Chapter Text
"Well, that was interesting," Lelouch comments as soon as they're free of Schneizel's mindscape. "I never would have expected Schneizel of all people to go for sentiment."
That does seem strange to Suzaku, considering the fact that the man destroyed Pendragon with the FLEIJA with no regard to the fact that he was killing over one hundred of his siblings—among countless other innocent Britannians.
"I think he must remember more than he should," he says. "Otherwise, he would not have known about Kanon's state after the Requiem."
"Well, that's not really a big surprise," C.C. drawls. "Lelouch always did say there was a danger that Schneizel would one day force himself to not acknowledge you as Zero. The question is... Does it really matter? Will you agree to his request, Lelouch?"
Lelouch sits down on the couch and crosses his legs. "The last thing I want right now is to put Suzaku through brain trauma for Schneizel's sake. But on the other hand... It's true that he may come in handy at a later date, and we still have Europia to worry about. I suppose we could use Earl Maldini as a card against him should he ever want to step out of line. Although of course, we'd still have to make sure he gives me the throne."
"I don't think that latter issue would be a problem," Suzaku points out. He eyes Schneizel's form warily. "I'm honestly not sure I could heal him completely even if I tried."
"And let's not forget there's the Geass, which is an uncontrollable added element," C.C. points out. "We definitely need to remove that. If we don't remove him, that is."
Yes, the Geass. Apparently, despite being all twisted up, Lelouch's twin commands did manage to give Schneizel the strength to recover, just enough to make a grab for Lelouch.
That in itself is dangerous and unsettling, and if they don't get rid of Schneizel now, they need to fix it.
Lelouch seems on the fence with regard to what to do with his brother. He's definitely considering their words carefully, which is more than he did in the past, before his conversation with Schneizel.
"Is it worth it, do you think?" he finally asks. "C.C.? Suzaku?"
C.C. sits down next to Lelouch and leans against his shoulder. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Lelouch. He's not the same man you remember, certainly, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous."
"But making rash choices about my siblings has never really worked out for me in the past either," Lelouch muses.
Instantly, Suzaku knows what Lelouch is thinking about. Euphie, and the way he originally decided to deal with the SAZ, in their first lifetime.
"Schneizel isn't Euphy, Lelouch," he points out. The words come out with striking ease, considering the fact that it was the SAZ disaster that tore him and Lelouch apart the first time. He's just as uncertain as his two lovers, but the last thing he wants is for Lelouch to fall into previous patterns of self-blame. That didn't work out too well for them either.
"No, he isn't," Lelouch replies, "but I think we've already established that we can't make the same mistakes we made before."
"And things have been repeating themselves, in one way or another..." C.C. adds.
Maybe that's it. That's what is truly making Suzaku uneasy about the situation. While leaving Schneizel to die does seem like the logical thing to do right now, he once thought many other things were logical. The Requiem too had been logical. And while Suzaku never questioned its efficiency, the whole reason why they're here is to find another way.
If they don't act to assist Schneizel, will their inaction blow up in their faces in the future? Suzaku is unsure. A part of him wishes Schneizel had just died in the first attack on St. Petersburg and removed the necessity for this whole debate to begin with.
"Maybe I could stabilize his condition and we'll decide on what to do on the rest of it at a later date?" he suggests.
"That should work," C.C. comments. "We still have to be careful about the Geass, but technically, we may not have to remove it at once. Schneizel is not Suzaku. If his condition is not life-endangering, the 'live-on' Geass may not have an effect at all."
"And if that happens, we could theoretically leave him under my original Absolute Obedience Geass, and have Earl Maldini as a backup plan." Lelouch sighs. "Fine."
His deep purple eyes fix on Suzaku. "Be careful, Suzaku, and don't strain yourself if you run into any hurdles. I'd rather put a bullet through Schneizel's skull than truly risk your life in any way."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."
Suzaku carefully approaches the bed and takes Schneizel's hand. The contact feels unpleasant, and his Geass is already screaming, letting him know the amount of damage there is to fix.
Technically, he doesn't have the medical knowledge to understand everything that is wrong with Schneizel. The Geass compensates for his lack of information, but it's still far more complicated than anything he's tried in the past.
The brain is the most delicate organ in the body. All those synapses and neurons... All those connections... He should not even be making the attempt.
But if he doesn't, Schneizel is beyond the aid of regular medicine anyway. Besides, Suzaku trusts his contract with C.C., and he's been using the command given to him by Lelouch for years. That has to count for something.
Taking a deep breath, Suzaku reaches for Schneizel's injury with his Geass. It all happens so suddenly. There's a jolt, and explosion of pain, and the world goes blurry.
