Outsider Chronicles: Grail of Heroes
Getting reborn into a world with crazy people with powers is annoying. Getting reborn as a character considered a joke by everyone is worse. That said, I never in a million years imagined that I'd Trigger with a power that basically makes me a walking cup. This is going to be a weird life.
This is, once again, an idea thats been rattling around in my head for a while. Should be interesting if nothing else. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Soooo, my death was lame. I mean, getting killed by a box full of paint cans falling on your head isn't exactly something to brag about. I knew I hated art for a reason. Still, at least I got a new life out of it. Oh yeah, I ended up getting reincarnated. I'm still not entirely sure why, but after I died, I woke up again as a baby.
Um, I think I pissed someone off upstairs. See, the world I had been reborn into wasn't exactly normal, not when there were people flying around in silly costumes. Yeah, I'd been reborn into a world full of crazy people with superpowers. Unfortunately, it wasn't a world like Marvel or DC where the Heroes always win. On no, I wasn't that lucky. The world I'd been reborn into was that of Worm. To make matters worse, I was born as GREG FUCKING VEDER!
Actually, that last point is kinda irrelevant. After all, its not like I'm replacing him later down the line, so the joke aspect of an annoying character isn't really an issue. On the other hand, I'm just as much of a geek as he was originally, so it kinda balances out. I did actually have a brain to mouth filter and an attention span of more than a few seconds to.
Growing up was...fine, I guess. My family wasn't exactly well off, but we had a steady income, mostly from Mum since her job as a secretary at Medhall was pretty solid since she was blond, blue eyed and white. I don't think she knew that the company was a front for the Empire since, if she did, she'd have already blown her top about it. Dads income was a little less guaranteed since he worked for the DWA, albeit in security rather than as a labourer, so he did actually have a job, rather than waiting around for something. Things were still a tad iffy on that point though.
Thanks to Dads job and the eclectic bunch of characters he worked with, he was able to teach me some pretty impressive self defence moves from all sorts of different styles that he'd learnt from his own training and from said colleagues when I asked him to. I don't think Mum particularly like it, but considering the city we lived in, I really don't think she was going to argue.
Ohh, now thats not fair! I'd just got the results of the tests to get into Arcadia and found that, despite doing well, I'd missed the boundary by one mark that I'd dropped thanks to a stupid mistake. Needless to say, I was pretty damn gutted.
Thanks to that fucking mark, I was destined for Winslow. It was pretty much what you'd expect, an absolute hellhole with blatant gang activity going on in every corridor, useless teachers and chronic bullying issues. Now, I'd like to say I did something about them, but the truth is, I have no idea what I could do. Nothing permanent thats for damn sure. Oh I tried, I really did, but it didn't take long for me to realize that I was wasting my time and, honestly? It wasn't really in my nature to waste my time helping people who couldn't be helped. Thats not to say I was a nutcase who'd let someone die or be seriously hurt if I could stop it and I did still occasionally step in if something went too far, but I certainly wasn't about to start going out of my way for others because of a bit of name calling.
That said, there was actually surprisingly little bullying that I had any interest in stopping. After all, the Gang kids could take care of themselves and if they didn't want to end up getting a kicking by the rivals after school, they shouldn't go out alone or, better yet, not be in a gang in the first place. Then there was Taylor. Urg, she was responsible for more headaches than my schoolwork and thats saying something!
My original intention had been to try and befriend her right of the bat, with the intent being to make sure that she had someone to back her up. Unfortunately, she was still reeling from Emma giving her the boot and politely told me to get lost. After that, I think she either thought I was in on the whole thing or a creepy stalker considering she wouldn't talk to me, despite my best efforts. Eventually, I gave up. I couldn't do much if she wouldn't let me after all.
To make matters worse, I missed the chance to make nice with her by helping her out of the Locker due to coming down with the flu. I kid you not, foiled in attempting to prevent a girl getting shoved into toxic waste by the fucking flu. I was not pleased. To make matters worse, I clearly heard multiple students talking about it while teachers were within hearing distance and yet nothing was done. How? How can anyone possibly think this is in any way a good thing?! Needless to say (again), I was quickly losing what little respect I had left for the Winslow administration. Unfortunately, there was very little I could do as I was now.
