CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

And here is Chapter 10! So, as many of you may have noticed, Euphemia is noticeably different from her canon counterpart in many ways. She isn't as naive or quite as innocent, but she still has a good heart and is rather lenient toward others when they make faux pas regarding how they address her or when they speak out of turn. However, she does have a sense of discipline, instilled by her sister Cornelia, and when pushed far enough, she will show it.

Some of you also may have noticed that Euphemia refers to Jeremiah Gottwald as Sir Gottwald, despite his demotion. This is mostly because Euphemia still holds Jeremiah in high regard, as he is among the few people she recognizes in Area 11 from her childhood. It's also because despite being demoted, he is still technically a Knight. Clovis may have stripped Jeremiah of his Margrave title, but not his Knight rank and the piloting licenses that come with it.

Also, since Suzaku will be forced to attend Ashford Academy in this chapter, this means I get to write another reunion between him and Lelouch. Now, as I have detailed in earlier chapters, Suzaku isn't as naive or as blindly optimistic as he was in canon. He isn't the brooding character seen in R2 either. He's still optimistic, but not stupid. He does hope that the system can be changed from within, but he isn't dumb enough to think that this change will happen because he tries to set a good example like he did in canon.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include Code Geass OST 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, Can't Buy Me Love (1987) by Robert Folk, and Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is not a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From Code Geass OST 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007): Zero, Strange Girl, Cold Nobility, Invisible Sound, Outside Road, Devil Created, First Signature, Boyhood, Last Adolescence, Occupied Thinking, All Hail Britannia!

Music From Can't Buy Me Love (1987): Rent Me, Geek Groove, Siberia, Anything You Want, Thinking of You, Don' Forget, Thinking of You, For You.

Music From Halo 2 Anniversary OST (2014): Not A Number, Into The Belly Of The Beast, Charity's Irony, Spartan's Regret, Only A Star, Only The Sea.

Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme

01. Spartan's Regret (Nunnally's feelings), 02. Only A Star, Only The Sea (Euphemia studies Zero report), 03. Thinking of You, (C.C. in bed), 04. Baked Words (Educational requirements), 05. Last Adolescence (Suzaku at Ashford), 06. Anything You Want (Suzaku joins Student Council), 07. Cold Nobility (Clovis's Funeral/Emperor's Speech).

Music After Ending Theme

08. Into The Belly Of The Beast.

OPENING THEME: Blow Me Away (By Breaking Benjamin)

CHAPTER 10: Fast Times At Ashford Academy

Ashford Academy, Tuesday, October 31, 2017 ATB

Wheeling her way through the halls of Ashford Academy, Nunnally Lamperouge stopped at an intersection as she waited for the human traffic to lighten up. As she waited, she couldn't help but notice the other students' legs as they walked. Nunnally glanced down at her own legs, limp and useless, before looking back up at the other students as they passed through the halls.

She inhaled quietly through her nostrils before exhaling, drawing as little attention to herself as possible. When the other students finished making their way to the next class, Nunnally resumed wheeling herself through the intersection, taking a left turn as she made her way to her next class. Glancing up at a clock on the wall, she saw that she still had enough time before the bell would ring. That realization cheered her up a little bit.

But, I still wish I could walk again, she thought to herself with a sense of longing. She continued wheeling herself through the hallway quietly until she reached the door to the next class. Taking a deep breath, Nunnally forced herself to smile before turning her wheelchair and entering the class room.

The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Later That Day...

Sitting at her desk, Euphemia li Britannia studied the report in front of her. Ever since receiving the report on Zero Sunday night, she had been re-reading it over and over again, looking for clues that could help unmask the man who had killed Clovis. However, there were many things that seemed amiss in the report. There were things that just didn't make sense.

However, there were also several noticeable patterns regarding Zero as well. Memory loss suffered by certain individuals was the biggest pattern. And yet, it was also one of the most curious and frustrating patterns as well, for Euphemia could not understand just how Zero was able to cause this memory loss in the first place.

Over and over again, Euphemia read the report, page after page, taking in every detail she could find. For two days she looked over it, and somehow everything made less sense each time she read it. Looking away from the report, Euphemia glanced at her tablet, which had a page from the Project R files opened on it. An idea soon occurred to Euphemia as she grabbed the report on her desk and flipped back to the first page. She read the section covering the Battle of Shinjuku again.

The terrorists unwittingly stole a container holding the Project R test subject, Euphemia thought to herself. Project R was Clovis's asinine attempt at gaining immortality because the test subject... had unusual abilities, Euphemia realized as she grabbed the tablet and placed it on the table next to the report. What if... wait a minute, the canister was never recovered! It was found by Foreign Legion troops during the battle, but otherwise it was left in the ghetto afterward, Euphemia realized.

If it was left there... then it was probably empty. Meaning that the test subject had escaped. The time listed for the canister's discovery was just before the battle started going in the terrorists' favor, which was when Zero first appeared, as evidenced by Lieutenant Nu's recollection. Lieutenant Nu's loss of memory and Knightmare Frame both occurred near a restaurant where the corpses of Clovis's Royal Guard were found, Euphemia thought as she started fitting the puzzle pieces into one another.

