A Place With No Darkness-Chapter Thirteen

[spiritwriting]

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 can get out alive and get home. Suzalulu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or The Hunger Games.

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Chapter Thirteen

"Tributes, this is an arena-wide announcement."

Suzaku started at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. He pulled Lelouch closer to him, ignoring the indignant squawk that Lelouch gave. Suzaku planted one hand against the wall, supporting Lelouch as he hauled the two of them upright. He could feel Lelouch scrambling at his arm, trying to get him to let go, something that Suzaku was not going to do. It took him a moment longer for him to wake up completely, his half asleep mind finally processing what had been said.

He chuckled nervously and let go of Lelouch, keeping one hand on Lelouch's shoulder just in case. Lelouch shot him an annoyed look before stepping out of the cave. Suzaku followed after him, keeping as close as he could without annoying Lelouch further. It was bad enough that he had woken Lelouch up, that was something that he would have to apologize for later.

"I repeat. Tributes, this is an arena-wide announcement. Suzaku Kururugi from Area 11 has been located within the necessary time period given by those running the Games. As this occurred a decision has been made."

Suzaku sucked in a quick breath, exchanging a glance with Lelouch. He hadn't heard of any announcements and, judging by the look on Lelouch's face, there hadn't been one, at least not to the tributes. Suzaku was willing to believe that it had gotten kept from the tributes on purpose, it wouldn't have helped the entertainment value of the Games to notify the other tributes that he was missing, unless there was a good enough prize for finding him. He squeezed Lelouch's shoulder, the two of them looking up at the sky as the announcement continued.

"As Suzaku Kururugi was lost because of a tracker failure for reasons that can not be determined at this point he was not removed from the Games. Upon having found him alive and able to continue in the Games he is expected to return to the arena. If Suzaku Kururugi does not remove himself from his refuge, then the arena will be flooded again in the specific area that he inhabits. We are aware that Prince Lelouch vi Britannia is with him and we will make no effort to spare him in the event of a flooding. This is your first and final warning. You have thirty minutes."

Suzaku looked over at Lelouch, not giving his friend much time to think over a decision. If he gave Lelouch time to think, then there would be plans or, even worse, sink back into the insecurity of the night before. He stepped around Lelouch, keeping a hand on Lelouch's arm. "Get ready to leave."

"What?"

"We're leaving Lelouch, I'm not going to risk anything." He turned around, glaring at Lelouch to try and keep him silent. "I've spent most of my days resting and I'm not going to risk you."

Lelouch snorted and rolled his eyes, but walked back to the cave to get the packs. Suzaku turned to watch him go before beginning to limp toward the one place he had found to climb down to the canyon. Lelouch caught up with him quickly, looking down at his injured ankle before raising an eyebrow.

"Can you make it?"

"If not, I can always use you as a crutch." Suzaku grinned at him. "Stop worrying about me, Lelouch. I was fine by myself."

"Only because you were too injured to do anything stupid."

Suzaku chuckled, reaching out to hold onto Lelouch's arm. "Maybe. Which is why I'm choosing to leave now, we can't afford to make a mistake."

Lelouch didn't answer, which meant that he agreed with him. Suzaku sighed and turned his attention back to the wall that they would have to climb down. The wall was his main worry at the moment. He had to climb down it while not causing Lelouch to worry too much about him. His only plan was to avoid anything that would make Lelouch want to return to their safe place. The announcement, while worrying, was something that would get them moving. Neither of them had the time to wait for Suzaku to recover, Luciano would be desperate to find them once he ran out of his own alliance to kill. He would worry about protecting Lelouch and figuring out just how they would survive later. He was not about to give up now.

Climbing down the wall was slightly easier than climbing up, especially since he had been careful to keep himself off his ankle once he had reached safety. It still wouldn't support his full weight, which meant climbing down was a slow process. Still, he managed to keep up a better pace than Lelouch. Then again, Lelouch was carrying two packs and wasn't the most fit, but it was humbling in a strange way. It just reminded Suzaku how easily everything that he was depending on to survive could be taken away from him. He swallowed and looked down, trying to find the easiest path down.

They had managed to scale a good portion of the wall when Suzaku heard a boom. His first reaction was to press himself against the wall, reaching up with one hand to hold onto Lelouch's ankle. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. They had left immediately after the announcement, far sooner that Suzaku had anticipated, he had thought that Lelouch would have argued with him. But he was sure that they were far within the time limit given to them, so there was no reason for a flood. Unless they had just given them a warning just for form's sake. There was every chance that the emperor had ordered him and Lelouch to be killed and the Game makers were just acting under orders.

Another boom made him wince, but Suzaku looked up, staring at the lip of the canyon. Thus far, everything looked dry and there was no sign of the promised flood. Suzaku blinked, glancing up at Lelouch before looking down toward the canyon floor, blushing when he realized what was happening. The two booms had just been from the cannon, the sound announcing the death of two tributes. Suzaku let out a sigh of relief, beginning to climb down the wall again. It was a relief to know that the people running the Games wouldn't just kill the two of them on principle. That just left them with two tributes dead and no way to tell who they were.

Suzaku stepped gingerly to the ground, hopping to one side to allow Lelouch to clamber down. Lelouch leaned over, panting for breath. Suzaku moved closer, about to offer to take one of the packs only for Lelouch to wave him away. "I'm fine. You don't need more weight on you anyway."

He wanted to scoff and take one of the packs anyway, but the look that was sent his way discouraged him further. Lelouch, despite whatever hang ups he had acquired over the course of the few days that they had been apart, was desperate enough to keep Suzaku from injuring himself further. Suzaku rolled his eyes before offering Lelouch his hand as a compromise. Lelouch took the offered hand, holding onto it even after he was standing upright.

Lelouch pointed off to the side, hitching the packs higher onto his shoulders. "I came in from that way; it's an easy enough slope. From there we could figure out where we have to go." Lelouch shook his head. "I don't know how far we have to go to stop them from doing whatever or how much time we have."

"We have enough." Suzaku smiled to reassure Lelouch. "More than enough time. Just get us somewhere safe, Lelouch."

Lelouch stared at him before clearing his throat, Suzaku expecting another reaction entirely. He had expected Lelouch to start outlining the plan that he had or reminding Suzaku that getting somewhere safe was the whole point to the Games in the first place. Suzaku wasn't sure how to deal with Lelouch's silence. He wasn't sure how to deal with this version of Lelouch. He swallowed and squeezed Lelouch's hand, surprised when Lelouch just pulled away from him. Suzaku closed his hand on air, watching as Lelouch put distance between the two of them. He sighed and followed after, letting Lelouch keep the distance between them.

