"Archers, counter snipe please!" Andy shouted upon seeing the veritable wall of iron hurtling at them from the Queen Anne's Revenge. "Mash, if they can't you'll need to use your Noble Phantasm, we can't have this ship going down! Everyone else, take cover!"
As soon as Andy gave the order the volley of iron balls were countered by a volley of arrows fired by her two Archers. As soon as the projectiles collided it resulted in a quite literally explosive curtain as the view was temporarily blocked by fire.
"Hmm, as expected of Chiron." Came the comment from Emiya as the two of them walked up beside Andy bows ready to be fired.
"You're not a novice either, your firing technique is excellent," Chiron responded as the two praised each other.
"Save the small talk for later, the enemy is right in front of us. Emiya, can you use any of your sword-arrows from this distance?" Andy asked the red-clad Archer.
Though after she did, Andy heard a booming male voice shout. "Parley! Parley." As the fire disappeared and the two ships were suddenly in spitting distance, and they got a good look at the Servants on board the enemy ship plus.
"This is bad." Came the comment from Chiron, and Andy had to agree for among the Servants stood Achilles.
"Yes, Blackbeard, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Hector of Troy, and Eric Bloodaxe, and lastly Achilles as a Lancer." Said Emiya as he confirmed each of the Servants identities.
"I ask once again Parley, to the Captain of Golden Hind, I wish to negotiate Miss Francis Drake," Blackbeard said once more.
Andy was doing her level best to not freak out at the moment, considering it was fucking Blackbeard (who didn't have a tricorner hat for some reason but had a nasty looking hook thingy) while at sea who also had Achilles on his side in some badass looking gold armor. She decided to ignore that for now though. "Mash, get between the Captain and the enemy in case they pull anything." She ordered telepathically, inactive Claws in hand, figuring even if she took the back seat to the more experienced Drake that by no means meant she had to do nothing.
"Understood Senpai."
"Why, should I negotiate with a scoundrel like yourself?" Drake asked.
"It's not really a negotiation, you give me little Miss Euryale, I won't feed you to the sharks." He stated.
That was followed by a growl from Asterios, who stood protectively in front of the small goddess.
Andy quickly used her Stat-o-Vision on the enemy Servants before deciding on her next course of action.
[spoiler=Blackbeards' Stat Sheet]
True Name: Edward Teach
Class: Rider
Master:-
Parameters:
Strength: B+
Endurance: A
Agility: E
Mana: D
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: C++
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: E
Riding: -
Personal Skills:
Voyager of the Storm: A
Pirate's Glory: B
Gentleman's Love: C
Noble Phantasm:
Queen Anne's Revenge: Revenge of the Queen Anne(Anti-Army): C++
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Anne and Mary]
True Name: Anne Bonny and Mary Read
Class: Rider
Master: Blackbeard
Parameters:
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: A
Mana: E
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: C++
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: D
Riding: -
Personal Skills:
Voyage: A
Marksmanship: B
Combination: C
Noble Phantasm:
Caribbean Free Bird: Wings Abreast as if Trees with Entwined Branches(Anti-Unit): C++
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Hector's Stat Sheet}
True Name: Hector
Class: Lancer
Master: ?
Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B
Riding: B
Personal Skills:
Military Tactics: C+
Proof of Friendship: C
Disengage: B
Noble Phantasm:
Durindana Pilum: Ultimate Unbroken Spear(Anti-Army): A
Durindana Spada: Ultimate Unbroken Sword(Anti-Unit): A
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Achilles' Stat Sheet]
True Name: Achilles
Class: Lancer
Master: Blackbeard
Parameters:
Strength: B+
Endurance: A
Agility: A+
Mana: C
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: A+
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: C
Riding: A
Personal Skills:
Battle Continuation: A
Bravery: A+
Affections of the Goddess: B
Divinity: C
Noble Phantasm:
Dromeus Komētēs (Runner Comet): Comet Form(Anti-Unit(Self): A+
Andreias Amarantos (Heroism's Eternal Man): Amaranth of the Brave(Anti-Unit(Self): B
Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē (Meteor Spear): Spear-tip of the Star Traversing the Skies(Anti-Unit): B+
Akhilleus Kosmos: The Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky(Barrier): A+
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Eric Bloodaxe's Stat Sheet]
True Name: Eric Bloodaxe
Class: Berserker
Master: Blackbeard
Parameters:
Strength: B+
Endurance: B+
Agility: D
Mana: D
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: B
Class Skills:
Mad Enhancement: B
Personal Skills:
Suport Spells: C+
Battle Continuation: B
Noble Phantasm:
Bloodbath Crown: Bloodstained Coronation(Anti-Unit(Self): B
Half-dead Blood Axe: Blood-sipping Bestial Axe(Anti-Unit): C
[/spoiler]
"Here's a counter-offer. You become my Servant, Edward, and we won't brutally murder you." Andy responded.
"Zehahahahaha!" Blackbeard just laughed in response. "You've got a mouth on you girl, but I'm not talking to you, you normie DnD Character reject." He said. "I'm here for my little Loli, to lick her under her sweet armpits like. Reroreroreroero." Motioned with his tongue.
Andy physically recoiled at the insult before anger and disgust welled up inside of her at the rest of his statement. "I see. Then. In that case. BURN!" She said, ordering her Servants to attack while launching a Fire runestone directly at the pirate and using her other hand's flamethrower. She knew against the Servants it would do little, but the wooden ship they were standing on…
"My ship is a fucking Noble Phantasm you stupid bitch, you think you can burn it with fire. Mr. Bloodaxe and men go and get miss Euryale for me." He ordered.
What followed was the Berserker and a crew jumping onto the Golden Hind.
"Okay, we're getting boarded, everybody fight," Drake announced.
"Everyone who isn't an Archer, go for Bloodaxe! Archers, make sure nothing else gets on the ship!" Andy ordered. "Rip Van Winkle." She intoned, and The Claws turned back into the large musket, and she started to deal with the mooks who had boarded the ship, trusting her Servants to be able to handle the Berserker.
Andy fired at the mooks, but when the bullet collided and bodies dropped, they didn't stay around but quickly disappeared from the ship.
She continued to fire and saw that few were hit by heart-shaped arrows and the mooks turned on another.
"Need some help?" Euryale asked as she now stood beside Andy, her small bow in hand.
"Sure, but be careful, Blackbeard said he's here for you after all." She replied while continuing to shoot. "Stick with me for now, if something goes really bad I can Command Seal someone over."
"You idiots don't get hit by her arrows. The next one that does get their head blown off." Andy heard Blackbeard curse.
Which was followed by one of the mooks getting hit by one of Euryales' arrows and then the sound of a gunshot was heard as the hit mook's head disappeared. Though not by the current gun in Andy's hand but the flintlock pistol in Blackbeard's.
"Well, if you gotta get something done you gotta do it yourself." And that was when Andy in the blink of an eye found herself with Blackbeard's hook, and fist, inside her stomach, piercing through Tenfold Shields like it wasn't even there. She didn't even have the time to scream in pain. "Let me tell you a secret girl, me and my ship get stronger the more Servants are on it." His now terrifying voice said. "You're no longer dealing with an ordinary Servant, but a super one."
"One who is dead. La Mort Espoir!" Andy watched as Blackbeard, and his hook was removed from her stomach as was pulled into the Gate looking Guillotine by black hands, causing her to promptly fall onto the ground, head swimming.
"Stay, still Master I shall heal your wound." Andy heard Sanson say, her vision was darkening, and her whole stomach was in pain.
And in a moment it was gone, and her vision was clear to see not a single wound on her stomach. Though there was still a rather sizable hole in her armor now.
She shakily got up with Sanson's assistance. "Th-thanks, Charles. Remind me to thank you properly later." She said, more than a bit woozy. "But, did you get the bastard?"
"That should definitely have… Oh, how the fuck are you still alive?" Sanson cursed.
"Never thought that would happen again," Blackbeard said as he shakily stood up on both legs, though Andy could see a line that circled his neck.
"Third time's the charm then, you sick fuck. Ushi, decapitation time!" Andy yelled, a Command Seal shining before disappearing.
The samurai appeared in a blur and drew her sword only to hear a cling as it collided with Achilles' neck instead of Blackbeard's. "Gotta watch out Captain." The hero said as he kicked Ushi over to them.
But she landed gracefully. "I'm starting to feel like I'm being denied, my heads here." Were her complaint as she took a stance.
"Achilles we're going back, you too Bloodaxe. Oh?" Was all the pirate said as they heard a loud rip, and Eric split in half came flying past them. "Well, Anne sink the ship!" He shouted as Achilles jumped back to the Revenge with Blackbeard.
Followed by a rain of arrows at the two as the sound of wood breaking was heard.
"Enjoy the bottom of the ocean!" Yelled Blackbeard at them as Andy saw Hector jump from their ship, to the Revenge, he must have jumped when she hadn't noticed. Which explained her lack of ranged support.
"GO HOOK YOURSELF, YOU SLIMY MOTHERFUCKER!" She yelled back at the pirate. "Mash, whatever they're about to do, Noble Phantasm, please." She then said to said Shielder, not wanting to deal with a sinking ship and having to get away from the pirate ship.
"To late we're taking in water!" Came the shout from Drake. "We are sinking. Hey big guy what are you doing?" Andy turned her head to see Asterios as he jumped into the ocean, and then ship began to move.
"Holy Shit he is swimming with the ship on his back!" Came the shout of disbelief from Bombe, as they quickly left Blackbeard in the dust.
"Senpai/Master are you wounded?" Asked the concerned voices of her Servants as they all rushed over to her.
She shook her head. "Sanson managed to patch me up, though I think I lost some...a lot of blood," Andy said as she noticed how the spot where she'd been standing before was covered in blood, not to mention her armor. "But, right now, Euryale, how long do you think Asterios can keep this up?" She asked the little goddess, worried both about sinking and about the Berserker in question.
"You speak like he is weak? Of course, my Asterios can do anything, carrying this ship is a simple feat of strength." The Archer of love stated.
"Oh, okay, that's good. I was just thinking if he couldn't do it to the next closest Island I could swap in Martha and have Tarrasque help out." Andy said, relieved to hear Asterios had it covered.
"There is no need for that Master, I can see an Island up ahead, there we can rest, plan, and repair," Chiron stated.
"That's good," Andy said, her vision getting blurrier. "I think I need to sit down, everything's getting shaky."
Xxx
October 5
Andy's eyes opened up, and she found herself laying on Drake's bed in her dress, her armor off.
"Good Morning Senpai," Mash said as she sat beside her, with Fou on her lap, the little critter having finally left his safe space after having retreated into it the day before they had arrived on Asterios' and Euryales island.
"Morning Kouhai," Andy said as she sat up and looked around. "Did we make it?" She asked, the events of the previous day having assaulted her mind the moment she awoke.
"Yes, we made it to land, after you passed out from blood loss, Asterios dragged the ship ashore, and we've been assessing the damage to it. But thanks to Dr. Roman we have found a material to fix it and reinforce it. Though we don't have the means to currently retrieve it without your help Senpai."
Andy blinked owlishly. "¿Por que? Why do you need me to get it?"
"More like we need you to summon Siegfried or George to kill the Great Dragons that are living here so we can use their scales to patch the ship up. Emiya tried, but he got swarmed before he got a chance to kill them." Mash answered.
"Great Dragons? Like are we talking Fafnir-size or just big/strong?" Andy asked.
"Not the same level as Fafnir, but there is like twenty of them inland, that have made a nest plus a hundred or so Wyverns too."
"That's...that's a lot of dragons," Andy said, awestruck and happy at the idea of so many dragons, and so much material to be harvested! "Where's my armor?" She asked excitedly, noting she didn't actually remember taking it off at any point. Nor did she remember going to sleep.
"Took it off while you slept and turned the plugsuit into the dress. It's over there." Mash said as pointed over to Tenfold Shield, which had a fist-sized hole in the front.
"...Well, good thing there's a ton of dragons waiting to be harvested to fix that." Andy said after a moment as she vividly recalled the experience of having the hook jabbed through her abdomen and up into her body. If she hadn't been so tall, she'd have been worried about it hitting her heart. "But hey, now our armor's match," Andy said, trying to distract herself from the phantom pain and the urge to make Blackbeard suffer.
"Please don't joke about that Senpai, you almost died, and if, if it hadn't been for Sanson you would have. And then I would be all alone again." Mash cried. "I'm sorry that I'm such a bad Servant that can't protect you."
Andy pulled the smaller girl into a hug. "It's okay Mash, I'm okay, you're okay. I'm the one who ordered you to stick to Drake, remember? Don't blame yourself for following orders." She said, attempting to sooth Mash, the gravity of what had happened yesterday fully setting in. She really had been on the edge of death. If it hadn't been for Sanson saving her, twice, she'd most likely be dead right now; a sobering thought, but at the moment she was focused on comforting Mash, so she pushed those thoughts aside for now.
"Senpai, could you call up Lily or Alter before you summon Siegfried?" Mash asked, her tone serious now. As she disengaged the hug after a moment.
"Sure, but why...oh," Andy said as she realized the most likely reason why Mash would want to talk to the Once and Future King. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
"Yes, I've been contemplating it during the night, and I realized my wish was selfish, and definitely not worth it. If it means, your life will be less at risk if I do so, I happily give up my desires." She stated.
Andy felt rather conflicted since this was exactly what she had wanted Mash to do, but not like this. She was silent for a moment. "Are you absolutely certain, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you want to do this, and not that you feel obligated to do it?" Andy said.
"I am certain, you're one of the most important people to me, Senpai I wouldn't be able to go on without you."
Andy nodded after a moment as she processed that. "Alright. I can't say no after that. Let's ask Lily." Andy said, dialing up said Servant on the armband built into the plugsuit.
"Ah, hello Master, do you need me for anything?" Lily asked from the projected screen, that the armband had made.
Andy nodded gravely. "Lily, Mash has a very important question for you, and it is a direct order for you to answer her to the best of your abilities, understood?" She said, hating to have to do it like this but not wanting to have to beat around the bush about it.
"Ah, I see she finally wishes to know which of my knights have imparted their power to her?" Lily asked for clarification.
"Yes, I do. Senpai's life was almost brought to an end. And if our enemies keep getting stronger, I need more power to protect Senpai."
"Very well then. First, of the Shield, you carry is not really a shield it is the very core of the Round Table itself. A symbol of Camelot and its walls. The knight that gave you his power is Galahad, the son of Lancelot and the Grail Knight. The purest of our all." She answered.
Andy facepalmed. "No wonder I couldn't find any similar shields in your Myth, it wasn't a shield at all!" She gripped, before realizing this was a groundbreaking moment for Mash and promptly turning towards the still-silent Shielder. "Mash…?"
"... Thank you, Galahad for allowing me to be with Senpai." Mash said as she stood up and in a flash, she was in her Servant outfit. "This…" Mash said as she held up her Round Table shield. "This is Lord Camelot: Castle of the Distant Utopia." Speaking like a revelation had come upon her.
"...What does it do?" Andy asked quietly after a moment, happy to see Mash at what was likely full strength, and better clothed.
"A wall that shall never falter as long as my heart does not waver."
"Oh, wow, a literally unbreakable wall then? That's incredible." Andy said in awe.
"Thank you for the compliment Senpai, and thank you for telling me Lily, now shall we go outside to the others and harvest some reptiles." Mash stated.
"It's the truth, and yeah, lets," Andy responded, newly invigorated at Mash's resolve. "We've got some materials to harvest."
Xxx
The two of them left the ship, and Andy switched out Astolfo for the dragonslayer in the need of doing his job.
The others gave a few more apologies for not assisting then she had been hurt as they walked through the forest that blocked the ship from the dragons.
Though this one was not a tropical one more like, one that would be found in more temperate climates, in the north of the world. Oak and birch surrounded them an all sides, but it was during the walk a sudden squeak was heard from Mash's position or rather her feet.
Mash stepped off of whatever she had stepped on, and Andy saw…
The bear ass of Orion.
"Thought we'd run into you two eventually," Andy said as she picked the bear up and dusted him off. "Sorry about her stepping on you, we weren't expecting to run into you here. Where's your other half?"
"Well, hello to you too, sweetcheeks you're looking rather different than before, pulling a Zeus or what. Whatever can I motorboat you?" The tiny bear asked.
"I can punt you directly into the dragon's nest you perverted plush." Andy said 'calmly.' "Ooh, or better yet, I can take you apart and use you for my next familiar. I'm sure using part of a Saint Graph would make it my best one yet!" She said, faux-cheerily.
"Woah, chill there sister. I've got my Artemis I wouldn't touch you, you're mosquito bites in comparison to her."
"Wrong answer," Andy said, pulling a sewing needle out of her skirt pocket. "One more comment like that and I will very literally, and this I am being 100% sincere about, sew your lips shut."
"..."
"Thank you. I've had enough of creepy perverted Servants lately, I don't need another." Andy said with a slight shudder as the memory of being impaled once more played in her head, unwanted. "Now, where's Artemis? I'd assume you two wouldn't be far apart."
"There you are Darling, thank you for finding him Andrew, or is it something else now with you being a woman. Would you like to join my hunters?" Artemis said as she plucked Orion out of her hands. "Oh, Chiron good to see you, so tragic what happened."
"Lady Artemis." Was all the response the centaur gave.
"Its Andy now, in both forms, and what's this about joining your hunters?" Andy asked interest piqued, as she pocketed the sewing needle.
"Well, with all the femme fatale power you have right now you would have fit right in, but in the current state of the World right, we aren't open to new recruits. But I put in an application for after you die."
"T..thanks?" Andy said, more than a tad confused at whether that was a good thing.
"Anyway, what are you doing on this Island, would have expected you to be fighting that pirate that tried to take me from my Darling." She said as she was choking the bear in her bosom.
"Yeah, we uh, we kinda did. But the ship got wrecked. And I got impaled." Andy said morosely. "Wait, he went after you too? What, is that bastard trying to make a harem of goddesses or something?" She said, her anger at Blackbeard doubling.
"Pfft, if that is true. He is an idiot for trying that, those are demanding as all hell." Said Orion now perched on Artemis' shoulder. "One partner is more than enough for me."
"Thank you, Darling."
"He's definitely some kind of idiot, but there's a reason he was the devil of the seas during his reign," Andy said. It seemed that she was going to have to keep reliving that moment since he kept being brought up. Hopefully, she would be numbed to it soon. "Which means there's probably a reason he wants goddesses. He doesn't have a Master, so he probably has the Grail, so that also means he has some kind of goal in mind."
"That is a good theory Master." Commented Emiya. "From what I can tell he is one of those that plays the fool, so people aren't quite sure what he is going to do next, which makes him dangerous as he has proven himself to be."
"Yeah," Andy said simply. "Is that why you're here, Artemis? Trying to get away from the bastard?"
