Prologue

~~~Imperial Palace~~~

Majestic oak doors slowly swung open, as the knight standing guard at the door proclaimed, "Announcing, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, 17th heir to the Royal Britannian Imperial throne!" Said raven-haired boy stood at the foot of the red carpet, leading to the throne, with a fiercely indignant pride. He began stalking down the length of the palace hall, with his head held high, and his chest out. Walking with purpose in his step, he glared at the man who sat on the throne. He had eyes only for that wretched man who sat on the throne, for there was nothing but all consuming rage swirling through the prince's mind. The vile beast that had more children than hair on his head was merely sweeping the crowds with his piercing purple eyes. The near silent mutterings of the anxious nobility fell on his deaf ears, for he was focused on obtaining answers to his anguished questions. Whether he was the Emperor or not, the prince was convinced that he would drag the answers out of him!

"I heard Empress Marianne was killed inside of the Britannian palace..."

"There's no way terrorists could have just gotten in there! Which means that the real assassins..."

"Shhh! Beware, my friend. You'll regret it if anyone hears of that talk around the palace!"

"And yet the boy remains, even though his mother is dead

"It's over, and the Ashford family that stood behind them is finished too..."

"And his sister? The princess?"

"I understand that she was shot in the legs... And that she lost her sight! Blindness caused by trauma though, isn't it?"

"No difference. Now she can't even be married off for political gain..."

Lelouch vi Britannia had reached the foot of the throne. Four steps separated him from the Emperor, Charles zi Britannia. Now that Lelouch was so close to the king, he could feel the rapid palpitations of his heart. For even if the prince refused to admit it, the king's mere visage could invoke such terror, that in hindsight, a hungry lion would have been less threatening. Thinking, instead, of his anger towards the king, he finally managed to glare at the Emperor, still lazily staring down at his new visitor. The king's two guards stood stiffly at attention on either side of the throne, and glanced down at the young prince momentarily before the awkward silence was broken by Lelouch's bitter voice:

"Hail, your majesty! My mother, the empress, is dead!"

"Old news, what of it?" The king replied with aloof indifference. Charles sighed. What would it take to satisfy this nuisance? The king thought. Of all the members of the royal family, Lelouch had seemed to be the most useless of them all, and yet he was always the most annoying. Avoiding all physical activity if at all possible, Lelouch was the quintessential example of everything Charles hated. But above all, he hated liars. And Lelouch was a brilliant liar. One who was fantastic at manipulating the truth, omitting information and spinning such fantastic alibi out of thin air that it was impossible to know when he was actually ever true to anyone, even himself.

"What of it?!" Lelouch spat at his father. His anger surfaced, as the burning flame in his eyes was reanimated. A white hot rage burned in his amethyst eyes, a molten hot anger burned his insides, and flushed his cheeks a cherry red. A slightly incredulous look flashed on his momentarily, but his flaring temper quickly marred his face again.

"You sought an audience with the Emperor of Britannia simply to inform me of that?" His father replied lazily, irritation laced into his words. Turning to his guards, he commanded, "send the next one in. I have no time for these childish games."

His anger boiling through, Lelouch rushed towards the King, and the guards raised their swords, rushing to bar Lelouch from reaching the throne, lest he tried something foolish to harm the king in any manner. Waving them aside, Charles allowed Lelouch to continue his rant half way up the stairs.

"Yes, your majesty!" The guards chorused in perfect unison, as they returned to their places beside the throne.

"Why didn't you keep Mother out of harm's way? You're the Emperor! The greatest man in this nation, if not the whole world! You should have protected her and now you don't even visit Nunnally!" Desperation and anger blending into his cracking voice. It was absurd, Lelouch now realized, for him to think that his father would listen to him. This heartless dictator would use his own children for personal gain without a second thought, and Lelouch thought to appeal to his emotions? But the prince simply could not understand why his father would do such a thing...

Eyes closed with a scowl on his face, the Emperor replied exasperatedly, "I have no use for that weakling."

"Weakling...?!" Lelouch stammered, the words choking in his throat. Clearly, he was taken aback by the his father's blunt retort, expecting, at the least, some sort of an apology or appropriate explanation. How dare he call Nunnally a weakling? Although the Emperor had favoured Lelouch's elder siblings in his many conquests, Nunnally always had a special place in Lelouch's heart. Although he loved his some of his elder sisters too, Nunnally was his most beloved younger sister.

"That is what it means to be royalty!"

Fuming and barely forming coherent sentences, Lelouch managed to reply, as his voice broke, "Then I don't want to be your heir, I give up my claim to the throne! I'm sick of the fighting and scheming over who will succeed you, Father! I've had enough!" Crossing his arms in a dramatic fashion, Lelouch was somewhat pleased with his rant, but tiny triumph would not last.

A collective gasp from the audience of nobility could be heard throughout the palace. It was appalling, and definitely rare for a member of the royal family, young or not, to lose their composure, and they definitely had never, in the history of the Britannian Empire, known of any member of the royal family to give up their claim to a throne. Being Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, controlling more than one-third of the world, was a highly coveted position. But the king, merely opened his eyes, and stared daggers through Lelouch.

