Hello everyone and welcome back to the start of chaper 59 of the story! Halloween event is coming and I know all of you guys are looking forward to commit some trolling in Edo Japan with Musashi, but for now, if you have spare time, sit down and get in a comfortable position to read the chapter in the meantime.
With that said, let's start it!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author
"Any sign of her doctor? Jekyll?"
"Still nothing Peko. Trying to transmit the signal through the corrosive magic nature of the Demonic Fog is being extremely hard." Romani responded to the boy as he and Jekyll tried their best while the group was now searching for Nala.
"I hope she's alright. Jack isn't a foe to that someone should fought alone." Mash commented, expressing her concern.
"Geez! It's not like shortie can't fight for herself too." Mordred replied. "I bet right now she's pulling her best to hold on against that killer. Have trust in her as she trusts us to reach her in time."
"Speaking about Jack the Ripper, her true identity was never revealed right?" Ritsuka told them.
"Yes. And your point exactly?" Hans asked to the master of Chaldea.
"I was thinking since you gave an identity to Nursery Rhyme when we fought her, could you do the same with Jack?" Ritsuka explained his thought to the writer servant.
"That's a great idea!" Peko exclaimed. "Perhaps we are able to weaken her with that."
Unfortunately, Hans deconfirmed it. "No. My magic doesn't work like that, with Jack the Ripper being a different case from Nursery Rhyme. The assassin already has an identity, albeit false, it's still one. Whereas Nursery Rhyme was a magical tome and spell with no proper name of its own, hence why my magic worked on her. But I can't label an identity to someone who already has it."
"Then it just wouldn't work?" Peko asked Hans.
"Completely, realistically, hyperbolically and hypothetically. It never could work in the first place so you can take that option off the table." Hans responded, shutting down the possibility from the plans to defeat Jack the Ripper.
"Wow. Then you're just gonna be useless majority of the time, won't you?" Mordred said, not pleased with Hans explanation of how one of his magic spells worked.
"I can do a lot more than that and you know it!" Hans replied back. "My mana capabilities as an author go way beyond than just a magic spell. Or do you avaliate a servant's strenght by how physically brutal they are?"
"When fighting bloody enemies that are hard as hell you're damn sure I prefer someone with muscles than a tiny nerd with straw bones like you." Mordred answered the danish servant, mocking his stature.
"Please now, let's not go back to the insults." Mash told the two, preventing them from going into a verbal fight.
Meanwhile, Romani and Jekyll spotted something appearing on the virtual map. "Yeah. Better not because we're detecting something!"
The group stared at the two in silence and riddle, wondering if that meant what they were thinking. "Is it Nala?" Peko asked them.
"We aren't quite sure yet, but it's close from you." Jekyll responded before turning his head to the left. "Not now Fran! I'm in the middle of something."
"Then it could be her!" Mash speaked.
"Where exactly is the signal on the map?" Ritsuka asked to Romani.
"Right on the parallel street on the right from yours!" Romani responded, giving the exact coordinates.
Peko was more than ready to go. "Then let's not waste another second and go!" But as he had only took some three steps to the front, a new wave of those shadow demons had appeard, stopping the boy on his tracks. "Not these things again!"
The monsters had quickly surrounded the group, forcing them into another fight. "Does these guys know anything else than being a fucking annoyance to us?" Mordred said, drawing out her sword.
"Guess not. Back we go to deal with them!" Ritsuka responded, staying close to Mash and Peko. "Ready?"
Mash pulled up her shield to the front. "Prepared to engage for combat master!"
"And you Peko? Do you have mana enough for another round?" Ritsuka asked to the boy, unsure if Peko still had magic energy enough to dispatch the enemies by using his light powers a second time in a short time period.
"Enough for us to win!" Peko responded, charging up his arm and sword.
"Then charge!" Ritsuka instructed, with Peko and Mash advancing torwards the enemies alongside Mordred while Hans stayed on the back with Ritsuka for support.
"Human Observation!"
Using his book, the author casted a supportive spell to the three. "You better not lose after this small boost I gave you!"
Mordred clashed with an enemy's claw, proceeding to break its defense and kick it in the head. "We were already planning to avoid that!"
"They're fewer than the last time!" Mash said, protecting Peko and herself from an enemy's attack as the boy took the chance to fire a light bullet to the hostile imp while standing behind his friend's shield.
"Happy to hear that!" Peko said, hitting his sword on another enemy. "These things are probably here just to hinder us from reaching Nala!"
"I assume they aren't with the rest of the helter skelters, automatas and homunculus, are they?" Jekyll told, observing that these creatures had appeard only just now and looked to stay more with their own kind than to get mixed up with the other types of mobs that have been walking the streets.
"No they aren't." Romani confirmed Jekyll's suspicion. "At least, not fully afiliated with the other monsters." The doctor put a finger under his chin. "But they can't possibly be working alone or without orders from an identity above them. Who or what is summoning these things?"
"How about you stop speculating and instead warn us if there's more coming or not?" Mordred called out both Romani and Jekyll as she dodged from an enemy attack.
"Hum, s-sure!" Jekyll readjusted his glasses, not expecting Mordred to direct some words torwards him at the moment. "It appears for now you only have to deal with these ones."
"I really hope so. These abominations are an atrocity to stare at." Hans shot a magic spell torwards an enemy that was trying to approach him and Ritsuka. "I swear that not even the darkest of fairy tales had such gruesome looking monsters!"
"Then you should watch some horror movies." Ritsuka responded to Hans.
"I'm aware of their existence. And that majority of them are dread awfully written with predictable plots, which to my eyes is the real horror of it." The author replied, expressing his non-existing intrest in wanting to see horror movies.
"Another one down!" Mash said as she took out an enemy with the help of Peko, seeing how many there was left. "Only three more! Take care of the one at the left that I take care of the other one in the right Peko!" The shielder instructed the boy who nodded in return.
"Sure!" Peko went to fight his opponent while Mash fought hers and Mordred the third one.
"Ghhra!" Swinging down her lightning sword, the knight open up the monster's chest with a big slash, finally killing it. "Mine's down! Yours?"
