.

.

"There's something wrong," Waver said, as Saber and Lancer walked into the parking garage. "I feel a strange flow of mana. There might be a Servant around here."

Saber and Lancer looked around. At night, the parking garage was like a dark cave, the concrete columns looming high and casting long shadows onto the pavement. Their footsteps echoed as they walked, the soft metal sounds of Saber's armor clanging with each movement.

Waver's eyes widened. "Saber!"

The explosion rocked the parking garage, the force from the blast throwing Saber and Lancer against the wall.

Berserker roared, a hurtling black shape bursting through flames.

"Lancer! Take your Master and look for Irisviel! I shall hold Berserker here!"

They ran up the stairwell, feet pounding on the metal steps. With Lancer's wounded arm and metal sword, Waver knew Lancer would be no match for Berserker in his current state. They would have to face Archer, and even though the thought of having to go up against him made Waver break out in a cold sweat, he knew there might be a chance, especially if Saber managed to kill Berserker.

"My lord, she is here!" Lancer said, and they pushed open the doors of the auditorium.

The doors swung open. The seats of the auditorium seemed to converge on a single point, drawing their eyes to the figure lying prostrate on the stage. Irisviel was lying with her hands folded on her chest, her face the perfect picture of repose. Quietly, Lancer leapt forward, taking two quick bounded steps, before alighting gracefully near the stage in front of him.

Lancer stepped close, and pressed his hand to the pulse-point of Irisviel's neck.

"She's dead," Lancer said. Waver ran toward them. He pressed his hand to Irisviel's neck, his eyes widening at the coldness of her skin beneath his fingers. "My lord. What will you have me do?"

"I don't know," Waver said. There was a sound. They both looked behind them, startled.

"Well, well. I was hoping to see Saber here so that she may bask in the light of my infinite glory! But instead I see two mongrels daring to steal my treasure." Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed.

"Archer," Waver said. Lancer ran in front of him, grabbing his sword and taking a stance. Gilgamesh's mouth stretched into a smile.

"Ho? What's this? You dare challenge me with that pathetic scrap of metal?" Gilgamesh said, and circles of light appeared behind him. "How unsightly. But perhaps you will entertain me while I wait for Saber."

Weapons shot out. Mana swirled around Lancer's blade as he blocked them, metal clanging against metal and knocking them from the air.

"Reinforcement magecraft?" Gilgamesh laughed, delighted, as Lancer swung and Waver held out his arm, a bead of sweat dripping down Waver's forehead. "Oh! But perhaps you mongrels are good enough to pass the time! Bask in it, you worms. Your King has proclaimed you worth!"

"King of Heroes, we have no quarrel with you!" Lancer said. He landed, one arm swung upward, crouching on the ground and holding up his sword. "I beg of you to let my Master pass!"

"I do not remember giving you permission to speak," Gilgamesh said, and a weapon shot out, catching the side of Lancer's thigh.

"Lancer!" Waver said, and he healed him.

"Thank you, my lord, the healing was effective." Lancer picked up his sword.

"'My lord'?" Gilgamesh said. "You dare call that worm your lord while standing in the presence of your King?"

More weapons shot out, stronger weapons with heavier blades. Lancer ran, blocking their path, swinging his arm as the blade of his rapier bent with the movement. Waver's reinforcement magic was growing thin. "Unforgiveable!" Gilgamesh said. "Count your blessings, worm! For I, Gilgamesh, the one true king and only king who has ever existed, will personally repay your insolence with your death!"

"Watch out!" Waver said, as a storm of weapons came barreling toward him. Lancer swung, gritting his teeth and dodging the onslaught. The rapier clanged, the blade bending. Waver's magecraft stretching tight around him.

"You may struggle and you may writhe, and you may try to climb heights more worthy of my greatness! But know that you are just a worm, a worthless insect not fit to crawl around my planet, and that the pinnacle of your life will be when I, the King of Heroes, will strike from on high and snuff out your worthless existence!"

