Another bevy of screams filled the air as the last of the latest group of Roman soldiers fell writhing to the ground, horrific burns and scars marring their bodies. In the case of the lead Centurion, his lower right arm had been bloodily torn off, his blood already pooling around the stump as the man desperately, weakly scrabbled at the wound, trying to stem the bleeding any way he could while his comrades were slaughtered around him.
The monster responsible, however, barely gave him much mind. She moved with a singular purpose, her claws rending armour and tearing flesh while her mystic gaze swept the battlefield, leaving petrified statues where there were once brave soldiers. Her long, scaled tail swept from left to right, reducing those statues to bloody rubble.
So much death, so much destruction, and yet there was no satisfaction to be had here for her. Only her endless rage...and building frustration. She had been at this for hours with no progress or success in improving her mood, continuing now would be a pointless exercise.
Claws curling into fists, the Monster of the Mystic Isle snarled before calling out "End simulation!"
Immediately, the environment around her began to flicker and fade. In just a moment, her surroundings had changed from a burning Roman town to the cold, metallic white and grey walls of Chaldea's interior. Sighing in exasperation at her lack of progress, Gorgon began heading for the door, a snort of derision on her lips.
This is hopeless, truly hopeless...why did it have to happen this way?
Servants did not usually retain any memory of their previous summons, but for Gorgon this was not exactly the case. Thanks to using a Holy Grail's power to borrow one of the Authorities of Tiamat, the Primordial Mother, in Babylon to attain her 'Composite Deity' self and gain command over the Demonic Beast legions that assailed Uruk, the Avenger could quite clearly remember everything that happened within the Singularity.
Her original emergence underneath the Ziggurat of Nippur, her killing of that Lancer and Rider, her alliance with Kingu, the invasion of her Blood Fort Andromeda by that human from Chaldea and his allies….and coming face to face with herself from her youth, parading around under the name of 'Ana' and having the gall to willingly associate with the weakling humans.
Gorgon had tried to deny her younger self's presence, her borrowed Authority and reignited Divinity deluding the Servant into believing herself the actual Primordial Mother rather than a mere vessel for her to act against Humanity while she was still imprisoned in a dream, the Lancer's presence an undeniable reminder of her own true identity...and of her grievous crime against her own family.
In the end, she had been slain. All her overwhelming power and even her immortality had been useless against one who wielded Harpe, the very weapon later used by that filthy little upstart warrior to kill her fully monstrous form. It had taken a mere single hit to inflict fatal injury, and she had faded into nothing in the middle of her fall into the deeper levels of her own Blood Fort.
However, death had not been the end. For Heroic Spirits it never was.
In what the Avenger had deemed a cruel trick by the Throne of Heroes, or a form of twisted vengeance by her enemies, she had been summoned by the Chaldea Security Organisation into their ranks and charged with protecting the Human Order from destruction. HER. A monster whose only goal was to butcher humans wherever and whenever she could find them! Why they ever thought she would cooperate was beyond her ability to understand.
It had taken a Command Spell from her new Master simply to ensure she would listen to their orders. Initially, she had been quite pleased with herself for forcing that boy to waste a whole Seal on her and had been devising a scheme to force him to use the other two, hopefully releasing her from her contract...until she had come across him a few days later with all three Seals restored. As it turned out, Chaldea's Command Seals were slightly weaker in potency than a typical Holy Grail War's Seals, but with the benefit that they recharged instead.
After a good few minutes of cursing herself and her naivete, Gorgon had nixed that idea and resigned herself to serving her new Master. Despite her mixing in heavy doses of both hostility and sarcasm in almost every word she exchanged with him, it never seemed to both that Ritsuka boy at all. Perhaps it had something to do with the multitude of other Servants who posed a threat to him in daily life, like that Berserker who hated lies.
Her confusion and irritation was only exacerbated by Ritsuka's persistent efforts at helping her grow stronger, despite her making it clear how much she despised him, there was a steady stream of materials sent her way to strengthen her Saint Graph and progress through her Ascensions. By her final Ascension, Gorgon had had enough and cornered the boy, insistently questioning why he would waste so much time on strengthening a monster like her, a monster he knew wanted to turn on him and was only prevented from doing so because she...no! Because of that accursed Command Spell!
And then he had stunned her yet again with his reply.
"Because however you act, you're still my Servant and that gives me a responsibility to look out for you as your Master, right? Besides, I don't think you're a bad person at heart."
Which is why she found herself here. Training. Trying to take her mind off that boy's words….without much success.
How could he still put his faith and trust in something like her? A filthy, twisted creature that could go so far as to….to eat her own siblings in her madness.
"Oh my, Me, look at this….a lonely gargant blundering around the corridors so late at night. How vexing."
The mere sound of that voice, that unmistakable voice, froze her to the spot. A cold sweat was quick to break out across her forehead and she twitched in place, yet Gorgon could not find the strength to flee.
"Indeed, very vexing indeed Me, especially since this is the first we've seen of our colossal little sister since we were summoned. Why, I'd almost say she was avoiding us on purpose, yes?"
"I would say that as well. And yet here we are anyway, so she clearly isn't any good at it, is she?"
"It's no wonder, with that gargantuan size of hers. My my, it's a wonder she even fits into the corridor!"
