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Chapter 3
Shirou stood just off to the side of the door as he had for the past several days. Honestly, the job was far quieter than he was expecting. From the way Gordon had described it he'd figured the place would have a robbery a day. Or at the very least one every few days. Instead, it looked like the average bank as far as he could tell. People came in spent a few minutes at a counter or a desk and left.
"Mr. Emiya," Gordon said as his office door opened, "the standard operating procedure is that after twenty minutes, you step outside and visually sweep the parking lot," Gordon said. "I've told you this already."
Shirou nodded and glanced at the clock. It had been eighteen, but he shrugged. "I'll get right on that, Mr. Pregar."
As he opened the door, Donna, one of the two tellers currently on the clock, walked through it before him, pulling a cigarette out as she went. "Pregar giving you that whole operating procedure, bull?" She asked as he stepped outside behind her.
Shirou shrugged, "He's just doing his job."
"His job? The guy is a kiss ass. The only thing he does is complain and give regular reports on us to someone. He can get cracked for all I care."
"Cracked?" Even as the word came out of his mouth he knew he was going to regret asking.
"As in I'm hoping one of the villains that comes in breaks his jaw again? I really enjoyed the peace and quiet last time."
Shirou gave her a small smile as he finished scanning the parking lot. The only movement was a leaf skittering across the pavement propelled by the wind.
"I'm sure he has his reasons." He said with a shrug before heading back into the building.
"Like being an anal retentive pain in the ass?" She called.
He stopped.
"That's definitely a reason," Shirou answered, then walked back inside.
"Emiya, your sweep should take no more than a minute," Gordon called.
A glance at the clock told him he was all of four seconds late. He sighed. That would get old sooner rather than later.
Donna came in a moment later, smelling like a mix of cigarettes and perfume. Shirou wrinkled his nose.
It was a few minutes before anyone else walked in, and when they did, it was a massive man. He walked in snarling, his arms which were bigger than the average person's legs flexing, and his red mullet fluttered in the AC's artificial breeze.
He lifted a nearby desk and hurled it forward. Apparently Donna had managed to tempt fate.
Stepping forward, Shirou took a breath and took hold of the descending piece of furniture as the pens and papers fell through the air. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a wasted effort as Shirou felt the desk break even as the sound reverberated outward and something collided with his fist.
Shirou grunted as he skidded across the floor on his back. Groaning, Shirou slowly pulled himself to his feet. The bank workers had all already moved into the manager's office and were now staring out. He could hear the alarm ringing wildly.
Shaking his head to clear it, he took hold of a desk chair and readied himself as the robber charged.
Shirou lifted the chair and swung as the mammoth of a man roared and leaped at him, a fist drawn back to pummel him. The massive teen struck, but it didn't stop the metal from hitting him hard enough that the two of them stumbled backward.
"I'm going to rip your stupid head off your dumb body!" He roared as she took to his feet again.
Shirou stepped back out of the way of the descending feet and stepped around behind him. Then, curling his hands into fists, Shirou hit the man in front of him twice in the side.
He roared in pain as he tumbled away but popped back onto his feet, showing that the blow wasn't anywhere near enough to stop him.
Mammoth grabbed hold of the counter and raised it above his head upon successfully ripping it from the ground.
Shirou's first thought was just to break the thing, but that wasn't an option with the people around him. Especially since Gordon was sitting at the desk in the corner watching the two of them duke it out while drinking yet another cup of coffee.
Grabbing the counter from the air, Shirou grunted and started to set it to the side, only to catch one of his opponent's meaty fists.
His head rang as he tumbled across the bank, his back denting the large door. Shirou looked up and saw the tusked teen barreling once more toward him. Lifting his arms, Shirou covered his vitals as best he could.
Thud.
Thud.
Each strike drove him deeper into the steel.
Finally, Shirou had had enough. Relaxing his defenses, he took the monstrous teen's massive fist to the stomach and grabbed onto his forearm. No matter how much he pulled, Shirou didn't let go of the arm. Instead the metal screeched when he drew his arm back Shirou came with it.
Shirou took the opening, drove his foot into his jaw, and let go as he did, allowing the guy to fly across the room.
"Seriously, how did you think this was a good idea?"
"Hey Emiya, I don't think he can hear you. He's unconscious."
Blinking hard, Shirou crouched down and laid his fingers against the other teen's wrist. There was a strong pulse. He sighed.
A hawk flew into the room, morphing into a green-skinned boy who skids to a stop staring at Shirou and the unconscious teen with eyes.
"Where is he?" A dark-haired boy wearing a domino mask asked as he broke through a window on the other side of the room.
The green one just pointed, and the dark-haired boy acted much differently than the other. He pulled out a round radio from his side.
"The issues have already been solved."
"Wait, you're saying BB dropped Mammoth before you could get in there?" The voice came from a robotic-looking teen, or his face looked like a teen's. The rest of him was robotic.
"Hey."
"Cyborg, this isn't the time to ruminate on just how useful beast boy is." This belonged to Raven's familiar forms as she flew slowly into the room.
"Titan's focus." The dark-haired one snapped as the orange-skinned alien girl flew into the room.
He approached Shirou and extended his hand while Shirou took it. "I'm Robin."
Shirou forced himself to smile. "Shirou."
"Shirou?" Raven had suddenly closed the distance. "What are you doing here?"
Awkwardly, Shirou waved. "Yeah, uh, I work here."
She nodded, then raised an eyebrow. "So the one who knocked out Private Hive the other day was you?"
Shirou winced "guy that was way too in love with military talk and has a thing for yellow?"
All of them nodded.
"Yeah, that was me."
"Impressive," Robin said.
"But seriously, I'm useful!"
"Dude, of course, you are."
"Does this mean there's no kicking of the bad guy's butt?"
Gordon walked up beside Shirou and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Titans, thank you for coming! However, I do believe that we have this well in hand."
He turned away from the Titans, taking Shirou along with him. "Those abilities of yours are really quite impressive. But, may I ask, what do they do exactly?"
Beast Boy went wide-eyed and jumped onto Shirou wrapping an arm around his neck.
"Dude, you have powers? Awesome, what can you do? If it's awesome enough, we might offer you a chance to be a Titan."
"Beast Boy!" Robin snapped, causing the green teen to shrink and rejoin the group.
Mr. Gordon froze, and his face began to purple. "Now you see here! I uh-" He lapsed into. Silence seemed to be at a loss for words before turning to Shirou.
"Mr. Emiya. I understand that this is a fine opportunity for you, but-"
Shirou raised a hand. Turning to the Titans, he gave a slight shake of his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not the Hero type. Besides, I agreed, and I'll stick to it."
Robin nodded. "Keeping your word, I can respect that. But, if you ever change your mind," he reached onto his belt and, pulling off the communicator, offered it to Shirou.
Shirou shook his head, "I'm sorry, but no."
Robin raised an eyebrow but nodded, slipped the communicator back onto his belt, and pulled a pair of cuffs that grew several sizes with a touch of a button.
"Well, as soon as the police get here to take Mammoth, we'll get out of your hair then."
"Come along, Mr. Emiya," Gordon said. He seemed rather pleased by the conversation's outcome and was even rubbing his hands together. He led Shirou through the building and into his office as the police burst through the door.
Shirou settled himself into a seat as the door swept open allowed Gordon and a lanky man with a grey suit to walk in.
"Mr. Emiya," He said as he extended his hand. "I'm Detective Lassiter, I'm here to get your statement."
Shirou nodded. "I'll help however I can."