Peko pierced his blade on his opponent's head before destroying it with a light bullet. "Done here too!" Peko responded to Mordred as his eyes switched to Mash who was still fighting the now last remaining enemy, defending herself from its blows. Peko and Mordred had the same thought of aiding the shielder. "Mash! Needing-" Peko's legs suddenly came to a halt from directing torwards Mash when the boy's sight catched something hiding in the corner of his eye. Located in the entrance of a narrow badly lighted alley, Peko saw it again. The thing he had saw way back in Rome. "It's that shadow again!"
Turning his head around to better look at the simple shadow figure of six eyes, four horns and red tracing patterns, Peko saw it starting to distanciate itself from him, plunging in deeper into the dark alley. "Wait!" Peko went right after it, stepping inside the alley as the sinister shadow didn't stopped to stare at him despite the distance it was forming between them. Pointing his finger at it, he fired a light bullet torwards the shadow with the intention of stopping the thing from going away. Illuminating the alley, the bullet appeard to have hit right on the shadow's center, who dissolved into nothingness and its dark substance dripped on the floor, seemingly dissapearing on the cracks of the ground.
Peko eventually reached to the spot where the shadow once was, trying to understand if it had escaped or he really killed it. "What was that thing doing here spying on us?" Peko thought to himself as he looked to the dark alley he was now in. He wondered if there could be more of that thing lurking inside the shadows. "No. Perhaps it's still here with me. But where exactly?" Peko gazed with caution and attention to the dimly lighted walls in front of him, not being aware of the true terror that had manifested on the wall behind him.
A decrepit greyish humanoid arm with black rottened skin stretched out of the shadows behind the boy's back, making no noise of its presence. As Peko continued oblivious to its existence, the arm proceeded to get closer to the boy's head, hauntly directing its fingers torwards his hair. It was in mere inches of grabbing Peko's head as the boy still maintained his focus on the wall in front of him, about to be grabbed by the arm at any second now.
"Peko! You there?" Ritsuka shouted, appearing on the entrance of the dark alley, calling Peko's attention who then turned his head around to look at Ritsuka.
"Ah! Ritsuka!" Peko exclaimed back.
"What were you doing there?" Ritsuka asked him. "You can't just dissapear like that."
"Y-You're right. Sorry." Peko responded, starting to walk torwards Ritsuka, having unconsciously avoided being grabbed by the arm, who now laid there unresponsive. "I think I've seen something hiding in here."
"Did you saw what it was?" Ritsuka asked him as Peko reached near him.
"Remember of that shadow thing we saw in Rome? I think it was here, hiding and observing us." Peko responded, much to Ritsuka's surprise.
"What? That thing was here?" Ritsuka's mind quickly remembered of it, not having expected to have another encounter with it again at all.
"Yeah." Peko responded as he thought of something. "Could it be that shadow thing and these monsters are working together?"
"That's a good hypothesis..." Ritsuka replied, thinking more about it before being interrupted by Mash and the rest of the group approaching the two.
"Master! I've seen you found Peko already." Mash told him. "Our enemies have been dealt with as well. No more hostilities nearby for what I can detect."
"And what were you thinking in leaving us like that shortie N.2?" Mordred pointed her finger to Peko accusingly. "Warn us next time, will ya?"
"For once I agree with the brainless knight here." Hans commented. "I know London is a city of many turistic attractions, but right now it isn't the best time to pay them a visit."
"Shut up shortie N.3!" Mordred yelled to Hans. "I'm the one doing the reprimands here!"
"I'm sorry and it's true I shouldn't have done that." Peko apologized instantly. "But can't we just put the reprimands aside and instead be happy none of us got deeply hurt?"
"That and go back to finding Nala." Mash added.
"So she isn't here?" Ritsuka asked to her.
"Unfortunately not." Romani responded. "We must have mistook one of those monsters signal by being Nala's. It was a false alarm after all. Sorry guys."
"No need to say that doc." Ritsuka told him. "What we need instead is to keep searching for her."
"Well said Fujimaru!" Romani replied, liking to hear Ritsuka's words fitting of a leader. "Jekyll, did you found any signals on the neighboring areas to the one we are located right now?"
"Hmm, let me see." Jekyll responded as he observed the digital map of London. His face reacted as his eyes saw something in it. "I've detected a weaker signal on an area northeast from here!"
"It could be Nala!" Peko exclaimed.
"Keep your fingers cross then and hope it isn't another bunch of monsters." Mordred replied.
"I'm sure this time we will have better luck!" Mash told her. "Let's go now!"
"Following you behind!" Ritsuka responded as he and the rest runned alongside Mash in direction to the new signal's location.
"Ghg..!" Peko suddenly stopped as he felt a pain in the bones of his hand, more specifically his thumb. "Dang it! Why it's hurting? Did I overused it too much?" Peko gently try to move his fingers, being more careful on his thumb. Slowly, Peko moved the finger up and down, seeing if the pain could go away that way. As he did the movements, the light bulb of a lamp near him begun to flicker its bright, catching Peko's attention. "Hm? Wasn't all the lamps here deactivated?" Once he stopped moving his thumb up and down, the light inside the lamp stopped flickering.
Now that catched the boy's attention, who put his hand in front of his face with the thumb up while staring at the lamp. "Let me see..." Peko whispered, moving his thumb down, resulting in the light bulb being turned on. Peko's curiosity was increasing with this as he put the thumb up again, seeing the light of the lamp go out. It was like his thumb was the switch to the source of light of the lamp. Chuckling, Peko moved his thumb up and down again and again, switching the light on and off. He then thought of something else. "Does it work only on this way?" Peko turned his back on the lamp, now gazing randomly at the floor of the street he was in, ready to do the thumb movement again. Putting it down, a luminous light ball appeard in front of him, shinning the surroundings. "Wow..." Peko muttered as he made the light ball dissapeard by putting his thumb up and proceeded to look at his own hands, intrested in the new ability he had achieved. "This will come in handy."
"Peko! Don't stay behind again!" Mash called out the boy, standing on the corner at the end of the street, wondering why he had stayed behind.
