This is where the story really starts. Enjoy.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Academy City
"Welcome to Academy City!" The pretty stewardess intoned as the tour bus and its cargo of tourists streamed through the streets of the city. "A place of science for science, there is no other city like this in the entire world!" She gestured at the buildings passing by. "Home to 2.3 million people and 80% of them are students" She smiled at her passengers. "Now, can anyone tell me just what these students study?"
"Esper powers!" One of the passengers, an eight year old kid, called out loudly, his hand in the air as if he was in class.
"Thats right!" The pretty stewardess confirmed. "This entire city is dedicated to the development and research of ESP. In fact you might call the entire city a single huge experiment!"
"Students here go through what we call the power curriculum" She continued. "It is a program designed to bring out the latent esper abilities of the human brain. And almost 60% of the students in the city have gained some form of noticeable power via this program"
As the tour bus sped on, the streets of the city were beginning to fill with an army of students as the start of the school day drew near. They came from all ages and multiple nationalities, and they wore a bewildering array of uniforms each unique to one to the many schools in the city.
The students hurried on, some of them pointing upwards at the many blimps circling the skies of the city as they announced a system scan. A test of esper abilities held at regular intervals to assess a students esper power level.
Though not all students were so eager.
At the far corner of one of the numerous parks that dotted the city sat a certain vending machine, and a certain middle school girl was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in front of it.
A moment later...
"CHASER!"
Her left foot swung around in a powerful roundhouse kick and slammed into the side of the poor vending machine.
There was a hollow bang, a metallic whirling sound, and a moment later the machine spat out a can of juice.
The girl calmly picked up the can and proceeded to drink.
"Onee-sama!" A voice erupted from behind the girl and she almost spewed her drink as she turn in the direction of the voice.
"Kuroko! What are you doing here?" She asked the newcomer who was looking disapprovingly between the vending machine and the can of juice in her hand.
The first girl was short, had short brown hair and large brown eyes, and at a glance was about thirteen years old. She wore a school uniform that consisted of a rather short gray skirt and a light brown sleeveless sweater over a white long sleeved shirt. It was the uniform of Tokiwadai Middle School, one of the most prestigious schools of Academy City, and had a reputation for accepting only the most gifted espers into its student body.
The newcomer wore the same uniform but was even shorter than the first girl, and much younger. She had her much longer brown hair tied in two pigtails, and her face was turned up to glare at the older girl.
"Honestly Onee-sama, how many times have I told you not to do things like this? Vandalism is a crime, and how would it look if you were caught? Hardly fitting for the image of Academy City's level five and our schools ace"
"Shut up!" The older girl said as she turned her face away semi guiltily. "I'm just getting my moneys worth from this machine. Besides" She lifted her juice can to her lips again. "I could care less about my image"
"Honestly Onee-sama" The younger girl repeated, shaking her head in despair. "Not only does Onee-sama not care about her image and behave childishly, she dresses childishly as well. Wearing shorts under your skirt? What kind of young lady does that?"
...
"Bleerrrgh!"
The older girl made incomprehensible sounds as she spewed her drink.
"Just where exactly were you looking Kuroko!" She shouted as little sparks of electricity seemed to fly from her hair.
In another street close by a motorcycle with an attached sidecar sped along, manned by two boys who wore the male uniform of Ashford Academy. Ashford was one of the many schools of Academy City and one that had a reputation of welcoming any and all students regardless of power level. The uniform consisted of black slacks and black buttoned up coat with the Ashford crest picked out in gold thread on the collar cuffs.
The boy manning the bike had light blue hair in the shape of a ducks wing along with a perpetually cheerful expression.
His companion who occupied the sidecar was tall and slender, with silky black hair and royal purple eyes. He seemed entirely focused on the book he was reading as the blue haired boy weaved the bike through the morning traffic.
"Woa" The blue haired boy suddenly spoke up. "I just had a premonition of doom. Like something terrible is going to happen when we get back"
"Considering that the president will be noticing that we have skipped school right about now, I'd say your premonition is dead accurate" His companion answered never taking his eyes off the book.
"Yeah we are going to be in hot water when we get back, but lets face it. We have both been level zero for as long as we've been here, that won't be changing any time soon"
"True enough"His companion replied. "So we might as well be doing something useful with our time" he suddenly frowned. "Strange, I have a premonition this time"
"Really?"
"Yes, I got the most uncomfortable feeling that I would be eating a thousand needles if a certain person ever found out why we cut school today"
"Man that's grim" The blue haired boy suddenly brightened. "But hey, maybe this means we are finally showing signs of esper power"
"Who knows, stranger things have happened" His companion replied as the bike sped on.
Even as they made their escape, back in Ashford Academy, chaos reigned.
The students milled around the corridors frantically preparing for the system scan as harassed looking teachers checked and double checked lists and hauled bulky equipment into place.
Milly Ashford, the blonde, blue eyed and busty president of the Ashford Academy Student Council and granddaughter of the school principal, strode through the chaos like a queen through a battlefield. And like a queen, her faithful entourage trailed behind her. Shirley Fennette, the orange haired member of the swim team and Nina Einstein, the ultra shy, pigtailed genius.
