Chapter 30 – Fading Shadow
Twilight – Imperial Middle-Class District Nightraid Hideout
Since the brutal assault of Marshal Faide, the Nightraid decided to hide in plain sight. No one would suspect that the infamous Nightraid would've leased out a hideout in the middle-class district. They mainly in the past two days have gotten around through disguises and back alleys. They still plan on assaulting the capital within the month as they can no longer hold out with reinforcements for the revolution. Najenda however, has a plan she'd like to enact to bolster their ranks.
Lubbock sat at the coffee table feet on the table, tinkering with his Cross-Tail imperial arms. He noticed that his leader and presumably unrequited love Najenda preparing to leave. He then questioned Najenda who was doing just that.
Lubbock: Where ya headed Najenda?
Najenda: I'm going to look for reinforcements.
Lubbock: But how? We're about at the end of our rope at this point.
Najenda smiled before putting on a trench coat and a wig.
Najenda: Not necessarily. The other nations have a litany of military sub factions that are amassing their own forces to assault the empire. That summit decision made even more people mad and it looks like the revolution is going to capitalize. Looks like [Name] slipping us that tiny bit of political climate info was quite the help. We need both him and the rivaling nations to join up with us, so I'm going to see what we can get.
Right as Najenda was going to leave. Akame had opened the door, blonde hair, heavy makeup and all.
Akame: Hey Lubbock. Najenda? Where are you going?
Najenda: To go and get us more help for the final assault. I was telling Lub about how we're going to need the rival nations' help and [Name]'s as well.
Akame: [Name]'s? I just saw him. He's going undercover right now, so I'm not sure if he can leave his post so readily.
She said as she put down the groceries.
Akame: Also, he said he might've had a spy tailing him. Going after him now will be too risky.
Najenda stood as a moment passed by. She snapped her fingers.
Najenda: Don't worry, I have a surefire way to bring him to us.
Dusk – Imperial Squalor District Pantry
The orphanage had increased in size as the Empire-Revolutionary War continued. The lead orphans being teenagers, along with the foursome of Teg, Bet, Viot, and Kasumi. They'd in the they're time together liberated both food pantries and drove most imperials out of the district. They also populated their group of orphans to a much safer and secure place. Right now, they stayed one of the food pantries made into a makeshift home.
Kasumi looked out at the smaller children playing and other teens handing out food to starving families who couldn't afford the food under the imperial doctrine in this area. Bet, her red-haired friend and leader of this all walked to her in the outfit of the shadow. It was tailor made to fit smaller people.
Bet: Kasumi, I want you to-
Kasumi puffed her cheeked and crossed her arms while looking at him.
Bet: What?! I'm going and that's final.
Kasumi: You won't come back! He's a Jeager and they all use Imperial arms. You won't stand a chance.
Both: But it's better than him killing people.
Kasumi: I've heard that spiel all ready. You're the brains of this operation and if you die, everything is gonna fall. I know you wanna help, but you can't if you die. Right?
Bet looked to the hard wood flooring and sighed. He knew she was right and it would be stupid of him to jeopardize everything they've worked to achieve thus far. She then snatched the shadow's mask away from him and the other two boys walked over, overhearing their conversation.
Teg: Yeah, besides if you did die; I'd have no one's abortion scar to make fun of.
Viot: That was terrible.
Kasumi: Yeah, that was pretty awful.
Bet: HOW ABOUT I GIVE YOU AN ABORTION SCAR?!
Bet and Teg had begun to wrestle around as Bet attempted to put Teg: his childhood best friend's head into his groin.
Kasumi laughed. She couldn't bear to see one of her now dearest friends give themselves into the empire and lose their life. She then turned and walked away prepared to keep him from going out to face the Jaeger. Bet noticed this. Kasumi had become a close friend over this very length period of time. He's come to enjoy her company a great deal.
