This one was an idea I nutted out when I saw, as far as I can tell, a lack of crossovers between the Resident Evil games and Fate/Stay Night. Out of the possible characters who could get involved in the Grail War, I found Alexia an interesting possibility. I think she would suit the cold amorality of a Magus quite well. Still, the idea petered out when I hadn't even finished this chapter, so this story at least may not see the light of day, at least for a while...

VI VERI UNIVERSUM VIVUS VICI

CHAPTER 1:

THE SUMMONING

The swell of anger inside her was palpable as she read her father's notes. No, not her father. Not even a glorified sperm-donor. No, he was their creator at best. She and her brother had been created to try and make them into the second coming of their illustrious ancestor. Now all those strange experiments, the pain he put her through, they made sense.

Her brother was having a conniption, as was his wont to do. They were in the workshop of their father, hidden behind a trick portrait within the mansion in the Antarctic Base. Though it seemed more like a combination of library, study and alchemy laboratory than a genetic engineering lab. Which was odd, unless that was the real reason her father was such a laughing stock in the company, that he was obsessed with the pseudoscience of alchemy.

While her brother's anger ran hot, like a blazing house, her anger grew cold, colder than liquid nitrogen. Her blue eyes became icy. But then, she found something that almost startled her out of her anger.

Tucked into the back of the notebook was an envelope, addressed to her in her father's cursive script. Her brother, who was ranting and raving like the spoiled little boy he was, hadn't noticed, even as she tucked the envelope into her dress. "Brother," she said quietly. "We will consider what to do about…father later. Let us go, before he notices his earring is missing."

He nodded, reluctantly. Her dear, sweet fool of a brother. Ready to obey her slightest whim. She was his world…but he was not hers.

It wasn't until she had ensured that her brother would not do anything rash, and that she had been sequestered in her own private laboratory, that she gathered the courage to open up the letter. And what she read there would change her world forever…

Over a decade later, Alexia Ashford peered at the letter once more. It was the thing that had catalysed the path she now walked down. Not quite the path her father envisioned her to follow, true, but it was close enough. Not that he could appreciate it.

But it had proved to be the spur that had changed her life. Whether for better or for worse remained to be seen, but it was certainly more interesting.

Dearest Alexia,

As I write this, I know of you and your brother's increasing curiosity about my personal workshop. This is why I wrote this, and placed it in my notebook, where you would find it. You have already read one confession in my notebooks, how you were created to be a new Veronica Ashford…but this letter is another.

The Ashfords are more than an aristocratic line of biologists, Alexia. You may find this hard to believe, raised as a scientist and a prodigy at that for much of your life…but we used to be a line of what are known as Magi, singular Magus. In short, in our blood runs magic. Or rather, it used to.

You are doubtless receiving this news with the incredulity and disbelief that such a discovery warrants normally, but it is true. Magic, or rather, magecraft, exists. I cannot fit the full explanation of how it works into a necessarily short epistle, and there are many elements of it that would be doubtless frustrating to the scientist within you.

I have debated with myself endlessly whether to tell you this, given the ill you may make of magecraft, but I have decided that it is your destiny. Veronica Ashford was the last great Magus of our family, and you are her legacy. There is also the matter of the Magus Association and Sealing Designations, and other things you must be educated on.

If you wish to know more, head to our family library. I have hidden a primer on magecraft within what appears to be a copy of a first edition of The Hobbit, as I knew neither of you were of the inclination to read fantasy. Should you do so, then approach me for further training, discreetly.

I hope that you will come to restore the Ashford family name one day, both in the eyes of Umbrella, and in the eyes of the Magus Association. That is my most ardent dream, one I hope you will come to share, despite my deception.

Faithfully yours,

Alexander Ashford

Alexia snorted in disdain. Despite her efforts, the Ashford name was not as well-received in Umbrella as it used to, though that was partly due to Spencer doing his best to erase his co-founders' achievements from history. Marcus was dead, supposedly in an accident, though when she met Albert Wesker shortly afterwards, he had confided in her that he and Birkin had led a group of soldiers to assassinate Marcus on Spencer's orders. Part of the reason why Alexia was able to do as much as she had was because she kept her private research quiet, while toeing the party line. Though she was planning for the day when she would overthrow Spencer, that paranoid antediluvian bastard.

And she was so much more powerful than she was. Thanks to what she learned of magecraft under her father, she was able to reduce the incubation time for T-Veronica, at least to gain power without losing sanity. A week spent in a stasis tank, and she had the power of a goddess.

Of course, given what she knew of the Magus Association, she was understandably cautious. That was why she kept her experiments as under the radar as possible. Umbrella was already known to some to perform a number of unethical experiments, although to be fair, that was mostly their bioweapon client base. It wouldn't do her any good to act on her ambitions before she was sure she could crush any opposition. Patience was key. Such a thing seemed anathema to someone with the unbridled megalomania that seemed a job requirement for working at Umbrella, but learning magecraft had taught her patience, more so than before.

In any case, it would not do for Spencer to learn that she had already augmented herself, and was now holding the very reins of godhood he desired for himself. Paranoid old bastard would try to kill her for what he would consider to be her insolence.

There was a knock on the door to her study. Alexia sighed, putting the letter away, before getting up from her chair. "Enter."