"You are dead," The Emperor stated matter-of-factly. "You have always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine clothes you wear and comfortable home? The food you eat and your very life? All of those I have given to you, in short, you are not nothing to me because you never existed. Yet you dare to speak such foolishness to me?!"

The Emperor then stood up from his elaborate golden throne, towering over the terrified young prince, his cloak billowing impressively, and continued his attack: "Lelouch, you are dead, therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan, as prince and princess, you will serve well as bargaining tools." A devilish grin slowly started to form...

"Father!" A tearful gasp came from the back of the main room of the palace. A young girl with tears in her eyes stood quivering at the door, after hearing the Emperor's brutal proclamation. "You can't!" The young princess with pink hair was terrified, but she would not allow her half-brother to be insulted like that. She loved Lelouch very much, and even though they had different mothers, they spent so many sunny afternoons together, playing in the courtyards, frolicking through the gardens, and enjoying each other's company. Lelouch was effectively her closest brother in the whole family. And aside from her elder sister, Cornelia, there was no one else in the entirety of the royal family that the little girl loved more as a sibling.

"Euphy, what are you...?" Another girl quickly ran to her side and grabbed her wrist, looking fearfully at the Emperor, waiting for his reaction to this sudden and rude interruption. Her purple hair extremely ruffled from her frantic chase after her younger sister. "Lelouch is having in audience with the king," she hissed, "we can't interr-"

"Let me go, Cornelia!" Euphy struggled against her sister's grip on her slender shoulder. Breaking free of her grip, Euphemia li Britannia ran to her half-brother's side, white dress flapping wildly. "That's just mean! You can't! If... If you're sending Lelouch and Nunnally away, then I- I'm going with them!" Tears were threatening to spill, but she refused to show her weakness. She knew her father was always occupied with his "work," and often never visited her mother. She knew that ruling the vast empire of Britannia was more important than most anything to the Emperor, so she was unrelenting in her attempt to glare at her father. Euphemia was never the type of person to ever glare at anyone. It was obviously a rarity, and unexpected of Euphy since even Lelouch, who had turned to face the direction from which the voices originated, was genuinely surprised.

"Euphy...?" Lelouch murmured. Euphy was loved by everyone, simply because she radiated happiness and kindness to all. She was adamant on treating everyone equally, and was always polite, gentle and kind, even to those who didn't deserve it. She believed in what she felt, and Lelouch admired her bravery.

Cornelia was panicked, as she was conflicted. She had a grand reputation to keep up, for she was the Goddess of Victory on the battlefield. She could count all the people in the history of the world who had more victories than her on one hand, and she still resented that there even existed anyone who could perform on the battlefield better than her. But she could never leave her beloved sister's side... The thought was too painful. In the dominating and aggressive persona that Cornelia constantly portrayed to everyone around her, her only weakness was Euphy... And occasionally Lelouch, although she wasn't sure if it was because Euphy loved him, or if it was because she was fond of Lelouch since he was her one of her closest brothers. But after digesting what the Emperor had said... If that meant that she would have to leave the ImperialPalace to follow and protect her sister, her younger siblings, she would. How could her father be so callous as to call his own children political tools? So he's been using me?! The realization crashed into her. A tsunami of emotions: anger, betrayal, shock... I've only been doing exactly what he wants! This social Darwinism is preposterous!

"And I as well." Cornelia li Britannia addressed her father, mustering up her courage, and maintaining her composure. "I do not wish to abandon my younger sister Euphemia. I feel it is my duty to protect her." Cornelia was well aware of the consequences... But what use was it to be ordered around by a cruel man who would probably be more than willing to sacrifice her life if it was necessary? After all, it was a battle to the death for the throne that he wanted... Charles was sure to be bored of Japan soon enough, and he would send his troops there to obliterate Japan, and take the poor country as another colony of the vast Britannian empire. There would be no way for the Japanese to oppose the Holy Britannian Empire if the Emperor truly desired the defeat of Japan. He would order the assassination of his children without a hesitation, as if it were the only correct option in the matter, like brushing your teeth in the morning and eating when you were hungry.

The Emperor looked slightly troubled by this, but he quickly regained his composure. If he were to send all four of his children to Japan, he would be losing four royal members of the family, and more importantly, he would lose four political pawns... He would have to find some other means to wage war against other territories... But if they could not be satiated by the fancy clothes, servants and many luxuries of being royalty, he could care less, since they would surely betray him if he forced them to stay and serve him. He would send them away gladly, and never have to look at the children that would dare defy him, and defile his rule, and his name.

"Very well." His voice rumbled like the thunder preceding a storm, "I have no use for you pathetic weaklings. Get out of my palace and my country!"

