Chapter 7: Clash of Armies
Beth felt like she was floating. She was in a dark space, surrounded by glowing lights. Her limbs vanished into the gloom, as though they had been cut off. It was so cool, so peaceful in there. She wanted to stay there forever. She wanted to look at the pretty lights.
"Yes… Join us… Come with us… You belong here…" whispering voices said to her. They were so quiet and caring; she just knew they'd look after her. She floated towards the nearest lights, finally seeing them in detail. They were smiling faces, blank holes for eyes. "Come with us… We will care for you… Come with us… Come with us…" Closer and closer, she could almost touch them.
And then she crashed into some kind of wall, and her body ached all over.
She gasped as she woke up, a cracked roof high above her. A fluorescent light glared down at her, her body trapped under a heavy weight. She tried to move, but all that did was make her body ache again. She gasped in pain as she felt something rubbing away at her injured parts. She wanted to just cry and go back to sleep. This was nothing like she imagined it. All the pain and killing. No wonder Lord El Melloi had this whole thing banned. She was an idiot for getting involved.
Maybe so, but she was an idiot who was at least going to see this through. She had to stop Archer, before he destroys the world. She couldn't let him win. And besides, she was already considered a failure. If the Shed ever heard that she ran with her tail between her legs at the first sign of pain, she'd be a laughing stock for good. So despite the pain it caused her, she managed to finally sit up on her elbows. Shaking her head and wincing at the pain, she had a look around the room she was in. The whole thing was made of stone and mortar, water dripping from the roof and walls. Buckets had been set up around the place, and covers had been placed atop tall computers. In her more immediate area, she was sitting on some high-tech bed surrounded by equipment. She saw her homemade uniform hanging from a coat-hanger, tattered and ravaged. Holes had been burned practically everywhere, and there were red stains along the side. Well, that was a complete bust. But where was Saber? He wouldn't have abandoned her, would he? No. She was his Master, and he was too noble to leave her. She looked around again, spotting light coming from a doorway further off. She climbed out of the bed, falling to her knees as she did so. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming out. Gritting her teeth instead, she managed to pull herself back up and stand on her feet. Then, she precariously wobbled to the wall, using it to support herself as she tried to walk towards the doorway. As she got closer, she could finally hear voices.
"…Has hit here, here, and here Milord." A deep, British voice said. "We're still trying to tap into Plumber communications, but for now we'll just have to keep an ear out for any signs of activity from them."
"Thank you Sir Morton." Saber said. "Hopefully the Plumbers will have some idea on the identities and locations of the other Servants. I highly doubt the Grail War could happen here without them learning of it in some manner." There was silence. "You have a question, Sir Morton?"
"Well, sort of. It's about this Grail. Is it really the Holy Grail itself?"
"I don't believe it is. The memories I was given by it suggests that it was made by mages, in an attempt to overstep their boundaries. It is no holy object, despite its impressive power."
"Right. But it's still an Omnipotent wish-granting device, correct?"
"Indeed. But right now, I have no intention of using it. Not until we understand it better. For now, my only goal is to keep it out of the hands of those who would misuse it. Which is incidentally everyone who isn't myself. We will rebuild ourselves the way we have always done after purges. By finding like-minded individuals and bringing them into the fold."
"Of course, Sir George. We apologise for the state we're in. Our lives are yours to command."
"Let's hope it won't come to that. And no need to worry about our… lack of proper resources. This is actually better than our last purge, when King Arthur himself banished us for 'being a threat to the world'." Wait, what? She never recalled Saber mentioning that he had been banished by King Arthur. What did the Forever Knights do to deserve that? "Dr Chadwick, how is my Master?"
"She is healing well, my lord." An even deeper voice boomed. She could see a large shadow now, stretching out into the room she was in. "Her injuries, while severe, were treatable. As long as she doesn't exert herself for a while, she will be ready in another 2 hours."
"Good. Make sure she stays here while I'm out fighting. As much as it pains me to say it, she's not strong enough for combat situations."
"You're ditching me?" Beth asked angrily, stumbling through the doorway and glaring at him. "Now hold on a minute Saber. I know I'm not that tough, or skilled, or anything special. But I am not going to sit this whole thing out like a damsel in distress. If you're going out and fighting, then so am I." She glared at the rest of the group, daring them to argue. The large knight stared at her in shock, while the two smaller knights in mask looked away awkwardly. But it was the largest member who made her shake a bit. He looked a lot like Berserker's form, being a large purple ape thing wearing kingly armour. And he was glaring back at her.
