Author's Note: The end of Code Geass was just so…bad that I had to write this. Not bad as in badly produced, but awful for Lelouch.
Also, this is going to look like I'm just copying exactly what the first episode says, but in reality, that's exactly what I'm doing. See, the first chapter is going to be almost exactly like the first episode of the anime, however, as a whole, the entire story is going to be quite different. I am making some changes in the story for this chapter, but they are subtle and their meaning will only be apparent later on.
Stage 1
The Day a New Demon was Born
[August 10, 2010 a.t.b.]
The door opens and a small figure, wrapped in silk and finery, enters the palace.
It is Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince to the Royal Throne.
Whispers travel across the hall.
"Terrorists killed his mother."
"Nonsense, she was in the palace, terrorists couldn't have gotten to her" "She was just a commoner"
"Without her support, the Ashford family has little power"
"And without the support of the Ashfords, he has no hope of claiming the throne"
"Why is he even here, then?"
"I heard his sister was paralyzed from the waist down."
"So she can't even be married off to a more powerful family?"
The young prince remains standing, dignified, appearing entirely unaffected by the malicious stares some are giving him.
As he reaches the throne, he stops.
"Father," he pleads, "my mother is dead."
The Emperor considers him. "What of it?"
The boy's face twists with indignation. "What of it? You're the most powerful man in the world and you couldn't protect her? You never even visit Nunnally!"
The Emperor stands and steps forward menacingly. The boy stumbles back and falls.
"That blinded and crippled weakling? She is of no use to me. That is what it means to be in the Royal family! There is no room for weaklings like her. Go, I have more important matters to deal with!"
The Eleventh Prince is silent for a moment; his face is distorted with rage. But something makes him stop. He pauses a moment, considers.
There is a feeling of fate and destiny, of something fundamentally changing as he stands and utters the words, "Yes, your highness."
He turns and calmly walks out the doors he entered. As soon as they close behind him, he breaks out into a run.
[August 10, 2017 a.t.b.]
The Tokyo settlement: a helicopter is following a truck along busy streets, cutting through the mass of mirror-faced skyscrapers. The pilot touches his headset.
"We need some ground reinforcements. They're heading to the Shinjuku tunnel."
The scene changes. There are reports of a terrorist attack in Osaka. Footage is shown.
This is the residence of Baron Whiteman. The television is in a small room, sparsely furnished; just a sofa and a leather chair on either side of a small table, and the stand that the television is sitting on. Everything in the room, though, looks luxurious and expensive.
There are guards standing. At the aforementioned table is a chessboard. The Baron is playing a man who owes him, the stakes being the debt in question. Behind the Baron is huge window, giving a view over the entire settlement. Behind the other man—a common costume designer—is an elevator.
An alarm goes off. The commoner looks up desperately. The Baron merely smiles.
"You must now make a move every twenty seconds." One of the guards informs the older man.
"You better hope that substitute you were talking about gets here soon." The Baron says. "In twenty seconds, to be exact." He laughs cruelly.
Just as he says this, the elevator's doors open. Two boys walk out. Both are wearing the uniform of a nearby private high school.
The one in front has black hair and disturbing, violet eyes. The other is has blue hair.
"You are, I see, an esteemed nobleman of our great society." The boy with purple eyes says dryly.
The Baron merely laughs. "This is your substitute? Merely a high school student? Ha! What is your name, little boy?"
The boy appears unaffected by his taunts. "I am Lelouch Lamperouge."
His companion looks down at the board, studying his friend's position. "Look at that! You can't possibly win like that!" he remarks to the black haired boy.
The boy appears unconcerned. "Rivalz, how long until our next class?"
The blue haired boy glances at his phone. "About eleven minutes."
The boy called Lelouch nods. "I'll only need nine."
The Baron looks offended by this last remark, but says nothing. Lelouch reaches down and picks up the black king.
The Baron laughs. "The black king? You're leading your move with the black king?"
Lelouch still appears unruffled. "If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his soldiers to follow?"
A new scene. Three girls are sitting in a circle, in what appears to be a garden, eating ice cream. They are all wearing uniforms. Around them, students wearing the same uniform are playing. The boys' uniform is the same as the one the boys in the skyscraper wore.
