Sorry for the wait as always! It's been hectic, returning to school (even for only one course). And all the usual drama life can throw at you.

Anyway, this is more build-up. Tedious, but necessary.

Oh, and I made a mistake with Kallen being Lelouch's Knight of Zero, she should have been COMMANDER of his squadron. The knight thing is reserved for Lelouch and Suzaku.

Anyway, enjoy!

After a wonderful shower (well, the shower was wonderful by definition of being a shower), Kallen stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a blue tank top and black shorts. CC also had a grey tank top, and only had grey panties on. Kallen, however, only took notice of the pizza. She hadn't eaten anything other than spam in a while. Without asking, she took a slice for herself and chowed down. "Better?" CC asked.

Kallen quickly swallowed. "I guess you could say that." Kallen eyed her pistol on the desk.

"If you wish to shoot me, go ahead." CC said. "You'll be wasting your bullets on something that can't die."

"So, you ARE immortal?" Kallen asked incredulously. "I'm sorry, but I've had it up to here with the unbelievable. That claim…"

CC reached for the gun, and pointed it to her own head. Before Kallen could react, the green girl pulled the trigger. Kallen could barely contain her scream, the blood spattering the wall and chunks littered the floor. After a minute of panicking inside, Kallen saw CC's skull begin to reform. Her eyes shot open, and she managed to sit up. "It has been said, seeing is believing, right?"

Kallen could only stare agape. "H…How-?" Kallen could no longer speak; she covered her mouth, as the slice she just ate was making its way back up. The next second she was back in the bathroom.

"Better?" CC asked.

"I think under control is a better way to put it." Kallen sighed, downing a glass of water with tablets of medication dissolving in it.

"I thought you would be used to a little gore." CC said.

"And I'm not used to people offing themselves only to put themselves back together."

"Good point." CC acknowledged, eating another slice like nothing was wrong.

"So, when you're…incapacitated…" Kallen gestured, unsure of the words. "…you just come back to life? Just like that?"

"Depends." CC said. "Most of the time, I'm caught off guard. It usually takes hours, even days. I was prepared that time; I was able to consciously regrow my skull." Seeing Kallen stunned silent, she sighed. "Right now, my immortality isn't important. Lelouch is."

Kallen flinched; a part of her was so fascinated by what she had discovered, she almost didn't want to talk about it. "I saw his eye." She said. "It was like a crimson sigil."

"The Geass." CC answered. "The power I gave him."

Kallen shook her head. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Geass is an ancient spell, able to unlock hidden powers within the human mind. One could call it something akin to a code you would use on a computer." Kallen remained silent, but her gaze indicated she was listening closely. "I'm not the only individual who carries the code. And each Geass, like DNA, is unique. If I were to describe his power, I would call it 'Absolute Obedience.'"

"Absolute…obedience." Kallen's eyes widened in horror. Zero's miracles, they were all planned! That was how he got Jeremiah to give up Suzaku! And he must have meticulously ensnared several other individuals to make their fights possible! Which meant all the progress they made was not because of their abilities! It was because the masked man they trusted was playing a game of puppets. And strings or not, a puppet was still a puppet. Kallen held her forehead, the shock coming to her. "I'm a fool…" she croaked. "We were all fools…"

CC just sat in place, staring. It was like a patient parent waiting for a young child to finish their tantrum. Kallen then looked at CC, angry. She then reached for the pistol, aiming it at the immortal. "That won't kill me. We just established that."

"Careful." Kallen growled. "It may not kill you, but I might shoot you anyway. Just to feel better. And I'll aim for places that will make you wish I could."

CC sighed. "What specifically do you want to know?"

"You said Lelouch has the power of Absolute Obedience!" She shouted. "Tell me; did he use it on me?!"

"Yes, with this revelation I can't blame you for thinking that." CC sighed. She threw her Cheese-kun to the side as she leaned back on the pillow. "Honestly, I don't know. He may have; but it is clearly not active now."

"Active? Can't he just have me obey him however he wishes?!"

"In theory, yes, but only if that was the specific command he gave you, and that is clearly not the case. If it was, you wouldn't be questioning it. It is possible he commanded something of you, but either you have already fulfilled that one command, or it hasn't been triggered yet. His Geass is terrifying, but it does not make him all powerful." Kallen trembled, and slightly lowered the gun. "As his confidant, though, I must say: I feel insulted. As Zero, Lelouch was indeed a manipulator. But he was not an enslaver."

Kallen sat back on the bed. "Then, he should have been able to stop the SAZ massacre. So, the only rational explanation…"

"It was an accident." CC cut her off, knowing she reached the correct conclusion. "Lelouch did want to cause chaos, but he would never purposely sacrifice innocents, even for certain victory. And he never wanted Euphemia to die, much less become a monster."