"Insolent wretch." He growled. "How dare you speak that way to Sir George? I will make you…" He grunted as Saber hit him in the side with his hilt.
"Control yourself Chadwick. No harm is to befall her." Saber glared at him before turning to her. "And as for you, Lady Ravensquire, I must insist that you remain here for our safety. If you were to be killed, then all my power would be useless in stopping the monsters around us from claiming the Grail. And our enemies are far too dangerous. Look at how close you came to dying tonight."
"So I'll get some better protection. I can still fight. You saw what my spells can do."
"While it is impressive, given your complaining it is clearly a misused by-product of a failed teleportation spell. And you barely seem to be able to muster the concentration to maintain it out on the battlefield."
"Complaining? Complaining? I did not complain. I just spoke about some real, proper grievances I had about how my spell didn't work properly."
"Exactly. Unless the meaning has changed in the 6 months I've been dead for, that is what complaining is. Now, quit acting like Tennyson and start acting like you."
"And what do you know about me? Hmm? That I'm a screw-up? That I can't fight? That all I can do is sit around in some crappy sewer while everyone else is out there being badasses?"
"For every hero out there, there have been hundreds of 'badasses' who ended up getting in over their heads and dying. Now, get back in that bed and recuperate. You're barely able to stand as it is." Beth trembled with anger, tears running down her face. "Tragedy, Comedy. Escort her back."
"You… You're nothing but a big chauvinistic jerk!" Beth screamed at him. She turned to stomp off, forgetting her injuries and almost falling before the two masked knights managed to catch her.
Stupid Saber. This whole thing was meant to make things better for her.
George sighed as the twins led Beth away. Jupiter, she can be so utterly stubborn at times. He didn't like having to make her their prisoner, but her safety was paramount above almost all. If she ended up hating him for simply protecting her, then he could live with that. After all, the rest of the world saw him and his men and villains for defending Earth from aliens.
Still, given the shouting she was doing, he doubted she'd forgive him for a very long time. Chadwick followed them out, and the screaming grew quieter. When they all came back, Comedy closed the door behind them. They should've done that from the start.
"She's certainly… fiery, Milord." Morton said finally. He seemed embarrassed by what she had called George. "How have you managed to put up with that?"
"She's not like that normally." George replied. "My guess is that she's still rattled by how easily she almost died. But hopefully, after a bit of time to think things over, she'll understand that it really is for her own protection." They sat there thinking for a bit, until Tragedy tapped Morton on the shoulder and pushed some papers before him.
"Huh? Oh, right." Morton said hurriedly. "Milord, you mentioned how you fought against Mordred, even though she acted more like a Saber than any other of these 'classes'?" Well, we found more things that we felt were strange over the last couple of days. We only paid them a bit of attention because they appeared to be merely magic in nature, but now that we know of this Grail War, they could be related."
"Show me." George simply said, Morton passing over the stack of printed pictures. It showed the main city square, where two Techadon robots were smashing the place up. George never liked the Techadon Weapon Masters. Certainly they crafted powerful weapons, but they were willing to sell to anyone with the right amount of credits. They had no honour whatsoever. But as he looked at the next picture, he saw them under attack from Plumbers. Specifically, Tennyson's team. And right in the middle of the melee was…
"Do you recognise her, Milord?" Morton asked.
"Yes, I do. She was, or rather is, Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. More well known as Emperor Nero, Fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire." Morton looked at him in confusion. "Yes, well. She was a patron of the arts, especially when they were of her own work; she made fast friends with the civilians, abolishing tax laws and handing out money to them. And she event tried to fix the corrupt senate, despite their attempts to stop her. Sadly, events beyond her control ended up painting her as a tyrant, not helped by her mother's attempt to turn her into a puppet. These days, she far more well-known for burning Christians for her lamps and fiddling while Rome burned. A poor end to a good woman. And yet here she is, apparently summoned into the class of Saber too. Just how many Sabers are there in Bellwood?"
Morton looked at the picture more closely. "She's certainly dressed funny. It's like she has no dignity."
"She had an obsession with attention. Whether good or bad. As long as people were paying attention to her, she was glad." He flipped to the next photo, showing her placing a hand against her chest.
