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KingofBeasts Productions Present:

Fate/Zero Hour: A Fate/Zero Multi-Crossover Fanfiction

Chapter 2: The Ploy

"Wh-what?"

Ryuunosuke Uryuu looked genuinely surprised, though one could not judge from his usual spaced-out expression; He had just finished adding a family into his growing list of murder victims, using their blood to draw the circle for what he believed to be a ritual to summon a demon. He even spared the young son to give to the eldritch abomination as a "peace offering" of sorts. Naturally, the young lad was terrified.

What he wasn't aware of, of course, was the ritual was not to summon demons, but to instead summon a Servant, a spirit that would serve as a familiar during an even bloodier ritual known as the Holy Grail War. The mark burned on his hand was evidence of such.

Well, he seemed convinced that he summoned a demon anyway, for the being that emerged from the crimson circle gave off the aura of one.

His bare torso was finely chiseled, as if shaped from stone, and had strange tattoos etched into them. His skin was a pale shade of purple and his legs, which were covered in brown leggings, had an appearance akin to the cloven hooves of a horse. Adorning his back were enormous leather wings, each with an impressive wing span.

The being slowly turned it's gaze towards the unwitting summoner. The first thing the man noticed, other than the massive horns on his head, was that his eyes were covered by a blindfold, but it did nothing to hide to the ominous green light the glowed ominously beneath the cloth.

"You." the "demon" spoke in a deep, gravelly voice "Are you my Master?"

"U-um, y-yeah..." Uryuu finally shook himself out of his stupor as he adressed the man in front of him "If that's what you wanna call it, I suppose."

At this, the purple-skinned entity's lips curled into a cruel smirk "Then our contract is completed, then." He brought his imposing figure to bear as he turned to face his new Master "I, Servant Caster, shall fight for you and we shall win this Holy Grail War!"

"Uhm...Holy Grail...War?" Uryuu spoke, his expression blank, in a tone that suggested he had no clue, no understanding whatsoever of the situation he was in "Anyway," he continued with a rather menacing smile, gesturing to his bound captive that was gazing at the pair with an expression of pure terror "Want a snack? I'm sure this kid's gonna make a good meal for you!"

If the poor lad wasn't afraid before, he sure as hell was now. His eyes widened with unadulterated horror as he wriggled and writhed on the ground in a vain attempt to break free.

"It seems I have a clueless Master." Caster thought in dismay upon realizing that his Master was a complete novice "No matter. None shall impede my quest for power!"

He turned his attention to the shrieking child at the mention of a "snack". He gazed at the boy for mere moments before he bared his teeth in a malevolent grin. He turned and began stalking the lad, the heavy footsteps of his hooves sounding like a death knell.

"Do you feel fear, child? The fear of death?" he spoke as the eyes beneath his blindfold glowed ominously, the shining orbs peering into the boy's soul as he drew closer, the terror in his eyes giving Caster his answer "Rightfully so. I too felt this fear one too many times. The sensation of all your strength leaving you, ebbing away like a river as you face the envitable end. Yet I leave every time, emerging stronger than before!"

He stopped, then turned to gaze at his Master to make sure he was watching. Sure enough, Uryuu was enthralled, wondering what the demon would do next. Satisfied, he turned to to face his victim, slowly raising his right hand.

"I shall give you a taste..." His grin seemed to widen, the tattoos on his body glowing the same color as his eyes as fel energy began to manifest in his finger "Of the horrors I have experienced to attain power!"

His palm burst to life a malevolent green ray of light pierced the boy's chest, the lad screaming inhumanely in pain as he was being immolated from the inside out.

But Caster was not yet done.

"May you become the first step to my victory!" the demon laughed as he began draining the boy's life force, every fiber of his being was being devoured by the cackling Servant.

It all ended as suddenly as it began. What used to be Uryuu's captive, his "sacrifice", was now a burnt and withered husk that was completely devoid of a soul. All courtesy of Caster's black sorcery.

"I thank you for the meal." Caster nodded, then turned to see the awestruck expression that was plastered on his Master's face "Did you find this demonstration to your liking, Master?"

