A True Titan

A/N: Yes, it took a long time. Totally my fault. But life gets in the way. Well, that and I was trying to combine this chapter with the next, and it didn't really work until I cut the other stuff out. Feel free to head over to my to support me if you'd like. The next chapter while not totally completed is up.

Major thanks to my patrons! Ummy, 1982, Shirou-AoV, R. BaerChauDavis, PDXDude11, B .Bowler, PDXdude11, Micheal, Biktur, J. Bravo, Joseph Bookwyrm. ColcytusRising, M. Juwan Alexander, Rayne Nephew. You all rock, and your patience is astounding! Thank you all so much.

Chapter 11

The two of them stood in a trendy little shop called Trenton's, located on the upper floors of Jump City Mall. A place that boasted the best gifts for every occasion.

Considering they were shopping for a certain Titan's Birthday, it seemed the perfect choice.

Or it did at first. After looking around the shop, Shirou wasn't quite so sure.

While it did have a lot of various things in every color, from black to one called neon fairy dust, which just looked like a nuclear rainbow, Shirou didn't see a whole lot that Raven would want. Or, more specifically, he saw nothing she'd enjoy. As they began their third pass through the shop, 'just in case they missed something,' Shirou felt like throwing his arms up in disgust. Instead, he looked about for anything that caught his attention. Then he found it! It was perfect! It even came in a dark blue/purple color!

"How about that?" He pointed at the item in question.

Miyu, on the other hand, didn't seem to be convinced in the slightest. "And you think that's something she wants?"

The look on her face seemed to beg Shirou to say it wasn't a good idea.

Shirou shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?"

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"It's a lava lamp, Shirou. Have you ever known anyone who had one? Or wanted one?"

He shook his head. But that hardly meant anything. His number of acquaintances could be listed on a hand, and it wasn't like he'd really spent much time with them. For all he knew, it was a super popular item.

Apparently, it wasn't. "Then what do you suggest?"

She opened her mouth and paused, seemingly unsure what to say. Finally, she answered in a quieter voice. "How about a book?"

He chuckled and said, "I thought you wanted to break expectations. Get Raven something she'll love but wouldn't ever think to get for herself."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Miyu blushed and tugged on her hair. She bit her lip as she scoured the shelves, looking for anything that might have been a good birthday gift.

Once more, he gestured to the lava lamp. "Are you sure this doesn't fit the bill?"

"Shirou, I don't think anyone would want that."

He dropped his head to his chest. How was he supposed to know what to get her? What did one get a goth teen superheroine? A jar of aged eye of newt? There was no way she would appreciate that. He straightened as an idea struck him.

"Do you think they have a utility belt or other gadget?"

In reality, it didn't have to be a utility belt; any gizmo that would help her fight all the nuts that seemed to be migrating into the city seemed like it might be a good idea.

"She doesn't use tools."

At Miyu's reminder, Shirou grimaced. It almost seemed like the girl was being intentionally difficult to shop for.

"Then what about a puppy?"

Shirou shook his head. "I think they have enough animals running around with Beast Boy on the loose."

"He does seem like the type to mess the floor." She wrinkled her nose. "guess we're back to whatever you suggest then."

She walked beside him, paying just enough attention to keep from bumping into anything as she tapped her finger to her chin. "You could give her the demonomicon?"

Shirou shook his head. "No chance."

"What if you used the demonomicon to enchant something for her?"

It wasn't a bad idea. The book wasn't as vile as the name of the tome suggested. In fact, as far as he'd seen, only seven spells had anything to do with demons. And one of those was in regard to a window small enough they could only speak through it. No, if he chose the right spell, it might increase her chances in any fight. Gems would be a good choice for it, which meant rubies probably. Wait.

"Isn't this supposed to be a gift from you?"

She gave him a thousand-watt smile, seeming almost too excited. "You'll let me do the spell?"

Shirou snorted. "Nice try, but no. Besides, do you feel like making something bleed?"

Her face twisted into disgust, and Shirou knew he'd gotten his point across. The demonomicon wasn't nearly as bad as most would believe and was highly effective. Still, the methods used could hardly be considered kind or neat.

"Then it's a moot point, isn't it?"

"You could make her a ring for me?"

A ring? That was a bit forward for a gift to someone he barely knew. And that was ignoring the possible implications. Shirou took a moment before he let his thoughts wander too far and turned his attention to Miyu.

"Why a ring?"

"Well, she's got a ruby broach and belt. A necklace could get pulled on and used to choke her, and bracelets and bangles can get caught on things. A ring just seemed the best option."

