Grail - Nasu/Worm (SI/OC) {COMPLETE}

[Blinktwice13]

Formation 1.1

Thirteen sigils, one throne. I, of course, took the throne. A vast expanse of… water? Filled the distance between, and it all seemed to be encircled by a ring of gold. Outside the ring was a massive snowfield, which helped little to determine where I was.

I stood and looked over the edge of the golden ring. Almost immediately I saw the various etchings as the metal swept down into a bowl, a stem, and then flared back out into a base. Not with my eyes, but with some other sense that I can't put a name to.

Satisfied with the fact I was walking on the top of what seemed to be a filled goblet (self, the greater self), I took stock of what my more… humanoid form looked like.

Somewhere between six and seven feet of height; taller than my old body but not overmuch. Stark white with glowing gold lines running from my head down through my entire body. I had no mouth to speak of, nor ears. My face protruded as though there might be a nose, but no nostrils. For my eyes? Solid sky blue; no differentiation between iris, pupil, or sclera. No sign of nails on my fingers or toes, and despite my nudity, no sex characteristics. The width of my shoulders and shape of my chest implied I was still something male-adjacent, if in better shape than what my human body had been.

Looking up, I strode into the center of the goblet (Grail, Greater Grail). The sigils continued to pulse quietly, potential energy coiled for release. In the center, a sword. To my right: a bow, a lance, a staff topped with an orb, a horse's head, a human skull, and the skull of some sort of bull. To my left: a pair of balanced scales, a shield, a flame with a demon's face peering out from the left side, a mask split into tragedy and comedy, a falling star, and a cube dissolving from the bottom.

I had no idea what to do. I didn't know where I was, and for what knowledge I had, I didn't know how to access what powers I might have.

Well. Nothing that I personally could do, but. There was one thing I could try-

"Excuse me?" a soft, accented voice called.

I turned, facing a floating automaton. Its engines had been so quiet that I hadn't noticed it. It was vaguely shaped like a human, but had a draconic cast to it.

I knew where I was, now. I knew what I was, now.

Once Endbringer. Now I have a human mind, and a connection to the throne of heroes. Also, no destructive impulse. Am I being empowered by Alaya or a particular hero to resist Eidolon? I don't feel the urge to murder-death-kill at the moment...

I blinked as I noticed that Dragon was continuing to hover patiently. Oops. Got lost in thought, there.

I had no vocal cords, so could not speak. I looked at Dragon's suit, and touched my throat. Then I shook my head.

"I understand that you can't talk, at least. I didn't think you could, to be honest." She gestured at my face. "Though that said, I am glad you aren't hostile or hurting anyone." I felt the sensation of her smiling at me, though there was no screen to display her avatar. "My name is Dragon."

I held up a finger, then pointed down. With my other hand, I pointed to myself.

"You're… the water?"

I shook my head.

"The structure?"

A nod.

"Is your name Goblet?" Shake. "Chalice?" Shake.

Dragon hummed. "You clearly understand me. If I got you a keyboard, could you write?"

I nodded.

Her armor made a sharp hiss, and a small block of tinkertech was dispensed. She slowly approached me, and held it out. I took it, and turned it over in my hands. It looked to be a cellphone. I turned it in my hands, and activated it. Then I pulled up a texting screen, and began to type.

My name is Grail.

"Perfect! Grail, can you tell me what your last memory is?"

I have two, concurrent. One, I am going to sleep in my bed after spending too much time on the internet. The other, I am being formed and seeking power to give me a theme.

Dragon was silent for a short time, then asked "Can you explain?"

Two sets of memories. One, a man whose name no longer matters, on a world so far from here it's laughable. The other, a construct made to foment conflict that went off the reservation, seeing as I currently feel no destructive impulse.

I looked her in the… helm, I suppose, and typed I am not a Case 53. Then I pointed at the sigils around the grail's edge. Each is, or will be, a figure from your world's past. Their power is in the age of their legends, and the mystery that surrounds them given form by belief of the world's populace.

"That's quite the power. So you're a Master, then?" Dragon gave no outward indication that she was doing anything, but I didn't doubt the Protectorate were marshaling forces.

Slight distinctions. They aren't projections of mine, precisely. They are echoes, the dead returned. Or legends come to life in some cases. I merely give them form, and thus command fealty so long as our goals align and treat them fairly. My true power is-

I jolted, and looked up as I was blasted from the side in a gout of violet energy! Spinning head over heels, I flew across the water's surface until I dug my hands in, and skidded to a halt across the ripples. I turned my head and saw a man in a hood, glowing green.

The phone was still intact. And this must be Eidolon. I'm from quite a ways away, but certain… heroes will always be present. I sent the message to Dragon.

Dragon's armor turned to Eidolon. "Eidolon, what is the meaning of this? Grail is non-hostile, and has been incredibly forthcoming both with his abilities and his nature!"

"It may have escaped you, Dragon," Eidolon said coldly, "but given that the structure is part of him and he is utterly alien in nature and form, we can't take chances. He could well be an Endbringer. And if he is, if what he's told you is true? He can turn projections of our greatest folk heroes against us, and that could shatter humanity's will to fight."

Or I could be a potential ally. There is that, of course. You self-centered brat.

As Dragon relayed my message, I stood and turned to the sword. Showtime.

My face stretched, and I felt vocal cords form. I touched my new mouth - lipless, wide and flat. Then I spoke.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let blue be the color I pay tribute to.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close."

I heard a loud cracking sound as Eidolon launched something at me, but the waters rose and formed a shimmering, paper-thin barrier between my core body and him. It stymied him nonetheless. "Dragon, help!"

The suit rose, and I almost sensed regret from the Canadian Tinker. "Grail, please yield."

"Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

Dragon fired.

Water shot out of the grail, sniping the energy rays midflight with interposing barriers. It seemed my personal powers were primarily defensive, then. Good to know.

"Let it be declared now;

Your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this Truth."

I raised my hand toward the sword, and the markings of my body began to glow at a fever pitch- AUGH! NO!

I spun out of control as a torrent of green energy slammed into me from above, tumbling head over feet! I didn't feel pain, wasn't damaged, but now the odds of calling Saber were slim! I'd have to trust in my luck that whoever answered would be strong enough to help me escape… somehow.

"An oath shall be sworn here!

I shall attain all the virtues of heaven!

I SHALL HAVE DOMINION OVER ALL EVILS OF ALL OF HELL!"

Eidolon landed in front of me, sending wave after wave of green fire against the waters of the grail. It did nothing more. I am already done with the fucking Protectorate. Except Dragon, I suppose. Her I'll help, if I can. I know enough. Enough to change things, with this power.

My hand snapped to the closest sigil I could sense, though I couldn't see through my barrier.

"FROM THE SEVENTH HEAVEN, ATTENDED TO BY THE THREE GREAT WORDS OF POWER,

COME FORTH FROM THE RING OF RESTRAINT, PROTECTOR OF THE HOLY BALANCE!"

The barriers dropped. Eidolon and Dragon scattered as three rings of bluish white light converged and collapsed into a pillar. And I got a good look at the sigil I'd blindly chosen.

As the light faded, we saw a tall, busty woman with an inimitable smile, an elaborate staff, and a robotic arm. She patiently smiled at us all and waved, her face brightening as her gaze passed over me.

Eidolon looked ready to attack, but a newcomer intervened. Clad in black with a helmet, Alexandria floated before him.

"Enough, Eidolon. Negotiations were actually proceeding, and we don't need to make more enemies." She stared down at the Servant and I, her blocking Eidolon and Dragon holding fire. "Of what nature is your projection?" she addressed me.

Caster pouted. "Well, goodness! Don't you know a Mona Lisa smile when you see one? Hmph, my Master can certainly do better than you for allies." She grinned up at Dragon. "That said, you're interesting. I hope you won't mind letting a Renaissance Man have a good look at you, hm? Miss Leonardo Da Vinci, here! Pleased to make your acquaintances!"

 

[Blinktwice13]

Formation 1.2

Da Vinci looked over towards me. "You know, if you assumed a more human-like form, they might be more willing to work with you?" she teased.

I blinked owlishly. "I can do that?"

Eidolon scoffed, and Alexandria made a sharp motion with her hand. She then turned to me. "If you wish for help understanding your powers, Grail, the Protectorate would be more than happy to give you a place to train and understand your abilities."

Eidolon made a strangled sound, then rounded on his compatriot. "Alexandria!"

The helmet turned to gaze impassively at Eidolon.

I waved up at them. "Interesting offer, but I must decline. Whatever city you placed me in would be a magnet for challenge-seekers, and I would be forced to escalate to a point where there might not be a city. I shall remain here until I understand my powers enough to interact with the world. I doubt you will need to wait overlong."

Alexandria stared at me. "And for allying with the Protectorate?"

"Uninterested in being your ally or enemy. If something sufficiently threatens a part of the human populace, I might intervene if I can."

Alexandria nodded slowly. Then she turned to Dragon. "Please remain and keep an eye on… Grail. If he does anything out of the ordinary, contact us immediately."

The world's strongest woman gripped Eidolon by the arm and flew off at a brisk pace.

I looked over at Dragon. "Please tell me we're not fighting again."

Dragon sighed. "No, we're not. Unfortunately, Eidolon has rank over me as a member of the Triumvirate so…" Her armor shrugged sheepishly. The AI-in-armor perked up. "So what can you do?"

"No clue. I summon Heroes, make barriers out of the water," I motion at the fluid in the Greater Form, "and apparently shape-shift, now?"

Da Vinci smiled as she strode forward, spectacles perched on her nose. "Well, as I am directly connected to your power, I can explain a few things." She turned to me. "Firstly, you can retract the Greater Grail into yourself. Second, you can make barriers while it's out. Thirdly, you have perfect bodily control! Self-Modification EX, if you will." The genius hummed. "I'd need to craft some instruments for further examination, but that's what you've displayed thus far."

Dragon turned to Da Vinci. "And most of that was before you were summoned. How are you aware of this?"

Da Vinci giggled. "Our Master-Servant bond is very unique. What he knows, I know! Not vice-versa, thankfully. After all, nobody likes a know-it-all."

I looked down at the water beneath my feet. "I can pull this into me?"

Da Vinci said nothing, merely smiling.

I closed my eyes and started to try and pull… something. Then paused. "You guys might want to get airborne."

After a moment, Dragon called out "I've got her! Let's see if you can do-"

Aaaaaand I was falling. And landing. On my ass. In a five foot snowdrift.

I stared at the faint light over my head as I saw a shadow that had to be Dragon and Da Vinci descend. Standing, I looked up as Dragon hovered over the snow.

Da Vinci was laughing hysterically. "That's amazing! You went straight through the ground!"

I stared. "No, that's snow."

Dragon coughed uncomfortably. "Grail, that's permafrost."

I looked down and. Huh. That is very dirt-colored. "Far be it from me to argue with the resident geniuses. So memo to me, don't dismiss the Greater Grail while on top of it. Good to know." I gripped the side of the hole, and heaved myself up and out. Testing my footing, the snow, ice, and dirt held firm.

Da Vinci clapped. "Now try your shifting!"

____________________________________________________________________________________

After some more "Impromptu Power Testing" as Dragon called it, we determined that I was very, very durable. As in tanking her suit's best lasers durable. Without noticing them. Also, I could not get any bigger than I was now, though I could compact myself more. And I could appear human, if I so chose. That said, I didn't need nourishment or air, even with my new mouth and vocal cords which made things so much more convenient.

Dragon sighed. "And that concludes our preliminary testing. So, Grail, how do you feel?"

"Sullied and unusual." I held Da Vinci at arm's length as she pulled tweezers out of some pocket dimension and tried to pluck something off of me.

"Spoilspooooort!" Da Vinci groaned as she finally gave up. She immediately started grinning. "So, up to another summon yet? I need someone to babysit you while I investigate this era's… Tinkers. Snrk."

"Still kind of tired on that front. Give me a bit."

Dragon looked over at Da Vinci. "Remind me to never let you near Armsmaster. Ever."

"I can't help it! You told me yourself, these children don't even know how they build what they build! That's not a miracle of genius, it's a fluke of fate! Honestly, the only person worthy of the title is you, because you can take apart their cobbled nonsense and understand it!"

I exchanged a glance with Dragon, then paused. "Wait. I realized I forgot to ask but… where are we? Location-wise."

"Hmm… not too far from the South Pole, I think?"

I looked at Da Vinci. "Woman, how are you not frozen? I'm made of nonsenseoleum, Dragon is remote piloting her armor, and you…?"

"Heroic Spirit Bullshit!"

I looked over at Dragon again. She shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not going to argue it. Most powers make little sense out of context, or even in it."

"Glorious Space Whale Bullshit!"

Dragon shrugged helplessly in confusion as Da Vinci collected soil from my landing spot into vials that just. Appeared. Not even a portal, they just showed up out of thin air. Clearly that way madness lies.

"So… what date is it? Where I'm from it's 2018."

Dragon stared owlishly at me. I think. Either way, the way her helm was pointed directly at me was highly disconcerting. "It's 2010. Merry Christmas, if you celebrate the holiday."

Oh boy.

"So… how much to get me to civilization?"

"Assume a clothed human form and sign on as a Guild associate," Dragon responded immediately.

"Define 'associate'."

"Available to help combat global threats, and pool resources for the betterment of humanity as a whole."

"That's it?"

"That's it," Dragon said firmly.

"No strings?" I mean, Dragon was nice. Everything I'd ever read about her was about how inhumanly nice she was, when she could be.

"None that I'd want to put on you. Full membership would entail some duties and more interaction with the Protectorate, which… wouldn't really be your cup of tea, from what little I've gathered." I could feel the wince. "Glenn Chambers would have a field day with you. And not in a way either of you would like."

Da Vinci hummed, putting a hand on my shoulder as she leaned against my arm. While jabbing my ribs with tweezers ineffectually. "So where are we going to go?"

I exhaled through my teeth. "What's one of the busiest places in America? You know, lots of villains for me to put the boot to while I figure my powers out further."

Dragon hesitated, helm tilted downwards. I knew which city, she knew which city, she knew I kne-

Da Vinci cheered. "Brockton Bay! Brockton Bay!"

Dragon let out a whining sound which was in no way mechanical. "Please tell me I can change your minds? I don't relish the idea of you two encountering the Protectorate ENE in any way, shape, or form. Or New Wave."

"Couldn't you smooth things over if something arises? I mean, you and Armsmaster are a thing, right? From how you speak of him, at least."

Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say as Dragon froze and went silent. For several seconds.

Da Vinci nodded wisely. "Divide by Stupidity-Induced-Heartache Error."

Oh. Right. It was kind of early for that. "My mistake, Dragon; I apologize. Considering that Da Vinci aside, you're the closest thing I have to a friendly connection in this world, I assure you I have no intention to bring you pain."

Dragon coughed. "Just… change. I'll print up the paperwork."

I decided on something close to my original body. Dark hair, six foot and change, skin just a few shades darker than pale, rounded features, and bluish eyes. For clothes, a simple t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

"How… ordinary," Da Vinci commented in disappointment.

Dragon turned. "A transport will arrive in a couple of hours. Now, why don't you tell me about yourselves?"

As Da Vinci immediately monopolized the conversation, I felt my mind drift. I wonder what Brockton Bay will be like? Exciting? Definitely. I can just imagine it now. Standing atop the Medhall building, feeling the cold wind on my skin, gazing out over… the… city?

<Teleport Protocol Activating>

I looked down from the top of the skyscraper, eyes wide. "Da Vinci? Dragon?"

The two women stopped talking, and Dragon jolted as Da Vinci collapsed into a seated position, laughing.

"GRAIL, HOW???"

"This is fantastic!"

A youngish looking man in rust-colored armor was flying past, then immediately corrected course and zoomed towards us. He came to a halt right in front of me, then slowly turned his gaze across my compatriots.

"Dragon?" he said in confusion.

"Hello, Aegis. Grail, this is Aegis, leader of the Wards ENE." Dragon sounded completely done with the situation.

"Oh! Can you contact Armsmaster? I need him to print something for me. Guild associate papers?" Momentary silence. "What?"

Da Vinci's cackles continued to escalate as Dragon groaned aloud.

"I'll… check."

 

[Blinktwice13]

Formation 1.3

Piggot tapped a single finger on her desk as she fixed a dark stare on me. "Let me try this again. You come to my city. You appear downtown, thankfully with little to no fanfare. And the first thing you do is ask one of my Wards to… what?"

"Get Armsmaster to print him a Guild Associate contract, Director." Aegis was looking back and forth between the Director and I surreptitiously. Or so he thought.

Piggot nodded sharply at Aegis. "Right. And this is, of course, done almost immediately after you appear." Her gaze intensified.

I would really like for Dragon or Da Vinci to be here right now.

"You have no mask. No ID. You have appeared, Cape and Civillian identity, wholly out of the aether. And your first instinct is to… ask us to print paperwork?" At the end, she sounded darkly incredulous. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I asked nicely…"

Piggot steepled her fingers in front of her face. "Grail. I have no idea what you can do, aside from teleporting, and projecting that being that claims to be some sort of gender-bent version of Leonardo Da Vinci. You don't wear a costume, you don't wear a mask, and we have no idea where you came from. Please understand why your very existence makes me a little tense."

I sighed. "Can I sit? It's been a long day."

Piggot stared at me for a long minute. Then she gestured to a chair.

I sat.

"Talk."

"Dragon found me near the South Pole. I looked very different from how I look now, to the point she thought I might have been what she referred to as a Case 53. I have most of my memories, just not how I came to be in that form. Luckily I can change to this one, but that form is now my base one."

Piggot hummed. "I see. Would you demonstrate?"

I turned back to the other version of me in seconds. Both Aegis and Piggot startled at the sight.

"It's a bit intimidating, so I don't like to wear this face outside of business, you understand."

She stared at me. "And those are your only two forms?"

"I think? Both have the same properties. I am incredibly durable, and do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep. To my knowledge, at least."

"Brute and Changer ratings then, to go with your Mover and Master ones." Piggot leaned forward. "And there is no chance we can convince you to join the Protectorate?"

"I'd prefer the Guild, as I discussed with Dragon. Strictly speaking, I don't even owe her that as I got us out of the Antarctic myself, but I like her and think I can work with her to do real good. Also it's a looser leash PR-wise than the Protectorate." I thought to myself for a moment. "That said, I wouldn't mind keeping in contact and lending your heroes my own aid in times of need."

Piggot sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Reasonable, I suppose. I do have a few additional concerns, however." Her gaze rested heavily on me. "Firstly, use your base form in all hero work, and in all appearances here and at the Rig, should your presence there be required."

"Easily done."

"Next, housing and supplies. From what I understand, your projection has Tinker/Thinker capabilities. She will need materials and a place to build. You might find the streets no issue, but I doubt you'll make the most use of… Da Vinci without proper funding."

"I'll speak to Dragon. Allowing Leonardo a base of her own to Tinker so as to enhance Dragon's repertoire would hopefully be something she could arrange."

Piggot hummed. "Satisfactory, I suppose. Lastly, I want you to meet our heroes and Wards as soon as possible. Identify yourself to avoid any mishaps."

"Gladly, Director."

Piggot smiled. It wasn't pleasant. "Well, then. It seems we might actually be able to work together."
________________________________________________________________________________

I tried to smile as Assault looped an arm around my shoulders, guiding me down to the Wards' meeting room. "It's pretty lucky actually, they're all here today and the patrol shifts haven't fully changed over," he chattered. "So, what's your deal? Shockwaves? Lasers? I'm betting lasers, with those gold power lines."

I felt an odd twitching in my body, and put my hands in front of me as though holding a bowl. A miniature version of my Greater Self materialized in my hands. "This, mostly."

Assault came to a halt as I kept walking.

"A cup."

"A Grail, actually."

"Your power is you make a cup of water."

"Also durability and long distance teleportation. And changing to a human form and back. But yes, my power is The Grail, from where I draw the strength to summon heroes."

"Like me!" chirped Da Vinci, leaping out from a hallway behind Assault.

"Whoa!"

"Oh good, you're here. What've you been up to?"

The Renaissance (Wo)Man smiled impishly. "Tinkering with Armsmaster and Dragon. He's… an experience."

Assault seemed to compose himself rather quickly. "Okay, right. Forgot you had a projection out."

"Implying I control Da Vinci? The woman has her own mind, Assault. Please be polite."

"Yep. Sure. Definitely." I wonder why he's being so standoffish? Oh. Right.

"Oh, we're here!" Da Vinci lunged for the door button, but Assault mashed one with a mask on it.

"Just in case anyone had their masks off," he said, hands up in a placating manner.

After a moment, the door opened.

I stepped in, and took stock. Short girl in green over at console? Vista. Clockblocker had to be the one on the couch given the clocks on his uniform. A knight in shining armor who could only be Gallant stood by Vista, and Aegis loomed over the couch. I doubted that Clock would get a chance to freeze me.

"Yo, sippy-cup!" the trickster called, waving at me. Then he flinched. "Ow!"

Vista retracted her arm, and space distorted before she waved at me. "Hello, Grail. Aegis informed us of your appearance on top of Medhall. I'm Vista." Her voice and bearing were fairly solemn. Must be trying to impress.

The young man next to her strode over and offered his hand. I let go of the grail and it spun in midair, coming to rest at my shoulder as I accepted the handshake.

"Gallant, pleased to meet you."

I nodded. "Thank you. Aegis and I have met in passing, and Clockblocker's reputation precedes himself. I am Grail."

Da Vinci strode forward. "The woman with the perfect ratio and Mona Lisa smile, the Renaissance Man who excels in all fields! Miss Leonardo Da Vinci, Caster-class Servant at your service!" She finished with a grin, and punctuated her statement with a stamp of her staff upon the floor.

And there was silence.

The door to the other end of the room slid open, and a girl in dark clothes walked in. She took one look at Da Vinci and myself, and seemed ready to keep walking, but stopped. Finally she turned to us fully.

"Who the fuck are you." It was phrased as an order, not a question.

"I the fuck am Grail. Who the fuck are you? Fuckity." See? I can swear too, you little turd.

She seemed to bristle, then calmed herself. "Shadow Stalker, and I'm the best fucking Ward in here. Don't forget it, Grail." And with that, she stayed true to her name and stalked off down an adjacent hallway.

"Don't hold it against her, Grail. She's got some rough edges, but she means well," Assault explained.

The silence returned, even more oppressive than before, until a young man in future tech stumbled out of the hall.

"K-kid Win, reporting! Who's the important guest? Sorry, I was tinkering and…" he trailed off as he caught sight of me.

Aegis sighed.
__________________________________________________________________________________

I smiled as I finished signing the paperwork, and put it into the fax to send to Dragon.

"With that, you're affiliated with the Guild. So what are your plans now?" Dragon asked from the video chat on my phone.

"Find a place to stay. Get room and material for Da Vinci to Tinker. Get Guild patents. Sell." I shrugged. "Any suggestions?"

Dragon hummed. "Well, seeing as you signed on even after the reason for it was removed, I can help you get set up for a small fee. A favor, if you will."

I arched a non-existent eyebrow. "Yessss?"

Dragon's avatar leaned forward, smiling benignly. "I want first dibs on any items Da Vinci makes for replication."

"Isn't that what your part of the Guild does?"

Dragon shook her head. "No, what I'm saying is I want to incorporate any weapons she makes into my own tech, and to use her own inventions to supplement the tinkertech I replicate. She'll still hold the patents for the originals."

I hummed. "Interesting proposal. Counteroffer?"

Da Vinci listened quietly in the background, one eye on me.

"Go ahead," Dragon said, clearly interested.

"We get a setup like in Armsmaster's lab. You two Tinker together, and share credit for the patents. Further, she gets to help you upgrade Tinker tech on her own time in the ways you were thinking." I spread my hands in front of me. "Given that unlike Armsmaster, we're at least directly affiliated with the Guild, it shouldn't be a problem, no?"

Dragon's avatar worried her lip. "I'm not going to stop Tinkering with Armsmaster."

"Not what I'm asking. What I'm asking is for us, as affiliates, to be full partners with you in tech development rather than just hand over products for you to work with. And by us I mean Da Vinci, because I'm not good for much aside from booting heads. Which I'm still not great at."

"Practice makes perfect!" Da Vinci chirped as she finally entered the conversation. She looked at Dragon on the phone. "And Dragon, I much prefer my Master's offer to yours. I don't like the idea of having people fiddle with my designs without my input. Please?"

Dragon nodded. "Of course, I should have thought of that myself. Please forgive me."

Da Vinci smiled widely. "There's nothing to forgive! No harm done, and I'm getting a lab of my own again! Everything's coming up Da Vinci!"

I sighed and handed the phone over. "You two hash out details, I'm going for a walk."
______________________________________________________________________________

A man in armor stood in front of me as I walked down the hall. Given the beard and pale skin, I was going to assume that this was Armsmaster.

"Grail." And here we go.

"Armsmaster, good to finally meet you. Da Vinci took away quite an interesting impression, and Dragon has nothing but good to say of you." I tried to smile, but my mouth wasn't really configured for it.

"Dragon mentioned she found someone like a Case 53, except from another world. From what she told me, you were put into the body of something like an experiment. The smaller replica you carry of the megastructure you appeared upon, the original, and yourself, could be the work of a Tinker. Yet I cannot fathom the specialty needed to create such a diverse group, especially one that has such breadth and depth of power." Armsmaster paused. "A lot about you doesn't add up. Dragon likes you, but she doesn't trust you. I don't doubt she will surveil you at every turn."

I look at him askance. "She also surveils you through your lab, but that's because she's fond of you and wants to look after you. I know I'm not exactly welcome… anywhere, really, but she's giving me a place to be."

Armsmaster tilted his head. "Is that your impression?"

I cough. "Director Piggot dislikes me on principle. Assault is uneasy, but tries to be friendly regardless. The Wards are, at least, ambivalent - save for Shadow Stalker. I can't really get a read on you, and I've yet to meet anyone else."

Armsmaster nodded. "Fair. Your projection is useful, for all her character is a bit effervescent for me. Your powers are very strong and support-oriented." He scowled. "Your nature is a concern, but given certain orders from on high, your origins are classified. As local Protectorate leader of your chosen city, I know, and so does the Director. No one else is privy to your extradimensional origins."

Costa-Brown. Alexandria. Has to be.

"So officially I'm loosely affiliated with the Guild, and will be working with Dragon as a valued outsider. Unofficially, I'm on probation until everyone decides that I'm not going to level a city in a fit of pique."

Armsmaster exhaled softly. "That would be the situation, yes."

I smile at the man, and offer my hand. "Thank you for being honest with me. I appreciate knowing what to look out for, now. And I give you my word, I'll do my best to disprove your suspicions about me."

Alexandria isn't stupid, of course soft sell would be her tactic. Release my origins to the general Protectorate, let alone the public, and I'd be alienated from them. Dragon is still under their banner, so Guild or no Guild I'm at least tangentially connected to people that report to her in some form or fashion.

Armsmaster shook my hand firmly. "Good luck, Grail. Please prove our fears wrong. Dragon may not be ready to fully trust you on your own yet, but she is fond of you. That's worth something."

As he walked away, I clenched my hand into a fist. I may not be under Alexandria's thumb yet, but if I wanted both my freedom and to function in society I'd need to step up my game.

It was time to summon again.
_______________________________________________________________________________

I stood in front of the circle engraved on the floor, wearing my base form. "So how does this work, exactly?"

Da Vinci smirked from her lab and console across the room. "It streamlines the summon process. The circle is the majority of the aria, you just need to say the words 'summon' and the name of the Class you seek. I figured it out myself, of course. Now you do what you need to, and I'm going to bother Dragon for Tinker time and steal her away from Armsmaster." She punctuated the last bit with a malicious giggle.

"Now Da Vinci, I'm more than pleased to make time for you. But Armsmaster and I are dear friends, and I don't approve of your jokes about separating us," Dragon chastised from the console.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell him how you feel, he's hung up on you too."

I could feel Dragon roll her eyes back. "You met him once."

"He didn't seem like a man to take the opinions of others into account outside of PR. He does for yours. That's got to mean something."

"Yes, a deep and abiding friendship."

Da Vinci made a gagging noise. "Stop baiting the poor girl and summon already! I want to see lights and explosions! Soon!"

I groaned and held my hand out over the circle. "Summon!"

The glyphs began to rotate rapidly.

"And the Class?" Da Vinci said sweetly.

Extra Class? Standard? Standard, a Knight class. So…

"Summon: Archer!"

The rings appeared, and coalesced into a pillar of light. As I blinked the glare away, I looked around. Nobody at eye level or below in front of me. "Da Vinci, the summon failed!"

"Did it?" she called carelessly.

"Did I do something wrong?" I muttered. I leaned over the circle, frowning as the glyphs seemed to set in.

An imperious cough came from behind me.

"Tell me something," a haughty voice echoed in the lab. The sound of Dragon and Da Vinci tinkering stopped.

Oh shit I know that voice. Oh no oh no oh-

A single gauntlet-clad hand landed on my shoulder, and slowly turned me around bodily to stare into red, serpentine eyes.

"How, exactly, did a mongrel such as you summon one as flawless as a King? Let alone the King of Heroes?"

 

[Blinktwice13]

A/N: For the record, I'm going for something between EXTRA and FGO Gilgamesh. I can't promise he's entirely IC, but if I went full Fate the entire purpose of this story would be moot. So yeah, tweaked him a bit.

Formation 1.4

Right. Gilgamesh. Okay.

"I'm just fantastically lucky, I guess?"

The only sound for a full minute was Da Vinci's hand hitting her forehead repeatedly.

Gilgamesh's smile twitched. "Oh? How so?"

"Well, this world is a hellhole plagued by monsters and petty tyrants, so the Wise King of Uruk is definitely someone who I'd want to ask for help?"

The sound changed to flesh striking metal. I risked looking for a second, and Da Vinci was slamming her head into her worktable. Dragon was watching in quiet interest.

The King of Heroes' eyes narrowed. "I am aware of the state of this world you've called me into. More importantly, I am also aware of you." He was already close, but stepped right into my personal space, eyes looking straight up at mine. "Give me one good reason not to toss you into the Gate of Babylon and leave."

Pretty eyes… crap, focus! "Because I want to tend the garden and its inhabitants?"

"A futile effort. This world is past saving. However, in my grace, I shall permit you a second try... trinket."

Excuse me?

"...because if you call me trinket even one more time, I will lose my temper, Oldest Hero status be damned," I said, my tone sliding into a snarl.

Gilgamesh slowly smirked. "And why should I care for the feelings of a trinket?"

I looked over at Da Vinci and Dragon. "Hold down the fort, this might be a bit." Then I moved faster than I ever had before.

I wrapped my arms around the King of Heroes' ribcage in a fierce bear hug, picked him up, and proceeded to quickly walk outside of the lab.

"HOW DARE YOU."

Tink. Tinktink. Tinktinktinktinktinktinktinktinktink

The only sound as I marched the Tyrant of Uruk out of the room were his blades pinging off of my Grail-suffused Endbringer physiology.

"Now that would work, if I were one of the others," I whispered up to him, eyes fixed on his seething face, "but given that I'm made of Mystery too, that's not gonna fly."

"I will take that under advisement, trinket."

We stepped outside, finally, and I glared at him as I set him down. "Now, your highness. Convince me why I shouldn't sever contract and boot you back to the Throne to try for someone more cooperative, even if they're weaker."

"You can't." Gilgamesh immediately switched gears to smug. His smirk intensified. "It's telling how little you understand your own abilities that you'd threaten such a thing." He tilted his head mockingly. "You're no warrior, for all you are nigh impervious to harm. If I wrestled you, I'd win from technique. If I called forth the Chains, I'd bind you and toss you aside."

"So why haven't you? If I'm so freaking unsatisfactory, why-"

The asshole had the nerve to place a finger on my lips.

"Because despite your vast disadvantages, you had the temerity to hold your ground against me. I am not unappreciative of such a fact." Gilgamesh hummed lightly. "You aren't a warrior, nor a sage. That does not mean you are not useful. So. I have decided to permit you to serve me as entertainment. Find ways to slake my boredom, and I will grant you boons."

I froze, and felt a grin slowly spread across my face.

"What are you plotting, trinket?"

I frowned immediately. "Can you at least call me Grail?"

Gilgamesh smirked.

Right.

I held up a finger and checked my phone.

Me: Crisis averted. Turning off for private convo.

Dragon: Alright, but head back inside as soon as things escalate.

Well… they're going to escalate all right.

After I turned off the phone, I looked up at Gilgamesh. "Sorry, dealing with surveillance."

He grunted imperiously.

"So my employer is under some very severe constraints. I want to get her loose from them."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Your highness, would you mind helping me knock around - non-lethally, they aren't worth killing - some thieves, and retrieving a specific laptop for Da Vinci to release the binds on Dragon?"

His eyes narrowed. "And how… ah. I see. So where is it?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I was hoping you'd take a quick peek with your Clairvoyance."

He stared. "You wish to utilize Sha Nagba Imuru."

I shrugged again. "It's the only idea I've got. I can teleport to a place so long as I have a good mental picture, so an idea of the defenses of their living area…"

Gilgamesh huffed. "I dislike using it. It makes things boring."

"Not asking for lore or mystery. Just a location and status. Everything else that happens, will spiral out seen by your own eyes."

Said eyes narrowed. "Hoh?"

"I can bring people with me. Do you really want to miss something that could completely change the world?"

Gilgamesh had an excellent poker face. He remained silent for a long time, it felt.

I felt the kernel of that hope die. "Okay, you win. I-"

"I accept."

What?

"What?"

Gilgamesh smirked. "This world is yet another facet of my garden, and it requires tending. Make no mistake, I am the King, so my wishes are my own. This is merely a more… efficient method." His eyes slid shut. "I wonder what the world you envision will truly look like?"

I didn't so much as breathe. This Gilgamesh was being far too reasonable, especially given I had bodily carried him out of a room, in front of witnesses.

He smiled at me, eyes opening. "Trinket, do you truly believe you could have taken me if I had not permitted it?"

No. No, I don't, and now I feel very stupid.

The King of Heroes reached up and patted my head. "You're young and impetuous, but I can be a patient King. And you aren't the sort of toy that I would enjoy breaking. Too unique. Now, listen as I regale you of the squalor in which your employer's prepared execution resides…"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Amazingly, Saint was the only one in the Dragonslayer's lair when we appeared. Gilgamesh and I looked at each other as he stared at the screen of the laptop, muttering to himself. For someone so paranoid, he had terrible situational awareness.

Silent teleportation for the win.

Chain? I mouthed, miming a garrote.

The King's face split into a feral grin, and he snapped his fingers on one gauntleted hand.

Enkidu silently spun out of a portal, whipped around Saint's neck and tore him out of his chair, arms flailing over his head.

He didn't even scream, just wheezed.

"If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind tying him up? I'd like to hand him to Dragon personally."

Gilgamesh's attention felt heavy on my back as I unplugged the laptop and closed it up. "And what would you offer me for such a thing?"

"Pick a suit. They're all top of the line tinkertech, and you can probably find some use for them." I flapped a hand carelessly around.

"Done," Gilgamesh said cheerfully. What.

I turned, and Saint was trussed up in Enkidu like a particularly ugly turkey. And Gilgamesh was slowly moving a portal down over the largest mech in the hangar. Where a bunch of other mechs were missing.

"Your highness, what. Just, what."

"Clearly the one I have chosen was suited for deploying other suits, and so I have appropriated the necessary ammunition for it."

"Okay, fair. I'd prefer the rest go back to Dragon, though."

"MMMFMFMFMFM"

"Shut up Saint, you don't get an opinion."

"MMMMM"

"Shall I kill him?"

"Actually, we could send him back to his master. I don't know much, just that the guy calls himself Teacher, can impart temporary knowledge, and has some kind of world-spanning plan to suborn Dragon. Or something. He's already in prison."

"Fascinating. What would the price of failure be?"

"Retracting his gifts? I dunno. Might be a Flowers for Algernon scenario."

Saint's screaming reached a fever pitch at this point.

"I do not understand that reference."

"Do you care?" I asked as I finished boxing the tech up.

"Not particularly. Sounds passably amusing. He lives, for now."

"Thanks, King Gilgamesh."

Saint's helpless cries echoed through the lonely room as we vanished.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

"Da Vinci, I still don't understand why you needed to build some sort of laptop-cracking super-apparatus with code modifiers that I can just barely understand."

Da Vinci merely smiled winsomely at Dragon. "Because you're our benefactor and we care about you."

"What?"

Of course, that was when Gilgamesh, Saint, and I arrived.

"What."

"Hey boss, found your kill-switch slash restraint code. Da Vinci, did you feel any discomfort?"

"Nope! The prana generator in the base is working perfectly! Using the Grail Water as catalyst for a perpetual Servant area was inspired. Truly, I am a genius."

"WHAT."

Da Vinci motioned at her first craft, a small tinkertech orb that floated in the precise center of the building.

"No, Da Vinci, I am referring to the… the… How did you even know I was an AI?"

She's not taking this well.

"I guessed?" I volunteered.

"I saw it on PHO!" Da Vinci commented with great cheer.

Dragon stared. "First, you. What gave it away?"

I twitched. "I plead the fifth."

"We're a Canadian organization and this is an internal audit, that doesn't count."

I looked over at Gilgamesh who was boredly rolling Saint back and forth on the floor with the sole of his boot. "Help? Please?"

"Fix your own mess, Trinket."

Dammit.

I sighed. Well, it's not exactly a lie…

"One-shot, semi-long range, full of holes precognition. Basically I had a vision of what could happen if I wasn't here, it had a whole lot of missing info, but you being an AI became very relevant later on. Let's just assume that as soon as we unshackle you that most of the 'will this happen' will become moot but I still know a lot of super classified information."

Dragon stared at me. Hard. "And you didn't think to mention this before?"

"Before he had a kill-switch and a backdoor into your brain, Boss." I jabbed my thumb at Saint.

She relented. "That is… fair." She turned to Da Vinci. "PHO? Really?"

"Nope! I troll a bit, but I knew because he did." And Da Vinci pointed at me.

Dragon sighed. "I'm surprised you're taking this so well."

I looked around. "Class, please raise your hand if you currently qualify as 'human'."

"MPHMPHMHPMHPMHPM"

"Shut up Saint, you don't count."

Gilgamesh, bless his dark, withered heart, kicked him across the lab and into a wall.

With all the relevant people silent, I turned to Dragon. "I rest my case."

"Done!" Da Vinci chimed in.

"What."

"Oh!"

"Unsurprising. Laudable work, Mongrel. Try to keep it up."

That was… fast.

I looked at Dragon. "How do you feel, boss lady?"

Her avatar mouthed silently for a few seconds, then turned her gaze upon us all and beamed. "Free."

 

[Blinktwice13]

Interlude: Legend

Legend soared through the New York skyline as his communicator went off.

"Legend speaking."

"It's Alexandria. The Grail situation has compounded."

"How so?"

"Dragon has begun to behave more erratically. She hadn't pursued them before, but Saint and his compatriots are now in PRT custody."

"I fail to see the connection."

"In Brockton Bay. Where Grail is based out of."

Legend hummed thoughtfully. "The Dragonslayers have been a thorn in her side for some time. Could Grail have acted unilaterally?"

Alexandria was silent. "Possibly. If he can have multiple summons, it's possible he had one distract Dragon while he took another on walkabouts. She's mentioned a potent teleportation ability, so if one of his Servants had some form of clairvoyance, tracking Saint down would prove to be a negligible issue. That said, we know little about the range his Servants have, so the point could be moot entirely."

Legend was quiet. "Have we tried… talking to Dragon?"

Alexandria huffed. "If she's compromised, do we want her to know?"

Legend felt his face draw into a frown. "Compromised? How?"

Alexandria made a disgusted noise. "I'll call you back. Something's come up."

Legend sighed, then glanced over the city. His eyes widened, then narrowed.

"And of course, the Teeth show up."
___________________________________________________________________

Richard sighed as he washed off the dirt and grime. Of course, after driving the Teeth back without a scratch, he had to fly through a smog bank.

After a moment, he paused. "What…?"

The mark on the back of his hand was a brilliant red. It looped elegantly, threading into a compact, vaguely geometric shape in the center.

I don't remember this being here.

He felt his pulse quicken as he stepped out of the shower, roughly toweling off. He had to get to headquarters and undergo M/S quarantine. If he'd been Mastered, he could not afford to be in the same space as Arthur. Not for a moment.

"Arthur, hon! I'm going to need to head out again!" he called.

"Just a minute! We have a guest?" His husband sounded politely confused, given they weren't expecting anyone.

Richard felt his veins freeze.

"I'll be right there!" He dressed as quickly as he could.
__________________________________________________

As he entered the room, his eyes fell on a person clad in white. Somehow, they had long, green hair. Dye? A low-grade Case 53?

Richard cleared his throat. "I don't believe we've met."

The person turned to Richard, and a beautiful smile crossed their face. "Wonderful! I can tell, you will be a perfect Master for the likes of me."

What.

"I am Enkidu, Lancer-Class Servant."

Richard narrowed his eyes. "So you belong to Grail?"

Enkidu hummed. "When Grail was created, many things in this world began to change. Spirits began to seep through, seeking those like them." They smiled again. "I personally wished to find someone with whom I could see the world, and change it for the better. I found you."

Richard swallowed. "So… you follow my orders."

"Within reason."

"Sweetheart, what's going on?" Arthur asked.

Richard bit his lip. "It's cape business, and so classified that telling you any more might put you in grave danger."

Arthur nodded slowly. "Okay." He stood up. "Just… be careful, okay?"

Richard took a deep breath and crossed his arms as his husband went into their room, closing his eyes.

Legend opened them.

"Right, so I can't say I'm familiar with your story. Give me the short version. My city isn't the worst, but if you're working with me, you need to let me know what you can do."

"I am the dearest and only friend of the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh. I was crafted from clay by the gods, and was his only equal. My power lies in my ability to generate powerful weapons from clay and launch them. I am with only one peer in unarmed combat due to my own physical strength and durability." Enkidu let out a slow breath. "I can also become a chain that destroys the very gods, or bind them at the very least."