There had to be some reason for Lelouch to be pulling away now, especially after the way Lelouch had greeted him and the way that they had been curled into each other the night before. Suzaku knew that Lelouch was glad that he was still alive but not why he was acting like this. Lelouch wasn't even offering him help, although Suzaku was sure that wasn't because he was ignoring him, it was because Lelouch was busy. Suzaku shook his head, picking up his pace as much as he could. He would keep up with Lelouch before asking for help, Lelouch was carrying most of their stuff and was bound to be completely exhausted by the end of the day.

Suzaku managed the slope well up until the end when the incline made him scramble up the last foot on all fours. He looked up, a bit disappointed that Lelouch wasn't looking back for him. Lelouch was scanning the area, probably looking for trouble and the Cornucopia just like Suzaku had asked him to. He gritted his teeth and stood up, carefully walking over to where Lelouch was standing. Instead of the check that he was expecting, Lelouch just pointed to their left. "The Cornucopia is that way."

Lelouch started off again, Suzaku groaning. He reached forward to grab Lelouch's shoulder, hating himself for having to pull Lelouch back. "Slower."

"We don't have time for slower."

"Then you'll be leaving me behind." Suzaku narrowed his eyes before letting go of Lelouch's shoulder. "I can keep up, but not if you insist on pushing like this. What's wrong with you?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I just want to get somewhere safe quickly."

"Then, by all means, go on ahead." Suzaku glanced in the direction that Lelouch had pointed, taking a deep breath before starting out on his own. "I'll keep up the best that I can."

"Suzaku, I'm not asking you to sacrifice yourself for me. I'm just…wary."

"Lelouch, I-"

"Luciano! Luciano, they're here!"

Suzaku turned around at the shout, reaching out for Lelouch. He couldn't see the person who had shouted nor could he see Luciano. Suzaku doubted that he would be able to run fast enough to keep up with Lelouch while they were escaping. He fumbled for a weapon, looking at Lelouch only to have his friend shrug. He cursed and jerked his head to one side. They weren't going to just stand still and let themselves be slaughtered, especially so close to the end.

He was surprised when Lelouch walked up beside him, grabbing onto one of his arms and sliding it over Lelouch's shoulders. Suzaku glanced at his friend before nodding. He wasn't going to question the way Lelouch kept pushing him away and pulling him back, he would just demand an answer when they were safe.

"Luciano!"

Suzaku looked over his shoulder, finally seeing who was following them. Monica appeared briefly, standing on the top of a rise and squinting down at them. He wasn't sure if she had been guarding the canyon since he had disappeared, Monica and Dorothea had been given orders to follow him after all. But he hadn't brought up the topic with Lelouch; all of the focus had been on him the night before. He should have known better, should have checked that they weren't being watched. The threat of the flood had been enough for him to panic, enough for him to forget that Luciano's guards to have been alerted by the announcement as well. The good news was that Luciano wasn't present, which was something to be thankful for.

"Lelouch, head for somewhere we can-" Suzaku grunted as they tripped over something, feeling whatever had tripped them up give a bit under his feet. He tightened his grip on Lelouch, holding him close as they rolled to a stop. Suzaku didn't waste time clinging to Lelouch, even though he wanted to. Monica was closing in on them and Luciano would be following close behind her. He pushed Lelouch to the side, sitting up and looking at what they had tripped over, his eyes widening as he realized what he was staring at. They had tripped over Nonette's body.

Suzaku got to his feet, looking over Nonette's body, seeing the long slash in her side. The grass by her side was stained a dark brown with her blood, the only other sign she was there, the grass around her tall enough to hide her body. Suzaku swallowed and looked around, spotting another body just off to their left. Dorothea was dead too, her throat cut open.

He swallowed, flanking up at the sky. The helicopter was bound to come soon, although they would probably delay because of the confrontation that was happening between them and Monica. Suzaku narrowed his eyes, heaving himself to his feet. He felt Lelouch grab at him, probably to steady himself. It was almost a relief to be working on the same wavelength as Lelouch again; almost everything was going back to normal. Suzaku smiled and reached back to grab Lelouch's hand to help him up, keeping an eye on Monica as she rushed forward.

As he expected, she stopped short at the sight of the two other tributes, staring at them for a moment before backing away. Monica gaped at the bodies, glancing between them and the tributes on the ground before letting out a scream. Suzaku automatically leaned to cover Lelouch, watching as Monica fell to her knees. "No! He promised us that he…and they were the only ones that I trusted…but he promised that we would live until the end."

Suzaku reached back and gave Lelouch a push. They could leave while Monica was distracted. It wasn't the best of plans since they would probably have to deal with her later, but Suzaku couldn't convince himself to kill Monica, especially while she was essentially harmless. He could barley convince himself that Meeya had deserved her death and she had been threatening their lives. Another push sent Lelouch into motion, Lelouch keeping a tight grip on Suzaku's arm as they backed away.

Unfortunately, their movement attracted Monica's attention. She looked up from the ground, her eyes narrowing as she stared at them. Suzaku reached back to push Lelouch's hand off of him as she stood up. "Run."

"I could kill you." Monica's statement interrupted whatever Lelouch had wanted to say. Monica chuckled and walked forward. "I could kill the both of you, and then they'd have to give me something good. There's a reward out for killing the prince, and why should Luciano get that? He's been getting all kinds of stuff from the emperor and I bet he got something good for killing the Dalton boys, but he wouldn't show any of us. If I do this, then I can make sure that I win." The laughter that followed made Suzaku shiver. "I have just as much of a right to win as he does. I had just as much training and I'm just as good as him. He just a butcher that got lucky."

Suzaku saw a flash of metal and reached, throwing himself into Lelouch as Monica lunged forward. He rolled onto his back as soon as they hit the ground, Monica looming over the two of them. Suzaku kicked out with his good leg, catching her in the stomach. Monica stumbled backward, Suzaku taking the chance to grab her and force her to the ground.

