Chapter 35: The Kyoto Meeting

For many within Britannia…no, for those who called Pendragon their home, they saw their bed chambers as a private space, as refined and elegant as they were, meant for them, their lovers, multiple if they had particular tastes, and perhaps close family who wished to visit them as they lay in bed, ill.

Even those who owned well-groomed pets would scoff and retch at the idea of those same animals entering their rooms, and he had heard a couple of times how pets were punished for getting onto their beds.

Lelouch considered such a mentality to be asinine, considering that when he woke up that morning, Nunnally lay asleep between him and a similar slumbering C.C. Not just them but Matilda and Willy, the former snuggling in Nunnally’s arms while at the feet of their bed, Doby. Next to the bed were the rest, the birds, who also were starting to awaken and let out morning chirps and songs.

That was perhaps the best rest he'd had in a while. Perhaps it was simple-minded or closer to the mindset of beasts. Still, when surrounded by his household, having those he cared for so close, he calmed himself even in his slumber. While he had no pleasant dreams, he didn't have any especially terrifying nightmares. It was…empty, but he appreciated that lack of anything.

It certainly helped as the time approached for him to leave for his meeting with Kyoto. Nunnally was a little upset but mellowed out quickly when Sayoko reminded her that she would spend the day with Alice and the rest of her sisters. Doing what? He didn't know as she wouldn't tell him, calling it 'girl stuff', but it helped keep him at ease as he grabbed his things and walked out of the council building. As he did so, he found C.C. standing under the shade of a tree, his lover wearing one of the new outfits which, even with the disguise, only emphasised her beauty.

“You’re going through with this?” She asked him as he stopped by her.

“I am. Regardless of Kyoto’s intentions, I need their power, but I’m confident that we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement." Lelouch replied, though C.C. only scoffed at the idea, considering what he had asked of her.

"If that is what you desire from the core of your being, then I'll help." She replied, getting a nod out of her.

"I appreciate the support, but you can't tell me you're not the least bit interested. You are, after all, a mischievous little cat." Lelouch smirked toward her, getting a small laugh from her.

“Well, you do know that a witch loves her mischief. And I won’t even need a gingerbread house, " she mused, in turn, Lelouch smiling towards her. However, the banter had to pause for a moment as she asked a question. “But is that all you wish for? Power?”

Lelouch understood the true question she wished to ask. “I seek power as a means to an end.”

“And when will that end be?” C.C. pushed, as she had heard such talk many times from many people, both good and evil, over the years. But in the end, it always ended one of two ways: either they were slaughtered before they could 'achieve their greater ends' or became despots whose ends never came.

Lelouch sighed. “I can’t say, but I hope it won’t be something akin to the Trojan war, or Odysseus’s return home. I’m far too much of a lazy dog for that. If I can retire and relax in some cottage somewhere, I would.” If he was honest, that was part of why he designed Zero to be separate from him. Not just to ensure his struggle could live even if he were to be cut down, but to give him a means to quietly retire.

C.C. looked him over, trying to find any fault in his words or deceit in them, but she found none, which, while she had expected, she still needed to be sure about. Still, there was another issue as she lifted up a slip of paper. “Will we be alone in that ‘little cottage’?” she asked, holding up the invitation to the date with Shirley he was supposed to attend that evening.

Lelouch groaned at her continued insistence on this. They had already discussed this, but as with most things, he should have known she would enjoy the fact he hadn't refused in the moment, simply out of shock that Shirley would ask. She definitely enjoyed remarking how obvious it was that Shirley was crushing on him and how, for all his intelligence and observation skills, he completely missed it.

"Taking the concert ticket, he placed it into his jacket's inner pocket. "Kyoto chose today for the meeting, and even if it goes well, I can't be sure when I'll be back, so I was already going to call and cancel."

"You should go," C.C. instructed, drawing a pause from him as he looked at her in surprise and slight suspicion.

“Pardon?”

C.C. smirked. "You heard me. Use some of that devilish brainpower to find a way to have your meeting and still make it in time for your date. A young maiden's heart is a fragile thing; it wouldn’t be right if you damaged it by cancelling when she worked up the courage to ask you and you didn’t say no right then and there.”

Besides the additional jab at his lack of reaction the previous day, there was something else he found strange about this. “And why do you want this? I would have assumed a woman wouldn’t take kindly to others making such romantic advances on their man.”

“Well, that’s what you get for assuming when you’re not a woman, boyo.” C.C. teased him before she looked towards the sky. "Besides, I'm far from normal, so I don't particularly care if you're getting with others."

Lelouch didn’t appreciate the tone she took, as it just didn’t sound like her. So he put his bag down and approached her, grasping her and gently pulling her closer to him. His hand grasped her chin, and he turned her head up to kiss her. It was a gentle, long act that had C.C. feeling around his chest. Lelouch put her back to the tree, holding her face as he slowly pulled back.

