Code Geass R3: Sin of Truth Chapter 3: Tokyo Tower, a code geass fanfic

WOW, thanks for all the positive support ^^

This story is now officially off the ground ^^! Thanks to mikage-aya, Edo-Zer0mon, Taira-keimei, clr2, XIIIth Antongist, XT3, silverXshadow, and for reviewing!

Anyways, my mind is sorta in machine-gun mode for this story right now (I'm coming up with ideas and arcs faster than I can write them down, lol). The plot that I have in mind is less clear than "Prince of Masks", but hopefully I'll be able to make up for that with extra creativity ^^

Sooooo, I'm trying something called 'Shorter Author's Notes'. Hopefully I'll be able to do this with "Prince of Masks", but it's still a pretty foreign concept o.0

Lol, anyways, the real story starts now, so…

Read and Review!

"for dialogue"

Italics for thought (or stress when just a word or two)

*for sounds*

Truth 2:

Tokyo Tower

I know you, the people, may not wish to believe the truth. However, I feel the obligation, no, the duty to tell the world the truth.

It was after the Second Battle of Tokyo, when the executive officers of the Black Knights had compromised with Schneizel el Britannia for a cease-fire.

However, few knew the true purpose behind the cease-fire: A secret negotiation; a trade, if you will. The traded? Why, nothing other than the freedom of Japan and the life of Zero.

I regret to inform you that that last sentence was not mistyped. The Black Knights, in their selfish greed, backstabbed their own founder and leader, Zero, just to recover an island nation.

And that is how Zero "died" that day. Not from battle wounds, but from a knife in the back.

Note, I say "died" with quotation marks. For, although he no longer wears the mask of Zero, the man behind the mask survived. Whether or not he chooses to reclaim the mask that is rightfully his, it is his choice, and we, the Guardians of Justice, are among the few that acknowledge that.

- The East Pillar

Passage 2 of "Why He Died"

"You know, Suzaku," noted Lelouch vi Britannia,

"Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened, if I'd really died back before the Ragnorak Junction."

Suzaku tried to smile at his childhood friend, but he found it impossible. How can you be so calm, knowing you'll be dead in a few hours? Instead of smiling, he pretended to snort, "Be careful, your ego might kill you before I get a chance."

"Perhaps…" Lelouch smiled slightly. "But it's still something to think about it. Ohgi and the others were about to shoot me, before…" Then, Lelouch grew quiet. Rolo…

"They thought they were doing it for Japan. If you think about it, we're just doing what they failed, except on a bigger scale."

"No."

Lelouch was surprisingly solemn. "They were trading my life for ownership of Japan. We're doing this for the freedom of the world."

In a dark corner of the church, icy-blue eyes twinkled as they stored information.

Area 11 Concession
136 Drane Street
September 28, 2018 a.t.b.
Upon Completion of Zero Requiem

Inside a white-walled, windowless room, three figures sat around a white round table. The center was raised to reveal three monitors. On all three was the same image, a single white-and-black mask. The rest of the monitors were pure black, giving the illusion that the virtual mask was floating.

Voria Halding, the only woman among them, tapped her foot on a pure-black floor tile. "…Sooo, why did you tell us this?" Although she hadn't spoken it aloud, everyone knew what the blond-haired Britannian was referring to.

The mask, although it lacked a mouth, nevertheless seemed to smile grimly. "Because his death is not the end of things." explained the floating mask, codenamed N.N.

"What are you talking about?" Allard Winbolt retorted, black eyes focused on the monitor facing him. "Didn't the Demo- Didn't Lelouch die in order to end thi…" Strangely, Allard's last sentence faded quietly, until the end was barely audible. Faint red circles now encompassed the Britannian's black eyes.

"That was his intent," explained N.N., ignoring Allard's faded voice. "However, one misunderstood martyr isn't enough to wipe an entire world of its sins." Especially since that 'martyr' hasn't exactly died yet…

Allard leaned back in his chair. The red circles had faded, and his eyes had returned to a pure, emotionless black. "So, what do you suggest? We just make another 'Demon Emperor' and see if two's enough?" Sarcasm filled the young Britannian Duke's voice.

