Fire. It surrounded him entirely.
The computers, the walls, nothing was safe anymore. The smoke already caused his lungs to cough up as precious oxygen is consumed for the fire. All while he stood in the center of it all.
"Kuuh. Ku! O-Out!" Already his hands flew to the keyboards, immediately attempting to circumvent the normal system and override the codes that put this place on lockdown. A standard procedure that the room would lock itself down and ensure the fire couldn't spread while cutting off any more oxygen to have the flames die down.
Unfortunately, not only was he still in the blasted room, he found his attempts to get out futile. "Ah..Ahhh!" With a scream he found his fingers burning from the touch. The screens turned black, likely the wires melting from the heat produced. Even with aura, which temporarily protected him from high or low temperatures, it didn't stop him from overheating as he was right in the center of the blaze.
Worse is the fact that he just couldn't get out.
"No!" This couldn't be it. This couldn't be right. How it all ended. As fear and panic rose like an eruption, so did denial that this could possibly be happening. The fire all around him said otherwise. Outright telling him that this was the truth, that this was no illusion, no trick.
All of it was real, which meant the danger he's in is the same.
"Ahhh!" Grabbing a chair, he lifted it up and slammed it against the windows. It proved futile though, as the glass was made of a sturdy material. Strong enough to withstand even a low-level aura user. Meaning the chair he used as a battering ram to break out proved to do nothing as it slammed against the glass and bounced back. Falling onto the ground after a few attempts to shatter it.
Frustration bubbled up. Veins burned in anger. If looks could kill, then anybody that had still been alive would be dead now. But they were already dead. Be it from the initial attack he brought on them or their bodies burning from the fire catching onto them. It made no sense. This was preposterous.
How could fire emerge here so suddenly? Nothing even indicated the technology here overheated, and even then it wouldn't create this much fire. Choking, his lungs demanding clear air, his body fell down, feeling weak.
He couldn't access the security system anymore, the computers and other machines ruined to be of any use. His aura wasn't at a level he could break through the glass or even the doors, made of reinforced steel that not even Hazel could break through even if he tried. After all he did to get this far, the realization that this would be how he would go still felt difficult to just believe. A final attempt at denying the cruel reality around him.
Then...he felt his stomach lurch.
The entire ground buckled, while everything around him groaned. The walls, the floor, the ceiling…the glass itself was actually cracking from immense strain. It was there that any hope of surviving this situation was lifted away like a spell. His eyes crystal clear as at last the traitor to his city and home realized that this was the end of the road for him.
Then, a loud crash was heard after this brief moment of realization. Where Watts only saw darkness crash down on him… along with the entire city of Atlas, upon his shoulders.
There was no denying that Orlando, much as he did work to upholding the peace of Snowfield, has committed his own sins upon the city. The chief offender being, his support in setting up the Holy Grail in the very city he lived in. Acknowledging in his heart that by doing this, when the Holy Grail War began, there would be deaths.
'At the very least, even if hypocritical,' Walking down the stairs, Orlando found himself focusing on what was below the stairs. 'I can try and ensure casualties are limited.' More so for the brave men and women working under him weren't just killed like so. While some of them might die, Orlando had no intention of just letting them die.
Perhaps it was foolish optimism, but then again, Faldeus inviting outsiders also felt just as foolish. Especially since the so-called system that should have allowed his group to find the other Masters and Servants wasn't even working very well. Having trouble detecting the unknown Masters that had been invited by that man.
Well, no point in crying over it now. He's done his best to prepare as much as possible, from the Bounded Field around his headquarters, to informing the officers with him of what will soon happen. All of them prepared to help out, giving the old officer some pride in their earnesty.
Naturally, he shouldn't let down the expectations they hold.
Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Orlando opened the door and let himself in.
"You know, it's considered rude to let yourself in." The voice of a man, tinged in mockery, is heard followed by a snide remark. "Or do you consider yourself above manners?"
"I'm here to see if you've finished the weapons I asked for." Getting straight to the point, Orlando continued walking without breaking his stride. Focused intently on his Servant, Servant Caster at that. Who could be considered both a genius-
"Those must be big boots you walk in. Careful not to trip." Caster chuckled.
-and as some of his officers might say, an ass.
"Is it ready?" He asked again, a bit more sternly this time. He saw his Servant grunt before turning back to his work. Sitting on a desk and tinkering with a few things.
