Here's chapter 14! Hope the wait was worth it!
It's mostly character development but it's important to the story. I know a lot of you feel bad for Sheele but I promise you, she'll get better in later chapters.
Review time!
Sullimike23: Read on and find out!
Gemm1mt: That won't happen; they've barely gotten to know each other yet. I've already answered your other review in the PM.
Noob6: Never gets old!
Musizlover2008: Well…you're half right.
Arkham Knight: Thanks. My favorite part about this story was how much I made the Ultrabots so virtually unstoppable that the cast no other choice but to join forces.
Imperial warlord: Thanks!
Junior VB: But can she be cured in time?
Drew Luczynski: Bingo!
Guest #1: Well, there's going to be more to that than you think. I'm planning on addressing the last part near the end of the story.
Ggg222: LMAO! We could also have Chris Tucker saying, "DAAAAAAAAAAMN!"
Guest #2: I'm a slow updater. Get used to it.
Jfazende5: Yup! Read on and see!
Orga: I know, I know but she'll recover. Same old Seryu but that all stops in this chapter…
The Guyver: Thank you for the notification and I have already made the correction.
Red John: It won't last for the whole story so don't fret.
King of Fans: You'll find out how everyone goes on from here!
Idea Guy: Cool idea but I'm sticking with the DOOM element. It will be YEARS before I tackle this story.
Frankly-Frank and MUTO TOHO: Sorry to say that Jack won't be in this story but there will be Aku in part 4 of my Akame ga Kill x Samurai Jack series!
Akame ga Kill and Samurai Jack belong to their respective owners. I do not own either of them.
Chapter 14
From Enemies to Allies
EASTERN DESERTS-RUINS
(Metroid Prime 2: Echoes-Dark Samus Approaching)
The ruins stood as a testament to a lost age in the east's history. A relic of a forgotten civilization doomed to be slowly consumed by the sands of the seemingly unending desert. The serene silence was broken when nineteen baskets rolled through the ruins until they stopped in the central courtyard. They began to unfold themselves until they all formed the imposing, horrifying forms of the unstoppable metal creatures. Their crimson-colored eyes scanned the immediate area for anything their sensors could detect.
Nothing. No indications that Night Raid, the Generals or The Jaegers had been here. But they weren't the type to just give up so easily. Army Slayer turned to the others.
"SEARCH THE AREA."
They began to spread out and investigate ruins like the methodical machines they were. They scoured the ruins, leaving no stone unturned as they hunted their prey. Traversing the winding and empty temples of the lost city, the whole place seemed to be vacant of any life. Some of them began to break though the stone structures hoping to find their targets inside, only to find that they were empty. Auger drilled underground and through the temples to find them but came up empty handed. After 2 hours of searching, they all gathered at the central courtyard.
"THEY ARE NOT HERE. SHOULD WE EXPAND OUR SEARCH?"
"NEGATIVE. WE WILL FIND THEM ANOTHER TIME."
With that, the machines transformed back into baskets and rolled out of the ruins, into the desert and over a dune, disappearing out of sight. The ruins remained completely silent and unoccupied… or so one would think. On the largest temple, a slab of stone slowly moved a little bit over to the right leaving a small opening. Someone slowly and carefully peered out of it, scanning the surroundings.
"I think they're gone…"
"Are you sure? Like, absolutely 100% sure?"
"No way to know for certain…"
"Let me try something. Koro! Go check it out."
Koro, the dog monster that saved Tatsumi and Chelsea, squeezed out of the crevasse and looked around for any sign of the creatures. The area seemed clear but just to be extra sure; he sniffed around to pick up the stench of death they seemed to emanate. He picked up nothing which meant that they were in the clear. He trotted over back to the crevasse. "Kyu Kyu Kyuuuuuuuuu!" He waved.
"Good boy, Koro!"
The stone slab was moved out of the way and everyone fell out of it into a pile. When they heard the rumbling sounds from before, they all knew that the creatures had escaped their frozen confine and began to frantically search for a place to hide. As luck would have it, they discovered a hole behind a slab of loose stone on one of the old temples that they could hide in. It was a tight fit but they didn't have a whole lot of options. They hid in that cramped, steaming hot spider hole for 2 hours, praying that the creatures wouldn't find them.
But as luck would have it, they didn't find them and they had all escaped death by the skin of their teeth. As they lay on the ground, gasping for air, Wave's armor retracted back into a black short sword. Wave had dark hair and blue eyes while his attired consisted of a dark blue jacket, a white and blue t-shirt, grey jeans with black boots and a red scarf with an anchor emblazoned on it. Just like his comrades, his clothes were a mess and looked just as haggard as them.
