Well hello everyone. After two weeks of careful writing I'm happy to present the next chapter and I wanted to thank everyone for supporting this fic. (this is sounding like a final chapter wrap up!) Don't worry, this story is far from over. Lelouch isn't going to get away until he answers to a few people and possibly save the world again, but I digress. The world is not as peaceful as our hero(s) believe. Sadly, he'll be finding that out the hard way.

Guest: Yes, even though they had planned the Zero Requiem I think Suzaku realized his friend's true intentions at the moment of his death. Why else would he shed tears like that? At least that was my take on it.

patrickthenobleman: Thank you, Your story is amazing and I highly recommend "Redemption and Madness" to all code Geass fans. It's very different, yet such an amazing tale. Oh don't worry, Kallen will definitely shine in this fic. We both know she's not the type to just sit around twiddling her thumbs. ;) (though I think you may be part psychic as per you question and this chapter)

Disclaimer: Code Geass and all related characters belong to Clamp.

Turn 4: Those Who Wear Masks

Two days had passed since Lelouch first left the apartment and he still couldn't get the shade of brown out of his hair. He had scrubbed and scrubbed until his head was sore and it still showed no sign of fading. "If this is permanent I'm going to make him regret this." After his fifth failed attempt he had given up, hoping it would eventually fade on its own.

He removed his contact lens and gazed into the mirror. As he thought, he still had his Geass, but while the power of absolute obedience had been one of the greatest tools he's ever possessed he felt he didn't have a need for it any longer.

With his shower out of the way, Lelouch headed into the kitchen to find something to eat before Cornelia had a chance to try her hand at cooking once again. Despite becoming used to her company he found it strange that she was playing the role of house wife. It was a rare side of her that Lelouch had only seen her reveal to Euphie. He hoped she wouldn't baby him like she had their sister.

A short time later he had just finished making a few pancakes when she emerged from her room. "I'm going out for a bit. There are a few matters I need to attend to. Think you'll be alright on your own?"

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" came his simple reply.

"That's what worries me," she countered as she headed for the door and left. Lelouch waited until he heard the click of the lock and her retreating footsteps before turning off the stove and sitting down to eat. "I'm not a little kid," he stated as he took a bite.

Twenty minutes later he was out the door, heading in the opposite direction his sister had taken.

. . .

Over at the palace Nunnally was having a late breakfast with Suzaku. She had requested to be left alone so that her friend didn't have to wear the mask of Zero while they conversed. Suzaku was much appreciative. "Thanks for making it easier for me, your highness. It'd be kinda hard to enjoy this good food wearing a mask."

"I told you, when it's just us please drop the formalities. No matter what my title, I'm still Nunally."

Suzaku couldn't help but admire her kindness and her inner strength. Her body may be frail, but her spirit was anything but weak. "Very well, I'll keep it casual."

She nodded with a thankful smile. "Speaking of formalities, I decided on a theme for the party tomorrow night."

"Oh?"

"I've decided to make it a masquerade party."

Two thoughts crossed Suzaku's mind at once. One was good the other,... "Nunnally, I think it's a great idea, but is it wise? Anyone could show up and try to pull something."

Nunnally smiled. "Not with the world my brother created."

Suzaku was impressed. Before, any mention of Lelouch would cause her pain, but it seemed like she was finally starting to get better. He had avoided mentioning his name in front of her because it was obvious how much she missed him and knowing that he was the one who had killed him didn't help things. "You're right, it was foolish to think anyone would want to harm the Empress."

"I'm not an Empress yet, I still have to wait a while before my coronation. Besides, security will be tight, or so I've been told by the captain of the guard. No one will get in without a special invitation and I'll be signing each one of them personally."

Suzaku couldn't keep the smile off his face. She was more like her brother than he realized.

. . .

When their breakfast was over, Zero exited the room and returned to his other duties. He nodded and approved on Ohgi's suggestions about setting up several secondary bases around Japan for the Black Knight headquarters during his scheduled meeting. They may not have been intimidating as a military threat anymore, but they were respected by the people, even britanians had come to admire them.

When the meeting was over Zero left the room. The door slid closed behind him and he let out a sigh. This work was exhausting him.

