Ch 10: Body Count
"So what's the body count for today Shamal?" Fate said wearily looking up from her hospital bed at the blond hared woman in doctors robes before her.
"None for today you'll be happy to hear." The older woman said looking down at her kindly.
Giving a satisfied nod in return Fate sunk down deeper into the blankets of her hospital bed. She had not had a restful night to say the least, and she had a feeling that this would be one of the last chances that she would get to simply lay idle for a long time.
It was early the next morning after the battle with the Mage Rider and despite her relatively quick recovery from the strange paralysis that the... madwoman had inflicted on her, she had been subjected to a mandatory full medical examination after the cut on her face had been healed. Results were still pending but it seemed that whatever strange energy had been used to try and shut down her motor functions mid battle had simply drained out of her body as cleanly as water from a cup.
Unfortunately the same could not be said for the two Enforcers who had somehow been literally transfigured into rock. In one of the most bizarre and disturbing reports that Fate had ever received from an autopsy operation the doctors and Mages assigned to the two stone figures had unanimously come to one conclusion. Of whatever terrifying force that had made the deadly change there was no trace remaining but as far as was possible to tell the flesh and blood body's of the two men had been instantaneously transfigured into a recrystallized Calcite mixture such as was commonly used by sculptors. The two men had been physical and irreversibly changed into marble.
It was nearly inconceivable. Magic as a rule mostly did not work in such ways in the first place, as an energy that flowed with the laws of physics rather than against them (as was the popular opinion among the uneducated) and such a alteration would be nearly impossible. While it was true that transformation was semi common among Mages, the human body simply did not contain the chemical composition to become solid stone. To change into such would have required that that the body's of the men be vaporized and the substance for the stone be created on the spot out of pure Mana in the shape of the men's body's to replace them. A immensely complicated and pointless procedure.
More than any of this however it did nothing to explain the simple paralysis that had affected all of the other victims, the instantaneous manner that it had been preformed in or the lack of any magical circle that would be necessary for such a spell, why she had removed her blindfold or any other of a hundred impossible factors. Why Riders eyes had seemed to fill her vision just before she froze was not the the least of the questions in her mind.
It was one of the rare cases where the details seemed to become more and more impossible as they examined the facts. Men turned to stone by the eyes of a blindfolded woman. It was like something out of a fairy tail, a thought that made Fate uncomfortable for reasons that she could not place.
"Well." Shamal said smiling encouragingly down on her "You will be happy to know that one of the other paralyzed men has regained the ability to walk, so for the others it looks quite encouraging that they'll be ready for duty in another day or so. That is if your condition is any sign."
Fate let out a breath. "Two enforcers dead, a woman cationic and a insane criminal likely around triple A Mage rank loose in the city, with friends."
"We will pull through." Shamal sighed sadly. "You got through us after all." She added lightly in a rather forced attempt at humor.
Fate smiled slightly at Shamal. "I know we will." Her face going slack again she murmured "The only question is how soon."
The blond Wolkenwritter shook her head. "I will leave you for now, there's still a lot to see on what can be done about the patents."
"This must be a busy time for you as well." Fate said blinking as the though occurred to her. "You're the one who is trying to cure all the linker core damaged victims aren't you?"
"Yes." Shamal said wearily. "Me and a few of the other Doctors have been up nearly twenty four seven in the past few days trying to find a solution, I'm afraid though that time and good care are the only cures for such injury's."
Fate nodded softly from her bed looking up at the ceiling.
"The problem really is how little we know about the problem." Shamal went on talking as she walked over to the cabinet in the corner and began looking through it. "We know that the Linker Core is involved but there is obviously much more than that that has been damaged. If we could just find out what that was then we could start working on trying to actually speed the recovery proses."
"I see, I am sure you will find it soon enough," Fate said not quite sure what to say. She was after all not a Doctor though she supposed it couldn't be to different from trying to track down a criminal without any clues.
"Thank you." Shamal replied, her voice sincere if a little sad.
Looking up as there was a knock on the door to the ward, Shamal excused herself and walked away leaving Fate to close her eyes and try to sink back into sleep. Aside from the paralysis she had broken her wrist and fractured a few other bones in her crash into the building, and though they had quickly been healed it had been a trying experience, the pain and feeling of slight nausea still fresh in her mind from the night before. In truth she was lucky, while in Sonic Drive her barrier Jacket, the fundamental layer of protection that all Mages relied on for survival in Magical combat, was gone. That most basic defense sacrificed on the alter of pure speed, Fate relied on her unparalleled agility alone to protect her when in said form and it made it so that the normally safe crash had become dangerous, literally the only thing in between her and the outside world being a thin Magical field that prevented such things as wind resistance and dust particles from pushing her eye sockets back into her head fatally when she flew.
It was a risky gamble and one she had almost paid for lat night, the crash only being cushioned by a timely auto-defensor spell from Bardiche that had prevented her from breaking her neck on the far wall of the building she had hit going hundreds of miles per hour. It had been a long night indeed, and it somehow seemed like she was no closer to the bottom of the Incident than ever.
Fate opened her eyes and looked over at the far door in surprise as she heard Shamal suddenly give a gasp of delight and began what sounded like a stream of congratulations.
Curious Fate raised her head up an looked over, spotting Shamal speaking in happy tones to what looked like two other people in the door way. Fates heart did a little leap in her chest as she realized what that probably meant. Though it had been only a few hours since her condition had probably been reported to her family she had never the less spent that time in rather anxious yearning for the company of her friends.
Her hopeful speculation was confirmed when Shamal nodded and turned back giving Fate what looked like a analytical glance. "Ah, Fate? Would you be interested in visitors?"
Smiling and nodding eagerly Fate beckoned for the three of them to come over, siting up in bed quickly and trying to look composed.
The irony of meeting her foster children for the first time in nearly three years from a hospital bed was not lost on Fate as she sat there wiping her hands nervously on the sheets. With the incident going as it had been she had found herself, to her bitter disappointment, unable to go to meet them at the airport for their homecoming and the fact that she had nearly been killed last night had shaken her deeply on more issues than her own life. As it was she had determined that no matter what happened she would meet with Erio and Caro at least once before she went back on duty.
So it was that it was with a little jolt of surprise and a distinct twang of disappointment in her stomach that Fate realized that the two visitors were not her two foster children or her life long friend nor in fact anyone else she knew. Rather a strange couple was walking towards her bed smiling pleasantly. Her feeling of disappointment was momentarily arrested however when she looked more closely at the two coming towards her. Or more specifically one of them.
The first was slightly tired looking man in a white doctors coat, brown hair ruffled and with small bags under his eyes as though he had not gotten enough sleep recently. It was the woman beside him however that caught Fates attention and made her forget for a second why she had been sad.
With hair a shade of blue lighter than the morning sky and pail features that looked as if they had been sculpted by a master artisan the woman who walked side by side with the doctor seemed to be almost radiant in her elegance She was tall, slender and pale with an exquisite, distinctly angelic looking face flanked on either side by two strangely pointed ears almost like an elf from a fairy tail. Dressed in an elegant three piece outfit consisting of a long buttoned skirt and a short blue denim jacket over a black shirt she stood next to the doctor smiling demurely at her as they walked forward.
"Hello." Fate said feeling suddenly awkward. "I'm afraid we have never met before."
