Chapter Fourteen

Nunnally settled into her wheelchair, pushing herself away from the car before Claudio could help. She wanted his hands free while they were entering the palace. It shouldn't have felt like entering a war zone, but it did. She looked over her shoulder at the crowd of people that was still gathered, almost wanting to ask Schneizel to move them away. There was no reason to in the end; the incident would be contained to the palace since all guards had been removed within the last ten minutes. It would also give away their movements if the people were ushered away. She swallowed and looked back up at the palace.

The building itself was still imposing, Nunnally was sure that it would never look like anything less than that. She was comfortable around some of the people there, but never the building. Everything was just too grand, too big for the girl from Area 11.

She guided herself through the open door, following Schneizel and Odysseus as they strode down the hallway. She knew that they were going to the throne room, Schneizel had asked for an audience with the emperor, just to try and keep their movements official as long as they could. To their surprise, the emperor had accepted. Schneizel and Odysseus would do most of the talking while Claudio and Kanon would be standing by as defense. Nunnally had her own orders to remain near the doors, in case she had to get out quickly. The guards that had been left by the throne room were completely loyal to their cause and would get her out of danger as fast as possible. Nunnally wasn't completely alright with the plan, but she knew better to argue further. At this stage she was useless; Schneizel and Odysseus would be doing all of the talking and negotiating.

Nunnally turned and waved Claudio close, relieved when the guard came to walk by her side. She had gotten used to having someone hovering around, it gave her someone to talk to and it gave her a connection to the rest of the guards as they were all in contact with each other. "Euphy is still watching the broadcast, right?"

Claudio nodded, his hand not leaving the gun on his hip. "She said that she would relay to one of the guards outside of the throne room anything that happened that would need our immediate attention. She won't let us down, your highness."

"I never thought she would. I just expected her to go with Cornelia."

"Princess Cornelia called for the Knightmares to be ready." Nunnally's eyes widened at the mention of the machines. "She wants someone prepared for any rioting or a heavier guard for the emperor. If the Knightmares are going out, then the princess will be as well and she can't just leave Princess Euphemia at the base by herself. We needed Princess Euphemia to keep us up to date."

Nunnally just nodded, feeling jumpy. She had always been able to keep an eye on the Games no matter what. She trusted Euphemia completely, but it was completely different from watching her brother on her own. It was the trade off she had made to be able to see their goal completed.

Claudio stepped in front of her as they approached the throne room, Nunnally's attention turning quickly to the two guards. She watched as the two nodded at them before opening the doors. She jumped as Claudio tapped her shoulder, gesturing at the female guard on the left. "Villetta will be the one to get you to safety. If she comes for you, follow her."

Nunnally gave the guard a small wave before pushing herself into the room after Claudio. From the rear of their group, Kanon scurried to the front, Nunnally catching a glimpse of the holster he wore by his side. She swallowed and glanced at her two half brothers. Odysseus and Schneizel were both in formal attire, although Schneizel was the only one wearing a sword. Nunnally was sure that the sword was not the usual ceremonial one that the princes wore. She was also sure that Schneizel had more weapons on him, but they were all well hidden, at least to her eyes.

She stopped back by the doors, glancing to the side to see that the right door was left open a fraction, the female guard watching her through the crack. Nunnally nodded, turning her gaze toward the throne at the other end of the room, her eyes widening as she stared at the giant of a man seated on it. She had never seen her father up close, just on the television from Area 11. He had managed to scare her from that distance. But meeting him in person, even when he was across the room, was terrifying. She suddenly wanted to flee the room, Nunnally stopping herself by gripping her armrests tightly. They had taken precautions for everyone to get out safely and he was just a man, there was nothing to be frightened of.

Charles zi Britannia did not seem too surprised to see them and he didn't acknowledge their presence for a while, glancing around the throne room. Nunnally tensed when he gaze landed on her, not sure what to do when he smiled. The emperor stood, clasping his hands behind his back. "So, you brought my crippled daughter along as well. Interesting. Hoping to play on my pity, Schneizel."

"No. She wanted to come."

The emperor snorted. "She can't know what is going on. She was raised in a hovel as befitting her birth."

Charles went to sit down, pausing when Odysseus stepped forward. "That's a lie and you know it, father. You've known the truth about Nunnally and Lelouch for years but you did nothing."

Schneizel carefully pushed Odysseus back as Charles smirked, the emperor settling down in his chair. "Perhaps I did not want them back. I already have so many heirs to deal with already." He looked away from Odysseus, focusing on Schneizel. "I hear you have found my plan for next year, what do you think of it?"

"It breaks all of the rules that were set down in the original law."

"That law was meant to be broken. The only reason it was written was to appease the people. It was the only good move that my weaker predecessors made. It would be a simple task to amend the law to include anyone."

"And let the Games continue in this manner. At least pretend to make them look fair."

