A Grimm prowled in a cage, growling weakly at everything around it.
The cage itself was nice, what one would expect to see in a zoo. Grass, trees, and water. Steel walls on three sides, with one thick glass wall.
Despite this, the Grimm eventually slowed down his prowling, growls growing weaker. His eyes occassionally glowing green, small veins beneath his fur pulsing the same color. And then it lay down, the green fading, and the Grimm started decaying rapidly.
Silence reigned for several seconds, before a shout of anger could be heard, followed by a fist slamming into a control panel.
On the other side of the glass stood a man in a gray coat. White, unkempt hair, with a robotic eye and arm. Dr. Merlot, former owner of Merlot Industries, and the man responsible for the fall of Mt. Glenn.
And currently the man glaring at the decomposing corpse of the Grimm. Taking a few deep breaths to stabilize himself, he took a recorder out and started speaking into it.
"Test C096: Subject B231 was injected with Serum 32c on Tuesday, 15:00. The date and time is now Thursday, 20:07. B231 had been delivered to the facilities soon after capture, and was injected as quickly as possible. It showed signs of deterioration as soon as one hour after administration. The serum showed signs of affecting the facial region, as well as the nerves in the trapezius muscles before death."
He took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair in an aggravated manner before he continued.
"It should be noted that Serum 32c had also been given to subject B230, and yet B230 lasted a full 58 hours longer than B231, and the serum infected 76 percent of the body. B230 and B231 were nearly identical outwardly, and were injected in the same locations. No discernable differences between them. More testing will need to be done. End of test C096."
He put the recorder away and set about giving out orders for the robots to collect another Grimm. For a moment, he let himself regret the destruction of his Mt. Glenn operations. He would admit that he had been too greedy, and tried to experiment on too many Grimm too quickly. He had been focused on getting results, and when the Grimm overran the city he was forced to relocate his base. So much data had been lost in the evacuation...
Now he was more careful. He had relocated on an island he found, and primarily employed droids from an Atlas contact he had. Not everybody spurned his research, and some people in the Atlas military were willing to assist so long as he shared his research, which was an easy promise to give.
The problem he was running into was the results he was getting were inconsistent!
Grimm could never be captured for long, that was a fact that everybody knew. If they remained captive for too long, they would die. Unfortunately, he needed them captive in order to run his experiments properly!
Back in the city, they documented variances of course - that was inevitable. But here, they were displaying a pattern that went against all projected outcomes. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that they were mocking him. A specimen would last a short time before death, the next a long time, the one after that short, then long! Once again, variances did occur here and there, yet those were oh so few. And he had been recording these results and documenting them over the course of years!
He had made advances of course. A few Grimm had actually made it through the full infection - An old Deathstalker made it through the entirety of the procedure, as well as a Beringel that his robots were able to capture before they were destroyed. These successes helped him gather data, which in turn kept his suppliers happy. Yet those successes were few, and he had been at this for years.
He growled, his robotic hand crushing a piece of metal it was holding. He was at the cusp of figuring it out. Of figuring everything out, he just knew it! Once he did that, he would be able to make the progress needed to prove his theories, to show that Oz and the others were wrong!
Humanity was stifling itself. It was obvious to anybody with a brain! It refused to change, to... Evolve. And the Grimm were prime examples of evolution! Practically immortal, with their age only increasing their power as time went on. Their ability to sense negativity could also be a sign of psychomancy, especially in the case of the dreaded Apathy. If studied properly, the leaps it would bring humanity would be incalculable! Unfortunately, his... colleagues were squeamish and shortsighted, so he had decided he needed to do it on his own.
He finished setting the robots to cleaning the latest failure and started heading back to his lab. There were a few more variables that he could try altering for the next serum, and he wanted to get started on it as soon as he could. There weren't that many Grimm on the island, but the robots were pretty good at ferreting out a Beowolf when he wanted one.
He walked back absently, his mind paying very little attention to it's surrounding, only for it to come crashing back when he started walking past the Archives and he heard the sound of a past recording playing. He froze in shock for several seconds, looking at the open door to the room, the lights having been turned on. Staring, he tried to convince himself he was merely hearing or seeing things. Come to think of it, it had been a while since he had gotten a full nights rest. One couldn't survive solely on coffee...