"Where's Lulu?" This is from the one with straight, orange hair.
"Out gambling again." The reply comes from the tall one, with flowing blond hair.
"They don't really act like student council members." This is barely above a whisper, spoken by the girl with dark green hair, woven into a single braid in the back.
"What is it this time? Poker?" the orange haired girl asks.
"They use real money, too, you know." The blond one says.
"Lulu really is smart you know, he just doesn't apply himself right. If he would just study, he could get the best grades in the school!"
The blond one smiles and says teasingly, "Oh, our little Lulu's as serious as they come. How cute!"
"Prez…" the girl with the orange hair replies, annoyed at being teased.
The setting changes again. The interior of the truck that was being followed. A man and a woman are driving it, but the only thing visible under their hats is the color of their hair. The man has long black hair, and the girl wispy red.
"Shit!" exclaims the man. "We finally pull this off and that damn Damakin doesn't act according to plan!"
They are still being trailed by the helicopter.
Back to the Baron's tower. The two boys are leaving the tower. The blue haired one—Rivalz—is commenting to Lelouch.
"Man, noblemen are great! They have so much pride they can't bear not to pay up! You did that in record time, too! Only eight minutes and thirty-two seconds!"
The boy called Lelouch replies calmly. "My opponent didn't have much time, either. Besides, these noblemen are all so soft. They're like parasites, living off the rest of us."
Rivalz runs ahead of his friend. "Well, if Britannians are so easy, then why don't you try facing Elevens? Unlike us…" He stops as they leave the building, noticing the huge screen across the street. It is showing the attack on Osaka. Smoke billows from a tower, remains from the bomb that went off there.
"That's terrible…" Rivalz says sadly, "All those innocent people… The Elevens are awful…"
A voice comes from the screen as the image is replaced with the Britannian Flag.
"We apologize for the delay. This is announcement from his highness Prince Clovis, third in line for the imperial throne."
Rivalz doesn't notice as Lelouch's expression hardens.
The fair face of the Third Prince appears on the screen.
"My friends and fellow citizens of Britannia," he says grandiosely, "and of course, the many, many Elevens who choose to aid our glorious Empire,"
A flash to the girl in the truck.
"We're not Elevens, we're Japanese!" she exclaims to the screen.
The Third Prince clutches his chest, in a melodramatic pose of agony. "Do you understand? I am torn in two! Part of me is sad, yet the other part is enraged! I—the Viceroy of Area 11—must stand firm against these terrorists!" He appears to be greatly troubled by this need. "This is a battle for justice! For justice and the welfare of all people! Now, my friends, let us offer a prayer for those we have lost. A moment of silence for those defenders of justice who gave their lives to the cause!"
"You going to mourn?" Rivalz asks Lelouch.
"Are you?" Lelouch responds.
"I'd just be embarrassed." Rivalz replies.
"True enough. Besides," Lelouch responds lightly, "our tears aren't going to bring them back to life. It is just a matter of self-satisfaction."
"Oh," Rivalz teases. "So cold."
In the throne room of the Third Prince, the light of the camera goes off.
There is a smattering of applause from the court.
"Amazing"
"No one would guess that you were only moments ago enjoying a party!"
The Third Prince merely brushes it off. "If I couldn't switch demeanors on command, I wouldn't be fit to rule Area 11."
"You're so confident!"
"It is my duty," Clovis replies. "I must present a confident exterior to keep the media happy." He looks to the news station crew.
"Oh, we only wish to aid you in your rule, Your Highness." they grovel.
Off to the side, though, is a man, sulking.
"Damn flag waving patriots." He mutters to himself.
An officer in an impressive cloak strides briskly past him. "Your Highness!" he calls.
"What is this about?" Clovis demands.
"I am deeply sorry, Prince, but…"
The man turns his attention away. "Another petty trouble." He mutters.
"Idiot!" He hears the Third Prince yell. His attention returns.
The soldier looks uncomfortable. "The police believe it's just medical equipment. If we mobilize the entire army—"
"Dispatch the troops. The Knightmares too," the prince screams.
