Taylor's eyes suddenly snapped open, a gasp escaped her lungs as her eyes were burned by the bright lights held up in the ceiling panels. She screwed her eyes shut out of instinct to protect them. Before she could further react to the overwhelming stimuli, she felt two arms wrap around her torso, holding her in a bone crushing hug. Finally she opened her eyes and saw who it was that had hugged her so suddenly, her Dad. He had bags under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Yet he looked alive for the first time in years, as if he had awaken from a stupor that had consumed him since Mom died. After a long silent five minutes, he began to speak with a shaky but relieved voice full of emotion that spoke far more then what he said. "I'm glad you're okay Little Owl. I'm so glad you're okay."

Taylor tensed up in his arms at what he said and what he called her, her brain running a million miles per hour with thoughts even as the heat of anger ran through her. Did her father know what they did? Did he find out what Emma and the others had done to her? The bullying, the abuse, the lack of action from Winslow, the loneliness, the locker? She then let out an awkward laugh, her eyes glinting with discomfort as she did. Her attempt to see fine, trying to seem calm as if nothing bad truly happened, as if she hadn't been stuck in a locker filled with bugs and waste until the middle of the night. Forced to watch as all who passed her ignored her begging to be released, as if she didn't exist at all. "Dad what are you talking about? I'm fine." She had said it with a shaky tone, barely holding back her fear at him knowing the truth and her frustration at what he called her.

Her father pulled back, his calloused hands on her shoulders as his tired eyes looked into her own nervous eyes. It was as if he was looking directly into her soul even with her trying to hide. He wasn't that absent father anymore. She could tell from how he saw right through her and her lie. "Taylor you were out cold for almost a week, what do you mean you're fine?" His tone conveyed frustration and shock at her trying to lie to his face. Taylor's eyes blinked almost like an owl's in confusion as her previous anger and fear left her system. She had been out for a week? How? What in that locker could have kept her out for almost a week? The locker was awful yes but... a week?

"Dad what do you mean a week?" New confusion and shock leaked through, her body shaking at the thought of something having put her out that long. He let out a tired sigh and shrugged, annoyance crossing his face at the fact he didn't know. "It's like I said Taylor, you were out for a week. They don't know why you were considering Panacea was able to heal you the night you were brought here. They said the only abnormal thing about your condition from you running a fever until last night."

Taylor looked down at her sheet covered lap, her hands gripping tightly into balls before she noticed it. Three red tattoos, if one could call them that considering she clearly didn't remember getting any, on the back of her hand that while separate formed the shape of a spider. She looked up and he looked back with a look that even she understood, they would be talking about this later. At her silence and seeming distress, her father stood up with a sigh. "Well, I'll go let the nurses know you're awake. They'll likely want to look you over one last time." She nodded absentmindedly and he left the room.

For half an hour nurses looked over her before finally letting her leave, wasting time and knowing her luck find more ways to charge her father. It was a quiet affair where they checked her condition and how she was feeling before letting her go, on to another victim of Brockton Bay. The ride home with her father was silent and uncomfortable, she didn't want to talk and he didn't know how to approach her. They walked into their home silently, ate dinner together in near total silence, awkwardly stumbling through conversation before going their separate ways within their home, Daniel moving to the living room and Taylor to her room. It seems even if he wanted to be active in her life, he didn't know how.

Taylor slumped onto her old bed, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. She had barely been awake for a few hours at best yet she was already tired. However one thing nagged at her mind, this feeling as if someone she couldn't see was there. As if on cue, something began to form at the end of her bed. Blue glowing particles came together to form the outline of a tall man before finally glowing slightly and it came into full picture. A man with autumn hair in an old fashion blue military uniform stood before her with a stoic look on his face.

As fear tightened her heart and her body tensed, her fists grabbed the sheets tight until her knuckles turned white he began to speak. "I am Servant Archer, responding to your wish to live Taylor Hebert. I ask of you, are you my Master?" His voice radiated power, goosebumps spread across her skin as she realized this was what she felt since she had awaken. As her pupils dilated, she began to sweat and her body began to tremble as he reached to his waist before pulling out a cigar. He brought it to his lips and lit it with a lighter she didn't see him grab.

"I would wait for your response but I believe I was right in thinking you didn't intend to summon me eh little mademoiselle?" His voice reeled itself in and she slacked onto her bed, panting heavily as her body recovered the feeling of that radiating presence that consumed her entire being. What the hell was he? What the hell did he mean by her having summoned him? How did he know what she was thinking while in the locker?

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" Her mouth before she could properly think of what to do or say. The man smirked and responded, thankfully, casually. "Well as I said before, I am the Servant Archer. I know who you are because I kept guard over you while you recovered from summoning me. I'm surprised you were out that long but your circuits were only just awakened."

The words ran through her mind as she kept her eyes on the man. Servant Archer, summoned him, kept guard over her, circuits awakened? She knew the words but had no idea what they even meant within this context or situation. Finally she responded the the large man. "What does any of that even mean? Servant Archer? Is that your cape name? What do you mean by responding to my Summon?"

The man sighed almost exasperated but answered her questions promptly. "To start with, I responded to your wish to live while you were in that waste bin of a locker. That pain allowed your latent circuits to awaken through brute force which allowed me to be summoned. Circuits produce an energy that one could call magic, allowing a user to produce mysteries. Through that energy I was summoned, a figure from human history etched into the Throne of Heroes. That is what a Servant is, a hero of humanity brought forth in response to their Master."

He went from exasperation to pride as he spoke of what he was, a hero that made such an impact he would never be forgotten by humanity. Taylor however looked at him like he was insane. This obviously was a cape that had lost their mind and for whatever reason latched onto her. "And those are where those red marks on your hand come in. They're called Command Seals and allow a Master to give three absolute commands to their Servant that they must obey."

That made her start to sweat. Command Seals? Master? Had she triggered and ended up mastering the man who saved her? Apparently her thoughts showed on her face because he quickly addressed it. "You haven't Mastered me Taylor, there likely isn't a single living parahuman who could pull that off with how my body isn't actually human." A mischievous smile spread across his face as suddenly his voice resounded throughout her head. "Besides, I doubt any Master power would create a telepathic connection eh?"

His smile relaxed and reeled in his charisma as she seemed to finally calm down to an extent as he bombarded her with information. It may be cruel to use his abilities like this but they were a week behind. A massive disadvantage they were lucky didn't kill them yet, assuming their position wasn't already compromised. Other Masters have likely already found key locations to use as fortifications and been gathering intelligence. He was a fool for rushing her to the hospital like that, even if it may have been necessary.

As she sat on her bed, her heartbeat finally relaxing as she thought on his words she could feel it. She could feel something connecting the two, energy that poured out of her from what felt like lines of circuity across her body to fuel him. Taylor spoke out softly, awe covering her tone. "You're serious aren't you? You're really a Hero?"

Archer nodded his head and pointed to his chest with his thumb with a proud smile on his face. "You bet I am! However," With that he became far more serious. "far more important than that Master, you are now involved in the Holy Grail War." When those words left his mouth, Taylor knew whatever came next would change her life forever.