"She did that when she realised that she was a bit revealing." Morton explained.
"Odd. As I just mentioned, she would've been pleased about the attention. Still, Mordred didn't act completely like herself either." The next picture was the most interesting though. A giant stood where Nero had been. "I know him. I've never met him, but I've seen pots with him on it. That's Hercules."
"The Hercules?" That got Chadwick's attention. "The greatest Greek hero of all time? What's his connection to a Roman Emperor?"
"I don't know." He flipped to another picture, this one inside a hotel lobby. Tennyson was talking to the security guard about something. And the next photo was apparently from the second floor of the hotel. Mordred was stepping out of the elevator now, dressed in rather skimpy clothing. It almost made him smile. When he had been in Camelot, she always hated wearing girly clothing. This would've been torture for her. He flipped to another picture, a speeding camera from the looks of it. A black car was in the lead, a woman leaning out with a spyglass. And behind her was a Plumber tank, covered in red veiny lines. And standing on it was…
"Sir Lancelot. I remember his armour like it was yesterday." He said. "No doubt this is a Noble Phantasm derived from when he fought against Sir Phelot with only an elm branch." The next picture was of Lancelot fighting Hyde. But in this one, he finally noticed one glaring detail.
The Omnitrix symbol on Lancelot's chestplate.
"By the Gods, you have got to be kidding me." He said in alarm. He flipped back through the pictures, looking closer at the Servants' chests. Just as he feared, they all had the Omnitrix on it. "Well that's just fantastic. Tennyson has somehow become a Servant with the power to become Heroic Spirits. Tell the drone to hurry up with his work. We need any information they have on him if we are to survive against him."
"Yes Milord. What will you be doing now?"
"For now? I suppose I should go and search for other Servants. And get out of here before Mistress Ravensquire wakes up again."
"Ah, one more question, Milord." Morton said. "I know it's not in our place to question your companions, but why do you continue to work with that girl? Surely you could find other mages interested in supplying you with this 'mana'." George stopped, thinking the question over. Why did he stick around with Beth? While she was the one who summoned him to begin with, the Grail informed him that Servants changing Masters isn't unheard of. And surely he could do so now. Find someone with access to magic, and have them take over. She would no longer be seen as a threat by anyone. So why didn't he?
He smiled. "What kind of knight would I be if I abandoned my lady?"
"Is this her?" Sally asked, as she knelt down on some poor girl. She had short burgundy hair, tanned skin, and wore glasses. She was currently crying, a puddle growing from her skirt. "Is this that tramp who you like so much?"
"Yes. That is the girl. I'm sure of it. Now will you hurry up and do whatever punishment you have planned for her? We need to leave here now." Bass grumbled. They were in a motel, Archer's men having finished executing the people within. This girl was unlucky enough to be the only survivor. And a close enough match to that Master.
"Are you sure?" Sally leaned in and sniffed the girl's hair. It was like she was going out of her way to be completely insane. "She doesn't smell right."
"She probably had a shower. Just grab her and go already. It won't be long before the police get here to find out what's happening."
"Alright then. You're so pushy. I'll have to punish you when we get home." The girl sobbed and screamed as she was dragged into a room, the door muffling her for a moment.
Then her screaming grew louder. Bass and Berserker moved to the other side of the complex, watching for more of Archer's soldiers. It looked like they were alone.
"Master. Remember how I said that Archer's Noble Phantasms will be of great use to us, and we should keep him around for a bit longer?" Berserker whispered. "I change my mind. I think it would be for the best if we get rid of them both as soon as humanely possible. Even Hyde would be appalled at all this bloodshed."
"Maybe." Bass agreed. "But maybe we should hold off for a little bit longer. This might just be the last one."
"That's what you said at the last two motels. You said that the victim was clearly the Master of Saber, she killed her and had me stitch the poor girl's skin into a suit, and then she decides that it's not the right one and we attack another motel. Any minute now, she's going to come out and decide to leave before we can do anything to…"
"Hey!" Sally shouted at them, wandering around naked again. It had long lost its sexiness and was now just horrifying. "What are you guys doing all the way over here? I had to look everywhere for you two."
