Disclaimer: I own nothing from Code Geass except for this story
-

The sound of the monorail rushing through the stations surrounded Lelouch. The dark-haired man sat in the center of one of the cushioned bench-like seats lining the walls, casually entwining his hands as they hung in between his thighs and rested his arms in his lap. The intercom came on and a voice came through.

"For those transferring to the rapid express train, please wait on Platform 3—"

Lelouch let out a low gasp and lifted his head. He saw a couple of children looking out the train's window with their mother, eager to get out of the cramped space and run about. Their faces lit up as they pointed out the window and marveled at the passing city. His sights instead fixated on the woman sitting nearby the awestruck children. A fairly young woman who he assumed to be their mother played along with their enthusiasm. Undertones of exhaustion laced her voice but she still managed to hold a smile. Looking at her only reminded him of his own mother who he had tragically lost so many years ago. And at that, his heart sank even deeper in his chest.

"–You can transfer to the Senkyo line at the next stop."

Lelouch's heavy eyes looked around the train's interior, spotting several monitors installed above his head before reverting to his original position. His bright eyes dimmed as he cast his solemn gaze towards the floor.

Neither of them is needed anymore…whether it's Zero or my battle…

He suddenly felt a slight tremor by his side. He initially sought to leave it, but its buzzing was relentless. He immediately dug into his pocket and yanked the vibrating phone out. The digital name Q-1 flashed brightly on the screen.

Kallen...

His mouth twisted into a frown and his brows furrowed. He knew she was checking in on him after the news had broken out but he couldn't help but be reminded of his failures upon seeing her code name. Without another moment's hesitation, he grabbed the other end of the phone and snapped the device in two. Lelouch stood up and unlatched the window behind him, shoving the broken device through the opening. He watched as the various pieces tumbled out of sight below him before returning to his seat. He resumed sitting hunched over deep in thought with his head lowered and hands dangling between his knees.

They'll be better off without me.

"Huh?" she questioned, astonished, as the tone of a disrupted call rang in her ears.

"That's not like Lelouch to do that. Something must be bothering him if he won't take my call. I wonder what it is. Could it be that the governor's announcement of reestablishing the Special Administrative Region of Japan is bothering him? Or is he depressed that he wasn't able to secure Nunnally when we raided the air ship?" She thought aloud.

Kallen ran her thumb across the surface of the number pad. Her thoughts lingered on the dark-haired teen and a string of possibilities ran through her mind. Snapping herself out of her stupor, she slammed the phone shut and let out a frustrated grunt.

"Damn him! I need to relay an important message! Everyone is waiting for him and he won't even bother picking up the phone? What is he thinking?" she huffed. "Whatever it is, he better not do anything stupid. I better find him before he does anything he'll regret."

"…but first I need to get out of this uniform."

She looked down and eyed the iconic black uniform that hugged her body. She marveled at the sleek lines that wound through her curves and complimented well with the gray lining. Ever since she teamed up with the infamous Zero, she had worn the uniform with great pride. In fact, if she could, she would wear it every day.

What am I doing? This uniform is a symbol of our allegiance to Zero... I can't be carelessly walking out in public while wearing this!

Kallen only grew more frustrated at the situation and stuffed the phone back into her pocket before running deeper into the dark alleys. She was indeed brave to go headfirst into the darkness where the unknown awaited. However, her own safety at the moment was the least of her worries.

The sound of her boots hitting against the pavement echoed between the empty buildings and rang in her ears. Beads of sweat began to trickle down her heated face and her vision started to become a little hazy. Sharp eyes darted side to side in search of a certain violet-eyed man. A dull ache plagued her muscles and although she was finally started to feel the effects of exhaustion, she couldn't afford to stop now. She gathered her strength to force herself to continue.

"Where is a Knightmare when I really need it?" She panted through clenched teeth. Her radiant blue eyes were suddenly alight with determination as she let out a roar.

"Damn you Lelouch!" Kallen yelled as she sprinted, fueled by the momentum and the thought of getting her hands on the elusive bastard.

