Author's Note: There are a few minor references to Fight Me but this fic can still be read on its own. I'm doing my best to keep the angst at bay here because every other idea I've had for this 'verse has just been dark orz

The First Summoner

"A Frisbee?" Sharena eyes the round wooden disc in Kiran's hands curiously.

"It's the name of the game too," the summoner explains. "Basically you form two teams and try to keep it in your possession while advancing towards your goal. You can't move from where you're standing if you're holding the Frisbee, so you have to pass it back and forth without getting intercepted by the other team. If any of your teammates catches it at the goal, then you earn a point."

Alfonse nods in understanding. "Sounds simple enough."

"Why don't you show us how it's done?" Anna suggests. "It's a game from your world after all, so you're the expert here!"

Kiran laughs weakly, flushing with embarrassment. "I'm not the best at sports, in case you haven't noticed. In fact, I suck at anything involving projectiles."

(It had taken days of them avoiding one angry ninja to guilt trip a certain wind mage into confessing his part in the shuriken disaster several weeks back. He was quick to throw his accomplices under the same carriage as well, but Kiran didn't have the heart to hold it against them, especially not when they only had good intentions.)

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Kiran. Just enjoy the game! We can even turn it into a team-building exercise!" Sharena claps her hands gleefully. "Oh I can't wait, this is going to be so much fun!"

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm good, thanks."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes Merric, I am a law-abiding citizen of the free world." Kiran narrows their eyes at the green-haired Altean standing conveniently next to them. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were on the other end of the field."

"Soleil's got that area covered. I'm here to make sure the Frisbee stays with our side."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anyt - Incoming!"

The summoner nearly trips over their feet in their haste to catch the wooden disc flying towards them, but fortunately it ends up securely in their grasp. Their triumphant moment doesn't last long though, not when they look up to find themselves surrounded by the imposing figures of the knights from the other team. "Ah, crud." Stupid ten second rule…

"Kiran, over here!" Across the playing grounds, Alm waves his hands like a madman, hopping side to side to evade Marth's block. He feints left before ducking under the prince's reach, running towards the summoner as they pull their arm back and prepare to let fly.

The Frisbee zips past Hector's defense and soars in Alm's direction, but the hero's fingers barely graze it before it swerves sharply to the side, making a beeline for Chrom's head instead.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Kiran's jaw drops in disbelief. I know I'm bad, but not THAT bad! They watch as Frederick practically tackles the Exalt to safety, effectively preventing the other team from intercepting, but it won't matter in the end if it hits the ground -

By the grace of his dancing skills, Laslow dives, rolls, and stands up in one smooth motion, Frisbee in hand. "Why thank you Summoner, it's just like you to keep me on my toes!" He sends them a flirty wink, smiling cheekily. "Soleil dearest, catch!"

Their side still in possession, Kiran breathes a sigh of relief as the game goes on, belatedly noticing Merric sidling up to them.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Shut up."

Kiran has heroes to watch out for them on the battlefield, but it certainly won't hurt to give them some extra form of protection. A personal bodyguard perhaps, maybe some armor, or even a shield.

Better yet, just take them off the battlefield altogether, Alfonse thinks sourly as he presses a torn off piece of his cape against a bleeding gash in the summoner's arm, murmuring apologies when they hiss sharply. Kiran's jaw is clenched tightly in pain, but somehow they seem more annoyed than anything else.

"What happened here?" Priscilla rushes over on her horse and dismounts quickly, waving Alfonse aside to give her space to work.

"Archer in the trees," Grima drawls nearby. Arms crossed, he looks utterly disgusted at the way the Askran prince is hovering. "Cease your fussing. It's just a flesh wound, you pathetic worm."

Alfonse glares at him and raises an eyebrow, tilting his head towards the smoking pile of ashes on the ground behind them. Like you didn't completely obliterate that archer after Kiran got hit, he doesn't say.

Grima huffs and turns away.

