Greetings
Marshall Zhukov returns with a challenge fic based on conversations between The Marshall, Rassilon001, jm1681, Draco38 and UnkeptSecret. Without further ado,

Battlefield Dominance

The blonde haired Heroic Spirit surveyed her immediate surroundings, the oppressive heat and humidity bringing her to sweat lightly, even as the prana of her armor worked to cool her off. She faced off against a preternaturally calm woman, her crisp maid uniform and tightly braided black hair hung stiff in the wet air, her eyes hidden from view behind round lenses.

"I say again, miss," Saber called across the loading docks of this far off city in a remote corner of Thailand. "I meant no disrespect or harm to you or your Master. My Master and I merely wish to collect what we came for and leave in peace."

The maid said nothing, the sunlight glinting off her lenses. For a brief flash, Saber caught a glimpse of those cold, dead eyes, the eyes of a warrior who had witnessed, and yes, caused much death in her day. The same coldness her beloved Shirou had managed to allay then drive out of her.

Saber stiffened as, even in the heavy dampness surrounding them, an audible click reached her ears, signaling the start of hostilities. Instantly Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, materialized in her hands, surrounded by Invisible Air, hiding the true form and length of her Noble Phantasm. Saber poised her weapon before her in a defensive stance, ready to counter whatever the killer maid may throw her way.

The maid dashed forward at an oblique angle to Saber's right in a quick flash-step before, almost imperceptibly, changing her stride to appear at Saber's left. Were it not for the King of Knight's own prodigious skill and expertise in battlefield combat, she would certainly have felt the smooth steel of the maid's knife bite into her throat. As it was, Excalibur swiftly deflected the killing blow with the flat of the blade, sending the maid pirouetting gracefully a few paces away. She came to rest, regarding Saber.

Her opponent's eyes narrowed behind their lenses. She gently removed them before gingerly placing them in a hardened case. She then stood to her full height and curtseyed with practiced grace. Saber nearly returned the gesture before she heard, then saw, several round objects bounce to the pitted concrete in her general direction.

The explosions caught her quite by surprise. In the enclosed space created by the shipping crates that formed their arena, Saber found herself engulfed in flame as shrapnel peppered her. Were it not for the healing properties of her third Noble Phantasm, Avalon, the Ever-distant Utopia, the sheath of her holy sword, Saber's existence in the present would have ended that moment.

Wincing in pain, Saber felt Avalon work its elder magick, expelling from her body what was not absorbed by her armor. As the smoke cleared, she inwardly cursed her naiveté at being caught in so childish a ruse. Saber would not make the same mistake a second time. She quickly regained her target, and with a howl of rage, charged forward, Excalibur singing as it cut through the heavy air. The maid proved an elusive target. Excalibur just managed to bite into the petticoats of her uniform as she deftly bounced just out of range.

She knows already the true length of Excalibur? To say the least, Saber was taken aback. Only one other opponent had managed to gauge the length of her sword in combat, the unnamed swordsman who sought to slay a swallow in flight and found honorable battle on the stairs leading to a cursed temple. Saber quickly shook the thought from her mind as the distinctive rattle of small arms fire sought her out. She jumped and swerved through the deadly hail of hot lead as she made her way to its source. Again, she closed the distance with alacrity and brought Excalibur down in a killing stroke.

The distinctive ring of steel on steel shocked Saber. Her vision cleared to see Excalibur, cloaked in its protective illusion, hung against the hand-guard of the maid's fighting knife. Saber had only a moment to realize her predicament as the maid buried the muzzle of a pistol into her gut and emptied the magazine at point blank range.

Saber lay in a pool of her own blood, her vision hazy as the killer maid towered over her. "Where is the twin-tailed girl you call master?" she growled. "She has something that rightfully belongs to the Lovelace family."

"I would never betray my oath," Saber spat. "You and your Master will get nothing from either of us."