"Oh my God…I thought they were going to find us for certain." He breathed. "I think we got some kinda angel watching over us."
"I second that notion." Chelsea agreed.
They all went back to the courtyard and split up into their respective groups. The Jaegers and Generals sat themselves down on one side of the courtyard to catch their breaths while Night Raid sat at the other end attending to their wounds. Mine was looking over Sheele's torn cheek while trying her hardest not to gag at her wound. A shadow fell over them and she whirled around to see the gas mask wearing giant looming over them.
The two of them instantly went for their Teigus, uncaring that they were broken and effectively useless now. To their surprise, the man handed them several backpacks filled with much-needed medical supplies.
"Here. You'll need these as much as we do." He spoke in a polite and kind voice that did not match his chilling appearance in the slightest. Giving him a cautious look, Mine swiped the backpacks away from him and began to distribute it to her friends. Night Raid thoroughly patched themselves up as much as they could; luckily for them they were given just enough to treat their injuries.
For the next 25 minutes, they all sat in complete silence as the sun began to set slowly. There was a common feeling that hovered over the two groups as they absentmindedly stared at the ground.
Complete, utter defeat.
Whether it was defending the Empire or liberating the Empire, they failed. Foiled by nineteen unstoppable monsters that were impervious to all of their attacks and nearly killed them. Was it sheer luck or fate that they cheated death? After several more minutes, the groups began to look at one another with weary stares. It was almost surreal that two mortal enemies had banded together but could they really earn each other's trust? They continued to stare at one another, trying to read their thoughts.
Finally, Leone had the guts to finally break the silence. "So…you guys got your asses kicked too?"
Budo's expression soured. "As crude as that sounds, I'm not afraid to admit that we did."
"I did not think that you would all go out of your way to save us." Akame commented, her arm now in a makeshift sling.
"Given our current situation, it was the most prudent decision." Run replied.
"We should've left you all there to die." Seryu spat venomously. "All of this is your fault!"
"Our fault?! How is any of this our fault?!" Mine barked, immediately becoming hostile. Her arm was in a sling as well.
"You're all behind this!" Seryu snarled at Night Raid. If she still had her arms, she would most likely be pointing an accusatory finger at them. "You probably created those demons to destroy everything the Empire stood for!"
"You seriously think the Revolutionary Army has the resources to build something like them?" Chelsea countered.
"And what exactly has the Empire stood for?" Susanoo added. "Corruption? Abuse of power? Economic stagnation? Murder of the poor and innocent?"
"That's a lie!" Wave shouted. "We've been upholding the Empire's values and ensure that the public prospers!"
"Prosper?!" Tatsumi incredulously exclaimed. "You call turning a blind eye to every atrocity the Prime Minister has committed prospering?! The people have been suffering under his rule for years!"
"LIAR!" Seryu shrilled. "He was a saint who cared for the people just like the Emporer!"
"Saint my ass!" Leone yelled as she marched over to her. "That fat f***'s been making everybody's lives a living hell and you guys are no better!"
"You're wrong! We've been helping people!" Wave protested.
"That's pretty funny coming from someone whose commander is a mass murdering psychopath!" Mine yelled as she pointed at Esdeath. The General paid her no heed as she continued to look away from everyone as she sat on a collapsed column.
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY SUPERIOR LIKE THAT!" Seryu screamed into Mine's face!
"BACK THE F*** OFF!" Mine snarled as she pushed Seryu, causing Koro to bark angrily at her.
"Hey, knock it off!" Wave shouted as he marched towards her, only to be blocked off by Tatsumi.
"Leave her alone!" he shouted at him.
"Damn it, will you all calm down?!" Najenda exasperated as she stepped in to stop them.
"I'm ordering you to stand down, now!" Budo ordered his subordinates.
But at this point there was no way to calm everyone down. Leone, Tatsumi, Mine, Seryu, Koro and Wave were now at each other's throats as they angrily shouted at each other, ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Run, Liver, Budo, Najenda, Bulat, Lubbock and Chelsea tried their best to break up the fight but it had already spun out of control. Esdeath, Kurome, Akame, Susanoo and Sheele stayed out of it. Mine was ready to throw the first punch when-
"STOP IT!" The man wearing the gas mask yelled. Everyone turned to him to see him shaking as distress was visible through his mask; tears were beginning to leak out of the cross-shaped eyeholes. "EVERYONE JUST STOP IT, PLEASE! DON'T YOU ALL GET IT?! THIS IS WHAT THOSE MONSTERS WANT! THEY WANT US TO PIT OURSELVES AGAINST EACH OTHER SO THEY CAN KILL US EASIER!" He desperately sobbed.
