AN: Again, another chapter. Bragging rights to anyone who could guess the Servants mentioned here.
Word of warning, this is another chapter un-beta'd. I might look over this later, since right now, it seemed all right in my eyes.
-Queen Of The Cards-
"So, I have to die in order to save the world," she mused as the old man finished bandaging her.
It came as a shock for both of them that, upon deactivating her powers, wounds began to appear all over her body. Good thing there was a well-stocked medical kit close by, otherwise, the bleeding would have continued. Right now, she was lying on a couch, the covers now dyed red with her blood. She had probably spent an hour listening as to how much her world is in danger; and the secret war that she had unwittingly become a part of.
"Afraid so," the man, who introduced himself as Zelretch, confirmed, "The power sealed inside that sword, if released, has the potential to destroy anything that you deem to be a threat to what you care for. The only problem with La Pucelle is that the requirement for its activation is your life. Personally, I think that is too high a price."
"Hmm…" she merely hummed, deep in thoughts.
"Look, let me try changing the Servant imprinted in the Class Card," Zelretch offered, "There is still another Ruler I could exchange it with. It's still the same class and gender, and the fact I haven't been booted out yet meant that I'm not committing any violation."
"No," she replied, "I'm keeping this card. I can feel it. This card is meant to be mine."
"But the price-."
"I will pay the price," she looked at him straight in the eye, "I doubt anyone would miss me. I have no friends anymore, Emma's left me, my dad often leaves me and spends most of his time at work, I can't stand staying at home with an impostor of my mom, and school doesn't really matter to me anymore. So yeah, I can afford to sacrifice myself. Maybe, this way, I can finally do something useful with my life. It's just pitiful for me, as it is."
The old man stared at her, mouth agape.
"I- I don't know what to say," he was shocked, "that's pretty heroic of you. Such sacrifice."
She glared at him
"Don't think that I'm doing this because I want to be a hero," she said at him acidly, "There's nothing heroic in what I'm doing. I just want my misery to end. I'm not a messiah like Scion."
Hearing the last word, Zelretch winced.
"Yeah, about that," he hedged, "There is something else you need to know, aside from the War."
"And what's that?"
"The real enemy, the one whose ultimate aim is to destroy not just your world but all the worlds," Zelretch began, "is Scion."
She blinked owlishly, "…what?"
"I haven't reached that part yet of my narrative. Please bear with me, dear."
Chapter 10: A Glimpse Into Their Actions
Das Reinblut Headquarters
Location Unknown
Time Unknown
Stepping through the massive double-doors, Foreigner walked steadily towards the alcove that served as the gathering place of her family. Dismissing her Install state, the card holder fluffed her shoulder-length blonde hair.
"How did the meeting go, Mother?" a young woman greeted her.
Except for her age and pixie cut, the speaker was practically the mirror image of her mother.
"Just as expected, Tiffany," Karla Hoss replied, "Lancer and Alter-Ego will be making their own moves against Ruler. While it irks me that we have no follow-up action against her for Henrietta's defeat, it does give us time to implement some more of our plans. Just be ready to handle the take-over of Medhall once you've dealt with Max."
"Don't worry, Mother," Tiffany bowed, "I'll endeavor that my actions meet your approval."
"Good," Karla smiled, "You really are one of my daughters."
Tiffany smiled at her mother's acknowledgment.
They both turned as another young woman entered, this one sporting braided hair.
"I hope those plans include mine, Mother," Laura Hoss called out, "I'd hate to discover that I've wasted my time talking to investors and not see a single penny."
"Is money all that you're concerned about, Laura?" Tiffany scoffed, "That makes you no different from the Traders."
"Oh, dear sister, let me tell you this," Laura draped her arm over the other woman's shoulder, "The world is too brief to not be enjoyed to the fullest. It so happened that my desire for money is my greatest form of enjoyment."
"Says the CEO," Tiffany shrugged the arm off, "I can't tell if it's you that's talking or your Class Card."
"Why not both?" Laura grinned, "We both like money a lot. Greed is good for your health."
