Recap: An unplanned visit to the Stadtfelds leads to Lelouch and Suzaku running into each other.
Chapter 18: Leave the Past Behind
On March 14, 2011, Britannia launched a strategic strike against Japan, rendering most of the country's defenses useless. While the Prime Minister had been fortuitous enough to have been called away on unexpected business, his family was not so lucky. Mere days later, his wife and remaining staff were executed by Marianne vi Britannia, while his son was rumored to have escaped.
In the following six years, Suzaku Kururugi's name would pop up in the E.U., the M.E.F., and the Chinese Federation. Each country claimed to be harboring him while the general consensus was that he had died. All these claims would prove to be false when Suzaku Kururugi resurfaced in Japan, or as it was known by then, Area Eleven.
-A Brief History of Japan: From Empire to Conquered Nation to Modern Day
Tokyo Airport, Area Eleven
Kallen hugged her dad tightly and pulled away slowly. It was time to leave.
Strong arms pulled her back into a tight hug, and her dad whispered, "Write to me as soon as you can, Kallen." She nodded. "And whatever happens, remember that I'll always love you. Take care of yourself."
This time, when she pulled back, he let her go. She blinked away the tears. "I'll be back, Dad."
"I know you will. Both your brothers need you."
No, they both needed her far away. Naoto because he had carved out his own life which her treason would obliterate. Tomio-or Thomas as her dad now insisted on calling him-because he had yet the opportunity to experience life.
Lord Ashford greeted her politely-a small, sad smile on his lips as she waved one last time to her father-and his gentle hand settled on her shoulders as he led her through security and to her gate. A glass wall separated them from the anxious crowd of commoners hurrying to catch their flight. The plane would wait for her... or rather for Lord Ashford, as he arranged her flight.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"I already made my vows." Her hand drifted to the small pin which officially declared her as a knight of the empire for anyone who cared to look. The only way out of her duty now was for her to swear herself to another lord who would petition the Emperor to release her from her service. The simple life of a student was now forever out of reach.
"I could always lose the paperwork," Lord Ashford said. "It's only official once you land."
"Thank you for everything... but I have to do this." She rolled back her shoulders. "There is no other option."
If Lamperouge hadn't randomly dropped by, maybe she would have taken the opportunity to flee elsewhere, but it couldn't be a coincidence. He must have told Fadiman or another superior, and she was now being investigated.
There were also the cryptic words from the servant/Kaguya's spy. Somehow, he knew Lamperouge and thought he could blow her cover. Outside of killing Lamperouge-which she wasn't sure she could do, even without his friends interfering-this was the only way to avoid suspicion.
"There's always another way, Kallen," Lord Ashford whispered. "We may not see it in the moment, but the future is always uncertain and vulnerable to the unpredictable. Each path has its own consequences. Some which are immediately apparent, and many that are only revealed with the benefit of hindsight. So much has happened recently. I do not wish you to make a decision out of haste and regret it later. So, are you sure?"
She was going to pilot a knightmare on someone else's orders. Fight Britannia's enemies for her, and most likely, her own people. Bow her head and act the part of a proper Britannian soldier.
"Yes, my lord," she answered. "I'm sorry that you'll need to find a new test pilot."
He chuckled. "No. The Horus is going with you. She needs some live combat data anyway."
"What?"
"Shipping knightmares is a little time consuming, but it should arrive eventually. You'll need her anyway. A Glasgow or Sutherland would only hold you back." He paused. "I should warn you. Empress Marianne may have agreed to wait, but now that you've joined the Knightmare Corps, she will probably consider the agreement void."
"Nunnally said... she might try to kill me," she said, "because I'm..."
Lord Ashford winced and gently squeezed her shoulder. "I believe she has learned the value of restraint in recent years. I pulled some strings to be safe. Hopefully, it will grant you some minimal protection."
Kallen smiled weakly. If Empress Marianne was truly going to kill her over being half-Japanese then only the Emperor could stop her. He wouldn't care.
"Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to your brother?" Lord Ashford asked.
And open to him possible charges of conspiracy? They would rake him across the coals for any imagined reason. The best she could do for him was stay far away.
"He is worried about you," he pressed. "I can have an aide pick him. Or maybe a simple phone call? He only knows you were attacked."
"No." Kallen crossed her arms. "He wouldn't understand."
Lord Ashford mumbled something about always having to deal with stubborn children. "You met Mr. Lamperouge, right?"
She stiffened. "Yes."
"And what did you make of him?"
Dangerous. Both in and out of combat.
She stuck to a safe answer. "I like Nunnally more."
"Are you doing this because of him?" He sighed. "Kallen... I can promise you that he does not care about your background. This is completely unnecessary."
"That's not the impression he made," she grumbled. His eyes had been so cold as he delivered his ultimatum. Yet, the servant had spoken well of him despite Lamperouge not recognizing him. "He joined the army despite everything."
"Like you?" Lord Ashford chided. "I can promise you that he will only judge you upon your actions. As long as you are courteous to everyone, you will be fine, which should not be a problem for you."
She bit her lip. That was exactly the problem. If she had controlled her temper better then, she wouldn't have given him a reason to doubt. Her actions didn't assure him of her loyalty but rather the exact opposite.
"Thank you, Lord Ashford," she said and began to bow before catching herself. Lord Ashford's slight twitch of his lip told her that he hadn't missed the motion. "For everything. You have been far kinder and more patient than you needed to be."
Lord Ashford chuckled and pushed her forward gently. "Watch your temper, and good luck."
She bowed formally in farewell and approached the gate. Her shoulders prickled, but she refused to look back. This was the path she had chosen, and there was no room to look back. Regrets would get her killed.
Pier, Tokyo, Area Eleven
Because he was an idiot, Suzaku was standing at three in the morning amongst the ruins of what had once been Joypolis. Once, there had been a museum dedicated to innovations in science. An international cruise terminal where wealthy Britannians would disembark to engage in tourism. The various malls and nearby luxury shops had catered to their needs.
Britannia had bombed the small island in the first wave of the invasion. The once distinctive buildings, erased. The area had been completely forgotten. Outside of the rebuilt highway and a few low budget warehouses, there were only ruins. Sometimes, Britannians would come here to marvel at the destructive might of their Empire.
Suzaku flinched as he pulled the jacket closer and the biting cold edge of the knife pressed against him through his thin clothes. If he was searched, the knife would be all the justification necessary for his imprisonment. But Suzaku probably had bigger worries than being harassed by a passing patrol. It was past curfew and miles away from the ghetto where anyone could help him. Lelouch knew who he was and could use the opportunity to arrest him.
Kururugi. His last name was enough to condemn him.
Illegally carrying a knife was nothing in the grand scheme of things although Suzaku wasn't quite sure what he intended to do with it. Wave it around threateningly? Between a gun and a knife, the gun would win. And Lelouch would definitely have backup.
Suzaku clutched his head and sank into the shadows to watch the small slip road from the highway. What was he doing here? Waiting for his death or imprisonment? Ko would be heartbroken. His students would wonder what had happened, and ultimately chalk up his disappearance to poor fortune. Or maybe Britannia would announce his capture, and they would wonder why the son of the Prime Minister had done nothing but waste away.
In the lights of the street lamps, a small figure emerged on the slip road. And then disappeared again. Every so often, they would reappear again in the light before the darkness consumed them.
Suzaku took a shuddering breath and pressed his back against the crumbling wall. Lelouch had wanted him to live and given him a lease on a free life, but what if he changed his mind?
Could he accept that this was the end?
The lack of answer was terrifying, and he strained his eyes to track the figure. Lelouch could come from elsewhere. There could be soldiers at his back, moving under the cover of darkness. The figure, ever so briefly illuminated, could be a decoy. He desperately hoped it was someone else. A stranger intent on taking a ridiculously early morning jog.
Anyone but Lelouch who would force him to finally answer the question.
The figure stopped before the old entrance of Joypolis. The harsh light flickered, but there was no mistaking him. Lelouch stood there awkwardly, seemingly all alone. His purple eyes glimmered as he scanned the darkness, and Suzaku, heart in his throat, pushed himself further into the shadows.
