A/N: This is story is supposed explore an alternate version of R2, everything that happened in R1 is the same as canon, I always found it funny how lax Suzaku and the emperor were when they tried to cover up Lelouch's geass in the throne room. Suzaku barley covered one eye with his hand so here Lelouch's geass awakens early.
Code Geass: Absolute Obedience
Chapter 1: Power of the Emperor
Throne Room, Imperial Palace - Pendragon
The Black Rebellion had failed. Lelouch vi Britannia had lost everything—his plans, his dreams, and, most painfully, his sister, Nunally. Now, he knelt in chains before his father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, at the mercy of his former best friend, Suzaku Kururugi.
Suzaku shoved him down, forcing him to grovel. "The former 17th heir to the throne, Lelouch vi Britannia. It's been a long time, hasn't it, my errant son?" the Emperor said with mockery laced in his tone.
Lelouch felt anger boil inside him, his humiliation unbearable. To be reduced to this, groveling in front of his greatest enemy while Suzaku stood above him, made his blood burn with rage.
"How dare you!" Lelouch shouted, his voice filled with anguish.
Suzaku pressed him down harder. "You won't use your geass here," Suzaku said coldly.
"Your Majesty," Suzaku continued, bowing to the Emperor, "I have a request. Allow me to join the Knights of the Round—the twelve strongest knights of the Britannian Empire—as a reward for capturing Zero."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "As a reward for capturing zero is that it."
Lelouch's fists clenched as he trembled with fury. "You…" he muttered through gritted teeth.
"I told you before, Lelouch," Suzaku said without a shred of emotion. "I'm going to change this world from the inside."
"Even if it means selling out your friends?" Lelouch spat.
"That's right," Suzaku replied, his words like a dagger to Lelouch's chest.
The Emperor chuckled. "Very well. I like the answer you've given me. Now then, as a Knight of the Round, I order you to cover Zero's left eye."
Suzaku obeyed, using his hand to cover Lelouch's left eye.
The Emperor smiled. "My unworthy son, who dared to raise the banner of rebellion despite his status as a prince… You've been quite a nuisance, but there's still a way to make use of you."
"What do you mean?" Lelouch asked, his voice tinged with unease.
The Emperor leaned forward, his Geass glowing ominously in his eyes. "I will erase your memories—of being Zero, of your mother's death, and of Nunally's very existence. You will remember none of it. You will be insignificant."
Lelouch's heart raced. His entire identity was about to be stripped away. Everything he had fought for, every victory he won, every loss he had endured, all the suffering he went through and most importantly his dear sister were about to be erased from his mind.
"No…" Lelouch whispered, terror creeping into his voice.
The Emperor activated his Geass, but as the sigils began to form, Lelouch felt an overwhelming power ignite within him. His right eye burned with a crimson glow that lit up the dark room, brighter than ever before.
"OBEY ME!" Lelouch roared, his Geass surging forth like a tidal wave.
The Emperor's Geass was overwhelmed. The avian sigil of Lelouch's power shattered the Emperor's defences, forcing its way into his mind.
Before Suzaku could react, Lelouch shouted, "FREE ME!"
The Emperor obeyed, snapping Suzaku away and releasing Lelouch from his bonds. Lelouch stood tall, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Hold him. Don't let him go," Lelouch ordered. The Emperor moved mechanically, pinning Suzaku in place.
Suzaku struggled in vain. "Your Highness, fight it! Break free from his control!"
"Change the system from the inside, huh, Suzaku?" Lelouch said, his voice laced with contempt as he met Suzaku's emerald eyes. "Maybe I will. Or maybe I'll destroy everything and create it anew."
Suzaku glared at him, his fury palpable. "You think this is a game? You're playing with lives!"
Lelouch chuckled, the sound cold and hollow. "Lives, Suzaku? You're the one who betrayed your nation, your people, in the vain hope of gaining a crumb of power. And here you are, still powerless."