He probably wouldn't have believed it if it had come from another person's mouth. But from Miyu, he could see her looking that far ahead in any given scenario.

"And what would the spell be?"

She shrugged, "I've watched a few of her fights on vidtube. She's got a lot of power, but besides her force field, she doesn't have much protection.

Shirou nodded to Miyu because her reasoning was, as always, flawless and second to himself. She was definitely up to something.

Still, he'd seen a spell that would do the job, a spell that deployed electricity, or maybe it was a thin layer of super cold ice across the user's body when the command word was given. Such a thing would be invaluable to anyone.

"I can do it." He said with a sigh. "I just need a ring."

Miyu held her phone in the air. "Ordered!"

And according to the screen, a silver band was on its way.

The action drew a few interested and irritated looks from the other customers. Still, none said anything. If they did, they waited until they'd walked out of the store.

The wind picked up as the mall door closed behind them, and Shirou wrinkled his nose. The air smelled of rotting eggs, an acrid smoke, and something Shirou couldn't quite place. Was it some kind of drug?

Glancing at the corner of the building, Shirou considered going and checking out the smell before shaking his head.

"Come on, Miyu."

Taking her by the shoulder, Shirou guided her through the parking lot.

Mary was waiting on the front steps for them when they arrived home. He would have wondered how she'd managed to get to the stairs with the bounded field up, but he had a feeling that she'd just run straight through. And the smoking craters in the ground seemed like it would be enough to support the evidence.

Still, he would have figured the traps would have let her know that he wasn't interested in having guests.

"Miyu, you go inside and make sure we have everything we need for dinner, please?"

Miyu glared at him. It was clear she had no intention of doing what he asked. "I want to know too!"

Shirou ruffled her hair. "It's nothing. I'm sure she came by just to talk."

Miyu deadpanned. It was apparent she didn't believe him in the slightest. As accurate as that was, it was also clear that she wasn't about to argue, even if she didn't think what he was saying. She huffed and all but stomped her way into the house.

Shirou didn't turn back to Mary until Miyu's footsteps drew far enough from the door that he couldn't hear them and that she hadn't set herself up one of the windows.

When he looked at her, he found that she had a stony expression.

"I need your help."

Shirou wasn't sure how to respond as he looked at the dark-haired young woman in front of him. He'd seen firsthand just how capable she'd proven herself to be. By all rights, what could she need his help with?

"With?"

"I finally found the Jokerz hideout, and the amount of magic artifacts they have is massive. They're up to something."

Shirou shook his head, "that sounds like something you could have taken to the Titans. I can give them a call if you'd like?"

Not quite true. He could call Raven, but it was close enough. She'd be able to get the other Titans to ready up.

Mary snorted. "Like I'd trust a bunch of teenage yes men. They'd take all of the artifacts and give them to the league for a pat on the head and 'Atta boy.' Talk about a waste."

If that was a concern, why did she care what they were up to?

"And you plan to give them to those with the purest hearts?"

The girl before him didn't answer, but her hand moved to a small pouch at her waist. It was a new addition that looked overly out of place, considering the small pouch looked like it was pulled straight out of the dark ages, hanging from a spearhead. Something about it caught his attention, and the next thing he knew, the item's history filtered in.

Though an integral part of the item, the spearhead wasn't the focus of the legend of the bag of Crocus. Its original owner, Crocus Gouger, was the head of the merchants guild in 488 AD. In a time when plague swept through the north, pirates filled the seas to the east. The southern roads were filled with wolf-like monsters; Crocus organized those brave enough to go out and gather the food the village he lived in would need. He would never return empty-handed, either. In fact, he always pulled more from the sack than people thought possible.

However, after the threats had passed, the people who had grown used to the man and his ilk providing their meals became reliant on them.

A fact that Crocus's youngest son was happy to take care advantage of after his father died. He'd still go hunting and bring back enough for the village. He would then set the price at astronomical levels.

Little by little, he starved the city. When it was used up, he would take all that he'd gathered and place it in his bag before moving down the coast, bringing the pirates and wolf beasts with him to start the process anew.

Eventually, news of Crocus spread from a few scant survivors, and he made it to the next town he'd planned on targeting before he could. The villagers waited just long enough to see that the monsters had begun to fill the area before taking the man and seeing him drawn and quartered.

They never found his bag, which was said to hold all the riches he'd ever gathered.

With the bag in front of him, it wasn't a surprise to see that the pouch could expand the space within it to an expansive degree.

