Code Geass is property of Sunrise and CLAMP.

Mortal Kombat is property of Netherrealm Studios.

CODE GEASS: BLOOD AND ICE

"What is it?" Kallen asked, clambering back into the cab, the door sliding shut behind her.

"One of the news channels is reporting a convoy of Knightmares moving through Tokyo. They're military-grade Sutherland models," Nagata replied, indicating the radio in the dashboard as Kallen buckled her seatbelt again.

"So what?" Kallen shrugged, looking over at the dark-haired man. "As far as the military's concerned, they shouldn't know anything about us…"

"Yeah, but this thing's been giving me play-by-play updates. They're following the exact same routes we took, back roads and all," Nagata murmured.

"What are you saying? That the Black Dragon's cozy with the Britannians?" Kallen asked, incredulous.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised," Nagata grunted. "I'm taking us out onto a main road, see if I can get us downtown quicker. The sooner we get out of this thing, the better." As he turned a corner, driving towards the nearest highway entrance, Kallen sat back in her seat, thoughts still focused on the strange sarcophagus in the rear of the truck, and the cacophony of voices that had surrounded it.

"Tell me one thing," Rivalz called over the rush of the wind as he and Lelouch drove down the main highway.

"Hm?" Lelouch looked up at his friend, gaze hidden behind his helmet's visor.

"Why'd you play with that guy at the beginning? I've seen you fight, you could have had him in ten, maybe six seconds."

"I wanted to see if he was bringing his all to the fight. When I realised he had nothing more to offer, I put him down," Lelouch answered, succinctly.

"But isn't that a little overconfident of you?" Rivalz frowned, glancing back down at the other teen for a moment. "What if he was hustling?"

"That noble wasn't smart enough to hustle me," Lelouch grunted. "Besides, I know the type. Nobles think that overwhelming force, be it financial or physical, can fix nearly any problem that life throws their way. They don't need to worry about a second approach to anything, most of the time."

"You're right, I guess," Rivalz murmured, "But you never know. Someone could prove you wrong, one of these days."

"I doubt it," Lelouch grumbled. "It would have happened by now –"

Lelouch was silenced by Rivalz' surprised yell as a large truck appeared from nowhere behind them, its driver abusing the horn and swerving violently.

Nagata let out a frustrated yell, jerking the wheel harshly.

"Get out of the damn road!" He hissed, swerving to the left of the two teenagers. Kallen's eyes widened as the truck careened towards an exit blocked by a striped barrier.

"No, not that way!" She shouted.

Rivalz and Lelouch watched dumbly as the truck crashed through the barrier, its tires squealing as the driver desperately tried to bring it to a halt. The vehicle skidded down into a nearby building site, its wheels throwing up clouds of dust before its front end impacted a row of scaffolding, bringing the truck to a violent stop.

"I'm pretty sure that wasn't our fault," Rivalz laughed nervously.

Lelouch stepped out of the sidecar, pulling his helmet and visor off as he scrutinised the sight of the accident. He narrowed his eyes, peering down at the truck and skewed trailer. For a moment, a bright green mist seemed to collect around the roof of the trailer, and Lelouch narrowed his eyes.

Chatter from below drew his attention away, and the teen watched as a crowd congregated on the roads below, murmuring to each other and taking pictures with their phones. Lelouch's face twisted with disgust.

Pathetic. They won't even bother to call for help…

To Lelouch's chagrin, the mysterious mist had vanished whilst he was snarling at the spectators. Rivalz stepped up beside him, glancing at the truck for a moment before looking at his friend again.

"C'mon, Lelouch, we need to go –"

Wordlessly, Lelouch took off in a sprint towards the building site, heedless of Rivalz' protests. As jeers from above echoed, Lelouch clambered atop the truck's trailer, careful not to fall down through a hatch that had opened in the crash.

There you are.

Lelouch looked around, eyes wide as he searched for the source of the voice. "Hello?" He called, but there was no answer. "Are you okay in there? Hello?"

"Nagata! Nagata!" Kallen murmured, trying to shake her companion out of unconsciousness. The airbags had failed to deploy, and he'd hit his head hard; blood leaked from a shallow cut on his forehead, and as he came to, he swayed slightly in his seat.