Milly cast a casual glance behind her as she walked, the students filling the corridor automatically parting before her formidable bust. "Is it just me, or am I missing a full half of my minions today?"
Nina Einstein raised a small hesitant hand. "Um, I think Lelouch and Rivalz left school in that bike Madame President"
"Wha...No!...Lulu!" Shirley wailed starting the process of going into hysterics. "Cutting school. And today of all days. They're going to be in so much trouble when the teachers find out"
"Honestly Lelouch, what am I going to do with you?" An exasperated Milly muttered to herself. "Running off on a day like this? Now whose going to do all the paperwork?" Her eyes came to rest on a poor Shirley. "And who is going to deal with your frantic girlfriend?"
Half a city away from Ashford Academy, a pair of middle school girls were walking along the tree lined streets of the well to do part of town, both wearing the uniform of Tokiwadai Middle School.
Or rather one of them was walking, the other was practically running in place with excitement. She looked around fourteen, with blonde hair in two short ponytails and bright blue eyes. Her round face shone with enthusiasm as she urged their companion forward.
"Come on Nunna-chan hurry up. I want to see how close I am to hitting level five" The blonde girl called out to her friend who giggled at her antics.
"I'm just happy with how far I've come already. But I'm sure Alice-chan has improved a lot! You work so hard for it!"
The second girl was around the same age, but had long curly brown hair that fell down her back, big blue eyes and a lovely heart shaped face. It was a combination that cased heads to turn as she walked along the street with her book bag held in front of her. Even though she remained blissfully unaware. Though her friend noticed and sent surreptitious glares at the worst offenders.
"Oh come on" Alice, as she was now identified, continued after glaring at another poor student. "Why isn't Nunna-cnan all fired up with motivation and drive to reach the top? It's every students dream in this city"
"Not mine" The brown haired girl smiled. "Though I do wonder how Onii-sama is doing" She added thoughtfully.
"Oh I wouldn't worry" Alice grinned. "Nunnally-chans Onii-sama is unstoppable, invincible and invulnerable. At least that's how Nunnally-chan tells it. I'm sure he'll ace the scan"
"Alice-chan!" Nunnally protested. "I don't say it like that. Even though Onii-sama is awesome" She muttered under her breath.
"You should hear yourself sometime" Alice laughed softly as she walked along. "But seriously, he sounds like a model student from what you tell me, never missing a class (On a certain motorcycle, a certain boy felt a wave of guilt wash over him), acing all the tests, winning all the prizes. A guy like that won't have any problems with the scan"
They had finally left the bike at one of the parking garages on the outskirts of the city and continued the rest of the way on foot. The neighborhood they now walked through was full of derelict buildings and piles of refuse, a side of Academy City that most students never saw.
Rivalz was a bit jumpy as they walked along the abandoned streets. But Lelouch was as calm as ever, not giving the empty windows and doorways they passed a second glance.
This particular district was one of those that bordered the giant wall that surrounded Academy City. The wall was intended both to protect the city from outside incursions and to keep the students from leaving the city without permission.
The two boys, with Lelouch in the led, walked into a building that looked even more rundown than the others. The walls on the upper floors were missing, there were large cracks running along the ground floor walls and the entire structure looked ready to collapse.
"Man, couldn't he have picked somewhere more dangerous?" Rivalz muttered as they walked in. "I swear the thing will fall on us if we speak too loudly"
"I believe the hazardous location keeps the local gangs away from this place" Lelouch replied never pausing in his step. "Besides, we won't be here long"
"Danger is something you must put up with to do business" A voice said from the shadows one of the empty doorways. "And relax Rivalz, if this place does start to fall down around us, I'll be sure to get you guys out, free of charge!"
"Well that warms my heart" Rivalz muttered as the speaker emerged from the doorway.
He was a boy of Japanese origin. With short cropped black hair and square spectacles, he was dressed in a school uniform that consisted of a white shirt and gray tie over gray slacks.
"Now can we get this over with? I'm already getting late for the system scan" The newcomer asked holding out his hand.
"Certainly" Lelouch replied, producing a think sheaf of bills from his coat pocket and placing them in the boys hand.
The boy spent a moment thumbing through the bills, and then pocketed them with a satisfied grin before rubbing his hands together. "You guys ready"
"Ready and willing" Rivalz grinned.
"I'm ready" Lelouch replied sounding almost bored.
"Ok"
The boy was Jinsoku ryokō, age seventeen, full time student, part time dubious businessman, completely amoral and level four teleporter.
"Jinsoku teleportation services, two passengers to Tokyo Settlement. Ready. Set. Teleport!"
Nothing much happens in this chapter other than an introduction to some of the major characters and the primary setting. Things should start to get interesting from the next chapter on wards. And yes, in this world Nunnally is alive and well, and will be playing a major role in the story. Also as you might guess, certain characters and events from Nightmare of Nunnally will be part of the plot.
Please tell me what you guys think of this idea.
Till next time. :)