"And why is that?!" Kallen spat. "Even if it was an accident, he should have accounted for such a thing, if he knew his power so well!" She suddenly banged her fist against the wall, leaving a large crack in it. The two just stared at one another. "There's even more to Lelouch than you're telling me." She whispered in realization.

"And how do you figure this?"

"He never was just a Britannian student, was he? The Lelouch Lamperouge I thought I knew had no reason to fight against a system that benefits him! Even if he felt pity for the Japanese, a teenager leading a rebellion and successfully making fools out of the empire?! No, a teenage boy would use such a power to break all the rules for his own personal pleasure!"

CC, surprisingly, smirked. "True. To be honest, that was a worry of mine when I gave him the power. Geass doesn't work on a code bearer, but if he used it to make his life easier, I would have never made contact with him. And if he used it on women the way the Clerisy in what is currently Area 18 do, I would have proudly shot him dead." She then thought back to Mao. "Wouldn't be the first time I had to put down a Geass user I created."

"Quit dodging my questions!" Kallen cut her off.

CC sighed. "You knew the mask of Zero. You knew the face as Lelouch Lamperouge. Yet both are merely aliases. His true name…is Lelouch Vi Britannia."

Kallen couldn't imagine being able to endure more surprises tonight, yet CC dropped a bomb that could have leveled the entire island of Japan. "Lelouch is…royalty?" She whispered.

"Indeed. And so is Nunally."

Kallen leaned down into her lap, grabbing her head. This was proving to be too much for her. Not only were the Black Knights duped, they were pawns in a game of politics with their greatest enemy! CC sighed. "I'm sorry. I have forgotten at times my apathy can do as much harm as any geass." She got up from the bed, and quickly put on a pair of jeans, followed by a dark blue hoodie. "I need to go pick up some cleaning supplies; I don't wish to be charged extra for the clean up here, and if the manager finds the blood, it will be more trouble for us." She then tossed Kallen the Do Not Disturb sign. "I'll give you time to process all this."

CC exited, leaving Kallen alone in her chaotic thoughts.

Kallen snapped back to the present. "That…that was a rough time."

CC nodded. "I turned your worldview upside down. But at least you could see that was the truth in the end. Lelouch, on the other hand, is STILL having his world turned upside down. He has finally found a piece of himself, but it is only going to get worse for him from here. Imagine you have accepted a difficult truth, and just when you get used to it, you are smacked with another." CC sighed, brushing her hair before looking at Kallen directly in the eyes. "And you need to think about how to you will proceed from here, too." CC walked away. "You can either be his soldier or his friend. But I fear both will be impossible for you at this moment." CC waved her hand. "Make a decision soon, Kallen."

Kallen sighed, looking down at the floor.

Lelouch went to typing on his laptop. Ever since he settled into his role as Zero, he kept something of a digital diary. He had some computer science skills, and kept it encrypted. No doubt someone like Rakshata could break through it, but for now he assumed it was safe.

"I have unlocked new memories. I met the emperor as a child, speaking on behalf of a mother and child I don't know, addressing him as Father. I still know nothing of the Viceroy Nunally, yet I now know we are linked." Lelouch paused as he gnawed on his finger. "And in that memory, I felt the rage. The rage of someone protecting someone they held dear. For me, that person used to be Rolo. I still love him, even though I have accepted that he is and always was my enemy." Lelouch paused again, bringing his fingers together. "Mostly, anyway." He amended that last sentence. "In spite of the turns my path as Zero has taken me, I felt I had finally found a clear path forward. Now, I'm not so sure. It would be easy for me to somehow manipulate the Black Knights into following me into battle so I may meet with Nunually Vi Britannia, but I cannot. Even if the army are my pawns, they are still human beings. What little conscience I may have will not let me risk human lives for a purely personal cause." Lelouch let out a chuckle before typing again. "Well, I suppose this mission of mine was personal to begin with. But even so, there is still a greater cause to be had in it. I suppose, at least for now, I will have to be patient."

Lelouch thought back to Suzaku. He remembered the times they ran across the fields, avoiding the armies. How he helped his brother…

Lelouch's eyes widened. He remembered Rolo never opening his eyes, and he would always be either on his or Suzaku's back. "Why would Rolo ever need help like that?" He quickly went on the web; Rakshata made safety devices for web surfing that could not be tracked. Incognito, she called it. He quickly pulled up a picture of the Viceroy of Area 11, Nunally. She had her eyes closed, and was bound to a wheel chair. She was lucky to be born a princess; Britannia was an unforgiving nation to the disabled. "The exact same ailments as I remember Rolo having."