"Excellent." The detective flipped open his notebook. "Now if you could go over the events of today I'd appreciate it."
And so Shirou rehashed the super powered teens assault, twice. Twenty minutes later it was all over and Shirou was walking back into the bank.
Shirou had only made it a few steps into the bank and froze as he found Gordon in his personal space.
"Mr. Emiya, please come with me."
Shirou could only nod and follow after his boss who led them into his office. He gestured at the seat Shirou had only just been in as he lowered himself into his own seat.
After Shirou had settled himself into the chair, Gordon spoke.
"Mr. Emiya, one of the board members, has made an executive decision." He folded his hands. "He would like you to transfer over into a different branch of the company that focuses on security."
Shirou's brow furrowed. "I don't understand, I thought that I was here until at least Clem was back on his feet at which point the company was going to find a more permanent position for me."
Gordon snapped his fingers, "that's what's happening, except for Clem getting back on his feet part. You see, we, the company, believe it would be a waste to squander your skills."
"Then who's going to guard the bank?"
Gordon waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "An substitute has already been selected and will be in momentarily. Now, you can of course refuse, but—"
Shirou shook his head stopping Gordon before he could get going. "It won't be a problem as long as it's in the city.
"Not a problem, Dr. Connor would like you to act as added security at an auction house that he's invested in. Now I don't have to tell you—"
"Mr. Pregar, Mr. Coolidge is on the line."
"Tell him I'm in a—" Gordon started before the color drained from his face as he looked over Shirou's shoulder.
"Fine. Emiya, just head to Byrnes Auction house this Friday night."
Shirou nodded and stood. "I'll be there."
But Gordon wasn't listening. Instead, his attention was on the red light dancing merrily on his phone. He grabbed it quickly as if he expected it to change into a viper and raised it to his ear.
"Yes, sir, we're doing all we can—" the door clicked closed behind Shirou.
The manager came barreling out of the room, his face red and a folded uniform in hand.
"Mr. Emiya, there's been a change in plans."
All of a sudden, Shirou found the uniform in his hands.
"I know this is your first night, but it seems some things have come up, and the auction day has been moved up. So it'll just be around ten or so, and we'll overtime."
Shirou nodded. Miyu would accept that he had to work.
"Perfect, now the address is on the back of the card. Be there at seven tomorrow night and don't be late."
"I'll be there."
An hour later Shirou sighed as he pushed the door to his room open. The day was more exhausting than he'd been expecting. The detective was far more thorough than was probably necessary, but there wasn't much Shirou could do.
Quick steps brought Miyu into the hall, she looked half panicked.
"Did you have a good day?"
Shirou shrugged, "Someone tried to rob the bank." He offered a small smile. "
"And you're okay right?"
He gave her a thumbs up. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired."
She pursed her lips, "does that mean your brought home succulent sirloin steak?"
Shirou snorted and shook his head. "I'll see about getting some when I go to the store next."
"Kay." She sang.
He started for his room and paused. "I was planning on going to see the house we got from the bank. Did you want to come?"
"Yes please"
It almost seemed like they left the city instead of just crossing a street, but that's what it looked like. The community ahead had seen better days, and many of the buildings had already been reduced to rubble.
"Mr. Emiya, are you certain this is where you want to go?" Cane asked.
Shirou understood his caution. It was warranted. By the looks of it, he wanted to take his little sister into an area that managed to make the slums look good.
"Yeah, this is the place."
"If you're sure."
As they pulled into a gated community, they found their path blocked. A barricade of metal barrels extended across the gateway. From the pillars, shadows figures stepped out. All of them laughed. Some like children, others like madmen.
Nine of them in total.
They looked like a failed rock band. Green hair, black and white striped clothes that made them look like prisoners, and white face makeup with bright red circles on their cheeks. Except for the girl. She had a star on her cheek and wore a miniskirt. They held a multitude of weapons between them. Two with. Chains, one with a pair of brass knuckles, one with a hammer, three baseball bats, and the two in the back didn't look to be holding anything.
"Pay up!" The girl sneered in a nasal voice, "that is if ya don't want ta get bonked!" She cackled.
"So you're the jokers."
"Jokerz! There's a Z in there!"
"Not now, Diz! We don't have time for you to be a grammar Nazi!"
One in the back answered by squeezing his red nose, creating a honking sound before laughing.
"Well, you heard her! Give us the money." The one carrying the hammer jeered.
"Well," Shirou sighed, "I'm not giving you any money. But I'll give you a warning. You should all leave and not come back. This won't end well otherwise."
They sounded like a laugh track on a bad sitcom.
"Hey boom, hows about we just plant this guy?" One of the ones with a chain asked, looking at the weaponless ones. "We could take the car and all the money the drivers got."
Boom laughed, "If you think your up to it, he's a brave one."
The tallest of them, a youth that had to be seven feet tall if he was a foot, stepped forward and stuck his tongue out. "He's bluffing."
The group charged. Shirou raced to meet them. He sidestepped a swinging chain and elbowed the gaunt man decorated with a half dozen fake flowers in the stomach. He dropped the next one with a leg sweep and rolled away to avoid the incoming bat.
Surging to his feet, Shirou caught the descending bat and punched the clown in the chest.
With a loud grunt, the clown slash strongman wannabe swung his hammer wide. Shirou ducked beneath it and punched the head as it passed over the head. It blasted into splinters and flew into the air.
"What the hell?"
"Bepo, he's a meta! Don't just stand there!" The seven-foot-tall one cried.
But it was too late. Adjusting his stance, Shirou lunged and rammed a fist into the man's chest. Bepo shot backward and bounced a few times on the road before he came to a stop.
Five enemies remained. Two of them stood ten meters out, and the last three, the tall one, the one with the brass knuckles, and the last one using a chain just four.
The tall man roared as he lifted his baseball bat and rushed toward Shirou. Shirou caught it in an open hand and planted the other one on his side, sending him crumpling to the ground.
"Bluffing, was he stretch?" One in the back called, "I think he has a pair to your nothing."
The man reached into his coat and pulled out a large, clunky gun that looked as if it came straight out of a cartoon.
"Nice, isn't it? I got it while I was in Gotham. Slipped in and got it while the bat was chasing Mr. J." He leveled it at the tall one and squeezed the trigger.
Shirou stared in surprise as the gun emitted a flash and bang along with a plume of smoke. That vanished as soon as he saw the pole extend from the end along with a flag that said bang.
"Cute," Shirou said, but a bad feeling was already building in his stomach.
"Isn't it? The thing is, the Jokers don't need more fodder like him" He laughed and squeezed the trigger. There was another bang, and the rod was fired like a harpoon.
Eight meters.
Shirou formed the image of the gun's hammer as fast as he could and shoved it forward as it finished forming.
Five meters. The magical energy began flooding his body as he threw himself into motion.
Two meters. Shirou took hold of the rod as it closed in. The metal bent, and the makeshift projectile stopped. Aware of the glow he was putting off, Shirou turned back to the jokers and shook his head.
"And that was supposed to do what?"
The two lead jokers turned and ran, and the few that Shirou left conscious scrambled to follow their leaders.
Dispersing the energy suffusing him, Shirou moved to the barrels and nearly hurled at the mix of sewage, rot, and gasoline that floated free of the container. Instead, he took a step back and took a breath of relatively fresher air before he took hold of the barrel and moved it out of the way. The other barrels quickly followed.
The sedan pulled forward, and Cane's windows slid down. "Mr. Emiya, might I suggest we leave for the day?"