But its presence was telling.

"Or do you plan on keeping them for yourself?"

Mary met his eyes, looking at him without the slightest bit of repentance.

"Besides, why would you trust me not to take the magic items? Or do you just think that if I did, you could take them from me?"

Now, it was Mary who shook her head. "We've worked together before." She paused as if that explained everything before continuing on. "Also, I figure since the entrance is only a few blocks away, you might want to do something about it."

He froze. She was right. He would not let a group of fanatics hoard magical items anywhere near his home. Not when they were just as likely to set two items with opposing magics side by side, leading them to react negatively.

Dammit. Shirou sighed and nodded. "I'll be right back."

He turned to head inside when Mary grabbed him by the arm. "Do you really want to tell her what's going on? You'll probably just scare her."

Shirou pulled his arm free. "Don't assume. Miyu's stronger than you give her credit for."

"She-"

He held up a hand, stopping her. "Ignoring that, I'm going to get a few things and find out if I need to pick up anything for dinner on the way back. Just wait here."

Making his way into the house, Shirou quickly searched for Miyu. Not that it took very long as she was in the first place he looked. The kitchen. A number of ingredients were lined up in front of her as she sliced up celery.

"You've got to go, right?" She asked without looking up.

Shirou nodded, knowing full well she couldn't see him. "It won't be long. A few hours at most."

She looked up, showing off the frown plastered to her face. "Is it important? Something that just can't wait?"

"It can't. Is there anything I need to pick up for dinner?"

She crooked a small smile. "If you want rice to go with it, I'd recommend picking up a bag."

"Anything else?"

She shook her head before stopping and giving him a stiff nod. Turning on her heel, she bolted down the hall. She was back before he could wonder where she'd gone. Moreover, from the object she held, it was clear what she'd gone for.

A grey mask with red splotches lay in her hands. She deposited it in Shirou's hands and smiled. "Come back safe."

Shirou nodded.

When Mary had told him that the base was in his neighborhood, Shirou had thought it was a few blocks away at most. That couldn't have been further from the truth. It was in the neighborhood all right, but it was on the northernmost edge, right near the specialty section of town.

All said, it was a ten-minute jog from his place.

Taking the mask Miyu had given him, Shirou pulled it onto his head.

"You've got to be kidding me, right? That thing is ugly as sin, and the red splotches nearly line up perfectly with those odd scars of yours."

Shirou shrugged. "Better this than they recognize me and go after my sister."

"True enough, cutie," she reared back and launched a fist into the metal door, knocking it open and nearly ripping it from its hinges.

The alarm blared, and red lights flashed incessantly.

"Well I guess it's time to speed things up."

Grabbing the metal door, Mary ripped it from the wall and launched it toward an incoming group made up of an odd mishmash of clown-garbed men and women and many others wearing bulky hazmat suits, which rendered it impossible to tell the gender of the wearer.

The door crashed into the first of the group and stopped abruptly as a green light wrapped itself about it. A moment later, it fell into what looked like salt.

Smelled like it, too, Shirou noticed. He traced it back to the man who wore an overly tight lime green jumpsuit and a pair of glasses where the frames had been replaced by what looked like golden eyes.

The man raised a crooked staff and pointed it at them as he smiled far too broad, showing off most of his gums and teeth.

"You're going to regret coming here!" He cackled in a high-pitched voice. "Especially since you've got nowhere to go."

As he finished, the doors on either side of them slid shut, along with a door that dropped behind them, cutting off their escape route, save for the door Mary had used as a projectile.

As Shirou took in the staff, its history filtered in. It was a mystic weapon that belonged to Atlanteans, capable of drawing water to its tip to create a blade or, in the hands of one clever enough to use it, create a massive torrent.

A mass-produced weapon used in one of the first wars against those who dwelled upon the surface, it devastated entire units before an arrow caught its wielder in the throat, and the weapon fell to the sands below.

The humans tried to use it but could never get it to work. Over time, its value was lost until a young undergrad, Kyle Kiligan, unlocked its abilities. He'd been weaponizing it ever since. So far, the weapon had only dealt one decisive killing blow to Arthur Adene Addler, his father's boyfriend.

The joker spun the staff around, blue runes began to glow along its length, and as he struck it against the ground, a massive snake of water belted from the staff, winding its way toward them.

"Drown, you bastards! Drown!" Kyle yelled and then began to cackle wildly.

Shirou turned and leaped back into the only room left open. The one Mary had ripped the door off of. He was confident that Mary was right behind him. Only he found as he looked over she wasn't.