He pushed the knife away, just out of reach for her but in a position that he could get to if he had to stand up quickly. Then, he turned his attention to finding other weapons on her person as Monica writhed under him. Suzaku hissed as she dug her fingers into the bandage on his arm, withstanding the pain just long enough to pull out another knife before he rolled away. Suzaku awkwardly rose to his feet, watching as Monica immediately reached for the knife that he had originally pulled from her. He couldn't risk waiting too long. He was slower and had two obvious weak points that would immobilize him. Suzaku gritted his teeth, watching as Monica got back to her feet. It was for Lelouch's safety, he had to remind himself of that. He could hate himself forever for what he had done, but it had to be done to protect Lelouch.

Suzaku allowed Monica to charge at him, shifting his weight to his good foot. He ducked under Monica's wild swing, turning slightly so he could stab the knife into her side, hoping to get clear.

Monica went down, thrashing on the ground as she tried to pull the knife out and then curling around her injured side after she had thrown the knife away. She glared over her shoulder at Suzaku. "I hope Luciano kills you."

Suzaku shook his head and limped back to Lelouch, ignoring Monica as she continued to shout at them. She would be unable to follow them for now, although Suzaku was sure that she would try, just to attempt some sort of revenge against him. But she wouldn't survive the rest of the day; she was bleeding too heavily for that. And, if by some chance a miracle came through for her, Suzaku was sure that Luciano would be back over to the canyon sometime during the day to check to see if Lelouch was still hanging around. Luciano wouldn't hesitate to kill Monica, not if he wanted to win.

He reached out for Lelouch's arm, using it to steady himself before continuing on in the direction of the Cornucopia. Lelouch lagged behind for a moment before rushing up to Suzaku's side, slipping an arm around Suzaku's waist. When he tried to jerk away, Lelouch held on tighter. "It'll be faster this way and you won't exhaust yourself trying to keep up. Right now, we need faster. I don't need you to prove to me that you can keep up, I'm not leaving you."

"I never thought that you would." Suzaku caught Lelouch rolling his eyes, allowing his friend to mutter about his stubbornness without a comment. As long as they kept moving, he would allow Lelouch anything at the moment. He was more worried about what Monica had said, about the reward that Luciano had gotten for killing the two Daltons. Knowing the emperor, it would be something illegal, something to give the emperor's favorite the extra edge over everyone. Suzaku gritted his teeth, looking at Lelouch out of the corner of his eye. "Lelouch-"

"We're not going to fight Luciano, no matter what excuse you come up with."

"I wasn't going to say that we should."

"Good." Lelouch exhaled shakily. "You shouldn't have gone after Monica."

"I had to; there was nothing else to do. Running isn't really an option anymore." Suzaku gave him a lopsided smile, relieved that Lelouch returned the smile. He turned his attention to the ground, picking his way carefully over it. He didn't want to fall over and bring Lelouch down with him; it would just delay them further.

"We'll push on until it gets too dark for you to see. That should bring us close enough if we keep heading this way."

"Barring any disasters."

"There won't be, Luciano is keeping them entertained enough without having to bring in a disaster. Luciano might as well be one himself."

Suzaku nodded. It was not the kind of break that he wanted to hope for, the fact that they would escape because other people were dying. Lelouch could wave it away as how the Games were actually played or what they would have to do to survive. There was a part of him that was envious that Lelouch could just wave their deaths away and that was the part that Suzaku was constantly trying to make up for. For now, he would just have to bury that apologetic part of him as deep as he could, or at least try to. Now was not the time to get caught up with his conscious, because it would get him nowhere. It was more likely to get them killed than anything else. Suzaku tightened his hold on Lelouch, glad when his friend didn't comment.

"Can you keep this up?"

"All day." With Lelouch acting as a crutch there was less weight on his injured leg. Even with the injury, Suzaku was sure that he could outlast Lelouch. He risked glancing up from the ground to look over how far they had to go, nodding to himself. He would make it, or he would push himself to try to get as far as possible. Suzaku turned his head, smiling at Lelouch. "The more important question is can you keep up?"

Lelouch snorted, Suzaku about to comment on the undignified sound when Lelouch picked up the pace slightly. "I've been walking all over this arena since you ran off and I've been able to do it without a problem." Lelouch paused for a moment, probably thinking about Shirley and Rolo. He shook his head a moment later. "And I can do it with you clinging onto me. I'm not fragile. You're just an exercise nut."

Suzaku grinned in response and dropped his gaze back to the ground, trusting Lelouch to alert him to any trouble that would be heading their way. He would check back with Lelouch as the day went on or when he felt Lelouch flagging. Suzaku was sure that he would even resort to faking his own exhaustion if that point came along and Lelouch was too stubborn to stop. He wanted to get them both back to the Cornucopia and where they could escape from, but he wanted to be sure that Lelouch wasn't exhausted when they happened.

---

Nunnally paused in her waving to the crowd as Claudio reached up to press against the ear piece, quickly turning her attention back to the people. Whatever had distracted him wasn't life threatening, he would have gotten her attention immediately. It was probably just an update from Kanon on what Schneizel and Odysseus were doing and how close they were to getting a result.

Nunnally had encouraged the both of them to start working as soon as possible when the broadcast of the Games had started, acutely aware of how little time they had left. The last she had heard from them, Odysseus was talking with Cornelia and Bismarck about the state of the army while Schneizel had focused on swaying the Senate to her side.

She bit her lip, not wanting to frown in front of the people. Schneizel had reported in not ten minutes ago to confirm that he had been granted access to the documents within the palace again and that the Senate had begun to draw up an official version of their support for Prince Odysseus. It was far too soon for Schneizel to be reporting in again.

She turned her head to look up at Claudio, noticing that he was still distracted by the information. Nunnally cleared her throat, surprised when the sound didn't gain her guard's attention. She was used to him being so much more focused on her, which meant that something bad was happening. Nunnally cleared her throat again, managing to keep her voice steady. "Is it Lelouch?"

Claudio jumped, the guard shaking his head. "No, my lady. It's…I think it would be best if you heard this yourself."

He spoke into the ear piece for a moment more before detaching it and handing down to Nunnally. Claudio helped her settle it into place, Nunnally glancing up at him before pressing two fingers against it. "Hello?"

"Princess Nunnally." Kanon sounded out of breath and panicked, two things that Kanon never was. Nunnally's hands tightened on the armrests of her wheelchair, not sure that she would be able to respond. Thankfully, Kanon continued with his message. "We're removing you from the premises of the palace, for your own safety."

"But the people-"

"They will be safe, my lady. Your things will be sent to you later. Is Princess Euphemia with you?"

Nunnally looked out over the crowd, spotting her half sister where Euphemia was mingling with the people. She nodded, remembering a second later that Kanon couldn't see her. "Yes."

