A/N: This is my first attempt at a story. So if it seems a little boring or not well written, go easy on me in the reviews. Also I do not own Code Geass or Batman Beyond. Those works belong to Sunrise and Warner Bros. Animation respectively.

The rain was pouring harder tonight for some reason in Japan, or Area 11 as the Britannia called it. Some superstitious people believed that rain came because the creator himself was crying. And, at the moment, many believed that was true, for it was a sad day in Japan, and the world, for Japanese and Britannians alike. For vastly different reasons.

For the Japanese, they had lost their hero, Zero. Apparently, it was reported that he died in the recent battle against Britannia. Many doubted this, believing that a person like Zero could never be killed. But that's what the Black Knights reported, and slowly people began to lose hope.

The Britannians were morning because of the death of their Viceroy, Nunnally vi Britannia. It was announced that she was killed in the same fight as Zero was. Also, reports were coming in and rumors were spread of the disappearance of their Emperor, Charles Zi Britannia himself. Some believed him to be dead.

But amidst this time of mourning, three individuals were facing more depression than anyone at the current moment.

Onboard the Black Knights' flagship the Ikaruga, in her chambers the Black Knight's ace pilot Kallen Kozuki was full of confusion and sadness. She knew the reports of Zero's death being confirmed was a lie, trying to strengthen publicity. But that gave her no comfort whatsoever. Cause she and the high command of the Black Knights had no clue whatsoever if Zero was alive or dead.

'Lelouch…' Kallen thought, the name echoing in her mind. Lelouch Lamperouge, or Lelouch vi Britannia, his birth name, or Zero, his masked persona, had founded the Black Knights from their original resistance group. Claiming that they were knights for justice.

As Zero she admired him and would've followed him anywhere. As Lelouch Lamperouge, she saw him as nothing more than another arrogant Britannian. In her mind, nothing could unite the two, nothing in her life could make her believe that the arrogant student was the Heroic masked figure. Until the day that she saw that the boy she couldn't stand was the man that she admired most. After that, her heart and mind were filled with confusion. She could never decide or find out who was the real man behind both masks. The man she so desperately wanted to know.

Only by having a talk with his sister Nunnally, when she was imprisoned, did her confusion cease. With her, she learned the truth: that Lelouch was always a kind caring person that would help out those in need. And then tragedy struck Lelouch, he lost his sister and a woman, Shirley, who loved him. Kallen sought to be there to comfort him and give him support, but the unthinkable happened.

The Black Knights, the very organization that Lelouch made, had turned on him. Their guns were pointed at him, claiming that he had put them under the spell of his Geass, a power they knew so little about. But it was more than enough to convince them to turn on him. Kallen was right by his side, ready to die with him.

But then he took off his mask, revealing his face to all, and claiming that every single one of them were nothing but pawns. And Kallen, he called her his greatest pawn. She didn't want to believe it, that the man she admired and loved would only see her as a pawn. But her heart and mind were too conflicted to think straight. So she walked out of the line of fire.

But then came those words. Those five words. That one sentence that has her rattled in confusion.

"Kallen, you have to live."

Before she could ever get her answer though, Lelouch escaped, with unintentional help. So now here she was, crying and mourning over her unanswered question. "Why Lelouch?" She asked herself, again. "Why would you call me a pawn, then tell me to live? Why?"

Perhaps he did it to torture her more. Or maybe he didn't see any of the Black Knights as pawns and only said those hurtful words for her to be out of the Black Knights weapons range. Either way, she needed to know. She had to, or else, she may never be able to move on.

Onboard the Britannian airship Avalon, Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven, an Honorary Britannian, was in a similar state thinking of the same man. Yet his depression was of guilt and loss.

To him, Lelouch was his first, real, and best friend. Someone he admired and believed in when they were younger, even if at first they were at each other's throats. After seven years of separation they saw each other again in the last place Suzaku would have expected, in a truck stolen by terrorists believed to be holding poison gas. His disgust quickly turned to joy at seeing his friend again.

Later after surviving a bullet from his commanding officer, he later piloted an experimental seventh generation Knightmare known as the Lancelot against the terrorist.

