Chapter 2: A new day so long ago.
Rin blushed at the arm around her. "I-idot what Master wouldn't be concerned about their servant. I need my servant ready to fight. I can't lose my chance at the grail because my idiot of a servant was thinking of else where."
The sun shone down with a gentle and warming light creating a blissful mood around the traditional japanese building. Rin finished saying good bye to Shirou and left turning her mind and body out onto the bright streets.
"We're just going to leave like that?" Creed inquired as he jumped from the roof to land beside her.
Rin shrugged nonchalantly. "Emiya is back up to full health and Saber is there with him. Our work here is done."
Creed accepted her decision though would have liked to make the others a formal ally. His mission to destroy the dark gods was going to be hard and he could use all the help he could muster. Never the less, Creed was confident he could beat his enemies when he received the clear to use his noble phantasm.
The sounds of chirping crickets filled the morning air on the pair's way back through the suburbs. On the way Rin meet a familiar face at a street corner.
"Good morning Sakura." Rin waved saying a pleasant hello to the other girl.
Sakura looked rather hesitant. Her purple eyes looked somewhat dead as usual and her hair matched in colour. Though she radiated a short of beauty that would, in days of old, have knights swearing to protect the girl or fall from sudden heart failure.
"Um G-good morning Rin." She smiled back looking rather nervous. "What brings you out here?" she asked kindly.
"I'm just enjoying the air." Rin trailed in her attempt to think up an excuse. "Yeah just going for a walk."
"With your boyfriend?" Sakura asked pointing up at Creed.
In this situation Creed was not a fight to be easily missed. A tall man with wearing his Cadian issue trench coat and military uniform. He had dematerialised his guns and armour to avoid drawing unwanted attention. However this did not stop him from standing out in the least. Only from potentially being arrested.
Rin looked back and suddenly realised Creed was still visible. Panic and frustration began to set in. How was she to explain this. Her head began getting hot and a vibrant blush came over her. Calm down you prepared for something like this didn't you.
"J -just a friend from out of t-town. I'm showing him round the city." Rin replied as confidently as she could.
"Oh, o-okay," Sakura replied. Her eyes began to wander and neither of the girls looked each other in the eye.
"The name's John Creed." The large man extended a hand towards the girl. Sakura backed away a little a she looked down. Her hands were brought towards her face with an expression of fright. She looked like a shocked white rabbit being confronted by the monster of a genera as her eyes flicked from side to side. Creed smiled in an attempt to be friendly.
"Umm ah.. S-sakura Matou. Pl-pleased to meet you." She replied. She cautiously gave out a hand for the shake. Creed hand was firm but gentle.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." He smiled. "I would love to stay and chat but we spent too long touring the city and I need to return to the estate. I have an assignment that is nearing it's deadline." He walked away and signal Rin to follow. "I look forward to seeing you around during my visit."
The walk away was quick paced and Rin gave off a frustrated look. "John Creed? Really?" Rin exclaimed as soon as they were out of sight of Sakura.
"I look enough like a foreigner to pass that off. I have a feeling we'll run into her again so incase some has a slip of the tongue and calls me Creed it won't arouse suspicion." Creed stated calmly and quietly as if the words were there on a script before him.
Rin glared up at him as they walked on. It was a few moments of her pouting before she replied. "Did you really think all that up before hand or are you just making shit up as an excuse?"
"Rin please, I didn't make it to rank of Lord Castilian without thinking these sort of things through." He replied with a faint hint of a smile crossing his face. Rin turned her head and pouted in the other direction.
"Why did I have to summon such a stubborn spirit?" Rin said placing her head in the palm of her hand and giving a disapproving shake. Creed ignored this comment and continued walking.
The only sounds was that of the city as they passed through and made it to the Tohsaka residence without so much as a word uttered between the two. Creed broke the silence with a simple request when they made it inside. "Rin as my current master I know I have little right to say this but may I have permission to speak candidly?"
"Do as you wish." Rin said with a flick of her hair.
