Hello my ever lovely peeps!

So, double update in one day yet again. Damn i'm on a roll aren't i and even though their short chapters, it still counts as i'm progressing the story further and further. So in this one, we're going to take a small peek into Xero's past and what helped define him, into becoming who he is today. As always i own nothing.

So please read, review and "What the fuc-BOOM"

Interlude: You Either Die A Hero Or Live Long Enough To Become The Villain

Subject: Pseudo Singularity

Year: 2060

Date: July 4 Independence Day

Location: Washington DC Catacombs

Xero and Artoria silently followed the older version of Gudako down the stone stare casing. The redhead looked like she had seen better days, as her clothes were ripped and torn with blood stains on it. Her hair was dirty and ratty with dark bags under her eyes as a sign of lack of sleep. However the older version carried herself with an air of confidence and pride but at the same time, she looked frail and tired.

The three were traveling through very old catacombs.

The possible future the master and Servant duo found themselves, was nothing short of a living nightmare. A future where Magi were widely known and while they had their own nation, they were hunted and persecuted by EVERYONE in the world. In their desperation to survive, they all united under a single banner, the man they were going to see.

Not just Magi either but people who sympathize with them, meta-humans and even mutants!

This was shocking, as Magi tend to be paranoid bunch and even when they work together, it is more then likely for their partner to kill the other, rather then their enemies.

So, why did Xero feel a sense of dread pooling into his stomach?

"He's in here. But be warned...you won't like what you find."

Before either master or Servant could question the former master, she left swiftly, making the pair look at one another. That was really ominous and it did nothing to ease their worries, with ice dropping in his stomach.

The one behind all the death, destruction and blood spilt was just behind the wooden door and yet, he was hesitating. Why was he hesitating and why did he feel he knew, who was behind that door?

But how was it possible, he was sixty years into the future, he shouldn't know anyone!

"Unless it's someone i WILL met."

Xero thought, as he took a deep breath in and opened the door, only for his face to go in shock, the same with the King of Knights. Because behind the door was someone very familiar and even though he had aged, Xero knew his face.

Why shouldn't he, it was his own after all.

A sharp intake of breath was heard, as the older version of Xero gave his two guests a small smile,"...Well, when Gudako told me she found you, it's still shocking to see myself in the flesh. Like staring into a mirror and Artoria, you are even more lovely then i remember. Please, sit we have much to discuss."

The two did so, even though Artoria blushed at the "Lovely" comment.

The younger Xero looked at his older self and had to admit, the years had been good to them but the battle scars and years of constant combat had weathered his body. He was still in prime shape, with strong muscles and a fully healthy grown body. Though unlike the younger of the two, the older's skin was a dark tan that could match Otika Alter's skin and his eyes had changed from purple, to a twisted, molten gold that reflected hellfire. Then there was a large scar on his face that went down his forehead to his neck, where it lead into his shirt.

His skin was a little wrinkled, as a sign of his slow ageing and his hair went from black to a shine of pure sliver.

"What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

The older Xero chimed, chuckling at his own joke. Something that made his younger counterpart shake his head and slowly sat down on the chair that was seated in front of his older self. The blonde king took her own seat, as the older version of her master looked at her with a gentle smile,"Artoria...you are still as beautiful as i remember."

"Umm, thank you...master? Xero?"

Artoria blushed dark red but furrowed her brows, as she wasn't quite sure how to address the older version of her master. God, her heart throbbed painfully at the sight of him.

He looked so tired.

The older Xero looked like he'd been through the ringer several times over and it was clear, he'd been fighting as hard as ever. He was still big and all his muscles had been retained over the years, but the scars had become more visible both physically and mentally. Obviously the older Xero noticed, as he gave her a small smirk, raising his hand and tarced the scar while he said,"Not a pretty sight is it? Done by some Christian zealots. One of them had managed to get a lucky shot and nearly cut my arm off. He failed but his friend took my distraction as a chance and nearly sliced my face in half. Been like that, ever since the secret came out that Magi are real."

"Yeah, we saw."

Artoria said, a frown forming on her face. It shouldn't have been as shocking to see what happened when the secret of Magi was revealed, but to see it actually happen...it was nothing short of a nightmare cone true.

"Xero...what happened? How did everything go so wrong with this world?"

The younger version asked, deciding to keep this from being even more weird then necessary. Goddess, now he knew how his Servants, those with what are basically doppelganger of themselves, be they of a different class or Altered, it was still a bit odd. Now he was just hoping it wouldn't get any weirder.

The older version nodded and said,"Yes...how did this world turn into such a living hell? That's a good question: What went wrong? Well, i'll tell you, if you are to stop our dark future."

Thus, the older Xero told his younger version everything, right down to the last detail.

What he did after leaving Chaldea, joined a secret group within the Untied Nations, meant to keep the magical world and normal world apart. For nearly ten years, the older Xero had been building his power base, gaining followers from all corners of the global, both Magi and human alike. But a terrorist attack struck in Russia and one of the would be victims was a Magi and he used magic to stop him.

From there, everything went downhill.

Despite the fact the Magi should have been hailed as a hero for stopping an attempted terrorist attack, he was scorned and hated for it. The MRD tried to detain him but he fought back. Naturally he was killed but before he died, he used a fire spell to destroy his body, ensuring no one would discover the secrets of magecraft.

It should have ended there.

But it didn't.

