Chapter 9: Kill The Friend You Had
They had passed the letter around, exchanging looks and exchanging tears, their friend had been murdered by their missing friend, his life now condemned. Lubbock had his doubts about Chelsea's safety in the city, but he knew she would not be caught by the enemy off guard, which lead him to believe that Chelsea did not expect an attack coming from her own friend. The thought made his blood boil, but it also sent stabs of sharp pain to his heart, he had been friends with Tatsumi longer than he had with Chelsea, which only tore at his emotions even more, was he to believe Chelsea was the victim, or Tatsumi ? what if she had provoked him ? The idea crossed all of their minds, but the hard evidence had put all notions to rest. He had attacked her, she had not fought , had killed her in cold blood.
"You expect us to believe this bullshit.." Leone spat viciously
Mine bit her lip and shook her head "It's all there ... what else could have happened ?"
"You believe it then ? You believe Tatsumi would just flat our kill her ? Bullshit ... He would never" Leone replied coldly
Lubbock slammed his fist down "He has! Get it through your heads already ... hours ago we were convinced he had betrayed us for the Jaegers, why wouldn't he kill on of us ? It would have happened eventually, if not us, then perhaps a revolutionary soldier or one of our spies"
Najenda nodded "If he betrayed us for Esdese, he is loyal to their cause, which makes us his enemies"
Akame looked pale, she had been the one to induct him into Night Raid "I would like to know why Chelsea came into contact with him" this question directed at Najenda
Their leader sighed "She was in the capital for both espionage and assassination contracts, not only looking for Tatsumi"
Leone sneered "And that led her to Tatsumi right ?"
Najenda shrugged as if to say the idea was plausible "Her orders were to thin down the enemy Teigu users, That's how she initially found Tatsumi. After we received word of his location, I ordered her to proceed with the mission and thin them out. I did not order her to contact Tatsumi in any way"
"She was always a lone wolf ... you left her on too loose a leash, Boss" said Mine
"I'm aware of my mistakes, I'm also aware of hers, his and ours. We won't make those mistakes again"
Akame gripped her blade tighter "What do we intend to do about this, it hurts my heart to turn this sword against an ally ... but I can't believe he is still our comrade, let alone our friend"
Najenda extinguished her cigarette and ran her hand through her hair, sighing "That was clear to me when he betrayed us"
"Was it ?" Lubbock asked
"Night Raid and the Jaegers are on opposite sides of the spectrum here ... he cannot sit in between our opposing ideals. It will tear him apart, I have reason to believe it will cause issues with the use of Incursio"
"Teigu Rejection ?" Mine asked
"Possibly" Najenda replied
Akame only shook her head "This all does not matter, Boss. You avoided my question ... What are we going to do about this ?"
Najenda looked stern "We are going to attack the Jaegers tonight, Tatsumi is a liability, a murderer and he know's too much about us"
Leone gritted her teeth "That means ..."
"That means, our mission is to kill Tatsumi, for all the lives he now put's at risk"
Tatsumi stepped into the amphitheater, the cool tiles beneath his feet made him shiver. He was only wearing a thin cotton gown over top of his boxers, the hair stood up on his arms like the room was charged with static electricity. Esdese was by his side, her hand in his, more for her own comfort than his he had guessed, he could see the concern on her face. He stroked her cheek, making her jump slightly, she had been deep in thought. Tatsumi smiled warmly
"No bad thoughts okay ?" Tatsumi prodded
"Huuuuuh...fine" Esdese sighed
"To tell you the truth, I am a little scared" He said timidly
She returned his smile and pulled him into her embrace "Like you said, you will be fine ... you're not dying on me"
He nodded, more to himself than to her "Yeah ...Yeah I'm right. So where's the Alchemist ?"
