Disclaimer: Code Geass is owned by Sunrise Studios
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Suzaku wandered about the Tokyo Headquarters deep in thought. He glanced around the corridors that surrounded him. Shades of gray completely covered the walls. The monochrome theme continued endlessly throughout the structure. All major Britannian buildings had similar designs and color schemes.

It all seems so routine and suffocating. It's a wonder how these Britannians don't go insane with the droll environment they put themselves in.

He sauntered down the corridors aimlessly until he noticed a particular distant ray of light on the floor and adjacent wall.

There shouldn't be any windows this far into the building. It's the afternoon and none of the lights are supposed to be on until 7 pm. What's making that ray?

Curiosity spurred within him. The carefree walk turned into a mad dash towards the unknown light. He became a blur. His elegant blue cloak flew wildly behind him as he pushed on. Each thudding step brought him closer to the source. Suddenly, he stopped. His charcoal-black boots yielded just before the light's edge. It was coming from inside the huge doorway. Being so close, he heard various sounds. The gleeful chirping of birds reached his ears along with the sound of running water.

This made him question what such things were doing inside a Britannian government building. Deciding to investigate further, the chocolate-haired man poked his head out from the corner and peered inside. At first sight, his emerald eyes widened in shock. Far from his predictions, inside the room was a glamorous garden. The room was like an exquisite painting. It looked as if it were ripped out from somewhere in the outside world and dumped into the building. The change of scenery was completely unexpected in a monotonous environment such as the Britannian headquarters. Feeling the peaceful aura emanating from the garden made it a haven for those who sought for an escape. Flowers of all colors were blossoming and releasing their fragrances into the air. Birds fluttered about the graceful trees as they sang. The lush green grass shined brilliantly against the pure-white gazebo. Thick vines curled around its side, creating a shady patch underneath.

Suzaku felt drawn to the garden and hesitantly stepped inside. Blades of grass crunched under the force of his weight. It sounded comforting and reminded him of his childhood before the Britannian Empire invaded Japan. He stopped to observe his surroundings once again.

This is much bigger than I thought. How long has this been here that I haven't noticed it?

He gazed left and right, soaking up his environment. He noticed several familiar plants as well as the unidentifiable ones. A stream was circulated throughout the room and into a shallow pool in the center. The room was built with a high ceiling and the walls extended about 30 meters outwards.

Suzaku felt a weary smile curl back his lips.

So they were trying to duplicate nature. Putting in the high ceiling to imitate the great sky and distanced walls to be the plains? What is the true purpose of this place?

Deciding not to get too deep into thought, he pushed aside his curiosity and strode towards a grassy hill. He knelt down and stroked the green grass, feeling its texture. Satisfied, Suzaku laid down upon it. The air was calm, almost as if untouched by the horrors of war that raged outside its sheltered walls. He breathed in the air deeply, feeling it rush up his nose and down into his lungs. It was crisp and had a faint taste of flowers. The wiry man began to feel drowsy and slowly started to drift off to sleep.


In the eastern side of the headquarters was a blonde man who was searching for his fellow Knight of Rounds. The ends of his cropped hair was tied into multiple braids and slung over his shoulder. Teal eyes looked around the corridors with enthusiasm. His Knight uniform shone brightly against the gray walls. He searched to and fro for his comrade, but couldn't find him anywhere. Earlier, he had sent Anya ahead to attend the meeting with the other Knights in the main conference room. Now he was on his own trying to find the last member. Suzaku didn't carry his communicator along, so no one could get ahold of him. In the spacious building, it was tiring to manually search for a single person. The tall man had been at it for about 15 minutes and still wasn't able to find out where the elusive Knight was. He turned the corner and met with two Britannian guards on patrol.

"Excuse me boys," he called out.

The two turned around just in time to see the man jogging towards them.

"Britannian Knight of Three!" a masked guard called out as he saluted. "How can we be of service?"

He and his partner held an assault rifle snugly in their padded hands. Shining and unscathed, the guns seemed like oversized toys instead of the deadly weapons they really were. The statuesque man knew at a glance that these guards were inexperienced. A slight frown pulled down his face, but he quickly recovered with another grin.

"I'm looking for Kururugi Suzaku."

"Knight of Seven?" the other guard asked.

