Yay! Longer chapter! (18 pages single-spaced and over 10,000 words.) And I got it up before the end of February. That's the good news anyway.
Bakura: and the bad news?
Why must you assume there's bad news?
Lelouch: when someone says something along the lines of what you just said then bad news almost always follows.
...Okay, you got me there. The bad news is the next update isn't until near the middle of March.
Suzaku: wait, and this chapter's the one with the…
Yup. Now if you will excuse me, I have a bomb shelter to go hide in before the Suzaku fans come (darts into bomb shelter and quickly slams door shut and locks it)
Suzaku: …I suppose I will handle thanking the reviewers. (Pulls out piece of paper) Blaze would like to thank harlequin320, chimera629, F.C.C.S, Guest, nicfoto5, Demons Anarchy of Pride, Shadow-Shinobi666, B-Kira, Scarease, ZeroUnleashed, OBSERVER01, Doommajor, DynoJackal19, god of all, and Shimmering-Sky for reviewing the last chapter.
Guest: It will not be Lelouch who deals Tara the punishment that she deserves (at least, not entirely) and Nunnally will not die. I will not say anything more but Nunnally will not die. Thank you for your review
Lelouch: so here is chapter 19. As usual, reviews are much appreciated.
Update (February 28, 2017): Due to a mistake that makes Suzaku out of character, I have changed a little bit of the ending to bring Suzaku back in character. This is what happens when I write a chapter at three in the morning, and then edit said chapter at three in the morning.
. . .
. . .
October 22, 2013
Dr. Aimee's Office, Island of Olkhon, Europia United
Unity made his way down the pristine white corridor toward the office of Dr. Aimee and walked into it. Aimee was scribbling on a piece of paper, occasionally pausing to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose or glancing at the computer screen. "Dr. Aimee," he greeted her.
"Unity," Aimee replied without glancing up from the paper she was scribbling on. "You came at a bad time. I think I may have gotten a breakthrough."
"On what exactly?"
"Project Evergreen."
Unity raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You think that you've figured out how to counter the lethal side-effects?" he asked.
Aimee finally looked up from her paper. "Well, no, not yet," she said, "but I believe I have figured out the chemical composition needed to ensure that the drug does what we want it to do rather than doing nothing but killing the person it's used on."
"It would be pointless if the drug still kills the person it's used on. We need the one's we use it on to be complacent and unable to fight back, not dead," Unity said.
"I know that, Unity, but something about the formula is throwing all my calculations off," Aimee said with a frown as she glared at the paper. "I'm missing something but I haven't figured out what it is I'm missing. I'll figure it out but it's going to take some time. Now was there something you needed?"
"Simply an update on the Lupus," Unity said since Alexei had sent the schematics to Aimee.
Aimee nodded and pushed aside the paper she was scribbling on before turning to her computer, running her fingers across the keyboard and pulling up a schematic on the screen. "Alexei sent this to me about an hour ago. He believes he may have worked out the bugs that are affecting the mass-production of the Lupus."
"Send it to my computer directly and I'll look at it there," Unity said.
"Will do," Aimee said and did just that before she returned to her paper, scowling at it.
"Perhaps I should find someone to help you figure this out," Unity suggested, knowing how Aimee got when she was frustrated. The last thing he wanted to do was pay for a replacement computer because Aimee got so frustrated that she threw hers through a window again; those things weren't cheap to replace.
"Maybe a new set of eyes would help," Aimee said.
"I'll see what I can do," Unity said and turned before walking out of the office.
. . .
19
Infiltration
July 10, 2016
Hidden Laboratory, Island of Olkhon, Europia United
Dr. Aimee studied the test subject intently, jotting down notes on her tablet as she walked around the dazed individual that was seated cross-legged on the medical bed in front of her, his eyes dilated and his arms resting limply on his legs. "Subject able to remain upright for half an hour after injection and no sign of fatigue or pain but subject is content and quiet," she murmured, writing that information down.
The subject shivered as if cold and lied down, resting his head on the pillow, his eyes taking on a sleepy look before they drifted closed and he slipped into unconsciousness.
"Subject remained conscious for thirty two minutes and five seconds," Aimee murmured, writing that down as well. "Still no sign of pain."
She put her tablet down and moved over to the subject, picking up his wrist and feeling for a pulse, counting the number of heartbeats. "Heart rate: 80 beats per minute, average resting heart rate."
She went back to running a few tests on the subject before concluding, "No physical signs of a comatose state of mind," and wrote that down on her tablet as well.
"How's the testing going?" Unity asked as he stepped into the lab.
Aimee turned to him. "Everything is looking as though it's working. There is no sign, as of right now, of any crucial side effects other than unconsciousness," she said.
"And the antidote?" Unity asked.
"Leads to a loss of consciousness soon after it is administered if it is administered before the subject lost consciousness due to the drug itself. I theorize that the antidote speeds along the side effect of lost consciousness while it is cleansing the drug from the subject's system. Therefore when the subject enters a state of unconsciousness due to the drug itself, it means the subject's immune system is attempting to expunge the drug from the body."
"Anything else?" Unity asked.
"At the moment no. I will let you know if I discover anything else. Is Cherry going to be using Evergreen during her mission to capture the prince?"
"Yes," Unity said. "You did say that it could be used on humans without causing them to die."
"I know and nothing has happened to disprove my conclusion. However, I suggest informing her of what I found out about what the antidote does as well as how long it will take for the human injected with the drug to fall unconscious," Aimee said, moving over to her computer and connecting her tablet to it. She quickly uploaded the information she'd just discovered into the computer before sending it to Unity's computer. "I've sent a copy of my results to your computer so that you may send it to her yourself."
Unity nodded.
"Also, I've been in contact with Alexei. He says that he's coming here and wants to show you the new frame that he just finished building," Aimee said.
"What time did he say he would arrive?"
"Noon tomorrow."
Unity frowned but nodded. "I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Aimee," he said and left the laboratory.
. . .
Medical Transport, Osaka Settlement
Lila walked over to the injured soldier and knelt down beside the cot on which he was seated. She gently began to unwrap the bandages around the wound on the soldier's shoulder and noted that it didn't seem to be bleeding anymore and the stitches hadn't come out.
