Author's Note:
Askastles: Hi. April Fool's. I am not Aminta, but you may know me from some other Code Geass fics like "Coup D'état", "Missing Pieces", and my magnum opus "Trigger".
Once again, I am NOT Aminta, but I do bring you a chapter I wrote as a continuation to Aminta's fic "Glimpse Into Another Life" from 2 years ago (and yes I did start this within days of chapter 1 being posted, and it has been simmering on my hard drive since). This is a crossover fic between Code Geass and Aminta's Code Geass fic "Excalibur", so please read that first or you will be slightly lost. (Excalibur is amazing, so everyone should read it anyway).
Thank you Aminta for 1) allowing me to continue this story, 2) writing Excalibur and all of your other great fics, and 3) helping me with a quick edit so nothing's too inconsistent.
Enjoy!
"I am Zero, in command of the most-successful anti-terrorist task force. Why would I kill Clovis?"
Her breath caught, trapped against the sharp metal pressing into her throat. This version of Lelouch had just admitted to being Zero. That couldn't possibly mean that… their Lelouch was Zero as well?
Then, the other part of what he said finally registered.
"Anti-terrorist task force?" she posed through gritted teeth, craning her neck to try and see him. He shoved her more roughly against the wall. "What the hell are you going on about?"
Lamperouge shifted ever so slightly, the first she'd felt him move since pinning her in this position. "Surely you've heard of Zero." He suddenly didn't sound as confident as he once had.
"He's a revolutionary, fighting Britannian scum like you for Japan's freedom." Neither moved an inch. Silence passed between them, and Kallen hated to admit that her arm was already beginning to feel sore from behind her. "Look it up online if you don't believe me."
He paused, then resumed with only one word: "Kouzuki." Kallen didn't like how he repeated her name with some form of recognition. "You're Japanese then?"
She resisted the urge to nod. "I am." She then muttered a few choice words in her native tongue.
He breathed out. Why did that of all things seem to relax him? "As much as I don't appreciate the insults—" Damn it, had he somehow understood her? "—I believe I'm starting to understand what's going on here."
Oh, did he? That at least made one of them.
He tightened his grip. "I'm going to release you and keep your weapon. You will not attack me again. If you do, we will return to this position, and I will gladly drag you to the Bureau myself. Do I make myself clear?"
As much as she hated him, Kallen had a hard time picturing the Lelouch she knew ever threatening someone in this manner. Figures that a Britannian soldier would be so callous, although she couldn't really imagine rather-mild-mannered Suzaku threatening anyone either. Maybe it was Lamperouge's noble background instead, or his closer relationship with his parents, including the so-called "bastard" father he and Lelouch had been arguing about back at Ashford. What did it all mean?
Begrudgingly, Kallen grumbled and agreed to the deal, gasping as the pressure was swiftly relieved from her neck and arm. She landed on her knees, breathing heavily. Then, she twisted towards her target and was surprised to find a hand offered towards her, his would-be assassin.
Kallen stared at his hand for longer than she should have, although to his credit, Lamperouge didn't pull back or seem to lose any confidence during their extended pause. Hesitantly, she reached up and accepted the peace offering, allowing him to smoothly pull her to her feet. His grip was firm, and Kallen felt calluses that she was somehow sure their Lelouch lacked. She searched for her knife as she rose, noting with dismay that he had likely already tucked it into the folds of his clothing. Well, there went one of her only concealable weapons. Hopefully someone in the Black Knights could help her find a replacement.
Lamperouge released her hand once she was stable and considered her for only a moment. "Would you happen to have a computer?"
Lelouch followed Kallen as she led him through her home, not willing to let her out of his sight. She'd first insisted on retrieving a laptop on her own and returning, but he'd denied that request immediately. She was still only several minutes removed from having pulled a knife on him, and for what, exactly? For being a soldier? For being nobility? He couldn't quite pinpoint the specific reason, but given her vitriol and deliberate choice of Japanese profanity, he could at least assume it had something to do with her heritage.
A half-breed Japanese and Britannian noble, or at least something similar based on her appearance. Assuming she inherited her title through her father, then the woman who'd greeted them downstairs had likely been her step-mother. Lelouch barely needed to ponder Kallen's origins before determining dozens of possible explanations for her hostility, many of which he considered fairly justified. Regardless, the last thing he needed in this strange mirror world were even more assassination attempts, from people he didn't even know no less. Somehow even changing worlds couldn't save him from being targeted. One more reason to return home as soon as possible.
He soon found himself seated in a den on the opposite side of the manor, at a desk with a laptop opened before him, ever-conscious of the redhead's eyes peering over his shoulder. He breathed in slowly, attempting to swallow his discomfort. Where to begin?
What he wanted most was to return home, but as eager as he could tell Kallen was, he first typed: 'Zero'.
The search results exploded. Zero and 'Black Knights' Return Britannian Hostages from Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel.