He doesn't black out, but it's a close call. He's distantly aware of a pair of arms catching him and dragging him away from Schneizel, and on some level, manages to wonder who it is that is actually helping him.
A memory of Lelouch exercising in the SAZ flashes through his mind. He would pant, glare and sweat buckets even as he forced himself through the gym routine they had prepared for him. "You're both utter tyrants," he'd say to both Suzaku and C.C.
"You're the one to point fingers," C.C. would drawl.
Suzaku would laugh and act as the supportive knight/boyfriend he was and take advantage of it when he could. Apparently, Lelouch found it easier to do sit ups if Suzaku kissed him after every single one. C.C. being C.C., she actively encouraged this tendency, and more than one gym session had ended with all of them sweaty and dirty for reasons other than regular exercising.
The memory steadies him, and his vision clears. He finds himself seated on the couch, with his head in C.C.'s lap, and Lelouch kneeling next to them both. "Ugh. That was tougher than expected," Suzaku says.
"I suppose it does make sense," Lelouch says, grimacing and holding Suzaku's hand in an almost painfully tight grip. "The Geass command is probably activated by the cerebral cortex in some way, so you couldn't have supported both your Geass, and the damage it was absorbing for long."
C.C.'s slender fingers rub his temples, and the heat of her palms chases away the lingering pain, much like it did to his out of control Geass haze, during those days when Nunnally was trying to kill him. "Just rest for a moment. Catch your breath."
Suzaku does, taking comfort in both of their touches. It's strange, but when he closes his eyes, he thinks that he can feel both her code and Lelouch's.
"Did I manage to help?" he asks after a long silence.
"I think so," Lelouch replies, his thumb rubbing comforting circles over Suzaku's wrist. "But I'm not sure, and I'm not very eager for you to make a repeat attempt."
Suzaku lifts his head and steals a glance at Schneizel over Lelouch's shoulder. Instantly, he can tell the man is better. Nowhere near where he should be, but not so close to brain dead, at least.
"I'd say he's stable," he decides, slumping back down, "but it would probably be a good idea to get doctors in here to check."
Lelouch nods. "Just stay there with C.C.," he says as he heads to the door. "I'll take care of the rest of it."
Suzaku isn't very happy with the idea of letting Lelouch go anywhere on his own, but he knows that between the code Lelouch now has and Orange's presence, they're fairly safe. Fortunately, Lelouch isn't gone for long. In fact, he comes back mere seconds later, with Euphie and Kanon in tow.
"Your Highness, how... How is His Majesty?" Kanon asks shakily.
"We've managed to stabilize him, but the situation is still serious," Lelouch says.
Kanon only has eyes for Schneizel, but Euphie instantly notices the strangeness of Suzaku's position. How could she not? He hasn't bothered to move, and C.C. is still massaging his temples. "Lelouch?" Euphie asks. "What exactly is going on?"
"I myself had no way of helping Schneizel, so Suzaku had to do it," Lelouch replies.
"Sir Kururugi?" Earl Maldini asks. "But... How? I don't understand."
Lelouch launches himself in a brief explanation of their situation, sticking to their made up story about them being kidnapped by the Order. He mentions Rolo's past, and the fact that he was actually Nunnally's twin, but for the most part, he chooses to heavily emphasize the purpose of the organization and both the advantages and the downsides of the supposed experimentation. He's vague with regard to his own skills and C.C. and focuses on Suzaku's instead. "Suzaku's abilities allow him to take the injury of a wounded person within himself, but obviously they have limits. As you know, he was recently injured, so he wasn't not at 100% either, so it was impossible for him to do too much. At this time, we are not certain he can do more. I'd advise for further medical testing on Schneizel, to see where our attempt has taken him."
Euphie is visibly horrified upon learning the truth about Rolo, so much so that she is rendered mute. Kanon, on the other hand, takes a more practical approach. While he definitely appears to be dumbfounded, there is no denying that Schneizel does look better. So whatever else Kanon may think of the story, he settles on expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness. And thank you, Sir Kururugi. I am truly sorry for everything that you have suffered, and I will do my utmost to assist you in whatever way that I can."
It's rather interesting that Kanon would even think to thank Suzaku at all, but maybe he realizes, more than anyone else, the kind of compromise Lelouch is making here. Not that Suzaku is fooling himself. Kanon's promise is conditional on Lelouch truly being Schneizel's ally.
Still, it's something, and it may come in handy at a later date, considering the unexpected influence Kanon has had on Schneizel.
Nevertheless, he's not sure what kind of reply he should provide, so instead he just says nothing. By now, the pain has pretty much vanished altogether under C.C.'s ministrations, but he isn't above milking it for all it is worth.