You see, people by that time began to notice the difference between actually powers. Namely the kind of powers that are either mutant powers and or powers created by equipment/weapons/suits created by people. That's how some with not so kind intent began to notice the difference between normal people and the Magi.

When it became clear there were people that could use, what many believed to be fiction, it was the Witch Hunts all over again. Only a million times worse and soon, all Magi everywhere were being hunted, simply because they have magic. Seeing as the older version of Xero was a former master and trained by the best the world's most legendary heroes and villains, he knew how to rally people.

He knew how to fight against people like these newly created "Witch Hunters" and to protect his people.

While Magi don't normally trust anyone, especially other Magi, when faced with the possibility of extinction or being turned into lab rats, made them swallow their pride and accept each others help. Thanks to his own natural leadership, the older version of Xero had united the Magi and relocated all Magi to a new home, a new land that would come to be called:

New Avalon.

However the recent "Purges" had nearly wiped out many Magi's and those that remained were able to hold off those that hunted them. Over the years, the everyone, every nation and every country declared any Magi an "enemy of the world" and wanted to wipe them all out.

However it is only because the world's leaders couldn't come to an agreement on how to deal with the Magi, did they survive for so long. But with recent peace treaties, all the world's leaders were meeting in DC to declare a cease fire in order to end the "true threat to mankind".

The Magi.

His people.

Which is why Xero was here, to ensure the world wouldn't have a chance to unite, by wiping out the leaders. At the very least buying the Magi time, time to plan a counter attack. Which leads us to this point, with Artoria trying to talk the older version of her master out of his dark plan.

"Xero please, you're a good person. You don't have to do this."

Artoria all but pleaded with the older Xero, as he gave her a sad smile and said,"Artoria...the ever virtuous and honorable King and Knight, i understand what you're saying. I truly do and despite all that has happened to you, both good and bad, you still strive to uphold you're principle, even when faced with certain destruction. I always admired that about you and Artoria, my king, i'm sorry to keep letting you down."

"You haven't! You don't have to do this!"

Artoria jerked herself from the chair and clamped her hands down on his board shoulders, making his lone eye look at her in shock at her sudden action,"Please you're a good person, you don't have to do this! It's not too late!"

The older version of Xero looked at her for a couple of seconds, before his eye looked away from her and he spoke,"Artoria, thank you for your faith in me, but iv'e always been like this. If there was any other way i would take it but you and i both known, this world is cruel and merciless. I have no other path other then to keep moving forward..."

Suddenly, Xero felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand, as the Saber felt her battle instincts told her to MOVE! Magical power filled the air, as the older Xero's molten colored eyes began to glow with lighting, pitch black and encasing red struck around his body, making the Servant step back, as the older version of her master spoke,"Until all my enemies are destroyed."

"GET BACK!"

Artoria yelled, as she grabbed her stunned master, as the lighting crackle got worse, then:

KA-BOOM

"!"

Xero jolted awake, eyes wild in fear, his breath quick and sweat bearing down his face. He looked around and saw he was still in his own section of the lab, inside Stark tower. Breathing heavily, he cradled his head in his hands and tried to get his breathing under control.

"You're okay, you're okay. Breath Xero, breath. It was just Breath Intake, an old memory. You won't become him, you can't."

But even he had to admit, it sounded hollow.

"People fear what they don't understand and that fear, rolls over and become hate. My Xero embraced and understood that hate and decide, it didn't matter if they were innocent or not, as they would be controlled by their fear and take up arms against us. Meaning they would try to kill him and all those he held dear to his heart. So he decide to kill them, before they killed us."

Xero sallowed the lump in his throat, as he recalled the older Gudako's words, about her explanation on why the older Xero basically declared war on the whole world. Even though in actually, the ambassadors from the rest of the nations and countries technical declared war on the older Xero and the rest of his own nation, he merely retaliated by killing them all in one fell swoop.

In a lot of ways, Magneto was right.

The humans, nay the normal people would always fear both Magi, mutants and those who are like both races and seek to destroy them. If nothing else, out of pure fear of what they could do and that fear, drives their actions. The normal people feared the power he and many others wielded and if they couldn't make that power their own or at the very least, control it, they'd seek to destroy it.

Was it any surprise that because of this, an AVENGER class version of Xero was created?

"No."

Xero shook his head, he'd find another way to protect his loved ones AND avoid world war. Things are already changing, now that he found his father, made an alliance with SHEILD and was removing certain key-figures that brought his older self's downfall.

"But that doesn't mean it still can't happen."

After all, the future is not set in stone and fate's a fickle thing. While yes, things are indeed looking up and he had new allies and friends that doesn't mean he won't have new enemies as well. A lot can change in just one year, let alone nearly fifty of them. One choice, one decision, one action can create a chain of events that would result in many different out comes. It all boils down to just one, simple choice.

It truly boggles the mind.

"No matter what you do, one day you'll end up just like me. It is only human nature to fear what they do not understand and when they can't control that thing, they'll destroy it."

The dark warning his older self gave him, made the master shake his head and sigh. Was he truly destined down this path, was there no way out?

"Young sir, SHEILD has picked up Loki's location. You're father, captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff and sergeant Brans are on their way to apprehend him."

"Alright, thank you J."

Guess that is just one thing he'll have to think on later.

Hmmm, perhaps Iskander would like to take a trip to Germany?

Done.

Devil out.