Hello, everyone. For those of you that didn't know, I'm back! And so is this story!

Now then, I'd like to apologize for this insane delay, but several things happened in my life and I had to take care of them. Do not worry, though, I don't intend to abandon this story anytime soon. Thanks to all of you who have been reading, following, favoriting and/or reviewing even in my absence.

Now then, on to review replies:

-Sieben Nightwing: Yeah, it's going to be painful when Hustler's out and about. Still, it's going to take a while to reach that scenario. But yes, Strayed and the whole Geass World are in for a scare. Here's the next chapter, finally.

-Matchstick800: Yes I did, Hustler's here. Also, no I haven't played Verdict day although I have seen those references you spoke of. As for how to stop Hustler... well, you'll see what I've got for that. Still a long way to reach it, though.

-RoyalTwinFangs: Thanks, let's see what you think of this one as well.

-KH-Hardcorefan4483: Yes, he's back. And to answer your question, the Answerer was transported into Britannia. Aim did say that it appeared suddenly in a flash of light a few chapters ago.

-Seeker213: That is for me to know and for you to find out when I write it. ;)
I'm glad you liked the glimpse of Hawk's past, there're going to be a few more all over the story so look forward to those. And yes, Luciano Bradley is going to be quite far up in Hawk's blacklist.
As for all your questions and suggestions about Nineball and ACs in general, I thank you for them. I plan to make my own Nineball but it will be based on the Seraph. I don't intend to take anything from ACV at the moment, time will tell though. I already have the end-fight of R1 more or less planned but your idea about the N-WGIX might make it in, only not there.

-brave kid: Thanks, I hope you'll find this one good too.

-cj1of4: Yeah, some chapters are going to be more similar to canon than others, and that's not necesarily bad either. As for what Hustler is, let me tell you that any AC Veteran will start sweating the moment he hears its leitmotif start. It's a dreaded foe for almost every AC player that has had the pleasure, or displeasure, of facing it.

-mega1987: Yeah, things will go a bit FUBAR the moment Hustler makes his moves. He's the wild card here since no one in-universe is even aware of his existence.

-Lunanite: C.C. will be more important eventually. She wasn't given that much focus in canon either until things about geass started getting truly serious. She was mostly there and little else.

-UltimateFanJob123 - Beta 27: Why, yes, I'm bringing in fraking Nineball. And let me tell you, it's going to take far more than a fully repaired Sky Ruler to stop the guy. You'll see.

-gh0st3: Thank you for the compliment. Although I'm not sure what Tintanfall is. I'll have to look it up. The A.I. at the end of last chapter was Hustler One, the mechanical nightmare of every veteran AC Player.

-Cid-McConroy: Thank you, that's a pretty big compliment. I hope this chapter will be to your liking as well.

-Luciz: I don't intend to drop it, so don't worry. Although I may take some time to finish it. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

-Star Shatterer: Thank you for your compliments. As for your questions, while it will not eclipse the action of the story, I belive both romance and friendship to be essential parts of a good story so they will be featured as the relationships between the characters develop. However, this is first and foremost and Action/Adventure story and that's where the focus will be for the most part. I hope you'll like this chapter as well.

-eldarhunter: Thanks, and don't worry. The tech is going to take time to be desciphered and Hawk isn't going to shut up about everything he can use to contribute to the Black Knights. Things are going to be more or less even, I assure you.

-Konekoeureka: There may be more NEXTs in time. Glad you liked it.

-Xenter: Well, here's the continuation. While you are absolutely right about not many KMFs being a match for the Sky Ruler, it's also a matter of pilot skill there. And tactics are also important. Sure, in a straight up fight the Sky Ruler can and will thash whatever Britannia throws at it mook-wise. However, Scheneizel and the most competent strategists in the series could design pretty effective plans in order to weaken and capture/destroy even a fully repaired Sky Ruler if given enough time and resources to do so. Knight of the Round Level opponents on seventh gen KMFs will be challenging as well due to the sheer skill of their pilots, the size and maneuverability differnce between the unit types and several other factors. There are many ways for Strayed to lose if Britannia plays its cards well.
As for Controller powered KMF, that's one of many possiblities. Only time will tell.

-Guest (19/5/2014): Yep, they're in for it. They just don't know it yet.

-mfmxxx: That's right, he has a lot of second hand experience and knows fully well where Strayed's potential in battle is best put to use.

-Zomvee: I think I see what you mean, but I don't believe he has adjusted that well yet. He's still a bit awkward in public when out of a combat situation. Unless that is not what you meant.

Chapter 09: To Make a Miracle…

Inside the Ashford Academy Pool, Lelouch sat on a chair as he worked on his laptop while C.C. enjoyed herself inside the water, how she had managed to convince him to let her swim was anyone's guess, even Lelouch's own. The raven haired teen was going through the application files of several new recruits, it had been about a week since that messy anti-Refrain raid and the news had reported earlier that day that Cornelia had shut down the arrival of the drug for good, at least for the time being. Just a day ago, the lavender haired Princess and the Knight of Nine had returned victorious in their effort, meaning the battle between her and Zero would begin once more the next time they encountered each other.

"A Britannian…" Lelouch mused, snapping out of his thoughts as he came by the file on a journalist and TV reporter by the name of Diethard Ried. "He looks way too confident to be a spy, so am I dealing with an extremist? Regardless, I'd rather test his convictions and abilities before letting him in, if only just in case."

"Isn't it great to see that recruitment list growing with every passing day?" The green haired girl asked as she floated in the water.

"And it was far simpler than I expected it to be." Lelouch replied with a small smile while he analyzed the next recruits with a critical eye. He soon found another Britannian, this time a former member of the Firebug mercenary unit that worked for the Britannian army, and one European right after that, a German mercenary of the now destroyed Shadow-Mirror group, he decided to file them for further examination. "Most Elevens hate Britannia, yet they also hate terrorism and refuse to acknowledge it as a way to recover what they lost."

"That's why the Black Knights have become so popular so fast." C.C. smiled as she swam around. "The Elevens can't resist following the heroes that fight in their name without resorting to cheap tricks like hostages and random bombings."

"And it's a huge help since that's why they don't report our activities." The raven haired teen chuckled as he kept reading the files. "The number of informants keeps growing steadily and the Kyoto group's present is going to be arriving tomorrow."

"And all it took was a pretty speech and a few good deeds." She laughed as she got out of the pool, water dripping from her hair. "Almost too easy. And you were complaining about it being so hard to accomplish not too long ago."

"Everybody loves a hero, and what better hero than a knight that stands for Justice?" Lelouch asked with a smirk, ignoring the taunt.

"I sincerely doubt a true Knight for Justice would use those words." She giggled as she dried her body with a towel and sat by his side.

