Hey guys, I'm finally back with another chapter for this story! I apologize for the long way, but life has been kinda hectic lately and I haven't had a ton of time or energy to do much writing. But I've finally got back to working on this story, so I hope you're all excited! This chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and will continue Night Raid's battle against the empire and their new enemy, Wild Hunt. As usual, I will post two chapters for this fic before I start working on my next one.

P.S. If didn't you know, I recently stared a My Hero Academia fic called 'What it Takes to Be a Hero.' I would really appreciate it if you checked it out if haven't already.

Well, that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!

"Speech"

"Thoughts"

Teigu

"Incursio"

Flashback/"Flashback"

Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill or any of its characters.

(One Week Later: Imperial Palace's Meeting Room)

"Those damn rebels have broken through our barriers in a bloodless battle..." Minister Honest said, gazing at his top advisors who were seated at the table all around him. Pausing for a brief moment, Honest took a bite out of the large leg of meat he was holding. "So, do we have any good ideas...for how to take out this threat?"

"Are you kidding me!? Another bloodless surrender! Curse those pathetic, spineless viceroys!"

"What the hell are our regional armies doing?! We can't be focusing all our attention on these damn riots, the rebel army needs to be stopped!"

"From our reports, the rebel army has had numerous run-ins with our local units...but the rebels are led by former generals who are both seasoned veterans and equipped with teigus."

"They have Black Marine, Extase, Scream, and countless others...we keep getting driven back! Almost every teigu that went missing has ended up in rebel hands...we really underestimated them!"

"Good lord, you're all just talking in circles..." Honest muttered underneath his breath as he released a heavy sigh and set down his leg of meat. "I've lost my appetite."

"I don't get it..." Shula thought, stroking his chin as he stared at his father. "We're in a real pinch here...but dad's acting like we've got all the time in the world...is it because we've got the ultimate teigu that's been passed down through the royal family?"

"Gah, I can't believe you're all crying like a bunch of scared children!" An annoyed voice boomed just as the doors to the room burst open, revealing General Budo's imposing figure. "You all need to stop panicking. You're supposed to be the best people we've got." The mood in the room instantly brightened as Budo walked over and pulled out a chair. Taking a seat at the table, Budo leaned forward in his chair. "If the rebel army gets too close to the capital, my Jaegers and the imperial guards will deal with them. So stop worrying."

"That sure is reassuring. If the great general steps in, we'll win for sure!"

"Yeah! We never needed to be worried!"

"Tch." Budo scoffed with an irritated look in his eyes, causing everyone in the room to stiffen, minus Honest and Shula. "I was always taught that military officers shouldn't meddle in government affairs...that's what I learned in my household growing up...but I cannot remain silent on this matter any longer..." With a low growl, Budo slammed his massive fist onto the table, causing it to splinter. Most of Honest's advisors jumped in surprise, some of them almost falling out of their seats. "You're all a bunch of pathetic vermin! I'm sure if General Esdeath were still alive she'd agree!" Budo glared at everyone else present, a dark and menacing aura radiating off his body. "After I've wiped the rebel army out...I'll personally be pulling out the corruption that infests this empire by its fucking roots!" An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Honest's advisors nervously squirmed in their seats. Soon Budo's gaze landed on Honest and his glare hardened considerably. "No matter who is involved...no matter how powerful their position...I'm sure you all agree."

"Oh my, you're so very scary." Honest said in a condescending tone as he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have the faintest clue who you're referring to, but they best prepare themselves for what's coming their way."

"Now this is an interesting development." Shula thought with a smirk, watching as Budo and his father continued their staring contest, neither willing to back down. "I really did come back at the perfect time!" After a few more minutes, Shule grew tired of his father and Budo squabbling, so he excused himself from the meeting. He quickly went around the palace and gathered the members of Wild Hunt. However, he was surprised when one member appeared to be missing. "Oi, where the hell is Cosmina?"

