Chapter XV

A few days later, Suzaku was released from the hospital. Gino told him to take it easy and Suzaku valued that advise. He had to use a cane and he was temporarily taken off active duty until his physical injury could heal. But he knew he would never fully recover.

Several guards were placed on duty around Suzaku's home, per Gino's order. Suzaku didn't like it, but he admitted, he actually felt safer with them roaming the property.

Gino pressed Suzaku to sign the death warrant for Hachirou Chika, but he wouldn't it. On one occasion in the hospital, Suzaku even got so angry that he ripped it up in front of Gino. Of course, it was nothing but a piece of paper and another one could be drawn up. But it was a show of contempt with Gino pressuring him. He had already told Gino his decision.

So, Gino signed it—without Suzaku's consent. It was within his rights as a Knight of the Round. But it would not take effect immediately until Suzaku saw the prisoner one time first. That was a stipulation of the warrant and Gino honoured Suzaku's wishes.

Suzaku took a few days solace, then paid a visit to HQ's detention centre for political prisoners, where Hachirou Chika was being held, awaiting his fate under strict and heavy guard. Allies to the revolution had infiltrated strategic positions in the past and each guard was thoroughly background checked. They were completely loyal to the Empire.

There was a public outcry, and Eleven's demanded Hachirou's release. Protests happened throughout Eleven ghettos, igniting fires, brandishing makeshift weapons, causing riots, and even property damage—whereby military forces were called in and forced to subdue them, some even died. And despite the heavy military presence, Zero never showed his face.

Suzaku figured it had to have been a hallucination, but it still mystified him who came to his rescue. Had he wanted it to be Zero? The savour of the Japanese, the man he betrayed? Still, no one could explain who had saved him, captured Hachirou Chika's gang, called the authorities to his whereabouts, or how Suzaku managed to find himself on the front steps of the hospital that later cared for his injuries. Sometimes, some things did remain a mystery.

It was decided a public execution was not prudent, especially after the public learned of Hachirou's relation to Daisuke Chika. There were inquests to the arrest and questions from people with demands that Suzaku be interrogated for possible hate crimes, purposely targeting the older brother. Guilty by association, it was called, since no one witnessed the attack at his house, or even the assault on him. Everything was assumed with conjecture. The Empire, bias.

Suzaku stood in full uniform looking through the bars of Hachirou Chika's cell. The man sat on his cot, a single cell cage, shackled, and chained to the wall. He asked to be released whenever he needed to use the bathroom and then watched with scrutiny. What Hachirou had done to him had indeed caused irrevocable damage. Any hope of having children had been stolen away.

"Come to gloat, Kururugi?" Hachirou said, sitting on the cot. He smiled, almost amused, not remorseful. "My people are calling me a hero, and I hear you can't sire any traitorous children like yourself. My lawyer says that everything against me is conjecture."

Suzaku merely stared at him, keeping a relatively plain face. But he was angry.

Gino said it was unhealthy to bottle up his emotions, and he would probably need another session in the boxing ring—and Suzaku knew he would need one, but Gino would not want to be on the other end of his punches right now considering how angry he was—but he didn't want to give Hachirou Chika the satisfaction. He kept a straight face.

He banged the cane against the cell bars. "That's right," he said, "you ruined me. But you haven't destroyed my spirit."

But Hachirou Chika laughed. "I'll die a martyr and Eleven's will hate you even more," he taunted. "They'll be more attacks, my death will only embolden others."

"I'm afraid death will be the least of your worries," Suzaku said ambiguously. "I've decided to sign a state of execution, so be happy that you're not going to die. A friend of mine was furious when he found out, but I have something else in mind for you. I wish to thank you. You showed me there are other ways to punish someone for their transgressions."

Hachirou tilted his head but didn't say a word.

"What is worse that dying?" Suzaku put a thoughtful hand to his chin. "The very depths of survival is pushing past indignity and to determine self-worth, is it not? I may have betrayed my people, and I fully admit this, but there is a reason behind every cause."

"You're not making any sense."

"I don't have to," Suzaku said, "not to you." He gripped a bar to the cell and stared at the prisoner. "In doing what you've done, you indeed have given me a very special gift—the gift of resolution. You've taught me a lesson, and one I won't soon forget. But it has also make me stronger in my goals. And I intend to follow through in them."

