A Place With No Darkness- Chapter Five
Title: A Place With No Darkness
Author: Spirithorse (eachainn )
Rating: M
Pairing: Suzalulu
Warnings: Character deaths, violence, death
Summary: AU. In one move Lelouch saved his sister and damned himself. Now he has to compete in the Hunger Games and figure out some way that both he and Suzaku. Suzalulu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or The Hunger Games.
Author’s Note: This fic came out of one of my friends reading the Hunger Games and all the prompts that sprung up on the kinkmeme. That being said, I have not read any of the fills for the prompts and will not until the story is finished.
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Chapter Five
Lelouch pulled the dark jacket closer to him, shivering as they walked down the hallway to where their platforms waited. They had been driven out to the arena early in the morning in cars with blacked out windows. Lelouch wasn't even sure that they had even come close enough to the arena to warrant the blacked out windows, it was just a safety precaution in case any tribute saw a bit of the arena. He rolled his eyes. They wouldn't have been able to see the arena in the first place, seeing as there was a wall built around one end, the wall doubling as seating that was used when the tributes were first released into the Games. The rest of the arena stretched back towards the city limits, and blocked by a force field that would keep tributes confined. The only way out, for the tributes at least, was to win or to be carried away as a corpse. And there was no fooling the people on that count, not after a tribute had attempted to escape by playing dead. Now all of the tributes were chipped so the ones running the Games could watch their vital signs.
He rubbed the bit of inflamed skin, hissing at the pain. They had all been chipped this morning, held in the small room until the chips were working and then they were let out into the hallways that would lead them to the platforms. Lelouch glanced over at the plastic tube and the circle that was waiting at the bottom. It shouldn't have been as threatening as it was, but Lelouch found that he couldn't stop shaking. The things that he should have been afraid of were scattered throughout the underground tunnel, each of them waiting to be loaded onto the platforms. What made it worse was the fact that Suzaku was nowhere nearby. If Suzaku had been there he would have been trying to cheer Lelouch up. It would have been annoying and enough to make Lelouch snap at him, but it would have been something to distract him.
Lelouch ran his fingers over the spot where the chip was under his skin one more time before looking back at Cecile. She had stuck by his side while Tohdoh had stayed with Suzaku. She gave him a little smile before turning her attention to the tablet that she held in her hands. "You still have a few minutes before the final call. Do you have any questions or…anything?"
"No, not unless you can get a message to Nunnally."
"I…I might be able to do that."
"Good. Tell her that I love her." Lelouch hesitated before shaking his head. "That's it. And don't let any of the camera crews get close to her. Keep her safe."
"I'll pass that message along. I don't know how much power I'll have in actually keeping her safe…but I'll do my best."
Lelouch nodded, reaching out to touch the plastic tube, only to draw his hand back. He sighed and looked back at Cecile. There was nothing else that he could get her to do, knowing her limited power in this case. She was officially one of Lloyd's assistants, so her power waxed and waned depending on what stupid thing Lloyd had done. It wasn't the best way he could guarantee Nunnally's safety, but it was the only thing that he could do. Lelouch took a deep breath and turned around to look at Cecile. "I'm counting on you to get us what we need in a timely manner. It could be life or death."
Cecile's tightened on the tablet, frowning before she nodded. "You don't need to remind me." She pressed a finger against the tablet, looking down at it instead of Lelouch. "I'll just remind you of a few things then. Upon being raised to the surface you will have to remain on the platform until the bell sounds. It shouldn't be more than sixty seconds after the force fields are released; you should hear a popping noise when that happens. If you step off the platform before then, the mines will still be active. After that you will be free to get whatever you can from the Cornucopia. There should be a pack tailored just for you down there, if you can find it."
"Thanks." Lelouch nodded, carefully stepping onto the platform. He pulled his jacket more tightly around him, the plastic walls uncomfortably close.
Cecile stepped up to the entrance of the tube, clutching the tablet to her chest. "I wish you luck."
Lelouch tipped his head in acknowledgement, not sure if he would be able to speak without his voice cracking embarrassingly. He looked away as he heard the small entrance into the tube slide shut. He tipped his head back, looking at the small circle of light in the distance. Lelouch jumped at the whir of the engine starting up, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt the platform start to rise.
There was a sudden gust of cool air, enough of a warning for Lelouch to open his eyes before the platform slowed. He blinked as he was sent up into the sunlight, glancing around. He was facing the huge Cornucopia that dominated the area near the wall, Lelouch narrowing his eyes at the glare of the sun shining off the Cornucopia. Lelouch raised himself onto the balls of the feet, trying to look past the Cornucopia at the arena itself.
In the distance, Lelouch could see a few stands of trees, nothing large enough to be called forests, but large enough to provide shelter for a short amount of time. Farther out, Lelouch could just make out what looked like a stand of rocks, but he couldn't be sure if it was more. The rest of the arena was just tall grass. The grass circled the Cornucopia, creating a ten foot circle of clear space around it. From what he could see, aside from the stands of trees, there was no obvious place to hide.
Lelouch turned back to look toward the walls, glaring at the people that were cheering from their places in the stands. He couldn't pick out individual people, they were just all one multicolored mass that ran along the wall. In the center he could see the royal box, not surprised that he could easily pick out the emperor, Charles zi Britannia was the only one standing. Lelouch frowned when the emperor raised an arm, gesturing to the people to get more applause. He couldn't show how disgusted he was with the display, because the cameras were rolling. He didn't need any other reason for Luciano to kill him. With Charles in the box were Odysseus and Schneizel, their presences not much of a surprise considering that they were the crown prince and prime minister of Britannia respectively. It wouldn't do to have them missing from the start of the Hunger Games.
He turned back around to face the Cornucopia, tensing as he heard the cheers get louder. Lelouch glanced over to his right, finding Suzaku waving sheepishly at him. Lelouch nodded back, relieved when Suzaku turned his attention back to the field in front of them. Lelouch guessed that all of the tributes had gotten to the surface, which meant that…
"Hello everyone!" Lelouch jumped as Milly Ashford's voice boomed out over the stadium. He was tempted to turn and find her in the stands, but he was sure that she was underground with the rest of the people running the Games, watching them through the feeds. "I'm Milly Ashford and it's finally time to start this year's Hunger Games!"
She paused long enough for the cheers to die down, Lelouch almost missing the sound of the force fields being deactivated. He tensed, staring at the clear path to the Cornucopia. He couldn't tell if there was a pack with things he could use from where he was, and he was sure that he wouldn't have the time to look with all of the other tributes rushing for weapons. And, by the way that Suzaku was shaking his head slightly, his friend was thinking the same thing. The best strategy would be to run and grab the nearest pack and then hide. He was sure that the other tributes would be busy getting their own weapons and killing anyone that they could.
"Alright everyone Cheer your favorites on, because here we go!"
The bell rung, Lelouch hesitating for a split second before taking off. He had never been good at running, at least over long distances, but he was confident that he could at least manage the sprint to the nearest pack and then the sprint into the tall grass. How he was going to find Suzaku was a problem that he would worry about later.
Lelouch stumbled to the left as a tribute bumped into him, Lelouch feeling the tribute grab at his ankles. Lelouch kicked at the man, feeling his foot come in contact with the tribute's head just before he hit the ground. He grunted, tucking his limbs in and rolling until he could scramble to his feet. Lelouch pushed off of the ground, reaching for the nearest pack.
His first attempt to grab it missed, Lelouch gritting his teeth and snagging the strap on his second try. Lelouch turned quickly, not bothering to check and see if there was anything better. He could already hear screaming and shouting as the other tributes vied for the best of the packs. Lelouch ducked his head, sprinting the last few feet before diving into the grass. He hit the ground again, clutching the pack close to his chest as he rolled.
For a moment, Lelouch remained on the ground, his eyes clenched shut as he listened to the screams. He took a deep breath, curling tightly around the pack before forcing himself into motion. Lying here would do nothing to help him, it would probably get him killed in the end. He had to find a place to hide or, even better, a place with water. From there he could plot his next move, whether it be gathering the alliance that he and Suzaku agreed upon or find Suzaku himself.
Lelouch pushed up from the ground, glancing over his shoulder as he slung the pack over his back. He couldn't tell if anyone was following him, and Lelouch was sure that he wouldn't be able to see if anyone was, not unless he got to a higher ground. He would just have to listen for the sound of rustling grass, if that was even possible while he was moving. Lelouch hitched the pack higher on his back, turning toward the place he remembered the closest stand of trees was.
The best way to travel would be from stand to stand, to risk moving through the grasses, that way he would get the chance to look over the arena and spot who was moving where. He would have to be cautious and move quickly, the latter probably being the hardest for him. Lelouch wasn't the most athletic and his stamina wasn't the best, so he would have to make the most of when they decided to rest.
Lelouch walked quickly through the tall grass, trying to simultaneously move quietly and listen for an approach. He wasn't sure how long the Cornucopia would keep the rest of the tributes occupied, but Lelouch was sure that he had been the first to get away. That was an advantage to him at least. Hopefully Luciano would be too busy trying to thin down the competition to come after him, and most of the other tributes would leave the initial slaughter to do the killing for the day, too many of them would be looking for places to sleep and a steady supply of food. This was the one free day that they'd all have, any longer without contact and the people that ran the Games would interfere and force them to kill each other.
He paused to look around, letting a breath hiss out between his teeth. A compass would be nice but, then again, Lelouch had no idea what was in each direction. Suzaku had been right about the Games eliminating any plans that he had started to form, but he didn't want to have to admit it. Suzaku would just smile and ever so carefully not talk about the subject. Lelouch rubbed a hand over his face. There had to be another way to navigate when the grass was taller than him, one that didn't involve jumping to see over the top.
Lelouch looked down at the ground, twisting to look behind him. There was a definite slope to the ground now, probably because it was rising toward one of the stands. From there he could finally get a good look at the arena away from the Cornucopia. There he could come to his final decision on what to do. He adjusted the pack on his back and started walking again, beginning to breathe heavily.
It was heating up and it probably would have been better to take off his jacket, but Lelouch wanted to be sure that he was safe before he stopped. Getting rid of the jacket entirely wasn't an option either, because Lelouch bet that the temperature would drop as soon as the sun went down. It was how the people in charge of the Games would try to lure them into making a fire, which would draw the other tributes to them. Lelouch swallowed and kept going, looking forward to the shade that he would find under the trees.
