Kill the Worries: Tatsumi 3

"Night Raid, they're killers, but they're bringing about a revolution. Man, I really have found a crazy group of friends, now that I remember them, huh?"

It was late at night, and I was in bed, still worried about Sayo. Then, when I tried to sleep, Bulat's face entered my head, shocking me back awake.

"Why'd I dream of him of all people?!"

I looked at the idol from my village, remembering when my friends and I were still together.

Flashback:

Sayo, "The imperial capital..."

Ieysayu, "There's a giant wall surrounding the whole city, and the canals are full of trading ships!"

Me, "There's so much to see!"

"Ehehe! And don't forget all those sexy, sophisticated, city women!"

"Oh!"

Sayo punched Ieysayu in the face, "Gross!"

Ieysayu, "Hey, what was that for?!"

"Sayo; even though you're a tough girl, I can't keep from worrying about you."

Morning:

Sheele came across me. "Hm? Is something the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Sheele. I'm fine. I'm supposed to be training with Mine today, but she hasn't come out of her room yet."

Ieysayu was right next to me. "She's a spoiled, little brat!"

Sheele, "Yeah, well, Mine does have a habit of sleeping in."

"Seriously?! This is her job!"

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience..."

Me, "And I can tell that apologizing is your habit, already."

"I'll wake her up now."

"No, I'll get her. After all, it is the job of the 'apprentice.'"

"Oh, okay then."

Najenda walked through the open door. "This oughtta be good."

I was about to open the door when I remembered last go round; so, I decided to knock. However, Ieysayu grew impatient.

"Man, that'll take too long." He just walked right through the door while Mine was still changing; he didn't even notice until it was too late, when I said something during this part, "Mine, you and Tatsumi better get moving, or..."

"Jeez, you could've at least knocked first!"

We stared at each other for three minutes before Mine screamed and fired Pumpkin at us; Ieysayu was knocked unconscious by the blast wave, but we were both still alive.

I looked at the wall and simply said "I'm gonna need to fix that, later."

Mine, "You've got a lot of nerve dodging that, you filthy pervert!"

"I'm so sorry!" And just like that, I dragged Ieysayu out the door with me. "I tried to warn you buddy."

Then he came to, and he was pissed. "Why that little..."

"Stop it, Ieysayu! You were the one who decided to walk in on a changing girl!"

Capital Shopping Plaza:

I already knew what I was in for.

"So I'm finally back in the capital." I said, as I glanced at the crowds surrounding me. "Everyone still seems so sad."

"Well it makes sense, since they're under the government's boot and there is a recession going on." Mine pointed out, walking ahead of me. "Now stop looking around so much; it'll make you seem suspicious. I told you one of the reasons we came to the capital, is so that I can teach you how to be stealthy and inconspicuous. You have to blend in with the crowds, and not draw any unwanted attention towards yourself."

"You're right." I said, as I caught up with Mine. "So, is it really okay for us to be walking around in broad daylight like this?"

"Sure." Mine replied, pointing to a series of wanted posters on a nearby wall. "The only people on the wanted posters are Akame, Sheele, Bulat, and the boss. The rest of us are free to walk around the capital."

"Wait a second..." I said, as I peered at the middle poster. The man looked sort of like Bulat, but at the same time was totally different. "You're telling me that's Bro?!"

"Yeah! Now stop fucking yelling! We're supposed to inconspicuous dumbass! " Mine hissed, slapping me on the arm. Releasing an annoyed huff, Mine crossed her arms over her chest. "He changed his image after joining night raid."

"That's a pretty big change though. That looks nothing like him. This has to be the 'worst' before and after ever." I commented, as I took one last look at the wanted poster. I had forgotten what they looked like beforehand.

"*Sigh* Well now that, that's cleared up we still have a mission to complete." Mine said, crossing her arms behind her back.

"You're the boss, Mine. So lead the way." I replied in an "enthusiastic" tone.

"Alright! Are mission is check up on the capital's condition. But remember we can't be suspicious when making our observations." Mine said, turning towards a nearby shop. "If you do well, I have something special I can show you when we're finished."

Later:

"Ahhhh, we sure bought a lot." Mine said with a content smile, sipping some of her tea. "I knew pink would be this spring's trending color."

