The next day, at the Black Knight's Academy, Lelouch's Class is about to begin. "Now, before we begin, would anyone like to try their hand against me in a game of chess?" Lelouch asks. "As I can see, some of you had some practice yesterday." He says as he resets the board. "I'd like to see if that has improved your performance."
"Cyrus, go and give it another try." Morgan says to Cyrus. "We know more about him than any of the others." He whispers.
"I can't go up against a tactical mastermind like him. He would beat me before I even realized it." Cyrus says.
"I don't see what the big deal is. He has to have a weakness, or some kind of flaw that can give you the advantage." Allison says. Then they see a student stand up and head over to the center desk. Lelouch and the student both take a seat and the game begins, and soon ends with Lelouch the winner. Suddenly someone's phone starts ringing, and everyone looks around for the source of the sound.
"That's mine." Lelouch says, as he grabs his phone. "Nunnally?" He says, as he sees the name on the phone. "Yes, Nunnally. I'm sorry but I'm in the middle of class." Lelouch answers.
"I'm sorry to bother you Lelouch, but this will be just a moment of your time." Nunnally says.
"Go on." Lelouch replies.
"I told a friend of mine, on the student council, that you are an expert at chess, and he would like to play you in a game. That is, if you're interested, of course." She says.
"I'd love to. I can be there after my class is done. I can't say no to a challenge after all." Lelouch says and hangs up.
"You've never told us about your family, professor." A student says.
"And I don't have to. But since you are curious, I'll tell you." Lelouch says. "I am the eldest, of the three of us. My brother, Rolo, is the middle, but he passed away two years ago. And my sister, Nunnally, is the youngest. She shares the same birthday as Rolo, although they're a year apart. Nunnally and I are all that is left of our family." He says. "Now back to the lesson at hand. Everyone here should be familiar with the next event in the rebellion, correct?"
"Narita?" Another student asks.
"No, not Narita. The next event I will teach you is what happened at Lake Kawaguchi, during the hotel jacking. Now, tell me the forces that were present there, bonus if you can name the commanders." Lelouch says. He sees the students raise their hands and picks three of them.
"The Black Knights, lead by Zero." The first student answers.
"Britannia, lead by Princess Cornelia." The second answers.
"The Japanese Liberation Front, lead by Kusakabe." Cyrus answers.
"Correct, all of you. Cyrus, good job knowing what JLF stood for. Now does anyone know why Cornelia hesitated to attack?" Lelouch says, as the students take a seat.
"It was a hotel jacking, so there were hostages. She must have wanted to avoid injuring the hostages." Another student replies.
"Correct, but one of these hostages was very dear to her. Three of them were friends of mine." Lelouch says.
The students start to discuss who Cornelia would want to save. "Euphemia li Britannia." Cyrus calls out.
"Correct. If Euphemia wasn't there, Cornelia would have attacked the hotel, regardless of any casualties to the hostages. That is why Zero chose to intervene. As the enemy of Britannia, he knew the weaknesses of most of the commanders. Zero exploited this in his favor, and the Black Knights entered the hotel." Lelouch says as he heads over to the display and indicates the positions. "Once inside, the JLF wanted to speak with Zero, and Zero ordered the Black Knights to lay explosives on the supports." He adds. He then groans in pain and clutches at his left eye.
"Professor, are you alright?" Some of the students ask, as they see Lelouch in pain.
"I'm fine, it'll pass." He says, reassuring the class. "So he's reached this point" He says to himself. He then recovers and continues the lesson until the class ends. Cyrus, Morgan, and Allison remain in the classroom, and Lelouch sees that they have not left. "Shouldn't you three be heading to your next class?"
"Yes, but we have the issue with Alistair to discuss." Cyrus replies.
"That, and your sister is the Empress?" Morgan says.
"Technically speaking, yes. But at this moment, she is Nunnally Lamperouge. And the next question is going to be about Rolo." Lelouch says.
"Of course. We've never heard of a Rolo vi Britannia." Allison replies.
