Interlude 16: An Unexpected Reunion

(A/N: Co-written with omgitsTabi.)

Black Knights HQ

Zero was seated in an ornate high backed chair, with CC reclining half on his lap and half on the armrest. In front of him, several feet away, was a great screen set into the wall of his office. It had just finished synchronizing with a connection across the world.

"Let's begin, shall we? Onscreen."

With a flourish, he flexed a hand imperiously towards a wide screen and the screen changes. A young man with golden eyes, tanned skin, wearing a middle eastern headwrap appeared. The young man, almost still a boy really, blinked and smiled beautifically at him. "Greetings Zero, I represent the alliance of Resistance Groups within the Middle East."

"Hmm, are you the infamous Kane then?" Underneath his mask, Lelouch narrowed his eyes, but acknowledged this 'representative. "My organization did some digging, and we found out enough to be concerned about your group."

The young man shook his head slightly, his lips twitching slightly. "Only in a manner of speaking. For the purposes of this meeting, you may refer to me as… LL. You speak of the group known as the 'Brotherhood of Nod'?"

"A group which appears to mine eye, as something of a doomsday cult."

The representative seems amused by the insinuation, but he waved it away. "Perhaps in the most extreme sense, you might be correct. In reality, they are a secret society who claim to study the mysticisms surrounding human history. They are part theological order and a group dedicated to the sciences. The middle east has long since been their domain."

CC scoffed atop her perch of Zero's throne, crossing her arms and leveling a pointed stare at him. "Some of the worst depravities in history were conducted in the name of theology and science. That explanation is not reassuring."

"If you can specify what you believe to be is concerning, I believe I can assuage your fears."

"I want to know where you stand on the human condition." Said Zero imperiously, fingers laced together in front of him. "And what should be done to elevate it."

This seems to amuse the young man even further, but he seemed to be willing to humor him. Touching his chin, LL plays at thinking about his answer. "Where I stand? I have no particular opinions on the human condition. But Nod does not seek to attempt anything outrageous... like… I don't know, uniting all of humanity into some gestalt consciousness to turn it into a god-like entity?"

CC's face twitched in response to the man's explanation.

LL chuckled, "That does sound like a science fiction plot, if anything, doesn't it?"

Zero tapped his fingers on the armrest, face twisting into an expression of suspicion behind his mask, "Now where would you get an idea like that, I wonder?"

"I am a fan of Japanese anime, you see. And Hideaki Anno released the script notes on one of his discarded science fiction transcripts before his studio shut down." The representative replies with an embarrassed grin.

"Ah yes, the Evangelion project. I heard a studio managed to get ahold of that script and was going to finish it." He relaxed, chiding himself lightly for jumping to conclusions, for what the Emperor intended wasn't dissimilar to the plot of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

"I am glad to hear this."

Zero allowed himself to chuckle appreciatively. "I'll say this about we Britannians, we do have a certain taste for anime."

That got a genuine bark of laughter from LL, one mixed with rare appreciation and sincerity. "That is one of the redeeming qualities of your people. That and your taste in wines. But I fear we have gotten off track, Zero."

His laughter had faded, replaced with a tone of utmost seriousness. LL clasped his hands in front of him, mirroring Zero. "Nod is no doomsday cult, but is a order of theological sciences forced to take up arms by Britannia's encroachment on it's domain."

"And where do you stand on the subject of myself?" Asked Zero, voice curious. LL regarded the masked leader with a searching gaze before slowly replying.

"You... are unusual. Nothing at all that I would have expected. Far more meticulous than I expected, more ruthless than I had planned for…" LL fell silent for a few seconds as he tried to find words to express himself, an expression is discomfort flitting across his youthful features. "This path you've set yourself on… You will do great things. Terrible, but great... There have been much discussions regarding your identity, Zero… and many of those discussions are of little import, yet it sows chaos amongst enemy, friend, and potential allies."

CC tittered softly, grinning widely at the representative's uneasiness. "He enjoys the chaos he causes, but go on."

"Much of these discussion bear little fruit… But unlike most, I've some knowledge of Britannian royalty and their cutthroat politics. I have a theory on who you might be underneath that mask…"

"Whom do you suspect him to be?" Asked CC, her voice indulging. Zero shifted slightly beside her, interest piqued.

