"Amy, Naoto—are your radios still working?! Answer me!"

"Naoto's signal… is gone. That enemy knightmare must have taken him out…"

"Amy?!"

"Yeah, it's me… Sorry, I lost…"

"Don't worry about that! I'm sure Naoto is fine. Just concentrate on retreating to my position!"

"I'm not sure that I can…"

"Fine—I'll come to you, just wait right there!"

"Jack… I…"


Stage 1 — A Fresh Start

November 2018 a.t.b.

Jack awoke suddenly, his heart racing, as it always did when he had that nightmare.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady his pulse, he sat upright on the battered couch in his spartan living room. "That nightmare again—has it really been seven months?" he muttered somberly. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he glanced at the clock—it was time to leave soon. As he finished his morning rituals, the news aired over the radio.

"It's been just over a month since Prince Schneizel became leader of the Principality of Britannia," the newsreader began. "In that short time, he and his half-sister Nunnally vi Britannia have hosted peace talks with various nations, both serving as stark contrasts to their late brother…"

"Yeah, we get it, Britannia is a really friendly Principality now," Jack said to himself bitterly as he left his apartment. Stepping outside, he was greeted by a variety of sounds emanating from the street below—the Tokyo Settlement really was bustling with activity, even at this early hour. The sound of construction reverberated overhead; commuters were scurrying around, desperate to beat the morning rush hour; groups of students were skipping through the streets, talking excitedly among themselves. It was barely conceivable that a Fleija warhead had decimated a large part of the city just over two months ago.

While navigating the labyrinthine subway, Jack noticed a few other students wearing Ashford Academy uniforms. Supposedly, it was the best high school in the Tokyo Settlement, and he had "won the lottery" when getting allocated a place. At least, that was what his immigration officer told him after he passed the exam to gain entry as a third-year student.

After taking his usual train and following and short walk up a pristinely cobbled side street, Jack arrived at the gates of Ashford Academy. He'd been enrolled at the school for about a week, but still couldn't help admiring the impressive grounds as he followed the path towards the main entrance. The extensive lawns were well manicured, the fountains lining the paths were filled with clear water, and the classical architecture of the buildings was almost regal. "I'm sure they'd laugh, seeing me here like this," he mumbled wistfully as he entered his homeroom class.

Sitting in his usual spot towards the back of the classroom, Jack sighed to himself. Some students within earshot were excitedly discussing plans for the weekend and what clubs they'd recently signed up for. In contrast, all he had done since enrolling was attending classes and 'independent research' at home—not exactly what you'd call embracing student life. He knew that would have to change for him to blend in here, but was finding it difficult connecting with any of his classmates. Perhaps it was down to his rather unique background, but high school concerns seemed so... trivial. Maybe it was for the best that he hadn't made any friends.

"Reiner—Jack Reiner!" Miss Lavender, his homeroom teacher, called out while glancing around the classroom. As her gaze finally rested on Jack, she tutted in frustration. "Oh, there you are Jack. Speak up during attendance!"

"S-sorry…" he replied, returning from his thoughts. In contrast to her petite stature and mousey appearance, Miss Lavender could be a harsh taskmaster when she wanted to be.

"Wow, he's a real ditz. Isn't that the third time this week he's spaced out during roll call?" One of his classmates whispered from a few rows back.

"Maybe schools where he came from weren't as strict? Who knows…" responded another busybody.

Following that rather typical start to the day, morning classes began. First up was Japanese History, one of Jack's least favorite subjects. Apparently, placing a significant emphasis on this topic as part of the school curriculum was one way in which the government sought to bridge the cultural divide between the expatriate Britannians and local Japanese students. After all, it had only been a few months since the Japanese were treated as second-class citizens in their own country.

Afternoon classes also passed at a snail's pace, courtesy of a number of long-winded lectures by teachers who evidently loved the sound of their own voice more than engaging their students with practical application.

With freedom in sight, and a few hours of sleep caught up on, Jack set off to leave for the day. Unfortunately, to his dismay, he was stopped by Miss Lavender before he could reach the classroom exit. "Jack, I appreciate you're still settling in, but have you given any thought to which club you'll be joining?"