The bustle of feet. Men are arming themselves. Soldiers leap into cockpits. Huge machines power up.
"Level one alert. Level one alert," comes the voice from the loudspeakers. One of the soldiers is a woman with long silver hair. Another is a man with a perfectly groomed, green head of hair. As the cockpits slide into the huge, humanoid mecha, the loudspeaker blares orders.
"Fourth, fifth, and seventh squadrons prepare for action! Squadrons eight and nine remain on standby!"
Lelouch and Rivalz pass under a bridge. Rivalz on a motorcycle, Lelouch riding in the sidecar.
"Hey…" Rivalz begins seriously.
"What?"
"Do you want to become a CEO or something, Lelouch?" Rivalz asks.
Lelouch considers this, then answers cryptically, "Yeah, something like that."
A truck looms up behind them, going a bit too fast. It is, in fact, the truck being driven by the man and the woman.
"What the hell!" Rivalz exclaims, swerving to the left, then to the right.
Inside the truck, the man driving swears too. "Damn leisurely drivers!" He turns sharply to pass them. The girl turns her head.
"No! That's—"
Too late, the driver tries to turn again, but momentum carries him through the construction blocks into the new construction site, throwing up a cloud of dust and bringing the truck to a stop.
Rivalz stops his motorcycle.
"Umm…was that our fault?" he asks nervously, looking at the cloud of dust where the truck wrecked. "No way…"
Lelouch glances up and notices the helicopter.
Inside, the pilot is transmitting. "Central Command! They seem to have crashed into the new VO building!"
A voice comes over the radio. "Wait! This is out of your military jurisdiction. Pull your troops out now."
The pilot is incredulous. "General?"
The general is stalking down the corridors of the palace, disturbed by Prince Clovis's response. He must recover it at all costs. He grits his teeth.
"That…" Lelouch mutters to himself, as he notices a strange light emanating from the back of the truck.
As the dust clears, he looks down at it. "What's that?" he wonders out loud.
"Hey, Lelouch," Rivalz calls, "it looks like our power cable is broken."
"Yeah…what's that?" Lelouch repeats.
"Hey, over here!" Someone yells. Lelouch looks. People are crowding around, taking pictures, texting their friends, talking about it.
"What the hell? Was there an accident?"
"Someone should help them…"
Yet no one moves.
Idiots, all of them. Lelouch thinks to himself. He sets his helmet in the sidecar and runs to the barrier.
"Hey, wait!" Rivalz calls.
Inside the car, the two drivers blacked out for a moment. The girl with red hair stirs.
Lelouch runs to the truck.
"Hey look, a student's going to help them." One of the bystanders says.
"Someone should call the police or something." Another remarks.
Lelouch hauls pieces of metal off the car. "Hey, are you alright?" he calls to the driver.
When there is no response, he runs around the back and finds a ladder.
Rivalz is walking his bike back to the school, muttering to himself, "Man, what he's doing is right, but I wish he'd stop. He's gonna be late for class, all for his stupid pride.
In the truck, the airbags deflate. The girl is trying to wake her accomplice.
"Nakata. Nakata!" he moves only a little.
Outside, Lelouch climbs up to the roof of the truck.
"Hey, can you hear me?" he calls.
There is a strange…resonance. He hears a girl's disembodied voice. "I've finally found you. My…" The voice fades.
"Where are you?" Lelouch calls. He looks down and sees an open hatch leading inside. "Are you in there?" he leans into the hatch.
The man—Nakata—shifts the gear, only half conscious. Then he stomps on the gas pedal.
The wheels spin, unable to gain any traction for a moment, then the truck pulls back, escaping the crash site. Lelouch lurches and is thrown into the cargo bay of the truck.
He lands deftly. "H-hey, stop!" he calls. No one hears him in the noise.
The truck drives out of the construction landing.
"Wow, a hit-and-run!" someone exclaims.
The truck goes over a bump and Lelouch is thrown into the wall. He looks up
searching the walls. "Damn it," he says, "they should have put a ladder here."
He notices the huge piece of equipment, a giant sphere with strange protrusions in
the center of the truck's bay. He begins to climb it when he hears from a loudspeaker outside, "Surrender! We have you surrounded."
