, Q-1! - the high tenor of the young man greeted her in a calm tone.

Kallen instantly recognized him. The one who helped her and her friends survive the battle with the Britons for the ghetto. The one who brought them an incredible gift. The one who gave them hope for victory. From such a surprise, her eyes became larger, and her pupils narrowed, becoming almost dots. She turned her attention to Lelouch standing next to her, who exchanged questioning glances with her. She could not believe her ears - the mysterious savior again addressed her, as then. But at the same time, she thought that Lamperouge and that voice were completely different personalities.

"So it just seemed that way to me? But then why did he..." - she tried to think, but was interrupted by another remark from the subscriber:

- Sixteen hundred-zero, the day after tomorrow. To the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower, come alone!

- Hey, wait, who are you and how did you organize a ceasefire? - she heard the beeps, marking the end of the call. - Hey, don't hang up! Hey! - she almost shouted, pulling the curtain completely.

- Um, did you say... "ceasefire"? - the former prince asked, feigning incomprehension, causing the girl to panic.

- No! It's not... Um... - the rebel tried to think of something, although her thoughts plunged into chaos due to all this fuss.

There were also ideas related to the elimination of the guy as a witness, but the girl hesitated, thinking about that disabled girl who, apparently, loved her brother very much, and because of this, she herself gloomed at the thought that she would betray her own ideals and the deceased Naoto, who was the whole world for her.

"I can't do this! Britannia took the girl's eyes and legs. I can't take her brother away from her too. Otherwise, I'll become like that damned Empire!" - she thought, squeezing the wrist with the knife.

- You probably play some kind of shooters, right? Something like an online game, right? - Lelouch suggested to help Kallen come out of unconsciousness.

The rebel swallowed the bait, answering:

- Eh... Yes, exactly! You understand, because of my health, I had to sit at home and all that ...

- This is exactly what I warned you about! People are very scared because of what's going on in the Area right now. The students would try to show you footage of what's happening in Shinjuku! Trust me, it's better not to see it!

"I don't need to watch!" Kallen said ironically.

- By the way... - Lelouch said, drawing the girl's attention to himself. - ...you know that I see everything? - he turned his head away in embarrassment.

- Huh? - Kozuki said in bewilderment, after which she looked down at her own torso.

It took a few seconds for the rebel to realize that she was now standing in front of the guy completely naked. Panic hit her head, causing her to shyly scream, yanking the curtain back:

- KYAAAAAAA!

The girl would forever remember all the shame she had just experienced, and would forever remember the man who had first seen her like this. Her face, covered by her hands, was dyed the same color as her hair.

"He saw me! He saw me naked! Oh my God, kill me, someone!" she muttered to herself bashfully.

Lelouch, in turn, could not forget the image that was forever imprinted in his head. He was not a pervert, but absolutely no one could expect this, especially when a blade is held to your throat right in your soul.

"I definitely didn't count on this! - he said to himself embarrassedly, not forgetting the image of a naked and sexy Japanese rebel. - Damn, now I can't forget what I saw! And what should I do with it?"

With this question, the former prince left the restroom, heading towards the main hall, hoping that the treats would distract him from the obscenity he had seen.

---

- Glad to hear from you again, Q-1! - said the recorded voice from the radio.

Bumblebee was amazed for the fourth time by Lelouch's strategic sense, who not only recorded a certain sequence of lines to confuse Kallen Kozuki, but also arranged everything in such a way as to leave her in limbo. Thank goodness he didn't hear the rest of the conversation, otherwise he would have started teasing him with embarrassing romantic music or something.

"Sometimes Lelouch seems like someone out of this world to me, if he manages to think ahead, as if he sees the whole course of events. I bet he'll give Soundwave such a thrashing that he himself will subsequently overload his mighty neuroprocessor!" - the Autobot said, laughing to himself.

Suddenly, the yellow scout's comlink sounded with an excited and insistent voice of the Autobot veteran:

- Bumblebee, are you there?!

- [Yes, Heidi, is something wrong?]

- Turn on the radio! Now!

---

After Kallen had finally washed away all the smell of alcohol, she dressed in what Lelouch had given her, who had already returned by this point to wait for the Japanese girl to come out. And since she was now part of the student council, it was his duty as one of the secretaries to instruct the newcomer.

- The student council doesn't have much actual work. Besides the occasional paperwork, we sometimes plan school events. - he explained as they walked to the main hall.

- You mean the cultural festival? - Stadfield asked with interest.

- Not only that. Besides that, we also hold a transvestite ball, a total silence party, a swimsuit day, and more.

Kallen blinked, feeling that she had heard something crazy and unintelligible. And in some ways she was right.

- And... who is making all this up?

- Our president is to blame for everything - Lelouch admitted. - You will understand why when you spend a lot of time with our She-Devil Ashford.

- The She-Devil?

- Don't ask!

