Code bearer

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own shit, not even the Darker than black elments that will appear in this story.

In the year 2010 of the Common Era, the Holy Empire of Britannia invaded Japan. The small island nation had no chance against Britannia, which was the world's last remaining superpower. Despite it's lack of resources, the nation of Japan adopted a stance of nationalistic isolation. In order to take the mainland, the Britannian forces mobilized the first of the Knightmare Frames; a new kind of humanoid powered armor. Their abilities exceed expectations, and the Japanese defences fell one after another before the might of Project Knightmare. Japan became a territory of the Empire and was stripped of its freedom, rights, and even its name. Area 11. That designation was the new name given to the defeated Japan.

August 10th 2010

"I... Suzaku, I'm going to... Crush Britannia!"

Suzaku gaped at his friend. "Lelouch! You shouldn't say such things!"

Lelouch shook his head in anger. "No! Britannia...Britannia..." Lelouch's fists began to shake in anger. "Britannia..."

"Is evil? Unjust? Corrupt? Villainous? Malicious? How long can I keep spouting synonyms of evil?"

"Who are you?" Lelouch asked cautiously, while Suzaku took up a defensive position in front of his friend.

"Me? I'm Naruto Uzumaki, pleasure to finally meet you, prince."

At that moment, both kids knew this man was far from the ordinary eleven. Just knowing the truth behind Lelouch's identity was enough to put them on edge, but this man had a aura of confidence that Lelouch recognized; it was the same aura of his brother, Schneizel Vi Britannia, the confidence of a powerful man who knew more than he let on.

Naruto wore an untucked white collared shirt with a black tie hanging loosely from his neck, black jeans completed the look for him. To anyone, he was just an average man.

"You say you want to 'crush' Britannia, right?" He asked Lelouch who responded by nodding.

"How about you?" He directed that question towards Suzaku.

"No! I want to change it, not destroy it." He replied.

"I see... Well then this is for the best." he said, taking out a pistol and shot Suzaku.

"Don't worry, it's only a tranquilizer dart. He needs to be out while we talk." He reassured Lelouch, who looked almost ready to jump him.

"There's a problem with your ambition. At the rate your going, you won't even be able to launch an assault against the Britannian mainland until you reach 40."

"But what can I do?! I'm an exile with no place to turn! I can't exactly make soldiers appear magically." Lelouch yelled, exasperated.

"Don't worry about it. I can help you cut that time in half, but there's something you have to do for me."

"What do I have to do?!" He asked.

"When the time comes, all you have to do is forget you even met me. But don't worry about that for now. I'm going to teach you and when I think you're ready, I'm going to... send someone your way."

"How will I know who it is?"

"You won't, but this person will help you reach your goal, so does that matter? But enough about that, when I introduced myself, I noticed that your Japanese friend had to guard you like you were a little princess, any reason why?"

"It was because he can fight and I can't!" Lelouch defended himself, although, after seeing Naruto's smirk, he knew that was the wrong answer.

"Can't fight? Well now we know where to start."

"The Day of the Demon's Birth"

7 Years After the War 2017 a.t.b

Shinjuku Ghetto

"Say, how should I live, as a Britannian who hates Britannia?"

"You some kind of philosopher?" The soldier asked mockingly, hiding his surprise at the students bravery. "Huh?"

"What? Can't shoot? You're up against a student." Lelouch asked, his hand covering his right eye. "Or have you finally learned that only those willing to be shot can themselves shoot others." He removed his hand, Geass flaring to life.

"What's this?" Asked the Baron, his hand shaking in an attempt for control.

"Lelouch Vi Britannia commands you." Lelouch spoke in with the authority that only a prince could manage. "All of you, Die!"

The commander and the nine soldiers behind him all took out their pistols and put the barrels to their heads. "HAHAHAHA... Yes, Your Highness!" Ten shots, all in unison, fired and ten bodies fell to the ground, blood flying through the air, none of it landing on the student who caused their deaths.