(Same Time: Capital's Streets)

"Man, this really sucks..." Tatsumi thought as he snaked through the crowded streets of the capital's market district. He tugged at the hood of his cloak, doing his best to not draw any attention to himself. As Tatsumi gazed at all the people around him, he could tell that morale in the capital had dropped considerably. Most people he passed looked stressed and downtrodden, their eyes utterly lifeless. Recently the taxes within the capital had been raised to a record high and imperial guards were cracking down on anyone even thought to be assisting the rebels. Friends and neighbors were turning on each other, no one wanted to face the empire's wrath. "Only Leone and I can safely enter the capital now...I really wish she was here with me, I hate scouting this place on my own."

"I know it isn't ideal partner, but she still needs some time to recover. She is healing up quite nicely though, I don't even think she'll have any scars."

"Yeah, Lionel's healing factor is a lifesaver..." Tatsumi thought, taking note of guard formations and positions. There were definitely more guards patrolling the streets, many of them looking like fresh recruits. "Looks like the empire might be getting desperate for manpower, some of these guys look like they've never even been in a fight before."

Stopping for a moment, Tatsumi leaned against a wall and pulled out a small notepad. He quickly jotted down troop numbers and their relative locations, even adding some rough sketches. Once he was done, Tatsumi flipped the notepad closed and slipped it back into his pocket. However, before Tatsumi moved on, he heard something that caught his attention. Turning towards a nearby ally, Tatsumi could faintly hear muffled cries and the sounds of a struggle. Scanning his surroundings, Tatsumi noticed that no one else seemed to notice the strange noises. Tatsumi quickly made up his mind and decided to investigate.

Slowly walking down the ally, the sounds got louder the deeper Tatsumi went. Eventually, the alley turned a corner and Tatsumi could tell that sounds were coming from around the bend. Pressing himself up against the wall, Tatsumi slid towards the edge of the corner. Poking his out, Tatsumi's eyes widened at what he saw. Less than ten feet away was a purple-haired woman with bunny ears on her head, behind her stood a fairly large and muscular man. The unknown man was using his larger body to smother the girl against the wall, while one hand was covering her mouth, the other was roughly fondling one of her breasts. On the ground beside the woman was a turned over basket, with various pastries and baked goods, and strangely enough, a cat-shaped microphone, scattered around. At the woman's feet, Tatsumi also spotted an empty needle, probably used to numb her and drag her into the ally without much of a struggle.

"This sick mother fucker..." Tatsumi thought, tightly balling his fists and gritting his teeth in anger. Without a second thought, Tatsumi reached for his revolver. But he stopped at the last moment, his hand hovering over his holster. He wanted nothing more than to blow the rapist's brains out, but he couldn't risk drawing attention to himself. Tatsumi briefly considered using Incursio, but again that would be too risky, especially with him being on a reconnaissance mission. As much as he hated the idea, he almost considered leaving the girl alone, not wanting to blow his cover. However, Tatsumi instantly threw that thought out the window when he saw the molester reach down and start to pull off the woman's panties. The woman immediately began to panic and struggle more, her eyes wide open in terror. As Tatsumi watched the woman try to break free, he pictured any of his girls in a similar situation and was instantly seeing red. "I'll kill this piece of shit!"

"Take care of this trash, partner!"

Hesitating no longer, Tatsumi dashed around the corner and charged towards the rapist. Despite the man's impressive size, Tatsumi continued forward unfazed. The criminal didn't notice Tatsumi until he was only a few steps away. Before the assailant could question what was happening, Tatsumi lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. In a split second, Tatsumi was on top of the rapist, hitting him with several rapid punches to the face. The woman who was being assaulted collapsed onto her knees, still in shock over what had happened. Growling in anger, Tatsumi hit the criminal with another barrage of punches, his knuckles now red with blood.

"Get out of here!" Tatsumi yelled as he momentarily paused his beating to turn and face the traumatized woman. "I'll take care of this bastard, so go and get some-" Tatsumi was stopped by a sudden punch to the gut. Whipping back around, Tatsumi saw that the rapist had recovered from the surprise attack. Getting one of his legs free, the rapist kicked Tatsumi in the chest, sending him flying back several feet. However, months of training with Akame had improved Tatsumi's agility considerably. So after doing a quick flip, Tatsumi recovered and came to a skidding stop. With his chest still throbbing in pain, Tatsumi stood back up and raised his fists. "You disgusting fuck! Who the hell do you think you are, trying to rape an innocent woman!?"