"That was..." Uryuu, head down and body trembling violently, spoke in a quiet voice, one that caused Caster to frown, making him believe that he did not approve of this needless carnage.

"SO COOL!"

Imagine the Servant's slight expression of shock as the hushed whisper quickly raised in decibels, his Master looking up at him with a frenzied expression of excitement on his face

"That was so cool, man! So freakin' awesome!" he immediately ran up to Caster and grasped his massive hand in his own "I dunno what this Grail War is, but I'll follow you from now on! Show me even cooler ways to kill people!"

"A rather excitable one, isn't he?" Caster could not help but smirk at his enthusiasm "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Uhm...I'm Uryuu Ryuunosuke, sir..."

"Very well." Caster nodded with a satified grin that bared his fanged teeth "I shall entertain your darkest whims to the best of my ability! Together, the Holy Grail will be as good as ours!"

As of that moment, a dark alliance was formed. As they shook on it, Caster had only one, sure thought in his mind:

"They will not be prepared!"

"As of now, the final Servant has been summoned. You know what to do, Archer."

The Servant of the Bow replayed the instructions of his Master over and over as he waited on the veranda overlooking the flower beds of stately Tohsaka Manor on this first starry night of the Holy Grail War. Of course, he was concealed in spirit form to hide his presence from the other Masters' familiars spying around the area. He disliked hiding like a thief, but knew that it was needed to carry out this act, so he remained hidden while waiting for the other performer, the Servant Assassin, to enter the stage.

He had only met Assassin once, but he himself was quite unnerved by the Servant. For starters, she did not look anything like what you'd expect of her class; She was noticably shorter than him, for starters, but stood tall despite her height. Everything about her was obnoxiously pink; from the frilly lolita dress, the high heel boots, the bow that held her blonde twin-drill tails in place, to the pink parasol she uses. To top it off, her right eye (the left one was covered by a strangely shaped purple eye-patch), was often filled with the unbridled enthusiasm that reminded one of a child, as was the overly cutesy way she spoke and the wide smile plastered on her face.

However, Archer cannot deny the intense murderous aura he sensed in the girl. Despite having met her once before tonight, he knew immediately she was one he should be on guard with at all times. Her bloodthirst and desire for chaos dwarfed even the most ravenous demons' from where he was from.

Despite his misgivings, Tokiomi assured Archer that Kirei Kotomine, her Master, can be trusted to hold her at bay. He remained skeptical, but had to push that aside for tonight if the ruse was going to work.

Sure enough, the blue-clad Servant heard the sound of jewels scattering. He looked at the flower beds to see that Assassin had arrived as scheduled, parasol in hand, skillfully picking off the jewels that powered the Boundary Field with what looked like sewing needles. All while hopping, skipping and humming a happy tune, acting as if she was taking a leisurely stroll and wasn't fighting in a war at all.

"La lala lala~! This is fun!"

Yet another reason Archer was wary of Assassin. Nevertheless, he knew that it was almost time for his cue, as the pink-clad Servant had single-handedly destroyed almost all the gems that held the Boundary Field together.

"Hmm...this was way too easy!" she giggled just as she was about to jam the last needle into the last line of defense located on the center pedestal on the garden.

"Disappear."

Several blue flashes of light rained down on Assassin, forcing her to jump back lest she get impaled by the summoned swords. Landing in a crouching position, she looked up at the veranda to see Servant Archer, his blue jacket billowing in the wind, his hair shimmering in the moonlight, and his cobalt blue eyes narrowed as he glared at her with an air of superiority. Her response?

"Hiiiiii~!" The blonde Servant yelled outloud was she waved with excessive enthusiasm at the silver-haired man "You must be Archer, right? I'm Assassin! It's so nice to meet you, and what a pretty garden you have!"

Archer mentally face-palmed himself at the display "At least she's playing dumb." He can take solace in the knowledge that she was acting as if they never met before.

"I'm afraid the feeling is not mutual, Assassin." he stated with chill in his voice. The fact that it was his honest opinion didn't hurt "Now begone, or else I WILL end you."

