Nunnally Held Hostage (episode)

Nunnally Held Hostage is the sixteenth episode of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

Summary
C.C. departs as a messenger to the Chinese Federation and Milly has a marriage interview with Lloyd Asplund, creator of the Lancelot. Mao returns to kidnap Lelouch's sister, Nunnally, and holds her hostage in the Ashford Academy sewers. Lelouch and Suzaku work together to rescue her, with Suzaku's physical adeptness and the clever use of Lelouch's Geass proving to be beyond Mao's planning. Before he can be arrested, Mao reveals Suzaku killed his own father, Genbu Kururugi; in return, Lelouch silences him with his power and C.C. returns to end Mao's life as Suzaku crumbles to the ground, confronted with his actions after years of secrecy.

Plot
Following the damage it received at the Battle of Port Yokosuka, the Guren Mk-II is repaired and tested by Kallen. Diethard, meanwhile, informs Zero that India and the Kyoto House have allied with each other and that Rakshata is arriving soon. Also, the Black Knights have begun to monopolize, with 14 subsidiaries and total control of all of Japan's warehouses. This spreading out of troops has resulted in 47 members getting arrested, but they are so low-ranking that Britannia can't get anything out of them. Inoue then instructs Diethard to mention that Tohdoh has yet to be located. After the call, Lelouch has C.C. be disguised as an ambassador for a meeting with the Chinese Federation, forging a passport for her, unaware that Mao is present and still alive.

In a flashback, Lelouch is carrying Nunnally on his back, with Suzaku accompanying them. They are fleeing for the main Kururugi house, with the rest of the civilians around them having been mercilessly slaughtered. Seeing the dead bodies, Suzaku loses his nerve and begins to break down. Lelouch lies to Nunnally that they are heading by a garbage dump, and Nunnally touches Suzaku's face to comfort him. Suzaku meets with Lelouch the next morning and they talk about both of them cutting class. In the process, Suzaku nearly reveals that he is the Lancelot pilot. Lelouch then invites him to dinner; Suzaku agrees but wonders if he might cause trouble. Just then, Rivalz screeches beside them in his sidecar and gets in Lelouch's face, complaining that he didn't tell him about Milly's next marriage interview that day (revealing that he has a crush on her) for the sole reason it would make him cry. Rivalz claims that boys don't cry and in his frustration calls a comforting Suzaku "emo". Lelouch then departs to tell Nunnally about the dinner, to Rivalz's frustration. Nunnally, meanwhile, is making a paper crane when Sayoko appears to come into the room. However, it is actually a heavily-bandaged Mao (having recovered at a hospital), who begins clapping and smiling devilishly.

Milly, dressed up over-fashionably, is revealed to be having the interview with, of all people, Lloyd. Lloyd asks if it is weird that the interview is in his lab rather than a hotel, but Milly says it's fine since she heard he was "unique", and it is shown that the Ashford family is trying to get Milly married to regain the family's noble status, which Lloyd has no interest in. As Cecile brings them drinks, Lloyd then tries to get out of the conversation and says that they should get married without the interview, much to Milly's shock. Lelouch then arrives back and discovers Nunnally has been kidnapped in a photo of her bound and gagged. The phone rings and Lelouch answers it to hear both her and Mao. Lelouch tries to bargain by saying that C.C. isn't there, but Mao says that that's why he did it and reveals he is within 500 meters. He gives Lelouch five hours to find them on the condition that the police aren't involved. As Mao hangs up, Nunnally says that what he is doing is not very nice, much to Mao's amusement.

At the Student Council, Rivalz tells everyone about Lelouch and Shirley's "fight". Suzaku and Nina appear concerned, but Kallen says it's best to let them be with their "lover spat". Immediately, Suzaku questions why Kallen wouldn't be upset, and Kallen again denies that they are romantically linked. Rivalz decides to listen to her and admits that Lelouch is good with theory but has no experience with general social etiquette, explaining why he hasn't "taken the plunge" (confessed to Kallen); the whole scenario makes a similarly-feeling Nina feel on edge. Just when Nina nearly is about to crash, Arthur bites Suzaku while he and Kallen are feeding him. Just then Lelouch comes into the room and sees Nunnally is not there. Rivalz tries to ask him about Shirley but Lelouch walks by them and leaves the room, with Suzaku discreetly following. As Lelouch heads up a flight of stairs, Suzaku reveals himself. He sees the photo and realizes what is happening. Meanwhile, Ohgi arrives at his home when he discovers Villetta has taken his food and cooked both of them a meal, still having amnesia, and has not gone out of the house due to them being in Japanese territory; it is also shown that Ohgi has placed security cameras around his house.