"After all", he tried to tell himself, "The idea that somebody managed to sneak onto the island, and then onto the compound, without being caught by the security procedures was completely ridiculous. The security had been made by some of Atlas's finest! And then to forego subtlety and listen to the recordings in the middle of it all?"
Yep. He must be hearing things.
...
He stayed frozen for a full minute before jolting back into action. He quickly opened up his scroll and accessed the security system, and then to the cameras in the Archive room. Having the camera pan the room, he quickly spotted the intruder.
He looked at the figure for a bit. Admittedly, he would never consider himself knowledgeable on infiltration. It hardly looked like an infiltrator from... Well, he didnt look like an infiltrator at all. The man was tall, though it was difficult to tell the exact height since he was hunched over slightly. In the light of the lab, pale didn't do his skin justice, and his skin and hair both looked greasy.
But what really caught his attention was his clothing. Merlot hadn't been in public in years, and yet he was positive that robes hadn't made a comeback. Additionally, these robes were unlike anything he had seen. The design was odd, yet seemed like good quality. The collar of the robes were... poofy, made with deep purple, black, and scarlet materials.
To top it all off, the entire ensemble gave off a certain aura that Merlot would have previously said only belonged to a Grimm.
The stranger didn't appear to be worried about being quiet. He was listening to one of the recordings while reading some notes casually. There were several notebooks worth of notes arrayed on the table in front of him, and all of the lights had been turned on.
Merlot narrowed his eyes. No, this didn't appear to be a regular infiltrator. He quickly alerted the security bots and stationed them outside the door. Then, after making sure that his own weapon was in working condition, he walked through the doors.
Merlot wasn't sure what he was expecting the stranger to do. He himself had not walked in without making sure that the robots behind him were hidden, yet in a good spot to attack if needed. He had his Aura, which would protect him temporarily if it came to a fight, and there were plenty of places within the Archives to dodge behind if needed. Of course, the odds that this man would attack were slim. To do what he was doing, it was clear that he was making himself noticeable on purpose after infiltrating the area so masterfully, and to play the recording right when Merlot was walking down the corridor? Clearly this man wanted to talk.
Of course, he wasn't expecting the man to immediately turn around and stare at him, his face almost blank "You, what is your name?" large eyes stared at Merlot before speaking once more, "Yes... Are you, perhaps, the owner of these facilities?" the strangers voice surprisingly deep.
Merlot's own eyes narrowed at the strange man. "And if I am?" He questioned carefully, his hand brushing against his scroll, ready to tell the robots to attack.
The infiltrator smirked, gesturing to the recordings and notes, his robe billowing gently. "Then I must compliment you on your research! The dedication and resolve that you show in studying these creatures of God, attempting to improve them as you have?" He looked down at the notes, "To attempt to improve them? Such are the thoughts of one who believes they know better than God!" His smirk became... Darker. "A blasphemous concept, such that I can only approve of!"
That... Merlot stared at the man suspiciously while taking a step back. While inwardly he felt happy that somebody seemed to appreciate his work, the way which it was done made was raising warnings in his head.
"How did you break in here?" He barked out, deciding to ignore the previous statement, his muscles still tense, "And why?"
"Hmmm?" The man looked at him with a faint look of confusion on his face. "Why, I didn't break in anywhere, I was sent here. The nature of the sending such that it must have decided that you and I are of like kin."
Merlot frowned at the explanation, parsing it together in his own mind. "Somebody sent you? So... A teleportation Semblance?" he mused. "One that tried to match you with somebody like you?"
The man beamed at him "Indeed, it could be said that way."
Merlot glared at him. "A dangerous ability." he grunted, his eyes narrowing, "So who was it that sent you? And why?
The man sighed sadly. "I'm afraid that I wasn't made aware of the purpose of such, nor who it was that sent me. Last I recall was a blinding light that burnt all in front of me, right in the middle of my Grand Spectacle!" He shook his head. "After the light - I'm not sure where I was, or how long I was there, until I came here. Once here, I couldn't help but view the notes in front of me." His grin came back "Perhaps our Spectacle amused God enough that He wanted an encore?"
Merlot watched the man carefully, eyes narrowed. By all appearances, the man appeared to be truthful. "So which village are you from?" he asked. His robes would be wildly out of place anywhere, but in a village one could get away with it...