"Sure thing." I said, my voice exhausted and my eyes filled with a blank stare. I had been dragged around by the pinkette for the past three hours. Going from store to store, and buying ludicrous amounts of clothes; which I was forced to carry(Though, I knew better than to complain). However, I didn't particularly dislike Mine modeling some of the outfits. I hafta admit, she did look really cute in most of them.

"Ah, it's so nice to kick back and relax every now and then." Mine said, setting down her tea cup. "Well good job Tatsumi, mission complete."

I released a heavy sigh, "Ugh! Oh, mama!"

"I figured you'd be complaining by now."

"I could, but I'm not doing that, because it's useless. Besides, I was viewing it in a different way." I then spotted a frighteningly, familiar figure; "Scorpion!"

Mine, "Is it me, or has that man been following us the entire time?"

"So, you noticed him too..."

"Alright, let's go." Mine said, setting down her empty tea cup. I quirked an eyebrow when she offered me her hand. "Well...What are you waiting for? Hold my hand."

"W-What?" I asked, as a slight blush spread across my face.

"Ugh, don't get all worked up. That guy's still watching us. Since I made you carry my things, it probably made you look my boyfriend." Mine said, causing my blush to darken several shades. "So, you need to hold my hand to make it look like we're a couple."

"O-Okay." I said, as I audibly gulped. I hesitantly reached out and took Mine's hand. "Wow...I forgot her hand is so...small."

"Now let's get out of here." Mine said, leading me down the street. The pinkette kept her face hidden, so no one would notice the faint blush spread across her face. "Dammit, why the hell am I blushing? And why was I so nice to him earlier? He's just a newbie, and he almost blew the mission! Gah! Why does his hand have to feel so warm and comforting?!"

"Hey, Mine, what's going on over there?" I asked, as I noticed a large crowd that had gathered to our right.

"Probably just a public execution for someone who challenged the empire." Mine replied, walking Tatsumi towards the edge of the crowd. "It's a pretty normal thing to see in the capital."

"Godamn!" It was Sayo who said that, much to my surprise.

"Sayo?! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was searching for a job on my own and...wait, I should be asking you that!" She had a small blush on her face. Sayo then noticed Mine and started giving me a seriously hard noogie while smiling, "You lucky dog! Why didn't you just tell me you were on a date?!"

"Sayo...!"

"We're not on a date!" The pinkette didn't even let go of my hand the entire time, "You have to maintain your composure." Mine whispered, gently squeezing my hand. "People in the capital are used to seeing things like this, so they aren't affected by it anymore."

"Y-You're right." I said, as I adverted my eyes. "I have to keep calm."

"But," Sayo asked Mine while pointing at the scene of the execution, "...why is this happening in the first place?"

"It's because of the minister that things like this happen." Mine said quietly, hanging her head so that her pink locks covered her eyes. "It was thanks to his underhanded tactics that the current young emperor won his seat on the throne. But I...I definitely won't end up like them." Mine looked up with a defiant look in her eyes. "I'll definitely survive...and see this fight to its bitter end."

"The minister huh? He must be some kind of monster!" Sayo thought, before Mine tugged on my arm.

"Come on, we've seen enough of this." Mine said, leading Sayo and I back onto the main road out of the capital. Occasionally, as we walked, I would nonchalantly glance around to try and see if we were still being followed.

Four Hours Later; Back at Night Raid's Hidden Base:

"Alright, I promised I'd show you something special." Mine said, leading me into a semi-hidden room near the back of Night Raid's base. Entering the room, all I saw were several human shaped targets in what appeared to be a long hallway.

"Mine, what is this place and what are we doing here?" I asked, as I watched Mine walk over to a nearby chest.

"This is our shooting range. I used it for target practice." Mine said, rifling through the chest. The pinkette smiled when she found what she was looking for. "To answer your second question, I'm going to teach you how to shoot." I was surprised when Mine pulled out a pistol, and offered it to me. "Careful with that thing; the safety's not on!"

I remembered that Cassie taught me how to shoot. So, I did what the blonde taught me.

