Serena: O.O [falls out of chair] 24 reviews?! S-Seriously?! Jeez, I wasn't expecting such a large response! The first part wasn't even that long! [doesn't know what to say to that] Wow…I guess I have good ideas sometimes. xD Well, since you guys want me to, I'll continue with this story. :D [is still surprised by the review count] Just wow…
Warnings:AU. SuzaLulu. A continuation of my "Nightmare" self challenge. Curse words are used. Very vague hints at child abuse and drug use. If you think the rating is too low, please tell me. This chapter has me thinking I need to raise the rating, but I want to know what you all think.
I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: Tainted Ink And Paper, Cool Moon, EdoLover, Jesi -the immortal warecat-, Patet, The Solar Being, LookingForMeaning, Star Jinin, 2stupid, Crispy Rice, nachan, random person, Wynster McG, Asami-chan37, Arkaham, Spiritshipper-SuzaEuphy09, Nobody of Importance, MiniMinx, Pandora-Remix, Midoribon, Sparxyu, Syaoran's Sakura, shiai10, and lilyrose225!
Special thanks go to Wynster McG for all the wonderful scientific information! It was amazingly useful. x3
Summary: Suzaku's best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // Suzaku wasn't sure how the man had done it, but Charles murdered Lelouch.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Story and story title inspired by the song Hello by Poe and by Serial Experiments Lain. Also, credit goes to The Solar Being for giving me the idea for the Zodiac part…which didn't turn out that great.
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Title: Disconnected Modem
Transmission 2: Murder?
By: Serena the Hikari of Love
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Suzaku's fingers furiously fiddled with the packet of cigarette resting in his jacket pocket. His nerves were on high and the sinking feeling of dread made his insides flutter with nausea.
Dear God, he needed a cigarette right now.
But he couldn't do that. No, no. The bastard he was meeting wouldn't like that at all.
Although, he was tempted to smoke one anyway if for no other reason than to piss the man off.
He forced his hand to leave his pocket and he inhaled the cold air deeply before exhaling in a rather long sigh.
'I'm just here to get Arthur.' he reminded himself, thinking back to the e-mail he had received. 'Remember: minimal talking and absolutely no accusations.'
Regardless of whether the e-mail he had received was from Lelouch or not, he couldn't deny that Lelouch would not have wanted the feline to be left alone with that man.
Up until his sudden death, Lelouch had lived with his father and a sweet little feline he had rescued from the streets. Lelouch did have a mother and a younger sister, but they lived overseas in Ireland. The teenager's mother and sister were two truly kind and loving individuals, but the father was a horrible man. He…did things. Illegal things.
Some of those things had involved Lelouch.
Marianne, Lelouch's mother, went through a bitter divorce with the father, Charles. Marianne suffered through a long custody battle. At the end of it, she was able to save Nunnally, the sister, but was unable to rescue Lelouch from Charles' grip. She tried again and again, but nothing she did worked. Lelouch eventually convinced her that he would be okay and that she should take Nunnally and move far away. He also said that he would join her and Nunnally one day, leaving the life with his father behind.
Lelouch had actually been planning on sneaking away by the end of the week.
Suzaku's eye narrowed in a hate-filled glare that pierced the thick red wood of the door before him.
"I'm going to do it, Suzaku. I'm going to run away. I won't let him hurt me anymore."
And now his best friend was dead. Was it just a coincidence?
'What if he found out?' Suzaku couldn't help but wonder.
It was a possibility and Suzaku wouldn't put it past Charles to try hurting Lelouch like that.
Suzaku could not honestly say that he had ever truly hated someone before…but this man…this man, he hated. He loathed him with an intensity that burned hotter than the white hot agony of a thousand suns.
His fingers twitched.
It was getting harder to fight back the nicotine cravings.
'What the hell is taking him so long?!' he complained, a scowl on his face. 'It's not like he's actually in mourning, fucking murderer.'
Murderer.
It wasn't proven. It would probably never be proven, but Suzaku knew better. He refused to believe what the coroner had definitively ruled.
Suicide.
It did not matter to him that Lelouch's tox screens had turned up positive for the multiple sleeping pills he had ingested. It did not matter to him that a thorough--not thorough enough in his opinion--examination had been done, revealing no signs of struggle, no bruises, or anything of the like. It did not matter to him that every piece of evidence pointed to Lelouch's death being a suicide. Screw what the evidence and that e-mail had said. He knew Lelouch. Lelouch would never go through with something like that.
Suzaku wasn't sure how the man had done it, but Charles murdered Lelouch.
He murdered Suzaku's best friend.
Honestly, Suzaku wouldn't be surprised if the bastard had shoved the pills down Lelouch's throat himself. He had money--dirty money. He could have paid the right people off and saved his own sorry hide.
'Why kill him? He wasn't hurting anyone.'
Damn. His eyes were watering up again. He couldn't face that man with watery eyes.
He furiously swiped at his eyes to remove any traces of tears while trying to push back his depressing thoughts.
Screw it. He needed a cigarette to calm his nerves. If the old man got fussy about it, then he could finally tell the bastard to go to hell.