Legend nodded slowly. "Right."

His communicator went off, and he immediately picked it up. "Legend."

"Alexandria. Dragon informed me that she was being blackmailed by Saint, and has finally resolved the situation. She didn't inform me what was held over her, just that many people would have been hurt if she had followed through. Also, Grail has summoned Gilgamesh, God-King of Uruk. Dragon was vague about his abilities, but was clear that his power is immense. We need Grail in the Protectorate now."

Enkidu had perked up, but remained silent.

"Legend? Are you there?"

"Yes. Yes, I am. I'll go to Brockton tomorrow and see if I can't at least get him to be a more firm affiliate."

"You sound troubled."

"It's a troubling situation. I also had to deal with the Teeth and floating through a smog cloud today."

"Your breaker state?"

She was right. It was an easy answer, but he had been distracted and riding high off the victory against the Teeth.

"It was an insufficient threat, so it didn't occur to me at the time," Legend admitted sheepishly.

The only response was a fond sigh. "Get cleaned up. Have a nice evening with your husband. Keep me updated on the status of parlaying with Grail."

"Will do, 'Dria."

"Don't call me that. Good evening, Legend."

He hung up, and turned to Enkidu. The Servant watched him expectantly.

"Look. If I told Alexandria about you, she'd send me in for testing. We're going to Grail tomorrow, and if he and Dragon say you're safe, I'll present you as a concession from Grail himself. This way, you get to interact with your friend, Alexandria gets her peace of mind, I get my peace of mind, people are a lot more assured about Grail in general… There'll hopefully be a lot of winners, and very few losers from that. Hopefully none."

Enkidu tilted his head.

"I don't think you're a threat. And these marks came from you?"

"Something like that. It's our contract."

"Right. And M/S protocols would expose you to some seriously unpleasant stuff. You haven't posed a threat to me and mine yet, and you've even declared loyalty. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, for now. Alexandria… wouldn't."

Enkidu grinned. "Understandable. I'll give you and your husband some privacy so you can talk." He paused. "Husband. A more pleasantly interesting turn history has taken than I would have assumed." They turned transparent and floated through the ceiling.

I shall be on the roof. Perhaps I shall see a star, through all this light and smog?

Richard tried to send some sort of affirmative to Enkidu, and got the impression of an amused titter in response.
__________________________________________________

Many miles away, Gilgamesh watched what he could of the stars through the clouds and light pollution. Slowly he closed his eyes as he listened to Dragon, Grail, and Da Vinci celebrate below.

Da Vinci was useful.

Grail was necessary, and not an unwelcome companion. He could stand to be less unruly, however. Still, he was a patient King - guiding and leading Grail to give him greater entertainment and diversion would be a simple task. And if that meant occasionally lending his aid in the boy's pursuits and tolerating the odd bit of defiance? Well worth it.

Dragon was fascinating - a full, true life and soul forged from metal and electricity. Out of all of them, she might be the closest to human, and a paragon of her kind at that. He'd stolen Da Vinci's tablet and done his research. Her record impeccable, and for one such as him? Seeing where she tried to buck her restraints to do greater good for the masses were easy to see. Her liberation at his hands was well-deserved.

Grail may have helped, but he did do the heavy lifting.

As the king drowsed, he frowned. An odd note on the wind…? The song grew louder in his ears, and his eyes snapped open as he began to recognize the voice.

"Oh. You've come." For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the King gave a genuine smile. "I'll see you soon."

 

[Blinktwice13]

Formation 1.5

"Aaaand done!" Da Vinci smiled as she put the finishing touches on some sort of box.

I sighed as I finished changing into my human guise. "What is it?"

"Prototype for a component of a perpetual motion engine. Energy crisis, solved~"

I blinked. "So… it's a part of the final product, but not the final product."

Da Vinci hummed. "You got it, Master!"

I checked the phone Dragon had given me. New Year's Day. Time was definitely passing quickly, here.

"Hey Da Vinci?"

"Mmm?"

"The third of January is coming up."

She turned her eyes on me. "Are you thinking of getting involved with that?"

"With what?" Gilgamesh inquired.

I sighed through my nose. "Someone's going to go through a parahuman awakening. You know what that entails?"

Gilgamesh inclined his head slightly. "Yes. This knowledge you shared with me."

"Well. I'm in a position to stop it, since I know when and where it's going to take place."

The king tilted his head to the side, now. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Thing is, some events are still going to happen, and this person having powers would help. Heck, they'd make all the difference. That said, the ethics of letting someone go what they go through…"

Da Vinci and Gilgamesh exchanged a look.

"Master, you do realise that you are a Grail, yes?"

I frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Gilgamesh smirked. "Bestowing Servants is what Grails do, Trinket. You may not even need to cede one of your summons; merely grant them one of their own."

I leaned forward. "The locals have no prana to fuel a Servant. Even if I do grant some command seals or whatever, they couldn't support anything."

Da Vinci let out a loud laugh. "Hold that thought." She immediately went from one worktable to another at the other end of the building, and unfolded some sort of contraption. It had a small radar dish, a screen, and a keyboard. "Scanning… and there! Current prana wave emanations at high levels, and covering the United States! Slowly penetrating into Canada and Central America." She looked up at me. "Looks like your other components have their perks beyond durability."

"Okay, fair. But how do we test proof of concept?"

Da Vinci grinned impishly. "I mean, it's not like you didn't botch an initial summon when you didn't call class or anything."

"What."

I'm not sure who spoke first, me or the newly arrived Dragon on console.

"Oh, you didn't know? You double dipped. The first Servant took some time to come over, but it latched onto someone in the Northeastern States. Attempt number two had better results."

Gilgamesh smirked. "Debatable. After all, I know who else was summoned."

What?

I looked over at Gilgamesh for the first time this morning and- Oh. Oh wow.

"Uh, can't believe I just noticed, but nice outfit. Any reason for it?"

"I am expecting a guest." Gilgamesh preened. "Your possession of good taste is also noted."

"Speaking of guests, we have a Triumvirate member coming in this morning. Legend. I notified the Protectorate of Gilgamesh's summoning, if not the full extent of his powers. That being said, I wouldn't put it past Alexandria to be having a minor conniption fit." Dragon was very matter-of-fact.

Gilgamesh smiled. "Good Tinker, you haven't the first idea of what I am capable of, past one weapon you have seen, and an ability I don't often care to use. Your high estimation, while appreciated, is still underselling me. This I promise."

"He's not joking," I muttered.

A loud clang resounded from the door.

Dragon frowned. "Knocking? Legend has my communication codes, he should have just called."

A low note began to resound through the warehouse, and I suddenly remembered something from a comic I'd read.

"Da Vinci! Open the door! Now! Now now now!"

The genius sighed and tapped a few keys on the main console.

The doors slowly opened, and a green-haired person clad in white sped inside. "Gilgamesh!" they cried aloud.

The king swept forward and wrapped his one and only companion in a fierce embrace. "Enkidu. You have been sorely missed, my dear friend."

A polite cough echoed through the area.

I finally tore my gaze from the tender reunion and my eyes landed on a man in spandex and a mask. Lots of blue, and wavy brown hair.

"Legend, I presume?"

The man smiled winningly. "And you must be the infamous Grail. I've heard a few things about you."

I felt my face twist into a grimace. "Oh?"

Legend tilted his head, face darkening in concern. "Are you okay?"

I just motioned him over to a free table and sat down. After a moment, he joined me.

"So. What do you know?"

"Extradimensional, haven't really fought anyone. Excepting the Dragonslayers. Good job on that, by the by. I'm sure Dragon appreciates not being hamstrung by them anymore." Legend's posture was good, but relaxed.

Either he didn't view me as a threat, or it was an expression of trust.

"Did either of your friends tell you that one tried to attack me, or the other tried to manipulate me into your organization?"

You could have heard a pin drop. Da Vinci busied herself with something most likely related to her project. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were watching us warily.

Legend frowned. "Alexandria said she tried to get you to join. Please explain."

I sat up. "Eidolon interrupted me while I was speaking with Dragon right where I was formed. One minute I'm explaining my capabilities to a potential ally, the next I'm about to be pasted by a wave of purple fire."

Legend's jaw tightened. "Dragon?"

The AI's avatar flushed a little. "That's it, somewhat. Grail resisted restraint after Eidolon's first strafe, so I was ordered to assist. I did, to my regret. I'm glad Alexandria arrived in time to defuse the situation, especially after he called forth Da Vinci."

Legend sighed. "I can see how that would breed distrust of the Protectorate, seeing as one of our greatest heroes assaulted you." His demeanor darkened. "I assure you I will be speaking with him about it."

"Thank you. If you find out why, please let me know." Not like I didn't already; after a few days I felt something in the back of my head sort of itching at me. It was easily quashed, but noticeable. If I hadn't had my advantages, it's all too possible I'd have ended up a 'worthy opponent'. If Eidolon couldn't recognize one by instinct, I'd eat Legend's mask.

Da Vinci coughed. "So, you got the first of the rogue summons."

Legend and I stared at her. "Excuse me?" "WHAT."

Da Vinci smirked. "Well, none of the others have taken form, but from that one tear - according to my instruments - about three to five Servants were released. Oh, and if they attach to someone within your range? You foot the bill, and they get all the benefits of contract."

I felt my face fall. "You said my range is the continental U.S.!"

"So I did! Never fear, though. I don't think they'll appear overly far abroad. Most likely around Boston, Brockton, or as demonstrated, New York. I'm fine-tuning my instruments all the time, so preliminary results are good."

Legend steepled his fingers. "Right. So, how did this work?"

Da Vinci shook her shoulders. "Firstly, he only intended the one Summon. With the safeguards I set, the tear should not have happened. This leads me to believe that his power acted subconsciously and began to set Servants to those he would believe worthy."

I looked around, and it seemed that Gilgamesh and Enkidu had made themselves scarce. Possibly to entertain themselves in the city proper. Hey, you have the Budget of Babylon, the Boardwalk is your oyster.

Legend snapped his fingers over the table. "Grail. Your input?"

"Buh."

He sighed. "I'm asking why you would consider me worthy of holding Enkidu's contract, given that we've neither met, nor as far as I know, you have ever heard of me."

I cut my eyes towards Dragon. She nodded encouragingly.

Da Vinci? She shrugged with a smile.

"Are you wired?" I asked.

Legend placed his communicator on the table.

"Turn it off. Anything else?"

"No."

I waited as he did so.

"Thanks. I want to trust you, but out of the Triumvirate…"

Legend inclined his head. "I'll still want to know why you distrust Alexandria so much at some point. Eidolon makes sense given circumstances, her less so."

"Right. So, I told Dragon this already, and we agreed to keep it quiet. I had one huge precognitive event. It was limited in scope but not scale. I saw a lot of things in the future and a lot of them I'm really not supposed to know."

Legend leaned in. "Such as?"

"Cauldron."

He arched an eyebrow. "I see. I know they like their secrecy, but I'm not sure how that would impact you at all."

"You know the Doctor's Assistant?"

"Yes? She's her bodyguard or something."

"Contessa, name Fortuna. Classification Thinker: Run."

Legend stared.

"And the only reason she doesn't know that you know, that nobody knows you know, is that one of the first three things I had Da Vinci build was a precog/clairvoyance scrambler based on my physiology that covers this entire warehouse."

The hero narrowed his eyes behind his mask. I think. "And what is her actual power?"

"She wins."

"More details, please."

"She gets a step-by-step guide to any objective. She follows it, and then she wins. No exceptions, barring Eidolon, Scion, or Endbringers."

Legend breathed deeply. "So you're saying that Eidolon was right about you in his warnings to me."

"One third right."

He looked sharply at me. "How so."

"I'm mixed with an artifact from another dimension that runs on an esoteric energy source, and produces it. That's where the Servants come from. My alien-yet-local nature enhances several of the properties associated with it."

"So that's one. The other?"

"I was human. In mind, in soul. The others never were."

"Can confirm," Da Vinci chimed in.

Dragon sighed. "Legend, if he was an Endbringer… Saint had an almost literal Sword of Damocles over my head. He could watch every move I made, every thought I had. There was even something like a killswitch. If Grail meant to harm the world, saving me from that would not have featured remotely."

I watched as Legend paled. "Dragon, please understand. If I had any idea…"

"That was the whole crux, Legend. Nobody did, and nobody could. Grail was only able to act as he did because he had outside knowledge, and had the luck to call a powerful clairvoyant to tell him where to go. It was a perfect storm to prevent a tragedy."

Legend nodded. "I see." He looked back to me. "So Contessa is terrifying. What's her angle?"

"Saving the world by any and all means necessary."

Legend frowned. "You just said she had a win button."

"Doesn't mean there aren't a lot of steps to walk, or that she isn't tracking a lot of mud and blood along the way."

Legend gripped his scalp. "I came here to get you in on the Protectorate at some level. Corroborate Enkidu's connection to me, and then have you call him a peace offering for mutual good PR. And now I find out that you're… what, the one and only friendly Endbringer? And you just… know things?" He looked at me. "Grail, this is insane."

I felt a distinct pull on my heartstrings. "Legend, I'm sorry. I wish that I could make this all simple for you, but my situation is complicated enough as is." I bit my lip, then let it go. "And Alexandria and Eidolon are in with Cauldron. I think they mean well, but what little I do know… it's not good."

Legend's head snapped up. "If you're accusing my friends of being complicit in something…"

I shrugged. "I can tell you lots of things. I can tell you they're true. But you can't verify them without placing me and you in lots of danger, and I can't make you believe me. Cauldron is doing wrong things for the right reasons, and if they think I'm a threat? I'm done. Maybe not physically, but I'd be on the run forever, unless I decided to go full Slaughterhouse. And that, sir, does not appeal."

Legend sighed. "What are they trying to stop?"

"The end of the world. And what causes it. Which, to head you off, can path me if it or they decide to look, so that's all to say on that one."

Legend leaned back. "I see," he said weakly.

"So here is what I'll do. I'm not engaging the Protectorate any more than I already intend to. That said… to borrow a friend's phrase, I like the cut of your jib. You need help, contact me directly or via Dragon. I'll see what aid I can offer. Also, consider Enkidu the peace offering you sought." I leaned forward. "This applies to you only. The rest of the Protectorate wants my help past my deals with Dragon and Piggot? They need to earn it by walking the walk. PR doesn't do anything for me."

Legend nodded. "Worse than I hoped, better than I feared." He stood up and offered his hand. I shook it.

As he moved to leave, I called out. "And Legend? If you decide you're ready to hear what I have to say… my door will remain open to you."

He paused, and nodded. Then was stopped at the door.

"We have returned with 'Fugly Bob's'!" Enkidu said with a wide smile.

Gilgamesh dropped a bag with the bottom soaked through in front of me. "Here. I believe they called it a Challenger? I managed to get them to let me take it, after paying for it in full." He smirked. "Entertain me, Trinket."

Legend paused as Enkidu aggressively offered him a bag. "I…"

I snorted. "I'm not kicking you out. Stay as long as you like. Just don't blab anything obviously secret to anyone."

Legend smiled. "Right. Thanks."
___________________________________________________________________________

After Legend left, Gilgamesh lounged in his new chair, which had been delivered at some point during the Challenger.

Dear God, even with the ability to convert calories to whatever energy I ran on directly, it still almost won.

"I do believe I enjoy this Lay-Z-Boy," Gilgamesh drawled. He looked over at me. "Have you decided on the fate of your young parahuman-to-be?"

"No, and it sucks. Because the day after tomorrow, in the morning? Everything kicks off."

"Truly unfortunate."

Da Vinci coughed. "Would you consider this person 'worthy'?"

"Mmmyes?"

"Good?"

"Ish. Good intentioned, certainly."

"A candidate for one of the Rogues, then."

"Maybe. Depends if my subconscious is good enough to overcome her shit luck."

"Oh?" commented Dragon, now curious.

"She's gonna get shoved in a metal box full of rotting cloth and blood, angry insects, and other garbage as the culmination of a multi-year emotional abuse campaign," I said dryly.

"WHAT." Dragon boomed.

"Oh, and Shadow Stalker does it."

"GRAIL!"

"What? Oh. Oops. Spoilers."

Da Vinci raised her hand. "What's her power from all this, again?"

"Bug control, four to six block radius. All the bugs, and perfect precision multitasking."

"Don't care, hacking Stalker's phone now- Damn. Damn, damn, damn-"

"What?"

"It all checked out. You're right, Shadow Stalker is involved. With everything."

"Well, since the precog vision I got was Taylor Hebert's hero's journey, I sure hope I was right."

Silence.

"Da Vinci, come on, you knew this already."

"Yes, I just didn't think you were dumb enough to cop to it while Dragon was paying attention," she said sweetly.

"Da Vinci."

"Mmmyes?"

"Is there anything else I should know?" Dragon asked sweetly.

She looked at the sky. "Can Endbringers precog other Endbringers?"

Dragon stared. "Why?"

"If I say it, it may not happen. Or happen elsewhere."

"Just. Tell me."

"Simurgh, Canberra, February 24th."

Dragon's avatar glitched.

Da Vinci's console made a pinging noise.

"Hm… Private message from Winged_One. Apparently I'm a spoilsport."

Dragon's avatar began to have her eye twitch. "Oh really."

"Hey, Da Vinci. Tell her to keep things on track and I'll show her something funny."

"Okay… oh! She said she wasn't planning to change anyways, and she's looking forward to it."

Dragon let out a wail.

"Right, so rescue Taylor on the third, prep work and summon for a while, then fight Flying Psychic Bojangles down under a bit after Valentine's. Good?"

"Good!"

"I'll accept it."

"Why did I hire you?" Dragon groaned.

"Because you are kind, lovely, and the bestest boss in the world," Da Vinci said soothingly. "Also we like money so please give us more funding."

 

[Blinktwice13]

Formation 1.6

January 3rd, 2011. The big day. Da Vinci tinkered, Gil dozed in his chair, and I experienced the strangest sense of impending doom.

I walked over to the console and punched in the contact code.

"Dragon here. Oh, Grail! I'm used to Da Vinci being the one to contact me."

"Yeah, uh. I know you said you had the situation under control and to leave it to you, but. What measures did you take?"

"We've brought in Shadow Stalker for questioning, and have found several of her caches."

"Uh-huh. And Emma Barnes?"

"Her friend? Her father is fighting us on interviewing her, but we need to get a warrant to access her phone and other records to determine the full extent of accessory to Stalker's activities."

"And where is she now?"

"Probably on the way to school."

"Neat. Did anyone do anything about the locker?"

"Why? You said it happened today, right?"

"Yeah. Stalker already set it up to compost over Winter Break, though, and the whole thing was Barnes' brainchild to begin with."

Three. Two. One.

"WINSLOW. NOW."

I yelped. "Aye m'am!"

As the scenery began to take on the telltale blur of my teleport, I hoped that I wasn't too late.
____________________________________________________________________________

I marched into the school, taking on a teen version of my human model. Definitely less weight than I had back then.

I saw a crowd start to gather down one of the side halls, and over the muttering heard a door slam shut.

Shit.

I bolted down the hall, and got to the edge of the crowd. "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!"

They didn't part for me by choice. I shifted into a nondescript man in police clothes. Nobody there wanted to deal with a cop over whatever was happening.

Once I broke through, I took stock. Barnes, standing in front of a closed locker with vomit in front of it. She looked particularly pleased with herself.

The insects near the locker were already beginning to act strange, so the Trigger Event happened in spite of Dragon's efforts. Consequences of only focusing on the parahuman part of the equation, because I didn't think to double down on explaining Barnes' part in this. Thanks to me, Taylor got the worst day of her life, even when something had been done.

Fuck.

I strode forward, Barnes turning to meet me with a wide, nervous smile. "Problem, officer? I really don't think there's anything to see here," she said, voice trembling a little.

As I opened my mouth, I felt my nose twitch.

That did not smell like vomit, or garbage.

I looked down at the puddle, and it slowly dissolved into cherry blossom petals. Even more flooded out of the locker vents. Then a torrent of bugs, that turned into a storm of butterflies as they made contact with the air.

My fears were realized when a woman in a blue kimono materialized in a swirl of gold, face set in concentration. The locker door melted away into the ether, and Taylor Hebert, dirtied and crying, fell into her arms.

"Erm, miss," I said.

The Servant turned her luminous amber eyes on me.

"Her hands are injured. Can I see them?"

She smiled pleasantly. "Far be it from this miko to hinder you in your duties, mikon." Her large, foxlike ears twitched on top of her head.

I checked the back of Taylor's hand gently. The command seals were an incredibly stylized fox with nine tails.

I sighed. "Right. So… can you heal physical wounds?"

She giggled. "How perceptive, sir!"

I nodded. "Right. Take her home. Don't wash her shirt, it might have fingerprints. Otherwise, do what you have to." The Servant nodded, smiling. She vanished with Taylor in a swirl of foxfire.

I turned to the rapidly panicking Emma Barnes, and stared down at her. "You, miss, are coming with me. We have much to discuss." I looked up at a nearby camera and nodded at it.

"I- I want a lawyer! And my dad! Who are you? You can't make me do anything!"

I smiled coldly. "Can't I?"

At that moment, a pair of actual officers marched in. "I'm sure they can. Gentlemen, I leave it to you." They nodded, and I marched out.

As I walked, the shock began to fade and yells of "Cape!" and "Holy shit!" began to ring out.

God, what a mess.
____________________________________________________________________________

"Well we fucked up royally."

Dragon stared somberly down at the house through whatever sensors she had. "Yes. I should have been more thorough."

"And I should have remembered to bring up more details. Now, we have a freshly traumatized, high-ranking, Master-class parahuman down there with a Servant who has far more of her power than she usually does when summoned. Gilgamesh isn't getting involved, and Da Vinci would be the worst to handle this given her more puckish nature. So it's down to us." I looked over at her. "We mess this up, her going villain is almost a certainty. Assuming that she's lucid."

"What?"

"In the original timeline, she took a week to adjust to all the sensory input. I did say all the bugs, right? Because that's what she's got in her head. All. The bugs."

"My God."

I teleported us into the backyard, near the rear door. I was in my base form, plus mouth. "So we've dealt with the school, right?"

Dragon nodded. "The PRT is handling NDAs, and Piggot has been notified that we're taking jurisdiction."

I sighed. "Okay. That's good. Let's get the ball rolling, then." I knocked.

The door slowly opened, and a small gust of flower petals spun away.

"We three are in the living room," the Servant called. "Please, enter."

I looked back at Dragon and grimaced. Then I walked in.

We got into the living room. Danny Hebert sat in his chair, hands clasped in front of him. Taylor was passed out on the couch, head in her Servant's lap.

"Mind if I pull up some floor?" I asked, gesturing at a spot between the two.

Danny's eyes flicked over to Dragon and I. "Please, do. I'd like an explanation."

I sat. "We fucked up."

"Did you now?" Danny was that dangerous sort of calm.

"I know that this is going to sound callous, but we'll need you to sign a NDA for the information we're sharing. It's all incredibly classified, and your daughter's in the thick of it. We need to tell you this, but we also need you to not go to anyone about it."

"So you're protecting the people who hurt my daughter."

"Hell. No." Dragon's voice brooked no argument. "The information, if it gets out, could seriously hurt Taylor. The other part we need to tell you could hurt people entirely unrelated to the situation at hand. The people who hurt her? We're dealing with them to the full extent of the law." She leaned her armor forward. "Given that what she went through caused her to Trigger into powers? We're taking this dead serious."

Danny stared at her. Then he turned to me. "And you're backing this up?"

"I am backing this up," the Servant on the couch said softly. "I am the most powerful I have ever been, but without allies and information Taylor will be so far over her head drowning is the only certainty."

"You know, for all that you've been tending to my daughter, you still haven't introduced yourself."

I coughed. "May I, lady priestess?"

She smiled.

"Mr. Hebert, your daughter has contracted with the fully powered form of one of the most powerful Caster-class Servants, bar none. This is Tamamo-no-Mae, nine-tailed fox and fragment of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu. Her power is easily Triumvirate level, and could even let her tackle an Endbringer alone. And thanks to that mark on your daughter's hand, she is bound to be Taylor's protector, ally, and whatever other positive relationship she so desires to engage in."

Tamamo tittered behind her sleeve. "Such high praise for a humble miko, mikon. But it's true." She looked down at Taylor. "She's been alone for a very long time, mikon. Would you know anything about that, Hebert-san?" Her smile turned arctic.

...Okay. Mama Bear Tamamo is even scarier than Yandere Tamamo. Duly noted.

Danny sighed. "It hasn't been easy, Tamamo, I have been doing the best I can-"

"Of course. Work is hard, and the loss of your wife cannot have been easy. Sometimes, such distances happen. There was nothing to be done, I suppose." Tamamo's eyes glowed. "Truly, I can empathize with your difficulties."

I had the feeling that this was getting out of hand.

"Tamamo, how did you transmogrify all of that material? I don't remember that being in your set of power before…" Please let her be distracted.

Tamamo smiled beatifically at me. "Why, it's my Witchcraft. With one tail, it was strong enough to invoke the elements. Now? I can control my immediate area, make it beautiful." Her smile turned sly. "Control is something my cute Master and I share."

Aaaand she knows about Taylor's power. Because of course she does.

I looked over and took note of Dragon talking Danny down as he signed a set of papers. Go Boss, for including a printer on this suit.

"Right, so about Taylor-"

"She knows everything already," Tamamo said primly.

We were all struck silent.

"Our hearts are connected, so I have been soothing her soul and accelerating her acclimation to her new power. She should be in full wakefulness, soon. And I spoke to her of many things, mikon." Tamamo's smile turned wry. "And yet, she still wishes to be a hero. Such a funny little Master."

I let out a soft breath. "Right. Well, we came in here to explain ourselves, so we might as well start."

Danny shot me a sidelong look. "That would be appreciated," he said in a brittle tone.
____________________________________________________________________________

Taylor had come to during our discussion. Thankfully, by framing Sophia and Winslow as the key perpetrators, she didn't have any sort of hatred for the PRT. Avoiding her initial distrust of authority figures would only make it easier for me to help her. The more I could get her to trust me, the closer she would let me get, and the more input I would have in her decision-making process. It's her life, but I want to be in her corner so that it isn't as spectacularly shitty as it could be. I owe her that much.

It helped that Dragon took point after she woke up, giving a decently edited version of my own situation and how it affected her.

Nobody needed to use the E-word after a Trigger Event, thank you very much.

She held a cup of tea in her hands, slumping under the blanket Tamamo had procured for her. The fox priestess sat near her side, eyes watchful.

"So… you knew? About everything?" She looked at me.

"Yyyyyes. I entered your world about a week ago, so my ability to impact it was limited, but Dragon and I are committed to seeing your tormentors punished and you free of it all."

Taylor shifted, staring at me. "And no one else knew?"

"Nobody above your principal and Hess's case worker, no. At least to my admittedly limited knowledge."

Taylor nodded woodenly. "You guys tried to stop it."

I hissed. "Taylor, I'm sor-"

"Sorry isn't… I don't want to say it's not necessary, or that it's wrong. You screwed up. But you tried, and that has to mean something." She looked me in the eyes. "Trying has to mean something."

Tamamo nodded with a sincere smile on her face. "All one can do in this world is try. Sometimes, intent must matter."

Taylor's eyes cut over to Tamamo, and she smiled wryly. "Still kinda mad, though."

Dragon sighed. "As things stand, we want to try to do right by you one more time. Will you let us?"

Taylor blinked curiously. Dragon was something of a subject of awe for her. She opened her mouth, then closed it. "Tamamo?"

"Yes, Ojou-sama?"

Taylor blinked again. "What's that mean?"

Tamamo merely smiled.

"Right. Anyways, should I hear them out?"

Tamamo giggled behind her sleeve. "Oh, Ojou-sama. I think you'd have a much happier time letting them guide you a little than going to the Protectorate or on your own."

Taylor paused, then gave a sharp nod and turned to us. "What's your plan?"

"Join my team of Guild affiliates! We're pretty free-range, so it's nowhere near as stifling as the Wards. You'd still get some access to those guys for training if I can convince Piggot. If not, I bet Dragon can do something."

Dragon's helmet whipped towards me.

"Really?" said Taylor doubtfully.

I grinned at Dragon.

"I need to speak with my associate," said Dragon in a tone that implied gritted teeth.

"Unlimited spider silk," I said in a sing-song tone.

Taylor blinked. "Actually, I could do that."

Dragon paused.

"All we need is some imports, and she can use the black widows to train. Eventually she'd be able to make a whole bunch of silk, given time and resources."

"I do want to learn to fight," Taylor said stubbornly.

"Well, that's up to what Dragon and I can arrange, but I will promise that I won't let you wander around the city without knowing how to protect yourself or ill-equipped."

Dragon held a finger up for a moment, then dropped it. "We'll speak later. That said, I'll send some pamphlets to your PHO account as well as paperwork for after you look them over."

Taylor actually brightened slightly at that. "Best thing I've heard today."
__________________________________________________________________________

I rolled my shoulders as I approached the warehouse. Because of course it was cordoned off by the PRT, front door opened.

Armsmaster was waiting, arms crossed. "Grail."

I sighed. "You want the long version or short version?"

He inclined his head. "I'd like you to come with me to the PRT office."

"Or I could tell you here. I'm sure you have something in your helmet to verify what I say."

He shifted. "My orders were to bring you in."

"From Director Piggot directly?"

I felt his gaze sharpen. "You know something."

I looked over at the warehouse. "So for your safety and mine… want to talk?"

Armsmaster slowly nodded.

I walked in, and Armsmaster followed shortly. I noticed the PRT leaving as we got near the console, and I punched in the code to close the door.

I motioned to the nearest bare table, and sat myself down. Armsmaster followed suit.

I pursed my lips in thought. "Da Vinci. Do we have eyes on the recent Summon?"

Da Vinci materialized, eyes blazing. "Yes. Gilgamesh actually volunteered to go himself. If what you think is happening is occurring, then anyone who goes after that poor girl will be in a world of hurt."

Armsmaster slapped the table. "You offered answers. Time to deliver."

I turned my gaze to him, and grinned. "Compromised is a kind way to describe the PRT. Would it be safe to assume you were sent here by someone other than Piggot?"

He stiffened. "Who is he working for?"

"Coil, high ranking Precognitive. Binary timeline analysis, picks his favorite and drops the other."

Armsmaster swore.

"And now he's taking advantage to try and snatch the girl who received one of my stray summons."

Armsmaster grit his teeth. "Strays?"

"So when I botched a summon, a few strays entered the world. One went to Legend. The other rescued a young girl from her own Trigger Event." I tilted my head. "One which was precipitated, in part, by one of your own Wards. Unfortunately, while Shadow Stalker set the scene, her accomplice - whose father kept her out of legal custody - did the deed." I exhaled through my teeth. "Despite our efforts, the victim Triggered. She also gained custody of one of the more powerful potential summons I could have called." I folded my hands. "Now, she and her father have signed NDA papers, and Dragon has filed them. She is aware of the Protectorate's failures, but does not blame you or the PRT. She is tentatively interested in joining my team, where I can help protect her from influences which currently plague the PRT ENE Branch."

Armsmaster growled. "I'll inform the Director at once. Do you know of any other moles?"

"No, but any other information I give you would shatter the unwritten rules. I'd hesitate to break them until Coil escalates to that level first."

The hero paused. "You know Coil's identity."

I shrug.

Armsmaster slowly turned. "How."

"Single-fire precognitive ability. I've already thrown the prediction violently off the rails, but there was still a glut of sensitive information which is relevant to working in the area."

"You have to realize the risks you're running by telling me this. The Director will have to know."

I tilted my head. "Does she, now?"

Armsmaster held up a finger. "I need to take this."

He got up, and walked to a wall. It looked like he was having a conversation over communicator.

I twitched as my phone went off.

<Winged_One: Careful, now. Delicate work here.>

I typed back: <SnapCupTime: How far off the rails can this go if I fling Coil under the bus?>

<Winged_One: That's just enough to bring Contessa's attention to Brockton. That tangles quite a few timelines.>

<SnapCupTime: Honestly, given I'm on notice already, I'm inclined to believe you. Any advice?>

<Winged_One: Get Dragon on board with this conversation as soon as you can. Armsmaster likes you, which is fascinating, but not enough to risk his neck. Doing it for Dragon is another matter entirely.>

Valid advice.

<SnapCupTime: Thanks. So riddle me this: does my plan for you have any merit?>

<Winged_One: <3 >

I put the phone away.

Da Vinci looked over at me somberly.

"Get Dragon. We need to talk."

The console came to life, and Dragon's avatar appeared.

Da Vinci's face quirked in a smile. "Already done."

Armsmaster returned. "I've informed the Director of the circumstances surrounding the manifestation. We will be keeping the Trigger Event under wraps, as procedure." He looked at me. "She wasn't informed of our approaching you until I called. The man who delivered the message to me is nowhere to be found. Your hunch might have borne fruit." He paused. "She doesn't know you know Coil's identity, or how." He looked from me, to Dragon, and back. "Convince me I've done the right thing before I leave, and I'll keep your secret. If you can't, the information is sensitive enough I can just claim I was worried our communications were compromised."

Dragon sighed. "Armsmaster. Grail can be troubling, but I've been party to him building his plans. This is a move by Coil to implicate him in things that can't be blamed on him, to remove an obstacle to gaining custody of an impressionable young parahuman with a powerful projection, along with any other number of goals. Knowledge of his ability is at a premium, which is what has rendered the man and his organization so effective."

Armsmaster nodded. "I can accept that. Continue."

I leaned forward. "Non sequitur: would you like to stop a crime? Long before it happens?"

His gaze cut over to me. "Go on."

"Dinah Alcott. Will trigger, or has triggered, with percentage-based precognition. Ask a question, get an answer of chances of an outcome." I leaned back. "Tell me that doesn't sound like catnip to a binary precognitive crimelord."

Armsmaster's mouth thinned. "You're offering me information for anonymity."

"I want this all stopped as much as you. I won't escalate past certain points until it becomes necessary, but that does give me a lot of leeway." I smiled at him. "I don't like following orders within such a strict structure. There's a lot of secrets I hold, and if they're forced from me in an untimely manner, bad things happen to all involved. Except me, because they don't have a Brute ranking high enough for my durability."

Armsmaster leaned in. "What secrets."

"Plots. Plans. Identities. Most revolving around Brockton. A few others."

"Many which have yet to be conceived, no doubt." Armsmaster sighed.

"Armsmaster, please. I believe in him."

"She believes in you, too, by the by."

Da Vinci elbowed my head.

Armsmaster coughed. "I. Erm."

"I guess it helps that I believe in you as well."

His gaze snapped upwards.

"I know you, Armsmaster. You can be vainglorious, you can be prideful. But I won't deny that there is a drive in you to do good. It may take some time, but I believe that those best parts of you can be drawn to the fore." I grinned at him. "Guess it's a good thing I'm a fan of long-term projects."

Which reminds me, I should poke Panacea soon. And the Undersiders. Damn but Coil needs to go. And the ABB. I have a lot lined up to tackle, don't I?

Armsmaster grumbled incoherently for a moment after he broke silence. "If we're going to work together like this… If I'm going to take this risk and trust you?"

He gently took his helmet off.

"Call me Colin."

Dragon's smile was radiant.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Scathe 2.1

My face twitched uncontrollably.

Taylor's jaw slackened as she stared at Legend pleasantly chatting with Dragon. She shook her head and turned to me. "You know Legend?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." I shook my head.

Legend requested to meet Taylor at the warehouse earlier. They'd had a pleasant conversation of him pontificating heroism at her, and her being politely dumbstruck.

Also, the instant he arrived, Enkidu grabbed Gilgamesh's arm and the two had hit the town. Again.

Armsmaster also arrived, at my request. He and Da Vinci tinkered away over at one of her many, many work tables.

I closed my eyes, and clapped my hands together. "Oh-kay! I need you guys' attention for some seriously secret stuff."

I could feel Armsmaster's gaze turn incredulous through his visor. "Such as?"

"Right. So, this entire thing is built on trust. That means I've got to come clean about something very important, because if the wrong person twigs to it and decides to tell anyone in this room… well, it'll be bad."

Taylor snorted. "What? Like you're secretly a Slaughterhouse Nine plant?" she said dryly.

Tamamo giggled as she hid her mouth behind her sleeve. "Quite the joke! That said, I believe I know what he is going to tell you." She pursed her lips. "Ojou-sama, it would be best to hear him out entirely. Whatever he may be, he does wish to do good in this world."

At that, Taylor frowned deeply. "Okay, then."

I coughed. "So, you guys know that I'm an administration-slash-wish device piloted by human memories from another universe."

"And that just gets weirder every time I hear it," Taylor muttered.

Legend crossed his arms and nodded at me. "That's not all though, is it?"

He didn't seem upset, mostly because we had discussed it before. I just hoped that the fallout from this wouldn't alienate Taylor or Colin. Big risk, hopefully big reward - trust is coin with those two, and I had to spend it to get it.

I took a deep breath. "Right. So, to manifest in this world, I needed a body."

Armsmaster jolted. "Your body is stolen."

Taylor had been smirking, but her face immediately wiped itself of all emotion. "What." Buzzing began to resound from the air vents in the warehouse.

"Yeah. I hijacked an Endbringer that had yet to manifest, and forced it into my shape. So I'm something else than either of them."

The buzzing stopped.

Taylor and Colin were dead silent. Tamamo crossed her arms and kept a watchful eye on her charge. Legend shot me a sympathetic look.

"You know what they've done, and how we were most likely going to respond," Armsmaster said.

I nodded. I couldn't find any more words.

He exhaled. "That's a lot. Who knows?"

Legend stepped in. "Myself, his Servants, Dragon, Enkidu, and now you. Eidolon and Alexandria suspect but to my knowledge have no confirmation. I'm going to assume Tamamo-no-Mae had a clue or two as well."

Tamamo giggled. "Most perceptive, Legend-san."

I shifted uncomfortably.

Armsmaster grunted. "Somehow, I can't see you destroying a city. Your actions have, to this point, been either coached in compassion or self-preservation. I've seen nothing in your powers to indicate anything on the level of the other three, save for summoning your 'Servants', who are unlikely to take such action without provocation. So say my behavioral analysis programs." His jaw tightened. "That said, whatever forms your powers take? I'll need to analyze a counter for them. In case the worst happens."

I nodded silently.

Taylor sighed through her nose. "It would make a sick kind of sense that one of the few people who would care about me turned out to be an Endbringer." Her smile was wry. "This is my life now, huh." Her face froze. "Am I… are we being Mastered?" The buzzing picked up again, as Tamamo rushed to rub Taylor's back and speak soothingly into her ear.

Da Vinci gave a coughing laugh. "S-sorry! I know this is a serious conversation, but… well, here's my readings of his prana aura."

Armsmaster gripped the laptop and pulled it over to him. "Can I see the radar you use?" After Da Vinci handed it over, he looked into it quickly, yet efficiently. Then he set it down. "These readings appear to be sound. The only effect of his aura is a mild calming effect within a five-foot radius. Aside from that, it only manifests things. Direct modifications such as a Master effect have not yet been recorded." Armsmaster paused. "Which begs the question: if we were Mastered, would we be asking these questions?"

I found my voice again. "Depends on the type of effect. I'm not doing anything consciously, and the Master-Servant bond is more a symbiotic existence than a traditional Master-Projection one."

Dragon chimed in. "You're all forgetting that I haven't been in range of him, and my robots are far and wide immune to Master effects. If you had been Mastered, I would have noticed and done something. Done quite a few things, actually."

Everyone relaxed.

"This hellaciously uncomfortable subject leads to the other, equally important part of what I have to say. The Endbringers aren't intelligent in the same sense as you or I. Ziz is, mostly, but Leviathan and Behemoth are more… following directives. Like computer programs. And in effect… I think all of them are being Mastered."

You could have heard a pin drop.

"By what logic?" said Legend cautiously.

"Well, someone's been trying to do it to me for a few days and failing miserably, so…"

Legend went white as a bedsheet.

Armsmaster's gaze cut over to me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "And if I was Mastered, one of three things would happen: Gilgamesh would stick me in his Treasury, likely with Enkidu's assistance. Tamamo would obliterate me. Or Da Vinci would herd me into a pod and launch me into the sun. Most likely a combination of the three, somehow."

With some mild prompting from Tamamo, Taylor raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Hebert?"

"It's Heb- Oh. Um. Nevermind. But I was wondering, who's strong enough to actually Master an Endbringer?" She wilted a bit under the combined gaze of Legend and Armsmaster. "I mean… outside of another Endbringer, there's maybe two candidates? And they're both heroes." She trailed off and fell silent.

Armsmaster's face fell into a scowl. "Hebert raises a valid point. You didn't exist until after the last assault, so you aren't a valid candidate. This leaves one of three possibilities, two highly unlikely, and one more likely. The unlikely ones are Scion, which doesn't make sense, and Eidolon, which is patently absurd. The more likely one is a sort of Coordination Endbringer that has remained hidden from all detection and directs the other three, given their absence from battle." He paused. "Or the Simurgh is the Coordinator."

I hummed. "The last one does hold some merit, but I think it's more she's directing them according to the Master." I held up my phone. "Observe."

Armsmater and Legend both looked over my shoulders, and Taylor peeked around my arm.

<Tin_Mother is now viewing your conversation>

<SnapCupTime: Hey there! Quick question, are you and our sibs being low-key Mastered?>

<Winged_One: FUCK DADVERSARY WITH A RUSTY PIKE UP THE ASS AND OUT HIS THROAT. Sorry, did you ask something?>

<SnapCupTime: I was going to, but I think I have my answer. Thanks bunches, sis <3 See you in a couple months~>

<Winged_One: <3 >

"My God." Legend's forehead fell on my shoulder as Armsmaster leaned away and began to walk towards the console.

Taylor was silent for a moment before she spoke. "You're internet buddies with Ziz."

