Chapter 8

Jim silently opened his eyes and looked straight back at the white and gold ceiling of his suite. His face showed an uncertain frown and his brows were crossed in worry. Tonight...is my battle with him. He thought, unsettled. Tonight would be his first battle against Invincible and his Servant, the Berserker-Class. This could also be his last. If he lost tonight, Jim would be disqualified and Toby would never wake up.

A world without Toby – the thought made him glower. He didn't want it. He wanted his best friend to be alive. "Good morning, Jim." Suddenly, the face of his servant, Saber, appeared in front of him. Her face was beaming with confidence, a contrast to his expression and to what he was feeling right now.

"Hey, Saber, Good morning." Jim said as he sat straight up. Saber stared at her Master. She could see the heavy eyebags beneath his eyes. A sign that the boy didn't sleep well last night. Her face shifted to an understanding smile before she put her hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Jim. I know you're nervous. It's alright. I can leave you so you can let all of your frustrations out."

"No, please stay." Jim stopped his servant. I don't want you going anywhere. The boy wanted company. He wanted someone he could hold onto. "I'm sorry, Saber. Mark Grayson, Invincible, is a hero. He's skilled in combat and he has God-like strength. I don't think I can win against him." The Trollhunter mumbled in terror. His eyes were wide and were shaking in pure fear. However, his Servant began to gently rub his shoulder. It soothed him. The Trollhunter felt her warmth and it made him stop his fidgeting.

"Jim, I know he's powerful, but so are you. You're a hero just like him. You're also stronger and faster than him. You can do this. Have faith in yourself, in your wish and your friend."

Saber. Jim felt her praising words and it moved his heart. He felt the sickening heavy air inside his stomach slowly disappear. The air around the room was no longer sickening to him. A smile of relief formed on the boy's face.

"Artoria, thanks." he said as Saber brushed a lock of his hair on his forehead and stared right at the scars that ran across the Trollhunter's face.

"Wear your scars with pride. It's proof of your strength and the fact that you can face absolutely everything."

The Trollhunter's smile widened in gladness as he felt his spirit being lifted by his Servant. He stood up and fixed his bathrobe with a renewed aura. "Shall we order breakfast? I will let you order." he said and extended his right hand, inviting Saber to go with him.

"As you wish, Jim." Saber took his hand and the two strode out of the bedroom.

Mark stood by the window as the bellboy set up a table on his verandah that overlooked the canal. The bellboy silently bowed at him after he finished setting and quietly left his room. The Hero was once again shrouded in silence as he walked out of his verandah and breathed the fresh air.

Tonight is my battle with him. He thought as he looked down on the alfresco diner below him. His black eyes focused after he recognized a familiar face. "What the hell is he doing? Why is he still outside?" he thought bitterly. Jim, the Trollhunter, was below him. His face was showing a radiant smile as his Servant sat across from him, both of them were eating their breakfast of pasta and salad.

The Invincible Hero clicked his tongue in irate. The boy was clearly not taking his threat seriously. "Pathetic. I'll own him tonight." Mark moved away and sat down grumpily, taking the cover of his food off. What he had ordered was a medicinal oriental meal called 'Mapo Tofu'. Its surface glowed in red, smoke rising from the crimson surface – a telltale sign that the food was freshly cooked. The Invincible Hero gulped down in pure nervousness.

Mark took his spoon, scooped the tofu out, and ate it. His eyes widened as the spiciness began to burn the inside of his mouth. "Fuck! This tastes bad." But I need to eat this. It's the only food that'll dull my aching head. Mark gulped down the scalding spicy cuisine and let out an exhausted sigh. Suddenly, a burning pain erupted and began to crawl inside his skull. It was so sudden that the man leaned on the table and clutched his head with his left hand, his right hand shaking uncontrollably.

"Not again…" The Invincible whispered in agony as his hand gripped tightly on his forehead. However, Mark felt a familiar touch on his left shoulder making him look up. Heracles stood and cast his shadow over him. The menacing large physique of the Servant had cast a feeling of relief to the hero.

"Heracles." Mark called in gladness. The Servant showed his left fist before he opened it, showing the Hero's medication. "Of course, I almost forgot about this." A relieved yet embarrassed smile spread on Mark's lips as he took the medicine and immediately swallowed one of the pills. The Invincible rested his back on his chair and hung his head back.

"Are you ready, Heracles?"

The Invincible Hero glanced at his Servant. The Berserker only nodded. Mark looked up to the sky, a dark frown forming on his face before he closed his eyes and thought grimly about the fate of the Master of Saber. I gave you a choice, Jim. Now you should live through your own consequences.