Further down: Masked Man 'Zero' Kidnaps Suzaku Kururugi from Military Convoy, Claims Responsibility for Killing Prince Clovis.
Behind the Mask of Area 11's Infamous Terrorist: Who is 'Zero'? Well, considering the naming scheme, he could certainly fathom a reasonable guess for that answer.
As he scrolled, Lelouch started to piece together a more complete picture from the headlines and brief summaries presented. So, the Zero of this world was a terrorist, or a 'revolutionary', as Kallen preferred to call him. He killed Clovis for some unknown reason, apparently rescued Suzaku from becoming the scapegoat for his crime (although, scrolling down that article revealed that his thick-headed friend decided to return to his trial regardless, thankfully to be found innocent due to lack of evidence), and then appeared once more to save Britannian hostages from a hotel-jacking. Quite odd behavior for a 'terrorist'.
"Satisfied?" Kallen asked with clear irritation as she circled around to his side. Good, he preferred her where he could see her anyway. "I don't know who Zero is in your world, but this is who he is in ours. Zero's definitely not… Britannian." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that.
Lelouch turned back to the laptop and continued to scroll through some pictures, cringing slightly at the elaborate choice of outfit. A purple jumpsuit with a flowing black cape and opaque visor? Was he trying to inspire the masses, terrify them, or beset them with laughter?
He eventually landed on a photograph of Zero following the recent hostage crisis, flanked on either side by his newly-christened 'Black Knights'. The one to the revolutionary's left displayed a suspiciously-familiar hair color, partially obscured by her visor. He tilted his head back, eyeing his ever-so-gracious host. Well, he supposed he would keep that information to himself for now.
He clicked on a video from the same incident. "I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be. Those of you with power: fear us! Those of you without it: rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"
Lelouch grimaced. Yes, that voice was also a little too familiar for his liking, confirming the most obvious solution to this 'mystery'. What was his counterpart thinking, risking his and Nunnally's peace and anonymity like this? Maybe he was ignorant enough to assume their father didn't know their location, but Lelouch knew better. If the Ashfords were no longer reporting back to their mother, some other form of surveillance would be required. At least one OSI agent had to be implanted at Ashford Academy, vigilantly watching over them. Father was simply allowing this… rebellion to continue, for some inconceivable reason.
Aware of the additional gaze on his screen, Lelouch refrained from typing in his mother's name, as much as he wanted to know more about her death in this world that had ultimately turned his counterpart to treason. Even as he resisted that particular urge, he realized it wasn't his supposedly dead mother that his thoughts kept returning to, but rather another person all this talk of rebellion had dredged from his past.
He instead typed: 'The Count'.
"Now what are you doing?" Kallen asked.
When numerous articles about lesser nobility appeared, he scowled. "Looking for a ghost," he replied as he added 'Area 2' and the relevant years to his search.
He scrolled past a few more articles about lesser nobility until he found what he wanted. The Count's true name was never listed, but there was still a note regarding her execution in 2014, following a much higher casualty count in Area 2 than he recalled. Taking credit seemed to be the Knight of Three, before his retirement shortly thereafter.
Lelouch sighed, probably more shakily than he intended as he attempted to keep his warring emotions in check. Yes, that was about as dismal as he expected.
Kallen seemed unimpressed. "Did you find what you wanted?"
"I suppose."
Pushing his former enemy as far away from his mind as he could, Lelouch moved on to the most important item on his agenda, feeling foolish for even typing it into the search bar: 'summoning rituals'.
Every result populated from irreputable gossip rags, all pop magazines that either his mother or Kaguya would try to have him read. Was one of these so-called 'spells' really what successfully summoned him from an entirely different world?
Lelouch turned to Kallen, hoping she would be helpful in this regard. He didn't even bother trying to hide his growing exasperation. "You wouldn't happen to know which of these spells Milly used, would you?"
Unfortunately, albeit predictably, she shook her head. "No, I only walked in right before you arrived. All I remember is her trying to get ahold of Lelouch's hair beforehand, claiming that he would be 'the easiest to summon from the student council, since he's basically a demon anyway,' whatever that meant." He could practically hear her eyes roll.
She paused as if processing, then asked, "Wait, are you trying to go back?"
Why was that even a question? "Yes, considering I presumably disappeared without a trace. R—" He couldn't bring himself to speak his name here, not when he could be in danger. In this world, assuming he still enlisted and most of his family structure remained intact, Roy was probably stuck at a much lower rank than he deserved due his status as a commoner. At least, his position as heir to the family business would now no longer be disputed. He couldn't shut up about that in basic. That was, if he was even still alive here at all.
"My friends," he amended, "likely have no idea where I've gone." He thought for a moment, then added, softer, for additional impact: "And my father promised that they would suffer should any harm befall me."
Kallen stared back at him with something more akin to compassion than he had ever seen from her up until now. No, he knew he was manipulating her, but that did not mean he appreciated her pity.