Charles shrugged. "Why should I bother? Everyone knows what will get you put into the Games so Britannia is kept in check. There has not been a hint of rebellion since I took the throne, at least not until she came. Why should I change what works? Why should you, Schneizel, care about something that will help you later on? Is this your bid for power? It's one of your weaker ones."

Nunnally saw Schneizel tense, noticing how Kanon drifted closer. Schneizel did manage to keep himself under control, simply raising one shoulder in a shrug. "That's not what I requested an audience for, Father. I wanted to ask you one last time to stop the Games and consider removing them entirely."

"And then? What will we do with those who are traitors? What will we do to keep the Areas in line?"

"The Areas haven't rebelled since-"

"Because of the Hunger Games. It is because of the Hunger Games that we still have a country. If there hadn't been an effort to control our own homeland than we would have been like the other countries."

"You mean functioning?" Schneizel straightened his shoulders. "Those other countries are establishing treaties and trading with each other, far outstripping what we can produce domestically. Most of the money is sunk into the Hunger Games anyway. And the image that it sends to those other countries is something to consider. What they see when they look at us is important. They are all communicating and have allies. We only have Britannia."

"Britannia is all we need."

"Britannia used to be an empire. When it had that kind of power, Britannia was all we needed. But now we have nothing!" Schneizel took a deep breath. "Considering what little I can get about the rest of the world, I would prefer to bring Britannia out of its Dark Age before the EU and the others decide to start another war. Then you'll see what kind of loyalties that the Areas have toward you."

Schneizel took a piece of paper, walking up to the emperor and presenting it to him. "This is a formal complaint from the Senate, expressing the policies that we think Britannia should change and reflects the will of the people."

Charles accepted the paper, quickly scanning it over. Nunnally could tell when he came across what action they would take if he refused, Charles chuckling and looking up. "So, you intend to overthrow me. Just like this?"

"Just like that."

"Then I refuse." Charles tore the paper and tossed the pieces to the floor. "I fought for this throne and the next emperor will have to do the same. It is the only way to keep Britannia strong." He paused to glance at Odysseus, shaking his head. "I don't think your candidate will be able to wrestle the throne away from me. If that is all, Schneizel. Guards!"

Nunnally looked over her shoulder, watching as the two guards in front of the door shifted nervously but ignored the call. She breathed a sigh of relief. Despite what she had been told, she had been afraid that Schneizel had miscalculated some way. The female guard gave her a quick smile, Nunnally returning the expression before looking back at her father.

Charles looked furious. He stood up from the throne, bellowing for his guards twice more before rounding on Schneizel. "Traitor!"

Schneizel shrugged. "I am merely carrying out the orders of the Senate." He turned away from Charles, ignoring the emperor as Charles strode toward them. "It was a unanimous vote that you be removed from the throne if you did not abide by the decision."

"The Senate is there to serve the emperor." Nunnally gasped as she saw Charles pull out a gun. Schneizel froze, watching their father out of the corner of his eye. Charles smirked and released the safety. "As are any of his children. There's no point to any of you if you cannot serve your emperor. A piece of paper doesn't take me from my throne and neither will you, for all of your bravado."

Nunnally thought she saw Schneizel grimace, but she was too busy backing slowly toward the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the female guard gesturing for her to hurry up, but she was focused on the scene in front of her.

Claudio stepped in front of Odysseus, pushing the first prince back as he turned to bring his gun on the emperor. Nunnally was sure that Claudio was giving the order to stand down, but she couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her heart which suddenly seemed so much louder. She hadn't expecting things to get this bad; she had always thought that they would have had the time to call in the army to prevent any bloodshed. She was sure that Claudio was getting in contact with Cornelia, but she wouldn't get to the palace in time to prevent Schneizel from dying.

"Drop the gun." In the midst of the panic, she had forgotten about Kanon completely. Her attention was drawn back to him, her eyes widening as she saw that he was holding a gun perfectly steady at the emperor's heart. She hadn't even seen him pull out the gun or step forward. She didn't even know that he would be able to threaten the emperor, although the half crazed look in Kanon's eyes made her shiver.

Charles didn't seem to notice, his full attention on Schneizel. "Really, Earl Maldini? I knew that you were my son's faithful pet, but I didn't think that you would go as far as to threaten your emperor."

Kanon narrowed his eyes before pulling the trigger.

The sound of the gun going off echoed loudly in the throne room, Nunnally looking away. She flinched as she heard a body hit the floor, followed by the clatter of something metal falling to the ground. She was forced to look up as the two doors were thrown open, the two guards from outside running in with their guns out, both of them stopping before they had gotten past Nunnally. Nunnally swallowed and turned to look at the scene at the front of the throne room.

Charles zi Britannia was dead, bleeding from a clean shot to his heart. Odysseus looked appalled, remaining behind Claudio as the guard called for Cornelia and Bismarck to come. Schneizel had a hand on Kanon's arm, Kanon shaking as he stared down at Charles' body. The gun was on the ground, resting at Kanon's feet. Schneizel glanced down at it and gently kicked it away, stepping in between Kanon and Charles.