~~~7 years after the war. 2017 a.t.b. Britannian Residence-Tokyo Settlement~~~

An old van sped along the many highways in the majestic structure of Britannia, with military helicopters in pursuit.

"Perfect, after we finally steal this damn thing... It's all because Tamaki couldn't stick to Naoto's plan! And now we've got a problem!" Nagata punched the dashboard as he stomped down on the gas pedal, hoping to somehow rid themselves of the Britannian military. The wheels screeched on the road, and swerved, dangerously avoiding a disarray of bullets. Kallen glanced at him under her grey cap hiding her face. Flaming red hair shifting slightly in the slight motion. Glancing worriedly out the side window at their pursuers, she urged Nagata to drive faster... It wouldn't do if they were caught with what they were stealing... They would most certainly be arrested and executed on the spot. In the eyes of the Britannian government here, they were terrorists, and defying the Britannian government was most certainly punishable by death.

Looming mahogany doors slowly swung open, revealing two schoolboys and their two female companions.

"Sir! Madam! Oh thank heaven, I'm saved! Are things going well at school?" An elderly man nervously greeted them with a low bow and grand sweep of his right arm.

A game of chess was being played at that moment, and the game was one-sided. But in favour of the arrogant nobleman filing his nails in pure boredom, judging that his full attention was not needed to win the chess match.

"What have we here? School kids?" The nobleman scoffed.

"Well, look at this. A nobleman." The taller of two schoolboys replied with obvious scorn. Running his hands through his ebony hair, his amethyst eyes looked disdainfully at the sitting nobleman. He approached the chess table. The two girls, stood off to the side of the chess table, intrigued by this chess match, and their overly confident opponent.

The younger pink haired girl giggled under her breath, and turned towards her sister, with a twinkle in her eyes. "I bet he's going to win this bet again! This is so exciting! I've never been to a match with Lelouch before!"

The girl's sister gently put a strand of pink hair behind her younger sister's ear, and turned towards her half-brother. "Perhaps... He is a brilliant strategist after all..." Lelouch had always been a chess master, challenging and defeating nobles since he was six. Chess was definitely Lelouch's all-time favourite game. Cornelia had not been particularly excited to let her younger sister come... Even if it was a noble that Lelouch was playing against... It wasn't safe for Euphy to come to these gambling matches... But she had denied her sister the pleasure for so long that she finally gave in, feeling bad that she herself was able to go. Obviously, if Euphy was coming, she, Cornelia, would come with her sister too. Besides, Cornelia had to keep an eye on Lelouch anyway... His pride was something that almost landed him in fights, and Lelouch was definitely incapable of any physical combat.

"I envy you kids today, you have so much time on you hands. Time for regrets. What's your name boy?"

"Lelouch... Lamperouge." The slight pause went unnoticed by the self-absorbed noble, as he continued to file his already perfected nails.

Cornelia and Euphemia frowned at the nobleman. How rude! Most of the people that Lelouch played against in chess matches were nobility, and it was disgusting what these wealthy pigs had turned into. Simply because the Britannia was unanimously the super-power of the world, the more fortunate Britannians were able to enjoy a life of luxury, that had nothing to do with merit, or how hard they worked. In fact, most of the nobles were so lazy, it surprised Cornelia that they even bothered to wake up in the morning, since they didn't contribute to society in any way, except to stoke the burning hatred she felt towards these self-absorbed, self-righteous pricks.

The other schoolboy had already rushed up to the table with the half-finished chess game, his blue hair dishevelled, and after glancing at the pieces, nervously spoke to Lelouch, "Wow! Now wait a minute.. You can't win this one, it's impossible, right?"

"Rivalz," Lelouch addressed the other schoolboy with the same bored expression he always wore on his face, "when do you think we have to leave, in order to make our next class?"

"Are you serious Lelouch, if you cut it as close as last time-" The elder school girl warned.

"Uh... 20 minutes if we bust our hump..." Rivalz cut in.

"Then be sure to drive safely on the way back," Lelouch instructed, moving towards the leather armoire to sit down. "I'll need nine minutes."

"9 minutes? You only have 20 seconds per move!" The nobleman looked up in surprise, with an incredulous look on his face.

Lelouch smirked, as he picked up the king. "Enough time."

"You start with the king?" The nobleman, after recovering, laughed derisively at the seemingly absurd move of his opponent. There was no way this lowly school boy would beat him!

Cornelia and Euphemia simply smiled at Lelouch knowingly, as Rivalz hung beside Lelouch's right shoulder, like a parrot, intently watching the ensuing chess match.

"I love playing against the nobility! When they lose, they always pay out of pride. By the way, 8 minutes and 32 seconds is a new record!" Rivalz pranced around the siblings in a frenzy.