"Hm! Going already!" Peko responded, his mind going back to what mattered and running torwards Mash to join her and the others.
"So you're saying that your mom can help me get my memories back?" Nala asked Jack as the duo alongside Fou walked on the streets, with the destination being the asylum Jack's 'mom' worked in.
The assassin nodded in response. "Hm hm! Mommy's workplace is the perfect place to help people with mind problems, so we guarantee you that." Jack told her. "Mommy has a lot of treatments that can help you."
"I-I see..." Nala replied, not very sure if she should believe in what Jack was saying. After all, she was still Nala's enemy, and by extent her mom too. So this could be nothing more than an obvious trap for her. "Do you think I can trust her?"
"You sure can! Mommy is very sweet and gentle with us. She'll also be with you." Jack smiled happily. "Plus, mommy loves when we bring new friends to the asylum so that we can play all together!"
Those words were still not enough to clear Nala's doubt. "If you say so." She would be entering the residence of one of her enemies. There was no way it wouldn't be a trap. Yet, a deep profound part of her heart insisted in going anyways, wanting to see if Jack was against all odds saying the truth. That by meeting with the enemy she would somehow get closer to know about her and Peko's past and possibly remember of their parents faces. It was probably stupid, but tempting to Nala at the same time.
"Here we are!" Jack speaked, stopping right in front of the entrance gate of the asylum. Staying behind the serial killer, Nala and Fou took a good look at the building past the bars. It was big and rectangular, with outworn brown walls of mutiple windows, attached to two other rectangular buildings on each side of the central one. The roofs had some chimneys and towers covered with grey bricks. The vegetation of the entrance garden of the asylum looked rather dead and bleak, with the grass having almost no green and the trees no leaves left in their branches. The vegetation however had found its way to the asylum as some roots could be seen glued to the building's walls. The sight of the asylum wasn't very inviting, instead causing a certain feeling of trepidation on Nala.
"A very lovely building." Jack said. "So many happy memories we had here with mommy." She then turned her head to look at Nala. "And now you'll share it with us!" She giggled in joy. "Let's enter?"
"Y-yeah." Nala said, feeling an unease apprehension.
"Fu fou." Fou was also feeling the same, having stepped down from the girl's shoulder and grab her ankle, trying to pull it. "Fou fou!" Fou said as he tried a failed attempt in stopping Nala from walking past those gates, not liking the sinister aura of the asylum.
Noticing it, Nala crouched down and lowered her voice to whisper something to the animal. "I know Fou. It does look like a suspicious place. Eitherway, I'm going to follow Jack and enter. I'll see if I can get some clues about our enemies plans that way."
"Fou Fu!" Fou exclaimed back, not liking what he heard.
"I know it's dangerous! But I need to see if I can figure something about them." Nala then grabbed Fou with both her hands and stared at the creature in the eye. "But just in case, go find Peko, Ritsuka, Mash and the others and tell them of my location. Then if things go south I know you'll be coming on your way to me." Nala shared her idea with Fou, advising him to look for the rest of the group while she would enter the asylum alone. "Understood?"
"Fouu..." Fou said in a sad tone, not wanting to abandon Nala in a moment where she could be in serious danger. Yet, he couldn't deny that Nala was right about Fou going to tell of her location to the others in the meantime. So Fou made sure to be quick in finding the rest of the Chaldea group and appear with them to aid Nala in case she was in trouble. "Fou fou!" Fou nodded, accepting the girl's request.
"I knew you would agreed. Thanks Fou." Nala smiled to the animal, putting him on the ground. "Good luck!" She blinked her eye to Fou as motivation.
"Fu foooou!" Fou responded, also wishing the best for Nala while he went away, looking for the others.
Now Nala was completely alone with Jack, who opened the main gates as the other girl had talked with Fou. "Hmm? What happened to the fluffy animal? Wasn't he here a moment ago?" Jack asked confused, not having noticed Fou leaving them away.
"He had to do a walk in order to well...do his animal needs." Nala invented an excuse to Jack for Fou's absence. "Don't worry, he'll come back. Now let's enter the asylum."
Without making a question about it, Jack just accepted what Nala told her and both walked through the path in the middle of the asylum's garden. Reaching to the building's door, Jack opened it up and announced their arrival. "Mommy, we're back! And we bring a friend with us this time!"
But no response came, with the two girl's being greeted by an empty reception room. Altough empty, it didn't meant it was abandon, with the room being cleaned, the chairs, couch and other furniture in good conditions and the light of the ceilling working fine.
"I see no one here." Nala looked around, seeing no one's presence besides herself and Jack. "Where's your mom?"
"She must be doing some work perhaps. Don't worry. We can call her." Jack walked torwards the receptionist desk, touching a silver bell on top of it twice. However, seconds passed and still no one appeard to receive them, causing Jack to ring the bell more times. "C'mon now mommy. Why you taking so long?" The serial killer was starting to lose her patience, ringing the bell non stop.
"Humm, I dont mind waiting for your mom." Nala said, grabbing Jack's hand befor she could break the bell from ringing it excessively.
"Okay then." Jack said, letting out a frustrated breath before having something come up in her mind. "We've got an idea of what we can do in the meantime! Here!" Jack said, dragging Nala to one of the room's walls, showing her a big wodden instrument leaning against the wall.
Nala scratched her head in confusion, not knowing what she was looking at. "What's that supposed to be?"
"A piano!" Jack exclaimed. "We can play music in it by touching on its keys at a certain pattern and rhythm. Mommy thaught us how to play it!"
"That sounds quite intresting." Nala replied with curiosity of such concept.
"Hm hm!" Jack pulled a small seat in front of the piano and sat at the extreme side of it. "Let's play it together." The serial killer told Nala, signaling her to come sit right next to her side.
"U-uhmm, you sure? I've never played one before..." Nala said with some reluctance, afraid of being embarassed.
Jack didn't cared however if Nala could play it or not "No problem. We can teach you. It may be hard at the beggining but it will eventually get easier with practice." With that, the assassin was able to convince Nala to sit next to her and play the piano together.