"C'mon, we need to keep moving!" Kallen grunted, and Nagata nodded, still somewhat unsteady.

"Are you hurt?" Lelouch shouted. "Hel –"

Suddenly, the truck revved into life again, and jerked forward harshly, catapulting the teenager through the open hatch and into the trailer as Rivalz gave a squawk of surprise from above. Lelouch landed gracefully, cursing and looking up at the hatch as it slid back shut.

"Stop!" He shouted, praying the driver would hear him. "I'm in here, stop!"

Nagata shook his head, trying to dispel the inklings of a concussion as he pulled out of the building site, and through onto another road. He was still rattled from the crash, enough so that he missed the signs indicating the road was cordoned off.

"Nagata…" Kallen gasped, craning her head to try and get a look at one such sign.

"What?" He hissed, exasperated.

"We – screw it. Just get us downtown," Kallen grunted, staring straight ahead at the road with a tired expression.

Lelouch sat in the darkness, fishing in his pocket for his phone. Pulling it out, he quickly dialled in in Rivalz' number, and waited for his friend to pick up.

The least I can do is call him, tell him to head back to school.

Lelouch listened to the phone ringing for several moments, before it was picked up.

"Lelouch!" Rivalz' voice came, frantic from the other end of the line, "Lelouch, where are –"

"I don't know. But I'm fine, for the moment. Listen, Rivalz, head back to school, keep things quiet."

"What?" His friend spluttered. "How am I meant to explain where you are?"

"We'll handle that later," Lelouch replied, succinctly. "Just get back to –"

The trailer jerked violently, and Lelouch gasped, the phone flying from his grip.

"Fuck!" Nagata yelled. "Who the hell is it this time –"

The man paled as he watched a limousine emblazoned with the Britannian flag linger behind the truck, aggressively honking its horn. Nagata swallowed, taken aback and unsure of what to do as Kallen looked ahead.

The redhead gasped suddenly, as she spied something on the road. She tugged at Nagata's sleeve, trying to get his attention, and it was only when the man turned back to the road that he saw what Kallen had.

"Not him again!"

Tremor stalked down the highway, towards the two approaching vehicles. Dark grey scales of rock began to form around his fingers, spreading upwards to cover his knuckles, then hands, and then the entirety of his forearms.

He stood still in the middle of the road, striking a wide, steady stance. His eyes pulsed a vivid orange for a moment, before he grunted and stepped forward. He crouched, pressing his hands to the concrete as the stolen truck drew ever closer.

The rock covering his arms began to vibrate, and that vibration spread out onto the concrete, barely noticeable. Tremor's eyes flared orange once more, and that insignificant vibration became a massive, destructive quake.

Concrete split and shattered, rebar twisting and shrieking as the highway in front of him crumbled, the truck and the limo both squealing to a halt in an effort to reverse. However, it was in vain; both vehicles plummeted down into a rising cloud of dust as the road beneath them disappeared.

Tremor stepped towards the edge of the destruction, staring down into the chasm he had created. He plucked a radio from his belt, bringing it up beside his mask, and spoke in a rough, gravelly voice.

"All Knightmares converge on my position. We have them."

When Lelouch came to, he could see even less than he could previously. The crash had knocked out the miniscule lighting inside the trailer, leaving him in pitch-black darkness. He fumbled around for his phone, blind, and sighed in relief as his fingers closed around its plastic shell. He flipped it open, the tiny screen providing barely any illumination.

Wherever he was, there was no signal, and Lelouch rolled his eyes, shoving the phone back into his pocket. Typical.

How am I even still alive? That fall – whatever the hell it was, I should be paste.

Lelouch attempted to pull himself to his feet, but only succeeded in falling back against something large and made from cool stone, his world still spinning slightly.

I need to get up. Now. Need to get out of here.

Steeling himself, Lelouch rose, slowly. His legs trembled slightly, but the teen ignored it, taking a few tentative steps forward. Within a minute or so, he was able to walk around without issue.

Nodding to himself, the teen turned his mind to the first order of business – getting out of the truck. He felt along the side of the trailer for anything resembling a handle, and when his fingers closed around something that felt similar enough, he pulled hard, grunting. The metal seemed unyielding for several moments, but Lelouch held fast, and soon, he felt the door give.

