Ra's al Ghul headed to meet up with Vandal. He had left the spirit to deal with the young hero so he could figure just what their next move would be. He found Vandal with a device, a cellular phone.

"Vandal, I left the two alone, per your request. I take it you wanted me to leave them there for a reason?"

"Of course. We can't let the young hero go and attack your people here. As well as lose him. And we need that spirit to stay here in our hands. They are the key to bring Gilgamesh here. You see, that spirit, Enkidu, is Gilgamesh's weakness. We will use that weakness to our advantage."

He dialed a number on the burner phone and let it ring, waiting for an answer on the other end.

Finally, the other side picked up. "Grayson?" a child's voice said. "This is Grayson, right? We were all really worried about you, are you okay? We heard you got stabbed."

"The young hero is….. fine. But I am not Grayson."

The young king on the other end was quiet. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold. "Why do you have Grayson's phone? What have you done?"

"Listen to me well. I have an offer for you. You come to Nanda Parbat, alone, and you can see your friend again and I'll let Grayson go."

"My friend?" the king asked. "What do you mean?"

"Your only friend from your past. Enkidu."

"That's not possible," the king said. "Enkidu can't be here…." but the child sounded uncertain.

"I may be many things, but I'm not a liar. You can take your time with your decision, but I can't promise what will happen to Enkidu, or Grayson. If anything, I'll let them take each other out."

"If you do anything to harm either of them," the child said lowly. "You won't be able to hide anywhere on this earth."

The call ended on the other side.

Vandal smiled. It seems that the young king may take the bait.

Gil was angry. How dare that coward use Enkidu as a hostage? Gil put Tim's phone back down on the counter, and looked around. It seemed like no one had noticed Gil's brief conversation with Vandal. Good - if they had heard, no doubt they'd protest what he was going to do.

Gil had to go rescue Enkidu, and Grayson. He couldn't leave either of them there, especially after what happened with Jason. So he would go - he would do anything for Enkidu, after all.

A hand was placed on Gil's shoulder.

"You doing okay, little amigo?"

Gil jumped. "Jaime?"

"You looked like you were troubled by something. Is it about Jason? You know he will be fine. We got him help quickly. You don't have to worry too much."

"Troubled? I'm not troubled by anything, I promise!" Gil tried to make himself seem at ease, but he didn't know if he quite succeeded - he felt too angry to appear calm.

'The child lies, Jaime Reyes.'

"Hmm, I see. Anyway, Tim wanted to see you… and Gil, if you need to talk to someone, you can talk to me."

Even though Scarab told him that Gil was lying, it wasn't the same as a villain. He wouldn't force the truth out if him. If Gil told him, he would on his own terms.

"Tim?" Gil asked, forcing himself to not think about that coward, Vandal, or even his best friend's own predicament (for now, anyways). He wondered if Tim was mad at him for getting Jason so injured. "Thank you for telling me!"

Gil went to go find Tim, the other boy being in the first place Gil checked - the room where Jason was recovering. Jason seemed to be sleeping, and Tim sat in a chair beside the bed.

"You...you wanted to see me?" Gil asked hesitantly.

Tim lifted his head and looked over at the young child.

"Yes, I wanted to thank you….. you've…. been a big help and all. I wasn't very fair to you."

Gil blinked. That...that was not what he had expected at all. "But I haven't been any help at all!" Gil protested. "Jaime, Cassie, Jason, and-" he caught himself before he could add Grayson and Enkidu to the list. "People keep getting hurt because of me. You really shouldn't be thanking me."

"Please don't think like that. I have enough people in my life that think that. Listen… everything that happened was not your fault. We get hurt because of what we do. It's unavoidable. We can't spend our time worrying about what has already happened. If we do, we get stuck in the past. Plus, if you didn't do what you have done, the people you listed….. may have ended up dead."

Gil looked down so his emotion in his eyes wouldn't betray him. Sure, he shouldn't worry about what already happened. But Grayson and Enkidu were in danger at that moment because of him. "That doesn't change the fact that if I weren't here, none of you would be in this mess."

"If I was never taken in by my current guardian, and technically my adopted father, I wouldn't be Robin. If my brother and his friends didn't go to Cadmas, Superboy may be on a whole different side. Everything happens for a reason. We can't change the past, but we can decide what happens. Jason, he made you part of his family, and that was his choice. He won't regret that. How would he feel if he knew that you feel all this guilt?"

"I…." Gil trailed off. "Thank you," he finally said.

"No problem. Oh, and by the way, I need to call my brother real quick. Can you watch Jason?"

"Oh, yeah," Gil said. Then paused. "Tim….I don't think that's a good idea."

"Hmm? What do you mean? …. Did he call me and you answered? Is something wrong? Is he okay?"

Gil cringed. He wanted to keep it to himself - he didn't want the team to come into contact with Vandal, the way that Vandal had a track record of hurting them. But he couldn't really keep it from Tim, he supposed. "...Vandal has him," Gil said in a small voice.

Tim stared at him, slowly processing what the small child had said to him.

"What…...what do you mean, Vandal has him?"

Gil clenched his hands. "Vandal called your phone moments ago, and told me that he has Grayson. Grayson and Enkidu….he wants me to come alone. And for your sake, I see the sense of it, but I won't just lay down and die." Gil looked up, brimming with anger and passion. "He won't get away with this, I promise. To use my dearest friend against me? He will pay for this."

His words confused Tim. He didn't know this Enkidu person, but this person must be important to him to make the small child angry.

"If he has my brother and this Enkidu person, we need to save them!"

Gil nodded. "Vandal said to come alone, but I have a small workaround for that." Opening a portal, he pulled out a long black cloth (somehow, he just knew he'd be able to open his treasury again - Gil felt that he owed his thanks towards Enkidu for that). "This is the Helm of Hades, and it allows anyone within its boundaries to stay invisible." Gil looked Tim in the eyes. "Are you sure you want to come? You could get hurt out there while I fight to get them back."

