Chapter 2: The Most Dangerous Game

Raven smiled as she watched the Prince Gyula marched in front of his newest troops. After King Xarion, now King Victor, was arrested by the Plumbers, the prince had become a bigger problem than before. He was always shouting for peoples' head, scaring his own soldiers, and generally making life miserable for everyone in Zarkovia. Normally the rebels would just leave him alone to do more damage to his own side. But he even as incompetent as he was, he still did more than enough damage to the people. Right now, he had abducted at least 100 civilians so he could mind control them into being his loyal soldiers. As they were unable to get Ben 10 in to help them – Gyula banned him from ever entering the country – They chose to outsource to her.

She watched a messenger bring along new orders from the front, causing Gyula to berate and strike him. The orders dropped down by his feet, getting crushed underfoot as he stomped on the messenger. Raven turned her spyglass onto the paper, ignoring the prince as he pulled out a gun to shoot the soldier.

"Bang." She said, activating the magic of her spyglass, causing the paper to ignite into a wildfire. The Prince screamed as he burned alive, rolling around in a panic. His 'loyal', mindless troops failed to save him, as they had not been given any orders. That was her power as a member of the Firecinder family. Her Mystic code. If she could see something with her spyglass, she could ignite it. But it still followed the laws of physics. If she couldn't ignite it with a lit match, then her code couldn't either. But she could direct it easily enough once she got it going. She quickly rushed the flames over the high-tech machinery nearby, shorting out the mind control helmets. The men started swaying and shaking their heads, wondering how they got there. Then they saw the prince's remains, and started cheering once the situation hit them.

Done. Now she just needed to collect her pay. As she put her spyglass away, she noticed a red stain on her jacket, right over her heart. Strange, she didn't feel herself get hit by anything. And she was feeling hurt at all. She quickly undid her jacket, noticing that the blood was staining her bra. But there wasn't a hole in it. As she slid it off, she saw a tattoo on her chest that hadn't been there before. It was shaped like a dagger, stabbing a burning heart. A Command Seal. She had been chosen for the Holy Grail War, which was impossible since she heard it was dismantled.

She smiled as she put her top back on. If this thing could really grant any wish, then she was in for a treat.

Beth hemmed and hawed as she checked over her materials again. It hadn't been easy, stealing this stuff from The Shed. In fact, she nearly got caught every time. If it was anyone else, they'd already be in the headmaster's office, explaining themselves to her. She was really scary. But she probably got away with it because she was herself. The clumsy, cute girl that couldn't do anything right. While depressing, it was pretty handy this time. And it allowed her to sneak out and get transport to Chicago. Now, all she had to do was not get caught by any Magi. Apparently, there was a super badass Magus playing detective in this city, defending it from pretty much anything that took a second glance at the people. Some guy named Dresden, or something.

The hardest part was catching all those damn chickens to use as the summoning circle. Some of the richer Magi would've never bothered with that, and make a circle from some pricey material. But she didn't have much, so chickens it was. She quickly brushed herself down again, trying to make herself presentable.

Next was the catalyst. The material salvaged from some ancient hero long ago. Most Magi would've used one to make sure they got the hero they wanted. But once again, they were out of her price range. Luckily, you can summon without one. It just meant that you got a Servant that best matched your personality. You'd have no idea who it might be, or what their power will be. But it'll have to do. Besides, she really wouldn't mind having a nice hero for a Servant. Then maybe she could use it to get her close to Ben 10.

She sang out the incantation needed to complete the summoning. She always liked her voice. Her family had suggested she'd be a singer instead of a Magus, but then she'd be admitting that she wasn't good enough. And the fact she got chosen proved she was better than all the others. She put all her frustration, her anger into her voice, crying out for a Servant. It wasn't fair. She was really good. Her spell worked perfectly before. She shouldn't be in last place because of some stupid nerves. She'll show everyone she was awesome.

She squealed as a wave of pressure exploded from the circle, knocking her onto her butt for the seventh time today. She groaned as she realised there was a giant puddle right behind her. Great. This skirt was ruined. As she sat there, grumbling and about to cry, she heard the grating of metal against metal coming from her circle. She pulled her hat off from over her eyes, and looked.

