AN:

DarkDremora: I was actually worried about how the bath scene would turn out. I'm glad it seemed to go well.

Alan Wake: Well, Lelouch did Geass Shirley to forget about him, yet she fell in love with him again, so I don't know how much else he could've done. And I don't think it'd be a good idea to reveal his Geass to the Black Knights, considering the implications it could bring, even at this stage.

Samurai Seven: I have no idea when Lelouch and Orpheus would be friends. In fact, I don't even know if that's going to happen.

Rikoboi: I'm glad you liked it.

Chapter 92: Identity

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"Rolo! You bastard!" a boy shouted as the village he once resided burned in the distance, "How could you do this!?"

"I'm just doing as I'm told." the black-haired boy responded while bringing up his pistol, showing no remorse in his eyes as the flame raged on. In the background, a Knightmare crashed through a small hut, sending pieces of shrapnel in every direction, "You should've done the same."

"So what? You're saying this is all my fault!?"

"Yes." Rolo answered heartlessly, causing the helpless boy to fall to his knees.

"You're nothing but a slave… you know that?"

The Geass assassin mumbled something under his breath, before executing his victim, "No!"

Rolo sat up in bed, his face emotionless despite reliving a memory of his past. Or maybe it was foreshadowing events to come? No. Even he knew what that dream was. Nevertheless, he got up, scanning the Black Knights sleeping area, which was devoid of said soldiers, except for a handful, including Tohdoh, Nagisa, and Asahina. After cracking his neck, the boy headed onto the warehouse floor, where the majority were passed out on the floor, clearly a byproduct of the party last night, "Jeez. They didn't even drink anything, yet this is how it ended?" upon stepping over Tamaki, the man rolled over, snoring loudly while covering himself with the bubble wrap the disco ball came with.

Then, he entered the Knightmare bay, where Clara and Maya had fallen asleep on top of each other, snoring cutely as the latter's brother hung upside down off the catwalk above, with a rope tied to his foot, "H-hey…" the Disel mumbled as he battled a killer headache, "Rolo, could you be a bro and…" he motioned to his bindings.

"How'd that happen?" the former assassin questioned while reaching into the back of his pants, gripping a hidden pistol in case of emergencies.

"Well… this was supposed to be my punishment for not dancing the other night… normally Maya wouldn't be able to implement something like this, since she'd be alone. But with the help of Clara, Urabe, and Senba, they managed to tie me up here…" Rolo listened to the story while pulling out his pistol, shocking Mario, who responded, "Wait… how do you have that?" ignoring the question, he pointed it at the bindings, "Wait! If you fire that now, you'll wake up-"

Without a second thought, the former assassin fired his gun, causing the shot to ring throughout the warehouse, rudely waking up the soldiers, "Gah! We're under attack!" a drowsy Tamaki shouted while throwing away the bubble wrap, "Everyone! Get to cover!"

Meanwhile, the bullet pierced through the rope holding Mario, causing him to fall onto Senba, who had conveniently passed out beneath him last night. The Holy Sword groaned as the boy landed back-first onto his stomach, instantly waking him up, "Ah… M-Mario… did the rope snap?" he asked, almost seemingly ignoring the gunshot. Or maybe he didn't hear it in the first place…

"I'm fine… just a little light-headed…" the black-haired boy mumbled while rolling off.

In the background, dozens of Black Knights ducked for cover under Tamaki's shouting, constantly checking their surroundings like scared rabbits. Finally, they were put to ease by Rakshata, who shouted, "Calm down! It's just a false alarm, nothing more!"

After hearing those words, Tamaki fell over, mumbling, "Oh, thank god… I thought…" he shook his head, eliminating the drowsy feeling while gazing upon the dirty warehouse, "Hey! Everyone get up!" he shouted while pacing back and forth, "As head custodian, it's my job to get you sorry saps in shape!" no it wasn't, "So, everyone get cleaning, and make this place spotless!" at first, the Black Knights didn't respond, instead sluggishly trying to return to sleep. It wasn't until Tamaki shouted for a second time, that they begrudgingly got to work.