Nunnally moved forward, sure that the danger was over. Her heart was still pounding but she couldn't just hover at the edge, not while everyone was disorganized.

As she got closer, she could hear what Kanon was muttering over and over, Kanon staring at the floor with glazed eyes. "He's not sending me back there. I'm not going back. I won't."

Schneizel sighed and smoothed a hand over Kanon's arm. "He won't."

Kanon didn't seem to register the words, repeating himself while Schneizel continued to give the same answer. Nunnally swallowed and looked away from them, hoping that Odysseus would be ready to take over the situation. The emperor of Britannia was dead, murdered by Kanon Maldini. They could easily spin the story so that it was in defense of his prince and under the threat of being sent back to the Hunger Games, but what they needed was someone on the throne before riots broke out. And there were the tributes still in the Games to think about. The faster they acted, the sooner they could get them out. Canceling the Games for good would have to wait until later.

"Odysseus…"

The first prince jumped at the mention of his name, looking over at Nunnally. She swallowed and bowed at the waist, the best she could manage. "All hail Emperor Odysseus."

He stared at her, Nunnally afraid that he would run. She didn't blame him, Odysseus had hoped for a peaceful resolution to events as much as she had. Neither of them had gotten their way in the end, but that didn't mean that they had to give up everything that they had hoped for. Just before she could prompt him further, Odysseus straightened his shoulders and turned to walk up to the throne.

Odysseus stared at the chair for a long moment before turning and sinking into it. He scanned the room, gesturing awkwardly with one hand. "Kewell go to the Senate and tell them what choice was made and have them make the announcement. Tell them we will put off an official coronation until certain other matters are settled."

Kewell bowed and left, Odysseus turning his attention to the female guard. "Villetta, we'll need to give my father a proper burial, make the arrangements for that. None of you are to speak of who killed him. It was justified."

Villetta nodded, glancing at Nunnally before following her colleague out of the throne room. Odysseus took a deep breath, looking over at where Schneizel and Kanon were. Nunnally saw his eyes narrow as he stared at Schneizel, not sure what the expression meant. She didn't have too long to think over what Odysseus had been thinking as he went back to giving orders. "I won't let anyone execute Earl Maldini for his actions. He was protecting his prince, as were his orders. I can only stress how I did not want things to end up this way." Schneizel nodded stiffly, going to usher Kanon away from the body of the former emperor when Odysseus held up his hand. "I want you to remain Prime Minister, Schneizel, you are good at the job. But, in the light of that, you will not be one of my personal advisers. I think I know you well enough after having grown up with you to give you that chance."

Schneizel smiled ruefully before nodding, gripping Kanon's shoulder and escorting him from the room. Nunnally wanted to breathe a sigh of relief as Schneizel left. She had appreciated his help, but she hadn't wanted him in a position of too much power, not when so many of her siblings mistrusted him.

The sound of Odysseus clearing his throat caught her attention. Nunnally blushed but looked back at Odysseus, surprised to see him smiling. He stood up from the throne, descending the steps to stand next to her. "Claudio, make sure Cornelia knows about the situation and have her send out helicopters to pull the remaining tributes from the Games. Nunnally, Euphemia and I will handle what to do with the tributes and the people as the situation occurs. If anyone balks, tell them that it is an imperial order."

"Yes, your majesty." Claudio strode from the room.

Nunnally yelped as Odysseus began pushing her after him. She heard him sigh, looking back to see him slumping. She reached back to touch his hand, Odysseus just shaking his head. "It is going to be far harder than I thought. But I will do it. I just need a council of people smart enough to keep Schneizel and some of the smarter nobles in line." He paused for a moment. "Do you think that Lady Marianne would be interested in a position? I was already planning to invite her back to the city to meet Lelouch, but I could use her influence and experience."

"I…I don't know. She never talked about coming back."

"Than I'll just have to beg." Odysseus chuckled, shaking his head. "Even Schneizel is a bit intimidated by Lady Marianne, but don't tell him I said that."

"R-right." It was hard to think properly. They were getting Lelouch and Suzaku out. For the first time in over thirteen days, she would be able to see her brother in person. Nunnaly wanted nothing more than to give him a hug and then never let go. She had come so close to losing him so many times that she didn't want to give him the chance to slip away.

Odysseus didn't seem to notice her distraction, keeping up a steady stream of commentary as he pushed her toward the doors. She was sure that she was expected to make some sort of speech while they appeared to the people, the two of the killing time until the tributes were rescued, but she doubted that she could. That was another reason to get Euphemia over to the palace as fast as possible, she would be better at this sort of thing. Nunnally was sure that she was just good for her giddy smile at the moment, and she wasn't even sure that she could stop that.

Lelouch and Suzaku were going to be okay. They were going to be safe.

