"Good morning, filthy animals! Get your ass up and get moving!" Right on time, the drill instructor marched into the room and battered the trash can in his hands several times, its scornful echoes bouncing off the walls to announce the beginning of yet another day.
Goutetsu's eyes jerked up the tiniest bit the moment the heavily bruised recruit fell into his sight. "What the fuck happened to your face, Retarded dwarf? You look like a battered wife."
"Sir, nothing, sir." A quiet, monotone noise left his lips.
"Don't sleep on the job, Peasant! How many more times do I need to tell your lazy ass?! For fuck's sake!"
Tatsumi did not react to the sergeant's barking, eyes glued firmly to his younger comrade slowly adjusting the bed with shaking arms.
He turned his focus back to the task at hand before Goutetsu might feel the need to slap him awake.
Wake up, round up, daily march. Rinse and repeat.
Tatsumi was jogging at a decent pace, until some of his colleagues went out of their way to either shove or trip him up. Just so they could finish faster than him.
Instead of hitting back, he just fell back slightly after one too many elbows in his sides and jogged alongside Momo, who was having an average run.
The boy's legs seemed a bit shaky like his arms just prior but managed to keep it going. Every step must have been torture at this point.
"Get moving, retarded dwarf! If you wouldn't be taking your sweet time, we could all be having breakfast by now." Goutetsu shouted from the other end of the training grounds like he had on their first day whilst everyone had been waiting for the two recruits. "You might no longer be crawling like a snail but you're still the weakest link. Get your shite together or I'll chase after you with a stick next time."
"Sir, yes, sir." Momo exhaled. Again, his voice was entirely devoid of any emotional investment. The boy's face had been turned into a swollen canvas of black and blue, this was hardly a threat by now. The daily march wrapped up with the recruits regrouping in the canteen afterwards as per usual.
Followed by a power nap, the recruits got to training with broadswords and armor in the afternoon. Once dealt with, they again found themselves in this gray, monotone box that was the canteen.
"You did really well, Momo." Tatsumi patted his shoulder and gave him something none of them received in weeks. Praise.
His reaction was significantly delayed. As if he fell asleep with his open eyes staring down his meager portion. "I did?" Momo's eyes didn't even try to meet his gaze, while he was slowly stirring around in his food.
"Hell yeah." Ieyasu half spoke and half munched with a mouth filled to the brim. "That son of a bitch didn't even call you names."
Almost as if on cue the group of city recruits broke into a collective laughter.
The boy glanced behind his back. "I suppose." His tone didn't really suggest a sudden burst of confidence like Ieyasu was having right now. He stood up all of a sudden. "I'll go to the restroom."
"Alright, but make it quick or your dinner's gone." Tatsumi chuckled. For a moment, he gazed at the group with a pained, almost bitter smile. The boy turned away and whispered something, but it got swallowed by the cheerful noises around them.
Sayo sighed.
"Somethin' wrong?" Ieyasu inquired.
"No, it's just…Momo's had it rough. He's different today as well. Kinda weird. I don't like it." She replied as she watched the minor disappear behind the metal doors.
"Hm, yeah maybe. But I got a feeling things are gonna get better for him. Especially if he keeps up the good stuff. He just needs to tough it out a lil' longer." Ieyasu suggested with his bright and careless grin that spanned across his cheeks.
"You think so? I don't know…they all keep shoving him unprovoked and calling him names. I doubt they're suddenly gonna stop."
"They won't." Tatsumi confirmed. "I talked to 'em before training. They keep saying that they do this to him because all the others do it too. It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"Then someone's gotta put his foot down." Ieyasu grunted as he shoveled another spoon down his throat.
"Violence shouldn't be the problem's solution. That's probably what my mom would say right now." Tatsumi got up as well now. "I'll go pee."
"Did ya turn into girls all of a sudden? Do ya really need to go to the restroom together?" Ieyasu snickered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sayo hissed with folded arms.
"Don't play dumb! Ya know what I'm talkin' 'bout! I've seen it happen a thousand times."