The reason was immediately clear. There was a veritable wall of Jokerz coming toward them. When gordon had brought them up he thought they'd be a handful of kids playing at being gangsters or villains. He'd seen it a number of times while he was working in Fuyuki. This was on a much larger scale and while he doubted they would be much of a threat there was always an outside chance that Miyu would get injured. Or even Mr. Cane. It wasn't worth it. He'd just have to come back on his own later.
Shirou nodded. "Yeah, we've got more important things to think about anyways."
Looking up at him she began chewing on her lip but shook her head after a moment. "What?"
He smiled, "I was thinking about going and choosing ourselves some steak for dinner."
She beamed. "Yes, steak! Mr. Cane! To the grocery store!"
Shirou swore he heard the man force a cough to hide his chuckle. "Of course miss."
He moved through a derelict shack. He could feel it. The power. It sang to him. From the floor to the bookshelf to the fireplace, it sang to him. But it was not there. It wasn't anywhere to be seen.
It had been taken. It was being kept from him!
Picking up a broken chair, he roared and swung it into the wall. Wood clattered against wood even as some snapped and knocked against the wall down the hallway.
"RAAAAA!" He roared as he picked up a wad of newspapers and flung them.
The power was his. It was meant for him. Couldn't they understand? He deserved it! The recognition. The fame, money, and women. He deserved them all! God dammit, he was a step from godhood! He could feel it! And he wasn't about to mess it up.
The song paused, and he froze.
"No." He whispered, aghast. "No."
Turning to the load-bearing pillar, he leaned back and slammed his head into the wood. Then he did it again. And again. Until blood streaked the wall and dotted his clothes.
"I can hear you." He whispered and laughed. "I hear you, and I need you. Help me find you!"
He slumped to the ground panting, his head pounding. The idea that someone else might find his power and take it infuriated him! He'd make sure they'd never wake up again! And he'd bury all their pets in the wall!
He started laughing as he rolled onto his back. Even as he laughed, he pressed a burnt piece of wood to his face and began scraping the ashes across from it. Soon his face bore two different shades. Charcoal black and pale white. A blue light pulsed about his eyes.
"Please," he whispered as exhaustion crept up on him. "Please help me."
His eyes fluttered shut.
That night he dreamed of darkness- of darkness and the dead.
As the sun began to rise. Shirou walked across the stone where he'd woken just days ago. He didn't think he'd have returned so soon, but certain facts had forced him to reevaluate the location's usefulness.
At the very least, if he messed up here, the only person getting hurt would be himself. Not that he expected any problems.
Pulling the hammer back, Shirou began.
"Trace on."
The hammer fell.
Magical energy roared through him, flooding him with a frosty feeling he'd come to associate with his magical energy since coming to the this world.
Swiftly Shirou sifted through the massive arsenal of weapons at his disposal before he settled on a simple European short sword. The blueprints unfolded as those not selected fell away.
The energy filtered into the air. The framework came first, a simple shape of a dual-edged short sword with a simple straight guard. Next came the light as more magical energy was used to create the shell and fill it with the truths of the blade.
A sword that doused the light of the person who forged it, just as quickly it was pried from one dead body after another. Its victories were rare. Only once was it successful in defeating an opponent that carried a weapon of similar size or greater. Eventually, a child grew tired of the killing and, instead of swearing vengeance and taking up his father's sword, retired it.
The iron blade appeared in his hand and was a fine copy of the original until the metal wrenched itself apart, and the crimson glow emanated freely from within.
Grimacing, Shirou dismissed the blade.
"Still too much…" he muttered.
Shirou brought the blueprint to the front again, and the process repeated without a noticeable change. He bit his lip and tried again. Again he had to dispel the weapon before it did its best to blow him to Kingdom come.
He didn't stop, however.
Despite his failures, he tried again and again until the light began peaking its way up over the horizon.
Shirou grunted. It was time to head home. Miyu would be getting up soon. On the upside, his last few attempts looked to have had minor improvements. Or at least it seemed the weapons held their form for a split second longer before the metal rent.
Focusing his magic energy into his muscles, Shirou took a breath and carefully slid it along his lungs. A moment later, the stone cracked beneath his feet as he took off. The wind bit at his face, and branches scraped and broke against his skin. He sped down the road faster than most thought possible for people without a speed-based superpower.
The air whistled wildly in his ears as he pushed himself to his limits. As he passed into the city proper, he could see the windows rattling as he passed them.
He slowed as he reached Elm Street and came to a stop just in front of the stairs.
"Mr. Emiya, did you enjoy your run?" The question came from the doorman/guard that he didn't recognize.
Shirou nodded. "I did, thanks." He paused as he looked at the man's chest, looking for the tag that held his name.
He must've seen Shirou looking as he introduced himself a moment after Shirou started looking. "It's Van, sir."
"Well, Van, it was great."
Van nodded and pulled the door open. "I'll let the kitchen know you've returned. Your breakfast will be sent up as soon as it's done."
"Thanks."
"My pleasure, sir."
Shirou strode into the building and made his way to the stairs. He jogged up them two steps at a time.
"Miyu, I'm home." He called as he walked through the door.
Miyu came rushing around the corner, the black bunny ears flopping about on the top of her head. She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. And while he was sure she was trying to come off as angry, perhaps even intimidating, she didn't come off as anything less than adorable.
"And where did you run off to Onii-chan?"
Shirou blinked. It was a fair question, just one that somehow he hadn't been expecting. He scrambled for an answer then he realized something. He'd say no reason to be nervous. He was Miyu's guardian, not the other way around.
"Well, big brother?"
Shirou took a deep breath and frowned at Miyu. "I was just out getting some exercise in. Care to explain why you're talking to me like I'm on trial?"
Miyu blushed, "I uh woke up, and you weren't here."
She got scared. The reason just flashed into his head, and Shirou nearly flinched at realizing it. How had he missed that?
"Miyu' Shirou sighed, "okay. I'll keep my exercises closer to home."
There had to be some way to keep anything bad from really happening, like a detonation.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Who would be knocking so early?" She asked, looking behind him at the door.
With a laugh, Shirou pulled the door open, and a cart was rolled into the room featuring pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sliced fruits, and toast. The delivery person, a mousy woman who barely breached the four-foot mark, retreated out the door as soon as the cart stopped.
"Well, I thought I should get us some breakfast. You know, considering today's the day."
She stiffened.
"Nervous?"
Miyu shook her head, but the fact remained she was white as a sheet.
"It'll be fine. It's nothing to worry about. We're just going to get you signed up."
"And what if they tell me I'm not smart enough!" Miyu snapped.
Shirou snorted, "the day you're not smart enough is when I start dressing like Robin and take up street performing."
The image must have been suitably amusing as she began to giggle.
He ushered her to the table and set a plate loaded with the food in front of her.
"The principal will see you now."
Shirou stood as the secretary opened the door and couldn't help but frown. The principal Ms. Sandberg, according to the nameplate on the door, must have been very busy not to open the door herself. Or, Shirou realized as he stepped into the room and saw the woman sitting in her seat, watching him as he entered, trying to project a certain image. The number of trophies and accolades spread across the wall behind her suggested it was more likely the latter rather than the latter.
Ms. Sandberg, a slim woman, wore a plum-colored pantsuit and adjusted the thick red glasses higher on her nose.
She didn't stand and offer her hand, merely gesturing at the seat opposite her as she pulled a file from her desk drawer.
"Mr. Emiya, how may I help you today?" She asked in a clipped tone.