"He also didn't have much time to move either. And as opponents go, the nobles are tepid. They're just over-privileged parasites, that's all." Lelouch replied, as the four walked out of the nobleman's house. Playing against nobility was sometimes just so boring! They used the same tactics over and over, since that was how they were taught. They showed no creativity; no intelligence and no adaptability! They were predictable. But still...

Reaching the steps outside the mansion, Rivalz turned around and asked Lelouch: "Well then, why don't you challenge one of the Elevens? They're nothing like us Britannians!"

Cornelia snorted as Euphemia looked to Lelouch expectantly, but they were cut off as a giant screen on a nearby government building turned on, showing a government program, and they were greeted with a familiar sight...

Upon the interruption, Lelouch glanced up at the news screen, and immediately stiffened, his hands curling into fists and his teeth ground together. Anger surged through his body again... What now...?! The Britannian flag flapped in the machine generated wind, and a half brother of Lelouch appeared on the screen for another pathetic speech that served no other purpose than to be propaganda.

"To all my Imperial subjects, including of course, the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the Empire of Britannia; do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest only to be torn apart. The remnants are filled with rage and sadness. However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one! A virtuous battle to protect the well-being of one and all!" His dramatic gestures and flapping cape only irritated Lelouch more. Clovis looked more like a confused and wildly gesticulating goose, than a prince... Taking a shaky breath to steady his emotions, he continued staring at the screen.

"Now then, everyone. I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice, in the line of duty."

Listening to the radio broadcast in the speeding van, it was Kallen's turn to slam a fist into the side of the car. "We're not Elevens! We're Japanese!" A low guttural growl formed in her throat. She loathed these Britannians. They acted all high and mighty, falsely believing that they were a superior race. Those insufferable racists!

"That first move you made... Why'd you start with the king?" Rivalz questioned, turning to glance at Lelouch as he drove his motorcycle back to school, curious above all else. Lelouch sat in the adjoined cart, staring off into sky. The day was just beginning and not a cloud was in the sky. A warm autumn day with the sun rising in the sky to dominate the peaceful landscape. If only it would last...

Cornelia, driving a sleek, black car with her sister in the passenger seat, had her window rolled down, and also glanced at Lelouch, waiting for an answer. Whatever Lelouch came up with, it was always entertaining to ponder. Lelouch had a keen mind, and although she didn't always agree with his view on things, it was always nice to debate with him, flinging witty remarks at each other.

"If the king doesn't lead, how does he expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch replied with the same face he always had-one of boredom. It would seem that he thought this answer would be an obvious one.

Cornelia smiled to herself. Of course you would say that Lelouch... Our father- Cornelia stopped her train of thoughts before she settled into a darker mood... It seemed to be a beautiful day, and she didn't want to ruin it by dwelling in the past. Shaking her head, she continued to focus on the road. I believe so myself. I hated ordering my troops to fight without fighting myself. Sitting in the command centre was cowardly and how would you inspire your troops to fight when the commander doesn't even dirty their hands? You demonstrate by example through leadership.. And besides the fact that if you wanted something done, you should probably just trust yourself to do it, what fun is sitting behind and watching all the fighting to be had out on the battle field?

"Do you fantasize running a major corporation?" Rivalz cut in, drawing Cornelia back to reality.

"No way!" Lelouch's eyebrows were drawn together as he frowned. What a stupid idea! "Ambitions like that will ruin your health."

A rattling grey van seemingly appeared out of nowhere, speeding along the highway and closing in on the motorbike and the car.

"We're gonna die!" Rivalz and Cornelia swerved to the side of the road, as the van behind swerved to the left, turning into a construction zone, and crashing into an old abandoned building, bulldozing through orange cones and white barricades.

Stomping on the brakes, Rivalz sheepishly grinned at Lelouch. "Eh... Was that our fault...?"

"I don't think so..." Lelouch trailed off as he caught a glimpse of a greenish-blue glittering over the back of the truck. "... What...?" Taking his helmet off, Lelouch crawled out of the car, and headed towards the railing at the side of the highway. "Hey Rivalz, Cornelia, come check this out!"

"Wait, Lelouch, it looks like the power line is cut! Hey, wait!" Rivalz called after the already running Lelouch. "You can't just-"

"It's alright, I'll go after him." Cornelia had gotten out of her car already and glanced at the crashed truck. What a nasty crash... "Besides, knowing Lelouch, he can't get far without passing out from fatigue. I'll catch up with him." Winking at Rivalz, she turned to her sister. "Euphy, you must stay."

"But I-" Euphemia protested.

"No. It's dangerous. Stay with Rivalz. I'll be back soon; I promise."

The stern look on Cornelia's face effectively shut her up. Euphemia knew better than to argue with her sister. Cornelia could be so stubborn at times. I'm not a little kid anymore you know!

