A/N : Insert some witty disclaimer here explaining I don't own Code Geass or any of its characters.

'v'

'v'

New-Pendragon; one day later

Six months had passed since Lelouch started to plan the building of New-Pendragon, and it would be many years until the larger part of the reconstruction was done. Presently only a few of the permanent fixtures of the city had been completed: a basic grid of electricity and water supply, secondary roads which would serve as primaries until the work on the larger ones would be completed, some lower-class housings and offices and some light industry. For the rest New-Pendragon was a colorful and disorderly mass of temporary structures of all types, covering the full range from the miserable kind of shelter Lelouch inhabited to makeshift barracks housing work crews and Knight Police alike to the no-less temporary but imposing seat of imperial power, a near-copy of Lelouch's own imperial residence in Tokyo – minus the details which served to create an oppressive mood. It was a testament to Britannian character that there were already an estimated three million living in the less-than-ideal conditions which prevailed in the city.

Oh, and there were pizza retailers, as the waft which preceded a sopping wet C.C.'s entrance reminded Lelouch for the umpteenth time in a month.

'You're incorrigible' Lelouch said, smiling to take the edge off his unorthodox greeting.

'We're not going to have that discussion again' C.C. grumbled. Lelouch decided against berating his pizza-munching accomplice for leaving mud-tracks and dripping water on the floor: the green-haired woman was obviously in a bad mood, and Lelouch thought he guessed why. And he knew better than to remind her he was the one who did their housekeeping when his accomplice was already annoyed, as she'd inevitably make a point of leaving an even bigger mess for him to clean.

The young man rubbed his eyes and yawned – he looked a mess, mainly owing to a severe lack of sleep. The reason Lelouch had been driving himself so hard in the last three days: the smartphone C.C. had brought to show him a video of Nunnally. The tiny device had been the focus of Lelouch's attention ever since he'd acquired it, and though its batteries were beginning to run low the young man still intended to glean a good amount of information from it – even if that implied not sleeping and staring at the little screen for another twelve straight hours (if his body permitted).

While C.C. busied herself with gobbling down her favorite food the young man resumed his current research on New-Pendragon.

Lelouch had not been surprised to discover Nunnally had decided to keep building the city he had designed before his fall. Not that there had been much choice in the matter. After the Civil War the centralization policies of Britannia had reached heights undreamed-of; the reconstruction of the country had entirely revolved around the creation of a single administrative, cultural, economic, industrial and military center. The Emperors had wanted Pendragon to dwarf Paris, the undisputed cultural and economic center at the mid-nineteenth century, and they had succeeded beyond their expectations. The city vaporized by the second FLEIJA warhead had numbered over a hundred million inhabitants; it had sat at the center of a sprawling network of infrastructure designed to supply a city that drained nearly a sixth of the continent's population and over a half of its resources. Now that Pendragon, the Motherland's undisputed industrial powerhouse, had been erased from existence, Britannia was unable to rebuild the kind of infrastructure required to redirect the flow of the motherland's riches and population to any of the peripheral regional capitals. It was easier by far to prolong or rebuild the existing infrastructure to accommodate the needs of a new capital built right next to the site of the former, not to mention the fact it was less expensive. And that last point mattered when the destruction of Pendragon had reduced the Motherland's industrial capacity to a fraction of its former value. These days Britannia's main revenues weren't drawn from the Motherland but from the countries it had subjugated over the centuries; a necessity, as Nunnally had successfully demonstrated to the aspiring rulers of Britannia's dominions.

'Obviously the UFN have understood the consequences of releasing the areas prematurely' Lelouch mumbled.

C.C.'s reply took the form of a flung olive pit.

Lelouch glanced at his accomplice. 'I know I'm annoying you' the young man said in an obvious attempt to placate the green-haired woman – a clear failure, as he had to dodge another of the small projectiles. Lelouch winced. 'Please bear with it; it'll be over by this hour tomorrow.'

C.C.'s reply was tinged with sarcasm: 'You are aware that you wouldn't have to obsess over a thing like this', and she nodded at the smartphone, 'if you didn't stay confined within these four walls.'

'I'm in no hurry to make a fatal slip' the young man countered. 'And I don't fancy the notion of acting the blind man if the only alternative is to Geass any person who happens to look in my general direction.'

'Had you been paying less attention to that screen, you might have noticed something on your bedside table' C.C. said huffily, and she flicked another olive pit in her accomplice's direction. She missed badly, and the projectile went to clang on the wall above the trash can, in which it neatly landed.

Lelouch snorted. 'Nice shot' he said. 'And how long has it been since we had proper beds, let alone bedside tables?'

C.C. gave him a flat stare.

'Alright…' Lelouch stifled a yawn and got to his feet. He disappeared in the tiny space that served as his "bedroom".

C.C. knew better than to expect an audible reaction from her accomplice when he saw her "gift". She did expect an exchange of niceties when he got back to the main room.