"Pretty much."

Voria stopped tapping her foot. "You want to make another Requiem?"

N.N. replied emotionlessly, "Exactly. Of course, an exact repeat wouldn't do much. Instead of targeting world dominat-"

"What the hell?"

Harvet Chevalier didn't want to believe it. In fact, he refused to believe it. "You're telling me that you want a second Battle of Fuji? Do you know how many people died because of this so-called Requiem?" Including my brother!

This must be some sick nightmare, or at least a twisted prank. "How the hell am I supposed to believe you? This entire 'Zero Requiem' business is insane!" The Frenchman stood up, picking up his handgun.

"Stop with the lies, Britannian bastard!"

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The monitor facing him caved in, pierced by three bullets. However, on the other two monitors, N.N. didn't seem at all disturbed. In a perfectly calm voice, the mask replied, "Is it so impossible? Cadel-"

*Bang! Bang!*

Both Voria and Allard flinched as the other monitors broke down, pierced through the metal base. "You've got no right to even think his name!"

With that, he stormed out the door.

SLAM!

"…He's got just as bad a temper as you," observed Voria.

Allard just glared in response.

"Some people are just temperamental about certain issues. Recently-deceased brothers, for example."

Both Britannians looked around. Voria was the one to finally voice their silent question, "How are you still talking to us? I thought…"

Light, almost polite, chuckles filled the room. "In time, in time. I suppose you'll both need some time to think about what you've learned, so you're free to go. Do please call if you intend to help me."

Although her mind had been pretty much made up on what she planned to do, Voria complied, standing up. Unsure how to face the invisible face, she looked around the room, "Fine with me. How can we contact you?"

*Buzz*

Voria took out her cellphone, as did Allard. Now it was Voria's turn to chuckle. Under 'Contacts', there was one new number. And the contact name was…

"Fate? Seems like you have a sense of humor."

As the two Britannians left the windowless room, in a notably more respectful manner than the previous 'guest', N.N. smiled and murmured,

"That wasn't a joke."

Area 11 Concession
Abandoned Church
September 28, 2018 a.t.b.
1 Minute After Zero Requiem

"…so, what do you plan to do?"

Dong-Gi Park sighed. That was the true question. "For now? Wait. In ideal conditions, we'll be able to peacefully gain the independence of our motherlands. In the worst-case scenario…" He left the sentence hanging. The other three nodded to show their understanding.

If worse came to worst, it would be war.

Wordlessly, Dong-Gi stood up. It was time to go. Each member of the Asian Independence Front would leave independently in order to avoid attracting attention.

Besides, he had some research to do. Emperor Lelouch said something about Ohgi… The Kaname Ohgi? What was that about almost being shot?

And, what exactly is geass?

Area 11 Concession
Unknown Time

Harvet Chevalier didn't know what to think anymore.

All around him, overjoyed pedestrians crowded the roads that had been unused but a few minutes prior. He noticed some walk silently, looking stunned like him, but Harvet could tell it was the paralyzing effect of joy, not confusion, that left them silent.

Harvet saw a Britannian woman and Japanese man knock into each other, but both just smiled and apologized. He saw a Britannian teenager help an elderly Japanese woman across the street. He saw a smiling Britannian businessmen, dressed in fine clothes, take off his jacket and give it to a poor, dirty vagrant. He saw a restaurant put up a hastily-made sign: "FREE For Today! Long Live ZERO!", and Harvet noticed that it wasn't the only store to do so.

All this would have been unthinkable before HE had appeared. And died…

Eventually, Harvet travelled onto less crowded streets. Slowly, the number of pedestrians decreased, until he'd reached a large, almost-empty field.

The Graveyard.

Harvet soon realized where his feet were taking him, and he decided not to resist. Eventually, 500 meters in, Harvet Chevalier came to a stop by a white gravestone.

Or rather, what had been a white gravestone. Harvet's eyes widened visibly in shock.

