Chapter 1 – The Land of Witches and Spirits
It was a bright day in the Capital City of the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica. The castle up top, surrounded by the Noble district shone bright. Lesser spirits of all elements congregated on the shade, parks, alleys and canals all over, away from the noisier streets, but just close enough to the people to eavesdrop and learn. The streets were busy with the comings and goings of merchants and costumers, humans and demi humans walking back and forth, Earth dragon carriages filled to the brim in passengers or products going up and down the city. A certain ruby-eyed blonde girl, not older than fifteen, smiled from the rooftops of the commercial district, gazing from above, looking for her target. All the while said target, a silver haired half-elf girl with precious amethyst eyes, walked down the street, seemingly uninterested in her surroundings and unaware of the looming danger approaching her.
I shouldn't have separated from Ram. Now I can't find her! Thought the half-elf trying to keep a serious and disinterested façade while keeping her embarrassment to herself. Resolving to requesting aid from her contracted spirit, she reached for the green crystal on her neck with her hand and for their link within herself to establish a connection between their thoughts. Puck, would you help me? I know it's not time for you to sleep yet.
Sorry Lia! But in this crowd, I doubt I'd make much more of a difference. At most I'd be an extra set of eyes. But if it really troubles you, just talk to the little ones around us. There may not be that many here due to the noise of the main street but maybe in an alleyway you'd have better luck!
What a bad father. Teased Emilia with a sigh and a reluctant pout. Telling your daughter to seek help in an alleyway. Next time, I'll just consult the minor spirits instead of you first. Still, communicating with spirits just to find someone when you are the one lost… We still have time, so let's look for Ram a bit lon-
"Coming through!"
"Wha- Hey!" Emilia stumbled to the side, almost falling over as someone just pushed her aside and sprinted away, without even apologizing or looking back. How rude! I know I don't exactly frequent the city so I don't know if it's common or not for people to bump onto each other, but that was just mean! She thought as she recovered from the hit.
LIA!
What is it Puck?
THAT GIRL WASN'T BUMPING ONTO YOU, SHE STOLE YOUR INSIGNIA! FOLLOW HER, QUICKLY!
WHAT?! As she responded, she immediately switched her focus on pursuing the thief, feeling indignity at the thought that someone could just steal from her without looking back. "Stop right there! Thief!"
Meanwhile, on an alleyway not far from where these two girls were…
A cloud of light particles formed unnoticed by everyone within a certain alleyway. The particles danced with each other until resembling the shape of a person. And then…
"Oof!" Subaru managed to yell as he dropped on top of wooden boxes, breaking them and plummeting onto the cold floor.
Ugh… He moaned in a daze, jumping between consciousness and unconsciousness, rapidly trying to grasp onto something to get up to no avail.
What the hell… Argh! My arm…!Subaru was still reeling from the recoil of using the Infinity Stones. "Ouch! That's gonna hurt me all week!" he said aloud to no one as he lied on the floor, grabbing his right arm and finally taking in the surroundings. He was in some sort of alley, and judging from the broken pieces of rotten wood, the brick and wood material of the walls enclosing on him, the buzzling of the street muted by the distance and the overall dustiness of the place, he quickly figured the cosmic energy must have flung him across the state. The battle did take place in upstate New York, but this place looked like a Queens or Bronx in-between buildings. The height of the buildings was not as much as in the inner parts of the city, however, so he must be in an alleyway besides a badly kept fast-food restaurant or between old, derelict houses that were yet to be demolished. Subaru finally sat up, with a heavy breath, and tried to get a response from his in-built A.I. "Hey, Karen? You there? Please tell me you are there."
"Subaru…"
"Oh, thank goodness! I thought for sure the circuitry was fried, so I didn't think you'd be okay! Glad I was wrong!" Subaru celebrated with a hearty laugh. "Looks like I won't be shooting any webs from the right any time soon, the suit and the armor are busted, so are the web shooters. I can still move it around but it stings like a mother trucker. What's the status on the damage?"
"30% of the inner circuitry is compromised, the right hand of both the armor and the suit are completely burnt, and web shooter is broken but repairable if given the tools. Web fluid cartridges available: 12/30, excluding the one on the left web shooter, which is at 60% capacity. Luckily, the reconnaissance drones of both the Iron and standard suits are unscathed. Both suits amount to a 30% damage only. Overall, the suit is reparable. As for your body, you present multiple bruises along the legs and the arms, and two cracked ribs from Thanos' punch. The right hand exhibits multiple burns, but none lethal. Still, a quick diagnosis indicates permanent Lichtenberg scarring of the right hand and forearm from the cosmic lightning striking the skin."
"Oh, cool, vein shaped scars!" Subaru answered sarcastically. He managed to get up from the floor, dusting himself off. "I just hope I'm not internally bleeding from the cracked ribs though. At least they are not fully broken, so I'll just stay still and let the enhanced healing factor do its thing. Hopefully I'll be fine come next week." He rationalized. "So anyways, where are we? Downtown? Or like near those warehouses no one uses anymo-"
"Subaru, I can't reach a signal."
"Ah, that is fine, your GPS or phone reception must have been compromised due to the energy exposure. We'll fix it once we can contact Mr. Stark-"
"Subaru, you don't understand, my coms are okay."
"Then what's the problem?"
"There is no signal."
Subaru froze quizzically. "Pardon?"
"With the Iron Spider revised protocols my communication systems were enhanced. Were we anywhere on Earth, even in places like Wakanda, where they could jam the signal, I'd still be able to send a distress call to the Boss through one of his secret channels by reaching to a satellite and hacking it. Here, however, I can't reach anywhere!" Karen concluded.
"T-that's impossible, s-surely you are ju-"
"I'm not Subaru."
"…" Subaru leaned on the wall in silence.
"…Chances are that either we were flung into another point in time by the radiation of the Time Stone or to another planet altogether by the radiation of the Space Stone."
"…Or both" Subaru conclude Karen's hypothesis. He trembled for a bit, letting the reality of the situation hit him. "Holy shit."
He wasn't on Earth, or at least not his Earth. He heard the other Avengers talk about some time machine or something during the battle so he resolved that time travel wasn't a far-fetched science fiction concept anymore. It was a reality, and one he'd most likely have to face now.
Still, no matter how much he racks his brains for answers, the only thing he can do to corroborate his and Karen's theories… was walk into the light at the end of the alleyway.
Just as he was turning around to do so, however, three figures appeared before him.
"About damn time you turn around, done talking with yourself?" Snickered a lanky man around his height, perhaps a bit taller than him. He had chains all over, with an unkempt greyish blue hair and an outfit straight out of a prison. Besides him were a rather short, bowl cut haired man with deep bags under his eyes and an unfriendly smile and a rather large, purple haired tanned man with a face of few friends.
The trio blocked the path out of the alleyway, looking pleased with the rather easy target they managed to land: A beaten up knight wannabe who's basically dressed in gold.
"If you don't wanna get hurt, cough up everything you've got!" The trio approaches Subaru still laughing. Subaru, on the other hand looks rather calm. It seems as though the initial shock of being so far away from home had subsided under the threat of being robbed. This was fine, however. During his fights this past 2 years as Spider-Man, he has learned that just focusing on the fight and shutting everything else off helped taking things in a stride. Nevertheless, the right thing would be to at least give them the chance to think things through.
"Sorry, I've just been through a lot recently, so… I'd appreciate it if you could just move aside and let me exit this alley-"
"You don't understand your position In all of this, do ya?!" Yelled the lanky man as he pulled two daggers from behind him. The other two minions resolved to draw their own weapons as well.
"I just can't get a break, can I?" Said Subaru in a defeated smile to himself. Readying himself to knock some sense onto these fools, he was about to jump forward and snatch the daggers from their hands until suddenly his Spider sense tingled.
