16 The Centipede

The members of Night Raid had all crowded into the meeting room under Najenda's orders once again for a new briefing, and a little something extra.

Parc looked down at the silver eye teigu in his hand, Spectator, as its name went. He had just been handed it, ready for him to try it out and see if he was compatible with it at all.

And to be honest with himself, he was a little hesitant about using it. There was nothing in the book of known teigu the Revolutionary Army had, so it was a mystery to them. Apart from what he had told Najenda, they only knew of its ability to read minds and see through clothing.

Yet, for some reason, the girls still decided to stand around him, Mine covering up her chest and crotch to prevent him from peaking while the others just stood around like it was any other day.

Leone she could understand, she was just shameless. Sheele as well, though, she probably just forgot what they had been told about it.

But why wasn't Akame in the least bit nervous? Or even Najenda? How could they be so calm when he could so easily see them in their underwear, or even worse, naked. Were they just so unfazed about it?

"So, what do you want me to try?" Parc asked Najenda who gave him a shrug.

"If it doesn't reject you, try em all out. At least get them written down."

'WHAT!? She wants him to look through our clothing!?' Mine screeched internally.

"You sure about that? You do know it might be able to see through your clothing right?"

Najenda heartily laughed, throwing her head back, "kid, I've seen your dick before. You seeing me naked is like karmic retribution. Plus, ain't as if I'd give a damn." She puffed a smoke ring. "Now hurry up and put the damn thing on, we've got a mission to brief."

Parc rolled his eyes, 'don't say I didn't warn you.' He looked back to the others. Seeing Mine bright red. Leone with her arms on her hips, Sheele's dazed eyes looking into the distance. Soon drawn to him with a small smile.

Then there was Bulat and Lubbock. Bulat unnervingly was squirming around, covering his nether regions with his hands a bright blush on his face. And Lubbock who glared at Parc, threatening to say, 'you turn around and look at Najenda, and your dead.'

Which would have been intimidating if Parc didn't know that those were just that, threats.

"Okay, well, here it goes," Parc lifted Spectator to his forehead. Feeling it suction to it without any need for an additional band. 'God I must look like such an idiot right now.' Who wouldn't with a giant silver eye on their head.

'Well, lets see what you can do. Don't care what, just do something,' Parc could feel a bit of energy leave his body, making its way into the teigu. Its eyelid burst open, revealing the jade gemstone orb within.

He felt that something had changed around him. Looking up, Parc could only raise his brow, 'should have expected it would be this one,' he snorted, eyes travelling across Mine, Sheele, Leone and Akame. Seeing them now in their own assorted coloured undergarments and stockings.

Mine wore a light pink sleeveless top. With what he assumed were a matching pair of panties beneath her panty hose.

Then Sheele, who, like what he was used to seein, was in her special danger beast silk panties and bra that helped with the friction against her sensitive nipples and clit.

Leone… was Leone, Going commando both up top and down low. It's not like she was even trying to hide it.

Lastly, Akame, who wore a relatively simple pair of white panties and a white sports bra with dark blue linning. 'Huh, was expecting black or red.' He chuckled. Slowly turning on his feet towards Najenda with a hint of curiosity.

"Oh no you don't!" Lubbock shouted, cross-tail coming to life to launch wires to grab Parc and stop him.

"Lubbock!" Najenda rose her hand to stop him, let it go. It's not like he's attacking me. "Take a good look kid. You won't get many more." She crossed her legs, leaning on one of the armrests with her cheek resting on her fist.

"But!" Lubbock tried to retort only to get put down by her glare. "Goddamned lucky bastard…" He hissed, collapsing to the floor with crossed legs.

Parc looked to Najenda, eyes widening in surprise when he saw them in all their glory. Two, plump breasts, barely hidden behind a lace bra. Her skin, smooth and undamaged. He gulped, eyes travelling down her chest to her hips. Seeing something he would never expect from his own boss. An extremely erotic pair of sheer lace panties that he could faintly see the outline of her crotch through.

Parc smirked, shaking his head and turning to look her in the eyes, "Quite the mature set on you," he chuckled. Feeling a sudden onset headache beginning to take to him.