"I will have her guards inform her of the situation. The two of you will be spending the night in Prince Clovis' house tonight. It has already been cleared by him. Prince Schneizel will explain everything when you arrive. As of now, I don't know the full details to even begin to give you a reason why you are being moved, Prince Schneizel will explain everything when he arrives. Odysseus and Cornelia will be joining you as well."

"What about the others?"

"They have returned to the houses that their mothers have on the outskirts of Pendragon or they will be staying with Guinevere. All of the royal heirs are being removed from the palace and Bismarck is setting up guards for them. He has assured me that none will be taken from those that are protecting the people. There should be a car waiting for you."

"Thank you." Nunnally passed the ear piece back to Claudio, turning her wheelchair and coming down from the platform. She didn't notice the cheers as she did so, her mind focused on why Schneizel had called them away from the palace. It had to have been something big to have shaken Kanon up so much; Kanon had been one of the few calm ones the night before.

She looked up as she passed Euphemia, her half sister falling in behind Nunnally. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Euphemia placed her hands on the back of the wheelchair, not actually pushing but giving the illusion that she was doing something. Euphemia leaned over. "You get the message?"

"Yes. Do you know what it's about?"

"Schneizel wouldn't tell me. He just kept repeating what I had to do. He was scared, Nunnally. I didn't think that Schneizel could be scared."

Nunnally reached up to squeeze Euphemia's hand, hoping that it would reassure her. She tried to ignore the tremble that she felt, not sure enough of Schneizel to tell Euphemia that everything would be alright. She was sure that Schneizel was on their side, but that meant nothing if Schneizel was doing this to make a move that would help him. Then there was the fact that Euphemia, the one who knew Schneizel the best out of the two of them, had said that he was scared. The eternally cool and collected prime minister of Britannia had been frightened. That was enough to scare Nunnally as well.

She turned her attention to the car that was waiting for them, surprised when Cornelia stepped out. Euphemia abandoned her place behind the wheelchair and ran to her sister, the two embracing. Nunnally watched, feeling a bit jealous before she shook her head. There was no time for jealousy at the moment, the panic she had heard in Kanon's voice pushing her to go on.

Nunnally waved away Claudio's offer of help to get into the car, easily swinging herself in before allowing the guard to take the wheelchair. She buckled herself in, fiddling with the seatbelt until the car started moving. Nunnally looked up then, meeting Cornelia's gaze for a moment before Cornelia turned to look at Claudio. "Did you get any more news other than the order to move?"

"None, your highness. I have been informed that you will be brought clothing and other items required for spending the night. Apparently this is a single night affair and hastily organized."

"Unlike my brother." Cornelia hummed and leaned back in her seat, not speaking again. Even Euphemia was silent, curled into her sister's side as she stared out the windshield.

Nunnally watched them for a while before turning her attention to the city. She hadn't seen much of Pendragon coming in, just the tall buildings that could be seen from the royal station near the palace. Apparently Clovis preferred to live in the city rather than in one of the villas that surrounded Pendragon, it was the only reason she could think of that they were being driven further into the city. Nunnally craned her neck back to look at the taller skyscrapers, not really paying attention to them. She was just trying to distract herself from thinking about why Schneizel had called them away from the palace. The city was just tall buildings, a cage of metal and glass as far as she could see.

Nunnally narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. That was something Lelouch would think, that wasn't her. But that didn't stop her from feeling trapped by Pendragon, although part of that was the unfamiliarity. She always felt trapped when she was in an unfamiliar place, she wouldn't know how to navigate a new place or even if she would be able to navigate in her wheelchair. She tightened her grip on the door, watching as the city passed by them and listening to the silence in the car.

She uncurled her fingers from the handle as they turned into what looked like a very upscale neighborhood. The car passed two houses before pulling into the driveway of a third, Nunnally looking up at the staircase to the door with a frown. She didn't have time to ask about how she was getting into the house when Claudio came around to open the door. He gave her an apologetic smile before squatting down. "My apologies your highness, but this is one of the safest places within the royal family. Rooms have been prepared for you on the first floor. Guinevere's house is less suited to your needs. For this, you have our-"

Nunnally held up a hand. "I understand. Just help me get inside. I want to find out what is going on."

Claudio nodded, carefully slipping one arm under her legs and another around her back. Nunnally shook her head as he continued to mutter apologies, only stopping to order the driver to retrieve Nunnally's wheelchair from the back of the car. She tightened her hold on him as she was carried up the stairs, feeling herself blush as Claudio stepped into the house. The guard kept a hold on her until the driver brought in her wheelchair, then Claudio set her down in it as quickly and gently as he could. Nunnally muttered her thanks before wheeling herself into the main room, surprised to see another person in the room. The girl looked to be her age, with red hair pulled up into pigtails.

She swallowed and carefully wheeled her chair into the clear spot near the center of the room, very aware of the girl's gaze on her. Nunnally was working up the courage to greet the girl when Clovis strode in. He gave them all a quick glance, stepping out of the way as Euphemia slipped into the room and sat by her sister. Clovis nodded, going to lean against the wall before sitting down on the nearest chair. "I…I'm glad that you have made it safely. Schneizel just conveyed the word to me and…"

Cornelia spoke up. "What exactly was that word?"

Clovis looked over at Cornelia, wringing his hands. "I am not sure. Schneizel just warned me not to go to the palace and to prepare myself for a certain number of my siblings to come and stay until we were sure that we were all safe. He said that he would be coming over to speak to us. I guess that he wants to settle the others at Guinevere's villa before coming here."

The girl scoffed. "I'd rather be with Guinevere than here."

"You were closer to me at the moment, Carine." Clovis looked up wearily. "It's not a matter of want but of necessity. Schneizel wouldn't have pulled us all away without a reason."

Carine pouted and looked away from them, but everyone else seemed to ignore her. Nunnally swallowed and glanced over at Claudio, watching him for any clues before giving up and looking at Cornelia and Euphemia.

Ten minutes of silence passed before Claudio snapped to attention, attracting Nunnally's attention. She watched as the guard pressed his fingers against the ear piece, nodding every once and a while. He looked up at the rest of them when he was done, clearing his throat. "Prince Schneizel is here and will be remaining."

Cornelia nodded, tipping her head back. "Finally, an explanation for why he has pulled us away and why this entire street needed to be blockaded."

Clovis sat up. "The entire street?"

