AN: Welcome back!

In a twist of irony, my return to MoT lines up more or less with Code Geass R3's debut this year. As nice as it is to see new Code Geass content... I honestly don't have my hopes up. At best I suspect it will be a typical anime movie, with one dimensional baddies with more thought put into their design than personalities or motives, who'll dominate the first act being cartoonishly evil before Lelouch reappears and leads the cast in kicking their asses in one last big fanservicey hurrah for the franchise. Where Code Geass the series had fifty episodes and now these weird recap/rewrite movies to flesh out a cast and setting and get the audience emotionally invested, I just can't see them managing to do the same with a movie a few hours long at most. Akito, too, at times struck me as too much flash too little substance. It kind of felt like it tried to squeeze a series' worth of intricate plots and complex characters into a mere five episode frame and only sometimes managed to answer more questions than it created.

Unless they're planning on surprising everyone by having the movie be the kickoff for a new season, but considering the development trouble CG has had in the past, I'm not optimistic.

Will anything from either get mixed into MoT? We'll see. Some things from Akito I've wanted to reference for awhile, but I'll have to see if anything from R3 has been butterflied away or fits with my plan for the future. The benefit of taking forever on one piece of fanfiction is that you have the story more or less laid out in your head. It's putting it to paper that's the problem.

As for Shirley being alive and other retcons? That first bit obviously isn't getting included. Lelouch isn't going to go,"Oh yeah now I remember Shirley didn't die after all". A few little details here and there that were added but didn't change things were interesting however and might make for some interesting character moments if reflected upon.

Hey, does that mean I'm writing a fic based in a bonafide AU now? Well, that might make a few... surprises easier to explain now.

Chapter Twenty: Demonstration

The first thing an observer to the scene would notice was the silence.

The tension in the conference hall was palpable. Despite the number of important officers present, it seem as though none of them wanted to be the first to speak. The inhabitants of the room glanced furtively at each other. If not for their black uniforms -and in the case of their leader, a cape and mask- the gathering could have been mistaken for a mundane board meeting. Everyone was looking at the cloaked figure at the head of the table, waiting for him to break the silence.

At head of the table sat Zero, their mysterious leader. His fingers were steepled, his elbows resting comfortably on the table's surface. He almost looked serene, but his almost unnatural stillness as he started straight ahead betrayed his tension. In the dimly lit space it almost looked like the darkness was clinging to his cloak, making it unclear where the man ended and pure darkness began. The effect was only broken by the flickering light of the television on the other end of the room. The Black Knights in attendance were almost mesmerized as the flashing colors and images as were reflected and distorted against the mirrored surface of his mask. As try they might, they could not discern any of the features of the man that hid beneath its surface.

Minami and Yoshida were present, sitting across from each other at the table. Both of them kept glancing at each other, then the head of the table, then back to each other again. Both of them had clearly already been agitated even before this meeting had been called. Both were among the more outspoken critics of Zero. Lelouch had thought that the assassination of the Black King and their subsequent Declaration would dispel whatever doubts the Black Knight leaders had for him. For a time that had held true, but since then the suspicious looks and unceasing questions had resumed.

Lelouch found himself actually missing Ohgi and Izumi. It would be nice to have some voices at that insulated him from his relentless critics. Voices that allowed him to protect some of his cultivated mystique by letting him keep quiet while others answered for him. Kallen could also fill that role, but she was off with Tamaki getting the recruits ready for the next item on Lelouch's agenda. On top of that, tensions had been slowly simmering between himself and this little clique for awhile now, and Kallen's steadfast defense was gradually starting to have less and less of an impact. He suspected it had something to do with the fact she was still viewed as -to the original members of their group, at least- Naoto Kozuki's kid brother.

Alas, both of his chief lieutenants were in Narita already, setting up for what they believed would be a hit-and-run on the local garrison that lined up with Lelouch's planned "assault" on the military agricultural complex. In reality, they'd be the Black Knight's first feet on the ground when the battle for Saitama began, catching the Britannians off guard and hopefully prevent them from taking any civilian lives. Partially due to the Narita ghetto's notoriously abysmal standard of living -where electricity was almost unheard of, let alone phones- and also because they didn't want to risk tipping off the Britannian military personnel Lelouch knew for a fact had be monitoring the city for resistance radio signals, they'd largely gone dark. The only feedback BK headquarters got that they were okay

Inoue was there as well... more or less. From her reaction to his death, it was clear herself and Sugiyama had been in some manner of relationship. She certainly hadn't taken his passing well, and it showed. There were bags under her eyes, and her hair was slightly unkempt. Occasionally a long period would pass where noone was sure where she was before she reappeared and threw herself into the work. Minami and Yoshida were supposedly checking up on her, assuring everyone that everything was fine.

On the center of the table was a phone. A corded phone that didn't look out of place in any Britannian boardroom. The faint static that issued from the speaker was the only indication that there was someone elsewhere dialed into the conversation.

Muted, onscreen, the talking heads babbled wordlessly to each other as a series of photos cycled over and over again. Each photo showed a highlight from the same scene, one that by now had been burned into the mind of every man, woman, and child in Area Eleven by the constant media attention. Jeremiah and Suzaku shaking hands. Suzaku talking with Euphie. Suzaku kneeling before Euphie. Another one of the same scene from another angle. This time with Jeremiah in the frame, undeniably red in the face.

Somehow, Suzaku of all people had showed up at a Purist rally, and Euphie of all people had been the one to bail him out. Needless to say, the incident was an utter embarrassment to everyone involved, and before long someone would likely end up getting the ax for it.

The media's speculated reasons for Suzaku's appearance at the rally were all rather contradictory. Some said that it was Princess Euphemia's way of extending an olive branch to the Numbers smart enough to bend the knee to the Empire. Others said it was some sort of power play by the Purists, letting a Number make their point for them with how jarringly out of place he was among the elite. One part of the narrative was consistent: that the stunt was entirely planned out in advance, and that everything was fine.

And that of course meant that couldn't be any farther from the truth. Lelouch's own experience with everyone in that clip confirmed it. Which is why he was having this meeting: to put the screws to the man he knew was behind it all.

"I would very much appreciate it," he drawled. "If you would explain to me how this happened."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, a chuckle came over the phone.

"Are you surprised?" The smooth voice on the other end of the line sounded rather pleased with himself. "I wasn't expecting to work out so well myself. My staff had articles ready to print before their meeting was even over. It was no issue at all getting the incident coverage all over the Area before the Palace could even consider sending out a gag order for the story. I credit that to you, Zero. Unlike with Clovis, your exploits certainly keep us all on our toes-"

"That is not what I meant, Diethard," Lelouch cut the voice off. The newsman might be proud of his handiwork, but Lelouch certainly wasn't. He didn't want Suzaku to gain any ties that would cause him to gravitate more towards Britannia than he already was. He especially didn't want him spending time with Euphie. On the other hand, the enemies he'd no doubt also made by this debacle might even the scales. They might even make having to worry about his loyalties a non-issue.

Because he didn't rule out the possibility Suzaku might abruptly turn up dead over this yet.

The other Black Knights in the room straightened in response to hearing the man's name. Even after Lelouch had already briefed them on who his source in the media was, they were stunned to be reminded that the head of Hi-TV was one of Zero's informants in the Viceroy's regime. It was something of a double power play on Lelouch's part. Diethard was pushing to join the Black Knight's leadership, and it was about time he reminded his skeptics of the reason they followed him. To both parties it appeared as if he were extending a gesture of trust, confiding in them one of his secrets.

