Hehe... I know I said don't expect anything until Friday. But... I lied? I was stuck on campus with nothing to do for a few hours. And the writing just kinda flowed.
To Ghille Dhu: Thank you kindly for your reviews! My apologies for the third chapter bogging down a little, I felt the same about it in that regard. I tried to alter this one a little to cut out a bit of the stuff that slowed the third one down without cutting important stuff. I'm glad you're enjoying it for the most part from the sounds of it, and I hope you'll keep an eye out for more as I get to it!
To those who have clicked favorite and have taken the time to read a work that is as much a fanfiction as an experiment in writing style: You have my thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope you will enjoy the new chapter!
Lelou begged off Student Council business when some of the girls asked for her to join them for lunch when the morning classes ended. She frowned as they drug Kallen off, removing the opportunity she'd wanted to question her with the assistance of her power. Leave it to high school students to ruin a plan of action.
Another chance presented itself as she wandered past the courtyard, the frightened screams of a number of girls catching her attention. She was just in time to see Kallen slowly backing away from something. Excellent, there's even enough privacy that I can speak with her here.
"This pisses me off, having to play a damn invalid."
So the sick girl routine is an act. Keeping her face neutral, she closed on the red-head. It had to be her.
"C-Can I help you?" Kallen's voice wavered from the aggressive, lively tone she'd been using to complain.
Calling upon her power, Lelou commanded her fellow student. "Answer my questions. Were you the pilot of the Glasgow in Shinjuku yesterday?"
When Kallen simply nodded, Lelou carried on seeking to sate her curiousity. "Why are you a terrorist?"
Kallen's voice was almost lifeless as she was compelled to answer. "Because I'm Japanese. I'm half-Britannian."
"A half-breed?" She was surprised by that, though on close inspection, she could see a few signs of Asian features in the relaxed face. She looked like she might have only had a single grandparent, or even further back than that to have the face she did. "Why go so far?"
"My brother. We were happy living with Mother and Father, until Father was forced to marry a Britannian to satisfy his family. He abandoned us because of Britannia. And my brother was killed fighting Britannia."
Lelou nodded, satisfied, and released her hold on Stadtfeld. Raising an eyebrow as the girl spoke. "Um, did you need something from me?"
Giving her a small smile, "No, sorry to bother you." She turned, slowly walking away before she remembered. Calling upon her power once again Lelou commanded, "Don't speak to anyone about what happened in Shinjuku."
Not missing Kallen's eyes narrowing she frowned. "What do you mean in Shinjuku?" Why didn't she simply acknowledge the order? Her mind was whirring as she tried to think her way out of the situation.
"What makes you mention Shinjuku?"
Lelou focused, insuring that the familiar warmth of her power was there. "Return to the classroom!"
"Only if you answer my question!"
It's not working? Why? Wait, with a power like this there must be rules, limitations. Her mind was coming up blank on what to do, so she stepped back, preparing to run. Then, a voice called out to them. "Hey! Lelou! We're supposed to be in the Lab right now!"
Thank you, Rivalz, I owe you for pulling me out of this mess. "Oh crap! I forgot to set up the experiment equipment!" Rushing off, hopefully without appearing too much like she was running away, she made her way into the doorway Rivalz was calling from.
She hardly noticed Rivalz presence even as he walked next to her. Damn it. I've said too much, and she is a terrorist, and one who's managed to survive against Britannia. It won't take much for her to at least suspect me.
Throughout the rest of the day, she worked to avoid being caught near Kallen, mind in overdrive as she tried to think a way out when the eventual confrontation occurred. To her shame, even as she ate dinner with Nunnally she only listened with half an ear to her little sister happily praising Sayoko for teaching her origami. The majority of her mental resources were devoted to reviewing the plans she'd made, along with the 'special' orders she'd made at a few tailors and a tinkerer.
"You scared me last night, Big Sister. Even with Shirley telling me that you would be late, I didn't think that you would come back as late as you did." Nunnally's words managed to make her focus, a sad smile forming on her lips.
"I'm sorry, I was just really busy, and had some thinking to do." She cursed herself mentally, lying to her little sister being the one thing she never wanted to do.
Lelou looked on with interest as Nunnally pulled up a paper crane. "They say that if you fold a thousand cranes, your wish will come true. Do you have something you wish for, Lelou?"
"Nothing much. What about you, Nunnally? Do you have something you'd wish for?"
