Chernobog was never the liveliest among all the cities of Ursus, even more so when the night comes.
The lights from all the buildings and the streets were just bright enough to provide some semblance of warmth and clarity for the citizens, a scarce thing to find in a nation this far north.
Yet, darkness still covered a significant part of the city, and it did well to mask the ugliness and sorrow that plagued the corners of the city.
Or at least, that's what a certain boy known by the name of Faust, thought to himself.
After a while, gazing above the cityscape from the top of an unfinished high-rise building began to feel like a chore. But the Pythia wasn't here merely for sightseeing. Looking at a watch, he had noticed that one of their members, a certain Lupo with a knack for moving in the shadows, had not yet arrived on time at their designated rendezvous point.
However his concern was cut short, as not too long after, he heard footsteps from behind him. She was finally here, just a little behind the proposed schedule. But Faust had questions lingering in his mind. Reunion's best infiltrator was rarely ever late for anything. Unless something happened.
"You took quite a while, Crownslayer."
Her answer, was not what he was expecting.
"I found someone. He's... interesting, to say the least. Could be our potential new recruit."
It was an odd answer coming from Reunion's best infiltrator. Especially considering Crownslayer was not one to socialize, much less try to recruit others during her missions.
"You don't seem like someone who takes an interest in anybody that easily. What's so interesting about this... potential recruit of ours?"
She began to describe the recruit, with fascinating detail. "Fast. Efficient. A good close-ranged fighter. Definitely an Arts user as well. He also wears a skull-shaped mask. Hides his entire face. Wears a red longcoat with multiple belt pouches, and brown gloves. His clothes covered all of his skin, but I think he's an Infected like us."
Faust raised an eyebrow towards the red-haired assassin. "You think ? What makes you not so sure?"
The latter continued. "He claimed he's not infected. But he protected a group of Infected protestors on the verge of rioting, from a squad of policemen about to open fire. Beat almost all of them in close combat. You never see normal people taking the Infected's side to that extent.
But then he... stopped. He didn't kill any of the uniforms. Even prevented the Infected mob from doing so. Like he was.. hesitant about letting them die."
Her last few sentences ignited a spark of intrigue from the Pythian boy. Someone who defended a group of Infected from harm, yet at the same time, refused to take the lives of the ones who were oppresing them... it sounds like something out of one of those children's superhero stories he'd read about. But he always assumed they were just that, children's stories. Never something to be taken seriously.
"I don't think Talulah has any use for someone in our ranks who's unwilling to kill for the Infected cause." He surmised.
To his surprise, Crownslayer retorted. "You're not wrong. But this man.. he's skilled. His Arts.. they're unlike anything I've seen before."
Her statement raised curiosity within Faust. It wasn't like Reunion was short of notable members with exceptional Arts within their ranks. Mephisto was capable of commanding an entire army of Infected with his voice. There was the Cautus girl, known as FrostNova, otherwise known as the "Wintry Death", for good reasons. And Talulah was.. Talulah.
"I don't understand. What else is so special about him?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Now the assassin had really gained his inner curiosity. "Just try me."
Crownslayer seemed hesitant to provide a retelling of what she saw, but eventually she relented.
"I saw it with my own eyes. He grabbed 10 crossbow bolts after they were fired, in less than a second. And just as swiftly, he threw them back, each perfectly hitting the policemen's crossbows. I didn't even see him move.
That's not all. This man seemed to.. possess multiple different Arts. He could vanish into thin air, and reappear in a different position in an instant, leaving behind ashes that just fade away.
Furthermore... after taking care of most of them, I saw him holding out his left hand. Immediately, one of the officers.. had her cellphone flying towards his palm. Like he pulled it towards him, with an invisible force.
I know how it sounds. I know what you're thinking. I'm not lying. And I know I wasn't hallucinating."
Faust listened to Crownslayer's entire briefing, but he couldn't accept.. any of it. An Arts user manifesting several different Arts? Being able to not just stop crossbow bolts, but grab each one of them in midair after being fired, within less than a second? The only logical explanation for that, was that this mysterious man could somehow move faster than a bullet.
He hadn't heard of a level of physical-enhancing Arts that exceptional. Even then, it couldn't explain how this man was apparently able to disappear and reappear out of thin air, and there was him being able to pull objects into his reach with an invisible force. Crownslayer was not joking around after all. He did find her claims... hard to believe.
For a moment, he entertained the thought that his red wolf comrade might've really been hallucinating things, or that she was lying for whatever reason. Neither of which sounded plausible. Crownslayer is one of Talulah's most trusted lieutenants. And he knew the Reunion leader well enough, to figure out that her trust wasn't cheap, nor expendable. And the red wolf isn't someone who would easily betray that trust, either through incompetence or dishonesty. At least, he believed so.