"Lancer!" Waver said, and the blade to Lancer's rapier snapped in half. Lancer's eyes widened.

A shot, slamming through Lancer's right arm, the force of it throwing Lancer's body back. He slammed heavily onto the ground.

"Die," Gilgamesh said, and the array of circles turned toward Lancer, countless speartips aiming at him.

Weapons launched forward. Waver watched as if everything was moving in slow motion. Gilgamesh stood, silhouetted by the glowing gold of the Gates of Babylon, as Lancer crouched beneath him, weapons hurtling toward him in every direction.

And then Waver saw it: the sudden blast of mana, an explosion of light enveloping him. Gilgamesh's eyes widened as his weapons were caught and disintegrated in the blast, a sudden surge of power from the release of the cursed wound on Lancer's left hand. Because beneath them, in the parking garage, Saber had just killed Berserker.

"What is this," Gilgamesh said. Lancer stood, holding both his spears. A haze of golden mana was still glittering around his left arm.

"It seems I'm finally back at my full strength," Lancer said. He took a stance, holding both his spears. "Prepare yourself, King of Heroes. For I shall have to entertain you further."

"Lancer," Waver said. Lancer stood in front of him, the light from the Gates of Babylon silhouetting his body. Lancer had been injured for so long that Waver had forgotten what he was supposed to be like: power and beauty and barely coiled strength, the line of his body curved and ready to spring.

He burst forward, an explosion of muscle and power, striking and slamming into Gilgamesh's weapons. He moved, both spears in hand, all unimaginable speed and strength and surging gyroscope rotation, the slash of a globe spinning about its axis. Breaking free from the onslaught of weapons, Lancer sprinted toward him, spears ready to strike, leaping forward with all the agility of his class.

And Gilgamesh's eyes widened when he realized Lancer was surging toward him, Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe activated, the red spear to cancel the mana of his armor, the golden spear to curse his wound.

But the chains whipped out, slamming into Lancer.

"Lancer!" Waver said. One chain wrapped around Lancer's neck; another around his waist and still more around the wrists of his hands.

"Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, named after my dearest and only friend." Gilgamesh stepped forward, his golden armor clanking with the movement. "To think I had to use it on the likes of you is unforgiveable."

Gae Dearg. Diarmuid craned his neck, his fingers stretching out to brush against the body of his red spear.

"Oh? You want this?" Gilgamesh said, and one well-placed weapon shot out, knocking it away from him. "A cursed spear that cancels mana. Something so ugly it offends me you'd use it on Enkidu."

"Please, King of Heroes," Lancer said. "Do with me what you will, but let my Master go."

"You beg for my mercy after your insolence? Your lack of manners is astonishing."

And another weapon shot out, catching Lancer in the shoulder.

"Lancer!"

"Master, stay back!" Lancer said. He craned his neck toward Waver. "Please get yourself to safety if you can!"

"You are beginning to bore me," Gilgamesh said, and an array of golden circles open around him. "Die like the worm that you are."

Lancer's eyes widened.

The weapon slammed into Waver's back, knocking him sideways. Blood dripped onto Lancer's arm.

"My lord!" Lancer's eyes were wide. Waver had jumped in front of him, taking the brunt of the blow.

Waver coughed, crouching on top of him. He shielded him with his body, wrapping his shoulders with his arms.

"Ho? What is this? A Master protecting his Servant?" Gilgamesh's mouth stretched into a grin. "Wonders never cease to amaze."

"L-Lancer..." Waver coughed. The sword had ripped through his shoulder, probably puncturing a lung, but nothing else vital. All Waver could think of was how much it hurt, his ribs cracking with the effort to breathe.

"My lord!" Lancer said. He struggled through his chains. "Why? Why did you do that? You could have escaped! You could have left me-"

"You really are...an idiot...you know that?"