"Hey, are you alright?" Lelouch called at the truck. He tried to move a metal beam crushing into the front half of the truck, but it wouldn't budge. Who am I kidding? I can't move that! I can't even pick up Euphy without huffing and puffing... He climbed up a ladder on the back of the truck and called again. No answer. Were they dead...?

"Lelouch, what on earth are you doing? Get down from there!" Cornelia called from the bottom of the ladder. She had caught up to him already, and was eyeing him suspiciously, bringing Lelouch out of his thoughts.

"But somebody's probably hurt, I-"

Shaking her head, she thought to herself: Lelouch... Always the pride. Your pride dictates what to do... And I hope it will be the reason for your failure. "Then let me help," Cornelia climbed up two steps on the ladder, "there's no way you'd be able to-"

But she was cut off when the van suddenly jerked backwards, and then sped away from the abandoned building. Lelouch, who had not been expecting the van to suddenly move, fell into the van with a loud thud and a surprised yelp.

"Lelouch!" Cornelia yelled, worried that he might have broken a bone or something of the sort. After all... He was physically fragile, even thought his incredible intellect often made up for his pathetic stamina. She climbed up the remaining rungs of the ladder and jumped, landing with impeccable balance on the balls of her feet.

"Stop the vehicle! Surrender now, and you get the chance to defend yourself in court! Stop! And surrender at once! Give up now, or we'll shoot to kill!" The broadcasted voice of a soldier was clearly heard by everyone in the van.

"Now what do we do? That's the army!" Nagata whined impatiently.

"Have you forgotten? That's what I'm here for!" Kallen exclaimed, boldly flinging off her hat, revealing her face. Sparkling azure eyes stood in stark contrast to her wild flaming hair. Leaving the passenger's seat, she headed to he back of the truck.

"If I jump out now, I'll have the choice of breaking my neck or getting shot. Either way..." Lelouch mumbled.

"There's no way you could jump, Lelouch. Maybe I could, but what about you? And there's-"

They were interrupted from their whispering when a girl strode in from the front of the truck, and they quickly hid behind a huge metal capsule in the back of the truck. What the heck was that anyway? Stripping off her jacket while she walked, she tossed it to the side like a dish rag, and started up some stairs in a hurry.

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route?" The red-head suggested to the driver without turning her head as she continued up the stairs.

"Kallen, lets use it here! Why not?" The driver responded. That's not even answering the question... Lelouch thought. And use what?

"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" The red-head, Kallen, was quick to respond, waving aside the suggestion without a second thought.

Lelouch and Cornelia stared at each other. What on earth had they gotten themselves into? One moment they were on their merry way to school, and the next, they were on a terrorist truck with their own military shooting at them! Of course, the government had no idea that their own exiled prince and princess were in that truck, but still... Lelouch stared at the girl's back... She looks so familiar... I've seen her somewhere before... He zeroed in on Kallen's back, and threw a questioning look at his sister, with one eye-brow raised. Cornelia looked over at Lelouch, only offering a shrug.

Kallen was already seated in the knightmare, and just as the back of the truck was beginning to open, she shot a slash harken at the a helicopter, retracting and sending it out again, effectively causing two helicopters to quickly explode.

"A slash harken?!" A soldier in the third helicopter exclaimed.

But as the back of the truck opened entirely, a red Glasgow came into view, poised and ready to fight.

"A knightmare?!" The other soldier stared in shock. A mere helicopter armed with guns was no match for a knightmare, as the armour of a knightmare was considerably stronger than a regular, run-of-the-mill, military helicopter. The bullets would do little penetrate the armour.

"You guys know full well what this badass mother can do!" Kallen threatened through her knightmare's communicator. After all, this was what the filthy Britannians had used to defeat them in the war seven years ago... The thought still triggered a wave of anger. Those bastards deserve to die! Simply because of our underground resources, they invaded us even as we tried to remain neutral to Britannia's conquests! It was the first time the humanoid autonomous battle armoured knights were used in combat. They came to be known as the Knightmare Frame, or, knightmare. They obliterated our defence line, and stripped our proud nation of its freedom, rights and even name. Area 11. They re-christened us with a mere number! Therefore we are not Elevens, we are Japanese! You robbed it from us! I have purpose for fighting!

A larger aircraft descended on the speeding van, like a hawk observing the prey below, and a snide voice came over the open communication channel: "I can only assume you dug that obselete relic out of some scrap heap. An over-the-hill Glasgow is no match for a new Sutherland. Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of our glorious emperor!"

A shiny metallic monster was let down on ropes, and busied himself with engaging in combat with the red Glasgow. Slash harkens and bullets were fired, but they were parried and blocked, and as Kallen jumped from the back of the truck, she landed on the pavement and swerved to evade the oncoming assault. For an "Eleven," Kallen was extremely talented, and was on par with the snobbish man.