She moved toward the incoming snake, a massive smile on her face and her hands extended. The serpent began losing its form before it reached her, and by the time it had, it was hardly more than a blast of water. Something Mary got rid of by punching it with enough force that the compressed air battered it away.

"You're supposed to be dead! People don't survive that! And I can't Tea-bag you if you don't die!"

"Eew!" Mary responded with a shake of her head. "And you talk to your mother with that mouth? I'm a lady; I'll have you know."

Shirou paused. Something about how she said it told him she meant the statement, at least to some degree. He almost physically shook himself as he returned to the matter at hand. Kyle.

A sword formed at his shoulder and shot forward in the blink of an eye. It wasn't fast enough as Kyle raised the staff and loosed a torrent of water. It struck the sword, smashing it against the wall. He launched another and another. Each met with the same result.

Seeing that his enemy was focused on the swords, Shirou rushed forward, firing two or three more blades with each step he took to keep Kyles's attention.

By the time he reached him, the floor was coated in a thin layer of water, and dozens of swords lay scattered along the hall, but it worked. He stood in front of Kyle.

Raising his hand, he took hold of a heavy blade and swung down, intending to cut the staff in two. He didn't make it. A dainty hand wrapped around his wrist just inches before he would have connected.

"I thought we talked about this?" Mary said as she shook the staff, sending Kyle to tumble head over heels down the hall.

"The magical items are mine."

Shirou eyed her warily. he didn't remember the conversation going quite that way. Still, it wasn't exactly the time to argue, and it wasn't like he cared. He shrugged.

"If you say so."

Movement down the hall caught his attention. Kyle was on his feet and running. He disappeared around the corner a moment later. A pit filled Shirou's stomach. That was not going to end well for them.

"Yeah, you jack-in-the-box wannabe! You'd better run!" Mary yelled after him.

Though she did that, she never once took her eyes off her newest prize, examining the runes along the weapon before turning it over and slipping it into Crocus's bag. She patted the bag with a smile and turned to Shirou.

"Come on, there can't be much more to go, and we've got this in the bag."

The pit in Shirou's stomach grew.

Mary led them deeper into the hideout, with Shirou following at a slightly more sedate pace, just a few steps behind her. But it was enough. As he turned the corner after her, he found her surrounded by a bunch of unconscious grunts while she held the last one, one that was flickering in and out of sight in the air.

"Nice spellwork." She said. "I almost didn't see you."

She extended her other hand.

The man fumbled for a moment before pulling a silver ring off his hand and dropping it into her waiting palm. But he didn't stop flickering.

"What was that supposed to do?" Mary asked as she made a closer inspection of the ring, a big smile on her face. "Well, that wasn't the one I was expecting. Was this supposed to—? Ah, the fallen wizard of Gates ring of detonation, so you intended to blow my arm off to free yourself?"

She laughed. "Well, that didn't work, did it?"

Mary flung the man like a rag doll into a nearby desk. He screamed as his body folded backward at an odd angle.

"Well, that's going to leave a mark, right?" Mary laughed louder and, moving to his side, all but ripped a golden ring from a finger and shoved it into her sack.

Further and further, they moved into the building. The only proof they had that they were going the right way was the growing number of grunts that continued to bar their path. Still, Shirou made sure he was the one to deal with those Mary would take a particular interest in.

None were competent. Thought the weapons themselves were effective.

A boomerang that created its own whirlwind and returned without fail to the thrower's hand.

Brass knuckles that sent released bolts of concussive force.

A whip that lengthened at will and was tipped with nails cursed to leave any struck by them disease-ridden.

There was even a blunderbuss that created its own ammo.

Shirou dealt with each one swiftly, all save for the blunderbuss. Mary got to him before he could.

The boomerang and the brass knuckles he dealt with via a well-aimed broadsword left the owners screaming as his hands struck the ground and blood spouted freely from their wrists.

The whip he shredded bit by bit, leaving the nails to fall to the ground and his momentum to continue until he managed to round the corner to find the harlequin holding it perched on a stool as she swung the whip about with one hand while the other used a chair to defend herself.

"Foul heathen, I will feed you to Canis, our lion!"

She leaped off her stool with a yell. Shirou stepped in close and slammed a fist into her stomach before ripping the whip from her hand. It immediately shrank down, leaving just inches of leather above the handle.

He dropped the wheezing clown to the ground and went wide-eyed as he caught sight of the man aiming the blunderbuss down the hall. Frantically, Shirou traced a shield and crouched behind it as the first shot went off.

