A.N. Part 3 of the Anime Cinematic Universe continues! Tai "convinces" (forces) Night Raid to work with him, and together, they tackle their first case for the NYPD.

Let'sgetiton!

Disclaimer: OCMixmaster27 does not own any of the franchises represented in this story apart from original characters. This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.


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Night Raid: Assassin's Ball


Chapter 3: Trying Something New


Location: Office of Sergeant Patrick Shaw, NYPD, 1 Police Plaza

Date: July 1st, 2016

Tai and Patty are both sitting in the latter's office, a stack of folders in between them.

"So, what are we dealing with?" Patty asks his friend.

Tai picks up the top folder and opens it, revealing the files inside.

"First off is Night Raid's most dangerous assassin; Akame Hasegawa," Tai explains as he shows Akame's files to Patty. "An orphan living in Tokyo along with her little sister, Kurome. Both of them were picked up by the League of Shadows when they were young and put through a brutal training regimen. She was one of the ones who left the League with me, though she had to leave her sister behind to do it. Not really a social butterfly, but she cares for her comrades greatly. She has an incredibly high metabolism and an addiction to meat, so food bills will be high because of her. Her Teigu is Murasame, a katana laced with a supernatural poison so deadly that even the smallest cut can kill the victim in seconds."

"Jesus!" Patty exclaims in shock. "How do you handle something that dangerous?"

"Very carefully," Tai answers as he pulls up another folder. "Next up is the leader of the group; Najenda Kita. She's another Japanese native and was a mentor of mine in the League before we escaped. She's actually the one who came up with the escape plan. Unfortunately, she lost an eye and an arm during the escape, so she doesn't actually do any assassinations anymore, but she is good at keeping the group in check. She has a Teigu called Susanoo, though I'm surprised that I didn't see him around anywhere."

Patty looks confused. "Him?"

"In short, he's a living weapon," Tai explains.

Patty looks shocked by this information. "What kind of weapons are these Teigu?"

"The kind made by men with vivid imaginations, too much time on their hands, and no consideration for the consequences of their actions," Tai answers evenly.

"That's a bad combination," Patty comments.

"No kidding," Tai agrees as he moves on to the next folder. "Up next; Bulat Özdemir, a native of Markovia and another League defector. He wields Incursio, a sword that transforms into a powerful suit of armor. He's the most compassionate of the group, and often goes out of his way to help out his allies."

"Sounds like an upstanding guy," says Patty, "apart from the whole assassin thing."

"He's also openly gay, in case that matters," Tai idly adds.

Patty shakes his head. "Not for me. You know about my nephew, right?"

"Of course," Tai answers. He then gives Patty a concerned look. "Any word?"

Patty sadly shakes his head.

"Damn," Tai curses, upset that he can't help to find Jack at this time. He then moves on to another member of Night Raid. "Here, we have Edgar Lubbock from Lubeck, Germany. He's the last of the League defectors and specializes in making traps. His Teigu is Cross Tail, which dispenses wire that's strong, razor sharp, and can be manipulated into a variety of uses. He's the jokester of the group and has a major crush on Najenda."

"Does she like him back?" Patty asks casually.

"The group's been together for eight years. If they're not dating now, then they never will," Tai answers.

"Poor bastard," Patty mutters in pity.

"Moving on, we have the non-Leaguers," Tai says as he pulls up another folder. "The oldest one is Leone Favero, the information gatherer for the team. We met her in Sicily, where she was beating up some local gang members after they burned her family's massage parlor to the ground. Her Teigu is Lionelle, a belt that enhances her strength, speed, reflexes, and durability. It also gives her cat-like features. A word of warning, she's not above using her feminine charms to get what she wants, so make sure you don't leave her with any weak-willed cops."

Patty nods. "Good to know."

Tai switches to another folder. "Next up is Sheele Schulze, born in Berlin. Night Raid was there years ago investigating a local human-trafficking ring. She ended up killing the group first after one of their members nearly killed a friend of hers. She's a deadly assassin, but a total klutz at absolutely anything else. Her Teigu is Extase, a giant pair of scissors that can supposedly cut through anything."

Patty looks astonished by this. "Anything?"

"Supposedly," Tai reiterates. He moves on to the last folder. "Then we have this brat. Her name's Mine Yavuz, though feel free to call her Shrimp-Puff, Pinkie Pie, Eyesore, Bubblegum, or anything else you can think of."

Patty looks confused. "Why?"

"Because it pisses her off to no end, which I find extremely amusing," Tai answers with a smirk. "Anyways, she was the bastard child of a Turkish mafia boss in Istanbul. She helped us take down the organization before joining Night Raid. Her Teigu is a rifle called Pumpkin that shoots energy projectiles from extreme distances, making her the long-range attacker of the group."

"And then there's the newcomer; Tatsumi," Patty says.

Tai scratches his head. "Yeah, not much I can tell you about him, apart from the fact that he's decent with a sword, apparently."

"Got you covered," Patty says as he holds up his own folder. "His full name is Tatsumi Iwamoto. He came here to New York as part of an international high-school exchange program, along with his friends Sayo Kobe and Ieyasu Kida. Apparently, they were here for only two days before all three of them turned up missing. From what you told me, they encountered the Bigsby family, which resulted in the deaths of Sayo and Ieyasu. CSU found their graves. We'll be notifying the families soon."

Tai nods at this. "At least they'll get some closure."

Patty takes a deep breath as he adds Tatsumi's file to the stack of folders on his desk.

"So, basically, we have a bunch of assassins from every corner of the globe, all with their own quirks and personalities, armed with supernatural weapons that make them powerful enough to bring down an entire country if they wanted to, and they're all currently locked up in our holding cells," the sergeant summarizes.

Tai nods. "Pretty much."

"And you want us to work with these people?" Patty asks incredulously.

"Better than having them as enemies," Tai replies.

Patty gives Tai a serious look. "Can we really trust them?"

Tai responds, "There's only one way to find out."


Location: Abandoned warehouse

Timeskip: 2 hours later

Three unmarked vans arrive at an unassuming warehouse. Patty and Tai climb out of the driver and passenger seats of the first van, while several other police officers exit the other vans.

"Alright, boys, go ahead and unload the cargo. We'll take care of our passengers," Sergeant Shaw orders.

The officers quickly comply and head for the back of the first van, while Patty and Tai head for the back of the second.

The sergeant and vigilante open the back of the second van, revealing Najenda, Bulat, Leone, and Sheele sitting inside and flanked on all sides by several more police officers wearing Kevlar. The members of Night Raid are handcuffed and blindfolded.

"We're here," Tai announces.

"It's about time," Leone complains as she and the others are helped off of their seats by the surrounding police. Each of the assassins are escorted out of the van by a single officer holding them securely.

Najenda exits first. She smiles and turns her blindfolded face towards Tai.

"I doubt that this place is truly an hour away from 1 Police Plaza. You had the vans drive around the city randomly to disorient us on purpose. Well done," Najenda praises as she walks past her former comrade.

Tai simply smirks as Bulat and Leone exit the van after their leader.

Sheele is the last one. Just as she's about to reach the ramp, she stumbles and nearly falls over, only for her accompanying officer to catch her.

"Thank you," Sheele says as she steadies herself.

The officer nods and leads her down the ramp. Just as they reach the end, Tai stops the two of them.

"Hold it," Tai says as he approaches Sheele.

He quickly grabs her handcuffed hands and pulls her in close, getting a blush from the purple-haired girl. He leans his face close to her ear.

"I've lost count of how many times you've tripped yourself around me," Tai whispers into Sheele's ear, "but I do know the difference between a fake stumble and the real deal."

Tai quickly pulls away from Sheele and lifts up his hand, revealing the pair of handcuff keys that he took from her hands.

The officer escorting Sheele goes wide eyed and fumbles around the pouch where he stored the keys.

Meanwhile, Najenda, Bulat, and Leone internally wince at the lost opportunity to escape.

"Paranoid, much?" Leone remarks.

Tai gives the blonde an 'are you kidding me' look. "Wouldn't you?" he replies as he tosses the key's to Sheele's escort.

As the assassins are escorted away, Tai and Patty move on to the third van. They open the back, revealing Akame, Lubbock, Mine, and Tatsumi in similar states as their comrades. The officers inside escort the other four members of Night Raid out of the van.

As the group exits the vehicle, Tai notices the officer escorting an irate Mine has a bloody nose. "What happened to you?"

"She talked a whole bunch of smack on the ride over," the officer explains. "I guess she was trying to get a rise out of us and make some kind of mistake. All I said was that any remarks made by a pre-pubescent pink eyesore were worthless."

"That's when I gave him a little tap to teach him that those kinds of jokes are not funny," Mine adds in annoyance.

"Then why was everyone laughing?" the officer jabs as he wipes the blood off of his face.

Mine grits her teeth in anger.

Tai smiles brightly and turns to Patty. "You have some fine officers, Sergeant. You should be proud."

Patty smiles back. "I always am."

The eight assassins are escorted to a spot near the front of the warehouse, with Patty and Tai standing between them and the building. Behind the group are several other officers carrying large crates.

"Alright. Blindfolds off," Patty orders.

The police officers remove the blindfolds from the Night Raid members' heads. The assassins blink their eyes to adjust to the light.

Tai presents to them the two-story warehouse behind him and Patty.

"Welcome to HQ!" Tai exclaims with a big smile on his face.

Most of the Night Raid members are unamused.

"You've got to be joking," Mine says incredulously.

"So, we're moving from a cozy, amenity-rich mansion in the outskirts to a rundown warehouse near the center of town. What an upgrade," Leone adds sarcastically.

Najenda, however, isn't so dismissive of the building.

"Inconspicuous, ignored by the populace, and close enough to 1 Police Plaza in case of an emergency," Najenda observes, "and I assume that it's heavily monitored by security cameras and sensors. So far, it's got the makings of a decent headquarters."

Akame nods along with Najenda's assessment.

Tai continues smiling. "And that's just the exterior."

Tai and Patty lead Night Raid to the front door, the other police officers staying step-by-step with the assassins. Patty types a code into the number pad next to the door, unlocking it with a beep and a click of the door locks.

Once inside, the members of Night Raid get a good look at the interior of the building.