All too soon, they came into her view, her beloved elder sisters. Giggling and laughing and having fun. Yes, it was at her expense, but this was….nothing new to her. Really, she was just happy to see them again, if disappointed that they had to see her like this. She'd been desperately hoping to avoid this scenario as long as possible, but there was no running from this now.
"A-ah. Elder sisters, what a pleasant surprise to see you again. W-was there something you needed from me?" Inwardly, Gorgon cursed and raged at herself for her stuttering and hesitance. It seemed that whenever she needed it most, all her usual confidence and haughtiness failed her, replaced by nothing but anxiety.
"Oh no not really, we simply wanted to know why you've been avoiding us so much. That's not very polite of a younger sister, is it?" Stheno asked, hands on hips and eyebrows raised challengingly. "Have you found another elder sister you like better, is that it? Is it that brutish Aztec Goddess? She certainly seems like she knows you quite well, after all."
"Ah, n-no...no! That's not the case at all!"
Curse that damned Lucha-obsessed knucklehead! Doesn't she know when to leave well enough alone?!
Much to Gorgon's chagrin, Quetzalcoatl seemed to have taken an interest in the Avenger Servant as a potential sparring partner, as well as a perceived friendship borne from their shared participation in a Singularity. No matter how hard she tried to avoid her, the energetic and cheerful Rider always found a way to track Gorgon down and suggest they spar, or try to drag her into participating in Chaldea's daily life and be more social.
She was much like their shared Master in that way. No matter what threats she threw his way or how many times she repeated her belief that a monster and a human could never hope to get on, the boy would always come back a few days later and try to get her to socialise again, sometimes bringing her a gift as a sort of peace offering.
They both had to be damaged in the head, surely? That was the only thing that could explain the madness that must be spurring them to continue interacting with someone like her.
"Well? That what IS going on, Meduseless?" Euryale cut in, mimicking Stheno's pose.
"I can't explain it, she's simply obsessed with trying to get me to be her 'friend', that's all!"
"Well well….I suppose it would make sense, wouldn't it, Me?"
"Indeed, I suppose fellow giraffes need to stick together, after all. With how tall they are, it must be easier to talk to one another than bend down to reach people like us." Stheno mock-pouted, eyebrow raised in amusement. "Perhaps we should leave Meduseless to her new, taller sister. She clearly doesn't need us anymore, does she Me?"
"N-no, that isn't true!" She tried to interject, only for her elder siblings to blank her completely.
"Oh it seems not, Me. First she avoids us, and now she mentions some OTHER Goddess to be her NEW sister. So ungrateful, isn't she?"
"I quite agree. Why, she can't even hide from us properly-"
As her siblings continued to talk, all Gorgon could focus on was the fact that, once again, she'd proven to be a problem for her siblings.
Her height, her appearance, her slighting them by avoiding them, it seemed that all she could do was hurt them in some manner. Just like...like before. It was happening again.
And it was all his fault.
That damnable human Master! Why he insisted on summoning a flawed monster like her alongside her perfect, Divine sisters she would NEVER understand, but now he was causing them problems by doing so.
Her lips curling into a snarl, Gorgon turned and fled. Despite the calls of her sisters ringing in her ears, she forced herself to not look back. To just keep on going and ignore them.
She didn't want them to see her tears, after all.
Meeting her siblings again had been bad enough for her and, at the time, Gorgon could not imagine the possibility of things getting worse.
She had been wrong, of course.
She had been on the way back to her room from her latest bout of simulator training/stress relief, and happened to be passing by her Master's room when she heard a frighteningly similar voice coming from it.
"Fufufu...you're quite the foolish one, aren't you Master? Do you really have no idea what's happening here between us? Since you're such a kind and responsible young man, I hope you'll take responsibility for pouring this much power into my Saint Graph...just as I'll strive to repay you for your efforts. To start with...I'll captivate your heart and draw your gaze a lot more from now on."
Oh, the boy had responded, of course. He'd gotten all flustered and started stammering out some reply, but all Gorgon could focus on as she fled was the bile rising in her throat. She almost choked before she managed to force it down.
Bad enough that her….Goddess self had apparently warmed up to that boy, enough that she'd started volunteering to spend time with him on missions and in Chaldea, but now her younger adult version was falling for him?
Him?! A HUMAN!?
W-Well, I suppose that…there are worse humans to fall for, aren't th-
A ferocious shake of the head to try and clear her mind.
Where did THAT come from?
No. NO! There are NO worse humans! They're all the same! Selfish murderers blindly slaying whatever they deem to be 'monstrous' for promises of fame and glory!
That Master of ours is no different, summoning me just for my power and letting my appearance torment my sisters in exchange! A selfish fool, that's what he is.
Then, why do my others seem so fond of him? They aren't fools…are they?
So engrossed was she in her reeling thoughts that Gorgon failed to notice that someone else had joined her in the corridor. She began to hurry away, intent on returning to her room, and the new arrival kept pace with her. Even as the man gradually closed the distance between them and started to call out to her, the Avenger completely failed to register his presence.
Until eventually…
"Boo!" The shadowed man yelled in her ear.
Which was swiftly followed by him leaping to and fro, ducking and weaving this way and that, to dodge the barrage of lasers from the hissing snakes that made up some of his fellow Avenger's hair, as well as the claw and tail swipes from the fallen goddess herself.
How DARE you try to make a fool of me, pathetic WORM! Let's see you try that again AFTER I feast on a limb or two of yours!