Milly grabbed Rivalz hand and pulled him through the crowd of people, moving them through the cheering mass. She couldn't help the smile that was plastered across her face and had been there since Odysseus and Nunnally had emerged from the palace. The two of them had looked shell shocked, which had been enough of a hint about how the meeting with the emperor had gone. And they had been dangerously short of news since Kanon had given her the paper revealing the plans for the next Hunger Games.

The people had responded violently to the news, something that Milly knew that Schneizel must have predicted. He wouldn't have given her that statement if he had thought that it would have taken the majority of their supporters away. The statement had worked just as Schneizel had predicted, bringing almost all of the population of Pendragon onto their side. There would always be complaints about the royal family but the people of Britannia were also proud of the heirs of Charles zi Britannia. Those princes and princesses had shown that they were willing to reach out to the people, something that no other royal had done in over one hundred years. A threat to those same royals had brought the crowd to a frenzy last night that had required the guards to calm the people.

And the announcement now had just been a reward. Milly turned her head, getting a glimpse of the new emperor of Britannia as he waved at his people. The shouts of "All hail Odysseus" were getting louder by the minute, Milly sure that the entirety of Pendragon was echoing with the first prince's name at this point. But that was not the only cause of the excitement.

Odysseus had promised a stop to the Hunger Games.

Of course, he had meant the ones that were still going on, the ones that nearly everyone in Pendragon had forgotten about because of the drama going on within the royal family. It was assumed that he would continue on to stop the Games for good. The people were more wrapped up in that than what would be happening next. The last three tributes in the Games would be airlifted out, and Milly was not going to let that chance pass her by.

She let go of Rivalz as they reached the news van, Milly slipping into the passenger's seat while Rivalz ran around to the driver's side. Milly leaned forward, fixing her hair in the wing mirror as she waited for Rivalz to get settled. She wanted to look like she hadn't rushed over and that she was completely put together, it would look better in the end and it meant that they would be able to start their report long before the other networks go there. They were risking a bit by leaving while Odysseus was still speaking, but there were other people on their news team who could use the camera they had left there.

Milly nodded at her reflection and sat back, surprised at the focused look on Rivalz's face. She tipped her head to the side before buckling her seat belt into place. When that didn't produce the desired effect, she sighed and rested her cheek on her hand. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing…really." Milly hummed, the sound enough to get Rivalz to flinch. He glanced over at her before starting the van, not speaking until they had pulled out into the street. "Well, it's nothing big. I'm just…is it alright to go after a news story about the tributes."

"It's been done every year."

"Yeah, but not right out of the Games. The victor gets sent to the hospital every time because of everything that's gone on. I just don't think it's right to barge in on them like that, even if they aren't hurt. Don't they deserve a little bit of time to themselves without people fawning over them?"

Milly nodded slowly, hiding the smile that crossed her face in the palm of her hand. Of course Rivalz would think like that. It was endearing in a way, that he cared so much about people that he had never even met. She lifted her hand away from her mouth. "I'm not thinking about an interview. I just want a few shots of the helicopters coming from the Arena, nothing big." Milly frowned and then quickly amended her statement. "Well, I might ask the doctors if we can get a list of injuries or what the tributes are there for, just to see when we can start interviews with them. I'm not just going to demand they talk to us right out of the Arena."

"Yeah." Rivalz laughed nervously. "They're bound to still be jumpy. Not that I blame them or anything. But they're still dangerous."

"At least that will stop." She didn't have to look over at Rivalz to know that he was nodding. At least the army gave proper training; the Games just taught the teenagers how to be completely paranoid. The stories of the tributes that were still unable to settle into a normal life became more popular with each Reaping. Everyone wanted to know what the victor of the last Games was doing before the new batch would come in. Milly had never had to do those interviews herself, and now she never would.

Then again, follow up interviews of the last tributes to ever compete would be a good thing, something to remind the people that these teenagers had suffered. It was an idea to pitch to the producer if Odysseus ever needed some good press. Milly sat back in her seat, watching the buildings go by as she pondered the idea. It would be better if they went back further to the other tributes that were still alive, talking about their experiences in the Games and how it had altered their lives. They could gather enough defense to last for a lifetime and keep the Games from coming back when the next emperor wanted a way to control Britannia, although Milly was sure that Schneizel would help get the country to the point where even that wouldn't be necessary.

On the other hand, they would make history with the in depth interview and bring out all the stories that had bene kept hidden over the years. Milly didn't care if she was the one hosting the event or organizing it, although she thought it would be better if different people from the Areas interviewed their own victors, being from the capital would not be in her favor. Even so, she would reserve the last year for herself.

Milly shook her head, trying not to tap her fingers against the door in her excitement. The comprehensive view of the Hunger Games was something distant, what she had to focus on was the end of these Games. She tipped her head to the side, staring at the sky. The last Hunger Games. The year without victors. The latter had a catchy ring to it, far better than the Hunger Games of 2017. Milly smiled to herself, musing over the moniker.

