Lelouch grit his teeth, his hands still holding onto the Knightmare Frame's controls despite the lack of power. Across from him, still trapped inside his own Knightmare Frame, was Kururugi Suzaku. Both Knightmare Frames stood still, stalled mid-fight by Schniezel's trap. He knew Kallen was trapped not far from him, he could hear her shouting even through the machine's armor.
All around him was panic and discord.
He was sure the rest of the Black Knights were pulling back, undoubtedly the smartest choice for them. None of them could afford to face Schniezel's plan, not that he'd wish that upon them. Taking in a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself for whatever method of execution Schneizel was about to put him through. "Q-1, If you can hear me, get out of here now!" Lelouch shouted, giving one last instruction to his loyal follower regardless of whether she could hear him or not.
Shouts echoed around him; Kallen shouting about her door being locked, Suzaku shouting about Euphemia...
What the HELL is Euphie doing?!
Lelouch let out a huff; "Always the bleeding heart Euphie," he mused with a small smile. Schniezel had no such sentiments, no attachments to the rest of his family, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them all regardless of Euphie's presence. Lelouch ran a hand to the latch for the emergency exit, pulling it with all his might. A short series of clicks followed by a hiss echoed through the cockpit as natural light flooded it. If he had time, he could get Kallen's Knightmare Frame open, maybe the two of them could get some distance while Euphie ran for Suzaku.
Before he pulled himself up, he ensured his helmet was securely on his head. He slid out the emergency exit, taking note that both the Black Knights and Britannian forces were pulling back. He could see Kallen's Gurren not far from his own frame, collapsed on the sand around it. He could see Euphie desperately trying to open the hatch on the Lancelot despite the shouting from Suzaku himself. Lelouch ran his hands to the Gurren's emergency hatch, twisting the handle and pulling the metal hatch open. Kallen slid out, pulling herself off the ground as the ground began to rumble around them. Lelouch stabilized himself against the Gurren as Kallen bumped into him. "Move, we don't have long before Schniezel finishes his trap," he instructed. Kallen didn't say a word, only nodding as the ground rumbled once again.
He gave one last glance back to the Lancelot; the sight of Euphie and Suzaku helping one another to their feet as the ground shook almost made him shake his head. For a moment, Suzaku's gaze met his, and his eyes narrowed even as Euphie held him close.
Then the flash appeared.
It was only for a moment; he and Kallen stilled next to the Gurren while Suzaku began dragging Euphie back to the Lancelot. In that last moment, he felt Kallen grab his arm and pull him close as he shielded his eyes from it.
It took only a moment for the Light to consume them as the ground shook.
Then they were fine, even as he was slammed full force into the ground, with Kallen still holding onto him. They tumbled, bits of sand and dust flew in the air as Lelouch braced himself with his arms. He could hear Kallen coughing from the dust in the air. "Zero," she got out between coughs. His head felt heavy, he could see some sort of large shape approaching them.
Was... Was that a Scorpion?
No... it couldn't be, it was far too big.
Lelouch felt his mind blank for a second as a Scorpion the size of a car was rushing towards them. "Q-1, Q-1, we need to move!" Lelouch shouted as Kallen groaned and looked up. He saw her eyes turn to pinpricks as she two saw the giant scorpion charging at them. She rushed to her feet, grabbing Lelouch's arm as she ran like a woman possessed. Lelouch could see sandy hills all around them, with more scorpions scurrying out from the sand and dust.
"Zero, look!" Kallen shouted, drawing his attention away from the growing swarm of scorpions around them. At the top of one hill stood a water tower, a sign of some kind of civilization. "Hurry!" Kallen shouted as the scuttling grew louder. The two of them scrambled up the hill, Kallen lugging him as his lungs began to fail him. Even as the hill grew more steep, she continued onwards, eventually tossing him over the top before dragging herself up it.
The two of them braced against the steel legs of the water tower, catching their breath as the scorpions scuttled below them. Lelouch looked around, eyes scanning the graveyard around them and the town below. Many of the buildings were in varying states of disrepair, yet he could see lights on in several of the buildings.
"Zeerrroooo Looook," Lelouch heard Kallen slur out. Lelouch turned to her, his eyes widening as he saw a large city glowing in the night, resting comfortably in the middle of the desert. Lelouch turned to look at Kallen as she let out a loud groan. His gaze narrowed as he looked at the bleeding wound on her left calf, bits of red and some form of ichor leaked out onto the desert below them.
