"Agha who where.. DOC OCK!!"
I was startled from my moment of meditation as a boy stumbled out of his bed in the quiet house.
The book open on my knees, 'Machinations and Achievements of the 21st Century" fell to the floor as I stood up, startled.
Peter stood on his bed, his eyes tired as he had taken a reflexive fighting pose.
"P-Peter are you-?"
"N-nightmare.. I was a Hot Dog and Dock Ock was spraying ketchup on me so he could feed me to Joey Chestnut.." Peter muttered, calming down immediately and sitting down.
I frowned. "Is.. that a.. normal dream?"
"As normal as they usually get. Lately I've been having some other ones that were oddly vivid.. " Peter glanced at me briefly. "Like.. stuff involving being killed on a hill by some Knight in Armor..."
I did not speak. I did not want to acknowledge the dreams that I myself had been having..
Dreams of a man I could've saved... shot by a robber I could've stopped.. clutching my hand in his final moments.. the same man who appeared in that picture hanging over Aunt May's mantlepiece.
"We should.. get breakfast.. " I murmured.
"Yeah.. we should!" Peter said, jumping down from the bed. "Ah, go down ahead of me. Tell Aunt May I'll be down in a sec. By the way, Internship's today, so, if anything happens to me well-."
"I'll be waiting outside just in case." I said.
"Hoo.. yeah, thanks." Peter sounded relieved as he began rummaging around in his backpack. "Honestly wasn't sure how safe I might be if I'm alone with.. you know.."
After the intensity of last night.. I couldn't blame him for being nervous.
After last night, I wouldn't be surprised if he were vomiting and begging to stay in bed for the rest of the day.
However, of course he wouldn't do something like that.
He was Spider-Man. Spider-Man didn't quit.
And neither did King Arthur.
However much they wished they could, neither the King or the Spider could ever stop.
That was our chosen curse.
After the party, Reed Richards had driven us back to May's house. We couldn't stay away from her place forever if we didn't want to worry her, and Richards had agreed to have the Fantastic Four keep surveilance on the place just in case.
Rogue wouldn't just be able to walk in and make our lives hell.
On the other hand, the moment Peter put on his mask and started swinging out there..
I went downstairs to find Aunt May already setting the table.
She smiled warmly at me. "Oh hello there Saber, please help me for a moment, I guess Peter must be getting ready."
"Yes, he said as much." I said.
"Ah yes. " said May.
At that moment it occurred to me that I should correct May on my name. It wouldn't do for her to suspect I was the one and same Saber who now accompanied Spider-Man.
"May, forgive me, but about the name 'Saber.' I began.
"You would prefer Artoria yes?" said May with a small smile.
"Uh.. w.. well.."
May leaned in close to me and whispered. "Please take care of him out there. I know that he's doing what Ben would want, but I do worry."
I froze.
I stared at May for a bit, shock freezing me in place.
"Uh.. Uh.. "
"I mean that intern is probably a stressful job. But just knowing you're there looking out for him would mean quite a bit." said May. "I don't know you well yet, but... I can't help feeling that you have his best interests at heart."
Relief washed over me. Of course, there was no way.. right?
"I.. do." I admitted. "Worry not, I'll watch over him. "
"Good, thank you."
At that moment however a small thought jiggled in the back of my brain as I helped May set the table.
How did May know that my name was Artoria?
**************
We had a pretty quiet breakfast, one in which Saber had 8 helpings, so of course there wasn't much to say except "munch munch munch".
I think Aunt May was starting to enjoy feeding her, and I couldn't blame her honestly.
Saber had this way of eating that just made you wanna watch her consume you out of house and home for eternity. The way that cowlick on her head wagged, her eyes lit up and sparkled. It breathed life into the face that usually looked so calm and solemn.
She was genuinely grateful for your food, and appreciated you for making the food for her. And to top it off, at least there was one thing I knew she had a bit of selfishness for herself on. After all, her unusual selflessness felt... unnatural.. at times.
Though I guess I had no place to talk. I wondered if Saber was also having dreams about my past if I was having dreams about her's
Cause that's what it had to be after all. I couldn't think of any real life scenario where my brain was deciding to dream about the famous battle of Camlann.
After all, I hadn't even heard of the battle till I looked up "King Arthur, Traitorous Knight, and Hill."
School went by fast. So did morning patrols.