"Sorry Sally. We were just keeping an eye out for trouble. All clear here." Bass lied. Sally kept glaring at him, getting closer and closer. He thought she was going to kill him until she shoved her hand down his pants. She stroked him until he found release, before kissing him again. "Now, Berserker…"
"Yes, yes. Make her another suit. I know the drill, Master." They both headed back to the room, while Bass found himself wandering into the receptionist's office. His hand found itself holding onto the phone, punching in the emergency number. As he heard footsteps, he placed the phone carefully onto the desk, still going.
"You. Master of Berserker." A Nazi shouted at him. "What are you doing here? The Fuhrer said no one was to be in here while we clear this place of rats."
"Rats? The Lovely Duckling Motel is positively devoid of rats by now. They've surely all started feasting on the people you lot killed. And for your information, I was ordering a pizza."
"Italian? You are ordering Italian to be brought here?"
"Oh, so a motel full of people is alright for you lot, but one pizza guy is a no-no? Some Nazi you are." The man glared at him.
"We are not mindless killing machines that execute on command." The Nazi said proudly, obviously missing the irony. Bass didn't bother to correct him. "And you will watch your tongue. One day, we will be at war. And I will enjoy ripping you apart." He turned and stalked out of there, Bass right behind him.
There. The bait had been laid. Now he just had to find an excuse to leave before the police arrived.
They were travelling at speed now, rushing through the streets and flying over bridges to get to the Lovely Duckling Motel. Where, according to the phone call they received, people were being murdered. Even if it wasn't likely a Servant, they still couldn't ignore it. Ben was now Mordred again, his foot jittering as he waited for a fight. He tapped at a recording he held in his hands.
"…The Fuhrer said no one was to be in here while we clear this place of rats." The voice said, sounding like an older German man.
"Rats?" A younger voice asked incredulously. "The Lovely Duckling Motel is positively devoid of rats by now. They've surely all started feasting on the people you lot killed." Ben pressed stop on it, hands shaking.
"The Fuhrer?" Gwen asked quietly. "Are… Are we talking about Hitler? Or just someone claiming the title?"
"Unfortunately, I'm inclined to believe that it is Hitler himself, summoned as a Servant." Arturia replied. They all jumped as Kevin punched the side of the truck.
"How the hell is he considered a goddamned Heroic Spirit?" He asked angrily. "He was the worst thing that ever happened. Hell, there's dozens of stories out there of people going back in time to just execute this bastard once and for all."
"Even though he was evil, people revered him once. And they still talk of him today. All that is enough for him to become a Spirit. I'm sorry but that's the truth of the matter."
"So what you're saying is that at some point in the future, some other nutjob could summon him again? And we have no way of getting rid of him?"
"This isn't actually him. This is just his legend brought to life. I'm sure the original is burning in hell as we speak."
"Who cares whether he'll come back or not?" Ben asked angrily. "All I care about is that I'll get to shove my sword right up his ass by the end of the night." He grimaced at his attitude. Ever since he learnt who this girl was, her anger kept bleeding over. And whenever he looked at Arturia, he felt both rage and a need for her praise. This fight seemed less stopping Hitler's rampage, and more getting her to acknowledge him.
"We have reached our destination." Rook said to them, slowing to a halt. They quickly exited the Proto-Truk, moving quietly round the wall until they stood by the entrance. They spotted at least four men guarding it, dressed in army uniforms and holding onto old weapons. There was no cover between them and the guards after the wall.
"What is the plan?" Kevin asked. "To just charge in and attack head on?"
"Ben and I will attack from the front." Arturia replied. "While we have them distracted, the rest of you will climb over the wall and capture Hitler's master. With them being under threat, Hitler won't be able to truly stop us from killing him."
"That's what you said about facing Caster. Remember how that went?"
"We underestimated them. This plan will be far more successful. Move now, and we will draw their attention with honourable…"
Ben rolled his eyes. "Blah, blah, bah. You've always gone on about honour and all that bullshit. Watch and learn old-timer." Ben tensed up and pushed forward with his foot. His speed was impressive, already halfway there before the guards even noticed his approach. They started shooting at him, but he threw his blade through one guard and slammed into the other before crushing him into the ground. Before he had even finished dissipating, Ben was on his feet again and in close range to the third soldier, pummelling him over and over again with his fists. But he wasn't fast enough to attack the last guard, he had a gun almost against his head. But then Arturia ran him through with her blade, ending his life. Ben smiled as he grabbed his sword. "How was that? Not bad, if I do say so myself."
