"Hello good readers! On behalf of Author-san, he wishes for me to say thank you for the enthusiastic response this story has garnered. Truly, it is a great travesty that the many interesting characters -such as Nightingale- do not get nearly enough time in the fanfiction limelight as the series' more prominent protags. Still, taking initiative will only get us so far in this situation, and Author-san is but a single person. Mayhap you try your hands at it as well? Besides, it's not like you got much competition vying for the best *insert-character-name-here* centric fic on the site.
On a different note, I was told to inform you that Nightingale's in-game weapon is indeed called a pepperbox pistol. Specifically, the five-barrel version.
And lastly, Author-san wants you to give yourself a pat on the back if you understand what the story's title is alluding to."
(-)
It was a night not unlike many others. The sun had once again set for the city at the heart of the Empire, the Capital being plunged into darkness once again. A darkness where filth would rise and begin prowling the streets with the cover of night to lend them aid. A full moon hung high in the sky, but the clouds intermittently blotted out the illumination it provided. Yet despite how late it was, there were still those who braved the streets to make the harrowing trek to wherever their destination may be. Although, this only applied to the ones who held reasons for being afraid of what might lurk around each corner. No, there were a number of souls who didn't suffer a hint of trepidation at the thought of the dangers they would be forced to face in this city of monsters… For they were the ones the monsters themselves need fear.
The assassin organization -Night Raid- was on the prowl this night, their entire cell of killers having mobilized to eliminate the targets. Tonight, they sought to kill a wealthy family of sadists who took pleasure in abducting and horrifically torturing whichever citizen was unfortunate enough to catch their fancy, along with the cadre of guards who both protected the family, as well as aided them in their sickening endeavors.
"That's the place." Leone spoke up, making sure everyone was clear on their destination. That being the overly extravagant estate that was no doubt a product of the malicious dealings the family ran under the façade of a 'proper mercantile business'.
"Remember the plan; Akame and Bulat will deal with the guards, Sheele and I will clear the mansion interior, and Lubbock and Mine will provide support, making sure none of them escape alive." she instructed as the group continued their approach.
Though it would soon be revealed that Night Raid wasn't the only danger looming in the darkness with the intention of slaughtering all who resided in that home.
(-)
"T-turn left up here!" the captive guard choked out, very much struggling to speak with the vice-grip the woman had on his throat.
Using her other hand to adjust the reins of her horse, the carriage they were riding curved in the direction the man had guided them. The woman was utterly silent as she kept hold of her hostage, the lack of verbal communication up to this point causing the guards already frayed nerves to split further. It was a clear message; I'm not giving you the opportunity to lie. Try to lead me astray, and you won't get a second chance.
The man gave a brief glance over his shoulder at the sleeping child who had been laid down in the back of the carriage after the nurse had administered him a sedative. If only the brat hadn't escaped, then none of this would have happened. Fortunately for the man, they were nearing their destination, and he allowed himself a small exhale of relief as the metal gate that allowed entrance to the property came into view. The gate was closed and no guards were posted there at this late hour, but after seeing the woman's strength, he doubted that forcing her way through would be much trouble. Slowing to a halt as they approached the gate, his captors grip didn't waiver in the slightest.
"This is the place?" she finally spoke up for the first time since they set off.
"Y-yes! You can just about see the mansion in the distance!" he explained, pointing to the dim lights that were barely visible from how far away they were.
Nightingale hummed in thought. "So it would seem."
"Alright then!" the guard spoke up, interrupting whatever thoughts Nightingale was having. "We had a deal; I lead you here, and then you would release me!"
Nodding, Nightingale turned to face the man, yet her grip on his neck remained firm. "Correct, I am a woman of my word." she explained, allowing the man to release an immense mental sigh of relief. However, her next words had the opposite effect. "I shall release you from the suffering you wrought for yourself."
With a quick snap of the neck the man was dead, his lifeless body tumbling out of the passenger seat and falling to the side of the road. Hopping down from the carriage, Nightingale walked ahead and pushed the gates open, allowing her entrance to the estate grounds. Making a clicking noise with her tongue, her horse began trotting after her as she led the way towards the home of whatever filth had harmed the boy. There were a pair of half-asleep guards manning the door, the lack of attentiveness affording the nurse enough time to get within fifty feet of the house before they took notice.
The guards were briefly bewildered by Nightingale's approach, neither one of them in the mood to deal with visitors. A short argument was held between the duo, further distracting them from Nightingale's actions as she reached underneath the seat of the carriage and grabbed at the hidden shelf she installed there. Her hands found purchase on what she sought, pulling out a pair of revolvers she had 'relieved' from some of her previous victims, along with a handful of ammo. Although she does have her personal sidearm in the form of the pepperbox pistol -which was considerably stronger than the former weapons, given it is a tool associated with her Servant status-, having multiple guns on-hand was always useful.