Sliding it open, Lelouch coughed as dust blew in, stepping forward and out of the trailer. He struggled to make out the details of the vehicle that he'd been an unwilling passenger of; the lighting was even worse than it was inside the trailer.

However, as the dust cleared, natural light poured in through the opening in the ceiling – he seemed to be in some sort of underground tunnel - and Lelouch refocused his gaze on the cab of the truck.

I think it's past time I talked to the driver.

The teen stalked towards the cab, fists clenching, when the passenger side door opened.

"Keep pressure on that, Nagata. I'll see if I can find out where we are."

Lelouch stopped dead at the sound of the familiar voice, eyes widening as Kallen hopped out of the cab, still staring back into it.

"I think we're clear," Kallen murmured, glancing around. "We should go, now – Lelouch?" The redhead gasped as she looked over her shoulder, shocked.

"Kallen?" A voice came from inside the trailer. "Kallen, are you okay – who the hell are you?"

A man at least ten year's Kallen's senior pulled himself into the passenger seat, glaring down at Lelouch despite the deep cut on his forehead.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Lelouch replied sharply, the brusque reply coming easily to him. The man in the cab grimaced, before pulling himself out. He was obviously still shaken up by the crash, and Kallen moved over to him, letting the man put an arm around her shoulder for support.

"He's just a guy from school," Kallen murmured, and Lelouch rolled his eyes.

"So what's he doing here?" The man asked, tone still prickly.

"When you crashed back at the building site," Lelouch cut in suddenly, "I thought you might need help. I was on top of that trailer when you accelerated." He gazed pointedly at the man, attempting to make him feel something akin to remorse. If the way he suddenly avoided Lelouch's gaze was any indication, the teen had succeeded.

"I don't suppose I can ask what you're doing here?" Lelouch asked, watching as Kallen and the man exchanged glances. After a moment of silence, Lelouch sighed.

"Guess not."

"Look, does it really matter?" Kallen asked, voice tired. "We can all talk about this later, but we need to go now."

Lelouch felt compelled to ask more questions, to ask why it was so urgent that they leave, but he supposed it had something to do with the massive hole in the ceiling. He nodded, and moved closer to the duo.

"So where are we going?" Lelouch asked, watching as the man thought for a moment.

"We should be near Shinjuku, last time I checked. So as long as we keep heading –"

Suddenly, the ground exploded in front of the man, a rocky spike stabbing upwards and catching him in the centre of the chest. It pinned him against the truck's cab, and the man trashed violently, even as blood began to stain his shirt and trickle down the spike.

"Nagata!" Kallen screamed, dashing over to the man, Lelouch behind her.

Nagata craned his head slowly to look at the redhead, his mouth opening to say something, his eyes wide with fear – but that fear left his eyes, along with life as he slumped forward on the spike.

"As Kano said," a deep voice echoed from behind them, "no one steals from the Black Dragon."

Kallen immediately rounded on the massive man, her eyes burning with a terrible anger.

"You bastard," Kallen hissed. "I'm gonna tear your throat out –"

Lelouch stepped forward, holding an arm out to stop the redhead. "Kallen, wait –"

"No, let her," Tremor rumbled. "If she thinks she can, she is more than welcome to try. You," he glanced at Lelouch, "I do not remember you. Perhaps an innocent bystander? You are certainly free to go."

Lelouch glanced between his furious friend and the massive man, completely at a loss for words.

Kallen dashed forward abruptly, letting out a kiai as she raised her hands. Tremor quickly slipped into a stance as the girl approached, and easily blocked the fast roundhouse aimed at his head.

Kallen's mind was clouded with grief and anger, and she let it all out as she attempted to land a hit on Tremor, screaming and roaring as she threw herself into attack after attack. However, she found herself blocked again and again, and nursing new bruises.

She growled at her opponent, preparing to attack again, when Tremor went on the offensive. Kallen raised a hand to block Tremor's powerful body blow, but the punch simply knocked aside her arm like it was nothing, and connected solidly with her gut. She doubled over, wheezing and clutching her abdomen.