After three months of trying desperately to think of SOMETHING I could do to sort out this mind fuck, I had come to a rather simple conclusion. If I wanted to do anything to clean up Winslow, I needed to bring the problems caused by Shadow Stalker to the PRT's attention. To do that, I needed to be able to unmask her, which meant that I needed a reasonable way I could find out her identity. I had little faith that attempting to provide the information as an anonymous tip would work without them using Tinker bullshit to sniff me out. I also needed to make myself someone who couldn't be ignored or brushed aside by a higher up, which meant I needed powers of my own that were strong enough to register as a genuine threat.
"ARGGG, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" I screamed as I slammed my head into the desk, "I can't engineer an event to Trigger because it doesn't work that way and I just know that if I try, I wouldn't feel the needed threat to cause it and I'd rather work for fucking COIL than be in any kind of debt to the Cauldron!"
I slumped back in my seat, staring up at the ceiling.
"Fuck, if this keeps up, the worlds boned," I groaned, "Whats the point in having all this knowledge if I can't save one girl…"
Darkness.
Two lights, twining together, one green, the other red.
A feeling of being judged.
ACCEPTANCE
ACKNOWLEDGED
EMPOWER
LINKED
A brilliant blue light.
Awaken.
I jolted awake, gasping and dripping with sweat as if I'd just ran a marathon. Was that a dream? It didn't feel like it, although I couldn't remember exactly what I'd seen. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Trigger Event, but I could feel that something had changed. I felt...not stronger, but not in any logical way. It felt as if there was suddenly a lot of power bubbling below the surface, just waiting to be brought to the fore. I idly scratched the markings on the back of my hand as they tingled. Wait…
I frowned and looked down, only to nearly choke on my own spit when I saw what was inscribed on my hand. It looked like an Egyptian style scarab beetle, complete with wings, and, unless I was very much mistaken, was connecting me to something. I could feel something latching onto me and using me as a beacon to draw itself into the World.
"What the FUCK?!" I spluttered, "Whats going…"
That was as far as I got before a massive circle appeared on my bedroom floor and what looked like a black cloud erupted out of it, although I quickly realized that the 'cloud' was a massive swarm of insects of all kinds. I recoiled from the swarm, as anyone suddenly confronted with such a sight in an enclosed space would, resulting in me falling out of my chair with a crash. I sat up, just in time to see a pair of yellow orbs appear in the swarm as it started to slowly thin, vanishing into the hair and cloak of the figure kneeling in the middle of the room, the sight of which made my jaw hit the floor and my mind stall.
She was tall, I could tell that much, even if she was kneeling, and was wearing a light gray body suit that definitely wouldn't look out of place around here, armoured with dark gray panels that looked like citan, a mantel around her shoulders and hips, and a mask that resembled an insectoid head with yellow lenses as eyes and allowed her dark hair to fall free.
Em, what the hell?
The woman looked around the room and I twitched slightly as her eery yellow eyes landed on me. She tilted her head on one side slightly, before nodding just as minutely and stepping forwards. I would have done something to react to that, but my mind was still spinning. Then she did something that made my mind stall again. She knelt.
"I come in answer to your call," she said, "I come from the Throne of Heroes to grant your wish and have mine granted in return. I am Rider and by the Marks of the Contract, I am bound to thee until my purpose is complete."
Um, I repeat, WHAT THE HELL?
I took a deep breath and shifted so I was sat cross legged. Right, lets take things from the top. I had an odd dream I can't remember, feel oddly powerful, then find that I apparently have Command Seals carved into my hands. Then, a Magic Circle appears out of nowhere and apparently summons a Servant with no input from me, a Servant who I'm pretty sure is from the future. Well, at least this'll get the PRT to sit up and take notice! Probably in the worst way possible. Wait…
"Um, at the risk of sounding extremely dumb and possibly having you take my head off since I'm a bad Master, but you aren't bound to the Grail, are you?" I asked.
"I am not," said Rider, "I'm...not entirely sure how, but you are somehow maintaining me alone."