"The stitches haven't come out so that's good," she said and stood up before walking across the floor to the sink and wetting a paper towel. She walked back and gently dabbed the wound, causing the soldier to wince, before putting the paper towel down and began wrapping the wound in a clean set of bandages.
"Thank you," the soldier said and stood up before leaving the transport.
"You're good at this," Tadashi noted as Lila stood up and stretched, covering her hand over her mouth as she yawned. It was already dark outside, only about half an hour before midnight, but there were still more patients to review before she could go to sleep.
"Yes, you are. Have you considered going into the medical field after you've served your term in the military?" the head medic, a tall, brown-haired woman named Laura, asked as she walked over to join Lila.
"I've thought about it but I would much rather remain in the military. Perhaps I would go and then return to the military as an actual military physician but that won't be for a few years," Lila said. She smiled a little and added, "Even if I did go into the medical field, Mother probably wouldn't be happy if I told her that I would still be part of the military." She sighed; her mother still didn't like that she was in the military. When Lila had last spoken to her mother on the phone, a few days ago, her mother had told her that much and actually begged her to leave and come home. Lila had refused, insisting that she was committed and would not abandon her duties.
"Well, either way, thank you for helping out," Laura said with a smile.
"Thank you for letting me help out," Lila said.
"We can use all the help we can get. We have a score of wounded that we still need to watch to ensure they don't reopen their injuries," Laura admitted. "I've petitioned Prince Lelouch to ask for more medical personnel though and he said that he would request additional medical support from General Andon but I know it's going to take a while for it to get done."
"Hopefully before the next battle," Laura's assistant, a mousy girl only a few years older than Lila with long auburn hair named Hanna, said as she moved to Laura's side. "Though we do appreciate your help, Lila."
"I am happy to help," Lila said.
Two more soldiers walked into the transport and Tadashi stepped aside to get out of their way as Hanna guided one to a cot and Lila guided the other one to the cot that was just vacated. Both of them set to work checking on the injury, making sure that they hadn't been reopened, and then replacing the bandages with fresh ones before sending them on their way.
Lila yawned again as more soldiers came in. Laura insisted that all the soldiers who were injured check in at least once a week to ensure that their injuries were healing or hadn't reopened; the more critically injured were in the hospitals of Osaka under the care of the doctors there. But that meant a lot were coming in, though Lila had lost count of how many had come since that morning.
"Here, let me help," Tadashi offered, coming to Lila's side when she unwound the bandages of one of the soldier's injuries.
"Do you not have your own duties to take care of?" Lila asked with a frown at Tadashi.
"Technically speaking, this ain't part of your duties either," Tadashi said with a shrug and a grin before he added, "Besides, my patrol ain't for another hour."
Lila pursed her lips but nodded and handed the bloody bandages to Tadashi, ordering him to dispose of them and come back with a wet paper towel when he was done. He did so and Lila gently dabbed the wet paper towel against the soldier's injury.
"I still don't see why Prince Lelouch let two Honorary Britannians join this regiment," the soldier Lila was working on murmured.
His companion, whom Hanna was helping, nodded in agreement. "Or the women. At least these women know their place," he said.
Lila grounded her teeth together and may have dabbed the soldier she was working on a bit too hard, causing him to hiss in pain. "I'm sorry," Lila said, not really meaning it as she went back to wrapping the wound.
Tadashi seemed like he wanted to say something but bit his tongue.
Lila finished with the soldier and Hanna finished with his companion before Laura reminded them to check in with the medics in a week and they left. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with any more sexism after I graduated basic training, she thought she handed the rolls of bandages she hadn't used to Tadashi with orders to put them back in the cabinet.
. . .
Outside, Osaka Settlement
…I am working for the Research and Technology Development Department and it isn't that easy but I enjoy it, much more than I would on the frontlines. I suspect you would rather be on the frontlines but, considering how smart you are, and a fast learner and damn good pilot, I suspect that you would do well on the frontlines.
I hope that you write back. I know that you haven't to the last few letters I've sent but I do hope that you respond to this one. I do care about you, Kayden, and I understand that Mom and Dad should never have treated you as they have. It was wrong of them and it was wrong of me, Gretchen, and Parker to do nothing on our part. I see what a huge mistake I made by following our parents example and I'm sorry.
Please write back. Perhaps we can meet up so that we can discuss this more in person. At the very least, will you please write back to let me know that you and Rayne are all right?
Love,
Matthias
Kay put the letter from his oldest brother on the ground, staring at it for a long moment. He had received the letter during basic training but hadn't bothered on opening it until recently; he didn't know why he decided to open it now though but, then, he still didn't know why he kept the letter to begin with.
It was hard reading the letter from Matthias and not knowing if he was being sincere or not since it was practically impossible to figure that out in a letter. While the letter felt sincere, Kay just couldn't bring himself to believe that it was. Perhaps it was because he had come to believe that no one but his sister cared about him and had held on to that belief since the day his parents had called him 'worthless'.
Matthias seemed concerned about him though. That last request was for Kay to write back simply to let him know that he and Rayne were all right and Kay wondered if he should do that. He was sure Matthias already knew though, since he had no doubt that Gretchen or Parker had already contacted him with the news, so maybe he didn't have to do it.
"Hey, Kay, what's up?" Rayne said, sitting down beside Kay on the stone steps leading to City Hall.
He picked it and folded it up and tucked it back into the pocket of his uniform. "Nothing. Do we have orders?" he asked.
"Not for right now. Margrave Gottwald wants us to join him and Major Nu on watch duty at midnight," Rayne said. That was about two hours away. "So what was that letter you were reading about?"
"Nothing important." Kay knew that Rayne's resentment towards their family was a lot stronger than his and she wouldn't react too favorably to him considering writing back to Matthias.
"Do you got yourself a girlfriend and didn't tell me?" His twin said.
Kay sputtered, going red. "W…Where did that come from?" he exclaimed.
Rayne giggled. "You should see your face," she said. "But, seriously, why else would ya be so secretive?"
"I'm not being secretive. It wasn't an important letter," Kay insisted.
