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Aboard the Ikaruga, 10:34 a.m. Zero and Kallen entered the warehouse inside the ship, barely seeing anything, due to the darkness.

Kallen: Damn, is it dark...
Zero: The mask really doesn't help, in this case.

Suddenly, the lights turned on, and the Black Knights aimed their guns at Zero.

Tohdoh: Not another step, Zero!
Zero: What the hell?!
Sugiyama: You're completely surrounded!
Tamaki: How could you, man?!
Kallen: What's gotten into you all?!

Zero looked at the balcony the others were on, and saw Schneizel, smirking.

Zero: (thinking) Schneizel! What the hell is this?!
Kallen: Why are you pointing your guns, at him?! He's our hero, our leader!
Ohgi: He used us, Kallen. He used all of us.
Tohdoh: Off with the mask, Zero. Or, should I say...Lelouch?
Chiba: You made us your puppets, for your petty ambitions, for too long!
Tamaki: I trusted you! We all trusted you!
Ohgi: Anything to say?

Zero slowly took off his mask, revealing his identity to everyone, with a sorrowful look on his face.

Lelouch: (out loud) You know... I figured a day like this would come.
Tohdoh: ...What do you mean, by that?
Lelouch: For a long time, I feared that I would be betrayed, by everyone I met. Then, Alistair comes along, and that thinking goes away. But, the fear still remained. I get it. You can't stand someone like me, someone my age, leading an entire resistance group. (tears up) I get how much you really hate Britannians. So...go ahead. I've made my peace, now that my paranoia has come true. Kill me, if it makes you happy. Just...promise me that Nunnally and Rolo live happily...and kill the Emperor of Ego.

Some of the Black Knights gave suspiscious looks, and Kallen stood in front of Lelouch, as he looked down, in sorrow. Tohdoh and Ohgi gave sideways looks at each other, then looked back at Lelouch.

Tohdoh: You know, Schneizel...something's been bugging me.
Schneizel: What's that?
Tohdoh: There are limits to Geass, right?
Schneizel: I believe there are none.
Tohdoh: (aims gun at Schneizel) I think you're feeding us some bullshit, pretty boy.
Lelouch: (looks up, surprised) Huh...?
Schneizel: Um... Mr. Tohdoh, was it? I'm not Lelouch.
Tohdoh: You don't know a damn thing about Geass. The power it gives is based on luck.
Schneizel: And, how would you know that?
Tohdoh: Simple. Alistair Wake has it. It makes his words stronger, during times of persuasion or intimidation. He just needed direct eye contact.
Schneizel: S-So what? You're supposed to be killing Zero. Right now.
Ohgi: We've got eyes on him, hold your horses.
Tohdoh: Come to think of it, Lelouch's Geass has to have limits, if eye contact is needed.
Ohgi: Villetta, you said you were hit with Geass, right? Did Lelouch try it, again?
Villetta: Nope. There's just one gap in my memory, and nothing else.
Tohdoh: So, that leads us to believe that he can only use his Geass, once, on a person. So, you saying he used it on us is completely false.
Schneizel: But...! But, he betrayed you! All of you! He killed Katase!
Tohdoh: It's funny that you mention that. I just recently got a call from the General. He's with his family, in New York. They'll send pictures, later.
Schneizel: W-Well...! He's still a prince of Britannia! He used you!
Tamaki: (aims gun at Schneizel) So, he got reinstated as one, just now? You said he was a "former" prince. So, how come he and his sister, Nunnally, were living normal lives?
Schneizel: He, um... He fled from home! He got in a spat, with us, his own family, and ran away!
Ohgi: Wrong. (aims gun at Schneizel) The Emperor of Ego kicked him out. Tohdoh got a call, from Asahina, while you went to the toilet.

20 minutes ago, meeting room. Tohdoh got a call on his cell phone and answered it.

Tohdoh: Hello?
Asahina: (over phone) Colonel! I'm so glad you're alright!
Tohdoh: Asahina! I could say the same, about you!
Asahina: I'm fine, I'll live. I'll be back in action, just as soon as the healing's done.
Tohdoh: It's a good thing you aren't here. Schneizel's come aboard, and says that Zero is a kid named Lelouch.
Asahina: Lamperouge?
Tohdoh: (pauses) Oh... Now, I'm starting to get the big picture. Schneizel referred to him as Lelouch vi Britannia.
Asahina: Wait... I remember seeing the news, about that! His mom was killed and his sister was crippled, during that attack! He argued with the Emperor of Ego, and was forced to go to Japan!
Tohdoh: (smirks) I appreciate the information, Asahina. You get healed up, and come back.
Asahina: You got it, sir.