"What about this one? The color just brings out your eyes!"

"Sharena…"

"Come on! It can be both stylish and functional, right?"

Standing proudly in the middle of the courtyard is a polished suit of armor that gleams in the morning sun. Silvery white and lined with gold edges, the design somewhat resembles the summoner's signature cloak. It covers the wearer from head to toe and certainly looks strong enough to withstand the heaviest of attacks; Kiran gives it an experimental kick on the chest plate only to get a sore foot in return when it refuses to even budge.

"Guys, this is too much, don't you think?"

"Nonsense!" Anna slaps Kiran on the back, causing them to lurch forward. "You're the first summoner we've ever had, so we need to make sure that you're properly protected! I can't believe we never thought of equipping you with your own set of armor before."

"I won't be able to move in this thing," Kiran deadpans. The armor's bulk could give the Black Knight a run for his money. "I appreciate the concern, I do, but is it really necessary to bury me in metal?"

Sharena's gaze unconsciously flickers to the hidden bandages wrapped around Kiran's arm beneath their sleeve, and the excited look on her face softens into something more earnest. "It's for your own good, Kiran. It might feel cumbersome and slow you down at first, but with a little strength training, you'll be running circles around us in no time!"

"I still don't think I'm cut out to be an armored unit." The summoner insists, shaking their head. "Can't you just give me a shield or something and call it a day?"

"Fine, but on one condition!" Anna proposes, ever ready to bargain. "You have to undergo training with one of the heroes. If they're not satisfied with your performance, then the armor stays. Deal?"

"Done."

Sharena laughs. "I'll send word to the blacksmiths then. Time to get this summoner a shield!"

In hindsight, assigning Effie as Kiran's personal trainer might have been a tad unfair.

"You think?" Kiran wheezes from the ground, elbows shaking violently from the nth pushup of whatever set Effie currently has them on. The retainer is in the middle of her own workout some distance away, half keeping an eye on her poor trainee, half bench pressing a boulder with a Nohrian princess perched on top.

"Just a little." Elise giggles, swinging her legs idly as she's being lifted up and down. "You look like you could use a break though."

"Hah… I can… do this all day…"

Crouched next to them, Alfonse coughs lightly. "That might not be the best idea, Kiran."

"Agreed," Effie declares, not even sounding slightly out of breath. "You'll stop after finishing this set."

"Thank fucking god -"

"Because Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour will begin shortly and I believe you should be adequately warmed up by then."

This time, Kiran's arms really do give way and Alfonse narrowly saves them from face-planting into the dirt. "Please, anything but that!" They moan. "Freddy Bear has had it out for me ever since I almost took off Chrom's head with that stupid Frisbee!"

"Then perhaps you should stop for the day," the prince advises. "You mustn't overwork yourself. If you are to become stronger, you'll need sufficient rest as well."

There's no arguing against that logic, but to Kiran it sounds like giving up. They refuse to quit however, call it stubbornness or just sheer stupidity. Seeing Effie still training hard without a single word of complaint, all for the sake of protecting her precious liege, is enough to spur them on.

Not to mention, a healthy mix of spite, competitiveness, and the urge to prove others wrong does wonders for one's motivation.

"No, no, bring it on." Kiran pushes themselves up to stand on wobbly knees, determined to see their own training through to the end. Cracking their knuckles, they march drunkenly towards the next circle of hell. "I got this."

("I don't got this…" Kiran whines pitifully, draped across Alfonse's back, completely limp and boneless as he carries them back to their chambers. "If Veronica doesn't kill me first, this ridiculous training regime will."

Tightening his grip on them, the prince can only hum in sympathy and pick up the pace.)

"Kiran, there you are! I have something for you."

"Oh hey, what is it?

"…"

"Hold on, isn't this yours? Or is it Sharena's?"

"Neither. It may look similar to ours, but my sister specially commissioned the blacksmith to make it more lightweight for your ease of use. Rest assured, it's no less sturdy."