"You might be right…" He admitted, still smirking, before going back to work. Once he had gone over all these files he needed to prepare ways to test whether or not some of the applicants were actually spies so it was going to be a long night for him.

Meanwhile, a training session had just taken place in Hawk's house. Kallen had joined in again along with Rand, Mele, Setsuko, Shinn and even Hawk himself. The six of them had just faced off against an army of Sutherlands and Glasgows accompanied by several Britannian command centers.

"You're making good progress, Shinn." Setsuko told the boy with a caring smile. "Although you shouldn't have done that at the end, it could have gotten you killed in a real battle."

"I'm tired of sitting in the back! I want to fight up front!" The boy replied with a serious look on his face before smirking confidently. "Besides, it worked out, didn't it?"

"Don't get cocky because you managed well in the simulations." The Lynx warned with an evaluating look. "Real battle is far less predictable."

"I can handle it, Hawk." The teenager huffed, slightly miffed.

"And I'm sure you can, all I'm saying is that you need to be careful." Hawk countered with a bit of a smile. "You're good, I'll give you that, and most soldiers would have trouble facing you. But against people like Asakim, Cornelia's Knights and the Lancelots you'd fall in no time if you were to recklessly charge in like you did today." The Lynx's eyes hardened at that point. "And in a real battle, that can very easily end up in your death."

"You're right." Shinn admitted, unable to find a way to counter the Lynx's evaluation and lowered his head slightly. "Sorry about that."

"Well, no worries kid." Rand patted the boy amicably on the shoulder before pointing at the Glory Star's leader. "Setsuko's got your back, it's what she does best."

"Funny, coming from the man that gets in tight spots more often than the entire team together." The girl in question added with a smirk.

"Hey, I at least know how to get out of them unscathed…" He gulped and looked to the side embarrassed before adding under his breath. "For the most part…" That earned a chuckle out of the group.

"You two do work pretty well together, though." Kallen added with a smile that both Shinn and Setsuko returned.

"You and Hawk aren't that bad of a combination either." Mele chimed in with a knowing smile. "You're pretty compatible." Both of them blushed slightly at the phrasing.

"Well, I'd say today was a good day." The Lynx said, trying to divert the conversation somewhere else. "Tomorrow's the day the Kyoto units will get here, right?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of curious about what they'll look like." Kallen replied with a smile, still blushing slightly but glad that the matter had been dropped, while Mele pouted slightly at the lack of development and the others just shook their heads.

The very next day after school, inside of an abandoned warehouse, the entirety of the Black Knights, including the new additions to the team, were gaping at the sight of the various Burai Knightmare Frames standing proudly inside the building while the members of Ohgi's resistance cell were all looking at the Guren MK II in awe. Although Rand just eyed the Frames disdainfully and muttered something along the lines of weak, brittle and thin, followed by something about stupid Indian scientists and the like, making the rest of the people around him laugh nervously.

"The people of Kyoto sent us this…" Inoue managed to get out as she admired the craftsmanship of the red Knightmare.

"A fully Japanese-made Knightmare Frame!" Tamaki finished in glee. "They finally recognize us now!"

"The Guren MK II is the proof of it." Another one of the group added. "Did you check out the manual?"

"Yeah, that Radiant Wave Surger sounds awesome!" Tamaki all but shouted before his attention, and everyone else's, was taken by one of the new recruits asking for help. "Sure, I'll be right there!"

"We should go help the newbies too." Inoue suggested, and the whole group minus Kallen went to do just that.

"This is incredible." She whispered to herself as she eyed the Guren as if in trance. It was a mainly red machine with orange as secondary color. It had sleek legs that hid the Land Spinners for security, a left arm equipped with an arm-mounted gun and the silver right arm that was known as the Radiant Wave Surger. The head was hidden inside the torso at the moment.

"First it was Ohgi and Yamato, and now Inoue and the rest." Zero's slightly annoyed voice reached her as the masked man walked out of the shadows behind the machine. How come nobody had noticed him? "Don't tell me you too are going to start treating this like a party."

"You can hardly blame them." Strayed commented as he too appeared from behind a few boxes, he was wearing his usual clothes and leather jacket with the ORCA emblem on the back, only it now had the Black Knights' emblem on the right side of the chest. "All they had before were those malfunctioning spare Glasgows at most, and now they get over twenty Burais and one of the first Japanese Frames in existence. I'd say that's reason enough for them to celebrate."

"And it also means we made it in with the big guys. Kyoto is recognizing our potential." The redhead added enthusiastically.

"More like they're testing us." Hawk replied with a serious look at the red Frame and reimagining the couple additions he had thought about to improve it after having read the technical manual earlier. Maybe he could get Zero to let him take the Guren for a couple days and put the designs he had to the test, as long as he was provided with a fast weapon crafter.

It was thanks to Rand that he had started thinking on how to adapt NEXT weaponry so that it would fit on a Knightmare Frame. The first design they got done had been one of Strayed's favorite weapons when he was a rookie, the back-mounted Chain Gun, but looking at the Guren he had a feeling that Slug Guns were next on the list of adaptation. They could get that done tonight no problem and if Lelouch did manage to provide a weapon crafter with enough skill and work speed, they might have Shinn's and Setsuko's Glasgows outfitted as well if it all went well, but he honestly doubted it would go that well.

"Even so, it's still incredible." Kallen's voice got him out of his thoughts and he realized he must have been absent for a while.

"If you say so." Zero chuckled before throwing something at Kallen. "This is yours."

"What is it?" The redhead asked as she eyed the Knightmare Frame key she had caught, it was a red and white device that resembled a feather.

"The Guren MK II is yours now, Kallen." Hawk told her with a smile and her eyes widened. "Enjoy it."

"What? B-but, I thought…" She stammered before she paused and took a breath to gather her thoughts, after that she offered the key to the masked man before her and spoke in a calmer voice. "Zero, you should be the one using it, the Guren's the best unit for you to be safe on the battlefield, we can't afford to lose our leader out there." She added, looking at the masked man, who just dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand.

"I'm a far better commander than a fighter, Kallen." He told her in all seriousness. "That command-type Burai over there is all I require. The Guren needs to be in the hands of someone who can exploit its power to the fullest, and Strayed has recommended you for the post. I happen to agree with him, you're the best candidate for piloting this unit… and you have a reason to fight many others lack."

"It's an advanced, close-quarters unit with incredible speed and maneuverability that many others would have trouble handling." The Lynx commented aloud with a wide smile. "And it's also red, now go ahead and tell me it doesn't sound like you two were made for each other."

She blushed at the compliments and comments from the two, they were both incredible on the battlefield, each of them in their own thing, and they were praising her as if she was on their same level. It was a bit too much for her, especially when they both sounded so sincere in their appraisal of her skills. Her blush deepened after seeing Hawk's trusting smile and she shook her head to clear those thoughts.