Though, this wasn't the end of their problems, as the bullet Rolo fired moments earlier ricocheted off the concrete wall, bouncing off another catwalk, before finally striking the Byakuen, ending its journey by leaving a scrape behind. However, the round itself ended up only feet from Orpheus, who looked at the former assassin with stern eyes, "What happened to trigger discipline?" he asked while pointing a pen at him.

The black-haired boy shrugged while concealing the gun in the back of his pants, "I already knew where the bullet would land, so it's fine."

"Oh? So you did that on purpose?"

"Maybe." Rolo responded while pulling down his shirt, covering the pistol; walking away.

"Psycho." the blond rolled his eyes, and grabbed a wrench off the nearby table. Pretending to hold it like a baseball bat, he swung in the direction of his opposition, expressing his feelings toward the boy in a brief moment. Of course, he didn't go through with such an action. Instead, he tossed the wrench back onto the table in frustration; returning to his work shortly after.

Mario witnessed the entire exchange while holding his back in pain, "Jeez… these two aren't making it easy, are they?"

That's when the lift began to make its descent, drawing everyone's attention as Tohdoh, Asahina, and Nagisa entered the main floor. Once it was halfway, they saw Zero with Kallen standing an appropriate distance from him, "I'm glad you're finally awake." the masked man announced as they came to a stop, "Did you have fun last night?"

The Black Knights looked amongst themselves, hesitating to answer the question as their leader stepped off, "Well, I hope you did, because we'll be returning to Chennai in a few days. Make sure you behave yourselves in the meantime."

"Zero." Nagisa stepped forward, "About what you said yesterday-"

"We'll be getting to that soon." Lelouch answered, "But first… where's Naoto?"

At that moment, the man in question, alongside Urabe rushed onto the main floor, "Sorry about that. We were speaking with Rakshata." the latter explained with a pencil in his ear.

"Wait… didn't I see you fall asleep by the-"

Before Senba could finish his sentence, Urabe answered, "I woke up early."

"But… you never wake up early." Nagisa mumbled with a hint of suspicion.

"What can I say? Manly men are supposed to be ready at a moment's notice for anything."

"Ugh. I'm getting sick of that 'manly men' crap."

"You weren't before?"

"That's enough." Lelouch cut through, "Follow me to my quarters. Tamaki, you're in charge while everyone's gone."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" C.C suddenly chimed in with a smirk, "You're going to trust him to keep order?"

"Hey! Don't question my best buddy!" the Japanese man shouted, "Don't worry, Zero. You can count on me."

The masked man simply nodded in response, before leading the Holy Swords, Tohdoh, Kallen, Naoto, and C.C into his office. There, Kaguya was spinning around in his chair, "Ah! You're home!" she shouted while trying to jump him, only to be stopped by Tohdoh.

"Princess Sumeragi, we're about to discuss something very important. So, if you would-"

Though, this proved to be a mistake, as she merely responded by saying, "Oh. I can help too, you know? After all, you've seen how serious I can be from the meetings with the Kyoto group."

"Even so, this is different." Naoto added as Zero took a seat in his chair.

"Fine, then why don't we ask Zero?" the little girl turned to the man, "What do you say?"

"Ugh… I really don't want Kaguya here, but I'm afraid that I might have a mutiny on my hands, considering how easily she garnered sympathy from those who came in contact with her." Lelouch thought to himself as Kallen stood by his side, "If only I had a button to solve this problem…"

"He's staying silent… so that must mean yes."

"It definitely doesn't."

"Tohdoh." Zero called, causing the Miracle Worker to stand up straight, "How trustworthy do you think Kaguya is?"

For a second, the Japanese man thought about the question, "Well… she does bring up a good point with the Kyoto group. She might be a bit… overbearing at times, but when it counts, she can take her role very seriously."

"Is that so? Then… do you think she'll be able to keep it a secret?"

"If asked, I'm sure she'd follow your orders to a T, especially if they come directly from you."

"Hmm…" Lelouch leaned back in his chair, "Even so… I don't have a good feeling about this. Perhaps I'm being too negative, and only judging Kaguya from how she's been acting recently. Then again… it would be good to have the full trust of another influential figure within the Black Knights on my side. With the trifecta of Naoto, Tohdoh, and Kaguya, it's almost a guarantee that any doubt would be quelled." he sighed, "Very well. Kaguya, I'll allow you to be present for this meeting. However, you mustn't spread this information to anyone outside this room, understand?"

