Island Paradise: Shattered Masks (Patreon)

It was absolutely, unquestionably, the worst possible situation.

He’d known, intellectually, that it would happen someday.  One day he’d be stranded away from reinforcements, away from a Knightmare, away from his loyal Black Knights, and deep inside enemy territory.  Zero’s enemies were myriad in scope and tenacious in ability, and they would stop at nothing to take advantage of such a moment.  Granted, his Geass would allow him to mount some level of defense, but a situation like that would almost definitely end in a large amount of bloodshed and, possibly, his own capture or death.

It was for this reason he’d created a suicide bomb.

The device was a last ditch effort to extract himself from an untenable position, or failing that, a way to make sure he wasn’t taken alive.  The bomb was the result of long contemplation over whether or not he could allow himself to be captured.  In the end, for Nunnally’s sake, he couldn’t allow that to happen.  Should he fail in his self-imposed mission, even with the power of Geass at his disposal, she would be safe if his identity was never uncovered.

He’d never anticipated being separated from the suicide bomb.

So now, as his gun lay twenty feet away, his suicide bomb probably washed out to sea, and Kururugi Suzaku’s knee planted firmly in the small of his back, he was struck with the painful realization that he should have had another contingency planned for such a situation…

“You’re under arrest for terrorism, murder, inciting rebellion, and numerous other crimes, Zero.  As son as we make contact with the military, I will hand you over to their custody where you will stand trial.”

Lelouch had never heard such a bitter sound as the handcuffs snapping closed.

“I can only hope you’ll ensure that my trial will be as just as your own, private Kururugi,” Zero said bitingly, bringing the Knight of Honor up short for a moment and making Lelouch Lamperouge cringe at the tone he took with his best friend.

“I was, uh…promoted to Warrant Officer,” Suzaku said quietly.  “It was at Princess Euphiemia’s insistence.”

“Another person I saved when you couldn’t,” Zero observed blandly, a plan slowly formulating, “Twice now, I believe?  After all, you’d foolishly assumed someone with her temperament wouldn’t move to rescue her own knight from his stupidity.”

“Euphie was-“ Suzaku began, paling considerably.  “Wha-I don’t…”

The Knight’s eyes fixated on Zero’s blank mask.

Lelouch belatedly realized he had miss-stepped.

“What did you do?” Suzaku growled.  “I remember forcing you into the cockpit, but after that…”  The Knight of Honor narrowed his eyes, glaring at the expressionless mask.  “Why am I even bothering to ask?”

Behind his mask, Lelouch blinked, even as Zero was wondering exactly how bad this situation was going to get…and trying to think up a contingency.

“You’re Zero,” Suzaku said slowly, as if acknowledging it for the first time.  “It’s useless to try interrogating a mask…but no one’s ever tried interrogating the man behind it, have they?”

Of course, Lelouch realized,of course he would take off my mask.

“I don’t suppose warning you that you won’t like what find will have any effect on your resolve?”  Zero asked, resigned.  “Removing my mask will only bring you sadness and despair, Kururugi.”

Suzaku paused at that.  He’d heard many words modulated through that mask, and a variety of emotions to go with them.  Zero had seemed casually arrogant when he stared down Jeremiah Gottwald.  In private, when Zero removed the collar from his neck, the bitter anger at his seemingly irrational decision to go back to his trial.  The ‘hero of justice’ had been triumphant in his victory over Princess Cornellia.  But, he’d never heard Zero sound…

Melancholic?

Guilty?

What could he possibly mean-

Every thought in Suzaku’s mind paused as the mask came away in his hand.  Blank, gaping shock absorbed anything he was planning to say as midnight-dark hair emerged, violet eyes flashing in the island sunlight.  In that moment, the bottom dropped out of his stomach, leaving nothing but an ice-cold feeling and an unusual awareness of the fact that this was Zero he was sitting next to!

In that same moment, that life-changing moment that would measure from here to his death, he desperately wanted to believe that what he was seeing was another mask.  He wanted to believe that Zero was, somehow, all-knowing as so many had stated, and that he had somehow anticipated this situation…and worn another mask underneath his the black one he was holding in his hand.

“Hello Suzaku,” Lelouch said, his voice tight and constricted as if knowing how much pain he was causing his best friend.  “For what it’s worth...I’m sorry.”

Kallen, whether Kozuki or Stadfield, excelled in many things.