His attention was elsewhere. However, it was locked onto a fancy-looking letter opener. Its name? "Little Friend." The pseudo weapon lay in a small rack on the side of the desk, and it hadn't been used to open a letter in over four years. It had, however, been used on multiple men throughout that time. In fact, it had been impaling hands since the woman in front of him went on her third date in high school.
"Mr. Emiya," the woman said, drawing his attention back to her. "If we could get to business?"
"Right, my sister is interested in attending your school."
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say as the principal turned to the stack of papers at the side of her desk and lifted the top one.
"Mr. Jensen is quite capable of helping with a simple application."
Shirou shook his head.
"My sister was homeschooled until now, and our home was caught in the explosion of a gas leak."
The lie rolled off Shirou's tongue as if it were made of oil. And just like oil, it seemed to coat his tongue in a way that made him want to scrape at it.
"You're hoping for a placement examination then."
"That's right."
She sighed and settled the paper down. "When would you like to set the date of the exam?"
Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Shirou allowed himself a small smile. "Whenever is best for your schedule, including right now."
The principal sighed again as she stood. "Well, if she's here now, we might as well begin."
She walked around her desk and stepped out into the receptionist's office, where Miyu was staring intently at tha gas leak explosion tank.
"Ms. Emiya, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mrs. Rainer."
Shirou smiled at how quickly his sister turned from her seat to face the educator. She nearly fell off.
"It's my pleasure, ma'am."
Mrs. Rainer inclined her head. "Now, why don't we go see what class you'd find the best fit?"
Shirou blinked. The woman sounded more energetic all of a sudden. Slowly Shirou glanced at Mr. Jensen, who caught his eye and gave a slight nod as if to say, yes, this is precisely what I was talking about.
Miyu stepped closer to him, suddenly looking unsure. He smiled down at her and settled a hand on her head.
"You're going to do great."
Though she seemed unsure, the principal allowed herself to be led away.
Shirou settled himself into his chair and turned his attention to the failed ritual. He must have forgotten something. Worse, without the book directly in front of him, any attempt to rectify the issue would be a shot in the dark.
Thankfully the runes seemed to be working. Or at least most of them, which meant that magic existed in the world.
It still left him with a question. What would be keeping Miyu safe when he had to work and she was at home?
He could take her to the Bancroft; Mr. Cane had been adamant that they wouldn't stay in the area. But it wasn't like they were staying at the Bancroft any longer either… Taking her with him wasn't much of an offer either. It was an auction, hardly a place for a kid.
He didn't even know if the Noble Phantasms at his disposal were stable enough to trace. So it wasn't worth risking either. Not until he managed to get back out to the bluffs to try things out.
So what option did he have? There wasn't much, really. Find some way to protect the house and through it Miyu or keep staying at the Bancroft?
The pitter-patter of rushing steps and Shirou looked up only to get barrelled into by the ballistic missile that called herself his sister.
"Onii-chan!"
She sounded so excited that he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Got over your nerves?"
She held up a hand and gave him a so-so motion. "Kinda? The test was really easy. But—" she paused and pointed outside where kids were playing handball, four square, swinging, and doing many other things.
"You scared of them?"
She nodded, stopped, and repeated the so-so motion.
"You certainly are quick, aren't you, Ms. Emiya." She regarded the girl with a smile before pulling a packet from under her arm and extending it towards Shirou.
"All that's left is filling out the paperwork, and we'll see Miyu bright and early tomorrow."
He accepted the packet and pulled it open. "I'll have them for you in just a bit."
Ms. Sandberg nodded and disappeared back into her office.
He nudged Miyu, "what do you think? Should we get some lunch when we're done here?"
She started to nod but stopped, and looked at him pointedly "only if you cook. They can't do it like you."
"Deal."
Later that night, Shirou adjusted his tie as he looked around the room. Arcane artifacts lay scattered across the tables, each labeled with a number and a four-digit number. However, the number of artifacts that held any kind of thaumaturgy was limited to three items, at least as far as Shirou could tell.
The first, a cane, according to the item's description, was capable of creating boundary lines that none could cross.
The second is a silver goblet inlaid with jet and amethyst. According to its information, the cup would either randomly heal or poison whoever drank from it.
The last of them was In the center of the room on a pedestal. A book bound in what looked like bright green snakeskin with a circular pane of deep ruby. Suppose one were to believe its title and caption. In that case, it could summon and control demons and was bound in the hide of a particularly vicious dragon.
Whether or not it could summon demonic beings, Shirou was confident that it shouldn't be allowed to just be sold off. But, of course, he doubted any would listen to him. So, if he wanted to keep it out of the wrong hands, he'd have to steal it himself.
Shirou shook his head. He wasn't a Hero and had no right to stop the auction.
Around the book sat four tempered steel daggers, three of which had done nothing more witchy than grace an old woman's sitting room. The last had been used just once.
It had bitten deep into the victim's jugular, allowing blood to spray freely into the air. It had been the first and the last ritual the witch ever performed, or at least with that knife. But, of course, the victim was a pig.
A hulking figure moved to stand beside him, and he gave a small laugh.
"Hey, new guy, just relax. These things are pretty easy. Worse that happens is a brawl, and we get the items into the back and call the police. Easy peasy."
"Thanks, Jared."
"No worries, man."
He clapped Shirou on the shoulder before moving back to circulate through the room. The problem came with the fact that Shirou was told that he was to protect the book over anything else. Even the guests.
"Please come in, look around, and see what piques your interest!" A voice rang out over the PA system. "Please be warned that all items are protected by state-of-the-art alarms from Luthorcorp."
People began filing into the room in ones, twos, and threes, each holding a glass of champagne as they chatted about one thing.
A hearty bald man with a large beard that came down to his chest approached the book at the center before anyone else. "I'm telling you, eating your dessert before dinner is far too satisfying not to!" He said to his companion, a pale boy with black hair.
The hearty man took a sip from his glass before spewing it all over the glass. "Dragon skin? Do they really think someone going to believe that load of garbage?"
"Brenden, haven't you learned not to judge a book by its cover? But perhaps it's not dragon skin. Does that diminish from the history of the book?" The pale boy asked.
"Apparently not," Brenden said and laughed hard, sending his jowls jouncing.
As he approached, a third man, whose age lay between the first two's, pursed his lips beneath his hawkish nose. "How dreadfully boring. Dr. Connors calls this a collection? One-third of his items come from the Howell estate."
"Howell? As in the woman who attempted to regain her youth by butchering a pig?" Brenden asked, and he looked at the items again.
"The very same."
"Perhaps coming was a waste after all," Brenden mumbled as he wandered out of the room.
"Niklaus," the pale boy said. "Did you enjoy your most recent dig?"
Niklaus's nose wrinkled.
"I'm afraid we lost two good men and a handful of the more valuable finds—" he paused. "Though I find it difficult to believe you care when it was you who outbid me for the map to the whereabouts of Shangri La?"
The boy nodded, "I did. Sadly it proved to be a fake."
Shirou glanced up as the PA System sounded. "A three-minute warning, the auction will begin in three minutes. If there is an item you'd like a closer look at, now the time!"
Apparently, a signal went up between the announcement and the three left. A veritable stampede of people through the center took a look before someone behind them urged them forward.
Shirou had to move closer to the book to keep it in sight amidst the mass of people.
"So you're a guard, are you?" A passing female voice asked.
Shirou glanced over, but there wasn't anyone there, though a woman wearing a floor-length gown with her black hair was walking away. He narrowed his eyes. He didn't imagine it. He knew he wasn't. So someone was coming for the book. Great.
As he locked his eyes once more to the book, the image of a hammer being drawn back filled his mind. When they struck, and they would, he would be ready and waiting.
