Chapter Text
V.V was many things, the most appropriate names were selfish and childish. When Charles married Marianne , V.V loathed it because he knew that unlike the other marriages , this was for love. V.V had gained his code as a young child and therefore much like his appearance, his brain seemed to stay set up like a child. V.V had one goal...The Sword Of Akasha. He would not stop until he succeeded using any means necessary.
Perhaps that is why he chose to make a contract with Lelouch Vi Britiannia, one of many sons that Charles had and the son of Marianne no less. He wanted to mould the young prince to his ideals should Charles fail him. So that's what he did. Using the dormant Geass DNA from both Charles and Marianne that was present in Lelouch's DNA , V.V managed to create an artificial code. Though, the word artificial probably isn't the best way to describe this. It was made by activating those genes which in all honesty V.V did to see what happened ( Though he will always claim it was his intention, it was very much a good accident). Lelouch bore the mark of geass on his chest almost on his neck. V.V took a shine to the boy and raised him as his own. V.V had lied to his brother and Marianne of his dealings with Lelouch and managed to convince them he had changed. V.V trained Lelouch in the Geass Directorate to be the perfect heir of britiannia.
"Lelouch?"
“Uncle V.V?"
"How would you like the power of the kings?"
It worked. Despite V.V's doubts it worked, V.V was able to form a contract with Lelouch and obtain a Geass. V.V smiled proudly at the boy who was the same height as him, if anyone saw them and didn't know V.V , they would assume the two were the same age. "Lelouch" the name was said fondly on the tongue of V.V , said boy turned to V.V and smiled. " Yes uncle?" "Shall we test out your new power?" "Yes uncle" .
To say marianne was suspicious was an understatement, V.V was never the type for change and never particularly fond of children, which is why she found it extremely odd that he spent so much time at the villa, doing what she did not know and she didn't like it. Charles had dismissed her concerns suggesting that his brother had to change and he had finally done so. But she put it all to the back of her mind and walked through her garden arm attached round Charles's. She almost choked when she saw V.V smiling and talking with her son who bore the same expression. She let go of Charles sharply which caused him to turn, as she picked up her skirts and ran to her child.
“Lelouch!"
Both V.V and Lelouch turned in her direction , Marianne bolted forward and pushed V.V away from her son with a breathless Charles on her tail. "What is going on here?" She demanded " Mother, are you alright?" Lelouch's innocent voice rang out. Charles approached the child and awkwardly hugged him. "What were you doing talking to my son V.V?" Marianne demanded her voice laced with anger and malice " Am I not allowed to talk to Uncle V.V?" Lelouch asked and Marianne froze. " Lelouch, Euphemia And Nunnally are in the parlour could you please join them? We will talk later" she said sweetly " Of course Mother" Lelouch replied as he ran off inside the Villa. "Uncle V.V?!?" Marianne echoed her face clearly showing her anger in contrast to V.V's neutral almost relaxed face. "Is that a problem Marianne?" V.V said adding extra pronunciation on Marianne. "Every time you visited the villa...you were talking to him weren't you?" She accused " Now Marianne-." Charles began but was cut off "Yes I was, I thought I was allowed to talk to my nephew" even Charles had joined in with the bewildered look " You don't usually take such concern V.V" Charles stuttered out. "Exactly what I was thinking" Marianne replied " what's your game V.V?" V.V simply sighed and said "oh Marianne"
Months had passed since that incident and Charles and Marianne were none the wiser, he had blagged it to Charles that since Marianne was here to stay, he figured he pull get to know the one set of family he should care about. He continued to tutor lelouch in both combat and knowledge though he could see Lelouch's clear above average intellect and tactical decisions. But V.V knew he was distracted, V,V had a plan. He would get rid of Marianne, the reasons were obvious and needn't be mentioned again and he would off Nunnally too for she had also become a problem. Women, always leading men astray. The time came and he met Marianne in the staircase. Nunnally however was on a surprise sleepover with Euphemia and if he insisted in seeing her , he would look suspicious.
