Absolute Common Sense.

AN: Hey everyone. It's the second story of the day :D

As many of you, I was a little bit frustrated by the betrayal of the Black Knights and I wanted to write a story where it doesn't occur. So, Diethard, who was shown in the Anime as the bad guy who uses bad methods to protect Zero's image (and had a poor end by the hands of Enslaved-Schneizel) has been one of my favorite characters when I first watched the show. Yes, him.

ALL HAIL DIETHARD !

"Zero is our younger brother." Schneizel declared to the astonished assembly. "Cornelia's and my own."

The Second Prince of Britannia was sitting along with Princess Cornelia and Kanon Maldini at the table of negotiations. In front of them there was Todoh, Chiba, Tamaki and Diethard, the head of Intelligence of the Black Knights.

The revelation had the effect of a bomb in the negotiation room.

"What are you saying?" Tamaki shouted loudly, as usual.

Diethard stayed silent. The possibility of a vengeful Britannian Prince as Zero's identity has crossed his mind several times. Diethard wouldn't mind being under the orders of such a man, of course, but sadly, he was probably the only one.

"He is the former 11th Royal Prince of the Britannian Empire: Lelouch vi Britannia." Schneizel declared. "The man whom I both loved and feared more than any other."

Diethard narrowed his eyes. 'Vi Britannia?' He asked himself in his thoughts. 'As in Nunnally vi Britannia, the Viceroy of Area 11? It's an interesting theory.'

"Impossible." Todoh muttered in disbelief.

Tamaki shouted another useless question, but Diethard didn't pay attention. He was focused to what Schneizel had to say. Cornelia didn't seem surprised, but she could've learned it just before the meeting. Or perhaps she knew it since the Black Rebellion?

Then Cornelia spoke to him. "Diethard, please." She said with her tone full of arrogance. "In all this time, you never figure that out? Even with all the information you were getting from Jeremiah and Villetta?"

Diethard stared at her. Of course he investigated on the matter. Orange and Ohgi's mistress wanted him to investigate on Ashford Academy, for no apparent reason. Diethard gave them a list of all the raven-haired male students that were enlisted in this Academy as Villetta had requested. Then they gave out the information that Zero or this mysterious student had some sort of mind power, but it seemed ridiculous. Of course, after the Black Rebellion and the SAZ massacre it seemed less ridiculous for Diethard. But they could've learned about this power as well, didn't they?

"You're wasting your time." Diethard said simply. "Whether it is true or false, revealing that Zero is a Britannian Prince, or rather, a former Britannian Prince, is profitable for you and doesn't do well for the order's unity."

Todoh silently nodded in approval.

"Besides." Diethard added. "It doesn't remove the fact that he had proved that he was worthy of leading the rebellion against Britannia. And it doesn't remove all the miracles he had performed for our cause."

Schneizel smiled condescendingly. "But what if all those miracles he performed were actually tricks."

It was the time. They would talk about Zero's supposed power. Diethard wouldn't play Schneizel's game.

The head of Intelligence smirked. "Are you telling us that his tactical skills are only smokescreens?" He turned his gaze to Cornelia. "Did you fake your own defeats, your Highness?"

The Goddess of Victory gritted her teeth. "How dare you!"

"After all." Diethard continued, ignoring the looks to his direction. "If Zero is a Britannian Prince, and everything he does are tricks, then my question is relevant, isn't it?"

He felt it. Diethard was about to gain the upper hand in a debate against Schneizel and Cornelia. He felt like he was the King of the World. Oh, Zero would be proud.

Schneizel sighed. "We do not question my brother tactical skills, nor do we question Cornelia's, for the matter. But the fact remains that Zero possesses a special power known as Geass."

The attention was brought back to the blonde that supported the Britannian team.

"It is the absolute power to compel anyone to obey him." Schneizel continued. "You can think of it as extreme hypnosis."

In Todoh's mind everything started to make sense. "Are you saying his miracles come from that power?"

Diethard tried so hard to hide his frustration. If Schneizel had convinced Todoh he would win and the Black Knights would turn against Zero. Diethard wouldn't let that happen. He wanted Zero to wipe all the smug smirks in the Britannians' face, those who were so arrogant and full of themselves that they had forgot what decency meant. Diethard had worked in the Britannian Medias and managed to see through all of their lies and their masquerades; but then Zero came out, and their little World had been shaken up. Things didn't happen like the way it should because someone was there to show the World that the Empire wasn't indestructible. Schneizel was one of those people, and Diethard wouldn't let him the pleasure to get what he wanted."

"Where is the proof of all this, uh?" Tamaki asked loudly after one of his rants.

"I have the proof." Ohgi declared to the assembly.

Kaname Ohgi, the second-in-command of the Black Knights because he was leading the Kozuki group before Zero took over. Todoh, Xingke or Diethard would be more suited for the post but Zero had insisted. He had made a mistake, Diethard was sure of it.

Ohgi was accompanied with Villetta, a Britannian Baroness he presumably likes.

"What he saying is all true." Ohgi said bitterly. "Zero was a former Britannian prince name Lelouch. He controls people with his Geass power. A con man. Zero's been tricking us all along. Using us like pawns from the start."

Diethard gave a look at the Britannian table. Everyone seemed to be pleased with this situation.