Finally having the time, Suzaku feasted on his old friend's face. The harsh light turned weary lines into dark fractures. The stolen glances in the soft light of the manor nor the airbrushed press releases had prepared Suzaku for this reality. Lelouch had aged.
Lelouch's shoulders sagged, and he leaned against the wall, apparently intent on waiting for Suzaku. Unlike Suzaku who had to suppress violent shivers as the sea breeze tugged on his jacket, Lelouch didn't seem to mind. His jacket hung open, and his eyes scanned their surroundings without any respite.
Never relaxing. Always on guard. A soldier.
Suzaku sneezed, and Lelouch turned, honing in on his position but didn't approach. Lelouch, lips pursed together, looked almost... hesitant.
"This was a mistake." Lelouch closed his eyes and turned away. "I shouldn't have come... I'm sorry."
Throwing caution to the wind, Suzaku staggered to his feet. "Wait!"
They were so close. Suzaku couldn't let the opportunity slip by. Tohdoh was going to ground him for another lifetime if he survived.
Lelouch froze and slowly turned as Suzaku walked on stiff legs into the light. And there was the look of recognition that Suzaku had craved.
Both of them stood at an impasse, separated by a pool of light, and neither willing to expose themselves.
"You're alive?" Lelouch asked wonderingly as if Suzaku had just revealed himself to be a kami. Or maybe Suzaku had because under that hungry, desperate gaze, Suzaku felt the illogical need to confirm he was alive. "I thought-"
Suzaku didn't allow him to finish that thought as he hurtled forward and enveloped his friend into a hug. He looked so broken, and Suzaku had no other way to confirm that both of their hearts were still beating steadily. Beneath the rough fabrics, so different from what Lelouch used to wear, Suzaku felt his steady breath and muscles coiled in anticipation.
"You're such an idiot," Lelouch choked out. He was here. Real. And he remembered. "You shouldn't have come. I could've- Why would you take such a risk? Dammit, Suzaku. I don't ever want to light another candle for you."
"I promised to live, didn't I?" Suzaku whispered. And he had. Even when it was hard. Even when all he saw was death around him and people starved to death. Even when the horribly bittersweet memories from Refrain called to him. He had held onto that promise.
"You did, but I never heard anything, and you were ten, and everyone was dying, and if you had died, no one would ever have known."
At least Suzaku could track his friend through the media after he finally resurfaced. Lelouch never had that luxury. Suzaku patted him on the back, and the knife hidden beneath his clothes burned because how could he ever have entertained the idea that Lelouch would turn on him? Yet...
"Didn't you have a gun?" Suzaku asked and withdrew. He had only felt hard bones.
"Didn't feel right to bring it," Lelouch mumbled. "Although you might want to hide your knife better."
"You-" Suzaku groaned. He hadn't even said anything before rushing in to hug Lelouch, yet his friend hadn't even tried to defend himself. "I could've killed you!"
"But you didn't," Lelouch said, remarkably unconcerned.
"How can you- You're a prince. You had no way of knowing. I could be a terrorist for all you know! How could you be so... stupid?"
"And you decided to come completely alone to a meeting point that I arranged. There's still an active warrant for your arrest. Do you even know what they would do with you if you're caught?"
Suzaku stomped forward. "And what do you think a resistance cell would do?"
"I have a pretty good idea." Lelouch grinned. Something there was much too raw for a simple joke.
"We're both idiots," Suzaku grumbled.
"Yet it somehow worked."
"Stop staring. Seriously, you're freaking me out."
"You're alive," Lelouch whispered again.
Suzaku grabbed his arms. "Yes, I am."
As children, it had always been Lelouch who was in control. He was always the unwavering tree in the midst of a typhoon. Nothing ever surprised him. He was always two steps ahead and adjusting plans in the time it took for Suzaku to comprehend what was happening. Now, Lelouch was adrift and Suzaku was the one holding him and reminding him of reality.
Lelouch had returned to his family and their life of luxury. Yet, he was weary and felt so fragile, as if the next storm would be his last.
"You're shorter than me," Lelouch mumbled.
Suzaku stepped back and crossed his arms. "It's your shoes. I was always taller."
"I know." Lelouch looked down. "It's definitely not the shoes. You need to eat more. This is weird."
"You're one to talk. I could count your ribs. And it's definitely the shoes."
"I'm not taking off my boots so you can step on my toes," Lelouch said. "You always did that. And punched me. And you've clearly not gotten smarter."
"And you've gotten stupider," Suzaku shot back. "This was your idea after all."
Lelouch chuckled. "I could order you to grow more."
"I don't think that's how it works, Your Highness. Not to mention, why do you think I would ever listen to you?" Suzaku grinned at the glare, feeling nostalgic. They always had ridiculous arguments. "Maybe you should listen to me since the big bad prince forgot his gun."
Lelouch winced as his stomach growled.
"Brit food must suck," Suzaku said. It would explain why Lelouch was so thin.
"I didn't really eat dinner," Lelouch admitted.
"Why?"
"Didn't feel like it."
Suzaku frowned. Even as children, Lelouch had always been notoriously picky, but he had never outright skipped a meal. "I know a place that opens early... if you're okay with this."
"I trust you Suzaku," Lelouch said. "I'll pay."
Knowing it was useless to protest as he would be somehow reimbursed, Suzaku didn't argue. Admittedly, he didn't have the funds to splurge on a meal. He would do it for him, but Lelouch didn't need that.
"Wear this," Suzaku ordered and dug out a hat from his bag. He watched Lelouch out of the corner of his eyes as they began their slow walk to the nearest station. At least Suzaku didn't have to worry about a Brit accosting him for breaking curfew. Lelouch's presence ensured no suspicion would fall on him.
When they entered the station, the Brit guard took one look at Lelouch's face and waved them through. It was exhilarating being let through without any questions. And when Lelouch waited for a railcar at the very front, the guard merely scowled at Suzaku's presence but didn't stop them.
Lelouch's stomach growled again as they took a seat.
"You didn't eat anything at the Stadtfelds either," Suzaku accused quietly. "When was the last time you ate?"
"I had an apple for breakfast," Lelouch admitted after a minute of terse silence. "I don't want to hear it."
Something was seriously wrong. Lelouch used to be wary, not starving himself. In the news, Lelouch was doing brilliantly. In person, he was barely holding everything together.
The tense silence hung between them as they exited the train and descended to the lower streets. If Suzaku wanted to, he could take them into the underground network of tunnels and avoid the tedious routes through the streets. But that would lead to questions... which was why neither of them were saying anything. If Suzaku asked what had happened since the invasion, then Lelouch would return the favor, and he would have to lie.
"Did you tell anyone about this?" Suzaku bit his lip. That was a safe question, right?
"No. I left a note telling Frederick and Henry to not sound the alarms until tomorrow. You?"
"No... Don't have anyone to tell anyone anyway. They're your friends?"
Lelouch sighed and switched to Japanese as they entered the outskirts of the ghetto. It was rather irksome that he barely had an accent while Suzaku had yet been able to lose his vaguely noble sounding one. "We were in Basic together."
Suzaku shrugged off his coat and continued in English, "We need to switch. People know me around here, but a stranger in fine clothes is going to attract attention."
"You can keep it," Lelouch said in English.
"I don't need your charity."
"It's not-" He groaned. "My family took everything from you, Suzaku. Nothing I will ever do will be able to fix that, and I don't- You are my first and best friend so keep the damn jacket. It's my mother paying for it anyway since she doesn't trust my style."
Suzaku grabbed the fabric. It could be worse and made of silk. The jacket was well made, but didn't compare to what Suzaku had once worn, or what a noble would wear. It wouldn't raise too many questions. If someone asked, he could say a schoolboy had thrown it out for a stain or something.
They were close to the ghettos now, and already the area was beginning to teem with life. It was as far as Suzaku was comfortable bringing Lelouch. Any further in, Lelouch would be shot on sight, regardless of Suzaku's presence. At least from a distance nobody would suspect Lelouch.