Unfortunately for her, her new prey proved to be far more slippery than she'd anticipated.
No matter where she struck, he was always a step ahead of her, her claws and tail missing by a hair's breadth every time.
The mounting number of near-misses evenly matched her steadily bubbling anger.
Not helped at all by the utterly smug grin on the man's face, the white of his teeth standing out incredibly well amidst the inky blackness of the rest of him, as if mocking her all the more.
JUST. STAY. STILL. AND DIE! Gorgon raged internally after a full minute of unsuccessful attacks, her blood boiling and her vision stained with red.
"Hey! This how you treat everyone who tries to say hi?" The shadowed man asked, affecting a hurt look. "Geez, no wonder you're such a loner."
"This is the price you pay for disturbing a monster in a foul mood, foolish human!" Gorgon snarled back, as he yet again brushed past her claws.
"Seems like I'm not paying anything just yet." He smirked, winking cheekily. "How long d'ya think you can keep trying to collect before you're all worn out, eh?"
Gorgon didn't reply, she simply tried to smash his head in with her tail.
"Y'know what? I'll just bet for you! I'm thinkin' a good half hour, how about that?"
Another barrage of lasers came his way.
"All right then, let's see if you're more chatty when you're tired, eh?"
A snarl of rage, from both the Avenger herself and her snakes, was the only answer she gave before resuming her attack, so deeply enraged at this impudent human's inability to just stay still and DIE that she was determined not to let up until his blood drenched the corridor.
Unfortunately for her, rage and determination alone were not enough to stave off the fatigue that began to set in from constant exertion. Oh she held on for quite some time, kept up her assault on the shadowed man for a good hour (by her own reckoning) as she steadily chased him all around Neo-Chaldea, but eventually she began to tire.
Sweat drenched her body, her vision blurred, her every muscle burned and screamed at her to rest them. Her opponent barely needed to put in effort any more, sidestepping her increasingly sluggish and uncoordinated claw swipes and tail jabs with little fuss.
While still grinning at her in that infuriatingly cheeky way, of course.
Eventually, she faltered entirely and slumped over against the wall, breathing hard to try and calm her burning lungs.
"Well hey, look at that! A whole half hour longer than I thought you'd last! Ain't you just a trooper?" Her would-be prey grinned, offering her a hand.
Are you really trying to flatter me? NOW? Fool.
Anger spiking, Gorgon tried slapping it away, before hauling herself up and starting to trudge back to her room which, unfortunately for her, was quite a ways away by now.
I do NOT want to put up with this scum any longer than I must. Just leave me alone.
"Alright, look-" much to her irritation, the human started to follow her, "-I get that we didn't get off on the best foot back there, but can you just hear me out for a sec?"
"No, leave me…leave me alone or I'll…I'll make you food." She gasped, still getting her breath back.
"I'd be more intimidated by that threat if you actually landed a hit on me earlier…and if you weren't wheezing like an asthmatic right now."
Gorgon ignored him, simply continuing to drag herself back to her room.
"Anyway, you might find this hard to believe, but I'm here to help ya. The name's Aŋra Mainiiu, weakest Heroic Spirit of them all!" The walking shadow, Aŋra, introduced himself, even holding out his hand.
Gorgon smacked it away with her tail, snorting angrily.
"Don't…don't insult me…human, what could I…p-possibly need YOUR help with…hmmm?" She growled.
"To turn that frown upside down, of course!" He smiled. "You're being such a sourpuss, and that's no good at all!"
Gorgon took a few deep breaths, shaking off the worst of her fatigue, before turning to loom over Aŋra, glowering down at him with as much spite and derision as she could muster.
"In case you've not noticed, I am an Avenger. AND a monster. It is not in EITHER of those natures of mine to be 'nice' or "turn my frown upside down" in your own words. I suggest that you just give up now, to save you making a fool of yourself AND losing your limbs in the future. Now, for the last time, LEAVE! ME! ALONE!"
Punctuated with a flash of her Mystic Eyes, Gorgon turned on her heel and stomped off down the corridor, leaving Aŋra alone. Sighing, he wiped away the spit that his fellow's snakes had dripped onto him as she'd yelled.
"Well, I think that went as well as could be expected. Time to go report back, I suppose."
Lacing his hands behind his back, the original Avenger set off at a leisurely stroll back the way he'd come, a whimsical tune on his lips and a spring in his step.
All I gotta do is tell 'em I tried my hardest and she didn't wanna hear it. They're demanding little brats, badgering and whining at me for days and all, but they can't exactly blame me for her not listening, can they?
Why'd you even need ME anyway? Just go talk to her and get her off her ass and stop lyin' to herself on your own, why don't ya!? She'll listen to you, big ol' doormat.
Well, it was all fine anyway.
After this he wouldn't have to put up with their nagging any more.
"Oh my, back so soon?" A familiar voice called out.
Speak of the devil, huh?
"Yep, just got done speaking with your sister, actually." Aŋra replied, turning to face his impromptu 'employers'.
Slave driving bitches is more like it, they're not even paying me for any of this!
"And what happened with her?" Another voice called out, as two figures strutted into view.
"Ah, bit of a problem there ladies….she didn't wanna listen. Didn't even wanna give me the time of day." Aŋra shrugged. "So uh, nothin' more I can do really. I'd rather not get turned into a statue, thanks. How 'bout you take from here, ladies? She's YOUR sister, y'know."
