Fourth Singularity, Part 9: Reprieve under Darkness
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He fell hard on his back, skidding a good few meters before he slowed down. He didn't stop, using the momentum to propel himself forward, just as the ground behind him erupted. He almost tumbled over as he got back to his feet. His hands were free, all the better for his balance as he began running as fast as he could, all but ignoring the quips and comments Da Vinci was throwing their way. There was nothing else on his mind besides running away for their safety. He put his trust in Mash, the Demi-Servant using her shield to block and deflect any projectile that homed in too close to them. He involuntarily flinched when another round came whistling down towards them, pinging off of the massive shield.
He briefly caught a glimpse of Mordred, fully armored as flames licked all around the metallic surface of her armor. She deflected another shot that was aimed at her, but was pushed back when a follow up shot sent her through a building. Arturia was far more agile, able to dodge the shots fired her way, with the only thing happening to her being her dress and armor becoming even more tattered. She ducked when another round came her way, singing the back of her armor and dress, and not once did her expression waver.
He saw Eve holstering Dr. Jekyll with an arm around her shoulder, her dress losing its color as they trudged through the buildings and alleyways. Ritsuka also noticed the Alchemist holding his hand inside his pocket, with whatever he was holding being obscured from his eyes. His panicked eyes glanced back to the tank every few seconds. They widened considerably that it worried Ritsuka, seeing Eve hoist the man before throwing him away from her.
"Eve!" he cried out, his body already shifting its direction towards her the moment the tank's shot struck her.
"Oh! Ow, that looked like it hurt!" He heard Da Vinci say with a merry voice, his voice sounding like it came from around them. "You better go get her! I'm sure old Frankenstein would be upset if his daughter gets dusted!"
The dust settled when he finally reached her, and immediately he noticed the damage she took as she groaned in pain. Her right arm was gone, now nothing but a stump below the shoulder. Her right chest and abdomen weren't unscathed, as two different colored liquids were splattered around, to which he could only assume was substitute for blood.
She grunted again when he helped her up without, taking care to not put her in anymore pain. "Uugghhh…"
He shook his head, even though he didn't actually understood her. "No, we can't leave you. Your body's not done yet!" he said, as he began pushing himself forward.
"Ritsuka!" he heard Kagiso called out to him. He immediately turned his gaze back forward, seeing the Shaman standing still as he turned back to face them, his hand placed on his left pec. "Hurry!"
He nodded, his right hand closing to a fist, his Command Spells flashing with power. "Mash! Protect us!"
"Yes, Master!" he heard her reply, punctuated by a loud heavy ping as no doubt her shield had deflected yet another shot.
With an arm around her, and his other hand free, he touched his legs, and hoped that he didn't mess this up. His circuits began lighting up as he drew upon himself.
"Förstärka!"
He picked up in speed, as his reinforced legs further pushed him forward, away from the tank that was chasing them.
He saw a flash that was dampened by Kagiso's uniform, and he knew that his fellow Master had used his own Command Spell. When a figure engulfed in shadow began forming before him, Ritsuka understood what it was. The shadow form of Sir Lancelot had appeared, with its muffled roar as it immediately charged at the tank. The sudden charge stopped the tank in place, but they all knew that this was a temporary solution.
"This way!" they all heard Alice call out, who had went out ahead from the group, searching for the fastest way back to the Clock Tower. The Caster was the most unscathed of the group because of that. She was leading them closer towards the river, down the side path under the bridge.
"We're going down the sewage system?!" Mordred appeared beside them, this time carrying Jekyll in her arm.
"A little bit of stench isn't a problem, if it means we can get back to safety, Mordred!" the Alchemist responded, patting his hand on her armor.
"Lead the way, Alice!" Kagiso said as they had finally regrouped after being spread apart by the attack. He gave a quick glance back to the fight, where the Shadow Lancelot was successfully holding back Da Vinci's main tank, though they could all tell it wouldn't last. "We don't have much time!"
The small Caster nodded, before she led the group down the stairs, underneath the bridge as they ran across the river. She pointed at the sewer entrance, the locked steel rail gate being their one and only barrier to safety. Arturia, with a powerful leap, dashed forward and caved in the gate, allowing the others uninterrupted passage. As soon as everyone got inside, she tightened her fist and punched the entrance, closing it behind them. When not even the light could peer inside was she satisfied enough to rejoin the group.
They continued running, and running, their footsteps and splashing echoing within the subterranean labyrinth. Ritsuka felt the effects of the Reinforcement spell fading, and soon enough his lungs began burning, with his body exceeding his physical limit. He lost track of how long or how far they've been running.
He gasped in relief when Alice slowed down, halting their retreat. He was beginning to see white spots in his vision as she stopped, leaning on the brick wall with Eve still in his hold. He let go of her as he slid down, uncaring of the dirt, grime, and filth they found themselves in. He was exhausted.
"Uhm, Alice?" Dr. Jekyll spoke up, still within Mordred's hold. "I'm not well versed with the underground, but shouldn't…" his words faded when he noticed that Alice was holding her finger to her lips.