The grass went right up to the stand of trees, the top of the blades rising nearly to the height of the trees. He stumbled out into the open clearing, Lelouch glancing around cautiously. Strangely enough, he felt more exposed, despite the fact that he was probably safer in the clearing with the trees. He could see who was approaching him and he could climb a tree to get a better vantage point, but Lelouch had felt safer in the tall grasses than in the trees. He swallowed and walked over to the base of one of the trees, resting a hand against the trunk as he looked at the tree.
None of them looked too difficult to climb up, but doing so would expose him, at least to any of the tributes that had already made it to a stand of tress. Still, it would give Lelouch the chance to see what was going on around him. He gritted his teeth and reached for the lowest branch, grunting as he hauled himself onto it. He took a moment to regain his balance, Lelouch scooting closer to the trunk of the tree before beginning to climb the tree, testing each branch carefully before putting his full weight on them. It would be a death sentence if he injured himself this early in the game.
Lelouch steadied himself on the last branch before pushing his head through the leaves of the tree. He raised a hand to shield his eyes against the sun, settling down so only his head stuck out through the leaves. He wouldn't risk pulling himself completely out of the canopy, Lelouch wasn't too sure of his balance on the branch. It was still enough to see the Cornucopia and back toward the stands. There were still a few tributes around the Cornucopia, little figures moving around the base of the structure, but most were gone. Lelouch could see their paths through the grasses, most of them heading in the opposite direction that he had chosen. What worried him was the large swathe that was cut through the grass in one direction. It could only mean that a group of people was moving together. It was strange for an alliance to already be assembled, although it was probably the one Luciano had made. If they were already together then they were in trouble, because it meant that Luciano could move that much faster.
He was tempted to clamber down the tree and start moving, just to put distance between himself at the alliance that had already formed. But the group was moving away from the stand of trees that he was in and getting down from the tree would mean losing his first chance to look at the arena and he wanted to be sure of where he was going instead of blundering around. Then there was the fact that this was the most obvious spot for Suzaku to look for him.
Lelouch looked down, pressing his foot more securely into the joint between two branches. He tested the new hold before peeking through the leaves again, slowly turning so he could survey the field.
Beyond the stand of trees that he was currently in the field of tall grass continued on, Lelouch seeing five more of the stands of trees. The only other place that rose above the grasses was a group of rocks far in the distance. The rocks probably marked the edge of the arena, because the landscape beyond them had a faint wave to it, like heat rising, which marked the start of the force field. The force field would continue in a circle around the arena until it met up with the generators in the wall behind him. All told, it would probably take about two days at most to cross from the Cornucopia to the rocks in the distance. It wasn't a large arena, not compared to some of the others used for the Games, but it wasn't too large that it would be easy to get lost. Then again, it would be easy to find other tributes and get into fights.
Other than the trees and the rocks, it was impossible to tell the landscape, most of it hidden by the grasses. The ground always rose to a stand of trees, and Lelouch could see places were the grasses were shorter, probably because of a dip in the ground, but Lelouch wasn't sure how deep those dips were. He couldn't see any indicators of water, which could become a problem. He and Suzaku only had today to find where water was and lay in a supply of food.
Lelouch gave the arena one last glance before beginning to climb down the tree, carefully placing his feet. The tributes were mostly gone from the Cornucopia, save for those who were picking what they could before others returned. There would be a few that would go back to see what they could get or in the hope that the most dangerous tributes would stay away from the Cornucopia. Lelouch was tempted to head back later, but he wanted to be sure that Luciano was as far out as possible so they would have all the time that they needed.
He stopped just before he hit the ground, Lelouch settling himself comfortably in the tree. He didn't want to risk going completely to ground at the moment. It would be easier to spot someone coming out the grasses and he could use the fact that most people didn't look up while they were walking to his advantage. Lelouch settled back against the tree after pulling his pack off of his back, making a face when he wobbled. It took a moment longer for him to arrange himself into a position where he felt safely balanced on the branch.
After glancing around to be sure that he was still alone, Lelouch opened the pack, carefully sifting through the contents. It was far better than he imagined, especially since he had just grabbed a pack from the edge of the pile. Included in his pack was a blanket, a knife, a small canteen and two small bags of food, probably dried fruit and jerky. It wouldn't last forever, but it would come in handy if they got into a tight spot.
Lelouch shut the pack with a sigh. At least he knew what he was dealing with, something that made him feel a little better, just a little less lost. The next problem to tackle would be where they would stay the first night, something especially important if they both wanted to sleep. Knowing Suzaku, his friend would volunteer for all of the watch details and never sleep. That alone was a good reason for gathering together a group, they could at least trade off watches. Lelouch rubbed a hand over his face, taking a deep breath. He couldn't let himself plan too far ahead, then he would be caught off guard when everything didn't go as according to plan. The farthest he could plan was the end of the first day, something that he wasn't happy about. Planning was one sure way to keep himself calm and now he couldn't even do that.
He pulled one knee up towards his chest, staring towards the Cornucopia as he waited for someone to show up. He would give Suzaku until the sun started going down before striking out on his own. He was confident that they would find each other eventually. In the meantime, if any of their agreed upon allies came by, Lelouch would try to recruit them. It would be productive, far more productive than just running around to try and escape from all of the other tributes. Lelouch tipped his head back so it rested against the tree, settling down to wait.
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Suzaku shot forward at the sound of the bell, running as fast as he could for the collection of supplies. Around him, he could hear the other tributes trying their best to beat him and the others. He ducked his head and sprinted, reaching for the closest pack to him. His fingers just touched the strap before the pack was yanked away from him. Suzaku looked up, getting a glimpse of a tribute running away before something hit the back of his head.
He stumbled forward a few steps before turning around, his eyes widening as he saw Alfred Dalton staring at him. Alfred glanced back at him, giving Suzaku a nervous smile before jogging off. Suzaku shook his head, turning and reaching for another pack when he heard someone shout. He dropped to the ground, looking up at a scream.
Alfred was reaching toward his back, Suzaku staring at the knife that was buried in the man's back. Alfred fumbled for the knife for a few more seconds before falling onto the ground. Suzaku glanced over his shoulder before crawling over to Alfred. He wasn't sure how the tribute would react to a promise of help, especially since it would look like an attempt to kill him. It wouldn't make sense to help Alfred, not now when he could easily just kill him and that would be one less person tracking them down, but something in Suzaku wouldn't just let someone die, not when there was still something he could do.
Suzaku scrambled to his feet, rushing around to Alfred's side only to get kicked away. He looked up in time to see the female tribute from Area 7 ruthlessly pull the knife out of Alfred's back and used it to slit his throat. The girl looked up as Suzaku made a strangled noise, holding the knife threateningly before turning and running.
Suzaku stared after the girl before pushing off of the ground, grabbing his pack. It would be smarter to get out of the area immediately around the Cornucopia before he was killed. He didn't want to, there were a few people that he would have liked to save, but it would be useless to get himself killed here, especially with Lelouch still out in the arena. He allowed himself a quick glance around the area before nodding. Lelouch wasn't around, which meant that he had gotten away quickly. That was one less thing for him to worry about.
He slipped behind the Cornucopia, pressing his back against the metal horn before sprinting for the cover of the grass. He would attempt to get rid of anyone who tried to chase him, then he would worry about finding Lelouch. Knowing his friend, Lelouch had probably found a spot where he could safely observe everything going on, which would be one of the groups of trees, probably the closest one to the Cornucopia. Suzaku grinned to himself and kept running. Lelouch would stay put for a while, Suzaku was sure of that. It meant that he had a short amount of time to look for a source of water and a place for them to rest. He didn't know what kind of food they would find in the arena, possible small game and birds, both familiar to Suzaku, but not catching them in a habitat like this. If there was a large enough river, then there was a chance for some fish. Cooking would be a problem, but that was something to worry about later.
Running through the grass was difficult, Suzaku having to keep pushing aside the huge stalks to squeeze by in some places. It was even worse not knowing where he was going, the grasses looming above his head. And then there was the fact that Suzaku could hear some of the other tributes running in the grass, the soft sound of their passage by him making Suzaku jump. None of the other tributes were coming after him, which meant that they weren't worrying about him. Luciano was the one that everyone was probably trying to avoid, save those who had cut a deal with him.
Suzaku slowed down to a jog, a pace he could keep up for a long time. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible before he had to go and find Lelouch. He was jumpy enough about leaving Lelouch alone as it was. Suzaku tightened his grip on the pack, taking a deep breath. Aside from Alfred Dalton's body, he hadn't seen anymore dead tributes at the Cornucopia. Lelouch was smart enough to get away quickly and avoid a fight. Suzaku wasn't sure he was willing to go as far as to believe that Lelouch would just hide, but he was sure that Lelouch would see the benefits in lying low.
He continued, hoping to find some sort of landmark to mark where he was going. Unfortunately, there was only the grass rising above his head. Suzaku frowned, looking at the base of the stalks to see if there were large rocks that the grass grew around. He had seen where the arena had risen into small hills from where he had stood on the platform, but those had just been where the trees were. In the grass there was no way to navigate, which would be a problem. Suzaku could only hope for a compass, it would be the only way to navigate. He certainly didn't know how to navigate by the sun and stars, he had only used landmarks while hunting in Area 11.
The faint sound of water made him stop, Suzaku glancing around. It was good that he had found water, but the trouble would be finding it again. Suzaku frowned and moved toward the sound, noticing that the grasses began to grow thicker the closer he got to the sound and were a brighter green color. He pushed through the thick grass, not surprised to see a variety of plants. He thought he saw a few cattails, Suzaku storing the fact for later. There would be a way to find water again; it just was a matter of seeking out certain plants. Suzaku was sure that he could identify patches of darker green from the rest of the grass if it came to it, then it was a matter of sticking to that direction.
He sighed and pushed away the last of the grasses, staring down at the water. He was surprised that it was a large stream, expecting only a trickle in water to make their lives difficult. Then again, trying to get back to this stream would be hard.
Suzaku knelt by the water, looking around as he opened his pack. It was as good a time as any to look through what he had in his pack. The other tributes would be scattering and looking for places to stay. After the slaughter at the Cornucopia, it was unlikely that they would try to kill again, but even that wasn't a constant, not with Luciano. Suzaku scowled and looked down at his pack, carefully looking through it. The canteen was buried at the bottom of the pack, Suzaku making a face when he realized that there wasn't a blanket in his bag. On the plus side, there was more dried food because of it. He pulled out the canteen, holding it as he looked through the rest of his pack.