"Oh my, did you hear that, Me? This one thinks that he's done already." Stheno smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed I did. Fufufu, lazy little human, your job's not quite done JUST yet. After all, you still need to fix our lumbering sister's attitude problem." Euryale insisted.
"And how'd you expect me to do that when she's gonna try ripping my head off the second she sees me, huh?!" Aŋra snapped back. "Once again, why don't YOU talk to her! You're her damn sisters!"
"Oh don't you worry about that, we'll get our silly little sister to behave when she's all alone with you." Stheno said, completely ignoring the Avenger as he growled in frustration.
Fuckin' divinities, they just walk over and demand things like they think they own you!
This ain't MY problem to deal with, it's THEIRS, but here they are roping me in anyway!
Why'd they have to get all that extra power from being Servants, huh!? That's why they're acting like smug snotty little brats here, isn't it?
If you were your living selves, you wouldn't try throwing your weight around like this.
"Hey, are you listening?" Stheno asked, practically demanded, narrowing her eyes dangerously.
"Perhaps we need to teach you a lesson about showing proper respect to Goddesses?" Euryale conjured up her bow and began nocking an arrow.
Shit. Nononono!
"Alright, alright, fine fine fine! I'll help your sister, just put the bow away, alright!?" Aŋra yelled.
"Hmph, good boy." Stheno smirked.
"But. BUT. If you want my help, I'm gonna need something from you."
"What?"
"Tell me everything about why your sister turned into that monster. Can't exactly help her if I don't know much about her, yeah? Or d'you want me to go in blind and get attacked again?" The Avenger pointed out.
"Oh, if we tell you, then will you actually put in some effort this time?"
Stheno's words had him freeze in place, a bead of sweat dripping down Aŋra's forehead as the Goddess smiled thinly at him.
"Can you really blame me for not giving it my all when you just forced me into it? Threats don't exactly inspire me to do my best, y'know."
"Well, here's hoping you'll be a little more inspired now…for our useless little sister's sake, of course."
Euryale waved one of her arrows around menacingly.
"Yeah yeah, I got it." He groused.
Might as well get this over with, or they're just gonna keep nagging my ear off and trying the whole divine smile brainwashing shit.
"All right then, now…why don't you sit down? This will be quite the tale and I do hope you can keep up." Stheno's smile was dripping with condescension.
Aŋra glowered at her, his left eye twitching.
On second thought, maybe I SHOULD just take my chances with the big gal after all.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. Why must I go to the simulator AGAIN when I just finished!?" Gorgon snapped.
"It's…simply routine." Her own Rider class self said, walking ahead of her. "Master wants to make sure that all of us are keeping ourselves at our peaks. Especially now, where the stakes are higher than they've ever been before. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"He's a human, an ungrateful, weakling, selfish little human and you're taking orders from him, that's what's wrong with this." Gorgon sneered.
"I have to disagree. Master is a very kind person and very supportive of all of us, making sure we're all strengthened for the battles ahead. Even someone like me…he was willing to invest time and energy into helping me grow stronger. It was quite surprising to be shown such kindness, but I fully intend to make sure it isn't wasted."
Gorgon growled and looked away, rolling her eyes even as she felt a cold pit in her stomach.
"Fine. Simper over that weakling all you want just because he offers you a crumb of compassion. Don't expect me to join in."
"He would gladly offer the same to you too, you know? All you need to do is be willing to take it."
"What would a monster like me need with such trivialities as compassion? I am a being of rage and hate, not soft-hearted kindness!"
"Of course you are. Ah, we're here." Medusa indicated the door to the simulator on the right. "Feel free to head on in for your training session."
Gorgon raised a contemptuous eyebrow and sneered down at her, but proceeded through the door anyway.
Only to pause in confusion once she actually got inside, seeing that not only was the simulator not active but there was only one other person in there with her.
An infuriatingly familiar person at that.
"There y'are." Aŋra Mainiiu waved at her half heartedly from his seat at the table in the middle of the room, not even bothering to look at Gorgon properly and instead picking at a pile of what looked to be books next to his seat. "Ready to get started?"
"Get st- what are YOU doing here?" Gorgon hissed, veins popping out in her neck and forehead, her anger spiking at the mere sight of the man. "Where is everyone else? What of this blasted 'training session'!?"
"Ah, yeah, about that…" Aŋra sighed, as an ominous series of loud clicks and beeps sounded from the closed entry door. "Fraid there's a change in plans."
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Gorgon snarled, striding up to the door and banging loudly on it, her snakes hissing in unison.
"I'm sorry, but this is the only way to help you." Medusa replied.
"Whatever 'help' you THINK I need, I DON'T need it, nor do I WANT it! Now OPEN THIS DOOR!" The Avenger yelled.
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Fine, then I'll just get MYSELF out of here."
The mouths of her snakes began to glow with light, in time with Gorgon's own eyes.
If you won't open this door, then I'll melt it to slag inste-
"Oh my, there you are Meduseless."
As she was about to unleash her barrage, a very familiar voice from outside stopped Gorgon in her tracks.
"A-Ah, elder sisters? What brings you here?"
What!?
"We're looking for that oversized version of you. After all, she's been so rude hiding from us all this time. Have you seen her anywhere?"
Don't tell them, don't you dare tell them!
"I-I'm afraid I've not."
