Chapter Twenty-one: Beneath the Mask

Cornelia Li Britannia was only too glad to be back in her office in a military uniform. Granted, she wished Lelouch was here, but maintaining his cover was still important. So she'd had him and the student council members moved to a side room until she could properly meet with them. Refreshments had been provided while she scanned through files and waited.

And then Luciano Bradley walked into the room. His orange cloak was around him, and he looked very, very bored. With him was his Valkyrie Squadron. "Who do you want me to kill?"

Cornelia leaned back in her seat. "Why do you assume I want anyone killed?"

"You are calling Luciano Bradley the Master of Homicide," said Luciano. "I merely assumed you wanted someone murdered. I'm not known for a variety of talents."

Cornelia smiled faintly; it was true. "True enough.

"But, in this situation, I want you for something more... terrifying. I need you to intimidate some people. Actually, a great many people."

"Those bloated nobles you took from Babel Tower?" asked Luciano.

"Yes, we've filtered through a great many of them," said Cornelia, drawing up a sheet of paper. "I want you to meet with the following people."

Luciano took the paper and read through it with a dismissive look. "And what do you want me to do? Cut them up?"

"No, Luciano, you are not to harm a hair on their head," said Cornelia. "I want you to get full confessions out of all of them." She wasn't sure if this would work, but it might.

"For what?" asked Luciano.

"Anything and everything they might have done which is against our laws," said Cornelia. "You can consider this my olive branch, Luciano. Get me useful information from these nobles, and I may have further use for you."

Luciano paused. "...What crime did you bring them on?"

"Failing to aid Royalty in need," said Cornelia, hoping Guildford was able to edit out any footage. And that there hadn't been any cameras active during the... incident. "I'm confident most of them have done other things, though. Whether they are guilty or not, however, I want everything of use they can tell us."

Luciano nodded. "...Well, it sounds like an entertaining challenge. And I do get to ignore due process on people who are normally off-limits. Very well, I accept." He glanced to the leader of his squadron, a pretty, brown-haired girl. "Monica, get your sisters ready to write things down. I'll need you to record their unanswered cries for clemency."

"Yes, Lord Bradley," she said.

Luciano left with them.

As she did, Cornelia wondered how Luciano had managed to recruit those girls. By all accounts, none of them had been notable war criminals before they joined up with him. Though that had rapidly come to an end once they came into his service.

At that moment, into the door came Guildford, looking disturbed. Hair had fallen out of place in front of his head as he sat down. She'd seen that look on soldiers who were losing their composure after hours of combat. But never on Guildford.

What had happened?

"Princess Cornelia?" said Guildford.

Cornelia grabbed a glass of brandy and poured him a drink. He gulped it down to soothe his nerves. "Ah, Guildford, I was wondering when you'd arrived. We've got a great deal done today."

"Princess Cornelia, what is the meaning of this?" asked Guildford. "It was bad enough that you should disappear, but for both you and Euphemia to do so is beyond irresponsible.

"What if both of you were captured?"

Cornelia considered what would happen if Lelouch had been far more vengeful. Things could have gone very badly. It had been by the slimmest of margins that this had turned out this way. Then she thought of Euphie walking around in the ghettos with the Knights of Ashford so she could see them for herself. Like it was some kind of resort.

Then again, Cornelia was not one to talk. And the absolute proof of Black King's guilt was being broadcast across the net right now.

"Guildford, I appreciate your fervor," said Cornelia. "However, I had no idea Euphie planned to escape. My own involvement was to get a feel for the settlement. And nothing but good has come of it so far."

"Yes, Princess," said Guildford, before looking at his feet with dead eyes.

Cornelia decided he needed prompting. "Now, what have you found?"

"We've been running over the documents raided from Babel Tower," said Guildford. "From the looks of things, there are thousands of hours of blackmail footage here. I wouldn't be surprised if the owner has been using it to control the nobility."

"Well, that is to be expected in a place like this," said Cornelia. "The employees?"

"Many of them have not been paid at all. Many of the girls we... liberated, had been kept trapped here for years," said Guildford. "They were... often used as prostitutes as well as dancers, in violation of their contracts."

"Surely, there must have been some legal recourse," said Cornelia.

"Many of them were never even able to leave the tower once they ended up here on promises of wages," said Guildford. "They told me... many of them were raped and impregnated, only to have the children aborted. Others started to physically deteriorate from the stress and were... they were taken away and never heard from again.

"We found...

"In one of the basements, we found a mass grave. Most of those inside were elevens who disappeared. Many of them had had their organs cut out, Princess. And we've received indications they might have been sent to hospitals at low prices. There are reports of healthy elevens being dragged in at night. But never becoming employees.

"Many of them were in the graves."

Cornelia found her eyes go wide. This was... it was worse than anything they expected. "...They're peddling in organs?"

Guildford choked as he tried to reply for a moment. "Darlton had a kidney transplant a few years ago. We were afraid he'd die, but we miraculously came up with one. If this kind of operation is commonplace... it could have been taken from a living human being.

"He might have murdered a man without even knowing it.