"I am sure. I'm sure my brother would have a talking to me if I let someone of my team go on a mission alone."

"I….. I'm going….. too."

Jason had woken up a few minutes ago, but kept quiet. He listened to the two talk back and forth.

Gil turned toward Jason, eyes wide, but incredibly determined. "Jason, wha- no, you're injured, you can't come."

"No one knows the League of Assassins better than I do."

"Still," Gil said stubbornly. "You're healing, so I can't allow you to come. Don't worry, I don't plan on facing them as a child...by the time we reach their base, I will be an adult. So you don't need to worry about me."

Jason shook his head.

"No, I refuse for that to happen. I will not leave you alone. I can't let that happen…. I…. I became stronger to prevent that….."

Gil's eyes softened, but he still remained firm. "Those who are injured should not be fighting. Get better first - being injured won't help you, or the people you want to protect. Don't worry, we'll all come back safely. Then you can meet Grayson! And Enkidu!"

"You can deny it all you want, nothing is stopping me from coming with you."

Gil shook his head. "You'll stay here - I'll tell Ritsuka, and she'll make sure you stay, along with Lancer."

"Like they could do anything to stop me."

Jason narrows his eyes at Gil.

"You're injured," Gil said. "I could stop you without using any of my treasures if I wanted to."

"I am fine."

Jason insisted.

Gil really hated to do this to Jason, but...he had to. Jason could not come. If he came, it was almost certain that he would die. And he would not let that happen. "If you are truly okay," Gil began. "Then you have to beat Conner in hand to hand combat. Until you do that, I won't accept that you have healed."

"What? You are a child, you can't know how I am. I am fine. How does fighting prove anything?"

"I'm a child, not a fool. We will be entering battle, so if you are fine, and desire to accompany us, you must prove you will be able to defend yourself. Don't you think this is fair, Tim?"

"Who said I would fight? You would get lost in the fortress of the League."

Gil gave him a look. "If you come with us, it would be a mistake to think you would not fight. If you are there, they will see you as an enemy, and attack you. So you can't come with us, because if you do you will get hurt. Don't you understand?" Gil pleaded.

"I don't care! I will not leave you and Tim alone to take on the league!"

"But you have to," Gil shot back. "And we won't be alone. Once we free Enkidu and Grayson, we'll have more allies. I won't argue about this any more, okay? I don't want you hurt again for my sake."

"... Fine."

'I'll follow at a distance.' Jason thought to himself. He looked at Gil.

Gil gave a suspicious look to Jason, but nodded. "Good." Then he looked at Tim. "If you are going to come with me, I'm leaving soon. I don't want anyone else to know something is wrong, and we need to leave before I become my older self again - he'd convince himself not to, though that moron would hate himself for it."

"I agree on that. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get them out. The smaller the group would be best as well. If we get bigger, we will get caught easier. We can take the bioship, I know how to fly it."

"Okay!" Gil said. "Let's go before anyone notices then." Gil looked back to Jason. "And you - stay in bed."

Gil followed Tim out the doors, keeping an eye out for the team of heroes. He debated telling Ritsuka what was happening - she'd understand, he was sure. But there wasn't time for that. Enkidu needed him, and Merlin would probably tell her what was happening anyways - the mage did like to gossip, that was for sure.

"Hey, guys, I'm taking Gil to go get a treat that he's not had before. Before his time as a child is up. We'll be gone for a while….. no , he doesn't want that many people. Bye!"

Tim told the cover story he thought of on the spot. The others seemed to not mind. Bart did look disappointed, but he stayed put. Tim was relieved that story worked. The two of them found their way to the bioship.

"Okay, did he tell you a location?"

"Nanda Parbat, he said," Gil answered.

"Got it."

Tim put the location in and they headed off to Nanda Parbat.

"Gil…. what will happen when you return to an adult?"

Gil thought about the question. "He'll help, definitely. I know I said he'd convince himself not to, but that's because he thinks he, as king, shouldn't care about the individual rather than the rest of society, who he has to protect. That's why he thinks he doesn't need friends. But jokes on him because he's already friends with Enkidu, and since we're already on our way, he'll come up with some excuse to allow him to rescue our friend."

Tim nodded as he thought about something.

"Who is Enkidu anyway? If they were a friend of yours in the past, does that make them a servant? What if Vandal never kidnapped them? What if Vandal summoned them?"

"Enkidu is my best friend," Gil declared. "If Enkidu is here, they are definitely a servant. Though, I'm not sure if they were summoned by the Grail or by another master. If Vandal summoned Enkidu…" Gil shrugged. "I'd still come for Enkidu - there's no way I'd let someone unworthy be Enkidu's master. All we'd have to do is destroy Vandal, and Enkidu could make a new contract. Easy."

"I…. I see. Well, we will have to see when we get there. That should be in about thirty minutes. This would be our best time to prepare."

Gil nodded, looking thoughtful. "Actually, I was wondering if we could make a quick stop? I need to become my older self, and then we need to come up with a strategy. A hotel or something would be ideal so we can figure out a plan and get some rest."

"I thought that you said we would get there after you turn back. If you think we need to, I don't know if that will be a big problem….."

Tim said, but he wanted to get to his brother as soon as he could.

"I know you want to get Grayson back quickly," Gil said understandingly. "I hate that Enkidu is there. But we can't just rush in without a plan - it could get them both killed. And I won't let that happen, ever."

"You said that he wants you, right? Use that as a distraction. I can find them, or you can demand to see Enkidu since that is why Vandal called you right?"

Gil nodded. "Seems like a good plan, though my older self will probably have something to say too."

"You still want to stop then?"

"Yeah, if that would be alright?"

"I…. okay. We can do that. Best to get our heads clear."

Tim landed the bioship and leaned back in the chair. He looked over at Gil.

"Were you going to tell me….. about my brother?"