Arturia glared at him. "You're still as reckless as ever Mordred…" She stopped, realising that it wasn't really her. "Tennyson, what you just did was foolish. If I hadn't figured out your dismal plan, you would've been dead by now. Think before you go charging off like that." She stalked further in, leaving Ben standing there and fuming. He was actually amazed by just how much he hated that stuck-up little… He shook the thought from his head and hurried after her. This wasn't the time to be focusing on things like that. Stopping Hitler was more important than getting Arturia's approval.
"Look Arturia, I get that you're all about being noble and just on the battlefield and stuff. But the Nazis used all kinds of nasty weapons and tricks during the war. You go in there treating them like gentlemen, and they'll kill you on the spot." He said to her even as they snuck past empty rooms. Ben looked through a window to see bloody remains lying on the bed.
"I know that Mord… Tennyson. I have been in wars before. I know full well what some people are willing to do for victory. But that never means I have to stoop to their level to win. A true knight will win regardless, as long as they stand true to their beliefs."
"Holy crap." Ben muttered. "I'm a hero and even I think that's a bit naïve." Arturia glared at him, but then held up her hand as they heard something. Someone was speaking inside the room just ahead of them.
"…The wrong one, but she still feels fabulous against my skin." A feminine voice said. Ben looked through the window, only to find no one in there. Arturia poked the door with the hilt of her blade, causing it to open wide. They snuck in, still listening for that voice again. "I might employ Berserker as a tailor after all this."
"I highly doubt it, considering he will have to die for us to win." A masculine, German-accented voice replied sharply. The voice was coming from the back wall.
"Don't speak to me like that. If you're going to be mean about it then I won't share any Jews I find." They heard the sound of angry slurping. "And I won't thank Dr Baron McEvil for making this skull a drink holder."
"It's Mengele. You could at least remember the name of my subordinates."
"Whatever." Arturia tapped Ben on the shoulder, before pushing him towards the other side of the room. Ben nodded, shuffling away and pointing his blade at the wall. They needed to time this right.
"Whatever." More angry slurping. "Where the hell is Bass? I want him in this room pronto."
"The men said that he and Berserker went to go and get some Italian dinner, or something like that."
"Pizza? Why would he want pizza when we've got meat right here?"
"You're disgusting. Eating human flesh like an animal. I loathe to ever accept something as feral and bestial as you for my Master." Arturia nodded, and the both slashed through the wall. Even before the wall had finished crumbling and the dust had started flying, Ben was slashing away at the air in hopes of catching Hitler in his blows. He stopped long enough to block a bullet, the bang echoing through the room. "Intruders! Guards, I am under attack!" Ben lashed out again, only this time his blade struck another blade. The force of the blow parted the dust, revealing Hitler standing before him with a sabre blade in his hands. A girl about his own age ran behind Hitler, just in time to be smacked with the door as soldiers charged in. They started blasting at Arturia, forcing her to jump into the bathroom to avoid being killed. The door swung open again, revealing a batter naked girl covered in blood, especially around her face.
But then Ben saw the stitches, and the change in skin colour around her neck.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He shouted, horrified. "I knew that someone would have to be pretty fucked up to summon you of all people, but what kind of person wears someone's skin as a suit?" Hitler cursed as he was forced back, his Master being carried by a soldier out of the room. Ben slammed his foot into his stomach, sending him crashing through the wall and out into the open. A single powerful slash from Arturia carved through the wall she was hiding behind, shearing through the soldiers with ease. They rushed outside to find the entire place in the midst of a battle. Rook and Rin were attacking from afar, though Rin's spells were doing better against the soldiers than Rook's proto-tool. Kevin was in the middle of it all with Shiro, smashing down soldiers so that Shirou could run them through with his blades. But he couldn't see Gwen anywhere.
Nevermind. He thought as a large pink explosion appeared near the back of the motel lot. Gwen's got things covered. He dashed towards where Hitler had landed, slicing through any soldier that got in his way. But as he slashed downwards, his foot got caught on a large rock, causing him to stumble and miss. Hitler got to his feet and pulled out a pistol, blasting away as he moved backwards.