The maid leaned in, her face nose to nose with Saber. "I must congratulate you, Englishwoman. Very few have stood against me and lived to tell the tale." To Saber's surprise, a soft smile formed on her opponent's face. In a flash, her tongue lapped at the blood that trickled from the corner of Saber's mouth. "You are the only one to do so with only a sword. I find you most intriguing. Give this message to your master. Return what belongs to the Lovelace family and I will trouble you no – "

A flash of purple-black energy interrupted the maid's speech as it bit into her cheek. She instantly looked up and scanned the immediate surroundings. Her eyes locked onto a figure standing just above them on the top of a shipping container.

"Rin!" Saber shouted. "Run! Now!"

"There you are!" The maid roared. "Now, you're -"

For the second time, the maid found her words cut short as Saber brought the flat of Excalibur to the side of her face and sent her reeling. Avalon's magick closed the last of her wounds as she stood, her holy sword fully revealed, gleaming like fire in the late afternoon sun.

"Give this message to your Master, maid," Saber spoke confidently. "No harm is to befall my Master, lest I bring the wrath of God upon you and your house. Leave us and darken our doorstep no more."

The maid stood and nodded curtly. She replaced her glasses carefully upon her nose, turned in a neat about face and strode off. Saber felt a slight rush of wind as the jewel magus landed softly beside her.

"Sorry I am late, Saber," Rin said, taking Saber's hand in her own. "It took me a while to track you once you took off after the maid."

Saber turned to face Rin before dropping to one knee, head bowed. "I must apologize, Master. I foolishly rushed after her and left you without my protection."

Rin blushed slightly before clearing her throat. "Silly, Saber. Stand up. I lived through two Holy Grail Wars, rescued my sister from a crazed witch and her insane Master all while fighting off other Masters and their Servants. One maid is not a high priority."

Saber stood and regarded her Master. She sighed deeply. "This is no mere maid, Master. This human maid fought me to a stand-still and nearly bested me in single combat. Were it not for Avalon, I would no longer be for this world. We must proceed henceforth with the utmost caution."

Rin turned her mouth down in thought before speaking. "During the Fifth Grail War, I would have laughed at your overly cautious appraisal. Now, I will defer to your experience in these matters, King of Knights."

Saber looked visibly relieved to hear Rin say this.

"Now, what is it that she claimed we stole from the Lovelace family?" Rin asked.

The young man ran into his maid's arms, smothering his face in her apron. "I saw the whole fight, Roberta," he wept. "That blonde haired woman nearly cut you in two!"

Roberta gathered her charge into her arms in a deep hug. "Young Master Garcia," she scolded ever so gently. "You needn't concern yourself with the plight of one such as I."

"But, Roberta –"

"Shh," she laid her finger on his lips to silence him. "Let us return to our suites and clean up."

Garcia took her hand and led the way to their waiting car. Roberta winced as the adrenaline pumping through her veins faded, revealing a deeper than expected wound in her upper thigh. She silently cursed herself as she regarded the ragged tear in her uniform. This will need repair at once. It would be extremely unseemly for the head maid of the Lovelace family to be seen in such a state. She smiled to herself as thoughts of her battle with the unknown English swordswoman replayed in her mind, the taste of blood lingered on her tongue. Saber, King of Knights, the twin tailed girl called you? Most interesting. I look forward to our next meeting, Saber.

"We have an unknown variable in my city, Chang," the blonde crime boss hissed into her cell to the man on the other end. "You know how I dislike that."

"That, and the Lovelace family maid is back in town with young Garcia in tow. Nearly destroyed the docks in our city," The man called Chang responded. "One of my informants told me a strange blonde English woman in an elaborate blue dress went after the Terminator with, get this, a sword. How quaint."

The woman choked a laugh. Now was not the time for levity. Some stranger with a sword was causing trouble in her city, wrecking her docks and fighting the killer maid in her streets. This would require a strong and deliberate message. No one does anything in Roanapur without Balalaika's say so.