"Zero, I've got something you need to look at!" Ohgi shouted as he ran towards them with a folder in his hands. A folder he promptly handed over to their leader. "It came from a Britannian source, a guy who wants to join us. Yamato is looking for details on the man who delivered this as we speak." He explained as Zero read through the contents of the folder. A few minutes later Yamato arrived.

"I've got nothing. Whoever it was, he knew how to cover his tracks." The one time leader of the Yamato Alliance said. "It could be a trap, but even so it's too good a chance to pass up if it's all true."

"Ohgi, Yamato… Please relay a message for me." Zero stated cryptically as he passed the folder to Hawk so he would read it as well. "Have everyone clear their weekends of anything they may have planned to do, we're going hiking to the Narita mountains."

Both Yamato and Ohgi looked at Zero as if he had grown another head, Kallen glanced from one to the other as if watching a tennis match and Hawk just kept reading the file and frowned as he did so. This was going to be risky, especially with the chances of it being a trap, but the reward they'd get was more than enough to allow themselves to take the risk. If it had been a mission offered by a client, he'd take it without a second thought. He absently passed the folder to the confused Kallen, who eyed it warily before taking it from him. The Lynx then turned around to look at the Guren MK II and began thinking whether or not he could get some upgrades done to the KMFs before the weekend. Lelouch's Burai had also jumped to the top of the list for upgrades since it was a rather important unit no matter how much Zero tried to take importance out of it.

'I wonder what this… ORCA is.' She thought for a moment after seeing the emblem on Hawk's back. 'I'll ask him after we're done with this operation, we need to focus on it now.' She decided before opening the folder and starting to read it too.

"Very well, I'll inform everyone." Ohgi replied skeptically before running off again.

"Zero, can I ask a favor?" Hawk said after the two sub-leaders of sorts walked out of earshot. "Lend me the MK II and your Burai for a couple days and point me towards a good weapon crafter that will get me a design or two built and ready in as little as possible."

"That's two favors." The masked leader pointed out with a short but amused chuckle. "But alright, consider them granted. I'll send you the contact data later."

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing much, I just thought you both could use a bit more firepower here in case you get trapped. You two, along with myself, are going to be the most targeted in any battle we get in." Hawk smiled at both of them before setting his eyes on Zero's Burai. "By the weekend, these two are going to get a bit of an upgrade. The Saber and the Guren are going to combine just fine and I've just gotten the perfect idea for Zero's Burai."

Both Zero and Kallen caught the meaning of those words, the former because he had seen what the Saber looked like and what weapons it used, and the second one because she had piloted a simulated version of it. If Hawk had his way, the Guren MK II would truly be even deadlier than it already was, and Zero would never say no to an advantage on the battlefield, he knew he was not the best KMF pilot out there by a long shot.

Meanwhile, Viceroy Cornelia, with Guilford by her side, was having a most interesting conversation with her older brother and also Prime Minister of the Empire, Schneizel El Britannia, about the recent developments in Area 11, what their Father had been doing the past few days and a certain order that had been sent to her from the Emperor himself.

"I trust this won't be a problem, Cornelia." A smiling Schneizel told her from the screen.

"Understood, tell our Father not to worry." The Witch of Britannia replied as she internally wondered how in the world she was going to manage capturing the Black Titan anytime soon. "Is there anything else?"

"Actually, one more thing." Schneizel then smiled at her after seeing her narrowing eyes. "Don't worry, it's just a little present on my part."

"Oh, and that would be?"

"I've sent twenty Sutherlands and about a dozen Gloucesters towards Area 11 along with the extra equipment for the Lancelot units." He told her simply. "I was told you had a bit of an accident in Saitama, sorry that it took me so long to send you spares. They should arrive in a day, two at most, just in time to be of use for your plan against the JLF."

"Why thank you Schneizel, I didn't know you cared." She replied, her tone half-mocking, but the blond Prince simply smiled back at her. She had decided not to ask how he knew of her plan, Schneizel always knew things he should have no way of knowing. "I'll make sure to use your present well."

"I'm sure you will, until next time." He chuckled before he hung up.

"Viceroy, may I come in?" Euphemia's voice said as she heard knocks on her door.

"Come in, Sub-Viceroy." Cornelia replied as she sat a bit more comfortably and her younger sister let herself in. "Is there something you need, Euphemia?"

"I… have a favor to ask of you, sister." The pink haired Princess' voice was filled with determination. "I want to accompany you on your next operation, I need to see the battlefield with my own eyes."

"There's nothing I can do to make you change your mind, is there?" The Witch of Britannia sighed after the ten seconds it took to process what she had been told. She knew that look in her sister's eyes all too well. "Very well, I'll allow you to provide us with logistical support from the command center, you'll also be in charge of the medic teams and, although I doubt it will come to it necessary, civilian evacuation. The operation is scheduled for Saturday morning but we'll be moving there afternoon, I'll brief you on the target and the overall plan tomorrow."

"Thank you, sister." Euphy replied with happiness in her voice before her face turned serious again. "Also, about Rai… I mean, Warrant Officer Asplund's situation, have you found anything?"

"There are no records on the regular military about anyone named Rai, no matter where we look." Cornelia revealed with a shake of her head, she had been informed about the boy's situation after the Kawaguchi incident, and had decided to look into it if only to ascertain his true identity lest he be the son of an important noble that wanted him returned, but no such luck, there was nothing on him. "This means he's either part of one of the Special Forces under the Emperor, part of the OSI's secret operatives or lying to us."

"I sincerely doubt it's the third one." Guilford commented from his spot, he was so silent that the sisters sometimes forgot he was even there if they got caught up in a conversation. "I see no lies in that boy's eyes, he truly doesn't remember a thing except his first name and nationality."

"Regardless, the truth is we have found nothing on him." Cornelia summarized. "Anything else you need, Euphemia?"

"No, sister, that will be all." She replied before standing up and exiting the room after a polite farewell.

"She keeps spending time with them." Cornelia sighed, she had attempted to stop it in order to keep Euphemia as far from a unit as erratic as the ASEEC as possible, but it seemed the pink haired Princess was not going to listen on that one either.

"With all due respect, I do not think it's a bad thing, Your Highness." Guilford stated, prompting a questioning glare from her. "I believe this desire to see the battlefield comes precisely from her interactions with the ASEEC, as much as you, and any of us, would like to keep her innocent and away of the carnage of war she also needs to know it in order to mature into a fine woman and Princess of the Empire."

"I suppose you are right, Guilford." Cornelia could only sigh again, but this time it was a different kind of sigh, one of acceptance. "My baby sister is truly growing up, but it's something I still have trouble accepting."

"Perhaps you should consider having her pick a knight sometime soon." Nonnette said bluntly as she let herself inside Cornelia's office without even knocking. "I'm not going to play babysitter forever."

