Scalpel and Blade

By: Bubbajack

Beta's/Co-authors: IcySnowSage, Heliosion, Geoffry Lannister, Loamy Coffee

Disclaimer: We don't own FSN or Arknights.

Ch.1: First Night Pt. I

The heiress of the Tohsaka House, Tohsaka Rin, cursed under her breath. As she stood in the attic of her western style mansion, with a calm stillness that only the dead can experience, in the early morning, at three am. "Why in the hell is it starting again so soon?" She wondered before she shook her head. "It doesn't matter, I need to summon my Servant now, when my Od will be reaching its zenith. I just wish I had a proper catalyst," So thinking, she cut the palm of her hand and began to incant. "Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.

Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great master Sweinorg be the ancestor. Raise a wall, against the wind that shall fall. Close the four cardinal gates. Come out from the crown. Rotate the three-branched road reaching the Kingdom.

I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!

An oath shall be sworn here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell! – From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!"

As she spoke, the wind picked up into a small gale around her, blowing pieces of loose paper everywhere as a crimson colored magic circle appeared beneath her feet. When she finished her incantation. No great mythical hero of yore appeared in front of her… but she did hear a rather loud crash a couple of floors below her.

'Aww, crap!' Rin thought as she raced down the stairs as fast as her non-reinforced legs would carry her 'I couldn't even do the summoning properly? What kind of heiress to the Tohsaka House am I?' She thought sadly as she shoulder checked the door to one of the many rooms she hadn't bothered going into for many years. Not since her mother passed that is.

Laying there, on a white sheet covered couch to keep off the dust, was a man. Or she thought it was a man, it was hard to tell due to his attire. It consisted of a crimson cowl with armored pieces around the head, some type of strange black molded body armor, a crimson skirt of some kind over black jeans and steel toed boots with the steel toes on the outside. The unknown figure coughed out some dust and looked around. Spotting her, he let out a sigh, grabbed his head in disappointment, and said, "Oh no, not this again."

"Huh, what does that mean?" Rin asked curiously as she walked closer to the mysterious figure.

The man all but lounging on the broken couch sighed, "Nevermind. I suppose you're my Master then?" He gave her a once over, "Aren't you a little young to be throwing your life away like this?"

Rin balked at the question. "I…I guess I am," She then bristled, "But that's not the point!" She showed him her wrist that held her Command Seals glowing with power. "I have these, which means you need to follow my orders or else, got it?"

"When exactly, did I ever say I wouldn't?" The figure replied as he stood up, towering over his petite master. "Anyway, before we get started on this operation in earnest we should discuss some strategy over tea. Come along Master."

"Eh?" Rin was thrown by her Servant's sudden behavior. "I-I but, this mess."

"Oh, don't worry," The Servant reassured her, "I have a friend who can take care of it. Kjera?"

At the calling of the name, a young woman appeared. She had dark steel colored hair with blue and white tips, her snow white pale complexion contrasting heavily with her dark blue eyes, and the poncho she was wearing, alongside the black tights and heels. She smiled warmly as a feathered lizard tail swished to and fro behind her.

"You called, Doctor?" The woman asked in a serene and calming voice.

Rin saw her Servant nod, "Yes Kjera, would you be a dear and clean up this mess I made?"

The woman looked around, "You were so neglectful as to allow all this dust to accrue here Doctor?" Rin felt like she'd been stabbed in the gut at the woman's comment about one of her rooms. " I find that hard to believe, while the Doctor does like his sleep, it is because he is such a hard worker. Are you sure you aren't covering for this young lady and her untidiness?" Kjera tutted disappointedly as she looked around the dust covered room and Rin felt like she was silently being judged by some sort of 'Super maid'. "I'll have it cleaned promptly Doctor no worries," The woman then gave him a worried yet somehow stern pout, as she finished, "Do make sure not to overwork yourself, okay? Enya worries about your health. You know how much you mean to her."

Rin watched her Servant nod several times, "Yes, yes, of course Kjera. Come Master, let's have that tea," He said, grabbing her by the hand and all but fleeing the room before the goddess could make him feel any more guilty than he already did.


Once they were safely in the kitchen, Rin gave the Doctor, the epitaph being the only thing she knew about him, a weird look, "You… What kind of Servant are you?"

"One of a kind," He replied, Rin could practically hear the smirk coming from under his cowl.

Rin pouted and crossed her arms, "I meant your class! What's your Servant Classification!"

The Servant just stared at her for a moment before he replied, "Obviously, I'm Servant Doctor."

Rin showed him her Command Spells, flaring them with magical energy for a moment threateningly before saying, "Be serious. Don't make me use these."

In response to her threat, the masked man replied in a solemn tone, "Why are you so intent on throwing your life away over a stupid cup, Master? Wasting such a useful tool on getting just my class too?" he then shook his head, before making his way into her kitchen and putting the kettle on for tea.

Rin blinked, before blushing, "S-Stupid cup!? We're talking about the Holy Grail here! The Greater Grail should've already told you what it does right?"