Before I knew it, I was swinging over to a tall glassy paneled building next to one of Oscorps's many locations and clinging to the surface as Saber landed on the roof just above me.
"I will be outside." Saber said quietly. "If you need help.."
"If he needs help it'll be too late, best use these things."
I nearly fell off the wall to my death for a moment as my heart jumped out of my skin and I saw Rin standing right on the roof next to Saber.
"ARE YOU CRAZY!? Have you been waiting for me on this roof the whole time?"
"If I say yes... how would you respond?" said Rin with a crafty looking smile.
Saber frowned. "Where is Assassin?"
"He's around, trust me he's ready to back you up too." said Rin. "Hope you guys didn't forget you're heading to my place after this this thing's done. Anyways, as I was saying."
Rin tossed me a small black object and I fwipped a web from my wrist to catch it, reeling it into my palm in an instant.
"Uh.. an earwig." I said.
"Yeah.. I have one, Saber's gonna have one too." said Rin as she took another earwig and inserted it into Saber's ear. "If you're in trouble, you won't have to just run around joking incoherently, or waste a command spell."
" Joking incohere- who do you think I am? An army of baby goats?"
"Pete, I've seen you panic in debate club. You're good but when you're under pressure, you do the weirdest shit.. like turn into a stand up comedian." said Rin with frown.
"Nonsense!" I snapped. "By the way, did you hear the one about Cow and the- oh god I just proved your point didn't I?"
"Uh-huh." Rin muttered, rolling her eyes. "Get in there and start wooing mutants hero boy."
"Th-there will be no such wooing!" Saber snapped suddenly.
"I was joking- you know what nevermind, lets not waste time here." said Rin. "Get in, do whatever intern shit you have to, maybe find out a little more about Rogue and Osborn's objectives, get the hell out. All you need to know. Kapeesh?"
"Yeah yeah.. I got it." I grunted as I turned the earwig on and swung down towards the bushes below to change clothes.
"So lets get something straight here. Moment we find out who Rogue's servant is identity wise, you get out of there and quit the internship." Rin's voice came clearly through my earwig after I had finished changing into Peter and made my way into the lobby of the building
"No way." I whispered as I started coming up to the front desk. "This place is doing things that could save the world, I'm can't not be a part of that!"
"You can if one of the people working with you wants to rip your head off!" Rin snarled. "Get a grip and have at least SOME sense of self preservation! If you die on my watch MJ's gonna kill me!"
"Wait what's Mj got to do with-?"
"She might've called me after last night asked me to look out for you.. just.. shut up and keep your head in the game."
"Fine fine.."
"Peter Parker?" The receptionist looked up, adjusting her glasses as she used one hand to type something up on her computer. "They're expecting you in the lab."
"Right." I said.
"Oh, your badge."
The Receptionist gave me an id card with my face on it. " This should let you unlock nearly every door in this building. Welcome to Einzcorp. The next face of Medical revolution."
"Einzcorp huh?" I muttered.
Einzbern WAS pretty ambitious. Though she already rivaled Osborn in her field, she was pretty much trying to start a second company right under his feet.
I found myself swiping my card over the security door in back and venturing straight into the laboratory.
"Holy shit.." I whispered.
"What?" Saber's voice came in this time. "Peter what do you see?"
"The Holy Grail.." I whispered.
"WHAT!?" said Saber.
"- of labs!" I finished.
"Oh.." Saber muttered.
"Environmental air cleaning drones..?" I muttered looking around the room that was filled to the brim with clean white shelves and computers and consoles stacked with futuristic machines that only ever appeared in my wildest fantasies. " DNA synthesisers to deal with corrupt portions of code and forge uncorrupted dna to instantly deal with cancer..? Cloning machine.. wait it almost looks like Jackal's .. well probably best not to think about that part.. lot of people benefited from his research. " OH MY GOD IS THAT- A PARTICLE ACCELERATOR!?"
"Annnnnd he's gone." said Rin. "Saber he's lost to the science now.. devise a eulogy to honor his sacrifice. "
"P-Peter please stay focused.." said Saber.
"I AM focused.. b.. but its all so COOOL.. I mean but I am fo.. SO COOOOLL!"
"It is quite cool isn't it?"
I whirled around to find Ms. Einzbern herself walking over, dressed in a lab coat, smiling at me, her hair tied back in a pony tail, a pair of glasses on her nose. She looked far different now from her usual public appearance.
