Code Geass: The Power of Emperors

A/N:I have just realized that my Naruto Story, The Strength of Dreams has been deleted. I have an infraction that restricted me from updating until 6/01/2012.

Great .

On the brighter note.

Sorry for the half a year wait! Please read the previous chapters to refresh your memory and then enjoy this chapter!

Truth to be told, I'm stumped on a writer's block. But thank you for 500 reviews and over 100,000 hits!

I have been working on two new Merlin Stories and in the process of writing a Fate/Stay Night Story.

You may be asking me, "Why are you spreading yourself thin over so many different projects?"

I need inspiration to write. Sometimes, once I get this idea stuck in my head, I just have to get it out to work on the next one.

However. I will be focusing on the Code Geass Story a lot more!

Also.

M.E.R.L.I.N.

Is NOT the name of the new suit.

Hint: Merlin is the Name of the A.I. System.

Master Element Requiem Linear Intelligence Network

Little Known Fact:

There are only five known members for the "Six Houses of Kyōto"

Taizō Kirihara

Kaguya Sumeragi

Hidenobu Kubouin

Tousai Munakata

Tatsunori Osakabe

Chapter 10: The Wrong Terrorist

Milly had indeed gone ahead and held a private party for just the student council members. They had taken advantage of the spacious and elegant ballroom in the clubhouse and Lelouch took this opportunity to get on speaking terms with Nina. Her initial disgust with him stemmed from vulgar habits, the drinking and drugs, and his lack of intellect. He warmly surprised her by asking about her research project and eventually led the discussion until they were trading ideas.

Lelouch was glad he could finally dispel the preconceived image that Nina had of him. This was the first of many steps that Lelouch was taking to steer Nina slowly away from making the breakthrough in her research and the dark road to the creation of the FLEJIA.

Milly couldn't help but hang off his arm at every turn, not that he disliked the welcomed softness when she pressed against him but he needed some time to speak to the others in private. It took a few glasses of champagne to distract Milly enough to slip away to speak to his primary target.

"Hey, Rivalz, Do you have a moment?"

Rivalz Cardemonde tensed at the sound of the unfamiliar voice but turned to see Lelouch swiftly approaching him. His eyes narrowed in distaste but he kept his tone civil. "What do you want Lamperouge?"

The taller teen winced at the formal usage of his last name but recovered fairly quickly. "Well, I was wondering if you had any interest in chess... I hear you can turn quite the profit from it."

This perked Rivalz attention. Not many people knew but Rivalz had a penchant of gambling, usually on chess matches, but was terrible himself at it. He was better known as a fixer - someone one who could set up matches between rich nobles and get a cut themselves. It was illegal to gamble outside of the casino and being underage meant that if he got caught, all he would get is a slap on the wrist and hefty fine. However, the risk was often offset by the considerable return.

Rivalz shrugged his lanky shoulders, "Why do you want to know? I doubt you are interested in chess itself. I'm not much of a player but I know people who do want a challenge and would bet quite a few quids. You want in on the betting I guess?" He waved his hands in a lazy roll, gesturing to the black suitcase by the young teen's side. Despite his personal distaste for Lelouch, Rivalz was not a fool to turn down profit, especially since it would take off quite the burden from his mother.

His mother worked long hours as a secretary to put his through Ashford Academy and Rivalz had to take a part-time job as a bartender to cover the tuition only to find it wasn't enough. The scholarship covered quite a bit but the tuition and board was still expensive. Ashford Academy is the most prestigious private academy in Area 11, lauded even by Prince Clovis, for a good reason. It was here where the children of nobility and the rich mingled.

It was here that Rivalz discovered the thrill of gambling and his fellow classmates' rather extravagant allowances and trust funds.

Lelouch rolled his shoulders languidly, eyes weeping the room for unwanted attention. When he found all the other council members otherwise occupied, he whispered. "I have money I want to invest if you get my drift."

Rivalz might not like Lelouch but he was a businessman at heart. "Show me the money tomorrow and I'll consider."

The exiled prince smiled and walked away pleased. It seems that his bid to revitalize his friendship with Rivalz was working. Sometimes it takes a few pounds to get the wheel rolling.

XxXxXxXXxxxX

Lelouch popped open his briefcase, inside were neat stacks of cash, bounded and minted. Rivalz eye's widened, "This must be at least ..."

"100,000 pounds." Lelouch had a wry grin on his face. "Not bad for a high school student ehh?"

"That's enough to buy a small house! Where did you get that money?"

Lelouch snapped the brief case shut and started walking away and out of the building, causing Rivalz to follow, questions churning inside his head. "Well, a little bit here and there from various... service provided and most I took from drug dealers that tried to off me."

Rivalz snickered and erupted into a full blown eye watering laugh. "Service, you mean offering your service as a gigolo!" This caused the normally cool and stoic teen's eyebrow twitching in annoyance. It seemed that this Rivalz was more annoying and cynical than the one he remembered. He let a triumphant smirk rest on his lips as his eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Rivalz, you don't seem to understand. Girls want me so bad, they pay for me to fuck them senseless. I got paid $15,000 pounds once. Let's just say Sophie Wood has a lot of money and good taste in men. " Lelouch finished with relish.

Rivalz jaw nearly unhinged. He knew who she was, everyone did. Sophie is the heiress of the prominent Wood family who had their nobility traced back to the time before Napoleon oust them from the original British Isles. Not to mention that she had light purple hair which was exotic but her smoky gray eyes could tempt even a monk to sin. While she wasn't a bombshell like Milly but she had more than her fair share of admirers as the captain of the swimming team. She also happened to be Shirley's roommate.

"T-Th-That's insane! There's no way that would be possible!" Rivalz stuttered, trying to refute what Lelouch said.

Lelouch coolly climbed in to the side car of Rivalz Motorbike. "Set up a match for me and I will play the opponent and win. Your job is to take my funds and use it as part of the bet. If I win, you get a 15% cut."

Rivalz ran the figure through his mind, If Lelouch did win, he would get $15,000 pounds and if Lelouch lost, it was no skin off his teeth. "Hold on, what's the catch?" the blue haired teen asked suspiciously.

Lelouch adjusted the tinted goggles over his eye and put on the white and red striped safety helm. "There is a catch, I only will play against those betting $500,000 pounds and more. You can arrange this of course?" Lelouch knew Rivalz had connections, there were plenty of nobles that had fat wallets with nothing better to do.

Rivalz deviant smile mirrored his exactly and Lelouch knew he was in.

Time to make some money.

"Checkmate."