"Da Vinci's tracking us, isn't he?" Kagiso asked, having gone to the conclusion off of a hunch.
The Caster nodded. "I currently have no means of hiding us from him completely."
"What do you mean, currently?" Mash asked, as she too settled beside Ritsuka.
"I am a Reality Marble, manifested. I reflect the ideas of my Master. And as Nursery Rhyme-"
"You need a fairy tale to reflect." Kagiso nodded, sighing in understanding. He held his hand out for her, which she took gingerly.
"Are we seriously going to sit here and share fairy tales?" Mordred asked incredulously, with Arturia behind her, trying to pull her back.
"It won't take long. I'll just give the truncated version." He chuckled tiredly, shaking his head before he locked eyes with Alice. "Have you heard of the Sea-Hare?"
The Caster shook her head, and Ritsuka couldn't help but listen along as well, letting his body catch up to him. "Well, there was a princess who live in a tower, with twelve windows that allowed her to see all with nothing escaping her sight. The haughty princess declared, that those who wish to win her hand, must hide from her eyes. But should they be caught, she'll have their heads."
"Ninety nine have tried, and ninety nine have failed, until all that was left was the youngest of three brothers. He asked for, and was given, three tries, for which he used them to hunt and spare a raven, a fish, and a fox. The raven and the fish hid him with their own methods, but he was still visible to the princess. The fox instead, turned him into a sea-hare, and sold him to the princess."
"When the princess then tried to find him, he hid in her hair. No matter where she looked, she found nothing, and threw the sea-hare out in frustration. He returned back to the fox, and then came back to the tower, where he claimed the princess hand in marriage."
Throughout the tale, he noticed that the skirt of Alice's dress slowly changed colors, until it was a bright ocean blue, with some kind of sea-slug creature. She smiled and nodded, taking in the story while holding the Shaman's hand tightly. She closed her eyes, and breathed a long sigh, as she held out her free hand to allow a book to appear. The pages furled through, as a blue aurora emerged from it and snaked around the group. Ritsuka couldn't tell the difference, but the approving expressions Dr. Jekyll and Arturia had convinced him.
Alice smiled at them, genuine and proud compared to her usual straight expression. "That should do the trick."
"This is an executive order from me, as the leader of the Ground Team." Ayako said, observing the room after the others have all returned, seeing them sprawled out around. "Each and every one of you, are going to rest, for a minimum of seven hours."
Ritsuka, looking like he had ran a marathon, nodded his head as he gasped painfully. "No… no complaints from me."
"Loud and clear, Ayako." Kagiso answered, laying on the floor, his jacket used as a makeshift pillow.
There was no answer from Koleen, since the American was still asleep, returning back to the room held in Circe's arms. Ayako had draped her red coat over her friend, letting her sleep in as much peace as she could. She turned her attention towards the other two mortals of the group: Dr. Jekyll, and Eve. The Alchemist still looked disheveled, his hair unruly and his glasses cracked, but for the most part he came out of this excursion the cleanest of them all, with his coat folded over his lap. Eve, on the other hand, took the hardest hit than most of them. Her once pristine dress was torn and blackened with ash and dust. She lost her right arm, with the inner workings of her body visible to them, with her right torso and abdomen were ripped open. The Casters had did their best, but her artificial nature had somewhat hampered her recovery.
The bleeding and pain stopped, but she's still an invalid.
Ayako walked towards the tall girl, crouching down beside her. She looked up, her peach colored hair parting, revealing her heterochromia. The Puppeteer placed her hand on Eve's shoulder. "After this, when we get connected to Chaldea, we're sending you there."
"Uuh?" her eyes widened, no doubt surprised.
"That soon?" she turned to Waver, who had approached them.
"Da Vinci's a genius." Ayako shrugged, chuckling as she shook her head. "She's not working from scratch, so hopefully it shouldn't take too long for her to turn one of me into her." She said, gesturing with a glance to Eve.
"That's still a lot of work." Waver said, crouching down beside them, an unlit cigarette hanging limply in his lips. "I have no doubt that of all people to try and match the Aozaki's Puppetry, it would be her."
"She should get the other Casters to help out." Circe said, standing beside Koleen's sleeping form. "Medea is no stranger to your field. She revels in them, though she has never truly tried to create anything real."
"Hopefully, when we connect back to Chaldea, we can tell them to prioritize the new body." Ayako said, as she and the Clock Tower Lord stood back up. "How's it going, Mash?"
"There's a little bit of interference, Ayako!" Mash replied. By virtue of being who she was, Mash was almost completely unscathed. "We're almost there."
"Alright. Casters!" the six Casters in the room turned to her. "Reinforce the Bounded Fields, and I want our presence here completely scrubbed. I want these ruins to look like something else had been here. They've been here before, make sure they think it's somewhere else!"
"Yes, Master!"
As one, they all left the shelter, carrying out the order that she had given them. The left them (the Masters), Mash, Fou (who was still hanging around her shoulder), Eve, Dr. Jekyll, the Sabers, and Kintoki.
Speaking of… "How's it going, Golden Aniki?" she asked, seeing the Berserker sit close to the entrance, nursing one of Medea's potions.