Gil looked away from Tim. "No….I didn't want you to come either, to be honest. There are going to be servants there, and it will be dangerous. It's better if the only one I'm risking is myself."

Tim nodded. He wasn't happy about it, but he somewhat understood why.

"Well, once you are ready….. We'll get going to save both of them. Together."

"Right!" Gil agreed wholeheartedly.

Gil left Tim to take care of the bioship while he booked a room at a hotel with his golden credit card. The hotel wasn't as nice as he wanted it to be, but - what could you do? (Of course, he didn't sleep in the bed that was present, but instead brought out his own. After all, he still had standards.)

Shrugging out of his clothing, he got into his bed and sighed. It was nice, to be a kid. But he knew that right now, they needed his adult self (though his adult self was a total moron). So he had to fulfill his duty as king - he laid his head down on the pillow, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Gilgamesh awoke with more energy then he'd felt in a while. He wasn't too surprised, though - of course his younger self hadn't dedicated himself to the mountains of work that still needed to be completed.

He sat up in his bed, noting immediately that his current whereabouts were not his room at his penthouse, nor a prison cell. Sighing, he let himself think back to when he'd first drank the youth potion.

The events from that point on came in snippets - memories from that time were hardly clear, but he could piece them together well enough. Obviously, he had escaped with both Jaime and Cassie, and…...someone named Jason? Or was it an assassin - that part really wasn't clear in his memories. He could recall a song, for some reason. It was trivial, so he cast that thought aside. He could also remember feeling absurdly cold (Uruk was never that cold) and lots of blood. Someone -who?- had gotten injured.

Gilgamesh frowned. Lastly….Enkidu. That part stood out in his mind - each and every one of himselves (child or not) had a close bond with Enkidu, so Vandal's message about his friend had stayed clear.

But the question was, what was he to do...clearly, his younger self had decided to take matters into his own hands to rescue Enkidu. Gilgamesh gritted his teeth - he could not place the life of another over his kingdom. That was the duty and obligation of a king. Not one person's life stood out from the rest - not even his, though he led his people.

But - even so. Enkidu….that mongrel Vandal had him. And Vandal was clearly his enemy, who had already taken even Gilgamesh as hostage. Gilgamesh selected an outfit from his treasury (he was sure that was Enkidu's doing as well, that he was able to open his treasury) and paced the room.

Vandal had made a fool of him, and had him collared like some common hound. Yes, Vandal needed retribution. And taking out Vandal would give humanity some peace of mind, and it would give him the chance to defeat the other servants.

(And if he managed to rescue Enkidu along the way….he was alright with that.)

Mind made up, he frowned. Something about Vandal's message wasn't adding up, such as - why were Enkidu and Grayson captured together? If Enkidu were there, it meant they were a servant. They might have no master like himself, but….something told Gilgamesh otherwise. Enkidu couldn't be captured so easily, unless they were limited by their master.

Which begged the question - who was their master? Certainly not Grayson, the man clearly was no mage. But they both knew each other, which meant that Enkidu, their master, and Grayson were in an alliance of some sort. And that meant…

He thought to the young Robin waiting in the ship above the building. Tim had gone to visit Grayson recently, he had to know something of what had transpired.

Taking back his bed into the treasury, he checked out of the room (why had his younger self gotten such a plain room, when there were surely better options available?) and made his way to the roof. Opening the door to the bioship, he walked inside.

"I hope you haven't been too bored awaiting my presence," Gilgamesh said smoothly. "Though now I am here, we have things of great importance to discuss."

Tim had been asleep, he didn't know when he fell asleep, but he was awoken by the door of the bioship opening. He looked over and saw Gilgamesh.

"Hmm?"

Gilgamesh frowned. "Asleep, then? Well, awaken - you are in the presence of a king."

Tim's eyes narrowed as he eyed the golden-haired king. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and didn't look amused.

"I think I liked you better as a child….."

He muttered to himself as a yawn escaped his mouth. Maybe Cassie was right when she told him that he should get more sleep and rely less on coffee and caffeine.

"Well, I take it you are ready to go now?"

"Not quite," Gilgamesh said, taking a seat across from Tim. Gilgamesh studied Tim before speaking. "Tell me, have you met any other Heroic Spirits before?"

"Uhh, yes. That hero that saved us from Ra's spirit. I think you called him…. Cu. He's a spirit, right?" Tim glanced away as he spoke. He was tired and would probably tell more than he wanted with his facial expressions and body movement,

"I do not mean the hound," Gilgamesh looked at Tim disapprovingly. "You may think you are smart, but wasting our time here is rather detrimental to the both of us. Now, do not make me repeat myself."

Tim glanced over and stared at Gilgamesh. He didn't want to say anything, but he had a feeling Gilgamesh would know if he lied. He sighed.

"Yes, I have."

Gilgamesh smirked. "Who else has been summoned into this era, and what is the identity of the masters that summoned such spirits? Speak, for they very well may be allies towards us against that mongrel Vandal."

"...Two people that helped my brother… in fact….. one of them gave my brother a spirit of his own."

Gilgamesh blinked in surprise. "Gave him a spirit…" he murmured. "This mage must be very talented to do something such as that. Tell me, was it Enkidu that is Grayson's servant?"

"I don't even know who Enkidu is. That wasn't the name of any of the spirits I met. Sorry."

"Then who did you meet?" Gilgamesh pressed. "Surely, you must know."

"How will knowing this help save Enkidu and my brother?"

"Do you always run into battle blind? Fool. Knowing who stands alongside us is important, as we can thus plan out strategy regarding those allies." Gilgamesh explained, slightly impatient. "As Vandal will have multiple servants alongside himself, we too need allies, and those servants you have met will have to do."

"Look, they side with my brother, he sides with me, that makes him on our side. The spirits that were there were two rider classes and a lancer class hero."