"There was a boy in the Imperial Family... a direct blood relation to the Emperor himself... They say he died... but... I do believe he had grown to become a man. A man seeking vengeance, you see."

Zero rolled his shoulder, as if to say 'so what?' with a tilt of his helmed face. "That...does not narrow down the list of suspects at all."

"So forgive me for claiming so boldly, that you…" LL declares with a dramatic air. "...are in fact the Emperor's brother, Vincent zi Britannia."

CC slowly blinks stunned by the announcement, then, as she processes the statement, starts laughing out loud in front of the young man's expression of absolute seriousness.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!" CC falls over into Zero's lap, reduced to tears and gripping her sides.

The expression on LL's face falls slightly and he to starts to chuckle, looking slightly embarrassed. "I admit, it was a longshot-

Zero joined CC's mirth, though with more restraint. "Was this information gleaned from your connection to the Ashfords and Miss Nadia-"

"-After all, you are too young to be your uncle, my Prince."

Zero froze. "Nani."

LL grinned, lips curved wide and indulgent, as if savoring a successful check on the chessboard. He leans back, hands once again clasped in front of him.

"Tell me, they say you're a frightfully intelligent man. So answer this:

"A seventeen year old young man by the name of Lelouch Lamperouge, whom would be living under the quiet patronage of the Ashford Academy with his fourteen year old disabled sister Nunnally Lamperouge? The surname of course is quite similar to that of a certain woman. What are the odds of that young man actually being of royal blood?"

Zero rubbed the front of his mask in a gesture of frustration, sighing.

"Ha! I told you that would come back to haunt you!" Exclaimed CC, giggling puriley.

"The answer of course, is that the odds are incredibly low." LL leaned forward, a lazy grin on his youthful face, with one extended hand as if to offer his conclusion to Zero through the screen. "Which leads me to conclude that, despite the answer being so improbable, it is not however impossible that you are in fact Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Royal Imperial Family. "

Zero was silent for almost a minute before he spoke. When he did, his voice was nothing but steel and cautious wariness. "Before I answer you, who are you?"

"I am your sister." Replied LL in deadpan, though his eyes glinted with amusement.

Zero's head tilts in confusion.

"You… don't have the right features," murmured CC, before concluding softly with understanding. "Unless this isn't your real face?"

"Lets jog your memory. I proclaimed, whilst inebriated, that I would marry you, Nunnally and Euphemia."

Zero jumps up to his feet, menacing presence filling the screen, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't like games being played with someone I don't know. So tell me straight out. Who. Are. You?"

LL cheerfully ignored his commanding tone to continue. "There were also a few choice things I said about conquering Jupiter, but I can't remember quite clearly."

That shook Zero's memory and the masked hero froze for the second time. "Wait…"

CC glanced at Zero with a raised eyebrow.

"I also managed to get up onto the chandelier. No idea how I managed that, by the way. Does that help you remember, or shall I continue?"

"...There is no fucking way you're her." Zero said flatly.

CC frowns, prodding Zero with an annoyed finger. "Care to enlighten me, Zero?"

"Wanna bet?" the androgynous man said challengingly.

Lighting up a joint and sucking on it through an induction port, Zero sighed with a great billowing white smoke cloud before shaking his head. "With my luck? Absolutely not. The dice of the universe despise me and would cause me to lose on principle."

"But back to the previous question before your little attempt at dodging."

LL affected a hurt expression, but did not deny it.

"We asked you specifically about the Ashfords and Zelenkov. Answer the question."

It was LL's turn to sigh, though it was with his eyes rolling and affecting an air of long suffering as he pulled off his headwear and a wig to reveal blond ponytails. "Oh very well. Nadia Zelenkov is head of OSI Euro-Britiannia, married to one former Knight of Two Michele Manfredi. She defected to Britannia under orders from Nod in order to commence a deep infiltration of Britannian intelligence."

CC interrupted, "With the Ashford conglomerate?"