Awkwardness interrupted all attempts by Kallen to continue the dialogue, and Lelouch himself was not eager to continue instructing the newcomer, realizing that the talkative Rivals and the omnipresent Ashford would explain everything to Stadfield in the process. But as soon as they entered the hall, they were immediately enveloped by a pitch-black and deathly silence when they noticed how the student council had gathered in one place - around the TV, which was showing some kind of news. Even Nunnally listened to the host's talk, as if he was announcing something important. Lelouch and Kallen exchanged questioning glances until the former finally asked:

- Guys, what happened?

- Lelouch! This is terrible! - the former prince's sister exclaimed in contrition, taking both him and Kozuki by surprise.

- What? - he said indignantly.

- Prince Clovis was found dead. - Milly said seriously, feeling Nunnally clutching her hand tightly and shaking like a leaf. - They say he was murdered!

Lelouch expected the Britannian army to issue a statement about his death sooner or later. But he couldn't understand why Nunnally was so upset about it. No, he assumed that his sister was very kind and would condemn such deaths, but something was wrong. He had to feign surprise, while Kallen was genuinely amazed by this news, assuming that it was her mysterious savior who had accomplished this feat. But most of all, the former prince was interested to know what his allies would say about this.

---

The Ark

The entire Prime team, with the exception of Bumblebee, watched the news report through the holographic screen of the main panel of the ship's bridge. A turquoise-haired Briton, dressed in a ceremonial uniform, distinguished by its luxury and officialdom, was speaking live.

- Our country has suffered a misfortune! The Governor-General of Area 11, His Imperial Highness, the third prince of the Holy Britannian Empire Clovis la Britannia, has been taken from us! - the British officer declared with excessive dramatics. - He fought for the peace and safety of our fellow citizens. He fought against the parasites that we generously accepted into our pure and beautiful society. And these parasites are called Elevens!

The Autobots were not surprised, considering how terrible the situation of the numbered Japanese was.

- He died like a martyr! He died protecting us from the damned demons that infested our ranks. But his death should not make us give up, on the contrary, we should follow the will of our precious prince with even greater zeal!

- Primus, even after his death, Clovis still acts as a clown in public! - Ironhide groaned shamefully.

- At least they finally released the information. It remains only to find out who Britannia chose as a scapegoat. - Ratchet said, folding his arms over his chest.

- So much drama over the death of one of the representatives of the ruling family! It sounds more stupid than sad! - Warpath commented.

The rest of the Autobots silently agreed with the tank's position, but Optimus saw something else in the officer's eyes besides false grief. As if a fire of exorbitant ambition and vanity burned in them, even compared to the deceased Clovis. Then the broadcast was interrupted by the appearance of the news anchor.

- We interrupt the live broadcast to report the latest news. Thanks to the efforts of the police and the Britannian army, a man suspected of murdering the third prince has been found and detained!

- Here it is! - Cliff said with interest.

---

Mars City Station, planet Mars.

As soon as VEGA announced the capture of the so-called "murder suspect", Hayden immediately called the entire station management to his spacious office for a meeting with subsequent observation of the situation on Earth. It consisted of ten people, among whom were the head of the scientific and technical department of Enpro, Malcolm Bertruger, a bald Briton in a lab coat, whose left eye was an artificial prosthesis, which is why it was white as snow, the head of the Security Service of the complex, Elliot Swann, a half-bald Englishman with stubble, dressed in a strict suit with a pistol holster on his belt, the commander of the private army of the UAC Jack Campbell - a blond Briton, a former officer of the Britannian army, dressed in the standard uniform of the UAC fighters, the head of the expeditionary operations and research department, Steven Aldridge - a dark-skinned old man with African roots, whose parents were from South America, the head of the station's maintenance department, Victor Monkevich - a dark-haired brunette of Polish origin, as well as Olivia Pierce, who is British by origin and Samuel Hayden himself, who pretended to be a Scotsman.

From the very beginning of the broadcast, they watched as the officer pathetically and dramatically "grieved" over the death of the third prince.

- Oh my God, how much pathos is in this lie! - Aldridge said in a hoarse voice, shamefacedly shaking his head.

- Remind me, what is the name of this Briton? - asked Monkevich, turning to his colleagues.

- His name is Jeremiah Gottwald. - Pierce said, folding her arms across her chest. - In addition to his egocentrism and dramatic nature, he is also known for his radical views.

- Radical? In what sense? - asked Campbell, although he had a premonition of the worst.

- Oh, don't be surprised! He's a Pureblood!

- Purebloods? Oh, these idiots again! - one of the last representatives of the top said, shamefacedly rolling his eyes.

- No wonder they accuse the Elevens of murder!

- Professor, what do you think about this? - Swann asked Hayden.

- Lelouch committed the murder. Only he had the courage and the opportunity to do something like this. - the former seraph quickly answered, constantly looking at the screen and surprising some of his colleagues.

- The same Lelouch vi Britannia? The one you were talking about? - the head of security clarified.

- There are no others.

- I am impressed by the tenacity of this kid. - Campbell admitted in amazement. - After all, the Emperor essentially sentenced him to death, exiling him to Japan seven years ago.