"He was a stand in for Nunnally, when she was taken from me. Emperor Charles used his geass on me, and after that, Rolo was my brother." Lelouch says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a chess game to attend to. But first, I'll be changing into something a little bit more casual." He says as he leaves the room and heads to his office, with the others following him. Lelouch enters the room while the others wait outside.
"I'll get Connor. We'll need him when we confront Alistair." Morgan says as he heads for the dorms.
"Morgan!" Cyrus calls out, but Morgan is already gone. "What do you think he meant by that?" He asks Allison.
"Not sure. Do you really want the professor to meet Alistair? He'll know something is off when he can't tell if he's lying or telling the truth." Allison replies.
"When do you think he would have been ready for code?" C.C. asks, as Lelouch enters the room.
"He would need it sooner, rather than later." Lelouch replies.
"He is similar to us, in the fact that he cannot die. He can only age, and even then he would look the same, if anyone could see him, that is." C.C. says. She then sees Lelouch strip out of his uniform, seeing the horizontal scar across his chest. "Going somewhere?" She asks as Lelouch gets dressed, in the outfit he wore when shopping with Shirley.
"Nunnally called, and a friend of hers challenged me to a chess game." He replies. "I want you to check in with Zero. He'll need someone to help him, since he has his geass permanently active." He says.
"So, he's getting closer to code. Very well, I'll be with him, although it should be you." She says. C.C. then gets up and heads for the door. "I hope you're happy, Lelouch. We're finally going our own ways."
"For now, C.C., for now." He replies, as C.C. leaves the room and heads for the embassy. Lelouch then leaves his office and sees Cyrus and Allison waiting for him. "Why aren't you in class?" He asks them.
"We want to stop Alistair, and we'll need your help." Allison replies.
"You're a tactical genius, so you could come up with a plan to change his mind about M.M." Cyrus says.
"Fine. But I'm not helping you if Villetta gets mad at you." Lelouch responds.
"Hey, thanks for waiting!" Morgan calls, as he and Connor approach. "Well, let's go. Let's confront Alistair." Morgan says.
Meanwhile at the embassy, Gino approaches and sees the damage to the front of the building being repaired. "What happened here?" He asks one of the workers.
"There was an attack on the embassy. Thankfully no one got hurt." The worker replies.
"Why did this not make news?" He asks.
"You'll have to speak with one of the ambassadors about that." The worker replies. Gino then enters the embassy and is greeted by Cornelia.
"Ace Weinberg, what brings you here. Is Kallen not accompanying you?" Cornelia greets.
"I came here to speak with Zero. Kallen is busy taking care of young Naoto, since her mother is running errands." Gino replies. "What happened here, and why did it not make news?" He asks.
"There was an attack on the embassy, but Zero quickly took care of it. It didn't make news because we didn't want to worry Nunnally of our well being." She replies. "Zero is in his quarters, Gino."
"Thank you, Cornelia." Gino says, and heads for Zero's quarters. "I've got nothing to report on about Lelouch. He never did take me to one of his underground matches. No, Lelouch is the enemy of the world." Gino says to himself as he heads to Zero's quarters. As he reaches the door, he hears Zero cry out in pain, followed by something crashing to the ground. Gino enters the room to see what has happened, and is faced with Zero, unmasked, bent over clutching at his left eye. "Zero?" He asks.
Zero then looks up and sees Gino. "Gino?" Suzaku says and falls back as he tries to back up.
Gino is shocked when he finally lays eyes on Zero's face. "Suzaku? I… We all thought you died on the Damocles." He says.
"Gino, I can't die. It's what I seek, but am always denied." Suzaku says. Gino walks up to Suzaku and helps him up. Suzaku then takes a seat in one of the couches as Gino picks up his mask, and sees that the visor is cracked.
"Suzaku, what happened?" Gino asks.
"I'm not entirely sure. My geass may have grown is strength." Suzaku replies. "Wait. Can you still see me?" He asks.
"Of course I can. Why do you ask?" Gino replies.
