Part Three:

"The Knight Challenged"

Suzaku arrived at the gymnasium at the appointed time allotted by Gino, and found him alone. He found it strange that none of the other Knights of the Round were using the facilities. The Black Knights were subdued, Lelouch, a.k.a. Zero, had been captured, and most of the other rebel fractions had been crushed. The world was in a time of peace, for once, under the iron rule of Britannia.

Gino stood in the middle of a boxing ring, wrapping his left hand with athletic tape. His right hand was already taped. He wore a black tank top, matching shorts, and boxing boots. (Suzaku wore similar attire but with your average running shoes). Was this the surprise Gino hinted at? Suzaku thought.

Boxing was never his forte. He always lost, challenged by others in his regiment when in the infantry. But, of course, he wasn't as strong as he was now.

With towel in hand, he approached the ring. When Gino noticed him, the man smiled, and said, "Welcome Suzaku, thanks for coming."

"You didn't give me much of a choice," Suzaku replied.

"Sure I did. I just convinced you that you didn't, and you believed me. You're kind of naïve like that. Only Bismarck (the Knight of One) has summoning power. 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.

Suzaku lay his towel aside, then climbed into the ring. Gino immediately threw him the athletic tape when he was finished with it. Suzaku caught it at.

"Put some one, you're going to need it," Gino said, slipping on a pair of brown boxing gloves.

"Are we going to fight?"

"Box, actually. Call it a friendly match. But trust me, it has a purpose. I want you to vent out all that penned up anger inside you. And use me as a your punching bag."

"I'm not going to fight you, Gino. You're not my enemy."

"Then pretend I'm someone else." Gino smiled.

Suzaku wasn't amused. He frowned, and then turned to leave. "We're Knights of the Round. We can't engage in primitive, barbaric sport like this. I've seen fights in underground arenas between Eleven's. They made me sick to my stomach. They serve no purpose other than to satisfy bloodlust and support illegal gambling."

"Such a sainted attitude. Where was that when you betrayed your friend?"

He looked at Gino with disdainful eyes. "Just stop it, Gino. Don't go there."

Gino smiled, as if to lighten the mood. "C'mon, it's only a little healthy sport between men. You turned eighteen today. Celebrate. This match between us is my present to you. And call it therapy for the soul. If you allow anger to fester, I'll consume you. Let it go. Embrace your emotions. You'll feel better."

There was history between those words, Suzaku knew. But he wasn't going to fight him. "Forget it, Gino." He went to the ropes, and bent down to leave through the bottom two. This was a waste of time, he thought.

"Suzaku!"

Suzaku looked back. And he saw that Gino was staring at him with intense eyes.

"Suzaku Kururugi," Gino said resolutely. "I don't care that you're knighted, and I don't care that you charmed your way into the Knights of the Round by betraying your friend to the Emperor, and I particularly don't care about your so called high-and-mighty attitude. But right here and now, you will fight me or else!"

"Or else what, Gino?" Suzaku answered with equal resolve.

"Or I'll ask the Emperor to completely erase you from Lelouch's memory. I don't think he'd mind, considering how Lelouch murdered Princess Euphemia and that you hate him for doing so. I don't approve of what the Emperor's doing in this regard. It would be better off to just kill Lelouch. But to lose a friend in that matter is no worse than death. People cherish history."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"A man will do anything he deems is necessary if it satisfies his own means. You should know that better than anyone. All I want is a match, nothing more. Show me your resolve. Show me what you care about most. Empower your emotions. And if you win, I'll forgot about the whole thing. But if you lose, say good-bye to Lelouch forever."

This isn't like Gino, Suzaku thought.

He stepped back into the middle of the ring, and Gino tossed him a pair of boxing gloves at him, waste level. Suzaku caught them, and put them on, tightening the strings with his teeth. "Okay Gino, you have your match. I accept your challenge. But I'm not going to fight you at full-strength."

"You're such a hypocrite, Suzaku Kururugi," Gino said.

And Suzaku nodded. "That, I know that all too well," he said. "Let's begin."

To be continued…