Her Servant was kneeling in front of her, a large sword stabbed into the ground in front of him. He was decked in shiny plate armour, with large round shoulders. He looked up, to show that he was helmetless. He was rather handsome, with a blond beard and moustache, and long flowing blond hair that reached past his shoulders. As he stood upright, she noticed a weird symbol on his chestplate. An infinity symbol on a shield.

"Amazing." He said in a deep, noble voice. "To think I am back so soon. And it appears that Diagon was stopped again." He finally noticed her as she pulled herself out of the mud. "The Holy Grail gave me all the knowledge I need about this War. I assume that you are my Master?"

"Um… Yeah." She said quietly. This was embarrassing. Her knickers were soaked, there was dirt everywhere on her, and she lost a shoe during the summoning. "I summoned you. I guess I am your master, for all the good that'll do you."

He nodded. "Then you may call me Saber. I am honoured to fight once more for the good fight." A Saber? But they were one of the best classes. If she summoned a Saber…

"I. Am. Awesome." She whispered to herself. Then something he said came to her. "Wait. What did you mean by 'I am back so soon'? Your armour shows you lived ages ago."

"I was immortal." Saber explained. "I founded an Order to defend the world from invaders, so that they could never harm Humanity. Although I fear that they may have been killed by the Esoterica."

"Oh. Right. Well, then I guess I won't need to explain much then." She shivered from the cold water. Saber looked at her in pity.

"Come. Let us get you to your base, so you can wear warmer clothes. You won't do either of us any favours by freezing."

Bass and Stacy found the mage easily enough, sitting at his home without a care in the world. It had also been easy enough to break through his defences. Those Crest Worms made magic easy, although they tasted weird and hurt his stomach. Even interrogating him was child's play. Not many people were really prepared for torture. They think they are, but they're not. Especially for a scientific torture. Sadists like Stacy just stuck you until you screamed or bled out.

People like Bass knew exactly where to cut to get the most pain.

It turned out that the marks were Command Seals for a Holy Grail War, marking people as Masters. They'd summon a Heroic Spirit to fight for them, to win the War and a chance to wish for anything. Bass was intrigued. What qualified someone to be a Heroic Spirit? How did the Holy Grail work? Where did it acquire the energy needed to grant you anything? Was there anything beyond its power? He already knew what Stacy would wish for. Fortunately, there could only be one Master standing. He just had to betray her without getting betrayed first.

They were currently waiting for the mist from their summoning to fade away, so that they could see just who they had summoned as their Servants. He hoped they were good, or at least unknown. If an enemy knew his Servant's name, then they could research everything about them. Including how they died.

In his circle was a tall, well-groomed man in a Victorian suit and a leather coat. He had a full head of black hair, and was clean-shaven. Bass didn't have a clue who he was, but then that meant neither would his enemies. Good.

Stacy's, on the other hand, was very well known. He was dressed in a suit, with slicked back hair and a pencil moustache. It just covered the space between his nose and his top lip. Finally, he had a swastika in a white circle against a red band on his left arm.

"…Huh." Bass said finally. "Guess you don't need to be all that heroic to be a Heroic Spirit." The two Servants gave him a look at his words.

"So then the other guy's yours, Bass." Stacy said calmly. Hitler belongs to me."

"I do not belong to anyone." Hitler replied angrily. "You and I are merely working together to achieve our goals. I expect you to be a better ally than your predecessors."

"Don't worry. I will."

"In the meantime, what will we call you two?" Bass decided to get this back on track. The faster they get to where the War was, the faster they could win, and the faster he could start studying.

"For the duration of this War, I will allow you to call me Archer, as befitting my class." Hitler replied. "Rest assured, my skills as a military tactician will achieve me great success."

"Well, I don't mean to be rude." The other Servant stammered. "But if the history provided by the Holy Grail was correct, didn't you end up losing?" The room suddenly got very, very cold. "I meant no offence. But it just seems as if every other decision you made ended in failure. And you never really fought in the First World War like you said many times. Not to mention…"

"How dare you?" Hitler yelled in anger, making Bass really glad they weren't doing this at home. "You dare to insult me? To claim my brilliance in the face of my enemies was a complete lie? I will have you gutted for such a thing."