“Chantal," he breathed out, drawing her attention and making her cheeks gain a smidge of red. "You are still loved. I still love you. If this makes you uncomfortable, even a little, then all you need to say is that, and I'll cancel this date."

C.C. eased, feeling a little silly for being so nervous about it. However, she still enjoyed this immensely as she lay her head to his chest, wrapping her arms around him as he did her. Hearing his heartbeat, feeling his hands on her, and seeing that look in his eye, she knew he was as genuine as the sun's rays on her skin.

"I'm not as upset as you think, really. We'll make this work to have a fun time with Shirley. Her smile turned playful and catlike as her hand shot to his groin, grabbing at his manhood, drawing a peep and grunt out of him. Leaning close, she whispered, "I know how to make you flinch and moan far better than some village farm girl could.”

She released him, effortlessly slid out of his arms, and turned to head off.

Watching her walk off, C.C. putting more swing into her hips, Lelouch grumbled, “That woman is definitely a witch.” He frowned as he felt his member rising from that touch and sensual whisper.

"And you are my hound, so best behave, or else I'm getting you a collar and lease." To his embarrassment, she had heard that and just had to have the last word. Adjusting his pants, he picked his back. He turned to leave as well, muttering how she finds new ways to keep him on his toes.

Line Break

Sometime later, Zero stood alone in a misty street. The area was in a ghetto, far from the sight of the Britannians and even many Japanese, as the region was known for having particularly unstable ruins that even the desperate wouldn't dare sleep in, never mind make their homes.

It was the ideal spot that Kyoto could have picked for his pick-up, as they had politely refused his request to know the meeting location. He was drawn from his musing when a limo with blacked-out windows pulled up. The driver's opened, presenting the driver.

“Greetings. I shall be your driver to the meeting. Please bring your command staff along as per my master's instructions." Zero liked the man; his greeting was polite, direct, and quick.

“They are sweeping the area to ensure it's clear. One can never be too careful, considering the target on our heads and the secrecy of your masters. However, before they arrive, I have a simple request.” Zero replied, the slide on his mask opening up, revealing his geass to the man.

Line Break

It might have been in the middle of fall. Still, Suzaku and he bet many of the soldiers felt like it was any other summer day, as the sun was beating down on them hard, many sweaty and tired from how much work they'd been doing. The sight of Narita, and of the once fortified JLF base, not even a week prior, had been a quiet, beautiful piece of Area 11's countryside, far from the cities and the ghettos with their drugs and rebel groups. It was the sort of place to clear their heads and relax.

“Severely damaged corpses should be brought to tent 2, ID all personal items.”

“Remains with identifiable faces are to go to tent 1, note locations and times.”

“The recovered cockpits are to head to tents 3 and 4. We'll identify them using their serial numbers.”

“Team 5, you’re to return and refuel and rest if you should choose.”

“Teams 7, 9, and 13, you're up. Head to the central area of the mountain, they're still pulling remains out and need help.”

Now, it was a landslide-swept hell, the mountain still showing its scars from the eruption. The military had sectioned off parts of it and set up large tents for a multitude of purposes. To their backs, the town was largely safe, but many had still been evacuated by the authorities until they could confirm it was safe.

The absent locals were replaced by visitors, friends, and family of the soldiers whose remains they were still pulling from the earth. Many Suzaku had heard that they had flown in from other areas and even the homeland, perhaps desperate to confirm that their child, their parent, their spouse, or friend wasn't one of the bodies.

With how much crying, screaming, and pleas for it to be false he could hear, for many of them, that desperate hope was being crushed, one body at a time. He was just grateful that the calls he was hearing were coming through their radios and not the loudspeakers set up for general announcements.

Suzaku heard all of it over their radios, command thinking it best rather than announcing such over the speakers when so many civilians had gathered to help identify the remains, or search for their loved ones. Having recently returned from helping with the recovery, the memory of what some of the remains had looked like was still fresh in his mind. Those who had been trapped in their knightmares, tanks and armoured units were the worst, their sealed vehicles had kept them safe…but had been turned into coffins from which they had no means to escape.

His mind flashed to the day of the battle, to the moment the news hit about the landslide and to his battle against the man he was sure had caused it. 'How they moved…' Suzaku couldn't stop thinking about it. After his near-fatal duel with Zero and that unknown unit, he had time to think, and something didn't add up.

It wasn't just skill or unit performance that kept them on pace with him, more so with Zero's frankly Frankenstein of a unit; it was something else. It was almost like they knew what he would do, but…how? He had only deployed in the Lancelot three times before now. One had been less of a fight and more of a show of force against the Purebloods, and the other against the JLF.