The words "Cadel Chevalier" were barely visible under red spray-paint. Looking around, he noticed that many other headstones were similarly vandalized. All of them said the exact same thing:

"Rest in HELL"

Nearby was a pile of red spray-paint cans.

Harvet's arms shook, slowly at first, but then uncontrollably. With an enraged scream, he took out his gun.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Where once had been a pile of cans, the ground was now soaked with blood-like red paint.

A Demon Emperor is one thing… My brother never deserved this.

After he had calmed down, which took over half an hour, he checked his phone.

*ring-

Halfway through the first tone, the other side picked up.

"Yes, Harvet?"

"…Count me in, N.N."

September 28, 2018 a.t.b. – Demon Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia dies.

September 29 – Kallen Kozuki, Captain of the elite Zero Squad, resigns for undisclosed reasons. Harvet Chevalier is promoted in her stead.

October 2 – Nunnally vi Britannia crowned 100th Empress of Britannia.

October 5 – With support of the United States of Japan and China, Empress Nunnally successfully passes the Britannian Provincial Freedom Resolution (BPFR). All Areas, excluding the continent of North America, are officially liberated and inducted into the UFN as member nations.

October 7 – Former Imperial Guards of the Demon Emperor reappear through multiple terrorist acts.

October 9 – Kaname Ohgi marries former Britannian Knight Villeta Nu.

October 13 – Due to failings of national anti-terrorism agencies, the Black Knight Justice Reformation Act is passed. The Black Knights forms an executive branch for the UFN. At this time, Zero gains the title Guardian of Justice, thereby becoming an honorary member of the UFN Council.

Repaired Ikaruga
October 13

Zero settled into his office aboard the Black Knight mobile command ship, which was steadily making its way to the United States of Britannia.

Or, at least Suzaku Kururugi tried to settle into the foreign room. Pretending to be Zero, Suzaku Kururugi never quite felt comfortable being the world's most influential and adored idol. And the newly-gained title, Guardian of Justice, didn't do anything to hurt his already overwhelming support. Suzaku simply couldn't feel comfortable knowing he had the undying faith of at least two-thirds of the world's population, if not that of the entire world.

Secretly, although Suzaku tried not to admit it, he knew why he felt uncomfortable pretending to be Zero. It was simply that. In reality, he was just pretending. He didn't have the half the tendency for drama that Lelouch had had, nor any of his rhetoric skills. Nobody said anything about it, but "Zero" hadn't had one of his characteristically-emotional speeches in a long while.

Trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling of being Zero, Suzaku reached inside his cape and pulled out a miniature book. In neat handwriting, it had been titled "Future Journal." Opening it, Suzaku flipped through the first few pages. Then he stopped to read:

September 28, 2018 a.t.b. – Demon Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia dies.

September 29 – Kallen Kozuki, Captain of the elite Zero Squad, resigns for undisclosed reasons. Harvet Chevalier is promoted in her stead.

October 2 – Nunnally vi Britannia crowned 100th Empress of Britannia.

October 7 – Former Imperial Guards of the Demon Emperor reappear through multiple terrorist acts.

October 9 – Kaname Ohgi marries former Britannian Knight Villeta Nu.

Suzaku smiled grimly at the first bullet. "Demon Emperor", huh, Lelouch? Even you call yourself that?

Suzaku's green eyes softened as he read two bullets for September 29 and October 9. And, even while you were fighting against them, you were thinking about their well-being…

Then he read the next bullet.

October 14 – With Zero in charge of anti-terrorism, the success rate of anti-terrorism campaigns increases exponentially.

Suzaku smiled genuinely as he checked the clock by his desk.

October 13, 2018 a.t.b.

Let's hope everything goes as smoothly as you planned.

For the dozenth time, Suzaku read the bullet.

October 14 – With Zero in charge of anti-terrorism, the success rate of anti-terrorism campaigns increases exponentially.

- 8 Gareths will attack Dumon Point at 750 hours. Zero will intercept at that time with the repaired Ikaruga. Turn to page 44 for planned method of elimination.