"Seven Servants are summoned to fight over the Holy Grail. Last one standing gets a wish… However, there are two problems with this," The Doctor mentions as he holds up two fingers.

"Which are?"

"One, I have no wish for the Grail," That surprised the Tohsaka Heiress. She assumed any Servant who was summoned would've done so under the pretense of having a wish granted by the Grail.

"I see…" She said, staring at her Servant "And the second problem?"

The kettle whistled, prompting the Servant to remove it from the stovetop and add the tea leaves before he answered. "I think it asks for too much in return for too little. How many potential casualties can be expected in this war of seven Servant-Master pairs? How many innocents will die just so two people can take a shortcut to get their wishes granted, instead of putting in the necessary hard work?"

"Doctor…" Rin was… moved wouldn't be the right word, but he had made her think. He made her think that perhaps the Grail wasn't something worth winning after all. 'But you have to,' A voice in the back of her mind, that sounded distinctly like her father Tokiomi reprimanded her, 'For it is the duty of the Tohsaka Houses Head to obtain the Grail, and it is their honor to always be given a chance to do so.'

"So are you saying you won't fight," Rin was asking through her fakest smile that didn't even reach her eyes.

As he poured the tea, the Doctor replied, "On the contrary, I will fight. Though it does go against my… Hippocratic Oath," He coughed just then though Rin briefly thought she heard laughter before he finished, "To do so."

Handing her a cup, the Doctor made his way over to a couch he hadn't managed to destroy yet, and sat down. 'Give it time, I'm sure you'll find some way to wreck this couch too,' He thought to himself as he sipped his tea.

"Oh wow," Rin said, her aquamarine eyes lighting up as she tried the beverage. "This is really good."

"Thank you, Master," Her Servant replied. "Anyway, all pleasantries aside, I suppose we should get down to business, yes?"

Rin placed her cup on the coffee table between them and nodded. "Yeah."

The Ghost Liner Familiar continued without preamble, "You may refer to me as Doctor if you wish, but my official designation under the Grail is Archer."

Rin was so surprised, she didn't have it in her to be disappointed she didn't summon a Saber. "An Archer, you?"

Cocking his head to the side, he asked, "Did you expect Berserker?"

Rin flushed, "No of course not! I just…" She looked to the side, "Assumed you might've been a Caster is all. Due to you summoning that person earlier?"

"Ah no," The Doctor was quick to rectify that. "That was a minor use of one of my Noble Phantasms."

Rin did her best gaping fish impression. "You can activate a Noble Phantasm without invoking its True Name?"

The Doctor or Archer if you prefer, shrugged, "It's more common than you think. There are plenty of Noble Phantasms that act as a constant effect in nature."

Rin felt like a Greenhorn under her father again. "Oh… Well that's good to know. There is something I'd like to know though?"

The enigmatic Servant answered her question with one of his own, "Is it why you can't see my Parameters and such?"

"Yes."

"It's due to another Noble Phantasm of mine that prevents anyone from learning of my identity. In life and in death I wasn't very known for my name but my title of Doctor."

"That's useful…" Rin scowled a bit, as she crossed her arms and pouted again, "Or it would be if it didn't prevent me from learning anything about you!"

Finishing off his cup of tea, the Servant placated his sullen master. "Now, now, no need to pout like that. I don't think my poor heart can take it," He said it in jest but the scathing glare she sent him in return reminded him this was her he was dealing with. "Okay, okay, would it make you feel better if I took my hood off for just a little bit?" Seeing his Master nod eagerly he sighed, "Women, so easy… to please," He finished upon seeing her turn red.

"Just take the hood off already Archer… um Doctor? Which do you prefer?" Rin asked.

"Calling me Doctor would make for an interesting strategy. By not referring to my actual class, we could leave our opponents guessing about my actual abilities."

"True… and quit stalling," Rin stated, starting to feel impatient.

"I wasn't," He said as he pulled down the hood, revealing his true visage to the girl.

He had swept back white hair, thin white eyebrows, eyes the color of steel, and bronze skin. His gaze was stern like a bird of prey, but there was a warmth of concern in the depths as he looked at her. Smirking cockily, he asked, "Do you like what you see, Master?"

"Ah! S-Shut up!" Rin blushed as she focused on his stats. "Holy Shit!"

"There is nothing holy about bodily waste… I can promise that. I've spoken to a couple of deities," Her Servant joked. Well Nian and her kin don't count.

"Doctor, just… just shut up for a moment will you?" Rin requested as she leaned back in her chair, trying to absorb what she'd just learned. 'My Servant… has A rank or above in all of his physical parameters, and his mana is off the charts… the only average stat he has is his luck... I, somehow, despite not having a summoning catalyst, hit the jackpot?!'

"...Ster…Mas… Master!" Rin snapped her head up when she noticed her Servant was trying to get her attention.

"Yeah? I… what is it, Doctor?" Rin asked, still in a daze.