This outburst was enough for everyone to stop auguring as Wave walked over to his friend with a look of concern. "Bols…"
Bols sat down on the ground as he sobbed into his hands. "Stop it….please…." He cried. Everyone looked at the crying shell of a man and they all realized that arguing really wasn't going to get them anywhere. In fact, they were all feeling the same as Bols: they were scared. Scared of those creatures coming back, scared of how powerful they were, scared of dying by their cold, metal hands.
"He's right." Bulat spoke. "This isn't about who's evil or not here. The real evil is out there and they are very powerful. If we're going to find a way to stop them and survive, we need to band together and cooperate with each other."
Night Raid and The Jaegers looked at Bulat with incredulity before looking at one another. Mortal enemies working together? The very notion of that idea was both improbable and crazy yet… crazy enough to work.
"I agree with him" Run said. "This is no time for petty squabbles."
Akame looked at her sister who went back to her fetal position. If there was a chance that she could sway Kurome to her cause, then there might be a possibility that she could help her free her from the drugs that had been slowly poisoning her. "I'm in agreement as well." Akame nodded. The others began to nod in agreement, seeing that this was the best course of action if they wanted to find a way to stop these things.
"I'm not." Seryu grunted. "While I admit that the demons who destroyed our beloved Empire are the personification of evil itself, I will never work alongside villains like you!"
"I have to agree with Seryu." Wave said as he shook his head. "I mean, you guys are assassins! How am I supposed to trust someone who could stab me in the back?"
"Well, you saved our lives and we haven't done anything to harm you yet so that amounts to some level of trust, right?" Chelsea knowingly asked him.
Wave looked pensive. "I suppose…"
"Don't listen to a word they say, Wave" Seryu warned as she gave Night Raid a nasty look. "These villains will feed you nothing but falsehoods and slanderous lies!"
"Here we go again…" Mine sighed in annoyance as she rubbed her temples.
"You might as well admit that you're evil!" Seryu snapped. "All of you are guilty!"
"Let me ask you two something." Lubbock began. "When you're walking around in the Capital and you see all the poor people, the miserable citizens and the public executions, what was going through your heads? What were your thoughts?" Despite being known as something of a lecher and a goofball, there were times when Lubbock could be shockingly intelligent and mindful of certain people. He was trying to get into Wave and Seryu's heads and make them see that the Empire was ruthlessly corrupt.
"Obviously those were heinous criminals and murderers who committed ungodly crimes towards our beloved Empire and were punished accordingly." Seryu answered proudly.
"Exactly! And the people are dismal because they always have to worry about you coming for them in the night and the Emperor was fully committed to giving aid to the poor once the war was over." Wave said.
Lubbock shook his head in pity. "Completely hopeless…" He muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Wave demanded.
"Those who were executed were people who spoke out against the Empire's corruption and they were killed as a reminder of what happens to those who oppose them." Akame lectured. "And the Emperor is only a figurehead. Honest is the true ruler of the Empire and the populace are in constant fear of him, not us. He will never lift a finger for the poor."
"Honest uses you as tools and clouds your minds with false promises. He cares nothing about you or the people he hurts." Susanoo finished. Wave blinked in confusion. None of this was adding up-
"LIARS!" Seryu shrieked. "My brave master Ogre warned me about people like you so don't think for a second you can fool me!"
Tatsumi's eyes widened when he heard that. He didn't think he would hear that name again but how did this girl know him? "Ogre? The Imperial Police captain?"
"The one and the same!" She said. "He trained me and taught me everything there is to know about justice!"
Tatsumi lowered his head, his hair shadowing his eyes.
"He was a proud, caring man who dedicated his life to serving justice and protecting the Empire from those who would taint its glorious history." She reminisced, unaware that Night Raid was giving her incredulous looks as they secretly knew the type of man Ogre was. Tatsumi's hands began to ball up into fists.
"I still mourn his tragic death to this day. Murdered in the line of duty! The Empire may be destroyed but I will not rest till those demons are destroyed and I find who killed my mast-"
"It was me." Tatsumi suddenly said without a hint of emotion in his voice. Night Raid looked at him with shocked expressions. What was he doing?! Seryu looked at him with shock. "I was the one who killed Ogre."
"You…." Seryu started as her features started to become savage and feral while Koro started to grow razor sharp teeth that looked like a myriad of kitchen knives. "YOU-"
"But you want to know why I killed him?" Tatsumi glowered as he marched up to her, now clearly angry and ignoring the snarling dog beast. "You want to know why he had to die? It's because he had been taking bribes from a corrupt oil merchant and pinning his crimes on innocent civilians! And we didn't decide to kill him on a whim or just because we felt like it! It's because the fiancée of one of his victims paid and begged us to do it and that was after she sold her body to get the money and caught several venereal diseases!"