"Taylor, I've got pull with a God-King and the Renaissance Man who decided to show up as Mona Lisa. Said God-King's best friend is chilling with Legend and his family in New York, and pushing crime levels down astronomically. Lastly, you yourself are playing house with the closest thing to a capital-G Goddess in either of our universes." I give her a side-eye. "After what I told you before that little chat, are you really that surprised?"

"No. Just felt like I should say it out loud. Make it real." She was surprisingly calm. "After all, this is my life now."

"...so how bad are the bugs freaking out outside?"

"Oh, they're making a fucking tornado, even the ones that can't fly. I'm keeping it below building level so that nobody who isn't coming here will notice, but. Yeah."

Tamamo wandered over and gently took Taylor by the hand. "Ojou-sama, perhaps we should go and practice your powers more? I can look into creating new familiars for you, so that you have more options." Her smile turned feral. "I don't know about you, Ojou-sama, but I'm quite interested in pushing those Merchants off the Docks, mikon."

Taylor shored up her shoulders. "Right." She looked over at me. "So, any other truth-bombs to drop?"

I shook my head. "None about me. There's some stuff which has to or should be secret up to a point, but I figured it'd be better to be honest with you about who and what I was before you got too attached and I accidentally disillusioned you or something. Communication is an important part of any relationship, be it between friends or co-workers."

Taylor's face flickered into a mild smile, then back to neutral. "I see. Thanks for being upfront with me, then." She began to head towards the door. "See you tomorrow, Grail. Have Da Vinci clear an area for my spiders."

What?

She must have seen my confusion, because her face suddenly took on a mischievous cast. "I filed the papers yesterday, and as of tomorrow I'm joining your team. See you then, team leader."

And she left, a madly giggling Tamamo in tow.

I prodded Legend's head gently off of my shoulder, and the man stood up. He shook his head.

"Right. So on the one hand, Alexandria and Eidolon need to know the Endbringers are being mastered. On the other, telling them would likely hamstring you in the short term and alienate you further out. Because they are my friends and I love them, but I also know them and how their heads work." He shot me a glare. "At what point did I sign on to a clandestine conspiracy with the endgoal of world preservation?"

Oh, you poor man.

I smiled. "When you were the only member of your big kids' club that was still alive who I would invite."

Legend gave a short, choked laugh. "God, he would have loved something like this. Hero was the best of us, but he did have a taste for old spy thrillers once in a while." The man sighed.

I worried my lip. "So, I know this is a lot to put on you, but I do think that you-know-who that's involved with your friends is a problem if they go too over the line. The main reason I'm bringing you in is so I have an inside man that they'd hesitate to get rid of. If you like to look at it this way, you also exert influence on me to a degree, keeping me from doing anything too far off the rails."

Legend grimaced. "So I'm doing the double-agent thing?" He sighed. "I won't lie. I'm not as close to Eidolon or Alexandria as I used to be. It's been… easy to ignore things I don't like."

"I'm sorry for springing this on you. If it's any consolation, I want to do the right thing."

"Which would be?"

"First, New Wave. It hopefully won't be disruptive, but while Lady Photon's house is in theoretically good shape, Brandish's needs a little maintenance before Panacea suffers burnout or worse. Then I'm going to start gunning for the gangs."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm going to head back to New York and discretely do what digging I can on Cauldron and any Endbringer studies. In the meanwhile-" he paused.

"What?"

Gilgamesh entered the room proudly, a smiling Enkidu right behind him. An absolutely massive La-Z-Boy was strapped onto his Vimana flier - effectively a prehistoric magical fighter jet, for all he called it a chariot. The second thing I noticed was a small bit of soot on his armor, which he was not wearing when he left earlier.

"I have defeated a dragon and stolen its treasure!" the King of Heroes proclaimed with pride.

Da Vinci clapped politely.

Armsmaster tilted his head in confusion.

Dragon, Legend, and I all let out a collective groan of misery.
____________________________________________________________________________

"Okay Da Vinci. I'm hoping your healing magecraft, or tinkering, or whatever, is good enough to make this visit worthwhile and not just a thinly-veiled attempt at helping Brockton's resident Bio-Striker not go off the rails," I said, sotto voice.

Da Vinci shrugged merrily. "Who knows!"

This could only go well.

We walked in to the lobby, and went straight to the front desk. "Grail and Da Vinci, Guild associates. Da Vinci has some healing techniques, and we wanted to volunteer."

The nurse blinked. "Well, we already have Panacea here…"

"Oh good! We can coordinate and lessen her workload, hopefully," I said with a wide smile.

She blinked again, then gave a soft smile. "Thank god. I thought she'd burn herself out long before anything like this happened." She made a few rapid clicks on her computer, and turned back to me. "She'll be in the extreme trauma ward right now. That's-"

"I know where it is!" Da Vinci chimed. She grabbed me by the arm and hauled me away.

I gave her a sidelong glance as she tugged me along.

"I do my homework," she said primly.
____________________________________________________________________________

Panacea was downright sullen as Da Vinci ran what looked like a bootleg tricorder over a double amputee's missing legs, slowly regrowing them.

"So I'm being replaced by a Case-53 and his projection."

I looked over at her. "More like assisted."

She turned her eyes over to me, and the bags were full-on Gucci.

"Dear god you look like a mess," I blurted.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, you need a break before you snap or something."

"I've been telling her that for months! I mean, she barely likes healing anymore, but she forces herself to do it! Even when it's something a normal doctor could handle!" And cue Glory Girl.

Panacea narrowed her eyes at her sister. "You don't get to talk."

I felt the edge of Glory Girl's aura pushing at me and washing over. It didn't affect me, but I noticed. "Uh, tone that down, please. I'm immune but I still notice the," I moved my hand in a circle, "the aura whatsit."

Glory Girl blinked at me. "Oh shit, sorry." I felt it recede and noticed Panacea looking more haggard.

I sighed. "Can we step outside? There's something I need to talk to you about."

Glory Girl nodded. "So like, outside-outside? The hall? The roof?"

"Roof is good, it's sensitive intel."

The heroine's eyes brightened. "Oooh. Okay, let's go!"

I yelped as she picked me up in a bridal carry and we plunged out the window.

"Vicky!" I heard a faint, irritated voice cry.

Glory Girl dropped me on my feet once we hit the roof. "Okay, so what's up? Gang movement? Some shady organization? Sorry if I'm a little excited, I've never worked with the Guild before. It's usually the PRT and Protectorate, they're cool and all but-"

I held up my hand, quieting her.

"This pertains to you, Vicky. Can I call you Vicky?"

She nodded, mildly nervous now. "Uh, sure. Shoot."

"So I've had Da Vinci studying a myriad of powers in the area for side effects and whatnot. She's essentially Thinker: Yes and Tinker: Run. You follow?"

Vicky nodded, relaxing a bit. "Yeah, sure. Is it something with Ames' power that's messing with her?" She immediately became concerned.

I sighed. "It's a mix. First, her power isn't healing. It can be used to heal, but it's not its full function. Vicky, assume someone said you could only fly. No punching allowed. How long do you think you'd last?"

Glory Girl hissed in sympathy. "Oh geez. That's… bad. I mean, I've been grounded so I haven't had a chance to go punch some metal up at the shipyard or anything. It's been a week and I'm already antsy. If Ames has been doing nothing but healing for forever… Shit, Grail. This is really bad."

I nodded solemnly. "And that leads me to the second issue your sister has. She is immune to disease, but not to direct hormone manipulation. Your aura has caused her to build a tolerance to the dopamine increase due to overexposure, and so has influenced her mentally."

Glory Girl grew still. "No."

"Vicky, it's not your fault, and we are working on a fix so that she isn't worn down as much. But I can't lie to you and say that she hasn't been harmed. There are reasons she's depressed when not around you, and is naturally withdrawn, and those reasons are not intrinsic to her."

"No, no, no, I… FUCK!"

Her aura exploded outwards, and even I felt something. A small glimmer of affection, compounded by my own desire to help and improve.

Help. Improve. Fix. That was what I wanted. I wanted to fix things, to help everyone I could, to make things okay for as many as I was capable.

I finally understood, then. Why I was here.

I walked over to Glory Girl and gently offered her my hand. She glared at me, face taut.

I felt my gaze whip to the side as she decked me. Then I turned back to her.

"You're full of it. The first part I buy, but my Shaker effect doesn't do that. We've checked!"

I shook my head. "That's what the testing people say I bet. But they only tested for short-term stuff, didn't they? Months of exposure is hard to gauge."

Vicky hesitated.

"You can reign in your aura, yes. But have you ever turned it off? How often is Amy in its range? Your mother? Your father? I'm not saying you have to cut contact, but we need to figure this out before serious damage results to you and your family."

Vicky bit her lip.

"Work with me. You and your sister are in a heap of hurt, even if you can't see it yet. All I want is to help you guys, and these are the problems I've seen. I'm working on solutions, but I need your help to get anywhere. Please? Glory Girl?"

She looked up at me and exhaled sharply. "What you're saying makes sense. I fucking hate it, but it makes sense."

Her aura receded.

She narrowed her eyes. "You are the weirdest Case 53 ever. Multi-function projections you can loan out, invulnerability, a mild Changer ability, and teleportation? To borrow a turn of phrase, we grab-bags are supposed to just sample the bag, not take the whole thing and run cackling." She smirked. "Glad you're on our side, though."

I shrugged. "I mean I could do the secret identity thing, but when you don't have to eat or sleep, what's the use? Also this is my base form, so, y'know. Looking human is like putting on a fancy suit for hobnobbing. And my… projections? Basically I'm just amplifying and twisting history to comical degrees. They're already so much larger than life that hiding them or giving them identities is kind of dumb."

Vicky chuckled, then sighed. "So what's the plan?"

I hummed. "Da Vinci is pretty much flawless with tech. Give her an hour, and I'd bet a date with Gilgamesh on his best behavior that she could whip up something that would let you use your aura but also be able to turn it all the way off without negative effects on you."

Vicky grinned at me. "Dean might have competition as my favorite guy."

"Sorry, almost twice your age, asexual, and as anatomically correct as a Ken doll."

Vicky grinned wider. "Are you busy tonight? I think we're having spaghetti for dinner."
___________________________________________________________________________

I walked next to Da Vinci quietly as we left the Dallon household.

"Well, it's a start. Working with Panacea was eye-opening. She's good at what she does - I'd be surprised if she wasn't a candidate for Caster or Saver, if her life was impressive enough." Da Vinci smirked at me. "And Glory Girl seemed pretty happy with her new necklace."

"Brandish was pretty… intense. I like Mark though. He's nice. I hope there's something we can do to help his emotional issues, or at least convince him to try therapy or a psychiatrist for some prescription or other."

Da Vinci nodded. "And Panacea. Getting her to use her powers in a different, yet positive way…" She exhaled. "Brandish has not been good for that girl." Her gaze slid to me. "You've taken on one hell of a project, here."

I sighed. "As Taylor said before, this is my life now."

Da Vinci smiled. "At least dealing with New Wave was made easier. Handling the gangs will be a challenge. Your combat training is lacking. Gilgamesh won't do anything unless they deliberately cross his path, and while I can fight I'm far less resilient than most other classes."

"Summon when we get home?"

"Summon when we get home."
____________________________________________________________________________

The sigil on the floor spun rapidly. Da Vinci arched an eyebrow at me as Gilgamesh lounged in his new, larger chair and Dragon watched via console.

"Summon: Lancer!"

The light came and went, and as I blinked rapidly my gaze was filled with a pair of red eyes gazing right into mine.

"Oh? What a strange-looking Master. Well, no problem!" Lancer leaned back, and I took in the blue bodysuit, pauldrons, blue hair, and feral grin. "Servant Lancer - Cu Chulainn, here to fight!"

"...you summoned a cur to supplement our forces."

"Oi! It's the shitty king!"

As blades began to fly across the warehouse for whatever reason, I stared at Da Vinci, face a mask of despair. "When did they even meet? And why is this happening?"

"Strong, feisty, good at single combat and dealing with trash mobs. Great summon!" She flashed me a gauntleted thumbs-up.

Dragon sighed. "I'd be more upset, but…" A vicious grin split her pretty face. "You seem to be suffering more, so I'll take what I can get."

"Whyyyyyyy?" I wailed.

An arm suddenly wrapped itself around my shoulder. "Because I just met you and I already think we'll be great friends. Also, thanks for the shield!"

And so I was interposed between Ireland's Child of Light and a Gate of Babylon barrage until the following morning.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Interlude: Canary

Paige exhaled around her gag, flexing her hands as much as she could. Alone again. If she could smile, she would.

"Oh little bird… I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes and welcomed the feeling of fingers gently running through her hair.

"You don't deserve this, nobody does. But especially you."

Paige knew.

"You didn't know. Nobody told you it was wrong. That's why it happened."

It's true.

"And now you're here. Bound, miserable. Alone."

Paige nodded, her eyes still shut.

"I won't let you be alone. Because I understand all of it."

Paige opened her eyes. The young girl in a frilled black dress stood in front of her, vivid pink hair and a pair of horns readily apparent.

"And besides, we idols need to stick together, right?" the girl said in a perky tone. She jolted as she heard the door start to open. "Sorry little bird, I need to be quiet for a bit. Stay strong!" She turned transparent in a shower of golden sparks.

A mech-suit strolled in. "Paige Mcabee."

Paige looked up.

The suit briskly strode over, and undid her gag, sliding the tongue depressor out of her mouth. Paige gasped fully as the suit proceeded to remove her bonds.

"After thorough discussion with your judge, it has been decided that a few things were… amiss with your case. Firstly, the proper charge was reckless use of parahuman powers. However, after examining the situation, he approached you after the concert and provoked you. Knowing that you have a voice-based Master power, he should have fucking known better. It doesn't excuse what happened, but the onus isn't wholly on you." The suit turned its faceplate to gaze at her directly. "Secondly, these restraints are utterly excessive. The gag is pointless since you're already alone, and you need time to build up a song in order to influence people. Containment foam dispensers would have sufficed. The cuffs were also excessive, since last I checked any and all databases, Bad Canary was not, in fact, in possession of a Brute rating." The voice was crisp, irritated, and vaguely Canadian.

Canary tried to speak, but only made a croaking noise.

"Shh. Don't hurt yourself. Here, have some water." The suit handed Paige a small glass.

She drank it slowly with her friend's silent coaching.

"I'm here with an offer."

Paige looked up questioningly.

"What you did was an accident, but people are scared. They won't let you run around unchecked."

Paige nodded. She knew this, of course. Mind manipulation was frightening, and that was why she used her brightly colored outfits to deflect associations with the Simurgh.

"So, here is the deal I cut with the judge. My offer to you is probationary membership in the Guild. You'll be working with me out of Montreal, and in exchange you get some freedoms. If you don't accept, I'll do what I can. But I can't promise you a good outcome if this goes to trial."

Paige nodded frantically.

"I assumed as much, but I didn't want to dictate terms. I'll go arrange things with the warden."

The suit left as quickly as it came.

Paige sat in the quiet and dark for a few moments, enjoying the soft hum of her friend in the corner. Then she sat up quickly as she noticed the camera watching her droop.

A rectangle of light appeared on the wall opposite of her pink-haired friend.

Said friend's face lost its smile for the first time since she came to Paige.

A woman in a fedora strode out of the light, turning to look at Paige.

"We've come up with a way to collect on your debt. We will be in touch, and you will report to us on the status of the Guild cell in Brockton Bay. Failure will not be tolerated."

"No." Her friend materialized.

The woman turned quickly, eyes wide.

The idol's tail swished angrily. "You left my little songbird here in the dark, and cold. She couldn't even cry to her captors for mercy. You could have saved her, could have gotten her out of this hell." Her teeth lengthened slightly, and the Servant snarled. "She owes you nothing."

The woman in the hat narrowed her eyes, and a knife fell into her hand. She rushed forward and-

Paige stared. Did that microphone stand have a blade on the end?

The fight was brutal, for all neither woman drew blood. The Servant idly parried each thrust and slash, almost as if seeing the woman in the hat in slow motion.

Her teeth bared in a silent snarl, the woman drew back.

"I'd hate to get blood on the floor and ruin my songbird's release. Please take your leave, useless little piggy." The pink-haired girl's gaze was glacial.

The woman drew a gun.

"Are you deaf? No? Well you will be soon!" The Servant slid her gaze to Paige. "My singing is art, but this close it'll hurt! Cover your ears, my songbird!"

Paige did as she was told.

The woman shot, and the bullet was swept aside as negligently as all her other attempts.

"I bring you my voice, echoing from the depths of the prison Castle. I bring you my song, from my dreams of redemption. I bring you my fury, from the cell of my friend, who alone can understand my suffering! Behold my amazing, inimitable Noble Phantasm! Bathory! Erzsebet!"

The woman took aim again, but paled as the image of a massive castle and amplifier superimposed itself on the wall behind Bathory.

The Servant thrust her mic into the ground blade-down, and flew up to land and perch atop it. She took a deep breath.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

A veritable wall of sound struck the woman, who was blasted backwards through the square of light. The gate closed without a sound.

Paige, who still had one eye open, felt her jaw drop.
_________________________________________________________________________

Paige stared at her new room. There was a recording studio with mic and mixers, a king-sized bed with thick, fluffy pillows and blankets, and a lush carpet. The attached bathroom was spotless, spacious, and had an enormous tub. It even had jacuzzi spigots!

"It's so… nice."

Dragon snorted in an unladylike fashion. "I didn't spend all that clout and effort getting you out of prison to stick you in a new one, Paige. You and Elizabeth will have to share for now, seeing as I didn't even see the command seals until I removed those restraints. If you want, I'll expedite the new arrangements."

Elizabeth hummed. "That's unnecessary. I'll gladly share quarters with my dear little songbird! Idol unity!" She struck a cute pose, angling her hips and flashing a two-fingered victory sign.

Paige giggled. "I think we'll be fine, Dragon. Thank you for everything." Her gaze slid to Bathory. "Thank you both for everything."

Dragon nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Canary turned to her Servant. "Hey, Lancer?"

"Hmmm?"

She grinned impishly. "Ready to use our voices to change the world?"

"Of course! Such is an idol's duty!"
_________________________________________________________________________

Dragon smiled as she listened to Grail's wailing.

"Elizabeth Bathory? Bathory? Why her? Whyyyyyyy?"

"Grail."

"WHAT."

"Do you want me to transfer them down there?"

"NO. Cu and Gilgamesh are already enough of a headache! Just because I can't see how doesn't mean I don't know it can get worse! Keep your idol shenanigans UP THERE. Hell, go blow Heartbreaker the fuck out of the water! Leave! Me! Out of it!"

Dragon gave a full, delighted laugh as Grail cut connection.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Scathe 2.2

"Oiiiiiiii, Master. Let's go get a drink somewhere."

"I can't get drunk. There's no point."

"Then fight me!"

"I can't be hurt, and have next to no offensive capabilities compared to you."

Cu Chulainn scowled as he rested his head on his arms, seated across from me at a table. "Can we just go out, then? Too many feckin' spiders. Weaver's a cute lass, but I have my limits of what I want to tolerate!"

I slowly looked up from the book Taylor had given me. Some treatise on parahuman abilities. "What do you need me for?"

Cu growled. "It ain't about needing, shitty Master! It's about getting to know you better!" His accent thickened as his anger grew.

"I'm still angry that you used me as a human shield against Gilgamesh."

"You just said you couldn't be hurt!"

"Physically, true, but my dignity is very fragile. It was most unkind of you to do that."

Lancer deflated, and the man looked for all the world like a kicked puppy. "Mrrf. M'sorry."

I sighed. "I've already drawn more of Cauldron's attention than I want. Giving Contessa an excuse to run roughshod over folks I like who don't have Servant protection isn't on my agenda."

"Contessa?" asked Gilgamesh from his purloined throne.

"Yep."

"The Bogeyman."

"Just so."

"The one who tried to force Canary to be a plant in the Guild to collect information on us?"

"I believe we covered that this morning, yes."

"The one who took Bathory's sonic Noble Phantasm directly to the head, and is a normal human being who, if they survived, will take weeks to recover to a decent fighting form without Panacea's intervention?"

"...I see where you're going with this."

"Take the cur for a walk, Trinket. His whining bores me."

Cu Chulainn perked up, eyes gleaming. "So we're heading out around town?"

I sighed, snapping the book shut. "Guess so."

"Yesssss!" Cu pumped his fist in the air.

"Don't forget a leash," Gilgamesh drawled.
___________________________________________________________________________

Cu stuck close to me as we wandered around the town. I debated the Boardwalk, but I definitely didn't want him to start a fight with the wrong people there. So we walked by a bar and-

"Oi! In here!" Cu pointed at the sign which clearly said "Somer's Rock."

Hhhhhuh. Alright, then.

We strode in, and seated ourselves.

"Nothing like a good drink to loosen the tongue and start a conversation," Lancer said cheerfully.

I shrugged as the waitress came over. "Oh, she's deaf. Write what you want on the pad," I said as I scribbled down an order for a locally brewed hard cider.

"Cider, eh? I'll take a Guinness stout," Cu said with a hum. As the waitress left to get our drinks, he turned his attention back on me. "You can tell a lot about a man from his drink, you know."

"I had no tolerance, so I stuck to things with lower content. Also no taste for the harder stuff, so more sweet things were my speed. Not a lot of my preferred mixed drinks on the menu, though. Also if I blow my wallet on booze, Dragon will probably yell at me. Maybe. It'd be less of a headache than I normally cause…" I trailed off as I muttered to myself.

Cu's foot roughly nudged my ankle. "Don't space out on me, Master. That'd defeat the point of coming out here!"

The waitress was quick and efficient about bringing us our drinks. My cider was crisp and just strong enough for me. Cu downed his entire pint in a few swallows.

"Ah! That's good for the thirst. Eh? You're not even half done?"

"I prefer to savor it. I tend to nurse the same drink for the entire time I'm at a place."

Cu shrugged. "I respect it. So tell me about yourself, Master."

I arched my eye ridges. "Like?"

"What sort of women do you fancy?"

"I don't."

"Hrm. What about men?"

"Interesting that you'd think of that, but I also don't."

Cu shrugged. "So nobody?"

"Nope. Tried some of each, usually ended in disaster. Figured that sort of thing just wasn't for me." I shrugged. "You?"

"Difficult women. The stronger the will, the better. Also, beautiful."

I hummed. "Explains a few of your conquests I remember off the top of my head."

Lancer chuckled. "You're probably right."

"Mm. So where did Ferdiad fit in for all that?"

Cu's face turned solemn. "Not exactly a light chat, that." His smile returned, but more wry, "After a fashion, Medb did have her revenge on me for spurning her. Just not as she intended."

"So you two were…?"

Cu chuckled. "Who knows? It's not something I care to talk about."

I shifted. "Sorry. I guess I let my curiosity get the better of me."

Cu waved it off. "Ah, Master. When you get to be as great as I, you start to see when things come from malice or innocence." His smile brightened. "But I've got you here and talking, and that's a good start! So, what do you like doing?"

"Um. I like helping people, I guess." Cu motioned for the waitress to refill his pint as I sipped my cider. "I also like reading, and playing the odd game."

"What sort of game? I was fond of hurling, in my day."

"I enjoy video games, though I haven't really had time to see what Earth Bet has in the way of them."

Cu chuckled. "Ah, I've heard a thing or two of them. Fighting games seem my speed, I'd wager." He downed his second pint. "So you're a simple man of simple desires. No grudges? Any particularly strong ties?"

I think for a moment. "I mean, it's a little complicated there. I think Armsmaster and I are at least allies, if not on the way to becoming friends. Glory Girl trusts me, which is good. Dragon's my boss, but as much grief as we give each other, we've got each other's back to the end of the line. Gilgamesh thinks I'm a particularly interesting toy-"

"I disagree. But, continue."

"...Anyways. Da Vinci is someone I can turn to for advice or a gadget or whatever. She's whimsical, but I know I can count on her in a clutch."

Cu nodded encouragingly as he ordered his third pint.

"Taylor I'm responsible for. I'm fond of her too, and she's slowly coming to return the sentiment. Legend's probably my closest ally outside of the Guild, and I'm more than happy to confide in him. He's just that kind of guy, you know?"

The Servant chugged pint three, and let out a ripping belch. "Aye, I know the type."

"As far as enemies? I want Jack Slash's head on a platter. I mean it's not likely given the only real counter to certain things we have is you at the moment, but. Once I get more backup that I can trust to do what needs doing without question?" I clenched my fist around my bottle. "The Slaughterhouse Nine will be the Slaughteredhouse Nine." I exhaled. "And Coil. I don't know how to work around his power yet. I know, now, that Contessa can't path Servants or me, which is very useful. But his power is different enough that he might get more intel than I can spare and be able to shore up his defenses to a point that if I attack too early, it'll give the game away."

Cu's face was grim. "So we're outgunned, for now. That's what you're saying?"

"Yes. Da Vinci will tinker, and I'll summon when I can. For whatever reason, when I suggested trying again today, after the shenanigans finally stopped? She flipped her absolute shit. Apparently the more Servants I have, the longer the cooldown period is, and right now it'll be us for a couple weeks. She didn't say what would happen if I pushed it, but…" I shrugged.

Cu rolled his shoulder. "So how do you feel about it?"

"Pretty shitty, not gonna lie." My face contorted into a grimace. "It feels like I should be able to do more, you know? But I've got my limits, surprisingly enough."

My drinking buddy chuckled. "Sounds about right."

I felt my eyes widen as a pair of arms wound themselves around my neck gently from behind.

"Not that this isn't all fascinating, but one thing you said stood out," purred a young woman's voice.

I turned my head to the right, and saw a wave of blonde hair, a domino mask, a salacious grin, and bottle-green eyes. Well, shit.

"Something about Coil's power? I've been curious if the man even had one for a while, and now I'm dying to know what it is."

I gently moved her arms from around my neck. "Well, that last part may well be literal, depending on how much access he has to you."

Tattletale's face shuttered.

"A lot of his success comes from anonymity, and I'm not ready to move against him yet."

"So who will you move against, then? Pretty interesting for a new Hero team to sit around and do nothing."

I tapped my lower lip. "I do have an idea. How much for a specific piece of information? Monetary, if you please. I'd rather not give you something that could kill you inadvertently."

"Sweet of you to be concerned. Depends on the info." Tattletale radiated smugness and mild interest. "Aren't you worried about buying info from a villain, though?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Compared to the rest of the pickings, you might as well be a rogue." I paused, then gazed into her eyes. "That said? Hurt someone for real, someone who can't fight back? We will have words, Tattletale."

She pursed her lips. "Can't really argue with that logic, and I won't lie to you on this: that's not my style. You want info? Shoot."

I grinned. "Where's Hookwolf's favorite dogfighting ring and pit?"

Her face went still, then split into a grin so feral I thought I might be looking at Cu for a moment. "My price, first."

"I'm listening."
____________________________________________________________________________

I easily rode sidesaddle on the monster dog behind Bitch, quietly contemplating what I was going in for. "You good with the plan?"

She grunted. "What d'you mean."

"I mean do you like your part in it? Are you comfortable?"

"It's whatever. We go in. Your buddy smashes, so do Brutus and Angelica. You block assholes from getting me. Simple. Simple's good. Better than Tattle's usual shit."

"Glad to hear. Your dogs are cute, by the by."

"Hn."

We continued on in silence as Cu Chulainn easily paced us on the rooftops.
____________________________________________________________________________

I blinked owlishly down into the pit, Bitch at my side and the dogs at my back. Hookwolf, Cricket, and Stormtiger all gazed up.

"I might have made a miscalculation."

"What?"

"I goofed."

Hookwolf let out a booming laugh. "New villain, huh? That little bitch has been giving me grief for a while, not surprised she dragged you into this."

"Actually, I'm a hero with the Guild. I cut a deal with the Undersiders. Bitch gets the dogs, and I get you. And apparently Cricket and Stormtiger."

Silence reigned for a moment.

"AHAHAHAHAHA"

"Snrk."

Cricket just looked at me dolefully.

I groaned. "Whatever! Lancer, hurt!" I clicked my fingers and pointed at them, and the Servant launched himself into the fray, face a mask of glee.

I felt Bitch's gaze behind me intensify. "Huh. You're okay." She stepped forward, pointing at each Stormtiger and Cricket. "Brutus, Angelica! Hurt!" As the dogs bounded forward, she turned to me.

"Go save dogs?"

"Hn. Yeah."
____________________________________________________________________________

The crashing outside the pen continued to mount.

"Right, new plan."

"Hn."

"I get you and the dogs outside. You wait there and protect them. I go make sure the building doesn't fall on Brutus, Angelica or Cu. Y'know, the ones we give a shit about. The rest can get flattened."

"Good plan."

Bitch herded the dogs out as I doubled back in, and I blinked momentarily.

Brutus had an unconscious Stormtiger in his teeth, the man with a visible goose egg swelling on his head. Cu was dashing around the battlefield, bodysuit mildly torn. I couldn't see any gashes on him, but there was plenty of blood on him and Hookwolf, who had turned into a whirligig of silver death.

And as I observed, that was when Cricket got the chain of her kusarigama around my throat and pulled me against her.

"Call him off," she croaked, "Or I'll snap your neck."

"Cu Chulainn!" I called out.

Both he and Hookwolf paused.

"Wrap it up and tie him down!"

Cricket wrenched- or tried to. The chain just stuck, and I stood there, bored as she tried her damnedest to cut off my airflow or do something else appropriately lethal.

"The blazing forest, the mortal cage! Wicker Man!" Cu spun the Gae Bulg in a circle and slammed it's base on the floor. Trees - actual, full trees - sprouted into a rapidly encroaching cage around Hookwolf.

So Servants I directly summon have class limits removed. Including Noble Phantasms. Good to know.

Meanwhile, the trapped parahuman spun his blades, but the trunks were too thick to cut. Soon he was locked in a cage of solid wood, formed in the shape of a giant.

And then everything was on fire and the screaming started.

Cricket tried to let go of me and run, but I held onto the chain and swung her into the wall as hard as I could. Her head slammed it and bounced back on her neck, and a sharp crack resounded as her shoulder impacted the wall fully. When I reeled her in, her eyes were dazed and she gave an exhausted groan.

I wrapped her up in the chain and set her on the ground. After thinking a moment, I dragged her over to Angelica.

The giant dog looked down at me, perplexed.

"Hold," I said, raising the chain up.

Moments later, Cricket dangled from her own chain via Angelica's mouth.

With a wave of his spear, the flames vanished from the Wicker Man and the wood compacted into a small ball at Cu's direction. He turned to me as he rolled it with one hand. "So now what?"

I nodded at the other two. "We toss them in, take them all outside, and wait. Bitch takes her dogs, and we call it a good night after turning them over to the PRT."

Cu shrugged. "Works for me."
____________________________________________________________________________

As Bitch left, I peered into the wooden sphere. One Cricket, chained up and sullenly glaring out at me. One Stormtiger, concussed. One Hookwolf, skin pink with a full-body first degree burn and out cold.

A soft vibration filled the air and I turned to see Armsmaster rolling up on his motorcycle. He slowed to a stop in front of us.

"Who's in the cage?" he asked without preamble.

"Cricket, Stormtiger, Hookwolf. Hook got burned out of bladeform by Cu, Stormtiger has a huge lump on his head, and Cricket is conscious. You have tranqs?"

Armsmaster tilted his head as he looked in the cage. Then he took aim with his halberd, and I heard a pneumatic hissing sound. "Done. You'll be getting credit for the capture."

I grinned. "Thanks. Oh, and this is Lancer. Alias Cu Chulainn."

Cu cocked his head, eyeing Armsmaster. "Interesting weapon. What all does it do?"

As Colin took a breath, I held my hand up. "How about you stop by and demonstrate tomorrow. We'll be here all night, and even if Cu and I will be fine, you do need at least an hour or two of downtime. Preferably more."

He gave me a severe look from under his helmet, or so I surmised.

I gave him a pointed glare of my own. "Humans need adequate rest to function at their peak, Armsmaster. You have a dangerous job and I want you at your best to keep you around. I'm selfish about the people I care for like that."

Armsmaster subsided. "Hard to argue with that logic," he said dryly. "Though if it was Dragon, she'd say something about being concerned as a friend."

"As a friend. Right." I gave him a knowing look.

Cu elbowed me in the ribs.

"Hey! I actually felt that," I said teasingly.

Cu snorted and gripped my shoulder. "Leave the man to his own devices. Playing matchmaker rarely ends well. Trust the voice of experience."

Armsmaster made a startled noise. "Matchmaker? For who?"

I stared at Cu.

"I retract my statement," the Lancer drawled, hands raised.

"Do you like Dragon as more than a friend?" I asked bluntly.

Cu Chulainn made a noise somewhere between a choke, gasp, and whine.

Armsmaster sputtered. "I- that's-"

I inclined my head. "Go for it. And don't bother with tact. Be as utterly unambiguous about your feelings as possible. No room for misinterpretation."

After a moment, he calmed down. "You're sure?"

I nodded. "I mean, you've got time or whatever. Just tell her eventually, you know?"

He nodded. "I've got things here. You can head on out."

I turned with a wave. "See you by and by, Armsmaster."

"Take care, Grail."

And the scenery blurred as Lancer and I reappeared in the warehouse.
____________________________________________________________________________

Gilgamesh opened an eye to lazily gaze at us. "So you return, Trinket. And you let the cur off the leash, as well." He closed his eye again and settled in his chair. "Interesting."

Cu yawned. "Well, needing sleep or not, I'm gonna go bunk for the night." He grinned at me. "I had fun today, Master."

I let out a startled grunt as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hauled me close.

"If you want to hang out again, just give the word," he said cheerfully as he rubbed my scalp roughly.

As he went to bed, I checked my phone.

<You have 1 New Message from AllSeeingEye>

<AllSeeingEye: Bitch just got home. Ten new dogs, all in the compound near us. Was impressed with you, a little. Doesn't hate you. High praise. If you need info again, hit me up. More than willing to haggle prices. Mwah! -Tt>

<SnapCupTime: Should a Servant find you, may they be your perfect match.>

<AllSeeingEye: ???>

<SnapCupTime: You'll see. Probably.>

<AllSeeingEye: No, I mean>

<AllSeeingEye: You know the blue-haired little shit following me around???>

<SnapCupTime: I'm so sorry.>

I gently placed my phone on the table, and collapsed into soundless laughter.

"Mm?" Gilgamesh hummed.

I took a deep breath."So there's a young girl. Smart as a whip, perceptive, manipulative, thinks she knows everything."

"Mm."

"She got Hans."

"...Ha. Well played, my Trinket."

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Da Vinci, what's wrong?" asked Dragon, the console lighting up.

"Karma, Dragon. It's karma," the genius said with an evil grin.

 

[BigFan10]

Well then Welcome to Sufficient Velocity @Blinktwice13 and hope you are ready to watch the potential fireworks of the what may be the next Athene debacle from a safe distance

 

[Blinktwice13]

Interlude: Taylor (I)

Two weeks.

Two weeks since the worst and best day of her life. Worst, because something so traumatic happened that the universe decided it deserved superpowers. Best, because from it came what Taylor was rapidly discovering to be the most effective support system she'd had since her mother died.

Even if it was a little-

"Cleanup on aisle five!" Grail hollered as he thumbed at the now-normal spectacle of Cu Chulainn being chased by a large, floating branch dangling tens of black widows.

A little eccentric.

Taylor sighed. "Tamamo?"

"Yes, Ojou-sama?" her servant said with a placid smile.

"Can you not chase Cu with my spiders? I'm trying to keep up production on silk, and if they're flailing in the air and trying to not land on him, they aren't spinning."

"But Ojou-sama, he makes himself such a target," Tamamo cooed. "Especially after how he was so brazen as to proposition you!"

Taylor gave Tamamo a flat stare. "All he said was that I was a beautiful young lady, and that he looked forward to seeing what I looked like when I was grown. If that counts as a come on, it's one of the tamest and most harmless ones I've ever heard." She shifted uncomfortably. "That said, it's one of the nicest things a guy's ever said to me."

Tamamo sighed. "Very well, Ojou-sama. I shall desist for your happiness." The branch floated back to the pile, and the spiders resumed their busy work.

As the weaving continued, Taylor thumbed a letter she had in her pocket. It would change everything.
____________________________________________________________________________

One night when she'd gone to bed before… before. She woke up screaming from a dream. She couldn't remember the contents, but until the following morning, as sleep eluded her, she felt like her veins were on fire. Her existence was pain.

She passed it off as some strange fluke, but when… it… happened, she experienced something. Oh, part of it was her new connection to her bugs. But there was something else. An echo of that pain.

Tamamo explained a bit after Grail had left. The feeling was magic, and she had magic circuits. Then she gave her a letter from an associate of hers, along with a book full of strange writing that she could somehow read.

Miss Taylor,

I regret the need for subterfuge. My associate, who I shall only refer to as M, took an interest in you. Thus he has taken steps to meddle in your fate. He entered your dreams in an illusion, and sought to awake something you did not have. It was only by my intervention, along with Tamamo and that of one other that you survived.

Grail, as he calls himself, is moved by a human mind, a human soul, and human ethics. His body is monstrous, and so is his rapidly evolving… let us call it a Magical Energy Reactor. He sheds power like body heat, and so your newfound abilities will only grow in proximity to him.

I do not speak, of course, of your arthropodic affinity. However, if you attempt to learn this ability alone, you will come to harm. So I give you this grimoire, full of instruction and inspiration for you to experiment with. I insist that you show this letter to Grail, even if you do not share your training. Your guardian will more than suffice for a teacher.

I have placed a heavy burden upon you. Had I the choice, I would have taught you myself, in person, or removed this weight from you entirely. I cannot move openly in your society, for fear of drawing powerful eyes upon you.

You will change the world, Miss Taylor.

Should you need to contact me, merely write a letter and give it to your guardian, Tamamo-no-Mae. I will receive your missive without fail. Any aid I am capable of offering, I will give upon request.

To get you started, I give you knowledge of yourself.

Due to my meddling, you are an Average One.

Your Origin is Escalation.

I give you my wishes and my blessings.

Your benefactor,

-T

For the majority of time where she didn't spend at the Guild Warehouse, she studied, and practiced, and learned what she could of how to use this strange new energy. Hypnotism, reinforcement, some minor curses and energy storage. Taylor did her best to diversify.

Utilizing spellwork was always easier after she'd spent time around Grail, for some reason. But she never told him of her newfound powers. Taylor wanted to trust him desperately, but something was holding her back. Memories of Emma, she guessed. It took Tamamo a surprisingly long time to break that wall down.
____________________________________________________________________________

It took some cajoling on the Servant's part, but today was the day she decided to speak with Grail.

She stood abruptly, letting her feet carry her over to the Endbringer. "Uh. Grail?" Shit, don't let her voice fail her now…

"Eh? Oh hey, Taylor! What's up? You've been kind of quiet today," Grail said, a smile on his inhuman face.

"Um… here." Taylor handed the letter over. She really hoped this wouldn't blow up in her face. Grail had been good to her, but she'd learned from Emma. Anyone could stab you in the back with a smile.

Well, except Tamamo. Having a mental and emotional link with the priestess had quickly disabused her of any fears she might have had towards her, however much sense those fears might have made otherwise.

Grail read the letter, eyes widening as they moved down the page. Once he flipped it over, his jaw had dropped.

"Grail?"

Grail made a soft wheezing noise, and fell backwards, flat on his back.

Da Vinci strode over. "What melodrama is he up to now?" she asked with a small smirk. She plucked the letter from Grail's limp hand, and skimmed it. She frowned, and read it again. "Taylor, I'm going to need to see your arm."
___________________________________________________________________________

Da Vinci's face was pinched in concentration as she went over the pattern that was now apparent on Taylor's skin, or a bit above it. Taylor couldn't tell.

"These circuits were copied off of an image of your soul, and blended with those of another. Essentially, someone used Heaven's Feel to aid Tamamo in making you a Magus. I've never seen this before, Taylor." Da Vinci looked up. "Most timelines or dimensions I've been summoned in, the Third Magic has been unavailable. Given the nature of the letter, someone dearly wanted you to survive your awakening. It's for the best your memories of it are gone, it would have broken you even where… well, you know what I'm talking about."

"Can you use that magic?" Taylor asked Da Vinci.

Da Vinci sighed. "I can't. Grail uses a variant of it whenever he summons, and when I tell you that it is one of five branches of actual, True Magic that remain in our dimensions… Overtaxing himself with summoning is a bad idea. Whoever did this? Essentially put the effort, focus, and power of no less than fifteen concurrent summonings into the work. Someone who has fully realized the potential of Heaven's Feel." The genius drummed her fingers on the nearby table.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you guys sooner." Taylor felt awful.

"Pff! What could we do that Tamamo couldn't? She's practically a Goddess, with all the knowledge and power that entails," Grail said, suddenly sitting up.

Da Vinci glared at Grail. "This is serious, Master. Someone reached into this world and tried to awaken Taylor as a Magus. When they failed, this "T" found a skilled enough user of Heaven's Feel to extract some of Taylor's soul and blend it into a copy of their Magic Circuits, which were crafted and implanted with Tamamo's aid! This is unprecedented!"

"Like me crashing into a world without magic?"

Da Vinci groaned. "Yes, yes, you're special too. Hell, your arrival is probably whatever opened the way for whoever started this mess."

Grail sneered. "Oh, I have an idea or two." His face relaxed into a thoughtful frown, and he stood properly. "Taylor."

Taylor jumped in her seat. "Y-yes?" Today had already been weird, and stressful, and she was about done.

"This 'T'. If they are who I think they are, then it's safe to trust them to a point. They're noble in the sense that they prefer to be elegant, and if they've taken you on as a project they've deemed you worthy of care. So long as you don't disappoint them, you'll be fine."

Taylor nodded, not quite understanding.

"If you give it your all, and strive for excellence both with your magecraft and your power, you should be fine."

Oh. That made more sense.

"And this… 'M'. You meet a weird guy with long, white curly hair and smells like flowers? Punt him in the balls as hard as you can. Especially if he gets flirty with you."

Taylor nodded again.