"Can we at least know who you are before you two start fighting?" Stacy asked. "I want to know who exactly my Archer managed to kill."

"Oh, yes." The Englishman stammered. "Well, I suppose you might call me Berserker." They all stared at him, even Archer. He certainly didn't look like a Berserker. "I know that my other is a bit crude, but surely he's no Berserker. Frightful men, I say. Now, uh. Where were we?"

"With me killing you for your hateful lies." Archer replied, pulling out a pistol. Berserker yelped and ducked, which was enough to save his life. This went on for a few moments before Bass interrupted them.

"Enough!" He shouted. "We don't have time for all this stupidity. Archer, everyone now knows you made up plenty of lies about your history. You're already the most hated man in history, so no one really cares. But we want to win this War, and we'll do better with allies. Besides, you don't really want to make us waste a Command Seal before the War's even begun, do you?" Archer glared at him for a minute, before spitting onto the floor and holstering his gun. Berserker scurried out from behind his hiding place, looking around fearfully. Hopefully, he'll have some sort of powerful ability. Otherwise, this was going to end badly for them.

"Now then, do either of you know where this War is happening?"

Damian smiled as he completed his summoning. It hadn't been easy, getting together all the items needed. The catalyst set him back almost to the brink of destruction. But it was better than relying on the Grail giving him whoever most suited his personality. He didn't want a friend, he wanted a weapon. And he was smart enough not to aggravate his ally. But with the dried blood, his Servant will be more than strong enough to win.

Provided he's given the right push, unlike during his life.

"Well, well." A sultry, female voice said from the smoke made by the summon. Damian groaned as he realised he didn't get the one he wanted. "This is certainly a new experience. I've never really been seen as a 'Heroic Spirit'." The smoke cleared enough to show a woman dressed completely in red. Her mask was made in such a way that the top half was a skull and the bottom half was a lady's face, while the rest of her was covered by a form-fitting tattered robe. But given how much it stuck out at the chest, she clearly had a beautiful figure. "Given your look, oh Master, I assume I wasn't who you were after."

"No." He sighed. "Dammed Curator. He swore that was the blood of Faust himself."

"Ah. There's your problem. Faust's catalyst is a sash coated in blood, the only thing left when he was dragged into Hell." Damian sighed again. Well, history has shown that people get things mixed up. If you believed the rumours, apparently King Arthur was really a woman of all things.

"Well, I've got a Servant, so I can't complain. Anything's better than nothing. Now, what class are you?"

"I am the Servant Caster, ready to help fulfil your deepest desires." The lady said, bowing deeply to him. "Assuming, of course, that our goals align."

"Help me get my wish, and you can have whatever you want. As long as I live, you can burn the world for all I care."

"Good. Glad to see I've got a man that treats me as his equal." She stepped out of the circle to shake his hand.

"I think we're going to have a beautiful partnership."

Gwen sighed as she tried again to decipher the magic text in front of her. This was insane. Ben's somehow changing into historical people, yet he doesn't have a clue who they are. All they know is that they all have powers that are activated by saying names. And he still hasn't changed back. It didn't really help that the mage they fought got blood all over the pages, making most of the text indecipherable.

"You know Tennyson, you really need to find a better outfit." Kevin said as he blocked another blow from the flat of Ben's giant red sword. They figured that until Ben could use his aliens again, they might as well practise with these new forms.

"Though as peculiar as it may sound Kevin, mine other outfits at mine disposal were far too cumbersome for such a gruelling training session. Thou now know why the great gladiators of old fought in very little during the games of mine past." Ben was the blond-haired girl again, but had found another outfit besides that see-through combo he had on before. But this one wasn't really any better. It was a very form-fitting white bodysuit with belts, chains and zips everywhere. It had large white showgirl skirt with orange, burnt edges, and he wore what looked like a veil on his head. Finally, there seemed to have been padlocks around his neck and his hands. Honestly, it looked like some kind of fetish wear than an actual outfit. Just who was this girl?

"Gladiators of your past? You never saw gladiators before." Kevin ducked under another swing, before trying to tackle Ben. But he was much faster than he appeared, jumping overhead and kicking Kevin into the floor.