Cocking her head, she pondered the question. She smiled as she came to a decisive answer. "I wish the world was a gentle place."
Lelou smiled, reaching over to pat Nunnally gently on the head. "When you can see again, I'm sure it will be."
"Really?" Her sister's tone was full of all the innocence and naïveté that Lelou had worked so hard to preserve in her, particularly in the aftermath of their mother's death and their subsequent relocation to Japan, particularly the brutal aftermath of the conquest.
"I promise." That's right. All of the plans that I've made, and this power that I've acquired. I'll destroy this world, and remake it into a place where you and I can be safe. The Ashford's may be able to protect us for now, but will they always be able to? If the Emperor discovered us, he would be able to take us if he wanted. If our identities were revealed, even Rivalz and Shirley would abandon us. In this world we will only be political tools, or prey to the whims of petty, jealous royals or nobles. I will make it. The world where you can live happily. She placed a hand on her little sister's, savoring the contact.
She cocked her head though, as Nunnally lifted her hand, slipping their pinkies together. "Sayoko taught me that this is how the Japanese make a promise." She smiled before continuing in a little sing song voice. "Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie."
Lelou grinned as Nunally bounced her hand up and down. "That's scary! I might have to eat a thousand needles some day."
"That's why you'd better not be lying, big sister!"
The next day
All I gave her was mentioning Shinjuku... She's focusing on me. I should have been more careful. Lelou berated herself mentally as she sat down after answering a question, catching sight of Kallen's eyes on her through a mirror in her pen case. I'll have to deal with her soon. How, how is the question.
She stood, briskly packing her books into her bag as class ended. Having decided to go on the offensive, she stepped over to Kallen. "Kallen, would you mind coming with me? I need to talk with you."
Kallen nodded, following just behind as they walked to the Student Council building, stepping inside with some meaningless chatter about it. "We won't be disturbed here?" The red-head's tone turned dangerous just before another familiar voice rang through the reception hall. Shirley lifted something and shouted her victory.
Lelou, watching bemused as Rivalz and Nina appeared into view on the second floor, just before Milly walked in pushing a cart of food. It seems this wasn't the best place to talk after all.
She looked to Milly, "Um, Prez, what's going on?"
Milly placed a hand on her hip frowning at Lelou. "Didn't you bring Kallen here because you knew? It's because Kallen's now a member of the Student Council!"
All that Lelou heard from the terrorist was, "Huh?"
Milly shook a finger towards Kallen before she began pulling the various dishes from the cart and placing them on the tables that had been set out. "Grandpa asked me to pull her in! It's hard for her to participate in any other clubs with her health issues. Oh! I'm Milly, the President, it's nice to meet you, Kallen!"
The other members hustled down the stairs to greet the bemused Kallen. Lelou's eyes widened as a familiar whir filled the air, Nunnally's chair approaching them. "You're here too, Nunnally?"
Nunnally gave a wave and a smile in the direction of the sound of her older sister's voice. The President looked up and did the introduction for her. "This is Lelou's little sister, Nunnally."
"I'm just in the junior high school though, so I'm not on the student council."
Rivalz laughed at that. "Of course you are! You're an honorary member of the Council!"
Nunnally's smile widened as she bowed in her chair. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen."
Lelou sighed as she saw Rivalz pull out a bottle of champagne, beginning the inevitable struggle between him and the strait-laced Shirley. He gave in rather quickly, passing the bottle to Lelou, who caught it easily, and then blinked before being promptly tackled by Shirley. The cork popped free, soaking Kallen. The look of dismay on everyone's faces apparent, aside from Milly, who had merely observed with a questionable level of sadism at the unfolding disaster.
"Lelou, would you mind showing Kallen to the shower?"
That's it. Thank you, Milly. Leave it to students to thrash a plan more than the Britannian army, only to give me an even better one a moment later. Lelou smiled at the drenched Kallen. "Sure, I'll get you some clothes to change into as well."
Thankfully, Kallen was more focused on being drenched than trying to pull secrets from her on the way to the bathroom. "Go ahead and get started, I'll bring you some of my clothes in shortly. We're pretty similar in size so they should fit, well perhaps aside from the chest. It's only temporary until we get your uniform washed. Now off with it! I'll take it to the others to get it washed."
Lelou smirked as she grabbed the basket that Kallen had discarded everything in and ran it down to Shirley. As she headed to her room she spotted just who she was looking for. "Ah! Sayoko..." She paused feeling her eye heating. "I want you to do something for me."