- 21 Vincent Wards are scheduled to attack Franklin Military Base at 900 hours. Turn to page 89 for planned method of elimination.

- 18 Sutherlands will attack Fort Bradley at 1100 hours. Turn to page 69 for planned method of elimination.

Suzaku closed the book and hid it back in his cape. He didn't bother turning to look at the other pages. There was no need. Suzaku had already memorized every note Lelouch had made.

Without letting his feet off the ground, Suzaku bent back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Faintly, he could hear the hum of the Ikaruga's recently repaired engine.

Only you, Lelouch. Only you could use your subordinates this way.

When the Requiem had almost met its completion, Lelouch had realized that he still had too many geassed Knights. He'd greatly underestimated the number that would survive the Battle of Fuji, and now he had too many Imperial Guards. Once the Requiem was over, the surviving guards would have to be eliminated one way or another.

Massacring them directly wasn't an option, as this had the potential to bring up mixed emotions in the public. And mixed emotions could cause a rift in the unity formed against "The Demon Emperor". Releasing the "Knights of the Demon Emperor" would have had similar consequences.

Instead, Lelouch had devised an even more clever way to eliminate the guards that survived the Requiem. Under geass, the surviving Imperial Guards would become ruthless terrorist cells, so ruthless that not even the most radical of militants would ally with them. And, for the entire time, the Imperial Guards would sing praises of their "Demon Emperor", renewing the people's hatred of the secret martyr. However, there was a condition.

Each time, the "terrorists" would strike only the predetermined points in Lelouch's "Future Journal." Eventually, pressure would mount on the UFN to let Zero take control of anti-terrorism, gaining Suzaku even more authority to keep peace in the world.

And, just like all his other plots, it had succeeded. With almost unanimous support of the world, the Black Knights would soon become the official executive branch of the UFN. And Zero would be its unanimously-elected president.

But, this really is wearing me down. Suzaku checked the clock again. The Ikaruga would reach Britannia somewhere around 9:00 PM, Britannian Western Time (BWT).

At least no attacks are scheduled for October 17… Maybe I'll be able to check on you, Lelouch.

Area 11 Concession
Tokyo Tower
October 17, 2018 a.t.b. (1 a.r.n.)
1000 hours

Voria Halding had been the first to call her new contact. She only spoke three words.

"Count. Me. In."

Sorta strange, isn't it? reflected Voria, Just three words, but now I'm here.

Slightly irritated, she tugged at her starched light-blue uniform. I've been wearing the same damn thing for the last week already! After being an Imperial Guard for so long, being a Black Knight just felt wrong.

Though, Voria had to admit, it was sort of funny. Now that the world was unified under one government, the fearsome Black Knights had been quickly reduced to policemen and, if you were lucky, anti-terrorist units. All thanks to the Black Knight Justice Reformation Act (BKJRA).

Although her outfit looked like a standard, pre-BKJRA policewoman's outfit, a silver, spiked insignia on the top of her cap told of her official post. A Black Knight for Law Enforcement.

A flash of white caught her eye. Finally.

Voria watched as a man, dressed in a white dress shirt, walk towards her. Lifting a big black bag, the man set the object in front of Voria.

Voria glanced to her right. Her fellow police officer, Gorou Takahashi, was busy checking some young man's backpack. Still, Voria opened only the left side of the bag in front of her, letting the other side block the view of Gorou's potentially-wandering eyes. Inside the bag was a sheet of paper with only a single word, written in large-yet-neat script:

Five

5 minutes. With that, Voria made as if to check the rest of the bag.

Face-concealing Imperial Guard mask? Check.

Grenade? Check.

Explosives? Check.

Submachine Gun? Check.

Handgun? Check.

Extra Ammunition? Check.

Dagger? Check.

As Voria closed the bag, she smiled for more than one reason. "Thank you. Have a nice day…"

She finished the sentence only as the man passed the bag check table. "…Drake."

At the Same Time

Dong-Gi leaned on the railings of Tokyo Tower's Observation Deck, looking out at the large city that was Tokyo. "Is everything you said the absolute truth?"

