Howdy and welcome to my newest One-Shot! This story was thought up only about a week ago but I was bursting with ideas, I even wanted to do a whole story about it but stopped myself because I do need to focus on The Fallen and don't want to get caught up in this one and forgetting that one. Plus I just have more ideas for The Fallen, so this is relegated to a One-Shot. I do hope you enjoy!
"Caster servant summoned, greetings…master?" Caster blinked at the empty space in front of her. Caster stood alone in an abandoned bar that looked odd to the servant, it had a weird feeling to it and a few powered off screens looked advanced as well as the arcade machines up against the walls.
Caster could tell she had no master, she couldn't feel a similar connection to the one that she'd had to Ritsuka. She could feel Magical Energy flowing into her and keeping her anchored but she didn't know where it was coming from. She closed her eyes and focused, she trailed the Mana source until-her eyes snapped open in shock.
"A-a ley line?" She stuttered, but it wasn't just any ley line. Most ley lines had been slowly drying up since the Age of Gods had ended and had gotten far smaller as a result. This ley line, however, had no such problem.
Caster could feel the Magical Energy coming into her was very pure, not tainted by centuries of use. It was as if no one had ever tapped into it. How was that possible? Magi would have flocked to this place like flies on rotten food.
Before Caster could think more about the ley line, a stinging pain erupted in her hand. Hissing she brought her hand up and noticed red markings forming on the back of her hand, six sets in a circle with circles. She widened her eyes at the sight of the command seals.
How? That was all that was going through her mind. First the ley line, now six command seals? Full command seals as well as if she'd summoned a servant herself. Wait, had she? No it was a ritual that required certain preparations.
As if to break down a dillusion the area in front of her lit up. Once again Cater was shocked, she hadn't even done the ritual to summon a servant! What in the world was happening!? Servants didn't just summon themselves!
Uncaring of Caster's confusion a figure took shape and soon a man was standing in front of her, "Servant Assassin, lets just get…this…over," Assassin was much the same in his own reaction. He wasn't shocked at have being summoned by a master but by being summoned by a servant.
The two stared eacho ther down. One with confusion in his the eyes the other with…hopeful tears?
"K-kiritsugu?" Caster muttered, to Assassin's surprise.
"How do you know that name?" Assassin looked at her, he wasn't sure why but the servant in front of him reminded him of something. As if he'd forgotten something and that memory covered by the dust accumulated was attempting to surface.
Caster brought her hands to her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. She stepped forward a hand reaching out, Assassin made no move to stop her. He felt strange, he should've stopped her but something was telling him not to.
Suddenly Catser blurred forward and crashed into Assassin, wrapping him up in a hug as she wept into his chest. Assassin froze stiff as a statue, he feels he recognizes the servant and the way she was reacting she obviously recognized him but why? Who was he to her?
"I-i never thought I'd see y-hick-you again!" Caster sobbed. She had never though she would be reunited with him, and she knew it was him. Not another variant like the one in Chaldea, this was a Counter Guardian there was no mistaking that. This was also her Kiritsugu Emiya.
She knew it was.
Assassin gently pushes her off him. He looks at her, his own gray eyes peering into red eyes. He feels he should know her, it was tickling his mind and the memory was coming forward, flashes of her happy face looking at him with nothing but love, but he still couldn't remember her name.
Before he could even think of asking though, something crashed through the roof and landed only a few feet from the two. Immediately Assassin moved in front of Caster and summoned his Calico M950 and aimed it directly at the dust cloud.
Coughing was the first sound made by this new presence, "Ugh, why is it that I always seem to get summoned well above the summoning circle." the voice complained. The figure moved in the dust moving there arms to disperse the dust cloud.
"Apologies master, it seems my luck has…gotten…" the man tensed at the sight of Assassin and Caster. His gray eyes darting back and forth between them, until it stayed locked on the Calico M950 aimed directly at him.
Assassin stared at this newcomer with the same feeling as Caster. He knew them but he couldn't really remember. That was frustrating, he couldn't operate at his peak if he kept getting distracted by memories.
"Identify yourself," Assassin commanded, his voice stern and devoid of warmth.
"Servant Archer," Archer responded.
"S-shirou?" Caster muttered, behind Assassin who flinched at the name. Archer looked at Caster, stared at her for a moment and then understanding filled his eyes.
"Oh, so you remember," Archer said.
"Yes, I do."
"Then he.."
"He's not the same one from Chaldea," Catser answered, looking at Assassin with a smile, "This is really him."
Archer looked at Assassin with an analytical eye, "He looks the same."
"I can tell these things Shirou."
"Archer," Archer said, his voice exasperated, "And how can tell?"
"I'm his wife silly, if I couldn't tell I'd be horrible at my job."
