"What do you want?" Alejandro asked them, the question that was on everyone's minds. "You are the bandits that robbed the church in San Diego, yes?"

"Ah, our reputation precedes us," Scarface nodded. " Si , that we did. And now, we are looking for a place to hide, and a way out of California."

"You'll find neither of those here," Alejandro told him.

Diego silently applauded his father, and then winced as Scarface's partner backhanded him. It was expected, but it infuriated him that he could do nothing to protect his father. He tested the rope around his wrists again. There was a little give, but not much. It was better. Given time, he could maybe work it loose, or…

He glanced at the silver set on the table. There had been a knife with that set…he wondered where it had gone to. The other option was the silver letter opener on the credenza.

Diego glanced over at Bernardo, seated closest to his position. He turned ever so slightly, revealing his bound hands, and made a slashing motion with his index finger.

Bernardo nodded in understanding. With his left hand, he made three strokes with his finger, and gave Diego a questioning look.

Diego's shoulders sagged. There was no way to get one of these men alone, dispose of him, and retrieve his Zorro costume.

These men are dangerous. I would not dare to leave them alone with Bernardo or my father for even a moment. Men who rob a house of God and fire shots blindly do not have a moral code.

He looked at his father, who was staring defiantly at Scarface as he went on about holding them for ransom or some other idiot scheme.

I became Zorro to protect the people. I hid the truth from my father for his safety. Tonight, I may have to expose Zorro for who he is to ensure his safety.

He closed his eyes, made his decision, and opened them again. Carefully, eyes on the banditos as they surveyed the items in the cabinet, Diego sidestepped over to the credenza. He glanced at his father. Alejandro worked his jaw. The blow had hurt, Diego could tell, but his father was doing his best to hide it from them. They will not touch him again .

He pressed his back to the credenza, hands fumbling behind him for the letter opener.

"This is pure silver, is it not?" Scarface's partner questioned, as he pulled out a mustang figurine. "Perhaps you and your son are not worth so much, old man."

"That belonged to my father," Alejandro said. "I hope you drop it on your boot."

Scarface chuckled. "I think we should take a look around, see what other treasures we can find."

"Hey!"

Diego froze as Scarface's partner stepped over to him, the barrel of his pistol shoved into his chest. "I don't like you, compadre ," he hissed at him.

"Leave him be," Alejandro ordered. "His hands are bound and he is gagged, he can do nothing to you. He thinks his greatest weapon is a book."

Diego faltered, just a little, at his father's words. Whether he truly meant them, or it was a scare tactic, they stung deeply. He swallowed, waiting on the bandit's next move. The bandito stared at him silently. Then, he lunged at him, sending Diego falling backward against the credenza. He landed hard on his hip on the floor.

The bandito laughed at him, pleased he'd frightened him. Then, he stepped away, still chuckling. Alejandro glared at him. Bernardo leaned forward as far as he could, trying to see Diego on the floor.

Diego got to a sitting position…the silver letter opener clasped between his fingers. He looked at Bernardo, offered him a smile with his eyes, and began sawing at the rope surreptitiously.

"I do not know what idea I like better," Scarface mused. "On the one hand, this old ranchero and his son might be worth some ransom. On the other, there are a thousand things in the house we could liberate."

"Why not both?" his partner countered. "We send a letter to the comandante of Los Angeles that we are holding these two and will release them for…what, twenty thousand pesos apiece?"

How flattering to know Diego de la Vega is worth more than El Zorro, Diego grinned to himself. His good humor was returning now that he had regained an advantage. He could already feel some give in his hands. The adrenaline of the upcoming fight was slowly overtaking the nervousness he was feeling at revealing to his father he wasn't the fop Alejandro believed him to be.

"Well then," Scarface said. "Let's find a pen and paper."

Diego nearly dropped the letter opener as the ropes gave way. He stayed perfectly still, waiting for Scarface's compadre to move closer.