"And... and that's not even it.

"Sometimes, girls who hadn't deteriorated would be taken into rooms. Their... their screams could be heard from inside. It was in a particular floor, the slaves they... they call it the Snuff Floor."

At that moment, screams of horror could be heard through the walls. Judging from how long they were going on, they were cries of fear, not agony. Guildford looked up. "What is that noise? What is..."

"It looks like Luciano Bradley has started his work," said Cornelia.

"You put Luciano Bradley in charge of interrogation?" asked Guildford.

"I need to use him for something," said Cornelia. "And he's only authorized to scare them. I've told the guards to shoot him if he gets violent."

Guildford paused and then shook his head. "...That may be more than they deserve."

"Perhaps," said Cornelia. "But I assure you, I have no intention of prosecuting anyone for something they did not do. Frame ups are a slippery slope that leads to a deterioration of public relations.

"Everyone I try will be on charges we can prove.

"Which brings me to my next question. How much can we prove, Guildford?"

Guildford took a breath. "Darlton tells me he thinks we have enough information to put hundreds, even thousands in jail. We've got meetings from organized crime groups and a lot of others.

"Viceroy Clovis...

"He never attended this place himself, but he must have known of it."

"I see," said Cornelia. She doubted Clovis knew the full extent of what was going on. He likely knew something was happening, but not exactly what. "Guildford, I want you to sweep up everyone you possibly can who had anything to do with this. Arrest them and try to get them to confess who they were working with. Prosecute all of them to the fullest extent of the law."

Guildford nodded. "Milady..."

There was a pause.

"You have something to say?" asked Cornelia, clasping her hands.

"There are many influential nobles among these files," said Guildford. "Babel Tower was catered toward them and funded by many of them. If we do prosecute all of them, it could make us many enemies.

"I believe that it was used as a go-between for nobles and the criminal element. Perhaps other, worse people."

"It's good to have enemies, Guildford," said Cornelia. "It means you've stood up for something sometime in your life."

"Which Emperor was that?" asked Guildford.

"It was Teddy Roosevelt, I think," said Cornelia. "One of the most formidable leaders the Washington Party ever had. I've had reason to study their history." Then she stood and looked out the window at sea. To one side was Babel Tower was rising like some demonic finger. It had seemed so innocuous once, just part of the skyline. Now she hated the very sight of it. "The name is very apropos, however.

"The Tower of Babel was built in ancient times by men so consumed with hubris could reach gods level. So God sent down angels to confuse their language and scatter them across the land.

"It's odd, but I always had a sense of admiration for the builders of the first one. To try and unite the world by sheer will and challenge god. Well, the people in this tower aren't so noble.

"We'll crush them and their pride to bloody bits."

"How?" asked Guildford.

"Get in contact with Pendragon, inform Schneizel of our findings," said Cornelia. "Tell him that there is about to be an information leak. The Knights of Ashford will release information on this... abomination while we are in the midsts of purging those responsible."

"Do you think you can control their leader?" asked Guildford.

"I have reason to believe so, yes," said Cornelia, already coming up with a plan. "I have to meet with him now. This will be a difficult process, but if we play our cards right, we may be able to turn the Knights of Ashford into an asset."

"Are you certain it is safe?" asked Guildford.

"Perfectly, Guildford," said Cornelia. "For reasons, I will tell you later, I can't have you there. Not yet. This meeting is adjourned."

Cornelia made sure to bring a pistol with her this time. No sense in not being prepared. That, and also one other set of important items.

Making her way through the halls, she found Lelouch speaking with Milly and Shirley upon a sofa. Milly and Shirley had changed into school uniforms that showed off their legs. They stopped speaking as soon as Cornelia entered. Shirley looked away with a blush as Cornelia entered. Cornelia enjoyed putting her on the back foot. Milly also looked away, and Cornelia remembered her now.

She'd been a mischievous blonde girl who was always getting people into trouble. She'd almost forgotten the Ashford Family before now. Cornelia privately hoped to see more of her.

Lelouch, however, maintained his steely poise and stood to look at her. "...So, we have a problem?"

"I agree," said Lelouch.

That was it.

Her brother, who she'd thought was dead, was alive, and that was all he had to say to her. "Lelouch, when were you going to tell us you were alive?"

"Never, if you must know," said Lelouch.

"Never?" asked Cornelia. "Do you know how Euphie cried when she thought you and Nunnally were dead? Do you know how Schneizel was affected? You've been hiding here, in our territory while we...

"Why?" Her voice came out raw as she said it.

"Because the Royal Household is a den of vipers," said Lelouch. "When my mother, the Empress Marianne, died, there was no investigation. When I confronted my father, Nunnally and I were exiled. What reason did I have to trust anyone?

"You were in charge of Mother's Guard. That made you a potential suspect."

"I would never have-" Cornelia halted. "Do you really believe I would do that to Empress Marianne? To you and Nunnally?"

"No," said Lelouch. "But a lot of things I didn't believe possible had happened. I wasn't taking any chances."

"Lulu, are you sure we should be talking about this?" asked Shirley.

