King of Heroes, meet Young Justice

by Zolf Edward Elric

Two years after the fifth Grail War. A year after the death of Wally West. All Servants of the summoned sent back to their own time. Young Heroes taking their own path. An arrogant King brought back by the Grail itself. A family torn by its own past. Spirits summoned once more to be servants of War. Secrets held by both sides. Old faces reunited. Heroes needed to save the world.

8. Chapter 7

The younger heroes and Gil were in the lounge area of the penthouse. Kaldur and the original members of the team left with Ahmar and were gone for quite some time and had yet to return. Jaime, Bart and Garfield were in their casual clothing. Jaime looked at Gil.

"Hey, little amigo. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Gil looked at Jaime from where he had been sitting - he had found the PlayStation 5 that his older self had bought, and had finally put it into use. He knew his older self never would've. "What's up?"

"Can you tell if someone is a spirit or not? Zatanna can sense other magic users or something similar to that, but can you sense other spirits?"

"Yeah, if another spirit is near, we spirits can usually sense them. Like that Lancer is on this island, probably fishing," Gil explained. "But I can't sense other Heroic Spirits outside of a certain reach. That's when we have to use magic, to at least know how many have been summoned. Merlin's a big help with that too!"

"You already told us a little bit about the spirit… uhhh...classes? What if… Ahmar, or whatever his name may be….. what if he was summoned as an assassin spirit?"

But Gil was already shaking his head. "Nope, he's definitely human. Trust me, I would know."

"Guys, guys, we really need to take our minds off this. We just need to, ya know, roll with the flow. As soon as they get back, we are leaving and going to a concert. It's gonna be so crash!"

Bart exclaimed. The speedster didn't want to admit it, but this would be his first concert. He wanted to have fun with his friends and give the mini-king time to be a kid. Jaime looked at Bart and chuckled. There had been a lot of stress lately, so Bart had a point that it may be best to figure things out as they go, at least for now. They heard a door open and Cassie walked in.

"Hey guys."

She walked over to Gil.

"So, uh, I never thanked you for saving me. Thank you."

Gil blinked in surprise, looking up at her. "You don't have to thank me, I'm just glad that you're okay….I'm really sorry about you being in that situation in the first place."

"It wasn't your fault."

She, for a moment forgot that this child used to be a grown adult, so she proceeded to ruffle his hair. Gil, however, simply smiled brightly, a faint blush on his face.

"Do you want to join us?" the kid asked. "We're playing Mario Karts."

"Sure, why not. So…. where are the others?"

"They're out with Ahmar," Gil said. "He helped us escape, you know? So I promised him I'd help him learn about his past life, so the team is out doing some testing with him."

"I see… strange they took an interest in him."

Gar sighed. He was looking at his phone.

"It might not be as strange as you think. Do you remember that hologram stature room at the cave? Well….."

He shows the heroes and Gil a photo. It was a picture of Grayson hugging Tim and another. Cassie frowned. Jaime looked confused.

"I think Gil may be right. I met this guy a while ago. Before I officially joined the team. Guys….. I think Tim and Dick's brother never died. Or at least…. that is a version of him."

"People don't just come back from the dead…. right?"

"I don't know, Blue, but I knew he looked familiar and now I know why Conner mentioned Tim and Dick."

Cassie sighed. Tim barely talked about his other brother. He didn't know him as much as Grayson did. But one thing she picked up on, was that he would grow sad when he did talk about him.

"Should we….. should we tell Tim?"

"Tell me what?"

The heroes were startled. They didn't hear the door open so they didn't notice the current Robin walk in. Tim looked at Gil.

"Who's the kid?"

"Uhhhhhh."

"Oh, I guess you haven't seen me like this yet," Gil laughed a bit. "You can call me Gil!"

"Gil? Okay. I'm Tim, nice to meet you."

He looked Cassie up and down and saw that she was doing alright which gave him relief, now he only had one problem to deal with. Wait…..

"Gil…. like, Gilgamesh? What happened while I was gone?"

Gil nodded. "Yep, that's me! I drank a youth potion when we were captured by that meanie Vandal. But! We also brought someone else back with us…" Gil looked towards the older kids to help him explain.

"Vandal had someone else captured? Are they okay?"

"Look, umm, it's complicated? I don't want to explain this."

"Blue, it's fine, maybe we should wait until he comes back. It would be easier right?"

"Maybe…. Gar?"

"Ummmm, Tim?"

"Yes? What is so hard to tell me?"

"Do you remember this photo?"

Gar hands Tim his phone. Tim looked down and gave a small sad smile.

"Yeah… I do. Bruce wanted to have a family photo, so he took this. I had only just recently been adopted by him. You guys already know my older brother, but you guys, besides you Gar, never met Jason. We called him Jaybird. He claimed that he hated it, but he would smile when we called him that."

Tim frowned.

"We still need to get Joker and make him pay for what he did. Jason deserves that much."

"Actually…" Gil hesitated. He wasn't certain how to break the news. He figured finding out a family member is alive should be happy, but for some reason it just didn't feel like that kind of mood. "We think….he's actually alive."

"Sorry Gil, that's impossible. We all saw him dead."

"But I saw him alive," Gil insisted. "I think his memories are a bit jumbled, but he helped us escape from Ra's! He looks exactly like this picture, and he kept saying 'Grayson' a lot. Ahmar has to be your brother - I'm sure of it."

"What are you talking about?"

Kaldur and the others walked into the room. They had to play the waiting game for a little bit. The older heroes froze when they saw Tim in the room. M'gann looked at the younger heroes.

"Did you guys tell him?"

"Well, yes and no. Sorry, sis."

"What do you mean? You aren't making….. Jason…."

The green eyed man frowned. That name was familiar to him, but so was this kid in front of him.

"Um."

Bart whispered to Gil.

"Welcome to a normal day around here."

"Do people normally come back from the dead?" Gil responded quietly, astonished (despite having been born and deceased ages ago).

Bart thought for a moment. "I mean, yes and no, but I really meant the drama around here. It's so much better here than in the future. Agreed?"

"I don't know that much about the future, but I do like it here," Gil agreed, ignoring the fact that he could use his clairvoyance to actually see the future.. "Though, my original era was pretty cool too. I wish you guys could've seen it…"

"Hmmmm, maybe we could see it. M'gann could let us see what you think. Shared memory."

Gil considered it. "Maybe...a lot of stuff happened back then. I think I'll let my older self make that decision. I think he will, but you can never be too sure with an arrogant workaholic like him."

"Okay!"

Bart looked over and noticed that Tim and the older heroes had left the room. They left "Jason" with the younger group. Following Bart's gaze, Gil hopped up from his seat and hurried over to Ahmar - or, Jason.

"How did it go?" Gil asked.

"The mart- M'gann, she used her powers and read my mind. She was able to see into my hidden memories. She told me… my name is Jason Todd."

He looked at Gil.

"We finished the test and confirmed your theory."

"That's great!" Gil said. "So, what do you want to be called now? Ahmar or Jason? You could probably make a whole new name if none of those fit properly anymore. Just because you were something, doesn't mean you have to be now."