"I was afraid that my geass may have become permanently active. Yesterday was the longest I had it active for a while, and with what Lelouch did, I'm not sure what is happening now?" Suzaku replies.
"What did Lelouch do?" Gino asks.
"I got shot in the shoulder, and after the incident Lelouch transplaced my injury to him. So I'm not sure if I used my geass too much, or if Lelouch sparked this to happen." Suzaku replies. He then sees Gino's expression change, to that of shock.
"Suzaku, you… you're fading." Gino says, as Suzaku's left eye becomes encompassed with geass, and he starts to fade. Suzaku then panics and heads to his private quarter and looks at himself in the mirror.
"No! It can't be." Suzaku says as he sees just the Zero outfit in the mirror. Gino enters the room and sees Suzaku on his knees, crying.
"Suzaku, it's alright." Gino says, trying to reassure him.
"It is not alright. Look at me. I'm a ghost now." Suzaku says, looking at Gino.
"Isn't this what Lelouch wanted to prove. That Zero is an idea. I was told that he was Zero, but I never believed it, because when I joined the Black Knights, he was the Emperor of Britannia." Gino says, seeing tears run down where Suzaku's face would be.
"That may be so, but I am not ready to fade. I may be Zero, but I am still Suzaku." Suzaku replies. They then hear the door open, and Gino checks who entered the room and sees C.C.
When C.C. enters the room, she sees Zero's mask, cracked, on the center table. "Zero, I know your pain." She says as she picks up the mask and holds it close.
"C.C., what brings you here?" Gino asks. C.C. then turns and is surprised to see Gino in Zero's quarters.
"Gino." She says as she sees Gino in Zero's private quarter. "So you know who Zero is as well."
"I'm sure that I'll be the last to know Zero's identity, C.C." Gino replies. Suzaku then steps out of his private quarter and heads over to one of the couches and takes a seat.
"Zero, I know this is hard for you, it is hard for all of us when our geass gets to this stage. But you are a fighter, and you will find a way around this. If Lelouch could do it, then you can too." C.C. says as she hugs Suzaku.
"C.C., why are you here? You were always by Lelouch's side, so why are you by mine?" Suzaku asks as C.C. releases him.
"Lelouch saw it better if I was by your side, after all he is rather busy with events that are happening today." She replies.
"Alistair." Suzaku says as he remembers what happened yesterday.
"Lelouch will be going to a chess match at Ashford Academy. We can meet him there and discuss it with him." C.C. says. "Gino, I think it's best if you don't come along." She says to Gino.
"Any reason why? Oh…" He says as he sees C.C.'s expression. "I understand. I'd like to see one of Lelouch's chess matches though?" He says as he leaves the room. Suzaku then procures a spare mask from his private quarter, and he and C.C. prepare to leave the embassy.
When Alistair arrives in Japan, he removes his headphones and looks around. "Too many lies, that the truth is hidden." He says to himself.
"Hey, Alistair!" Cyrus shouts as he spots him.
"Cyrus, what are you doing here?" Alistair says, adjusting his shades, as Cyrus and the others approach.
"You said that you would be arriving, so we decided to show you around. Also, we wanted to introduce you to a friend we made at the academy." Morgan replies, indicating Lelouch.
"And who are you?" Alistair asks Lelouch.
"Lelouch Lamperouge, and I'm their professor." Lelouch replies. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He says, extending his left hand. Confused by Lelouch, Alistair reluctantly shakes his hand. "Now that we've met, I have a chess match to go to." He says as he turns and heads away.
"Professor, can we come with you? I'd like to see how to beat you in that chess project." Cyrus asks.
"Very well, come along if you wish. It won't be easy to beat me in chess." Lelouch replies as he beacons the others to follow.
"What just happened?" Alistair says to himself, as he sees the others follow Lelouch. He then catches up to the group and they head for Ashford Academy.
When they arrive at Ashford, Lelouch takes a deep breath. "I haven't been here for some time now. It'll be nice to see how things have changed." He says as he and the others enter the campus grounds, and head for the clubhouse.
