Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass

Lelouch Vi Britannia lay in a small crater in the middle of an old, unkempt road. His hoody and pants were in tatters, the sun was going down, and he had no means of transportation. Suffice to say, his day wasn't going well.

"If he died I'm going to lose it," He muttered to himself as he rose to his feet. "At least I don't have to worry about whether or not he can pull the trigger."

Lelouch began to walk down the road at a leisurely pace in the direction of the elementary school nearby. It was the most likely place for his target to go. However, that was also the most dangerous place for them to go.

"Hopefully I can still salvage the situation," Lelouch contemplated as he rounded the corner on his trek to the school. "If his sister is still alive then I can use that to my advantage. She would give him a reason to fight and me a way to keep him in line. But that goes out the window if she dies. He wouldn't be useless, but he would be harder to control."

Lelouch had been planning to enlist the help of Kay for at least a month. He was looking for someone he could utilize, someone that was capable of wielding the power of the king. He realized he could have easily chosen any of those who were once close to him. But most of them either hated him, or were too precious to him to lose. He wouldn't put them in danger again. He owed them that much. If he was to take the path of blood again, he would keep those he loved out of it.

Suzaku would be dragged in regardless, but that didn't mean Lelouch couldn't limit his involvement. Nunnally could be kept safe as well. But then there was another individual who came to mind. Another person who Lelouch was determined to keep safe.

A girl who had experienced pain akin to that of his own. Who had sought the same dream that they had both fought so hard for. They were both dedicated to bringing peace to the world. But the main reason that Lelouch wanted to protect her is what they don't have in common. It was the fact that deep down, she was something he could never be. A good person. Someone who won't lay awake at night thinking about the billions of innocent people put to the sword because of their failures. Lelouch wouldn't lie to himself, he hated what he had done. He hated his own existence, necessary as it was. But he wouldn't let her become like him. No that wouldn't happen.

He would commit as many atrocities he had to if it meant she wouldn't be like him. If it meant she could still say that she didn't hate herself.

That was why Kay was necessary. Why he needed someone he wouldn't come to care for. Someone he could use. The evil henchman that did his master's bidding. Lelouch smirked at that. Even when he fights for the good guys he still finds himself committing crimes that one would normally only find a villain from a comic book commit. What a pathetic existence that is.

As Lelouch walked he took note of the destroyed buildings, the chunks of concrete scattered about the landscape, and the burning trees. While the plant life burned the setting sun turned the sky a deep orange, almost as if it too was burning. What it brought to mind for Lelouch was rather hilarious, in a sick sort of way. There may not be a hell in the afterlife for him, but that wouldn't stop the world for making a hell on earth just for him.

"Maybe not just for me," Lelouch mumbled as he climbed into what was left of one of the buildings that made up the educational facility. Bodies of all shapes and sizes were scattered about the rooms, filled with bullet holes from assault rifles and pistols. Lelouch continued deeper into the building and found himself faced with even more of the dead carcasses. They were already beginning to smell and it made his stomach turn.

As he reached the other side of the building and opened the door, he found a single Knightmare Frame that sat inactive in the center of the inner courtyard of the school. It was missing one of its arms and had several splashes of blood covering its legs and remaining arm. In front of it on the ground sat a teenage boy with disheveled coppery brown hair that just barely managed to cover his eyes with the way his head was tilted down.

"Well he lived," Lelouch whispered as he slowly made his way towards Kay.

He didn't look physically harmed but something was obviously off. He wasn't moving or making noise. He just sat there, with his head bowed and his body slack.

"I found her," Kay finally called out when Lelouch had made it about halfway towards him. "She was just a head. Her body was nothing but a little hunk of flesh attached to her neck."

Lelouch sighed and continued towards him. This time without any of the caution he had previously utilized. As soon as he was within reach he placed his hand upon the boy's head.

His vision flashed a whole array of colors before everything went white. Then, He saw it.

Kay sped down the street with only the safety of his sister in mind. He was still terrible at controlling the Frame, but he was getting the hang of the basics. As he turned a corner about a mile down the road from the food mart he had come from, he found himself staring down a Knightmare identical to his.

Kay, seeing a chance to make the first move, raised the large cannon-like rifle and aimed directly into the chest of the opposing Frame. He didn't wait for more than a millisecond before unloading several rounds into his target. Much like the last time he had used the rifle, his shots were inaccurate, but sufficient. The Frame's chest and cockpit were turned into twisted hunks of metal before it even hit the ground

That wasn't the only enemy present however, previously overlooked by Kay, a full squad of foot troops were scrambling for cover by the Frame's feet. Normally, they wouldn't be a problem. But unfortunately, one soldier that had propped himself up against a crumbling wall leveled an RPG at the side of the giant machine.

As Kay turned to drive away, his Knightmare's right arm was destroyed in a fiery explosion. He snarled as his Frame shuddered from the force of the blast.

"I don't have time for this shit!" Kay screamed as he kicked down the wall that the man had been hiding behind. As the other men began to run away in vain, Kay proceeded to crush them under the feet of his metallic steed.

As the men's screams of horror and pain finally ended with their horrid demise, Kay proceeded towards the school. He had to find her, he had to protect her. He tore down the street, headless of anything around him. This part of the town seemed almost as if it had already been covered by the soldiers.

"No!" Kay howled out as he turned onto the street the school was on. "They didn't find her, they didn't find her!"

Kay drove straight into the courtyard of the school and immediately got out of his Frame. He burst into a full sprint towards his little sister's class room. As soon as he opened the door he was scanning the room.

"Valery!" Kay called, his voice hoarse from all of his running. "Valery! Valery! Valery! Va-"

He found her. Or more specifically…

He found what was left of her.

A/N: Well that was depressing. I want to know what you guys think about how I depicted Lelouch in this. Does he feel out of character? I think that deep down Lelouch kind of hates himself. I want him to seem like a guy who is only alive because if he died no one would be able to get the job done. Even if he is kinda crazy, he probably does still feel a lot of guilt about what he's done. Also, let me know if anything feels rushed or incomplete. Am I going too fast or is the pacing good? You know, the usual things one should worry about when they write a story. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!