A few minutes later
Standing in front of the door to the bathroom with clothes folded in her arms she knocked on the door, entering when Kallen called out to do so.
"Sorry about this, they can be a little too... lively at times. Hopefully these won't be too small for you." Upon seeing the shadow on the curtain, she frowned. Her clothes would definitely be too small for those.
"It's fine, it's only temporary. That was fast though, you went all the way back to the dorm and returned?"
"No, I live here. It would be hard for Nunnally to live in the dorms, so Reuben... Er, the Principal lets us live here." Now, when will she remember that she was going to interrogate me... Her finger was poised on her cell phone, ready to send the message to Sayoko to call. "At any rate, I'll let you finish your shower, and make sure that Milly doesn't try to peek."
"Wait! Could you hand me the pouch on the counter?" Lelou picked it up, a little surprised by the small pink thing's weight. She thought little of it though until she placed it in Kallen's hand as it reached out from behind the curtain. She smirked as the pouch went tumbling with Lelou's hand slapped into a vice-grip.
"Were you in Shinjuku on that day?" Kallen's tone was deadly serious. Not just yet...
"What are you talking about?" Lelou's was as innocent as the showering teen's was serious.
"Don't play dumb with me! Why did you mention Shinjuku?"
"Is there something wrong with Shinjuku?" Now. Her thumb gently pressed send.
"Don't answer my question with a question, Lelou! Yes or no. Were you in Shinjuku?"
Based on the way Kallen's hand flinched, though didn't release her wrist, she was surprised by the sudden ringing of the room's phone. "We should answer that, or someone will come, probably Milly or Rivalz."
Not waiting for Kallen's reply, she reached around to pick up the phone. "Hello. Ashford Academy Student Council, this is Lelou." She smiled as she heard her own voice, deepened as she had in dealing with the terrorists.
"Ah... Right." Lelou feigned confusion as she held the phone out towards Kallen. "It's for you, he says you'll know him if you talk to him."
Indeed you will. Recalling the recording she'd made and had Sayoko hold up to the phone, she put the 'conversation' together mentally.
"Hello?"
I'm glad you're alive and well, Q-1. She fought to keep the smile off her lips as she heard the sudden gasp from Kallen, knowing that she'd look over to see if she were somehow manipulating this with the suspicions she has.
The day after tomorrow, 16:00 Hours. The observation deck of the old Tokyo Tower. Come alone.
"Who are you?! How did you arrange that cease-fire?! Don't hang up on me!" Now now, Kallen. A magician never reveals her secrets. Though you're being rather loose lipped around an 'unknown.' I'll keep that in mind.
Now the coup de grâce. Putting on a curious expression, she looked in at Kallen, whose motions had opened the shower curtain. Tch. Definitely too big for my clothes. "What do you mean, cease-fire? Sounds like you have dangerous friends!" She smiled quickly though. "From an internet game? I've played a few, and people can sound pretty dangerous when talking about them!"
"Y-yeah, that's it. Please don't tell anyone that I play games like that... It's embarrassing."
Checkmate. Kallen's grasp loosened, letting Lelou's hand fall back outside of the shower. "What I was saying about Shinjuku though, I know you're not healthy. I- I've seen the footage from it. Don't talk about it, because there are people who would show it to you." She waved back at Kallen before walking out. "I won't tell anyone though, about the games. I'll see you later."
That takes care of that problem, now I just need to pick up those orders tomorrow and double check the plan. I know she won't actually come alone. Will the plan survive multiple targets- Her thoughts were interrupted as Milly ordered her to explain the student council to Kallen through a text message. She sighed. Appearances had to be maintained though. While she explained the President and her weird tastes, she worked hard to quash the jealous pang that hit her when she saw what Kallen was able to do to her blouse. As they entered the reception hall once more, she raised an eyebrow at the serious expressions on the normally cheery faces of the student council.
"Big sister, it's awful! Prince Clovis is dead!" After asking what happened, she was bombarded with answers, how he was killed, but the press conference continued on screen, the Margrave Jeremiah announcing Clovis' death. Not even Lelou was able to hold back a gasp of surprise as they announced who they had in custody as the suspect for the murder. It can't be. He's alive? Her thoughts were steamrolled by the anchor's angry voice, denouncing the honorary Britannian, Suzaku Kururugi. You saved me down in the subway... Now it's my turn to save you.