Muttering, "It is." On the desk was some kind of device. It was circular with a little bulb in the center. It appeared as if it were a type of pin one would put on their shirt, similar to how some kids put stickers on them. Caster then held it and twirled the device between his fingers before pinching it to a stop.
"Where I come from, we had the ability to scan what we call aura." Swerving his chair to meet him, Orlando listened as Caster tossed the pin to him which he caught hold of. "Now, the principles and mechanisms are much different, but from what I was…'explained', by the Grail, your 'Od' as you call it alongside 'magic circuits' are a bit similar to a degree."
The pin-shaped device then beeped. "Basically put, this device can scan and detect those who have high 'aura', or in this case, those utilizing their mana circuits." Turning back to his work, as commanded by Orlando, were more of the same devices. "Now you'll be able to tell who has mana, meaning you can tell who is a potential Master. And for Servants," Caster held the pin to himself which began beeping numerous times. "Since we're composed of these…spiritons…it'll go off like crazy."
"Any downsides?" While Orlando found such a device rather interesting, with good use if properly wielded, he doubted it would be perfect. Hearing a huff from Caster, Orlando assumed right.
"Tch. Well, I suppose I can't deny that even if the device can detect a Master, it can only do so if they're actively using their circuits. Servants are one thing, as they're composed of it entirely, but humans, not so much. There's also a range limit to." Looking at the device a bit more, shaped and appeared as a police badge, Orlando held it tight.
"It'll suffice." It may not be perfect, but like any tool, it could be invaluable in the right circumstances. A way to detect a magus was something that would be very useful. "I don't suppose you can create a long-ranged detection system?"
"With the right materials, I can." Caster spoke with confidence. A bit smugly at that. It soon followed with some irritation. "Though I will need more time."
"As long as you get right to it, then it should be fine." Adjusting his cap, Orlando then left, leaving to ensure the final preparations were ready. Before he left, he gave Caster one last look.
"..." They weren't the Servant they wanted, but they had their own use. The man was rather intelligent, and had a great amount of knowledge. Utilizing techniques that were different from normal scientists while developing technology that would astound the most brilliant men in the modern world. It was as if he was one of those fictional scientist characters who could make robots and machines you'd only imagine.
All with the arrogance that came with some of those characters. While unlikely his Servant would betray him, Orlando felt it'd be best to hold some suspicion on him. Didn't help that he was unusual for a Servant. Not looking as if he was someone from the past at all, which only brought the question of who he was exactly.
'Well, as long as he does his job, it doesn't matter.' Closing the door behind him, Orlando left, leaving only Caster by himself to do his own job. A click of the tongue is heard, indicating the Servant wasn't all happy.
"Get right to it. Ugh." Rolling his eyes, replaying the memory, Caster felt old memories from before being brought right back up. Though just as a person didn't like anything that brought them discomfort, the same applied to these memories that made him feel quite the amount of displeasure. All focused on one man.
"Phh. Sounds so much like James." Obviously, the officer's temperament was much better than that giant oaf. Acting a bit more reasonable compared to that wanna-be dictator, yet sounded so much like him at the same time. The authoritative tone and the like. "Well, at least he isn't a complete pain." Besides, the opportunity here was pretty good.
Leaning on his chair, Caster looked at the ceiling and stretched his limbs a bit. Still thinking back on everything that happened since his own summoning, including the information he received from the Grail and all else that came along with it. Beginning when he first came to this strange world so unlike his own.
Heroes from the dead.
A great prize to be earned.
A battle to the death.
My, didn't some of those developments sound so familiar. Primarily the battle to the death at the very least. Remembering a few key details where he himself participated in battles that potentially could have led to death. His enemies that is.
'Granted, I did end up dying myself at the end.' By some freak accident that certainly didn't feel normal. His own instincts came to the belief that something unnatural was involved in his death, yet didn't know just what it could have been. The abnormalities weren't something he could just figure out with a snap of his fingers. They also weren't important either. What was is the war he found himself in.
Rubbing his chin, Watts found himself amused at how things were turning out. A second chance at life and a way to get all he desired. Why, the possibilities of getting a wish-granting prize was just too tempting. So much that he bet a certain brat who constantly got herself outwitted would rush to get the prize only to burst into flames. Wouldn't that be nice.
