"You fools!! Why'd you let those rebels get C.C?!!" Prince Schneizel snapped upon arriving at the laboratory which is now in a complete mess.
"We deeply apologize, Your Highness," one of the army says. "It was sudden and we couldn't go against the Gawain."
"You useless people!! Get out!!" the prince yells out. "Damn it!! I've never thought that Zero would take this chance to attack."
"Schneizel," Prince Clovis says. "It seems Zero had a talk with Princess Euphemia before she massacred the Japanese."
"What do you mean?" asks the prince.
"Look at this video. It was recorded before Zero destroyed it," replies Prince Clovis as he showed his brother a video of Zero entering at Princess Euphemia's room.
"Could it be that he has convinced the princess in doing the massacre?" Prince Clovis asks.
"That's nearly impossible," says Princess Cornelia. "She won't do such a thing that would stain the Britannia family. She is also not the type of person who would kill a person, he may be faulty or not."
"We couldn't just tell everyone that Zero has done something with this matter with the lack of evidence we have," Prince Schneizel says. "It would be even harder to take him down now that he has gained the support of the Elevens. Plus, he has taken C.C back."
"Now that he has taken her, I'm sure he won't be making any move sooner," says Princess Cornelia. "Anyway, I will be leaving Area 11 (Japan) for a while since I will be going abroad for some business."
"Same here. Prince Clovis, this matter will be left under your care until we come back," says Prince Schneizel before leaving with Princess Cornelia.
"Could it be that Zero really has geass just like Schneizel predicted? But how are we supposed to know it with lack of evidence?" Prince Clovis thought while watching the video again.
Black Knight's Headquarters...
Zero is with C.C in his quarters since he has something to discuss with the witch. He took off his mask and looks at C.C with both of his eyes having the geass.
"Would you explain why this happened?" he asks.
"It happens to every geass user. The time will come when it permanently activates. It's an inevitable case," says C.C. "Open your eyes without blinking."
Lelouch just follows her order without any questions. C.C puts on some contact lenses which would help in sealing off his geass when he won't use it.
"That would help you," she says. "You must have given Euphemia an offhand command in doing the massacre. You seem to be really helpless and reckless when I was away."
"It seems you're right," Lelouch whispers, admitting it has been hard for him to handle such situations without her. C.C is taken aback with Lelouch's sudden acceptance of being in a state of helplessness. She stares at him with awe.
"What?" Lelouch asks. C.C didn't say anything, instead she wraps her arms around him. They stayed like that for a while without saying a word. After a while, C.C lets go and stares at him once again.
"You revealed to Kallen that you're Lelouch, am I right?" she asks.
"Yeah," replies Lelouch. "It was kind of easier for me to take action and move around when she has known my real identity."
"Ah, it seems she had comforted you when you were scared like a cat," teased C.C. "She must be happy."
"Shut up, witch," says Lelouch who is now annoyed for being easily read by the immortal witch.
"But when will you reveal it to the Black Knights? You can't hide it from them for a long time," says the witch. "Sooner or later, they'll want to know who their leader is."
"I will tell them if it's necessary," says Lelouch. "Anyway, we have to fight to get a territory we'll settle in. We couldn't just hide here forever."
"If that's what you want," C.C simply replies.
On the other hand, Kallen is in her quarters thinking of a lot of things which made her preoccupied for the moment.
"What could they be doing right now?" she asks herself. She walks here and there feeling uneasy. "Should I go and see them in Lelouch's quarters? No, I shouldn't. That woman might suspect something. She has a sharp sense so it's not a good move."
Kallen flops on her bed and stares at the ceiling.
"Would C.C replace me in piloting the Gawain now that she has returned?" Kallen wondered. "Why am I feeling pissed off and annoyed just by imagining it?"
"Kallen, we have an urgent meeting," says Neil who knocked on her door.
"Yes, I will be there soon," says she. She stands up and checks herself on the mirror to see if she looks presentable. She fixes herself for a while before leaving her room. When she's at the meeting room, everyone is already there except for C.C.
"Where's that woman?" Kallen asks.
"Miss me already?" says the witch who just arrived. She is now wearing her straitjacket instead of the yukata. "Anyway, I won't be able to participate in the fight for a while."
"And why is that?!" Kallen snapped.
"I'm still recovering," replies the witch and she showed her hands covered with bandages. "And I couldn't move my fingers at all."