"I think," He said after a moment, "That you should go to bed and get some sleep Master. It's late, and you're looking tired. Likely from the energy expenditure of summoning me."

"Right, it is a school night after all. I need to get up for school in…" She looked at a nearby clock "In four hours. Joy."

"Go rest, I'll wake you Master, don't worry," He assured her as he took his and her cups to the kitchen.

"Good idea, night Doctor," Rin said blearly, shoulders slumped as she made her way towards the stairs.

When she was halfway up, the Doctor poked his head out of the kitchen and called, "Oh, before I forget Master?"

Rin turned halfway up the stairs and said, "Hmm?"

"With your permission, could I set up another Noble Phantasm of mine in the basement? It should prevent you from having to spend too much if any mana on my upkeep."

Rin waved, and continued her way up the stairs, giving him the go ahead. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Night Doctor."

"Goodnight Rin," He said under his breath before he headed into the basement, and started to get to work. What is a doctor without his clinic after all?


The Doctor had just finished setting it up in the basement, and after double checking all the wires were properly connected to the Leylines. Once he saw it started to glow an ethereal white, the Doctor made his way upstairs, intent on fulfilling his promise to his Master. 'But before that, breakfast.'

He made his way into the kitchen, pulling out a skillet he set it on the stovetop and got to cooking. Getting eggs, the rice cooker, some sausages, and pickled vegetables out of the fridge, the Servant began preparing breakfast for his master. 'If I remember correctly, Rin was never a morning person so she should appreciate this.'

Once the omelets were done, he checked on the rice before cutting the sausage up and forming it into little octopus shapes.

"Oi, oi Doctor, you could leave this to me, you know?" spoke up a youthful and cheerful voice.

The Doctor glanced behind him and to his left, smirking behind his cowl. "Gummy, I've got this handled you don't need to…"

He was suddenly shoved out of the way by a deceptively powerful and petite looking blonde girl with a pair of bear ears poking out of her head. "Now, now, don't worry Doctor, you leave the menial tasks like cooking to me. It's one of the few things I'm good for, and it's not Gummy right now, it's Shielder, Shielder!" She corrected playfully as she flicked the end of his nose with a wink.

The Doctor knew when he was beat, "Okay then Shielder-chan, I guess I'll leave you to it while I go wake up our Master then?" He asked with a smirk on his lips.

"Your Master Doctor," The Ursine girl said, correcting him with an uncharacteristically serious tone. "If there's one thing Rhodes Island taught me, it's the chain of command. We follow you, and you follow her."

This surprised him enough to ask, "Oh? Do Amiya and Kal'tsit feel the same way?"

Keeping her eyes on the food, Gummy replied, "They'll go along with it for now, but they told me to tell you they'd like to speak with you at your earliest convenience."

The Doctor sighed, "In other words, I'm in trouble, message received. Thanks Gummy. Carry on with the mess."

The girl gave a playful salute and another wink as she replied, "Aye aye Doctor. Mess should be ready in five."

"I'll see if I can get Rin out of bed in time to enjoy it," He said under his breath as he walked away intent on waking his Master.


When he arrived in her room, it was concealed in shadow, and there was a massive white lump of sheets in the middle of her four poster bed. Going over to the window, he drew the curtains open, allowing sunlight to flood into the room. "Rin," He called out as he looked out the window, beholding a world that was not besieged by Oripathy, or Catastrophes, or needed moving cities in the form of landships just to survive and stay one step ahead of the everything that wanted to kill them at every second of every day. 'They don't know how good they've got it,' he thought as he turned his head towards the twitching pile and finished, "It's time to wake up."

"GRR A'WAY!" Rin growled poking a single lone eye out from beneath her haven of sheets.

He smiled goodnaturedly, though she couldn't see it. "I can't do that Master, you asked for a seven am wake up call remember?"

The lone aquamarine eye glaring at him blinked blearly. "Doc… Doctor?" Rin poked her head out from under the sheets, only to glare almost hatefully at the sun. "Did you open my curtains?"

"Yes, Vitamin D is important, you know? And the best source is the sun," He informed the bleary-eyed girl sagaciously.

Rin grumbled something illegible as she got out of bed, revealing she was wearing yellow and pink polkadot pajamas, and that her ash black hair was down and a bit messy.

Stepping away from the window, he told his charge, "By the time you get changed, breakfast should be on the table Master,"

"Rin," She said as she stopped in front of her ensuite bathroom.

He stopped next to the bedroom door, thinking he misheard, and found himself going, "Hmm?"

"I said, call me Rin," she said as she stretched. "You let me call you Doctor so… meh, it just feels right," She replied before she shut the door, unknowingly leaving her Servant there smiling.

He nodded in an affirmative. "Right, well don't take too long Rin, or breakfast will get cold."

"Okay okay, I'll be right down," She replied from the otherside of the door.