For starters, it's much cleaner than the outside, with a decent paint job. It's also partially filled with several hi-tech computer stations near the front of the building. Past that is a large conference table with several chairs pushed in, with a huge monitor on the wall near one end and a whiteboard on a roll cart near the other end. In the back is a U-shaped couch facing a TV, with a coffee table in the middle. Behind the couch is a small kitchen area with a fully stocked fridge and freezer. On the ceiling are a dozen security cameras watching every corner of the room.

Needless to say, the building looks much more professional on the inside.

"Impressive," Najenda says with a nod of approval.

"I still prefer the mansion," Leone mutters with a pout.

"This building was generously given to us by the NYPD's Narcotics Unit. They mainly use it as a separate base for investigations involving heavy amounts of undercover operations," Sergeant Shaw explains as they head for the conference table.

"Which is why this building also has living quarters upstairs," Tai adds. "Before you ask, yes, there are separate rooms for girls and boys."

"Peachy. So, where's all of our stuff?" Mine demands. "More specifically, where are my clothes?!"

"What about our Teigu?" Lubbock asks. "I think that's more important."

"I agree. I feel naked without Incursio," Bulat says with a hint of uncomfortableness in his voice.

The other Night Raid members, apart from Najenda and Tatsumi, nod and mutter in agreement. Even Akame seems upset by the lack of Murasame on her person, judging by the sad gleam in her eyes.

In response, Tai motions to the officers bringing the crates inside.

"Your Teigu are right here, though they'll only be used for missions or emergencies," Tai states with some authority in his tone. "As for your other belongings, they'll be arriving later today. We didn't want to bring to much stuff here at once, lest people get suspicious. For now, though, we'll be getting started on our first mission."

Patty turns to the officers standing next to the assassins. "Uncuff them."

The officers release the Night Raid members from their handcuffs.

"Mission?" Najenda asks.

Tai nods. "Take a seat," he says as he puts in his earbuds and turns on his music.

(Insert Music: The Cramps – Fever)

The members of Night Raid all look to Najenda, who gives a nod. They then sit down at the conference table while Tai and Patty stand at the head.

"When I told the head of the Narcotics Unit that Night Arrow needed this building, he said that we could have it as long as Night Arrow could help them out with a special case," Patty tells the team. "They already have their hands full trying to get cocaine, crack, heroin, meth, and all the other usual suspects off of the streets."

"And now," Tai continues as he holds a small bag filled with purple-colored pills, "This new drug has just entered the field."

Tai hands the bag to Najenda, who inspects the contents. The pills are solid purple, no bigger than vitamins, and are cylindrical in shape.

"What am I looking at?" Najenda asks before passing the bag to Lubbock.

"Apparently, it's a mixture of ecstasy, several aphrodisiacs, and an unknown chemical mixture that causes the person taking it to feel extreme amounts of sexual pleasure and desire for several hours. Not only that, but the victim will also form a strong emotional attachment to whoever they sleep with during these hours. Even after that period, the user will still feel incredibly horny for several days," Tai explains.

"Sounds like a love potion in pill form," Lubbock says as he passes the bag around the table.

"Hence it's street name, Aphrodite," Patty responds.

"Here's the kicker; it's extremely addictive," Tai continues. "Once the aftereffects wear off, the victim goes through withdrawal, with symptoms including fever, sweating, vomiting, anxiety, and paranoia. Eventually, if the victim takes too much of this stuff, their body and mind are warped forever, and they care about nothing else but the drug and whoever they sleep with."

"Let me guess; desperate, perverted degenerates are using this drug to ensnare innocent women, aren't they?" Mine says indignantly as she looks at the bag in disgust.

"Among others, which is why we need this stuff off the streets now, before it can take root here in New York City," Patty answers.

"And that's where we come in," Tai says as he takes back the bag. "We've acquired several people who've fallen victim to this drug, though half of them are too far gone for us to get any valuable information from them. Luckily for us, one victim has had Aphrodite completely purged out of their body and is going to make a full recovery. Bulat and Tatsumi are going to talk to the victim at Mount Sinai hospital."

Mine suddenly stands up and glares at Tai. "Hold on a second! Why are you sending two guys to talk to her, you idiot?! She'll probably freak out at the sight of a guy, let alone having two interrogate her! Shouldn't Leone and I talk to her instead?"

Leone nods in agreement.

Tai is unfazed by the outburst. "One problem with that idea; the victim isn't a 'her'."

"Huh?" Tatsumi exclaims, vocalizing the rest of Night Raid's confusion.

The screen behind Tai suddenly lights up, revealing a photo of a young man, a high schooler by the looks of him, smiling back at the group, as well as the young man's information next to the photo. The young man has curly brown hair and blue eyes.

"This is Todd Peterson, a high school student with a bright future ahead of him," Tai explains. "He had good grades, a handful of friends, and a nice girlfriend. Everything changed three weeks ago, when he started behaving erratically. His grades dropped, he got sick randomly, and he cut himself off from all of his friends. He even broke up with his girlfriend in favor of a cheerleader who appeared to have him eating out of her hands. Things escalated when he ran away from home and went off the grid. That's when the police got involved. They eventually found him tied up in the cheerleader's room doped out on Aphrodite. Turned out that the cheerleader was using the drug to take the poor boy as her love slave." Tai points to the bag of pills in Tatsumi's hands. "Those pills were the ones that were seized from her room."

Tatsumi nervously looks at the bag of pills and slowly pushes it away.

"I had no idea," says a stunned Sheele. "I thought that…"

"Guys can be victims, too. You just don't hear about it as often," Tai says in a somber tone. "Anyways, that's why Bulat and Tatsumi will be talking to Todd."

Mine has the decency to look ashamed by her outburst as she sits back down.

Tai continues, "While they're doing that, Sheele and Leone will be interrogating the cheerleader. She's locked up at 1.P.P. right now."

"You sure you can trust Sheele and I not to break her?" Leone asks with a sadistic grin on her face.

Tai gives Leone a deadpan look. "I don't, which is why you'll have two police officers with you when you talk to her. Same goes for Bulat and Tatsumi."

Tatsumi groans at this, while Bulat simply nods in understanding.

"As for the rest of the group," Tai continues, "Lubbock will be setting traps all around the outside of this building. I don't want any…unsavory people catching us by surprise."

Lubbock grins, knowing full well which unsavory people Tai is speaking of. "You've got it."

Tai then turns to the pinkette. "Mine, you'll also be helping with security. I want you to go over all of our cameras and monitoring systems. Make sure that there are no blind spots."

Mine pouts but doesn't argue.

"As for Najenda and Akame, you two will be coming with me," Tai says to the two remaining members of Night Raid.

Najenda and Akame both look confused. "What for?" Najenda asks.

Tai grins. "To have lunch."

(End Music)


Location: Room 28, Mount Sinai

Timeskip: 1 hour later

Todd Peterson sits quietly in his hospital bed and stares down at his lap in sadness. Next to him, his parents try their best to comfort their boy.

"It's alright, Todd. Everything will be alright," Todd's mother says to her son, trying desperately to cheer him up.

Todd simply continues to stare, his mind trying it's hardest to process the ordeal he went through the past three weeks.

Knock Knock!

"Um, pardon the intrusion!"

All three people in the room look towards the door at the sound of the new voice. They're surprised when an unassuming young man, probably a couple of years older than Todd, enters the room. They're even more surprised when an older and much taller man sporting a massive heart-shaped pompadour follows the first stranger inside.

"Who are you two?" Todd's father asks with a protective edge in his voice.

Bulat gives the parents a warm smile. "We're assisting the NYPD with the investigation involving your son. I'm Bulat Özdemir," Bulat claps his hand on Tatsumi's shoulder, "and this fine young man is my partner, Tatsumi Iwamoto."

Tatsumi cringes internally. 'What exactly does he mean by partner?' he asks himself, remembering all of the times that Bulat has 'subtly' insinuated his desire for Tatsumi.

Tatsumi snaps out of it and gives the family a disarming smile. "We were hoping that we can talk to Todd for a little bit. We could use whatever information he can give us to take down the scum that sold those drugs."

Todd's mother gives her son a nervous look, then turns back to the two newcomers. "I'm not so sure that this is the right time, gentlemen."

Bulat gives the mother a thumbs up. "Not to worry, Mrs. Peterson. Your son is in the safest hands possible."

Todd's mother and father look unconvinced.

"…It's okay," Todd suddenly says in a quiet tone, getting everyone's attention. He turns to his parents. "I'll be alright."

Todd's parents look at each other, then sigh as they relent. They head for the door to give their son and the two strangers some privacy.

"We'll be right outside," Todd's father says right before he leaves, both as comfort for Todd and a warning for Bulat and Tatsumi.

As soon as both parents leave the room, Bulat and Tatsumi approach Todd and sit down on each side of his hospital bed. They continue to smile warmly at the boy, who suddenly finds himself shuffling nervously under his covers.

"Sirs…I, uh…," Todd stammers, trying desperately to get some words out.

Bulat stops Todd by putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're a strong young man, you know that?"

Bulat's words stun Todd back into silence. Todd's expression then becomes pained as his internal frustration begins leaking out of him.

"…Strong? How can I possibly be strong?" Todd asks with sadness. "She drugged me. Forced me to…I tried so hard to fight back, but I couldn't. I nearly lost my mind because of those drugs."

"But you didn't," Bulat tells the boy. "You're here, safe and sound, and she'll never hurt you again. You have your life back."

"No, I don't!" Todd suddenly yells, startling Bulat and Tatsumi. "She made me abandon my friends! She forced me to break up with Betty, the one girl I've truly loved my entire life! I even ran away from home just because she told me too! How can I ever have my life back!? My friends…Betty…"

Todd finally breaks down and lets the tears fall freely, sobbing in hopelessness.

"Your friends…you've been with them for a long time, right?"

Todd and Bulat both turn to Tatsumi, who gives Todd a reassuring smile.

"…Yeah. We've been friends since elementary school," Todd answers as he wipes the tears from his eyes.

"And Betty, too?" Tatsumi continues.

Todd nods. "We grew up in the same neighborhood. She's my oldest friend. That's why I love her so much."

"And you've gone on so many adventures with them all, right? A lot of good memories between you all?"

"Absolutely!"

Tatsumi nods. "Then you have nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean?" Todd asks in confusion.

"All that time you spent with your friends and Betty, all of the memories made, all of the trust you've built, that's what makes a strong bond between you and them," Tatsumi explains as memories of his time with Ieyasu and Sayo pass through his mind. "That kind of bond isn't so easily broken. They'll understand what happened to you, and who you really are as a person. Trust me when I say that they won't turn their back on you."