As they traverse the school grounds, Milly sees the group and is about to head over to them, until she sees Lelouch. "Is that… Lelouch?" She asks herself.
"Wait, where?" Rivalz asks Milly.
"There, with that group." Milly says, pointing in Lelouch's direction.
"I thought he died. Maybe it's just someone that looks like him." Rivalz says as he sees Lelouch.
"Well, I'm going to find out. You can come, if you want to." She says as she heads for the clubhouse, with Rivalz right behind her.
"I was vice president of the student council, when I went to school here. My sister is waiting for us, so let's enter." Lelouch says to the group as he opens the door and enters the building.
"Lelouch!" Nunnally calls as she sees Lelouch enter the clubhouse, and rushes towards him.
"Nunnally!" He says, as Nunnally hugs him. Alistair wonders around the clubhouse entrance, while the others talk amongst themselves.
"Who are these people?" Nunnally asks, noticing the five others with Lelouch.
"Friends of mine. They are also students of mine." Lelouch answers. "They're friend just arrived and we are going to show him around Tokyo." He says, indicating Alistair.
"Nunnally, is that your brother?" A voice asks.
"Yes, Ryan." She answers the voice. "Come on, Lelouch." She says, leading the way. Lelouch and the others follow Nunnally to the council room and enter with her.
"You must be Lelouch? Nunnally has mentioned you before, and I hope you live up to your reputation." Ryan says, sitting down in front of a chess board, laid out on the main table.
"Your Lelouch? My, you're handsome." Amanda says. Lelouch then takes a seat in front of Ryan, with Cyrus, Morgan, and Allison watching the board with intent.
"That may be so, but I'm more devilish than you think." Lelouch replies.
"Amanda, leave him alone. You don't have to hit on him, while you have others chasing you." Taylor says.
"Oh, but still." Amanda dreamily replies. Alistair then heads over to Miles, who is busy working at his computer.
"Why are they watching the game like this?" Ryan asks Lelouch, as the game begins.
"I have tasked them, and the rest of my class to beat me at chess. If you are as good as you think you are, then we'll give them an advantage." Lelouch replies.
"What is it that you teach, Lelouch?" Ryan asks.
"Strategy and tactics. Chess just happens to be the safer alternative to war. I am teaching my students what happened during the Black Rebellions." Lelouch replies.
"Couldn't they just learn that from the museum. I hear that it's rather accurate, in regards to the Rebellion." Ryan says.
"It is, but I go even more in depth with the battles. So in depth in fact, that it'll sound like I was at all of the battles." Lelouch says.
"What are you working on?" Alistair asks Miles. Miles jumps when he hears Alistair.
"Sorry, but it's, uh, classified." Miles replies.
"Really?" Alistair asks.
"Afraid so. Only three, uh… four people know" Miles stammers.
"And who would they be?" Alistair asks.
"Nina Einstein, Zero, and myself. Zero said that he would tell someone else, but I don't know who." Miles replies. Alistair sees the simulations that are being run on the computer, and walks away until he heads out of the room. Allison sees Alistair leave the room and follows after him.
"Alistair, what's wrong?" She asks as she catches up to him.
"How do they know?" He says.
"Cyrus asked the same thing. I don't know how they know, but they wish to stop it, Alistair." Allison replies.
"Your professor, what can you tell me about him? Why can't I tell if he's lying or not?" He asks.
"Professor Lamperouge?" She asks. "He is, or was, a Black Knight spy." She replies.
"Second hand information. You are not at all sure of his role. Unless you're saying this to distract me, because you are lying about his name." Alistair says. "Who is he?" He asks.
"You know, Alistair, this is why we don't like talking with you. You are always pressing for the truth, and you manipulate others until you finally don't hear a lie." Allison says.
"Is something wrong?" Nunnally asks, as she exits the room and enters the hallway.
