"Hey, your message said you had more info regarding Saren?"
"Evenin' lad. And it's not so much info on Saren per se, but info regarding him. I've got another customer that asked for information on him as well. I mentioned that you've been collectin' info on him, and they expressed an interest in meeting up with ya to talk."
"Wha- you told them about me?!"
"Eh, calm down, I just said that somebody was looking into the same things you did and offered to arrange a meet-up if you were open to it. Didn't say anything else 'bout ya."
"…"
"Well? Ya interested?"
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"Pffft! Hahahaha! Lad, You've already bought all my intel on that Saren guy. If you really don't trust me, then all that info is worthless, ain't it?"
"…"
"Look, if it means anything, I can assure you that repeat customers are where most of my money comes from. Backstabbing ya is just not in my best interests here. Customer satisfaction policies and whatnot."
"Fine, I'm willing to meet with them. Will they be free tomorrow afternoon?"
"I'll ask and see, but if I know my customers it'll work just fine fer them. My diner for the meeting place?"
"… That's fine."
"Sounds good! I'll get in contact with them and let you know the details. Pleasure working with ya Mr. Vakarian."
Shirou's POV
Shirou was not Archer.
It had been quite the shock when he had learned that Rin's Servant during the war had been a version of him, but that was all that it would be - a version.
A possibility that would now never occur.
While their origins were the same they made different decisions in life, with Shirou developing another goal that Archer never had. A dream to work towards. This, Shirou believed, gave him a motivation and direction that Archer lacked.
Still, that logic never prevented Rin from pointing out that Archer's Luck stat - something neither physical nor mental, and therefore not affected by the changes made - was E rank, one step from the lowest. Since Archer was a version of a future Shirou, then that inferred that Shirou had E rank luck as well.
It never failed to get a reaction out of Shirou. Unfortunately, it wasn't like they could ever prove that he didn't, so he simply bore through it.
Looking around at the C-Sec interrogation room he was now in, Shirou couldn't help but admit - to himself - that there might be some truth to Rin's hypothesis.
The evening with Arturia had been going so well…
The door to the room opened and Shirou looked over to see a blue-scaled Turian walk in, giving a respectful nod as he made his way to the other chair, "Good evening Mr. Emiya, my name is Officer Falius." He greeted easily as he sat across from him, "I apologize for this, but after everything that happened we need to get yours and Pendragon's statements."
Shirou sighed internally, but did his best to hide it as he nodded in understanding, "of course, where would you like me to start?"
Officer Falius leaned back in his chair and hummed slightly, "Lets go ahead and start with what you and Pendragon were doing this evening?"
Easy enough. "The Commander and I were recently assigned to the same ship," Shirou explained, "this was the first bit of down time that we had, and we wanted to take the opportunity to get to know each other a bit more."
The Turian nodded as he wrote down some notes, "Understandable. Eden prime, right?" He grimaced as Shirou nodded in confirmation, "heard what happened there. Nasty business." He murmured sympathetically before getting back on topic, "Was there anybody else that was aware of where you two would be tonight?"
He shook his head firmly, "It was a last minute decision for us to find a place to spar." He replied, "We were on our way back to our ship prior to that."
He heard the officer hum in thought for a bit, "Alright, now could you describe what exactly happened after you left the building?"
Shirou folded his arms and fought back a scowl. That was when things went wrong… "After we left, I had a bad feeling, and noticed one of the people beginning to use biotics," He stated, "Assuming the worst, I dodged, shoving Commander Pendragon out of the way just in time to avoid the biotic's attack, which was then followed by gunfire. If I had to guess, it was probably with the intent to put her or myself in stasis."
Based on how easy it had been to move her he had no doubt that she sensed the same thing that he had and was prepared to dodge herself, but he didn't feel the need to bring that up. They were already suspicious of him being that observant.
As if confirming those thoughts, Falius looked up from his notes, "you saw somebody using biotics and assumed they were about to attack you?" He asked skeptically, "How did you know that it was an attack as opposed to something else?"
Shirou arched an eyebrow, "I have good eyesight." He replied dryly, "that, and I've learned to trust my instincts."
Never before had he been more thankful for the experience he'd gained over the years than at that moment. Ambushes were terrifying - no matter how strong a person was, that single moment of being caught unawares could easily lead to somebody's death.
For the second time in as many days, Arturia might have died.
He had to let out a breath, firmly banishing the thought to the depths of his mind (Where it would hopefully perish within Unlimited Blade Works).
It didn't happen. He wouldn't let it happen. He had destroyed the Beacon before it could do anything worse, and he had helped prevent this ambush from succeeding. Now that he had found her, he had no intention of allowing the galaxy to separate them.
His goal might have been to help as many people as he could… But was he not allowed to be selfish just once and make sure that one person in particular was saved?
Besides, her own desires lined up with his own. Protecting her and saving everybody were hardly mutually exclusive goals.
He had already made plans on what to do just in case their superiors tried to reassign him. He's had experience as a mercenary in the past, and he wasn't that attached to remaining in the military. Being able to choose his own jobs and where he would go would be nice, though Ilya and Talitha would undoubtedly be suspicious…
Pros and cons.
Forcing his mind back to the present, he looked at the Turian officer who was staring back at him skeptically. After a few seconds he turned back to his notes, "fair enough," he relented, slightly disgruntled, "what occurred after that?"