"Have I ever said I was against your brother, as you are implying?" Gilgamesh asked. "We may have disagreed, but we are all on the same 'side'. And why is it that you are withholding these servant's true names? If we are on the same side, shouldn't all information be laid bare?"

"Because…... "

Tim looked down and his expression was sad.

"Because I didn't want….. no, my brother and I didn't want the others to find out about this one spirit….."

Gilgamesh arched an eyebrow. "Must I note that I am not the others? Do not hold your tongue and speak - you may find that as a Heroic Spirit myself, I may harbor some understanding towards both you and the spirit."

"My brother had someone that used to be on the team summoned. He….. we all miss him, and in his life, he was my brother's best friend. He died not too long ago."

Tim bit his lip.

"His name is Wally West. He was Kid Flash before Bart."

"I see," Gilgamesh said, contemplating this information, and nodded. "I can see as to why you would keep this hidden from your teammates. I must say, I have had a slightly similar experience. But, it matters not. I assume this is the spirit your brother is the master of?"

"That is correct. The other two…. one is a warrior and the other is a mystery to me."

"Elaborate."

"The spirit…. seemed….. I don't know, determined, side tracked, whatever was going through this spirit's head, I couldn't figure it out. I really don't know much. Sorry."

Gilgamesh frowned. "So their true names were not available to you? Is that what you are saying?"

"Well, yes and no. We had two rider classes so both gave their names, and the other chose to go by another name, I guess. It was Achilles, he was the rider and warrior, and Kingu, the Lancer."

Gilgamesh froze. Kingu… that name brought memories of the past to the king. A soul in the husk of the body of his friend. Kingu was Enkidu, but Enkidu was not Kingu. Was it possible that this was Kingu and not Enkidu? "Kingu, you said the lancer went by?"

"Yes."

Tim didn't see why that mattered.

He frowned. Vandal said he had Enkidu, but it was possible now that the hostage wasn't Enkidu at all. Was it even possible to summon someone such as Kingu? Kingu had been a personality possessing Enkidu's body, created by the mother of beasts. But Tim did say that Kingu was a name that the servant simply chose to go by, so it was possible that this servant is Enkidu….

Gilgamesh scowled, irritated. "Mention not the name Kingu - I believe that name is simply a cover, as Kingu's true identity is my dear friend Enkidu."

Or, so he hoped.

Tim was surprised about that. Gilgamesh's own friend, or so as to believe it was his friend, was summoned by someone who sought to destroy Gilgamesh.

"Uh, Gil? Can we head to Nanda Parbat now? We need to get back soon and we still need to get into the base and save your friend and my brother."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at Tim. "Cease with the nickname - my child self may have found it endearing but I do not. As for our destination, we shall change it temporarily. Take us to your brother's servant, as well as the mages who assisted in his summoning. That mongrel Vandal would not be so hasty as to harm Enkidu and Grayson within this day, as he must know we shall come."

"You know he told you to come alone….. right? He is expecting you to come as soon as you can. And… you wanted no one else to come."

"While he did want me to come alone, you are here, are you not?" Gilgamesh asked. "Even with multiple people, such as the servants, we can give the illusion of me being alone with the Helm of Hades. As for me coming as soon as possible, he doesn't know how quickly the potion of youth wears off - and speed can be quite different for an adult than a child. And regardless of what my child self said, this is war - lives are on the line. Servants are here to fight, so fight they shall. Myself included."

"We shouldn't dely… you don't know Vandal like we do….. he will do many things, and he could hurt Enkidu and my brother. Please…."

"So you'd rather we go in without backup, potentially getting all four of us killed?" Gilgamesh asked, slightly incredulous. "I think not. At the very least, we must contact these mages and have them meet up with us."

"You know… I didn't agree with your younger self when he said that the only one that should be risking their life was his, but… at least with a small group, we will be less likely to get caught. He only thinks you are coming."

"I am aware of that," Gilgamesh answered. "It's not as if I am inviting the entirety of your team. Simply the two servants, the riders, would suffice. Kid Flash is a speedster, thus can likely make his way into the base without alerting others of his presence, or could be hidden with the helm. Meanwhile, you and Achilles may also conceal yourselves with the helm - I would be the only one visible to the eye. I am not so foolish as to endanger Enkidu, you realize."

"I… fine."

Tim used the bioship and called Shirou and Rin. Tim was hoping they wouldn't answer. Based off the time zone difference, it had to be pretty late for them.

"Hello?" Shirou answered, and Tim had to wonder what the mage was doing up so late.

Gilgamesh tilted his head to the side slightly - he knew that voice, he thought. But from where…?

"Uh, hey, I need your help. It seems…..Vandal captured my brother and your spirit. Do you think you would be able to send Wally and Achilles to assist me and … and Gilgamesh?"

The other line was quiet. Then: "Is he with you now? Are you in danger?"

Gilgamesh scoffed, finally speaking. "Fool, as if I would injure an ally."

Again, silence. Then Shirou sighed. "I knew something was wrong - I think Kingu has been trying to contact me through our bond. I -"

"Do not refer to my friend with that name," Gilgamesh interrupted - he really did despise that name. "Call them Enkidu, as that is their true name."

"Hold on a minute," came Shirou's voice, confusion laced in his tone. "You mean Kingu is Enkidu, the Enkidu that is friends with the King of Heroes….you?"

"I really do hate to repeat myself," Gilgamesh huffed. "Yes, that is the servant you have summoned."

"....Well then," Shirou murmured on the line. "I guess our plans were doomed from the beginning."

Something about this person really was awfully familiar….then it clicked.

"Oh, you're the faker, aren't you?" Gilgamesh noted with some surprise. And, amusement. "How interesting!"

"Hold up," Shirou said. "You know who I am and you're not furious?"

"Why should I be?" Gilgamesh asked. "Yes, you did inflict harm upon myself two years prior in this era, but it was necessary. I had, after all, tried to destroy modern civilization - that is something I, as I am now, simply can not abide. So you deserve not my wrath - not entirely - but praise for your brave and foolhardy actions in the fifth war."

