"You called?" Glynda said, stepping out of the elevator. It had been a busy week, so far; the first round of exams were already coming up, and Ozpin knew that. It was more than a little irritating to be pulled away from her work like this. Ozpin peered at her over his spectacles, hands clasped.
"I did." He said. "I've had an idea."
"Oh? Really?" Glynda asked, putting a hand on her hip. Ozpin smiled.
"An idea of a way to lay the groundwork for neutralizing our friends in Albion." He clarified.
"Ah. I see." Glynda said, staring at him. "Is that not good news?"
"It could be." Ozpin replied, sighing. "On the other hand, it could be quite terrible. It's almost as bad of an idea as a good. I've been deliberating on it for some time now, and I wanted to ask what you thought of it."
"Well, feel free to tell me. I have plenty of time." Glynda said crossing her arms. Ozpin chuckled. Then he told her, laid the whole absurd plan out in detail, and Glynda let out a sharp laugh.
"I'm quite serious." Ozpin said. Glynda laughed again, weakly, then took in his features.
"That's insane. It couldn't be done." Glynda said.
"Well yes, but what if it could?" Ozpin asked. Glynda shook her head.
"What would it accomplish? Would it not simply spark conflict?" She asked.
"It's worked before, quelled conflict more effectively than I would have dreamed." Ozpin pointed out.
"Hmm." Glynda said. "Perhaps… but would they even entertain the notion?"
"That's the central problem. We can't know until we ask, but once we ask it's out of our hands." Ozpin said.
"Of course. Well… aside from the fact that it could never happen… I must admit it sounds somewhat plausible." Glynda said.
"That's what I was afraid of." Ozpin said, sighing again. "I'll think on this more, but I doubt I'll be able to forget this. I'll most likely have to try. In the meantime, however, is there anything I can do for you?"
"For me?" Glynda asked, surprised.
"The first round of exams are near, after all. I may be rusty, but I'm fairly sure I still remember how to grade a paper." Ozpin said.
"Oh no, no, but thank you for offering. I'm not especially worried about this crop of students, aside from maybe that Arc boy." Glynda raised an eyebrow at the headmaster. "He's done surprisingly well, considering, but I still think it was unfair to accept his application. Those credentials were clearly fraudulent."
"Yes… you're not wrong." Ozpin said, taking a sip of hot chocolate. "Even so, the boy put in a great deal of effort. Given that, and his ancestry, I still suggest that he deserves a fair shot."
"Indeed." Glynda said, pursing her lips. It still smacked of injustice. Personally, she couldn't care less whether someone was the descendant of a hero of Vale or an orphan with no known ancestors; it certainly didn't make a difference to the Grimm. She'd also found the latter to be significantly tougher and cleverer than the latter. But, Ozpin always had reasons. "Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"
"No, thank you—I appreciate your visit. Don't push them too hard, now." Ozpin said, eyes twinkling.
"Oh, sweet, merciful heavens," Jaune gasped, wheezing. "What, did I do, to deserve, this…"
"Keep it up Jaune! You can do it!" Ruby said cheerfully, zooming past him as if he'd been standing still. The others soon followed. Considering that Jaune had started first, this was not looking good. He tried a small wave at Weiss as she went by, but she didn't even look in his direction, climbing the hill at a rapid, disciplined clip. Soon she went past a bend, and out of sight, along with the rest of them.
"Why… is it all… uphill…" Jaune asked, no one in particular.
"It's marvelous for building up endurance. You'll get used to it!" Pyrrha said helpfully, jogging up on his other side. And, wow. Wow. Jaune noticed, not for the first time, that Pyrrha looked like a literal goddess of exercise when running. Her form was perfect, flowing naturally, effortlessly, her long, powerful legs and hips—he had to tear his gaze away from her to avoid tripping on a rock, and made a serious mental effort to not glance her way. It would be the absolute worst to die breaking his neck because he let himself get distracted having very-much-inappropriate thoughts about his partner.
"Thanks, Pyrrha!" He managed, giving her a thumbs' up. She grinned back at him, smile lighting up her whole face in a way that, wow, okay alright uh wow—
Jaune bit the dirt. Ankle caught on a root. It was his own fault, really. He spit out a clump of silt and rock, and managed to rise to his knees. Then Pyrrha was at his side.
"Are you alright? Jaune, look into my eyes." Pyrrha said.
"What?" Jaune said, voice cracking. "Uh—"
"Here." Pyrrha said. And then her hand was on his chin, and suddenly his whole field of vision was her face and the deep green pools of her irises and, and... wow. Wow.
"Uhh, hi." Jaune said, smiling weakly. Pyrrha smiled back.
"Hi. No concussion, that's good." Pyrrha said, brow furrowed. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah, uh, I'm pretty sure." Jaune said.
"Let me help you up!" Pyrrha said, rising fluidly to her feet. Jaune just stared for a moment, then hurriedly took her hand, letting her pull him back up. And, wow, she was strong.