After another minute of deep thought, Euphemia's eyes widened in realization. "Zero... Zero was the test subject!" she gasped. This whole time, Zero's actions haven't been those of a revolutionary! His words and actions have all been for revenge! Helping out the terrorists was just Zero's way of staying out of Britannia's clutches, Euphemia realized.

The memory loss and apparent hypnosis abilities... it all makes perfect sense now! Zero wiped Lieutenant Nu's memory of his face and stole her Knightmare. Helping the terrorists win the battle allowed him to find and murder Bartley, and then he laid low until that raid in Shinjuku the following month. The Orange Incident, Euphemia thought to herself as she flipped through the report.

Hypnosis and subsequent memory loss with Sir Gottwald, just like Lieutenant Nu and every undercover operative that has reported Zero's presence at all of the failed capture locations, Euphemia noted. But are these powers a result of the experiments, or did Zero already have these abilities before being captured by Clovis and Bartley? If these powers are a result of the Project R experiments, then Clovis was very much hoisted by his own petard, Euphemia thought to herself with a frown.

As angry as I wish to be toward Zero for killing my brother, I must admit that... well, Clovis and Bartley had it coming. Clovis ordered horrific experiments performed on this person for his own vain attempt at gaining eternal life, and once Zero escaped custody... it's no wonder Bartley's corpse had so many bullet holes in his crotch region, Euphemia realized.

But then... why did Clovis's corpse reportedly only have one bullet hole in his body? Perhaps Zero had mellowed out over the months following his killing of Bartley. That must be it. Zero killed Bartley on the same day that he was freed, so of course the desire for revenge and other negative emotions would be running high. Clovis was killed months later, so Zero must have calmed down by then, Euphemia thought as she rationalized the discrepancies between the two murders.

"Still... none of this actually reveals Zero's identity. No name or... face?" Euphemia asked as she looked at her tablet and started going through the Project R files again, searching for any details or even images of the test subject. When she did find images, none of them included the face of the subject, only limbs and other body parts for before and after comparisons to accompany various experiments.

"Who are you really, Zero?" Euphemia asked curiously as she tried to find clues, anything at all, that could reveal more information about the test subject.

Ashford Academy, Later That Evening...

Lying back on her bed in her dorm room, C.C. held her plush Cheese-Kun up to her chest as she stared up at the ceiling. Glancing to her left, she looked at the desk where her completed homework lay. It had been a long time since she had been forced to do school work, and while the knowledge she had accumulated over her centuries of living was quite useful in completing her assignments, she still disliked the fact that she had to use it for something so tedious.

But I'm free, though. I suppose it's better to do homework than to be back in that lab, she thought to herself as she hugged Cheese-Kun tightly to her body. Closing her eyes, C.C. allowed her thoughts to drift. I wonder... when the Ragnarok Convergence is completed, will any of this even matter? Will Lelouch's revenge against Charlie and Vincent make any difference? Should I tell him the truth about Marianne?

Shifting herself on the bed, C.C. focused her gaze up at the ceiling. "No," she whispered in response to her own question. "If I tell him the truth right now... it'll just cause problems," she said before glancing down at Cheese-Kun. "Besides... I'd rather not see him get killed so soon," she added, knowing that Lelouch would probably abandon the whole Zero thing in order to hunt down Vincent if he learned the truth too soon. Confronting Vincent or even Charles this early would only result in the boy's death.

Besides, the boy's Geass hasn't even BEGUN to properly grow and mature yet, though with the way he's using it, that may start to change soon, C.C. noted to herself as she looked back up at the ceiling. "Even so... it's probably best to simply let him gain full mastery over his Geass before I tell him anything about Vincent and Ragnarok. At least that way he'll stand half a chance at surviving if he decides to pursue Vincent," she said to herself before she glanced back down at Cheese-Kun.

The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Friday Afternoon, November 03, 2017 ATB

Looking over the latest report that had been sent her way on the Lancelot, Euphemia reclined in her chair. According to Lloyd Asplund's projections and available data, the Knightmare and its weapon systems would all be ready for proper field testing by the end of November. Looking at the names of the personnel involved in the project, Euphemia soon noticed one that seemed familiar.

"Wait a minute... that can't be right," she muttered to herself as she read Suzaku Kururugi's name on the list as the test pilot. She quickly accessed the personnel database through her computer and pulled up Suzaku's file. The boy was ranked as a Private in the Foreign Legion, having been enlisted for the past four years. Euphemia raised an eyebrow at this information. Suzaku was also listed as being part of the Camelot Team, which meant he was also under Prince Schneizel's purview, and thus operated outside or normal military regulations.

However... even if Camelot operated outside of normal regulations, there were still certain requirements that needed to be met. After all, according to the data from Lloyd, Suzaku was the only pilot capable of handling the Lancelot properly. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that anyone else would be able to operate it in the field if the machine was needed. If Suzaku was going to operate the machine out in the field, then he needed to have a proper Knight title or at least a Knight-In-Training Permit, and that required attending and then graduating from a primary schooling system.

Of course, given what these records show, the boy should have been promoted at least TWICE by now, considering the actions he's taken and performed for both Camelot AND the Foreign Legion, Euphemia thought to herself as she read the list of accomplishments for Suzaku. I can't promote him too high up, but he's earned a promotion by this point, she mentally added. After all, if he gets called to pilot the Lancelot in the field, he'll need to have a suitable rank.