Then, her eyes narrowed. "You're a soldier. You'll still try to save the Viceroy."
Why was she so obsessed with Clovis?
"I've already told you," he started slowly, "in my world, I own the moniker of Zero. I am certainly no terr—revolutionary and thus have no plans to kill the viceroy. Clovis will live whether I'm there or not." Which was not entirely true, as in his world, Zero was constantly thwarting assassination attempts on his siblings' lives. It was quite possible that Clovis would happen to die there at someone else's hand in his absence, not that Kallen needed to hear that.
Lelouch tapped his fingers across the desk impatiently. "Why is it that you care so much about his death?"
Kallen crossed her arms over her chest, avoiding eye contact. "He purged the Shinjuku ghetto and ordered my brother's execution. I'd do almost anything to make sure he stays dead and save others from his atrocities."
That gave Lelouch pause. Purged the Shinjuku ghetto? What had driven Clovis to take such drastic action? Even assuming his brother had no care for 'the Numbers', didn't he at least realize that the Japanese were necessary for economic productivity? Furthermore, a full-scale massacre would just embolden the already-present terrorists. Lelouch found himself hoping his brother's judgment wasn't this flawed in his own world as well.
Then, he registered the second part of her explanation. Clovis had ordered her brother's execution? So, a terrorist then? And here she was following in his footsteps with this so-called 'Zero'. He supposed that elucidated her motives for attacking him earlier, even if the move was incredibly impulsive when directed towards a trained soldier who had been doing nothing to harm or even threaten her at the time.
Lelouch breathed in, glancing out the nearby window. Sunset would be soon, and as much as he would have preferred a quicker solution, it seemed as though he'd need to resign himself to staying for at least the night. Arguing with Kallen now certainly would not be worth the effort, even if he shared her frustrations regarding his brother and his apparent wanton slaughter of the Japanese.
"I acknowledge your concerns, but regardless, I'm going home. Tomorrow, I'll ask Milly for help, and if she is unable, I'll have to find someone else who can." If he could help it, he would try his best not to sell out Kallen or his counterpart, but he had to admit that their secrets he now held would make for impressive leverage.
Lelouch scanned the room, including the couch and small desk that occupied it. A tiny den on the opposite end of the manor from the living quarters? Much less likely to be bugged than a pre-made suite. "I'll stay in here for the night, if you don't mind."
Kallen seemed appropriately surprised as she continued to morph into the paragon of hospitality. "In here? But we prepared a bedroom for you already."
He turned back to the laptop with a small hum. "This will do."
In this world, he was alone. He certainly wouldn't be sleeping that night anyway.
When Lelouch entered his bedroom feeling much more frustrated than he had ever expected to be when starting the day, he found C.C. lounging on his bed, considering her pizza rewards card.
He let the door close behind him and turned towards the enigmatic woman who'd made herself at home within his suite. "What do you know about alternate worlds?"
If the topic piqued C.C.'s interest, she seemed convincingly unperturbed. "Certainly a peculiar question, considering they only seem to currently exist in whispered theories." She looked up from her sticker sheet. "Is something wrong?"
He grimaced as he removed his jacket, hanging it on a hook by the door. Something wrong was certainly an understatement. "Milly performed some 'ritual' in the council room earlier, and now there's a version of me roaming around who claims that he's a Britannian soldier from another world."
C.C. blinked. "And you're sure he's not –"
"He's not a spy. He told me something only Nunnally and I know from childhood."
She hummed, seeming much less interested in the conversation than Lelouch supposed she ought. "What are you going to do about it then?"
"Do?" His hands curled into fists at his sides. "Right now, I'm powerless because he went home with Kallen to spend the night. On one hand, I'm thankful he's gone, but now he could be revealing my secrets without a care because this isn't even his reality!"
When C.C. didn't bother with a response, Lelouch unfurled his hands and breathed inwards to steady himself, albeit unsuccessfully. He approached his desk, pulled the chair back forcefully, then lowered himself more gently into it. Lelouch rested his arm on the desk, draping his hand across his forehead and eyes, though that did little to quell his noticeable tremor.
A few days. That was all the respite he'd been given since forming the basis for an organization to one day destroy Britannia. The hotel-jacking, despite endangering his friends and his kindhearted sister, proved to be a blessing in disguise, enabling the heroic debut of his 'knights for justice' and the swift elimination of some more troublesome members of the Japanese Liberation Front, all with relatively few casualties. Lelouch could lead the Black Knights as Zero, eventually granting them freedom for Japan (and working his way up through the imperial family to discover the truth behind his mother's death). The obliteration of Britannia and the deliverance of a more peaceful world to Nunnally would naturally follow, all while he hid his identity behind a mask and his sister remained safe within the walls of Ashford Academy.