By the time Nightingale reached the steps with her weapons drawn, and loud ruckus came from inside the house, prompting the two men to shift their attention away from the nurse out of pure reflex. Both revolvers were fired in-sync, their aim true as the bullets pierced the men in the head, killing them instantly.
"Time to purge the infection." she intoned before kicking the doors open with such force that they flew off the hinges.
(-)
"Oh, well that's just perfect!" Lubbock grumbled in annoyance as he watched Nightingale storm the front of the house and disappear inside, followed by the sound of gunfire echoing out the destroyed entrance. He had only circled around to make sure nobody was trying to escape out the front of the mansion, but from his vantage point he watched as a third-party decided to show up and join in on the slaughter. Without a doubt the newcomer was the doctor that had recently garnered Night Raid's attention, as he had spotted her a couple times in the city while they were investigating her. And although it was obvious that she had come to kill the same people they were here for, he couldn't be certain she would still her hand from killing his comrades if they crossed paths.
"Shiiiit! I shouldn't have to deal with this kind of crap!" he shouted to himself as he dropped down to ground-level and chased after the nurse, hoping he could catch her before she ran into one of his friends.
(-)
Turning the corner with his gun drawn, the man stepped out from cover and fired a few bursts from his rifle at the approaching woman, hoping that it would be enough to kill her or at least slow her down. Prior to falling back to his current position, he watched one of his fellow guards get sent flying through a wall when the woman kicked him. The mangled corpse had smashed a hole clean-through the wooden barrier, which spoke of the kind of strength that nobody had any business possessing. He wanted to believe that such a monster of a woman could be felled by bullets, but he wasn't taking any chances and continued his retreat.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! What the hell is going on here?!" he shouted to himself as he ejected an empty magazine from his rifle and slammed in a fresh one. "I didn't sign up for this shit!"
Pulling back the slide, he chambered the next round whilst pressing his back up against the wall, trying to catch his breath and calm down. Not that it did much to help.
"If I get out of this mess, I am SO demanding I get a raise!"
Any further fantasizing was thrown out the window as a gloved hand erupted through the wall, right next to where his head was. The aforementioned hand proceeded to grab him by the front of his jacket, and pull him backwards, causing his body to be crushed against the hard surface. Fortunately for his continued existence, the wall gave-in before he had been completely smashed, and he found himself being thrown across the room with chunks of debris from the wall he had been pulled through.
"Disease." the 'monster' spoke aloud, raising a gun in his direction.
"H-hold it! What do you want?!" he pleaded, hoping to forestall his death for even a few moments longer.
"I am here to treat the illness that plagues the populace." she answered, her thumb pulling back the hammer of the revolver she aimed at the guard. "Allowing filth like yourself to fester is something I cannot abide."
"W-wait!"
A thunderous *boom* echoed out the broken wall and down the halls as Nightingale pulled the trigger. With the final round expended, she began the reloading process, tilting out the chamber and allowing the empty casings to drop to the floor. Despite the loud disturbance her assault was causing, Nightingale found the security response to her presence was somewhat lacking. Even as she first entered the residence, it was clear that she was not the only threat the occupants were facing. The vermin were being forced to split their attention between multiple intruders, causing utter chaos for those who tried to resist the attack.
Locking the reloaded chamber back in-place, Nightingale exited through the wall she had broken and resumed her search. Although she arrived with the intention of killing the ones responsible for the injuries the boy suffered, she was also searching for other victims who might still be held captive. Despite this, her current search turned up nothing. The first obvious place to check was the basement, but that was unfortunately empty. However, she did recall one of the guards she first encountered mention something about a shed, so that seemed like her best option at the moment. Approaching one of the windows, she gazed outside to witness several men dressed in guard uniforms being cut down by someone Nightingale vaguely recognized. Recalling where she had seen them wasn't difficult in the slightest, as it was hard to miss the numerous wanted posters plastered along the city streets.
A noise to the left alerted Nightingale, her attention snapping to the newcomer with guns drawn akimbo. The nurse maintained a stoic expression as the person opposite her did the same. Again, it was someone else from one of the numerous wanted posters, the woman armed with the excessively large scissors included in her description. Both women stood in silence, weapons at the ready as they sized each other up.
"You aren't one of our targets." the purple-clad woman stated, though her guard hadn't dropped in the slightest.
Whether or not a verbal response was expected from her, Nightingale opted not to give one, choosing instead to holster her revolvers. Sheele lowered her weapon somewhat as Nightingale approached her, shifting to the side as the nurse made to pass her by without incident. It was only when they were within arms reach of one another that Nightingale stopped and pulled something out of her pocket. Sheele furrowed her brow, confusion evident as Nightingale presented her with a packet of wet wipes.