Later he was framed by the Purist faction when Prince Clovis was killed. But he was later saved by Zero. After the rescue, Zero tried to convince Suzaku to join him, yet he refused, not wanting to join up with a terrorist to try and change Britannia from within. Afterward, the two would later clash many times.

Then Suzaku's fate smiled on him when he met a beautiful girl. She was not like most Britannians, she had compassion and love for all people, Britannian or not. And Suzaku fell in love with her. Princess Euphemia li Britannia.

But when Zero had killed her and made her massacre innocent civilians, or so he believed, Suzaku was thrown into a lust for vengeance against the masked man. He was willing to do whatever it took to kill Zero. Only when he caught him, did the horrible truth be revealed that behind that mask is his own best friend.

He captured Lelouch and brought him before his father the Emperor as a gift, in exchange to become a member of the knights of the round. He betrayed his best friend for a position of power, something Suzaku wouldn't stand for, ever.

And he liked it. No, he loved it.

Zero emerged a year later. Suzaku had suspicions that Lelouch was under the mask again, but he could never prove it. He was desperate to get answers so he could be justified to kill Lelouch. He even went so far to drug Kallen with Refrain to make her tell him. But he stopped himself.

When he was about to be killed in battle, his 'live' command that Lelouch put on him had made him fire off an experimental warhead that ended up destroying the Tokyo Settlement. The blast killed thousands of lives, including Nunnally. That was when his naive philosophies finally broke and he saw the world for what it truly is.

When he went to assassinate the Emperor on orders from Prince Schneizal, he learned that the Emperor was planning something that would ruin the whole world. However, when he arrived Lelouch was already there to kill his father.

It was then when Suzaku learned the true nature behind Euphie's death and her killing the Japanese. It was all an accident. Lelouch had never meant to hurt anyone at the SAZ, only himself. After the death of the Emperor, the two made amends and then parted ways.

It's been a week since the event and he hasn't heard anything new from or about Lelouch or Zero. When he got back, he was questioned about what happened. Suzaku responded that the Knight of One had knocked him unconscious, and when he came too he heard the Emperor had disappeared. Nor had he heard any contact from Lelouch.

'Lelouch.' Suzaku thought to himself as he stared at the stormy night as lightning flashed in the sky. 'I don't know where you are, or what you're doing, but I know this. If you ever need me, Lelouch, I will be there for you. Count on it!'

As he sat alone in some random ally in the pouring rain, the only source of cold he could feel was from his own heart. Which was heavy with regret, guilt, shame, sadness, anger, depression, defeat, etc. He was cold, alone, and most of all, lost.

As the lightning flash above his head and the sound of thunder boomed in his ears, Lelouch vi Britannia looked over the events in his life as he sat in the cold rain.

His mother's 'death', his exile with Nunnally, meeting Suzaku, the war. His time at Ashford, getting his Geass from C.C., meeting Kallen, Reuniting with Suzaku, creating Zero, killing Clovis. Forming the Black Knights, Shirley's confession, him erasing her memories of him. Accidentally Geassing Euphie to kill the Japanese then her death by his hands, his capture by Suzaku, being brought before his father, and having his memories rewritten. Living with his 'brother' Rolo, getting his memories back, saving the Black Knights. Fighting Nunnally, nearly using Refrain as an escape from his troubles, being saved by Kallen, finding his purpose again. Losing Kallen to Suzaku, Shirley's death, eliminating the Geass order, Nunnally's death. Being betrayed by the Black Knights, lying to save Kallen, being saved by Rolo, and the boy dying. Confronting his father in C's world, seeing his mother again, learning the truth that he and Nunnally were abandoned. Rejecting the world they wanted, asking the collective subconscious of humanity to continue the march of time, and erasing them for existence.

And finally was C.C.'s death.

In order to prevent another Geass user from doing what Charles and Marianne sought to do, she sacrificed herself to destroy the power of Geass everywhere. Users lost their power, and immortals lost their Codes. As did Lelouch lose his own cursed power.

Afterward, Lelouch explained everything to Suzaku about what really happened with Euphie, how Shirley died, everything. And then Suzaku did the one thing Lelouch would never expect: he forgave him. And even more, he promised to be there if Lelouch ever needed him.