The year without victors.

Lelouch peered through the grass, staring at the Cornucopia. He halfway expected to see Luciano pacing around it, but there was nothing. From what he could see of the mouth of the structure, Lelouch was sure that Luciano was not lurking inside. He gritted his teeth and pushed his way out of the grass, settling into a partial crouch as he crossed as he open ground.

He pressed his back up against the Cornucopia, taking a deep breath before slipping inside the structure. He reached down, grabbing up a knife as he advanced into the darkness. If Luciano was going to attack, then now would be the best time, while he was blind. But there was nothing, just the sound of his own breathing echoing far too loud inside the metal structure. Lelouch relaxed slightly and made his way to the back of the Cornucopia, making a circuit of the inside before carefully picking his way to the front.

Suzaku was already out of the grass and limping over to him, despite the fact that Lelouch hadn't given the signal. Lelouch rolled his eyes, not bothering to even glare at Suzaku. They were running late anyway.

They had intended to catch a few hours of sleep and move to the Cornucopia while it was still dark, but the two of them had been exhausted from the trek the day before. They had slept in, Lelouch jerking awake when Suzaku had shaken him. Even knowing that their plans had been set back, Lelouch had still had to clear out the packs of what they wouldn't need, which left them with one pack and all of the essentials. Although they could have just avoided the waste of time from the look of the supplies in the Cornucopia. There was enough there that they could have abandoned all of their supplies and been fine. But Lelouch hadn't been able to bring himself to trust that the people running the Games would actually follow through. It was obvious that the feast was a trap. It would have worked even if the supplies hadn't been present, because they would have come to look anyway.

Lelouch ducked back into the Cornucopia, shifting through the supplies that were there. Despite the overflow, there were only three packs at the front, none of the labeled. Lelouch knelt to look through them, quickly finding that they were all identical and crammed full of everything that they could need. He straightened up, glancing back through the rest of the supplies.

There were more bags of food scattered around, none of which would actually fit in the three packs left for them. Lelouch smiled, pulling the bag from his back. They had been lucky enough to bring one of their bags, and they could always return with the other one once Luciano was gone. Lelouch paused in the act of gathering the smaller bags of food, glancing out toward where Suzaku was standing guard over the entrance. They couldn't just keep running, it would draw everything out for too long. Then again, stocking up on supplies was never a bad thing. They would just a solid plan.

Lelouch zipped up the bag and tossed it out toward Suzaku. He would leave the two other bags that were theirs until last; he wanted to see what kind of weapons they could find. If they couldn't use them, then Lelouch was willing to try and hide all of the ones that Luciano shouldn't get his hands on. It would be another way to stack the odds in their favor, even if hiding meant pushing them back into the far end of the Cornucopia. He didn't think that they would have the time to scatter them through the arena at the moment.

He grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows, squinting through the darkness to see if there was another other ranged weapon. Lelouch wove his way back to the front of the Cornucopia, passing the bow to Suzaku. He tensed when Suzaku immediately took out an arrow and nocked it, drawing the string back. "Is he?"

"He might be. I saw something move." Suzaku didn't look away from the grass, carefully stepping forward. "Hurry up. I'll look around."

Lelouch nodded and ducked back into the Cornucopia, quickly amending his plans. He shoved as many weapons as he could toward the back, kicking them away from the small arc of light. It wasn't the best job, but it would have to work. Lelouch grabbed the pack meant for Luciano and threw it to the back, listening to the clatter it made as he rushed back to the front. He pulled one bag over his back. Lelouch debated bringing the other bags with him but decided against it, they could always grab them and run. If they needed to fight, Lelouch wanted to be able to move as fast as possible. He wiped his palms against his jeans before stepping out into the open, clutching at the knife he had picked up.

It was quiet, not even a breeze to move the grass. Lelouch exhaled shakily, turning carefully in place before walking away from the Cornucopia. Suzaku would be coming back around after having circled the structure, and then they would have to be ready for anyone coming. Lelouch turned and titled his head back, staring at the surface of the Cornucopia. He would have to boost Suzaku onto the top and then they would both be able to crouch there and wait for Luciano to appear.

Lelouch turned as he heard someone shuffling through the grass, smiling when he saw that Suzaku was coming back around, the arrow still on the bow string. At least it wasn't pulled back, which meant that Suzaku hadn't seen anything. They still had time. It was almost enough to get him to run back and grab the weapons, but getting on top of the Cornucopia and setting up their trap was more important. Ending Luciano was far better at stalling.

Lelouch walked forward to meet Suzaku, freezing when Suzaku shook his head. Suzaku didn't look away from the grass, Lelouch watching as he shuffled to a stop. Lelouch sucked in a quick breath, adjusting his grip on his knife, waiting for any signal from Suzaku that he was about to fire the arrow.

Neither of them got a chance, the sound of a gun going off echoing in the silence.

