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Suzaku awoke in a dark room he didn’t recognize. An attempt to sit up revealed he was tied to a hospital bed. Whoever had done this knew their stuff, the restraints had no give when he struggled. “Suzaku, stop, you’ll hurt yourself.” A woman in a Black Knights Uniform complete with mask hurried into the room. She seemed familiar but Suzaku couldn’t focus on that because someone followed her inside. “What are you doing? We were going to wait.” Zero! Suzaku would know that disguise anywhere. This could only mean Suzaku had been captured. “He was about to break his thumb.” The girl protested. “Damn you, Lelouch, will you face me or not?” Suzaku demanded while still hoping he was wrong and his friend was back at Ashford under the Emperor’s geass. Zero sighed and slowly removed his helmet, sure enough revealing Lelouch’s face. “Well, got started without me?” The green haired girl, Zero’s ally appeared at the door. “Not now, Witch. Can you do it or not?” “If he’s still under your geass it’ll be easier. I’ll see,” she calmly walked over to him. Suzaku started fighting again, he remembered the pain from the last time she touched him. “Suzaku, stop.” “Suzaku, we’re trying to help you.” Both the Black Knight woman and Lelouch grabbed his arms to stop him from squirming. “No! Get away from me!” She went into his mind but it didn’t hurt, not until she touched something in his head. He flinched but it was a good hurt, like pulling a baby tooth. Something heavy he didn’t know he was carrying got lifted away. What he thought was his life was suddenly the Emperor telling him a story. He remembered everything differently. Lelouch didn’t lie to him.
Things happened as he remembered until Suzaku woke up alone on an unfamiliar beach. He tended to his injuries then walked inland in search of food or shelter.
“Suzaku?”
“Euphy!” He paused when he caught sight of the princess and Zero walking together. “What are you doing with him?”
“She’s my prisoner.” Zero grabbed her arm and pointed his pistol at her.
“What?”
“Just go along with it.” He whispered.
“No,” she frowned at him. “You can trust Suzaku. He’s your friend isn’t he?”
“Cut it out,” Lelouch hissed at her.
“Princess?” Suzaku was still concerned for her safety.
“I said no,” she told him off like the little brother he was. “We all want the same thing we can talk about this.”
“Damnit Euphey, it’s my choice.” Lelouch gave up on the ruse and glared at her through his mask.
“You’re going to get yourself killed. I just found you again.” Suzaku watched this exchange with growing clarity.
“I will? I didn’t order that bombardment.”
“Lelouch?” This made the siblings pause. “I thought so, you talk just like yourself.”
With a huge sigh, that sounded even bigger through the voice modifier, Lelouch removed his helmet. “Happy now?” He said sarcastically to Euphemia. Before she could answer, Suzaku spoke again.
“You killed Clovis?”
“I had to! He recognized me, he would have put Nunnally in danger.”
“You think Father…”
“Wake up Euphey! They knew you were in the blast zone and launched the bombardment anyway. They were willing to sacrifice you and Suzaku to destroy me. And of course an order like that could only have come from the Emperor or first few princes.”
Euphey looked sad but not overly surprised. “I’ve never forgiven Father for abandoning you and Nunnally.”
“Wait, Euphey, you were there?” Suzaku stood closer to them.
“I wanted to save you,” she explained. Lelouch kept the conversation moving.
“You see, Suzaku, it’s impossible to change Britania from the inside, the corruption goes all the way to the Emperor.”
“That doesn’t make your way right! What about all those civilians at the mountain?”
“That was an accident.”
“I thought it must be,” Euphey said.
A rustling in the bushes prompted Lelouch to quickly shove his helmet back on. Kalen joined their group. The four of them didn’t have time to come to blows before the ground beneath them started to glow.
Later Suzaku cornered Lelouch and demanded to know what he did to him to make him disobey a direct order. Lelouch explained Geass and C.C. to him. He’d ordered Clovis to stop the massacre and then tried to order him to forget he’d seen Lelouch only to discover it worked once per person and that he had no choice but to kill him.