- But this does not change the fact that the Purebloods decided to use Clovis as a pretext to destroy the "honored" system, which in my opinion is the highest manifestation of the hypocrisy of this damned Empire. - Monkevich said. - Even in the European Union there is no such global division.

- No matter how global the Purebloods' plans may be, they need someone who can take responsibility for the prince's death. Without that, all their accusations are just empty words. - Elliot explained, sipping tea from his mug.

- And who is it? - Campbell asked with interest.

- Quiet! They'll tell you now... - one of the station's managers exclaimed, turning his attention to the news anchor.

---

Ashford Academy

- According to this report, the suspect... - the Briton paused, when at that very moment the image changed, showing a group of soldiers dragging a man of Japanese nationality. - ...an honorary Briton!

As soon as Lelouch saw the face of the alleged criminal, his eyes immediately widened in shock and disbelief.

"What the..." - he said to himself in shock.

- Private Suzaku Kururugi, former eleven and honored Briton. I repeat, Suzaku Kururugi has been arrested for the murder of Prince Clovis!

The young man could not believe his eyes. His best friend, whom he had known since childhood, was alive and well. Or rather, he had escaped the Britons' first attempt to kill him, but now they were trying to kill him again on false charges. And since it concerned the murder of a member of the imperial family, the death penalty was practically inevitable.

---

Mars City Station, Planet Mars

Almost the entire scientific cohort was stunned by Kururugi's unexpected appearance on the scene.

- It's... really him? - Monkevich said, not believing his eyes.

- It can't be! But we thought he died with his father during the war seven years ago! - Aldridge said in shock.

- Professor... how? - Swann turned to Hayden, stunned.

- Kyoto. - Samur answered, hitting the nail on the head.

Elliot gasped in amazement, realizing that it made sense, since they were the ones who first announced the sudden death of the Japanese Prime Minister.

- True, only they would have had the resources to hide the boy from Britannia's eyes.

- But the host said that Kururugi is a honored briton. That is, he... - Monkevich reluctantly tried to finish his words.

- A traitor! That's who he is! - Campbell exclaimed angrily. - First he was the unofficial "prince of Japan", and then he betrayed his homeland, selling himself to the enemy like a whore.

- Don't rush to conclusions, Campbell! - the head of the security service tried to calm him down. - After all, he was taken under the wing of the "Great Six Houses of Kyoto", who are currently acting as conductors between the Britannian administration and the rebel groups, in particular, they own the territory around Mount Fuji, rich in Sakuradite, selling it to Britannia, and in return they receive the most advanced technologies, which they in turn pass on to their contacts from the Japan Liberation Front.

- Oh, for God's sake, Swann. Do you really think that this Kururugi is their agent? Just look at him! - Campbell drew his colleague's attention to the face of the young Japanese. - He doesn't look like a spy or an infiltrator!

- Campbell is right. - the UAC leader unexpectedly agreed, surprising even the military man himself. - Suzaku was taken under the guardianship of the Houses of Kyoto, but after Britannia occupied the entire country, these same Houses, in order to maintain control of the Sakuradite mines, voluntarily became honored Britons, making Suzaku the same. But after that, Kururugi left them, joining the ranks of the Britannian army.

- But why would he betray his country? Especially after all the atrocities she committed! - Pierce wondered.

Samuel knew the true reason for Suzaku Kururugi's betrayal. And they were not at all connected with such concepts as "searching for a better life" or "fear of the power of Britain." These were purely personal reasons, which even the former seraph himself was ashamed of.

"Suzaku Kururugi, you will also play your role in the future confrontation between the Autobots, Lelouch, Britain and the Decepticons. And that is when I will ask you a question: whose side will you take in this conflict, because one way or another you will have to choose?" - Hayden said mentally, anticipating a future meeting with the Japanese.

---

Note: Lelouch is finally getting to know the Autobots by joining their team. He also learns some information about the Decepticons and in particular about Megatron. And it looks like he's slowly starting to get closer to his new partner Bumblebee. Britannia is finally revealing to the world the news of Clovis' death, which is being used by a faction of the so-called "Purebloods." Finally, Lelouch learns that his best friend is alive, but about to be executed by Britannia on false charges. Will he be able to save him from execution, and what role will his new allies play in this?

P.S: Half of the first arch, called "The Rebellion of Zero", has been completed.

Congratulations to all of us, including my readers.

I also added characters from Doom 3 to diversify the plot and characters from Code Geass. In addition to them, I also added my own characters to harmoniously connect the franchises with each other. I hope you don't mind me using Doom 3. And I also announce that the ship "Lelouch×Kallen" is officially approved. I've always liked him, but don't worry that I'll leave out the rest of the student council. I've prepared my own plot for each of them, so they won't stay in the crowd. And one more piece of news for everyone, Nina will also receive her development. I just really wanted to know where the girl got such fear and prejudice towards the Japanese, bordering on madness.