"Ah, okay, I think I'm good." Jaune said, regaining his balance. "Thanks, Pyrrha—I'm sorry for slowing you down."
"Absolutely no problem, Jaune." Pyrrha said, beaming. Again, wow. "And look—you're still ahead of Cardin, at least."
Jaune looked back, and sure enough, the boulder-like boy was wheezing his way along a good ways down the hill.
"Huh. Who'd have guessed." Jaune said, grinning.
"All right, we'd better not fall too far behind our compatriots. Let's go!" Pyrrha said, taking off at a jog. And, oh, no, no he could not be staring after her this whole time. He'd trip and twist his ankle, his neck would break, and he would die. Jaune took off at a sprint to catch up.
Jaune had always thought he had decent endurance, but this whole thing seemed to prove otherwise. They'd only done mile-long runs in class before; apparently Professor Goodwitch had decided today was a good day to test the limit, since this trail was more than five times as long, and up the steep foothills of the mountains to boot.
At least the running trails adjacent to Beacon were wide and well-maintained, and offered an absolutely gorgeous view. The Academy perched on the edge of the plateau on the high end of the valley, on the cliffs above the northern prong of Bigfork bay, and the trail had already taken the hunters-in-training high up the mountainside above the academy.
The whole of the great Vale spread out beneath them, from the rolling yellow-green fields in the distant south to the flashing lights and rising steam clouds of the manufactories near the city's center, the great sky-scraping towers of the commercial districts on the north side—Jaune could make out the Stark name even at this range—and in the middle, the field of off-yellow cobblestones that made up central square, the red-brick walls and towers of city hall, and the vast sprawling grids of houses that sat between it and Beacon itself. Way far out to the far northwestern edge was a green-tree-lined ridge that could only have been the Woodlands, with a little glint of white that Jaune convinced himself must have been the central tower of castle Fairfax. He could probably see home from here, too, technically. Then, there was just glittering blue, and the horizon.
It was a breathtaking view. It was also a potentially lethal distraction, given that the trail had become a series of switchbacks, and any mistake would mean tumbling down the steep hillside; he'd probably survive, but Jaune Arc was not one to tempt the fates for fun. As it was, the sun was beating down harshly, and his pace had slowed to a crawl. He felt completely drenched in sweat, and parched beyond belief.
Pyrrha had stayed by him at least, looking much less drained than Jaune was, which was not anything close to surprising. He probably would have given up awhile ago if she hadn't been there. Even as it was, he was just about prepared to collapse by the time they finally reached the top of the climb—and suddenly it was downhill again. Jaune would have cried out in relief had he had the breath left to do so.
Their destination was a pleasant surprise. He hadn't really been sure what to expect; as it turned out, it was a sort of basin ringed with cliffs on three sides, like some colossal primordial ice-cream scoop had taken a chunk out of the mountainside. The trail passed through a sparse forest of tall pine trees, which came right up to the sandy shore of an almost perfectly circular teal-colored lake. Jaune couldn't quite believe it, but it looked like there were chunks of pale ice floating in the water, some near the far shore looking to be the size of small islands.
The sight of the trail's end brought out a final burst of energy, and with an excited shout Jaune broke out into a sprint. Pyrrha laughed and sped up, matching his pace, and the two of them practically flew down the last leg of the trail.
Jaune only stumbled to a stop once they reached the spot where Professor Goodwitch sat, right at the edge of the sand. It was strange to see her sitting in a beach chair with a novel in-hand, under the shade of a wide-brimmed hat. She looked up at the two of them, nodded, and jotted something down on a notepad with her other hand.
"Well done. Not the fastest of times, but that you both made it is commendable." Professor Goodwitch said. She seemed to be looking at Jaune in particular for that comment.
"Thank you, Professor." Pyrrha said, nodding. "What should we do now?"
"Take a break. Stretch, relax, and join your compatriots. There's water and food in the beach house." Glynda said, gesturing to a large cabin-like structure a short walk away. Jaune didn't need any more prompting—with a nod of thanks, he began to walk his way over, though it was a bit difficult to walk at all. As the last burst of energy drained from his muscles, the aches returned in force. He felt like keeling over onto the sand and taking a long nap, but water took priority.
About halfway to the green-painted porch, Jaune's legs began to shake, and almost gave out—only for Pyrrha to come to his side again, throwing his arm over her shoulder and helping him the rest of the way.
Pyrrha smiled at him, and he did his best to return it, even though the feeling of being supported like this was… unpleasantly familiar.
"Thanks, Pyrrha. I think I can make it from here." Jaune said, clambering onto the porch. Pyrrha's brows furrowed.
"Are you sure? This was a great deal more exertion than you're used to, Jaune." Pyrrha said. Her concerned expression was also little too familiar, aggravatingly so, and Jaune made an effort to keep the smile on his face.