'I imagine those are just as special as the ones I used to wear' the young man said, extending his hand to show a pair of tinted contacts.

C.C. gave him another flat stare that plainly said "Do you think I'm stupid?"

'You didn't tell me you still had access to the resources necessary to make those' Lelouch challenged her.

'I remember telling you not to bother about that part' C.C. said. 'It's your own fault you weren't paying attention at that time.'

Lelouch decided to let the accusation slide, notably because it had every chance to be based on truth. His accomplice probably had told him she could make a new set of special contacts for him as she tried to persuade him he should stop trying to find ways to kill himself - which would be the reason Lelouch had not bothered to pay attention about any details she'd mentioned. He let his accomplice continue with her explanations: 'If you must know, the process to render materials impervious to Geass doesn't require much in the way of resources' the green-haired woman said. 'It only takes a Code bearer willing to impregnate the materials with their own flesh for a few months. The hardest part was actually to save enough money to acquire the contacts.'

'We'll have to check whether my own flesh has the same properties' Lelouch said thoughtfully.

'I don't think that would work' C.C. said, munching distractedly on her pizza. 'You aren't actually a Code bearer.' She grinned. 'You're just too stubborn to die.'

'What color would the contacts make my eyes?' Lelouch asked, determined to ignore the witch's last comments.

'An intense blue' C.C. replied. 'Those demon eyes of yours are growing less and less easy to conceal; I had to pick a brighter color than before.' She glanced at her pizza, noting there were only two olives left. She'd have to ask for more on the next one she ordered. Running low on ammunition was never a good thing.

Lelouch made a resigned face. Of course Geass was going to keep plaguing his life even now he didn't intend to use it again. 'How long will this protection last?' he asked tiredly.

'A couple of decades, maybe, if you never use Geass again' C.C. said, toying with an olive pit. 'Once it is permanently active Geass never really stops to strengthen, even when you don't activate it. Eventually your Geass will become like Mao's. It won't require eye-contact at all, it will just work.'

'We'll deal with that particular difficulty when it presents itself' Lelouch said, carefully putting the contacts on. 'I'm going to get ready for a walk' he announced, 'care to accompany me when you're done eating?'

It took quite a bit to catch a centuries-old witch by surprise. Judging by how C.C. was staring at him open-mouthed, her accomplice had certainly managed to.

'What?' Lelouch asked innocently.

'Three minutes ago you were too scared of making a fatal slip' C.C. said, looking dubiously at her accomplice.

Lelouch had an explanation ready. 'There isn't much circulation in this part of town after midnight, the lighting is scarce, and the rain should reduce visibility further. I don't need to worry about Geass now that you've kindly provided me with those lenses, and I'm so tired I won't be able to keep up any act I don't master – which isn't too much of a danger since between the darkness and the weather you're the only one who'll really notice, and you can tell me what I need to correct once we're back. All in all it seems unlikely I'll be getting better conditions for a first foray outside, will I?'

C.C. gave him an arch little smile. 'Now that's more like the Lelouch I remember. What should I call you while we're on the streets?'

'Do you know why snow is white?' Lelouch said in reply.

C.C. stared at him. 'You can't possibly think of…'

'It is the only way to eliminate the most dangerous slip' the young man explained. 'Even if you're making yourself answer to another name, your real name is ingrained deep within yourself. Eradicating the possibility of any involuntary response to one's real name takes a training I can't get in present circumstances or time I don't have at my disposal.'

'You're trading the possibility of an incident you can correct with Geass for the certainty you'll attract attention when people hear your name' C.C. countered. 'Lelouch isn't that common a name; it's also one the people outside associate with the Demon Emperor.'

'I'm minimizing the number of scenarios which might require the use of Geass' Lelouch reminded her accomplice. 'And how do people called Lelouch react when someone points it out to them?' Lelouch inquired.

'I wouldn't know' C.C. answered honestly. 'I didn't actually stumble on one of your homonyms.'

'The Demon Emperor killed my brother' Lelouch said icily, and C.C. nearly jumped. Lelouch relaxed and offered her a wan smile. 'It isn't exactly a lie.'

'You're skirting around the fact you weren't the Emperor when you killed a brother, but yes, it sounds quite convincing' C.C. said thoughtfully.

'I hope it does' Lelouch say. 'So, can I count on your company?'

'As long as you don't change faster than it takes me to eat half a pizza' C.C. replied.

Lelouch smirked. 'Adorable.'

'We'll see what kind of weird needs you have when you've lived for centuries' the witch replied.

'I probably won't ever develop a taste for pizza' Lelouch said, smirk turning into a smile. 'I'm going to change.'

'You could do that here, you know' C.C. said. 'It's not like I haven't seen everything there was to see when I was looking for that Code.'

Lelouch went into a fit of coughing; the young man's face was on fire. 'Must you?' he eventually managed in a pained voice.

'Now you're adorable.' The witch smiled; it had its effect on Lelouch as well. 'You're so innocent in some ways, Lelouch' C.C. said. 'I envy you.'