"This is Dr Jared Stein. He's one of the better Mage surgeons in the city." Shamal said introducing the man on the left with an air of familiarity. "And this is his... Sister?" She asked turning towards him for confirmation like she was unfamiliar with their relation. He nodded politely.
"Tara Arugaina from out of town." Shamal finished on giving the lady next to him a friendly nod.
"Fate Harlown." Fate said politely only moderately surprised at the unusual name. As the center of the TSAB strange names were common in Mid after all.
Tara gave a small elegant curtsy in reply, her face light as she smiled at her. "Delighted to meet you Miss Harlaown."
"As I understand it you also practice medicine?" Shamal asked looking at her curiously.
The two siblings gave little laughs together, the soft voice of Tara contrasting with her brothers deeper chuckle. "Practice medicine?" Jared said incredulously "What an understatement! My sister is the best healer I've ever run across. She's the one who inspired me to take up the art in the first place!"
"Oh? You must be quite the doctor Missis Arugaina." Shamal said with a touch of respect in her voice.
"Thank you" Tara answered softly in a smooth flute like tone. "Though he does me to much credit. For the most part I prefer the country to large city's like this."
"I see." Shamal said nodding her head cheerfully in understanding. "So what brings you here? I am sorry to say that I have never heard your name before."
"I heard that there was an incident going on a few days ago." Tara said gravely. "And that the victims were afflicted with an incurable condition. I have come to see if my arts are sufficient to mend the damage done by the cowards responsible. Unfortunately I had to get a official certification in order to be allowed to come here. I had to have my brother recommend me among other things."
"Well." Fate said smiling up at the blue hared woman. "I am glad that you decided to try and help us. As always civilian collaborators are greatly appreciated by the TSAB."
"You're welcome Mis Harlaown though in truth for now I came to see you."
"Me?" Fate asked raising her eyebrow.
"Yes." Tara replied smoothly. "I hear that you cornered and almost defeated one of the villains in this tragedy. You must be quite the eagle to crush the serpents spine in this manner."
"Well..." Fate murmured not sure what to make of the apparent complement. "Thank you, but I am afraid that you must have been misinformed as to what took place last night. The criminal escaped and we had casualty's as well."
"Ah but you forget, you have dealt the first strike against these..." She seemed to hesitate for a moment searching for the proper word. "Miscreants... Now they know that you can fight them on their own terms. They will not be so bold now I think."
Fate looked up Tara curiously, unsure what to make of the strange healers comments. "I'm not sure if I follow you Misses Arugaina" She made out carefully a tiny hint of suspicion appearing in the back of her mind. "Do you know something about these terrorists?"
"Would that I did, but I fear it is not so." She started regretfully. "However I have seen the work of powerful renegades before. Their viciousness is outweighed only by their arrogance. Your near capture of one of them last night will have shaken their confidence."
"If you say so." Fate murmured slowly, weighing the newcomers words as she looked up at her. Though normally she would have put little stock in the offhand comments of an uninformed civilian, and one who was making several baseless assumptions at that, the woman before her somehow gave of the distinct feeling that she knew what she was talking about. It was not an entirely comfortable feeling.
"I do." Tara insisted her voice taking on an unusual intensity as she looked down on her. "Rejoice young lady, for you are blessed with power unheard of in mortals these days. I have no doubt that you will prosper in whatever you set your hand to."
"Thank you." Fate said hesitantly a little unsettled by Tara's rather oddly worded praise of her power. "But you needn't."
Tara just smiled at her again, a knowing look spread across her features. "Well then, I suppose we must let you take your ease for now, I must see if there is anything I can do for the other patents. Good luck in your Investigation Miss Harlaown. And don't mind me, I may be dropping in and out."
" Good luck to you to." Fate called after her as she turned and walked out of the room, her brother trailing after her.
"It looks like you have a partner to work with." She said turning to Shamal after Tara had left the room.
"Yes." Shamal said happily also looking after the departed duo. "If what Jared said is true then his sister must be very skilled. I'm going to enjoy seeing what she can do."
Fate smiled. If she wasn't mistaken then it seemed like Shamal was indeed looking forward to seeing what Tara could do. In truth it was highly improbable that the blue hared woman was as good a doctor as Shamal was, after all the blond haired Wollkenritter had hundreds of years of experience under her belt and healing was her specialty. Still Fate could tell that Shamal was enthused over the arrival of the acclaimed expert.
"Still I'm surprised that Jared has a sister." Shamal said thoughtfully as she gazed out the open door. "I've know him for more than a year now and he has never mentioned any siblings."
"I thought he said that she was his inspiration?" Fate said.
Shamal cupped her chin in her hands looking confused. "Maybe they had a falling out? Things like that happen. Anyhow it would be rude to pry."
"Mmmhmm." Fate yawned putting it out of her head, she Felt very sleepy suddenly and nestled down in her blankets. Shamal saw and smiled.
"I think I will let you rest now. Don't worry Nanoha will be along soon, its only been an hour of so since they would have heard about it you know."
"Yeah." Fate said shaking her head and blinking slowly. Leaning back into the blankets she closed her eyes as Shamal left, closing the door and turning the light off for her on the way out. Pushing her concerns away Fate let her mind go blank and she sunk back into a deep sleep.
*Scene *
Holding on to the steering wheel and squinting her eyes to get a clear look at the road Nanoha hunched behind the wheel of her car, her tired eyes watching the road carefully as she took the exit off the freeway. The car behind them doing the same as Lutecia's mother Megan followed her to the hospital with her daughter. Next to her in the passengers seat Erio sat looking stiffly out the window at the traffic rushing by while behind both of them Vivio and Caro sat curled up in their seats occasionally talking to each other in whispers.
It had been 3:00 in the morning when she had received the phone-call telling her that Fate had been hospitalized after a fight with a criminal and was now in an emergency ward. Although she had tried to keep Vivio from hearing it and had sent everyone back to bed, neither of these had done any good. Vivio had somehow found out anyway and no one had gotten any sleep that night especially after the brief argument of whether or not to drive down to the hospital immediately. As much as it pained her Nanoha had resisted her first impulse to rush to her car, or even forget city regulations and simply fly over to the hospital where Fate was being kept. She was no stranger to hospitals, and the chances of her being allowed to see Fate so soon after she had been committed were nill.
The logic however did nothing and it had been one of the longest nights she could ever remember, sleep a million miles away as she lay in bed, Vivio curled up next to her, fidgeting. The young girl unable to fall fast asleep either, the excitement of the encounter with the White Hared girl that very day probably not helping.
Merging into the lane next to her Nanoha spotted the hospital coming up and felt herself let out a involuntary sigh. They were nearly there. She tapped the steering wheel as a kind of nervous energy invaded her limbs. She had called the hospital three times in the past few hours and had been assured that Fate was alright but it had only helped a little. The receptionist on the phone was at first not able to give her any details regarding her exact state, and when she had finally been told that Fate was without serious injury now that she had been treated it had been 6 AM.
Nanoha drove on, the car eating up the distance between her and the Hospital with smooth efficiency that was somehow very unsatisfying, the human urge to run when in haste grating against the relaxed siting position that driving a car required. Nanoha pulled into the parking lot of the hospital feeling ready to jump out of her car and make a dash for the front doors.
Holding Vivio's hand despite her daughters protests she set out, the trip across the lot seeming to take an inordinate amount of time to her. Beside her Erio, Caro, Lutecia and Megan all walked quietly the older woman, a quiet pillar of support behind her, for which she was grateful.