Said bastard sat alone, folded over and deep in thought. Moments earlier, he had used his Geass to evacuate everyone around him to the adjacent cabin, leaving the entire cabin for himself. He was getting tired of the hushed whispers and the furtive stares he would receive from the other passengers. Now, as he had wanted, he was greeted with sweet silence. His forearms remained drooped in between his knees while his elbows rested above. The faint buzz of the commercials playing on the television monitors barely caught his attention. To the perplexed man who was waging an internal battle, it was just white noise.

All this time, I've been doing this for Nunnally's sake, yet…

"I am pleased to meet you all," a female voice echoed.

Lelouch's eyes widened as he immediately recognized the owner of the voice. He whipped his head towards the sound's origin and found that the monitors in the cabin were projecting Nunnally's speech from earlier. One by one, the commercials that dominated the screens were replaced by the familiar face. Her voice vibrated throughout the cabin and invaded his ears.

"I am the 97th successor to the throne of Britannia, Nunnally vi Britannia."

Lelouch shot up from his seat, dumbfounded, as he continued to stare at his beloved sister's face displayed on the monitor. Unknowingly, the monorail came to a stop and the doors opened up behind him. The tall figure started to back away, unable to take his eyes off the screen and unaware of the crowd that was observing him from behind.

"I shall be replacing Duke Calares, who passed away earlier, and assume the position of Area 11's governor," the video continued. The sound of her voice and the sight of her fair face haunted him; Lelouch backed away from the screens even further but he couldn't seem to escape them. Her sweet, melodic voice rang clearly in his ears and the guilt immediately washed over him. The crowd stepped aside as the crazed man stumbled backwards with a shocked expression still plastered onto his face. He started to turn around to run away, but had collided into a man passing by. The stacks of papers that were neatly tucked underneath his arm flew in the air and scattered onto the floor. All the dark-haired teen could do was freeze—like a deer in headlights. Time seemed to have slowed as the remaining papers steadily fluttered onto the ground.

"Ah what the hell are you doing?" the man snarled, the irritation obvious in his tone.

Lelouch didn't seem to hear him. His attention was instead focused on the papers that suddenly blanketed the station floor. He caught sight of a familiar face and let out a gasp when he realized that all of the papers were of Nunnally. Seeing her image on the flyer, blood pounded loudly in his ears like drums and his breathing hastened. His stomach was twisting into knots and his chest felt tight.

He couldn't take it anymore.

Overwhelmed, he quickly turned on his heels and sprinted off in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" the man called out behind him. Lelouch ignored him and frantically continued down the station. As he ran, he couldn't help but notice the large posters of his dear sister pasted along the station walls. He felt his throat constrict tighter and tighter at the sight. Everywhere he looked she was there and he hated it; it was a constant reminder of how he couldn't escape her no matter how hard he tried. He felt trapped and the walls were closing in on him fast. All he wanted to do was run from it all.

I...I can't…

Lelouch had run as far as his legs would carry him. He leaned his heavy body against the wall of the building lining the alley. His head fell back against the cold brick and he gazed up towards the night sky. He was panting heavily as drops of sweat rolled down his face. His arm reached up and grabbed the damp jacket that clung to his body. Underneath his clenched hand, he felt his heart beat furiously underneath his skin. His normally cold eyes were shaking in fear and his soul was torn into two. He felt truly alone and was just a moment away from breaking down right then and there when he heard the groans of someone nearby. His senses heightened at hearing the pained grunts and his back straightened.

The youth hurriedly wiped the dust from his clothes before he approached the sound. As he crept closer, he bared witness to a group of men towering over a bruised Eleven man curled up on the ground. The man's callused hands shielded his beaten face while the kicks and punches targeted his middle; moans and groans slipped from his busted lips as each attack connected with his wounded body.

"Quit yapping you poor bastard!" one said.

"Loser!" Another called out.

The man doubled over on the ground pleaded to the hulking men above him.

"Please, stop! You guys are Elevens like me, aren't you?" he uttered.

His voice was wavering, partially from the injuries he received and partially because of the feeling of betrayal from his brethren. Lelouch continued to watch from the shadows. Observing the scene that played out before him reignited his anger and returned his steely glare. A moment later, a man broke away from the crowd and stepped towards the victim. The hem of his coat drifted behind him as he moved, immediately distinguishing him as the one orchestrating the attack.