He smiled back at her, his innocent eyes drawing her own golden ones. "I won't fade that easily. Hopefully, I'll be golden for our next fight." He held the potion up to his eye, shaking it lightly. "Whoever made this must've been one hell of a magus."
"She's Circe's niece."
"Ah, that makes a lot of sense." He chuckled understandably. "I will rest until I am ready to be called upon again."
"Good." She nodded back to him, pleased at his own recovery.
"Ayako!" Mash called out, drawing her attention. "We have them!"
"Great work, Mash." Ayako said, smiling with relief as she immediately turned to the Demi-Servant. A holographic feed emerged from above the shield, allowing her and Mash to wait in silence. She raised a hand, stopping her friends from rising. They needed their rests, and the both of them could handle this.
The screen flickered, before finally showing the furrowed face of their Director. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a finger tapping impatiently, showing her nervousness blatantly to those who knew her ticks. Beside her was Doctor Roman, with bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. He had to mugs of coffee in his hand, holding both handles and expertly drinking out of them. The Druid and the Witch stood behind them, eyeing the group with meticulous gazes.
Da Vinci was, obviously, not there with them.
"Aozaki, report." Olga started, tilting her head upwards.
With a prepared sigh, she did as asked. She presented the books that her group had found, highlighting select ones that would help Chaldea in their research. Ayako also reported Assassin's demise by her own hands. She confirmed the identities of the masterminds, retelling what the others had experienced from their excursions, and also confirmed Paracelsus' death.
She glanced back to her friends, seeing that Ritsuka had fallen asleep himself, before she turned back to the Control Room. "Can you patch Da Vinci in?" she asked them as a grimace formed. "There's something important that we need to address with her."
"I assume it concerns Eve, then?" the Doctor asked, glancing at the tall young woman with concern flashing in his eyes.
"It could concern the Da Vinci they encountered themselves." Medea offered, a hand on her chin in thought. "Quite the interesting one you've faced."
"They've faced." Ayako corrected, pointing with her thumb to the two male Masters behind her.
As if on cue, Ritsuka was jolted awake. "Ha, what?"
Mash immediately turned to him in concern. "Senpai?"
"I dozed off…" he said, rubbing his hand on his face.
"Yeah you did. Its fine, just rest." She told him.
"No no, there's something else." He said, his voice rising in volume as Da Vinci's feed appeared in the display. "Babbage, he was talking about, something. Angrboda?"
"You're right. Babbage did say that." Mash said, confirming his words.
"Angrboða? The jötunn?" Ayako's brows in confusion.
"He said something along the lines of 'Angrboda tearing you down until we're nothing but husks.'" Mordred repeated for the group, getting a positive groan from Eve as she shrugged indifferently.
"The Norse Mythology's equivalent to Echidna." Doctor Roman added, as he pulled up whatever they had on the figure. "The Mother of Monsters, including the likes of Fenrir, Jörmungand, and Hel."
"Aren't those Loki's children?" Mash asked the ginger haired doctor.
"Which means Angrboða is his mate, Mash." Ayako said, placing her hand on the Demi-Servant's shoulder. "Her name means 'the one who brings grief.'"
"So what does this Babbage mean, then?" Arturia asked, her head tilting to the side. "Saying that we will suffer from it?"
"The fog." Cú Chulainn said, earning nods from the Casters in Chaldea. "The poison's the thing that's slowing ya lot down."
"That makes sense." Ayako nodded, as she looked around the room for confirmation. "So, what? They have something that's producing this fog? It means we have another objective to add to the list." She sighed, mentally adding it to the checklist of the Singularity. "There's something else I wanted to talk about though."
She looked back to the holographic display, seeing Da Vinci looking back at her, with her familiar standing on the Genius' shoulder. "How's it going?"
"Pretty good!" the Genius said with a smile. "We've adjusted the frame to accommodate her height and weight, but you've sure made this hard for me! And I thought I knew what made you tick!"
"You know what makes the Director tick." She countered, causing said Director to huff. "Even dissecting me, there's still plenty that your eyes can't see." She smiled as she blinked, putting emphasis on her golden eyes.
"Ah, cheeky!" Da Vinci laughed in approval. "We're on track with the conversion, right?" she glanced to the puppet on her shoulder, who nodded back to her. "Though I'm assuming you wish to expedite this process?"
"Very much so." she nodded. "I want Medea and Cú Chulainn to help out as well." The Druid nodded in casual indifference, while she noticed Medea's eyes widen. "We need that body finished within a day. Close to the perfection is preferable, but it's not required. As long as she can be transferred to Chaldea safely, that's all that matters."
"And then you can make her a new body from scratch if need be." Cú Chulainn said, glancing to the Witch beside him. "Let's get to it."
"Let's." Medea nodded, before glancing back to the Puppeteer. "We will ensure that Eve's new body will be close to perfection."
Both Casters then turned and left the Control Room, leaving posthaste to accomplish the Puppeteer's request. She sighed tiredly, a hand reaching for her neck as she massaged the ache. "How many days has it been, Doc?"
A worried grimaced wormed its way on the man's face before he gave her the answer. "It's been six days since you've left for the Singularity."
