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"Alpha Dog this is 404. I repeat, Alpha dog this is 404. I have spotted the target."

"Roger that 404."

The call sign, known to Britannian communications as "Alpha dog," traced unit 404's position and relayed it to the G1 command center, call sign, "White Knight." Prince Clovis himself ordered the deployment of the Royal Guard. Whoever had caused this incident won't be able to escape without divine intervention.

"404, this is Alpha Dog, I repeat, 404, this is Alpha Dog. Your orders are to secure the target and wait for extraction by the Royal Guard, over."

Unit 404, Suzaku Kururugi, magnified his view of the target, a white trailer supposedly carrying poison gas, removed from a Britannian research facility by a Japanese terrorist group. What did they hope to accomplish by this? He wondered. Use it on innocent civilians who did nothing to deserve death? Inner rage threatened release, but he held it down. He had a mission to complete and lives to save. He tried refocusing on his target.

He couldn't see anything. Too dark. Only the background white of the trailer itself could be made out.

"Thermal vision, activated," relayed a feminine voice. As of late, Britannian standard issue helmets came with voice recordings to announce when different actions were taken, such as using thermal or night vision. The 21st century was all about aesthetics.

Suzaku surveyed what laid ahead. No heat signatures except the "poison gas" container and…

There was someone over there! And they were attempting to release the gas! Even in the tunnels of the abandoned subway, a biochemical weapon could reach the surface and cause untold death and destruction. Suzaku didn't have a rifle with him, but he did not fear death. He had to prevent the gas from being used.

"Stop!"

Lelouch Lamperouge turned around to catch a single glance of a soldier's foot reaching his face. Before he opened his eyes again, this faceless soldier already had him pinned, his weight enough to hold him down. Curse his scrawny teenage body!

"That's enough mindless murder!"

This Britannian soldier was chastising him about mindless murder?

"Get off me!"

The soldier complied, taking a leap and landing on his feet a few meters back, but Lelouch doubted that he did so because of his order. Lelouch raised himself. If this soldier wanted to play the game of who has the moral high ground, he would oblige.

"I'm not here by choice, and if that's poison gas it was made in Britannia wasn't it? Mindless murder…then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!"

Suzaku couldn't believe it. After years of being apart, he here was.

"My god…Lelouch, it's me…Suzaku."

While two old friends convened for the first time in over 7 years, a third party stirred. A god, in scale of power, and yet, an outcast. A leviathan, with his origins in the eternal ocean of the Void. A being with a personality that can only be described as, "part devil, part angel, and entirely ambiguous." He took an interest in interesting people, and as luck, or perhaps, fate, would have it, two very interesting people were meeting, in very interesting circumstances.

The god of the Void was a little taken aback. Here he was, minding his own business when these two humans decided to interrupt. He forgave them, for what he saw made him smirk with delight. The eternal boredom of the void was at a close.

Oh Corvo…while you were alive, you fascinated me.

I had never laid my eyes upon a man as nearly as intriguing as you.

I was almost scared that once you died, no one interesting would ever spring up again.

Alas, here I am, my hopes rekindled.

Not only one, but two have arisen, and from a world that I believed had stagnated from its constant warfare and destruction.

Two boys.

One: a soldier who had killed his father in order to stop a terrible war.

The other: a prince, dishonored, and wishing revenge against his father for his sins.

This will be fun, indeed.

"You…you became a Britannian soldier?"

"Yeah and what about you? You're a…"

I do not have time to watch you two bicker over silly things.

I think it's about high time I give a little push to move things on a bit.

"What are you saying!?"

Both Lelouch and Suzaku felt a presence. Something indescribable. But what really had their attention, was the device that supposedly contained poison gas. It was opening.

Before Lelouch could react, Suzaku had him on the ground with a gas mask around his face. You could imagine their bewilderment when they weren't greeted with toxins, but a carved piece of whale bone. Some would call it a rune.

Lelouch and Suzaku were both drawn to it, like insects to a lamp. When they focused, they couldn't see it, but they knew, if you saw it through your peripheral vision, there was a dark aura encircling it, like a ripple around an object in water.

