Time comes and goes much like the ebbing of the sea's waters, calm yet steady, never ceasing despite the changing of the seasons. He'd watched as his Master grew from a petulant young child into a thirteen-year old brat right before his eyes.
It didn't matter to him whether the passing years had been productive or not. As a Servant, Shirou only had the interests of his Master in mind now that he had all but confirmed the none-existence of a Grail War.
Out of everyone in Remnant, he alone seemed to be the only Servant. A fact that astounded him more than the level of Ruby's latent energy that was enough to constantly sustain him. Moreover, he could not ascertain the purpose of his summoning.
Was there a grander intention? Or was everything the result of a freak accident?
He had no answers and could find no magic history he could research in all of Remnant's Kingdoms despite the abundance of mana in the air. He found it strange, almost as if magic had been taken away to be replaced by individual Semblances, but he digressed.
The seasons had passed on an endless cycle, and his progress in understanding his situation had stagnated.
Well, whatever. He wasn't exactly one to linger on things that had no immediate answer.
As a Servant he'd simply do his duty as a Servant until his eventual passing. Yet if he only had a single complaint, it would be his appearance.
Heroic Spirits were generally summoned at the age of their strongest, but due to the uniqueness of his situation, his current age remained stagnant at eighteen. Worse, his youthfulness made him look even younger by two-to-three years. Assuming that his current demeanor was a result of natural laws of the World of Remnant, then there must have been a reason that his prime summoning age was eighteen; a time in his life in which he carried the greatest naivety, charging head long into situations he could not possibly account for on his own.
He sighed, chalking the oddities of his summoning to his abysmal Luck Stat which ranked the lowest amongst all his skills.
As much as he'd like to say that nothing eventful occurred in the passed years, much was to be said about the introduction of a new Kingdom in Remnant, Vermillion. Its population was generally comprised of Faunus with an ample number of humans mixed in, but conflict was kept to a minimum through screening and regulations that went over Shirou's head mostly because he had no need to know them.
What was important was that Excalibur Galatine had served its purpose; the light of its radiance creating the first 'night less' Kingdom by maintaining the sun through its connection with a leyline beneath the earth.
Galatine's might was as the sun, its rays piercing through the dark and forcing the Grimm back. This characteristic of Galatine's light astounded all who witnessed it. Further testing even revealed how lethal it could be to weaker Grimm, part of their bodies spontaneous combusting into thin smoke.
Galatine already had the properties of cleansing Evil even before Shirou tampered with it through Alteration. All that Shirou had done was magnify the cleansing effect and incorporate an immovable aspect into the sword after stabbing it shaft-deep into the bedrock.
Part of the reason Vermillion prospered so quickly was the amount of interest and fanaticism that Galatine obtained, bringing in excess food and water from hovering bullheads filled with executive personnel. No matter how hard they tried though, Galatine could not be moved. Coupled with the fact that there were no records at all from the Huntsman Schools about the Huntsman of Red, his mysterious disappearance led others to conjure a false impression.
That the Huntsman of Red was the vessel of a forgotten God of Light and Prosperity.
To make it worse, the story had proliferated when a group of fervent individuals erected a plaque near Galatine that said that only the worthy may wield the sword.
Shirou could not believe what he had heard at first, but the small altars suddenly erected in parts of Remnant's Kingdoms by religious Faunus spoke otherwise. Worse, the governments of the Kingdoms allowed the story to proliferate.
Shirou was exasperated, but at the same time he could understand the actions of the government officials of the Kingdoms. Even if the governments didn't believe in the story itself, so long as the people drew security and happiness from it, nothing else mattered.
What the government actually did care about was the sheer energy harnessed within Galatine's sun. With its power alone, it provided all energy for the Kingdom of Vermillion through the use of solar technology and light panels, and even then, there was excess.
Many heated debates had sprung up in Remnant's other four Kingdoms with Vermillion as the main topic. James Ironwood had proposed digging out the earth around Galatine's blade to transport it away, but his proposal was met with criticism from all sides. Not only did a substantial number of Faunus and Humans rely on Galatine's light, but the Faunus around the world would probably rise up in revolt if such actions were taken. Galatine was Vermillion's life line, and as the first Kingdom comprised primarily of Faunus, no Faunus wished to see it destroyed.
Doing so would probably result in another war.
James insisted that he had no intention of harming Vermillion and only wanted to transport Galatine away in order to research its light properties for the benefit of Remnant, but was still refused. Too much was at stake. In the end, James could only settle with creating mechanized facilities around Galatine.
When Ozpin, the Head-Master of Beacon Academy was questioned for his opinion, the man remained uncharacteristically silent, a deep furrow in his brows that didn't fade even after the meeting ended.