"And who the hell are you, Mr. Hero!?" The rapist snarled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Just mind your damn business and let me have some fun!" Pulling out a dagger, the rapist sprinted towards Tatsumi. "I'll gut you, then get back to that pretty little thing over there!"

"We'll see about that!" Tatsumi growled as he pulled out his revolver in the blink of an eye. Aiming right between the rapist's eyes, Tatsumi cocked back the hammer. After seeing the gun, the rapist stopped dead in his tracks, dropping his knife to the ground. Raising his hands in surrender, the rapist took several steps back. "You have until the count of five to get out of here! If you're not gone by then, I'm blowing your fucking head off!"

"Whatever man! That bitch isn't worth this!" The rapist exclaimed, before turning around and running down the ally.

"Are you okay?" Tatsumi asked as he released a light sigh and turned to face the woman. Crouching down, Tatsumi holstered his revolver and offered her his hand. "Can you stand." However, Tatsumi was surprised when the woman said nothing, simply grabbing the microphone off the ground, her fingers tightly clenching around it. Slowly she stood up on shaky legs, using the wall for support. "Hey, take it easy, you just went through something-"

Tatsumi was caught off guard when the woman suddenly started humming into the microphone, her voice strangely eerie and angelic at the same time. What surprised Tatsumi, even more, were the subtle shockwaves that rippled out of the microphone and bounced down the ally. The woman's pleasant humming was soon replaced by bloodcurdling screams. Spinning around, Tatsumi saw that the would-be rapist was frozen in place, his entire body appeared to be almost vibrating. Then without warning, the rapist's legs bent sideways with a sickening snapping sound, blood spraying from the mangled limbs. Tatsumi watched in horror as the same thing happened to his arms, both of them bending in a grotesque fashion. Tatsumi felt his stomach lurch when the rapist's head slowly began to turn around, his face frozen in terror. But to Tatsumi's shock, the head didn't stop turning, soon doing a full rotation. Tatsumi watched in morbid fascination as the rapist's head continued to spin around. Then with a revolting pop, the rapist's head practically exploded off his neck.

Tatsumi had seen countless horrible and disgusting things during his time with Night Raid, but this one might have topped them all. It took all of Tatsumi's willpower to not collapse to the ground and throw up his lunch. The alley's walls were covered in the rapist's blood, like a new coat of paint. The young assassin stood frozen in place, not believing what he had just witnessed. Tatsumi was shaken from his horrified stupor when heard someone chuckling. Slowly turning his head, Tatsumi saw that the purple-haired woman was smiling, she appeared to be almost admiring the grisly display before them.

"That'll teach that bastard." The woman spat, lowering her microphone and resting her hands on her hips. "No one gets handsy with me without paying the price...and how dare he say I'm 'not worth it'! He should have fought tooth and nail for me!"

"Maybe she isn't so innocent..." Tatsumi thought as he gulped audibly, suddenly feeling as if he had stepped into a very dangerous situation. "That microphone she has...it's definitely a teigu...now the question is who the hell is this woman...does she work for the empire? I need to be very careful and look for a way out of here as soon as possible."

"Thanks for the help by the way." The woman said with a surprisingly bright smile, before clasping her hands behind her back and stepping towards Tatsumi. "That perv drugged me and dragged me down this ally when I was on my way back from the bakery. I was gonna surprise my team with some sweets but..." Seeing all the baked goods scattered across the ground, the woman frowned and released a heavy sigh. "I guess that won't be happening." Then almost as if a switch was flipped, the woman's happy demeanor returned. "So, what's your name?"

"Tatsumi..." The young assassin replied as the purple-haired woman suddenly reached out and energetically shook his hand. Tatsumi's eyes widened slightly when he felt a cold chill run down his spine. It reminded him of Esdeath and Seryu, but not nearly as intense. "This woman...I need to be very careful with what I say...she could be trouble."

