A/N: I suggest reading chapter 3 again if you have been following this from the beginning. I accidentally left out a key piece of the story.
"So you're the immortal that convinced our dear Suzaku to break his promise to the lovely Empress!" Lloyd was having a field day the moment he met E2.
Suzaku raised a hand to his face. He told Lloyd and Cecile that he will be introducing E2 with them today. He knew Lloyd would eventually get curious enough to start asking questions. He supposed it was too much to hope for the Merlin creator act normal for once in his life.
("I take it Suzaku is very serious on his promises?") This was the second person to bring that up.
Suzaku prepared himself to translate. But the Earl of Pudding had many surprises it would seem.
"Oh you have no idea! I also noticed he hasn't been wearing the Zero costume as much. Or if he is, that silly helmet is off. It's a nice change. So a thank you is in order!" Lloyd grinned ear to ear. "After all if it wasn't for you then we would still be stuck with all too serious Zero."
"Are you insinuating something?" Suzaku tried his best not to snap. By their expressions he didn't do it very well.
"Well that depends! Are you two anything like Lelouch and C2?"
("And their relationship was...what?") E2 raised an eyebrow.
"Well, while neither confirmed or denied anything, they did come off as secret lovers. But then rumors surrounded Lelouch with the Guren pilot. Things got confusing, but in the end he only kept C2 close. Then when he died she disappeared." Lloyd happily explained. "So of course I'm naturally curious what sort of relationship you have with Suzaku."
"If you are insinuating lovers as Lelouch and C2 may or may not have been, then no. I'm a simple hand guiding him to do his utmost best into reshaping the world." It was noticed he switched languages, and Lloyd had an all too familiar twinkle on his eyes.
"You prefer Japanese, yes? What made you change to English?" He smirked as the immortal glared.
("I suggest you don't make that a habit. I don't find you interesting enough to play the game of analyzing each other at every turn.") E2 scowled. And the earl laughed.
"Point given. I'm not interesting at all! I'll keep my thoughts to myself from now on, then. I was simply curious on what makes you tick. I never got the chance to study C2. However, if it's all right with all of you, I would like to make extensive research into Suzaku's Geass."
("Careful. Research was the claim made in order to study me that placed me in that facility where they proceeded to abuse their power. I will not tolerate such actions on Suzaku.") E2 was close to snarling.
Suzaku stared with mixed emotions. On the one hand it seemed E2 needed a lot of work in order to recognize that not everyone was meant to hurt him or Suzaku. On the other he was once again surprised at how much effort E2 was showing to protect Suzaku.
From what he can recall, C2 had the bare minimum. Unless it was critical situations. It reminded Suzaku that E2 wasn't the same.
Before them Lloyd studied the immortal with curiosity. Clearly he was also noticing the same differences. And it provided enough interest to give a compromise.
"Then how about a promise? I swear by any greater power above that I will not abuse Suzaku in the name of research." Lloyd held out his hand.
"I will hold you to that promise." E2 grasped his hand tightly. Lloyd smiled at the display of strength.
"Great! So have you figured out what your power is?" The earl turned to Suzaku.
"I can reveal a person's true heart desire. It can only happen once, and I have to keep looking at the person under my Geass." Suzaku explained.
"That's it?" Lloyd was disappointed. "How is that supposed to be useful?"
"Look, I don't know how these things work. Maybe I won a lower lottery compared to Lelouch." Suzaku frowned.
"If you can manipulate the vision, it might prove to be of better use in your line of work as Zero." E2 suggested.
"Manipulate how?" He didn't like where this was going.
Manipulate? That was closer to Lelouch than his liking. Suzaku knew that wasn't within his nature. And yet strangely, he had thought of several occasions that called for it as Zero, he had been able to channel that manipulation through simple words.
("You look conflicted.") E2 observed.
"I don't like using people." Suzaku kept his answer simple.
E2 studied him. Even his eyes were well guarded from his thoughts. And the knight felt that he was being scrutinized a little. Instead the immortal surprised them all.
("Your heart is too gentle for this role. Then again, maybe that is exactly what the world needs.")
"So you think his heart is too gentle? Wait until you watch him piloting a Knightmare Frame." Lloyd added his opinion. "Speaking of, I think it's time for a simulation. Would you care to watch, E2?"
In the end the immortal was curious enough. He stayed out of everyone's way as he watched the simulator. And he could see that the earl did have a point. But eventually E2 studied at all the monitors that showed all the details of the Merlin.
("It's not performing at its best.") E2 spoke up after he calculated the numbers.
"What?" Lloyd turned with a frown. He walked closer and leaned over the immortal's shoulder to calculate on his own. And he was surprised to see that E2 was right.
"Hmm. A hiccup from the previous mission? Where's the damages?" The earl began to look at the monitor that was scanning the Merlin.
E2 also studied the same screen. Lloyd found the damaged part. It was so miniscule that it wouldn't immediately be noticed without a trained eye. The immortal watched as the Earl of Pudding zoomed in on some small piece in the shape of a disc under the armor that was nearly fully shattered.
That wasn't all. A piece was piercing through some vital cords. It wasn't damaging enough to create sparks, but will be the longer it was left alone.
"But this is under the armored plate. How did this get damaged?" Lloyd was confused. "Furthermore, how come this wasn't caught before now? We scan it for damages after each mission."
("Look at the way he moves. Perhaps he leaned too far and the inside crushed it from pressure.") E2 pointed at the simulation. And Lloyd saw what he meant.