Searching for the E-Mail address of Lloyd Asplund, Euphemia began typing up a request form and attaching several other documents that would need to be read and signed. After ten minutes of work, she sent the E-Mail to Lloyd's account and grabbed the built-in desk phone to call the main testing facility. "Hello, thank you for calling the Testing Site for the Area Eleven Camelot Team," a receptionist said over the phone. "Hello, this is the new Viceroy of Area Eleven, please patch me through to Earl Lloyd Asplund," Euphemia requested into the phone.

"Right away, Viceroy... uh, name?" the receptionist asked. "Britannia. Li Britannia," Euphemia said. "Oh, of course! My humblest apologies, Your High-" "Just Viceroy, please," Euphemia interjected. "Sorry. I'll transfer your call to Lloyd's office line right away," the receptionist said.

Euphemia nodded her head and rolled her eyes as she waited. Soon, she heard the sound of the line picking up, followed by the cheery male voice of Lloyd Asplund. "Helllloooo! You've reached the eccentric genius hotline! How may I be of assistance?" Lloyd asked in an overly cheerful manner through the phone.

"Hello, Earl Asplund, this is the Viceroy of Area Eleven. I need to speak with you about an important matter regarding your test pilot, Private Kururugi," Euphemia said. "Oh, don't tell me you're taking him away from me! Please, he's the only pilot who can handle my baby without sustaining serious injury or dying!" Lloyd exclaimed shamelessly.

"D-Dying?" Euphemia asked him curiously as she raised an eyebrow at his words. "Well, you know... he gets injured and heals enough to get back in the machine without any problems! He couldn't do that if he died, could he? Of course not!" Lloyd replied with a tone that immediately set off warning bells in Euphemia's head. She used her access codes to view the various safety records of the Camelot Team under Lloyd's supervision, her eyes soon widening as she saw the horrendous safety record.

I knew that most of the other test pilots had sustained injuries from not being able to control Asplund's machines properly, but... but... Maybe Zero isn't the only person I should have being investigated right now, Euphemia thought to herself darkly. "Earl Asplund, I am not taking Private Kururugi away from you... permanently, but it has come to my attention that certain requirements for his status as a pilot have not been met properly. I have already sent the necessary documents to you via E-Mail. I expect them to be read and signed by both yourself and Private Kururugi before being returned to me by tomorrow evening," she said sternly.

"Oh? Please elaborate for me," Lloyd requested. Ignoring the man's lack of proper formalities, Euphemia began listing off the various requirements for Suzaku as a pilot and potential Knight or Knight-In-Training. "Uh-huh. I see. Very well. I shall have Suzaku and myself view and sign these documents before sending them back your way. Tell me, do you want E-Mails, fax, or paper?" Lloyd asked Euphemia over the phone.

"E-Mail or fax will both do fine, but please take heed of the time limit," Euphemia replied. "And do remember to read the fine print," she added. "Of course, Viceroy. I'll get started on the paperwork right away. Good bye," Lloyd replied before hanging up the phone. Placing the desk phone back in its holder, Euphemia leaned back in her chair and sighed before running a hand through her hair.

"Well, you volunteered for the job, Euphie," she said to herself. "You've got no one to blame but yourself. [Sigh] I really should have listened to Darlton and waited for Cornelia to finish up in Area Eighteen before coming here," she added tiredly.

Meanwhile, In The JLF HQ Bunker In Narita...

Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh marched through the corridors of the JLF base with Nagisa Chiba in tow. The short-haired woman was one of his Four Holy Swords and his most trusted subordinate. The walk through the corridors was mostly silent, at least until Chiba spoke up.

"You seem... pensive, Tohdoh," Chiba noted. Tohdoh glanced at her in response before nodding his head. "Do you wish to share your thoughts?" she asked him politely.

"I fear that Kusakabe may announce a plan to strike at Britannia in the open," Tohdoh said quietly. Chiba looked at him curiously.

"Why do you fear that?" she asked him.

"Because we have not yet heard from Kyoto House regarding their efforts to establish contact with Zero," Tohdoh said.

"It has only been a week since that decision was made, hasn't it? Certainly Kusakabe would understand that more time is needed for anyone to establish contact with someone as elusive as this Zero person, right?" Chiba asked him.

"Yes, but I fear that Kusakabe is growing impatient and reckless," he explained with a heavy sigh. "I believe the high probability of Zero not being Japanese may play a part in his desire to act without anyone contacting Zero to learn more about him," Tohdoh added with a frown.

"Do you believe that is why he called you here today? Do you believe he is going to ask your approval for a strike plan?" Chiba asked Tohdoh. Tohdoh nodded his head in confirmation.

"Unfortunately, yes. However, I have no intention of agreeing to any such plan until we have heard from Kyoto House," Tohdoh added. Chiba nodded her head in understanding.

As soon as the duo reached the door to one of the main strategy rooms, Tohdoh pressed a button for it to slide open, ushering Chiba inside first. Closing the door behind him, Tohdoh noticed Kusakabe pointing a finger to a spot on a map, with a representative from one of the Kyoto Houses nodding his head.

Kusakabe looked up and nodded his head at Tohdoh. "Tohdoh, you're just in time. This is gentleman is from Kirihara's estate, and he will be helping us deliver some supplies to the Blood Of The Samurai," Kusakabe explained. Tohdoh nodded his head curtly in understanding.