Kallen raised an eyebrow, "Wait… he's actually letting her stay? That's… a surprise…"

Meanwhile, the Princess smiled, "Don't worry! Your plans are safe with me, Master Zero."

Surprisingly, she chose to properly take a seat in front of Lelouch, straightening her back to look as serious as possible, "Okay… then let's proceed." the masked man said, ignoring Kaguya's current display of maturity, "Nagisa, it's to my understanding that you have doubts about my intentions?"

"It's more abut how your identity ties to your intentions." the woman responded with narrowed eyes, "I find it suspicious that you've kept it from the bulk of the Black Knights for so long."

"Are you saying that me revealing it to Tohdoh isn't good enough?"

"Well, if you could reveal your identity to someone like Naoto, I don't see why you can't reveal it to us. After all, if it's your personal belief that he or Tohdoh would take it in good faith, then we should too."

"I think you're misunderstanding the circumstances in which I've revealed my identity to Naoto. He and I have known each other since the beginning of this rebellion, so he's earned my trust." Zero explained, "Tohdoh's a special exception, thanks to Taizo's assistance."

"So what? Did you call us in here just to say that you aren't going to reveal your identity? If so, you're wasting my time." Nagisa boldly proclaimed while turning around, only to get stopped by the Miracle Worker.

"Please, just let him finish. I'm sure there's a good reason why Zero has called us here."

The woman sighed, before approaching the masked man, "Why don't you just reveal your face, Lelouch?"

Beneath his mask, the boy's eyes briefly widened with shock; returning to normal the next second, "And where did you get that name?"

"We heard it in an exchange between Kallen and Suzaku during the battle for Tokyo settlement." Asahina jumped in, supporting his fellow sword as she pressed on.

"Exactly. We already know your name, so just reveal your face."

"Is that so? Well, your impatience has just made my job easier, Nagisa." Lelouch smiled, "Very well, I'll show you my face if it'll satiate your curiosity."

"Lelouch… where have I heard that name before?" Kaguya thought as Zero began removing his mask.

His smile faded as the back began retracting, then he pulled it off, revealing a solid poker face, "Is this to your liking?" he asked while keeping the mask close to his chest.

"Tch. Not really."

"Whoa!" Urabe shifted from left to right, trying to get a better look at the boy, "He's just a kid!"

"I'd say… no older than Mario…" Senba mumbled, "So… you're the one who's been leading the Black Knights… Lelouch? An interesting name."

"He really did it." Naoto scratched the back of his head, "Well, now that you know his face, are you happy?"

"I suppose…" Asahina began backing away, only for Nagisa to butt in.

"Wait. How does Tohdoh know you? Or even Taizo? There's no way someone like them would be familiar with some Britannian kid." she turned to the Miracle Worker, "Please, answer me."

"Ugh. I don't know how much he wants to reveal… so the best course of action is to play it safe." Tohdoh sighed, as he began constructing a lie, "Well… as you know, during the second pacific war, Japan was thrown into chaos. Millions of Japanese died in that time, but that wasn't all. There were thousands of immigrants who were also caught in the cross-fire. One such family… were the-"

"Lamprouge's." Lelouch corroborated with his own details, "During the initial strike, my family was slaughtered, leaving only myself and my sister to wander the desolate battlefield alone. After a few weeks, we arrived at Ashford Academy, where, under the graciousness of the family, we were taken under their care."

"Ashford's? Aren't those the same people who supported the Black Knights operations?" Asahina added, "Not only that, but I heard they were in cahoots with Kyoto at the same time."

"Even so… how does Tohdoh know about you?" Nagisa asked, only for the Miracle Worker to answer.

"Due to some recent disputes between the Ashford's and Britannia, they were lying low while collaborating with the Kyoto group. Lelouch just so happened to be present one time, and that's where I met him." Tohdoh tried his best to lie, but it came out more jumbled than intended.