"F-Fine." Nala prepared her fingers, putting them in front of the instrument keys. Despite trying to look calm, Nala's mind was in total chaos. "Aaaaaah! So many of these keys to press! How exactly will I know the order of this thing!? Do I press this one first? Or maybe the one over there? Or perhaps is that one?"
Thankfully for her, Jack would be a sort of guidance in this. "Wait. You're hands are a little out of adjustment." The serial killer grabbed Nala's hands and helped her putting them in a right position. "There! Much better! Now, let's try an easy song first. Play that key first and then the one here with your other hand. After that you..."
"My head just won't be able to remember the pattern, won't it?" Nala said to herself, feeling her brain overheat with the amount of sequences she had to memorize from Jack's instructions.
"...and then you repeat this sequence at the end. Understood?" Jack ended her explanation, hoping that it was of help to Nala.
"Crystal clear! Ready to smash it!" Nala said with full confidence while panicking on the inside. "Waaaaaaah! What is the key I'm supposed to play first?!"
"Hehehe, that's the spirit!" Jack said, preparing her fingers to play the song in the piano. "Ready? One, two,three and..." Lying her fingers on the piano keys, Jack started to play the beggining sequence of the song with Nala sweating nervously by her side.
"Alright! When she touches that key it will be my turn! Focus on it! When she touches it! When she touches that one!" Gazing fully at Jack's hands, the moment Nala saw the serial killer press on a specific key, it meant it was her turn now. "That's the signal!" Nala immediatly went with her finger down on the piano key, releasing a totally uncoordinated and out of tone note, breaking the song's vibe and sequence. "Ah! I pressed on the wrong one!" Nala yelled before trying to apologize to Jack for having ruined the song. "I'm sorry! Terribly sorry!"
The assassin however just laughed it off. "Hahahaha, you really got anxious there didn't you? We already told you it's not a problem. No one gets it right first try." Jack told her, pointing to the correct key Nala should have pressed. "It's that one. And after that you go and touch the key to the side. Relax this time and see how ti goes better."
Nala nodded, taking Jack's advice. "O-Okay."
"Ready?"
Nala took a deep breath and concentrated her mind into the instructions and the piano. "Ready."
Jack begun once again playing the introduction sequence of the song. Nala put her fingers ready and in position, this time trying to go in with more tranquility. The moment Jack pressed the last key of her sequence, Nala touched the first one of hers. And then the second. And the third. And the fourth. The girl slowly smiled in surprise as she couldn't believe in herself and her hands movements that were playing the correct note keys of the instrument, giving continuation to the beautiful relaxing music. Jack also smiled proudly on her side, happy to see Nala learning before going back to play her second sequence. But as it seemed the two were playing the piano greatfully and with no flaws...
"Ah crap! I've missed on the key again!" Nala exclaimed, having pressed her finger on the wrong key and for the second time interrupting the flow of the music. "I-I'm sorry! We were doing so well." Nala said, scratching her head in frustration.
"But see? You did a lot better than before!" Jack told her, thinking more about Nala's improvement than her having screwed up again.
Nala chuckled in response. "That's true. But you know what? How about you play the full song for me so that I can have an idea and demonstration of the sequences I'm supposed to play?" She suggested to Jack who happily approved it.
"Sure! We can show it to you." Jack responded, letting Nala get out of the seat so that she could occupy it entirely. Now with all of the piano for her, Jack put her hands in each end of the keyboard, prepared to do a performance for Nala. And it was almost absolute perfection. The timing, the movement, the flow. Everything was nicely played by the skillful hands of the serial killer who pressed and moved the keys with exact precision and surgery. Nala was even enchanted by it, in awe of Jack's musical prowess, not even taking the chance that the assassin was now occupied to sneak around the asylum to find some possible clues as she originally intended. Nala instead just stood there, listening in silence to the beautiful harmony of the song being played out by Jack.
"Incredible..." Nala whispered to herself as Jack reached to the final key, ending the song in a high note.
"Liked it?" Jack asked to the mesmerized Nala.
Before the girl could even reply, there was a noise of some doors opening, being followed by the sounds of steps and clapping. "Very well done Jack. It was truly marvelous." Said a woman's voice as the woman herself appeard on the room, having come from the hallway that gave access to the receptionist room.
Jack smile and eyes widened in pure joy as she knew who had just walked in "Mommy!" The serial killer immediatly got up from her seat and went torwards the woman, about to hug her.
"What?" Nala said confused, turning her head around to spot the adult woman behind her, right to the receptionist's desk side. She was wearing a white nurse uniform and cap, an uncommon outfit for a nurse of this age. The woman also wore a red leather corset with straps, matching her equally red leather boots and red rubber gloves. The woman had green hair tied into a bun at the back of her head and purple eyes. Her uniform seemed a bit dirty, with what appeard to be soaked blood coming from the pocket she had stashed a pair of scissors and needle. She was seen cleaning some of the blood of her gloves with a towel.
"It's nice to see you again mommy!" Jack jumped to the woman, hugging her. The nurse in return hugged Jack back.
"Likewise dear." The woman chuckled and put Jack back down before looking at Nala for the first time. "Oh? Is this your friend?"
Jack nodded. "Yes she is! A great one too! We had so much fun before going here."
"Fufufu, I see." The woman stretched her hand to Nala. "Nice to meet you. I'm nurse Toppan. Jane Toppan." She smiled warmly to Nala, introducing herself.
"H-Hum...Nala. Nice to meet you too." Nala replied, hesitating to shake Jane's gloved hand at first due to still having a bit of blood in it before shaking the nurse's hand anyways.
"So you're Nala eh? My sweet Jack has told me about you before." Jane said, continuing to clean the rest of the blood from her hands with the towel. "She speaked greatly of you. And it seems she wasn't wrong." Jane put the soaked towel on top of the desk, having finished cleaning her hands. Her voice was smooth and soft, almost inviting and lovely, like that of a true mother.
"Oh, she did?" Nala asked, not wanting to get too comfortable around this woman despite of her docile demeanor. After all, she was one of her enemies.