Leo stares at the woman who stands up beside Zero. His eyes looks at her paralyzed fingers. C.C looks at him with her golden and captivating eyes. She gives him a smile as if telling she's all right. Travis notices their wordless communication which made him not to pay attention.
"Tomorrow, we will seize the Northern Island from the Britannians. We must succeed to expand our territory. When we successfully get it, we won't be worrying about how we're going to keep maintenance of the knightmare frames," says Zero. "Neil, you will take C.C at the island first since she knows how to get around here. Kallen and I will be the one leading on the attack so we could easily take down the army guarding the island."
"Yes," the Black Knights replied but then, Leo raises his hand for a suggestion.
"I volunteer to take C.C at the island. Neil is needed in the fight and my knightmare frame is quite damaged so it won't last long when I fight," he says. "Is that okay?"
"Okay,then," Zero agrees. "You and her will go before dawn. We will be coming after 20 minutes."
"Got it," replies Leo. After that, the group went to their respective rooms. Travis, who is near Leo's room, speaks to him.
"You volunteered to take C.C at the island because you're worried about her, right?" he asks.
"Yeah, she seems okay but I think there's something wrong as to why she couldn't pilot a knightmare," Leo replies. "I won't just watch her suffer from afar. She's an important person to me so I won't just leave her alone."
"I see," Travis says. "That's just like you."
The two enter their rooms without knowing that Kallen has overheard their conversation.
"Does Leo like C.C?" asks Kallen to herself. "Well, he did say that she's an important person to him. What would be Lelouch's reaction if he knows this?"
The next day, Leo wakes up early before dawn to check his knightmare frame's condition. While doing some maintenance, C.C makes her entrance. She immediately sees Leo working and she decided to help him.
"You could just rest before we go," says Leo. "I can finish this myself."
"My fingers are just temporarily paralyzed so there's nothing to worry about," C.C replies. Leo stops for a while and looks at her.
"I'm already worried since you're still working around even if you're still recovering," Leo says before he continues working.
When the dawn breaks, C.C and Leo are already on their way to the Northern Island.
"When we arrive, there will be a checkpoint. Use this," says C.C as she puts on the disguise of Leo. "Show your ID card to the guards and we're good to go."
"You stayed up all night preparing these, didn't you?" Leo predicted. "You should have just told me to do it for you."
Just like what C.C said, before they could enter, the guards stop them and checked Leo's identity. C.C hid at the knightmare frame and they successfully got in.
"Use the ID card to open the doors. At your left, you could see an elevator. Press the button going to the 2nd basement. The control room only consists of few people. We could take them down and simply wait for Zero's arrival," C.C instructed before hiding at the food cart which Leo should deliver at the Control Room.
"Got it," says Leo. He followed C.C's instruction and they did arrive at the control room without any problem. He used the ID card to enter and sees five people working in different stations.
"Oh, the food is here," says one of them. They all gathered around the food cart which made it easier for C.C and Leo to take them down. C.C got out from the cart and attacked one of them. Leo brought out his gun and shot them dead.
"That was easy," C.C commented and they sit on their stations ready to take action upon Zero's arrival.
"C.C," Leo calls out. The green-haired woman looks at Leo with her golden eyes.
"Please, don't get yourself caught again. Next time, I will go save you even if it costs my life," he says. C.C smiles at him before speaking.
"Don't say such thing," she says. "I won't let you die because of a woman like me."
After a few moments, Gawain is detected on the radar which signifies the start of the plan. C.C closed the entrance where the knightmare frames are supposed to fly out. She also closed other exits and entrances to keep the Britannian Army from going in and out from the stations. Leo, on the other hand, shut down all the working systems which will surely decrease the offensive and defensive attacks of the army.
"Most of their knightmare frames are inside the station. Ten knightmare frames are headed your way," C.C reported to Zero who is currently in the Gawain with Kallen.
"Good work," Zero said with a smirk. "Now, this island will be mine."
"The terrorists are here!!!"
"Ready to defend the island!!"
Zero fired the Gawain's Hadron Cannon which damaged most of the knightmare frames of the army. The Black Knights managed to land safely on the island and had combat against the Britannian Army. After a while, C.C sees a knightmare frame on the radar heading to the island.
"Zero, a knightmare frame is heading to your direction. It seems to also have a float system," C.C warned.
