Okay, so the start is kind of lacking, IMO... The story really starts in the second chapter.

If you're interested or have something to say, please leave comments.

Thanks!

~Chapter One: Second Chances~

"Wha… Where am… I?"

"He's awake! Quick, come over here!

"What are you yelling about! Oh… He's awake!"

"That's what I just said…"

"Whatever, but he's awake! We saved him!"

"You… what do you mean you saved me? What is this about?"

"You don't remember? You've been in a coma for about three months, so memory loss would most likely occur in this situation. You were attacked by Zero… He stabbed you, Lelouch."

Lelouch examined his surroundings. He was in a laboratory, floating in a tube filled with some liquid. There were bunches of wires running through the tube, into his body. A , allowing him to breathe and talk, covered his mouth.

He looked out the tube. He saw two people, but the liquid blurred his vision.

"I remember now…" Lelouch thought back to the day he was stabbed. "NO! The plan! It wasn't supposed to turn out like this… I'm not supposed to be alive! Get me out of here!"

"What are you talking about, Chancellor?"

"Stop! Don't call me Chancellor! I'm Lelouch Lamperouge! Lelouch vi Britannia died three months ago! He never survived! If anybody finds out I'm alive… The plan will be ruined…"

Lelouch winced. A sharp pain filled his stomach. He looked down. There was a large scar covering where he was stabbed. Damn Britannian science… Lelouch thought to himself.

"Please, let me out of here…" Lelouch asked.

"Well, I guess we can. Okay, get him ready to be extracted."

Lelouch sat at a table by the tube he awoke in. The two scientists stood by him.

"Tell me… How did I get here?"

"A group of your guards rushed your body from the scene, so the Elevens couldn't get to it…" one of the scientists replied.

"Japanese…" Lelouch said under his breath. "What is the current state of Britannia?"

"Well, the Black Knights have been a problem, for one thing. While you were out, they took control of Japan, liberating them from Britannia. In your absence, Schneizel has taken the role as substitute-Chancellor. He's made attempts to retake Japan, but the Black Nights have stopped Britannian forces every time. We've also lost quite a bit of land to the Chinese Federation… Britannia is losing its power... I'm sorry to tell you this, Chancellor."

"Damn it! I've told you, don't call me that!" Lelouch smashed his fist on the table in front of him.

"But, that's what you are. Out of respect, we call you Chancellor."

"That's an order!" Lelouch glared at the two scientists. "Don't refer to me as Chancellor ever again! Call me Lelouch Lamperouge!"

"Yes, Lelouch Lamperouge…" both scientists replied.

My Geass… I almost forgot… Damn! Where are those contacts!

"Lelouch Lamperouge, is something the matter?"

"No, everything is fine. Who knows that I am still alive?"

"Nobody really, just Schneizel and the guards who brought you here."

"Good. Keep it that way. Now, where am I supposed to stay?"

"I would guess your castle…"

"No… Give me some clothes. I'm leaving."

Lelouch walked down a street in the Homeland. What am I supposed to do? The Zero Requiem will be foiled if I'm found out to be alive… Everybody will put their hatred upon me again…

Lelouch sat down on a bench beneath a tree. Is this really what I want? I mean, how things are right now… He kicked at a pebble by his foot. What if I could have done something different? What if I could have stopped my father without taking the path I took?

Lelouch remembered what C.C. had said. She warned him not to be reckless with his power. What if I could save the friends lost along the way? Maybe I could have just liberated Japan and united the Black Knights and Britannia? Damn! All of my mistakes I made… None which could be erased! He clenched his fists. …Especially… What if I could have saved Shirley? No. She is just a girl… Don't regret what you did just because you lost a friend… But Nunnally? She hated my guts in the end… She's the reason I took this power…

Shirley… What would today be like if you didn't die? I was so blind to never find my feelings for her. They were right there, but I ignored them. She died loving me… It wasn't until she died in my arms that I knew I loved her… If I only had another chance, I could right my wrongs to her, to Nunnally, to my friends, to the World… But mainly… If I could bring Shirley back…

Lelouch stood up, pulling the hood that hid his identity further down over his face; he was crying. Crying… How absurd… After all I've been through, I decide to cry now?

Lelouch walked around, thinking to himself, until it grew dark. Suddenly, somebody bumped into him.

"I'm so sorry, good sir…" the man said.

Lelouch looked at him. He was an old man, probably about 70 or so; maybe older.

"It's fine. No problem." Lelouch smiled at him.

The man gasped.

"I'm sorry, is something wrong?" Lelouch asked.

"You're… You're eyes… You hold the Power of the Kings, too…" The man reached for Lelouch's hood and pushed it away from his eyes. "You've lost control of your power… You can't turn it off…"

"You're right… I abused the gift; now it's a curse…" Lelouch looked into the man's eyes. "You've lost control, too."

"Sadly, yes…"

"Can you tell me about your Geass a littler more?"

"Heh, if you buy me dinner!"

Lelouch and the old man sat at a table in the corner of a restaurant. The old man was eating his dinner, but Lelouch didn't even touch his.

"Now, can you tell me about your power?" Lelouch asked.

"Now, Son, I want to know about your power first. What is it you can do?"

Lelouch studied the man for a second. I have to be careful. I have to make sure he doesn't use Geass on me… I guess I'll tell him. He seems like a good person.

Lelouch spoke up, "Whatever I tell somebody to do, they have to obey. The downside is that I can only use it on somebody once… and I can't control it. I've hurt a lot of people because I can't turn it off…" Lelouch thought back to when he accidently made Euphemia go on a massacre of the Japanese. He didn't tell the story, of course, because he didn't want to give away his identity.