"You don't mean this, Ohgi." Tamaki said in disbelief.

Diethard wouldn't let them do as they please with Zero's order.

"Tell me, Ohgi." Diethard said calmly, staring at the deputy commander intensely. "Is it Villetta who told you all of this?"

Ohgi nodded. "Yes indeed."

"Villetta is part of which branch of the Britannian Army?" Diethard asked to Ohgi, even though he knew the answer.

Ohgi maintained the eye contact. "The OSI. But I don't see why…"

"And before." Diethard continued, interrupting him. "Villetta was part of the Purist Faction, isn't it?"

Villetta stared at the blonde journalist with hatred.

"Jeremiah was part of the purists and now he's part of our order!" Ohgi snapped.

"Jeremiah doesn't spread lies about Zero!" Diethard retorted.

There was an awkward silence in the room. No one, not even Tamaki, wanted to interrupt him.

"I trust Villetta." Ohgi said calmly. "I …"

"You what?" Diethard asked coldly. "You love her? And you think her love for you is real? Nonsense. You're the deputy commander of the Black Knights, the number 2 of the only military force who can compete with Britannia's Army, and you think that the love she has for you is real?"

Villetta kept her mouth shut. The odds were against her, and there was no way she could convince them that she truly loved Ohgi. Diethard was good. Lelouch knew how to use his real skills by naming him head of the Intelligence.

"We have proofs." Schneizel declared suddenly, and drew out a recording device. "Proof that Zero and his power were involved in the Special Administration Zone massacre." He activated it once everyone had his attention.

"Did you use your Geass power on Euphie? Be honest." Said the recognizable voice of Suzaku Kururugi.

"Yes." Replied what seemed to be Zero's voice.

"You caused her to massacre the Japanese?" Suzaku's voice asked.

"I ordered her to do it." Zero's supposed voice replied.

Chiba widened her eyes. "Then, the blood bath was…"

"My sister was innocent." Cornelia replied in indignation. "Zero was controlling her."

Diethard rolled his eyes. "Oh please. This proves nothing. We hear the voice of Suzaku Kururugi and what seems to be Zero's true voice, but there is no actual proof that this testimony is true."

Todoh had mixed feelings about this. If he listened to his emotions then Schneizel would've been right in his point of view, but if he strictly stuck to logic then …

"Let me tell you one thing." Diethard said, staring at the Black Knights officers. "Schneizel is the one who conquered many countries with nothing but these kinds of negotiations. You can always ask the many people among the UFN who has witnessed Schneizel's methods in the table of negotiations, it is no different to what he's doing right now."

"You talk too much." Chiba said suddenly to Diethard. "Perhaps you're controlled by Zero to make us believe that all of this is a lie."

He stared at her with a condescending look. "I'm just using logic and common sense. A quality you seem to be lacking." Diethard retorted.

Chiba scoffed. "You're a Britannian. Your words don't affect me."

The atmosphere was tense in the negotiation room. "But … who's right in the end?" Tamaki asked weakly, to no one in particular.

Schneizel massaged his sinuses. Perhaps it wasn't a good plan after all. He should've dropped a FLEIJA warhead on the Ikaruga instead of doing this stunt. He would reveal his real face but at least real peace would have a chance to appear.

Then Cornelia spoke. "I, too, use logic and common sense. Do you really think someone like my innocent Sister would be able to do this kind of massacre…" But she didn't finish her sentence.

Todoh hit the table with his fist and stood up. "ENOUGH!" He roared.

Kanon widened his eyes.

Tamaki gulped.

Chiba looked at her crush with a puzzled face.

Kyoshiro Todoh was pissed.

"Are you telling us that a member of the Imperial Family cannot decently slaughter our people?" He asked icily. Todoh then stared at Princess Cornelia. "Perhaps you will tell us that if you ordered the Saitama massacre it was because you've been hypnotized by Zero? Perhaps Zero manipulated the Emperor into declaring war on Japan? Perhaps Clovis didn't order the Shinjuku massacre on his own will?!"

"How dare you disrespect my late brother?" Cornelia snapped.

"How dare you insult the memory of the millions of Japanese who died because of you?!" Todoh retorted.

Kanon sorted a document from his vest. "We have papers who…" He said weakly.

"I don't give a damn about your papers!" Todoh snapped. "We're done listening to your lies."

Schneizel closed his eyes. "So, this is it, then." He took out his phone number.

Diethard knew what Schneizel was about to do.

He pushed a button in the interface next to him, activating the Gefjun Disturber devices that were within the wall of the room.

Diethard smirked as Schneizel tried to call Anya, who possessed one of the FLEIJA warheads in her Knightmare Frame, with his phone whose components were made of Sakuradite.

"The installations of this room are resistant to the Gefjun disturber." He declared while standing up. "Except for the communications." Diethard pushed another button and the doors were locked.

Diethard pulled out his gun and Todoh did the same, followed by Chiba, who was loyal to Todoh. They aimed their weapon at Kanon, Cornelia and Schneizel.

Villetta raised her hands. "I yield." She said wisely.

"If we're found dead…" Cornelia began icily.

Diethard shook his head, a smug look on his face. "But we won't kill you. You went there for negotiate, right? So, let's negotiate."