"Six days?" Mash responded with wide eyes. She turned to the other Masters, her hands clasped over her chest.
Ayako nodded, sighing tiredly as fatigue caught up to her body. "Then scratch that earlier order." She said, as she too turned to her friends. "We're not leaving until all of us get a full day's rest."
Mash nodded her head beside her. "I agree. None of us had gotten the appropriate amount of rest since."
The Doctor sighed with relief as Olga nodded her head as well. "It's a good thing you all are taking your health in consideration. The Singularity's been interfering with our visuals on the ground, but we've still been tracking your vitals. You are all running low."
"Yeah, figures." Ayako rubbed her face, as exhaustion creeped in as she realized just how long it's taken. It felt like they've been on the move nonstop. That was not good. "It's been nothing but poisonous smog around us. It's impossible to tell whether the sun's out."
"We're losing our perception of time." Dr. Jekyll added tiredly from where he sat, shaking his head with a grimace on his face. "This is not good at all."
"That is cause for concern, especially for our Masters." Da Vinci said, her feed still channeled even though she had gotten back to work. "A healthy mind means a healthy body, after all. We need to resupply the Ground Team."
"Where are those resupplies?" Romani asked, turning to face somewhere else inside the Control Room. "Ground Team needs these resupplies ASAP!"
"Remember, you can also use the Command Spells on yourselves as well." The Renaissance Genius added, glancing back to the feed. "More so you three than Ritsuka-kun. He'll be able to use it, but his body won't react well until he is further trained."
"Yeah, I got that." Ayako said, glancing down to her wrist, where her Command Spells rested. The one she used had just replenished.
"Then we will leave you to recuperate for the time being, while you send the tomes back to us." Olga said to them, her hands unfurling as she leaned into the console. "We will reconvene in 12 hours."
"Alright, understood Director."
"Aozaki." She blinked when the Director called out to her specifically, looking up to meet another set of golden eyes. Her mouth opened, yet nothing came out. She closed it again, grimacing slightly. She shook her head, before setting her gaze back. "You will not disappoint me."
Ayako's eyebrow rose, wondering where that came from. Her eyes squinted slightly, trying to discern the Director, before a thought came to her mind. She glanced briefly to the Doctor beside Olga, seeing him smile wistfully. Ah.
"Don't worry, Olgs. I'll get the kids back home safely." She said with a smirk, seeing the white haired Director's cheeks turn red.
"See that you do! Romani!" the Director turned before they could see more of her expression. "Handle the transfer!"
"Will do, Olga." He nodded before taking another sip of his coffee. "Alright Ground Team. We're prepared to receive your package. We've also prepared a shipment of supplies for you guys, so be ready."
"I can do this, Ayako." Mash said as the Puppeteer was about to reach for the dozen books they have procured. "You also need to rest."
Ayako smiled at the concern, her shoulders relaxing. "Thanks, Mash." She straightened herself back up, before placing a hand on the Demi-Servant's head. "You also need rest yourself though. When you're done, join us."
Mash nodded back. "I will."
"Good." She left the younger girl, her feet taking her to the Sabers, who had for the most part been quite. Mordred already had her sword ready, held on her shoulder. "I need you two to be on guard duty. When the Casters get back, they'll assist you."
"Understood, Master." Arturia replied, turning on her heel towards the entrance. Mordred nodded, before following behind the White Saber.
"We'll make sure you lot won't be disturbed." Mordred said, before her helmet shifted back into place.
"Thanks, you two." She called out before they left.
She sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time, making her way to where the other Masters were. She dropped to her knees, placing her rifle next to her as she settled herself down. She felt Fou shift around, settling himself on her chest when she laid down. Her eyes grew tired, her fingers flexing the nervousness out of her.
"Kags, Ritsu-chan?"
"He dozed off again." The Shaman said, followed with a chuckle. "Although I feel like it won't be long till I join him."
"You and me both, man." She agreed, letting her eyes close, putting her trust on the Servants around them.
"You and me both…"
"Father."
Arturia turned to her side upon being called by one of her best knights. She smiled brightly. "Yes, Sir Mordred? I apologize, we have barely had the chance to talk."
The Red Saber peered through her helmet, gazing at the White Saber uncertainly. "Why?"
"Why what?" Arturia asked back, head tilting sideways.
Mordred's gauntlet tightened around the handle of her sword, no doubt wondering if this honest naivety was an act or not. Unfortunately for her fellow Saber, the answer was somewhat more complicated than that. "Why?" she repeated, her grip loosening just a bit. "Why did you reject me?"
The smile on Arturia's face disappeared, and that neutral expression took its place again. "Let us take this outside, Sir Mordred." Arturia turned on her heel, leaving the shelter of the Masters behind her. Soon, heavy footsteps echoed along with hers. Arturia closed her eyes as she kept walking, the path already memorized as she lead them back to the surface.
They reached the surface, the scattered remains of the British Museum still littered around them. She frowned at the blatant disregard of human culture that was returned to dust, even though she knew that most of the museum's contents were plucked from their original homes. She shook her head, shaking the thought away from her before moving to a somewhat cleared out area of the museum. Mordred still followed along, though she stopped half way until there was a good distance between them.