Meanwhile, in Shirou's room, the young Magi silently observed the two Masters. Shirou's grey eyes observed Saber and Jim, then after a minute, he shifted his binoculars back to Invincible. The terrorist watched as the Hero took a pill from Heracles, who then dematerialized into silver mist. "Jim is in high spirits. As for Mark...he looks like he's in pain." A thoughtful look formed on his face.

"You said that he has PTSD. That might be it?" His Servant, Ishtar, suddenly materialized on his bed behind him. The girl yawned in a lazy way before she rested her head on the pillow. "Shirou~~~shall we order breakfast? I'm craving for Mapo Tofu."

Lucky for you, because Invincible isn't. "You can use the telephone, you know, Ishtar. Why don't you order by yourself?" Shirou said simply and without looking at her. The young Magi took out the ancient pocket watch and opened it, ignoring the annoyed glare of his Servant.

00:00:13:30:25

Thirteen hours before the battle. Shirou couldn't help but stare at the clock with a tense frown on his face. The battle was drawing near and he couldn't imagine how it would go. Berserker versus Saber – both were strong Servants in their own way and then the Masters were as well. Jim could transform into a troll with his hide morph magic and the boy had skills in swordsmanship, but how would he fare against Invincible, who was a people's hero and a skilled warrior with a God-like strength and had brought down one of the most powerful alien nations in the galaxy.

"Invincible is half Viltrumite and half Human." Shirou muttered absentmindedly.

Ishtar, who had finally calmed down from her bickering, grumbled and turned her body away from him before she said. "They say Viltrumites have powerful and impenetrable skins. Though they can bleed, they have amazing regenerative healing properties."

"True."

"I wonder, wonder...how would they fare against magic or divine-grade type weapons?" A mischievous and wicked smile spread on the Venusian Goddesses' face as if she thought of something naughty towards the Hero. The young Magi noticed it, an enlightened look forming on his face after an idea formed in his mind. Shirou stood up and raised his left hand to the air.

"Trace on: Kanshou." Shirou's left hand glowed in blue-green circuitry as his Magic Circuits activated. A small sword slowly materialized in his left palm. Its blade was black and its hilt was made of wood. He held and twirled it in his left hand before he curved it forcefully, cutting the air. "This blade would do." Shirou Emiya said as the light glinted the black blade, shining his predatory-like grey eyes. "I'm going to contact Rin. Please stay here and order some food, Goddess Ishtar."

"Yeah, whatever. Go contact your hubby." Ishtar said without care as she vehemently sighed from boredom and hunger.

Emiya stopped on his tracks and reminded the Goddess. "That's my wife you're talking about." And she looks exactly like you. The magi annoyedly snorted in pique before he walked out of the bedroom.

Jim was silently sitting on his sofa inside his suite. The night had come fast and the sounds of festivity echoed from the outside. But the Trollhunter wasn't in a celebratory mood. His eyes were sullen as he stared at the pocket watch on the coffee table.

00:00:01:00:30

One hour. He thought restively as his hands balled up to a jittering fist.

"Are you ready, Jim?" Saber's unruffled voice called him. The boy looked up to his Servant and saw her unmoved eyes. By the looks of her posture, she was ready to face the inevitable battle. A sheepish smile spread on Jim's face. There was no use worrying now. He has a wish to fulfill.

"Fuzzbuckets, let's get this on." The Trollhunter vexed hard and exhaled sharply. He stood up and took out his amulet. The Trollhunter's amulet glowed and its light comforted him. He was not alone on this fight. He had Saber, who believed in him.

"Let's go, Saber. I have a date with Invincible." A steadfast smile appeared on Jim's face. The Trollhunter opened the door of his room and the Master and Servant walked out. Both were ready to fight for the second round.

-Gallerie dell'Accademia-

Jim and Saber silently strolled along the sidewalk beside the enormous museum. The plaza in front was packed with people and tourists wearing odd-looking, but colorfully funny masks. There was a public mask ball ongoing for the crowd, who were either laughing happily or gulping alcohol down their throats. None of them were aware of the battle that would soon take place in this city and it bothered the boy.

"Right here, Jim." Saber said as she opened the door of the museum. The Servant closed the door and a heavy lock made a thud that reverberated through the empty halls. The museum was empty. The sounds of festivities were gone, replaced only by a piercing silence that seemed too eerie for the Trollhunter. A foreboding feeling formed in his guts. He felt that the museum looked like a museleo, a final resting place dedicated only to him.

Now where is he? Jim scanned the empty welcome hallway. Sculptures, ancient artifacts and portraits, loomed all around the boy and yet none of them showed the familiar figure of the Invincible Hero.

"Jim, in front." Saber called as her eyes locked forward. Jim followed her gaze and he eventually saw his opponent.