"Keeping up the act is tough isn't it, Zero."

Zero looked up and saw Kallen leaning against the wall. Had she been waiting for him? Kallen straightened up and approached him. "Or should I say, Suzaku?"

Suzaku didn't know what to say. He wasn't entirely surprised that Nunnally figured it out, but how did Kallen? She saw him die, hell she was the one who supposedly killed him! "My name is Zero."

"Cut the crap! I know it's you!" Kallen wasn't going to be fooled. Not this time. She wanted answers, truthful answers and she wasn't going to leave until she got them.

"Now's not the time," he replied as he began to walk off, but Kallen blocked him. "Why did you have to kill Lelouch?"

Zero was a bit surprised by her question. Wasn't she happy like the rest of the world? He knew Nunnally was unhappy, but why Kallen? He thought she was under the assumption that Lelouch Vi Britannia was going to execute her along with the rest of the Black Knights for betraying him.

"Well? I'm waiting. Why did you kill Lelouch?"

Zero turned away from her. "Lelouch was the enemy of the world. The old world, and by killing him a new world was created. Aren't you happy? No one has any reason to fear each other anymore. War is pointless and lives are being rebuilt. The people of the world are free and it's all thanks to me, I killed the Demon and ushered in a world of peace."

Kallen's mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions. She did hate Lelouch. All of the lies and the betrayal. He lied to her once before about his true identity, but she still followed him, she had grown to admire and even have feelings for him, but again she was betrayed when he claimed she was but a pawn in his grand scheme. It hurt her deeply, but what he said to her, "You have to live." It confused her. Maybe, he wasn't the evil prince he claimed to be?

She glared daggers at Zero. It didn't matter what Lelouch's intentions were now. She couldn't ask him because his murderer was standing right before her. "Tell me who you really are," she demanded.

Zero held out one of his arms in dramatic fashion (though Suzaku felt a bit silly doing it), "I am Zero, therefore I am nothing and yet,..." he held out his other hand, "I am also infinite."

"Enough with the word play," she shouted, "give me a straight answer!"

"Enough!"

Kallen turned to see Cornelia standing behind her. Cornelia approached Kallen and glared sternly at her. "Your questions are easily answered. Suzaku was killed on the battlefield. His body now lies at the foot of his gravestone, if you don't believe me, then dig it up for yourself and look. Lelouch had to be killed because he had enslaved the world through Geass and fear. He had killed so many innocent, just because they either didn't fit into his plans or got in the way, or did you forget how he murdered Princess Euphemia?"

"Sorry, Suzaku," she mentally apologized as she continued her lecture. Zero had slightly flinched when Euphie's name had been brought up and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Kallen.

"I realize that," Kallen replied, "I also knew a few others whom he had killed, but in his place, I may have done the same. Afterall, his family did throw him away."

"Not his entire family!" Cornelia snapped before she could control herself. This surprised both Kallen and Zero, though Suzaku wore a smile under his mask.

"Cornelia," Zero began, "You cannot fully blame this outburst on Kallen. Like the rest of the Black Knights she was tricked and lied to by the dead Emperor. It's only natural that she would want answers to sort through what is truth and what is lies."

"Very well, I'll let you deal with it then." With that she walked off. Suzaku didn't expect to see Cornelia here so soon. This would be the first time Lelouch would be by himself since his fall from the throne. He hoped he was staying out of trouble.

"Ms. Kouzuki, I'll be more than happy to answer your questions another time, but there are a few things I have to take care of. Perhaps we can set up a meeting at Princess Nunnally's upcoming party?"

"You really believe that I'm invited?"

"I don't see why you wouldn't be, you are one of her majesty's friends, aren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I am."

"Then expect your invitation soon," with that Zero turned and made his way down the other hall leaving Kallen even more confused than before.

. . .

Lelouch laughed to himself as he exited the gentleman's club. He had forgotten how good it felt to beat an opponent of high status at their own game. He earned some money from it as well. Perhaps he should devote his life to becoming a high-stakes gambler? After all, almost no one could beat him in chess and the only one who could, well,... he had already outsmarted him another way.