The simple sound of his voice caused Kallen's blood to boil. The Purist Faction! They were never afraid to voice their distaste for the Elevens, believing with all their heart that the Elevens were an inferior race. No... They weren't even considered citizens in their eyes, for citizens would have certain undeniable rights, and they had none...

"Kallen, we should both split up! The both of us can't risk being killed! Run for it!" Nagata yelled through their private communication system.

"But!-" Kallen began. Her short temper was always what seemed to govern most of her decisions, and unfortunately, in retrospect, they were definitely not always the best decisions.

"Both of us can't risk getting killed!" Turning for an exit, a Sutherland was waiting for the unsuspecting truck, and bullets from an assault rifle penetrated the thin layer of metal on the car, shattering the glass in the front, and severely wounding the driver in the process.

Swerving to the left, Nagata took an exit on the left to avoid the barrage, and descended into the old subway systems in the Shinjuku ghetto, with his other hand clutching his stomach. I must...-

Holy crap! These are real time terrorists! No cell phone reception...? We're out of the range. Lelouch's brain churned, as he constantly thought of a possible way to escape the current mess they were in. Thinking was always what Lelouch was best at. His intellectual capacity was hardly surpassed by anyone. There were only a rare few, but... Judging from the darkness and road surface... We must driving along the old subway lines... They're headed for an exit somewhere in the ghetto... Getting out would be dangerous... Still... Okay... I've got it... I'm not big on the military, but I'll take their protection. If I give them a terrorist communicator... Lelouch made to grab a communicator lying in the back of the truck, but Cornelia grabbed his wrist, and stopped him. Shaking her head, she whispered for him that it wouldn't be safe, since the military would probably ignore their pleas, thinking it was a trap to lure them out, and would gun them down immediately anyway.

A huge bump startled Lelouch and Cornelia.

"An accident...?"

"Or...?"

The van had suddenly come to a stop with a screeching protest from the tires, and he look questioningly at Cornelia, when a side of the van suddenly creaked open. And after a moment of tense silence, Lelouch motioned to Cornelia, as he made his way to the capsule. "We can use this chance to get up."

"Wait!-" Cornelia cried, turning to stare at horror to see a Britannian soldier, appearing out of nowhere, fly through the air aiming a spinning kick to her brother's face. As Lelouch crumpled to the ground, Cornelia whirled around just in time to face the attacker, and parried a kick to the face with her arm, just as the assaulter had recovered from kicking Lelouch.

"Are you a Britannian?" Lelouch demanded, slowly propping himself up on one elbow.

"That's enough mindless murdering!" the soldier merely responded. He threw a glance at the girl and instead ran for the boy heaving on the ground. The soldier was correct in quickly analysing that the boy was the much weaker fighter.

"Wait, I'm not one of them!" Lelouch protested, as a flying fist whistled to his face.

"Planning on using poison gas? Don't play dumb with me!" But the soldier fell with a resounding thump. It was a terrible mistake for him to disregard the better fighter of the two. Cornelia had kicked him in the side of the stomach, disrupting the fatal trajectory of the punch.

"We're not here by choice!" Cornelia thundered. Glaring at the Britannian soldier, now on the floor of the truck, clutching at his throbbing side.

"Mindless murder?" Lelouch spat at the soldier. He was visibly seething, his cheeks flushed. Slowly stalking towards the defeated soldier, his eyes bore straight into the expressionless gas mask that he wore, and he continued: "Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia?!"

"Oh my god..." The soldier gasped. Tentatively at first, the soldier stood up, slowly removing his mask. Familiar green eyes and ruffled brown hair greeted them. "Lelouch, Cornelia! It's me, Suzaku!"

"You..." Cornelia stammered, as her eyes widened considerably.

"You became a Britannian soldier?" Lelouch asked with disbelief.

"Yeah, and what about you guys? You're..."

"What are you talking about?" Lelouch frowned at Suzaku, nonplussed.

The sound of something unlocking caused all three to stare at the capsule as it suddenly opened on its own accord. Suzaku, trusting Cornelia to figure out to get as far away as possible from the capsule, took off his own gas mask, and placed it on Lelouch's face, shoving him to the floor.

However, when the capsule opened completely, a beautiful girl was seen in the capsule. Flipping her long green tresses back, she glanced with piercing golden eyes, at the visitors, before she fell unconscious and into the truck. The strangest part of her appearance was what she was wearing... A white straight jacket with grey buckles that kept her legs and arms together, and the cloth covering her mouth to prevent her from making any noises. Clearly, she was a prisoner, but Lelouch could not remember ever seeing a single prisoner ever wearing such foreign attire... Even with the public execution of many a criminal, with the prisoner paraded up the street, for the life of him, Lelouch could not recall what it was that needed to be under such tight supervision. Is this what's causing all the commotion...? What could possibly be so-

"That's not poison gas! What is it...?" Suzaku, the first to break the silence, stopped staring at the mysterious girl and looked over at the two royal siblings.