"Impossible!" The slightly pudgy noble with a curled mustache gaped at the chessboard. It was slaughter and he knew it. The young man, a student judging by his uniform, had defeated him overwhelmingly.

The young teen had a victorious smirk on his face, gazing at him with half lidded violet eyes. He could see the vast intelligence veiled behind the gaze, a slight shudder ran through him at the sight. This young man will go far in whichever fields he desire, medicine, technology, politics, none was beyond him. Years of politics and cut-throat business have honed his ability to separate the wheat from the chafe.

"You are brilliant. Exceedingly talented. I know you will refuse but I have to ask anyway. Will you work for me? I can pay you quite a lot."

Lelouch gave the noble a polite smile but shook his head. "I have to respectfully decline Earl Wood. I am still young and have no plans for working for anybody at this point and time. I have several other ... projects that I am currently invested in." he finished with a sardonic smile.

The Earl sat back on his chair and let out a sigh of disappointment. "Well, as per the bet. This $500,000 pounds is yours. I know you will use it well." He waved his hand to the side and a impeccably dressed butler walked smartly over to Lelouch and handed him a glossy stylized business card with the Earl's personal number.

"If you need help with anything or wish to discuss any business prospects, feel free to find me. I pride myself in nurturing the talent of young entrepreneurs."

Lelouch took the card and nodded gratefully. "I take my leave then. I believe that lunch break is about to end." This comment earned a rough laugh from the Earl.

"Ahh, youth. I used to skip class all the time and go out to gamble and have fun with the ladies." He chortled. Lelouch concealed a grin.

"Yeah, if only you knew what your sweet daughter paid me to do, you won't be laughing anymore."

Lelouch pushed his chair back, snapping his finger at Rivalz who was too busy staring at the suitcases full of money presented to him by Earl Wood. "Come Rivalz!"

Rivalz picked up the three stacked suit cases and piled Lelouch's own thin briefcase on the top and hurried to the exit as if afraid the Earl would change his mind and take the money back. Outside Rivalz kept mumbling as he review the numbers inside his head.

"$500,000 x 0.15 = $75,000. This is more than enough for a full year of tuition at Ashford Academy!"

Rivalz turned to Lelouch and gave him his hand to shake, "You're not such a bad guy after all. Want me to set you up with more games?"

Lelouch shook his hands, "Let's do this my good friend."

There was less than a week until his window of opportunity came. Right now he still have no idea as to where C.C is being held but if everything went accordingly to his previous life's time line, Kallen should be making her get away with C.C. in seven days time. In mean time, he was planning on how to liberate C.C. without his geass. The last thing Lelouch wanted was to get shot to hell, revived, and then imprisoned along side C.C. and experimented upon when they discover his immortality.

Project MERLIN was coming along well, the extra money from the gambling allowed him to purchase the higher tier machinery needed to set up a state of the art lab. This was done underneath Ashford Academy away from prying eyes. With the helmet finished, the next challenge is to create the body of the suit. Unfortunately his disappearances while working on his new suit did not go unnoticed.

Nunnally pinned Lelouch with a stern glare. "I think you need to start explaining where you're going at the odd hours of the night, I know you're not with Milly. I asked her." Lelouch smirked at his little sister's attempt to press him for information. Nunnally trying to act serious only made her look more adorable.

"Well, I'm not doing drugs or off getting into fights if that is what you're worried about." He drawled, giving her a devious smile. Nunnally palmed her face. "Yes but you're up to some scheme or devious plot aren't you?" One thing Nunnally observed about her brother, her new brother, is that Lelouch is an expert manipulator.

He could probably sell seawater to fishermen given the chance to work his glib tongue.

"If you must know, there is an accomplice that is vital to my future plans. Unfortunately, she's being held captive by Clovis and rescuing her won't be an easy task." Lelouch had only told Nunnally a few things about his world, mainly about her. He never told her about the murder of Clovis nor did he tell her about his sins, Euphy and Shirley.

Nunnally pouted. "Okay, fine but why didn't you include me in your plans brother? I want to help you too."

Lelouch's back went rigid at the thought of exposing Nunnally to dangerous elements such as terrorists or Clovis' Royal Guards. "No! I forbid you from interfering!" He snarled.

The young girl flinched at his harsh tone, the emotional pain showing in her amethyst eyes before it was overtaken by indignation. "Fine you ... you big meathead! I was just trying to help!" She sprang off his bed and stalked off, muttering under her breath.

"Interfering. I've been interfering with your life all this time ... ungrateful... dummy..."

The door slammed shut, the painting on the wall tilting askew, making Lelouch wince. He kept forgetting that Nunnally isn't the blind or crippled little girl he knew. In this world, she had the fire she inherited from their mother. She doesn't feel need to be coddled or protected but as her older brother how could he put her in risk of danger?

He sank languidly onto the bed. What is he to do now? He had already halted the Emperor's plan to break transform the world into a world of memories. There was no danger in that regard. However, the world is still not at peace. The Euro universe and Chinese Federation were still at odds with each other and horribly corrupt. Britannia was no better with it's racist policy and number system, a rotten system.

All these things that needs fixing.

God, he needed a drink.

Kallen toweled her vivid red hair with a towel, glaring at the mirror that was fogged with steam. Her finger trailed over her skin, pale, slightly tanned amd perfectly unblemished. Her teal blue eyes were the only features she liked, the only trait she inherited from her mother on her Japanese side. A color she shared with her brother Naoto. It was a shade of blue that no other Britannian possessed.

There is no doubt that she was Britannian, at least in appearance. Her red hair was a dead giveaway and she had generous proportions and an hourglass figure that many men lusted after and other women envied. It was an annoyance to have fat old men slobber all over her at functions and events.

She slipped on a bathrobe and exited her private bathroom. A perk of having a rich father, not that she cared for him much. Her eyes darkened at the thought of him. He was quick to divorce and cut ties with her mother when Britannia invaded Japan. Her mother ended up as the maid after she lost a custody battle and becoming a maid was the only way to keep close contact with her children.

When Naoto turned eighteen, he left the house and took their mother with them. It enraged her father and she was happy for them for a while.

But now she's alone in a cold and unloving home.

She curled up on her silk sheets, silent tears leaking from her eyes.

"Naoto, Okaa-san, I miss you."

She wanted to run away and leave liker her brother did but she couldn't. Her father made it clear that there was no way that both of his heirs would go missing; it would start too much gossip and scandal. The cover story was that Naoto had passed away in a freak plane crash and that was what she was forced to repeat every time someone asked her.

Every month or two, she was expected to attend dinner parties and other social functions to keep up appearances. She had perfected her Britannian image of a sickly heir to perfection, fake coughs and a weak constitution. She was the perfect doll for display but no touching.

