Story: Code Geass: The Day a New Demoness Was Born

So, tuatara mentioned that it was a shame I didn't do anything interesting with a certain character. I took this as a challenge, though it wasn't really intended that way. Enjoy!


A crowd had gathered to hear the speech. And why wouldn’t they? From an enigmatic figure like Zero? Nobody could resist at least hearing what he had to say. Even those that would disagree with him. <i>Especially</i> those that would disagree! This was an event. News helicopters circled the square. Snipers were positioned on every roof, or at least it seemed that way. Any opportunity they could take to eliminate this threat had to be taken immediately! He was not a god. He was mortal. No matter what his followers may think he was as vulnerable to a bullet as anyone else.

“Look! There he is!” someone called, pointing at a nearby building. He was correct. Zero was atop the roof, staring down at them from behind that expressionless mask with arms folded across his chest. The crowd went wild, and why would they not? This was him. The one responsible for so much, that had led a few to defeat the many. Defeated impossible odds, conquered doubt and fear and overcame opponents nobody could have guessed could have been defeated. This was Zero. For some this was their saviour! For others, he was a terrible yet enigmatic villain! Among this audience it was simply impossible to tell the answer to a single question: Who was with him and who was against him?

Laser sights swarmed towards him, then one by one they fell without a single shot being fired. Zero had prepared for even this.

“Calm yourselves!” Zero proclaimed. “This is an auspicious night! The final night of Area Eleven! For by the time the sun sets, it will set upon Japan!

“Britannia would have us believe it is by competition that humanity strives ever higher! This is but half of the truth, and half of the truth is more damning than a complete lie! Competition helps, yes. However! It is worthless without cooperation! If all humans competed at all times without cooperation, then we would never achieve anything! Let us teach them that valuable lesson. Let us strike down their beliefs as we batter their armies! Show them the folly of their convictions and prove that no amount of physical strength can topple the human spirit!

“For those that fight with me: On the crack of dawn we march towards freedom! We march towards victory! For those that do not wish to fight, stay within your homes and allow none to enter. You shall not be judged harshly by my eyes or those that follow me. For those that fight against me: Tremble with fear for your judgement is at hand.”

All the lights of the street turned black for but a single moment, and then returned to their fullest brightness. By this time Zero had vanished from the rooftop, and was making a beeline towards a particular location while stuffing the costume into a rucksack. Quick check in a mirror, all was well, and C.C. was waiting nearby with a bike for a quick getaway.

But not a getaway towards the Ashford Academy. No, dear me, no, not at all! Instead the pair stopped just outside a nobleman’s house where a slender young man with dark hair strode confidently out of the building.

“Another win, Lelouch!” Rivalz said. “To defeat three nobles at once, quite the accomplishment!”

“What can I say?” Lelouch replied. “They were so simple minded, so easily led by the nose - Ah! Please forgive me, Rivalz, it would appear that my date has arrived.”

“Indeed she has,” Shirley replied, climbing from the back of the bike with a gleam in her eye. “At least you’ve stopped playing during school hours!”

Lelouch shrugged and shook his head while Rivalz rolled his eyes.

“Ugh. Ever since the two of you started dating, it’s been too sweet around here for me to even stand! You two have fun, and don’t stay out too late!”

And off Rivalz went, leaving the two of them indulging in a rather deep kiss before climbing into the double-seated sidecar that had been such a wise investment.

“Alibi established,” Shirley said with a twinkle in her eye. “What’s more, my parents aren’t home tonight. We can work out a little of those pre-battle jitters and still make it with plenty of time.”

“What would I have done without you, my tempting little demoness?” Lelouch asked, and the two of them laughed their young heads off while C.C. rolled her eyes in amusement.

<hr>

Shirley Fenette was running late. Now, this was actually quite the rare occurrence for her even though it is a little cliche for a female character heading off towards school. She took her studies quite seriously, thank you very much!

Matters weren’t exactly helped by the fact that someone asking for a punch had left a big box right outside her front door. Or that she tripped right over it.

