Chapter XVI
A cool breeze whisked Suzaku's brown, mop top hair, as he stood in the front courtyard of the Ashford Mansion late at night. The mansion was adjacent to the academy.
This is where Lelouch lived. A favour from the Ashford family—a wealthy and powerful Aristocratic family, who secretly knew of Lelouch's lineage as a prince of Britannia.
Yet now, they had forgotten and something else was inserted in its place, brainwashed with Geass. But whatever the Emperor implanted in the Ashford family with Geass still prompted Lelouch to remain at the residence, along with his appointed guardian from the Special Intelligence Service Branch, who replaced Nunnally as Lelouch's sibling.
Suzaku considered it a cruelty joke by the Emperor.
The appointed guardian was assigned to be Lelouch's brother, replacing Lelouch's sister Nunnally, for whom the Emperor stole from Lelouch's memory. It was a punishment for Lelouch's rebellious insurrection against Britannia in being the terrorist leader Zero.
The dossier Suzaku read on the appointed guardian had his name as Rolo Lamperouge, but his last name was just subterfuge for his cover. His real name was unknown, or highly classified.
As an operative of the SISB, Rolo was a trained killer, skilled in a variety of weaponry, explosives, poisons and other deadly devices. He was also bred with the power of an unusual form of Geass from age six: the ability to freeze time for a limited amount of time. It's one weakness stopped his heart. It was potentially a fatal flaw that could contribute to an abnormal heart rhythm and ultimately lead to his demise. But the Emperor didn't care.
And Rolo wasn't the only one with unusual Geass powers. There was a colony of children stationed in a top secret location from where Rolo originated, each with a unique form of Geass, who were now being trained to utilize their powers for future use—for the Empire.
It was but one of many of the Emperor's pet projects. And Suzaku wagered once Rolo had out lived his usefulness, he'd be disposed of like trash.
Rolo was an elite soldier. He was young, but his expertise was diversified, especially when it came to cloak and dagger missions. And after countless assignments and all of them successful, he held special merit as one of the Emperor's favourites.
This mission was his most important one to date. Watch Lelouch, pretend to be his younger brother, but if he gets his memory back—kill him. These were Rolo's prime orders, Suzaku recalled. And it came directly from the Emperor. It was an imperative move, after that incident with the Knight of Two a month back.*
Suzaku didn't agree with the Emperor on some things, but he obeyed His Highness nonetheless and kept his opinions to himself. But he began disgusted by Britannian politics more each day.
As a Knight of the Round, the Emperor's elitist guard, Suzaku was compiled to obey the Emperor's orders. If he wanted to continue to stay as one, he would have to carry out anything the Emperor wanted. And if that meant one day killing his best friend Lelouch, someone he had known longer than anyone he was presently acquainted with, then he would have to, to keep the peace Britannia now shared despite under the iron fist of Britannia!
I am a villain, after all.
The lights were out in the mansion. He had informed Rolo that he would making a special trip this night to check up on Lelouch. However, Lelouch was very resourceful. If he did regain his memory, Rolo wouldn't be privy to his tricks so easily. Lelouch had fooled everyone before.
Lelouch could find a way to get around Rolo, he thought. I know Lelouch better than anyone, and once I look into his eyes, I'll be able to tell if he's lying. However, if so, how did Lelouch know where I was being held to rescue me?
There was an air of mystery still surrounding the Hachirou Chika incident.
Suzaku shook his head. He told himself to forget it. He was hallucinating under torture.
Suzaku wore a student uniform, he was ordered to return back to school, and keep an eye of Lelouch. It had been a while since he had returned, and over a month since the Hachirou Chika incident, but not long since Vincent Glasgow, the Knight of Two, blindsided everyone, and tried to use Lelouch for his own nefarious purposes.
Things had to look normal, like that had before the entire Zero affair. And Suzaku had to push his guilt way down. Suzaku knew he could reveal too much, his face was like an open book. But since becoming a Knight of the Round, he had learned to hide a lot.
The front door opened, and out stepped a small kid about fifteen. He had brown hair and was thin, even for his age. He looked like any other innocent, shy teenager in school.
