The top of the hill was silent, only broken by an occasional gust of wind. This suited C.C. just fine. Her eyes were closed, an unreadable expression on her face as she slowly breathed in and out. Occasional rumbling and thunder could be heard in the distance, the monstrous G-1 Mobile Bases letting their presence be known for kilometers around, as if screaming in defiance to any opposition that dared to face them.
"You know he has a plan, Marianne." she whispered, seemingly speaking to the wind itself.
It howled in response, whipping her long green hair behind her, sending fresh snowflakes scattering everywhere.
"He is his son, after all." she continued, as if nothing happened "They always do."
She opened her striking golden eyes, looking over the magnificently lit landscape before her. The Narita mountain. Last stronghold of the Japanese Liberation Front. Cleverly built into the massive mountain, nurtured by the earth itself, nothing short of a heavy bombardment would even scratch the outer layers of the fortress.
The JLF's stronghold had kept them safe and hidden from Britannian claws for as long as they existed, allowing them to strike back against the oppressors, then slink away into safety.
But now the grim reaper had come back for them, and it was not pleased.
A sudden humming shook the trees, sending birds flying off in the distance, squawking in protest. Hundreds of transport planes descended from above the cloud cover, opening the massive hatches on their bellies and spitting out Knightmares into the land below.
At the same time, the Mobile Bases, monstrous behemoths as they are, hummed back and started launching hundreds of Britannian mechs in the air. The sound of each massive six ton Sutherland striking the earth quickly scared any remaining wildlife out of the area.
The iron fist of Britannian discipline, the same that allowed them to conquer nearly two thirds of the entire known world quickly let itself be known, the squads neatly arranging themselves into a massive encirclement around the entire mountain, waiting for the order to move out.
She cocked her head, looking at the snowflakes swirling through the air "But, I hope… that it's enough."
A roar filled the air yet again, this time from the Mobile Base's gigantic speakers, The Goddess of Victory herself, one Cornelia li Britannia personally leading the charge.
"All Hail Britannia!"
The Knightmares moved forward as a single huge mass, filling the air with the hissing of thousands of roller skates steadily propelling the massive bodies up the hill, at the same time as the transport planes in the sky were replaced with groaning, hulking bombers, ready to let loose their deadly load on the lands below.
She could see the Black Knights' Knightmares far above her, waiting for Lelouch's signal. It wouldn't be long now before it happened. The Gurren reached for one of the objects buried in the ground and activated the terrifying power it held within its claws.
The ground started shaking as she looked on impassively, frowning at the wave of Knightmares below.
The Battle of Narita had begun.
oOoOoOoOoOo
C.C. had retreated into the shack before the titanic wall of water and mud had went by, sitting next to the couple of guards that were still busy playing shogi on the board, cracking jokes even as the explosions shook the ground every so often. She looked outside with boredom, wondering when the battle would be finished. She had confidence in Lelouch's tactical and strategical capabilities, and was absolutely certain he would be fine without her.
Still, it would be… inconvenient if she lost him at this point in time. He was still oh so young, yes, but so confident and brimming with potential that it even gave her pause.
Marianne chuckled in her mind, amusement surging over their mental link "Really, C.C.? Are you falling for my son already?"
C.C. rolled her eyes in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, "Yes, Marianne, I have fallen for him. The marriage is next week, won't you come and give us your blessing?" she deadpanned, completely ignoring the two guards.
The dead Empress laughed again "It would be delightful, yes. Still, are you sure that he can do it? It's his sister he's going up against, after all."
"Of course I'm sure, Marianne. She may have more experience commanding an army, but she won't ever expect this, the unorthodox strategy that it is. If I had to use a word to describe her, it would be that she's like a dog. She gnaws at a problem until it goes away, but that's the only strategy she has. Lelouch is… different."
Marianne turned serious "Oh? How so?"
C.C. put her feet up on the table, trying to get comfortable on the god-awful wooden chair she was sitting on "Do you remember when those two were playing chess? Even when he was so young, he was still regularly beating her. While he read books and discussed politics with his older siblings, she was off training in a Knightmare or in the gym, trying to become the next Marianne The Flash."