"Where? I never do that."
While that argument was going on, the remaining young man made his way to the bathroom.
"Momo? You there?"
Dead silence.
Tatsumi slowly passed the empty urinals into the showers. Something did not feel right. Already, the hairs on his neck stood on the edge. A creaking noise crept through the halls, followed by a dull thud. His heart dropped as an impending sense of dread rose within him.
"Momo?"
Silence.
Tatsumi advanced slowly, the echo of his boots reminding him of each step he took. Around the corner, into the showers. Few meters turned into what could only be described as an entire day's march.
Emerald green eyes tore wide open.
"Momo!"
The boy had hung himself from the ceiling just seconds ago. His legs twitched violently through the air as his survival instincts took over, his small hands desperately pulling on the leather belt constricting his neck. A wooden stool laid still underneath him kicked over on its side.
Legs froze. His mind began to race. His initial instinct to just grab him with his shivering hands clashed with what was in front of him. The lump in his throat tightened. The moment seemed near endless as he watched Momo barely cling onto life, strangled by both failed expectations and the callousness of reality.
Tatsumi forced his eyes shut. Deep inhale. Deep exhale. As he opened his eyes, the world began to turn into clarity again.
Finally, he could think straight.
The color slowly drained from the boy's face. His movements became increasingly faint.
"Fuck! He's gonna die!"
The recruit rushed towards his locker, ripped the door open and snagged his katana. Tatsumi glanced at the sword, unsheathed the frosty blade and cut Momo free with one sloppy swing.
The boy dropped to the ground. Tatsumi bent down next to Momo who laid in his arms almost completely limp. He bent down with his ear to his chest.
His heart was still beating.
The older boy hastily dragged Momo's body over the white tiles and slowly carried him towards the infirmary, arms still shivering and eyes attempting to blur out several times.
"Please, help! It's an emergency." Tatsumi shouted through the door. The nurse over at the counter merely furrowed a brow when the recruit came barging in and returned to whatever junksheet she was reading.
Without uttering a word nor bothering to lay down the newspaper for a moment, the woman gestured towards the back end in the right corner. There was a small room with a free bed and a man, who was missing his right leg, slept next to it.
He gently laid Momo down and sank into the wooden stool leaning against the wall. Deep breath exhaled.
The world had stopped moving at a snail's pace by now as he was watching over the boy taking in small breaths. Something was missing though.
Where was the nurse?
Tatsumi glanced over to notice absolutely no change in sight. The woman was still sitting comfortably in her chair, languidly turning over another page on her newspaper. She didn't seem to be in a hurry to check on her new patient nor that she'd be getting off her seat anytime soon.
The young man returned to the counter. "Excuse me, ma'am. Shouldn't you check on him?" He tried to sound as undemanding and polite as possible. It's already weird enough that he has to ask a nurse to do her job. "He hung himself and-
"He'll live." She interjected, her eyes remaining glued to the paper. Her tone didn't suggest the slightest concern either.
His lips curled down and his eyes widened. That woman seemed to care more about the local gossip than Momo. Was this supposed to be normal? This couldn't be normal, right? If the same happened in his village, everyone would be rushing to his aid and not rest until he's better.
He felt as though he was going through another deja vu of utter indifference, awfully similar to that jaded office woman that gave them the slip to even be in this place. The two even had the same deadpan stare that came with these big, fat rings underneath their eyes.
"But isn't it your job to-"
She let out a strained sigh. "My job is to take care of emergencies. Clearly, he isn't one of them. If I got an ounce of gold for every poor fuck who tried to end his life around here, I'd already be enjoying my retirement instead of wasting away in this dumpster. So don't tell me how I ought to do my job, kid."
Tatsumi could only stand there with his eyes widened in disbelief. What was he even supposed to say to that? That old hag couldn't even be arsed to lay that stupid junksheet aside for a second and get off her seat to check on someone, who almost bit the dust. And that wasn't even taking into account Momo's bruised face.