The door was opened, and a tall form entered the study. It was a woman, about two metres tall, with a short mop of blonde hair. Her extraordinary height was married with a build that was more athletic than overly muscled, hidden by a severe suit. Her face was surprisingly attractive, though habitually in a somewhat stoic expression. Although apparently in her twenties, she was actually in her forties.

The woman nowadays went by the name of Sentinel, but her birth name was Lisa Trevor. Her father was the main architect of the Spencer Mansion in the Arklay Mountains outside Raccoon City. However, Ozwell E Spencer, determined to ensure George Trevor didn't divulge any secrets, trapped George within the depths of his own mansion, with Lisa and her mother subjected to human testing of Progenitor, the forerunner virus to the T-Virus, T-Veronica, and the G-Virus William Birkin was so obsessed about. Indeed, the G-Virus had been born deep within Lisa Trevor's ravaged body.

Lisa survived the viral experiments, but was twisted into a scarecrow parody of a human being, a malformed monster looking for her mother who died long ago. However, a year ago, Alexia had the idea of using Lisa as an experimental subject for a magecraft-controlled virus she called Hecate. Astonishingly, Lisa came full circle, her form becoming human once more, albeit changed into something not unlike a Tyrant. Her mind became lucid once more, though she still wished for revenge against Umbrella, and against Spencer.

The official story was that Lisa Trevor died shortly after Alexia experimented upon her. Neither Birkin nor Spencer gave a damn, and Wesker was also indifferent. Sentinel, Alexia claimed, was a prototype Tyrant based on female physiology, and with extra modifications to retain intelligence. Of course, Lisa Trevor was Sentinel, and Alexia had managed to, with a little difficulty, win the loyalty of the damaged woman.

And, miracles of miracles, Lisa was also able to use magecraft. Alexia actually found dormant Magic Circuits within Lisa when she was first sent to Rockfort Island (where they were now), and Hecate presumably woke them up.

"Well?" Alexia asked.

"I've drawn out the circle as requested," Lisa reported. "All is prepared. Mr Velvet is ready too."

"Thank you. Though you could have used our mental link, Lisa," Alexia said with a frown.

"I could have used the telephone too," Lisa said pointedly. "I still find it hard to believe what you claim about this…Holy Grail War. It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel."

"Of course, but with magecraft involved, a lot of things do," Alexia said, walking out the door, with Lisa following her. "It does sound rather fantastic, that the spirits of heroes from myth and history will be summoned as familiars to fight a tournament of sorts in Japan. The only reason I am participating is that the Holy Grail sounds like an extraordinary artifact. According to the notes my father left me, it is a gateway to what the Magi call Akasha, the Root of All Things. A noosphere of everything that is, was, and can be. In addition, there is of course the wish it can grant you, once six of the seven Servants are slain."

"And what is your wish, world domination?"

"As if I would wish for something so mundane or gauche. I could do that if I wished, anyway, with little help from some magical artifact. In truth, I am still considering my wish. However, I think I shall try to summon a Servant. It is somewhat early, according to my contacts at Clock Tower, but I am still able to do so. In any case, I am grateful to Mr Velvet for bringing me that artifact he stole from Lord El-Melloi. I will use that artifact myself, and have Mr Velvet summon another Servant."

"I'm surprised you allowed him to be safely infected with Veronica," Lisa said.

"I need more people under me. It was my grandfather who taught his grandmother about magecraft in the first place, and he is desperate for power and prestige. Veronica does place him under my control, if necessary. Or he will follow the same fate as my father. As it is, Alfred can administer Rockfort without me. He may be a fool and feel an infatuation for me I do not reciprocate, but he is not an idiot."

Alexia peered at the summoning circle, scrutinising the patterns Lisa had drawn out on the floor of the large chamber, once a lecture hall, Lisa and Waver looking on. "Hmm…perfect. I shall go first, Mr Velvet. Then, I will have you summon your Servant."

Waver Velvet looked unimpressive. Even for his 19 years of age, he looked to still be in his mid-teens, with neck-length black hair and a rather short stature. His features were had an earnest, bookish air. "So, you'll be summoning Rider? And what will I summon?"

"We'll go for pot luck there. Now, let's get on with this, shall we?" Alexia calmed herself, before she began pumping mana into the circle. She then began the chant, as light began to flare from the circle. "Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!"

There was one last great strobing flare, a brief sting of pain in her right hand, the circle dissolving into brilliant light. Alexia blinked away the afterimage, and then smiled at the man she saw standing in the ritual circle. Tall, proud, and muscular, with tanned skin and red hair and a beard. He was dressed in battle dress, over which he wore a blood-red cloak.

"Servant Rider has answered your summons," the man said in a rasping rumble of a voice. "I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Alexia smirked, before showing the Command Seals now etched into her hand. "Well met, Rider…or would you prefer Alexander the Great, or Iskandar?"

The burly Servant looked at Alexia, before answering Alexia's smirk with a grin of his own. "Iskandar. It seems that the pact is sealed."

"Oh, indeed. I think this is going to be interesting…" Alexia purred.

CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:

So, here you have it. Alexia has summoned Rider. But who will Waver summon?

No numbered annotations for this chapter.