"Hmmmm, call me Jason. Or even Todd. Apparently, I sometimes go by my last name…. Strange how my last name doesn't match my family's name."

"Okay, Jason it is!" Gil grinned. "What'll you do now? Go back to being a hero? Ooh, I know! You should definitely take some time off, you know? Relax a bit. After all, everything is happening so fast, there must be a lot to process."

"I said I would go to that concert with you. Let's do that….. You think we should ask… Drake if he wants to come?"

Gil nodded. "Everyone should come with us - it'll be fun!"

"Okay….."

"Why didn't you guys tell me that Jason was alive!?"

Tim was currently yelling at the older members. They had known about his brother now for a few hours now and he only just heard about it when he got back.

"We didn't know how to tell you."

"Does Dick know?"

"No. We have not yet informed him. Look, Tim, this was never something we thought would be possible, but we didn't want to tell you without being completely sure. We didn't want to get your or Dick's hopes up."

M'gann put a hand on Tim's shoulder and gave him a soft smile.

"I read his mind. It was like walking through very thick fog. He doesn't know who he is, but in time, I think he will. I was able to see that it is your brother. This is Jason. From what we can tell, he isn't a Cadmus clone. One thing I can tell you….. Ra's helped your brother cheat death."

Tim's eyes widened.

"The Lazarus Pit."

Kaldur nodded.

"Considering that Jason was actually dead when he was placed in the pit makes sense as to why his memories aren't all there. The pit has healing capabilities, but we have never heard of its ability to bring people back from the dead…. until now."

"Should we tell-"

"For now, we keep this from Dick. He already has a lot on his plate. For now, this stays between us."

"Okay."

Just another secret Tim had to carry from the people he cared about.

"They were going to go to a concert. You should go. Relax a bit. Try to get things off your mind."

"Doubt that I could."

Tim left the older heroes to their own devices and joined the younger members, Gil, and his no longer dead brother.

Wally was able to bring Grayson to the address that Rin gave him. He could tell it was Grayson's apartment alright. The fact that he had his Nightwing outfit out on the bed made it obvious. Not very subtle, but he guessed that he wouldn't get many visitors in a place like Bludhaven. Wally placed Grayson in the bed and looked around. He wondered how much time had gone by since his passing. Using his speed would cause him to use energy that he shouldn't be using up. So he didn't use speed, rather he took his friend's phone and unlocked it. He really should have changed his password.

He looked at the calendar. It had been a little more than a year. Just what had happened since then? He read through many articles rather quickly, but skimmed through most of them. He was a little surprised to read that Nightwing was going solo and hadn't been seen with any partners in a while. He knew that Grayson did his "solo act" every once in a while, but this was different. He was not affiliated with the League nor the team based on the League database. He was doing this hero business as a pure vigilante. He would talk to Grayson about that. He was pleased to see that there hadn't been any major threats.

The speedster was happy that he was back where he could talk to his friends, or had the opportunity too. However, he still needed to follow the rules. As a Heroic Spirit, he was bound to countless rules that, to him, were a bore, but they were drilled into his head by "magic". Which, even now, he still lacked complete faith in. He was a man of science after all. He could explain his whole being and summon-a-spirit-thing as a whole mess dealing with souls and them having a marker, like genetics and all genetics having a unique code, as a way to bring the soul back to the physical plain. He could look into it later. He was curious about the command seals. He was thinking that they could act in a similar manner to a symbiosis relationship. He needed the energy his friend could provide to stay on the physical plane while Grayson needed him for….. They never explained why they summoned him. He'd ask when either Grayson woke up, or when that couple showed up. Whichever came first.

Luckily, the couple didn't take long - they gave a quick knock on the door, and entered without an invitation. The guy - Shirou - was the one who was talking.

"-just lay down and rest, okay?" he was saying. "You used up a lot of magic, and you need to rest."

"Don't tell me," Rin yawned. "What to do."

"Sure," Shirou replied. "Just as soon as you rest."

He heard Shirou rummage around, and finally the guy poked his head into the room. "Oh, there you are," Shirou said, glancing at Grayson. "Is he doing okay?"

"Well, he's been asleep this whole time. What about your friend? Is she okay?"

Shirou nodded. "Yeah, she just needs a bit of rest. Summoning two spirits in the same hour is a lot, even for a skilled mage. Oh," Shirou added. "I was going to start cooking - is there anything you prefer to eat?"

"Oh, well, I love pretty much anything. I have a fast metabolism, so I eat more than a normal person would. It's because of my speed and a bunch of things that will take too long to explain. The real question is what you have to work with. I know this guy and the food bill is his lowest problem."

"I figured," Shirou sighed. "I'll work with what I've got though….the situation can't be too bad...can it?"

It was, in fact, that bad. Both Shirou and Wally stared at the lackluster and empty cupboards. "Wow," Shirou said. "Sorry, I guess you'll have to wait a bit for food. I guess I'll have to go shopping real quick."

The other servant - Kingu, they said their name was - poked their head into the room. "Master, should I remain here or come with you?"

Shirou started. He really wasn't used to having a servant again. It was so strange, different from his bond with Saber. "You would probably stand out, so it might be best that you stay here for now."

Kingu nodded. "You have sound reasoning - I accept that."

Shirou couldn't tell if they were disappointed or not, but he had no time to ponder about it. "I'll be out, so take care of Rin and Grayson for me, okay?"

And as he was going out the door, Kingu called after him: "And if you have need of me, please use a command seal."

The door shut, leaving the two servants alone.

Kingu shook their head. "Humans are very interesting - I am glad to walk among them yet again."

"You and me both. I know it's been a lot longer for you than me, but I have to say, I'm glad to be back. I wonder what Artemis is going to say. I think she's the only one that makes me nervous."

"I suppose I, too, could say the same," Kingu reflected. "Someone awaits me in this era as well."

Wally stared at them.

"In this era….. how is anyone you knew alive?"

Kingu gave him a cryptic smile. "Not alive, necessarily. Our destinies are simply bound together, as best friends usually are. I'm sure you know of this as well?"

Wally looked at Grayson.

"Best friend, huh."

He remembered how shaky and damaged their own relationship went because he only thought of Artemis. A regret he had, and felt the need to make up for.

"Does your friend know you are here?"

Kingu pondered the question. "Probably not - he'll be very shocked," Kingu smiled. "It has been a while since we last saw each other. But you are a fairly new spirit, yes? Will you be reaching out to those you knew as well?"

"How do you know he is here, then? And yes, I'm positive I will see the people I know. I already saw two of them."

"I've always been able to hear his voice," Kingu reminisced. "So I know he is here in this era."

Wally frowned. Everyone he wanted to see was still alive. If the person Kingu wanted to see was dead and now walked among the living, then…..

"What will you do if you were to….. go against him … would you bring yourself to fight him? He's a servant like us…. Which, unless he is an ally of us, you may have to fight him."

"That would be fine," Kingu said calmly. "We used to fight back when we were alive. In fact, I feel rather eager to be fighting him yet again."

