As Lelouch had half-expected, the aboveground home was not where the lab was located. It would have been impossibly small for such a purpose. In truth, it wasn't where the branch Naberius' home was located either. The ground floor was a show home if anything, though it seemed the two nekoshou had effectively taken it over as their own personal quarters. Down multiple flights of stairs there was a somewhat larger complex hiding underground. Here lay not only the main laboratory but also the living space of Bain and his other servants. It gave the impression that the scientist considered giving each of them a room of their own the size of a prison cell was a show of magnanimity. The only salve for the poor living conditions being that Bain himself slept in conditions not much better than his servants. The bedrooms were places to sleep, nothing more. When not sleeping, the household was to instead be working as he was.

All it took was one look at the man himself to get a full picture of who he was. It was one fact about his appearance that told Lelouch everything he needed to know.

Bain Naberius had dyed his hair green.

For humans, such a thing would be barely worthy of mention beyond a curiosity. A sign of a quirky sense of fashion or a mild rebellious phase that the man never let go of. Devils though, devils were wired differently. Devils were shaped differently. For a devil, their appearance was not merely assigned by pre-programmed genetic code. It would change based on how they saw themselves. Every devil essentially took the form that they felt defined them. None of the Bael family were as slender as Lelouch and yet he took that appearance anyway because despite how much better shape he was in compared to his past life he still saw himself as slim. He had muscle, or more accurately he had physical strength, but it didn't show at all.

Bain Naberius did not have green hair. He wanted to have green hair, badly enough that he changed the colour artificially. But he himself did not feel he should have green hair. And the subtext was made entirely clear when one considered who among devilkind the scientist was trying to emulate. A scientist trying to artificially create super devils who dyed his hair the same colour as that of a super devil who happened to be (arguably) the underworld's pre-eminent scientist.

"I told you!" the devil shouted at his cowering subordinate, "How many times did I tell you?!"

"Three, master–"

"Three times I told you, active samples go back into the suspension field so they don't lose their potency! Now these samples are tainted and useless! How am I expected to make any progress with such incompetent staff?!"

"I-I'm sorry, master–"

"You will be!" the devil assured his servant with a backhand that quickly bruised. "You just volunteered to be the next test subject for our experiments in transitive properties! Get back to work!"

Yes. Styling himself as someone many times his better and carrying an abhorrent attitude. Inferiority complex, thy name is Bain.

"Master Bain, nya."

The scientist's ire quickly turned to the nekoshou, then to the stranger beside her. "What is it, Kuroka?! You know I'm not to be bothered!"

"You have a visitor. This is Lelouch–"

"I don't care!" He looked to Lelouch. "Who are you?! If you're here on behalf of the main house you can tell my uncle I would be making more progress were it not for these constant interruptions!"

"... As your Bishop was just saying," Lelouch spoke with reprimand, "I am Lelouch Bael. I believe you should have been expecting my arrival?" Though the pile of unopened mail they had passed on the way down suggested he very well may not have been.

"Ah..." the scientist stood agog. As inferior as he might have felt compared to Ajuka Beelzebub, his mind was still quick enough to realise instantly the amount of shit he just stepped into. "Ah... Ah..." Not that it was capable of figuring out what to do about it.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot," Lelouch offered him an olive branch.

"Ah, yes! Yes! My... My apologies, Lord Bael." Technically it should have been 'Lord Lelouch' as there was only one Lord Bael and that was his father. But Lelouch wasn't going to quibble about protocol when Bain looked like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. "I'm afraid word of your arrival must have been lost in the mail." Technically true. "May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

"Twofold," Lelouch raised two fingers, then lowered one, "First, as you first assumed I am here to check on the progress of your research. I know such things can be a hassle but the Naberius' main house have been stonewalling the rest of the Great King faction when it comes to your progress. I'm sure you know how jealously the pillars can hoard their successes, even when they aren't really their successes." Mildly denigrating the main house while flattering the real talent. Or so Bain would like to think of himself. A straightforward tactic but Bain was clearly a straightforward man.

And an unsubtle man judging by the glint in his eye. "Yes. I can imagine that would be frustrating. Especially seeing as despite delays," he shot a look at the poor, beleaguered servant, "I feel we are close to a breakthrough! We have learned a great many things about the sage arts, enough that I can finally see a path to true power! Would that I could share it with a more understanding benefactor." Yes. Unsubtle was the word.