From doing serious things like scheming to make the empire better place to simply spending time together as friends. Now, he sees them as being more than just friends. If he can't go, then this'll probably be the last time he sees her. If this happens the way he thinks, then he'll have to make this count. If there's any time for him to express himself it's now. He's going one way or another. So, he ran to her, and grabbed her arm firmly.
Kasumi: You're not getting the mask-
He then quickly turned her around and grabbed her face. His brought his face to hers and kissed Kasumi. Bet had wanted to do this for a while now. He wanted to express his feelings to her in the best way he thought possible. Kasumi was at first in shock, but she warmed up and became somewhat active in it. She'd noticed a few of their interactions were romantically charged but she refused to believe he'd liked her.
Bet released the kiss, as Kasumi held on to his wrists.
Bet: I've been wanting to do that for a while.
Viot and Teg looked at each other. Viot held his hand out and Teg reached into his pocket to give his friend money.
Viot: Told you.
Night – Imperial Squalor District
The sky darkened as the cool twilight air brushed upon [Name]'s skin. [Name] still masked; walked through the streets of the squalor districts after walking Akame to a safer location in which she could walk home so that she may not be followed. She couldn't afford him taking her back to the temporary Nightraid base and potentially being found out if one of Esdeath's spies are following him as he suspected.
[Name] knew that something was going to change tonight. This imposter, must be dealt with. He'd read the newspaper earlier and it'd stated that the shadow and company "liberated" a local food bank a few days prior to today. This shadow is causing more and more attention to the district than needed. The Empire has also begun loosening its grip on the district to maximize spending for the war. That means less food shipments, less policing, and more crime as a result. In a year's time, an entire one third of the Empire's will've probably have withered away.
The shadow taking more and more action against the empire directly may or may not be influencing this decision to do so as well. These small victories here and there helped, but sometimes one must know when to lay low and not rock the boat. "Pick your battles" so to say. Now he's been sent to deal with him.
[Name] eventually made his way to the old neighborhood in which he and his makeshift family lived. Others' homes lights shined through the windows and lit up the street. He saw his old home. It was destroyed and burnt out. There was almost no semblance of the original interior, and he could see this as the fire had destroyed the walls. He'd decided to walk into the wreckage that had once been his home for a quite a few years. The upstairs, kitchen, living room, and bathroom was gone; melted away by the flames caused by an adversary whom he spared out of mercy.
Shadow: You have no business here.
[Name] heard a strained voice say to him. He'd looked and saw the shadow in an outfit that resembled his own former outfit, tailored for a smaller wearer.
[Name]: But you do.
He fully turned around and left the charred remains of lumber, wall, and flooring.
[Name]: I'm happy that those boys actually got back to you. Now I can put this sad old mistake to bed.
Shadow: You're a Jaeger, a new one, right?
The smaller man or boy asked.
[Name]: Yes. I was recruited by General Esdeath herself. In fact, she personally assignment to this mission to hunt you down and bring you to justice. And by justice she probably meant to her torture chamber.
Shadow: Your threats don't frighten me imperial.
He said with a strong touch of malice to his voice. This person sounded very familiar to [Name]. He put two and two together and surmised that this shadow is indeed the young red-haired boy he fought earlier today. He can't see the hair or anything, he just knew based on these clues.
[Name]: Stop what you're doing kid. You're hurting more people than you think.
Shadow: NO MORE THAN YOU ARE!
He said as he threw a barrage of throwing stars at [Name]! [Name] thought fast and blocked with his arms. He was cut a good deal and as he took his arms down the shadow was already on top of him with offense. Strike after strike was thrown by the shadow and was blocked by [Name].
Kicks and forearms were also thrown and with amazing power. [Name] was surprised at this. It was as though the boy was holding back a great deal from before. [Name] then easily kneed the shadow in the face with tremendous force and staggered them backwards. He waited to see the shadow's next move. They held their face and whipped out a snare gun and easily trapped [Name] with a tight cable.
