A/N: Hey guys! So far, there's been 928 hits, 488 readers, 13 alerts, 12 reviews and 5 favs. ^_^; again, more than expected. Thanks guys!
To Ragez, thank you for continuing to review! I know that sometimes it's a pain to review for stories (at least I feel that way "), so I really appreciate you taking the time to review for each chapter. I do agree that the part about Shinji was really sad (more so than I planned), but I thought it was necessary to provide a genuine reason for people to fight back against the army.
To Kurai, I can't believe you were the only one to notice the Bleach and Prince of Tennis references. (or at least, you were the only one who commented on it :P) No, it isn't a crossover, I just wanted to make names that weren't random (it just doesn't fit right when I try making up names). Since neither of them will be a major character, I guess it'll be alright to plagiarize their names *lol* In case you were wondering, Jasper Whitlock is a character from Twilight, a story I've read, but not one I'm obsessed with.
To DL, I've been waiting for someone to bring up the topic of pairings! As far as I've planned the story, there won't be direct pairing. (I'm not good at writing about love). That being said, there's going to be a lot of platonic, I repeat, PLATONIC, love floating around in the story since I felt that Lelouch and Suzaku didn't have much emotional backing in CG. So expect camaraderie and emotional support from them and probably Kallen (I'm still deciding about it). That said, I also have to say that Shirley will show up at some point (probably months from now at the pace I'm going :P) and she'll still have that tragic one-sided love story going on.
To Taira-keimei: Thank you for your on going support and encouragement. I'll work hard to make it a story worth your expectations. I don't really have anything else to say, but I wanted to comment since I replied to the other reviewers. I noticed that you commented twice now, so thanks for following this story. ^.^
Again, thank you all for reviewing! Arigatou Gozaimasu!
On with the story after my page long Author's Note (Sorry bout that .)!
Last time:
Suzaku then relaxed, his irrational fear of being rejected replaced by the feeling of acceptance. It was just like Lelouch too, to bend his will the slightest bit, not letting him take control even for a declaration of servitude. He stood proud, the first time since he had joined the army, and shook Lelouch's hand as an act of agreement. Their moment was soon spoilt, however, by a voice close to the entrance of the factory announced. "Hey, shouldn't we check this place for anyone hiding too?"
Step 4: Receive
2017 a.t.b.
Shinjuku Ghetto
Lelouch and Suzaku quickly snapped their heads up in the direction of the voice, clearly a Britannian soldier as none of the residents of the ghetto would be speaking English of their own free will. Ducking behind the beginning of a conveyer belt, the two friends exchanged glances, silently warning the other to be quiet and hoping they wouldn't be discovered.
"Sir, I really think that we should check out that factory, it would be a good place for terrorists to hide in." declared the soldier, having no idea of the consequences of his actions.
"Private, you're being ridiculous! What kind of terrorist would hide in a abandoned factory when they could try and blend in with the general populace?" the commander stated in a haughty voice.
"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but if the terrorists caught wind of our orders, they would take cover away from the civilians. In any case, it would cause us no harm to check!" insisted the private.
"Humph, you young soldiers are always so eager to follow commands to the letter. In any case, you bring up a good point, we'll check the area" the commander conceded.
Inside the abandoned factory, Lelouch and Suzaku cursed the private in their minds. 'Geez, I have bad luck today. First I get caught up with the terrorists, almost got shot by Britannian soldiers, and now I'm going to get caught by an over-eager soldier!' thought Lelouch
The echoing footsteps stopped for a brief moment as the young private sneezed and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his uniform. 'Ugg, must be the dust in the ghetto." He deduced.
Meanwhile, Lelouch and Suzaku sweat dropped both thinking the same thing in different languages. 'Wow, I can't believe that just happened, what a coincidence!'
"Are you alright, private?" the commander asked.
"Yes sir!" the private replied, slightly embarrassed, "the dust is just getting to me, that's all."
The commander made an exasperated expression and returned to the task at hand. "In any case, private, there doesn't seem to be anyone in here, guess the terrorists haven't figured anything out"
At that point, both Lelouch and Suzaku were holding their breaths. At the commanders words, both let out their breaths only to stop breathing as soon as Lelouch's phone rang. Eyes widening, Lelouch quickly whipped his phone out and pressed the end call button, all the while cursing the person who called. 'Damn it Shirley, now of all times?'
Miles away, Shirley frowned at her phone. She had been getting ready for swimming practice when she decided to find out if her beloved Lulu was out gambling again. 'Rivalz should have never told Lelouch about his job at the gambling den!' she sighed mentally. But still… There wasn't a need for Lelouch to hang up on her so quickly, she hadn't even gotten the chance to say hi! What if it was an emergency! 'Humph, I'll have to talk to Lulu about how he treats people' she decided.