Shirou took a deep breath, "There were six combatants. One biotic, five wielding pistols. Commander Pendragon quickly went on the offensive, charging the hostile biotic and taking him out before he could react before throwing a barrier around herself." He reported calmly, making sure not to show any of his irritation.
Yes, it was tactically a good decision. Yes, she could defend herself with biotics, so it made sense for her to attract their attention. Yes, he trusted her strength and skill.
No, he did not have to like it.
He continued, "with everybody's attention on her I was able to incapacitate a couple before they realized I was a threat. After that, between Pendragon and myself, we were then able to take out the remaining attackers."
He got a grunt in response, "the reports stated that you used some kind of daggers to attack. The wounds were quite severe. Do you usually carry that sort of thing with you in the Citadel?"
Shirou's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "I created them with my Omnitool." He clarified, "As for the wounds…" he shrugged, "I focused on disabling my opponents as quickly as possible. Since they had guns I didn't want to get into a prolonged fight with them."
It could have been worse - the newly created omniblades cauterized any wound he made. Painful and Incapacitating, but they wouldn't die of blood loss.
Officer Falius looked up once more, "I was under the impression that for an omnitool to create something as large as a blade it required a considerable amount of omnigel. Let alone several." He noted.
Shirou shrugged. "True," he acknowledged calmly, "I tend to make use of the forging capabilities more than others, so my omnitools have been customized to hold more."
All of which they would know, as C-Sec had confiscated their omnitools (and omniblades) when they had been taken in.
His armor had been similarly designed to hold more omni gel than what was considered needed. While he went through a lot to create arrows during combat, he considered it worth it.
It wasn't Tracing, but it was as close as he could get without actual magic.
"With their own biotic down, the fighting didn't last long." He continued, "Once they had been taken out, Commander Pendragon and I worked on restraining and binding their wounds. Soon after that, C-Sec showed up."
Not being prepared for the swift retaliation, with no way to defend against biotics, and clearly not expecting a 'knife' fight, the fight had been surprisingly one sided, which is probably why C-Sec looked at them with such suspicion. Arriving to see two trained soldiers standing a bunch of wounded men certainly didn't look good, by any means.
That wasn't to say that they didn't get any injuries - while Shirou was pretty sure that Arturia was fine, he had taken a bullet to his side while another grazed his shoulder. Nothing that couldn't be patched up with medigel, and it was a small price to pay considering the odds.
The Turian let out a cough, probably thinking back to the scene that C-Sec had arrived at, "Right, of course." He muttered, "And you don't have any idea who might want to attack you?"
Shirou gave a small shrug, "I'm sure that I've made a few people unhappy over the years, but I can't say that any of them would stoop to something like this."
A deflection. One that he was sure the officer suspected. Rin always did despair over his inability to lie.
The officer grimaced, "Very well," he murmured, "Before you go, I have a few more questions that I'm hoping you could clarify for us…"
Shirou sighed and got comfortable for a lengthy talk.
The thing was, he actually had a great deal of respect for the police. Before the Holy Grail War he had actually planned on becoming one. While there were scum that abused the position - that was inevitable for any large organization - Shirou truly believed that the majority worked hard to uphold justice.
This, of course, made it all the more ironic that more often than not he ended up being pursued by them…
Even if he was allowed to talk about magic with them (which would have resulted in their death, whether they believed him or not), It would still be difficult to explain certain situations he found himself in.
For example, that the burning house he was in had been caused by magi trying to create a chimera and not himself. Or that the destruction of the city had been caused by an army of ghouls.
And since he couldn't tell them, there wasn't much he could do. Which is how he ended up on several watch lists around the world.
This was a similar, yet very different situation.
He couldn't really tell C-Sec that he believed that a Spectre by the name of Saren Arterius had arranged the hit. Spectre's were above the police here - not only would they not be able to do anything about it, he had no 'proof' that Saren was connected at all.
At least, not yet.
Shirou raised his hand, interrupting the officer, "Have you been able to interrogate the men that attacked Commander Pendragon and I?"
Falius frowned, "Most of them are still being treated for their wounds," he huffed reprovingly, "but the ones we've been able to talk to haven't said anything."
Shirou furrowed his brow in thought. While it didn't sound like much, it told him a little bit. Your typical mercenaries were loyal to only their wallet, and you couldn't spend money in jail. While Shirou hadn't brushed up on the laws of the Citadel, 'murder' - or 'attempted murder' - tended to be punished fairly severely across all species.
While it was too early to make a determination, the fact that they weren't trying to sell each other out indicated a degree of professionalism. It wasn't likely they were random thugs.
"What about the mercenaries themselves?" Shirou asked, drumming his fingers on the table as he thought. "Have you been able to ID them at all? Are they part of a larger group?"
The Turian rolled his eyes, "now that," he drawled, "I'm not allowed to discuss. If you could, I have just a few more questions for you."
Shirou sighed with a frown. He should've expected that. He'd have to see if he could figure something else out.
Kunio always appreciated more business.
He settled down once more as the Turian took over the questions. This would probably take a while, and he was already anxious to make sure that Arturia was alright.
As a Spectre, Saren would obviously have connections and money, and if he was desperate enough to try to kill Arturia while they were in a public street then who knew what else he'd be willing to do. Being inside a police station would not be a sufficient enough deterrent.
Was it too paranoid? Until he found out more about Saren and his motives, he didn't think so at all.
Saren Arterius wanted Arturia dead, but he had made a huge mistake. While Shirou would never stand by and let anybody be assasinated, for him to try to do so to the woman he loved?