"We did much earlier and got kinda stranded here, we've been living here since. Just wandering the forest and killing random monsters that have shown up."
"Hmm. Then, would you like to help us kill the dragons here so we can fix our ship, and then kill the bastard?" Andy asked, eager for more allies.
"Sure thing, and as promised we will join you in Chaldea after you retrieve the Grail," Artemis answered, Orion, keeping quiet.
Andy smiled. "Alright then, welcome aboard Artemis, Orion. We're happy to have you with us. But now, I believe it's Harvest Time."
They all made their way into the center of the island where the Dragon nest was, and now thanks to Siegfried, being there and acting as a tank. Andy was happy to watch the massacre that took place while eating some snacks Da Vinci had sent through with Mash.
It didn't take very long for the nest to be exterminated and the corpses dragged back with the help of Asterios back to the ship. Where they spent the entire day fixing up the ship, with the help of Medea after having sent Siegfried back, thanking Andy for the exercise.
And so thanks to the Greek Magus, Drake had learned how to channel the energy of the Grail into her ship to further strengthen the Ship, so that it was about equal to Queen Anne's Revenge.
Though after, she too had finished her job, Medea had been switched back out with Astolfo the paladin happy to be back already. And the leftovers sent back with her, though Andy had kept a bit for something she wanted to test, along with Tenfold Shield for Da Vinci to immediately get it repaired as fast as possible. Hopefully, it would be back as soon as possible.
"So, Captain ready for revenge and round two?" Drake asked as she approached Andy.
"Oh, you bet I am," Andy said from her spot at her temporary workshop, the freshly cleaned bones of the forearms off one of the Great Dragons on the table in front of her, along with some other bits and her sewing machine. "That bastard isn't gonna know what hit him."
"Good, to hear. So do you have a plan for dealing with him and those other bastards you've already dealt with one of them. Well, the big guy did. Tore him in half."
"If all goes well, he'll be able to do that to the bastard too," Andy said. "We're gonna drop some divine retribution on his ass. Literally."
"Again glad to hear. Though the one in gold is going to be a problem, I took a shot at him, and my bullets just bounced off him." Drake said.
"Yeah, that's Achilles. Chiron and Artemis will be dealing with him if we can't sink the Revenge in one go with what I have planned." Andy said. "And we might be able to get Hector to betray the Bastard. He's the only one of the crew who wasn't contracted to him, so I'm willing to bet he's just waiting for the right moment to strike. Especially considering Achilles is there."
"True, thankfully I know my Greek enough to know that is an explosion waiting to happen."
"Yeah, same. The other Servant(s) though, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. I have no idea how to deal with them beyond 'brute force' since I have no idea who they are, so hopefully, they go down with the Buster Call I'm planning." Andy said.
"Sounds, destructive. Well, I'm hitting the hay, it's good to be well rested for the morrow. So sadly no booze for me tonight." Drake said.
"Don't worry, you'll be able to make it to your morning ale," Andy said jokingly. "Oh, right, before I forget, take this." She said, holding out a folded pink scarf.
"What is this?" She asked as she took it.
"Team Scarf. They build morale. And that one is also the test run for actually protecting the neck as well, that's what the runes on it are for. Though I hope you don't mind, I didn't make that one specifically for you, but I figured you'd get more use out of it right now than its intended wearer." Andy explained, a tad embarrassed.
"Hmm, you're beyond adorable you know that? Well thanks for the scarf, at least I know I'm part of the team." She laughed.
Andy's face reddened at the compliment. "W-well, yeah, can't have the Captain dying on us." She said, looking back down at her work to hide her embarrassment.
"Too true. Well like I said before goodnight Andy." Drake said again as she began to walk away.
"Night, Captain," Andy said with a mock salute before turning back to the bones and cloth in front of her. She could stay up a few more hours working on it.
She also didn't want to face sleep without being dead tired, lest she sees herself being impaled again.