"What I want to know," Yoshida cut in to address the phone, "Is how a Honorary Britannian was able to get into a meeting with the Sub-Viceroy in the first place."

"Yeah," Minami agreed. "If it was that easy to get a Japanese -as much as Kururugi counts as one- into a meeting with the military brass, shouldn't you have given us a heads up so we could have someone shoot up the place?"

"That sort of language I will not tolerate," Lelouch interjected firmly, asserting his authority and causing Minami to wilt significantly. "The Black Knights would never stoop so low as to conduct such a disgraceful act of pure terrorism."

"Naturally," Diethard agreed smoothly. Lelouch could practically hear the grin the man must be wearing on the other end of the line.

"That said," he continued as he ignored the newsman's thinly veiled sarcasm. "I do agree it's very interesting that a Honorary Britannian was able to apparently walk his way into what was effectively a meet-and-greet with the Sub-Viceroy herself. If, by chance, this was something less than an accident, I would have certainly wanted use an opening at dear Euphemia to further our cause in another way."

"Kururugi's intrusion was a shock to all of us," the newsman claimed. "I was already in position with my crew when he suddenly entered and threw off the script for the event. By the time you re-established contact with me, it was already over and the studio was already running with the footage."

"...I see," Lelouch eventually ground out after a moment. He was reasonably certain Diethard was lying. As if Jeremiah would approach the security of a Britannian princess with anything less than utmost attention to detail. It would either an act of gross incompetence frankly impossible for someone that Cornelia trusted with her sister's life... or someone on the inside smuggled Suzaku in to cause a scene.

The problem was, of course, the aggravating lack of actual proof. If Zero outright accused Diethard of lying, he only stood to damage his relationship with the newsman. The best case scenario of such a confrontation would just make Zero look even more like a fool who couldn't control his agents. In the worse case scenario, Diethard could just hang up the phone and reconsider his pledge of service to Zero entirely. The trick, therefore, lay in making his displeasure known without losing one of his pieces in the process.

"If I may be so bold Zero, I'm honestly shocked you aren't pleased with the outcome." He seemed honestly startled. Whether Diethard was behind Suzaku suddenly thrust into the eye of a political hurricane or not -and Lelouch was still leaning strongly towards yes-, he'd clearly expected his patron to commend him for taking action to smear the establishment during what was to be their return to power in the court of public opinion. "Gottwald's rally was already an inflammatory gesture towards the Ele- the Japanese on its own. Kururugi embarrassing Gottwald throws the establishment off balance by knocking down the leader they're struggling to rally behind. Doesn't the environment I've created present the perfect opportunity to strike?"

"Yes, but not on my terms," Lelouch clarified. "We have plans to take advantage of the rising tensions in the Settlement. Plans currently ongoing. To this end it was my intent to let the tensions simmer while before taking advantage of them in a way that causes the most uproar."

It was clear to anyone with eyes that Japan was a powder keg, ready to explode at the first spark. Lelouch had never been shy about his flair for the dramatic. He even liked to consider himself a master showman himself. To that end he'd cultivated this atmosphere specifically so he could be the one to set it off, with Cornelia directly beneath the fire when he showed her up at Narita. It would not do if the Area fell out of its barely-established status-quo prematurely and dulled the impact he was hoping to make in the public consciousness. But now...

"But now, I fear that the pressure might have prematurely blown, and that Kururugi will be the focal point of the Area's shock instead of the Black Knights." All that misplaced resentment and hope. How much would rub off on Suzaku now instead of its intended target? He frowned. "If I'd been consulted during or before this incident occurred, I would have had you kill this story, Diethard."

"...If that's what you would have ordered, then I sincerely regret not having done so." Everyone on the call -even those that didn't know Diethard as well as Lelouch knew him- sincerely doubted the newsman could be sincere about anything. "However, I must draw attention to the fact I had no way of contacting neither you nor any of the other Black Knights. When the incident happened the cameras were already rolling, and the other studios I knew would already be running with the story. By the time you reached out to me again the news cycle had already started."

Lelouch felt his teeth clench as a few glances were sent his way. Damn, it. That was unfortunately true. Lelouch had been careful to isolate Diethard from the rest of the Black Knights, always being the one to reach out to the newsman first and always contacting him from a private number. He'd wanted to avoid a situation much like the one in the original timeline, where Diethard manipulated the Black Knights right under his nose "for Zero's benefit". In hindsight it was likely he'd been too careful.

What if Diethard had received crucial information and been unable to contact him? What if Lelouch himself was ever caught or killed? Where would the Black Knights have been then? Those were the thoughts running through both his and no doubt the others' minds right now. His successes had made him overconfident in his ability to manage both a dangerous man and an ever-changing situation. And it seemed this time the other Black Knights had noticed this.

"I assure you the precautions I've taken in contacting my agents is for the purpose of protecting their identities," he half-lied, running damage control. "It was not out of distrust, Diethard."

"...I understand." The man's voice was level, making it difficult to determine whether he believed him or not.

"This unpleasantness aside, you have proven yourself a capable agent. And by spreading this information, you've shown once again you are no friend to Britannia. You needn't worry about being unable to contact me any further, as you'll be working far more closely with not only myself... but our fellow Black Knights as well..."

"Our? Ah! That means-!?" the levelness was gone from Diethard's voice, replaced again by that exuberant joy he displayed whenever he was praised by Zero.

"Yes. I see no reason to delay your induction any further. Welcome to the Black Knights, Mr. Reid," Lelouch finished, even as the other Black Knights showed varying degrees of discomfort as their leader effectively made a full-blooded Britannian a member. No one outright protested, as he'd briefed them on the choice he'd made before initiating the call. It wouldn't do to plant ideas in Diethard's head. No sense in advertising that there were divides in the ranks he could exploit, or that Zero wasn't the all-powerful figure he led people to believe he was.

"Ah! Thank you, Zero!" the man gushed into the phone, his joy plain to hear. Any traces of his earlier shock and trepidation gone.

For the next few minutes, Lelouch laid down procedure for contacting the other Black Knights, introductions, and a rundown of some of the responsibilities the TV man would have as part of the organization's command. A few times, Lelouch had to force the man to slow down in order to answer his questions as he greedily devoured information.

Yes, Diethard had the potential to be very useful to Lelouch. He was a rare blend of competent and eager to please. He was also totally and utterly amoral, willing to stoop to any low to accomplish his goals.

But he was also ambitious. And that made him very, very dangerous. Diethard's sole goal in life seemed to be to take part in shaping an event of historic importance. In Zero, he had found his idol, a larger than life figure to revere and serve.

...While he was popular, that is.

Lelouch had made the mistake of believing that because Diethard wanted to foster the legend of Zero, he could count on the man's loyalty and accurately predict his actions. He had the benefit of future experience this time around. For as helpful as the man could be, no matter how much he insisted he wished only to document history, his true goal was to create history.

That meant he was willing to take matters into his own hands. Lie, cheat, and manipulate for Zero... and if necessary lie, cheat, and manipulate Zero. It had been Diethard that secretly hired Sayoko as an undercover agent at Ashford without informing him, eventually using her as his personal assassin in an attempt to eliminate Ohgi and Viletta. He'd subtly manipulated Kallen into trying to assassinate Suzaku in a suicide mission Lelouch had only thwarted by chance of being her classmate. And when the Black Knights betrayed him in the last timeline Diethard had been there right along side them, with a camera to stick in Zero's face as he faced a near-death by firing squad. And although he expressed some small degree of regret that the legend of Zero came to an anticlimactic end, he certainly didn't lose any sleep before he threw himself wholeheartedly behind Schniezel's plan to use Damocles to rule the world through fear.