Seryu was stunned silent at his outburst but still disbelieving.
Tatsumi then turned his attention to Wave before Seryu could say anything else.
"And you wanna know something else!? I came to the Empire to join the Imperial police and make some money for my village! But what did I find out!? Two of my best friends were tortured to death by a family of sadists pretending to be good samaritans! All my friends ever wanted was to help their village and now they're dead!" Tatsumi furiously raged. "YOUR EMPIRE IS EVIL! NOT US!"
Wave was rendered completely speechless. He couldn't formulate a single word. His mind tried its hardest to wrap around on what he was being told but struggled immensely. There was so much he didn't know about the Empire when he joined and during his time as a Jaeger, he began to see some cracks in its otherwise beautiful exterior but with everything going on, he had no idea who to believe at this point.
"It can't….it's not….you're lying!" Seryu reasoned, shaking as his words began to slowly sink in.
"What he's saying…not all of it can be true….right?" Wave asked his comrades as he and Seryu turned to them.
Run, Bols, Liver and Budo looked at the ground with looks of shame and resignation. They couldn't even bear to look at Wave or Seryu because they secretly knew that Night Raid was right. Esdeath continued to look away from them all.
"G-guys…?" Wave pressed, concerned as to why they looking so apathetic. It was troubling to see his two best friends and his superiors try their hardest to avoid his gaze.
"I-i-its all a lie…right? They're all lying. T-the Empire isn't c-c-corrupt at all! Ogre w-w-was a dedicated o-officer! R-r-right….?" Seryu stammered. This was beginning to scare her. A lot. She looked up at General Budo to meet his hard, unflinching eyes. He gave her a look that told her, "You know it to be true. You can't deny it any longer."
Seryu started to hyperventilate. Tears formed in her eyes. Her legs felt weak. Everything she had dedicated her entire life to was beginning to shatter like glass right in front of her. She looked to Esdeath who still had her head turned the other way. Seryu slowly walked over to her as her heart thudded against her chest.
"It's not true…tell me it's not true!" She pleaded. Esdeath continued to look away from her, her arms folded.
"….It's true. Everything they've said. It's the truth." She spoke.
Seryu's heart cracked in two. She stumbled away from Esdeath and fell flat on her rear. "No….no...no.…no…no…." She quietly cried, tears of unbearable heartbreak flowing down her cheeks. Koro was at her side in a heartbeat while whimpering. Wave stood as still as a statue, completely aghast at what he had heard. Was it true? Were they really the bad guys all along?
Kurome tightened her grip on herself as she buried her head into her arms.
Night Raid regarded them with sympathy. Anger had been replaced by pity as they saw the two members of the Jaegers in a different light: not blind followers, but poor souls who had been led astray by the Empire's lies.
Najenda, however, looked at Esdeath with confusion and suspicion. Why was she acting so distant? No boasting, no mocking, no snide remarks, no strong vs weak ramblings, nothing.
What the hell was going on with her?
RUINS-7 HOURS LATER
(Lonesome Campfires-Graham Preskett )
Nightfall had finally come to the eastern territories. A full moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the desert with a pale glow. But it also brought along its freezing winds as the temperature dropped. Lucky for the group, they gathered wood from the trees out in the desert to make a makeshift campfire with Bols providing fire from his Teigu. They all sat around the campfire together since hostilities between them were now virtually nonexistent. The only ones who did not join the group were Kurome and Esdeath.
Kurome sat in a fetal position in another part of the ruins while Esdeath stood on a sand dune far away from them. Whether she wanted to be alone or if she was keeping an eye out for the creatures was anybody's guess.
Everyone took this time to start getting to know one another. Night Raid had learned about the Jaegers rather intriguing Teigus; Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema, Purgatory's Invitation: Rubicante, Magical Beast Transformation: Hekatonkherires and Carnage Incarnate: Grand Chariot.
The Jeagers, Wave and Seryu specifically, had learned about the shocking truth about the Empire they served. Needless to say, the two of them did not handle the news well at all.
"Oh god…." Wave breathed. "All this time…we were on the wrong side….you were the ones doing good while we remained completely oblivious! To think that the nobles were doing these horrible things to those poor people and getting away with it…oh God!" Wave buried his face into his hands. "I can never go back to my village! I can't show my face there ever again!"
"Calm down, Wave. You didn't know." Run said, consoling his friend.