"Then I shall be happy to see your findings so far." Might as well let the hooked fish enjoy its bait for now. "As for the other purpose, it's a more personal interest specifically in the potential curative properties of sage arts. In particular, any potential they have for treating the sleeping sickness. Given you are one of the underworld's foremost experts on the fundamental properties thereof–"

"Ugh, sleeping sickness," Bain groaned. "That old research boondoggle. You're wasting your time."

So much for maintaining his good mood. "I'm sure I wouldn't take advice on my priorities from someone who didn't know who I was less than five minutes ago."

"Yes, of course," the lesser Naberius sneered. "Far be it from me to complain about the mighty Bael coming down from on high, obligating me to waste my time on lost causes." ... Well. He certainly grew his balls back in record time. "Kuroka, assist him in your free time but you will arrive promptly when I call upon you!"

"And you will of course share your current findings with me."

"Yes, fine!" Once again, he turned to his assistant. "Gather what he needs to see!"

-(-)-

Lelouch had not seen a single sign of Bain in the days since. So far as he could tell, that was to both of their preference. For the time being, he neither wanted nor needed to talk to the man. All he needed was to go over the research with Ana, getting Kuroka's input as the one with hands-on experience of the arts.

Kuroka herself was actually quite a pleasant host as far as such things went. If a bit playful at times. She had a tendency to get handsy, or pushy, or nuzzly with him while they worked. She was a cat after all. He couldn't help but wonder if he only received his Bael lineage or if his mother's side of the family decided to grace him as well. It would explain a few things.

Like how Kuroka would so often 'accidentally' squeeze his package. Supposedly for intending to squeeze his thigh. Or maybe that was just her being her.

Still, distracting as she could be, she couldn't distract from the reality before them. "It wouldn't work."

"Nya... I'm afraid not," the catgirl shrugged apologetically as she leaned into and nuzzled his shoulder. "Senjutsu can heal. It can heal the user. It can heal others. It can bring out the strength of living things. But for what you seek? Nya..."

He could hate the conclusion all he wanted. His feelings wouldn't change it. There was a fundamental problem with the sleeping sickness that senjutsu simply couldn't touch. Bringing out the strength of something, restoring its health and stamina, things like that? There were treatments already attempted to do similar things in an attempt to resolve the malady. Phenex Tears. Various stimulants. And they worked, in a sense. The Phenex Tears restored the patient to perfect health. The stimulants did exactly what was expected; a short-term boost in exchange for long-term fatigue. The patient would go through the intended effects, then the side-effects, all while in complete repose.

For as exotic and thorough as senjutsu was, even at its strongest it wouldn't do anything more than Phenex Tears would do. It was merely an alternate method of something that had been tried more times than could be counted. It didn't resolve the fundamental problem of the sickness. That sleep had become the patient's only natural state. As essential as a heartbeat.

The Bael heir's head fell back to the couch, tilting to rest more comfortably. What a waste of time.

"Nya!"

His eyes blinked at the tiny, white thing that fled around the doorway he was looking at. The feline squeak of fright at being caught was amusing. Her looking back in to hiss at him only more so. "Your sister is adorable," he observed aloud to Kuroka. "Confusing though. I admit I don't have a stellar history with cats but rarely do they fear and hate me on sight."

"Nya..." Kuroka mewled as was her way, "Maybe she thinks you're cute but she's just shy?"

Lelouch blinked, looked back at the elder of the cats and how she was still groping his leg. "I suppose her apple fell into a different orchard to yours."

"Nya~~~..." the black cat just smiled at him mischievously.

Ana's face was pinched. "She isn't scared of you, master."

"Then what– Oh." He had gotten so used to being around Anastasia, trusted her so implicitly, he had gotten used to the unsettling effect her passenger could have. And for creatures that could sense life energy like nekoshou could..

"Ooh, you are clever ones aren't you, nya?" It was a subdued sort of pleased the cat radiated at that moment. "Yes, we can sense the thing on your servant. How unnatural it is. I'm fine, but Shirone, well, she's young."

