JUN POV

"Alex where have you been?"

"Jun, it's a long story. I just need you to come to the cemetery and-"

"The cemetery? Are you there alone?"

"No, Casper's here with me, but-"

"What are you and Casper doing at a cemetery?"

"Jun! There's no time for that! I just need you to come here and open up the gates. We're locked in!"

"What's the cemetery's name? Where is i-"

Alex's phone disconnected. I had to find him before he got into any trouble. I was immediately on my way. It came to the cemetery not too long after Alex called me. The fence was nearly fifteen feet high. This was going to be a challenge. I backed up and began running towards it. I jumped and grabbed hold of the bars at the midpoint, fliiping myself the rest of the way and landing on the other side.

I started walking around, but there was no sign of life anywhere. I made sure not to step on any resting sites. "It's like 7 o' clock. And I haven't seen them anywhere."

I have an hour until the academy's gates closed. I kept walking around, calling out their names. As before I made sure not to step on the graves. While walking, I came up to a part of the cemetery that was separated from the rest. A metallic arch marked it's border, and at the top was a 0.

"This must be where the Zeros are buried. Maybe they're here." I started calling out for my friends. "Alex! Casper! Alex? Come on you guys!" I kept looking before I tripped on a stray rock. Sometimes my own random bouts of clumsiness confounded me. I fell over onto a headstone.

"Zero, 2018-2059." I looked at all the headstones. The only things they said were Zero, and the years. "Hmm, I guess that would be when they were Zero to when they died. But then, why don't they have anything else?"

I looked closer and noticed a small dent in one of the headstones. I tapped it and felt it slide. I pushed it more and it seemed part of the stone slid and revealed something under it. In the moonlight, I could make out the words, "Benjamin Prinz." I wondered why they would do something like that.

"That must've been this Zero's real name. Maybe. . ."

I went to the first Zero in the line. It was the one that said 2018-2059. I slid open the compartment. The hidden name said. . .

"Suzaku Kururugi." I tried to calm my racing heart. "I already knew about my ancestor, but to see it for myself, it's almost unnerving."

"You've got a very weak heart."

"Huh?", I turned and saw a stranger. The moon was behind them, so their face was dark. "Who are you?", I asked.

"Jun Tsurugi. I will make your heart stronger."

"I'm not sure I follow", I said.

"Come with me."

"Do you know where my friends are? There's two of them-"

"I will lead you to answers", the person said simply.

I followed them into the night. I knew I should be cautious, but I wasn't worried. I could protect myself. We walked back to the entrance of the cemetery, where the gate was now open. There was a car waiting for us. He opened the door for me and I went inside. He sat next to me.

"Take us to HQ", he said to the driver. As the car started he turned to me. "I should introduce myself. I am A.A., spelled with two A's. I want to recruit you into my faction."

"I'm not interested in gangs", I said outright. I was raised from the beginning to avoid gang life, mostly because of my cousins in the yakuza.

"Oh we're not a gang. What we support is much bigger than territory or drug cartels. Surely your history classes have told you about how geass played a part in the Black Rebellion and Emperor Lelouch's reign?"

"It's only touched upon. Geass' role is still hazy. Why?", I asked.

"I am part of group that wants to better the world. We plan to do so using geass."

I raised an eyebrow. 'Better the world'? I'd heard that before. Mostly in movies where the villain thought their view would help the world. Usually it didn't. "What do you mean?", I asked.

A.A. laughed. "You sound very cautious. Don't worry, we're not crazy or into genocide. In fact, we'd like to kill as little people as possible."

They came to a tall building. "Here we are", A.A. said. He got out and led Jun inside. They passed the receptionist and went into an elevator. "You know about government cover ups, right? Well this is sort of like that."

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor. "Many people believe the story that in the end, Lelouch used his power to start the Era of Peace. That he accidentally caused the Special Administrative Zone Massacre, purposely became a tyrant to put the world against him, and then planned his own death."

The floor they stopped at led straight into a lounge-like area. A.A. sat down in a lounge chair and Jun sat across from him in a loveseat. "We are a faction that knows the truth. That knows it is all a lie."