"Well, if it's not important, let me see it," Rayne said.
"No…"
"Why not?"
Kay couldn't give her a good reason.
"Well, if you can't give me a good reason," Rayne tackled him suddenly and began digging through his pockets for the letter.
"Rayne! Get off me!" Kay exclaimed, pushing at his taller, but younger, twin but Rayne was heavier than him—not that he would ever say that out loud. He shuddered at the thought of what his twin would do to him if he ever did—and was able to keep him pinned. With a cry of triumph, she pulled out the letter.
"Got it," she said happily.
Kay cringed, knowing she wasn't going to be happy once she realized who it was from.
Sure enough, after quickly scanning the letter, Rayne's happy expression changed to one of shock and anger and she scowled. "Him! Why the hell would he write to you? He never gave a damn before!" she exclaimed.
"He's just concerned…" Kay began.
"Bull fucking shit! He never cared about us when we were growing up, why the hell would he suddenly start caring now?!" Rayne shouted, throwing the letter down and glaring at it as if trying to set it on fire with her eyes. She turned to him and added, "Are you going to write back?"
Kay, sitting up, reached for the letter and folded it back up. "…I was considering it," he admitted finally. "But I'm sure he already knows that we're all right 'cause of Gretchen and Parker.
"Why would you even consider writing back to that bastard?! It's not like he ever did anything for us! He cared about us as much as Mom and Dad did!" Rayne exclaimed.
"C…Calm down, Rayne," Kay said, noticing that they were gaining the attention of the soldiers that were within earshot.
"Is everything okay over here?" Gretchen asked, walking over to join them as she was among the soldiers who could hear Rayne's shouting.
"Like you give a damn, you bitch!" Rayne shouted, whirling around to glare at her elder sister.
Gretchen cringed and then her eyes hardened. "That is not the way to talk to your commanding officer," she said firmly, though Kay could hear the hurt in her voice.
"You ain't my commanding officer! That's Lelouch and he ain't here."
"I am of higher rank than…"
"I don't give a damn who the hell you are, bitch."
"Rayne! Please, calm down!" Kay exclaimed hurriedly, scrambling to his feet and attempting to calm his twin down before she continued to give those of higher rank more and more reasons to have her demoted or worse.
Rayne wasn't listening to him though and continued to shout at Gretchen. It was clear that all her resentment toward their older siblings and their parents was spilling out of her the instant she realized Matthias was writing to Kay.
"…you pretend that you care but you don't give a damn about us! Not you, not Parker, not Matthias, and certainly not our parents! They never have and they never will. We're just worthless in their eyes, worthless mistakes and I know that you, Parker, and Matthias feel the same way! Don't you dare try to deny it! I know that's how you feel because you never cared before and…"
"What is going on here?" Lelouch's cool voice cut through Rayne's ranting and Kay quickly whirled around and stood at attention, fist crossed over his heart when Lelouch walked over to join them with Jeremiah just behind him. Gretchen quickly stood at attention as well and Rayne, once she realized just who had interrupted her, followed suit.
Lelouch didn't look happy. In fact, his amethyst eyes were burning with cool fury but his voice was carefully controlled as he said, "I had come to check on how my troops were doing only to come across yet another family squabble. Now, I repeat, what is going on here?"
Rayne gritted her teeth together while Gretchen looked away.
Kay finally took it upon himself to explain. "I apologize, Your Highness," he said softly. "Rayne just gets very outspoken and angry due to personal reasons when it comes to our family. She…found out something that she didn't like and just lost her temper and lashed out."
"Thank you, Major Frost," Lelouch said and turned his gaze to Rayne and Gretchen. "The military is not the place for family squabbles such as this. This is not the sort of behavior I would expect of my troops. If you two cannot learn to, at the very least, tolerate each other then you two run the risk of jeopardizing any missions that we are given. I have already told you this."
"I apologize, Your Highness," Gretchen said with a slight bow, "though I did not start this quarrel."
"Oh, of course you'd put the blame on someone else, you…" Rayne began.
"Lieutenant Frost, I sincerely suggest you do not finish that statement," Lelouch interrupted.
Rayne cringed and bowed. "I apologize, Your Highness," she said, sounding chastised. "I wasn't thinking. I won't let it happen again."
Lelouch continued to gaze at her for a long moment. "See that you don't, Lieutenant," he said. "You won't get another chance from me."
Rayne cringed again, lowering her eyes. Even though they were friends, it was clear that Lelouch was taking his role as their commander seriously; he wasn't going to do anything to show favoritism, even if it meant demoting one of his friends or having them transferred. If the situation between Rayne and Gretchen turned violent, which, considering Rayne's temper, could very well happen, then Lelouch would be well within his right to have them court martialed.
"I understand, Your Highness," Rayne murmured.
Lelouch inclined his head and walked past Gretchen and Rayne, clearly to inspect his troops as was his original intention.
Kay glanced at Rayne and shook his head in disappointment. "I've always told you that you need to learn how to control that temper, Rayne," he said softly.
Rayne glared but said nothing.
. . .
July 11, 2016
Outside an Abandoned Hotel, Osaka Settlement
It was after midnight but Dimitri wasn't asleep, like almost everyone else was. Ever since he found the breach in the security system that allowed the Crimson Sakuras to storm City Hall without anyone noticing, he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on it to ensure it didn't happen again. Of course, he did have the help of the security team stationed in City Hall. He wasn't doing it alone.
He was the only one that was working on it outside of the security room though and that was only because he wanted to test it, to see if he could get past the security system from a different computer and not in the same vicinity as the security room. That was why he was on the steps of an abandoned hotel in the settlement; everyone else was either on watch duty at the other end of the settlement or asleep. It was raining but the stone steps and the canopy above his head prevented him from getting wet.
He thought that if he could get into the system using a remote computer then that was likely how the Crimson Sakuras got past the security system; they possibly had a talented hacker on their side.
It was about ten minutes after midnight when the entire security system suddenly shut down. Dimitri frowned and picked up his phone, dialing the head of the security team's number. "What happened?" he asked as soon as they answered.
"We're not entirely sure. We thought that was you," the head, Myron, said.