"A Britannian! Of course, someone like that would be behind all this…" Lelouch hissed under his breath. The Britannian towered over the man who was curled up at his feet.

"You want this? You bring me the money," he taunted while revealing a pump. A sinister cackle escaped his pursed lips as he waved the device in front of the beaten man's face.

At this time, Lelouch stepped out of the shadows and calmly approached the group. The sound of heels slapping against the ground echoed in the tense air and immediately caught everyone's attention. Everyone turned to face the intruder with readied fists and defensive stances.

"Hn?" the Britannian questioned.

"A Britannian? A student?" asked one of the men.

Lelouch stopped just a few feet away from the closest man standing beside him. The corners of his lips fell into a disgusted frown and his brows creased inward in anger.

"Japanese people devouring other Japanese…and that by becoming dogs of Britannia," he spat.

"Ha! He said Japanese!" the caped man sneered.

He snapped his fingers and without wasting another moment, his subordinates moved out from behind him and advanced towards the teen.

"We don't need no sympathy from Britannians!" A gruff man retorted.

"We are Elevens," another stated proudly.

"Damn school boy, we don't need people talking shit about what we do for a job" another man sounded out from behind.

The men began to huddle closer, surrounding the violet-eyed student. Inch by inch, the man's opportunity to flee disappeared. Just as the mercenaries were about to unleash their fury and earn their wage for the night, the Britannian noble intervened.

"They are happy about the fact that they are used by me, school boy," he smirked as he casually lifted his shoulders in a shrug. He stepped closer to the youth and stood now inches away. He lifted his hand and stroked Lelouch's cheek with a finger, all the while flashing his gold thumb-ring.

"Don't touch me, you worm!" the dark-haired youth barked in retaliation.

"W-What?" He stuttered as he jerked his hand back and took a step backwards. He was a Britannian—a Britannian noble no less, and the figure standing before him was a mere school boy. Yet, the way his violet eyes glared at him in abhorrence had his spine tingling. He was still processing what was happening when Lelouch moved to lift his hand to his head. He removed his fingers from his face to reveal the glowing, crimson bird of Geass embedded in his left eye.

"Do some push-ups!" he commanded. The Britannian man stood wordlessly for a moment before he opened his mouth.

"Okay," the noble replied monotonously.

He immediately dropped to the ground and as commanded, started to do push-ups. The others surrounding him were taken aback with fear and confusion evident on their faces. Their cold, ruthless employer was suddenly doing push ups at the command of some school boy?

"Mr. Korczak, what are you doing?"

Lelouch slowly turned his head towards one of the men, his left eye still glowing brightly.

"I'll have you guys dance."

A second later, one of the men started dancing crazily beside their boss with arms and legs flailing wildly. One by one, Lelouch used his Geass and commanded each of the men to do some outrageous action.

"Squat!"

"Howl!"

"Clap your hands!"

In no time, the alley that was previously a mugging scene had turned into an alley filled with seemingly crazed people doing absurd actions. It would have appeared like a madhouse to anyone passing by. Lelouch observed the comical scene playing before him and a maniacal laugh escaped from his lips. His laugh, resembling that of a madman, bounced off the walls and vibrated in the still air.

Lelouch now sat on a steel girder inside of a secluded construction area. Without knowing it, he had wandered off to the former Shinjuku Ghetto. He slowly rolled up his sleeve and lifted his arm, settling it on top of his thigh. In his other hand, was the pump that the Britannian had held earlier. He figured he might as well just take the pump off their hands, since neither of the men back in the alley was capable of processing coherent thought anymore. The hand that wielded the pump gripped the trigger tightly as he raised it towards the resting arm. He mindlessly watched as the thick, orange fluid sloshed around its container as he handled the device. The metal tip of the pump was just about to touch his flesh when—

"So you came after all, huh?"

Lelouch froze. He immediately whipped his head towards the origin of the voice. He hadn't expected anyone and it was obvious on his face. His large, violet eyes fixated on the dark corridor and caught sight of a woman with fire-like hair approaching him; the heel of her boots lightly thudded against the concrete floor and sharp, blue eyes locked onto him.

"Kallen," he whispered to himself.