"Move it!"
He felt the presence of a little girl about to crash onto him. He's seen this before, a tactic for stealing wallets and jewelry, a hit and run. She's probably attempting to reach my web shooter thinking it's a bracelet or something. He dodged, moving aside just before the impact. The girl managed to avoid losing momentum and activated her Divine Protection to accelerate and run upwards the wall at the end of the alley.
"?!" Subaru was alarmed. "An enhanced?! Like me?!"
"Not quite." Answered Karen.
"Huh?"
"The energy surrounding the girl just now was similar to the readings of Dr. Strange, Wanda and Thor."
"How so?"
"Though they weren't nearly as powerful, a mere fraction in comparison in fact, they demonstrated some sort of mystical origin rather than biological or psychic like your powers Subaru."
"Oh… so, we are in a planet with magical people? Or perhaps we could be on Earth! Near where Strange lives! She could be like part of his group or whate-"
"You are jumping to conclusions again. The way she used magic just now should tell you that they don't practice it the way the people we know do."
"Oh… I see." Concluded again the saddened Avenger.
Looking back at his assailants, they seemed rather bored with the whole thing. "So… Did that by any chance convince you not to rob me?"
"If anything it made it worse! Get'im boys!"
The trio rushed Subaru, covering the entire alley, leaving no room for him to escape… or so they thought. Subaru simply flipped over their heads gracefully and proceeded to land a kick directly on the back of the head of the shortest thug right after landing.
"ACK!" With but a yelp of pain, the dwarf fell unconscious, falling face first into the rudimentary pavement.
"Kan!"
"You motherfucker!"
"Woah, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
The lanky guy attempted to slash at him with his two daggers but was stopped before even completing the motion by Subaru grabbing his arms mid-swing. Immediately after, he landed a head-butt squarely on his nose, knocking the man out cold with a steady stream of red running down his nostrils. The large guy was completely and utterly shocked. In what was just seconds his two pals were knocked out cold. He looked at Chin and then at Kan and finally at Subaru.
"Surely you realized why I didn't knock out the big guy first, even if I could." Said Subaru with a serious expression. "Grab your friends and beat it."
"Y-y-yy-yes!"
The comical visage of a large man carrying his two seemingly drunk pals on his shoulders exited the alleyway. That's what it would look like to someone looking from the outside. Or at least that's what would have happened if a witness hadn't seen things halfway through.
"That's enough!" A voiced surprised the arachnid. He turned around towards the exit once again to see… the girl of his dreams.
Subaru was astonished. The last time he remembers feeling like this was when he invited Liz to the Homecoming party. He felt butterflies on his stomach, as he gazed at the girl in front of him. She looked and sounded as if she came straight out of an anime or fantasy novel. A silver-bell like voice, an immaculate white dress adorned with purples and gold, silky smooth silver hair, amethyst eyes that looked like jewels and… magic icicles?
A few icicles appeared to float in mid-air before the girl as she raised her palm towards Subaru. "Please, return what you've stolen and apologize for beating up those poor men."
WHAT
"Okay, okay, there is clearly a misunderstanding here! I wasn't robbing them nor did I beat them up because I wanted to, I just did it because they tried to mug ME!" Subaru exclaimed as he pointed towards himself, a hint of slight panic in his voice and eyes.
"Your lies won't trick me! I know what I saw and you-!"
"He is telling the truth Lia." Suddenly, a grey cat with emerald green eyes popped into existence besides the beautiful girl. "It seems as though he wasn't in fact connected with the robbery we suffered. How unlucky." The cat raised its paws to shoulder length and shook his head while sighing.
"Eh? EH? B-b-bb-but then you… and the girl… and those men… OH, I'M SUCH A DUNDERHEAD!" the girl exclaimed, bringing her hands to her forehead and crouching as if trying to make herself smaller. She was beet red, showing her embarrassment, long gone her bravado.
Uwaaah… she is so cute! Subaru thought. No one says dunderhead anymore though.
"Lia, we can't dawdle about, we have to catch the thief." The cat chastised the girl beside him for making a fool of herself, remarking about their lack of time.
"I know Puck… Um, I'm sorry for having judged you so unfairly just now…"
"Subaru."
"What?"
"It's my name. You wanted to apologize right now, right?" Subaru felt oddly confident talking to the girl, perhaps he was still basking in the high induced by the adrenaline of battle. "If you want to apologize, you ought to know the name of the person you are apologizing to."
"Y-yes!"
"My name is Natsuki Subaru!" He made a pose with one hand on his hip and another pointing at the sky "Not only am I completely clueless, I'm also completely lost! But if you need a hero, you've come to the right gu-OWOWOWOWO" The right hand he had elevated to the sky started aching terribly, it seems as though it could still hurt more than he had originally figured.
"Are you alright?!" The girl exaltedly asked. "Your arm… it's severely burnt! And now that I take a closer look, you are completely bruised all over!"
"Yeah… I just came from a real nasty battle. Close one, too! But I came out on top soooo… All's well that ends well I guess?" The girl looked at Subaru with a worried gaze but then, just as suddenly, she looked resolved.
"…Stay still for a moment." Said the girl while taking Subaru's hand.
"Uhhhh…" His shyness returned full force when she locked hands with him. "I-I-I-I'm real flattered ya know but there's, like, a path to this sorta things, I mean-" His arm stopped hurting. Or rather, the pain was beginning to wane. The hand that was locked with the girl´s shone green, and felt as though a gentle stream of water was passing through each of his veins. The shape of the injuries would remain, it was impossible to change it or heal, and the girl seemed to notice this, looking troubled as she could only help with the scarring. As if the injury was done by something healing magic couldn't compare to. She also sensed the injuries in his ribs, and seeing that they seemed faster to heal that the lightning shaped wounds of his arm, she focused on them instead.
"I did what I could for your ribs but I couldn't close the burn in your arm at all, it's as if there was something blocking the healing mana from permeating completely through you."
Something? Don't tell me there is still some cosmic energy or whatever stored inside of me! Am I a ticking time bomb?!
"Uhh, sorry, but there isn't really anything I can do about that…"
"No, I'm the one that should apologize; I'm not nearly as good of a healer as I'd like to be." The girl retorted with slight sadness in her voice.
"It's fine really! To begin with, I'm the one at fault for getting beat up in the fir- wait. Did you just say heale-"
"Lia!"
"Oh bummer! I forgot!" The girl hurriedly pulled herself together. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go! I wasted too much time and the thief could get away!" She turned around, readying herself to leave only for Subaru to stop her.
"Who says bummer any- Hey! W-wait a minute! You haven't even told me your name yet!" Get your priorities straight you moron!Subaru berated himself. "A-a-and If you need a hand with a thief I can help! I swear!"
"My apologies, but I've troubled you enough." Emilia looked flustered.
"It's no problem, really, that's what a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is for!"
"Friendly… what now?"
"Spider-Man." And Subaru activated the Iron Spider's mask.
"Good to meet you Spider-Man Natsuki Subaru, my name is Puck, a great spirit and Lia's adorable caretaker." Puck exclaimed with a smile, clapping his paws.
"And I'm… My name is Satella. Just Satella. No family name." The girl corrected herself. Puck looked at her with disapproval for a second and Karen took clear notice of both the correction and the gazes. You have terrible taste. He responded to her through their link as contractor and spirit.
"Satella, eh… what a cute name." The girl and Puck looked at him in surprise.
"Subaru, are you sure this is a good idea? You just met her, and judging by their expressions just now, the girl lied to you. What about keeping your secret identity under wraps? What about knowing who to trust it with?"
