Fate/Hacked
Chapter 1: Prelude to the Hacked Holy Grail War
The Clocktower of London. Not the location, but the organization of mages that lived in secret, protecting and enhancing their magecraft and always striving to improve themselves. It was at this location that one of the largest powers in the magic world existed, and amon them was a certain classroom that stood out more then others.
That was of course, El-Melloi's class. As if anyone had any other ideas. However, right now, everyone was in a frenzy.
"Is it true, did someone hijack the Grail War system of Fubuki and moved it to some island?!"
"What is going on exactly? Did some sort of tectonic shift effect the leylines, and shifted and activated Fubuki's grail war system in a nearby island?"
"Iv never even heard of this island before. Are we sure it was not conjured with Magecraft?"
"Who framed Rodger Rabbit?"
"I heard a rumor that the Grail War stats were abnormal".
The teacher was rubbing his temples, before slamming a book down to make some silence.
"Listen you lot! Right now, the matter is under investigation, but it isn't anything for you all to worry about!"
Although he said that, one particular student just had to speak up.
"Then tell us, Big Shining London Star, why did you book a flight to that location?"
As for who it was, anyone with a bit of knowledge in this subject could guess. Which was why that very same one had a large book fly into his face.
"Because it appears Modern Magecraft might be involved, I am being sent in. I will be leaving tonight, but dont worry, iv prepared plenty of homework for all of you, especially you Flat. So you will easily be able to keep busy".
Upon saying that, class ended for the day, so he quickly made his way out. He picked up a bag and a package along hte way, and inside the bag he made sure to check on things. Surely enough, the object he wanted was indeed still there.
Now, let us see if the rumors are true.
He then saw something else, a note on what appeared to be a protective charm, signed by Flat and wishing him good luck.
"...I just hope he doesn't end up joining this one".
Annoyances aside, he knew Flat's prodigal skill in Magecraft. He would rather avoid having to fight his own student, but especially Flat. Since it wouldn't shock him to hear if Flat ended up winning a Grail War.
"Truly, considering it is closer to Asia then anything else, the name of this island is quite peculiar" a woman said as her helicopter flew over the large island. To be exact, it flew over Avalon Island, a large island that could easily fit a city ten times that of New York City and still have plenty of room for nature. It had quite a large city still though, and plenty of development around it too. It even had tall mountainy areas covered in snow, a lush and dense forest, a desert, wetlands, beaches, and everything else. However, when one checked the history records, it had always been there, the island itself. It had just blended in so well, until now.
However, its name, and its peculiarity of not going noticed until now, had drawn interest. Especially since a Grail War system was in place.
A butler came by, and bowed.
"My lady, the catalyst and the ritual site is prepared. We have already confirmed other mages have begun arriving and are preparing to summon, so should you desire a Saber Class..."
"Shut up! I know these things, and I am in charge. I am already annoyed that we were caught off guard. I knew a Grail War was being planned in secret by those people, but to think they would go out of their way like this, especially after Snowfield...this is truly quite vexing".
She glanced out from the helipad on the building she had just acquired.
"This place will be the site of my ascension. With the Grail, I shall acquire what I desire, even if I must burn down every life in this city to do so".
She then followed the path and headed inside, where several more butlers, all incredibly hot, awaited. She walked through them, and then looked at an older man who stood at attention in front of her, the leader of the group.
"Have we successfully found and acquired all the assets my parents have left?"
"Most of them, your grace. However, we believe your brother".
She slapped the man immediately.
"I, Ayumi Kurogami, am the sole heir to my family and our magecraft. In fact, speaking of that brat, where is he? I ordered you all to kill him, so he should be dead by now".
"I am afraid that, in the process of going after him, he slipped away onto a cargo plane. We only realized it once it had landed, and it seems he had stolen a number of computer equipment as well".
"What sort of idiocy is he planning. And how hard is it to kill one eleven year old boy?"
"I am humbly sorry that we have yet to satisfy you. He also got hold of some accounts, where he purchased more computer equipment, but it seems he avoided letting us trace it to a location. Still, he has only been in the city for a day or two now".
She paused when she heard that.
"...what the hell do you mean, in the city? You mean, he is here? In this city?!"
"Yes, ma'am".
She paled for a moment, before being overrun with anger.