“Ow! Hey! What’s the big idea?!” she said. The mailman could’ve at least knocked on the door or rung the bell before leaving something like this out here! Shirley sighed, straightened herself out, picked up the box and took it inside. “Hold on… For me? I didn’t order anything! Mother, could you please put this in my room? I’ll open it when I get home! I’m already running too late to open it now!”

And off she went at full pelt, which was quite considerable considering how athletic she was. Shirley didn’t get to where she was on the swim team by being slow moving or having low stamina! This girl could move when she wanted to, and though running was not her forte swimming helped her build up the necessary coordination skills and muscles to be pretty effective at it. Further to the point, aside from her recent growth spurt in her chest her figure was rather svelte which helped cut down on the wind drag by a considerable margin.

“Wow, I think this is the first time I’ve beaten you to class,” Rivalz said as Shirley took her seat.

“Maybe if you were a little more punctual, it would happen more often,” Shirley cheerfully said. She allowed her gaze to drift over towards a certain other student. Lelouch Lamperouge. He was just sitting quietly at his desk, staring out of the window in the final moments before class began. What was he thinking about right now? To take a peek inside his mind, to understand that boy a little better, to grab hold of his attention and never, ever let go…

These were the things she wanted more than anything else in the world. Little knowing that she’d held the means to obtain them in her hands just that very morning… The bell rang and class began, and she would have to set aside her first and only crush for the time being. She had other things to take care of today.

“Only one absence today, I see,” the teacher said. “I do hope that girl gets better soon. She has missed rather a lot of days. Including today of all days! I trust you remember the scheduled event?”

How could they forget? It wasn’t every day that the school won an award for exemplary research conducted by a student. It wasn’t every day that Nina Einstein got to show the world just how brilliant she was underneath that shy exterior.

And so, all of the students filed into the assembly hall - Though it was strange, she couldn’t see Lelouch anywhere. Had he ducked out of class again? She’d have to ask Nunnally about that and - Come to think, she couldn’t see Lelouch’s sister either! Where could they have both gone?

Ah, but never mind that for the time being. She could chew him out a little for missing this later on. For now Milly was taking the stage, centre of attention as always. Like a duck takes to water.

“I know that you are justified in being excited at seeing me like this, but this one occasion I must request that you show a modicum of restraint,” Milly said. “After all, we have a very special surprise guest to present this award today! Please give a respectful applause to none less than Prince Clovis himself!”

Well, you could have knocked half the student body over with a sturdy enough breath. Prince Clovis, coming here in person? An actual royal, stepping out on stage to greet the student body? Surely he was too busy for something like this! That person stepping out in front of them all certainly looked exactly like the man in charge of Area Eleven, but for him to take time out of his schedule to present an award to Nina - poor dear looked like she might actually literally fall over - out of the blue like this was quite the shock.

“Congratulations, Miss Einstein!” Clovis said as he passed the award to Nina. “Britannia always has need of those with imagination and curiosity, for there are always new boundaries in technology to explore! And that goes for the rest of you as well! Strive as hard as you can, as far as you can! Push one another forever upwards! Though the strong will rise to the top, they shall fly that much higher still by competing with others for each step!”

It was difficult to do anything else but admire Prince Clovis. His ability to capture an audience’s attention outshone even Milly’s, and it really did make her feel as though she could excel over anyone else in the room if she just pushed hard enough. Was everybody else feeling the same way? Quite probably. Oh Lelouch, why did you have to skip out on this? It wasn’t every day a member of the royal family showed up at Ashford Academy!

<hr>

By the time she set foot within her home Shirley had completely forgotten all about that annoying box from that morning. At least until she found it resting on her desk chair in her room when she got back home. She gave it a shake, set it back in place and used a pen to slice through the tape keeping it shut.

“DVDs?” she said. Indeed. A whole box full of DVDs in their cases, all for the same subject. It looked like a show. Animated in a style she’d never seen before, particularly featuring a green-haired woman and someone in a purple cloak that almost looked sort of like -

“Well, I suppose I should at least see what’s on it,” Shirley said, slipping the first disc into her DVD player and settling into a comfortable position to watch. “It’s probably someone’s idea of a joke.