Back in the ghetto, Lelouch's heartbeat tripled as he heard the footsteps, which were fading, halt and shuffled, most likely the sound of soldiers turning back around. Suzaku, on the other hand, was just internally cursing his best friend's stupidity. 'Geez Lelouch, you can convince me into becoming a terrorist and leaving the army but you can't turn of your phone when we're hiding from the army that's trying KILL us?'
"Private! Did you hear that?" The commander demanded, his hand reaching for his gun lying in his holster.
"Yes sir!" the private replied, stunned that he had actually found terrorists. He too, following the commander's example, took out his gun and help it in front of him in a ready position.
Suzaku and Lelouch both winced as the soldiers reached the conveyer belt and gasped as they saw Suzaku, Lelouch and the blond girl crouched in the corner.
Suzaku, being the only conscious and athletically capable person there, leaped into action as he ran full speed towards the group of soldiers.
'What, a Honorary Britannian?' was the only thing most of the soldiers thought of before Suzaku reached them. Unfortunately for him, Suzaku found himself inside a whole platoon of soldiers. An excellent martial artist he might have been, but against 1 to 10 odds, Suzaku found himself restrained by one soldier, causing all the others to dog pile on top of him and place handcuffs on his wrists. Immobilized and tackled onto the floor, he couldn't do anything more than look up desperately, hoping he had bought Lelouch the time to run away.
Lelouch barely got the time to process what was happening before the soldiers had their guns aiming at him. Backed against a cement wall, all of his intelligence would do him no good. 'Damn, I've gotten this far only to be killed by a stray phone call? Is my live some kind of TV drama or something?' He cursed.
Suzaku couldn't believe it when he saw the slightest bit of hopelessness appear in Lelouch's eyes. 'N-no, this is LELOUCH! The same person who would rather put himself through hell rather than see Nunnally hurt! There's no way he could give up now!' he reminded himself. Spurred by his beliefs, he continued to struggle underneath the soldier's hold.
Lelouch's mind had gone through much the same thoughts as Suzaku as he debated what to do. Encouraged by Suzaku's struggles, he was planning to try and say something stunning to the soldier and hopefully shock them into not being able to act while he ran past them. Just as he was about to open his mouth however, his plans were dashed by the commander, who had decided that this situation had gone on for far too long.
"Hmm, you did a good job, for a terrorist. Then again, I guess it's to be expected. After all, you're Britannian aren't you? A pure blooded one at that, if my eyes don't deceive me." He commented, slightly impressed considering that his opponent appeared to be a teenager.
Lelouch could only look away, slightly disgusted at his own helplessness. His gaze strayed towards the window where he could see the bodies of civilians who were caught in the fight. Harmless people, men, women, and even children meet their end at the hands of Britannian soldiers.
"An intelligent young Brit like you would have had a good future, but now, I'm claiming it as my own. The military will award me greatly for killing the terrorist who dared defy glorious Britannia. Farwell, young one!" The commander claimed, finger on the trigger with the gun pointed at Lelouch's chest.
"No! Don't kill him!" A voice rang out. Stunned, Lelouch turned his head to see the mysterious green haired girl he and Suzaku had saved run towards him, putting herself in front of him in the line of fire. 'W-What…' was the only thing his mind had time to process before the unmistakable sound of a gunshot was heard.
The commander, who had pulled the trigger out of pure reflex, looked at Lelouch fiercely, as if blaming him for what had just occurred. Suddenly, his expression changed, into one of confidence and victory. "Men, here's what happened. We spotted the terrorist carrying the girl into the abandoned factory. Upon reaching the site, we took down him and his Honorary Britannian accomplice, but didn't make it in time to save the girl" he declared.
"Sir, yes sir!" the soldiers chanted, no one willing to protest.
'W-What is this?' Lelouch wondered, despair and frustration building in his mind. 'All those civilians, Suzaku, this girl…am I going to meet my end here too? Without having done anything meaningful in my life, so quickly…What about Nunnally?'
In the middle of his metal conflict, Lelouch failed to notice as the hand of the girl he had tried to save grabbed him, transporting him to a world which was not his own.
"You don't want it to end here do you?" a female voice, which could only belong to the captive girl, asked.
Lelouch's mind went blank for a moment before he witnessed incomprehensible memories which were not his own flicker in his mind. All the while, the voice continued. "You seem to have a reason to live, a good one at that."
Amazed by the sudden turn of events, Lelouch could barely process what was going on. 'The girl? How was that possible?' he wondered, completely in shock.
"If you had the power, would you be able to live? This is a contract. In exchange for power, will you be able to grant one wish of mine? If you agree to my contract, you will live as a human separated from other humans by the power I will give you. A different source, a different time, a different live… The power of the kings will isolate you, but if you're prepared to face that…" the voice trailed off, intentions clear.
Filled with determination, Lelouch proclaimed not out loud, as he later found out, but mentally. 'That's fine! I accept this contract'
Lelouch stood up slowly, covering his eye which seemed to ebb a certain kind of heat, not totally unpleasant, but hot enough to signify the power it had gained. 'And what a power it was' Lelouch thought. 'The woman was not kidding when she said she'd grant me a different way of life. This boggles even MY imagination'
Still rising, Lelouch left his left eye hidden behind his right hand and looked with his right at the soldiers before addressing them. "Hey, how do you think a Britannian who despises Britannia should live?" He pondered, not really expecting an answer.