"…It's fine Karen, really. If we are in another planet or epoch, we don't really run the risk of endangering anyone we know for knowing I'm Spider-Man, right? Plus, I figure that with the whole saving the universe stuff, my name won't stay under the table anymore. I'm an Avenger now; I have to act the part!" Answered Subaru confidently, almost arrogantly. "Besides, no offence intended, but when you compare her clothes with the clothes of the guys we just met before, she clearly seems to be a big shot here. She probably wants to keep a low profile about getting something stolen. Trust me; the last thing a rich guy in New York wants everybody to know is that their Rolex or wallet got snatched while walking down Wall street. It's a pride thing. I've seen it a million times."
"Subaru? Who are you taking to?" 'Satella' stared befuddled.
"Oh? Oh! Yeah, ummmm, I'm talking with my partner, the suit."
"Your… odd apparel is your partner? Does a spirit reside within it?"
"Spirit?" So it's all magic here, I feel like I'm on a DnD campaign. "Oh no, it's just an Artificial Inte- Look, we have to hurry and catch that thief, we are losing time."
"Oh, right!"
"Just tell me what they looked like and I'll see what I can do."
"I didn't see her face, but I saw her from the back." 'Satella' paused. "Black leggings, left leg torn, and blond hair with a red scarf and, um…" Satella put a hand to her chin, trying to remember more details.
"Oh? Well if that's the case you should have said so sooner. I saw her. Hell, I filmed her! Karen, can you project?"
"Gladly."
A bluish holographic screen appeared before them from Subaru's left wrist and in it, the image of the ruby-eyed girl that almost crashed onto him, showing the details of her face and even the insignia she held on her hand.
"Wha… What is thi- Hey! That's her! That's my insignia!" 'Satella' exclaimed.
"Welp, looks like we have a lead." Subaru interjected happily. "Let's go!"
"Um…" 'Satella stuttered for a moment, contemplating on how to convey her next words. "I'd like to make a correction right now, about what I said earlier."
"What's that?"
"I want to thank you. For offering your help. It's better to say 'Thank you' rather than 'I´m sorry'. Even if I also had to apologize for being rude earlier. So… Thank you, Natsuki Subaru."
She looked so pretty right now, if it weren´t for the mask she'd see me blushing!
"Subaru, while it is a good idea to use the photo as reference, how do you plan to find her? With no satellites or data service we can run no facial recognition or identification on the girl."
"Simple, we do it the old fashioned way, we ask around and I climb buildings." Finishing his response to his A.I., the pair exited the alley, only for Subaru to be greeted to a world he definitely did not recognize. "Yep, this ain't New York!"
People that looked like animals, men and women in medieval like clothing, carrying swords, staves and the like. What looked to be a couple of knights in the distance. Needless to say, the usage of… giant lizards to pull carriages indicated they possessed no technology advanced enough for a motorized engine, or perhaps they did but it wasn't privy to the masses. Either way, the odd looks and murmurs he got from the pedestrians and merchants quickly snapped him back into reality. He was still masked and with the Iron Spider suit on. He deactivated the mask, much to the surprise of the people around him as they just saw a helmet vanish into nothing bit-by-bit, not understanding how nanotechnology worked.
"Uhhhh- Hey people!" Alright, keep it smooth. "Um, have you seen a little girl? Around 14, this tall, blond haired, with a red scarf?"
The people around him gathered, only to look rather perplexed at his question. Why would this sketchy looking person be searching for a young girl? The fathers in the crowd instinctually shifted on the defensive for their families, giving the oddly dressed man nasty looks.
"Eh, It's not what you think, I'm looking for a thief that stole something from my friend here!" Subaru said while pointing at 'Satella'.
Immediately, some people began backing away, while others stood in place, astonished.
"…Witch."
Subaru heard some bystanders murmur. Witch? Are they referring to 'Satella'? How rude!
"If you have something to say, I'd appreciate it if you sai-" 'Satella' noticed Subaru's distress on her behalf and pulled him away from the crowd before he could finish his sentence.
Some minutes later, they were by a canal, near the main street and besides some benches. "What- what was that all about?" Subaru pleaded. The blatant racism in their tone pissed him off. He understood it was a medieval society but his modern sensibilities urged him to call them out on their irrationality. "They just insulted you and began giving weird glances as if you were some-"
"I'ts fine." 'Satella' said, putting up her tough front again. "This happens. It's normal, after all…" The girl lifted the hair covering her ears to reveal them, showing themselves to be pointy andslightly longer than normal. "I'm a half-elf." Finishing her statement with a tinge of sadness.
"Well, that explains it." 'Satella' braced herself to be insulted. "Just how-uhhh- cute you are, I mean, uhhhh, so, like… yeah." Subaru, ever the awkward teenager, just blurted out his thoughts without thinking again, trying to salvage himself from embarrassment partway through only to end up not knowing how to finish his sentence.
"!" 'Satella' turned her face to face him, rather perplexed as to how the boy in front of her just complimented her on what up until then was her greatest curse, her appearance. "You- you are really not from around here, huh?" She replied with a slight blush on her cheeks as she looked away from him.
"N~Nya!" Suddenly a paw attempted to strike Subaru on the face, only for him to dodge it.
"What was that for?!" Answered Subaru in fake panic, playing along.
"Sorry, but seeing Lia just now, it felt right. Let me punch you." Said the overbearing cat father.
"Just don't pulverize me."
"Will do! N~Nya!" And the softest punch Subaru has ever felt hit him.
"You two, stop playing around! The insignia!" 'Satella' retorted.
"Oh? So suddenly we are the guys that forgot." Mocked Subaru with a grin.
"How the tables have turned." Continued Puck.
"Ungh~!" 'Satella' pouted, seemingly annoyed with their combined teasing.
"I'm afraid I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation about an Insignia being stolen." A voice came up from behind them.
Radiant red hair, like a burning fire, brilliant ocean blue eyes, an elegant white uniform accentuated by purple stripes and a black undershirt, tall and dignified and as the cherry on top, a great sword decorated with a golden guard sheathed at his hip.
"Reinhard?!" Emilia responded in a panic. Curse my luck! What is he doing here? Did the crowd from earlier attract him?
"You know the guy?" Subaru was surprised, to say the least. The aura around the man was palpable, especially so to his senses. It felt as though he was talking to Thor, as if a god was in front of him.
"Uh- yeah. Something like that." Puck and 'Satella' looked at each other nervously.
"My apologies for eavesdropping and intruding into your conversation without even introducing myself. My name is Reinhard van Astrea, Sword Saint of the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica, descending from the line of master swordsmen." The man bowed slightly at Subaru while introducing himself, a hand at his chest.
So it's the Kingdom of Lugunica, eh?Subaru thought. "Oh, uh- we are using made up names, okay." He nodded his head at the swordsman while stretching his recently treated right hand. "I'm Natsuki Subaru by the way, but you can call me Spider-Man."
"Made up…? Okay?" The pair shook hands, with Reinhard looking surprised. Both he and 'Satella' looked confused by the words the boy used. Never once had someone approached him with the notion of his title sounding so mundane. He took notice of Subaru's appearance. His injuries that seem recently treated, indicating he must have been in quite the fierce altercation. The metallic plating surrounding the boy made him think of a knight but knowing that he doesn't belong to Lugunica´s order nor did the design looking like any mercenary group or noble house, he worried he might be an impersonator. Nevertheless, this was not his judgement to make; he is Lady Emilia's companion, so that should suffice to corroborate he is not a suspicious man, even if he does look dubious. He instantly schooled the smile he dropped in his surprise once again. "Pleased to meet you, Natsuki Subaru. *cough, cough* Regardless, back to topic. E-"
"AH!" 'Satella' quickly shushed the swordsman while waving her hands. "Reinhard, can you please not say my name? It'll devolve into a huge misunderstanding with him." She whispered, getting close to his ear. Karen took notice of this, appearing distrustful of the girl.
"O-oh. Understood." He continued. "The… lady over here seemed to be in distress; with the talk of an insignia being stolen from her I cannot overlook this situation." His demeanor turned serious at the mention of the insignia.