Suzaku disliked him immediately, he was a fraud. It wasn't a personal hate, more disdain for what Rolo represented. He was replacing a sweet, innocent girl, in his best friend's heart. Lelouch loved Nunnally more than life itself.
I love Nunnally. She's one of my best friends. Damn the Emperor!
Rolo shut the door quietly behind him and walked out to the courtyard. It was dark, save for a dim bathing of moonlight through a whisper of cloud cover.
Rolo gave a slight bow when he reached Suzaku. "Greetings, my lord. As I said to you over the phone, Lelouch is not Zero, not any longer. I've watched him very closely."
"Where is he now?" Suzaku demanded.
"Sleeping," Rolo replied. "He's had an exhausting day."
Rolo went through Lelouch's itinerary, reading it off a computerized daily planner than he borrowed. But he didn't get far.
Suzaku snatched it from him, scrolling through it quickly.
He read through the entire day. Lelouch was meticulous in his daily activities, but he noticed a slight discrepancy. Each completed activity had a green check mark next to it except for—
"What happened here?" he asked, showing Rolo. "You never told me about this hour."
"Oh, that was when Lelouch got injured and hurt his knee, he had to visit the nurse. He missed PE that day, but he's okay now. That's why it's not checked off. It was incomplete."
Suzaku scowled. "This is important, you fool. And I see, he's missed other PE classes. Why?"
Rolo appeared to swallow nervously. "He doesn't like physical activities, he's more of a thinker. But I can vouch for his whereabouts each time. He was, well, gambling."
"Lelouch likes to gamble?"
"He says it offsets boredom. He has a very analytical mind, it's common with people with his personality traits. He likes the challenge and he never loses. He's an excellent chess player."
Suzaku shoved the daily planner back to Rolo. He didn't know this about Lelouch. He'd have to remember it later to add to his daily report to HQ.
Rolo took a step back. He looked taken back by Suzaku's abruptness. "My lord, have I done something to offend you?" he asked, slightly skittish at the moment.
Suzaku eyed him harshly. He could see agitation in the kid's eyes. The Knight of the Round were second only to the Emperor and they were psychologically feared.
Despite Rolo possessing Geass, he wouldn't dare use it on me. But of course, with his strange Geass, I wouldn't know it if he did, would I?
"Just take me to Lelouch," he demanded. "I want to see him."
"Of course," said Rolo. "He's sleeping. We should be quiet, so not to wake the others."
Suzaku said nothing, only thrust his chin out to order Rolo forward. He followed Rolo through the mansion, up a majestic flight of stairs, down a long, picturesque hallway, and eventually arrived at Lelouch's private room behind a decorative framed door. Suzaku was impressed by the residence, and the walk helped cool his ire for the situation mildly.
Rolo went to open the door, but Suzaku put out an arm. "I'll go in by myself," he said quietly.
Rolo nodded and stood back. "Yes, my lord," he said with a bow.
Suzaku opened the door and went quietly to Lelouch's bed. It was dark, but his eyes soon became accustomed to it. He looked over to the four posted bed with someone sleeping under the sheets. But something didn't look right. He yanked them back, throwing them to the floor.
Gritting his teeth with anger, he snapped back at Rolo, who was standing outside the hall, peaking through the door. "He's not here, find him! Now!" Suzaku ordered.
"You won't find him," said a female voice.
Suzaku turned his attention to a darkened portion of the room.
"He's not here," the voice continued. "He went…gambling." A small chuckle. The woman stepped out into the open, her long green hair almost angelic in nature when cast with moonlight from the window. She wore a skin tight white jump suit.
Suzaku went for his pistol that was in his school uniform jacket, but Rolo stopped him. "No, my lord!" the boy said. "She's…a familiar."
Suzaku eyed him. "A familiar, like a Geass user?" Suzaku lowered his gun. He thought he should remember her, but for some reason his memories were foggy. "Fine," he added, putting his pistol away. Does Lelouch have his memories back? He wanted to ask, but didn't have the chance.