'Ding'.

The shots rang off the shield, creating several dents in the metal, but none managed to pass through. He readied himself to counterattack when the crack of another shot rang out, resulting in several more dents in the shield. A third shot came, and Shirou had enough. Infusing his magic into the whip, he slung it toward the shooter. Oddly, despite being unable to see the man, he knew precisely where he wa…

The man dropped to the ground as a chair plowed through his standing area.

Mary stood beside him with the broken remains of the chair in her hands. The please look on her face vanished before she could say a word, though she didn't need to. The cause was clear.

The metal glowed a cherry red as they began melting away as reptilian creatures made of flaming stone and lacking legs pressed into the hall, their arms outstretched.

Shirou narrowed his eyes. Their dark eyes seemed to lack intelligence as they turned this way and that as they searched for something. What that thing was, Shirou didn't know. At least not until Kyle stepped out of a room at the end of the hall holding a sizeable serrated dagger in one hand, and in the other, he hauled a bound brunette. Both were covered in blood. He laughed as he shoved the corpse to the ground.

"If you had survived coming in here, then in a few years, you would have regretted the choice! Too bad that'll never happen! Kill them!"

He raised the dagger and swept it through the air, splattering it with blood.

The flaming stone gorgon-like creatures turned to search for a target. A part of SHirou hoped they would start ripping each other to pieces. A fruitless hope as they chose their target. The brunette Kyle had brought with him.

They made no noise as they began hammering at her corpse.

"Strength of Hercules!" Mary roared.

Rearing back, she let the remains of the chair fly. And fly they did, with more power than the world's fastest pitch, they crossed the distance. As they struck, the creature burst into a flash of fire and an explosion of stone shards.

It seemed enough to draw the crowd's attention from the pancaked woman to Shirou and Mary. They slithered closer, leaving stone tracks through the space they moved.

Mary seemed to take their approach with no small amount of insult and intercepted them before they could close the distance by even half. The stone shattered, spraying against the walls, the floor, and some into their compatriots, which wouldn't have been an issue save for the force was enough for them to break down as well.

"You just going to stand there like a limp bitch?" Mary called over her shoulder.

Shirou didn't answer. After all, he couldn't miss the smile in her voice. The girl had become more dangerous to their enemies and to him. Nonetheless, he closed the distance between the flaming stone lizard thing and cleared it away with a single swipe of his sword.

Another fell into the same fashion as the next few, but no matter how many he killed, more poured into the hole they'd readied.

Their options were clear,

Seal the holes and hope they got them all. It was not Shirou's favorite option, not when he had no guarantee of getting them all. He'd call it plan B or maybe C.

Two keep fighting and hope he'd the strength to keep it up until the last of them were gone. Not an option that thrilled him. It left too much up to chance.

Target Kyle and whatever artifact he was using wasn't booby-trapped to set the whole mountain into a savage rage.

Run and hope that his attacker wouldn't be able to follow. As he eyed his target, he contemplated \\\the fact that there was probably a radius. Still, the side wasn't something he'd even feel comfortable getting himself.

In the end, option 3 won by a landslide.

Striding forward, Shirou cut down the first of his would-be attackers, relieving it of its existence and opening the space it had been standing in. Another came and fell, and then again until he was reducing the gap second by second.

Sparing a glance for Mary, Shirou found she was just as surrounded as he was. She picked one up and used it as a weapon to crack another in the head, sending both crumbling toward the ground. As another two came lurching closer, she took hold of them both and spun. Their flames sputtered, and as their arms crushed within her grip, they flew away.

Dipping beneath a swing aimed to knock his head from his shoulders, Shirou took hold of the stone along its forearm that lacked flame and winced.

It was scorching.

He clenched his jaw and shoved it aside to find Kyle running toward him; a malevolently barbed crimson spear was in his hands. Shirou blinked as a copy forged in his mind as its history fluttered. Or tried to.

The issue came as a copy already existed within him. Gae Bolg. The spear of Cu Chulhainn, the hound of Ireland. Only, the spear he'd seen used by Lancer wasn't nearly so long as the one Kyle had armed himself with. Well, that and the roughly seven-foot lance achieved its goal in a different manner than the one Shirou had known, which subverted causality to consistently strike the heart. This one did something entirely different.

"Die!" Kyle shouted.

Shirou leaned back, allowing the serrated blade to miss his head by a wide margin. It had the secondary effect of pulling the demon creature into the spear's path. The monster stilled and burst into pieces, leaving Shirou to teeter back to avoid extending the slim blade that reached toward him.