Chuckling, Caster then got up and walked to one of the shelves to get some materials. Nearby is a book that features mathematics, physics, engineering, and so on. All that his Master allowed him to have so he could study up a little on this world, and he had to say, it was rather fascinating. The contents he read was enough to send his mind flying into the air in astonishment with the old desire of learning bursting like an explosion in his chest.
'This world, to think it has accomplished so much.' Grabbing some Dust he managed to replicate thanks to his unique skills, Watts took them to his desk to process them. Using them as material as fuel for the weapons he was commanded to design. Yet his mind still lingered on this world and the intricate creations they made.
Nuclear weapons. Rockets that could go to the moon. Communication systems that didn't rely on four tall and faulty towers. 'That's not even mentioning some of the technology that this Atlas Institute made if what Orlando told me was true.' Inside Caster felt rather giddy at the prospect of conceptual weapons.
Ah, yes. By no means was Caster putting down his world's creations, especially his own inventions. Remnant having more advanced prosthetics, alongside a unique resource that produced clean energy - if a bit volatile at times - to power their own machines and technology. Even so, Earth's inventions and tools weren't something to scoff at either. He felt delighted reading about how this world sent satellites above the atmosphere for communications,observation, and so on. Whereas Remnant barely managed that after the whole fiasco in Vale.
"Makes me wonder if this is what we could have achieved, well, without the Grimm anyway." Perhaps then Remnant may have had some of the things Earth had. Well, no matter. Sitting back down, Caster then had all his scrolls fashioned in a simple line together before lifting his right fingers and wiggling them. A large holographic screen appeared alongside other smaller ones, featuring different events occurring simultaneously on all security cameras in the building and outside of it.
Even some outside the base which featured the streets, parks, and other recreation locations. "Now then," Cracking his knuckles, Caster smiled. Focusing on one screen in particular. Faldeus' base. "I suppose I can at least do 'Master' his little request"
Getting information on his 'ally'. Hah. An act so much like Ironwood, not that Caster blamed Orlando for this. After all, Orlando admitted it himself. They were allies of convenience, not friends, meaning it's only appropriate to keep an eye on one who just might stab another in the back.
'Still,' Watts thought as he subtly gained access to a few cameras in Faldeus's base current location. Tracing them through the communication lines Orlando provided and isolating the unique frequencies the organization used when in contact. 'It seems Faldeus is quite cautious.' A few defenses in his security.
Caster could break through them…but some measures in the defense system made it that if he did, Faldeus and his group would know someone was in their system and likely purge him from it. Meaning he couldn't get at any of their more sensitive information. Though it's unlikely he could since the possibility they have it in an isolated terminal is genuine. He'd have to do it manually to get access to it.
"Times like this actually makes me wish Tyrian was still here." Psychopath as the man was, the scorpion faunus was good at his job. Especially when it came to hiding from his enemies and entering hidden places unseen.
Still, he could now keep tabs on Orlando's little ally and alert him on the off chance they did anything funny. Hack into them slow and steady, no need to rush it. He could even access some of the cameras they themselves were connected to, though not to many. He had a good number of scrolls to process the information, but best not to overload it and cause a system crash.
Besides, Caster's job was just information gathering and weapon-making. He could acknowledge that in a fight, he wasn't as skilled as those he once knew. If anything, staying here underground was probably the best for him. In the safety of this base while ensuring his Master's men got exactly what they wanted. Weapons that could harm even a Heroic Spirit, utilizing the 'Mystery' as the magus here called it, of his world to theirs.
Either way, Caster felt confident he could win this war so long as he played his cards right and outlasted the more skilled Heroic Spirits who fought one another. After all, he was in essence-
Vvvmmm. Vvvvmmm. Vvvmmmm.
Pausing, Caster looked and noticed one of his security feeds had picked something up. An alert.
"Hmm." Typing in a command to see what was picked up, Watts felt that something was about to happen. The alarm had been designed to alert him if anybody he knew and inputted in his system had been detected. Orlando giving him the faces of such people which made Caster wonder if his program found one of the recognized Masters. With a push of a button, Caster went to check.
"Ah." Where, with a slight gasp, Watts found himself finding a very familiar face that certainly didn't belong to any of the other Masters. One he had only known for about a day. Certainly not expecting them to just show up, especially in a situation like this.