Set up conditions the way you want, C.C. had said. That's exactly what he'd done, or at least what he'd been starting to do. He'd cleared his first condition, but how could he have possibly anticipated the arrival of a doppelgänger from another world, one who at the very least knew of their heritage? Worse, the intruder was a Britannian soldier, so who knew where his allegiances lied? A few words could at minimum ruin the relationships he and Nunnally had built at Ashford and at worst tear down his entire rebellion before it even had a chance to begin, all while completely jeopardizing their safety.
His counterpart wasn't even useful enough to provide information regarding his mother's death, despite remaining in Britannia. He'd only confirmed the Emperor likely knew the identity of the culprit, which Lelouch had already assumed. He hoped his siblings would be able to provide easier answers, but he'd always known that the final solution rested at the top. That was one of many reasons Britannia had to be destroyed.
All of this wasn't even factoring in any knowledge his double may or may not have had about geass in his world, but that headache could be saved for later. He breathed, more successfully than he had previously, pushing less immediate concerns back. One step at a time, yes, that would be key.
Lelouch lifted his head and turned towards C.C., who of course had already returned to examining her rewards card. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about how he got here, would you?" Given the woman's penchant for avoiding questions she didn't wish to answer, it wouldn't surprise him if she were concealing something like this as well. "You gave me power and came back from the dead, so I'd have to believe summoning would interest you as well."
She tilted her head slightly as she turned to face him. "If you're asking whether the power of geass is involved, I doubt it. This sounds like something else." A ghost of a smile graced her lips. "Perhaps your schoolmate is simply a witch."
"Says the witch herself," he huffed.
"If you want him gone so badly," she said with a shrug, "just use your geass on him. Tell him to die or at least to not reveal your secrets."
How could she think that option hadn't already crossed his mind? "His existence reveals my secrets. I doubt geass alone can fix that. The student council was already asking about my heritage, and Milly and Suzaku can only deflect so many questions." He ran his hand through his hair. "From what Milly told me afterwards, everyone knows Nunnally and I are from a powerful noble family, so our commoner guise is already cracking. They know we've been lying to them, and that'll be difficult to repair."
"But you have been lying to them. You just aren't happy that you've been caught."
Lelouch settled into a pointed glare and scowled. "You aren't helping."
"I offered suggestions and told you I know nothing of alternate worlds. Was that not sufficient?"
He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Quite the insufferable woman she was, always with more questions than answers. "Sufficient for you maybe, but not for me. I'm the one whose plans are now at risk, and I cannot afford to stand idle while this leak remains."
C.C. remained quiet, but at least by that point Lelouch had calmed down enough to stand from his desk, albeit with his hands still planted firmly across its top. "As much as I'd like to handle this immediately," he said, "I already have plans for a drug bust tonight. I suppose I'll have to deal with him tomorrow after school."
Hopefully, Kallen's impromptu houseguest wouldn't somehow prevent her from attending Zero's nightly operations.
Ordinarily, Kallen would have considered helping her fellow Japanese and punishing the Britannians who were taking advantage of them to be the most interesting parts of her nightly raids with the Black Knights. She was proud to be finally making a difference, to be a founding member of a structured organization fighting back against Britannia, an organization that was continuing her brother's dream. As Zero said, they were truly 'Knights for Justice'.
The previous night, however, she found her gaze lingering on Zero even more than usual. She admired the man, of course, because even though he chose to hide his face, he'd done the impossible in killing the viceroy, saving (an ungrateful) Suzaku Kururugi from execution, and rescuing hostages from a rogue faction of the Japanese Liberation Front. It was a miracle Zero had chosen them, and with Zero they had a chance.
Those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind that night, however. Lamperouge's proclamation of being Zero in another world served as a reminder of her concerns following Shinjuku, specifically regarding a certain student council vice president. She had suspected Lelouch of being Zero back then, given his odd mention of Shinjuku in the courtyard, but Zero had talked to her over the phone with Lelouch present in the room. It also wouldn't make sense for a Britannian to be Zero, because why would a Britannian hate his own country enough to lead a rebellion, let alone be fluent in Japanese? Hell, why (and how) would a Britannian teenager especially be able to do either of those things?
She knew now that Lelouch was likely raised as nobility, albeit currently estranged from his father and still mourning the death of his mother years ago. He was also friends with Suzaku… from childhood it seemed, before the invasion. Kallen honestly had no idea how that would have occurred. Regardless, the one thing Kallen was sure about Lelouch was that he was an uncaring asshole, which certainly didn't meld with her idea of Zero at all, a man passionate about helping the Japanese and delivering justice on behalf of the powerless.
Even with all the evidence against the conclusion she hoped to avoid, Kallen still found herself studying Zero for some kind of tell, even if she knew she'd never ask him for his identity directly. If he were Lelouch, would he be paying closer attention to her due to her recent proximity to his counterpart? Would he instead be ignoring her to overcompensate? Despite her constant observation, however, nothing was amiss that night at all. Zero gave orders, to her as well as the rest of the Black Knights, and they worked together to take down the usual Britannian scum. She should've been satisfied with those results, yet if nothing was wrong, why did she still feel uneasy?