How did Rolo recover again? He drew a blank. "If my memories are false, they counted on me not trying too hard to remember. In fact, back in Ashford the last year, I hardly gave my past a thought." Lelouch sighed.

He stood, facing the bookshelves. "I'm certain I knew most of my friends before. But their memories were altered too." He squeezed his fist, thinking of the Emperor's face. Before, he viewed that face as an authority he had no attachment too. Now, it was becoming a face he loathed. Both because of the new memory, and what had transpired the past few months. "So your majesty…" he hissed. "What else are you hiding from me?"

A single tear dropped from his eye. "And why did Shirley have to die?"

"And you have nothing on these traitors?" Suzaku asked.

"I'm afraid not." Kanon replied on the screen. As expected, Schneizel was in the middle of something, Kanon taking all calls in his place. "I assure you, it is a top priority for His Highness."

"I am sure it is." Suzaku replied. "And I understand His Majesty, in the end, is only human. But we cannot have a rogue faction within the realm."

"Indeed." Kanon agreed. "It is quite curious-"

"It's dangerous." Suzaku said. "The longer this goes on, the more dangerous they will become."

"I assure you, we are doing everything we can." Kanon replied. "Perhaps…you have a lead?"

Suzaku paused a moment. "Just an idea of where else to look." As he reached for the off button, Suzaku said "If you have nothing else for me, I need to make another call."

"God speed on your investigation, good sir."

Suzaku hung up.

Kanon hung up communications and turned to face Schniezel at his desk. "He seems quite determined to speak to you."

"Noted." Schneizel acknowledged, not taking his eye off his paperwork.

"Do you truly have no idea who the conspirators were?"

"Actually, I am beginning to have a rather good idea of who they are." The Prince said.

Kanon blinked in surprise. "Then why-"

"I know some things, but there is little I can do at present." Schneizel said.

"Just who are they?" His adviser asked in a whisper. It was not like his master to openly admit to having no course pf action.

"Do you remember the temple we found on Kamene Island?"

"Yes."

"We have found at least two other similar temples." Schneizel explained. "One in Ireland. Another down in South Britannia, in the rain forest."

"Between those and Area 11, those are completely different locations!" Kanon exclaimed. "They can't be from the same people!"

"But they are. Their hieroglyphics match." Schniezel handed him the photos, confirming his statement. "It seems to be part of an ancient and worldwide cult. Since they are not mentioned by historians, I have reason to believe they may have been pulling the strings on human history since their formation."

"And your father knows nothing of this?"

"On the contrary…I suspect he is part of this." Schneizel brought his fingers together.

"I would never betray you, your highness. But I must warn you, if you let this slip to the wrong people, you will risk losing everything." The servant warned his master.

"And that is why I'm telling you." Schniezel smiled genuinely. He rose from his desk to walk past him. "As I said, there is nothing I can do at this moment. But I intend to eye the situation until it proves to be more…favorable."

"Mayhap we should bring Suzaku into the fold?"

"That's just it, Kanon." Schniezel rubbed his chin. "I believe Suzaku knows more than he lets on about our new enemy."

At that same moment, Suzaku dialed into another line. The broad face of a dark-skinned man appeared, his left eye sealed shut with piercings. The Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein, and guard of the emperor himself. "Sir Kuurugi." He acknowledged. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I must speak with His Highness." Suzaku stated plainly.

"His highness does not wish to be disturbed." He said almost defensively. He probably said this on the regular for every call the emperor recieved. "At the earliest convenience, I will inform His Majesty of your call-"

"I did not call as a request." Suzaku cut him off. "I called to let you know I am coming. I've already informed the squad of my temporary absence. I should be back in Pendragon in roughly 24 hours."

Before Bismarck could protest, Suzaku hung up and turned away from the chair, marching towards his aircraft.

Shaurya sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. He was aware he was doing this for a while, maybe even hours. He couldn't sleep, and he didn't have the heart to go out and meet the others; just wasn't a good time to socialize. Though he was invited in, it felt he may as well have been in a prison. He was then distracted by a light tap on his door. Turning his head, he saw Fadah leaning against the door frame, smirking. "Oh, you." He said.

"How are you holding up?"

"Take a guess."

Fadah frowned. "You still have your life. You should cherish that much, at least."

"I suppose you didn't have family to say goodbye to, did you?" Shaurya sneered. "Father and I were fighting a lot before you and your merry lot came here. I worked hard to make him proud, even though often it felt like it would never be enough. As I got closer, I was worried. As he developed weapons, I feared his actions would ultimately endanger us."