"Well, I guess all friends fight at one point or another. I have had plenty. You should have seen me with the person I love. My spitfire. She is the only person that won't let me get away with anything. Our way of getting along was banter back and forth."

Kingu nodded sagely. "Artemis, correct? She sounds like a good person, to have made such an impression on you."

"She is … I hope you get to meet her. She may aim an arrow to your face, but that'll be fine."

"That would indeed be fine," Kingu said. "Meeting her sounds like it would be very enjoyable."

"You're telling me," a different green haired man materialized, sitting in an empty chair. "I don't have friends here or anything, but I really can't wait to fight - I bet there are some amazing warriors in this era."

"You're that girl's spirit right? How long have you been eavesdropping? Not that I mind, we are allies and all."

"Oh, I've been here the whole time - honestly, being in spirit form is so boring," the man grinned. "I'd say to call me Rider, but since you're also a Rider, my name is Achilles."

"I'm Kid Flash, or I was. I think someone I know holds that title now…. you can call me Wally."

The three spirits found themselves in a small silence. Wally wanted to start a conversation again, but he was unsure what he could talk about to these spirits who are way older than him (in a chronological sense). He went to speak when they heard a voice from behind them.

"Who are all of you and what are you doing in my apartment?"

Wally looked over at his friend. He should not be up yet, it had barely been an hour. The mage wasn't even up yet, but then again, that made some sense.

"Wally?... Oh, so I'm still dreaming."

Kingu blinked. "Ah, you've awoken."

Achilles leaned forward in his chair. "Good to see you're awake, finally! Though, I did think you'd be out for a bit longer, you know?"

Grayson stared at them.

"Wait, I'm awake? Oh, I'm so not feeling the aster. Can one of you explain why you are in my apartment?"

"Do you not remember what happened before you fell unconscious?" Kingu asked.

Achilles simply mulled over the term 'aster'.

"Hmm, I remember going back to the police station, my brother coming back here, meeting two strange people… wait, I'm dead! I remember getting impaled by a sword. That….. would explain seeing Wally…."

"Hey now, you're not the one who's dead," Achilles interrupted. "I think you have this turned around a bit."

"Excuse me?"

"Hey, uh, Dick, you aren't dead, this isn't a dream, and these are two other Heroic Spirits."

The speedster tried to explain to the tired man. Unfortunately for Wally, Grayson just blinked in confusion. Wally hung his head.

"When is that guy coming back?"

As if on cue, the front door opened. "I'm back," called Shirou, followed by a soft sigh of relief.

"Master, over here," Kingu called out to Shirou. They heard him drop countless bags carefully onto the floor, then the red head walked into the room. His eyes widened in surprise at Grayson.

"You're awake already?" he asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Uhhh, yeah, I don't know how long I've been asleep, I guess, but I'm used to running on a few hours."

Shirou shook his head, still seeming to be concerned. "Not like this. Having a Servant on top of no sleep….you really ought to get more rest."

"I'll be fine. Do you guys…. have a plan or something? I'm recalling the previous events before I passed out."

Shirou eyed him. "As of right now, our plan is to get you rested up. We can't exactly launch an assault on Gilgamesh if we're falling unconscious all the time."

"Listen to him, Dick. You just get your stubborn self back to bed. If anything changes, we can come and get you. Okay?"

Grayson looked at Wally. How could he be so calm talking to him? Wally died and most of the reasons for his demise was because of Grayson. Grayson saw Wally as he was before all his concern was about Artemis. Wally has yet to ask about her to him. Grayson sighed.

"Fine, Walls. I will. And….. it's good to see you again."

"You too, pal."

Grayson was hesitant to leave, almost as if he thought that if he left Wally would leave as well. It took him a moment before he retreated back to his bedroom. Once he was gone, Wally clapped his hands and looked at Shirou.

"So, what did you get to eat?"

"Get to eat?" Shirou asked. "I just got the ingredients - you're all going to get my own personalized cooking."

Wally looked at Shirou in delight and surprise. "Wow, who knew you could cook….. you can cook right? Wait, you obviously can if you'd rather cook. I can't wait to try your meal."

"Good," Shirou said seriously. "Because in this case….I plan to make everything."

So the man got to work in the kitchen - he was like a general in his own territory - he knew what he was doing. Dozens of ingredients were scattered along the counter, different meals all being made at once.

Shirou knew he had to make a lot. He was actually used to it - with feeding his teacher/landlord/older-sister-figure, then Sakura (though she made as many meals as he did, which he was always thankful for the extra hands), then Saber…..and Saber could really eat.

Food was especially important. It could revitalize people and help them get energy back - especially Heroic Spirits who couldn't go into spirit form, like Wally and Kingu. It would also help the masters recover their own strength.

Plus, food always had a way of bringing people together.

So he'd pulled out all the stops and got straight to work. At this point, he was expecting to be in the kitchen for at least half the Grail War. It was...a lot of food, even with his standards.

While he cooked, Rin still slept on the couch, and Grayson kept to his room. Good, they needed to rest anyways (he actually felt a little tired as well, but it was nowhere near the strain the other two were dealing with - and besides, he was used to surpassing his own limitations).

The spirits hung around the kitchen with him. Achilles had paced around a bit - he seemed very active - but he'd eventually settled down onto the floor by the couch his master was sleeping on and turned on the television, flipping through channels. Shirou thought he heard….something about finding fun opponents to fight? Achilles was also grilling Wally on the present day heroes, a gleam in his eye.

Kingu, his own spirit, simply watched him work. Their eyes followed his every move, but Shirou knew that they were taking in everything else happening in the room as well. He didn't really know what to think of them, other than the fact that he'd never heard of someone named 'Kingu' in history. Though, to be fair, he was not a walking textbook, so Kingu could exist...but Shirou had a hunch that it wasn't the spirit's true name. It made him worry - Kingu was not like Saber, but Shirou resolved to treat Kingu well nonetheless.

Finally, some of the dishes were completed, and he called the spirits to come eat as he continued working.

"Okay, you are currently my favorite person, well, next to Artemis of course, and Dick and Roy and Kaldur - but you are up there! Everything looks so crash!"

The speedster spirit exclaimed.

Shirou smiled. "Feel free to dig in."

"I don't even think we should, everything looks too perfect to eat! Are you sure you weren't learning to be a professional cook?"

"Go ahead, I made it for you guys anyways."

Kingu hesitated no longer and dove in. That actually astonished Shirou, because he didn't think they would eat too much - surprisingly enough, they didn't take as much energy from Shirou so he thought Kingu, in turn, wouldn't eat as much….and yet, they almost matched up to Saber.

Even Achilles ate some food, though Shirou knew for a fact he didn't need any. Rin had a lot of mana, so food was basically unnecessary for the Greek. But Shirou let him have his meal, because, well - why not?

"Hey, should we get Dick and uhhh, is she your girlfriend, to come and enjoy this?"

Shirou shook his head. "We should let them rest up first - besides, just try waking Rin up….it won't go well. And yeah, she is my girlfriend." he added pointedly.