The last time someone tried to get grabby with her, she screamed loudly, proceeded to pretend to trip over the long stiletto heels, and fell on top of the perverted noble with an elbow drop accidentally directed at his groin.

There was something about living a fake life that drained at her soul; her situation was no different than being a pet bird kept in a gilded cage.

Well taken care of but with it's wings clipped.

No freedom outside of it's confining walls.

She stared out the window to the clouds, sunlight gently filtering through her curtains. Was there someone out there that could set her free?

Knowing her luck, it was probably some crazy long lost prince looking to take over the world.

Inside Lelouch's lab, he sneezed and scowled.

"Someone is talking bad about me." he growled.

The day of the Shinjuku Massacre had arrived in it's full glory, just as he remembered it. The sun was high in the sky, a few clouds floating lazily in the blue background. He had dismissed Rivalz for the day. He had a tentative friendship with him but nothing like the loyalty his original friend possessed. In this world, it was more of a servant and master relationship.

Lelouch had orders and tasks to accomplish, Rivalz help make them happen, a personal secretary of sorts. Today he decided to use a chess match as a cover, a two hour chess game with high stakes.

He demolished his opposition in fifteen minutes. The noble gaped at the board in shock trying to find a way out but the checkmate was solid.

"An excellent game. Let's tell everyone that it was a close match and I beat you by the skin of my teeth with a handicap. It would be embarrassing for others to know that a seventeen year old student trounced the current rank 30 chess master in fifteen minutes. No?" Lelouch pressed, knowing the man would have to swallow his pride. This would serve as a cover in case anyone questioned his whereabouts. The noble would report that he was present in a chess match for two hours.

Lelouch left a blank business card with his account number and nothing else. "Please deposit the money into the account in two hours, I'll trust you'll be discreet about this."

He left without waiting for the noble's answer, everything was going accordingly to plan.

First condition cleared.

Outside, he ignited the engine for the rental car provided by Rivalz. He didn't want any paper trails leading back to him, even the cash Rivalz received were in the form of neutral bonds that required no name and in small denotations of $10,000. He revved up the car and headed out of the settlement. He could already hear the sounds of machine gun fire and the hum of the police copter overhead.

It was time.

Prince Clovis stepped up to the podium, the perfect image of an aristocratic prince. Tears welled in his eyes as he addressed Area 11.

"My friends and fellow citizens of the Britannian Empire! And of course, the many Elevens who chose to help our glorious empire! Do you understand? My heart is torn in two! Part of me is sad, but another part of me enraged! However, I- the viceroy of Area 11- must stand firm against these terrorist! For this battle is one for justice! For justice, and the happiness of the people! I will not yield, I swear this upon my royal blood as the third in line for the throne. ALL HAIL BRITTANIA!" Clovis finished the announcement with a roar, reminding Area 11 of his status as a royal prince and his loyalty to his Empire.

There was a symphony of applause from the ballroom, the cameras shifting away from the podium. Clovis smiled at the nobles gathered, he definitely should be awarded for such a top notch performance. It took a lot of practice to be able to bring tears to his eyes at will. He loved how he was able to transition from a prince enjoying a party to a woeful leader addressing his country with grief in a split second.

General Bradley shuffled over and whispered in his ear, his nervous expression setting off alarms in his head.

"My prince, it appears that Code-R has been compromised. It has been stolen by the terrorists, if the Emperor finds out-"

Clovis cut him off with a sharp prod into the rotund general's chest. "The Emperor nothing! As long as nothing reaches the public eye, the Emperor will not know! Give me the current status of the situation."

The general cleared his throat while the price continued to smile amicably at his guest. "I have the Knight Police tracking them at the moment, shall I mobilize the Military?"

Clovis shook his head, "I have to speak with Schneizel first before making any rash moves. For now, track their movements. On the unofficial documents, Code-R is experimental poison gas. They most likely don't know what is inside or how to disable the "poison gas". For now, track the truck and hopefully it will lead us to the terrorist cell."

General Bradley crossed his fist to his chest and nodded. "I understand my lord."

Clovis bit his lips in concealed annoyance. Someone had leaked vital information pertaining the secret project. Not many knew that it existed let alone the subject of the research being performed. Most likely it was a lower level technician who leaked the date that they were transferring Code-R to a different location.

Clovis excused himself from the party and headed to his private office. He reached straight for the telephone on his desk and dialed the direct line to his brother. There was no fear of being overheard or bugged. The office is searched and scanned every thirty minutes for bugs and the line was more secure than a military satellite.

The phone rang twice before it was answered.

"This is the Prime Minister Schneizel's line. This is Kanon his assistant speaking."

Clovis ignored the fact that it was the aide answer the private line but he obliged the man anyway. "This is Clovis la Brittania. I need to speak with Schneizel right away." Not a second later, Schneizel's voice answered the phone.

"Clovis, what is so urgent that you must call my private line?"

Clovis made a half guttural choking sound after hearing Schneizel's calm voice. "They know! Someone leaked the information about Code-R's transfer to another facility and the terrorist took the capsule!"

"Give me a status update now! Do not tell me you mobilized the military or something equally as ostentatious." The calm voiced had transformed from a calm tempo into a lethally sharp and critical voice. This is the true face of the White Prince, Schneizel el Brittania, the Prime Minister of Brittania and the most favored prince.

Holding back a stutter, Clovis reigned in his nervousness with dealing with Schneizel at his most focused. "I have the Knight Police Copters trailing the truck it's being held in. The Military is on stand-by to engage at anytime."

For a moment there was silence as Schneizel appraised the situation, taking in every little factor into account before coming to a decision.

"Don't send out the regular troops. That will raise too many questions, I have an experimental seventh generation Knightmare near-by which is in it's final testing phase. I will have it deployed to subdue the truck and have your royal guards secure the project. Do not fuck this up. It will be your head that will roll. Contact Earl Asplund in the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps and he will comply with your orders."

"I-I understand Schneizel. I will keep you u-updated."

Clovis couldn't help but stumble over his words as he ended the call, he could tell that Schneizel was pissed. Clovis could count the number of times he heard the usually polite and charismatic prince curse on one hand. The first was when Lelouch and Nunnally were exiled to Area 11. The second was when his aide Kanon was put into the hospital in critical condition after a foiled assassination attempt. This was the third time.

What Schneizel said was true, if word ever got out about Code-R, there was no amount of protection that could save his life. Schneizel is useful as the Prime Minister and acknowledged to be the one mostly running the Empire. Clovis knew that being third in line meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, he was just one of the many children of the Emperor and Viceroy of Area 11. That was not nearly enough of a good reason to escape execution.