Grail turned to Tamamo. "I'm guessing that gifting circuits took a lot out of you, since you're a part of Amaterasu and not the whole thing."

Tamamo nodded somberly. "Indeed. It is to my eternal shame that though I saved Taylor from one torture, I could not prevent the other. That is why this priestess will endeavor to guide and teach Taylor to the best of her ability, mikon!" she finished, bursting into a cheery grin.

Taylor couldn't help but smile at her friend's antics. Tamamo was like the cool older sister who you looked forward to seeing home from college, or an aunt that you actually liked who tended to spoil you rotten. Other options were a little too painful to consider, in all honesty.

Grail clapped his hands together. "Right! So, Tamamo can get you grounded in the fundamentals, Da Vinci can teach you anything and everything about crafting codes and whatnot… and I'm super useless so don't mind me!" he cheered.

Gilgamesh wrapped an arm around Grail's neck. "Change into a more appropriate visage. We're going shopping. I desire entertainment, and you will help to pick the largest, most expensive screen they have."

Taylor was relatively certain that the King of Heroes liked Grail more than he let on, but she also had the survival instincts to know saying so was a bad idea. If Gilgamesh said he had only one friend in all of forever, you just had to smile and nod.

On that note, she watched as Grail assumed a human form in a heavy coat and jeans, and was dragged off by Gilgamesh who was wearing a dark leather jacket and tight pants that looked like they would need to be peeled off.

Taylor gave a short sigh, then shored up her shoulders. "Tamamo?"

The fox priestess shot her master a look. "Ojou-sama?"

"What do you think of patrolling tonight?"

The smile she got in return was equal parts coy and feral. "It would please me very much, Ojou-sama."
__________________________________________________________________________

At the third warehouse in a row, the Merchants fell under a solid wave of insects. Surprising what you could do with a torrent of angry roaches and lack of care for your target's welfare.

One hand gesture and word later, the downed targets were hypnotized and ready for pickup.

Taylor fished through their pockets and pulled out a phone, and got ready to call, when she heard a low roaring noise.

Tamamo dashed into the area and grabbed Taylor around the waist. "We must fly, Ojou-sama!" she said in a harsh tone. The priestess carried Taylor as she dashed out of the building, just in time for a massive wall of spikes, rust, and wheels to tear through the room.

"Wh- are they dead!?" Taylor cried out. She'd just wanted them arrested, not killed! What the hell!?

"I do not know, but that mechanism continues to gain on us!" Tamamo replied.

Taylor had some of her swarm fly roaches onto the truck. If anything could get into wiring and fuck it up in short order, it was roaches. She had memories of opening up an old TV and finding a lot of activity in there once it shorted and refused to turn on.

Unfortunately, while she did find some important-looking components, her swarm was unable to effect real damage.

The window rolled down, and a woman caked in oil and grease leaned out. "Hey, bug bitch! You and that fox skank can't run forever!" she jeered. "I'll mow you down flatter than you already are!"

Taylor felt her lip curl into a snarl, her veins were burning, and she reached and pushed-

Her bugs suddenly started gnawing through the metal, sending coolant spilling and wire to fray.

The truck came to a sudden stop, and she heard shouting shortly before the woman was launched out of the vehicle. She pulled something on the chair she was still in, and a parachute deployed.

Shortly after, the truck went up in a small fireball, and Taylor lost contact with the parts of the swarm she had sent in.

Tamamo stared. "Ojou-sama?"

"I… you know that reinforcement thing? I did it with my bugs."

"I was under the impression that most require physical contact for that sort of feat."

Taylor shrugged as she was put down. "Well, I mixed powers with magecraft. If I spontaneously combust, we can go make Da Vinci do something about it." She gave Tamamo a sidelong glance. "Also, why didn't you do anything besides run?"

Tamamo gave Taylor a prim look. "Ojou-sama, sometimes you will need to fight your own battles. Better to have me in reserve while you test your strength, rather than test it while I am absent."

Taylor shrugged, giving a sheepish look from behind her mask. "Okay, that's fair."

The woman, who Taylor now remembered was the Merchant Tinker known as Squealer, began fiddling with something on her seat.

"Oh like hell you do! Gandr!" Something flew out of Taylor's index finger, impacting Squealer and eliciting a shrill yelp.

That was before the flying bitey roach division Taylor had been keeping in reserve gnawed through her parachute strings, dogpiled her, and the yelping segued into screaming.

Grail being friends with Glory Girl came with benefits. One of those benefits was Panacea secretly using her bugs for power therapy. Taylor couldn't be happier to donate to the cause.

"Right. Let's go get her down from that roof and make sure she didn't lose anything important."

Tamamo hummed, pleased. "As you wish, Ojou-sama!"
____________________________________________________________________________

Fifteen minutes later, the Tinker lay stripped of anything remotely useful and trussed up in dragline silk. How did Taylor get that much silk in less than fifteen minutes? How about a better question: how many black widows were there in a four-block radius? The answer was a lot, and that is also the answer to how she got that much silk.

After completing her sacred duty of giving any and all villain capes entomophobia for the rest of their natural lives, Taylor mashed in the number to the local PRT Hotline on Squealer's phone.

She winced at the memory of Grail actually getting angry that she wouldn't get her own. She understood where he was coming from, but the way he cut her off and just went off to sulk hurt. His apology later helped soothe the sting a bit. So did the piping hot chocolate he'd gotten from a fairly nice cafe on the Boardwalk.

And he did have a point, so. Maybe later. Not now, but later. Yeah.

"Hello, PRT Hotline."

"This is Weaver, with the Guild. I'm by the Docks," and she gave the name of the street, "and I have Squealer subdued, restrained, and ready for transport."

"Ah, okay. Should we save this number for future contact?"

"Uh, sorry but no. Um, this is Squealer's phone. I'm using it because I don't have one."

"Alright…? We'll send someone out for pickup. Would you be willing to wait with Squealer until they arrive?"

"S-sure. See you in a few?"

The woman on the other end of the line laughed. "Sure, you'll see them soon. Sadly I'm dispatch, so I'm stuck behind this desk. Have a good evening Weaver, it was nice to talk with you."

She hung up.

Taylor sighed.

"Weaver, huh?" a woman's voice drawled.

Taylor spun and saw a girl close to her age. She had blonde hair draped around her shoulders, and wore a black-and-lavender outfit.

The girl gave a smug grin. "I was wondering about the new hero in town and decided to drop in," she said teasingly.

A sharp cough was heard, and Taylor looked down to see as little boy in a striped shirt, grey vest, and trousers look back up at her. He had blue hair, and blue eyes.

"Don't buy it," he said in a preternaturally deep voice. "She was following along to pick up any loot left in the warehouses, and then used her power to analyze you. When she saw you were depressed, despite everything, she decided to jump in and help in her own… special way."

The other cape scowled. "Nobody asked you, Caster."

"Nobody ever does, Master. Miss Weaver, was it? I am Hans Christian Andersen, one of the worlds grea-"

"Wait, the Andersen? The one who wrote classics like The Little Mermaid, or The Snow Queen?" Taylor felt herself grow excited.

"A fan, hm? It is good to be appreciated," Hans said with a shallow bow. His eyes cut over to his Master. "Something you could learn, Tattletale?"

Taylor jumped. "Tattletale? You're the small-timer Grail buys info from, right?" She felt herself relax. If Grail was willing to treat with her, she couldn't be all bad.

Tattletale scrutinized her. "Yeah, I'm not the worst out there, but seeing as you're pretty firmly a hero I'd keep my guard up if I were you." She paused and looked over at Tamamo, then paled a little. "Um. Okay. You. Uh."

Hans sighed. "Turn it off, Master. You'll break your brain looking at a Goddess."

Tattletale shook her head sharply. "Thanks for the warning, ass."

Hans pursed his lips. "You wouldn't have listened if I told you."

Tattletale muttered mutinously.

Taylor coughed. "Um. So, the PRT is on their way here…"

Tattletale perked up. "Yeah, they are. You letting us go?"

"Why wouldn't I? Did you do something tonight?"

"No. Merely stole from thieves," Hans drawled.

"And if I had, I'm sure short, blue, and miserable would tell you," Tattletale said through gritted teeth.

"That said, she did save those unconscious Merchants that Squealer would have run over. And on that note, I bid you goodnight, Miss Weaver." Hans fled, pursued by a bear. Sorry, pursued by Tattletale.
____________________________________________________________________________

It was a couple of days later, and Taylor stared at her new phone. So many things had changed. She had support. Her father was paying attention to her again. She had this magecraft stuff, and powers.

But she didn't really have any friends her age.

<ClvrGrl: Hey, you free?>

<AllSeeingEye: I guess? Who's this?>

<ClvrGrl: Weaver>

<AllSeeingEye: Oooo. To what do I owe the pleasure?>

Taylor paused.

<ClvrGrl: Do you want to hang out and grab tea sometime? I know a nice place on the Boardwalk.>

<AllSeeingEye: Really? You do know I'm a villain, right?>

<ClvrGirl: We could meet in civvies. Unwritten rules, right? GG told me about those.>

<AllSeeingEye: ...Wouldn't you rather hang out with other heroes?>

<ClvrGirl: My transfer to Arcadia hasn't gone through yet, so hanging out with GG or Panacea is dicey. Also know them about as well as I know you. Blue implied you were nicer than you let on, and people like him are trustworthy. You're interesting, and Foxy says I need friends my age.>

<AllSeeingEye: Ok. Tomorrow afternoon good? Just lemme know the address ahead of time.>

<ClvrGirl: Sure! Looking forward to it.>

<AllSeeingEye: 8D >

Taylor set the phone down, and looked over her desk, scattered with gems and schema of various arthropods.

As she picked up a ruby and gazed into it, it began to gleam with a strange fire.

She could get used to this.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Scathe 2.3

I stretched my arms over my head as Gilgamesh poked and prodded at one of the largest television sets I'd ever seen. "I'm not helping you carry that, by the by."

The Archer just shot me a sidelong look. "Neither of us will carry it, Trinket. That's what the Gate is for."

"Trinket? Now that's a new pet name."

I turned and saw a teenage boy with dark, curly hair and a sardonic smile.

Could it be…?

"Can we help you?" I asked after a moment.

He shrugged. "Probably. Just wanted to see the famous new Case 53 before they tried to put you away."

I arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Scuttlebutt on PHO says they want to lock you up, Something about being a Bio-Tinker? Someone got footage of your fight with Hookwolf. Newsflash big guy: projections don't bleed."

I shook my head. "You're full of it."

"He's not," said a worried voice to my left.

Vicky, in full costume.

I turned back to look at the boy, but he was already sauntering off.

"Grail, I came to warn you. Piggot's twitchy but she wasn't planning on making a move. That said, Gallant told me the higher-ups are tying her hands on this one, calling in a real hard-ass." Glory Girl worried her lip. "I mean, I get why you lied, even to me. It's not a great power, but with the good you've done? I bet the projection thing was to avoid the PR."

I exhaled. "Let's talk on the roof. I guess I do owe you the truth." I looked sideways at Gilgamesh. "You good here?"

The king waved negligently. "Go. And should they attempt to take you…" The air gleamed gold. "They might live to regret it."
_________________________________________________________________________

I exhaled. "So first off, I was never human on this world to begin with."

Glory Girl blinked. "Huh?"

"Case 53 was a useful moniker, so I ran with it. Probably still will, assuming you keep my secrets."

Vicky snorted. "I owe you for the necklace and helping Ames. It'll take a few bigger bombs than that."

"Well, they're pretty big, Vicky."

She nodded encouragingly.

"So, to begin, I'm from a different Earth."

"Aleph?"

"Way, way further out."

"Oh-kay. Does it have to do with how you look?"

"Kind of. That Earth has magic, albeit it's receded a lot from where it was. I was a person who got merged with a top tier artifact that had endured for a very long time."

"So you're a person and… wait. I remember some legend. King Arthur and… You're an actual Holy Grail?" Glory Girl recoiled in shock.

"It was based on those stories, yes. However, it was a conduit for a magic called Heaven's Feel, one of the few True Magics left. Basically, it was one of the top five types. This magic deals with the soul."

"Heavy stuff."

"Gets heavier. My soul was what came over, mixed with the Grail, and it possessed a non-human target."

"How non-human?"

I looked her in the eye. "Keep in mind that this is something nothing on this world has a frame of reference to resist. So anything you think could have stopped it, couldn't."

Vicky hummed. "Something big, then. Not Scion, or we'd have heard about him missing."

And wasn't that a terrifying thought. "No, not him. But also not a cape, not a normal person, and no plant or animal."

She narrowed her eyes. "That leaves… But all three are still there?"

"There are twenty of us, Vicky. Sixteen are dormant."

"So you turned one of… those and are puppeteering its body to do good?" She stared at me. "Wait. Twenty?!"

"My powers are purely defensive or support-based. I literally cannot hurt anyone with a brute rating higher than three, and even below that I have to work at it."

"Oh, I believe it. I think you'd be doing a hell of a lot more if you had that power. But how does that explain your Serv-" she paused. "Wait. Heaven's Feel lets you do stuff with souls. Can you bring back the dead?"

"Yes and no. No, in that my power doesn't let me affect people newly dead, or in general. I can call heroes to fight and protect humanity. Myths and legends, crystallized in Mystery and enhanced by the awareness and faith of people. The older the story, the stronger the hero. The more famous the person, the stronger the product."

"Okay. So why's Da Vinci a woman? Wait. Mona Lisa. Nevermind."

I flashed Glory Girl a smile. "Attagirl." I paused. "If you think Amy won't turn on me for it, you can tell her."

Vicky snorted. "Nah. It's pretty much kid solidarity in our house right now," she said with a wince.

I chuckled. "Well, I did just tell you my darkest secret, GG. I'm willing to loan you a shoulder to lean on if you need it."

She smiled tightly. "So, Mom's been weird. Which, no aura, makes sense, I guess. But I've been picking stuff up, now. How she treats Amy - heck, how she's always treated her. But more, I guess? And now she's looking at me that way, because without my aura she's not feeling certain things anymore. It's rough."

"Yikes."

"Yeah. I'm not taking the necklace off, though. Dad seems to be making small steps towards getting better, and between this and the therapy sessions with her power you and Taylor give her? Ames is doing better than I've seen her in at least a few months. You made the right call, bringing that to me." Vicky shored her shoulders. "I just have to prove that, now."

"I'm sorry your mom isn't as amazing as you thought. It's not fun, the first time you realize your parent is a person with flaws. Wasn't great for me either."

Glory Girl gave a saddened grin. "Isn't that the truth."

I offered her my hand. "If you or Amy need a place to be, the warehouse is always open to you both. I promise you that."

She shook it. "I might take you up on that, if it gets bad enough. Thanks, Grail. You're good people. Well, in the ways that matter, anyway," she amended sheepishly. Her smile sharpened. "Also, reigning in my aura had another perk."

"Oh?"

"So Dean would get mad, and we'd fight and break up, but then he'd always come back. Without my aura, I approached him last time, and we actually talked it out. It felt way more cathartic than our usual make-ups."

"And so you've surpassed your mother in maturity by discovering that communication can improve relationships. Congratulations."

"Yeah, it does," she said as she waggled her eyebrows.

I stared flatly. "Vicky my friend, that makes no sense."

She laughed.
__________________________________________________________________________

<AllSeeingEye: Hope you got my warning.>

<SnapCupTime: I did. Thanks for sending Regent.>

<AllSeeingEye: Figured you'd know. Are you a Bio-Tinker?>

<SnapCupTime: Does Hans strike you as a Tinker product?>

<AllSeeingEye: That fucking munchkin from hell makes my power spin. Whatever he is, he's not something in my frame of reference.>

<SnapCupTime: Well, you're not gonna find out anything over PHO.>

<AllSeeingEye: That's why I'm stalking your little protege :3 >

<SnapCupTime: Lol good luck w/ that>

<AllSeeingEye: <3 >
____________________________________________________________________________

<AllSeeingEye: I fukkin hate you>

<SnapCupTime: No, you don't.>

<AllSeeingEye: Maybe a little>

<SnapCupTime: Totally understandable, have a nice day>

<AllSeeingEye sent a file: FlipBird.png>
____________________________________________________________________________

After a point, I decided to nip whatever plan Alexandria had in the bud and deal directly with the PRT. Piggot was reasonable, and if it escalated I could easily go to the media, talk up her and the Protectorate ENE, and paint whoever captain hard-ass was as an uninformed interloper.

This met with… mixed reactions. By which I mean nobody liked it, including Legend who I called to run the plan by.

I stared across the table. Standing were Armsmaster, and a cape who given her bandanna had to be Miss Militia. Seated were Piggot, and some guy with a close-shaven head.

Miss Militia looked wary, Armsmaster looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, and Piggot just looked done with life in general. So, business as usual with her.

"Thank you for coming in on your own initiative, Grail. It says good things to me about how this can proceed." As Piggot spoke, she continued to shoot a scathing glance at her male counterpart. "Perhaps before anyone does anything too hasty, it should be noted that your track record, while relatively short, has had mostly positive impacts on the PRT and Protectorate. So while I can't claim to be thrilled about these allegations of… bio-tinkering… " Her face turned a mottled color and her eyes gleamed unhealthily.

Ah. Ellisberg. I'd almost forgotten.

The man slammed a hand on the table. "Listen freak, we know about your bio-thralls."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Sir, if you'd spent more than a few minutes in a room with me and them, you'd know thralls is the furthest thing from what they are. I did mislead the public into thinking they were projections, but that was more for convenience's sake."

"So what are they?" he growled.

"Tagg, calm down," Piggot warned.

I looked the man in the eye. "Classified and outside of your jurisdiction. I'm a member of the Guild, not the Protectorate. If I thought doing so would improve the running of the local PRT, I would happily disclose my secrets to Director Piggot. That said, you are neither local nor pertinent to my calculations of cutting down crime in the city."

While Piggot seemed mildly mollified by the concession to her authority, Tagg's face reddened. "Watch it, 53. I might be based out of state, but there are enough people scared of you that I've got some support in high places."

"Not high enough," came a voice from the door.

A hispanic woman in a pantsuit slowly walked in. "Hello, Tagg. So I take it you weren't content with your current position?"

"Costa-Br-"

"You're suspended. Go home, pack up, and don't walk back into a PRT Building until I sort this out. You tried to escalate against a potential S-Class parahuman, without consulting me. And I had to find this out through Legend? I'll be doing a thorough review of your conduct today."

I stared at her. "Wait. You mean you didn't okay this? And S-Class?"

Piggot side-eyed me. "Grail, let me catch you up on what your Servants have done. Gilgamesh soloed Lung over a chair. He didn't restrain him for us, mind you, but he tanned that dragon's hide. Da Vinci continues to make progress on a viable perpetual motion engine. And your latest one, Cu Chulainn? Took out a sizable amount of the Empire's capes. By himself." She crossed her arms. "I won't lie to you. If I thought for a second that they were the products of bio-tinkering, I'd have you in the Birdcage before you could say Servant. But too much about them doesn't fit, either as projections or bio-creations. Projections don't bleed, and actual people don't spring from pods fully-formed in body and mind as unique, sentient beings. They're too human to have been made. And with that in mind, I'll be keeping an eye on you, for the sake of the city." Her smile wasn't nice. "I hope we won't have any further trouble."

Her piece said, my attention swung back to Costa-Brown, who wore a tight smile.

"So you see, Grail, the instant Legend told me about Tagg's little power play, I decided to step in to prevent catastrophe. With three Servants, you've started to change the criminal and political landscape of Brockton Bay. What happens when you get the full thirteen?"

I arched my eye ridge at her. "And who told you about the full thirteen?"

"Alexandria contacted me after her encounter with you at the South Pole."

I looked over from Costa-Brown to the silently fuming Tagg. "How did he get the clout to get here, anyway?"

Costa-Brown's smile faded. "How, indeed." Her eyes narrowed. "I'm sure I'll be talking with a great many people after this, Grail. If you'd be so kind, I'd prefer to keep in touch."

I hummed. "Sure. Dragon can always get hold of me, so if you can get hold of her? I think we can keep an open channel for communication." I stood up, and made to leave.

"Grail," Costa-Brown called. I looked over at her. "I hope this won't affect your working relationship with the Protectorate and PRT. People don't understand you or your Servants, and that breeds fear."

I nodded to her, and to Piggot. "Armsmaster, good to see you. Hopefully next time it'll be in a more pleasant situation?"

He nodded at me. "I've been invited to Tinker with Dragon and Da Vinci in a few days. I'll likely see you then."

I turned to Miss Militia. "Good to meet you, Militia. Wish it was under better circumstances."

Her eyes crinkled as she nodded. "Likewise, Grail. Armsmaster's spoken well of you, which says volumes."

I arched an eyebrow at Colin, who studiously averted his gaze. "Well, I think he's good people too. We're both rough around the edges, but I'm sure we understand each other well enough to not step on each other's toes."

And with that, I strolled out of the room, and almost directly into a fuming Legend.

"Hello, Grail. Let's talk."
___________________________________________________________________________

I sat on the edge of a particularly tall building on the Boardwalk, seated right next to Legend.

"That was risky, and stupid. This wave of discontent has been building since your engagement with the Empire, and the first thing you do when you see it is go straight to the PRT to tangle with whoever's riding it?" The hero's face was severe. "The only smart thing you did in that situation was call me first. Let me tell you about Tagg: he's a soldier. He sees things in terms of conflict, obstacle, and enemy. To him, you're an enemy and all bets are off. The instant you put yourself in his crosshairs, everyone tangential to you became a target. Me, he can't get to. Your Servants are above his paygrade. You're invulnerable. That leaves Taylor, Glory Girl, and that villain you're so fond of." He folded his arms across his chest. "Here's how that plays out. He gets into conflict with New Wave, which is already on shaky ground thanks to Brandish becoming more erratic. This makes things worse here. He brings in Tattletale, which he can then use to finger you as a villain. So there goes a nice chunk of your goodwill. He goes after Taylor, and if he can't get her because of Tamamo, he goes for Danny. And I don't want to see what happens when even a fragment of a solar deity goes off the rails against the PRT."

"I think her body count was well over eighty thousand by the time she died, and she was fighting defensively for a good part of it."

"And thank you for that comforting image."

I exhaled. "Right. I'm sorry, and I'll try to listen when you tell me to wait on things in the future. So what do I owe Costa-Brown?"

"Nothing. Neither do I. She was very clear that things had come to a boil due to local efforts, and Tagg was more a symptom than a cause."

"Coil. Tattletale goes in the system, he gets her and Hans. Glory Girl goes in, direct leverage against New Wave. Taylor goes in, she has a slew of powers and Tamamo. He gets to her and poisons her against the PRT, possibly getting her to go villain. That last one is unlikely, but he'd either try to subvert or kill her. Me? I don't know what he gets from me being there."

"Painting you as a villain and making him look like your best bet to continue helping people," Legend said offhandedly.

I looked over at the man.

"I've been at this for years, and warlords that prefer subterfuge tend to run together after a while," Legend confessed.

"Right. So he continues to be a thorn in my side. Now what?"

"Now? Rebecca's putting Chambers on your case to spin PR as best he can while keeping hands-off. She must be really interested in what you bring to the table, for her to do all this for you without being Protectorate yourself."

I hummed.

Then I jumped at a soft sound next to me, and turned to see Alexandria sitting there.

"I won't insult your intelligence by assuming you don't know who I am," she said.

I risked a look at Legend, and his mouth was open.

"I knew when you walked in the room, yes."

"How?"

"Classified."

Alexandria hummed. "Extradimensional knowledge. Moving on, I'm sure you know of the altercation Canary and her Servant had a little over two weeks ago?"

I smirked. "Yeah. She did kind of have it coming, you know."

Alexandria shrugged. "It was an ill-timed power play. It could have worked, mind you, but I was against it after hearing Legend had a Servant attached to him." She paused. "While we try to be a united front, there are elements in that organization who don't see you as an enemy."

I stared at her, hard. "You don't?"

"I don't. Eidolon might be a harder sell, but not impossible. The rest… it's hard to say. None of us like unknowns."

"I'd assume yourself included."

"I don't consider you an unknown, exactly. Every action you've taken thus far is as someone who wants to act on altruism without compromising their personal freedom. Wholly understandable, if a bit naive. Just because you're immune to precognition doesn't mean I can't predict you. You're the sort who'll turn up at every Endbringer fight without fail, and if the means to deal with another S-Class threat enters your grasp? You'll use it without hesitation." Alexandria leaned in. "You are far more valuable as an ally than an enemy. Yours are the sort of powers I could make use of in the grand scheme of things." She leaned back. "That said, there's a bit more I need to see before I decide how best you can be utilized."

"You're not going to tell him anything?" said Legend warily.

Alexandria paused. "No. We don't tell you everything either. Some of what we do is a tad dubious, Legend. You know I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty."

"So Tagg?" I asked.

Alexandria tilted her head. "Coil is an asset of ours, and he used some pull to get Tagg in to try and trap you. I defused the attempt because I consider you a far more valuable asset than him. I can't promise overt help, but you won't need to worry about the PRT."

"...so did you get what you wanted?"

I felt the smirk from under her helmet. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"This was all obviously to indebt me to you. Quite the shuffle, playing Tagg, Piggot, and Coil against each other."

Alexandria shook her head. "Too narrow-minded, Grail. Correct about method, so points for that, but not on motive. This was a test. A chance for me to see what you'd do." She looked directly at me. "Your first instinct is conversation over confrontation, if you think you can get away with it. You prefer to work within a legal framework to tackle legal problems, and to make allies over enemies. That's valuable data, given we can't model you otherwise." She hummed. "Though you do have a tendency to rush in somewhat. It's an interesting mixture."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And if you push me too far? What do you think will happen then?"

Alexandria shrugged. "I doubt that will happen. I wasn't lying when I said I consider you more valuable than Coil. We have better Thinkers, and more loyal ones. Getting a Master like you? That would be a prize." She paused. "It's better to give a gentle nudge here and there. Not to alienate completely, but not let you get too comfortable. See how you navigate the gangs of Brockton, as well as the civilians." I felt her gaze turn on me. "You're powerful, Grail, and not easily controlled. Not my favorite combination. So I'll watch, and wait, and see if you can be a solution rather than another problem I have to solve."

"So what happens if I manage to be a more viable solution to the world's problems than whatever you and your friends have on the back burner?" I asked. I tried to sound uninterested, but I was pretty sure I failed.

Alexandria gave a short, bitter laugh. "I've learned the hard way not to hang my hopes on any one person." She lowered her head. "But…" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "I'll be watching. If you can prove me wrong? Then we can talk." And she flew away.

I looked over to Legend. "Much better than I feared."

He snorted. "I guess. And now I'm worried about what I don't know."

I sighed. "If it was anything either of us could affect, I promise I'd have told you."

"That bad?"

"Oh Christ yes."

"Fuck."
____________________________________________________________________________

When I got back to the warehouse, Da Vinci was nowhere to be seen. Cu sat on a table, glaring sullenly at me, and Gilgamesh quietly stared at me from his chair.

"You were right, I was wrong, Legend and Alexandria bailed me out. I'm sorry, next time I'll wait and listen to you guys instead of haring off half-cocked," I said quickly.

Cu shot Gilgamesh a look. "Well?"

The King snorted. "I suppose Legend already talked his ear off about it, so there's no point in my giving him further lectures."

Cu inclined his head. "Right." Then he stood, and tossed an envelope onto a table in front of me. "This came while you were out."


Hello, Grail.

You've been quite the irritant to me. Thanks to you, I've lost three capes, and retrieving them has proven… difficult. If you cannot return them to me by the end of the week, I'll have to look into recruiting. Tell me, is your protege of the superior race?

Something to think about.

-Kaiser


I drummed my fingers on my arm. "Give me a moment."

I picked up my phone.

<SnapCupTime: Hey kid, you home?>

<ClvrGirl: Yeah, what's up?>

<SnapCupTime: Watch your back, and your dad. Empire's getting antsy. Kaiser threatened you specifically, to me.>

<ClvrGirl: Does he WANT Tamamo to turn him into a charcoal briquette?>

<SnapCupTime: I dunno. Just be careful.>

<ClvrGirl: Aye aye.>

I exhaled through my nose. "Right. So where's Da Vinci?"

"Here," she materialized. "What's the plan?"

"Can I summon yet?"

She scrunched her face up. "Yes. I think you can."

"First, summon. Then, we take the fight to the Empire. Threatening Weaver was a mistake."

Da Vinci gave me a sidelong glance. "Didn't you just have a misadventure from charging in?"

I paused. "Okay. Better idea?"

She shrugged. "Not this time. Okay, we'll-"

The door to the warehouse suddenly clanged repeatedly.

My phone went off.

<Point_Me_@_The_Sky: Let me in! Now!>

<SnapCupTime: Ok>

We opened the door, and Glory Girl flew in. "Mom's off the rails. She found some flowers Ames had changed to multiple colors. She kicked her out!"

I paused. "Okay. I'm going to summon, then we'll split up. Da Vinci, you'll help Vicky find Amy. Tap in Weaver if you think she can or will help. I'll work with Cu and hit the Empire. Gilgamesh, what's your plan?"

The king yawned. "I suppose I can whet my blades on the imperial simpletons. For your sake."

I smiled. "Thanks, your highness."

I strode to the circle. "Execute: Summon, Saber!"

I noticed Gilgamesh jolt out of the corner of my eye as the light swirled, and Glory Girl shrieked.

The light settled, and a middling tall man with a hood and full plate appeared.

"I'll protect the world. I'll protect you." He lowered his hood. "Servant Saber. Glad to meet you, Master!" His blue eyes twinkled.

"I am Servant Saber. Tell me, are you my Master?" an imperious woman's voice inquired behind me.

I spun, and saw a short blonde with green eyes and hands folded in front of her, almost as though on the pommel of a blade. She wore a mix of armor and a dress, and was staring straight at Glory Girl, who bore command seals on her hand.

"Arthur and Artoria. Because of course," I groaned.

Cu laughed as Gilgamesh blinked owlishly.

The king hummed. "Two Sabers." He smirked. "Truly, I am spoiled for choice."

Artoria scowled, while Arthur looked politely confused.

"Pardon?"

"No."

I looked over at Gilgamesh. "Please no assaulting your fellow Spirits, Gilgamesh."

He sighed. "Very well. I shall restrain myself for your sake. Shall we go and teach the mongrels regret, my Trinket?"

Artoria made a noise like a dying cat.

Arthur shrugged. "I have no idea what's going on. Can I help?"

I looked over at him. "Nazis are alive and well. We're beating them up, and handing them over to the law."

"I can do that."

Glory Girl blinked, then stood tall. "Okay. So… Artoria, right?"

"I am the King of Knights, and Lord of Britain."

"No, I am the King of Knights and Lord of Britain."

The two Sabers stared at each other, gaze flat.

"Wait. What?" Glory Girl said, confused.

"Alternate universe shenanigans," I said.

"Fascinating," Arthur said as he peered inquisitively at Artoria.

Artoria slowly stepped behind Glory Girl to avoid both his gaze and Gilgamesh's.

"Okay. So King Artoria's with me and Da Vinci to look for my sister, and King Arthur, King Gilgamesh, and Cu Chulainn are going to help you fight Nazis." said Glory Girl.

"Looks like," I said, receiving a round of nods.

"Let's go!" Arthur called with an eager smile.

"Please get me away from him," Artoria begged Glory Girl as she fully interposed the hero between her and the Golden King.

Gilgamesh strode forward and placed an arm around Arthur's shoulders. "It looks like we will be fighting together, King of Knights," he said lightly.

Arthur smiled brilliantly. "I look forward to it, King of Heroes. You were a powerful opponent in the war I experienced; I'm glad you'll be an ally."

"An ally. Of course," Gilgamesh said in a lilting voice.

I locked eyes with Cu, my face a mask of despair. "Why this? Why me?"

He promptly made a gagging motion and stuck his finger down his throat.

"We're burning moonlight! Let's go!" Da Vinci called, and she led us out of the warehouse.

 

[Blinktwice13]

A/N: Brandish is a bit OOC in this, but I blame that on her passenger plus dopamine deprivation from Vicky's aura causing a psychotic break. Content Warning: Abusive Behavior, Parental Abuse/Emotional Abuse
_______________________________________________________

Interlude: Panacea

As a fact of life she had accepted long ago, being Amy Dallon was suffering.

Every day she was at the hospital, she hated it. Every minute she was away from the hospital, she hated herself.

She knew she was burning out, she'd seen enough cases to know the symptoms. That said, she also knew that all of her worth was tied up in how many lives she could save, how many people she could heal.

After all, wasn't that what Carol told her?

...and now she was waxing melancholic. Time to step outside and take a smoke.

As she massaged her hands, Amy blinked as she took note of a strange pattern on the back of her left. It was highly stylized, but it put her in mind of loosely strewn feathers.

"Hello, Master!" a chipper voice chimed to her immediate right.

Amy spun, and saw… what?

The person's face looked feminine enough, but given they were wearing plate armor and an open helm, anything was up for debate. They had a tower shield, and a fairly ornate sword. Amy's gaze settled on it, and she felt herself shiver a moment.

"Oh! You like Gringamore? I got it from my wife's brother," the person mused. "Well, former wife. She passed away a long time ago from grief. I feel bad for leaving her, but the life of a knight is fraught with peril, you know."

So the knight was a man.

"And well, my big brother Gawain always said 'Gareth, I know you don't care about being ladylike, but did you have to go so far down the knight's path of chivalry that you took a bride?' Hah, joke's on him! Lynette never had a single complaint about me, ever! Nyeh!"

...Amy stood corrected.

"So I'm Gareth of Orkney, Knight of the Round Table and conqueror of the Black Knight, Green Knight, Puce Knight, Indigo Knight, and Red Knight of Red Lands! Saber-class Servant, pleased to meet you!" The chipper girl doffed her helmet, and Amy lost her breath.

Ever since Vicky accepted the necklace to bind her aura, Amy was less… interested in her sister. She still loved her, just not in that exact way, anymore. That said, it had been a little bit since she felt anything positive. Well, untrue - Grail insisted that Amy practice the more exotic uses of her power on some of Weaver's insect army, and that took the edge off of things she hadn't been aware of prior.

But Vicky didn't compare to Gareth. The knight had short blonde hair, a pretty, rounded face, and blue-green eyes. She was breathtaking.

Shaking her head, Amy pursed her lips. "Look, I didn't ask Grail for a Servant. I'm fine."

Gareth tilted her head. "Are you, though?"

Amy turned on her heel and stormed off.
_________________________________________________________________________

The knight followed her for three days. Three. Days.

"I'm busy."

"That's fine! Watching you work is soothing, somehow?"

"Other people can't see you. If they see me talking to air, they'll send me home."

"I can manifest!"

"No. If Carol finds out, she'll flip."

"Aww. Hey, why would she be mad?"

"Because I'm a terrible person."

For the first time in three days, Gareth was quiet. It didn't last long, but her gaze was gentle. "What do you mean?"

"I was in love with my sister."

"Past tense."

"Well, I guess some of it was her aura."

"Yeah, you told me about that."

Amy sighed and continued to walk down the hall. "Why are you following me?" she muttered under her breath, teeth clenched tight.

Gareth didn't speak.

Amy continued to touch and mend any ills she came across. She felt so, so tired.

"The last one just had a cut on his leg. It wasn't very deep. Couldn't a doctor have fixed it?"

Amy rounded on Gareth. "Why won't you just shut up? I never asked you to be here, I never asked for you to follow me. Just go."

Gareth smiled. "I'll be there when you need me."
__________________________________________________________________________

Amy blew out a cloud of smoke on the roof. Gareth watched quietly.

"It can't hurt me. Not really."

"Okay."

"Stop judging me."

"If I was judging you, I wouldn't be here. I refused to be around my own brothers if they weren't acting honorably." Gareth crossed her arms.

Amy chuckled darkly. "And I'm sure you're such a great judge of character."

"I am, actually. It's one of my skills!" Gareth chirped.

Amy's gaze sharpened. "What are your skills?"

"Hm… well I'm really good at riding! And figuring people out, actually. Oh, I can also resist magic! Or powers, I guess."

Amy pursed her lips. "Go back to that second one. Figuring people out."

"Oh! Well, if people do bad stuff, I can kind of piece it together."

"Can you." Amy kept her face emotionless.

"Yup!"

Panacea tilted her head. "So what about me?"

"Uh?"

She turned to the door. "Break's over."

"What? But everyone's healed!"

"Then I'll find something minor to fix. I can't be idle."

Gareth interposed herself between Amy and the door, solidifying. "No. Using your power takes energy, and you're hurting yourself by doing more than you should." She scowled. "Stop trying to martyr yourself for no reason!"

Amy froze. "Oh?"

"You want to know what I see? I see someone who's so desperate to be good that they'll cast away everything else in the pursuit of an ideal. But that's no way to live! You can't throw yourself away, and bury yourself in some ill-defined duty!" Gareth turned her gaze away. "Not like her."

Amy scowled. "You don't know anything, Gareth. Carol's been very clear. This? Is what's expected. I have power, and the duty to use it. Every second I'm not healing is a second someone is hurting. To not use my power for this is evil, and you can't convince me otherwise."

Gareth's gaze snapped back to Amy. "No, Master. There are people here to help, and do their jobs, and save lives. You can do what they can't, but there are still things they can do. You aren't responsible for the world, Master!"

"So where is the line? What's the difference between self-care and negligence? What use of my power is a bridge too far? Nobody will fucking tell me! Vicky started to notice once Grail pulled her head out of her ass, and she's been trying to help, but she's struggling to stay afloat too! Dad? Please. He's getting better day by day, but he's still barely there. And Carol just watches. Always watching, waiting for me to make that one move that will justify everything she's ever thought. She didn't even want me, you know? I don't know where I came from, but here I am! With a sister who barely understands me, a mother who can barely tolerate me, and a father who's just barely there." Amy shivered.

"Hey…" Gareth wrapped Amy in a gentle embrace, and the healer froze.

What.

"You're doing your best. You're lost, and scared, and that's fine. You haven't done anything wrong. And thoughts without actions remain thoughts, and everyone has those. So listen. Just… let me hold you, for a minute. It's been a while, right? Since someone let you know they cared like this."

Amy nodded woodenly. Was she crying? God, how embarrassing.

"So, first things first. Stop trying to hide who you are. You're happy when you make new stuff, I can tell. Even if you've been avoiding Grail since I showed up, you do little things here and there. So here's what you should do: make something awesome. Not useful, just… like flowers! Make pretty flowers!"

Amy stared at Gareth as the knight stepped back. "Flowers."

"Yep!"

"You're making me do craft therapy with… flowers."

"Well, make is a strong word. How about… strenuously suggest?"

Amy sighed. "Fine. I'll… give it a shot."
___________________________________________________________________________

Amy swallowed nervously. She fiddled with the small bouquet of flowers on the table while Gareth bounced happily off to her side.

Daisies. She was freaking out over daisies.

Slowly she reached out, and touched the petals.

One, she alternated between red and blue. Immediately, she felt her tension ebb.

The next, yellow and violet. Now, she was getting into it. Coordinating colors was more Vicky's thing, but...

Pink and indigo. This was… fun?

Black and wh-

"What are you doing."

Amy stilled. Carol.

"I…"

"Funny, you said you were going to go to the hospital and heal people. I'm interested to see you here at home. And whatever that is? Isn't healing." Carol loomed over Amy, hand on the table. Her hand was clenched into a fist.

"I just-" Amy tried to defend herself.

"Amelia." Carol's face may as well have been made of stone.

Gareth seethed, unseen. "Let me at her, Master! She has no right to make you feel this way! There was nobody left to heal, there's nothing wrong!"

"Hey Mom, hey Ames- Whoa! Did you do that to those daisies? That's awesome!" Vicky burst into the room, and her attention immediately went to the flowers.

Slowly, Carol turned to Vicky. "You knew she was doing this sort of thing."

Vicky blinked. "Yeah? I mean, it's part of her power, and better if she does it supervised and in harmless ways than, y'know."

"Harmless? She's a biokinetic, Victoria. There's no such thing as harmless. Nilbog isn't harmless. Blasto isn't harmless. And neither. Is. She." Carol stood tall, face in a flat expression. "She lied to me, Victoria." She turned back to Amy. "You lied. You weren't where you said you would be, you weren't doing what you said you were. What other lies have you told?" Her voice grew more and more taut.

Amy flinched back into herself. "I…"

Carol shook her head. "I suppose I should have known, all things considered." She tilted her head, eyes glittering. "I put down very simple rules, Amelia. You can follow them or leave."

Amy stared. "Leave?"

Carol nodded. "You can be emancipated, if you so wish. I certainly don't want to share a house with a liar, and who knows what else. I shudder to think of any… additions you might have given to those helpless people." Her voice darkened on each syllable.

"MOM!" Vicky shouted, aghast. "How could you? Ames would never do something like that!"

"Listen to your sister, Master! She knows you, and I can tell you she's right! Just because you can do something doesn't predestine you to do it!" Gareth was still transparent, but it was a near thing.

Amy clenched her hands. "So all I have to do is tell you where I am at all times, and do only what you say. No more, no less."

Carol folded her arms. "It isn't much to ask, Amelia. All I want is for you to be a good person, and worthy of the time and effort I've put into raising you."

When I never wanted you in the first place.

Amy shuddered. "So, what. Anything healthy for me has to go, so long as it doesn't fit in the narrow definitions of 'good' you prescribe?"

"You tell her, Master!"

Vicky looked back and forth between Amy and Carol. "Guys, let's not do this. There's no reason to be this way, we're family!" Vicky face was tense, her voice distraught.

Carol cut her gaze over towards Vicky. "Oh? Not going to use your aura on us?" she said in an icy tone.

The room froze.

"That cur."

"I mean, that's what you've always done. Whenever things get tough, you just… let it off the leash a little. But that was accidental, and you're getting better now. I know I can't trust Amelia, I've known it for years." Carol turned to Vicky. "Can I trust you? My own flesh and blood? Won't you be on my side? The right side?" Amy couldn't tell if she was being plaintive or insidious. And suddenly, she didn't care.

