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Tokyo Mavericks base, 3:40 p.m. The leadership and aces of both the Tokyo Mavericks and Black Knights were gathered together, looking at a screen that showed the Damocles fortress.

Schneizel: You’re telling me that Fort Helios was a prototype to the Damocles?
Alistair: If you’re comparing the Lancelot to Sutherlands, last year, then yes. Though, from the looks of things, the Damocles doesn’t have any of those continent cutting plasma cannons.
Lelouch: Jesus Christ!
Schneizel: No, you’re right, it doesn’t. It launches F.L.E.I.J.A.s, instead.
Alistair: That’s still not good. The last time I fought something that big, I had to enter from the top, before it took off. Now, it’s already taken off, and if those nukes are launched, we won’t have the means to fix the damages.
Suzaku: Just one of those explosions left a dent in the goddamn ocean. A dent! Water doesn’t get dents!
Lelouch: Trust me, we know full well what you mean, and how powerful those bombs are. If that one we saw had gone off in the city, there wouldn’t be a city.
Alistair: Here’s my big question. How the hell did Britannia think that making these damn things was a good idea? Nukes were internationally banned, for a reason!
Schneizel: My guess is, the eggheads didn’t give a shit, as long as they used whatever means necessary to ensure victory. Britannia never listened to international laws, only their own.
Alistair: Figures. I can only guess who’s behind the wheel of this one.

Static showed on the screen, then Sears with his Geass activated appeared.

Hawking: How do you do, asswipes?
Alistair: Speak of the devil.
Lelouch: Hawking…!
Hawking: What do you think of the sneak peek of our final battle? Plenty of reason to fight me, right?
Alistair: I already had enough incentive to kill you, and I intend to kill you, again.
Hawking: Ah, my mortal nemesis, my monkey wrench and/or spanner in the works of my master plan. It’s always good to see you, ripping and tearing through villains like it’s nothing.
Schneizel: What do you intend to do with those WMDs, Hawking?
Hawking: And, Schneizel! You were always better than Lelouch, but you just could never match his wit and adaptability.
Schneizel: Admittedly, yes.
Hawking: Why else would I have such devastating weapons? To bring about the apocalypse, on a worldwide scale.
Tohdoh: If you do that, then the planet will be devastated!
Ohgi: Not just that. They’ll probably be targeted at every government institution in the world.
Hawking: Correct, Ohgi! Yes, with enough of these uranium and Sakuradite bombs, every government, every culture, every society as a whole will go up in the pinkest light imaginable. Seems that radiation isn’t a problem with these nuke substitutes, so no worries about breathing it in after the makeshift nuclear fire.
Kallen: You’re a cruel bastard.
Suzaku: You cause so much malice and profit from your actions. You won’t get away with anything else, ever again.
Hawking: Should you win, yes. ‘Cause, uh...Sears is a bit busy at the moment.
Alistair: You’re using his body, right now.
Hawking: (clears throat) Uh, yeah. About that. Uh… He lent it to me, at the last minute… Ah, screw it, I can’t sugarcoat it. I accidentally killed Sears. If I turn off his Geass, I’m toast.
Alistair: So, you’ve lost your more logical top henchman. The biggest victim of Stockholm Syndrome I’d ever seen.
Hawking: With the unintentional result of being the most loyal follower I’ve ever gained. Considering the numbers I’ve been accumulating, I’ll give you one week to prepare. We settle this whole thing at Mt. Fuji. See you, then...heroes.

The screen turned off, the weight of the battle already being felt by everyone involved.

Alistair: We’re not letting that asshole get away with any of his plans, ever again. We’ve got a week to be fully prepared for this, make your time count. Plan your loadouts and emergency loadouts accordingly. This is gonna be a long haul.
Lelouch: No kidding. In the meantime, I’m gonna have to ask a favor of an old friend.
Schneizel: I’m coming with you, for that one.
Ohgi: As for me...I’m gonna have to try to convince Villetta not to go with us.
Alistair: I’ll take her to a doctor, to see if it’s alright, just in case. I...don’t want any child casualties on this one.
Ohgi: Thanks. And, with our current numbers, it will be a long haul, especially with Knightmares on ship turret duty.
Alistair: When I’ve got the time, I’m gonna drill every last one of our guys, for the most advanced combat they’ve seen, yet. Everything hinges on this. Prepare as you see fit. Break!

At Alistair’s command, everyone dispersed in their own directions, heading for a separate destination. A few minutes later, at Nina’s room at Ashford Academy, Milly led Lelouch and Schneizel inside, catching Nina by surprise.

Nina: Schneizel?! And, Lelouch?!
Milly: They asked me to bring them to you.
Schneizel: Nina, F.L.E.I.J.A.s, threatening the world, we need your help.
Lelouch: Hawking’s got a shitload of those WMDs you made, while you had lost your mind. We need a way to counter them, in a week.
Nina: Oh, that? I’ve been working on something, though at best only ten can be developed, at that time. Plus, the means of stopping the blast by hitting it with this device is a bit impossible.
Lelouch: We’ve got a guy for that. Can we count on you? Please?
Nina: Got that right. I hate being cooped up in here, now. It’s no wonder why I got so many headaches, looking at the computer screens.
Schneizel: You’ll be working with Lloyd, Rakshata and Doc Holiday on these devices. Better than working alone, right?
Nina: I prefer working with personalities, yes.