By the time Rin arrived downstairs dressed for school, in her red long sleeved shirt, black skirt, and black stockings, she found her Servant and another stranger sitting at her table. This one too was a cute girl with animal ears. 'Seriously I'm beginning to think my Servant is a playboy,' Rin thought to herself with a shake of her head as she sat down in the chair the Doctor pulled out for her. "Thank you Doctor," Looking over the food she found herself salivating, and said, "This all looks great! Did you cook this Doctor, or did your friend?"

"I did most of it master, but Shielder finished up."

Rin found herself giving the girl who looked around Sakura's age, a once over. "Shielder, huh?"

The blonde nodded in affirmation, "Yes, that's right!"

"Doctor, when you summon people, are they put in Class Containers?" Rin inquired.

"Yes Master," He replied honestly. "They are summoned based on whatever class would fit them the best. For Shielder it was either well… Shielder or Berserker, and we should be very, very thankful she was summoned as the Servant of the Shield," He put a comforting arm around the girl who started shivering at the thought of herself in a Berserker state. "You should eat too Shielder," He encouraged her. "You'll never get any bigger if you don't," He teased.

Shielder raised an eyebrow at the taunt, and smirked, "You've never complained about my size before Doctor. Why in fact, I think you always said they were big enough for a handful, which was big enough."

Rin, who had just taken a sip of her tea, did a spit take… "Wha-What did you just say?!"

"Stop trying to kill Rin at the breakfast table, Shielder," The Doctor said with a sigh.

Gummy stuck her tongue out playfully, "Aww, you're no fun right now Doctor."

"Gummy," He said seriously, using her actual name, "I know it may not seem like it at the moment, but we are in a combat zone that could go hot at any moment."

The girl looked down, chastised. "I know, I'm just… trying not to think about it. Sorry."

Feeling he might've been too harsh, he ruffled her hair, "Don't be sorry, just be aware. Nothing will likely happen till sundown anyway."

The blonde Ursine nodded, understanding that just because they were in a new world did not mean she could slack off nor allow her guard to drop for even a moment. "Of course Doctor, shall I guard the house? Or will you be summoning other defenders for this task?"

"First Shielder, we eat," The Doctor decided, "Decisions should not be made on an empty stomach."

"Understood sir!" The girl replied cheekily before she dug into her food with relish.

The Doctor looked to his Master and bobbed his head in apology. "Sorry about that Master."

Rin just shook her head, causing her twintails to flail about a bit, "Don't be. You're just worried, I get it," She smiled, "Let's just enjoy the food for now okay?" Rin was secretly happy her home, that had been empty for a decade, was now filled with life again, and she was in no rush to rid herself of the more lively atmosphere.

After she ate her fill, Shielder or Gummy she supposed, piped up, "Miss Tohsaka?"

Rin flushed, no one had ever spoken to her so formally before, "You can just call me Rin please, Miss Tohsaka was my mother…" Rin became solemn as she finished, "And she's no longer with us," Brightening, she continued, "But anyway, what is it, Gummy-chan?"

The Ursus girl looked at her understandingly for a moment before saying, "The Doctor told me to save some of the breakfast for something called a bento. So I did that, and left some in the kitchen. Would you like me to pack it up for you?"

"Please and thank you," Rin replied, "Do you mind terribly if I call you by your name or would you prefer your Class?"

Gummy shrugged. "Gummy is fine. I just thought I was sticking to protocol when it came to the Grail War."

"Gummy-chan it is then," Rin said, smiling a bit. She then tapped her chin in thought, "And while you're not wrong about protocol, I can't think of a single Russian Servant who has actual bear ears."

"That's a complicated discussion for a time when you don't need to be heading off to school, Rin," The Doctor interrupted. "For now, I would like your permission to stay here and fortify our defenses while I send some others to defend you while at school."

The Master chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. 'It's a solid plan,' she thought, 'But what if I'm attacked at school?'

As if he could read her face the Doctor assuaged her fears by saying, "Don't worry, the people I intend on summoning to look after you are professionals."

Rin made up her mind, "Okay," She said at last. "Let's do it your way, if worst comes to worst, I can always summon you."

"True," the Doctor admitted. "Texas, Sora, Exusia?"

On command, a trio of girls appeared behind him. One was dark haired, wearing a white, fur collared jacket, black jeans, and boots.

The next was a bubbly looking blonde bunny girl who was holding a spear that had a microphone attached.

Lastly was a cool looking redhead who had ethereal looking wings levitating behind her back, even as she adjusted the visor she was wearing over her eyes with the gun she was holding in her hands.

"Doctor," The dark-haired catgirl replied stoically as she put a hand on his shoulder, smiling ever so slightly as she did so, "You called?"

"Yes," he replied, looking behind himself and giving a thumbs up. "Texas, how do you and Exusai feel about… going back to highschool?"

"Eh?!" The angel was having a small freakout upon hearing that. "Um, Doc, I Dunno if that's a good idea man."

"Last time she was in school," Texas began, "Exusai blew it up no less than seventeen times within a three year period."