“I mean, <i>Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion</i>? What sort of show would be called something like that?”

<hr>

So, there Milly Ashford was just minding her own business, relaxing in a bath when all of a sudden her phone goes off. She picks it up, quirks an eyebrow and answers.

“Hello, Shirley! Whatever can I do for you at this time? Needing a little stress relief, perhaps?”

“Madame President, did you send this box to me? If so, it’s not a particularly funny joke, and -”

“Box? I’m afraid you have me at quite the disadvantage. I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about! Perhaps if you told me what has you so riled up, I might be able to point you in a more appropriate direction. Oh dear. I think she’s hung up. Poor thing seemed quite upset for some reason. Never mind! It’ll be so much fun getting the truth out of her one way or the other.”

<hr>

So here she was, pacing back and forth in her room. Back and forth. With a pile of homework needing done by tomorrow. But there was still this pile of DVDs to watch, and after that first episode she’d had to watch the second then the third and then the fourth and it was just <i>tearing her up inside!</i>

“I, Lelouch vi Britannia, order you to die!”

Those words in particular were burned into her mind. The idea that Lelouch and his sweet little sister could be royalty! It was - It was absurd on the face of it. And this - this Geass power that the story was apparently partly named for. Something like that couldn’t exist in the real world! And - And Lelouch would never use it to fight against Britannia itself! He wasn’t that sort of person! It especially didn’t go with the idea that he was royalty! He’d be fighting his own family! Kill Prince Clovis? Not a chance! That boy -  He - He wouldn’t hurt a fly!

“I don’t believe it,” she whispered. “It can’t be true. It just can’t be. This is some weirdo’s idea of a joke, and I’m falling right into it, that has to be it. It can’t be… Lulu isn’t that sort of person!”

Denial is a terrible thing, but Shirley was somehow able to dive right on in and touch the bottom. Which was exactly where this cruel notion would stay. It was too late now. But tomorrow? Tomorrow after school she’d head out into the woods and bury the whole thing where nobody would ever find it.

<hr>

Would you believe it, but today of all days Lelouch had to skip class with Rivalz. Off to another one of his little gambling events, no doubt! At the very least that stupid show had that much about him right.

“So, Shirley, what was it that got you so upset last night?” Milly asked, gently rubbing Shirley’s shoulders. “And don’t go telling me you’re just a little tense right now about Lulu skipping class! There’s something else eating your curvaceous little body right up from the inside! I can tell.”

“Someone sent me a bunch of fake photographs,” Shirley said. “I already destroyed them all, so you can’t see them, so don’t even bother asking!”

“My my, such an uninspired lie. Very well then! If you are going to be so stubborn, I’ll have to find more persuasive ways to draw the truth out of you.”

“If you’ll excuse me, Madame President. I have to go to a swimming club meeting.”

Actually she had about five minutes to kill before she had to leave, but if it got away from Milly for a little while all the better. She needed to think about this. The last thing she needed was -

Shirley stopped and took a deep breath. Alright. So Lelouch had decided to go gambling with Rivalz again. Such a shame, really. If he was more serious, he really would get brilliant grades. She dialled his number without really thinking about it - And he hung up, immediately.

“Huh? That jerk! He hung up on me ! I can't believe it!”

There was a faint tingle of recollection in her mind. That seemed familiar somehow. Images flashed through her mind of the show from the night before. Lelouch in Shinjuku. Encountering his old friend, being saved by him. Encountering that green-haired woman. Her calling his phone while Britannian soldiers were -

“No way. That’s just a coincidence,” Shirley said. “If I start reading into everything I see and hear, it’ll drive me around the bend!”

Which was her thought for about ten minutes, until that call was returned while the club was discussing their training regimen. “Excuse me,” Shirley said. No doubt Lelouch was about to apologise profusely for hanging up on her so rudely.

“What in the world have you been doing? Where are you now? If you keep cutting class, you'll get held back.”

“Are you near a TV?”

“A TV?”