"You were right. I amfinding this hard to believe."
Crownslayer narrowed her eyes, irritated. "Are you taking me for a liar ?"
Faust sensed the tension, and immediately defused it. "No... I don't doubt your level of competence, or your loyalty, Crownslayer. But, if what you're saying is true, then the way you're describing this man... surely we would've heard of someone like him much earlier. Why would he just.. show up now?"
Especially right before a critical moment in Reunion's plans. This city was going to be their target. Their first major step into this uprising, which will undoubtedly shake all of Terra. An anomaly like this, could possibly throw a wrench into everything they've been working for. And worse, a threat to those close to him.
"He's not from here. I can't figure out what race he is. Possibly an Ursus, but most likely not a local. Still, he must be here for a reason." The latter deduced. It was all she could come up with, from what she'd seen of the masked stranger.
"He could be a threat to us." Faust stated bluntly.
"Or a valuable ally." Crownslayer responded.
An ally, she said? Of course Reunion could always use more people joining their ranks, and the thought of recruiting another powerful Arts user would be a great advantage to the movement. The Pythian boy didn't doubt her story regarding this man, who sounded like someone willing to fight for the Infected. But still...
"Let's suppose you have a good point. We still need to inform Talulah about this. She might be able to convince this... masked vigilante of yours to become one of us. Assuming she believes you, and that this new guy is willing to listen." Faust reminded.
"Inform Talulah about what?"
A new voice interrupted the brief session between the two Reunion lieutenants.
Faust recognized the voice. The voice of the white haired "demon" of Reunion himself, and his only true friend.
"... Mephisto."
Crownslayer eyed the white haired boy, disdain in her eyes. A feeling shared by most of those within Reunion, for good reasons. The "white devil" of Reunion, some have called him. She certainly wouldn't disagree.
As if somehow noticing the look from the former, Mephisto turned towards her, with a deceiving smile.
"It's a good thing you're finally here, Crownslayer. We've taken long enough. I've just finished 'disciplining' some of those stubborn brats in our ranks downstairs, when I thought of getting some fresh air up here, away from the rotten smell. Now, what is this about a... masked vigilante Faust was talking about?"
The redhead was reluctant to answer to the smiling psychopath in front of her. She never got the chance, as Faust then decided to answer on her behalf.
"Crownslayer seems to have met someone during her reconnaissance. Someone unknown, but powerful. Apparently with a soft spot for the Infected. We thought that this person.. could be our new recruit. If our leader wills it."
"Really? Well, I'm sure our dear leader would love to hear this..."
The smile never faded from the white haired devil's face. After all, Mephisto is always excited to meet new people. Most of them tend not to share the same sentiment in return.
Crownslayer did nothing but stare at the Liberi with malice. They may share the same goals, but their attitudes towards their goals, even towards their own Infected kin, could not be any more different. Mephisto himself was well aware of his reputation, and how the wolf-tailed assassin viewed him. He just didn't care.
"Ahh, it's a rather cold night, isn't it? Come, Faust. It's about time we return with the others. I'm sure Talulah wouldn't be pleased if we take too long sitting around in this depressing city..." He gestured to his Pythia friend. The latter responded with a nod, before following his companion closely behind.
Neither of the two Reunion lieutenants could predict what will happen afterwards. How their leader would react to this newfound anomaly. And whether he'll become a valuable ally, or a serious threat.
Faust was especially concerned of this, for as he walked past Crownslayer, he uttered to her, one last reminder. About her little stunt regarding the masked vigilante, and how it would affect their goals from now on.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
She didn't say anything, but her eyes told him enough about her thoughts.
'That makes two of us.'
There were many things in this world that Daud, once the infamous Knife of Dunwall, was unaware of. He did not belong in the future, as a fragment of the past. He understood at least that much.
It still didn't do much to help him with his monetary problems. For one, he didn't have any "LMD", or "Lungmen Dollars", the new currency of the current age. And of course, that made him a penniless man.
The hotel manager in front of him seemed to think so, anyway.
Unless, the former assassin could use his "persuasion" skills to change that.
"I don't know.. these 'coins', they don't seem quite legit." The manager claimed, much to the former assassin's dismay.
6 coins of genuine gold, and this man was trying to claim otherwise? Daud had a good eye when it comes to spotting lies. He takes pride in his own "interrogation skills" after all.
"Do you take me for a crook? Listen here, I don't want there to be any... misunderstandings between us. So, for both our benefits, I suggest you take a second look, just to be sure. It wouldn't hurt, would it?"
Daud pressed his tone harder, as he pushed the coins on the reception table further towards the manager. Him standing at 73 inches, the former assassin was not taller than the man before him, a rather large middle-aged man, with a horn on his forehead.