"What sort of supplies do they need?" Tohdoh asked.

"They're going to need some Burai units and some explosives. They also need more ammunition for their regular arms, in addition to standard rations," the Kyoto House liaison said. Tohdoh nodded his head in understanding until something occurred to him.

"I see, but why the need for explosives and Burai units? Have the ones they have begun to break down?" Tohdoh asked curiously.

"No, it's a matter of fortifying defenses," the liaison replied. "With Zero causing an increase in Britannian patrol activity, various resistance groups have begun to fear that Britannia will begin searching for them much more actively. The Blood Of The Samurai believe that their discovery is almost inevitable now that Britannia is actively hunting for Zero," the liason elaborated.

"They want the increase in Burai units and ammunition so that if Britannia does discover their HQ, they can defend themselves properly until help arrives or they're able to sneak their most valuable personnel and resources out of harms way," the liaison added.

"Tohdoh," Kusakabe began. "We need to let our allies know that they can still depend on us to lend them aid in times of need. Otherwise, how can we be the shining beacon that will free Japan and lead our people into prosperity once more?"

Tohdoh let out a subtle sigh as he nodded in response to Kusakabe's words. Still, something about the movement of supplies seemed a little bit off to him, but given the liaison's explanation regarding Britannia's increased patrols in their hunt for Zero, he decided not to argue. "Very well. Let me see the numbers," Tohdoh requested.

Ashford Academy, Area 11, Monday Morning, November 06, 2017 ATB

Sitting at his desk in Mr. Wellington's classroom, Lelouch rested his head on the flat wooden surface while listening to the sounds of the other students filing into the room. His attempts at trying to get the Black Knights to explore their new HQ had proven to be less than successful, as none of them, save Kallen and C.C., had been able to get free time over the weekend. Ohgi had been called in to his day job to fill in for a co-worker who had gotten sick, Inoue had been scheduled to switch places with a co-worker at her place of employment weeks in advance and had almost forgotten about it until being reminded via phone call from her employer, Tamaki had gotten sick from something he'd eaten on Friday, and the others had simply been unable to request time off at their jobs.

Recruitment efforts for the Black Knights had also been rather abysmal, even with the release of the Project R files and the video message. Only a handful of new people had joined their ranks, and now the Black Knights numbers had grown to a paltry fifteen from ten, since Lelouch counted Sayoko as a Black Knight, despite her lack of involvement in their activities. Maybe I need to get more involved in the planning stages of these things instead of leaving them up to other people, Lelouch thought bitterly to himself.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his right shoulder. "Hey, Bud," Rivalz said with a bright smile. "Wake up, man," Rivalz added jovially as he sat down near Lelouch. Lelouch raised his head and looked at Rivalz with a tired expression.

"So, did Milly tell you about the new student yet?" Rivalz asked Lelouch, causing the latter to raise an eyebrow. Scratching his head, Lelouch tried to think back to his conversation with Milly earlier that morning, only to come up empty. Lelouch then shook his head at Rivalz. "Really? Huh, I thought she would've told ya. I mean, she told me," Rivalz said curiously.

"Well, what all did she tell you about the new kid?" Lelouch asked his friend in a rather bored tone.

"Um... well, not much, actually. She just said that it was a guy and he would be starting with us today," Rivalz said. "That's about it," he added with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Fascinating," Lelouch said drolly as he noticed C.C. entering the class room and quietly taking her seat near the door.

After the rest of the class had filled their seats, leaving only a handful empty, Mr. Wellington entered the room and cleared his throat. "All right, students. Today, we have yet another new appendage to our student body joining us," Wellington announced.

He then glanced over to the open doorway of the room and gestured for someone to step into the room. Lelouch looked over at the doorway as the new student entered the room, only for his eyes to widen in recognition. H-He... he's alive, Lelouch thought to himself in astonishment as Suzaku Kururugi stepped into the room.

Suzaku walked over to the front center of the room and looked around at the other students, his eyes locking onto those of Lelouch briefly, before offering a curt bow to everyone. "Hello, my name is Suzaku Kururugi and I'll be attending Ashford Academy from here on out. Um... I guess I'll just, uh, find a seat and wait for the period to start," Suzaku said with a hint of nervousness in his voice as he scanned the room, seeing the bewildered and skeptical expressions on the faces of the other students.

"What's an Eleven doing here?" one student asked in a whisper to a fellow classmate. "Do you think he's dangerous?" another student asked in a whisper. Suzaku ignored the stares and whispered words around him as he made his way over to an empty seat near the back, glancing over at Lelouch, who subtly tugged at the collar of his uniform. Suzaku recognized the code for what it was and curtly tilted his head ever so slightly to convey his understanding of the message to Lelouch.

Meanwhile, the whispering of the other students continued throughout the room. Several students eyed Suzaku warily, while others just ignored him. Rivalz glanced back over his shoulder the boy before looking over at Lelouch. "So... I guess that's why Milly didn't say much," Rivalz commented.

Lelouch slowly nodded his head in agreement. "Can't wait to see Nina's reaction, though," Rivalz added with a knowing expression on his face. Lelouch raised an eyebrow before he remembered Nina's xenophobia. He then slowly shook his head as numerous horrible possibilities ran through his head.