Already he'd started taking "liberties" to better be in a position to aid Zero. For Lelouch had nothing to do with the frame-up that saw Diethard's former boss arrested while he took up his role as head of Hi-TV. And now this, an incident that jeopardized the life of Suzaku? One that also pushed the Britannians and Numbers closer to all-out war, and put pressure on Lelouch so that he let the newsman into the organization proper?

Yes, Diethard might have gotten what he wanted today. He might have even made Lelouch eat crow in front of his detractors in response to locking him out of the loop. But if he thought he was going to play his little games with impunity and not get caught, he was in for a surprise.

Time passed, and finally Diethard was introduced to his colleagues and briefed on his duties. Once more, he would become the head of espionage within the Black Knights. While Lelouch continued to juggle his double life at Ashford, Diethard would take over the Black Knight's transition to a cell-based structure full-time. He'd ensure the organization would continue to run smoothly as well as cultivate his own spy ring to assist the BK in its intelligence gathering. Although the assembled officers were surprised to hear that there might not be a point to doing so, as Diethard explained how extensively he'd taken control of Hi-TV from within.

"I must say, this cell-based structure is quite genius Zero," the newsman explained after being sent a copy of the organizational plan. "I don't think I could have done better myself."

Lelouch said nothing, and only smiled under his mask. He certainly earned a few more points with Diethard tonight, and he had the man himself to thank. His future self, that was.

Eventually, however, discussion once again returned to the matter of dealing with the fallout of the rally.

"Sooo..." Minami finally spoke up, drumming his fingers on the table. "What do we do about Kururugi?"

"Indeed, what do we do about Kururugi?" Diethard repeated as he mulled it over. Lelouch frowned. He already knew where this was going. "I recommend we-"

-"Leave worrying about Kururugi to me," he cut in swiftly.

Every head at the table turned to face him. Even Inoue briefly ceased attempting to burn a hole into the wall with her stare to fix him with a look.

"Zero," Diethard began. "As you said, Kururugi is the focus of the Area's attention right now. His prostration before Gottwald and his oath of fealty before Euphemia might result in him becoming a symbol glorifying submission to Britannia. It might be prudent to-!"

"No." His answer was short and simple, but Lelouch's voice did not waver in the slightest. His answer gave not a hint of uncertainty nor willingness to budge. "How quickly is it you all forget that this group's debut was to rescue Kururugi from unjust punishment? What message would it send for us kill that very man because of a threat he might pose, stemming from an accident over which no one had any control?"

Diethard went silent.

Lelouch rose from his seat to tower over all who were still seated. "I hear and understand your concerns, but on this point I shall not budge. Until such a time comes where he is confirmed a threat, I will hear no more talk of violence against him." He swept his arm to the side in a flourish as if he were casting geass. "As Supreme Commander of the Black Knights, I hereby order you all not to lay a hand on Kururugi, nor by action or inaction allow him to be harmed by another."

"...Understood," was the consensus around the room in response to their commander's proclamation. He didn't even have to use geass.

"We will talk later, Diethard. Until then, the our remaining business to that cannot be discussed over the phone."

"I understand. Goodnight, Zero. I look forward to serving you."

"Goodnight Diethard," Lelouch replied as he disconnected the call. The conference room was silent for a few moments.

It was Inoue that broke the silence. "...I don't trust that guy."

"Nor do I," Lelouch agreed as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. "Regardless, he is still a valuable piece. It would be foolish to not make use of his talents because he happens to be a Britannian."

"...So, is that the same for all of your informants, Zero?" Sugiyama spoke up.

"...Hm?"

"Are all of your agents people close to the Viceroy?" he gave his leader an inscrutable look. "Because if that's the case, I don't know why you don't just have her killed."

For a moment Lelouch considered reiterating the point about the Black Knights not being in the business of terrorism. But honestly? If anyone in Japan was deserving of an assassination, it was Cornelia. The train of thought momentarily amused him.

Yet he found himself frowning. He didn't like the tone the man was taking with him. "Despite what misconceptions you might have, I regrettably must inform you all that ordering the assassination an Imperial Viceroy is not as easy as a phone call."

Actually, it would be. Assuming he were ever so inclined to go that route. But the opportunities he'd have to sacrifice to go that route wouldn't be worth it not at this time at least. Taking that option would likely be a last resort. No need to hurry to a disadvantage.

"But it's true though?" the man pressed. "That you've got people in the Palace. Powerful people, like Ried?"

"...My agents are very well connected, yes."

This wasn't good. He didn't like being pushed on the identity of his other informants. Particularly because apart from Diethard, the resources he could call on currently were technically nonexistent. His other source of information wasn't consciously aware that he was helping his mistress' greatest enemy, and the ways he could contact him were intentionally limited in order to protect his identity. Even if Lelouch told the group who he was, there was simply no way the BK would believe him.

Same with Jeremiah. Jeremiah would likely switch sides the moment Lelouch revealed his identity. But what made him so useful as a "sleeper agent" was the fact he was totally free of suspicion of treason. He was genuinely Loyal both to Britannia and to his Purist agenda. If Lelouch revealed he, Empress Marianne's son, was fighting for the other side, he would likely tone down his rhetoric or hesitate against Zero. Even if it were only a subconscious hesitation as he played the part of a loyal officer, even the slightest change might be picked up by an agent of the Emperor. Or arguably worse... Mao.

"Then tell us," Minami continued to protest. "Tell us their names. If you have people in contact with the heads of the regime, then I'm sure we could figure out a way to use them together."

"Yeah!" Yoshida chimed in in agreement. "Maybe we could barter them to Kyoto for support."

"I'm afraid that wouldn't work," Lelouch shook his head. "Kyoto already has its own network of spies-"

"-Is this another mysterious leak from your spies?" Inoue chimed in. All three of the Black Knights were now ganging up on Zero. It was an uncomfortable position, and the abruptness of it surprised Lelouch. He began to wonder if all three of them had agreed to press him beforehand, and the damage Diethard had done to his clairvoyant facade had just given them the excuse they needed to spring it on him.

"No. Rather, it's a reasonable deduction." He spoke calmly, betraying none of growing consternation. "Kyoto supports the resistance efforts of the Japanese with both financial and strategic support do they not? Well, how would they acquire access to the past and current Viceroy's plans if someone on the inside wasn't passing on information? Is it truly so hard to believe that we both have spies in the government?"

Inoue looked away, mollified. She seemed almost eager to catch Zero in a bind. Eager enough to press for information on every perceived opening, no matter how flimsy.

"To clarify my response, Yoshida, it's easy to surmise that Kyoto has its own agents planted in the government. Therefore offering the services of my agents wouldn't offer as much bargaining power as you expect. It's more likely they'd demand I transfer my agents over to their capable hands. That, or they'd demand their names as a "show of trust" like you are now. Then, there would be nothing stopping them from simply approaching my agents on their own and buying them off so that they'd answer solely to Kyoto, cutting out the middle man."

Minami opened his mouth and looked like he wanted to protest the point, but after a moment's consideration shut his mouth again. Yes, as much as some would like to pretend the Japanese were "all in this together" to fight Britannia, there was simply no denying the competition between resistance groups was very real. Groups attacked or tried to steal men and resources from each other more frequently than any Japanese would probably like to admit. One needed only look at that fake JLF fiasco the BK were almost dragged into for an example.