"Why are you here, Nonnette?" The Viceroy asked in a mixture of surprise and irritation. "I thought the Grail was still in need of adjustments."

"We're finally done with that, so I came to see if you wanted any help in planning that assault on Narita for this weekend." She replied as if it was obvious while she walked up to a chair and let herself down on it. "I know you've got the basic stuff done, but maybe you could use some tweaking on the last parts of the operation."

"Where's Sir Dowin?" Guilford asked out of curiosity, those two were always together unless a mission or something else required them to separate.

"He's probably still trying to get Lloyd to build him a Lancelot unit as well." Nonnette replied dismissively with a wave of her hand. "Whether through threats or bribes I do not know right now, but if it gets out of hands Rai and Suzaku are more than capable of handling him."

"Things just keep getting better." Cornelia muttered sarcastically under her breath as she hoped that everything would go according to plan in Narita, she didn't need any more surprises. The Viceroy soon brought out a map of the Narita Mountains and called for Darlton to join them in the improvised reunion.

It was during the small hours of Thursday that Hawk and Rand finished up their designs, or rather redesigns, of the Slug Guns and the Sniper Rifle Hawk had thought up for Zero's Burai in order to fit them on Knightmare Frames. A couple hours ago, Zero had finally sent them the contact information of a nobleman who owned a weapon making plant on the outskirts of the settlement and was willing to cooperate with them. The Lynx had no doubt that the man had been Geassed into cooperation but decided to let that go, it wasn't like Lelouch was going around the Ghetto's using his magical eye to rally the Japanese under his banner, he was keeping it as under wraps as possible and not abusing it as much as many others would have in his situation.

"Man, I'm beat!" Rand said, stretching to get the crankiness out of his back. On a nearby table, Mele had fallen asleep after she had finished her part of the job and was snoring lightly. Shinn and Setsuko had already retired for the night. "You sure we're gonna get this done before Friday?"

"Only if the guy's as fast as Zero promised." Hawk replied as he sent the designs to their contact through the mail account provided by Lelouch. The mercenary yawned as he stood, they had been going without sleep since they started designing these weapons. "I think we all need some sleep."

"Sure thing, kid." Rand laughed before picking up his wife bridal style, causing the petite woman to snuggle against his chest and mutter about how comfortable it was. "We'll get to examining big bad and red here after a few hours of shuteye." He nodded towards the Guren which had been delivered shortly before midnight.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to call Ashford Academy and tell them I've got the flu or something. Again." Hawk said before yawning once more.

"Catching the flu on early summer?" Rand asked with a raised eyebrow and a mocking smile.

"Shut up, I'm sleepy." The Lynx replied indignantly but with a wry smile on his face, indicating that he didn't mean any harm. "I'll think of something when I wake up." He added before walking towards the sofa-turned-bed, dropping himself on it and closing his eyes.

Lelouch was on his way to get some lunch with Nunnally, and to make sure C.C. hadn't turned any of the spare rooms into a Pizza storage room, when his phone rang. He was surprised to find the caller ID being that of Strayed and immediately replied after making sure there was no one around that could eavesdrop.

"Yes, what is it?" The raven haired teen asked, not bothering with greetings.

"I'm going to need another favor, boss." Hawk said from the other side of the line, cutting to the chase as well. "I've sent you an e-mail with the parts I need you to gather, you don't need to have them ready for the weekend, but the sooner you get them the better."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Lelouch replied, slightly taken aback by the tone in the Lynx's voice. "Is something the matter?"

"The Guren MKII is equipped with what I can only classify as an AMS prototype." The ORCA survivor explained. "It's rather simple and not that advanced, but the strain it puts on the user appears to be minimal in comparison to my own."

"So, what do you need these parts for?"

"Replicating it should be… rather easy if you can find me these parts. That's not to say it's going to be cheap." Hawk explained quickly. "I'm used to run maintenance on my own and that's how I found the similarities. I've got nothing on its effectiveness yet but it should be capable of taking an average pilot and have him up to Knight-level reaction time."

"What's the catch of this system?" The raven haired student asked as his mind raced through the possibilities of what he was being told. "I doubt it's without a weakness or defect. Nothing on this world is perfect."

"You're absolutely right. First off, only certain people have the traits to use the AMS system, as well as this… Devicer System, as it's called." The Lynx explained, hesitating at the last part. "Second, if the trait is not developed enough to handle the system's strain, it can cause some rather unpleasant consequences, ranging from simple uncomfortableness and headaches to insanity and brain failure."

"I see." Lelouch nodded to himself. "How are you going to know who can handle this system?"

"First off would be having a test to see who has this trait. Probably some time between Narita and the next major operation." Hawk pondered aloud. "It's nothing too hard to do, as SKAI is more than capable of running it."

"Is that so?" The young revolutionary asked, curious. "Did you run that test on anyone from this world?"

"Yes, every single person that got into the Sky Ruler's Cockpit." The Lynx replied off-handedly. "Had they not had the trait, SKAI would not have let them use the simulator."

"How would you have explained it to them had that happened?" Lelouch questioned, seeing a major flaw in that reasoning. "It was you who offered them the chance."

"That… I hadn't thought about." Hawk admitted in what Lelouch deduced was embarrassment. "To be honest, I had a feeling they would all have it."

"I see. Regardless of your reasons, do not do it again." Lelouch commanded a bit harshly. "I know your instincts have saved your life more times than you care to count, but if they had failed you there you would have been in a rather compromised position. We can't have that, alright?"

"Agreed." The last member of ORCA replied. "Well, I'm going to go back to prepping the units for the weekend. I'll be absent tomorrow too so don't expect me there."

"I'll send Kallen with your homework tomorrow afternoon then." Lelouch said, chuckling when he heard the Lynx's sigh at the H word before hanging up. No matter how good he was with machines, Hawk had a deep loathing for homework, if only because it took away his time from doing other things. Then again, it had been the mercenary's decision to enroll in Ashford, so it was his fault entirely. Chuckling at those thoughts, the exiled Prince opened the door to the house and let himself in.

"Oh, Master Lelouch, welcome home." Lelouch smiled and was about to greet the Japanese maid when he realized that the woman in front of him shouldn't have green hair, nor should her outfit be so revealing. "What? Liking what you see?" The amber eyed immortal asked mockingly as the boy blushed.

"Damn you, witch." He muttered to himself before dragging the girl to his room, which was covered in empty pizza boxes. "How many times do I need to tell you to keep out of sight? And where the hell did you get that uniform?!"

"I didn't leave the house, just so you know." C.C. replied with a huff. "And besides, I took this one from your maid's room."

"… I'm going to pretend I never got this information." The raven haired teen closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them back up for a moment before looking away from the now almost nude immortal. "Quit undressing when there are other people in the room!"