"Be sure to clean the blood off your face." the nurse stated plainly as she continued on her way.
Turning in the direction of the nurse, Sheele bowed her head slightly towards the woman's back. "Ah, thank you."
(-)
Despite her cold and emotionless appearance, it was still heartrending to watch the bow -Tatsumi, she reminded herself- practically collapse in despair as he realized just what had been occurring right under his nose. The very family that had been so kind to him -taking him in off the street and promising him aid-, had been torturing his friends with him none the wiser. Though it wouldn't have been long before he joined them had Akame and her comrades not shown up.
Still, she hadn't expected the scene to have distracted her so much that she failed to notice the newcomer's arrival until she was practically right next to her. Snapping at attention, Akame nearly swung her sword out of pure reflex, but halted when she noticed the haunted look on the woman's face. It was a look Akame had seen before.
A state in which everything was shut out from one's awareness so they could fully focus on whatever was in front of them. Akame might as well have not even been there, as she doubted the woman noticed her or even the rest of them. No, Nightingale's attention was directed solely at the sheds' interior. It was somewhat uncanny how the woman paid no mind as she stepped over Aria's freshly bisected corpse. She failed to even acknowledge Leone despite the blonde calling out to her. There seemed to be a sense of utter disbelief that the woman was experiencing, but not for the obvious reason. This wasn't shock from discovering the true depths of man's depravity and the cruelness they were capable of. Instead, it was a horrifying understanding of just how much the victims had suffered through.
The suddenly, as if a switch had just been flicked, the woman's demeanor changed.
"Commencing triage; Black, Black, Red, Black, Red, Red, Red, Black." she began listing off, her gaze rapidly flitting from one body to the next as she discerned how serious their conditions were.
The severity of the situation was obvious to anyone with eyes; none of the victims' present would be leaving this shed alive. It was a conclusion the woman reached after only a few seconds, yet that didn't do anything to halt her intentions. Undeterred by the hopelessness of the situation, she began rushing from place to place, utilizing insane strength to tear open metal cages so the occupants could escape.
"Situation is rapidly deteriorating. Most patients are beyond the point of salvation. Beginning emergency treatment." she constantly spoke aloud, hurriedly clearing tables of clutter while throwing clean sheets over them.
'Wait, where did she get those sheets?'
"You, you, and you; on those tables now." she instructed a few of the injured people while not even pausing in her other actions. Moving from body to body, the woman began checking each of them for a pulse, hoping to find another survivor. She briefly paused when she reached the body of Sayo, her eyes widening before she quickly cut the girl free from her bindings and lay her down on a table.
"Pulse is faint, commencing resuscitation!" she shouted as she began rubbing her hands together at such a fast rate that they began to build a static charge. "Clear!"
Pressing her palms to Sayo's chest, she discharged the electrical build-up, giving the girls heart a kickstart.
Akame didn't know which was more shocking; that Nightingale managed to create a powerful enough static charge, or that she actually managed to bring the girl back from the brink at all.
"You, help the boy bring the other one over!" she shouted while pointing at Akame.
Momentarily caught off-guard by the order, Akame strangely found herself following the woman's instructions as she helped Tatsumi carrying Ieyasu over to a clear table. She wasn't entirely sure what exactly the woman was planning to do, but it was clear that she was wholly intent on trying to save the lives of those present. Redirecting her attention for a brief moment, Nightingale stuck her index finger and thumb in her mouth and proceeded to whistle out the doorway. Her gaze the snapped to Tatsumi.
"What blood type are you?"
"Uh, type O. Why do you ask?" he questioned as he took a few steps closer to the nurse.
"Universal donor, perfect." she stated as she grabbed Tatsumi by the arm, rolled up his sleeve, sterilized the surface of his skin with an alcohol wipe, and then stuck a needle in him. "Hold still."
While completely dumbfounded and slightly panicking at having a needle stuck in his arm, Tatsumi managed to steel his nerves, if only because he didn't want the pointy object to break while in his skin. Nightingale then pulled a length of tubing out of thin-air and attached it to the needle.
"Thank you for donating your blood today. I will be sure to give you a lollipop once we are done." the nurse explained before sticking the other end of the tube into Sayo.
Taking out several instant-use syringes from her medical pouch, Nightingale rushed from person-to-person, sterilizing skin and injecting the syringe contents into the patients' bloodstream.
"I will purge all that is toxic, all that is harmful!"
The intonation of her words seemed to have an effect on the world around them. Both Akame and Leone felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, the very atmosphere of the horrid shed was starting to feel oddly comforting.
"With the power I hold, I shall lead everyone to happiness!"