Saren had no idea what he had unleashed by threatening His Sword.
Arturia's POV
Outwardly, Arturia was the very definition of calm.
After they had been picked up by Citadel Security and all throughout the interrogation she had made sure to appear calm and collected, answering each question as best as she could.
Even after spending several hours at the C-Sec offices, Even when those questions were repeated or changed slightly to try to trip her, she didn't let anything show.
A King that let their emotions through was one that left themselves open to manipulation. While she might not be a King anymore and had grown more comfortable with letting her shields down, she preferred to keep them up save for when she was around those she trusted.
Even in instances where she did get angry, she was usually able to redirect it constructively in some way. Anger clouded the mind, and could be a lethal enemy on the battlefield to both herself and those under her command. For this reason, she prided herself on being able to keep her emotions in check till she was alone.
Outwardly, Arturia was composed as ever.
Inwardly, she was furious.
The first day, the first day after the incident with the Beacon, the first chance that she had an opportunity to spend with Shirou - to be with the one person that she had waited for so long for - and this happens!
Shirou might have said that it wasn't a date, but she didn't particularly care what he called it. Courtship in the medieval ages had been quite different than when she had been summoned for the two Holy Grail Wars that she participated in, and in the present time it was… Not more different per se, but there was more variety in how people did it.
It was just a label. While she appreciated the sentiment, She already knew Shirou. They fought together, had fought each other over ideals and came out stronger for it, and together they had won the War. They had shared the Dream Cycle, and she had seen portions of his life just as she knew that he had hers. If she needed further validation, then there was the fact that he never gave up searching for her.
He had proven that he was hers, as much as she was his. She loved him. And while she would never say no to more dates, she didn't need them.
All she wanted was to be able to spend some time with Shirou without having to worry about something trying to kill one of them!
Walking out of the interrogation room, her 'interrogator' led the way to the front office with an apologetic look.
"Thank you very much for your patience, and I apologize for the trouble." The asari officer said, "But we're a bit short handed due to the time, and until we were able to get several witnesses to corroborate your statements… Well, there wasn't much we could do."
She tilted her head in acknowledgment. Regardless of how upset she was, there was no need to take it out on somebody that was just doing her job.
Finally reaching the front desk, she felt herself relax as she noticed Shirou, his gaze immediately finding her own. He quickly looked her up and down as she made her way to him, and she rolled her eyes at his concern.
"I'm perfectly fine," she stated firmly, "unlike you, I actually had some form of protection." Reaching a hand out, it glowed faintly with biotics, her implant warming at the light usage.
Shirou raised an eyebrow, not looking convinced, "I'm not the one that they were after." He countered.
She narrowed her eyes. "Yet you were the one that got shot," she returned sharply.
Waking up from whatever happened with the Beacon, she knew that she was going to have to worry about him being overprotective. But now? An assassination attempt not even a full day after?
This was going to be like Kay and Bedivere all over again…
Instead of confronting that, Shirou turned to the officer at the front desk, "I assume we're free to leave now?".
The Turian shook his head, "not quite. There's still some paperwork that we need from the Alliance embassy before we can let you go." He replied in a bored tone. Before he could say anything else, a voice called out from behind them.
"Oh, don't worry about any of that!"
Arturia froze, the hauntingly familiar sound of that voice almost sending her into shock.
"I have all the necessary documentation right here!" The carefree voice continued as it brushed past them and tossed a bundle of papers onto the desk.
Long white hair. Almost incandescent.
The Turian scowled at the pile, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid we need everything in digital." He stated distastefully as he nudged the pile away from him.
The man laughed, and she couldn't help but jolt once more with just how familiar it was.
"I didn't see anything that said it had to be digital," he countered cheerfully, "besides, with how late it is I was in a bit of a rush! Udina got woken up and was quite upset when he heard the news. You're lucky that I was around and volunteered to come instead of him. There'd be a lot more yelling."
The officer looked at the stack of physical copies once more, "you… didn't have enough time." He deadpanned.
Ignoring that, the man spun around and gave both herself and Shirou a bright grin.
Violet eyes crinkled in humor and a cocky grin, an expression that was simultaneously fond and teasing, as if aware of a joke that only he was privy to. His apparel was something that she had never thought he would wear, but that did nothing to prevent her from recognizing him.
Merlin, the Magus of Flowers, Court Wizard of Camelot.
And her mentor.
Before she could say anything he gave a quick bow, "it's a pleasure to meet two such upstanding Commanders such as yourselves! I am Admiral Myrrdin." He introduced himself with a small wink. "I've got a car waiting for us right now, so we can leave whenever. I look forward to getting to know the two of you."
Did he remember her? That wink seemed to indicate that he did, and he was certainly acting as he used to. Out of anybody, everybody that she could think of, Merlin was the one person that she could think of that would retain his memories.
… Actually, he was at the top of her list of people that could actually orchestrate everything that allowed her and Shirou to be reborn, which further gave credence to the idea that he still retained his memories, which was a comforting thought.
That, however, faded as something in his introduction stuck out to her.
Who in their right mind would ever make Merlin an Admiral?!
Shirou's POV
While Shirou had never met Merlin before, he had seen images of him from Arturia's memories. Mostly tinted with fond exasperation. Because of that, it wasn't difficult to recognize the famous wizard.
That, and his scent absolutely reeked of magic. He had no idea how he hadn't noticed it before the man got so close to them, but now that he had he couldn't stop smelling the overwhelming scent of earth and flowers that practically flowed from the man.