The sound comes from the helicopter, still trailing the truck. Two more join it, and guns extend from the noses. "Stop the vehicle immediately!"
The helicopters fire at the truck, which swerves to avoid the shots, swaying drunkenly this way and that. The drivers are undeterred.
"Our next shot will hit you!" the helicopters blare. "Stop at once!"
Nakata curses. "Damn, the army's here! What're we gonna do?"
The girl throws off her cap to expose a young face, only in high school, possibly. She wears a red headband.
"That's why I'm here!" She responds confidently.
In the back, Lelouch is reconsidering his moves. "It's dangerous to go outside…" he thinks aloud. "This doesn't look good," he concludes.
He reaches to his pocket. "My cell phone…"
The door to the cabin suddenly opens. He ducks behind a support beam. It's the girl. She's unbuttoning her nondescript, white uniform, exposing a red jumpsuit. She's giving instructions to the driver.
"You can get to the subway if you head through the ghetto."
The driver makes a suggestion. "Kallen, let's use it!"
"That would mean a massacre!" she reprimands him.
"Yeah, you're right…" Nakata mutters.
Lelouch's eyes narrow. "That woman…" he whispers.
Rivalz looks around the plaza. "Lelouch," he calls, "where are you? Aren't you coming back to school?"
The pilot of the helicopter continues to report.
"Target is heading south; towards the ghetto."
"Alright," the response comes, "get them!"
"Yes sir!" The gun lowers, aiming directly at the gas tank of the truck.
Suddenly a blade flies from the half-open back of the truck, smashing into the cockpit of the helicopter. It's blown out of the sky, and the blade—attached to a cable—retracts back into the truck.
"Slash Harken?" exclaims the pilot of one of the other helicopters.
The bay door opens, revealing a brown-painted, slightly boxy mecha, the blade sliding back into place in its stomach.
"A Knightmare?" the pilot is astounded.
It leaps out onto the pavement, wheel shafts flying out to catch it. When it lands, it begins driving backwards, covering the truck.
Lelouch runs to the doors just as they close on him, locking him in.
"Shit!" he yells, "They're real terrorists!"
The pilot of the Knightmare is the red haired girl—Kallen.
"You know this thing's power pretty well, don't you?" she yells to the military pilots.
She pushes it forward, advancing on the helicopters, dodging their fire. She fires a Slash Harken at the one on the left, then another at the right, bringing both down.
A new aircraft appears carrying purple Knightmares. "I'll take care of this," the Knightmare's pilot says calmly.
"I don't know where you're from," he tells the pilot of the brown Knightmare, "but your outdated Glasgow doesn't stand a chance against my new Sutherland."
Kallen fires a Slash Harken, which the new Knightmare easily deflects with its own. The pilot of the purple Knightmare—the Sutherland—is the green-haired soldier.
"And neither can a damned Eleven, so far removed from His Majesty's plans!"
He aims and fires the Sutherland's gun within seconds, blasting the front of the Glasgow.
"Kallen," Nakata's voice comes from the Glasgow's communication lines, "this guy's good. We can't both die! You try and get away!"
"But—I"
A new Sutherland rolls up a wall, using its wheels, and flips up around the truck, leaving it standing in front of it.
The truck swerves down a side road, escaping it.
The new Knightmare's pilot is the silver-haired woman.
"What a simple man." She says to herself.
Kallen makes to fire a Slash Harken when the Glasgow freezes up.
"Damn!" she screams, "Why now? Second hand crap!"
The green-haired man's Sutherland brings up a hand to smash the Knightmare. At the last moment one of the Glasgow's hands rockets off, slamming into the Sutherland's face, giving enough smoke to allow Kallen to speed off.
The Sutherland's pilot is unconcerned. "Oh ho! Not bad! But…"
Back to Lelouch. He's sitting in the back now, in total darkness. The only light is from his cell phone, and he's scrolling through his contacts.
My phone's not connecting. The darkness and the unevenness of the road suggest that we are now in the old subway tunnels. I don't know where we're going, so it'd be dangerous to try to escape. Hmmm… yes, I see, the situation's quite clear. I don't know where the army is, but if I take a look at the terrorist's transmitter…
In his hand is a hand radio, left by the girl. His hand tightens around it.