Despite the earliness of the hour the lobby of the hospital was not empty, Ground Force solder's sitting in various corners watching them come in. From what she understood, with nearly all the victims of the incident being treated here the security of the hospital had been enforced by TSAB military personnel.
Approaching the front desk Nanoha hailed the receptionist, a rather plump woman who became somewhat flustered when she told her her name but had the reserve to say nothing.
"Fate Harlaown..." She said quickly looking down a list behind the desk. "She is in the Recovery Ward as of now, and is now permitted visitors. That would be third floor, room 7."
Nanoha thanked her and then headed for the elevator, the others following her closely.
"Does this mean that Fate Mommy is okay?" Vivio whispered up to her as they all crossed the lobby together.
Nanoha felt a tiny twinge of surprise. While Vivio had once referred to her parents as nothing but 'Nanoha Mommy and Fate Mommy' that practice had slowed in the past few years, a development that she had felt herself a little saddened by. If she had regressed into the old habit however, then perhaps Vivio was more shaken than she had originally thought. Should I have told her? The question popped into her head and lingered for a moment before she banished it. Her daughter had a right to know what was going on, and Vivio, more than most children her age knew about danger and the consequences of her parents line of work.
They made their way to the elevator, waiting for a few minutes after they had pushed the button, Erio apparently recovering his spirits a little as they did so.
"Well, she cant be in to badly hurt if she is taking visitors so early." He said apparently trying to cheer the rather subdued crowd up. Nanoha actually felt herself smile a little at his efforts. It was true, though more of her worry came from the fact that Fate had been injured at all than the severity of her injury. Unlike Vita, Fate specialized in avoiding damage completely and if she had been hurt at all, it was almost a given that things had been very dangerous last night.
All the same, she could not help but smile at how Erio was trying to encourage everyone, even if she knew that he knew the same.
With a 'whisk' the doors to the lift opened, several nurses and other patients stepping out as they stepped in and pushed the button for the third floor. With another 'wisk' the doors slid closed on them and they all felt the familiar feeling of slight vertigo native to all elevators as it shot upward.
A few seconds later and the lift slowed to a stop, letting out a soft 'Ding' as the doors slid open revealing the third floor and a few hospital personnel who were getting on.
Maybe it was because of her distraction but Nanoha did not notice that one of the doctors was someone she knew until Caro let out a small gasp of delight. "Shamal!" She said beaming up at the blond hared doctor in front of them.
"Caro!" Shamal said looking down at the pink hared girl and then up at the rest of them in mild surprise. "And the rest of you."
"Is Fate Mommy okay?" Vivio demanded immediately running over to her.
Shamal looked down at Vivio who was almost glaring at her. She broke out into a warm smile and looked back up at the rest of them again. "Fate is just fine." She said beaming directly at Nanoha as she did so.
For a moment Nanoha felt nothing, and then what felt like a huge wave of relief washed over her making her suddenly want to sit down. The official over the phone had told her that Fate was alright, the woman at the desk had told her that she was in the recovery ward now, but their was something about Shamal that set her suddenly at ease. Maybe it was how long they had know each other, but now that the blond Wolkenritter had told her the same with a smile she knew it was true. It was more than the fact that Shamal was a master healer. It was Shamal.
"What happened?" Erio demanded looking, despite his earlier reassurances, slower to accept the fact that his adoptive mother was okay despite having been in emergency only a few hours before.
"Fate-chan was in a fight last night." Shamal said, her voice soothing but serious at the same time. "She attempted to apprehend one of the Terrorists but was hit by something strange that disabled her flight. The criminal was able to escape."
"So why was she in emergency then?" Erio persisted.
Shamal looked at him, her smile fading, as if their was something that she was hesitant to talk about. Erio did not miss the expression and began to tense once more.
"Well, the officials in charge of the case were concerned about the device used to disable her, it had had... lingering adverse effects on several other Mage's who were hit by it and they wanted to make sure that she would not suffer from delayed symptoms."
"Oh. Is everyone else okay? Was it very bad?" Caro asked,curious as to what it was exactly that had put her mother in emergency
"Maybe we should talk about that some other time." Shamal said, her smile faltering a little at the question. "For now Fate has been wanting to see you since she got transferred to this ward."
Nodding happily Vivio took Shamal by the hand, much the same way that Nanoha had been holding her a moment before.
Together they made their way down the hall past several doors on either side before finding the one marked 7, Vivio nearly running forward to open it.
The hospital room was dark inside and had obliviously been sealed off to allow the occupant to sleep, lit only by the faint glow or the sun that still managed to make it around the edges of the drapes covering the windows. It was a smaller room, with about six beds that were empty except one at the far end.
As soon as the door creaked, a person in a bed at her far end of the room lifted her head to regard them and then sat up quickly with a jolt.
"Nanoha! Erio!" Fate cried her face splinting into a smile as she looked at them from her bed. There was the briefest pause before Vivio, Erio and Caro all suddenly bolted across the room and threw themselves at her.
"Mother!" Erio said reaching her first but stopping short of embracing. "Are you injured?" He said looking her up and down. Sure enough one of her hands was bandaged.
"Its nothing," Fate said quickly throwing her arms around her adopted son and pulling him close. "the doctors took care of it all."
"Ah! M-Mom." Erio made out as she hugged him. It had been years since he had seen her he realized, and now that they were reunited she was in a hospital bed. But okay, Fate was okay. The cloud of gloom that been hovering over him since he had arrived, and which had intensified into a storm a few hours ago when he had heard she had been injured was now melting away completely as they embraced.
Fate gave him one last squeeze before letting go and doing the same to Caro who was standing on the other side of the bed with Vivio and looking anxiously at her, her big eyes wide and a little watery. Pulling her close as well, the small girl's feet barley touching the floor as she hugged her, Fate was surprised when she realized that it was her who was making the sniffing sound.
Still embracing Caro, and with Erio close on her left Fate was caught of guard when a sudden weight struck her from the front throwing her back down onto her back with a plop and making Caro lose her balance and fall over her stomach as she went backwards.
"Fate Mommy!" Vivio cried her arms somehow wrapped around her neck suddenly. Righting herself Fate gave Vivio a surprised look, the young girl having apparently backed up and made a flying leap over the bed to get to her hands around her neck more quickly, bowing her over in the process.
"Vivio-chan!"Nanoha scolded. "You shouldn't be so rough!" Reaching the foot of Fates bed she looking at her dearest friend anxiously. Sure enough, just like Shamal had said she seemed to be one and whole. A smile began to tug at the edges of her mouth, fighting against the reprimand she was trying to give Vivio for jumping on a potentially inured person.
"I'm all right." Fate laughed softly, straightening herself once more and giving her daughter an affectionate nuzzle with her nose, one which was returned eagerly.
Light streamed into the room as Shamal went around throwing back the curtains for the occasion, transforming the darkened ward into a bright white room that seemed to shine with the glow of the reunion, not only between worried family members, but between children who had been away from their Mother for years and had come home to find her injured in action and were only now meeting again for the first time.
"Is it true Moma?" Vivio asked, her arms still warped tightly around Fates neck. "They said that you got attacked by a criminal and that they hurt you and then got away."
"Vivio!" Erio said sharply in surprise, making her wince and look up at her older brother.