"No, Nunnally. I think I resolved the problem." Allison replies. "Come on, Alistair, let's see how the chess game is going." She says to Alistair. The three of them return to the room.
"Checkmate." Lelouch says.
"I'm impressed. Your sister was right, you are an expert." Ryan says.
"You almost had him though." Cyrus says.
"If you had something on the line, you may have beaten me." Lelouch says. Cyrus and Morgan look at the professor, amazed at what he said.
"What do you mean, Lelouch?" Ryan asks.
"I used to gamble. Nunnally may have told you." He replies.
"So, if I made a wager, do you think I would have won?" Ryan asks.
"Depends on what you were betting. You would be under a lot more pressure, that I know for sure." Lelouch replies. They then hear the door open. "Now if you don't mind, I have something to attend to." Lelouch says, getting up and turning around. When he turns around and sees who entered the room, he blanches when Milly and Rivalz see him.
"I don't know about you, Rivalz, but I think that's Lelouch." Milly says as they see him. Lelouch then regains his composure and ushers them outside of the room.
"Geez, Lelouch, that was rude." Rivalz says, as he and Milly are pushed out of the room.
"What are you doing here?" Lelouch asks them.
"I'm the principal, and Rivalz is my fiance. We should be asking you what you are doing here." Milly responds.
"We saw you die, two years ago." Rivalz says.
"Really, I must have been somewhere else." Lelouch says.
"So that wasn't you that died?" Milly asks.
"And how did you get so strong. We've known you for years, Lelouch, and you never could do anything physical." Rivalz says.
"Times have changed, and…" Lelouch starts, but blanches again when he sees Zero and C.C. arrive. "Now I wish I really did die." He says to himself. Milly and Rivalz turn to see what has made Lelouch so shocked, and they see Zero and C.C.
"Zero, what are you doing here?" Milly asks. Nunnally then enters the hallway, and sees Zero.
"Milly, aren't we holding a festival tomorrow?" Nunnally asks.
"Why, yes we are. I want this one to be the best one Ashford Academy holds. There wasn't one last year, and the two before were mediocre." Milly replies. "Why do you ask."
"I'd like to invite former council members here for the festival." Nunnally replies.
"Then that means we need to contact…" She says, counting all of the former members on her hand. "Lelouch do you know what happened to Rolo?" She asks.
"He passed away two years ago." Lelouch replies somberly.
"I'm sorry to hear that. The two of you were very close." She says. "Now, Lelouch, I will have all sorts of things planned for you during the festival. And you cannot back your way out of this obligation." She says, and turns to leave. "Oh, and Zero, I'd like you to be present as well." She says and leaves, with Rivalz right behind her.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Lelouch says to himself.
"Now what about the issue at hand?" Zero asks.
"Issue, what issue?" Nunnally asks.
"Alistair. The blond guy with the shades. He is here is discover Zero's identity. We need a way to stop him and sever his ties with the Geass Order." Lelouch says.
"Geass Order, then what is his geass?" Nunnally asks.
"He can tell if someone is lying or telling the truth." Lelouch replies.
"Then take him to the Black Knight's Museum. Museums are usually truthful, but some of the information is sometimes altered. He might not like the experience, but you can plan something around it, Lelouch." Nunnally says.
Lelouch ponders this for a moment. "Nunnally, you might be onto something." Lelouch says, after he has come up with a plan.
"Glad to help my big brother. Shall I inform your friends about this." Nunnally says.
"Yes, tell them that we will go to the museum." Lelouch says. Nunnally then enters the room. "Zero, I want you and C.C. to prepare some Zero outfits. We'll show Alistair what Zero really is." Lelouch says. Zero and C.C. depart. Morgan and the others enter the hallway, and he catches a glimpse of Zero and stops time around Alistair.
"Why was Zero here?" Morgan asks Lelouch.
"I just told him my plan. When we get to the museum, the four of you will leave Alistair with me as you and the others meet up with C.C. Tell them that when you separate from us." Lelouch says. Morgan then deactivates his geass, and they proceed to the museum.