"Why? Do you dislike it?" She replied with a smirk as she got the usual white shirt on. "Perhaps you're secretly into men…"

"Okay, no." Lelouch replied in a deadpan tone. "I don't dislike it, but I'd like you to refrain from doing it, if only for the sake of my sanity." He then turned around and left to search for Sayoko.

"Oh, fine." She sighed as she sat on his bed and resumed her eating pizza. "I was bored so I decided to play for a bit, it's not that big of a deal." She wouldn't admit it, but it had ticked her off to be treated like she had been a moment ago.

'You know, C.C., that if you dare turn my son into a pervert I'll…' The voice inside her head started, but the green haired witch cut her off, not caring one bit about what the late Empress that had established a mental link with her had to say on the matter. Lelouch was seventeen years old, for crying out loud, and had grown into a fine young man, his mother had no say on his actions at this point.

"It's not like I like him that much anyway." She told herself in monotone while taking bite after bite. "He's stubborn, arrogant and a maniac when it comes to control, but he's still my contractor so I'll protect him." She then smiled a slightly evil smile. "Besides, teasing him can be incredibly fun."

It was Saturday morning, the sun had been up for little more than an hour by the time the Black Knights started their journey up the Narita Mountains. All the way up the rough terrain, many of them wondered what exactly was going on. Some assumed that they were just going to have mock battles or military drills on another type of ground instead of the usual city soil, others that they were going to dig hot springs. The second assumption had been brought about by the fact that they were carrying excavators up the mountains.

"Any idea about what we're doing here, Kallen?" Tamaki asked his friend over the com line after they had received Zero's signal to continue their advance.

"N-no, no clue." The girl replied after a moment of hesitation and soon buried herself back into the Guren's manual, sparing a glance at the two elongated cannons hanging by each side of the cockpit courtesy of Strayed, but that was enough to tell Setsuko that she knew more than she let on. Ohgi's reply to the question when he was asked a second later only added to her suspicion.

'Zero's not using the radio to avoid being detected, are we really going through with this plan?' Ohgi asked himself as he pushed a truck up the hill with his Burai.

'Why aren't we trying to cooperate with the JLF instead? Their assistance would ensure our victory.' Yamato was deep in thought over their plan of action as well, only five people knew what it was about, counting Zero and Strayed, the rest of the troops where in the dark, and something told him that not even Strayed knew the entirety of the plan Zero had come up with. Inside her modified Glasgow, a certain female mercenary decided that it was time to get some answers.

"Strayed, what exactly are we doing here?" Setsuko asked the Lynx over their private channel just in case it was information better left out of the rest's ears.

"Do I have to tell you?" He questioned rhetorically from the Sky Ruler's cockpit, fully aware of what had happened the moment Kallen and Ohgi doubted when they replied, and sighed. "Cornelia's going to attack the JLF headquarters hidden in the mountains, we're going to intervene and capture her while she's busy."

"Wait, we're using the JLF as bait?" Rand asked in surprise before chuckling dryly. "Damn, that's cold on our part."

"Being mercenaries, we're going through with our client's plan." Setsuko told the Lynx before he thought otherwise. "But once this is over, I'd like to have a talk with you and Zero about giving us the full story before taking us on a mission. As the one responsible for my team, I want to know exactly in how much danger I'm putting them before being already in enemy territory."

"Dully noted." Hawk replied. "You have to understand, though, that had he told everyone the plan most would have run away before joining in on this mission."

"So, what are we going to be doing?" Shinn decided it was time to get into the conversation. "What's our job on this operation?"

"Our job will be to take out the troops Zero's plan won't be able to take care of." Strayed explained as he brought up a map on their screens. "According to Zero's information, Cornelia will surround the mountain and attack from all sides, he has a plan to deal with the front troops so they're none of our concern, the ones we need to worry about are the ones on the back of the mountain, those are our targets."

"Any idea of their numbers and composition?" Setsuko asked as she considered the situation.

"Mostly Sutherlands and a few Gloucesters, we estimated a minimum of seventy units between both but that's all we've got." The Lynx then marked two points of the map in red before adding. "We also know they're stationed in these two points and plan to move upwards while eliminating all opposition."

"It's better than nothing, that's for sure." Rand commented thoughtfully. "So, how are we doing this? And who goes with who?"

"I can take one of the points on my own, so I'm leaving the other to you guys." The Lynx replied, no confidence or pride in his voice, he was simply stating a fact, and they were fully aware of that. Setsuko knew that she, Shinn, Rand and Mele were more than capable of holding a spot on their side and stop the enemy units from reaching the top, although winning was another thing entirely. "I'm sending you what information on the mountain's layout I have, Setsuko, I'm sure it will prove useful."

"So… What's Zero's plan?" Mele asked with a hint of worry in her voice, as her brain was piecing together the information. "Wait, I think I got it." She added before anyone replied. "He's going to use the Guren's arm and those excavators to cause a landslide, right?"

"Then it will engulf the troops going up the front of the mountain and take care of half the problem while we keep the troops behind the mountain from reaching Cornelia to reinforce her." Shinn finished for her in an awed tone.

"That's the gist of it." Strayed replied before his voice got serious. "Now no more talking, we're getting within range of the JLF's short range receivers, those might be able to get into this line if we use it for too long so keep radio silence unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood." The four of them replied. They had somehow become Hawk's unofficial squad, although the fact that they lived with him and trained together was probably at fault there, and none of them were going to complain, he had done a lot for them even if he had, under orders from a superior, hidden information from them.

Still, that didn't mean Setsuko and Rand weren't worried about the operation. The Radiant Wave Surger was a bit of an untested weapon in most cases, its power might well be beyond what Zero or even its creator, Rakshata Chawla, had calculated. If that was the case and the landslide caused resulted being far more powerful than predicted, what would happen to the city at the skirts of the mountain? They both soon got that out of their heads, it was time for a mission.

Inside a small hut that acted as an outpost of the JLF base in the Narita Mountains, Lelouch calmly sat unmasked as he read through "The Art of War" for the fifth time in his life, waiting for the Black Knights to be in position for his plan to be executed. He made sure to eye the two Geassed guards from time to time, not because he doubted his power to control them, but because of his interest in the game they were playing, Go. Strategy games were his forte after all, which reminded him they'd be having a small chess competition in Ashford in a week or so. That thought was soon replaced with the situation at hand as he looked back into the book of classic strategy in his hands.

"Today's the day, Cornelia." He muttered to himself before he caught something white moving out of the corner of his eye. Looking out the window, he found a certain green haired immortal dressed in a white straitjacket looking into the horizon. "What's she doing here?" He asked himself before he left the book on the table and stood up to meet her outside. "C.C., why are you here?"