"Find out everything you can, Babe," Balalaika said, her even tone belying her anger. "Arrange a sit down with the Italians and Colombians for one hour from now."

"You know Abrego will bitch about the short notice, darling," Change said lightly.

"Yes, yes," Balalaika sighed, barely hiding her irritation. She hated being called darling, honey, sweetie, any of it. Probably as much if not more than it irritated Chang to be called 'babe'. She smiled at that. "And I suppose Ronny the Jaws will piss and moan as well. I don't care. Make it happen, Chang."

With that, Balalaika snapped her phone shut, ending the conversation. "Who are you?" Balalaika whispered into the empty room as she stared out the window of the Bougainvillea Trading Company offices.

Rin soaked in the tub after she had tried desperately to scrub the taint of this vile city off her skin. When that failed, she enlisted Saber's help. "Is this what the stink of corruption smells like?" she wondered aloud. Saber rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair in the standing shower next to the tub, before twisting the faucet shut. She regarded her master as the younger girl lay in the sudsy water.

"I would venture to say this city would have been a far likelier place to host the Grail War than Fuyuki City, Master."

Rin smirked at the thought. She turned her emerald eyes to gaze deep into the equally green eyes of her Servant. She spared a chuckle, causing Saber to quirk an eyebrow. "Please, when we are in private, call me Rin."

Saber blushed, though could not quite understand why she did so. She swallowed the thought and nodded. "Yes, Rin."

Rin reached out her hand and took Saber by hers. "Join me for a soak, Saber?"

A deep shade of red graced the blonde Servant's face. As King, she struggled to suppress all emotion, all feeling. She was no longer human, but King of all the Britons. She was their rock, their guiding light, aloof and unassailable. This simple show of bonding was beyond her current experience and she was at a complete loss how to deal with it. Reluctantly, she allowed Rin to guide her into the warm bath.

They sat in silence as the water cooled around them. A shiver at her back caused Saber to look over her shoulder. Rin had dozed off slightly, but the chill in the water had awakened her. "Ugh," she said. "My skin is going to be all wrinkly now." She stuck her tongue out at the thought before climbing out. Again she offered her hand to Saber.

Rin sat on the bed, a fluffy, white cotton robe wrapped tightly around her. Saber toweled herself completely dry before slipping into the pyjamas supplied by the hotel. She turned to face her Master. "It is late, Rin. We have a long day of travel ahead, so we best turn in soon."

Rin smiled. "Do we have any time for girl talk?"

Saber cocker her head at the question. "I do not understand this concept. What is girl talk?"

Rin chuckled. "It's where two or more girls get together and share their innermost thoughts and secrets."

Saber dropped her fist into her palm. "I have heard of this. During the last Grail War, Fujimura-sensei and Ilya would often chat amongst themselves this 'girl-talk'. Most of their topics seemed to revolve around Shirou. Tell me, Rin, is this what you wish to 'girl-talk' about?"

Rin blushed a deep shade of crimson to rival her travel cloak. "N-not really," she stuttered.

Saber was by Rin's side in an instant. "Master, are you ill? Shall I send for a healer?"

The color drained from Rin's face. "No! I – I'm perfectly alright, just…just tired, is all. Yes, tired. As you say, tomorrow is a long day of travel, so best we get some sleep, yes?" She squirmed out of the robe and into another set of pyjamas before wrapping her hair in a towel.

Saber remained unconvinced, but accepted Rin's appraisal. She nodded and made for her bed. She watched as Rin settled into her bed before switching off the light.

"Neh, Saber."

"Yes, Rin?"

"Do you miss him? Shirou, I mean"

Unseen by Rin in the dark, Saber could feel her own face heat and imagined herself turning the same shade of red Rin sported not a few minutes ago.

"I – I am unsure what you mean by the question, Rin," she lied, mostly to herself. "He was my Master, we shared a bond, but beyond that, my thoughts of Shirou are blurry."