Aside from the dried food there was a bit of rope and something that looked like fishing line. Suzaku winced, opening the pack wider in the hopes of finding something else. He smiled when he saw a knife, relieved that he had some kind of weapon, and something useful for survival in the Games. There was nothing else that would be remotely useful, Suzaku cursing and looking back over his shoulder. There was a chance that there would be materials left by the Cornucopia. Most of the tributes would be gone by now, and Suzaku felt sure that Luciano wasn't one to guard the Cornucopia. Luciano looked like he would prefer to make his kills in person, but hunting his targets down. Based on that, it would be easy enough to sneak back to the Cornucopia and pick through what was left.
On the other hand, it would mean more of a delay. Suzaku glanced up at the sky, relieved that it looked like not much time had passed. He wasn't comfortable with delaying too long, not while he didn't know where Luciano was. Almost all of the most dangerous tributes were bound to be with Luciano, so it would be alright to relax a bit once he knew where they were. For today, it would be better to find Lelouch and go after the Cornucopia tomorrow when they were sure that Luciano had moved on.
Suzaku leaned over to look at the stream, cupping his hands and dipping them into the water. After taking an experimental taste, Suzaku sat up, making a face. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't poisoned. As he didn't have a water purifying kit, it would have to be enough. Suzaku would rather have water to drink than have to wait until he got the proper equipment. He was sure that Lelouch would argue with his logic, but that would have to be discussed later.
He filled up the canteen, screwing the cap on as he stood up. Suzaku carefully stowed the canteen back in his pack before walking away from the stream. It was surprisingly easy to find his way back to his own trail through the grass. The grass was listing to the side and hadn't snapped back into place like he thought it would. Suzaku cautiously touched the grass, pulling his hand back quickly. He didn't think that the people in charge of the Games would bother to genetically engineer the grass to endanger them, not when there were other, more exciting ways to kill off tributes. But he wasn't above thinking that those running the Games would make it easier for the tributes to find each other. From a high spot, it would easy to see exactly where the tributes were going. That thought made him pause. If that was the case, then he would have to reevaluate his initial plan of just hiding in the grasses. It would be to their advantage to find a high spot and stay there.
He sighed and started back in the direction he had come from. The easiest way to navigate would be to return to the Cornucopia and choose a direction from there, or at least get to a place where the grass wouldn't be so high. Suzaku ducked his head, beginning to jog again. He wanted to get to Lelouch as quickly as possible so they could get a solid plan.
Finding his way back to the Cornucopia was easier than he thought it would be, Suzaku expecting to run into other tributes. While the arena was big, it wasn't big enough that they could avoid each other at all times, that would defeat the purpose of the Hunger Games. Suzaku paused just long enough to glance back at the supplies still piled around the Cornucopia, catching glimpses of some of the tributes rooting around in the supplies. A few of them met his gaze before ducking back into the grasses or the Cornucopia itself. Suzaku swallowed and glanced up at the nearest rise, smirking to himself. Lelouch would be waiting there; it was an obvious enough place. If he wasn't, Suzaku shook his head. He didn't like the idea of spending his time wandering around searching for Lelouch.
Suzaku plunged back into the tall grass, heading for the first hill. He came across places where the grasses were bent back, trails from other tributes moving away from the Cornucopia. The most disturbing trails that he found had blood smeared across places, probably from injuries sustained trying to get supplies. It was extremely lucky that he had managed to get away without any harm done. Suzaku knew that it was rare for tributes to escape without some kind of harm done to them. Then again, most of the tributes had purposefully tried to get away as fast as possible because of Luciano. Suzaku would just have to remember that, because Luciano was a tribute, that nearly every rule that he knew about the Hunger Games had been changed.
He managed to avoid trouble until he was part of the way up the hill toward the first stand of trees. Suzaku's foot caught on something, Suzaku falling onto the ground. He rolled onto his side, staring at the thing that he had tripped over because he had felt it give a bit when his foot had hit it.
Suzaku's eyes widened as he stared at the body that was staring back at him. He jerked back, pulling up the foot that had knocked into the body. He carefully got to his feet, edging toward the body. Usually the tributes would be picked up immediately by the people running the Games, but the high grasses would have made finding the bodies difficult. Suzaku adjusted the pack on his back as he stared down at the body. He couldn't remember the girl's name, which disturbed him a bit more than it should have. He knelt down next to her, gently pushing her hair back from her face before shutting her eyes. There was nothing else that he could do for her, and it would be best if he left before the helicopter came to get her.
"I'm sorry." Suzaku stood up, brushing off his hands on his pants before turning and sprinting up the hill. He wasn't good with dead bodies, not since he had walked back into his family home and found his father dead. Suzaku had avoided the few funerals in Area 11 for that reason; he always got the urge to run when faced with a dead body and the horrible feeling that he was doing the person a disservice in running.
He burst out of the grass, bending over as he tried to catch his breath. Suzaku tensed at the sound of a helicopter, looking over his shoulder to see the machine coming in their direction. He stood up and moved further into the trees, carefully keeping an eye on the helicopter as it circled close.
With the noise that the helicopter was making, Suzaku missed the sound of someone sliding down out of a tree. The hand on his shoulder made him jump. Suzaku pulled the hand off of his shoulder and turned, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Lelouch. He chuckled nervously, freezing when Lelouch motioned for him to be silent before moving further into the trees. Suzaku gave the helicopter one last glance, turning away as he saw that they were lifting the girl's body from the grasses.
He flopped down next to Lelouch, opening his pack and wordlessly handing the canteen over to Lelouch. Lelouch took it, taking a drink before making a face. But, to Suzaku's surprise, Lelouch didn't complain, he just continued to watch the helicopter.
Lelouch handed the canteen back to Suzaku, only speaking up when the helicopter had headed back in the direction of Pendragon. "I thought that was you for a bit there, until she started screaming. Then I figured that it wasn't you and I had better stay in the tree. It took a while for them to get her though."
"Navigating in that grass is hard."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow and gestured to the canteen. "You did fine."
"Yes, but it was a quick trip out and back. To actually find our way around this place, we'd need a compass or to move from hill to hill."
"Who says we have to travel?"
Suzaku plucked at some of the short grass around the tree. "I'm not sure that it would be a good idea. For one, the other tributes seem keen to stay close to the Cornucopia because it's easier to see. That and the food supplies around here would run out and we would have to range."
"I'm guessing that Luciano and his group are the only ones moving at the moment." Suzaku nodded, Lelouch grinning and leaning back against the tree. "Knowing that, the safest place to be would be on a rise so you could see them moving. Further out the ground dips, so we would hide there."
"We?"
"Gather the tributes around the Cornucopia into an alliance."
"Is this you trying to lead a rebellion from inside of the Games?" Suzaku shook his head. "It won't work, they're going to play by the rules Lelouch."
"But this will get them out alive."
"It doesn't matter. There's only way one to play the Hunger Games in their minds, and we're not doing it right. They'd rather play the Game the way it's always been played than take a chance and die. Besides, I'm enough of a deterrent. Luciano hates me and I got a score of eleven, few people would want to have an alliance with us."
"Some people might, if they're desperate enough." Lelouch sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But you're right, we wouldn't get the people that would be able to stand up to them. Still, a couple of extra hands around would be helpful."
"As what, bait?"
"No." Lelouch looked offended. "For the help. Then we come up with a plan to get us all out of here alive."
Suzaku rolled his eyes, but didn't tell Lelouch off for the plan. Lelouch could plan all he wanted, but Suzaku would never say no to trying to help other people survive. He shrugged his shoulders, standing up and stretching. He glanced up at the tree, gesturing at it.
Lelouch waved his hand dismissively. "I've been looking around on and off since I got here. There hasn't been much movement since that tribute was killed and you came."
Suzaku nodded, jumping to grab the lowest branch and hauling himself up into the tree. He clambered to the top, pushing the leaves aside so he could see. He didn't bother looking over the whole arena; he doubted that they would have to make use of the entire arena. What he was more worried about was looking for patches of brighter green in the sea of grasses. Some areas were already beginning to yellow, making those that were close to the stream that he had found and any other sources of water that much easier to find. He turned slowly in place, smiling when he spotted a stretch of green grass, this stream probably not the one that he had used since it was much closer to their hill. There were a few other patches that were nearby, close enough to warrant looking at.
He turned his attention to the layout of the area around them, disappointed that nothing immediately appeared. Suzaku sighed and ducked back under the leaves. He had hoped to find a place where they could hide for the night, a dip in the ground that they could use if the weather got bad. In any case, Suzaku was sure that they would be staying in the area for a while. He agreed with Lelouch in not moving too much, at least not while they had no idea how to navigate the tall grass. That made it easier to get food, since Suzaku just had to set snares and traps and make a few rounds during the day. It wasn't the typical way that the Hunger Games were played, usually the tributes moved around constantly to avoid each other.
He dropped out of the tree, glancing at Lelouch as he brushed off his clothes. "Might as well stay here for the night."
Lelouch nodded, not bothering to get up from his place by the tree. "No fire then?"
"No." The other tributes were still too close, and Suzaku wasn't sure how desperate the other tributes were or how close Luciano was. He had seen where Luciano had led his alliance, but not how far out they had gone. He sighed and glanced back toward the Cornucopia. "Not tonight at least."
"So we live off the food we got from the Cornucopia."
Suzaku nodded, reaching down to pull the wires out of his bag. "We'll go back down tomorrow to see what else we can dig up. In the mean time, I'll see what I can get us for tomorrow."
Lelouch gave him a dismissive wave, Suzaku snorting at the easy dismissal. He rolled his eyes and set off down the slope, ducking into a partial crouch as soon as he entered the grass. It was amazing that the change was enough to set him on edge, but Suzaku keenly felt the loss of his range of vision. He swallowed and focused on the ground, searching for any kind of prints. He didn't know what kind of animals that the people running the game had released for them to catch or if there was even game for them. If the snares didn't work, Suzaku would just turn his attention to the streams. There would be no fun in the Games for the people of Pendragon if all of the tributes slowly starved to death. Any gifts from their supporters wouldn't arrive until the second day, as they had done nothing to earn them.
Suzaku sighed, focusing on his task. There were a few rabbit trails, nothing that encourage him to believe that there was plenty of food. Maybe the rabbits would come back when things settled down, although the fact that there were bound to be deaths every day and helicopters coming for the bodies would probably keep them away. Suzaku shook his head as he set up the last snare, turning to climb back up to the top of the hill. Hopefully they could catch a few rabbits for the next day, if not Suzaku would resort to fishing.