"This lie is getting complicated." Naoto looked at Zero in the corner of his eye, "There's gonna come a time when we have to tell the truth… so this whole act is gonna look stupid… in fact, dare I say we'll be untrustworthy?"

"Tohdoh might be a terrible liar, but that doesn't change the fact that some of this could be true." Lelouch clasped his hands, "When the time comes, I'll be able to easily spin this story in my favor."

Nagisa leaned back, rubbing her temple. Honestly, she couldn't make sense of this. In her mind, she could definitely see the events lining up, but she wanted further confirmation, something she couldn't get her hands on. "How do I know you're not lying?" she asked as Senba gave Tohdoh an odd look, as if he knew something. Nonetheless, nobody noticed.

"I suppose… you'll have to take me at my word." Lelouch explained while putting on his mask, "Now, that I've revealed my identity, do you have any more questions?"

"No." the woman lied, "I… I need to think about this." she turned for the door, leaving uninterrupted this time, followed by Asahina

"Lelouch… Lelouch…" Kaguya's brain racked at the name, stirring up some faint memories of when she visited the Kururugi shrine, "I know I've heard that name before… so why can't I remember?"

"Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter who you are." Urabe shrugged, "You did save me, after all. Never thought a brit would've done that." he smiled, "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me."

Senba watched as the remaining Holy Sword exited the room, leaving him with Tohdoh, Lelouch, Naoto, Kaguya, Kallen, and C.C, "Tohdoh… I don't mean to sound presumptuous, but… you and I have known each other for a long time, yet… I don't remember any of this happening."

Zero's eyes narrowed upon hearing those words, "Figures… there's always one."

"I know you want to protect Zero's identity, and it doesn't really matter who he is to me, not one bit. As long as you trust him, I'll follow your lead. However, is his identity really so damaging, that you have to hide it from the rest of the Holy Swords?"

"It's… not something I want to do. However, it's what's needed right now. The other's wouldn't understand, except maybe Urabe." Tohdoh explained, "I'm sorry if it seems like I don't trust you."

Senba nodded along, "It's alright. Everyone has their secrets, and as long as you believe in Zero, I'll follow his lead. I'm just worried about the other swords." he turned to the door, "Anyway, I'll leave you to it."

Once the man left, Lelouch sighed, with Naoto adding, "That could've gone worse. Now we've got a lie to keep up in our hands."

"Lelouch, why couldn't we just tell them the truth?" the Miracle worker asked, "It would've been much simpler."

Meanwhile, Kaguya listened to the conversation intently, almost as if she had been forgotten. Though, it's not like she minded, since it gave her a chance at figuring out who Zero truly was.

"I had… second thoughts…" the Prince mumbled, "There was an opening, and I took it." he turned to Tohdoh, "Though, it probably would've been better if it was I who constructed the lie, that way I could lace it with half-truths that could've made the final reveal a bit more… palpable."

"Even so, it was I who Nagisa questioned, not you." the Miracle Worker responded while turning toward the door, "I doubt she'll let this stand, especially with how open we left the explanation. Would you like to arrange another meeting in the future to clear this up?"

Lelouch thought about it for a moment, before nodding his head, "Fine. We could do this a few months from now."
"Months?" Kallen finally spoke up, "What if something happens between now and then? I suggest telling them at the most, one month from now."

"I agree." Naoto came to his sisters aid, "The sooner we clear up this mishap, the better."

C.C giggled at the exchange, which caused the Prince to rub his temple, "You've certainly grown a nice group of advisors, haven't you, Lelouch?" she smirked as he glared at her, "It's a nice change, considering how things were before."

The boy tapped his foot on the ground, trying to think of any alternative solutions, only to come up blank, "Fine. Schedule it a month from now." he turned to Kaguya, "You're still here? I thought you'd be gone by now."

"Lelouch-"

"Don't get used to calling me that." the masked man responded, "Just call me 'Zero' normally."

"I… I understand. Anyway, have we met before, Lelouch?" the Princess asked, gazing into his mask, as if probing for a reaction.

"We might've met in the past. Though, I wouldn't remember it."

"Just tell her the truth." Tohdoh interjected, "I get that you're scared, but she'll be the easiest to convince, considering your past."

"Past?" Kallen questioned as Lelouch sighed.