Lelouch threw himself to the ground, covering his head with his arms. He looked up as Suzaku cursed, watching his friend fire off an arrow into the grass. But the response was too late; Luciano was running out of the grass, pistol in hand. Lelouch reached for the knife he had dropped, his heart pounding.

Guns weren't allowed in the Games, it was a rule that had never been broken before either because it would ruin the perverse sense of fun for the Games or because none of the people in charge of the Games had ever wanted to give a desperate teenager that much power. That was the rule that no one had been willing to break, but it was no surprise that Charles zi Britannia had broken it, especially if he was so desperate to get rid of Lelouch. Now the order they had found made sense and was reassuring.

But the question was how many times Luciano had fired the gun before coming after them.

Suzaku was up on his feet before Lelouch; already following Luciano's run across the open space. Suzaku loosed the arrow, jumping to one side as Luciano brought the gun up. They both missed their targets, Lelouch hearing the bullet ping off the Cornucopia and watching as the arrow sped off into the grass. By then, Luciano was too close to Suzaku to give him time to fire another arrow. Suzaku just changed his grip on the bow, raising to use it as a club as he stepped to the side to get the barrel of the gun away from him.

Luciano was faster.

The tribute followed Suzaku in the turn, ducking under the swing of the bow and pressing against the quiver of arrows that was dangling against Suzaku's side. Lelouch got a glimpse of Luciano's smile before the gun went off, Suzaku crumpling to the ground.

"Suzaku!" He stumbled forward, stopping when Luciano stood up. He couldn't tell if Suzaku was still breathing and he couldn't even use the cannon to judge since Suzaku had lost his tracking device.

His attention was drawn away from Suzaku as Luciano advanced on him. Lelouch took a step back, sliding the pack off of his shoulders and letting it hit the ground. He would need to move quickly, and getting the pack back wouldn't matter in the end if he was too slow.

Lelouch turned his head just enough so that he could see the mouth of the Cornucopia. He could hide in the dark among the supplies and wait out Luciano and his bullets. He would have to attack the moment the last bullet was fired, before Luciano could pick up another weapon, but Lelouch was confident that Luciano wouldn't be able to catch him in the tangle of supplies. He swallowed and looked back at Suzaku. As soon as Luciano was taken care of, he would look after Suzaku.

He tightened his grip on the handle of his knife before throwing it. As expected, Luciano dodged to the side even though the throw was bad. Lelouch took the moment to race back to the Cornucopia, rolling inside and scrambling between two cases. He heard the sound of a bullet hitting something in front of him, Lelouch curling in on himself to try and be a smaller target.

The note from the emperor had said that Luciano had six shots. Lelouch had no way of telling if any of the bullets had been used before Luciano had started firing on them, so he would have to assume that Luciano had come charging in with six bullets. So far, there had been four shots, which meant that he had to wait out two more. Lelouch gritted his teeth and raised his head, listening for the sound of Luciano moving through the supplies as he searched for another place to hide. He scurried out of the way as a bag went flying over his head, knocking into another case stored farther back.

"You're good, I'll give you that. That trick sent most of the others running." Lelouch crawled carefully to one side as he heard Luciano speak, using the sound of the tribute's voice to determine where he was. "Then again, I think the people of Pendragon were hoping for a bit more of a finale. Eleven didn't put up much of a fight, so that just leaves you. I'll even put the gun down to give you a fair chance if you come out by a count of three. One…"

Lelouch shook his head, pressing himself up against one crate and watching as Luciano passed him by. When the tribute's back was turned, Lelouch snuck out, moving behind another crate as he made his way back to the front. There were weapons there that he could use, the ones that he had missed on his quick sweep earlier.

"Two…"

There was a knife, lying just out of his reach. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath and edging as close to the end of the crate as he could. He was too close to the front of the Cornucopia to dare to just reach for it and, from the sound of Luciano's footsteps, Luciano was too close. Lelouch searched for cover, spotting a messy pile of tents and blankets. The pile wouldn't protect him for long, but it was the closest cover. He swallowed and carefully moved into a crouch, just finishing his movement when he heard the crate move.

Lelouch turned to see Luciano looming over him, the gun aimed at his head. "Three."

He dove for the knife, grabbing the handle and rolling inelegantly into the pile of tents and blankets. Lelouch squeezed his eyes closed, taking a deep breath before opening them again, watching as Luciano cursed and flung the gun away.

Luciano was out of bullets.

Lelouch smiled to himself, scrambling to his hands and knees only to be pulled backward. Lelouch twisted, kicking out with the leg that Luciano wasn't holding, managing to land a few solid hits on Luciano's arm before the tribute used the hold to fling him to one side.

He grunted as he hit one of the crates, keeping a good hold on his knife as he curled in on himself. Lelouch wheezed, looking up as Luciano strode over, the tribute only slowing down when he bent over to pick up a sword. Luciano held the sword up to the light, turning it from side to side before he smiled down at Lelouch.