"Wow...you certainly know how to charm a lady!" Assassin said with a girlish giggle, seemingly unfazed by his cold demeanor as several floating swords appeared behind Archer"As much as I wanna play more, my Master ordered me to kill yours, so..."

She trailed off, smirking for a few seconds before suddenly stomping the ground to leap up at Archer. He immediately responded by sending sword after sword at Assassin. Each of projectiles were either evaded by twisting her body in angles to avoid it, or or parried by her parasol. Within seconds, she closed the gap and brought out a needle to drive into his neck.

"Looks like you're done-!"

The moment she went for the killing blow, a quick flash of light occured. Her eye glanced down, a stupefied expression on her face, to see that Archer had drawn his sword from his scabbard at the blink of an eye.

"I warned you."

Within seconds, Assassin fell apart.

Her death was instant, having been cleaved in half in one clean diagonal stroke. She began to slowly disintegrate as the Servant of the Bow sheathed his weapon, leaving only a single piece of thread behind before it too disappeared.

Archer looked around, being able to see the familiars, as well as one security camera, from his perch. He smirked, amused that he had such an audience.

"Let them watch."

With that thought, he turned his back and turned incorporeal, thus ending the first battle of the 4th War.

Later on, Archer materialized out of spirit form as his Master sat in the desk within his private study as the moonlight illuminated the room, looking rather satisfied.

"Well done, Archer." Tokiomi spoke with a pleased smile "Now Assassin is free to spy on the other Masters as planned."

Archer knew why his Master was in such a good mood, and for good reason; despite not getting the Servants they intended to summon, Tokiomi and Kirei were able to pull off the ruse perfectly.

At this point, Tokiomi did not feel too bitter about not getting the King of Heroes; his Servant seemed to have a diverse skill set. From the floating swords to the level of swordmanship only found in the Saber class, he felt confident about winning the War.

Archer, for his part, did not bear much disdain for his Master; while he was a lowly human, the Servant had much respect for the way he carried himself as well as the measures he was willing to take to achieve his goal. If anything, his drive reminded him of himself. As such, he would have no qualms with cooperating with him for the rest of the War.

If only he didn't wear so much red.

"If you must know," Archer spoke after a moment of thoughtful silence "I have spied three familiars as well as an electronic device watching the premises."

"I see..." Tokiomi spoke thoughtfully as he placed a hand on his bearded chin, knowing full well who planted the camera. He had hoped that all the Masters had been watching, but it seemed that one of them was missing. "I suppose it can't be helped." With a nod, he turned to Archer to issue his next standing order "Sweep the premises of every watchful eye and keep vigil over the mansion."

"Of Course, Master."

"Assassin's been eliminated, you say?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Waver stated enthusiastically to Rider as they sat around the room he "borrowed" from an old couple he persuaded with hypnotism "Now we're down to six Servants left!"

Rider only nodded as he poured himself another glass of whiskey. The room was already filled with empty bottles he got from a bar called the Copenhagen (he ended up blowing the door apart, though) whose contents had been emptied. Waver wondered whether Servants could get drunk or not, but set that aside for now. He downed the the drink one gulp before turning to stare at the TV, which was on a War documentary of sorts.

"So this is the tech we used to have" He thought as he watched a B22 Stealth Fighter soar through the skies. Sure, it lacked the cloaking capabilities of a Wraith, but he was still impressed. "And this was when travelling to other galaxies was a fantasy..."

"Rider? You listening to me?!"

"Hm?" the Servant turned to see an irate Waver glaring at him with his arms crossed "Sorry, kinda spaced out for a moment there."

"Geez, you aren't taking this seriously enough!" Waver complained "There's still five Servants out there, and I still don't know what your Noble Phantasm is! It's hard to be confident in a Servant who hasn't shown me his true power yet!"

"So yer saying you don't know what I can do, am I right?" Rider replied, smirking as he spoke in his Western drawl. The boy nodded while keeping his glare, causing the the Servant to chuckle while jabbing his thumb on his chest confidently "Don't count me out just yet, kid. I can certainly hold my own against those other Servants, mark my words."