"I-it's not what you think, I-!" If the knowledge that I allowed my insignia to be stolen becomes known, my candidacy will be revoked!
"We are trying to catch a thief that goes around stealing wallets, pretty jewels, insignias, and bracelets, you name it. Standard petty thief." Subaru covered for her, pointing at his wrist's bright web shooter. "Just some minutes ago I almost got robbed. We feared she might be trying to steal from other people just like we were attempted on, so we were trying to catch and lecture her." This wasn´t a lie, he just omitted the fact that the ones that attempted to rob him were not with the blonde girl or the fact that she actually stole from 'Satella'.
"I see. But if that is the case, why didn't you attempt to file a report to the guards?" Answered the red head. "I'm off duty today, but if you so wish I can help yo-"
"There is no need, Reinhard, really!" 'Satella' reassured the knight.
"It's just one petty robber, a kid even, we don't want her to get arrested, just apologize and give back the jewels she has stolen." Backed Subaru.
"O-oh, understood." Reinhard answered embarrassedly. This two were just trying to do a good deed by helping a young girl realize the error of her ways while he, as a knight, would just have thrown her into a prison. Truly, a selfish monster. The swordsman thought about himself.
"Well, don't mind me then, please carry on and…" He paused, feeling with his multiple divine protections the simultaneous distress and relief irradiating from the half-elf at his departure. "I wish you good luck." Having said this, he walked back into the main street, losing himself amongst the crowd.
"*Sigh* That could have gone south really quickly!" Puck popped back up from behind 'Satella' with a smile of relief.
"How so?" Asked Subaru, perplexed at the cat's reaction.
"We have… our circumstances. Look, we can´t go around asking for the aid of the knights, alright? I don't distrust them but… What's at stake is just that important and them knowing could jeopardize it."
"Oh okay, that's fine, we'll just ask the people around the marketplace then." Subaru said, pulling the image of the thief from his wrist once again.
Having finally decided on a way to go about things, no more distractions on-sight, the pair walked back onto the main street, questioning the people around them if they have seen the blonde thief to no avail. They seemed to have hit a wall on their search… were not for the cries of a little green haired girl, clearly lost and worried.
"Oh…" I'm getting the feeling I'm saying and hearing 'Oh' a lot lately. Anyways, that little girl looks lost, maybe we should he-
"Let's help her." 'Satella' said.
Subaru felt happy. Although he didn't voice it, the girl and him had the exact same idea.
The girl looked up only to be greeted by the half-elf. Noticing her hair and eyes, she almost fainted in fear. "I'm sorry I'm not who you are looking for. So what's the matter, aren't your mom and dad with you?"
The child teared up in fright. 'Satella' was panicking, not knowing how to calm her down until suddenly…
"What I have right here is a quarter, 25 whole cents! I will now clutch it tightly in my hand. Tight, tight, tight… like that!" He opened his fist to reveal the coin was gone. Both the girl and 'Satella' were impressed by the little trick. "And the coin went to~ here!" Subaru held the coin in front of the girl, grabbing it out of nowhere from her hair. "It's yours if you want, it's rare around this parts so treasure it." He reassured with a smile.
"Thank you mister!"
"No problem kid." He answered while patting the little girl's hair. "So, what's your name?"
"Plum!"
"Did you separate from mommy and daddy?"
"Yeah, from mommy…" the girl answered with a sad tone.
"Well don't worry, we'll help you find her!" responded 'Satella'.
Subaru held the little girl by the hand while 'Satella' held the other. "I kinda look like her dad holding her like this!" Chimed in the boy with a relaxed tone.
"You look rather young to be a dad; I'd be hard-pressed to call you the older brother." Answered the half-elf, innocently.
"Hold it! What's that supposed to mean?! I mean, I look adult enough, right?!" A very distressed Subaru complained about the way the elf girl just called him a child. "I'm about your age I wager!"
"Mommy!" The girl let go of them, running towards her mother's embrace.
"Yep, that's a wrap." Subaru chuckled.
"Oh thank goodness, thank you for finding my daughter!"
"No problem ma'am, just doing our part, helping out the little guy and all!"
"Please, let me reward you somehow-"
"I don't think that would be necessary, not to sound rude but we are pressed on time. We are looking for a thief. A pickpocket to be specific. The kind that does hits and runs."
"Are you looking to catch her? Good luck with that!"
Subaru paused, noticing what the woman just said. "…What do you mean 'her'? We never mentioned the gender."
"Oh, my husband owns a fruit stall by the market and he is always complaining about this blonde girl coming and going from the slums, robing purses and fruit. Apparently the knights have tried to capture her before but she always gets away."
"!" Subaru and 'Satella' took notice of the woman's words. "Do you know her appearance? Could you tell us more, please?" Insisted the elf.
"Oh? Uh- Sure. My husband knows more about it than me though, so you'd have to come back to his stall with me."
"Thank you, we are in your debt." Replied 'Satella'.
"Ah~, Don't mind it. I told you I wanted to repay you anyways."
"Woohoo! Progress!" Said Subaru to 'Satella'. She couldn't help but share on the sentiment, especially after all the detours.
The group walked for a bit while following the mother. "…So, Subaru?"
"Yeah?"
"You said before that the person you were talking to, the one in your suit wasn't a spirit. What is it then?"
"Oh! Karen! Yeah, she isn't one of those spirit thingies you call them, she isn't technically alive either. Karen? Can you, like, introduce yourself?" Subaru raised his left wrist to shoulder level, allowing Karen to talk to 'Satella'.
"Greetings. My name is Karen, the Spider-Man suit in-built Artificial Intelligence, A.I. for short, designed, programmed and built in-house by Stark Industries for the purpose of combat assistance, investigation and reconnaissance, amongst many other features."
"Ah, Greetings!" Responded the girl. "Um… Subaru, I don't really understand what an 'Ey-Ay' means but if she isn't a spirit then how are you doing that thing with the light in your wrist? Are those bracelets Metias?"
"Metias?" Subaru asked. Is that like their word for machines or advanced technology? "Actually, I don´t really know what a 'Metia' is, but well… if you mean that it's like a machine or contraption of some sort, then you wouldn´t be far off. If that's the case in fact, my whole suit is a Metia. Karen would then just be the mind of the whole thing."
"The whole suit?!" 'Satella' was surprised. "So she is like an artificial Spirit-like being living in a suit of armor?"
"No, like I said, she is not a Spirit, she's-"
"Daddy!"
"Plum!" A big guy with green hair and an scar on his forehead lifted the little girl, pulling her into a hug. "Raksha, you found her!"
"Not really, honey. The ones to find her were these two." The woman said, introducing the pair.
"Oh really now?" The man inspected them. "Well, my name is Kadomon, thanks for finding my daughter. I assume ya didn't do it for free though, being that my wife brought you here an' all." He gave the two a mean look.
"Daddy, the nice knight gave me a rare coin!"
"Knight? You don't look like the knights I know of. And what's this about money?" He became more suspicious.
"Oh darling, just drop it already, they are not here for money and they found Plum! If anything, we should be grateful and help them. They came here wanting to catch that blond thief that's always pickpocketing around these parts."
"Wait, really? Finally, someone is doing something about the muggings around this place." Kadomon visibly relaxed, hearing someone was trying to get rid of the thieves skulking around the market. "So? What do you need to know?"
"We wanted to know if we are talking about the same thief here. Have you ever seen this girl?" Subaru proceeded to show the thief girl's projection to the man, much to him and his family's surprise.
"Daddy, the drawing is moving!" said Plum with a smile, entranced on the device's projection.