"Correct. We have a meeting with His Highness and he must be present. Do you know where he might have gone off to?"

"No sir, we do not, but not too long ago we saw him wandering alone in the southern corridors"

"Southern? Which sector?"

"I believe it is Sector V."

"Well then I'd better be heading over there soon. Thanks for the help!" he called out as he dashed past the two. His blonde head of hair and flowing green cloak flew out of sight as he disappeared around the corner.


Moments later, he reached Sector V. Carefully scanning the hallways, he still saw no sign of his comrade. Feeling the exhaustion catch up with him, he scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes. His feet automatically continued forward down the passage.

"Ah where is he? We're already more than half an hour late! Keeping His Highness waiting like this will get us into some trouble."

The blonde man slowly opened his eyes and noticed a glowing ray of light in the corner of his eye. In his daze, he passed the corridor that contained the light, but quickly stepped back to it.

"Hm?"

He then steered himself down the hallway towards it and came across a large doorway. Stepping in the middle of the entrance, bright light flooded over him. Shielding his eyes from the unexpected shine, his hand hovered over his face. A few seconds later, the knight became adjusted to the brightness and brought his hand back down by his side. He gazed around the large room, taking in its beauty.

"How beautiful. It's just like the garden back home."

Teal eyes inspected the garden, but stopped when he took note of something that was out of place. Further into the garden was a grassy hill. Along the top of the hill was only smooth and healthy green grass until something chocolate-colored stuck out from its peak. Whatever it was, it brought attention to itself. His eyes squinted in attempt to make out the chocolate-colored object's identity. He stepped in its direction and upon closer inspection, realized that it wasn't shrubbery. Its bushiness and color made the man's mind click. He recognized the owner of the unruly hair.

"Hey Suzaku!" he yelled.

The head of hair shook and shifted. A moment later, emerald eyes locked with teal.

"Gino?" he replied. In his surprise, the wiry man stood up from his place.

"Yeah, it's me!"

The grin on the blonde knight's face grew bigger as he casually walked towards the motionless man. He came to a stop about an arm's length away from the emerald-eyed pilot. Suzaku's lips parted to speak, but was interrupted by the blonde's voice.

"Suzaku, don't you remember we have a meeting today? His Highness is waiting for you in the main conference room."

"O-oh that's right. I'm sorry, I forgot. I'll be there right away."

"Hey come on Suzaku. No need to rush! We're already late as it is!"

"But—"

Gino wouldn't hear any more of it. Before Suzaku could finish his sentence, he draped his arm around his shoulders and pushed him along. A broad smile crossed his face.

"Don't worry about it! I'm sure we won't miss much anyway. Whatever information we need, we'll just ask Anya!"

Unable to argue, Suzaku just kept walking underneath the tall man's arm. The two steadily walked out of the garden and into the corridor in silence. Suzaku couldn't help but look down onto the metal floor. His eyes drooped and dimmed as he went into deep thought. The bushy hair softly bounced as he took each step. Spotting people in the distance, Gino retracted his arm and took up an elegant march; he was still smiling brightly, as if it was second nature to him.

They passed by several guards and corridors without saying a word. When they walked down an empty corridor, Suzaku finally spoke.

"Hey Gino, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Of course. What do you have in mind?"

"I was wondering. When this war ends, what are you going to do?"

"Me? Hm… well…"

He casually raised his arms and folded them behind his head. His gaze was angled upwards and he stared at the ceiling tiles.

"I'll probably remain as the Knight of Three."

"Huh? You're planning on staying like this?"

"If Britannia needs me to remain a Knight, then it is my duty as a citizen to adhere to its request."

"And? What if the Knights aren't needed anymore? Don't you have something you want to do?"

"I suppose so! Now that I think about it, I really want to return to Ashford Academy. Those few days that Anya and I have spent in the school have meant a lot to me! I'd like to go back to that and have more fun!"

Suzaku smiled as he looked sideways to the grinning man.

"How about you? Do you have anything?"

"Not exactly. I haven't really had the time to consider my future."

The shorter man looked down onto the ground. In his mind, he had pictured living in a peaceful world with the love of his life; him always being by her side protecting her from any sort of danger. She would look up to him with her violet eyes, smile warmly every day, and be the tender, loving woman he had come to love dearly. But that was the past. Those were the hopes and dreams of a man before his heart was torn by her death; a death that took all of the man's life and joy along with her to the heavens where they refused to come back to him.