When Lelouch and the others arrive at the museum, Alistair groans in disgust. "I hate museums. They're always full of inaccuracies, and it disgusts me." Alistair says.
"Alistair, this museum is very accurate, almost spot on." Cyrus says. They then enter the museum and start at the Shinjuku exhibit.
"Hey you guys this way. We've already seen this the night they finished the museum." Morgan says as he splits off from the group. "Come on, Connor." He says, as Cyrus and Allison follow.
"Should we follow them?" Alistair asks.
"No need. Besides, you look like you could learn something here." Lelouch replies.
"Lelouch, how is it that you are on such good terms with them?" Alistair says. He then notices the purple glove on his right hand. "What is with the glove?" He asks.
"I see great potential in them. Cyrus could be a general, or commander for the Black Knights. Allison could be part of the espionage section. Morgan has the potential to be a great knightmare pilot. I am not so sure about Connor, for I just met him recently." Lelouch replies. "Now about the glove. During the Rebellion, I suffered an awful injury to my hand, so I cover it up to conceal the scar." He adds. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asks, as he sees Alistair looking bewildered.
"It's nothing. Just… nothing. Let's carry on then." Alistair says as they proceed through the exhibit.
"Morgan, what's going on?" Cyrus asks.
"Shouldn't Connor be with Lelouch and Alistair? This is his first time here in the museum." Allison replies.
"This way." Morgan says as he leads the group on. He then catches sight of C.C., and advances towards her.
"C.C., what are you doing here?" Allison asks her.
"The same as you. We're here to save Alistair. Now take these." She says as she hands them all suitcases. "You can find someplace covered to dress. Oh, Allison, what is the nature of your geass?" She says.
"I can look like anyone I lay my eyes on. Why do you ask?" She replies.
"Because part of the plan requires you to look like Alistair. Who is Zero?" She says.
"If I have to look like Alistair, then I have to dress after I take on his appearance. As for your question, you should know that." Allison replies.
"True, I do. But what have you learned, from your dealings with Zero?" She asks.
"He is no one." Cyrus replies.
"He is everyone." Morgan says, realizing why they dressed as Zero for the embassy.
"Correct, both of you." C.C. says. "That is the nature of an idea. Zero is everyone and no one at the same time. Now get into position, we'll lead Alistair to the lower levels."
"What is this?" Alistair asks, as they arrive at the refrain raids section of the museum.
"I am not surprised you've never heard of refrain." Lelouch says.
"Refrain? What is it?" Alistair asks.
"It is a substance that when injected, the user feels as if they are reliving a moment of their past. I almost took refrain once, but Kallen stopped me before I could do any damage to myself." Lelouch replies. "Is there a moment in your life that you would like to revisit or relive?" He asks.
"There are a few, yes." Alistair replies.
"The downside to refrain is that it is highly addictive." Lelouch says.
"That's it! I've had enough, professor!" Alistair says, as he pins Lelouch to a wall. "I can't tell if you're lying to me, or if you speak the truth! So I'm going to find out why!" He says as he grabs Lelouch's right hand, and prepares to remove his glove.
"Isn't that Zero?" Lelouch asks as he sees Zero. Alistair looks over and sees Zero, who walks off as he is spotted.
"You can't escape me Zero!" He says as he chases after Zero.
Cyrus ducks into a corner before Alistair can see where he went. "Alright, Morgan. Your turn." He says to Morgan.
"On it." Morgan says. He activates his geass and leaves the corner.
"Where are you Zero?" Alistair calls out. He then hears the sound of a cape fluttering behind him, and he turns around. "There you are." He says, as he advances on Zero, but before he can blink, Zero is gone. He turns back around as he hears footsteps getting away from him. He follows Zero, until he is deep within the archive, with crates stacked on top of eachother. Before he can catch Zero, Zero disappears.
"Alright, Connor. Your turn." Morgan says to Connor.
"Just don't leave me." Connor replies.