Bulat smiles as he hears Tatsumi inspire the boy with his words. 'You sure have a way with words, Tatsumi. You're gonna be great one day.'

Bulat turns back to Todd. "You still have a great future ahead of you, so don't you be giving up hope yet."

Todd takes in their words, a feeling of hope rising up inside of him. He gives the two a small smile, optimism showing on his face.

Tatsumi's face turns serious. "We need to find the one who gave that scum of a woman those drugs. Any information you can give us will help immensely."

"I'll tell you everything I can," Todd says with determination in his voice.

Outside the room, Todd's parents cry in happiness as they stand next to two police officers, relieved that they'll have their son back.


Location: Private holding cells, 1 Police Plaza

Down in the bowels of 1.P.P., the mood is less than cheerful. Leone and Sheele walk through the corridor, passing by several cells reserved for criminals kept away from others for varying reasons. Two police officers follow close behind, making sure that the assassins don't run or cause trouble.

One of the officers nods ahead. "She's in the next one to your right."

Leone turns to Sheele and grins. "How about we give her the old Lebanon Routine?"

"That can work," Sheele replies in a soft tone.

"The Lebanon Routine?" one officer asks in confusion.

"You'll see," Leone says cryptically as they approach the cell.

Another officer gives the blonde a hard look. "You know the rules."

Leone smirks at the officer. "Have some faith in me."

The officer continues to stare at the blonde for a moment. He then takes out some keys and opens the cell door. Leone enters the cell alone and allows the door to close behind her, while Sheele waits outside.

One inside, Leone gets a good look at the cheerleader that drugged an innocent boy. The younger girl is still sitting in her pajamas from when she was arrested several nights ago. Her hair is disheveled, and her face looks haggard. Leone can imagine that the girl would look good after a bit of a cleanup.

Right now, though, the cheerleader has an ugly glare on her face as she registers Leone's arrival.

"You're not a cop," the cheerleader rudely states.

"And they say cheerleaders are idiots," Leone quips, shrugging off the other girl's rudeness.

The cheerleader responds by showing Leone her middle finger.

"Well, at least you have brains going for you," Leone continues. "After all, your face isn't doing you any favors."

"Screw you, bitch!" the cheerleader exclaims. "I was the most popular girl at school! All the guys wanted me!"

"Except for the one you had to drug," Leone points out.

"I wouldn't have needed the drugs if that skank Betty didn't keep Todd away from me! She just paraded around with Todd wrapped around her finger, and all because she had good grades and that sickening 'nice girl' routine! If anyone deserved him, it was me! Betty needed to be put in her place!" the cheerleader rants.

"Looks like you're the one that got put in her place," Leone says. "You're about to be put in prison for a long time, where I'm sure you'll be very popular with the other inmates. Meanwhile, Todd's going to be spending his future with that girl you despise so much."

The cheerleader scoffs and gives Leone a smug smirk. "It won't last. He'll never forget me after I rocked his world better than she ever could."

"Says the girl who needed to pump him full of aphrodisiac just to get him to like being around you," Leone retorts.

The cheerleader growls at Leone.

Leone continues to ignore the hate being sent her way. "You're going to tell me who gave you Aphrodite, and you're going to tell me now."

The cheerleader leans back in her seat and turns away. "I suppose I can tell you, but only if it means that I'll never step foot into prison."

"It won't just be Todd and his loved ones that'll suffer because of this drug," Leone points out in a serious tone. "Countless others will get hurt if Aphrodite takes root in New York City, and that's before it spreads nationwide."

The cheerleader shrugs indifferently. "That sounds an awful lot like a 'you' problem to me."

A smile reforms on Leone's face as she subtly activates her Teigu.

"I guess we're doing this now."

POW! CRUNCH!

The cheerleader flinches away in fright as a fist flies past her face and embeds itself into the concrete wall next to her. She quickly turns with wide eyes and sees Leone's deadly smirk inches away from her face. The cheerleader notices that Leone's body has changed, her muscles more pronounced, cat ears on her head, and a yellow aura surrounding her form.

The effects of Lionelle.

"W-What the fuck are you?!" the cheerleader cries out before Leone roughly grabs her by her neck.

"There are several people in this world that you should never fuck with," Leone says as she points her new cat claws at the cheerleader's face, "and I'm one of them."

"You crazy bitch!" the cheerleader cries out as she tries to hit Leone, only to have her hand effortlessly caught.

"I'm not the crazy bitch you need to worry about," Leone warns as she turns towards the cell door. "Isn't that right, Sheele?"

The cheerleader turns towards the door and sees Sheele staring stone-faced into the cell, the shine on her glasses giving her a sinister look.

What really gets the cheerleader's attention, though, is the massive pair of scissors that the purple-haired girl has pointed towards the cell door.

Snikt! Snikt!

Clang!

With just a couple of snips, Extase easily cuts through the steel bars of the cell door. Sheele ignores the shocked police officers as she enters the cell and approaches the horrified cheerleader.

"You stole an innocent boy from his family, friends, and lover," Leone says, getting the cheerleader's attention. "You know how they punished thieves back in the day?"

Leone holds out the cheerleader's hand while Sheele closes Extase several times in a threatening manner.

The cheerleader panics as she instantly connects the dots.

"I guess this is a 'you' problem, now," Leone quips as she revels in the rapist's terror.

"W-Wait a minute! You can't do this! The police won't let you hurt me!" The cheerleader yells as she struggles in Leone's grip.

Leone gives the cheerleader a mock look of questioning. "The police? Who do you think let us in here in the first place?"

The cheerleader trembles as the sharp blades of Extase hover around her wrist.

"I'm sorry," Sheele apologizes with no sincerity in her tone.

"You're going to tell us everything you know," Leone states with her grin still on her face, "one way or another."


Location: Meaty Mike's Roadhouse Bar and Grill

Tai, Najenda, and Akame sit quietly at a booth as they wait for their order. They ignore all of the chatter and rabble from nearby tables, though they do keep their eyes out for anything suspicious.

The waitress soon arrives at their booth with a cart full of food.

"Alright, here we are!" The waitress cheerfully says as she places one plate in front of Tai. "One pulled pork sandwich with fries and greens for the gentleman."

Tai smiles at the waitress. "Thank you."

The waitress then puts a bowl in front of Najenda. "One Santa Fe chicken cobb salad for you,…um…"

A tic mark forms on Najenda's forehead. "Ma'am."

"Ma'am. Sorry," the waitress quickly apologizes before turning her attention to Akame. "And for you, young lady…"

WHUMP!

The entire restaurant shakes slightly as the waitress plops a gigantic plate piled high with many servings of beef brisket, pulled pork, roasted chicken, ham, steak, bacon, and pork ribs right in front of Akame.

The waitress takes a moment to catch her breath from lifting that plate of food before saying, "…one order of Meaty Mike's Meaty Mountain Supreme."

Akame drools as her sparkling eyes take in the feast before her.

"And here's some extra barbecue sauce for you," the waitress adds as she places a full bottle of barbecue sauce next to the mountain of food. "Y'all enjoy yourselves!"

The waitress starts heading off with the cart but stops right next to Tai.

"You think you're gonna need some To-Go boxes, honey?" the waitress asks Tai.

Both of them turn towards Akame, who just shoved half a steak into her mouth.

"…Nah," Tai replies.

The waitress takes the cart away, leaving three patrons alone to enjoy their meals.

"So, why'd you bring the two of us here, Tai?" Najenda asks as she digs into her salad. "I doubt it was just for the food."

"I wanted to take a moment to talk with you two about some things," Tai answers as he eats his sandwich.

"Like what, exactly?" Najenda presses.

Tai takes a sip of his soda. "Well, for starters, let's talk about Tatsumi."

"You don't believe that Tatsumi has what it takes to be a part of Night Raid?" Akame asks as she devours her plate of meat.

"Actually, from what I've seen and heard, the kid's got a lot of potential, especially for being a complete newbie almost three weeks ago," Tai admits as he pops a fry into his mouth. "What I'd like to understand is why you even allowed a complete newbie to even join the group in the first place. Everyone else at least had some previous experience, and, from what I remember during my time in Night Raid, we've turned down quite a few people that were seasoned veterans. So, what's the deal?"

Najenda takes a bite of some chicken before answering, "There were a multitude of reasons. I was hesitant to let a kid roam New York City with knowledge about our group, Leone felt like she owed him something after she scammed him out of all of his money, Bulat had taken a shine to the kid, and Akame…"

Akame stops inhaling her food for a moment. "He earned a good portion of my respect when he faced off against my blade without being consumed by fear. Not only that, but he did so to defend who he believed to be an innocent soul. Such a person rarely appears, and I wanted to see how much further he could grow."

Tai smiles at Akame's appraisal of Tatsumi. "A recommendation from Akame Hasegawa. Now that's a rarity."

"So far, he hasn't disappointed us," Najenda says. "His solo killing of Ogre was especially impressive."

Tai's eyes widen at this. "That was solo? Against a seasoned assassin? That is impressive." Tai takes another bite of his sandwich. "That happened here in the city, right? Sometime in the past two weeks, I assume?"

Najenda stops picking at her food and looks at Tai. "Perhaps."

"Just out of curiosity, why was Ogre here in the city in the first place?" Tai asks.

"Why do you ask?" Najenda inquires back.

"You know, I was thinking about something," Tai explains. "Zank was a complete nutjob, hearing voices inside his head compelling him to kill all the time. It's entirely possible that Zank was unable to ignore the voices any longer, needed to find an outlet, and Black Mask was just the poor sap that got chosen as his victim. If that's the case, then why was he here in New York City? And why was Ogre here with him?"

Najenda shrugs. "Who knows?" she says dismissively as she goes for a bite of her salad.

"I think you know," Tai accuses, "since that's the reason Night Raid came to New York City to begin with. Because you got wind of the League's plans and came to stop them."

Akame and Najenda freeze just before their food enters their mouths.

Najenda chuckles. "You've become quite the detective, Tai."

"When you travel around the world and help the NYPD solve difficult cases, you pick up a thing or two," Tai says before leveling a serious look at his fellow diners. "So, care to fill me in on their plans?"

Najenda and Akame look at each other, having a silent conversation on whether to divulge their information to Tai.