Slowly, the people began filtering out the door, heading home or for their seats. And then they were gone. It left three of them in the room, Shirou, Jared, and a somewhat unsure-looking man with an awfully patchy beard.
Striding over to the double doors, Jared and his friend closed and locked them.
"You're still on book duty, aren't you?" Jared asked as he picked up lot A, Item 0001. A set of gold-leafed bowls inlaid with nothing but broken rune work.
Nodding, Shirou wrapped his knuckles against the case. "I'm on this thing until it leaves the building."
Jared chuckled. "Sounds like someone pulled cake duty. Looks like it's up to you and me, Lucas."
"S'fine by me. Let's just get this done."
A small ding erupted, and Jared looked up. "Time for the first lot." He said and took the bowls out a door off to the side.
"It takes you up the ramp to the stage," Lucas explained. In his arms was a small jewelry box. "Just saves us from getting jumped on the way up."
Shirou nodded. Fair enough. In fact, it was a pretty intelligent setup.
Another ding, and Lucas made his way out of the room using the same door as Jared.
The double doors everyone had left through burst open, and a human cat thing landed in the room, its eyes locking on to him.
"Mrowl," the cat said and hissed. She charged.
"Trace on." Shirou snapped. The hammer crashed forward, and his magical energy surged through his body. Then, rearing back, he swung at the descending cat creature, and his knuckles met the bottom of her foot. They both skidded back several feet.
He looked at the creature with more respect. He'd expected that to reduce her foot and leg to a bloody mess of muscle and bone shrapnel. But instead, it didn't really seem to bother her.
Maybe he was going to have to go all out after all.
"Mrow!" The cat cried as she charged again. This time she kept low to the ground, rapidly changing the angle she was coming in at.
Then she was in front of him. Shirou leaned back, avoiding the swipes of her claws before lashing himself. Instead, she ducked beneath his fist and, dropping to her back, mule kicked Shirou.
He flew through the air and impacted the wall behind him. He grunted as he slid down to the floor. Damn, did that thing have some power?
"Strength of Hercules!" A voice snapped, and suddenly, a dark-haired girl was beside the cat creature. She lifted the feline and hurled her into a different wall.
Turning, she lifted the glass off the book, tossed it aside, and took hold of the demonic tome. She smiled before turning and began heading for the door.
Taking hold of a chunk of concrete that had broken when he'd hit the wall, Shirou threw it. It blitzed past her head and turned to powder on the door frame.
"The cat was kicking your ass, man. Just let it go," She said.
Shirou paused and glanced at the cat person; at the door, Jared and Luca had disappeared through. The second was filled with curious faces. The first had already picked itself off the ground and was growling deep in its throat.
"Fine." Turning on her heel, she settled into a half-hazard fighting stance with one hand behind her back. "This'll be fun. Speed of Mercury."
The two females moved toward one another, slowly at first and then faster. They collided in the middle. Claws flashed through the air. Each was avoided before a punch was delivered in response.
Shirou circled slowly around the room. Both females had seemed to write him off as a threat. Something fine by him. It. It would make retrieving the book all the easier. His best bet was after the following altercation when they switched places.
That moment came quickly. The cat's claws cleaved down, and the girl used her footwork to duck past her and deliver two quick strikes at her enemy. Shirou moved.
Four meters. They clashed again, the cat swung for her legs, and his target jumped back. The distance dropped dramatically.
Two and a half meters. Shirou pulled the rod from his side and swung.
She gasped in pain as the rod made contact, her arms dropping and her grip on the demonomicon disappearing.
Shirou snagged the book as it fell through the air and jumped back just in time to avoid the downward strike from the cat.
"Teekl, what is taking so long." Came the droning voice of the boy that'd been looking the book over. "Are you having a problem with a security guard?" He asked snidely.
The cat yowled.
Shirou lowered his stance. They were going to be coming, all of them, all at once. They had to realize it was their best chance at success.
Almost as to prove Shirou right, a ball of fire bloomed above the boy's hand. He smiled, and Shirou wished he hadn't. "It seems you've proven yourself something special."
"This just became so much less fun." The girl said as she made her way to her feet. She held her arm to her side and stepped back towards the window.
The fireball crackled as it flew through the air.
Shirou threw himself out of the path, but the baton bounced from his fingers as he landed.
"Well, look who's full of tricks. That's okay, though." She raised a hand and mumbled something.
The world ignited, and a burnt feeling made its way into Shirou's nose as he covered his eyes. He tightened his grip on the book and moved back until he felt his back press against the wall.
As the light began to fade, Shirou rapidly started to blink in an attempt to get some of his sight back.
"Wow, you all stared right at that, didn't you?" Then, finally, the girl's voice came. She sounded highly pleased with herself. In fact, her pride put the cat who ate the canary to shame.
A shiver raced up Shirou's spine, and he threw himself to the side. Wood snapped and stoned cracked where he'd been standing.
"Now was that luck, or did you know that was coming? I guess we'll see."
Peering into the darkening world, Shirou focused on the figure he was sure was attacking him. It made a sudden motion, and Shirou stabbed the athame into the ground and used it to scramble to the side.
"Teekl, stop sitting there and attack! And don't complain that you can't see. Instead, use your nose and get me that book!"
The cat thing yowled loudly.
A second figure moved into sight, this further back and far higher in the air. The cat had jumped. But, of course, the cat jumped. It's what they did. He tracked its path. Nine meters, but it was the girl that it was targeting. Apparently, it didn't like competition, or it was pissed about the flash, or more than likely both.
Five meters. She was still approaching him and hadn't noticed. How hadn't she noticed? The thing loosed a war cry! No, it wasn't that she hadn't noticed. She was baiting it.
One meter. She turned. "Strength of Hercules!" She slugged the cat in the side, and the cat shot away as if she'd been fired by a canon. It impacted the wall and then went through it, creating a shower of dust.
Dust that he could see!
Another round of blinking was just a matter of a few seconds, and the world returned to its focus.
Stepping over to the center of the room, Shirou lifted one of the daggers and began funneling magical energy into it, reinforcing it. In moments the dagger had never been so sharp.
"Oh, planning on stabbing one of us?"
Not that he was going to answer, but if he had, Shirou would have been interrupted as a dozen thin blades shattered the various lights in the room, leaving them standing in the glow of the boy's growing fireball.
"Great, another flea. Teekl, I might be forced to give you a bath if you don't get rid of these pests."
An angry mewl came as the cat creature crawled into the room.
Wait, there was another one after the book? Shirou groaned. He peered through the meager light, searching for his newest opponent.
"Was there a meeting about that book that I missed?"
"What are you talking about?" The boy asked, "I don't go to meetings."
The girl sighed, "This isn't worth it. I'm done." She started from the room and stopped beside the cane and, picking it up, spun it between her fingers. "Just so you all know, the guards got your number, kitty. Speed of Mercury."
She blurred and disappeared into the night. That she stole a cane with magic in it wasn't something Shirou could bring himself to care about. But if she was just out to take something magical, why try so hard for the book?
Was it just because it was the most magical thing there? Or maybe she couldn't tell the cane contained magic until she'd gotten close enough?
"She is not a cat! She is my familiar!" The goth boy shouted. "Enough of this! You will give me the demonomicon!"
He hurled the ball of fire without waiting for Shirou to give him an answer.
Shirou sidestepped the ball of fire, allowing it to strike the stone wall, which turned a bright cherry before bursting apart. Then, turning, he leaped over a series of knives and used the descending cat familiar to get higher into the air.