"What can I say. I'm a mature woman," she snorted. "Now get that thing off before the rejection gets any stronger. I can see your in pain."

Parc quickly pulled it from his forehead, sighing in relief before turning back to Mine, "well, you'll be glad to know I won't be spying on you throughout the day from now on." He said, smirking in victory when Mine flushed and turned away from him.

Parc rubbed his head with a light groan, "So, what's the job?" all eyes turned to Najenda.

***

Scratching his head, Parc looked over the field before him. There at the centre of it was his target, bloodied and bruised. A man by the name of Gilbert Rekter. A man who took pleasure in wearing the guts of his victims as necklaces and jewlery. Perhaps even a few their skin.

Such was the mans insanity that brought about rumours of his apparent cannibalism. Yet he always seemed to escape the Empires hands. Guards always arrived at his murder scenes just seconds after he leaves.

Yet now, after chasing him through the forest for nearly half an hour, loosing him halfway in. Parc found him, barely on the cusp of life. Beaten and bruised on the cusp of finally running out of breath.

"Huh, well, whoever did this. Thanks, makes my job easier," Parc flicked his wrist, sending a dagger careening into Gilberts heart, severing and putting the beast out of its misery.

"Now, why don't you come out?" Parc pulled out his second and last dagger from his coat, head swivelling around the forest.

"Kekekekeke~" Parc knew that laugh from anywhere.

'Shit, Krave.' He thought, grinding his teeth together.

"Oh my~ So cruel~ So cruel of you~" Krave's inane mutterings resounded through the clearing as he scuttled down a tree on the opposite side like a roach. His every limb on his body elongated to unnatural degrees. Dressed in a skin tight suit that could flex with his inhuman movements. "Though~ I'm sure her Greatness wouldn't mind pardoning you if you returned to her~"

Krave, creapt along the floor towards Gilberts corpse head rotating nearly 180 degrees a she climbed over the body, back arching and bending his head back to look into Gilberts dead eyes, "but this one was quite weak~ perhaps her Greatness wouldn't even think about it~ lucky you~ lucky you~"

Krave lifted a skeletal hand from the ground, gripping the the handle of the blade stuck into Gilbert's chest right beneath his stomach, tearing it free from the body, head twisting around to stare at Parc with a wide, cut lipped grin.

"Hee~hee~" Krave's hand flickered in the air, launching the dagger towards Parc. Burying the blad up to hilt right by his unmoving feet.

"How long?" Parc asked, kneeling to pull the dagger out, sheathing it behind his back.

"Hmm~ Long enough~ Long enough~" Krave chattered behind his white faceless mask that only covered the top half of is face. The eyeholes bulbous, like those of an insect. Cracking noises coming from him as he slowly took steps to circle Parc, keeping on all fours, stomach nearly rubbing against the floor. "Night Raid~ Her Greatness has heard a lot about them~ Her Greatness wonders if they can sate her hunger for adversary~"

Parc took steps in the opposite direction of Krave, never once separating or blinking, keeping eyes firmly locked on the Centipede. Both in a standstill, neither ready to attack the other.

"Her Greatness was so happy to hear you were alive~" Krave and Parc both came to a stop, now standing where the other hand stood when they first start circling one another.

'Shit, just how much did he tell her,' Parc scowled, gripping his dagger a little tighter.

"Why show yourself now Krave. You could have just as easily infiltrated us. Yet you come out during a mission?" Parc lowered his body, readying himself.

Cracking noises filled the clearing as Krave stood on two legs, all the bones in his body shifting and moving until he stood up with a heavily pronounced hunch. Parc still having to look almost a full metre up to even meet the bone giants glass eyes.

"Hmm~ why oh why~ why oh why~ hmm~" his index pressed against his cheek tilting left and right with a contemplative look to his lips. "Ah! Yes~ Her Greatness wishes to see your strength~ she wants you to kill~ to kill~ Kekeekakeeke~ to see how strong you've become~ to see if you still need your training~"

'Of course she does.'