"I-I don't know what-" Cornelia was still in a trance, staring at the fragile form of the girl, bound together, and utterly helpless.

Of course, it was Lelouch who was the first to break the resulting awkward silence with a plan already formulated in his mind. "We should give her some room to move at least... I doubt being bound in such a manner would help her to regain consciousness... Perhaps we could ask her when we free her. She doesn't seem capable of harming us anyways."

With the help of Suzaku, Lelouch gingerly carried the girl out of the ground and laid her on the ground, a few feet from the truck. They mindlessly starting unbuckling the belt around her legs, and shortly after, Cornelia joined them.

"Tell me the truth, Suzaku! Poison gas?" Lelouch asked his friend.

"Hey, it's what they told me in the briefing, I swear!"

Just then, a flashlight settled on the three of them, and they looked up at the sudden appearance of a commander and his troops.

"Stinking monkey! Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"

Suzaku quickly dropped the belt he was holding and ran to his commander's side. The other soldiers eyed him suspiciously but were smart enough to keep quiet.

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

"How dare you question orders?!"

This is bad... A poisonous situation... Which would pose a threat to Suzaku's superiors if it's unleashed...

"However," the commander continued, a twisted malevolent grin forming on his scarred face," in light of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient. Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist."

Cornelia and Lelouch stared at each other, at the mysterious girl, and then back at the commander and his squadron, and a tiny gasp was heard from Cornelia.

"But they're not terrorists! They're civilians who got caught up in all of this!" Suzaku protested, flailing his arms in a futile effort to barter for Lelouch and Cornelia's freedom. IF only they knew that they were royalty... And that in fact, the army sent by their very own father had failed to kill them... No... After so many years, we cannot blow the cover right now... Oh, but you fool, Suzaku! They'll kill you if you don't-

"You insubordinate little... That's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty and your life to Britannia?" the commander was positively growling at Suzaku at this point.

"Yes... But, I can't..."

A slight pause came before the ominous one-word threat: "What...?"

As if to secure his one-way trip to the grave, Suzaku promptly replied, "I won't do it sir. I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir." Suzaku had turned around with his back facing the commander. A genuinely warm smile painted his face, as tried to reassure them with only his facial expression. A sincere smile. One of concern. Alas, it would not last.

His breath caught in his throat. Lelouch had not seen that placid smile since many years ago, when he, Cornelia, Euphemia, Nunnally and Suzaku played together at the Kururugi shrine. A painful deluge of memories caused Lelouch to freeze in terror as the impending death of his long-lost friend seemed evident, as Suzaku had turned his back away from the commander, leaving himself vulnerable.

"Very well then..." The commander had already shot him in the back. Suzaku slumped to the ground as Lelouch desperately called his name. Cornelia just stared at the commander, still somewhat in a stupor, struggling to maintain her rage.

"Well, Britannian school children, not a good day to cut class!" The commander leered. He abruptly turned and addressed his squadron, "collect the prisoner girl. After you've secured her, kill the students."

"Yes, my lord!" The soldiers replied in unison.

By some stroke of luck, although whether it truly was luck or not, Lelouch couldn't be sure, but the truck behind him suddenly exploded. Although the blast was directed upwards, Lelouch, Cornelia and the imprisoned girl were thrown forward from the truck, landing harshly on the ground.

Sharing a quick look at Cornelia, both nodded, seemingly agreeing on a course of action. Grabbing the girl, the royal siblings ran along the tunnel, using the smoke from the explosion to escape undetected. He killed himself... Lelouch frowned at the group, inhaling deeply with a strained effort to remain calm.

Slightly gasping from the run, Lelouch and Cornelia were trembling, lying flat on their stomachs against the staircase that led to ground level. The mysterious green-haired girl seemed to have regained consciousness, and was propped up awkwardly against the back of the stairs. She seemed to be fidgeting in her suit. She's probably trying to get out of that... thing... Prisoner suit...?

Chaos reigned above ground, as they were greeted with the desperate pleas of innocent civilians, the perpetual thrum and explosions of bullets and the high-pitched screeching of tires. Clovis must have ordered a massacre... Anguish filling his mind, he cried internally, but why?! The screeching of tires, whistling of bullets and symphony of explosions stood testament to the how desperate the ruler of Area 11 was. Why? A panicked Lelouch thought. Although Lelouch could not understand why, the girl in the capsule was extremely important, and needed to be kept hidden from the world. So instead of admitting his failure, he had the entire ghetto be destroyed. Like they always say, dead men don't speak and thus cannot spread secrets... Lelouch thought, with a dour expression. An ear-splitting, heart-wrenching cry of a baby resounded through the air, and Lelouch lurched forward, only to be held back by Cornelia. There was a clatter of footsteps as soldiers neared their hideout, but a single shot was fired, and the crying was no more.