"We don't have much choice, Shirley," said Lelouch. "Besides, the situation has changed. Our interests are no longer directly contrary to the Britannian government."

"So that's it?" asked Cornelia. He was only here for business.

"That all depends on what we have to say to eachother, sister," said Lelouch. "My goal was always to create a better world where my sister can find happiness."

Cornelia felt a surge of hope at that. "Then Nunnally is alive?"

Lelouch paused. "She is."

Cornelia halted. "...What are your goals, Lelouch? And what were they before? In concrete terms."

"Originally?" asked Lelouch. "My goal was to halt Britannia's systematic conquest of the rest of the world. I had originally envisioned doing it with an army, but that was not practical. A classmate of mine was sent with me to do a school project.

"We caught a massacre by the police on camera.

"We considered using it for our school project and realized it would never be shown."

"And so Zero came into being," guessed Cornelia.

"Yes," said Lelouch. "Once that happened, others wanted to follow him. The result was a mass unveiling of Britannian atrocities. One that succeeded better than I could have hoped."

"And why have your plans changed?" asked Cornelia.

"Milly, perhaps you'd like to say why?" asked Lelouch.

Milly Ashford was less confident and actually looked afraid. She was afraid Lelouch was telling her too much too soon. "Well... we succeeded, Princess Cornelia. We not only halted the invasions of other countries. We forced Britannia to abandon many provinces. A mass civil war ensued.

"It was far more than we'd expected."

"What did you expect?!" said Cornelia. "Do you know what has happened because of what you did?!" Memories of firebombed cities came to mind. "Do you know what the EU did in its counterattack? What Luciano did to clamp down-"

"Yes," said Lelouch. "The violence was unfortunate. But, truth be told, if I had to make the same decision again, I would. The people of Britannia have been sleeping through their nations.

"They what was happening and chose to do nothing, to descend into bread and circuses. That means they bear some degree of responsibility for their actions. Maybe the government will be a bit more restrained in victory, now that they know the cost of brutality."

Cornelia hesitated and decided to change tactics. "Milly, you have been giving him shelter all this time?"

"Yes, my Grandfather was the patron of Marianne the Flash before he lost his way," said Milly. "Lelouch has been helping to fund Ashford Academy with some of the winnings from gambling."

"What? You've been doing that all this time, Lulu?" asked Shirley.

"It's a small portion of my income," said Lelouch. "Nunnally likes the school, as do I. And as long as I control the finances, people can't report me.

"I'll need an alternative source of income now, thanks to you."

Cornelia paused. She wanted to proceed, but she was at a complete loss as to how to do it. Lelouch kept looking straight at her with that intense look. "...And what happens now?" she said at last.

"That depends on whether you want to bring me in or kiss me again," said Lelouch, smiling.

"Don't change the subject!" snapped Cornelia. "You must have had some plan for admitting all this so openly?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I'm tired of lying, Cornelia. My name is a lie, my identity is a lie, my personal history a lie: nothing but lies.

"But if you want an incentive, we're on the same side."

"And what makes you say that?" asked Cornelia.

"Both of us are interested in strengthening Britannia," said Lelouch. "And I mean real strength. The strength of character to use a hammer for every solution.

"Purging the criminal element will go a long way to helping Britannia win. And that's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Cornelia, realizing she was in the midst of a bargain here. "I am willing to let you continue operating as you are now, Lelouch. However, in return, I want you to help me destroy the crime rings in Area 11."

"I will not do anything that violates my moral code," said Lelouch. "I'll dissolve the Knights of Ashford before I corrupt their name. But insofar as we are destroying a plague on our society, I agree."

"What exactly do you want us to do, Princess Cornelia?" asked Shirley, standing up.

Cornelia drew out the other thing she had brought. A set of maximum file size drives. "I want you to take this information and release it. Slowly at first, but little by little increase in exposure. Edit it, narrate, whatever you want.

"Just ensure it gets out."

"Why do you need three flash drives?" asked Shirley, taking it.

"There was a lot of information in Babel Tower," said Cornelia. "You aren't going to like it; I recommend not eating before looking at it."

"Why do you want us to release this?" asked Milly.

"I'm about to carry out some of the most extensive arrests in history," said Cornelia. "Unfortunately, many of those I am going to be arresting are nobles.

"If I try to arrest a member of the nobility during a time of stability; they'll all band together and oppose me. Especially since I've only just arrived. If, on the other hand, mass unrest is beginning, they may accept the arrest of their worst aspects. A necessary sacrifice to return to the status quo.

"It's become apparent to me that Clovis let this place fall to pieces past the surface. I mean to correct his mistake."

Lelouch nodded. "Well then, Cornelia. I believe we have an arrangement."

Cornelia shifted. "...Yes, yes, we do.

"I'd like to visit Nunnally, at some point."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," said Lelouch.

And then came more horrified screaming and unanswered cries for mercy. Milly shifted. "Uh... don't take this the wrong way, but did a portal to hell just open up?"

"No, but there is a Vampire at work," said Cornelia.

Today... had been a long day.