"How much does she know Krave? What have you told her?" he questioned.

"Hmm~ Hmm~ only of you~ only of you~ and that Akame girl~ she was angry to hear you moved on~ moved on~ Kakeekekeeke~"

Parc sighed, that he could deal with. "So what now? We fight? One of us dies? Then what?"

"Oh no-no-no~ oh no~ I do not want to fight yet~ not yet~ I want to find~ to see~ perhaps her Greatness will reward me with a boot if I learn of who is in Night Raid~"

Parc's eyes shot open, watching as Krave took long strides backwards. "SHIT!" Parc shot forward, leaving in his wake a flurry of feathers.

Krave simply smiled, bending over backwards as he arrived by the treeline, his hand coming to the ground while the bones beneath his skin shifted, twisting until every part of his body was right way down. Moving with incredible speeds though the foliage. Clambering between treetops, until silence took to the forest.

"Westward bound~ westward bound~" he could hear Krave humming into the distance. Halted at the treeline, staring into the dark abyss of the night time woods. Severing all hopes of even hoping to track the centipede. Which itself was a near impossible task from just how skilled he was.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck FUCK!" Parc smashed his arm down, releasing the dagger sending it up to the pommel in the ground. "GODSDAMMIT!" He roared, slamming a fist into the nearest tree.

"Yo! You okay! Heard you screaming from a mile awa-" Leone's voice came to a hissing stop as Parc appeared infront of her, holding a dagger to her throat. His eyes furious but quickly softening when he realized who it was. "Sheesh, thanks for that. That payback for every time I ground you hips to dust?" she chuckled.

"Not the time Leone. We need to get back to base NOW." He said, sheathing his dagger and walking back to where the other was still plunged into the ground. Sheathing that as well. Before walking in the direction Krave had crept.

"Uh, the meeting points, that-a-way," Leone pointed both thumbs behind her.

"Plans changed. They will come back on their own when we don't arrive. For now, we need to get back to base and get every one out."

Leone was growing increasingly worried at his tone, taking a glance to the corpse of their target. The only sign of Parc's handiwork being the cut to the chest. The numerous bruises and likely broken bones from someone else, that looked more like something she herself would do. And she didn't even get to touch the guy.

"Parc, what's going on?" she asked. Following him with a light jog. That fell into full on sprint the further into the forest they got.

"Esdeath is coming."

***

"Najenda!" Parc slammed his fist against the door to her room. "We need to talk now!" yet she didn't respond. Gritting his teeth, Parc said, "I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" he grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.

Entering the neatly ordered room. Furnished with the regular amenities of every other bedroom. Albeit with another large table holding a full map of the capital with pins and markers dotting all over it. On the bookshelve, dozens if not hundreds of files.

On the wall to the side of the door, a large mural covered with many, many drawings of the appearances of high ups in the empire. Right at the top, Honest's bearded, obese face, below that the emperor's immature, childish face.

Then as if to take centre stage, was a face Parc was all to familiar with. The beautiful and sharp one of Esdeath, her eyes chilly and cold, even in drawing.

Yet he didn't process them, scanning around the room before locking onto Najenda who was buttoning up a pair of black pants by her bed. Her chest open to the air, two pink nipples standing proudly on her firm, malleable looking breasts.

Bags under her grumpy eyes and her hair messy from just having been rudely awoken. "Parc." She hissed, "I don't enjoy being woken up."

"Yeah? Well I don't like running into one of Esdeath's minions while out on a mission!" He shot back, instantly awakening Najenda.

"WHAT!?"

Not wasting any time, Parc rushed over to the wall of faces, tearing one of, a man with his upper face covered by a stark white, bug eyed mask. Scars either side his face giving him an eternal smile. At the bottom of the drawing, only numerous question marks. Slamming it down onto the war map as Najenda ran up, to him, uncaring for her half naked attire.

"His name is Krave. He's Esdeath's best tracker and scout. And he found me after all these months. He knows I'm a part of Night Raid, and so does Esdeath." He chewed on his thumb with his arms crossed.