"He just hung himself! Shouldn't you at least make sure he's alright?" Tatsumi repeated, putting particular emphasis on the first phrase.
Her face twisted into a scowl. At the very least that damn paper was finally out of her hands now. She trampled towards Momo and pressed two fingers against his neck. "There. Happy? Now go ruin somebody else's day." And back to her place she went, newspaper in hand.
"What's wrong with you people?" Tatsumi exclaimed. The nurse glanced over and shook her head. Yes. He just said that out loud.
In the canteen…
"Yo, what took ya? And where the hell's Momo?" Ieyasu inquired. "What's with that look on your face, bro."
Tatsumi did not answer right away. He sank onto the bench and leaned over the table.
"Momo just tried to hang himself."
Sayo recoiled, her hand holding in a gasp of shock.
"No way! Ya gotta be kiddin'!" Ieyasu shouted and grabbed the edges of the tables, turning a few heads before they went back to ignoring them. "Please tell me he ain't done that…"
"I came just in time. He's safe." Tatsumi deflated even further as he went through his hair.
"Thank goodness…" Sayo exhaled. "Did you bring him to the infirmary?"
"Yeah…" He sighed with a dejected stare through the room. "I even carried him to the bed myself. The nurse couldn't be arsed to check on him. I swear…you won't believe it, if you don't see it."
"What the hell! Ain't that her job?!" Ieyasu almost shouted through the entire canteen again.
A recruit on the other side scoffed. His smirk dripped with nothing but self-assurance and scorn. "Did you just hear that? Apparently, the retard tried to hang himself and he couldn't even do that properly!"
"What a spastic. But what do you expect from a good for nothing coming from the villages like him." Their whole group couldn't stop themselves from snickering.
Tatsumi slammed his fists into the table. "You bastards!"
"Calm down, will you?" Sayo leaned over and held onto his wrist, only for him to break free immediately.
The other boy raised his voice as well now, much to her dismay. "He's right though! These sons of bitches are laughin' their asses off 'cause Momo almost bit the dust. That's just…sick."
Tatsumi inhaled deeply and gazed up at the ceiling as if he was pleading with whatever gods were enjoying themselves observing all this insanity.
"What's wrong with these people? What the fuck is wrong with all these people?" He paused. "They only care about themselves. Fuck everybody else. Self-obsessed bastards. All of them. How can you laugh at something like that?! He's a human, man." His fist sent the water bottle flying off the table.
"Yeah, but that's no reason to-"
"If I see these pricks anywhere near Momo again I'm gonna break their fucking faces! I'm gonna smash them." Tatsumi promised with a furious glare towards the two recruits, seething rage blazing in his emerald green eyes.
"Thank god, it's finally over…" Sayo sighed in relief, as she unbuttoned her green-white military jacket. She slumped into the nearest seat of the restaurant she found herself in. The sun had already set, giving way to the beautifully illuminated streets of the capital.
Ieyasu dropped down next to her. "Ya bet…and come next week, we're already supposed to be bustin' our asses…But at least we can get black out wasted tonight." He shrugged and his tone suggested he had every intention of delivering on the latter.
"As if…" The girl returned with a tired chuckle at best as she leaned back in her chair. "Oh hell, who am I fooling? Let's grab some beer."
"Ain't this the place we were at on the first day?" Tatsumi asked once he recognized the slightly familiar interior and the chronically overworked waitress.
Ieyasu raised his arm. "You mean the one with that grumpy sack of shit yelling at us. Looks like it, yeah." He took a look around.
Except for them, there were only a handful of people present at the inn and they too seemed to be leaving at any moment. Even so, the waitress was in no hurry to pick up their order, sitting behind the bar with her boots on the counter and closed eyes.
"Is it just me or did the place get even shabbier?" Sayo inquired after a brief look around.
"The beer was good though." Tatsumi shrugged. "That's all you need to celebrate, if you ask me."
"My bro speakin' truth." The other boy snickered.
Eventually after god knows how long, they did get their first round. "To us. Now that we've left basic training in the dust." Tatsumi solemnly declared.