He greeted the owner from the stall cheerfully as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Carefully selecting a crinkled note, he paid for two bowls of ramen and dragged Lelouch to a secluded alleyway where they could eat without drawing attention.
"Eat," he ordered.
Lelouch picked up the bowl and stirred with his wooden chopsticks.
From their vantage point, they could see the first patrol from the Knight Police as they harassed the shop owners. The single knightmare loomed over the ground troops. It's presence ensured that nobody would dare to retaliate. Half the reason the ghettos were so dangerous was because the streets were too narrow for knightmares, preventing Brits from conducting regular searches for illegal weaponry.
An elderly man was too slow in getting out of the way, and Suzaku averted his eyes. Lelouch growled and began to rise, only stopping when Suzaku caught his hand.
"It's not worth it. They'll arrest you too if you're this far in."
"It's not right. They're abusing their authority."
Suzaku slurped the broth to drown out the pained cries. He hated this. "They have Prince Clovis's full support, and last I checked, you're behind him in succession."
"What are their names?" Lelouch didn't look away for a moment.
The coldness in his eyes worried Suzaku. It was the same way the Knight Police looked at him as if he wasn't worthy of breathing air. Or how some members or resistance or terrorist cell would look at a Brit which was about to mysteriously disappear. He swallowed. "Not that easy. They stopped identifying themselves about a year ago. Now, eat before I force you."
Lelouch bowed his head and pulled out a few bills from his wallet before finally eating. It was way too much, and Suzaku set aside the bills. He would ask Ban later to convert them into something smaller and less likely to draw attention.
"It's ramen, not a funeral," Suzaku hissed as Lelouch continued to eat robotically with his head bowed in a perfect picture of obedience. It reminded him too much of the glimpses of the Honorary Britannian soldiers who had every ounce of defiance beaten out of them. This wasn't the Lelouch he remembered. "What happened to you?"
"I enlisted, Suzaku," Lelouch said flatly. His gaze drifted back to the Knight Police and the brutalized body they left behind. His jaw tightened, but the fiery and impertinent anger Suzaku remembered was nowhere to be found. His gaze was simply cold and calculating.
"You hate exercise. Tohdoh-sensei had to bribe and blackmail you to do anything which would make you sweat, even a tiny drop."
"Not my brightest decision although it doesn't win the prize for the worst one I ever made." Lelouch stared into the bowl. "I've done so many things... But I can't stop all of this. I could talk to Clovis, but he would laugh in my face, and my parents would reprimand me for being overly sentimental. And if the Emperor ordered it, I would be here as well, doing the exact same thing."
Suzaku frowned. "That has nothing to do with why you don't want to eat."
"It's-" Lelouch avoided his eyes and took a long breath. "I missed my fourteenth birthday."
"Yeah, I noticed."
"I was in the hospital." He smiled shakily. "Getting poisoned sucks."
He was avoiding the subject again. Of course Lelouch wasn't comfortable sharing everything; they hadn't seen each other for six year. He was already toeing the line of treason by not turning him in.
"What happened, Lelouch?" Suzaku pressed. "Who poisoned you?" No, they would be dead by now. "How did it happen?"
"I lowered my guard." He sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say."
"The truth."
That had never been something Lelouch had been skilled with. That Lelouch had been caught in the attempted assassination of his mother was something Tohdoh had puzzled together. It wasn't that Lelouch distrusted him. No. They both trusted each other to an unreasonable extent. The only one who Lelouch trusted more was his sister.
"Did you at least tell Nunnally?" Suzaku asked hesitantly.
Lelouch swallowed. "She knows enough."
That was a no.
"What were you doing at the Stadtfelds?" Lelouch asked, tone accusatory.
"Working." Suzaku needed to deflect attention now. Lelouch couldn't suspect a thing, for all their sakes. "You really pissed her off, you know. Lord Stadtfeld chewed her out for hours."
"Oh, thank you."
"Lelouch?"
"Apparently, people like me," Lelouch said, and Suzaku snickered at the ridiculous amount of disgust in his voice. "It's not funny. I was being polite. But apparently that's flirting. And your cousin is obnoxious because everyone thinks I'm apparently in love with her. And now Breisgau, which makes me seem like an absolute jerk except I didn't mean to do that. And my father noticed before me and called me dense."
Suzaku gasped for air as his silent laughter overtook him.
"Stop laughing! Because Shirley, and I barely even know her, is now jealous of Kallen, and the entire damn school won't stop gawking, and I've definitely never even said anything to them that could be construed as flirting. Seriously, Suzaku? This is serious. I don't know how to make them stop. If I'm polite, I'm flirting. If I ignore them, then I'm the cold and aloof, but according to Frederick that's also like flirting because supposedly people like that? It doesn't make sense."
"Just tell them no if you're not interested," Suzaku suggested, barely able to suppress his snickers.
"Then I'm rude according to Milly."
"So? Be rude."
"But that would be the bad boy or whatever it's called, and Allie says it's very popular." Lelouch swung out his arm empathetically. "What does that even mean?"
"You've never read a romance book in your life, have you?" Suzaku guessed. Finally, he could recognize his friend and the all too real frustration. The display was much more welcome than the cold stranger which had taken to residing in Lelouch's body.
"I read the Count of Monte Cristo."
"That is a revenge story. Not a romance."
"It has romance."
"Still not a romance."
"There's a show my mother likes, but I refuse to believe real life is anywhere near as illogical." Lelouch crossed his arms. "And I'm not going to my parents. That's practically asking them to marry off. Actually..."
"Britannia practices polygamy," Suzaku reminded him and chuckled as Lelouch buried his head in his hands with a pained moan. "Is it really that bad? You don't have to return their affection."
This wasn't the problem Suzaku was used to dealing with his students. It was similar though, and watching Lelouch act like a young, lost teenager was hilarious.
"They don't know me. It doesn't make any sense. Why?"
"Blame your parents." Suzaku wasn't going to try and explain Britannian beauty standards. They didn't make any sense to him either, but he was quite sure it had something to do with the obsession regarding royalty... and Lelouch resembled his mother or his father according to the press although Suzaku failed to see the similarities.
Lelouch calmed and nodded. "Cursing the bastard at least makes me feel better... Maybe I need to be more critical about Britannia. Treason is unattractive, right?"
"Asking the wrong person."
"You once said the government can do no wrong," Lelouch reminded him, his tone teasing.
Suzaku glanced back where the Knight Police had beaten the old man despite there being nothing to be seen. "I've gained some perspective."
"Growing up tends to that," Lelouch said, becoming serious. "I'm really sorry for everything. If there was-is anything I can do, I promise you I will try my best to make it happen. I owe you that much at least."
"We were kids. You did more for us than anyone ever expected. If anything, I owe you."
Lelouch scoffed. "We wouldn't have survived without you, but my family tends to not honor their debts, so it falls to me."
"I gave up the Kururugi name," Suzaku whispered. He had shed his burden, but Lelouch didn't have such a luxury, even if his was far heavier to bear.
"I noticed." Lelouch paused and passed Suzaku his half-eaten bowl. "We shouldn't waste it." If Lelouch were to actually eat, then there wouldn't be any waste.
Suzaku finished it regardless. "Let's go. Since you're paying, we're going to find something so delicious that you have no choice but to eat it."
Lelouch laughed. "As long as you eat."
"Your bills are too clean." Suzaku shook his head. "Still a neat freak."
"Suzaku." Lelouch grabbed his wrist gently. "Whatever I learn, I promise that I won't use it against you."
"What do you mean?" Suzaku stammered, and his heart thundered. He was an idiot. Of course Lelouch would notice something amiss. Suzaku had ruined everything.
"They called you Chiba at the Stadtfelds. Chiba-san married Tohdoh-sensei, and he is probably behind the miracle worker… Iki or something. It's possible he was an untapped genius before the invasion, but his tactics reek of Tohdoh. At minimum, he's a pupil of his. I don't know how close you're to the JLF personally, but you're at least tangentially connected."