Perhaps the oddest part of it all was the song that Lelouch swore was coming from the mystical object. Lelouch asked Suzaku if he heard it as well, and he did. A tune, eerie and dark, almost as if it being played broke the boundaries between worlds.

What a strange thing it was. Lelouch reached out to touch it, but then…

"Stinking monkey!"

The Royal Guard had arrived. 10 of them at least, all armed, with an officer at the head of the spear that trapped them from behind.

"Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"

Suzaku rode to meet the captain face to face.

"But sir! I was told this was poison gas!"

"How dare you question orders!?" The captain barked.

This was bad. Lelouch feared that Suzaku and he would die this very moment. He had to help, but how? If only he had power!

"Though, on account of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient," the captain said, "Private Kururugi, take this pistol and execute the terrorist."

Both Lelouch and Suzaku were wide-eyed.

"But he's not a terrorist! He's a civilian who got caught up in all this!"

Lelouch knew Suzaku well. He would rather take the bullet himself than give it to someone else, perhaps even if said bullet was headed for his mortal enemy.

And that is why he would make a very unique bearer of the mark, don't you think?

"You insubordinate little…that's an order!" The captain's voice echoed. Suzaku stood still and silent, in contemplation.

"I'm sorry sir. I can't. I won't shoot a civilian." With this Suzaku faced Lelouch, revealing a solemn look.

"Very well…"

Suzaku fell to the ground, a bullet in his back, shot by no other than the menacing captain.

It's amusing when these humans are so sure of themselves that they know something, when, in fact, the opposite is true. Ironic, isn't it?

"NO!"

"Men, take the object from the boy. Once it's removed from his possession, kill him."

As one falls to the ground, presumably dead, another one very close by, presumably dead, arises from the seat of a wrecked truck. He mutters some words and flips a switch, becoming a burning martyr as he gazes at a picture of his wife.

When the smoke cleared, Lelouch was gone along with the rune. White Knight was called up and informed about the situation. Orders were shouted across the radio and a man was threatened with demotion.

I've never been able to understand why humans get so riled up when something doesn't go their way. Clovis is especially immature about it. Blaming another for something beyond his control…

Lelouch was trapped and scared. He followed the dirty underground tunnels and found an exit only for the Royal Guard to have caught up with him on the other side! They were so close he could hear them speaking to one another!

"-are you sure?"

"Yes sir. It matches our map of the old city."

They hadn't noticed him yet. Maybe if he stayed quiet he could—

Ring ring. Ring ring. Lelouch's phone was ringing. Shutting it off neither prevented the Royal Guard from finding him nor a girl on the other end of the call to become quite pissed off. Lelouch cursed that stupid girl aloud as the kind gentleman in the Royal Guard threw him against the rusty wall of the warehouse. The ground was stained with Japanese blood and filled with Japanese corpses. All of them, civilians.

"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end." The commander said matter-of-factly.

Lelouch spit out a slight curse, which only succeeded in a beating from one of the guardsmen.

"I must say," the commander continued, a pistol in his right hand, "You did well for a student, but that's to be expected of you. You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future."

"How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed, and now I'm about to die before having a chance to do a single thing with my life. It's gone in a heartbeat. Nunnally…No…"

Lelouch readied himself to meet the Void, and when he opened his eyes, he indeed was in the Void.

A floating chunk of rock in an endless expanse of blue nothingness. No sounds except the wind blowing past his ears. Was this hell? Was he cursed to live here forever to suffer from boredom?

Hello, Lelouch.

Lelouch turned to face the origin of the voice. A young man, dark hair, brown jacket, pale skin, and black eyes, levitated off the ground like he was suspended by wire. The same aura that he swore surrounded the rune was encircling this man, albeit much more distinct. Lelouch wasn't surprised. He expected no less from the Devil himself. The man only laughed slightly.

I assure you, I am not the Devil.

Far from it, in fact.

Lelouch raised a brow. Those eyes carried many things behind them. Many things that he could not deduce.

My dear Lelouch.

Your life has taken a turn, has it not?

Your mother is dead, your sister is crippled.

And to top it off, your father won't lift a finger.