Suzaku decides to help Lelouch, and Lelouch agrees. Lelouch says it has nothing to do with the Royal Family or his gambling, and that it's "just a psychopath who wants to keep a girl all too himself"; he also says that if they go to the police or army, Lelouch's identity would be exposed, so they have to gun it alone. Using a lead from the fact there was running water in the background, they head to an elevator that leads to the underground sewer system. Lelouch, having partial access to it via the Student Council, hacks into the code that leads them downward, and Suzaku guesses that Lelouch uses this to do his gambling. They discover a machine gun at the bottom, and though Lelouch prepares to disable it, Suzaku runs right at it, up the wall, and kicks it off. In the sewers they discover Nunnally, as well as a motion-sensitive bomb right above her that will explode if Nunnally is moved an inch. As Suzaku reassures her by saying that he and Lelouch can do anything together, they decipher how to diffuse the bomb. Lelouch says that can do so by cutting the right wire, which he could easily deduce from the other two, but if it's wrong and the right one is moved, then it will destroy Ashford entirely. Suzaku decides to take the risk. Sayoko, meanwhile, is at the grocery when she gets a call.

At Ashford, Lelouch has Suzaku stay with Nunnally while he goes back up, finding Mao (who is complaining to himself about all the students' minds) inside a chapel. Mao questions why Lelouch hasn't done anything to stop Mao physically, and it is revealed that Mao called him up there personally for a "game", which Mao reveals to be chess. At Britannia's government headquarters, Cornelia and Euphemia are on the roof garden, relaxing for the first time in a while. Euphemia notices that the garden, which was made by Clovis, is strikingly similar to Marianne's; Cornelia notices it also, but wonders why Clovis would reconstruct it, and Euphemia suggests it was out of a grudge for Lelouch. Cornelia then vows to not only avenge him, but Lelouch and Nunnally as well. Mao then explains the rules of the chess game: it matters not whether checkmate is called but rather how many pieces are taken. Once the pieces are taken they are placed on respective sides of a scale. If Mao gets enough pieces, a switch will trigger the bomb and detonate it; however, if Lelouch gets enough pieces, another switch will disarm the bomb.

As Suzaku climbs up to disable the bomb, Lelouch reluctantly agrees, and Mao swiftly takes five of his pieces. He then admits that Lelouch has a two-track mind; one is a critic that judges the people around him, and another is an observer who keeps the critic in check. Mao then notes that Lelouch is planning to confuse him with numerous plans, but Mao can figure it out, and he takes more pieces so that the needle is just on the edge. Desperate and out of options, Lelouch asks Mao if he's done enough, and finally concedes. This causes Mao to clap furiously, saying that Lelouch is finally revealing his true self, but he refuses and takes the last necessary piece. However, after Lelouch collapses to the ground, the bomb doesn't activate, and it is revealed that Suzaku disabled the bomb in time. Suzaku proceeds to jump through a stained-glass window and knock Mao to the floor. Mao questions how he could do it, and Suzaku says he did so per Lelouch's instructions. Lelouch then remembers that he gave Suzaku this order and used Geass on himself via a mirror to forget it happened, thereby preventing Mao from figuring it out, and since Mao was focused on Lelouch he couldn't read Suzaku's mind.

Sayoko frees Nunnally as Suzaku apprehends Mao. Mao then tries to resist and calls Suzaku "father-killer", to both Suzaku's and Lelouch's shock. Mao then reveals that, seven years ago, Genbu Kururugi attempted to resist Britannia's forces, but Suzaku thought a war would kill more people than a simple invasion and protested him to stop. As the resistance continued, Suzaku confronted his father again on it, tried to attack Genbu to force him to listen, and when Genbu slapped him away he lost it and stabbed his father in the belief it would stop the war, but only allowed Britannia to kill whoever they chose; Genbu's death was ruled a suicide and Suzaku hid his mistake from the world. Because of this mistake, Suzaku now tries to save every single life he can, and the only reason for his reformism beliefs is so that he can selfishly redeem his own soul.

In anguish, Suzaku screams and collapses to his knees, and an enraged Lelouch uses Geass on Mao to make him mute. A horrified Mao then flees the chapel, but discovers C.C. outside. As Mao approaches her, C.C. admits that she did love Mao, even if it wasn't how he pictured it, and says she wants him to wait for her in "C's world". She then shoots Mao in the neck with a dart pistol, killing him once and for all. As Lelouch witnesses this, he sees that Suzaku is still traumatized and thus hasn't seen a thing.