Suzaku's parched tongue scraped against his teeth as he searched for an escape. Something to disprove everything. "I chose the name to honor them."
"I never told anyone," Lelouch assured. "It's not like my father ever asked after Nunnally gave him Katase."
"What?" How long had Lelouch known?
"When we returned to Britannia... My father asked me about Tohdoh-sensei. I was incredibly angry"-he grimaced-"and refused to answer. Nunnally lied to him and distracted him with Katase. My father never followed up, so when reports of the JLF began to come in, I chose not to enlighten him. It's the only secret I've really kept from him."
With a single conversation, Lelouch could have utterly destroyed the Japanese resistance in its infancy.
"I lied for you before, and I will do so again. Just don't tell me anything explicit, so I have some wiggle room in not lying to my father."
Suzaku was quite sure that still counted as lying.
"As long as I'm not stationed here, I don't have a duty to report anything suspicious either."
"Why are you in Area Eleven?" Suzaku asked, not missing his friend's wince.
His shoulders sagged. "There's a meeting which my father wants me to attend because of my work on the treaty. It starts tomorrow morning... officially. It'll be the afternoon by the time any work gets done because unless it involves killing, no noble wants to do anything before lunch."
"Huh," Suzaku mumbled. If only they could return to the peaceful days of the Kururugi shrine. Now, their respective backgrounds held them back. They were technically enemies. On opposite sides of the battlefield. If Tohdoh learned Lelouch had enlisted, he would freak. Yet, Lelouch had taken the risk despite his astute guesses. And Suzaku had met him, ignoring common sense to tell anyone. "Let's pretend."
"What?"
"Suzaku Chiba." He extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Lelouch rolled his eyes and after a moment of hesitation, shook his hand. "Lelouch Lamperouge, at your service."
"During the week, I'm a servant for a local lord. On the weekends, I volunteer and teach kids martial arts."
"You? A teacher?" Lelouch raised his hands defensively at his glare. "Fine. I'm a soldier?"
"You're not even trying."
Lelouch crossed his arms. "I'm a traveling cook who is in town for a cooking competition?"
"You still cook?" Suzaku asked, surprised. He couldn't imagine any of the Stadtfelds-or any noble for that matter-in the kitchen.
"Lamperouge is a commoner... Of course I cook!"
Suzaku grinned. "Then I'll show the traveling chef the award winning food we have to offer."
"What award winning food?"
"Don't be a jerk. Don't you know? We're actually in the food capital of the world."
"I'll be the judge of that."
"Exactly. Now you're getting it."
Laughing at his affronted expression, Suzaku grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the street. At least for now, they could just pretend. Two simple boys in a world of their own before reality caught up to them.
Tokyo Memorial Hospital, Area Eleven
"Nathan, patient here to see you."
Naoto grabbed the clipboard from the nurse and a cup of coffee. The meetings with Ohgi and the others were wearing him down as each one consumed the early morning hours. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave early without being accused of not caring for the cause. His countrymen's persistent paranoia was becoming unbearably grating, and he had to admire Brian and Ban's patience when dealing with the dismissive remarks.
If it weren't for the possibility of human experimentation, they would have all dropped out already. Hopefully, the others would cut it out once Ohgi shared the agreed upon lie that Britannia was developing poison gas.
It probably wouldn't change anything.
Rubbing his eyes, he opened the door and read off the clipboard. "Stomach pain and a rash?"
"You can read Japanese right?"
Naoto glanced up at Frederick, who looked remarkably healthy and was holding a scrap of paper impatiently. He turned, almost expecting to see Henry and Lelouch. One was never far behind the other. The door shut; they were completely alone.
"Where's Lelouch?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Frederick shoved the paper covered in neat kanjis into his hand. "So can you read it or not? Because it's not Mandarin."
"You're not sick? How did the nurse-"
"I have extensive experience faking illnesses to talk to a medic. It's slightly urgent."
Naoto folded the paper and considered the soldier. Given his current activities, this could be a trap. "Why do you need to know?"
"Because Lelouch snuck out in the middle of the night and left his gun, way too many knives, and his phone on the table. Henry and I need to find him, but the note is our only clue."
"At least he didn't take his gun." Seeing his almost frantic worry, Naoto sighed and unfolded the note. "He says not to worry, and he should be back by tomorrow morning... Why would he write in Japanese?"
Frederick snorted. "Lelouch has an unfortunate habit of writing in another language when distracted. There's nothing there about where he went?"
"No, I'm sorry," Nathan said and removed his stethoscope. "I need to check that rash."
"I said I lied."
"I still have to check." He grinned. "Maybe next time you'll be a bit more careful before faking an illness."
Frederick scowled and raised the shirt. "See? Nothing. Can I go now?"
A light scar, eerily familiar, caught his attention. "What's that?"
"Nothing." Frederick pulled down his shirt and stood stiffly.
"That didn't look like nothing."
"I said it was nothing."
Everything about him screamed defensiveness. Naoto had dealt with patients like him who, for various reasons, didn't want their injuries known. They would lie until their face was blue, and even when confronted with the truth, they would continue to bluster.
"Who hurt you?" Naoto asked, struggling to keep his tone even.
"I ran into a bit of metal. A quick trip to the medic, and I was right like rain."
"Then you wouldn't mind me seeing it? I need to clear you before you can go."
For a moment, he feared Frederick would refuse and call his bluff. Naoto had no authority to keep him here.
Frederick sighed and sat down on the examination bed. Grimacing, he lifted his shirt. The scar was healing well, but his reaction was suspicious, and Naoto felt as if he had seen it before, which was impossible. He had never treated Frederick... only Lelouch.
"I've never seen you without Lelouch," he probed. Frederick flinched. "You obviously care for him, and he seems like a nice kid. Appearances aren't everything though. If I were to ask him about that scar, what do you think he would say?"
"You can't tell him."
Naoto raised an eyebrow. The kid didn't seem like the type to hurt his friends.
"He doesn't know," Frederick elaborated.
"You're almost inseparable. How is that possible?" Naoto asked. There was no way that could be true. "And if I dig through my records-"
Frederick shrunk into himself. "It would match Lelouch's. I know.'
"Then, how?"
"Look, I just need to find Lelouch." And what would happen if he didn't?
Naoto shouldn't get involved. He was already involved in one plot. Another one with unknown stakes was foolhardy. "Let me sign out, and I'll help you look. I know the city better than you do."
"Thank you," Frederick said, too relieved for such a small gesture.
On their way out, Lucy promised to cover him with a dramatic wink.
Outer Concessions, Area Eleven
Adrift in a sea of happiness, Lelouch would regularly reach out to hold Suzaku's hand and assure himself that his friend was alive. Beneath his fingers, he could feel the calm and steady pulse. Each time, Suzaku's eyes would widen in surprise before enthusiastically pulling him along to the next little shop or cafe. Some didn't even advertise, instead relying on Suzaku greeting the proprietor in person, and they would then be ushered into the back.
Lelouch couldn't remember the last time he had been so full. But Suzaku didn't relent in his quest to find something Lelouch would eat without hesitation.
And slowly, it was working. Because nobody knew Lelouch this close to the ghettos. The closer they wandered in, the more he pulled down the hat, and with Suzaku's friendly face, nobody ever suspected him. Ironically, surrounded by people who would happily kill him and send the dismembered pieces to his father, he felt safe.
Suzaku would never let someone poison him. Intentionally, at least. Lelouch still wasn't sure whether some of those dishes were safe for human consumption.
But even if he did-if Suzaku were to turn his illegal blade against him-Lelouch wouldn't mind. His family had already taken so much from Suzaku and his people. It was a small price to right the damage caused.
Lelouch hated walking past the buildings. The concessions were clean with nothing left from the original Tokyo. There was no sign of a brutal occupation. The closer one got to the ghettos, the more bullet holes and boarded windows greeted them. The sheer disparity was enraging, yet Suzaku continued to smile and chatter about his students. About rebuilding. About hope.
