It was the dead of Night in the Empire, Syura stood within a house in the lower district of the commoners quarter of the Capital. Standing by the window he looked up to the night sky with a scowl on his face. Just that morning he had gone to see his Father, the Prime Minister, the one who held the Emperor in his hands and the one truly in command of what goes on in the cesspool that was the Empire the true root of all the corruption. The moment he had entered the palace he had been subject to his Father's wrath, when not even knowing the truth behind who had truly whisked the oh so great General Esdeath away. Prime Minister Honest had no idea where Esdeath had gone or why, yet the man had the balls to parade around the palace in a tantrum as if 'he' was the child emperor. The other ministers of office in the Imperial Court didn't bother with aggravating the man simply letting him rant about Esdeath's sudden disappearance.

It would seem with Esdeath not present, and her whereabouts unknown, Budo had more command of military manners where Esdeath would simply let the Minister make the 'right' decisions for her to continue to battle while Budo made strategic choices. When Esdeath was present, Budo let her take the reigns simply not wishing to deal with the 'ice brat' as he sometimes called her, Syura had to wonder if the old bastard was just afraid of her like everyone else was. Since Syura had returned to the Capital, Esdeath's accomplishments had been shoved down his throat one after the other, the Northern Tribe suppression, the creation of the Jaegers and all the little accomplishments in-between and after.

Gripping the Teigu that had sent the strongest woman away in his right hand, he grit his teeth. If she was so damn powerful, why couldn't she do a thing as he sent her across the ocean onto a deserted island filled with Stylish's hand crafted Danger Beasts. Why after everything that he had done, Esdeath was the one they all relied on? His left hand clenched the window sill as he glared out over the city, the Imperial Palace towering high into the night sky, rising high above the rest of the Capital. Anger was the source of his next decision, if his father wanted a strong person to rely on, then there was him. If he wanted a strong team, there was Wild-Hunt. Esdeath and that boy she had with her, he'd make sure that'd they'd never be seen ever again. The Empire would forget in time of the General who was so renown through the Empire, and would instead hail his name and soldiers on the battlefield would fear him instead.

"Enjoy the far reaches of the East you bitch!" Syura seethed as Shambhala was raised up, glowing with numerous glyphs, shifting and altering position rendering the Gate on the island where he had sent them, active. But he wouldn't be sending them back to the summit of Mt Fake.

The teigu in his hand glowed before he felt the presence of the portal on the island being activated, not once but twice to signal that both he had sent to that island had entered through it. Destroying the portal he had created through Shambhala, not aware of the crack forming on the Teigu as a result, he laughed, Esdeath would never be heard from again! It was a miracle himself he had made it back from Wakoku.

And just like that… everything in the Empire would be changed forever.

Tatsumi felt the shift upon the rune embedded in the sand as purple mist began to swell becoming a vortex of what he assumed formed the same gate that brought them here. Turning his attention back to Esdeath, the woman had her eyes on the Sky Manta high above as she ran down the shoreline. He knew he should just use the gate, to escape back and get as big a head start as he could, but his time spent on the island with Esdeath up until that moment plagued his thoughts. If it hadn't been for her, he might not have made it to this point. She had his back the entire time that they had been on the island, showed him nothing but kindness. True, she didn't know he was the enemy but he was never one to turn his back on a debt that he owed.

He'd probably get chewed out about it back at Night Raid headquarters for what he was about to do but he believed that he was doing the right thing in this instance, at least to his own moral code. He only hoped that what he thought was right was the right thing to do.

"Esdeath!" Tatsumi called, instantly halting the General as her name had been called. Turning back to face him he offered up a smile as he stood before the glowing purple rune that had brought them here. "The gate's opening, I'm heading through first!" He called over, and while seeing the look of shock on her face he didn't hesitate in turning back and running through.

"Tatsumi wait, don't go in there!" Esdeath called, reaching an arm out for him before rushing forward as his visage disappeared in the swirl of purple mist. "Tatsumi!" She called out for him standing in the swirl of purple mist. Before feeling disoriented as her body felt like it was being pulled in all directions. Falling to a knee she gasped for breath. This wasn't like the first time they had gone through, something was different about this gate. That was her last thought before her body could no longer fight off the vertigo and unconscious claimed her.

"Heey! Hinata!" A young blonde girl ran down a path knowing who she called for would be nearby, an overbearing excitement in her voice. It wasn't often something happened in Yaenami Village so when it did, it was exciting. "Hinata!" She called again, stepping around the bend that led to the open air baths that overlooked the ocean. "We've got a situation."