Sayo took a long sip, her gaze towards the young man not breaking away. "Thank the gods. At times, it sure did not look like we'd make it. Especially you."
"We're through. That's what matters. Now we're just gonna go higher and higher." Ieyasu added as he almost downed his beverage in one fell swoop.
"No one's gonna care when I get to work." Tatsumi dismissed and poured more alcohol down his throat.
The numbers inside the inn steadily increased as a tall, well-endowed blonde entered the place. Tatsumi's eyes narrowed on the woman.
"Wait a second…I swear I know these big boobs from somewhere. That's Leone, right?"
Sayo forced out a loud sigh. "And here I thought you were the gentleman among the two of you…"
"I can be charming." The other boy shot back with a sly grin.
Her lips raised slightly. "If you want to, that is." The girl added.
"Sorry, but like…they helped to remember, ya know." Tatsumi said and waved at Leone.
"Tatsumi, it's been a while! But my gut is always right. I knew I'd see ya again."
"Nice to meet you. I wasn't sure you'd still recognize us."
"How could I forget your cute face, sunshine?" The woman returned with a radiant smirk. Of course, she had to give him a light shove into the side of her boobs.
His cheeks instantly heated up. Just now he remembered that Leone was quite the flirt.
"What brings y'all here?" Leone hopped into the nearest chair beside Tatsumi. "If I remember correctly, y'all were gettin' started in the army, yeah?"
"Yeah. We finished today."
"Sweet! So now y'all can start actually livin' life here."
Sayo's slight frown did not suggest that same optimism. She let out a soft yawn. "More or less, yeah. I was assigned a desk job at some agency for…what was the name? Something complicated…Domestic counterintelligence or whatever that's supposed to be."
"Damn, sounds important." She put her hands behind her back. "And you two?"
Ieyasu's face lit up every time he got to speak about his plans for the future. Especially when Seryu was around. The two just fed off each other so naturally, that they could ramble on and on just about the hierarchy of the military and how to ascend.
"Ima go for captain rank next. Just climb the ladder 'til I'm at the top."
"Ya didn't lose your optimism. Nice, I like that." Leone mirrored the boy's bright grin. "And you?"
"Local police. So guard duty most of the time apparently. If it pays well, I don't mind. After all, we're doing this for our families at home. That's the bigger picture so to speak."
"The bigger picture, huh?"
Another drawn out yawn escaped Sayo. "Sorry guys, but I can barely keep it together at this point."
"Aight, I'll walk ya home." Ieyasu got up as well.
"No, it's ok. You can stay, if you want. I can-"
The young man interjected. "Nah, I don't like it. Hell, I don't even wanna walk through the streets all alone at night. God knows what could happen…"
"C'mon, it's not even that much-"
"He's right." It was Leone's turn to interrupt this time. And it was the first time Tatsumi had ever seen Leone this serious.
"Trust me. With all the scum runnin' wild in the streets, I'd never wanna walk alone out here. Especially as a girl. It happened to a friend of mine just a few days ago. They still haven't found her."
"Alright…if you say so." Sayo closed her eyes and relented.
"Here, that should cover our tab." Ieyasu left 5 golden coins on the table. "See ya, bro." He slowly walked with the tired girl into the bustling night of the city.
"Thanks for talking some sense into her. She's tough and all, but also really stubborn when it comes to things like that." Tatsumi moved over to where his friends sat.
"I noticed."
"How?"
"Call it a girl's hunch." She winked at him.
Tatsumi chuckled before he emptied his second mug. "My mom always says that. Is that some kind of superpower you all have?"
"Maybe." She leaned in closer, her dreamy, yellow eyes firmly resting on the boy as if he was some sort of delicacy served on a platter.
The blushing boy adjusted his collar. "I mean…I've seen people get robbed and beaten up badly in broad daylight. It's probably even worse at night. That's not normal here, right?"
The blonde frowned. "if ya gonna be police, ya gonna have your hands full. Let's put it like that." Leone leaned back in her chair with her, a mug of beer in hand and her feet on the table.