"It wasn't me. Someone must have hacked into the system remotely," Dimitri said.
"That's what we think too. We're trying to get the system…wait, who are…?" A gunshot sounded over the phone and then nothing.
Dimitri frowned. That's not good, he thought and returned his attention to the laptop. The security system was still off, he noticed, but he began running his fingers across the keyboard in an attempt to get the system back on. Unfortunately, he found himself kicked out of the system before he could do anything.
He gritted his teeth and quickly hacked into the surveillance system, bypassing firewalls and eventually getting eyes on the security room itself. He noticed that everyone seemed to be knocked out, laying slumped over their computers while Myron was on the floor right beneath one of the video cameras, blood pooling around him. The only person who was up was a tall, black-haired man who had taken a seat at a computer one of the video cameras was focusing on.
A moment later, the screens erupted into static and then went black.
Dimitri's jaw clenched. Something wasn't right but what?
He pulled out his phone, intending on contacting Prince Lelouch and warning him that the security system was down, when he heard someone behind him. However, before he could turn around, he felt a searing pain in the back of his head and that was it.
. . .
Governor's Office, City Hall, Osaka Settlement
Yawning, Lelouch rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and glanced at the time, noting that it was only fifteen minutes past midnight. "Should probably put this away and get some sleep," Lelouch mused, glancing at the paper that he had been reading and yawned again. "I doubt I'm going to remember anything else I read in the morning."
He tucked the paper back into its folder and slipped the folder into a drawer in the desk where he kept the important papers for the time being. When General Andon showed up and he was given his next mission, he would transfer everything to the G-1. Yawning again, Lelouch stood up and stretched.
However, that was when he noticed the faint odor that was in the air. He blinked at the sweet-smelling odor and his eyes widened because he recognized it, mostly from basic training: chloroform.
He suddenly felt sleepy but pushed aside the feeling. His legs trembled and he gripped the edge of his desk when he noticed that, while it smelled like chloroform, he didn't remember that particular gas affecting his ability to walk. What is it? He decided that it didn't matter what it was; it was obviously affecting him badly and he couldn't seem to move his limbs accordingly.
His eyelids grew heavy but Lelouch forced himself to pull out his phone. He needed to call for help and, preferably, before he passed out. He dialed the first number that he could think of as he struggled to remain on his feet.
The call was picked up on the first ring.
"Lelouch, is everything okay?" Suzaku's voice asked.
"S…Suzaku…" Lelouch stammered out, feeling incredibly tired and unable to remain upright anymore. "H…Help."
"Lelouch, what's going on? What happened?" Suzaku demanded quickly.
"D…Don't know…Gas of…sorts. Can't…move…very…well. Feeling…really…tired…too," Lelouch mumbled, slumping to the ground and then proceeded to pass out before he could hear Suzaku's response.
. . .
A.S.E.E.C.'s Base, Osaka Settlement
Suzaku knew something was wrong the instant he received a call about fifteen minutes after midnight from a tired sounding Lelouch who was actually asking for help. He knew Lelouch; he knew that the prince rarely, if ever, asked for help due to his own pride. He never did during the invasion, to the point that Suzaku had to offer his help whenever he became too tired to carry Nunnally, and he just didn't seem like the person to suddenly ask for it.
And the way he sounded. It was obvious that he wasn't very coherent when he called Suzaku; as it was, Suzaku was only just barely able to make out what Lelouch told him before he fell silent. He couldn't hear the prince anymore but knew that something was wrong; he had heard him fall to the ground soon after he said that he was feeling really tired.
Just what is going on? He thought concerned.
Suddenly, new voices sounded on the other end.
"Is he unconscious?" A female voice said.
"Yes, ma'am, he is," a male voice said.
"Good, Sand. Take him and let's get out of here," the female voice said.
Suzaku's eyes went wide.
"Look, there's a phone here. He must have tried to call for help," another voice said.
Suzaku quickly hung up, not wanting them to know just who Lelouch had called, and scrambled out of bed. Lelouch was in trouble and everyone was either asleep or on watch duty; Suzaku knew that he didn't have time to get back-up. These infiltrators were kidnapping Lelouch right now and Suzaku was the only one who knew it.
His jaw clenched. He wasn't about to let these infiltrators capture Lelouch without doing something about it. Lelouch was his best friend and, even though they had been separated for six years, Suzaku still cared for him. After everything they had endured and survived during the invasion, they had grown close and Suzaku knew that he would always protect Lelouch. He did so during the invasion and he would do so now.
Changing swiftly, though that was little more than throwing on his jacket since it was raining outside again, Suzaku darted out of the A.S.E.E.C's base and headed straight for City Hall.
. . .
City Hall, Osaka Settlement
As soon as he reached the City Hall, almost completely soaked through due to the rain, Suzaku darted into the entrance hall and gazed around, noting that the soldiers that were within the hall were lying slumped on the ground. He moved over to kneel beside one of them and checking his pulse; he felt it, though it was slow as if the man was asleep. Biting his lip, he shifted the man into a better position and, hesitating for a moment, borrowed the soldier's gun; he might need it.
He darted off, heading toward the staircase, though not without checking a few more soldiers lying unconscious on the ground. Just what happened here? Suzaku thought with a frown as he darted up the steps, taking them two at a time, with the handgun, safety on, held at the ready just in case he ran into someone.
He reached the second floor and headed toward the second set of stairs, since he knew Lelouch's office was on the fourth floor, and darted up them before doing the same to get onto the fourth floor. So far, he hadn't run into anyone and Suzaku started to worry that they were already gone until he heard voices coming from nearby.
He darted into the nearest room he could find and crouched down beside the door, peering out through the crack he'd kept open. He spotted a group of six people appearing in the mouth of the hall; one of them was carrying an unconscious Lelouch in his arms. That must be the Sand person that Suzaku heard mentioned on the phone.
"...having the Elemental Squad meet us on the first floor," the black-haired woman in the lead said, glancing at her companions. "Now that Lightning's confirmed the escape route and that there's no one to stop us, let's get moving."