Shirou didn't know too many details of what else had transpired due to the remoteness of Patch, but it wasn't as if he had the time to interject to anything anyway.
"Watcha doing, Mr. Hero?" his Master smiled mirthfully at him.
He was currently overlooking the school ground of Signal Academy on the roof of the academy building where students were only allowed access during breaks. Ruby should have known this rule, yet here she was facing him with her head tilted inquisitively to the side as if she had done no wrong.
Even if she couldn't see him, as his Master, she could know if he was around just by feeling out with her senses.
He materialized in front of her after making sure that he was away from view.
"Ruby, please stop calling me that," he sighed. "At the very least, please get rid of the Mr. Do I even look that old to you?"
Ruby looked at his face and suddenly found herself unable to hold in her laughter, her expression breaking in amusement. Shirou really wasn't that old in appearance, a fact that Ruby realized while growing up to a face that never seemed to change. Moreover, she was at the age where she was beginning to develop interest in the opposite gender. Worse, as both Tai and Qrow were in charge of her classes as teachers of Signal, she was almost always seated away from any boys.
More than that, like Shirou had expected of Ruby's personality, she was socially awkward around others that she was unaccustomed to. To Ruby, the only ones that she preferred to hang around with were him and Yang who didn't believe in his existence despite Ruby's insistence; even more so when Ruby tried to explain that she knew the Huntsman of Red.
"Nope, to me you're always Mr. Hero," she glanced down at the ground. "That's what mom called you the last time I saw her."
His brow twitched in exasperation, a glare directed towards the woman floating near him and apologizing awkwardly, but by this point the damage was already done. He grimaced as Summer simply shrugged her shoulders, taking entertainment from his annoyance. It irked him more than he'd like to admit, especially because Summer was the cause of the problem.
He sighed. There was no changing anything anyway.
"You know that you're breaking school rules, right?" He said, staring Ruby right in the eyes. "Your father isn't going to be happy about this."
Her smile disappeared instantly; Ruby suddenly developing a keen interest on the dirt that clung onto her shoes. "You wouldn't dare," she said unconfidently.
His gaze remained placid. "I may not choose to appear in front of him, but leaving a note or letter isn't beyond my means," he explained watching the changes in Ruby's expression from carefree to a deathly realization of impending punishment. "That being the case, you are my Master."
Her complexion brightened, her head shooting upwards in hope. "Y-You mean you won't tell?"
He shook his head, tussling Ruby's hair before finding a place to sit down. "I didn't see anything today, but don't make this a habit. You still have your weapon to think of later."
Ruby didn't say anything else and quickly sat next to him, talking animatedly in rapid fire. Her words entered one ear, and out the other unless it was actually important. The type of weapons she could use and specific forging methods for example were subjects he would comment on with all seriousness. However, when the topic turned to gossiping and whether or not make-up was a good idea, he turned a def ear, muttering the occasional 'uh-huh' or 'is that so,' in response.
He didn't shy away though. Quite frankly, it was the opposite. He sat closer to her and allowed her a sense of closeness to alleviate the loneliness he could feel that she was gradually developing.
As Master and Servant, parts of their emotions and feeling were shared through the link that they carried and it was particularly apparent with recent issues.
Yang was out again. She and Ruby generally spent a lot of time together, but it was slowly changing as Yang became more distant.
Yang was probably carrying some sort of trauma from Ruby's disappearance in the past, and didn't want to involve Ruby in anything dangerous again. Yet to Ruby who could not understand this, it felt as if one of the two people that she relied heavily on was leaving her for no reason. It didn't help that she wasn't good with words and spoke too quickly when she was flustered to get a direct answer from Yang.
Overtime, Ruby would probably get used to it, but right now was not that time.
At the very least, Ruby was doing her best, yet even she could be weak and require someone to rely on. He wouldn't push her away.
He glanced at how happy Ruby looked while she babbled on an on, running out of topics and starting new topics at the flip of a dime. Clearly, she had no intention of stopping. His lips curved upwards, his hands resting behind his head.
It was fine like this.
The days of peace and tranquility were starting to affect him.
Eventually, Ruby had no choice but to leave due to her classes, but her mood had evidently improved as she moved towards the door of the roof. "Thanks," she whispered subconsciously, a hand pressed to her chest.
It need not be said what she was thanking him for because it was already quite evident. He pretended as if he didn't hear, making it easier for his Master to depart without any awkwardness.
Now the true battle began.
He blinked his eyes open before promptly shutting them tight.