The rhythmic tapping of her boots still rang in his ears and for some reason he found her presence to be a little unsettling. His body tensed up and his fingers stiffened.

"This is where Zero…" she started while coming closer, "where you started everything."

She stopped in her tracks, meters away from where he remained seated. She continued to let her eyes wander about the space with a small, forlorn smile playing on her lips.

Lelouch saw that her eyes were somewhat glazed over and had a tint of sadness layered behind them. But, he realized, it wasn't sadness, but instead nostalgia that overwhelmed her. When he first encountered the bold, reckless woman, she was much different than the woman standing before him now. Over the time that they've spent together, whether it was doing missions, participating in school, or even just having a battle of wills, the two seemed to have matured. The spiky red-haired warrior that fought for the Black Knights with a personality like a wild-fire was nowhere in sight. That Kallen, with eyes burning with passion, would have wasted no time in engaging in an argument or anything to rile him up. In her place, the Kallen standing in front of him, was a woman who looked upon him with saddened blue eyes as he sat alone on the steel girder with a needle pressed against his vein. He almost felt...ashamed...

Kallen also realized how far the man before her was from his usual charming and detached appearance. Throughout her time at Ashford Academy with Lelouch and the others, he always held a cool composure and never seemed to care much about anything. The Lelouch then, the one she came to know, was strong-willed and resilient: a natural leader. He seemed like the type of person who would never be broken, no matter what was thrown his way, and yet here he was sitting in the middle of a construction site all alone with a desolate aura surrounding him. Something was wrong, she was sure of it. Kallen commenced walking towards him again.

"Lelouch I have something—" As she stepped forward, she suddenly took note of the bulky object poised in his hand.

Recognizing the outline of the device and the posture he took, a gasp involuntarily escaped from her mouth.

"That's—"

"Refrain," Lelouch finished. "Kallen, you know about this too, right?"

She didn't respond. She didn't know how to. She just stood bewildered and merely continued to fixate on the metallic object in his hand.

"You can go back to the good ol' days…"

As he spoke, her eyes shook in disbelief, disbelief that Zero, the savior of Japan has spiraled into a depression and was willing to give everything up to the Britannian drug. While he was speaking to her, her mind was lost in a daze and was hanging by a thread. Images of her beloved mother and Refrain crossed her mind while she was getting lost in her thoughts. A swirl of emotions consumed her; however, it was the resignation that was oozing from his voice that broke her trance.

"Don't joke like that!" She screamed as she marched purposely towards him, clamping the hand that held the pump. She tried to yank it out of his reach, but he stubbornly held on.

Kallen struggled, but managed to confiscate the object, angrily flinging it onto the cold ground and hearing the pump shatter satisfyingly into pieces. At hearing the distinct breaking of glass, Lelouch's expression dropped. He retracted his arms and held them close to his torso, as if he were hugging himself. He sat there wordlessly while setting his sights downward, unwilling to face the glowering woman towering over him.

Seeing her once-strong leader acting in such a pathetic manner only served to anger her even further. Her face scrunched up in seething rage and her hands balled into fists. She wanted to slap him out of it, grab him by the collar, talk some sense into him—something. Her heart was aching at the sight of him collapsing and even more so at how helpless she felt.

"So what if you failed once?" She practically yelled.

Violet eyes shifted towards her.

"Just think of another plan to get her back! Command us like you always do. Pilot a Knightmare? Search for some kind of bait? I'll listen to anything you say!" She shouted, her body trembling from the sudden emotional spike. She didn't know how to help him, but she knew she couldn't just walk away from him in his moment of vulnerability. He needed her.

Please.

Lelouch in response moved to rest his arms on top of his knees once again. Folded over, his black bangs fell over his face, preventing the panting woman from seeing his expression. His shoulders dropped and his breathing evened out.

"Then…comfort me…" he whispered, just loud enough for her to catch his words.

Kallen jolted at his request, taking a step backwards to steady herself. Lelouch noticed this and started to shift in his place. He forced himself to get on his feet and straightened his back. He slowly motioned towards the wide-eyed pilot, but as he advanced, she retreated, maintaining the space between them.