Lelouch was in the tree when he arrived at the top of the hill again, Suzaku giving him a long look before leaning against the tree. "Anything?"
"Just checking on the movements of the tributes." Lelouch frowned as he braced himself against the trunk of the tree. "There are still a lot of them around the Cornucopia, but they're starting to disperse. I haven't seen any more helicopters since that last one. It's been…quiet."
"Isn't that what you want?"
Lelouch snorted, beginning to awkwardly scramble down the tree Suzaku reached up to steady him, Lelouch shoving Suzaku's hands away as soon as he was on the ground. "Quiet is good in short breaks, but not for hours. It means that someone is up to something."
"Yeah, people are trying to survive." That got him a slap on the shoulder, Suzaku easily shaking it off. "Don't worry too much, Lelouch, this is our one day off. Tomorrow we have to get serious."
"What do you mean tomorrow?" Lelouch paused in the motion of pulling a bag of dried food out of Suzaku's pack.
"Lelouch." Suzaku rolled his eyes and flopped down to the ground. He hesitated before reaching out to touch Lelouch's arm. "We're safe."
"For now."
"Yes, for now. So we take advantage of it. We find a place to sleep and get a good night's sleep. We'll be better rested than most of the other tributes. Do you think that those in Luciano's group will sleep easily knowing that the emperor chose Luciano just to kill people? Do you think that anyone else will sleep well not knowing where the others are?" Lelouch didn't have an answer for him, he just kept his head down. Suzaku sighed and scooted closer, resting his head on Lelouch's shoulder. "We'll be alright."
He felt Lelouch's stare for a moment before Lelouch sighed and rested a hand in Suzaku's hair. "You're far too optimistic."
"One of us has to be." Suzaku grinned and reach out to grab a handful of the dried fruit from the bag that Lelouch had opened. He popped a piece into his mouth, chewing slowly as he scanned the area around them. He doubted that anyone would be able to sneak up on them, but that didn't keep him from feeling jumpy. For Lelouch's sake, he would try to play down his unease. He tipped his head to the side, staring at the trees above them. "How about sleeping off the ground tonight?"
"Like in a tree?"
"Yeah. It would be safer and it would make you more comfortable. We have the rope for it and the trees look like they would support our weight."
"You're crazy." Lelouch's tone of voice was carefully bland, meaning that he didn't disagree with Suzaku.
Suzaku shifted so he was lying on Lelouch's shoulder, staring up at the leaves. "So, you're willing to give it a try,"
"Just for you, to keep you happy." Lelouch sounded annoyed, but the gentle touch on his arm showed Suzaku that Lelouch appreciated the offer. Suzaku smiled to himself, leaning into the touch.
He stared up at the sky, watching the colors that streaked through the sky. The sun was setting, which meant that they should find a place to bed down in the trees, and not to far apart from each other. Suzaku closed his eyes with a sigh. Hopefully the other tributes had been doing interesting things so they would be left alone the first night and so that the cameras would stay away from them. He would be ready to deal with the cameras tomorrow, when he was more adjusted to the Games and not in a panic. He would know where Lelouch was and wouldn't have to worry about Lelouch dying somewhere.
Suzaku shivered, sitting up abruptly when Lelouch shoved at him. Lelouch stood up, gesturing at the trees. "Come up, it's getting dark. We should get ready before it gets too dark."
Suzaku crammed the rest of the dried fruit into his mouth, pulling the rope out from his bag before following Lelouch as they made a round of the trees, trying to pick out the ones that would hold their weight. They would have to get secure before the other tributes started to search for cover. And, the sooner they were secure, the harder it would be for the other tributes to sneak up on them. Suzaku looked guiltily at Lelouch's back. Anyone would want to get rid of one of the highest scoring tributes; it would make everyone feel safer.
"Suzaku." He jumped at the sound of his name, jogging over to stand by Lelouch as Lelouch began to outline his idea for their camp during the night. Suzaku tightened his grip on the rope, nodding at the appropriate moments, but most of his attention was elsewhere.
The moment of peace that he had felt with Lelouch was suddenly gone. That he had found Lelouch was a huge relief, but it had seemed too easy. He had found Lelouch in the first place that he had looked and no one had disturbed them. The one thing that had messed up his luck had been the dead tribute on the hill. Before, he could just over look that fact because it had just been he and Lelouch sitting under a tree, like they had done in their childhood when they were both too exhausted from work and what little play they had gotten in. Well Lelouch had been exhausted, Suzaku had humored him by sprawling on the ground beside him. It had been too much like the few moments in his childhood that he wanted to cherish them, even if they came at odd times. The moment had come and disappeared as quickly as he had feared. Now all he had was worry about what would happen next.
"Come on, Suzaku."
He glanced up at Lelouch, offering Lelouch a smile. Suzaku was sure that Lelouch could tell that he was faking a smile, but he also knew that Lelouch was far too busy with his preparations to pay much attention to him. He muttered an apology before handing up Lelouch's bag. He waited until Lelouch was secure on a branch before hauling himself up. Suzaku gave one last glance over his shoulder before throwing himself into their preparations. Despite good intentions of their parts, it was going to be a long night.
---
"And that should be the last of them." Rivalz Cardemonde took a step back, Milly taking the chance to lean forward and look at the pictures that had just been uploaded.
The list of the dead tributes had been given its final updates, the people running the Games finally cutting off the first day. In a few minutes she would record the voice over for the deaths on the first day, and then it would be broadcast at the end of the current news program as well as being projected in the dark sky above the arena so the tributes in the Games could see who had died. It was the only way they were going to get information, save what their escorts could sneak into the gifts given to the tributes.
Milly rubbed her eyes and sank down into her chair, aware that Rivalz was still hovering over her. He had been hovering over her since the Hunger Games had started, not that Milly minded. It was a relief to have someone who shared her position about the Hunger Games, someone who wasn't afraid to look sympathetic about the plight of the tributes instead of crowing about how good these Games were like Diethard Ried. Neither of them were allowed to say anything bad against the emperor or even suggest that any of his policies were wrong, that was the strength of Diethard's conviction. Milly was surprised that she had gotten the job; her family had been obvious in their support of the late empress Marianne. Diethard had been convinced that Marianne had been nothing but the whore that the entire capital had believed that she was. Milly could only guess that it was her own work ethic that had gotten her hired.
She looked up and gave Rivalz a tired smile, watching him brighten at the expression. "Thank you, Rivalz."
"Anything to make your life easier." Rivalz pulled up a chair, sitting backwards on it and propping his arms on the back of the chair. "You've been busy the past few days with everything going on. You deserve what breaks you get, if you can get them."
Rivalz looked up at Diethard, the glance too quick for their boss to catch, but Milly saw it. She gave a weary nod in response. Just that morning Diethard had been talking about having interviews with the current crown prince and prime minister of Britannia. He had been pushing for an interview for the emperor himself, but that had been dismissed by post of the palace staff. Apparently, the emperor no longer spoke to his public and would only make appearances for the Hunger Games and any other event deemed important by the staff. Milly didn't quite know how to take the news, but she was more than willing to just ignore it for the time being, she had more important things to focus on.
She pushed her hair back behind her ears, glancing up at the clock that was hung on the wall. "Well, we'd better get ready to start this. The sooner we record this, the sooner you can go home."
"Nah," Rivalz waved a hand, "I thought I would volunteer to do what I can."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know. But I know that I would go insane with only Diethard around for company, so I'm doing this for your own sanity." Rivalz gave her a lopsided smile. "The overtime pay for the Hunger Games is fantastic."
Milly laughed, leaning back in her seat and clutching her stomach. It wasn't really funny, but it was honest. Milly had almost forgotten what that sounded like after acting a part for so long. She pressed a hand over her mouth, muffling the sound as the laughter subsided, throwing a glance over at where Diethard was. Diethard was walking over in their direction, meaning that it was almost time to start. Milly motioned to Rivalz, the man grinning before scurrying behind the camera.
She shook her head at Rivalz antics, moving through the slides of the tributes that had died to be sure that she knew how to pronounce their names. This would be the only eulogy that these tributes would be getting. Unless the people running the Games were planning something twisted this year, like the time they had mutated the animals to resemble the tributes or the time that they had used the bodies to contaminate the water in the arena, the bodies would be sent back home at the end of the Games with very little fanfare. All of that would be directed at the tribute that won.
Milly paged back to the beginning of the slides, looking up at the camera as Diethard cleared his throat. It was the only signal she would be getting from him. She nodded at Rivalz, waiting until the man had ducked behind the camera to plaster on her smile. It was a fake smile, but a good fake. No one in Pendragon had been able to tell the difference thus far.
She reached out for the controls to the slides, flicking back and forth between the first and second slides until Rivalz gave her a wave from behind the camera. She sent the slides back to the beginning, giving the camera a small wave. "This is Milly Ashford reporting in at the end of an exciting first day in the Hunger Games. I'm sure all of you have seen the live footage and, if not, it will be replaying all night tonight and in an abridged form early tomorrow. Tonight, it is my duty to bring you the names of those who have died in the first day of the Games."
Milly flipped to the next slide, glancing down at the picture of the black haired, brown eyed girl. "From Area 2, Sancia Patel."
The next slide had a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. "From Area 4, Alfred G. Dalton." Paired with Dalton on the slide was a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. "From Area 4, Mutusuki Minase"
That was both of the tributes from Area 4 dead, which would probably mean an interview with Princess Cornelia about how she felt about being out of the Games so early. Milly moved on to the next slide quickly to avoid thinking too much about what that interview would entail. She knew that Cornelia had been close to Dalton and all of his sons, so the loss would be hard on her.
Milly cleared her throat, looking that the next dead tribute. It was a young woman with blue hair, probably dyed, and brown eyes. "From Area 6, Inoue Naomi."
Thankfully the next slide was the last one. The first day always turned out the most deaths, unless the tributes forced the hand of the people running the Games. If they dodged around each other too well, then they would be sent a disaster just to make the deaths skyrocket. She was more than happy handling a handful of deaths that trickled out over the days that the Games were running.
The next slide had a picture of a man with brown hair and dark eyes, Milly trying her best not to sound relieved when she said his name. "From Area 12, Yoshida Toru." She turned off the slide show, eager to end the segment. It was her least favorite part of the Games. "And that's all for this batch folks. Stay tuned tomorrow for an overview of the first day narrated by yours truly and the next exciting day of the Hunger Games."