"Hoooh? Really now, are you sure you've not seen her? She's even more a giant than you are, Meduseless, it's almost impossible to miss her."
"I'm sorry to tell you, elder sisters, but the other me isn't here."
"Is that right? Haaahh, I suppose it can't be helped then. For a giant, our oversized little sister sure is good at hiding when she wants to, hmm? So, what do we do now, Me?"
"I think that we should just wait here for her, Me. Didn't Master say something about scheduled training for Servants over the next few hours? I'm sure she'll show up here eventually."
"I suppose that's as good an idea as any, since wandering around looking for her hasn't been working. As cheeky as she is, she's bound to show up eventually if she's ordered to. She's not quite so worthless as to shirk her duties."
"Oh I'd hope not. Now, come on then Meduseless, entertain us while we wait."
"E-Eh?! But I-"
Gorgon was already backing away from the door, a lump forming in her throat.
No no NO. Why come here NOW!? Curse you Master, you forced me to show up here in the first place!
"You don't look happy." Aŋra commented, taking a casual sip from the mug of coffee he had in front of him. "Wanna talk about it?"
"No. Just be silent and you might make it out of here alive." Gorgon hissed angrily.
"Wanna talk about your other issues instead?"
"And what might those be?" She rolled her eyes and snorted, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you avoid your sisters like the plague for no reason and your anger's all wrong. Those sound like issues to me, but what do I know?" The Avenger shrugged, but smirked slightly.
"And what would you, a weakling human, possibly know about me, the monster of the shapeless aisle?" Gorgon growled.
"I know everything I need to…certainly enough to know that you're just wasting your time hating the wrong people right now."
The sheer certainty in his voice stunned her for a moment.
"Shut up, fool! You know nothing about me, about what I had to go through because of human scum like you!"
"Wanna bet?"
"No. And if you don't be silent from now on, then I'll-"
"Fail to hit me all over again while I scream my lungs out, telling everyone on the other side that something's happening in here?"
Gorgon froze, panic shooting up her spine.
You…!
"You wouldn't dare!" She hissed.
"How about you take a seat, listen to what I gotta say and I'll keep the volume to a minimum. That way, you can stay here till your sisters go on their merry way and you can slink off without having to see 'em, if you want." Aŋra offered.
"Look, this isn't exactly something I want to be doing anyway, okay? I'm not here because I WANT to talk to you, I'd much rather get this over and done with as soon as we can, just like you. So how about you just listen for a few minutes? If you're still not interested at the end, at least then I can go back and say I did all I could and hopefully you won't have to deal with me again. How 'bout it, eh?"
Gorgon frowned and growled in frustration, but nonetheless stomped over and sat down opposite Aŋra.
"Alright then, worm, say your piece and keep your voice down."
Aŋra flashed her a tired smile and a nod.
"Alright then."
"Well then, fool, enlighten me. Why exactly am I "Wasting my time" then, hmm?" Gorgon sneered.
"Y'ever thought about your past? About your legend? About what happened to you?"
"It's impossible NOT to think about it for an Avenger like me. Those disgusting memories of all those so-called 'heroes' trying to slaughter me and take my sisters are as fresh today as they were yesterday, and every day before that!"
"How about before that, you ever thought about what happened before?"
Gorgon paused, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed as she dredged up what memories she could.
"It was…we were…we-"
They were all so…fuzzy now.
I can barely even remember their smiles, before-
No. Even from before that. Everything feels so hazy when I look back…
There was a…was it a curse? I-
"Trouble remembering?" Aŋra asked, raising a knowing eyebrow.
Gorgon said nothing, but the narrowing of her eyes was all he needed.
"Yeah, that's part and parcel of the class, unfortunately. Those sweet memories tend to get pretty hazy if you don't think about them almost constantly, even with these new bodies supposedly letting us remember everything. After all, if you're thinking about the happy times then you aren't staying mad, and that's just no good at all."
"It's not simply those memories that are vague. I remember bits and pieces from before all of those so-called 'heroes' started showing up, but almost nothing concrete."
"Well see, it's not part of your vengeance. It really should be, based on what I read, but it's not. You know why that is?"
Gorgon simply shook her head.
"Well see, I'm thinking that it's because of you and your mindset."
"My…why would that be important?"
"I mean, just look at that Lucha-obsessed Goddess buddy of yours, whatever she learned about Lucha-"
"That fool is NOT my friend." Gorgon snapped.
"-shouldn't have carried over." Aŋra continued, ignoring the interruption. "But she got so obsessed with and enthralled by it that she managed to basically imprint it onto the version of her on the Throne, so now every time she's summoned she keeps that Lucha knowledge.
"That's not how Servants are supposed to work, yet here she is, yelling about Lucha in every battle she's in. It's all in the mind, you see."
"And what does this have to do with me, then?"
"See, you hate humans an awful lot, right? And I mean A LOT. Don't get me wrong, I can fully understand why you hate 'em after what happened to you, lord knows humans can be real scumbags when they want to be, but don't you think you should spread that blame around a little…that there's a couple of people you've forgot to hate? Maybe even someone you could stand to hate a bit less?"
Gorgon merely sat there, eyes darting this way and that as her thoughts raced, so Aŋra kept on talking.
"You've spent a long time hating humans…not as long as I have, but still a long time, and you've hated them a lot. In fact, after all that hating, I think you've pushed anyone else you can blame for all the crap in your life right out of your mind, haven't you?
