15 The beginning of change

Raven was led into Esdeath's room, once again. The General looked at her seriously and began to question her.

"I know you didn't like Nyau or Daidara but surely you'll tell me why you weren't with them? I'd hate to think you left them to die or worse yet, assisted in their deaths?" Esdeath probed her, looking for a shift in expression or body language.

There was none. Raven simply folded her arms and looked right back into her eyes as she answered.

"I was on patrol. If I knew they were being attacked and I saw it, I would have helped. I was a bit busy encountering the beheader" Raven then pulled out the Teigu he had and placed it at Esdeath's night table.

"I see. I apologize for insinuating you had anything to do with their deaths then. They were simply weaker but I will avenge them" Esdeath promised herself.

"Good, you do have empathy after all" Raven almost snickered at her confused face after she told her.

"You feel their loss. You're saddened by it, even. To go as far as avenging them means you cared for them. Despite your one track beliefs, you can't say you didn't care about them" Raven said, watching as Esdeath started to think about it.

"Interesting. You may be right. But let's move on, yes? I'm sure you noticed the new people with me. After all, two of them have some kind of connection with you personally" Esdeath stated but Raven saw her inquisitive look that followed.

"Run is the one who greeted me during my first days in the Empire. The Teacher I told you about. Seems he has his reasons for joining" Raven thought over Run's motivations, which surely would have involved making the country a place where something like the tragedy in Joyou would never happen again.

"Oh yes, that makes sense. But Kurome seems to believe you're her Mother" Esdeath said with an edge to her tone.

"And if I am..?" Raven glanced at her darkening expression.

She was jealous, it seemed. No, scratch that. She was ready to torture someone due to how jealous she was. Esdeath collected her thoughts and took a sharp inhale before smiling and turning to Raven again.

"Who is the Father? Where.. is the Father?" She demanded.

"Irrelevant now. He's dead" Raven laughed to herself as Esdeath's mood slightly turned for the better.

"Then, as your daughter I will help raise her as her other future Mother" Esdeath concluded, happiness returning to her features.

~She's persistent, I'll give her that. I just don't want Kurome to pick up any more bad habits~ Raven sighed as Esdeath continued.

"Oh, yes! Onto the Jaegers. That's what our team will be called. We're going to root out Night Raid. They all have impressive skill sets and powerful Teigu as well. As for you.." Esdeath seemed down again as she trailed off.

"It seems you've been promoted. Under normal circumstances, you'd have gotten a banquet in your honor but the fact is, the Revolutionary army and the deaths of Nobles have shaken the Empire to the core. The Prime Minister has been assured of your character and skill and gave me the task of informing you. You're to be given the same freedom as I have and, if you want, you can choose up to three soldiers to serve under you. Though you can also work with the Jaegers and I to ensure we eliminate the growing threat of Night Raid" Esdeath finished, hoping she would stay with her.

~I've never led anyone like a General has. Sounds a bit impractical for my plans too. I'll have more freedom if I just stay with Esdeath, strangely enough. I'll need to talk to the Emperor with Budo and air some of Honest's probably shit stained laundry out for him to see what a pile of shit his 'Dear Uncle' is. That will only be possible if I'm not leading some random soldiers. That, and I get to spend time with Kurome and try to patch her relationship with Akame and ween her off the drugs~ Raven sighed as she thought to herself before nodding at Esdeath.

"I'll stay with you" She simply responded.

"Eh..?" Esdeath lit up in an unexpected amount of happiness.

~She's staying with me? She wants to be around me? She can't bear to part with me?~ Esdeath started thinking to herself as she pulled Raven into a hug.

"You're squeezing a bit too hard.. Esdeath? Hey, your boobs are squished into.. Are you listening to me right now!?" Raven's words weren't heard as Esdeath savored the moment.

After a minute of hugging, Esdeath presented Raven with a uniform exactly like hers. Hat and high boots included. In a white and red color scheme that suited her.

"Budo wants to talk to you after you get changed. I'm sure you'll get your own room and privileges but you're welcome to stay in mine" Esdeath offered as she took a seat on her bed.

"I'll be fine. I'll just take these and change in my old room" Raven responded, preparing to leave.

"Well I actually gave that room to Wave and I refuse to allow him to see you so.. 'exposed'" Esdeath calmly replied yet still had some bloodlust escape from her.

"Alright, I'll use your bathroom then" Raven wasn't too keen on changing in front of the young boy either.

"Certainly" Esdeath picked up a small book and replied casually.

Raven went inside Esdeath's washroom and began to change after she shut and locked the door. It felt kind of odd to dress up almost exactly like Esdeath now. In her mind, she was just relived it wasn't all black or extremely edgy. As she started to put the uniform on, she paused and looked at the shut door. Through the key hole, she can tell Esdeath was right there, looking at her. She was watching her change like some of those 'perverts' in those ecchi anime she used to watch.

~She knows I see her too.. I suppose that was her plan all along huh..~ Raven resisted the urge to chuckle at the absurdity of seeing the powerful General Esdeath peeping on her past subordinate changing in her bathroom.