"That's enough, you two," a third young woman entered, whose hair was tied in a ponytail and was wearing a lab coat.
"Ah, Emilia," Karla greeted, "Good to see you, I take it that the vector has been finalized."
"Yes, Mother," Emilia replied, "Unfortunately, there is a complication. You should read this."
She handed Karla a folder containing a thick bundle of documents. The Hoss matriarch began to scan the pages, abruptly stopping on one page.
"Are you serious?" she glanced at her daughter.
"Very."
"Why was this not factored in? We cannot make any changes now, with the War in full swing."
"I just got the full results of our research," Emilia grimaced, "We made a mistake. She's not a Bio-Striker focused on healing, she's a Bio-Tinker that spends time healing. What's worse, she's not only immune to our vector, she can immediately create a counter for it."
"Well, the answer's easy," Tiffany sniffed, "Let's just kill her then."
"And give Ruler the chance to rally allies to her side?" Emilia glared at her sister, "Our plans hinge on depriving Ruler of that very advantage."
"Hmm," Karla was pensive for a moment, "No need to worry. Let's just implement Plan Delta, using variation seven."
The three other women stared at their mother.
"What?" Tiffany was gobsmacked, "But that would give our opponents the advantage, Mother. Please reconsider. Let me deal with this problem. Ruler's death can be ours."
"No," Karla looked at them all, "If Henrietta's defeat is any indication, Ruler can overcome whoever the Fellowship and the Traders send against her at the moment. Besides, if we implement this plan, we can guarantee that Ruler loses her home field advantage and whatever support she has. She'll be wasting all her energy and effort defending herself against the PRT and Protectorate. At the same time, she'll be drawing the attention of the two agencies away from what we're preparing in Brockton Bay. Two birds with one stone. We just need to wait."
"Maybe we should ask Beatrice for help," Emilia suggested.
"Not for now, Emilia," Karla replied, "One should not awaken a sleeping Beauty, lest the Beast comes out to play. Let your sister slumber some more. Her task is yet to come."
Brockton Bay South Cemetery
Downtown Coast
7:00 a.m.
Zelretch sighed as he entered the side door of the old chapel. When he woke up that day, he was fully expecting his housekeeper to be eating breakfast with him. Except that, on the table was a covered plate with a note that she'd be in her Base, which meant that she had left at least two hours earlier.
"Doesn't that girl know the meaning of sleep?" he muttered.
Just as he stepped down to the basement, where Taylor's workplace and armory was located, he heard a loudtwangwhich was followed by an arrow getting lodged on a wall beside his head. Staring at the arrow and then turning to the source, he saw a wincing Taylor holding a bow.
"That wasn't on purpose!" she said.
"And, what was it that you had in mind?" Zelretch raised an eyebrow.
"Well," Taylor began, "since I've got Archer now, I should start polishing my archery skills. I know I'm good with guns, but the tactile feel of the bow and the manual aiming with it is something I'm still working on."
"And you thought it a good idea to practice shooting in your laboratory?"
"I was doing something else earlier!"
"Let me guess," Zelretch crossed his arms, "You got distracted by the bow and decided to start shooting on the spot. What about the rule of no violence on sacred ground?"
"Oh, that?" Taylor shrugged, "I have no intention of fighting anyone here. Besides, this could be counted simply as me playing with my toys."
Zelretch sighed, "Of course you were. What were you doing here so early in the morning, anyway?"
"Ah, about that," Taylor placed the bow on its rack and went to a work table, "I was examining the Mystic Code I've recovered in Wilson Avenue. It's pretty nifty, if you ask me. Aside from the water that contains suspended copper powder oxidized to turn blue, you'd actually think that it's just an ordinary liquor flask. But, if you run mana through it-."
With the veins on her hand glowing electric blue, she grasped the bottle's mouth. Runic inscriptions began to glow all over its surface.
"- It's actually a cleverly concealed mobile boundary field," she smiled at the old man, "One that's designed to suppress the powers of capes. This does raise the question on how effective Magecraft is when it comes to dealing with parahuman powers. Probably something you might want to explore. The implications are fascinating."