Lelouch's eyes flickered at the mention of his mother, Marianne, and his sister, Nunnally. The being paused, inspecting Lelouch with those eyes like black holes. Soon he returned to speaking.

Yes, I know very much about your past.

Just one look at you and I see everything.

Lelouch flinched to the sound of the last note. The way this man, or rather, demon, said "everything" was irritating, like the sound of nails on chalkboard, only it didn't sound like that, but gave the same stinging sensation.

And just as I can see your past, I can see your future.

You will play a pivotal role in the days to come.

For this I have chosen you and drawn you into the Void.

The floating man paused. Again his dark vision over-shadowed Lelouch. He smiled as he could see the boy's breathless anticipation.

You said you desire power.

The power to save yourself.

The power to save your sister.

The power to destroy Britannia.

You desire power, do you not?

Lelouch dared not lie.

"I do."

The Outsider answered, with a sinister smile across his face…

I am the Outsider…and this is my mark.

Lelouch held his left hand up. Something was being etched onto the back of his hand. Miniature flames drew lines and circles across his skin like an electric pen tracing a tattoo. Finally, the flames disappeared, leaving no pain, only the seductive mark of the Outsider, the same mark he and Suzaku had seen on the carved bones. The Outsider was not done speaking.

There are forces in the world and beyond the world, great forces that men call magic, and now, these forces will serve your will.

Use this newfound power, my gift to you.

The Outsider bowed slightly and raised his arms as if to mock Lelouch.

Come and find me.

As the Outsider turned to ash and disappeared, he smirked.

Lelouch found himself alone again, atop the same floating chunk of rock. However, this rock was no longer alone. Lelouch saw before him a long array of other levitating constructs, some just suspended chunks of ground, others with remains of what looked like furniture and buildings.

Lelouch took this moment to get a clear a view of this mark. It was enticing in a way. Looking at it felt as if it was staring not only back at you, but past you, into your mind and soul. Lelouch was not frightened, however, because he just had a god gaze right through him with his black eyes.

"What does this mark actually do?"

Lelouch noticed that there was a major problem. The nearest platform to him was too far for him to traverse. Even with a running start, he simply could not make it that far and he knew it. Lelouch contemplated that maybe this was the worst torture of all. To be stuck and see a way out of your situation, but being unable to reach it.

Glancing again at the mark, words began to form in on his tongue. Lelouch trained his eyes on the closest object to him and let go.

"Su ftah!...shit!"

Lelouch was never one for physical health. As such, he almost couldn't pull himself up over the side. Landing in air just next to where he wanted to go, he was extremely lucky his reaction time was good enough (as bad as it was) to catch the ledge in time before he fell into the bottomless Void. He decided once was enough for now; he would never have guessed how taxing using magic was. If only there was a way to quickly restore his energy.

Luckily for him, the Outsider would provide.

Lelouch hadn't noticed the chest on the other side when he first landed on the rock. Lelouch had always been a curious boy, especially with the many books in his long ago home, the Imperial Palace, so he slowly approached the chest. It was small and ornate, with fine architecture, something akin to a Victorian era Britannian chest. Opening it revealed a mysterious glass vial containing a thick blue liquid. At one end of the tube there was a mechanism for drinking from it.

Lelouch was not an idiot. He was not afraid this was some poison the Outsider had concocted, so he drank it. The Outsider's mark illuminated itself for a moment and Lelouch felt like he had just awoken from a long, restful nap. His body felt invigorated and his magical energy (he had, at this point, not decided on a name for his ability to cast magic) was back to full strength. Lelouch tried to warp to the next point in his path, focusing on his target, and then…

"Su ftah!"

This time went much smoother, with Lelouch actually landing his two feet on the ground. It also wasn't as demanding on him as his first, in fact, he could feel his power regenerating to full strength. Quite a bit of pride was felt at learning how to control this power. "Blink" is what Lelouch decided to name it. As well, he decided to name his energy level for magic, "mana," after remembering reading about such a concept in a fantasy novel.

Now that he had a name down, what only remained now was to test the limits of this weapon, in order to perfect it and use it effectively against those who were his enemies. Within moments, Lelouch had "blinked" across every suspended landmass in the Void and was now standing before the end of his trial, a shrine to the Outsider, covered in violet lights and fabrics. Lelouch called, and finally, after moments of anticipation, the Outsider answered.