She was a skilled Knightmare pilot, a fine student, and a gifted soldier.  Of course, all of those things involved following orders.  Simply put, Kallen followed orders exceedingly well, but tended to loose sight of overall objectives when left to her own devices.  She was also fiercely independent, though, and following just anyone’s orders wasn’t acceptable…

And that was when Zero appeared.

The voice she had heard in Shinjuku…there was something magic about it, something that absolutely demanded obedience and she was more than willing to give it.  Zero had gone from a suspicious voice on a radio to being something close to her own personal God…if she were honest with herself.  The sense of fulfillment in carrying out his orders was something that she’d never experienced before or since.  In fact, the feeling was almost a high, a kind of euphoric drug-induced sensation that left her giddy with excitement.

Which was why, when she came face-to-face with a member of the Britainnian royal family, or rather, this member, alone, on a deserted island, she didn’t gut the woman like every cell in her body screamed to do.  Zero had issued an order regarding the woman when they’d last encountered her, and…

Euphemia Li Britainnia is not to be harmed.  She, unlike her family, has unerringly served the call of peace and justice.  Under no circumstances is anyone to allow her to be injured.

A flowing pink ball gown lay on the beach in front of them, drying, even as it’s owner dried herself with a combination of the sun and a Black Knight’s jacket.  The silence, even as Kallen watched the princess warily from her resting, was tense.  Finally, Euphemia turned her head towards the red-haired woman and smiled tentatively.

“I-I never did thank you properly…”

Kallen sighed inwardly at the poor attempt to trick her into giving away information.  Instead, she fixed her eyes on the horizon and said, “Q-1.”

Euphemia blinked.

“Call me Q-1,” Kallen repeated.  “It’s my codename.”

The pinkette nodded pensively, “You must be very important to Zero, then…I mean, Q-1 is what they call the Queen in chess, right?”

Smooth move Kallen, she berated herself internally.  “I don’t play.”

Euphemia smiled, “To be honest, neither do I.  A few of my brothers, though… I think Schneizel would eat, sleep, and breathe chess if he ever found a good opponent.”  The giggle that followed faded away and, after risking a look at the princess, Kallen was surprised to see a certain sadness in her gaze.

“Is…something wrong?”  Kallen asked hesitantly, wondering why she was even bothering to try to comfort the other woman.

“I-I just…Clovis used to love to play.”

Kallen’s head snapped up, she couldn’t restrain the snarl on her lips at hearing that name.  Angrily, she spat into the sand, “Clovis was a monster.”

“Maybe to you,” Euphemia said after a moment, “But to me…he was my doting older brother, a gifted artist, and always gave me the best birthday presents.”

Kallen was silent for a long moment, her rage draining from her like a punctured balloon.  When she spoke this time, her voice was cool and her eyes wet.  “My brother’s name was Naoto.  Your brother sentenced him to death for trying to free his country.  The public execution was the talk of the Britainnian settlement for days…at least Zero didn’t make Clovis’ death into a spectator’s sport.”

“I’m sorry.”

Of all the things she could have said, it was probably the one thing Kallen didn’t expect.  “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Euphemia repeated, meeting Kallen’s eyes with what dignity she could despite her dress.  “My family has dealt yours a grievous wound.  For what it’s worth, I apologize.  I know the pain of loosing a loved one and can imagine how badly it hurt you to go through that.  I don’t begrudge you joining the Black Knights, either.  I would rather you not seek a solution to your problems through violence, but-”

The pilot of the Gurren slammed her hand against the stone they were resting against, startling the princess into silence.  Euphemia winced at the pain on the other woman’s face, at a loss for words in the face of someone her country and family had wounded so deeply.

“Y-you can’t just apologize!” Kallen cried, frustrated tears falling from her eyes as she fought to contain her anger.  “You can’t tell me that you’re sorrylike a normal person!  I-I can’t…it would just…be so much easier to be angry with you…and I can’t do that if you…”  Kallen voice cracked and she shook her head viciously to stave off a sob.

The was another silence as the red-head got her emotions under control.

“Why…why did you save me?” Euphemia asked quietly.  “I mean, you could have just let me drown…”

“Zero gave orders that you weren’t to be allowed to fall to harm,” Kallen stated, glad for the subject change.

“Oh…I don’t guess you would know why?”

Kallen shrugged, “Do you think I would tell you if I did?  We’re on different sides after all.”

“I just want to understand Zero,” Euphemia said, meeting Kallen’s eyes again.  “I want to stop the fighting that has cost us both so much already…and I can’t do that without knowing what Zero wants.”