Suzaku gritted his teeth. He was badly outnumbered and they were all carrying guns. Even if he could shoot one of them, he'd probably end up getting shot before he could fire off another shot. But if he struck quickly enough, he might be able to get to Lelouch and get him out of there before they could react.
Lelouch started stirring at that moment, eyes fluttering open, and the black-haired woman scowled. "Damn, I was hoping the gas would last a bit longer. It must not have been as strong as what we used on the rest of this place," she said and, holstering the gun in her hand, pulled out a syringe filled with a pale-green liquid. She uncapped it and inserted it into Lelouch's neck before the prince could say anything. Amethyst eyes widened before they dilated and Lelouch sagged bonelessly back into Sand's arms.
What did they do? What is that? Suzaku thought.
"How long do we have?" Lightning asked.
"A little over half an hour before he falls unconscious but that's plenty of time to get him out of here and secure him, then I'll give him the antidote," the black-haired woman said, tucking the syringe away.
"You have it on you?"
The black-haired woman gave Lightning a look as if to say 'are you stupid?' "Of course I have it, moron," she huffed. "Let's get moving."
Suzaku had to act quickly. He gritted his teeth and darted out of the room, jumping at the nearest men and crashing a spin kick into his face. He whirled around and fired his gun at the second man before ducking and tackling the third man into the wall.
"I thought you said there wasn't anyone in here?!" the black-haired woman exclaimed, pulling out her gun but Suzaku dove behind the man holding Lelouch before she could fire. He then fired at the man's kneecap, causing him to shout in pain as he collapsed, letting go of Lelouch as he did so. Suzaku knelt down and fired at the black-haired woman and Lightning, forcing them to dive into a nearby room to avoid the bullets.
Still firing, Suzaku got to his feet and darted forward. He holstered his gun and lifted Lelouch into his arms. Darting back toward Lelouch's office, he dived into the hallway to avoid the hail of bullets that flew at him.
Scrambling to his feet, Suzaku darted off again, running into a room and throwing the door closed behind him. He locked it and glanced at his friend to find Lelouch looking completely out of it; his eyes were dilated and he obviously wasn't coherent. Placing his friend on the ground, Suzaku crouched by the door and pressed his ear against it.
"…did that damn boy go?" the black-haired woman's voice said.
"He came down here. That much is clear. He must've hidden out in one of these rooms. What do we do, Cherry?" Sand's voice said.
"The boss wants the prince. When we find them, kill the boy and take the prince. Find them now."
"Yes, ma'am."
Suzaku gritted his teeth and scanned the room he'd entered. He noticed that it was a reception room and there was another door leading out of it. He picked up Lelouch again and darted for the door, opening it and peering into it. There was another door that would take him into the hallway but, for now, it would do.
Slipping into the room, he closed the door, locking it behind him, and placing Lelouch down again. He peered at his friend but it was clear that Lelouch didn't seem aware of very much of anything. He waved a hand in front of his friend but the prince just blinked and said nothing, looking completely relaxed and content.
That drug works quickly, Suzaku thought with a frown and shifted over to the door, pressing his ear against it to see if the infiltrators had entered the room he'd just left.
. . .
Outside the Abandoned Hotel, Osaka Settlement
Clutching at his head, which was throbbing painfully, Dimitri slowly pulled himself out of unconsciousness and blinked, gazing around. He was lying on the steps of the hotel with his laptop, surprisingly undamaged, laying open next to him; it had restarted at some point, revealing the logon screen.
How long have I been out? Dimitri thought as he picked up the laptop, using his shirt to wipe the water off and pulling it back onto his lap. He was glad that it hadn't been damaged when it fell or by the rain.
Now what was I…? Right, Prince Lelouch. Dimitri picked up where his phone had landed on the stone next to him and dialed the prince's number. Unfortunately, it went straight to voicemail. Frowning to himself, Dimitri tucked the phone away and, closing his laptop, got to his feet.
Something wasn't right and, since someone had kicked him out of the surveillance system, the only way that he would be able to figure out what was happening was if he returned to the security room.
Without a word, he darted off to the City Hall.
. . .
City Hall, Osaka Settlement
"Where is that damn boy?" Naora demanded, glaring at her companions. She was down to four with her since Sand was unable to do much with a shot-out kneecap and Storm remained with him to help him. The Elemental Squad was split up and stationed on the second and third floor as per Naora's orders; they would serve to cut the boy off should he try to escape with the prince.
"We don't know, Cherry," Lightning said. "He's in one of these rooms."
"Then look through all of them!"
"Yes, ma'am."
Naora scowled as she watched the group split up and head toward the separate rooms, entering them and looking for the Japanese boy and the prince. She pressed her lips together as she strode forward, her hands on her gun. There were a few conference rooms and reception rooms on the fourth floor and, for four people, it would take time to search them all.
She walked into a room and began looking around at all possible hiding places for the boy and the prince.
. . .
Meanwhile, in the room next to where Naora was searching, Suzaku cracked the main door open and peered out into the hallway. When he saw that it was empty for the moment, he moved to pick Lelouch up and darted into the hallway. Instead of heading back the way he'd come, he decided to take the roundabout away.
He rounded the corner and darted down the hallway. If only I had a map of this place, he thought as he ran.
. . .
In the security room, Dimitri slipped into it and tackled the only person that was in the room, sending him tumbling to the ground. The terrorist whirled around and slammed a kick into Dimitri's stomach, throwing him off him. Dimitri crashed into the table but he scrambled to his feet and dove toward the terrorist, slamming a fist into the man's face, feeling a crunch. He then yanked out the terrorist's gun and fired, catching the terrorist in the side and he fell to the ground.
Dimitri fired again to ensure that the terrorist wouldn't get up before moving to the computer, putting the gun down; that was the first time that he had ever shot someone and he was trying hard to push aside the nausea. He doubted that this would be the last time. However, the prince was in danger at the moment and if Dimitri could help him then he would, since that was the right thing to do. Thinking about that helped him get his mind off what he just did.
He logged onto the computer and immediately got into the surveillance system and began searching for the infiltrators and for the prince. He checked the prince's office first and then began looking at the halls and rooms of the fourth floor, pausing when he caught sight of a familiar brunet.