"Really? You two are doing this to me?" Tai asks in annoyance. "Look, I want to stop the League just as much as you, if not more so. I want us to work together to bring them down, but you've got to help me out here. I'm putting my trust in Night Raid one more time. I'd appreciate it if Night Raid put their trust in me as well."

After a moment, Akame relents. "Ra's al-Ghul is planning to purge New York City."

Najenda sighs in defeat as Akame returns to her meal.

"Shit!" Tai curses, suddenly losing his appetite. "Why New York, though? This city isn't that bad compared to, say, Gotham, Metropolis, or Chicago, not to mention all the crime and corruption going on around the world."

Najenda explains, "Ra's al-Ghul has already tried multiple purges in America. Gotham, Metropolis, Starling, and several other cities were targeted, but his plans failed because of the heroes in this country, Batman especially. Those failures, our defection from the League, and his recent 'death' at the hands of the Reach have created doubt in Ra's al-Ghul's infallibility amongst his subordinates, as far as we've learned."

"So, Ra's figures that destroying New York will restore his reputation?" Tai guesses.

Najenda nods. "A major global trading hub that is the symbol of the American Dream? Destroying it would be a profound statement."

"How is he planning to do so?" Tai asks. "Chemical attack? Bombs? A death ray?"

"We're not sure, but according to Tatsumi, Ogre's last words before he died were 'you cannot stop the Undertaking'," Akame says between bites.

Tai raises an eyebrow. "The Undertaking? Meaning what?"

Tai's cell phone ringing interrupts their conversation. He quickly answers the phone.

"Yeah?...Mhm…Great! We'll be right over," Tai says into the phone before ending the call. "Looks like we'll need some To-Go boxes after all."

"What's going on?" Najenda asks as Akame pouts over the impromptu end of her feasting.

Tai smiles. "We've got a lead."


Location: Night Raid HQ

Timeskip: 1 hour later

All of Night Raid is once again sitting around the conference table as Tai and Patty stand in front of the monitor.

"Alright, thanks to Bulat, Tatsumi, Leone, and Sheele, we've got some valuable info from Todd and the cheerleader about Aphrodite," Tai says to the group.

"On that note," Patty interjects as he gives a suspicious look to Leone, "our prisoner isn't dead or missing any body parts, is she?"

Leone grins impishly. "Nah, but she's definitely going to need a new jumpsuit to replace the one she soiled."

Tai nods. "Acceptable."

He then turns on the monitor, revealing a photo of a nightclub's interior with bright lights shining on a crowd of people dancing in front of a DJ Booth.

"Anyways, the cheerleader got the drugs from a man at the Shining Taurus, a nightclub in the Downtown Area," Tai explains. "Apparently, she heard on the grapevine that she could get a drug here that could help her 'woo' Todd."

"Three weeks ago, she received a single pill at a discount as a form of trial run," Sheele continues. "When she saw it worked, she became a regular customer."

"Todd mentioned that she dragged him to that club twice to buy the drugs, though she played it off as part of their date," Tatsumi adds. "Unfortunately, Todd never got a good look at the guy."

"According to the bitch, the seller is a butch bearded Caucasian guy with a brown buzzcut and flame tattoos on his arms," Leone describes.

"Whoever he is, he hopefully hasn't caught wind of the cheerleader's arrest, which means if we act fast, we can catch him," Tai says. "That's why our group is going to go undercover tonight and infiltrate the club. Once there, we'll catch the seller and get him to confess to where he got the drugs from."

"Oh yeah! Undercover at a dance club! Now that's what I call a mission!" Leone cheers in excitement.

Around her, Tatsumi, Mine, and Lubbock share her enthusiasm. Tai and Patty, meanwhile, are less enthusiastic as they feel incoming headaches.

"Just because we're going to a nightclub doesn't mean this is a party," Tai points out. "I shouldn't have to say this to a group of professionals, but we need to focus on locating and apprehending the perp. Unless it's part of the mission, we need to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. That means no craziness, and no fighting. I'm looking at you, Leone."

Leone pouts at this. "Aw, come on! You can't blame me for wanting to have a little fun at the club." She then smiles mischievously as she cat-poses. "You know this kitty's always the life of the party."

Tai gives a look of warning to Leone. "If you really can't control yourself, then maybe we should have you spayed first."

Leone quickly composes herself and looks down in fear. "…I'll behave…"

Tai nods. "Good kitty." He then turns to the rest of the group. "Alright, here's the plan…"


Location: Shining Taurus Nightclub

Timeskip: Evening

(Insert Music: Deadmau5 and Kaskade – I Remember)

The party is in full swing here at the Shining Taurus. The music is bumping, the lights are flashing, the drinks are flowing, and everyone's enjoying themselves as they party the night away.

Into this scene enter six figures. The first two are Tai and Leone posing as a couple, with Leone grinning and eagerly clutching Tai's arm. The next two are Tatsumi and Mine, who are also playing a couple, though neither are eager to do so, judging by the way they're scowling and facing away from each other. The last two are Bulat, who has forgone his armor and sword to appear more civilian-like, and Akame, who is wearing a white and red dress with white gloves. Both of them appear to have arrived dateless.

All six of them have an earpiece in their ears to communicate with each other over the music.

"Now this is my kind of scene!" Leone exclaims as she surveys the crowd of partiers. She gives her 'date' a smile. "You sure know how to show a lady a good time."

"Let's try not to tear up the club too much, okay?" Tai asks his partner.

Leone gives a cheeky grin. "No promises, darling."

Tai shakes his head at Leone's antics. He then subtly speaks into his communicator, "Najenda, Sheele, can you hear me?"

[Loud and clear, Tai. We're all set up with Sergeant Shaw in one of the police vans outside,] Najenda responds through the communicator. [Impressive technology, by the way. I can barely hear the surrounding music.]

"I'll be sure to give your compliments to my tech guy," Tai says. "What about you, Lubbock?"

[I'm out of sight with Cross Tail ready to go,] Lubbock replies, [though it sucks that I'm sitting in the alley instead of partying with you guys.]

"Don't worry. Next time, we'll have Strawberry Shortcake sitting outside," Tai assures the trap master.

"I second that," Tatsumi adds, getting a glare from his 'date'.

"Hey! You're supposed to be my boyfriend, remember?" Mine berates the brown-haired young man as the group spreads out across the club.

"You heard the young lady, Tatsumi. You should treat your girlfriend better if you want hugs and kisses later tonight," Tai jokes, causing Tatsumi and Mine to blush.

"Don't even joke like that! There's no way that I'd ever kiss this hick!" Mine harshly insists into her communicator.

"Exactly! Why would I want to give my first kiss to a brat like her?!" Tatsumi adds bluntly, causing Mine to glare at him.

"Why, you…" Mine growls, making Tatsumi flinch away.

"Why are you growling?! I'm agreeing with you!" Tatsumi asks fearfully.

"You two really are perfect for each other," Leone teases.

Tatsumi and Mine look away from each, glaring with bright blushes on their faces.

[Alright, people, let's not get too distracted,] Patty says, getting everyone back on track.

"Agreed. Showtime, people," Tai commands.

With that, everyone splits up. Leone eagerly drags Tai onto the dance floor. Tatsumi invites Mine to dance, but Mine gives him a stink look and marches over to the side, with Tatsumi reluctantly following suit. Bulat walks over to the bar, causing many women (and several men) to turn their heads. And, of course, Akame makes a beeline towards the food court.

As Bulat orders a drink, an attractive young woman approaches him.

"Hi there. Are you by yourself tonight?" the girl asks the muscular man.

Bulat smiles, having experienced many women hitting on him in the past, followed by him having to let them down gently.

"As a matter of fact, I am. However–"

"That's great, cause my brother over there was wanting a dance with you, but he's too shy to ask," the girl interjects as she points at a young man sitting at a table nearby.

A surprised Bulat takes a glance at the girl's brother, who is looking down at his own drink with a mortified expression. Her brother is about Tatsumi's height and thin, with mocha-colored skin and curly brown hair.

'This is different,' Bulat muses as he smiles at the girl again. "I would be honored to dance with him."

The girl squeals in delight, quickly turns to her brother, and gives him two thumbs up. Her brother is surprised by Bulat's acceptance, but also happy, as shown by the smile on his face.

Bulat approaches the young man and offers his hand. "I'm Bulat."

"Donnie," the other male introduces himself as he takes Bulat's hand.

Bulat escorts Donnie to the dance floor, intent on showing the young man a fun night, while Donnie's sister watches on.

Meanwhile, Akame is sitting at her own table gorging herself on a giant plate of chicken strips. She shovels through her food impassively as she scans the crowd of people for the target.

Nearby, a random guy that's been eyeballing her for a little while approaches her table. He has a cocky smirk as he plans on scoring with the black-haired beauty tonight.

"Hey there, gorgeous. What's a pretty thing like you–" the stranger asks, only to be startled as Akame glares at him and moves her plate of chicken out of his reach.

"I'm not sharing my food with you," Akame vehemently declares as she stares at him like a predator protecting her food from scavengers.

The stranger recovers and smiles at Akame again. "I was actually thinking of sharing something else with you, if you get–"

"I'M. NOT. SHARING," Akame repeats as a hostile aura emanates from her body, scaring the stranger, who feels as though he's facing off against an angry wolf.

"N-Never mind!" the stranger cries out before scurrying away, leaving Akame alone to enjoy her food in peace.

On the dance floor, Tai and Leone watch the scene unfold with amusement as they move together with the music.

"There goes our little assassin, scaring off another horny idiot," Leone says with a smile as she grinds her body against Tai's. "She's never going to get a boyfriend, I swear."

"What are you talking about? She's already found her true love," Tai quips as he motions to the plate of chicken that Akame is devouring with fervor.

Leone chuckles at Tai's joke. She then turns to her fellow blonde with a smoldering look and wraps her hands around the back of Tai's head.

"What about you? Have you found that special someone yet?" Leone asks as she winks at Tai suggestively.

Suddenly, Tai wraps his arms around Leone's body, with one arm wrapping around her waist while the crosses over her bountiful chest.

Leone is surprised by this sudden embrace but welcomes it.

"Woah, big boy! Eager for action, are we?" Leone asks, before shuddering with pleasure as Tai's breath ghosts over her ear.

"Booth in the back. 11 o'clock," Tai mutters into Leone's ear.

Leone snaps out of her pleasurable haze in confusion. She then looks over to where Tai indicated.