"What did you wish to discuss , if it's about the Sword of Akasha I already told you I'm on your side" Marianne soothed " No , it's about-." Before he could finish the door at the top of the staircase swung open and out walked Lelouch. Marianne spun around and said " Lelouch! Get out of here!" . Lelouch looked down and saw V,V " No it's alright he can stay" V.V chimed in. "But what about SOA? We cannot discuss that here!" Marianne replied. Lelouch tilted his head and then turned to look at his uncle as he descended the stairs. "Is that the sword of Akasha Mother is taking about?" Lelouch asked him "it is" V,V responded proud of his Nephews intelligence . Marianne's face was in shock "he knows?" She asked " Yes he does" V.V responded " you see Marianne there are things you do not know. I wasn't planning on telling you but alas you won't be able to tell anyone anyway. I have been training lelouch for quite some time , We even have a contract so I wouldn't worry about discussing the sword of Akasha though there is little point discussing it with you as I do not like wasting my breath." Marianne's face went red with anger and she lunged at V.V however she stopped when he pulled out a machine gun from his cape. Both Marianne and lelouch's eyes widened, "You see Marianne it's always the women who lead the men astray that's why I must get rid of you"V.V said " Uncle! Please stop! This is madness!" Lelouch cried out as He reached the bottom of the stairs in an attempt to take the gun. V.V then fired but to his shock lelouch moved very quickly and jumped into the rain of bullets to protect his mother. Marianne fell shaken and the body of her lifeless son soon joined her landing on top of her. "My son..." she said shakily as she gently turned to boy around and stroked his tender face watching his lifeless purple eyes " I must admit I didn't expect that" V.V said speaking up and Marianne turned to face him "You" she spoke voice full of venom . It was then she noticed her son's blood pooliNg at the bottom of the steps with blood seeping of each step like some sick waterfall. " oh don'T look at me like that Marianne, he's not dead . He has code he will be back soon, I assure you not that you'll ever be able to see him again or say thank you. Now I will kill you and as you are dying leave you with the knowledge that with you gone, I will kill Nunnally and take Lelouch and shape him to how I wish. Goodbye Marianne" and with that the firing started again and Marianne crumpled to the floor, she watched as a scared Anya watched what was happening. Marianne felt herself leave her body and rush into Anya's. It was there that she saw her own , soulless body die and she noticed some of the bullets meant to hit her had also hit her son too. She saw her own body fall on her sons as V.V smiled with glee and then she ran and ran and demanded to see the emperor.
Lelouch awoke to a heavy weight on him he looked up to see the lifeless body of his mother upon him staring into his very soul with glassy eyes. He jumped back and the body hit the ground with a thud " Sorry" He squeaked and then realised...she was gone. "So you're awake My Dear Nephew" Lelouch turned his head and saw V.V the machine gun having disappeared. V.V walked towards the boy and hugged him only for Lelouch to rather vigorously- push him away. V.V looked visibly hurt and Lelouch felt bad until he remembered the man murdered his mother. " Stay away" Lelouch murmured "Lelouch" V.V began " STAY AWAY!" Lelouch screamed as he bolted up the stairs tripping up over his mother and locking the door to his bedroom.