"And if he succeeded?" Fadah asked.

"I feared what father would ultimately become if he won." Shaurya sighed. Finally, he sat up. "I feel I should be relieved, not having these questions answered. Yet, the feeling of never knowing is bothering me even more."

Fadah walked in. Shaurya had seen enough of her and heard things about her reputation around here. He half expected her to lean into him, if not outright straddle him. Even more to his surprise, she seemed completely serious. "There are things about my father I wish I could find out." She said. "The one I feared the most…was how he would react to my sexuality."

"We weren't very good on that subject back in India either." Shaurya said in sympathy. "You feared he would reject you? Maybe even…"

"He wouldn't go THAT far." Fadah interrupted him. "He was quite open-minded for home, but I'm not sure he was quite that enlightened." Fadah flexed her fingers. "To be honest, under ideal circumstances, it wouldn't have been that big a deal. I could have easily picked a husband for myself and be done with it. But I guess I wasn't ready to find out for sure what I wanted…or needed. And I feared my father would ultimately not understand."

"And to this day, you never told him?"

"He died." Fadah said simply. "He secretly helped the rebels. And the Britannians found out."

Shaurya breathed as he leaned against the wall. "This almost feels like the empire is doing us favors."

"That's one way of looking at it, I suppose." Fadah shrugged. "The way I look at it: Britannia seeks to control the destiny of all humanity. Everyone may have to make difficult decisions, go through tragedies of our own making, even outright choose wrong. But whatever we choose to do with our lives, it ultimately reveals to us who we truly are. And that is something the Emperor does not want to happen." Fadah turned. "And I will never forgive them for taking that away from me, for better or for worse." Turning, she gave him a sad smile. "I just wanted to say that." She finally walked to leave.

When she reached the door, Shaurya called out "Hey!" Fadah stopped to look back. "I'm sorry." He said. "I misjudged you."

Fadah gave a sincere smile. "No worries. Happens all the time." As she exited, she waved back. "A curveball of my own making!"

Lelouch sat alone, staring into the dark. Not even when he heard his door swish open, did he react. CC walked forward, not bothering to switch on the lights. He didn't speak until CC took a seat next to him. "I don't suppose you have anything new to tell me?" Lelouch asked. "Because I don't."

CC didn't look towards him. There was no point in the dark. "I've been around for a very long time."

"I know." Lelouch sighed. "With what you survived that doesn't surprise me. So, how old are you exactly? A hundred? Thousand? Or perhaps you're from the dawn of time?"

"Now now. I may be old, but I am not a contradiction of human evolution," CC said, surprised she managed a smirk. "You know, after the shock of receiving immortality, I was quite excited. I didn't enjoy the act of defying being killed…being burned at the stake was the worst. But to live forever and enjoy all of life's pleasures…that was something." He didn't see it, but CC was smiling, only for it to fade. "I also acquired many skills. I faintly remember being a slave, doing the dirty work of my master. After that, I learned to be a baker. I wrote. I worked in carpentry. I even fought as a soldier."

"Sounds like a full and satisfying life."

"It isn't." CC said. "The longer it goes on, the more you forget. You get bored, and want to try something new. As time goes on, you look back on what you used to do. But reaching for those memories is like crumpled up photographs. They may tell you what happened…but the image of it can never be perfect again."

"What do you wish you could remember clearly?" Lelouch asked.

CC seemed to hesitate. "I had a family once."

Lelouch blinked in shock. "You…you were married?!"

"It was a century and a half after I had discarded my mortality." CC said. "I had managed to save money for my own cafe." He didn't see in the dark, but she began smiling again. "His name was Alonso. A slight man with hair like wheat. After knowing many men from years past, and seeing their bravado and pitfalls, he interested me for some reason. I had partners before, but he was the first I truly loved."

"Did he know? That you were immortal?"

"No. No, he did not. Not until it was so obvious that there was no other explanation." CC nodded. "I did love him, but I thought nothing of how hurting him was inevitable. We had two children, and were happy together for a long time. For a decade or two, we were able to write my appearance off as good genes. But when your children grow older than you…" Lelouch heard something. It was faint, like a whimper.

Lelouch had his suspicions, but at this moment, he needed confirmation. He turned a dial near the desk, illuminating the room. He saw CC clearly, and the tears dropping from her eyes. Lelouch sighed. "Sorry." He said. "What were their names?"

"We had a son and daughter." CC said. "Clint and Natalia."

"What became of them?"