Shadow: I've got you!
The shadow said with a youthful exuberance. They tried to yank [Name] forward but [Name] stopped it with a mean stomp to ground. [Name] yanked backwards and sent the shadow tumbling face forward. [Name] quickly untangled himself as the shadow rose and came after him again.
[Name] blocked and parried for a prolonged time. Through this time however, he noticed that the shadows moves were becoming more and more familiar. He then came to the realization as he weaved side to side allowing the air to blow through his mask, that the shadow was using [Name]'s own moves. This boy must've been following him for some-time for him to mimic his moves with such precision. These moves needed serious refinement however. They were only precise to a point.
The punches missed too cleanly. The footwork was off; and there were too many open fisted punches. The shadow's breathing had become tired and faster. They were losing, and quite badly. The shadow defeated himself here as this fight was indicative of their efforts in general. Pushing too hard, too far, and too fast against the empire and as a result eliminated themselves from the fray and doomed the people further.
Shadow: Are. . .you going to fight me? Or are you going to run away the entire time?
The shadow asked; now barely able to speak with that put-on voice.
[Name]: What I do next all depends on your next action. You can just stop playing hero and go away. Or alternatively, I can put you away. . .permanently.
The shadow whipped out a kunai and spun it around with a sharp zing! He charged [Name] and the shadow immediately had the legs swept from beneath him. [Name] grabbed the falling shadow by the collar and crushed their face with a skull shattering knee!
[Name] began punching them until they dropped the kunai. They tried to fight back and punch [Name]'s chest but had no energy left to really put any power behind them. [Name] still held them by the collar and hoisted them up in the air. [Name] rammed his masked head into the masked face of the shadow with a Thwak!
[Name]: You don't get it kid!
He then did yet again, this time he probably broke the shadows nose or jaw.
[Name]: This isn't a game!
He then slammed them onto the hard cobblestone ground beneath them! The shadow had begun to crawl away very slowly. They were retreating, [Name] however knows they'll probably recover and come back again. He must kill them or at the very least cripple them. People noticed all the commotion and were either looking out of the windows or their doors.
As they crawled [Name] heard light whimpers from the vigilante. It was like they were fighting back tears from the pain. The put-on voice was completely gone now, yet it seemed higher pitched for a boy. None the less he followed the boy ready to do something he'd likely regret in the future. He placed a foot on their back to prevent them from crawling away further.
[Name]: I gave you a choice.
They only continued to crawl away.
[Name]: I didn't want to have to do this.
He grabbed the shadow away from the safety of the cold hard ground and put them in a stiff headlock.
NNOO!
[Name] looked over and saw the three boys from earlier emerge from a nearby alley way.
The shadow yelled.
Shadow: I told you to stay home!
The voice was that of a young female.
Bet: NO! I won't let you die here.
[Name]'s blood ran cold as he realized that the shadow he had in his hands was not the boy from earlier as he suspected this entire time. He'd realized that this shadow was in fact not a boy at all, it was a girl. This can't be. [Name]'s mind raced through time and space. His grip loosened on the female, slowly grabbing her head.
Teg: Mr. Please don't kill her we we . .. surrender! We surrender.
Bet: Ju-Just don't! I'll do whatever it takes for you to spar her life!
The boys both stuttered. This commotion had amassed a crowd of more and more people all watching from their homes. The red-haired boy had his hands in a prayer like motion as he shook uncontrollably. The people were of course afraid as well. No one saying a word.
[Name] didn't want to remove the mask. He himself had begun to shake. In his heart of hearts, he knew what he'd probably find. The girl clenched onto his arms tightly as she struggled to breath. The mask had come off ever so slightly, the dark locks of the girl's hair began to show. He turned her around and laid her down in his arms. [Name] finally through his sweating and shaky hands removed the mask.
The shadow, the phantom reborn, and much to [Name]'s horror was Kasumi.