Lamperouge had mentioned Zero was a counter-terrorist agent in his world, so maybe the similar naming was only a coincidence. Maybe. The doubts still never left her, which was why she found herself cornering Lelouch after class the following day.
As her classmates funneled out of the room, Kallen approached Lelouch at his table. She'd left Lamperouge in the student council room that morning so he could avoid the rest of the student body and eventually discuss ways to leave with Milly. Kallen had managed to come to (reluctant) terms with Clovis being alive in the other world that wasn't hers, but having Lamperouge gone still left her own Lelouch to deal with, a Lelouch that currently appeared to be staring out the classroom window. She paused at his side, only remembering at the last second to maintain her mild-mannered persona. "Lelouch, could I… discuss something with you?"
It took a second for him to face her, but he eventually turned lazily around. He blinked twice, not seeming quite focused. "Sure, what is it?"
"Um…" Yeah, this conversation definitely wouldn't be good to have in such a public area. "Would you happen to know somewhere we could speak alone? I think these matters are a bit more… private."
Kallen expected Lelouch to either dismiss her then or make some excuse to leave, but he actually seemed a bit more attentive at towards that request. He nodded as he stood. "Follow me. I know a place."
Several hallways later, what he led her to was a storage closet of all things. Her eye twitched slightly as she thought of a certain orange-haired member of the student council. "You know, I think people are already getting the wrong idea about the two of us. I don't think this will help things."
"I can't stay for long, so this will be easiest," he assured her as he flicked on the light switch and shut the door behind them. Alone at last, with only mops, brooms, and other cleaning supplies to observe. "Now what was it you wanted to discuss?"
Well, given their apparent minimal time, it would probably be easiest to rip off the proverbial bandage now rather than later. "Lamperouge said that, in his world, he is Zero."
An appropriately awkward, lengthy pause sat between them until Lelouch finally asked, "Is that what he told you?" To his credit, he did appear genuinely confused. "And why would a Britannian soldier of all people be Zero?"
Kallen crossed her arms. "I don't know," she said, not wanting to give him the advantage of knowing Lamperouge's Zero was apparently a Britannian asset of all things, and she'd been way too tired to think of an excuse for this question beforehand. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Lelouch?"
"Are you accusing me of something?" he asked more evenly than before.
Was she? Yes, absolutely. "Are you Zero?" she blurted, quieter at least.
Surprisingly, Lelouch barely reacted. "Kallen, despite our physical resemblance, our personal histories seem to diverge about 8 years ago. We are very different people, and anything he says past a certain point seems to have very little relation to me or this world."
"So you would be very different Zeros," she countered.
Kallen thought she caught the end of an eye roll. Lelouch was either inexplicably bored or doing a very good job pretending to be. He didn't even seem to care that he, a Britannian student, was suspected of being a wanted terrorist. "Is that all you came here for?" he asked. "To make baseless accusations?"
Kallen wanted to argue that her accusations weren't 'baseless', but thinking on it made her realize she only really had Lamperouge's claims to support her suspicion. She had no more evidence now than she had when she'd confronted Lelouch that time in the shower. She also knew a bit more about Lelouch's history, she supposed, as unhelpful as that was. Well, Lelouch had been in Japan before the invasion. Would… Suzaku somehow be the missing link here?
Apparently, Lelouch took her extended silence as a cue to leave, since he began walking towards the door behind her, and she lacked the energy to stop him. "Tell Lamperouge I wish to speak with him privately once he's finished with Milly," he ordered, brushing past her and into the hall. "We can chat over some tea."
Then he was gone, and Kallen felt no more confident than she had before. Short conversation indeed. Had he answered even one of her questions?
Lelouch climbed the staircase of Ashford Academy's club house feeling even more dejected than he had the previous day. His online search last night had yielded no helpful results for returning home, and worse still, Milly had also offered no immediate solutions during their discussion earlier. She explained that she'd stumbled across the summoning ritual in a book checked out from Ashford's library—a book that was one of a series of eight, only four of which were in the library's catalog. Out of those, one was apparently checked out by another student dabbling in the 'mystical arts'. Milly assured him that she would search nearby libraries for the missing editions, but in Lelouch's mind, the nearest copy of those obscure tomes might as well have been located in the Homeland. What good would that serve him in returning home promptly?
As if his excursion in Australia wasn't exhausting enough, he had still been adjusting to the time zone change when he was transported to this alternate world. Couple that with not sleeping the previous night, and he could feel the weight of his legs as he dragged himself up each individual stair.