"Yup. That's gonna be quite the sight," Rivalz said, nodding his head in agreement. "He seems friendly, though. Hey, maybe if we invite him to join the Student Council, it might help Nina get over her problems," Rivalz suggested quietly.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow as he thought about his friend's words. Sure, Rivalz' heart was in the right place, but... the boy clearly didn't understand the complex nature of deep-rooted xenophobia. He was far too sheltered. Again, though, his heart was in the right place.

As the first period bell soon rang, everyone forced themselves to focus their attention on the class lesson. Forty-five minutes later, when the class was over, Lelouch decided to hang back and wait for the others to leave the classroom, noticing Suzaku doing the same thing. Rivalz also noticed Lelouch dawdling. "Hey, come on, Lelouch! We're gonna be late for the next class if we take too long! It's on the other side of the building, after all," Rivalz said.

"You go on ahead," Lelouch said to him. "I'll catch up to ya," he added. Rivalz looked at Lelouch curiously before glancing over at Suzaku. He then nodded his head and turned around, walking out of the room. Lelouch gathered his things ans walked over to Suzaku, who was gathering the few supplies he had.

"Don't let them get to you," Lelouch said to Suzaku in an almost casual manner. "Roof top, lunch time," he then added quietly, but just loud enough for Suzaku to hear him. Suzaku nodded his head in understanding before following Lelouch out the door, glancing down at the schedule sheet in his hands along with the school map as he made his way to the next class.

The hallways were filled with other students, many of whom didn't know what to make of the Honorary Britannian now in their midst. Some of them sent glares his way, while others simply avoided him. A few of them just ignored him and continued their trek to the next class, while others could be heard gossiping as he passed them. Suzaku forced himself to ignore them all as he followed the map to his next destination.

Upon reaching the class room for second period, Suzaku soon heard a familiar voice emanating from a desk near a corner. "Suzaku!" Shirley Fenette said happily as she bounded over to the boy. "What are you doing here!?" she asked him with a smile.

"Well... I was given orders to attend school by the Viceroy," Suzaku explained quietly. Shirley blinked in response.

"Really? How come?" she asked him curiously.

"Um, apparently I need to meet certain educational requirements to keep my license and status as a pilot, and... gain the title of Knight," Suzaku said. Shirley's eyes widened in response. "I've been recently given the title of Knight-in-Training until I graduate," he added.

"Oh," Shirley whispered in awe. "So... are you being replaced as a test pilot then?" she asked Suzaku quietly. Suzaku shook his head in the negative.

"No. I'm allowed to keep test piloting, but the Viceroy has made it clear that I need to meet the educational requirements to receive the title of Knight in the future in order to maintain my status as a pilot in general," Suzaku explained. Shirley nodded her head slowly in understanding.

"Wow, that means you'll gain the title of Knight!" she whispered happily. "Suzaku, do you know how much of an honor that is?" she asked him with wide eyes. He nodded his head in response.

"Well, way to go, Private!" Shirley said in a congratulatory manner as she put a hand on Suzaku's shoulder. Suzaku smiled bashfully before looking away in slight embarrassment.

"Actually... it's Sergeant now," he corrected her sheepishly. Shirley's mouth dropped slightly.

"You got promoted too!? Well, good for you!" she congratulated him, ignoring the stares of the other students in the room.

"Um... thanks," Suzaku said with a smile and a very faint blush on his cheeks.

"You, know this also means we'll get to hang out together more often," Shirley said with a smile. Suzaku looked at Shirley in surprise. While a part of him was hesitant and nervous, another part of him was eager and overjoyed at the prospect of being able to spend more time with someone who was friendly toward him.

"That... that sounds nice," Suzaku said with a smile. "In fact... I'm looking forward to it," he added confidently. Shirley nodded her head in return.

The Roof of Ashford Academy, A Couple Hours Later...

Upon reaching the roof top, Suzaku looked around for signs of Lelouch. He didn't see anyone near the guard rails of the building as he stepped forward. "Lelouch?" he called out as he scanned the area in front of him.

As he slowly turned around, he saw his friend standing next to the rooftop door. Lelouch looked at Suzaku pointedly as he slowly marched over to him, before stopping just a foot away. After a minute of staring at Suzaku's face, Lelouch extended his arms and smiled as he pulled Suzaku into a hug.

Suzaku's eyes widened in shock as Lelouch hugged him, before the raven-haired boy eventually let go and stepped back from him. "This whole time, I thought you were dead," Lelouch said with relief in his voice. Suzaku could see tears forming around Lelouch's eyes.

"No. Not yet, at least," Suzaku replied with a smirk. Lelouch closed his eyes and slowly shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "What? Did you really think I would die so easily?" Suzaku asked him with a snort.

"How did you survive? I saw you get shot," Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Do you remember that old stopwatch my father had? That gold one that he would always wind up? It was round and shiny. Remember it?" Suzaku asked Lelouch.

"Yeah. Yeah, I remember that thing," Lelouch said thoughtfully.

"Well, I always carry it with me. A combination of the dense fabric of my combat fatigues and the stopwatch slowed down the bullet," Suzaku explained. Lelouch nodded his head in understanding.

"But what about you?" Suzaku then asked Lelouch. "How did you get out of the ghetto?" he continued.