Clovis hurried out of his office to follow Schneizel's advice, his future depended on it.

Lelouch was having a hard time finding the truck. It wasn't where he remembered it to be.

"What the hell is going on!" he thought. The announcement from Clovis signaled that the truck should be approaching from behind him at any moment now. Yet, there were no trucks or copters in sight.

The young student pulled over to the side of the road and unzipped the duffel bag holding his Zero helmet. The helmet was finally completed with a bare exo-skeleton armor guarding his forearm, upper chest, shoulder, and legs. They were rather plain in design but served it's purpose in supporting the increased weight from the slash harkens he installed into the upper shoulder area. It did not offer the proper defensive capabilities that he would have liked but it would have to suffice for the moment. It was still vastly undeveloped and couldn't even be called a prototype. It had only 15% of the functions and capabilities that he wanted to make the suit combat ready.

The helmet connected with the rest of the suit, bolts twisting in place to secure it in place, electronic nodes and lines connecting the activate the rest of the suit. Hopefully, this prototype suit won't explode like his last one did. He had removed most of the mechanical components, leaving a thing leather body suit with metal armoring and support along the vital areas of his body. The suit has a far way to go before it could match a KMF in a head to head fight. The only thing he had right now was superior technology and the element of surprise and speed.

"M.E.R.L.I.N. Activate."

The visor came to life and Lelouch cleared the security measures. "Pull up recent and current records from the Police for stolen trucks and aerial pursuit."

The artificial voice responded immediately.

"Located database..Bypassing Firewalls. Records Accessed.. cases found, Parameters narrowed..Currently there is an aerial pursuit of a truck believed to be in the possession of stolen chemical weaponry."

Lelouch grinned savagely. It was right on the dot, the speed at which it located the information and analyzed it was impressive. A true pinnacle of ingenious programming and technology. "Display real time location and position."

Immediately a map of Area 11 opened up and narrowed in onto a moving blinking red dot. Lelouch blinked his eyes, the truck was heading through the settlement to Shidani Grove station, the next stop from the Shinjuku Imperial Garden Station. Lelouch powered up the car and sped off, breaking all the speed limits in order to reach Shidani in time.

xXxXxXx

"Oh ho ho! So your highness finally is allowing the Lancelot to take the stage? Why the sudden clearance?"

Clovis bit the inside of his cheek at the thinly veiled disrespect Lloyd Asplund was showing him. There was no doubt the eccentric genius before was every bit deserving the title. The man had created a Seventh Knightmare frame that bypassed the Sixth Generation completely and the fifth generation Sutherland had just came out! If only the man wasn't an Earl or a certifiable genius, he would have replaced him long ago.

But alas, he had to deal with the eccentricities of the pudding loving Earl. "You saw the news about the terrorist? They have stolen experimental chemical weaponry that would be devastating if released in the general public. Deploying the military would only serve to incite mass panic and risk setting off the gas. Schneizel has approved the use of Lancelot to secure the truck and my Royal guards will be securing the capsule."

The Earl narrowed his greyish blue eyes in a fox-like way, he knew there was more to the story but it wasn't his job to pry. "If the big boss says so. I have no problem sending the Lancelot out but there is one vital component that is missing."

Clovis started, "What! Didn't you say that the Lancelot is in it's finishing developmental stage! How can a vital component be missing?"

Lloyd threaded his hand through his light blue hair and shrugged. "There's no devicer that can pilot it. I've ran the pilots through the stimulator and the best the Knights have to offer can barely get the Lancelot to walk in a straight line."

Clovis' eyes were glacial as they glared at the nonchalant Earl. "There has to be a pilot that can operate the Lancelot. I can have my best pilot operate it."

Lloyd snorted derisively. He pushed up his round spectacles and splayed his hands out in defeat. "Your highness. Your best pilot in the Lancelot would be akin to having a high school graduate being asked to launch a rocket to the moon. I'm more worried that the rocket being blown up than lifting off the ground. I'm not risking my Lancelot."

"You dare defy me!" Clovis snarled in a terrible fury, revealing Clovis' darker nature. The whimsical art lover facade for the public wore thin and faded. Clovis knew that everything he has is at risk, not only his reputation and his chance of succession, but his very life.

Lloyd was not fazed and he lazily replied. "I have a candidate in mind but no amount of request or begging to the military allowed him to be transferred to our ASEEC division."

"You have full authorization from me. As long as he is in the military, nothing is beyond my power."

Lloyd Asplud smirked, "Well then your highness, What are your thoughts about having a Honorary Britannian piloting the Lancelot?"

xXxXxXxXx

Suzaku ducked under a viscous swipe and stumbled into the ground in a seemingly clumsy pile, causing his sparring partner to laugh. "Your monkey karate skills aren't helping you much now are they?" The sneering laughter set his hackles on edge. Suzaku wanted nothing more than to bury his fist into the other man's face and have him swallowing teeth. Being the only Eleven in the squad, he was unofficially designated as the punching bag. If he tried to retaliate, the soldier would report him to the commanding officer.

He had avoided the blow and placed himself in an seemingly clumsy position but in reality it was an advantageous stance. He was prepared to spring up and attack at a moment's notice. The lessons from childhood to cool his temper and reign his emotions took effect as he doused himself with liquid nitrogen cold blanket of calm.

The tedious hours of meditation as a young child have done wonders to quell his rage. "Thank you Todoh-Sensei" he thought fondly.

The dark fantasies of taking apart the soldier with his bare hands was interrupted by an announcement over the speakers.

"Private Four Oh Four, Report to your commanding officer immediately. . . I repeat, Private 404, Suzaku Kururugi, report to your commanding officer immediately!. . . Private 404, report to your commanding officer immediately. Suzaku Kururugi, repor-"

Suzaku walked in a hurried pace as the loud speaker continue to blare orders to head to the commander's office. Tension knotted in his guts, had someone reported him? Hundreds of sporadic half formed thoughts and ideas bombarded the young Japanese soldier. A tingling chill ran down his spine when he heard the message being being announced in Japanese for him to report to his commanding officer post haste.

Something serious must be happening if they were willing to resort to attempt to locate him using his native language. Suzaku broke out into a no hold dash using his superior martial arts enhanced form. His form blurred to the eyes of the common soldier observing the Eleven running at unbelievable speeds. They gaped at his speed and those who used to push him around and bully him made a mental note to be ... kinder to the Eleven next time.

Suzaku reached the office which was at the other side of the base in two minutes. In one smooth motion, he swept his hand through his wind swept brown hair to tame it before knocking sharply on the door three times.