Two days later
She'd spent much of the past two days working to reassure Nunnally that Suzaku, their friend would surely be released soon, that he would never have done something like murder Clovis. And then shortly after, she'd gone to work, hurriedly gathering what she'd need. She was unhappy that she was forced to lie to Rivalz and Shirley in regards to where she was going since classes had been canceled in regards to Clovis' death. That only helped her though, allowing her to get to the ruined Tokyo Tower early, leaving a cell phone in the hands of the receptionist with orders to call out for Kallen shortly after the arranged time. Lelou made her way to the train station. One eye glued to the clock. 16:06. Kallen should have the phone, and have been waiting a minute with it. She hit the speed dial on her new phone, this one with a voice modulator to help with the disguise. It rang, any moment now, Kallen would see the caller ID, 'Zero.'
"Hello?"
"Ride the outer tracks of loop line 5, bring your friends." She hung up without another word. Calm down, damn you. The butterflies in her stomach obeyed as well as an unruly child.
Just one step at a time, just follow the plan, or the contingencies if they manage to screw this up. She gave a weak laugh at that thought before she darted into the station's restroom. Now we see if you look as good in this as you did at Milly's cross-dressing festival. She chuckled as she copied what she had done with the infantryman's uniform. She pulled the purple with gold-trim on over her uniform, not bothering to even remove her shoes. Indeed, she'd had it tailored to where her shoes would fit within those of this outfit, along with raised heels to give her a few extra inches. The shoulders were stiffened rather heavily, broadening her shoulders while working to slim her hips with the illusion. Her chest had been wrapped rather tightly before hand, though the front of the suit had matching stiffening to give the illusion that it was just muscle. She nodded as she looked down at herself while tying the pesky cravat that was such an icon of Britannian nobility and royalty. She smirked as she pulled up the half-mask that would conceal her neck and lower face in case something went wrong. She sighed as she pinned the cloak into place. The raised collar and how it wrapped all the way around her made it a little ridiculous, but it would serve as yet another element of disguise. Combine that with the dramatic motions she had planned, very few would think 'Zero' to be anything more than a masked mad-man, rather than the high school girl that she truly was.
Though, she planned on removing the 'mad' part with sheer success. Lelou finally knelt down, picking up the mask. It too was a bit much, but she didn't mind. The voice modulator in it worked perfectly, so she'd no longer have to strain her own vocal cords. The slide for her left eye worked like a charm as well, though she'd need some practice with the activation of it. The right half had an excellent HUD that matched, and exceeded what Britannian infantry had within their visors. With the invisible camera on the right side of the mask, she'd have access to low-light vision and even thermal imagery, along with the ability to bring up maps and just about anything else she might need at any given moment. Her hair had already been bound up in a tight bun, allowing her to slip the mask on and lock it into place without another second wasted. The train was almost there. As it arrived, she walked easily into the last car.
If you look like you belong, you do, no matter how insane an outfit you wear. She smiled as the train pulled out of the station, walking through the cars as she practiced the slide activation, using her power to pass her orders to the passengers. As she finished, she pulled out her phone, making sure that it was linked to her mask. Five minutes to the next station. I'm glad I thought to order the station masters to admit no one but Kallen and anyone with her. This wouldn't have gone as well if more people got on.
Standing in the first car, she waited. Taking a deep breath as the train stopped for a minute, and then pressing the call button as the train pulled out once more. It rang once before Kallen answered. "Look to the right, what do you see?"
"Britannia's city. A city built on the sacrifices of the Japanese." While Kallen's tone was calm, Lelou could still hear the searing anger boiling beneath.
"And to the left?"
"Our ruined city, the remnants, the refuse that Britannia disposed of when they could squeeze no more from us."
"I like your answers, now, come to the first car." She hung up once more, quickly checking her stance, spreading her legs a little further before squaring her shoulders back. She stood with her back to the door that they would enter from. The car completely abandoned aside from the operator, who blissfully controlled the train as he should without noticing anything odd as she had commanded.
"Was it you?" She heard the familiar voice after the door hissed open. Other voices that she could recognize, but couldn't put a name, just a code designator for continued, wondering aloud about this being a trap.
Kallen cut them off. "Tell us, you were the one in Shinjuku? That cease-fire was your work?"
Lelou, no, Zero, turned abruptly, startling them with his appearance. Allowing them a moment to take in the masked and cloaked apparition before them. Taking control of the conversation, ignoring their questions, Zero spoke. The voice unnaturally male to the feminine ears beneath the mask. "Well? What were your impressions of this little tour of the settlement?"