Lelouch looked sick, watching the blood he spilt, he realized this was death; the soldiers, the mysterious girl who gave him this power and even Suzaku. However, these thoughts couldn't stop an insane smirk from developing. 'With this power... my plans are in sight.' Lelouch thought, excitement building.

"Geass... The power to manipulate the physical world. Use it well."

Lelouch looked around, surprised. "That voice! It been five years since I've heard it." He walked forward, stepping over the body of the green haired girl who gave him his Geass and the soldiers who tried to kill him.

"Do you have your hand in this?"

He continued walking to the exit, but stopped when he saw a Britannian Knightmare Frame approach, most likely looking for the team he just killed.

"What happened here?" The pilot -a woman- asked. "What is a Britannian student like you doing here? Answer me, or..."

"Tch!" A bad situation.

The woman fired a round of machine gun fire over Lelouch's head in warning, the generated wind made his black hair flap madly; he didn't even flinch.

"Answer me!"

"Get out of there this instant!" He commanded, Geass coming to life.

"Who do you think you are?" She asked, angry.

Lelouch blinked once in surprise, confused at the failure of his Geass.

I see. It won't work unless I can see them directly.

"My name is Alan Spacer. My father is a duke."

"A duke?"

"I have an I.D card in my breast pocket." He mentally complimented his acting. "After you confirm my identity, I'd like to request your protection."

Lelouch had to hold back his smirk as the Knightmare Frame powered down and out stepped it's pilot; a beautiful dark skinned Britannian with long off-blue hair. Pistol in hand, she glared at him.

"Keep your hands up! I'll take your I.D card out of you pocket."

Like hell you will.

"Give me your Knightmare!"

In an instant, Lelouch's Geass wired his command into her mind. "Very well. The code is XG2-ID2D4." She said, throwing him the activator.

"Good."

'Maybe I should repay those terrorists for getting me into this situation.'

Lelouch quickly left with his commandeered knightmare, leaving a confused woman questioning what just happened.

Watching the woman leave, Naruto stepped out from behind cover. He made his way over to the corpse of the green haired woman, careful not to step in any of the split blood. No need to get his shoes dirty.

"How long are you going to lay there?"

"... As long as I want." She replied, the fatal bullet hole in her head nowhere to be seen.

"Stand up." He said, nudging her ribs with his foot.

She decided she would compromise. Sitting up, she looked at him with an uncaring stare. Although her eye twitched when she caught him looking her up and down. He whistled appreciatively. "Your new clothes suit you. You always were kind of psychotic." He complimented before offering his hand to help her up. She ignored him, getting up on her own.

"It's been awhile, C.C." He said, awkwardly taking his ignored hand back.

"Awhile?" She asked, incredulously. "Awhile?" She quickly turned her body, fist lashing out and hitting him square in the jaw.

"Seventy years is a long time, even for me!"

Clutching his aching jaw, he tried to save himself. "Well I was going to see you about 20 years ago, but I forgot."

"You forgot? Did you know I actually spent resources looking for you."

For hardly honourable reasons.

"Really? I didn't know." He lied. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"To look for the boy."

"Do you even know where he lives?"

"No, do you?"

"Why the hell would I know?" Of course I do.

"Hmp! Never mind, I'll figure it out my self." She walked away, muttering "Insufferable man." as she passed him.

He smirked as she walked away.

She hasn't changed at all.

Using superior tactics to win always excited Lelouch, hence his fascination with chess. Today, he learned that war was much the same. Taking command of the terrorist group, manipulating the Britannian enemy, ordering "Q1" and getting the decisive victory. The entire battle led up to this moment. Lelouch stepped out of the shadows, pistol aimed at Prince Clovis, Third in line to the Throne, his brother.

"I'm so glad Lelouch! I heard you died when we invaded Japan." Clovis spoke, his voice shaking in fear. "I'm really happy your alive. Will you come back home with me?"