"Uhhh… Yeah, I've seen her around. That's her alright." Said the man nervously. If the people looking for her could afford metias, then she was probably in deep trouble. He will not risk his family's safety for some slum thief. "She comes and goes from the slums, she usually uses the rooftops to move around and escape. I-I hear you can find her with Rom at his Loot house."
"Really? Thanks!" Subaru exclaimed with a sincere smile. "I guess we have a destination now!"
"We should hurry though; we've moved around so much, I'd like to get there while it's still day time." Noted the elf.
"Understood, what's the shortest route to the slums?"
"Well, I'd have to say through the rooftops, just like the thief girl does. Any other road would take you there by the evening." Answered the salesman.
"Okay, rooftops, got it."
"Miss!" Plum called out to the leaving girl. "Please have this, thank you for saving me!" The girl handed a flower to the half-elf.
"Oh, you are so sweet!" Said 'Satella' as Subaru looked on with a smile on his face. However, the girl interrupted his thoughts suddenly.
"I guess this is as far as we go together then…" 'Satella' said, slightly saddened.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Subaru asked, troubled.
"Well, it's just… I can sprint through the rooftops, but most people wouldn't be able to keep up with me. What I'm trying to say is-"
"Ah~ I see. You don't want me to slow you down, and I get it, but…" Subaru took a rather bold action upon hearing the half-elf's comment about not keeping up. He grabbed her by the waist with his right arm and shot a web towards the nearest rooftop with his left, instantly pulling the pair towards the tiles above. All without breaking eye contact with the astounded girl. "…you are seriously underestimating me here." He concluded with a grin.
The family of three, and all the bystanders looked up at them from the floor in shock and 'Satella' herself did not fare any better.
"Smooth." Karen teased. Only then, did he realize what he had just done and with a look of realization, and a blushing strong enough to content with blood, he let go of her waist and built some distance between them. "Way to channel your inner Tony."
"I-I… Uhhh… Uhhhh… Of course, yeah, um… The slums! Loot house! Let's go!" Subaru tried to salvage the situation only to end up like a slurred mess.
'Satella' had only just registered they were above ground and thought to herself. Maybe I really am looking down on him, if he pulled us from the ground so quickly. I didn't even notice what had happened until he let go of me… let go of… me? The realization that she was in his embrace just now hit her and she blushed as well with a dumbfounded expression.
"N~gh!" Puck popped up again with a rather annoyed face at what just happened. How dare this fool just grab his daughter like that! Looking to cut their little moment short, he resolved to rush them. "Go on already! We don't have all day"
"Right!" Responded the duo in unison, much to his annoyance. The pair then started running and jumping between buildings, cutting down a walk that could have lasted hours into minutes.
The girl impressed Subaru, even though she did not seem to be able to stick to walls like him, she was clearly strong enough to grip between building and building. Whenever two buildings were too distant from each other, she just conjured some ice in between them and used it as a footstool, immediately dematerializing it the moment after jumping from it. Whatever sort of power she had, she knew how to use it to move around.
Likewise, Subaru gladly surprised the elf. She thought that his armor would not allow for any fast or agile movements but he was sprinting, jumping and climbing as though it was natural for him. Sometimes he'd shoot a string from his left hand and jump over entire buildings in one movement. He was more than just keeping up with her; he was showing her up at times. His flexibility for all the situations they have been up until now amazed her, much to the chagrin of her cat.
After what felt like 20 minutes, they arrived at the edge of the city, the slums. Their only problem now was figuring out a way for the people here to tell them where Rom's Loot House was. Subaru felt rather sad looking at the sights around him: children in rags, people sleeping in the ground, derelict buildings, men and women that looked malnourished, trash strewn around everywhere and what looked like thugs giving him nasty glares. "This place… Do-does the upper strata of the city not care for the people here?" he said aloud, but to no one in particular, just talking with himself. New York has its share of homeless population, but he cannot remember it looking this bad.
"Okay, last stretch, now we just have to figure out where the Loot House is!" Subaru said, trying to get over the sights around him, being that it's unfortunately something he can't help with right away.
"I think I can help with that actually!" Said 'Satella' with a smile, finally being able to do something to remedy her situation without troubling Subaru. "I'll ask the lesser spirits."
"Lesser spirits? There's more types?"
"Yep. Unlike Puck, they are spirits that have yet to amass self-awareness and strength, just give me a moment."
'Satella' concentrated. Suddenly, a flurry of tiny lights of all colors surrounded them. Subaru was astonished. Sure, he has seen reality bending magic, the fury of gods; technology beyond his own understanding even but what he was seeing here wasn't any of that. It was just a girl, beautiful beyond compare, surrounding herself with ethereal lights. Maybe it wasn't elaborate or powerful at all but, it made him think as if this was the first time he's seen what 'beautiful' really looks like. He blushed, he knew he was blushing but he didn't care to cover it. He just kept staring.
"Alright, the lesser spirits talk of a giant and a little blond girl living just north from here, in a house at the end of the district, near the wall." 'Satella' informed her companion. "Subaru? Are you fine? You are blushing, do you have a fever?" She asked worriedly.
"What? Oh, no, it's fine, I just… er- let's go get your insignia." He did not bother answering back at her questions, just avoided looking her in the eye.
"?" The girl wondered but didn't ponder on the boy's behavior.
He wanted to say something actually but then Karen called him out. "Subaru? I'm sorry, but we were tailed. My sensors only noticed the presence when we stopped just now."
"What? By who?" Whispered Subaru without 'Satella' noticing.Why would someone want to tail us? Is it because of my looks? Perhaps they are from the crowd in the city earlier and they are looking for my equipment… Or maybe they are with the thief girl and-
"It's Reinhard. He's most likely pursuing you trying to make sure everything turns out okay with the thief."
"Oh. That's… nice of him." Subaru answered, surprised, though he was a bit weirded out by the way he went about his gestures.
It was already sundown by the time they arrived at the entrance to the Loot House. 'Satella' went for the door only for the young hero to stop her hand. "We should make sure of some things first." He said in a low voice, almost whispering. Subaru silently went around, inspecting the surroundings of the building just to verify if there was a backdoor of some kind. After concluding there was none, he activated his mask to verify through Karen's sensors whether there were people inside or not. There were two presences: An absurdly tall, burly man and a little girl. The little girl they were looking for. He deactivated his mask and informed 'Satella' of their situation. "There's a big old man in there. That must be Rom. The thief we are looking for is also inside. You've seen her run before, right? If I can help it, I don't want to turn this into a combat situation." Pleaded the arachnid.
"Me neither, but then what do you propose?" whispered 'Satella', worringly.
"I say you let me come in first and attempt to 'negotiate'. If it sounds like its going south then you come in, okay?"
"O…kay? I don't know that word…"
"It's like a yes or an affirmative."
"Oh. But how are you going to negotiate? I've no money, and your coins from earlier look foreign, and I'd feel bad for you having to lose something for my sake. Moreover, I see no reason for having to pay for something that is mine to begin with."
"Well, I was thinking of persuading them with an intimidation rather than ACTUALLY negotiating." Subaru answered with a very innocent smile. Very not malicious. At all.
"In that case, okay then."
"Great! Karen, activate enhanced 'Interrogation' mode, and throw in the 'Instant Kill' eyes light effect." The mask appears once again and the eye goggles turn red and black.
The door to the Loot House burst open, alerting the occupants. A figure covered in black, orange and gold colored metal plating with white highlights comes in, staring down at the giant and the teenager with menacing looking eyes.
"Wha-"
"Please tell me that's your client, Felt."
"RETURN WHAT YOU'VE STOLEN OR FACE DIRE CONSEQUENCES!" Said Subaru while pointing at the kid. 'Satella' and Puck were astonished, trying to stifle a laugh from coming out of them due to the sudden change in voice of Subaru.
The ridiculousness of the situation threw the moppet and the giant for a loop for a second.