Zero ignored their comments, the useless mutterings about not being the one that had saved them, rather a mad joker. "I wanted you to have a true appreciation of it." Arms flung out in the direction of the Britannian Settlement, and the Japanese ghetto, the cloak spreading like wings behind.
P-1 stepped forwards speaking steadily, "Yes, there's a difference between us and the Britannians." Ohgi was his name. He seems to be a bit more levelheaded than I would have given him credit for. "A desperate difference, that's why we fight as the resistance!"
"You're wrong though. Terrorism will not defeat Britannia. Terrorism is merely a childish nuisance." Zero's voice washed over them with all the subtlety of a bucket of ice water. None of them reacted well to their actions being called childish.
Zero cut them off. "Do not mistake your enemy! You should not be fighting the Britannian people, but Britannia itself! What you need to do is fight a war! A proper, just war! One that doesn't involve civilians on either side! Make up your minds, take the path of righteousness! The path to justice!"
Kallen's eyes narrowed at his tone. "Don't be absurd! It's easy to say something like that! We can't even trust you, who won't even show his face!" Ohgi and the others quickly piped in their agreement, the general consensus demanding that Zero remove the mask.
Not unexpected, I suppose it's human nature. "Very well, I'll show you. Not my face, but rather my power. If I show you that I can make the impossible possible, you'll trust me a little won't you? I'll rescue Kururugi Suzaku." Zero slipped a map out of his sleeve, flinging it at their feet. "Meet me here, 1900 hours this evening."
The next day
Zero had stood, framed by the setting sun atop a junkpile. "I see, just the two of you?"
Ohgi had apologized, saying that he could convince some more of them with time, but Zero lifted a hand, stopping him. "No, the two of you will do just fine."
"Don't be stupid! Do you know how many we'll be facing? They've even announced the route that they'll be taking Kururugi. They want us to come!" Kallen had burst out, her nerves fraying as she began to doubt that voice that had saved her life.
"Don't worry. I need you to make this, it just needs to look like it on the outside. Leave the rest to me. Be quick though, we only have until tomorrow night."
Lelou recalled the scene from the night before trying to calm herself even as the car, mocked up like Clovis' opulent personal vehicle, sped down the roadway, lined with Britannians. She'd gambled that the Margrave Jeremiah would let them pass, having declared it a certainty to Kallen and Ohgi. Not that I'd be alive for them to get revenge on me if I'd been wrong. But it seems that I was right, guessing that he liked being the center of attention. Granted, declaring oneself acting consul in the same press conference where you declared Clovis' death, along with how you've captured the criminal that did it, and to top it all off, how you were sending the traitors that let it happen home in disgrace.
She stood as the mock-up came to a halt, hearing the voice of the Margrave demanding that they leave Clovis' transport. Glancing down at her hand, she noticed it trembling slightly as it held the detonator. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. Now then Lelou, no, Zero. You are no longer the 17 year old former Princess, you are now Zero. The man who makes the impossible possible. Let's make a miracle.
Zero stepped on the switch that ignited the Britannian flag that had been concealing 'him.' Standing straight and proud, as if she had been born for this very stage, she faced the Margrave who stood outside of his cockpit, pistol in hand. "My name... is Zero." Now I return the favor to you, Suzaku.
"That's quite enough, Zero." Putting his best aristocratic sneer into the identifier, Gottwald waved the pistol around dramatically. "Your little show is at an end!" Firing a shot into the air as a signal, four Sutherlands dropped from their transports, landing heavily around the car. "Now, first, I will have you remove that mask."
Lifting her hand to the helmet, she makes as if she were about to remove it, but continues the motion, her hand rising high into the air before she snaps her fingers, the bulky rear of the car breaking apart revealing the pressure-container that had held the green-haired woman captive in Shinjuku.
Smiling behind the mask, she focused on Jeremiah's face. Noting the expression of horror that appeared on it. Yes, Jeremiah. You know this to be a poison gas container. She didn't so much as twitch as he brought his pistol to bear on her. "So you'll shoot me? I think you know what will happen if you do."
Jeremiah's face twisted into a scowl. "I imagine I do. What are your demands?"
"Nothing much, just a simple exchange. This, and the lives of everyone here, in exchange for Suzaku Kururugi."
"Absurd! He is charged with high treason for the murder of Prince Clovis! I can't hand him over."