"Its alright Erio." Fate said. Turning back to Vivio she ran her hand through her daughters hair and patted it. "The bad guys didn't get me last night Vivio, we nearly got them. In a few weeks hopefully, we will find them all and I can come back to you."
Vivio gave a little nod and squeezed Fate once again, her grip starting to become uncomfortable.
"Why don't you get down for now Vivi." Nanoha said taking her daughter by the shoulder and easing her away. A little reluctantly Vivio uncoiled her arms and plopped of the bed, turning to stand next to Caro.
"Lutecia, Megan." Fate said looking to the right as the long hared girl and her mother approached the bed more slowly, not wishing to make themselves know before the closer family members. "I heard that you're moving in with us. Congratulations on your release."
"Thank you Fate." Lutecia chirped, beaming at her as well.
"Nanoha, did Vivio and Einhalt show them the room yet?" Fate asked looking at her fully for the first time since she had walked in. They both paused for a moment looking at each other, a kind of silent communication passing between the them as they stood their. It was not the first time they had been in this position, speaking to one another while the other was in a hospital bed. Nanoha had spent several months actually, Fate watching over her every day that she could, and Nanoha had done the same for her on a few occasions. Are you okay? Was the question. And the answer coming back was yes, with just a hint of something else that Nanoha could not interpret.
Still it was enough, and Nanoha relaxed as the last of her concern faded into the background. Whatever else was going on she could endure for now so long as Fate was alright. They would have their talk about what had happened after, but for now it was just them and the family.
"So, Erio, Caro." Fate said turning towards them with a smile "What is it you have been doing on Surpools? I want to hear all about it."
"W-what?" Erio made out "We've been telling you over the Telecam for nearly two years!"
"Well bring me up on the latest, its much better to hear it face to face anyway."
"Ohh..." Caro said looking down at the ground as if trying to think of something to say. "Well for the past few weeks we have been saying goodbye to friends and packing getting ready to come here."
"Don't be silly Caro." Lutecia said cheerfully. "Fate wants to get the full picture of your adventures!"
"Our adventures?" Erio said awkwardly looking at Caro for support. "Well...We stopped some more poachers... but I already told you all about that."
"Tell me about what you did to get Lutecia off her sentence early." Fate said patiently. "Its the story I have been wanting to hear for some time now."
"Ah. That." Erio said blushing suddenly as Lutecia beamed at him from across the bed. Caro noticed her gaze and flushed herself, a look of irritation briefly crossing her features before she went around and placed herself next to Erio as well.
"Well, they wanted witnesses that she was trustworthy, so I went up for her." Erio said simply.
"From what I heard it got a little heated." Fate remarked studying him as he stood there.
"Oh yes!" Lutecia giggled, a huge smile illuminating her face till it practically glowed. "Erio made quite a stand for my honor."
"I-I helped to." Caro blurted out "Its only natural that he would because he's you're friend." She went on putting a very tiny emphases on the word 'friend' that only Fate caught.
"At first they weren't going to let her off." Erio went on. "But then Megan started talking. She got really fired up and reminded them of her record with the TSAB. She said that if they didn't free her daughter then it would mean spiting on the years of service she had given and on the names of her old squad members who had died."
"Wow." Fate said slowly, turning to Megan who was looking slightly embarrassed. "You must have made quite a speech to turn the court like that."
"It was nothing.' Megan said softly. "I just reminded them that if the daughter of a TSAB agent who was injured fighting Jail, was cut of from the rest of society because of threat to my safety when she was young, then Jail has still not finished hurting his victims."
Fate nodded. Lutecia had not always been friends with the Takamachi's. In truth they had met years ago during the Jail Scaglietti incident, when the man had held her mother hostage in return for her services as a powerful summoner. To young to seek consider another option, and fearing for her mothers safety she had complied, and become one of the TSAB's enemies during the incident. It was for this that she had been sentenced to confinement on Carnaaji, and it had taken a lot to end it.
"Well, it's good to see that the people remember their protectors." Fate said. "And can still tell the difference between a little girl and a menace." She smiled at Lutecia. "Remember what people went through to get you here when you go to school alright?"
Luticia nodded, looking a little more serious than she usually was under Fates challenge. The next moment she was happy again, Erio starting on the story of how it was that they had decided to return in the first place, the adults and children both pitching in nearly equal amounts as the story went on.
They stayed for hours, the sun climbing higher and higher in the sky as they talked, the night before, with its fear and danger feeling very very far away to all of them. With her whole family there, and her two older charges back from their travels after so long Fate found the feeling of warmth that was pervading the room to be irrepressible, the concerns that she had for the incident not enough to damper the return of her two children and their friend.
It was nearly two and a half hours before they were interrupted, a sharp knock on the door cutting across the room. Shamal went to answer it and when she did they were greeted by Signum standing in the door wearing her brown armed force uniform and looking grim. The whole room turned towards her and her expression eased into a small smile as they greeted her, Caro and Erio both rushing over and giving her salutes.
"Well, I see you haven't forgotten your protocol when you were away at least." Signum said in a stern voice, only the barest hint of difference in her tone letting them know that she was in fact quite pleased to see them.
"Not at all, Mam." Erio said brightly looking up at his old sparing partner. "They ran us just as hard as the force did on that preserve. And even if they didn't we wouldn't have forgotten what you made us do."
Signum smiled for real this time, looking down at the two carefully. It was something that was no longer as easy, while Caro had hardly grown two inches since she had joined the force all those years ago, Erio was now quite tall, coming up to Signums eyebrows now and threatening to surpass her some day.
"Welcome back to Crannagan. Though you may have chosen a dangerous time to return." She said, her voice carrying the slightest hint of an edge, though her smile stayed steady.
"You mean the incident right?" Caro asked, her face going serious at the statement.
Signum gave a nod and walked past them, striding over to Fates bedside and giving a brief smile and nod to Lutecia and Megan before she turned to Fate. "Fate, we need to speak."
Fate gave a reluctant nod. "Nanoha? Vivio and the others should wait in the hall."
"Wait!" Erio said. "You aren't leaving us out! We were listening to stuff like this years ago, just because we're civilians now doesn't mean that the Scaglietti incident never happened!"
Signum nodded. "I think the time that these two were treated as children in such matters was years ago. Military history aside they have already done enough to make them worthy of inclusion by Belkan standards."
"Its true Fate." Nanoha said. "It would unfair to exclude them from this."
Fate sat back in bed looking at her two children. Were it any other incident she would have said yes immediately. She had been younger than they were during the Scaglietti incident, when she had first started undertaking dangerous missions. They had faced more than most enforcers ever did in fact, an impressive claim. At this point they could probably be leading squads to apprehend the criminals.
She found that it did not much change her desire for them not to get involved though. This time was different. When she looked at Erio and thought of him becoming involved the vision of Rider recalled itself to her mind, her long flawless violet hair flowing around her as she tried to impale her body with those nails, her fearsome strength hammering against her sword. A monster like that could kill Erio. And while her son was a fighter that made even Signum proud he was not yet as fast or as good with his weapon as she was... if it had been a close call for her then how would her son fight a something like that?
It was with a distinct chill that the image of Erio being devoured in the same way that the girl had invaded her mind.
"Fate-chan?" Nanoha said urgently, making her look up. Nanoha was looking at her with a concerned expression. "Are you all right?"
