Lelouch concealed the rapid beating of his heart as his and Kallen's earlier discussion replayed throughout his mind "Zero, we have him,"

"Very well, is he fully secured? I'm not taking any chances with him." The terrorist feigned nonchalance at the echoed reply "The plan went off without a hitch, the staged scene will fool everyone into believing him dead."

Not that it was necessary, the only person who would have noticed the young adults absence was behind this whole charade.

"Good, you may leave, I do not wish to be disturbed." The female Black Knight bows before approaching the exit, heels clicking in her descent.

Zero and secretly known as Lelouch Vi Britannia, alas Lamperouge, smiles leisurely as he inserts the key, unlocking the bolts and allowing entry to the vast room. Inside was a simple king sized bed, chains and straps laying loose a top the black silk covers. A dresser the raven had already made sure was full of the perfect sized clothes, pristine small bath in the corner, but what really interested him the most was the loud muffled cries.

The wildly struggling figure he'd worked so hard to obtain now sat begrudgingly before his very eyes.

"It's so nice of you to join us, finally got you to accept my invitation."

Ripping the brown sack off, he tenderly lifts the bound man's head by use of his chin. Violet eyes staring deep into wide emerald green "Welcome to your new home, Suzaku Kururugi."

The brunette growled and flailed in response, mouth held shut by a single piece of stretched silver duct tape, arms straining against the chains forcing his wrists into the small of his back, legs chained at the ankles, knees and thighs, more chains holding his torso and finally a silver manacled collar placed around his neck.

"I hope you find the accommodations to your liking, this place was built with you in mind."

Wincing and re-adjusting his eyes, Suzaku began analyzing the room. Taking in every little detail in order to try and fathom exactly what was happening. One minute he'd been starting out on his regular route to Ashford Academy, and the next he was completely blindsided by the Black Knights.

"I do apologize for the roughness my men displayed while attempting to subdue you. They were warned you were to come to no harm and they will be reprimanded for their disobedience."

"Rough behavior? They barely landed a single hit, you know damned well what turned the tables in your favor." Scoffs the seventeen year old in thought "Since you couldn't beat me in a fair fight, you played a cheap, dirty trick."

Normally, the soldier would have his enemies taken care of in seconds flat, however, they'd caught him off guard by the simple use of a picture of his dear friend Lelouch. After that, he'd been forced into a surrender.

"Doesn't explain why I don't remember anything afterwards though. My head doesn't hurt so I wasn't hit, could I have been drugged? Whatever the case, it's obvious taking me alive was their primary objective."

The brunette runs through all the facts. They'd been watching him, they had to have been. Laying in wait to set the trap, the trap he'd been stupid enough to walk into, but he wouldn't abandon Lelouch.

Zero fashioned this dungeon for him and him alone, no weak points and the only exit was the door, but with him being kept in chains, there wasn't anyway to reach that far. He was trapped, a prisoner of the very man he'd been wishing so desperately dead. Angrily, Suzaku wrenches himself free from the black masked man's grip.

"How easy it was to capture you, giving yourself up for a friend, how noble. In regards to the boy, he was released the moment you arrived here." Zero tuts, pretending not to see the sheer sigh of relief from Suzaku.

"Lelouch being set free is one problem taken out of the equation. That means I won't have to worry about saving him when I escape, but then again, can Zero's word truly be trusted?"

Tender hand now latching deeply into the brown curls, eliciting a pained gruff from the Eleven as he's brought back to the current situation "It's exactly that insolence and behavior that landed you here, dear friend."

Suzaku launches his body forward in anger, eyes blazing "I'm no friend of yours and it's your own egotistical ideals that will be your downfall. You're just an arrogant coward. That's your true nature, the real you."

The young man pulled as hard as he could against the binds, only to be halted by the restraints and the harsher tug on his hair. Zero now pulling the strands loose from the roots.

"That fire and determination is why you're here," continues Zero "I offered you a role as my Knight, I saved you from Army damnation, yet, you still fight against me, a traitor to his own kind."

Lelouch knew those words struck a cord in his friend, the implication alone tore the man apart, but it had to be done. For he wasn't Lelouch at the moment, right now he was the terrorist Zero and he had to play the part.

"An Eleven going against his own people, killing his father in pursuit of an unachievable dream by the chosen means. This is war and like or not, there's always going to be casualties. Many must die in order for the new world to be born."

After a few seconds, Suzaku's eyes met Zero's mask. the raging inferno speaking fourth the words his lips currently couldn't.

"I'm not a traitor, everything I have done was for the good of Japan and all its people. I joined the Britannian Army for redemption, so that senseless tragedy wouldn't repeat itself. If my reputation goes down for doing what's right, I don't need it. I fight to free my people. Once I make them trust me, I'll have the power to change everything."

"I see you've made your final choice, I sincerely hope it was worth it." Zero huffs before throwing Suzaku's head and releasing his grip, insinuating to have just thrown out a piece of garbage "Because starting today, that offer is null and void. Those options are over, Kururugi."

Forest eyes couldn't help but widen, only to be quickly masked with indifference. what did his life, of one measly Eleven matter when it came down to the grand scheme of things?

"Like I'd ever be interested in joining your Black Knights. A victory won through dishonest means is no victory at all. I'd rather die!"

"You are now mine, Suzaku. To do with as I please, whenever I wish." Zero roams behind the chair, hands shortening the chains length and tightening the pressure keeping him down "You will leave this room when I allow it, you eat and drink when I say you can."

Suzaku bites his tongue underneath the tape, but he can do literally nothing as he's bolted down, more and more of his freedom steadily being taken away.