"I've killed fourteen tributes in these Games and not one of them failed to beg for their lives. It was kind of funny." Luciano chuckled, stepping forward to plant a foot on Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch found himself forced onto his back, staring up at Luciano as the tribute leaned over him. "I've found what people value most."

Lelouch didn't have a chance to think about what he had just been told, Luciano driving the point of the sword into his chest, just below his ribs.

He arched up with a scream, one hand scrambling at the air before his arm fell back to his side. Lelouch gasped, trying to focus on Luciano as his vision swam, unable to properly process anything other than pain. He had managed to muffle his whimpers into submission when Luciano leaned over, pushing the blade deeper.

Luciano chuckled at the whimper that escaped Lelouch, using one finger to tap Lelouch's forehead. "So, I wonder, does royalty fear the same thing? So what do you value the most? Tell me."

Lelouch stared up at him, forcing himself to focus. He reached up and grabbed onto Luciano's arm, using it as leverage to haul himself partially upright. He felt his grip loosen as the sword pushed in deeper, Lelouch biting his lip to keep from screaming. He couldn't let himself be distracted, this would be his only chance.

Before Luciano had a chance to pull away, Lelouch brought up the hand holding the knife and used all of his strength to push the blade into Luciano's eye.

Luciano gave a muffled scream, letting Lelouch go and taking a step back. He reached up for the knife before keeling over sideways, Lelouch watching him fall. Lelouch remained on the ground for a moment longer to be sure that Luciano was really dead before propping himself up.

He dropped his gaze to the sword that was pushed into him, reaching up for the hilt and pulling it out with a quick jerk. He wasn't prepared for the rush of blood that came with it. Lelouch reached back, feeling his fingers brush over one of the blankets. He pulled it down and pressed it against the wound before attempting to stand up. He couldn't just lie down; he still had to check on Suzaku.

Lelouch grimaced and used one of the closer crates to stand up, carefully making his way to the entrance of the Cornucopia. He had to lean against the structure itself when he reached the entrance, his legs too weak to support him completely. Lelouch sucked in a quick breath, using the one hand that wasn't holding the blanket to his stomach to brace himself against the wall as he moved around to the outside.

Lelouch came to a stop when he was across from Suzaku, staring at the space between the Cornucopia and where Suzaku was. Walking unaided the foot of distance between them suddenly seemed to much harder. Lelouch gritted his teeth, pushing away from the Cornucopia. He hadn't come all of this way just to fail.

He trembled as he took his first step out, managing to keep his balance. Lelouch smiled to himself, adjusting his hold on the blanket and taking two more steps. On the third his legs finally gave, Lelouch wobbling before falling to his knees. He swayed in place, finally deciding that falling onto his back would be far more dignified than landing on his face. He winced as he straightened out his legs, staring up at the sky.

Any minute now they would fire the cannon to announce Luciano's death and they would send out a helicopter. Lelouch was sure that they would stay for him; he was on his way out anyway. That or they would haul away Suzaku and proclaim Lelouch the winner. He gave the sky a wry smile. Usually the Hunger Games winners were in far better shape than he was. Lelouch doubted that he would make it very far from the Games no matter what anyone tried to do for him. This year, the Games would have no winner, and that would spoil the emperor's fun and turn the public against him. The people wouldn't be happy without their yearly victor to support and coddle.

The thought made Lelouch laugh, regretting the sound a moment later as the pain in his stomach spiked. He closed his eyes, taking short breaths until the pain went back to a manageable level. Only then did he open his eyes, turning his head to the side as he heard the sound of someone calling his name.

Suzaku was looking up at him, Lelouch frowning in confusion as he tried to come to any kind of conclusion. Suzaku had been shot, which meant that he was dead, but dead people couldn't talk. It was too complicated for him at the moment, Lelouch just glad that he wasn't going to be alone while he bled out on the grass. He carefully switched hands, using his free hand to gesture to Suzaku while the other one pressed the blanket against his stomach. Suzaku nodded, pushing himself off the ground only to fall back down again.

Lelouch watched as Suzaku tried to get up again, getting the same result as before. Suzaku glanced up at him, giving Lelouch a weak smile before beginning to drag himself closer. Lelouch swallowed, keeping one arm extended in an invitation to Suzaku. If he had been able to get up, he would have closed half of the distance between the two of them, but Lelouch was sure that his legs would no longer support him.

Suzaku managed the last few inches between them, remaining propped up on his elbows to catch his breath. Lelouch closed his hand around Suzaku's wrist, enjoying what closeness he could get between the two of them. It was only a matter of time before the two of them succumbed to their injuries; they were just too stubborn to die quietly. Lelouch sighed at the thought, tightening his grip on Suzaku's wrist. "Here."