"Haha, that sounds like Conner. Also, you can take a break too. You deserve one after creating this."

"That's okay," Shirou waved aside Wally's concerns. "Besides, I've got more coming."

"Aren't you tired too?"

"A bit, but I can sleep later," Shirou admitted. "Don't worry, I'm used to this."

Slurping up a bowl of noodles, Kingu nodded. "My master is only slightly tired - his situation is not dire, as I am taking the bare minimum of energy since I can actually create energy on my own. He should be fine, for now at least."

"Hmmmm, could you teach me how to do that? I don't want to hurt my fri-master."

Kingu shook their head. "Unfortunately, I can not. It is only due to how I was created that I am able to do such a thing. You, being a normal human, would not be able to replicate that."

"So, I will always be hurting him….."

"Don't think of it like that," Achilles interjected, swallowing a gulp of booze. "It's a give and take relationship - he gives you energy, and you fight on his behalf. Though, it really should've been more manageable, I think….I guess that's what happens when you overwork yourself."

"I remember him being able to work productively and take care of himself…. I wonder what changed…. Anyway, tell me, what was the purpose of bringing us here? Here as in the physical plane."

Shirou sighed. "We have reason to believe the world is in danger by a different Heroic Spirit, named Gilgamesh. He's almost succeeded in destroying the world before, but we were luckily able to stop him. That's why we summoned you three - to help us stop him before it's too late."

"Huh," Kingu remarked, but said nothing else. A glint had entered their eyes.

"Alright, then where is this guy and how quickly can we stop him?"

Wally asked, ready to defend his world from….

"Wait, you said Heroic Spirit….. Why would a Heroic Spirit want to destroy the world? There is the word 'hero' in the name."

"It's actually not too difficult to see why," Achilles said. "Most Heroic Spirits die gruesome deaths - kind of like myself. I personally don't hold a grudge, but others might. Sometimes, being brought into the present has a way of twisting a Heroic Spirit's ideals."

"It's kind of like that," Shirou agreed. "Gilgamesh apparently thinks the world is too weak, and the only way to make it 'pure' again, like the time he lived in, is to purge the world of weakness."

Wally groaned.

"Why do all villains think that? This is so basic of them. Well, it doesn't matter, this guy is going down."

Achilles gave a lopsided grin. "With this team, we'll definitely win. Hopefully it'll be a fun fight."

Kingu's lips twitched upwards. "It will be."

"Hey, one thing I learned from being a hero, never underestimate the enemy. We should make sure we know his weaknesses and anything we can to use against him. We need to make sure we have the upper hand in this fight. But we also need to use surprise. He doesn't know about the three of us, so we can use that and Boom! Sneak attack when he least expects it."

Kingu gave a little laugh. "No one in their right mind would underestimate the King of Heroes. Trust me on that."

"One thing I can tell you is that he's extremely arrogant," Shirou said. "That's probably why I won against him a couple years ago, though I don't know if he'll do that again...but he does have a habit of underestimating his opponents, and not using his full strength."

"I doubt he'll fall for the same trick twice, so whatever you did against him last time, we have to ignore that tactic."

"Yeah,' Shirou sighed. "I figured as much. Honestly, the moment he sees me he'd probably try to instantly destroy me."

"Yeah, that isn't good. Maybe if we keep you away from the fight, it'll be fine?... Can you even fight?"

Shirou nodded. "I can fight decently well," putting down his cooking utensils, he held out his hands. "Watch this: Trace, on!"
Two blades appeared in his hands.

"I'm not an expert or anything, but I can hold my own in a fight," Shirou explained. "So can Rin, so there's no need to worry about us."

"Great! You know, if we can contact the league, we can get their help as well. The more allies the better."

More allies would be good, but both he and Rin had decided to try and not bring any more people into this than need be. For one, the Mage's Association really didn't want people in their affairs (not that Shirou really cared about that). But Shirou just didn't want to involve more people, just for them to get hurt. While he knew to ask for help, he was certain they could handle it….well, mostly certain. Okay, he wasn't as confident as he would've liked, but he didn't want to endanger the lives of people who didn't know what they were getting into. "It's an option," Shirou hesitantly agreed. "But for now we should keep it between us."

"You don't want to make a decision without talking to the others first. I get that. Hey, should you contact Tim since his bro can't do it?"

Shirou nodded. "Oh, right." Wiping off his hands, he grabbed his phone from his pocket. Then paused. "Do you know his phone number?"

"No, but I know Dick will have his contact information. His phone password is 040106. He never changed it."

Moving from his spot in the kitchen, Shirou stealthily grabbed Grayson's phone from his room. Unlocking it he dialed Tim's number.

Things were getting more and more complicated as the days went on. It all started when they met the golden-haired arrogant king. That's where everything went downhill. His friend and his girlfriend got caught in Vandal's crossfire because they were after him. His brother, Grayson left and is now unconscious for who knows how long. With all of that piled on to his already complicated life, his other brother came back from the dead, Wally was a spirit that this girl summoned, and this grown man was now a child and was acting completely different. Tim didn't know what to do anymore.

Maybe Kaldur was right and he should just try and relax with the others. It would take his mind off everything. He looked at Jason. His brother who has no memories of his past. How could he keep this from Grayson? He watched how Jason's death had affected him, and this would make Grayson happy, yet at the same time, he didn't want to hurt his oldest brother. Jason was so close, yet so far. Tim was supposed to tell his brother and those other people that he hoped were on their side what was going on, but he felt the need to keep this part a secret. Tim let out a sigh.

Cassie noticed her boyfriend's distraught expression. She took his hand and he looked at her - she had caused him to snap out of his thoughts.

"Hey…. are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am Cas. I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind."

"You are worried about Dick and Jason? Well, I think that everything will work out. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like it's the end of the world. You can take your time to tell him, but remember…. Jason is his brother too. For now, let's just head out and have some fun with the others. We desperately need the rest and relaxation."

Tim smiled at the blonde demigod. He gave her a small kiss on her cheek and the two of them walked over to the others. Tim's smile turned a little bit sad when he saw Jason. Jason was right there before his eyes. Alive and well. He won't admit this but he was feeling a little jealous of the mini-King. Jason was his older brother and Jason seemed to treat Gil more like a brother than him. He brushed it off as nothing but some minor regret of not knowing Jason as long as Grayson had.

Jason had a small smile on his face and he ruffled Gil's hair a little bit. He looked at the boy and asked, "You… ready to go?"

Gil nodded. "Yeah! Let's go!"

Jason didn't know why he did this, but he picked up Gil and put him on his shoulders.

"Are you okay with this?"

Gil laughed happily. "Yep, this is fun!"

Jason decided that he would actually go with them. It would be easier to protect them from Ra's al Ghul and his league.

"Come on guys, we are burning daylight."

"I know you are a speedster and all, but still, we are going to be fine."

They all decide to walk there. Tim kept looking over at Jason, and still can't believe he is there, and he kept looking at Gil, who didn't seem threatening anymore, but looks are deceiving. He didn't think anyone noticed him watching the two.