The man walked to the credenza. Diego gave him a murderous stare, as if he was still sore from the scare he'd been given. He was sore, his side was killing him, so it wasn't a stretch. Then, he lunged forward, grabbing the man around the knees and bringing him down to the ground. The man's head caught on the side of the table, and he went down hard. Diego drove an elbow into the man's stomach, and he curled into himself. A boot to the base of his neck, and the man went still.

"Diego?" Alejandro gasped in shock as his son stood, untying the gag from his mouth and tossing it aside, looking for an opening to go after Scarface.

" Si, father," Diego answered. "Apologies for the late hour, I'm sorry to have kept us up so late. This will be over shortly."

Bernardo grinned at him.

"Do you think I won't shoot you?" Scarface threatened. "You may have taken Juan by surprise, but I still have the upper hand."

Diego struck like a diamondback, pulling the letter opener from his banda and tossing it end-over-end at Scarface. The tool cracked his pistol and he dropped it with a yelp. Diego leapt over the table inbetween his father and Bernardo, who were looking at him in confusion and awe. Diego sprinted to the fireplace and pulled down his father's rapier, a long-forgotten relic of Alejandro's time at school.

Scarface reached for his pistol. Diego lashed out with the rapier, sticking the point dead center of the man's chest. "It will be the last thing you do," he promised. "I do not take lightly to strangers in our home. It is my pleasure to drive them out with prejudice." He looked at his father, decision made. He slashed three times, ripping a Z into Scarface's shirt.

Scarface's eyes grew round. " Zorro ?" he breathed.

"Zorro?!" Alejandro's jaw dropped. He looked at Diego. " You?"

Diego nodded. "I'm afraid so," he told him quietly. The point of the rapier still in Scarface's chest, he reached over with his other hand and untied one of Bernardo's wrists. Bernardo went to work on his other hand, and then got up to free Alejandro. His wrists free, Alejandro didn't move, still staring at his son.

Diego returned his attention to Scarface. "And so you have met the infamous Zorro face to face," he told Scarface. "This is unfortunate for you. I prefer to keep my identity secret. However," he continued. "There will be no bloodshed in this house tonight. And so understand this. Listen closely," he ordered him, giving the rapier a little pressure. Scarface sucked in a breath.

"If you breathe a word of my identity, or the events of this evening to anyone," Diego threatened, "You will not be so fortunate as to leave with my Z carved into your shirt. You may find it somewhere else…and a little deeper. Comprende?"

Scarface swallowed, and nodded. " Si ," he replied.

Diego nodded to Bernardo, who pushed Scarface to a sitting position and tied his hands behind his back. Once Scarface was secure, he moved to Juan, his partner.

Diego dropped the rapier point and turned to his father, offering him a hand. Alejandro took it, standing slowly. "All this time," he said. "All this time you have been…and I-"

"I did not want you to know," Diego cut in. "The moment I received your letter, Father, the ruse began. I played at being a studious man to protect you, to protect us. Zorro did the work I could not do in daylight."

Alejandro shook his head. "I do not know whether to be ashamed of my actions, or angry with you for putting yourself in harm's way." His eyes widened. " Dios mio, that night with Monastario…on the road."

Diego nodded. "You have no idea how much I wanted to let you take off my mask," he confessed. "I wanted to be the son you called home from Spain, not the disappointment."

Alejandro looked at him, and pulled him into a fierce hug. "My son," he whispered into his shoulder, "I have never been prouder ."

"Because I am Zorro ?" Diego had to ask.

"No. Because you are you ."

Bernardo watched the exchange with a smile. Then, he stepped up to Diego and motioned with his hands to the two banditos on the floor. He mimed opening a door, locking it, and throwing away the key.

Diego laughed. "Yes, Bernardo. Locking them up and throwing away the key sounds like an excellent plan. Let them sit in the dark for awhile, and ponder their fate."

"Wait a moment!" Alejandro interjected. The two other men looked at him. He motioned between them. "Bernardo…?" he questioned.

Bernardo nodded emphatically, and Diego laughed. "There is much to tell you, Father," he told him. "But I think it can wait until morning."

Fin.