"If you think I'll disappear by closing your eyes hard enough, you're mistaken," Summer's voice was reprimanding.
"It never hurt to try," he said, scrunching up his face and pressing his eye lids down harder.
"Don't force me. You won't like this Rose when she's mad."
He opened one eye to see Summer directly in front of his face, her arms crossed menacingly, but he was hardly frightened. Besides, Summer's facial features were too soft to be anything effectively intimidating. What concerned him was what she'd do to harass him.
He prepared himself.
Contrary to what he was expecting however, her gaze shifted, focusing on the blonde-haired fifteen-year-old trying to discreetly make her way out of Signal's campus.
As Signal was the main combat school of Patch, it was located quite distantly from known locations where Grimm remained active. Without the looming threat of Grimm, Signal Academy didn't have a very effective campus security, making it fairly simple for Yang to slip out on her bike.
"Watch over them both okay, not just Ruby," Summer snapped her head to stare at him sternly. "And don't tell me you can't do it. You already told me that you were an Archer Class."
Ruby was going to be busy during the school year and probably wouldn't leave the weapon's shop until she'd successfully forged her weapon. Considering that she was within Signal Academy which both her Uncle and Father as teachers, she'd probably be safe if he left her unattended for awhile.
Summer knew this and was fully intent on convincing him to follow after Yang.
All Archer-Class Servants possessed a skill known as Independent Action.
The name itself was a give away to the skill's purpose. Running on a limited supply of energy, he did not effectively need to be around his Master to function efficiently. The only downside was that he'd have to regulate his magical consumption. Should he run out of energy and begin drawing from Ruby, she would feel it and instantly realize that something was wrong. She may even do something stupid without supervision.
There were definite risks involved, and he had no obligation to act.
On one hand he had a socially awkward Master to take care of, and on the other, he now had a tomboy to deal with. Worse, he couldn't refuse either as he didn't want to test what lengths Summer would go to in order to convince him.
That, and he probably would have acted even before Summer insisted.
It was just who he was as a Hero with an ideal to save all.
In the end, he could only blame his luck for the beginning of another headache. With a thought, he vanished in mots of golden light.
He didn't have much of an idea about where Yang was intent on going, but it was fairly easy to keep her within sight as an Archer. She had moved past the remote areas of Patch where she and Ruby lived to go straight towards Patch's main city twenty minutes away by bike.
He travelled up over the city in spiritual form, each step carrying him passed the rooftops of numerous buildings where only mysterious gusts of wind were left behind at his wake. In spiritual form, he couldn't exactly make contact with objects, so as to accommodate for his movements, he'd partially take form to kick off with his feet. All others would be able to see of him was a near indiscernible silhouette.
Then again, it wasn't as if many people took the time to look up at the skyline and see him jumping back and forth anyway.
Following Yang, Summer was the first to start frowning.
Yang was slowly making her way towards the part of Patch where she absolutely should not be going. Summer as Yang's adoptive mother was naturally upset, her lips forming into a frown. If not for the fact that she couldn't interact with Yang, then she'd probably have laid down the iron rule of discipline on Tai's behalf. The man was too doting to punish his daughters too harshly anyway and look where that got him?
"She's going to the Underground District," Summer said anxiously. "She knows that neither Tai or I would ever let her go there."
The Underground District was simply an imaginary boundary known by Patch's residents that separated the kinds of people dealing in illegal business. It was a den of societies less-savory individuals.
He stared at Summer. Even if she told him that, what did she expect him to do? Apprehend Yang in broad daylight?
The most he could do right now was just continue following until the point that he needed to intervene. In which case, he couldn't go as he appeared right now. Too many people were on the lookout for the Huntsman of Red, and practically all of them possessed Scrolls that could record his image. The fall out of people discovering who he was too much of a hassle for him to handle despite his ability to dematerialize. Patch would be flooded with news reporters and all sorts of individuals wishing to meet him, and of course, he wouldn't be the one that was troubled. That role fell upon his Master.
Should she be recognized as the little girl that had accompanied him to Vermillion by Faunus local to the settlement that they had discovered, she would never get a day of rest. If they couldn't find him, then she who had no way of dematerializing at will would never lead a normal life again. It didn't help that her social awkwardness would probably lead her to become a recluse if not handled properly.
The things he did for his Master.
Then again, it was his way of life.
It was better to inconvenience himself rather than trouble others.
With that in mind, he sprung into action.
If he was unable to appear in front of Yang with his current attire, then he'd simply change it by 'borrowing,' from anything nearby. It wasn't as if the people of the Underground Society were morally clean anyway. Taking a few pieces of clothing from them shouldn't be too much of a crime. At most he'd take some of the jackets and apparel hung to dry on wire netting at the verandas of a few rundown apartments.