"Yes she did. Jack always likes to tell me things about others." Jane giggled as her eyes seemed to stare at Nala methodically, almost as if she was doing some kind of examination of the girl. "She told me very good things about you. She told me that you are some kind of 'special'." The nurse's emphasis on that word was enough to send some shivers down Nala's spine.
"That and so much more!" Jack speaked. "She's so fun to play with! We couldn't have asked for a better friend! We're lucky to have her and Oliver as our playmates!"
Jane smiled grew a bit. "That's wonderful to hear Jack." She then looked to Nala. "Thank you for being of a great company to my daughter. It's a bit rough when she has no one else to play with besides me. I was fearing she would never be able to get some friends. Glad to see I can rest easy about that now."
"Well, your daughter is also quite the individual." Nala responded with a nervous smile, reminding herself of how insane and psycothic Jack could act sometimes. And she couldn't help but feel the same sensation around this nurse. "By the way, if it isn't too much to ask, are there other nurses or staff of the asylum here in the building at the moment? It's that all of this feels eerily quiet."
"Oh, excuse me for having made you wait if that is your complaint." Jane apologized politely to Nala. "But unfortunately, I'm the only nurse in the building right now. Everyone else is in quarantine inside their homes due to the fog outside. I'm the only staff member available."
"Wow. Must be a tough task then." Nala replied.
"You have no idea sweetie." Jane sighed. "Having to take care of the patients, monitoring them, giving the medication and treatment as well as making sure the water and electricity are functional on the building is indeed not an easy task alone. Thankfully, my cute Jack has been of a great help to me. It gets a lot of work out of my shoulders."
"Yes we are! We always help mommy in whatever she needs!" Jack said, hugging Jane's waist.
"Fufufufufu, that's very true my sweetheart." Jane kindly patted Jack's head. "What would be of me without you? I've seen you also improved very much on the piano. Were you showing it to your friend?"
"We were. We even played it together and everything!" Jack told to her 'mom'.
"My. It must have been marvelous for you two then. A shame that I was occupied in the meantime." Jane replied.
"No worries mommy. We know your job is very important and that you don't like being disrupted in the middle of it." Jack responded.
"Yeah. You didn't missed much." Nala added, thinking back to her performance in pressing the wrong piano keys.
"I see." Jane responded. "But so, what exactly brings you here besides Jack wanting to introduce me to you? A young girl like you seems to be in good conditions." The nurse said, taking another visual evaluation of Nala.
"I..." Nala didn't want to say it. She couldn't give a vital information about her to the enemy. Instead, Nala had to try find a lie that would pass under Jane's suspicions. Unfortunately, what she didn't want to speak about to Jane, she had already shared with Jack.
"She wants to remember of her parents but is unable to. As her friend, we want to help her and so we thought that you could help us with that problem mommy." Jack spilled all out to Jane, accidentally telling information about Nala against the own's wishes.
Yet, Nala could only blame herself. "Dammit! I forgot Jack knew about it!"
"Hmm, intresting." Jane put a finger under her chin before staring at Nala. "So you can't remember about your parents? It sounds like a case of memory loss." The nurse said, before giving a somewhat creepy yet normal glare at the girl. "Perhaps a therapy can help us with that problem of yours."
"A what?" Nala asked, thinking she had not heard the words right.
"That's it mommy! We knew a therapy should be able to solve Nelly's problem!" Jack said happily. "After all, that's what this asylum is for. To correct people's mental problems."
"Exactly like I told you Jack." Jane giggled warmly, happy to see that her 'daughter' was well aware of the asylum's purpose.
"Sorry but I'm not understanding a thing of what you're saying." Nala told Jane. "Therapy? Memory loss? What are you talking about?"
"Memory loss can be linked with cases of serious mental health problems and illness. It isn't a thing that I as a nurse can simply ignore. And it's in places like this asylum that we make sure to fix the problems that are plaguing your brain and mind." Jane explained to her. "And I assure you dear that our medical methods to deal with those problems are always guaranteed to work. So you have nothing to worry about it."
"O-Okay..." Nala responded, feeling skeptical about that. "This woman...I just can't believe in whatever she says."
"By the way, Jack told me you have a brother. Is it true?" Jane asked to Nala, seemingly looking for an answer from the girl's mouth. But that wouldn't be needed as Jack confirmed to her yet again.
"She has mommy! It's Oliver! She's Oliver's sister!" Jack responded, giggling. "We think it's amazing how our two best friends are siblings! It feels so funny and coincidential!"
"It sure feels like it dear." Jane replied, satisfied with the answer she got. "About that, do you know where he is Jack?"
The serial killer shaked her head. "We don't mommy. Oliver is still with that new group of friends of his..." Jack said sadly, feeling like she was somewhat jealous about that.
"It's alright Jack. No need to be sad." Jane said, gently stroking the assassin's hair. "I'm sure Oliver will still come by today to visit and play with you."
Jack's eyes shinned. "R-Really?!"
Jane nodded. "As real as my affection to you sweetie." The nurse said.
"Thanks for that mommy!" Jack hugged her. "We love you!"
"Hahahaha, we love you too Jack." Jane replied.
Meanwhile, Nala stood back watching their bond. Altough the two were not blood related, there was a true feeling of mother and daughter relationship between the two. "They do seem quite happy together however."
"Well, with that said, give me a moment to go pick up the preparations for your therapy." Jane speaked to Nala, undoing the hug with Jack. "I won't take it too long to come back. So you two better be good girls and wait right here for me. Understood?" The nurse asked to the two gently.
"Aye aye mommy! We'll wait patiently here!" Jack responded before starting to shyly touching her fingers onto one another. "A-also...could we play a game together after the therapy please?"
"Of course Jack." Jane smiled to the little serial killer. "I'll make sure to grab a patient for our game time after I'm done with your friend's therapy." She said before staring at Nala, waiting for her answer.
Nala tried to give an answer while not giving to much eye contact to the nurse. "S-Sure. I'll wait here too."
"Fufufu. Good to hear. Be right back." Jane said as she walked into the hallway and passed through the doors, leaving Nala and Jack alone on the receptionist's desk once again.