"You performed your duties admirably; despite not knowing what went on behind the scenes. I couldn't have asked for a better police force." Budo added
"But just so you know, even though we take out the real bad guys what we're doing counts as murder. We ain't exactly good guys but we're certainly not bad guys either." Lubbock pointed out.
"Justice is dead…..there's no more justice anymore…." Seryu sobbed. Koro whimpered pathetically as he scooted up close to his master.
Mine sighed. "Justice isn't dead, Seryu. It's just sorta been sidelined. If Honest was never in power then you'd know what real justice is. But then Ogre got into your head and that's when everything you believed in went to hell."
"The whorld….ish'nt blhack….and white….itsh…ghray…" Sheele rasped. Despite Lubbock using the last of Cross Tail to stich up the hole in her cheek, it still hurt a lot to speak and the bandages covering her face didn't help her speech either. Seryu sniffled; her urge to hug Koro as hard as she could only painfully reminded her that she had no arms.
Wave swallowed. "I just wanted to make my family proud. Live up to the man who trained me…I didn't mean to join a corrupt government!"
That sentence seemed to garner Tatsumi's interest. "You said before about your village, right?"
"Yeah, way out on the western edge of the Empire." Wave explained. "A small costal town. I lived there with my mom and dad since I was born. I learned how to fight from an Imperial Navy captain that visited there from time to time. He became my mentor and the next thing you know, I'm enlisted in the Imperial Navy. A couple weeks later, I' got summoned to the Capital to join a police force and that's where I got Grand Chariot, as well as met my friends."
"Huh. You know, your story almost sounds similar to mine. I come from a village up to the north and a retired soldier taught me how to fight too and even gave me his sword. Afterwards when I came to the Capital, I joined up with Night Raid." Tatsumi said se he began to smile. "It's pretty cool to know that we're so much alike."
"Heh. Yeah." Wave admitted with a smile as he scratched the back of his head.
"Sure you guys aren't brothers separated at birth?" Leone joked, having found her humor back. Tatsumi and Wave chuckled.
"One thing I'm kinda interested in is how much your Teigu looks like Incursio." Chelsea pointed out.
"I'm actually kinda wondering about that myself. I saw the entry a long time ago in a Teigu encyclopedia and the resemblance was almost uncanny." Wave said.
"Honestly, I thought Incursio was the only armor-type Teigu out there." Bulat shrugged.
"I believe I can answer that." Liver spoke, garnering everyone's attention. "Grand Chariot was created after Incursio but it was meant to be sort of an upgrade when the side effects of Incursio become more and more apparent."
"Side effects?" Najenda repeated as Night Raid looked at Bulat who looked incredibly guilty.
"So you didn't tell them." Liver surmised, not getting an answer from Bulat afterwards. He then began to explain what he meant to Night Raid. "The main problem with Incursio is that some aspect of the Danger Beast used to create it, Tyrant, still lives within. Whenever the user is pushed to the very limit, the Teigu 'evolves' so to speak. The user is granted increased strength and agility than before and Incursio is notably stronger. However, what's left of Tyrant grows stronger. If Incursio kept evolving then it would only be a matter of time before Tyrant would take over the user, essentially resurrecting itself."
Silence reigned amongst the group. Night Raid was horrified. To think that Incursio was this dangerous and Bulat was using it on an almost daily basis when they had missions gave them a newfound concern for their friend. Akame blinked in shock. "Bulat….why didn't you-"
"We were in the middle of a war. The liberation of the Empire was more important than my life and I was fully prepared to lay down my life to lead this country to a better future. And if it meant letting a Danger Beast take over my body, then so be it…I just didn't want to make you all worry." Bulat solemnly told his friends.
Night Raid was about to voice their objections when they realized that they had the exact same convictions that Bulat had. They were assassins who were ready to give up their lives to free this country from Honest's stranglehold. Of course, all of that changed when the creatures wiped the Capital right off the map.
Wave seemingly had a newfound respect for this man, which was unsurprising since he had already heard about the legendary 100-Man Slayer. But after hearing about how dangerous Incursio was from Liver, could the same be said for his Teigu? "But what about Grand Chariot? Does that have the same problems?" He asked.
"No." Liver confirmed. "Grand Chariot is always in a state of equilibrium. It has no explosive power like Incursio has but there's no risk of evolution. That's why many have considered Grand Chariot to be an advanced version on Incursio."
Liver turned to Bulat and gave him a wistful smile. "But I'm sure Bulat can tell you it's nothing compared to the original, am I right?"
Bulat said nothing as he looked at the ground. "How….? How are you still alive?" He demanded.
Liver's smile disappeared as Bulat gave him a hard look. "I saw you get taken away to be executed. How are you still alive and why are you with her!?" Bulat demanded, obviously referring to Esdeath.