He'd saved up some money over the years that he could leave behind anyway to compensate.
Again, he wouldn't appear in front of her unless he felt that he needed to intervene. Hopefully, common sense would return o Yang and she'd just leave before Summer got any angrier. It was he who had to deal with the exasperated mother and he didn't exactly look forward to it.
Continuing to follow after Yang, Summer's countenance grew more and more neutral to the point where Yang had to count her lucky stars that Summer could not physically get her hands around her.
Rather than get her hands around Yang, Summer's hands were slowly creeping up around him instead, causing a distinct feeling of discomfort that made him consider whether or not it would have been better plan to leave Summer behind at Signal with Ruby.
"She's going too far!" Summer was done watching and tailing form the sidelines with him. "What does she think that she's doing?"
Yang had just snuck into a bar that she should not have had been allowed access to given her age. The only reason she wasn't suspected on quick inspection was due to her ample bosom which was far bigger than any her age.
"Go! Go done there now!" Summer all but demanded of him when she saw Yang taking a seat by the Bar's counter, making idle chatter with the waiter.
Based on how Yang was sitting and her subsequent actions of leaning forward and smiling lightly while flashing a certain photo in her hands, she was evidently attempting to fish for information.
What she couldn't see due to her inexperience was the fact that the waiter and men around her weren't exactly focusing on the photo she displayed discreetly. Their attention was entirely on her and whether or not she was alone.
Yang had her custom-made weapons mounted on her wrists in the form of large golden bracelets, but if she was caught unprepared then there was no way that she'd obtain the upper hand.
By this point, Shirou was actually curious about just what Yang was trying to do.
Without any other reservations, he decided that now was the time to take action.
"Hey, are you listening?" Yang was getting frustrated. "Have you seen her or not?" She revealed the picture of her biological mother a second time, only to realize that the people in front of her didn't care at all. Her lips pursed together as her brows drew near.
"We might have seen her or we might not have," the bar tender said lightly, much to Yang's irritation.
From the information she'd gotten from a man named Boyd Flynn from Vale's capital city, there was a high chance that her biological mother was somewhere in the area. Of course, she'd never been to the specific location before and was inwardly growing flustered, but she couldn't allow it to show on her face. Signal Academy had taught her that no good would come from losing one's composure.
She sucked in a breath and tried to remain civil, not noticing how she was currently surrounded, two men near her back, and another three women sizing her up.
"Look, if you don't answer straight, I'm just going to leave right now," Yang was done with waiting. Her patience had never been her strongest point, and it was running thin.
The bar tender raised a brow, before chuckling. "Now hold on there, little lady, perhaps there are other things that we can discuss first?"
Yang grew confused as the Bar tender gave her a suggestive look that was mirrored by the others around her. "Discuss things like what?" She said, crossing her arms in confrontation.
The people around her remained silent, and it was only then that Yang became aware that something was off with the atmosphere. She put away the photo of her mother while her fingers discreetly moved to activate her bracelets at a moment's notice. It was then that a youth suddenly sat down next to her with an aura that caught everyone off guard.
In the Underground Society, the population was mainly comprised of thieves and beggars, but there did exist certain people with exceedingly high capabilities that stood above the rest. They were called Mercenaries, a profession that had not seen the light in decades within Remnant as the majority of them opted to become Huntsman and Huntresses when their financial situations improved.
They were called Mercenaries, but they were basically just people for hire that would do most unsavory jobs to make a steady earning. Yang had learned of them at Signal.
Still, it was the first time that she had ever seen one, and based on his clothing, he didn't appear as if he was in poor straights either. He wore entirely black, as if he was afraid that he'd be recognized if he wore anything else. He had a long trench coat over his shoulders that covered his army-fashioned cargo pants and whatever he wore beneath. On his face was a half-mask that covered everything from the nose-up.
"This lady and I are leaving," his tone was eerily neutral, broking no room for argument and stunning Yang who was at a loss for words.
"…You are this young lady's companion?" The bar tender asked carefully, getting a distinct feeling of danger just from Shirou pointing his gaze at him.
"Yes," Shirou answered evenly, but Yang just had to ruin everything.
"No, no he's not," she denied openly in confusion. "I don't even know him."
Shirou turned to stare at Yang who expectedly looked guardedly at him. "I'm trying to help you," he whispered discreetly.
"Help me from what?" She replied back, silencing anything else Shirou had to say to convince her to trust him.
Summer was about ready to throw a gasket trying to lecture Yang in the air.