If Lelouch were in his shoes, he would be plotting Britannia's demise.
Despite Suzaku's obvious JLF connections, he didn't seem to be involved at all. He was happy to help and adapt to an inhumane lifestyle.
Suzaku deserved more, and nothing Lelouch did would give it to him. Within the division, he had power. Here? He had none. The Emperor was his father, and he couldn't even help one person outside the narrow role he had carved for himself.
If Suzaku joined the army... No. His parents would swoop in, overriding any of his wishes, to use the son of the late prime minister.
"Sushi?" Suzaku asked impatiently. "A traveling chef has to try the local specialty."
Lelouch laughed and leaned over with his chopsticks to grab the small roll. Each time, it was a little easier to swallow. Pretend, while terribly childish-and Lelouch would've died of shame being caught playing it even at the age of nine-was incredibly relieving. For a moment, he could pretend his personal baggage didn't exist.
"I still can't believe you teach," Lelouch said. "You were always terribly impatient."
"And I remember when you almost burned down our kitchen," Suzaku retorted. "Or the time you did that thing with the fish? It smelled for days. I couldn't breathe. That should've been a criminal offense."
Lelouch pouted. He hadn't been that bad. In Japanese, he asked, "So where can I get some decent spices? My tongue has atrophied."
Once again, Suzaku responded in English and described this small little apartment where an old lady dried and ground her own. She sold them at a bit of a premium, but they were the best that money could buy.
"Suzaku?" Lelouch interrupted. "It's a lot harder to practice my Japanese if someone refuses to switch."
"I can't." Suzaku avoided his eyes. "I'm an Honorary."
"Under forged documents," Lelouch accused. "It's not like I'm going to tell anyone."
"Everyone believes I'm an Honorary, and if my people hear me speak Japanese, they'll sell me out for a little extra cash and as a big fuck you for bowing my head. It's not worth it."
"It's not right," Lelouch continued in Japanese. Britannian policies were designed to kill languages, and they were painfully effective. So many languages were simply lost to time, and with them, their respective rich histories.
"When do you need to go back?" Suzaku asked, shifting to a safer conversation.
"Tomorrow morning. Can't miss my meeting after all," Lelouch answered.
Suzaku grinned. "You know that attorney game you liked? Well, someone managed to save the files of the sequel, and some kids have been working on making it complete."
"Are you serious?" Lelouch asked. He remembered sinking hours into the game.
"But you have to play one of my games afterwards."
"Suzaku, you could ask me to hop on one foot and sing the Britannian anthem backwards, and I would still say yes," Lelouch growled. "Let's go."
Suzaku glanced pointedly at the sushi. "Then finish that."
Lelouch glared, but it was a minor cost to sink back into childhood nostalgia. It was only a day. There wasn't any harm. One day to pretend that the invasion had never happened and this was their life. Two simple boys, playing video games.
The bar was moderately busy when they entered, and Lelouch pulled down his cap further. Surprisingly, he spotted a few Britannians mixed into the crowd. A few kids eagerly ran up to Suzaku the moment he entered and asked for advice on their kicks. He really was a teacher. Lelouch still couldn't imagine that.
"Who's your friend?" one of the teens asked. "He's taller than you."
"It's his shoes," Suzaku complained and pulled out two small cushions of dubious qualities.
"Suzaku needs to eat more," Lelouch retorted in Japanese. The children immediately relaxed.
"You a partial?" a boy asked, his eyes wide. "I like your eyes."
"Don't tease him, Ito-kun." Suzaku held up the remotes victoriously and examined the battered TV. "Look. We're a little busy. I need to help him play a silly story game"-Lelouch stuck out his tongue-so I can beat him at Smash."
The kids' eyes widened and glanced at Lelouch eagerly. He was going to lose, wasn't he?
Five hours later, barely anywhere near done with the main storyline, the kids had run out of patience and loudly demanded that they switch to something more exciting. One of the older teens offered to give him a copy of the game which Lelouch accepted eagerly. He wasn't sure where he was going to find a Nintendo to play it on or when he would have the time, but he was going to finish the game eventually.
Controllers were handed out, and the new game began, and as predicted, Lelouch lost. Epically.
Again...
And again...
Lelouch was going to beat Suzaku at this stupid game if it was the last thing he did.
"Shit, it's late," Suzaku said and turned to the kids. "Come on. You guys need to head back before the recruiters start crawling the streets."
"But I'm hungry, Sensei," a small child whined.
"I can cook something," Lelouch offered. They were within a bar after all, and Suzaku had assured him multiple times that he had permission from the owner to use the facilities. "What do you want?"
"Can you even cook?" accused one of the teens. Chino, if Lelouch remembered correctly. She crossed her arms. "I bet you only eat bland Brit food. Like why would you even come down here? Nobody would ever suspect you out there. You could do whatever you wanted."
"Curry?" Lelouch challenged.
"Chiba-sensei?" she asked.
Suzaku chuckled. "Just don't let him use a micro-"
"That was one time, Suzaku!" Lelouch stormed past him. "And I was nine. You tried to put your hand into boiling water."
"Because you dared me to."
"It was a joke, you idiot!"
As the pot heated up, Lelouch cut the onions, carrots, and potatoes with ease. The girl's snide comments quickly ceased upon seeing his knife work. He raised a challenging eyebrow and smirked as she ducked her head.
"My mom did it like that," she whispered as he sliced the chicken into bite-sized portions with the knife almost parallel to the cutting board. "Brits always cut straight."
"You work in the kitchen?" Lelouch asked, mincing the garlic and ginger.
She nodded and glanced over her shoulder where Suzaku was patiently listening to his students. "How do you know each other? Sensei never brought a friend before, and you're definitely not a chef."
"You're saying I can't cook?" Lelouch challenged and dumped the ingredients into the pot. Now, to find the curry to add when he was done.
"No... But you don't smell like one. And your muscles are all wrong."
Observant. She would do well. If Lelouch was stationed here, he would be suggesting that Art induct her into their intelligence network. But he had promised Suzaku to use nothing he learned today. It was a shame. Her skills would inevitably be wasted.
Lelouch found a familiar package, well beyond its expiration date. Hesitantly, he opened it and checked for signs of spoilage. "Suzaku and I were neighbors before the war. Isn't that right?"
Suzaku froze mid-demonstration of a move. "Yeah. He came over all the time, and we would sneak out into the woods. I had to rescue him from three separate trees because he got scared."
"And what do you do?" Chino asked, a hand on her hip.
"Mostly? Paperwork these days. Do you want to play a game of shogi while we wait?"
"Don't accept," Suzaku warned. "He always wins."
"Want to try your luck again? It's been years since we've played," Lelouch teased.
Suzaku's lips curled. "No."
A filling portion of curry later, Suzaku finally managed to chase the kids out of the bar to head home. The remaining staff kindly bid their goodbyes, and Suzaku promised to close up for them. At two in the morning, they were finally alone.
"Sorry," Suzaku mumbled. "I forgot they would be here."
"No. It was... nice." Lelouch smiled softly. The children were inquisitive, but none of their questions held any true malice. His obvious Britannian heritage had been the biggest problem although none of them were sure how to react to him speaking Japanese. "They were rather... dependent."
"You mean asking me if they were doing it right?" Suzaku laughed. "I'm their teacher. Of course, they want my approval."
"But they're not little kids," Lelouch said. Seeking approval had always felt so childish. It would never come.
Suzaku shrugged. "It doesn't hurt though. I always ask myself what Tohdoh-sensei would've done. I'd say it's a teacher thing, but a lot of them do it with their parents or siblings as well. It's weird. I never turned to mine."
"I don't think either of our parents are stellar examples of good parenting," Lelouch admitted quietly. At least among the commoners, families acted so differently. They were honest and open, took the time to check in on each other, and covered each other's weaknesses instead of tearing them down. And they never expected anything in return.
Of course, nobility and royalty would be raised differently. They had to because of their responsibilities. If his parents had coddled him, Lelouch would never have passed Basic training. Nor would he have been able to lead the division. Everything had been necessary.