"How could you let such a disaster happen! You idiots! Obviously, he intends to get in the way of my brilliance! He is just a talentless loser, so find him and put a bullet it in his head!"
The woman was only twenty two years old, yet she had inhereted the crest and her family's magic. She might have used forceful means to do it a bit, but still. She and she alone was worthy, so some half blood was an eyesore to her. She turned her attention to the room in front of her.
"Is this at least ready? Can I now go and summon the servant I desire?"
"Yes. The Fragment is ready for you".
"With this as a Catalyst, I shall show those insufferable wretches who tried to steal my grail what real power is" she muttered, walking into the room. There, floating in the middle of the summoning circle, was a piece of Fuyuki's Holy Grail.
"So much magical energy within, and merged with such strong heroes. Its time to bring you forth. Its time to summon the King of Heroes! Gilgamesh!"
Meanwhile, in a room filled with computers and desks, with many screens on the walls showing city security footage, a few people were gathered.
"So far, the leylines are remaining stable. That said, the bounded fields we had set up around the island have, as expected, weakened. Even now, mages from other factions are flocking in to try and summon Servants and take control of the Grail War".
"And Fuyuki's leylines? Is the connection itself stable?"
"Yes. Truly, we are fortunate the two grail wars happened so close together, and they both had spill off of magical energy. It soaked into the soil and saturated the leylines. With our siphons, this grail war will have an even stronger ability to connect with the Greater Grail".
"Modern Magecraft is turning out to be quite useful. To think we were able to use it to hack into other Leylines and even a Grail War System to make one here".
"It looks like someone noticed us ahead of time. That woman, she is still furious about being left out of previous Grail Wars. It seems she intends to intrude on this one and win".
"Rumor has it she discarded her brother just today. Should we attempt to find and use him in some way against her? Could have valuable information".
"The way I hear it, she treated him as a servant, not a brother. I doubt he knows anything of merit, his grades were average as well. Just a first year in middle school. We dont have the time or effort to waste on someone who doesn't show much talent or use".
"Understood. Also, we have identified someone of note approaching. Lord El-Melloi has arrived, and rumor has it is already summoning a servant".
"I see. I suppose that is good information. We now know who will be Rider and Rider's master".
"Sir?"
"The catalyst he has is well known, as is what made him rise to fame, the Fourth Fuyuki Grail War. He made sure to obtain a very specific catalyst, so his joining is not unexpected. However, he is quite skilled and dangerous. There is a reason he was made Lord after all. Are any of his apprentices joining the fight this time?"
"None that I can see".
"Thank gods, he left the monster at home. Iv heard rumors of his little gremlins, and I would very much like to avoid having to fight Grey...but especially Flat".
The subordinate nodded to the man, as she adjusted her glasses.
"But you know, I do hope you can properly entertain me in the meantime" a woman said as she stepped out into the light. "After all, you went with such a convoluted method to bring me out after all and steal the Saber Class for yourself".
"I suppose that is true, Saber".
"Still, I wonder where your looks come from Asi?" the woman wondered. "Considering who you should have been..."
"Probably the previous Saber of the last Fuyuki Grail War" the woman said. "A side effect of what you did I am sure. No matter, the sword is all that really matters. Still, quite an interesting summoning you attempted master".
"As Director Kiba Hashiyama, I must always think outside the box to ensure the future of our organization and its interests. The Clocktower will certianly be in a panic once it learns the truth of us, after all, so we always need to be ready".
Suddenly, Saber reacted, and several comptuers also gave out an alert.
"It appears that others are beginning to summon their servants".
In one room, of what appeared to be an old and rundown building, various corpses were gathered as someone had finished summoning a servant.
"Who is the one who I would call Master? I am Lancer, my true name is Lucious Longinus" the woman stated.
A man stepped forward, a dangerous look in his eyes.
"You may call me Takuma Matou, the future head of the Matou line".
"You monster..." a man said, as a woman shot him in the head.
"Huh, it appears that I may have brought one too many sacrifices. Oh well" she said, as she looked at the Command Seals on her hand. "Still though, quite impressive".
"It never hurts to thoroughly split their heads open for good measure, lassy" a man spoke with an Icelandic accent. "You must sometimes thoroughly rampage to teach one a lesson".
