AN: A new story! This is the wonderful idea that came to me while revising for my exams. So now they're all over, I have made a start. I'm still working on plot and a few other aspects, so suggestions are welcome. And it will be SuzaLulu. I will make it so... Even if Suzaku kind of isn't here yet. This story... is probably inspired by Watchmen. Which made me think of Code Geass when I watched it, so this is appropriate. Even if this... is absolutely nothing like it. Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. On with the story!
By day you could almost believe the lies they told about the city of Pendragon. That this 'beautiful' city with it 'rich and cultured history' was an ideal place, whatever you were looking for, whether it was a place to start a family, or seek new business opportunities. These lies were just that though, lies. Shameless propaganda to lure in unsuspecting, well meaning innocents to the sprawling metropolis. Even when the sun shone on the richer areas of the city, the inhabitants knew that it was a just a façade, a shiny coating to cover the truth.
The truth of the city was that is was a dark, grimy place to live, riddled with crime that the corrupt politicians, dignitaries and businessmen responsible for the city were all to willing to turn a blind eye to, so long as continued to profit from it.
Lelouch Lamperouge was just another one of the thousands of dissatisfied inhabitants of the city, despairing its nature, but unable to escape it. He'd lived in the city for as long as he could remember, which didn't go as far back as he's have liked, and everyone he knew, that he cared for, was connected to the city in some way. He had to stay here, with no family to support him, whilst he tried to hold down two part time jobs and a part time course at the university, trying to help the orphanage that had raised him since he'd arrived there from financial ruin.
The other reason he felt he should stay here was that he felt that the city, somehow, held the secrets to his past. He had no memory of his life before the orphanage, had arrived there not knowing, and the lack of knowledge was a continual irritation. He knew that, somehow, the secret of his real identity was somewhere to be uncovered in the city. Someone, somewhere, knew who had been prior to his life at the Ashford orphanage, and if he wanted to find out, he'd have to stay here and struggle through his day to day life.
It had been about ten years ago when he'd woken up in front of the orphanage one afternoon. One of the staff, returning from taking a few of the children to the local park, had stumbled across him moments later, and ushered him inside. He'd followed her dazedly, uncertainly, not knowing who she was, and far more importantly, who he was.
The people at the orphanage had spent some time questioning him, trying to work out where he'd come from, what to do with him. The only thing he could tell the was his first name, Lelouch, and the last thing he remembered before waking up outside, a vibrant flash of red light that had seemed to burn it's way through his mind.
It had eventually become evident that his memories weren't going to be returning any time soon, and when no one had arrived at the orphanage to claim him, no matching description of a missing person reported to the police. No one seemed to know who he was. He'd been accepted into the orphanage under the name Lelouch 'Lamperouge', which if not his actual family name, it was related to his last memory, and thus important to hold on to.
The orphanage wasn't a bad place to grow up. It had been founded by some rich noblemen a very long time before Lelouch had arrived there, before the city had begun its slow descent into its present state. The family had still held status when Lelouch had arrived, and Milly Ashford, daughter of the current owner, and future head of the family, had been a frequent childhood acquaintance, was still a good friend. Recently the upheaval in the city had meant the family had fallen into disregard, and were having financial difficulties in keeping the orphanage running at their standards. Hence why Lelouch made a point of sending off a portion of his meagre earnings every month. The Ashford family, and the inhabitants of the orphanage were the only family he knew, and it was the only place he could really call home. He would do his best to look after them.
Hence the two part time jobs. By day he worked at Fenette Flowers, alongside Shirley, a chatty girl he'd known at school whose father owned the store, which her mother ran. It was a nice job, no troublesome heavy labour, and he was well liked by the customers. By night… well… four evenings a week anyway, he delivered pizzas. Hardly glamorous, nor, being out on a bike in the dark on the streets of Pendragon, the safest job around, but he needed the money, and it still left him some time to complete his assignments.
Today was just like any other day. Or so he'd thought. He'd had a pleasant day at the florists, nothing too stressful, and had briefly stopped by his small, one room apartment, to change his clothes before heading off to his shift at the pizza place. He'd grabbed his helmet as he headed out. The bike he used belonged to another school friend, Rivalz Cardemonde, whose family was spending a year abroad, something to do with his father's business, and he'd been unable to take his beloved bike with him. Lelouch had offered to keep it for him, if he were allowed to use it occasionally. Rivalz ad agreed to this, although Lelouch felt that using it so often for work was probably not what the other boy had had in mind.