Rin hummed softly before rolling onto her side. Silence fell in the dark as Saber let herself drift to sleep.

"What the hell, Fry-Face?!" Abrego thundered as he stalked into the basement of the club owned by Chang. The volume of his voice matching the loud shirt that wore him, rather than the other way around. "You call this last minute bull-shit meeting, throw a wrench in everyone's program and you don't have the decency to offer decent booze? Fuck you!"

Balalaika regarded the Colombian coldly from the plush leather of her chair. If she thought she could get away with it, she would put a bullet into his skull and put him out of her misery. Hell, even if she couldn't get away with it, the resulting shooting war would suit her right down to the ground. She smiled broadly at the thought. From the chair beside her, she felt Chang lay his hand on her arm as he shook his head slowly. Damn Chang. He could read her like a book. Maybe she could off him, too. Give him to that vile Ghost Woman and her chainsaw…if only he weren't so damn handsome, especially in those sunglasses that seemed a permanent fixture on his face. The insolence of it all.

Balalaika spared another glance to Abrego as he fussed over every little thing. "I'm so sorry to disappoint you, Abrego," she interrupted, her voice gently condescending, bringing him to fuss even louder. "Were this any other meeting, I would have had slave girls pouring the finest single malt down your throat." Or molten lead, either of which would have shut this insufferable man up.

Abrego huffed before dropping unceremoniously into a chair. Ronny the Jaws nodded respectfully at both Chang and Balalaika as he leaned against the back of a fourth chair, his pressed amber suit jacket hanging over his shoulder. "I presume you have a very good reason for calling this meeting, Balalaika?"

Balalaika fixed her gaze on the Italian. He was much less annoying than Abrego, certainly showed her more respect than the Colombian. His death would be clean and quick. She smiled again. Felt Chang's hand again, pictured him shaking his head…again. Damn it all.

"Without any further ado – "

"About goddam time," Abrego interjected, encouraging Balalaika's already foul mood. Ghost Woman for Abrego certainly. Nice and slow while still alive to feel it.

"I called you all here to alert you that we have two new players in town. The Lovelace maid and– "

"The fuck?!" Abrego blurted out.

This was becoming a serious annoyance. Maybe she would handle his death personally, a slow IV drip of lye in the bathtub as he screamed in agony. Her smile, Chang's hand. Fuck! "…and a mysterious duo, one presumably an Asian woman and the other an English woman. The English woman apparently fought the Lovelace maid to a standstill with a sword."

"I find that rather hard to believe," Ronny said as he waited for Balalaika to finish. "We've all seen the Bloodhound in action." He turned to Chang. "Your assassin, Shenhua, lost one of her blades to the Bloodhound, did she not? Hell, Most of the Cartel fell before her onslaught."

"Puta! Puta muerete,!" Abrego spat. "Bitch cost me the better part of my posse."

Balalaika could not stop herself from laughing. "Had you better trained and prepared your men, Abrego, you would not be in the position you are now."

"Fuck you and horse you rode in on, Ruskie! Go back to your SovKhoz, bitch!"

"And learn better put downs, spic. That tired old SovKhoz line is about to die."

"It's no joke," Chang finally interjected. "I have reliable intel that the English woman is extremely proficient. It would be most prudent to not underestimate either of them. So far, other than the scrap with the Lovelace maid, they do not seem intent on causing any trouble for Roanapur at large. I suggest we observe from a distance. Pool our resources; see what they do and what they are up to."

"I can agree to that," Ronny said. "Abrego?"

Abrego sulked in his chair, the stares of the other crime bosses boring into his skull. "Fine! Fine, just be cool and see what they do. If I get the chance, tho, I will put a fucking bullet in the fucking maid's skull."

"Of course you will, dear Abrego," Balalaika cooed mockingly. "Of course you will." The hand again. Seriously, Balalaika did not know whether she wanted to shoot Chang or take him to bed. Hell, she could always shoot him again later, finish their little duel in private, away from the pissants infesting her little fief.