His goal was to get home immediately, but if that wasn't possible, he would need to acclimatize to this world, at least temporarily. The temptation to continue using the available laptop had won him over, although he was limited by the knowledge that his searches would likely be tracked. World history and geography seemed innocuous enough yet revealed only minor deviations, many of which could be attributed to the absence of either his mother or himself. He refrained from searching for particular people, concerned that would reveal too much of him to his hosts or would tempt him into doing something he'd regret during this transient visit.
He had needed to feign sleep, however, when Kallen checked on him before leaving her home around 22:00 and after returning around 2:00. He had a sneaking suspicion of what she was up to at those hours, not that it ultimately mattered to him, but he hoped that meant she'd be too tired to pay him much mind the following day. She had indeed left him alone for the majority of the day, at least until she popped into the student council room during his discussion with Milly to inform him that his counterpart also desired a meeting.
That was how he eventually found himself in front of the door to his doppelgänger's rooms. He took care to knock casually to avoid spooking his counterpart, knowing he already wasn't trusted. The door opened, and Lelouch was greeted by the grimace of his double, wearing sunglasses for some unknown reason.
What struck him more was the presence of who appeared to be his younger sister in a wheelchair at the table, her eyes closed but full attention turned towards the entryway. A soft confusion spread across her face, a vulnerable expression he couldn't recall his own Nunnally ever displaying. Behind her stood a younger Japanese woman dressed in a maid's outfit.
The woman flicked her eyes between him and his double. "Master Lelouch…"
"Not now, Sayoko," his double said, sounding about as tired as Lelouch himself felt. "We'll discuss it later. Could you take Nunnally for some fresh air while I tend to our guest?"
As Sayoko nodded hesitantly, Nunnally quickly began to ask, "Guest? Lelouch, who -?"
"A friend of Milly's who's visiting for the day," his counterpart replied smoothly, stepping aside from the door to allow their passage. Lelouch stepped inside and mimicked his movement. "He's a bit shy and plans to leave soon, so he shouldn't be here long."
Whether Nunnally believed that or not, Lelouch couldn't be sure, but she seemed to accept the explanation regardless. "Oh. Alright. I'll see you later then."
She acted nothing like his own sister, but Lelouch suspected this Nunnally was much more perceptive than she let on. Was this the result of her being crippled and fully dependent on her brother in this world? Even then, how much of her outward innocence was merely an act?
Regardless, he watched as the pair departed, the maid locking eyes with him in a suspicious glare as she passed. Then, they were gone, and Lelouch found himself trying to decipher how and why Kaguya's maid had been entrusted as Nunnally's caretaker. Was Kaguya also involved in hiding them away? This Lelouch was obviously still well-acquainted with Suzaku, so it would stand to reason that he'd perhaps maintained his relationship with Kaguya as well. He pushed the thought away that questioned whether Kaguya was still alive in this world at all.
Instead of asking about either of these likely more nuanced developments, he instead observed, "Her eyes are closed."
His double motioned to the table, and Lelouch took a seat. "Even though she was caught in Mother's assassination, the doctors said she was physically harmed only in the torso and extremities. They could never discover an explanation for her blindness, believing it to be psychosomatic."
Lelouch grimaced, displeased by the additional psychological trauma this Nunnally had endured that prevented her from seeing despite lacking a direct injury. "My Nunnally was blinded as a result of… head trauma during the second assassination attempt on the both of us," Lelouch offered. He knew his outrage the previous day regarding his counterpart's ingratitude towards his peaceful living conditions had not been well-received. "It's cruel that her misfortune persisted between worlds, even if she retained her ability to walk in mine."
"Indeed," his double replied, and although Lelouch thought he noticed some tension leave his shoulders, it was difficult to discern with his eyes hidden. Oddly, even when the boy left then returned from the kitchen with a tray of tea, he made no motion to remove the shades.
Lelouch accepted a cup as it was offered to him, absently swishing the tea within. "Were you planning to go somewhere? I didn't mean to intrude."
His host waved his hand dismissively. "No, no. It's simply bright today, isn't it?"
Lelouch knew he was missing something important.
"So, in short, you and Milly still haven't found a way for you to leave?" It certainly wasn't the news Lelouch wanted to hear, nor was Lamperouge lingering in either of their best interests.
Meanwhile, Lamperouge still hadn't touched his tea. "As I said, one of those missing books likely holds the answer, but of course they're so obscure that finding them seems… maybe not impossible but certainly challenging."
He continued on, not allowing Lelouch even a chance to interject. "Before you ask, the volumes we do have on hand were published around twenty years ago under a pseudonym. Finding the original author doesn't appear to be any easier."
Lelouch tapped his fingers on the table, still trying to overcome the dissonance that came with speaking to… himself, or rather a version of himself. Admittedly, there one benefit did exist in these interactions: he could afford to drop his usual masks, at least slightly, albeit with caution that he didn't remove them completely. A lack of precaution could be disastrous, even more so than his currently-unraveling identities. "I'm assuming the publisher was Britannian?"