“You think I like doing all this?”
“You’re Zero!” Suzaku remembered yelling.
“You have to do things you don’t agree with in the army, right?”
“They ask me to but…”
“You do it anyway. Because it’s a necessary evil to achieve your goals.”
“You don’t get to make that decision! You’re playing god!”
“I’m doing the same thing you are! I’m making hard choices based on my intuition and the rebel agenda. Your orders come from a corrupt government but it’s no different.”
“It’s not all bad. I know I can change it. There are good people! You’re consorting with terrorists.”
“Terrorists who are trying to save their families and country. Who are fighting for people who can’t get honorary citizenship or are so depressed they spend every night high on Refrain.
“And while I’m sure there are a few good cops left in the corrupt force but I promise you those at the head of Britania are rotten to the core. You know what Clovis did. What the Emperor did. You really think they deserve to be in charge?”
“No, but there has to be a better way to go about this. You’re a prince you could become Emperor legally.”
“You think I haven’t thought of that? Someone in the royal family killed our mother. If our identities come out Nunnally will be in danger. Until I know who the assassins are, I can’t go ‘through the system’ like you suggest.” He said bitterly then snorted with amusement. “Actually, in a way I am going with tradition. My father was 5th of 9 children and the only to survive. He had 18 children 12 of whom are still alive. Murder and treachery is the way of the Britanian royal family.”
“Lelouch,” Suzaku wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“And that’s not just my interpretation, read any history book not written by a Britanian and everyone agrees that my father murdered his twin brother to get to the throne. Victor vi Britania disappeared off the face of the Earth at age 13.”
“You don’t actually want to kill your father do you?”
Lelouch looked out the window. “No. I wish I did.”
“No you don’t.” Suzaku had already committed the unspeakable crime.
After several seconds of silence, Lelouch looked at him again. “I’m trying to do the right thing, Suzaku. Can you at least believe that?”
“I’ll always believe in you, Lelouch.”
“Lelouch?” Suzaku blinked up at his friend. His friend, whom he loved and trusted, not his enemy. “You’re finally back.” Lelouch sighed and his tense shoulders relaxed. “Is that really you, Suzaku? Do you remember?” The woman spoke up. Now he remembered why she was familiar.
Zero and Euphy met in private at the Special Zone. Suzaku guarded the door. C.C. was nearby but Suzaku didn’t reveal her presence. His position as a trusted guard for both Euphy and Lelouch had him at the only door and allowed him to prevent tragedy.
Euphy ran out the door, Lelouch shouting after her. Suzaku realized she was carrying Lelouch’s pistol even before hearing the other boy shout, “Suzaku! Stop her!” He hesitated only until she realized he was there and raised the gun at him. His training kicked in and he had her disarmed with her arms twisted behind her back without thinking about it.
The people on the other side of the room looked up at the scuffle. Lelouch shoved his helmet on before they could see him and said in his authoritative voice, “We need to make plans with Princess Euphemia’s knight.” Suzaku took the hint and dragged struggling Euphy into the room with Lelouch.
“No, let me go. I have to kill them.”
“What? Euphy?” Suzaku was horrified by how calmly she said this.
“Shit.” Lelouch cursed at himself more than anyone else. He pulled off his mask and dug angrily at his face. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”
“What happened?” Suzaku demanded answers.
“I have to kill all the Japanese.”
“What?!”
“Euphy, look at me. I order you to forget that order.” Lelouch glared at her with his geass blazing.
“You used your geass on her?!”
“It was accident! I don’t know what happened. I’m like Mao, I’ve lost control of my geass!”
“What did you tell her to do?”
“I was trying to explain the geass to her. I said I COULD order her to kill all the Japanese. You think I would do that on purpose?”
“Damn it, Lelouch, calm down.” Euphy was still struggling in his hold. “She, we need you to figure out how to fix this.”
Lelouch finally stopped digging at his left eye. “I’ll get C.C., don’t let her hurt you.” He put his Zero persona back in place and went to the door.
