Checkmate in Five

by aishuu

And then there was silence.

Rivalz wasn't sure what has happened, but after Nina was disarmed, the battle moved elsewhere. The Black Knights – including Kallen, oh god, Kallen - abandoned the school, and left the shattered remains of the students who had been held hostage.

As the sun rose over the remnants of the academy, Milly stepped forward and started to issue commands. Rivalz and Shirley followed in her wake as the remnants of the student council brought the students under control. Acting was better than waiting, even if it was cleaning up debris left behind from battle.

Lelouch never arrived, and Nunnally had gone missing. He wondered if his friend was dead – and then felt stupid for thinking that. Lelouch was a genius; there was no way he'd let himself be taken out by a street war.

...provided his body was up to the strain. It was no secret that Lelouch was a poor physical specimen.

As things settled down – and thousands of Elevens were killed for the insurgency – Rivalz started to worry. Nina was taken away, "for her own safety," and Lelouch wasn't answering his phone. But Rivalz kept hitting the speed dial, hoping for some kind of reply.

But none ever came.

It was a week before things began to settle down, and the "Massacre Princess" was laid to rest.

They stood in assembly, the students who hadn't been pulled out from school, and watched the required broadcast with solemn respect. Milly remembered how sweet Euphemia had been, and couldn't reconcile what had happened with the young lady she had met. Euphemia had been so kind, so caring about others. There was no way Suzaku would have followed her if she hadn't been.

Suzaku, as Euphemia's disgraced knight, had not been allowed to attend the ceremony. But he hadn't returned to school, either, for obvious reasons. A news story from the palace a week ago had announced that Suzaku Kururugi had captured Zero, and brought him before King Charles for justice.

That, more than anything, had quelled the rebellion. Without Zero, the Elevens didn't have a hope of winning. He had been exceptional, a master tactician able to turn the paltry resources of the resistance fighters into a force that had actually taxed the Britannian Army.

Milly, honestly, could care less. She wasn't so shallow as not to realize the importance of global events, but she was more concerned about what Ashford Academy was like... and where her fiance was. She hadn't heard a thing from Lloyd at all, and wondered if he even thought of her.

She was worried about Nunnally and Lelouch, and what had happened to them. She wondered if Nina had been punished yet for bringing out the Nightmare Frame. She had so many questions she wanted to answer, but most of all, Milly wondered if life will ever feel safe again.

Two weeks after the special area incident, the temporary Governor General Schneizel announced that the new governor would be arriving the next day.

Shirley stared at the news broadcast, which was feeding the interview with Prince Schneizel to Area 11. She'd always thought the Second Prince was a handsome man, and two years before she'd even used a daily calendar festooned with glamorous shots of him. She still hadn't entirely outgrown that crush, but had come to realize it was unlikely they'd ever meet, let alone fall in love.

But despite her prior adoration of Schneizel, she wasn't interested in watching him at the moment. Since the failed rebellion, people had been jumping at shadows, worried that the Elevens would strike again, or that Zero would step out of whatever shadow he'd fallen under and start the whole cycle up again.

Shirley wished that life would start making sense again. The teachers were only half-hearted when it came to conducting classes, and she felt guilty for trying to have fun. Whoever the new Governor General was, hopefully that person would be able to restore life to normal.

"Britannians and Elevens, I give you the new Governor-General of Area 11, my beloved younger brother, Lelouch vi Britannia. He will help return stability to Area 11, protecting our citizens and leading this Area into the future. All Hail Britannia!" Schneizel announced in a passionate voice.

The visual changed to a youth – one who looked about her age – with dark black hair and brilliant purple eyes, who nodded solemnly. Around her, people gasped in shock, breaking the usually perfect silence required at assembly.

Shirley stared at his face, trying to place where she had seen him before.

Kallen stared in horror at the news broadcast as she watched Lelouch vow to restore order to Area 11.

She hadn't told any of her surviving comrades – those few that had escaped capture – who Zero really was. The could accept he was Britannian, but finding out that he was actually a member a the royal family would destroy them...

If he didn't get there first. Unlike the others, who were staring at the previously unknown member of the Royal Family, she knew exactly what Lelouch was capable of.

Tohdoh, who'd somehow managed to escape the carnage which had nearly resulted in their complete annihilation, noted her shocked reaction. "Have you met him, Kallen?"

A part of her wanted to blurt the whole story out, and warn him exactly what kind of monster they would soon be facing, but she caught herself in time. "We went to Ashford Academy together," she said simply instead. Then, because her conscience wouldn't leave it at that, she continued, "We're in trouble."

"Oh?"

"Lelouch has a way of getting things done," she said. "If he really means to destroy us, he probably will."

Suzaku stood silently by the side of the new Governor General of Area 11, wishing he dared kill Lelouch or could kill himself. Never in his darkest imaginings had he thought things would fall out like this.

Dressed in a vivid purple just a hair off from the color of his eyes, Lelouch stood easily before the cameras. His features were blank, but it wasn't a studied indifference. Rather, his eyes were dead, lacking the glint of pride that so characterized him. But he spoke well, with the gift of a naturally-born demagogue, promising the residents of Area 11 that he would restore order and make the region a valuable member of the Holy Empire of Britannia.

Suzaku knew his role was more than serving as a babysitter, despite what his outward role was. It was both his reward for capturing Zero and his punishment for failing Euphemia. There could be no greater trial than to be forced to protect the one who had killed the girl he loved.

Emperor Charles di Britannia had known that, when he'd assigned him this task. Suzaku had been the one to bring Lelouch to the throne room, forcing him to kneel before his estranged father. Suzaku had been the only one to hear the Emperor declare Lelouch's fate.

The man had merely smiled, before proclaiming that Lelouch would have to face the results of his sins head-on – as the new Governor-General of Area 11.

"You made the mess, now you fix it," Charles had demanded. "If you don't, Nunnally will be sent to live in the Eleven ghetto."

It was a fantastic threat. The one thing that could motivate Lelouch was his sister's safety.

Now he listened to Lelouch boldly denounce all of the actions of Zero, and what Zero had stood for. It was true Lelouch had no conscience – it would be Suzaku's job to temper his heartlessness.

"I promise, as the new Governor-General of Area 11, I will not repeat the mistakes of my predecessor. I will ensure that the proper order of nature is restored, pacifying those who mistakenly followed the lead of the cur Zero. No one can stand against the might of the Holy Britannian Empire!"

The people living in Area 11 didn't know it yet, but they were about to enter a new era. Unlike Euphemia, there was no chance that Lelouch would be weak. When Lelouch set his mind to achieving a goal, it took a miracle to stop him.

Charles knew this, Suzaku thought. And he'd managed to get Lelouch exactly where he wanted him... serving his cause, turning Lelouch into the most powerful piece in his arsenal against any who would oppose the empire. With Lelouch in Area 11, he was in a perfect position to strike against the Empire of China.

And Lelouch would, once he worked out a plan. With Nunnally's safety in the balance, there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep his father appeased.

But Suzaku still had a couple of moves of his own to play. He would use Lelouch to protect the Japanese people; he had no qualms about manipulating his former best friend, because Lelouch had already shown he didn't value friendship at all. Suzaku was a smart man; he learned ruthlessness from the best.