"I did it to protect them!" Suzaku snapped, his voice rising with indignation.
"Ironic, isn't it?" Lelouch mused, ignoring Suzaku's protest. "You once told me that ends achieved by contemptible means are unjustified. Yet, you allied yourself with Britannia—helping them slaughter civilians in the Shinjuku and Saitama ghettos. You stood by as Britannian forces executed surrendering troops, all for your dream of 'changing the system from the inside.'"
"That's not true!" Suzaku snarled, his struggles against the Emperor's grip intensifying. "I never fired a shot at an innocent civilian!"
"Neither have I," Lelouch replied coolly, his expression unreadable. "But that doesn't absolve us, does it? We've both caused countless deaths."
Suzaku's breath hitched, his anger giving way to a bitter silence.
"The difference between us," Lelouch continued, stepping closer, "is that my actions were my own. I accept the responsibility for everything I've done, every life lost. You, Suzaku? You're nothing but a pawn in someone else's game. You delude yourself into thinking you have control, but you don't."
Lelouch's smirk widened as he leaned in. "And let's not forget—I won."
"Are you going to kill me, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Like you killed Euphie? Like Shirley's father and the SAZ civilians? Just finish it already."
For a moment, Lelouch's smirk faltered. Suzaku's words struck deep, forcing him to confront the weight of his actions. He closed his eyes, remembering Euphemia's radiant smile, Shirley's kindness, and the countless innocent lives lost.
But his resolve returned. Their deaths, his mistakes, were his burden to bear. They were the reason he had to move forward—to carry the weight of those sacrifices and ensure they were not in vain. If he faltered now, everything they endured, everything he endured, would be meaningless.
When he opened his eyes, his resolve was stronger than ever. "No, Suzaku," Lelouch said, his voice low and icy. "I won't grant you that mercy, Your death would be far too easy. You'll live, but not as the man you are now."
Suzaku's eyes widened in alarm. "What are you talking about?"
Turning to the Emperor, Lelouch commanded, "Erase his memories of Euphie, of me, and of Nunally."
"No! No, you can't!" Suzaku screamed, panic overtaking him. "Please, Lelouch, don't take her memory from me! that's all I have left of her!"
Lelouch's expression hardened. "You should have thought of that before coming here."
"And one more thing," he added with cruel precision. "Make him believe he was arrested for the murder of Genbu Kururugi."
Suzaku's struggles ceased, his body trembling as his mind tried to process what Lelouch had said. "You… you can't…"
"Oh, but I can," Lelouch replied with a wicked grin. "And I will."
The Emperor's Geass activated, its crimson sigils glowing brightly as Suzaku's memories unraveled and reformed. Lelouch watched, his face a mask of malice as Suzaku's screams echoed in the chamber.
When it was done, Suzaku's head hung limply, his body trembling with the aftershocks of the mental assault. Lelouch turned away, a rare flicker of remorse crossing his face. "I'm sorry, Euphie," he muttered under his breath. "What happened to you was an accident. I'll never forgive myself for it. But I won't deny this... I'm enjoying this."
When Suzaku's cries faded and his body went limp, Lelouch stepped back. "Now, Father, render him unconscious," he commanded.
Without hesitation, the Emperor raised his massive hand and slammed Suzaku into the ground with a forceful crash, leaving him unconscious.
"Couldn't you have just done that with your Geass?" Lelouch asked, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"This was more satisfying," the Emperor replied, a ghost of amusement flickering in his expression.
"Figures. Even under my control, you're the same evil bastard," Lelouch muttered, shaking his head.
Turning back to the Emperor, Lelouch's demeanour shifted, his voice firm and calculated. "Where is Nunally?"
"At Aries Villa," the Emperor answered, his tone devoid of emotion. "She has Odysseus looking after her for now. I kept her as a hostage to control you."
Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Thought as much. The royal family knows about Nunally now. If I want to be with her, I'll have to reveal myself sooner or later."