Cornelia never got the chance to answer, the door opening and Schneizel walking into the room. Kanon slipped in after him, the aid quietly shutting the door before moving to stand in the corner. Both of them looked equally as exhausted and worried. Kanon was shuffling through a file of papers far too fast to be reading them and Schneizel held one paper tightly and swayed in place, stopping when he realized what he was doing.

Schneizel glanced up at them, shaking his head before leaning back against the mantle. "You deserve an explanation."

"We do."

He ignored Cornelia's outburst, carefully smoothing out the folds in the paper that he was holding. "As soon as I was allowed access to the documents, I looked for something that could turn the tables in our favor. But I found nothing." There was an outbreak of shouts, mostly from Carine and Cornelia. Nunnally glanced over at them, wanting to wave them into silence. Schneizel was obviously still getting to his point. Thankfully, Schneizel shot a glare at them which made them quiet down. He rubbed his forehead before leaning back against the mantle. "What I did find was something particularly disturbing. It appears that our father was already planning for the Hunger Games next year."

Cornelia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "He plans ahead every year, once the tributes are sent off on the first day. He even begins planning the guard shifts. There is nothing new about that."

"I am aware of that." Schneizel took a deep breath, his gaze dropping back to the paper in his hand. "I have been since I became prime minister. And, while it does not surprise me that father would continue on with his plans like nothing was happening, what he has done is the thing that has shocked me. There won't be a Reaping next year."

Nunnally gasped, the only one in the room with a quiet reaction. The other four were shouting and demanding answers, although Euphemia went silent far sooner than the rest of their siblings. She looked over at Nunnally with wide eyes, her hands clutching at the arm of the chair. Nunnally offered her a smile and took her hand, offering Euphemia support. She looked back at Schneizel at the sound of paper being thrown down, Schneizel staring at the paper in disgust.

"There won't be a Reaping this year because Father has decided to do something special for the anniversary of the Games. He's decided to turn next year's Games into a contest to see who will get the throne!"

Nunnally leaned forward, aware that everyone else was doing the same. No one wanted to pick up the paper because then, somehow, it would be more real. She shivered, forcing herself to go through the twenty-four names that were on the paper. Every name was a member of the royal family, whether it was one of Charles' children or a close cousin. All of them had been, at some point, recommended to take the throne. Nunnally swallowed, seeing her name written by Area 11 along with Clovis. She supposed that she shouldn't have been so surprised; they were the ones that were challenging Charles' rule so their names were bound to be on the list. And all of them were. Cornelia was beside Area 4, Schneizel by Area 1 and Euphemia by Area 3. Even Odysseus was on the list, his name right next to Schneizel's in Area 1. Below the names of the tributes was another list, these ones probably replacements if any of the others managed to escape. Bismarck, Kanon and Claudio were on that list as well as Lelouch, although his name looked like it had been added in pencil later, just in case Lelouch managed to survive the current Games. That made Nunnally shiver again. If Lelouch survived and they were unable to do anything about Charles, then he would just be put back in the next year, and then he would certainly die. He cared too much about her to let her be killed.

She sat back in her wheelchair, staring at Schneizel. No wonder he had sounded scared, he was in danger as well, probably the closest to danger that he had ever been. Nunnally had never heard of Charles giving out threats, but this was as close as they were going to get to one and it produced the exact result the emperor wanted. Now all of the royal heirs would be silent and stop opposing him because they were scared. And, even if they stopped pushing, there was a good chance that most of them would end up going into the Hunger Games next year because the emperor did not suffer threats to his authority lightly. Out of the people in the room, only Carine could get away safely because she had never voiced support for what Nunnally and the others were doing. Even Clovis, though he had not vocally supported their efforts, wouldn't be safe because he had protected Nunnally for all those years.

Nunnally closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Those royals that could make sure that they were safe would probably do so when the announcement was made, if Schneizel ever chose to make the announcement. For all she knew, Schneizel could call the whole thing off because he valued his life more than any of theirs. Still, that left her with no way out. Lelouch had helped her avoid the Games this year and now she was going to have to avoid them herself.

"I won't stop." Everyone in the room looked up at her, Nunnally biting her lip. She cleared her throat after a moment. "Father is just trying to get us to stop, and I won't let him. I've come too far just to let him threaten me back into silence. But, I won't ask you all to continue with me, you're in as much danger as I am, maybe more. It wouldn't be fair of me to demand that from you. I can't stop, not now. If I can just get the Games to end earlier this year, then I'll count it a victory."

"No one is backing out, Nunnally." Euphemia squeezed her hand and looked up at Schneizel. Of all the people to speak up first, Nunnally hadn't expected Euphemia. She had thought that Euphemia would have given her silent support, and make it known without words that she was going to follow Nunnally. Instead, Euphemia was standing up and letting go of Nunnally's hand. "No one should. I know that this is frightening and Schneizel was right to get us away from Father, but I am tired of cowering. I am tired of watching the people in my Area suffer because I can't do anything to help them, not without risking my life. I am tired of knowing that Father doesn't care about me really, not unless I managed to get a good marriage or prove to be as ruthless as he is. I won't be threatened into silence any longer and I don't care if I lose my title or my life because of it. We're doing the right thing now and I don't want to stop."

Cornelia looked vaguely uncomfortable, but more in response to her sister's blatant disregard for her own life than what Euphemia was saying. Euphemia smiled at Cornelia before looking back at Schneizel. "I know we had plans, plans that would still work but they all rest on one thing, getting rid of the emperor now. I know that you didn't want a coup, Nunnally, but there's no other way at this point. Anything else and we'd just be floundering."

Nunnally sighed but nodded. There really was no other way, not if they wanted to end the Games and get away with their lives. She was willing to do anything to get Lelouch and Suzaku out alive, but she wanted to live if it was possible. And, with what Euphemia was proposing, it was very much possible.

She looked down at her hands, carefully thinking over her words before speaking. "If we release the information about next year, we might get sympathy from the people and the support they need. Father has removed the rule that royals can't be in the Games, so we're like them now, we have the same threat hanging over our heads. They can't say that we're doing this just because we're safe. We're fighting for our lives as well. That will probably get some more favor for Odysseus."

Nunnally glanced up at Schneizel, relieved to see that he was looking more relaxed. Now that the shock and fear was over, Schneizel was probably working on ways to get them all out of the situation. She was sure that he had thought about releasing the contents of the paper to the public before she had and been weighing the consequences. Knowing Schneizel, he would have waited to see if any of them were going to offer up the idea before speaking himself. Now that they weren't trying to just get their father to see their point of view, it was time to turn the project over to Schneizel and Cornelia. Now they would need the force they had been holding off on.