"What you're saying is, to put it bluntly, that he has brains and she has brawns?" Marianne hummed.
She nodded, smiling "As distastefully as you've put it, yes, exactly. She may be The Witch of Britannia, but I do believe that he holds the advantage. There is something special about him."
She looked up at the ceiling "I think he might just be the one"
There was a moment of silence, then a chuckle "You've said that a couple of times now. You really do like him, don't you?"
C.C. rolled her eyes yet again, lamenting the fact she was stuck with the dead Empress "You're such a romance sap, Marianne. This is your son we're talking about."
"But it's so delightful! You two are perfect for each ot-"
She cut off the connection, fighting the urge to sigh. Marianne could be such a pain at times.
She looked at the two guards still not paying attention to her and frowned "Still, it's nice to be able to talk to someone." she pointedly said, to no reaction.
The radio she was playing with suddenly crackled with life "All units, move to the escape point! At this rate, it'll turn into a war of attrition. Retreat!"
Her eyes widened. Retreat? Did that mean…
"I repeat, Zero is being chased by that white monster! We're being pushed back by Britannian troops and cannot pursue! Can anyone help?!"
She growled as she stood up and hurried for the door. That stupid, stupid boy!
oOoOoOoOoOo
C.C. gunned the motorcycle as fast as she could up the mountain, easily keeping track of the fast-moving Knightmares thanks to their immense height. Her eyes narrowed as the fleeing Knightmare finally stumbled down, the pilot exiting and defiantly standing on top of it a few seconds later, staring the down the huge rifle the white mech aimed at him.
"Surrender, Zero!"
She jumped off the bike and set off at a fast pace between them, purposefully standing in front of the masked vigilante and looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
"You owe me for this, you idiot." she hissed, shocking Lelouch even further, then whipped her head around, a few strands hitting his mask as she set off at a fast pace towards the enemy Knightmare, ignoring the yelling behind her and the massive rifle pointed straight at her.
She walked straight next to the Knightmare and placed one of her hands on it's leg plating, closing her eyes and concentrating. To think she'd have to do this again…
The Geass mark on her head suddenly flashed red, lighting up the immediate area in front of her and making Lelouch gasp. She frowned, and did her best to force the pilot to feel utter shock and terror, immobilizing the Knightmare completely.
Lelouch suddenly appeared behind her, breaking her out of the trance "Hey! Why are you giving the pilot a Geass?! Are you out of your mind?"
She turned her head and growled, actually growled at him "You've done enough damage for today, moron! I'm merely immobilizing the Knightmare to give you a chance to escape. Run!"
He frowned, the stupid look he no doubt had beneath the mask making her even angrier "And leave you? I don't think so, you witch. You're coming with me."
She watched his arm move in slow motion. Her eyes widened "No! Wai-"
He gripped her shoulder.
They screamed.
Everything went white.
oOoOoOoOoOo
When she came to, her eyes were filled with tears, and blood was running from both sides of her face down from the Geass on her forehead. The Knightmare's pilot was screaming in raw animalistic terror, the giant mech shooting the massive rifle in all directions and gouging out the earth for hundreds of meters on all sides.
She managed to turn her head around and scream at the shell-shocked boy behind her, even as debris fell around them, a few rocks piercing her chest and making her scream in pain "Run, you fool! Just run!"
His eyes narrowed as he noticed the blood, and he suddenly grabbed her with both hands, holding her in a bridal carry and setting off at a dead sprint into the woods, the Knightmare still screaming behind them.
She tried to keep her eyes open, but it was impossible. The last thing she saw was the Knightmare violently slamming itself against the cliff over and over, its rifle lying broken on the ground.
oOoOoOoOoOo
C.C. blinked, dreamily looking at the sunlight pouring through the branches above her. That was odd, it felt like she was moving. She looked up a bit further and saw Lelouch, his mask now off, sweat pouring down his face even as he gritted his teeth and kept running.