"Interesting." All of which made him smile as he observed through the cameras he had access to. Having spotted a certain girl his program recognized back when he was alive and associated with, even if for a bit. At the very least…she would be much easier to work with than that obnoxious little brat he called an ally.
Perhaps an alliance was in order. With a devious smile, no different from a predator finding amusing prey, Caster set himself to work and began activating one of his creations he made for Orlando. In the corner of his little workshop, something tall moved with a red glow spotted. With a simple command, it then left with Caster watching through it. Wondering if this will all work out.
After all, he wasn't even sure if his old acquaintance could even be trusted. Well, if she refused, he supposed he could just deal with her then and there. In the meantime, he should see if Faldeus's group has done anything of interest. Even if he can't access their more sensitive information, he could still pick up on their less-defended communications systems to check any messages on what they know.
With a quick look, Caster then found something of interest, though didn't know what to make of it. Something in the forest where trees were…disappearing? The hell? "A Servant perhaps?"
But what would be the point in making trees disappear? Caster could just send a drone to check it out, though he didn't feel it was all that worth it either. Besides, he had more important matters to attend to now and one Holy Grail War to win. As if anybody else would be as worthy as him to win the Grail.
The night would soon end. It wouldn't be long until daytime arrived, though there was still a few hours before dawn arrived. As such, men had already been dispatched for various duties. Observation, information-gathering, with some given weapons in case they ran into any potential trouble.
Faldeus already sent some of his men to check the Kuruoka's neighbors to see just what that family was doing. Despite spending all this time preparing for the war with Faldeus, they were now acting strangely and Faldeus needed to know why. Meanwhile another group was sent into the forest to see if they could deal with the Servant's Master, though only if they could. Finally, another group dressed as civilians were already heading toward Tine where, like Lancer's Master, see if they can deal with her.
All things considered, everything seemed to be going smoothly for the most part.
"Hello." Shame Faldeus had to deal with her, his collaborator. Someone who was less than sane from his analysis of her alone, though a bit fun at times due to their personality. Sometimes.
"Francesca Prelati." Faldeus spoke coolly, used to her eccentric attitude. "I see you've finally contacted me. I assume it's because we can start the true ritual of this war."
"I finished speaking to Orlando and he was such a bully to me. How mean is that? Hahaha!" Right. Sometimes she spoke seriously, other times she just brought up unusual topics. It was difficult to tell if she was just easily distracted or did it on purpose.
"Alright." Not interested in hearing how Orlando was likely, and (probably) justified in insulting Pretali, Faldeus asked, "By any chance did you see his Servant? Perhaps get a few clues about them."
"So mean. Not even caring about my feelings. Boo." Despite sounding sad, her tone indicated she was just amused. Having fun and likely had a smile from the other end of her line. "But, yeah. I got a glimpse." She then shifted gears and spoke in a more business-like manner, with her own flair added to it. "Some dull guy who doesn't look fun at all. But he does have some interesting toys I wouldn't mind breaking. And he has mana ores as well, but a bit different from what we have."
Faldeus felt his phone buzz and checked it. He got a picture. One that showed Pretali smiling while holding a red glowing rock near her face. It seemed to be burning her skin.
"The few I took without his notice are fun." The sound of clapping hands is heard. "One blew up. Another made me all wet and sticky. And another shocked me. It was fun!"
"Uh-hu." Interesting. So Orlando had some kind of magus as a Servant. A Caster Although he would like more details on them if he could. See what famous historical person they used to be.
"They also had a bunch of giant robots in their workshop." Pretali then added, purposely at that. Having clearly held this information for last. "Kinda like Gundam's or whatever they call it."
"...robots?" That…didn't sound like a magus at all. "What do you mean by-" Just to ensure he got more information, he heard Pretali laugh.
"Oops. Sorry," She didn't sound sorry. "But a certain person has just arrived. I'll call you soon." The phone then hung up, leaving Faldeus without any answers.
"Huh." Sighing, he decided to forget it. For now, anyway. He'll get his answers another time. Besides, he needed to focus on what was in front of him and simply just hope nothing else got too strange.
Instead of a loud-mouthed Caster, Orlando got a smug one with an entitled attitude. Still, I suppose their relationship could be considered more professional, if only because they see this as a beneficial relationship and no more than that.
And Pretali being Pretali. Man, it's amazing how someone could be so dangerous, cute, and inhumane all at the same time. Guess we see where Gilles got some of his personality from.