Though that promise held little meaning considering Lelouch had nothing now. Not the Black Knights, not Nunnally, not Kallen, not family (that loved him). He had nothing, absolutely nothing left. And all he wanted was to see memories of a past life. A happier life.

Which makes sense because he's holding within his had a vile of Refrain, ready to lose himself in the hallucinations. Last time he had done this, Kallen had come and saved him from injecting himself with the drug. But that wasn't happening this time. He was alone in an alley, no one knew he was there, and no one was coming to save him, not this time. And he didn't want anyone too.

Lelouch pressed the needle against his skin, thumb on the injector, ready to lose himself in the drug. He knew that once he took it, he wouldn't be able to escape from its hold. Hopefully, he would get run over by a bus or som-

"HELP!"

Lelouch stopped, his fingers jumped at the noise, the needle mere centimeters away from contact with his skin. He turned to the source of the noise. In the entrance to the alley he was hiding in he saw three people. Two were Japanese, a man and a woman, and the other was a large Britannian man.

"No one's coming to save you stinkin' elevens!" The large man replied. The two Japanese held faces of pure terror on them.

"Just take whatever you want!" The Japanese man replied as he and his companion were backed into a wall with nowhere to go. "Take it and leave us alone!"

Lelouch looked around for someone, anyone other than him in the area that would help the couple, so he could be left alone to take the drug and sink in his despair.

But there was no one. And even if there was, a Britannian would only join in on tormenting the two, and a Japanese would be too scared to act. It was only him.

The Britannian reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. Lelouch's eyes widen

That was it!

He had to take action! Now! Or that innocent couple would die! While he didn't have his Geass anymore, nor was he very capable in a fight, he had to do something!

Taking a deep breath, Lelouch charged the man.

"You eleven's deserve to drown in the ghettos and die. Just like Ze-" He didn't finish as Lelouch leaped then tackled him to the ground. The man dropped his knife and it clattered somewhere on the wet ground.

"Get off me you son of a-" He didn't finish as Lelouch struck his face. While he held little to no love of his mother now, he still didn't tolerate that kind of language toward women. Though he did completely agree with the man's statement about his mother.

While Lelouch never had as much physical prowess as Suzaku and Kallen, his time as Zero and fighting against Britannia had given him at least some strength to hold his own in a fight. But would it be enough?

He could run away. Get out of the alley and escape. However, he took one glance behind him to the Japanese couple. There was terror in their eyes but also hope that Lelouch would save them.

Not Zero, Lelouch.

He couldn't just leave them here. He had to help these people, even if it costs him his own life. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and prepared to make his last stand.

The man charge. Lelouch ducked and struck his gut and then swung his hand across his face. An elbow went to Leocuh's face, warm liquid fell from his nose to his mouth. Then a punch to his gut, he bent over. Then a strike to his face sent Lelouch to the cold, wet ground.

"This is what you get for playing hero you little turd." The Britannian said as he kicked Lelouch in his stomach. "You know what happens to heroes you brat?" He came down and whispered in Lelouch's ear. "They die."

As Lelouch laid on the cold wet ground of the alley, only thoughts of defeat flowed through his brilliant mind. 'So this is it? After all my struggles, all my sacrifices, all my suffering, all my victories, and losses, this is how I die? Alone in an alleyway, by the hands of an idiot.'

He then took a glance at the couple. Their faces held a look of desperation. Desperation for him to get up and help them. To save them.

Suddenly, something strong, powerful, emerged in Lelouch's spirit.

NO! He wouldn't die here! If he did, those innocent people would suffer for his weakness, and he would be insulting Nunnally's dream of a gentle world!

HE had to do something!

In the corner of his eye, he spotted a brick only a few inches from his hand. He moved his hand slightly and subtly to grab the brick.

"Heroes don't die," Lelouch muttered under his breath as his fingers brushed against the brick.

"What?" The brute asked leaning down to hear.

"Heroes don't die," He repeated as he gripped the brick. Then, in one swift motion, he rose and swung the brick in hand viciously across the man's face! The brick shattered on impact!

"THEY'RE REBORN!" He declared in a voice that was more powerful than he ever held as Zero.

He then grabbed the man by the face and slammed it against the brick wall of the alley, knocking him out!