"That…that would be for the best." Schneizel moved from his place by the mantle, taking the one open chair on the far side of the room. He pressed his fingers together, glancing over at Kanon before focusing on the rest of them. "I don't think that Father will see it for what it really is, a warning that we'll be coming for him. He'll see it as an attempt to win sympathy. In the mean time, Cornelia and Bismarck should have the military ready for our use should we need it."

Euphemia sat down again, a relieved smile on her face. "So you have a plan?"

Schneizel nodded slowly. "For tonight, we stay away from the palace. Let Father believe that he has scared us for now, it will give us time to move and will keep out those that don't want to be a part of what is coming. Kanon will give the information to Milly Ashford and she will have it announced by tonight." He took a deep breath. "Tomorrow we'll go speak to the emperor directly. Security around him has started to relax or will further with Milly's announcement since most of the guards are on our side anyway. We'll arrest the emperor on what I've managed to dig up and install Odysseus as the ruler."

Cornelia frowned. "And by we you mean…"

"Odysseus, Viceroy Waldstein, Kanon and myself."

"I want to go." Nunnally surprised herself by speaking up. She blushed but didn't back down from Schneizel's stare. She had been at the forefront of their attempts to end the Hunger Games since the beginning and she wanted to be there until the very end. Nunnally raised her chin. "I have that right as a princess."

"I wasn't considering questioning that right." Schneizel sighed and slumped, Nunnally shocked by his abandonment of proper posture. "I was merely considering safety. The guards as an entity are loyal to us, but there is no telling who individually are. I would prefer not to risk you and then have Lelouch mad at me later."

"He can be mad at me then, because I would have told him that it was my idea to come. You would get away with it."

Schneizel gave her a look that told her that he didn't quite believe what she was saying. She was sure that Lelouch would still be mad at Schneizel for even letting her go in the first place, but not as mad as he could be. Nunnally held Schneizel's gaze, surprised when he just nodded. It must have been his exhaustion that was making him give into her demand so easily and Nunnally was not about to argue with it. She took her small victory and leaned back in her chair, turning her head to smile at Euphemia.

It was silly to think that, just because of this one document, they would win. But Nunnally couldn't stop herself from feeling optimistic. From what she had seen and heard from the royal family, they had always done better in a tight spot and Nunnally couldn't think of a tighter spot than the imminent threat of death. And, even if the other royals didn't agree with them, the assurance that the Hunger Games would end a year before the emperor could send them in instead of the usual tributes would motivate them to join in with Nunnally's plan. At least, she hoped that they would have the sense to see it her way. Nunnally reached out to squeeze Euphemia's hand, relieved when her half sister responded in kind.

They were safe with Clovis. Their father had never bothered much with Clovis, not even when he had been assigning areas. The emperor wouldn't be able to touch them here, at least without calling on the army which was very much on their side now that Marianne's name had been bandied about by Viceroy Waldstein. The emperor had trapped himself and was now taking whatever desperate measures that he could. They were all just cowering because it was what they had been doing for years and it was the automatic reaction.

She turned her attention back to the discussion, listening as Cornelia and Schneizel discussed what to do with the army. Carine yawned and left ten minutes into the discussion, leaving them to their business. Despite the fact that her name had been on the sheet of paper, Carine didn't seem worried. Nunnally watched her go before shrugging, putting her full attention on Schneizel and Cornelia as they discussed different ways to get into the palace and just where they would hold the emperor after they had taken the throne.

---

"Milly Ashford here, reporting from the front of the imperial palace. As you can see behind me, the protest has not slowed one bit. In fact, it's grown. As the number of tributes go down, the more people gather together to demand a stop to the Games. The fact that the emperor's favorite in the Games, Luciano Bradley, has started to make his move had only encouraged them. As of now, there are only three tributes left in the Games. And, as the host for the Games, I'll bring to you the names of those that were killed today.

"From Area 1, Monica Kurszewski. From Area 5, Dorothea Ernst, From Area 7, Nonette Enneagram. And, from Area 9 Kento Sugiyama. Now, I'll ask for a moment of silence for those tributes that have died."

Milly moved the microphone away from her mouth, surprised when the entire crowd behind her fell silent as well. She ducked her head to keep the camera from catching how her eyes had widened at the move. She had never heard of Pendragon coming together like this, or all of Britannia in this case. Rivalz was keeping her up to date with the news coming from the other Areas, the protests in time with those in Pendragon and the thousands of demands daily to stop the Games that were sent to the Senate, each Viceroy and the emperor himself. Of course, the latter had been completely ignored, but the other letters had been enough to turn royals to the cause and to make it easier for Prince Schneizel to deal with the Senate, and undertaking that had amazed everyone.

She looked up as the minute ended, carefully taking a breath before speaking again. "I'm sure the prayers of the entire nation are with Suzaku Kururugi and Prince Lelouch vi Britannia to help them continue through the Games. And there are some who are hoping that Princess Nunnally will be able to stop the Games before Luciano brings them to their…obvious conclusion. I'm not going to lie to you; I honestly don't believe that Suzaku and Prince Lelouch will be able to beat Luciano, especially since he has been eliminating tributes since the announcement that Suzaku had been found. So please, continue to support those in protest and call for change. Something will give."

The crowd started muttering behind her, Milly turning to look. She was surprised to see Kanon pushing his way through the crowd, Prince Schneizel's aide looking harried and exhausted. He did manage to give her a lopsided smile before he handed her a paper. Milly glanced at the paper in her hand, not getting the chance to read it before she was distracted by Kanon pulling away. Milly turned, reaching out to grab onto his arm. "Hey-"

"Everything you would need to know is written out there." Kanon looked back at the palace before jerking his head to look at her. Milly pulled back her hand; she recognized the look from Kanon's Hunger Games, the nervous tribute back in the place of the competent aid. Milly swallowed and took a step back, hoping that the distance would relax him. Kanon didn't relax, he just kept glancing around and edging away from her. "It's a statement from Schneizel. Just read it."

He turned and walked away quickly, Milly staring after him before shaking her head. She didn't blame Kanon for being jumpy, the Games were almost over and no one knew what the government was going to do in the time remaining. There was also a large chance that Schneizel and the others would be in danger until someone made a decision. Milly was sure that part of the reason that Schneizel had hired Kanon in the first place was that he had been a winner of the Hunger Games, so he knew how to handle himself in bad situations. Milly hated to think about what would bring the scared tribute out of Kanon, although she was sure that she was getting close to seeing it. She made a mental note to stay far away from Kanon Maldini until she was sure that he had come back to himself.