Seeing that she was just going to continue watching without caring, Raven dressed as fast as she could and walked out. Esdeath looked like she was still reading but Raven's keen eye spotted that Esdeath had moved from her original spot. That, and she was obviously blushing too.

"I'll be off to meet Budo then.." Raven commented exasperatingly as she left the room.

"Her chest is as big as mine.." Esdeath said to herself once she was alone, closing her book with a small grin.

As Raven arrived at Budo's room, she saw Honest leave in a hurry, seeming irritated. She looked inside and saw the General scoffing to himself. She let herself in and cleared her throat.

"General Budo? I heard you wanted to see me once I heard of my promotion?" Raven asked, resisting the salute she was about to do.

"Please, just call me Budo. We're the same rank. I trust your desires have remained the same since we last spoke? To save the Empire from this.. sickness?" He implied, seeing Raven nod back firmly.

"Good.. While you're not with the Jaegers I'd like you to gather evidence of Honest's wrongdoings and give them to me. He can block me from talking to the Emperor but not both of us. I'll keep his attention off you. Given you're with that monster of a woman, you shouldn't have much of his attention on you but beware. He has spies all over the country. Try to infiltrate his collaborators homes and see what you can find. Just don't get caught. The plan hinges on you being unseen by him" Budo explained with his never changing stern and stoic expression.

"I understand. What was he here for earlier, if you don't mind my asking?"

"He asked me to look into the recent Nobility deaths. He has a feeling it isn't Night Raid. I simply reiterated he was the one who confined me to the Royal Palace and to go ask you or Esdeath to look into it" Budo hummed to himself in amusement.

"I suppose you wouldn't know why those corrupt nobles who supported him died while Night Raid was operating elsewhere?" Budo asked with a small, smug grin.

"I don't know? Maybe it was a concerned citizen with some decent skills?" Raven responded casually while thinking back to when she cut down a few of the incredibly inhumane nobilty who did unspeakable acts to the lower classes.

"Just thought I'd ask.. Keep up the good work" Budo nodded at her as Raven exited his room, making her way to the Jaegers barracks.

It was there she saw the whole crew, plus Esdeath herself. The only ones there she liked were Wave, Kurome, Bols and Run. Esdeath was someone she related to on more than a few things but she hated how twisted her views were. Especially since they resembled her past views as a Bandit. She shook her head and realized they were all looking at her. Kurome had run over and hugged her.

"Mother..!" Kurome rubbed her head on her abdomen and Raven felt her heart melt at the incredible amount of affection the previously unexpressive girl was showing her.

"I'm here.." Raven returned her hug and gently rubbed the top of her head.

"I'll explain things to you and Run outside one at a time. After I introduce myself" Raven separated from her reluctantly.

"My name is Raven Branwen. You will call me General Raven. This is Esdeath's unit but you'll see me around quite a lot" Raven told them, emitting the aura of a senior soldier and making them stiffen in response.

"When I'm not here, you'll follow her command. She can be seen as my lov-Counterpart. So treat her with the same respect you afford me or there will be punishments.." Esdeath finished with a warning.

"Yes.. right. Now, come with me Kurome. I'm sure you have questions" Raven inwardly sighed, knowing she'd have to lie again as she took Kurome outside.

"Mother... why? Why did you throw us away..?" Kurome asked, looking down to avoid looking into Raven's eyes.

"I left you here to keep you both safe.."

Raven told her the very same thing she told Akame, deepening the affection Kurome told her. Although she didn't tell her about her plans involving the changing of the country, just that she would try to make it better for her and Akame. She was angry at Akame for her desertion but Raven convinced her that Akame hadn't intended to hurt her and that they could actually be a family once the change happened.

After that was a very somber retelling of what happened in Joyou to Run. He was appalled and horrified of what happened to the children but thankful Raven killed the one responsible for it. He was also thankful for her flames that erased the horrible sight that surely would have severely traumatized him. It seems they both wanted to do the same thing for much the same reason. She asked Run to work with her to try and avoid killing any members of Night Raid and, easily enough, he whole heartedly agreed after telling him they'd work with her to help assassinate the corrupt officials that were protected by Honest.

She walked back to her quarters silently until she stopped and looked behind her at the empty hall.

"I thought you'd contact me earlier about that promise I made Akame and Kurome" Raven spoke as Kimblee stepped out from a corner with a smile.

"What makes you think I would? I could just let that be a lie. You leave them stuck in this world, having promised a family. It'd be such a tragedy. You could beg me to let you take them back" Kimblee spoke with as much snark as he could muster.

"That's not what you'd want though. You want something in exchange" Raven responded, schooling her expression into a passive, expectant one.

"It's no fun to have you spoil everything.. But yes, it's true. Equivocal Exchange, was it? I can grant that wish but after you have left this world behind, I want you to spend four true years in Fuyuki. I want the tainted grail for a.. future project? Yes, let's call it that" Kimblee held out his hand in an offering.

"Deal?" He asked, his eyes seeing through her.

"If it brings them with me out of this place? Yes" Raven took his hand and Kimblee disappeared right after.

"Hmph.. you're too invested in watching to turn it down" Raven muttered to herself and settled down in her room.