Thankfully, Suzaku managed to understand what Lelouch was trying to say. He nodded, gently setting himself back on the ground. Lelouch let go of Suzaku just long enough for his friend to get settled before resting his hand on Suzaku's shoulder. Suzaku was still panting from dragging himself over, Lelouch managing a weak pat on Suzaku's shoulder. He looked at Suzaku's side, staring at the red patch, watching as the spot spread slowly.

"'louch?"

It took him a while to gather the breath to speak. "Here."

"Good. I thought…" Suzaku trailed off as he pressed a hand to Lelouch's abdomen, groaning when he rested his hand right over Lelouch's wound. "No."

"Luciano…dead…"

"Just hold on Lelouch. They'll come to get Luciano. Don't die alright? I don't want to win. It's not worth it."

"Not. Just tired."

"Don't fall asleep on me." Lelouch winced as Suzaku pushed down on the blanket, the pain making him focus for a moment. "Stay awake."

"Will." Lelouch moved his hand so it was resting on Suzaku's head, wanting nothing more than to card his fingers through Suzaku's hair. But movement would take effort, something that he no energy for. His whole concentration was focused on staying awake, his eyes tracking the clouds as they moved across the sky. He had promised Suzaku that he would stay awake, and he would try his best to follow through on that promise. In the end he wouldn't be disappointed if Suzaku was the one to survive, that had been the plan originally. He wanted to remind Suzaku of that promise, but he doubted that Suzaku would respond other than to try and get another promise from him.

Lelouch closed his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of Suzaku's hand resting on his. Nunnally and his mother would be safe with Suzaku looking after them. Suzaku would be able to fight off anyone from the capital and take them away from Area 11 if the emperor brought troops too close. Lelouch was sure that he could even rely on Clovis if they had to, Clovis had always liked Marianne.

He felt Suzaku shaking him, opening his eyes a fraction to see Suzaku staring up at him. He could see Suzaku's mouth moving but he couldn't quite understand what his friend was saying. Lelouch tightened his grip on Suzaku, trying desperately to hear what Suzaku was saying or to read his lips, but he could only see the frantic look on Suzaku's face and feel the increased pressure on his wound.

He didn't know if he had managed to doze off or if he had blacked out, although the latter seemed more likely, because the next thing he knew he could hear the sound of the helicopter. Lelouch opened his eyes, catching glimpses of the world between long blinks, watching the helicopter come towards them in a jerky manner. Lelouch tried his best to keep the helicopter in focus, surprised when it landed after he last saw it at a good distance from the two of them. He tried to shake Suzaku, not sure if he completed the motion or if it was just in his head.

Lelouch looked down at Suzaku, worried when Suzaku didn't appear to be moving. He swallowed, glancing over in time to see a team of soldiers hauling Luciano's body from the Cornucopia while another group pointed at them. Lelouch wanted nothing more to curl around Suzaku, but his body was too heavy to move. They couldn't take Suzaku, Suzaku wasn't dead. Lelouch could see the faint movement that indicated that Suzaku was still breathing, but it was far too slow. Still, it meant that Suzaku was still alive and the soldiers couldn't take him away. They only took away the dead tributes.

He tried to glare at the soldiers as they came closer. He was starting to black out again, Lelouch struggling to hold onto consciousness. He would make sure that they didn't take Suzaku, even if it meant that he ended up dying as well. The Games could only have one winner, and he wouldn't make the best winner. Lelouch was sure that he would barely be able to make it to the hospital.

The soldiers stopped, Lelouch not sure whether it was because he finally managed to raise his hand just above Suzaku's head or because they realized that the two of them were alive. Lelouch watched as one hung back, probably giving orders to superiors. He wasn't sure how they would handle two tributes dying at their feet, there was supposed to be a grand fight until the end. Lelouch suspected that the soldiers would retreat to get out of the view of the cameras and just wait for one of them to die.

The man talking on the radio nodded, Lelouch so focused on him that he didn't notice the other soldiers until they were lifting Suzaku away from him. Lelouch whined, wishing that he could actually get his voice to work so he could protest. They couldn't do this, not when the Games were still going. His father was cheating somehow and Lelouch didn't know how taking Suzaku would go with his plans to kill Lelouch. His father couldn't possibly think that he would live through this.

He fumbled for Suzaku's hand, holding on tightly. The soldiers bent over, Lelouch watching as their mouths moved before he shook his head. He didn't care what they had to say, they weren't going to take Suzaku. He had promised Suzaku that he would stay awake, so Suzaku had to stay alive. The soldiers managed to pry Lelouch's hand from Suzaku, Lelouch sure that he let out a whine.

He wasn't allowed to linger over the loss for too long, a soldier lifting him from the ground. Lelouch felt the blanket slip, losing his hold on the blanket just before the soldier jostled him to get a better grip. Lelouch grunted, reaching for the blanket before the pain from the movement made his head swim. Lelouch gritted his teeth, staring up at the sky and trying to hold onto consciousness. He managed to hold on until they went to hand him up into the helicopter, his vision fading to black as he was set down.