"No, no, I'm just going to get some water." He said.
"Oh, I can get some for you—just take a seat here, I'll be right back." Pyrrha said, easing him down into a chair on the porch. Before he could say anything else, she had gone inside the cabin.
And suddenly, Jaune was alone, sitting on a porch in the shade.
He could see the other students enjoying themselves, some swimming in the water, others lounging on the shore. Yang and Nora had gotten a volleyball from who-knows-where, and it looked like they'd challenged Kallen and Suzaku, drawing a small crowd. Blake had been drafted as a referee. He could make out Weiss and Ruby, who'd managed to drag the white-haired girl over to the water to swim, where another handful of students Jaune didn't know as well were already splashing. Lelouch seemed to be taking a nap in the shade of a tall pine tree, just beyond. Far away.
Here Jaune sat. Alone. Too weak to stand. Too weak to stand. Too weak to…
Jaune was startled to realize tears had begun to roll down his face, and quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand.
The worst thing was, it had been such a nice day… no, it was still a nice day. Soon enough, he'd be able to stand right back up, walk over, and join them. Just a little longer.
The chair seemed to wrap tightly around him. The whole porch seemed cramped, compressing, crushing—he closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. Slow, deep. He put a finger to his neck, feeling the reassuring rhythm of his pulse, and matched it. In, out. In, out. The air was cool, with a pleasant, pine-y smell. Not so different from his old summer camp. It had all seemed so simple back then.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. He opened his eyes again—she was standing in front of him, looking concerned, with a bottle of water in each hand. He reached out and grabbed one of them, twisted off the cap and took a swig. It was absolutely delicious, soothing his parched throat.
"Thanks, Pyrrha!' Jaune said, offering her a smile. She leaned against the banister opposite the chair, uncapping her own. The concern hadn't left her eyes.
"Are you alright?" She asked. Jaune let out a groan.
"Aw, no. My legs are killing me—who the heck puts a mountain in the middle of a perfectly good hiking trail?" Jaune asked.
"Right." Pyrrha said, smiling. Jaune wasn't sure whether or not she'd noticed the deflection. "It's excellent exercise, you know. I must admit I'm a bit drained after all that." She took a long drink of water, closing her eyes as she did so. Jaune felt unusually warm, noticing the slight beads of sweat forming on her forehead and dripping along her bicep, flowing down the smooth contours of her arm and ohhhkay, uh, that was more than enough of that.
He rushed to drink more water, closing his eyes in order to, casually, not be staring at Pyrrha. Dehydration really did do strange things to people—he must have been even closer to it than he'd thought.
"So… Jaune, what would you like to do?" Pyrrha asked.
"Ah, uh, it'd be nice to dip my toes in the lake." He said. Cold water, that would do it. He probably had mild heatstroke or something, yeah. He went to stand, and—caught himself on the arms of the chair just as he started to fall. Pyrrha reached out to try to steady him.
"Maybe you shouldn't move just yet." Pyrrha suggested. Sink back into the wooden cell… no. No, that was not happening. He gave her the best smile he could manage.
"Nah, I'd rather be out there. Help me up?" He said, reaching out a hand. She took it—warm, firm, calloused grip. Slightly smaller than his own. Heck of a lot stronger, he noticed once again, as she pulled him upright with minimum effort. For a moment, their faces were only a few inches apart. Jaune squinted.
"Pyrrha, did you forget to put sunscreen on your face? That's not good." Jaune said. Pyrrha blinked, eyes wide.
"Ahmmuh, what?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's a bit red." Jaune said. Without really thinking about it, he reached up and poked her cheek. With an odd sort of squawk, she tumbled backwards over the railing. Jaune rushed over to help, lost control, hit the railing at leg height, and tripped. The next thing he knew he was flat on his back next to Pyrrha, staring up at the sparse clouds in the soft blue sky.
"Um, sorry…" Jaune said. Pyrrha stared at him for a moment, really stared, and Jaune smiled nervously. Then she began to giggle, and then to laugh, and laugh, and laugh so hard she began to hiccup. Jaune couldn't resist joining in.
"Oh my gosh, are you both okay?" Ruby asked, entering their fields of view. She was still dripping lake water.
"We're, *hic*, we're fine!" Pyrrha said, sitting up. Jaune sat up too.
"Mild railing-related accident, nothing to worry about." Jaune said, doing his best to sound reassuring. Pyrrha started to giggle again, and Ruby did too.
"Ugh, the nerve. The two of you should be more careful!" Weiss said, coming up behind her partner with her hands on her hips. Gosh, she was gorgeous. Jaune offered her an apologetic grin.
"Sorry to disturb you, snow angel, but it's nice to know you care." Jaune said. Not sure what else to do, he added finger guns. Weiss stared at him, nose scrunching adorably (in disgust). Pyrrha stopped giggling abruptly for some reason, but Ruby started chuckling harder.