'Even so, at Shinjuku, I didn't have any weapons but that red machine and Zero had moved as if they knew about them, what to expect…did…did they already know about them?' Suzaku shook his head, as that was impossible…right? No, he should focus on what he did now, what he could do as Cornelia, upon their return, had begrudgingly told him he wasn’t at fault for his failure to capture or kill Zero; they had all been simply unprepared before leaving to handle other things.

Euphemia later translated her sister's words to be her admittedly poor attempt at voicing an apology for what happened and how bad things were; he'll take it. Euphemia informed him that they had word of a separate Black Knight attack happening within the town, which happened to hit another of her brother's secret facilities. Sadly, they didn't find anything of use, from the equipment to the soldiers' remains, all of which had been obtained through secret means through legal channels.

Again, it seemed like Zero knew more than they did, much more, as they only knew its real name because he gave it to them. Suzaku had been able to help; he could have helped as he knew of at least one person who could give them insight, but he couldn't say.

Claude was under Lelouch's protection; if he reported her, it would drag the siblings into this. He couldn't even be sure she would be willing to give any testimony, as she was still in hiding, wasn't she? As long as Code R was active, she must have been terrified to show her face. As much as it pained him, having it all been done under what she could believe was official Britannian authorisation, she wouldn't be so easy to trust Cornelia or Euphemia.

"Dug enough bodies out of the landslide yet?" Lloyd asked as he walked up, the man looking ragged and slightly on edge. Not that Suzaku expected more as he and Cecile had been hard at work repairing the near-totalled Lancelot, and it hadn't been an easy or quick process. He used their Sutherland custom even now, while their flagship unit underwent repairs.

“I would like to continue to assist with recovery operations, if possible," Suzaku replied. Lloyd flippantly waved his hand, his other hand holding a large mug of now-cold coffee.

"Sure, sure, by my guest. Consider it's Princess Cornelia's pleasure to indulge you." Lloyd replied as he took a sip of the caffeine-filled drink, trying to keep awake despite having not had sleep for the past 16 hours.

“Lloyd? Zero and the Black Knights, what is it that they’re trying to do? What is it they’re fighting for?” Suzaku asked, looking towards the ruined mountain, seeing just another scar of this pointless war.

“Haven’t you heard? They’re knights for justice.” Lloyd’s response came out bored and distracted.

Suzaku’s fury rose at such a response, crushing his water bottle, he belted out. “Is this justice? All these lives, lost. They couldn’t even just kill them quickly; they buried so many and left them to suffocate-!.”

Lloyd stopped him before he could continue. The man was hardly as emotional as his devicer. "I hope you're not going to sprout some embarrassing theory about the nature of justice. That's for the politicians, historians, and academics to figure out. We, on the other hand, are soldiers. We don't care about such notions: Only the objective and who is a friend and foe. Everything is just useless fluff."

Suzaku didn't like the answer, but he couldn't deny it either. He could see the evil, but that wasn't his job to hunt it down; he could only act as ordered, as he was allowed. It was why he could take to the field when he did, why he didn't pursue Zero, though having learned what befell the soldiers who had stumbled across him, he regretted not doing so. The Lancelot was damaged, yes. It wasn't in the best shape, correct, but he knew in his heart he could have taken out that unit sooner, that he could have defeated Zero and his co-pilot-

“All set! I’ve replaced the energy filler for you.” Cecile called out, both men looking to see the funny coloured Sutherland ready for action. Suzaku paused momentarily, thinking about that, but shook his head and jogged to the unit.

Watching him board the unit, power it up, and leave, Lloyd approached his assistant.

“Cecile,” He asked without asking.

"I've just finished checking the units that went up against the red knightmare," Cecile replied, as that was part of why they were out here and not back working on the Lancelot.

“And I was right, wasn’t I?” Lloyd, typically whimsical and, as some would say, fickle, didn't sound as pleased by this confirmation as he otherwise would.

"They were all destroyed by a radiant surge," Cecile confirmed their fears, Lloyd finishing his coffee with a frown before he spoke.

"Rakshata, it's been a while since I've thought about her. I would have never thought she'd work with terrorists and counter Britannian forces." He recalled his old classmate from the academy, brilliant, bold, and efficient. She was perhaps the only person there who could rival his own intellect, but last he heard, she had gone into medical cybernetics.

Why was she working with someone like Zero?

“Plus, their pilot was exceptional, even if the red unit wasn’t as difficult to operate as the Lancelot, it had nearly destroyed it. If we confront it again, Suzaku might not be able to survive.” Cecile has been worried about that since Suzaku's return to the battered Lancelot.

Even now, they struggled to finish repairs as it wasn't just removing damaged parts and adding new ones, they had to conduct a full overview and swap out or repair anything that had been damaged, because of that, only 40% of the work had been done, which could have been sped up…if Lloyd hadn't already blown their budget on building the Lancelot and its gear-all of which needed to be replaced. Thus, they needed to wait for their sponsor to approve the transfer of funds and shipment of the more unique and personalised parts from the homeland.