Seeing it for himself, however, was quite a bit different than viewing it through somebody else's memories.
"He's certainly more… exuberant than I would have expected." Shirou murmured quietly, thinking of every other magus that he had known as he watched the wizard interact with the officer.
The officer had insisted - and forced - the… admiral to properly fill out the documents on the computer, and that left him and Arturia to wait for them to finish with that. Though even if they were allowed to leave, he knew that Arturia wanted to talk with the man.
Not that he could blame her, he had his own questions as well, and they really couldn't have that conversation out in the open.
He smiled when he saw the faint traces of a smirk on Arturia's face.
"What, can you not imagine Rin acting like that?" She asked, her smirk becoming more pronounced when he suddenly coughed violently to hide his laugh.
"It's not that I can't imagine it," he recovered, "she's a good actor when she wants to be. It's just… she would just hate every moment of it."
Rin had been the school idol in high school after all, and her persona always dropped the instant she was behind closed doors. At the Clocktower, she slid right in and did everything she could to protect herself and Sakura while they were there. If that required her to act as cold blooded as every other magus, then she would.
He was forever grateful that she and Sakura had reconciled and that she had gone to London with Rin. Keeping up that kind of act was draining, and Rin needed somebody that she could be herself around and that would keep her from going too far.
Arturia gave a nod, her gaze never leaving the white haired man, "Merlin was always like that," she admitted softly, "while he is able to be serious when he desires, this is the side that he shows most, and it is no act." She shook her head in exasperation, "that of a prankster and a troublemaker."
He was well aware that history got many details wrong. Arturia was a prime example of that. But it baffled him how it was able to get such an incorrect view of Merlin.
His musing was interrupted by the sound of a scuffle. Immediately tensing and moving slightly in front of Arturia, he watched as another officer escorted somebody else into the room.
Another alien. Large, at least seven feet tall, with reptilian features. His skin was brownish yellow with a dark red shell covering the top of his head.
A Krogan.
Seeing the alien being brought in, Shirou instinctively tensed, shifting forward slightly, and he felt Arturia tense beside him.
He had fought against Krogan's before - they were commonly employed as mercenaries - and he would readily admit they were dangerous opponents, but it didn't take long for him to recognize that this one was... Different.
Normal Krogan were dangerous by virtue of their species. This one was experienced.
Unlike the officer, everything about the krogan screamed dangerous. From the way he walked into the station, to the dozens of scars that were visible on him.
The escort might as well have been a child for all the good it would do if he really wanted to resist.
The officer at the desk groaned at the sight and left Merlin on his own. "Wrex." He greeted with tired familiarity, "alright, what did you do this time?"
The Krogan, Wrex, gave a deep chuckle, "What makes you think that I'm the problem? I was just doing my job. Haven't even done anything worth being brought in for."
The officer that brought him in gave a scoff, "he was causing problems at Chora's Den. The bouncers called it in."
At the officers pointed look, Wrex just gave a bored grunt, "Pansies. I just need to see Fist about something, that's all." He glanced around the room, scoffing briefly at the sight of Merlin, before stopping at Shirou.
The solid red eyes seemed to widen in surprise and, more importantly, recognition.
Seeing as how he was positive that he had never seen this Krogan before, that wasn't a good sign.
The large Krogan promptly ignored both officers and walked over to him and Arturia, brushing aside his escort without a second glance, until he stood in front of Shirou.
"Commander Emiya, right?" He asked, almost rhetorically .
Shirou raised an eyebrow, and he felt Arturia bristle at his side."Why do you wish to know?" Shirou asked cautiously. It was pretty obvious the Krogan was aware of who he was.
Wrex just gave a smirk, "eh, just surprised." He admitted with a shrug, "wasn't expecting to meet one of the top desired males for Krogan women here."
Now, Shirou had thought he had a pretty good composure. Thanks to hanging around Rin so much, he had gained a pretty thick skin, all things considered. Really, as of late he had believed that only Arturia had the ability to make him flustered (And, to his pleasure, it seemed he could do the same for her).
Apparently that was wrong. He could still be thrown off guard with enough of a stimulus.
His mind derailed.
What?
His smirk grew wider, "Yep. Heard you really jumped in the rankings after what you did, you sly varren you." He chuckled as he leaned over and nudged Shirou with his elbow, as if he was sharing a secret.
What?!
The officers stayed quiet and observed, perhaps unsure of what to do. Thankful, Arturia stepped forward, "What exactly are you referring to?" She asked firmly, not letting up her own glare at the Krogan.
"Ah! I know the answer to that one!"
The three of them started as Merlin jumped into the conversation, his mischievous smirk showing pure glee.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a magazine, "'Fornax-Chemica' made a poll a couple years ago, and Commander Emiya was listed as being a desirable mate amongst Krogan women, ranking amongst the top ten most desired non-Krogan mates amongst the Krogans."
Whose side was Merlin on?!
"Yep." Wrex gave a leer towards Shirou, "sounds like what I heard. I'm surprised that you haven't gotten fan mail. That and, heh, requests."
Thank the Root for Alliance spam filters…
Arturia eyed Merlin dangerously as she snatched the magazine from his hands, giving it a distasteful look. "I don't even want to know why you have a subscription to this thing." She muttered.
Merlin gave a shrug, seemingly not bothered by her snatching it, "oh, it's for the salad recipes in the back." He replied blandly, waving his hand nonchalantly as if pushing the issue away, earning a choked cough and smirk from Wrex.