Meeting Room:

Night Raid's leader took usual seat, and began to brief everyone. "As you've all heard...we have a new target. This target is a distant relative of the minister. His name Iokal." Najenda pulled out a knife and stabbed it into the table in front of her. "He uses the minister's name to kidnap young girls and beat them to death. He has five guards who share in the leftovers; they're just as guilty as him. This is a very important mission, so everyone is in on it." Sayo, and Ieysayu's eyes immidiately lit up—Sayo in shock, and Ieysayu in enthusiasm—, but Najenda quickly stopped them. "Except for you two. I'm sorry but you're just not ready yet. Especially after what Akame reported to me. Once you've become more adjusted to your new duties, and you've had some more training, we can let you go on missions."

"I understand Boss." Ieysayu said, hanging his head in defeat, "I guess I kinda got my hopes up."

"Don't worry, you'll be ready soon enough." Najenda encouraged, before she returned her attention to the rest of Night Raid. "Alright! You know your targets! Get out there and rid the world of those scum!"

"Yes Boss!" Everyone cheered, rushing to prepare for the mission.

"Good luck Tatsumi." Sayo said with a sad smile, as she caught me before I left.

"Thanks Sayo, I'll be back in a little while." I said, pulling Sayo in for a tight hug before I went to find Mine.

Ieysayu, "What?! Again?!"

Three Hours Later; Ledge About a Half-Mile From Iokal's Home:

"So that's Iokal's home, man it's crawling with guards." I commented, as I peered at Iokal's massive home through a pair of binoculars.

"I can nail him easily from here." Mine said, adjusting the dials on her scope. "I'll take his head clean off as soon as he shows his ugly fucking face."

"And I got your back after you fire the first shot." I said, as I checked my pistol to make sure it was fully load and ready. "Just leave everything to me!"

"Tch, I'm not really counting on it though." Mine said, scoping in on the house's grand entrance.

"Wow...she's so focused..." I thought, as I stared at Mine out of the corner of my eye. "I can feel her determination form here. Mine really is an incredible assassin..."

"I've got eyes on the target." Mine suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Alright, I'll get eyes on the target too." I said, as I raised my binoculars. I immidiately spotted Iokal leaving his home. But there was one problem. He was surrounded by a group of innocent women. "Damn...There's a bunch of non-targets around him."

"Do you trust me Tatsumi?" Mine asked, continuing to track Iokal through her scope.

"Yeah. Most snipers wouldn't be able to nail such a shot. But...Mine's not most snipers."

"Then shut up, and let me focus. I promise you I won't hit any innocent people." Mine said in a stern tone, her finger gently resting on Pumpkin's trigger.

Pumpkin fired. "Whoo!" I quickly raised my binoculars to track Mine's shot. I watched in awe as Mine's shot threaded the needle between of the women's heads, and hit Iokal right between the eyes. Iokal's head immidiately snapped back, as blood sprayed from the gaping hole in his head. "Holy...shi-it!"

"See...I'm a genius sniper." Mine gloated, resting Pumpkin on top of her shoulder. "Now let's get to the rendezvous point."

"R-Right." I stuttered out, still in complete amazement over the incredible shot.

Below where Mine and I were, Iokal's guards sprinted through the woods; in a desperate search for his assassin.

"No matter what, we have to find the assassin!"

"If he gets away the minister will have us executed!"

"There's no way he could've gotten that far!"

However, the guards came to a skidding stop when they encountered five people waiting for them. A busty blonde haired woman was at the front of the group; a wicked grin spread across her face. "Nice of you boys to drop in. Now it's time for you all to get wrecked!"

Five Minutes Later; En Route to the Rendezvous Point:

"Ugh! This route fucking sucks!" Mine complained, as she slogged up yet another hill.

"One advantage of growing up in the mountains...Do you think the others took out all of our pursuers?" I asked, following closely behind Mine.

"Those guards were trained at the Temple of the Imperial Fist. So the others may have a little trouble taking them out." Mine said, as she ducked underneath a low hanging branch.

"You're talking about the number one kung fu temple in the empire, right?" I asked, "That's nothing compared to the Lin Kuei, I know for sure." When we reached small cliff, I quickly got onto my knees, and gave Mine a boost up.

"Well I guess when you're related to the minister you can afford badass bodyguards." Mine replied, as climbed up the ledge. "Iokal could get away with anything he wanted, because of his blood ties. That's what pissed me off the most about him."