“What about Zero’s unit? I would like your opinion on it.” Lloyd changed the topic, as he didn't like discussing how his greatest creation could be destroyed.

Cecile frowned but went along with the change of topic. "Well, it's not as groundbreaking as it seemed to be. I would say crude would be a better description of it. Clearly, it was built for necessity with limited means and expertise."

Lloyd nodded. He had been ordered to check the thing over, and even he, in his overworked, caffeine-addicted mind, knew it wouldn't have been a smart idea to remind Cornelia that she technically wasn't his superior.

"I thought the same, but you can't deny that a clear amateur's work is an impressive machine. But I'm more interested in its OS as, despite its cheap materials and construction, Zero still found someone who could make octo-legged motion not just possible, but feasible on a combat unit, certainly enough that it could run circles around Sutherlands and even keep pace with the Lancelot for a time."

But with that said, he could only frown. “And now that we know Rakshata’s working with them, it would only be a matter of time before she refines that design." He wouldn’t, couldn’t believe she had any hand in that thing before now, not when they could compare to the red unit outfitted with her radiant wave surger. With her in play, how long till she took that crude beast and turned it into a proper, refined predator? A few weeks? A few months?

Cecile feared the same. "I wish we could have done the same, but the unit's OS was taken along with its Blackbox." She reminded him that when the unit was delivered to them, it was mainly a shell. Its damaged, battle-scarred body had little value compared to the real prize, the 'brain' that ran the entire thing vacant.

“Shame those blokes who found Zero hadn’t been able to make sure he was dead; it would have made things easier.” Cecile didn't like how Lloyd spoke of the man who had been slain, but she was too tired to tell him otherwise. She'll remind him of his manners once she has had a good night's rest and a proper meal.

Line Break

Having been on the road for 30 minutes, Kallen could say with certainty that she had no clue where they were. She could have pulled the curtains, but they had been installed in a way that prevented them from moving, not without leaving evidence of it. She couldn't even say they've gone down a route she could perhaps recognise, having taken dozens of turns, changed lanes and routes that she had long since lost her sense of place from their starting location. No doubt intentional like in those old spy or mob movies, can't have them figure out the location that easily, right?

“This is taking too long. When do we get there?” Tamaki grumbled, the man’s foot tapping impatiently.

“Could you chill out? You’re embarrassing.” Kallen scolded him, at least happy he was taking any attention off her for being the youngest known person in the limo.

Ohgi sighed, turning to two of their new command staff who had been requested for the meeting. “Apologies for Tamaki. He's not typically like this; it's just the nerves, is all.”

Katase, still wearing his old JLF uniform, frowned. “No need to apologise; this is my first meeting with Kyoto as well.” He kept things civil. He was still unclear on this new group, but considering their track record, he could let Tamaki’s more…brash nature slide.

Kallen’s brow creased at that response. “First, but wouldn’t you have already…you know?” She gestured with her hands, to which he shook his head.

Tohdoh, having been asked to this meeting, did take some amusement in young Kozuki’s surprise. Cracking a smile, he retorted. “That is the assumption, considering our former place as Japan’s strongest hope for liberation." His statement drew an uncomfortable, awkward glance from Ohgi, but he offered the man a nod, bearing no ill will for the change in things. “But Kyoto is incredibly secretive. It's unprecedented that they'll request a meeting like this."

It was certainly a surprise when he received the summons, as Asahina and Chiba had been…displeased to learn that Zero would gain a once-in-a-lifetime audience with Kyoto before Tohdoh had. Perhaps it was best that it was just him, along with the former general, accompanying the silent Zero, Kozuki, Tamaki, and Ohgi to this meeting.

The general nodded. “It's a change from the norm; it makes one wonder how many more changes we'll see.” He mused, looking towards Zero, who didn't respond to the statement. The masked man was seemingly a silent man when not in battle or some other operation. Katase supposed he shared that with Tohdoh.

The conversation paused when they felt the limo come to a stop, and then a jolt, the faint sound of some of the motors and gears, clued them in to the situation. "We’re on a car elevator?” Kallen asked.

“I don’t recall those just being around in the settlement." Ohgi frowned while the two former JLF men remained silent like Zero. They stopped at their new level and drove for maybe another 20 seconds before they came to what seemed like their last stop, where the driver cut the engine.

“Sorry for the inconvenience; the master is waiting for you, " the man announced as he opened the doors for them.

“Well, let's not keep them waiting.” Zero spoke, waiting for Tamaki and Kallen to first get out before he followed suit, followed by Katase and Tohdoh. The room wasn't so much a room or a warehouse, but it was clearly massive, only found in industrial sites. Seeing a wall-sized window, they approached it, Tamaki being the first to see what lay on the other side and gasping.

“Holy crap, is this where I think it is?” Tamaki asked, looking down at the vast sea of metal and machinery. The cloudy skies overhead gave plenty of light to see far into the distance.