Suzaku's heart ached. She died a little more than a year ago, but he remembered that day clearly as if it had happened yesterday.


He entered the hospital room where she was kept. As soon as he saw her lying in the hospital bed hooked up to wires, his heart sunk to his stomach. She was stripped of her clothes and was only covered by a thin blanket. Her radiant skin had greatly paled to the point where the tone almost matched the whiteness of the blanket. Tubes and machinery were attached all over her body. It was torturous to see her like that: hooked up to wires and confined to a bed. She looked trapped. The heart monitor beside her bed beeped steadily while oxygen was pumped into her lungs. The guards that accompanied him left the room and stood outside the door. Suzaku hesitantly walked up to the small stool by the bed and quietly sat down. He peered over the bed railings and inspected her. Her bright hair was splayed around her and all over the bed.

His emerald eyes caught the stray strands of hair that settled across her face. His gloved hand reached over the side and gently brushed the lock of hair to the side. Unexpectedly, violet eyes opened to meet his. A small smile curled her lips at the realization of the man who was beside her. Her once bright waned to a dull purple. They looked exhausted and drained of life as she gazed at him.

"Suzaku…" she whispered.

"Hi Euphy. How are you doing?" he asked softly. The outstretched hand withdrew from her forehead onto the bed railing.

A gentle expression covered his face. The tone of his voice was laced with sadness, but he tried his best to hide it from her. However, his eyes deceived him. Euphemia looked into them for a moment and could detect the immense sadness that plagued him. She desperately wanted to comfort him, but she knew she had to get rid of business first.

"Does everyone like the SAZ?"

Suzaku gasped. Seeing her look so eagerly at him caused his mind to jumble.

'She doesn't know what happened today? She ordered thousands of Japanese to be killed and she doesn't remember? Has her memory been altered?'

He pushed his thoughts to the side and concentrated on his response to the waiting princess. He debated whether he should tell her the truth. He decided against it.

"Yes, Euphy, they love it."

"That's great. I'm glad that I could contribute. I wouldn't want Cornelia and Schneizel doing everything themselves." She smiled. Shortly after, the smile disappeared.

"Suzaku…you're Japanese, aren't you?"

"Eh? ..Yes I am Japanese."

"Then…" her eyes glazed over for a moment before she snapped back. "NO!" she roared.

Her eyes were tightly shut and her face contorted. Her eyes opened once again to reveal their exhaustion. The chocolate-haired man began to worry.

"Euphy, is everything all right? Should I call the doctor?"

She slowly shook her head.

"No it's nothing."

After that, neither of them said another word. Silence began to thicken the air around them until a soft voice broke through.
"Suzaku…tell me…why do your eyes look so sad?" she whispered.

Suzaku's breath hitched and he couldn't speak. Soft guttural noises sounded from his throat. He struggled to find the words to respond to her, but couldn't seem to find the right ones. His eyes were downcast and wouldn't meet her.

He gripped his uniform with his hand while the other tightly held onto the bed railings. His entire body trembled.

"Euphy I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Don't be. You tried your best—"

"No! I didn't! I've committed the greatest sin. I never should've left your side. I couldn't protect you when you needed me most. Because of me, you're in this condition!" he shouted. Remembering who he was talking to, he silenced himself and hurriedly hid his face behind his chocolate bangs.

The pink-haired woman didn't say a word. She merely stared in surprise. The expression quickly wore off and she smiled warmly. She slowly raised her slender hand and laid it on top of the gloved fist that clenched the railing.

Suzaku shot his head up as soon as he felt her touch. Her soft smile and welcoming gaze stung him. He smiled wearily back at her.

"It's alright. I'm not angry at you and neither do I blame you for what happened to me. Please don't burden yourself like this." She murmured.