Euphy was kicking him so Suzaku forced her into a chair. After what felt like an eternity, Lelouch returned with C.C. in tow. He quickly explained the situation, to which she only said, “You have a terrible sense of humor.”
“Can you help or not?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she calmly touched Euphy’s face. For a terrifying few seconds, neither girl moved.
Finally, Euphy shook her head slightly. “What happened? Lelouch?”
“Euphy, is that you?” Suzaku let her go.
“Do you remember?” Lelouch took over C.C.’s spot standing in front of the seated princess. “I’m sorry, it was an accident, I swear.” He leaned in to look at her eyes, making sure they were clear.
“You did something to me,” she looked at him.
“It’s called geass, I….” Lelouch curiously stopped talking. Suzaku glanced from him to Euphy who were locked in eye contact. “You are Nunnally’s sister. You’ll take care of her?” He asked in a different tone of voice than what he’d been previously using.
“Of course,” Euphy seemed as confused by his behavior as Suzaku.
“Then,” Lelouch straightened abruptly and stepped over to Suzaku. “I trust you more than anyone. Be my knight, never leave me.” Suzaku was trying to puzzle what the hell this was about and didn’t react in time to prevent Lelouch from grabbing his face. He kissed Suzaku full on the lips. Euphy gasped. Suzaku had no idea what to do for a second, until Lelouch tried to lick his tongue into his mouth, then he pushed him away.
He held Lelouch at arm length and glanced questioningly to Euphy. She held both hands over her mouth. Her left eye glowed with the geass symbol.
“Do you not love me? I’ll give you the world, anything you want, Suzaku,” Lelouch kept talking but they ignored him.
“Well, now you’re even.” C.C. commented.
“What?” Euphy glanced at her.
“Your eye.” Suzaku told her.
“Help me make the world a peaceful place for my sisters.” Lelouch was still talking in monotone, his eyes were rimmed with pink.
“What? You did it?” Euphy looked at C.C. with disbelief.
“No, you did it.”
“I just wanted to be free of the order.”
“You said yes.” C.C. shrugged.
“What’s going on?” Suzaku demanded with a bit more franticness than intended. To be fair, Lelouch was groping everything he could reach.
“I didn’t think…” Euphy frowned.
“I gave her the contract, it was the easiest way to break the geass,” C.C. explained.
“What? So now Lelouch is…” what he was doing was tugging on Suzaku’s hair trying to get his attention.
“We can do anything together. Suzaku, we’re meant to be one.”
“You better acknowledge him, even if you don’t mean it,” C.C. was far too calm about this.
“Lelouch, what are you talking about?”
“You’re the second most important person to me after Nunnally. I promised you I’d destroy Britania. It doesn’t mean as much without you. Marry me.”
“But, you just asked me to be your knight.”
“Same thing.” Lelouch sounded like himself when he dismissed this concern.
“Um?”
“Tell him yes,” Euphy said.
“Yes. Whatever you want, Lelouch.”
Lelouch blinked, his eyes refocused, and he looked confused for half a second. He then became embarrassed. Pale with horror, he stumbled away from Suzaku.
“Lelouch?”
“Forget it, it was the geass.”
“A geass to make a person realize and go after their deepest desires. You might be able to change how they go about it if you practice,” C.C. told Euphy.
“How do you know that’s what it did?” Lelouch demanded but she just gave him an unimpressed look.
“Lelouch? You love me?” Suzaku had to ask.
“Don’t be absurd.”
“Lelouch!” Euphy’s glare made him pause. “Don’t lie to him.”
“I’ve been in love with you for seven years, you idiot.”
“Suzaku, I mean,” Euphy put a hand over her left eye then continued. “Suzaku, what do you want?”
“I don’t know. I want to be mad at you for being Zero, but you’re still you, Lelouch.”
“Suzaku, you’re what keeps me from going too far as Zero.” Lelouch said this quietly. Suzaku reached out and gripped his hand.