“The Fuji mines?” Ohgi gasped, Kallen just as shocked as they were, as this didn't seem real. The mines were one of the, if not the most tightly guarded, places in Japan. Anyone, especially Japanese, seen near them without expressed permission was shot on the spot.

Katase pursed his lips. He had always known Kyoto was powerful; they had to be to allow them the funds and equipment to build up their Narita base, but this was beyond what he had imagined. “To think their influence stretches this deep into society.”

“I would never have imagined…the Kyoto group is amazing," Ohgi noted.

“It’s repulsive.” The lights cut, and the window showing the outside darkened, their eyes going to the palanquin that had been set in the centre of the room. This curtain, obscuring said within it, while two suited, sunglass-wearing bodyguards stood at attention on either side. “Mt. Fuji, a sacred mountain once known for its clear water and quiet beauty, was perverted and ravaged by the British's endless greed. A reflection of what Japan has become, to see it like this brings me nothing but pain.”

“Zero, I apologise for asking you here and choosing to hide my face, but this is something we both do. Unfortunately, I can't allow this. Kyoto has not, and will not, support someone whose face and identity we don't know, and so, you will show me your face.”

At the hidden man's word, out from the shadows, Kallen and the rest spotted four Burai rolling into view, their rifles aimed at them in a clear show of force.

Despite the threat to their lives, Kallen quickly jumped to Zero's defense, standing in front of the man, her arms raised to shield him. “Please wait. Zero's face might be hidden, but he's given us power and victories over Britannia. Isn't that enough to understand he's our ally?” she asked, using the same argument Zero…Lelouch had used them since he first recruited them.

“Silence!” The hidden man yelled, Kallen instinctively flinching as if this was bad. Kyoto clearly wouldn't negotiate? If Lelouch revealed his face, that he was Britannian and a student at that, how the hell was he supposed to convince Kyoto to support him? Support them? Hell, if the rest of the Black Knights and their newly absorbed JLF heard about this, they would start second-guessing Zero, despite his achievements, because of his age, sure, but more for his blood.

Satisfied that Kallen had been properly cowed, the hidden man spoke again. “Now, which of you is Ohgi?”

“T-that would be me," Ohgi spoke, almost wondering how he knew his name before realizing how foolish the thought was.

“You shall be the one to remove Zero's helmet.” The command was given, one that had Ohgi sweat as Kallen gave him a pleading look.

“Ohgi, come on, this isn’t right.” She softly spoke, Katase and Tohdoh finding that they agreed, as this was far too aggressive, but they didn’t voice it.

“I know, but,” Ohgi knew it as well, but he couldn't deny that he had his own suspicions. For a while now, Kallen had been acting off. It was not bad, but she and Zero seemed close, for lack of a better phrase. The masked man often spoke in private with her or handed her details first, such as the fact that he had data on Lancelot.

He wondered why he was so forthcoming with her and why Kallen seemed closer to their leader than the rest of the command. Part of him believed it was because she already knew who was behind the mask. That part only grew as there was something in Kallen's voice as she defended Zero, something in her eyes when she looked at him. She knew something, something to do with Zero's true face.

Maybe he was being paranoid, maybe just angry that Kallen had chosen to keep Zero's secrets from even them, but with Kyoto's demand clear, he was ashamed to say he wasn't nearly as upset about this as he should have been. “I'm sorry, Zero, but…this has to be done.” Ohgi turned to Zero, gently pushing Kallen out of the way.

Reaching for his mask, he found the clamps that kept it shut and undid them before slowly pulling it off his head. “We've put our trust in you, so it's time you finally reveal who you…are?” When he removed the helmet, what he and the rest saw was a familiar head of black, shoulder-length hair and cool green eyes.

“Zero’s a woman?” Katase asked, considering how their voice sounded. He would have never guessed, but perhaps that was the point.

“Wait a second?” Tamaki pointed at her, confused and pissed at the situation.

“It can’t be you!” Ohgi stepped back, looking towards Kallen, who seemed just as lost as he was.

“What’s the issue? Why can’t this be Zero?” Tohdoh asked them, as it seemed like the Black Knights’ reaction wasn’t just because of the unmasked woman’s gender.

“Because we’ve seen her with Zero, she’s his Nemesis thingy’s co-pilot," Tamaki revealed to them. The hidden man frowned as he remembered that the unit's specs detailed it being a rare case of a 2-pilot setup.

“But…if you’re here, then…” Kallen paused, trying to recall when Lelouch could have pulled the swap, or if he was even here to begin with…wait, was that why 'Zero' had barely spoken on the way here? Do you want to hide any clues about this from them?

“Girl, is that true? Are you not Zero?” The hidden man asked, wanting a direct response to this farce. If Zero couldn’t even be bothered to appear himself-

“It is.” C.C., or as Kallen knew her, Claude, confirmed.