Waver struggled to talk, the pain in his chest growing from the blood filling his collapsed lung.

"I was just thinking...If he killed you, he'd kill me anyway...and if we were going to die...I didn't want to die being protected...it was my own fight...after all.

And you were always being used, Lancer..." Waver coughed. "I thought maybe this one time...it'd be nice if you weren't."

"My lord," Lancer said. His face was stricken. Waver smiled.

"I was always a crappy mage, anyway," Waver said. "This is the best I can do."

His hand shook as he lifted it, the pain knifing through Waver's shoulder.

"By my command spell, Lancer. I order you to save yourself."

The command spell flashed. Lancer looked like he wanted to cry.

"There," Waver said. "I gave you the last of my mana. Use it to help Saber, if you can."

"How unsightly," Gilgamesh said, and he pointed his weapons toward them. "As if I'd let that dog live long enough to ally with Saber."

"I guess this is goodbye," Waver said, and the Gates of Babylon flooded open.

Weapons shot out.

Waver shut his eyes.

xXx

.

Blood spattered on the wall, the speartip of Gilgamesh's weapon slicing through warm flesh.

But the crest of blood that bloomed was on Lancer's armor.

Waver's eyes widened. Lancer had grabbed Waver, and with the inhuman speed and strength of a Servant, had thrown him down and covered him with his body, the chains of Enkidu going slack as he shielded him and took the brunt of the blow.

"Lancer! Why?" Waver said. "I used a command spell! You should have saved yourself! Why?"

Gilgamesh watched silently, letting the Gates of Babylon close as Lancer coughed and sagged in front of his Master, the chains of Enkidu dissipating around him.

"I would never forgive myself if I abandoned my lord." Lancer smiled. "This was the only way I could save myself."

"You idiot! Why did you do that for? I already made my decision! I was ready to die in this war, I wasn't going to use you like that! I made a promise..." Tears filled Waver's eyes.

"Lancer!" Waver sobbed. "I promised you I wouldn't use you!"

"My sweet, foolish Master." A trickle of blood dripped down the corner of his mouth. "I told you already. In this life, I only wished to serve by your side."

"Idiot!" Waver said. Tears rolled down the side of his face. "You stupid freaking idiot! Why do you always have to sacrifice yourself? Don't you know people care about you!"

Lancer sagged against Waver's chest, and Waver hugged him, gripping the side of Lancer's waist. He could feel Lancer's uneven breathing, the muscles of his back warm and solid and covered with blood.

"You know, my lord. I think I've found my wish."

"Huh?!" Waver's eyes snapped open. Lancer breathed hard, and smiled.

"If I could make one wish, it would be that you live to your utmost. Please do not make the same mistakes I made."

"Lancer," Waver said, and a tear rolled down his face. He wiped his eyes and nodded.

"I promise," Waver said. "I won't take for granted the people I love."

"Good," Lancer said, and he smiled.

"My lord, I have never been so happy," Lancer said, and his body began to fade. "For my lord told me he cares about me..."

And Lancer's body faded, Lancer smiling and closing his eyes.

xXx

.

Waver was alone, blood dripping from the wound in his shoulder. Gilgamesh had been watching the whole scene unfold before him silently, hovering a little while Waver cried over his Servant's body. It wasn't until Lancer disappeared that Gilgamesh stepped forward, the golden plates of his armor jangling quietly.

The boy didn't move, didn't make any sound, as Gilgamesh approached.

How can I be silent, how can I rest, when Enkidu, whom I love, is dust, and I too shall die, and be laid in the earth forever?

"A beautiful tale of friendship, not unlike my own," Gilgamesh said, and Waver lifted his eyes. "You would do well not to forget it."

"You're not going to kill me?" A question that would normally lead to his death, but Gilgamesh regarded him, quietly.

"No," Gilgamesh said, and he shifted into spirit form, golden mana glittering, as the boy fell back on his knees and started to cry.