There were only so many resources to go around, only so much the Resistances could stock up on gear or coordinate with each other before Britannia caught on. And that was where Kyoto came in, to manage the disbursement of those resources. To be the final voice that ultimately decided who got the last shipment of AK-47s to bolster their planned attack on a police station, and whose call for support in the final defense of their last hideout went unanswered.

"We currently have Kyoto's favor, but that could easily change if the BK gave up a crucial advantage that made them indispensable. Or acted in poor faith by trying to force Kyoto's cooperation. Even, assuming that Kyoto played ball after learning of my sources, who's to say there aren't leaks in Kyoto's ranks, or that something might not happen to the group in the future that caused the information to get back to the Britannians? I'm sorry, but revealing my sources to an outside group is not a risk I'm willing to make."

Yoshida deflated. He also didn't seem to like imagining the scenario Zero painted. But he didn't seem satisfied, per se. More like he realized he wasn't going to get any further in questioning Zero by continuing down this avenue and was therefore conceding the point.

It was now that Lelouch went back on the offensive in this impromptu three-on-one. "I get the impression this isn't solely about how I get my information." His gaze swept out over the room, over the three suddenly sheepish officers. "I was under the impression you were all more or less satisfied with my leadership after I delivered to you the Black King. As of late, however, I'm getting the impression that you've been dissatisfied with something beyond this... miscommunication with Diethard. If you have a concern, the time to air it is now."

The trio bore a striking resemblance to a group of children with their hands caught in the cookie jar as he called them out. They way they froze up or suddenly averted their gazes as they were called on their hostility.

It was Minami that broke the silence. "It's not that you haven't delivered, Zero..." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "I don't think that anyone could argue what the Black Knights have done is anything short of incredible. Miraculous even. But..."

Lelouch was reminded of an old saying: "Nothing said before the word 'but' counted for anything."

"But... How can we fully trust you when we still don't know who you are?"

"...Ah."

"And as to your agents," Yoshida added, leaning forward. "Can you guarantee another one of them won't make a bad call because they couldn't reach you again?"

'That won't happen,' Lelouch wanted to say, but he knew he couldn't. That would only invite the question of how he was so sure, and without revealing the secret of his geass whatever excuse he made would only make him sound conceited.

In fact, he was growing increasingly tempted to just use his geass and end this discontent before it could cause any trouble down the line. So very tempted...

"You like to play your cards close to your chest, and to a degree I can respect that. But I'm sorry. After today, and..." He paused and spared glance for the others at the table. Curious. "...Well, that approach isn't going to cut it anymore. If you expect us to follow you, you need to be straight with us. Who are you? Who do you have working for you, and how are you keeping them in line?"

"...I see." Lelouch folded his hands. So, we were at this point already? The Black Knights wanted to know who he was. Granted, failing to reveal to the Black Knights the truth of his identity had been what had ultimately cost him their loyalty at the end, but that was because it was a secret he had no way of predicting how they'd react to. Considering the way he could bend Britannian authorities seemingly to his whims it was unlikely they'd buy him being Lelouch the high school student. But Lelouch vi Britannia, the prince in exile? Yes, he could see them believing he had the power and resources to pull being Zero off.

He could also see them reacting violently to the revelation.

The way Schneizel was able to turn them against him with the revelation of his identity was proof he'd been right to not trust them with the secret. He thought of Kallen and Ohgi again.

'Or... Maybe not,' he supposed. Yes, he had good reason to keep his identity hidden. But not being able to fully trust the Black Knights also meant that -with the exception of diehard loyalists like Tamaki and Kallen- he couldn't realistically expect them to fully trust him either. If he'd slowly dropped hints, eased them into the revelation, gave them some assurance he couldn't just betray them...

The silence had dragged on while he'd contemplated his next move. The way each of the Black Knights had responded differed slightly. Inoue, still not quite all there, was unreadable. Minami was leaning forward, impatiently looking to see how he'd respond. Finally Yoshida seemed to be slowly breaking down under the pressure, growing more nervous the longer it took Zero to respond.

"...Maybe this is a discussion for another time?" he said as he abruptly rose from his seat. "We do have that demonstration for the new recruits tonight we told everyone to attend. Maybe another time we could-"

"-It's fine," Minami cut him off. "Ohgi trusts him. We owe them both enough to just ask and see what Zero says."

"But after we last talked-!"

"It's fine," sounding more like a leader, raising a hand to cut the other man off and let him know this was final. "We'll hear what Zero has to say."

'Wait, Ohgi did what?' Lelouch thought. He glad he had his mask on. It hid his expression of surprise from the rest of the Black Knights. Were Ohgi and the others talking about him behind his back? If so, this situation had the potential to cause trouble.

Lelouch doubted that Ohgi was the instigator of all this doubt. Like Kallen and Tamaki, he'd been one of Zero's biggest supporters in the Pre-Black Rebellion days. But he was reminded of how constrained he had seemed during their last few phone calls and meetings. The way he'd told him there was trouble brewing before suddenly faltering. If the other officers were secretly making noise and casting doubt on Zero behind his back, his strange behavior suddenly made all to much sense.

While he did make a decent manager, there was no denying the man had always been somewhat lacking when it came to having a spine. These three had been members of Naoto Kozuki's original resistance cell. If they leveraged that emotional attachment against him, pressured him, especially if they ganged up on him all at once... He could see the peer pressure damaging his faith in Zero by proxy.

He once more lamented how the man was already in Narita, beyond his ability for the time being to contact or confront.

...And just like that, an idea began to take form.

"Very well!" he declared, making everyone jump with the abruptness of the statement. "If it will put your minds at ease, I will reveal my secrets..."

The BK's eyes collectively widened as they collectively leaned forward in anticipation, their eyes all locked with where they imagined Zero's to be under his mask ! Almost unconsciously the power of geass began to gather in Lelouch left eye, practically begging him to put this to rest here and now.

"...Soon."

...But no. The power faded away again, at the same time as the trio deflated. Just as quickly their expressions began to turn hostile, and Minami opened his mouth no doubt to deliver a scathing remark.

But Lelouch held his hands up in an appeasing gesture.

"Please, comrades. I beg you, patience. What little patience you can still spare for my admitted secretiveness, use it for me now. I can see now how despite my best efforts to contrary, my insistence on keeping my methods to myself has eroded your faith in me. And you're right. How long has it been since we began this struggle? How can I expect you to have faith in myself and my informants when you don't know don't know who we are? I hear your pleas, and I will answer them. But I must ask for just a little more time."

"...Why?"

"The story of myself and my agents is a long and complicated one, one that would be best told firsthand by my agents themselves. Alas, they, like our comrades in Narita, are beyond my ability to contact. They are dealing with the fallout of the Purists' rally, and cannot so easily pry themselves away from the inner sanctum of the Viceroy to heed my call without drawing my attention."

"So, how long would it to get them to come here?" Yoshida seemed interested, but at the same time sounded almost... resigned? Like he could already tell what Zero was going to say next.

"After our operations in Shibayama, are complete at the earliest. An attack outside the Settlement should give them reasonable enough an excuse to pull themselves from the Viceroy's grasp without drawing her attention. Ostensibly to investigate our attack, but in reality to return to me and provide you with evidence of their loyalty."

"Does it have to be after Narita?" Yoshida pressed further. "Couldn't you just tell us who they are now, or you know... Just take the mask off?"

Lelouch had to fight to keep the smile out of his voice when next he spoke. "Ah, ah," he chided, raising a finger. "Have you forgotten about Izumi? And Ohgi, whom we both respect and trust so?"

He could see it in their faces as they faltered, as he turned their talk of trust back on them.