"What are you talking about? It's common knowledge that all of vi Britannia's actions were for his sister. It's been proven by interviewing those closest to him", Jun said.

A.A. chuckled. "I'll give you an option. You can continue to live in your fake world where Lelouch vi Britannia is a martyr saint and all's well. Or you can learn what's real and join my allies and I as we work to defeat the second uprising."

Jun weighed his decisions. He knew what school taught him. He knew what his family taught him. There were stories passed down from Kaguya Sumeragi herself. But still. . . this man wouldn't bring him all the way here without having something, right? Jun made up his mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Alex POV

"And he told me the truth", Jun said. "He ordered the massacre on purpose. He never planned his own death. vi Britannia may have started the rebellion for his sister, but when he got a taste of the power, he lst all sight of his noble intentions. Doesn't that make sense?"

"Jun, what are you talking about?", I asked.

"It makes more sense that he became power-hungry. I mean, who would take over the world, just to kill himself?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons", I defended.

"Yeah, right. All I know is, A.A's explanation sounds more plausible."

"Jun that's weak! Lelouch cares for his sister, that's why he worked so hard. And planning his death was the only way, I'm sure of it!" I wasn't sure why I was being so defensive. Lelouch kept secrets too. Who was to say-no! I refused to believe that! "If you want to believe some stranger over your best friend. Then go ahead. Just know that I've never lied to you when it counted."

"You're not lying if you don't even know the truth. So Alex, what's you're whole part in this?", he asked me.

I wondered where to start. Lelouch did say to try to bring Jun to their side. But I had to do it my way. I'm not going to manipulate him. He's my best friend. He'll listen to reason.

"Jun, I'm Lelouch's reincarnation. He told me, that A.A. is part of Eden Vital. They believe that code bearers should rule the world over normal people. I trust Lelouch, for some reason, and I don't think what Eden Vital is doing is right."

"So you just believe anything anyone tells you?", Jun accused.

"It's not like that!", I yelled. "Let's look at the 'facts'", I said with air quotes. "What do the history books say? Lelouch use his geass to rule the world. It was revealed that all he did was for world peace. The massacre started by Euphemia li Britannia was an accident by Lelouch. Suzaku Kururugi-on his death bed- even confessed to Lelouch's true intentions!" I was panting. Why was I so emotional?

Jun looked at me with a weird expression. "I'll admit, you have valid points. But you still shouldn't trust someone so easily."

"You mean like you did?"

"Maybe I did. But that fact remains: I believe A.A., and you believe Lelouch. We won't be able to understand each other until we listen to each other's sides. So then, come with me. Hear what A.A. and Eden Vital have to say. And in return, I'll come with you to listen to Lelouch."

"You believe that Lelouch is alive and that I'm in contact with him?", I asked.

"A lot has been explained with the presence of geass. An immortal is no longer as unbelievable as it was. Besides, A.A. told me that he's a code-bearer", Jun said. "And let's get one thing straight. I only believe that vi Britannia is alive because it's you who told me. And that's as far as I'm willing to go. Anything else, I have to see with my own eyes."

I nodded, understanding what he meant. "Okay, and just so you know, I don't trust A.A. He's shady and doesn't seem morally sound."

"I know."

"Y-you know? Well then why the hell are you with him?" What's Jun thinking?

"Just because his intentions aren't noble, doesn't mean that his actions are the same."

"He wants to enslave people. Tell me how that's noble?"

"That's not the way he explained things to me."

"Well then clarify for me", I was getting angry again. How could Jun be so naive?

"You'll hear it when you come to meet him. Tonight?"

"How are we gonna sneak out?"

"Leave that to me. Just meet me outside the dorms at 10."

"Fine. I'll meet you."

I don't know what Jun was thinking, or what A.A. was planning. But Jun's my friend, so I'll trust him. And I'll do what I can to protect him from conniving guys like A.A. . . .Did I just use the word 'conniving'?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

So there it is! I'm not dead! I'm just focusing on other things. . . I do have like 20-sumthin' stories of alone. Then there's FictionPress, my friends stories (that I basically co-write), DeviantArt, schoolwork, ToS, anime, manga. . . some of that stuff should be cut out, but whateva!