Memories

October 1960
Outskirts of Germania
Partas Estate

Tatsumi and Esdeath stroll through the forest together on one autumn evening, leaves branch off and fall to the ground in colors of green, red, orange, and brown. It has been less than a week since Tatsumi reappeared in Esdeath's life. The two take a stroll through the local forest that is adjacent to her estate, with Esdeath wearing her SS uniform and Tatsumi with the same clothes he always had. Esdeath struts with her arms behind her back and fingers interlaced, she walks by crossing her feet in her path, keeping pace with Tatsumi's pace. Tatsumi walks as he normally does but it's clear that he's uncomfortable being next to Esdeath. Two of Esdeath's guards keep a quarter-kilometer distance behind the two.

"So how are accustoming to things?" Esdeath asks.

"I'm acquainting alright," Tatsumi responded. "After what happened the other day of that woman being killed. I'm not." Tatsumi thinks to himself. "Her screams still haunt me. Safe to say, Esdeath is the same as she is now. No way in hell she even changed." Tatsumi glances over to Esdeath. "In this proximity, I can't find an escape." Esdeath turns to Tatsumi.

"Is there a problem Tatsumi?" Esdeath asks, turning over to Tatsumi who glances away at the last moment.

"No," Tatsumi responded. "What is she thinking, of course, there is a problem. How is she acting like this when the other day she killed that woman? She hadn't changed a bit." Tatsumi thinks to himself, putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"I see," Esdeath responded. Remaining silent. Wanting to continue with the conversation, Esdeath strikes up another question. "How are you acclimating to your new surroundings?" Esdeath asks. "Different isn't it?"

"I can't say. It's all the same. Even when you try to explain things it's all the same," Tatsumi responded. "To be fair Esdeath, I would much rather not be near you," Tatsumi responded.

"Even so, you it's not like you have anywhere else to go. You're friends of Night Raid and the Jaegers aren't here and will never be," Esdeath remark attracts Tatsumi's attention, stopping their walk. Esdeath's guards also stop in their tracks. She places her right hand on his left shoulder, turning to face him. "It's just the two of us on this Earth. I promise you that on my rank as the SS-Gruppenführerin of the German SS and my pride. Just say what you want and I will do it." Esdeath tells Tatsumi but he knocks her hand off of his shoulder.

"If there is anything that I want you to do is to confess your crimes Esdeath." Tatsumi raises his head to face Esdeath. "Confess what you've done is legitimately wrong on everything, the actions that you've undertaken in the Empire are morally despicable. After that, it would be better for you to kill yourself." Tatsumi further stated. Esdeath appears to be disappointed.

"Well, on whose authority will that be? Because let me tell you. The upper ranks and the inner circle already know of my past and even those in the SS who separated themselves already adore me and my actions," Esdeath begins to answer Tatsumi's request. "But I must turn down your offer for my suicide." Esdeath embraces Tatsumi closely. "Back when you were in that cell, I already made up my mind to kill you, that wasn't until your friends arrived to save you," Esdeath uses her right hand to embrace him closer. "But now that you're here, with us being the only beings from our world, I decided that it would be best for us to start over from the beginning. Perhaps even blossom into a relationship even." Esdeath continues as she uses her left-ice hand to keep him in place, allowing for her right hand to pat his head. But Tatsumi pushes himself free from her grasp.

"Will you cut it out! Quit trying to win me over Esdeath! I will never join you! And even if we're the only ones from our world who live here. I would much rather keep myself away from you! I will show the world for what you truly are!" Tatsumi stated. "In short Esdeath. We are never meant to be and if you don't wish to remove yourself from here, then I will!" Tatsumi tells Esdeath. With these words, Esdeath doesn't know how to interpret them as. She doesn't know if Tatsumi is willing to take his own life or would try to run, it's only a matter of time. "What do I know? I could try to tackle her to the ground and find something to kill her but she'll kill me. If I run she could freeze me and then kill me."

"Tatsumi," Esdeath disrupts his thinking process. "I feel hurt by what you've said. But I respect your decision for space. Know that at the same time, you're at a disadvantage. You have nowhere to run or hide. Any resistance groups that you find wouldn't accept you either. Either way, you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." Esdeath smiles at Tatsumi. "So, what do you say?" Esdeath smiles. `Seeing no choice as he has no weapons with him, Tatsumi decides to flee as fast as he can. But he doesn't make it far as Esdeath stops him dead in his tracks, no farther than ten meters from Esdeath. Tatsumi collapses forward violently as he realizes that his feet have been frozen solid in ice. Esdeath gestures to her guards to bring Tatsumi back inside. Esdeath stands alone in the forest. Pondering what to do with Tatsumi to make him fall for her. "Killing, torture, and my new hobby of nature walking won't win him over. Then what will?" Esdeath asks herself as she begins to walk back to her estate.

