This fic is based on the 1996 anime adaptation, Kaiketsu Zorro.

This story was born out of one line that came to my head without any warning. It's based on the idea of what might have happened if Raymond hadn't died in the last episode. At first this was going to be just a one-shot, but then I felt the need to write a little bit from Diego's perspective. Before I knew it, I was writing something about almost all the main characters.

This story has no continuous plot. Rather, it's a series of connected scenes from different characters' perspectives. I wrote the chapters in a completely different order than the one in which I eventually posted them. At first I was going to post them in that order, but then I decided that it would make the story too confusing without contributing anything. Changing the order of the chapters so that it's chronological makes the story easier to follow, even if some details now feel a little out of place.

As the summary says, this story includes character death.

Special thanks to DeathMask81 for pointing out that I had made an error about where the fire took place.

THE CURTAIN FALLS

Gabriel

Gabriel didn't think he had ever felt as uncomfortable standing in Commander Raymond's office as he now did. That the commander was angry was nothing new, nor was the fact that his anger was directed at his lieutenant. Gabriel was used to all of this, but the barely noticeable shaking of Raymond's hand as he read the letter unnerved him. Beyond the anger, he was sure he could see nervousness in the commander's blue eyes.

He stood as straight as he could and waited for orders, hoping that he was only imagining things. Every moment that went by without Raymond saying anything was slow torture. He tried not to think about what would happen if Raymond didn't know what to do. They had revealed their whole plan to the governor general and had then failed to kill him. They only had moments to act before they were doomed.

Raymond crumbled the letter into a ball and threw it away with a snarl. "The nerve of that man!" he muttered.

Gabriel had of course read the letter as well. Everyone in San Tasco had. It contained a detailed list of many of their crimes and invited the people to join the governor general in opposing them. He had been hoping that it was fake, that the governor general had died when his carriage had plunged into the sea. Based on Raymond's reaction, it was genuine.

"Sir, what are we going to do?" he asked.

Raymond had been leaning his chin on his knuckles and staring at the desk. He turned his eyes to Gabriel when he heard him speak, like he had momentarily forgotten that he was there.

"What do you think?" he asked. "We have to finish this and kill the governor general before news of this incident makes it outside San Tasco."

"And how are we going to find him? He could be anywhere, and -" Gabriel started, but Raymond interrupted him swiftly.

"I have already made an announcement that the governor general has betrayed this land and the people. You will take the men and search for him. Make it clear that everyone who is withholding any information about him will be executed as a rebel," he said. His voice was thick with impatience and fury, but his words failed to convince Gabriel the way they usually did.

Gabriel couldn't help but think that all of this sounded a little too desperate. Raymond's plans were usually fool-proof and took all details into consideration. If it hadn't been for Zorro, all of their operations would have been successful. This time, Zorro wasn't even needed. So many other things could go wrong.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He had known that there were risks when he had joined Raymond, but he had never seriously considered the possibility that it could all come down to this. The thought that his life and career could end this way was unbearable.

He had to swallow before he spoke again. "Sir…" he started.

The frown on Raymond's face deepened. "What is it, Lieutenant? Why are you still here?" he asked.

"Sir, if we go through with this, the risks are too great. If we fail, they will arrest us, and that will be the end of us," Gabriel said, trying to ignore how the words made his stomach clench.

"I know that, you idiot. Which is why I'm asking why you're still here," Raymond replied. He was sitting completely still, staring at Gabriel with a vicious look in his eyes.

"Maybe we should just forget about it. If we order the men to search for the governor general, we can easily slip away and leave all of this behind. We could… we –" Gabriel said, talking fast because he was afraid he might lose his courage if he spent too long thinking about what he was saying.

He drifted off when Raymond started to laugh.

"Even at a moment like this, you manage to amuse me, Lieutenant," Raymond said, though there was no genuine mirth in his voice. "If we fled, what would we do then? What kind of lives could we lead? Please enlighten me."

"Well…" Gabriel said, suddenly feeling very foolish. He turned his eyes to the floor, unable to meet Raymond's glare that said all too well how stupid the commander thought he was.

"Exactly," Raymond said slowly. "I don't know about you, but for me there are only two options. Complete victory or complete ruin."

"Yes, sir," Gabriel said. He couldn't help but shiver as he watched Raymond and the expression that was frozen on his face. He had never seen the commander look that bothered, and it frightened him. It occurred to him how much things had changed in such a short time. Only a few weeks before, life had been so simple. Threaten the locals a little, go about doing his duties, boast to Lolita, try to capture Zorro, yell at Gonzales. He wondered if losing that stable life had been worth it. For the first time ever, he considered whether they had gone too far.

Raymond leaned back in his chair and regarded him with a thoughtful look. "It appears that you're worried, Lieutenant," he said.

That was an understatement. Gabriel was terrified. He felt like his whole body was prickling and that if he let go of the remains of his self-control, he would be trembling. He knew it was only the matter of hours before he would lose everything he held dear. This was their last chance to set into motion a desperate plan to fix everything.