"Are you really Gilgamesh?" Shirou accused. "You sound different from when we fought."

"Of course I am different," Gilgamesh readily explained, seeming to enjoy Shirou's confusion. "As I am now, I come from my later years, when I quit being a champion of heroes and became the wise king instead, to lead my people. But now, faker, we require the use of your servants. Will you lend them to us to rescue Enkidu and Grayson?"

"Yes," Shirou immediately answered. "I don't like the idea of working with you, but….if it's to save them, then of course. What are your coordinates? We'll head out right away."

"I sent you the GPS location. We will wait to proceed to Nanda Parbat until you get here."

"Okay! Just hang in until we get there!"

The call ended, and Gilgamesh laughed. "Well, that was amusing! Who knew the faker would involve himself in yet another grail war?"

"So he wasn't kidding when he said he knew you… why do you call him a faker?"

"He has an absurd ability to create preexisting weapons," Gilgamesh explained. "Thus, he is a faker. Of course, his weapons are inferior to the originals."

"Oh, okay. So to you….. you're different from how he remembers you? What exactly did he mean?"

Gilgamesh nodded. "About twelve years ago, I was summoned in the prime of my youth to participate in the 4th grail war. Through the corruptness of the grail, I managed to stay in this era for ten years. However, in the prime of my youth I was a tyrant - I thought everything in this world existed to amuse me. Of course, that is not how I am now - how I am now resembles how I was at the end of my life, when I made the change from a tyrannical warrior to a wise king for my people."

"I see….. so you aren't that bad I guess. I wasn't told the full details, just that we needed to stop you at all costs…."

Gilgamesh arched an eyebrow. "Stop me at all costs? It seems you and Grayson have been busy then, with such a goal in mind."

"Please keep in mind, we were only told about the….. tyrant side of you and he wanted to protect his friends."

"Be at peace, I will not pass judgement upon you for your assumptions. For now, we must continue forwards and await the arrival of the other two servants."

"That won't be a problem, Wally is fast. He'll get here quickly."

And sure enough, that was the case - from the bioship, Gilgamesh could see the faint spark of lightning, heading closer and closer. And following behind the lightning was some sort of chariot, which greatly reminded him of the fourth grail war's rider. The bioship slowed down and landed - they had made their way out from the city and there were no cities in sight - just an empty road.

The blur of lightning had stopped, so Gilgamesh could see a young man with orange hair - Kid Flash, he assumed. The chariot landed moments later, three people inside it. A young man with short green hair who was clutching the reins, a wide smile on his face, and the two mages he recognized from the grail war.

The man with the green hair - Achilles, he assumed - laughed. "That was incredible, Wally! And here I thought I was fast, but you had me beat."

"Oh that? That was nothing. But if I'm being honest, I'm actually considered the slowest member of my family. My uncle and my cousin are faster. So if I had you beat, they would lap you."

Wally smirked.

Instead of being upset, Achilles just grinned. "Sounds nice, I'll have to challenge them to a race at some point too - whether on foot or in a chariot, it'll be fun."

"Okay, now that we are here, do we have any sort of plan or….?"

Wally looked at the two that were already on the ship.

"Well, sort of. Gil has an object of some sort that should keep us hidden from the view of others. He's going to confront Vandal. I'm unsure about anything moving forward."

Gilgamesh shot Tim a look - really, wasn't it common knowledge for people to refer to their betters with respect? "I shall draw the mongrel's attention, while you lot rescue the two hostages. They will have no reason to suspect you are all present, as we were previously on opposing sides."

"Hey, buddy, we're still on opposite sides," Rin snapped. "We just have a joint mission for now to rescue Enkidu and Grayson - for all we know, you still want to destroy the world."

Gilgamesh studied Rin, which made Shirou step closer to his girlfriend. Finally the king spoke. "I see, so it was you that made Ishtar more bearable. I had wondered which mortal had accomplished such a feat."

Rin blinked. "I- what?"

"Surely, you remember your time as that useless goddess," Gilgamesh continued. "Though it must've seemed like a dream for you. Regardless, I must thank you and apologize to you for having to put up with such an insufferable personality."

"You're-you're crazy!" Rin protested. "How….." a look of realization dawned on her face. "No way…"

Shirou looked at his girlfriend with concern. "What's wrong?"

"There's no way, but...I think….I remember this? Kind of?" Rin shook her head. "It's fuzzy, but I think I really was Ishtar…."

Gilgamesh nodded. "You were, and you assisted us in defeating the mother of beasts, the goddess Tiamat. Of course, we did the most of the work, since Ishtar is the most useless of goddesses."

"Liar!" Rin shouted despite herself. "I helped and you know it!"

Gilgamesh shrugged. "I suppose you had your moment, though Ishtar will forever be useless."

"Okay, okay," Shirou intervened. "We should really get going, I don't know much about this Vandal guy, but I don't like Grayson and Ki- I mean, Enkidu, being there longer than necessary."

"Yes, you are right," Gilgamesh said. "Achilles, dispel your chariot, and the lot of you may board this craft with us."

Achilles frowned at Gilgamesh. "I don't take orders from you, or any king."

"Come on," Rin sighed. "Let's just do this."

Achilles shrugged, and in a blast of light his chariot was gone. "Fine, alright. I want to get our allies out too, I just hate arrogant people."

"There's a slight flaw in that plan. We don't know where they are being kept, nor do we know our way around. You will have to trick, or convince Vandal to bring you to them."

He looked at Gilgamesh.

"That is true…" Gilgamesh murmured. "Though, with these two mages, perhaps they'll be able to track Enkidu, as they are a servant."

Shirou nodded sharply. "I've never had to do something like that before, but I'll do my best!"

"Don't worry, I'm no novice,"Rin said confidently. "Nothing will be able to stop us from finding them, got it?"