Nala wasted no time and walked torwards the entrance door, trying to open. However, the door seemed to be locked. "Ghg! This stupid thing! Why it won't open?!" She ended up kicking the door in an effort to open it, which happened to be useless as it still maintained closed and locked. The small commotion was enough to call Jack's attention who walked torwards her.
"Why are you trying to open up the door?" Jack asked her confused.
"You see...to..." Nala tried to come up with something. "Do excercise outside. I'm needing it!"
"Why?" Jack rised an eyebrow. "We already did lots of excercise during our games."
"Humm, w-well, it's because the garden outside looks like such a big and fun place to do a run, don't you think?" Nala replied, trying to appeal to Jack's playful side.
Unfortunately for her, the assassin was having none of it. "Sorry, but mommy told us to wait here so we will wait."
"Why?! We're just gonna play on the garden outside! It isn't like we will run off to somewhere else!" Nala argued back. In fact, she actually wanted to go to the garden outside so that she could somehow dissapear from Jack and also Jane's view, and be able to sneak around the building without having her enemies literally by her side so that she could explore the asylum freely and find some possible clues.
"But mommy would be mad at us." Jack justified, not wanting to upset her 'mom'.
"She seems like a cool mom, so I doubt she would get mad at us." Nala tried to rebuttal Jack's argument.
"But she could be dissapointed for seeing we have disobeyed her!" Jack rised her voice a bit, not allowing herself to give in into Nala's excuses. "Sorry but we're doing what she told us and staying here! And you will wait for her too!"
Seeing that Nala couldn't appeal to that side of Jack, she tried to do things another way. "Tsk. And here I thought you were supposed to be funny. Guess I was wrong."
Jack felt attacked by that comment. "What?"
"Oh, it's nothing really. I just wanted to have more fun with you but it seems you decided to become boring all of a sudden." Nala continued her provocation on Jack, hoping it would work. "That isn't cool at all. Looks like I'll have to drop you and find out other kids to play with instead."
"No!" Jack shouted, not wanting to lose one of her few friends and falling right into Nala's plan. "We-We'll open the door and play with you. Just don't tell mommy okay?"
Nala smiled, doing a thumbs up. "Looks like I was wrong! You're still fun to play with Jack! Also don't worry about your mom finding out! My lips are sealed!"
Jack smiled back. "Thank you." The assassin then took out a pair of smaller knives from her pocket, inserting them on the door's lock. "We do this...The knife moves to here and..." A click from the lock sounded as the door was now unlocked.
"Well done Jack! You did that thing so quickly!" Nala said impressed.
"Hehehe, one of our specialities." Jack giggled, thanking Nala's compliment.
"I'm back!" The voice of Jane caught the two girl's by surprise as the nurse appeard in the room again, this time bringing something in her arms that at first glance looked like a big piece of white cloth. "Have you two behaved well?" Jane asked the two girls who quickly got away from the door, trying to pretend they weren't trying to go outside.
Jack even hid her knives from Jane and pointed a finger to Nala. "She wanted to go outside to play in the garden."
"H-HEY! FRIENDS DON'T SNITCH ON OTHERS LIKE THAT!" Nala shouted angrily at Jack.
The nurse just laughed it off. "No problem. I know how a child can be very energetic and hardly stay quiet in one place. I don't blame you." Jane told to Nala. "But anyways, the preparetives and instruments for your therapy are ready. Now you have to follow me to the room."
"Is that so?" Nala replied, taking a step back and closing her right hand into a fist, ready to fight or run from the two at any moment now if necessary.
"Yes. But before I forgot, you'll have to wear this first." Jane said, grabbing on the white cloth with both her hands and unrolling it, revealing the cloth to actually be a jacket with long sleeves, blue patterns design and a countless number of straps attached to it.
"Wha-What is that?" Nala asked confused, never having seen a jacket like the one the nurse was holding before.
"Oh! It's a hug-jacket!" Jack exclaimed.
"Hug...jacket?" Nala replied, finding the name weird.
"Hm hm! Majority of the patients here use one. It makes your arms give very thight hugs to yourself. It looks very comfortable." Jack explained to Nala.
"Really?" Nala asked, even more confused. She thought that perhaps the people from this era must have had a weird fashion sense.
It didn't took to long however for Jane to correct Jack and explain it better to Nala. "Hehehe, it is a nice name but no. This thing is actually called a straitjacket. Its purpose is to keep the unstable patients in check from doing, let's say, overly violent things to others or themselves. So it functions as a restrictive garment here at the asylum."
"A-And why do you want me to put this thing?" Nala asked, retreating another step, seeing that Jane was now barely hiding her true intentions from her.
"You see, the therapies here at the asylum can be a bit 'intense'. And we have to keep the patients quiet and in place as best as possible during the procedure. We wouldn't want you to go away and abruptly move your body the moment you'd felt even the smallest amount of pain now, would we?" Jane explained to Nala, giving her a scary smile. "So please, do me a favour and get inside the straitjacket dear."
The hearbeats inside Nala's body had skyrocketed in that moment. It was the alarm sounding for her to get out of there fast.
"Mommy! You weren't supposed to say that!" Jack told to Jane, a bit annoyed. "Now you're scaring her!"
Jane chuckled in return. "Ups! Looks like my tongue ended up slipping. Sorry Jack."
"Look, it will be alright." Jack touched Nala's shoulder. "Whatever happens, we are here to make sure you stay fine. The therapy may sound awful but it will do good to your health! We promise!" She tried to tranquilize Nala as well as insisting her to wear the straitjacket.
"Let me see if I undertsand." Nala responded, having calmed down a bit. "You want me to really put that thing on me?"
"In order for us to proceed with the therapy of course." Jane responded. "I'll make sure to not make the therapy that painful."
"Hmm...I see." Nala replied, closing her eyes while thinking.
"So?" Jane asked, waiting for the girl's answer and hoping she would accept coming with her.
"No way I'm wearing that! Sorry and bye!" Nala said with a smile before rushing torwards the entrance door and storming out of the building, much to Jane and Jack's shock.
"After her!" Jane ordered Jack who didn't lose any second to chase behind Nala.
