"Huh…" Maverick lets out a sigh as he, for the millionth time, walks around the rental shop he works in, carrying a frown under his face mask as he does. "Ow!" He exclaims, feeling his head prick, before something floods him. A new presence.
At this feeling, he sighs, and he then smiles as he continues walking. With the free time, he thinks about what the presence brings with her, before he sighs. He massages his head once more, thinking about the Holy Grail, the war, and about Servants and mages. His heart races at his thoughts, and his stride then pauses.
His gaze proceeds to move, surveying the store he is in, before he sighs. Then, with a smile on his face, he continues walking, his pace faster than it ever was.
Soon, he reaches the store exit, before he pauses, seeing Jeanne outside the shop. While they have decided that it is best for her to stay nearby, a reunion so soon was not within his expectation. He then takes a deep breath, before he stares once again.
A man wearing sunglasses and a face mask stretches his hand out towards him, with light shining at the man's palm, before Jeanne runs at the stranger and grabs him by the wrist.
As Jeanne forces the stranger to his knees, Maverick continues staring at their surroundings. Beyond the horrified audience, more strangers appear, and their hands shine like the first one. "Jan!" At Maverick's call, his Servant runs to his side, and bolts of light fly from the strangers' hands and towards the two.
"Argh!" With a shout, Jeanne unleashes flames from both of her palms. While the attack eliminates the threat, it also brings about another development.
Burnt flesh and a pained man, a dying man's scream. As Maverick turns to his Servant, he sees her watching the hands that wrought this situation, before the two's gaze move to their surroundings.
As the nearby strangers' hands glow once more, Jeanne's blades spawn in her hand, and the strangers promptly make their exit. Afterwards, Maverick turns to Jeanne, who looks at the still burning man on the floor. His hand then holds one of hers and he runs, his heart racing as he does, accompanied by alien feelings.
…
"Were those your former Master's men?" Maverick asks after the two ran for some time. While initially glaring into the distance, his Servant sighs before turning over and nodding. "Jonas Jaeger." She says, and he nods. Then, as her eyes once again drift into the distance, he rubs the back of his head.
"You wanna find some place to sit?" He breaks the silence again. "I am fine. That arschloch got what he deserved anyway." With Jeanne still glaring into the distance, Maverick massages his forehead. "So… any ideas on what we should do?"
The young man's question draws a raised eyebrow from his Servant, and he, while smiling, goes on. "I just ran off with a woman who burned someone alive. I am sure I need the Grail now." After he speaks, she glares, and he quickly goes on. "I mean…" As he pauses, she sighs and looks away before answering. "Well, truth be told, I-"
She quickly runs over and tackles him to the ground, and as pain strikes him, he hears it. Gunfire.
A peculiar mask over his face, possessing a pair of lenses covering his eyes, and a soldier's helmet to cover what the mask does not. Modern body armor covers the gunman's body, and in his hand, a rifle, which he aims at Maverick and Jeanne.
"Putain de merde." Jeanne says before summoning flames to block the second shot. "Master! Find somewhere to hide!" Maverick stares as Jeanne blocks a third shot, before he quickly looks around. Luckily, there is a carpark nearby, and with no one around despite the vehicles present, the young man promptly hides behind one of the cars.
With her Master behind cover, the Berserker roars and launches a spout of flame at the enemy, and uses the chance to close the range. "I am going fucking barbeque you!" She shouts as she runs, an act that does not disturb her enemy's flow. Luckily, she is able to shrink the distance with ease, using her flames to protect herself as she goes.
Soon, she is close enough to hack at the enemy, and she does, but the enemy backs away. "Ya ain't getting away!" Jeanne howls as flames build up on her blades, before the gun in the enemy's hand disappears, and what takes its place causes Maverick's eyes to widen.
"Ugh!" Jeanne grunts as she dodges a thrust from a rapier, the attack blemishing her cheek despite her effort. "Your speed is admirable, fair lady, but you have to forgive me." The fencer says while taking his stance, his voice distorted, "I have no intention of getting barbequed."
"Tch! Ya. You aren't too dumb, you fucking Lancer." "What?" The fencer responds to Jeanne's statement as her Master also stares at her, before she then releases a blast of flame, one that the enemy dodges.
"I see. Fascinating strategy, Berserker." "How the fuck do you know?!" "Ya. Not too difficult, and seeing I am the Saber, unless you are the Caster, which is unlikely…" "Ya. I am convinced you are a Lancer."
As the enemy pauses once more, Jeanne shoots off another flame, only for her target to once again dodge. Maverick can't help but chuckle as Saber lets out a groan, and while Jeanne's attack misses once more, a handgun then spawns in Saber's free hand. The Berserker blocks the following shot with fire, and her enemy rushes ahead.