"…"

"Well, what do you think?"

"…Can you make it round?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Round. Circular. Like, you know, a carriage wheel."

"I… don't see why not? If that's the case, then the Askran crest will have to be etched on the front -"

"Alfonse, no offense, but forget the crest and give me a star."

"What shape are stars even -"

"Oh, and paint it red, blue and silver!"

"Kiran, I don't -"

"Call me Captain Rogers."

"…What."

Odin has an expression of utmost seriousness on his face when he confronts the summoner about their latest armament.

"You must have a name for it!" He insists passionately. "Why, I shall help you think one up! You need only say the word."

Fortunately, Kiran had the foresight to anticipate this the day Alfonse presented them with their new shield. "Thank you Odin, but there's no need for that. I already have something in mind."

The dark mage is seen deep in thought some time later, pacing back and forth in the main hall and mumbling incoherently to himself.

"What in Naga's name is 'Bucky'?"

Persuading Effie to let them go without the armor had been easy enough. All it took was keeping Elise away from the front lines for a while. The Order had two other cavalry healers to take her place, and the Nohrian princess was more than happy to try her hand at manning the castle's infirmary instead.

The next few battles go smoothly. Emblian soldiers continue to invade worlds and the Order continues to drive them back. Kiran gradually gets used to wielding their shield, fortunately without having to fend off any more stray arrows from hidden archers. The heroes keep their guard up of course, but now they can fight with the peace of mind knowing that their summoner is better protected.

Everything is fine, until one day it isn't.

Wave after wave of reinforcements seem to pour out from the forests and skies, slowly but surely chipping away at the Order's forces. Either Veronica has had enough and is trying to deal them a crippling blow, or she's been planning this ambush for a while. Either way, the tide of the battle isn't in their favor at all.

"Pick a god and pray!" Frederick roars as his axe cuts down two enemy lancers in one swing. All around him are the sounds of war cries, weapons clashing, and spells being cast, the violent cacophony almost drowning out Kiran's frantic orders.

He can tell they are starting to panic, their eyes darting around the battlefield as they try to devise a plan. The other heroes have formed a defensive circle and are fighting hard to buy their tactician some time, but they're severely outnumbered and it won't be long before they're overwhelmed. Kiran seems to understand this too; the logical thing to do would be to fall back, and Frederick is already prepared to cover his comrades' retreat the moment the order is issued.

Instead, he sees Kiran removing their shield and muttering something under their breath (what is 'yolo'?), and it is only when they pull their arm back in a painfully familiar stance that Frederick realizes he is witnessing the beginning of the end.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" The knight bellows, leaping off his steed. Nobody questions him; the winged units land immediately, and even Leon and Clarine don't hesitate to take a swan dive to the ground. Like a wave of falling dominoes, the rest of the Askran forces hit the deck, ducking to avoid the lethal metal disc currently ricocheting off tree trunks and Emblian soldiers like a pinball.

Standing in the eye of the chaos is Kiran, too busy admiring their handiwork to take cover themselves. They yelp when Alfonse grabs a fistful of their cloak and yanks them down next to him, just in time to dodge the shield coming at them from behind. It goes high and proceeds to knock a few Pegasus riders out of the sky.

The sight of their aerial fighters dropping like rocks, coupled with the sheer unpredictability of the shield's haphazard trajectory, scares the remaining enemies into beating a hasty retreat.

"Holy shit, I can't believe that actually worked!" Kiran cheers manically, jumping up and pumping their fists in victory. They look around for any sign of their shield, only to see it fall into a nearby lake with a loud splash. "Aw man…" So much for hoping it would come back to me…

In the resounding silence that follows, the summoner realizes that all the heroes are still cowering on the ground, hands over their heads.

Kiran sighs. "Thanks guys, really feeling the love here."

Author's Note: Aka how many Captain America references can I squeeze into one fic lmao. Thanks for reading!