Lelouch frowned slightly. "Is she?" It wasn't a question of polite acknowledgement. It was more of an actual question. Though one he didn't want the answer to as much as Kuroka did. "Well, I suppose it isn't any of my business," he continued before the elder sister could comment on it. "Though I'll ask you not to refer to Viy as a thing if you wouldn't mind. He lives, he thinks and he has protected my Ana for nearly a hundred years. I can understand your discomfort, but please don't speak of him with disrespect for only that."

He could see Ana appreciated his words as much as Kuroka didn't. Though it seemed the nekoshou's attention was more on the kitten in the doorway than anything he said.

-(-)-

Ana was alone in the sitting room, carefully organising the research documents the master of the house had lent them. Technically speaking, her master's purpose for the visit was complete. Sage arts were a dead end for treating Misla Bael. However, Zekram's purpose for this visit had yet to be completed. She had observed all at Lelouch's behest. Examined the servants, the nekoshou, Bain himself. What she had discovered largely matched her master's conclusions. The nekoshou were test subjects. The servants were pawns, both in Piece and purpose. And Bain... Inferiority complex. Dissatisfaction. Impatience. A foul temper. A single-minded drive to see his research succeed.

But the question of whether he worked solely for the Naberius, or had backers in the Nebiros? That wasn't so obvious. Usually a man who had multiple loyalties, especially when said loyalties were actively split, that man would exhibit some signs of such a thing. Something Viy would easily be able to see. Unfortunately for her and for Lelouch, Bain seemed to not care in the slightest who he worked for. Bael, Naberius, Nebiros, it didn't matter so long as he succeeded. He had displayed as much when Lelouch hinted at a chance to work for the Bael directly, something that would come with greater resources, only to immediately lose interest when he learned what Lelouch was interested in. This project was all that mattered to him and he intended to see it through.

Coupled with what Viy had seen when he looked at Kuroka... She had passed on her concerns. Her master had been frustratingly silent about them. But she trusted him.

"N-Nya!" Ana's eyes flicked up from her work to see the littlest nekoshou staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. The former princess had just a glimpse of the hand that had pushed the girl into the room. "Ah...! Ah...!"

"Hello," Ana said politely, with as reassuring a smile as she could. "My name is Anastasia but my friends call me Ana. What's your name?"

"A... Nya?" Shirone asked, stood stock still, her fear response having chosen 'freeze'.

Ana laughed lightly at the cute mispronunciation, but Shirone flinched in fear. "It's okay," she soothed, staying low and making sure not to show teeth with her smile. She didn't stand, simply leaned forward out of her chair to kneel in front of the girl. "That's right, Ana. And who are you?"

"Sh..." the white nekoshou was trembling slightly. "Shirone is Shirone, nya."

"That's a pretty name."

In the hallway behind Shirone, Kuroka hid in the shadow, worrying at her fingernails as she watched the two white-haired girls interact. As she watched her baby sister overcome her fears with just a gentle push.

"It's painful watching them grow up, isn't it?" Her ears perked straight up at the unexpected voice, only to quickly relax as she felt the Bael guest come up by her side. He had that effect, it seemed. "I'm an older sibling too. You have to push them sometimes, even if it's painful teaching them to need you less and less."

Inside the room, a shadow crawled out of nothing to rest around Ana's shoulders, glowing yellow eyes leering out of the darkness behind her. Shirone fell backward in fright, looked ready to bolt, but with a few comforting gestures from Ana, she held strong.

Which was impressive, given Kuroka's reaction, her claws digging into Lelouch's arm hard enough to break the skin.

Even so, little Shirone reached out, touched the shadow creature's 'arm' resting atop Ana's. The Russian princess smiled encouragingly.

"Yes..." Kuroka agrees as she watches her little sister show more bravery than Kuroka believed she herself had. "It's painful, nya. But it's worth it."

"Very much so."

-(-)-

The younger nekoshou getting over her fears was something Lelouch considered to be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, Shirone was adorable, and it was nice to see her be adorable close up rather than twenty feet away hiding around a doorframe.