"I've had enough of this dismal assault. Ghostapo." He jumped away as Ben sliced into the ground where he had been standing, a wailing sound filling the air. The soldiers around him started stumbling, before they lit up with bluish-green light. They had been reduced to skeletons in uniforms, throwing fire at them. Ben sliced through them with ease until he ran into a few soldiers with red glowing eyes. He almost screamed in shock as they bared fangs at him and tried to rip through his armour. As he ran them all through, he was slammed into by something big and furry. He screamed for real as something bit down on his leg, fangs tearing into his calf muscle. Arturia showed up in time to slice its head off, revealing it to be a werewolf. Gwen floated down next to them, throwing mana and spells at flying bat-things before covering them in a shield.
"God. It's like someone threw every Nazi magic theory into this shit." Ben cursed, as Arturia helped him to his feet. He bit back a curse as he put pressure on his injured leg. Damn, that really hurt. "I hope I don't start turning into an actual werewolf this time."
Gwen grunted as the Nazis attacked the shield. "We can't take them all on like this. We need to regroup and try something else. Where's the others?" Swords started raining down on the monsters as Shirou carved a path for the others to move through. Gwen quickly created a hole in her shield, Ben and Arturia slashing at anything that tried to get through. As soon as they were all in, Rin and Gwen worked together to strengthen the shield.
"Well this was a real bright idea." Kevin said sarcastically. "Now we can just wait until we're too weak to stop these Nazis from killing us."
"I didn't see you coming up with anything better." Ben replied angrily. Some kind of phantom tried to phase through, but he stabbed it with his blade and caused it to vanish. Hitler laughed, floating above them and wearing a long blood-red robe, before unleashing bolts of magic at them. He didn't seem to care that most of his bolts struck his own men instead of the shield. "Well, if there's any time to break out the Noble Phantasms, now would be it." He took a step back and held his sword before him, pointing straight up. "Clarent Blood Arthur." Everyone took a step back, expecting a powerful blast to strike out at everyone. There was an awkward silence as nothing happened. "What the hell? Clarent Blood Arthur." Still nothing happened. Hitler gave off a harsh laugh before restarting his assault again. "Why won't this piece of shit work already?" Ben asked angrily. "All the other Noble Phantasms worked on the first try."
"Because something like Clarent requires a moment to charge up." Arturia told him. "Search through those stolen memories of yours. See if there's anything that tells you how to use it properly."
"And hurry. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up for." Gwen told him, shaking from the strain. Ben felt guilty for the strain he was probably putting on her mana reserves, and so took a deep calming breath. Everything became more distant as he thought long and hard about his Noble Phantasm. Luckily, by the time cracks had started forming in the shield, he had found what he was looking for. His helmet split in two, both halves folding away as he was surrounded by a red glow. He stood in a familiar stance, letting the memories of Mordred guide him. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Arturia grimace at him. Her blade had revealed itself, becoming a glowing blade of light. The monsters around the shield backed away from it, burning in its light. Ben nodded to Arturia, who nodded in turn to Gwen, who in turn nodded to Rin. They were ready. They acted as one.
"Clarent Blood…"
"Ex…"
"Arthur."
"…Calibur." They both called out at the same time, the energy of the blades growing until they became massive. Gwen and Rin dropped the shield, pulling the others to the ground as they both swung their blades. But instead of swinging them downwards, as his memories told him to do, they swung diagonally. The blade carved through the motel, destroying anything that was caught in their path. The monsters and Nazis burned before their attack, until everything was a mixture of light and red glowing. When the glow faded, the entire motel and all the monsters were gone, consumed in flames. Ben collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood as pain racked through his body.
"Whoa. Ben, are you alright?" He head Rook ask him. He looked up just enough to glare at him.
"Do I look alright to you?" He groaned. "Sorry. That's… Mordred talking. Is everyone else ok?"
"For the most part. But Gwen does not seem that well now. I think that perhaps your Noble Phantasm, combined with the magical barrier, used up quite a lot of her energy."
"Shit. What about Hitler? Did we get him too?"
"That would be a no." They looked up to see a badly injured Hitler standing before them. He was holding onto his side, but his gun was still in his hand. "I look forward to putting you all into the ground." Rook managed to blast his pistol out of his hand, but his follow up shots kept missing. "Well, no matter. I have other means of dealing with you. The 'Ghostapo'," he grimaced as he said that, "were not the only weapons at my disposal. I still have a powerful army at my beck and call. You will all die now."
"Not if… I have anything… to say about it." Ben grunted as he tried to get up. But his injuries, coupled with his wounded leg, forced him to stay on the ground. "C'mon Omnitrix, give me something good." He twisted the dial and pushed down, everyone looking away as they were nearly blinded by the light. When they looked again, Ben had definitely changed.