Then, despite the Berserker's effort, blood soaks the dress under her jacket.
And thus, the heated fencing match begins. While fires from both sides miss their mark, the steel held by one of the fighters yields a different result.
…
"Shit. Shit. Shit." Maverick says as his Servant backs off after another narrow escape, panting as she does. Once again, the enemy opens fire before approaching, and as his blade nears Jeanne's flesh, flames erupt out of her, forcing him to back away.
Maverick lets out a sigh and continues to watch the ongoing battle, analyzing the enemy Servant and mumbling to himself as he does. Fencing, combined with guns from today's world. Not to mention, from how he is unaffected by Jeanne's… merriness, chances are he's a fighter with a sense of humor.
While her Master is lost in thought, flames appear between Jeanne and her enemy, and she turns around, facing her Master. Seeing her eyes wide open and seemingly directed to the space behind him, Maverick turns around.
A figure wearing a black hoodie, face covered by facemask and sunglasses, stands in front of him. As soon as their eyes match, the stranger pulls out a handgun. "Argh!" Jeanne shouts as gunfire rings, and a pillar of flame erupts. From the fact Maverick feels no pain, he assumes the flame destroyed the bullet.
The summoner of said flames then jumps over the car her Master hid behind and lands in front of him. With a tug, she moves him away, and the glass that was behind him proceeds to shatter.
Now, the two are trapped by the two strangers, possibly Master and Servant, both wielding handguns, with the Servant a rapier.
"Go where you want… Die where you… must…" Jeanne says in a foreign tongue as the flames that surround her burn intensely, the discomfort from them stinging Maverick from every direction.
"Do you intend to destroy your own Master?" Saber asks. "If it means bringing down your ugly Lancer ass." Saber sighs, and despite the situation, Maverick grins, studying his Servant as he does. "Enough." The Master of Saber says, his voice distorted like his Servant's, "We are leaving."
…
…
"You are angry again…" Maverick says with a smile as Jeanne continues to glare, the treatment he received after their previous battle. After said battle, the two managed to return home, and now the sky darkens outside their windows.
"Look, I am sorry, okay?" Maverick continues, "We both know I am no mage." His Servant sighs at his words before responding. "Fine. Fine. I can cover for your useless ass anyway." As Maverick bites his lip, his Servant continues to glare, and his eyes widen.
Before they did, after he bit his lip, his Servant looked to the side, and the anger in her eyes got displaced as she too bit her lip.
"Ja-" Pin! "Argh!" Jeanne shouts, her Master having been cut off by a loud sound. As she does, she fires flames at the source of the sound, the now broken windows. As for what broke it, an arrow on the floor with a piece of paper tied to it.
Maverick looks at where the arrow came. The neighborhood he lives in, while it can be sparse in pedestrians, is not so in houses. But yet, even with many points the assailant could launch his attack, Maverick does not find him. Thus, he follows the only available clue.
"Come outside or I will destroy the neighborhood." The Master turns to his Servant, who, while still angered, moves. "Possibly Archer, but…" Maverick comments as they reach the door, and with her mood as before, his Servant answers. "Whatever. I will burn the fucker alive."
The Master can't help but chuckle as they exit the place he rented, and just then, Jeanne catches an arrow flying at her. While the Master watches the steel near her face with concern, she looks into their next clue, still angry as she does.
More instructions, and they follow. "Hrrr…" The Master exclaims as he moves, rubbing his arms as he does, but warmth soon fills him. As it does, he notices a small black fireball levitating by his side. "Than-" "Fuck you." As he stares at his Servant, she catches another arrow.
After reading the message, she sighs. "Come on…" She says in annoyance, "Let's go." "Ja-" "Let's go." After warming his hands by the flame, the Master follows the Servant.
"Hm…." Maverick hums after some movement, the cause being, upon arrival at a park, him feeling something prick at him. "Huh." Jeanne's exclamation draws his attention, and while still angered, she continues. "Guess you aren't entirely useless."
As he stares, she quickly continues, "Look, there's like some… magic thing here. So you know…" She sighs, "Good job picking it up."
He stares as she keeps moving, before he then lets out a grunt. Something hit him in the chest all of a sudden. At the same time, a loud sound erupted as wind blew at his face. After recovering, he sees what pushed him. Jeanne, and after she pulls him up, he sees why.
A pillar has cracked the floor next to where he stood, towering over his five feet plus build. While one end of the structure has sunk into the ground, the feathers that decorate the other tell the young man what it is.