"I will add that to the database we are creating." Rook said as he tried to sneak attack Ben. "This current heroine lived during Ancient Rome. That is who fought with gladiators, correct?"

"I do believe so." Ben said as he moved around Rook and tried to blind him with the skirt. But Rook got free and knocked him aside, causing Ben to wave his sword around wildly as he lost his balance. The swinging sword slashed right through a pillar they had set up as a barrier. Ben shook his head as he sat there, letting Gwen see that the zip on his chest went right down past decency.

"Ok." Grandpa Max shouted. "I think that's enough training for now. Take a break for the day."

"Wonderful." Ben replied. "Though I shudder to guess how much longer we can hide mine new appearance from mine parents. And thy mother, who is certainly…" he shuddered. "I'm deeply sorry. For some reason I started becoming convinced that my mother was perfectly willing to have me poisoned. Perhaps another memory of this here form?"

"Maybe." Kevin said. "Gwen, you got anything new?"

"Maybe." She replied. "It's taken me a while, and I can't translate as much as I'd like, but I think I got the general idea. Apparently, this mark on my hand is a sign that I have been chosen for some magic battle royale of some kind. There's supposed to be seven teams, made up of a master and a hero. The heroes fight to the death, and the loser masters are disqualified. This keeps up until there's only one team left, but I can't find any mention as to what it is they win."

"So, as I turn into what we believe to be heroes, I am to fight against other heroes? Surely there is a more peaceful, gentler way to overcome our differences?"

"I don't know. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But since we're a team in this fight, the other teams aren't going to leave us alone. I think it says that as long as we don't break the key rules, we can use anything we want to win. So expect a lot of dirty fighting."

"Why do they need seven teams?" Rook asked. "Is it perhaps a magic number? And what are the team names?"

"I don't know." Gwen moaned. This was stupid. They were being forced into a magic fight against people they don't know, Ben's life was actually on the line, and she didn't know why they were fighting or what the other teams could do or anything. "All I know for certain is that we can't lose."

"Does the circle do anything?" Kevin asked, looking at the marking son her hand.

"As a matter of fact, they do. They're called Command Seals. Like I said, they mark a person as a Master, and help provide the mana Ben needs for his stronger attacks. But they can also do more. See how it's split into three parts? According to this, I can use one part to force Ben to obey one order, completely."

"Completely? How completely?"

"The book says that a Servant cannot defy an order given with a Command Seal. However, if I use them all up, then I can't be a Master anymore. But that's all I've gotten so far." As they started pondering about these new developments, they heard the general alarm sounding. That meant some crook was causing trouble in Bellwood.

"To arms, my fellow heroes." Bens shouted as he raced to the elevator. "Let us ride into glory. The hunt awaits!"

Hex looked up at the full moon as he prepared the materials he needed for the summoning of a Servant. It had been pure luck that he found out about this Holy Grail War. He had attacked a museum to grab a stake that had been said to belong to Vlad Tepes, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. It was said to contain powerful magic, and the mages that had been guarding it proved him right. They were tough, he'd admitted, but they were no match for a Master Magician such as him. They must've been from the Magus Association, who have been hounding him and his niece for ages ever since they first fought against the Tennysons. As he went to leave with his prize, he noticed the Ledgerdomain markings on his hand. He returned to his manor to study them, finding out that they were Command Seals. They marked him as a part of the Holy Grail War, and thus in the running for an omnipotent wish-granting device. Such a thing would be truly powerful.

Powerful enough to enable him to take Earth and Ledgerdomain for himself.

And so instead of using the stake for his spells, he was using it to summon the great warrior. With their skills combined, surely they would be victorious. The circle glowed before fading into a ball of darkness. The walls of it faded to reveal a tall, regal man with blond hair standing up. He had a look of pure arrogance as he took in the room, before facing to his master.

"Greetings." Vlad said calmly. "I am the Servant Lancer, and I am honoured to be given a chance in the Holy Grail War. I assume we are both interested in claiming it at all costs?"

"Naturally." Hex replied, smiling. This made things so much easier. Now he wouldn't have to worry about his Servant stabbing him in the back, like Hope did when they were younger. "I wish to obtain enough power to conquer worlds. What is your desire?"