"Anything else anyone wishes to add?" Chang wrapped things up. Seeing nothing, he stood and gestured to the exit. "I assume you gentlemen know the way out? Balalaika, if you would stay a bit?"

Balalaika hung back as the others filed through the door. "What is it, babe?" she sighed in resignation.

"First, don't call me babe," he said, a hint of resignation tinting his voice as well. "Second, if the Lovelace maid really is in town, we can easily expect another major fiasco.

"You mean you don't know for certain?" Balalaika cocked an eyebrow at Chang.

Chang shook his head. "My source is reliable, but in the confusion of the fight, it is possible they were uncertain of what they saw."

Balalaika sighed again, this one coming from the deepest part of her battered soul. She didn't have time for this bullshit. There was her organization to run and porn to edit. She really needed a part-timer for that. Maybe hire one of the local whores. Who knows, maybe the girl would learn something.

Chang cleared his throat. "Then there is the matter of this foreign duo. They are complete unknowns, aside from the obvious martial prowess of the English woman."

"God, you're sexy with you try to talk strategy, Chang."

"You aren't too hard on the eyes, either," Chang said. "And don't change the subject. I was absolutely serious when I suggested we just lie low and observe."

"I am fully aware of that, babe. I was just curious to see how the other two would react to the situation."

"You already knew that Abrego would get into a pissing contest, puff his chest out a bit."

Balalaika smirked. "Then he and his nest of rats can die first. As for the Italians…"

"We have a good thing going, Goldie," Chang cautioned. "I would rather not throw it away based on conjecture."

"I can't decide whether to kiss you or kill you, Chang." Balalaika rounded on Chang. "You are so damn irritating and invigorating all at once and it pisses me off."

Chang smirked. "I would much rather the kiss, to be honest. The idea of living to see my next sunrise appeals to my base nature for some reason."

Balalaika laughed loudly, her mirth filling the entire chamber. "You are living proof that God does, indeed, love a fool. Anyone else with your cheek would have been floating face down in the harbor by now."

"I like to think my natural charm plays some small part in my continued existence." He leaned in and, before she could react, pecked her lightly on her unscarred left cheek.

Balalaika took a clumsy swing at Chang, missing him on purpose. "Drinks, babe?"

"Why the hell not," Chang smirked as he offered his elbow to the Russian Goddess of War. "And, please, don't call me babe."

Standing before the full length mirror, Saber adjusted her tie before buttoning down the black suit jacket she wore. Fixing a loose strand of hair into place behind her left ear, she nodded appreciatively to her reflection. Rin slipped in behind Saber and gazed admiringly at the image before her.

"Man's suit," she said. "Very swanky. The cut is very flattering on you, too."

Saber again flushed a deep crimson. "I – I chose the style for its practicality, n-nothing more."

Rin glanced back to the clock on the dressing table. "It's nearly seven. We should get going if we're going to catch our flight."

Saber slipped her gloves onto her hands and walked to the door. There, she slipped the overnight carry-on over her shoulder and opened the door. They descended the main lobby staircase and came to an abrupt stop at the foot.

There, in the lobby, stood the killer maid. She flanked on her right a young man barely out of his teens, a tousle of blonde hair and expensive suit; to the boy's right, another maid, this one about the same age as him, but wearing an overly large, ill-fitting uniform matching that of the killer maid, her green-tinted brown hair mostly covered in a hair wrap.

The trio at once turned to face Rin and Saber as they froze on the bottom stair and stared hard at the trio regarding them. The young man broke from his group and approached Saber as Rin backed up one stair.

"Please allow me to apologize for the actions of my staff and the discomfort they caused you yesterday," he said with a deep bow. "My name is Garcia, heir to the Lovelace line and head of one of the sixteen Great Families of South America. It would seem the item in your possession was mistakenly identified as something belonging to my family." He bowed once more, followed in quick order by his two maids.

