[X] Trust Berserker
Berserker said he would come then he will come. No Servant in this situation would let their Master die. Archer would surely kill them if they did. So, Berserker will get here in time to stop Archer's bolts or carry you away from them. He must. But there's no reason not to help him by doing your best to stop Archer's attack.
Breathing controlled, steady in and out, heart racing in your ears, you raise a hand in Archer's direction. If she shoots you can use the same magecraft to hurl the bolts back at her. Both of you know that. What Archer doesn't know is just how exhausted you feel. You keep your back straight, eyes focussed sharp on her. Leaving no clues for her to realise it.
The petite Archer's eyes narrow slightly at you and she holsters the weapon, sliding it over her back so the wooden butt is in easy grabbing distance. If this wasn't a Servant who'd shown she can pull almost anything out of that duster you'd be relieved.
"I'd hoped not to use this." Archer says and draws a gun. It looks comically oversized in her hand, huge and black and blocky. There's writing scrawled down left side of the barrel. The click of the hammer going back pierces the night like the small sound had been the gunshot.
"I suppose it can't be helped." Archer murmurs and squeezes the trigger.
You cry out the words of your incantation to fast you almost stumble over them, you're too slow, too slow to stop a splinter of metal you can't even see! Maybe it will be deflected just enough that it won't burrow into your heart , maybe you'll live. It seems unlikely but you can't help but hope.
Berserker appears between you and Archer. Pieces of Archer's net still trailing from his limbs, coat blowing in a gale that doesn't exist like his long pale hair. The bestial aura of menace that's always been around him is so intense you can't breathe. Icy fear freezes your legs in place, brushes the hair at the back of your neck to upright attention. You barely notice that he's taking yet more pranna from you.
His Madness Enhancement has jumped to C+ rank. If this is Berserker only half way to his maximum potential then you're honestly terrified of what that A++ you saw would translate to. Something absolutely terrifying no doubt.
Regardless your magecraft bursts from your fingers and storms towards Archer. The stake-bolts of silver that Berserker's been ignoring are ripped free by it and hurled at Archer. You don't know what happened to the bullet. Your best guess is that it slammed into Berserker and he's ignoring it like he ignored Archer's other projectiles.
"Coward." Berserker snarls, shadows pooling under him and writhing like a nest of tortured snakes. "Filthy, hypocritical cowards who dare reach for the title of hero, who claim that they protect humanity. Those filthy ignorant worms I loathe above all others." Berserker's left hand snaps out. The spear that forms in his grip is not the white one you're used to seeing. This is spear is black, congealed midnight that drips and flows into existence.
"I never claimed to be a hero." Archer raises her gun in her good hand. "Loathe me if you will, the fact remains that the easiest path to protecting everyone from you is for your 'Master' to die." The thunderclap of Archer's weapon firing shatters the night and Berserker moves. He moves so fast it's hard to keep your eyes on him.
Somehow, impossibly Archer reacts faster. Leaping from the gatehouse, her gun gone from her hand she drives a metal stake into the brick wall to slow her descent to the ground. Berserker dives after her, a blur of darkness and a streak of pale hair.
Archer starts running, stake discarded and crossbow back in hand. She's headed for the large warehouses that mark the way from the historic dockyard into the naval one. Berserker sprints after her, shadows lengthening where he treads, like they're reaching for the writhing mass under him.
Archer spins not pausing in her stride even though she's now running backwards. Silver streaks from her crossbow at Berserker, the stakes clatter aside with a sweep of that midnight spear. Archer doesn't bother following up the volley, spinning back and piling on speed until she jinks behind a warehouse and out of sight.
This looks horribly familiar. Berserker it's another trap!
I know that! Berserker snarls back as he reaches the spot Archer turned to fire at him. He stops, no it looked more like he tripped. GET BEHIND SOMETHING!
Without a thought you drop off the wall, reinforcing your legs and knees enough to absorb the impact of the drop. You barely manage the magecraft, you're running on fumes. It's a good thing you did. The explosion that follows sounds small but the shrapnel, rubble, twisted bits of metal, stakes, caltrops, nails.... You see it raining down onto the street in front of you. If you'd still been standing on the wall it would have shredded you.
"B-Berserker?" Did he survive that? He doesn't answer and your heart clenches in your chest. You check your Command Spells. The three jagged arrows are still blood red on the back of your hand. You're still a Master, Berserker is still alive. But he would have been at the heart of that explosion. Probably peppered with everything Archer had packed into that explosive she set up.
And Archer would have included something that could do lasting damage to any Servant. You saw enough of her to know that she's prepared for anything, everything. She's probably circling back right now. To finish the job she started.
You have to walk, to get into the dock and find Berserker. If he can't come to you then the opposite will have to suffice. Berserker is the one lifeline you have, the one thing that will protect you from Archer or any other Servant stalking the city tonight.
Shaky steps take you to the gates to the dockyard. They're shut tight, locked in place. If you weren't running on near empty you could force them open with a word, turn the tiny mechanisms in the lock to unlock it. As it is you can't do either and the bars are too close together to squeeze through, the tops bedecked with razor wire and spikes. Climbing it would be ill advised.