"Luck," Lelouch replied. "It was luck. Pure luck," he reiterated firmly. Suzaku may have been his friend, but he was also in the military, and he had no idea just how much he could trust the guy to keep his mouth shut if he were to tell him the truth. He wanted to trust Suzaku, he really did, but he had to know where Suzaku's loyalties truly lied before he could tell him anything about Zero or Geass.

"Oh," Suzaku said. "So, what about the girl? Cee-Two, right? I saw her in the first period class room this morning. What's her story?" Suzaku asked him.

"Well, as you could clearly tell, she got out with me," Lelouch replied.

"Yeah, but... she was wearing a Britannian straitjacket when I found you guys in the ghetto," Suzaku said. "So, come on, what's her story?" he asked Lelouch again.

"Do you really want to know?" Lelouch asked Suzaku in return. Suzaku nodded his head in response. Lelouch then sighed, having dreaded the possibility of this conversation taking place.

"Listen, Suzaku, I need you to promise me that you won't turn her in to the authorities," Lelouch requested. Suzaku raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at Lelouch in response.

"What do you mean? Why would I turn her... wait a minute... is she related to that canister?" Suzaku asked him. Lelouch looked at Suzaku incredulously.

"Of course she's related to the canister!" Lelouch hissed. "She was in the canister! Haven't you read those documents that were leaked onto the internet?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

Suzaku shook his head in response, causing Lelouch to roll his eyes before letting out a frustrated sigh as he shook his head in dismay. "Look, ever since we escaped Shinjuku, she's been in hiding here at the school, using an alias and posing as an exchange student," Lelouch explained.

"Suzaku, you can not tell anyone about her, or she'll get captured again and experimented upon. She was illegally experimented on by Clovis and Bartley for who knows how long and now she's finally free, Suzaku," Lelouch insisted as he grabbed Suzaku by the shoulders with a tight grip. "Do you understand me!?" Lelouch asked him with a glare. Suzaku looked at Lelouch with wide eyes before nodding his head slowly in agreement and understanding.

"Y-Yeah. Don't, uh, don't worry," Suzaku said with a gulp. Lelouch slowly loosened his grip on Suzaku's shoulders before inhaling and exhaling slowly in relief.

"Okay," Lelouch said, slowly nodding his head before taking a deep breath. "So... how are things going for you?" he then asked Suzaku. Suzaku blinked a couple of times as he recovered from Lelouch's outburst before processing the question.

"Um, well... things are going okay, I guess," Suzaku finally said with a shrug. "I never thought I'd actually get to go to a normal school with other people my age before now," he added. Lelouch nodded his head in understanding.

"Yeah, about that... just why are you attending Ashford anyway? I mean, I'm glad to have you here and all, but... with the Purebloods in charge of the Area's government, this doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would be allowed to happen, especially with you being in the military," Lelouch said with a curious expression on his face.

"Well, the Viceroy said that I need to attend and graduate high school in order to keep my license as a Knightmare pilot and attain the title of Knight, even though I'm really just a test pilot. But, hey, the Viceroy's orders are the Viceroy's orders, so here I am," Suzaku replied with a shrug.

"Hm, so... who's the new Viceroy anyway?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to say. They want their identity kept secret from the public for the time being, what with Zero running around and all," Suzaku replied. Lelouch nodded his head in understanding.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Lelouch said. "I can understand someone important not wanting people to know their identity," he added wryly with a smirk. Suzaku nodded his head in agreement.

"So, how's Nunnally doing?" Suzaku suddenly asked, causing Lelouch to blink at Suzaku in surprise. Suzaku smirked at Lelouch's response, taking delight in the fact that he had managed to catch the chess master off guard for once. "Well? How's she doing here at Ashford?" he asked Lelouch again.

"How do you know she's alive?" Lelouch asked him curiously with furrowed brows. Suzaku let out a soft snort before shaking his head in response.

"I've actually known about your presence at Ashford for a while now, Lelouch. Since at least October, in fact," Suzaku added, smirking as he watched Lelouch's eyes widen in shock before they narrowed at him suspiciously.

"But... how? How would you know anything about me or Nunnally being here at Ashford in the first place?" Lelouch asked him suspiciously.

"Oh... Shirley," Suzaku replied smugly. It wasn't often that he found himself being in control of a situation and holding all of the cards, especially when Lelouch was involved. He planned to enjoy this occasion as much as possible.

"Shirley? You mean Shirley Fenette?" Lelouch asked him, for clarification. Suzaku nodded his head in confirmation. "But... you only just met her today, didn't you?" Lelouch asked his friend.

Suzaku shook his head. "No, I've known Shirley for a couple of months now. We met at a sub shop a while back in late September," Suzaku explained. Lelouch slowly nodded his head in understanding as he absorbed the information.

"Huh. I haven't heard her mention anything about you," Lelouch said. Then again, I haven't exactly made it a point to go around asking Shirley about her friends outside of the Student Council, Lelouch mentally noted. Actually, I don't think I spend much time talking to her outside of the Student Council anyway.

"Well, we only hang out every now and then. Although, given that I'm attending Ashford now, I guess I'll be seeing a lot more of her," Suzaku said with a smile. Lelouch noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"Well then, I guess Shirley has informed you that everyone needs to join a club at Ashford?" Lelouch asked Suzaku. Suzaku's smile faltered and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, but I'm just not sure if anyone's gonna accept me," Suzaku said solemnly. "Do you know any clubs that would tolerate having an Honorary Britannian?" he then asked Lelouch.