Dropping into a backward roll, Shirou jumped to his feet and raced toward Kyle.

"Get him!" Kyle roared, or at least he tried to. His voice chose that moment to break, diminishing the effect quite a bit. Still, the stone creatures didn't care and moved to follow the command they were given without hesitation.

Twisting, Shirou jumped into the air. The projected sword met demonic stone, and the stone gave way. The creature, its flames gone, struck the floor in two separate pieces. However, neither piece remained intact on impact.

As he landed, a hand tightened around Shirou's arms.

Kyle laughed as he lowered himself into a charging position.

"Shirou!" Mary yelled. She sounded panicked.

She tried to move toward him, but the monsters launched toward her like honey bees swarming a giant hornet. None lasted more than the time it took for Mary to reach them, but it was enough to keep her bogged down.

That was fine. He didn't need her help. He shoved his arms out to the side as he projected two swords, claymores, into the air above his captors. They fell and bit deeply into the flaming beasts, sending them reeling back. He pulled his arms from their slackened grip and jumped on the one on his right, impaling his sword through the stone skull.

Shirou stepped off the body as it struck the ground and faced the cause of the current mess. Though Kyle seemed to have some kind of problem with his weapon. To start, it was no longer glowing with malevolence. Instead, everything about it seems to have dulled.

"Damnit! Work!" Kyle raised a hand, showing off the gaudy silver ring on his finger. "I am your master, damnit!"

A purple glow passed over the ring, and an identical one seeped across the spear's handle. The malevolance sputtered to life before fading. The glow returned and faded, almost like the beating of a heart. The ring had a similar effect, but they were out of sync. While one glowed, the other didn't, and vice versa.

Finally, the glow faded from the spear, and the construct shattered as it filled the ring. The monsters coming for them froze. As one, they turned to Kyle, their fires growing in size.

Apparently, they hadn't been working for Kyle willingly.

With a raspy roar, they attacked. They swept over, grabbed him by each limb, and began carving through him with claws. Kyles's screams never had the time to start as bloood sprayed upward to paint the ceiling.

Shirou expected their attention to turn back to them as they finished. Still, they didn't even look back toward them as the floor beneath them became molten, and the creatures, one and all, dropped into them.

Mary kicked a piece of rubble from her path as she made her way to the spear. She plucked the weapon from the ground and held it up for inspection. The aura of hatred sprung up, and the spearhead warped, throwing sharp metal toward its attacker. She dropped the spear.

It was dormant by the time it hit the ground.

"Damn thing." Raising a foot, she stomped it into the spear's shaft. The wood bowed but didn't break.

"Defective piece of shit." She mumbled. With one final foul look at the weapon, she stalked off down the hall and disappeared through the doorway that Kyle had exited a few minutes prior.

Shirou stared after her for a moment before carefully taking hold of the shaft himself. Nothing happened. No metal lances were shooting from the blade, no evil glow. It might as well have been a simple stick in his hand rather than an ancient weapon of legend.

Once he was confident the spear wouldn't cause him any trouble, Shirou followed Mary to the next room and found the girl standing in front of what he could only describe as a treasure trove of items of the mystical variety. A number were weapons. Simple daggers that were charmed to never dull or break, a katana that was impossible to remove from its sheathe unless one was using Iaido and a trident that would act as a dousing rod toward fish if held while on a ship. Others were anything but weapons. Coins would give the owner gout, a hoe that would whistle a Disney tune that Shirou couldn't quite place, an eagle feather that Shirou didn't know what would do, and so many others. What they had in common, however, was the treatment they were getting. Mary was taking them both one at a time and, by the fistful, shoving them into the bag at her side, giggling like a loon.

She didn't even seem to mind the massacre that surrounded her. Pale bodies lay in piles about her, their skulls crushed and skin broiled, their sternums torn. Their faces were little more than gruesome masks of horror.

From the look of them, they were torn open from the inside. Likely, they were Kyle's first victims chosen as ingredients for a spell that drew the demon creatures to that location. Unwilling victims or jokerz who'd become willing sacrifices. On the other hand, Their opinion regarding what was happening to their body was something they'd never know.

"Okay, if there was anyone left in here, I'm fairly certain that they've run by now, and I don't think they'll be back. I'm leaving."

Mary grunted to indicate she'd heard him, but Shirou was sure she hadn't. She was far too engrossed in examining a stone bowl.