"Tobari, it's not Hinata anymore, it's Hinowa." The one currently submerged in the spring called back. She was leaning on the side of the spring glancing back from where she had been looking off at the ocean. Her short red hair was wet and clung to the side of her face as she looked up with blue eyes.

"Oh right, I forgot you changed it." Tobari replied with a smile. "Were you looking at the ocean again?" She asked turning her own eyes to the great endless blue that was the sea.

"You wanted something Tobari?" Hinowa asked, getting her friend back on track as to why she was disturbing her bath right now.

"Right! Right!" Tobari nodded frantically. "So I was doing my awesome training on the beach as usual when I came upon two unconscious people!"

"What?" Hinowa asked bewildered, had something happened out at sea? Maybe a fishing boat had capsized and washed them ashore?

"I wonder where they washed up from?" Tobari questioned, trying to think of any nearby place that they could be from.

"Well, let's go check it out." Hinowa replied as she rose from the water and reached for her clothes, beginning to dress herself.

"Oh!" Tobari seeing Hinowa begin to dress continued. "They were wearing clothes like I've never seen before!"

"You shouldn't have just left them like that Tobari." Hinowa scolded causing the blonde to pout.

"They say you shouldn't move someone if you don't know what you're doing! It's not like I was scared Hinata!" Tobari argued back getting a sigh from Hinow as she fixed her headband into place.

"I told you already Tobari, I'm no longer Hinata, it's Hinowa." The blonde gave a click of her teeth as the two headed down the path that Tobari had come along.

"You always make things so complicated Hinowa, why'd you change your name again?" Tobari asked.

"It's always been my Mother's ambition to have her name be known all over. So I want to carry on her wish." Hinow replied as they came upon the entrance to the beach. "I will live as Hinowa and and put an end to these war-torn times." She said turning back to Tobari. "A world where one's own flesh and blood must die in battle, is no kind of world to live in."

"Yeah good luck with that Hinowa." Tobari smiled clapping her friend on the back. "Come on, follow me they're over this way." She said hurrying down the steps that led to the beach, leaving Hinowa there for a few minutes to stare out over the ocean before she followed after Tobari.

When she reached her friends side, Tobari was crouched down next to two people. A woman and a man, just as she said their clothes were nothing like she had ever seen before.

"Check her for injuries, we might need to treat them." Hinowa suggested as she knelt next to the young man taking in that he was breathing and his pulse was strong, however he was deeply unconscious.

"Man these things are huge." Hinowa sweat dropped as she risked a glance over her shoulder to see the blonde observing the woman's well developed nature. Sending her a glare Tobari gave the woman a once over. "She doesn't have any injuries."

"Neither does he." Hinowa observed, a frown on her face as she rose to her feet, raising a hand to her forehead as she looked out over the ocean. Nothing was out of the ordinary, not even a cloud in sight to show bad weather. "Something might have happened." Hinowa pondered to herself. "Come on, help me move them to my place."

"You're really a sucker for strays, huh Hinowa." Tobari smiled.

"Just help me." Hinowa smiled back.

Deep inside the Imperial palace within the room of the Prime Minister, Syura was inwardly grinning as his plan was falling into place far better than what he could have ever expected. Only a few short days after he had sent the two from the island and Esdeath's extended absence was causing discomfort for the nobles that relied on her to fight their battles for them. His father, Prime Minister Honest was the worst of them.

Rumors were starting to get around the Empire's forces on how the esteemed General was missing. It didn't take much to entice a few more rumors himself. A quick word in the ear of a servant that the General might have gone awol, or even that she betrayed the Empire to join the Revolutionary Army was all it took to turn the entire Capital against her. Even if Esdeath somehow made it back, it wouldn't be with open arms.

"Syura!" Rolling his eyes from where he sat at the dining table, as his father burst through the door. "This is an outrage!" Honest roared.

"How many times did I tell you not to put your faith into a woman, Father?" Syura asked. "Just because she was a hardened soldier, doesn't mean she's not prone to her womanly desires." Syura scoffed.

"She was different! All she cared about was War! We had the same ambitions!" Honest argued back. "I should have known, when she came back from the North spouting nonsense about love, that things were changing! I should have taken action sooner!" He growled marching across the room towards the large dining table.

"Are there any truth to the rumors circulating?" Syura asked, feigning ignorance. "That she joined up with the Revolutionary Army?" Honest relaxed his shoulders somewhat and sat opposite his son at the table.

"It's unclear. There have been no sightings of her since she first disappeared after she went on patrol and our spies haven't reported anything." Honest told him. "I've issued the arrest order for those blasted Jaegers, if anyone knows anything it'll be that group she put together."

"They've already gone into hiding." Syura commented getting a grunt from his father as he began to eat. "The only one we have in captivity right now is that 'justice' girl." He continued. "But in saying that she did hand herself over, unlike the rest of them."