"Mine...I wondered what happened in your past..." I thought(My memory on everyone's pasts was still bits and pieces at best), climbing up the ledge behind Mine.

"Well since you've been so good today, I think I'll tell you a little bit about my past." Mine said, as she took a deep breath.

"Man, talk about convenient." I thought with a sweatdrop.

"I was born near the nation's western border." Mine revealed, her eyes getting a faraway look. "I'm actually half tribal. In town I was mocked and ostracized. Nobody would accept me. It was truly a wretched childhood."

"Mine..." I thought, as I stared at the pinkette with saddened eyes.

"But...the revolutionary army is allied with the tribes to the west." Mine continued, tightly clenching her fists. "When we make our new nation, diplomatic relations will finally open. More people of mixed blood will enter the empire...and there won't be anymore children who have to suffer the way I did...I won't let anyone discriminate me!"

"Mine..." I muttered, as I re-saw the pinkette in completely new light.

"But when the revolution is over, I'll receive a ton of compensation and retire a celebrity!" Mine exclaimed, letting out a loud, cocky laugh.

"And there's the old Mine..." I thought, as I hung my head in defeat. I picked it back up, and smiled. "I promise you; that will never happen again."

With the Other Night Raid Members:

With a loud crunch, Leone broke the jaw of the last remaining guard. Pouncing on the battered and dying man, Leone quickly snapped his neck. When Leone got off her prey she let out a content sigh.

"Ah! I feel so refreshed!" Leone cheered, wiping the blood from her claws. "I had a lot of pent up aggression!"

"They were pretty strong!" Sheele commented, as she slung her scissors onto her back.

"It's quite odd..." Akame said, scanning over the bodies of the dead guards. "Wasn't there supposed to be five guards?"

"Man, I didn't get to kill anyone." Lubbock whined, his cheeks puffing out as he pouted.

"That's because you weren't enough to go around." Leone said, as she shrugged her shoulders. "Or you're just not a good assassin."

"What?!" Lubbock exclaimed, glaring at the busty blonde.

"Something doesn't sit right with me." Akame said, as she gripped her sword tightly. "We need to get to the rendezvous point now."

"What's up, Akame?" Leone asked, walking up to the red-eyed assassin.

"I just have a feeling that last guard slipped past us, and is heading towards Tatsumi and Mine's position." Akame said, as she clutched a hand over her heart. "We have to get there fast, and make sure they're okay."

"Lead the way girl, I'm right behind you." Leone said with a smile, before Akame took off sprinting into the woods.

With Mine and I:

"Hey, I can see the rendezvous point now." I said, as I pushed through some bushes.

"I guess that's mission accomplished." Mine said, approaching the large tree that represented the rendezvous point.

"It's not over until we give our report!" I said with a grin on my face.

"Tch, you've been spending too much time with Miss Perfect Akame." Mine said, as a small smile spread across her face. But Mine yelped when I suddenly shoved her out of the way.

"Watch out!" The second the words left my mouth, I was sent rocketing back by a powerful punch to my stomach.

"Tatsumi!" Mine exclaimed, as she watched me come to a skidding stop almost twenty feet away. The pinkette's eyes filled with rage, as she turned to face my attacker. She wasn't surprised to see one of Iokal's guards staring her down. "You bastard!" Mine's eyes narrowed when she recognized the guard's face. "You were the Temple of the Imperial Fist's assistant instructor ten years ago. No wonder you managed to get past everyone else..."

"That was a pretty impressive shot girlie, but now I have to kill you and your little friend." The guard said, cracking his knuckles.

"We'll see about that." Mine said, as she unslung Pumpkin and took aim at the guard. "You've definitely fallen in status since then!" Mine opened fire on the guard, but to her horror the guard managed to dodge everyone of her shots. "T-There's no way!"

"I got expelled for bad behavior!" The guard exclaimed, charging towards Mine. "I'm going to hand you over to the minister alive, so he can toy with you all he wants. So prepare yourself."

"There's no fucking way that's happening!" I yelled, as I stood back up and lunged at him. "You want her...Get through me, first."