"Both men are away in Narita, as impossible to reach without drawing the attention of the Britannians, just like my agents. I will gladly reveal my secrets to you... but I ask you: what of them? Is it fair that I share my identity with you before I share it with them? Would it not be misconstrued as disrespectful? For me to entrust them with an integral part of our operation without my direct supervision, yet only reveal myself to those whom I will personally lead? For their sake, at least, I ask you to wait until after we are together again aftermath of our victory there. There, I will reward you with proof of my sincerity. If not my identity, then with something just as valuable: my spies in the government."

There was silence in the conference hall, as his words sunk in. This clearly hadn't been the answer the trio had wanted. It could even have been the answer the trio had been afraid of getting. Despite that, the masked man's silver tongue seemed to have made an impression as they sent uneasy glances at each other, seeming uncertain of what to do next. Lelouch had the distinct feeling they wanted to discuss this with each other further, but were afraid to while Zero was within earshot.

Finally, Minami spoke up after a final glance at his compatriots. "... Alright, Zero." He relented. "It's not what we wanted, but I have to admit your argument was a lot better than I expected. We've got a bit to talk about now."

Yoshida nodded. "Alright. We'll table this talk... Until after Narita."

Inoue, as usual, was silent.

"Alright then," Lelouch smiled. "I am pleased we were able to come to an accord. With no further business to discuss, this meeting is adjourned."

He rose from his seat, and the rest followed suit and saluted. With varying degrees of hesitation.

Lelouch's walk through the halls of the Black Knights' stronghold was relatively quiet. After a final flurry of rushed activity to prepare for their upcoming assault, the work was finally largely done. Cars were loaded, rifles and ammunition had been distributed to the units, and arrangements had been solidified both with Kyoto and Zero's men on the inside to allow them safe passage all the way to Shibayama, where they would -ostensibly- pull their attack on the agricultural center. Morale was high, and there were more than a few Black Knights that had nothing to do. Lelouch determined that now was the perfect time therefore to arrange a little... demonstration.

His walk to where he'd ordered the rank-and-file to assemble was silent and uneventful, which was just how he liked it. A welcome break indeed from the impromptu verbal bullet-dodging he'd suddenly been struck with in the meeting. The trio had been slow to follow him out of the room, no doubt so they had an excuse to talk without him around. That was a headache wasn't eager at all to deal with.

Nevertheless, he was convinced the impassioned pleas and lies he'd spun up on the spot had bought him some time. Time to either to pick -or create- agents to reveal to the Black Knight leadership to assuage their doubts... Or just geass them all and be done with it. An option that wasn't quite off the table yet.

He was growing increasingly frustrated with the constant struggle to show his sincerity to his supposed officers he was as powerful and dedicated to fighting Britannia as he said he was. He couldn't just get rid of them, because that would alienate the original members, especially Ohgi and Kallen. Geassing them into willingly going along with whatever Zero said was tempting, and it was only what remained of the morality he was trying to salvage this time around that kept him from outright doing it.

As easy as it was, he'd never liked using geass to permanently strip away a person's free will. It fundamentally sickened him, in fact. What made a person a person, if not their ability to exert their freedom of choice. In his eyes, robbing someone of their free will was no different from killing them. Their bodies continued to function, but that fundamental spark that made them human burnt out forever.

Before Jeremiah joined him, whenever he was forced to rob someone of their free will for more than a single order or conditional trigger, he made sure they were people he would have killed anyway. That or he made sure they died in short order after fulfilling his orders, in order not to linger in that horrifying state.

With the exception of a certain drug dealing lord and his gangster underlings. He'd been in a... dark place at the time. They probably deserved hell, anyway.

After Jeremiah joined him and he learned of the existence of Geass Cancelers, he became more liberal with the use of the power, practically enslaving Pendragon and a good portion of the Britannian military directly to his will. For the Zero Requiem to work, he needed both the full cooperation of Britannia to accomplish his goals, while simultaneously focusing the enmity and hate of the other side solely on his shoulders. The Black Knights, already paranoid over his power, would understand that the Britannians had only followed him either out of fear or because they were under his spell, and therefore would not hold them responsible for their own actions. After the Requiem, he'd planned on having Jeremiah remove his Geass power from the survivors using his Canceler, absolving them of any guilt and allowing them to serve in the new world. Who knew how that would have turned out now with the timeline reset.

Nonetheless, a permanent solution needed to be found. He couldn't continue to one-up himself in an effort to prove himself to a minority in his own ranks. And so he'd wait, he'd bide his time, and when the time was right he'd make the move that benefited the most. And if no alternative that convinced them to put their utmost faith in Zero could be found...

"Ah! It's Zero!" a voice exclaimed.

Lelouch looked him from his silent musing. A group of young new recruits were also making their way to the meeting room, just in the nick of time. They all looked at him with faces that made no effort to conceal their awe and admiration for their masked leader. They stopped walking to greet him with brisk salutes, and he could admit it validated him.

For while the trio and their cohorts might doubt him, to Kallen and the rank-and-file Zero was beyond reproach. "The new Miracle Worker" some were taking to calling him. That way of thinking was gratifying, but blind faith came with as many drawbacks as constant distrust. As he led these men into battle and imparted tonight's lesson upon them, it was his hope he could reaffirm their faith, but at the same time keep them down to earth.

His destination finally reached, he strode into the auditorium with a purposeful stride. The assembled knights immediately rose from their seats and saluted with varying degrees of enthusiasm. They were a varied lot. Officers, veterans, and recruits. All grouped together in accordance with the new command structure. Recruits mixed here and there with veterans, with officers from the original two groups serving as leaders for each unit in an effort to promote cooperation and break down barriers.

Tamaki was among them, having reserved a seat for himself in the front row. Lelouch had tasked him with the "crucial task" of gathering the attendees together, really a ploy to keep him out of the meeting. First because he likely had nothing to contribute, and second because he didn't trust the loudmouth around Diethard without mouthing off and making Zero look worse. He stood tall with the rest of them, all hoping for Zero's approval.

And indeed under his helmet Lelouch's lips quirked upwards in silent approval. Efforts to turn the Black Knights into a professional force were progressing well, and that included drilling into them at least a bare-bones sense of paramilitary discipline. They'd need it to impress the JLF when they met, after all.

"At ease," he said finally after pausing a moment to survey the assembled forces. And for dramatic effect, of course.

As the Black Knights sat back down in their seats, Lelouch marched to the front of the room. The wall was partially covered in complex machinery and computers, the other half was covered in screens. The screens all offered different perspectives of the same scene. Squads of knightmares, quickly and quietly moving through an abandoned city, the rumbling of their landspinners the only sound in the mid morning gloom. It was eerie, how quiet it was. No cars, no people, not even an insect to be found in any of the perfectly clean, even streets.

"How are they progressing?" Lelouch asked as he glanced over the technicians, a trio of young women reading the technical information off the computers.

"Twenty minutes into the mission," the first girl reported, her purple hair cascading down her shoulders. To speed things along, Lelouch had called the invited Black Knights together a few minutes after the mission being broadcast had actually started. In another part of the building, the knightmare division of the BK were conducting a round of practice drills on the simulators. Lelouch had invited the rest of the BK to watch.

"The Pursuer Unit spotted the main group ten minutes in," one of her partners chimed in, her glasses sitting low on the bridge of her nose even as she refused to take her eyes off the screen. "Squads have currently split up in an effort to flee, as per your direction."