His mind finally rebooting, Shirou quickly looked at the magazine Arturia now had, speeding through till he found the relevant text, "I'm popular because I killed a Thresher Maw?"
Wrex scoffed, "I don't think you realize just how significant that is," he growled, eyes narrowed as if he had given an unintentional insult, "nobody has managed to kill a thresher maw on foot in generations. For somebody that is expecting it, it's almost suicide." He looked at Shirou intently, all joking gone from his gaze, "and you managed to do it without expecting it, without knowing what a thresher maw even was. To have managed such a feat is worthy of respect, a testament to your strength."
The way Wrex spoke about it, as if it held greater meaning to him, gave Shirou pause as he looked at the rough looking Krogan. "I didn't intend to do it for any sort of fame." He said carefully, "I just wanted to save my squad."
He wasn't very familiar with Krogans, nor their customs. From what he recalled they were quite common amongst the mercenary groups for their willingness to fight. And, apparently, they valued strength if the… magazine was correct.
Wrex gave a loud grunt, "Does that make the feat any less worthy?" He growled.
Before Shirou could respond to that, Wrex flicked a piece of paper at him. "My commlink number," he explained, giving a small smirk, "my name is Wrex Urdnot. Hit me up some time and I'll buy you a drink somewhere." With that, he walked back over to the officers and immediately got into an argument.
Shirou glanced at the paper in bemusement, "that was… unexpected." He murmured.
Hearing a small cry of pain, Shirou's gaze shot up to see Arturia holding onto Merlin's arm, her face carefully blank.
"You remember." She murmured, barely any question in her voice. She was still careful to not be overheard, but her voice contained a hard edge to it..
The wizard gave her a grin, "Why little Arturia, what makes you think I ever forgot?"
That grin turned into a pained grimace as her grip apparently tightened. "So you knew I was around." She concluded grimly before bringing up the magazine. "And since you had… this, that means that you knew that Shirou was around as well."
Shirou stiffened, his mind quickly connecting the same dots.
Merlin coughed uncomfortably, "well, funny story that…" he gave an awkward laugh, "why don't we go to my apartment to have this talk? The place has an absolutely amazing kitchen, and I'm sure you're hungry after everything that has happened."
Arturia held onto him for a second longer before finally letting go, "very well." She said in clipped tones, the anger in her eyes clear to see, "let us go then."
Soon after the three of them were climbing into the skycar, and Merlin put in the address. Settling down, they rode in silence until Arturia spoke up, "this is a very nice car. I notice that the windows are tinted… is it soundproof?"
Merlin blinked at the question, "Well, yes, it is," he confirmed slowly before hastily tacking on, "and I feel that now is a great time to bring up that I am your superior officer, and it would be against the rules to do anything to me!"
Arturia's eyes narrowed, and Shirou felt a wave of killing intent from her. She cocked her eyebrow, "I hardly think of you as a superior officer," she stated with forced calm, "After all of our history together, I think of you more as family."
Shirou focused on the outside after that, ignoring the ensuing sounds of violence and pleas for help. Honestly, if Arturia wasn't as angry as she was, then he would have wanted to do something himself.
In the end, he reached Arturia far sooner than he expected. He could find it in himself to forgive Merlin.
Just… not enough to attempt to stop Arturia. Even he had limits. And besides, like she said, this was more of a family thing.
Far be it for him to interfere between family.
Arturia's POV
Arturia looked around the open kitchen area and admitted to herself that Merlin had been correct - he did indeed have an impressive kitchen.
Of course, it extended past the kitchen - Merlin clearly hadn't spared any expenses in choosing an apartment.
The moment that they arrived, Merlin had excused himself to go quickly 'recuperate'. She couldn't help but scoff internally. She hadn't hit him that hard.
The apartment was very open, with a clear view from the kitchen to the living room to the study. Against the wall were floor to ceiling windows, providing a beautiful vista against the Citadel's skylight.
Scattered around the entire apartment were plants. Flowers, bonsai trees, vines… Everything was, contradictorily, in bloom, their scents melding together surprisingly well in a subtle perfume that permeated throughout the apartment, the scent managing to put her further at ease.
Glancing into the study, she saw multiple bookcases filled with a variety of books. Some she recognized as Latin, but there were multiple other languages that she wasn't as familiar with. Many more she realized were from other species, recognizing a copy of 'Code of the Justicar' in Asari on one shelf.
I wonder how Samara is doing…
Overall, the entire place had a very nice atmosphere, one that she appreciated. Being in Shirou's presence on top of that, she found herself relaxing more than she had in a long time.
Now, she found herself leaning against one of the kitchen counters, sending off messages to reassure people while Shirou made a light snack for the both of them.
"I'm surprised that Merlin even has a kitchen," she murmured, frowning as she debated on how to answer a particularly worried email from Anderson.
Being involved in an assault (regardless of who was the target) meant that C-Sec had to inform the embassy, and it was the embassy's responsibility to inform the military. And now her commlink was filled with worried messages from Anderson and the crew.
That, in and of itself, wasn't an issue. In fact, it was expected. The part that wasn't was who informed her honorary uncle.
She massaged her temple as she felt the thrumming of a headache.
Merlin wasn't even part of the embassy! He was, apparently, an Admiral! How was it that he managed to be the one to send the notice?!
A notice that seems to have left out certain details...