Mark Grayson, the Invincible, was hovering above a tall sculpture called 'Hercules and Diomedes'. The two Greek statues were locked in an eternal battle while the Hero was floating and looking down at the Trollhunter.

"So, there you are." Jim called as Mark shifted his posture. Jim wasn't a big fan of Invincible, but whenever he saw him on TV before, he would be amazed and happy. The Hero's costume and mask was a symbol of hope to mankind. However, tonight was different for him. The masked Hero wasn't a symbol of hope for him anymore. It had become a dangerous wall that he must destroy.

"I came here in my battle dress...so how come you aren't?" Mark said in an irritated way. He descended and landed softly on the marble floor before he bore his mask at the boy.

Jim took out his amulet and chanted. "For the Good of everyone, daylight and Excalibur is mine to command." The amulet glowed and the Trollhunter's silver white armor appeared, replacing the boy's casual blue sweater. His skin changed to blue and he grew taller, a pair of horns popped out of his head together with his fangs. The Trollhunter had changed into his troll form and his blue eyes landed on the Hero. "I'm ready, where's your servant?"

Mark flicked his right finger and called. "Heracles."

A gust of wind suddenly filled the welcome hall and a figure appeared right behind the Hero. Jim's blue eyes widened in shock. He finally saw Mark's Servant and it was huge. Heracles...Does he mean Hercules? The Trollhunter had heard of Heracles from Strickler before. Apparently, it was Hercules's other name.

"Heracles?"

"Yes, the famous Greek Hero and he's definitely stronger than yours. It's not too late to back down from my deal, Jim." Mark said in a menacing and threatening way. Jim's fear slowly emerged from within him again, but his Servant suddenly burst into black red lights. Saber donned her armor and her sword glowed in a sickly violet hue as she cast a strong-willed smirk.

"So what?" she made a side-glance at Jim and winked at the boy. She wasn't scared of the imposing Berserker. The Trollhunter's Servant was ready to fight the other and he must too.

Saber. "My decision won't change, Mark." The Trollhunter brushed his fears away as he raised his own Excalibur and shouted with an unwavering voice. "May the best Servant win!"

Indeed, let's settle this through our Servants. Invincible couldn't help but smirk at the boy's ridiculousness. However, he also liked his determination. "Suit yourself, kiddo."

The two pairs stared at each other with deadly eyes. Silence reigned in the hallway as Masters and Servants observed each other and waited for whoever would move first.

Here I go! Mark decided to move first as he raised his hand into the air. "Heracles, I command you to-"

"COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!"

The voice of a man howled sharply through the hallway causing the Invincible Hero to stop and turn. Jim also darted his blue eyes to see where the voice had come from. But before anyone could react, the walls of the museum suddenly exploded.

"What the hell!" Mark flew up and his Servant leaped back, avoiding rubble that were falling from the ceiling. Saber caught Jim by her arms and rolled back to the pillar, which shielded them against large debris. The whole wall of the museum collapsed and exposed the Masters and Servants to the world.

"Holy Shish Kebab! What is that!?" Jim shouted, still shellshocked from what happened.

Saber looked from behind the pillar. The canal laid bare through the hole. She could see the lights of the other buildings on the other side, but her eyes caught something horrifying and it made her gasp in horror. "Jim...there's an enemy."

"Who-! Wha-?!" The Trollhunter 's eyes also widened in shock, his jaw going slack open as he saw the same figure that Saber saw. In the middle of the canal, squirming and writhing on the surface was a huge creature. The creature looked like an octopus that was born from the dark nightmarish depths of the ocean. It was as tall as a building, and its whole body was made of tentacles that were sliding and crawling along the water.

"What the fuck!?" Mark also cursed in terror as he finally saw the tall aquatic monstrous creature. "Why is there an octopus here?!" he shouted again in anger. And why the fuck now!? The Invincible Hero thought as he stared daggered at the creature, but then his black eyes blinked after he saw another figure emerge on top of the creature's bulbous head. It was a man who was clothed in a black robe with a sanguineous crimson pattern, a black cassock wrapped around his neck. He looked like a mad magician from storybooks, one that scared children to their very cores.

"Ah, Venice, a truly beautiful city!" The ashen skinned man had a creepy smile on his face. His eyes, both bulging and odd, looked down at them. "Servants and Masters, how do you all do? I am Gilles de Rais, Caster-Class servant!"

"Caster!?" Jim couldn't believe his rotten luck. He was ready to face the Berserker Servant, but another Servant appeared. Now I have two enemies!?

