Lelouch walked casually down the aisle towards his sister's ship. He knew full well the importance of appearance and public opinion, yet he moved casually and even somewhat apathetically, as he never much cared for these formal meetings. Contradictary to his feelings on the situation, he was dressed in full royal regalia, and even though the situation didn't call for it, he enjoyed the flashy attire far more than his drab school uniform that he wore ever so frequently.
After his failure to quell the uprising in Shinjuku, Clovis had been reassigned to Area 14, and 2nd princess Cornelia li Brittania had been stationed as Viceroy of Area 11, with Lelouch to serve as sub-Viceroy. As such, he was here to greet his sister as she arrived on her personal ship.
Approaching her carrier, he arrived just in time to see her descend the stairs onto the red carpet. She was dressed in a modified officer's uniform, and her light purple hair swayed gently in the breeze as she stood there. Lelouch stopped a few feet short of Cornelia, and she offered her hand to him, which he kissed, at the same time kneeling in a show of respect.
"Greetings, Viceroy, I'm glad to see you in good condition." Lelouch greeted.
"As well to you, my dear brother, I am glad to have the chance to speak with you after all these years."
He stood, and she smiled at him, a warm, yet stern smile, offering a more maternal love than that of an older sister. Behind her features, Lelouch noted that she seemed slightly uneasy, and he reasoned that she must be concerned for Euphemia, who was still studying in the homeland.
"As heartwarming as the moment is, I'm afraid we must proceed to the matters at hand. The job of a Viceroy is never restful, as I'm sure you'll find." Lelouch, who knew from experience, stated, having been serving as acting Viceroy until now.
"You're right, our main priority now is finding this man who goes by the name Zero."
About a week ago, a masked man in a black robe appeared, hijacking a news broadcast revealing Cornelia as the new Viceroy, to announce his involvement in the Shinjuku Incident, and to publicly disclose his intentions as a "Knight of Justice" to destroy Brittania and all those who oppose true justice. He also unveiled his masked army, the Black Knights, as his comrades-in-arms to help him see this goal realized.
Little did everyone know, that the young prince and the masked man Zero were, in fact, one and the same. From his seat of power as a prince, Lelouch had privileged access to classified information and, as sub-Viceroy, he also had certain power over Area 11 and the Brittanian military stationed there. As Zero, he had access to the Black Knights and his own power of the Kings, Geass.
He would wage a proxy war between Lelouch and Zero, with Zero outsmarting Lelouch at times, and other times, with Lelouch beating out Zero. However, no matter the outcome, he would always be in control, contently watching Cornelia frantically try to capture Zero, only to have him slip out from between her fingers at the last second. Eventually, Area 11 would fall, Cornelia would be disgraced, and Lelouch could finally wage a full on war with Brittania, still without anyone knowing a thing. It was truly the perfect plan.
"Absolutely Viceroy, this masked terrorist must be stopped at all costs." Lelouch smiled inwardly at his own brilliance, and showed Cornelia to her new office.
Now it's time for the real fun to begin, he thought to himself.
-o-O-o-
"I think you'll find all of the amenities to your liking. This will serve as our base of operations, at least for now." Zero gestured for his Black Knights to step inside the vehicle.
Tamaki was the first to enter, saying, "Whoa, this place is great! There's even a second story to it! Zero, buddy, I knew you would pull through for us!"
Lelouch sighed at Tamaki's obvious stupidity, and didn't notice Ohgi approach him from behind.
"This is amazing, Zero! And if this deal with Kyoto goes through, we'll have enough financial aide to get us out of our debt." He looked at Zero, or rather, his mask, cheerfully at the thought.
"We wouldn't be in debt if you had followed the budget I gave you, Tamaki. If you want me to trust you with our finances, I would like to see some results first."
Tamaki was clearly outraged by this, "What would a guy who won't show his face to his own friends know about trust?"
"Hey, if it weren't for Zero, we wouldn't be where we are now! We owe him for that much alrea-" Kallen began to defend Zero, but he cut her off.
"It's alright, Kallen, he has a valid point, for once in his life. I'd like you and Ohgi to come with me upstairs."
They both complied, though they were wondering what it is he could want with the two of them. Lelouch himself questioned whether this was the best course of action, but he had long since decided to never doubt himself again.
After they had reached the upstairs bedroom (which Lelouch had modified into his own private office), Lelouch closed the door behind them, and motioned for them to sit. Ohgi was the first to say what they both were thinking.
"Um, excuse me, Zero, but just what is this all about?"
"I have decided that you two, and only you two, will be trusted with the secret of my identity."
Ohgi and Kallen's jaws dropped, and they were left speechless at this announcement. Lelouch put his hand up to his mask, and slowly removed it, revealing his face to the two of them. Kallen and Ohgi couldn't believe what they saw.
"I am Lelouch vi Brittania, 11th Prince of the Holy Brittanian Empire, and 17th in line to rule Brittania. I am also the person who seeks to destroy it."