There he stayed for hours only bothering to put on a different set of clothes and burn the pervious ones. It was around dinner time when he felt a rap at the door. " Lelouch" It was the emperor "it's me" " Come. In" Lelouchs hoarse voice responded and the door opened. "I'm sorry..." the emperor murmured "Keep him away..." Lelouch responded. His eyes were glassed over , he was sprawled of his chaise lounge with an empty cup on the floor clearly he had dropped. The pitcher was still full of water. " that's why I'm here...Mar-V.V told me everything I know this sounds horrible but the best thing you could do is return to him to keep you and Nu-"No" lelouch said interrupting his father. His voice was monotone and no emotion was shown on his face. "Lelouch-"Never"Lelouch awoke to a heavy weight on him he looked up to see the lifeless body of his mother upon him staring into his very soul with glassy eyes. He jumped back and the body hit the ground with a thud " Sorry" He squeaked and then realised...she was gone. "So you're awake My Dear Nephew" Lelouch turned his head and saw V.V the machine gun having disappeared. V.V walked towards the boy and hugged him only for Lelouch to rather vigorously- push him away. V.V looked visibly hurt and Lelouch felt bad until he remembered the man murdered his mother. " Stay away" Lelouch murmured "Lelouch" V.V began " STAY AWAY!" Lelouch screamed as he bolted up the stairs tripping up over his mother and locking the door to his bedroom. There he stayed for hours only bothering to put on a different set of clothes and burn the pervious ones. It was around dinner time when he felt a rap at the door. " Lelouch" It was the emperor "it's me" " Come. In" Lelouchs hoarse voice responded and the door opened. "I'm sorry..." the emperor murmured "Keep him away..." Lelouch responded. His eyes were glassed over , he was sprawled of his chaise lounge with an empty cup on the floor clearly he had dropped. The pitcher was still full of water. " that's why I'm here...Mar-V.V told me everything I know this sounds horrible but the best thing you could do is return to him to keep you and Nu-"No" lelouch said interrupting his father. His voice was monotone and no emotion was shown on his face. "Lelouch-"Never"
"Lelouch"
"Lelouch"
"Lelouch?"
"LAMPEROUGE!" Yelled his history teacher and he jumped up. Lelouch looked around and remembered that he had fallen asleep in class. " sorry miss" He said and his friend rivalz looked at him in confusion and sympathy. Whilst class resumed lelouch thought back to his dream. 'Funny' he thought 'I haven't dreamt of that in a while. Why after Severn long years has that memory finally came up again.'. Lelouch held bile in his throat, that memory always made him feel sick. He stroked his chest where his code was - a nervous habit he had and also something he did whilst thinking. He remembered it all clearly, how he was the good little obedient Nephew V.V wanted and how V.V had murdered his mother in cold blood. He remembered V.V's attempts to make up, little meaningless gifts and promises. Before he moved to threats. Charles helped V.V covered up the mess mainly for his own back and so geass wasn't revealed to the world. In the coverup V.V wanted to use Nunnally as a witness and leave her crippled and blinded which granted was different to the death he originally planned for the girl (something Lelouch overheard in his state of limbo when he 'died'). But lelouch had stopped him and claimed he would work with V.V now. However he requested a public audience with his father and got him and his sister 'banished' from Britainnia to Japan but he knew it was an act of protection. Lelouch chose to never go back and falsify reports of him and Nunnally's death. He found the Ashford after the war and now lives on campus at Ashford Academy. Lelouch was nudged by rivalz "Man you are really not with it today huh?" He said and lelouch smiled and said " Apparently not" He was great fun for rivalz because he was his first friend other than Milly that he had made on his own.V.V hadn't really allowed him to have friends stating that they were a waste of time he was barely even allowed to hang out with Nunnally let alone EuphemIa. Lelouch allowed himself a smile in thinking how he had escaped from the grasp of V.V
It was midday and rivalz and lelouch had just won a chess match. " About what you said earlier" rivalz began "hum?" Lelouch grunted in response " Why did you lead with the king?" Lelouch smirked at him " if the king doesn't lead how can he expect his subordinates to follow" lelouch quoted his favourite line " what's with that? You hoping to own some big corporate company?" Rivalz asked " No it would ruin my health" lelouch replied. Suddenly a truck was behind them and then it crashed. Lelouch ran after it.