Arturia turned around to face the Red Saber again, her smile and pleasant expression returning. "Now, what was it that you needed to speak to me of?"
Her Knight didn't answer immediately, letting silence hang between them. She waited patiently, for she had all the time in the world. Mordred then raised her sword, pointing it at her as red lightning crackled around the blade. If she could see the hand holding it, she would no doubt see the whites of Mordred's knuckles from how tight her fist was.
"Why would you not acknowledge me?" Mordred asked, finally.
Arturia's brows furrowed, having expected a different question. "I have always acknowledged you, Sir Mordred. You are one of my best knights."
"Bullshit!" she countered as lightning erupted around her sword, sending the debris around her away. "I remembered that callous indifference you showed, Father!" she swung her sword down, cleaving the ground with its shockwave. "You said you trusted me!"
"I did." She answered honestly. "I trusted you. All of you." She held her arms apart, showing her openness.
"And yet it was not enough to acknowledge me as your heir."
"It was not, because you are not." The smile on her face straightened. This was always inevitable when it concerned any or her knights. "Just because you are of my blood, no doubt thanks to my sister's machinations, it does not mean that you are my heir."
She drew in air through her nose, exhaling just as slowly. "An heir does not make a King."
"AAHHH!" Mordred launched herself towards her, prompting the White Saber to leap to the side, letting the Red Saber to crash into the debris.
"Oh, for the love of God! Now?!" Arturia could hear Lord El-Melloi II's cry of protest off in the distance.
She willed Caliburn into her hand as Mordred launched herself again, the swords clashing against one another. Arturia loosened her stance, allowing herself to be pushed away. Caliburn lit up with channeled power, as she blasted a ray of light from the Sword of Selection, but Mordred still was able to sidestep it. When the Chaldean Saber returned to the Earth, Mordred met her again in a contact of steel.
Her attacks were heavy and hard, with each lightning crackling from Clarent licking onto her armor. Arturia relied on her speed, but the destructive attacks that Mordred exhibited made even single attacks hard to avoid. Her own attacks themselves also barely affected her Knight, even though she did get in deep attacks onto the red full-body armor. It seemed her Knight's rage had taken over her, much to her displeasure.
The relentless assault persisted, with Mordred never once even giving Arturia a chance to retaliate, despite the King of Knights' attempts at doing so. She did her best at also holding back, since the Masters were all recuperating. It would be highly irresponsible of her to risk their lives for this.
Arturia leapt back, drawing her blade with both her hands, before striking forward with a powerful piercing attack. She was faster than Mordred could react, her attack enough to get through the armor, drawing blood. But that had put her within the Red Saber's sights. With one hand holding her in place wrapped around her shoulder, Mordred brought Clarent high up above her. The red sword sparked dangerous lightning, as her Knight brought the blade down on her.
Arturia was sent back, her armor shattered, leaving her in her dirtied white dress as she tumbled back. A large gash was now where her Knight's hand had been. Caliburn had been tossed off to the side, she noticed as she pushed herself back up, her eyes looking to Mordred, now with the helmet of her armor folded back in. She bared her teeth, openly scowling at her.
"Come on, Father! Fight back!" she demanded at Arturia's prone form.
"I am, Sir Mordred. With all my might." The Chaldean Saber replied calmly, as she shakily pushed herself up to her knees. "I hope you realized though, that I am not the true King of Knights. I am but a figment of a possibility, and thus I do not share her true potential."
Mordred's fist tightened around Clarent, no doubt having been reminded of her peculiar existence. Arturia continued before her Knight could respond. "What were you hoping to prove, Sir Mordred?"
Her body flinched at her own question, but her Knight recovered soon after. "To prove myself as the rightful King of Camelot, Father!"
"Is that so?" Arturia glanced to her sword, Caliburn, still resting untouched. She turned her gaze back to Mordred, her straight expression shifting into a frown. "Yet your actions have only proven why you were truly unsuited."
They both knew she wasn't talking about this scuffle of theirs. Their minds went back to that moment, around the Round Table, when Mordred had truly showed her face to their King for the first time. When she sought acknowledgement as the rightful heir, only to be rejected with coldly by the King who did not understand her Knights. The fallout of that moment, had shaped Camelot's lasting memory.
"I told you before, that you were, and still are, one of my most trusted Knights, Sir Mordred." She finally stood to her full height, her green eyes narrowing on the silent Saber. "And again, that does not make you a suitable heir. And what did you do in response? By proving King Arthur right."
Clarent slowly lowered as she listened silence, Arturia could only imagine what the Red Saber was thinking. The White Lily sighed, as she moved to retrieve her sword. "That does not mean that King Arthur is without blame, so you do not need to apologize. The King of Knights is no short of her own faults." She said, sheathing her sword. "And do not let this altercation between us hamper your dream. Your wish." Her smile returned, as her posture relaxed, despite her piling injuries.
"Nothing is forever set in stone. Even the past." The smile on her face became blinding, especially in this foggy exterior of London.
