Author's Notes: Here's another chapter. Again, these will be much shorter in comparison to Time Index. Enjoy the read and review. Thanks.

Chapter 35: Sabers' Betrayal

"Where am I?" Shirou awoke into another black abyss. "Am I dead?"

A man's voice said "If that is what you're wondering, you are not dead."

Shirou asked the voice "Who are you? Where am I?"

"Time is short so listen carefully." Shirou nodded to nothingness in compliance "This message is set to unveil itself when you are about twenty eight years old." That meant around now. ""I'm sure you're noticing special strength recently."

"Yes." Shirou recalled the sudden surge of power from the battle against the Gorgon sisters. He discarded it aside of his mind for awhile.

"That power is the key to open the gateway. Protect it at all cost."

"What gateway?" Shirou asked. He didn't get an answer.

"Stay safe. I wish you good luck, Shirou." The voice echoed to nothing as he woke up to a dark room. He pushed the futon covers off him. He was in the living hall. Did he wake up too early or had the curtains been drawn? He looked around to see Mike sleeping on the couch. He woke up real early then.

He felt a shiver down his spine. The night before, it was utter chaos. From one real battle to an imaginary one, it was certain hectic. After his awakening from the dead, he had been lambasted again and again by the girls in their worry. The guys however didn't do much. Mark was gone by the time, doing something else probably to avoid the expected awkward situation after hostilities. He'll ease it off with a walk and he could use the warm up.

The front door was surprisingly unlocked. He walked along the dark hallways. Dimly lit lights barely illuminate the shapes around him. He took the lift down to ground level. It complied with a ting. He stepped out onto a random path and walked on. He opened his mind to think as his legs do the autonomous work. 'What did the dream mean?' It wasn't a fiction of his imagination. It can't be said to be entirely true either. Whoever or whatever it was, it knows about the strength, this strength that appeared mysteriously, the strength that saved him. How is this strength supposed to be a key? What's so important beyond that gate that it must be protected at all cost? The questions kept piling up with no clear answers in sight. Little did he knew, he had walked quite a distance. To his left was the apartment's tennis court, his right the front entrance. A person was in the court. He went with his curiosity and took a look.

It turned out to be Mark. He was standing straight, feet clasped together. His custom sniper was in his hands. His eyes were closed in concentration. He began to move to the left by twisting his heels. He moved the rifle as though it was tracking an invisible target. A bird chirped from the nearby rooftops. The rifle turned and trained exactly at the bird. Mark was about to pull the trigger when Shirou intervened "Don't shoot the bird." The sniper was now aimed at him. Before he could say a word, Mark pulled the trigger.

Click

Mark grinned as he opened his eyes "Spooked you?"

Shirou stood still for the moment "A bit." After all, Mark gave a death sentence.

"Good enough." The sniper lowered his weapon.

Shirou pointed out. "Aren't you planning to kill me?"

Mark flexed his shoulder as the gun disappeared. "Consider yourself lucky. Your head's been spared thanks to Jessica. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be awake right now."

That was a relief for Shirou. "So what are you going to do now that your soul hunting is done for good?"

"No thanks to you, we'll just have to find another way." He gave Shirou the look "Unless you plan to donate your soul for my cause." He jumped out of the tennis court. "I'm still in the game and I'm not getting myself out anytime soon." The sun now began to crest into the sky. Its sunrise began to give warmth to everything it touches.

Shirou offered "Come, let's get some breakfast."

Mark accepted "Sure, you're making it."

"Hmm?" Rin took a sip of tea. She put it down. "You want a way to transfer mana?"

"Yeap." Jessica nodded. They were at the dining table, chairs cramped around the small table. Archer and Saber were nowhere to be found, invisible to the naked eye.

"Well, there are a few choices." Rin explained. "First is to acquire souls from other people. That's the option you don't want." She counted the choices with her fingers. "Second is to perform a blood transfer. It's quite messy, time consuming and very low value from the effort. Third is to transfer your circuits and probably your best choice. Seeing no Noble Phantasm, he'll be able to last with it for some time."

Mark scowled as he asked "How do we know if she has any magical circuits?"

"There's an easy way to find out." She rummaged through her stuff in a large black bag. She pulled out a sizeable ruby from it. She handed it to Jessica "Swallow this."

Jessica gave the ruby a peculiar look. Nobody eats' a ruby for breakfast. Nevertheless, she swallowed it before saying in disgust "Yucks! It tastes bad."

Shirou chuckled "I know, I had to take it once too." She just stuck her tongue back at him as her reply.

Rin continued with her plan "So, do you feel anything?"

Jessica mulled with herself "Hmm…I don't feel anything…Ugh!" She collapsed onto the table. The rest got quite a surprise.

Mark swore "My God! Don't tell me you've poisoned her!"

"It isn't poisoning you idiot!" Rin shot back. Mark lifted Jessica carefully and laid her down on the sofa. Rin felt her pulse "She's having an adverse reaction since its trying to open her circuits. They were dormant until now." Jessica began thrashing about in frenzy. "Hold her down! It should be almost done!" Mark did as ordered to his distaste.

"I hope you're right on this."

"Trust me, I am." Rin said confidently. True to her word, Jessica's seizure like reaction ebbed to a stop. Her breathing slowed down to normal although remaining unconscious. Rin explained "From such a sudden reaction, she'll be a sleeping beauty for a while." She turned to Shriou "Meanwhile, get her some medicine for sea sickness and headaches. It should be these side effects if any will come."

Mike raised an eyebrow at Ilya "She a doctor or something?"

Ilya shrugged "No idea. Her analysis is spot on though."

Shirou stood up "I'll go get them with our lunch as well." With that said, he was gone.

Mark asked as he sat beside the occupied sofa "How long is a while going to be?"

Rin said "For that…" Her answer was uncertain "It's all up to her now."

Shirou stepped out from the pharmacy, his mission accomplished. Now he just needs to get back to their hideout which shouldn't be a problem. He's just a typical regular person in the rest of Fuyuki city heading out for lunch. It won't be easy to find him. He turned around the corner to see Saber running at him. "Saber, what's wrong?"

Saber spoke in a desperate tone "It's bad, they need you right now! Follow me!"

Shirou was in surprise. "I thought she was just fine!" They ran.

Saber added "The rest are coming to the nearby park, it's urgent to get you there." What on earth just happened to warrant such urgency? Isn't Rin capable of solving the problems on site? Why would they need him? The questions puzzled him. A couple turns later and they reached a mini park. It was empty except for a black van by the road.

Shirou asked "Where are they?" He felt something struck him behind his neck. Electricity coursed through him in the neck. He dropped onto the ground. On his back, he saw Saber carrying a taser gun. He could barely speak "Sa…" She kicked him hard in the face and everything went black.

Saber smiled in satisfaction of her work. The rear doors of the van opened. The man inside the mobile operations van said as another van stopped beside it. "A job well did, Dark Saber.""

Saber pressed against a small round device stitched to the side of the collar of her neck. The thin hologram field around her disappeared. The woman was still a blonde but a shorter fringe line. Her eyes are now blue sapphire. With her bass deep voice, she answered "Shut up David, I'm still Tasya to you."

David shrugged as the other van took Shirou to the rally point for the next phase. "Mission accomplished. Let's give boss the good news."

His head hurts. Everything was dark when Shirou awoke up from his knocked out condition. His eyes were covered with cloth, a blindfold. "Uh…" He groaned as his other senses came to play. His arm and legs were bound together with rope. He felt the environment around him rumble and bounce a little. That meant he was in a transport of some kind, probably a van or truck. Such resources meant Gentech. Blindfolded and tied up, he had no idea where he was going. He pondered on what he could recall from the attack. Saber betrayed me? It felt impossible to him. Why would she betray him to Gentech? What could she benefit from anything Gentech could offer her? They both loved each other, why throw him into the hands of the enemy?

Things are not what they are to be, Shirou realized that. Gentech could have some tricks up their sleeves. The Saber he might have seen could have been an illusion. It might be or not but he won't know until later. Now, he can only hope Saber and the others will notice his disappearance and take proper measures. He suddenly felt tired and his consciousness faded away.

He woke up after some time. How long has it been? He didn't know. He just knew he wasn't in the truck anymore. Still groggy, he smelt something that brought him to his full senses, Urea. It brought him out of his grogginess and he felt his stiff arms and legs. The binds to his legs were released, a little relief but nothing else. A man spoke "Shirou Emiya, it's good to see you're still alive." Shirou kept silent to his interrogator. "Ah, the silent treatment. No matter."

Shirou felt warm breath by his right cheek "I need some answers." Chances of him betraying where the rest are hiding: never. Again, he gave no answer. The voice was amused to his antics. "We'll see how long you last but first things first, the question." Shirou heard a small cap pop as the interrogator demanded "I want you to tell me how to open the gateway." Shirou put the pieces of the puzzle together. Did he mean the gateway in his dreams? Just what gateway is that? Why does Gentech want it from him? How would he even know how to open this gateway that he has no idea about?

His silence was his answer. "We'll have to convince you to answer us." The voice turned to another direction "Doctor, is it ready?"

Another man answered "The solution is ready."

"Put it in him." Shirou felt a prick in his skin before feeling liquid being injected into his shoulder. He showed no emotion as the man continued "I was wishing that you would talk. It would have saved you the misery."

This time Shirou answered "Pain will not bend me to your wishes." He has suffered immense pain again and again. Nothing will break him down.

"Oh, this certainly won't kill you or even hurt you but it would make you wish that you died. Have a fun trip." Shirou began to feel the effects of that drug and so begun his nightmare.