"Some power. I'm guessing you want to hear about mine now." The old man had stopped eating and grew serious. "With my Geass, I can turn back time…"

Lelouch's eyes widened. This… has to be fate… What if…

"Sir," Lelouch interrupted, "Can you turn back another person's time-line?"

"I can, but the consequences of turning back time are worse than you could imagine. I've found that out the hard way… And I can guess what you're thinking, and the answer's no: I won't turn back your time so you can fix a problem. Trust me, I've gone back to fix something many times, but another bad event always has to take that event's place… Whatever you want to change can change reality today drastically…"

Of course you moron! I'm willing to take the consequences! Just send me back in time! What if I use my Geass on him? Lelouch thought.

"You're going to use your Geass on me, aren't you?"

"I won't have to if you just turn back my time right now."

"I will never allow you to do so. The world is finally growing quiet… I don't want you to accidently change that."

Lelouch clenched his teeth. "I don't think you understand… I'll use my Geass on you, and you'll have to submit… No matter how bad you want to reject it, you'll have to. Just like Nunnally and Euphemia…" Lelouch was talking about when Nunnally tried to reject his Geass when she didn't want to give up the Freya Controls.

"Nunnally and Euphemia? It… was you who made Euphemia kill all those Elevens, wasn't it? You're Zero… You're…"

Lelouch threw his hood back and stood up.

"…Chancellor Lelouch… Lelouch… is Zero…" the man finished.

"Lelouch vi Britannia commands you… Send me back to the day Shirley died!" Lelouch's eyes lit up. The old man's eyes suddenly grew bright red.

"You'll see the consequences yourself! You'll regret what you've done, but you won't be able to change back time again! No… I can't… I don't want to use it… History as we know it will change!"

The others in the restaurant were watching the situation, unable to believe Lelouch was alive.

The old man's eye's lit up over the bright red. "If you wish, Lelouch… I'll turn back your history…"

Everybody in the building froze. Before Lelouch knew it, he watched time rewind. His history sped by. He watched Zero take back the assassination him, he watched himself give Nunnally back the key to the Freya Bombs. He watched Rolo come back to life. He watched countless soldiers awaken from death. He watched himself give up the throne. He watched his father and mother take back their attempt to cleanse the earth. He watched all of his history in reverse.

Lelouch stood silent as he watched Jeremiah Gottwald walk towards him. He pressed a switch. From the top of the train next to him, a series Gefion Disturbers came out, stopping Jeremiah in his path.

Lelouch began talking, but suddenly stopped. What is this? Déjà vu? I've been in this situation before, haven't I? What… is happening?

Lelouch grabbed his head, whispering under his breath, "What the hell is happening?" He winced as the events of the future crowded his mind. "That never happened though!"

"You bastard! What are you mumbling about!" Jeremiah said, trying to fight the Gefion Disturber.

"I… remember… Shirley! Listen, Orange, I don't have time for this! You have to understand: my Mother, Marianne vi Britannia, was killed by Britannia. That's why I've been fighting this fight. I'm doing this to bring vengeance upon Britannia, upon my father!"

"That… Can't be true! She was killed by an attack by assassins!"

"Think about it! Don't be so hard headed! You weren't with her when she was killed, were you? Trust me, I speak the truth! I want you to join me in my fight against Britannia…"

"I… No. I can't trust you! It… sounds so true. When I think about it… But you're my enemy… I…"

"Damn it, Orange! Join me or don't! I have to save somebody! Make the decision!"

"Lelouch… I promise… I will help you in your fight to bring vengeance on the Britannian Empire… for Marianne… I'm sorry I didn't believe you…"

"This is no time for apologies!" Lelouch pressed the button to the Gefion Disturbers. They turned off and Jeremiah stood up. "Lord Jeremiah… I need your Geass Canceller… Your first assignment from me will be to use it on Rolo vi Britannia. Now, follow me."

Lelouch and Jeremiah ran from the site. They scaled flights of stairs, when Lelouch froze. Jeremiah's Geass Canceller kicked in, allowing them to move.

"He's right around the corner, Orange. You may leave now," Lelouch explained.

They turned the corner. Rolo had his gun aimed at Shirley's stomach.

"Rolo? What are you doing?" Shirley asked in a frightened voice. Rolo had obviously used his Geass to stop time so he could kill her.

"My Geass! What happened to it!" Rolo started to panic.

"Rolo!"

He turned. Lelouch was standing there. "Brother! You're going to be so proud of me! Shirley here was trying to kill you! She knew all about your power and that you were Zero! She knew too much, so I was going to kill her! Why did you stop me?" Rolo asked.

"Don't kill Shirley, Rolo! If you even attempt, I will kill you myself if I have to!"

"Brother, she's our enemy! She wants to kill you!"

Shirley interrupted, "No, Lelouch! I don't want to kill you! I promise! I know everything, but I've forgiven you! You have to believe me!"

"I do, Shirley… I believe you entirely. As for you Rolo, I'm afraid you've made me angry. I'm a good person, though, so I'll allow you to live if you put your gun down…"

"Don't even try to use your Geass on me, Brother. I'll just freeze our surroundings and kill you then. I'm sorry, I have to kill her! I know it's for the better! Trust me, Big Brother! Just believe in me!"

"Damn it, Rolo! Stop calling me that! We're not brothers! You'll never replace Nunnally!"

"I don't care what you say! I know you'll love me if I do this! I just know it! Our enemies must die, right?" Rolo aimed his gun back at Shirley's stomach. "Goodbye Shirley…" His eyes began to glow….