Liver sighed. "Because I owe her my life. When I was carried off, they hauled me into a cell where they prepared my execution. I sat there for hours sowing in my hatred against our own heinous kingdom. Then, Esdeath came to my cell to tell me the execution had been called off on her orders. She told me that I had potential and wanted to recruit me into her personal army. I never felt so relived and honored in my entire life."
Bulat was beginning to feel uncomfortable as was the rest of Night Raid.
"However…my admiration for her soon turned to fear. I saw firsthand what she was capable of. She was…worse than the government officials who ordered my death. Ruthless, merciless, unbeatable; it made me realize I had owed my life to a demoness. Her torture and extermination of entire villages will haunt me until the day I die."
Night Raid, The Jaegers and Budo were not expecting to hear that. "But if you knew just how evil she was, why didn't you try to escape?" Tatsumi asked.
"Because I was afraid she would find out and kill me. I wouldn't last a second against her. All I could do was hope that she would, by some miracle, fall in combat and I could make my escape. But as time went by, I knew there was no escape and I had to keep serving her if I was to live."
Mine folded her arms as she eyed Liver disapprovingly. "So you stuck with her just to save your own skin." She said condemningly.
"Yes. I did." Liver hastily replied. "And before you get indignant, I had many other options besides being forced to serve her. All of them would've resulted in my death. This was the only option I had. If it's any comfort to you all, I never took part in any of Esdeath's purges or tortures. It was too ghastly and inhuman, even for the Empire."
He looked to Bulat before hanging his head in shame. "So there you have it. Your friend is a miserable coward."
Bulat had no idea what to think or say. While was angry at first, it slowly subsided into that of remorse for his long-time friend. Dutifully serving the Empire only to be betrayed and then serving under a homicidal general that could kill you if you so much as stepped out of line would break any man. If he was put in the same position as Liver, he probably would've gone down the same path as he did.
"You're not alone on that." Bols spoke up. "It's the same for me."
"You're afraid of Esdeath too?" Leone asked.
"No, not exactly. You see, I've done…terrible things during my service to the Empire." Bols admitted as he tightly clasped his hands together.
"What!?" Wave balked. "What are you talking about? You're the nicest guy I know-"
"I'm not, Wave. I'm not." Bols said with self-loathing. "I've killed people. Whether it was villages ravaged with diseases or prisoners at the stake who pleaded their innocence, I immolated them. And one day I know that I have to face retribution for my actions."
"But-but you were only taking orders as a soldier-" Seryu reasoned before she was cut off.
"It's not an excuse Seryu!" Bols barked. "It's inevitable! It's what I deserve!"
"So why did you keep serving the Empire?" Chelsea pressed, wanting to know what had stopped him from leaving. "There wasn't anything holding you back, you could've joined the Revolutionary Army at any time."
"There was something holding me back…my wife and daughter." Bols revealed to the surprise of everyone present. "I never thought that I would actually find someone who loved me and have a child. They were willing to look past what I had done. They're the whole world to me and I couldn't bear to lose them. I knew what I had been doing was wrong but if i tried to defect or voice my objections; I feared the Empire would send someone to kill my family. There was no way out!"
The tears came back in full force as Bols shook. "They're my sole reason for living and why I haven't killed myself yet for my actions! I know one day I would face judgement for what I've done but I don't want to leave them all alone! There was nothing I could do to escape…there was no way out."
Wave and Seryu felt awful. To think that their best friend was carrying this kind of emotional baggage was staggering. Why hadn't they noticed this sooner? Hearing about all of this made Seryu and Wave felt so…useless. Night Raid felt bad for Bols as he was clearly a man who just wanted to protect his family. Chelsea had heard stories about Bols being a remorseless pyromaniac but after hearing his story, it was all hogwash and it became nearly impossible to hate him for what he had done. Since she was sitting next to him, Chelsea gently patted him on the back. She couldn't think of anything to say to make him feel better.
"What about your family? Are they safe?" Susanoo inquired.
"They life far away from the Capital to the south. The creatures headed north so they're safe….they're safe." Bols replied with uncertainty.
"So what's your story?" Leone asked Run who sat next to her.
Run blinked. "Excuse me?"
"How'd you get mixed up with the Empire? Ya might was well tell us since we're all on this emotional whirlwind here." Leone firmly stated.
"Oh, please no more. I don't know how much more I can take." Wave pleaded.
Run felt a little uncomfortable with this but if his comrades and superior were able to confess, then he could to.