Lelouch nodded, satisfied. Currently, the mission seemed to be going as well as could be expected. However, the agitation of the pilots on screen was obvious. Here and there the view of a camera would shift from the rest of that squad to behind it as the pilot checked over his shoulder for pursuers. Some groups moved with less grace than others, foregoing formation or stealth in the interest of travelling faster. That would do no good against this foe, Lelouch knew. And the same could be said for those that had drawn themselves close together in formation, each squad member practically back-to-back with each other in an effort to see the attack coming.

This was not a foe that could be outfought or outrun, only avoided. At all costs.

The silence from the audience was testament to how seriously everyone was taking what was being shown them. Most eyes were glued to the screen. Some in awe at the sight of the knightmares they'd no doubt heard before hand the BK possessed, clearly too dumbstruck to be taking anything of use from it other than a spectacle to gawk at. Thankfully more still were picking up on the cues, the shows of tension in the pilot's behavior that suggested things were not quite right, and were clearly taking mental notes. And... A few Black Knight officers glancing over at Zero, looking back at the screen when his mirrored face-plate clearly swiveled to focus on them. Odd, but then again, they'd seen this before. Could tell what was coming.

Lelouch was indeed proud of what they'd accomplished here. How everyone was making an effort to match the standards Zero had set for them, and become a part of the organization instead of setting to be spectators in the mounting war for Japan. It was a sign of how much a symbol of hope the BK were to these people, how seriously they took being here-!

Snap! Ssss!

Telltale snap of a soda can opening might as well have been as loud as a gunshot in the silent auditorium. All heads turned towards the direction of the sound, towards the front rows where a certain officer and his squad sat. Lelouch fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

From the front row, Tamaki looked around, saw the looks, and blanched.

"What..." Lelouch drawled, the voice changer in his mask causing the words to come out in a deep rumble. He inclined his head minutely in the direction of Tamaki's hand. "...Is that?"

Having at least the decency to look sheepish, Tamaki raised his hands, showing the can of Kokka Kola and bag of chips he was carrying.

"Just getting comfortable Zero, s'all," he halfheartedly explained, looking sheepish that he'd been caught. A few snickers came from the crowd.

"You do understand this was clearly stated to be a learning experience, correct?"

"Just didn't see any harm setting in for the show," said as he Tamaki explained his reasoning, with the casualness only he could show. "Thought I'd enjoy watching the fireworks go off. I mean, we already know what's going to happen. "

"Do you? Because I know I don't." A man a few rows back stood up. "I haven't the slightest clue what's going on, and I for one want to find out."

A few voices voiced assent, growing louder as they each tried to be heard.

"Enough." The sound of Zero's voice alone was enough to plunge the room back into silence, everyone turning to see what their mysterious leader had to say. "Each of you was called here tonight for a reason. A reason that will soon become clear to those of you whom are not yet aware of it." He turned his gaze pointedly back in Tamaki's direction. "And I expect those of you who have already deduced that purpose to treat the situation with the gravity and respect it demands. Not for my sake, but out of respect for our comrades."

"Y-yeah..." Tamaki chuckled sheepishly and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

But Lelouch wasn't done. "And that goes especially to those I would consider my officers." Tamaki was doing his best to sink flat into his chair like a deflating balloon.

"Zero-sama." The third technician looked up from her screen and raised her hand, causing the beads in her hair to rattle. Lelouch leaned over to see what she was indicating on her screen. The map of the city revealed... ah.

"I see." He nodded. "Bring them up on the main screen." The technicians nodded and

"As long as there will be no further distractions," Lelouch said as he headed to the center of the room. "Then we may begin. Thank you all for coming."

A recruit timidly raised her hand in the third row back, catching her leader's attention.

"Hm?"

"Zero, Sir?" the young woman asked as she rose from her seat into the light. Lelouch blinked with momentary surprise as he got a better look at her. She didn't look much younger than himself. Had the war never happened, she'd probably be a first year in high school right now. As their current situation stood, it was probably for the best that she was here learning to fight for Japan rather than be out on the streets, doing any number of unscrupulous things to get by.

His mind flashed, unbidden, to Shiho Kozuki. Eyes like trapped animal's, stabbing the syringe of poison, deep into the meat of her arm, unable to find a vein in the darkness of the container-

He shook his head and returned to the task at hand.

"Go ahead, recruit."

"What is the reason we're watching this?" she asked. "You haven't told us anything about why we were called out of our regular training early." A few voices in the crowd voiced agreement with her. Those who'd been wondering the same thing, but had been too intimidated by Zero to say it.

The young girl's face perked up. "Are... are we going to go next? Are we going to get a go at the simulators again?" There was some momentary excitement in the crowd before officers shushed them.

"Silence! Don't you know to show respect to Zero!?" Tamaki in particular roared above the other officers, in a transparent effort to compensate for his embarrassment. Unseen by everyone, Lelouch rolled his eyes under his mask. A moment later order was restored, though hopeful expressions remained on the gathered faces.

Not every single one of the Black Knights was selected to pilot a knightmare. Some simply didn't have the aptitude for it. Some simply weren't good enough on the simulators to justify giving them one when there were only so many to go around. And there were some whose skills lay in areas other than knightmare combat, so much that putting them in a giant robot was a waste of resources. And the Black Knights always needed foot-soldiers in addition to pilots.

The knightmares the Black Knights possess had already been allotted and distributed among the highest rated pilots for the planned battle of Narita. Needless to say, there were many people who were dejected to learn they wouldn't be a pilot.

"I'm afraid not," Lelouch responded, earning him some dejected, pleading looks.

He knew every single member of those three groups gathered here tonight badly, desperately wanted another go at the knightmares. Lelouch sighed. The knightmare, to both the Empire and the lands it conquered, was a symbol of power. An invincible death machine that for years inexorably crushed the conquerors' foes under their wheels. To march into battle with one at your side was more than a combat advantage, it was a show of power. To show you'd taken a piece of Britannia's power and could wield it against it. The Shinjuku Resistance's Glasgow had been a powerful symbol to the group on its own. The way groups like the JLF and the Black Knights could command entire squads of knightmares made them seem divinely blessed, in more radical circles.

And that was a dangerous mindset to build the groups' morale on, one that could lead to overconfidence and carelessness at a crucial moment. A foundation that could quickly crumble away after a defeat, when it became clear that having knightmares didn't make you invincible after all...

"We are, however, going to be observing a simulation." A few heads perked back up, hopeful. The poor fools. "Those of you who've just joined us from other groups, and those of you who might still believe that controlling the most knightmares is the key to victory, I do believe you will find this demonstration... Enlightening."

...And that was why Lelouch had arranged this little demonstration tonight. Better to eviscerate whatever misconceptions they might hold now rather than out in the field.

As if on cue the view on the screens behind Zero changed, focusing in on one squad in particular. The knightmares moved quickly, only ever stopping to descend the side of a broken building or cut a turn into an alleyway.

"Is she still behind us?" one asked, glancing over his shoulder as the squad continued down the highway. The speakers broadcast his words to the assembled Black Knights, while the display above his head identified him as 'P-3'

"If she is, you move slower when you're glancing over your shoulder like that," his friend, P-4 responded. P-3 immediately snapped his head forward and accelerated, pulling ahead.

"If we lost her, we're wasting time cutting down these sidestreets." P-4 inspected his rifle, ensuring he had a full clip. "We should hop on the main highway and make a beeline straight for the evac site."

"Baka," P-2 grunted as he adjusted his "rocket launcher" which was more like a cannon the side of a city bus over his shoulder. "If we've lost her, she's gonna be watching for something like that. We'd be too visible. Too much open air up there."