"Tatsumi? That's a good name..." The woman said with a bright smile, releasing Tatsumi's hand and stepping away from him. "Oh! I almost forgot! My name's Cosmina!" Giggling to herself, Cosmina examined Tatsumi from head-to-toe. Her smile turning mischievous and somewhat seductive, Cosmina sauntered back up to Tatsumi, locking eyes with him. Tatsumi felt his face flushing slightly as Cosmina gently traced circles on his chest with her finger. "So Tatsumi...are you a rebel spy...or perhaps...something more than that...an assassin maybe?" Tatsumi knew he had to stay calm, but he couldn't stop his body from tensing slightly, something that wasn't missed by Cosmina. "Looks like I was right."

"I won't confirm or deny that, but how did you come to that conclusion?" Tatsumi asked as he slowly moved his hand towards his revolver. "This is getting bad real fast.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Cosmina said in a teasing tone, raising her microphone back to her lips. "You'll be dead before you can even draw that thing." Glancing back down the ally, Tatsumi spotted the rapist's twisted and mangled course and knew that Cosmina was right, she definitely had the upper hand in this situation. Releasing a heavy sigh, Tatsumi moved his hand back, which caused Cosmina to nod and lower her microphone. "Good, now you were wondering how I knew you were working for the rebels...well that's pretty easy." Reaching out, Cosmina tugged on Tatsumi's cloak. "First off, this whole hooded cloak getup you have is pretty suspicious. It might help you blend in crowds, but when you're separated from them it looks super sketchy...and I know you're definitely not a guard or a member of the Jaegers." Next, Cosmina circled around Tatsumi and tapped where his holster was. "Also, no civilian would have a gun like that, it's too powerful and well kept. Only someone who works with firearms regularly would have such a nice weapon." With a twirl, Cosmina now stood on Tatsumi's other side, and his eyes widened when he felt her grip Incursio's hilt. "And don't think I missed this bad boy...I caught a glimpse of it after you tackled that big bastard...it's definitely not a regular sword...so I'm guessing it's a teigu...which means you're either apart of the rebel army or a spy from another country."

"I'm pretty sure it's pointless to argue..." Tatsumi said as he tightly balled his fists, never tearing his eyes away from Cosmina's gaze. "So...what are you going to do with me?"

"Nothing." Cosmina said with a wink, before twirling back around and picking up her basket. "You really did help me back there, so I owe you for that...I also don't really hold any allegiance towards the empire, so I'm not really compelled to turn you in...besides..." Turning back around, Cosmina walked towards Tatsumi. Standing up on her toes, Cosmina lowered Tatsumi's hood, a smirk spreading across her face when she got a good look at him. "You really are cute." Without warning, Cosmina suddenly lunged forward placed a brief kiss on Tatsumi's lips, causing a fierce blush to spread across his face. After a few moments, Cosmina stepped back and turned around, starting to walk out of the ally. "Consider that your reward for saving me. I hope we see each other again, Tatsumi!"

"What...the...hell..." Tatsumi breathed out as he rested against the ally wall, rubbing the back of his head. "Why am I always surrounded by crazy women?"

"Mmmm, did I maybe find my, Mr. Right?" Cosmina thought, stepping back onto the main street of the market district. Pressing a finger to her lips, a smile spread across her face. She could still taste how sweet Tatsumi's lips were and it caused her cheeks to flush. "I really do hope we meet again Tatsumi."

(The Next Day: Night Raid's Hidden Base)

"Thanks to Tatsumi's recent expedition our spies within the capital can gather intel more safely and efficiently." Najenda said as she slipped her coat on and walked through the living room. She breezed passed Tatsumi and Leone, both of them lounging on one of the couches. "It'll be a few days before we hear from them again. So get comfortable, we're not leaving until then." Opening the door, Najenda paused for a brief moment. "I have a meeting with Esdeath and some of our generals back at headquarters, I'll be back later tonight."

"See ya later boss." Tatsumi said, giving Najenda a thumbs up. "Say 'hello' to Esdeath for me."

"I'm sure you'll be the only thing she wants to talk about." Najenda said with a light sigh as she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

"Ugh, I hate not having anything to do." Leone groaned in annoyance as she threw herself back and laid on the couch. A wry smile suddenly spread across Leone's face as she prodded Tatsumi with her foot. "Hey, why don't we get drunk? All the traveling we've been doing lately has really worn me out and I could use a couple of stiff drinks."