Lelouch was breathing heavily. He was exhausted, adrenaline was now leaving his body, and fatigue was replacing it. He looked over to the couple, they both held mixed looks. But what took precedence over them all, was the look of relief and joy. Lelouch smiled brightly at that look.

The couple, now identified as Warren and Mary McGinnis, had been constantly thanking Lelouch for what he did. They had invited him over to their apartment for dinner, which he tried to decline, but they insisted. Mary had made a delicious meatloaf alone with some rice. It had been one of the grandest meals that Lelouch had eaten in a long time.

After passing it out all the food, Mary joined the two. "Thank you!" Warren said to Lelouch, for about the hundredth thousandth time. And Lelouch was starting to get tired of it.

Mary and Warren looked that Lelouch had barely started eating his second portion. With the way how he gouged down his first, they thought he would consume the whole meatloaf and then more. They saw in his eyes that he held great sadness, and are confused about what could be causing their rescuer such depression.

"What's got you down a young man like you?" Mary asked in concern as she moved to place a comforting hand on his arm. Lelouch recoiled in shock at the action of affection.

He was uncomfortable with these kinds of things, as usual. Especially since these were complete strangers. "I'm fine," Lelouch replied taking a carrot in his fork and putting it in his mouth

The two were obviously not believing the boy. "You know," Warren spoke up, "talking about whatever's hurting you helps out a lot."

Lelouch sighed. Clearly, these two were determined to help their savior any way they could. "Where do I begin?" Lelouch asked himself as he put his silverware down. He then gave a summarized explanation of what happened, without mentioning the Black Knights, referring to them as a group, or him being Zero.

The couple were both horrified and amazed at the boy. The former because of all the terrible things that had happened to him, and the latter at how he was still standing and that he hadn't committed suicide yet.

"But most of it was really my fault," Lelouch admitted as he continued. "I made mistakes and decisions that led to all those terrible things to happen to me. So when you two sit here and treat me with love and call me a hero, that's a lie."

Warren and Mary saw that Lelouch was slipping into a deeper depression. Then, Warren had an idea. "Look, son," he started, "I get what you're going through. I went through the exact same thing at your age." This earned him a raised eyebrow from Lelouch. "Okay, maybe not the exact same thing." This earned him a chuckle from Mary, and surprisingly Lelouch.

"What I mean is," Warren continued, "when Britannia invaded Japan, I was alone. I lost my parents, my siblings. Then my closest friend died in the carnage that followed. I was left alone in the world in a state of total depression, that was when refrain came out. And I was this close to taking it." He demonstrated by having his fingers nearly touching.

Lelouch was stunned. To learn that this man was in the same state as him only an hour ago.

"But," Warren continued, catching Lelouch's attention again, "If I had given in to the drug, then I would have let Britannia succeed in breaking my spirit. So I worked hard to pull myself out of that gutter I got myself into. And that's when I met Mary." He then grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed it tightly. "She was my world. She pulled me out of the darkness into the light."

The two looked back to Lelouch. "What you need to do is find your purpose again, your reason to keep living," Mary said. "I'm sure your friend had his reasons for betraying you. I believe that you don't need your club to make a difference in the world. I know that the girl you love will be with you forever if you just tell her how you feel. And I absolutely know that your sister would be proud of you for what you did tonight."

Lelocuh thought about it, and they were right. Suzaku hadn't really betrayed him, Schneizal only made it seem like that to hurt Lelouch. The Black Knights, sure he started them, but he didn't need them to bring justice to the corruption of the world, at least not under the guise of Zero that is. Kallen, he loved her so much that he was willing to lie and face death alone to protect her, and if he ever saw her again he would tell her the truth. And Nunnally, she would be proud that Lelouch was able to help out a pair of strangers. Because that's the world she wanted: where kindness was extended to everyone even strangers.

And then, it dawned on Lelouch. 'That's it!' Lelouch thought with realization. That was his purpose: to create the world what his sister always dreamed of and desired. Just because Nunnally wasn't around anymore, didn't mean that he had to abandon that quest. He would work for that world, to honor Nunnally's memory.