"I'll be by your side the entire time. We only need four duplicates anyways." Morgan replies. Connor then activates his geass and produces the four duplicates. Morgan activates his geass and moves three of the duplicates to other alcoves. When he finishes, he is panting from all the exertion he placed on his body.
"Zero, show yourself!" Alistair calls out. "You can't hide forever." Then he sees Zero step out from the shadows.
"I can hide as long as I want." One of the duplicates says. Alistair turns around as he sees the other Zeros appear.
"Lies, it's all lies." Alistair says.
"Only one of us is the real Zero" Another duplicate says.
"But you have to figure out which of us is the real one." The third one says.
"And even then, you won't be any closer to knowing the truth." The fourth says.
"Do you have a good line of sight on Alistair?" Zero asks Allison.
"I need to see his eyes before I can do anything. But this should keep him busy for a while." Allison replies.
Alistair approaches one of the Zeros and attempts to remove his mask. "Ah, but are you sure that I'm the real Zero?" The duplicate asks.
"I have a one in four chance of getting this right." Alistair says. He then lays hands on the mask, and the duplicate vanishes. He then sees a red glow in the distance, as Allison takes on the appearance of Alistair. "Found you!" He says as he advances to where he saw the glow.
Morgan sees Alistair move on, and he activates his geass. "Allison, hurry up!" He shouts.
Upon hearing Morgan, Allison dresses as Zero and steps out of her hiding place. "Ready!" She calls. Morgan deactivates his geass, and Alistair moves again.
"Time to get to the lower levels." Zero says to C.C.
"You go on ahead, I'll wait here for Lelouch." C.C. says. Zero then climbs on top of the crates and heads for the lower levels.
Alistair sees Zero up ahead and looks back to see the duplicates vanish. "So I really have you this time, Zero. The director will be pleased to hear that I have dealt with you. You will not stop the Order and our plans." He says. He then sees Zero walk away, and he chases after him. Allison hears Alistair chase her and she runs until she reaches the door to the lower levels.
Lelouch meets up with Cyrus. "He is not going to like this one bit." Cyrus says.
"Let's get Morgan and Connor. Then we'll see how much he hates this." Lelouch says. They then go to where Morgan and Connor are, and see Connor holding Morgan.
"Is he…" Cyrus asks, worried for his friend.
"Exhausted. He has worked the hardest amongst all of us." Connor replies. Cyrus breaths a sigh of relief. They then hear someone approaching.
"Shall we make our way to Zero?" C.C. asks.
"I would have thought you would have gone down with him?" Lelouch says.
"I am nowhere near as physical as he is. You should get prepared, Lelouch." C.C. says.
"Of course. He also wants to know who the other Zero is." Lelouch says. They then head for the lower levels, with Cyrus and Connor carrying Morgan.
In the lower levels of the museum, Zero is first to arrive. He heads for cover when he hears one of the doors open forcefully, and sees Allison being chased by Alistair. He peers from his cover and watches the events unfold. "You have nowhere to go, Zero." Alistair says, panting. He sees Zero panting, as he faces him.
"It is you who has nowhere to go." Allison says.
"Enough games!" Alistair shouts as he tackles Allison, and pins her to the floor. Lelouch and the others enter the room, and when they see Allison pinned, Lelouch and C.C. split away from the group. Lelouch then snaps his fingers, and a red glow encompasses him. Alistair sees the room light up for just a moment and look over his shoulder and sees three Zeros behind him. "So that is your geass. You are a duplicator." Alistair says, and starts to laugh. He then removes the pinned Zero's mask, and is shocked to see his own face.
"Don't you understand, Alistair, Zero is more than just a single person." Allison says.
"Zero is an idea." Connor says.
"He is no one." Cyrus says.
"As well as everyone." Morgan says. Suzaku, after hearing this, is touched, and smiles.
"There is only one Zero, and none of you are Zero!" Alistair says.
"We are all Zero." All four of them say at the same time. Alistair, hearing this, is shocked and lets go of Allison.
"Impossible! I will not tolerate your lies!" Alistair says.