“And to clarify, you are not Japanese either?” the hidden man asked, as her features were similar to Kozuki's. He had already known she was the product of a mixed marriage.

C.C. smiled at the question. “Correct clan chief of Kyoto, Kirihara Taizo.” At her words, the two guards were shaken by how she had known that, but they still acted fast, drawing their weapons and aiming for the Black Knights.

“Anyone who can identify the master must die!”

“Take them, especially if they're not Japanese!” At their orders, the Burai moved in to apprehend them.

“Wait, hold on, I'm not part of this!” Tamaki raised his hands, while Tohdoh was surprised by much of this, from Zero's ploy to his co-pilot's knowledge of Kyoto's leader to, most of all, this response it garnered.

“Clan chief, please be reasonable-!” Right as he was about to plead for Kirihara to see reason, one of the Burai broke from orders, turning to the side and firing both its slash harkens at the other Burai, knocking their rifles out of their surprised hands. Before its partner could ask what was happening, the rogue unit raised its hand, deployed its stun tonfa, and knocked the third's rifle to the ground before rushing for Kirihara.

They feared it would fire or run the old man and his security guards over, but it didn't. Coming to a stop right in front of them, taking a knee with its weapon aimed dead centre for the palanquin’s curtain, at such range and with such a powerful gun, it would take just a single shot to kill Kirihara.

“You're soft, and your thinking is outdated and predictable,” a familiar voice said from the Burai's speakers as its cockpit opened up. That is why you and those like you will never win," Zero declared, staring down at the clan chief from the seat of his stolen Burai.

“Zero?” Kallen asked, as she had so many questions.

“When did he?” One of the guards asked as he pointed his weapon at Zero as the man rappelled to the floor, only for the second to stop him.

“Hold on, he can fire at us with that remote! Everyone, don’t do anything stupid!” The second guard yelled as he focused on the trigger in Zero’s hand, and with the Burai’s weapon locked on them, they couldn’t risk him firing should he feel threatened.

As Zero approached, he listed off what he had found or pieced together about Kirihara. “Kirihara Taizo, founder, CEO, and largest shareholder of Kirihara Industries, monopolizes sakuradite mining. Formerly a key backer of the Kururugi regime, you dodged the kangaroo courts and execution via collaboration with Area 11's new rulers, for which you were given the position of head of the area's Number Association Council, which manages the general affairs of Elevens, thereby giving you a seat at the government's table.”

He continued, nodding as he explained the man’s quite controversial actions. “Of course, such a cowardly betrayal to save your life and power has earned you nothing but scorn and distrust from the Japanese, who call you Kirihara the traitor, few realizing it was all a ploy to turn the NAC into the secret group, Kyoto, which secretly backs terrorist activity across Area 11, as well as has ties to other global anti Britannian actors.”

“Stop!" Kirihara told him. Zero chuckled as he believed he had gotten under the man's skin. Still, in reality, the man was more concerned with another facet of Zero, namely, what his vibrating staff was telling him. It would only act like that if…yes, that would make Zero a dangerous player in this game.

Zero, ignorant of that, added, "You shouldn’t be too bad, for your ploy was a fair and logical move, as backing a man you know nothing about for a business man like yourself…well, that was asking a lot, wasn’t it? Particularly because I am not Japanese.” 

At his declaration, the room was thrown for a loop, none more so than Zero’s command staff representatives. “Is he serious? No wonder he never shows his face." Tamaki realised, as he had always found the mask thing weird, as if he were Japanese, why hide it? But…now he wondered who he was. Was he Chinese? Korean? Maybe one of those European-born Japanese?

While Tamaki wondered about Zero's true place of birth, Ohgi glanced towards Kallen and Claude. Neither seemed surprised by this, and while he suspected as much from the latter, it was the former he focused on. 'Kallen…you already knew that, didn’t you?’

“If you’re not Japanese, then why do you fight?” Kirihara asked him, finding that he had no leverage now and could only hope Zero was honest.

“What a pointless question, Kirihara. You should ask how could not when Britannia is but a blight, a cancerous beast which would see this entire world burn in its mad attempt to rule it all.” Zero retorted, Kallen recalling once more how Lelouch spoke about things back in the park.

“But…as for why I in particular take up the sword, because I wish to see Britannia in flames, I seek revenge for the injustices done to me and those I care for.” Zero added a sense of fury and bloodlust bleeding through his otherwise refined, controlled, and confident tone.

Kirihara wasn't so convinced; he had met many men and women like Zero, those fueled by rage against Britannia, and yet none had achieved their goals outside slaughtering civilians and targeting infrastructure. Nuisances to the Britannians only further alienated support for their movement.

“And you think you can do it? You can defeat a superpower whose conquests have enforced its will over one-third of the world?” He asked the masked man.