Again, Hachirou Chika was confused. But Suzaku waved him off before he could say anything. "You don't have to understand, and frankly, you're not-worth to know what I mean. Just know, you are the type of people I'm fighting against. You are pure evil. And I'm not referring to the Japanese, I'm talking what the kind of thing that stand for—not freedom, but tyranny."

The prisoner typed to jump forward, but the chains held him back. Suzaku didn't even flinch. "You're the traitor here, not me! You handed over Zero to the Empire!"

"I did so, because he murdered an Empirical Princess, and also caused the slaughter of dozens of people, who just wanted to live their lives under a flag of peace. Zero is the one that betrayed the Elevens, not me. I just stopped him from spreading more lies."

Suzaku cringed with the lie, but he played it out as if it were his injury. Hachirou Chika sat back down when an armed guard pushed a rifle through the bars. Suzaku looked at the guard with a hard stare and the guard retracted the weapon.

He stepped away from the bars, made a turn, then faced Hachirou Chika once more, a few feet from the bars. They stared a hatred between them. "You've forced me to reach deep into the darkest part of my soul to come up with a suitable punishment, worse than death."

Hachirou Chika looked to swallow.

Suzaku looked to the side and a man in a white lab coat joined him who had been out of sight of the prisoner. He carried a computer pad with him. Then two guards entered the cell, grabbed Hachirou, and forcefully stripped him down to his underwear, ripping the prison garb. They held him in place, like some sort of exhibition piece, his dragon tattoo displayed for them to see.

"What do you think, doctor?" Suzaku said.

The doctor entered the cell, surveyed Hachirou, walking around him, looking at his body. He rubbed his chin, musing, nodding. "A very nice piece of artistry. Admittedly, Daisuke Chika could have been a recognized and notable artist if he wasn't so foolish."

Hachirou folded his brows. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

The doctor stepped back, taking pictures of the tattoo, front and back, with the computer pad, then left the cell. "For propriety," he said.

Suzaku never entered, watching from the outside. "Can it be done, doctor?" he asked.

The doctor nodded. "It's a relatively simple procedure these days, like replacing cartilage or repairing lost bone, without scarring. In fact, I can guarantee no trace will be left."

"What's he talking about?" Hachirou Chika demanded.

Suzaku looked at him, a hint of a sinister smile broached his normally innocent features. "This is Dr. Eckhart," he said, gesturing. "He's a plastic surgeon. Soldiers get injured, so we need doctors on hand to repair the damage; burns, tissue damage, even amputation."

"And why do I need a plastic surgeon?" It was then Hachirou's eyes widened with utter fear, and he started to struggle against the two guards. Without a nod from Suzaku, he was then dragged out of the cell. He faced Suzaku. "No! You can't! It's all I have left of him!"

"You'll have your memories, that should be enough," Suzaku said coldly. "Just think of it as equal justice for what you did to me. I told you I never signed your brother's death warrant, but you insisted on invoking a revenge. Your brother attacked me and he was punished."

Hachirou Chika spat in Suzaku's face. Suzaku wiped it off with a hand.

"I know how you feel about your brother. I feel the same way about someone I cared very deeply for who was killed." He looked at Hachirou Chika with serious eyes. "What you did to me is irreversible. And now, I will return in kind. Take him!" Suzaku ordered.

"No! Please don't!" Hachirou cried, struggling. But the two burly guards were too much for him. "Take anything else, take my life instead! But not that! I thought was so to be executed?"

"You were," Suzaku said back, "but I decided tit-for-tac instead."

"You bastard! Please, don't! Anything else, please!"

But Hachirou Chika's cries fell on deaf ears.

"Death isn't the only way for a person can die," Suzaku said prophetically.

Suddenly, he realized what he was doing was exactly like what the Emperor had done to Lelouch, erasing his memory of those he cherished—namely Nunnally. But instead of chemical memories, this was a physical one. But he would not recant his decision.

Hachirou Chika was taken from the detection centre, kicking and screaming. The doctor followed, looking at his camera photos on the screen.

Alone, tears began to form in Suzaku's eyes involuntarily when he finally realized an absolute fact. He had been indeed become the same as the Emperor.

I've become the very thing I despise most. I killed my father, betrayed my best friend, both for revenge and my ambition. And now this! I am truly a villain. And the worse kind! Did I break the chains of who I am, or have I just replaced them with a new, heavier set?

He followed them out.

To be continued...