Yet despite the manager being 5 inches taller than Daud, it didn't do much to quell the sudden fear rising within the former. Something about this new guest's tone of voice, or the way he stood, made the manager realize he was arguing with a very experienced warrior. With a lot of blood on his hands.
The manager wasn't very sure if his intuitions were correct, but he'd rather not find out. His luck was bad enough as is.
"Uhm... look, I don't want any trouble in my hotel tonight, so I think I'll just accept these for now."
Thankfully the manager finally began cooperating in the end. The former assassin wouldn't need to put on his mask, or use his Mark again. Intimidation is a tactic that often works where he came from.
"So, how many nights is this worth?"
"... Two?"
The latter took away 3 of the coins he had put on the table. He didn't want to stay in one place for too long.
"One is enough."
_
The hotel room smelled awful. Not really as horrendous as the stench that permeated the flooded Rudshore Financial District of Dunwall, but it was still an assault to Daud's nose and lungs.
He guessed that this might've been intentional on the hotel manager's part. Well, now he knew he did the right call by just staying for a single night.
Daud looked in a nearby mirror stand that was already cracked. Although looking much younger than he remembered, he still looked like a man wildly out of time. He needed to find some new clothes to wear, if he was going to fit in with the locals.
But even with a fresh set of new clothes, there was still a problem. He didn't look like anyone in this city. He didn't have an extra pair of ears, or a tail. From the looks of it, most of the city's population seemed to be comprised of bear people, judging by their second pair of ears. Should he look for a pair of fake ears as a disguise? Would he even want to? It'd probably just make him look ridiculous every time he looks into a mirror.
Yet another issue, was his unfamiliarity with the technology in this era. The former assassin still had the odd black rectangular device he acquired earlier, once belonging to the police officer whose dignity he might've shattered that night. The device didn't suffer the same fate, thankfully, as he kept it safely in one of his many hidden pockets. But he was still oblivious as to how it works.
It would be odd for someone like him to just walk to someone and ask them how to use a device that may or may not be common around here. But there might be something worth looking underneath the rectangular glass sheet of this odd contraption. If he could get it to work.
A few moments of fiddling had finally rewarded the former assassin with.. the device now displaying a message saying "Press To Initiate Fingerprint Scan".
Daud raised an eyebrow, before deciding to put his left thumb in the middle of the screen. There was a flickering light from the device, and another message popped up, "Incorrect Fingerprint".
A device using fingerprints for verification? A remarkable piece of technology, to say the least. It seemed like the only way for him to access this device would be to find the police officer and have her unlock it for him. Or he could just cut off her fingers. It wouldn't be his first time.
Perhaps a more humane way would be to find a rewire tool of sorts to unlock this device forcefully. Daud had dealt with electrical machines before, but in this far future, everything might work differently from what he was used to. He doubted the possibility of rewire tools even existing nowadays.
That train of thought brought his attention to other items and trinkets he once held close to himself, and whether they were still available at this age, in some form. Are bone charms still a thing? Elixirs and remedies? He also greatly missed his handy wristbow, though he wondered if he would ever need it soon. Or if it was even possible to rebuild it.
Maybe a strange way of thinking for a common man, but the decades the former Knife of Dunwall had spent honing his arrows and blade, had greatly reshaped his mental attitude. Not even 10 000 years of nothingness could take that away.
So many things about this place, the former assassin was still oblivious to. Getting accustomed to everything is definitely going to take a while. The human-animal people. The Infected. Oripathy. Arts. Chernobog. Ursus. Reunion.
Well, he might be able to learn something about at least three of those topics.
As it turned out, bookstores are apparently still a thing in the future. And in one of them, there just so happened to be a book titled "Ursus and the Infected: A Brief History of Oripathy in The Empire". It also seemed to have picked up plenty of dust.
It was also a good thing that the store cashier was too busy with his own book, that he failed to notice one of his products floating away from the shelf and into the grasp of a stranger, who would then disappear into fading ashes, never to set foot into that store ever again.
Considering his current financial position, there was nothing Daud would have regretted about that particular act.
He hadn't touched a book in years. And the last time he remembered he did, it was to kill a man with its spine against his throat. And the other time, to find a way to kill the boy who was not even in the same plane of existence as he was.
This time, going through sheets of paper for reasons other than killing, is certainly a new experience for the old knife.
If there was one thing that Talulah despised more than anything, based on her own experiences, it would be inconveniences.
Not minor ones like a piece of jewelry that keeps getting misplaced, or a table that always creaks slightly.
More so, major inconveniences, such as things that do not come into the equation she has made. Not unlike the supposed masked vigilante whom one of her lieutenants encountered and conversed with.
She expected some good news after sending some of her most loyal followers deep into the city of Chernobog for nearly 24 hours. Perhaps more news about Infected riots on the rise, and more societal instability within the Ursine city. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so optimistic.