"You intend to use me as a diplomatic tool again? Lelouch asked, his voice completely void of humour, the barrel of his pistol still trained on Clovis. "I would seem you've forgotten that you yourself have been used as such a tool."

Clovis' eyes widened in surprise as he gasped, "Yes..." Lelouch continued. "From the day my mother was killed!"

"My mother was technically a princess, but she of common birth, so the other princesses were no doubt annoyed with her. But still... making it look like a terrorist attack was just cruel. You killed my mother, didn't you?!

"It wasn't me!" Clovis shouted, gripped by the fear of realizing that his brother came for his life and wouldn't leave without it. "I swear it wasn't!"

"Then tell me everything you know! No one can lie to me." The Geass sigil appeared in his right eye as he gave his order. "Who was it that had her killed?"

As his command entered Clovis' conscious, his eye took a red glow signifying the Geass' success.

"The second Prince Schneizer and the second Princess Cornelia. They know."

"They did it?" Lelouch asked, surprise clearly etched on his face. When Clovis failed to answer, Lelouch knew what was wrong. "You don't know very much, do you?" he asked his brother before the red glow in his eye faded, leaving a confused Clovis, released from his unwitting obedience.

"Huh?" He asked before panicking. "It truly wasn't me! I didn't do it! I would never do it!"

"Alright then." Lelouch said, slightly lowering his pistol. "But..." Stepping forward, he once again raised his arm level with Clovis' face.

"No! Stop! We may not share the same mother, but I am still your brother!"

From behind the pistol's sight, Lelouch glared at Clovis. "The world will never change through naive talk..."

Outside the Heavily fortified command centre, no one heard the shot.

"Nunnaly! I'm back!" Lelouch yelled, tired from the day's earlier activities. "Nunnaly?!" He called again when nobody answered. Giving up, he took his shoes off -No need to make Sayako mad.- and was about to search for his sister when he heard her heavenly laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Did you know Sayako used to play ninja when she was five?" A male voice asked, laughing afterwards.

"No, I didn't!" He heard Nunnaly giggle.

He coughed to alert his blind sister to his presence. "Oni-Sama! Your back!"

"Yes, I'm back, Nunnaly." He replied, in a sweet undertone reserved only for her. He looked at the man, who nodded at him.

"Oni-Sama, let me introduce you, this is a childhood friend of Sayako, Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, this is my older brother, Lelouch Lamperouge.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lelouch... Lamperouge." Naruto stuck his offered his hand in the obligatory handshake greeting.

"The feeling is mutual, I'm sure." Lelouch replied, shaking his hand. "How did you meet Sayako?"

"They went to the same Martial arts academy, they told me all these funny stories about it." Nunnaly spoke for him.

"Well, anyway, I should probably leave. You probably have some school work to do. It was nice seeing you again Sayako." Naruto got up from the table.

"Yes, it was." She responded.

"I'll see you out." Lelouch exclaimed.

As they walked to the door, neither of them talked, and to Lelouch at least, an awkward silence filled the air, but even that was broken as Naruto left with a cryptic message.

"Don't be surprised, she likes to freeload."

"What?"

"See ya." He said, walking out the door.

As soon as he was out of the Lamperouge household, Naruto let out a sigh. "Sayako was always a little creepy, but still... as ninja maid, she takes it to a new level."

*Ring* *Ring*

Naruto reached into his jean pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Hello? You don't say... lured out an original? Yeah, I'm on my way. Later." Hanging up, he ran his hand through his hair. "Geez, it's been a while since I found one. Well, time to have some fun." He needed to leave before a certain green haired woman got here anyway.

After a point in their long lives, very few Code Bearers stayed with society; most go into self exile, becoming hermits and living lives of solitude. Until recently, that's exactly what Maria was doing, but a series of coincidental events brought her out to the Tokyo Settlement. Around 750 years of age, she was confident in her abilities to defend herself, so she walked, fearless, into a city she hadn't been in for almost a century. If she had the chance to look back at her decision, she would definitely realize that her confidence was misplaced.