Before he realized what was happening, Shirou found he wasn't alone in the air. The newest arrival, a girl in black clothes wearing a dark mask, had joined him. She swung a pair of daggers wide.
Shirou caught them against the dagger's side, but he missed the rising foot that sent him tumbling head over heels. He comes to a stop when he skids backward up against a table.
Looking up, he found she'd disappeared, and it wasn't hard to guess why. The book wasn't in his hand anymore.
"Dude! I knew I saw you on the news, but you still are the real deal!" Jared called as he jogged down the stairs. "You ain't got a thing to apologize for either. They had you outnumbered four to one. Anyone gives you flak, just send them my way!"
Shirou shook his head. "Sound the alarm. I'm going to see if I can get the book back."
Jarred shook his head. "No can do bud, Connor's orders. Boss says he's got faith in you. Says he knows you won't let him down."
Gritting his teeth, Shirou looked at his coworker. "Which way did they go?"
Jarred pointed at the hole that the cat familiar had made when she'd been punched through the wall.
Flipping the knife around in his hand Shirou raced to the hole and leaped out. The night's cool air brushed against his face, but it wasn't enough to draw a shiver from Shirou. He could see them ahead unless more people were jumping off cars and onto nearby buildings' roofs.
Which actually was possible, even if not likely.
He pushed his legs as much as he could manage, no, beyond. But just. His muscles had only just started tearing. Then, jumping to the top of a Volkswagon Thing, Shirou leaped up to the autobody shop.
They ran from building to building, leaping over streets as if jumping from rock to rock in a stream. It wasn't until the cat familiar tackled the ninja girl that he managed to catch up; from the looks of it, he was on the roof of a car dealership. So they weren't going to charge him if one got damaged? Well, actually, they probably would.
Shirou skid to a stop just as the two got to their feet.
The book sat on the ground between them, not an even distance, but not one great enough to give anyone a clear advantage.
The boy extended a hand and whispered a word that sparked a fireball that floated above his head.
"Why don't you just give up rent-a-cop." He snapped, "before I decide to fry you."
It wasn't bad advice, but he could hardly fail his first job. Not if he wanted to have a good reputation go around about him. And he did.
No, he had to get the book back.
The simplest course of action is to get ahold of the book and cave the roof in. With any luck, one of them would be removed from the board. But, of course, if there was a god, they all would be. But he wasn't about to gamble on that.
The rapid 'thud, thud, thud' of his footsteps echoed in his ears as he raced up the stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, there wasn't a sign pointing which the way they'd run. The door wasn't even still in motion. They were gone.
But that was fine. He just needed a way to the rooftop. Or not.
He saw a distant spark of light soar skyward through the building's glass front. Shirou took off. He pushed his way through the spinning door, instantly glad it wasn't the sort to have hinges.
The circuit-like marks spread across his clothes, reinforcing their durability as he pushed himself even faster. The sidewalk cracked beneath his feet. The shop windows were a blur as he raced by.
From step to step, he wondered if their running battle would end, but as he continued on, it proved to be a needless fear. The fireballs lit the sky consistently.
He caught up a minute later; just as the girl bounded from the top of the street lamp, she was onto the building beside her, a fireball passing through the air where she'd been moments before.
"Hold still!" The pale boy said as he created a fireball above each hand and began rapidly firing them at her.
The girl didn't respond. Instead, she just ducked behind the building's ledge.
Shirou narrowed his eyes. Where was the cat?
"Teekl, attack her already! Do something!"
The cat's yowl echoed around the buildings. It was a good trick that must have been aided by some kind of magic because Shirou couldn't follow it back to its source.
"I know you're doing something! That's not what I meant at all!"
Teekl yowled again, but this time Shirou spotted her. She was sitting atop a chimney, acting as if she were a gargoyle. It seemed to be working. The girl, still clutching the book beneath her arm, approached and seemed to look past her.
"You know what I meant. I'm not going to apologize!"
The fires winked above his hands as he placed his hands on his hips. "If you think you can do so much better than you, obviously, you don't need my help!"
The cat raised itself onto his hind legs and yowled in a way that directly brought the girl's attention to her as she jumped down.
Shirou didn't miss the girn that appeared on the pale kid's face. Shirou sprinted forward as a rotating spark appeared in the palm of his hands. Taking the pen from his shirt and funneled his magical energy into it, reinforcing it as a piercing weapon. It extended, and the nip thinned until it was all but flat and hurled it ahead of him.
The pen pierced the boy's hand, and he gasped in pain, the fire winking out of existence. But Shirou wasn't done. He launched a punch at the boy's head and impacted a red barrier that sprang into existence between them.
"You thought you had me, didn't you?" He sneered.
Rearing back, Shirou punched the barrier again and again. Finally, the other boy began to rethink his earlier claim when the cracks began to appear and spread from his point of impact.
"Teekl, help me!" He cried.
The cat's things cry came as Shirou struck again. The cracks spread and reached deeper into the barrier. It would only take one more good whack.
"I don't care that you're busy!"
With the sound of shattering the glass, the barrier fell away, and Shirou struck the boy in the face sending him rolling down the street.
He turned his attention to the battling two on the roof. A small part of Shirou marveled at the two motions. One would swing with a claw or blade, and the other would twist away or shove the limb into the wrong position before moving to attack. It was like they'd choreographed the battle.
Shirou leaped from to the building planter and then again, where he latched on to the roof and hauled himself up.
The girl ducked away from a clawed uppercut and twisted to sweep the cat lady thing's legs. An action she avoided with a small hop.
The wall to his right began to glow with orange light, and Shirou's eyes widened as he flung himself out of the path of the flaming orb.
"Why is everyone dodging me today?"
The cat leaped back from a swing of the girl's kunai, yowled, and seemed to chuckle.
"I don't have the yips!"
Shirou rolled away from the next blast and narrowed his eyes as the cat shifted her weight back and to the right just before she jumped back. The exact same thing she did before her last one.
The girl threw a brace of kunai, and Teekl took another hopping step backward.
He'd spotted his opening.
Dodging away from another fireball, Shirou peeled a roof tile from the building. One round of reinforcement later, and it was a fine substitute for a large shuriken. Taking hold of another tile, he repeated the process. And again, until he held no less than a stack twenty strong in his hands.
Then he waited, dodging fireballs and keeping himself from the fight that was going on as he patiently looked for his moment. It took nearly a minute for the chance to come around, but as the cat shifted to leap backward, Shirou spun and flung his weapon cache in full.
The 'thck' of their impact met his ears, followed a moment later by a howl of pain, a shriek of agony, and nothing. Shirou narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ninja-looking girl and the tile that was protruding from her hip. She didn't seem bothered by it as she pulled things from a pouch at her side.
"That hurts, you know!"
Shirou spared the boy a look and did a double take. His tiles had all hit their mark. As such, he had four tiles biting deep into him. In fact, one of them seemed to be piercing his heart.
Not that that seemed to slow him down.
The boy slowly pulled the one cutting through his cheek free and dropped it to the ground as if it were a soiled tissue.
The cat thing, however, landed on the six stuck into the roof and tumbled to the ground, her bleeding feet in the air. Her screech ripped through the air.
"Teekl!" The boy cried.
Shirou wasn't about to waste the chance. He rushed forward, leaping over a series of incoming fireballs until he closed the distance between him and the goth boy.
His hand whipped out and snagged the book as the boy tried to extend it out of his reach.
"You're going to regret this!"
"Maybe I should just end you then."
To prove his point, Shirou pulled one of the tiles from the more petite boy's chest and held it up for him to see. Then, he siphoned power into it until it burst into shavings of whatever it was made of and fell away.