"Yeah, I'm kinda forbidden from being within a thousand meters of the place last I checked eheheheh…" The angel looked half ashamed.

The Doctor shook his head. "I should be surprised… I should be, but this is Exusia we're talking about here, so it doesn't come off as all that surprising."

"Hey!" the Lantrino woman said, offended, she saw her partner silently nodding along and grew even more affronted, "Hey Tex, don't agree with him!"

Texas looked at her sideways, "Why not? It's true isn't it?"

"Betrayed, I am betrayed! Texas, thy name be Satanel," Exusia cried as she hit her knees, anime tears rolling down her face.

Rin could only stare in astonishment and horror as a literal gun toting angel weeped on her kitchen floor. ''Kirei would probably enjoy this. That shitty priest,' Clearing her throat, she said, "Um, Doctor, maybe you should tell them why they're here?"

"Right," The Doctor nodded. "Texas I have a job for you and Exusai,"

"For you, anything," Texas said with a pur in her voice as she looked at the back of his head with a smoldering look in her eyes.

"Hey Tex, do you need a cup of water? Exusai asked, "Cause you sound kinda thirsty right now."

The snap-hiss of Texas' energy sword turning on and pointing at Exusai's neck with the accompanying glare shut the angel up. "What do you need done, Doctor?"

"I need a… package delivered," He did air quotes when he said package. "Rin needs to be delivered safely to and from school and sat on while there."

"She doesn't look too comfy to sit on," Exusai noted, only to get lightly kicked in the head by Texas while Sora snickered in the background.

"Understood Doctor, shall we commence the Op now?" Texas asked while giving Rin a blank look before she stuck a pocky stick in her mouth.

Rin gulped, 'I don't think she likes me for some reason.'

"Oh oh Doctor," Sora said, bouncing around a bit and waving her free arm, "Why'd you summon me huh? Do you have something for me to do too?"

"I was hoping while Rin was away, we could get your usual training in Sora… unless you'd rather not, of course."

The bunny girl looked at the odd spear she carried and shook her head, "No Doctor, that's fine," She then bowed to him, "I appreciate you're willing to help me improve so much."

"It's no trouble, I'm actually amazed that Kilenc Sarkany has taken to you so readily," He replied honestly. He then looked to Rin who was getting up from the table, "Before you go Rin, do I have your permission to use my summoning Noble Phantasm in its full capacity? I'm already pushing it to its unactivated limits at the moment, and if I want to enforce the house, I'll need more help."

As she was handed a bento box by Gummy Rin nodded. "Sure Doctor, do what you have to do," She replied as Gummy gingerly grabbed her red coat and orange scarf near the door and helped her into it. "I trust you. I can hardly feel you drawing any prana from me anyway…"

"You'll hardly feel this either, thanks to me setting up my other Phantasm last night, and Rin?" he called as she, Texas and Exusia headed towards the front door, "Be careful, just because you have two Servant-level familiars protecting you doesn't mean you shouldn't be on your toes."

Rin looked back unusually serious and gave him a nod, "I know Doc, don't worry, I have faith in your friends," She looked at Exusia and Texas, "You should too."

With that she was gone, and the Doctor found himself sighing, "I hope they'll be enough."

"They will be, don't worry," Sora assured him with an angelic smile.

"Right then, let's get to work. Rhodes Island."


Meanwhile...

Once Rin was outside of her house and making her way down the street, her breath misting slightly in the February air. Texas and Exusai walked three steps behind her like silent shadows, yet despite that, Rin could all but feel the mounting aggression coming from Texas. Sighing, she looked back and said, "Do you have some kind of problem with me, Texas-san?"

The wolf girl sighed, "It's… not you per se."

Rin quirked an eyebrow. "But?"

"Whether intentional or not, you've dragged the Doctor into another War. He only just helped us survive one, he's earned his peace! We earned our happy ending, and now, and now it's happening all over again and it's not fair! Not to him, or Amiya, or any of us."

Rin was silent for a moment, digesting all of this. Apparently her servant didn't come from the throne but was summoned from another place. She wondered where that could have been. Then she spoke, "No, I suppose it's not, but neither you, nor I can change the fact that he's here now. I'm not going to pretend I understand what you've been through, because I don't," Rin replied as she continued walking forward. "But everyone has been through something terrible… I… lost my entire family at a young age," Rin carried on, "My family couldn't support two children so my younger sister was given away… my father died trying to attain this very grail I'm now competing for… and my mother… Well, the point I'm trying to make is, there are no happy endings, Texas. Not like the kind you read in is no happily ever after in reality."

Texas finished her pocky stick and chomped down on another, "You can think that if you like Tohsaka, but you'll soon come to realize that the Doctor is the man who makes the impossible possible."

"I expect no less from the Servant I summoned," Rin replied as she turned the corner, the school and her fellow students came into sight. Prompting Rin to hold up a hand, "Can you two go into astral form from now on? If people see your… unique features, they'll ask questions."