Zelretch was indeed intrigued.
Just from the bottle Taylor held, there would be plenty to study about. Normally, bounded fields were complicated to set up, and were usually used in places where the caster regularly stays, like his Workshop or residence, and were connected to the land's leylines. But the ones on Earth Bet were developed quite differently, focused more on portability and flexibility. One such device was held by Taylor.
"Very interesting," the Kaleidoscope rubbed his chin, "It shows just how diverse Magecraft can be, given a certain environment. Here, the mana is rich, and performing magic has a ridiculously lower cost compared to other worlds. And the local Mystic Codes have very interesting applications that can be taught back in the Clock Tower."
"Yeah," Taylor nodded, "It's just a shame that the practice of Magecraft disappeared here. Rediscovering such techniques can be a pain unless I've got some guide or lead. And it's something that's being used against me right now."
It was a valid complaint.
For some reason, the use of Magecraft stopped more than a thousand years ago. Zelretch was in the process of finding out the cause, and its implications on Thaumaturgical evolution, when he discovered Scion's presence and plans. Since then, most of his focus was spent ensuring that the one countermeasure to the entity, which was Taylor, was prepared for the eventual conflict. But he had to concentrate on the Holy Grail War for now. Given what he was able to gather, Zelretch realized that Taylor's opponents were able to uncover the secrets of performing magecraft once more.
"Then again," Taylor spoke again, "looking at all the Mystic Codes we've seen so far, it seems like a lot of focus was spent on making them look as ordinary as possible. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew some detection spells, such items would be mistaken as regular objects. Maybe that's the reason for the gradual decline of Magecraft. The practice was so hidden, most of the actual processes were lost in every generation."
"While your theory has some merit, Taylor," Zelretch said, "It doesn't seem to explain as to why all magic usage stopped so suddenly. If we examine events that may have been influenced by magic, you will note that all magecraft appeared to have ceased within a decade. That's too quick to be normal."
"Well, if you put it that way," Taylor shrugged, returning the flask back to the work table, "Why'd you come here, anyway? I'll be on my way back to the mansion an hour from now."
"Two reasons," Zelretch shook his head, "One, I've scheduled a trip for the two of us. There is this artifact I'd like you to examine, since it may help in crafting your own mystic codes and traps with greater speed. That will greatly help you with your battles in Brockton Bay. Incidentally, my colleagues at the Museum may have arranged for a series of seminars which will occupy the time of your teachers in Winslow. Your absence this Wednesday will not be noticed."
"Wednesday, on the 23rd, right?" Taylor snickered, "Good thing it's no longer Valentine's Day, or I'd be joking that you're trying to get me on a date."
The way Zelretch stared at her caused the teenager to break down into laughter.
"Anyway," Taylor wiped away some tears, "what's the second reason?"
This time, it was Zelretch's turn to snicker, "The mere fact that you said you're coming back to the mansion later means that you forgot that you're supposed to be at little Dinah's house by eight. I knew you'd be preoccupied the moment I saw that note at the dining table."
Hearing that, Taylor's face began to pale. Finally looking at the wall clock, she scrambled to gather her things.
"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" she rushed up to the basement stairs, "Old man, please lock everything up. I really got to go now, bye!"
"No need to rush, Taylor!" Zelretch called out with a smile.
Ah, it was days like these that reminded the aging magician that the girl still has a lot of life left in her. In a way, it was a relief compared to how Taylor looked when they first met. At least, even for a while, she could be just another hard-working girl who simply loved her job, a girl who was also equally loved by those around her.
Whenthatday finally comes, it would certainly be the saddest moment of his life. He just wished he could do more for such a remarkable girl. And despite Taylor's claims to the contrary, there was only one word that he could use to describe her.
A Hero.
Granny Muriel's Café
Boardwalk
3:30 p.m.
Emma Barnes blew a stray strand away from her face as she nursed a large cup of tea by the open air section. It was good, no doubt about it, since Granny Muriel was well-known for her coffee and tea, but the teenager's mind was pretty much pre-occupied by something else.