"I'm the Alchemist!" A cheery girl called aloud
She stepped out from behind a hospital gurney, her turquoise dress and blonde hair swaying as she skipped into view. She was small and looked about fourteen, perhaps a little older, her innocence almost as great as her childlike smile, Tatsumi did not know if he should laugh or ignore her, it was clear to him that she certainly was no doctor, let alone an Alchemist. He decided on the former, holding his laughter in, which seemed to escape from his mouth in small bursts of air.
Tatsumi stared blankly, then snickered "No really ? Where ?"
Dorothea, the true alchemist, sneered "Can I bite him Esdese ?"
Esdese shook her head "No... Unfortunately for you, he's my property... damage him and I kill you" Tatsumi heard the humor in her voice, but he knew she was also dead serious.
Dorothea gulped and grinned "O..Of course heh. Well let's begin, Tatsumi, lay down on the gurney here and let me get ready"
Tatsumi cocked an eyebrow "What exactly is the procedure ?"
the girl darkened, a small grin crossing her innocent lips "A whooole lot of fun!" She beamed
He did not like the sound of that, or her for the matter "F..Fun ?" He said nervously
"I'm going to put you to sleep, and while you sleep I'm going to use a mixture of Alchemy, Teigu and medical abilities to try tap into Incursio. If all goes well, Incursio will manifest inside you mind ... the rest is uh ... up to you!"
"Up to me ? I thought this procedure would cure me of this Teigu rejection, shit ..."
Dorothea shrugged "Yes and no, your Teigu is rejecting you ... but if it manifests inside your head, you should have been able to beat it into submission again and regain full control, perhaps overwriting the Teigu's resolve when it comes to fighting your ... former comrades ?"
Tatsumi nodded, he found the more he thought of Night Raid, the bluer his emotions became "Yeah ..."
He sighed, took a deep breath and climbed on the gurney, lying on his back and facing fluorescent lighting above. Esdese stepped forward, planted a kiss on his cheek and retreated to the glass observation room that overlooked the room. Dorothea was snapping on gloves and pulling a thin mask over her mouth and nose. The tray of odd instruments and humming tools sent chills of fear down his spine, she loomed over him now, like a ghostly specter waiting to feast off his soul in the darkest corners of his dreams, was that really far from the truth ? He focused on Esdese, meeting her gaze through a pane of glass, her smile meeting his, he felt as if the pane of glass were not there at all. The little surgeon began to strap him down, locking his arms and feet down with steel cuffs
"Is that necessary ?" Tatsumi moaned
Dorothea snickered "We are dealing with a Teigu that may have control over your body when it's pissed off ... you tell me ?"
Tatsumi rolled his eyes and nodded. Dorothea pulled a smaller gurney next to him, on it was Incursio. It was sealed in its short sword form, the very same blade that had killed Chelsea, no that was wrong ... he had killed Chelsea, but he could not help but feel the burning rage inside of him was Incursio's doing. Dorothea had strapped the Teigu to the gurney and connected thin wires and electrodes to the blade and hilt, the wires running to a dark box that seemed to glow dark purple. Wires from the mysterious box also connected to electrodes places across Tatsumi's head. He felt cool vertigo slip into his cranium, as if frozen water had filled his skull. He winced and gritted his teeth, the feeling was odd and most certainly not comfortable.
"Are you ready ? GOOD !" Dorothea exclaimed, excited by experiments she would conduct
"You don't give me much of a choice ... do it" He sighed
She slipped an oxygen mask over his face, then turned a valve on a nearby tank. On the tank, the words 'Oxygen' had been crossed out in crayons, and a cute pink skull had been drawn on in its place, Tatsumi felt fear sink into him like the cold euphoria that resided in his head. The air in his lungs felt heavy and tingled, Tatsumi was worried the tank had actually been filled with bees. He felt his eyelids steadily increase in weight, his fingers growing numb, his eyes watery but not weeping. The anesthetic she was using was a concoction of deadly plants and exotic toxins, he felt every breath drag him closer to the depth of an unconscious slumber. He glanced up at Esdese, then soon even she was darkness. Tatsumi was out cold now.