December 1960
Paris, French State

On a cold December day, Esdeath and Tatsumi stroll through the city of Paris of The French State. Esdeath dressed from head to toe in her non-military winter attire: an elegant long flowing white woolen double-breasted silver-buttoned overcoat with black fox-fur lining and a light blue capelet with the same lining material, along with black high-heeled knee-long boots and a black skirt that reaches a few centimeters above her knees, exposing her stockings, and to top off her favorite scarf along with a soft black winter cap. Tatsumi wears traditional men's clothing: a navy blue double-breasted overcoat, black pants, a black beret, and brown chukka boots. Snow had already fallen on the city days prior and wasn't expected until the next week or so. Thusly, Esdeath takes the opportunity to celebrate the winter holidays with her beloved in the French State.

"What do you think Tatsumi? Paris is a beautiful city isn't it?" Esdeath asks, the two walk side by side with one another in the Parisian city, relatively calm as people are indoors keeping away from the cold or making preparations for winter celebrations. Esdeath walks with passion in her strides but Tatsumi appears uncomfortable as he is faced see the long light-blue hair of Esdeath. "I might even go far as to say that its culture is better than that of the Empire's capital."

"It's a nice city. To say the least." He mumbled the last sentence under his breath. "Just what are we doing here," Tatsumi glances around him, seeing the residents of the city glaring at the couple speaking in another language he doesn't know. "I don't know what they're saying but I can tell that this is an awkward moment." Tatsumi turns to Esdeath. "Just where are we going?"

"Hm?" Esdeath turns around. "Well, 20 years ago, after the French Republic collapsed into nothing more than a junta in the middle of the desert, I stopped by a cafe shop. Despite the language barrier, the owner served me this really nice-tasting coffee. He appeared to have disdain for me because the Reich invaded his capital and I was in my SS uniform, but he swallowed his pride and served me anyways." Esdeath turns back around. "I'm just hoping it's still here despite it being nearly twenty years since I came to Paris." Esdeath continues to walk with Tatsumi following close behind, knowing he has almost no options for an escape without his Incursio in a region that he is unfamiliar with.

"I know if I try to escape, I'm dead. But if I did," Tatsumi glances his eyes over to the people of the city of Paris. "Then the people of this city would suffer her retribution," Then, Tatsumi suddenly stops. "If she hadn't been here in twenty years, then this could be my means of escape. I could hopefully find refuge somewhere that isn't here." Tatsumi thinks further. But his opportunity passes as Esdeath finally spots the cafe she mentioned.

"Oh why'd you look at that, it's still here after all this time and hadn't changed one bit," Esdeath turns to face Tatsumi who can be seen slightly shivering. "Come along now, darling." Esdeath directs Tatsumi.

"I'm screwed." Tatsumi thinks to himself. The two soon get situated inside the cafe. The cafe in itself is mildly busy, mostly with French customers. It was obvious that the two are foreigners with the owner recognizing Esdeath immediately and treating her warmly. Esdeath spoke fluently in French to the owner of their order, confusing Tatsumi and not leaving him a chance to choose what he wants. Esdeath removes her hat and unbuttons her coat.

"It truly has been a while since I've been here you know," Esdeath tells Tatsumi.

"So tell me, what were you doing here in this city? Twenty years ago?" Tatsumi asks. Esdeath reaches over and removes Tatsumi's beret.

"You should know that you are not to wear a hat indoors. It's considered rude in many cultures," Esdeath places Tatsumi's beret on the table. "To answer your question, I once served here during Fall Gelb along with two hundred other soldiers of the SS who were part of the SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf", this was before I established the 9th SS Panzergrenadier Eis Divison. A number I have to share with the 9th SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen". I don't find their leader to my liking." Esdeath answers Tatsumi.

"Did you kill people, Esdeath?" Tatsumi asks. It's visible that he's uncomfortable being near Esdeath but he breaks the question. Esdeath turns to Tatsumi with a dismissive face.