"Q-1!" Lelouch exclaimed as he pushed himself back to his feet.
"Jusss Scratch," Kallen droned out before her hand ran to her mouth. Lelouch tore off part of his cape and wrapped it around her injured leg.
'I can't do anything for her, there's no way of knowing how fatal the venom is,' Lelouch surmised as he finished wrapping her wound. 'I have no choice, I need to see if one of them can help,' Lelouch huffed as he forced himself to pick up Kallen. He strained under the weight but forced himself to continue onwards, stepping past the rotten fence posts that wrapped around the graveyard. He ignored the graves, even the husks of long-dead flies larger than his hand which dotted the graveyard. He gave it all little mind as he stumbled past the graveyard and struggled down the dirt road connecting the small town to the hilltop graveyard.
As he reached the end of the path his legs gave out, exhaustion gripping him as all forms of adrenaline left his body. Kallen groaned as Lelouch saw someone from the town approaching, a dog trotting alongside them. Lelouch fell to his knees as the figure broke into a sprint towards them. The last thing he saw before his body gave out was the concerned look on her face.
Euphemia let out a groan as she pushed herself up, shaking her head as her hands felt soft dirt below her. She stopped as she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, her eyes trailing down to see that Suzaku was holding her close. She felt her cheeks heat up but tried to bury it down as she wiggled out of his grasp. Suzaku mumbled something too quiet for her to hear as she pulled herself to her feet. She smiled for a moment before it turned into a grimace, she remembered the light, how Suzaku was pulling her towards the Lancelot for some form of cover, and the sight of Zero- no Lelouch- being pulled by his ace pilot.
She remembered how Schniezel was willing to kill both her and Suzaku just to get at Zero.
She took in a deep breath, coughing for a moment at the unfamiliar scent of the air. She looked around, taking in the trees and grass around them. They were protected from the sun by the numerous trees surrounding them, offering shade without need. The environment reminded her of the New England region of the Britannian mainland, but most of that was dedicated to preserving the culture of the old British empire.
She took a moment to steady herself before she turned back to Suzaku. She kneeled, readying a finger before she poked him in the cheek hard; "Suzaku!" she shouted. Suzaku sprung up, almost striking her in the head had she not jumped back. He looked around, taking shallow breaths before his gaze shifted to her.
"Euphie," he spouted before pulling her into a hug.
"I'm ok Suzaku, but I don't know where we are," Euphemia said as she returned the hug. Suzaku nodded as he let her go and stood up, taking in their surroundings much like she had done not long ago.
"The land isn't very familiar, nor the trees," Suzaku muttered.
"I think we're somewhere on the Britannian Mainland, maybe part of New England," Euphemia shared her theory.
"Well, if we are in Britannia, we should try to find a road," Suzaku said.
"There should be one close by, You're never less than a few miles away from a road in New England," Euphemia mused.
"Then come on," Suzaku said before he pulled Euphemia into a piggy pack.
"Suzaku... I can carry myself," She said with slight embarrassment. 'Not that I mind,' she whispered in her mind as she held onto him. Suzaku just flashed her a smile before he began marching through the woods with his eyes sharp. Euphie kept her eyes open, scanning for any sign of civilization that might cross their path.
Then Suzaku stopped.
Euphemia looked down, turning her gaze to match his own. She had to narrow her eyes, but eventually, she could see it. Far to their left, wandering between the trees, was a deer.
A Two-Headed Deer.
A Two-Headed Deer that was looking back at them.
Euphemia felt her grip on Suzaku tighten as Suzaku braced for any sudden movement from the strange deer. The Two-Headed Deer looked at them, its left head slightly tilted while its right head appeared to snort at them. The Deer seemed to lose interest, turning to its right and running off.
Euphemia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Suzaku held her tighter before he continued on their path, running now rather than walking. "Euphie, is there anything in Britannian that could create that?" Suzaku asked.
"No, most forms of gene editing are banned in the Empire, it has to be a natural mutation," Euphemia replied.
"Then let's keep our distance," Suzaku suggested. She wasn't sure if he had fear in his voice, but she wouldn't blame him if he was somewhat scared by the deer. She kept her eyes out, narrowing them as she saw something to their right.
It was some kind of suburb, though it was difficult to tell due to the trees around them. "Suzaku, do you see that?" She asked while pointing to their right. Suzaku stopped, turning to look where she was pointing.