"Sure thing, a drink actually does sound great right now." Tatsumi said, patting Leone's leg and standing back up. "I'll make us some snacks too."

"KYAH! I love you Tatsumi!" Leone squealed in delight as she watched her lover leave the room. However, as Leone stared at Tatsumi's back, she remembered how he had protected her during their fight against Budo. She still felt the pain from her bones being snapped, and Tatsumi swooping in like a knight in shining armor to rescue her. Overcome by a sudden sense of affection and gratitude, Leone dashed off the couch and hugged Tatsumi, squashing his head in between her massive breasts. "Hey Tatsumi, did I ever thank you?"

"Thank me? For what?" Tatsumi asked, quirking an eyebrow in confusion, unfazed by the bountiful bosom he was in the middle of. "Did I do something special?"

"Back at the cathedral...when Budo was breaking my bones like they were twigs...I was so scared..." Leone said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, her grip on Tatsumi tightening slightly as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. "I should have said something sooner...thank you so much for saving me back then." Inhaling deeply, Leone was comforted by Tatsumi's scent. "You've grown so much since you joined Night Raid...you've become an amazing man..."

"Leone..." Tatsumi breathed out in a surprise as he reached up and gave one of her arms a reassuring squeeze. He wasn't used to her acting emotional and vulnerable like this. Turning around, Tatsumi pulled Leone in for a proper hug, their height difference forcing Leone to bend down slightly. "You don't have to thank me for saving you...I'll be there whenever you're in trouble. We're going to survive this damn war, then once it's all over we're going to start a new life together, you, me, and the other girls."

"That sounds like heaven to me..." Leone said, fighting back tears as she released Tatsumi and locked eyes with him. As Leone stared into Tatsumi's green eyes, a soft smile spread across her face. "You know, Tatsumi...letting you into my life...opening my heart to you...falling in love with you...has been the best thing to ever happen to me. After everything we've been through...I couldn't imagine my life without you anymore."

"I could say the same for you, Leone." Tatsumi said as he reached up and gently brushed the tear that was forming in the blonde assassin's eye. "I love you with all my heart. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you and the other girls, being a family together."

"Well, let's defeat the empire, then make that dream come true." Leone said, leaning down to give Tatsumi a kiss. However, just as their lips were about to touch, the door behind them burst open. Whipping around, Tatsumi and Leone were surprised to see Mine, Akame, and Chelsea in a pile on the floor. Chuckling lightly, a teasing smirk spread across Leone's face as she rested her hands on her hips. "Did you guys enjoy the show?"

"Hey, no sneaking ahead!" Mine exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet and stormed over, grabbing ahold of one of Tatsumi's arms. With a playful glare, Mine stuck her tongue out. "You're always trying to jump ahead of us, Leone!"

"I must agree with Mine." Akame said, dusting herself off and slowly making her way over to Tatsumi's side, hugging his other available arm. "You can be quite devious when you want to be."

"Hey, I enjoy the competition." Chelsea said with a smirk as she suddenly appeared behind Tatsumi, draping her arms around his neck and leaning against his back. "It makes things fun around here."

"I really am surrounded by crazy women..." Tatsumi thought, watching the four girls playing bicker and squabble. The young assassin felt a comforting warmth fill his body, a large smile spreading across his face. "But I love each of them."

(Same Time: Cemetary Just Outside the Capital)

"Bol's wife and daughter used to come here every day..." Wave thought as he stared down at the tombstone in front of him. Crouching down, Wave brushed some debris off of Bol's grave. "But they haven't shown up in weeks...in fact, I can't find them anywhere in the city...it's almost like they disappeared..." Releasing a heavy sigh, Wave placed a bouquet of flowers in front of his comrade's tombstone. "I really hope they're okay."

"You're worried about Bol's family...it's written all over your face." Run said, clasping his hands behind his back and staring up at the sky overhead. "It's strange...I went to visit their home a few weeks ago and no one was there, not only that...most of their personal belongings were gone."