"I see. But I think I'll manage somehow. Like basic training."
"And what was that like for ya? It surely ain't been easy, because y'all looked pretty rough to put it mildly."
Tatsumi inhaled through the nose, gazing into his empty mug. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done. It was physically demanding but the worst of it was that for some reason everyone wanted to get over one another. I just don't get it. We're supposed to be a team."
"People can be petty for no good reason. There ain't much to understand."
"Not everything was terrible, but almost every day started to look the same. It was just exhausting towards the end, so I'm glad it's over." He paused. "Maybe I'll look back more fondly on this whole thing one day. More beer?"
"Yeah sure." She nodded. "But ya pulled it off. Most folks would rather quit at some point."
Tatsumi's intent stare on her softened, lips spreading slightly. "My friends and family count on me to bring home the gold. I can't just quit."
Leone took a sip and returned his gaze with a soft smirk. "Ya got determination. That's good for the job. Especially yours."
"I can't imagine myself being stuck in a job I hate. That must be terrible."
"Not everyone gets to choose."
"I won't end up like that. And I like helping people." His tone of voice returned to its usual underlying optimism and so did that cute smile of his.
"Someone's gotta do it. For those who can't help themselves. We could use more good apples like ya, who just don't turn a blind eye when things get tough."
"You're flattering me, Leone." The boy giggled. "I just can't stand by and watch, while innocent people suffer. It's wrong."
"True. But first ya need to be able to help yourself in this place before helping others."
"I can fend for myself. I ain't no boy anymore."
Again, she shot him that nearly irresistible gaze. "I'm gonna feel much safer now when you're gonna be watching the streets. Ya sound like my kinda hero."
This woman just couldn't keep herself from flustering him and making him blush like a dumbstruck fool. And judging by the looks of it, she had way too much fun to stop.
His expression turned thoughtful once he collected himself again. "How have things been in the Capital? I haven't actually seen that many people on the streets."
"You're the police. You tell me! I'm just an innocent, lil' girl enjoyin' her time off on a friday night. How am I supposed to know?" Leone shot back in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh c'mon…you live here longer than I do."
"So?" She asked with a teasing grin.
"Well…you do seem to know things and hear stuff that I don't. So perhaps you're in the know about what's going on around here. Something feels off…"
"Aw…you could have just said that I'm smart." Leone snickered. She tilted her mug a bit, watching the yellow fluid turn inside before she chugged it down her throat.
This girl sure knew how to hold her alcohol. He lost count after the third mug.
"Well…I happen to know things, but what's that info worth to ya?" She questioned with a smug grin.
Tatsumi flashed her a self-assured smirk. "Hmm…I could just ask someone else."
"Oh really? Did ya suddenly make friends while we were busy gettin' drunk?"
Tatsumi glanced at her mug and threw up his hand. "Alright, I can pay your tab…again."
"So ya know how to treat a lady at least. That still won't do though." Her smug grin only grew wider. She had him and she knew it.
"What else do you want?! I've already spent more on feeding you than myself." The boy demanded, giving the busty blonde a priceless wide-eyed stare.
She chuckled again. "I'm only messing with ya. It's same old to be honest. Ya got your average crook roamin' the streets, gangs doin' their thing. And these Night Raid folks are still out there too apparently." The woman merely shrugged.
"I totally forgot that Night Raid was a thing! Because of all the bullshit they made us go through in basic training on a daily basis. What have they been up to?"
"Same old here as well. They've been busy killin' off the corrupt big shots in the Capital."
"Damn…Maybe this city does need heroes."
"A change in perspective can be one hell of a thing. If they really were terrorists like everyone says they are, why do they leave civilians alone? It doesn't add up."
"Really? If that's true…maybe they want to send a message."
"They must be havin' something against government. Why else would they go through all the trouble? I think that's the bigger picture."
"Might be the case for all we know. But still…that doesn't make what they do right all of a sudden. Corrupt officials should be put on trial and arrested for their crimes by the police. That's supposed to be my job, I guess."