"It's something, let's see if one of them is willing to lend a phone," Suzaku said. Euphie smiled as they continued forward, soon they'd be back... maybe get a hot bath and warm food, and even get the...
the...
Euphemia's thoughts stilled as they saw the suburb in ruins, a few of the houses were completely collapsed while others had plants growing on their sides. The road leading to it was old and cracked, with no sign of maintenance for a long time. Her gaze followed the road, only seeing more desolation and what appeared to be a gas station with a rocket on top.
"Where?" she sputtered out as her mind tried to think of where they could be. "Suzaku... could you... let me down?" she asked as her mind drew a blank. Suzaku said nothing, clearly in a state similar to herself. She swapped between the gas station and the ruined suburbs, taking note of the ruined bridge and statue that stood next to it.
"Euphie, we should find somewhere safe to make camp," Suzaku stated.
'Yes, but where to go?" Euphemia mused as she gazed out to the suburbs.
Her decision was made for her as she watched a cockroach the size of a housecat scuttle across the street.
"Gas station?" Suzaku inquired as Euphemia grabbed his hand with an iron grip.
"Gas station," Ephemia breathed out as she turned to it. She and Suzaku turned back to the gas station, marching quickly as Suzaku gave the suburbs one last glance. The gas station bore a bright red sign sporting the words "Red Rocket" alongside a list of prices for gas and other fuel sources below it. They gave it little mind as they approached, they could see a roasting spit and a few dilapidated appliances outside while the main building had an open garage with some kind of frame resting against a wall. There were a couple of strange benches inside the garage as well, but before they stepped any closer, they saw a dog.
It was a German Shepard, lazing about beneath the shade of the canopy and the hedges out back with a half-eaten creature nearby. They couldn't say what it was, only that it was nearly as large as the dog itself. The dog looked at them, letting out a short bark before going back to lazing about. The two of them approached, though the dog showed no sign of aggression. Euphemia stopped as she saw a half-opened medical container near her feet. The dog did nothing as she picked it up and looked inside while Suzaku kept his eyes on their surroundings.
The dog just yawned before taking another bite of the creature and chewing contently. They turned away from the dog, making way for the gas station itself. There was only one door remaining, and the gas station itself was rather desolate outside of the garage. The only place in the station other than the garage with anything was the back office, which had a desk with some kind of blocky computer resting on it. There was also a very old radio which somehow still worked.
The sounds of classical music flooded the gas station before Suzaku turned it off again. Then he opened the drawer and pulled out a large pistol, along with two fully loaded magazines. Neither of them had seen a pistol like it before, nor did they recognize the manufacturer stamped on the side. "It's a ten-millimeter, so it should have a bit of stopping power," Suzaku said as he put the magazines into a pouch on his belt.
"Ok, we have a weapon, but where should we camp?" Euphemia asked.
"Well, I saw a button for the garage door so that can close, but there is still an open gap that anything could just crawl into," Suzaku trailed off before his gaze turned to a duffle bag resting on a shelf outside the office. "We can take the bag for a pillow, then brace the office door with either the desk or the shelf in there," Suzaku looked around the office.
Euphemia took another look outside, noting how the light was starting to fade. "We should hurry," She said as Suzaku nodded.
"I'm going to shut the garage door, it should at least make it tougher for anything to wander in," Suzaku said as Euphemia nodded. As he walked away, Euphemia grabbed the duffle bag and dragged it into the office. As the sound of metal sliding down permeated the gas station, Suzaku returned with various items held in his arms. Euphemia only raised a brow before shrugging. Suzaku set them on the desk as Euphemia shut the office door. The light above them continued to glow as Suzaku pushed the large shelf in front of the door.
Euphemia set the tarp down on the floor before placing the duffle bag on one end. Suzaku pulled out a bottle shaped like a rocket with the words Nuka Cola on the side, alongside a few boxes of food items. "I found these in that weird shutter box on the wall, I think they're still safe to eat," Suzaku surmised as Euphemia picked one of them up. The box was somewhat faded, but opening it revealed a set of deviled eggs which still appeared fresh. Euphemia poked at them for a moment before she picked one of them up. Suzaku did the same, both looking each other in the eye before they cautiously put their respective bites in their mouths. The egg tasted tough, even a bit saltier than what a deviled egg should, but it didn't taste rotten. She could see Suzaku was already reaching for a second one.
Maybe... Maybe they'll be ok.