Sure enough, a butch bearded man with a brown buzzcut and flame tattoos on his arms is sitting in a booth away from all of the crowds.

"Anyone else have eyes on him?" Tai asks in his communicator as Leone pouts in his arms.

"I do," Akame says as she spots the target. "He appears to be looking for something in the crowd."

"He's looking for customers," Tai states as he subtly follows the target's gaze.

Apparently, the target is eyeballing Tatsumi and Mine, who are having a bit of an argument in the distance. This causes some gears to turn in Tai's head.

"I can capture him now," Akame offers as she begins to move out of her seat.

"Wait," Tai commands, stopping Akame. "We need a confirmation first. Tatsumi and Mine, you two need to separate for a bit."

Getting the order, Mine makes a show of shooing Tatsumi away. "Make yourself useful and get me a drink!"

Tatsumi glares at her, partially faking his annoyance, before walking over to the bar to get the brat's drink.

Sure enough, the target stands up from his booth and heads over to the bar as well.

"Alright, kid, target's coming to you," Tai informs Tatsumi. "Just play it cool and get him to sell to you. Remember, we don't want to spook him."

Tatsumi subtly nods as he approaches the bar.

He hands the bartender his fake ID given to him by the police and says, "One Cosmopolitan and a shot of bourbon."

The bartender looks at the ID and nods in acceptance. He then gives Tatsumi a cheeky look. "Which of those is for your girlfriend?"

Tatsumi gives the bartender a murderous look and snatches his card back.

The bartender chuckles. "I'll get you your bourbon first."

The bartender heads off to get the drinks, leaving Tatsumi alone to sigh in exhaustion.

"Not enjoying the party?"

Tatsumi turns and sees the target sitting next to him, giving the younger man a friendly smile.

Tatsumi makes a show of waving his hands in denial. "No! Not at all! I'm having tons of fun!"

The target gives Tatsumi a knowing look. "So, being yelled at by your girlfriend is tons of fun?"

Tatsumi sighs and sulks on the counter.

"I take it that happens a lot?" The target asks as the bartender gives Tatsumi his bourbon.

Tatsumi downs the whole shot in one go, shuddering afterwards. "Unfortunately."

"So why not break up with her?" The target presses.

"…Because, as frustrating as our arguments are, I actually like being with her," Tatsumi admits.

Mine is surprised as she listens in through the communicator.

"She has an amazing personality once you get to know her," Tatsumi continues, adding some truth into his performance. "She's caring, she's confident, she has a wonderful laugh, and her smile…" Tatsumi smiles himself in thought. "Despite our fighting, I've enjoyed being her boyfriend a lot. I just wish there were a way for her to…y'know, have faith in me and not put me down so much."

Mine looks down at her hands as she sits at her table, a guilty expression on her face. Maybe, just maybe, she's been too harsh on Tatsumi. Especially since he got injured because of her during the whole Iokal fiasco.

The target, meanwhile, smirks and reaches into his pocket. "Well, maybe I can help you out with that."

Tatsumi sees the target open his palm and reveal a familiar purple pill.

"What's that?" Tatsumi asks in fake confusion.

"A gift from the Goddess of Love," The target replies cryptically as he offers the pill to Tatsumi.

Tatsumi reluctantly takes the pill from the target's hand and inspects it. "Will this hurt her?"

"Not at all," The target answers. "In fact, she's gonna be on Cloud Nine because of this. She'll never argue with you again."

Tatsumi looks hesitant. "I'm not going to get in trouble because of this, am I?"

"Not if you're careful, and quiet," the target replies, giving Tatsumi a questioning look. "You can do that, can't you?"

Tatsumi appears to think it over for a moment, before placing the pill in his jacket pocket.

The target smiles at this. "Good boy. The first one's free, by the way."

"Your drink, sir," the bartender says, handing Tatsumi the pink cocktail.

Tatsumi pays the bartender and walks over to Mine with the drink in his hand.

Tai watches the deal go down as he continues dancing with Leone, who's now facing towards him with her arms around his shoulders. He sees the target still looking at Tatsumi.

"Good job so far, kid," Tai says into the communicator. "Now you need to make a show of spiking the drink."

"Good thing I brought some Tic-Tacs," Tatsumi mutters as he pulls a Tic-Tac out of the pocket where the pill is.

Tatsumi makes a show of steeling himself, then quickly and subtly dropping the Tic-Tac into the cocktail, making sure that only the target sees it happen.

The target smirks, thinking to himself how he's snagged a future repeat customer.

Tatsumi approaches Mine and offers her the drink. "One Cosmopolitan for the lovely lady."

Mine accepts the drink, then surprises him with a bright smile.

"You knew what I wanted without me asking. I guess I should trust you more often," she says with a wink, surprising Tatsumi a bit, before eagerly drinking the 'spiked' cocktail. "Ah! Tasty!"

Sheele then speaks up from the van. [The 'effects' should be kicking in right…about…now.]

Mine appears to freeze, before swaying to and fro with a dazed expression on her face.

Tatsumi quickly moves to steady her. "Mine, are you alright?"

Mine slowly turns to Tatsumi with a dopey smile and hooded eyes. "You know…hick…you're actually…really handsome up close," she says in an intoxicated tone.

Tatsumi blushes in surprise, having forgotten for a moment that this is an act.

"The target's still eyeballing you two," Tai informs Tatsumi and Mine. "Tatsumi, take her outside over to where Lubbock is. See if you can get the target to follow you."

Tatsumi grabs the swaying Mine more securely. "H-How about we both get some fresh air, Mine," he says as he leads Mine towards the nearby exit.

"Oooh. Sounds like fun," Mine says deliriously, still playing the part of the drugged girl as she's dragged out of the club.

Sure enough, the target stands up and follows the two towards the exit.

"Lubbock, get ready for our Catch of the Night," Tai informs Lubbock.

[Finally! Some action!] Lubbock calls out through the communicator.

Tai smirks. "The kid's more of a natural than I thought."

He then notices Leone sporting an amused smirk on her face.

"What's got you so happy?" Tai asks his date.

"Oh, just thinking about all the fun I'm about to have," Leone replies mysteriously.

Tai looks confused. What kind of fun is she–

(Change Music: Capital Cities – Kangaroo Court (Forever Kids Remix))

Tai suddenly looks annoyed. "How many?"

"Plenty enough for the both of us," Leone replies cheekily as she looks over Tai's shoulder and sees a group of guys heading their way.

"Well, that's comforting," Tai says sarcastically, before quickly grabbing the hand that would have shoved him away from Leone.

He squeezes a pressure point on the offending hand, causing the rest of the body to be paralyzed. He then turns towards the assailant, who has a pained expression on his face.

"Do you mind? We're a little busy here," Tai demands as he releases the assailant's hand, then palm strikes the other man's chest, sending him stumbling back towards his crew.

The crowd around the two groups quickly moves away, wisely choosing not to get involved. This gains the attention of Akame, who observes despite continuing to eat, and Bulat, who stands protectively around Donnie as the two watch.

The assailant, meanwhile, grimaces as he clutches his chest, not expecting the other guy to hit so hard. His crew of friends gathers around him as he glares at Tai.

"You should get out of here before you get hurt, sucker," the assailant threatens, before smirking at Leone. "You can stay, though. I'll show you how a real man handles a woman."

Leone smirks back, "You couldn't handle me if you tried."

"Besides, a real man would have his own woman," Tai adds. "He wouldn't try to steal someone else's, and he wouldn't need backup in order to do it."

The assailant gives Tai a menacing look. "I'm warning you–"

"No. I'm warning you," Tai interjects. "I can do a lot more damage to you than I already have. I won't kill you, but it's likely your hospital bills will."

The assailant chuckles humorlessly as he readies for a fight. "You son of a bitch."

Tai sighs in annoyance. "Why do they always choose pain?"

Tai and Leone quickly separate as the assailant tries to punch Tai, who effortlessly moves his head out of the way with his hands behind his back. The assailant swings several more times, but Tai easily dodges them all before spinning past the assailant's right side, stopping behind the shoulder, which Tai jokingly taps. The assailant tries to swing his arm back to hit Tai, but Tai grabs the arm with his right hand, twists it painfully behind the assailant's back, and strikes his opponent's elbow with his left fist, dislocating the joint. Tai then tosses away the assailant, who cries as he cradles his injured arm.

One of the assailant's buddies comes slashing at Tai with a knife, but Tai sidesteps out of the way. The attacker then goes for a stab, but Tai dodges the knife, grabs man's wrist, and twists the knife out of the man's hand and into his own. Tai shoulder checks the man, sending him stumbling backwards into a support pole, which the man slams his head into, knocking him unconscious.

Several of the assailant's other friends target Leone, wanting to capture her for themselves. Leone, meanwhile, decides not to activate Lionelle, wanting to savor the fight.

One man lunges at Leone, but she moves out of the way and punches the man square in the face, causing blood and teeth to fly out of his face. Another one attacks from her side, but she uses the momentum from her punch to kick the man away.

Leone turns to the rest of the assailant's friends and grins. "Next?"


Location: Alleyway

Meanwhile, Night Raid's target steps out of the nightclub and into the alleyway, hoping to catch Tatsumi sealing the deal with Mine, and get some blackmail material in the process.

He's confused, however, when he finds no sign of either of them, even though he was nearly right behind them.

"Where did they – GAH!" the target asks himself before suddenly finding himself tangled up in a net of metal wiring.

"This isn't your night, pal," the target hears behind him, right before a hit to the back of his head knocks him out.


Location: Shining Taurus Nightclub

Back inside, an unfortunate thug finds himself spinning away and crashing into a table after receiving a devastating punch from Leone.

Another guy goes to grab Leone, but she ducks down and swings her leg into his side, sending him flying away with her roundhouse kick.

The poor sap hits the ground nearby and skids to a stop right at Bulat and Donny's feet. The two of them look at the unconscious man for a moment, then look at each other.

"Maybe we should go someplace quieter," Bulat offers his date.

Donny quickly nods in agreement, not interested in this variety of excitement.

With that, the two head for the exit, leaving the chaos behind.

In the midst of this chaos, Tai expertly maneuvers past the sloppy punches of another opponent, not even looking winded. Tai then catches a fist and twists his opponent's arm, before dislocating the other man's elbow. The other man cries out and cradles his injured arm, leaving him open for Tai to clutch his face like an eagle's talons before throwing him away.