"Yes." No doubt at least five years older than the white-haired teenager, Eguchi Akio nodded gravely. A small voice in the back of his head asked Akio why he had told the Korean all he had, but the Black Knight veteran shoved the voice to the back of his head. My family needs the money.

As if hearing that thought, Dong-Gi produced from within his black laptop bag a white envelope. Akio needn't ask what it held, and he silently accepted it. Of course, he would count the bills in a moment.

"Thank you. That is all I wanted to know." Without saying goodbye, the white-haired Asian walked back indoors. Sitting on a chair, Dong-Gi took out his laptop, making sure that the monitor faced away from any security cameras.

After weeks of string-pulling and "gift-giving", he'd finally found out exactly what Kaname Ohgi and his compatriots had done to Emperor Lelouch.

Or, rather, what they'd tried to do.

Although Dong-Gi was able to carefully hide any rage he felt, inside, his blood was boiling. To think that the Black Knights would betray their own leader, Zero!

4 Minutes Later
1004 hours

Less than a minute to go.

Voria tapped her compatriot on the shoulder. "Gorou, can you cover me for a bit? I need to go use the restroom."

Gorou sighed. "Fine, just be quick about it."

Voria smiled. "Will do, thanks." As she thanked the Japanese police officer, she patted his back. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Quickly, she made her way towards the bathroom.

Leaving a penny-sized metal device on the unsuspecting Gorou's back.

The closest bathroom was actually quite nearby, right next to the janitor's office. Taking out a key, she unlocked the janitor's office. Earlier, she'd asked the janitor, an elderly man, to let him drop her bag in the locked office.

Now she not only picked up her black bag, but also a yellow sign. Putting the sign right in front of the bathroom, she went into the restroom.

The sign read: "Restroom Closed for Cleaning"

Luckily, no one was inside. Voria didn't want to risk any surprised screams.

At least, not until later.

Putting her bag on the restroom floor, she took out what looked like one of the ancient Britannian foot soldier helmets, from before the Requiem. Well, that was probably because it had been. Key words being "had been".

The main difference was the lack of a mouth-concealing gas mask. Instead, a retractable black visor ended right above the nose. The helmet had also been modified to become more streamlined.

After she'd put that on, she reached back into her bag and pulled out what looked like an over-sized handgun. However, the barrel was noticeably longer, tapering to a point at the end.

Inside the homemade helmet, Voria looked to her left. Flicking a switch attached to her silver watch, her vision suddenly grew black.

Then, on the monitor, a green dot appeared slightly to Voria's left. Raising her gun, Voria saw a corresponding red dot appear on the monitor. Sweat began to bead on Voria's forehead.

As a precaution against recent terrorist attacks, all security officers carried emergency signalers. One click of a button would bring in at least a dozen anti-terrorist personnel, ready to combat the threat. With Zero's constant success, the distribution of alarms had decreased substantially, but many security groups still used them.

That's why the security personnel had to be the first to go.

Goodbye, Gorou.

Outside the restroom, at the entrance to the tower, Gorou was checking the bag of an elderly woman. He knew nothing of the small, circular device attached to the back of his jacket. He knew nothing of how it was represented on Voria's visor as a green dot. He knew nothing of how a red dot matched aligned itself with that red dot.

*snip*

The sound was barely audible, muffled by a giant silencer. In fact, when the Japanese Black Knight fell, at first no one knew it was due to a small bullet.

In an old room, near the top of the tower, two guards lazed in black chairs. The wall on one side was covered in monitors, displaying the live footage from the tower's security cameras.

"God, this is such a boring job."

Hedeo Ichihashi didn't bother responding. Why should he? He would just hear the same complaint tomorrow.

Tatsuya Aida didn't seem to notice his silent companion. "I mean, why do we even need to be here? We've got two Black Knights out by the entrance, and we've got these alarms." To emphasize the point, he pulled out something that resembled a large lighter. Flicking the cap open, he revealed a red button.

"I mean, who the hell would attack us? This is all fucking ridicu-."

Surprised screams started filling the room. "What the hell?"