All except one person - though he was a child, he was still an excellent king. He knew how to spot a good character, and he was a good leader when it came down to it (just without the arrogance of his older self). So of course Gil noticed Tim, and had figured that this would happen.

He'd find a way to talk to Tim about it - he didn't want Tim to be angry with him, and mentally noted to include Tim more in activities with Jason. But he said nothing of this now, and did not confront Tim on his jealousy. Doing so would make Tim feel called out, and Gil didn't want to embarrass him either.

"Hey, Tim!" Gil said instead. "Are you excited for the concert?"

"Huh? Oh, well, yeah. It's been awhile since I went to a concert. Well, a performance. This will be your first one, right?"

Did Gil notice him watching them? No, he wasn't that obvious. Still, he found it strange that he was the one called out. Maybe it's because all the others talked about it and he just showed up. That was probably the more logical side of reasoning.

Gil nodded. "In Uruk we did have some performers, but I haven't been to a concert in this era before! It's all really new to me," the child laughed. "So I bet it'll be really exciting!"

Tim nodded his head slowly. To him, it was really strange. This guy was acting like a completely different person. He was about to say something else when his phone started to ring. He looked at it and saw that it was his brother calling.

"Uh, Excuse me for a minute. I just need to answer this."

He let go of Cassie's hand and walked away from the group. He quickly answered the phone.

"Hey, Dick, what's up?"

"Uh, sorry, this is Shirou. Your brother is still resting."

He didn't want anyone around him to hear their conversation. He decided to act like he was still talking to his brother.

"Yes, I made it back safely. Sorry for not telling you sooner. Is there anything you wish to know?"

Luckily, Shirou seemed to understand. "Are you alright over there?" he asked Tim. "Does Gilgamesh suspect anything? And are your friends okay? From what I understand, they had been captured."

"Yes, we are fine. We actually have some down time. We are going to a concert. Something did happen while I was in Bludhaven. Gilgamesh is now a child. I don't know the full story, but he did it to save Jaime and my girlfriend Cassie. Everything seems to be normal otherwise."

There was silence on the other side. Then : "Gilgamesh….is a child?"

Tim also heard a bit of laughter, from one of the Servants, probably, but he ignored that for now.

"Yes, I don't know the full details. Something about it being the only option to escape the League of Assassins and Vandal Savage."

"Well, then," Shirou said. "I guess for now, he shouldn't be too much of a threat, but do still be cautious - regardless of his form, he's still a king."

"I understand. We will be careful. I'll talk to you soon."

Tim ended the call, and put his phone back in his pocket. He rejoined the others.

"Uh, sorry about that. Dick called me to check in on me. I forgot to inform him when I got back."

The others didn't mind too much. They all knew that Grayson, whether he was part of a team or not, always looked out for the younger heroes. So him doing a little call like this, was not out of the ordinary.

"Is he doing alright?" Gil asked Tim. "He's not hurt, is he?"

"Uh, no. He's fine. Just being his normal workaholic self."

Gil frowned, confused. "But didn't he get hurt?"

"Hmm? Oh… yeah, but he's fine now. He's stubborn and will still work even if he isn't feeling well."

Jason frowned. He remembered impaling the young detective. It was then, and earlier events that he started to get these little headaches. So he was Tim's brother….. which made him his brother too. A wave of guilt washed over him. He looked away from Tim, not able to look at him. Tim noticed this. He didn't know that Jason was feeling guilty, rather he felt as if he was uncomfortable with him. Tim sighed and went back to Cassie's side. Jaime and Bart exchanged glances.

"Hey, how about we just appreciate that Grayson is alive. He's alive and well."

The young speedster said, trying to break this awkwardness that was occurring. It seemed to work a little because Tim's expression slowly changed to a small smile. Bart was right. True, they didn't know how his brother was fine, but it didn't change the fact that his brother was okay. Alive and well as Bart had stated. Jason, on the other hand, still couldn't look at Tim or the others.

"That's true!" Gil said happily, tossing aside his concerns (for now, anyways). "I really wish he were here to enjoy this with us though...I hope we'll be able to see him soon!"

Tim was unsure how his brother would react to the mini-king. He knew he didn't like him, and was unsure himself what to think.

"I'm sure we will see him soon. You can ask Kaldur to request he come back for a little bit. He will do what his friends want. He's that kind of person."

Bart explained to Gil.

"It must be nice to have friends like that," Gil said wistfully. "I wish you guys could meet Enkidu - they're really nice, amazing, and crazy strong. My best friend!"

Jason tilted his head up a little, enough he could see Gil.

"You must miss them."

Gil nodded. "Yeah….it's a little complicated, I guess, but Enkidu was my only friend when I was alive. It's funny, because Enkidu was made by the gods to kill my older self, who was a tyrant - I'm not sure how I turned out like that, though...but instead, after our fight, we became friends! Unfortunately, Enkidu later died because of the judgement of the gods…" Gil trailed off. "Even though I, as a child, never met Enkidu, even now I care about them a lot. I wish…." he didn't finish his sentence.

Jason got concerned for the boy and he proceeded to pick him up off his shoulders and just held him close. Tim frowned. Why was he spying on a child? This is an innocent little child. Maybe they were wrong about him… no, he should still keep his guard up. The group fell into a small silence, not quite sure how to handle this. Garfield's face brightened up.

"Oh, well, it looks like we are here!"

Jason pulled Gil away a little bit.

"You okay?"

"Hm?" Gil asked, blinking at Jason. He'd been lost in thought for a moment. Then gave a little laugh - he didn't want to bring down the mood just because of his reminiscing. "Oh, I'm fine! Being with everyone really helps, so let's not think about sad stuff now, okay? Just fun times." Gil said determinedly.

"Kid, tell me the full truth, are you okay?"

"I am!" Gil protested, but allowed himself to falter, just a little bit. Kids were allowed to do that, right? "I just...a lot of stuff happened in my life, you know? And while I am a child now, I know of everything that happens to me, right up until I die. It's not affecting me as much as it did my older self, but….it's so hard to be a king. The weight of the future, and of millions of lives…." Gil shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his head.

"Well, guess what. You aren't a king anymore. You are a child. You shouldn't have that kind of weight on your shoulders. You should be able to do what you want. You said you know your future, however, you know the future of your old self. You get a second chance. You don't know this fate. You get to make your own path."

Jason pulled Gil close and held him tightly.

"And if anyone comes after you, I will make them wish they hadn't."

The anti-hero would harm or even kill anyone that dares try to kill this boy he had grown fond of.

The child was silent for a moment - really, ever since he'd turned into a child, it was the most physical contact he'd gotten in a long while with another person. So he let himself enjoy the older man's embrace, before looking up to him with a smile. "Thank you…"

"I mean what I said. Now, you are going to enjoy this night."

"Okay!" Gil exclaimed, then took Jason's hand, pulling him forward. "Come on, let's not keep everybody else waiting!"

"I'm right behind you, kid."