Seeing that he's survived large-scale battles with killer aliens and despotic regimes, Rider had enough justification to say that.

"Anyway," Rider spoke after taking another swig "Mind if you tell me your wish, kid?"

"My wish?"

"Yeah," the man continued "The reason you're in this War is because you got a wish, right?"

"Y-yeah..." Waver spoke with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Well, what is it then?" The Servant chuckled "Surely you got something you want from the Grail?"

"I-I..." Waver closed his eyes, remembering the ridicule he suffered at the hands of the his professor back in England. He took a deep breath before continuing, anger from the memory slowly bubbling within his voice "I want people to recognize me for my talents. I want to be respected as a magus!"

Waver waited for Rider's reaction, expecting the worse. To his surprise, however, the tall, bearded man could only chuckle. "What?!" the boy asked in a flustered tone.

"That's all?" the Servant spoke in his drawl, the tone suggesting that he was amused "Funny, I thought you'd want to grow a few inches taller, or maybe get a girl!"

"Hey, that's not funny!"

"Cool your jets, kid." he grinned while ruffling the kid's hair "You want my advice on the matter? Take your hits like a man and don't quit, no matter what. If you keep that up, people will surely respect you. No use wasting a wish on something you can get with a little hard work and lots of patience."

At first, Waver was seething inside due to the perceived insult. His hand began glowing at first, as if ready to utilize his Commands Spells to enforce his obedience, but what Rider said afterwards made him change his mind.

"H-he believes in me?" he thought as his intent lessened with every passing second, light on the back of his hand dimming with every passing second "Maybe I'm acting too hastily. If I use one now, I would only have two left to control him."

After taking a deep breath, he said aloud "Very well. I'll consider your advice." As he slowly calmed down, he continued "By the way, what's your wish Rider?"

"My wish, huh?" the scruffy Servant spoke as if in deep contemplation, his expression thoughtful as he placed a hand on his bearded chin "Well, I suppose I can say that there's someone I gotta save."

"Someone you want to save?"

"Yeah." confirmed Rider with a nod "There was someone I was supposed to protect. She was as stubborn as hell, but boy was she a woman. Hell, even if she got turned into some alien hybrid, she was as tough as nails." As he spoke, Waver could not help but notice a somber smile on the Servant's face "Well, long story short, I wasn't able to protect her when she needed me the most. And everythin' fell apart from there."

Waver nodded silently as he listened to Rider ramble, who then stopped himself when he noticed.

"Heh, sorry fer ramblin' like an old man." he chuckled as his laid-back demeanor returned "So, tell me about the Servant that killed Assassin."

Seeing that Rider wished to end the discussion there, the boy began describe the events from the details of what he saw: From his classification as Archer to the abilities that the blue-clad Servant displayed, as well as the nature of Assassin's death.

"So, yer saying he can use a sword like Saber?" the man asked with a skeptical brow raised.

"Yes." Waver clarified "I saw him slice Assassin with one clean stroke."

"I see." RIder furrowed his brow in thought "That, as well as those swords he throws make him the Servant to watch out for right now."

"Agreed." Waver nodded in affirmation. He looked at the clock and saw that it was indeed quite late "I'll get some rest for now. Keep watch, okay Rider?"

"Gotcha. Sleep well, kid. We got a big day tomorrow." The Servant nodded as he watched his Master slowly fall asleep.

"Now that I think about it, Assassin's death seemed too convenient." he thought as he stood vigil "A Servant dies this early in the War, and for everyone to see? Seems like a ploy to me. Kerrigan and Mengsk were fond of playing people like that."

Sighing, Rider figured he would find out for sure in the coming days. For now, he was grinning at the idea of showing his Master what he can do.

"I have lost my Servant. I have foreited my rights as Master and can no longer participate in the Holy Grail War. In the accordance to the treaty, I, Kotomine Kirei, ask that the Church shelter me and protect me."

"I shall accept your request." The old priest in front of the church nodded "I, Kotomine Risei, promise your safety for the duration of the war. Now, come in."