“Touching,” C.C. ruined the moment. Lelouch glared at the witch then talked about plans for the Special Zone. Suzaku didn’t let go of his hand.
The Special Zone went well for about a week. Zero and the Black Knights publicly endorsed it, and were talking of ending their terrorist activities.
They were supposed to be moving a bunch of technology and Suzaku was there to oversee the transfer. He suspected this was materials for the Black Knights but he didn’t want to know and didn’t ask.
Things were routine until Suzaku received an emergency call.
“Suzaku!” Lelouch’s voice. “Get out of there! Get away from the Special Zone right now.” Then, as if sensing his coming question, he added, “Euphy’s with me. Run!” Not about to question that order, Suzaku jumped aboard the nearest vehicle and gunned it. Emergency sirens started blaring from the compound. A flash of light and then a booming shockwave that knocked him off the road. “Suzaku!? Answer me!”
“I’m alright.” Just a bit bruised. He climbed upright and looked around. “iie” So stunned by what he saw, he unconsciously slipped back into Japanese. The Special Zone was gone.
…
“They killed everyone!” Suzaku was back at the Special Corps watching the news with Lloyd and Cecile. The Britanian government was claiming that Euphemia had been going to turn over the Black Knights to officials and Zero blew the compound with everyone inside. Suzaku didn’t need to hear the pirate wavelengths where the Black Knights were broadcasting their side of the story to know this was bull.
The Black Knight’s report seemed accurate from what he could tell. Euphemia had given them sanctuary under the condition they end all terrorist activity, they were scheduled to meet her for a peace talk when the explosion happened. Only last minute rescheduling saved the majority of them from dying. They however, claimed that Euphemia was dead, hopefully that wasn’t true. He hadn’t spoken to Lelouch or Euphy again after the explosion and Lelouch’s warning to put himself in Lloyd’s protection and stay there until things died down.
“The Black Knights?” Cecile didn’t seem sure.
“Why would they do that? Euphy was giving them asylum. Who did this? All those people.”
“An order like that could only come from the Royal family. The Viceroy wasn’t willing to risk her sister on that island so not her. Probably Schneizel, Maybe Odysseus or the Emperor,” Lloyd said casually.
“What? They’d sacrifice Euphemia?”
“They just did.”
“And nobody questioned it? They just followed orders?”
“That’s their job.” Lloyd said. Cecile knew there was nothing she could say to make it better and didn’t speak.
“Zero was right? This entire government is rotten?” Suzaku was stunned.
“You just now figured that out?” Lloyd wasn’t surprised at all.
“Lloyd,” Cecile gasped.
“It’s true, the royal family and higher nobles are completely corrupt, everyone knows that.”
“Then, it’s not possible to change it from within the system?”
“Hm, well maybe, but once you get to the top there’d have to be some assassinations.”
“Lloyd!”
“Hypothetically. It’s the government we live in.”
Eventually, Suzaku made it back to Ashford. Lelouch and Euphy stood there. Euphy in a uniform and distinctive pink hair in a bun.
“Suzaku,” Euphy ran to him and gave him a hug.
“You’re alright.” He hugged her back then looked to Lelouch. Lelouch wore an expression Suzaku hadn’t seen since the war.
“You got out,” Lelouch said, even though it was obvious. “I never thought…”
“Me neither.” He stepped around Euphy and took Lelouch’s hands. “Lelouch, to end this, what do we have to do?” Lelouch met his eyes with surprise and grim determination. Neither of them wanted this, but there was no choice now.