"Yes..." she said gazing at her three children. "Alright. Erio and Caro can stay Vivio you go wait in the hall."
"But Fate Mommy!" Vivio whined starting to make dewy eyes at her mother.
"Now Vivio!" Fate said, her voice harsher than she meant it to be. Vivio drew back stunned at the harshness from the one who was usually intent upon spoiling her.
"I think I will watch them." Megan said taking Vivio by the hand. "Come on Lutecia."
"Eh? What?" Lutecia made out. "What? do you mean I have to go to?"
"Lutecia, I do not think that a girl your age, especially one who is trying to avoid having a criminal sentence for terrorism re-invoked, needs to sit in on a discussion involving an active criminal investigation." Signum said somewhat sardonically.
"Indeed." Her mother said, a severe tone making its way into her tone for the first time any of the people in the room aside from Lutecia could remember. "Regardless of what happens you at least will not be involved in this after what you just escaped from."
Lutecia's head swiveled back and fourth between Sigum and her Mother two or three times, coming to rest once on Erio before her shoulders drooped and she made her way out of the room with Vivio, both of them sulking as they went. Megan turned and gave Signum a simple curtsy before she followed the two out, shutting the door behind her with a 'click'.
Signum regarded Fate speculatively, her eyes lingering on her cheek and then trailing down her body in much the same way that Nanoha had when she had first entered.
"You look to be no worse for wear." She said. "The healers did a good job, I saw your fight recording from Bardiche, so did Hayate and several of the members of the High Council."
"What?" Nanoha said, alarm taking hold of her the reaction mirrored by Erio and Caro. "What exactly happened last night?"
"Fate engaged one of the terrorists last night. A purple hared woman who identified herself Rider." Signum said pulling up a chair and siting down as she did so.
"Who ever she was she was very strong." Fate said continuing where she felt Signum had left off."She was fast, faster than me until I unleashed Sonic Dirve."
Everyone in the room except for Signum gasped. "What!" Erio yelled, his eyes widening. "She was faster than you?"
Fate nodded. "At first" She repeated in a low voice. "She was stronger than me as well, almost as strong as Signum. I did not want to trouble you before, but I was nearly defeated last night. I was not able to turn the tide until I went all out with Riot Zamber."
"Fate.." Nanoha said slowly looking at her partner, here eyes only marginally less wide than Erio's. "What does this mean?"
"It means that we are facing a force of Terrorists who have Mages fighting for them who are comparable to the Wolkenritter in strength." Signum declared, her voice like stone. The statement seemed to resound through the room, making Caro and Erio's mounts fall open, uncomprehending.
"Stronger... Stronger than you Signum?" Caro choked out weakly.
"I did not say that." She said quickly "Only that they would be able to fight on our level."
Caro made another small choking noise looking scared of what the pink hared Knight was saying.
"Don't worry" Signum went on standing up and walking over to Caro to lay her hand on her head. "I don't think that they're strong enough to kill the General of the Burning Sword." She said referring to herself. " Or Fate for that mater, not unless they get a few more centuries of experience under their belts."
"oh." Caro said quietly. Not looking as reassured as Signum had hoped she would be.
"But even if one of them is as strong enough to fight Fate, why do they think there are more?" Erio asked, feeling like he was missing parts of the story. "Mages of mothers power, well, there aren't very many of them, especially outside of the TSAB. It would be impossible for a terrorist origination that we have never heard of to command more than a few S ranked Mages."
"Unlikely, not impossible." Signum corrected him. "There are such organizations active even today that are bent on evil."
"...The Huckebein." Erio said darkly after a little.
"Who?" Caro asked nervously, again looking between Erio and Signum.
"A criminal "Family" said to have many strong members, that has been terrorizing Non-administered worlds for the past few years." Signum filled her in. "That was one theory put forward, but it does not pan out. The Huckebein rarely come near the TSAB, they stick mostly to the fringes. They would not launch an assault against against our capital. Moreover none of the criminals in this case match any of the profiles that we have amassed on the Huckebein."
"Hmm, then its no one we know of?"Erio pressed feeling rather defeated.
"It seems so." Signum said.
"In that case I don't think they could have more than one or maybe two powerful Mages, we would have heard of them." He insisted.
"The evidence suggests that there are at least two, probably three, possibly more." Signum went on, driving over Erio's protests.
"M-more than three?" Cao murmured looking unnerved.
"A few days ago there was a fight in front of a warehouse in central Mid. Subaru was involved, the squad of Ground Force Soldiers that she was supporting lost about half their number including the commander in fight with a Mage using a red spear like armed device. He engaged and defeated Subaru- don't worry she is all right." Signum said, breaking of suddenly towards the end when Erio and Caro had begun to become alarmed. "We have the record of the combat, the opponent, whoever he is, was excellent, displaying mastery of both speed and spear fighting. Oddly enough he was first found fighting this "Rider" character, so we think that there is more than one faction at work here. Whoever he is though he will be a tough opponent. Aside from that however my suspicions of their being more, are mostly my own instincts. A few night's ago a lab was broken into and a party of security guards were killed when they attempted to apprehend the intruder, they were stabbed to death with a knife like weapon."
"The Rider woman used nails." Fate offered drearily. Listening to such a recap was depressing.
"True, but I don't think that this was the same person." Signum said. "What with all the murders going on around such a wide area I think that there are three at least."
"But you have no way of telling that the third is as strong as the other two!" Erio insisted, looking as though he did not like the conclusion that Signum was arriving at one bit.
"True but I think that they are."She answered. "Their actions so far speak of a person or organization that is completely confidant in themselves. They would conduct themselves so brazenly in the heart of the TSAB otherwise, such confidence speaks of power."
"But if they have Mages as strong as that." Nanoha interjected, feeling like bugs were crawling up her spine, (It was the Scaglietti incident all over again)"Then the Enforcers wont be enough. Not the ones currently stationed...They must realize this."
"Indeed." Signum said. "And that is why appropriate measures are being taken as we speak, After viewing last nights combat footage the High council has given Hayate the green flag to call in more Enforcers as well as Special Force Teams."
"Special Force Teams? You mean like the one that Megan used to be on?" Caro piped up.
"Yes and like the one that we were on." Erio affirmed, nodding. It made sense. Tackling high powered Mages could be difficult even for Enforcer teams sometimes. Occasionally, if there was a particularly powerful criminal on the lose, one that even the Enforcers were having trouble with, a Special force Team would be sent in. They were small teams of elite, high powered Mages usualy in the upper A and even S ranks who were used to deal with the most dangerous situations. Rampaging Lost Logia, organized terrorist groups, major disasters in space were all part of their profile. Although officially an extension of the Enforcer organization they employed Mages from all branches of the Armed forces and occasionally even civilian collaborators. It was no secret that Fate, Signum and Nanoha had all been part of several in the past.
"So." Erio said, starting to suspect where this was going. "They want Fate to join the Special Force Teams?" It was a rhetorical question, of course they would want them, Fate was one of the Best enforcers that the TSAB had ever seen in this generation. Even Signum, who was the stronger combatant did not have some of whatever it was that made Fate excel at her job so.
"Not exactly." Signum said throwing Erio off track for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few minutes.
"What do you mean Signum?" Fate asked giving her a odd look.
"The TSAB High council has determined that you are not to be integrated into the current forces engaged in the case. You are to report to the Long Arch facility as soon as possible and take command there under Hayate."