"Correct," Lamperouge said as he leaned against the back of his chair, "and still located in New York from what I can tell. Considering you're presumed dead in this world, however, I'd have to imagine taking a trip to the Homeland would be… inconvenient at best, for either of us."
Lelouch pondered that for a moment. Reuben said he'd acquired their fake papers and identifications through a reliable source, one of his previous contacts from the Ashfords' days as nobility. The documents could probably fool airport security well enough to fly without issue, although his travel would then be available as a digital record, making him easier to find in the future.
Geass was of course an option as well, but that came with its own risks. Lelouch felt the weight of the darkened glasses on his face as he continued to hope his knowledge of the power exceeded that of his counterpart. If he remembered correctly, the timeframe of their worlds was even misaligned by months, which could be in his favor. Better to be safe than sorry, however.
For his part, Lamperouge seemed generally cooperative today, even if he still appeared to just barely be holding his eyes open. Lelouch had thought some tea could remedy that fatigue slightly, but even his minimal attempt at hospitality was being so obviously avoided. Would he have been more amenable to other refreshments? Lamperouge wasn't bothering to hide his (shared) disdain for the situation, but at least that frustration didn't seem directed towards him in particular. He freely offered information and even potential ideas for future plans.
Well, if he was this open to conversation, hopefully he'd at least be able to elaborate upon his recent and apparently-eventful stay at the Stadtfeld manor. "Speaking of 'inconvenient', I heard you and Kallen had quite a chat last night. Care to fill me in on any details?"
Lamperouge winced, his displeasure apparent. "She confronted you this morning, didn't she?"
"Indeed." Lelouch made a show of pausing to take a long, relaxed sip from his own tea. He delicately placed the cup back on the table before fixing his double with a hidden glare from behind his shades. "Mentioned some strange things about you being Zero in your world, which I thought would be quite unusual for a Britannian soldier."
"Led so strongly, did she?" Lamperouge sighed. "She—quite ineffectually—threatened me with a concealed blade in an attempt to prevent me from saving Clovis from a premature demise in my world at the hands of a certain masked terrorist. I let slip that I'm Zero and have no plans of killing her precious viceroy anyway, which may have had some unfortunate implications for you as well."
As expected. "I would've preferred if you kept quiet instead."
"In my defense, I didn't realize quite how different our worlds truly were. My Zero is leading an anti-terrorist force under the Empire instead of a rebellion against it, so I assumed yours was simply a different Britannian asset. For that, I apologize."
Lelouch felt a bit of revulsion at that suggestion, implying he would ever work under Britannia. It took a decent amount of effort to swallow down the disgust he felt towards the boy sitting in front of him, the version of him that not only submitted to their father but actively furthered Britannia's interests as well.
His counterpart continued, "If it's any consolation, Kallen may be confused enough about the inconsistency to buy you some time."
Lelouch grimaced. "Ah yes. That makes me feel much better about you intruding into my life. You're revealing my secrets and hovering over me as an accomplished agent of the Empire."
"Your sarcasm is noted," Lamperouge said with a scowl. "Unlike you, I didn't have the luxury of escaping our parents' oppressive chokehold. They expect results, and I deliver. That doesn't mean I enjoy my work. The best I can do is mitigate the damage."
"Just following orders then?" Lelouch bit out, "Spoken like a true soldier."
"Hardly," he scoffed. "But that's neither here nor there. As I've expressed every moment since I've arrived, I just want to go home."
"Trust me, I certainly want the same." More and more with every passing minute, it seemed. Nothing good would come from hosting this… interloper for longer than necessary.
Lamperouge seemed to be losing his patience a bit, even if his words didn't easily expose the cracks. "If we're on the same page, then would you happen to have some ideas regarding where to go from here? You obviously know this world much better than I do, and are connected in it much more than I could or ever want to be. Surely, you would know of something I overlooked."
"I can't say I do." They'd covered the tomes and the difficulties of travel. What else could he do? Every possible effort strained his future plans for Area 11. "Frankly, my assistance will be limited, considering how my life has been so quickly unraveling since your arrival. I don't have time to deal with both you and Kallen right now."
Well, at least he'd managed to deflect Kallen's questioning for the moment, and as much as he hated to admit it, Lamperouge had a point in hoping for her confusion to buy them time. Unfortunately, that time wouldn't last forever, especially with carefully woven life coming apart at the seams. It was already a small fortune that Suzaku had been so preoccupied with his job today to properly check on him or they would have yet another unneeded party inserting themself in this already-chaotic situation. Lelouch suspected he was running out of luck to fall back on.
Lamperouge fixed him with a flat stare. "Assign work to some other members of your Black Knights then, or assign someone to solve my problem. Whichever is more convenient for you, since that's what you seem to care about it, never mind me who never asked to be sent here. I'm sure your network isn't so lacking that you can't spare even a modicum of support."
