Part Two:

"The Attacked Knight"

Suzaku was awakened a few hours later by soft, but angry cat sounds.

"Arthur, go back to sleep," he said sleepily.

Then he thought, maybe it wasn't Arthur? Perhaps it was one of the other cats in and around the area that were always getting into cat-fights over territory disputes. Before moving back into the house, he found a colony of cats squatting inside. He liked cats, but he had to kick them out. Now they just roamed the area.

Cats are affectionate animals, he recalled, but when they feel something belongs to them, they make sure to stand their ground. He had been awakened many times over the cats fighting. He meant to call Animal Services about them, but continuously forgot. Arthur had never gotten into a cat fight, but most-assuredly, if push came to shove, I know he'd win.

He drifted off again…

Only to be awaken a minute later by even louder angry cat sounds.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Arthur.

The feline was standing on the edge of the bed with his heckles erect, as if angry or frightened of something. He was looking towards the closed bedroom door. It was almost like Arthur sensed danger. That something was in the house.

"Perhaps it's the guard on duty?" Suzaku said. But not even he bought that idea. He had ordered the guard to stand outside at the front entrance of the house. If indeed it was the guard, he'd have an some explaining to do. Insubordination was insubordination, regardless the reason. And besides, Arthur had sniffed the guard thoroughly before he was assigned and approved of him. He came to trust the cat's judgment.

Floor boards creaked. Arthur didn't let up his guard.

"You have my attention now, Arthur," he said. "Someone is in the house."

He swiveled out of bed. Wearing only a pair of shorts, he reached for a robe to cover himself. Then he pulled open a drawer in his night stand and grabbed a pistol.

Arthur jumped off the bed and went to the door. Then scratched at it, wanting out.

Without allowing for the door to open even half way, Arthur raced out into the hallway, bumping Suzaku's leg. He was like a predator out for his prey.

"Arthur, come back here!" But the cat ignored his plea.

Arthur ran into the sitting room down the hall. It was the biggest room in the house and it stored everything Suzaku had brought with him when he moved in, but there just hadn't been time to unpack.

He heard a thump. And all was quiet. Arthur was silent.

"Arthur," he called out. "What happened to you?"

He entered the sitting room, flicked on a wall switch, and stopped short. There were three masked armed men standing inside. With pistol in hand, he said, "What the hell are you doing in my house!" He saw Arthur immobile on the floor. Sticking in his side was what looked like a tranquilizer dart.

The three men faced Suzaku, weapons at ready, aimed at him. Two of them looked like typical masked marauders, but the third, and most likely their leader, wore an open black leather jacket with a red and black intricately designed dragon tattoo across his muscular chest. It seemed to wrap around his body, like a symbioite. He stood between the other two, as if to affirm Suzaku's assumption. And in one hand was a golden luger, its partner was holstered on his left side. In his other hand was the tranquilizer gun he had used on Arthur.

Suzaku looked upon the man with disdain and hate. "If Arthur doesn't make a full recovery, you're dead!"

The man laughed. "You outta be more concerned about yourself right now and not some stupid feline."

"That so-called stupid feline is my friend and means more to me than the world!"

"People and their pets, what a pathetic relationship," said the man with obvious dislike.

"You've obviously never had a pet."

"No, I haven't. But I did have a brother, and he meant the world to me." The man unmasked. He was Japanese, in his mid thirties. "And you killed him, Suzaku Kururugi; you, and your heathen brethren, the Knights of the Round!"

Suzaku shook his head slightly, confused. "Who are you referring to? Wait, I know you. You were one of the Eleven's protesting at the fence when that man was killed by firing squad. I remember, you were shouting the loudest, and were cursing me, as I presided, reluctantly, mind you, over the execution. He was your brother?"

"Yes, and now I'm going to send you to Hell!"

The man fired his luger at Suzaku.

Suzaku dived out of the way and took refuge behind a wooden crate. He pushed his back against it. It held some valuable items that he himself packaged carefully. But it didn't hold up, and after more shots, the bullets zipped through the crate easily and exited out next to him.

He moved quickly, scampering to a safer location. And while doing so, fired off a shot. It went wild, missing all three men. His movement and angle caused his aim to be miscalculated. He was normally a good shot.

I managed to crack Zero, Lelouch's mask in half, breaking it off him, square-centered, without killing him, on Kaminejima Island when we fought.

It was a simple miss this time. But he didn't miss with the second shot when he settled in in his new position, and fired at one of the two still masked henchmen, hitting him in the chest. Unfortunately, he was wearing a bulletproof vest. So was the other one.

But not Chika - for that was the man's surname who was executed. The man's name who was executed was Daisuke Chika. That name was etched into Suzaku's mind, even though it was but only one person who had tried to kill him since becoming a Knight of the Round, or even a military officer. But it was an expected risk associated with his chosen profession. Chika had an older brother named Hachirou. This was him.

Hachirou Chika's chest was exposed, and Suzaku took a shot, but it missed when Hachirou veered to the right to avoid it.

One of Hackirou's henchman fired at Suzaku, but well protected behind Arthur's grossly oversize toy/scratching post/domicile - a joke gift from Gino - the bullets became embedded in its thick hardwood framework that was covered with a soft material used for grip.

Sorry Arthur, he thought.

He had thought to getting rid of it because he was so large, only keeping it because Gino bought it, but now there was a valid reason. Besides, Arthur never used it. He didn't even think Arthur liked it.

Suzaku took a shot, quickly turning, and made a kill, sending a bullet in the same man's forehead. He dropped like a stone.

Suzaku turned back, again hiding behind the toy post.

After that, the weapons fire intensified profusely. And Suzaku couldn't fire back. But he knew eventually, they'd get wise, and one would cover the other, while the other maneuvered around to a more accessible position to kill him.

And that's exactly what began to transpire. And yet, Suzaku anticipated it. He was prepared, training for scenarios like this during his years in the Britannian infantry.

He pushed back and toppled Arthur's toy post onto the masked thug temporarily distracting him, then fired, sending a bullet coursing through his neck. Two down, Suzaku thought.

But it was then he heard a shot and felt a sharp prick in his chest. "Ow." He looked down and saw a tranquilizer dart embedded center square. "Oh crap!" He pulled it out and dropped it. The effects of the sedative were almost instantaneous.

He looked up and saw Hachirou. He foresaw the Panzer Maneuver (a term used in the military during battle when an enemy traps his opponent from all sides), but underestimated the insidious nature of the man, sacrificing his henchman to get the shot.

With little option, he backed away, but stumbled, and his gun slipped from his hand. He felt woozy. His body was quickly becoming retarded from the dart.

Hachirou pointed his lugar at Suzaku. Suzaku looked straight up its barrel.

After everything that I've accomplished in such a short time...is this where I'm going to die?

And despite the demands of the Geass Lelouch forced upon him, causing confusion and chaos of his convictions, coursing through his mind, now screaming for him to flee, and to live, it was no match for the tranquilizer.

"Sweet dreams, good knight," Hachirou said with a sneering smile.

But Suzaku would never hear the shot that would take his life. And he collapsed in unconsciousness.

To be continued...