"Just what I want to hear from my servant. True Name Egill Skallagrimsson, the great viking berserker and sorcerer".
"I suppose that means you wanted to try and doubleteam on classes did ya, et a Berserker and a Castor?"
"The people who arranged this used us, and then they tried to betray us. Did they really think we would not notice? They shall learn that this city is not as much under their control as they might think".
She picked up a corpse, which wore a uniform similar to the Director but less fancy, and tossed it aside.
"It appears they have set themselves up to have some sort of authority on this island, but still...no matter how much one tries to set up and plan ahead, such things are generally useless for a Holy Grail War. That isnn't to say there isn't a merit to them...but, too large of one is just unwise".
She then looked out the window, at the street below.
"It appears they might be bringing in more forces. Lets head out for now and go back to home base. I am sure they will be annoyed when they learn that I disrupted their attemtps to try and have multiple servants fighting for them".
As she said that, and her servant headed towards the exit. Before she could tho, she turned around to see a small cloaked figure, standing there.
"...who the hell are you?"
"Master, be careful. I cant sense their pressence at all right now".
"Mila Yevensky, I just wanted to say thank you for clearing the way for me. I hope to see you soon".
Although they sounded youthful, like a young boy, their words none the less seemed quite dangerous. It felt more like a threat then anything, but they disappeared before anything happened.
"...why did they appear like that? Something is going on, we should leave and regroup, and see what we can learn about the other masters and servants".
At the same time, a blonde haired woman with her pink haired companion walked through the streets, sighing.
"This all seems to be quite the mess. I am glad at least we have managed to get togehter smoothly, Rider".
"Naturally! It was a bit of a pain intercepting that though, but alls well that ends well. Still, do you plan to hide your face the whole time?"
"Of course! I even have an alias planned, Elle Puc. Still, it looks like people are up to no good here. This might be tough on us, Astolfo".
"Relax! I am one of the Twelve Heroes of Charlamagne after all!"
"I just want to make absolutely sure that our wish gets granted, is all. No matter what".
Astolfo got a bit of a serious look for a moment. "Yeah, I understand". Still though, it looks like everyone is just finishing up summoning their servants..."
The moment Astolfo said that, the two felt a great shift in the world, something within the leylines, the magic, and the very rules itself. It was like it had just been poked and prodded, not just by one person, but multiple people. Like the very framework for this Grail War was just hit by something.
"...that wasn't a good feeling, was it?"
"No, it was not".
At the same time, Waver Velvet was in the middle of his own summoning.
"I call upon you, to manifest now in the world of the present. From the throne of heroes, descend and lend me thy sword, thy bow, thy weapon of choice. Ride with me, rage with me, for it is time for our great battle against the sea of darkness. Our foes are numerous, so we must stand strong! Laugh well! Fight together! It is time to claim the throne once more! So now, come forth!"
The circle was activate and the summoning was successful, but then a surge of mana ripped through it, emerging from the leylines themselves. In that instant, it became overcharged, and tthe vibrations knocked something down. The bag, in which Flat's good luck charm fell out from and slid into the circle. It suddenly began to glow even more then the catalyst Velvet had focused on, as the summoning magic activated.
"Hmmm...teacher?"
Flat's voice resounded outward. Velvet, no, El Melloi II looked up at him.
"Why did you follow me?" he asked on instinct, when suddenly he saw something. Flat was wearing his usual attire sure, but for some strange reason, he had a wizard's hat on his head, a rather stereotypical and kind of ridiculous one. But more then that, Waver couldd feel it instinctively, as he also looked at his command seals on his hand, and the lack of a servant in the room.
"Haha! It looks like you successfully summoned me! True name Flat Escardo, Castor class! Nice to be working with you!"
It was such a situation that bordered on absurd. Had he not known of the full story of the Fifth Grail War, he might have assumed it was straight up impossible. But there was a precedent for this.
Yes, it appeared that he had summoned a Servant...from the future. And Flat no less, although truth be told given Flat's abilities, that did not surprise him in the slightest. He had known for a long time the boy would be skilled and capable enough to reach the Throne of Heroes, especially given his involvement in El Melloi II's investigations.
"...perfect, just perfect..." he muttered sarcastically. "...but where did that surge of mana come from? I believe I was the last to summon a Servant".