They entered the concert area, and the first thing Gil noticed were the lights - different colored lights flashed all over the room. The next thing he noticed was all the people - in Uruk, seeing lots of people was not strange. But they were all so close, and - it was amazing. Here he did not have to be a king, or even a demigod. Here he could just be a human among humans.

They picked a spot to stand at, and Jason once again lifted Gil up onto his shoulders so he could actually see the stage. Then the lead performer stepped out, and the show began. Sound flooded his ears, the instrumentals resonating with him, with their vibrations. With wide eyes, he took everything in, unable to keep the smile from his face.

Was this what it meant to be human, to be free?

It was amazing. The king, no, the young child closed his eyes and got lost in the sounds and lyrics of the artist's song.

Unfortunately, as all events do, the concert came to a close, the artist thanking the audience and bidding them all farewell. Gil looked at his -friends, associates, comrades? - and smiled.

"That was so much fun!" he grinned. "The music - everything - amazing!"

The mood of the group was so much better than it had been an hour ago. This outing was exactly what the Team needed. Bart rushed to the front of the group.

"Alright, who is down for pizza and ice cream!"

Gil raised his hand. "Ooh, I am!"

"Sure, I could go for a bite. Blue, Tim, Cas, Jason?"

Tim and Cassie agreed. Jaime didn't need convincing. Jason looked down at Gil. He meant when he said he would be the boy's guardian. He was reluctant, but ended up agreeing after seeing how excited Gil was at the idea of Pizza and Ice Cream. He was not going to let him go alone with them.

"So, little hermano, what do you like on Pizza?"

Gil shrugged - he didn't think his older self had ever even had a pizza before, much less considered what he liked on one. "What do you like on pizza?" he reflected the question.

"Me? Well, I guess I would go with pepperoni and bell peppers."

"I'd get something like….. Ooh! A margarita pizza!"

The demigod exclaimed. Tim decided to split with Cassie.

"Hmmmm, what about you Jason?"

"Uhhh, well, I guess spicy peppers."

"Oh? Such as?"

"I don't know, umm Carolina Reaper."

They all stare at him.

"What?"

"DUDE! That is the hottest pepper!"

Garfield exclaimed. He did not like spicy food, but he remembered when he did a bet and he had to eat this pepper. If not for his animal genetics, and him being able to change to an animal that could take the heat, he swears he would be in the hospital. Jason just shrugged. Bart bent down to Gil and whispered to the kid.

"Okay, he's crazier than we thought."

On that, he could agree. He could remember being summoned into the fourth Holy Grail War, and eventually becoming Kirei Kotomine's servant. Kirei Kotomine, who apparently could only make one meal, and that was spicy mapo.

Since then, Gil had avoided spicy food like that.

"Yeah…"

"Well, you don't have to eat it."

Jason crossed his arms, frowned, and looked away. He felt like he was being judged and he didn't like it.

"Sorry," Gil apologized bashfully. "I've just had bad experiences with spicy food, so I can't stand it. But," the boy added. "If you like it, then definitely get it!"

"I….. Okay."

Bart ordered five pizzas just for himself, which was normal, and Garfield ordered two for himself. Tim and Cassie split the one. Jaime just took a slice from Bart, which the speedster didn't mind. Jason got half a pizza but didn't eat much of it. He ordered Gil his own personal one that had cheese, tomatoes and black olives.

"So, you think you like pizza, hermano?"

Gil hadn't hesitated trying the new food. Swallowing a bite, he smiled at Jaime. "It's really good, thank you!"

Bart was suddenly very interested in Gil.

"Tell me, kid, what have you found the most enjoyable of this time?"

Gil didn't even have to think about it. "Spending time with all of you, it's nice to have people to have fun with!"

"Hmmm, it's so strange…. your other self didn't seem to think so. He kept to himself. Do you know why?"

"Well," Gil started hesitantly. "First, he thinks that he can't have friends, because having more friends would be like replacing Enkidu - and there's no way he'd replace Enkidu, because they are one of a kind. And then there's the fact that he's also a king, so he thinks he has no right to friendship in the first place. I think that's - for the most part - dumb. My older versions are really not people oriented."

"Question, will he remember any of this conversation? If yes, then we all want to tell him… he's an idiot. Having more friends will not replace the ones you lost. Do you think Tim was a replacement little brother for Jason? Do you think I am a replacement for The Original Kid Flash? No, that is not the case. Also, you should really meet Kaldur's king. That guy is amazing. He loves the idea of friendship. So, I think he is not thinking straight."

Gil thought about the first question. "I don't know if he'll remember this specific conversation...in fact, he'll probably only remember snippets of my time here. We're like two completely different people, so our memories are a bit all over the place. And believe me, my older self is an idiot - though, he is better than the other Goldie….but I kind of understand what he's thinking? He can't favor any one person, because in life we had to put our kingdom before anyone we were personally close with - especially when Enkidu died for that. But please try and help him? I know he can be a pain to deal with, but it would be good for him, I think."

"Of course, but that may prove more difficult if he decides to shut us out, not that we'll let him though."

Gil sighed. "Yeah, he does do that….he's so stubborn. But don't worry! I….think he might try to act least interact with you guys more. I'm not sure what he was thinking exactly though, it was on his mind before he took the potion of youth."

"That's great! Uhhh…. wait, how long does that potion last?"

"Hmm," Gil did the mental math. "Should last for a day or two more, then he'll be back."

"Awww, I like having you around. You are fun."

Tim took mental note of this information. He would inform Shirou later of this knowledge. He was glad Bart was asking all these questions, it would mean he could gather information without too much suspicion. Jason frowned and eyed Gil. The kid was the only reason he was here. He was the one that helped him find at least part of his missing past. He had grown to like the kid. From what the others were saying, the other version of him isn't as delightful as the kid. He didn't care that much, though. It would still be that kid on the inside, right?

"Ummm, is there anything else you'd like to see or do before you….. you leave?"

Gil shrugged. "Probably? There's just so much to do...hm...I have always wanted to see snow. It never snowed in Uruk - it's very hot there."

Bart and Garfield exchanged excited glances.

"Well, looks like we are going to have to take a small trip somewhere cold!"

Garfield exclaimed where Bart turned to Gil and stated.

"We'll take the Zeta tubes since they are faster. We can have Kaldur set you up to use the Tube and so it'll recognize you. Uhhh, oh…. I wonder if it will still remember Jason."

"Uhh, I can stay behind."

"Nonsense. You can tag along. Plus, I bet Gil wants you to come, right Gil?"

The speedster asked.

Gil nodded. "Yeah! We're going to see snow - you have to come!"

The green-eyed man stared at the red-eyed boy. He did tell the kid that he would watch out for him, and he didn't want to break that promise.

"Okay, I'll come."

He ruffled Gil's hair again. Jason only then took note that the kid's hair was soft and fluffy. Tim frowned. Why he felt this way toward their interaction, he didn't truly know.

"Umm, We could just use the bioship."

"Yeah, and I could fly it."

"Right, you do have more experience in the Bioship than the rest of us, Cas."

Cassie nodded. She looked at Gil.

"You are okay with flying right?"

Gil smiled. "Yep! Flying is a lot of fun."