Author: Spirithorse (eachainn )
Rating: M
Pairing: Suzalulu
Warnings: Character deaths, violence, death
Summary: AU. In one move Lelouch saved his sister and damned himself. Now he has to compete in the Hunger Games and figure out some way that both he and Suzaku. Suzalulu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or The Hunger Games.
Author’s Note: This fic came out of one of my friends reading the Hunger Games and all the prompts that sprung up on the kinkmeme. That being said, I have not read any of the fills for the prompts and will not until the story is finished.
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Chapter Five
Lelouch pulled the dark jacket closer to him, shivering as they walked down the hallway to where their platforms waited. They had been driven out to the arena early in the morning in cars with blacked out windows. Lelouch wasn't even sure that they had even come close enough to the arena to warrant the blacked out windows, it was just a safety precaution in case any tribute saw a bit of the arena. He rolled his eyes. They wouldn't have been able to see the arena in the first place, seeing as there was a wall built around one end, the wall doubling as seating that was used when the tributes were first released into the Games. The rest of the arena stretched back towards the city limits, and blocked by a force field that would keep tributes confined. The only way out, for the tributes at least, was to win or to be carried away as a corpse. And there was no fooling the people on that count, not after a tribute had attempted to escape by playing dead. Now all of the tributes were chipped so the ones running the Games could watch their vital signs.
He rubbed the bit of inflamed skin, hissing at the pain. They had all been chipped this morning, held in the small room until the chips were working and then they were let out into the hallways that would lead them to the platforms. Lelouch glanced over at the plastic tube and the circle that was waiting at the bottom. It shouldn't have been as threatening as it was, but Lelouch found that he couldn't stop shaking. The things that he should have been afraid of were scattered throughout the underground tunnel, each of them waiting to be loaded onto the platforms. What made it worse was the fact that Suzaku was nowhere nearby. If Suzaku had been there he would have been trying to cheer Lelouch up. It would have been annoying and enough to make Lelouch snap at him, but it would have been something to distract him.
Lelouch ran his fingers over the spot where the chip was under his skin one more time before looking back at Cecile. She had stuck by his side while Tohdoh had stayed with Suzaku. She gave him a little smile before turning her attention to the tablet that she held in her hands. "You still have a few minutes before the final call. Do you have any questions or…anything?"
"No, not unless you can get a message to Nunnally."
"I…I might be able to do that."
"Good. Tell her that I love her." Lelouch hesitated before shaking his head. "That's it. And don't let any of the camera crews get close to her. Keep her safe."
"I'll pass that message along. I don't know how much power I'll have in actually keeping her safe…but I'll do my best."
Lelouch nodded, reaching out to touch the plastic tube, only to draw his hand back. He sighed and looked back at Cecile. There was nothing else that he could get her to do, knowing her limited power in this case. She was officially one of Lloyd's assistants, so her power waxed and waned depending on what stupid thing Lloyd had done. It wasn't the best way he could guarantee Nunnally's safety, but it was the only thing that he could do. Lelouch took a deep breath and turned around to look at Cecile. "I'm counting on you to get us what we need in a timely manner. It could be life or death."
Cecile's tightened on the tablet, frowning before she nodded. "You don't need to remind me." She pressed a finger against the tablet, looking down at it instead of Lelouch. "I'll just remind you of a few things then. Upon being raised to the surface you will have to remain on the platform until the bell sounds. It shouldn't be more than sixty seconds after the force fields are released; you should hear a popping noise when that happens. If you step off the platform before then, the mines will still be active. After that you will be free to get whatever you can from the Cornucopia. There should be a pack tailored just for you down there, if you can find it."
"Thanks." Lelouch nodded, carefully stepping onto the platform. He pulled his jacket more tightly around him, the plastic walls uncomfortably close.
Cecile stepped up to the entrance of the tube, clutching the tablet to her chest. "I wish you luck."
Lelouch tipped his head in acknowledgement, not sure if he would be able to speak without his voice cracking embarrassingly. He looked away as he heard the small entrance into the tube slide shut. He tipped his head back, looking at the small circle of light in the distance. Lelouch jumped at the whir of the engine starting up, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt the platform start to rise.
There was a sudden gust of cool air, enough of a warning for Lelouch to open his eyes before the platform slowed. He blinked as he was sent up into the sunlight, glancing around. He was facing the huge Cornucopia that dominated the area near the wall, Lelouch narrowing his eyes at the glare of the sun shining off the Cornucopia. Lelouch raised himself onto the balls of the feet, trying to look past the Cornucopia at the arena itself.
In the distance, Lelouch could see a few stands of trees, nothing large enough to be called forests, but large enough to provide shelter for a short amount of time. Farther out, Lelouch could just make out what looked like a stand of rocks, but he couldn't be sure if it was more. The rest of the arena was just tall grass. The grass circled the Cornucopia, creating a ten foot circle of clear space around it. From what he could see, aside from the stands of trees, there was no obvious place to hide.
Lelouch turned back to look toward the walls, glaring at the people that were cheering from their places in the stands. He couldn't pick out individual people, they were just all one multicolored mass that ran along the wall. In the center he could see the royal box, not surprised that he could easily pick out the emperor, Charles zi Britannia was the only one standing. Lelouch frowned when the emperor raised an arm, gesturing to the people to get more applause. He couldn't show how disgusted he was with the display, because the cameras were rolling. He didn't need any other reason for Luciano to kill him. With Charles in the box were Odysseus and Schneizel, their presences not much of a surprise considering that they were the crown prince and prime minister of Britannia respectively. It wouldn't do to have them missing from the start of the Hunger Games.
He turned back around to face the Cornucopia, tensing as he heard the cheers get louder. Lelouch glanced over to his right, finding Suzaku waving sheepishly at him. Lelouch nodded back, relieved when Suzaku turned his attention back to the field in front of them. Lelouch guessed that all of the tributes had gotten to the surface, which meant that…
"Hello everyone!" Lelouch jumped as Milly Ashford's voice boomed out over the stadium. He was tempted to turn and find her in the stands, but he was sure that she was underground with the rest of the people running the Games, watching them through the feeds. "I'm Milly Ashford and it's finally time to start this year's Hunger Games!"
She paused long enough for the cheers to die down, Lelouch almost missing the sound of the force fields being deactivated. He tensed, staring at the clear path to the Cornucopia. He couldn't tell if there was a pack with things he could use from where he was, and he was sure that he wouldn't have the time to look with all of the other tributes rushing for weapons. And, by the way that Suzaku was shaking his head slightly, his friend was thinking the same thing. The best strategy would be to run and grab the nearest pack and then hide. He was sure that the other tributes would be busy getting their own weapons and killing anyone that they could.
"Alright everyone Cheer your favorites on, because here we go!"
The bell rung, Lelouch hesitating for a split second before taking off. He had never been good at running, at least over long distances, but he was confident that he could at least manage the sprint to the nearest pack and then the sprint into the tall grass. How he was going to find Suzaku was a problem that he would worry about later.
Lelouch stumbled to the left as a tribute bumped into him, Lelouch feeling the tribute grab at his ankles. Lelouch kicked at the man, feeling his foot come in contact with the tribute's head just before he hit the ground. He grunted, tucking his limbs in and rolling until he could scramble to his feet. Lelouch pushed off of the ground, reaching for the nearest pack.
His first attempt to grab it missed, Lelouch gritting his teeth and snagging the strap on his second try. Lelouch turned quickly, not bothering to check and see if there was anything better. He could already hear screaming and shouting as the other tributes vied for the best of the packs. Lelouch ducked his head, sprinting the last few feet before diving into the grass. He hit the ground again, clutching the pack close to his chest as he rolled.
For a moment, Lelouch remained on the ground, his eyes clenched shut as he listened to the screams. He took a deep breath, curling tightly around the pack before forcing himself into motion. Lying here would do nothing to help him, it would probably get him killed in the end. He had to find a place to hide or, even better, a place with water. From there he could plot his next move, whether it be gathering the alliance that he and Suzaku agreed upon or find Suzaku himself.
Lelouch pushed up from the ground, glancing over his shoulder as he slung the pack over his back. He couldn't tell if anyone was following him, and Lelouch was sure that he wouldn't be able to see if anyone was, not unless he got to a higher ground. He would just have to listen for the sound of rustling grass, if that was even possible while he was moving. Lelouch hitched the pack higher on his back, turning toward the place he remembered the closest stand of trees was.
The best way to travel would be from stand to stand, to risk moving through the grasses, that way he would get the chance to look over the arena and spot who was moving where. He would have to be cautious and move quickly, the latter probably being the hardest for him. Lelouch wasn't the most athletic and his stamina wasn't the best, so he would have to make the most of when they decided to rest.
Lelouch walked quickly through the tall grass, trying to simultaneously move quietly and listen for an approach. He wasn't sure how long the Cornucopia would keep the rest of the tributes occupied, but Lelouch was sure that he had been the first to get away. That was an advantage to him at least. Hopefully Luciano would be too busy trying to thin down the competition to come after him, and most of the other tributes would leave the initial slaughter to do the killing for the day, too many of them would be looking for places to sleep and a steady supply of food. This was the one free day that they'd all have, any longer without contact and the people that ran the Games would interfere and force them to kill each other.
He paused to look around, letting a breath hiss out between his teeth. A compass would be nice but, then again, Lelouch had no idea what was in each direction. Suzaku had been right about the Games eliminating any plans that he had started to form, but he didn't want to have to admit it. Suzaku would just smile and ever so carefully not talk about the subject. Lelouch rubbed a hand over his face. There had to be another way to navigate when the grass was taller than him, one that didn't involve jumping to see over the top.
Lelouch looked down at the ground, twisting to look behind him. There was a definite slope to the ground now, probably because it was rising toward one of the stands. From there he could finally get a good look at the arena away from the Cornucopia. There he could come to his final decision on what to do. He adjusted the pack on his back and started walking again, beginning to breathe heavily.
It was heating up and it probably would have been better to take off his jacket, but Lelouch wanted to be sure that he was safe before he stopped. Getting rid of the jacket entirely wasn't an option either, because Lelouch bet that the temperature would drop as soon as the sun went down. It was how the people in charge of the Games would try to lure them into making a fire, which would draw the other tributes to them. Lelouch swallowed and kept going, looking forward to the shade that he would find under the trees.