"Wait a minute." Erio gasped "The Long Arch? You mean..."
"Yes." Signum said softly with something like a smile "By order of the TSAB high council Riot Force 6 is to be recommissioned."
*Scene *
Sunlight streamed in through the window of the house catching all the tiny little partials of dust as they floated freely lazily through the air, some settling slowly on the golden brown carpet and furniture or catching some imperceptible air current to fly up and stick to the ceiling, most just drifting in between.
Rin sniffed slightly and resisted the urge to sneeze. While not at all comparable size wise to her Manor back in Fuyuki, the house that she had commandeered as her temporary hideout and workshop was similar in many ways. The ceiling was quite high for one thing, a wedge shaped roof that gave a sense of scale that the house did not really possess and reminded her of her old western style home. Secondly and more importantly the place smelled like a Magus workshop. There was quite simply something in the air, a slightly musty closeness perhaps that spoke of a reclusive place where one was free to conduct whatever research they wished in peace. This was partly because of the dust and partially because of the disproportionately small number of windows.
Either way, Rin liked it and had 'persuaded' the family who occupied it to take a long trip out of town and leave it in her care. Some people might have felt guilt about this but as Rin saw it it was actually to their benefit. As far as she could tell they had had no plans to leave before and if things kept going the way they were (which they would) the city was about to get a lot more dangerous. No place for a family with three children.
True to her intuition so far it had proven to be a good stronghold, not to far from the center of the city yet out of the way enough for it to not be an obvious hideout the surprisingly homey two storied house had so far served her purpose well. Now to see if it kept on serving her well or whether that was just a result of having not done to much yet.
Because so far most of her effort had been put, not into finding the Grail but determining something.
Rin scowled as the ran her finger down the length of the mettle rod, the Prana from her finger making the metal split evenly, effectively cutting a surgical incision into the staff-like mystic code that she had laid on the table in front of her. About four feet long including the dark metallic head of the thing set with what looked like a small circular blue glass, the strange code dubbed a "Storage Device" was a key component of the mystery she was attempting to unravel. As far as she could tell all or nearly all of the Magi in this place used them or something like them to work their impossible Magecraft and if that was true then they had to be a key in solving the mind-boggling puzzle that was the Magecraft of this place.
Sooner or later once they had parted ways all of the crusaders had realized that Magic was public knowledge in the city of Crannagan and it had come with varying degrees of shock for all of them. Most of the Servants had lived during a time when magic was public knowledge anyhow and so were not greatly impressed. The Master's however were another can of worms. Raised from birth to always, always, ALWAYS keep their powers secret on pain of death the casual nature with which magic was treated here was a jarring shock to them. Sooner or later however shock wears off, and when there is a goal to pursue no one can shrug of surprise on like a Magus. Sufficient to say that after a day or two all of the Masters had adjusted to the shift in situation and were back to trying to accomplish their various objectives.
Not Rin Tosaka though.
Maybe it was because of her stubborn nature, maybe it was because she had taught Magecraft at the Clock Tower for years and knew more about the rules of Magic than most, or maybe it was because finding out how the TSAB worked was part of her goal in the first place but either way she had been unable to take the revelation laying down.
And so she had set about investigating.
It had been frustrating at first, with few leads but she had caught on eventually, a very enlightening conversation with a elementary school magic teacher (They taught Magic here in public schools, good lord!) she had cornered providing her with her first real source of solid information. For one, she had determined that there was simply no way that the Magecraft used by the TSAB and the Magecraft used by the Magi of earth were the same. It was a start, for one thing according to established theory Magecraft flowed from the Source of All Things meaning that the more Mages there were the weaker Magecraft became for everybody. On earth this was an accepted fact, and one of the reasons that small time practitioners were looked down upon. After all if there were a lot of people running around using Magic with only a few magical circuits to their name then they would eventually dilute the powers of the ones who could really profit from the Art.
That rule certainly did not seem to apply here. With thousands, possibly tens of thousands or even more Mages reputedly running around in every societal function from management to plumbing (Okay that was unlikely but still) it seemed to her that Magic had become so commonplace here that it was no longer considered very special. That left a few options. One, either the Magic used here was drawn from a different source, or two: It was not magic at but something completely different, if similar looking, possibly even (as terrifying as the thought was) a relative or watered down version of True Sorcery.
So far most of what she had discovered pointed towards the first possibility. The teacher she had talked with (Under the impression he was speaking simply to a curious woman from an non-administered world, (Technically true)) had called the source of Magic a "Linker Core" and described it as an ethereal organ inside oneself that a Mage drew their power from. The man had not even heard of Magical circuits and had given her a strange look when she had tried to reconcile the Linker Core as another name for them. Almost definitely different sources.
The Linker Core was according to the teacher, a singular point from which one drew all of their Magical power, and while he had admitted that it could be a painful process to master if one overdid it, in general he had painted a very easy and almost child friendly picture of Magic.
This contradicted everything that Rin knew about Magic Circuits. Painful and dangerous to unlock and use Magcal circuits were like groups of wires that ran through the soul of a Mage, allowing them to Chanel Mana or Od alternatively to manipulate the world around them. Unlike Linker Cores, which could apparently be regenerated repeatedly in case of damage, they could never be repaired if damaged and could in some circumstances cause death if overused. Linker cores could apparently also kill their users if overtaxed but from the description given they could be pushed much farther than Magical circuits could, and only threatened individuals with extremely high potential.
Rin didn't like it, over all it painted what was surely a deceptively easy picture of a system in which Magic was no big deal, an easily controlled, simply learned skill that could be used by most anyone who had a measure of potential.
Aside from this there were a few other things she was tying to figure out. It appeared as though the energy that Linker cores utilized and the Prana that Magical Circuits manipulated were different fundamentally. For one the Mages of the TSAB seemed to be able to do some things that were nearly impossible for Magi relatively easily. Flying was one of the more extreme examples of this, so extreme in fact that Rin had quite simply not believed it. That was until she ad seen it through the eyes of one of her hawk familiars. That had been a long night.
But the thing that she was working on right now was one of the aspects of the TSAB's Magic that still puzzled her. According to the teacher and to several other people who she had gotten to answer her questions (through one way or another) every Mage in the TSAB used one of the Mystic Codes that was on the table before her. When she had inquired as to why it had been explained to her that most spells required complicated mathematical computation that was simply to advanced for the human brain to process effectively, so in order to overcome this the Mathematics were shuffled off to what was simply called a Magical Device, a metallic looking staff like thing that could only be a Mystic Code.
And so she was taking one apart in the upstairs Guest Bedroom that she had converted into a Workshop.
Peeling back the metal case Rin crinkled her nose as the Device reveled itself to be composed n the inside by what looked like countless blue panels. She froze momentarily as she looked down at them, she might be bad with technology , and they might be Blue instead of green but she knew what the little electronic things were.
"Keyboards!" Rin ground out, her voice an angry gasp. "They're building Mystic Codes out of keyboards?"
"Well, at least this explains why the structural analysis was so garbled." She muttered to herself, her temper becoming a black cloud to hover over her head as she stewed over the new development.
Keyboards meant only one thing; technology. How she hatted the word. It had been bad enough when she was younger but in the past few years it seemed like technology had truly become inescapable outside of the Mages Association, relentlessly invading the lives of everybody like some awful plague that forced you to deal with things that seemed to neither make any sense or have any bearing whatsoever on the real world. And now not even Mystic Codes were safe! How was she to figure out how the TSAB Magecraft System worked if all of their stuff seemed to be tied down with technology?