"After all, it's easy to remember those humans. It's easy to focus on them, because they were always there for almost all of your life. One 'hero' after another, coming to kill the monster of the Shapeless Isle or kidnap her sisters. 'Course you'd hate them the most.
"But they're not the only ones who screwed you over, and they're not the only ones you hate...even if you've forgotten that yourself."
"Oh really?" Gorgon tried to sneer. "Then tell me, who else should I be hating?"
"How about the bitch that ruined your lives and cursed you three in the first place?"
"...and who is that?" Gorgon hissed, feeling hot spikes of anger shoot up her spine at hearing the word "curse".
So…it WAS a curse then, was it?
"That'd be, uh…let me look it up por favor-" Aŋra leant down to pick up a book from the small pile at his side, flicked through it for a few seconds until he found the page he wanted, then tossed it to the side.
"Athena, that's the one. Don't you remember? She was jealous of you and your sisters' beauty…and may or may not have been angry that you may or may not have been raped by that Poseidon guy in one of her temples. The books ain't clear about that."
Gorgon sucked in a sharp breath, eyes shrinking to pinpricks and fists clenching tight.
Her previously hazy memories now came into very sharp focus.
Yes, it WAS you wasn't it, Athena.
That filthy, bastard Sea God gave you all the justification you need to act on your jealousy. Far easier to pick on some other Goddesses of the Earth, rather than risk lifting a finger against a fellow Olympian for that heinous crime of his!
All the adoration and praise, gone! All of our followers turned against us! Hunted and persecuted by the very humans that once sung our praises and did anything to please us! All because of THAT LOATHSOME GODDESS!
"So, you remember n-?" Aŋra tried to ask.
Only to be interrupted by Gorgon's fist smashing into and bending the table, sending the pre-prepared tea flying all over the floor.
"I'll take that as a yes then." He muttered, watching as Gorgon kept beating on the poor table.
"THAT PETTY-"
SLAM.
"-SPITEFUL-"
SLAM.
"-ENTITLED-"
SLAM.
"-WORTHLESS HARLOT!"
A loud screeching noise sounded through the room as the Avenger's last hit cleaved right through the metal.
"We were LOVED! ADORED! WORSHIPPED! Did the mere thought of competition offend you so much, egotistical wench!?" She raged.
For a few moments, neither of them moved, Aŋra simply sitting back and watching Gorgon seethe and growl to herself.
"So much for keeping it quiet, eh?" He smirked.
Gorgon froze, eyes darting to the door and blood, previously boiling, running cold in an instant.
Fortunately, despite waiting a good few minutes, nobody came knocking at the door.
"So, now that you remember, do you see what I mean?" Aŋra's sudden address startled her, just a little. "Sure, it's fine to hate those humans that came knocking at your door to kill you and take your sisters, but just remember that they needed a bit of a push first…and that not all humans are them."
Gorgon tilted her head, glaring at him.
"I'm just saying. It's fine to hate everyone that ruined your life, that's natural, but what about any of these people around us? These modern humans haven't done a thing to you, have they? They've not bothered you at all, so there's no reason to hate them. Better to save your time and energy, maybe even enjoy yourself and be a bit happier."
"Enjoy myself!? HAH!" Gorgon barked, sneering in Aŋra's face. "What about me being an AVENGER do you not understand, fool!? This is not a pleasant existence by nature and NOTHING will change that!"
"Oh, I'll have to disagree there."
"And why is that?"
"Well, I'm an Avenger too, y'know? The very first, in fact."
The sheer bluntness of his statement stopped her in her tracks. She merely stared blankly at him.
….WHAT?
"Don't act like it, do I? Especially since, and not to brag too much here, I've got a lot more to be pissed about than you have."
For just a moment, Aŋra's smile turned very thin, eyes flashing with a level of malice that made Gorgon shiver.
"And…and why is that?" She asked, throat suddenly quite dry.
"Gotta say, I envy you a little bit. You got a lot of good times with those sisters of yours before those Gods came along to ruin your day. Even after that, I'm betting you weren't under attack 24/7, so there were some happy times in amongst all that misery, yeah?
"You know how much of that I got? None of it." Aŋra let out a very heavy and ragged sigh, clenching his teeth.
"After all, how can you be happy in a shithole village like mine, full of selfish cunts just looking for someone to blame for all their screw ups and sins…especially when they decide YOU'RE the guy that's gonna take the fall."
Off Gorgon's surprised stare, Aŋra smirked and snorted mirthlessly.
"So what did I get? Torture. Pretty much 24/7, too. I lost my freedom. Lost my name…damn near lost my mind too, by the time they'd finally decided I was ready to burn. But I still had enough of me left to go out cursing all the scumbags I called neighbours, wishing them all the various dooms and terrible luck I could think of. I've never known if they worked, even now…just the final nail in the shitty coffin that was my life, I guess.
"So yeah, I had plenty of reasons to hate humans, even on the Throne. After all, all those experiences are still fresh in my mind all the time. I didn't think it could get any worse…then came that Grail War."
Aŋra shook his head, glancing at Gorgon before continuing on. His fellow Avenger didn't try to interrupt him, strangely enraptured by his story.