"You know what? Forget it." Weiss said, turning sharply and waving her hand. "Do whatever you like."
"Can I escort you back to heaven, gorgeous?" Jaune called.
"No!" Weiss shouted back, walking quickly away. Ruby barely contained her laughter, and Jaune leveled his best hurt expression her way. She wiped a tear from her eye, grinning wide and shaking her head.
"Sorry, sorry, but wow, Jaune. That was… something else." Ruby said.
"Hey, I mean, like my dad always says, a guy's gotta try. What do you think, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked. He was surprised to see a slightly strained expression on her face. She was smiling, but was clearly in pain somehow. "Oh no, did you actually get hurt in the fall?" He asked.
"Uh—uuuh, yes! A little. Not a major injury." Pyrrha said. Jaune frowned.
"Aw no… I'm sorry, my bad—where does it hurt?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha waved her hands.
"Um, it's nothing to be concerned about! Really! I just, uh, need to go, jog it off! Of course!" Pyrrha said, flowing to her feet. She sped out of earshot before Jaune could say anything.
"Oh, uh, kay… then?" Jaune said. He shot a questioning glance at Ruby, who shrugged.
"Girls are weird, Jaune." Ruby said, offering him a hand. Sighing internally at the fact that this was the third time today, he took it and stumbled to his feet.
"Ruby, you're a girl." Jaune said.
"So?" Ruby replied, grinning. Jaune chuckled.
"Well, guys are weird too. Honestly I'm more comfortable around girls." Jaune said. Ruby raised her eyebrows, and Jaune swatted her arm. "Hey, no. Cut it out."
"Cut what out? I'm not doing anything." Ruby replied, waggling her eyebrows.
"Yeah, sure." Jaune said, shaking his head. "I grew up with all sisters, you know? Other than my dad and a few sort-of-friends from school, all the guys I know are old men or business associates." Jaune said. Ruby nodded.
"I have a couple friends back at Beacon, a bunch of dorks I knew growing up, but that's about it. That's fine, though—I like spending time taking care of my babies in the garage." Ruby said. Jaune… stared.
"I'm sorry, what?" Jaune asked. Ruby blinked, then suddenly blushed bright red.
"M-my weapons! Is what I mean—Crescent Rose and her sisters! I don't, have, like, human kids in there! O-or faunus kids! Just, machine kids!" Ruby exclaimed, waving her hands.
"Ooooh! Oh, right—that, uh, makes a lot more sense." Jaune said, blushing himself now. "I, uh, like to spend a lot of time with my comic collection at home." He said, trying to change the subject.
"A comic collection?" Ruby asked, blush fading into a delighted grin. "Aw, I love comics!"
"You do?" Jaune said, smiling wide. You know, this day wasn't going so badly after all.
Foolish. Foolish, weak, stupid. Why? Why was she like this…?
Pyrrha jogged under the trees, fighting back tears. Her muscles strained a bit at the effort, but it didn't matter.
At last, she made it to the edge of the woods. It wasn't all that far from the lake—she could still hear splashing and laughter in the distance—but she'd come about as close as she safely could to the edge of the ridge. Vale lay far below, the biggest and most populous city in all of Remnant, stretching as far as the eye could see. Pyrrha suddenly felt very small.
At long last, she allowed herself to collapse against the trunk of a nearby pine tree, sitting down on the soft bed of needles, and let the tears flow. She curled up and cried, as quietly as she could manage. It was embarrassing, and ridiculous, and foolish. She had no right to be hurt, to feel the pain that she'd felt, and yet she had. Such a little thing as a foolish boy making a truly awful flirting attempt at another girl had brought low the great Pyrrha Nikos. Spirits, this was stupid.
Everything had been going so well. She'd let her expectations get the better of her, perhaps. They'd been so close together, she could see deep into the blue wells of his eyes, feel the heat radiating off of him. It had blindsided her… and then they'd fallen over together, and it had been silly and wonderful and then… ruined.
Pyrrha was pulled abruptly out of her reverie by the sound of a stick snapping. Her eyes shot open, spotting the lanky and looming figure that was Lelouch of all people strolling past. He stopped at once, and caught her stare.
"Are you alright?" He asked, frowning. Pyrrha tried to clear her throat, but she knew her eyes must still be red from the tears—she tried for a shaky grin.
"Oh, I'm fine—perfectly fine, just, out here getting some air." She said, attempting to project cheer. The prince just sighed.
"Can I sit?" He asked, gesturing to a nearby log. Pyrrha nodded, after a moment, and he sat. It was odd seeing him, legs folded comfortably on the grass, back against a tree. He seemed more comfortable than usual there, somehow.
"Have you seen Vale from this high up, before?" She asked.
"Yes, when we first flew in. It's a remarkable sight… even Pendragon isn't quite this big, unless you count the satellite cities." Lelouch sighed. "But—and I don't mean to overstep my bounds—I would wager you didn't come here for the view."