"Princess Kaguya, do you remember the kids who stayed at the Kururugi shrine?" the Miracle Worker asked.

"The… kids?" she thought about it for a moment, "I… think I do. But I don't remember who they were, since it was such a long time ago."

Tohdoh turned to Lelouch, "Will you tell her, or shall I?"

"It's fine." the Prince mumbled, "I'll explain, you just see the Holy Swords."

"Very well."

Once he left, the raven-haired boy turned to the Princess, "I was one of the kids who stayed at the Kururugi shrine. Lelouch and Nunnally? You probably wouldn't remember, considering how little we interacted."

"Hm… well, I do recall you two being important to some extent…" Kaguya mumbled to herself, "I just can't place why…"

"Nunnally and I were Royal siblings," Lelouch explained briefly, "However, the Emperor exiled us to Japan after our mother's death. We were lucky enough that the Kururugi's took us in, despite the risks, considering who we were."

The girl stared at him with wide eyes, "Whoa…that's…now I see why you don't want to reveal your identity. I've only been around here for a bit, so I don't have a good grasp on everyone's character, but I know enough that your true identity won't be taken well, especially considering the reputation of the Royal Family." she said, "Wait… that means you killed your own-"

"What do you think? That's what truly matters, Kaguya." Zero cut her off, "Do you think of me as an oppressor like my siblings? Or do you still see me as Zero, the man who leads the Black Knights that defend the weak?"

The Princess was slightly taken aback by his directness. After all, her opinion hadn't suede upon finding out he was a Prince, as she already attributed Zero as someone who wanted to free Japan. Maybe it was her naivety and inexperience that were coming into play, but she couldn't care less, "I mean… you're here to help us, right? I saw your frustration when you lost the Battle of Tokyo, and I don't think somehow who wanted to see us fail, would react like that. So, it doesn't matter to me."

"Does that also mean you'll quit your advances on me?"

"Nah." Kaguya answered with a smile, "I mean… a union between a Prince and Princess from two nations at war would be an amazing way of showing that peace can be achieved, don't you think?" she clasped her hands while turning to Kallen and C.C, "But please don't feel left out. We can all share Lelouch, since even his father has multiple concubine."

"Not a chance." Kallen shot down the idea without hesitation, "I'm not a fan of sharing."

"Yet."

"Never."

"Yet~" C.C joined in.

"I said never!"

Lelouch and Naoto did the smart thing, and calmly left the room while the red head fought off the Princess and the Witch's ideas.

"Asahina." Nagisa called the man's name as he followed her, "Is there any way you can verify his statements?" she asked while leaning against a wall, "I know it's not good… but I still don't trust him. Not one bit."

"I see where you're coming from, but even if I find the truth… will you ever be satisfied?" the bespectacled man asked while checking his surroundings.

"Of course I will." the woman answered without a second thought, "I just want the truth."

"Very well, I'll do what I can. However, with how limited public records are, it'll take a lot of digging. I hope you can be patient."

"Don't worry, I've got all the time in the world, especially since we'll be doing nothing for the coming months."

"Then I'll get to it."

"Mario." Maya called as she popped out of the Gawain's cockpit, "How do you feel about this?"

"Awful." he responded, "I've got a headache from last night. My bodies still hurting from that fall, and-"

"I meant about the Knightmare, idiot." she puffed out her cheeks while returning to work, "This dynamic cockpit thing… we'll practically be in each other's head. Could you hand me a screwdriver?"

"Thank god that's not how it actually is." Mario called while grabbing the aforementioned tool, "If I had to be in your head for more than a minute, I'd implode."

"Don't be ridiculous." she responded while slapping her wrench into his chest, before grabbing the screwdriver, "You'd be lucky if you could peer into my genius for that long."

The boy tossed the tool into a box below with a clang, while viewing Clara and Rolo in the distance, as they seemed to surprisingly be getting along, "What do you think that's about?" he asked while pointing at the duo.

"Hm?" Maya popped out, "I dunno… but it's certainly better than hearing them argue, isn't it?"

"It's suspicious, that's what it is." That's when Clara suddenly slapped Rolo, before storming off in a huff, "Never mind."