"What is this? A who's who of everyone I've ever met in battle?" Arturia asked in shock. Ben had become a tall, muscular man with strong Greek features. He was dressed in a heavy red outfit, a mixture of what appeared to be legionnaire gear and heavy cloth. A large cape covered one arm, his other holding onto a short sword. His red hair was completely out of control, giving him the appearance of a man used to living wild. He smirked at Hitler, who was watching him in confusion.
"Ah, good as new." Ben said in a deep, booming voice. This was a voice meant to be heard by all, meant to inspire courage in men. This was the voice of a leader. "Tremble in fear and behold my glory. For you stand before Iskandar the Conqueror." Why was he telling his enemy who he was? Ben wasn't certain, but the strength of this Servant's passion overwhelmed him. He laughed boisterously.
"Iskandar? Well, I never thought I would ever face Alexander the Great himself. Let me prove to you that I am your successor in every way." Hitler said.
"You are an embarrassment and a monster. To have you even attempt a half-assed mimicry of me demeans all I have done. Today, you will fall again."
"I think not. Commander of the Third Reich." A glowing orb of light grew from where he was standing swallowing them all up. When the light faded, they weren't in Bellwood anymore. They were standing before a large metal fortress, covered in red banners with the swastika on them. An army was marching towards them, while cannons pointed at their position. They were painfully exposed.
"This is not good. Or probable." Rook said.
"This is a Reality Marble, a representation of the inner soul of a person." Rin explained. "Although in this case, I'd imagine that it's merely a part of Hitler's Noble Phantasm." Ben started chuckling, causing the others to look at him funnily. "And what are you so happy about?"
"He's laughing because this is exactly what Iskandar was most interested in." Arturia explained. "And he has his own Reality Marble too."
"But Gwen's almost tapped out. She doesn't have anything left for you to use." Kevin said, holding her close to him.
"Not to worry." Ben said. "Being Iskandar has already taught me a valuable tool. While I have be only tapping into her mana, that was because I didn't know that I had my own source to access. But now that I know, I have enough power to use my greatest Noble Phantasm." Another glowing orb grew from him, this one splitting the Marble in half. The side he stood on was now an endless desert, as far as the eye could see. They all turned to the sound of marching feet, a massive army approaching them from behind. "I see. This is amazing."
"What is?" Shirou asked.
"This Noble Phantasm… it's practically the power of friendship incarnate. An army of heroes, worthy of becoming Heroic Spirits, yet brought here by the loyalty they felt for the real Iskandar. Brought here across time and space to fight by his side one more time. Behold, Ionioi Hetairoi." Ben turned to face them. "Heroes of old. While I am not truly the king you once followed, I know in my heart that he and I would be fast friends. We both seek to bring good and order to the world. We both create friendships that last forever. And neither of us would accept the continued existence of such evil as the Nazis. I ask you all… No, I beg you all… Help me to destroy this evil once and for all."
"Whoever you may be, our might shall be your might." A man with long dark hair, at odds with the other soldiers, called out loudly. The army cheered and banged their spears and swords against their shields. Ben felt a hand on his arm. Shirou was smiling up at him, looking ready for another fight.
"Well if you're going to fight, then so am I." He turned to face the Nazis, and closed his eyes. "I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades. Unaware of loss, Nor aware of gain. Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one's arrival. I have no regrets. This is the only path. My whole life was… Unlimited Blade Works." A third orb was created, and now the sky behind them was filled with moving gears and cogs. A bright light shone down upon them, as swords rose from the ground. "Allow me to begin the opening salvo." He said to Ben, raising one hand over his head. Swords were lifted from the ground, floating high overhead until they pointed towards the Nazi fortress. Cannon fire sounded, but the army blocked them with trivial ease. Ben smiled at the promise of battle.
"Charge!" He shouted, grabbing the reins of the horse next to him.
When Beth woke up again, she had been livid to find out that they had drugged her. The doctor, Chadwick, had said she was back to full health. But Saber had already gone, and none of them knew where she had gone. None of the knights reacted to her shouting and temper tantrums, but they always stopped her from trying to leave. So all she could really do was stomp through the cold halls and fume.