"We appreciate your words, Earl Maldini," Lelouch says. "Despite our differences, Schneizel is my brother and I do hope that we can work together in the future. That being said... We can't stay for much longer. We still have a lot to do. Euphie, I know that I've dumped a lot on you once again, but I need a favor."
"Of course, Lelouch," Euphie says without even waiting for him to finish. She straightens her back, visibly forcing herself to remain calm after these new revelations. "What do you need?"
"Since my identity as Zero is now revealed, I want to relocate Nunnally and Rolo. As far as we can tell, we've managed to eradicate Victor's forces, but if anyone escaped, they may target those of us who are left. We also don't know what the long-term reaction of the Japanese will be now that they know the truth, so until things have completely settled down, it is better for everyone to stay together here. I'll leave Orange and Sayoko to supplement your guard, but I need you to accommodate Nunnally and Rolo at the palace."
"Naturally, Lelouch. You don't even have to ask." Euphie shoots him a concerned look. "But do you really think the Japanese would be angry with you, or with Nunnally and Rolo?"
"I doubt it, but it is better to be safe than sorry." Lelouch gives her a quick smile. "Don't worry, Euphie. Yes, we've lost and suffered a lot, but we won't let it be for nothing. Peace will come. We just have to be extra careful until that happens."
Euphie's eyes fill with tears again and she hugs Lelouch tightly, clearly taking comfort in his proximity. As he watches them embrace, Suzaku finally gets up. C.C. joins him and threads their fingers together. And even if Suzaku still isn't sure how he feels about this new development with Schneizel, he decides he does not fear it.
In the end, Schneizel may be the emperor now, but even he has realized that the only one worthy of the Britannian throne is Lelouch. And that is what is going to happen, no matter what other complications appear in their path.
****
Meanwhile, Euro-Britannia
The first thing Monica Krushevsky becomes aware of is the distinctive sound of beeping. It's a very familiar, steady sound, but it's not comforting in the slightest.
Groaning, she cracks her eyes open and is greeted by the predictable sight of a white ceiling. A hospital, obviously, as she expected.
"Welcome back," a familiar, male voice says by her side.
Monica turns and finds herself facing her fellow Rounds, Gino Weinberg. His presence is both shocking and reassuring. "Gino? What... What happened?"
"It's a really long story," Gino says. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Monica forces herself to push past her headache and just like that, the memories come back to her. She remembers accompanying His Majesty to St. Petersburg to investigate the source of the coup that led to the disaster in Pendragon. She remembers the then-unexplainable attack on the palace, the way their own people had turned against them. She had deemed them traitors at the time... until she herself had been targetted.
"I... I betrayed Britannia," she says, in a daze.
"No, you didn't," Gino replies. "It wasn't your fault."
The story he tells her would be too fantastical to be believed if she wasn't just coming off a brainwashing attack that caused her to turn against the Empire. The idea that Britannia has been involved with human experimentation disgusts her deeply, but on some level, she can't say she deems out of the realm of possibility. She is realistic enough to understand that not every single Britannian is scrupulous or has her good intentions. But to think that the royal family would have done it, and not on just anyone, but their own children... That does fill her with horror.
"Due to what was done to him, His Highness, Prince Lelouch, was more informed than others on the threat Britannia was facing. So he put together a strike force to eliminate it."
"The Black Knights, Her Highness's Princess Cornelia's troops, and reinforcements from the Chinese Federation, right?" Monica asks. She remembers that part from the battle, and from the instructions she received when she was forced to fight for the wrong side.
"Yes." Gino nods. "Obviously, we won, and His Highness killed the culprits behind your brainwashing. Whatever sway they had on you and the others broke at that time. Prince Lelouch had already told us to try to mitigate the damage we did and avoid fatalities, so for the most part, we haven't suffered too many losses. And of course, you won't be blamed for your past actions."
Monica nods, but inside, she still isn't sure how she feels about it. She isn't sure she deserves that forgiveness. "I should have been able to fight it," she says, clenching her fists. "I should have been stronger."
"Monica, it doesn't work like that," Gino explains, not unkindly. "It's not something you can stop, no matter how strong you are. There are countless people in your situation. Hell, even His Imperial Majesty was a victim of it."
Monica blinks at Gino. "Truly?"
The attack on His Majesty had gone so quickly, and she herself wasn't present when it actually started. She, Dorothea and Gino had been making their way to give their report when the mayhem had exploded, and they'd run into Kanon Maldini, who had been desperately trying to control the actions of the apparently irrational emperor. Gino had taken over and led them away, while Monica and Dorothea had tried to cover their escape.
