Chapter VI
Suzaku bent down to re-tie his white runners making sure the laces were tight. He didn't have the proper footwear for boxing, but Gino said his shoes were fine.
Is this what Gino had in mind to help him relieve his stress? Suzaku asked himself. A boxing match? And was he joking about it involving blood? He wasn't going to get rough, was he?
Suzaku glanced back at the rewards on the wall.
Gino had not received those accolades for being nice. But this was just a friendly match, Suzaku hoped. They'd both have boxing gloves on, so the padding should suffice to protect. Besides, Suzaku had strong muscles and was quick on his feet. He proved his prowess in both in the infantry and as a soldier under the Britannian flag.
And Gino didn't look the type to have a hard punch.
Perez was not Japanese, but he didn't look like a Britannian either. He was definitely a foreigner, about 5'11, with brown hair, and a thin build. He wore black attire fitting for gym staff. He served the Empire, and was obvious well known to Gino, given their familiarity. He slipped a pair of boxing gloves on Suzaku's hands and tied them up.
"Watch his right cross," the helper cautioned quietly.
Suzaku looked at him bewildered that he just revealed a secret like that. Perez finished up and then left the ring. He jumped down to the floor.
Gino looked at Suzaku eyeing his right glove hand. Gino looked down at Perez. "Telling you some of my secrets, huh?" he said prolifically.
Perez seemed to look elsewhere for the moment.
"No," Suzaku lied. "He just wished me good luck."
Gino laughed, punching his gloves together. "Yeah, sure, right," he said. "I bet he told you to be on the look out for my right cross. That's fine, he likes going behind my back and giving my opponents little advantages. I'll smack him around for it later."
Perez chuckled thinly, as if it was an inside joke, then stepped back a few feet from the ring, as if to get a better view of the impeding match.
"This is for fun, anyhow," Gino added.
For fun? Suzaku thought.
"Oh, and just so you know, you didn't have to come here. But I'm glad you're here."
"But you our rank me," Suzaku said. "You didn't give me much of a choice."
"Sure I did. I just convinced you that you didn't, and you believed me. You're naïve like that. Only grumpy old Bismarck, the Knight of One, has ultimate summoning power, given to him by ol' Charley. The rest of us Knights are equals. Remember that."
"I will, the next time you give me an order," Suzaku said, smartly. And Gino smirked.
"This will be a friendly match," Gino said evenly. "But trust me, it has a purpose. I want you to vent out all that penned up anger you have stored, and use me as a punching bag."
Suzaku looked at his gloves nervously. He had a lot of anger. "On second thought, this is a bad idea, Gino," he said, and lowered his arms. "I'm not going to fight you. You're not my enemy."
"Then pretend I'm someone else." Gino smirked, his eyes glinting under the overhead lighting. "Someone you really want to hurt. Someone who betrayed you, a villainous murderer of the highest order, someone, say…Zero?"
Suzaku's eyes narrowed, but he wasn't going to play Gino's game. "No, you're not him."
"I may not be Zero, but I can be a target for your resentment. Zero stood against the Empire, and the Empire was at fault for Japan's demise, forcing your people to become second class citizens on their own soul. Zero killed Princess Euphemia Li Britannia, and then your turned him in. You're a full fledged member of the Empire now, which makes you a hypocrite. If you think about it, I represent everything that drives you—the hate you hold in your heart, but also the want for redemption for your betrayal. When you look in a mirror, what do you see?"
Suzaku shook his head. "You're wrong," he said. He's trying to get me to admit something. He tried to pull the gloves off. "Forget it, Gino! We're Knights of the Round, allies. We can't—and I won't—engage in a primitive, barbaric sport for fun. I've seen fights in underground arenas between Eleven's. They made me sick to my stomach. I still feel for my people, but there's nothing I can do. The fights serve only to satisfy bloodlust and to promote illegal gambling."
Suzaku couldn't remove the gloves. That was the problem when someone else had control, they made the rules. Only Perez could untie the gloves now. "Perez! Get these off me, now!"
"Perez! Stay where you are!" Gino ordered.
Perez didn't even make a move. His loyal was obviously to Gino. Suzaku knew this had all been a set up. Gino had tricked him in more ways than one.
"Fine, have it your way," Suzaku said, and went to leave.
Suddenly Gino charged him and punched him in the back.
Suzaku let out a painful gasp, his back arched from the hard blow. Gino went so far as to play even dirtier. He wrapped an arm around Suzaku's neck, using his biceps to squeeze his throat and pin him against the ropes. Suzaku gulped for air. Gino held tight.
"Don't give me that sainted attitude, Kururugi," Gino said harshly. "Where was that leniency when you betrayed your friend to the Emperor? Or were you so filled with rage that you didn't care? Love can do strange things. Lelouch murdered Princess Euphemia, his own half-sister, for god's sake! Do you think you're the only one was pissed off about that? Cornelia wants Lelouch's head, but daddy dearest precludes her from taking any recourse."
Gino kneed Suzaku in the back of the legs, forcing Suzaku to collapse to his knees, while still holding his throat, albeit a little looser. Suzaku gasped for air. But he felt an inner strength mounting, one filled with utter hatred for Gino bringing Euphie into the picture.