He took a step closer to his father. "Who killed my mother?"
"No one," the Emperor answered flatly.
Lelouch froze. "What?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.
"Your mother was not killed," the Emperor replied.
Lelouch's mind raced. He had seen her body—lifeless, riddled with bullets. "What are you talking about?"
"When my brother, VV, attempted to kill your mother, she used her Geass to transfer her consciousness into another body," the Emperor explained. "She escaped by using Anya Alstreim, who was present at Aries Villa that night. Marianne has been aiding me ever since as the Knight of Six."
The words struck Lelouch like a blow. His mind struggled to process this revelation; the foundation of his rebellion shaken to its core.
"She knew about me and Nunally all this time?" he asked, his voice trembling with barely contained anger.
"Yes," the Emperor confirmed.
"Then why didn't she try to meet us? Why did she allow us to be exiled to Japan?" Lelouch demanded, his voice rising.
"To protect you. Sending you to Japan kept you out of VV's reach," the Emperor said, his voice calm and detached.
Lelouch clenched his fists, his mind spinning. "And yet you invaded Japan. Nunally and I barely survived that war," he hissed.
"We needed to lure out CC," the Emperor explained. "And VV would have found you if we didn't."
"CC?" Lelouch pressed, his brain working at full speed. "Why did you need her?"
"For our plan," the Emperor replied.
Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "What plan?"
The Emperor began to explain in detail the Ragnarök Connection, the Sword of Akasha, and his grand vision to slay God.
Lelouch recoiled in disgust as the scope of the plan unfolded before him. "That's absolute insanity," he said, his voice filled with contempt.
"It is the only way to create the world I seek—the world your mother seeks. The world Nunally seeks," the Emperor said calmly.
"No," Lelouch snapped. "That is not what Nunally wants. A world without lies is a world without progress. Lies—whether good or bad—are part of what makes us human. Without them, you strip away individuality and sentience."
The Emperor remained silent, awaiting his next command.
Lelouch stared at him, calculating. "Will you be able to break through my Geass?"
"Not by myself," the Emperor admitted. "Your Geass is more powerful than mine."
Lelouch frowned. "Not by yourself? Does that mean someone else can help you break free?"
"Yes," the Emperor replied.
Lelouch leaned closer. "Give me the names of anyone who could pose a threat to me and why."
The Emperor obeyed, his voice emotionless as he answered. "My brother, VV: He possesses a Code and is therefore immortal, with extensive knowledge of Geass. Your mother, Marianne: She knows me better than anyone and could easily deduce that I am under your Geass. The Knight of One, Bismarck: His Geass allows him to see the near future, making him difficult to eliminate. Jeremiah Gottwald, former guardian of Aries Villa: He has been equipped with an experimental Geass Canceler that could potentially free me. And finally, your brother, Schneizel: He is the current frontrunner for the throne, with intellect rivalling your own. He has been working on secret projects in Cambodia, though he currently lacks knowledge of Geass."
Lelouch absorbed the information, his mind racing as he pieced together his next moves. Each of these individuals represented a significant challenge, but Lelouch thrived on challenges.
"So, those are the pieces I need to eliminate," Lelouch murmured, a smirk spreading across his face. He turned and walked toward the Emperor's throne, the seat of ultimate power in the world's strongest empire. With calculated grace, he sat down, letting the weight of his triumph settle over him.
The Black Rebellion had failed. Zero had been slain. Yet, here Lelouch was, victorious against all odds, A miracle like no other, the emperor wanted to make him insignificant yet he had turned the tables, wresting control of the Empire from its tyrant and seizing the throne for himself.
Looking down at Suzaku's unconscious body sprawled on the cold floor, Lelouch chuckled. "Don't worry, Suzaku. I'll succeed where you failed. I will change everything—from the inside and the outside."
He leaned back on the throne, his crimson eye's glowing faintly as his mind swirled with plans. The world had yet to see what Lelouch vi Britannia was truly capable of.