With a nod, Kirei followed his father's footsteps into the church on the hill. He carefully closed the door to the chapel, it's slightly dim lighting doing well to keep the room modest.

"Has there been anyone watching this place, Father?" the son asked in cautious tone

"No." Risei shook his head sagely "This place has been considered a neutral sanctuary. The Holy Church shall surely censure anyone who defies this decree."

"Ooh! That means I can come out now, right?"

Both priests nearly jumped with a start as they turned to see the Servant Assassin, looking pretty spry for someone who had been cleaved in half hours before. She sat at the pew right at the front of the room, her legs dangling back and forth while she kept that disturbingly gleeful expression on her face.

"Yes, Assassin." Kirei nodded in affirmation "Just keep up your guard, at any case."

"Oui, oui, mon ami!" the pink-clad girl giggled in a fashion many would call kawaii. "I'm looking forward to playing with the other Servants, if they are as fun as Archer-kun was~!"

Having long learned how to block out Assassin's inane prattle, Kirei continued to speak in an authorative tone "Can you tell me which of the Masters were watching the battle?"

"Hmm..." Assassin placed a slender finger on her chin, looking up as if in thought "From what my clone saw, there were three lil' familiars as well as an ugly camera watching our little show."

"Only three familiars?" Risei spoke in astonishment, having expected along with Kirei and Tokiomi that the camera belonged to the infamous Magus Killer "Two nights ago, the summoning of the final Servant, Caster, had been confirmed. All the Master's should've been watching, but..."

"It seemed one was absent." Kirei finished the thought for his father.

"Aww, and I rehearsed so hard too!" Assassin's lips curled downward in a mock pout "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. We'll find out who that is soon enough. Perhaps I can have a little fun before I rip his Servant's heart out in front of him, hm?"

The way she said that, the sheer child-like innocent projected as she spoke those murderous words, sent a chill down the Kotomines' spines.

"At any rate," Risei spoke, being the first to regain his composure "Have Assassin shadow other Masters. Her unique abilities should prove vital in this endeavor."

Kirei nodded, then relayed his instructions to the Servant.

"Okay then!" Assassin giggled as she reached into her dress as if to pull something out. Seconds later, she revealed five tiny versions of her dress which, upon being thrown, materialzed into clones of herself that stood in front of the podium.

"Mon mignon pret-a-porter!"

"And with this, the 4th Holy Grail War has begun!" Risei said with a most pleased grin "May my old eyes witness a miracle incarnate before I leave this world!"

As the Supervisor of the Holy Grail War said this, Kirei remained silent, staring at the ground with a clouded expression.

An expression Assassin noticed with a smile on her face.

The Next Day...

"I need two orders of beef stroganoff for table five!"

"Got it!" Berserker, clad in an apron and a chef's uniform, nodded as he worked as hard as he could, swiftly placing the finishing touches on the dish before quickly bringing it to the serving area, where the waiters immediately took over from there.

You might be asking by now; how did the supposedly Mad Servant land a job as a chef in a local restaurant named the Ahnerbe?

Well, we turn back the clock to the day after Caster's summoning, during a strategy meeting he was having with his Master...

"So Master..." Berserker asked as they squatted in a dingy alley located in the deep underbelly of the city. It was early evening, so many shops and restaurants were still open "Are you fine like this? I mean, I've had worse accommodations, but you..."

"I'll be fine." Kariya emphasized as he sat against the wall "It'll be dangerous if we stay at the mansion. I don't think Zouken will allow us to use it as our base, not to mention that it'll paint a target on our backs."

"Hm...true." Berserker had to agree; with his Master being a member of the Three Founding Families of the War, there was wisdom in being mobile. He's had to live on the move to avoid being found by the NOL, so he understood. Then there was the matter of the girl called Sakura whose safety Kariya prioritized above all else.

In a strange way, she reminded him of Saya.

Berserker was about to ask about his relations to the girl when he heard the sound of rumbling. While he was startled at first, he looked around for the source. It took him a few seconds before found said source; his Master's complaining stomach.

"Tch." The Servant clucked his tongue in annoyance "When was the last time you ate?"