Pyrrha buried her head in her arms. There wasn't much point in hiding it.
"I saw you run off. Do you… want to talk about it?" Lelouch asked.
"It's foolish. Really. I'm just being, ridiculous." Pyrrha said.
"Doubtful." Lelouch said. Pyrrha looked up—he was staring out at the city.
"I'll get over it. It's just, silly." Pyrrha said. Lelouch glanced in her direction, raising an eyebrow.
"You're in pain. That's not silly." Lelouch said. Pyrrha sighed and looked away.
"Why did you follow me?" She asked.
"Strange woods. No idea what's up here. Even with Glynda around and the terrain relatively open, it's never safe to wander off alone." Lelouch said.
"I'm sorry." Pyrrha said, mentally kicking herself. Spirits, she'd been foolish.
"Don't be, it's no trouble. I'll stay and keep an eye out as long as you need. I'm also willing to lend an ear, if you want to vent." Lelouch said.
"But… why?" Pyrrha asked. The prince shrugged, looking back over the view.
"I'm told I'm a good listener. I'm also good at keeping secrets." Lelouch said.
It was a strange offer. She found herself staring again at the strange, scarecrowish boy, and wondering how such a calm, polite, oddly decent person could have sprung from Britannia of all places.
"Well…" She began, taking a breath. "I've… I've never been good with, feelings." She finished. Lelouch smiled, gaze still fixed on the ocean.
"Ah. Boy trouble." He said. Pyrrha let out an alarmed sort of squeak, and he looked back. "Hm. Girl trouble?"
"No, no." Pyrrha said, looking quickly down at her hands. "It's a boy."
"Jaune, then." Lelouch said, bringing Pyrrha's gaze snapping back up to his own.
"How did you know? Is it that obvious?" Pyrrha asked, voice speeding with panic.
"No, no, don't worry—just a guess. He's your partner, after all." Lelouch said. Relieved, Pyrrha let out a ragged sigh.
"I'm just… I don't know. I've never felt like this before." Pyrrha said, tugging nervously at a coil of her hair. It was a nervous tic that had been popping up with alarming frequency lately.
"And he upset you." Lelouch asked.
"It's not his fault." Pyrrha said. Lelouch raised an eyebrow.
"Is it not?" The prince asked.
"No… it's not like we're dating, or anything. I have no claim on his affections. He hasn't even given me any indication… I'm starting to wonder if he's not interested in me, at all." Pyrrha said.
"I see. Perhaps he's just shy, and doesn't know how to approach you?" Lelouch suggested. Pyrrha smiled, thinly.
"I'm afraid it is very, very obvious when he tries to flirt. He's been making extraordinarily clumsy advances towards Weiss since we got here, excessive pickup lines and all." Pyrrha said. It was truly embarrassing, but she'd found that adorable and endearing… while at the same time being deeply aggravating. Was she truly so jealous over objectively bad pickup lines?
"Ah." Lelouch said, pausing. "Perhaps, he's just a complete idiot?"
It was so sudden, said so seriously, that Pyrrha had to laugh.
"Perhaps." She said, smiling, though it faded quickly. "No, that's not really fair. If… if Weiss is the one he's interested in, if she's the one he wants…"
"Sometimes," Lelouch said, picking idly at a clump of grass, "You're just too close to things to see them as they are. Perception, self-deception, perspective… people don't usually know what they want, when it comes down to it. Most of us are fools, and fools so often want what they don't have, can't have, should not have. That goes double for romance."
"You're saying that I'm a fool. That I should give up." Pyrrha said, shoulders drooping.
"What? No!" Lelouch said, sounding affronted. "I'm saying, I greatly doubt Jaune's chances when it comes to seducing the Schnee heiress, of all people. Frankly, I don't understand why he would try. The two of them don't strike me as having any chemistry at all."
"What makes you think that?" Pyrrha asked. Lelouch chuckled.
"My foster-sister was the resident matchmaker at my old school, and I spent the better part of six years being conscripted into her schemes. I've also had a thorough education in science. I daresay I know a thing or two about chemistry." He said. Pyrrha stared.
"Was that a pun?" She asked. Lelouch's face froze.
"Anyway," he continued quickly, "Jaune seems nice enough, but nice isn't enough for aristocrats. Kindness is more generally viewed as a vulnerability. Weiss is old-money, which seems comparable; unless Jaune is hiding an unexpected trove of wealth or a powerful set of relations, there just isn't much practical foundation." Lelouch shook his head, and then looked at Pyrrha curiously.
"I'm honestly a bit surprised that he's caught your eye. He's your partner, sure, but… what got you so interested in him to begin with?"
"Well…" Pyrrha leaned back against the tree trunk. "That's a long story. It was back when we arrived at Beacon, and we'd all just gotten off of the airship. I was sitting on a bench, re-examining my map to make sure I was properly oriented, when there was this explosion."