With that Assassin grunted and held his head with his free hand. Memories flooded his mind, ones he'd all but forgotten about. Perhaps it was to save himself from the pain that those memories brought. The Holy Grail War. Angra Maiynu. Illya. Iri…
"Iri?" Assassin asked.
Caster turned to him, a smile gracing her features, "Yes, its me Kiri."
Assassin's arm fell to his side, the Calico M950 disappearing from his hand. He stared at Caster with eyes that shifted through a lot of different emotions and he would've stayed that way had Caster not come up to him and hugged him again.
This time Assassin did not flinch, nor stiffen. He felt a wave of calm wash over him and he wrapped his own arms around his wife. Husband and wife finally reunited after a long time.
Archer just stood off to the side awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation, he was happy for the two. His knew how much Iriesviel had missed Kiritsugu, the situation at Chaldea had been a rather upsetting one for her.
Still he decided he'd just stand a bit further away from them. Let them sort themselves out while tried to figure how Caster had acomplished this.
"And where do you think you're going?" Caster asked as she separated from Assassin.
"Leaving you two to your reunion," Archer admitted.
"Oh, no you don't buster. You're just as much a part of this reunion as I am. When was the last time you saw your Kiritsugu?"
Longer than he cared to remember. Archer couldn't remember a lot from his life as Shirou Emiya but he remembered that man's smile with clarity. Eons of time within Alaya's service hadn't dimmed that smile at all.
"A while," Archer said instead, "This doesn't matter at the moment however. If you're done with your reunion then I must ask how you accomplished this."
"Hmmph, I'm curious as well," Assassin admitted. It seemed the Emiya men were of the same mind. Both looked at Caster who was now wearing a sheepish look on her face.
"I um, don't actually know," the words shocked both Counter Guardians, "I'm just as surprised as you two. I was only summoned a few moments before you two appeared, or well landed in your case."
Archer stared dryly at Caster while Assassin looked down in thought.
"Then whats supplying you Magical Energy?" Assassin questioned.
"The ley line."
Assassin and Archer's brows furrowed but Archer was the one who spoke first, "Ley line?"
"Yes. It is unusually potent and when I was summoned my Spirit Core was connected to it."
Archer kneels down and places his hand on the ground. He closes his eyes and as the other two servants watch, his eyes widen in shock as he feels the amount of energy within the ley line.
"That shouldn't be possible," Archer stated with utter fact.
"What wrong?" Assassin asked, the only one out of the loop.
"The mana in the ley line is similar to one from the Age of Gods."
This made Assassin frown and look to Caster, "If thats true how are you handling it so well?"
"I do have a high divinity core," Caster mentioned.
"That would make sense," Assassin admitted. "Then how is this ley line so potent? Its obviously the modern day, the Age of Gods is long over."
"I've never heard of a ley line so potent," Archer says, "I feel like I would have in passing at least. How can the Clocktower not be aware of this?"
"I don't know." Caster says.
The three servants stand, thinking on the ley line and their summoning. However they're interrupted by the distant roars of engines. Archer and Assassin are the first to move with Caster trailing them. As they get to the door, it opens on its own at they're approach.
They don't make much of a note to it and move outside to see they are in a small town in the desert. The sun beams down on them but Archer looks down the long stretch of road and with Hawkeye he can see several vehicles on approach.
"At least seven vehicles, all of them seem to have armored panels and circuitry on the outside. Most are two door vehicles besides one in the back." Archer reported.
"Any notable weapons?" Assassin asks.
"There seemed to be machine guns attached to the hoods."
"Anything else?"
"They'll be here in a minute at least."
Assassin looked in the distance where Archer was looking. Assassin didn't know anything about where they were nor what year it was, they could get information from them. Then again those machine guns mountings weren't promising. A fight could break out.
Between him and Archer, he had no doubt they could handle them easily but did they have an actual reason to? No, they didn't. In fact it was probably better to let them pass and find information within the town.
"We'll let them pass," Assassin decided.
"Probably for the best," Caster said, "We don't need any unnecessary violence."
Archer turned and nodded, already moving back to the bar. The three servants entered again and stayed back, Caster hoping the group continued on so that needless blood would not be spilt.
The engines got louder and louder until they heard the squeaks of tires burning to a stop. The engines were now rumbling but soon a voice amplified by a megaphone yelled out, "Alright boy and girls, we're making camp for the time being! Loot any supplies you can find and if anyone finds spare eddies bring 'em to me! We clear!?"
Several loud confirmations roared through the air and into the bar. The three servants stood stock still, Caster's face wilted, Archer's was blank and so was Assassins.
"God damn my E-rank luck," Assassin and Archer said at the exact same time. Both looked at each other and nodded at their shared pain.
"What do we do now?" Caster asks.