Rin peered out from over Saber's shoulder. She stood upright and smoothed her jacket. "Right, well. It would seem that since everyone is more or less unharmed and the duel from yesterday is over and done, let us put the past behind us." She approached Garcia and held out her hand. She smiled as Garcia accepted the gesture.

"Roberta?" Garcia turned to the taller of the two maids. "Will you accept their forgiveness?"

Roberta approached. Saber stiffened, prepared for battle, gathering the mana to call forth Excalibur. Roberta stopped one pace behind Garcia and curtseyed. Saber felt Rin place her hand upon her shoulder. The maid would not risk her master with the same grenade trick, but she felt Rin gathering her magicks all the same.

Roberta removed her glasses and gave Saber a clear view of what lay behind. While they were still the eyes of a cold blooded killer, they seemed softer, kinder to the King of Knights. There was no hint of malice or danger lurking there today.

"While the circumstances were not ideal," Saber said relaxing slightly and offering her hand. "I thank you for the opportunity you afforded me yesterday. It is rare I have faced an opponent as skilled and cunning as yourself."

Roberta approached and accepted Saber's hand. The look in her eyes softened further as a slight smile played on her lips. "I look forward to a rematch, should circumstances allow."

At once Saber noticed the gentle swirling of the maid's thumb across her knuckles. Shirou had done this on occasion as well and meant it as a term of affection. Eyes widening, Saber blushed at the implications.

Roberta smirked at the reaction. She leaned in close to Saber's ear. "I promise to be far more gentle next time, oh great King."

Saber politely withdrew her hand, meeting slight resistance as she pulled it away. Roberta curtseyed one last time and returned to her place behind Garcia.

"Well, we had best be off," Rin said, clearing her throat. "We have a flight to catch."

Garcia cocked his head. "Have you not heard?"

"Heard what?" Saber replied.

"A tropical storm blew in last night." Garcia said. "Heard on the television this morning. The airport is closed until the storm passes."

"Ah, mou!" Rin pouted none too quietly. Saber chanced to glance at Roberta who shot a wink at her before replacing her glasses. At this, Saber stiffened and felt her face flush once again. This earned another smirk from Roberta.

"Well, what is there to do in this town?" Rin asked as she fell unceremoniously into a lobby chair.

Garcia sat opposite her, while his maid flanked to either side. "It is with regret that you have found yourselves in this place," he said, pursing his lips. "I have been here twice, once against my will, the other to try and stop something bad happening."

"I had guessed this was not the most wholesome of places," Rin said. "That much was evident when we exited the airport to the sound of gunfire. It would be to our advantage to lay low until we can depart, hopefully intact and with all we came in with."

"There is little for the non-criminal element to while the time away here," Garcia sighed. "What there is mostly consists of outdoor activities and with the weather as it is…"

"Then we are trapped in this hotel," Rin pouted. "Perfect. Just what I always imagined my tropical vacation to be. Marooned inside a hotel in this vile city, storm raging outside surrounded by all manner of unsavory characters plotting dark deeds."

Roberta cleared her throat and seemed to patiently await permission to speak. At this, Garcia turned. "Yes, Roberta?"

"If I may be so bold," she started. "How desperate are the two of you to leave this place?"

"That depends…" Rin said. "What did you have in mind?"

"There is a courier service in this city, they operate a sea going vessel. Given the right, shall we say, financial incentive, the captain may be persuaded to ferry you to another, safer port of call."

Rin thought on this suggestion before turning to Garcia. "Did the weather report give any estimate on how long this storm was to last?"

"At least three days."

Rin sat and thought about the travel distance. "It is about that long to Singapore, depending on the speed of the vessel."

"The Lagoon Company possesses such a craft," Roberta offered.

Rin turned to Saber. "Go and find this Lagoon Company, speak to the captain and find out if an arrangement can be made."