Lelouch and suzaku were on the floor of the truck and Suzaku did a pointless gesture by protecting Lelouch with the gas mask when Lelouch could revive himself anyway. Instead of gas though emerged a green haired lady, V.V's enemy C.C. " C.C?" Lelouch breathed out and Suzaku looked at him questionably " You know her?" He asked " Sort of" Lelouch replied. " They said at briefing it was poison gas...but this, this is a person" Suzaku Explained And Lelouch grimaced " V.V" he said quietly " He must have something to do with this" " Who?" Suzaku murmured as the two began undoing her binds " My Uncle" Lelouch supplied " Mother or father?" Suzaku asked " Everyone from my mothers family is dead , father Suzaku" Lelouch replied. " You know that isn't true" it was the girl...she had spoken up. " what?" Lelouch said looking at her " Marianne said they were dead but they arent. They are dead to her , maybe but they are very much alive. Marianne changed her last name from Phantomhive to Lamperouge." C.C said however they had little time to comment on it before a voice yelled " You Damn Monkey!" And they turned Lelouch breathed out as it was just Clovis's royal guard but then he froze as he spotted Dexter Clove, a member of the geass order ' I was right' he thought 'though Clovis is running the project , a perhaps unexpected turn , V.V is watching in the shadows.' Lelouch said to Suzaku "Trust me ...Let me die" and then shot Dexter killing him instantly. The guards pointed guns at him and Lelouch didn't blink. Then bullets attacked him and he fell to the ground bleeding. Suzaku was horrified but walked away with the guard. Lelouch sat up once they were gone and made quick work of stitching up his uniform and covering any blood stains up. He looked at C.C and smirked "So..I need to sort something ...Mind telling me where I can find my family?" C.C smirked and nodded. Suddenly a nightmare Came barrelling through " What is this!" The pilot yelled " I'm a son of a Duke! My identification card is in my pocket after that I require you assistance" lelouch blagged he only needed her to get out of her nightmare ...which she did. "Got you" lelouch said as his geass activated and he said " Give me your nightmare" "Understood" .
"Stop right there! This is Prince Clovis's royal transport" " The checkpoint at last I've reached it...all according to my Plan" lelouch said smirking as his eyes once again flared up.
"Order a ceasefire" lelouch said looking at Clovis through his mask.
"What now shall we play a game of chess?" Clovis said sarcastically " Chess...that seems familiar. Remember at Aries Villa. I used to always win" Clovis's eyes widened " You...who are you!" Lelouch stepped forward and threw his mask away he approached the throne and said " Lelouch Vi Britiannia ...I have Returned to change everything" " You're alive" " None Of That now...I need you to answer my questions" geass was activated once again "Answer my Questions!"
Clovis awoke to his brother pointing a gun in his face " I DIDNT DO IT I SWEAR!" He cried "I believe you" clovis visibly sighed " however you still murdered a bunch of innocent Japanese and that is inexcusable so for that Prince Clovis ...you shall be forever trapped in a restless sleep of delirium" Clovis looked confused " Dear brother please-." Lelouch placed his hand on Clovis's head and Clovis then saw the mark of geass shining through his clothes " You....you're like-"C,C I know ...Clovis there are more of us than you think" and then Clovis felt pain. He awoke and saw a woman in a gown " Who are you?" " I am C or as some call me God. You are not dead human but you are trapped in this nightmare...to others it will appear you are in a coma but you will be here suffering for the course of your actions. Do not fret your vulnerable human body is protected and shall not be able to be killed so you can forever suffer here" "Please I beg you ..-"That's what the millions of Japanese said as you and your soldiers thoughtlessly slaughtered them all" C said and then Clovis fell...he felt hands grab him . He turned and saw he was in a black void and he was surrounded by faces...faces he had killed as they approached him and touched him he felt their pain and he was in so much pain.
Lelouch watched as his conscious brother collapsed he almost looked dead but a quick feel of his neck proved otherwise. "This is what you deserve , Clovis" the princes eyes were open with the red tint of geass on them. Lelouch walked away, having being satisfied with his actions. He finally made it back to Ashford and smiled as his sisters warm smile greeted him.
"Your highness?" Questionably
"Highness?!" Slightly alarmed
"PRINCE CLOVIS!" Total panic
Three days later The news that Clovis was in a 'Chemically Induced Coma" was shared. The purist faction declared that they would take charge and that the government suspected the culprit for hurting Prince Clovis was Private Suzaku. Lelouch's face had changed from a calm smile to a twitching mess. "Suzaku? Like our Suzaku?" Nunnally asked . Lelouch's horrified face turned to his sister and he replied " Yes...it's him" Nunnally started to cry " Suzaku would never! Would he?" She asked timidly. "No he wouldn't. It's the purist faction trying to get rid of the Honorary Britannian system." Lelouch said bitterly.