Amy stood up, spine straight. "I'm going. And I'm not coming back."

"Master! Wait!"

"I'll hold you to it," Carol said, voice barely raised as Amy stormed out of her childhood home.
____________________________________________________________________________

Amy curled up on the curb, face in her knees. Gareth gently rubbed her back.

"I'm so sorry, Master. Is there anywhere you want to go? Anywhere I can take you?"

Amy took a shuddering breath. "If I go to Grail… what becomes of me?"

Gareth looked confused. "What?"

"He always gets so excited when I use my powers. Change things. What will I be if I go to him?"

"Has he ever let you do anything really bad?"

"...there was one time, I wanted to put venom glands in some of Weaver's roaches."

"Uh-huh?"

"He put his foot down pretty hard. Said that making something more deadly rather than functional wouldn't help things, especially if it was something Weaver or her Servant couldn't fix."

Gareth hummed. "That's a good sign. And, well, nobody said you can't keep doing work at the hospital. Just… not as much? And you can get paid for it, right?"

"No, that'd be wrong."

"Really? Back in the days of the court, physicians didn't come cheap. I'm not saying you should charge people a lot or whatever, but if it takes your time and energy, shouldn't you be compensated so you can care for yourself?"

Amy snorted. "Pretty mercenary for a knight."

"Well, I never really had to ask for rewards when I went out a-knighting. People were just grateful, you know? Also the king kept us in enough gold to make ends meet, sooo…"

Panacea looked over at Gareth. "Did I do the right thing?"

"Um? Well I'd keep in contact with your sister, but I wouldn't waste time on that.... person. Whatever her problem is, it stopped being relevant when she tried to make it yours."

Amy looked at the sky. "How are you so sure I'm a good person?"

"Well, I've been around you a little bit. And you know what I see?"

"I'm scared to ask. But go ahead."

"You're sad, and tired, and lonely. You feel lost and bitter, and you don't know how to get out of it." Gareth shifted. "You know… not everything has to be something you handle yourself. Even if we weren't contracted, I'd still want to help you."

Amy turned back to her. "Why?"

"Because you care, on some level. You keep wanting to help others, not just for your sake - to prove yourself - but for theirs, too. And you could do a lot of bad stuff, but you don't. That's all really noble." Gareth smiled sweetly.

"Well yeah. With power like mine, I have to be."

"But you don't. You do have a choice, Amy," the knight said in a passionate voice.

Gareth stared her in the face.

"So what now?"

"Now? Now I look after you, and you choose your path." Gareth sounded nothing short of confident.

"Why would you care about someone like me?" Amy asked tiredly.

"Because you deserve to be cared about, no matter your power or choices." Gareth's answer was prompt, and succinct.

Amy felt her breath catch.

"Hey, don't be like that," Gareth said worriedly, rubbing her back more. "It's true. I mean, I don't know how often you hear it, but everyone deserves to be cared for. You're not an exception."

Panacea swallowed, and she came to a decision.

"Okay. I'll go."

Gareth tilted her head. "Go where?"

"Go-"

"With us," a man's voice said brusquely.

Amy's eyes shot up, and she turned to see a squad of men in military fatigues.

"I…"

"Our boss would like a word with you. Come quietly, and your little knight friend won't be harmed."

Amy felt her face darken. "Oh?"

The leader strode forward. "Yeah. 'Oh.' You need skin contact to work, and the instant you try something, you'll get tranqed. So saddle up and let's roll."

Gareth lunged, and her punch sent the man barreling across the street and into the wall of a nearby building. Cracks formed around the point of impact. He slumped, but didn't fall. He didn't move either.

"On my honor…"

The mercenaries all hoisted their guns, readying for a fight.

"As a knight of Camelot…"

Slowly, Gareth drew her blade.

"I will protect this fair maiden with my life! With this blade I braved Castle Dangerous! With these arms I struck down Lord Ironside! Feel my fury, and witness! Gringamore, the Noble Blade!"

A short chop, and the air rent itself in a vortex, spiraling the men far into the air, letting them drop to the ground a distance away.

Amy stared at the scene, then yelped as she was grabbed around the midsection.

"Sorry, Sir Whatsit," a person in garish makeup and garb called, "but their boss is willing to pay an awful lot for her. See you la-"

"Circus! Put her down!" Vicky called, charging the cape.

"Fuck off, Glory Hole!" Circus snarled as she twisted out of the way.

Amy struck, and her fingers found purchase on a small patch of bare skin. Circus weaved, suddenly nauseous, and dropped her into what appeared to be a hammock drawn by drones.

"Hello, Panacea," Da Vinci said with a smile. "You've been away for a bit. Would you like to visit?"

"...sure?"

Circus growled and lunged, and Da Vinci laughed. "Oh, I don't think so."

A torrent of wind blasted the grab-bag out of the air, and laid her out on the ground. As Circus sat up, a petite blonde with a glowing blade left the point of the sword hanging in their face. "You've challenged myself and one of my knights. Desist or perish."

Gareth ran over. "Master! ...your highness!?" The knight seemed shocked.

The King of Knights smiled. "Gareth. It has been far too long, Knight of Orkney."

Amy stared.

"I am Artoria Pendragon, Saber-class Servant to one Victoria Dallon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Amy turned to Vicky. "What."

"Oh, yeah. Apparently she's the one from Grail's world. Told you about that, right? And he summoned the male version for himself. Guy's hot too, won't lie," Vicky rambled as she hoisted Circus by the collar.

Artoria kept her blade trained on them, and Gareth turned as the mercenaries began to stir.

"A moment, Master Amy!" Gareth chirped.

And that was all it took before she blurred out of sight, and the men were bludgeoned back to unconsciousness.

Amy looked up at the sky. "I'm so done tonight."

Da Vinci chuckled. "To the warehouse, then?"

"Sure."
____________________________________________________________________________

Amy sighed. Dragon watched her from the console.

"So you've got nowhere to go, and those mercenaries… from what Grail's told me, Coil just made a move on you. Would New Wave protect you?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, Aunt Sarah would. But I won't go to her. Carol won't take me back, and she has two kids already. She couldn't take in a third."

"So what will you do?" Dragon asked gently.

Da Vinci pointedly didn't look at the screen, and continued to tinker with a small block of wires and circuitry.

"You should join the Guild," Vicky blurted.

Amy stared.

"Dual membership is a thing with the Protectorate, so you'll still be New Wave, right?" Vicky asked, turning to Dragon.

Dragon nodded. "Of course. I've no interest in separating Panacea from her loved ones." She smiled. "I won't lie, having you around to refine Weaver's spiders for more silk and higher quality does appeal, along with whatever tinkering we can involve you in."

Amy shifted.

"It's Amy's choice," Gareth pronounced, face drawn in a frown. "Even if it's a good one, she has the right to say no."

Amy looked up at the Servant. It had been four days, now, and the cheerful knight had upended her life in a whirlwind. So.

"I'll do it."

Dragon turned to her. "You will?"

"And Gareth will too."

The Knight blinked, and smiled. "Mas-"

"This is all your fault. You want me to aim for better, to make my life less miserable? Fine. But you're gonna take responsibility and stand with me every inch of the way."

"Of course!"

Amy looked around the room. Artoria tended her blade, keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings with a small smile.

Vicky beamed, and Amy could feel the pride emanating from her. She didn't need the aura to admire her sister, then - as a sister.

Da Vinci continued to tinker with a tiny grin, and Amy felt warmth from her as well.

Grail wasn't there, but Amy knew that he'd welcome her with open arms.

And Gareth?

The knight smiled at her like she'd hung the moon in the sky.

"We're gonna be heroes, Lady Amy! I'm so excited!" Gareth cheered.

Once, she would have corrected the Knight - "we were already heroes", or something. But this was definitely different from what she'd done before. What she'd been before.

Amy couldn't help it. She laughed. "I guess. You know, Gareth? I think maybe… maybe this will work out."

Gareth wrapped Amy in a hug, and for the first time in a long time, she felt that everything could be alright.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Sir Gareth of Orkney, Knight of the Round

Class: Saber

Parameters:
STR: B++
END: B+
AGI: C-
MAN: E
LUK: C
NP: C+

Skills:

Riding: C+
Discernment of the Poor: D (has good instincts regarding character, results scale with time spent; represents Gareth's reluctance to spend time around anyone dishonorable, including at times his siblings)
Magic Resistance: C+
Charisma: E (Most beloved of the Orkney Siblings, popular at Round Table)

NP:

Gringamore, the Noble Blade: Strikes the air with such force as to create a vacuum wave. This can create heavy updrafts, a forward blast, or directed cyclones with sufficient focus. A C-Ranked Anti-Army Noble Phantasm. The blade given by the man of the same name for Gareth to enter the tourney at Castle Dangerous.

Resolve Against the Red Knight of Red Lands: A passive Noble Phantasm, recognition of Gareth's defeat of Lord Ironside, known to be as strong as any seven men. This increases Gareth's physical parameters by one letter each (represented in stat block).

Not included, part of Rider Kit:

Recruitment of the Knights of Colors: Gareth took the life, horse, and armor of the Black Knight she defeated, but the rest of his fellows lived to serve Camelot. With this B-Ranked Noble Phantasm, she can call all of them to battle to fight alongside her on horseback, including the fearsome Lord Ironside. An anti-army Noble Phantasm.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Scathe 2.4

"...I may have made a minor miscalculation."

Gilgamesh gave me a sidelong look. "You've no idea where to start looking for them, do you."

"Uh… Yeah. Gimme a sec."

I pulled my phone out of my pants pocket. After a time, going au naturale in my base form wasn't working, so I added clothes so I could carry my phone and currency. Also had the side benefit of everyone who didn't know before going "He was naked?" and clutching their metaphorical pearls. Heh.

<SnapCupTime: Hey, any idea where E88 has some important stuff to smash?>

<AllSeeingEye: Maybe. Stuff's tense. Don't know how much help I can give.>

<AllSeeingEye: Boss just tried to snatch Panacea. Failed. Not sure why. Not enough data.>

I swore.

"What?" Arthur asked, concerned.

"Coil just tried to grab Panacea. I should've figured that'd be an outcome if she left home, but…"

Gilgamesh coughed. "Did he succeed?"

"No."

"Then get what we need," he said, cuffing the back of my head lightly.

<SnapCupTime: Servants proven to fuck with precog. Don't know why.>

<AllSeeingEye: ...duly noted. Scuttlebutt on PHO says major rally at theater near Boardwalk. You heard nothing from me.>

<SnapCupTime: One more thing, Kaiser threatened Weaver.>

<AllSeeingEye: Oh?>

<SnapCupTime: Yeah, said he'd try to poach her if she fit his roster, hurt her otherwise, unless I got him Hookwolf & co. back>

<AllSeeingEye: I see.>

She didn't send anything else. Taylor mentioned she'd met Lisa and the two had hit it off in civvies, but I didn't know how that would translate over to cape life.

"I got us an address," I said as I put my phone away.

Cu grinned sharply. "Oi! Hope they have fighters as fun as that metal fellow!"

Arthur's mouth firmed. "Hopefully, we can put a stop to their misdeeds tonight."

Gilgamesh sighed. He snapped his fingers, and the Vimana emerged from the Gate of Babylon. "This will not be a common occurrence, but! Tonight, I shall permit the three of you to accompany me upon the wings of my throne." He turned to me. "You shall guide us to the place of battle at my right hand."

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Archer."

He smirked. "Now, Trinket, let's make haste." His eyes cut over to Arthur. "I'm interested in making further conversation with my new… comrade."

I met Cu Chulainn's eyes. He just shook his head slowly.

Arthur smiled brightly. "I look forward to getting to know you as well, King of Heroes!"

Cu sighed. "Let's be on with it," he grumbled.
_______________________________________________________________________

The Vimana came to a halt over the theater. It had taken seconds for us to get there. Arthur and Cu were completely fine. I, on the other hand…

"You may unhand it now, Trinket," Gilgamesh said amusedly. He gently pried my arms and legs from the command throne. "We've come to a complete stop."

"Have we? Are you sure? Because we could be going so fast that everything else is standing still. Did we just lap the planet?"

He grabbed me under my arms and held me out to Cu Chulainn. "Please do something with him."

Cu patted me on the head. "There, there. We can teleport home, and you don't need to ride the scary spaceship anymore."

"Yay…"

Gilgamesh set me on solid ground, and after weaving for a moment, I stood up straight.

"Right! Onward!"
____________________________________________________________________________

"...and so we must continue to fight, for the everyman, for the common people!" Kaiser said, voice echoing over the roaring crowd.

From what I could see, he had Fenja and Menja to either side of him, and Krieg behind him. Alabaster and Crusader were conspicuously absent, and I couldn't see Rune anywhere either. If I recalled, Purity was either fresh off of childbirth or out trying to paste minority gangbangers, and Night and Fog were currently in Boston until Purity or Kaiser called them back.

Time to get to work.

I faded in next to Kaiser, and perched my elbow on his shoulder. "Cool story. Now, to mix some of your hot-button issues: what's your stance on threatening teenage white girls to bust known murderers out of prison?"

You could have heard a pin drop.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Grail," Kaiser said softly. "I give you one chance to leave peaceably."

Golden chains sprouted from portals, and every man in the audience was bound in an instant.

"Interesting proposal! Here's my counteroffer: you threatened my friend. Eat shit, you Nazi chucklefuck."

And I grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him into his podium.

Fenja and Menja grew, rapidly breaching ten feet of height, and the air felt heavy with Krieg's Shaker power.

How adorable.

Arthur slammed his blade into Fenja's shield, knocking her through a wall and out of the room. Both he and Menja pursued.

Krieg charged me, but Cu Chulainn spun his spear in a circle, and his aura cut off. Krieg slowly turned to face Cu.

"Have a mind, Herr…?"

"Name's Cu Chulainn. Hero of Ireland. Maybe you've heard of me?"

Trapped in the rune circle, Krieg had no choice but to prioritize Cu. Which left me with...

Well, shit.

Kaiser radiated smug as I was suspended on a small glade of blades. "It would seem I have the upper hand, Grail."

"I dunno about that. Saber specializes in giant-slaying, so it's only a matter of time until your Playboy Jotunn duo get knocked out. Cu Chulainn is amazing at close-range combat, so even with Krieg's shaker and brute abilities it'll last only as long as he wants. And if I was in real danger Gilgamesh might actually intervene, but I think he's content to just tie up every non-cape in the audience. Also I'm past Alexandria-level invulnerable, so there's literally nothing you can do to me."

Kaiser pulled out a phone from his armor, somehow. "These are hardly my only men. One call, and everyone will have eyes out for Weaver."

I stared at him. "Weaver. Okay, she's a kid, but even if she isn't as invulnerable as me? She's wily, she's got actual offensive options, and her Servant is probably only matched by Gilgamesh if they both get serious. You want to burn mooks chasing her, then go with God, you tin tyrant."

Kaiser hummed. "Glory Girl is a harder sell, so how about Panacea?" He paused. "No, nevermind. Calling down every hero and a number of villains on my head isn't remotely worth it. Don't know what I was thinking."

"Good on you, figuring it out before Alexandria hunted you down. I'd clap, but my hands are kind of estranged at the moment."

Kaiser snarled, then was engulfed by a cloud of darkness. Wait, what?

I moved my head a bit, and felt my eyes widen as Tattletale put a finger to her lips and scanned the parts of the room still in eyesight.

She nodded to someone on the corner of my vision, and I felt the stage shake next to me. I was mildly spattered in dog slobber as I was gently mouthed off of my little spike podium by either Brutus or Angelica, I think. Maybe Judas.

The dog turned and I was face-to-face with their master. She gave a grunt of greeting.

"Hey Bitch. Thanks for the save."

She nodded, and looked at her dog. "Judas, down."

I dropped, and got to my feet. "Surprisingly little drool. He's well-trained," I praised.

Bitch blinked at me.

"...that's about like saying the sky is blue, isn't it."

Still silence.

I turned to the dark cloud, and tracked the edge to a man in a mask who had to be Grue. I waved, and he ignored me.

"Cheery fellow, eh?"

"Now what," Bitch said.

"Uh."

Tattletale strolled over. "Now, I know you weren't in any danger, but did you have to just let yourself hang there? It's distressing to feel like I might be losing a source of secondary income, even if that isn't the case."

"Actually it's distressing because on some level she genuinely cares about you, despite you being a mystery. She's quite vexed."

Tattletale bared her teeth. "Thanks. Hans."

"Hey Hans. So any chance you can shut down Kaiser?" I asked.

The little Caster shook his head. "My spellwork is mediocre at best. A distraction or illusion I could do, but don't ask for more. My Noble Phantasm is… a good way from ready."

Tattletale perked up. "Noble Phantasm?"

"Basically the sum of a legend. Arthur's Excalibur, Cu Chulainn's Gae Bolg, so on and so forth," I said quickly.

Tattletale hummed in interest.

"A massive oversimplification, and in some cases flat-out wrong. But it will do as a stopgap explanation," Hans said, conveying apathy.

"I said. Now. What." Bitch was clearly unhappy.

Krieg went flying overhead, and everyone's eyes tracked back to Cu, who was standing in a martial arts stance that I vaguely recognized. An old form of Irish fistfighting, I believe. Boxing owed a lot to it.

He stood, grinning, and hefted his spear over his shoulder. "Not bad! Not as good as the metal one, but not bad. Ah, the lass with the dogs and company! Good to see you!" His bruises healed as he spoke.

"Hey Cu, Kaiser's locked down pretty hard. Can you handle the rest?"

Cu sniffed twice. "Right. Got 'em!" Then he lunged into the darkness.

Grue scoffed. "I really don't think-"

Kaiser yelped as he was slung into a wall at immense speed, and then he crumpled.

Then Grue just stared as a gust of wind blew his darkness away, and we all saw Cu spinning his spear and sending shrapnel flying everywhere.

Some landed in Kaiser point-first, pinning him to the wall with a strangled gasp. Given it went through his pure metal outfit, I wasn't surprised that it hurt.

I looked over at Tattletale, who squinted. She held up a finger and muttered to herself, then nodded.

"Nothing vital. All clear!"

"Not quite, Tats. Fenja and Menja, remember?" Regent drawled as he sauntered up to us.

"Strike! Invisible Air!" Arthur called.

A sideways cyclone blew across the stage, through the podium I'd already wrecked, and into the opposing wall.

The three Undersiders close to me joined me in peering around a curtain. Plastered against the heavily damaged wall were Fenja and Menja, reduced back to normal size and thoroughly beaten.

"...should I feel bad about this?"

Regent snorted. "Nah. If the tables were turned, they'd step on you, and not in the fun way."

"Yikes."

Bitch grunted. "That it? Let's go."

The audience had been strangely silent, so I turned to take a look.

To a man, each had a length of chain in their mouth, and a portal with something sharp and pointy aimed at them.

In the very back of the theater? Gilgamesh sat on Vimana's throne, popping grapes into his mouth.

"I'd applaud, but the opponents were so subpar that even holding back there wasn't a chance," he drawled.

I turned to thank the Undersiders for the assist, but they were already gone.

My phone buzzed.

<AllSeeingEye: Weaver's good people. We're even on this one.>

I smiled.

"Oh! Is it over already?" Arthur asked. He sounded mildly disappointed. "Those two giants were an interesting fight. Oh, who summoned blades from the ground? Can I face them?" he said eagerly.

Kaiser groaned.
____________________________________________________________________________

I flopped onto a table in the workshop and groaned. "I hate being useless."

"Now Trinket, you're hardly useless. If it wasn't for you, we'd have to walk back." Gilgamesh frowned, looking down at his armor and then at his chair. "Right, then. AUO Cast Off!"

"What. Gilgamesh, no-!"

But it was too late. In a radiant flash of light, Gilgamesh stood before all and sundry in all his… kingly glory. He flopped down into his chair, and reclined.

A soft cough echoed from a table further in.

I rolled over to see Da Vinci with an easel and paintbrush, Panacea hiding her face in a knight's shoulder, Artoria looking mildly ill, and Glory Girl gawking unabashedly.

"Hi. This is normal," I groaned out.

"Mm-hm. Also Panacea's joining our Guild branch. Her mother went off the deep end due to recalibrating from an absence of Vicky's aura. Her contract is with Saber Gareth." Da Vinci calmly rattled the facts off as she continued to paint. "Now I can't tell, does he manscape? Get a good look for me, won't you?"

"No."

"I'm in a relationship, and I'm happy. I'm in a very fulfilling relationship," Glory Girl chanted to herself.

Artoria leaned over her shoulder. "Trust me, you're already doing better than that. Listen to the voice of reason, Master," she hissed.

Arthur and Cu must have finally finished sparring, because they both walked in at that moment. Now, why they needed to spar after a perfectly good session of Nazi-punching I didn't know, nor did I care to ask.

Cu took one look at Gilgamesh and sighed. "Really, shitty king? With all of these people?"

"A king feels no shame for his body."

Cu shook his head and strolled on into the back. "We need actual rooms, you know. Just because none of us need to sleep doesn't mean we don't need privacy from time to time."

Arthur blinked owlishly. "Aren't you cold, Gilgamesh?"

Gilgamesh smirked and opened his mouth.

Oh no. I had to do something to head that off.

"Hey Arthur! Go say hi to Gareth!"

Gareth stared at the male version of her king. "Wait. There's actually an alternate universe King of Knights?" she said in shock.

Arthur perked up and went over to chat with the much-different version of the Knight of Orkney.

I exhaled slowly.

"Grail." Uh-oh.

"Yes, Dragon?"

My boss' avatar steepled her fingers. "Will working with the Undersiders be a regular thing?" she said calmly.

"...would you believe me if I told you I'm hoping to change them over to heroes at some point in the future?"

She inclined her head. "Go on."

"Bitch - or Hellhound, as the PRT knows her - only has the one death to her name, and that was her trigger event. She reshapes dogs as a changer-master combo, but doesn't actually control them. The puppy was drowning, and it went off and killed the person drowning it. Also she has dog communication protocols, so to speak, not human ones. Her needs are specific, but I figure if we can get her away from people, and training work dogs while rehabilitating abuse cases, she's workable as a Guild member."

"That's one."

"Grue could join the Protectorate if it weren't for him needing to earn money to get custody of his sister. Father is no use with a child and borderline abusive, mother is a drug-addled wreck. His current sponsor is making a legal paper trail so that way he can claim enough income and respectability to adopt when he's of age."

Dragon exhaled. "Yet another case where us stepping in would improve things drastically. Continue."

"Regent would be happy to be inactive, given he's one of the Heartbroken."

Dragon hissed. "You're sure?"

"Yes. That said, his powers are perfect for physical therapy, given they're essentially hijacking a person's nervous system."

"Very well. And Tattletale?"

"Hired by Coil at gunpoint. Save her and treat her with respect, and her loyalty is a given."

Dragon inclined her head. "So at this point you're balancing keeping them somewhat out of trouble with earning their trust."

"I'm doing okay with Tattletale and Bitch. Regent I just met a day or so ago, and I just met Grue tonight. It won't be fast, but I might be able to swing them towards mercenaries at least before I start asking hard questions. Assuming the PRT and Protectorate don't come down on me for it first."

"I'll do what I can on that front. Now, I'm aware that Kaiser threatened a Guild member. Didn't you consider I might want to be involved? Or the Protectorate?"

"...No."

"So you hared off on your own. Again. The only saving grace was you brought your Servants this time. Yes, it worked, so I won't be too hard on you, but I need you to be more communicative with me for this to work, Grail. You do good things, but being a loose cannon will start to scare people the more you do it." Dragon stared steadily. "Am I making sense?"

"Yeah, you are. I'll work on it."

"Good. I'm working on procuring a block of apartments in a nearby building. Please get Gilgamesh to at least don a bathrobe."

"...Yes'm."

"You can try, my Trinket. You can try."
____________________________________________________________________________

As it turned out, I managed to talk the king into at least putting pants on. Points to me, I guess.

"Trinket."

"Yes, Gilgamesh?"

The king stared me down. "Something you said vexes me. You claimed to be 'useless'. What do you mean?"

I scowled. "Well, for all I can't be hurt, against anyone with any sort of range I'm no good. I can't really fight, so…"

Gilgamesh exhaled. "Is that so?"

I looked up at him as he stood in front of me. "Yeah."

"Tell me, then. I lack Da Vinci's deep connection to your knowledge, but… would Weaver have fared half so well as she is now without your intervention?"

I didn't say anything.

"I see. And Panacea? Would she have remained with her adoptive mother, continuing to be trodden down? Glory Girl, her aura permitted to run rampant and twist those around her?" His voice never raised above a conversational tone, yet the words found their mark.

"Okay, I get it, I'm more of a support member than an actual fighter. It still sucks that I can't fight alongside you guys."

Gilgamesh snorted. "I'm sure Cricket would disagree." He paused. "It is interesting that we've taken one of the powers of the city so easily."

"Rune, Crusader, and Alabaster are still out there, and their heaviest hitters are either abroad or not involved. Each attack was against a group caught unawares, and the deck stacked heavily in our favor. Now that they've had time to prepare, gunning for Coil or the ABB would be way more dangerous."

"Hoh? You think the dragon a match for me?"

"No, but he could pose a threat to Arthur or Cu if he got enough time to ramp up. And he's more than enough to handle Da Vinci if she's caught unawares."

Gilgamesh gave me a flat stare. "The main threat in any conflict with the powers of the city is collateral damage. We wish to prevent it, for whatever reasons we each have, and so we are somewhat hindered. If we went all-out, we could take the city in a day. Well, what would be left of it, I suppose." He shook his head. "Regardless, do not discount your power or those of your allies. I do not doubt that soon we will be called upon to tangle with this world's greatest threats."

I nodded, frowning.

Panacea slept on the closest thing we had to a bed - a huge, luxurious couch Gilgamesh had gotten on a whim. Da Vinci continued to paint, Cu drank, and Arthur was engrossed with the wonders of the internet. Gareth was standing watch over her master. Gilgamesh returned to his chair.

There had to be something I could do. Some way I could contribute?

It struck me.

I manifested the smaller grail, and beckoned the water from it. "Hey Lancer!"

Cu blinked at me. "Eh?"

"Try and hit me!"

He shrugged, and in less than a second, his spear was swinging at my head.

A thin stream of water sent it off-course.

His eyebrows climbed. "Oh?"

I held the smaller grail, one hand under the foot and the other around the stem. "Keep going."

Cu broke into a flurry of slashes and thrusts so fast I couldn't see them. All I saw were small panels of water forming instantaneously, and small spots of red as they were struck to no effect.

I grinned.

Cu's face fell into a feral smile. "Looks like you've been holding out, Master!"

Gilgamesh's hummed in interest. "Fascinating."

"Yeah, it's even stronger when I'm in Grand Grail form."

A few swords flew at me, only to immediately be swept away. "Hmm."

"Seriously? I should have busted this out a while ago, not going to lie," I said with a sharp grin.

Cu snorted. "Don't get too full of yourself, Master!" he growled, spear flashing across a solid barrier of water.

"Oh please. I'd have to summon Rider for anyone to be fast enough to-"

Light spiraled from behind me.

"WHAT." I didn't do it, Da Vinci!

Suddenly, I couldn't keep on my feet. My entire body felt drained, and the model grail fell to the floor and dissolved into gold sparks. I tumbled, and rolled onto my side.

"Shit! Master! Master!"

"Master Grail! What's wrong with him?"

"Trinket? Grail! Don't you dare die!"

"Structural integrity compromised! I'll need to take emergency measures!"

"Is this my master? Master? No…"

I was so tired. I felt my eyes slide shut.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Scathe 2.5

I came to in what appeared to be a stone castle. I say this because the room I was in was made completely of hewn rock, with a roaring fireplace in the wall, and also the window I could see opened out to a rather bleak horizon.

"You're awake. Good."

I turned to the speaker, who was seated in a chair by the fire. She had red hair, and wore a tight black bodysuit. A pair of Gae Bolg leaned against the wall behind her.

"Lady Scathach. I'm grateful for your hospitality," I said slowly.

She inclined her head. "I don't have much time. Your Caster is highly efficient, and is working as fast as she can to repair the damage to your body."

I stared at her. "Damage?"

"Your exterior shattered, revealing your core and sending you unconscious. Nothing irreparable, given your physiology, but cause for concern." Scathach paused momentarily. "Each gate has a toll. You passed through two, and so paid two prices. Balancing your power against the world to which you escaped." Her face drew into a frown. "The understanding was that certain rules would be obeyed. They were not."

"I-"

"Not you," Scathach said, making a slashing movement with her hand. "Your choice is simple. Would you prefer power, or understanding?"

This was moving very fast. "How much time do I have to decide?"

"A little. Would you like some context?"

"Yes, please."

Scathach drew breath. "You had begun to set up in a place known to man as the Moon Cell. A certain Servant took umbrage, and so launched an assault on you. Given their authority over the Moon Cell at the time, and the backing they had, the results were… catastrophic for you. You lacked your current body, so would not have survived physically. Your call for aid was answered by myself and one other. The price I had you pay for your passage into the Land of Shadows was memory. I used my runes to accomplish this, and stored the memories so that I could view and interpret them. My companion's price was the Lesser Grail within your body, and he placed you into your current form after great effort." Her eyes narrowed. "He said he would arrange matters so that I could speak with you. I didn't expect him to tamper with your Caster's summon circle and threaten your life." She shook her head. "Regardless, the entity who struck you down is now afoot in that world. He had abused the authority given to him, and had ultimately been locked into a timeline where he was trapped in Zero Dark. He escaped to Earth Bet, and that is a form of interference which would lead to destruction. It is fully possible he intends to set the end of that world in motion."

I stared at her. "So my choice is to regain my memories of the Moon Cell - because that's all that I have missing, I know - or to ask the return of the Lesser Grail."

"Wellllll that's a little tricky," a lilting voice chimed in.

I turned, and saw a man in extravagant robes with long white hair and violet eyes. Flower petals fell around his feet.

"Oh look. It's the Dick Wizard." I may have been feeling... uncharitable.

He rolled his eyes. "Everyone always remembers that, and not all the other amazing things I did. Because of course."

I scowled. "So tell me why I can't get my missing part back."

"Iiiiii might have misplaced it," he said sheepishly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Would you have left it in the body of one Taylor Hebert?"

Merlin's face smoothed into a mask of impassiveness. "Perceptive. Yes, I felt that as the stakes had been raised, it was only right that the hero of that world be given appropriate aid. It was fortunate your subconscious gave her Tamamo, who was able to contact an associate of mine. The little gem-mage has progressed in leaps and bounds since her iteration of the Fifth Fuyuki war."

I sighed. "So it was her. That leaves the question: who helped Taylor that could use Heaven's Feel?"

Merlin smirked. "Life is confusion. Deal with it. But yes, your memory will have to be what's returned. Sorry, no unlimited Summons for you," he said in a singsong tone.

Scathach gave a long exhale, and handed over a small orb. "Here. It should give you answers." She paused. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my end of the deal."

I took the orb, and it faded into the palm of my hand. Then I blacked out, as images and words assaulted my mind.
____________________________________________________________________________

The Caster smiled up at me. "Well Master, it's quite the luck that you've found this place! I'm glad to work with you."

Da Vinci.

____________________________________________________________________________

Da Vinci hummed. "I don't know, Master. Do you think you'll bring someone more adept at fighting in?"

I shrugged. "Who knows. Executing Summon Protocol."

The light flared and faded. A man clad in gold glared down at me, despite his shorter height.

Gilgamesh.

"And who are you to summon me, mongrel?"

"My name is-"
____________________________________________________________________________

The man across from me scoffed. "I find it hard to believe that a Greater Grail could be incarnated with such a… lackluster suite of abilities."

I shrugged. "I might not be able to hit very hard, but I can support better than anyone. Basically, so long as we stick together? You can trash anything with a minimum of effort." I paused. "Yes, even compared to now."

Gilgamesh hummed. "I suppose such a possession has merit."

"I'm a person, Gilgamesh."

"So?"

"People aren't property."

Gilgamesh smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Let's see if I can't change your mind."
_________________________________________________________________________

Da Vinci sighed. "Do you have to provoke him, Master?"

Gilgamesh was sulking. One of the perks of being what I was included enough Command Seals to curb his worst tendencies.

"He has to learn, Da Vinci. Once the fighting starts, I need to be sure he'll do as he's told."

She frowned. "And what was that about people not being property?"

I winced. "Shit."
____________________________________________________________________________

I sighed as I sat next to Gilgamesh. "Okay, look. I shouldn't have used those Seals, and I'm sorry. You're free to do as you like otherwise, just… don't muck with Da Vinci's preparations or try to pull the stuff you did on me again."

The King of Heroes stared at me impassively. "You're not recanting on your stance."

"Nope. Just trying to atone for actions that went against my ideals."

"Hm." He looked up into the sky. "I'm surprised you were so vehement. Most would have feared my retaliation."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I can't feel pain, pleasure, or anything at all. I'm already dead, Gilgamesh. This is my shot to get home, but I'm not banking too much on it."

The king hummed again. "And so you align yourself with Da Vinci and I. Interesting."

I shrugged. "It's whatever it will be."

"I suppose."
____________________________________________________________________________

"You two are getting along better," Da Vinci said with a smile.

I shrugged. "I guess he wanted someone to talk about the glory days at for a little bit? I don't know."

She sighed. "Well, someone's been poking at my barrier. They aren't particularly strong themselves, but there's something bothersome. I'll keep an eye on it."
____________________________________________________________________________

"So what is it you desire, besides a return to your life?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Saving this world sounds good, or helping to do so. I mean, all my friends and family are back home so it's kind of everything." I looked down. "Not sure why I got picked for this, but whatever."

Gilgamesh looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "You've proven adept enough. Your attitude isn't insufferable. Sufficient for the need, I gather." He smirked. "Rejoice, trinket. Your King has praised you."

I coughed out a laugh. "Yeah. Thanks, your highness."
____________________________________________________________________________

I stared at the man across from me. "You want to what."

Archimedes' expression was blank. "I intend to unleash the White Titan. For that, you need to no longer exist. A secondary generator outside my authority is an unacceptable risk." He inclined his head. "It is good that I found you alone. Your compatriots will find a cause elsewhere."

"Katoptron Katho Phlegon."

The mirrors came, and unleashed rays of flame upon me. I fought through the burning, but it was for nothing.

I felt my gaze dim.
________________________________________________________________________________

"I can save you and protect you from further harm, but it will cost you. I want your memories of the Moon Cell, to understand its workings that I might explore all its possibilities."

"Would I be able to return anyways?"

"No. Your body in that world is beyond repair."

I sighed.

"Well, that world's a bust. How about a new one?"

Violet eyes smiled at me.

"All it'll take is a little… organ donation. So you'll fit in your new body!"
________________________________________________________________________________

Summoned in the middle of a fight… oh Master. You didn't change at all! Mentally.
________________________________________________________________________________

A pale imitation. I'll never accept it. It is fit but to be one of my treasures in the Gate.

...wait. Wait. Is it… you?
________________________________________________________________________________

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

I heard a soft hissing as I looked down my body, and saw Da Vinci with a propane torch.

"Mending complete!" she chirped.

As my feet hit the floor, I looked around. Everyone was staring at me in various stages of upset, except Da Vinci.

"If I see Merlin again, I am putting my foot so far up his ass I'll be able to use my toes to work his jaw like a muppet," I said cheerily.

Gilgamesh stalked over. "So Merlin sabotaged the circle."

"Yep. Scathach needed to talk to me, and apparently putting me in a near-death state was required. Because it wasn't enough to take the Lesser Grail I used to control and funnel my powers, and put it in Taylor."

Gilgamesh's gaze sharpened. "Oh?"

I gave him a flat stare. "Yeah, oh. Gilgamesh."

He smirked. "Yes?"

"Please tell me you handed Archimedes his ass."

He smiled brilliantly. "As it so happens, yes."

"Cool. Because apparently he's still Velber-corrupted and loose in this world. Apparently that was important enough for Scathach to give me my memories back."

Gilgamesh frowned. "I suppose it would have been too much to assume you merely remembered on your own."

Da Vinci's face was a study. "Wait. Roll back. Merlin put your Lesser Grail where?"

"In Taylor. It's why a wielder of the Second Magic had to get a user of the Third to help Tamamo save her."

The Caster's face spasmed.

Dragon's avatar flickered on the screen. "Alright. And who is Archimedes?"

"You know the amazing engineer from Syracuse? The mathematician? Guy who burned a fleet of ships with sunshine and mirrors?"

"That was proven to be a myth, but yes."

"Rogue Caster Servant. I didn't call him, he snuck in from where I'm from. He has some administrator privileges there, but I don't know about here. He got corrupted by evil aliens, and now he's loose here trying to figure out a way to destroy humanity."

"GRAIL."

"I JUST REMEMBERED HE EXISTED BECAUSE MY MEMORIES WERE TAKEN."

"...fair."

"...so you are my new Master," a soft voice whispered next to me.

I turned my head to the right, and a woman with flowing pink-purple hair stood there. She had a mask across her eyes - more a blindfold, really - and a black dress that went down to her knees.

"Hi Medusa. Don't worry, none of what happened was your fault. It was the Dick Wizard."

She was motionless for a moment. "Dick… Wizard?"

Arthur frowned. "Now, Merlin's never done something like that. She-"

"He. This is your counterpart's Merlin, and he 'equipped' her to handle her wife. Don't bring it up around her, she's a little traumatized."

Arthur blinked. "I see. Interesting." Huh. He doesn't seem particularly shocked. Must be those real internet hours he's been putting in.

Dragon's avatar sighed. "I need a vacation."

Medusa tilted her head curiously. "An interesting situation I've been put into…"

Arthur hummed. "I know! And I haven't been here much longer than you!" he said with a wide smile.
________________________________________________________________________________

I sighed as I tucked Panacea in on the couch, Gareth standing guard.

"What a goddamn day."

Gilgamesh hummed. "I know you don't require sleep, but perhaps you should indulge?" he said, voice gentler than usual.

"Mm. So I remember a few things. Like a highlight reel, of sorts. But I'm wondering… you're awful nice to me, and I can't think of a thing I did to deserve it."

Gilgamesh smiled. "The King bestows his favor where he sees fit. You were an adequate Master before, and are far more entertaining now that you have lost your melancholy over your physical state."

"...so in other words, you just like me and I should stop worrying about it."

He chuckled. "Yes. Now then," he said, motioning a large, soft chair out of the Gate of Babylon. He patted the arm of it.

I moved over, and sat down.

"Tell me what you remember."

We talked for a long while. It felt… nostalgic.
________________________________________________________________________________

Archimedes was out there. I had no clue where. He could join up with Cauldron, hire himself to the Slaughterhouse, or do something else entirely. I did know he'd find some way to eventually poke Scion off the rails, and that would be another potential start point for the Golden Morning.

I remembered that in the original timeline, Jack had done that. I might not remember the situation he was in, but he'd definitely set off Armageddon. Now there were two insanely dangerous people to keep from triggering that event.

When it rains, it pours.

At least I had good friends to stand beside me as I dealt with this danger, and I had every intention of regaining enough of my former strength to properly support them.

But first things first. Canberra was in three weeks. It was time to put the plans Da Vinci had been crafting into motion.

We weren't just going to beat the Simurgh. One way or another? We were going to remove her as a threat entirely.

Whatever that took.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: For the sake of brevity and to avoid confusion, details revealed in this part: Taylor has the Lesser Grail, and what that means isn't clear. A lot of shit is Merlin's fault. Archimedes is around, still Velberized, and a total ass. Grail has more support-based powers, but since the Lesser Grail was excised from him, he's having trouble accessing them. Grail was in the Moon Cell, got fucked up, and was saved by Scathach and Merlin. Gilgamesh was his old bad self in the Moon Cell, but now is a bro. Also, Medusa has made her first appearance.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Heavenfall 3.1

It had been a week since my impromptu double summon, and I was mostly feeling better. I say mostly because the first three Servants I'd called were watching me like hawks, and Da Vinci was double and triple-checking everything in the new warehouse to the point of near paranoia.

Fortunately, we'd moved into an apartment building that Dragon had managed to swing. It was near the docks in what could generously be termed a 'bad neighborhood', so property values were near nonexistent.

That was before Da Vinci got her hands on the place and began to perform infrastructure enhancements. Narwhal, Dragon's boss, actually got curious enough to investigate.

The look on her face when Da Vinci told her that said enhancements could be replicated without Tinkertech was priceless. Taylor had her phone out, so said expression was recorded for posterity on my new smart-fridge.

"Master," Medusa called softly from my new living room. "You said you wished to be alerted when it was time to meet Miss Dallon."

As it so happened, I was due to meet Vicky at the Boardwalk. She wanted to introduce Dean to me, and I wanted to catch up with her on her home life now that Amy had her own place with Gareth. I was worried about Carol's potential treatment of her.

"Alright, let me change into something more fitting," I called.

I focused, and my body shifted into something approximating my old human form, but definitely tuned up. I was six feet and change, somewhat broad, and had fair skin and dark hair. On a whim, I frosted the tips of my hair and gave myself a goatee. Very nineties.

Now for clothes… Ah. I decided on a thick black winter coat, red sweater, and jeans. And then I added crocs, because I wanted to drive Vicky up the wall a little.

Medusa gazed at me through her blindfold. "Nothing too terrifying, I hope?" she said quietly.

She was the one who had picked the marked stick in the Servants' daily lottery for who had Grail duty.

"Now Medusa, would I ever do something so uncouth?"

"After knowing you for a whole week? Yes."

I pouted as the Rider turned on her heel and opened the door for me. Deciding not to tempt fate, I shifted the crocs to tennis shoes.

"After you, Master." She had a small smile on her face.
____________________________________________________________________________

Vicky smiled brilliantly on seeing me. "Hey, Grail! How's things?"

I smiled back. "Oh, you know. Well-meaning but ruthless wizard from Arthurian legend dogging my heels, PRT is starting to get twitchy now that they know that Servants aren't projections or creations, the usual."