Saber leaned in close and whispered in Rin's ear. "I will not leave you alone in this place, Master. The threat of danger is omnipresent."

"If I have urgent need of your assistance, I need but will it so." Rin rubbed the back of her left hand, the Command Seal plainly visible to Saber. "In the meantime, I can prepare the necessary wards to alert me to danger before that becomes an issue."

Saber relaxed slightly, though still wore her concern on her face. "As you wish, m'lady." She stood and regarded Garcia. "Where can we find this Lagoon Company's offices?"

"Roberta will take you," Garcia offered. "I have no head for directions while Fabiola will remain behind to see after my needs. Roberta? Please escort…I am terribly sorry, I just realized I do not even know your names."

The gaffe in her manners flared in the back of Saber's mind. How could she have been so rude to this most gracious young man? "You may refer to me as Saber," she said with a slight bow. "This is my charge, Tohsaka Rin."

Garcia raised an eyebrow at the name. "Was your father, by any chance, Tohsaka Tokiomi?"

The color drained from Rin's face at the mention of her father's name. "Y-yes. What of it?"

"My father once had dealings with your father. To procure an obscure artefact relating to the legend of Gilgamesh, I believe. It was more than fifteen years ago."

Saber froze at the mention of the legendary King of Heroes. The misfortune to square off against him in not one, but two Grail Wars was not an experience she cared to repeat a third time. She quickly shook the memory from her mind.

"Right, yes. Roberta, please escort Miss Saber to the Lagoon Company offices," Garcia said. He then then stood and held his hand out to Rin. "Miss Tohsaka, may I offer the hospitality of my suite?"

Rin took it with some caution, but allowed Garcia to help her stand. Saber leaned in close once again. "You are certain, Master?"

"I'll be fine, Saber," Rin hissed under her breath. "Go. I would rather be out of this city at the first opportunity. We can make alternate arrangements to return to Japan once we get to Singapore."

"As you wish, Master." Saber gestured to the front door at Roberta. "By your leave, miss."

Roberta nodded and led the way to the main hotel entrance. They stood under the awning outside the lobby and watched the sheets of rain obscure details even a few feet in front of them.

"Would you share my umbrella, O King?" Roberta offered.

Saber regarded the maid who stoically held the proffered item into view. "You call me king. Why?"

"You are not the legendary King of Knights?"

Saber stared at the pavement. "What would you know of that?"

"I was the head maid under the Young Master's father when Señor Tokiomi enlisted the aid of the Master to find the artefact of Gilgamesh. I am acquainted with the Holy Grail War, though your continued existence in this time confuses me. Perhaps your twin-tailed master keeps you here?"

"Her reasons are her own," Saber replied. "It is not my place to question her motives for my continued presence."

"Indeed," Roberta said. She promptly popped the 'chute. She offered a place beside her under shelter, to which Saber gratefully accepted.

The pair walked a few paces into the storm before Saber felt a warm hand snake across her lower back.

"Miss Roberta. What is the meaning of this familiarity?"

Roberta stopped, pushing Saber against the wall. Saber's protests we instantly silenced by the claiming of her lips. Thus pinned, Saber could do nothing but attempt to resist, but Roberta was far too powerful, even against the strength of a Heroic Spirit. Eventually, Saber felt her resolve melt under the relentless assault upon her lips, Roberta's tongue claiming final victory over Saber's.

As she broke the kiss, Roberta held Saber's face in her free hand. "I did promise I would be far more gentle at our next contest," she said in tender tones. "Would that we were both free of our obligations, I would show you the extent of that tenderness. Alas…"

Saber remained frozen, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing a thousand miles an hour in a thousand different directions at once.

Author's Note:
After nearly a year on hiatus, The Marshall felt inspired enough to write this challenge fic.
The Marshall wishes to thank the tireless efforts of Draco38, jm1681, Rassilon001 and UnkeptSecret...you guys are the absolute best!
bondage to come!
Maybe...
As always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged.