Andrew tapped his foot with every second that passed in a futile attempt to keep track of the time. Every tenth tap he'd count and every sixth count he knew another minute passed. He lost count after three hours, at least his mind game was able to keep him occupied in the endless boredom that the cell brought him. He rested his head on the wall behind him. He could feel his magic circuits starting to activate again, Gil couldn't materialize just yet so his escape was going to take a bit longer. He could however talk to the servant now. "So what do you think of that guy?"

"He knows too much." The disembodied voice of Gilgamesh replied. "The only way he should be able to know any of that was if he was actually there."

"Yeah." Andrew said closing his eyes. "One of us would've sensed him though."

"What are you going to do about Alliasviel?" Gilgamesh asked.

"I don't know." Andrew said, but it was just louder than a whisper. "Guess you were right all along, she was just a doll."

"You just thought she could be your doll?"

Andrew winced at the thought. "I never wanted that. I'm not a possessive person, but if she wanted me to be hers, I don't think I would've minded that." A small smile graced his lips as he imagined that life for himself before he shook his head. "He seemed confident that I'd get out."

"He also seemed confident that you'd die." Gil pointed out.

"Well one for two isn't bad." He said struggling against the chains. "Any idea how much longer until you're able to materialize?"

"Who knows?" The servant asked. "Could be hours, could be days."

"I just need to push it all through my system." Andrew said as his eyes widened. "My body isn't weak, just my magic circuits." He looked around before he started to shake his body violently.

"What are you doing?"

"If I get my heart rate up I should be able to push the poison out faster. Then you can break me out of here, then we can get the others."

"We won't need it." Gilgamesh replied causing Andrew to raise an eyebrow.

In the next instant the wall in front of them burst open. "Hail young master of the King of Heroes!" A massive man with red hair shouted as he held a hand up in greeting.

"What took you so long?" Gilgamesh's voice asked the servant in front of them.

"We had other matters to attend to." The man said dismounting from his chariot and walking towards Andrew with sword in hand. He raised the blade over his head and brought it down on top of the chains freeing Andrew's arms.

"What's going on?" The mage asked before he was handed a small vile by the massive servant.

"Take this. Young Waver will be able to tell you more than I." Rider said as he turned his back.

Andrew looked at the vile quizzically. "Trust him." Gilgamesh said to the mage who upon his servant's nudging drank the concoction.

"Oh god!" Andrew winced as he threw the empty bottle at the wall. "What the hell is that?"

"I believe he said it was a mixture of toad and slug slime. With a hint of snake venom." Rider said putting his hand on his chin. Andrew's faced paled as he felt all of his magic circuits come to life causing Gilgamesh to appear beside him. Rider smiled at the fellow king. "I thought you said that you've only ever had one companion, and that would never change."

Gilgamesh didn't reply, instead he just shrugged his shoulders. Andrew wiped his mouth before looking at both servants. "We need to get the others out of here." He said as he walked towards the door. "We also need to get my gear." A golden circle appeared by his hand and he drew the blade looking at the other two.

"Oh." Rider said scratching his chin. "You must truly be a worth mage."

"Thanks." Was Andrew's only response as he walked towards the now destroyed door. He looked around the hall and saw that he was inside and damp stone hallway. "How do we find the others?"

"My master is already hard at work." Rider said proudly. "He told me to make sure that the two of you make it out of here."

"I don't know about you." Gilgamesh said crossing his arms. "But I don't want to leave this place until I'm given answers. What about you?" Andrew nodded his head as he walked down the hallway. "Don't blink King of Conquerors, you just might miss it." The golden servant said as he followed the young mage.

XXXX

Alia stood stiff in her grandfather's lab. She knew what was going to happen next. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. During her adventures with the other mages she didn't know any of it, but now she knew everything. Her eyes widened as she heard screams coming from outside of the room.

Andrew ducked under a swing from one of the homunculi. "Times Two!" He screamed as he brought his sword through the woman's torso with the strength of a servant. He continued to run at full speed. He knew exactly where the old man would be, and that was all he cared about. He saw a golden sword fly past his head and strike an Einzbern who was waiting to strike from the shadows. He didn't have the patience to thank the servant. Right now he felt the blood lust within him awakening once again.

He leapt high into the air as he saw a mass of combatants between himself and the door he wanted to access. "Times Three!" He screamed as he raised the sword above his head. His entire body felt like it was being electrocuted. As he came down to the ground he slammed the blade into the ground creating a shockwave that hurled the fighters away from himself. He spun on his heel as he blocked a halberd with his sword. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun that he fired at the woman's heart. He turned again and saw that they were taking a formation to surround him.

He grit his teeth as he spun the blade in his hand. "I'm ready whenever you are." He said as he put the blade in a backhanded position before charging forward. He dropped to his knees mid-sprint and slid across the ground slicing at their legs taking each of them out with swing after swing. He popped up to his feet and spun through the air as he aimed his pistol. "Times Two." He said slowing himself in the air. He aimed his gun and took the remaining shots he needed to eliminate the homunculi didn't hadn't already mauled. He landed on the ground turned properly towards the door once again.

"Well now." Rider said loudly as he clapped Gilgamesh on the back. "It seems that he really is something."

"If you touch me again, I'll kill you again." Gilgamesh said as he followed Andrew stepping through the pools of blood. He looked down as he saw one of the dolls grab onto his pant leg. His face twisted into an image of disgust before a golden axe slammed down on her back.

XXXX

Alia watched the door sadly. Things had grown silent, and she really didn't think her Andrew could defeat that many of her sisters. "He was a fool." Acht said as he turned another page of the massive tome he was reading. "As were his other companions. The Emiya brat was just like his father, an idealist crushed by the weight of his responsibilities. You're better off my darling." He said walking towards her once again. He reached his hand out but stopped when he heard the door slam open.

"Don't you touch her!" Andrew screamed pointing a gun at the man.

"Well." Acht said standing up straight and putting his hands behind his back. "You're much more impressive than Alliasviel had originally told me."

"I get that a lot." Andrew said keeping the gun trained on the man's heart. "Tell me, was any of it real?" He asked."

"Real?" Acht mocked. "She's not even human boy, what does it matter to you what she felt?"

Andrew fired a shot near the man's feet. "That's not what I asked." His eyes looked past the man at the immobile and emotionless Alia.

She wanted to scream out for him but her body was held in place by her own magic circuits. She couldn't even smile at the sight of him.

He grimaced as he pointed the gun back at the man. "Now answer my question."

"She did operate with a something that could be called free will." Acht said turning around and walking towards his table. "Irisviel did her job perfectly, the mistake was mine alone in choosing Kiritsugu Emiya. Illyasviel however was too independent, another mistake on my part, only it was in her design. Irisviel needed others, while Illyasviel only needed her servant. So instead I decided to create a servant that existed in the middle. Alliasviel was to be my perfect creation, and then the day came when Angra Mainyu's new master revealed himself to me. He talked about things he had no business knowing and left me no choice but to listen to him. Angra Mainyu was our best hope of winning the Grail, but he failed. Or did he?" He turned back to look at Andrew. "Do you know what happens to a servant when they die in a normal Grail war?"

"They become a part of the Grail." Andrew replied. "Powering it for the wish to be made."

"When Avenger died he was the first to join with the Grail in the Third war. So he was alone inside of it and because it was unstable with nothing but vile evil inside it was tainted forever. But that taint persisted throughout the Fourth and even into the Fifth war. Your servant knows all this already, and Kiritsugu had his suspicions I'm assuming, if he did not know outright. So in reality the Third War never really ended and we can obtain the Grail for the Einzberns." He said clenching his wrinkly old fist.

"So that's what this all is?" Andrew asked as he tightened his grip on the gun. "You're siding with a mad man that's plunging the world into madness for what, prestige, honor?"

"Something even greater." Acht said walking towards Alia again. "Knowledge. If we use the Grail to reach the Root then I will possess all of the keys to the world."

Just as Andrew was about to pull the trigger he heard a gunshot go off and the old man clutch his shoulder. "Sorry." Came Assassin's voice as he walked out of the shadows, his hood down, revealing his ashen white hair. "That was my shot." He unloaded the gun before putting another round in.

Andrew knew what that gun did, and the screams that followed were further proof. "God damn you, you filthy servant!" Acht screamed as he fell to his knees. "Do you have any idea what you've done? You've doomed this house, the house of your wife, the house of your daughter!"

"This house is the reason they're dead." He said before pulling the trigger again striking the man between the eyes.

Andrew lowered the gun and looked closely at Alia. She still stood there motionless. "What do I do now?" He asked the white-haired servant. Kiritsugu said nothing as he unloaded the gun and walked towards the door. Andrew put the gun back into the holster hidden in his jacket. He dropped the sword on the ground before it disappeared like its true owner. The mage stood in front of the girl. "Was any of it real?" He asked the lifeless doll, or so he thought.

"Yes!" Alia screamed in her mind but her body didn't move. "Andrew!" She screamed in her mind, but continue to stand silently.

Andrew tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he looked at the blank doll in front of him. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you got roped up in all of this. And if I'm being honest, I'd do it all over again." His eyes moistened and he had to wipe the moisture from his eyes with his sleeve. "I'm sorry." He said as tears started to fall freely. "Some hero I am. I've never really saved anyone. I've killed plenty in the name of being a hero. But actually saving someone, that's something I've never done." He looked into her eyes with hardened commitment. "I'm going to stop him, no matter what it takes, no matter what he's planning I won't let him win. I won't lose you for nothing." He said as he put his hand on her shoulder. He couldn't hold himself back anymore and he pulled the lifeless doll into a full embrace.

Alia felt herself starting to cry, only it wasn't just inside herself. Her eyes were actually starting to tear up. "Damn it!" She screamed fighting her internal prison. She wouldn't let it end this way, her trapped inside of herself for all eternity. If she was going to do anything she was going to stand with him as he fought for his life.

"Fight!" She heard a whisper in the back of her head. "Come on, don't give up. I'll never get to keep my promise!"

Andrew was about to pull away when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his body. He looked down in shock as he saw those perfect red eyes looking up at him. Only now the blank nothingness was replaced with tears of joy. "Andrew!" She shouted as she rubbed her face into his chest.

"I'm right here." He said resting his head on top of hers.

Outside the room the King of Heroes smiled as he shut the door for the two of them.