Shirou started back out the door without sparing the girl another look when he spotted a small gap between the wall and a bookshelf. Turning his attention back to Mary, he gave her a wave. It didn't work. A wave and hiss followed, but it was as valuable as his previous attempt. Finally, he closed the distance between the shelf and himself and, taking ahold of the framing, Shirou yanked. Hard.

Metal groaned and broke as part of the top frame was removed from the wall. Inside wasn't a hiding hole like Shirou'd expected but a tunnel wide enough for two people to walk through. There wasn't a single person in sight.

"Well, I guess if anyone was important here, they retreated before we could reach them." Mary moved to stand beside him and thought she scanned the area. At least one of her hands was on the bag at all times.

"Anyway, you should get out of here. I'm sure your sisters waiting for you to get home so you can have dinner. I'll make a pass through the tunnel here before doing the same."

Unwilling to look a gift horse in the mouth, Shirou took her up on the offer. Tracing their path, Shirou checked each room they passed for any stragglers that might have been looking to make an escape or launch an ambush. However, the only two he found plotting were a few rats scratching away at a glass cover that kept a bundt cake from their grasp.

As he started toward the counter to free the food, he paused as the rats stood on their hind legs and began shoving the cover and cake toward the edge of the counter. They froze when they spotted Shirou and, with a massive squeak, bolted into a corner and vanished into a small gap.

His mouth closed with a click, and Shirou retreated from the room.

"Are all rats in this world that smart?" He mumbled.

Not that he really expected one, but no answer came.

There was one other important fact: the fallen Jokerz weren't. Whether under their own power or with the aid of their cohorts, they'd beaten a hastier retreat than the rodents. They'd even taken those that were little more than gooey sacks of flesh.

When he didn't catch up to even one of the group by the time he reached the exit, Shirou chose to err on the side of caution and stepped from the bunker, ready to trace a dozen blades and fire them immediately. But there wasn't a force waiting outside.

He was sure they wouldn't be the type to make a… sensible… Miyu. His heart dropped into his stomach. With Mary having destroyed a fair amount of the traps he'd set, he wasn't nearly as confident that none of them would be able to reach her.

Magical energy flooded his legs, and he surged forward with enough force. He felt his muscles strain, his bones groan, and the concrete crack at his starting point.

He did not hide his abilities as he ran as fast as his body would allow, leaving him to arrive home in just minutes. He crossed the walk in three quick steps. The stairs, he ignored entirely.

He threw the door open. "Miyu?"

Miyu appeared at the doorway just as he reached it, looking as frightened as himself. "Shirou? What's going on?"

Shirou sighed and hugged his sister as he worked to calm his racing heart.

"Just wanted to make sure any of them came here."

"I'm fine, Shirou, promise." She mumbled a moment later.

Pulling back, Shirou fixed his sister with a look as he tried to gauge precisely how true her words were. Finally, he offered her a small smile. It dropped a moment later, and he turned back toward the door.

"I'll be back. I forgot to go to the store."

A hand on his sleeve stopped him.

"We can make dinner with what we have."

That was true, and from the way Miyu was smiling, it had nothing to do with fear. So Shirou turned and allowed his sister to tug him into the sitting room when she pushed him into a chair.

"You just relax, big brother. I'll have dinner whipped up in a jiffy!"

She placed the television remote into his hands, and Shirou stared at the small device. He'd watched TV. Before, usually when he was trying to learn a new recipe. However, he flipped through the channels and concluded he had no idea what he wanted to watch.

"Miyu?" As he clicked on the guide screen, he asked, "Is there anything you'd recommend?"

"Not really, just put on something you're interested in."

He fought off the urge to hang his head and flipped through the channels until he came across one about fishermen trying to catch the biggest tuna. It was okay.

Later that night, after a dinner of grilled fish and greens, and they'd watched the fishing show until Miyu had slipped into a light slumber, Shirou found his way into the small study and pulled a rather large book written by Charles Dickinson from the shelves.

If he wanted to get Miyu's gift right, he had a lot of studying to do.

Bit by bit, he carved the symbols into the ground. After cutting the mark, he checked it against the drawing he'd made and then against the instructions in the demonomicion.

Once Shirou was satisfied, he stood and looked over his work and the materials he had stacked beside the beginning of his working.

He ended up needing more than just a ring. The whole spell wasn't exactly what he remembered it being. Yes, it would run a current through her as a defensive measure, and it could be tied into a physical object. Technically, it could do it with any element. It wasn't specific to an electrical charge. But the process itself was far from cheap ingredients-wise.