The Penguin Logistics members nodded and disappeared, and Rin waved to Saegusa Yukika from across the street as she made her way to school. As she crossed the threshold to the school proper, she felt a tension enter her shoulders. Her 'inner magus' was looking over the mundane with a keen eye. Looking for anything even slightly off or out of place, the slightest hint of forrign prana, and she found nothing.

'We don't sense anything Rin-chan,' Exusia, told her via telepathy.

'Eyes open, ears to the ground,' Texas replied tersely.

"So all we can really do is wait," Rin muttered under her breath as she walked through the school doors.


Meanwhile…

Back at the Tohsaka Residence, EMIYA Shirou aka the Doctor was currently facing an inquisition in the form of his oldest and youngest wives.

"Dok-tah!" Amiya the Cautus-Sarkas hybrid pouted, puffing out her cheeks, showing she was upset. "What is going on?"

The Doctor was quick to explain, "I was summoned into the Fifth Grail War again Amiya-chan,"

Dr. Kal'tsit who was sitting next to the girl sipping tea replied in her usual stoic fashion. "I believe what Amiya, and I would like to know, is how you were capable of being summoned in the first place. The way you explained it, you had no fame as a hero and nothing capable of being used as a catalyst."

Amiya nodded emphatically. "Yeah, that! Please explain how you find yourself back here Dok-tah, and why can you summon us too?!"

The Doctor rubbed the back of his covered head before he traced a cigarette, and lit it before taking a long drag, only for Kal'tsit to snatch it out of his hands, saying, "These are not good for you Doctor."

In response, he just traced another, "I know but I need to relieve stress somehow unless you two are in the mood?"

"Doc-tah!" Amiya said, flushing, "Well, I mean… I'm not, not in the mood… I, that is to say um…" She looked to Kal'tsit for help.

Dr. Kal'tsit took over, "What Amiya is trying to say is, due to her Cautus nature, she is in a near constant state of arousal. Now however, is not the time to be getting into this."

"That… sounds important," The Doctor tried to bring up as he tried and again failed to finish his cigarette thanks to his fellow doctor.

"It is not relevant to our current discussion and can wait," Kal'tsit said firmly. "Doctor… Explain."

Sighing, the Doctor looked to Amiya and asked, "Amiya do you still have that necklace I gave you?" In response, the bunny girl pulled out a fist-sized ruby in the form of a heater shield on a silver chain she had tucked under her shirt. Pointing at it, he continued, "It's not that Rin had a catalyst to summon me, it's the opposite. I had a catalyst connecting me to her."

"I see…" Kal'tsit said, Closing her eyes and sighing for a moment before fixing the Doctor with a glare, "Did it ever cross your mind Shirou, that in giving such a thing to Amiya, she might've been summoned to this place, bereft of help and stuck in the middle of a death game, instead of you?"

He winced when she called him by his first name. He associated his first name with the follies of youth… which funnily enough was when he was alive. "I did, but honestly its connection with me was stronger than any other. Even then, Amiya only associates it with me, it all circles back to me Kal'tsit. Besides, I didn't expect to be summoned again. Not after being incarnated by the Sarcophagus."

"Were you summoned by your connection to the pendant before?" Amiya asked, curious.

The Doctor scoffed, "When I wasn't doing my job? More times than I can count. More often than not the timeline would be oddly divergent from mine, so I didn't bother…" He stopped.

"Didn't bother to do what, Dok-tah?" Amiya asked, curious as to why he stopped talking.

Kal'tsit said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, "Yes, do go on."

"My job as a Counter Guardian was… not pleasant. You know this," he began. The two nodded, he continued, "It got so bad at one point that, I… I wanted out, but… Becoming a Guardian is like joining the Mob. Once you're in you don't get to leave."

Amiya held her hands over her mouth, "Dok-tah, what did you do?"

He traced and lit another cigarette, and this time, Kat'tsit didn't swipe it from him. Taking a drag, he began to reminisce remembering how is old man used to smoke just like this, "Something stupid. I thought, if on the off chance I was summoned to the past, to the Fifth Grail War, and I killed my past self… the Emiya Shirou of that time, then it would create a time paradox, one great enough where the Counter Guardian EMIYA never existed in the first place."

Amiya hiccuped as she tried her best to hold back tears, and Dr. Kal'tsit's mouth had narrowed to a pale thin line as she glared at him.

Unable to take it anymore, Amiya threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and crying into his lap, saying, "Please, please don't go! Don't leave us, leave me Dok-tah!"

Running a hand through her chestnut brown tresses, the Doctor soothed, "I'm not going anywhere Amiya. I've made peace with my past. I'm going to be encouraging this Shirou to not do anything stupid. He may not realize it, but he has a lot to live for. It took me losing my memories three times over to realize that I'm not alone."

Looking up from her spot on the floor, with tears still in her eyes, Amiya smiled, "Yeah, we'll all get through this together, Dok-tah."

"Ahem, sorry to interrupt Doc," Vulcan, the bison blacksmith of Rhodes island popped her head into the room, "But Nian and I finished that thing you wanted us to work on."