He didn't bother with grabbing something to eat, they'd let him eat at work, which worked out cheaper for him, even if pizza four times a week was hardly what he considered a good diet. He didn't eat it that often anyway, generally trying to find the time for something before he had to go out. Eating properly was important after all.
The evening was going well. No bothersome traffic, and the fact that it was still summer meant that it didn't get dark until near the end of his shift. He was on his last delivery of the evening, looking forward to getting home, and falling into bed, when the incident happened.
A girl, he just had time to notice, green haired and oddly dressed, stepped out into the empty road, scant meters in front of him.
Alarmed he attempted to turn the bike, to avoid her, but misjudged it somewhat. The turn was too sharp for the bike, and it fell over, still travelling at speed. It continued skittering on its side for some distance before it collided with a wall. Lelouch had come off it by that point, lying in the middle of the road, breathing heavily, waiting for his vision to clear. What the hell had the girl been thinking?
He sat up slowly, his head spinning, glad he wasn't injured further than what were going to be some nasty bruises. Glancing around, he located the girl, she seemed ok. After a few seconds, he realised what she was doing. She was in the back of his bike, stealing the pizza. Was she that desperate for food that she had to risk her life? He didn't think so. He stood up, removing the helmet which had probably saved him from brain injury, and marched over, a little shakily, planning to berate her on her reckless actions.
She turned as he approached, eyeing him appraisingly with a slice of pizza in her mouth. He opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.
"You seem familiar, do I know you from somewhere?" she queried.
Lelouch hesitated. Annoyed as he was, he didn't know this person, and it was possible that she could very well be the link to his past that he'd been looking for.
She leaned in closer, peering into his eyes, as if looking for something?
"Is it… Lelouch?" she asked.
He immediately straightened up. She knew his name, she must recognise him. Seeing his response to his name the girl smirked.
"but Lulu doesn't seem to remember me… perhaps I can do something about that."
Then before Lelouch had any idea what she was doing, she had stepped forwards, leaning up on her tiptoes and pulled his face to hers, forcing their lips to meet.
As they separated, he glared, opening his mouth to ask her just what she thought she was doing. But then, his vision swam, his knees suddenly decided to stop functioning, and his vision blackened as he collapsed to the floor.
Lelouch opened his eyes. Something was different, he brain felt kind of weird. He sat up as he realised what had changed. His memories, they were back. And with the memories, he was suddenly very angry. Gods dammed useless father, why had he done that? And for the matter, how the hell had he done that? Not to mention the fact that he still hadn't forgiven him for what had happened with his mother. His brain spun as the memories of ten years ago struggled to meet, and match with the present. And his sister? Where was she? What had happened to her after his father had got rid of him?
The girl from before looked down at him, looking pleased with herself. She was still eating his pizza, though he was less annoyed about it at present, he had bigger things to be angry at. As his memories continued parading before him, he suddenly placed her.
"CC?" he asked. He vaguely remembered her lurking around their estate, though she didn't seem to have changed much.
"Ah, good, it worked" she remarked. "at least for now anyway, I can't guarantee it'll stick. In fact, I'm pretty sure it won't. your father wanted you to not remember, and I'm afraid, while he's still around there's little I can do."
"… You mean, I'm going to forget all this again." Lelouch glared angrily at a piece of broken mirror from the bike which lay near his left foot.
"Maybe…" said CC. "but maybe I can make you a deal. A contract in fact. And maybe, the memories won't quite go away. And you can keep them, and maybe get a little something to help with your revenge or whatever it is you want."
"… A contract? That means you want something in return…"
"Just a simple wish of mine… in return for power, and your memories."
Lelouch thought of the years he'd spent, seeking out the truth of his past, and now he had it. He was being offered the chance to get back at the man who had landed him in the situation in the first place. One thing was for sure, he didn't want to go back to the way things had been before.
He held out his hand. "I accept your contract."
She took the proffered hand in her grasp. "Very well."
For the second time in his life, Lelouch's mind glowed red. He could feel the witch's power tracing it way through his brain, before cascading through his nervous system leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. He could feel himself being changed. Quite how, he did not know, but he was going to find out.
Finally the sensation stopped and his mind came back to reality. CC smirked at him, and stepped back to pick up the four boxes of pizza she'd extracted from the carrier on the bike.
She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and met his eyes briefly. "I'll see you around boy," she said in farewell, before walking away, out of sight.
Lelouch looked back down at his surroundings, the Lelouch of the fairly recent present suddenly making it's worries known over the incessant thrumming need for revenge within the Lelouch of ten years ago. The bike was smashed, the phone in his pocket, which was the side he'd landed on, was probably smashed beyond use. How was he going to get home?