"See, one of the families decided to try and cheat the system and stack the deck by summoning a God. Full divinities can't normally be summoned in those, y'see, so getting a God to show up is gonna be a crazy strong trump card for their Master. Guess who they went with?
"They thought they were gonna get the biggest, baddest evil spirit in all of Zoroastrianism to win the war for 'em. Just one problem, he doesn't exist, so the Grail had to go with the closest substitute it can find and, well…"
Aŋra smirked and indicated himself with his thumbs.
"You shoulda seen the looks on those dumb mages faces when I introduced myself. I'm pretty sure one of 'em started crying, even! Yeah, kinda put the kibbosh on their hopes of winning that particular war. Didn't even make it past my first fight. Just part and parcel of being the weakest Servant of the pack, right?
"If only that was the end of it."
A deep, tired sigh rattled forth.
"Y'know how Servants go to power the Grail after they die? Yeah, that didn't happen to me. Turns out, I was SO weak it didn't even think I was a Servant when I went in there."
"So what happened, then?"
"It tried to grant my wish. Well, not quite my wish, really…more the wish that helped get me on the Throne in the first place."
"What 'wish'?" Gorgon asked.
"Remember what I said about my village wanting a scapegoat? They didn't mean just for their wrongs and crimes, oh no. That'd be too easy. They wanted somebody to blame for ALL the wrongs of the world, so they wouldn't have to admit that maybe, just maybe, they feel bad and miserable because of what THEY'VE done, not because there's some darkness out there spreading evil and ruining their lives.
"As long as they had something on the outside to point at and decry as the darkness and evil of the world, then they wouldn't have to look inside. Wouldn't have to think anymore about the possibility that the darkness and evil they hated so much could be found in their own hearts and minds.
"So that's what they turned me into: Aŋra Mainiiu, All The World's Evil, in one easy-to-sacrifice package. All so they could pat themselves on the back and feel good that they'd "banished evil". Pfft, what a joke."
Aŋra barked out a harsh laugh.
"Too bad the Grail didn't see it that way. A wish is a wish, after all."
Gorgon stared at him, dumbstruck.
"It…turned you into-"
"Yeah. Everything wrong with the world. Every evil, sin and curse humanity has ever done, is doing and will ever do, I got it all." Aŋra sighed heavily. "As I'm sure you can imagine, having all that shoved into your head, and knowing that humans were responsible for it…well, I wasn't a happy camper once the Grail was done with me.
"And then I had sixty years, give or take trying to take advantage of a couple of Grail Wars, to just sit there in the Greater Grail. Just me and all of my hate…no family, no friends, nothing.
"So I had a lot of time to sit and stew. To think. To plan. But most importantly, to hate. To hate the selfish, entitled scum that took everything from me. That turned me into THIS. I'm sure you can relate, right?"
"...how?"
"Hmm?"
"How? HOW are you like this!? You…you should be wrath and fury incarnate! You have NOTHING to be happy about! Where did all of this infuriating cheer come from!? You're as bad as that Sun Goddess! I-I don't UNDERSTAND!" Gorgon snarled, stabbing a finger in his direction.
"You really wanna know?" Aŋra teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. By all means, please enlighten me." She growled.
"Because I was angry. Nothin' but angry for a looooong time. And y'know what eventually happened after being angry for that long? All that anger became my new normal." He shrugged.
"I was angry yesterday. I'm angry today, and I'll be angry tomorrow, just like you. Difference is, the anger doesn't really affect me anymore. It's just…there in my head, I guess. I feel it, but it's not overwhelming enough that I'm perpetually pissed on the outside anymore.
"Besides, why bother being angry all the time when you can try and enjoy your second life instead? Sure, it's a big effort…but that's what makes feeling something other than anger worth it, I think. And if someone with as shit a life and as much anger as me can do that, then you can too, no worries."
Gorgon paused, taking in everything her fellow had just said.
Perhaps I…no. No. That might be within a human's ability, but not for a monster.
"What a nauseatingly idealistic view…but unfortunately, monsters and humans don't get the same luxuries. Why should I be able to-"
"Now that's just your own pessimism talking, I think. It's all 'monster' this and 'monster' that with you, isn't it?"
"Because I AM a monster! Are you BLIND!?" Gorgon snarled, her snakes lurching forward to hiss and spit in Aŋra's face as she bore her fangs.
"Well you're half right. You're part monster on the outside, yeah, but not at all on the inside. At least, that's how I see it." Aŋra said.
"And what makes you say that? You don't k-" Gorgon started, only to stop herself as she realised that yes, he did know her (or at least, her legend) quite well.
Aŋra smiled at her knowingly.
"Yep, I DO know you, and I know how Servant Summoning works here. So ask yourself just this one lil' question, okay?
"Why is that a self-proclaimed "evil monster" lets herself get summoned and bossed around by a goody-two-shoes Master like ours? You wouldn't be here if you didn't wanna be, after all. And why's he not scared of you despite all the threats you've never acted on yet?" He asked.
"I'm clearly…w-waiting for the right opportunity, is all! And that human's lack of fear is because he's a fool!"
"Really? Cause I'd say he's pretty good at sniffing out who to fear. Haven't you seen how he acts around that creepy nun? He's not scared of you because you're not as monstrous as you think you are, is all. But y'know, speaking of, this brings me to the other person you should maybe tone down the hate for." Aŋra countered, reaching down to his side to grab something.
"And who is that?"