Suzaku? He thought, noting that Suzaku had disappeared into a room, carrying someone. He switched his view to the camera in that room and recognized the person that Suzaku was carrying as Prince Lelouch.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Suzaku's number, hoping that the phone was on vibrate so that it wouldn't alert the terrorists. Thankfully, that didn't seem the case as Suzaku suddenly pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.
"Now's not really a good time, Dimitri," he whispered.
"I have eyes on you, Suzaku," Dimitri said. "I'm in the security room. What has happened to His Highness and what is going on?"
Suzaku shifted on the screen. "I'm not entirely sure. Prince Lelouch was drugged with something and, according to those terrorists, they have the antidote. And I'm being chased by four terrorists at the moment. I don't think they know where I am right now though," he said.
Dimitri pulled up the surveillance footage of the hallway leading to the room Suzaku was in and noticed that the four terrorists were there, still looking through the rooms. "They're looking through all the rooms. You might want to get out of there quickly," he said.
"There's no other door. If I leave now, they'll shoot me and get Lelouch," Suzaku said.
"Why are they after him?"
"I don't know."
Dimitri scanned the hall, noting that the men were getting closer. "I could hack into the system and turn off the lights. That'll give you a few seconds to get clear before they bring out any backup lights that they may have on them. And the lights will likely only stay off for a few minutes at most," he said.
"All right. I should be able to put some distance between us in that time, might even get down to the third floor," Suzaku said.
"Let me check on the third floor. Something tells me that these guys have back-up. It would make sense, since it would mean that they would have someone to make sure no one can interfere," Dimitri said, running his fingers across the keyboard and pulling up the surveillance footage of the third floor, pressing his lips together.
"I was right," he said. "There're three terrorists on the third floor, stationed by the stairs." He pulled up the surveillance footage for the second floor and noted that the same thing was going on there and repeated that to Suzaku.
"I'm badly outnumbered then and I can't really fight that well with Lelouch in the condition he's in. He's so out of it that he can't even walk. Whatever that drug did to him wasn't good at all."
Dimitri bit his lip. "I'm going to try and get some help," he said.
"Everyone in City Hall was knocked out as far as I could see," Suzaku said.
Dimitri pressed his lips together. When he last checked, the only ones who were likely still awake were Lila and Tadashi, who were helping out in the medical transport last Dimitri saw, and the current four on watch duty. It wouldn't even the odds too much but it would help anyway.
"I'll get some back-up for you, Suzaku. For now, just…take care of yourself and His Highness," Dimitri said.
"I will."
Dimitri ran his fingers across the keyboard, shutting off the lights on the fourth floor and then getting to his feet. He didn't have much time to get help for the prince.
. . .
Back on the fourth floor, in the reception room, Suzaku waited until the lights went out before he, lifting Lelouch up, darted out of the room and down the hallway. He would have to find a place to hide out until he could figure out a way to overcome the three that were stationed at the base of the stairs on the third floor. With Lelouch, he couldn't do much; his friend may still be pretty light, despite having gained some muscle during basic training, but that didn't mean that Suzaku could fight with him.
But, he realized, he should also get the antidote to whatever that drug was. He didn't know of what would happen should the antidote not be administered but he didn't want to chance something bad happening.
I need to get Lelouch someplace safe before I can think of going after the antidote and I don't know how long it's gonna take Dimitri to get help, Suzaku thought, pressing his lips together as he gazed around until he darted into another room. This one was a conference room that had an extra door; closing the door he had just entered and locking it, Suzaku made his way into the adjacent room, noting that it had two doors as well.
He gently placed Lelouch on the ground and walked over to the main door before locking it and then back to where he'd placed the prince. "Lelouch?" he called softly.
Lelouch blinked at him. It was obvious he could hear him but didn't seem coherent enough to acknowledge that he had.
"I'm going to be right back. I'm going to go get that antidote for whatever they drugged you with. Just…be quiet," Suzaku murmured.
Lelouch blinked and Suzaku wondered if his friend had even understood him. He didn't have a choice; he had no idea of what would happen should the antidote not be administered and was not about to chance losing his best friend. He carried Lelouch over to the desk in the room and placed him under it as an extra precaution.
"I'll be back," he whispered and darted out of the office and into the conference room, locking the door behind him. He headed toward the door, slowly cracking it open and peering into the hallway, noting that the lights had turned back on and the terrorists were searching the rooms down the hall.
The black-haired woman was nearing the room and Suzaku pressed his lips together as he remembered that she was the one with the antidote. She shouted over her shoulder, "I'm checking this room," and headed for the door.
Suzaku pressed himself against the wall next to the door and watched as the woman made her way into the room before he launched himself at her, kicking the door closed and landing a kick to the back of her head, knocking her forward. She slammed her head into the conference table and slumped unconscious to the ground. He really didn't like hitting women but knew that he would never get the antidote otherwise.
He quickly searched her until he found the only other syringe she had on her person, a syringe that was filled with a sky blue liquid. I hope this is it, he thought since he didn't want to accidentally kill his best friend.
Tucking the capped syringe away, Suzaku got up and darted back to the room where he'd left Lelouch. Unlocking the door, he slipped into it and closed the door quietly behind him. Pulling the chair behind the desk, he moved it to beneath the door to hold it in place for a few seconds and then crouched beside Lelouch.
Lelouch blinked at him sleepily and Suzaku gave him a small smile as he removed the syringe. I hope that woman wasn't lying about this antidote, he thought as he uncapped the syringe and inserted it into Lelouch's neck. After injecting the antidote, Suzaku capped the syringe and tossed it away as Lelouch blinked. A few moments later, his eyes closed and he slumped unconscious against Suzaku.
Suzaku quickly checked his pulse and was relieved when he felt it before he lifted the prince into his arms and darted toward the door. His phone vibrated and he, shifting his grip on Lelouch, pulled it out and flipped it open. "Hello?" he said.
"Suzaku, how are you doing?" Dimitri's voice asked.
"I've given Lelouch the antidote to that drug but he's unconscious now. I also knocked out one of the people chasing me but the others, no doubt, will not be far behind," Suzaku reported as he fitted his phone around his ear and peered out the room. The hallway was still empty so Suzaku figured that the others were still looking through the other rooms.