"Very well. I've…wanted to remove this weight from my shoulders for a while now." He sighed. "Some time ago in the central area of the Empire, I lived in a farming village near Joyou where I worked as a children's educator. Joyou was a relatively wealthy area since its land was fertile and it was quite peaceful as well as prosperous thanks to our governor. The children I taught there were very eager to learn and showed so much potential. Teaching them about the world as they looked up to me was one of the happiest days of my life."
Night Raid braced themselves. They could see it coming a mile away. "However, while I was out grading their schoolwork, my students…had all been massacred. Worst of all was that there were indications that they had been raped before they were killed."
Wave and Seryu looked like they had just been shot. Bols felt a wave of nausea through his body. Liver visibly tensed up while Budo shut his eyes as hard as he could. Night Raid had the same reaction.
"My first action was to report this but the government officials of Joyou wanted to preserve the region's reputation as a safe outskirt village and so the entire incident was swept under the rug." Run told them grimly.
Seryu was horrified. "How could they do that?!"
"Such things are tolerated in the current state of the Empire." Run revealed.
Wave felt angry. Not angry at himself, but at the Empire. Liver clenched his fists. It was just like how he had been set up as a criminal by the Empire's toadies. Bols became frightful at Run's story, it could've happened to his daughter if he lived in Joyou. This account felt all too familiar for Night Raid, having heard of cover ups like this from their sources numerous times.
"I was outraged at this injustice and vowed to track down and eliminate the degenerate who murdered my students. I needed answers and the only way I could get them was from the Empire. With the help of Joyou's governor, who had taken a particular liking to me, she was able to help facilitate me into the Empire where I climbed up the ranks and eventually earned my Teigu, Mastema and joined The Jaegers afterwards." Run explained.
"Doing a little bit of espionage I presume?" Lubbock guessed with a smirk.
Run spared a quick glance towards Budo and cleared his throat. "In a manner of speaking, yes."
"So then…Were you pretending to be our-" Wave began, his tone of voice heartbroken before he was hastily interrupted by Run.
"What?! No! No!" Run exclaimed. "In the time since I've known you and the others, you have been my closest friends. That is the honest to God truth."
That had made the remaining Jaegers feel relived at this. Leone began to smile broadly. She was beginning to like this guy! "After gathering some information, I finally found my culprit. He was apparently inducted into Wild Hunt, alongside other less than savory individuals."
"Let me guess: His name's Champ, dressed up like a clown, wore a tiny baseball cap, used the Teigu known as Die Leaguer, fatter than a cow, creepy clown makeup and scary beyond all reason?" Leone accurately described.
Run blinked in surprise. "Y-yes! How did you-"
"Well, when we got out of our own predicament, we found his body when we were investigating the Capital after it got trashed. Sheele and Chelsea have heard of him." Leone revealed.
"Wild Hunt? That other police force led by the Prime Minister's son? He was with them?!" Seryu gasped.
"Why would they let someone like him-" Wave began before Najenda cut him off.
"I think you already know the answer by now." She said rhetorically.
Run resumed his tale. "My plan was to lead him to a deserted location and avenge my students without anybody knowing but then those…things attacked the Capital and robbed me of my vengeance."
Leone slung an arm over his shoulder. "I feel your pain, Birdie. Those metal asshats did the same thing to me. Waited my whole life to gut Honest and then they tripped me just when I was about to reach the finish line."
Run blushed a little. "Well…it's good to know we have some similarities with each other."
"Well, ain't you the charmer!" She teased with a playful poke to his chest. She regarded the other Jaegers. "You know, you guys would've been perfect for the Revolutionary Army. You all would've made a huge difference and coming from me, that's saying a lot."
Seryu, Wave and Bols mulled this over. Would joining the Revolutionary Army have been a better choice? Would they have been able to do more good if they knew about the Empire's corruption beforehand?
"Actually, I had a different method of handling the Empire as opposed to the Revolutionary Army's idea." Run announced. You see, they wish to change the Empire by destroying it from the outside. I wished to change it from within. Think of it as a way to minimize casualties on both sides."
"Yeah! That actually sounds like a better choice! That's what you guys should've done in the first place." Wave reasoned to Night Raid. Their expressions were stoic.
"Very noble…but unfortunately, ultimately futile." Susanoo told them.
"Why!?" Seryu demanded.
"Do you have any idea the lengths that Honest and his inner circle are willing to go through in order to make sure the Empire stayed the way it was?" Mine pointed out.
"Countless individuals have been wiped out by the Minister's party for harboring similar ambitions." Akame said as she looked down at the ground, seemingly in shame. "I know because a long time ago, I was ordered to kill some of them during my service to the Empire before I eventually defected."
"The darkness of the Empire runs deep." Bulat said, shaking his head. "It was impossible to change things the way they were from the inside."