Dorothea had not survived it, but they had bought Gino enough time to save the emperor's life. Or so she thinks, at least. During her time working as a brainwashed slave, her 'superiors' seemed convinced that Emperor Schneizel would die anyway, no matter where he was hiding. Either way, neither Shaing, nor any of the others ever explained what was done to the emperor, and she was not aware enough of herself to question them.
Gino is apparently in a far better situation than her. "As I understand it, the subliminal weapon almost forced him to... die, in some way," he explains. "Prince Lelouch has been helping him, but we don't know if or when he will recover completely. There was a lot of brain damage."
Monica's breath catches. What in the world are they supposed to do now? This is the second emperor they've lost in a very short amount of time. Where will the Empire be headed after this?
Gino almost seems to read her mind. "Princess Cornelia has taken over operations here in Euro-Britannia. Prince Lelouch supports us. He's already said that he's most likely leave his position as Zero and that he and Princess Cornelia will work together to help Britannia rebuild."
Prince Lelouch. Zero.
Slowly, Monica's thoughts begin to rearrange.
Maybe at a different time, she would have hated Prince Lelouch for turning to terrorism and taking the side of the Empire's enemies. Even now, Prince Clovis's death reminds her far too much of her own losses. But on the other hand, knowing what she does, can she really blame him for his actions, for wanting to protect the innocent after being used as a test subject for almost half of his life? No, she cannot. If anything, she realizes now that she owes him a lot.
Still, she's so uncertain. As far as she knows, the areas are not completely unstable, but that may change, depending on how the situation goes. Then there's the state of affairs in the EU, which has been growing worse and worse since the Pendragon bombing.
Emperor Charles is gone. Emperor Schneizel is presumably too ill, and will probably have to step down.
The throne will go either to Princess Cornelia or to Prince Lelouch. All of her conclusions are mere speculation. Where is the Empire truly headed?
Who can she ask? Bismarck is gone. So is Dorothea. Nonnette is in Pendragon, and likely has even less information than Monica.
But Gino is right there.
The two of them were never truly friends. He was a more recent addition to the Rounds, and he was closer to Anya than he ever was to her. She never fully understood his decision to turn his back on his family, when the loss of her own father still burned her so fiercely, even after all this time.
But on the other hand, they do have something in common. Both of them have been left with next to nothing. The only support they've had, for some time now, has been their duty to Britannia.
Monica may have her doubts about Gino in some respects, but she trusts him to do the right thing for Britannia as a whole.
She hasn't missed the fact that Gino has mentioned Prince Lelouch several times, and he has been open and straightforward enough with her so far. What else does Gino know that she doesn't?
"Gino... Tell me the truth. What are we supposed to do now? Who are we supposed to support? What is going to happen?"
"I'm not sure about anything, Monica," Gino replies. His blue eyes lack their usual cheerful sparkle. "I don't have all the answers. But we have to face facts. There isn't a real rule that the throne cannot be occupied by a woman, but that's never happened... ever. Besides, you know Princess Cornelia. She's a warrior, not a politician. My take? If things don't take a drastic turn and His Majesty doesn't recover—which quite frankly, seems very unlikely now—Prince Lelouch will be the next emperor. I'm pretty sure Princess Cornelia will support that approach. And I don't know about you, but when that happens, I'll do the same."
Monica considers Gino's words, and weirdly, a weight seems to fall off her shoulders. She has no certainties either, but she does know this.
Without Prince Lelouch, she may have remained a captive in her own mind, an unwilling traitor to the Empire. Without him, Shin Hyuga Shaing may have won and the Empire would have crumbled altogether.
She knows next to nothing about the strange masked man who challenged the Empire on its own turf, but she does know this. He has set aside his own misgivings about Britannia to help them all, and that means something. He is not just a terrorist, no. He is so much more than that, a Britannian prince and knight for justice. That is something and someone Monica can believe in.
Naturally, it is much too soon for her to truly make a decision, but the course of action she must take right now is clear. "You'll just have to introduce him to me then," she tells Gino, already throwing the blanket off herself. "I can hardly be the Knight of Twelve to someone I haven't even met."
Gino smirks, and it's only then that Monica realizes she's practically naked underneath, wearing only a very flimsy hospital gown. She gives him an unimpressed look and throws a pillow as his head. "Stop standing there and leering, idiot. Get me a change of uniform. And an audience with our future emperor."
Gino laughs and quickly rushes out of the room. "Yeah, yeah. I'm on it, Lady Krushevsky."
He flees before she can find something else to throw at him. As she plops back down onto the bed, she thinks about all the other questions she has, and wonders if indeed, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia could hold the answer to them.