"Do you think they left the capital?" Wave asked as he stood back up and walked back over towards Run. "Without Bols, they don't have anyone to protect them."

"I hope they did." Run said, before turning around and making his way out of the cemetery. "This is no place for a widow to raise a child."

"Bols..." Wave thought as he slowly followed Run, a gentle breeze blowing through the cemetery. "I pray that your family is safe."

(Several Weeks Earlier: 2 AM, Outskirts of the Imperial Capital)

"I'm finally back..." Bols muttered to himself, hiding in the treeline a few hundred feet from the capital's outer walls. "I have to get my family out of here...I can't waste the opportunity General Esdeath and Night Raid gave me."

Not wanting to be spotted, Bols knew that he couldn't enter the capital through any of the main entrances. But having been apart of the empire's military for years, Bols knew of many discreet ways to get into the city. Using one of those methods, Bols entered the capital through a series of underground passages. He knew they would be lightly monitored and he could re-emerge in several different places throughout the city. After making his way through the expansive and labyrinth-like corridors, Bols surfaced a few blocks from his home. Once Bols knew that the coast was clear, he slowly and carefully crept through the empty streets. Soon enough Bols was standing outside his home, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn't been home in almost a week and his wife likely thought that he was dead.

Reaching out, Bols gently knocked on the door, doing his best not to be too loud and rouse the neighbors. After a few moments of silence, Bols reached out and knocked again, this time a little louder. This seemed to do the trick because Bols soon heard someone shuffling around inside the house. When a light inside the house went on, Bols could see a figure silhouetted in the window. He took a deep breath when he heard the locks on the door begin to click open.

"Yes, who is it?" His wife Kije asked as the door slowly opened. Her voice was hoarse and filled with sadness, and he could tell she had been crying. "Do you know what-" Kije stopped mid-sentence when she saw who was standing outside her door. Her eyes slowly widened and her mouth hung open. Choking back tears, Kije stepped forward and touched his masked face. "B-Bols?"

"It's me, dear." Bols said, reaching up and gently cupping his wife's hand. "I'm so sorry I worried you."

"B-But they said you were dead..." Kije said as a few tears escaped her eyes, still not believing her husband was alive and standing right in front of her. "They said you died fighting Night Raid."

"That's what I wanted them to believe." Bols said, pulling his wife in for a tight hug, happy to be able to embrace her again. "Night Raid and General Esdeath actually gave us a way out of the capital. We can leave the city tonight."

"You mean we can finally leave this wretched place?" Kije asked as a relieved smile spread across her face. "I've dreamed of being able to forget about this awful city."

"Well wake up Logue and gather our things, because we'll leave as soon as you're ready." Bols said, following his wife back into their home. "We'll leave through the underground passages I used to enter the city."

"But where will go?" Kije asked as she stopped outside their daughter's room. "I want to leave this city as soon as possible, but the countryside isn't exactly safe either."

"General Esdeath told me a place where we will be safe." Bols said, placing a comforting hand on Kije's shoulder. "She's the one came up with this idea, so I trust her."

"You mentioned Esdeath earlier...does that mean she's not dead either?" Kije asked which caused Bols to stiffen momentarily.

"The General...she's dead?" Bols repeated, feeling his heart sink. "That can't be true...there's got to be something else going on here."

Three hours later, Bols and his family were following the instructions Esdeath had given him. They took the southern road out of the capital, following it for about thirty miles. Just like Esdeath had said, there was a small trading village there. Even this early in the morning, the town was bustling with activity. Finding the local tavern, Bols led his family inside. All eyes inside the tavern were on Bols, he could feel their glares through his mask.

"That mask..." The bartender growled as he slammed a double-barrel shotgun on top of the counter. "You're apart of the empire's incineration squad...what the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"Honey..." Kije breathed out in a frightened tone, holding their daughter close as she hid behind her husband. She gasped in fear when she saw that the rest of the patrons were now brandishing weapons of their own. "I think these people...are apart of the rebel army..."