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he managed to hold them back. He knew his body wouldn't allow him to speak again so he rose from his seat. Gently grasping the frail hand in his, he leaned over the railings. His other hand was planted on the other side of her head as he hovered above her. He drew closer to her, inching forward as his eyes drooped. His emerald eyes locked with violet as if they were in a trance. He stopped about an inch from her with slightly parted lips. He searched her face for signs of disapproval and thankfully found none. He leaned in once again until their lips touched. The kiss was gentle and sweet, filling each other's bodies with light, fluttery feelings that made their hearts soar. Suzaku reluctantly pulled away, catching his breath. Her hand gently squeezed his.

"I'm glad I met you, Suzaku. Ever since then, my life had changed. Through all the time that we've spent together, I don't regret any of it. Please continue to live happily…my knight…"

Something hit him: hard. He began to feel frantic as he noticed the subtle changes. Her skin turned a chalky white, her eyes were heavy and grew dimmer, her words as if she was leaving.

'She's leaving…'

"No, Euphy, please don't say things like that. You'll make it! You'll recover soon and become healthy again! Euphy!" he urged.

The tears that he tried to hold back for so long finally escaped. They flowed freely down his cheeks and dripped onto her. He bit his lower lip to prevent the tears from spilling, but had no luck. They kept coming. Through his somewhat blurry vision, a small smile came into view.

"I want you to be happy, no matter what. Please do that for me, as my last wish."

"Euphy, please! Don't leave! Don't give up, you still have time!"

He crumpled the bed sheet in his fist. He became increasingly anxious as she continued to smile sweetly at him with heavy eyes. He knew that if she were to close her eyes, they would never open again. He wouldn't let that happen. He would try to save her, no matter how costly it may be. He let go of the bed sheet and pressed the emergency button above her head.

"Get a doctor, quickly! Save her!" he yelled frantically.

He turned to the woman below him who was still smiling up at him.

"You're going to be fine. The doctor is coming to heal your injuries and you can go home!"

He said that more to reassure himself than her. Deep down in his heart, he knew the truth. He knew that sweet, loving Princess Euphemia wouldn't be able to go home anymore. He knew the truth but chose to avoid it. He just couldn't accept it.

"I'm sorry, Suzaku. I wish it didn't have to be like this. I wish we had more time together…"

The man couldn't say anything else. He just hovered above her, silently crying. Her free hand reached up to his face and cupped his cheek. At her touch, he clenched his eyes shut.

"Thank you for everything…" she whispered. Her eyes grew heavier and started to cave into their weight. Her violet eyes disappeared underneath her eyelids and her smile soon followed.

Suzaku stood still, not knowing what to do. His eyes shook violently as he watched the life leave her body.

The frail hand slowly slid down his cheek and fell limply beside her. The monotone beep of the heart monitor rang in his ears.

A new wave of despair and hysteria came over him.

"Euphy, wake up. Wake up!" he screamed.

At that time, the doctor along with the guards barged into the room. The guards ran up to the screaming man and pulled him away from the bed. Suzaku reached out towards the pink-haired woman as he was being restrained. The doctor examined her body and held the hem of blanket that covered her. Brushing away the locks of hair on top of it, he lifted the blanket and slowly draped it over her head. Suzaku thrashed violently as his tears streamed down. He repeatedly called out her name in hopes of her responding, but to no avail. The body that was once so cheerful and full of life lay motionless under the blanket. The woman that had warmly welcomed him, believed in him, and loved him was no more. Just like that, she was gone.


Suzaku remembered that feeling well. It was as if his heart was twisted and torn from his body. He remembered how he went into a spiraling depression for days. He completely shut himself off from the world. It wasn't until his drive to capture Zero arose when he became part of the world once again. He now had a new purpose to live: to bring Princess Euphemia's killer to justice.

"Hey Suzaku, is something wrong?" a voice asked.

He turned to the man beside him who was staring with curious eyes.

"Mm. I'm fine, just thinking a bit."

"That's fine and all, but you shouldn't do that in front of His Highness. He might just demote you and send you back to Ashford" he chimed.

Suzaku smirked and not long after, the two reached a large two-door entrance. The guards who stood by eyed them suspiciously. After recognizing them, the guards opened the door that led to the spacious conference room. Prince Schneizel sat stiffly in his luxurious chair on the far end of the long table while the other Knights sat on the lengths according to their rank. All eyes were on them as the two entered and claimed their seats.

"Excellent. Now that everyone is gathered, let's continue." The prince boomed.