"Sir, Private Suzaku Kururugi reporting for duty!" he announced firmly.

The door opened quickly and the face of his panicking commander filled his vision. He was pulled into the room, his eyes instantly sweeping the room to locate any threats. His eyes swept over a light purple haired scientist wearing circular spectacles, he had seen this man a few weeks ago when the Experimental Knightmare Stimulator was installed and tested.

Suzaku remembered because it was one of the rare times he felt empowered, moving a giant mecha killing machine at his whim. It was similar to playing a video game, shooting down enemies and rescuing hostages. The stimulator was the closest to operating a KMF that he ever got too, after all, Brittania wasn't going to allow a Number to become a Knight and pilot one.

This was all analyzed and brought to mind in a split second, the next second left his mind blank as his eyes perceived Prince Clovis standing before him. His brain couldn't even form a string of coherent thoughts.

Clovis.

Prince.

Viceroy.

Lelouch's Brother.

Royalty.

Kneel!

In a flash, Suzaku knelt on one knee, right arm crossed across his chest and head bowed low as a sign of fealty. "Private 404 reporting for duty Prince Clovis." As the highest ranking authority in the room, all the attention and loyalty was directed to the prince as per decorum.

Clovis looked down at the chocolate brown-haired young teen who had fell to a pose befitting for a Number, head lowered to expose the neck; complete submission of one's life. It was impressive to watch the young soldier tear across the base in a mad dash to reach them promptly, some of the cameras even lost sight of the soldier as they tried to track his movement. The statistics that Earl Asplund showed him boggled his mind.

In the Lancelot Stimulator, Private Kururugi score a whooping 92% compared to the average 45% and the second highest score of 68%.

The normal average for the KMF is 86% with those ranging up to 93% considered an Elite. Above 95% would mean that the devicer is an Ace, capable of piloting on the level of the Knight of Rounds on their worse day. Usually they ended up being snatched by royalties as part of their royal guard or recruited as a Knight of Rounds reserves. The Knight of Rounds are in an entirely different class completely, scoring consistently at 100% which only shows that they are capable of performing even more.

If Kururugi were to operate a Sutherland or Glassglow, the KMF would actually be hindering the Eleven's reaction. It was time to put the young man's talent to the test. Although Clovis hated to elevate a number to the position of knight, it had to be done.

"Private Kururugi, there is an mission of utmost importance for the safety of Area 11. Roughly an hour ago, a terrorist group struck and stole an experimental capsule of poison gas. The mission is to subdue the truck and terrorist and allow my royal guards to secure the capsule." Clovis explained in a calm voice, not betraying his inner disgust.

Suzaku took in all the information with a grain of salt. The poison gas was a cover for something even darker and more dangerous, lethal to the point where the Prince was willing to enlist the service of a number. It was also disturbing that the military wasn't deployed. Suzaku had no doubts that a squadron or even a single Knightmare was more than a match to capture a truck.

Yet, he kept his head bowed down low, holding his tongue. There final question had yet to be asked and the final order yet to be given.

Clovis continued, "You have been selected to pilot an Experimental Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame commissioned by me, created by Earl Llyod Asplund. If you chose to accept this mission, you will be promoted to the rank of a Knight and transferred under the A.S.E.E.C as a devicer for the Lancelot."

Suzaku felt a weightlessness seize his body.

Seventh Generation KMF.

Rank of Knight.

Power!

"Thank you for the opportunity your highness! I will lay my life on the line to fulfill this mission." Suzaku promised solemnly. This is the opportunity Suzaku had been waiting for, enduring for the chance to rise in rank and make a difference. The past year had been hard but in a twisted path of fate, he ended up climbing the ladder of power.

Seeing the all too familiar gleam of ambition in Kururugi's eyes set Clovis at ease. Those who desire to climb up the rank tend to put all of their effort and life into succeeding. "Then I will leave you in the Earl's hands, he will debrief you about the Lancelot. We will set off in half an hour." He swept out of the office leaving a stunned Suzaku with a gleeful Lloyd and a nervous commander. The commander did his best to avoid looking at the Eleven Soldier.

After all, it wasn't everyday when the Private you were bullying has the ear of the men with power to remove him from his post. Lloyd put both hands on Suzaku's shoulder and grinned deeply. "Now my cute little devicer, let's get you familiar with my baby so you can bring it back in one piece."

Suzaku shivered at the insane scientist's words.

Five minutes later, Suzaku found himself directed to a mobile vehicle base. Lloyd threw him a thick binder filled with technological jargon pertaining how the Lancelot functioned. The Earl gave him a dismissive smile, "You have twenty minutes to study the manual. Make sure to read over the part about the auto-ejection system."

Suzaku scanned the index and paused, scanned the index again and then rapidly flipped through the thick manual. "Errr... Earl Asplund?"

Lloyd gave Suzaku a smile, "Just call me Lloyd. You have a question?"

"I can't seem to find the part about the auto-ejection system anywhere." Suzaku continued to rifle through the book for any hint of the word "eject". Another person walked into the command unit, she was holding a clipboard and looking over several documents.

"That's because there is no ejection system." She said in a sympathetic voice. Suzaku couldn't help but gape at her. "N-No Ejection s-system?" He squeaked out. It was madness, the entire idea of a Knightmare is developed around the cockpit ejection system. The Knights piloting the Knightmare Frame are irreplaceable compared to the hulking metallic mecha. A pilot is worth several times the value of a KMF; talent is harder to cultivate and replace!

The woman was dressed smartly in a brownish orange military uniform. She had purplish blue hair and crystal blue eyes and a kind smile. Her hair was cropped at shoulder length and she seemed sensible enough. That's why he trusted her when she handed him a small bag.

"Cookies?" She offered in a kind voice. Suzaku knew better than to refuse anything his superior offered so he took one. The innocuous looking cookie seemed tasty enough. He popped it in his mouth and choked; He immediately regretted it. A nauseating sweetness filled his mouth with a ripening sourness along with a burning sensation.

Suzaku stared bugged eyed at the woman who blatantly poisoned him in front of everyone. It had to be poison because he was quickly loosing feeling of his tongue and mouth. Since death was inevitable, Suzaku manned up and swallowed the horrific tasting cookie.

"How did you like my Durian Chili Cookies? I just made them this morning and haven't tried them yet." She explained with a kind smile. (A/N: Durian is a fruit renown for it's overpowering smell)

Suzaku had tears leaking from his eyes from the insane spiciness and was afraid to speak in fear of his pungent breathe. He gave her a thumbs up and smiled weakly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" A hysterical scream filled the entrance, originating from Lloyd. He was staring at Suzaku in horror and appeared next to him with a small tube in his hand which he promptly stabbed into the confused teen's thigh, injecting the military grade field stimulant into the femoral artery directly. He spun around and glared at the woman.