"Indeed. Nadia Zelenkov, personal aide to former Premiere Stalin, became a double agent for Britannia, sending them valuable intelligence and establishing herself as their best chance at claiming a mostly intact country ripe for exploitation. The Ashfords got first dibs when she leaked critical information regarding the Iron Curtain Project to them directly. The engineers and scientists of that Project would have been essential to the Ashford's development to the Fourth Generation prototype Ilus KMF at the time."

"Manfredi," CC murmured softly, "I remember him. He was a good friend of the Flash."

LL starts pulling out her contacts one by one to reveal sapphire colored eyes. "Indeed, and he was the one who received her during her defection. She used her Geass to pass all inspections and was accepted into Britannia."

"I really hope you aren't planning on killing him. Such a thing would warrant an immediate crackdown and your people would be ousted." Noted CC.

LL slides his hand beneath his face, which bulged obscenely with his fingers and slowly peeled away, revealing a very different face beneath the mask, "Of course not, she's broken the cardinal rule of not falling in love with your target. Signing Manfredi's death warrant would result in crippling Nod's intelligence gathering capabilities.

"Frankly, Nod hoping they could challenge Britannia with them was a joke." Scoffed CC dismissively.

"You do them a disservice; the Soviet regime was initially used by Nod to prop up the EU to prevent them from being conquered outright by Britannia. At the time it was the perfect bulwark against Britannian aggression and they allowed the EU to match them conventionally. It worked for several decades until Auntie Flash crippled their infamous Arctic Squadron and key sections of their defensive formations in Operation Icebreaker."

"Against the likes of Charles zi Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia, they were as dust in the wind..." Zero's words trailed off as he grips his chair harder, focused on examining her revealing features.

"Ah, but at the time Soviet Russia could contend with Britannia... up till Emperor Charles took power and forced them to kneel by breaking their vaunted Iron Curtain." LL smiled widely as she gave Zero and CC a little wave. "But that's a moot point, isn't it, Lelouch? The fact is, I did not need Nod or Zelenkov to find out who Zero was. I'm just very good at my job."

"Oho! Now, you look like someone I seem to recall,"

She grinned at CC, winking at her. "Hello sister-in-law."

"She does… but… how…?" Zero removed his mask, his face ashen with shock and his eyes filling with tears. "Pixie…"

Laila blinked, her expression faltering as she was slightly taken aback by the sudden mood shift. "H-hey Lulu, don't cry…"

"...You… you're alive...?" Lelouch's tears streaming down his cheeks as he reached out towards her beseechingly. "Laila… I… I'm so sorry…"

" Of course I'm alive, it takes more than a few anthrax bombings to kill me! Hey, don't cry, you don't need to apologize-"

CC blinked, comprehension dawning on her face. "Laila… oh! Clovis' little sister. I wondered where she got off to."

"Yes. Yes I do." Lelouch insisted.

Laila waved her hands frantically. "No, no, no-"

Lelouch bowed his head. "Regardless of whether he deserved it or not? Clovis was your older brother. And as much I regretted the deed, I felt it needed to be done. But that does not mean you are obliged to forgive me for such."

"Ehhh, I stopped caring about Clovis awhile ago." Laila cringed, looking supremely uncomfortable. "Honestly, that guy… I could've done without the whole face thing. That was a bit over the top."

He shook his head ruefully. "Don't say that. He… lost himself after we supposedly died."

"That was all me," CC pointed out, before kissing Lelouch's cheek. "He gave me the right of first blood. I asked that he know what my torment felt like. And dear Lulu here obliged."

"Yeah, he stopped being my brother once he went off the deep end. And he went off the deep end quite a long time ago.

"Closed casket funeral and everything. But given what he was up to in some desperate attempt to impress the Emperor….."

"Sadly, you're somewhat mistaken. Clovis' research wasn't just to impress Charles." CC began, a vicious snarl appearing on her face. "It was VV's way of getting back at-"

Laila cut her off. "It was prompted by Vincent. I know."

The green haired immortal blinked, struck dumb for all of one second. "What? How do you know about-"

Laila shakes her head, lips pressed into a thin line. "Man, things really got out of hand after you left."

"...Laila, what are you talking about?" Said Lelouch in askance, confusion evident.

"I'm OSI. And I am damn good at my job." Laila stated simply in reply.

"That does not mean you should know about Vincent or my previous position." Noted CC pointedly.