Kallen sat still in the elegant dining chair. Her head fell backwards against the chair's decorated embroidery in the midst of napping. Her arms lay limp atop the armrests beside her. The dress ruffled as she breathed and shifted about. Approximately a week ago, she was moved from Suzaku's quarters to a secluded area where the dangerous prisoners were kept. This particular room was enormous, but there was only one cell to hold a prisoner. The cell was surrounded by thick pink-tinted glass walls that extended high up to the ceiling and outside, a dark, endless void that led to nowhere. The interior of the cubicle was bare, with the exception of the lone chair in the center.

The area itself was not what she had initially thought. She thought that she would be put into another holding cell where the other prisoners were. At least then she would be able to talk to someone. The isolation was slowly eating away at her. She grew fidgety and did anything she could to ward off boredom. The only company she's had so far was the guard who delivered her food. Even then, he didn't talk. She just watched as he slid the tray through the narrow slot and head out the door.

Suddenly, the doors hissed open and a petite silhouette appeared in the doorway. She partially squinted to identify the approaching person and saw that it was Nunnally being wheeled in. The guard that pushed her chair stopped at the other end of the narrow walkway. He parked the wheelchair and exited, leaving the two alone.

"Nunnally!" Kallen called out. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Kyoto?"

"Mm. My schedule was delayed because of another terrorist attack and I was told to evacuate to another city. I remembered that I wanted to talk to continue our conversation, so I chose to come to Tokyo" she smiled.

"Oh right. I forgot about that" Kallen replied. Nunnally's body just exuded a sense of peace and joy that was highly contagious. Kallen seemed to have caught it. Looking at her innocent smile made her do the same.

"So what did you want to discuss with me?"

"Hm nothing in particular. I really just wanted to get to know you: the real you."

Kallen smiled warmly back at the wheelchair-bound girl. She liked Nunnally. She was always so kind and treated everyone equally. Normally she would hesitate or flat out refuse to reveal her true self, but since it's her, she welcomed it.

"Alright then. Let's get started!"


"Wow, that's incredible! Your life is so exciting and mysterious. I never would have known it was like this" Nunnally mused.

"Thank you. I never would have known that you were a princess either. It's really amazing. Who would've thought that you and Lelouch are heirs to the throne?"

"Not many know of our real identities. If everyone knew, then they'd never get over it! The people who ever treated Brother and I poorly would become our servants"

The two girls giggled. When the laughter ceased, Kallen tilted her head downwards and nervously bit her lower lip.

"So Nunnally, how is Lelouch as a brother?"

"Brother? He's very kind and thinks about others. He takes care of me and tries to get me involved with other people so I won't get lonely when he's not there. I love him and I wish he would enjoy himself more…but why do you ask?"

"Nothing! It's just that…I have a brother too and I was curious on how Lelouch was as one!"

"Ah I see…" she paused. "What was your brother like?"

"My brother was always stubborn. Once he would set his mind on something, he won't rest until it's done! Such a hard-head he was." Kallen grinned.

"Back when Japan was still an independent nation, my brother, our friend Ohgi, and I would always go hiking in the mountains with our mother. Those were the days. We were all so carefree and happy: not having to worry about wars or surviving."

The shining blue eyes that gazed outside the walls lost its luster. Kallen's smile faltered and she tore her eyes from the wheelchair-bound girl to the floor.
"After the war started, Naoto and Ohgi immediately joined a rebel group to oppose Britannia. One day, he just packed up his bags and left. That was the last time I saw him…"

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know. No one really does. The only one who was with him at the time was Ohgi, but he refuses to tell me."

"That must be horrible! Not knowing what happened to someone so close to you? If that had happened to Brother, I don't know what I'd do!"

"You'd probably get the entire city to search for him." Kallen jested.

Nunnally chuckled.

"Absolutely. I hope he isn't getting himself into any more trouble in Ashford."

"He's probably just running around the school arranging Milly-chan's activities. Ashford is a pretty safe place. There shouldn't be anything to worry about, especially with the Knights of Rounds there too. The most that Lelouch is going to get in trouble for is Shirley chasing after him for gambling again. Besides! Lelouch is an intelligent guy. I'm sure whatever trouble he runs into, he can handle it."

"Nothing different from the usual chaos," the red-haired woman muttered under her breath.