"Cecile! You almost made me lose my devicer before he even got into the Lancelot!"

Cecile was confused. "What do you mean? He hasn't even signed the transfer and promotion papers yet."

Lloyd took the clipboard from his assistant and handed it to Suzaku. "Good point, Sign these." he told the paling teen. Then he turned back to her, "Can't you see that the boy is in shock! I don't need you to make him kick the bucket before he even gets into the Lancelot!"

Cecile covered her mouth in shock as she looked at Suzaku. "I-I'm so sorry! I had no idea you liked my cookies so much! I promise to make more for you later, My name is Cecile Croomey and I'm Lloyd's assitant. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Suzaku grew even paler after hearing her words but his tongue was refusing to obey his command to speak. The field stimulant was doing an excellent job of spiking his heart rate through the roof and activating his fight or flight response. Jittering nervously, he snatched the papers from Lloyd's hands and the binder from the floor before taking off to get changed into the white and gold pilot suit to match the Lancelot's White and Gold Armor theme.

"Shy boy isn't he?" Cecile remarked clueless of her terrifying cooking while Lloyd glared at her. His last appeal to have Cecile's cooking classified as a bio-hazardous material had nearly been approved. Maybe he could have her create bio-weapons and send them to their enemies or annoying superiors. Yes, death by cake and muffin sounds nice. There was no crueler death for those arrogant nobles who refused to further fund his projects.

Lelouch made a note to apologize and pay Rivalz later. He was sure the rental car had ran through four red lights and was flagged for several speeding tickets. Still he made good time and arrived at Shidani station rather quickly.

The truck had stopped outside the abandoned subway station with the police copters hovering in the air to fence it in. There were announcing for the terrorist to give themselves up but knowing Kallen, she won't give up without a fight. His thoughts were confirmed when the truck opened up and a slash harken bit into one of the five Police copters, causing it to explode into a ball of molten slag and fire.

Lelouch left the car parked a few blocks away from the fighting and concealed himself behind an old building. The red Glasglow made short work of the flying vehicles with a short and focused burst of gunfire from it's giant assault rifle. The remains of the Police force rained down from the air but as soon as one threat ended, the next one entered.

Lelouch watched grimly as Suzaku entered the fray with the experimental Lancelot. The luminous blaze shields negated the assault rifle fire and the Lancelot's forearm mounted slash harken split the rifle neatly in two. This left the red Glasglow equipped with it's stun tonfa on each arm which it immediately activated and engaged the white knightmare frame with.

Suzaku stepped back and withdrew the two swords strapped to his side, activating their special vibration ability. A red sheen coated the weapon as power hummed through the blade. The MVS (Maser Vibration Sword) was still untested and this proved to be lacking when it failed to shear through the stun tonfa. Suzaku frowned at the weapons' failure, without the vibration ability, the sword was nothing more than a large blunted mace.

The Earl frowned, "I thought I fixed that problem last time, I guess you're going to have to use your slash harken for this one Suzaku-kun."

Suzaku bit back a snarl as he switched the MVS into a reverse grip, holding it like a dagger. It certainly didn't have any piecing or slashing ability, short of beating his opponent over the head with it, the swords weren't good for anything besides using it to block. By switching grips, this freed his forearm mounted slash harken.

The Glasglow and the Lancelot traded blows, the outdated Glasglow taking blunted hits from the defective MVS and denting the Lancelot's frame with solid strikes. To any normal onlooker, the two machines were fighting as if two persons were fighting. The Knightmare frames weren't design for such mobility. It truly took skills in order to control the Knightmare to move in such a way.

"That pilot must be an Ace. I have never seen anyone make a Glasglow move like that. Holding Suzaku off in the Lancelot is quite the feat." Cecile remarked. Lloyd nodded on the side, "It's a shame the terrorist has to die, you don't see talent like that everyday."

Back on the battlefield, the Lancelot's superior design started to show it's advantage. The shoulder and wrist mounted slash harkens removed both arms and a leg from the Glasglow, leaving it to stand on one leg.

"Give it up terrorist. If you surrender, you will be granted a swift trial and execution." Suzaka said, announcing it through the speaker system.

Lelouch cursed, the Glasglow had nothing left in it's arsenal besides the option of a kamikaze suicide explosion. It seemed that he had to play his trump card.

"MERLIN. Proceed to activate suit functions. Activate weaponry systems and prepare the hostile engagement."

A quiet hum filled Lelouch's ear as the rest of the suit powered. A small cylinder shaped gun sprang out of the opening of his forearm guard. The slash harkens rotated up and down to test for full mobility. With the weapon's primed, the last part of the suit activation were the modified landspinners that unlocked from the back of the shin to the floor.

"Suit activate, Estimated power left : 27 minutes 45 seconds."

The power source for the suit still was a problem. He only could fit in 28 minutes of power into a small sakuradite energy filler that is normally used to power cars that don't run off diesel fuel. It was still enough for what he needed to do today.

Saving Kallen and C.C.

One moment, Suzaku was looking at the defeated Glasglow. The next, an attack from behind disabled both his arms from behind, the arms of the Lancelot severed at the shoulder. "Impossible! There was no enemy knightmare frames behind me!" Suzaku thought as he wheeled around to register the new threat. The chest mounted factosphere caught sight of an unbelievable scenario.

Cecile's jaw had dropped, next to her Lloyd's glasses slipped off his face he too had trouble believing what they saw.

A human sized ... something. It looked like a person wearing a leather suit along with an odd helmet but on closer examination, it appeared to be similar to a Knightmare frame. There was armor lining the limbs of the suit, heavily focused on the upper area where it had Slash Harkens mounted on it's shoulder armor. On it's legs were landspinners.

"Impossible! What are you?" Suzaku cried out. This masked menace is ruining his chance to becoming a Knight of the Round!

The human sized KMF suit only said one word.

"Zero."

Then it lifted it's arm, the small cannon mounted on it firing. The movement was so sudden, there was no dodging or guarding as the projectile sank it's grappling point into the Lancelot, not fully penetrating but enough to hold onto the suit's armor. Immediately afterwards, the internal component activated in a green glow, on top of it, a small luminous blaze shield formed over the device to protect it from external forces.