This leaves Tai with one other opponent, who seizes an opportunity and grabs Tai's throat, trying to choke him out. Tai simply smirks and throws the hand off with his neck. His opponent is surprised for a moment, but then attacks again, this time trying to kick Tai's crotch, but the blonde simply closes his legs tightly around his opponent's foot. His opponent is so busy trying to dislodge the foot, which won't budge an inch, that he's unprepared for Tai taking the knife still in his hand and sinking the blade into his opponent's knee.

Tai ignores the blood-curdling scream as he snaps the blade off of its handle, leaving the steel buried in his opponent's knee. He then jumps up and spins around, using his legs to send the other man flying away in pain.

Just as Tai lands, he sees Leone happily punching a security guard who unfortunately got caught up in the fight. Another security guard tries to grab Leone from behind, but Tai throws the leftover knife handle, hitting the other guard square in the forehead.

Tai then grabs Leone's arm before she can throw another punch.

"That's enough!" Tai declares. "He was just doing his job."

Leone huffs and releases the guard. "Spoilsport."

[Wrap it up, you two! Lubbock has the target!] Najenda calls out from the communicator.

"You heard her," Tai says as he pulls Leone towards the exit.

(End Music)


Location: Outside

Tai and Leone join several other partygoers who have hurried out of the club to escape the violence inside.

"Can we please have one mission without getting involved in unnecessary combat?" Tai complains as he storms over to where the police vans are.

"Ah, come on, Tai. I know you had some fun back there," Leone insists as she follows behind Tai.

Tai turns around and wags his finger at Leone. "That, and the fact that you didn't start the fight this time, are the reasons why I'm not punishing you."

Leone gives Tai a cheeky smirk. "Oh my, you naughty boy? What did you have in mind? Spanking? Chains and whips?"

Tai smirks back. "Worse; telling Akame you're forcing her to go vegan."

Leone's face falls as her entire body goes white with dread. "…Please don't."

"Don't try me," Tai warns.

[Tai, we have the target knocked out in the van. We're ready to transport him to HQ,] Najenda informs Tai through the communicator.

"Is the rest of the crew with you?" Tai asks.

[Everyone except for Bulat. Apparently, he found himself a date,] Najenda replies in amusement, causing Tai to chuckle. [He's going to catch up with us later.]

"That's alright. I can interrogate the target while he gets back to us."

[Though my position as team leader has been usurped, I suggest that Tatsumi should assist you with the interrogation. He could use the experience.]

Tai looks pained. "Well, as long as he's willing to listen, I suppose that's fine."

[Good to here. Najenda out.]

Tai turns towards Leone. "C'mon. Let's get out of here before someone tries to arrest us."

Leone nods as she follows Tai towards the police vans. Internally, she sighs in frustration. Leone has had a crush on Tai ever since they met in Sicily years ago. Throughout their time together, Leone has tried to use her charms to seduce Tai, but completely failed. Even now that they're reunited, he appears to not be affected at all.

How can this be? Is he just expertly playing at not being attracted to her? Does he not like blondes? Does he already have a girlfriend?

Or could it be…something else?


Location: Night Raid HQ, Interrogation Room

A handful of smelling salt startles the target awake. As the man comes to his senses, he finds himself sitting in a bright room with a large mirror facing him, a metal table between him and the mirror, and…is that a record player in the corner?

The target tries to rub his sore head but feels something holding his arms down. He looks down and finds his arms and legs restrained to the table.

"…the fuck?" he mutters.

Just then, Tai and Tatsumi enter the room wearing ski masks to conceal their identities. Tai is carrying a large rolled-up bundle of cloth.

"Bill Langdon. You are in very big trouble, my friend," says Tai.

"Who the hell are you people?!" Bill demands to know. "Are you cops?!"

Tai gives Bill a deadpan look. "Yes. That's why we're wearing masks and not showing our badges. Because we're cops."

Bill becomes enraged by Tai's sarcasm and thrashes about in his chair. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"You've been selling Aphrodite at the Shining Taurus for weeks now. Most of your clients were minors. All of that means you're facing serious jail-time," Tai explains, causing Bill to pale. "If you want any kind of leniency, I suggest that you work with us."

Bill regains some of his composure and looks away from Tai. "I'm not telling you anything."

Pow!

Bill's head snaps back from the force of Tatsumi's punch.

"Don't screw with us!" Tatsumi yells threateningly.

Tai gives Tatsumi a WTF look as he sets the bundle on the table. "What are you doing?"

Tatsumi looks at Tai with confusion. "I thought we were going to do a 'Good Cop Bad Cop' routine?"

"First of all, that routine is overplayed. Second of all, I meant why did you just straight up punch him in the head?" Tai clarifies as he approaches a dazed Bill. "You never start with the head. It stuns the victim so much that he can't feel the next hit."

To prove his point, Tai slams his fist onto Bill's hand. Bill registers the hit, but barely feels the pain.

"You see?" Tai asks Tatsumi before turning to Bill. "Anyways, let's try this again."

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I'm not scared of either of you," Bill declares, puffing his chest out a bit.

Tai smiles disarmingly. "Is that so?" He then turns to Tatsumi. "Tell me; what do people fear most in this world."

Tatsumi blinks in confusion. "Um, death?"

"Wrong," Tai says as he walks towards the record player. "If that were true, suicide would be non-existent. Here's another question; why do most people commit suicide in the first place."

"Well, I guess it's because they feel like their lives suck and they don't want to…" Tatsumi says before a lightbulb goes off in his head. "Suffering. People fear suffering the most."

"Exactly," Tai says as he pulls a record out of its casing and places it on the player. "Using other people's suffering to our advantage; that is the key to a proper interrogation."

Tai puts the needle on the record. As he motions for Tatsumi to join him at the table, music begins to fill the room.

(Insert Music: Edith Piaf – Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien)

Bill looks around as the calm French music plays, a sense of foreboding entering his body.

Tai, meanwhile, unties the strings holding the bundle together. He then rolls open the cloth, revealing an assortment of sinister tools, weird gadgets, and small sharp weapons.

Tatsumi's eyes widen at the sheer assortment of equipment Tai has at his disposal.

"Let's start with the basics," Tai says as he goes through his tools, starting with a metal hammer. "Hammer. Always a classic. Great for knuckles and kneecaps." He then pulls out an icepick. "Icepick. Nice and pointy. Make sure you aim for non-vital parts of the body with this baby." Next is an old-time razor blade. "Now this is pretty fun. The key with this is to make the cuts long and deep enough to hurt, but not too much so that the victim bleeds out."

Tatsumi just nods along dumbly.

"Hey! This is all just a trick, right?!" Bill asks in a nervous tone.

"And here, we have a pair of trusty bolt cutters," Tai continues as he holds up the bolt cutters in both hands, showing it off to both Tatsumi and Bill.

"For fingers and toes, right?" Tatsumi asks cautiously.

Tai continues to smile as he quickly closes the bolt cutters with a snap. "Among other things."

Tatsumi and Bill both wince.

"H-Hey…w-wait a second…l-let's talk about this," Bill stammers out.

Tai ignores the pleading as he addresses Tatsumi, "You know what the best part is? All of these items are so ridiculously cheap." He gestures to the assortment of tools. "I got this entire bundle for less than a hundred dollars."

Tatsumi looks over all of the gear and notices a tiny thin metal rod that closely resembles a needle. He picks it up and shows it to Tai.

"What's this for? Acupuncture?" Tatsumi asks.

Tai's smile brightens as he replies, "Actually, that's for sounding."

Tatsumi looks confused. "Sounding?"

"Basically, we shove that baby up into his pisser," Tai explains evenly.

Tatsumi and Bill both go pale with horrified looks on their faces.

"…what?..." Bill asks in a small, terrified voice.

"Let me show you," Tai says as he pulls out a pair of tongs and offers them to Tatsumi. "Here. Hold the rod with these. We have to sterilize it first."

Tatsumi shakily grabs the tongs and grips the rod with them, his mind registering the fact that he's now involved in a clear violation of the Geneva Convention.

"Okay, then. Now, let me just…" Tai mutters as he pulls out a hand-held butane torch and quickly lights it up. "There we go."

Both Tatsumi and Bill go slack-jawed.

"A-Alright, I get it! I'll talk!" Bill cries out.

"Uuuuh…" Tatsumi tries to speak as Tai applies the burning flame to the rod, which begins to heat up and glow.

"Got to get it nice and red," Tai says as he steadily moves the fire across the metal.

"Um, wouldn't we have to wait a while to let it cool down?" Tatsumi asks.

Tai gives Tatsumi a look. "Cool down? Why would we let it cool down? It's going to be the most sterile when it's piping hot. That's the perfect time to–"

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" Bill shouts, having been increasingly panicked at the prospect of his manhood being maimed for life.

Tai finally seems to register Bill. "Oh, we just want to know who you got Aphrodite from, and hopefully who manufactures the stuff. But don't worry. We can talk about all of that after we have fun with this baby."

This is where Bill hits his breaking point.

"'THE COUNT'! HE'S CALLED 'THE COUNT'!" Bill exclaims. "HE HAS A WAREHOUSE IN WEST HARLEM WHERE HE MAKES THE STUFF! IT'S ON 133RD STREET! I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW! PLEASE!"

Tai gives an inquisitive look to his captive, then extinguishes the torch with a 'pop'.

(End Music)

"The Count. Does he wear fancy clothing?" Tai asks.

"Yes!" Bill answers hurriedly.

"Does he have an Eastern-European accent?"

"Yes!"

"When he talks, does he have this attitude of 'why am I even bothering to speak with this filthy peasant'?"

"Hell yes!"

"Any special gear or gadgets on his head?"

"Yeah! He used it on a couple of guys. Made them so dizzy that they puked."

Tai slowly walks towards Bill, staring straight at the drug dealer. He then stops a few feet in front of the chained-up man and smiles.

"Thank you for your assistance," Tai says, causing Bill to sigh in relief and sag in his seat.

This leaves the criminal unprepared for the roundhouse kick that slams into the side of his head and knocks him out cold.

After making sure that Bill is good and unconscious, Tai turns around towards Tatsumi and takes off his mask. "That is when you go for the head."

Tatsumi gives a tired sigh at having the interrogation end without mutilation. He drops the tongs and hot metal rod onto the ground and takes off his own mask.

"You weren't really going to hurt him like that, were you?" Tatsumi asks the blonde.