Lelouch watched his friend sink to the floor, seemingly powerless. He blinked, unable to find the strength to move despite the fact that Kallen was almost certainly going to get beaten to death in front of him.

That single thought seemed to stir something in him, and sent him dashing towards Tremor, leaping up into a flying side kick.

The attack connected solidly with the side of the Black Dragon's head, and he staggered, before turning to look at Lelouch.

"I want you to know," Tremor growled, "that I gave you a chance."

Immediately, Tremor was upon him, raining down a seemingly endless barrage of attacks. Lelouch struggled to block them all – the man's strength was terrifying, and the rock covering his fists made his blows all the more painful, even when blocked.

On the ground, Kallen looked up, eyes widening as she watched Lelouch trade blows with the larger man.

I need to help him.

She attempted to rise to her feet, only for the pain in her abdomen to send her to the ground again, her cheek scraping against the gravel. Kallen cursed quietly, and pushed herself up with her hands, eyes on Tremor.

"Faster than the girl," Tremor murmured, as Lelouch weaved underneath a high kick, "more skilful. A pity I must snuff out such promise."

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Kallen shouted, from behind, as she caught the Black Dragon with a kick to the side of his knee.

Lelouch immediately capitalised on the advantage, seizing Tremor by the scruff of his jacket and slamming his knee into his face. However, he wasn't sure if he had actually hurt the man – the metal mask protecting his face had taken the brunt of the blow, and left Lelouch's knee aching.

Despite their aches and pains, the two teenagers did their best to coordinate their attacks, trying to expose what little weakness their opponent had. When Tremor attempted to pin Lelouch down, he caught a kick in the head from Kallen; when he attempted to grapple with Kallen, Lelouch slipped around him and kicked out the back of his knee.

Tremor roared, and threw his arms out to his sides. His eyes glowed a vibrant orange, and the earth shook, throwing both Lelouch and Kallen off their feet. A punch in Kallen's direction sent the redhead sprawling back, knocked unconscious against the wall by an earthen projectile.

The Black Dragon began to advance on his remaining opponent, his right hand covering itself with rock that began to fashion into a crude hammer.

"Now," Tremor hissed, "now you die, boy –"

From inside the trailer, a green light exploded outward as the lid of the sarcophagus inside was blown clean off by an invisible force.

Tremor glanced upward at the source of the light, only to be blown off his feet by a gust of emerald energy. Lelouch turned, watching in surprise as a humanoid form, shadowed by the intensity of the light, emerged from the stone prison and stood to its full height, the green glow fading.

As Lelouch pulled himself to his feet, he watched his rescuer step out of the trailer. He couldn't make out any features, as the face of the woman – and it was a woman, if the wider hips and narrow waist were anything to go on - was covered by black bandages, save for eyes that glowed with the same light as the sarcophagus. A green gem, resting in a gold talisman, was fitted to the bandage just above the woman's eyes, and it pulsed brightly.

Straight green hair spilled down to the centre of the woman's back, and fell down in a triangular fringe between her eyes. She wore some kind of fitted black leather trenchcoat, detailed with red and belted with dark leather rimmed with polished gold, another emerald gem embedded in the centre of the buckle.

Gleaming silver gauntlets and armoured boots adorned her hands and feet, both wrapped with black scraps of cloth. Lelouch moved back on instinct as the mysterious woman drew closer – no, floated closer, a glowing green mist wafting from her legs as she drifted towards Lelouch.

The woman stared at him, silent, and Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, when a frustrated yell resounded only a few feet away from them.

Tremor stood up once more, and hurled a large, rocky projectile at the two of them, but the woman outstretched her hand, and the rock stopped dead, floating in the air, surrounded by green mist. She flicked her hand away, and the rock flew to the side.

Tremor looked at his projectile in disbelief, before refocusing on the woman. He narrowed his eyes, and then slammed his fists together as his eyes glowed brighter than ever before. He summoned several projectiles, tearing the rock out of the ground, and hurled them all towards the woman with a roar.

Lelouch immediately ducked for cover, even as the woman stopped every single projectile in their tracks with barely a movement of her hand. However, before his rescuer could react, she was tackled against the side of the trailer by Tremor.