"No, I don't think I will." In another circumstance, Lelouch would find it almost amusing that Lamperouge seemed to think he had some wide-reaching 'network' as a student. Well, with his geass, he supposed he could, albeit not in the traditional sense. "Considering your penchant for liberally revealing personal details to my classmates, I think I'd rather keep some information and resources to myself."
Lamperouge paused, considering the tone. "Taking offense towards me? Of what, staying with Britannia?" Lelouch didn't answer, which said enough. "You're being petty."
"Can you blame me?"
"I think you know as well as I do that my staying here longer is only going to exacerbate your problems. It's just as much in your interest to immediately assist my departure as it is in mine. Simply walking outside with your face risks whatever it is you have planned."
"I don't care. Go stay with Kallen again if you had such a cozy time with her last night."
Lamperouge stood, abandoning the chair to teeter behind him as he planted his hands firmly on the table. His full cup of tea vibrated with the force. "While you do what exactly? Go gallivanting with your tiny gang of Japanese rebels? You won't stand a chance once Britannia decides to get serious, and what will you do then? What will Nunnally do when you get killed?"
That was rich, coming from him. Lelouch tried to smother his anger at the invocation of his sister. "Says the one who's lived in luxury and bowed to that man. Sure, you claimed to hate our family just yesterday, but here I'd say actions speak louder than words. All I see is an elite Britannian asset crawling right back to his master, hoping to resume his place in the glorious empire."
His expression turned dark. "You know nothing."
"I know enough." Lelouch eyed a glinting object that had appeared at Lamperouge's side. "Oh? Kallen's pocket knife?"
Lamperouge startled slightly as he glanced down at the blade, as if he hadn't realized he'd drawn it. He looked between it and Lelouch, in some form of odd consideration.
Lelouch had little time to ponder whether his counterpart would actually be stupid enough to attack him. "I wouldn't say this is my first time at the end of that particular blade. Regardless…" He smoothly drew his pistol out from his uniform, taking care not to point it anywhere directly. "…you should think this through before you do anything drastic. As you said, Nunnally would certainly mourn the loss of her brother."
Lamperouge raised a brow, almost mockingly. He tightened his grip on the knife regardless. "You carry that with you on school grounds? What would Milly think?"
"Enough," a new voice chastised, "You're both acting like children, and you should know that killing each other will accomplish nothing."
Lelouch glanced slightly to the side without taking his eyes off his visitor. C.C. had emerged from his room in her usual attire, an unbound prisoner's robe. "Go back inside," he ordered, trying to hide his irritation that she'd chosen to reveal herself. "This doesn't concern you."
He returned his attention to Lamperouge, and to his shock, the trained soldier wasn't even paying him mind. His double had returned the pilfered knife to his side, nearly dropping the weapon completely. He instead focused on the witch, his eyes widening almost comically.
"You. You're the woman Father was searching for: C.C."
Lelouch tried to piece together what that meant. Lamperouge didn't know C.C. Did that mean he didn't know about geass as well? That would certainly be a relief. But… he said the Emperor had been searching for her? Lelouch attempted to push away the rising panic of his greatest enemy, possibly knowing about his greatest weapon. Not now. Later. He couldn't let that implication distract him. Hopefully this was another way in which their worlds differed.
He instead directed his anger towards a more readily-available target: C.C. "You said only a small faction of the military was looking for you."
She shrugged as if she couldn't be bothered with the details. "Only a small faction is even aware that I exist. Apparently your sosie here is one the few fortunate blessed with that information."
Secrets. That was all the woman was good for. "You don't know her, then?" he probed his still-processing counterpart.
"No," Lamperouge confirmed, to Lelouch's fleeting relief, "but my orders on the matter were fairly clear: to capture her alive and eliminate any associates." He shifted the knife to his other hand, faster than Lelouch's eyes could track, his arms deceptively relaxed. He looked like a man about to kill. "You're less than thrilled about helping me, however I think Father would be more than forthcoming to assist in my departure if I presented him with his prize."
Author's note:
Askastles: I thought I would keep this chapter in the spirit of the last by ending on another cliffhanger. Seemed appropriate, and I'm sure it won't bother anyone ;). No promises this will ever continue from here either, although the idea of having a third author submit another chapter like some insane fanfiction game of hot potato is unreasonably hilarious to me.
I think Aminta and I need to actually figure out what April Fool's is sometime because taking a concept like this seriously barely seems to qualify. Oh well. I had fun and I hope you did too.
Aminta: Hello folks. Been a while since I've updated. I've been doing okay for the most part, just extremely busy with a massive paper I need to graduate. You'll be seeing more regular updates starting next week. :)
As a side note: I happily support spin offs and fanfics of my fanfics or just running with any idea I have. Give me credit to be nice. ;) But, please avoid using the literal text of my works.
The cover started as a rough sketch from one of my betas as a joke. I fleshed it out for glorious clickbait. Lol.
Anyway, happy April Fools!