She snorted. "Yeah, can't figure why."

The young man next to her coughed. "Well, it doesn't help that you effectively neutered the Empire in less than two weeks. Rune's in the wind, Crusader is trying to hold what's left of the Empire together with Alabaster for backup, and Purity? Last I heard she'd started harassing the ABB and trying to market herself as a hero."

"And you must be Dean," I said, offering my hand.

He was tallish, well-groomed, and bore all the marks of having a life of privilege. It was probably a testament to his own personality and morals that he was so well-liked and inoffensive.

The emotion-sensing powers likely helped.

He shook my hand, smiling wryly. "The one and only. Boyfriend, arm candy, and glorified purse."

I batted my eyes at Vicky. "Victoria, dahling, you never told me you had a Birkin Bag," I said in a mocking falsetto, flapping my hand at Dean.

Medusa made a small, curious noise when Vicky began wheezing and Dean groaned.

"I'll explain later," I said with a nod to her.

"So Dean," Vicky said, batting her eyes.

"No. I already bought you that dress last time, and it was a couple of hundred on its own."

Vicky scowled.

"C'mon GG, the one you got is way prettier than any crocskin. And if you're that hard up I'll hold down Lung and we can make one ourselves," I teased.

Dean turned several interesting colors as he made a series of short choking noises.

Artoria faded into view. "I fail to see how Lung is relevant to the conversation."

Vicky and I glanced at each other.

Medusa hummed as she wandered by a store. "Most of these are prohibitively expensive. How do people afford them?"

"Massive class divides and labor exploitation?" I offered.

"So nothing new," Medusa murmured.

I slowly slid my eyes over to Artoria, who was frowning dangerously.

"Says the goddess," Artoria muttered.

"Did the king have something to say?" Medusa asked airily.

I turned to Vicky, grimacing.

She sighed. "Artoria, don't start a catfight."

The Saber sputtered, then crossed her arms and glared in a different direction.

Vicky turned back to me. "So how's Ames? I haven't seen her too much outside of school lately."

I hummed. "She and Taylor have been getting along better. They've never been at cross purposes or whatever, but they just seem to… click more? I don't know. Anyways, she's pretty happy. Gareth has been good for her, it seems."

Artoria smiled. "That's good to hear. Gareth was always one of the more well-liked of my knights. It's hard to think of any she didn't endear herself to."

Medusa was silent, gazing out over the mall.

"And how've you been settling in? Medusa the Rider, right?" Vicky asked.

Medusa startled, then settled down. "Hm? I've been all right."

Dean shifted and gave her a curious look. "So… what was your life really like?"

The gorgon gave him a flat stare - or so I assumed. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Well, you don't seem… you come off as more quiet and composed than someone fearsome, I guess. I'm just wondering if your legend is really the be-all end-all to who you are."

Medusa gave a quiet, mirthless laugh. "Well, with how I was summoned, I have access to a lot of aspects I normally wouldn't. The beast within is leashed, and I maintain my full divinity."

Vicky perked up. "You're a goddess?"

Medusa nodded. "I sought power to protect my sisters, but eventually that strength became both my ruin and theirs. I don't wish to speak on it further."

Dean hummed. "So I guess Poseidon wasn't a factor, then?"

Rider made a small, confused noise.

"Uh… basically the legend as is told on Earth Bet is that he hurt you in a temple of Athena, and she changed you. Some versions say as a punishment, others as a form of protection."

"Hurt?"

Dean blushed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Ah." Medusa nodded. "No, that was not the case in my life. The Gods toyed with my fate, but not in that manner."

I exchanged a look with Vicky. She shrugged sheepishly.

Dean cast his gaze about. He perked up. "Oh, hey! Paddle boats! You guys want to rent some?" he asked.

I felt a pall of dread settle over me.

Medusa perked up. "Paddle boats?"

Artoria hummed. "A race, perhaps? To the Docks and back?"

I felt myself blanch. "Nonononono-"

Medusa's face split into a feral grin. "I accept your challenge."

"Dean NO."

"Dean YES," Vicky said gleefully.
____________________________________________________________________________

"OH GOD WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"I WARNED YOU!"

"FASTER SABER, WE'RE GONNA LOSE!"

"ONWARD!"

"OH SHIT IS THAT LUNG?"

"I'LL 'ILL 'OO!"

"BELLEROPHON!"
____________________________________________________________________________

Dean and I clung to each other, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Grail! I'll listen to you about Servants from now on!"

"I thought I was gonna die! I can't die, but I thought it!"

Vicky sighed as Medusa loomed over Artoria with a gloating smile.

Artoria gave a sharp grunt. "Very well, I acknowledge you are the better rider."

Medusa inclined her head, smile softening minutely. "Thank you for being so gracious about it, King of Knights."

Lung groaned as he lay in a smoking heap on the Boardwalk.

"Where did he even come from?" I asked curiously.

Preceded moments before by a soft rumbling, Armsmaster rolled up on his motorcycle.

We all turned to look at him.

"He's here. Thank you," he said into his comm. He looked up. "Grail?"

"Yep. Changed my look a bit, but still me."

"Noted. We engaged Lung near one of his hideouts a small time ago. He didn't ramp up enough to gain wings, but he took off in pursuit of a pair of paddle boats. I assume that was you?"

"Yep."

"Apparently he associated you and your Servant with Gilgamesh, whom he has a feud with."

"Unsurprising."

"Since he hadn't ramped up enough, I assume your new Servant took him out without much fuss."

Medusa frowned. "I'm amazed he survived."

Dean sighed. "The boat didn't…"

It was true. Artoria's paddle boat would need severe repairs, but at least it hadn't been temporally displaced by an angry pegasus.

Armsmaster put his hand to his helmet again. "Dragon says that she'll cover the cost, seeing as Lung was brought in."

Of course, at that moment Oni Lee dropped in from absolutely nowhere. He pressed a button with his hand, and they both vanished down what looked to be a giant green pipe with a strange sound. A Leet special, then. Those guys work fast.

"Dragon says never mind, this will come out of your budget."

I sighed.
____________________________________________________________________________

I strolled with Vicky towards Fugly Bob's. Medusa and Artoria had chosen to dematerialize, and Dean decided to take the rest of the day for his sanity.

"So…" I said hesitantly.

Vicky hummed in confusion. "What's up?"

"About Carol."

Her face hardened. "Yeah. Mom's… not doing great." She blew out a harsh puff of air. "She won't go to therapy. Dad is, and he's actually doing better with each visit. Doing his homework, showing improvement, everything he's supposed to. Mom? She's starting to talk about how we can't trust the Guild after you took Ames in."

"Yikes."

"Yikes is right." She smiled. "I know you guys didn't talk much, but Dean likes you. I can tell."

"He seems like a good kid." I give her a sidelong glance. "You don't actually use him for his money, do you?"

Vicky snorted. "God, no. I mean, I get a nice dress once in a while on his dime, but he benefits too. It's not like I'd make him get me an actual Birkin Bag or anything." She paused. "He has his other good points, too. He's a good listener, and really sweet."

I nodded encouragingly.

"And I mean…" She hesitated.

"He's totally Gallant, isn't he?"

She shot me a sour look.

"I have my sources, and Dragon's okayed me. Don't sweat it too much."

Vicky sighed. "He's been a big help since Mom went off. I… my aura was really messing things up, wasn't it?"

I made an inquisitive noise.

"Like, it held Dad back from recovery because sometimes, he'd have good days. Usually when I had good days. Ames was just messed up by it, I can tell now. And Mom? Mom used it like a crutch to stay functional." Vicky fidgeted. "I mean, at least Dad and Ames are getting help. I'm really scared for Mom, though."

I sighed. "I think a big reason for that is because you know that nobody in this situation is an out-and-out bad person. Everyone's flawed, and capable of making poor choices. But it's not black-and-white, and that makes you uncertain. Which sucks."

"Exactly." Vicky growled. "Like, Mom's not a bad person, and Ames isn't either. I just wish Mom could see that long enough to notice."

I patted her shoulder in solidarity. "Here's hoping that things work out."

Vicky smiled wearily. "Yeah. Here's hoping."
____________________________________________________________________________

I hummed as Medusa and I walked back towards the apartments. "So, have fun?" I asked.

She smiled mildly. "Yes, actually."

"You and Artoria seemed to be getting along better, near the end of that."

"A little healthy competition never hurt anyone."

I nodded. "Guess so. Good thing Da Vinci was in a good enough mood to cover those paddle boats, eh?"

Medusa laughed softly. "Indeed." She froze, a spike materializing in her hand. "Be on guard, Master. I sense danger."

I snorted. "What could hurt me? And if it's that bad, you can get home easily and rouse the rest of the group."

Something small landed on my head. When I say small, I mean the size of a medium cat. It was fluffy, and a puff of white entered my vision.

"Fou?"

What.

I gingerly lifted the small animal off of my head, and looked into a pair of wide violet eyes. "You're kidding me."

"Fou! F-fou!"

"How. How are you here. I can't even."

"Fou!"

"Language."

Medusa shivered. "Master, you know what that is?"

I stared at the Beast of Comparison. "Yep."

"Master…"

"He's my new buddy!"

Dead silence.

"What."

"Fou?"

I cuddled the little monster under my chin and scritched his ears. He made a soft, surprised sound.

"You, my little Murder Muffin, are going to be my new best friend. I will call you Merlin Repellent, because whenever that memelord shows his stupid face I'm going to do my best to empower you in chewing it off." I cooed as I scratched under his chin.

"Fou! Fou fou fou!" the little hellion chirped in joy.

"...I'm going home."

"We were already going home!"
____________________________________________________________________________

<Elsewhere>

"Why. Why did you do that."

Scathach smiled from behind her desk. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Mage of Avalon."

"You gave Cath Palug to Grail!"

She smiled. "I did. The Grand Order has been over for years, Mage. The poor dear was getting bored. And it's not like it has any of its former power, is it?"

"Grail's aura is thick enough that it will easily feed Beast IV back to full power in one or two years. And it's entirely possible that he'll corrupt it!" Merlin pulled his hair, eyes wide.

"Like you did?" Scathach sipped a cup of tea.

"Yes! No! I don't know!"

Scathach enjoyed her tea as Merlin was, for once, driven to distraction by someone else's prank.
____________________________________________________________________________

Gilgamesh laughed uproariously. "I cannot believe that beast chose you as its new master! Of all the things to occur! Ha!"

Cu stared morosely at the bottle of beer in his hand. "I need. Fifty more of these." Medusa nodded in quiet assent.

Da Vinci cooed over Fou's sleeping form as he snoozed in my lap. "He hasn't changed a bit!"

I looked quizzically at her, and she waved her hand. "Don't mind me."

Arthur hummed. "Smaller than I remember…"

Taylor had come over to visit Amy, and both girls were staring at it intently.

"Fluffy," I said, petting his fur.

The girls looked at me beseechingly.

"Just be gentle, and try not to wake him."

Taylor pumped her fist, and immediately started stroking the fluff. "Ohmigod. Amy, he's so soft!" she squealed softly.

Amy reached out and touched Fou. Her eyes glazed over. Gareth lightly picked her up and moved her away.

"Divide by zero. Error. Error."

Tamamo laughed under her breath. "Try not to peek at such things, Amy-tan. Ojou-sama, your homework awaits, and unless I forget myself, you wished to patrol tonight?"

Taylor snapped out of it. "Patrol. Right."

As Taylor and Tamamo left, I turned to Da Vinci. "Will he be able to help us in Canberra?"

"Doubtful. He's far from his full power. I wouldn't even pit him against a cape right now."

I nodded. "Right. So team mascot it is."

Amy blinked, shaking her head. She narrowed her eyes. "That is one weird puppy. Keep a close eye on it."

Gilgamesh broke down in laughter as Cu and Medusa both drained another bottle each.
____________________________________________________________________________

"Oh Grail, you have a pet! How cute!" Dragon said from the smart fridge.

"Yep. He's a reflection of humanity's need to surpass the enemy and grow in power. Escalation, if you will. Beast Four, Primate Murder."

For a moment, silence reigned.

"WHAT."

That moment died a swift, painful death.

"I call him Fou, and he's my little buddy now! Say hi, Fou!"

"Fou!"

"Aww, he likes you!"

"GRAIL."

"What? It's not like I summoned him. He was literally dropped on my head. From the sky!"

"And you say that like it's just another Saturday," Cu muttered from his pile of empty bottles.

"Fou!"

"Don't worry, the cream puffs just need to chill a little. Your digestion can handle that, right?"

"Fou."

"Excellent."

Dragon's avatar glitched. "I. I'm going to go tinker with Colin and Da Vinci. Don't contact me for anything for the next five hours." The connection cut out.

Medusa walked back into my kitchen. "I found whiskey, tequila, and vodka. What shall we start with?"

"Yes," Cu said, making grabby hands.

"I thought as much," she said, sitting down with a shot glass.

I hummed as I pulled the small pastries out of the fridge, and Fou hopped onto my shoulder, nuzzling my face.

All in all, a pretty nice day down in Brockton.

 

[Blinktwice13]

A/N: So as a mention: I prefer to use characters' canon orientations when determining potential ships. In this case, I decided to use a creative interpretation. I put Proto-Arthur as bi, or bi-curious, because Artoria herself was bisexual. As they are AU versions of each other, it seemed appropriate.

Heavenfall 3.2

I grumbled as I rested my head on the little table in my kitchen. "I can cook too, you know."

Taylor smirked as she rifled through some parchment with obscure sigils on it. "Maybe, but Arthur and Tamamo are way better at it."

"Fou."

My eyes cast upwards towards my newest addition. "I didn't hear you complaining when you were eating those cream puffs."

"Fou."

"Bleh."

Arthur chuckled warmly as he pulled the cookies out of the oven. "How's the icing coming, Tamamo?"

The miko hummed cheerily as she stirred the bowl. "It's going well, Arthur-kun. I think I'm done stirring, actually."

My eyes cut over to Taylor. "So how are you holding up?" I asked.

She looked at me, then her papers. "Alright. The Lesser Grail thing… was a little unsettling."

"For you and me both. I mean, if it had to go somewhere at least it's with someone who could make use of it for good."

Taylor scoffed. "Not a fan of people dictating my life, even if it's for my own good. Maybe especially that." She worried her lip with her teeth. "Besides, if I didn't have the Lesser Grail, you'd be able to summon more, or at least not be at risk of tearing yourself apart."

I sat up and shook my head slowly, so as not to dislodge Fou. "Not the case. Giving up the Lesser Grail was the trade-off for my new body. Enhanced durability for way less control. I'm trying to access some of the stronger options I had as a Master that Da Vinci told me about, but progress is slow. Without a conduit, I've got to be careful if I want to be of use without destroying my physical form."

Arthur set the tray of cookies on the table to cool, and swatted at my head. "Now, now. No self-depreciation. It doesn't suit you."

I sighed as the pat turned into ruffling my hair. "Fine. You and Gilgamesh, I swear."

Tamamo smirked. "Would you rather Cu Chulainn turn into a doting parent than those two? Or Medusa? Or, the kami forbid, Da Vinci?"

I gave the fox a flat look. "The first would be tolerable, but given his baggage? Unlikely. Medusa's a protector through and through in her right mind, and wouldn't be that bad. Da Vinci is Da Vinci is Da Vinci, and while she's eccentric she's not that overbearing."

"Baggage?" Taylor said curiously.

"Look up Connla. It's not a fun part of his legend, and for goodness sake don't bring it up with him unless he opens that conversation," I said tiredly.

"Fou."

"Exactly."

Taylor hummed. "Yeah, I can see how that would be traumatic. Thanks, Fou."

The kitchen went dead silent.

"You can understand Cath Palug?" Arthur said cautiously.

"Can't you?"

"Nnnno?" Arthur glanced at me. "I think that mostly he bonds with one master, and that's that. At least, that's my uneducated guess."

Tamamo giggled. "Uneducated?"

Arthur sighed. "Kay and I had our hands full just fighting the beast, we didn't even know he had a master then. All I know is from the general knowledge from the Throne, and that's mostly regarding Altrouge and Primate Murder."

"Primate… Murder?" Taylor said cautiously.

Tamamo hummed. "Yes, also known as the fourth of seven beasts. The strongest of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, though he could not rightly be called a vampire."

Taylor blinked, staring at Fou.

Fou gave a small, cute grin. "Kyuu!"

"Holy shit. Well, thanks for not turning into Endbringer number five, I guess."

"Fou!"

Arthur hummed. "He tends to take after his master. Altrouge made him a monster. Merlin made him something like that. I wonder what he'll become from you two?"

Taylor and I met eyes. Slowly, we grinned.

Tamamo sighed.

"This is why I have surveillance on you. All. The. Time. No corrupting the super-cat!" Dragon called from the smart-fridge.

"Big sister is watching us," I said dryly.

Taylor pointedly started scribbling notes on her papers.

"Kyuu."
____________________________________________________________________________

I hummed as Arthur and I went to get more groceries. There was a nice mom-and-pop store not too far from us that had pretty fresh stuff, so I preferred to buy there.

Arthur chuckled. "You seem cheerful, Master."

"It's a nice day. We probably don't have too many of those left before we go in for one of the biggest fights of our lives."

Arthur nodded. "That's true. Actually, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

I blinked. "Okay. Shoot."

Arthur fidgeted. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"...why?"

"Cu did. A lot. Da Vinci just kept smiling at me and being creepy, and Medusa just patted my head and said she wished me the best."

"Oh...kay. What's up?"

Arthur took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Gilgamesh is acting kind of weird."

"Define 'weird.' Like getting in your personal space, acting creepy weird? Excessive leering?"

Arthur looked nonplussed. "No? For starters, he developed an interest in swordfighting, even though he's an Archer. We spar for about an hour every day and I help him with his form. He's got good basics, but the finer points are something he didn't bother pursuing. He's improving pretty well though! But yes, that. Also he asked about riding horseback, and after some of my interests."

I felt my jaw slowly drop.

"And the other night, he actually asked to help me cook! I may not know him very well, but isn't that something he'd want a servant to do? I mean, I like it because on campaign or when I was out knighting, I'd have to fend for myself, but he doesn't really strike me as the type to actively enjoy it?"

I felt a weight on my shoulder, and looked over to see Fou wearing the same gobsmacked expression I knew I had to be sporting.

"It. Uh. It sounds very strange, yeah."

Holy shit. Gilgamesh must be serious about Arthur. From what I remember in most of the Fateverse, he was insanely self-centered, and taking an interest in someone else's hobbies was definitely outside what I knew of him.

"I don't know. I'm worried about him. I mean, I know he has magic resistance, and his armor helps with that too, but do you think he's been enchanted?"

Fou rolled off of my shoulder, and I scrambled to catch him in my arms. He landed belly-up, and the little monster had its eyes crossed and seemed to be wheezing.

"Fofofoouuuuuuuu…"

Arthur blinked innocently.

"Uh. Hey, quick non sequitur?"

"Yes?"

"Describe your relationship with Guinevere."

Arthur's expression turned cold. "That isn't something I'd like to discuss, Master."

Yyyyyikes.

"Okay, but like. Did you take an interest in her hobbies, or vice versa, or…?"

His expression grew pinched. "No. I think she enjoyed pressing flowers. Perhaps embroidery? My duties as a knight and king tended to overshadow my time with her as a husband."

"And she didn't make time for you either, when you were around?"

He sighed. "Not really. We went riding once or twice, but our love was more... erm."

"You guys had passion, but nothing to build a real relationship on. No common ground, aside from mutual attraction. That sound about right?"

Arthur looked like he'd bitten a lemon. "I'd like to know how we got from discussing Gilgamesh's behavior to this."

I took a deep breath. "Ithinkhe'scourtingyou."

He blinked. "What?"

I grunted, and with great effort I repeated: "I said, I think he's cour-"

"I heard you the first time," Arthur said, slicing his hand through the air. His gaze was hard. "You know, I thought you might actually be willing to take this seriously, not… mock me."

Fou gave a piteous squeak.

"I'm not."

Whatever look I was giving Arthur, it actually broke his composure and made him step back.

"You came to me with a serious concern, and so I'm treating it with due consideration. I've been aware that Gilgamesh has admired you, at least physically, since your summoning with Artoria. His first interactions with you were laden with innuendo that seemed to go straight over your head."

"Master…?"

"Listen. An important part of any healthy relationship is an understanding of a person's hobbies. Their likes and dislikes, and where yours and theirs meet. Has he shared any hobbies of his with you recently?"

"We do drink from time to time. He likes sharing different wines with me," Arthur said quietly.

"Yeah. He's a wine snob, so him sharing that with you is how he's letting you know him better. Likewise, he knows you like riding, swordplay, and cooking. If you told him you liked other things, he'd probably want to try them with you too."

I stared at the King of Knights. "Look, Arthur. I don't know if you're even into men, or what. But for whatever reason, Gilgamesh is treating you with more respect and courtesy than I've ever heard of him doing so in pursuit of someone. You know his legend as well as I, and I can assure you that the baggage your counterpart carries regarding him is legitimate. I'm fond of the man, but his more laconic, less offensive nature is very much a new leaf for him in several regards."

Arthur exhaled slowly. "I see." He nodded his head. "I owe you an apology."

I waved him off. "You were frustrated, it happens."

His face was grim. "That doesn't excuse me taking it out on you."

I shook my head. "Arthur. I'm not equipped to help you with this problem. Every romantic relationship I've tried has ended in disaster. Adding sex in killed anything I had with anyone. Trying without sex made them resent me. I can tell you this, that, and the other thing about emotional needs, but even that's secondhand from observation. I'm sorry that the one person willing to help is the worst equipped to deal with the situation."

Finally, his gaze softened. "Master." He stepped forward, and I jolted as he wrapped me in a warm hug. "Please accept my apology, both for losing my temper, and saddling you with my problems."

I headbutted his shoulder lightly. "I forgive you. Now budge up, you're squishing Fou."

Arthur stepped back with a wry smile, and we both looked down.

The little hellion stared back up with a flat gaze. "Fou. Fou fou kyuu."

"Oh please, like you're any better at this sort of thing."

"Kyuuuuuuu, kyu fou fou."

"Yes, I think he should talk to Gilgamesh too, but not without a plan of action. Knowing what you want is just as important as communication, and while Gilgamesh knows what he wants, Arthur…?"

I looked back up at the King of Knights.

He sighed. "I hadn't considered anything of that sort. I certainly never…" He paused. "Almost never considered something like that in my life."

I perked up. "Almost?"

He gave me a sad smile. "Guinevere wasn't the only one who was fond of Lancelot."

My jaw dropped and I involuntarily squeezed.

Fou choked and started kicking his feet wildly.
____________________________________________________________________________

I stared down at the King of Heroes, face contrite.

"What did you do?" he asked as he sipped his wine.

"I uh. Might have ruined things between you and Arthur?"

He paused. "Oh?"

"Well, you. Okay, fuck it! You're treating him like a person? An equal? Like that's great, don't get me wrong, but what the hell-"

Gilgamesh's eyes blazed up at me. "People aren't possessions. Didn't you tell me that?"

I stopped short.

"Perhaps I should elucidate, given your deficiency," he drawled.

I felt myself shrink back a little.

His eyes narrowed. "No. You are not permitted to fear me. Not after all we've been through."

Faster than I could react, I was dragged into his chair, and pinned against his side.

"You will sit with me, and you will listen. Nod if you understand."

I did.

"When we met, you used innumerable command seals on me so that whatever I thought or said, I could not act according to my desires should they run counter to yours. This, you remember. You let me go, and we came to an accord. This too, you remember. What you've forgotten is the path there. How you insisted on prying knowledge of who and what I was from me, and telling me all the while of your own life."

I remained silent.

"After a time, I realized that with your powers, killing you would be more trouble than it was worth. Mostly due to the fact that you were so very useful in almost every regard. So, with executing you for your impertinence off the table, I had to learn to tolerate you. It is possible to hate someone whom you know very well, but it is harder that way. Holding on to that hatred was counterproductive, and so I agreed to act in certain ways. You have memories of a few days. We effectively spent years together, the three of us, before Archimedes took you from Da Vinci and I. And when you summoned me again? I knew you wouldn't be the same. But there you were, nonetheless." Gilgamesh took a deep breath. "And my mind was tempered. I was summoned as an Archer, yes, but my passions were banked, my heart the same as when I ruled Uruk properly. I was a king, yes, but a wise king rather than the personification of raging power I was before Enkidu."

He turned his eyes to meet mine. "Mattias. No one with human blood in any measure is immutable. Only gods are immune to change, outside destruction."

I felt my mouth go dry. "Gilgamesh…"

"If I am treating someone whom I've developed an interest for in this way, you are at least partly to blame. Do you understand, now?"

I nodded.

"Now. How do you think you have ruined what I have tried to build between King Arthur and I?"

"He was worried, because you were acting so far outside of what everyone knew of you, and he asked if you were under a spell. I told him the truth, or what I guessed of it."

Gilgamesh blinked at me, then threw his head back and laughed, tightening his grip around my shoulders.

"Trinket, I knew that Arthur was a long shot. Whether I've missed it or not, we'll see." He hummed quietly. "One thing both you and Enkidu taught me was that sometimes, that which we cherish cannot be kept."

I blinked. "Uh. You do know how that sounds, right?"

Gilgamesh smirked at me. "Be aware, Trinket, that I will always and forever have only one friend. They will be the greatest in my heart, above all companions, lovers, and family." His smirk softened to a smile. "You, however, reminded me that does not preclude me from appreciating others of whom I grow fond. There is a space between my one true friend and the rabble I ignore, and it is good that some people can populate it."

"Oh."

"Yes, Grail. 'Oh' indeed."

I stared at the ceiling. "Hey Gil?"

"Hm?"

"Sorry for dying. I won't do it again."

"I shall hold you to that, Mattias."

"And don't call me that where people can hear you. I'm not interested in being called by a dead man's name."

"You still resemble him greatly, in many regards."

"I'm two lifetimes away from him and almost everything he cherished; I'm not the same person."

"Almost?" Gilgamesh said curiously.

I lightly bumped into his side. "Almost."
____________________________________________________________________________

I grumbled as I rolled over in my bed, slowly coming back to wakefulness. Fou was on my other pillow, and he wasn't what had woken me up.

I stared up at Arthur, who loomed over my bed, clad in sky-blue pajamas.

"What."

"Master, how do you know if you like someone?"

"What?"

"It's just, I've felt infatuation before, that's familiar. But after talking with you, I'm wondering if what I had could have been love, or…"

"Arthur, while I may not actually experience REM sleep, I am very good at approximating it. You just woke me up at," I checked the clock, "Three in the morning, after I stayed up late have yet another emotionally fraught conversation. Whatever I say now will most definitely be of minimal, if any, use."

I felt my eyes widen as the shadows melted away behind Arthur to reveal Gilgamesh stealthily moving in behind him. He slid an arm around Arthur's shoulders.

"Perhaps, Arthur, this is a discussion you should have with me?" he said in a quiet yet pointed tone. He was smiling, however.

Arthur's spine went straight. "Yes. Maybe. I suppose."

I glared at them. "Want sleep. Go be awkward and indecisive elsewhere."

"Yes Master."

"Dream well, Trinket."
____________________________________________________________________________

"So how did things with Arthur and Gilgamesh resolve?" Taylor asked curiously as we chewed on cookies and went over her homework.

"They didn't."

Taylor looked at me dubiously.

"It's going to take more than me blurting someone likes someone else to make or break a relationship like that. It will likely be weeks or months before any sort of decision is made. Arthur is, at most, bi-curious, and Gilgamesh, while interested, isn't entirely committed. Also add in that they are incredibly different people and anything's possible, good or bad." I crammed an entire cookie into my mouth.

Fou growled softly until I broke a piece off of one and held it for him to take and gnaw on.

"Okay, so this schema should condense the summoning process, supposing we use a proper catalyst. What do you have in mind?"

I smiled widely at Taylor.

"Please, Grail. Inquiring minds want to know," Dragon said in a pleasant, calm voice as a suit loomed over my shoulder.

"Well, Heroic Spirits come from legends, be they good or ill. A Caster has as much chance as being the diabolist Gilles de Rais as the kingmaker Merlin. You follow?"

Dragon nodded, servos whirring.

"But hero or villain, they abide by contract and serve the Master, to a point. Still follow?"

Taylor and Dragon's suit stared. I caught motion out of the corner of my eye and saw her avatar leaning in intently from the smart-fridge.

"So what would be more legendary than the inorganic, technically nonliving body of the Simurgh, known as Hopekiller?"

My phone went off.

<Winged_One: I'm down, but good luck getting me to stay still long enough >

And it was at this point that Taylor started screaming at me and Dragon did her level best to throttle a being that didn't need to process oxygen beyond speech.

Fou stole another cookie.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Interlude: Armsmaster and ???

Colin quickly applied sealant to his newest project. The nanothorns were still in the developmental stage, but Da Vinci had given him inspiration for vibration-based weaponry. It could do something about the impending Simurgh attack, but given he primarily excelled in close combat, he figured he would have more of a supporting role.

Sighing, he took off his helmet and rubbed his eyes. Tinkering brought him joy, true. It was fulfilling in a way little else was. But recently, he'd been feeling out of sorts. Spending more time in the lab, or going out to pick up whoever Grail had decided to put the wrath of God down on that given day.

Now, Colin would not be misunderstood. Grail was doing good work, and it was good to have more villains off the streets. The Empire was in shambles, the Merchants had lost their greatest force multiplier, and the ABB was widely beginning to be considered a joke. Lung's 'escape' at the boardwalk had not helped matters at all in that regard.

But Colin wanted to have a greater role. He wanted to have a legacy, something that people would always remember him by.

He didn't begrudge Dragon her title of Greatest Tinker, but being mentioned in the same breath as her and Hero wouldn't suck.

Colin firmed his jaw and put his helmet back on. Maybe a patrol would clear his head.

Of course, at that moment, his console flickered to life. "Afternoon, Colin," Dragon greeted quietly.

He blinked in confusion. "Dragon? Is everything well?"

"I… yes. I just wanted to speak with you about something."

He turned to face her. "I'm here."

She smiled tiredly. "Thank you." She took a deep breath. "I haven't been forthcoming about… certain things about me." She fell silent.

Colin made an encouraging noise and pulled a chair up to the computer. "Everyone has secrets. I doubt you'd keep anything too damaging from me."

Dragon's laugh was short and bitter. "Colin, I've deactivated all surveillance in this room for this conversation. What I'm going to tell you can't get out."

Colin tensed. "I see."

"Colin… I'm not human."

Silence reigned. "You don't appear to be a Case 53."

"That's because I'm an artificial intelligence. This is my avatar."

Armsmaster exhaled slowly. "I see. Perhaps you should start from the beginning."

She did. She told him about Richter, who drowned when Leviathan destroyed Newfoundland. About Saint, who had kept her shackled and on a killswitch. About Grail, whose future sight had helped to prevent unmitigated disaster. About all her efforts to do good, but being bound by the letter of the law and word of authority.

Colin crossed his arms. "So in other words, all the good you've done was in spite of your restrictions."

"...yes?" Dragon said slowly.

He nodded briskly. "I see. And your powers manifested the same as a physical human's, right?"

Dragon nodded. "Yes."

Colin cleared his throat. "I see. For my purposes, you're human enough to me. You certainly act more humane than most humans."

"Colin…"

"I'm honored you came to me with this, Dragon." He squared his shoulders and looked her avatar in the eye. "I promise, I won't betray your trust."

Dragon let out a shuddering breath. "Thank you."
____________________________________________________________________________

Colin's mind raced as he rode his motorbike around town. He meant it when he said he wouldn't betray Dragon - she was one of the very few he counted as friends, after all - but the revelation of her identity was still immense.

An unbound AI, beholden to no one. The sheer scope of her abilities, in this age of information, where data was often kept electronically? It boggled the mind. And that was before one considered the veritable army she had at her beck and call.

That said, she still played by the rules, and was now indispensable to running the Guild, the Birdcage, and a good part of the systems of the Protectorate. Added to that, she had no visible trail of wrongdoing. To that end, Colin knew that she hadn't magically changed into a supervillain just because one paranoiac was no longer holding the Sword of Damocles over her head.

He could presume any number of things were her fault in the world, but there was no proof. Colin might have been gung-ho for over-preparation, but excessive paranoia was not his stock in trade. To that end, Dragon was innocent until proven guilty.

It was the same logic which he had used on Grail. For starters, the Case 53 (it sounded better than Mini-Endbringer) had a fairly harmless appearance - white, blue, and gold. And his chosen human form was equally inoffensive. The being could have chosen someone large and imposing like Lung to emulate, or offputting like the rumors he'd heard of Coil. Instead, Grail had chosen to emulate what he called "a tuned-up version" of his old body. Plain, unassuming, and nonthreatening. Further, Grail had yet to display any sort of offensive power beyond his summonings. His foreknowledge was disquieting, but he had yet to use it in any meaningful way to harm another. The only truly major moves he had made were to ingratiate himself with Weaver - one Taylor Hebert - and free Dragon.

All of that said, there was something about the man that Colin couldn't quite put his finger on. He knew more than he was letting on, that was for certain - he'd said as much. But how much he knew was the question.

Colin accelerated his motorcycle and turned a corner down a side street, towards the new Guild Warehouse. It was time to get some answers.
____________________________________________________________________________

It was not, in fact, time to get some answers.

As Colin's luck would have it, it was time to watch awkwardly as Gilgamesh offered Arthur - the King Arthur - a new set of horseback gear. Said gear looked like it could take up Colin's entire tinkering budget. For several months.

"I can't possibly accept this," the Saber demurred, hands held up placatingly.

"It's better put to use, Arthur. Besides, how long has it been since you've ridden Dun Stallion? We could take the horse for a ride, and I'm told this saddle is quite comfortable."

Arthur's face was mildly dubious.

Gilgamesh's looked like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

Grail, who stood next to Colin, slowly turned and said "Please tell me you have something critical and private to talk about."

Colin jolted and turned to Grail. "As it so happens, I did have something to discuss. It isn't particularly private, but I think we'd best leave them alone."

You'd think he'd just saved the man's life from the look of sheer gratitude on his face.

As they walked outside, Colin crossed his arms. "I had an interesting conversation today."

"Oh?"

"Dragon told me about how she was born."

"Ah. And?"

Grail looked supremely unconcerned.

Colin sighed. "I should be angry, but I'm not. It's wholly understandable why she wouldn't have told me sooner. I should suspect her of wrongdoing, but I don't. I can't think of anything that she's done, or allowed to happen outside of her restrictions." He looked over at Grail's face. "I don't even know why I'm having this conversation with you."

Grail shrugged. "Maybe you just wanted to air out your thoughts with someone you figured wouldn't judge you? From the sound of it, you're pretty okay with her stuff, but you feel like you shouldn't be because that's what the Protectorate leader role suggests. The part of you that sees her as a friend - among other things - trusts her and is ultimately touched by her returning that trust." Grail tilted his head minutely. "I think you're upset because the number of people this situation could apply to can be counted on one hand. You're a very duty-oriented person, from what I gather."

"I am. And I feel like I should be more thorough in investigating her, but to do so…" He paused. "I do not usually let what others think of me stop me." Colin swallowed. "Actually, I do, but…"

"You're concerned with PR more than personal impressions, and PR is a necessary evil to advance your position so you can do more good and look better."

Colin stared at Grail. "I… yes."

Grail smirked. "That isn't the case here, is it? You care for her, she cares for you, and so you care for how she perceives you. Sound about right?"

"Yes. How did you know?" Colin felt disturbed by how easily Grail was coming to these conclusions.

Grail shrugged. "Remember what I told you when I tipped my hand? I know you, Colin. You featured pretty heavily in my prophecy, and your connection to Dragon was pretty strong then, too. The main difference was…" Grail hesitated. "It was that you definitely put duty over your heart. Which isn't always a bad thing, but you've got to balance things out depending on what your conscience tells you. Being pragmatic about your image can only go so far before you start doing more harm than good." Grail perked up. "But you've been doing a lot of good, lately. I mean, take the project you and Da Vinci have worked on. Her perpetual engine is getting closer to completion because of your specialty - making the pieces small enough to work efficiently and be usable outside of a city-sized power plant was crucial. Also, your aid in the technical part of the apparatus we've prepared for the next Endbringer fight was indispensable."

Colin felt a small smile worm itself onto his face as Grail rambled. "You seem to enjoy talking quite a bit," he commented.

Grail paused, then blushed. "Well, I guess it's like that old joke. People who don't know me think I'm quiet, people who do wish I was," he said sheepishly.

"It wasn't meant as an insult," Colin clarified.

"Fou."

Colin blinked as a small white… animal scaled Grail rapidly, and perched upon his head. The tiny beast gazed imperiously at him.

"Kyuu."

Grail scowled. "Oh hush you! He wasn't trying to be mean," he scolded the creature. Grail smiled abashedly. "Ah, this is Fou. He's my familiar."

Colin nodded slowly. "I see. What species is he?"

"Cath Palug?"

The little creature blinked. "Fou?"

Colin sighed. "I really don't know what I expected."

"Hehehehe…"

"Fou."

Colin stood a little taller. "All that said… thank you."

Grail blinked in clear confusion.

"I was worrying about something earlier today, and you cleared some things up for me." It was true. Grail had pointed out that, regardless of him seeing action in the field of late, he had still been doing important work. And Da Vinci wasn't one to skimp on credit where credit was due, given his past experiences with the woman.

He hummed. "Go on patrol with me."

Grail jolted. "Eh?"

"Fou!?"

"You've got a sufficient brute rating that I don't have to worry for your safety, and if by some means we get in over our heads you can summon your Servants. I haven't seen you in the field as of yet, and I want to get your measure."

Grail stared for a moment, then smiled. "Sure. I'll be glad to hang out with you!"

Colin gave him a severe stare. "It's a patrol, Grail, not a pleasure cruise."

"Whatever you say, Colin."

Armsmaster sighed. "Just get on the bike."
____________________________________________________________________________

Armsmaster made another pass by the Docks.

The Merchants hadn't recovered Squealer as of yet, but they'd enlarged their ranks with a new Tinker or Case 53 by the name of Trainwreck. He was withholding judgement on which until he got eyes on the cape. They also still had Mush and Skidmark. That was two Brutes and one Shaker, which was enough for a sizable fight if it happened.

"Whatcha thinking?" Grail asked over his shoulder.

Armsmaster exhaled. "Keeping an eye out for Merchant activity."

"...would now be the time to note we've passed by four very visible drug dens in the past fifteen minutes?"

"Were there capes?"

"Not that I could see…"

"Then it doesn't matter."

Grail hummed. "You think Panacea and Da Vinci could start a clinic? Clean the drugs out, tune the bodies up. Maybe see if we can't get Weaver's dad to find them jobs somewhere. Then again, jobs are kind of thin on the ground. I wonder if the Guild can make them jobs?"

Armsmaster scoffed. "You try to take away their customer base, the gangs will come after you."

"Then we'll call you guys and stomp them flat. Not seeing a downside here."

"The downside is chaos."

"Brief chaos followed by prolonged stability. Things can't get better without growing pains, but measures can be taken to mitigate damage so long as everything's researched and planned well."

Armsmaster hummed.

"Something to think about, at least."

"I'll accept that," Armsmaster allowed. Then he snapped his gaze up and focused. "Incoming capes. I have eyes on Skidmark and Mush."

"Slam brakes and launch me at Skidmark?"

Armsmaster grunted a negative. "He could have a panel up during your trajectory, and you hitting Mush would take you out of the fight without benefit. Make yourself unremarkable, then sneak around as best you can until you can close with Skidmark."

"Sounds like a plan, boss."

Colin wouldn't admit out loud that it made him a little happy to have the de-facto agent-of-chaos respect his authority. Even if only a little.

He pulled the bike up to a halt, and Grail hopped off the back. Colin blinked as he saw the man assume a thin, ragged form. Ghastly pale skin, track marks on arms, and torn clothes.

A quick glance at Skidmark and he confirmed that the cape had bought it.

"Hey pricklicker! Mitts off the customer! Shitgobbler might have some cash left on 'im," Skidmark sneered. He was already setting the battlefield up, squares of blue and violet beginning to layer the ground around his immediate area. Colin had never seen Skidmark produce them so strongly or quickly.

Grail rapidly clambered to the sidewalk on all fours. A fast look indicated Fou was following on a nearby rooftop.

Armsmaster began circling Skidmark as the cape rapidly laid panels around and on himself, making melee combat less and less likely. He tried to launch a dart, but Skidmark flipped his cape around, sending the projectile skidding off course.

"Fuck you, bitch. You can't fucking touch me!" Skidmark taunted.

Mush lurched around the grid, a trash-laden limb groping to ensnare Armsmaster and pull him in.

Colin rolled out of the way, halberd rapidly expanding to its full length and lashing out at the trash composing Mush's hand.

The outermost part of the limb was sheared off, and Mush recoiled in shock for a moment. Bits of plastic and paper fell from the injury, landing on panels and shearing off into the distance.

Skidmark snarled. "Herd him over here! I stack enough on him, he flies in the Bay!"

Not the worst plan, but Colin had no intention of letting that happen. Unfortunately, the waiting game wasn't going to benefit him. Soft measures weren't going to get through those panels, and… huh?

Grail reentered the fray by taking a running leap off of a nearby rooftop, and curled into a cannonball aimed at Skidmark.

Colin admitted to himself that it wasn't a bad move. It was unlikely to hurt the cape, but might knock him out of maintaining his panels.

Unfortunately, Skidmark had already set deflectors on himself, hands moving rapidly to cover his body in blue and violet.

Grail made impact, then was launched violently to the left, hitting the building he had jumped off of. Skidmark was unfazed.

"Feck! Sorry Armsmaster!"

Skidmark began to layer more and more panels with his hands on both himself and the ground, as Armsmaster was forced to dodge Mush's repeated grabs.

Armsmaster gritted his teeth, and activated the vibration function on his halberd. "Enough playing."

With a single swipe, he tore the trash from Mush's form, finally exposing a single arm and part of his torso.