"Getting out of here right now is hopeless. As much as I hate it, in order to escape, I have to conform or at least pretend to. After that, I'll turn them all in and kill Zero myself. I just have to hold out till then, however long that's takes. But every second I'm here, Zero grows stronger with power and influence. Can I really just sit around pretending innocent people aren't being slaughtered?"

The brunette merely lowered his head in defeat, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, a no win situation. No one would risk rescue on an Eleven. He would remain here however long Zero wanted or until he got out himself, but judging by the circumstances, that wouldn't be anytime soon. The only upside to this is Lelouch was safe, hopefully his friend was at home hugging his sister Nunnally, being none the wiser.

Sensing the feeling from his friend, Zero placed both hands on his cheeks, stroking the soft flesh and wiping away the few stray tears "It didn't have to come to this, if you had simply joined me, then you'd be out there standing beside my throne. We wish to reach the same goal and I swear to you, Suzaku, that that's what's going to happen. Japan will be liberated, the people freed."

All but you, was the unspoken words they both knew rung in the air, Suzaku would never be a part of that freedom, he'd be kept prisoner for the remainder of his days.

Lelouch shuttered underneath the mask, the raven had to keep telling himself this was the only way that Suzaku would be kept safe. If Suzaku was here, he couldn't be the pilot, if Suzaku was here, there was no chance of his friend dying, if Suzaku were here, he'd be out of the war and the Armies clutches, but most importantly ...

Zero's hands run along the silver tape, stretching the gag across Suzaku's mouth, further muffling his screams and yells "The gag isn't necessary, this room is sound proof. I've taken great lengths to ensure no one will hear you, but it makes me feel better knowing you're held helpless inside."

All of Suzaku's fight seemed to return at once due to those words, red crimson dripping and running down his restrained limbs as Zero slowly made his exit.

"To desire some results, one must take actions. A soldier must always follow his orders, I made rules that I need and have to live by regardless of what becomes of myself. Even struggling with my shame and guilt I must break the never ending cycle of hate. I will never conform to your sick twisted dream, Zero. Prisoner or not, I will be the one to put an end to your madness!"

The Eleven may be bound, he may be gagged, he may be collared and leashed, he may be locked away. But, Suzaku Kururugi was far from beaten.

"Not like it matters, really," Mocks the masked captor "On the off chance you ever did manage to get yourself loose, you can't die."

The captives emerald gaze hardens, fingers curl inwards and a muffled snarl is barely audible "Damn him, Damn him and his stupid order to hell!"

"You remember that day, Suzaku? We would have had you then, had you not pulled that hostage taker stunt on me. I'd say it worked itself all out now."

"Bastard! That Geass power doesn't give you the right to play god. To force others to bend to your will while you get to hide away in the shadows and allow the innocents to take all the blame for doing your dirty work."

"You can't die, because I commanded you to live. Taking your own life is no longer a viable option. Thanks to me, you'll choose life over death every time, you have no choice in that regard."

"The Geass you used on me that day, that very order that drives me to live has corrupted my convictions! Any life or death situation I'm now forced to retreat, with or without my fellow men. I'm no longer trustworthy on the field, I'll gladly leave them all behind to die so long as I get to live! Why would you put such a curse on me? I swear on my life, I'll make you rue the very day you gave that order, I'll live long enough to kill you! It's hatred that is guiding me now, I'm not just fighting for peace anymore, my newest goal is to kill you!"

Suzaku watched in fury as Zero laughed before shutting and bolting the prison door. Lelouch cried as he sentenced his friend to his own miserable exile. The raven could never let anyone find out his true motives for the imprisonment of Suzaku.

If Suzaku was here ...

Yes, he was the Lancelots only pilot, an enemy that couldn't be turned against the other side, the only Eleven the Japanese would listen to or follow. To Zero, Suzaku was a means to an end and better off dead, but to Lelouch? Suzaku was his best friend and family. If he couldn't get him on his side willingly, then the Japanese boy wouldn't be in the fight at all.

If Suzaku was here ...

Lelouch couldn't bare to kill him, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to stop every assignation attempt either. His power and influence wouldn't always be there to save the man.

"If Suzaku was here ... "

The mantra never seemed to stop, driving the boy mad. Suzaku kept needlessly putting himself in harms way, the Army didn't care if he lived or died, in fact, very few did. Without knowing why, he'd gotten the measurements for his friends clothes, bought the chains and tape, taken the photo of himself he knew would be the trigger for Suzaku's compliance and set his Knights on his unknowing friend.

He'd set-up Suzaku's kidnapping, the man he'd considered to be his own brother was being held against his will, by Lelouch himself and had no clue as to the true reason.

"No one can know and no one ever will, that secret I'll gladly take to my grave. I can't afford any of my enemies discovering my true identity and using Suzaku or Nunnally against me."

And knowing just who he was dealing with, that scenario seemed all to plausible.

This way there would be no more surprises, like the moment he found out he'd been battling against his long time friend. He'd never have to wonder what Suzaku was up to at the base or if the boy went out and got himself injured being reckless and naive.

For the first time in years, Suzaku Kururugi was completely and totally safe. His friend he'd wanted so long to see again wasn't ever going to leave him. Sure, they sadly wouldn't be fighting along side one another, but Lelouch would always have Suzaku, regardless.

"If Suzaku was here ... Well, he's here now and here's where he's going to stay. I won't ever lose him again. I wish you could hear me right now, Suzaku. There's no reason to fear me or the situation. I'll never let anything bad happen to you, that I can promise."

The most important thing ... Suzaku was here with him, the childhood friends would never be separated again, he'd make sure of it.

Alright everyone that's a wrap! I got this idea from a one-shot I swear used to be on this site where Lelouch kidnapped Suzaku because he missed how they used to be, so I made my own, plus there's not enough Suzaku whump out there