She wasn't sure if she wanted to see what exactly Merlin had sent or not. The man never lied - not to her, their allies, nor even their enemies - but he was very good at… letting people draw certain conclusions.
Having to explain that she and Shirou had NOT, in fact, gone on a killing spree in the middle of the Citadel was exasperating and quite frankly should have been unnecessary.
"Potions? Absolutely." She continued absently as she puzzled over one particular message from Williams that assured her that she'd do her best to calm things down on her end to give her and Shirou more time, "I've had to suffer through enough of those." She mentally shuddered at the memories. "But cooking?"
Shirou handed her a plate which she accepted happily. At this point, it had been quite a while since they had eaten dinner at Kunio's. In between now and then they had sparred, fought off an ambush, and then spent several hours at C-Sec clearing everything up.
"Based on the condition of everything, I doubt he's ever actually used it." Shirou replied as he grabbed his own plate and looked at her commlink in concern, "have any problems come up?"
She sighed, "Not particularly. I think I managed to put out most of the fires. Though I have no doubt that they'll demand more answers from us when we meet up tomorrow."
Shirou nodded in thought as he leaned against the wall next to her, "There's really not much else that we can tell them." He noted with a frown. "It's not like we know anything more than they do at this point. Unless C-Sec finds more information on those men and decides to share it with us."
She gave him a measured look, "I'm more worried about the questions that Anderson is going to ask you regarding what we were doing together," she stated dryly, smirking a little when she saw his worried look.
Though he wasn't the only one. Uncle Anderson would no doubt interrogate her as well. Not that it worried her - she had every intention of making it clear that she respected and admired 'Commander Emiya'. With any luck, she could use this as a way to establish a foundation for their 'relationship'.
… Though now that she thought about it, they didn't need to hide the truth of that relationship here.
She pushed herself off from the counter and made her way to the couch, gesturing for Shirou to accompany her. The moment he sat down she slid next to him, resting her head on his shoulder with a sigh of contentment even as her cheeks burned, and after a few moments Shirou brought his arm up around her, pulling her in closer.
She had never really done this with anybody before. Not even with Gwuinevere. Gwuin had been a friend, but Arturia had always been too focused on fighting the war, and then on ruling the country.
After all that she had done, she was allowed to indulge for herself, right?
"What was your opinion on the men that tried to kill us?" She asked, feeling the need to say something, and that was something that they needed to talk about.
"… The weapons they used weren't anything special." He mused, and she felt his hand hesitantly move through her hair, "Had they been wearing armor I might have been able to tell more based on the design."
She gave a small laugh, "That would have made them a bit more conspicuous." She stated wryly, imagining a group of armed mercenaries walk through the crowds.
C-Sec would have been called on them instantly.
"True," She heard the smile in his voice, "But the way they moved and blocked, I don't think they were used to fighting without it."
She hummed in thought, "Their initial positions were good for an ambush." She murmured, "After the initial attack failed however, they failed to adapt. As far as teamwork went, it was practically nonexistent."
It might not have sounded like much, but there was enough information to figure out a few things.
"It was a rushed job." She concluded, "Whoever was responsible for the attack wanted us taken out quickly and took the first opportunity they had." She let out a huff, "What I'm having trouble with is figuring out why."
She could practically feel Shirou roll his eyes at that, "You did manage to survive whatever the Beacon did, followed by us denouncing Saren to the Council." He replied sarcastically. "That might have something to do with it."
She lifted herself up enough to swat his arm lightly, "IF," She emphasized, "Saren was the one that sent those men, then I must say that I am very disappointed in his attempt." She huffed, "After everything that I've heard about the Spectre's, I would have expected something better."
"If?" Shirou questioned, looking at her with a questioning look, "Are you in the habit of making enemies that want to kill you? If so, I might want a list made." Despite the attempted humor, she felt him stiffen underneath her, causing her to give him a reproachful look.
"How many enemies have you made while being in the military?" She asked archly. "I am aware that I have made a few. The surviving raiders of the Skyllian Blitz, for example, no doubt would love to see me dead." Or worse.
She felt Shirou further tense under her, the action causing her to frown even more. She was trying to make a point, not make him more paranoid.
"Alright, I've made a few enemies like that," he admitted eventually, "but for this to happen the same day that we informed the Council that he's a traitor?" He huffed, "do you really think that that is a coincidence?"
She sighed, "No, but the point still stands." She replied, "For it to happen the day of, and in such a sloppy manner?" She shook her head, "Like I said, for somebody that is supposed to be an 'Elite', I am quite disappointed. And if it was Saren, then what would be the point? We've already warned the Council of his actions and what we saw from the Beacon. My death would serve no purpose."
The Council would still investigate him, and the vision that the Beacon gave was a confusing mess of images and feelings that might as well not mean anything.
"His pride." Shirou instantly pointed out, "We interrupted his plans. For most magus', that kind of slight to their pride would be more than enough justification to kill you."
She tilted her head, "perhaps," she acknowledged with a pensive look, "During my talk with Anderson, he informed me that during a mission Saren once killed an entire factory of humans and pinned the blame on him, so we know that he is capable of that level of pettiness. But why so rushed? Why not wait for a better opportunity?"
No matter how she looked at it, in the middle of the Wards with plenty of witnesses was an absolutely terrible place to conduct an ambush. While it would work to catch the target unawares, the odds of the ambushers escaping without getting ID'd was simply too low. While the ambushers might not know a lot, it was still an incredibly high risk.