She turned around, looking down at the paper in her hands with her eyes widening. If this was true, then it could change everything. The people might resent the royal family at times, but they generally liked the heirs over their father, and they were all on the list. Milly swallowed and looked up at the camera, her gaze drifting to where she could see Rivalz.

There was every chance that the paper could change everything and there was every chance that nothing would change at all. If the latter was so, then Milly would be in trouble, probably sent to the Games herself. The entire crew that had been on duty at the time of the announcement would be included too, although they would probably just be killed outright because the emperor couldn't possibly deem them important enough to be sent to the Games. Milly licked her lips, her hands starting to tremble. There was a way out of this, but she wouldn't dream of taking it, that wasn't her.

Milly offered the camera a tentative smile, the expression more for Rivalz's sake that the viewing audience. She just wished that there was time to warn anyone about what she was going to read, but she knew that she was expected to report on it as soon as she was handed the paper. Cutting to a commercial break would work too, but five minutes between the announcement of the dead tributes would be too long. Even now she was cutting into the time that she needed, there was just no time to inform everyone, but she could guess what they would say. They would all want her to do it, to move everything forward. After all, they had all volunteered to cover the protests and they had been in too deep before then. They had been in danger since they had broadcast Nunnally's second interview.

She took a deep breath and looked down at the sheet of paper, reading the notes over quickly. She offered up a silent thanks to Kanon and Schneizel for setting it up so easily for her before focusing on the camera. Milly lifted the microphone up, aware of the stares on her back from the crowd, they were all waiting for the news. They were all waiting for her to change the world. Milly kept herself from laughing out loud, clearing her throat. "This just in, news from Prince Schneizel about why all of the royals were called from the palace. According to information found by the Prime Minister…"

---

Lelouch settled his back against the hump of grass they had made camp behind. The way the arena curved around it made a perfect dip, keeping them in shadow and hidden from those traveling around them. Suzaku had been the one to find it by falling into it as they had come to the end of their endurance, or at least the end of Lelouch's endurance. He was sure that Suzaku could have gone on for an hour more, injured or not.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath to try and keep himself calm. They were safe; they had managed to make it past Monica and over most of the arena by pushing themselves. They also hadn't seen Luciano, which was more good news. The only problem was that they hadn't eaten yet, but that was easily solved, the packs that Lelouch still carried had dried food. It would be enough to last them for another two meals, three if they stretched themselves. Lelouch was more than willing to allow Suzaku the larger share, his friend was healing after all.

In the mean time, he was going to try and consolidate the supplies that they did have. Carrying two packs through the day had been hard and would have been impossible if Suzaku hadn't rolled his eyes and taken one from Lelouch. He was sure that there were a few things that they could leave behind. They were close enough to the first hill that they could find the dip again if they did eventually need the supplies but Lelouch doubted the Games would go on long enough for them to return. He had lost track of how many tributes had died, but he was sure that they were getting close to the end.

His fingers curled around one of the straps, Lelouch staring into the dark sky. He anticipated the end as much as he dreaded it. Lelouch wanted the Games to be over, wanted to get away from the sea of grass and be able walk around without being sure that he was going to get killed at any minute, although he was sure that he wouldn't ever be able to be completely relaxed again. Then again, the end meant that only one of them would walk out of the arena alive. Lelouch took a deep breath, forcing himself to exhale slowly and ignore the shaky sound it made.

There had been moments in the day that he had found himself wishing that Suzaku had died just because he didn't want to be coming to the end of the Games with Suzaku by his side. If they managed to take down Luciano in their state, Lelouch didn't relish having to turn to Suzaku and know that Suzaku would just stand and let Lelouch kill him. Lelouch shivered, pulling his knees closer to his chest. There was no way that he was going to get Suzaku to back down from that idea, Lelouch couldn't even begin to think where Suzaku had gotten the idea that it would be better for Lelouch to live. He had hoped that knowing that there was a chance at something more than a friendship outside of the arena would have encouraged Suzaku to live. Lelouch pressed his head back against the grass, forcing himself to breath slowly.

At least there had been moments in the day when he had wished that he was dead, just to keep him from feeling guilty that he was wishing that Suzaku was dead. It would have been easier, in a way. Then Suzaku could have just won and gone back to protecting Nunnally and his mother, like Lelouch knew he could. Of course he hated the idea that he wouldn't be there for the three most important people in his life, but sacrifices had to be made. And, if it was him over Suzaku and Nunnally, then Lelouch could live with the choice. Maybe his death would be able to bring out something that would change Britannia. Even if it was enough to just protect Nunnally for the rest of her life, Lelouch would be fine with it.

He stared at the sound of the cannon going off, scrambling to his feet before he could think about what he was doing. All he knew was that Suzaku had disappeared earlier to scout the area and wasn't back. There had already been the announcement of the three tributes dead as soon as the sky was dark enough to project their image. All he cared about was that Suzaku wasn't back. "Suzaku!"

Lelouch paused, leaning forward as he tried to hear a response. When none came he clambered out of the dip, turning in a slow circle. "Suzaku! Suzaku, answer me!"

"What are you doing?" Lelouch sighed in relief at the sound of Suzaku's voice, allowing himself to be tackled back into the dip. Suzaku remained crouched over him, his head turned to see the edge of the dip. Lelouch chuckled and let his head fall back on the grass, getting a glare from Suzaku. "Answer me, Lelouch. What were you doing?"

"I heard the cannon go off, so I went to find you."

"Couldn't you have waited?" Suzaku gestured up at the sky before rolling off of Lelouch.

Lelouch glanced up, staring at the picture of the tribute that was shown with the area written underneath. It was just the male tribute from Area 9. Lelouch frowned as he tried to remember the tribute's name before giving up. Suzaku was the more pressing issue at the moment.

He shifted so he was propped up on his elbows. "No. You were gone and I needed to know. It's not like you didn't come rushing back anyway."

"That's not the point." Suzaku shook his head, reaching down to rub at his ankle. "I would have come back if I could. You know that."

"Yes. But waiting and knowing are two different things. Luciano is still out there, Suzaku. I was worried."

Suzaku sighed and sat back. "That's why I told you to stay here. I didn't want you running into him."