"Suzaku, capture that suit! I need to examine it!" Lloyd shouted through his com link. Before Suzaku could respond, Lancelot went dark as all the power went out. It became non-responsive to any commands. Suzaku smashed all the buttons on the console, nothing was working!

Lelouch smirked inside his mask, the Gefjun Disturber device had worked. Instead of setting a ring of devices around the Knightmare, one heavily armored devices was all that is needed to disable a Knightmare. The new Gefjun Disturber is now armored and fitted with a grappling spike. By making contact with the Knightmare frame, the effects of the Gefjun Disturber becomes localized, disturbing the chemical and mechanical processes of the Knigtmare's sakuradite and interior computers and gears, preventing movement. Which also disabled all sakuradite-based technology. In addition, the field blocks the motion of hadrons, radio waves, and microwaves. It is truly a game changer in the warfare against Knightmare Frames.

Also, this new Gefjun Disturber has a special surprise built-in. After the blaze luminous shield burned all of it's battery power, the device is rigged to explode and remove all traces of Gefjun Disturber. It would not be prudent to leave such advance technology in the hands of the enemy.

Lelouch powered up his landspinners and propelled himself forward at the red Glasglow where Kallen was watching. Using the momentum, he tensed his legs and sprang forward and attached himself to the upper part of the giant mecha.

"I'm here to save you and retrieve Code-R. We need to move now before reinforcement come!"

For a moment there was no response from Kallen and there was a moment of pause. Then the cockpit opened and a gun was shoved into his mask.

Lelouch froze. Not because he was fearful of the gun, his helmet was built to take damage greater than a handgun but because of the identity of the pilot.

A chemical gas mask obscured the face but the red hair was unmistakable.

It was the exact same shade of Kallen's hair. Unfortunately, a quick glance confirmed that the pilot did not posses Kallen's rather ... noticeable physical features. Unless Kallen in this world was born as a rather manly chest, he would have to say he got the wrong terrorist.

Naoto Kozuki snarled and pressed the hand gun firmly against the stranger's mask. "Who are you and why are you here!"

The masked lunatic sighed. "I don't believe this is an appropriate time for this. We'll talk about this later."

"I want answers no-"

Naoto was cut off when the masked stranger's arm blurred and disarmed him of his pistol and in the next moment, he felt a ringing pain on his temple before he fell unconscious. Lelouch rubbed the side of his helmet, desperate to alleviate the headache forming in his temple.

He had just pistol whipped Kallen's brother unconscious on their first meeting.

Wonderful.

He could deal with the fallout later, now he needed to get Kallen's brother and C.C. to safety. He slung Naoto? Nato? over his shoulder and jumped down and sped toward where the truck had crashed into. A muffled groaned signaled another wrinkle in his plan. The driver had survived the crash and was currently holding his ribs gingerly. Lelouch pistol whipped him too, he couldn't have anybody seeing C.C.

Lelouch couldn't just leave him there but there was no way he could move three bodies at once! He entered the truck to the capsule where C.C. was being held and unlocked the restraining mechanism. The capsule hissed and popped open, spilling C.C onto the floor. Her eyes were unfocussed and dazed, looking off into an empty point behind him.

The immortal teenager cursed, they still had C.C. drugged up which meant there was no way she escape on her own two feet, he had to carry her as well. He propped her on his back, using the buckles and clasp from her prisoner garb to secure her to his back so she wouldn't fall off. Then he picked up each of the men and slung them over his shoulders like a bag of grain.

Installing the landspinner was a last minute decision but one Lelouch never appreciated more at the moment. With all the extra baggage, there was no way he could have escaped on foot with an extra 400 pounds weighing him down.

As he sped through the underground tunnels and on the tracks leading from Shidani to Shinjuuku, he was so glad at least his escape measures at Shinjukuu would remained unmolested. All the plans he carefully had planned for so far had gone awry.

First the target location for the rescue had changed.

Then it turned out Kallen's brother is alive.

And the driver who died last time is alive as well.

When he exited the tunnel into the abandoned station, he suppressed a muffled scream as he picked up an orange ticket stuck to the ground.

"Due to the illegal parking near a fire hydrant 14.5 Feet away, your vehicle was towed to ..." Lelouch didn't bother to read the rest as he crumpled the ticket. It was ludicrous that his rental car got towed. The law stated all vehicles must be 15 feet away from the hydrant which it was well out of range, there must have been twenty feet of space. The cops patrolling the ghetto probably saw that there was an unattended car that they thought belonged to an Eleven. They towed it and left a ticket saying it was within fifteen feet. This way, the car owner didn't have a chance to protest the distance as the car itself is physically removed.

This left the exiled prince with a stolen top secret experiment subject and two wanted terrorist with no means of transportation. If it weren't for the fact his body were immortal and maintained a certain level of homeostasis, he would have developed an ulcer from the stress or start balding earlier.

Lelouch dumped Naoto and the driver in an alleyway tucked out of sight. He had to leave them in the Shinjukuu ghetto, hopefully Clovis doesn't throw a hissy fit and level the entire ghetto lest he would have to kill him again. So far Clovis had yet to walk down that road... but the moment he involves innocent civilians, Lelouch would use all his power to punish him.

He memorized Naoto's number as well as Kallen's phone number, disguised as Imouto, Japanese for 'Little Sister'. Now he had a way to contact them after this entire fiasco. He felt bad for leaving them there but they should be waking up soon. C.C. took priority and he only had 5 minutes of energy left for his suit.

"MERLIN. Locate the nearest hotel which does not require identification."

"Confirming... The closest one is half a mile away. The name: Prancing Bears. Displaying map now."

It was in the red light district, no surprise seeing that everyone who frequented the area would rather not have their identities known. It would serve it's purpose for now while waiting for the drugs to wear off for C.C.

Suzaku sat helplessly in the cockpit of the seventh generation experimental Knightmare while waiting for the technicians outside to remove the device that rendered the Lancelot useless. A sudden explosion rocked the giant mecha and when it settled, the cockpit came back to life and Suzaku could see out of his Factospheres again.

He wish he didn't. Pieces and globs of red and pinkish gore painted a horrific canvas, smeared across the normally pristine white exterior of the Lancelot. Suzaku lost the battle to hold his breakfast down and blew out chunks of half digested gloopy food, along with those poisonous cookies he was fooled into eating. Suzaku was no stranger to dead bodies and messy kills but Cecile's cookies had upset his stomach and the greasy smear of dead bodies was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

He opened the cockpit and stumbled out to a wary crew of technicians from the ASEEC. "What happened while I was in there?" Suzaku mumbled to no one in general. They quickly escorted him to the tent where the Earl and Cecile was waiting.

"Suzaku, what happened out there?"