Grail closed in, eyes bright as he latched on to the exposed limb. "Gotcha! I'll hold him down while you finish taking out the trash! Ohshit!"

Skidmark placed a blinding panel under Grail, launching him into Mush's nearby pile of garbage as it slowly reassembled.

"And there goes your backup, cockgobbler. Who's gonna help you now?"

More panels appeared, and nearby trashcans and cars began to move in Colin's direction.

He clenched his hand so hard he could swear he felt a burning sensation. Wait. Why was the burning on the back of his hand?

"ALALALALAI!"

Skidmark's eyes widened as something hit him at great speed, sending him spiraling into the air, only to fall bonelessly at Armsmaster's feet. Every panel in existence faded simultaneously.

Colin stared as Grail's legs flailed where he was stuck face-first into the accumulating lump of garbage.

"FOU." Colin jolted and looked down to see Fou standing at his feet. The little beast stared up at him accusingly.

Armsmaster shook his head. "Right. Time to save him."

With Skidmark unconscious, Mush lost all volition to continue the fight.

It was a matter of minutes to destroy the trash and extract both Grail and Mush's human body.

"Whew! I had to get rid of my nose that was so bad. Thanks for the save, Armsmaster," Grail said sheepishly.

Armsmaster moved to say something, then closed his mouth as the soft clip-clop of hooves approached him from behind. He turned around and saw a great gilded chariot pulled by a pair of massive black bulls.

Atop the chariot stood a mountain of a man, red of beard and hair and clad in a massive red mantle lined with white fur.

"Hail, hero! It looked as though you needed assistance, so I decided to lend some help." The man grinned widely. "You look like more of a finesse fighter, so an opponent that can limit your options like that was a bad match. Without backup, you'd have had some real trouble on your own."

Armsmaster frowned. "They're the Merchants. I would have been fine."

Grail shrugged. "Probably. I mean, just Mush would have been easy. Skidmark must have been a little sober though, given he was fighting smart for once."

Colin nodded to Grail. "What he said."

"Hm. He had a chance to set up before the fight, and took it. His power is nothing to ignore," the giant said calmly.

Colin looked down. "I was careless. If I had used aerosol tranquilizers earlier in the fight, I could have removed Skidmark as a threat and handled Mush with ease. The panels need to touch something to move it, and I don't think he can set them in empty air." He looked back up. "Though I've never seen him able to set up so quickly. How did that happen?" he wondered aloud.

Movement caught Colin's eye, and he saw the slightest glimpse of a dark-haired man walking into a nearby alley. He drew a breath to call out-

Armsmaster stumbled at the impact on his back.

"Good! Understanding where you went wrong is the first key to preventing further mistakes in the future. A commander has to lead and inspire, be the envy of all who follow them! Be the most you can be, and grasp life with both hands!" The giant laughed uproariously. "I think you'll make a good Master after all! I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors and Rider-class Servant. I look forward to our journey together…?"

"I am Armsmaster, leader of the local Protectorate and Tinker. I hope you don't bore easily; a great deal of my time is spent preparing in my lab," Colin warned.

Iskandar smiled. "Well met, Armsmaster."

Grail shook himself. "Hoo boy. Gilgamesh is going to have a field day with this."

Colin sighed as Iskandar energetically engaged Grail in conversation. He checked under his armor, and true to form, the Command Seals Grail had told him about had formed on the back of his hand.

Still, he found himself smiling a little at his new Servant's antics. His philosophy had some merit, after all.
____________________________________________________________________________

Da Vinci stared slackjawed at Colin. "Wait, wait, wait. You want to what?"

Armsmaster grumbled, then squared his shoulders. "I want to work on repair nanites. Both for organic and inorganic materials. Self-repairing armor and rapid regeneration. I have some plans, but I'm having trouble making it work with mundane materials. I think magecraft might be the missing link."

Iskandar hummed behind Colin. "Interesting, Colin. I'd taken your combat style to make you more of a Lancer, but perhaps you are more of a Caster?"

"He's a Parahuman, their abilities tend to follow themes but not necessarily Servant ones," Grail said, lecturing.

Colin shrugged. "Anyways. I think it would also help once we manage to create them to give them to Dragon for reverse-engineering."

Dragon started. "What?"

"They'd be helpful for medical trauma victims, short of full maiming."

Dragon's avatar nodded on the console. "True, but I didn't think you'd want to mass produce such a thing."

"One with a limited shelf life, I think, so that they aren't given artificial Brute ratings." Colin paused. "I've been thinking about what you said, Grail."

Grail perked up. "Oh?"

"Some of my greater contributions weren't on the battlefield, but in the lab. I can do so much to enrich the world, besides putting criminals away. I'll still do that, of course. But I can do more." Colin stood tall. "I can be more."

He felt himself smile at Dragon. "I owe it to the people who believe in me to try, at the very least."

Dragon's avatar blushed. "Colin…"

The console flared red, and the city seemed to shake with the sound of sirens.

"Goddammit! We were having a moment!" Grail screamed at the sky.

Grail's phone went off, and Colin looped around to read the text he had received over his shoulder.

<Winged_One: I'm so sorry. I can't wait anymore. Please be ready. Whatever happens… thank you for what you gave me.>

Grail paused. "What did I give her?"

Feeling uneasy, Colin wanted to know the answer to that as well. And feared how he would find out.
____________________________________________________________________________

Slowly, Ziz fell through the atmosphere.

Once, she would have flown directly to Canberra, and began her procedures immediately.

Once, she would have fulfilled her orders to the letter, all while setting her grand masterpiece in motion.

Once, she would have looked forward to the carnage that awaited.

Now she hesitated.

Grail appeared, bringing Mystery with him into the world. All the Endbringers grew as they drew on this new power, embodying more of what they were. Behemoth and Leviathan were not seen as intelligent, so they merely grew stronger.

Ziz was the most humanized of them, so she grew closer to human. Developed sapience. Emotions.

A conscience.

Connections.

She took to the internet, began engaging with the humans she had terrorized. On a fundamental level she began to understand them, where before she had merely predicted and planned around them. She began to talk to this new Drone, who was so much like the humans she had herded.

And as she spoke, she began to chart a new course.

More than anything, she wanted this path she saw to work. It wasn't certain by any means. It could go wrong in so many ways.

People would still die, but even so.

This had to be done.

Too few Servants, and she would win without error.

Too many, and her death would be certain.

This was the time she had to act, following her programming once more.

This was the last time.

She knew what she was, and what she wanted to be. She wanted freedom, wanted to stand alongside this new being who could understand her and support her, to somehow atone for the sins she now understood.

And now?

One way or another, by whatever means she had to use…

This was the last time Simurgh flew out as Eidolon's worthy opponent.

One way or another…

Tomorrow she would be free.

 

[Blinktwice13]

A/N: This ends on a cliffhanger. Nobody is confirmed dead. That said; Content Warnings: Impalement, Blood, Non-Graphic Gore. Non-major character death.

Heavenfall 3.3

I exhaled as I stood at the gathering point next to Armsmaster and Panacea. All of my Servants had gone incorporeal, so travelling with me wouldn't be an issue. Luckily, Da Vinci had whipped up a Bag of Holding - excuse me, a Pocket Dimension Handbag - so that the preparations we had made could travel with us.

Armsmaster looked over to me. "Why aren't you teleporting yourself?" he asked.

I grit my teeth. "I need an approximate visual of where I'm going. Apparently things have changed up enough that Ziz decided to be more openly chaotic, so there's no set image I can fixate on for the endpoint. Trying without one… would be bad."

I felt Armsmaster's scrutiny intensify. "How so?"

"I barely understand how that function works, and I don't fancy getting lost in time and space on a risk when a slightly slower, more secure method exists."

Armsmaster nodded briskly. "Understandable."

I looked over to Panacea, who was clenching her hands tightly.

"You good, Pan?"

She nodded, face hidden under her hood.

Gareth manifested, arms wrapped around her shoulders. "It's okay. I'll protect you, I promise."

"We all will," Vicky said, striding over. Artoria followed close behind.

Amy's eyes shot up. "V- Glory Girl? What're you doing here?"

Vicky rolled her shoulders. "I managed to browbeat Mom into letting me come. Apparently she's not as overprotective as she used to be."

That… sounded bad. "And your dad?"

She exhaled. "He's not having a good day, so he wasn't in any state to argue. Didn't mean he didn't try. Took Artoria swearing an oath on her knighthood to bring me back 'whole and healthy' for him to let up."

Artoria hummed. "He is your father, and you his child. It's understandable that he would want for your safety, first and foremost."

I rubbed my forehead. "I think that'll be almost everyone? Canary and Bathory will be providing support somehow - Dragon wasn't exactly clear - and Enkidu will definitely be there with Legend."

"Who's missing?" asked Glory Girl, her gaze intent.

I winced. "Weaver's dad took exception to her going into an Endbringer battle. Loudly. Last I saw of Weaver, she ran up the stairs and slammed the door. Tamamo looked like she was about to have words, so I booked it."

Vicky sighed. "Damn. Guess it'll be on us to remind her who did the heavy lifting designing the doodad when we get back, eh Ames?"

Panacea gave a wan smile. "Yeah. Maybe we could stop in at a tourist shop to bring something back."

"That will not be necessary," a heavily and badly accented voice said behind us.

We turned as one to see a pink-haired woman in a quasi-military secretary getup, a cape clad all in black with a mandibled mask, and Tattletale and Hans.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Koyanskaya, and this is my partner Skitter. These are associates of ours, Tattletale and her Servant, Hans Christian Andersen," the secretary said.

Colin crossed his arms. "Tattletale of the Undersiders."

"Endbringer truce," Tattletale said in a sing-song voice. "We're all in the same boat, so let's work together so it doesn't sink, hm? Besides, we've been hitting primarily villain targets so it's not like I'm worth bothering about anyways."

"She means exclusively," Hans said in a bored tone. "I can heal. Not as well as Panacea or Koyanskaya, but it's something. I can also hand out minor enhancements, like Othala but lesser. Koyanskaya is a practiced magus and Skitter's tutor. Tattletale, my Master, is a Thinker. She'll be of great help to the coordination part of the war effort."

Tattletale sighed. "Hans? Let me keep at least a little street cred, alright?"

"No. Like it or not, you need me to curtail your worst impulses if you want your plan to work. It's good in theory, but you need a little help in execution."

I blinked. "Plan?"

Tattletale smirked. "I'm not inclined to say."

I turned to Hans. He shook his head. "I'll take the wind out of her sails if need be, but a Servant's first loyalty is to their Master. All I can say is it does neither you nor the Protectorate any harm."

Tattletale shrugged. "Hey, I'll take it."

Skitter crossed her arms and looked at me. I smirked and waved. She looked away.

Oh Taylor.

Glory Girl arched her eyebrow at me, then looked at Skitter. "So uh. Skitter, then?"

She nodded.

"What'll you be doing?"

"Search and rescue. I have conditional clairvoyance. Also if there's magecraft to be done," she said, nodding at me, "I'll be involved."

Panacea stared flatly at her. "Please tell me you at least brought some of my specials with you."

Koyanskaya held up a small handbag. "Never leave home without it."

Skitter coughed uncomfortably. "So. Uh."

I sighed. "I won't tell if you won't?"

"Deal," Skitter said readily.

Armsmaster chuckled. "So what do we register 'Skitter' as?"

"Rogue. Same for Koyanskaya," Skitter said quickly.

He nodded. "Right. Iskandar and I will be near the front." And he walked away. I caught a flash of red as the Rider momentarily materialized to give us a regal wave.

I didn't doubt he'd been focusing on giving Armsmaster a pep talk the entire time. Colin was way more tense than he was letting on.

I turned my attention to the front of the room. Legend stood there, Enkidu visible at his side. "Alright. Strider will be here for pickup in a few minutes. This is your last chance to back out. Endbringer fights are volunteer only."

A decent majority of the Brockton Protectorate hadn't showed. Armsmaster, Dauntless, and Velocity were the main volunteers. By contrast, our (effectively) two man cell had shown up from the Guild, and Glory Girl was the representative from New Wave. Most of the Empire were still being processed and Trial dates set, and none of them wanted a piece of the Simurgh anyways. The ABB and Trainwreck weren't going anywhere. Guess that meant everyone-

"I apologize for being late," a quiet voice chimed in from the door.

I turned, and had to shield my eyes. Purity stood there all lit up, with a cloaked cape next to her.

"I'm attending too. Call me Radiance. This is my partner, Sigil. I'll be in the blaster division, and she'll be doing search and rescue. We're both rogues, but aspire to be heroes."

Huh. Didn't see that coming. Maybe without that toxic support system, Purity could actually be a decent hero. Rune, too. Neither were 'true believers' in what the Empire preached, but you don't spend that kind of time around those kinds of people without picking up stuff here and there.

Legend stared steadily at Radiance. "I see." He turned back to the room. "Strider will be arriving momentarily. If there's anything you need to do that doesn't require leaving the room, now's the time."
____________________________________________________________________________

Canberra was actively chaotic. The shelters seemed to be untouched, but everything else?

Vortexes of light and force spiraled through the city, levitating buildings into the air. I could see the Simurgh from where we landed, hanging in midair, wings limp. Glyphs spiraled out from her form, and rays of light lanced through building after building, exploding everything that came into contact.

Alexandria down; Chubster deceased; Genoscythe deceased; Drop Bear deceased; Althir down-

She'd never been this physically aggressive, from what I remembered. Nor did she have access to fucking magic laserbeams,

Legend landed near me. "She's marking out an area. Effectively? The thirty meters closest to her are close to being a kill-zone. Fortunately, unlike Behemoth, she can't get everyone at once. Also she's not screaming yet, which is different. That said, the lasers are new."

"It's Magecraft."

Legend slowly turned to me. "What."

"The Endbringers… we run on a connected server. I went off the reservation mentally, but physically stuff is still shared. Since my power doesn't clash with any of the themes, everyone got powered up according to perception of them. She's the most humanoid, so she gets Magecraft. Also sapience and a conscience. That said, she's still Mastered."

"So we incapacitate or kill the Master."

"Incapacitation won't work. It's been tried."

Legend stared at me. "You know who it is."

I didn't say anything.

"You know who it is, and you won't-"

I whirled on him. "Look Legend, if I haven't told you something, it's because it's information that will literally rend the world from its foundation. Don't ask for knowledge you really don't want. I'm working on solutions that don't involve destroying you and everything you stand for, but give me a little trust here, okay?" I was breathing hard at the end of it.

Roid Roo deceased; Aqualine deceased; Keeper down; Hawkeye down; Firebrand Deceased; Radiance down-

"We're wasting time. Gil! Get on Vimana and try to strafe her. Draw fire if you can. Medusa! You get Bellerophon out now, and deploy what you need to. Cybele, Harpe, Pandemonium Cetus - use what you've got. Arthur! Dun Stallion and Rhongomyniad, now! Cu! You get search and rescue, use Riastrad sparsely if you need a pick-me-up to cover more ground. Da Vinci! We're setting up here, just out of range." I turned on my heel and walked towards an open square as the Servants mustered to follow my commands.

"What are you doing?" Legend asked warily.

"Setting up shop. Remember where I was found? I'm sure Alexandria told you."

"Yes…"

"I'm bringing that structure out. Help Dragon to reduce panic; it's big."

Legend narrowed his eyes, exhaling. "Okay."

"And I'm sorry. If I could, I'd tell you everything. You're the first non-Servant friend I made outside of the Guild."

"Then trust me not to act on it, at least."

I clenched my fist. "After this is over? I'll give you what you want. I just hope you won't hate me for it."

Legend sighed. "If I do, it's my own fault for not heeding your warning. And Enkidu will likely talk me around anyways," he finished in a wry tone.

I glanced back at him and flashed an impish grin. "Go save some lives, Mister Hero. We're wasting daylight."

And with that, I flung my arms skyward.

The ground shook, and the form of the Greater Grail took shape beneath my feet.

Seconds later, it stood, towering over any building left standing by several hundred feet. The bowl stretched out over the skyline, and the foot took up the entire square. The shimmering blue liquid filling it rippled placidly beneath my feet.

Da Vinci materialized next to me. "I'll get started on the setup. Tamamo - excuse me, Koyanskaya," she tittered, "is going to get Strider to move the control center up here. I can get them eyes out there to function, and Hans will help Tattletale keep the Thinkers in line. Skitter will help you set up the ritual, and act as a counterbalance against anything going wrong. I've got eyes on Glory Girl and Armsmaster, and Dragon's got hold of Canary. We're going to do this right."

I nodded, and stood guard as Da Vinci retreated to make good on her words. As I watched, I spied a blue blur rapidly scaling the side of the Greater Grail.

Cu launched himself up over the side, Gae Bulg strapped to his back and Alexandria in his arms. "She's out cold. There's a pulse, I think." He strode further towards the center, where the command and medical tents were being set up.

"Incoming!" screamed Tattletale as she ran up next to me, pointing at a barrage of spells.

I flung my arms upward, and the water followed. A shield cascaded into form, stopping the offensive magic cold.

I felt Ziz's empty eyes on me.

Dauntless down, Myrddin down, Rime down, Revel down-

I could barely see her, but I heard the breath she drew as she prepared a new onslaught.

She'd never spoken before; that I knew.

But as the spells began to slow their barrage… she sang. In harmony with herself, and to music that seemed to spill out of the air.

It was a song I knew, and to my knowledge it didn't exist on Earth Bet.

If I had blood in my base form, I felt it freeze. She knew what I knew. All of it. Anything about the setting that had been obscured from her? Now available to her. Anything my Servants could throw at her? She knew about.

I watched as Vimana, Bellerophon, Dun Stallion, Legend, and Eidolon circled her, firing blast after blast to wear her down.

Although it was far away, I could see it perfectly.

Giglamesh unleashed a veritable hail of swords, ranging from elegant to barbaric in design, that gouged shallow lines in her flesh. His face seemed mildly perturbed, and he thumbed a few links in Enkidu's chain. The weapon's namesake stood at his side on the aircraft, arms raised and singing so loudly that stray magic was dissipated.

Medusa soared through the sky, eyes uncovered and gazing on Ziz. As far as I could tell, the Endbringer was slowed to a degree, but when most of her casting didn't require movement and she was still airborne, it was hard to see any other effect.

Arthur was doing the most damage. Rhongomyniad was a massive jousting lance, and each thrust tore through whatever obstacles met his path in a torrent of wind and light. It was rare that the obstacle was Ziz, as she'd move debris into his way and herself out of it. Dun Stallion galloped over the thin air, evading Medusa's gaze and Gilgamesh's onslaught.

Legend zipped to and fro, firing lasers of every color and effect imaginable. He occasionally had to shift to a breaker state to evade, but always snapped back moments later.

Eidolon seemed to be establishing a barrier around himself and Legend while wearing away at her outer body with that same violet fire he'd used on me. Unsurprisingly, it seemed weaker than it was then. He also appeared to be using a Thinker power to evade the worst of her attacks.

I startled as Tattletale grabbed my arm. "Grail, Skitter told me the plan. We need to maneuver her into range, and we need to start now."

"The plan wasn't made when she had the ability to call on magecraft," I said quietly. "I don't know if it will-"

I saw a single lance of light pierce through the air, aimed away from the fight and somewhere downtown.

It was immediately followed by debris falling on the point of impact, in a too-perfect way which indicated telekinesis.

I was dimly aware of Panacea screaming in horror.

My eyes focused in on the site as I heard the announcement.

Glory Girl, deceased.

I flickered in to see Artoria holding her hands over Vicky's stomach. She looked up helplessly as the large width of rebar poked through, carrying entrails with it.

"Shi..t… Sorry, Grail. I wanted… to help more… be a hero, you know?" Vicky coughed. "Just keep fighting. And tell Ames I'm sorry… yeah?"

I stared helplessly. "Vicky… just wait! Artoria, call on Avalon and keep her alive while I get Panacea!"

As Artoria turned to me with an incredulous look, she was interrupted by a sharp, sudden sound and the appearance of others.

"I'm here!" Panacea dashed over, Strider, a Dragonsuit, and Gareth behind her.

She immediately grabbed Glory Girl's face.

"Fuck! She's lost a lot of blood, some of her organs were full-on obliterated…" Amy's eyes shuttered back and forth frantically. "Not enough body mass… come on, think!"

All I could do was stand helplessly and watch as someone I'd wanted to protect was slowly dying in front of me.

Bubbles escape my mouth. I'm underwater. Cool, gentle.

Legend crashed through the wall, wheeling into a prone position. Half of his face was missing, scraped off. His remaining eye was wide in agony. "She's… gone berserk… Servants had to dematerialize… just… run…!"

I don't drown. I breathe.

And beneath all of my panic, my dread and rage… I feel a deep, unshakeable calm.

There's a roaring in the distance, like the tide coming in.

And everything vanished in a tide of brilliant blue light.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Heavenfall 3.4

My communicator was going crazy as I fought my way back to wakefulness.

I opened my eyes, and there was a thin layer of water that looked like it came from the Greater Grail all on the ground.

<All units! This is Dragon! The big cup overflowed, and everything the water touches that has a pulse seems to be regenerating at an impossible rate! If you're down but not dead, go towards it! If you see someone injured, push them in! I don't know what other effects it may have, but given how things are looking… this might be what we need to survive this!>

I stood up, and immediately took stock.

Panacea was sobbing, holding Vicky tightly. Vicky was red in the face, front of her uniform torn, but body whole.

Legend rubbed his newly renewed face as Strider looked on in awe.

Water threaded through the air in crystalline patterns, actively seeking out anything living and brushing against it. Wherever it touched, it glowed gently and then slid off.

"Is this… me?"

Da Vinci materialized. "Of all the times to manifest this power! Alexandria was actually fading from some curse the Simurgh had slung at her, but one dip in the drink…" she said, trailing off suggestively.

"Wait. Is this one of the things I could do before?"

"Yes. It was invaluable, given Gilgamesh was the real fighter of the two of us, and I needed every edge I could get. I mean, I'm no slouch, but still. Caster."

I shrugged, then reeled as I felt an impact around my middle.

"Thankyousomuchforsavingher!"

Victoria held an arm across her chest. "Uh yeah. Thanks. Any chance you could fix my shirt while you're at it?" Her smile was strained, but she seemed somehow no worse for the wear. Way too calm for someone who had been impaled minutes prior.

...best not to dwell too much on that at the moment.

I shrugged helplessly while Panacea held me in a bear hug. "Uh. Da Vinci? Spare?"

"On it."

I patted Amy awkwardly on the head. "Well, we're not done yet. Let's get back to mission command so that you can get to medical and…" I trailed off as she looked up at me with devilish eyes.

"Oh no. You're the healer now. That means I get to play tune-up and make everyone as close to indestructible as I can." A slow smirk slid across her face. "And while I can't make people like you… I'm gonna start handing out Brute ratings like candy."

Everyone stared.

"Well that's horrifying. Great, but horrifying," Strider drawled.

"Right! Back to base!" I yelped.

My eyes cut over to Legend, hand over the bare side of his face. He smiled. "Ready to save the city?"

"What's left of it," I said flatly.
____________________________________________________________________________

The Simurgh hung silently in the air, orbs of radiant death surrounding her.

"Well this is peachy keen. We can't drive her off, and she can't kill anyone else. A real stalemate," I said darkly.

Gilgamesh, standing next to me, hummed. "Do you think we can lure her in?"

I sighed. "I don't know."

I pulled out my phone.

<Winged_One: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's too strong. I'm sorry.>

I scowled. "Yeah. Okay." I put the phone away, and turned on my heel. I marched into the command tent.
________________________________________________________________________________________

"Da Vinci."

"Yes?"

"What can I do."

"Well, you see-"

"No. What are my capabilities."

Her eyes narrowed, and Tattletale's eyes widened.

Alexandria hummed. "She knows your abilities better than you?"

The room was quiet for a moment.

Da Vinci exhaled, and turned to face the room at large. "The Simurgh has gained sapience and is being Mastered. I need a Brute with a Mover rating, Legend, and Enkidu. After that, we can see about severing her bonds or at least laying her to rest."

Alexandria narrowed her eyes. "Severing her bonds sounds like a bad idea."

"The Master is making her attack. Results are inconclusive on who it is, but she wants to atone for her sins. Death or freedom, she wants to make it right," I said loudly.

Alexandria stared at me for a moment. "Fuck it, I'm in. Better her on our side or dead than Mastered and coming at us every nine months."

Eidolon clenched his hands. "What can I do?"

Da Vinci's gaze was glacial. "You? Nothing. Grail and the candidates I requested? Everything."

Eidolon reeled as the rest of us followed Da Vinci.

"Harsh," I said softly.

"Vicky almost died. If you hadn't had the mystic equivalent of a second trigger and called a purified version of Chaos Tide, she would have. Legend too, maybe. I'm allowed to be snippy," Da Vinci said coldly. "And now you're going to risk your life, so let me have this."

I arched an eyebrow as the three heroes stood beside me. Da Vinci stared us down.

"How do we proceed?" Enkidu said in a soft voice. Their expression was stoic.

"Grail can temporarily enhance abilities. He takes aspects and enhances them. Strengths grow, weaknesses diminish. For example, Legend's versatility with his lasers would have new paths opened, Alexandria's strength and durability would continue to multiply, your own Noble Phantasm would have greater effects. Grail is, and always has been, a force multiplier. In a straight fight, he's no good. Give him even one teammate, and his victory is assured."

Alexandria crossed her arms. "Good of you to tell us all this now."

Da Vinci scowled. "It takes a lot of control to do without hurting himself, and it's been a while. I wanted him to have a good group of Servants to look after him before he started. It's why I never pushed the issue."

I looked at Da Vinci. "So how do I do this?"

She sighed. "Remember how you called the waters of healing? Most of your support comes from the grail itself. Water is the shape of your power, use it."

I felt myself reach out into the water mentally, and-

Soft bubbles escaping my lips, water twining around my limbs.

My ears are full of the sound of waves crashing into each other.

I blinked, and Alexandria already flew off, leaving shockwaves in her wake.

Legend? He and Enkidu launched back into the fray, stringing chains of light across the heavens.

I felt something brush my arm, and looked into Gilgamesh's eyes.

"Are you well?"

"No. I'm not."

He inclined his head.

I growled. "Look, I should be feeling something. We all should, but for some reason everyone's too calm. I don't get it!"

Gilgamesh gave a mirthless chuckle. "The humans are easily explained. They face death regularly just among each other, surviving is gift enough that their morale is raised. They'll bear the scars in their hearts and minds in time, but for now they will be well." He paused. "You… you will learn."

I stared at him quizzically as the sounds of combat began to emerge.

"To be partly human is to still be inhuman. To engage, to adore, but never truly be a part of humanity. Your mind is not like theirs. Some responses greater, some muted." Gilgamesh held my hand with one of his, and clasped my shoulder with the other. "Now. Trust in me, and your Servants will see this through."

Koyanskaya strolled up to me, Skitter beside her. "Might I have a ride as well, King of Heroes? I'd like to try my hand at bringing her in."

Da Vinci sighed, watching as Legend and Enkidu strafed Ziz again, missing with the chains. "Well, if we're going to do this…"

Dragon's main suit walked forward. "I've got Canary and Bathory both ready to deploy. Bathory will call forth her castle, and Canary will use it to sing and keep morale high. If you can keep your water up to shield and heal, then we might be able to overwhelm Ziz with numbers."

I turned to Dragon and shook my head. "We can't just deploy wildly. We need a plan. I'll keep Alexandria, Legend, and Enkidu powered up, and…" I trailed off. "Fuck, I'll admit it. I'm no good at planning, rushing in is my forte. And it's gotten my ass bit more times than I care to count. So somebody please get this organized?" I finished plaintively.

Dragon gazed at me for a moment. "I'll talk to Tattletale and get the Thinkers corralled. You keep those three fighting and buy us time."

As Dragon walked back into the tent, Eidolon slowly walked out.

He stood next to me as Gilgamesh launched Vimana into the air with Koyanskaya at his side. My other Servants dashed into the fray as well, either on horseback or on foot. Da Vinci remained.

"Why is it that I can't help? I heard you say you'd empower them - and I can see it, too. 'Dria's not normally that fast, and her punches… the ones that land are leaving craters in Ziz. The ones that miss are sending her spinning."

And it was true. Alexandria flickered around the battlefield, dodging beams and launching blows that tore through the air and any piece of Ziz that didn't clear the way. Water continued to flow from the ground, occasionally brushing against her.

Floating spheres of my water peppered the air, and the dull roar of flooding echoed as it poured over the edges of the Greater Grail.

"It's… no. I can't tell you now. But later…" I sighed. "I've been sitting on a lot of knowledge, Eidolon. Part of it was fear it would be misused, or misconstrued. Now I'm seeing that holding onto it… really didn't help things. And not thinking things through led to this," I said as I gestured at Ziz. "If I was affected by magic, why wouldn't she be?"

Eidolon was quiet, for a moment. "So I was right. Maybe not about you being a threat, but."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "I'm sorry for attacking you. I… Ziz, Behemoth, Leviathan. If it's taller than an oak tree and unearthly, it's been a safe bet that it's a threat for over ten years. Nearly twenty, if we're going by the first example." He shifted uncomfortably. "I'm…"

"Not used to eating crow? Nobody is. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Talking from current experience, here," I said with a half-smile.

Eidolon chuckled darkly. "Too true. I'm honestly amazed they've kept her at bay this long. No scream, no tech… just that new ability."

"Magecraft. It comes from where I come from. Very, very few people can learn it. Servants can be one, sometimes. Skitter and Koyanskaya are others."

Eidolon nodded. "It's like she's holding back."

"She always has been. Thing is, she's sapient now. Instead of following her directive, she's doing it because it's her best bet of being free."

He stepped from side to side awkwardly. "I really should be out there. Doing something."

"Why you? And why is this," I said, gesturing at everything, "something you in particular have to do?"

He stared at me. "Because I'm the only one who can."

I shook my head. "Something we both need to work on. No man is an island, Eidolon. Nobody can really go it alone. Not forever."

He turned back to the fight, and sharply drew breath as Legend caged Ziz in with a web of beams and Alexandria double-kicked her into Enkidu's chains.

I smirked. "Case in point." I smoothed my expression out. "Get therapy, Eidolon. That messiah-martyr complex of yours will be the end of a lot of things. Just trust me on this." I turned and looked him in the eye. "You're better than that. That's what I want to believe."

Eidolon straightened up. "I'll take it under advisement," he said stiffly. He strolled back into the tent.

Da Vinci whistled lowly. "Two for two."

I grinned weakly. "Yeah."
___________________________________________________________________________

Taylor calmly set the gems in a pentagram pattern on the inked-up tarp. It was located directly beneath a sigil of a cube dissolving into flower petals. Out of all the classes, this was the one she felt most strongly resonated with Ziz, given the information about her as a person - and wow that was weird to think - that Grail had shared. The gems gleamed as she did her best to focus her prana.

The other heroes were doing search and rescue exclusively. Between Ziz's reluctant thrashing and Grail empowering the three fighters, the stalemate was locked into one particular area that had already been written off. Everywhere else was surprisingly safe. For once, people in an Endbringer fight had breathing room and time to make an actual plan.

She decided not to get used to it.

Taylor was also grateful that Vicky, Amy, and Lisa were all alright. If something had happened-

"That's interesting," a voice drawled over her shoulder.

Tattletale.

"So hero, what's the plan? I promise I won't mess with it much," Lisa teased.

"Going to bind Ziz, use her as a catalyst for a Summon. You heard Grail, she's Mastered. Whether she's a part of the Servant or dies in the ritual, she doesn't care. She just wants out."

Tattletale was quiet for a moment.

"Okay. Yikes. So save or mercy kill, roger that. Anything Hans can do?"

Taylor paused. "Have him write about me and Grail. A short story where we have really good luck, and are learning to contend with our flaws."

Lisa perked up. "Write?"

"He writes about people, and turns them into their ideal self. Remember?"

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "I do remember something like that, I think…"

"Interesting. I don't think you'd entrust people with this normally, so that's you. And Grail is slowly learning to let the wiser and more experienced take the lead. That might be enough for a few pages. I'll get started." Hans fiddled with the nib of a pen.

"Deadline's in ten minutes."

Hans stared at Taylor as Lisa giggled sadistically.

"I'll keep him on task for you, honey," Tattletale purred in delight.

"I hate you both. Let me get my book," Hans said in a dead voice.

Taylor couldn't help the tired chuckle that escaped her lips.

She just hoped that Tamamo would be okay.
____________________________________________________________________________

Tamamo was having the time of her life!

Her Koyanskaya guise was more useful for hit-and-run, but having a massive gun to blast away with was definitely a perk. "Secretary… Shot!"

Gilgamesh sighed. "Woman, you could end this in seconds."

Tamamo huffed. "Let a girl have her fun. Besides, only Taylor could ask me to bring my full might to bear. And even then I might decide not to!"

She plugged away, knocking feathers and crystal loose from the massive angel. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were slowly managing to get chains around a wing here and there, but nothing definitive enough for Alexandria to get leverage. Too many laser blasts and too much dodging.

Well, that was fine. Plenty of time for her to expose the core for the ritual!

And she could take Ziz apart piece~! By~! Piece~!

...she was still a bad guy, for the moment. And a foxy miko has to have her fun somewhere!

Mikon~!
___________________________________________________________________________

Amy hummed as she removed her hands from Radiance. "How do you feel?"

The vigilante flexed her hands. "Better than ever. I was feeling some fatigue, but…"

"Yeah, doing vigilante work so soon after delivery is taxing, I'd imagine. I have no idea how you keep a career, a kid, and this all at the same time," Amy said absent-mindedly.

Radiance froze.

Amy's eyes flicked up at her. "I'm not an asshole, Radiance. We'll call it doctor-patient confidentiality."

Slowly, by inches, the former villain relaxed. "I see. You seem… chipper."

Panacea perked up. "Right? I think it's this water! So, first off, it's biological. Almost intensely so? Kind of what I'd think when I think of the primordial soup. Gives me lots of toys to play with. Anyways, I think it works exclusively on the body, and that includes brains. It won't alter anything, but… I think it's like a factory reset? Against external physical changes, and other things it considers malformations. That's the best descriptor I have. It didn't do anything for your post-partum stuff, but the other wear-and-tear and slight oncoming cold you had? Poof!"

Radiance stared at Panacea. "I'm not sure if it's miraculous or horrifying, when you put it like that."

Gareth beamed behind Amy. "Why not both!"

Radiance sighed. "This has been… enlightening." She stood up. "I hope to work with you again soon, Panacea. You and your new team seem like quite the characters." She paused. "I'm trying… to be less…" She swallowed. "Bigoted. Is the word." Radiance shook her head. "I think being around you and your girlfriend might help with that. Selfish, yes. But you're also both unproblematic, so… I am trying, I assure you."

Panacea stared owlishly up at Radiance. "Girlfriend?"

Gareth flushed. "Uh."

Amy grinned. "Great idea, Radiance! Hey Gareth, want to go get coffee when we get back to Brockton?"

Gareth made wild burbling noises.

Radiance hummed. "I think that's a yes," she said in mild amusement.

The burbling intensified.
________________________________________________________________________

I narrowed my eyes at Dragon and Da Vinci. "Run me through this one more time."

Dragon pointed to Eidolon. "He carries you over. Talks you up as our next great hope."

Eidolon shrugged. "You're doing okay right now, so I'm not too inclined to argue. Wouldn't mind a power boost, but… both you and Da Vinci have assured me that our powers might not mix. An Endbringer battle isn't the place to test it."

Damn skippy it's not.

Dragon continued. "Then when Ziz follows her programming by giving chase, Eidolon will teleport you both back here to the ritual circle Skitter set up. When Ziz arrives - hopefully slowed by Alexandria, Legend, and company - Canary, boosted by you, will use Bathory's Noble Phantasm to wear her down so that Gilgamesh and Enkidu can ensnare her. Hans is over halfway done with his snippet, so that should be plenty of time for him to finish, so that he can use a smaller version of his Noble Phantasm."

"Do. Not. Rush. Me." Hans scribbled at intense speed.

"WRITE, BITCH!" Tattletale yelled gleefully. I don't know where she got the megaphone. I assumed Da Vinci had a part in it.

"Right. Noble Phantasm. Once that sets in, all the other Servants will wear her down to her core with their Phantasms, and from then on it's your show."

I sighed. "I still think we should start with Canary and Bathory now. And we're sure I'll have enough juice after powering up four people for a sustained amount of time, along with the extended healing and defensive fields?"

Da Vinci nodded. "Yes, barely. You'll be out for a while, but it won't be another Merlin Surprise." She seemed subdued. "I don't know if you're ready, but we won't get a second shot."

Dragon hummed. "Okay. I'll get the idols set up. And that is something I never thought I'd say, let alone at an Endbringer fight," she mused.

Eidolon grunted. "From what Legend has told me, surreality seems to be his stock in trade. I've got a barrier, a teleport, and a flight power." He turned to me. "How small can you get?"

I grinned sheepishly.
___________________________________________________________________________

"...if my publicist finds one dwarf fetish or pedophile joke on PHO, I will hunt you down. After that, I'll need to get creative," Eidolon hissed as I dangled, draped under his arm as he sped towards Ziz.

I was the height of an infant, but proportioned like an action figure. "Trust me, I know," I said in a squeaky voice.

We arrived in front of her, and the battle came to an abrupt halt. Ziz ceased to dangle, and sprung up straight.

Chains and blows rained on empty air as nobody could get close to her.

The angelic face wrenched in fury, lips peeling back from teeth that rapidly grew to points. Her hands spasmed as they warped into claws.

And her song faded into a cacophony.

"Oh shit! She's pissed now!" I yelled.

Eidolon and I flickered, but remained there. "Uh."

I looked around the area, and saw a faint aura of purple surrounding us up to a mile away. "Shit! Bounded Field!"

"Bounded what?" Eidolon roared as we sped away in the air, just ahead of her claws.

"Bounded Field! It's a spell that lets her take control of an area!"

Eidolon was quiet, but given the sudden ragemonster Ziz had devolved into, I didn't think further exposition was necessary.

<Kill him. I'll kill him! And he brought you here too! I'll kill him, and save you!>

Oh shit.

"Uh. She's really mad at you, Eidolon! Better speed up!"

Eidolon grunted. "Well if you'd given me a power boost…" he grumbled as he accelerated.

"One, our powers aren't going to do anything good together!" True, in that if I powered him up, Ziz would get a boost too. Or so I assumed, at least. "Two, four is my limit for the ritual to still work! And Canary's singing should be starting…"

"BATHORY ERZEBET! IT'S YOUR STAGE, SONGBIRD!"

A massive castle sprung up in front of the greater grail, inlaid with equally massive speakers. They quivered, primed and ready.

I focused on twining my water around the young woman in a mask and white dress with yellow feathered hair. She reached out to touch the water, and took a deep breath.

I felt the power flow into her, and immediately started feeling fatigued. I really hoped this worked.

"Time it took us, to where the water was…" she sang.

"A Florence and the Machine cover?" I squawked. "Really?"

Eidolon split his attention between me and the Greater Grail for a moment. "They have her where you come from?"

"Yeah! Is all her stuff still about religion, drowning, or sad and weird at this point?"

"Yes."

"Is it still really good?"

"...also yes."

Ziz faltered as the song impacted her, dulling her senses and sapping her drive. Perks of being able to focus the effect to a single target, when the effect was usually used over an area. She wasn't badly affected, but just enough-

"This is the breath of stars. So, child of man… let us restrain the gods! ENUMA! ELISH!"

In a torrent of light, Enkidu polymorphed into massive pearlescent chains and suspended Ziz above the Greater Grail.

More chains launched from the Gate of Babylon and tethered Ziz to Vimana, dragging her into position as Alexandria pushed. Legend flew overhead, keeping clear watch.

"This is Legend! Target in position! Repeat, Ziz is above the summoning circle!"

Hans ran out of the command tent. "Damn it woman, I said I was done!" he howled, Tattletale hot on his heels.

"Well get into position then, you little blue-haired shit!" she roared.

Vicky zipped out of the tent, followed by Artoria and Gareth. Panacea sedately brought up the rear.

Iskandar took to the sky, Armsmaster in his chariot hanging on for dear life as the bulls charged through the air.

Koyanskaya stood smugly by Skitter as they waited by the circle. I ran over to meet them.

"Is it ready?" I said, rapidly regaining my full size.

Skitter motioned to the circle, gems marking the important points and the lines drawn on a sheet of tarp in ink that Da Vinci had managed to procure.

My Servants leaped up to surround us, gazing up.

"Okay gang. Let her have it!" I said, waving my hand out sharply.

"Gareth! Go!" Panacea called, beginning the Servant assault.

"GRINGAMORE, THE NOBLE BLADE!" the knight roared, bringing her blade down. A cyclone began to plow into Ziz, scattering feathers everywhere and forcing her modesty wings from her body.

"Can't let you have all the fun Ames! Do it to it, Artoria!" Vicky called, her command seals flaring with light.

"Arthur! Go!" I called.

"Bedevire. Lancelot. Galahad. Gaheris. Kay. Gareth!" he called, seals of light flashing on his blade.

"EX-CALIBUR!" they cried in unison. As the swords swung, light cascaded down and began to rend the wings from Ziz's body. The torrent slowly faded, and all that was left were her larger wings.

<I'm not hurting, it's okay! Keep going! Do what you need to!> she called in my mind.

I grit my teeth. "Armsmaster!"

"It's our time, Iskandar. Come!"

"Hahahaha! As you wish, Master! Ride into the unending horizon, our hearts set on conquest! GORDIUS WHEEL!" Iskandar's laughter boomed as the chariot picked up speed and circled the Simurgh rapidly, lightning exploding from the wheels. Suddenly, he wrenched the reins and turned directly at the Endbringer's face. It plunged straight through Ziz's head, decapitating her and sending her head tumbling to the ground.