"You won't kill me. You heroes don't have what it takes."
Shirou shook his head. "That's where you're making your mistake. I'm not a hero. I wouldn't have come for you if you'd left me alone. But my pay depends on the book being where its owner wants it."
The shift of a shadow on the ground and Shirou turned his hand, wrapping around the demonic cat's forearm. With a deft jerk, the cat squealed in pain and clawed at Shirou as he tossed it away.
"Now you—"The boy's attention turned downward, locking on to Shirou's still outstretched arm.
"What are you?"
Following the boy's gaze, Shirou found that he was looking at his arm. There were slashes in his coat and even some white lines across his skin, but it wasn't enough to make him bleed.
"Nothing you need to worry about if you just leave me alone."
"So you're saying that if we steal it after it's sold, you won't care?"
With a shrug, Shirou nodded.
"And you're willing to let us go?"
Shirou nodded.
"As far as I can tell, the police wouldn't be able to hold you."
The boy smirked. "I'd just turn them into mice and feed them to Teekl."
Whether or not that was true, and from his smirk, Shirou was sure it was, it didn't change anything. He was about to just brush it off when he thought of Miyu. Of what she'd feel about him letting someone like the boy in front of him, a cold-blooded killer, go.
"I ever catch you doing that to someone, anyone, and I won't let you go," Shirou grumbled and pointed off into the darkness
"Now go."
He clenched his teeth. It was clear to him the young man was currently searching for a way to seize victory. He snorted and turned onto his heel
"Come along, Teekl. We'll come back another time."
The cat shot Shirou one last hiss before she began to shrink. Instead, she jumped onto the young man's shoulder a second later, glaring balefully at Shirou.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the ninja girl slowly approaching a kunai in each hand.
"I don't suppose you'll just decide to come back later?" He asked with a sigh.
She shook her head.
Shirou sighed. Right, of course, it couldn't be that easy.
He pulled the baton from his side and held it at the ready. She threw the kunai and, at the same time, dropped something. It burst into smoke as soon as it struck the ground. Flipping the baton around, Shirou slapped the kunai from the air, but by then, the ninja girl had vanished.
He didn't think for a second she was gone. No, she was hiding and well. That was fine. She wanted to ambush him.
The problem with any ambush was that its effectiveness became all but zero as soon as it was known. So he looked around the rooftop, searching for any sign of her before making his way to the edge of the roof and jumping.
He soared high into the air and smirked as he watched the girl who'd found a foothold on a flagpole narrow her eyes.
She threw a handful of kunai into the air.
Shirou readied his baton, ready to strike any that got close enough from the sky. What he didn't expect was one of them to detonate.
His eyes went wide, and dropping his baton, he wrapped himself around the book as the fireball the explosion created enveloped him, and the throwing knives scraped at his skin. As quickly as the attack began, it ended, or at least it did for him as he passed from the cloud of smoke and found himself descending toward another room, but the ninja was there waiting.
He rolled as he landed to bleed off the force and popped to his feet. He raised the book to defend against her descending foot. She seemed surprised when he didn't budge.
Taking her by the foot, Shirou raised her into the air and began to swing her about. He was about to release her when a flash of metal caught his eye. A thin wire that stretched the distance between them. If he threw her, he'd be dragged along with her.
Clever.
Letting go of her, Shirou took hold of the wire and continued his rotation. Pressing his magical energy into the wire, he kept pushing until the item couldn't take it and fractured under pressure.
She flew off the roof, but Shirou wasn't going to check on her. There was no way that got her.
She didn't, however, return to the roof, and Shirou wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He still took a long way around to avoid any potential ambushes, but either he succeeded, or there weren't any.
Either way, in just under an hour, he returned to the auction house.
Shirou sighed in relief as he stepped back into the building, the book under one arm.
Shirou yawned as he stumbled in and placed the book back onto its pedestal. Then, pulling out his radio, he yawned again.
Raising it to his mouth, he began. "Dr. Connor, I've managed to get the book back." He announced.
"Back? It was taken?" Shirou's eyes went wide as he turned to face Jarred, who grinned back with a feral look in his four red eyes.
Shirou didn't even have the time to mount a defense as the book he spent so much time getting back struck him across the face and sent him head over heels across the room.
Even as he came to a stop, the room continued to spin.
"Well, you're not dead." He grumbled, "a pleasant surprise."
He wrapped his large hands around Shirou's chest and arms and dragged him into the air. "I wonder how much a thing like you will stretch."
Hacking, Shirou brought up a ball of phlegm and spit it at his captor. It was enough to get him to loosen his grip on Shirou, and that's when he acted.
Shirou dragged the blade across the four-eyed teen's chest.
The four-eyed man leaped back.
With a wave of his arm, a dozen identical figures raised themselves off the floor. They all came running at Shirou's fists up. The demon had even mimicked the sound of his steps! He was good.
Dropping, Shirou swept the first of their legs, the second he stabbed through the face. They both vanished. The next six died in similar ways until he swung and found his arm intercepted.
Jarred roared and threw Shirou into the wall again.
When Shirou looked up, his adversary had vanished, and with him, the Demonomicon.
Dr. Connor came running into the room, his toupe bouncing atop his head.
"What happened? Where is the crown jewel of this collection? Where is my Demonnomicon?"
Shirou shrugged. In all fairness, he wasn't even sure where to look with the man. He really didn't want to insult somebody by laughing. Plus, he did lose the guy's book.
"Taken by what looked to be a demon."
The man stilled. "You're pulling my leg! The next thing you'll be telling me is that it was a demon with four eyes that claims itself to be a conquerer."
At Shirou's look, he started laughing.
"What? Didn't you take a peek inside before it was stolen?"
Shirou shook his head. "I was charged with guarding it, not reading it."
"A task which you have failed." Connor snarled, his vitriol restored
"Don't worry, I'll be getting it back shortly."
The good doctor didn't seem to believe him, and Shirou couldn't blame him. It wasn't like anyone had the greatest track record in returning stolen items. Not even the police.
So when things vanish, most just think when it's gone, it's gone.
"You'd best. That tome was—"
Shirou waved him off. "You can either talk, or your can let me go."
Dr. Connor shut his mouth with a hard click and pointed toward the door.
Shirou stepped into the night and bit his lip. How was he supposed to find a stolen book? It's not like he could guard the way out of town. There were just too many options for that.
Destroying some of them was an option and one best done early lest someone slip by.
But he was willing to bet the Titans wouldn't take issue with him doing that. Moreso when he refused to explain how.
The second issue was getting his weapons to detonate like they were supposed to, rather than just after he summoned them.
Which meant detective work. But how does someone narrow down a list of suspects when the owner of the said item advertises its presence? Or at least it announced that he had a magical crown jewel for the collection in the first place.
It wasn't like they would take it to a pawn shop.
"Strength of Hercules!"
Shirou turned and threw up as much defense as possible, just in time for her to make contact. He skids back and locks eyes with one of the demonicon's would-be thieves.
"I thought this was too much of a hassle for you? Or did you come back to return the cane?"
She shrugged and grinned. "You took out the others, didn't you? And the cane was a nice appetizer."
Appetizer? What did she eat it? Shirou shook the thought from him as she came again.
He swung as she raced toward him and his fist struck hers, sending them both flying backward. The girl crashed into a lime green Volkswagen beetle with a grunt of pain.
On the other hand, Shirou stuck out his arm and took hold of one of the pillars as he passed. He dropped to the ground and glared as she pulled herself out of the twisted remains of the car.