Nunnally was silent for a moment. While she listened to Kallen, she noticed the excitement in her tone as she talked about Lelouch. Her beige brows slightly furrowed and a small frown tugged at her lips. She pondered several reasons for this and came to a conclusion.

"Kallen tell me, what is your relationship with Brother? What do you think of him?"

"Eh?" the red-head exclaimed. She felt her face become hot. The surge of warmth spread throughout her entire body, causing her to fidget uncomfortably in her seat. She brainstormed topics to avoid her question, but all seemed to fail.

"I…it's… not like that…I—he…"

Kallen chewed on her lower lip.

What exactly is Lelouch to me? Is he my friend? Acquaintance? Superior? …Lover?

The last word made her heart race. Just thinking about that possibility ignited a whole new wave of heat in her body. She was blushing furiously: even more so as each second ticked by.

At that time, the doors slid open. Kallen looked up to see the prim woman from when she was first brought into the city. She looked the same as before: sharp and business-like. She watched the woman as she strode to the beige-haired girl and clutched the wheelchair handles.

"Lady Nunnally, your speech in Kyoto is in 3 days and we haven't even started on the script yet. Please come into the conference room to discuss it with us."

"Mm" she nodded. "I'm sorry Kallen, but I guess I must interrupt our conversation again. I hope to see you soon!"

"A-ah. See you later, Nunnally" she waved. As soon as they were gone from the room, Kallen let out a relieved sigh. Not long after, the doors hissed open again. Blonde hair and teal eyes came into view along with the blinding white uniform. The figure was casually walking up the narrow walkway towards her.

"Gino?"

"Yup! I've come to pay you a little visit!" he exclaimed.

He was now less than a foot away from the glass wall. His usual grin was plastered onto his face as he stood erect, holding a bulky, deep blue object. Upon closer inspection, Kallen saw that the object was a book of some sort. On its spine was the Ashford Academy insignia, which sparked curiosity.

"What do you want?" she cautiously asked.

"Hold on now, I'm not here to do anything harmful. Like I said, I just came to pay a visit. I also have something to show you."

He held up the book and nimbly opened it up. When he stopped thumbing through the pages, he flipped the book to show her its content. To her surprise, the book was a picture album. The first picture that she saw was the student council donning cat costumes. Their decorated faces were smiling happily as they joked. She remembered that day. That day was the welcoming of Arthur as well as the first activity that she took part in as part of the student council.

She glanced at the picture directly below and beside it. All of the pictures that were in the album seemed to be only of Ashford. The pictures all took part in different activities throughout the time at the school, such as the Halloween party and the school festivals. Kallen noticed that various pictures were removed from the album.

Before she had the chance to voice her thoughts, she was beaten to it.

"They were of you. It would tarnish his reputation if others were to find out that he was friends with a terrorist."

"Ah right," she mumbled.

Gino slowly turned the pages, pausing to let her comment and examine all of the pictures.

"I've been wondering. Why are you showing me this?"

"I thought you'd ask that. You see, Suzaku is acting strange lately, so I thought that this would give him a break."

"You just swiped this off from him?"

"No, no, I found it in the council room. He kept it dearly inside his locker," he explained as he flipped the page. Kallen couldn't help but smirk when she saw the pictures. Milly held a large megaphone to her lips as she commanded the council left and right. Everyone, including the normally passive Lelouch was exhausted from carrying out her orders. Everything looked hectic, but exciting. She happened to see a picture of her and Lelouch together in the corner of her eye. The picture was fairly old, dating back before the Black Knights were first established. He looked down on her with his piercing violet eyes and wearing his usual smirk. She looked up at him with a scowl and scorching blue eyes. Polar opposites like fire and ice.

She moved on to the others as Gino continued flipping. One by one, memories began to flood her mind. She reminisced the times that the pictures portrayed and felt a smile tug at her lips. Near the end, she saw a picture that caught her eye. In it were Suzaku and Lelouch donning aprons and holding spatulas. They were smiling side by side. His emerald eyes glowed brightly alongside violet.

"He can even have this kind of look…" he mused. "I've never seen Suzaku smile like this before"

He slammed the book shut and cradled it in his hand. Kallen looked up from the album to the blonde man. His smile fell from his face.