"Granted, my job was not breaking into data vaults and reading all the dirty secrets within, but…"

CC stood up in a huff. "That information wouldn't have been in a vault! I purged all of my records!"

"Oh no, that stuff wasn't." The aforementioned Pixie agreed, nodding. "But the absence of it was a big hint."

CC blinked and then sighed. "Damnation."

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Laila reminded her.

CC swiped Lulu's joint, drawing on it and sending fresh clouds into the air as she grumbled. "I suppose Vincent left enough of a trail for me to be found out..."

Laila looked mildly pained. "It took me a couple of years, more paranoia than is absolutely healthy, and no, not for lack of trying though. He really doesn't like you."

CC chuckled joylessly. "Little girl, the only person he hates more than me was Marianne."

"Yeah, he is the literal definition of 'little boy syndrome.'" Laila continued, "Small, jealous, and made of piss and tantrums."

"That description certainly does fit him to a T." CC decided, thinking about it for a moment.

"So... where does this leave us?" Prompted Laila, shaking her hair free and meeting eyes with her half-brother.

"That, depends on NOD and their actual leadership. Since I assume that's not you." Said Lelouch before his voice turns soft. He touches the screen with one hand. "As for you personally though? Did you really think I wouldn't care what happens to you? The question of Nod is extraneous to you, Laila."

"No matter what happens, I will not abandon you. You'll always have a place with us." He smiles warmly as Laila meets the palm of his hand with her's.

"You were acting out of character. Showing far more ruthlessness and bloodthirstiness than I'd have thought possible. Can you blame me for being scared you may have given in to the rage and hatred?" Laila asked with concern in her voice and eyes. "And become a monster that would make the Emblem of Blood a little more than a slap on the wrist…"

"Oh that's an ongoing concern. And you're not the first one to say something about it." Said CC, seriously. "But believe me when I say that he's entirely self-aware of how destructive he is and is taking steps to leash himself."

"Laila, permit me to correct a misconception." Lelouch stood tall, flipping his cape dramatically. "I am, a monster. The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. And I intend to fulfill the Divine Ambition."

Laila drew back, her expression wary as she curled slightly into her herself.

"And to do that, I must commit great evils to destroy this world and recreate it." Lelouch bowed his head, almost regretfully. "For such is the only path that can create a gentler and better world."

"... I don't what is worse, that you make me want to grab a furry animal to hug and think happy thoughts" Laila concluded, "or how much cringe that made me wish I could properly express."

CC laughed gayly. "Oh merde, she's adorable."

Laila shrugged. "I call it what it is."

"You should know I intend to kill Charles and destroy his true ambition. A project of utter madness and obsession. One that threatens this entire world." Stated Lelouch, again dramatically, gesturing to CC. "And in so doing? Fulfill a promise to this incredible woman by my side. To destroy the Codes that curse her with immortality!"

CC sat across the chair, an expression of adoration on her face.

Laila did not seem to look at all surprised. "Hm. I may as well invite KKe and her nerds. They'd probably want front row seats to that."

"They aren't likely to stop him" Asked CC curiously.

Laila giggled. "Stop him? They'd probably prefer try to interrogate you to satisfy their hunger for knowledge. Then when they're done they'll write essays, books, treatises that will never be published."

"I think you have some idea how...furious I would be at such an attempt." Lelouch said slowly, burning hate in his eyes. "Clovis tortured her for seven years. What do you think I would do to those who are not familial relations to me?"

Laila sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lelouch, I am joking. Please, for the love of god, must you stroke your ego at every turn?"

"You have the wrong idea." CC clarified, nuzzling his cheek. "He's being protective of me. It's heartwarming honestly."

Laila shrugged, "Won't stop the fan boys and girls from worshipping the two of you."

CC gave her a lascivious wink. "I have yet to publicly debut, but I have no doubt we will have legions of fans."

Laila caught her wink and she grinned, leaning forwards. "Vincent may have kicked you out of your old cult, but there's another one you could just step into. But they're all nerds with laser guns."

"Oh dear, you're giving CC ideas." Lelouch chuckled, picking up his Witch, "But? That is for another time."

