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Lelouch of the Empire

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Summary: Ever wondered what would have happened if Schniezel had agreed to trade Lelouch for Japan? How would this affect the war? Who would Lelouch fight for?

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or any of its characters!

Note: This first chapter is a RECAP of episode 19 since this is where my fic begins DON'T state it to me in a review since I already know!

~ Chapter One ~

"I never did settle that game with Zero the other day." Schneizel remarked as the meeting between the Black Knights and the Britannian Empire began.

The relaxed and confident air that the Britannians held made the Black Knights cautious of what they had planned by organizing this meeting. They knew that it wouldn't be to hold a truce. That would be too much to ask for and with Zero in his rooms who knew what their magnificent leader was planning next after the FLEIA incident. No one had heard from him since he had returned from the battle field where FLEIA had been detonated though some remarked that it hadn't gone according to plan and he was angered by this.

"Zero won't be coming. Not until we've determined the meaning of what you have to say." Deithard said catching quickly that the Britannian prince wanted to see their leader.

Of course many desired to see their leader and yet not many got the chance to meet him face to face least of all the Britannians.

"I figured as much. There's no way he'd come forth. He's not the type to take advice from others. He deals with everything himself, and keeps his distance from others." Schnizel said to himself more than the others.

It appeared as if the prince of Britannia were reminiscing on past years but that couldn't be possible no one knew who Zero's identity was and even if they did no one talked about it. Deithard believed that Jeremiah Gotwald knew of Zero's true identity as did the female by his side C.C. but other than that he wasn't positive. Perhaps the young child he kept by him, Rolo, knew as well.

"You sound like you know Zero very well." Deithard stated trying to gain more knowledge about Zero.

"More than you do." Schneizel smiled.

The members of the Black Knights inhaled deeply at this bold statement from their enemy. How could their enemy know more of their leader than they did? It just wasn't possible. They weren't going to even think about it. Zero had proven himself time and again to be a worthy leader and ally. That was until the prince's next words.

"Zero is the younger brother of Cornelia and I." Schneizel stated calmly.

Tamaki slammed his open palms against the table they were seated at opposite the Britannians. "What did you say?!" He shouted at no one in particular.

"The former 11th Prince of the Britannian Empire, Lelouch Vi Britannia. He's the man whom I loved and feared the most." Schneizel continued as if Tamaki hadn't even said a word.

"Ridiculous." Todoh spat.

"Zero a Britannian Prince?" Tamaki asked confused.

No one wanted to believe that their beloved leader was actually a Britannian in disguise. How could they admit it when he seemed to have such a strong revulsion towards Britannia?

"Deithard, didn't you realize it? It seems you got information from Jeremiah and Viletta." Cornelia asked turning to face the reporter. Honestly their loyalty to her brother was something to be admired but they really needed him to be away from Area Eleven. Lelouch was a great asset to either side and she desired to have him with them for an easy win.

"Heh." Tamaki sighed.

"This is pointless, trying to confuse us with nonsense. We don't acknowledge Zero based on his lineage, but on the miracles he has created." Deithard spoke with confidence.

The miracles he had created were far greater than his lineage. If he remained on their side then everything was alright. They would be victorious in the war and Area Eleven would once again have their rightful name returned to them, Japan.

"But what if those miracles were all fake?" Schniezel asked trying to generate doubt in their minds.

"Fake?" Todoh said. How could any of the miracles Zero created be fake?

"Zero possesses a special power, Geass." Schniezel informed the Black Knights.

For the second time during the meeting, the Black Knights inhaled deeply at the information their enemy was revealing about their leader and comrade.

"It's a power that forces orders onto people. You could think of it as a powerful form of hypnotism." Schniezel continued.

He just needed the perfect moment to convince them that Lelouch wasn't as great as he sounded and then he would be completely his. Lelouch would have no choice but to accept Schniezel's aid and guidance and as soon as he had, Schniezel would never let his younger brother away again. Not only was he a great asset he was the one person Schniezel actually genuinely cared about in their extensive family.

"You're saying this power is the source of those miracles?" Todoh asked. The image of their great leader was slowly being pulled apart and he needed to have all the facts before he did something disastrous and ruined their chance in the war.

Tamaki slammed his hands on the desk ready to defend Zero, their leader. If he didn't who else would? "Don't try to criticize our Zero! He's awesome and has courage you couldn't imagine. You talk about Princes and Geass, but do you have any proof, huh?!"

"I do have proof."Ohgi said walking into the room confidently.

"Ohgi . . . even Villetta . . ." Tamaki stammered.

Schniezel kept a mask of pure calm but on the inside he was smirking. This couldn't get any easier. They were practically pulling apart their leader themselves they didn't need any help from them. Soon his brother would be back where he rightfully belonged by his side.

"It's as he says. Zero's true identity is that of the former Britannian Prince, Lelouch. He uses a power called Geass to control people . . . He's a phony! Zero has been deceiving us from the very start. Using us as pawns this whole tome." Ohgi said.

"What are you talking about?" Tamaki asked.

"But if that's true . . ." Chiba said depressed.

"Even so you can't deny Zero's achievements so far. And if he had this Geass, isn't that promising for us? It's a powerful weapon to counter Britannia with." Deithard said confidently. He needed to bring them back to reality. Regardless of what was being said Zero was still a miracle worker with great power.

"If he only used this power on the enemy that is" Ohgi said glancing at the familiar faces in the room.

"What?" Tamaki shouted.

"Don't tell me he's been using it on us to?" Chiba said looking up at her comrades.