"Right, thats not a scary thought at all," I muttered, "How is that even possible?"
I shook my head quickly to dispel the thought. Then I had another, potentially worse, thought.
"Um, that wish you mentioned," I said hesitantly, "Its not anything to crazy, is it? Cus I don't think I can break reality, even if I am kinda already doing it maintaining you."
Rider shook her head.
"No, my wish doesn't need a Miracle," she said, "At least, not one that needs magic. In fact, I dare say we could complete both our wishes in the course of your plans."
I blinked.
"You know what I've been planning?"
"I am connected to you."
"Good point."
I took a deep breath. I'm pretty sure that theres no way it could be anyone else, but I had to be sure.
"Let me guess, your Taylor Hebert, aren't you?" I asked.
Rider just reached up and removed her mask. Sure enough, it was an older, tireded looking Taylor.
"I'd rather go by Rider though," she said as she tucked her mask way and shifted into a sitting position across from me.
"Thought so," I said, "So, your rider classification comes from Atlas?"
"Yep," said Rider.
I was about to ask what her stats were, but before I could, they popped into my head. They...weren't the best, but that was kinda to be expected. She was a relatively young Spirit after all. Her Strength and Endurance were both D, but her Agility was A, her Mana was D and her Luck was...E again. Yeah, that was kinda what I was expecting considering the saying 'Taylor is Suffering' was a thing. On the other hand, her Noble Phantasm was…
"Holy fuck, your Noble Phantasm is A+?!" I spluttered.
"Well, it did kill a god," said Rider.
"Good point," I said, "Still, I don't think we should use that except as a last resort."
Rider just gave a thumbs up. I sighed.
"Alright, so, now I'm calm again after chatting about geeky stuff, I don't suppose you have any idea how I summoned you?" I asked.
"Not a one," said Rider cheerfully.
I facepalmed.
"Very helpful," I drawled.
Rider just shrugged. I sighed and got to my feet.
"Right, well, its rather late and I need to be up early so I can do some errands while skipping school," I said, "You...do whatever."
Rider gave a sloppy salute and vanished. I stared at the area where she had been, trying to figure out why she was acting so out of character, before shrugging and getting into bed.
My original plan was to have him 'Trigger' dramatically in the middle of a fight and have Rider kick the snot out of everyone, but I eventually decided that was a bit to much. I can have him summon a Servant mid fight later.
Riders Noble Phantasm is called Golden Morning and is a Reality Marble that basically allows her to summon specters of the swarm she used against Scion and use them to beat her opponent into the ground. I think thats worthy of an A+.
Gregs basically a walking Grail and will get six other Servants, albeit lower level ones. I'll leave you to guess the origin of his powers since they obviously don't come from Scion. I have a few ideas for the other Servants he could gain, both canon ones from Fate and some from a little closer to home. With that in mind, would you rather I use already existing ones or turn a bunch of characters from Worm into Servants? Suggestions welcome of course, but heres my current list of possibilities:
Rider: Taylor Hebert (obvs)
Caster: Bonesaw or Dragon
Lancer: Armsmaster or Dauntless
Berserker: Lung, Panacea or Eidolon
Archer: Legend or Miss Militia
Assassin: Contessa, Coil, Tattletale or Shadow Stalker
Sabre...I have no idea. I suppose Foil or Chivalir would work, but I'm not really feeling it with them. I'd probably use a canon one for this (or Taylor Varge in an Omake)
As for the list of possible canon Servants, here it is:
Caster: Tamamo or Medea. Lily or 'original'
Lancer: Scáthach (albeit with a rather large power drop) or Elizabeth Bathory
Berserker: Frankenstein or Florence Nightingale. If only so I can do the reactions of someone who saves lives popping up under the class that usually just squashes them.
Archer: Chloe von Einzbern. What? I like her.
Assassin: Jack the Ripper or Sasaki Kojiro
Sabre: Saber Lily, Nero or Mordred.
Like I said up top, this isn't even close to be set in stone and I might have better ideas down the line. If I continue it. Anyway, this is done, so I'm gonna sign out. I've got another idea to type up anyway. Don't forget to leave a review!