"Well... I'll see what I can find out. Meet me in the club house after the final period is over and I'll introduce you to the Student Council. We'll work something out," Lelouch said reassuringly as he placed his right hand on Suzaku's left shoulder. "Besides, Nunnally's an honorary member of the council, and I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to see you again," he added with a warm smile.

Suzaku smiled back and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, anyway, how's she doing? You still didn't answer my question from earlier," Suzaku pointed out. Lelouch rolled his eyes as he removed his hand from Suzaku's shoulder.

"How about you ask her yourself this afternoon? As I said, she's an honorary member of the Student Council. She'll be there," Lelouch said.

The Student Council Club Room, Later That Day...

Sitting at the main table in the club room, most of the Student Council were busy looking over a budget report that Nina had printed out the previous evening. Everyone was there, including Nunnally and Sayoko. Kallen looked up from the papers in front of her to glance at the clock on the wall. "Hm, Lelouch is late," she noted before glancing over at an empty chair.

"He said that he needed to take care of something before he could join us," Milly said as she kept her eyes on the budget report. "Anyway, from the looks of things, we're not doing too bad," she added. "We may not be able to make the trip to Lake Kawaguchi by December with the budget being what it is right now, but if we keep check of our spending, then we should have enough money to make the trip sometime in January or maybe February," Milly noted, just before the sound of the doors opening caught everyone's attention.

Stepping into the club room, Suzaku nodded his head while Lelouch regaled him with a story about one of Milly's parties. "-kicked him right between the legs. And that's how Rivalz learned the dangers of telling women to their faces that he liked looking at their cleavage... while in front of other women... in public," Lelouch said while shaking his head. Suzaku snickered in response as he imagined the pained expression Rivalz must have had after getting kicked in the balls. Compared to all of the pain and suffering he had gone through as a test pilot, getting kicked in the nads, while definitely painful, was not as horrible as he used to think. Then again, he hadn't been injured in that particular region of his body for a very long time.

As the two boys stood in the doorway, a gasp could be heard from the middle of the room, drawing Suzaku's attention to the large table where the student council members were sitting, including Nunnally and Sayoko. "S-Suzaku!?" Nunnally asked in disbelief as she wheeled herself over to the boy. Still sitting at the table, Shirley smiled at Suzaku, although his attention was already drawn to the girl in the wheelchair.

"Nunnally!" Suzaku replied with a smile as he walked over and hand his hand out. Nunnally took his hand and shook it with a smile. "How have you been holding up all these years?" Suzaku asked her.

"I've been doing okay. But what about you? I never thought I'd see you again," Nunnally replied excitedly as she looked him over. "You've gotten taller, but you've still got some baby fat in your cheeks," she noted. Suzaku rolled his eyes in response.

"Seriously?" Lelouch asked her with a slight frown. "This is the first time you've seen Suzaku in how many years, and the first thing you do is make fun of him?" Lelouch asked her in a reprimanding tone. Suzaku playfully rolled his eyes at Lelouch.

Nunnally shook her head in response, while over at the table everyone chuckled. "See what I have to put up with, Suzaku? Lelouch has no sense of humor at all," Nunnally said with a smirk on her face. "Will you be my new big brother!?" she then asked him playfully while clasping her hands together and batting her eyes at him while forming a hopeful smile on her face.

Lelouch's jaw dropped and he looked at Nunnally in disbelief, while Suzaku found himself snickering. "Sorry, Nunnally. I'm afraid you're stuck with him," Suzaku replied. Nunnally fake-pouted in response.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at the duo before looking over at Milly. "Madam President, there's a reason I brought Suzaku here today," Lelouch said. Milly nodded her head knowingly.

"You can't find a club for him to join?" Milly asked him knowingly. Lelouch let out a quiet sigh before shaking his head in response. Milly slowly let out a sigh before standing up and walking over to Suzaku.

"Well, it would seem that you're in a bit of a predicament, Mister Kururugi," Milly said as she looked him up and down. "It is mandatory for all students at Ashford Academy to join a club as part of the curriculum. Since it seems that you have been finding it difficult to join any clubs, I suppose I should take matters into my own hands," she said thoughtfully.

Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, but Milly cut him off. "I think the easiest way to do this would be to make you part of the Student Council. We can always use more paper pushers to make the work go faster," Milly said with a smirk.

"Uh... sure. Whatever you want me to do," Suzaku said with a shrug. He didn't want to cause any problems or make a fuss, especially on his first day at Ashford. Milly's smirk then turned into a cat-like grin, and Suzaku raised an eyebrow.

"Good! I hereby induct you into our Student Council, although I may need to have you fill out some forms to make sure that it's all processed in the school network. It never hurts to be prepared, you know?" Milly said with a smile.

"Huh," Lelouch said. "That was a lot easier than I thought it would be," he quietly added as he walked over and sat down next to Kallen. Kallen glanced at him before returning her attention to a section of the budget report that focused on the Equestrian Club.

"Lelouch! How dare you just sit down without offering a seat to our newest council member!" Milly reprimanded. Lelouch looked over at Milly to see her standing with her arms crossed and tapping her left foot on the floor while a frown marred her face. He quickly stood up and walked over to grab a chair from another table nearby before placing it next to his own.