"That's a massive understatement," Suzaku said. "Before you leave, do you want to play one last round? We have a few with a bit more strategy to even the playing field as one could say."
Lelouch narrowed his eyes at Suzaku's eager grin. That was not the expression of someone who anticipated a possible loss. But saying no would mean leaving and returning to the small motel room. After this stunt, Lelouch would probably not have the chance to sneak away again.
This was both a reunion and a final farewell.
"A minute," Lelouch said and ducked behind the counter with a napkin. He returned with a cup of oolong tea for his friend. The smell was nauseating yet bittersweet. "You're going down."
"I'm the master."
"You suck at tactics," Lelouch declared. The game loaded and the virtual battlefield extended around him. He ducked behind a wall to figure out the controls and his character's special abilities. Mission control prattled on in Japanese, and he sniggered. It was trying so hard to be serious and realistic, when his character could use telekinesis.
At last ready, he met Suzaku's eyes and dived out into the battlefield. A battlefield with respawns. If only real life was so kind.
"You can't clip through the wall to shoot me!" Suaku shouted, losing his first life. He returned with a vengeance and easily dodged Lelouch's shots by spamming some button combos. "I was going to give you a chance... but you roused the inner beast."
"You're ridiculous," Lelouch said and used a blast of telekinesis to shove Suzaku off a cliff. "Your situational awareness is abysmal."
Suzaku growled, and Lelouch barely refrained from laughing. It was a game. Then his character died.
"A spinzaku? Are you kidding me?" Lelouch dove for his friend's controller. "Give me that. You're a lousy cheat. How the hell!"
Abandoning his own controller, Suzaku grabbed the other one and smirked; Lelouch's character soared through the air with a flying spin kick.
"I refuse to believe this... mockery! Give me that!"
Suzaku held up the controller, laughing, and Lelouch fell into him, sending them both sprawling onto the ground, the game forgotten.
"Hey! You're not supposed to be in here," someone shouted in Japanese. Heavy boots stomped forward, and Lelouch and Suzaku froze. "Do you think it's funny? Laughing? While people are dying out there? And you call yourself Japanese."
"We're not looking for any trouble," Suzaku assured, springing to his feet and placing himself firmly between Lelouch and their assailant. "I wasn't aware anyone was coming tonight. I'm sorry."
Lelouch slowly rose and lowered the rim of his hat. His Britannian features would only bring trouble, and behind the loud man with spiky hair, there were more Japanese. Sometimes, he had to wonder if Roy was right about him being cursed. Because that looked to be a terrorist cell. At least, they didn't recognize Suzaku at all. His friend was keeping his nose clean.
"Then what are you doing here so late? And speak Japanese! Or do you like licking Brit boots?"
Gritting his teeth, Lelouch bowed his head further. The man was already volatile enough and armed. For now, there was a chance to deescalate the situation.
"I teach here," Suzaku said coldly. "Maybe I should ask what you are doing here? Because last time I checked, this was a neutral ground. Let me just clean up, and we'll go."
"Yeah. That's right. Go run back to your Brit master. Hey, you. Look at me!" the man ordered. "I said, look at me," he growled and stepped forward.
Suzaku stepped forward and caught the hand. The man slammed into the ground and Lelouch silently cursed as their eyes met. "That's enough. We're not looking for trouble."
"You're a Brit," the man accused and stumbled to his feet, drawing his gun. "That's a Brit! I bet he's spying on us."
"Tamaki," another man barked. "Calm down."
"But, Ohgi-"
Suzaku held out his arm, preventing Lelouch from interfering. "We just want to go. Please. We don't have any interest in this."
"Speak, Japanese. Damn it," Tamaki ordered.
"That wouldn't be very polite to my friend," Suzaku said, and Lelouch plastered his best confused look. "I'm happy to stay and sort this out, but please let him go. I was the one who brought him here. He has friends who will be looking for him."
Ohgi stepped forward, his hands raised, and Lelouch relaxed slightly. Unlike Tamaki, he seemed much more reasonable. In English, Ohgi said, "You can go."
"And him?" Lelouch challenged. He wasn't abandoning his friend again.
Surprise flashed across his face. "We'll let him go after we finish our business. As long as you keep silent, he will be fine."
Suzaku stomped on his toe, cutting off his protest. He leaned forward and whispered harshly, "Take the damn deal, Lelouch. I can handle them. But if you get hurt-"
Then a lot more would suffer.
"I missed you." Lelouch pulled him into a tight hug. They had just found each other, but it had always been a temporary arrangement. "If you die, I will never forgive you. Nunnally still hasn't said hello."
"I'll be fine," Suzaku whispered and stepped back, brushing his shoulders. Six years, but he remembered. Run.
Lelouch bowed to the others in the room to appease their nerves. Then hands resting on his head, he steadily walked to the back door. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped outside. The door slammed shut before he could glance back, and he strained his ears. Nothing.
Run.
The longer he delayed, the higher the chance that they changed their mind and used him as a way to vent their frustration.
He ran.
A Bar, Outer Concessions, Area Eleven
After an entire day searching with Frederick for Lelouch, Naoto had found him. He pushed himself against the far wall and desperately hoped Lelouch didn't recognize him as Tamaki shouted loudly. Naoto didn't wish him harm, but he couldn't risk his own cover either. If he was caught, Lord Ashford would bear the heat, and the protections for his family would disappear.
Kallen needed that protection. An ace from a minor noble family without a powerful lord protecting her was worth a fortune. Complicating matters was Empress Marianne. If anyone could curb her, it was Lord Ashford.
Naoto had sworn to protect lives, but he didn't want to pit that against the desire to protect his family.
The young Japanese boy didn't seem phased and negotiated for Lelouch's release. Naoto relaxed as the door closed. Catastrophe averted.
"Hey," Tamaki said, "wasn't that the soldier hanging around the hospital?"
Too many eyes focused on Naoto.
"Naoto?" Ohgi asked calmly. "Is that true?"
"Maybe," he whispered, his ears ringing.
"Shit, he was speaking Japanese." Ohgi slammed his hand against the counter. "Yoshida?"
"Got it," Yoshida said and checked his gun. "Come on, Tamaki."
"No," a stern voice interrupted. The young Japanese boy stepped in front of the door and raised his chin defiantly. "You're going to let him go. He won't say anything... as long as I'm fine."
"He's a soldier," Yoshida snarled. "You know how many of us they killed?"
"You're really some Brit dog," Tamaki spat. "Step aside. I'm not holding back this time!"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Me too."
"You messing with me!" Tamaki charged forward, his fists swinging wildly. "You're going to get it."
The boy dodged effortlessly, and a loud snap reverberated the room. Calmly, he stepped back and leveled a glare across the room.
"You little-" Tamaki stifled a scream and rolled over. "My arm."
"Like I said," the boy said calmly, "you're not going after him. Next time, I'll break something worse than an arm. Terrorists are never welcome here. Owner's orders."
Ohgi, ever the diplomat, slowly approached. "We're an exception."
"I didn't hear of any."
"It's a new thing. Look, you clearly care for your... friend. I promise we won't hurt him. We finish our business and both of you will be free to go. There's no need to make this difficult. You're outnumbered."
The boy snorted. "I'm sixteen, not stupid. And you shouldn't be having any business. The JLF wants things quiet."
"It's something that can't wait," Ohgi said. "I don't want to hurt one of our kind. He's not worth it."
"I owe him my life." The boy settled into an easy fighting stance.
"We have guns."
The boy bared his teeth. "So did the Samurai guys who tried to recruit me last week."
Naoto pursed his lips. The boy claimed to work in the bar, and Ban would be very upset if they hurt one of his staff. It would destroy their uneasy alliance. If he spoke up and tried to negotiate, he would be hurting Lelouch. There was a very low chance that the others would allow him to survive. They barely tolerated Naoto. An actual soldier was going too far.
Could he condemn a young man to death?
Yoshida didn't wait for him to come to a decision. With a wave of his hands, five men joined him and raised their guns.