Tokyo, Japan 11:15 a.m. Alistair, Ohgi and Villetta were in a hospital, speaking with a doctor considering Villetta’s pregnancy.

Ohgi: Give it to me straight, doctor. I know it’s risky to try and fight such immense forces with her in such a state.
Villetta: If I can’t go, that’s fine. I just...want to know the extent of things.
Doctor: Well, if you were to take up a stationary position on one of the ships, that’d be safe. Otherwise, at this stage, you should be fine.
Villetta: (sighs in relief) I’m not going into melee range. I can’t afford to take that risk.
Ohgi: We’ll outfit your Sutherland with Blaze Luminous shields, to help with the defense.
Villetta: I also want to team up with Cecile.
Alistair: That can be arranged. She needs some extra action.
Doctor: I also suggest reinforcing the cockpit, and having someone on standby to catch her, should she eject. If there’s too much shaking, it might hurt the child.
Ohgi: Got it. Thank you, so much. (shakes hands with doctor)
Doctor: Not a problem, Prime Minister. My family members in America suffered, because of Hawking. I want you to take a heaving shit on his plans.

Meanwhile, aboard the Yatagarasu, Rolo and Nunnally were having a conversation, while moving through a corridor on the ship.

Nunnally: You did pretty good against Bismarck, Rolo.
Rolo: Thanks. Those big hits really came through, I didn’t even need a gun to hit the Galahad.
Nunnally: After this is over...I’m thinking of getting some therapy, for my legs. I want to be able to walk again. No prosthetics, no amputations. I want to walk on my own two feet, after so long. I’m able to see again, and now I want to walk.
Rolo: Nunnally… I’ll support you, with that dream.
Nunnally: Thanks, brother. Plus, I might be a bit as smart as Lelouch, but I’m not as devious. I can make up normal plans on the fly, but not the crazy kind.
Rolo: You hid that intellect pretty well. How come Lelouch never figured that out.
Nunnally: I...never had a reason to show it. It took Alistair and his stories to teach me how to get angry, if being nice doesn’t cut it.
Rolo: Ah. I think you’re quite cut out for this role of ship captain. Even got a cute outfit out of the deal.
Nunnally: Yeah, it’s much better than just doing nothing.

As the two made their way through the corridor, a door opened, showing Kanda and Tamaki having an intimate moment of kissing. The moment the two noticed the door was opened, they looked a little annoyed.

Tamaki and Kanda: (in unison) Do you mind!?

The couple closed the door, leaving Nunnally and Rolo dumbstruck.

Rolo: Did you know that those two-?
Nunnally: No, this is a first for me.

Back at Tokyo, Lelouch was at a dock, looking at the Ikaruga in his Zero combat outfit. He then looked at his mask, and Suzaku walked up next to him.

Suzaku: Hey, man.
Lelouch: Hey.
Suzaku: You got what you wanted. Britannia is no more.
Lelouch: I did. I promised to you, that day. I was so furious about my home country’s actions, and I had discarded every notion of being Britannian, being royalty, being a prince. I know I always had a scowl on my face, but deep down...I was happy. I was happy to feel normal.
Suzaku: I’m sorry I didn’t help much, when some Japanese kids were bullying you.
Lelouch: It’s alright, Suzaku. I know you wouldn’t do the same, to me. You’re way too nice to do so.
Suzaku: Did...Alistair tell you? About my depression, I mean?
Lelouch: No. I knew, all along.
Suzaku: You...what?
Lelouch: Trying to change Britannia from within? That’s the thought process of a depressed man, desperate for a purpose in life. Though, I guess I was depressed as shit, too. I wanted payback on Britannia, for all it had done, and… I didn’t have the means to do it.
Suzaku: Guess that’s what makes us similar. We were both screwed-up, emotionally.
Lelouch: (chuckles) Too true.

The two friends laughed together, reflecting on their pasts.

Suzaku: So...how much do you think we’ll get paid, per kill?
Lelouch: We’re gonna be set for life, since Alistair’s sharing the bounty of any kill he makes.
Suzaku: With all that money, I’m gonna renovate the Kururugi Shrine. The upgrading way, not the destruction way.
Lelouch: I’m gonna move the villa Nunnally and I lived in, to Japan. And, smash any remembrance of Marianne.
Suzaku: Fair. What’s C.C. gonna do, after all this?
Lelouch: I have no idea. Travel the world? Get various jobs? Who knows?
Suzaku: Good luck, man. I’ve got your back, as does everyone else.
Lelouch: Thanks, best friend.

Suzaku and Lelouch bumped fists, smiling at each other. Days pass by for preparation, both physical and mental, and the time for relaxation had passed. Zero and Alistair did a check with the scientists.

Zero: Armor reinforcement?
Rakshata: Check.
Alistair: Extended ammunition count?
Holiday: Check!
Zero: Knightmare numbers?
Lloyd: Check.
Alistair: F.L.E.I.J.A. countermeasures?
Nina: You know that’s a check.
Zero: We’re all set, from the looks of things.
Alistair: Avalon, Yatagarasu, Ikaruga! Take off!

The three ships carrying Black Knights and Tokyo Mavericks personnel flew off, heading to the site of the fated battle, other Knightmares having to follow behind to keep up with the ships.