"You're still wasting your time. It's been stolen again."
The girl quirked an eyebrow. "What did someone catch you by surprise or something?"
Shirou's silence told her all she needed to know. "Oh gods, someone did!"
She laughed.
Seeing as she lowered her stance and there was literally no reason for her to attack him, Shirou returned to his task. He had to get the book back.
So where would a demon take a tome to summon demons? Shirou blinked. That was the right question. He knew it.
The demon wasn't smart enough to lie when the truth about him came out. No, he went for the fight. Shirou doubted he was smart enough to wait or leave the city before using the book. So what was he supposed to do? Wander about until he found it? Go to a school or university and see if they have information on it?
He had the right question, but it didn't matter!
He felt like bashing his head against something. But, anything really, he wasn't really picky.
"You're totally lost, aren't you." The girl asked.
Shirou didn't respond at first, choosing instead to run the information through his head again. But, again, he came up with the same problem. He had no idea where the demon might have gone.
Finally, he nodded.
She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Fine, let's go."
Shirou narrowed his eyes as she started to leave. What game was she playing? There was no way she was trying to help him was there?
"Hey, you want to stay here and find it your way to find it. Be my guest."
She took off into the night. Shirou didn't move for a moment struggling to find a way to find the demonnomicon and the demon that took it himself. Sadly, he couldn't find a way to pull it off.
"Guess I'm following." And if it was a trap, well, he'd deal with it when it came.
Shirou dashed off in the direction she'd left.
He managed to catch up to her in about a minute, and she smiled widely. "I'm Mary, by the way."
"Shirou."
Her smile widened. "Well, Shirou, I know we got off to a rocky start, but I hope we can get along."
Shirou nodded. While he doubted they would ever be on friendly terms, he wasn't about to be rude when she was the best lead he had. He'd just have to hope that Mary was more help than the priest was.
A half-hour later, they sat crouched at the top of a building opposite what looked to be a nightclub. It looked like a fish market warehouse, probably because it was. But it had a massive queue that extended out around the corner. Down the block, the music had a solid baseline, and lights flashed out the door whenever it opened, so it seemed that it was enough of a nightclub to satisfy its guests.
However, it wasn't an ideal place for any ritual. Unless the demon had set aside a room. Did demons do that? Was she leading him on a wild goose chase? That really didn't make sense, though. He'd have been just as lost without her presence, maybe even more so.
"Why are we here?"
She pointed down at the club. "That place is run by a demon. I ran into them when I first got into town. Reals pains in the ass."
Okay, maybe she wasn't leading him on a wild goose chase.
"Okay."
As he fell, Shirou stepped off the ledge, took hold of a lamp post, and swung himself to the ground. He looked up to where the girl was still crouched.
Was she coming?
"His answer came as she jumped off the building and landed in a crouch in front of him.
"What?" She asked and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. "Not all of us are so weak that we need to use a streetlight."
Shirou rolled his eyes and started toward the door. He stopped as she took hold of his arm.
"Not that way."
Instead, she pointed down the side street where a handful of thug types were standing around and smoking beside a side door. Shirou narrowed his eyes as he focused on the four men's light blue skin.
"Those are demons?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, but they're just grunts who used to be human."
Shirou nodded. Shirou made his way down the street toward the demons without another word. When he was just a few feet away, the biggest of them was a muscular guy with shaggy hair and a strong jawline.
He took a minute looking Shirou over before shaking his head. "Piss off."
"I'd be happy to do that as soon as you tell me if you know a massive demon with four eyes."
The demon looked at him again. "I said—"
The entire look on his face changed as the girl joined him. "Hey, there, babe."
"Unless you're answering my friend here, Rancid, you should just keep your mouth shut. Without you drawing more of them, there are enough flies around already."
A vein bulged on the side of his head. "Now, you don't mean that. After all, I gave you—"
She surged forward, wrapped her hand around his face, and slammed him into the side of the building. "I said if you're not answering him, you must keep Your mouth shut!"
As his fellow demonic thugs started forward, the door, they stood beside opened, and a beautiful woman with red skin, long black hair, and coiling horns stepped out. She wore a business suit and regarded them with open disdain.
"I don't much appreciate you treating my subordinates like—"the demoness stopped and took a closer look at Shirou.
"Well now, you are interesting, aren't you? Tell me, have you thought about your future? For example, the boys here." She gestured at them. "Are interested in becoming rockstars and, with my help, are even on their way."
Shirou shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not interested in being a star. I just want to know if you can point me toward a massive four-eyed demon?"
She held a hand out to the side, hovering around her height. "About yay tall and yoked to the extreme?"
"That's him."
She shook her head. "Not a clue. Though I'm surprised you're having issues with an entry-level demon."
Mary ground the demons faced into the wall and glared. "Your lying."
The demoness laughed. "I am a demon, after all. And you must be the "desert" Johnny was talking about. The one he pointed toward the auction tonight? I do have to say you do look like you'd be fun to play with."
Narrowing his eyes, Shirou turned to Mary.
"This is where you got your information?"
Mary shrugged and added enough force that Johnny's face began cracking the wall. "Can't get too picky about where I get my information."
Sighing, Shirou turned his attention back to the demon. "I'd appreciate any information you could give me as to that demon's whereabouts."
The horned demoness shifted her weight and settled a hand onto her hip. "That depends; what do you have to offer?"
"You want her?" He pointed at Mary.
"What the hell? I go out of my way to help you and—"
"Steal the stuff I'm protecting."
Mary paused and dropped her head. "Fair point, but I'm not going to let you offer me up to a demoness!"
"Tell you what," the demon said, "we'll call this a freebie.
She reached into her purse and retrieved a pen and paper. Then, after jotting down a few things in the article, she passed it to Shirou.
An address had been scrawled across its surface.
"That should get you where you're looking to go."
Shirou nodded. "Thank you for your assistance."
She smiled, showing off her far too large and sharp teeth as she did. "It's been a pleasure." Then, she turned back toward his pseudo-partner.
"As for you, Ms. Mary, I suggest you learn manners. I'm not a woman you wish to lose your temper with."
Mary gave her the finger. "How much manners do demons deserve?"
"Hey, you watch you speak to the Lady!" The muscular mullet-headed demon snapped as he took a threatening step forward.
"Calm yourself, Johnny. I believe they'll be leaving now."
Shirou nodded. He saw no need to push his luck. They'd a solid enough lead.
"But my Lady!"
Shirou inclined his head. "Have a pleasant night."
Without another word, he made his way out of the alley, Mary half a step behind. He didn't need to be nearby when the demoness punished the guy working for her.
He was about to leap up to the top of the building when he found a hand wrapping about his wrist.
"What?"
She shook her head. "Strength of Hercules!"
With that, she leaped to the roof of the building. "Come on already!"
Jump City Municipal Library. Its massive windows, long shattered, the stone columns had fallen, and the building looked ready to come down at any given moment.
It also happened to be the place the demoness had sent them.
"Well, there's plenty of magic here," Mary said and shuddered. Though she didn't seem to be doing it out of disgust. In fact, she looked excited.
"So what's the plan? We go in there and just start punchin'. After we get the book back?"
Shirou shook his head.
"I'm going to sneak in and observe. Then, after that, I'll make a plan to get the book."
Mary snorted. "Did you just make a plan to make a plan?"
Shirou resisted the urge to smack himself in the face. "I guess I did. Anyway, I'm going. You can either come or stay here."
"I'll sneak in through the side and meet you there."
Nodded, Shirou started forward.
"Let's go."