For the first time, the woman didn't seem to have a witty comeback at her disposal or perhaps she was choosing her words at this moment.
Leone exhaled a soft sigh. "You're right. But it ain't always that simple…"
The young man furrowed an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see, sunshine. But know that your average crook or citizen ain't gonna be as talkative as I am. More often than not people don't hear or see nothin' even if it happens right in front of 'em."
Tatsumi frowned. "That's good to know…at least I know what I'm getting into now."
This conversation turned serious way too soon. The girl smiled again.
"You're in for a ride."
Tatsumi covered his mouth to hold in a long yawn. "Sorry, but I'm falling out of my seat. I should call it a day."
Leone chugged down her beer. "Alright, I'm gonna walk you home."
"You walk me home? I'm not a girl though, I can-"
She smirked at the flustered boy. "Night Raid's got open shop by now probably. And if they try anything, I can be your knight in shining armor and save ya."
Tatsumi made a sarcastic chuckle. "Yeah, sure."
"Don't laugh! I pack a punch. If they even bend a hair of yours, I'm gonna send 'em flyin' over the city walls." She laughed and flexed her right arm for show.
"If you insist."
"That's what friends are for, aren't they?"
The two left the inn and arrived at Tatsumi's place.
"Alright, that's it."
"Have a good night, sunshine. Your head might hurt a bit tomorrow."
"Yeah, probably…are you going home too?"
"Nah, I'm gonna meet a friend of mine. I'll be with her for the night."
"Ah ok, that's nice. Take care and good night, Leone." His adorable smile lit up the barely illuminated night. And now it was her turn to blush.
"You too, Tatsumi. See ya around."
"See ya." With this Leone walked back into the night, languidly stretching herself as she disappeared behind the corner.
"What a girl…" Tatsumi smiled. Ieyasu and Sayo were sleeping next to each other and just like on his first day, he laid down on his sleeping bag draped over the wooden floor and closed his eyes.
A/N: Next chapter "Kill the new beginning"
And that's it! This wraps up the basic training arc. Now we get to see more of the capital and such. I enjoyed capping this chapter off with Leone. It's always nice with her around and it also lets me build the bridge back to Night Raid. Again, massive thanks to Stapler for helping me with this chapter. The man is a menace.
I meant to put this out on Christmas eve at 9pm but I got held up by my family and I also have to sleep at least 3 hours a night to function.
I wanted to make it so that you'd have something to look forward to while being tormented by your condescending family members and being forced/guilt tripped into eating so much that you'll be lying on the floor, waiting for your blood sugar levels to return to a normal level, while being called a fat loser by all of them.
And then around 9pm you will see a little notification. That reads: "Oi! That dickhead without a life published another chapter! Go read it, you fat slob!"
And then you should have a truly wholesome Christmas, distracting yourselves from whatever fucking miserable you people live in.
Also, I don't know when the next chapter will come out simply for the fact that I will be busy with the lawyer grind. (Yes, I do need to work an actual job at some point.)
So I will be laying low for a while/next couple months. I really need to focus on that now.
But don't worry, I will keep writing this fic when I get the time and finish it. I might do some minor things in the meantime, like writing another Peach and Goma chapter (the cute discord cats) or doing plot for Ashura's story. I'm on discord, you all have my tag (ashura3359) so if you have questions that's where you can interact with me.
I don't know how long the next arc will be but it will definitely pick up the story before we get into Night Raid. I did basic training as a setup for Tatsumi's character development and the city arc certainly adds onto that/takes it even further. You'll see.
Before I terminate this intermission I'd also like to announce some changes. Chapter 1 will have a minor one in the poster scene. I will remove Akame's poster because I want to make it so that she still works in the Elite 7 squad by the time Tatsumi gets started with his job and then breaks away from them a bit later. (The events of AgK zero pretty much) And also Sheele's poster. You'll see why.
The other change is the ending scene of chapter 4. It was just jarring to read, so I edited and made a better scene. MO remains the same though. Just better writing.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year, you deranged lunatics.