The scene grew silent until Yang grew too fed up and decided to leave. At the very least, it was what Shirou wanted, but complications were bound to occur after Yang had opened her mouth and drew a line between their relationship as strangers.
The men and women around glanced at each other before barring Yang's path. Her expression froze, her eyes widening into saucers.
It was only then that she truly realized what Shirou had meant when said he was trying to help her.
The bar tender lowered himself to whisper into Shirou's ear who was still sitting by the counter.
"If you don't know the lady, then I hope you'd stay out of this matter," the bar tender said softly. "You know how it is in the Underground, we have to stick together don't we? How about this…"
The bar tender's words trailed off as he noticed the fury building in Shirou's eyes.
He could tell that Yang wasn't exactly afraid of the opposition in front of her, her lips slowly curving into a smirk, but there was no he could sit still. Not only was Summer already glaring at him to get off his ass, but there were certain repercussions that had occurred due to allowing Summer to tamper with his spirit origin. For example, Summer's emotions were directly shared with him, subconsciously influencing him to the point that his body reacted before he could consider his actions.
"If you touch her, I'll break your legs."
A hand pulled Yang in close, wrapping around her shoulders and pressing her head to the nape of an exposed neck.
Flirting with boys and joking was one thing, but Yang had never been so close to one before. Blood rushed up to her face in an explosion of red, her cheeks flushing brightly, her mouth stammering inaudibly, but Shirou could care less.
His attention was focused fully on the people barring his path. Nothing was special about them except for their physique which reflected their optimum physical conditions. Then again, they had to be if they wanted to operate within an Underground society.
They hesitated at his threat; the aura he was outputting honed from years of working as a Magus-Killer in his last life forming into a dense cloud of intimidation. He was made fully aware by Summer that the people of Remnant all had a base level of Aura that naturally protected them form harm.
In short, he wouldn't have to hold his blows too much as a Servant.
This fact manifested in the form of a sharp glare that threatened death if obstructed. To Yang who was in Shirou's arms, it almost felt like her uncle was beside her. It was the disposition of a veteran Huntsman, and not some random Mercenary.
Under the weight of his momentum, none challenged him as he walked Yang outside and into the backstreets. She didn't struggle too much as she was in a daze regarding what was happening around her.
On further contemplation, the scenario reminded her too much of the beginning of a certain love story that her friends at Signal gossiped too much about. A tale of the bad-boy rescuing the damsel to live happily ever after. Her cheeks felt bitingly warm as the thought suffused her mind, but she soon composed herself and pushed out of Shirou's hold when they were a safe distance away from the bar.
"That was dangerous you know." Almost immediately, Shirou reprimanded her. "What you're doing right now isn't something a girl your age should do."
Yang fell into the defensive. "What does it matter to you?" She backed away slowly. "You don't even seem that much older."
She had him there, but this wasn't about him.
"Truthfully, nothing," Summer pinched him by the ear. He forced himself not to react. "But you're lucky I was around."
Yang's lip twitched as she unruffled the creases that had formed on her Signal Academy uniform. It was mostly dark blue, but Yang wore a custom set with the linings tinted yellow and gold. "I could have handled them myself," she bit down on her lips before looking for something that she could use to change the subject.
"What's the mask for, something to hide Mr?" She eventually decided on.
He didn't answer and stared her down, the awkwardness causing her to fidget on the side.
The reason he wore a mask was because his face was definitely seen by the Faunus originally in Vermillion. He didn't want to take risks, so he chose the method most suitable for him.
"Everyone has things to hide, whether it's you or me." Shirou crossed his arms and let his shoulders sag. "And for the record, don't call me Mister. You can call me Archer." He'd had enough with Ruby calling him Mr. Hero. At the very least, he didn't want Yang to be calling him with a similar title.
Yang paused at the name before giving him a once over. "Lame," she spoke with a grunt. "Who uses code-names anymore anyway?" Although Yang said that, it was common in underground societies to hide their real names as a safety precaution in case of enemies wishing to track them down.
"And I suppose the use of 'Ms. Blonde KickAss,' is better?" He eyed the piece of identification Yang so carelessly left out in display. The bar she had entered required some sort of identification, and evidently, it showed how lax the bar was to let someone with Yang's identification in.
Yang didn't comment. The name sounded cool when she thought of it in her mind, but when Shirou said it aloud, she suddenly couldn't face him anymore and pouted silently in vexation. Even if he wasn't making fun of her, it sure felt like it did to her ears, and it made her keenly self-conscious.
The name sounded childish from Shirou's mouth. It was a realization that prompted Yang to maneuver away from the topic, the pride that she felt in her naming sense taking a heavy blow. Moreover, why was she wasting her time with a stranger?