Shirley’s heart began to race a little bit faster as more images flew past her mind. He wasn’t about to ask -

“Sorry but this is important. Change it to the news. Is there anything about Shinjuku?”

Shinjuku. All of a sudden Shirley very much wanted to be sick. She pushed past the others and flicked through the channels, not really feeling or seeing anything. It was all just a mechanical response to external stimulus, no emotion behind it, nothing felt at all. Before she even knew it Lelouch had hung up and she was standing there in the middle of concerned teammates all staring at her with concern.

“I… I don’t feel so well all of a sudden,” she said, hurrying out of the room. “Sorry about this, but I - I have to go now!”

And where exactly did she think she was going? Home, to see more of this series? No. Not at all. Not when she saw Rivalz pulling up just outside the school. A fierce determination built up inside her and Shirley soon had him by the scruff of the neck.

“Where is Lelouch?” she demanded. “Is he gambling again? Is that where he is?”

“N-No,” Rivalz said. “We got seperated at Shinjuku. A truck crashed, so he leaped down to help out. That’s the last I saw of him and -”

“Take me there. Right now. No arguments.”

All just like the series said would happen. Lelouch in Shinjuku. Had he met the green-haired woman? Had he acquired his Geass power? Was he even now sitting in a Knightmare frame directing combat? Shirley had to know one way or the other. She had to know! She had to know for certain!

Shinjuku ghetto itself lay up ahead and Shirley could already see the roadblocks. Rivalz screeched to a halt and turned around towards her with apology screaming from his body language, but she wasn’t sticking around to listen. She was away, ignoring Rivalz calls and searching for a way inside the ghetto. She found one. An explosion burst near the ghetto border, and the soldiers were distracted enough for her to slip right on in. This was crazy, mad, suicidal but what the hell? Why not? So a battle really was going on here. No. Not a battle. A massacre. A massacre that her government would hide and justify to the people through their control over the media. They would claim terrorists were responsible for the deaths even as the soldiers revelled in killing innocent people. It painted quite a different image than the animation could ever accomplish. She could at least distance herself emotionally a little from the dead bodies of drawn people. Much harder to get that emotional distance when they are all around you. It was much more real. Much more horrific.

But that didn’t matter at the moment. All Shirley knew was that she absolutely had to find him. Had to find Lelouch, had to find -

The green-haired girl. Staggering out of a building and stalking through the shadows in much a similar manner as Shirley herself. She grabbed the witch and stared her in the eyes.

“You! How are you -” No. Wrong question. “Where is Lelouch? Do you know where he is?”

“Well, isn’t this quite the find?” a voice called from a little behind her. Shirley turned around and felt herself turn white. There were half a dozen Britannian soldiers pointing their guns directly at the two of them. “Thank you for detaining her for us,” the soldier said. “Unfortunately, only squads like my own are even allowed to know this witch exists. Terribly sorry, but we’re going to have to shoot you now.”

“You were looking for Lelouch,” the ‘witch’ said as the soldiers readied their guns. “Why?”

“Because I love him. Completely.”

“Good enough.”

And that’s right around about when the entire universe decided to take the opportunity to drop some acid.

“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 the 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.

Are you prepared for this?”

“Yes! Yes, I will!”



"Hey, you know we don't have to kill her," one of the soldiers said. "She's kinda cute. Maybe we can let her convince us to let her live?"

It was a different young girl that opened her eyes to stare at the soldiers. She felt something flare up within her mind, felt power pour out through her eye and a wicked smile creep along her face. To protect the one she loved. What's more, she could see it now. She could see why Lelouch would fight Britannia. It made so much sense to her. These were the brave soldiers that fought for their sake? These were the heroes that fought on their behalf? They were brutes. Barbarians. Thugs granted permission to be thugs. Nothing more. “The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed.

“My name is Shirley Fenette! Fall before the power of kings!”

1.     Her geass is the same as Lelouch’s.
2.     Shirley can manipulate a person’s emotional state at will.
3.     The soldiers suffer a spontaneous amnesia attack.
4.     The soldiers fall asleep.
5.     The soldiers can no longer perceive Shirley.
6.     Something else