He remembered now, former Princess Euphemia was in hiding within the ranks of the Black Knights. “Euphy?”She smiled and pulled her mask off. Her hair was cut short like a boy’s. She must have done that during the year of fighting along side the Black Knights, but otherwise she looked the same. “About time,” C.C. said callously. “These two would not stop moaning.” “Oh god, I…” he could still remember the past year perfectly, everything he’d said and done. “Lelouch, I’m,” “Don’t! Don’t apologize.” Lelouch stopped him then started to undo the restraints. “It’s not your fault.” “Still, everything I did.” “That wasn’t you. I haven’t blamed you from the second I realized you were under geass. You shouldn’t either.” They untied him. He sat up only for Euphy to hug him. “I’m glad you’re back.” “Me too. I…I thought you were dead, Euphy, that Lelouch had killed you.” He also remembered having feelings for her, well not real feelings, he could feel them fading now but he thought he had loved her. “That must have been horrid. What Father’s done to both of you, it’s unforgivable.” What was really unforgivable was betraying the love of his life seemingly out of the blue and forcing him before his evil father. He remembered being taken to an audience with his superiors. He remembered a boy telling him about Geass, him pretending to be surprised. Then The Emperor himself arrived. Suzaku had quickly bowed until Charles vi Britainia ordered him to look up. He couldn’t disobey the emperor and met the man’s eyes only to see his geass. Memories were a bit hazy after that, at least until he cornered Lelouch. The surprise and horror on Lelouch’s face as Suzaku held a gun at him made sense now. “Lelouch?” Suzaku reached for his hand. Lelouch jerked away from him, afraid of Suzaku’s touch. Suzaku pulled back and tried to think of something else to say. “Rollo, and Nunnelly, do they?” “Rollo is my ally, I spoke to Nunnelly briefly.” Suzaku looked to Euphy only to see her, not so gently, pushing C.C. out of the room. “Take however long you need.” She closed the door. With no witnesses Suzaku gave up on being strong. His head hurt, his emotions were a mess. Lelouch tentatively touched his arm and Suzaku collapsed against him. After over a year, they could finally hold each other again. …“Euphy. Did the Emperor make it up or did you ever have feelings for me?” “I love you, Suzaku, and yes, I had a crush on you but only until I realized you were my brother-in-law. But that was a year ago.” She touched his cheek. “Please don’t feel bad. I never told you of my feelings in the first place because I didn’t want you to feel guilty. The love you and Lelouch share is a beautiful thing, I couldn’t be jealous even if I wanted to.” Suzaku had to pull her into a tight hug then. “I love you so much, Euphy.” Euphy and Nunnally were his sisters but Lelouch was his everything. Even that hadn’t changed in the Emperor’s fake history, he couldn’t make Suzaku feel less strongly about Lelouch, he’d just turned all those feelings into hatred. … “My name is Euphemia; Former princess of Britannia.” She removed her mask in front of the cameras. Suzaku imagined he could hear surprised gasps around the world. “I once hoped to bring a peaceful end to the terrorist activities in Japan. I told my brother, Schnizel, when I planned to meet with Zero and the Black Knights.” Her sad pause wasn’t scripted. “An unexpected delay saved my life and Zero’s but we were too late to save the thousands of innocents who died that day. It was then I had to face the truth. Someone in my family is a monster. A monster who condones genocide, calls murder collateral damage,” Lelouch added all the provocative words to her speech. Genocide was also Suzaku’s cue to kick in the door. The Knights of the Round were all gathered by the television. By the time they looked up Suzaku and the Black Knights had them surrounded. “We aren’t terrorists, we’re a revolution. Euphys speech ended as Suzaku disarmed the last of the knights at gunpoint. “Will you really shoot us?” Anya asked. “Yes.” “Easy there!” Gino holds up his hands, more in playful ‘you win’ than military surrender. “What’s going on Suzaku? You’re the biggest anti-Zero person ever and now you’re working with him? Kind of suspicious, right?” Suzaku stepped forward, hopefully he could talk Gino round. “The Emperor lied, Gino. He used me, he tried to kill his own children, he did kill thousands of people to get to Zero. I can’t be loyal to a man like that.” Almost on cue, the military commlink blared into life. “This is Cornelia vi Britannia, Second Princess to the Holy Britannian Empire. As of this today, I and all those loyal to me denounce Charles vi Britannia.” “Huh, that’s interesting.” Anya commented dryly.