Rather than speak any further, she took off into a sprint much to Shirou chagrin.
The action was so sudden that both Shirou and Summer were caught off guard, watching dumbly as Yang took off around the corner before reacting.
"She's in trouble. Big trouble." From the tone of Summer's voice, she wasn't joking. She'd probably force him to write a letter to notify Tai of Yang's activities.
Regardless, that wasn't something to overly concern himself about for the moment. What mattered was that he had to keep track of Yang.
He took to the roofs, jumping back and forth with reinforced legs.
Yang was trying to lose him. That much was clear from her erratic movements through the backstreets. Against an Archer-Class Servant though, she may as well have had just run a straight path. There was no getting away from his perception.
What was worse was the fact that Yang had no idea where she was going if the furrowed expression on her face anything to go by, yet not once did she stop running. Her mentality was that the farther away she ran, the less likely it was that she would get caught.
This troublesome girl.
She probably wasn't paying attention, but she was heading directly for a group of armed individuals congregating at some sort of abandoned Dust warehouse. Judging by the ears and animal appendages, the armed group were all Faunus. The majority of them wore Grimm-like masks and were overlooking a map that contained drawings of different shipment routes. On closer inspection, the unique symbol that marked certain locations on the map indicated that the shipments belonged to the Schnee Dust Company.
Shirou didn't have much of an idea what the people before him were planning, but what he did know was that it probably wasn't going to be a good idea if Yang stumbled in on them.
At the current instance however, Yang had already entered a certain part of the warehouse. Fortunately, she'd yet to be noticed.
He had to act now.
Yang was panting, her legs feeling sore after exerting herself too hard, but she must have lost Archer by now.
She relished in a small feeling of victory before she realized that she was not alone in the warehouse she found herself in. Noises and talking could be heard further ahead and it seemed as if they were growing louder.
Yang was not being quiet in any sense of the word because she didn't have a reason to hide in her ignorance of the situation.
Just when she was about to get caught by the Grimm-masked individuals, a hand pulled her away from the side and dragged her behind a large pile of construction materials left behind by workers.
Her eyes bugged out, her arms and legs thrashing wildly and beating against Shirou's chest. He had no choice but to muffle her mouth with his hand when he noticed that she was moments away from cursing at him. Even then, he came to a startling realization that she was attempting to bite his hand in her desperation to escape what she perceived to be a kidnapper.
"Stop struggling or you'll get caught," he was forced to whisper heatedly, twisting Yang's head to look at the group of armed individuals that had rushed to her previous location. She looked utterly floored upon seeing them and the sheer number of weapons that they carried.
She slumped visibly.
"I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth, so stop biting me already," he tried to speak as calmly as possible, but even Servants felt pain.
Yang nodded, and Shirou released her.
"If you're unfamiliar with this area you shouldn't have been stupidly running around aimlessly," he chastised, ringing his fingers a few times to alleviate the numb feeling of Yang biting down on them earlier. At the very least, she looked sheepishly apologetic for her actions after understanding that he'd come to her aid. Besides, she had no words of rebut. She was too stunned at the sheer number of armed Faunus that it took her brain several moments to process just what kind of danger she was in.
Shirou scanned the surroundings, trying to find a way for the two of them to sneak out, but quickly comprehending that Yang had alerted too many of the masked-individuals. The entire area was tightly locked down with hardly anywhere to escape unnoticed.
Judging from how serious the masked individuals were acting, there was probably no use in negotiating a way out.
Yang must have had stumbled upon an illegal operation far more dangerous than just robbing a local store, and he was the one who had to bale her out.
His silence as he assessed the situation was making Yang nervous. She was still only fifteen and this was the first time she'd ever gone so far into the Underground district that she had no idea which way to go. Worse, she lost her scroll when she was trying to lose Shirou's trail, but at this point, she was glad that she hadn't lost him.
Moreover, in the midst of danger, it was only now that she realized how competent he seemed. He exuded an air of reliability that was mesmerizing in its intensity. When she caught herself staring in a daze, she swiftly turned away and coughed into her hand to alleviate the redness of shame working its way up to her face.
It wasn't the time to ogle at boys.
She slapped her hands to her cheeks to compose herself before realizing that she probably shouldn't have done that.
Almost instantly, Shirou turned to stare at her in dumbfoundment. He had a few choice words that appeared in his mind, yet he couldn't bring himself to say them when it was clear that Yang already knew her fault and was looking miserable because of it; her hands were literally still frozen over her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to be saying 'I didn't just fucking do that.'
He ignored her.
There was no longer any time. Already he could hear the masked individuals making their way towards them.