The infiltrator waved his hand dismissively, "I lived in Anjou, though when I left the place had been going through some hard times." His smirk came back, seemingly darker.
Not lying, but definitely hiding stuff. Bah, what he hides hardly matters. He pulled out his gun as the man turned his back to him and pointed it at him. Before he could pull the trigger, the tall man spoke up once more. "I admit to not getting far in these notes. Were you able to figure out why the early tests failed?"
Hearing that question almost made Merlot pull the trigger out of reflex, the frustration of the past slamming into him again. With a suspicious glare, Merlot stopped and looked at the man.
The infiltrator looked unconcernedly at the notes, "I haven't read them all" he said, "But you mention several times the struggles you were having." He stopped flipping through the book, lifting it up to show Merlot a graph displaying the lifespans of the captured Grimm. "Up, down, up, down" He stared at Merlot once more and lifted an eyebrow questioningly.
If he's mocking me... "No" he said stiffly. "But I have several theories which have a decent probability of success." Not really, but I refuse to admit as much to this man.
"I see." the infiltrator said thoughtfully. "If that is the case, then you probably aren't interested..." he paused, thinking silently.
"What?" Merlot questioned angrily. "I've spent years compiling this research, and you believe that you can just waltz in and come up with a better theory than anything that I've thought of?!"
The infiltrator still looked unconcerned, his dark robes flowing as he walked back to the paper with the graph. He pointed at it once more, "Up, down, up, down" he said while smiling, pointing at points on the graph. "You forget, these creature are creatures of God, and appear to be created with all the malicousness and evil he could place in them. Clearly as a way for God to amuse himself."
Merlot gave a snort at that, looking at him mockingly, but was unable to say anything before the man continued.
"As creatures of darkness, it is only natural that they feed off of the darkness of the human mind."
Another snort, and this time Merlot spoke up. "I see where you're going with this, and your theory is invalid." he looked at the infiltrator condescendingly. "The Grimm are capable of living in the wastelands for years, far from any human settlement. It's long been a fact that Grimm don't need either physical food to survive, nor do they depend on negativity, even if they are drawn towards it. Grimm have been known to spend decades without being near sources of negativity." He said, shaking his head.
Only to frown when he saw that the infiltrator was still smiling.
"How fortunate it is then that God has placed us together, two researchers working once more!" He proclaimed as he spun around, staring at Merlot once more. "But let me ask this of you, have you perhaps thought of how these creatures react to positive emotions?"
Merlot frowned in thought, "The Grimm have never been affected, adversely or otherwise, to sources of positivity." he admitted. "The best that can be said is that they aren't attracted to it."
"Perhaps" The other man said with a smile, "Or perhaps they reacted, and it simply went unnoticed." He pointed to the graph again. "When these fell beasts lasted longer, you would be happy, would you not? Tis only natural. Happy and hopeful for the next test." His finger pointed to the next spot. "And then, the next creature would fall quickly, being subjected to the positivity within you, without as much darkness to balance it out." The finger went to the next. "After having your hopes dashed as you had, the next subject would be able to feed off of your negativity, allowing it to grow stronger, and last longer!" He looked at Merlot again, his smile wide. "Truly, proof that God amused himself in watching you, for in effect - the variable you were forgetting" He pointed at Merlot, "Was yourself"
After hearing the theory, Merlot's eyes widened as he went over the evidence of the last several years. He could even go farther back, thinking of the experiments ran in Mt. Glenn. And thinking on it... He couldn't deny the potential.
So much time had been spent, trying to find a solution to this issue. Years of frustration and rage. Now, presented with a possible and probable solution, his tired and coffee filled mind latched onto it with glee.
"This... Could it be?" he muttered to himself, quickly lining the data up once more. His robotic eye started shining brighter as he got more excited. "Yes! Hahahahahah!" He laughed. "This could be it! The break I've been looking for!" His excitement lasted for several minutes, before his good mood slowly evaporated as he continued to think. "Hmmm, but if that's true, then I need a source of negativity to feed the Grimm... A way to test it."
He grimaced. That... Would not be easy.
"If I may, Doctor" Merlot jerked, spinning to look at the man he had forgotten in his excitement. "I find myself drawn to these sacrilegious experiments of yours, and would like to assist. To this end, if you could but point me towards the nearest village, I believe I can find a solution to our problem" The man said, his creepy smile in place once more.