The silver ring and fulgurite had been obtained through the next-day delivery thanks to Miyu.

He'd fished several magnets out of speakers' remains from the area's abandoned cars. While the copper wiring was something he obtained by looting the Jokerz base.

The more esoteric items, such as the ram's horn and feathers belonging to a woodpecker, were much harder to come by. Harder, but by no means impossible. After searching the woods, trying to find the nut of a bird driven by instinct to bash its face into a tree and coming up with results that could have been the right feathers, he wasn't sure enough to be willing to make a bet, Shirou did the next best thing. One trip to the city Museum had gotten him a few feathers from a stuffed version of the creature.

Thus, in the end, he'd secured everything he needed.

Shirou looked over his work, checking and rechecking that the copper wire that created the circle and star that he would be working the ritual on was just as the necronomicon stated it should be.

He nodded. It was.

He traced a small silver blade into his hand and pressed it to his palm.

".Et ocov mudigirf mengI .snacov sonorp da muem meniugnas. Lucorp etnop ihim acigam."

Silver sparks flitted from the item's surface, creating hazy ropes of smoke that shot through the area. Line by line, a circular pattern etched itself in the air.

Shirou extended the hand in which his blood had pooled.

"munimul muilatrom munger artxe da euqniuq"

"teicaf sunim lihin imissirup illatem omirp"

The silver ignited in a blast of white flame that burned just a moment before vanishing. Not a single bit of the metal remained.

"edipal ni sinimluf sutci ,sudnuces"

A twisting root-like structure of glass that sat upon the next point came next. The crystal-like material glowed orange as it bubbled and was consumed.

"tatcepxe sairomem tnuressecetna iuq muroe samertsop aitret ni"

At the third point, a golden curled horn amongst several feathers caught fire. The acrid smoke only traveled a few feet into the air before vanishing.

"mamrof te menif da siv rutatummoc atrauq nI"

At the fourth point of the star, the batteries from the double AAs to D's and even a car battery topped with a number of magnets that'd been fished from speakers lit as if it were made of pitch. The black smoke it created spread across the ground like a fog, allowing only the glowing red star to be visible.

"aitnesse eativ siugnas ,mumertxe"

Shirou dropped the blade and turned his hand over, allowing the blood that had filled his cupped palm to fall free. The crimson liquid spilled out onto the final point. The liquid began to boil and burn away as soon as it struck.

The ring began to spin as it lifted into the air. Sparks bloomed around it, reaching golden fingers in every direction before they vanished, only to be replaced by others in far greater numbers. They burst apart in a flash of light that could have rivaled a bolt of lightning, and with it came a fierce shrieking.

Shirou blinked. Amid the electricity, something moved. Slithering like a serpent, it sped toward him. It was time for the final line. He could feel it.

"Et oruida. Et oruida. Et oruida."

The light faded. The steaming ring fell to the ground, the silver band branded with sparkling (yellow) marks.

The fires had died, the smoke vanished, and all ingredients had been used. It was done.

"Is it done?" Miyu asked from behind Shirou.

He frowned. He should have known that she would have followed after him. Instead of getting angry, he nodded.

"It's done."

He stooped down and prodded the ring with a finger in case the metal was as hot as it seemed. As he touched it, he felt a charge pass through his skin. The ring, however, radiated a pleasant warmth.

Miyu suddenly stood beside him, looking at the ring in his fingers. "And it'll protect her?"

"It will. Though, I have to wonder how you plan on explaining where you got it. You know Raven's going to ask, right? And if she doesn't Robin probably will."

She tapped her chin for a moment before nodding and opening her mouth.

"And you can't say the internet." Shirou interrupted before she could get a word out.

Her face fell. "Why not?"

Shirou started to answer and realized he didn't have one. Why couldn't Miyu have ordered the ring off the net? Indeed, in a world where magic was an open secret such as it was, the occasional mystical object had to have made it onto the internet marketplace.

That it was disturbing was beside the point. The necronomicon was at an auction, after all.

He waved a hand at her. "Never mind."

She brightened up immediately. "Great! Now, let's go home. I've still got to box this and the party's tomorrow."

She turned and skipped back toward the road.

Shirou shook his head as he followed after her.

End.

A/N: So, yeah, here's this chapter. I did enjoy writing it. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I did add one little easter egg. Translating the spells is totally doable, that is, if you are up to it. The first to pull it off gets a cookie.

If you'd like to leave a review feel free, if not meh. Chances are I probably wont see them. Want to chat? Head to my discord or my .