"You should know me by now. Of course, I killed: soldiers, partisans, and POWs if we don't have time to take them to the rear. Sometimes civilians but many of them got in the way. I used my Imperial Arms on a smaller scale as I would've developed enemies in high places who wished to see me fail as I was getting too close with Hitler and Himmler." Esdeath speaks. "I should ask you the same Tatsumi. How many of my men did you kill? How many did you kill that was serving the Empire?" Esdeath asks, exposing Tatsumi. "Of course some were corrupt but what about after the Empire? I would say such revolutions always cause more bloodshed than they wanted." Esdeath continues. "Bloodshed I wished would continue to flow." Promptly, the cafe owner brings Esdeath two espresso shots and two croissants along with two glasses of water. "Let's just drop the conversation and enjoy our breakfast, okay Tatsumi?"

"R-r-right." Tatsumi gives up. Tatsumi already has his suspicions confirmed of Esdeath's actions. Her time in this new world did not change her personality, and her exposing his previous crimes committed against the Empire. Esdeath and Tatsumi continue on with their date through the city of Paris. But Tatsumi still schemes for when he's able to free himself from her control. Yet, in spite of his desire to free himself and to end Esdeath, Esdeath has alternative plans.

January 1961
Greater Germanic Reich

"Eins, Zwo, Drei." A German SS scientist counts before letting out 150 volts of electricity direct into Tatsumi's brain. Tatsumi screams out in pain but is muffled by the towel he's biting down on. Despite being near Esdeath's side, he's made several escape attempts without Incursio. But in his final, he managed to grab Incursio but is stopped by Esdeath at the last minute. Esdeath looks from the two-way mirror, she felt let down by his final escape attempt as it had wasted good men of her SS division. This form of offense crosses the line for Esdeath as she took alternative methods to break and control Tatsumi.

"So, tell me Dr. Plötner. How many shocks does he have?" Esdeath asks, turning to the SS doctor and head of the German SS Human Behavioral Research Department: Standartenführer Kurt Plötner.

"In my honest opinion SS-Gruppenführerin Partas, this is unnecessary. We could have administered mind-alternating drugs that would leave him susceptible to be influenced by our ideals." Dr. Plötner responded with his objections to this form of torture. Despite being an SS researcher, and already used to seeing human subjects being subjected to different aspects of his research in perfecting a truth serum and altering human behavior, the torture he sees now used by Esdeath is more than unnecessary.

"Well, you should know me by now. Like a dog, Tatsumi needs to be broken in order to obey my commands and become my perfect soldier." Esdeath responded to his objections. Esdeath reaches for the mic and activates it. "Again. But at 151 volts." Esdeath orders the men to perform the electro-shock therapy, shocking Tatsumi once more but with 151 volts. Tatsumi yells out in pain.

"And as I've said before it is unnecessary. We could easily have used hallucinogenics like LSD. Perhaps even substances that induce amnesia and memory loss or even alternative methods such as sensory depravation. But I'm assuming you want to weaken him before undergoing the procedure, do you?" Dr. Plötner asks Esdeath.

"If you think your methods would work then go ahead, be my guest," Esdeath responded.

"I don't think they would work, I know they will work." Dr. Plötner quips Esdeath. "I didn't spend my time in a concentration camp testing on Jews and Soviet POWs for nothing. Even after that, it worked well on volunteers from the citizenry and the SS organization as well as captured CIA and KGB spies. If it worked on them then I for sure know that it would work on him." He turns and activates the microphone. "Alright, that's enough for today. Please leave and retrieve the vials marked LSD and GSW-D. Prepare sensory deprivation room seven. Thank you." Dr. Plötner orders the SS assistants, he turns off the microphone. "Let's just hope you didn't kill the poor kid."

"You're no fun," Esdeath remarked, she sighs. "Either way, Tatsumi is a strong man of strong will. I know a few shocks of electricity won't kill him instantly and I know a few doses of drugs won't change his mind otherwise." Esdeath continued.

"I can see that. Perhaps after those shocks he may be able to encounter the effects of the LSD as being too extreme, hope to God that he does not develop any schizophrenic symptoms." Dr. Plötner responded. "Either way, you're getting the results you want, SS-Gruppenführerin Partas. A blank slate that listens to the orders of the Führer and from you." Dr. Plötner commented. "But for it to be effective we may have to resort to sensory depravation while in a drugged state. The only way to snap him out of it and to return is via a code phrase or extreme trauma to the neck or head." He continued. "If you want him to become the figure you so desire, then I don't recommend having your hopes. But in my professional opinion, I recommend him staying here for the next three months where he'll be exposed to sensory deprivation and hallucinogenics. By then you can come every weekend to check up on him but with no interaction until the third or fourth month. You understand SS-Gruppenführerin?" Dr. Plötner asks.