"Gino! Stop it!" Suzaku choked out, holding his gloves up. But he couldn't break the hold. Suzaku was instantly reminded of the book the Emperor given him. Gino was normally kind and friendly to him, but now he was acting like a different person, the infamous Jekyll and Hyde.
"I'll let you into a secret, Suzaku." Gino's mouth was next to his right ear. "Lady Cornelia wants you dead. She blames you for Princess Euphemia's death, since you and Lelouch are close childhood friends. According to her, you're no friend to the Knights! You helped kill a royal, and someone you cared about, too, to climb the ranks of power, and the Emperor rewarded you. That is so evil beyond compare. I don't know how you can live with yourself?"
Suzaku grit his teeth, his mind filled with fury, "That's not true!" he shouted.
Suddenly, Gino let go, and stepped back a few steps. "Isn't it?"
Suzaku grabbed the middle rope, and coughed, then sucked in a few deep breaths, and coughed twice more. He turned around and eyed Gino with contempt. How dare he use Euphie's death to engage me! He got to his feet and clenched his fists exasperated.
Gino had the most impish smile on his face, then went to back to his corner, where Perez got up, and gave him a squirt of water from a bottle, quenching a thirst. "I think you're ready now, Suzaku," Gino said seriously, punching his fists together. "Your guard is always up, you need to feel your emotions, let them flow free. Now you're an open book."
"This was only supposed to be a friendly match!"
"This match is my birthday present to you. Call it therapy for the soul. If you allow anger to fester, I'll consumes you. Let it go. Embrace your anger. You'll feel better."
Suzaku's hands shook and his body quivered, he was seethed anger. All he wanted right now was to leave, get into a Knightmare Frame, shut himself away from everyone, and then shout at the top of his lungs. He wanted to be—forgiven!
But was Gino right? Had he caused the events that unfolded in Euphie's death?
Suzaku looked behind Gino at a full wall mirror and he could see his own reflection staring back at him, slightly distorted, like a Hyde character. I hate you…I hate you!…I HATE YOU!
He knew Gino wouldn't let him leave. And with this much white, hot anger, inside him, he could probably, and easily, take him down. He knew what Gino was trying to do.
But he wasn't going to fight. Gino was not his enemy.
"Forget it, Gino." Suzaku went to the ropes again. "This was a waste of time."
"Suzaku!"
Suddenly, Perez ran around the ring and stood in Suzaku's path, at the foot of the steps, as Suzaku reached beyond the ropes. In his hand he held the water bottle Gino drank from.
"Get out of my way, Perez!" he demanded.
"Don't let him leave, Perez!" Gino ordered.
Perez took the water bottle in both hands and then squinted Suzaku in the face, causing Suzaku to block his face with his gloves. This gave Gino the opportunity he needed to yank Suzaku back into the ring, pulling Suzaku through the middle and top ropes. Suzaku slammed to the mat. Suzaku rolled over, got up, and then took a blind swing at Gino.
He missed.
Suzaku rubbed his eyes from the sting of the water. His vision was blurred. He blinked, but rubbed his arm across to unclear it. It helped, just in time for Gino to connect a wicked right cross to Suzaku's face. And Suzaku went down, his body dropping like a sack of wet cement.
Gino laughed. "Perez did warn you," he said mockingly, as Suzaku groaned. "You should see my rope-a-dope. I have a hard right cross. How do you think I won all those awards?"
Suzaku looked back. And he saw that Gino was looking back at him with intense eyes.
"Suzaku Kururugi," Gino said resolutely. "I don't care that you're knighted, and I don't care how you've charmed your way here, but right here and now, you will fight me!"
"Or else what, Gino?" Suzaku answered with equal resolve, getting to his feet.
Gino produced a villainous smile. He punched his gloves again. "Or I'll request the Emperor to completely erase you from Lelouch's memory," he threatened with a tone that didn't give any doubt that he was serious. "They say a close-knit friendships lasts forever. Normally, I'd tend to agree, but not with Emperor Charles vi Britianna on the throne! People cherish their history, but I'll make sure yours is erased from history. A history I know you hold dear to your heart."
Suzaku's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!" Now he felt a full-blown resentment towards Gino. He had the power to do such a thing. "You son-of-a-bitch!"
"If the Emperor believes it will be amusing, he'd do it."
Suzaku was never more angry than what he was now.
"Show me your resolve, give me your all, Suzaku. Show me what you really care about most. Unlock your emotions and break the chains that are holding you back. And if you win, I'll forgot about the whole thing. But if you lose, say good-bye to your everything forever!"
Suzaku slammed his gloves together with enough power to hurt his own hands. "Okay, Gino," he said through the looking glass of asperity. "You'll get your wish. I'll fight you. And for what's been said here, I'm going to knock your lights out!" Suzaku put up his gloves.
Gino smiled, showing healthy teeth. Good dental care was another privilege of being a Britiannian. "That's the ticket!" the Knight of Three said with enthusiasm. "Attack me!"
To be continued...