Mao has returned! And this time he kidnaps Nunnally, holding her hostage in the Ashford sewers. It's up to Lelouch, Rai, Shirley, and Suzaku to save her and the day.
- Adaptation Expansion: Along with Rai, Shirley assists in rescuing Nunnally.
- Big "NO!": Mao screams out this in his head as he's carried off for dissection by Shockwave. Note that this was due to Lelouch Geassing the mind reader's mouth shut like in canon.
- Big "WHAT?!": Arcee, when Shirley alerts her, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper of Mao's return.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Megatron never put much thought into V.V./Victor Zi Britannia's survival... until now.
- Exact Words: Megatron promises Mao that the mind-reader has indeed earned a place at the Decepticon’s table... Shockwave’s dissection table, to be precise.
- Guile Heroine: Shirley shines in this chapter - after the Autobots end up revealing themselves fighting Mao after his plan to beat Lelouch fails, she claims that the Autobots saved the school from a terrorist (which is technically true, given that Mao had Nunnally attached to a bomb), which immediately endears them with the entire student body.
- Just Between You and Me: Megatron reveals to a shocked Mao that he knew Zero's identity as Lelouch all along.
- The Power of Trust: Due to Lelouch's Adaptational Heroism (in part due to the Autobots and himself trusting each other), he's willing to be more open about his plans and about himself - which pays off when he has his memory wiped and distracts Mao so Suzaku and Rai can save Nunnally, while Shirley alerts Arcee and Cliffjumper for assistance. Bumblebee was asked to stand down due to masquerading as Lelouch's car.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Megatron gives one to Mao, explaining the reason why the latter's made Shockwave's first human experiment (he failed to obtain a sample of C.C. for study and for failing to defeat Lelouch/Zero more than once).
- Strapped to an Operating Table: Mao is left at the nonexistent mercies of Shockwave when he fails to capture a sample of C.C. for the Decepticons to study.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Even though Mao learns how to work a Sutherland by reading the mind of a pilot, that doesn't make him an Instant Expert when it comes to piloting, which Arcee and Cliffjumper prove by making quick work of him.
- Sympathy for the Devil: While in a Chinese Federation city, C.C. senses that something terrible happened to Mao (even though she doesn't know for sure what, it was what happened above), and despite all the pain he's caused her and others, she still feels pity for him.
