Subaru sighed, resting his hand on the cracked bricks of the building next to him. Wherever he looked, he couldn't find Satella. He grimaced. That likely wasn't even her name, if her reactions were anything to say about it.
"Well, that just means I have to get her real name this time!" He exclaimed, pushing off the wall, only to stop in confusion when he looked down the hall to his left.
There, standing in the back of the dark alley, was a strange man, if he could even be called that. He was tall, standing straight and still in the shadows. His pristine black shoes sat evenly on the rugged tiles beneath him. His immaculate blue pinstriped suit fit perfectly to his tall, lean frame. He held a large VCR in his black gloved hands. The oddities began when you got to his head. There was a small blue metal hat, a camera lens emerging from it. He had grey goggles on, which...also had cameras on them. He had an obviously fake black beard covering his mouth, with (You won't believe this…) ANOTHER CAMERA IN IT!
Subaru stepped back, shocked by the odd man in front of him. "Who...are you?" He asked, shocked at the appearance of the being in front of him. He could have sworn he had not been there before.
"Is that...a camera?" Subaru asked, his previous questions gone. To his knowledge, no one in this world had any technology nearing his. Could the man be from his home? He started walking forward, cautious steps echoing around the dim alley. "Ar-Are you from Earth?" Subaru asked, voice shaky. Being around this man was making him feel...uneasy.
The man said nothing, remaining unmoving.
Subaru gulped, stepping closer. "Can-can you hear me?"
Suddenly, as soon as Subaru stepped within exactly 1.0102007 French Baguettes of the man, the world stopped. The mechanical eyes the man had began to glow a blinding white, beginning to float in the air, menacingly.
Subaru fell backwards, body trembling as static began to overtake his vision. "W-W-What are you?!" he cried out, his body not replying to his brain's frantic cries to run away from the mystical being before him. "D-Don't hurt me!" He cried, white overtaking everything.
Subaru's eyes shot open, breath hitching as he looked around in terror, which slowly gave way to confusion. The alleyway was normal, as if nothing had ever happened. "Was-Was it all a dream?" He muttered, still scared from what he had seen.
"Hold on." He said, in growing horror. He looked down. "DID I REALLY PISS MYSELF?!" He screamed out in horror, his cries fading in the busy city.
TIME SKIP
Emilia closed her book with a satisfying thunk. "There we go! All my studying is done!" She sighed, relaxing down in her chair, the book lying on the desk in front of her. Now that her preparation for the Royal Election was done, she could check on Subaru's condition. He got hurt by a mob of mabeasts, but as soon as he recovered, he raced after them again!
"Honestly, he can be such a dunderhead." She whispered softly, smiling just thinking of the cheery black-haired boy. "I really do hope he is doing alright." Emilia said, determined to check on him as she pushed herself out of the chair. She straightened her dress, walking quickly to the door, her hand on the doorknob. She paused.
For just a second, she stood unmoving, then she whirled around, ice generating at her fingertips. "I don't know who you are, but I recommend you state your business here in my study." She said, her confident tone making her uncertainty of the situation. A man had appeared in the mansion, but yet no one was coming to assist. He must be quite powerful to sneak past both Roswaal and Beatrice's defences.
The VCR wielding man before her made no move, watching her with a constant gaze.
Emilia stepped forward slowly, her eyes trained on the man as she paced towards him. "Sir, state your duty, or I will retaliate." She said, more icicles generating at the end of her hand, as if to prove her point.
The man remained still.
Emilia stopped. She felt...uneasy of the man, despite him having not even said a single word, every part of her body was telling her to run. She stretched out her now trembling hand to the man. "I-I will shoot!" She stuttered out, breaths beginning to come out erratically.
If anything, the robotic eyes seemed to focus more, as if she had finally warranted it's attention.
"Y-You have three seconds!" Emilia cried out in terror.
"Three!"
No movement.
"Two!"
No movement.
"O-ONE!"
No. Movement.
With a burst, the several icicles produced by the half-elf shot out from her hand, mere inches away from impacting the man.
Suddenly, the man's eyes flashed a bright white right as the icicles impacted, the spears of ice being absorbed in a white glow.
When the light faded, Emilia peeked open her eyes, only for them to blow open in shock and growing horror.
Bread. Long, straight pieces of bread fell to the ground in front of the man, taking the place of her ice projectiles.
She fell backwards, back against the door as she watched the man in terror, her hand trying desperately to open the door behind her, but to no avail. The door remained shut, leaving her to her fate.
"N-No!" Emilia shouted out, her cries becoming desperate as the man seemed to teleport closer and closer, his eyes glowing brighter and brighter. "SUBARU! ROSWAAL! REM! RAM! BEATRICE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She sobbed out, slamming against the door.
The man appeared inches in front of her.
"ANYONE!" Her cries fell on empty ears.
Everything went white.
TIME SKIP
Beatrice sat down with a huff. She had to leave the library unattended, just because the new butler got himself over his head. She sighed, picking up the black book by her side, looking forlornly at the blank pages that once dictated her fate. She narrowed her eyes, other emotions being dashed off of her face.
"Just what stranger has the gall to walk in Betty's library without her permission?" The spirit said, turning her head to look at the man who had suddenly appeared there. He gave no response to her words.
Betty, unperturbed by the man's odd appearance gave an indignant pout. "If you are going to stay here and watch me, then I suppose you'll have to help me with the books." She said, focusing back on the book in her hands.
The man gave a movement of surprise, if one could call it that. His nose gave a slight inhale more powerful than normal.
"I see, madamoiselle." The man finally spoke, in a deep and rich tone, a strange accent in his words. He removed the hat, goggles, and beard, revealing the still masked face of the man beneath. He gave a slight smirk. "You are the first one to not fear my presence, I feel that you would be quite the interesting figure to speak with." The man said respectively, walking in front of Beatrice and sitting down into a lavish chair that appeared under him.
"What would you like to speak of, infact?" Beatrice asked, grateful that this intruder in her quarters was a rather pleasant one.
The man smiled, grabbing a red binded book from a shelf besides him. "The Tales of the Reactionist Discord Server?" He questioned in an amused tone.
Betty sighed. "I'd rather you not read that one, I'd like the only civilized person I've spoken to in a long time to keep his brain functions."
The Spy laughed.