"Why does she hit him so much?"

"Residual anger?"

"Or maybe she's just projecting how she feels about herself onto Rolo?" his sister suggested, "After all, it's easier to pin the blame of your actions, on someone who you believed caused them."

Mario raised an eyebrow, "Where did that come from?"

"I read it in a book once." she then looked around, "Hey… where did the wrench go?"

"I threw it in the box."

"You idiot! I still needed that!" Maya slapped his arm, "Go get it!"

"Is that the same projection as Clara or…"

"Just go get the wrench, you tool!"

"Ugh! I can't believe him!" Clara thought while sitting on the foot of Mario's Sougetsu, "Why can't he just tell me the deal between him and Orpheus!?" she looked at the blue Knightmare with a sigh, "What the hell is his problem anyway?"

"Clara." the voice of Orpheus called, "It's been a while since we've spoken, hasn't it?"

"O-oh… hey…" she sputtered, "How are you… Orpheus?"

"I'm fine." he answered in a monotone voice, "I won't get a straight answer out of Rolo, so I'll just ask you. How did you leave the Geass Order? Together no less."

"Um…didn't I go over this before?"

"You did, but I want details this time." Oz continued staring at the Sougetsu, "You said V.V wanted you dead, right? Why?"

"I just failed a mission… you know how it-actually, you probably don't." Clara chuckled uncomfortably, "So… he sent Rolo to kill me, but guess what? He failed too, so now V.V wants him dead."

"Seriously? He failed to kill you? How'd that happen?"

"What? You don't think I can beat Rolo in a fight?" the pink-haired girl patted her arm with a forced smile.

"Not even for a second."

"No hesitation!?" she sighed, "Well… you could say it was really a collective effort from all the Black Knights."

"That makes sense." he responded while finally facing her, "Does that mean Zero's aware of that place?"

"Yes… it was one of the first things I told him."

"And he believed you?" silence followed the blond's question, telling him all he needed to know, "Does he have one of his own?"

Clara's whole body began tensing up. The stress of having to face Orpheus again began flooding through her veins, causing a lump in her throat to grow, "I… don't know…" she barely managed to get out.

"Clara, are you okay?" Oz asked, noticing her pale face.

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" she told herself, "um… I've noticed your appearance has changed." the girl desperately tried to change the subject by pointing at the band around his head, "Where'd you get that from? It looks great."

"Oh, this?" the blond's eyes softened, "It's just something Euliya gave me before she passed."

"Ah-" Clara's heart dropped upon hearing those words, "I'm sorry for your loss…"

"It's fine." the boy responded, "Her death wasn't your fault anyway." those words unknowingly cut deeper than intended, "I know who's responsible, and I'll make sure they get what's coming."

Those words shocked Clara to her core, as she felt herself as the intended target of those words, despite the reassurance Oz had given her moments earlier, "W-well… I hope you succeed in that…" she hastily stood up and began walking away, confusing the blond briefly. Though, he didn't give chase, instead returning to the Byakuen.

The pink-haired girl rushed past a group of Black Knights, toward Zero who was conversing with Rakshata. She wrapped her arms around the masked man, much to his mild annoyance, "Clara, what are you doing?" he asked, trying to pry her off, "Clara."

"Z-Zero…" she sniffled, "He's so scary…"

Kallen approached the girl from behind, and noticed she was on the verge of tears, "What happened?" the red head asked in a caring tone.

The former Geass assassin immediately hugged her friend, "I can't… I can't face him, Kally. He's too scary…"

"Face who?"

"Orpheus."

Kallen heard the name in a faint whisper, causing her to instinctively pat the pink-haired girl on the back for comfort, "Awe. It's okay." she quickly pulled her off to the side, while Lelouch continued his conversation with Rakshata.

"Is she going to be okay?" the Indian woman asked, "I'd hate to see someone like that crash and burn."

"She'll be fine." the Prince responded, "Now, what's this about the air glide system?"

AN: Bit of an abrupt end, but the Black Knights will be back in Chennai next chapter.

I don't know how long Senba and Tohdoh have known each other, but it must've been long enough for the former to acknowledge the latter as a leader. So, I'll say they knew each other during the Second Pacific war.