Lancer smiled. "You've no doubt heard of those newer 'legends' about me? How I was also known as… Dracula?"

"Do you desire to become like your legend?"

"Hardly. In fact, I wish to destroy those legends, to regain my honour. I will not be reduced to a mere creature."

"As that doesn't interfere with my goal, I will gladly help you obtain your wish." They shook hands in agreement.

And now there were 6 Servants ready.

Raven had spent ages wondering what Servant to try and get. According to the book she was reading, there were seven classes to choose from. The knight classes, while powerful, weren't really to her style. They were generally all about honour and fair-play and all that. Raven preferred it if her opponents never knew she was there until they were dead. That also left out the Berserker class. Sure, he'd make a great distraction. But her target might decide to scramble out of there at the sight of him. Caster and Rider classes had a variety of skills to use, giving them a sense of adaptability that would be useful in trapping her opponents. But it was the Assassin class that looked promising to her. It fitted her perfectly. But the downside was that, like her, if her Servant was spotted he would end up dead faster than you can blink.

Well, if worse comes to worse, she could use someone that she felt a kinship with.

She chanted out the summons, focusing on nothing but the circle. You can't do this and keep an eye out for enemies. So she had spent the last hour moving boxes around her to keep anyone from spotting her. As she finished the chant, the circle came alive with the sound of fighting. Had she pulled in more than one Servant? Or was this just a memory from their life before they died? As the smoke cleared, she finally got a look at her Servant.

He was a stocky-looking man, with short hair and a small moustache. His face seemed perpetually grim, like he was always thinking of something he didn't like. He was dressed in Roman armour, covered by a white toga of a politician."

"Ave, my lady." He said in a deep voice. "I am the Servant Assassin, and I will do your bidding as commanded." Well, he wasn't her first choice but at least he was an Assassin.

"Nice to meet you Assassin." She replied. "I am Raven, a fire Magus. I do work as an assassin too, killing anyone I get paid to kill. I try my best not to include innocents, but I'm sure you know that doesn't always happen like you want it. Right now, my bidding is that you find out where the War's going down. I know it was in Fuyuki City, but ever since it was 'dismantled' the Mage's Association's kept a close eye on the city."

"Fortunately, the Holy Grail has informed me of the location of the next battleground. I merely require a map, and I will show you the way."

"Good. We leave first thing tomorrow. I need to replenish my tools."

Arturia Pendragon – Once known as King Arthur, then more recently as Saber – gasped as she woke up from her nightmare. Something had been calling to her. Something foul, something wicked.

Something familiar.

"Uh… You ok Arturia?" Her boyfriend, Shirou Emiya mumbled as her movements woke him up. He blearily looked at her as she lied back on the bed, his arm snuggling against her neck. She hoped she was just wrong, that it was merely a nightmare from being controlled by Angra Mainyu. But deep down she knew it wasn't.

"We have to wake Rin up, now." She said as she got out of bed. Shirou looked at her in confusion as she got dressed, before shaking the dark-haired girl resting on his other arm. Did we mention that she was also his girlfriend? She and Saber both agreed to share the kind man between them, since neither was willing to give him up, and they both truly loved him. Rin responded to his shaking by socking him in the jaw, grumbling in annoyance.

"What's going on?" She asked, rubbing the sleepy-dust from her eyes. Shirou groaned as he made sure his jaw was still in one piece. "I swear, if you woke me up at…" She checked the clock. "…3 in the morning for another early snack, I'll have you running laps till you puke."

"It's not like that." Saber replied quickly, blushing from the memory of that incident. Hey, she absolutely loved food. She once nearly killed a man for insulting her favourite restaurant. "I felt the presence of the Holy Grail again." Rin and Shirou were silent as they heard that.

"What!?" They shouted at the same time.

"I had a dream about when Angra Mainyu corrupted me. I also felt a pull on my mana, like something was summoning me. I believe it came from the West, but I can't tell more unless I have a map."

Rin looked very troubled. Not surprising, considering what the Holy Grail had cost her and her family. "Shirou, get us a map."

"Finally." Shirou said as he came out of the pile of papers Rin had thrown haphazardly into a cupboard until he opened it and it all came crashing down on him. "You really need to clean out this place. There's stuff here from when we went to school."