"Next time we're in a combat, get to cover before taking on the enemy servant. Especially when that Chaos marine shows up, you almost wound up repainting the street last night. By the emperor's grace I was lucky to get out of that combat with only this scratch." Creed said with a stern expression on his face and a callous rasp in his voice.
A shocked expression hit Rin. She was caught in the un-breaking stare of a Lord Castilian. She could feel her heart beating in her chest as the rest of her body went cold. Defence began to kick in and anger came out and took control of her body. "I..." She opened her mouth to retaliate when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"You're an amazing girl Rin." Creed said with a modest but honest smile. The light of the open door flickered across his face and Rin was held silent. "Your heart was in the right place, you were trying to save a friend's life. Don't throw away yours foolishly like I've seen happen to so many others." Creed finished. Rin nodded blood rushed to her head and she felt a little faint. Creed removed his hand from her shoulder and walked past her quietly. He paused for a second. "I recommend you get some rest. If you need me I'll be in your study." He said before disappearing.
Rin stood there for a moment her mind a mess for seconds until she recollected herself. I guess I could use some rest, She thought to herself, I'm clearly not thinking straight. She shook her head trying to shake off the thoughts and feelings of that moment. As she made her way up the stairs towards her room she pondered the events of last night and sighed admitting defeat. I guess that idiot was right, I was an inch away from being turned into a shroud of pink mist. The jumped onto her bed and pushed her head into the pillow. Damn that Emiya and making foolish moves, trying to fight a monster like that out in the open. The fatigue of a sleepless night and the constant fighting caught up with her and she was asleep before long.
When she awoke the light of the room was a bright gold. Rin picked herself up lazily and gazed out the window to see the sun setting and bright hues being thrown into the clouds. She yawned and made her way down stairs. She could here vague muffled sounds like music coming from the study.
"Arrgh, what is he up to this time?" Rin muttered to herself reluctantly. The sounds grew into a distinct bustle of metal. The noise grated and ground away at her. Her hand's clamped firmly around her ears mere seconds after she opened the door. "What the hell are you doing down here?" She shouted over the noise.
The study was in a state of neatly organised clutter. Charts photos and folders were laid out over the surface of main table. Print outs of a satellite view of a mansion circle and arrows of red ink arrayed the lined a large board. Creed dropped down from his make shift chin up bar and turned down the volume on his CD player. He was wearing his normal cadian uniform leggings but only a singlet more out of force of habit when it came to working out then actual need to regulate heat. "Sorry Rin. I was just checking to see if my left arm was back to normal." He said pointing to the scar left on his shoulder.
"Where did you get all this stuff?" Rin asked pointing at the bulky computers and printing devices sitting on of top her farther's old desk.
"The Cadian command supplies." Creed said making light the use of his powers.
"So your mana is back to normal then?" Rin said getting side tracked.
"Yes, it's no problem for me to summon more complex things now..." Creed slowed down when he saw Rin begin to fume with anger.
"More importantly what have you done to my father's study?" She bellowed. Rin began to rant about all the things Creed had messed up.
"Relax Rin." Creed said holding up his hands defensively. "I will return this room to it's prior state I just want to go over somethings with you about a plan. Then I'll clean the place up. I know where everything is meant to be."
"Relax?! How can I relax you've desecrated a Tohsaka family treasure. My late father's study none the less!" She said shaking her fists angrily.
Despite the fact Rin was still fuming she stopped her rant. She folded her arms and stared with a serious expression at Creed. "So what do you want to talk about?" She asked with a clare display of discontent.
"Now that Chaos has shown it's face on this world we have to be prepared for anything we may come up against." Creed said as he materialised a shirt over his torso. He walked over to a desk and picked up a large folder filled with files. "Here is a summary of all knowledge on demons and the forces of Chaos that is allowed to be known by any guardsmen commander outside the inquisition." He said handing the file.
It was heavier then it looked Rin turned the file over and moved to open it.
"It includes pictures of some of the things." Creed warned. "Prepare yourself before you go through that."
"Right you've had your talk now CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!" Rin growled. Creed raised his hands in a diplomatic surrender.