Now it was obvious that whatever Nightingale was saying had an influence on reality. The interior was starting to glow, taking on a light-blue hue, numerous surfaces that were coated in grime and blood miraculously became clean when bathed in it. Akame could even swear she saw some kind of human figure appear, the vague shape of it being formed by light itself.
"Whether it be illness or injury, I will not allow anyone to die under my watch!"
Halting the physical treatment she was administering, Nightingale stood tall with her arms spread apart and proudly proclaimed.
"This I swear! Nightingale Pledge!"
The assassin duo and Tatsumi could only gape in pure awe as something akin to a miracle took place. Wounds began to close, leaving no sign that they had ever been there in the first place. Those who suffered from virulent infections were suddenly able to breathe once more, no longer sent into a fit of coughs from the painful action. Dried blood and bile were washed away with an ephemeral glow. People who were on death's door mere seconds prior, now looked as if they were in prime condition.
Ieyasu sat up, lifting his arms to gaze at their now pristine state. Patting himself down, he was almost certain this was a delusion brought on by his deteriorating health, convinced that with the blink of an eye, he'd be returned to the pestilent condition he experienced. All the others were much the same, in too great of shock to do anything more than marvel at the result of Nightingale's treatment. Akame and Leone were utterly slack jawed. Never would they ever have believed that something like this was possible. Even having witnessed it themselves, they still had trouble processing the miraculous phenomenon that had just occurred.
"Wait, why isn't Sayo waking up?!" Tatsumi shouted in concern, interrupting the silent awe that had filled the shed.
Having siphoned enough blood from him while still not taking too much, Nightingale removed the needle from the boys' arm as she examined his female companion.
"She is merely unconscious at the moment. I may have treated her condition, but the lingering exhaustion is still affecting her. We need only wait for her to awaken on her own." she explained while draping a cover over the girls' body to provide her with some modesty. "Unfortunately, I could not bring back her leg. Without the missing limb for me to reattach, the most I can do is heal the wound that the amputation created. Still, as she is my patient, I will be certain to provide her with a prosthetic once she is ready for one."
Tatsumi slid to his knees as relief flooded his body. So much had happened over the course of the past few minutes that he felt as if he had aged over twenty years, and the mental exhaustion was creeping up on him.
The whinny of a horse grabbed Akame and Leone's attention, and they glanced outside the shed to see Nightingale's carriage had arrived.
"If you can still walk, climb into my carriage. If you need help, one of us will assist you." Nightingale instructed as she lifted Sayo and carried her off.
"Did we just get volunteered to help?" Leone asked Akame in minor annoyance, despite the fact that she was moving to help anyway.
"It would seem so."
Once all of the 'patients' were loaded in the wagon, Leone took the opportunity to approach Nightingale and confront her about the ramifications of everything that had happened.
"Listen, since you and the rest of that lot saw our faces, we need to have a little discussion about what happens next. We can't simply allow people who know our identities to go free."
Nightingale briefly paused in her actions and gave a sideways glance at the blonde. "Is that a threat?" she asked, a hint of killing intent wafting off the medical professional.
"Not precisely." Leone answered. "We'll need to get them out of the city and make sure they're safe. Then we will provide them with their options going forward… This includes you as well."
"Hmm, I see." Nightingale muttered as she reached under the passenger seat and pulled out a metal canister with a strange pin on top. "I suppose that is an agreeable request. Do you wish to escort us away at this moment?" the nurse asked as she walked back into the shed while carrying the metal object.
"It will be troublesome to do so, but we do have a route out of the city that your carriage might be able to follow. However, that's mostly dependent on the capability of your horse."
Nightingale nodded. "Aggro can handle whatever is needed." she opined as she reached the center of the shed and placed the object down. "Besides, I refuse to leave my patients side until I can verify their condition as being stable."
"Makes sense." Leone agreed before pointing at the canister Nightingale was fiddling with. "By the way, what's that you got there?"
Pulling the pin off the top of the metal object, Nightingale stepped back as a high-pitched whistling noise filled the air. "Oxygen bomb." she stated plainly, as if she hadn't just deployed a serious incendiary payload. "This place must be cleansed."
Already halfway out the door by the time Nightingale finished her sentence, Leone decided to be proactive and led the horse and carriage away from the imminent explosion. Closing the doors behind her, the shed was relatively sealed closed, creating the perfect situation for a powerful backdraft of flames once the building was breached.
By the time military forces arrived to investigate the disturbance that Nightingale and Night Raid had caused, the shed doors would finally be opened, allowing oxygen to flood inside the building and result in a huge conflagration that would practically vaporize the bodies of whoever was near the source.
(-)
That night, six additional people aside from Tatsumi managed to escape that nightmare shed with their lives. A feat that all would have thought to be impossible, were it not for the intervention of an angel.