Oh…I forgot…
The side of a road. Rivalz is pushing his motorcycle with much effort. "Damn Lelouch!" he pants "He just left me!"
"Wh-what's that look for?" Now the scene is in the government buildings. The general is being stared at by a man in a white lab coat with pale blue hair and glasses.
"Uh-huh!" the man replies "so I was right!"
"You—" The general stammers in defense.
"You're overdoing it." The scientist ignores the general. Tanks roll past. "Something you were researching in secret, even from Prince Clovis and Parliament." The man straightens up. "Stolen by terrorists. It would be easy to get it back, but all your friends want to see some action too. If you just let the terrorists go, you would find their hideout. Congratulations," he calls to the woman behind him who is wearing an orange uniform and has blue hair, "your deductions were right on the money."
She folds her hands, embarrassed. "I just thought something was odd…"
"That's enough," the general growls. "What do you suggest we do after that?"
"Well I'd like to help you with your endeavor," the man leans in.
"Help?"
"Yes," the scientist responds, "I'd like to collect some data."
"What is it that's been stolen?" the woman in the uniform asks.
The general freezes.
"A chemical weapon. Poison gas."
Now we see Lelouch, sitting unprotected, next to the huge, airtight tank.
[Halfway point]
The report comes from the military.
"The terrorists are now in the subway system. Our goal is the recovery of the weapon the terrorists stole. Search the entire Shinjuku ghetto!"
Helicopters begin to advance upon the ghetto full of innocent Elevens.
"Report in when you've found them. They will be apprehended by the CA group. You may be honorable Britannian citizens now, but you were once Elevens. Cleanse their stench from this land. Your participation in this operation will contribute greatly to your position. Now is the moment to prove your loyalty to the Holy Britannian Empire!"
This is spoken to all ground troops, by their captain, a slightly crazy looking man up in an airship hundreds of feet above the ground.
"Yes, my lord!" comes the response.
In the truck, Nakata has been shot. Blood is spreading across his white uniform. He is still driving the truck, though.
Suddenly the truck jerks.
We've stopped. Lelouch thinks. An obstacle.
A soldier. His visor scans the truck. It's stuck. The wheels are spinning uselessly.
"No…no good?" whispers the driver, barely alive.
The jerking stop dislodged something in the tank. A wire short circuits. The driver reaches for a switch.
"Looks like this is it. God help me." He flicks it, and in the back, a side door opens. Lelouch runs out of the way. The soldier can see in, and notices the capsule.
He clicks his communicator.
In the captain's airship, an officer shouts. "404 has found the target."
"Right!" the captain replies. "Prepare to launch!"
Suddenly, the soldier spots the boy sitting inside the truck. He runs towards him.
If I can just reach the surface… Lelouch thinks.
He turns to see the soldier give a spinning kick, knocking him against the wall.
The soldier grabs him by the neck.
"Why poison people?" the soldier yells.
"I'm not—" Lelouch protests, then starts, "Poison gas?"
"Don't play dumb!" the soldier orders.
Lelouch kicks him away. "I'm telling you, I'm not—"
The soldier assumes a fighting stance. Lelouch stands and defends himself. "Britannia made that poison gas, didn't it?"
The soldier is surprised. "You…"
The capsule sparks.
Lelouch walks toward the soldier. "You don't want any more deaths? Get rid of the Britannian Empire!"
The soldier is quiet. "Lelouch?" he asks tentatively.
Lelouch is startled as the soldier takes off his helmet to reveal shaggy brown hair and brown eyes.
"It's me: Suzaku." He smiles.
Lelouch is shocked. Memories fly back. That last summer, the last time he saw Nunnally. The moment he made up his mind.
"You became a Britannian soldier?"
"And you…" Suzaku says, "no, it wouldn't be possible! What are you-?" his question is cut short as the tank begins to open, not releasing deadly gas, but a blinding light.
Suzaku throws Lelouch to the ground, covering his mouth and nose, but it is unnecessary. When the light fades, the only thing left in the capsule is a girl, wrapped and bound, writhing to get free.