A few faces in the crowd sobered up, the Shinjuku resistance members especially. They could deduce already who "she" was, and what this simulation must be. A few others must have been friends with pilots in the BK knightmare corps, and therefore had already heard of how this particular exercise was now considered infamous among their ranks. Ah, well. That would likely dull the surprise of it a bit, but still seeing it in action firsthand...

'She's taking her time during this round,' Lelouch mused. Usually the group's pursuer was more... aggressive than this. Indeed, things had been uneventful so far to the point he'd almost begun to suspect that she intended to give the pilots this round as a freebie, to lure them into a false sense of security or leave them stewing in dread. It wouldn't serve the purpose had in mind for this exercise, but it would have been a clever use of original thinking on her part. Those were things he was looking forward very much to cultivating in her.

A glance at the technicians' screens, showing the POV from a camera the rest of the audience had not been shown, made clear this was not the case. The pilot of that knightmare watched the heat signatures of her targets as they drew closer to her hiding spot, until-!

On the main screen the front of the parking garage on the side of the street opposite the squad burst outwards, sending chunks of debris tumbling to the street.

"Shit! She's here!" P-3 shouted as he leveled his rifle at the cloud of smoke, followed swiftly by his squad mates.

"What the hell is that?" another one of the recruits muttered, dumbstruck. This time, the man's neighbors didn't bother shushing him, each asking themselves the same question. Tamaki snickered.

A figure rose out of the dust and smoke pouring from the ruined garage, like the monster in some cheesy Britannian horror movie. It glided forward smoothly, easily, lacking the trademark shaking and rumbling of a regular knightmare. The newer members of the assembled BK were momentarily unsure what they were looking at, this frame slightly taller than the average Gloucester, it's chassis painted pure white. The veteran members' faces grew grim, as memories of an avoided, nonetheless terrifying close encounter rose back to the surface.

The knightmare simulators Kyoto gave them were useful machines, and had come with a variety of training missions and combat simulations already installed. When designing the machines the manufacturer also had the foresight to make it possible for the owner to install custom missions and modify the abilities of the virtual knightmares, to permit instructors to adjust training regimens for new tactics and knightmare upgrades that would come out afterwards.

Lelouch liked to call this one the "Lancelot Simulation".

The squad reorganized itself, setting into a fighting formation. P-2 with his cannon took up the rear, putting distance between himself and the opponent in order to line up an effective shot. P-3 and P-4 took up positions in front of P-2, crouching slightly to give the latter a better view to fire. In between the three of them was the leader, P-1, who was slightly better protected by his comrades in front while his own body protected the heavy artillery. Holding this formation, the group began rapidly rolling backwards while P-3 and P-4 pelted the knightmare with gunfire.

The "Lancelot" charged, clearing the distance with alarming speed as it sped out of the dust cloud, giving both the squad and the audience a clear view of their opponent. It wasn't a... perfect replacement of Britannia's soon-to-be-called "White Death". The developers left them many tools to customize the virtual frames, but even then they had no way of knowing how far along knightmare technology would abruptly progress in the few short years following the program's release. At least for the purpose of the exercise, the "Lancelot" was a virtual Glouchester model, recolored pure white. The color alone was already a distinctive look to get the idea across, to say nothing of the impression its abilities left.

The knightmare accelerated with abrupt swiftness, even greater than the speed a Glouchester could achieve compared to a Sutherland. Lelouch flinched along with the rest of the crowd. Even having seen it before, he was always impressed when it came to the power of his most tenacious enemy.

The pilot closed distance swiftly, juking and jerking irregularly around gunfire as it veered down the street towards its targets. Bullets sprayed wildly from three rifles, only occasionally landing a glancing blow. P-2 however, held off from taking a shot.

He knew that if he fired prematurely, he'd be dead before he got a chance to reload.

"Ohshitohshitohshit!" P-3 cursed as he sped up his retreat, leaving the formation open on his side as he created distance between himself and his team. P-1 was already barking orders for him to get back in formation, but it was too late. In that instant of vulnerability, with P-1 exposed and the group's attention split by P-3's panic, the Lancelot struck.

Brandishing it's "sword", a piece of virtual pipe recolored white with modded stats, it reached through the gap and smashed P-1's frame, causing it to disintegrate into a burst of bright red pixels. While the audience his squad mates were still reeling from the loss of their leader, however, P-2 took his shot.

In a display of pragmatism that impressed even Lelouch, P-2 shot between his comrades. In order to reach through the gap in the defense P-3 and P-4 had made with their bodies, Lancelot briefly overreached to cut in with its sword. While it was leaning forward carried by its momentum, P-2 fired back through the gap, cutting through the disintegrating body of his fallen comrade to strike not at where Lancelot was -for it would easily dodge out of the way- but where he predicted it would be.

In a fair world, the fight would end there. Despite attempts to brake, Lancelot would be carried forward as the explosive shell made contact with the pavement in front of it. The fireball that immediately burst outwards would engulf it as quickly as it did P-3 and P-4, removing all three from the simulation simultaneously.

This was not a fair world. And even now Lelouch considered the Lancelot to be the most unfair opponent he'd ever faced.

The Lancelot jumped. Instead of attempting to fight the momentum pushing the knightmare forward, the pilot used it to kick off the pavement and leap through the air. With borderline unnatural speed it soared over the explosion that engulfed P-3 and P-4 and made a beeline for P-2, who hadn't even taken his finger off the trigger yet.

"Nnnope," a voice came from the crowd.

Lelouch turned his attention back to the crowd as other voices offered up similar observations.

"Nope. No way something like that's even remotely real," a man in the second row muttered, idly shaking his head in disbelief.

"Of course it isn't. Haven't you heard of cheat codes?"

"No man," another grunted as he turned to look at the man. "You're new here, right? Well, I was at Shinjuku. I saw that monster firsthand. On my mother's grave as bad as the simulated version is, the real one is worse."

The simulated Lancelot indeed had some constraints. Even going into the code and boosting the abilities until it superficially performed similarly to the Guren, it wasn't a perfect replica. For example, it couldn't deflect bullets, do back flips, deliver flying kicks or fire laser beams. He resisted the urge to chuckle. No doubt, the developers thought those technological developments were total fantasy and didn't bother incorporating the potential for them into a military simulation. Even still...

His lips quirking upwards into a slight smile, he turned his attention back to the screens. By now the only display still shown belonged to the Lancelot, who was making a show of flicking P-2's imaginary blood off its "sword" as his avatar finished disintegrating a ways away. As predicted, he didn't live to attempt a second shot.

...His Ace Pilot was handling it exceptionally well.

"How are you even supposed to start killing something like that?"

"You don't," Tamaki answered, sparing Lelouch from having to answer himself. That response made quite a few people shut up. The man who'd first denied the Lancelot was real face went slack, then he snorted unconvinced. Still, he was watching the simulated battle with more intensity than before.

Its first group of victims eliminated, Lancelot shot off into the city in search of further targets, accelerating to maximum speed to showcase its power to the audience. As it shot through the city, the three technicians watched the map and screens to see who would be the next to fall. As the Lancelot chased down and fought the units, the girls split the screen. On one side, the POV of the Lancelot. The other, the myriad units that served as its unfortunate opponents.

Ignoring the awed stares and expressions of disbelief as BK screens winked out one-by-one, Lelouch folded his arms as he observed the pilots' performance on the computers. While one of his objectives for this gathering was to bring the recruits and grunts' expectations against the Lancelot down to realistic levels, it wasn't the only one. Despite the claims of some in the knightmare division that the Lancelot Simulation was some sort of punishment sim, it was meant to teach a lesson. It was time to see if they'd learned it. And most importantly, if Kallen had taught it well enough.