The grass went right up to the stand of trees, the top of the blades rising nearly to the height of the trees. He stumbled out into the open clearing, Lelouch glancing around cautiously. Strangely enough, he felt more exposed, despite the fact that he was probably safer in the clearing with the trees. He could see who was approaching him and he could climb a tree to get a better vantage point, but Lelouch had felt safer in the tall grasses than in the trees. He swallowed and walked over to the base of one of the trees, resting a hand against the trunk as he looked at the tree.
None of them looked too difficult to climb up, but doing so would expose him, at least to any of the tributes that had already made it to a stand of tress. Still, it would give Lelouch the chance to see what was going on around him. He gritted his teeth and reached for the lowest branch, grunting as he hauled himself onto it. He took a moment to regain his balance, Lelouch scooting closer to the trunk of the tree before beginning to climb the tree, testing each branch carefully before putting his full weight on them. It would be a death sentence if he injured himself this early in the game.
Lelouch steadied himself on the last branch before pushing his head through the leaves of the tree. He raised a hand to shield his eyes against the sun, settling down so only his head stuck out through the leaves. He wouldn't risk pulling himself completely out of the canopy, Lelouch wasn't too sure of his balance on the branch. It was still enough to see the Cornucopia and back toward the stands. There were still a few tributes around the Cornucopia, little figures moving around the base of the structure, but most were gone. Lelouch could see their paths through the grasses, most of them heading in the opposite direction that he had chosen. What worried him was the large swathe that was cut through the grass in one direction. It could only mean that a group of people was moving together. It was strange for an alliance to already be assembled, although it was probably the one Luciano had made. If they were already together then they were in trouble, because it meant that Luciano could move that much faster.
He was tempted to clamber down the tree and start moving, just to put distance between himself at the alliance that had already formed. But the group was moving away from the stand of trees that he was in and getting down from the tree would mean losing his first chance to look at the arena and he wanted to be sure of where he was going instead of blundering around. Then there was the fact that this was the most obvious spot for Suzaku to look for him.
Lelouch looked down, pressing his foot more securely into the joint between two branches. He tested the new hold before peeking through the leaves again, slowly turning so he could survey the field.
Beyond the stand of trees that he was currently in the field of tall grass continued on, Lelouch seeing five more of the stands of trees. The only other place that rose above the grasses was a group of rocks far in the distance. The rocks probably marked the edge of the arena, because the landscape beyond them had a faint wave to it, like heat rising, which marked the start of the force field. The force field would continue in a circle around the arena until it met up with the generators in the wall behind him. All told, it would probably take about two days at most to cross from the Cornucopia to the rocks in the distance. It wasn't a large arena, not compared to some of the others used for the Games, but it wasn't too large that it would be easy to get lost. Then again, it would be easy to find other tributes and get into fights.
Other than the trees and the rocks, it was impossible to tell the landscape, most of it hidden by the grasses. The ground always rose to a stand of trees, and Lelouch could see places were the grasses were shorter, probably because of a dip in the ground, but Lelouch wasn't sure how deep those dips were. He couldn't see any indicators of water, which could become a problem. He and Suzaku only had today to find where water was and lay in a supply of food.
Lelouch gave the arena one last glance before beginning to climb down the tree, carefully placing his feet. The tributes were mostly gone from the Cornucopia, save for those who were picking what they could before others returned. There would be a few that would go back to see what they could get or in the hope that the most dangerous tributes would stay away from the Cornucopia. Lelouch was tempted to head back later, but he wanted to be sure that Luciano was as far out as possible so they would have all the time that they needed.
He stopped just before he hit the ground, Lelouch settling himself comfortably in the tree. He didn't want to risk going completely to ground at the moment. It would be easier to spot someone coming out the grasses and he could use the fact that most people didn't look up while they were walking to his advantage. Lelouch settled back against the tree after pulling his pack off of his back, making a face when he wobbled. It took a moment longer for him to arrange himself into a position where he felt safely balanced on the branch.
After glancing around to be sure that he was still alone, Lelouch opened the pack, carefully sifting through the contents. It was far better than he imagined, especially since he had just grabbed a pack from the edge of the pile. Included in his pack was a blanket, a knife, a small canteen and two small bags of food, probably dried fruit and jerky. It wouldn't last forever, but it would come in handy if they got into a tight spot.
Lelouch shut the pack with a sigh. At least he knew what he was dealing with, something that made him feel a little better, just a little less lost. The next problem to tackle would be where they would stay the first night, something especially important if they both wanted to sleep. Knowing Suzaku, his friend would volunteer for all of the watch details and never sleep. That alone was a good reason for gathering together a group, they could at least trade off watches. Lelouch rubbed a hand over his face, taking a deep breath. He couldn't let himself plan too far ahead, then he would be caught off guard when everything didn't go as according to plan. The farthest he could plan was the end of the first day, something that he wasn't happy about. Planning was one sure way to keep himself calm and now he couldn't even do that.
He pulled one knee up towards his chest, staring towards the Cornucopia as he waited for someone to show up. He would give Suzaku until the sun started going down before striking out on his own. He was confident that they would find each other eventually. In the meantime, if any of their agreed upon allies came by, Lelouch would try to recruit them. It would be productive, far more productive than just running around to try and escape from all of the other tributes. Lelouch tipped his head back so it rested against the tree, settling down to wait.
---
Suzaku shot forward at the sound of the bell, running as fast as he could for the collection of supplies. Around him, he could hear the other tributes trying their best to beat him and the others. He ducked his head and sprinted, reaching for the closest pack to him. His fingers just touched the strap before the pack was yanked away from him. Suzaku looked up, getting a glimpse of a tribute running away before something hit the back of his head.
He stumbled forward a few steps before turning around, his eyes widening as he saw Alfred Dalton staring at him. Alfred glanced back at him, giving Suzaku a nervous smile before jogging off. Suzaku shook his head, turning and reaching for another pack when he heard someone shout. He dropped to the ground, looking up at a scream.
Alfred was reaching toward his back, Suzaku staring at the knife that was buried in the man's back. Alfred fumbled for the knife for a few more seconds before falling onto the ground. Suzaku glanced over his shoulder before crawling over to Alfred. He wasn't sure how the tribute would react to a promise of help, especially since it would look like an attempt to kill him. It wouldn't make sense to help Alfred, not now when he could easily just kill him and that would be one less person tracking them down, but something in Suzaku wouldn't just let someone die, not when there was still something he could do.
Suzaku scrambled to his feet, rushing around to Alfred's side only to get kicked away. He looked up in time to see the female tribute from Area 7 ruthlessly pull the knife out of Alfred's back and used it to slit his throat. The girl looked up as Suzaku made a strangled noise, holding the knife threateningly before turning and running.
Suzaku stared after the girl before pushing off of the ground, grabbing his pack. It would be smarter to get out of the area immediately around the Cornucopia before he was killed. He didn't want to, there were a few people that he would have liked to save, but it would be useless to get himself killed here, especially with Lelouch still out in the arena. He allowed himself a quick glance around the area before nodding. Lelouch wasn't around, which meant that he had gotten away quickly. That was one less thing for him to worry about.
He slipped behind the Cornucopia, pressing his back against the metal horn before sprinting for the cover of the grass. He would attempt to get rid of anyone who tried to chase him, then he would worry about finding Lelouch. Knowing his friend, Lelouch had probably found a spot where he could safely observe everything going on, which would be one of the groups of trees, probably the closest one to the Cornucopia. Suzaku grinned to himself and kept running. Lelouch would stay put for a while, Suzaku was sure of that. It meant that he had a short amount of time to look for a source of water and a place for them to rest. He didn't know what kind of food they would find in the arena, possible small game and birds, both familiar to Suzaku, but not catching them in a habitat like this. If there was a large enough river, then there was a chance for some fish. Cooking would be a problem, but that was something to worry about later.
Running through the grass was difficult, Suzaku having to keep pushing aside the huge stalks to squeeze by in some places. It was even worse not knowing where he was going, the grasses looming above his head. And then there was the fact that Suzaku could hear some of the other tributes running in the grass, the soft sound of their passage by him making Suzaku jump. None of the other tributes were coming after him, which meant that they weren't worrying about him. Luciano was the one that everyone was probably trying to avoid, save those who had cut a deal with him.
Suzaku slowed down to a jog, a pace he could keep up for a long time. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible before he had to go and find Lelouch. He was jumpy enough about leaving Lelouch alone as it was. Suzaku tightened his grip on the pack, taking a deep breath. Aside from Alfred Dalton's body, he hadn't seen anymore dead tributes at the Cornucopia. Lelouch was smart enough to get away quickly and avoid a fight. Suzaku wasn't sure he was willing to go as far as to believe that Lelouch would just hide, but he was sure that Lelouch would see the benefits in lying low.
He continued, hoping to find some sort of landmark to mark where he was going. Unfortunately, there was only the grass rising above his head. Suzaku frowned, looking at the base of the stalks to see if there were large rocks that the grass grew around. He had seen where the arena had risen into small hills from where he had stood on the platform, but those had just been where the trees were. In the grass there was no way to navigate, which would be a problem. Suzaku could only hope for a compass, it would be the only way to navigate. He certainly didn't know how to navigate by the sun and stars, he had only used landmarks while hunting in Area 11.
The faint sound of water made him stop, Suzaku glancing around. It was good that he had found water, but the trouble would be finding it again. Suzaku frowned and moved toward the sound, noticing that the grasses began to grow thicker the closer he got to the sound and were a brighter green color. He pushed through the thick grass, not surprised to see a variety of plants. He thought he saw a few cattails, Suzaku storing the fact for later. There would be a way to find water again; it just was a matter of seeking out certain plants. Suzaku was sure that he could identify patches of darker green from the rest of the grass if it came to it, then it was a matter of sticking to that direction.
He sighed and pushed away the last of the grasses, staring down at the water. He was surprised that it was a large stream, expecting only a trickle in water to make their lives difficult. Then again, trying to get back to this stream would be hard.
Suzaku knelt by the water, looking around as he opened his pack. It was as good a time as any to look through what he had in his pack. The other tributes would be scattering and looking for places to stay. After the slaughter at the Cornucopia, it was unlikely that they would try to kill again, but even that wasn't a constant, not with Luciano. Suzaku scowled and looked down at his pack, carefully looking through it. The canteen was buried at the bottom of the pack, Suzaku making a face when he realized that there wasn't a blanket in his bag. On the plus side, there was more dried food because of it. He pulled out the canteen, holding it as he looked through the rest of his pack.