As the two fighters began to grapple with one another, the earth shaking and green light flashing, Lelouch looked around for Kallen, and found her slumped against a nearby wall. He dashed over to her, keeping his head down, and knelt to take her into his arms.

This is insane – we're only going to end up dead if we stay here.

Tremor let out a yell of pain as he was slammed into the ground by the woman's power, but quickly recovered, rounding on his opponent.

"I will not give you the satisfaction of victory," he snarled, and dropped to his knees.

He began to punch the ground fiercely, and shook the earth violently with every blow. Lelouch cursed as he was sent to ground again, but his eyes widened as large fragments of rock and concrete began to dislodge from the ceiling.

The first crushed the cab of the truck like a grape, and the second barely missed Tremor himself. Lelouch looked up to see the third fall above him, its size and weight easily dwarfing him and Kallen, and he moved to curl around the unconscious redhead, in futile protection.

However, the woman who had rescued him wasn't done with him yet. The chunk of rock was shunted to the side, barely missing Lelouch and Kallen, the teen failing to restrain a yell of surprise as it crashed beside him.

In the midst of the chaos, Tremor continued to slam the ground, until finally, the ceiling groaned, and suddenly gave way, exploding downward to crush anything and everyone below.

Lelouch coughed, trying to clear the dust from his lungs, and pulled himself to his feet, blinking.

The back of his head ached, and he reached around with probing fingers. Lelouch winced when they came away with fresh blood. He glanced around, struggling to see in the muggy, dusty darkness.

The woman was nowhere to be seen - for all Lelouch knew she'd been crushed in the cave-in. He swallowed, and then looked around for Kallen, praying she'd survived.

The redhead had been mercifully untouched by the destruction – whatever the disused tunnel had been before, it was merely a pile of rubble now. Lelouch nearly fell over as he attempted to pick her up, his every muscle aching.

Something seized him from behind, a massive hand around his neck, and Lelouch clawed frantically at the grip as it cut off his air supply. Suddenly, it released him, only to for Lelouch to be hurled several feet away.

"It is past time you learned an important fact of life, boy…" Tremor's voice echoed from behind Lelouch, as the teen attempted to crawl away, to find some semblance of shelter.

"It is not your strength, your skill that decides the battle. It is your will," Tremor grunted, grabbing the boy and flipping him over onto his back, massive hands closing around the teen's neck. Lelouch wheezed, his fingernails scratching along Tremor's rock-covered forearms.

"The will to give all of yourself to the battle! The will to do what is necessary! The will to take a life!"

Lelouch's vision began to fade at the edges, his hands drifting up Tremor's arms. They closed around Tremor's neck, in a feeble last show of defiance.

"And you did not – did not – urk –"

The pressure on Lelouch's windpipe lessened, and he sucked in a breath of fresh air, gazing up at his would-be assailant. The man's throat was stark white, and light caught tiny crystals on its surface.

Lelouch's hands felt cold, and at the same time not, as if that chill was comfortable. He looked at his hands, eyes widening when he saw them covered with a gleaming, misty sheen.

Ice?

He looked back at Tremor, at the man's throat, before meeting his eyes. Something dark must have gleamed in Lelouch's eyes, because Tremor's widened with fear. He began to pull at Lelouch's arms, but the teen tightened his grip, the man letting out a strangled scream.

"You do not know what it is to take a life," Lelouch hissed. "The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed!"

The flesh of Tremor's neck began to split, and the man quieted with a gurgle. Lelouch did not relent; he kept the grip tight, until he heard a crack.

With morbid curiosity, he released Tremor's throat, watching as the man fell backwards. As soon as he fell to the ground, Tremor's neck shattered into gleaming, blood-stained crystals of cold, his head rolling a few feet away.

Slowly, Lelouch rose to his feet, gazing at the corpse of his dead enemy. His eyes widened as the full scope of his actions washed over him, and he gazed down at his hands, which still gleamed with the icy sheen.

That was the turning point.

For so long, I've lived a lie: The lie of living. My name, is a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies.

I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refused to give in to despair.

But now, this strange power…it's mine.

Lelouch looked ahead, as malice curved his mouth and lit his eyes with dark elation.

"Well then…"

That's the first episode for you- here's hoping you enjoy everything that I have in store. Read and review.