Fight

He did a straight punch, but I dodged, and countered with an uppercut, then chained a juggle of five uppercuts, five high kicks, and ending with a spin kick. I ended the match on the spot by performing my X-Ray move.

Tatsumi wins-Flawless Victory

"Mess with the bull, you get the horns."

He wasn't finished yet, as he tried to pounce on me. However, a Kunai spear impaled his left pectoral, before pulling him away. "GET OVER HERE!"

That voice, that Kunai spear, that style; there was only one entity with all that: Scorpion.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Your end."

Fight

The guard tried punching Scorpion, but the ninja teleported five times on him. He then used his twin katanas to slash at the guard, drawing a lot of blood. The guard tried a flying kick; however, Scorpion was already preparing his X-Ray move; Scorpion flew through the guard and grabbed him. First, he delivered a knee to the jaw, thus breaking it and sending the guard into the air. Next, he fired one spear into the guard's abdomen and the second one into his skull, puncturing it. Last, Scorpion violently pulled back, sending the man headfirst onto the ground, partially cracking the skull and breaking his neck.

Scorpion wins-Flawless Victory

"Hell awaits you!"

The guard—still not dead—turned his attention back to Mine.

"RAGGHHH!" The guard was distracted when I suddenly attacked him. I swung my sword at the guard, but he simply blocked the attack and sent my sword skidding away. "Stay the fuck away from Mine!" I charged towards the guard, and held onto his waist tightly.

"You little shit!" The guard shouted, as he began to beat my back. Gritting through the pain, I reached for the pistol on my belt. Whipping out the firearm, I placed it right into the guard's gut and fired several rapid shots. The guard's eyes widened, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. I still refused to release him, as he continued pounding on my spine.

"Mine! Finish him off!" I exclaimed, barely able to hold on any longer.

"Tatsumi...You're risking you life for me..."

"Just take the shot! I can't hold him forever!"

Mine whipped out Pumpkin, and aimed at the guard's right pectoral. "Oh crap!"

The shot fired. The guard fell to the ground, while I was knocked onto the ground, with a small burn on my head.

Mine, "You really have guts, I'll say that much."

I groaned as I got back up, "Ugh! That's gonna leave a mark."

"You're still alive?!"

I simply smiled, "Just lucky, I guess. Just remember..." I put my hand on her shoulder, "Sometimes, you need to ask for help, no matter who you are."

The guard got up again, "Arrgghh!"

"Why won't you die already?!"

Then, when the guard threw out a punch, Scorpion suddenly caught it to our surprise. "YOU WILL JOIN ME IN HELL!" Scorpion then grabbed onto the guard, and dragged him into the Netherrealm.

"We'd...better head back now!" I suggested, and before Mine could ask anything, "I'd rather not talk about it."

She turned herself away, "It seems like you have a little bit of courage." I noticed the blush on her face, "I can't help but be a little bit impressed by..."

I thumped the pinkette on the head, "Sorry, that's really the only way I was gonna get your attention. So I guess that made us even—Sayo and Ieysayu might not be happy, but..." She noticed the burn on my head—it really didn't bother me like the first time around—"Yeah. I'll be fine. Just keep this in mind..."

While I was complimenting her, a few yards away Akame and Leone were watching how we were doing. The latter said something; "Seems like it would've been fine even if we didn't run here."

Imperial Capital:

"Just like me...they're assassins who use Imperial Arms..." A chilling voice whispered, it's owner staring at Akame's wanted poster with a twisted grin on his face. "How utterly delightful...They're causing quite a fuss..."

"Hey you there!" A patrolling guard exclaimed, as he aimed his rifle at the large man at the end of an alleyway.

"You look suspicious! Don't make any sudden movements!" The first guard's partner called out, unsheathing his sword. In the blink of an eye the suspicious man had taken out his own wristblade, and decapitated both guards. Their heads landing on the ground with a sickening plop; their blood staining the entire alleyway.

"Either way..." The man said with a sadistic and evil smile. "The capital seems incredibly easy to navigate. There's just so many people for me to slaughter...How utterly delightful!"

Yeah, I went a little overboard with the fight against the last guard, but what do you expect—it's a "Mortal Kombat" crossover, don't forget. But, now he's dead, because Scorpion dragged him to Hell, where the ninja has full advantage.

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