Aside from the dried food there was a bit of rope and something that looked like fishing line. Suzaku winced, opening the pack wider in the hopes of finding something else. He smiled when he saw a knife, relieved that he had some kind of weapon, and something useful for survival in the Games. There was nothing else that would be remotely useful, Suzaku cursing and looking back over his shoulder. There was a chance that there would be materials left by the Cornucopia. Most of the tributes would be gone by now, and Suzaku felt sure that Luciano wasn't one to guard the Cornucopia. Luciano looked like he would prefer to make his kills in person, but hunting his targets down. Based on that, it would be easy enough to sneak back to the Cornucopia and pick through what was left.
On the other hand, it would mean more of a delay. Suzaku glanced up at the sky, relieved that it looked like not much time had passed. He wasn't comfortable with delaying too long, not while he didn't know where Luciano was. Almost all of the most dangerous tributes were bound to be with Luciano, so it would be alright to relax a bit once he knew where they were. For today, it would be better to find Lelouch and go after the Cornucopia tomorrow when they were sure that Luciano had moved on.
Suzaku leaned over to look at the stream, cupping his hands and dipping them into the water. After taking an experimental taste, Suzaku sat up, making a face. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't poisoned. As he didn't have a water purifying kit, it would have to be enough. Suzaku would rather have water to drink than have to wait until he got the proper equipment. He was sure that Lelouch would argue with his logic, but that would have to be discussed later.
He filled up the canteen, screwing the cap on as he stood up. Suzaku carefully stowed the canteen back in his pack before walking away from the stream. It was surprisingly easy to find his way back to his own trail through the grass. The grass was listing to the side and hadn't snapped back into place like he thought it would. Suzaku cautiously touched the grass, pulling his hand back quickly. He didn't think that the people in charge of the Games would bother to genetically engineer the grass to endanger them, not when there were other, more exciting ways to kill off tributes. But he wasn't above thinking that those running the Games would make it easier for the tributes to find each other. From a high spot, it would easy to see exactly where the tributes were going. That thought made him pause. If that was the case, then he would have to reevaluate his initial plan of just hiding in the grasses. It would be to their advantage to find a high spot and stay there.
He sighed and started back in the direction he had come from. The easiest way to navigate would be to return to the Cornucopia and choose a direction from there, or at least get to a place where the grass wouldn't be so high. Suzaku ducked his head, beginning to jog again. He wanted to get to Lelouch as quickly as possible so they could get a solid plan.
Finding his way back to the Cornucopia was easier than he thought it would be, Suzaku expecting to run into other tributes. While the arena was big, it wasn't big enough that they could avoid each other at all times, that would defeat the purpose of the Hunger Games. Suzaku paused just long enough to glance back at the supplies still piled around the Cornucopia, catching glimpses of some of the tributes rooting around in the supplies. A few of them met his gaze before ducking back into the grasses or the Cornucopia itself. Suzaku swallowed and glanced up at the nearest rise, smirking to himself. Lelouch would be waiting there; it was an obvious enough place. If he wasn't, Suzaku shook his head. He didn't like the idea of spending his time wandering around searching for Lelouch.
Suzaku plunged back into the tall grass, heading for the first hill. He came across places where the grasses were bent back, trails from other tributes moving away from the Cornucopia. The most disturbing trails that he found had blood smeared across places, probably from injuries sustained trying to get supplies. It was extremely lucky that he had managed to get away without any harm done. Suzaku knew that it was rare for tributes to escape without some kind of harm done to them. Then again, most of the tributes had purposefully tried to get away as fast as possible because of Luciano. Suzaku would just have to remember that, because Luciano was a tribute, that nearly every rule that he knew about the Hunger Games had been changed.
He managed to avoid trouble until he was part of the way up the hill toward the first stand of trees. Suzaku's foot caught on something, Suzaku falling onto the ground. He rolled onto his side, staring at the thing that he had tripped over because he had felt it give a bit when his foot had hit it.
Suzaku's eyes widened as he stared at the body that was staring back at him. He jerked back, pulling up the foot that had knocked into the body. He carefully got to his feet, edging toward the body. Usually the tributes would be picked up immediately by the people running the Games, but the high grasses would have made finding the bodies difficult. Suzaku adjusted the pack on his back as he stared down at the body. He couldn't remember the girl's name, which disturbed him a bit more than it should have. He knelt down next to her, gently pushing her hair back from her face before shutting her eyes. There was nothing else that he could do for her, and it would be best if he left before the helicopter came to get her.
"I'm sorry." Suzaku stood up, brushing off his hands on his pants before turning and sprinting up the hill. He wasn't good with dead bodies, not since he had walked back into his family home and found his father dead. Suzaku had avoided the few funerals in Area 11 for that reason; he always got the urge to run when faced with a dead body and the horrible feeling that he was doing the person a disservice in running.
He burst out of the grass, bending over as he tried to catch his breath. Suzaku tensed at the sound of a helicopter, looking over his shoulder to see the machine coming in their direction. He stood up and moved further into the trees, carefully keeping an eye on the helicopter as it circled close.
With the noise that the helicopter was making, Suzaku missed the sound of someone sliding down out of a tree. The hand on his shoulder made him jump. Suzaku pulled the hand off of his shoulder and turned, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Lelouch. He chuckled nervously, freezing when Lelouch motioned for him to be silent before moving further into the trees. Suzaku gave the helicopter one last glance, turning away as he saw that they were lifting the girl's body from the grasses.
He flopped down next to Lelouch, opening his pack and wordlessly handing the canteen over to Lelouch. Lelouch took it, taking a drink before making a face. But, to Suzaku's surprise, Lelouch didn't complain, he just continued to watch the helicopter.
Lelouch handed the canteen back to Suzaku, only speaking up when the helicopter had headed back in the direction of Pendragon. "I thought that was you for a bit there, until she started screaming. Then I figured that it wasn't you and I had better stay in the tree. It took a while for them to get her though."
"Navigating in that grass is hard."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow and gestured to the canteen. "You did fine."
"Yes, but it was a quick trip out and back. To actually find our way around this place, we'd need a compass or to move from hill to hill."
"Who says we have to travel?"
Suzaku plucked at some of the short grass around the tree. "I'm not sure that it would be a good idea. For one, the other tributes seem keen to stay close to the Cornucopia because it's easier to see. That and the food supplies around here would run out and we would have to range."
"I'm guessing that Luciano and his group are the only ones moving at the moment." Suzaku nodded, Lelouch grinning and leaning back against the tree. "Knowing that, the safest place to be would be on a rise so you could see them moving. Further out the ground dips, so we would hide there."
"We?"
"Gather the tributes around the Cornucopia into an alliance."
"Is this you trying to lead a rebellion from inside of the Games?" Suzaku shook his head. "It won't work, they're going to play by the rules Lelouch."
"But this will get them out alive."
"It doesn't matter. There's only way one to play the Hunger Games in their minds, and we're not doing it right. They'd rather play the Game the way it's always been played than take a chance and die. Besides, I'm enough of a deterrent. Luciano hates me and I got a score of eleven, few people would want to have an alliance with us."
"Some people might, if they're desperate enough." Lelouch sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But you're right, we wouldn't get the people that would be able to stand up to them. Still, a couple of extra hands around would be helpful."
"As what, bait?"
"No." Lelouch looked offended. "For the help. Then we come up with a plan to get us all out of here alive."
Suzaku rolled his eyes, but didn't tell Lelouch off for the plan. Lelouch could plan all he wanted, but Suzaku would never say no to trying to help other people survive. He shrugged his shoulders, standing up and stretching. He glanced up at the tree, gesturing at it.
Lelouch waved his hand dismissively. "I've been looking around on and off since I got here. There hasn't been much movement since that tribute was killed and you came."
Suzaku nodded, jumping to grab the lowest branch and hauling himself up into the tree. He clambered to the top, pushing the leaves aside so he could see. He didn't bother looking over the whole arena; he doubted that they would have to make use of the entire arena. What he was more worried about was looking for patches of brighter green in the sea of grasses. Some areas were already beginning to yellow, making those that were close to the stream that he had found and any other sources of water that much easier to find. He turned slowly in place, smiling when he spotted a stretch of green grass, this stream probably not the one that he had used since it was much closer to their hill. There were a few other patches that were nearby, close enough to warrant looking at.
He turned his attention to the layout of the area around them, disappointed that nothing immediately appeared. Suzaku sighed and ducked back under the leaves. He had hoped to find a place where they could hide for the night, a dip in the ground that they could use if the weather got bad. In any case, Suzaku was sure that they would be staying in the area for a while. He agreed with Lelouch in not moving too much, at least not while they had no idea how to navigate the tall grass. That made it easier to get food, since Suzaku just had to set snares and traps and make a few rounds during the day. It wasn't the typical way that the Hunger Games were played, usually the tributes moved around constantly to avoid each other.
He dropped out of the tree, glancing at Lelouch as he brushed off his clothes. "Might as well stay here for the night."
Lelouch nodded, not bothering to get up from his place by the tree. "No fire then?"
"No." The other tributes were still too close, and Suzaku wasn't sure how desperate the other tributes were or how close Luciano was. He had seen where Luciano had led his alliance, but not how far out they had gone. He sighed and glanced back toward the Cornucopia. "Not tonight at least."
"So we live off the food we got from the Cornucopia."
Suzaku nodded, reaching down to pull the wires out of his bag. "We'll go back down tomorrow to see what else we can dig up. In the mean time, I'll see what I can get us for tomorrow."
Lelouch gave him a dismissive wave, Suzaku snorting at the easy dismissal. He rolled his eyes and set off down the slope, ducking into a partial crouch as soon as he entered the grass. It was amazing that the change was enough to set him on edge, but Suzaku keenly felt the loss of his range of vision. He swallowed and focused on the ground, searching for any kind of prints. He didn't know what kind of animals that the people running the game had released for them to catch or if there was even game for them. If the snares didn't work, Suzaku would just turn his attention to the streams. There would be no fun in the Games for the people of Pendragon if all of the tributes slowly starved to death. Any gifts from their supporters wouldn't arrive until the second day, as they had done nothing to earn them.
Suzaku sighed, focusing on his task. There were a few rabbit trails, nothing that encourage him to believe that there was plenty of food. Maybe the rabbits would come back when things settled down, although the fact that there were bound to be deaths every day and helicopters coming for the bodies would probably keep them away. Suzaku shook his head as he set up the last snare, turning to climb back up to the top of the hill. Hopefully they could catch a few rabbits for the next day, if not Suzaku would resort to fishing.