Lelouch turned away. 'I'll be getting ready' he mumbled, making his way to his bedroom.

C.C.'s gaze trailed after him. I wasn't actually thinking of him that way she told herself with a small smile. I did think he looked cute.

A rustling of clothes was coming from the room next door, and C.C. caught herself picturing her accomplice getting undressed in her mind's eye. She shook her head to rid herself of the images that followed. That innocence of his is precious C.C. told herself. She sighed. He's going to have more than enough time to love someone and be loved back in those years before his Geass condemns him to hide forever. Better he gets that first experience from someone who loves him. I can't give him that; I don't even know what it feels like to be in love.

She didn't know what to make of the pang she felt in her stomach. It might have had to do with a spoiled ingredient in the pizza. C.C. decided she wouldn't finish it. Lelouch was bound to tease her about the sudden loss of appetite, but it didn't really matter. In fact C.C. was somewhat looking forward to being teased.

'v'

New Pendragon, temporary government quarters; the same night

Schneizel el Britannia, former Second Prince of the Empire, was one of five people aware of the nature of the small, ornate scepter that now adorned Empress Nunnally's main desk. To be entirely honest, the fact he was one of a few who knew didn't matter to Schneizel. What mattered was the fact that he was conscious of remembering what the object was. Such moments of awareness as this night's were precious to the former Prince as they were few and far between. The gaps in Schneizel's memories since he'd been defeated on Damocles were days-long and sometimes weeks-long. The former Prince had a precise idea of the reason he'd almost lost his mind – and that he couldn't afford to think of it since it was guaranteed to rob him of his consciousness. About all he could do was feeling around the edges of his situation and hope for a means of escaping his present condition.

Schneizel had, with some patience, managed to discover what occupied his days when he was not himself. He was employed both as the head of a small but powerful intelligence cell and as a sounding board on matters of government. At first he'd resided in Tokyo, then at some point he had moved to nondescript quarters in the temporary administrative district of New-Pendragon – Schneizel had every reason to think he had selected the place himself.

And, according to the files that lay neatly folded on a rack on his desk, his current work was related to matters like the security arrangements around the Empress of Britannia, the unofficial funding of ASEEC, the possible evolution of the UFN's demands regarding the areas and, of all things…

Now that particular file is dangerous Schneizel told himself. It has little reason to be here and must somehow have every reason to be here. He knew better than to follow that train of thoughts.

The file in question was a surveillance file on whose spine were named four people: Millay Ashford, Rivalz Cardamonde, Kallen Kōzuki and one Arthur. As far as Schneizel could remember the first one was part of a news service for a prominent TV channel; he knew, of course, who the third person was, but had no idea of the importance of the two other names - the latter of which wasn't even a full name. He could only assume "Arthur" was an alias; it may have been the designation of an agent working on that particular file, or "Arthur" might even be the code name for a project. Schneizel had no idea whether either was right, and he was in no hurry to find out. He knew there was a very real chance something might trigger another loss of awareness before he consulted that file, but on the other hand if he delayed long enough he would ensure the existence of the file would not vanish from his memory. Something he didn't want to happen: this file which looked so trivial in comparison with the other matters he handled must be there for an excellent reason.

However Schneizel couldn't afford to remain idle. He knew that was another trigger for loss of consciousness. Only working on any of his files wouldn't do, as he couldn't remember the work he'd already put on them… He had to find something new to occupy him, and find it fast. And here too his near-complete amnesia was quite a hurdle to jump…

He was running out of time.

If this is my only option, I guess I should open that file.

The face on a photograph occupying the first page came as a complete surprise to Schneizel. Why on earth have I been investigating a cat?

Schneizel's confused expression vanished quickly. The former Prince had a feeling this file would turn out to be a most interesting study… provided he didn't lose his mind while he perused it.

Well, there is only one way to find out.

Schneizel began to read.

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'v'

A/N : This chapter has been considerably altered from its original state - I'll admit I wasn't quite satisfied with how it had first turned out. I'm interested in any comments from people who've read both versions.

Thanks to Genericrandom and undead3 for their reviews and criticism. It helps :)

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'v'

Coming next

'Rise' the woman commanded.

Lelouch's heart skipped a beat: the voice of the "very important person" was none other than his half-sister Guinevere's.

Thankfully there was no hint of recognition in the Princess' eyes when Lelouch looked at her. I'm glad I thought of cancelling her Geass the young man told himself. Imagine her acknowledging me here by name...

Guinevere obliged, though thankfully not acknowledging the name her half-brother had in mind: 'Fiona here tells me your name is Lelouch Lamfhota.'

'Yes, your Highness' Lelouch confirmed in a humble tone.

'You shall work for me' the Princess said abruptly. 'If your performance is as exceptional as your superiors led me to expect, you may rise to a position in society higher than you ever thought of reaching.'

Issuing such a statement to a former ruler of the known world felt a bit rich, but Lelouch wasn't in the mood for such irony.

'v'