Damn it. Peering through the gates you can get some idea of what kind of damage Archer just caused. The warehouse that she disappeared behind as its nearest corner blown completely open, a pile of rubble spilling from it. The Victory is peppered with shrapnel, stakes sticking out of her masts and probably more in the side of her hull you can't see from here.
Berserker you can't see. "Berserker!" If he doesn't answer soon you're going to have to get out of here. The mundane authorities will have noticed an explosion like that, the police and the bomb squad at the very least will be on their way. You do not want to get arrested right now.
"I am here." Berserker fades into sight, emerges from the shadows of the gatehouse. There's no spear in his hands, the pranna flow from you to him is lowering as the seconds pass but there's dark stains on his clothing. He didn't get out of this fight lightly.
You can't heal him, you don't have the pranna to do it. "Why didn't you answer before?"
"I did not hear." Bull shit. He's your Servant, you called for him. He damn well heard you! "Let us go to your base of operations. We're both spent, and wandering around in this state will get us both killed." That's true but you want to know why he didn't answer your first call. He may not act subservient to you but he obviously doesn't want you dead. Archer could have appeared any moment and killed you. He should have rushed to your side the moment the explosion went off.
But he didn't. "Tell me why you didn't answer me." You ball your fists and glare up at him. You will not be dismissed when you have a pertinent question. "Archer could have appeared at any moment to kill me. Why were you ignoring me when I could have been in morta-" Berserker slams you into the red brick wall of the gatehouse before you can finish speaking.
There's a flicker of red in his eyes, just for a moment. "You don't understand, girl, you have no comprehension of what you managed to summon." Berserker's voice is low, you'd almost describe it as husky. "My legend is twisted by humanity not just once but a dozen, a hundred, times. Every twisted, foul creature humanity calls 'Vampire' is topped only by the fouler ancestor 'Dracula'. Do you understand what that means, girl?" He's too close, whispering the words in your ear so that you can feel his breath. You're hyper aware of the blood pounding through you veins, pulsing in your throat. Even more aware of Berserker's hands clenched tight on your shoulders, forcing your back against the wall, aware of the inhuman strength and speed that mean you can't escape.
"I-I..." what does he want you to say. If you knew you'd say it in a heartbeat.
"The temptation to sink fangs into your throat, to feast and restore myself..." Berserker lets a finger trace a line down the side of your neck, feeling the racing of your pulse against cool skin. "It comes from every legend, every distorted foul monster called Dracula. Every twisted, distorted legend of Dracula given voice clamours for your blood. Would you prefer that I give in, Master?" He says the title mockingly, fingers still on your throat feeling the rushing blood under your skin. It's hard to keep breathing steadily, all your thoughts demand that you run, you run far and fast and never stop. Never let him catch up with you because if you do....
Berserker's fingers leave your pulse, tip your chin upward just a little so all you can see is his face. "I did not think so, Lady Myrna." He says holding your gaze, not releasing you from his hold, for another handful of long uncomfortable seconds.
When he does you sink to your knees, panting for air, shivering all over with a cold fist in your guts. What kind of monster did you summon just a few hours ago?
Does it matter? He's working with you, he just said he's not going to suck your blood, he'll be ridiculously strong if something ever pushes him to A rank Madness. You can win this war with Berserker. Berserker knows you can win this war with him, he has to, he's aware of just how much stock humanity puts in the legend of Dracula. But, to make this work, he must respect you and your ability. You cannot just sit here, terrified of your own Servant.
You will not sit here terrified of Berserker. The head of the Ia'Nuoch house will not be scared of her own Servant.
Getting to your feet has never taken so much willpower as it does now but you manage it. Meeting someone's eyes has never been so daunting but you meet Berserker's hard, pale blue ones regardless of the fear winding cold around your heart. Berserker smiles, genuine and fleeting but it was there. Not a half smirk of amusement, not a confident menacing show of teeth, an approving smile.
"Let's withdraw for now, no one will be using any of the catalysts here tonight." Which was the main objective after all. "And engaging Archer a second time without a plan for dealing with her would be a poor idea."
"Agreed, she is a most formidable opponent. But she was wounded worse than I have been. It seems likely she will refrain from a direct engagement for some time after this." Berserker agrees and offers his hand. Looks like roof hopping again to get to Hayling Island.
It's tough to accept the hand and let him basically carry you anywhere. You take a deep fortifying breath, remind yourself of why you're doing this, think of the hall of marble busts and their disapproving glares. Any of them would find this easy. You take the offered hand and let Berserker hold you to his side as he leaps from roof to roof, occasionally stopping for you to provide directions.
When you arrive it's still night, thank goodness, and the car is safely in the drive. The lights are still on in the house. So Wilfred stayed up to wait for your return. Such a troublesome butler....
[ ] Avoid Wilfred, go right to sleep for the night. You need the rest
[ ] Avoid Wilfred, talk some with Berserker before sleeping. How far is he willing to go with the Madness Enhancement?
[ ] Go assure Wilfred you're alright, leave Berserker out of it.
[ ] Go assure Wilfred you're alright, introduce Berserker since it is possible the two will end up working together.
Myrna has a backbone it seems, Vlad approves.... The whole city is screwed isn't it?