She frowned, thinking about it analytically. She must be dreaming. After all, Lelouch would never engage in any physical activity whatsoever unless he had no choice.
He looked down and noticed her frown. His eyes narrowed "Just rest, you damn woman. I'll get us out of this." he managed to gasp out.
Her eyes narrowed tiredly. Definitely dreaming, she thought as she fell unconscious again.
oOoOoOoOoOo
It was raining.
Lelouch gasped in huge lungfuls of air as he finally stopped, falling down against a tree and awkwardly holding C.C. in his lap. That damn Knightmare had nearly killed them. He looked up, carefully listening for any sound of a pursuit. All he could hear were crickets, the fast setting sun illuminating the tops of the trees above him and making him scowl. He would have to find some sort of shelter, and this forest wouldn't do.
He put his brain to use. They were on a mountain, there were bound to be plenty of caves, even at this height. He carefully put C.C. down on the ground next to him, absently noting she was still unconscious. She didn't weigh much, even for someone with his… physical prowess, but she was still a burden.
He stood up and took a look around, going in a circle around the clearing they were next to, finding a cave entrance in the sheer rock cliff close to them after a few minutes of search. He peered in, seeing a good sized cave with plenty of ground room, and even a small underground lake with a drop of water coming down from the stalactites above every now and then. How convenient.
Lelouch went back to C.C.'s limp body and picked her up again, then blushed. He didn't notice it in the heat of the moment, but now that he had the time to think about it, there were definitely some parts pressing against him that he was unfamiliar with, notably those two massive- No, there was no time to think about it.
He carefully repositioned her in his arms and set off into the cave, placing her down a bit away from the lake so he had easier access to the water. She was shivering, he noticed. He should probably wake her up. After poking her a couple of times, and even saying her name loudly, he gave it up as a lost cause. He'd have to get her into something drier, which meant… he froze again and gritted his teeth. He was a Prince of Britannia, not a blushing, stammering preteen. He could do this.
Lelouch took off the outer layers of his Zero uniform and placed it on the ground. It should be good enough to server as both a blanket and a bedding. He steeled himself and started trying to unbuckle the monstrosity she wore. Honestly, why she was still wearing the straightjacket was something he simply didn't understand.
Thankfully, he managed to get her wrapped up and dry without blushing or stammering too much, giving himself a pat on the back for not doing anything stupid, then folded up her uniform and placed it below her head as a makeshift pillow.
Drip.
He considered his options now that they were relatively dry and safe. He would have to call in someone, preferably a trusted subordinate to come get them out. He pulled out the encrypted mobile phone he kept on him at all times for Black Knights business and dialed Q-1, waiting for the tone to connect.
Kallen's relieved voice came through in a few seconds "Zero? Is that you? Are you okay?! Are you safe?! We were all so worried!"
He sighed "I'm fine, Q-1, calm down. I have managed to exit the battlefield safely, and I am currently resting in a natural cave at these coordinates."
He quickly sent the coordinates over a heavily encrypted connection, it would take even the best computers Britannia had days to crack the code, and by then he would be long gone.
"I require an extraction at the earliest possible opportunity. Is Ohgi there? I need to speak with him."
"Yes, yes he is. A moment, Zero." a few muffled voices were heard, then Ohgi spoke "Good to hear you're still with us, Zero. What would you ask of me?"
Lelouch leaned back, trying to get comfortable against the cold stone "Ohgi, glad to hear you as well. What is the situation outside?"
The former terrorist leader coughed, then rattled off "Officially? It was a victory for Britannia, and they have wiped out the terrorist threat. Unofficially? We have achieved a full strategical and tactical victory, wiping out nearly all of the forces Cornelia sent against us. JLF is in full retreat and Britannia is sending tentative probes into the mountain to look for survivors. We would have to wait until at least tomorrow to attempt to extract you, as the hills are currently crawling with JLF soldiers and Britannian UAV's."
He sighed, already expecting the response "Very well. Send Q-1 in a Knightmare first thing tomorrow morning, it should be safe enough then."