They continued this dance until her back suddenly collided against a steel girder. She felt the girder's cool metal against her warm skin and her mind blanked as the tall silhouette continued to approach her. The dark-haired man took this opportunity to close the gap between them and when he finally stopped, only inches of air separated them.

"That's something women can do, right?" he asked in a low whisper. A chill tingled down her spine when she heard the unfamiliar tone of voice. She glanced upward to search within his softened, violet pupils.

What is with that tone? I've never heard him talk like that before. That's not the Lelouch I know! It's as if he is...begging—

Before she could process another word, she realized that Lelouch's face was much closer than it was before. His fingers gently cupped her chin and tilted it upwards as he leaned in. With his lips slightly parted, his breaths fanned her face and her body responded to this, reflexively mirroring his action. Her lips quivered as she could feel his nearing hers; she was unsure of what she should do and chose to remain in her place.

What do I do? This is Zero—Lelouch here! He is depressed and confused and he wants me to comfort him. Is this the way that should be done? Think Kallen, think!

Before she could fully process the situation, Lelouch's lips made contact with hers. Her lips were tender—more tender than he had expected. His eyes closed shut and he emanated a blissful aura. In shock of his sudden action, Kallen's eyes widened and her cheeks flared up instantly. Little did she know that his bliss was contagious.

It slowly spread onto her, enticing her to release her hold on reality. As each excruciating second passed, Kallen's feelings of wanting to let go of her worries began to overwhelm her. Shortly after, her own eyes drooped and shut, finally giving in to the temptation. She raised her arms up from her sides to the front of his broad shoulders. She leaned forward, deepening the kiss, which in response, Lelouch withdrew his fingers from her chin and slid his hands around her waist and upper back. He led her deeper into his arms and held her firmly against his chest.

Kallen sighed and gently moaned into him.

If this is the way to rid of your worries and anguish, I won't mind. All I want is for you to be happy and be with people that truly care about you…

As if her thoughts reached him, a lone tear streaked down the side of Lelouch's cheek.

The two pulled away from the kiss, but remained in each other's arms. When Kallen looked up at him, she noticed the tear stain on his face. The quiet happiness within her dissipated and concern quickly began to take over.

"Zer—Lelouch…" she started.

Before she could say anything else, she was pulled forward, feeling wiry arms wrap firmly around her once again. Her hands were still positioned on the front of his shoulders and so didn't have much space to move. Her head fell between her hands and thudded against his chest while his cheek rested on top of her skull.

Kallen…at my most desperate time you were there for me. You were able to ease my pain and kept me from straying from my path. In this time of despair and great yearn for human contact, you appeared before me and even accepted me...

"Thank you…"he whispered in her ear.

Kallen was surprised, but at the same time, joyous. She gently pushed herself away from him for a minute before snaking her arms around him. She felt the black cloth wrinkle and crumple underneath her fingers as she snaked them up his back. Lelouch, with great relief, rested his head atop of hers again as he maintained the tight embrace.

Caught up in the moment, the two remained that way for some time before they released each other. Almost right away they both found themselves missing the warmth the other exuded.

"Lelouch, I meant to inform you earlier that there were people waiting for you back on the ship. Do you think you're up for it?" Kallen asked, peering up into his hooded eyes. In response, the corner of the man's mouth curled up into a sly smirk.

"Of course. Zero has to be present, doesn't he?"

Kallen shot back a knowing smile and tilted her head into a nod. The two motioned to leave, but before they started to depart, Lelouch suddenly glanced back. He eyed the pieces of the shattered Refrain pump scattered on the ground and the thought of injecting the thick, orange liquid into his veins sent a shudder throughout his body. He couldn't believe that he was so willing to give himself up to the drug. Any longer and it would have been too late. Who knows what would have happened to him then?

"Zero, sir, it's time to go."

Lelouch whipped his head towards the waiting redhead and entwined his fingers with hers.

"Lead the way, Captain. There's no time to waste. We have a world to change."

-
Alright, I admit that the ending to this one-shot didn't turn out the way I had hoped, but whatever, it's finally finished! I wrote this mainly based on the anime, R2 Episode 7. I was disappointed at how the scene ended and decided to add a twist or two.

But anyway I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read/review this story! Happy reading! [I took the liberty of editing my Author Notes too].