"Right, I'll be right there," 'Rin had better appreciate all the work I'm putting my people through refurbishing her house like this and turning it into a damn fortress.'


Meanwhile… in Homaharagakuren

While the Doctor was having heartfelt talks and turning Rin's home into a veritable fortress, Rin herself went about her school day like normal, putting up her mask as the perfect student, cheerfully greeting everyone and politely turning down any invitations to spend time with others after school. She even saw Emiya of all people acting like the school janitor. 'Your later than usual today Tohsaka. Seriously, what kind of greeting is that?!' She mentally asked herself as the sky turned caramel. 'The Grail War will be starting properly in earnest soon. Could one of you please contact the Doctor and tell him to come to the school please?'

'I've already done so Tohsaka, but I believe we can handle anything that comes up,' Texas replied.

Even as she said that a man in a blue gimp suit appeared. His shoulders were armored. He's about six foot tall, and he was balancing a crimson and vine motif spear on his shoulder. He had an easygoing smile on his was offset by the Crimson blood color of his eyes. Giving them a polite wave, he said, "Yo, ladies. Nice night to start a Grail War, isn't it?"

"Lancer I presume?" Rin asked as she stood on top of the school roof.

"You're a sharp one, Missy. What gave it away? Was it the spear?" The blue haired man asked with a subtle chuckle.

Rin reinforced her legs and sprinted towards the roof, shouting as she took a leap over the fenced in edge. "Exusia, handle the landing, Texas, show me what you can do!"

Exusia materialized beneath Rin and landed deftly on the ground, while the sound of weapons striking one another could be heard from up above.

On the rooftop, Texas had an energy sword in each hand, and had charged down lancer even as she made it rain even more weapons.

"Hahaha, what the heck is this?" Lancer laughed as he knocked the weapons aside. "Are you a Saber, or some kind of weird Archer?"

Her face remaining stoic as she closed in Texas replied, "I'm Servant Texas, here to deliver an ass kicking per request," She tossed something in his general direction, "Catch."

It took the greater Grail a few nanoseconds to tell him just what the metal thing bouncing towards him was, 'Flashbang.' It told him. "Ah, shit." He said moments before it went off in a blinding flash of light combined with a cacophony of sound. The problem with being a Servant was you were bare minimum ten times more potent than a normal person. So, while non-magical weapons can't affect them, their senses are still several times more sensitive as a result. The flashbang hit Cu Chulainn like a ton of bricks.

He winced as the sound went off in his ears, and the light blinded his eyes. He almost didn't see the rain of blades coming. Almost being the key word here. For he was the son of Lugh, and he was born with an innate talent to sense incoming projectiles. His body moved on autopilot. Even though he couldn't see them, or hear them, he could feel the malice the swords held for him, and on that sixth sense alone, deflected all the incoming missiles as he jumped off the roof.

Texas followed right behind him, landing just in front of Rin and Exusia, twin blades in both of her hands, as she finished off a pocky stick. "Tch, he deflected all of them. He's really good."

Exusia nodded, "He must be good if he can last this long with you. Hey Tex, did you use that thing the Doc gave you?"

Texas looked to the side, "To use such a thing, against a single person? It would be embarrassing."

"Oh?" Lancer was intrigued at this. "Don't tell me you're holding out on me now missie. I gotta admit you're good, but I kinda don't like the idea of fighting and killing a woman if I can help it."

Texas narrowed her eyes at the blue-haired demigod. "Are you looking down on me because I'm a woman?"

Lancer smirked playfully, "Well, no offense but there's only one woman who's ever actually managed to scare me, and you're not her."

Texas stared at him deadpan for a few seconds before she pulled up her sleeve and revealed a charm bracelet. The charms were in the shape of three swords. One bronze, one silver, and one gold. Staring down at it for a moment, Texas replied to him, "Let's see if I can't increase that count by one. Blessing of Wisdom, Heavenly Demon Rain."

The bronze and silver swords on Texas' bracelet glowed as she was lifted into the air a moment before she was surrounded by two-hundred-fifty katanas. Her eyes keenly fixed on the Hound of Chulainn as she said, "Dodge this!"

The swords telekinetically flew from every conceivable angle and direction intending to snuff out the candle of Ireland's Child of Light. Yet his Protection from Arrows skill was innately strong. His crimson spear spun like a windmill in a hurricane, deflecting a storm of blades from all sides like waves crashing against the basalt shore of a lighthouse.

'Damn,' she thought as she fell heavily back to the earth. 'I didn't even scratch him. I should've used Triolocosm too.'

"Not bad missie," Ireland's Hound praised as he swiped some blood off his cheek from a blade that just barely managed to make it past his guard. "Not many can say they managed to cut me with projectiles." He proceeded to deflect the gunfire Exusia sent his way looking miffed. "Do you mind? I'm trying to compliment your friend here. I'll play with you in a-"

The sudden snap of a twig was heard, and Cu Chulainn snapped, "Who's there?!"