Lelouch was in the tree when he arrived at the top of the hill again, Suzaku giving him a long look before leaning against the tree. "Anything?"
"Just checking on the movements of the tributes." Lelouch frowned as he braced himself against the trunk of the tree. "There are still a lot of them around the Cornucopia, but they're starting to disperse. I haven't seen any more helicopters since that last one. It's been…quiet."
"Isn't that what you want?"
Lelouch snorted, beginning to awkwardly scramble down the tree Suzaku reached up to steady him, Lelouch shoving Suzaku's hands away as soon as he was on the ground. "Quiet is good in short breaks, but not for hours. It means that someone is up to something."
"Yeah, people are trying to survive." That got him a slap on the shoulder, Suzaku easily shaking it off. "Don't worry too much, Lelouch, this is our one day off. Tomorrow we have to get serious."
"What do you mean tomorrow?" Lelouch paused in the motion of pulling a bag of dried food out of Suzaku's pack.
"Lelouch." Suzaku rolled his eyes and flopped down to the ground. He hesitated before reaching out to touch Lelouch's arm. "We're safe."
"For now."
"Yes, for now. So we take advantage of it. We find a place to sleep and get a good night's sleep. We'll be better rested than most of the other tributes. Do you think that those in Luciano's group will sleep easily knowing that the emperor chose Luciano just to kill people? Do you think that anyone else will sleep well not knowing where the others are?" Lelouch didn't have an answer for him, he just kept his head down. Suzaku sighed and scooted closer, resting his head on Lelouch's shoulder. "We'll be alright."
He felt Lelouch's stare for a moment before Lelouch sighed and rested a hand in Suzaku's hair. "You're far too optimistic."
"One of us has to be." Suzaku grinned and reach out to grab a handful of the dried fruit from the bag that Lelouch had opened. He popped a piece into his mouth, chewing slowly as he scanned the area around them. He doubted that anyone would be able to sneak up on them, but that didn't keep him from feeling jumpy. For Lelouch's sake, he would try to play down his unease. He tipped his head to the side, staring at the trees above them. "How about sleeping off the ground tonight?"
"Like in a tree?"
"Yeah. It would be safer and it would make you more comfortable. We have the rope for it and the trees look like they would support our weight."
"You're crazy." Lelouch's tone of voice was carefully bland, meaning that he didn't disagree with Suzaku.
Suzaku shifted so he was lying on Lelouch's shoulder, staring up at the leaves. "So, you're willing to give it a try,"
"Just for you, to keep you happy." Lelouch sounded annoyed, but the gentle touch on his arm showed Suzaku that Lelouch appreciated the offer. Suzaku smiled to himself, leaning into the touch.
He stared up at the sky, watching the colors that streaked through the sky. The sun was setting, which meant that they should find a place to bed down in the trees, and not to far apart from each other. Suzaku closed his eyes with a sigh. Hopefully the other tributes had been doing interesting things so they would be left alone the first night and so that the cameras would stay away from them. He would be ready to deal with the cameras tomorrow, when he was more adjusted to the Games and not in a panic. He would know where Lelouch was and wouldn't have to worry about Lelouch dying somewhere.
Suzaku shivered, sitting up abruptly when Lelouch shoved at him. Lelouch stood up, gesturing at the trees. "Come up, it's getting dark. We should get ready before it gets too dark."
Suzaku crammed the rest of the dried fruit into his mouth, pulling the rope out from his bag before following Lelouch as they made a round of the trees, trying to pick out the ones that would hold their weight. They would have to get secure before the other tributes started to search for cover. And, the sooner they were secure, the harder it would be for the other tributes to sneak up on them. Suzaku looked guiltily at Lelouch's back. Anyone would want to get rid of one of the highest scoring tributes; it would make everyone feel safer.
"Suzaku." He jumped at the sound of his name, jogging over to stand by Lelouch as Lelouch began to outline his idea for their camp during the night. Suzaku tightened his grip on the rope, nodding at the appropriate moments, but most of his attention was elsewhere.
The moment of peace that he had felt with Lelouch was suddenly gone. That he had found Lelouch was a huge relief, but it had seemed too easy. He had found Lelouch in the first place that he had looked and no one had disturbed them. The one thing that had messed up his luck had been the dead tribute on the hill. Before, he could just over look that fact because it had just been he and Lelouch sitting under a tree, like they had done in their childhood when they were both too exhausted from work and what little play they had gotten in. Well Lelouch had been exhausted, Suzaku had humored him by sprawling on the ground beside him. It had been too much like the few moments in his childhood that he wanted to cherish them, even if they came at odd times. The moment had come and disappeared as quickly as he had feared. Now all he had was worry about what would happen next.
"Come on, Suzaku."
He glanced up at Lelouch, offering Lelouch a smile. Suzaku was sure that Lelouch could tell that he was faking a smile, but he also knew that Lelouch was far too busy with his preparations to pay much attention to him. He muttered an apology before handing up Lelouch's bag. He waited until Lelouch was secure on a branch before hauling himself up. Suzaku gave one last glance over his shoulder before throwing himself into their preparations. Despite good intentions of their parts, it was going to be a long night.
---
"And that should be the last of them." Rivalz Cardemonde took a step back, Milly taking the chance to lean forward and look at the pictures that had just been uploaded.
The list of the dead tributes had been given its final updates, the people running the Games finally cutting off the first day. In a few minutes she would record the voice over for the deaths on the first day, and then it would be broadcast at the end of the current news program as well as being projected in the dark sky above the arena so the tributes in the Games could see who had died. It was the only way they were going to get information, save what their escorts could sneak into the gifts given to the tributes.
Milly rubbed her eyes and sank down into her chair, aware that Rivalz was still hovering over her. He had been hovering over her since the Hunger Games had started, not that Milly minded. It was a relief to have someone who shared her position about the Hunger Games, someone who wasn't afraid to look sympathetic about the plight of the tributes instead of crowing about how good these Games were like Diethard Ried. Neither of them were allowed to say anything bad against the emperor or even suggest that any of his policies were wrong, that was the strength of Diethard's conviction. Milly was surprised that she had gotten the job; her family had been obvious in their support of the late empress Marianne. Diethard had been convinced that Marianne had been nothing but the whore that the entire capital had believed that she was. Milly could only guess that it was her own work ethic that had gotten her hired.
She looked up and gave Rivalz a tired smile, watching him brighten at the expression. "Thank you, Rivalz."
"Anything to make your life easier." Rivalz pulled up a chair, sitting backwards on it and propping his arms on the back of the chair. "You've been busy the past few days with everything going on. You deserve what breaks you get, if you can get them."
Rivalz looked up at Diethard, the glance too quick for their boss to catch, but Milly saw it. She gave a weary nod in response. Just that morning Diethard had been talking about having interviews with the current crown prince and prime minister of Britannia. He had been pushing for an interview for the emperor himself, but that had been dismissed by post of the palace staff. Apparently, the emperor no longer spoke to his public and would only make appearances for the Hunger Games and any other event deemed important by the staff. Milly didn't quite know how to take the news, but she was more than willing to just ignore it for the time being, she had more important things to focus on.
She pushed her hair back behind her ears, glancing up at the clock that was hung on the wall. "Well, we'd better get ready to start this. The sooner we record this, the sooner you can go home."
"Nah," Rivalz waved a hand, "I thought I would volunteer to do what I can."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know. But I know that I would go insane with only Diethard around for company, so I'm doing this for your own sanity." Rivalz gave her a lopsided smile. "The overtime pay for the Hunger Games is fantastic."
Milly laughed, leaning back in her seat and clutching her stomach. It wasn't really funny, but it was honest. Milly had almost forgotten what that sounded like after acting a part for so long. She pressed a hand over her mouth, muffling the sound as the laughter subsided, throwing a glance over at where Diethard was. Diethard was walking over in their direction, meaning that it was almost time to start. Milly motioned to Rivalz, the man grinning before scurrying behind the camera.
She shook her head at Rivalz antics, moving through the slides of the tributes that had died to be sure that she knew how to pronounce their names. This would be the only eulogy that these tributes would be getting. Unless the people running the Games were planning something twisted this year, like the time they had mutated the animals to resemble the tributes or the time that they had used the bodies to contaminate the water in the arena, the bodies would be sent back home at the end of the Games with very little fanfare. All of that would be directed at the tribute that won.
Milly paged back to the beginning of the slides, looking up at the camera as Diethard cleared his throat. It was the only signal she would be getting from him. She nodded at Rivalz, waiting until the man had ducked behind the camera to plaster on her smile. It was a fake smile, but a good fake. No one in Pendragon had been able to tell the difference thus far.
She reached out for the controls to the slides, flicking back and forth between the first and second slides until Rivalz gave her a wave from behind the camera. She sent the slides back to the beginning, giving the camera a small wave. "This is Milly Ashford reporting in at the end of an exciting first day in the Hunger Games. I'm sure all of you have seen the live footage and, if not, it will be replaying all night tonight and in an abridged form early tomorrow. Tonight, it is my duty to bring you the names of those who have died in the first day of the Games."
Milly flipped to the next slide, glancing down at the picture of the black haired, brown eyed girl. "From Area 2, Sancia Patel."
The next slide had a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. "From Area 4, Alfred G. Dalton." Paired with Dalton on the slide was a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. "From Area 4, Mutusuki Minase"
That was both of the tributes from Area 4 dead, which would probably mean an interview with Princess Cornelia about how she felt about being out of the Games so early. Milly moved on to the next slide quickly to avoid thinking too much about what that interview would entail. She knew that Cornelia had been close to Dalton and all of his sons, so the loss would be hard on her.
Milly cleared her throat, looking that the next dead tribute. It was a young woman with blue hair, probably dyed, and brown eyes. "From Area 6, Inoue Naomi."
Thankfully the next slide was the last one. The first day always turned out the most deaths, unless the tributes forced the hand of the people running the Games. If they dodged around each other too well, then they would be sent a disaster just to make the deaths skyrocket. She was more than happy handling a handful of deaths that trickled out over the days that the Games were running.
The next slide had a picture of a man with brown hair and dark eyes, Milly trying her best not to sound relieved when she said his name. "From Area 12, Yoshida Toru." She turned off the slide show, eager to end the segment. It was her least favorite part of the Games. "And that's all for this batch folks. Stay tuned tomorrow for an overview of the first day narrated by yours truly and the next exciting day of the Hunger Games."