"Shit. Did you get rid of him," she asked, a bit of hope in her voice.

"No. Najenda, this isn't just a guy you get rid of. He is persistent, skilled and most importantly, bat shit insane. He thinks of Esdeath as his goddess and will do anything he can to please her. And that's the problem."

"Najenda," he locked eyes with her, "the base is compromised. He knows where we are. He knows each and every entrance and exit to this building. Every tree in the forest, every nook he can hide in. If he doesn't know who is here. He will. We need to go on lock down. Keep whoever isn't already here, out until we can kill him or get him to retreat to Esdeath to hand in his report." Parc's teeth clacked together nervously.

Sprinting around the doorframe, Lubbock entered Najenda's quarters, "Najenda! I heard screams are you ok-" he froze seeing Najenda half clothed. Not seconds later did blood spurt from his nose. Unable to respond.

"Lubbock! Are there any changes in the perimeter!" She ordered, getting nothing in response, "LUBBOCK SO GOD HELP ME IF YOU DO NOT STOP STARING AT MY TITS AND LISTEN TO ME I WILL SHOVE CROSS TAILS SPOOL SO FAR UP YOUR ASS YOU'LL HAVE TO PULL IT OUT BY EVERY INCH OF DAMNED THREAD ON IT!!! ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO YOUR PERIMETER!"

Even Parc jumped at that. Lubbock saluted fearfully, "NO MA'AM!" His entire body shivering, forcing himself to stare at the ceiling with jealousy as he saw Parc wasn't getting the same treatment.

"You wouldn't. Krave doesn't just step on wires. He's avoiding each of them. Unless you have entire pathways blocked, he will find a way through without you knowing. By now, chances are he's already inside scouring through every room he can.

Najenda scowled, "what's his goal. Is he here to kill us? If so, none of us are going out without a fight. We will take him down." she asked.

A snort came from Parc, "no, he doesn't want to kill us. He very rarely ever goes for the kill. He'll maim someone until they can't move. Then he'll drag them to Esdeath for her to kill. Their his offerings to his god. No, he's here for information. Who is in the base at this moment?"

"You, me, Lubbock, Eris, Maya, Sayo and Bulat and Akame. Is Leone still with you?"

He shook his head, "No, I told her to go to Mine and Sheele, tell them what's happening and to go hunker down somewhere until we can deal with Krave and move base." He bit his thumb in thought, "Shit, we only have five combatants. We need to keep in groups of two at least. Krave is opportunistic. He may not be here to hunt. But he will happily try to kill any he sees as vulnerable. We need to her the sisters and Sayo into safety as soon as possible."

Parc turned to Lubbock who had grown a serious expression hearing what they were talking about. "Lubbock. I need you to retract all wires you have in the forest and set up blockades in as many doorways as possible. Block any path you can and then get the girls somewhere safe and seal off every entrance. Even if its as thin as a pebble."

"Isn't that overkill?" he asked.

"Not when the fucker has a shapeshifting teigu that lets him turn into a fucking octopus if he wanted." While a bit of an exaggeration and a wholly false explanation about the insects teigu. It was accurate enough in that Krave's teigu, King of Bones: Necropolis, could alter his body structure, primarily around his bones and organs. Letting him meld them into various inhuman proportions.

It is also this that let him crawl so easily on surfaces. Using the bones in his fingers, he would break them through the surface of the skin, creating miniature hooks on tips that would latch onto near any surface that was rough enough and sturdy enough to hold his weight.

Lubbock looked to Najenda to see if she agreed, only just slightly glancing down to her chest.

"Go, do what he says. If you see the others, inform them that we have an intruder and to be on high alert. I want both Akame and Bulat to collect any teigu we have, and meet you in the saferoom."

Lubbock wasted no more time, disappearing down the halls.

Najenda stepped away from the war map towards her wardrobe, digging through it before pulling out a black sports bra and a flexible, tight top over it.

"What do you want me to do," he asked, watching her dress. Mind to focused on other matters than with the alluring appeal of Najenda dressing herself.

Najenda turned to him with a smirk, "you and me…"

"…We're going hunting."