"Ohgi," Naoto hissed.
His friend shook his head. "I'm sorry."
The boy didn't wait. He shot forward and bullets tore through empty air followed by a pained cry. The moment of chaos stopped, and the boy stood completely unharmed, pressing the gun to Yoshida's head.
"You're not going to shoot," Ohgi said and checked on their downed members.
"Don't come any closer," the boy snarled, backing away and dragging Yoshida with him. "I'm serious."
"Your hand is trembling. You're not a killer, kid. But your friend out there? He is. Do you know how many people he's killed?" Ohgi reached out and pushed down the barrel. "You work here, right? Your friend is running to go tell the authorities, and they'll be crashing through the roof. We're all going to be collateral damage. Including you. Is that what you want?"
The boy squeezed his eyes shut and raised the muzzle again. He swallowed, and when he spoke, his voice was shaky but determined. "I'm not letting you hurt him."
Tamaki groaned and staggered to his feet. "So we're just all going to die because of you? Does he tell you to bark, and you wag your tail like a good little Britannian bitch? Does it feel good to turn your back on all of us? Your countrymen?"
"Shut your mouth," the boy growled, finally switching to Japanese.
"Ooh. Scary." Tamaki laughed and raised his other arm. "I don't need both hands to bash in the head of some honorless scum. I guess it isn't your fault because your mother must have really enjoyed Brit-"
The boy dropped Yoshida and lunged at Tamaki, slamming him against the wall. "You don't know anything."
"Are you mad because Mommy and Daddy did not love you enough? Or did they both enjoy taking a Britan-"
A punch through the wall cut him off, and the boy stepped back, shaking his hand free of white plaster. His shoulders rose and sank as he calmed himself. "If you're so worried, you are free to leave before the knightmares break through the ceiling. I will be staying here because that won't happen. Nobody needs to get hurt. You understand?"
Naoto glared at Tamaki. He had gone too far, but worse, Naoto had done nothing. At least Ohgi was listening.
"Normally, I would agree," Yoshida said. "But if your friend overheard us, a lot more people are going to die. He's not innocent. And I think you have to make a decision, boy. Are you Japanese and going to protect your people? Or are you Britannian in which case you can meet the same fate."
"And Japanese means senseless murder?" The boy laughed. "Because what do you think is going to happen if you kill him? They're going to come looking, and his cell phone will lead the army right here. And they'll use that as an excuse to tear everything apart, and people are going to die because you're just looking for an excuse to kill. So no! I'm not stopping you because I'm some Britannian lapdog, but because I'm Japanese!"
Hadn't Frederick said Lelouch left his phone behind?
"Oh, really? Now, you care?" Tamaki scoffed. "It didn't seem that way with you two hugging. You're just some half-breed, and you call yourself Japanese? So why do you claim to give a fucking shit about us? Huh? You're free to go and buy some nice forgeries and live your life. The rest of us can't escape. Every time I walk down the down damn street, they're spitting and smashing my head down. And you claim to be Japanese? What the fuck have you ever done for her?"
"You think you've helped?" he asked hysterically. "You're stirring everyone up with your nonsense when the JLF asked for all the groups to keep quiet for a reason. Everyone else suffers for your selfishness. You have brought nothing of value. Food? Medicine? Supplies? That's the JLF. So while you're squandering their hard work, I'm teaching the kids who get their homes ransacked because of you. Who are afraid to walk the street because some thug will shout at them for smiling at a Britannian. Who are crying because their parents or siblings got arrested for terrorisom instead of you! Being Japanese doesn't mean lashing out recklessly."
"You were in your diapers during the invasion. You never had the chance to lose anything. So who do you think you are to tell me what is and isn't Japanese?" He smashed a finger into his chest. "Because from where I'm standing, maybe you should have some respect for your elders."
"I never lost anything? I'm a Kururugi! I don't even need to worry about doing anything wrong. Because the moment Britannia finds out, I'm dead. At least you have some control over your life."
"As in the Prime Minister?" Ohgi asked, cutting through the sudden tense silence.
Kururugi paled, which was enough of a confirmation.
"Well,"-Ban cleared his throat-"as entertaining as this has been, I'm going to have to ask that you refrain from harming my martial arts instructor. They're hard to come by."
"But he brought a soldier," Tamaki argued.
Ban shrugged. "Not against the rules. I don't need military idiots crawling over my bar because you decided to pick a fight. Come on, Chiba-I'm-not-connected-to-terrorists-san. We need to have a talk."
Kururugi nodded and bowed deeply in apology to everyone before rushing after Ban. Naoto glanced at his conspirators, but only Ohgi appeared contemplative. They were still angry that Kururugi had been willing to defend a Britannain. At least by now, enough time had passed that Lelouch would be difficult to track down. Considering that he managed to slip by Henry and Frederick who were presumably trained in tracking, he shouldn't have too much difficulty evading them.
Decision made, Naoto nodded to Ohgi and slipped into the back room.
Kururugi was sitting at the table, tremors ransacking his body. Brian passed him a cup, and he looked at him suspiciously before accepting it. The kid had to be terrified. There was undoubtedly a large bounty on his head, and greed had a way of turning the heads of even the best men.
"What do you want?" Ban asked coldly, not bothering to look up from his laptop. His eyes narrowed at the screen, and he tapped his finger on the table.
Naoto winced. "I wanted to apologize... Tamaki and Yoshida were way out of line. I should have said something."
"Then why didn't you?" Brian barked. He shook his head and opened a box of cereal. "Your group is claiming to be organized. What I saw there was despicable."
"I was afraid he would recognize me originally," Naoto whispered. "But afterwards... I should've stopped them. They're just... not the most reasonable at times."
"It's my fault," Kururugi whispered, sinking into his seat. "I shouldn't have brought him. I wasn't thinking. And now they know."
"Does Lelouch know?" Naoto asked and winced as everyone startled.
"How do you know that name?" Kururugi growled. His free hand balled into a fist. "You-"
"I work at the hospital, and Lelouch likes to volunteer there," Naoto said. "I'm not going to hurt him, kid. I promise."
Kururugi nodded stiffly and tightened his grip around the cup.
"Lelouch?" Brian confirmed. "Our Lelouch?"
"It was a surprise for me as well," Naoto said. "I never expected to see him this far in."
"So how does the son of the Prime Minister know a Britannian soldier?" Ban asked, closing his laptop.
"Neighbors," Kururugi answered. He sipped his tea, not reacting to the expectant silence.
"You did the right thing kid," Ban said, "stopping them from going after him. The situation would've turned ugly."
"Why?" Ohgi asked from the doorway, and Kururugi flinched.
"Henry would've killed us all," Brian grumbled. "He's vicious, and my people say he's been trying to track me down all day. I'm guessing Lelouch didn't really tell him about his little trip to the edge of the ghettos."
"A soldier disappearing is suspicious," Ban simply said. "Especially if he has somewhere to be. Was he on assignment?"
Kururugi bowed his head. "Not exactly. Some meeting this morning." He looked up, nibbling on his lip. "Please, you can't tell anyone. I know I lied. I'm sorry, but I had to. They'll kill- They'll make an example out of me. I'll be some puppet."
Taking the seat opposite of him, Ohgi folded his fingers together. "And what's stopping your friend from selling you out? I guess there's a pretty high reward for turning you in, and it would be his duty as a soldier."
"He would've done it before," Kururugi said. "He could have arrested me in the morning when I went to meet him. Lelouch lied for me before... and he promised. He won't say anything if it would put me in danger."
"We can't let you go," Ohgi said. "You know too much about us. And if what you say is right, the only thing stopping that boy from selling us out is your presence. But you also showed us that we would lose a fight. Do you see the issue that causes us?"
"Not really," Ban answered. "We needed a knightmare pilot, and I highly doubt he's going to sell himself out. Everyone wins."
Kururugi crossed his arms and leaned back. "I'm not engaging in terrorism."