Hideo sprung forward in his chair, scanning the monitors. "Looks like Gorou's down. Wonder what happened."

Tatsuya, still holding his remote, jumped up. "I'll go check it out. Stay here." The Japanese man walked over to the door of the small room. As he opened it, he was met with a brown-haired man.

"Who the hell are-"

Drake Alvar was eerily emotionless as he pointed his handgun at the two guards. Red circles enveloped his irises.

"All Hail Lelouch."

*Bang! Bang!*

As Tatsuya fell, his thumb pressed down on a certain red button.

Drake cursed. "So much for a silent takeover."

1 Minute Earlier
1003 hours

Has it really only been less than three weeks?

And still Hikari Sato felt numb. Her once-neat, short, black hair was slowly growing into a slightly-wild, mid-length, but she didn't bother getting it cut.

On all sides, she was surrounded by pictures of Lelouch vi Britannia. The highest floor of Tokyo Tower, the single room had been devoted to the Demon Emperor… and his death.

Few went up this far. Below, on the main floors, was the real attraction. Formerly a Britannian war museum, it had been completely renovated into a Japanese museum dedicated to one man.

Zero.

Two of the lights in the room had gone out, but it appeared that no one cared enough to change them. The thin layer of dust surrounding the place seemed to reflect that. This floor had been created as one of the few reminders of a bad time, and most had preferred to leave all memories of the Demon Emperor far behind them.

Hikari gazed at the north wall of the small, one-room floor. The entire wall was covered with one large photo, which depicted the Demon Emperor at the moment when Zero brought the hilt of the blade through his chest. In the photo, he seemed to be looking somewhere beyond Zero, at something out-of-view to the left of the picture. Only one side of the Demon Emperor's face showed, but it was enough to see his expression. He looked…

"He looks quite sad, doesn't he?"

Hikari turned around in shock. I didn't notice her presence… Sure enough, a small Japanese girl, barely a teenager, stood by the sole staircase that led down. Long, black twintails reaching below her shoulders, the girl was wearing thick glasses and some middle school uniform.

Ignoring Hikari's stare, the childish teenager walked over to the photo. "Most say that he was smirking, laughing at us even while he died. But I don't think so. His eyes look far too soft to be smirking."

Long hair twirling, the young girl turned to face Hikari. "Don't you think so?"

Hikari, having temporarily lost the ability to speak, simply nodded slowly. Who is this girl? "He saved my life, once."

Crap! Why'd I tell her that?

To Hikari's surprise, the young girl didn't seem that surprised. "He was a great man."

Hikari stuttered, "T-The D-Demon Emperor?"

The younger girl smiled. "Yes. Believe it or not-"

*Bang! Bang!*

Both girls jumped as twin gunshots rang out, surprised cries from below following soon after. Then a voice came over the speakers.

"In the name of His Majesty, Lelouch vi Britannia, we, the Imperial Guards, have taken over Tokyo Tower. Follow our instructions, and you will probably keep your lives."

Dong-Gi grit his teeth as he saw two men leave the nearby bathroon, holding handguns. Both had their faces concealed by Imperial Guard masks. Why here, of all places?

Quickly, amidst surprised screams, Dong-Gi typed on his laptop. Save. Send. Quit.

No matter what, he couldn't let his newfound information be discovered.

At least, not yet.

Carefully, he closed his laptop. The last image before it powered down was that of three words.

Why He Died

As Dong-Gi put his laptop away in his bag, he saw movement to his left.

Up the stairs, other terrorists were bringing Britannians and Japanese alike up the stairs, holding them at gunpoint. Dong-Gi was soon forced into the crowd as they went up the staircase, up to the highest floor.

At the Same Time

"Are you alright, Nunnally?"

"Yes, Suz-Zero."

Although it wouldn't be seen under his mask, Suzaku Kururugi forced a smile. Escorting the new Empress into Japan was the least Suzaku could do.

Despite all their efforts, Lelouch's lies had apparently turned to dust in front of his beloved sister. Although Suzaku didn't quite understand how, he knew that Nunnally knew the true reason her brother had died. Secretly, he feared that Nunnally now hated her for killing him.