In reply, Aŋra thrust the mirror he'd just picked up into her face.
Then ducked to the side seconds later as Gorgon's fist smashed it in two.
"Are you TRYING to test my patience again?!" She growled.
"Nah, just proving my point."
"What point!?"
"That you hate yourself."
Gorgon tilted her head in confusion.
"What?"
"You hate yourself. Pretty obvious, now that I put the pieces together." Aŋra said.
"If this is your way of telling me that I'm ruining my own life, then you're wrong. I hate humans and that Goddess. THEY are responsible for my wretched existence. THEY turned me into this monster."
"But you still hate yourself for being one. I mean, why else would you call yourself a monster and proclaim how dangerous you are so often…and avoid your sisters like the plague, too. That's pretty important."
"Because I don't want them to see me like this! To see the monster that-..that ate them!"
"They clearly don't care about what you look like. I've seen how they treat you. S'pretty much how they treated you in your real life, right? They wouldn't do that if they had issues with you, they'd just avoid you. Despite all the shit they wanna put you through, they really do care." Aŋra insisted.
"And how would you possibly know that!?" Gorgon snapped.
"D'you think I approached you out of the kindness of my heart the other day?"
Aŋra's words stopped her in her tracks.
E-eh?
"You…you mean that-"
"They put me up to this, yeah. They're sick of you hiding from them and being a grump, so they made me lend a hand." Aŋra stared at her intently. "So, now that you know that…how about you stop running, grow a spine and actually take this opportunity to make your life a bit better?"
"E-Excuse me!?" Gorgon sucked in a sharp breath, both surprised and incensed at the sharp edge to her fellow Avenger's voice. "Who are you to order ME around!?"
"Someone who'd REALLY like to be in your place right now. Aren't you a lucky gal, getting your family showing up here with you? Actually being relied on, being needed…being wanted. That's…I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't mind not fighting that much, but sometimes…no guy wants to feel useless, y'know?
"But hey, you can fix all that…if you just take my advice. I'd be the guy who gave you the push you needed to turn your life around and make the most of this chance you've got, how great would that be?"
Could I…could I truly?
Would my sisters really accept me again? Even in this form?
Well, they sent this wretch to me for a reason, didn't they?
Getting up from his seat, Aŋra began walking to the door, pausing only to lean over Gorgon and clap a hand onto her shoulder. She flinched a little, but made no move to pry him off.
"It'll be tough, no doubt about it, but you've got people in your corner. Just because our class is about vengeance…it doesn't mean it has to be everything we are. You got a chance to enjoy your new life here, so why not take it?"
With that, the original Avenger laced his hands behind his back and began strolling out of the simulation room, leaving Gorgon deep in thought.
Should I really try?
I don't have anything to lose by trying this, do I? Well, except my dignity and image as a monster.
But is that really worth all that much now? Master isn't scared of my threats, and my sisters…they don't hesitate to approach me.
But-
Humming in contemplation, Gorgon finally made her way over to and thumbed the release to the simulator door.
"THERE you are, Meduseless."
Only to freeze up as she was faced with her elder sisters, standing with their hands on their hips and eyebrows raised.
Ah, my sweet sisters. I'm sorry for disgracing you with my-
"We've been looking ALL over for you, you know. Do you know how rude it is to keep your sisters waiting so long?" Euryale snapped, sharpening her gaze into a glare and narrowing her eyes.
"And running away from us repeatedly too…why, I didn't realise we'd raised such an impudent little sister." Stheno sighed, looking more disappointed than angry. "Well, it's all right now that we've found her. You're going to be spending a lot of time with us from now on, all right? It's the least you can do to make up for being so flaky on your dear elder sisters in the past."
They…they want me around them, do they?
Glancing past her siblings, as well as her Rider self, waiting by the opposite wall, Gorgon saw Aŋra at the end of the corridor.
Meeting her gaze, he indicated her sisters, cracking a small smile and winking.
"Well? Hello?" Euryale waved and clicked her fingers in front of Gorgon's face, snapping her attention back to her. "Are you so useless that you can't even pay attention to your sisters for one minute?! Ugh, what are they making monsters out of these days!?"
"Or are you going to waste all of our time and lumber away from us again?" Stheno asked.
"I…no. No, I…I'm here for you, if you really want." Gorgon mumbled, trying to swallow the lump in her throat and stop her eyes from misting up.
The sisters' expressions softened as they glanced at their oversized younger sibling, realising what was going on.
"Oh dear me, have you forgotten so easily, Medusa?" Stheno moved in to hug her from the left, while Euryale glomped onto her from the right. "You're always welcome around us."
"Exactly, you're still our silly little sister, no matter what you look like." Euryale insisted, patting and rubbing Gorgon on the back.
Slowly, Gorgon brought up her own arms to hug them back. As she steadily tightened her grip to hold them to her properly, the Avenger felt hot tears start to trail down her cheeks, her lips wobbling upward at the edges.
"There there. There there." Euryale smiled, reaching up to ruffle what bits of Gorgon's hair she could reach.
From over by his position near the end of the corridor, Aŋra smiled to himself.
"See, I told ya it'd be worth it to stand your ground."
Raising an imaginary glass, he toasted.
"You enjoy yourself now, y'hear? After all, this summon won't last forever…so let's make the most of it, eh?"
Turning and stuffing his hands in his pockets, Aŋra began to walk away, whistling all the while.