Mordred's own posture had relaxed, as the tension finally left her body. Her own eyes closed, as she sighed tiredly. When she opened them again, she looked far better than she did before. There was no smile, yet Arturia could tell that her Knight was far relaxed than before. "I prefer you this way, Father. I can understand you better."
Arturia chuckled. "Do not get too used to it, Sir Mordred. I am but a figment of King Arthur, after all."
"A figment of Father is still Father." Mordred responded with a scoff. "More approachable too."
"If you feel the need to unwind, do not hesitate to call upon me." She offered with a smile. "With that done, let us return back to the Masters."
The both of them turned back to where the entrance to the dungeon, whereupon they noticed a very pleased looking Shakespeare, with Tamamo behind him. The playwright was sitting on a large chunk of the debris.
"Oh, don't mind me, most Honorable Knights. I was merely taking in such wondrous inspirations from your tales!" he said unashamedly.
"It's like watching a soap opera." Tamamo added with a chuckle.
Mordred growled annoyed behind her, while Arturia herself simply smiled in response. "If I see you writing shit about me or Father, I will kick your ass, Playwright." Mordred threatened with a pointed finger.
He raised his hands to placate the Red Saber's anger, though the smirk on his face lessened his sincerity, if he had any. "Cross my heart, Sir Modred."
2018
"I've got two choices for you." The display showing the Ground Team showed her aunt holding two hastily created poisons. She held her right hand up. "One will not be painless, but it will take an hour until your body shuts down." She held out her left hand. "The other will hurt throughout your entire system, but it will only last 30 seconds."
Medea stood there inside the great Puppeteer's workshop, seeing the Masters eye Circe anxiously, with Eve looking between said flasks in quiet contemplation. Ayako in particular sat beside the human-to-be, holding the girl's hand in comfort, with the Demi-Servant and the Red Saber nearby almost crowding the girl. The little Phantasmal Beast sat on the Puppeteer's shoulder, looking down with its tiny eyes. Ritsuka sat close to Mash, his hand resting on her shoulder, looking like he hadn't gotten a good night's rest yet. Kagiso stood behind them, looking down at the resting girl, eyes occasionally closed as his hand held onto his curved dagger tightly. Koleen sat closer to the wall, still looking exceptionally tired, though after hearing what she had to deal with it wasn't a surprise. The young Witch needed the rest the most.
She looked briefly around the room for a second, seeing the rest of the Casters of Chaldea. Da Vinci stood nearby the head of the table, almost bouncing in place in excitement. The Druid stood closer to the door, standby near the gurney they had prepped. She herself stood near the foot of the table, gloved hands holding herself on it. The small puppet familiar of Ayako's was standing atop the recently converted puppet's torso, going over its final inspection. The body itself only looked somewhat like Ayako now, and they've done as much as they could in the short amount of time they were given in turning it to a temporary replacement for Eve. Medea could tell that the Puppeteer was unhappy, and no doubt she will busy herself immediately upon returning.
"There aren't any materials around that are conducive for the ideal poison to take you out quickly and quietly." Circe added with obvious displeasure written on her face.
Eve looked between the two flasks, before finally settling on the flask in her aunt's left hand. "Uhn…"
The Enchantress shrugged. "Alright, this will hurt." She said, before she crouched down and held the flask close to Eve's face.
"Perhaps Tamamo can lessen the pain for her." The Clock Tower Lord suggested, standing just a step away from the group, his feet being the only thing visible to them.
The Fox Caster replied irritably. "And why would I do that?"
"To prove that you are the better magus compared to the Witch of Hecate." Andersen added without pause. Medea chuckled, sensing what the short Caster was doing.
Tamamo's tail and ears visibly bristled at the comment that they all knew was meant to get under her skin. Her aunt very much smirked at what the renowned Author was doing. "Or perhaps that you are ready to admit that you aren't up to my level?" She could even hear Kintoki chuckle from wherever corner where he rested.
Now Tamamo audibly growled, before she got down to her knees beside Eve, hand placed on the broken shoulder. The girl smiled and nodded to the Japanese Caster. Ayako turned to Chaldea, giving them the signal. "Everyone, get ready."
"We're all set." Da Vinci said, flashing them a thumbs up.
"Romani, I want us prepared for any possible complications." The Director said to the man beside her. "The last time we attempted something like this was with me, and we know how delicate my situation was then. I will not have a repeat."
"Understood, Olga."
"Don't worry, Eve. You're in good hands." Koleen said tiredly. Medea shook her head. She could tell just how tired the young Witch was.
"We have the best in the world when it comes to Puppets." Kagiso added with a calming smile. "And we're not just saying that because the world's incinerated."
The peach haired girl smiled, without a worry in her bones. She nodded, supported by Mash and Mordred. She turned to Circe once more, and nodded again.
The Enchantress nodded back, holding the flask close to Eve's lips. "May the gods show you mercy." She said simply, tipping the flask and allowing the poison down her mouth. The dark liquid sizzled on Eve's skin.