Dorothea nodded, then cracked her fingers "Beginning the link, ready General Esdese ?"
Esdese nodded "Begin"
The girl reached into the box, turning dials, inserting samples and connecting wires "Roger"
The box gave out a steady warble that Esdese could feel, even from the height of the observation room. Dorothea flicked a large switch on the wall, both Tatsumi and the sword glowed radiantly. Information and power linking to one another and merging in the center hub, the Teigu. Esdese had read up reports on the Emperors Teigu's and their abilities. This one in particular, known as Pandemonium, was a prison that could lock someones conscious inside its endless realm, but after tinkering with the device, Dorothea had discovered a way to use it in Teigu related medical procedures. Right now the power, blood and life force of Tatsumi and Incursio were draining to the central hub, their minds linked and now able to communicate to one another, if not confront one another.
"What happens now ?" Esdese asked
Dorothea shrugged "It's up to him now, he has to fight its spirit and regain the respect the Teigu once had for him"
'Hang in there Tatsumi' Esdese wished silently.
He opened his eyes, it all felt real. The lake of blood he was sitting in actually felt wet, the breeze in his hair felt real. He figured this was Incuriso's realm, or perhaps it was his own, and who's blood could all this be ? The question made him feel a little sick. As if calling for great change, large stone pillars rose from the sea of blood, emerging from the water like subs. The pillars were only the top of what was to come. It rose higher still, the battered castle was now in full view. It's ramparts cracked and broken, its towers windowless and dripping blood. This castle had seen better days, but who had built it ? what did all this actually mean, he knew he was in no dream, that was for sure. He rose to his feet, feeling the cool breeze raise the hair on his arms.
"Is this really ... real ?" He mused
A large stone pad rose from the water in front of him, he then realized a formation of stone stepping-stones had risen before him, granting him passage to the ruined bastion that lay ahead. Tatsumi could feel a great presence, fueled by great hatred. Was it Tyrant ? Tatsumi could feel Incursio's taint where ever he stood, this world was rotting, and Incursio was losing it's mind along with it. Tatsumi reached for his sword, then realized he had nothing, not even a butter knife. He hopped from one stone to another, wincing as the steps submerged slightly then floated back, he did not trust that. He reached the forts gateway, the courtyard was empty, all but a large pair of bloody prints that looked more and more like the impressions a lizard made on the bottom of a muddy river. He approached a long dead soldier, his clothes were paper, his skin now ashy the dust that filled the room, what ever had killed this imaginary warrior was something not to be trifled with. The more he thought about it, the more the pieces came together.
"Anyone home ?" He called out
No reply, only a distant gush of wind that ran through his hair like fingers, something about this wind put his teeth on edge, it smelled of rotting fish and sulfur. It was then that he turned around, coming face to face with Tyrant, the soul of a godly danger beast, sealed away to become Incursio. It made sense why he did not see it at first, it was Incursio after all, the ability to turn invisible, a skill he had used all too often. Tyrant pulled its lips back in a vicious snarl, what came next surprised him more
"Foolish, murdering boy ... you dare show yourself to me?" Tyrant roared
"I...It T...Talked !" Tatsumi babbled
"Of course I do, my kind was on this earth longer than any of you vermin crawled from the seas" Tyrant snapped
"So... You're Incursio huh ?"
"I am Tyrant! A death dealing dragon of a long lost time, bow to me!"
"I'll call you Incursio for now, it's easier. Now listen to me, you are going to give me all my power back, or we are going to have a problem" Tatsumi boasted
"Why ? So you can kill more of your comrades ? You lack resolve ... You're not worthy of a Teigu, or of me!" The dragon hissed
"They aren't my comrades, they are my enemy now and you almost took over my whole body and hurt my friends"
"You killed your friend, why would I want to stay in a filthy body of a soulless man like you" Incursio spat
"You will concede and restore me full control, I will protect my new comrades ... And your power will help me do so"
"Bulat earned my respect by pledging his life for his comrades ... All you have done is killed one of your own"
"STOP BRINGING THAT UP! I AM NOT WITH THEM ANYMORE!" Tatsumi screamed.