"You've got a lot of balls, I'll give you that." The bartender said as he aimed his shotgun directly at Bols' head. "Now, I'll ask again. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"..." Saying nothing, Bols carefully approached the bar. Placing his hands on top of the counter, Bols leaned forward, now eye-level with the bartender, the shotgun's barrels pressed against his forehead. "Honest men tell no lies."

"Heh, I'll be damned..." The bartender said with a dark chuckle as he lowered the shotgun, the rest of the tavern lowering their weapons as well. "I guess she wasn't full of shit after all, you really did show up." Stashing the shotgun back underneath the counter, the bartender motioned for Bols and his family to follow him. "Come with me, there's someone who wants to see you."

Bols and his family followed the bartender towards the back of the tavern, the other patrons nodding to him as he passed. After a short walk, they arrived at what appeared to be a dead-end. Reaching out, the bartender pulled on one of the boards in the wall, revealing a hidden doorway. After opening the door, the bartender stepped aside and allowed them to enter. Walking into the room, Bols was shocked to see someone familiar leaning against the table.

"Glad to see you made it out of the empire safely, Bols." Esdeath said with a smirk, stepping away from the table and approaching her former subordinate. "Now, why don't we have a nice long chat, because I believe we have much to discuss."

(Back in the Present: Imperial Palace)

"I hope we get back to work soon..." Wave said with a light sigh, walking through the halls of the palace. As Wave turned a corner, he overheard two guards having a conversation.

"Hey, did you hear about what happened in the Restaurant Noir?"

"Yeah, I heard Wild Hunt killed a bunch of people."

"It wasn't just that, it was a fucking massacre. They stripped everyone they killed naked and hung their mutilated bodies from light posts throughout the district."

"Fucking hell man, that's messed up. We better hope we don't piss those guys off."

"Those bastards!" Wave thought as he stormed passed the guards, disappearing down another hallway. Once he was alone, Wave let out a throaty growl and slammed his fist into the wall. "Damn it! Am I supposed to just sit by and watch those bastards terrorize the people of this city?!"

"Wave..." A worried voice shook Wave from his thoughts. Raising his head, he was surprised to see Kurome staring at him, seeing her instantly calmed him down a bit. "What's the matter? It looks like something is really bothering you."

"Kurome..." Wave muttered, before releasing a heavy sigh. "Earlier...those monsters in Wild-"

"Well, well..." A cocky voice said from behind Kurome. Wave's mood instantly soured again when he saw that it was Shula. "If it isn't the cowardly Jaegers." He hummed to himself when he spotted Kurome, leaning closer to get a better look at her. "My, my...what do we have here? I didn't know such a beautiful, young girl was apart of the Jaegers! I never got a really good look at you until now, so I never noticed!" Kurome's eyes widened in surprise when Shula suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. Wave was beyond angry when he saw this, taking every ounce of his strength to not deck Shula in the face then and there. Feeling the muscles in Kurome's arms, Shula became even more intrigued. "I see, you were enhanced with drugs...how fascinating. It's settled then! You're going to be my next toy. You should be honored!" Yanking her arm once again, Shula started to drag Kurome down the hall. "Now, come with me."

"HEY!" Wave roared in a furious tone, his entire body shaking with barely contained rage.

"HUH?! You got something to say to me you little shit?!" Shula yelled in anger as veins bulged on his face. "I'm the minister of state's son-"

Shula never got to finish his declaration, because Wave had charged forward, his fist cocked back. Then with all his pent up fury, Wave hit Shula with a devastating punch, sending the minister of state's son flying down the hall. With a crash, Shula slammed onto the floor, coming to a skidding stop almost twenty feet away.

"Get your disgusting fucking hands off my teammate!" Wave growled, protectively wrapping an arm around Kurome's waist and holding her close. "I'm sorry Run...General Budo...I...I just can't take it anymore...I will no longer turn a blind eye! The Jaegers will hunt down those who disturb the peace! Even if it's the minister of state's own son!"

And done! I know this wasn't a very long chapter, but this was more for setup for what's coming up. What comes next is a huge fight between the Jaegers and Wild hunt, and I figured this was a good place to stop for now. The next chapter will be an action-packed one, so look forward to that! Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!), check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas you might have for my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!