Outside, Nala thought of running to the exit when she was surprised by a full curtain of mist in front of her, blocking even the view of the nearest things around her. "Tsk! They don't want me to find the way to the exit!" And that wasn't the only problem, with some few automatas appearing in front of Nala in order to stop her. But Nala had no intention of slowing down, summoning her sword. "Get out of my way!" Nala slashed flawlessly the automatas in front of her, destroying them without much effort. She continued to run onwards, thinking that she would eventually reach to the main gates by just heading straight.
However, two knives appeard from the fog, being targetted torwards Nala who reacted fast enough to parry the blows. "Stop right now!" The voice of Jack shouted among the mist as the serial killer appeard in front of her, being the only barrier between Nala and the main gates of the asylum.
"Move aside Jack!" Nala shouted back to her, being in a hurry to get out of this place.
"We won't! You'll go back inside, wear the straitjacket and do your therapy!" Jack replied, unwilling to comply with Nala.
"And what if I don't want to?" Nala talked.
"It's for your own good! We truly wanna help you!" Jack said, not wishing any ill intent on Nala.
"If you want to help me then let me go!" Nala replied, giving Jack a chance to avoid a fight.
"But mommy ordered us to get you back inside! As her daughter, we must do what she says!" Jack continued to not accept Nala's request.
"Then you're giving me no choice!" Nala said, pointing her blade at the serial killer who also drawn out her weapons, altough not happy with it.
"Please, don't. We don't wanna hurt you." Jack begged, not wanting to harm a person she saw as her friend.
"So will you get out of my way then?" Nala gave a last opportunity, seeing that Jack wasn't looking forward to fight her. This situation wasn't a game anymore for the assassin. It was something serious.
"...No." Jack expressed her decision, choosing to oppose Nala even if it hurt her inside.
"Then you'll have to force me!" Nala cleenched her teeth before dashing torwards Jack, clashing her sword with the serial killer's knives.
Jack undid the clash and took a step back before going for a kick on Nala's head, ending up being blocked by her. Jack was counting on that, taking the opportunity that Nala had left the other side of her body open to kick her in left side of the chest and then thrust her knee on Nala's stomach.
"Grah!" Nala coughed breathlessly from the hit she had received, her defense being down against Jack who rised her hand in order to strike Nala's nape.
"Air Step!"
Nala dodged just in time, caughting Jack by surprise and kicking the assassin in the hand, leaving her open for a slash on her abdomen.
"Khg! Stop making this hard for us!" Jack protested, wishing that Nala would give up.
"You're the one complicating it!" Nala responded, going for an assault on Jack.
"Murderer on a Misty Night!"
Jack started dodging every possible swing from Nala's sword, waiting for her chance to counter attack. However, the serial killer ended up getting slashed again.
"Precise Stroke!"
Dealing a big hit on her enemy, Nala was capable to put Jack on her knees. Instead of dealing a finishing blow, Nala instead decided to ignore Jack and went straight to the gates.
"Don't go!" Jack grabbed Nala's arm. "We want you to stay with us! We want to play more with you!" She pleaded to Nala who shoved her grip away.
"I don't." Nala responded coldly to Jack beofre rushing to the exit. It wasn't exactly Nala's intentions to hurt Jack's feelings, but it was the heat of the moment so she didn't thought thoroughly about the words she said. She was more focused on escaping.
Unfortunately, Jack seemed to persist. "No. No. No. You won't go away..." Jack whispered to herself, a fear of losing a friend crawling in her heart. "You'll stay with us. You'll stay with us forever. You. Oliver. Mommy. We will all be together and have fun till the end." Jack's eyes fired up as she turned her head to stare at Nala in front of her, about to pass through the gates. "WE WON'T LET YOU GO!" Jack screamed loudly, dashing torwards Nala.
"What-" Nala turned around in bewilderment as she observed Jack in a space of a second approaching her quickly, standing right next to her. Nala still managed to move her sword, in an attempt to fend off her persuer. "Just leave me already!"
Clashing with Nala's blade, Jack quickly parried the blow and crossed her legs around Nala's body, trapping her. The serial killer didn't even gave enough time for her opponent to struggle as she took out a syringe from one of her pockets. "Good thing I got this from mommy!" And finally, Jack pierced the syringe on Nala's neck.
"Gyaaah! W-What are you doing?!" Nala yelled in pain as she felt the sharp sting on her neck, with Jack introducing the syringe's fluid inside Nala's body.
"It will be alright now. You can breath and relax." Jack smiled to Nala as she finished unloading the entire liquid into Nala's neck, freeing her from the lock position Jack had put her in.
"Ggh! You did something didn't you?" Nala rubbed the area where she got pierced by the syringe with her hand while staring at Jack.
"It was necessary. You forced us to do it." Jack responded sadly. "There wasn't need for this."
Nala took a step forward, about to charge an attack torwards Jack. "There wouldn't be if you had just let me go instea-blerghg!?" Unexpectedly, Nala coughed blood from her mouth as her entire body started to feel weak and without energy, with her legs giving up. "Wha...What have you done...to me?" Nala questioned Jack as her voice got fragile and her vision started to fail. It had to be something to do with the syringe Jack had injected on her.
"We know it may hurt your body, but the effects will pass quickly." Jack responded, approaching the fainting Nala. "Just close your eyes now. We will be by your side during the therapy, so there's nothing to be afraid of." Jack said sweetly and caring. really thinking she was doing what was best for Nala.
Nala on the other hand, still with a last remain of her energy, crawled torwards Jack and used what strenght was left of her to grab Jack's arm while giving a weak but mean glare to the serial killer. "D-Damn...you...Ja...ck..." And so her eyes closed and the mind went completely dark.
Inside the quiet and eerily silent asylum, the only source of sound was from a joyus and relaxing melody, being played by the piano at the receptionist's room. Its sweet song echoing throughout the hallways, played by a mother and daughter duo who were sitting next to each other, touching the piano's keys in perfect coordinance and maestry. Who wasn't aware of these two attrocities, would believe that they were simply a lovely mother and daughter spending some time together over the music of the instrument.