"Yet you know we are telling the truth." Cyrus says. He, Morgan, and Connor remove their masks.
"You set me up!" Alistair says. He then looks back at the Zero on the floor, and sees Allison looking back at him. "Why would you turn against the Order. M.M. gave us home, he gave us family, and he gave us power." Alistair says.
"Your director does not care for you, or your safety." Lelouch says, as he and C.C. emerge from their cover.
"No, you're lying!" Alistair says.
"Am I? You can't tell if either of us is lying" Lelouch says. "Besides, do you know why people lie?" Lelouch says, with C.C. moving her hands, as if she were speaking.
"People lie to hide the truth! Lies are what separates us. It's the truth that brings us close." Alistair answers.
"You are wrong. We lie to protect others from the truth." Lelouch says. "It is the truth that can separate people. The truth is a scary reality, and that is why we lie." Lelouch says, as C.C. emotes.
"You seem so sure of yourselves, yet you hide behind a mask. The world needs to know who you are, both of you." Alistair says.
"If everyone knows who we are, they will not believe that we are really Zero." Lelouch says. "For as they said, Zero is an idea, he is no one and everyone." Lelouch says, with C.C. emoting.
"Why is it that you are not lying? But you aren't telling the truth either." Alistair says.
"That's because they are the last ones." Allison says, getting up.
"What do you mean, 'last ones'?" Alistair asks.
"They are the last coded alive." Cyrus says.
"That means… No, we've disproved it. She cannot be Zero. Allison you said it yourself, the real Zero arrived at the embassy when C.C. caught you." Alistair says.
"I did. But I didn't mention who was with them." She replies.
"You lied to me, and I never detected it." Alistair says.
"I was told to leave out certain bits of information. So, no, I did not lie to you." She replies.
"Who told you to do this?" Alistair asks.
"Zero, of course." She says indicating both Zeros, who remove their masks. Alistair turns and faces Lelouch and C.C.
Alistair then falls to his knees, and puts his hands to his eyes. "This is not supposed to happen. This was to be an easy task, and both of you made it so much more difficult. Zero is not here, is he?" Alistair says, on the verge of tears.
"I think he has had enough." Zero says as he approaches Alistair. Alistair looks up and sees Zero approaching him.
"You're not another falsifier, now, are you?" He asks.
"I might be, I might not be. It all depends on how you want to view it." Zero says. "I am Zero, yet I am not the original." He says, removing his mask.
"What they said was true." Alistair says, as he sees nothing revealed behind the mask.
"Yes, and I'm thankful for those words. We want to stop M.M. from destroying the world. He does not care for your well being, because he sent you here, to one of the sights of ground zero. When they return, all of us might be caught in parts of the past." Zero says, putting his mask back on.
"M.M. wants to create the perfect world. He didn't tell us what he intends to do after this mission, but if it's as you say, I'd rather die." Alistair says.
"Alistair! If you leave the Order, the whole world opens up for you." Cyrus says.
"You probably lied when you said all of that. Cyrus a general, Allison a spy, and Morgan an expert pilot." Alistair says to Lelouch.
"What I said was true. They have the potential, and leaving the Order will give them that." Lelouch replies. Cyrus, Morgan, and Allison are all surprised to hear this. "What I want to know is what M.M. plans to do when he arrives in Japan?" Lelouch asks.
"He, and most of the order aren't arriving to the main island of Japan. He intends to rebuild the thought elevator on Kamine Island." Alistair replies.
"The only reason he would want to rebuild the thought elevator would be…" Lelouch starts.
"To launch an invasion to kill Zero, if the FLEIJA returning does not work." C.C. says.
"Then we destroy the thought elevator and prevent his war from happening. Alistair, are you willing to help us save the world from M.M.?" Zero asks.
"The world opens up if I leave the Order." Alistair says. "M.M. has destroyed my life with geass. I don't want him to do it to anyone else. I will help you stop him." Alistair replies.
"Good. Now we need to get to Kamine Island." Lelouch says.