Present time, warehouse four.

Chiba: Kinda suspicious, that a member of the royal family forgot how his own brother left, with his hurting sister.
Schneizel: It was several years ago! People forget! And, why are we focused on this, when you're supposed to shoot Lelouch!? He's the one who used his Geass on Euphemia! Killed so many innocent people!
Sugiyama: You really think that's how it went down?
Inoue: We were there, the whole time, and knew precisely what was going on.
Schneizel: Naturally! He was there, with Euphemia, by himself!
Urabe: True. But, that doesn't explain what we saw, which completely contradicts your statement.
Ohgi: How come Agent Minnesota popped up, out of nowhere? On a cloaked Civility airship, no less? The answer's simple. She was the one that tried to kill Zero, at the harbor, the one who forced the landslide at Narita to destroy the city. And, here's the kicker...she was the only other person to have a Geass similar to Zero's, and she was the one who did that to Euphemia.

Some more of the Black Knights turned their guns away from Lelouch, and aimed them at Schneizel.

Tamaki: Your so-called facts have had so many holes in them, so far.
Schneizel: What is wrong, with you all?! You can't prove that it was this "Agent Minnesota," or whoever you think was a different culprit! It was all Lelouch! Shoot him! I'm begging you!
Ohgi: You're panicking, Schneizel. As much as I like hearing panic, in your voice, this very much isn't like you.
Cornelia: You know, I gave this recording another listen. And, it seems there's more to it, than Schneizel wanted to tell.
Schneizel: It was just that part of the conversation! I swear!
Cornelia: Oh, yeah? (plays recording)
Suzaku: (on recorder) Did you use your Geass on Euphie?
Lelouch: ...Yes.
Suzaku: Are you sure about that?
Lelouch: I am.
Suzaku: Lelouch... You are, without a shadow of a doubt...the shittiest liar I've ever come across.
Lelouch: Huh?

The previous day, Kururugi Shrine.

Suzaku: I know for a fact that it was Minnesota, since you're not the type to do that kind of thing, on purpose.
Lelouch: Then... Then why did you ask me that?!
Suzaku: To see how you would answer. You are so willing to take the blame, for anything, that it doesn't matter to you, if it results in someone hating you, forever.
Lelouch: Can you blame me? I've been alone, for years. With your dad dead, I had no home, no future, no hope. How could I trust anyone, let alone myself?
Suzaku: Same thing, with me. I've been in a depressed stupor, myself. Looks like Alistair fixed the both of us. We share one thing, Lelouch. We both screwed up.
Lelouch: I'm the biggest screw-up, of all time. I was lost in my desire for revenge, against my former father, for ignoring my mother's death. I didn't think on the consequences of moral neutrality, until I learned about morality, the hard way.
Suzaku: With Alistair hitting you with a Stone Cold Stunner?
Lelouch: That was part of it, yes. Remembering Hawking made me realize...that I could become a good person. A hero.
Suzaku: Well, I was lost in my own delusions, too. I was so obstinate in thinking I could change an invading country, from within, without coming to the conclusion that there was no chance in hell that I could do that. Alistair's way of changing it...it makes sense. Britannia has to die, for its original government to come back.
Lelouch: I would like that. And...I'm sorry that I couldn't protect Euphie-
Suzaku: Save it. I already know you didn't do it.
Lelouch: I know! I just... I can't help it. I've feared, for so long, that everyone I know would betray me, leaving Nunnally alone, in the world, without a brother. Rolo and I...we're her family. I want there to be a world without bias, as much as Alistair does. You and I saw the same thing, during our depression. The oppression of the Japanese. I managed to fake being aloof about it, but inside, I was so pissed, I wanted to beat the shit out of every racist that came my way. I was tired of seeing people be as miserable as I was, when I was a kid.
Suzaku: And, with Alistair motivating you, you remembered that?
Lelouch: That's right. I don't care about my freedom. But, I want Japan to be free from my tyrannical asshole of a former dad.
Suzaku: I agree.
Lelouch: I... I want us to remain friends, Suzaku. You're my best friend, the first friend I ever made, here.
Suzaku: We have a lot of similarities, huh? I accept. We've always been friends, and will remain so, forever.

Lelouch and Suzaku smiled, and felt emotionally relieved. The relief was so great that the two of them coughed and fell to their knees, in exhaustion.

Lelouch: (coughs) Wow, that's a lot of emotional weight lifted off!
Suzaku: Our scars were that deep!? Shit, I need to breathe!