The dragon drew back and roared, the ground shook, sending ripples through the bloody sea. A few stray rocks toppled from the battlements of the castle. Incursio drew up to his full height and gestured to the bloody wasteland with and arced claw. A thin grin pulling back to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth.
"How like you ... Do you know what this place is ? It's a realm inside your mind, you are hosting this little meeting of ours. This whole realm is your psyche, sanity and emotions, all built up like blocks to be toppled over. Look at this place, this is your unstable life, how do you like it ?"
"This is my mind ?" Tatsumi gaped
Tyrant nodded "All this blood, it's your fate to deal it and have it dealt to you. You will fight and kill until you are no more, there is no such thing as prosperity, no such thing as peace. Give in to me, lend me your frail mortal body, and I will burn this world to cinders, then your peace will become reality"
Tatsumi drew his sword, baring his teeth "I'm not bowing to any danger beast, my fate is my own!"
He charged in, blade extended.
The cool night air whistled past them. The surviving members of Night Raid knelt atop the massive Sky manta that glided against the night sky, stealth and swift as it descended upon the capital. To the average onlooker, it would only appear to be a darker patch of sky, a rogue cloud in an already blackened sky, it would make no sound or trigger any sensory system, Najenda was grateful for the revolutionary armies involvement in this raid. They checked they equipment and awaited the green light to disembark from the ray.
"a minute before operation start. Once touchdown on capital soil, we are committed to this. If you don't want to take part in this operation, you have every right to stay on the sky manta" Najenda stated
They met her proposition with cold glares "We are going to see this through to the end, our friend ... is no longer" Leone replied
Akame nodded, thumbing up her blade so the thin reflection of moonlight shone "He was our responsibility, only we can deal with him"
Lubbock finished coiling his strings about his Teigu, he looked at them with haunted eyes "We have to stop him before he does it again ... we are helping him"
"Do we capture or kill him ?" Mine asked, her quivering lips showed her discomfort with the topic.
Susanoo cocked an eyebrow "The idea has crossed my mind also"
Najenda shrugged "Either way he will die, if you would rather him be executed by us than the army, then we shall deal with him ourselves ..."
Leone peered over the edge and gave the thumbs up "Boss, we're a good distance from the mansion"
Najenda nodded and gestured to Lubbock "Are you ready ?"
Lubbock nodded "Clip yourselves in, Susanoo and I will lower you down and ditch this ride and meet up with you soon"
They each grasped the woven cables and clipped it on the support harnesses they each buckled into. The harness was connected to Lubbock's Teigu, of which would help them rappel down to the mansion, on the harness was a lever that would accelerate or cease the descent below. Lubbock would have the joy of getting to the ground cradled in Susanoo's arms like a bride, he sneered at the idea but decided he would have Najenda pay for it later. They all fastened up and leaned over the edge of the manta their feet planted on the creatures wing. Lubbock grinned and hit the lever on Cross Tail, they all dropped out of sight in an instant, spiraling down towards enemy territory, their cables unraveling from his Teigu, which Susanoo held tightly to his chest.
Susanoo turned to Lubbock and glared "You stare at Boss' breasts ... it annoys me!" He boomed
Lubbock blushed bright red and recoiled "Ah ... Well...She...Uh...Sorry!"
Susanoo shook his head "It's not that you stare, I know a little about male desires and sexual affection"
Lubbock cocked his head "Eh ?! Then what's wrong !?"
"YOU STARE AT THE RIGHT ONE MORE THAN THE LEFT, THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME SIZE. THIS ANNOYS ME!"
Lubbock gaped openly, then sighed "You're OCD is starting to scare me Su..."
The clouds flew towards them as they descended, the cold air flew through their hair, lifting it from their heads in towers of black, gold, pink and silver as the women of Night Raid dived towards Jaeger territory. Najenda made contact with Mine and gave a thumbs up, Mine smirked and lifted Pumpkin from her back holster, aiming down the sights and pulling the trigger tight, charging it for doom. Normally Pumpkin would fire a small precise beam of energy, able to pick of targets from a distance with almost stealthy accuracy, but tonight was different however. Mine was plummeting towards the ground, the danger was intense and to say the least, she was in a pinch, which is exactly what they wanted. Pumpkin's barrel erupted outward like a rain of flaming meteors that plummeted towards the Jaeger head quarters like raining death. Mine sprayed the fire across the courtyard, destroying the exits, bunkers and guard houses that screamed with dying imperial soldiers.
She holstered it again, gripping the lever on her belt and pulling it tightly, the harness groaned and screeched as the cables slowed down to a halt, a few metres from the ground. They jerked the lever to the right and severed their connection to Lubbock, touching down in a burning courtyard. Najenda tugged her cable twice, then all three cables retracted back to the sky, where Lubbock and Susanoo would abandon their ride and join the battle. Akame drew her blade, Leone stretched her claws, Mine swapped out a barrel for a snub nose attachment and Najenda tightened her iron fist.
"Commence operation!" Najenda boomed
They charged towards the flaming mansion, ragged holes had been punched through its roofing, burning red luminescence could be seen through the windows as carpets and curtains caught alight. A loud warble of the alert siren boomed overhead, they did not have long before the shambles of the Imperial soldiers would arrive. Earlier they had pulled a few favors down town and started a large food riot in the slums, Leone still had great influence in those districts, and she used them well. General Budou was in the east, taking Esdese's place on the battlefield as per her request, all they had to worry about was her. The windows smashed open, two figures leaped out with weapons drawn.
"Wave and ..." Leone said
"Kurome!" Akame interrupted
Before any talk could be exchanged, Kurome's blade was locked with her sisters, their glares likewise locked with vicious intent. Leone dodged the a blow from Wave's sword, their eyes met for a brief moment and Leone stiffened. She had heard and read the reports from Tatsumi, Wave was a light hearted warrior with a warm aura of duty and dedication about him, even in his eyes you could feel the kindness that dwelt within him. But that is not what she saw now, his eyes were blank, his face likewise void of expression, purpose and even life. Leone came to the conclusion that Wave was no longer alive, now a puppet to Yatsufusa. Defeating him would be difficult.
"How many more will you consume, Kurome" Akame hissed
"I can make room for four more, how about that ? Onee-Chan!"
Esdese gripped the railing as the first salvo of blasts shook the mansion, the operating room was safe from harm, it was a reinforced bunker deep beneath the mansion. Dorothea stumbled and grabbed on to the gurney for support, Tatsumi's vitals were still steady and his sword still in stable condition. She resumed monitoring them as if nothing had happened, her duties were here with her patient. The communication line next to Esdese sounded, she picked it up and heard the surprisingly calm voice of Ran.
"enemy attack, Night Raid no doubt. We are moving to engage, they came from the sky" Ran said
"How many ?" Esdese asked
"Four"
"There are two more, perhaps still in the sky. Find them"
"Roger that, captain" Ran said, shutting the connection.
Esdese was glad for the quick minded nature of Ran, he was an excellent strategist and a level-headed man who could calm the troops down with cool logic and stern authority, he would act in her place. She had no doubt that Najenda was leading the assault herself, it made her chilled blood boil. She forged her sword from the cool air and thumbed the intercom, spitting out each word with vile intensity
"Watch Tatsumi, I'm going to the battle. I'll return with some new guests" She boomed
"Guests ?" Dorothea said confused
"New guests to the torture chambers..."
Authors Note:
Apologies for the short chapter / long wait. I have finished my course at school so now my holidays are finished and I'm free...ish
So I hope you enjoyed this one :)
What did ya think ?
Review and let me know!
Thanks a lot guys for the kind and positive reviews, I have not had a single complaint!
~Phillip