"All right. I have a lock on your position. There's two ways you can go from where you are, right?"
Suzaku peered out the door again, noticing that there was a hallway in front of him. "Yeah," he said.
"Go straight. You have a clear shot to the next hallway. You can use that hallway to get back to the stairwell. I've gotten Lila and Tadashi and am returning to the security room and they're on their way to get Margrave Gottwald and the other three that are on watch."
"Understood," Suzaku said and darted out of the room and down the hall in front of him.
. . .
Outside, Osaka Settlement
Rayne was bored out of her mind and mad.
She still had twenty minutes left of the watch that she had been assigned to and the only thing that she could do to pass the time was count the stars. Unfortunately, the weather decided that it didn't like Rayne and decided to start raining, which was why she was mad. Oh how she hated the rain.
She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as the cold rain landed on her skin and scowled at the city that lay in front of her. She understood the importance of these watches but that didn't mean that she liked it, especially not in this weather. She glanced at Kay to find that her brother just remained calm where he was crouched next to Major Villetta Nu and bit her lip, remembering the incident from earlier that day.
She hadn't meant to let her temper get the best of her when she learned that Matthias had wrote to her brother. And, to make matters worse, she had shouted at Gretchen; while she didn't really care about that, she did care that she had disappointed Lelouch. The prince had already caught her and Gretchen in a family squabble once before and warned them that such things could cost them future missions that they were part of.
Rayne knew that she was running the risk of getting demoted if she continued to get riled up and let her temper get the best of her when it came to her elder siblings. She resolved to ensure that it didn't happen again; she couldn't let it happen again. Lelouch had even warned her that he wouldn't give her another chance. She swore that she would, at least, come to tolerate her elder sister.
"Margrave!" A shout sounded and Gottwald, who was crouched on the ground next to Rayne, turned to face the sound of the shout, a scowl on his face. Nu, Kay, and Rayne also turned and Rayne was surprised to find Tadashi and Lila running towards them, both of them looking worried.
"What is…?" Gottwald began.
"Lelouch is in danger," Tadashi blurted out, interrupting Gottwald. "A large group of terrorists somehow shut down the security system and infiltrated City Hall; Dimitri told us that they're after Lelouch!"
"What?!" Gottwald's orange eyes went wide with surprise and then outrage. "How dare they…? Where are they?"
"We don't know," Lila said, much more composed than Tadashi, though she still looked worried. "Major Duncan said that Warrant Officer Kururugi is with him when we last spoke to him. He's heading back to the security room to keep an eye on the situation and help keep Kururugi and His Highness away from the terrorists. We were sent to get help and, as you four are the only ones currently awake, we thought it would be best to get your help."
Just then, Lila's phone rang and she pulled it out. "Hello?" she said. She nodded and put her phone on speaker before adding, "We're here, Dimitri. What's the situation?"
"Kururugi and His Highness are pinned on the fourth floor. The terrorists split their forces and each group is converging on Kururugi's position. They've also withdrawn the rest of their forces that were stationed at the base of the stairs on the second and third floor, seeking to overwhelm Kururugi with sheer numbers likely," Dimitri said.
"Why? It's one against all of them. Why would they wish to overwhelm him like this when they don't really need to?" Rayne said confused.
"I do not know," Dimitri said.
"It does not matter," Gottwald said firmly. "What matters is that His Highness is in danger with only one person to protect him. We must get to him and quickly." He immediately darted toward City Hall.
Lila hung up and followed suit with Tadashi, Kay, Rayne, and Major Nu quickly hurrying after them.
. . .
Fourth Floor, City Hall
"This isn't good," Suzaku murmured, peering out the door that he had hurried into as soon as he realized that the terrorists had split their forces, and that the six that were placed on the lower floors had joined with the original group. Now he was surrounded and was stuck in a reception room with only one door and ten terrorists converging on his location.
Lelouch stirred and Suzaku gently closed the door before darting back to his friend's side at the other end of the room in front of one of the cabinets and knelt down beside him. "Lelouch?" he whispered.
Lelouch's amethyst eyes fluttered open and he blinked before looking around. "Where am I?" he asked.
"One of the reception rooms on the fourth floor. How do you feel?" Suzaku asked, studying his friend. He noticed that Lelouch's eyes were no longer dilated and he didn't look as tired as he did earlier.
"A little tired but not bad. What happened?" Lelouch asked, pushing himself to a sitting position.
"Long story short, we're in trouble," Suzaku said grimly.
Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "What kind of trouble?"
"If you surrender the prince now, boy, we'll spare your life! Now open the door and hand over the prince!" A voice shouted outside the door before the door knob jiggled.
Lelouch glanced at it and turned to Suzaku. "Oh, that kind of trouble," he said.
"Yeah, that kind of trouble," Suzaku said, gritting his teeth, his hand tightening on the gun that he still had. He hadn't been able to use it before due to fact that firing it would've given away his position but he might be able to hold them off long enough for Dimitri's reinforcements to get there.
Even if it meant that he might not survive the oncoming onslaught but then, Suzaku wasn't scared of dying. How could he be when he felt he deserved it after what he did to his father? Besides, he was part of the military now and everyone who was part of the military was in danger of dying every day; people died in battles and wars. That was just the way it was.
At the very least, Suzaku hoped that he would be able to keep his friend safe long enough for Dimitri's reinforcements to get there.
"Open the door now!" The voice shouted again and Suzaku shifted until he was crouched in front of Lelouch, handgun in hand as he glared at the door, clicking the safety off and preparing to fire as soon as the door burst open. The door burst open a moment later and Suzaku fired at the first person to come through the door a few times; the first bullet hit his chest and the second got the shoulder of the man that was coming in behind the first man, since the first man had collapsed with the first shot.
Suzaku continued to fire, not letting the terrorist get a chance to fire their own weapons, but, eventually, after taking out five of the terrorists, he ran out of ammo. Swearing, he crouched in front of Lelouch, watching as the remaining four terrorists entered the conference room.