"I told you that I would protect you, did you forget?" She replied monotonously without even looking back at him.

"You're sort of overdoing it right now." He replied casually as he walked up to her. "I've got this under control."

"I've been wondering about something lately, Lelouch." She said, still not looking back at him, and he stayed silent to let her elaborate. "Why are you Lelouch?" When he didn't reply, she decided to explain what she meant. "You changed your surname to Lamperouge but kept your name as Lelouch, the one given to you at birth."

"What of it?" The unmasked revolutionary asked after a pause, slightly irritated at the line of questioning.

"It's very sentimental of you. You are unable to let go of the past, are you?" She replied, no emotion present in her voice.

"Well, your name is just the other extreme, isn't it?" He retorted, not wanting to be outdone by her in this conversation and also wanting a bit of payback for what happened on Thursday. "A name that's not even human, makes you wonder about its owner."

He was surprised by the look of hurt and sadness C.C. sent his way when she finally turned around to gaze at him. A cold wind blew by at that very moment, carrying snow through the air as they looked at each other. Although his face didn't show it, Lelouch was starting to regret what he had said, if only just a bit.

"Lelouch, do you know why snow is white?" C.C. asked cryptically, getting his attention once more. "It's because it's forgotten its color and has no way to return to its original way of being on its own."

'Which means you've forgotten how to be human, hence the name.' Lelouch deduced inside his mind. 'It would explain the constant monotone, and yet…' He started recalling some of the moments when C.C. had acted in a different way, a more human one. This woman, although immortal, had taken bullets for him and would do it again, so he couldn't help but feel a bit of gratefulness, not to mention the power of Geass she had granted him.

"Is there something you want to ask?" Her voice got him out of his thoughts and he blinked when he found her face a mere centimeter from his own.

"It's nothing." He replied as he took a step back instinctively. "Just thinking about the operation."

"I see." She then turned around and walked away as she added. "Don't worry, I will not get in the way of your plans. I will only intervene if you are in danger of dying or being captured by the enemy."

Lelouch just stared at her retreating figure for a moment and then went back into the cabin, he could worry about C.C. later, he now had a battle to wage and win. He needed to make sure he had prepared for every eventuality he could think of. There was barely a couple of hours left before Cornelia's strike.

Inside the Britannian Command Center, Cornelia rose from her seat and accompanied Guilford and Darlton towards their units. It was almost time to put their plan to work and bring down the JLF for good, with its head cut off, the snake that was the Resistance would crumble… or so was the plan. She was sure she'd have to cut the second head, Zero, fast before he gained the power of the JLF for his own, he'd surely do it if she let him to his own devices.

"Princess Cornelia, are you sure about leaving the Lancelot Units behind?" Darlton asked, not because he doubted her but to make sure.

"Of course." The lavender haired Viceroy replied with conviction. "While the chances are slim, Euphemia's question earlier was spot on, Zero could appear and take us by surprise. If that were to happen, we would need someone reliable to protect our rear flank."

"With all due respect, Milady." Guilford started carefully. "But aren't you giving that man a bit too much credit."

"Has being around Clovis' foolish generals affected you so much, Guilford?" She asked in half-mocking much to their shock. "We're talking about a man who has bested us twice already, the time to underestimate such a foe is long gone."

"You are right, Your Highness." Her knight replied with a bow. "I apologize for this lack of insight, it was foolish of me."

"Do not worry, Guilford." She smiled at him kindly. "Every mistake is a lesson, as they say."

"Indeed." Darlton nodded. "Now then, let us prepare to bring down the JLF once and for all."

Meanwhile, inside the command room, Euphemia was getting a general idea of their forces thanks to the three generals aboard the Command Center alongside her, who were more than happy to explain how the troops were divided and under whose command each unit was.

"We have divided our main force into seven units. The ones led by Viceroy Cornelia, General Darlton and Sir Alex are here at the front." One of them explained as he pointed at the three clusters of troops closest to the location of the command center on the map. "Then we have Sir Barton and Sir Stark taking care of the flanks." He pointed at each unit respectively. "And finally, Sir Cromwell and Sir Wardes are in charge of the units behind the mountains."

"We also have our rear-guard commanded by Oran… I mean, former Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald." Another added as he pointed at a small cluster of Sutherlands almost at their side. "As well as the medic teams under your command here and here." He pointed at the other side of the Command Center on the map, were two medical teams had been assembled for treating the wounded and retrieving escape pods.

"What's that unit on our rear, that golden one?" Euphemia asked out of curiosity.

"That's the ASEEC truck, containing our three prototype Frames known as the Lancelots as well as a modified Gloucester, their patron is the second Prince." The third General explained with a huff. "While two of their pilots are not much to speak of, the third one is the Knight of Nine and the final one her protégée, so we can count on them if need be. They are our rear guards in case someone sneaks in from behind, however unlikely that is to happen."

'I figured they wouldn't tell me if they were going to be deployed.' The pink haired Princess mentally sighed at her two friends' decision. Of course, she was no better since she hadn't told them she'd be there either, so she couldn't really get mad at them. "Could you please get a communication line ready and contact them immediately?"

"Of course, but for what purpose?"

"If we are indeed in need of them, then the less time we waste in getting in contact with them, the better." She explained, even if she had another reason, that was the tactical one, and the Generals nodded, acknowledging that she had a point. "More importantly, should the Viceroy need reinforcements for whatever reason, they're the fastest units available to us."

On top of the tallest of the Narita Mountains, the Black Knights had just finished planting the various excavators at the exact moment that Zero appeared and walked up to the small group that was composed of Strayed, Ohgi and Yamato, who were discussing where he might be. The three looked at him as he stopped in front of them.

"What's our status?" Zero asked, not beating around the bush even a bit.

"We're ready." The helmeted Strayed replied simply, there was no need to drag this conversation out.

"But I still do not understand why we aren't cooperating with the JLF…" Ohgi stated, wanting answers from their leader, and Yamato nodded his agreement with the black haired man's question.

"What's that?" Zero asked in mock surprise. "Have you lost faith in me now?"

"No, Zero, that's not it." Yamato replied hurriedly.

"Why would you think that?!" Ohgi asked a bit louder than he intended. "We asked you to lead us, why would we change our minds now?"

"Then there's only one way to do this." Was the masked man's reply.

"Understood." Ohgi said, deciding to let go of the matter.

"Strayed, go to your post and have the Glory Stars ready for the job." Zero commanded once the matter was settled. "You'll be the first ones to move out to intercept."

"Got it." He replied before walking towards his group. "Good luck on your ends." He added, looking at the three men and then sparing a glance at the whole group of Black Knights until he spotted the Guren, and Kallen sitting on the open cockpit. She turned in his direction and waved him good luck, he returned it with a thumbs-up before resuming his walking towards his mission partners.