In the days that follow, your trials will be great, Lelouch.

Seek the ancient runes bearing my Mark in the lonely places of your world, and at shrines raised in my name.

These runes will grant you powers beyond other men.

"That thing…that Suzaku and I found in the truck…is that…"

Yes.

A secret treasure of Clovis's.

He knew it carried power, great power, within it.

He studied it, attempted to unlock what was within.

He tried to summon me, but I found him wanting.

If he wants to meet me, he should try being a bit more interesting.

"My brother was never too interesting a person." The Outsider chuckled slightly at that.

To help you find these runes, I give you this; the Heart of a Living Thing, molded by my hands.

With this heart, you will hear many secrets, and it will guide you to my runes, no matter how they may be are hidden.

The god of the Void opened his right hand to allow a mutilated, half-machine heart to form from nothing and fall into his hand. Lelouch was drawn to it, same as the Outsider's eyes, or his rune, or his mark. Everything that had to do with the Outsider seemed to induce that same feeling. Meanwhile, the Outsider straightened himself, and prepared a blank face.

How you use what I have given you falls upon you, as it has the others before you.

Others? Where there any marked ones right now? Lelouch had quite a few questions, but he remained quiet. The Outsider could see through him after all. If he wished to answer them he would.

And now I return you to your world, but know that I will be watching you with great interest, Lelouch.

The exiled prince took one last view of the Outsider's Mark. He felt the power flowing through him.

"…Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future." The captain told Lelouch.

Lelouch was back in the blood-soaked warehouse. Fresh corpses littered the ground like trash, but Lelouch was no longer afraid for his and Nunnally's life. He had asked for a god to give him power, and power, he had received. He arose, in upright defiance of the Royal Guard in front of him. Every weapon in the room was pointed at him, every weapon except the many smaller ones crawling about in the sewers and pipes below, or on the bodies, slowly digesting bits of flesh.

"Say, how should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?" A rhetorical question, mused Lelouch. The Guard captain only seemed slightly entertained.

"Are you some kind of radical?" The captain questioned. He appeared disturbed by that sinister look in Lelouch's eye. What was he planning?

"What's wrong, why not shoot? Your opponent is just a school boy, or have you finally realized, the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed." The Mark glowed its particular yellowish-blue.

"Wha-what's happening here?!" The captain's gun arm started shaking with fear.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you. Now all of you, die!" with that, he whispered something unintelligible to the guardsmen.

Both parties stood at a stand-off. Nothing seemed to be happening, until, the faintest noise could be heard. It grew slightly louder and louder until it could be distinguished; it was the scattering of thousands upon thousands of rodents. The pitter-patter surrounded them, coming from every direction, even underneath them. The captain quickly ordered his men to form a circle, for what little good it would do them. Lelouch's slight smirk widened until an evil grin stretched from ear to ear, for what he saw pleased him very much.

Rats, large, terrifying rats streamed out of every nook and cranny of the warehouse, even the bodies the guardsmen were stepping over. Every single one of them hungry, and their meal was the Royal Guard.

"FIRE AT WILL!" Rounds and rounds of ammunition were spent, but for each rat killed, ten more arrived. Soon, the soldiers were overwhelmed, their bodies began being torn apart from the bottom up by rats. Guardsmen that fell were swallowed whole by the rat swarm, their skin being chewed up, their organs ripped open and their blood spilling onto the floor. The screams of the dying guardsmen were reported by other squads nearly a mile away. When White knight caught word of this unnatural screeching, having heard the exact sounds from a radio operator in the field, nearly four platoons and two knightmares were sent to investigate.

Lelouch felt an almost orgasmic pleasure at seeing his enemies suffer and die before him. He may have been a little shocked by how much gore he had witnessed, but now he felt good. Very good, indeed. He had never held so much power before. Such raw power was…intoxicating.

Lelouch took a good, hard glance at the Mark. It glowed intensely.

"With this," Lelouch began, "I can defeat Britannia!"

And so it begins.

Anyone else get the feeling that no matter what people say, you feel like whatever you write is complete garbage?