Despicable beasts! Lelouch cried in his mind. It was just a baby! It's not like it can even talk yet! What the hell had the baby ever-

The shrill tone of Lelouch's cell phone rang through the empty warehouse alerting the troops of a survivor. Cursing silently, Lelouch immediately cancelled the call on his phone, while Cornelia risked a glance over the edge of the last step, and paled considerably. Lelouch motioned for Cornelia to make a break for it with the girl, but she only vehemently shook her head. Lelouch grimaced.

"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end." Another commander jeered at him. Lelouch and Cornelia had been roughly shoved up against the rusty, metallic wall of the abandoned warehouse, and the other girl was loosely held as hostage behind the troops. These troops wore a roan red uniform, and had their guns trained on them already.

"You filthy pigs!" Cornelia shrieked at the soldiers.

Lelouch was livid too. "You scum!" How could these soldiers be so corrupted? They shot innocent people and a baby... And... Suzaku! He cried out in his mind. What pointlessly heinous crimes! There was no purpose in annihilating the innocent!

"Still, you did well for a student, but that is to be expected. You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friends, you have no future!" As the latter half of what the commander was saying left his lips, he had lifted his gun trained on his heart, to his head, intending to blow his brains out. Pressing down on the trigger to fire the bullet, there was a flurry of movement caught from the corner of his eye.

The hostage had broken free of her confines, and ran out in front of Lelouch and Cornelia. Her amber eyes were glittering in determination, and her arms were held out protectively in front of them. The cloth around her mouth fell loose around her neck as she exclaimed, "They mustn't die!"

The commander was shocked, but it was already too late. He had already pushed down the trigger and the bullet made contact with the middle of the girl's forehead. Slumping down in front of Lelouch and Cornelia, a pool of blood immediately forming around the back of her head.

"You...!" Lelouch started.

"You just shot her!" Cornelia glared at the commander. What the hell?! She grabbed Lelouch's wrist as they both knelt to the ground in shock.

Although he was slightly phased by the turn of events, he regained his composure and drawled on apathetically, "Hnnn... Our orders were to bring her back alive if possible. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll tell our superiors that the royal guard found the terrorist hide out and killed them all. Regrettably, the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think, school children?"

Eyes widening, Lelouch and Cornelia shared a petrified look. How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed. And this girl... Now... Cornelia and I are about to die... Before I've had a chance to do a single thing with my life... It's gone in a heartbeat! Nunnally! Euphy!

Lelouch stared down at the girl as she seemed to twitch. Her pale hands shot out to hold on to Cornelia and Lelouch's hand.

A peculiar sensation shot through his mind. What on earth was happening? He seemed to feel a presence push its way into his mind, his subconscious. Blind to reality, both siblings were frozen in place, and a melodic voice sounded in their minds: You don't want it to end here do you? Lelouch could feel the panic rising in his chest, suffocating him. What on earth was going on? He could sense that Cornelia seemed to be feeling the same thing too, for she instinctively gripped his wrist tighter, seemingly trying to cut off his circulation. You two appear to have a reason for living...

The voice in his mind... It was that girl's! But... But that's impossible! She was shot in the forehead point-blank! How?-

If I grant you power, could you go on? The mesmerising charm in her voice was alluring and enticing, and he was still unable to speak, so instead, he listened intently. I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in a world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude.

I don't want to die! Lelouch thought to himself, feeling stricken for time. He had to accomplish the vow he made so many years ago... In his subconscious, Lelouch bellowed, I hereby accept the terms of your contract!

"Say, how should Britannian royalty who detest their own country live their lives?" Lelouch was the first straighten up and regain his normal composure. Although Cornelia seemed to lessen her death grip on Lelouch's wrist, she still held on, and followed Lelouch's lead by standing up again. A tingling feeling of where Cornelia was still holding on to Lelouch had him wondering... He could feel Cornelia's emotions, swirling around in her mind: anger, confusion, surprise... But above all, a strange sensation had settled in his left eye. Both siblings had one of their hands covering their tingling eyes.

"Hmmm?! Are you two some kind of radical?" The commander was taken aback. It seemed that the boy and girl's attitude had drastically and abruptly changed. One moment they were pathetically cowering to his complete amusement, and the next, they were... Bold... They were defiant...

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponents are just school children." Cornelia started. The gun that had been trained on her heart was now wavering in the trembling hand of the commander.

"Or have you finally realized, the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed?" Lelouch finished with a dramatic hand gesture to side. Flaring his Geass, he commanded in a harsh tone, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia commands you. Now all of you, die!"

After only a slight pause, the commander cackled in a maniacal manner. A faint ring of red light encircled his iris, the only visible tell-tale sign that he was completely subjugated by Lelouch's command.

"Happily, your highness!" Answering in a deranged, yet monotonous tone, the commander and all his troops chorused in unison. They cocked the barrel of the gun and brought it straight to their exposed necks, and without so much as a blink, they fired.