He lays CC on his lap as he sits down on his throne, asking imperiously. "Just so we are clear, Nod will kneel before us?"

"Yep." Laila said instantly without hesitation. "Gotta ask though. Is the kneeling literal or metaphorical?"

Lelouch flipped his mask back on and with his Zero persona secure, replies with a shrug. "I'll make that decision at a later date."

Because I'm getting all sorts of Game of Thrones vibes from you."

CC made a disgusted expression. "Ugh, that show is vile. It's everything I ever hated about the dark ages."

Laila nodded with a grin, "Terrible writing yes, but god does it have terminology that Lelouch inadvertently spews."

"No, that's Britannian royalty. It's not just him," CC quipped with a knowing smirk

"But not every member of Britannian royalty is Lelouch."

"it's not pompous if you have the charisma to make it work." Zero asserted with confidence before his tone turned serious. "I do have some news that will be… less than appreciated sadly."

Her face twisted into an expression of mild apprehension. "Oh wait. Don't tell me… The Emperor is visiting to inspect the construction of his new battle station?"

Zero shook his head, "No, this is quite a bit worse for you actually. Your actions in the region have not gone unnoticed."

The smaller blonde pixie blinked, confused. "Huh?"

"Luciano Bradley has requested to sortie. And his request appears to have been granted."

Her jaw hung ajar.

Zero sighed heavily. "It would appear the local viceroy has gone for the destructive approach."

Laila had a stupid look on her face; an expression that was an odd mix of depreciation, horror, and resignment. She sighs after a few seconds of struggling with herself. "God damn you Carleton you fopping bastard."

"I said you wouldn't be happy." Zero pointed out.

Laila waved him away, muttering to herself. "No, no... I can make it work... maybe shoot down their plane? Blames it on terrorists and resistance groups… I'll get shit for it, but people'll thanks me…"

"On the upside? If he dies horribly, nobody will put much effort into avenging him."

CC nodded in agreement. "From what I hear, he has his own OSI battalion under his command."

"I know, which makes things even worse!" Groused Laila, throwing up her hands in frustration. "They'll keep usurping my command at every opportunity!"

"Charles never should have appointed the man as a round honestly." sighed CC with a nod.

Zero held both hands up in an effort to calm his pixie down. "I have some good news though. He's going on his usual slash and burn routine, which means he's not expecting heavy resistance."

Laila pauses and nods slowly. "... I can work with that... evacuate civilians ahead of time... maybe institute a variation of the Honorary Brtiannian program…"

"And if the campaign drags on?" Zero's voice is becomes bloodthirsty and full of teeth as he growls with such pleasure that it'd cause hair to stand up. "He might be recalled to deal with me."

"Speaking of, I've been keeping an eye on your little revolution in Japan and things look to be coming to a climax within a month or two," said Laila, changing the subject. "Do you have a backup plan?"

"I have a few contingencies arranged in case my initial plan falters."

Laila narrowed her eyes. "Do you have any contingencies for failing?"

Zero waved away her concerns with a flippant hand. "I'm confident in my strategies. Cornelia is no match for me. And even if Schneizel himself arrived? My belief in my victory is unshaken."

"That isn't what I'm asking Lelouch." She said, a rare steel emerging in her voice. "Do you have a backup just in case you might fail to win?"

"It's do or die, Laila. If we fail here, the Black Knights fall." Intoned Zero softly.

"Then I hope for all our sakes you win." Murmured the former Princess softly, lips pursed. "Because I'm not asking for much."

"Nunnally will cry if I fail. I can't disappoint her, or you." he said, using that to segue into shores more comfortable. "She'll be overjoyed to see you again."

Laila let him and allowed a small smile to come. "I expect she will. I need to show her all the love I've built up over the years for her."

"Then good luck, little sister. Tell Kane your thoughts on me, spare no feelings. I only ask you keep what secrets are needed." With that, Zero saluted dramatically. "TENKA FUBU."

The blond pixie didn't expect the salute and cringed, trying to think of what to say or do in return.

CC giggled in amusement. "You don't have to match his crazy, dear… oh?"

Laila pulled off a salute that would make Suzaku proud as she prepares to sign off.

Zero chuckles and follows suit before disconnecting. "Saraba da."