Jason smiled at the boy's excitement. Tim looked away.

"Uh, I think I'll head on ahead. I'll see you guys when you get back."

Tim stated as he walked off. He wanted to inform Shirou of everything he found out, as well as get away from this feeling he had. Cassie tilted her head.

"I wasn't the only one that noticed that Tim was acting strange, right?"

"No, I noticed, so did Blue. Any idea why?"

"Not really… "

"I think I know," Gil spoke up. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him about it later."

"You think you know? Does it have anything to do with what happened to…."

Her voice trailer off as she saw that Jason looked guilty.

"Uhhh, well what happens to his, umm, other brother?"

"Something like that," Gil said, for Jason's sake. Jason shouldn't have to feel guilty, since he didn't have memories of his old life completely. It was only reasonable that he would feel more comfortable with Gil. So he wouldn't say in front of everyone that Tim was jealous - that would be incredibly rude of him if he did.

"Oh….. you think Tim lied to us and Grayson is in worse condition than he let on? That call… that call could have been an officer or a doctor and was keeping Tim updated?"

"No," Gil shook his head. "He didn't seem too worried about Grayson's condition. And if Grayson was injured, wouldn't Tim be with him? And why would he lie? It must be about something else, but it can't be too serious."

"Hmmm, you could be right, but I know Tim and he would do whatever his brother tells him since he looks up to him so much. Grayson could have told him to not tell us as to not have us worry. But, I'll wait until he decides to talk to me…. I don't want to push anything on him….."

Jason looked up.

"Um, maybe we should go and catch up with Tim, we could worry him… more if we wait."

He picked up Gil and put him pack on his shoulders. Jason gave a small smile to Gil.

"Come on, you wanted to see snow, right?"

Gil blinked, and nodded. "Yeah! Maybe Tim will feel better if we all go and see the snow together!"

Cassie chuckled at the enthusiasm coming from the child. Bart had this look in his eyes that just showed that he was up to something.

"Alright, I'll get Tim and we can go."

Knowing the speedster, he was planning something dealing with their snow planned trip. Jason noticed this look and planned to make sure he doesn't do anything to Gil. If he did, he'd wish he hadn't.

"Hey Dick, what's up?" Tim answered.

Shirou sat at the table, the three Heroic Spirits watching him with obvious interest. "Uh, sorry, this is Shirou. Your brother is still resting."

"Yes, I made it back safely. Sorry for not telling you sooner. Is there anything you wish to know?"

Tim spoke way too casually, so Shirou figured he must be acting as if it were Grayson on his end. Which meant...Gilgamesh must be close to Tim.

"Are you alright over there?" Shirou asked, concerned. Tim was still a kid, and he must feel like he was under a lot of pressure. "Does Gilgamesh suspect anything? And are your friends okay? From what I understand, they had been captured."

"Yes, we are fine. We actually have some down time. We are going to a concert. Something did happen while I was in Bludhaven. Gilgamesh is now a child. I don't know the full story, but he did it to save Jaime and my girlfriend Cassie. Everything seems to be normal otherwise."

Shirou stared at the phone in shock. The King of Heroes was a what now?

"Gilgamesh...is a child?"

A small laugh came from Kingu - their eyes sparked with a soft mirth.

"Yes, I don't know the full details. Something about it being the only option to escape the League of Assassins and Vandal Savage."

"Well, then," Shirou said uncertainly. As much as the King of Heroes needed to go down, it didn't feel right getting ready to fight a child. "I guess for now, he shouldn't be too much of a threat, but do still be cautious - regardless of his form, he's still a king."

"I understand. We will be careful. I'll talk to you soon."

The call ended, leaving Shirou and the three Heroic Spirits alone to ponder the new information.

"So, if I've got this right," Achilles said slowly. "Our opponent...is now a kid."

Kingu nodded, yet they still seemed to find it amusing. "So Master, will that stay your hand?"

Shirou sighed - why did everything have to be so complicated? "Yeah….we can't just attack him when he's a kid."

At that, Achilles nodded. "Good, fighting a kid wouldn't be much fun, you know?"

"Hey! Kids are just as powerful, ya know. You know that my master was nine years old when he became a hero. Well, a hero's partner, which still counts, and he still was able to take down bad guys. And he didn't even have powers!"

Wally glared at Achilles. He only wanted to fight a fight for the entertainment, from what Wally could gather from his words. But a child should still never be underestimated.

Achilles sighed. "I'm not underestimating him, but the point here is that when I fight, I don't hold back. I've been in wars half my life - to have a fun fight, it's better if the opponent is as close as equal to me as they can get. And I'm not going to unleash my full power on someone who doesn't have a chance at fighting back, as a child or adult."

"I guess that makes sense… so we continue with that plan of just waiting. Nothing changed."

It's been a couple of days since their summoning. Enkidu stood by the window, watching the hustle and bustle of the city. They did think humans were interesting, but they wished nature could've been preserved better as well. At least there were areas in the world that still flourished in green.

They hadn't been doing much for the past couple of days, except for conserving their strength. Enkidu's master was a mage who lacked most mage qualities, including a quantity of mana. But Enkidu was clay, a creation of the gods - they could still act efficiently without using too much of their master's almost nonexistent mana.

Speaking of their master, he had spent most of his time in the kitchen, cooking heaps and heaps of food for Enkidu and the others. Rin, his master's lover, had recovered her energy the other day and was now doing research on their opponent.

Gilgamesh.

Enkidu couldn't wait to see their friend again - when they had died, they had worried about leaving their friend all alone, but now they both existed on the same plane of existence...a tool's only longing was to be reunited with their true master.

Though they couldn't deny that the thought of sparring with Gil again brought a smile to their face.

The last master of the small household, Richard Grayson, was still resting. As someone who wasn't even a mage in the slightest, and the previously existing fatigue, everything was taking a toll on him.

Meanwhile, the other two servants also made the best of their time. Wally had taken to keeping Grayson company, but made sure to make conversation with everyone else in the house. He was a kind human, Enkidu had decided.

Achilles had badgered both Richard and Wally about the heroes of the era - Enkidu recognized this as the need to single out opponents who would be fun to spar with. So far, Achilles seemed to be most interested in Wonder Woman, who was also a Greek, as well as Wonder Girl, another relative of Zeus. Besides that, he kept himself in shape by stretching, and even made runs around the city by his master's permission.

But Enkidu couldn't just stay in this apartment - to stay honed, weapons had to carry out their missions. And Enkidu had one task they had to accomplish for their king, relayed by the mage Merlin.

According to the mage, a dangerous man named Vandal Savage had found the key to Gil's treasury. That was dangerous in two ways: Vandal could now pick and choose weapons to use, and he could lock the treasury from even Gil's reach, rendering their king powerless.

Enkidu could not just let the situation stay as it was - they had to get it back so Gil wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Though the chances of their master denying their request was very high - they were supposed to be conserving their energy to take on Gil. Their master wouldn't want to take on two foes at once. Enkidu would still go of course - unless their master used a command seal to stop them.