"This is the Final straw." She muttered griping the sides of the table, the black cloud above her head starting to flash with lightning as her temper grew. It was all getting to weird for even her, the more she investigate things the more questions arose in her mind. What was that? And what relation did this have to such and such? And how would the Association react? Whatever the answers were the problem had jut crossed the threshold of her patience. This was a job for a team of Magi researchers in a lab deep inside the Clock Tower Facility with a few years of time and resources to figure things out, not for her to puzzle over deep inside of enemy territory (though she reflected with a touch of pride that she had probably done quite well with what she had.)
Snatching the Magical device off the table she threw it none to gently into a trunk by the wall and left the room shutting the door behind her loudly. It wasn't like the neighbors were going to hear or anything, not with her wards up.
Rin walked down stairs and headed into the kitchen to fix herself something, it was 1:00, and just about lunch time in her book, besides she could use something after the brainstorm she had just had upstairs.
Reaching the Fridge she paused as her eye caught a little stick note pinned to it with an arrow pointing to the left towards the counter. Rin looked over curiously and gave a grunt of pleasant surprise. Laid out on the counter was a plate of nice looking sandwiches complete with little olives stuck on toothpicks. On another sticky pad next to it was another little note that read "Don't forget to check for poison." in Archers familiar neat handwriting.
Rin couldn't help but smile as she picked one up. Really, Archer knew how to be thoughtful and mildly witty at the same time, though some would have just called it sarcasm.
She grabbed the plate and taking it into the living room she plopped down on one of the easy chairs and started eating, pausing for a second in a fit of irrational suspicion to sniff them as the note had suggested. Detecting nothing she chided herself for her paranoia and bit into the first sandwich. Rin gave a grunt of satisfaction as her Servants skill in the kitchen again made itself evident. Things were bad, but at least she could go through them with a good chef at her back. That was something. Come to think of it, she didn't think that even Shirou had ever been able to cook as good as Archer did. It was a close comparison but it swung in Archers favor ever so slightly, she decided. Swallowing her mouthful and taking another she closed here eyes and focused her mind a little, taping into the senses of her familiars. Back in the last war she would never have multitasked in such a manner but after years of practice, tuning in to her familiars had become second nature, and she was even able to do so when walking or reading. Rin found it a very useful skill, and only slightly distracting.
Chewing as her vision changed from the eyes of one familiar to he next paused as she reached the one that was monitoring the grounds of one of the TSAB's outposts. There were ranks of what she recognized as their version of Enforcers forming and facing what looked to be an officer of some kind.
The TSAB was getting more and more serious, every day now that she had monitored their central office in the aria there had been more and more of them arriving.
Rin felt something like a chill go through her. Before long this city was going to look like a war zone, and she had no doubt about who was going to be on the hurting side of it. After all, Mortals could not contend with Servants.
She broke her link and looked up as her bounded field suddenly alerted her to a familiar presence approaching the house. It appeared that Archer was coming back. Rin closed her eyes and willed the defenses surrounding the house to admit him without friction, the bounded fields adjusting themselves ever so slightly to allow the Servant to pass through while astralized.
The next second Rin felt something like a wind enter the room and Archer was quite suddenly standing in front of her, his red shroud draped over him like always, his face set in a grim line.
"Archer, Report." She intoned. He was back several hours earlier than he had said he would be from scouting out the territory and trying to locate the other Masters, something the two of them had agreed earlier on was imperative.
"I have made contact with Lancer and his Mistress." Archer said, his expression betraying the barest hint of a smile. "They want to work with us."
"Eh?" Rin snorted. "Bazett wants to work with us?" Tapping the side of her jaw speculatively Rin cast her eyes downward. Truthfully she had not expected something like that, in the last war Lancer had been an independent, working alone and scorning help of any kind, a vicious lone wolf kind she could honestly not see partnering with. On the other hand that had admittedly been under Kotomine, and she had in fact met Bazett, the Lancer Servants original and current Master in the years after the war...
"I don't think that you would work well with that Servant, Archer. He had it out for you in the last war, he will have it out for you again. You know what his legend is." Rin said frowning at the prospect of working with one who had tried to spit the two of them like pigs the last time they had met.
"Perhaps not if we could channel his battle lust elsewhere." Archer replied."The TSAB could serve as a ready outlet for him to focus on."
Rin shook her head. "That wont work, fighting Magi will only make him more eager to go after what he would view as a more worthy opponent. He wouldn't be satisfied just fighting Mortals. It would only whet his appetite." She sighed, her voice sour as she bit the inside of her lip. "Really, I can understand that the Grail founders didn't want the Grail dismantled but did they really have to go this far? Its ridiculous." She muttered. "This many Servants running around. They should have know that they would still be more interested in fighting each other that concentrating on an objective that a lot of them don't even want."
Archer smiled briefly and leaned back against the wall, his grim face curling into his usual sardonic expression from the last war.
"You forget Master, Lancer is still the Servant, he will maintain himself if his Master is on good terms with us. You said that you know this Bazett?"
"Yes, well, I have met her that is." Rin said catching on. It was true. Unlike Lancer Bazett was a very steady person, if what she knew of her was true. Besides, one did not become an Enforcer by being flighty. "Yes, from what I know Bazett would make a good ally." She admitted reluctantly. "She would probably also be able to keep Lancer in line."
Archer nodded but looked at Rin with a measuring sort of regard. " But that is not what bothers you is it?"
Rin scowled at him. Her lips coming together in a pout. "No it's not." She admitted, irritation coloring her voice. "What bothers me is that last time we got into a alliance the fool involved got himself captured and you wound up dead because of it."
Archer chuckled slightly. "Well to be fair." He said, "That was a one of a kind fool. I doubt we will encounter someone as stupid as he was in this conflict."
Rin nearly laughed but then stopped. Archer's voice had contained a touch of real venom in it and he had had shifted his head to the side for a moment, his face bearing a twisted look that she could not place. It was gone the next.
He is still bitter about the last war, she thought. Probably even more than I am...
"In any case we need allies." Archer went on. " You may not have realized this yet Master, but there is something about this place. There are powerful opponents here. I do not think that this many Servants would have been called forth of there were only simple Magi here to oppose us."
"Perhaps..." Rin said hesitantly "I don't suppose that the Grail just summons a predetermined number of Servants in response to any threat?"
"Its a possibility but one that we must not depend on." Archer said. "In any case even if there are only Magi here it is still more than enough to warrant our full attention. Maybe it is because of my relatively... humble powers, but I have never considered myself invincible even when fighting the weakest opponents." Looking directly at Rin again Archer put deadly emphasis into his voice, Making Rin sit up slightly straighter. "This is not something that many of the others realize. Rin, we cannot fight a planet on our own. We must work quickly and get what we came for before the TSAB locks this entire city down to find us."
Rin nodded softly, feeling suddenly embarrassed and foolish. She had, she realized, thought that they were invincible, and hearing her Archer say otherwise like a bucket of cold water. Now that she thought about it he was right. Even if the Servants were pretty much untouchable all the TSAB would have to do would be neutralize the Masters and it would be over.