"Explosion?" Lelouch asked, eyes narrowing.
"An accident. Weiss Schnee had brought a significant quantity of dust with her, and shook a bottle of the fire variety in front of Ruby's face. She… sneezed." Pyrrha said. Lelouch stared, incredulous, for a very long moment.
"A-anyway," Pyrrha continued, "Weiss and Ruby got into a fight, then Blake came out of nowhere and got in a fight with Weiss, and then Blake and Weiss stormed off—well, the important thing is, they left Ruby alone in the crater. She was clearly in distress, and no one even went to help her, not even me. No one except for Jaune."
"Oh?" Lelouch asked. Pyrrha smiled, remembering it.
"It was such a strange moment. I suppose I just didn't want to get involved, it wasn't my business, and I imagine everyone else felt the same. This poor girl had just been embarrassed and abandoned and looked so lost, and I…" Pyrrha looked at her hands. "His first impulse was to act. To help. And I was just going to ignore her… It disturbs me, looking back on it, but at the time, I really was just going to pass by. I don't even know why. Anyone else could have helped, I could have helped, but we didn't. He did. The great champion Pyrrha Nikos was less of a hero that day than that blonde, bumbling boy. It was a humbling experience."
"Hm. So he impressed you." Lelouch said.
"Yes, he did. I couldn't help but wonder what he was like… and it was clear very quickly that he was out of his element. In need of support in ways I am expertly qualified to give. And, well, easy on the eyes." Pyrrha said, blushing. Lelouch smiled.
"Both knight and damsel in distress, then, eh?" He said. Pyrrha chuckled.
"I suppose so, though I doubt he'd appreciate that description. But he has a good heart. He's kind, and funny, and his hair…" Pyrrha sighed. "He's not intimidated by me. He didn't even know who I was, at first, but he honestly cared more about the fact that I'm featured on a cereal box than my status as a celebrity fighter. Yet he respects my strength and skill, values my advice…" She trailed off.
"Hm… I'm beginning to understand your position." Lelouch said, frowning contemplatively. "If it's any consolation, I think you have the advantage."
"But… he likes her. Not me." Pyrrha said, wrapping her hand around her knees.
"Sure, but she doesn't like him. You've all barely known each other for a month. His feelings could easily change… and you're his partner. You'll be with him, fighting side-by-side through danger—you have the high ground, and that's only going to grow with time. Unless there's some other rival waiting in the wings, I'd say you have a perfectly good chance at catching his eye." Lelouch shrugged. "Of course, you could always just speed things up by asking him out first, or at just letting him know."
"No." Pyrrha said, a little more forcefully than she'd intended. "No… I've tried that before. I was much less invested in that crush, but it still… I don't want that to happen again. I don't want scare Jaune off, or put our partnership in danger."
"As you say." Lelouch said, nodding, then staring back out over the city. Pyrrha looked out as well.
"How about you?" Pyrrha blurted out, after a moment. The prince leveled an amused smirk her way.
"No need to worry. I'm not interested in your Arc boy." Lelouch said. Pyrrha blushed, embarrassed.
"No, no, I mean… surely you have prospects as well? It's been a tremendous relief to talk about this with someone, and I'm grateful. I'd be happy to return the favor." Pyrrha said. The prince's face went carefully blank, eventually shifting into a bitter smile.
"Being a prince of Britannia comes with certain restrictions, I'm afraid. Any relationship with any sort of future would have to be with someone of acceptable status, and would function as business deal and political alliance before all other considerations. My mother was ill-favored in the court, and I have inherited their disdain. There are few indeed among the nobility who would stoop to considering me a viable or even desirable option, and commoners are entirely out of the question." He shook his head. Pyrrha frowned.
"Surely there are other options. There are plenty of students at Vale with wealthy, powerful families. I'm sure there are many who would be interested. What about your partner?" Pyrrha asked. Lelouch stared at her, wide eyed, before letting out a curt laugh.
"C.C. may be my partner, but our relationship is merely practical. It is nothing more. That's ignoring the fact that the homeland would not accept her, or anyone else at this school. Foreigners are worse than commoners." Lelouch said.
"You're not in Britannia, now. They can't command you here, surely… putting their rules aside, putting the future aside, is there no one who has caught your eye?" Pyrrha asked. Lelouch sighed, looking down at his hands.
"…I'm afraid I'm not made for such things." He said after a moment, quietly.
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked. Lelouch clasped his hands.
"It is… difficult for me." Lelouch said.
"Oh." Pyrrha said, blushing. Lelouch glanced up, and scowled.
"It is difficult for me to trust people." He clarified. Pyrrha blushed harder at her mistake.
"Ah. Um. My apologies." She said, smiling nervously. He let out a snort.