A new potential recruit, her trusted spy reported to her. Of course she would always gladly welcome those who are willing to join this movement. More manpower is exactly what her plans need. But that was where the good news ended.
With each of Crownslayer's descriptions of this mystery of a man, brought to light with her words, so too was unease brought into the Reunion leader's mind. A form of magic that grants some sort of super-speed? Disappearing and reappearing in different places in the blink of an eye? Pulling away objects from far away with an invisible force?
She had not heard of anyone capable of using multiple different forms of Originium Arts before. But that was because the real answer was quite simple. It wasn't Arts.
"Tell me, what does he wear? And spare no detail. " She commanded the assassin. And so the latter did.
"He wears a red longcoat on a white undershirt, along with belt pouches. Brown gloves, black trousers, and strapped leather boots. The weirdest thing I noticed, was his mask. The craftsmanship seemed a little hasty, with metal plates and strings shaping a skull. And glass lens where the eyes should be. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out his race."
The Draco leader of Reunion must've lost control of her expression for a brief moment, as it seemed the rest of her lieutenants noticed how their leader widened her eyes upon hearing the description of this masked stranger.
"Talulah... is there something wrong?" Spoke one of them with a damaged voice, an extremely large figure, who goes by the name of Patriot.
As quickly as she could, the Draco regained her composure, returning to the same stoic face she often has.
"Oh.. it's nothing." She reassured the giant. That was unintentional on her part. She will not show any cracks in her composure again. None of them, not even her most trusted allies, shall see her weaknesses.
"Is there.. anything else you can tell me about this man?" Talulah asked her redhead lieutenant.
"He gave me a name. Calls himself the Whaler."
The Draco has heard everything she needed to hear.
"I think I have heard enough, Crownslayer. That is all for now. You may leave. All of you."
Her lieutenants said nothing else. They simply did as was told.
The giant, Patriot, was the last one to leave her vicinity. He stared at their leader for a few seconds, with whatever emotions he may have, remaining hidden under the terrifying mask. Eventually, he too went on to give the Reunion leader some time alone.
Eventually, there was no one left in the cold, damp room of the dilapidated building now under Reunion's control, except for Talulah. She let out a sigh of frustration, when no one else could hear her.
Frustration might be too light of a word. In actuality, she was furious.
She had laid out a near flawless plan. She could not afford any unexpected setbacks right now. Especially not one from her own past.
After all this time... why now? When she was so close to finally getting what she wanted, and now this. It was like fate itself truly wanted her to suffer.
No. This has nothing to do with fate. She knows it.
Her sighs slowly turn into a small chuckle. Not one out of amusement, but out of resentment.
Soon, words began forming in her mouth. Not directed to herself, but to the one being whom she knew could hear her every word.
"You must really be enjoying the show now, don't you?... You black-eyed bastard."
_
Author's Note
Finally back with a slightly smaller chapter than before, yay.
I'm honestly surprised at myself by how quickly I'm updating this story compared to my usual pace. This is probably the most motivated I've ever been writing a crossover before. Maybe because this is the first crossover story I've made where I'm just really invested in boththe universes I'm trying to put together. So many ideas for how this fanfic will go. Hopefully I could make it work somehow.
This chapter is a little slower paced, mostly focusing a little more on Reunion's perspective. I realized this might not be common to see, given most AK fanfics I've read tend to start with Rhodes Island first. I'm kinda excited myself to see how this story will go.
As one of the comments pointed out, it does look like the Ancients of Terra are generally more physically capable than regular humans, so I'll keep that in mind. But don't forget Daud himself was no ordinary human. This was the same guy who could jump over 3 metres in the air, while carrying an adult body. Also the same guy who dueled a Clockwork Soldier in his late 50s albeit with difficulty, and those things could react to bullets. He's no slouch, don't worry.
So.. Talulah knows some stuff she's not supposed to. If you've played Arknights up to a certain point in the story, you might already know the big reveals coming ahead. Of course, there's going to be much more to it than that in this story, but I won't say anything.
I tried the best I could to make the character interactions somewhat fit their canon personalities, but there might be slight differences here and there. Obviously I never planned to follow the canon story too much, since this is a crossover fanfic after all, but I try not to make established characters feel OOC. I hoped I did well enough in that department.
Not much else for me to say here. This chapter is a little shorter than previous ones, but I think it's actually long enough for the narrative I'm trying to convey. I hope I could keep up this writing pace for future chapters, so long as real life doesn't intervene too much. But no promises, as usual.
(P.S. : A slight update in the bottom note of the first chapter, just to clarify me using some existing artworks from fanmade and official sources for the cover of this fanfic.)
Anyway, thanks for reading, and until next time.