Meanwhile in pendragon
Emperor Charles Zi Britiannia was looking at his son Clovis La Britiannia 's medical records whilst also looking at a list that was made over 7 years ago. " So you think it's him?" Charles said raising an eyebrow. " I wouldn't hand you that list if I had any doubt" V.V replied curtly "I find it hard to believe. V.V" " Marianne told you about Lelouch's code and you know from seeing him after that he was alive. His geass is Absolute Obedience and I gave it to him. I can feel he is still alive Charles" V.V said a little angrily " So this makes you jump to the conclusion that Lelouch was the one that put Clovis into the geassed coma? Anyone with the right geass could do that" Charles spoke " But No such Geass exists but for Lelouch!" V.V almost screeched. "Victor" the name was said calmly " Calm down there is no such use for getting angry" Charles Commanded. " Let me go to Area 11" V.V pleaded " We shall wait and observe" Charles said waving a hand. The conversation over.
a week later
"I AM ZERO" Lelouch had made his move, the message was clear, if V.V suspected (which he think he does) then Lelouch was loudly proclaiming ' Come and get me V.V! Join the world in their search!' A message lelouch was proud of.
Cornelia visited a soft pale room, there in the white sheets , carefully positioned was her brother Clovis. He looked almost like a doll and barley breathed. She picked up a clipboard and read the notes .
"Does not move"
"Cannot be roused"
"Coma has no medical explanation"
And then finally one big red word " MAGIC?!?"
It seemed that Clovis's case was really beginning to unravel some of these scientists. As Cornelia read from the board a tear escaped her cheek. She quickly moved it away and collected herself. She approached the bed and held her brothers hand, he was cold...so cold but alive. "Oh Clovis ...What have those Elevens done to you?" She whispered her voice just above breaking. She sat there for a bit before the door opened and Euphie walked in " Sister" she said gently and Cornelia grunted in response . Euphemia sat softly on the opposite side of bed and held Clovis's other hand. " Poor Big Brother Clovis...I hope he gets better." Euphemia said softly . Cornelia said nothing, the emperor had announced that if Clovis doesn't show signs of improvement that his life support will be cut off - killing him. The emperor had said as of current times, that Clovis was a drain on resources one that wasn't showing improvement. Cornelia clenched her brothers hand tighter , her brother opened his eyes but she knew not to be hopeful and as always, his eyes were glazed over had anyone looked closely at his eyes a slight red rim could be visible. It was because of this that all of Clovis's nursing staff were also Geass Directorate agents as well. Cornelia stared into the deep blue orbs of Clovis La Britiannia before the door once again started her. It was a nurse in her apron looking very innocent but something about her felt sinister to Cornelia. " Princess Cornelia ? Im afraid you and Princess Euphemia must leave...Prince Clovis needs to be attended to" the nurse said Cornelia huffed and stood up , reluctantly letting go of her brothers hand. "Fine, come along Euphie" Cornelia grabbed Euphemia's wrist and Practically pulled her out the room, " it is time we go to Area 11".
The Chinese Federation
The room was dark and in the room sat a boy with long blonde hair on a throne with robed figures surrounding him. " So I see you've finally made your move Zero" the boy said and in his hand he held the Black King.
Area 11
Cornelia was now in charge...great. Lelouch sighed as he walked to the Black Knight 'base'. After saving Euphemia he had seen the Viceroys dismay and hatred for Zero. No wonder, after all Clovis probably wasn't feeling very well.
Cornelia, after taking charge as Viceroy was ordered by her father, the emperor to be in a meeting with Prince Schniezel and Himself with a guest , it was ordered no one else must accompany them not even their guard. Cornelia pressed her hand against a scanner and the door opened. She looked at her brother and her father and what appeared to be a small blonde child . Another Sibling she didn't know perhaps? "Cornelia ...sit down" the boy commanded definitely a royal or someone with a death wish. She walked over to an empty seat and sat down gazing at the holo projector in the middle of the table. It displayed Zero " As you all know , this is zero but I think I may have information on who is behind the mask...Before I continue I must guarantee that what I say here must not go father than this room." V.V stated " Agreed" this was Schniezel "Of Course" The emperor "Fine" Cornelia responded
"Excellent Zero....is lelouch vi Britiannia"
"