He saw an ad for a restaurant with a few specials that looked more appetizing than his sister's cooking and decided to treat himself to a nice lunch. The place wasn't far and less than fifteen minutes later he was sitting at a booth by the window.

Out on the street a motorcycle had stopped at the red light and was waiting for it to turn green. The blue-haired rider was taking his school lunch break outside of school for once. To say Rivalz had been struggling a bit after the betrayal and death of his friend was an understatement. His once positive personality was in shambles. He had so many questions for Lelouch. why'd he keep such a big secret from him, why was he Zero and why did he do all of those things while he was Emperor? Rivalz had tried to figure it out, hoping it was something he and Lelouch could work out and get over and go back to the way things were, but it didn't happen.

Out of boredom, Rivalz looked over at the buildings and he nearly gave himself whiplash when he turned his head back on the restaurant. That man in the booth! He looked just like Lelouch! His hair was the wrong color, but he could have sworn it was him! He was about to call out his name when a loud horn from behind startled Rivalz. Unbeknownst to him, the light had changed green and the cars behind him were impatient. "Alright, alright, I'm going."

Rivalz revved up the bike and continued on his way. It couldn't have been his friend. Rivalz saw Lelouch die and he doubted anyone could survive getting stabbed in such a way. Yeah, it was possible, but that's not what happened. No one wanted to help the Demon King.

Lelouch had seen Rivalz, but he hoped that his friend had assumed it was a case of mistaken identity, even though he would have been right. Something bothered Lelouch. Did the fact that Rivalz tried to wave mean he didn't hate him like the rest of the world had? Strange, he had worked so hard, done so much to make everyone hate him, even Nunnally, and yet they still found a way to see the good in him. Lelouch smiled at the thought. "Impossible..."

"Sir?" asked the waitress.

"It's impossible to choose," he stated, "what do you recommend?"

"Oh well, the double cheese and sausage pizza seems to be a popular choice," she replied.

"Pizza,..." again his mind drifted. After ordering the meal he sat thinking about the people he knew once again only this time it was C.C. How was she doing? He didn't think she'd miss him. After all, she admitted that she had abandoned her emotions long ago. She probably moved on in search of another who would grant her wish.

Lelouch wasn't going to go looking for her. If she could find someone to grant her wish then he wished her the best of luck, he refused to turn into another Mao. His sanity may be in question, but he was no psychopath. His days of killing the innocent were over.

. . .

"He's what?!" Zero had been in a meeting with Tohdoh when he got a call and excused himself. It was Cornelia and she had reported that Lelouch wasn't there when she got home. "How long has he been gone?" he asked.

"Since before I confronted you and Ms. Kouzuki earlier from the looks of it," she replied.

"That's over four hours!" Zero punched the wall. "Damn his stubborn pride!"

"I've already contacted Professor Lloyd and asked for him to deploy an unmanned search drone. It'll scan the city until it finds him," she replied.

"Understood. I'll wrap up things here and start my own search." Suzaku hung up, his hand gripping the phone so tightly his hand was shaking.

"Something wrong, Zero?"

Suzaku turned to see Tohdoh standing there. He was quietly waiting for an answer, but Suzau saw the look in his eyes. It was the same look he would give him while training. Out of all of the people that Suzaku didn't want to lie to, Tohdoh was one of them, however he was also one of the few who could possibly figure out who was under the mask.

"It's a small matter, nothing serious," Zero replied.

"It doesn't sound like a small matter," Tohdoh wasn't fooled.

"How do I get myself out of this one?" Suzaku thought.

"Oh there you are General, I've been looking for you~," came the sing-song voice of Professor Lloyd.

"Me?"

"Yes, I've been needing to find a new devicer for my latest project and your skills are exceptionally legendary."

"But the knightmares aren't needed anymore," he argued.

"Knightmares? Oh no no no, you're mistaken," Lloyd winked as a secret sign to Zero to take his chance and leave. Zero nodded his thanks and left while Tohdoh was otherwise occupied. "I'm talking about physical fitness in the honorable arts of Japanese culture," Lloyd practically dragged Tohdoh down the hall. Suzaku's chuckle echoed through his mask at the retreating voices of Lloyd and the protests of his old mentor.

With that out of the way, Suzaku focused on the task at hand. Finding Lelouch.