"The hell!? A Knight?!" Felt drew a dagger from behind her, while Rom prepared his mace.
"I'M NOT A KNIGHT, I'M AN AVENGER!"
"Yeh', clearly you are no knight. You are squalid like a twig. And what's with your voice? It doesn't sound natural." The old man retorted.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TWIG? I JUST HAVE A LEAN ATHLETIC CONSTITUTION. AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY VOICE? I ALWAYS SOUND LIKE THIS. I'M INTIMIDATING LIKE THAT." Subaru answered, clearly offended.
"Clearly not-" The old man was interrupted.
"AH!" Exclaimed Felt while pointing at Subaru. "I recognize you now! You are that loser Chin and his boys were muggin' a few hours back! Your voice didn't sound at all like that back then!" The girl snickered at the expense of the young Avenger.
"UGH. KAREN, DEACTIVATE ENHANCED 'INTERROGATION' MODE." Subaru said, annoyed beyond belief at how badly his plan went, specially so because both the 'bad guys' and his own beautiful companion were clearly holding their laughs back at his little act. "Deactivate the mask and the eyes too."
"Look… Felt? Rom? Just, please give back what you've stolen; I really don't want to have to fight a big old man and a little girl for a piece of jewelry. I've already done that today against a couple of aliens, well, more like a while back now- I'm diverging again. Look! Just… I've had enough of fighting for one day if I'm being honest. Please just give the jewel back? Pretty please?"
"No can do, bud! This little thing is our ticket out of here; I ain't giving it to no one except my client!" The blonde-haired girl said while holding the shining insignia.
"A'ight, then. I'm bringing in the incentive. COME INSIDE!" Said Subaru in a resigned voice, having to fall back on plan 'B'.
'Satella' came inside, not laughing at Subaru's antics anymore, with a rightful glare directed towards the little girl. "Return what you've stolen or face dire consequences!"
"Oh come on! How come she gets to say it and not sound stupid?!" Complained Subaru.
"I personally thought you sounded adorable when you tried to threaten them." Chimed in Karen.
"Augh, not you too…"
The blonde girl and the giant looked at her surprised, having not noticed that there was a second person before. What truly morphed their expressions into a panic were the features of the girl.
"Silver hair… a half-elf?"
"A-a-a-aren't you th-"
"It's an accidental resemblance! That's all!" Automatically responded 'Satella', as though she were accustomed with being judged.
Subaru noticed this. "Hey you two, not cool." He said while pointing at the old man and the blonde girl.
"Look buddy, here's what's 'bout ta happen." Said Rom, trying to gain back control of the situation. "You and your girlfriend over there-"
"I'm not his girlfriend!" Said a deadpanned 'Satella', oblivious to her companion's emotions.
Ouch. Thought Subaru.
"Ouch." Said Karen.
"…Are gonna piss off and leave my girl alone, else I'm gonna-"
Subaru activated the Iron Spider's legs. Four metallic, knife sharp limbs sprouted out from behind him, all pointing directly at Rom's face.
"…Just give them the damn Insignia Felt." Resolved the giant, taking back his earlier speech.
"WH-WHAT? Not you too!" Said the thief.
While the discussion went back and forth, Subaru's Spider senses tingled, making him predict a sudden attack about to land right behind 'Satella'. "PUCK, SHIELD HER!"
An ice shield appeared behind her, only for a knife to get stuck right in the middle. "That was a bit closer than expected, you saved us." Puck answered Subaru with thumbs up.
"Ara~, and here I thought I had a perfect angle." Chimed in a seductive voice. From the shadows behind them, a gorgeous black haired woman in a skimpy dress that revealed her navel and breasts approached them. The aura around her was rather ominous however, with Subaru's senses alerting him of the danger she signified. "A spirit, that's a spirit, right? How wonderful." The woman giggled. "I have never dissected a spirit's stomach before."
This woman is crazy! Talking about dissecting people as if they were nothing!
"Hey, what are you sayin-" Felt asked, only to be interrupted.
"If the item's original owner is here, we can hardly negotiate. So, I have changed my plans. I shall slaughter everyone here. You failed to see your job through to the end. You talk a big game but you do a terrible work. You really are just another slum dweller." The woman berated the thief girl with a smile.
"Tsk! You bitch…" Felt growled back.
"Hey, hey lady. It's just a kid. She's trying her best to survive in a clearly awful environment." Subaru defended her, much to 'Satella's' and Felt's surprise. "Do you get a rise from bullying a kid? Moreover, what is this about gutting people? You clearly need help upstairs!"
"What are you blabbering about?"
"As an Avenger and a hero it is my duty to look out for the citizens in need!" Subaru started talking with a really bad impression of Captain America's voice while sticking out his chest. "As such, I'll denounce the unfairness of this world for the sake of justice prevailing at the end of the day and…" Subaru dropped the act. "Made you look."
The distracted crowd was surprised when the assassin was bombarded by ice shards. Puck was floating above her with a smirk showing satisfaction in Subaru's distraction. "I don't know about justice and unfairness, but you sure know how to make a compelling speech, for how awkward it sounded!" The cat nodded thankful at Subaru.
"YO HOLY SHIT YOU ACTUALLY DESTROYED HER!" Subaru exclaimed. It's not the first time he's seen someone die but the value of life seemed rather low in here if everyone expected somebody to get killed with every confrontation. Then again, he supposes webbing and waiting for the police to arrest someone isn't an option here.
"Not quite." The woman in black responded. She was revealed to be encased in ice after the dust dissipated but the ice suddenly crumbled away when her cloak begun to shine.
"Don't underestimate a spiritual-arts user!" 'Satella' answered back, as she raised her hand and several ice shards manifested around her.
The woman slashed at the elf, only for the elf to transform the shards into a shield, blocking the attack. The woman then began moving swiftly around 'Satella', looking for an opening while dodging and blocking Puck's attacks from above. Subaru started attacking as well, webbing the assassin's legs and landing a punch to her face as she fell forward. He was sure that the hit would knock her out… But the woman got up without losing momentum, slashing the webs at her feet, cutting them free and attempting an slash at Subaru, all in one movement. The legs of the suit blocked the slash at the last second and repelled the killer.
The killer jumped back a few meters and decided to change targets, aiming for the two that had frozen in place during the entire altercation. Regarding them as the main liability of the group she was up against, she refused letting the chance to get a free kill escape her. She sprinted towards Felt's direction, the thief girl barely dodging in time while parrying with her dagger the assassin's Kukri knife. That's when the woman drew a second blade, aiming for the thief's blind spot. Subaru shot a web at Felt's chest, pulling her towards himself just before the killer's knife connected with her gut. Rom snapped out of his daze at the sight of his granddaughter almost being cleaved in half and, with a gutsy roar, he charged at the assassin.
"Blargh!" The giant roared as he swung down his mace, the assassin dodging out of the way. Puck and Emilia begun assaulting her again, but the woman evaded most of the shots. She then attempted to slash at the duo of contractor and spirit again, only to realize that her foot was stuck on the ice she hadn't noticed Puck shot at her.
"Does this mean I've been had?"
"Goodnight!" Yelled a gleeful Puck as he shot at Elsa another barrage of icicles. Elsa broke off her frozen foot and dodged the attack.
"How lovely… for a second there, I genuinely thought I was dead!"
"How morbid can you be?!" Subaru answered, creeped out.
Elsa stuck a piece of the ice to her mutilated, bleeding feet and then steam started to pour out of it. The ice took the form of her feet, sticking to her like a shoe.
Yeesh, creepy alright… Thought Subaru.
"I'm sorry Lia… That took more mana than I thought…" Puck said in an apologetic voice as he vanished.
"We can take care of the rest, so just sleep. Thank you."
"If anything goes wrong I'll act according to my contract. If you are really in trouble call me, even if you have to squeeze me out of my Od…" The cat vanished into thin air, scaring Subaru for a second due to the similarity between what he has been through and experienced.