"Of course. It's what I wanted. At the end of the day, he is my darling and I will not have anything less from him. Even if it means breaking him to my will," Esdeath responded to the doctor. "He is after all going to be my lover and my family. Nothing will change that fact." Esdeath continued. She turns to Dr. Plötner. "Say, after this. Whatever results you recorded, I assume you're going to share this with the research department in the SS-State of Burgundy, are you not?" Esdeath asked.

"It seems so. Despite declaring our loyalty to the Führer, we still declared our loyalty to the SS organization and the Reichsführer-SS. No amount of threats from high command in Germania could ever change that fact." Dr. Plötner responded. "If you want to know why, then I recommend to try and speak with the head of the German SS: SS-Obergruppenführer Heinrich Müller. Perhaps he can arrange for you the first train to Burgundy." Dr. Plötner continued.

"Just what could they be doing over there?" Esdeath asks herself as she ponders the absurd amalgamations happening in the secretive state that is the SS-State of Burgundy. As Tatsumi lays on the bed in pain his mind hears the orders from the doctor and Esdeath. Despite being conscious Tatsumi can overhear their conversations but that doesn't register in his mind right now.

"Mine, Akame, Night Raid," Tatsumi thinks and reminisces his time with Night Raid. "I wish to see them once more." Tatsumi thinks to himself before they begin to administer the GSW-D solution to make him forget what has happened. "I only wish, is that they can free me." Tatsumi thinks once more before losing consciousness. Tatsumi floats in the waters of his consciousness as he tries to regain some semblance of his ego.

"Tatsumi... Tatsumi. I hope you can hear my voice" A familiar female voice rang through his head. In the darkness that Tatsumi's consciousness flows through he keeps hearing the same voice day by day in the back of his head. "Please. Wake up soon Tatsumi. We miss you and we want to see you again." The voice rang out once more. "I missed you the most. So, please. Tatsumi, I hope you'll wake up soon."

"Tatsumi, I hope you'll wake up soon," Pink Flamingo speaks to the comatose Tatsumi. In between her hands is that of Tatsumi's right hand. She clasps it firmly, still feeling his warmth despite his comatose state.
Tatsumi was expected to awaken the second week of April but the damage sustained during the battle of New York, and his time with Esdeath, was worse than what the doctors had expected. Two large cerebral aneurysms developed around the C1 and C2 of Tatsumi's spinal cord, forcing him to be in an extended medical coma after the successful removal of the aneurysms.
Now, Pink Flamingo is in Tatsumi's prison room after his discharge. She raises her hand to gently caress the back of his hand as she keeps the other on the bottom hand. "Do you remember Tatsumi? When you saved me from Seryu's Imperial Arms' explosion?" She snickers. "I do. I didn't want to believe at first that you're my soulmate but I guess we're meant to be." She speaks to Tatsumi. "Or perhaps when you tried to save me and bring me back to the hideout." Tears begin to stream down her face. "By that river, where we shared our first and only kiss." She stands up and wipes the tears off her face. "Perhaps we can recreate that moment once you're awake." She looks over at Tatsumi's face and sees him breathing normally. She turns her head to make sure no one is around to see. She even made sure to have Big Sister keep the others away from entering. "Perhaps, just this once." Pink Flamingo bends forward to gently lay her lips on his forehead. She lifts herself back up. "I know that you can fight it. That's why, when you wake up, I'll treat you to a proper one. But only when the moment is right." She whispers as she smiles softly. The door opens.

"Pink, we got to go. You're time is almost up and we aren't supposed to crowd him for long." Bis Sister tells Pink Flamingo.

"Right," She said softly. She turned around and walks out of the door entrance with the door closing behind her. She and Big Sister are then escorted out by MPs of the facility where Tatsumi is staying at. The two walk together side by side, Pink Flamingo remained quiet with the face of a powerless person. Big Sister knows how long it took for Pink Flamingo to get ten minutes with Tatsumi. A lot of begging, paperwork, and screening had to be submitted before being approved to be near him for ten minutes.

"Is everything alright?" Big Sister asks, concerned for her well-being. "You know the doctors said they expect him to wake up in a day or two. He's not going to be in a comatose state forever."

"I know," Pink Flamingo responded despondently. "I hope by the time he wakes up, we get to work together like old times and even pick up from where we left off." Pink Flamingo stated.

"We will. We will." Big Sister responded, raising her companion's morale so she doesn't feel forever despondent. The two continue to walk through the facility rejoining eventually with the rest of their unit as they tune in and listen to the radio while awaiting their next assignment.