Suzaku is shocked. "It's not poison gas?"
"I'm sorry," Kallen tells the transmitter, "I got excited and lost my way. We can use the Glasgow's transponder. But is it really…"
She's drinking one of her liquid rations, leaning back in her seat.
"I believe it's poison gas, as our source suggested. Where's Nakata."
Nakata is lying in a pool of his blood in the cabin of the truck.
Outside, in the tunnel, Lelouch is holding the girl, now unconscious, or close enough.
"See, Suzaku, is this poison gas?" he demands.
"But…in the briefing they said…"
Light slams on from one of the side tunnels. Suzaku and Lelouch turn to look.
"Damn monkey!" the captain exclaims. Behind him is a platoon of soldiers. "Not even a true Britannian is permitted to touch that!"
Suzaku runs to the captain. "But I was told it was poison gas!"
"You have no right to question us!" the captain yells.
Lelouch is nearly trembling. This is bad. I don't want to give away my identity, but… He rises.
"But I do." He says.
The captain turns to look at him. "Oh, and who are you?"
Lelouch stands. "I am Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince to the Holy throne, and I command you to tell me what this is about!"
The captain is quiet for a moment, a smile spreads slowly across his face. "A member of the Royal family, eh? Or so you say. It doesn't matter." He hands a gun to Suzaku. "I'll give you one last chance to redeem yourself. Private Kururugi, use this to execute the terrorist."
Suzaku stumbles back. "But—but—he's—"
The captain laughs. "Even the Emperor knows that anyone can go bad. To bad that this time, it just happened to be the Eleventh Prince…"
Suzaku still hesitates.
The captain yells. "This is an order, private Kururugi! You swore allegiance to Britannia!"
"That's true…but I cannot. He is a Britannian prince."
Lelouch is surprised.
"What?" The captain demands.
"I will not! I will not kill an innocent. I will not shoot him."
The captain's expression hardens, and he turns the gun around in his hand. "Then die."
By the time Suzaku can do anything he is shot in the kidney. He falls, as if in slow motion for Lelouch.
"Suzaku!"
The captain looks at Lelouch. "This is just bad luck for you. If you really are a prince, then you were at the wrong place at the wrong time." He turns to his troops. "Capture the girl and kill the boy."
"You can't do this!" Lelouch protests. "My father—Prince Schneizel—Prince Odysseus—they—"
At this moment, Nakata, in his last breath, reaches down to a switch in the cab.
"Britannian basterds. Long live Japan!" His last words.
The truck erupts in fire and shrapnel, bringing down the ceiling of the subway tunnel, separating Lelouch and the soldiers.
Above them, a huge machine rumbles over the ghetto. It is purple and the bridge protrudes out, giving the effect of a small, moving palace that towers over a battlefield, looking down on its foes.
"They got away?" Cries the general. "From team CA?"
"I-I'm sorry sir." One of his subordinates stutters. "They had more explosives than we anticipated. And the bedrock—"
"I thought you knew everything about this situation!"
"W—we will continue to search, sir."
"Let us move this operation to the next phase." Clovis says from his throne.
General Bartley turns to him. "But, My Lord!"
"If 'that'becomes public knowledge, I'll be forced to abdicate. Just tell the homeland that we are proceeding with rezoning of this area. This is an order as decreed by Third Prince Clovis!" he stands. "Destroy the Shinjuku ghetto! Leave no one alive!"
Knightmares launch. Orders are given. The purple machine is revealed to be a mobile fortress as panels slide open and guns appear from them. Anyone and everyone in the open near the fortress is shot.
Women and children run through alleys, only to be gunned down by Knightmares. The elderly are killed as they leave their apartments.
The green-haired man from before is leading troops in the destruction of buildings.
"Commander Jeremiah! General Bartley wants you to take command of squadron two!"
"Leave it to my chief of staff. Let me enjoy my time on the front lines!"
Lelouch is running through the tunnels, nearly dragging the mysterious girl behind him. She stumbles and falls.
"Just what are you?" he cries desperately. With her mouth covered, she just gazes at him. Explosions rock the tunnels behind them. "This is all your fault!' he accuses. "Isn't it? And Britannia…Britannia killed Suzaku!"