He stiffened slightly. It was a rule at Ashford Academy that students had to join at least one club or create their own. While he knew he should be more sociable to fit in, he didn't particularly want his spare time monopolized by activities he perceived as useless. "Well, I saw the notice board advertising which clubs have vacancies, but I haven't made a decision yet", he responded noncommittally.

"Really?" Miss Lavender huffed, raising an eyebrow. "Most clubs have allocated all of their new places already, so you might find there aren't many to choose from. Why don't you go and have another look?"

"Yes, I'll do that," Jack said, fully planning not to. It wasn't as if he'd get expelled for non-compliance—at least not yet.

Appearing to see through his façade, Miss Lavender beckoned over a girl with blonde hair and olive-green eyes, the latter feature partially obscured by a pair of oval spectacles. "Carol, would you mind showing Jack to the club noticeboard?" she asked politely.

"Yes, of course, Miss!" Carol responded obediently before gesturing towards the classroom exit.

"Thank you," Miss Lavender said with a smile. "Make sure he doesn't get lost on the way," she warned, her kind appearance changing in an instant as she shot a knowing glance his way. Jack smiled wryly at being caught out and began to follow Carol's lead.

As the pair walked through the hallways of the school, Carol glanced over at him a few times, as if she wanted to strike up a conversation. Whenever Jack met her gaze, she awkwardly averted her eyes. He didn't think her demeanor before had been particularly timid and was starting to think he'd gained a reputation for being unapproachable. Sighing, he thought he'd put the poor girl out of her misery—she was just following their teacher's instructions after all.

"So…Carol was it?" Jack asked, breaking the silence. "Are you in any clubs?"

"Oh yes!" Carol said with apparently genuine enthusiasm. "I'm in the drama club, and it's been so much fun so far!"

"It's good that you're enjoying it," he replied. "Are you particularly interested in acting?"

Carol took a deep breath. "Well, I think getting to play a different role each time is liberating... that's mainly why I like it so much."

Not wanting to probe further into that statement, Jack shifted the conversation towards the day's classes, inwardly cringing at the fact that he'd been reduced to making such small talk. Fortunately, they soon arrived at the notice board where all the clubs with remaining vacancies had posted advertisements. The Sewing Club and Swimming Club had some spots left, but that was about it.

"I don't quite see myself enjoying sewing or strutting around in Speedos," Jack commented matter-of-factly. "Oh well, it looks like joining a club is off the cards for me, and there's no way I'd have time to run one myself, so—".

"Well, actually," Carol interjected. "The Student Council has a vacancy, but they never put a poster up."

"Is that so?" Jack said, scratching the back of his head. From what he could gather, that didn't sound like the most exciting club. However, he knew that there were those who loved the idea of holding positions of authority, so he'd expect something like the Student Council, with all its perceived gravitas, to be oversubscribed.

"A few people wanted to join, but they were all turned down," Carol explained with a hint of despondency. "Don't get me wrong!" she suddenly gasped. "All the members are friendly, but I think they're looking for someone who meets quite specific criteria. Also, I think one of the students on the council is a member of the Black Knights, so maybe that intimidated a few people…"

Jack stroked his chin. "Interesting—maybe I'll pay them a visit."


"Come on, Rivalz. You could at least try to act like the president!"

Rivalz rubbed his eyes. "That's easy for you to say, Shirley, but you're not the one who has to do the job of two people…"

"God, you really haven't changed at all, have you?" Kallen sighed, her face resting in her palms.

This was a common theme at recent Student Council meetings. Rivalz would get disheartened by the amount of work that had piled up, and it was up to Kallen and Shirley to get him back on track.

"Alright, alright, I'll keep going," Rivalz conceded, outnumbered by the girls. "But you both need to pull out all the stops too!"

"What do you think we've been doing while you were daydreaming?" Kallen snapped, gesturing at the papers sprawled on the table between them. "This budget is nowhere near balanced, and it needs to be done today."

Rivalz huffed, casting his eyes downwards. "Cut me some slack! We've been swamped with work since the beginning of the semester, and we still can't find a new member that meets your standards."

"Well, maybe if you asked more pertinent questions, Kallen and I wouldn't have to be so picky!" Shirley scolded. "And each time a girl asks to join you, you immediately let your guard down. I think all that time hanging out with Gino left a mark on you."