Merlot stared at him for a long time, studying him, before slowly speaking, "An assistant?" His idea with positive and negative emotions did have merit... "Maybe I could agree to that." He held out his robotic hand carefully, "So what's your name?"
The man took his hand and shook, "You may call me Gilles." He said happily, "Gilles de Rais"
In the end, Merlot provided him with a shuttle and two of his robots. Partially to protect him, but also so that he could keep an eye on him and kill him if it looked like he was going to tell anybody. The man might have provided the solution to a years long problem, but he hadn't survived this long without being paranoid. He would wait and see what the man did. If he was able to provide a source of negativity, he would give the man a chance. Additionally, Gilles said that he believed his Semblance (He said abilty, but what else could it be but a Semblance?) might interact in interesting ways to Grimm. Which only brought up more questions that needed to be asked.
He watched through a camera as the three figures walked towards the shuttle. At one point, Gilles stopped and looked at the forest. Watching for a second, he reached inside his robes to bring out a book with odd markings on it. Too far away to zoom in properly on the details, he did see Gilles read something from the book, before closing it and continuing to walk on.
Unseen by Merlot, a Grimm that was watching from a distance started to writhe, as it felt itself being torn apart and molded into something new.
Is this my reward? Our last spectacle, did we amuse God enough that he decided to give me a second chance of seeing the light of my love once more? If such is the case, than we must do it again! No, not again - Bigger, Better! If we are being rewarded so, than that means that SHE is here. SHE shall recognize my work, and SHE shall come to me! With such at stake, I can't wait! Oh, how incredibly and amazingly COOOL this is!
Authors Notes:
Man, half of this was easy to write - then I got to the other half, and it's like I hit a block... But now it's done. Let me know how you feel I did with my first villain. :) When I was first looking him up I was surprised to find out that in life, he did research into the occult with a friend, Francois Prelati. Gilles himself doesn't have much magical power, and it's only with Prelati's book of rituals that he can be a Caster of any sort.
I really hope that I did Dr. Merlot alright. He's not in the anime, and I really only know him through the RWBY wiki page, which doesn't have much on him... To anybody that believes that he's being too trusting with Gilles, don't worry. He does not trust him, and is prepared to shoot him if he makes the wrong move. However, he already proved that he had some worth, and he did compliment Dr. Merlot's research in his own way, so he's willing to give it a shot.
I'd like to extend a congratulations to both Midnight49 - who first brought up Gilles de Rais as a possibility, and Aracaris - who was the first person to actually state that they believed Gilles was the Servant.
triscythe59 asked if I have any intentions on adding any Masters other than Shirou, and Demi-Servants, or Fou to this story.
Answer: Hmmm, not really any other Masters to be honest. Shirou is a special case because I really do feel that he had a decent chance of getting into the Throne of Heroes. As for Demi-Servants, did you have anybody in mind? And did you mean somebody like Mash being summoned? Or somebody on Remnant becoming a Demi-Servant? And as for Fou, I think he has a very good possibility of coming into the story at some point :)
D. asked about the power levels of the Servants in relation to Remnant levels.
Answer: You are correct, the Servants are not fully powered as they are. In truth, I dislike reading stories with really OP characters that just stomp on all of the opposition. Therefore, what I am trying to go for is for the Servants to be various levels of Huntsman and Huntress strength. Now, this will vary depending on certain factors, such as their legends. Beowulf, for example, is known as a Beast Hunter in his legend, with both of his swords renowned for slaying beasts. That would make him much more effective at killing beasts/Grimm than most other Huntsman. And then Noble Phantasms of course are just cheating items that are beyond comprehension :) But, when used, it severely drains the Servant for a very long time.
I'd like to thank everybody who has read this story and enjoyed it, and hopefully you'll continue to enjoy it. Please let me know if any of you have any requests for future chapters, or even just characters that you'd like to see. I've said before that I can't promise that I'll add them, but I will do my best to give any requests a lot of thought.
For those interested in guessing who the next Servant will be:
This will be Ruby and Yang's chapter. Thank you to those who gave a recommendation via review and/or PM.
Only one Servant for the two of them. I ran through various situations in my head, and it just seemed too cluttered to have two Servants.
The Servant is not a guy. I'm afraid I can't see Tai going for that one, lol
Once more I give thanks to my amazing sister for beta reading this chapter. :)