A/N: REVIEWS FEED OUR ETERNAL ENGINE OF CREATION~!

Not that we're forcing you by any means, dear reader. It just keeps us alive and writing. Did I say us? Aye, I did. I've got a few people helping me out here and there nowadays, some who prefer to remain anonymous, and others who are more comfortable with the spotlight. Thanks to Greyblueflames, Dylan Millwood, and others for helping me write stuff. I'm sorry if I've forgotten any names, but I'm still not feeling well and my leg is killing me. I swear, I better not need a sodding cane...!

In any case, I've been on a mad updating spree as of late despite working two jobs, and this was next on the list.

Maybe that's the Irish in me, being stubborn enough to bull through pain. Who knows?

In any case, credit where credit is due, I own nothing, so on and so forth.

Lets face it, this character deserved an interlude of their own.

And awaaaaaaaay we go!

"Keep up, boy. There's work to be done."

~?

Berserker of Black (Interlude)

Today just wasn't his day.

Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia was beginning to wonder if the Grail genuinely disliked the Black Faction; if they'd somehow done something to upset it. Offend it, somehow. Maybe they had. Perhaps it disliked being held by any one faction. Perhaps it had come to loathe their attempts to tamper with it. Perhaps it simply disliked them. Who could say? Some claimed it had a will of its own, a base template through which to conduct a proper summoning and receive the victor's wish. In all of humanity's recorded history the Holy Grail-greater or otherwise-had never acted in such an obtuse fashion,

Regardless of his own personal feelings on the matter, he found himself powerless to object as his circuits screamed and his Servant came into the world.

Not with a whisper.

Nor with a sigh, either.

He arrived with a resounding roar.

"WHO DARES SUMMON ME TO THIS REALM?!"

The sheer force of his arrival struck him like a blow-or perhaps it was his own fear-and blasted the aspiring mage backwards, ripping him from his fee and room alike to fling him out into the hall. A wall door cratered at his back and the young magus fought down a groan as he felt something pop in his shoulder. Dislocated, he realized. Gods, that was going to bruise later. Then the door came flying out at him in a whirring brown disk and he found himself forced to duck lest the spinning wooden frame take his head off.

Adjusting his glasses, he peered into the smoke.

This was not Frankenstein.

Not at all.

After the...incident with Darnic and Saber, they'd each been instructed to conduct their summons separately, the better to prevent such discrepancies. Separately. Alone. The better to prevent such catastrophe. By rights, he should've summoned Frankenstein's monster. He had the catalyst. It should've been a sure thing. Catalysts were key when one wanted to summon a certain Servant. Yet when the smoke cleared he found himself face to face with a giant, a man straight out of myth and legend.

Even as his faltering magic circuits struggled to cool down-just how powerful was this one?!-he couldn't help but sputtering at the sight of him. Less so when a large hand reached down and set his shoulder. Caules yelped but didn't struggle, grimacing against the pain. He never looked away from the Servant. He couldn't.

With a satisfied grunt, the stranger picked Caules up and set him on his feet.

Tentatively, Caules reached out with sixth sense in an attempt to find some measure of this man, of his stats, his class, anything at all.

Numbers bloomed and the aspiring Master choked as the smoke cleared and the warrior-for he could not be anything else-stepped into full view.

Still that great muscled mountain of a warrior gazed down at him, his body pale of ash, sheathed in worn leathers and a curling crimson tattoo that encompassed near the length of his body. A thick black beard bloomed from much of his face specked with grey, nearly concealing a good portion of his face. He glimpsed a lone ax hung against his back, accompanied by strange chains sheathing his wrists. Were those...blades? Hanging from them? They looked old. Worn by age and time alike, much like the hides he wore.

It was his stats that truly caused Caules to falter.

Solid "A's" across the board, barring an abysmal luck stat at a solid "D" that drew a wince from the boy. Who the devil was he? He didn't look like a Lancer. Assassin? Unlikely. Saber had already been summoned, barring that class to him. Caster? Unlikely. He didn't feel like one. Which left Archer-though he saw no bow-or Rider, or worse, a Berser-

A grim smile touched the Servant's stoic visage, as though sensing that very thought.

Berserker. Caules realized with a sudden pang of dread. This was a Berserker.

The Servant still hadn't spoken.

...is he going to kill me?'

Caules felt a cold sweat break out across his brow as silence continued its ghastly reign. Berserkers were notorious for their strength, but in the same vein they were nigh-on-impossible to control thanks to their Madness Enhancement. Was this Servant even sane? If he took it into his head to kill him, he'd have to expend a Command Spell to stop him. Perhaps two, even.

"Erm..hello?" he ventured weakly, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Berserker's gaze never wavered.

Those dark orbs stared straight into Caules's soul and saw him for what he was. A boy-a green boy who knew nothing of war and its ways, much less how to fight without magecraft. They saw him. Judged him. Assessed his worth. Whatever they found there must have pleased him somehow; because the taut anger loosened itself from his face. One of those massive hands descended, planting itself upon his re-located shoulder. It felt as if all the weight of the world rested on his shoulders in that instant.

That lean, bearded visage regarded Caules for another long moment, a stoic silence that threatened to crush the very life out of him.

"Boy." the word was thunder itself, akin to an avalanche grinding its way down a mountain. "Did you summon me?"

"Eh? Um...!" Caules managed a weak, feverish nod in the face of this frozen fury "I...ah...yes! Yes I did!"

"Very well, then." the bearded man relented with a grunt. "I will lead. You will follow. Come."

Without so much as another word, the Servant marched right past Caules.

"Wait!" he sputtered, hastening after him. "Where are you going?!"

That bearded visage favored him with a cursory glance.

Was that a smile just now? No, surely not...?

"Keep up, boy. There's work to be done."

A/N: KRATOS!

Clearly, this is the older version of him...with a twist. We all know how powerful the old bastard is. Gods, he might well be one of the heavier hitters here. Just thinking of it is enough to make a man smile! Frankly the rest could go any number of ways now; for example, we could see Tywin Lannister as Caster-that'd be terrifying-or just about anyone else in any other role. So by all means, cast your votes, and we'll listen.

So here's the current (incomplete) roster at present.

Remember! Blanks slots are open spots!

Red Faction!

Saber:

Rider:

Archer:

Caster:

Lancer:

Berserker:

Assassin: Konan (Naruto)

Ruler: Shirou Tokisada Amakusa (Fate)

Black Faction!

Saber: Female Corrin (Fire Emblem)

Rider:

Archer:

Caster:

Lancer:

Assassin:

Berserker: KRATOS! LONG LIVE THE BEARD!

VOTE FOR THE REST!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the previews!

Potential ones at that!

Feel free to vote!

(Previews)

"Advance!"

The Servant stared at him.

A palm planted itself against their forehead.

"Oh hell no...

R&R~!