"We better not delay than. The sooner we get there, the better."

Wally put his arm around the young Robin. His own way to try and put him at ease. It worked a little and Tim relaxed. He took his seat at the bioship's controls and was ready to head to Nanda Parbat.

They weren't too far from the fortress and made it there pretty quickly. The bioship was already in camouflage mode, and Tim landed the ship(although, he was better at flying than landing).

"Okay….. We are here. Nanda Parbat… home of the League of Assassins."

Gilgamesh looked at the base with narrowed eyes, then opened one of his portals and dug around in it. Then he pulled out a long black cloth and handed it to Tim. "This is the Helm of Hades. Simply have the cloth around you - no openings. To use it best, walk in a straight line to remain invisible. However, it does not block sound, so try to not give away your location. Is that understandable to you all?"

"Right. Stealth. That shouldn't be a problem."

Tim stated, even though he was okay with this plan, he saw way too many flaws and was worried. He had gone on many stealth missions before, and because he was a Bat, he was the logical choice in picking to lead a stealth mission. He, however, did not know how the others in this group would handle a stealth mission. He knew Wally would be able to do well, but he couldn't help but worry.

"So uh, Gil, do you have any… plan of getting out? We figured that you were a distraction, but getting out is a different story."

Wally asked the king.

"Is that what you were worried about?" Gilgamesh asked -still irked about the nickname, he'd have to drill into the boy's head that he did not wish to be called that - with amusement. "Be at ease. After all, there will be no need for escape, as I intend to destroy the base entirely."

"But that will kill everyone inside!"

The speedster exclaimed.

Gilgamesh sighed - he had forgotten the heroes' sense of justice. It was unlike his own, though they all sought the salvation of humanity. How ridiculous - such an enemy as Vandal deserved to be annihilated, else he would simply return and more lives would be lost. "If you are so concerned about it," Gilgamesh began. "Then save them if you wish. But a war will never end if you are not ready to actually take action."

"There are better ways than killing. Killing, even if they are bad, makes us no better than them. We must show that we are better than them. We have ways of dealing with them."

Wally insisted.

"Really, that's what you think?" Gilgamesh asked the speedster. "Tell me, how many times have your villains escaped the prisons, over and over again. And if you think killing will make you like them, you're actually wrong. Take Achilles here as an example - hailed widely as a hero, and yet he has likely killed hundreds of people in war. Most of the other Heroic Spirits are the same. You may not realize it, as you are but a child, but this is war, and the way things are going this war will never come to a close. Some heroes will perish, most villains won't. But the ones to suffer most are civilians from your unwillingness to end the war."

"Heroes are meant to bring hope. If we kill, that doesn't bring hope. That brings fear. How can the people of this world trust us if we are willing to go that far. Green Arrow…. he used to kill and people only saw him as a vigilante, while the cops saw him as a murderer. When he stopped and people thought he was a different person, he brought hope to his city. We don't need to kill."

"Actually, kid, I kind of agree with Goldie here," Achilles said. "I mean, yeah, murder isn't great. So going off to kill every criminal is definitely not ideal. But heroes, while some bring hope, others exist to do the things civilians can't. It's a bit complicated for sure, but you just have to find the right balance. Trust me, as someone who has killed and been killed before."

"People change you know….. we can give them chances to make amends, but how can they, if they are dead?"

"Wally…. while I don't agree with the methods he wishes to use, we shouldn't waste any time we already have. If anything happens…. I'll say it was my call. Okay. We can worry about this later. We need to go."

"Tim….."

"You better head on without us. We will follow close behind."

Tim opens the door to the bioship and steps off. Rin, Shirou, and Achilles all followed Tim, getting ready with the Helm of Hades.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh paused in thought, then in a flash of light allowed himself to appear in his clothing from Uruk. If he were to confront Vandal, it would be as a king. Nothing less would suffice. Stepping out of the bioship, the others already gone (or seeming to be gone) Gilgamesh activated an ancient magic that allowed his voice to be heard by all.

"Vandal Savage….your arrogance has led you to call upon a king as you would a common servant. I hope you are ready to pay dearly for such a crime."

The doors to the fortress opened up, Vandal and Ra's stepped out and looked at Gilgamesh.

"King Gilgamesh, nice to see you again. This time you came willingly."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes. "Where are Enkidu and Grayson?"

"I see you are right to point. Enkidu and Grayson are just having…. some mild fun of their own. A sort of game in a way. More like sparing, but that sounds like training. You can follow Ra's and he will take you to see your friends. I have to set up for our later discussions."

Vandal looked over at Ra's signaling that he is able to take Gilgamesh to the heart of the fortress.

"Such nonsense," Gilgamesh said, an axe appearing in his hand. "For someone who has existed prior to myself, you really are a fool if you believe I will walk into that base. Bring Enkidu and Grayson out here, unharmed, or I will use my authority as king to perform judgement upon the two of you mongrels."

Ra's stepped forward to Gilgamesh.

"I am afraid we can't do that. Grayson's and Enkidu were caught in a tunnel collapse. They were in the catacombs that reside under my home. These walls are ancient and while my assassins know not to tread there, these two did not. We didn't hurt either of them. Grayson is with Enkidu and is resting after being knocked out and badly injured."

"A mere tunnel collapse wouldn't slow Enkidu down in the slightest, fool," Gilgamesh shot back - likely, Enkiu had come in contact with a servant. "Enkidu is more than capable of carrying Grayson out here - the boy would be of no hindrance to them. Therefore I see no trouble with having them both emerge underneath this sky with us."

"I am actually welcoming you into my home, and this is how you respond? We didn't capture your friends, they came here. They got caught in an accident and we offered help. Our first method of bringing you to one of my homes was not proper, but we didn't see any other way. Now you come here on your own terms, and with the permission of the demon's head, and you respond like this."

Ra's narrowed his eyes.