"Yes, Zero." came Ohgi's voice before the line disconnected with a click.
Lelouch put the phone in his pocket and groaned in discomfort. At least she was safe, he thought, glancing at C.C.'s sleeping form. If it wasn't for her, that monstrous Knightmare would have probably killed him, or worse.
He gritted his teeth and punched the floor in a sudden bout of anger. It was the second time she had saved him. Why? Why did he let it happen? He should be stronger than that, smarter than that. He needed to have the strength to carry this world on his shoulders, if need be. The fallen prince lowered his head and closed his eyes tiredly, suddenly feeling the weight of everything that happened today bore down on him, nearly crushing him with fatigue.
There was nothing he could do except for waiting now. He would have to trust his subordinates to do their jobs correctly.
The raven-haired teen shifted against the rocks, desperately trying to find a comfortable spot, before giving up and falling into a restless sleep, dreams racked with flashing images of his Geass and screaming.
Drip.
OoOooOoOoOoO
C.C. groaned in discomfort as she woke up, then froze. Lelouch was above her, impassively staring her down and holding a bloodied rag in one hand.
"Awake at last, I see. I removed the shrapnel and cleaned the wound. I also spent the night curled up on the floor of a freezing cave thanks to you."
Her eyes narrowed "It wasn't necessary."
"So it would seem."
They stared at each other for a second, before she noticed an alarming fact. She was naked. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to start yelling at him before he interrupted her "You were going to freeze to death, I had to get you dry. I didn't… do anything." she could swear she saw a blush come across his face as he said the last part, but she kept scowling.
"What happened after the Knightmare went berserk?"
He dropped the rag into the lake carelessly and sat down, folding his arms and facing her "I carried you out. I found the cave after a trek through the forest, and I've already called for Kallen to pick us up, she should be here before midday."
C.C. yawned "I see. How long have I slept?"
He gave his watch a quick look before snapping it closed again "It has been around twelve hours since we escaped. The dawn was around an hour ago."
A silence fell upon them. She noticed an odd look on his face and scowled again "What is it?"
He smiled, making her suspicious "Nothing. It's just that I learned something interesting today."
"Oh, and what might that be?" she replied, cocking her head.
Lelouch smirked this time, before whispering.
Drip.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her heart started beating at an increasingly fast pace.
"It's your name, isn't it?"
She gritted her teeth in anger, narrowing her eyes at him and spitting out "Eavesdropping is a bad habit."
He stretched out, standing up and pacing around the small cave "It's a nice name, isn't it? Much more human than C.C., right?"
Nice name? A nice name? Why would he…
"Oh, how ridiculous. Like I need to be more human." she replied, her voice ragged.
She clutched her makeshift blanket closer, bowing her head "After all, I… I…"
The memories threatened to overtake her, her eyes starting to fill with tears. She couldn't let it happen, not with him there.
He looked at her curiously.
"I've forgotten… everything. All that I knew." she choked out "What use do I have for a name now? What use… for a name?" her voice broke towards the end as she clutched the scar on her left breast, tears spilling freely now.
The green-haired girl quickly started wiping them, trying to put her cold exterior back in place and failing miserably.
His eyes narrowed as he steadfastly looked at the wall, before turning around to face her.
"Since this is a good opportunity, I'll tell you something."
She looked up at him, still wiping her tears and miserably trying to settle her expression.
"Yes, you saved me earlier." he continued "As you did before, with the Geass you gave me. And so…"
Her heart was thumping louder now, shocking her further.
"I'm only going to say this once." he pompously said, turning around to face away from her again and crossing his arms again.
"Thank you."
Her eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped. Fresh tears started spilling out and she bit back a sob. She sniffed, managing to choke out "No one's ever thanked me before."
There was a moment of silence, him still steadfastly facing the other way, with her wiping her tears. Her mind was a jumble of emotions, happiness and confusion being the most prominent. She suddenly had an idea. Surely, if he already said thanks, he could fulfill one more of her wishes?
"Well than, can you show your thanks to me?"