"Jim!" Saber shouted and quickly pulled her Master before he could react. One of the octopus's tentacles ejected out of the water and whipped at them. The marble floor was destroyed, but the pair had already landed on the roof. The tentacle then swept hard, throwing debris into the air, across the floor and towards Berserker. The Servant quickly leaped out of the way and landed on the opposite side of the roof, across Saber.

"Caster-Class...Great, just fucking great!" Mark cursed as he landed beside his Servant and eyed the enemy Servant with fury. Jim and Saber stared at the Caster-Class with tense eyes. However, the Trollhunter heard a human cry, making him look down. The people on the square were all running in fright and horror. The appearance of the grotesque creatures had clearly caught them all off guard. He remembered the golden gate bridge. A pang of guilt sprung inside of him.

"Mark!" There's no choice, I have to ask him! The Trollhunter called and the Hero looked at him. "Let's form a temporary truce! Let's defeat this monster and prevent any further destruction!"

What!? The Invincible couldn't believe what he had heard. He didn't want to form a truce with his enemy right now. His ears, however, caught a sound of human cries. The Hero glanced down and saw an alleyway where people were sprinting away like spooked hens. A wave of pity weighed heavily inside his guts.

These people are just being caught in a crossfire. He thought in guilt. He was planning to defeat Jim and his Servant. He didn't want to involve innocent people. This war was just between him and the Trollhunter. "Heracles...shall we accept their truce?" He turned and cast a frustrated look at his Servant. Heracles glanced at the Trollhunter before he looked down again at his Master. The Servant only nodded at him. Great. "Well, it's only temporary."

Invincible looked at Jim and shouted. "Yes! I accept it!"

The answer made Jim smile and raised his hand. "Saber, let us defeat this monster and prevent further destruction!" The command spells glowed as one of its parts disappeared. Saber glowed violet. The effect of spell had enriched her power to her very core.

"As you wish, Jim!" Saber said as an excited grin appeared on her face.

Invincible watched them and he also flashed his command spells to the air. "Heracles, this is my command, defeat Caster!" The command spells burnt through his gloved hand as one of its parts disappeared. Heracles's eyes flashed bright red as more power from the spell fueled his mana, his skin becoming crimson and smoke beginning to emit from his mouth. He let out a loud charging roar.

And then, in unison, Saber and Berserker leaped high and charged towards the dark sea creature.

Meanwhile, from afar and on top of a church bell tower, Shirou watched with his jaw slacked in surprise. He had seen it all – the appearance of Caster and its horrifying octopus monstrosity. "My God, this is becoming too chaotic!" he shouted in panic. His Servant, on the other hand, was looking down at the creature with an uninterested look.

"Oh...what a stupid looking monster. Just like its Master – both are creepy and pervy looking." Ishtar said with a deadpan tone in her voice. Shiro looked down at the town square below and saw the people running away from the chaos. He could see that some tripped and fell down while others got separated from each other. The scene was an uncontrollable pandemonium. I need to lead them away from this chaos.

"Ishtar, I ask of you," Emiya turned to his Servant and commanded. "Help the other Servants. I will help evacuate the people."

Ishtar's face drew an excited smile. "Finally, my time has come."

The Sumerian Goddess twirled gracefully and began to hover. Her casual clothes burned away and changed. A beautiful and pristine, yet very revealing, white colored bra with gold outline on the sides replaced her red coat. Her skirt morphed into a black thong and the ribbons on her head had turned into a black and gold colored tiara, golden necklace and o-shape earrings.

The Goddess had become more beautiful and powerful than before. "Maanna!" She raised her right hand and, on cue, a large hovering object appeared on her left. Maanna, according to the Mesopotamian mythology, was a boat that ferried gods across the heavens above the earth. It was the Goddess's main arsenal of choice and a part of her identity as the Mesopotamian Goddess of Heaven.

"Ready for combat, Emiya!"

"Ishtar, remember the plan." Emiya suddenly said before the Goddess took off.

"Yes, of course. I will eventually support the side that you deemed worthy to be saved." Ishtar said simply and took off at a staggering speed.

I'm counting on you, Ishtar. Emiya said brotherly, before he took out his phone and entered a number. "Rin, it's me, I need you and him here in Venice, right now."

Woo-Hoo! Hello everyone and welcome to my new chapter! In this chapter, Mark and Jim almost fought however another Servant had appeared and it was a Caster-class! Do you know who Gilles de Rais, everyone? Do you know the french folktale, blue beard! History is really interesting isn't? Now then...how would Saber and Berserker fight hand in hand against, Caster? How would Mark and Jim work together despite both of them have conflicting wishes!

Stay tune for more! Thinker out!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of TOA, Fate/Stay Night and Invincible. All names, places and events are purely fictional, if one exists in real life then iots purely coincidental.

Special thanks to Pure Red Crane for beta-reading!