Immediately, Eve's body tensed, her veins bulging as it took a darker discoloration. Her legs thrashed, only held down by Kagiso, Dr. Jekyll and Shakespeare, who had rushed in to help. She groaned in barely concealed pain, only placated by the healing given to her by Tamamo. The groan gradually turned to screams that echoed in the dungeon that served as the Ground Team's temporary shelter, growing louder and louder. A banshee's wail that screeched in their ears, yet somehow that alone failed to truly convey the pain she was experiencing.
And then, just as Eve's screams reached its crescendo, her body slumped. Thirty seconds had passed by without them realizing it, as now silence took its place. The body laid there lifelessly, the light fading from its eyes. Medea turned back to the puppet, searching for any signs of life.
The chest rose.
"Uhhhnnn…" Medea sighed with relief as Eve's eyes flickered open.
"She's awake! Meravigliosa!" Da Vinci cheered, hands pumping in the air in celebration.
"Excellent." Medea said with an accomplished nod. "Let's make room, and move her to the infirmary."
"Already on it." The Druid added as he moved the gurney closer the table that held Eve. "Gentle, does it."
"Uhn…" Medea gave another quick glance to Eve, seeing a smile on her face as she was helped onto the gurney. The girl tried raising her hand up, though she lacked the strength to do so. She waved at them as Cú Chulainn pushed her out of the workshop.
"Aa-chan, go along please." Ayako ordered her familiar, who saluted in returned before sitting itself down on Eve's chest.
Medea sat herself down on one of the available chairs inside the workshop, elbows on her knees holding her up. This was all sprung up hours ago, and all things considered the amount of work they got was exceptional. But she was still a magus. One of history's most renowned and infamous. The extent of this work, even though it was more than expected, still was a failure to them.
Truly, the only person who wouldn't care about this was probably the Celtic Druid.
"Saber, can you help me bury this?" the Shaman's words reached her ears.
"As ordered, Kagiso."
"I'll help out too." The Alchemist's voice added, followed by the footsteps of their departure.
"Do you guys have any ideas on when you're heading out again?" she heard the Doctor ask, drawing her eyes back to the screen.
"When two conditions are fulfilled." Ayako answered, holding up two fingers. "When all of us are well rested. And when our Command Spells have replenished."
"Who's still waiting?" the Director questioned.
"Koleen's." the Puppeteer gestured with a nod to the aforementioned Witch.
The young American held her hand up, showing the faded sigil on the back of her palm. "We still have a while left until its back. I used two on Circe and Kintoki when the Noble Phantasm was set upon us."
"Yeah, that sounds about right." The Doctor responded with a nod.
"Our familiars have showed that their endless army has retreated." El-Melloi spoke up, finally appearing into view. "No doubt to further reinforce their base when half of the Ground Team came knocking."
Ritsuka sighed, his shoulders slumping tiredly. "So this is it, then…"
Ayako nodded. "This is it." She said in response. "Once we set out, it will be the last time we do so."
"So, while we rest, perhaps we can send a few Casters further down?" Koleen suggested. "Leave a few here to protect us."
"It's a sound plan." Andersen said in agreement. "Find whatever's left that you can bring back to Chaldea."
"It beats sitting around doing nothing." The small floating Caster commented, after observing the events in silence. "Perhaps there are tomes that you had missed?"
"There's little to be missed, we scoured that one room completely." Ayako said.
"But that also doesn't take into account the other prospective rooms we didn't have the chance to visit." The Playwright said enthusiastically. "I volunteer to head down."
"We can decide that easily." Ayako said with a hint of irritation.
"Then, let this be the last communication you'll have with us, until you solve this Singularity, Ground Team." Olga said, her words of finality acting as a motivational push.
"Buona fortuna guys!" Da Vinci waved at them, giving them another thumbs up. "See you back soon!"
Medea shook her head as she scoffed lightly. She never thought someone could be more eccentric than her, but boy was she proven wrong.
Well, it took a genius to understand a genius.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
i had a plan on speeding up the release for a bit, until at least we can get through London. you know, have a chapter release in two weeks is what i thought. but, i've been having difficulty in writing the next chapter, so i don't know if i can make good with that plan. so, don't be surprised if a new chapter does get released by then, but don't anticipate it actually happening.
it wasn't my intention, but i realized that the group hasn't had a full day's rest ever since they arrived at London. compared to the past Singularities, it was like they've been moving nonstop. they needed to wind down, before their fatigue kicked in at the wrong moment. imagine that, and the fact that they found themselves in the middle of enemy territory, that pushed them to high-tail it outta there. we'll get to see more of what Da Vinci can offer in the final chapters of the Singularity (also of Babbage as well. he's still alive unlike in the game proper right now).
also, fun fact, did you guys know that Nursery Rhyme's dress can change depending on what book she's holding? i always found that fun myself.
i've been meaning of wanting to write a confrontation between Arturia and Mordred since before i started writing London, though the circumstances were a bit different. my opinion, there's plenty of blame to throw in regards to Camelot, but it was an inevitable disaster so it's hard for me to really fully blame anyone for its downfall. and honestly, seeing its "successful" counterparts, it's good that its story was cut short.