"We deal with this one way or another," Assassin says, he then looks to Archer, "Go into spirit form and get to the roof, cover me if things go violent." Archer nods and disappears into blue mist, "Caster, It would be best that you stay here. I know you'd be useful with your wires but I think it best they think only one person is present."
Caster looks pensive but nods. Assassin nods as well and moves toward the door while Caster talks to Archer, "Keep an eye on him, Archer."
"I am."
Assassin walks out of the door and into the sight of the large group. Immediately all guns are trained on Assassin who calmly looks over them all, he notes the odd cybernetic parts on a lot of the members and wonders what year it is for something like that to exist.
"Who the fuck are you!?" The man with the loud voice yells, he doesn't have a mega phone but a wire from his wrist is connected to the vehicle he's standing next to. Assassin assumes the vehicle is what's amplifying his voice.
"No one, I'm simply a scavenger." Assassin says, his tone not betraying a thing.
"Is that right!? Well let me tell you somethin' choom! You can fuck right off, in fact why don't you hand over the armor you got on and anything of value on your person and we'll let you fuck off!"
"That's not happening."
"Hahaha! You hear this fuckin' gonk, guys!? He's actin' all brave! He ain't even got any chrome!"
Chrome? Assassin noted the word, it seemed to be referring to the cybernetics but how would they know that? A scanner of some kind? He'd have to figure that out, not having information is how you lose.
The talks had deteriorated before they could even really begin. Assassin had them pegged correctly, it would seem, "Alright! Someone flatline the gonk and klep his shit!"
A woman with black hair and a carbon black body laughed, "I'll do it!" she stepped forward walking while sashaying her hips. She flicked her arms and blades resembling a praying mantis' popped out, "Got any last words, hon'? Maybe a nice scream?"
Assassin didn't say anything, he simply stared at the woman as she approached. As she got closer he finally said something, "Time Alter: Double Accel."
Everything slows to a crawl. Assassin summons a combat knife to his hand and moves forward bringing the knife down into the woman's chest, the knife piercing all the way to the hilt. He lets Time Alter drop and the moment he does arrows begin raining down upon the group.
They pierce heads, chests, arms, legs, and many other areas of the body while also hitting most of the vehicles. Every single person is now riddled with red arrows and drop to the ground dead, with no idea what had just happened.
Archer stood from his position on the roof and let his bow disappear as the arrows dissapeared as well before dropping down next to Assassin, "Not very difficult."
"No, it wasn't."
"One of them seemed to be able to perceive you though."
Assassin looked over at Archer, "Which one?"
"Guy over there with the mohawk," Assassin looked in the direction Archer gestured and saw the man he was referring to, "He reacted before anyone else could. Pulled up his rifle but was too late to do anything considering the arrow that killed him a second later."
Assassin frowned at that, he'd have to get information on that as well. There were a lot of things he didn't know and he didn't like it. He heard the doors behind him open and listened to the footsteps approaching, "They look strange," Caster says.
"Yes," Assassin says, "It seems some of them are cybernetically enhanced in some way. One of them was even able to react to my double accel."
"Thats not good."
"No, it isn't."
Both are quiet, the implications that a normal human could react to Assassin even only minutley was a troubling one. It was possible that more like him could do the same, maybe even move that quickly. He may have been overthinking it but he couldn't be sure unless he had information.
"Oh, that's not good," The two looked over to see Archer holding a pistol of an unkown make, "I think I've figured a few things out."
"What?" Assassin asked.
"Well for one, we're in the year 2075. Another thing is that I've never heard of a manufacturing company called Arasaka." Archer stood up with the pistol in his hand, "Arasaka Tamayura. Manufactured in 2068. Arasaka is a mega-corporation dating back to 1915 but exploded in growth around the second world war."
"I've never heard of them," Caster says.
"Neither have I and I made it a point to learn about weapon manufactures." Assassin says, adding his two cents.
"I can only think of one possibility, we may have ended up on an alternate Earth." Archer says, his voice grim.
The three servants are silent. Each contemplating this fact, an alternate Earth to the one they knew. One that seemingly, as far as they knew, had no Magi. What were they doing here? What had summoned them to this place and why?
Two Counter Guardians and an Einzbern Humunculus were lost in another universe. What would they do?
I think I may have rushed this a bit too quickly. I wanted to test my abilities to write EMIYA (Archer) an EMIYA (Assassin) variant and Iriesviel but I'm not sure I captured it very well. I know I'm not very good at sarcastic remarks nor the coldness of Kiritsugu and I can only hope that I'm just being hard on myself. If I get reviews telling me that they don't feel like those characters I may take this down and rewrite the dialogue but I'll wait and see. Anyways, what do you think? How much chaos would erupt from half of the Emiya family being in Night City? More importantly did you enjoy? I hope so.