"So you went instead?"

Suzaku stared at him before rolling his eyes. "I'm not talking about this right now. Tired."

"Me too, but that isn't stopping me."

"Why do we have to argue every time we talk to each other now?" Lelouch was about to answer when Suzaku pulled something out of his jacket. Suzaku glared at him, almost like he was daring Lelouch to answer his question before passing Lelouch the small slip of paper. "I didn't go far anyway, just out of the direct line of sight from here and then I walked around in a circle. I wanted to see if there were places to hide either for us or Luciano. I found that, a sure sign that Luciano had been here."

Lelouch stared at the piece of paper before holding it up, tipping it up so he could see it by the light of the full moon. "Where?"

"Towards the first hill, in an abandoned gift. It looks like Luciano has been popular."

Lelouch snorted, finally getting the right angle to read the note. 'You have six shots. Target Lelouch. Do not miss.'

He flipped the paper over, searching it for more clues before throwing it aside. Other than the fact that Luciano had managed to get a new weapon, it told them nothing. Although, he now knew how many times he would have to dodge. "So?"

Suzaku shrugged. "We'll have to see. I couldn't find anything else that would give us any help."

"That's been the pattern through the whole Games; they're purposely trying to make it harder for us." Lelouch didn't look over at Suzaku, not wanting to invite the comment that the Games were rigged equally for everyone. They weren't this time, and he knew that Suzaku wasn't stupid enough to believe what he was saying. Lelouch tipped his head to the side. "What do you think?"

"I think we should go with the original plan."

"It won't work."

"Why?"

Lelouch shook his head, "It might have never worked, but our best chance was early on in the Games when no one was paying attention. There are too few of us now, Suzaku. We have to fight it out" He was sure that Suzaku couldn't see his disgust in the dark. "Your original plan is becoming a very real possibility."

Suzaku was quiet for a moment, Lelouch closing his eyes. He felt Suzaku's hand slide over his, but he didn't move, not even when Suzaku scooted close enough for their shoulders to be touching. "I haven't changed my mind."

"I know." It was the reason that he didn't want to go through with it. Lelouch shifted so he could rest his head on Suzaku's shoulder. "But there has to come a time when to realize that all your plans will get you nowhere and you have to take what you have been given and make the best of it."

"Are you saying that you-"

"I don't want to die, Suzaku. But if it changes something then…I don't mind."

"You can't mean that."

"There's nothing really else to do." Lelouch curled up against Suzaku, keeping his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to see the expression on Suzaku's face. "I can either get used to the idea or have it be a surprise. This is the one thing that I don't want to be a surprise. The Games have been…I just want to be in control of this one thing."

"You can't just expect me to-"

"No. But I do hope that you'll at least honor my wish. It's the one thing that I have."

"You have me."

Lelouch smiled against Suzaku's neck, tightening his grip. "Yes. I still have you."

That was something at least. Even after the Games had taken so much away from him, and would continue to take, he would still have Suzaku. At least for a little bit longer.

Lelouch shifted so he was comfortable, ready to drift off to sleep when a voice coming over the speakers in the arena made him open his eyes. He sat up, choosing to ignore the arm that he felt Suzaku place over his stomach, the warning not to get up. Instead, Lelouch reached down to rest his hand on Suzaku's arm, staring up at the sky.

"Congratulations to those tributes still remaining, you have made your Areas proud. In return for the excitement of the last few days and in encouragement to continue to do so, there will be a feast held in your honor over the course of the next day. During this feast, the Cornucopia will be restocked and you will have your choice of everything. Food supplies will be enough to feed each of you for five days. The supplies will be available at sunrise, but I advise each of you to be ready, they will not be guarded so it is your loss if you miss out on this chance.

"Once again, congratulations to you all. May the odds be ever in your favor."

Lelouch groaned, moving so he was almost in Suzaku's lap. He felt Suzaku's hand rest on his hand, sitting right between his shoulder blades. Lelouch gritted his teeth. "They're trying to kill us."

"I know."

"Luciano will be waiting."

"I know, but we can't turn it down." Lelouch looked up abruptly, finding Suzaku staring calmly down at him. "If they made a feast, then there's something for each of us in there. If there's anything that can help with my ankle, I want it. You can't drag me around forever. I'd rather stand on my own."

"It'll get us killed."

"Or we'll get the chance to kill Luciano. He's been at the top so long he's bound to make a mistake."

Lelouch looked away from Suzaku's earnest gaze. Suzaku was right, but Lelouch wanted to avoid the risk of running into Luciano entirely. There was every chance that Luciano would make a mistake, but that also meant that there was a chance that they would make a mistake as well. But, by avoiding Luciano Lelouch would just lead them into the same pattern that had started the Games. He sighed and ducked his head, feeling Suzaku's hand come to rest on his back again.

"Wouldn't it be better to just get this over with?"

In any other case it would be, but Lelouch was not keen on just rushing to their deaths on the off chance that Luciano would make a mistake. He was willing to die if that was the only way out, if that was the only thing he could control. Running straight to suicide was not an option.

He remained in place, just listening to Suzaku's heartbeat, aware of the steady presence of Suzaku's hand on his back. Running into danger might not be the smartest thing, but avoiding the Cornucopia altogether would be stupid as well. Luciano would stay and guard the supplies until they showed up, which meant that he and Suzaku would be slowly starving themselves to death. Lelouch doubted that the people running the Games would let them continue to avoid each other. In fact, if they missed the feast, Lelouch was sure that he and Suzaku would be herded toward Luciano. He huffed, lifting his head. "We'll go tomorrow."

"No other choice?"

"None that I can think of." Lelouch rolled away from Suzaku, lying on his back and staring at the stars. "We're out of options."

"Then we'll pack the essentials and start early tomorrow. I want to avoid Luciano as much as you do Lelouch. Maybe we could stage an ambush."

"Yeah…" Lelouch closed his eyes, trying to remember the lay out of the area around the Cornucopia. They could probably get a good vantage point from the top of the Cornucopia or hide behind it. The feast would guarantee them weapons, although he was going to restrict Suzaku to long range weapons, getting in close would be too dangerous. If Suzaku was working on offense, then he would have to be the defense. They were only going to get one chance at this.

He opened his eyes when Suzaku lay down beside him, elbowing him in the side. Lelouch settled for a glare, trying to ignore the way he scooted closer to Suzaku's warmth. He pressed up against Suzaku, listening to his friend fall asleep as he worked through their battle plan.