Chapter Two
From his chilly cryogenic box the man watched the reflections of people play across the surface of his containment case, thinking nothing of the green-haired woman that peered down on him now. I don't think there's anything more they can do to me. Neat glasses were perched on her nose, complimenting the crisp white lab coat that hung loosely on her thin body. Some part of him wasn't completely dead yet, for as she examined the locks he felt a twist of dread pierce his gut; quickly turning to an echo of relief when she walked away.
What he guesses were hours late she appeared again, waking him from a doze and wielding a shovel for some reason. After judging her aim she ruthlessly hacked at the reinforced glass, not flinching as the subzero air ruffled her hair. After falling onto the floor the man spotted all of the other scientists lying motionless in a neat pile, and after a second he made the connection that it was their blood splattered on her coat with almost perfect symmetry.
Where his limbs had been were beginning to unfreeze. "My arms. My legs." He managed, gritting his teeth at the pullulating agony.
The woman held out his left arm, resembling more of something you'd find at the supermarket. "Already taken care of. Eeew!" She looked more butcher then scientist as she let each limb thaw out, a few of them jerking spastically as the nerves were warmed. She carefully wrestled his torso from the ground and slapped it on the metal examination table; taking time to hold everything in place until it healed correctly. Wiping her crimson hands she picked up the shovel. "You're looking much better already, Lelouch."
"Lelouch...?" Why does that word sound familiar?
"Um, yeah. That's your name. I'm C2, remember?" the playfulness in her voice was giving way to apprehension. As she nervously flicked the blood off the shovel's head he dove for the long wooden end and ripped it from hands. C2 yelped when the steel cut long slashes right across her palms, and being too preoccupied with those wounds went down silently when Lelouch brought it down over her head.
Grinning like a kid that was escaping the time-out corner he stepped over her motionless form, plucking the key card from around her neck. "Nice to meet you." Sliding it through the lock and after jogging through the next succession of empty rooms realized he should obtain some kind of disguise in case someone chose to work a few extra hours. All of the rooms had been dark so far, but looking like a crazed gardener slash mental patient would be a total giveaway. A closet seemed like a good place to start and after tearing through a few he found stacks of of spare lab coats, perfectly pressed and waiting to be worn. He dropped the shovel with a clang and began stuffing his newly-attached limbs through the cotton sleeves when the footsteps behind him registered with his brain. Too late. The attacker shoved him into the ground face-first, and the linoleum tasted horrible.
A woman's agitated voice. "Why would you do that, Lelouch? I'm only trying to help you!"
From his awkward position on the floor he righted himself, spinning around to see C2 and recognizing her from before. Beside clumps of dried blood caked in her hair she looked perfectly fine.
"Y-you...I killed you! You're dead!"
She seemed equally incredulous by his reaction. "Because I'm just like you. I heal." Plucking a pair of scissors from a desk she brought it swiftly across her unscathed hands, the resulting slit vanishing after a few seconds.
"Don't-! Ah... "
"That's why we were both kept here...the scientists were trying to find the source of our abilities. I'm guessing they kept trying to kill you as well."
Wiping imaginary dirt off of his hands Lelouch asked the obvious. "Yes... and now you're breaking out, I presume?"
C2 nodded, and her next movement caught him off guard, moving towards him as if to embrace. Lelouch took several steps backward so that she grabbed thin "What are you doing?"
She blinked as if she'd just woken up from a nonsensical dream. "I..it worked last time."
"Last time? Are you crazy?" He was seriously doubting the sanity of his companion, and wondered if it would be better for him if she were 'accidentally' recaptured by the scientists.
"Yeah...a couple years...maybe ten, I dunno..."
"Do you even know the date now?"
She picked up the shovel again and broke the lock on a heavy-looking door, creating a portal to the dark hallway. "Let's worry about that later...when we're not running for our lives." Their bare feet slapped on the cool floor as they made off jogging down the hall; not running to save energy they may need later. Except for the the occasional emergency light the facility was darker than midnight and a couple of times they banged into walls or knocked over trash cans, instinctively holding their breath after each noise. As Lelouch turned the final corner he found himself being dazzled by a flashlight beam shone straight in his eyes.
the guard clicked his radio on, paling at the sight of C.C as she caught up with Lelouch. "Hey! It's...it's...!"He hastily began barking into the receiver. "Subject 99 and the female have esca-"
The circles were still burned into his view, but Lelouch didn't let the man finish; in one swoop clipping the guard's rib with his elbow and twisting the man's nearest arm backwards. As the radio clattered to floor C.C scratched his face with a single unforgiving slash and when her hand touched the man's cheek his yell was cut short; a motionless meatsack that fell to the floor.
C.C poked his body with her foot. "Just put him to the side. We don't have time to open a closet and stuff him in, like they do in spy movies."
"Al-alright." Lelouch panted, attributing his shortness of breath to such a long time in confinement. The hall plunged back into darkness when he tossed the flashlight against a wall, and claiming to know the way out C.C went ahead. As Lelouch started running he realized they were in the last network of laboratories, only to fall over C.C; who had crouched down in the middle of the hall to listen for something.
"WH-" Thinking he had sprung a trap Lelouch tried to shout a warning but a soft hand quickly clamped over his mouth. Sure enough, light was pouring from beneath one of lab doors, and from the sound of voices behind it they'd been detected.