Then...Enkidu wasn't sure what they would do. But they would make sure it wouldn't come to that, and frame his argument for this mission in the most logical way possible. That way it would be impossible to refuse.

Merlin had told them a bit about Vandal, and how he was located on an island that was a base of assassins. It would be hard to attack a fortified base, and difficult to sneak in….but Merlin had an answer for that. Kind of. It was more of a toss of a coin that it would work - but Merlin told them to seek out a woman named Jade. With the right incentive, she would get them onto the island.

Enkidu just had to find this woman, once they got their master on board with the plan.

At the present moment, their master was washing dishes as the rest of the alliance was gathered at the small table, eating (even Achilles, though the man technically didn't have to). Richard was there as well - the man had been out of his room more and more, seemingly determined to not rest. Though he certainly was recovering from the initial shock of surrendering energy to his spirit.

"Master," Enkidu - no, they had to think of themselves as Kingu for now. It wouldn't do much good for everyone to learn that they were best friends with their future opponent. "There is a request I would like to make."

Their master turned to look at them in surprise, placing the last dish into the sink. "Really? What's up?"

"There is an item that is located with a man named Vandal Savage. This item belonged to a friend of mine, and can be used to harm others if in the wrong hands. I would like to retrieve it," Kingu said bluntly.

"Vandal Savage…" Shirou trailed off, then looked at Grayson. "Isn't that the guy that had captured your team members?"

"Yes, and this isn't the first time…. It most certainly won't be the last. One of the first times we ever met Vandal Savage, he was able to take control of the entire Justice League. He had these chips that he put, or he had his little puppet, on the members of the League. I wonder what he wants this time."

"Then he sounds like someone who should not be in possession of this item," Kingu continued advocating for the mission. "I fear that such a cunning human would use this item in ways detrimental to this land and its people living on it."

"What exactly is this item?"

Wally chimed in.

"It is a key," Kingu answered. "A key that can open any lock, and it has access to countless weapons. In Vandal's hands, it could very well be disastrous."

"I see…. Then maybe it would be best for someone else to retrieve this key. We want to have the upper hand for as long as we can. It would be best for someone who knows Vandal and what he is capable of to retrieve this key. We don't want you and the other spirits found out too soon."

Grayson spoke his thoughts. If you can't beat an enemy with force, use surprise to throw them off.

Kingu frowned. They couldn't let someone else obtain the key - Kingu alone had to gain possession of it, and quickly. "Please, allow me to go and retrieve it. It is precious to me, personally, and to know that someone could be committing atrocities with it…" Kingu frowned. "It does not sit right with me. I will be as covert as possible on this mission, I assure you."

"No! At least…. not by yourself."

It wasn't that Grayson didn't trust Kingu, it's that he had been thrown into another team and he didn't want another member of his team to die.

"I'll go!" Achilles said excitedly. "I bet Kingu here is great in a fight, but I can be their backup."

"And have you getting caught as well? I do not think that would be best. You are a mystery to Vandal and the Light. We need to keep as many of you on a low profile. If it's a hero he has already known, I would prefer that."

Achilles crossed his arms. "I won't get caught - I'm no Wally here, but I'm pretty quick on my feet. Besides," he shared a look with Kingu. "We would do our best to stay hidden."

"As of right now, you guys are our best hope at stopping that other spirit, Gilgamesh. I may not know everything about spirits and all, but I know that you are our best card to play. You stay here with Wally, Shirou and Rin. Work on a plan to stop Gilgamesh and let me and Kingu handle this key. Simple recon. You are a fighter, I am best for stealth."

Achilles gave a heavy sigh and fell on the couch in defeat. "Fine. Makes sense I guess...it's just so boring here - us spirits are meant to be fighting…"

Meanwhile, Kingu's eyes brightened. "So we shall be going to retrieve the key?"

Grayson nodded. Wally looked at his friend. He couldn't tell what was going through his head, but one thing was sure… he saw that same reaction a long time ago. Trying to figure out the best plan that would lead to the safety of others…. the training simulator they went through as a team. His best friend didn't, and would never, see them as tools for war, rather his team where their lives were on his shoulders, even if that weren't the case. He said nothing. He himself was a spirit and couldn't completely argue with the wishes of his master.

"Yes, we will go get this key. Wally, you tell Rin, Achilles, and Shirou every bit of knowledge you have on Vandal and the Light to prep them for what they are up against."

"Uh, right. You got it."

"We'll see you guys when we get back. Kingu, let's go."

Kingu nodded, then looked towards Shirou, who simply smiled. "It's fine - if it's something you feel you have to do, then do it."

"Thank you, Master."

Kingu followed Grayson. "If I may," Kingu began. "I have a slight idea as to how to infiltrate this stronghold."

"I'm open to ideas. Shoot."

"I have been informed by a source," Kingu began - they wouldn't reveal Merlin as their source, but it was impossible to keep from saying they had one. "I believe her name is Jade, and goes by Cheshire. I have heard she may be persuaded to assist us in this endeavor, given the right incentive."

"I know her. She is Artemis's sister and Will Harper's wife. She may be willing to help if we tell her that her family may be in danger. It will be hard to track her down though."

"It just so happens that I have a general idea of where she may be," Kingu said, again neglecting to mention the fact that Merlin had given them all this information.

"Is this some sort of power you have? You can lock in on information of people?"

Sure, Kingu thought. "Something of the sort." they answered Grayson. "Finding people is...relatively easy," they lied.

"Oh, I see. Okay, that may come in handy then. Well, I'll let you lead the way."

A/N:

Sora: Congrats to everyone who finished this chapter - it was a long one, with lots of information in it. I'd like to address a few things, though. Firstly, I'd like to explain Rin and Grayson's fatigue - when I watched Fate/UBW, I interpreted Rin's tiredness due to summoning Archer, completely discounting that it was 2am (though in all fairness, I have had many late nights like that, and they aren't too bad). I also want to say that also as I was watching Fate, I had thought it was due to Shirou's lack of magic Saber couldn't go into spiritual form, so I incorporated that idea here as well. Next, I want to address the key to Gil's treasury that Vandal has commandeered. I had assumed that with the key, people could take items from the vault. A reader has already informed me it doesn't quite work that way, but since it's already written I figured it isn't tooooooo much of a stretch. And with Kingu - yep, it wasn't Kingu, but Enkidu! Also, what does everyone think of kid Gil? Too sweet? Just right? And he's forming a nice little bond with Jason. Anyway, thank you all for reading the chapter!

Akira: Hey, y'all. Glad to finally get this one out. I love what we have set with Jason and Gil with that little set up. Jason is actually really good with kids, so there's that. Also, something that even my partner may not have known, when creating this chapter, the first song that came to my head was the song "The Hero Inside of Me" By Andrew Stein. This song is amazing and I love his voice. I recommend that song to people. It was made me think that they should do a concert. An artist words can carry over to the people who listen and I find that beautiful. I feel as if these words would touch the young spirit as well. I really don't have that much to say about this chapter. Stay whelmed and feel the aster!

Posted: 9/11/2021