Win-Win.
He stuck his hand into his jacket pocket and extracted his packet of cigarettes and his lighter. He pulled one cancerous stick out of the package and stuck it into his mouth before dropping the packet back into his pocket. He flicked open the lighter and held it up to the stick, ready to light it up.
The door opened the moment the reddish-orange flame appeared.
Suzaku froze, the lighter still held up to his cigarette as his eyes traveled up to a tall man with piercing violet eyes. The man had long chestnut-colored hair and he wore a plain white long-sleeved turtleneck with blue jeans. Looking at the man, it was very easy to see where Lelouch got his good looks from, but it failed to explain how someone so mean could raise someone so sweet.
Suzaku sometimes pretended that Lelouch was adopted. It made more sense that way.
Highly aware of the menacing glare he was receiving, Suzaku did what any sensible person that respected his elders would do. He calmly and rather slowly finished lighting his cigarette before placing the lighter back into his pocket and then he took a longer-than-necessary drag off the nicotine-filled item before blowing a rich puff of smoke right into the elder man's face.
"Charles." he greeted, waving slightly with the hand that held his cigarette.
Alright, maybe that wasn't what a sensible person who respected his elders would do. Don't get him wrong. Suzaku respected his elders--some of them--, but Charles did not fall under the category of "People Suzaku Kururugi Respected".
No. Instead of the proper treatment, Charles got a puff of smoke in his face.
Suzaku coughed.
Make that two.
"Kururugi." Charles stated, clearly unhappy with this sudden visitor. "What do you want?"
"Arthur." Suzaku stated, tapping the burnt material off the cigarette's end. "I want him."
Charles snorted.
"What makes you think I'll just hand him over to you?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
The action reminded Suzaku a bit too much of Lelouch.
So he blew another puff of smoke into the old man's face.
Elegant actions such as that were reserved for people who weren't murderers. Suzaku couldn't hit him without getting arrested, but he could sure as hell give him lung cancer through secondhand smoke.
"What makes me think you even want him?" Suzaku countered, his neutral expression slowly dissolving into a grimace.
Even before Suzaku learned of all the cruel things the man had put Lelouch through, he was never able to get along with the elder man. There had just been something about him that Suzaku had not liked. He knew what that was now.
It was pure undiluted evil, rolling off the man in continuous waves.
'I should have pulled Lelouch away from you years ago.' he thought, his eyes narrowing.
The truth was that Suzaku had tried so very very hard to talk Lelouch into running away, but the younger had refused. The reason why was unclear to him even now and with Lelouch gone, he would never know.
"I don't." Charles answered, leaning against the doorframe. "But it is my only son's dearest pet, after all. It would be wrong to push him off onto such an undeserving child."
'Undeserving? Is he still on that?' Suzaku mused, his eyes narrowing further. 'Oh, Charles. You sick little pervert.'
It was no secret that Charles held an extreme dislike for Suzaku. One reason being that Suzaku had gained Lelouch's friendship and loyalty.
Charles didn't like that. He didn't like that someone had stolen Lelouch's attention.
And Suzaku just couldn't resist the temptation of calling him out on it.
"Jealous because he liked me more than you?" he asked, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face at the elder's silted eyes. "You'll have to forgive my natural charm. It attracts all sorts of people."
He was really hoping to piss Charles off and he succeeded.
"Fine. You want the damn cat, take him! He's just as worthless as his owner was!" Charles stated.
Rage swelled up inside of Suzaku's chest and he had a hard time not incapacitating the man in front if him.
"How dare you speak ill of him." he seethed, his fingers crushing the cigarette as they curled up into a fist. "You have a lot of nerve."
"He was my son. I'll say whatever I want about him." Charles stated, a smirk of his own appearing due to Suzaku's reaction. "I will say this about my late son."
Charles leaned down to draw closer to Suzaku.
"He had the tightest little ass I've ever had the privilege to admir--"
CRACK.
As Suzaku left the residence with Arthur in tow, he realized he couldn't remember ever hitting Charles, but damn. He felt good for some reason despite a throbbing pain in his right hand.
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"Here you go, Arthur." Suzaku said to the feline. "Tuna. Your favorite."
Arthur mewled appreciatively and began to nibble on the meal presented to him.
Suzaku smiled slightly before seating himself down in a dining room chair. He grabbed hold of the burning cigarette waiting for him in the table's ashtray.
"Lelouch always complained about you being spoiled, but in the end, he always gave you what you wanted regardless." Suzaku mused as he brought the cigarette to his lips. "He would have made a great dad."
"Would have" being the keywords in that sentence. But then, Suzaku didn't need to be reminded about that. It was just that seeing Lelouch's father again had-
"Shit." Suzaku cursed, a finger moving to rub at his temple. "I really hit him, didn't I?"
He had tried his hardest to restrain himself, but when the bastard started talking about Lelouch's--he just lost it. He totally lost it and punched the old geezer right in his perverted face. The force of the blow and had caused Charles's head to smash against the edge of the door frame.