"Right. In any case, beyond that… there are some weights best carried alone. I've watched enough relationships crumble to know, you bring both angels and demons to romance. At the risk of sounding cliched, I would bring far too many demons, and far too few angels." Lelouch said. That was… horrible. What a strange thing to say. If he'd been anyone else their age, Pyrrha might have been skeptical, but as it was… his face was shadowed, like an old man in an old, quiet house. He was staring at something beyond sight, into memory. Haunted.
"Well… give it some time. You never know who the gods might send your way." She said, doing her best to sound reassuring. Lelouch smiled, thinly.
"Indeed." He said. "In any case, I expect they'll be wanting us back soon. Are you ready to return?"
"Yes, I've recovered." Pyrrha said, standing. The prince rose as well. "Thank you so much, again."
"Again, it was no trouble." Lelouch said, offering a smile as they turned away from the still-stunning view and headed back towards the lake.
"I hope it will be easier to be around Jaune, now that I'm gotten the chance to talk about this… we have a team movie night tonight. Ren insisted." Pyrrha said, shaking her head. "I'd invite your and Ruby's teams, but I'm told it's exclusively JNPR."
"Oh, that's fine." Lelouch said. "We have our own activity planned."
A thousand foot drop, onto one rectangular metal target, in the jet-black dark of a cloudy night. Suzaku assumed that someone, somewhere, would consider this a fun way to spend a weeknight. He was not that someone.
"Suzaku? We're in position." Lelouch said, voice chattering through the communicator. That at least was an upside—Lelouch had upgraded his visor to a full-fledged helmet, with a built-in headset and some other handy features that would probably prove to be highly practical for this new life of criminal malfeasance.
"Got it. Doing a final check." He said, running his hands over the pockets of his utility belt—or, as Lelouch insisted on calling it, his 'waist-mounted storage unit'. Kallen had laughed for a full minute over that one, though they both had to admit it was a useful design. For crime.
"Okay, Boy Scout." Kallen said.
"I will shoot you." Suzaku said, laying a hand on the dart gun holstered on his hip. Not that she could actually see that, as she was not up here with him.
"You can try." Kallen said. Suzaku did his best to repress his annoyance—she'd been like this ever since she'd won more points than him that afternoon in beach volleyball. Gloating.
"Focus." Lelouch said, voice steely enough to bring Suzaku swiftly back to the present. "Suzaku."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm going." Suzaku said, holstering his batons. He walked to the open door of the rented Bullhead, took a last look down, and then jumped. He was a bit rusty at diving, but his form seemed perfect—he was plunging straight down towards his target.
The rectangle grew and grew in his helmet's visor. He was grateful for the night-vision module and slight magnification. It made the details of his impending doom all the more distinct.
Well, his impending doom, had he not been a Kururugi.
A few seconds above a violent and messy end, Suzaku willed himself into wind. He circled the building once, then spiraled down to re-materialize in the center of the rooftop.
"Four guards on the roof, each corner, as expected." He confirmed, whispering into the communicator. He didn't necessarily have to whisper, but it felt safer.
"Good. Take them out as you see fit, and then proceed to phase two." Lelouch confirmed.
It was a simple task, they weren't exactly super-soldiers. Dissipating and reforming close enough behind each to plant a dart in their necks was surprisingly easy. He retrieved the darts from them—small, dangerously pointy-looking things that he deposited in a utility-belt pouch—then stole the clips from their rifles, hiding them under a pipe. Better safe than sorry.
The ventilation system was too small for a person to access, and had been left largely unguarded. It was no protection against Suzaku, who gusted his way in along the route the blueprint had laid out. After a few minutes of searching, he came to the vent he'd been looking for.
"Ya know, Carl—"
"Ugh. Smitt. Enough already."
"I'm just sayin, you haven't lived until you've checked out Spiders From Mars! The slot machines there are hrk—"
Suzaku retrieved the darts from the freshly slumped-over guards and moved their rolling chairs aside. It was a relatively small, rectangular room, with one whole wall covered in monitors. Two computers sat side-by side on top of a solid wooden desk, and a withered-looking plant in the corner. Suzaku tapped back into comms.
"I'm in." He said.
"Excellent. Proceed to phase 3." Lelouch said. Suzaku rolled his eyes—the intensity was a bit much—and slid the modded scroll out of his utility belt pocket, sliding it into the access port for the computer on the right. He watched the computer cautiously for a moment, expecting something dramatic, but nothing came.
"Hey, wind boy." Crackled over the comms. An unfamiliar voice.
"Who is this?" Suzaku asked, drawing his batons.
"Ugh. It's… B1." She said. An ally; one of the two color-coded twins. The red one.
"Alright. What is it?" Suzaku asked, sheathing his batons.
"There's more guards. Six more—two at each door. Check monitors 3, 7, and 12." B1 said. Suzaku checked, and it was true.
"Thank you. Did you catch that, Zero?" Suzaku asked, struggling a little to take the codename seriously.