"You are leaving so soon? How awful. Breaking my heart like that." Elsa mocked as the spirit left.
Elsa rushed at 'Satella' but Subaru got in the way, using the bionic limbs of his suit to parry the knifes, taking momentum off the killer's swings and grabbing her arms, leaving her chest open for a kick. Subaru attempted to kick her but the woman predicted this, jumping on top of his leg and using Subaru's own movement to impulse herself towards the half-elf. Both 'Satella' and Subaru were caught off guard and the woman managed to land a kick squarely on the mage's stomach, making her crash onto the shelves by the bar, slam onto the floor and be buried by the rubble created from the broken furniture.
"Hey, we are not done yet!" Rom shouted, swinging his mace once again at the woman.
"How boorish, cutting in someone else's dance."
"How 'bout we dance, eh? Roun' an' roun'!" Rom said, spinning his mace strongly, destroying everything around him. He managed to pin her to a corner, proceeding to swing the mace down to pulverize her. He was glad for a moment, sure of his victory, but the woman's voice cut short his thoughts.
"You are so strong~! But unfortunately for you, I was able to do this." The woman was standing on top of his mace. She then attempted to stab the man's neck, but Felt threw her dagger just in time to divert the hit from the neck to the shoulder.
"ARGH!" Exclaimed in pain the giant, bleeding profusely. He went to grab his wound to stop the flow and slumped onto the wall.
"Old man Rom!" Felt yelled in shock.
Crap! She stabbed him! Maybe 'Satella' can heal him but I need to buy her time to do that. Wait-
"You bad girl… You have neither the resolve nor the strength to fight. You should have stayed in your corner, making yourself smaller." The woman mocked at Felt's expense, making her panic.
The woman rushed at the scared Felt but Subaru intercepted the attack, webbing the assassin's arms together and kicking her away from the group, building some distance. "Felt, was it? Sorry about this whole mess, even if you were the one that started it by robbing my friend. But… could you do me a real solid and leave?"
"WHAT?! You want me to leave Old man Rom? As if you could handle things alone! You don't' even look that imposing!"
"Hey! I'm close to 18! I'm imposing!"
"Close to 18?! You should live a more interesting life then! Your face is boring!"
If only you knew. Subaru rolled his eyes.
"Look, I'm not telling you to flee, I'm telling you to rush out of here with that speed of yours and fetch my friend outside, he can get us out of this mess… probably." Subaru figured that Reinhard could actually be rather strong if the aura around him felt like Thor's, so he gambled on it.
"O-Oh! Alright!"
"Just tell him we need help; I'll hold her back until then. Now go!"
Felt rushed to the exit, only for the assassin to throw another of her bladed weapons at her. Subaru webbed it at the last moment and threw it back at the woman, impaling her hand to the wall. Felt managed to exit the building safely.
"You know? I am rather annoyed right now… It's the first time a target has escaped from my grasp." Said the murderer with a colder tone and gaze than before, glaring at Subaru.
"Well, there's a first for everything." The Avenger replied with a serious tone of his own and a frown directed at the woman. 'Satella' managed to stumble back up from the rubble, noticing the stare down between her companion and the assassin. "Hey, I know he was with Felt and all, but can you heal Rom over there?"
"What?" 'Satella' looked towards the giant, noticing his injury and all the blood. "Oh! Sure but…"
"Don't worry about her, I got this. And thanks!" Subaru gave her a thumbs' up as the half-elf begun treating the giant.
"Elsa Granhiert, 'The Bowel Hunter'." The assassin said drawing another sword.
"Natsuki Subaru, 'Spider-Man'." Subaru said, activating his mask, readying instant kill mode.
The two rushed at one another. Elsa augmenting her speed, jumping from the walls to the ceiling to the floor and to the walls again, trying to slash the young Avenger's abdomen. Subaru, on the other hand was dodging and parrying her assault with his suit's metallic limbs, creating an opening for his fist to land on the side of her torso. Elsa quickly regained her balance and bounced off the wall Subaru's punch had launched her to, rushing again in his direction. Subaru determined that he could not block the hit, so he opted instead for dodging upwards, sticking to the ceiling and shooting a web at the assassin once again. Elsa predicted this and slashed at the web… But Subaru predicted this too and the moment the blade clashed with the string an electric shock reverberated from the blade and onto her. He had shot a Taser-web. The shock, although not fatal, paralyzed her for just enough time so that Subaru could land a left-right jab combo to the stomach, launching her straight into the wall, slamming hard enough against it for her to slip out a yelp. Subaru readied himself, knowing she would get back up.
"Ah~, I can't remember the last time I was this excited! I really want to see your guts now~!"
"You really don't know when to drop the act, do you?"
The assassin rushed once again, this time far more focused than before. Subaru begun struggling with her speed. She was getting faster by the second, parrying her hits was getting difficult until suddenly, his extra limbs failed to stop an incoming slash, resulting in him having to dodge at the last second.
"GHK…!" Subaru felt a stinging from his right arm. Although he managed to avoid being stabbed, Elsa landed a cut on his forearm.
The fight continued until they both made a rush to the other at the same time. Elsa threw her knives at Subaru while quickly drawing new ones from her back. Subaru blocked the knives with two of the bionic limbs while readying the other two to block the incoming slashes from the assassin.
"Tsk!" Complained Elsa, the boy's extra limbs had proved repeatedly to be absurdly annoying.
Elsa´s chest was wide open to an attack, which Subaru did not waste to take advantage of. He readied his right fist, still riding the momentum of the rush as they approached one another and delivered a punch to the liver, making her stumble back.
"I've lost my patience here…" Murmured Elsa, dropping her seductive tone. "Show me your guts already!" She was about to rush again but then…
*BOOM*
The ceiling crumbled away, a redheaded figure dropped angelically onto the scene.
"Elsa Granhiert I presume?"
"Reinhard!" Exclaimed Subaru.
"The Sword Saint." Elsa responded, surprised about the sudden development. "Ah~! To think I'd have the chance to claim your guts too this night." Her previous animosity turning into delight at his appearance.
"Subaru, you did well holding out against her."
"Well… Someone has to keep the neighborhood safe and all!"
"Neighborhood?"
"Ah- I-it's nothing, nothing to worry about." Subaru said, waving his hands at Reinhard in a denying motion. "Back to topic."
"Ah! Yes…" Reinhard nodded, turning back to face the assassin. "Surrender now and I promise your cell will accommodate a bed. If you do not however… I'll use force to stop you." Reinhard threatened, picking up a sword by the floor and raising it towards her.
"Sorry, but I'm not one for rejecting chances like this…" Elsa readied her blades.
"Subaru, I've finished healing Rom's wound, but he passed out!"
"Good!" exclaimed Subaru.
"Then I don't have to hold back…" Reinhard smiled at the two and then turned around to face Elsa once more.
Subaru wondered what that meant but then his Spider sense screamed at him that something was about to happen. "Subaru, there is a lot of energy gathering around Reinhard at the moment! The readings are similar to Thor's lightning! Take cover!" Karen warned her master.
Subaru panicked hearing that. He has seen the Asgardian god reduce enemies to ashes in battle. He knew for certain what was about to happen and decided to cover 'Satella' and Rom with his body. He approached the two and stuck the iron Spider limbs to the floor, stabbing through it.
"It's the second time today I have to introduce myself, fufu~." Laughed the woman. "Elsa Granhiert, 'The Bowel Hunter'" Elsa crouched, preparing to charge at him.
"Reinhard van Astrea, 'The Sword Saint'." Reinhard raised the sword, which begun to shine bright as the wind gathered around it.