"Of course not. I'm not a savage," Tai answers, much to Tatsumi's relief. "The trick is that he thought I was going to."

Tai approaches Tatsumi and puts a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"When you can instill fear into a bad guy without harming a single hair on their body, and make them spill their deepest darkest secrets, that is when you become a true master of interrogation," Tai explains. "The trick is to find out how."

Tatsumi nods in understanding. "I get it."

Tai pats Tatsumi on the shoulder. "It's a learning process."

"So, do you know who 'The Count' is?" Tatsumi asks.

Tai nods. "Sure do."


Location: Night Raid HQ, Conference Room

Timeskip: 30 minutes later

"This is Werner Vertigo, formerly known as Count Werner Vertigo of the royal family of Vlatava," Tai says as he shows a photo on the computer monitor of a scowling white-haired man wearing fancy green clothing to the team. "He's a supervillain equipped with special headgear that creates a psychic wave of distortion which disorients people to the point of unconsciousness. Originally a low-tier enemy of the superheroes Green Arrow and Black Canary, his villainy went international when he and the Injustice League unleashed plant monsters on major cities back in October of 2010 in order to extort $10 billion from the United Nations. Thankfully, the Justice League was able to stop them, but because of his diplomatic immunity, Vertigo was the only one not arrested. A month later, Vertigo attempted to sabotage a heart transplant for his niece, Queen Perdita, which would have led to her death and his ascension to the throne. Thanks to Kid Flash, however, not only did Vertigo's plot fail, but his involvement was exposed, resulting in him losing his status as count and his diplomatic immunity, along with him being locked up in Belle Reve prison."

"I remember that last one," says Bulat, a native of Markovia, Vlatava's friendly neighbor. "I was overjoyed to hear that the bastard was ousted. From what I've seen, Queen Perdita has been an amazing ruler."

"Isn't she dating a superhero now?" Tatsumi asks. "Beast Boy?"

"Oh, yeah! Garfield Logan," Mine answers. "Twitter's calling them 'Gardita."

"Anyways," Tai interrupts, getting everyone back on track. "Two years after he was imprisoned, Vertigo escaped from Belle Reve along with several other villains, after which he went underground. A few months later, a new drug started popping up in Starling City under the street name 'Vertigo', a drug created and sold by a man called 'The Count'. The drug soon took over most of the city, and nearly expanded across the Pacific Northwest, but Green Arrow and Black Canary eventually dismantled the whole operation. The Count escaped capture, however, and hasn't been heard from since."

"And now he's trying to restart his drug empire, this time with Aphrodite," Najenda surmises.

"I talked with some buddies of mine at the SCPD, and they sent me information on the Vertigo case," Patty says to the group. "That unknown chemical mixture in Aphrodite is an exact match to the formula for the Vertigo drug."

"Thanks to our dear friend, Mr. Langdon, we now know where The Count is manufacturing his drug. If we want to nip the spread of Aphrodite in the bud, then we need to move fast," Tai declares. "That's why we're going to be striking the warehouse tonight."

All the members of Night Raid perk up at the opportunity to finally break out their Teigu and get back into some real action. Tai sees their expressions and decides to lay down the law.

"Before we jump into action, let's make one thing clear; injuring criminals is okay, sending criminals to the hospital is fine, and mentally scarring criminals is encouraged, but whatever happens, we do not kill," Tai states sternly to his colleagues. "Understood?"

This inconvenience brings the moods of Night Raid down considerably as the assassins look at each other, a silent conversation going on within the group.

Najenda takes a drag of her cigarette before regarding the archer. "Night Raid will follow your example, Tai, no matter what our personal feelings are. We only ask that we're allowed to defend ourselves to the best of our ability should the need arise."

Tai nods. "That's acceptable."

The rest of Night Raid nods along with the conditions, though some are still pouting.

"They deserve death," Mine mutters.

Tai turns to Mine. "That might be true, but we can't clean up the world by being as dirty as the people ruining it. We have to be better."

Only Tatsumi seems to truly consider Tai's words.

"Alright then, people. Gather your Teigu and meet at the vans in fifteen," Tai commands as he pulls out his cellphone.

As Night Raid moves to grab their weapons, Tai moves off to the side to make a phone call.

"…Hey, Jerome…you at your lab?" Tai speaks into his phone. "...Great. I'm working a case right now…It's definitely a big one…It's a supervillain…" Tai chuckles. "I'm glad you're excited. Listen, that prototype you showed me last month…Yeah, that one…Yeah, I'm gonna need to borrow it tonight."


Location: 133rd Street, West Harlem

Timeskip: One hour later

Night Arrow and Night Raid (minus Najenda) stand on top of a building as they look at the warehouse across the street. All of the Teigu wielders have their weapons, with Bulat having activated Incursio, resulting in a white and silver armor covering his body.

Night Arrow speaks into his communicator. "Everything ready on your end?"

[All set here,] Patty responds. [We're waiting for your signal.]

Night Arrow turns to Mine. "Make sure nobody leaves the building."

Mine cocks her weapon. "You're not going to complain if I put some holes into their legs, are you?"

Night Arrow shrugs. "I'm not the one that's going to be paying their hospital bills."

Leone smirks at the hooded hero. "You're pretty cold for a hero."

"Just because I don't kill people doesn't mean I have to be the nice guy," Night Arrow tells Leone, before turning to Lubbock. "Bridge, please."

Lubbock grins and shoots a mass of Cross Tail's wire over to the opposing rooftop, creating a makeshift bridge that looks like a silvery spider's web.

Lubbock turns to the group. "After you."

With that, the crew leaves Mine behind as they skillfully cross the bridge over to the warehouse, with Lubbock bringing up the rear before retracting the wire.


Location: Warehouse

After easily infiltrating the building, Night Arrow and Night Raid quietly make their way through the rafters towards the sound of voices and machinery, something they've done numerous times in the past. Even Bulat is able to silence his movements, despite his armored state. They only get delayed once when Tatsumi nearly falls off due to his lack of training, but Akame catches him before he can plummet, then helps him the rest of the way.

Eventually, they reach an area of the warehouse housing special machinery that appears to be producing purple pills. Nearby are several workers wearing smocks and medical masks monitoring the machinery, inspecting the newly created pills, and packaging them for delivery. On the outer edges of the room are a score of armed guards monitoring the work going on, as well as watching out for intruders.

At the center of the room is The Count himself, wearing his trademark green outfit, along with his special headgear. He oversees the whole operation with a calculated expression, making sure that none of his subordinates mess up his work.

"We've got eyes on Vertigo," Night Arrow whispers quietly into his communicator, "along with five workers, assumedly armed, and twenty guards on the outer edges."

[There are also two guards each at the front and rear entrances,] Mine states.

Night Arrow turns to Lubbock. "Mine has the ones in the front. You take care of the two in the back."

Lubbock nods and heads off quietly over to the back entrance.

Night Arrow turns to the rest of the group and addresses them, more so Tatsumi. "Everyone spread out and pick your targets. I'll go down first. When I give the signal, you join me."

"Wait. What are you going to do?" Tatsumi asks.

Night Arrow smirks underneath his mask. "Cause some chaos and bait the trap."

Leone perks up in understanding. "Oh, the Sicily Maneuver."

"Exactly," Night Arrow confirms.

Tatsumi looks confused. "The Sicily Maneuver?"

"I'll explain it to on the way, Tatsumi," Bulat tells his friend as he guides Tatsumi through the rafters to their destinations, the others following suit in different directions.

This leaves Night Arrow alone at his spot. He quickly puts something on his masked head and activates it, then deploys Hyperion.

The hero aims a light arrow at the machinery.

Fwip!

The arrow slams into the machine, causing sparks to fly out. The workers scramble away as the machine short-circuits and breaks down, stopping all production of Aphrodite.

"What in the–?!" Vertigo cries out in shock as he and his guards prepare for a fight.

They're unprepared for the five workers to suddenly drop to the ground twitching as arcs of energy cover their forms.

A figure suddenly drops onto the disabled conveyor belt. Vertigo and his goons turn and see Night Arrow aiming his loaded bow right at the former count.

Vertigo composes himself and smirks. "So, the infamous Night Arrow graces us with his presence. I would be honored if I weren't so annoyed," he says as his goons point their weapons at the hero.

"You're gonna be a lot worse than annoyed if you don't surrender," Night Arrow declares, his voice louder than normal.

Vertigo rubs his chin, pretending to think to himself. "My, my. How should I respond to such a threat?" Vertigo asks sarcastically as he subtly activates his headgear, sending a psychic wave right at the hero.

The wave hits Night Arrow, sending him tumbling off the belt and onto the ground. He drops Hyperion as he appears to struggle to stand.

Smirking in victory, Vertigo signals his men to stand down as he approaches the downed hero.

"I take it you've never encountered what your society considers a true villain before, have you?" Vertigo mocks. "I, on the other hand, have bested numerous so-called heroes, especially those wielding such archaic weaponry."

Vertigo stops right in front of Night Arrow, who looks as though he's struggling to stand up under the assault of the psychic waves.

Vertigo leans down and continues to gloat. "Struggle all you want. You'll fall like countless others before you." Vertigo pulls out a knife and waves it in front of Night Arrow. "And then, my associates and I will have a wonderful time torturing you for the rest of your life."

"Y-You…you…" Night Arrow mutters.

Vertigo leans in closer. "Pardon?"

Night Arrow suddenly stops trembling and smirks under his mask. "You talk way too much."

Suddenly, Night Arrow leaps up and swipes Vertigo's arms aside, knocking the knife out of Vertigo's hand. The hero then slams his palms onto Vertigo's ears, breaking the villain's headgear and stopping the psychic waves. The attack disorients Vertigo enough for Night Arrow to turn him around and put him in a chokehold.

All of this happens so fast that the henchmen are unable to stop the hero from taking their boss prisoner. They do finally ready their guns, but now Night Arrow is using Vertigo as a meat shield.

Vertigo fights to get himself out of Night Arrow's grip, but to no avail.

"Struggle all you want. You'll fall like countless others before you," Night Arrow parodies the villain in his grasp.

Vertigo manages to turn his head to look at the hero. "How?! How did you resist my vertigo effect?!"

Vertigo then notices that Night Arrow has his own special headgear.

"Headphones?!" Vertigo asks incredulously.

Night Arrow turns off his headgear and answers, "Special noise-cancelling headphones. So advanced that they can block the sound of a grenade exploding right next to you, or even sound waves meant to disorient people."