"He went gambling, you say?" Rolo directed the question to her. "And without me?"
"You were smothering him like a mother hen," the woman said. "But has no true bond with you. His memories of his sister Nunnally have been altered, and you, Rolo, put in her place. How do I know this? You guessed correct, Suzaku, I'm a Geass user, and I have been following the 'Zero' around for a while, and know so many secrets. You may call me C2."
That name sounds familiar, Suzaku thought, crawling deep into his memories to find it. But it was lost, and he didn't know why.
"But you and I have met before, Suzaku," C2 said. "However, you memories have been altered to forget me. It was necessary to protect the Project for which Rolo is a part. But now that you are aware of the Project, those memories will surface again. The mind if a funny thing, it can remember even when hit with selective amnesia. The Emperor isn't infallible, being human."
Suzaku looked at Rolo, but the other shook his head. "Geass isn't perfect," he admitted.
"And you, Suzaku, have grown very angry as of late," C2 said. "You're are no longer the innocent, caring, sympathetic, giving person I've come to observe. Perhaps another boxing match with your friend Gino is in order?"
Suzaku gasped. "How the hell do you know about that?"
"I can travel between this world and C's World, and can manifest myself in many different forms. I was an unknown caretaker at the gym, and I saw you get your brains clocked in the ring, as I stood in the shadows. There's much to know about Geass." She gave a brief glance to Rolo. "I'm sure your superior's have mentioned this?"
"Yes, they did. The unlimited potential of Geass has yet to be tapped."
"Shut up," Suzaku ordered, shoving Rolo aside. "Tell me where Lelouch is, right now!"
"My lord," Rolo said.
"Why do you refer to him in such a patrician manner?" C2 said to Rolo. "He's inferior to you. You can kill him in an instant with your Geass."
"I chose not to kill unless absolutely necessary, or unless ordered to," replied Rolo. "And regardless of his attitude towards me, I consider him an invaluable ally."
"Ally?" asked Suzaku.
Rolo nodded. "As long as the Knights are around, the experiments can continue without revolutionaries like Zero trying to stop us. You are our protections in that rite. We can find the truth about Geass and all its incumbent facets. With C2's admission, my theories on Geass have merit. There has to be more out there than being someone else's pawn."
"You're very wise," said C2. "Perhaps someday I'll show you these wonders of Geass you seek."
"Forget about theories," Suzaku said firmly. "Just do your job. We must find Lelouch! Now!"
"You don't hear very well, do you," C2 said to Suzaku. "Lelouch is gambling, somewhere across town. Even I don't know precisely where. But I did overhear him speaking with a friend from school about it today. I disguised myself as a typical student. He snuck away when Rolo left to meet you. He left via the back way. And to answer your question earlier, if his memories have returned, I'm not aware of it. Lelouch and I have a contract, so I would know."
Suzaku wondered if she was lying.
Did C2 give Lelouch his original Geass? Suzaku wanted to arrest her, but he knew it would be futile. It would be best to get more information instead.
"What's this contract?" Rolo wondered.
"Be quiet!" Suzaku snapped an order. "Lelouch, Zero, wants nothing but violence and chaos. I can't allow that to happen ever again."
"You're a fool, Suzaku," said C2. "All Lelouch wants is a world where his sister can live peacefully without the constant threat of violence lurking overhead. It's Britannia who is the aggressor. The Japanese people want peace, too, and that's what Lelouch is/was trying to deliver. Yet you choose to serve, unfavourably, I might add, an Emperor who cares nothing for the plights of his subjects, imprisoning them within a cage of fear, using the Knights of the Round to enforce tyrannical law to force perpetual wars upon anyone who defies his will. The consensus in the Elevens is you're a traitor, Suzaku. Most want you dead."
Suzaku swallowed. "I can't regret my actions now. I'll change Britannia from the inside. I'll show the Royals to respect all life, not just their own. I'll will break the chains that bind everyone."
C2 shook her head. "You're still as naïve as ever, Suzaku," she said, shaking her head with incredulity.
To be continued...
(*See Code Geass story: "Betrayal From Within")