He turned slightly to face her yet again, his eyes betraying nothing.
C.C. smiled, thinking of how silly he looked right now as he was trying to act nonchalant. She remembered what Marianne said to her earlier.
"Call me by it, like you did before."
He scowled in confusion, then turned around fully "Oh, that name, you mean?"
Her voice was filled with happiness as it echoed across the cave "Just this once. Like you treasure it, with tenderness in your heart."
Lelouch was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh "I suppose… if I must."
C.C. looked down, closing her eyes and listening.
Drip.
"Satisfied?" he asked her pompously, as if it was a huge burden for him to say it. If only he knew how much it meant to her. All of a sudden she felt like laughing, harder than she ever had since she met him. She choked back a giggle, she shockingly realized, then managed to get a few words out.
"Wrong. It was all wrong."
Lelouch gazed at her in silence.
"Not tender enough. There was no honesty or sympathy in it. You pronounced it strangely, and it lacked warmth too."
His mask finally cracked and he let out a quiet laugh, smiling "You're a picky girl."
She looked up, her eyes and voice filled with warmth "Indeed. That's why I go by C.C.."
He let out another laugh before realizing what he was doing and replaced his cold exterior, clearing his throat "Kallen should be here soon. We should get ready."
C.C. stood up, clutching the makeshift blanket closer "In that case, I'd better get dressed."
She promptly dropped the blanket and stretched out, making Lelouch let out a startled gasp and cover his eyes with a hand in the process, turning away.
"How many times have I told you to stop doing that?" he hissed out.
"How sweet of you, Lelouch. You're such a gentleman to turn around when a girl is undressing."
He gritted his teeth as she bruised his ego, but remained silent as she slowly put on her straightjacket without a care in the world, stopping to give him a small smirk after she was dressed.
She felt an odd feeling as she looked at his back. Something in their… relationship had permanently changed in this cave. Was Marianne perhaps on to something with her silly comments? She gave herself a mental equivalent of a slap and straightened her outfit out, filing the information out for later.
They were just finishing preparations to go out when a large thump sounded outside, prompting Lelouch to put his mask on and stand ramrod straight, assuming his usual pose as Zero.
Running footsteps could be heard before Kallen burst through the entrance, visibly relieved to see him uninjured "Zero! Are you okay? We couldn't get in touch with you since you last called..."
Her voice trailed off as she noticed C.C. nonchalantly standing behind him with her arms limply hanging by her sides "Who's that?" she spat out, her eyes narrowing.
Ah, of course the silly girl wouldn't know who she was. Lelouch was very careful to keep the Black Knights from seeing her, probably for a good reason.
He neutrally replied "You needn't worry. She's a very important friend of mine."
Her head snapped up in shock and that warm feeling filled her entire body again. A… friend?
Lelouch continued talking, still facing Kallen "C.C., I don't know why snow is white," he turned around to face her, continuing "but I do think that white snow is beautiful. I don't dislike it."
She forced away the happiness she felt at his comment and replied "I see."
Kallen narrowed her eyes at her response, but didn't say anything.
Drip.
oOoOoOoOoOo
The ride back in the Gurren was utterly uneventful, though it was a tight fit since the giant mech was a one seater, with just enough room for Lelouch to sit behind the pilot's seat, next to her, and give out precise commands over the radio to the Black Knights still out in the field.
Kallen was silent as she piloted, throwing a furtive glance behind her and muttering something under her breath every now and then. She was clearly still having doubts about the green haired girl's intentions, despite Zero's assurance.
C.C. was hugging her legs with her chin on her knees for the entirety of the trip, thinking about everything that's happened the previous day.
He called her a friend, she thought, looking down and smiling. She was someone's friend. That warm feeling coursed through her yet again when she thought of it, making her happier than she was in ages. She'd never really had a friend before. Adoration and false love, that, she was familiar with, but having a friend? No.
She stayed silent during the trip back to the Black Knights' Mobile HQ, and through the final debriefing, only speaking up once they've finally made their way back to Ashford and were standing in front of the door to the dormitory where the Lamperouge siblings were residing, with Lelouch fumbling for his keys.