"But…you heard me speak…unless…lip-reading?" Vertigo guesses.

"Gold star to you!" Night Arrow confirms joyfully as Vertigo's henchmen slowly surround him and the villain.

"You won't escape!" Vertigo declares. "My men will gun you down at the first opportunity!"

"Two problems with that plan; first, I'll make sure that you're gunned down long before I am," Night Arrow states.

"And second?" Vertigo asks.

"You're not the only one with a crew," Night Arrow answers before looking up. "NOW!"

On cue, Night Raid descends from the rafters, with Bulat helping Tatsumi down, and charge right for the henchmen.

Four henchmen shoot at Akame, who swiftly weaves herself past the bullet spray and closes the distance to her targets. She then takes her still-sheathed Murasame and swings it at a henchman's face. The sword doesn't kill the man since it's still sheathed, but it does knock his teeth out and send him to blissful unconsciousness. Akame uses her sheathed sword as a bokken to quickly knock out her other three opponents.

Tatsumi, however, is less graceful as he comically steps around and dodges the bullets fired at him. Once he gets close, though, he's easily able to knock down four goons with the flat side of his sword.

Bulat, of course, simply stands with his arms crossed as the bullets from four other machine guns bounce off of his armor with no damage whatsoever.

"Hahaha! Nice effort, gentlemen!" Bulat laughs as he waits for the men to empty their mags.

As soon as he hears the telltale clicking, he lunges forward, swings his spear, and knocks all four of his opponents away, sending them flying into a nearby wall.


Location: Outside

At the front door, the two guards on duty hear the gunfire and fighting going on inside. They move to go inside and join their comrades, but suddenly hear two pops from across the street. They then collapse, screaming in pain as each of them find a hole in their leg.

On the opposite rooftop, Mine smirks as she sees her targets clutch their wounds. "I suppose this is satisfying enough for me."

Meanwhile, at the back entrance, Lubbock sighs as he holds two more guards in a web of metal wiring.

"Man, I'm still missing the action."


Location: Warehouse

Another four goons see Leone knocking around the last of their comrades with a mad grin on her face.

"C'mon! Let's roast this bitch!" One of them cries out, making the others yell in agreement as they move to help their friends.

They stop, however, when they feel a presence behind them.

They turn around and point their guns at the figure as one goon yells, "Who the–?!"

SHINK!

All four goons suddenly find their guns sliced cleanly in two by Sheele's scissors.

Sheele holds up Extase as she regards her opponents with a calm expression, though her glasses give off a sinister gleam.

"I'm sorry, but I would prefer it if you surrendered," Sheele requests. "It would be bad for you if I cut anything else."

Sheele's four opponents wisely surrender.

As for Leone, she drops into a leg split to avoid the gunfire from her last opponent. She then grabs the goon by his family jewels and gives a Lionelle-enhanced squeeze, making the goon cringe in pain and drop his weapon. She then notices her other three opponents slowly try to get up. Her grin widening, she grabs the last goon's shirt with her other hand, and tosses the man into his friends, knocking them all down, and taking them out of the fight for good.

With that, all of Vertigo's henchmen are defeated, and Night Raid quickly surrounds the former count, who's still in Night Arrow's grip.

Vertigo actually growls at the damned interlopers around him. Aphrodite was his last chance to redeem himself in the criminal underworld and build up his powerbase to eventually claim the throne of Vlatava from his foolish niece! But now, thanks to Night Arrow, everything is ruined!

"This isn't over, heroes!" Vertigo declares. "I am not a man you should make an enemy of!"

"But of course! You're the great Werner Vertigo, the Count of Vlatava, and the new drug kingpin of New York City," Night Arrow says mockingly, before seeming to remember something. "Oh, wait. I'm forgetting that you're not a count anymore, and your drug empire has just been destroyed, which makes you…nobody really."

Night Arrow's friends laugh at Vertigo's expense, minus Akame who simply smirks.

Vertigo's yells of frustration are music to Tai's ears.


Location: Outside

Timeskip: 30 minutes later

The police are just finishing up arresting Vertigo and his gang after receiving an "anonymous call" about a shootout at this seemingly deserted warehouse.

Vertigo himself struggles in his handcuff's as he's led to a cop car.

"Unhand me at once, peasant!" the criminal orders the policeman. "I am Count Vertigo of Vlatava!"

"Oh really? Well, that's good news for me. See, I'm the Prince of Nigeria and I could use some extra cash," the policeman quips before shoving the former count into the back of the cruiser. "Get the hell in there!"

Nearby, Patty chuckles at Vertigo's embarrassing situation before speaking into his cell phone. "Well done, my friend. Our buddies in the Narcotics Unit are gonna be overjoyed to hear about this."


Location: Adjacent rooftop

"Glad to hear it," Tai, unmasked, says into his phone. "Give them my regards, Patty. Tai out."

Tai hangs up his phone, then turns to the entirety of Night Raid standing next to him.

"So, our first mission together, and we not only took a dangerous drug off the streets, but we didn't kill anyone along the way. I'd call that a victory in my book," Tai says with a proud smile on his face. "What about you guys?"

"Definitely," Bulat replies.

"Hell, yeah!" Tatsumi yells enthusiastically.

"I think it was very successful," Sheele says with a smile.

"Me too, though I wish it was more fun," Lubbock complains.

"Speak for yourself! I had a blast!" Leone exclaims.

Mine pouts and looks away. "I suppose it was a good mission."

Akame nods in agreement.

Najenda takes a puff from her cigarette and regards Tai. "It was a good start, I'll admit. Just don't expect us to have any warm fuzzy feelings from our good deeds."

"Of course, not. That'll come later," Tai says smoothly.

Leone suddenly slinks next to Tai and leans in close to him with an impish grin. "I know a way for me to get some warm, fuzzy feelings, Tai. Care to help a girl out?"

Tai gently pushes Leone away. "As tempting as that would be, I think we all could do with a good night's sleep. I certainly can, especially with my shift at Bianchi's tomorrow.

As Tai heads off, Leone glares at Tai as her face grows red in frustration. After a moment, the female blonde snaps.

"What is with you, Tai?!" Leone yells, getting Tai and the group's attention. "You have a stacked, bodacious woman offering herself freely to you, and you just refuse?! What, am I not pretty enough for you?! Do you have a girlfriend?! Spit it out, already!"

Tai stares at Leone for a moment, taking in her aggravation, then sighs.

"Leone, you are very pretty, and if you had asked me years ago, I would have considered it. However, I can't be with someone without putting my heart and soul into the relationship, and I'm afraid that someone beat you to both a long time ago," Tai answers honestly.

Leone looks confused. Who could Tai possibly–

The answer hits her like a freight train. An expression of shock and denial forms on her face.

"Y-You can't be serious! You're insane!" Leone cries out incredulously. "Her?! After all this time?! After everything she did?!"

Tai's expression is serious and firm. "Always."

With that, Tai walks away, leaving a stunned Leone to slump to her knees in disbelief.

Behind her, the rest of Night Raid looks on at the scene with emotions ranging from sympathy for Leone to annoyance at Tai.

Tatsumi, however, looks confused. "Wait. Who are they talking about?"

The rest of Night Raid looks away with expressions of awkwardness and fear, none of them wishing to discuss the woman in question at this time.


Location: Room 28, Mount Sinai

Date: July 2nd, 2016

Still recovering in the hospital, Todd is chatting with his parents with a sense of positivity when a nurse walks to the doorway and knocks, getting the family's attention.

"Hi there, Todd!" the nurse greets warmly. "There are some guests here that want to see you!"

Todd looks curious as the nurse gestures some people into the room. That curiosity turns into astonishment and a hint of trepidation as he sees who's arrived.

At the other side of the room stand Todd's friends. The friends that he's hung out and played with for years. The friends that he abandoned in his drugged-up state. The friends that are smiling at him now just as they did weeks before.

And next to them is Betty, the cute and caring bespectacled girl that Todd fell in love with ages ago. He was nearly stolen from her by that bitch, but now she's here, gazing at him with a look of relief and affection.

Todd tries to find words to speak as Betty approaches his side.

"…Betty…I-I…"

Betty interrupts Todd by cupping his head with her hands and kissing his forehead. She then hugs Todd's head to her chest.

"I'm so happy you're back," Betty says with a smile.

Once again, Todd lets his emotions loose as he cries into Betty's chest. Betty doesn't mind the tear stains on her shirt. She's just happy that her boyfriend is safe and sound. Todd's parents and friends share in Betty's happiness.

So do Tai, Bulat, and Tatsumi, who watch the scene unfold from the hallway.

"Well, I'm definitely feeling warm and fuzzy now," Bulat says with a smile on his face.

Tai pats Bulat on the shoulder. "I had a feeling you would. Hopefully, the others will feel the same way."

"You really want to make us superheroes, don't you?" Tatsumi asks.

"Of course!" Tai replies. "I think you guys would make great heroes. This world can never have too many."

"Even Akame and her sword that kills people just by cutting them?" Tatsumi points out.

"Not to worry. I'm already working on something for that," Tai answers. "In the meantime, we should leave the happy family in peace. We've got plenty of training to do."

Bulat and Tatsumi both nod in agreement, and all three of them head for the exit.

As they walk, Tai gives Bulat a cheeky smirk. "So, Donnie, huh?"

Bulat turns away and blushes as Tai chuckles at his friend's expense.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi gives Tai an inquisitive look. The blonde's mentioning of Bulat's new relationship has Tatsumi curious about Tai's old relationship.

Who is this woman that Tai is still in love with? And why does everyone else fear her so much?


A.N.: And cut! Sorry about the late update. There's been some drama in my life at this point, but it's all being taken care of now.

Anyway, let's talk about what happened in this chapter.

First, I took a lot of liberties for Count Vertigo's history. There's no information about Vertigo's actions between Seasons 1 and 3 of Young Justice, so I made it that he became a minor drug lord for a little while. It's pretty much the same thing that The Count did in the Arrowverse. By the way, Aphrodite may or may not make a comeback in the ACU.

Second, for those of you wondering why I didn't give the cheerleader a name like I did the other OCs, the answer is that I didn't really feel the need to do so.

Third, for those of you who know who Tai's old love is and are confused by it, I assure you that Tai's relationship with her will be fully explained in the future.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story so far, along with the other stories being written in Phase 1. Stay tuned for my next update!

Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.