“I can because I must, because I have reasons that have given me the power to crawl out of my grave and fuelled me with a purpose that is near demonic, something you should know better than anyone…” Zero chuckled near the end as he did something that none saw but C.C. saw coming.

He reached for his helmet, undid its clamps, and pulled the helmet off. Those to his rear couldn't see past the Burai. The 2 security guards couldn't see his face clearly thanks to his wide, high collar on his cape, but Kirihara, who sat before him, could, and his eyes widened at what he saw. It had been years, and he had undoubtedly changed, matured since they last saw one another, but he could never forget those eyes.

“You…!” He breathed out.

“It’s been a long time, Lord Kirihara.” Lelouch greeted, bowing his head to the man with a small yet genuine smile.

Kirihara's disbelief faded, replaced with only nostalgic amusement and melancholy. “It’s been 8 years since that family received you as a hostage.” He recalled his first meeting with the boy, the so-called royal who came to the Kururugi shrine with no aides, no followers, and only a couple of suitcases, his crippled and blind sister placed in a cheap wheelchair.

Lelouch also recalled that meeting and how much he resented it, resented them for all it represented. “It has, and I appreciate you taking care of me then. I have not forgotten our lessons.”

His time with the Kururugis was…not pleasant. Neither would pretend otherwise, as they understood why he had been sent and how they had been treated, but he couldn't pretend that it didn't have pleasant moments.

“If I hadn’t come, were you planning on taking the messenger as a hostage?” Kirihara inquired.

To which, Lelouch shook his head. “No, I wouldn't have harmed or kidnapped anyone. I came to ask for your help, that is all." Lelouch sincerely responded, though he couldn’t help the grin from forming. "I also banked on you being unable to resist the urge to be the first to see my face, a bet which I have won." His grin turned into a smile, though different from what he would wear with his friends, his sister, and even with C.C.

It was broken, bitter, and held no love, joy, or compassion. Instead, his warp construct, near perfectly and yet still spine-chillingly false, version of a smile was filled with so much anger, pain, and violence that it could only be described as the snarl of a mad dog.

“So, it seems the seed planted 8 years ago has finally bloomed?” Kirihara asked, to which Lelouch's smile grew more demonic.

“It bloomed years ago, in the flames and ruin. I just learned how to keep it hidden until I could present a truly wonderful bouquet." At his retort, Kirihara let out a hard and loud laugh, leaving the rest in the dark about what they were discussing. They didn't give details, but it was clear that they knew each other.

Kallen wondered about that, as the old man was a backer of Suzaku's father, and Suzaku and Lelouch were clearly old friends as well. Did they meet before the war? Lelouch seemed to imply his parents in the picture, and from how he talked with Alice, Sancia, and the rest, she assumed he and Nunnally were bastards sent to Japan, but now she wasn't so sure.

Tohdoh, on the other hand, had more to work with. He wasn't close to Kirihara then, nor was he that invested in the man's business, but 8 years was far too specific, and he could only recall one family that received a hostage around that time that Kirihara would have known. His face remained still, hardly an emotion to be found, but if he was right, and he had good reason to believe he was… this was bigger than he thought.

“Ohgi, Katase!” Kirihara’s booming laughter ceased as he called out to the two men, who stood straighter.

“Yes, Clan Chief?” Katase replied for both of them.

“This man is a true mortal enemy of Britannia who will stop at nothing less than Pendragon in flames, because of that, his identity can't be made public as his enemies are far and wide. I ask that you continue to follow him, even if you don't know his face. In exchange, Kyoto will supply you generously with intelligence and strategic support.” They had frowned at the beginning, but had all smiled in relief at the rest of it, C.C. noting how Tohdhoh’s face twitched, a smirk almost forming before the samurai stamped it down.

‘So, he suspects…no, he already knows, it would be a shame if those clues weren’t enough.’ She guessed, but didn’t draw attention to it.

“T-thank you, Clan Chief.” Ohgi bowed to Kirihara as Lelouch turned, already moving to put his mask back on.

“I am grateful, Lord Kirihara." Lelouch stated that this day was showing itself to be productive. If he wasn't miscalculating the time, he should still be able to make it to his date with Shirley as well.

Kirihara raised part of the curtain to get a better look at Zero, a smile on his aged face. “Do you intend to embark on the path of blood?”

Lelouch got his madness under control, but even with that done, there was a glint in his eye that would terrify most. “It was the path I was set down years ago, the only path I can accept if it means I can change this world.”

“Before you do, I want a word with you in a few days?” Kirihara asked, which wasn’t something Lelouch had planned on.

“On what?” At the old man's smile, only grew shrewd as he lifted his cane for Lelouch to see. It wasn't anything noteworthy, but then Kirihara shifted his grip to show a symbol carved into it, which would have otherwise been hidden.

Lelouch's gaze widened as he saw the faintly glowing mark of geass etched into the wood. Tearing his now alert gaze off it and looking at Kirihara, the man's grin spoke of what he knew.