Suzaku couldn't be sure, but something resembling blood had been smeared across that door frame.
He sighed and took a short drag from his cigarette before laying his head down in his arms.
"I'm screwed, aren't I?"
He heard Arthur mewl, as if to say "Yes. You're screwed.".
That cat was as much of a smartass as his previous owner had been.
"Thank you for your input." Suzaku muttered in reply, patting his cigarette out in the ashtray before standing.
Arthur glanced up at him briefly and mewled before diving right back into his meal.
"Make yourself at home." Suzaku said as he made his way towards his computer. "I'll be over here. Checking my e-mail."
Arthur didn't answer him this time, but that was reasonable as he was too busy with his meal and the statement hadn't been that important to begin with.
It was sort of nice having Arthur around. His apartment didn't seem that lonely with him there.
Suzaku lived in a small apartment on the upper side of Shinjuku. He had no real family to speak of. His mother had died when he was younger and his father had died a few years ago from heart failure. He had no siblings and any other relatives he may of had either didn't even know he existed or they didn't care. It didn't bother him one way or the other. He would rather be alone.
But even those who like solitude tire of it after a while, don't they?
Of course, he had not felt lonely the past few weeks thanks to Lelouch. Lelouch had been staying with him a lot. Anytime the teen could sneak away from his father, he would come to Suzaku. It sort of made him happy that Lelouch would come to him out of all the other people he could have gone to.
There was Milly Ashford. She was quite attractive and mature for her age. At times, she could seem like a witch, but she was really kind-hearted underneath all the layers of bossiness. She acted as somewhat of a big sister to Lelouch.
Then there was Kallen. She was quite attractive as well. Fiery red hair with a matching attitude made her seem unapproachable most days. But just like Milly, she had her soft side. She seemed to have taken quite a liking to Lelouch as her attitude with him had always been much different.
Then there was Jeremiah. He was actually Marianne's cousin. Jeremiah held a deep love for Marianne and he watched over Nunnally and Lelouch as if they were his own. He lived nearby and had told Lelouch countless times that if he ever felt threatened by Charles or just wanted to move out from under the man's watchful gaze, he could come and stay with him and would not have to worry about anything.
And Jeremiah was the type of person you could hold to their word.
But Lelouch politely refused. Each and every time.
Why? Suzaku didn't know. Perhaps it was pride that forced Lelouch to stay or perhaps he was worried that Charles would hurt someone he cared about if he just disappeared.
Suzaku sighed as he opened up his Inbox.
There was nothing new.
He just sent a reply that morning…but he was probably being overeager. It wasn't like this mystery e-mailer was actually Lelouch.
'But it sounds so much like him. And whoever is sending them knows things that only Lelouch and I know about.' he mused, staring at the screen. 'Maybe it is…'
Suzaku fisted his fingers in his hair and sighed wearily.
He would be honest with himself. He wanted the e-mailer to be Lelouch. He wanted his friend to still be alive in some way. He wanted…he just wanted!!
'I have no proof either way, though.'
It was true. Suzaku didn't have any evidence of any kind that could prove anything. If it was Lelouch communicating with him, he could not prove it. If it was not Lelouch, he still could not prove it.
"Why do things have to be so difficult?" he mumbled.
"Meow!"
Suzaku blinked and was slightly startled when he discovered Arthur sitting beside the keyboard.
Arthur mewled again and took the opportunity to jump into Suzaku's lap.
"Meow~" Arthur purred, nuzzling the other affectionately.
Suzaku blinked again.
"What…you aren't going to bite me?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
Arthur mewled again and just continued to purr.
Well, apparently, Arthur had no intention of physically harming him today. Strange, but not unwelcome.
"I've been receiving e-mails that are claiming to be from Lelouch." Suzaku said, a hand moving to pet the feline. "The way they are written…they sound just like him and there are things mentioned in the e-mails that only he and I know about."
Suzaku sighed.
"What do you think, Arthur?" he asked, glancing down at the feline. "Do you think they could be from him? Even though he's…"
He trailed off. Why repeat it? It was bad enough that it was on constant repeat inside of his mind.
Arthur just looked up at him and tilted his head.
He mewled.
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Serena: Remember when I said there would only be two more chapters? Well, apparently that isn't happening. XD Apparently, there is going to be more than two. [sighs] I was seriously going to make this longer and this story was seriously only going to have two more chapters, but when I got to the end of this, I realized that it wouldn't be right to continue past Arthur's mewl. [flails] Argh!! Brain, why?! Dx Why do you do these things to me?! …oh…because you can?…meanie.
Next chapter comes the elaboration of Lelouch supposed suicide. That's right. That means Suzaku is paying the coroner a little visit. Ah, and Suzaku takes a trip into the Wired after receiving another e-mail from Lelouch. But is it Lelouch? (I'm pretty sure that has already been established, but MEH!!)
By the way, who else thinks Arthur knows the truth? :D Oh, if that cat could talk…
Also, please take a look at Tainted Ink And Paper and I's ZeroLulu/SuzaLulu Thread!! Link is on my profile. ;D