Shirou's eyes narrowed, "He's under some sort of time constraint?" he mused, "At least, he thinks he is."
She bit her lip, thinking furiously as she let her head rest on Shirou's shoulder once more. That's what it appeared to be, but what time constraint would he be under?
The lack of information was their enemy. Until they learned more, they were frustratingly in the dark.
A click and sudden flash of light caused both Shirou and Arturia to leap off the couch and spin towards the sound.
"Awwwe, that made a good picture," Merlin cooed from the top of the stairs. He was in more casual clothes this time, with a camera that he was already putting back in his pocket. He limped down the stairs and made his way to a couch opposite of them and plopped down. "Well, I've made up the guest room for you two. I've also informed Captain Anderson that I've arranged hotel rooms for the both of you, so they won't be expecting you back tonight."
Arturia gave her old mentor a suspicious look at that. Since they were on shore leave, it was expected that most of the crew would check into hotels. While she was grateful that Merlin was allowing them to stay in his place, she couldn't help but be worried about exactly what he had told Anderson.
Though that was something to worry about for another time - she had something more pressing to talk about.
"Merlin," she said firmly, making sure to get his attention as she sat back down, "How are you here?"
He lifted his head from the couch and gave a rough smile, "I assume you mean something more than the metaphysical 'how are any of us here'?" He asked whimsically.
"Merlin." She ground out, never letting up her gaze, "It was my understanding you were trapped in Avalon, in a location that you were unable to escape."
'You left me alone' was the unsaid sentiment. She felt Shirou touch her shoulder briefly, his presence at her side helping steady her.
Shirou had been the one that helped her accept her rule, it's existence and it's end, but that end was still painful. Merlin's disappearance hadn't been the crippling blow to Camelot, but it had been one of many things at the end.
He may have only been an 'observer' as he put it, speaking in riddles most of the time and rarely ever fighting, but he had still been her mentor. A constant presence throughout her life. His disappearance had hurt her just as much as Sir Ector's death had.
And now she finds him here, outside of the trap that should have held him for all of time.
To be trapped and held against his will was one thing, something that she couldn't hold against him. But now it turns out that he could have escaped?
Where were you?
He grimaced, appearing serious for the first time that day as he rearranged himself on the. "What makes you think that I managed to escape?" He asked with a self-deprecating laugh.
She stared at him, arms folded, clearly waiting for him to explain himself, the sight eventually causing him to sigh.
"A pity, the machinations of that cold-mannered woman," he murmured, "and curse my curiosity. A gate amidst a circle of stones, inscribed with ancient magic. 'Only the innocent may pass'." He gave her a tired smirk, "let this be a lesson, always read the warning before you do something stupid."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then how are you here?" She demanded, "Unless you wish to convince me that you somehow regained your innocence in the years since you've been trapped, I fail to see how you could be here."
He smirked, "I told you," he replied smugly, "I didn't escape. Travel to Avalon and find my tower, and you'd still find me there - sitting cross-legged on the floor."
She heard Shirou make a curious noise beside her, "I read that Merlin was a master of illusions, but unless I was hearing wrong, it certainly sounded like Arturia was punching somebody in the car."
She watched Merlin grimace, rubbing his arm (she felt no guilt from that. He deserved every bruise.) "No, I'm not an illusion." He refuted. "Think of this as…" he paused in thought, "Hmmm, no, that would go over your heads... " He murmured, "Ok, how 'bout this - you know how you can control robots from a distance? And you've got some bright guys who use VR stuff to do the same?" He gestured towards his body, "Think of me using the magical equivalent, with an empty homunculus body instead." He finished with a bright smile.
"So you did not intend to abandon Arturia?" Shirou asked tersely, his arm around her once more. Arturia, for her part, felt something inside of her untense at Merlin's words.
He shook his head, smiling sadly at the two of them, "I might have clairvoyance, but not even I am omniscient." He replied. "Arturia was my responsibility, and though there was much that I did not say, it was every intention of mine to stand with her till the end."
She let out a shaky sigh, the words meaning more to her than she'd like to admit.
"Am I to assume that you are responsible for Shirou and I being reincarnated?" She took his smug look as a confirmation. "Why?" She looked at Merlin closely as she asked. She doubted he would give a straight answer - he never did when she asked about future threats - but she could sometimes glean something from what he did say.
To her surprise he gave her a soft smile, his eyes lacking their usual mischievousness.
"Until the very end, you did nothing but endure and persevere. I should think that it's high time for you to be rewarded now, don't you?" He asked.
Well… that would have made her feel bad for thinking that of him… if she hadn't known Merlin as well as she did. She might not doubt the words, but she could very much doubt that that was all there was to it.
"You wouldn't have orchestrated all of… This," she gestured towards Shirou and herself. "Without a good reason. While I'm grateful that you have done so, more than I can ever express, there must be something else. Shirou met Vivian when he first gained his memories, so I am aware that she is involved and working with you."
She counted The Lady of the Lake as one of her trusted friends, but it was no secret that the water spirit and Merlin did not get along, nor did Vivian trust him. Furthermore, as a member of the Fae, Vivian was bound by certain rules.
As strong as she was, she was unable to use her powers save for specific circumstances. In the present era, she was probably even more limited away from the Reverse Side of the World.
While she might not be aware of what those limitations are, she remembers seeing the sorrow on her face when she saw her last.