“It’s a matter between a master and his wayward student.” Kirihara kept it vague, but Lelouch now had something to clue him into this talk's nature.

Putting his helmet on, his gasmask/voice modulator slipped into place as the clamps secured it to his head. “We can meet in two days' time. Is that acceptable?” He had many questions about this and even more theories, but he couldn't rush this. He had other things of great importance that he would not wish to compromise.

“Of course, I bid you farewell, Zero.” Kirihara nodded, letting the curtain fall into place as Zero turned and walked off, holding the trigger for the two guards to see, before he opened it and revealed it never had batteries.

Like he said, he had no intentions of harming anyone, and he'll leave them to ponder that as he and his command staff leave.

Line Break

Having returned from the meeting, Zero still needed to discuss things with the rest of his command staff, who took the news of Kyoto's continued and reinforced support well. Still, his mind remained on Kirihara, on what he could know about geass, so much so that he nearly missed how Ohgi and Tohdoh looked at him. Ohgi was all too easy to read, but it wasn't a threat—at least, he didn't have reason to think so.

Tohdoh was another story, as the man didn't say anything. Still, he looked like Zero in a way which made him suspect his vague conversation with Kirihara wasn't vague enough…no, it wasn't that, it was the fact he, along with Kaguya and Suzaku, would be the only ones who could have realised things. Still, he had to play things cool, ending their second meeting quickly before dismissing everyone. Even then, by the time he could leave, it was already past 5PM, and it had started to drizzle.

By the time he got a cab with C.C., which took them to the station, it had turned into a downpour. Lelouch was lucky he had packed an umbrella. He bid her goodbye, as she would ride back to campus while he would need to get off 3 stations ahead, the terrible weather not putting up, his shoes and the bottom of his pants splashed as the fabric darkened from the rain.

“At this rate,” Lelouch looked at his watch and saw it was already 6:40PM. "Shirley must have gone inside by now…"

“Lulu!” He looked up, spotting Shirley standing beneath a park lamp, kept dry from the rain by the rosy pink umbrella she wore. Jogging over, he sighed in relief to have caught her, but frowned.

“I’m sorry I was late, I didn’t mean to leave you waiting outside in the rain.” He apologised, as this wasn’t the best way to start a date.

"It's fine… Mom had me pack an umbrella since the weather was going to be bad." Shirley replied, rubbing her arm, her nerves clear as the rain around them. “I was…getting worried that you wouldn’t come.”

Yeah…yeah, he could see why she would think that, but he would ensure she would get the best out of this. “You know I wouldn’t agree and just bail on you, I would at least have the manners to call hours in advance so you wouldn’t have dressed up so nicely for nothing.” He smiled, looking at her, seeing how she was dressed nicely. She had worn a soft, light green A-line dress that fell just below her knees, layered under a short, white bolero jacket and strappy white sandals. For accessorizes, she wore white gloves, orange and blue bracelets, and carried a pastel-pink clutch bag.

"Well, it is a date. And you seem to have dressed for the night as well." Shirley replied, as she was happy that Lelouch had put a lot of thought into this. He wore a deep charcoal, single-breasted blazer, beneath which she could see a crisp white dress shirt with a semi-spread collar and a muted plum slim tie. He wore similar black suit pants with polished dark-brown derby shoes, all underneath a black overcoat with what she could see had a light purple lining beneath it.

Lelouch nodded, looking over himself. It was a miracle that he was able to pack this all along with his Zero costume and not have it covered in wrinkles and creases. This might be the first time he had worn something this fancy outside, especially at high-class gambling events.

“As if I would dress casually for this, this should be a special night, right? Let’s get inside and to our seats before the performance starts.” He gestured towards the building, to which she nodded as they turned to walk in, but Lelouch pulled her closer to him.

“Lulu-!” Shirley went red as Lelouch's other hand gently took her umbrella, closing it so she would remain under his.

“It’ll be easier if we share an umbrella, besides,” he said, giving her a warm smile that only made her blush harder. I like having you close."

Her face remained red as they entered, their umbrellas and his coat taken at the entrance as he didn’t let go of her the entire time, but even as she saw some older folk taking amusement over it, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into him, listening to his heartbeat as they started to discuss plans afterwards, as it turns out, Lulu wished to take her out to dinner at a high-end restaurant whose owners he knew, and thus, had already called to get them a table despite how long the waiting list was.

Line Break

There will be no commission this week and will not be for a while as I want to focus on other projects. The planning stages often take weeks for stuff like this. Just that part of this story took 2 months, as it's not like I can dedicate an entire day to it like a genuine writer would.

Yet, despite that planning, this chapter, like several before, did have some things I added that weren't in the OG notes, but it felt wrong not to include them, particularly for the events I'm building up to towards the end of what would be R1.