"Don't get us wrong, it's a great idea that might've benefitted both sides but as long as Honest was in charge, you would've just ended up as another casualty." Lubbock told Run.
Run didn't want to believe it but relented and accepted the hard truth. Wave and Seryu looked the same.
"I wish you had brought this to my attention." Budo spoke, referring to the Jaegers and Liver. "You carry much hardship upon your backs; I could've been able to assist you in some way. I've always viewed you all in high regard and I always do my best to lend a hand to my men and soldiers who have performed exemplary service to our Empire."
"Bullshit." Najenda hissed.
Budo stared daggers at Najenda as she stood up. "If you care so much about your soldiers then what about the Empire?"
"….I do care about the Empire." Budo answered.
"Don't play coy with me!" Najenda shouted. "You knew that Honest was the root of the Empire's problems! He was the real enemy here and yet you did nothing to stop him!"
"I had a sacred duty to perform! The Empire always came first and once the revolution had been dealt with, I would focus my full attention on Honest!" The General argued.
"You had millions of chances to end this war! Honest was the real villain but you wasted your time on us! The last Emperor would be disgusted by your inaction!" Najenda raged.
Budo instantly shot up, a look of fury on his features as electricity crackled from Adramelech. Night Raid immediately got into a defensive stance while Liver and The Jaegers scrambled away from Budo. Several tense seconds passed. The crackling of electricity subsided and Budo's enraged features began to fade.
"You know so little…" He started. "I hail from a long line of proud Generals who dedicated their lives to protect the Empire. To just cast aside our proud tradition and act on impulse would be an utter gutting of my family name! Yes, I knew Honest was the root of all of our country's misery but the Revolutionary Army was dead-set on completely obliterating the Capital! My home! I wanted to show Emperor Makoto what Honest's influence was doing to our kingdom but that pig made it impossible for me to speak to him in person!"
Budo calmed himself as he sat back down. "And….it was a promise I made."
Everyone regarded Budo with a look of confusion and curiosity.
"Before this war…before Honest….when Makoto was born, the previous Emperor and Queen brought me into their chambers to introduce me to their newborn son. They asked me to make a promise: that no matter what happened in the future; I would uphold the Empire's laws and protect their son. In the history of my family's lineage, I had never been bestowed such an honor and I swore I would keep that promise to the end."
Budo hung his head. "I failed. I failed to protect Makoto, I failed to stop Honest and I failed to prevent the destruction of the Empire."
Najenda had no idea that Budo had such a close history with the Emperor and the Queen themselves and understood why he couldn't break his promise, or disobey his duty as a General. Night Raid, Liver and The Jaegers understood as well.
Budo's lips curled up into a furious snarl as he smashed his fist down onto the ground. "ALL BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS! THOSE SOULESS, METAL MONSTERS! WE STILL DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT THEM!"
"Join the club. We got chewed up and spat back out." Chelsea grumbled.
"We threw everything we had at them and none of it worked….." Liver breathed, shuddering at the memory of his defeat.
"They're Teigus….there's no other explanation!" Bols reasoned.
"They aren't Teigus. I know so because I'm one myself." Susanoo countered.
"You guys fought them before didn't you? Is there anything you can tell us about what happened when they attacked?" Tatsumi asked.
"Yes…you could help us fill in some blanks since were technically weren't present during the attack on the Capital." Akame agreed.
The Jaegers, Liver and Budo looked at each other with unease. They didn't want to be reminded of how badly they lost against the creatures. But since they and Night Raid were all in this together, the least they could do was tell them how it all went down.
Wave sat himself down as he ran a hand through his hair. "Where do we even begin…?"
To be continued…
Another tough chapter to make in my record book.
The hardest part was finding a way to break the news to Wave and Seryu that the Empire was evil. I figured that if they wouldn't listen to Night Raid, they would listen and believe their superiors.
Probably my favorite part was expanding or altering the Jaegers pasts, especially Liver and Budo's in order to make them more sympathetic and give them a better reason to side with Night Raid. Since this is an alternate universe of Akame ga Kill, I took full advantage of that so I hope it's considered better than what they were in canon.
The next chapter will feature the long requested flashback chapter of when the Ultrabots attacked the Capital, along with their fight against Budo and The Jaegers, their attack on Esdeath's army afterwards and what they were doing in the eastern territories. The flashback chapter of the Ultrabots killing Honest and Wild Hunt will come at a later date.
I'm still keeping what's going on with Esdeath a secret and Kurome will eventually works things out with Akame.
I'll be going on break to resume work on Kaiju Warfare as well as work on another story, a Killing Bites x Hulk crossover.
Don't forget to review but please don't flame.