"I'm curious."

"What?"

"You're of both Briannian and Eleven blood."

"That's correct. What of it?"

"If you had chosen the Stadtfeld name instead of Kouzuki, you could've had a decent life. Hell, with the skill you have, you could've been a Knight!"

"…What are you getting at?"

A half-hearted smirk graced his mischievous face and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Just wondering if you have any intentions to side with Britannia."

Kallen scoffed and turned her head towards the wall.

"I don't. I chose to take the Kouzuki name upon my own will and I haven't had any second thoughts about it."

"Is that so? Well, I guess that can't be helped. I just want you to consider the possibilities…Kouzuki."

"Hmph."

The steel doors slid open and another tall silhouette appeared. Purposely approaching the cell was Suzaku. He had a solemn look, but something in his expression alarmed Kallen. She knew that he had a motive, but couldn't figure out what it was.

He reached the end narrow walkway and came to a stop about 2 feet away from the tinted door. His eyes focused only on her, not acknowledging the grinning man beside him.

"Excuse me, Gino. I'd like to borrow this prisoner for a moment."

"Oh? Might I ask for a reason?"

"Investigation purposes," he replied sternly.

"Alright. I'll be outside when you're finished," he waved as he walked away.

Suzaku didn't move until the door sounded shut.

"Kallen, I demand some answers."

"Answers? To what?"

"About Lelouch…"

She gasped, but concealed her surprise from him. She quickly regained her composure, putting on an emotionless mask.

"What about him?"

"All the evidence and testimonies prove him to be innocent, but I know otherwise. In my heart, I suspect that Lelouch has taken up his role as Zero."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Lelouch is back at Ashford."

"In that case, then let's discuss Zero's plans."

"I know nothing of his plans. I was a prisoner here for over 2 weeks. There is no way that I can know—"

"Enough!" he shouted. "You are Zero's most skilled fighter and his most trusted. He must have shared something with you."

"Like I said, there's none!" she spat.

"…If that's how you want it to be, then so shall it be," he muttered.

He took a few steps towards the door and inputted a code. The thick glass door fell down into the slot below, leaving nothing else between them.

Suzaku reached inside his uniform and fetched a small maroon box. He slowly opened it, displaying a pump set. The ominous green liquid that lay beside the pump looked familiar to Kallen.

"In order to prevent any more tragedies from happening, I will use any method," he mumbled. "So with this refrain…"

The red-head gasped audibly and jolted backwards. Her eyes, wide with fear, stared at the chocolate-haired man in disbelief.

Suzaku, is this really you?

With determined eyes and the pump steady in his gloved hand, he entered the small cubicle. Kallen stood her ground. Although she was fearful for her life and for Lelouch's safety, her pride refused to let her stand down. As soon as Suzaku was within an arm's reach, she whipped her arm up and slapped him hard across the face.

"I said I don't know anything!" she huffed. "How many times do I have to say it until you get it?"

He didn't flinch or move. With a red mark on his cheek, his eyes were casted downwards towards the floor.

"Can you swear that before your brother's grave?" he whispered gravely.

His words set her back. She relaxed and looked curiously at him. Before she knew it, a hand reached out and punched her abdomen. She bent over, grasping her middle. The gloved hand unfolded and roughly pushed her backwards. She fell limply onto the chair behind her. She opened her eyes just in time to see Suzaku dashing to her backside.

"With this refrain, I shall have you tell me everything."

"Stop! I said stop!" she screamed frantically.

She momentarily regained her strength to fend off the man, but he was superior in strength. The moment she moved to escape, he swiftly grabbed her wrist and aggressively pulled her back into her seat. To prevent her from attempting to escape again, he twisted her arm behind the chair. In response, Kallen let out a pained yell. Sweat collected and began to drip from her face as she fought to break away.

She knew that there was nothing that she could do to stop Suzaku from injecting the drug into her body. She knew well of the drug's dangerous aftereffects. Recollections of her mother lying in the hospital bed came up in her mind. Kallen feared that she would end up in that same condition, devoid of life and yearning for the impossible past.

Inches above her, she felt Suzaku circle around and place his head by hers.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. It's going to be alright. You will soon lose your will and you shall obey my orders."