It had been days after the Wilson Avenue attack, and she was getting antsy. She can't exactly complain since it was mandatory for Wards involved in events like this. Then again, her anxiety stemmed from not being out in the field, hunting down preys that target those weaker than them.
She and Sophia definitely had different ideas on who to classify as prey, since the latter tends to include people like Taylor, but they do agree that those on the streets are the ones they need to put down. Emma just wished that she could do something, to make a difference. Better yet, find a way to finally make Taylor snap and beat her up.
At least it would prove her friend's strength and soothe her own guilt, as well as finally convince Sophia that her best friend was just like them. She really hated the fiasco that was D-Day. Then again, it was a gambit doomed to fail since it depended on Taylor reacting just as Emma assumed – which the former didn't.
The sound of another large cup of tea being placed on the table, plus a person sitting down, caught Emma's attention.
"Hey, this table is occup-," Emma stared at the newcomer, "Well, what you do know? Taylor can actually afford buying her own cup of tea. What's that for? Calming yourself down? Or maybe you're about to cry for one week straight again?"
A sigh.
"Damn it, Taylor!" Emma furiously thought, "Why are you just sighing like that? You should be beating me up already. I know that's a hot button for you. So go, beat me up now!"
"Really, Emma?" Taylor deadpanned, "You expect me to react explosively to that comment of yours here at Granny Muriel's? Do you want her to come over here and give us the spanking of a lifetime? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be reminded of it."
Emma internally winced. Yeah, that was a dumb move. Granny Muriel knew them since they were children, and was often their babysitter whenever their parents weren't around. She had to go to the West Coast about a year ago to visit children, though, so it was only recently that her café had reopened.
"And what brings you here then?" Emma sneered, "Granny doesn't exactly sell her teas cheap."
"Seriously, Emma," Taylor shook her head, "Buying a cup of tea isn't something that'll break the bank for me. A housekeeper's job pays well, maybe not as good as your modelling job, but it pays. But that's not why I'm here."
She leaned closer at Emma.
"I just wanted to talk to you, one-on-one," she continued, "Without Sophia checking my mouth or Madison ruining my attempts at conversation. I just need to ask you a question."
Emma rolled her eyes, "And what is that question?"
"What happened to you while I was in nature camp?"
Emma froze. Unbidden, memories of that night came to the fore. Of the darkness, the laughter, the tearing clothes, and the pain. It took her an extreme amount of effort to control her emotions. She refused to show weakness in front of Taylor. No, never in front of Taylor. She had to be strong, so that her friend would know what being strong was.
"Nothing," Emma gritted her teeth, "Nothing happened to me. I just realized how much of a baggage you are to my life. How you kept clinging to me, pulling me down. I just realized that I need to cut you off from my life."
There, suitably worded to anger Taylor. Maybe she'll finally demand payback once they return to school. A cat fight would be a mess, but at least it would reveal to everyone Taylor's strength.
Taylor sipped her tea, took her time to reply. When she did, it was in an exasperated voice.
"Do you really think I'm stupid?" she asked, "I don't know what's gotten into you, Emma, but only an idiot wouldn't notice that the way you're pushing me to fight you. Why's that? And what's so necessary about getting me all riled up? I've been thinking about that since last year, but until now I still don't see what could have gotten you to where you are today."
What? Taylor actually knew her tactic? Damn it. No wonder Taylor wouldn't react like she was expected to. That meant all her efforts were actually pointless.
"Then again, it's a good thing that Anne told me what happened," Taylor sighed.
Emma's temper flared. That damned sister of hers! How dare she tattle on her, and to Taylor, no less.
"Anne told you?" Emma asked flatly.
"The night before Halloween Hell," Taylor shrugged, "Sure gave me nightmares all through the night. She said that it's my right, since I'm family."
She tilted her head.
"Funny thing is, that's precisely what Aunt Zoe and Uncle Alan told me when I delivered groceries to them just two weeks ago. Remember Old Antonio, the grocer? He strained his back that time so I offered my services. In other words, the three of them have no idea what you're doing to me."