"Kallen, don't land yet. We're going to take that knightmare down in midair," Zero commanded.
"Roger," Kallen responded and she immediately turned right to dodge the slash harkens directed to them.
"That's you, Zero, am I right?" a familiar voice asked which Zero immediately knew who it belongs to.
"Coming here alone is suicide, don't you know that, Prince Clovis?" Zero replied.
"Do you really think I will let you seize this island, you terrorist?" Prince Clovis countered. After a while, an army of knightmare frames are headed to the Southern Island.
The fight between Zero and his Black Knights against Prince Clovis and his unit started. The clanging of metals, explosions and disturbance has filled the place.
"Zero, there's no end of their army. They keep on coming and we can't keep up," Neil reported upon noticing that his colleagues are on the verge of defeat.
"Zero, defeat Prince Clovis. I will take care of his army," C.C interrupted.
"Of course," Zero replied. C.C was about to exit from the control room but Leo stopped her.
"I will go instead. You will stay here," he said as he grab her hand.
"Leo, I can manage myself," C.C insisted so Leo has no choice but to let her go this time.
"Be careful," he said which was exchanged by a smile by the green-haired witch.
Upon arriving at the storage of knightmare frames, C.C saw a unique, red knightmare frame. She smirked before she enters inside it and signals Leo to open the gate so she could fight alongside Neil and the others. As she takes her exit from the station, she could see that they're outnumbered but still, excitement had filled her.
"Let's see what this knightmare is capable of," she said to herself as she lunges to battle. With its blinding speed and radiant wave surger arm, C.C could easily destroy her enemy's knightmare frames.
"Amazing speed. What else do you have?" she mutters to herself as she held out the Guren SEITEN's arm and an MVS fork knife appeared. "Interesting."
On full speed, she annihilated the Britannian army singlehandedly by cutting through and shattering the knightmare frames. She looked at the sea and sees more reinforcement coming but she shoots them with her slash harkens.
On the other hand, Zero and Kallen are having a hard time going against Prince Clovis with his Seigfried(knightmare frame) . Despite firing the prince with the Gawain's hadron cannons, they couldn't cause him much damage due to Seigfried's energy shield wherein it could spin rapidly to block any weapons directed to it.
"Damn it!!! That knightmare frame is stronger than I thought," Zero cursed in his mind.
"We're almost out of weapons," Kallen said which made him even more impatient.
"What's wrong, Zero?" Prince Clovis asked with a smirk. "A terrorist who doesn't show his face is a coward. Why don't you just reveal who you are?"
With a smirk on plastered on his face, Zero replied, "You want to know who I am? Don't you recognize your own brother, Prince Clovis?"
The prince was shocked for a while but he managed to compose himself upon hearing the voice of Lelouch. Just then, he laughed evilly.
"Schneizel's instinct is really amazing. He was right that you are Zero," the prince replied. "You're such a stubborn child, Lelouch. Going against the emperor is like suicide. You should just surrender yourself."
"You should be the one to surrender, brother," Lelouch replied. "You're not strong enough to make me surrender. Why would I submit myself to a weakling like you?"
"Zero, eject yourself to safety and I will take care of him myself," Kallen said seriously. "I will drag him down to the ocean."
"If that's what you want. So long, brother," Zero replied. Kallen lunges at the Seigfried and ensnared it with her remaining slash harkens while Zero left her with probably a command or a request. "Come back alive."
With his remarks, Kallen felt even more motivated to take down Prince Clovis. Now, that she has trapped Seigfried, she dragged herself and the prince's knightmare down to the depth of the ocean.
"Why are you following a prince of Britannia?!" Prince Clovis asked Kallen.
"Britannian or not, he's still our leader. And you abandoned him, thus, he's Lelouch Lamperouge not Lelouch vi Britannia," Kallen replied before they both sink in the ocean.
"Why did you let Kallen resort to a suicidal attack?" C.C asked as she watches the Gawain and Seigfried crash onto the ocean alongside Zero and the other members of the Black Knights.
"She will come back alive," Zero replied. "I'm sure of that."
Now that Zero and the Black Knights have successfully seized the Southern Island, their group has the stability of having strong knightmare frames since this island is one of the places where strong knightmares are made and maintained.
As for Kallen, she left the Gawain sink with the Seigfried where Prince Clovis' dead body resides. Due to lack of air to breath, she lost consciousness as she try to swim her way to the surface.