"About that teacher...it appears that an eighth one was summoned, and not a Ruler Class, going by the leylines" Flat said.
Some time earlier...
Kuro Kurogami ran down the street, as bullets whizzed by him. He turned a corner and hid behind something, as two people in suits followed him around with guns drawn and ran down the alley. They looked back however quickly, but he had already enacted some magecraft and created a kinetic blast to knock both of them into walls. He then hit them again for good measure, causing them to fall to pieces...litterally. Once revealed, they appeared to be robots.
"Damnit sis" he muttered, as he looked towards the recently purchased building. Unlike the fancy and expensive clothes his sister had been wearing, he was just wearing a white T shirt with a magic wand on it, a red vest, black shorts that just covered his knees, green sneakers, and a set of blue headphones.
It looked like he wanted to break down and cry, but he didn't have time. He ducked into an old, abandoned building, quickly running through the first floor and heading into the basement. There, things looked far different. Countless computer servers were there, as well as a sleeping bag, some cups of ramen, a few books, and a laptop. However, that was not all. There was also a magic circle in the center, the kind used to summon servants.
"She will kill me during this Grail War, especially if she manages to get a strong servant like Gilgamesh or Arturia. I dont have any choice" Kuro said, as he linked into the city systems. However, that was when he applied Magecraft to the computer, and suddenly it started to run a new program. A map of the leylines appeared, and he typed in a command.
"Looks like I can just make it in! Alright, run program, !"
He said that as he stood and faced the circle, holding out his hand. He didn't recite a chant though, but behind him, the computers were working a full speed. Every server activated, and magical energy from the leyline began to pour into the room and supercharge the circle.
In truth, he had done his research, and he learned thanks to a certain someone who had recently gotten involved in a Snowfield Grail War, that it was possible to summon a servant without a catalyst or other normal methods. That said, he wasn't some genius prodigy like that boy was, but this eleven year old boy did have skills no one had yet to notice. A type of magecraft that excels beyond the norm, one that would catch everyone off guard.
A type of Magecraft that could only exist today in the digital age. The computer equipment around him ran this magecraft, and even now it had worked its way into the leylines, tapping power and magic and causing him to do what should be normally impossible: Summoning an 8th Servant. The Command Spells formed on his hand, and the magic came through and materialized in front of him. From there, a small figure emerged, about the same height and age as himself, with blonde hair and red eyes.
The boy was about to speak, but then he was silenced by Servant.
"You jacked into the leylines right? People probably took notice, so dont reveal my true name or class to anyone okay? In fact, given your name is Kuro...lets go with something that matches it! You can call me Shiro!"
Shiro declared as such, as he quickly took a step and phased the entire basement.
"There, that should prevent anyone from tracing it back to us. Now then Master, first things first. What is your wish, and where can we get some food? I am kind of hungry" he said with a playful and innocent smile.
As night fell, a singlular small boy, roughly ten or eleven, also looked upon the city, a look in his eyes.
"...to think, this would end up being what happened..."
"Did you deliver the message I asked?" an artificial voice stated through a choker on his neck.
"Yes. Still, to think this is the truth".
"But you plan to change that horrible and terrible thing with your wish right, and establish a new truth?"
The boy narrowed his eyes, his face full of conviction.
"Yes. Yes I will".
"Good. Now lets get started, my darling little Assassin".
List of Servants and Masters:
Caster: El-Melloi II/Waver Velvet and his servant, Flat Escardos (Future?).
Archer: Ayumi Kurogami and her Servant, Gilgamesh.
Saber: Director Kiba Hashiyama and his Servant, Asi.
Assassin: Unknown and their Servant, Unknown.
Rider: Elle Puc and her Servant, Astolfo.
Berserker: Mila Yevensky and her servant, Egill Skallagrimsson.
Lancer: Takuma Matou and his servant, Lucious Longinus.
Unknown: Kuro Kurogami and his Unknown Class Servant, "Shiro".
Timeline Notes: So in this timeline. the events of Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha, and the El Melloi Case Files have all happened and are a part of the timeline. Im aware Apocrypha might have some conflicts, although it seems those really weren't mentioned as much in tthe anime. But basically, since the Lesser Grails make contact to the Greater Grail anyways, I figured it was safe and possible for them to have connected that remotely and for all events to have still transpired. Plus its more fun this way!