"I-I have no idea. One moment I was struck from behind, then it launched this ... bullet like thing at me and Lancelot powered down."

The Earl nodded. "We observed as much but the device apparently has a fail-safe once it's power runs out or it's tampered with. It has a blaze luminous shield over it so we couldn't remove it but while we were examining it, the device exploded, killing four of our technicians."

Suzaku stared at the the eccentric Earl, "Is such technology even possible?" he asked. While Suzaku might have the rank of a lowly private, news of technology that could disable a KMF would reach even his ears.

The Earl took off his rounded spectacles and swept his hair back, eyes turning steely. (A/N: Imagine Aizen from Bleach, the scene where he reveals himself to be a villain.)

"I never thought it would be possible but all evidence says it does. To render MY Lancelot useless..." He trailed off, muttering darkly.

Cecile went pale when she saw the look on Lloyd's face. She had seen that look before. Lloyd is normally a very easy going person as long as he had his pudding and could tinker around with his inventions but Cecile knew better. Lloyd Asplund is a Sociopath who views people as little more than tools. In his mind, these tools aren't worthy enough to generate emotions of anger from.

There were few things that could anger the the easy going scientist and rendering his greatest invention useless is one of them.

The last person who pissed Lloyd off was Rakshata Chawla, an Indian scientist with extensive experience in medical cybernetics. They were rivals in a sense. Each specialized in a different field but their genius could not be disputed as they excelled in almost everything they researched. In fact, Lloyd's decision to build the Lancelot stemmed from a challenge by Rakshata.

Everyone was still numbed by the sudden events but time stood still for no one and at the point, Prince Clovis entered the tent with a terrifying anger. Everyone dropped to their knees in a salute while the normally placid prince trembled in anger.

"I put my full trust in the ASEEC and what do I get? A defective and broken seventh generation KMF that did NOTHING!" The prince snarled.

The Earl tightened his gaze and rebuked the prince. "Your highness, this is not the time to point fingers and shift blame. The Seventh Generation Knightmare is a work of art and can demolish two squadrons of Sutherlands without taking a scratch. What we just faced had technology that went beyond the seventh generation capability. The priority is to try and capture the perpetrator, I have no doubts that inside that armor, there was a human operator. If we can capture that unit or even the pilot, we can gather invaluable information and technology."

Forget about Project R. It was doubtful that the terrorist could do much to defame him at this point. What he needed was this new unknown technology! If he could somehow get his hands on that suit weapon... he could possibly even create an army of super soldiers to overthrow the Emperor! Clovis thought of all the different possibilities if he had such technology, he would no longer have to bow down to Schneizel but for the moment he did have to answer to an irate Prime Minister who saw what had just occurred.

"I'm very disappointed with today's performance, perhaps in the future we can expect more out of Lancelot." Clovis dismissed the Earl and headed to his command tent for a private conversation with Schneizel.

This time everything was set up properly allowing a video conference. Schneizel looked unruffled by the situation, the fact that his seventh generation MF project had been so thoroughly disabled didn't seem to bother him.

"I want you to find that person and his technology."

It was blunt and to the point. There was no discussion and no question.

This was an order.

Clovis kept his face neutral but couldn't help but twitch his hands at the thought of throttling the Prime Minister. Thankfully the screen only showed his face. "I already sent my men to secure the surrounding area and ghetto. The old subway lines connect to many different places and it's impossible to cover all bases. Hopefully the perpetrator will reveal himself again soon. Then I will bear down with the full force of the military to capture him!"

Schneizel frowned. "Make his capture a priority, with some luck he might be affiliated with or backed up by a terrorist group. I will leave this in your hands." The transmission cut off leaving Clovis stewing in anger.

He will capture Zero and rip off that new KMF suit off his dead body!

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Lelouch had located the seedy hotel without a problem. He packed the more inconspicuous parts of his armor away like the slash harken shoulders and the land spinners. The rest of his armor could pass off as a fancy cosplay or a fancy motorcycle suit if needed. What he worried about was getting a room with an unconscious woman in his arm.

His fear turned out to be unfounded as the clerk didn't even bat an eye at the sight of C.C. and handed over the electronic key card to their room. He just pointed to the price sheet, took their money, and handed him a key.

It was that simple.

Lelouch knew the hotel was seedy but surely it opening a room with an unconscious woman wasn't such a common occurrence was it?

Once the door opened, Lelouch froze at the edge of the doorway. A horrible sickening amount of pink greeted him as the wall, the bed, and even the lights were bright pink. God, he hadn't seen that much pink since Euphy died in his last lifetime. He kicked the door shut and lowered C.C. down on the bed. He still had an hour left before he anyone noticed that he was missing, hopefully this would be enough for the drug to wear off.

With nothing better to do, Lelouch observed the room he had rented out for three hours. This was the first time he had ever been into one of these... love hotels. Flipping on the TV, he noticed that everything on the free channel was pornography and hastily shut it off when he noticed that it was a pay per view service. Opening the dresser next to the bed, he quirked an eyebrow as there were neat stacks of varying size condoms ranging from slim fit to XXL Magnum. What drew his attention was the various vibrators and dildos available in unopened plastic containers.

Lelouch picked up the plastic container holding a monstrosity sized purple beaded dildo when he heard her voice.

"I hope you're not planning to use that on me."

Lelouch flushed and dropped the box, mortified that C.C. had caught him with a vibrator in hand.

Not a good first impression, in fact, he was having a shitty day as far as first impressions went. He turned around and cleared his throat. "Caciera. My name is Lelouch, there is much we need to discuss."

C.C. stretched to rid her body of stiffness and discomfort, dissecting him with her amber gaze. Her eyes flickered to his throat where his code glowed against his skin.

"Yes, there is a lot we have to discuss."

A/N: This chapter is around 11,444 words. Roughly two or three chapter meshed together. With more time for summer break, look forward to quicker updates!

So did Naoto's appearance shock you? What does this mean with Kallen being forced as the heiress of the Stadfelt family?

This is part of my secret plot to wrest Lelouch away from the position as Zero and have Kallen join as part of the harem.

So far I have

Milly

Shirley

Kallen

C.C.

for sure on my list, I need more canidates...

Still iffy about putting Euphy on the list but Suzaku needs some loving too.

What do you guys think about a NunnallyxSuzaku pairing?

because honestly I cannot think of anyone else Lelouch would entrust his sister with.

And does anyone like Nina?

Please give me some input on the NunnallyxSuzaku pairing and whether or not Euphy and Nina should be paired with Lelouch.

I hope this chapter did not disappoint. Please review!

Ciao~