The Lancelot encountered several additional squads. Some squads tried to stand and fight, others tried to straight-up cut and run. Both met the same fate, as to be expected. However, Lelouch's interest lay with those groups that tried more... nuanced tactics.

One group scattered when confronted with the Lancelot, bringing down the sides of buildings and blocking alleyways to block the Lancelot's pursuit. These obstacles were but an inconvenience for the seventh gen knightmare, who either jumped over or simply climbed up the side of buildings to continue its pursuit. But the obstacle did manage to delay the chase long enough for several of the group to slip away into the ruins.

Another squad went a more self-sacrificing route. Several members formed a "rear guard" that stood to fight the Lancelot while the other members fled. There were also failures. Another squad rounded a corner and came across the fight, and before the leader could order the squad back another way while the Lancelot was distracted, one trigger happy grunt reflexively rose his rifle and fired on it. A few rounds pinged off its armor as it dispatched the last fighter, and immediately it shot towards the new squad and cut them down before the former's last pixels finished dissipating.

More impressive to Lelouch were the squads that managed to avoid the Lancelot entirely. Over fighting, some chose hiding in subways and broken buildings until it passed by. The evasion tactics others used allowed them to reach the border of the city and complete the mission before the Lancelot reached them.

All in all, roughly... less than half of the knightmares were destroyed by the Lancelot. Hm. Not as many as he'd hoped for, but the best he supposed could be expected.

The last squad of knightmares fleeing the city had the exit to the simulation in their sights. A few people in the audience pointlessly cheered them on, while others chuckled darkly or merely watched the other side of the screen in grim silence. Barreling around the corner before once again accelerating to full speed, the Lancelot barreled towards the final four.

"fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-!" the pack leader started muttering over the radio, panic clear in his voice. It was testament to the respect the Lancelot -even a poor virtual copy- commanded that everyone, pilots and audience alike, were taking the battle as seriously as they would a real one.

"Hurry up! The exit is ahead!"

The Lancelot wasn't about to let its prey escape, however. The knightmare was closing the distance with alarming speed, now with only half the distance there was before between it and the squad.

One member of the squad spun around, firing his rifle as the Lancelot continued to advance.

"No! Don't slow down!" someone in the group called. But it was too late. Knightmares weren't supposed to be driven backwards. As the man continued driving with his front still facing and firing at the Lancelot, the distance between himself and the rest of the group began growing... while the distance between himself and the Lancelot was shrinking.

In moments the clip was spent, and the pilot chucked the rifle at the seventh gen in a final gesture of defiance. The Lancelot of course dodged almost lazily, and took its head off with a swing of its "sword". This went unnoticed by the rest of the squad, who were all focused on closing in on the finish line.

Five miles... four miles...

The Lancelot launched itself into the air again, firing slash harkens down at the fleeing frames. They struck the street in front of the two knightmares trailing the pack, cutting off their retreat.

"Shit!"

Three miles...

"Mineta!" the final knightmare pilot called, starting to turn around-

"Go!" 'Mineta' shouted as he and the other knightmare opened up on the Don't look back! Just g-!"

Two miles, as the Lancelot shot full force through the crimson spray.

"Hooolly crap," someone in the crowd muttered. "Not looking forward to the day we have to fight that bastard."

"You won't have to wait long," his neighbor chuckled. "Aren't you up next for review on the 'sims?" He chuckled as his companion blanched.

Lelouch the quieted chatter with but a wave of his hand, his eyes never left the screen. "Silence."

Almost a mile from the exit of the map, feeling confident in their escape, the last pilot risked a glance back-

And in a moment straight out of a horror movie, turned just in time to see the Lancelot catch up, first already cocked back.

A handful of onlookers were given a start at scream that came over the radio as the fist punched square directly into the "camera" before it cut to the MISSION FAILED screen.

Lelouch retook his place at the center of the room.

"Does anyone understand why I showed you this?" he asked the assembled Black Knights. The silence was deafening.

Undaunted, Lelouch continued. "This demonstration was not meant to discourage you. Our mission to liberate Japan is a Just one, one that I've never doubted is achievable. That knightmare you saw? It is the only one of its kind the Empire possesses."

More than a few people in the audience deflated at that, letting out a breath of tension that had slowly built up over the course of the demonstration. Lelouch let it go. There was no need to tell them about the countless offshoot designs the Lancelot would go on to inspire in the future. Or the Gawain and the Siegfried Schniezel had hidden somewhere beyond Lelouch's reach. The Shen Hu...

No need to bring those up at all. Especially since several of those would either be brought under BK control or prevented from being even made, if he had anything to say about it.

"No, this demonstration was not a punishment, neither for you nor the participants in the mock battle. Nor was it to discourage you from further practice on the simulators. Rather, my goal was to enlighten you. Fortunately, for now we've managed to force the Britannians to face us on our own terms. We've either forced them to face us on our own terms, or hit them hard and get out before the can manage to focus their might on us. The operation we've planned for Shibayama, which you have all worked very hard to prepare for, likewise should take us nowhere near Cornelia's forces, nor this white knightmare."

Lelouch snapped his fingers. On cue, the technicians turned the screens back on behind him.

"The question you're all asking now is: why bring it up, then? The answer is simple: because disasters aren't planned in advance. Eventually a mistake will be made somewhere. It's inevitable. At some point down the line, someone will make a bad call. We'll make a plan based on bad intel. An unknown factor will come into play at a crucial moment, and we'll be forced to face an opponent that is beyond our ability to fight head on. I share this information with you today so that you know firsthand what Britannia can bring to bear, so when this happens in reality, you'll be less inclined to panic."

Each individual screen started playing a different scene from the simulation they'd just witnessed. A "highlight reel" of clips the three girls had put together while the battle was playing out, showcasing once more how the units that encountered Lancelot were able to survive.

"It is crucial that you learn how to improvise in the field. Know when to fold, know when to take one for the team. Know when discretion is the better part of valor." He looked around the room, at more than a few disheartened or confused expressions at the "Miracle Worker" Zero telling them it was sometimes okay to run away or fight dirty. "Are you disappointed? Don't be. Because winning this war has never been about power. That's Britannia's way, their twisted ideology that teaches right and wrong begins and ends with whether you can overpower someone or not. Our way? The way we'll win this?"

He made a fist and struck his heart. "Is here-!" and tapped the side of his mask. "-and here! We fight harder, and we fight smarter than the Britannians think 'stupid Numbers' ever could. Where they'll outgun, we'll outmaneuver! Where they'll overpower, we'll outpace! Luciano Bradley wants to massacre us? We'll deny him an enemy to massacre, then bring a building down on him a mile away. Same for the Lancelot!"

Everyone's expressions brightened at Zero's words and he gestured at the screens behind him. "I'm going to walk you through what we believe to be the more effective maneuvers at evading a next-gen frame. Keep in mind these maneuvers might be useful for avoiding combat even if you're outside of a knightmare. Also keep in mind that these simulators aren't perfectly accurate. While Commander Kozuki is an exceptional pilot, she's not the Lancelot's pilot. When we encounter these frames we'll be able to formulate more accurate tactics, but for now pay attention..."

Lelouch looked out over the auditorium, at the hopeful recruits, and the veterans that had put their faith in him. He caught out of the corner of his eye as his trio of doubters quietly entered and stood at the back to whisper with a small group of knights. They were his Black Knights. His responsibility.

This time, he'd do right by them. And part of that meant keeping them alive, until he could fulfill the promise he made not only to Nunally, but to them as well. To build a Japan they could be proud of.

"...Your lesson begins now."