"So… Are we moving out yet?" An over-eager Shinn asked as the Lynx came to a stop before them.

"We are." He nodded, and Shinn flashed a rather feral smirk. One that Hawk was overly familiar with. "Be careful out there, all of you. And, Shinn, remember that you're not invincible. "

"I know that already." The black haired teen replied with a huff of patience, although deep down he appreciated the other mercenary's concern for him. His overconfidence had gotten him in trouble in many exercises. "Besides, even if I do forget, Rand will just use that wrench of his to force that knowledge back into my head."

"That sounds about right." Hawk chuckled, as did Rand and the rest of the team. "Let's get ready to move into position, shall we?"

As they walked towards their units, many of the newest members breathed a sigh of relief at the fact. To most of them, who didn't know Strayed personally, the young man was fearsome, even more than Zero himself. Rumors had been circling around ever since Zero revealed the name of the Pilot of the black and white NEXT to the world, none of them pleasant to hear and quite gruesome.

After all, people loved to speak of which they did not know about, but they were also terrified of that same thing and tended to escalate any small rumors into full-fledged horror stories if given enough time. Zero wasn't much better off on the rumor-mill department, but he made up for it with his speeches and charisma, Strayed hadn't so much as said a word to the general public other than those he'd spat at Kusakabe during the hotel-jacking incident.

Soon, however, their attention was taken by the sheer amount of Knightmare Frames that had suddenly made their presence known on the region. Sutherlands and Gloucesters poured seemingly out of nowhere and raced up the mountain, jumping out from their hiding spots or simply being dropped from the air by their transports onto the mountain side.

"What the fucking hell is going on?!" Tamaki's shout echoed among the camp of Black Knights who soon turned to look at Zero, their masked leader having climbed atop a small hill from which he looked down on the approaching enemies.

"It's begun." He stated simply, revealing he knew about the attack taking place and many instinctively went for their weapons, fearing he had sold them. "Cornelia is attacking the JLF headquarters."

Just as he said that, several dark-green Burais, some of them armed with Chainswords, along with a line of defensive weaponry worthy of praise, deployed from the insides of the mountain. The Japan Liberation Front earned Lelouch's respect that day, for they had turned the entire mountain into a fortress without anyone even noticing and, even if they lacked the electromagnetic cannons because of Kusakabe's foolishness, they were going to give Cornelia a good challenge, which suited his plans just fine as long as the Lancelots didn't start making their presence known, not that he was betting much on that part going well.

"You knew?" Inoue accused in a strained voice. "And you brought us here anyway?!"

"How are we supposed to get out of here?! Cornelia's forces are the strongest we've encountered!" Another resistance member protested as the Britannian forces slowly made their way through the JLF's defenses.

"And they've got us fucking surrounded!" Tamaki shouted wildly. "How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?!"

"It'd be a miracle if we survived this!" A member of Yamato's group wailed in desperation.

"That… is correct!" Zero admitted to the shock of everyone present, Ohgi and Yamato most of all. "Even Messiahs need to perform miracles if they are to be recognized as saviors. If we want to truly be able to save this nation then we must be able to perform our own miracle first, don't you think?"

"You're insane! That miracle of yours could cost us our lives!" Tamaki spat in disbelief, pointing his trusty shotgun at the masked man, a gesture that was soon followed by several of the newest members. "I knew it was wrong to make you our leader, I should be the one to lead us all!"

Zero did not reply immediately, he instead reached inside his cape and brought out a gun that he trained on Tamaki, scaring the hell out of everyone watching, only for the masked man to twirl it around his finger and hold it harmlessly by the cannon, indicating that he wasn't going to fire anytime soon.

"As you've so kindly pointed out, our retreat has been cut off and we're surrounded. If you think you can get out of this alive without me then go ahead and shoot me!" He proclaimed, arms open as to show he wasn't going to do anything against them, stunning everyone present, even Strayed himself, who was eyeing the scene from a distance with the Glory Stars.

"He truly is one of a kind." The Lynx muttered in admiration of Lelouch's theatrics and sheer charisma.

"He's forcing them to fight with their backs to the wall." Setsuko commented coldly, easily seeing through the ruse. "It's a good strategy, albeit disgusting."

"You can't really blame him though." Rand interjected as he looked at the stunned Black Knights slowly regain their composure. "The guys around here are still pretty wet behind the ears, they need this."

"So, what now?" Shinn asked, eyeing the scene as Zero started to speak again.

"You should already know…" Despite how confident he was in the plan, a bit of cold sweat ran down Lelouch's face as he spoke. "… The only way out of this is to win. Can you do it? Can you win against Cornelia's forces without me?" He paused for a moment and continued fluttering his cape. "Once you have joined the Black Knights only two options remain. You either live with me, or perish with me!" He paused again to let the words sink. "Which will it be?"

After almost half a minute of stunned silence everyone pointed their weapons to the ground and nodded slowly, acknowledging their situation and being determined to follow Zero on this, he got them in the mess, and knowingly, but he was also their only way out of it. And if they did succeed they'd be heroes to every Japanese in the country and several other resistance groups around the world. Despite the obscure motives the masked man may have had to leave them in the dark, they couldn't deny that if anyone was able to pull off a plan as crazy as this, it was Zero and no one else.

"We acknowledged you as our leader, Zero." Yamato said once things had calmed down. "We're not going back on that."

"We're with you." Ohgi declared solemnly. "We'll follow you were you lead us."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Zero stated with a tinge of emotion in his voice. 'More than you'll ever imagine.' He added to himself before he looked behind him and then shouted. "Strayed! You and the Glory Stars are clear for the operation so stop wasting time. Get in position and start your attack in five minutes! Hit them hard and fast!" He didn't even bother to wait for a reply, he knew the Lynx and the rest of his team had been watching the show he had put on and would do their part. "All of you, to your units! Those without a Frame are to pick up the Missile Launchers in Ohgi's truck, your job will be ground support of our squads, remember your group assignations for when I call you out." Leaving the now motivated Black Knights as they shouted about making their own miracle, he turned towards the Guren, inside which Kallen was looking at him expectantly.

"This mission's a hit and run, we need to accomplish our objectives fast in order to succeed." Zero continued without missing a beat as he walked towards the Guren. "We'll strike once the rest of our own preparations are complete. Q-1! Use excavator unit number three at my signal, we'll start this off with a bang! Get into position."

"Understood." The girl nodded and sealed the cockpit of the Guren, making the red machine move towards the excavator marked with a number three and put the Radiant Wave Surger on top of it, ready to unleash its power at Zero's command.

"Ohgi!" Zero turned towards his unofficial second in command and resumed his walk, but this time towards his own Burai. "You've got the east flank and the P group to command, your mission is to thin out the Britannian forces. Either make them retreat or eliminate them, but don't let them up the mountain unless I call for retreat. Get into position at point E-7 and wait for my signal to strike."