"She's had a screw loose since before she joined with Esdeath, so I hear." Honest muttered. "Is any member of your team specializing in torture, we might be able to get something out of her." Syura grinned to himself, since Esdeath's 'disappearance' and the Jaegers no longer in working order, his father had given him full reign to create a team of specialized people. He had even given him free rights to incorporate the Rakshasa Demons into his group.

"Let me deal with her Father, I'll have her talking before you know it and we'll track down those traitors." Syura grinned as his father proceeded to fill his face.

"I don't care so much about them, but each one of them has an Imperial Arms. Bringing them back is your first priority." Honest told him.

"Of course Father." Syura nodded with a smile. It had taken some effort to get the notion that he had anything to do with Esdeath's disappearance out of his suspicions.

"Budo's already getting his grimmy mits on the Emperor, filling his head with ridiculous notions!" Honest grumbled.

"Damn Geezer." Syura cursed, the only one standing in the way of his plans of taking the throne for himself was the man always by the Emperor's side. Great General Budo. He would need to come up with a plan that dealt with both Budo and his Father so he was the one that could rightfully sit on the throne.

His Father was happy just being puppeteer. Not him. The crunching of food stopped and Syura raised his head to meet the heated glare of his father.

"What are you still doing here! Go get information from the girl and find me those Imperial Arms! Or I'll find someone who can do a better job then you!" Honest roared.

"Akame this may very well be a trap." Leone stated as she leaned against the tree, Lionel already activated as she was expecting the worse. The other members of Night Raid were stationed around the old abandoned church. If things went south it would be a free for all between Night Raid and the Jaegers and it'd be a hell of a blood bath.

"Kurome wouldn't have sent me a message for a trap." Akame assured her as she stood a few feet from the blonde. "Something's happening in the Empire and I'm betting it's because of Esdeath and Tatsumi's disappearance." Akame finished.

"He's fine." Leone smiled placing a large pawed hand atop her head. "The kid's strong and I'll be damned if he doesn't have luck with the ladies. I bet you my next pay that he's snuggled up in the arms of the enemy." Akame smiled softly, glad for Leone trying to cheer her up.

When Lubbock had come back from Mt Fake alone, where he and Tatsumi had been patrolling for the new species of Danger Beasts, nobody knew what had happened to him. Then a few days later they got reports that Esdeath was missing also. The timing was too perfect and everyone in Night Raid could put the pieces that the two were somehow together. What Akame wanted to know was if he was okay.

Now it was over a week, closing in on two weeks that Esdeath and Tatsumi had been missing from the Capital and Akame had gotten a letter through old connections from her days in the Elite Seven. It was from Kurome. It said to meet here at the church. While Akame would have liked to come alone, none of her comrades would have it.

"They're coming." Leone stated, her ears twitching atop her head at the sound of movement. Akame steadied her breathing as she took several steps out from the shade of the tree into the moonlight. Kurome led the group of Jaegers from the cover of tree's. Leone's eyes widened slightly.

She recognized those from Tatsumi's reports. Wave, Kurome of course, Run, and Bols. It didn't look as though that Seryu Ubiquitous girl was present, this would go a lot better with Mine not shooting at her. In truth Leone wanted a little one on one for what happened to Sheele. But orders were orders and Najenda had told them to hear them out. Everything was changing now and they didn't know if it was for the better or not.

What had shocked Leone though was that, there was a woman and child with the masked Bols. Both seemed very frightened at their current situation. If Leone had to make a guess, that was Bol's wife and child, meaning the Jaegers were on the run and they didn't plan on going back. No sane man would bring his wife and daughter into this fight. Raising her hand to her lips she let out three high pitched whistles as the signal to stand down.

Akame looked back with wide eyes, blinking in surprise. Why had she done that? Even the Jaegers reached for their weapons but Leone simply walked forward with raised arms making a display of deactivating Lionel.

"Let me take a wild guess." Leone grinned. "Prime Minister Honest labeled you all as Traitors since Esdeath did her disappearing trick."

"Wah! How'd you know!" Wave shouted in surprise, the serious atmosphere surrounding the moment starting to fade.

"Women's intuition." Leone grinned as she clapped Akame on the back. "Akame here is standing in for our Boss, who's back at HQ." The Jaegers noticed the other members of Night Raid beginning to come from the trees. "I'm guessing you're looking for shelter to hide from the Empire. It's up to us if we allow that to happen."

Akame and Kurome stared at one another for a long time, silence filling the gap between them making the atmosphere go from tense to awkward. It wasn't until finally Kurome took the initiative and stepped towards her sister.

"Cookie?"