He sucked in a breath, and in the same instant, a bow formed in his hands.
"What are you doing?" Yang spoke up from beside him. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice. It wasn't just one enemy that they'd have to deal with, and Yang hadn't planned for a prolonged fight. She only had her Dual-Ranged Shot-Gauntlets on hand and not enough shells to tide her through. There was very little ammunition she could take in her outings without her father noticing a dip in the house's reserves.
"Making a distraction," Shirou answered, a sword forming on his other hand.
He didn't want to make a large scene, nor did he wish to collapse the building by using too much force. More than anything, he had no desire to kill needlessly. It was true that the people of Remnant had a natural output of Aura that protected them from attacks, but he'd never actually experimented on how much power was needed to shatter that Aura.
The masked individuals were planning something that could potentially be harmful, yet he was confident that he could defeat them at a later date when he was alone. For the time being, Yang had precedence in his priorities. Neither he nor Summer wished to risk Yang's life on a stray bullet.
"Trace On."
Right before Yang's eyes, the sword hovering over Shirou's hand began to visibly twist until it resembled a fine arrow. There was no noise or whining of metal, only a swift completion that left Yang perplexed to the type of Semblance she assumed Shirou to possess.
Giving Yang no more time to think, Shirou notched his arrow and aimed at the valve of an old steam boiler that used to regulate the warehouse's temperature in the colder seasons.
The problem was, not only was it far away, but to land on target, the arrow would have to bend its trajectory at least twice.
It was an impossible shot and Yang knew it when she noticed what Shirou was aiming at. At least no Huntsman or anyone she knew of was skilled enough to hit such a target.
This was why her mouth slowly fell open when the arrow curved and avoided all obstacle as if it had a will of its own.
She stared at him dumbly, feeling like she finally understood why his codename was Archer.
The kind of accuracy she'd just seen was monstrous.
At the same time Yang was left flabbergasted, Shirou grabbed Yang's hand and bolted towards the nearest exit with her, a wall of steam obscuring visibility from the explosion of the old boiler.
Shirou escaping by himself was one thing, but escaping with Yang without drawing suspicion on his identity was another. Of course, he wouldn't hesitate to take her to safety should he have no other options left, but for once it seemed like his fortune was finally improving.
A motorcycle was parked directly outside the warehouse and leaning against a post, most likely the vehicle of one of the masked individuals inside. It was chained with a heavy metal padlock, but he made quick work of the restraints by reinforcing his arms and tearing it apart like cardboard. The sight had Yang muttering 'that had to have been Aura. He had to have been using Aura.' He put aside her words and jumped onto the motorcycle glancing at Yang who was just staring at him.
"Isn't this stealing?" She said carefully, moving to sit on the back seat.
"They were trying to kill us," he responded back.
"Point taken," she said flatly, her lips curling up into a smile. She liked this plan. She liked it a lot. She'd only asked because of how diligently her father had raised her, but her personality was one that preferred less thinking and more acting.
Revving the gears, Shirou refamiliarized himself with the motorcycle's handling. Truthfully speaking, he didn't really have much of a Riding Skill as a Servant, yet a motorcycle was easy enough. It helped that he used to repair motorcycles for the Fujimura family in Fuyuki which improved his understanding.
With a couple twists of the accelerator, the engine roared to life just as the masked individuals poured out of the warehouse in droves.
Yang held onto his waist; her head pressed up to his back as the winds buffeted over her. She couldn't understand it, but she felt as if she could trust the person in front of her. Her father warned her many many times that she shouldn't get involved with strangers or boys he didn't approve of, but Archer seemed different. No, he was different.
"Why did you help me?" The question came out of her mouth before she even knew it, her curiosity getting the better of her despite the danger behind her. She supposed that her trust was already high enough to believe that she was safe already.
Shirou clicked his tongue, and focused on driving.
The masked individuals tried to catch up to him, but his dynamic vision was far better than theirs and it didn't take long before he swerved too far out of sight for them to keep track. It was only then that he felt it appropriate to answer Yang's question.
"It's not wrong to save others," he responded curtly, his eyes resting on the meter of the fuel gauge that was running low. "It's what an Ally of Justice would do."
Yang grunted lightly, turning her head to rest her cheek on his back as she absently watched the passing buildings. "Coming from a Mercenary, that sounds like bullshit?" She mumbled.
"Heroes come in different forms," he spoke whatever came to mind.
"A Hero, huh," Yang mouthed out the words, recalling the way Summer used to read to her in her sleep and slowly relaxed her body. She had been tense from the moment the confrontation had began and only now did it hit her just how tired that she was.
