Aleister wiped the sweat off his forehead, the illusion of Kirei Kotomine falling off, Medea's spell no longer needed. He'd done everything he could think of to ensure he'd both be able to escape and manipulate the Holy Grail War to his benefit.
"And we only know the Demi-Servant of three...". Aleister cursed, Armsmaster had carried around Gram without thinking and revealing his Demi-Servant obviously to anyone who recognized the blade, Panacea was a bit harder to guess but her filling the Berserker spot only left so many Servants she could have bonded with, and a sane Berserker related to more modern warfare? Florence Nightingale was the only solution. "But Koga Saburo, the man who returned from the Underworld... And we're not even sure who's bonded with them".
"Leaving the user of Assassin unknown, and Archer didn't reveal enough for you to know her identity?". Medea asked, walking over to the kitchen and starting to make some coffee. "The bug wielder, Skitter? She's likely the Demi-Servant Caster, but who I am unsure".
"Archer wore nothing from her Servant, nor did she reveal her weapons. Not just her, we also completely lacking any knowledge on Lancer or Rider". Aleiser mused, neither Lancer or Rider had showed up to receive the summoning cards. Did they just refuse the summoning? Or were they distracted by something else? "We'll have to check the News later, Parahumans can't resist showing off. If we're lucky, one of them will reveal themselves entirely".
"Joy, watching clowns fight all day". Medea finished making the coffee and sat down on the sofa, the two discussing plans on how to deal with what Demi-Servants they were aware of.
Aleister looked over his computer, carefully editing various code while on a stainless steel table besides him, laid Cyber. Various wires were connected to her flesh, into the machinery that'd been put inside her, including what he'd put into her own.
He could rewrite her personality on a whim, and if that was somehow cancelled, there were dozens of machines he could use to control her movement, or if need came be, shut down her body.
However while he had been performing surgery, he'd discovered something. Cyber had an inactive Corona Pollentia, meaning she could trigger as a parahuman.
The magus frowned, he could try using Magecraft or science to force a trigger, but with so little knowledge on it, he may risk killing Cyber. He hadn't put so much work into her that he couldn't replace her, and Cyber getting more powers could only be a good thing, but at the same time...
He'd have to think on it some more.
"So we just have to keep this fire going?". Aleister asked, staring into the golden flames of his recently installed indoor fire, something Medea had been completely responsible for.
"Hearth, and yes. Hestia's protection only lasts as long as the fire burns". Medea replied, stoking the fire a bit before turning away to check the rest of the various protections she'd made. "The Bounded Field will inform me if anyone but you or me enters this building, and even checks us for any mental manipulation, so if we've been Mastered, it will inform us and attempt to cleanse it".
"Cleanse it...?". The master asked, why did that sound so much more ominous then it should?
"It will forcefully paralyze us and then force enough mana into our system to hopefully remove any mental influence by overpowering it... Of course that carries the risk of frying your brain". The Caster spoke the last bit quietly, before quickly continuing. "A-anyway, Dragon Tooth Soldiers will be summoned if someone enters with hostile intentions, depending how powerful the intruder is, they'll start out fighting to subdue but switch to killing if required".
"And probably reveal I'm a cape to the entire world?". Aleister asked, causing Medea to roll her eyes.
"If anyone can muster the willpower needed to get past the Bounded Field that deflects thieves, then I very much doubt they're ignorant to that fact".
Well the house has some proper defenses now, not the most powerful but a good start.
Aleister looked over the News, checked PHO and anything else he could find on recent cape activities. Conflict between the ABB and Empire, the PRT talking about bringing in heroes from out of town, Undersiders robbing a-
Wait, PRT bringing in more heroes?!
Aleister began researching it, out of nowhere the PRT had declared they'd be getting support from out of town heroes to finally deal with the gangs. A few names he didn't recognize, but one he did.
Dragon.
The world's most powerful and famous Tinker, able to copy and improve even other parahumans Tinker-Tech. Why? Why would she be coming to Brockton Bay? Was it the Holy Grail War? Did the PRT share information about it with Dragon and she decided to investigate herself?
Aleister's technology was impressive, he could create near anything with the right supplies, and he had no doubt he was superior to Dragon. But she had the greater resources and already had dozens of machines and mechs already built, and her ability to adapt other's technology into her own was unrivaled. He was better, but she had the better equipment and resources.
His magecraft wasn't something she could copy, even if she checked over each Demi-Servant, she couldn't figure out how they worked. But that didn't mean she may not be able to figure something out, what if she could figure out how to trace mana?
He couldn't just remove her ether, she was to famous, to powerful, and to important. It was Dragon's efforts that lessened the horror of Endbringers, it was her that helped people recover. He was cruel, but removing Dragon from the picture was just not acceptable.
He needed to figure out a way to deal with her, without killing her.
Medea glanced nervously at herself in the mirror, her hair looked fine, her lipstick was perfect, and her clothing was fashionable. Yet she felt like she wasn't doing enough, like she was missing something. Her mind raced, what else could could she use...?
Her gaze traveled to a blue jacket she'd brought on a shopping trip with Aleister, yes, that was what missing. She quickly grabbed it and put it on, glancing into the mirror and she finally felt confident enough to leave the room to... Her date.
Gods, what had she been thinking?! Aleister wasn't a bad choice, handsome and serious and caring in his own ways, but he was undoubtedly an evil man, a man who made no attempts to hide he was going to fuck other woman. But he also made it clear he saw Medea as more then that, and honestly? Compared to most Greeks, Aleister was downright chaste.
She left the room, finding Aleister waiting for her dressed in one of his usual suits. His eyes traced over her form, and she was sure if she had Fairy Eyes, she'd be able to see his lust for her body.
"You look lovely". He complimented, the Caster's cheeks turned pink. "I've booked us dinner at a restaurant thats nearby New Wave's territory, so we'll not have to worry about any distractions".
"Well then, shall we go?". Medea offered her hand, trying to suppress her delight when he took it and the two left. Drawing a few odd looks from others as they passed, their hair colors being obviously unnatural (At least it was in this world, although that did lead to the question why her master had naturally white hair...).
Bond up.
Medea: 8.
Near max bonded Medea! I'm no good at writing dates, so you'll just have to imagine how it went.