All four of them briefly noticed the figure of a teenage boy running away as quickly as he could.

"Damn it," Cu cursed. "Looks like we'll have to continue this another time ladies," Lancer said, saluting them with his spear before astralizing.

"There was someone still here, at this hour? Shit!" Rin cursed. "C'mon you two maybe if we get to him first we can wipe that person's memory and prevent any unnecessary bloodshed."

Hearing a weary sigh behind her she found the Doctor was now on the scene, "Sorry were late, I didn't know how much firepower to bring," He jabbed his thumb behind him, showing an albino-looking woman wearing a tricorn hat, carrying a black sword and dressed like a pirate.

Next to her was a silver-eyed woman with platinum blonde hair, horns jutting from her forehead, and a large tail swaying back and forth behind her, the tip of which was on fire,and she wore a white jacket over a black dress. In her arms she was carrying a large poleaxe.

Bringing up the rear was a petite brunette bunny girl, wearing a black and blue jacket, white blouse, denim skirt, black tights and thick durable shoes, and an older stoic woman with pale hair, cat ears, yellow-green eyes, wearing an off yellow dress.

"In the end, I decided there was no such thing as overkill," The Doctor finished.

"Skadi, Reed, Amiya, Dr. Kal'tsit," Texas said with a nod.

"C'mon then let's see if we can save this idiot," The Doctor said, sounding aggravated.

"Doctor, is everything okay?"Rin asked. She'd never heard him sound agitated in the short time she'd known him.

"I'm fine, I just don't like involving civilians," He replied as he moved into the school Rin following silently at his heels.

They found the body on the second floor laying facedown in a pool of its own blood. The Doctor held out an arm, preventing Rin from approaching any further. "Stay here, 'tsit and I will do what we can for him."

The two approached the body and turned it over, revealing a red-haired boy with amber eyes. Kal'tsit checked for a pulse, "He's alive somehow… Doctor, is he?"

"Yes," He replied stiffly with a nod.

"Then he must live," She said, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a syringe filled with an unknown liquid.

When she moved to inject it into his arm, the Doctor stopped her, saying, "Wait, what is that?"

"An emergency healing agent I developed after Skullshatter attempted to take your life. It will rapidly heal any wounds…" Kal'tsit stared at the Doctor for a moment, "Do you want him to die Doctor?"

"Do you want to give him Oripathy Kal'tsit?" The Doctor rebutted. "You fail to realize, we're not on Terra anymore. Oripathy is not a thing here, it doesn't power everything, nor is it the source of all ills. But if you introduce it here, you'll be damning them, just as so many others have been damned."

Kaltsit lowered the syringe, and quietly asked, "What do you suggest, Doctor?"

"Rin, give me your pendant," The Doctor demanded.

"Eh? You.. okay," She pulled the fist sized gem off from around her neck and tossed it to the man who caught it by the chain and, pressing it against the wound, said, "Trace, on."

He traced two weapons then. One was a ritual dagger, symbolizing divinity and betrayal, the other was a staff that could also be utilized as a scythe, a divine instrument blessed by the Greek God Helios, and when used in conjunction with one another, all pain would be banished and all wounds would be broken.

"Pain Breaker."

Kal'tsit watched amazed as the boy's wound seemingly flowed in reverse. Blood disappeared, flesh knit back together, and even his clothing was fixed. The Doctor then stepped away, "He'll live. We should go before he wakes up," Looking to his Master, he said, "I'm afraid I used up all the magical energy in that jewel."

"Then just leave it," Rin said, coming closer to see who this lucky person was that the Doctor was present. When she saw who it was, she sighed in relief. 'Oh thank goodness, Sakura would never forgive me if he died,' She said to her Servant, "Let's go Archer, we're done here tonight."

"Yes, Master," The Doctor replied as he turned and walked away, knowing he'd be seeing the boy yet again tonight.


Word Count: 7,900 Number of Pages: 18 Date Completed: 2/27/2022


AN: Hello everyone and welcome to the idea Snowy and I have been working on for the last four months. A FSN Arknights crossover as you can see. For any of you who know Arknights, this is going to get dark fastso enjoy the light-heartedness while it lasts. I'm now going to hand the Mic over to Snowy for a bit

Snowy: Yeah Dark ain't got nothing on the sheer abyss that is Arknights. So Emiya is the doctor who wonders what he went through in the land of Catastrophes. Who knows. Anyways. We will be covering the fifth grail war in this story. This doesn't mean by any means it will be short. Be warned this story will have more twists and turns then you can count. Be ready folks for mercy is off the table.

Indeed it is Snowy, indeed it is. If you made it this far, all we have left to say is thanks for reading everyone and till next time, this has been an Inkblot Bros Production! Peace!

PS. I Bubbajack, have a Pat-Reon. If you want to support me you can find me on there by searching 'Bubbajack' but I know times are tough, so reviews are just as good if you can give.