"Got it, Zero." The black haired man ran to his unit and rallied his group, which consisted mostly of his old Resistance cell and a few of the new guys. "All of you, with me."

"Yamato!" Not even stopping, Zero continued giving out the orders. "You take the west flank, your objective's the same as Ohgi's. Stop the Britannians, whether by eliminating them or making them retreat. The N group is yours for the operation. Take point W-2 and wait for my signal."

"I will not disappoint you." The man replied before turning tail towards his Frame. "Let's show those Britannians what we can do!"

"R group and B group, you're with me." Zero said next. "B group, you're going to go around the enemy force on foot, I'll send you your path after the operation starts." He then turned to the twelve Frames waiting around his own. "R group, you're my escort for the mission, we are going to meet the Britannians up front." Having finished his orders, the masked man sat in his Burai's cockpit, ready for what was about to start.

"Looks like Darlton has found the entrance to the enemy's base." Guilford informed the Viceroy after he had noticed the flares up in the air as they advanced through the enemy defense line with relative ease. "I'll send Sir Alex to reinforce him."

"Then we'll stay here and clean this sector up." She replied, scanning the surroundings with her Factsphere and finding her next prey, a group of four Burai armed with assault rifles led by another one with a handgun and a Chainsword. "I'm not the kind to steal an achievement from my subordinates, much less a medal like the one they'll be getting after this operation."

"Understood." Guilford replied as they both charged at the group, followed closely by their squad. "I'll have your back, as always." He informed mechanically before skewering the foolish Burai that attempted a sneak attack on his Princess.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my Knight." She replied with a rare smile, rare in the sense that it was a rather sweet one. "Now…" She shouted through her speakers. "Who else dares to challenge me?!" She wasn't expecting the reply she got from the mountain itself.

Suddenly, the whole mountain trembled, as if an earthquake was taking place. Everywhere, both Britannian and JLF soldiers stopped on their tracks and looked around as a few seconds of utter silence reigned and were shattered by the massive avalanche of rock taking place on the front side of the mountain.

Darlton and Alex's soldiers barely had time to scream as the muddled water and rocks fell on them, engulfing almost the entirety of the front-line forces and utterly destroying them under its strength. Of the entire force, only Darlton was able to save himself thanks to his reflexes, which allowed him to fire his Harkens at a nearby rock and pull himself out of the Avalanche in time.

"What in the world is going on?!" Cornelia shouted to the skies as her communication line was filled with screams.

"Oh my, at this rate they'll be swept all the way to the bottom of the mountain." Lloyd Asplund mused aloud as he eyed the tactical display in his computer with mild amusement. "I wonder what caused this avalanche."

"Lloyd!" Cecile shouted as she watched the tactical display in horror. "I just checked the heat readings at the top of the mountain, they're abnormally high!"

"Wait, you mean this avalanche was artificially induced?" Asakim, who had decided to stay in the ASEEC truck so as to outfit his new Custom Gloucester with more extra equipment, wondered in interest before he smirked. "I must congratulate whoever pulled it off."

"That would be impossi…" Lloyd started, but cut himself off as he thought of something. "Well there is one way. To use a highly conductive electrode powered by something like Rakshata's Radiant Wave Surger after somehow digging it deep underground."

"You mean the JLF pulled that off without our knowledge while we had the whole mountain surrounded?" Nonnette asked in disbelief.

"I doubt it was them, it was most likely a third party." Rai commented from the cockpit of the Club as the OS was being updated for the new weapons. "We were so busy monitoring the JLF we probably let them slip by us." Suzaku nodded his agreement to his friend's comment.

"Earl Asplund!" Euphemia's companions in the Command Center shouted at the screen where the man's face was being shown. "How long until the Lancelots can launch?"

"We'll start getting them ready for mountain terrain this very instant, but it will take us about half an hour at the very least." Lloyd explained with a smirk, before asking the question he wanted while pretending not to know what was going on. "But why are you in such a hurry to have them deployed? I don't see anyone attacking our rear"

"Zero has appeared." Euphemia informed, surprising the two teenagers in the truck. "As has the Sky Ruler, we need those units out there and fast."

"Very well. We'll get ready for launch as soon as we can, Your Highness." Cecile replied as all pilots readied up, determined.

"These are their known locations." The pink haired Princess said as she sent them the data. Depicting a small number of forces marching to engage the forces at the mountain sides, while an invisible enemy, reported to be the Black Titan, swiftly eliminated one of the platoons at the back of the mountain. The other was being held off by what appeared to be three units alone and the largest amount of enemy Frames were making a beeline for Cornelia's location while a lone, unidentified unit was making its way to the reserve forces that were moving to reinforce her. "Please hurry!" She urged pleadingly, and that steeled Suzaku's and Rai's minds.

"The Black Knights?!" Cornelia asked in shock. "So Euphemia was right all along."

"Your Highness, go to our Rendezvous point T-5 as we hold them off." Guilford said as he stared up at the squad of black Burais headed their way, led by one that had a strange red adornment on its head and something hanging from the sides of the cockpit. "The reserve units will reinforce you there, as will Darlton and any soldiers that are left from his forces."

"Very well, Guilford." Cornelia replied as she maneuvered her Gloucester backwards and handed over her spear to her Knight. "Hear my order, you are to come back to me no matter the cost."

"We hear and obey." Guilford stated determined as his Gloucester wielded both spears menacingly, glaring at the approaching forces. The rest of the squad formed alongside him, determined to protect their most respected person in the Empire, Emperor be damned. She was the one who gave them the glory and the power to face death itself.

Inside his Command Burai, Lelouch had a deep scowl on his face. He had known the Radiant Wave Surger was powerful when scheming his strategy, but the extent of its power had eluded him and he had crushed half a city in the process of executing his plans, not something he was happy about.

While going down the mountain, he had found the destruction caused to be even more heartrending. Still, he didn't care, no… He couldn't allow himself to care, and so he steeled himself in his resolve. The world couldn't be changed without dirtying one's own hands, the blood spilled today, and all days onward, would become the foundation for the peaceful world Nunnally and so many others deserved. He'd snuff as many lives and spill as much blood as necessary to reach that end. Spotting the troops ahead, he readied himself, only to notice his lavender haired sister's unit was nowhere to be found.

"It would seem Cornelia has escaped." Zero commented confidently as his Knightmare troops came to a halt before Guilford's. "Where to?"

"Her Highness' location is not your concern now, Zero." Guilford snarled, readying himself for the fight and gripping the Gloucester's controls. "After all, the dead have no worries in the afterlife."

And... cliffhanger.

Don't worry, I'll try not to make you guys wait over half a year again... hopefully.

Thank you for reading and please review.