She finished her tea, as Emma began to grip her own tightly.
"There's something really wrong with you, Emma," Taylor declared, "You should get some help."
"I don't need HELP!" Emma snapped, slamming her cup on the table.
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Something wrong there, little Em?" Granny Muriel called out from the bar, eying them with a raised eyebrow.
That's not a good sign.
"Nothing, Granny Muriel," Taylor smiled, "I was just teasing Emma here, you know."
"I know," the old proprietor shook her head, "which means you need to stop, now, little Tay, or I will give you a spanking. I don't care how old you are, you shouldn't pick on your friend."
"Sorry, Granny, won't happen again, promise."
Granny Muriel nodded, then turned her attention back to her coffee-brewing.
"I don't need help," Emma hissed at Taylor, "And even if I do, why should I do that for you?"
"You're not doing it for me," Taylor shook her head, "You're doing it for yourself. Because that is the best thing you can ever do to get back on your feet. I don't know what's going on exactly in that head of yours, but whatever you've been doing to me, it has to stop now."
"Make me," Emma challenged, secretly hoping that Taylor would finally fight her.
"I already did," Taylor sighed, and then stood up, "Now it's your turn. Do yourself a favor and choose wisely, finally."
There was a moment of silence between the two.
"Farewell, Emma," Taylor finally said before she left.
Had she looked back a moment later, she would have seen Emma's look of concern for her.
Baumann Parahuman Containment Center
Cellblock W
Time unknown
"Would you care to humor me, Marquis?" a young girl spoke before sipping tea, "It's been days since I noticed your care-worn expression. What seemed to bother you? We may not see eye to eye at times, but that shouldn't stop us from extending assistance whenever possible. As your guest, I shall endeavor that my efforts relieve you of your ails."
"Nothing much, Milady," a tall, lean man with long dark hair answered, "I just heard some disturbing news, which helped me realize something."
"And that is?"
"My wife's murderer will be returning to Brockton Bay."
Glaistig Uaine blinked, "Apologies if I may have misheard, but did you just say 'your wife's murderer'? I seem to recall you claiming that she passed away from cancer."
"I did," Marquis admitted, "Only for the sake of preserving a lie. For the truth is much more dangerous. I had hoped that my sweet little Amelia be spared from this travesty. Alas, it seemed not be the case, if what I'm hearing from news reports could be believed."
"I take it that you know who took the life of your beloved?" the Faerie Queen sipped her tea.
"I do."
"And yet you did not seek vengeance? That's unexpected of you."
"I doubt that I could stand a chance fighting against someone who defeated my wife," Marquis sighed, "She was such a hellion in battle. She had been fighting off her pursuers for years before she met me. We fell in love. Bore me a daughter. Gave me a new appreciation for life. She will forever be my Saber."
He looked at his companion steadily.
"I was about to leave with Amelia after her mother was killed," he began to grip his tea cup tightly, "But the damned Brockton Bay Brigade came for me that night. Then again, it was a shock in itself. The only way they would have known my true identity was by betrayal or espionage. All-Father will never do that to me. We have an understanding there. But when I heard that his daughter was killed, by the same hands as my wife's killer, I understood. So, I surrendered, asking those heroes to take in and protect my daughter."
"Then why claim the kill? Wouldn't that endanger your Amelia?"
"All-Father and his son know the truth," Marquis scoffed, "By saying I killed Iron Rain, I'm also warning them that I've been dealt with as well, that they should be careful. Das Reinblut reaches deep. It is not certain where it ends. I just hope that the Brigade has treated my daughter well these years. She's quite the healer now, from what I hear. I'm so proud of her."
Marquis closed his eyes.
"If my beloved's stories are true," he began, "War will tear Brockton Bay apart, most likely endangering our daughter. I could only hope that this guardian, this Ruler that she's been dreaming about, will be able to stand her ground. If this Foreigner had been any indication, then Ruler will have a difficult battle ahead."
He opened his eyes.
"For there is nothing I could do from here."