"He's not here?" the scientist asks. Now, their personal truck is stationed just in front of the fortress.
"No, apparently he was sent to the front lines." Says the blue-haired woman in the orange uniform.
"But what will we do with the Lancelot?"
"What can we do?"
The man in the white coat looks upset. "We finally got it finished, but without a Devicer…" he held up an impressive Knightmare key.
Lelouch and the strange girl are climbing carefully up a flight of stairs, finally finding the exit.
"Listen," he tells the girl, "you have to stay here." She merely looks at him through her long, pale green hair.
Lelouch peeked up over the floor to see if the coast was clear.
The moment he does, there is a blast of gunfire. He ducked back down, and a body fell to the ground.
The captain from before walks in. There is a small squad of soldiers around the entrance to the warehouse.
"How is it?" the captain asks.
"Looks like there are only Elevens." A soldier replies.
The captain grits his teeth. "Is this the only exit?"
Lelouch is watching this from the subway entrance, just below the floor line. He holds his breath.
"Yes, according to the most recent maps."
They don't seem to notice Lelouch, and for a moment, they appear to be leaving.
Then Lelouch's phone rings.
He quickly shuts the power off.
At the school, the girl with orange hair stops. "That damn Lulu hung up on me!"
Back at the ghetto, Lelouch is thrown against a wall, the girl is held by two of the soldiers.
The captain smiles. "A fitting end to a terrorist." He smirks.
Lelouch tries to protest. "But I'm—"
"Yes, yes, you're a prince. Too bad…"
The captain raised his gun. The moment before he fired, though, the girl shook off her captors and leapt in front of the bullet. It her directly in the center of her head, right in the middle of a strange tattoo, shaped like a stylized pair of wings. Her body fell. Lelouch knelt down to her.
"I would have liked to keep her alive, but…" The captain said. He turned to a subordinate. "Report to headquarters. Team CA has found the terrorists' hideout and eliminated them. However, the hostage was dead by the time we got here. What do you think, Prince?" he mocks.
What the hell is this? Lelouch thinks. Suzaku, this girl. Is this where I meet my end? Helpless to the end? NUNNALLY!
Suddenly, inexplicably, the girl grabs his hand, and he is suddenly somewhere different. Swirling colors, strange sounds.
There is a voice, the same he heard when the truck crashed. "You don't want it to end here, do you?"
What is this? Lelouch wonders.
"It seems you have a reason to live."
He sees something. That girl? Impossible!
"If you had the strength, you could live."
It was the girl.
"This is our contract. In return for my gift of power, you must grant one wish of mine."
A tunnel. Two vast enigmas, tied together.
"If you enter into this contact, you will live as a human, but also as something completely different. Different rules, different time, different life…"
An army of the faithful. Ancient ruins. The cosmos. Lelouch is left in the vortex he started in.
"The power of the king will make you lonely indeed. If you are ready for that, then…"
A massive temple, his father in the center saying something about 'Ragnarock'.
Thoughts flash through Lelouch's mind, thoughts of the empire, and his and Schneizel's plans. But mostly, just one thought. I want to live.
He raises his eyes. "I hereby enter into this contract!"
There is a flash and he is back in reality. In what seemed like a lifetime to him, only a moment had passed.
Lelouch stands. His hand covers his face.
"Answer me this." He says. "How should I live, a Britannian Prince that hates Britannia?"
The captain looks up. "You some kind of philosopher?"
For some reason, he doesn't shoot. Perhaps he notices the subtle change in the way the boy in front of him holds himself.
"What's the matter?" Lelouch taunts. "You're up against a student. Or have you finally realized that those who kill must be equally prepared to be killed?"
He removes his hand from his face, and in his left eye, the pupil has shrunk and the iris paled. In the center is the same sign as on the strange girl's head.
"Lelouch vi Britannia commands you, all of you, to die!" he proclaims.
All the soldiers raise their guns, a red glow forming behind their own irises. As one they all say, "Yes, my Lord!" and pull the trigger.
As the bloodthirsty killers eliminate themselves in front of him, a small smile creeps on to Lelouch's face.