"I don't hate you, Suzaku."

Not for the first time, Suzaku was amazed by Nunnally's almost-telepathic ability to read the emotions of the people around her. It certainly didn't hurt that Nunnally could now see.

Whatever the case, Suzaku took a deep breath as the door to the Avalon opened. Pushing Nunnally's wheelchair, he was followed by Schneizel out of the aircraft.

On the ground, Kaname Ohgi walked over to formally welcome them. "Welcome, Zero. Your Majesty." He nodded at both of the figures in turn. He carefully avoided mentioning Schneizel, who had already fallen out of the world of politics. The reasons behind a Britannian prince abandoning everything, just in order to serve his former enemy, Zero, were things not talked much about.

Suzaku tried to smile, but it was hard. This man was Lelouch's subordinate. Not mine.

Nunnally cheerfully replied, "Hello, Mr. Kaname. How is everybody?"

Ohgi smiled. Nunnally's kind nature was contagious. "Everyone here in Japan is doing just fine."

Behind Ohgi, Zero noted an increase in European Black Knights. The former EU members were aggressively pushing for a more "ethnically balanced" military. In reality, they were just trying to grasp more military influence.

Of course, none were wearing the black uniforms that showed such a position. In this time of relative peace, soldiers wore suits and police outfits, not military insignias and guns.

"Lord Zero! Lord Zero!"

One officer ran up to the front. Of course, the media immediately focused their cameras on the newcomer.

"Lord Zero, Tokyo Tower has just been taken over!"

Tokyo Tower? That wasn't what Lelouch planned…

Then Zero remembered something. "Ohgi,"

Kaname Ohgi looked slightly startled at his the mention of his name. "What is it?"

Suzaku spoke softly, hoping he was wrong, "She went 'there', didn't she?"

Realization dawned in Ohgi's eyes. "Oh god."

Ashford Academy

"Kallen! You've got to see this!"

The redhead sighed. She'd had to run, but it looked like she wasn't late. "What is it-"

Kallen stopped in her tracks. Rivalz had opened a laptop, where the news was playing. On the bottom was a single line that frightened her more than a Vincent Ward could ever had.

"Terrorists Take Over Tokyo Tower!"

Area 11 Concession

"Hey look, your husband's on TV."

Only a few months ago, Tamaki, now a bartender, would never have even considered talking amiably to the Britannian, but if she was good enough for Ohgi…

Villetta Nu, retired Britannian Knight, smiled as she watched Ohgi talk a few unheard words to the Empress. As she watched Zero hold the Empress's wheelchair, she recalled with amusement that she was surrounded by three former Black Knights. This would have all been impossible before the Zero killed the Demon Emperor…

"Lord Zero! Lord Zero!"

Even from a distance, the news cameras were able to hear the officer approach Zero, the UFN's Guardian of Justice.

"Lord Zero, Tokyo Tower has just been taken over!"

For those of you who haven't yet, check out my main fic "Prince of Masks"!

Note, I've decided to have Villetta Nu keep her last name. However, she and Ohgi are married. This is supposed to semimatch with the season 2 ending, if you haven't noticed xD

Also, realize that this is gonna be an unorthodox R3. If you don't like me doing things like giving Voria little gadgets, this is probably not the fanfic for you. Quite frankly, I like trying to be unique :)

It's 11:13 PM right now… Time to start my weekly "Prince of Masks" o.0
I swear, if any of you read a statistic that says "Death(s) by fanfiction writing – 1" and notice that I've suddenly stopped updating…

Lol, so anyways…

Keep in mind that this is a popularity-based fic, so…

Review! (and don't flame ^^)

P.S. I'm starting to get annoyed :( Whenever I upload, the site takes away bits and pieces of what I've written, particularly my emoticon-thingys and *sound effects* :(
I suppose it's a good thing that I'm considering getting rid of those sound effects.

I only recently realized that I apparently can't make half the emoticon-thingys that I like to add. Therefore, it seems I'm stuck with :), :(, ^^ and o.0...xD