Walking through a dark alley, she turned around after hearing foot steps behind her. Barely in sight, a man wearing something akin to a black over coat stood directly behind her, a few metres away. A white mask with a lighting like design over it's right eye was covering his face; his blonde hair obscuring a complete view of the mask.

"A woman? A beautiful redhead at that. The bastard failed to mention that." He said.

"Who are you?" Maria asked, completely unafraid.

"Me? Doesn't matter. All you need to know is you have something that belongs to me." He said, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at her.

"Go ahead, shoot, kill me." she said, eyes showing her disinterest with him. This wasn't the first time she dealt with an assassin.

"I see." He said, pulling his hand back, leaving his pistol in the low ready position. "Is it mandatory for every Code Bearer to become blinded by power?"

"What?" She asked, genuinely surprised that he knew what she was.

He didn't answer, instead he rushed forward, arm stretched forward, open palm trying to grab Maria's face. An action which she countered accordingly, her hand slapping his own away, then moving back to a relatively safe distance.

"Who are you?" She asked again, a little fear seeping into her voice.

"Don't worry about it." He replied before throwing his pistol at her, quickly closing the distance between them as the pistol reached it's mark. Maria dodged the incoming pistol only to receive a combat knife in the gut.

"Did you know, that the Code grants immortality because of its natural need to return to its source? A

Code will never let it's host die." He spoke while twisting the knife in her gut. "Of course, a Code isn't sentient, it has no love for it's host. As soon as a mind with more power takes the Code, it's former host will begin to decay. Death would come quickly."

"Why are you telling me this? I don't have a contract with anyone." Maria asked, feeling her consciousness leave her.

Immortality should never be confused with invincibility.

"It's alright, close your eyes, sleep." He quietly spoke, still holding her up, the knife digging in further. Using his free hand, he took his mask off, letting her look at his deep blue eyes. "Sleep, you won't even know I've killed you." Maria gasped, the pain finally overtaking her, the Code, her only life support.

He let her down, pulling his combat knife out and wiping it clean. "I'm probably getting soft, 'Sleep'? Why the hell would I say that?" Sheathing his knife and picking up his pistol, he walked over to her comatose body.

"But I didn't lie, you won't feel a thing." He pulled off his glove on his left hand and cradled her smaller hand in his. The mark on her palm pulsed with a red hue, then began to move inch by inch from Maria's hand and onto his.

He stood up, looking down at her form pitifully before putting his mask back on. "I guess the least I could do is give her a proper burial." He picked her body up, feeling it's rapidly fading warmth. He walked back into the alley, disappearing into the shadows.

At the same time, miles away, C.C suddenly froze, a slice of pepperoni pizza in her hand, as if ready to be bitten. An inexplicable sense of dread filled her, crawling up her spine leaving shivers in it's wake. Her free hand rose to her forehead, her fingers gently grazing against her code.

"I have a bad feeling." Thanks

"About what?" A voice asked from below.

"Nothing that concerns you, boy."

"Whatever, just stop eating pizza on my bed!" He yelled from his sleeping bag on the floor.

"... No."

AN: For those of you who notice, yes, Naruto is wearing hei's outfit, only because I'm slightly obsessed with that show now, despite it's shitty endings, and let's face it, hei is badass. In my opinion, the most awesome mask wearing characters are Revan (KOTOR), Zero (Lelouch) and Hei (DTB), so yeah, there's my excuse for having him wear that. Thanks for the reviews and alerts, they certainly made me want to write more.

Is anyone here a tales of Vesperia fan? I loved the 360 game but then I learned that a "Perfect" edition came out for the ps3 and Namco has no plans to release it in Canada or anywhere else outside of japan for that matter. That's bullshit!! Persona 3 on the other hand rules, and I can't wait until P3P.