"What we need to do now is to find someone who we can fall back on. Preferably a third Servant as well to tie it up."
"But if you wanted a team up then why did you support that idiot Hedge Mage leaving with Saber?" Rin said exasperated. "She's our most important ally!"
"My opinion on that still stands. If the Master is unwilling then it does not mater how well we know the Servant."
Rin gave a huge sigh, draping her hand over her face as she sunk in her chair. "Well then, lets go meet the Irish."
It took a while to get to the place that Bazzet had arranged on. Rin changing out of the casual red shirt and black skirt that she had been wearing and into her more formidable brown and crimson long jacket that she still favored for outings. It was a long way over, and she refused to let Archer carry her, instead hailing a cab to take her to the vicinity in which they would meet.
Leaning her head against the side of the window as the cab took her through the winding streets of the residential areas and into the more developed center, she could not help but look at the City with new eyes. If them TSAB decided to lock the city down and impose martial law then the entire city could become a sprawling mass of combat Magi, at which point Noble Phantasms would come out at which point the TSAB would probably respond with... She didn't know, but it would not be good, and many innocent people would die. Just like they are dieing now an unpleasant voice in the back of her head whispered. She shook the herself. If Caster, and whatever monster was kidnapping children kept this up then they were going to consider martial law a lot faster than if those two were not pulling off vile crimes for their own gain.
The cab dropped her of in front of a modest looking hotel. She sniffed at it as the presence of Archer settled behind her. Bazett it seemed had discretion, something that not many well to do Magus could claim.
Stepping in through the door, Rin around once before spotting the familiar figure that was waiting for her in the corner of the small lobby.
Bazett Fraga McRemits was an old hand from Mages Assaciation, an Mage from Ireland Bazett was a member of the ancient and reclusive McRemits clan. With a genealogy of Magi that went all the way back to the Age of gods the McRemits were some of the last pure blooded practitioners of the ancient Runic Magic, a system of Magecraft that utilized what could only be described as low key Divine Letters to bring about their sorcery. Runes were an alphabet of symbols that went far back into the mists of time when the mundane and the Magical were not so distinct. Still maintaining echoes of their old mystic authority, Runes were one of the last corporeal magic systems left on the planet and with practice it was possible use them to channel Prana like one would with a Spell.
An old and rather rusty art, it was practiced by few, though the family's that did were very proud. Cultivating tradition strongly even by Maugs standards the practitioners kept to themselves mostly, studying the old ways and trying to keep to old power alive, a memory from an age when myths walked the earth.
It was from this background the Bazett had sprung, attaining a excellent grasp of her art and then leaving her Family behind to joining the Mages Association as an Enforcer. She had been good at it and carved out a reputation as a solid member of the Mage's Associations police branch.
Then the 5th Grail war had started and her history took a turn for the weird.
Rin had learned during the War that Kirei Kotomine had assassinated Lancers original Master early on, acquiring the fercley independent Servant through naked force. Bazett, Lancer's first Master, had been slain and her Command Seals surgically removed by the twisted man. Her arm severed at the elbow Bazett had apparently been left to die while Kirei walked away with the Servant that she had brought fourth.
Somehow though the iron willed woman had lived, turning up alive a few months after the war. How she had done it Rin could only guess, though there were a few rumors that said she had been taken in and saved by another Priest or Maugs at the last minute and nursed back to health. What impressed Rin though was that she had known Kirei for a long time, he was not the kind to leave someone left for dead at the bottom of a cliff or something, that Bazett had survived in itself was a testament to unusual events.
"Bazett." She said nodding to the tall stern faced woman who was looking back at her carefully. Bazett was a tall woman of impeccable posture and neatness, a willowy figure that was eternally outfitted in a formal three piece suit. Her hair was of an unnatural shade as sometimes occurred among Magi, a trademark of long use of powerful Magecraft, it hung about her head, short and almost startlingly violet, framing her sharp, rather cold face. It was a face that might once have been pretty had it smiled more, though now that chance was probably lost forever as the owner of the face swiftly approached middle age with less than optimal grace.
"Rin Tosaka" Bazett nodded stiffly in return. "I take it that you brought your Servant?"
"Of course." Rin returned crisply. "Lancer is here as well I presume?"
Bazett nodded again and then gestured to one of corridors.
Rin followed the violet haired woman through the inn and then upstairs to passing several doors before she stopped in front of one, ran her card through the lock and stepped inside, the door swinging open with a click.
If Lancer is on the other end of this door waiting to stab me then I'm dead. There's no way around that. The question of weather she being to trusting or not flashed through her mind.
Looking around as she stepped inside, the hotel room was a simple standard two bedroom affair, with nothing to suggest the lair of a Magus and with no Bounded fields and what felt like a single ward it was nothing more than a simple meeting place, probably rented that very day.
"This room has been sound proofed?" Rin asked giving it a quick look around. It was one of those hotel rooms that seemed to be the same no matter where one went, on earth or of of it, earth-toned carpet and pictures of ships at sea hung on the white walls.
"Yes." Bazett said shortly, walking over and and standing by one of the cushy chairs that was set against the wall.
"I see." Rin started, trying to smile. "It's been some years since I last talked with you Miss McRemitz. It's encouraging that someone of your... caliber is in this with us. You wanted to negotiate with me about cooperation?"
"Yes." Bazett said nodding sharply. "I believe that it is time the two of us began to approach this systemically. My Servant is powerful but we lack the ability's to locate the Grail with what we have. You on the other hand are quite suited for things of that nature, while your Archer Servant lacks the power needed to directly assault a stronghold of the strength that the Grail is most likely being held inside."
Rin nodded slowly. In actuality she was quite confidant of Archers ability's, in and out of melee, but there was no reason to let her possible future partner know that.
The fact was that after the Grail War Bazett had gone on to become one of the best Enforcers that the Mages Association had at their disposal, rising beyond competence to becoming something of a legend of her own. The Irish Rune user who would take down any opponent, no mater how skilled or strong, with her martial art's. Be they Human, Magus or even Dead Apostle.
An aliance with one such as her would be a lucrative prospect. One which would allow Rin to support the more combat orientated Master with her powerful Magecraft, while Archer could support Lancer from behind. The artillery that would demolish the enemy before the warhound went in and mopped the floor with whatever was left of the resistance.
"In that case the two of us think alike. We have only so much time before the Magi who govern here lock the city down and force the Crusade to escalate. " Rin said looking Bazett dead in the eye.
The Irish woman nodded back. "For now we will keep in close touch, I will meet you in front of this building tomorrow."
"Understood. From their we can hammer out our battle plan." Rin said.
Slowly the two approached each other, crossing the room tentatively they came within arms distance and extended their hands, shaking formally a few times before letting go.
"Well in that case I need to introduce myself to the new Lady!" A voice suddenly blurt out. With a slight shimmer Lancer suddenly materialized in the air behind Bazett and strode forward boldly toward Rin grinning wildly as he did so.
"Lancer!" Bazett shouted. The next second Lancer stopped, his grin wider than ever as Archer appeared behind Rin in response, his two swords materializing with him but held downward in a non threatening position.
A moment later Lancer's weapon appeared in his hands to, the red shaft of Gea Bolg held at an angle to prevent it from gouging a hole in the ceiling and to keep it in a non threatening position as well.
"So you are the one I'm going to be working with." He said speaking to Archer jovially. "I just hope you are fast enough to keep up."