and hey, we got Eve to Chaldea! in a temp body that looks a bit too much like Ayako for Ayako's comfort and pride as a Puppeteer. when they get back, Ayako won't be getting any rest anytime soon. he professional integrity as a Puppeteer just wouldn't allow Eve to exist in such an improper vessel.
in regards to future plans, i found the perfect way to incorporate Maou Nobu. you guys have no idea of how much i want to add her, but i don't want to shoe her in just because i like her. that will just degrade the story. my clue for you guys is that, it won't be the Lostbelts when she arrives. (although a possible GudaGuda mini-Singularity will have the cast meet with her Archer version, so look forward to that (most likely after a F/Z mini-Singularity).
as a side note, i still can't believe i have her, guys. seriously, anytime i log in, and i see her, i just shake my head and sigh with relief. FGO has the worst gacha rates, so when i get a Servant i want as a F2P, it's such an intense high.
in the game side of things, i split the remainder of quartz and tickets i had left from Da Vinci Lily on the current summer event (and a bit of the previous rerun), but didn't get much except for MHXX NP2, and Carmilla NP2, which isn't bad but i was kinda hoping for Ruler Saber. i might be able to squeeze in one more 11-pull, but i'm wondering if i'll actually do it. we'll see. regardless, i'm probably not gonna use more, since i still want Super-Orion.
speaking of Summer, hopefully i can finish the event. i'm halfway through the missions, so it shouldn't be too difficult, but still.
also, oh my god it took forever for me to NP5 Gareth. i maxed out everyone within the week of their releases, but i only got the last copy of Gareth today. jeeze...
and then there's LB6. oh boy.
there's a lot that can be said about this Lostbelt, but the one thing that i'm still feeling after reading through it is "Fuck the Fae."
Koyanskaya's cool and all, but she's just bait in the presence of Oberon-XXXXXXXXX. if you guys read up on it too, you'll know why. my god, he's awesome. just so awesome!
also sows some seeds in regards to Holmes, i'm wondering if this is where they're taking his character. (costume change will be the best move i think).
well, with all of that out of the way, let's head on the the reviews!
FateStayNight Fanboy: thanks dude! i assume you're also playing JP?
Quartermass: Brynhildr is fun (and i can't wait to have her in the story sometime soon), didn't expect to use her as much as i do since i got Scathach early on. but she's a Buster Servant, which means she pairs well with Merlin, and oh boy does her big stick hit big.
and hell yeah i want Super-Orion. sure, his support Arts NP seems to not mesh with his tri-Buster kit, but those buffs man. he melts Lancers like they're butter. also, i'm just a huge sucker for tri-Buster Servants, especially if they're not Berserkers.
and yeah, i'd say Jack is a weak Servant. the way i see it, not only does she need to tick all the boxes for her NP to deal the most damage, it's still not a guaranteed kill. it falls off hard without those ticks. add to the fact that she's a modern-ish Servant, with almost no legend to speak of, aside from "serial killer". even the buffs she would get when contracted with an actual magus, i don't think the Masters (bar Ritsuka) would ever send her against a Servant that do tick all those boxes (unless the Servant needs to be finished off).
Information Erasure is OP though. the conceptual ability of making people (and even surveilance recordings) forget is insanity.
i'll say, at the least i consider Jack to be stronger than Jalter. any form of Jack at least still has a legend to their name. Jalter is Gilles' fanfic.
omegadramon2: in the future, though Jason and Gareth have the highest chances of appearing early.
harlequin320: thank you!
Addicted2fanfics: thanks man! and i've got Gareth to max level, but i'm still waiting on Grailing her. i only have one Grail left after all.
Wizzer96: thanks dude! it's always awesome to see new readers here! it's daunting with a fic this big already, so i really appreciate it when i get new readers and seeing them drop a review as well! each Master will get a chance to shine individually in EoR, and unsurprisingly Koleen's gonna get Salem. you have no idea how excited i am once we get there, there's a lot of aspects to her character that i can't wait to expand. honestly, Salem is my favorite EoR chapter as well, it's just fun.
and awesome insight in regards to the Masters' Origins, nice!
Blu3b3rryT3a: an old acquaintance of Da Vinci's.
Ryuzaki Uchida: thanks for dropping by, and it's great to hear that you enjoy the Masters!
TalonScythe: things are getting tough for our Masters, and they all know this. once London's over, they'll all collectively start pushing themselves further. each and every one of them will dial back and see what needs to be done going forward. they're going to need it.
Fou is slowly becoming one of Ayako's favorite darlings, i think Aa-chan might get jealous once they get back.
and thanks man. there's not that many Servants i really wanted to get in the game, and i've been really lucky in that all the ones that i truly wanted are in my roster (Medea, Archer Nobu, Ruler Martha, First Hassan, Kiara, Berserker Nobu, Ryouma&Oryou, MHXX and now Maou Nobu and Gareth). so let's hope Super-Orion is just as generous when the time comes!
the dramalogues were fun! i'd occasionally tune in when i catch sight of the stream on youtube.
well, once again everyone, i thank you all for reading through another new chapter!
it's awesome to see more and more readers that come by! thank you guys all, so much!
with that all out of the way, leave a review if you guys don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!