Battles

 * N/A

Powers or Abilities used

 * Lelouch's Geass
 * Mao's Geass

Quotes

 * Rivalz interrupts a conversation between Lelouch and Suzaku by charging in on his motorcycle
 * Rivalz: Hey, Lelouch! [gets off his motorcycle]
 * Lelouch Lamperouge: What's wrong?
 * Rivalz: I heard the President's doing a blind date thing again!
 * Lelouch: Yeah, today.
 * Rivalz: Today?! [grabs Lelouch by the collar] Why didn't you tell me about it?!
 * Lelouch: Because it'd make you cry.
 * Rivalz: Boys don't cry!
 * Suzaku: It's okay. I didn't know about it either.
 * Rivalz: [lets go of Lelouch and turns towards Suzaku] Don't give me your emo routine!
 * Suzaku: Emo?
 * Lelouch: I guess compassion is not in fashion these days.
 * Conversation between Lloyd, Cecile, and Milly
 * "I'm surprised you're interested in a girl from the downgraded Ashford family after it lost its rank." -Milly
 * "Oh-ho! But, I couldn't care less about loss of rank." -Lloyd
 * "Excuse me." -Cecile
 * "I'm sorry to trouble you." -Milly
 * "Not at all. take your time." -Cecile
 * "No need for that. Why draw it out? Let's get married." -Lloyd
 * "Huh?! That's it?!" -Milly
 * "Getting cold feet?"-Lloyd


 * Conversation between Mao and Lelouch
 * "Well if it isn't Casanova. No weapons. No strategy. You didn't defuse the bomb. Didn't deploy the Black Knights or your friend. What's wrong Lou Lou?" -Mao
 * "I'm not explaining anything to you. The final game, is it ready?" -Lelouch
 * "Let's put an end to this. With your specialty." -Mao
 * Mao's plan to blow up Nunnally has been thwarted by Lelouch and Suzaku's combined efforts
 * Lelouch: Hmph.
 * Mao: You think you've beat me, huh?!
 * Suzaku: [grabs Mao] Stop it!
 * Mao: Get your hands off of me, father-killer! [Suzaku is paralyzed in shock]
 * Mao: You killed your father seven years ago. Heh. He called for do-or-die resistance, and you thought stopping him would end the war. What a childish idea. The fact is, you're a murderer!
 * Suzaku: That's not true! I just-- I--
 * Mao: How lucky for you that no one ever found out. All the adults lied to protect you. Lelouch: But all the reports said his suicide was a protest against the military actions.
 * Mao: A big, fat lie, all of it!
 * Lelouch: A lie?
 * Suzaku: I didn't have any choice! If I didn't, Japan would have--
 * Mao: That's how you justify it in retrospect? Well, it explains your death wish! [Suzaku gasps] You want to save people's lives? It's your own wretched soul you're trying to save! That's why you're always charging into danger, placing yourself on the edge of death! [Suzaku falls to his knees and wails in anguish]
 * Mao: You're no hero! You're just trying to wash the blood off your hands! A little brat begging to be punished!
 * Lelouch: MAO!!! [activates Geass] NEVER SPEAK AGAIN!!!
 * Mao: What-- No! [Mao is overcome by Lelouch's command and is reduced to unintelligible babbling; Lelouch charges towards Mao and attempts to punch him, only to miss as Mao starts walking away]
 * Lelouch: Mao! [Mao exits the church and catches sight of C.C. standing in the courtyard]
 * C.C.: I did love you, Mao. [Mao babbles as he walks towards C.C.]
 * C.C.: Mao, I want you to go and wait for me…in C's World. [puts a silenced pistol to Mao's neck and fires, killing him] [Mao's corpse drops to the ground right before the church doors close; Lelouch looks back at a catatonic Suzaku]
 * Suzaku: I just… I just…


 * "We need to stabilize this area and capture Zero fast. To avenge Clovis, as well as Lelouch and Nunnally. This land has taken the lives of three of our siblings. It's soaked in our family's blood." -Cornelia
 * "My mom told me that human contact is the best cure for teary eyes." -Nunnally
 * "I did love you, Mao. Mao, I want you to go and wait for me, in Cs' World." -C.C.
 * "In this world, evil can arise from the best intentions. And there is good that can come from evil intentions. How then should Lelouch's actions be taken? Every man has his day of judgement, does he not? Geass: He who uses this inhuman power will find his heart isolated; whether he wants it that way or not. Thus he plummets into the abyss that lies good and evil. But if a man can climb out of that abyss and into the light, then that man has the soul of a king." [Narratng]-C.C.
 * "I'm a fool. In the end I never asked the terms of the contract she made with Mao. Suzaku, when we were reunited why didn't I... No. He's been trying to tell me for a long time now. I should have confronted him right from the start." -Lelouch (Preview for the next episode)