"You sure put up a fight…and to protect a Britannian at that," the black-haired woman said with a cool smirk as she brushed past her companions and came to a stop in front of Suzaku, her gun in her hand but pointed downward. She gestured for her men to lower their weapons as she added, "I'll give you one last chance. Surrender the prince and we'll let you live."
"No," Suzaku said firmly. "I won't let you take him. If you want Prince Lelouch, you're going to have to go through me!"
"Suzaku…" Lelouch murmured.
"Fine then," the woman said flatly and gestured to her men. "Kill him."
However, before their men could even take aim, the sound of gunfire came behind them. The terrorists immediately separated and dived in opposite directions. Suzaku grabbed Lelouch, yanking him down, and shielding his body with his own as a spray of bullets sailed over his head.
The hail of gunfire stopped and Gottwald's voice shouted, "Surrender now, terrorists!"
"Never!" The woman shouted and she and her four companions began firing back.
Suzaku remained crouched over his friend's body as the hail of bullets that missed the enemy sailed over his head. He turned his head to the side and watched as the group continued to fire at each other.
"We need to move," Lelouch whispered.
"I know," Suzaku murmured back.
The two began edging their way toward the couch that they could use as a cover from the hail of gunfire. Suzaku made sure to keep himself between Lelouch and the gunfire. However, they were both able to make it to the couch without getting hit. The gunfire was getting worse and Suzaku could hear some of the terrorists crying out in pain; he peered around the couch in time to see two of the woman's companions' fall, their blood pooling around them.
The woman and her remaining companion, Suzaku recognized him as Lightning, darted deeper into the room.
Gottwald swiftly entered the room with Kay, Rayne, Tadashi, Lila, and Major Nu just behind him, all of their guns were pointed at the woman and her companion.
"You're surrounded. Put your gun down and hands in the air," Gottwald ordered.
Scowling, the woman put her gun down and held her arms above her head, Lightning did the same. Kay darted forward, picked up both guns and darted back to join the rest of the group.
"Your Highness, are you all right?" Gottwald asked.
"I'm fine, Jeremiah," Lelouch said, pushing himself to his feet and Suzaku got up as well. The prince then turned to the woman and Lightning. "Why did you try to kidnap me?"
The woman and Lightning didn't answer.
"Answer him!" Gottwald hissed.
"Our boss wants you," the woman said finally. "We were never told why, only that he wanted you to be brought to him alive and unharmed."
"And so you saw fit to drug me?"
"What?!" Gottwald looked furious.
"We felt it would be easier if you couldn't fight back," the woman said with a shrug. "The drug isn't lethal and we had the antidote. That boy"—she gestured toward Suzaku—"already injected you with it. Otherwise, you'd probably still be unconscious."
Lelouch pressed his lips together before turning to Gottwald. "Have them arrested and transfer them to the military base. Inform Major Hendon that he has some more prisoners to process," he said.
"Yes, Your Highness," Gottwald said, holstering his gun and moving over to join the woman and Lightning. Major Nu moved over to help while Lila, Tadashi, Kay, and Rayne holstered their weapons and relaxed.
Five minutes later, Gottwald and Nu were guiding the two terrorists out of the room. Lila, Rayne, and Tadashi followed Gottwald and Nu out of the room and Lelouch and Suzaku followed them.
Lelouch turned to face Suzaku. "Thank you," he said.
"I was just doing my duty, Your Highness," Suzaku said.
"Nevertheless, you did save me…again," Lelouch said with a faint smile. "I think this is becoming a habit of yours."
"Someone has to keep you out of trouble," Suzaku teased.
"You're one to talk. Might I remind you of the river incident?"
"Are you ever going to let me live that down?"
"Probably not."
Suzaku huffed but smiled in amusement.
"Kururugi!" Gottwald said suddenly.
Suzaku moved over to join the turquoise-haired young man. "Yes, sir?" he said with a salute.
Gottwald inclined his head. "You did well, Warrant Officer," he said.
"Thank you, sir," Suzaku said, a little stunned that he had actually received praise from the leader of the Purist Faction, someone who disliked Numbers intensely.
Gottwald and Nu walked away, guiding the woman and Lightning between them.
Suzaku turned around and was about to rejoin Lelouch and his friends but he froze when he spotted another terrorist dart out of the room, aiming his gun at Lelouch's unprotected back. Where did he come from?
Banishing that thought quickly, he darted forward just as the trigger was pulled and threw himself between the bullet and Lelouch. A searing pain exploded in his chest and Lelouch's scream of "Suzaku!" was the last thing he heard before he fell into darkness.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Mob of Suzaku Fans: where is Blaze?
Lelouch: (with a straight face) no idea
Suzaku: what's going on?
Mob of Suzaku Fans: SUZAKU! (Grab Suzaku and dart out of the computer room)
Lelouch: (watches Suzaku get kidnapped) they're gone, Blaze, and they kidnapped Suzaku again
Blaze: (slowly climbs out of bomb shelter) thanks for the help, Lelouch. Allen! Go use Crown Clown and get Suzaku back from his rabid fans. Once again, don't own D Gray man.
Allen: okay (activates Crown Clown and darts out of the computer room)
Euphie: Suzaku will be all right, won't he? Erm, in the chapter I mean
Blaze: you will have to wait until next chapter to find out
Nunnally: when will the next chapter be posted?
Blaze: …what the heck. I'm gonna state a specific date in March. If I don't update this story on that exact date then you're all free to come after me with pitchforks and torches
Lelouch: you've never kept an actual deadline before
Blaze: I used to! It actually went quite well…for a few weeks anyway.
Lelouch: a few weeks…right
Blaze: oh hush you. The next chapter will be posted on Sunday, March 12th.
Lelouch: now let's see if you will be able to update the story on that exact date
Allen: (walks in with torn clothing, burns on his arms and legs, and Crown Clown wrapped around Suzaku, who also had torn clothing and was trembling with terror) got him
Suzaku: Fans. Are. Terrifying!
Lelouch: welcome to my world. Why do you look like you just walked through hell though, Allen?
Allen: no one told me that Suzaku's fans got their hands on a dragon somehow
Blaze: so that's what happened to Eclipse. I was wondering. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated. Thank you very much for reading.