Warren and Mary saw a positive change in their savior, and both silently agreed to share with him something else. "You say you aren't a hero," Warren spoke up, catching Lelouch's attention. "But to us, you will always be a hero. Because you didn't save two people in that alley tonight." He then began to rub his wife's stomach.

"You saved three."

The Next Morning

Lelouch left the McGinnis' apartment after breakfast, thanking them for their food and hospitality. He also told them his name so they could at least have a good memory of him to share. They offered to have him stay at their place till he could get back on his feet, but he refused, saying that he had a place set up for him by some friends.

Which wasn't a lie, except these 'friends' were Geassed. It was a hidden bunker only he knew about. He had it built in case any of the Black Knight's bases had been compromised, or if he needed to start over. In this case the latter.

It was stocked with advanced technology, Knightmare materials, and a large amount of money he kept from gambling. So it should be fully equipped to help him start over.

But before he went there, he had one stop to make.

He had to do this, he had to put the past where it belonged: the past. He boarded a train to an area close to his destination and walked the rest of the way. The area was sealed off but Lelouch had managed to sneak in.

As he walked through the destroyed buildings and ruined homes of the ghetto, Lelouch felt a pit growing in his stomach. It was sickening to see all of this. Even after nearly two years, it was still sickening. He couldn't believe Clovis, a once kind-hearted gentleman, could cause all this death and destruction, just to cover something up. But, he remembered that he was a child of Charles Zi Britannia. But, then again, so was Lelouch and so many others.

After much walking, he finally arrived at his destination. It hadn't changed one bit. Except for the dead bodies of royal guards, who had committed suicide on Lelouch's orders, were now gone.

This is it.

This is where it all started.

Where his true war with Britannia began.

Where he got his Geass power.

Where he became alive again after being 'dead' for so long.

Where Zero was born.

And this is where Zero needs to be buried.

Last night he decided he would work to change the world into a kind and gentle one like Nunnally desired. And he would protect everyone this time. Not just Japanese or his friends, but Britannian, Chinese, Europeans, everyone would be protected by him.

But he couldn't do any of that as Zero anymore. Zero was dead, and his image was now in control of the Black Knights. Besides, Zero was born out of vengeance to destroy Britannia. Zero was dead and he needed to stay dead.

He needed to create a new symbol. One born of the will to save a life, not to destroy it. One that would instill fear into those who commit injustice and inspired hope in those who are afraid to rise up. Like Zero, except the one that would inspire an indomitable spirit that would inspire them to choose the right.

But, if he was gonna do this again, he also couldn't become the killer and manipulator he once was. To honor the memory of those he lost and create a gentle world that Nunnally wished for, he had to become someone else. Something else. Something greater than he ever was before.

'But what?' He asked himself. 'What symbol could replace, or even surpass, that of Zero?' Were some of the questions that were floating around in his mind.

Lelouch was so absorbed in his thinking that he didn't even notice that what was coming.

Suddenly, a figure burst through a window above him, shocking Lelouch out of his mind with sudden fear! Time slowed as hundreds of shards of glass fell down in slow motion, to his perspective, with the figure's body reflecting off the pieces of glass.

Lelouch, filled with fear at the shape and appearance, followed the creature's flight path as it flew and perched itself on one of the many barrels in the broken-down building. It shrieked, holding a fear of its own of Lelouch himself, but it also sounded as if it was almost speaking to Lelouch, communicating with him.

As he gazed into the wide black ebony eyes, old memories and feelings bubbled up in the surface of his mind. Memories of his greatest fear before he lost his mother.

After a long moment of staring the creature down, the fear that enveloped Lelouch's being was replaced with another powerful feeling.

Clarity.

'Yes…' Lelouch thought to himself with grim satisfaction as he smiled like the demon he used to be.

He found it!

As a child, it frightened him. But now it was going to be his new symbol. The symbol he needed to save the people of this world and bring hope to the oppressed and fear of the oppressors. The symbol that would replace Zero.

'... I shall become a bat!'

A/N: So what do you think?

Just so you know, I have this whole story mostly planned out. Meaning I have a clear idea for the ending and what I plan to have happened to get there. And yes, Lelouch had a fear of bats in his childhood like Bruce Wayne did.

Next chapter we'll see Lelouch in his new persona and it impacts on Japan and it's citizens.