The commander grinned, pleased that the student seem to give in to his fate. "What are you, an ideologist or something?" he asked, slightly amused by the boy's actions.
Suzaku, on the other hand, had begun to feel slightly worried. He knew that Lelouch would never give up without a fight, and the confidence in his voice…he was sure that it was real. Lelouch had found a way out this somehow, but the way he acted, it was as if he didn't care if the soldiers knew about his hatred towards Britannia. As if they wouldn't make it out alive to tell the tale, and that alone made a shudder run up Suzaku's spine.
Completely unaffected by the commander's words, Lelouch continued. "What's wrong?" He asked mockingly. "Weren't you going to shoot me?"
The commander hesitated a little, slightly unnerved by how confident the student seemed. 'Does he know something I don't?' he wondered.
Lelouch's voice continued on. "And why not? Your opponent is a student, after all. Or have you realized? Only those who are prepared to shoot are able to shoot!" he proclaimed. Tantalizingly slowly, he lowered his right arm to reveal an once amethyst eye with the symbol of a crimson bird in flight blazing within.
"W-What is that?" the commander demanded, shaken by the abnormal eye coupled with the boy's confidence. His arm, now trembling, lowered slightly as he took a step back, his instincts urging him to flee and escape.
Suzaku's eyes widened, just as shocked as the rest of soldiers. 'Lelouch, what happened to you? What have you done?' he wondered.
Lelouch took a step forwards, pleased by the reactions he got. "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you!" he declared, not noticing the shocked gasp coming from Suzaku, feeling the power surge within him, "All you soldiers, DIE!"
Suzaku could only look around dazed as every soldier around him, even the one who was supposed to hold him down, stiffened and rose to their feet. Their eyes seemed unfocused, staring blindly ahead as they proclaimed in unison. "Yes, your Highness!" they declared, before lifting their guns right next to their necks and firing, completely unconcerned about dying.
Lelouch's face rang of slight innocence as he saw the soldiers die on his command. He barely seemed to notice the spray of blood that now decorated his face. His expression quivered for a little bit, displaying the slight shock of taking a dozen lives, before he got it under control, focusing on the seemingly dead girl and Suzaku, who was looking at him like he was crazy.
"L-Lelouch!" he stuttered, still coming back from his astonishment, "What on earth have you done?" W-What's with your eye? How did you get those soldiers to follow you command? Why did you kill them all?" he demanded, trying to wrap his head around what had just occurred around him.
When Lelouch looked as his best friend, he wore an expression of slight worry and amusement. "Suzaku, are you OK? You know I had to silence those soldiers, they were going to kill us! I'll explain everything afterwards, you won't believe what just happened. For now, lets get out of here before the people who heard the gunshots rush in." he said softly, purposely speaking in Japanese to soothe the confused teen.
Lelouch quickly walked to the body of the dead commander and fished in the pockets of his uniform, coming up with the keys to the handcuffs Suzaku was put in. Returning to Suzaku's side, he then removed the handcuffs binding Suzaku and pulled him up onto his feet. Not releasing his hand, Lelouch forcibly dragged Suzaku away from the scene, but not before casting his gaze upon the body of the seemingly now dead girl. 'Whoever you are, thank you for giving me this power to protect the people I love and fulfill the promises I made. I'll regret not being to grant your wish, but fate has a cruel way of being fickle.' He thought solemnly.
"Come on, Suzaku, let's get out of here before we get caught again!" he protested, exiting the factory where the beginning of the greatest war in history took place.
A/N: Hmm, not a very long chapter, but we're finally through episode 1 of CG! Wow that took longer than I expected *0.0* A relatively short chapter, only about 2, 300 words excluding both Author's notes. Lelouch finally gets his geass and Suzaku is thrown for a loop.
There are a few things that should be mentioned. If any of you are high school students (or used to be) in either the US or Canada, you should know that now is the time for finals! As it is, I currently have to study for 3 tests worth 20% of my mark and one worth 40%. I am now officially in cram mode! This means, sadly, that I will not have much time, if any, to write a new chapter until Sunday the 30th. *T_T* In any case, if I do find a time to write, I'll post one more chapter before THIS Sunday, but if now, expect to wait another week or so. I promise I will make up for this though, with an extra large chapter after I finish up the semester. ^_^
The talk of chapters brings me to my next point, being whether or not the chapters should be elongated, but less frequent. As a reader, I tend to prefer long updates, even if I have to wait, and honestly, 2000-3000 words per chapter is really short in my standards. As I've said before though, this time YOU guys are the readers, so feel free to either review or vote on the poll that's going to be posted.
As always, I would love to hear your opinions of the chapter and the story!