It would have been one thing had Merlin orchestrated to help Shirou arrive in Avalon. Surely that would be an easier feat than whatever this rebirth had cost. Though she couldn't help but feel happy for this particular outcome. Working with Shirou towards a goal, however mysterious, was infinitely better than waiting for Shirou.
"Hmmm, you're not entirely wrong." He mused to himself, a small smirk playing his face. "But if there were some other reason why you and your Sheath were here, then I really wouldn't expect you to do anything but be yourselves. And I'm afraid that's all that I'll say on the matter."
She narrowed her eyes on him, but he just spread his arms out and gave her an innocent look, "I'm just a member of the Advisory Board, what would I know?" He asked with a smirk.
That… Really didn't tell her much that she didn't suspect. Not that it was unsuspecting - It was as uninformative as any other answer she got when she questioned Merlin about the future.
Logic would say that it was in some way connected to Saren and the Beacon - it was the first mission that both she and Shirou had been together on, but she wasn't sure how that would be of any concern to either Merlin or Vivian.
Unless Anderson was correct, and Saren intended to destroy humanity. That would be something that would concern Merlin, and depending on the method Vivian would want to prevent it as well.
It was… possible. Though she still held reservations regarding that theory. Why would Saren risk his position, potentially his life, to destroy an entire species?
Of course, it could be something else entirely, some threat that was as of yet unseen. Only time would tell.
With that thought, she relaxed against Shirou once more.
Whatever the threat might be, she would meet it head on. She stood alone as King, managing to push back countless threats to her homeland. Now, with Shirou supporting and standing with her, she felt that she could handle that and far more.
She didn't know if she could handle this…
She should have known. It was Merlin, of course he would take the opportunity to do something like this.
Merlin had encouraged them to turn in for the night, and had provided clothes to sleep in and directed them towards his guest room before promptly turning in himself.
The bedroom itself was as nice as the rest of the apartment, if plain. Several plants could be found hanging from the ceiling, a desk stood in a corner with a dresser on the wall across from it.
Next to the dresser was a bed. A single bed.
Looking at it, she couldn't help but let out a growl of annoyance.
Stupid wizard…
Shirou gave a shrug, "it's alright, I can take the couch, and you -"
"No." She cut him off firmly, earning a startled look from Shirou.
"What are you -"
"No." She repeated, giving a small glare, "I refuse to deal with this drama after everything else that has happened today. I am tired, and I'm sure that you are the same. The bed is more than big enough for the both of us, and ." She looked at him archly, "I know that you must have slept in close quarters with other soldiers."
Her beloved was nothing if not stubborn, and he gave her a frown, "You're not just another soldier, and you can't tell me this time that you're just a tool." He replied.
She huffed. She really didn't want to argue over this - yes, she could acknowledge that he was trying to be a gentleman, but the day truly had been exhausting. "Unless you are saying that you intend to do something more than just sleep, your argument is invalid." She stated bluntly, feeling her own cheeks flush red as Shirou blinked in surprise, his face matching hers.
Feeling emboldened she gave him a small smile, "While I have no problem with doing more with you, I have no intention of doing so in Merlin's apartment."
While true, her face was practically burning from vocalizing it, and she quickly turned away and lay down on the bed.
Soon after she settled under the covers she felt the bed dip as Shirou lay beside her, but she was too tired to feel any victory from it.
Exhaustion was the enemy, and it was finally catching up with her.
As she felt herself drift off to sleep she couldn't help but recall what Merlin had said earlier, " - I should think it's high time that you be rewarded now, don't you?"
She had already considered herself blessed for this second chance, but as she felt Shirou's arm come across her and bring her closer she couldn't help but acknowledge it once more.
If this was her reward, then it was one that she would fight to preserve.
Author's Notes:
So, I want to quickly head off something that I think most people will complain about - "Why doesn't Merlin explain to Arturia and Shirou what's going to happen with the Reapers?" My reasoning to that is Merlin's role has always appeared to be that of a mentor and advisor. He didn't warn Arturia about Lancelot and Gwuinever, he didn't warn her about Mordred, he didn't warn her about Morganna.. While I believe he would have assisted in any magical situation, there isn't any sign that he helped in the fight against the Saxons. This, I believe, is a similar situation. He is aware of the Reapers, but I don't believe he would actually tell.
Also, regarding Merlin's ability to act outside of Avalon - I know that some people have asked about it, but the best answer that I can give regarding that is, well… #MerlinCheats. I have every confidence that Merlin can figure out some way to get out of his situation, one way or another.
I'm trying to give Shirou and Arturia equal time to shine, though this one felt like it was more Arturia than Shirou… the next chapter will have more with Shirou, I promise. I had truly planned on bringing this chapter all the way to leaving the Citadel, but I ended up writing a lot more than I thought I would, and this truly felt like a good stopping point. Hopefully everybody will enjoy it regardless, and hopefully the next chapter will not take nearly as long to bring out. I can guarantee that the next chapter will see us to the end of the Citadel and onto chasing Saren. I don't want this story to be one that drags on and on.
Please let me know if you guys liked this chapter. It took a bit longer than I'd have liked getting it out, and it's not as long as I'd have liked, but I think it turned out alright. I'd like to thank my sister, CaptainDarkElf, and brother, Autumnstar, for beta-reading this chapter for me.
For anybody that is interested, I have a Pa tr eon page that contains various extra's and teasers to future chapters. The link to that page is P a treon . com (slash) shdowstep. (remove the spaces).
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this chapter, and I'll see you in the next.