"I suppose I was incorrect - you are no simple fool, but the most foolish of fools. I know well your intentions concerning me, and thus I retain my sense of rationality by not entering this enemy base. It is not the obligation of a king to accept the hospitality of sewer rats. Now, bring forth Enkidu or you will witness Uruk's determination firsthand."

"Well, then you have wasted both yours and our time."

"I think not," Gilgamesh said, golden portals appearing around Gilgamesh. "I find there is much to be gained from this still. Open, Gates of Babylon!"

Weapons launched out from the portals towards the two assassins.

Ra's was able to deflect the weapons with his own sword while Vandal caught one of Gil's weapons and used that. A hand was placed on Gilgamesh's shoulder.

"Gil, stop. There is a time to fight and now is not the time."

Gilgamesh turned, axe in hand ready to take on whomever had made contact with him - after all, instinct largely takes over in battle. However, he stopped upon seeing that one assassin. No, upon seeing Jason.

"You?" Gilgamesh said, averting the path of his axe easily. Wasn't he supposed to be resting? Gilgamesh dimly seemed to recall that. "You fool, what are you doing here?"

"I told you I wasn't going to let you go alone. Gil, did you stop to think about the fact that Ra's is out here, alone without his assassin's at hand. If anything, they have orders that if anything happens to either of them, they could end Enkidu or Grayson's life."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes - there it goes again, someone using such a nickname on him. "I have considered it, but Enkidu would not let themself or Grayson be felled by such cowardly beings. I trust that Enkidu will be able to handle their side, so that I can handle mine."

Jason looked over at his former teacher. Something didn't settle right with him.

"Something feels off about this."

"How so?"

"This fortress has been standing and maintained by the league for hundreds of years. There was never a blocked off section. While this may be a trap, I know Ra's and he is not one to strike an unarmed foe. He's also not much of someone who lies."

"Are you suggesting I trust this mongrel?" Gilgamesh asked. "While he may not lie, people often bend the truth."

"I'm not saying you should trust him. I'm saying…. listen and be patient. We don't know where the others are. They may have them hidden, but these people are ones trained to fight in the shadows. I can tell they are inside, but that's all. For now, let's do as Vandal and Ra's say. Enkidu will survive, they are a Heroic Spirit, but Grayson is human."

Gilgamesh gritted his teeth. The reason he stayed behind was so the others could get Enkidu and Grayson out safely while he let their attention rest solely on him. But if that plan wasn't panning out…..kings and generals had to improvise.

But oh, he despised the idea of listening to those two mongrels. Knowing they held Enkidu over his head invoked an almost berserker like rage in him. But….if there were assassins ready to strike at Enkidu and Grayson, no doubt his friend would protect the human. But if the assassins used Grayson against Enkidu….there were too many variables to consider. Not to mention the other Heroic Spirits that were no doubt in the base. At least three, he surmised.

"Very well," Gilgamesh announced. If it was their plan to dissolve him into magical energy inside the base, they were welcome to just try it. The moment they did he would unleash his full power on them and understand how Uruk had survived the mother of beasts. "I shall not apologize, for attacking you is within my right as king for your transgressions, but I will, for now, follow you."

Vandal narrows his eyes at Gilgamesh and says nothing. Ra's sheathed his sword.

"Worry not. You were merely taking out built up anger. I have much experience with people with much built up rage."

He spoke as his eyes landed on Jason. While he was referring to the green eyed man, he never called him by name. Jason had a feeling he was the one he was referring to, but held his tongue. He stayed close to Gilgamesh and even went as far as to go a little bit in front of him and sort of shield him from the head assassin.

Gilgamesh frowned at the assassin. "Do not assume to know a king's motives. Mongrel."

What a complicated situation...Gilgamesh eyed Jason. Who did he think he was, interfering with his battle and daring to give him, or all people, advice? Yet part of him did not mind Jason being there - his presence reminded him of the comfort he found around Ritsuka, for some reason. Still, he hoped Jason - along with all the other young heroes - would stop treating him as a child and more like the king he was.

This was primarily why the youth potion had been his last option. It was so….demeaning.

Jason looked back at Gilgamesh.

"One more thing, Gil. I'll leave Vandal to you, but Ra's…. I should have the opportunity to kill him if such a time comes."

"That is fine," Gilgamesh allowed.

Ra's narrowed his eyes. Gilgamesh and Jason were far enough that the assassin couldn't hear them, but it seemed to him that Gilgamesh was doing as Jason instructed. Jason seemed close to him. Strange to Ra's considering the outcast he was in the league. He wasn't close with anyone, except his daughter. Talia was like a second mother to Jason, that or an older sister. Would Jason choose the league who made him their own or would he choose the king he had only known for a few days? Ra's didn't know, nor did he think that Jason knew that himself. Jason's ties to his old life and new life would tear him apart. Ra's gave a small smile at the thought. The boy's own mentality would be his downfall.

Jason stared right at Ra's. Coming here, he was practically asking for the death sentence. Ra's does not forget easily, so his betrayal to Ra's and the league would not go unpunished from the demon's head. He let out a sigh.

"Take us to Enkidu and Grayson."

Ra's arched his eyebrow. Not only did Jason betray the league and his teacher, his master, now he was making demands. Ra's would not forget this, but he could do nothing as of right now. Not with the king of heroes around anyway. He looked at Jason and then at Gilgamesh. He simply smiled, not that the smile was welcoming or friendly, but more of a satisfied smile.

"Of course. This way, please."

Jason looked at Gilgamesh and gave an uneased look, before returning his focus on the head assassin. He followed Ra's into the fortress that held most of his current memories. A place he used to find comfort, closure, now filled him with unease. Jason didn't realize until just now, his mind was not focused on the pain but rather stopping Gilgamesh. Most of his wounds were already healed, but that didn't mean all of them were. He didn't want to seem weak, he didn't want to show the need for help. He'd live with it. He wouldn't focus on the fact he was still hurt.