The assassin rushed in and the swordsman swung down his blade. From the sword, a powerful discharge of light was emitted and the entirety of the Loot House in the direction of the slash ceased to exist. The sword on Reinhard's hand disintegrated and, when the dust settled, only some rubble remained from the clash.
"HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS AMAZING DUDE!" Subaru congratulated Reinhard. "I mean, *cough, cough* I could have done that too but you weren't half-bad, Rein." Subaru tried reigning in his childishness at the display of raw power by presenting some half-assed bravado.
"…Rein?" Reinhard was quite perplexed, he expected him to think him a monster for showing off such terrible power and yet… he was joking around, calling him by a nickname as if they were old friends.
"Yeah, I mean, I can call you Rein, right? Like, just between friends?"
So he DID consider him a friend. Reinhard felt oddly warm at the thought that someone wasn't looking at him as a god or monster at first glance, just as… Rein. It felt nice. "Yes. It's… not a problem Subaru." He replied with a genuine smile.
"So, uh, can I come in now?" Felt peeked her head through the entrance. "Old man Rom!" She yelled when she saw her unconscious caretaker.
"He's fine, I've already treated his wound. Moreover…" 'Satella' turned to look at her. "Please, return my-"
"LOOK OUT!" Yelled Reinhard. He knew he wasn't close enough to the half-elf to react on time, so all he could do was yell as the assassin rushed from the pile of rubble straight towards her.
Subaru, however, had sensed the disturbance even before Reinhard and jumped in the way of the killer right before she could slash at the girl. He blocked the knife with two of his extra limbs once again and landed a punch with his right at her abdomen. At the moment of impact however, an electric shock stronger than the Taser-web discharged from Subaru's fist onto Elsa, throwing her upwards at full force.
"?!" Subaru was astonished. "I didn't know I could do that!" What was that? If I could always do it then I would have done it about the time the spider bit me! Just like all the other things! Is this… another effect of the stones? Did I actually mutate again?He wondered.
Elsa was dazed for a bit on the air, but quickly got a hold of her senses again and landed on a broken beam of the roof. "Soon enough, I'll disembowel everyone here. Until then…" Said the battered woman, bleeding all over and clothes tattered as she readied herself to jump again. "Take good care of your bowels." She jumps away, vanishing into the night.
"Are you alright?!" 'Satella' asked.
"Oh, don't sweat it, it was no problem, rather…" Subaru turned around to face the half-elf completely. "Did you know? I just saved your life from a criminal."
"What? Oh, yes, you did." 'Satella' answered.
"I, your rescuer, saved your life. Wouldn't that mean you ought to repay me somehow?"
'Satella' stared at him with a frown, disappointed. Did he accompany me this whole time seeking a reward? "… If it's within my power, then I'll reward you." She said dejectedly.
"In that case I have but one request! My request is…!" Subaru raised his right hand upwards while holding his hip with the left, trying to look cool. He pointed his index at the ceiling and then lowered it to shoulder level as he snapped his fingers to catch her attention.
'Satella' glared, she was angry at how fake all the things they did together earlier during the day felt, knowing that he just did it for a reward. She braced herself for the worst when…
"Tell me your real name." Subaru said with a smile as he deactivated his mask to look at her.
She was dumbfounded while staring at him. Then she giggled for a bit.Of course he had figured out I lied. She thought, rather relieved he was not at all using her for a reward, he just wanted to get to know her.
"Emilia."
"Huh?" Subaru looked at her surprised.
"My name is Emilia. Just Emilia." Subaru stared at her while they basked in the moonlight. "Thank you Subaru. For saving me."
"Just doing my part." Replied Subaru grinning ear to ear with a soft look on his eyes.
"Anyways, Subaru, I'm glad you are… okay." Reinhard interjected in their little moment. "I simply must ask though, what exactly is going on with your clothes? Your abilities as well. I didn't detect any mana from them, and I can´t find any sort of divine protection that can do the things you can."
"Oh, well it's a long sto-" Subaru paused. His body suddenly felt really heavy. "Umm… you know… why don't we talk about it… some other time." Subaru managed to say as he stumbled before dropping unconscious. He would have fell to the floor, were not for Karen activating the legs to support him
"Subaru?! Hey, wake up, Subaru?!" Both Emilia and Reinhard stood beside him in a panic.
"About time he passed out, he has been running on fumes since arriving to this city." Karen spoke aloud. "A quick analysis indicates that the electric discharges produced by his body the moment he struck Elsa just now zapped away his remaining adrenaline."
"What is this…?" Reinhard spoke in confusion to the voice coming from Subaru that clearly did not belong to him. He could tell it was not a spirit.
"Karen? What's wrong with Subaru?" Asked Emilia, agitated.
"Subaru is just tired. He's been running around and fighting since before meeting up with you, the fatigue just caught up to him."
"Oh… I see." Emilia felt guilty. He was already exhausted and she just moved him around from place to place.
"If I may, Emilia-sama, what exactly is your relationship with Subaru?"
"We met today, actually. We are… just acquaintances." Said the girl, saddened.
"Well, if that's the case, what shall we do with him? I would be glad to take him home as my guest after his feats today."
"Subaru has no place to stay at the moment. We are new to the city after all." Karen commented, sensing an opportunity to help her master during his current predicament.
"Then it's settled! I shall take him with me and-"
"No, I'll take him home with me." Emilia declared, decisively.
"O-oh, understood." Said a surprised and dejected Reinhard.
Emilia looked towards Felt and Rom. "Reinhard, I assume she told you everything. About my insignia too… What will become of them?"
"Well… Officially, I cannot overlook what they have done. But… unfortunately, I'm off duty today."
"You are a bad knight." The half-elf giggled. She then approached Felt. "So… Is he part of your family?" She asked the thief.
"Something like that. He is all I have, really. He's like a grandpa."
"I see. I have only one family member too. He's always absent when you need him though." She chuckled a bit.
"I thought you'd be harsher, but you are rather nice, huh?" Felt paused, reaching for the pouch with the insignia. "Um… Here. Sorry for stealing it, but don't let it get stolen again, alright?"
"It feels funny, getting reprimanded by the one who stole it."
Reinhard was in shock at what he was looking at. The insignia in Felt's hand was… shining.
The Sword Saint grabbed her by the wrist.
"Ouch! Hey, you are hurting me, let go!"
"Reinhard?" Asked Emilia.
"H-How could this be…" Reinhard wondered in astonishment. "What is your name?"
"Huh? Felt…"
"And your family name? How old are you?"
"I've no fancy family name! I'm… 'bout fifteen I think? I don't know my birthday. Just let me go!"
"Emilia-sama, I am afraid I cannot keep my promise to you. I shall be taking this girl with me."
"Is it because she stole my insignia?"
"That is, indeed, no small crime. But next to the gravity of overlooking the crime unfolding before me, it's trivial." Reinhard looked at Felt. "I need you to come with me. I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to refuse."
"Get over yourself! Just because you saved me-" Reinhard gently knocked her out, without her even realizing when he drained her mana.
"That wasn't very courtly either."
"… Emilia-sama, I'll be calling upon you shortly. I hope you understand." Reinhard lifted Felt, carrying her in his arms while handling the insignia back to Emilia. "Please take care of Subaru."
As they both raised their heads to look at the moon Reinhard concluded before leaving. "Today might be our last chance to gaze calmly at the moon."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Oof, that took much longer than expected!
For anyone wondering at the end, I decided to buff Subaru's powers up by adding Miles Morales extra abilities, ergo, electric shocking and partial invisibility. This came about due to the exposure to the stones, similar to how Wanda´s powers developed thanks to the mind stone. Also, expect some crazy changes to the Re:Zero Mythos, specifically how a certain event went down, as I'll be using the Thanos Snap as an excuse.
Anyways, I expect to upload weekly but it will depend on how busy I am with college. Looking forward to the reviews and thanks for reading! I appreciate any critique!