"I did. Take them out before proceeding to phase 4. Any problems, B1?" Lelouch asked.
"As if." B1 replied. The silence dragged on as Suzaku crept his way out the door and into a hallway, moving past a series of cubicles.
"Yes or no answer, B1." Lelouch said.
"Ugh. No. No problems. Like, they basically didn't even prepare for an internal vector attack. Software's weeks behind the last update anyway, so, yeah. I own this whole building now." B1 said.
Suzaku peeked out of the doorway at the end of the hall, and quickly backtracked. an entryway, lights on, clear line of sight with both of the guards facing his direction. One was on his scroll, the other was cradling his gun. Suzaku tapped into comms again.
"B1, can you cut the lights in the room ahead?" Suzaku asked.
"Sure, if you ask nicely." B1 said.
"B1." Lelouch warned, harsh and cold.
"Uh, please?" Suzaku tried.
"Okay, okay, ugh." B1 said. Suzaku pulled back the door and leapt forward in a roll as the lights went out. One guard shouted in alarm before Suzaku could hit him, but soon enough both had tumbled onto the ground, unconscious. Suzaku retrieved the darts.
"Did the other guards hear that?" Suzaku whispered, tapping into comms yet again.
"If they did, I'd say so. Now stop bothering me while I'm trying to work." B1 said.
Suzaku moved on through, slipping into back into the light as he entered the warehouse floor. Rather than risking getting caught in the labyrinthine space, he dissipated again, swirling around the vast hangar-like room as stealthily as possible. The two guards next to the loading dock doors were sniped easily from a perch on top of a pile of boxes, but the last two were off in another separated entranceway. Taking a chance, he rematerialized and walked right in.
"What?" One of the guards said, before the dart bit into her shoulder and she dropped. The other guard raised her gun, but Suzaku had already put a dart in her neck by the time she'd raised her arms high enough to aim. It was done.
He retrieved the darts, then tapped back into comms.
"Phase 3 complete, no further complications." Suzaku said.
"Excellent work, K1. Standby for our arrival. B1, prepare to open the doors." Lelouch said.
It was only a nervous minute or two before Suzaku heard the rumbling of a van backing up to the warehouse door, which clattered open. Two of Junior's men walked out first, guns at the ready, followed shortly by the hilari-intimidating cape-sweeping stride of Zero, with Kallen following close behind. Another four of Junior's men followed, looking expectantly at Lelouch.
"What have you found, B1?" Lelouch's said, voice clear and cold.
"Lots. But, if you're talking about the dust and the bills, yeah. Uploading specific to your visor." B1 said.
"Excellent. Well done." Lelouch said, a moment later, before turning on his external speaker. "The lien is stashed in those; load them onto the truck." He said, pointing to an inconspicuous row of crates tucked under the bottom shelf of a rack on the far wall. Junior's men began to do so, working swiftly as Lelouch made his way towards another part of the warehouse and Suzaku fell in next to Kallen.
Lelouch stopped and nealt, pulling a crate out from its innocuous spot under a bottom shelf. Drawing a dagger, he slipped it under the lid and pried it open.
"So… it's true, then." Lelouch said, back on private comms. Suzaku couldn't help but stare as he reached in and pulled out a narrow, glowing tube.
"That doesn't make sense. It's impossible." Suzaku said.
"Before yesterday, I would have agreed. Before this very moment, even." Lelouch said.
"This is insane." Kallen said, taking a step back. Suzaku could see, over Lelouch's shoulder, that the crate was piled full of such tubes. Red, green, yellow, blue, purple…
"Liquid dust." Lelouch murmured. He studied the tube a moment more, before placing it gently back and pressing the lid of the box shut.
"K1, Q1, grab the box. I'd rather none of them carry it." Lelouch said, switching on the speaker again. "We have five minutes to load the van. After that, we make for the river. Move fast."
Suzaku knelt and lifted the crate. It was relatively heavy, and bulky, but Kallen grabbed the other side and they managed to deposit it safely in the back of the van without much trouble. They made it back into the warehouse just in time to see Lelouch stalking back from the office cubicle block.
"Phase 4 is complete. Initiate phase 5." Lelouch said. Suzaku nodded, heading back towards the security room while Kallen shepherded Junior's men back onto the van with the last of the crates. Walking past the cubicles and clearing the door into the security room, Suzaku waited. The van doors closed, and then the door to the loading dock. The lights in the entryway returned to normal.
"You ready, B1?" Suzaku asked.
"Yeah, yeah. All finished." B1 said. At that, Suzaku pulled the scroll from the access port and dissipating into wind. He at last began to feel the strain, wafting his way up through the ducts, but made it out of the building and in through the open van window before reforming.
"Phase 5 complete." Lelouch said, turning on his external speakers. "Drive to the rendezvous point. It's time to go." The engine revved, and they were off.