As they were performing out their talent, a knight figure opened the entrance door, stepping inside the asylum. The figure was wearing a dark and purple metal set of armour, designed to give hostile and cruel vibes to however was the enemy that would dare staring at the menacing knight's helmet. Not being slightly fazed nor surprised by the music, the knight announced their presence by walking torwards the mother and daughter on the piano. Despite the look, the knight wasn't by no means rude, letting the duo finish the song.
"Always latching on the piano, isn't it?" The knight speaked with a female voice, crossing her arms.
Jane giggled in response. "Sorry for having made you wait, King of Storms." The nurse said, getting up from the seat with Jack and bowing respectfully to the dark king's presence. "Or, does Your Majesty prefers to go by the other name of..." Jane spoked as the king took out her helmet, showing her short pale blonde hair tied into a bun as well as the cold amber eyes alongside her face. "...King Artoria?"
"As long as you adress me with high esteem, the title that you choose concerns me not." Artoria Alter responded to the nurse, maintaining a cold but professional look on her face. One fitting for a king like her.
"Hi Auntie! Have you come to play with us?" Jack greeted the King of Storms whom didn't react with much friendliness.
"I'm not your aunt child. Go find someone else for that doltish role." Artoria Alter responded before staring back at Jane. "You do know exactly what is the motive of my presence in this 'residence' of yours."
"I sure do Your Majesty." Jane responded.
"Then show me where she is. The girl you've captured." Altough serene and calm, Artoria Alter speaked in tone of an order, demanding to see where one of the royal twins was being kept in.
"Right this way Your Highness." Jane complied before staring at Jack. "Jack, will you?"
The serial killer nodded happily. "Sure mommy!" Jack replied, leading the way on the front as Jane and Artoria Alter followed her behind while walking on the hallways of the asylum.
"This place reeks of nothing but dullness." Artoria Alter said, staring to the environment around her. "How can someone be capable of finding enjoyment in this?"
"Fufufufu, I'm aware that Your Highness would much rather be on a battlefield slaughtering enemies or inside a castle having a great feast. However..." Jane grabbed the rubber material of one of her gloves, snapping it while smiling creepily to the king. "This place is a pure paradise for me. Specially in a situation like this. My stay in London has been nothing but wonderful."
Seeing the disturbing smile on the nurse's face, Artoria Alter let out a brief smirk. "Mhm. Your sweet appearence is truly a good cover to the dangers of your mind. Like that of a beautiful monster."
Jane giggled in response. "What an original way to say I'm intresting to you, Your Majesty."
"It just reminds me of a certain person of my time. Nothing more." Artoria Alter responded before changing subjects. "Is it true that this girl is indeed one of the twins? Have you confirmed it?"
"Her appearence matches perfectly with the visual description we got of her." Jane confirmed it to the King of Storms. "Jack also told me she has a brother, so the margin of error is almost surely null."
"Hmmm, I see. My master will be pleased in hearing that." Artoria Alter responded, checking her own bracers. "Still, he told me that these two children are of a serious matter. So I hope you have made sure to keep the girl well locked up until my arrival."
With a perfect timing, Jack stopped walking, standing in front of a metal door. "She's here inside this cell!"
"I guarantee Your Majesty, that aspect is all under my control." Jane talked to Artoria Alter as both stepped to the metal door's side. "For as Your Majesty can observe..." Jane opened up the small hatch of the door, showing to the king a restrained Nala struggling violently in the straitjacket while bashing her own body against the padded walls of the cell.
"...she isn't going anywhere."
To be continued...
And that was it for chapter 59!
Now, majority of you may be asking: 'Who the hell is Jane Toppan?' And well, to that I give you a brief resume of who this nurse is. She's basically an Angel of Death a.k.a Anti-Nightingale from late 19th to early 20th century. So, as you might have guessed, she's a serial killer nurse! I mean, what's better than a serial killer like Jack to have a mom? Make the mom be a character that is also a serial killer! And you probably can also visualize the appearence of Jane Toppan as similar to that of a character that already has appeard on a previous Fate work. Hmmm...who might that be?
But to put it simply, Jane Toppan is a serial killer that you definetly wouldn't want to be a patient of hers. Like Nightingale might hurt you during the process of healing you, but she will heal you! Jane on the other hand...she will hurt you...and continue to hurt you for her own sadism. So when in doubt of picking the least insane nurse to take care of you, always choose nurse Makima.
Also, Peko seems to have learned a new move that will help him expand his arsenal of magic attacks. Aaaaaaaaaaaaand, Lalter as finally arrived! I know she was forshadowed and basically made her first 'appearence' some chapters ago, but it doesn't matter! LALTER IS HERE! (Also I'll call her Artoria Alter on this fic because either Lalter or Artoria Pendragon Lancer Alter wouldn't be nice fits for the story's context) But now the time she never had to shine on the game, she will have it here! Rejoice Lalter fans! It's time to give this beauty of a character depth! (Yeah, I do simp a bit for Lalter, how did you know?)
And that's all I wanted to say! See you next time on chapter 60 and that is if I don't go to prison for trying to steal a copy of Samurai Remnant. Peace!
P.S:
(Ritsuka and the rest of the Chaldea gang is playing bowling)
Peko: Wohoo! That's my 3rd consecutive strike! I'm winning this!
Nala: It's all just luck! You don't even know how to throw a ball properly.
Ritsuka: Hey Kadoc! How's the score between the two by the way?
Kadoc: I can only say that Nala has no way of winning this one...again.
(Kukulkan approaches the group)
Kukulkan: Hiiiiii guys! Are y'all playing bowling?
Mash: Yes Kukulkan-san. Wanna try it?
Kadoc: I warn you that it takes some time to get good at it.
Kukulkan: People that are truly good at something don't need improvement time! (Grabs a ball) Lemme show ya!
Ritsuka: She's going to miss it, isn't she?
*Everyone else nods in agreement*
Kukulkan: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand...go! (Kukulkan throws the ball agressively torwards the pins, decimating every single one completely alongside the entire alley) YEAAAAAAH! See? Told you I was good!
*Everyone stares in absolute shock*
Kadoc: Y-You...weren't supposed to do that...