"I am not like that!" Rivalz replied defensively. "And anyway, that Carol girl seemed friendly enough. I'm not sure why you were against her joining."

"She seemed nice, but she didn't exactly inspire much confidence," Kallen explained hesitantly. "And you know we need someone with a little more presence..."

"I think you're being a little harsh there, but whatevs," Rivalz commented, returning to the complex set of spreadsheets.

Kallen sighed to herself. Rivalz was being his usual lazy self, but he had a point. They needed a new member, and fast.

Unfortunately, while a number of students had visited the Student Council Clubhouse to thank her for 'fighting on the side of justice', not many had actually been interested in joining. Those who were interested, quite simply, hadn't measured up. At least by her standards.

Kallen was well aware that without new members their time would be monopolized by nothing but dull admin. That wouldn't leave time to resolve the broader issues. For instance, as someone who'd seen the effect of prejudice first-hand, Kallen knew that many Japanese students were less than thrilled to mingle with those related to a regime which had, until recently, oppressed and dehumanized them. On the flipside, there were some Britannians who thought it beneath them to attend school alongside Japanese students—a view she found particularly abhorrent.

This problem wasn't confined to Ashford Academy—it was a wider social problem that Ohgi and the new government were busy trying to address. At least that's what he told her on one of their increasingly short and increasingly infrequent phone calls.

Looking out of the window, Kallen wondered if Lelouch foresaw these sorts of "teething issues" when he sacrificed himself for world peace. He probably had faith they'd be resolved by less capable individuals. Kallen, on the other hand, was beginning to doubt that.

"So now you're spacing out on us?" Rivalz grinned with a caught-you-red-handed look on his face.

"Sorry…" Kallen said, returning from her thoughts. "I was just—".

Before she was able to say anything further, the door to the Student Council room slid open, revealing a student Kallen immediately recognized. He was of above-average height and had a slender build. The most distinctive part of his appearance was his messy, almost spikey snow-white hair, which was longer at the back, almost reaching his collar.

"Hey there!" Rivalz said enthusiastically, apparently relishing any excuse not to look at the papers in front of him.

Shirley also perked up. "Hi there! Are you here because you're looking to join the Student Council?"

Kallen frowned to herself. She recognized this guy from class. He'd already gained a (well deserved) reputation for dozing off during lessons and leaving as soon as the last bell rang.

"Thanks for the warm welcome," he responded, studying the room with his pale blue eyes for a moment before taking a seat. "My name is Jack Reiner from Class 3E. I heard from a classmate that the Student Council was looking for someone new, so here I am."

"...And because there were no other clubs to join?" Kallen interjected, unable to help herself shoot down this informal 'interview' before it even began. They had work to do and didn't have time to humor someone with a half-assed attitude.

"That's not exactly the best way to start, Kallen!" Shirley gasped.

Jack paused for a moment before answering in a neutral tone. "You're right, I have been a little delinquent in choosing a club to join. Maybe that's because it's taken me some time to adjust to my life here in Japan."

"You're from overseas?" Rivalz probed.

"Yes—I've only been in Japan for a few weeks. Before that I lived in Europia—the part that was never conquered by Britannia."

Kallen was mildly intrigued—she didn't realize this guy was European. "So what brought you to Tokyo?" she asked, softening her features slightly.

Jack gazed towards the window. "I made a promise..."

"That's a rather cryptic answer," Kallen muttered. However, given her dislike of busybodies, she decided not to probe further.

"So what makes you think you would like joining the Student Council?" Shirley asked cheerfully.

"To be honest," Jack began, "I'm not really sure what being a member of a Student Council entails—I didn't exactly have the most traditional education." He cast his eyes over the table between them littered with papers. "Do you just handle administrative matters?"

"Well, that's part of it," Shirley beamed, "but mostly we arrange events like the culture festival. Our last president was particularly enthusiastic about planning unique events, so we hope to continue that tradition."

"Ah yes, Madam President's events were the best!" Rivalz reminisced. "The absolute silence party and swimsuit day were both great successes. Although cupid day was kind of manic…"

Kallen stifled a laugh watching Jack's shocked expression. She was grateful from the bottom of her heart that she wasn't at Ashford when any of those 'unique' events took place.

"I see..." Jack responded after composing himself. "I'm suddenly more determined to join this club. I need to ensure events like that don't repeat themselves while I'm a student here."

Shirley giggled. "It's an acquired taste—I get it! But that sort of thing can be a great bonding experience."

"Maybe you have a point," Jack acknowledged. "Perhaps something like that could help ease some of the new students into life here at Ashford…"

"You think so?" Kallen asked, mildly curious about his rationale.

"Well," Jack responded, "looking at this from an outsider's perspective, it must be difficult being a Japanese student here. For almost seven years they've been treated as second-class citizens, and suddenly they're expected to play all nice with a population that shunned their culture and branded them 'Elevens'. While the Britannian students didn't necessarily support that treatment, perhaps encouraging socializing between the two groups with some kind of weird event (not involving wearing swimsuits around school) would break the ice."

Kallen didn't know what she'd expected him to say, but it certainly wasn't that. Rivalz and Shirley also seemed stunned by Jack's rather frank monologue.

Jack looked away for a moment. "Ah—I've probably said too much."

"Not at all!" Shirley nodded. "We all think that's exactly what needs doing around here—right, Rivalz?!"

"Absolument!" Rivalz agreed jovially, putting on his best French accent.

Kallen smiled gently to herself at Rivalz and Shirley's enthusiasm. She wasn't surprised at their reactions. Both of them had always treated the Japanese as equals, even when Britannian propaganda dictated otherwise.

Back when she was going by 'Kallen Stadtfeld', Shirley and Rivalz were among the first students to welcome Suzaku into the Student Council with open arms. After she revealed herself as a Japanese member of the Black Knights, she heard from Lelouch that both of them begged Suzaku (then a Knight of the Round) to get her a 'plea deal'. At the time, while she gagged at the idea of any sort of 'deal' with Britannia, she was grateful nonetheless that they still viewed her as a friend in spite of her 'terrorist' affiliations.

"I'm glad you agree." Jack continued. "Maybe there's hope I'll fit in here."

"Perhaps…" Kallen mumbled, purposefully acting disinterested while she mulled things over. She had to admit, Jack's empathy for the Japanese was endearing…sort of….and his attitude did seem quite different from when they first met. "Okay, I'll admit you're a little different than I expected," she continued, "so I'd like to know what you're good at. And no—spacing out in class doesn't count," she smirked.

"A shame—I enjoy doing that," Jack sighed sarcastically. "Although I'm not sure why you have entry requirements. While I get there's planning and admin involved with being on the council, this is just an after-school club when all's said and done."

Rivalz scratched the back of his head. "Well, actually we're looking for a new Vice President."

"Yeah, and that job needs more than just a smart mouth," Kallen added. "If it were just a regular position, there's no way we'd be this picky."

"I see," Jack replied, "but couldn't you just choose a VP from the existing members?"

"Well, I can't really do it… since I'm also a member of the swim club," Shirley admitted hesitantly.

"Balancing all those responsibilities would probably be too much," Jack acknowledged. "What about Kallen? I have a suspicion she'd be good at keeping people in check."

Kallen didn't appreciate his backhanded compliment, but had to admit it was a fair point. However, given her position as a reserve member of the Black Knights, she'd been advised to keep a relatively low profile. While her past wasn't exactly a state secret, Ohgi had done his best to ensure that there was as little about Kallen in the public domain as possible to allow her (and her mother) to live a normal life. Thanks to Ohgi's efforts, while it was common knowledge around Ashford that she was a member of the Black Knights, none of the other students knew she was the ace pilot of the Guren Seiten and former Captain of the Zero Squad.

"We decided it would be best, given my background, to keep me out of the spotlight," she finally replied.

A look of realization appeared on Jack's face. "So you're the one who's a member of the Black Knights? I guess that's understandable."

"Ah, so people have been talking then…" Kallen sighed. Figures that this would spread—high schoolers typically didn't have any real concerns, so gossip was all the rage. It was the one thing she didn't miss about being a student.

"I'd say 'thank you for your service', but you've probably heard that too much already," Jack smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

"If Kallen isn't sick of hearing it, I sure am!" Rival interjected with a cheeky grin. "I can't count the number of times folk have shown up here saying stuff like that."

"You're exaggerating…" Kallen mumbled, slightly embarrassed at the praise. However, she knew not to let it go to her head. Yes, there were many people who were appreciative of her 'service' as Jack put it, but there would likely be those who resented her, whether as a past enemy of Britannia or simply as a soldier who'd killed others in combat.

"Well, if you can't be VP, it seems I've got no choice but to rise to the occasion," Jack said with what appeared to be a genuine smile.

"You act like you've got this in the bag, but you've still got to convince us you're up to it," Kallen reminded him as she raised an eyebrow.

"In that case, why don't I show you some results?" Jack suggested. "Based on the mess of spreadsheets and invoices on the table, I'm guessing you're preparing something like a budget. I bet I can help with that..."

Rivalz let out a short bark of laughter. "You've got yourself a deal, New Guy!" he chuckled, clearly looking forward to seeing how this would turn out.


While Jack was familiarizing himself with the mountain of papers in front of him, each member of the Student Council properly introduced themselves in turn.

Rivalz Cardemonde was the current president. From a quick glance, Jack noted that he appeared to be around average height and had medium-length, blue hair parted down the middle. As for the girls, Shirley Fenette was the bubbly one with long orange hair and pear-green eyes who filled the room with positive energy. By contrast, Kallen Kozuki was the rather sharp-tongued girl with spikey, shoulder-length, bright red hair and emerald-green eyes. Unlike the other two, and despite her Britannian appearance, he was surprised to learn that she was actually half-Japanese. That perhaps explained why she had signed up with the Black Knights.

With proper introductions out of the way, Jack was able to get up to speed on the paperwork and conclude that things were, quite frankly, a mess. Back when he lived in Europia, he picked up some tricks on organizing data from a couple of ex-accountants in one of his logistics units. It was an extremely boring skill but was essential for anyone assuming a modicum of responsibility.

In contrast, this budget, which was a 'work in progress' as Rivalz put it, was the polar opposite of the well-oiled manifests and checklists he was familiar with. Data had to be manually added in a cumbersome manner and the formulas and cross-referencing were illogical. "Could you tell me where to find the budgets from last year?" Jack asked innocently, looking at Rivalz, hoping there was a differently formatted spreadsheet they could use as a template.

"Why do you need those?" Kallen grumbled, looking up from a list of invoices and expenses from the last semester. "Has that cavalier attitude from earlier faded already?"

"Humor me," Jack sighed, not wanting to spend any time justifying himself.

Shirley shuffled in her seat. "Well, the budgets from last year were prepared by—" she stopped suddenly, as if realizing something.

"Presumably the former Vice President?" Jack cut in, trying his best to hide his internal frustration at how slowly things had progressed so far. "Look. I'm sure you all love spending time together, but we're going to be here all night if I have to build this from scratch."

Rivalz grimaced and averted his eyes. "Why from scratch?"

His tone prompted Jack to check the document ID of the last shambolically prepared budget and, unsurprisingly, the author was one 'R. Cardemonde'. "More for future proofing…" Jack lied, not wanting to alienate (or embarrass) the one member of the council he seemed to have on his side at the moment.

"I think they were stored in the archive drive somewhere…" Shirley said hesitantly.

Sighing with relief, Jack opened the budget from September last year. The author was 'L. Lamperouge' and it was immediately apparent that this person had known what they were doing. The formatting, cross referencing, and data management were all akin to a professional document, far exceeding the skill set possessed by any normal high school student. Using this template would be much easier, although to make it work all current data would need to be manually input... again. Fortunately, there were three pairs of hands who could help with that. "Okay, I think I've got a solution," Jack announced. "If we all work at it then we should be done in no time."

"So you've actually got a plan?" Kallen asked, unable to hide the skepticism in her tone.

"Yes," Jack said, sliding stacks of papers towards each of the council members and, in particular, enjoying the look of mild disgust on Kallen's face as he slid the largest stack of papers towards her. "I think you can start with those."

"If this doesn't work, then you're in for a world of hurt…" Kallen grumbled as she glanced down at her new 'assignment'.

'***'

Uploading data to the new budget took less time than Jack had anticipated. After a few more adjustments to take into account the projections of expenses provided by the other Clubs, the new budget was perfectly balanced, as all budgets should be. He leaned back in his seat, taking in the results of their combined efforts. Maybe joining this Club wouldn't be so bad... It would at least convince anyone who asked that he was a genuine student at this school.

"So, how are we looking?" Kallen asked, raising an eyebrow.

In response, Jack turned the laptop around. "Why don't you be the judge?" he said, trying his best not to look smug in the process.

"No way!" Rivalz exclaimed, looking amazed at the simple, yet elegant spreadsheet.

"I assume it's impressive then?" Kallen asked, looking unsure as to what the fuss was about.

Jack snorted gently. Clearly, she hadn't served an administrative function within the Black Knights. Perhaps Kallen had been on the front lines? It was unlikely, but it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility given his own experience...

"This looks a lot like the ones that…the last Vice President prepared," Shirley added, a hint of melancholy seeping into her tone.

"Yes," Jack replied matter-of-factly. "You've got 'L. Lamperouge' to thank for it. Some tweaks were needed to their template, but it was easy to work with after a while. Quite impressive actually…"

"Wait, you mean you actually were able to make that thing work?" Rivalz stuttered. "I tried, but—".

"Well, I'd say this was a success in any case," Jack interrupted, saving Rivalz from having to admit he couldn't manage a moderately complex spreadsheet. "So, how about it?" he continued, turning to the others, "have I satisfied your lofty standards?"

"Well, if Rivalz thinks the new budget works, then I certainly approve!" Shirley said, her cheerful demeanor returning in full force. "Kallen?"

Kallen glanced sideways. "I guess so… It's not like we have a queue of students wanting to join…"

Jack tutted to himself. That was big of Kallen to admit, although given her time with the Black Knights, he was amazed she appeared so well-adjusted. Perhaps she was just in a poor mood today.

"With that settled, we'll definitely need to plan a welcome party for our new Vice President!" Rivalz announced dramatically. "Everything will be on the new guy naturally!"

Shirley giggled at Rivalz's words while Kallen broke into a smile, almost as though they were all reliving an old memory.

Jack sighed. "Just make sure you go easy on me."

-END


Author's note

Hopefully you've enjoyed the first chapter and, if you have, then please continue reading!

I've been a massive fan of CG for years and have always wanted to give something like this a shot. The name of the story is a nod to "Lost Colors" / "Lost Stories" i.e. two Code Geass retellings of the main plot which involve an OC.

There are a few reasons I've chosen the AU, which unfortunately I cannot spoil here. I know that the AU gets a lot of hate, which is understandable given that the ending of R2 is phenomenal. However, I also think the AU is a great 'what if?' scenario that actually allows for a continued exploration of the great characters CG offers after the events of the main series.

Other than bringing Lelouch back, there is a lot of criticism in how the AU (and the characters) were handled. This fic aims to 'fix' many of the glaring (IMO) problems with the AU. In particular, something that the AU does horribly is skim over Shirley's importance to Lelouch and brings her back to life for very little reason. Secondly, Kallen, who is billed as a side character in the movies, really gets screwed over in terms of screen time. Being able to create a unique story where these two, along with side characters like Rivalz, Milly and the OG Black Knights have a chance to be center stage is appealing to me, especially since even in the main show the focus is heavily on Lelouch, Suzaku and CC.

With that aim in mind, the beginning of the fic spends a lot of time exploring the OC and his background. This is important to his character and the ultimate direction of the story. The reason for this is that I think it's much harder to care about new characters (or like them / understand their strengths and weaknesses) unless you grow with them which is why I'm putting effort into that aspect rather than just spawning him in the story somewhere. The charm of CG has always (IMO) been about great characters just as much as the setting.

References to make reading easier

November 2018 a.t.b. is approximately 2 months after the end of the Zero requiem.

Notes for those who aren't familiar with the AU

The following points are of relevance for those that haven't seen (or couldn't face) the AU movies: Shirley is alive (obviously); there was no Mao subplot in the AU and Shirley's dad is still alive; Shirley met C.C. in the third AU movie; Shirley met Jeremiah but doesn't know his name before the end of the Zero Requiem; and Kallen does not know that Shirley met C.C. or that Shirley knows that Lelouch was Zero.