He'd focus on others, something that seemed foreign to him. He wanted to protect the people he cared about. After getting a near-death experience, Jason recalled moments of his past. They were still foggy, and there is so much still unknown, but one thing he did know, both of his family members were dead, and his current family thought he was dead except for Tim who knew the truth. He wasn't going to lose anyone else, and as far as he could care, if he died again it would be as if nothing changed.

As he followed Ra's into the fortress, he chose to stay close to Gilgamesh. True, he wasn't a child anymore, but that didn't change how Jason saw him. Jason wondered what the king thought of him in this form. At the same time, he didn't want to know. For now he can only focus on the current events. Not his past, not his pain, not Gilgamesh's opinion of him, only saving Enkidu and Grayson.

Following Ra's into the fortress was something Jason had done hundreds of times. He knew the place better than anyone outside of the league. He had called this place home - a place he barely knew- and now he didn't know where he stood. He kept his eyes open and his senses sharp as the three of them walked down the halls of the league's home. He knew this path. His instincts told him to turn the other way, that there was something wrong. He ignored them, he had to. He still owed Gil. He served by Ra's side for far too long. Maybe his debt to him had been paid, but his debt to Gil…. that was something he had yet to satisfy.

The further they went, the more familiar it got. Ra's had said nothing after telling them to follow, and Gil hadn't said anything either. They simply walked in silence. Jason looked around and his eyes narrowed. Why was Ra's taking them this way?

"Ra's, tell me…. why are we heading toward the Lazarus Pit?"

"I did say that young Grayson and Enkidu were caught in a tunnel collapse, did I not?"

Jason tilted his head a little.

"You told us that Enkidu was keeping an eye on him as well while he was resting. So tell me…. Why are we heading toward the Lazarus Pit?"

Ra's never answered the question to the young man. He simply stopped in front of a sealed off door. Jason never had much patience and Ra's was trying them.

"Ra's! Why are we here!?

Ra's said nothing and simply looked at Jason. Jason's eyes widened at the realization.

"You…. you….you put him in the Lazarus Pit."

"I was not the one that did such actions. In fact, it was his friend that agreed to such. Enkidu was the one that saved and brought a dying man back to full health."

"You told him only what it could do rather than what it does."

"I told Enkidu everything they needed to know."

Ra's unlocked the door. They could hear a bang, like someone ran into the door. Jason stayed to the side of Gilgamesh who was right next to him, as well as right in front of the door. Jason looked at the smaller man next to him, worried yes, but chose to stay in his calm composed appearance. Ra's opened the door and the two were met with a dimly lit room, a pool of water, and a person who leapt out at them.

Enkidu was having some problems of their own. Grayson no longer saw them as anything more than something to attack. His mind was gone. He attacked more like a rabid animal, a snarling beast, a monster. He had no control over his body, nor did he know what he was doing. He only had one thing on his beast like mind; kill the person in the room with him. Being the only person in the room, he attacked his ally. Enkidu could see that Ra's did say the truth, Grayson no longer seemed to be in any sort of pain, nor did he seem injured, and he was right about him losing his mind.

This pool was more a blessing and a curse. Give up your humanity and mentality for healing and immortality. Ra's could hardly be called human. Truth be told, he was not human, rather he was as his name portrayed; a demon. Ra's practically gave up his soul for immortality and then he thought that it would be best if young Grayson be put in the pool and Enkidu let him.

Grayson was pushed back and into the wall by Enkidu, the wall didn't even crack and Grayson seemed to not feel anything from that attack. He snarled and growled at Enkidu. Even if he realized he had his weapons on hand, he didn't know how to use them properly and relied only on physical attack and his new found strength.

Grayson's blue eyes narrowed on Enkidu. His breath was heavy, but stable, taking in small deep breaths and letting them out. He once more lunged forward at Enkidu. Enkidu opted to dodge this time and play the rabbit - Enkidu had no problem leading Grayson on a little chase within the room, as it allowed them to survey their little prison.

For the moment, Enkidu was fine with being locked up. It wasn't as if they could bring Grayson into the city as he was now, after all. But Enkidu also wanted to be prepared for when Grayson got his mind back, and escape.

So far, the only weak point they found was the entry way that had been locked - every so often, they had tested the strength of the doors - they did seem strong, but with their Noble Phantasm, they should be able to break through. Though that raised the question...could they even use it? Their master didn't have a ton of mana, so Enkidu had to be careful as to how they wielded their power.

Grayson never seemed to slow down. His speed stayed consistent, his anger only growing. He truly acted as if he wanted Enkidu dead. They have been at this game of dodge for quite a while, although, no one could truly tell how long it had been. Has it been a day, a few hours, a couple of minutes? Grayson's breathing did seem to increase as time went by, but he himself hardly noticed. He didn't have any self awareness.

Grayson was only getting more and more frustrated that Enkidu kept dodging his attacks. It only filled him with more rage. He only stopped going after Enkidu when he heard a click. His head whipped to face the direction the sound came from. Grayson threw himself against the door. He fell back but quickly got back to his feet. As he did, the only door to their prison opened. Grayson lept out and tackled the first person in his sight. He managed to pin the person down to the ground. He grabbed that person's throat and wanted nothing more to kill the person in his grasp. The man that he attacked was none other than the golden-haired king, himself.

A/N: Sorry this was posted a week late, we got caught up in work and didn't have time to work on this edit so we worked on it when we could and decided to wait to post this on a Saturday. This chapter was fun to work on and Sora never said she had anything she wanted to say, so only I have things I want to say. I will say, I never meant to make Jason sound so depressed. I just wrote it with Sora a while ago and when we went back to edit it, I didn't realize how much it sounded like he was depressed. We can't change it because this was prewritten, but oh well. Hope you liked this chapter! Stay whelmed and I hope you feel the Aster!

~Akira

Posted: 10/16/2021