Suzaku piloted the Merlin like he would a Lancelot. Except he forgets that the Merlin is twice the size, and a bit bulkier in the chest. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch that it crushed a vulnerable piece on its own.
"This doesn't feel right." Suzaku spoke up. Although he wasn't sure why, he sensed that the Merlin wasn't how it used to be.
"You can end the simulation. There's a broken piece that miraculously escaped detection after the last mission." Lloyd instructed, and Suzaku climbed out.
"How long will it take to fix?"
"If the wiring isn't too bad then that will be a quick fix. However, we need to somehow reinforce this piece so it doesn't happen again." Cecile turned to the earl. "This wasn't a foreseen weakness in the design."
"We didn't fully take into account of the key component and his habits. Either we have to work with this not so small problem, or we have to make a whole new frame with a new design." Lloyd sighed.
"We don't have a replacement for Suzaku to pilot." Cecile reminded. "At least, not for Zero's standards."
("Perhaps make a shield to protect the wires?") E2 had a thought.
Everyone glanced at the earl. And he considered for one split second before the wheels in his brain started turning. In a flash he reached for Cecile's clipboard and a pen.
His sketch wasn't the greatest, but it was easy enough to understand. A plated square shield behind the round disc under the armor. Lloyd even came up with an on the spot design of reinforcing the disc so it wouldn't so easily break in the future.
"Yes! Yes! Quick, easy to install, and the Merlin is free to stay in operation!" Lloyd exclaimed in delight.
"According to my calculations, this shouldn't take more than three or four days." Cecile had her own excitement.
"And a big thank you, E2." Lloyd turned to the immortal. "If you hadn't caught onto that small detail, Suzaku here would probably explode inadvertently."
"...I don't think the Geass that forces me to live would even help with that." Suzaku added.
("You have a Geass that influences you to live? Are you still cursed from it?") E2 inquired, unsure if his memory was correct in what he believes happened.
"I...Wait then why did it fail that day we met?" Horror spread on Suzaku's face.
"What? It failed that day? But why? What was the factor?"
("That whole facility was rigged to cancel all Geass. It was done when I made an attempt to escape with creating a desperate contract. The idiot got caught and he was killed.) E2 explained.
"Of course they did. Well, Suzaku's fail safe might be compromised." Lloyd frowned at the news.
"Why didn't you find this out? I thought you were given the flash drive to study everything that facility had been operating with." Suzaku didn't like how late this was brought up.
"I haven't had the time. To be fair, we've been responsible to help out with the upcoming festival." The earl was being slick.
"Just study it when you get the chance." Suzaku couldn't help but raise his hand to his face again.
Not long after it was sword practice. Kallen and a few curious Knights of the Round gathered to watch. They had heard the rumors to warrant a chance to see E2 up close.
"He's good for a short guy." Jordan Wright, Knight of Three, commented.
He was tall. Jordan stood out among the Knights for being bald by choice. His blue eyes and a well trimmed beard made him appear older than twenty four.
"Good? He's skilled beyond our level. I would be terrified to see him in a Knightmare Frame." Eileen Major, Knight of Five, shuddered at the image.
Eileen was roughly same height as Kallen. Given an inch or two shorter. She had curly blue hair that made her resemble a living doll. She was nineteen and fresh out of high school.
"I wonder if he would be given his own." Kallen hadn't thought of this.
"So, what's his Geass power?" Jordan dared to ask what everyone was whispering the same question.
"He actually never told me." Kallen scowled at not having cornered Suzaku yet on that bit of information. She had been too distracted with the idea E2 was an ancestor of sorts of the current royal family.
But she wasn't going to reveal that bit of information to the other Knights. That was something that shouldn't become common knowledge. Kallen wasn't even sure how she felt about it all.
Suddenly there was a change in the atmosphere. It was the way E2 switched tactics. His body moved with full intention to cause harm. Kallen tensed, ready to intervene.
"What are you doing!?" She demanded.
("Stay out of this.") E2 snarled.
Suzaku didn't have the time to order her to stay out. He was too busy blocking every strike. He grit his teeth when he realized that he left a wide opening.
E2 took the opportunity. He lunged at full speed. This was the fastest he had shown, and it wasn't a far stretch that he made the Knights of the Round of his time a run of their money.
To Suzaku's horror he didn't feel the familiar Geass that cursed him with life take control. In panic he moved with his whole body while his arms moved so fast in order to block.
A clang of metal clashing made everyone flinch.
The katana E2 wielded was centimeters away from cutting Suzaku open like a fish. Everyone knew that he guessed right and was lucky enough to react accordingly.
("That fail safe is gone. You're now more vulnerable than those Knights.") E2 pulled away. His sword was placed in its sheath.
"He's the best pilot out of all of us! There's a reason he's the Knight of One!" Kallen argued.
"And he is Zero. A target that everyone will focus on more than the rest of you. You're perhaps a close second, being his longest known ally. Which means neither of you can take risks that will endanger your lives." E2 glared.
"But every mission is a risk! That's part of our job." She wasn't budging.
"If you wish to die, then how about you go jump off a tall building. It would certainly speed things up a bit." E2 felt his temper flare.
"Why you - " Kallen was so ready to hand it to him.
"How about we call it a day." Suzaku was quick as ever and grasped her arms to push her back. When it looked like she would continue to fight, he glanced at the immortal.
"Go take a walk. I'll come find you after we've all calmed down." Suzaku insisted.
("You don't need to find me. I'll be in my room.") E2 assured before taking his leave.