She heard the refrain pump shift in his hand and lost all hope. She stopped struggling and let feelings of desolation sweep over her. She looked back at the emotionless man, waiting for her fate to come.

Brother…Lelouch…everyone…I'm sorry.

She lowered in her head in resignation and bit back the tears that threatened to flow. She felt the tip of the pump brush past her hair and further still. The cold steel grazed her neck, earning a small hiss from the bound woman.

Suzaku gazed at the woman as well as the pump that settled on her neck. His thumb was positioned on the trigger, ready to thrust the green liquid from the pump.

Then it hit him.

This very action had a striking resemblance to the Geass that Lelouch had used on him and several others. He manipulated the people under him to get what he wanted.

Suzaku gasped at this revelation and yanked back the pump that pressed against Kallen's neck.

"No! I can't… I can't be like him!" he growled.

With all his might, he hurled the pump away from him, leaving tiny shards of glass scattered all over the floor. He watched the green liquid from the syringe pool around the pump with bitter relief.

He released his tight grip on Kallen's wrist and stormed out with the thick pink-tinted glass door rising behind him. Kallen could only stare at his retreating back as he exited the room. She threw her arms across her chest and hung her head. Sweet tears of relief rolled down her cheeks and a half-hearted smile adorned her face. Her body trembled more by the minute, happy that she wouldn't have to endure the same fate as her mother.


Gino propped himself by the door, closing his eyes. The album that he was meaning to give to Suzaku was tucked neatly underneath his uniform. At the sound of footsteps, he opened an eye. A head of bushy hair invaded his vision. The figure didn't acknowledge his presence and continued walking down the corridor in a hurry.

Gino stood on his feet and jogged towards the man.

"Hey Suzaku!" he called out.

The man in front swiveled around to face him. The taller man halted before him.

"Ah. What is it?"

"I have something to give to you" he replied as he fished out the album.

"Here"

"Eh? Is this my picture album?"

"Mhm! I found it at the academy and I thought you'd like to go through it in your spare time. You know, to blow off some steam or something."

"Thank you. I wonder though…what were you doing when you found this?"

"Haha! That isn't important. The important thing is that you relax once in a while. Since we can't exactly go on a vacation, I thought looking through old memories might do the trick."

"I really hope so…"

"Well anyway, did you get anything out of her while you were in there?"

"Who?"

"Kouzuki of course!" he exclaimed as he jutted a thumb towards the cell entrance.

At the mention of Kallen's name, Suzaku looked to the floor with a certain bitterness.

"More or less…" he muttered. "I don't think it's possible to extract information from her."

He turned away from Gino and continued walking down the corridor towards his quarters. Gino, who detected Suzaku's troubles, knew it was best to leave him alone. So instead of badgering him to explain, he decided to head to the garage to check on his Knightmare.

He took a final glance at the retreating Knight's back before he rounded the corner.

Something's definitely on his mind, even if he won't admit it. Whatever it is, here's hoping that it won't affect his performance.


Suzaku reached the door that led to his quarters and stepped inside. Clutching the album in his hand, he plopped down on his futon. Hunched over, he propped his elbows atop of his knees with his forearms dangling in between his knees.

"Just a little longer and I could've gotten what I wanted. Zero's identity would be exposed and we could've gained the upper hand."

But if I had gone through with it, I would be no better than Zero. I'd be a manipulating monster just like him. …I can't ever become like that.

"Ha, even thousands of miles away, he still haunts me"

Suzaku smirked, but it disappeared in an instant and was replaced by a slight frown.

"Lelouch, how will this war turn out for you? Are the lives of these people meaningless to you? Are they just pawns in your twisted game?"
-

As you all probably know by now, I redid Ch. 6! That's partially the reason why this update was so long…

But anyway, yeah I know, the ending to this chapter wasn't that great. I was planning on adding more to it, but I figured that it could be saved for the next chapter, whenever that will be! My work is really piling up, so the next update won't probably be out until another month or so. So sad, I know…

Since I'm still pretty obsessed over Code Geass, I started going over the 1st season again! Euphemia just passed away and I feel sadness all over again. I really wanted to expand on Suzaku and Euphy's relationship since it's so short-lived. Still quite beautiful and sweet. Please continue supporting me and my story! Remember to drop a review every now and then~ otherwise, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!