Raymond's face melted into a smile, and for the first time during their conversation he looked confident. Gabriel felt relief wash over him. If the commander could look like that, he clearly had some ace up his sleeve that he hadn't revealed to anyone. Maybe they would make it after all.

"You have no reason to trouble yourself, Lieutenant. I have everything under control. Zorro and the rebels have already lost," Raymond said.

"How can you be so sure, sir?" Gabriel asked, not daring to allow himself that sliver of hope just yet.

"Do you doubt me?" Raymond asked, and Gabriel relished the sudden harshness in his voice. When Raymond used that tone, he was always in full control of everything. The nervousness he had noticed earlier must have been only his imagination.

"Of course not, sir," Gabriel said. He felt his uneasiness vanish as he watched Raymond. The commander's shoulders were stiff with irritation. His eyes held that cruel glint that usually made Gabriel want to turn his gaze away, but this time it only filled him with relief. Raymond was still the commander that he had grown to fear and occasionally hate. Whatever his plan was, it would get the two of them out of trouble.

"Then go. You have your orders," Raymond said.

"I will do my best," Gabriel promised.

"I hope so," Raymond said with a nod.

Gabriel left the room, determined to find and kill that damn governor general, no matter what price he had to pay to do it. Raymond's smile had given him all the confidence he needed.

Gabriel sputtered and spat out water as he emerged from the fountain. What the hell had just happened? He had been about to kill that useless Gonzales and then – He groaned as he reached up to touch the back of his head and flinched at the sudden pain.

There was laughter. When he turned to look, he saw Gonzales, Jekyll and two dozen townspeople standing by the fountain. Laughing. At him. The de la Vega housekeeper was holding a club in her hands, and Gabriel no longer had to wonder what had stopped him from giving Gonzales what he deserved.

"Damn you all," he growled at them as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his head and clear his thoughts.

"Lieutenant Gabriel, I'm placing you under arrest for the attempted murder of the governor general and numerous other crimes," Jekyll said in a stern voice. Gabriel turned to glare at him, feeling his anger flare up at the cold professionalism on Jekyll's face. He had always disliked the colonel, but now he would have given anything to kill him.

"You're idiots if you think you can get me like this," he said.

"Give up. You've lost. There's nothing you can do anymore," Jekyll said. His words made Gabriel slit his eyes in anger and frustration. He did his best to ignore the panic that threatened to take control and make his breathing erratic. He couldn't give up like this. Not when he knew what it would mean for him.

"You're wrong," he growled. There had to be another chance for him. He'd do anything and use the most shameful and dirtiest tricks if it just meant it wouldn't end like this. He fumbled around under the water to find his sword, hoping that nobody would notice until it was too late. All he had to do was to win some more time and then –

"Hey, what's that?" someone in the crowd asked all of a sudden and pointed at the sky in the distance.

Everyone turned to look, including Gabriel. Thick, black smoke was smudging the clear blue of the sky and rising to the heights as mighty clouds. Gabriel could only stare, his breath caught in his throat and his sword forgotten. No. It couldn't be.

"The mansion is on fire," Gonzales whispered, stunned.

"That's impossible," Jekyll said. He kept staring at the smoke with disbelieving and shocked eyes. The mansion was one of the oldest buildings in San Tasco. It had always stood there, as if watching over the city and representing order and justice.

Gabriel was just as upset, but for entirely different reasons. He had his pride as an officer, and in any other circumstances he would have been angry and offended that someone had the nerve to violate their most important building like that, but right now he couldn't have cared less. There was only one person who had the audacity to do something like this.

Raymond had stayed behind at the mansion when Gabriel and the men had come to town. Gabriel hadn't thought twice about it – after all, that's how it always went, and he had thought Raymond still had some preparations for his plan. He could have kicked himself. It was painfully clear now that Raymond had never had anything resembling a plan. He had simply sent Gabriel and the soldiers to sacrifice themselves so that he'd win a little more time for himself. What the commander hoped to accomplish by burning the mansion, he didn't know, nor did he care. All that mattered was that the cold smirk on Raymond's face had been a lie.

Damn him! Damn that bastard to the deepest hell! Gabriel felt like he'd burst from the sudden anger and pain of betrayal. He had given up the chance to escape because he had thought Raymond knew what he was doing. He could have easily left San Tasco and survived, but no. He had been foolish enough to trust that snake!

"Damn you all! You'll never get me!" he snarled at the people. He jumped on his feet and out of the fountain. The commoners made way for him in startled surprise, but some of the soldiers weren't that easily stunned. He felt strong arms grab him and pull him to the ground. Groaning in pain and frustration, he struggled against the men who were trying to hold him down. All logic was lost to the burning panic in his chest – he would not be caught like this! – and he managed to kick off one of the soldiers. The other one received a punch to the face and let go of him with a pained a howl.

Gabriel staggered up and ran for it. He heard Jekyll shout at the soldiers to stop him, but he barely heard the words. He didn't glance over his shoulder to see what they were doing. All he knew was that he had to get away. He didn't want to be captured. He didn't want to face a trial. He didn't want to be executed or go to prison.

If he could just get behind that corner, then he'd –