On the other hand... Shirone was like Kuroka if Kuroka didn't have a filter or a need or knowledge of propriety. If Kuroka liked to lean up against him to nuzzle his shoulder, Shirone would just crawl into his lap, curl up into a ball and nuzzle his hand until he would give her pets. And to make matters even worse, Kuroka was not so quietly jealous, wondering aloud when she would get headpats.

It was... Well, actually it was quite nice if he were willing to be honest. A mild inconvenience but it wasn't as though he had anything particularly pressing on his plate at the time. Who doesn't like petting a kitten? So long as it didn't bite or scratch of course. This one didn't so he was perfectly satisfied with his current circumstances.

The only downside was the increasing frequency of Kuroka being called down to the laboratory, Ana's increasing agitation. He knew what was happening. The experiments were getting more strenuous. Bain was becoming more frantic, more demanding. But Lelouch knew thanks to Ana and his own observations that a weak will was not among Kuroka's flaws. She wouldn't break. And because of that, Bain would do something stupid. Lelouch didn't know what it would be, but he was waiting for it.

"NYA!"

"Augh! You just–! You attacked me?!"

"You won't take her!"

And there it was. A commotion that told him exactly what mistake Bain had made, and exactly how Lelouch needed to play it.

He emerged into the hall in the dead of night with Ana behind him. "You!" he barked at the assistant carrying Shrone with one arm. His other was bleeding, cut open down to the bone.

The assistant regarded him in his periphery. The anxiety was plain as he realised Lelouch was blocking his retreat. "Lord Bael, this is none of your concern."

"Kuroka?"

"Bain wants to use Shirone in his experiments! He's going to kill her!" the nekoshou shrieked, wild-eyed and ready to attack at any provocation.

"Ana, freeze."

She had already prepared a spell matrix, hoping, silently begging for the order. In a flash the devil Pawn was encased in ice up to his waist. "L-Lord Bael–!" the panicking man tried to plead to the pillar heir.

Only for his eyes to meet crane wings. "Answer my questions!" Lelouch ordered. "Is she telling the truth?"

"Yes," the servant answered woodenly. "Kuroka has proven uncooperative and so Lord Bain requires a more malleable test subject."

"He means I wouldn't kill myself to give him power!" Kuroka corrected angrily.

"What was Bain trying to do?"

"Lord Bain has come to the conclusion that with proper procedures in place, a sage arts practitioner can feed their life force to another, permanently strengthening the recipient. Kuroka's previous refusal destroyed the required equipment for the transfer. After repairing it, he realised a child would be a more easily controlled subject for which to prove the viability of the procedure. By using the younger nekoshou, he intends to–"

Kuroka was watching the assistant spill every detail in disbelief. Open questions could get long and detailed answers depending on the target and scientific minds tended to be naturally thorough. Lelouch listened with half an ear in case there was any other pertinent information. "Right. I'm going to go deal with this." Carefully, he pulled Shirone from the devil's arm and passed her to Kuroka. "Ana, all the way, please. Kuroka, everything is going to be fine."

"WaitwaitwaitwaitWAIT!" the servant begged as he was suddenly fully encased in ice.

"Wh... How nya-..." The nekoshou shook her head, firmed her resolve. "We're leaving!" she declared, gathering her energy in case Lelouch or Ana would try to stop her.

"You want to be a stray?" he asked, "Get hunted down alongside your sister? Or are you going to leave her all alone to fend for herself?!" he demanded with sudden anger. "Stay here. I'll resolve this myself."

As he made his way downstairs he was confident she would follow his orders without him making it an order. He didn't need more proof than Kuroka and Shirone happily crawling all over him to know he had the Vapula gift. It would only have been more ironic if it was Suzaku in his place.

"Bain!" he shouted as he stormed into the laboratory. Everyone in his sight at once. Good. It would be difficult to find more acceptable targets than these.

"What?" the scientist asked, not bothering to look his way. Less ideal.

But, there were simple solutions to that problem. "Alright, let me try this again. BAIN NABERIUS AND ASSISTANTS!" he yelled, "If I could have your undivided attention!"

"Rrgh, fine!" the scientist snapped, turning away from the equipment the frozen devil had likely been talking about. "What do you–?!"

Lelouch's fingers splayed around his eye as six devils stared into it, "Lelouch Bael commands you! Obey all of my orders from this day forth!"

"YES, MY LORD!"