"Umm..." Kariya scratched the back of his head sheepishly, unable to answer that question. It had been a full day since his last meal.

"Thought as much." the Servant shook his head in dismay, but nevertheless grabbed Kariya's hand and pulled him up "Come, let's find some place to eat."

After a few hours of searching, the pair eventually settled on a cafe called the Ahnnerbe. It was a homey place, with a few customers littering the western styled tables. As Kariya sat and looked at the menu, another worry began to manifest. It seemed that each item's price, while manageable for the average midde-class man, it was way beyond the Matou's meager funds.

He was about to consider moving else where when a loud crash came from the kitchen. Berserker quickly moved to investigate. It turns out that the resident chef slipped on some spilled sauce and landed awkwardly on his arm, causing it to break. As a result, he was sent to the hospital for the night.

The manager, a well-built man in his early fifties, was about to offer a refund to all the customers present and close early when...

"Mind if I help?" Berserker unexpectedly offered his assistance. Seeing as things were looking desperate, the manager agreed. What happened next was, without a doubt, one of the busier nights in Ahnnerbe history, as Berserker was able to pull the job off rather brilliantly, shocking even his Master.

As soon as they closed shop, the manager asked the Servant if he could work part time, at least until the chef was back on his feet.

"Well..."

To sum it all up, Berserker accepted by taking the day shift, which ends by 5pm. As such, the pair now live in the cellar above the restaurant, where Kariya rests by the day. This situation also afforded them (other than funding) free lodging and food, something the manager was kind enough to offer.

"Another stellar job today!" The manager, whose slicked back hair was a moss-green, laughed heartily as he slapped the Servant's back with gusto "Keep it up!"

"Thanks, sir." Berserker smiled back as he went back to cooking. He knew night was going to fall sooner or later, so he decided to enjoy this little bit of peace and quiet while it lasts.

"Being the universe's chew toy does that to you, I guess."

Sure enough, night has indeed fallen.

Irisviel von Einzbern and the Servant Saber had made their way towards the pier. The pair looked around their surroundings warily, the containers that flanked them, only illuminated by the lamposts that glowed dimly in the darkness, would make perfect places to ambush them.

Fortunately, the Servant that was waiting for them did not desire such tactics.

"So, you were the first to answer my summons." a voice, as soft as the summer breeze echoed in the night "It does my heart good to see a fellow woman in the battlefield."

As the figure slowly came into view, the first thing Saber noticed were her eyes, as they were as blue as the deepest ocean. Her platinum blonde hair, which was done into a regal bun, was adorned by a tiara with feather-like decorations on the side. Her fair complexion seemed more pronounced under the moonlight, while the white halter-top she wore did well to fit her slender, statuesque frame. Along with the deep blue wings attached to her sides and the steel greaves that hugged her legs, she gave off the aura of a dignified warrior.

To her left arm, a buckler was strapped to her forearm. In her right, it's blunt end planted on the ground, was a spear whose tip resembled a crystal. Saber could not help but notice that the weapon seemed alive somehow.

"Well met, Servant Lancer." She spoke as her black suit disappeared, immediately replaced by a blue battle dress and steel armor. She brought her famous sword, it's blade concealed by Invisible Air, up in a battle stance "I'm looking forward to testing your mettle in battle."

"As do I, Servant Saber." Lancer nodded, spreading her legs apart as she held her spear in both hands and pointed the sharp edge at Saber "On your guard, then!"

Unknown to all parties involved, one was watching with a cheshire cat grin on her face.

End Chapter 2

A/N: Whew! I'm finally done with this chapter! Before I go on, I'd like to say thanks to all those who have supported this and my other fics! Hope to hear from you all in the future.

Okay, with that out of the way, let's get to the Servants, shall we? Kudos to all those who guessed Archer, Berserker and Rider correctly! You all deserve a pat on the back!

Anyways, the final three have revealed themselves? Who do YOU think they are? Go ahead and leave your guesses as you review. It'll admittedly be fun to see what you guys come up with!

Well, that's all the time we have for today, so I'll see you all in the next chapter!

Next time on Fate/Zero Hour: Mayhem at the Pier!