"Lelouch."
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow "Hmm?"
"What you said in the cave, did you truly mean it?"
The raven haired boy looked at her for a second, then let out a sigh and finally unlocked the door "Of course I did, woman. We are accomplices, after all."
She nodded, a small smile gracing her face as she walked in behind him.
"Get in the room before someone sees you, I'll order you pizza, you've deserved it."
C.C. completely ignored him and walked straight to the dining room door, making him hiss in frustration "Witch! Get back here or-"
She opened the door, smiling at the confused looking Nunnally, who was sitting at the table and folding cranes yet again.
"Who is it? Nii-san, are you back?"
"Hey Nunnally. We're back."
Nunnally's face split into a big smile as soon as she heard her voice "C.C.-san! I'm so glad to see you again!"
C.C. sat next to her, taking one of her hands in her own and smiling at the blind girl "It's good to see you too, Nunnally. We've come back, and I have some good news for you."
Lelouch stomped into the room, horror filling his expression as he, no doubt, remembered the last time C.C. had a talk with Nunnally.
"Oh? What is it?"
C.C. looked at Lelouch and let a small smirk grace her face, then replied "Well you see, Lelouch and I were talking, and we thought this would be a great time to move in together, so we would like to ask for your approval."
A sound resembling nothing more than a small animal having a seizure filled the room as Lelouch bumped into a wall next to the door, desperately trying to find a way to spin this around without physically dragging C.C. out of the room.
Nunnally's smile, if possible, became even wider "That's great! Of course I wouldn't mind, not at all, it's always nice spending time with C.C.-san!"
The green haired girl covered a smile with one hand and replied "Thank you, Nunnally, you don't know how much your approval means to me."
Lelouch finally seemed to regain his senses and started talking, frantically waving his arms up and down "Nunnally, it's not like that, really-"
She cut him off "I don't mind, nii-san, not at all! You don't have to hide it from me, I'm so glad you two are happy together."
He stood there for a moment, trying to say something, but only choking sounds came out.
C.C. patted the blind girl's hands and stood up, making her way towards the door "I'll go change my clothes. Lelouch, don't take long." she said with a suggestive wink, making the boy blush and grit his teeth as he watched her walk out.
She made it into the hallway before finally letting out the grin she was hiding. She could practically hear Marianne hooting with approval in her mind, and firmly shut down their mental connection before more… crude thoughts could get through. Well, that was stage one of her plan complete. Now for stage two.
Lelouch stormed into the room as she was busy making herself comfortable on his bed, making her raise an eyebrow at his mood.
"What the hell were you thinking, pulling that stunt there?! She's going to think we're… we're… living in sin!"
She let out a small giggle, quickly covering her mouth and widening her eyes in surprise. Has their relationship really changed so much that she felt fine actually letting out a full blown giggle next to him? It was odd, in a way. She had never felt comfortable enough around someone to show most of her emotions before. It was quite a novel feeling.
C.C. finished covering herself with a blanket and, with only her head poking out of the covers, fixed him with a haughty look and replied "Don't be silly, Lelouch, I meant nothing of the sort. You simply misunderstood."
The raven haired boy stood there for a moment, opening and closing his mouth, before finally spitting out "No pizza for a week, and you're not getting my credit cards again."
He left as angrily as he entered, slamming the door behind him. One of her hands poked out of the covers, twirling a small plastic card in her fingers, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Oh yes, it was a new feeling having a friend, but somehow, she found herself liking it.
A/N: Hey guys, Arby here. Thanks for reading my little fic. This is my second story up on ff, and my second story in the Code Geass universe. Please feel free to review and tell me what you think about it, even if it's just to say you like it. I massively appreciate all kinds of criticism and reviews, and I take the time to read and reply to every single one.
Special thanks to Lucas, who has once again helped me with making the story massively better.
See you next time!
EDIT 24/07/14: Fixed a few grammatical errors and fluffed up some parts just a tiny bit so they actually fit together.