Schniezel smiled behind his hands. This was going better than he had originally planned. The Black Knights were easy to manipulate without a strong leader to direct them. They were falling into the traps he had set them and it was only a matter of time before he had them exactly where he wanted them. Soon . . . soon . . .

"That's right. He controlled his own sister, Euphemia and made her massacre the Elevens gathered in the Special Zone." Cornelia said angrily.

On the inside however she knew that Lelouch couldn't have helped it. His Geass had gotten stronger and was now permanent in his left eye. Euphemia had just been unlucky when she had been in the same room. Lelouch had even attempted to stop her before she was out of the room yet failed. She had seen the lost footage for herself.

"Moron! Zero is an ally of justice! He wouldn't-" Tamaki shouted for himself. Denial was always such a strong emotion.

Schniezel had already become prepared for this though and withdrew a voice recorder from his pocket. Everything was too easy.

"I have proof." Schneizel said pressing play on the recorder.

"Lelouch, did you use Geass on Euphy?" The Knight they knew as Suzaku Kururugi asked.

"Yes." Came the simple reply

"To massacre the Japanese?"

"I gave the order."

Schniezel stopped the recording only to keep the remainder of the conversation between the two friends to him. No reason to give them all the information they had. After all that conversation hadn't exactly been honest. Lelouch had simply said what Suzaku desired to hear from him. That alone proved that there was more to Lelouch than just simple ordering.

"So that massacre was . . ." Chiba said.

"Zero did not my younger sister." Cornelia said proud to tell someone the truth at last. Though she knew that it wasn't entirely Lelouch's fault either, he couldn't control the permanent Geass at the time. That was probably the only reason she desired to have him back in the family.

"Zero . . . made her murder the Japanese?" Todoh asked.

Schniezel could see them begin to weaken with the amount of information truth or not that they were supplying them with. Though there was still that one idiot who was in denial.

"It has to be fake!" Tamaki said pointing accusingly at them.

"These are the people we suspect he had used Geass on." Kanon said holding out a folder containing sheets of people's profiles.

The list wasn't that long and even then the Britannians knew that they were possibly the only people Lelouch had ever used Geass on but the Japanese didn't need to know that either. They just watched as the sheets were spread across the desk.

"Kusakabe . . . even General Katase . . ."Todoh muttered to himself as he flipped through the first two.

"This . . . can't be." Chiba said looking over his shoulder. "Clovis."

"He used it on me to." Villetta confessed.

"Now I understand why Gaohai's attitude changed . . . and why Jeremiah and everyone else changed sides." Chiba whispered to the Black Knights.

Schniezel was desperately trying to hide his smirk. He knew that all the doubts they were gathering from the information they had been given was false but it was their fault for not attempting to ask Lelouch beforehand. He had them exactly where he wanted them.

"I can't guarantee that I'm not under the effect of Geass as well. When I think about it it's truly horrifying." Schniezel said lying through his teeth but at this point they would have believed anything he said.

Every thought they were having against Lelouch was a point to them. So he didn't bother to correct them when they said that anyone could have been under Geass. It was just too simple not to and let their thoughts fester and turn against Lelouch. How they would regret it later.

"He couldn't have . . ." Chiba said in disbelief.

"Us too?" Tamaki wondered to the others.

"And one more thing. We informed Zero of FLEIA if advance because we wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. The communication log is still in the Lancelot. However . . ." Kanon started.

This was getting easier by the second any lies that came from any Britannian appeared as truths in the eyes of the Black Knights. They were just too easy to manipulate no wonder they lost to the Emperor.

"He never told us." Todoh said

"Zero can't be trusted." Shogo said to Todoh on a private line while in his Knightmare Frame just before FLEIA caught him.

"Shogo." Todoh whispered.

"I wanted to believe him . . . to believe in him . . . but to him, we're just . . ." Ohgi said on the verge of crying his face turned down towards the table.

". . . pawns, is that what you're saying?! Damn it . . . Zero, you bastard . . . how dare you . . . Damn it!" Tamaki cried to the ceiling.

Schniezel smirked, too easy. Now they would easily give up his brother and with it their only hope of winning the war. Without Zero they were hopeless and lost. They would be defeated as easily as they were in the first war his father, Emperor Charles had won.

"Gentlemen, you'll surrender my brother . . . Zero, all right?" Schniezel asked, trying to not let his victory show on his face.

"On one condition." Ohgi said straightening his posture. He wasn't going to let Zero go without something in return.

"Ohgi." Tamaki warned.

"You think you're in a position where you can bargain?" Cornelia spat at the filthy Elevens. Honestly they were so close to getting away with it and her patience was running thin . . . she just wanted her little brother back with her!

Schniezel raised his right hand, silencing his sister. "Let's hear it."

"Give us Japan back. I'm betraying those who trusted me. If we can't at least get Japan back, I'll never forgive myself." Ohgi said seriously.

Schniezel, Cornelia and Kanon glanced at each other. If they were going to 'give' Japan back in a trade for Lelouch they could easily get it back when they wage war to return the balance and victory to Britannian. No loss their especially if Lelouch was on their side. It would be an easy victory. To see the looks on their faces when they realized what they had done would be very fitting for their end. Betrayal . . . Everything is now in my favour and then when I move all the pieces into place . . . checkmate, Britannia shall win, Schniezel thought.

"I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement."

I had to make it longer so here it is the first chapter . . . again.

~MidnightEmber

Rewritten:

Previous Words: 974

Current Words: 2,491