"Quit whining and put that map down. We need to find out where this energy is coming from and stop it. If it is Agra Mainyu, then we must do everything we can to destroy him again." Shirou unfurled the map, watching as Arturia gazed down at it. Her blond hair was in a bun again, despite her having untied it before bed. She looked very young, a side-effect of Avalon's power. In fact, if he didn't know her better, her flat chest would mark her as underage. But he'd never say that to her. He was still bruised from when she thought he had insulted breakfast. She stopped looking and pointed to a small point in America.

"There." She said. "That's where I felt the pull from." Shirou sighed as he dived back into the pile to find a map of America. He came back up gasping for air, the map in hand.

"I think I swallowed a rat." He choked out, grabbing a glass of water to rinse his mouth. When he came back for air, Arturia was pointing at a small city in one of the states. He had a closer look, noticing the name. "Hey, I know that place. That's Bellwood."

"How do you know about it?" Rin asked. "Do you make it a habit to know about random cities in other countries?"

He shook his head. "There's a real live superhero living there. He goes by the name Ben 10, and he's been saving the world from aliens since he was ten. I've always wanted to meet him. Maybe he can help me be a real hero, like Archer wanted to be."

"Maybe." Rin looked a bit doubtful. He guessed she didn't really believe in aliens, though how she denied their existence after that big invasion was beyond him. "In any case, if this Ben 10 really is a hero, then we might be able to persuade him to help us against Angra Mainyu. But a more immediate problem is the War."

"You really think there's another one?"

"I imagine so." Arturia said to him. "If The Holy Grail is calling out to Heroic Spirits, then it must have masters to summon them. We must be ready for anything."

"Well, we've beaten the odds before. We can do it again."

"Right."

Michael Morningstar gave an evil grin as he drained the mage girl of all her power. It filled him with mana. To his old self, this would be more than enough to deal with Ben Tennyson and his team. But after feeding on Gwen and that Charmcaster girl, it wasn't even enough to heal his handsome face. But whatever she was up to certainly looked interesting. She had a magic circle in her basement, surrounding a fig leaf that seemed red from blood. Curious, he had a look in the book next to her corpse. He started laughing in excitement as he read it over. A war for a cup that could grant any wish? The chance to summon a Servant that will do his every bidding? This was brilliant. Now he could kill Tennyson and that upstart Kevin Levin, take 'Lovely' Gwen as his slave and food source, and take over the world all at once. Why, he could even pay Charmcaster back for his earlier humiliation of being stuck as a stone figure. He quickly got to work, using the mana he just stole to power the circle. As the fig leaf vanished in a blaze of fire that turned into a man, he was nearly drooling over the possibilities.

His servant was a tall silver-haired man, wearing an open jacket that bared his chest and the glowing tattoo on it. His arms, legs, and shoulders were covered by spiky metal, but everything else was mere cloth. He hoped the Servant was strong enough. At least the massive sword on his back looked threatening enough.

"I am the Servant Rider." He said quietly to Michael as he knelt before him. "Rest assured, Master, I will do as you command."

"Good." Michael smiled. "According to this book, we'll need to make a few stops to gather more mana for you. And for me, of course. And then we're heading out."

"To the battlefield, master?" Rider asked him, standing back up.

"Perhaps. But there are a few people I wish to gain revenge against. And the mana we'll acquire from them will make us unstoppable."

"Yes, my master."

Ok, now that I've got that chapter over, I just want to apologise to anyone who has a problem with me having Hitler as a Servant. I figured that since other shows, and books, and movies have done him, it'd be ok for me too. You'll at least take pleasure in watching as everyone takes him down a peg, and he won't win if he knows what's good for him.

I decided to include Ben 10 villains as Masters so that it won't just be 'Ben 10 in the Fate series universe'. Hex and Darkstar both are listed as magic users, so I chose them. Maybe it'll become a free-for-all with all of Ben's enemies. Maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see.

And for those of you wondering why I have Ben be girl Heroes, it's because of Author Appeal. I like gender bender, so I'm including it. Plus, there are several strong female heroes. But I am including male heroes in Ben's repertoire. Don't you worry.