"Chiba-Kururugi-never mind. Kid, I didn't break my policy for no reason. Prince Clovis has been developing poison gas so he can take care of his little ghetto problems. We will all die of a mysterious illness. The Britannians quarantine the area. And when they're done, it's free real estate for the Brits, and they don't need to worry about us constantly harassing their patrols."
"But- That doesn't make sense." Kururugi shook his head. "A lot of us are working in the mines... or as servants."
"They'll do it on the weekday when all the productive Numbers are out of their home."
"But..." He fell silent and swallowed painfully. "If you tell people, they won't get away with it. There would be an uproar. You don't need a knightmare."
Ban grimaced. "Kid, I was in the military, so let me spell out how that would work. We begin spreading rumors. Prince Clovis is spooked, and he releases it at a suboptimal time. We all die, and he declares it a big accident, but because he's royalty, it will be swept under the rug, never to be spoken of again." He leaned forward. "The plan doesn't involve any civilians. It's an attack on a military facility. We'll destroy the poison gas there, or if that doesn't work, steal it. We need a knightmare to give us cover if Prince Clovis sounds the alarm pre-emptively."
"Wait, just a minute," Ohgi interrupted. "You want some teen who was defending a Brit soldier to be our backup?"
"He's better than anyone on your team and the pathetic souls who make up the Knight Police... with a previous generation knightmare." Ban smiled. "And Suzaku has an added incentive to make sure we escape if he doesn't want Britannia to know he's alive. So what do you say, kid?"
"Just this one thing." Kururugi stood abruptly. "If you'll excuse me, my brother is probably anxious. Good night."
He slammed the door on the way out.
"Teenagers." Ohgi poured himself a cup of tea. "I didn't think the Prime Minister's son would be such a pushover."
"His father committed suicide," Naoto reminded him. "I think that's enough to mess up a kid. And honestly? I should have been there with him, defending Lelouch. He's done nothing but be helpful and courteous. Tamaki would be dead or rotting away in a cell if Lelouch didn't have a habit of picking fights with the Knight Police. So maybe all of you should get off your high horse. We're too small to be afforded the luxury of intolerance."
Stepping outside, Naoto pulled out his phone and a small scrap of paper with Frederick's number. He hesitated a moment. The others would be livid. He was done with them. For this mission, they would work together, but afterwards, they would part ways. Naoto wanted to make a difference, yet Ban and Brian were the only ones who seemed to understand the delicate situation they were in.
One couldn't blow things up indefinitely. Eventually, Britannia would come. The only group who had a chance to defy them was the JLF. Ohgi's group would be annihilated.
There had to be another way. Something more effective and with less casualties.
"I'm honestly surprised you held out this long," Brian said, joining him on the street. The morning sun was beginning to peek through the distant buildings. "They're not the tolerant type. They have the spirit, maybe. If they had the discipline, they would be in the JLF."
"If it weren't for my family... I think I would join them. They do a lot of good work. Kur-" Saying the boy's real name was probably not a good idea. "Chiba was right. Our groups do a lot more harm than good."
"It's always the quiet one you have to watch out for. I've watched that kid teach for over a year and never suspected a thing. He's patient with the young ones too, but hearing him guide the older ones with their trouble? That's something special."
"Can you imagine him as the face of Japan?"
"Absolutely not." Brian pulled out a cigarette and silently offered it to him. At his refusal, he shrugged and cupped his hand to light it. "I'm perfectly happy to return to the status quo of a cruel viceroy but possessing a heart."
"Really? Even with the Knight Police constantly abusing their power. You don't want it to change?"
"Why ruin a good thing when you have it? Things could be much worse. They are outside of Tokyo. And my grandfather could tell me tales from Japanese rule. Britannia is simply the same monster by a different name. The real problem is Clovis."
"He wouldn't have become a problem in another system," Naoto said.
Brian shrugged. "Even if we fail, I think things will work themselves out. Lelouch's sister? She wants to destroy Clovis, and she'll at least make enough noise that the Emperor won't look away. That'll put an end to Clovis's business real fast."
"But what if the next Emperor is someone like Clovis?" Naoto pressed, scarcely believing he was agreeing that Emperor Charles was an acceptable option.
"And when that time comes, I'll be up front waving a bloody flag until I'm dead or someone else sits on the throne. There will always be another war. In two hundred years, we might be under Chinese rule. Or maybe Britannia will conquer the world and fracture through a civil war. Worrying about what could be isn't going to do me any good. I'll deal with it when I can. Or do you treat patients before they show symptoms?"
"It's called preventive care," Naoto said dryly.
"Yet some of them still get sick." Brian exhaled slowly and the smoke curled through the deadly still air. "I gotta go. Worry less. It's not good for your health, doc."
Naoto sighed. He would cease worrying if the situation allowed it. But Kallen was in trouble and refusing to talk to him again. They had just blackmailed a child into piloting for them. And Lelouch knew way too much for anyone's comfort.
Dialing Frederick's number, Naoto hoped he was still awake despite the late hour.
"Hello?" Frederick asked cautiously.
"Hey, it's Nathan. A patient of mine saw someone matching Lelouch's description tonight."
"Where?" Something clanged, and Frederick cursed quietly.
"He was near the ghettos... and Frederick? You can't let him come back. Tensions are running high there, A soldier is too tempting of a target."
"Yeah, I'll be keeping a better eye on him... Nathan-Naoto. Thank you."
Naoto grinned at the use of his real name. "No, thank you. I really needed a break from work anyway."
"Um... Did your patient say what Lelouch was doing?" Frederick asked.
"Playing video games, I think." Naoto frowned. Why had Lelouch risked everything to meet Kururugi? And then, both of them had done nothing.
"Okay..." Frederick clearly didn't believe him. "You don't need to tell me. Plausible deniability and everything. But he's fine, right? Things would've turned ugly if he actually disappeared, so thank you. Really."
"It was the right thing to do," Naoto said, which was really becoming a problem. Life would be so much easier otherwise.
"Wait... That's Lelouch. I gotta go. Tell your patient that there's a weapon search on Thursday. I owe you."
The call ended, and Naoto stared at the phone blankly. Groaning, he turned around to inform Ban. Ohgi and his friends could handle it the good old fashioned way.
Worldbuilding & Character Thoughts:
- Japanese knives are generally sharper and harder than their European counterparts, but it also makes the knives more brittle so you can't use them as harshly. For fish and meat, there's a Sogi-giri cutting technique which uses an angle to maximize surface area and is what Lelouch used. This is perhaps the most random rabbit hole I've gone down.
- Suzaku and Kaguya's design is a little odd as green eyes are very uncommon in Japan, and so is Suzaku's brown hair (some Japanese schools ban brown hair which is why anime tend to have their "rebellious" protagonist with non-traditional hair). Of course this is an anime where blue hair is normal, but Britannian characters seem to be more often blond, and most Japanese characters have darker shades. Anyway, this leads to a personal headcanon where Suzaku can pass as a Britannian, at least from a distance, if he wanted to. This unfortunately makes him somewhat of an outcast among the Japanese since he gets better treatment. It might also be a factor as to why he thinks it's possible for Britannia to change in canon because he was always treated well if he obeyed.
- Suzaku and Lelouch are absolute idiots at the beginning of r1. Suzaku accepts going out in the Lancelot in an attempt to save/rescue Lelouch, and then at school, attempts to keep his distance to not cause Lelouch any trouble. Lelouch meanwhile decides that falling off a roof and counting on Suzaku to save him is a perfectly acceptable plan. On my first watch through, this led me to conclude that Lelouch and Suzaku basically adopted each, and I haven't changed my interpretation since. I know there's plenty of evidence to support numerous other interpretations of their relationship, but that's part of the fun of Code Geass.
Author's Note:
This chapter was egregiously long, but I hope everyone enjoyed it. It's very cathartic to finally post Lelouch and Suzaku's reunion because that scene was in my mind forever.
Screwed up on a date btw in ch. 15. I said 2014 when I ment 2013. That has been fixed. Oops.
Chat with me on the discord: discord . gg / uSBegVj
Thank you x1tears1X and Spaded Ace18 on FFN and dark for your help with betaing.