"Suzaku, won't you please have a seat?" Lelouch offered to his friend. Suzaku, having been bewildered by Milly's outburst, quickly nodded his head and sat down. Lelouch then sat down himself, while Milly shook her head before returning to her own seat as Nunnally wheeled herself over to her original spot at the table.

Ashford Academy, Wednesday, November 08, 2017 ATB

Standing in an auditorium with all of his fellow students, Lelouch noticed Kallen standing not too far away while C.C. was several students ahead of him. A large screen had been set up for everyone to see, and attendance had been made mandatory. As soon as the last of the school's students had filed into the large room, the lights dimmed slightly and the screen came on, showing a news channel.

A female newscaster was reporting on the funeral of Prince Clovis being held in Pendragon, with video feed on the screen showing a large crowd before zooming in on a casket in front of a podium where several members of the royal family could be seen. Lelouch recognized most of them, including Princess Marybell mel Britannia, Princess Julia mel Britannia, First Princess Guinevere de Britannia, Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia, Prime Minister Prince Schneizel el Britannia, Clovis's younger sister Laila la Britannia, Princess Carine ne Britannia, the mothers of said offspring, and the Emperor himself, Charles zi Britannia.

The podium was located in a large arena with hundreds of spectators and members of the nobility observing from either stands or lining the walls. Clovis's casket was closed, but given how he had a gaping hole the size of a golf ball in the back of his head, that was probably a deliberate choice. Multiple camera crews could be seen in the background behind the Royal Family

"And now, His Royal Majesty, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire," the newscaster said as the Emperor approached the podium and cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone. He looked around the arena as he prepared his speech.

"All men, are not created equal. Some are born swifter of foot, some with greater beauty, some are born into poverty, and others born sick and feeble. Both in birthland and upbringing, in sheer scope of ability every human is inherently different. Yes, that is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition, and the unfaltering march of progress," the Emperor said into the microphone.

"Inequality, is not wrong, equality is! What of the EU, which made equality a right, rabble politics by a popularity contest!? The Chinese Federation, with its equal distribution of wealth, is a nation of lazy dullards! But not our beloved Britannia! No, we fight! We compete, and our evolution is continuous!" the Emperor continued.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at his father's words. And he makes this kind of speech at the funeral of one of his own children? I really shouldn't have expected anything different, Lelouch thought to himself bitterly. The man is still as heartless as ever, he mentally added. Plus, I'd bet anything that Charles Darwin is probably spinning in his grave right now with how my father uses the term evolution in such a bizarre context, Lelouch added.

"Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into the future. Even the death of my son Clovis demonstrates Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress," Charles zi Britannia continued, the crowds captivated by his words.

"We will fight on. We shall struggle, compete, plunder, and dominate. And in the end, the future shall be ours. All Hail Britannia!"

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

The chants echoed through the crowds. Meanwhile, in the auditorium, C.C. narrowed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. Charlie... how can you say that with such a straight face? Do you really believe the words coming out of your mouth? How much is an act, and how much is real?

ENDING THEME: One Vision, by Queen

PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME

Next time on Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward, Zero and the Black Knights launch a surprise attack on a Britannian outpost in order to steal supplies. However, unknown to them, a fellow resistance group, called the Blood of the Samurai, is also launching an attack on the same outpost. Can the Black Knights and the Blood of the Samurai work together, or will Zero find himself becoming the enemy of both Britannia and the rest of the Japanese resistance as well?

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 10! Okay, after this chapter, I'm going to be resuming work on the final chapters of EVANGELION: REWIRED, meaning that updates for Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward will be spaced out to just once or twice a month until I am completely finished with Evangelion. After that, updates for Code Geass will be at a faster pace, although still with at least a week minimum between chapters.

Also, with the holiday season coming up, the grocery store where I work has experienced a huge increase in human traffic. Since I work in the dairy department by myself in the afternoon, I am constantly running back and forth between the shopping floor and the dairy coolers in an effort to both get product onto shelves and deal with customers. The stress from keeping up with everything has made writing more of a task than usual since I'm usually too tired to do anything after getting home, which is why my updates have been taking so long to get out recently.

With Thanksgiving finally over, things have begun to calm down a bit, but with Christmas and New Year still ahead, this respite is going to be rather short, and until the holiday season is over, any updates to any stories during the next month are going to be sporadic at best.

Now, to get something out of the way, YES, Suzaku does have suspicions about C.C. and the possibility of her being Zero. However, he has absolutely no proof to work with, and so it is merely that, a suspicion. Because he is willing to obey Lelouch's request, he will not be informing Euphemia or anyone else about C.C. and how he had seen her in Shinjuku. At least not yet.

Also, yes, Suzaku still killed his father in this version of the story, and it is a major source of guilt and inner conflict for him. I just won't be touching upon it in a direct manner at the moment because I think for this guilt to have an impact, we need to see Suzaku enjoying himself and life in general first. And despite how some people may find it weird or far fetched that I'm pairing Suzaku with Shirley, I'm sticking to my guns on this.

Also, in reference to the Emperor's speech... ZEKE ZEON! ;)

I, Anguirus1955, command you... to let me know what you think of the chapter and/or the story so far in your reviews!