It wasn't fair. Everyone else was out there fighting, and here she was stuck in with some unwanted babysitters. She didn't come all this way just to sit the whole war out. Everyone would laugh at her for being so cowardly. In fact, Saber doing it showed that he cared more about his own existence that what she wanted. She wanted to find something to hit, if only to vent some of her anger. She let out a gritted yell and blasted at a door with her magic. The metal was mangled as it appeared five feet to the right, bits sticking out of the stone. She stomped in to find something else to blast, when she spotted something amazing.
A high-tech suit of armour, standing on a pedestal. It had some panels open, revealing magical runes instead of circuitry underneath it. But the rest of it resembled the suits worn by the other knights. Beside it was a sword, glowing with some kind of energy. A crazy idea came to her just then.
"Excuse me Mistress, but this is private." She nearly jumped as she heard Sir Morton talking to her. She turned to see him standing in the doorway, watching her carefully. "How did you get in here anyway?"
"Uh… Someone left it open?" She answered nervously. Morton shook his head as he moved towards her.
"Typical. Whole organisation gets wiped out, and the first thing we forget is keeping things secure. When Sir George gets back I'm going to have a long discussion about this with him. Well, come on. Let's get back to your quarters."
"Yeah, sure. Uh, what is that armour anyway? It looked pretty advanced."
That? That's a prototype we're building. I think King Chadwick's got some kind of magic/alien tech fusion going on. But that's none of your concern. Off we go."
"Yes. But first, I just want to say sorry."
"Sorry? Sorry for what?" She placed her hands against his chest and pushed her magic through them. Morton was sent flying backwards, slamming into the wall hard enough to get stuck in it. She quickly ran towards the armour, already getting an idea of how to put it on.
Ok, actually she had no idea whatsoever.
So it was a good thing that the whole thing split open when she got close. She slid her legs into the greaves, before the rest of it closed itself around her. The exposed runes lit up from her power, and the panels covered them again. It shrunk down until it clung tightly to her, the metal turning green and black. By the time she reached down to grab the sword, it fitted like it was built for her. A lot of numbers started popping up in her face, things she didn't have a clue what they meant. She just decided to ignore them and keep running. The Twins came running down the hallway towards her, drawing their blades as she got closer. "Come on, come on. Give me something to work with here." She muttered, eyes skimming through the HUD for anything she recognised. As one of the knights swung his sword at her, she raised an arm in hopes of blocking it. An energy shield appeared, somehow blasting the knight into the wall. Spinning on her heel, she blocked Comedy's blade with her own and reached out with her free hand. She was hoping to use some magic to knock him out, like she did with Morton. But even though she wasn't close enough, he was sent flying. She looked at her hand in surprise. "Whoo-hoo." She cheered, running back down the stone hall again. This suit was awesome. And those runes… They must've been designed to enhance the magic capabilities of whoever's wearing it. She was so busy cheering that she almost ran right into Chadwick, his large form blocking the hallway.
"You shall not pass, little girl." He growled at her. "Surrender the armour, or I will take it by force."
"Sorry, not happening." She replied, speeding up and heading straight for him. He lunged to grab her, while she placed her hands against herself. Please work this time. She prayed as she activated her spell. She vanished before him, causing Chadwick to crash to the ground instead while she reappeared above him. "I did it." She whispered as she jumped off him and kept running. "I actually did it! I knew that the theory was sound!"
By the time Chadwick had gotten back up, she had already left the base.
Well, we've now got an even more impressive fight going on. And we finally get to see another of Archer's Noble Phantasms. Because Heroic Spirits are based more on the legend of a hero than their actual self (such as Vlad having a vampire Noble Phantasm despite not actually being a vampire in life) Archer's got a Noble Phantasm based around every Nazi superweapon theory. So yes, we will see a Jetpack Cyborg Hitler.
I know that the official wiki says that Excalibur and Clarent Blood Arthur are used with a downward strike, but I thought I'd modify it to make it more of a room clearer, since they were surrounded and all that. Oh, and I originally had George personally know Nero, until I had a second check on the Ben 10 wiki and saw that they do have a confirmed date for when he lived. And it was after Nero's rule. It would've been kinda funny to have George deal with her antics.
Finally, Beth's gotten some proper armour. Yay. I originally planned on Saber ordering Chadwick to get it for her, until I came up with the fact he'd probably want her to be kept safe in the Forever Knight base. Especially after being nearly killed by Archer.