CC took a moment to dab her eyes. "The children started families of their own; they were not as accepting of my immortality as Alonso. We gave them distance, so that they may lead normal lives. I stayed by Alonso's side the best I could. But it was hard to watch him wither away while I stayed eternally young. I always feared death, and felt my eternal life was a blessing. But when he finally left this world, and having to watch my children die of old age…I realized I was cursed."

Lelouch's eyes widened in realization. "You said we had a contract. You gave me this Geass to begin with…" He rubbed his eye. "The Geass is merely a vehicle to transfer your code to others, isn't it?"

CC turned sharply with surprised eyes. Her look softened, like a mother realizing she couldn't keep the truth from her child much longer. "That is correct." She said. "It is not that simple though. Specific conditions must be net. Besides…you were not the first one I made a contract with." She gave a sad smile. She was tempted to tell him about Mao, but decided against it. Turning to face Lelouch, she stood. "I admit, when we first formed the contract, I was using you."

"What changed?"

CC sighed. "Nothing. Rather, you changed me." Lelouch's eyes widened. "Back then, I didn't care for the politics of this world. I've seen regimes come and go. I went along with it, making sure you would use your Geass as much as possible."

"To pass on your code?"

"Yes, but not just that. I…I have a history with an organization. They're linked to the empire…and I was preparing you for that."

Lelouch nodded. "And now? Where do we stand?"

CC smiled slightly. "You're not the Lelouch I knew. Not yet."

"Maybe I could if you told me everything."

CC looked at him…she began to reach for his hand, but pulled back. "No. I'm sorry." In the brief time he knew her, CC NEVER apologized for anything. This must have been serious. "You have to rediscover the old you for yourself." CC walked off. "If you recover those memories…I fear they will be traumatic. But you either have to remember them for yourself, or not at all. I could tell you, you cam LEARN what happened, but you will never understand the memories or yourself if I do." CC stopped at the door, her hand on the sill of the door. "Good luck to you…Zero."

She walked out, and the door swished closed.

In the homeland, a limousine drove up a nice driveway towards a mansion. The sole occupant of the coach sat in silence as the gathered this thoughts. Finally, the car stopped. He sighed; long drives were peaceful, meditative almost. But, he remembered he was here for a purpose. A purpose that may revolutionize not only the homeland, but perhaps the world. All he had to lose, was his status, his family…and if things went really wrong, his life.

In fact, even if he succeeded, he still risked losing everything.

"We're here, sir." The driver announced as he opened the door.

"Have the others arrived?" He said.

"Yes sir. They are awaiting you…Master Weinberg."

Benjamin's door opened, and he stepped out. Though the mansion was his, he could not recall when last he stepped foot inside it. He was off pursuing other things, and left it in the care of servants. "When he is off duty, perhaps you would invite Master Gino to these meetings?" The driver asked.

Benjamin opened a pocket watch, showing a photo of him and a young 12 year old Gino by his side. The boy once looked up to him, even when he could not imagine why. "No." Benjamin said, closing it and putting it back in his coat. "These trivial discussions would be of little interest to Gino." That was partially true. "I should be ready to retire by 9 tonight. Please come to get me then."

"Have a good day, sir." The chauffeur said.

Benjamin helped himself out as the limo drove out. The mansion was large, and his footsteps echoed as he made his way in. He finally made it to the living room, but he wasn't alone.

Seated in a large table, eleven other individuals were seated, one more left for him. At a glance, one would think this was meant to symbolize the Twelve Knights of the Round Table. Benjamin smirked at that. Rather, if they committed to this, they would be the very Antithesis of the Knights of the Round, both the ones of legend and the ones of today. "You have all responded to my summons." Benjamin said. "We may already be off to a good start. That is very encouraging. Thank you." Benjamin took his seat.

"We all want the same as you, Sir Weinberg. But this is very risky. If word get out…"

"I imagine it eventually will, which means we will have to act fast. Not too hasty, but this is not a chess match that we can take our time with." Benjamin adjusted his tie. "After all, toppling an empire from within is more dangerous than starting a rebellion from the outside."

Not much with this part, but I figured this would be a good opportunity to give my take on Kallen and CC's reunion, plus how she learned EVERYTHING about Lelouch.

Also, Suzaku is about to get closer to the heart of Geass. How will this affect his character going forward? And Schniezel, for that matter?

And the empire has an enemy from within now.

Now, with how things are going in the industry, some novels/manga might explain these points. However, the only reason any of you know this is because of supplementary material.

IT'S NOT IN THE ANIME!

Don't worry, I'm not going off on a Linkara rip-off rant, but point is if I didn't see it in the anime, whatever supplementary material that does address it is irrelevant in my mind. Sorry.