She fell silent, content to just stay clinging to the warmth in front of her, and suddenly realizing that perhaps there was merit to the stories her friends gossiped about. At the very least she could understand why her friends insisted that the bad boys were the most attractive.
She closed her eyes, letting the rumbling of the motorcycle's engine lull her to a state of relief.
Eventually the fuel began to dwindle, yet fortunately, Shirou had driven the motorcycle close enough to reach Patch's capital by walking.
He stopped the motorcycle after it ran out of gas and began walking it the rest of the way while Yang tailed beside him, her eyes not leaving his form.
Eventually, they could make out the lively light of Patch's open-market streets, a far cry in comparison to the bleary alley both Yang and Shirou occupied in the Underground District.
Shirou's steps stopped at the edge of the alley, between the bustling roads and the dark underside of society's backstreets.
"You aren't leaving?" As soon as Yang asked, she knew that she was being stupid. Regardless of Archer's circumstance, there must have been a reason why someone like him was part of the Underground Society. She shook her head. "You aren't going home?" she rephrased her question.
"No," Shirou replied curtly, wheeling away the motorcycle for later use if needed. "I'm not."
He was fully intent on dematerializing as soon as Yang was out of sight, and besides, "There's no longer a home for me to go to." In the entirety of Remnant, he was the only one of his kind.
He inspected the motorcycle, not noticing how Yang stiffened at his words, nor the way that she now looked at him as he hunched over and began doing a few repairs on the motorcycle's engine. The motorcycle was a worn and beaten yellow ninja, and despite how cool Yang thought it appeared, only Shirou and how desolate he looked alone by himself occupied her mind.
Meanwhile, Shirou recalled his own family; at the way Kiritsugu used to stare absently at the moon while resting at an open veranda overlooking a garden. His expression was always so distant, filled with a kind of yearning and acceptance that was entrancing in its intensity. He had been a mercenary. A man that had went around the world saving others at the best of his capabilities in pursuit of an ideal which inevitably cursed him to an early death.
Determined, strong, unbending, Kiritsugu was a man that had only been able to look forward, unable to look back until it was too late.
In the early days when Shirou was first adopted by Kiritsugu, the man had been distant, almost unnatural in the way he seemed unaccustomed to caring for a child and socializing in general. He was absent on most days, his activities concealed within the experience of his trade hidden behind the flimsy excuse of business in Germany.
The more he recollected his past, the quieter he became as he finished up repairs and hid away the motorcycle.
If Shirou had anything to say about the emotions he felt regarding Kiritsugu's behaviour back then, it was anxiety. Kiritsugu looked more and more haggard with every trip. It made him uneasy and he could emphasize with what Tai or Ruby would feel at Yang's constant outings.
His mood plummeted, something in his disposition causing Yang who was staring at him to flinch, her cheeks pulling on her lips, her hands feeling clammy.
"Go home," Shirou said forcibly, a persuasiveness in his tone that bore deep into Yang's mind. "You have a family that's probably waiting for you." He moved passed her and back towards the dark alleys. "Don't take them for granted."
He left. The echoing of his steps the only sound that Yang could hear, almost as if she was spellbound. Her lips pursed together, the way her eyes drooped giving away how conflicted she felt. From the small interactions she'd had with Archer, it became clear to her that Archer must have had experienced far more hardships then she, and judging by his voice and build, he didn't seem that much older than her.
The clicking of his steps sounded almost lonely in her head.
Her eyes trained on his person until his silhouette vanished within the shadows of a low rising building.
What kind of life did Archer live, and why did someone of his capabilities and ideology choose to become a Mercenary rather than a Huntsman?
More than that, did he not have anyone to rely on?
The answer wasn't something that she could know just by thinking.
Besides-
"And don't come back."
She took his departing words as a challenge.
Expression unreadable, she left with more than just thoughts of her biological mother on her mind, mumbling the name Archer beneath her breath.
Thanks for Reading! And thanks to my newest patrons: Aaron and Frank!
Next update: Fate In Time
Note: In regards to Menagerie, I didn't list it as an official Kingdom because it was where Faunus were simply assigned to after the Great War. Most of it is uninhabitable desert and the other Kingdoms wished to push all Faunus to confinement there. Vermillion on the other hand was the First Faunus-founded Kingdom without it being delegated by the other Kingdoms.
Another side point on a review brought up about Yang. It's true that she probably could have gotten out of the situation herself, and I don't believe I wrote that she couldn't at the bar. What I did write was that she got flustered from Shirou's actions, not the people barring her path. From another perspective, there was no way Shirou couldn't act either with Summer being right there watching it all happen.
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