"You're mistaken, Jeremiah. He isn't the murderer." She cocked an eyebrow as a blonde man rushed in, a camera upon his shoulder, training it on her. Excellent, just what I needed. Staring directly into the lens, she shouted. "The man who killed Clovis was me!" She paused, looking about at the shocked expressions surrounding her. "For a single Eleven, one innocent of the charge you foisted upon him, you'll save the lives of countless of your precious Britannians. I don't think it's such a bad deal."
She didn't even twitch as Jeremiah claimed 'him' to be mad, and how 'he' will pay. She simply looked at the massive barrels of the knightmares' assault rifles rising up to take aim at her. "Are you sure about this? You want the public to know about Orange?" She tapped the roof of the car twice, the signal for Kallen to bring her closer. "If I die, it will all go public. If you don't want that to happen..." She trailed off, the slide hissing open as she summoned the power to order him. "Let us and Kururugi go with all of your might!"
"Fine. Give them the prisoner!"
Lelou was amused at the confused reaction that order pulled from his men. She easily hopped down from the car, and walked towards Suzaku as he walked away from Britannian custody. She winced as she could hear the crackling from the collar when he tried to speak. "I didn't expect them to allow you to speak."
"It's time, Zero. P-1 is moving." Kallen followed behind, hat pulled low, with an additional visor to hide her own identity.
"Understood, Q-1. We'll have to talk later then." Lelou lifted the 'detonator' and pressed the button before anyone could react, a cloud of purple smoke hissing out and covering the area. The last thing she saw was one of the Britannian Knightmares being knocked away by Jeremiah's before they were able to open fire on the three. She quickly grabbed Suzaku's hand, dashing for the edge of the highway, Kallen hot on their heels. Leaping without hesitation, she pulled Suzaku with her, pulling him close before they landed in the net that Ohgi had launched just in time, slowing their descent into the open container on the railway beneath. Kallen pulled a knife, slicing the net away as Lelou struggled to untangle herself from Suzaku, pulling out her phone to dial the number that would trigger the order she'd given the train's engineer. She heard the gunfire, and the firing rockets of a cockpit ejection from Ohgi's direction just before the container closed, and the train sped off. Hopefully he'll be able to stick to the escape routes I provided him.
The train stopped where she had ordered it to, and they quickly darted out from it, following long abandoned tunnels into the ghettoes to the Resistance base. There they removed Kururugi's collar before Zero pulled him away to speak with him alone in a ruined theater. "It seems they treated you quite roughly. But not you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you want to change the world, you should join me."
She frowned as he looked away, turning back to ask a question of Zero. "Is it... Is it true that you killed Prince Clovis?"
"This is war, it's natural to kill an enemy commander."
"And the 'poison gas', taking those civilians hostage?"
"Just a bluff. I had to have something to exchange for you. This way, no one was killed. A good result, don't you agree?"
"The results, huh? You're one of those 'the end justify the means' types." He sighed ever so slightly, she wasn't even sure that he actually had.
Holding out her hand, she asked once more. "Will you join me? The Britannia you serve so honorably is a worthless nation."
"That may be true, but." He gave a smile that she hadn't seen in years. "But, I can change it into a worthy nation by working from within Britannia itself." Change it?
Zero listened intently as he continued, "Because I think that the end is worthless if the means to it are wrong." He began walking away.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" She was glad that the modulator altered her voice, lest the stab of fear and loss leak through to him.
"My court martial begins in an hour. I can make it if I hurry."
"Are you mad?! That 'trial' is just a set up! A whitewash to paint you as guilty!"
"Even so, those are the rules. If I don't go, they will have the excuse, and will begin, to oppress Elevens and honorary Britannians."
"And you will die!" She hated herself as she felt her eyes burning with forming tears.
"I don't care."
"You're being stupid! Wh-" She managed to cut herself off before she said anything incriminating.
"And old friend used to tell me that I was being stupid all of the time." She froze at that, one tear running down her cheek before soaking into the fabric hiding her face. "Sometimes even I wonder if she wasn't right. Call it a personal fault of mine."
Suzaku looked back at Zero, his face full of the stubbornness that he had shown so frequently to her when he was younger. "I want to bring you to justice with me, but you would probably just end up killing me if I tried. So if I'm going to die, I would rather have it be for the sake of Elevens, and honorary Britannians everywhere. Even so... I want to thank you for saving me."
You damn fool! And what am I supposed to do without you?