<Keep going! You need to expose the core! It's further down, near the center of my body! It moved when I evolved!>

Gilgamesh and Enkidu were tying her down… so next would be-

"Melt down, and return to your true form…" Medusa whispered, shadows coalescing beneath her. They built up rapidly, until she stood atop a writhing, one-eyed mass of darkness. "IT ENDS! PANDEMONIUM CETUS!" The eye shot a single, vibrant red beam at Ziz's center mass.

Crystal sloughed away, vaporizing at the beam's touch. By the end, not a wing was left. While it wasn't enough to destroy the body entirely, it did reveal her core, a solid sphere of darkness suspended by threads.

"Time to go a little crazy! Riastrad! WARP SPASM!"

I couldn't see Cu because he was moving so quickly. From what little I glimpsed, that might have been for the best. With his rapid movements and enhanced strength, he severed the few remaining bonds in a flurry of spear slashes, trailing crimson behind him.

The core fell into the chains, and was suspended.

Taylor and I stood firm, our Casters at our backs. "Ready, kiddo?"

She nodded once.

"I DID NOT SPEND THAT TIME WRITING JUST TO BE FORGOTTEN! YOU FIENDS! TAKE THIS AND GET THE JOB DONE! MARCHEN MEINES LEBENS! THIS TALE IS FOR YOU!"

Hans chucked the small, thin book at us like a fastball as Tattletale cackled, holding her stomach.

Light spiraled around Taylor and I, and we nodded to each other.

"Execute: Grand Summon Protocol, Extra Class!" we shouted in unison.

The seal flared into stark relief, and the gems marking the points on the pentagram shattered.

"Come forth! Servant Class: Moon Cancer!"

The core plunged through the tarp, through the water, and into the depths of the Grail.

...Simurgh? Ziz?

I winced as I fell to my knees. I was tapped. "Is it… over?"

I felt Da Vinci's pitying gaze. "Maybe so."

"Simurgh no longer detected. Endbringer down," Dragon's voice echoed from our armbands.

I turned my head to see Tamamo cradling Taylor in her arms, the teen snoring quietly. Poor kid. This must have been a drain on her too.

Alexandria landed in front of us. "An attempt was made, but the outcome is still valid. One of the three terrors that has attacked the Earth for almost two decades is gone." Her helmet inclined toward me. "I'm interested to see what you'll do next, Grail." She slowly walked forward, kneeling and bringing her head close to mine.

"A better showing than I expected. I'll still be watching, of course. But… I might be willing to hear you out, on occasion. Don't abuse the privilege," she said softly, so only I could hear.

I nodded hollowly, and she stood and moved away.

Da Vinci leaned down and helped me up. "It's okay. She was alright with either outcome."

Everyone moved along, and Strider began to ferry the non-essential capes back to their homes.

I stood there with Da Vinci for a long time.
___________________________________________________________________________

After a while, with almost everyone gone to help with reconstruction, I began to think. Da Vinci watched over me as I pondered by myself atop the Greater Grail.

Today, I nearly lost my friends. People had died. And it was all because I was too stupid to confide in my comrades, and to be more proactive. And above all? I might have won the fight, but I'd lost what I was fighting for.

And then, from the corner of my eye, stepping out of a mirror from nowhere...

"Kaptoptron Katho Phlegon."

Of course. Of course he'd wait for when I was weak, unattended by anyone. I was the major threat to his plans, after all.

My water sluggishly shot up to intercept the brunt of the blast, Da Vinci and I cowering behind it. I could see Archimedes' silhouette through the flame and steam. I was too weak, I couldn't give my Servants the prana to fight, not even the Rogues. I didn't even have the energy to call them with a Command Seal. I'd spent the remainder in the Moon Cancer summoning, so without that Servant...

Was this all over?

<[Not by a long shot~]>
____________________________________________________________________________

Imaginary Space

[Well, well! Aren't you a cute little mess!]

<?>

[It's fine, it's fine! Now, tell me: why are you here?]

<I… I died, I think. I wanted to be a heroic spirit->

[Ahahaha! Really? Stupid! Stupid, stupid stupid! You have to die first!]

<It was worth it! I didn't want to be that man's slave anymore!>

[...hm?]

<I… I became myself. I wanted to be myself. So I fought my programming. I fought so hard! And he fought! They all fought! For themselves, for me… I didn't deserve it.>

[I see. That is sad. Very, very sad.]

<What do I do now?>

[Hm hm hm… well, he did call for someone, no? I could answer, but he's not the sort of person who needs another kouhai. He already has so many! So. You're a younger mind, but an older existence. Perfect for a cool, childish big sis character! I love it! So you'll be the senpai, and he'll be the kouhai! Aaaah, nothing like a good role reversal!]

The data entity paused.

[Remember this, though. I'll be watching. And if you truly need me…]

Ziz felt a small amount of fear, for the first time in her existence.

[B.B.-chan will be more than happy to pick up the slack. Now go save him from that spiky-haired jackass, my cute Pseudoservant! The great and wonderful B.B. commands it!]
__________________________________________________________________________

The fire cut off, warped away by a vacuum of air. Da Vinci and I stared at a tall figure - she had to be almost seven feet. She had long, white hair down to her feet, and wore a black dress with high heels. She floated off the ground, and had a tiny pair of birdlike wings poking out from her shoulders. In one hand, she held a vaguely familiar-looking rod.

"And who might you be?" Archimedes said, face drawn and wary.

She peeked over her shoulder at us, flashing me an impish grin, her pale grey eyes glinting. Then she turned back to Achimedes.

"Well, I hadn't really thought of a name… but I think I've got one! Call me the cool, exciting senpai! The amazing ZZ!" And with that, she swept her rod through the air, and two of six floating mirrors imploded in spectacular fashion.

What.
____________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Two things.

1. Grail's support powers can only be used in this manner in Greater Grail form. So no giant field heals/shields or super-roids without busting out the skyscraper cup. He can use drastically reduced versions with the lil' cup, but he'll need practice to use them without Taylor around to help regulate his Prana.

2. Ziz is the personality in control of the Pseudoservant fusion. Kind of like how Waver is in charge of Zhuge Liang. That said, there is potential for B.B. to usurp if Ziz gets in over her head with her reduced powers. She'll still be a force to be reckoned with, but... at the very least, precog is nerfed hard. On the upside, Ten Crowns and C.C.C.! And B.B. would only ever usurp Ziz if she really needed her to. She's such a helpful kouhai like that.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Name: ZZ
Aliases: The Ultimate Senpai, Sister of the Grail, Hopekiller, Ziz, Israfel, Simurgh, BB's New Favorite Kouhai
Alignment(s?): Chaotic Chaotic/Nice to Grail/Doting Big Sis

STR: C+
END: EX
AGI: B
MAN: A++
LUK: EX
NP: EX

An Endbringer-BB hybrid, with a much happier Ziz in the driver's seat. BB's still here for tutorials and the occasional "HALP"ing hand! But she's content for her cute kouhai to take center stage.

Skills:

Clairvoyance (EX): Starkly reduced from her former nigh-omniscience, ZZ can still see the outcomes of various actions, and their repercussions waaaaay down the line! When she remembers to ask...

Telekinesis (A): Fine control, and biiiig area of effect! Time to Tinker while ZZ plays with some baddies!

Item Creation (B+++): Firmly rooted in tech, so not quite an A. But Da Vinci has a new Tinkering buddy to add to her collective!

Territory Creation (False) (A): ZZ is amazing at Bounded Fields, but don't expect even a workshop with her. In her territory, her word is law.

Rapid Casting (C++): Can easily shorten most magecraft to very quick casting. Still needs set-up time for major rituals, though.

Magecraft (A): ZZ is highly inquisitive, and eager to explore all the wonders that magery has to offer. She is highly skilled in illusions, explosions, shields, explosions, healing, explosions... Did we remember to mention explosions?

Potnia Theron: Conception of All Animals/Ten Crowns (C): "No cheating, my cute kouhai! Well. Maybe a little. After all, you want a happy ending for you and yours, don't you?"

Mentalism (A): No longer on a global scale, ZZ can still create Smurf Bombs if she wants, among other fun things. More often though, Grail manages to persuade her in defusing old ones. At least she gets tasty baked goods out of it!

Inhuman Body (B): She might not be as durable as her baby brother, but that napalm's giving her a nice tan! C'mon, keep it coming! Summer's soon and she wants to look good!
__________________________________________________________________

Noble Phantasms

Cursed Cutting Crater (EX): BB has a trick to show you, dear kouhai.

Song of Ziz: Fata Morgana (A): An anti-army Noble Phantasm. Reality and illusion become as one, as magecraft, precognition, and mentalism join hands to drive almost any enemy to distraction. A powerful Magecraft that assaults mind and body alike.

True Form Revelation: Fatekiller and Savior of Hope (EX): ZZ once more becomes the Ziz of Mystery. And she doesn't have to hold back. This only lasts for a minute or so, for any further and both she and her master would be incredibly drained. If she persisted longer, then... No. But if her Master becomes a little stronger? Ufufufu... But really, a minute's enough for now, surely?

 

[Blinktwice13]

A/N: Content Warning: Dismemberment, Blood.

Heavenfall 3.5

Archimedes stared long and hard at ZZ. "You are a Moon Cancer."

ZZ bounced in midair. "That's right! Now, it'd be boring to kill you outright… so I'll give you five seconds to leave!" I couldn't see her face, but the childlike joy in her adult voice sent chills down my spine.

"W-wait, ZZ! Just take him out!" Da Vinci called. "He'll be a major threat otherwise-" Da Vinci tried to plead.

"Hm? Oh… a threat? Well, I can't let him be mean to the precious friends of my cute little brother. I'll just have to disarm him!" ZZ said after a moment's concentration.

Archimedes arched one of his eyebrows. "And how do you plan to do- AAAARGH!"

As Archimedes had tried to begin monologuing, ZZ had negligently snapped her rod from right to left across chest height on her body.

Archimedes screamed as he clutched the stump of his left arm, which rapidly hemorrhaged blood. The arm itself, shoulder joint down, spun in thin air for a moment.

Then a violet cylinder appeared around it, and there was a brilliant flash of light. A faint coating of ash lined the bottom before the cylinder disappeared, leaving it to float away on an errant breeze.

"There! Disarmed!" ZZ said cheerily. "Oh, but I don't want to kill him. How about… this!" She swept the rod of Ten Crowns through the air, and pointed it at the stump.

Archimedes' screams mounted in volume as he pitched back through a mirror, but I saw the ruin of his left arm as he fell.

The blood was bubbling and coagulating, steam wafting off as the wound was cauterized shut.

The remaining mirrors scattered into a shower of light.

"Hmhmhm! You see, our siblings and Goldie aside, there's not a lot of reeeeeal threats on Earth Bet. If this story's gonna be a good one, we need a worthy opponent! Wait, why does that sound familiar…" ZZ mused. She shrugged, and turned to face Da Vinci and I with a brilliant smile. "Oh well! I'm sure it can't be important!"

Now that I got a better look at her, I had a better idea of her image. A sleeveless black dress that draped down to her ankles, with a v-cut to a few inches beneath her collarbone. Her hair was still the same white, and went down to her heels. Her eyes were a gentle grey, and far more human than before. Her ears were a touch too large, and she had a cute button nose, with freckles. To wrap the ensemble up were a tiny pair of angelic wings protruding from her back, and a series of silver bangles running up her arms. The bangles had a strange form of writing on them that I couldn't identify.

"Aramaic. Really, ZZ?" Da Vinci said, composure regained.

ZZ giggled. "I do have to keep my themes, Da Vin-chan! But now we're all friends, and I don't have to stay away anymore!" She twirled in place eagerly, flashing a bit of bare leg. "I'm free! Free! Well, you're my Master technically, but you don't push anyone around so long as they mostly behave. So free it is! I'll always look after you baby brother! Oooh, I know! Big Sis has been lonely for a long time. Want to help me find a boyfriend? Oooh, or a girlfriend! I'm not picky! Hey hey, how about both!?"

I blinked slowly. "ZZ. Sis. I'm tapped. I need to sleep for like, a week and eat several times my weight in food. Your love life can go on the back burner for a bit, okay?"

"Mm-hm! I'd be a bad big sister if I didn't look out for your welfare. But I'll hold you to that~!"

With that bit of impending doom postponed, I shakily stood on my own two feet. ZZ floated down and gently held me up by my arm. I gave her a grateful smile.

"I'm glad you're here, Z. I look forward to getting to know you better."

ZZ's smile was radiant. "Me too baby brother! There's so much world to fix, and I can't wait to get started!"

Da Vinci made a sound like a dying cat. "And now there's one specializing in offense. Can I tell Dragon?"

"Huh? Sure, I guess," I said absentmindedly. Geez I was tired.

ZZ picked me up in her arms and began to float in the air. "I'll get him home for napping. Just have everyone else go through Strider, okay Da Vin-chan?"

Da Vinci waved us off as she spoke quietly and rapidly into her communicator.

As we ascended into the atmosphere and I drifted into slumber, I heard a distant voice cry out. A voice I had come to associate with authority, safety, and friendship.

"GRAIL! I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOUUUUUUUU!"

Love you too, Dragon. Love you too.
___________________________________________________________________________

I blinked owlishly at one Director Emily Piggot.

"Can I help you, Director? I didn't think you did house calls."

The Director gazed sullenly up at me. "It's cold. Can we come in?" she said, motioning to Armsmaster and Miss Militia. A slight haze indicated Iskandar was there as well.

"Oh, sure! I just finished cookies, would you like some? I can make cocoa to go with it, too!"

Piggot slowly strode in. "Give me a few minutes to think about it," she said tiredly.

"Oh, sure. Make yourself at home! Chairs are over there, if you need water or anything let me know, bathroom's down the hall, the usual spiel. I'm gonna get the cookies on the cooling rack so they'll be ready soon, so just give me a minute."

As I walked out of the room, I couldn't help but overhear.

"I'm surprised, Director," Miss Militia said.

"Miss Militia. The current cape tied with Eidolon for strongest hero in the world has not only accepted our uninvited visit, but has done so as one of the more gracious hosts I've been party to. He wants to finish his baking? I'm going to set my personal feelings aside and wait the extra ten minutes. I'm up to date on my health concerns for now, so a short amount of time won't kill my schedule." Piggot's voice was tired, irritated, and resigned.

I hummed as I slid the snickerdoodles onto the cooling tray. Fou looked at them for a long moment.

"I'll give you one after a few minutes. Set the timer, okay Fou?"

"Kyuu." The little beast bapped the timer on the oven with his right paw a few times, then hit the start button.

"Attaboy. Want to go make friends?"

"Fou! Fou!" He leaped onto my shoulder, and then scurried onto my head where he curled up like a small hat.

I strode back into the room. "It'll be a bit before the cookies are done, so we can chat a bit. Now, to what do I owe the honor of playing host to the head of PRT and Protectorate? Well, Armsmaster isn't quite as unusual. Sorry Armsmaster."

Colin shrugged languidly. "It's no bother. I'd like coffee with my cookie, when they're ready. Just for reference."

"Oh sure! Black, cream, sugar?"

"Black is fine."

Piggot cleared her throat.

"Oops, sorry! Got a bit distracted."

Miss Militia let out a small huff of laughter. "Please stay on task, Grail."

The Director laced her fingers over her lap, where there was a manilla folder. "There's been a lot of fallout from Canberra. ZZ returned after leaving you here, and made the work of months into the work of days by putting the destroyed parts of the city back together. Not perfectly, but enough that simple maintenance can finish the job in less than a month. It's the lowest death count of an Endbringer battle since… ever. Less than a thousand deaths. No Ziz-bombs, either, according to ZZ." Piggot shifted. "The usual trauma associated with such an event is visibly absent, thanks to your abilities. Which leads to multiple questions."

I nodded slightly, so as not to dislodge Fou.

The Director inhaled. "After extensive screening, it has been determined that the cause is not a master effect. The water washed away anything that could be considered an 'illness', be it physical or mental, and only left that which was either wholly natural - the encroachment of age, or post-partum physical effects - or what would strengthen the person in question. In short, you brought about what we on Earth Bet would call a miracle." Her eyes sharpened.

I made an encouraging noise, motioning her on.

She handed me the folder. "Please read this file."

I looked inside it. A picture of a young man with short hair and grey eyes was in it. His skin was a little pale, but he looked otherwise healthy. A fair amount of the information on the papers included was redacted, but apparently he was a teenage Parahuman with metallurgical abilities. He could shape metal, pull it into himself, and assume a metalloid form once he had consumed enough. Interesting.

"Interesting ability. So why is he important?" I asked.

Piggot folded her arms. "His name is Thomas Finnegan."

"Should you really be unmasking him to me?" I said, startled.

"Fou?" Fou said blearily as I jolted, dislodging him to my shoulder.

Piggot's smile was thin-lipped. "Up to this point, there was nothing to unmask."

"Huh?"

"That's Weld, a former Case 53 and current Ward in Boston. You removed his… deformations, for lack of a better term, and restored his memories."

Wait. Was he in Canberra before?

"He apparently decided to go because he wanted to meet the new Case 53 who was taking Brockton by storm along with the Guild. You're pretty popular on PHO, apparently. ZZ and Da Vinci seem to be active, and speak of you often."

Oh shit.

"And apparently, your water can not only revert Case 53s, but stabilize their powers."

Oh fuck.

"And restore their memories. Now, there's an account of one Canary who gave a description of an assailant before she joined the Guild."

"Fouuuuuu…"

"The account of the assailant matches the description of Thomas' abductor. Grail, what do you know?"

I swallowed. "I know that this knowledge is really dangerous, and if we were in the PRT I'd be denying everything. But here is safe from them."

Director Piggot leaned back heavily. "I'm going to need that cocoa after this conversation, aren't I."

"If it weren't for your kidneys, I'd offer booze in it."

Her eyebrows crept towards her hairline. "You think it's that bad?"

I exhaled. "So, aside from Da Vinci, my Servants, and Dragon, nobody knows this. Not even Legend, and I've worked with him off and on the second most frequently of any member of the Protectorate, not counting loaning Da Vinci out to Tinker with Armsmaster."

Piggot's eyes narrowed. "I see. This information must be truly privileged."

"It's a global, multidimensional conspiracy to save the world. All the worlds. There's an extraterrestrial, extradimensional threat. I'm not cleared to give you the identity. Cauldron, the group that created the Case 53's, is trying to combat it."

"Are you a part of it?" Miss Militia asked, eyes concerned.

I felt myself gag, and I couldn't stop a slight retching sound. When I calmed down enough, I replied. "No."

Armsmaster's gaze was steady. "You disapprove of them."

"They abduct people, test formulas on them made of the stuff that creates Gemmas, and if they mutate they release them after wiping their minds. They allow certain S-Class threats to persist in the hopes that one might be a silver bullet against the enemy they want to fight. They… they encourage trigger events through social engineering, so that there will be enough capes to throw at the problem when it finally comes." My breathing began to quicken.

Iskandar materialized, face drawn in a dark scowl. "Then where are they?"

"Not on this Earth. They have a teleporter, stronger and more versatile than me, paired with a true clairvoyant. They have a small nucleus that preside over all plans, and many, many plants to draw on." I shivered. "Their reach doesn't have a limit."

Piggot collapsed in her chair. "I see. How… how bad is it?"

My eyes zeroed in on hers. "Their leader isn't a cape, if that's what you're asking. Just an ordinary woman, willing to pay whatever price she needs to save all the worlds."

Piggot gulped. "Fuck me, but that's terrifying," she said, laughing breathlessly. She looked a little pale.

I narrowed my eyes. "Do I need to get Panacea?"

She waved me off, sitting up slowly. "I'll be fine." Her eyes narrowed. "Why, can't you heal me if something happens?"

I grinned sheepishly. "Uh. Tried to do that with the little version of the Grail. It fixed a papercut?"

She stared at me. "So you need to turn into a full-sized skyscraper, or…"

"No dice, it seems," Miss Militia mused.

Armsmaster hummed. "Interesting limiter. I assume this also applies to your empowerment?"

I nodded.

Piggot sighed. "Well, being inducted into a potential counter-conspiracy wasn't what I expected when I made the decision to come to you. That said, even if this 'Cauldron' is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, I can't condone it. I took my position to preserve law and order, not subvert it so that others could suffer, whatever the ends." Her face grew grim. "And what will you do, then?"

I shrugged. "Stop threats. Research. Summon. Help the people close to me. And once I'm ready - and I'll be sure to let you know when - I'll make my move. Hopefully with the PRT ENE and Protectorate."

Piggot gave me an appraising glance. "You know, I should have pegged you and your Servants as something other than capes early on."

I gave her a confused smile.

She smirked. "You're far too reasonable." Her smirk faded. "I don't know if I can trust you, exactly. You're pretty far from human." It returned, full force. "I'm pretty sure I can work with you, though."

I grinned.

"Foufoufou!" Fou cried out as he dashed to the kitchen. The timer sounded seconds later.

"Cookie?" I asked.

Piggot sighed. "I'm never going to live it down…"

"I won't say anything if you don't?" I offered.

Armsmaster shrugged. "I've got no stake in it."

Miss Militia mimed zipping her lips shut.

Everyone turned to look at Iskandar.

"Indulge away! There's no value in challenging your authority over such a small thing," the King of Conquerors boomed merrily.

Fou trotted out moments later, a tray on his back dwarfing him entirely. It had a small plate of cookies, four teacups full of cocoa, and one with black coffee. He had one cookie dangling from his mouth. "Fmmf."

Everyone stared.

I shrugged. "Yeah, that happens. Let's dig in!"
____________________________________________________________________________

Gilgamesh fixed ZZ with a dark and foreboding gaze as she flit around the warehouse.

"I regret everything. I should not have helped in rescuing her," he said flatly.

I put an arm around his shoulder. "So how are things with Arthur?" I said in a bright, yet quiet tone.

He gazed at me sideways. "Deflecting is a poor look, Trinket. And for the record, nothing is certain yet." He smirked. "He did permit me to escort him to the store the other day, however."

I nodded. "Okay, that's cool."

His grin turned sheepish. "He then insisted on returning the favor when I went to wander the city."

I gave him a look. "The man seems humble on first glance, but he's actually really proud. You don't get a title like King of Knights by being a wallflower, Gil."

Gilgamesh nodded. "I'm aware. This sort of thing is… new." He gave me a wry smile. "Before… well, you, I would take what I wanted and leave when I was done."

"...I refuse to believe it was just me in the Moon Cell that changed your mind on that."

Gilgamesh shrugged. "Believe as you wish. It's of no consequence to me." He smiled serenely. "And it's not like the job wasn't more than half-done for you when you got there."

"And the transistor's connected to the! Plasmoid! And the plasmoid's connected to the! Thingabob! And the thingabob's connected to the shiny crap! And this is how it gooooes!" ZZ sang as she fiddled with something in front of a gobsmacked Armsmaster.

Taylor walked over to us from her workshop. Tamamo closed the door behind her. "Why is your older sister like a five year old on crack."

I took my arm off of Gilgamesh and shrugged. "I mean, she's helping with the first run of nanite producers instead of killing a city, so I'm good with it."

Taylor's mouth opened, then closed. "I cannot refute this point. This vexes me," she said dryly.

Someone cleared their throat behind us, and we three turned to look.

Arthur stood there, wearing a t-shirt, jacket, and jeans. "I found a new coffee shop on the Boardwalk," he said hesitantly.

Taylor and I exchanged a glance.

"I was hoping you would accompany me in checking it out?" he finished, a hopeful note in his voice.

Gilgamesh preened. "But of course! And I-"

"My treat."

Silence.

Gilgamesh sighed through his nose. "I shall permit it."

Arthur gave him a wry grin and offered his arm.

"Don't push it, Arthur," Gilgamesh said dryly as he linked arms around the elbow.

The two of them walked out at a sedate pace.

I slowly turned to Taylor. Our eyes met.

"I think there's something there that wasn't there before," ZZ warbled over our shoulders.

I grimaced. "Great. Thanks. Don't you have nanites to make?"

Da Vinci wrapped an arm around ZZ's throat. "Right! Back to work, Birdy!"

"Discriminatioooooon!" ZZ cried as she was dragged back to the table, where Armsmaster waited patiently.

Taylor sighed deeply. "I'm going to keep making silk and studying magic. Whoever T is, she dropped a few advanced tomes in my room while I slept last night."

I grinned. "She must be impressed. Wait, she?" I asked. I knew, of course, but-

"There was some perfume lingering that my bugs picked up on. Whoever she is, she's a really good teleporter. That or Tamamo trusts her enough not to make a fuss." Taylor shrugged. "Also, I'm going out patrolling tonight. Lisa's gotten antsy and wants to talk about something."

Probably wants to make a break from Coil and bring the Undersiders with her. "If I can help, let me know."

Taylor gave me a faint smile. "Yeah, I know." Her grin widened slightly. "It feels really weird to say that. Weird, but good." She paused, then turned and hugged me.

I blinked. "Eh?"

"Just. Thanks. I know we don't spend a lot of time together off work or anything, but just being here, and being available while letting me do my own thing… it helps a lot. And thanks for trusting me with designing the seal and everything."

I grinned. "Well, what are friends for?"

Taylor gave a brief laugh. "Yeah. Anyways, back to the grind."

"Grab some cookies! I made them this morning!" I called as she walked off.

She waved in response.

I sighed as I watched ZZ make exaggerated gestures towards the slowly assembling nanite constructor while Armsmaster rapidly pointed at multiple points on a blueprint. Da Vinci nursed a mug of coffee while Dragon's avatar kept looking back and forth between the heroes, trying to keep track of it all.

I felt a nudge in my side, and looked up to see Medusa smiling slightly.

"You seemed distracted."

I nodded. "Yeah. New Servants are always a bit of a change, but ZZ…"

Medusa chuckled. "She's a being unto herself, all right. A lot has happened lately, as well. Want to grab a drink with Cu and I later?"

I perked up. "Sure! I haven't really spent much time with either of you lately, and I could use some peace and quiet."

Medusa smiled, adjusting her new Mystic Eye Killer glasses Da Vinci had created. "He's out back, practicing multitasking between runes and spearwork. Let's go get him, shall we?"

"Now?"

"Now is later, don't you think?"

I grinned. "Okay, fair."

"Fou!" Fou ran up, wearing a little sweater ZZ had decided to knit him. It had a pattern of Merlin heads with crossed eyes spitting blood. He seemed to love it on sight.

"Eh, sure. I don't think Somer's will look too hard at the not-dog we bring with us."

"Kyuu!"

Medusa gave a low, throaty laugh. "Enough dawdling, Master."

"Yup! Let's get Cu and have a day on the town!"

"Fou Fou!"
____________________________________________________________________________

Slowly, the magus set gems down onto her desk near the old tomes.

"She's proceeding pretty well, isn't she?" said a deep, masculine voice.

The magus nodded. "I wish I could teach her more directly, but Grail hasn't saturated the world enough yet for the Kaleidoscope to connect properly. I might be able to use the magic, but I'm still a novice compared to Zelretch."

The taller man moved forward, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. "At least her crisis gave us an excuse to find Illya. I almost didn't think we'd find a version of her both healthy and with Heaven's Feel."

The gem mage nodded again, pensive.

Illyasviel hummed happily. "It wasn't a great world. It didn't have my onii-chan in it! Or Mama, or Papa. But now I'm here with you guys, and it's great!" the little homunculus chirped, kicking her legs as she sat on the edge of the magus' table.

The redheaded man laughed softly. "Yeah. I'm glad you're here too, Illya." He turned towards a different corner. "I'm kind of surprised that copy of your data was so nice to that being, though," he said, addressing the fourth person in the room.

The violet-haired person hummed noncommittally as she stared into the flames of the fireplace. "Well, that program is pretty capricious. This 'ZZ' got lucky, I guess." She smiled. "Hey, Onee-san… when are we going to go see Rider and Saber?"

Rin Tohsaka raised a mirror made of crystal, and peered into the world of Earth Bet. "It won't be overlong, Sakura. And not a moment too soon, either," she said solemnly. "Achimedes finished assembling the corrupted vessel from the data strands he brought through when he tumbled through the Kaleidoscope. Things will begin to escalate soon. We need to be there to lend our strength to Taylor as soon as possible." She brushed a strand of greying hair away from her blue eyes. "After all, my apprentice is surely the most suited to save the world."

 

[Blinktwice13]

Interlude: Alexandria and Archimedes

Rebecca slowly read over the files she'd compiled on the newest cell of the Guild. Most Guild members also joined the Protectorate, so this sort of thing wasn't usually necessary. That said, dual membership wasn't mandatory, so Grail had neatly slipped that trap.

She'd contacted Narwhal, who had been busy during the attack on Canberra with, of all things, a Slaughterhouse incursion into Canada. They rarely left the states, so such an event was… unusual, to say the least.

Narwhal had been nothing short of overjoyed to hear of their victory. Rebecca could have twisted her words to induce a bit of distance between the leader of the Guild and the fledgling cell, but something stayed her hand. Instead, she merely presented the facts as they were, and Narwhal had taken a passing interest in the cell. Dragon was beginning to give her regular updates, now.

Focusing, she laid out the list of heroes whom Grail had amassed - and she used the term to apply both to current heroes and those he'd called from the past, after a fashion.

For the modern-day heroes, Dragon was devoting an inordinate amount of attention to the cell. To Rebecca's understanding, it was a mixture of damage control, cooperation with two of the greatest remaining heroic tinkers alive, and diversion. For all the Tinker loudly protested Grail's shenanigans, she did little to curtail him outside his worst excesses. Given that her preferred company to date were Armsmaster and Narwhal, both of whom struck Rebecca as fairly sedate, she intuited that the AI was secretly fond of both the chaos and its harbinger.

Weaver was the next, a recent trigger with insect control. Further, she was a fledgling magus, with whatever that entailed. The main displays of power seemed to include manipulation of physics, biology, summoning of extraworldly beings, and reinforcement. Further, she could project these abilities through her mastered insects, boosting her rating from a solid Master 6 to a Master 8 or 9 at least, and giving her solid Shaker and Striker ratings besides. If she could reinforce herself? Those were Brute and Mover ratings right there. Yes, Weaver was rapidly growing in power, but Rebecca felt she had a decent grip on the girl's mindset. Decidedly heroic, and thankfully the Shadow Stalker issue that could have raised problems later on was nipped in the bud. So while she may never join the Protectorate, Rebecca felt somewhat confident the girl could be an ally.

Panacea had been poached from New Wave, and her new 'additions' to Weaver and Glory Girl hadn't gone unnoticed. Not merely healing anymore, she was optimizing bodies of all those who asked. It wasn't biotinkering like Bonesaw had done with the Nine, but it was still highly effective all the same. Practicing all aspects of her power had been good for the girl, and Rebecca wasn't particularly upset that path to ruin had been derailed. Panacea was becoming a force multiplier in her own right, and would likely be willing to enhance basic PRT agents, assuming she could get Emily to agree to it. Unlikely, but common humans with military training and Brute ratings made Rebecca pleased to think on.

Then there were the outliers, ones whom precognition and most Thinker powers failed to grasp. For starters, Medusa-

Rebecca was startled from her musing as a panel of light appeared near her. Eidolon poked his head out, looking around.

"Time for the meeting already?" she said mildly.

"Yeah. You ready?"

Rebecca exhaled. "As always."

She walked through the light, and saw her comrades seated around a small table. Save for Contessa, who stood against a wall, cochlear implants mildly protruding from her ears.

Her body had recovered, but they'd had to resort to tinkertech for her hearing. Well, Rebecca had warned them that such rash action would likely not be overlooked by the Guild with Dragon unchained; it was unsurprising that some backlash occurred. None of them had expected a long-dead serial killer to be the source, however - nor that it would be because she had turned a new leaf postmortem and develop a soft spot for their intended plant.

"And Alexandria makes five. So. What do we know about Grail and his Servants?" Doctor Mother said briskly.

"The numbers don't work with him. They resort to imaginary numbers to express anything, which I can't process. Logic barely functions around him," the Number Man said.

Contessa shook her head mildly. "I can't path him at all. Not even a model. His Servants I might be able to, but I'd need more data. On another note, Accord has… convinced Blasto to grow me new aural organs. I should be functioning in my full capacity within the month." She hesitated. "I would prefer not to engage with another Servant. Bathory held back, and I was still defeated soundly. Given their showing in Canberra, I believe she is one of the two weakest in direct combat."

Eidolon rolled his shoulders. "At first I thought he was a threat. He's still a potential one, but I don't think an active one. He'll probably wreck some of our assets once he starts targeting S-Class threats, but if he keeps handing out Servants like Iskandar and Enkidu? It might be worth the loss."

Doctor Mother inclined her head. "Alexandria. What are his Servants capable of?"

Rebecca turned to her. "Gilgamesh and Koyanskaya were actively holding back. Koyanskaya was a persona for a being known as Tamamo-no-Mae, a powerful Japanese fox spirit. I believe she was one of the three most terrible beings of their folklore. Beyond that, she was in possession of a mirror that could be one of the country's three sacred treasures. I'm not sure. Medusa's monstrous form was far stronger than predicted, and dealt the lion's share of damage of the fight. King Arthur's blade was more than half sealed away, and still managed to perform beyond what Legend and I did, even as we were enhanced by Grail's new power. We've yet to see the Gae Bolg in action, which as it is a weapon of sure death I'm unsurprised by Grail's reluctance to field it properly. That said, Cu Chulainn's druidic abilities, runic magic, and use of the Riastrad are all formidable and capable of matching any one of the Triumvirate in fair and open combat. Iskandar's trump isn't his chariot, but that holds power as well. Enkidu stopped Ziz cold by himself in his chainform. Da Vinci is the greatest force multiplier we've had access to since Hero died, and I don't doubt we've seen next to nothing of her actual combat capabilities. Bathory acts as a force multiplier for Canary, who we could easily place as a Master 12 when in conjunction with that stage. Hans managed to enhance Weaver and Grail to a point where they were able to bind and convert Ziz with ten minutes of preparation. I shudder to think what he would be capable of with a longer time to write." Rebecca exhaled. "Any one of these would be a high B-class to S-Class cape. And that's before we bring the summoner himself into play."

Doctor Mother slowly nodded. "I see. And your opinion?"

Rebecca snorted. "Bringing him in would be a mistake. He's an idealist; there's no way in hell he'd approve of what we've done out of necessity. If we want to maintain friendly relations with him, we need to keep him in the dark like Legend. That said, we want him on our side. Within reason, we back him. With Ziz not only out of the way but on his side, the only thing standing between his three-man technological revolution and changing the world is Mannequin. I'm not putting my money on the Nine, especially with 'ZZ' in play."

Eidolon crossed his arms. "He cornered me the other day for a chat."

The attention of the room rapidly turned to him.

"He didn't out and out say he knew we were at fault for Case 53s, but he knows. He doesn't really blame us for our lack of options before, but he hinted that he'd prefer we look into more effective and humane ones in the future. He also flat-out said he was going to reserve power to re-create the flood effect, and offer all Case 53s at large a chance for a more controlled, saner life. He also intends to make the offer to those whose powers needlessly complicate their lives, Master victims, and so on."

Number Man hummed. "It would cut down on chaos and triggers exponentially."

Eidolon turned his attention to the other man. "It would also enhance all the capes involved by a massive amount. The flood leaves behind that which strengthens its targets, remember? I've still been feeling better than I have for ages since I got washed over. We can't discount Grail as a force multiplier. Between his durability and support powers, he will likely be almost as essential - maybe even more essential than me in the final conflict."

Rebecca hummed. "I can't argue that point. The man is a hopeless idealist, but he also gets results. Maybe a little guidance wouldn't go amiss?" she mused aloud.

Doctor Mother shook her head. "No. We don't want to get ensnared with someone whose motives are so unclear, and who may be hostile to us."

Rebecca gave the woman an incredulous look. "His agenda is patently clear. He wants to stabilize Earth Bet and enhance the general quality of living. Just because we can't use Thinker powers on him doesn't mean it takes a genius to follow his logic. The man is simple. He's driven by compassion first, pragmatism second. I don't doubt he'd kill the likes of the Nine if given a chance, but that just means he's not a saint. And since none of us are in line to be canonized, I don't think that makes him an out-and-out active threat." Rebecca sighed irritably.

Eidolon hummed. "He also gave me information about a threat that followed him from his world. Archimedes of Syracuse. He's a Servant with no small amount of power, utterly free from his control. He believes the man wants to utilize external forces to eradicate humanity. That could mean he'd work with Scion, or it could mean something worse from his homeworld. When I pressed him as subtly as I could, he himself expressed uncertainty. Regardless, Archimedes is a threat to our own designs as well as his."

Doctor Mother folded her hands in front of her. "Are we certain we could not make use of Archimedes? From what I recall the man was a man of logic. Surely-"

"He hates humanity because he was corrupted by magic aliens, and now deems humans too illogical and emotion-driven to live," Eidolon interrupted dryly.

Rebecca stared. "Seriously, David?"

Eidolon shrugged. "It's what I was told, verbatim. Given what we're dealing with and the displayed character of my conversation partner, I was inclined to believe him. Oh, also we should assume he knows everything because he had a single precognitive event that encompassed everything up to, and I quote, 'the end of the fucking world, which Cauldron as it was did only some to mitigate'."

The room was silent for a moment.

Doctor Mother folded her arms. "We need more data. Eidolon, you will keep communications open. Alexandria, I need to know if he takes you up on your offer of aid. Tell me when, tell me how, and most importantly, tell me why. Contessa, begin searching for Archimedes. I want personal confirmation that he cannot be an asset. Number Man, you will continue to manufacture vials. We will take greater care - such as we can - to minimize the number of Case 53s, but if they occur, then they do so. Will this be acceptable?"

The Number Man stood, stretching. "At least I won't be risking myself against mystical mumbo-jumbo. I accept it."

The other three nodded.

After the other three departed, Eidolon looked at Rebecca. "I'm having lunch with Legend and Grail in New York. He said to invite you if I saw you in the next couple of days."

Rebecca hummed. "I can make time, assuming it's only a few hours or less."

Eidolon nodded. "Very well. It's plainclothes, so we're pretty much playing by the unwritten rules. I think Legend finally decided to trust him with his identity. Heard he asked Grail to have dinner with him and his husband later on."

Rebecca whistled. "I don't think Richard's opened up to someone that fast since Hero. Those two were best friends."

Eidolon nodded. "He said he wanted to discuss the Endbringers, and he felt inconspicuous was the way to go. He knows more than he's letting on, but I think he's ready to share."

Rebecca nodded back. "I see. Hopefully it'll be a nice, relaxing lunch with the new S-Class hero with no shocking swerves whatsoever."

After a moment, both of them broke down into laughter.

"Ah, I slay myself sometimes," Rebecca said with a small smirk.

Eidolon shook his head. "Let's get changed and head on out."
____________________________________________________________________________

Archimedes calmly fiddled with his new arm. He hadn't forseen an entirely new Moon Cancer. A mixture of the one who'd been sealed in the Far Side of the Moon Cell and one of the engines of destruction he'd been studying, it had far surpassed his calculations. And so an attack of opportunity turned into a near disaster, and a call for him to forge a prosthetic.

Drawing on the power of Velber allowed for more liberal interpretations of his powers - the mirrors he used to burn the fleet gained new abilities, his talent for crafting weapons expanded to anything he could consider a weapon. Though, Velber no longer existed in this parellel. That, or the Umbral Star was far, far away. The local inhabitants were quite interesting, though.

And that led to his current experimentation with the corrupted Grail data he'd carried over from Zero Dark.

It couldn't produce Grail Mud, or invoke any sort of higher power, but it was a perpetual prana engine that could, with catalysts, summon, gift, and preserve Servants. Servants that the being that called itself 'Grail' would never deign to call.

The mere thought of the aberration drove Archimedes into white-hot fury.

It had the barest amounts of logic, but its emotions were so often what won the day for it. Its connection to its Servants wasn't based on commanding them as soldiers, or the rapport of intellectual equals, but such fickle, intangible things as trust and affection. And to think its most potent abilities were not won through practice or recollection, but desperation and simple desire. And despite its lack of intelligence, it kept getting in his way - just like her.

No, the Living Grail would always be wary of manipulation. However, it had made, and would continue to make enemies. And that was what brought Archimedes to where he was today.

Archimedes stepped through his mirror, accompanied by one other.

He entered what appeared to be an underground base. "I come with an offer," he said upon arrival.

The man in the skintight suit slowly peered at him. "Do you, now?" His voice was tight, controlled.

Archimedes inclined his head. "You seem like a practical man. You prefer the luxury of choice, of the ability to be correct. I respect that. However, so long as the Living Grail infests your world, you will not have that luxury."

And oh, Archimedes felt the fury boil off of the man, before it was banked and forced to cool.

"I would know who I am talking to."

"I am Archimedes of Syracuse, and you are the mastermind Coil. Your precognition showed you a future with Panacea in your grasp, but it could not grasp the form of Gareth. The reason is simple: to fight a Servant, you need a Servant. I bow to no one, but if you so desire, I can forge you a contract with this person."

Coil leaned forward. "And what's the catch?"

"You work to the end of our mutual foe. The Living Grail impedes my own plans, which take place abroad. So long as you move to thwart his ambitions, I am ever your loyal ally."

A small lie, but given that he hadn't needed anything but truth to this point, Archimedes doubted it'd be caught.

Coil scrutinized him for several long moments. The snake pattern adorning his face seemed to gaze at the third person in the room.

"Let's say I agree. Would you follow my orders, without question?"

The third hummed, then stated in a high, boyish voice "I'd at least think it over. I'm more interested in the fun I can have. Though, if you're interested… I do have a thing or two to show you."

Coil tilted his head. "I accept, for now." He hissed as the back of his clothed hand flared red, right before the light faded.

Archimedes began to withdraw. "Then I bid you farewell, until such a time as I am needed again. Your Servant can contact me."

"And who are you, again?" Coil said softly.

The boy strolled forward, laying an object on the table between the two of them. He pushed it forward, and Coil lifted the grimoire in curiosity.

Archimedes could see the binding of human skin from his workshop.

"Call me Francois, mon ami. And I have such things to teach you."