It then occurred to me one critical fact. The way she was blushing slightly as she looked at all the machines in her lab. The way her hands were rubbing in excitement.
She was like me..
A complete nerd.
"It was tough to acquire all of this.. but... WELL worth it don't you think?" Einzbern clapped her hands gleefully. "Ah.. Peter, did you see the Particle-?"
"-Accelerator!?" I finished. "Did I EVER!? So.. super COOL!"
"Ah, as much as I would LOVE to while away the hours talking about my wonderful tools, we do have work to do. Please, the others are waiting next door." said Einzbern. "Come, they're waiting to meet you."
At the mention of 'they' I immediately began to freeze up.
Ohhhh shit.
Well.
No time like the present I guess.
I followed Einzbern into another room and immediately found myself looking at a room filled with more of my kind.
Scientists.
And to my shock, a lot of them were no older than me.
Other than Rogue, who I immediately recognized, looking weird with a lab coat over her goth clothes, and seemingly looking determinedly away from me, there were two others who looked much happier to see me.
"Miles Morales." A dark skinned kid who seemed at least 3 years younger than me clasped my hand and grinned. "Nice to meet ya man, heard a lot of the famous Peter Parker from Midtown High. You got first place in the Stark Expo contest yeah?"
"Right, almost forgot about that." I said.
"Dude who forgets winning the literal biggest science fair in the country?" said Miles.
Maybe somebody who got Spider Powers nearly immediately after during a field trip the next day, but I wouldn't say that.
"Well it happens. "I said with a grin. "Smart but forgetful, my lot in life."
"Nah, no biggie, I forget stuff all the time." said Miles. "Yo Anna, you wanna-?"
"We've met." said Rogue sourly.
"Oookay?"
"We're.. going through stuff.. " I said.
"Oh.. OHHHH.. Er were you two-?"
"Not that kind of stuff." I said
"Gotcha gotcha.."
"Oh that's my buddy Ganke over there." said Miles.
"Hey man!" An asian looking kid with glasses raised a hand from where he was working on his laptop. "Uh.. give me a sec.. still working on Speed Nonagon.."
"Ganke bro! We're on the clock man.." said Miles.
"I know I know.. but-."
"Ganke didn't I ask you to separate those files on the genetics of the item an hour ago?" said Einzbern.
"Uhhhh.. doing that now.."
"C'mon, lets give you the grand tour." said Miles with a grin. "There are a bunch of others working on the project, but we're the only ones who are absolutely vital to it right now, hence the low population on arrival."
"Huh.." Rin muttered through my comms.
"What's got you surprised?" I whispered as Miles started guiding me through the lab.
"Just.. I tutor Miles on Tuesdays. Didn't know he was such a smarty pants."
"What exactly do you tutor him on? And you tutor?" I whispered.
"Just because I'm a mage doesn't mean I don't do things to supplement my life." Said Rin. "Also I tutor him in Japanese, its easy as its my first language."
"Here it is." Miles interrupted my hidden conversation suddenly as he stopped in front of a strange tank-like device.
I found myself looking at a massive shielded cylinder covered from the cieling to the floor, surrounded by terminals and holographic screens analyzing everything from temperature to.. genetic code? Was something alive in there?
Strangely enough the closer I got to the thing, the more my hair seemed to raise on end.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Everything.. " said Einzbern, walking in from behind me. "The entire reason for our research. The holy grail of medical knowledge and what we need to do what our goals entail.
"Ack holy- ah right!" I nearly coughed up my spine.
Miles stared at me. "Are you alright?"
"Wha-?" I wheezed.
"You.. seem.."
"N-nothing.. just the way you said 'holy grail' ah its nothing" I said.
"You know that's an expression right?" said Miles. "Like we're not actually keeping that thing from the movie with the coconuts."
"I don't like him." Saber's voice spoke in the earpiece sounding irritated.
Rin snorted. "Don't tell me you watched that movie."
"It is.. childish.."
"No no.." I spoke over the voices whispering in my ear. "Uh, sorry, woke up a little early today. Brain's still in the shop heheh."
"Oh I can relate." said Miles.
"This object." said Einzbern. "Is.. a biological anomaly. We found it several years ago, preserved within a meteorite. It's a lifeform.. built to exist in tandem with the cells it forms an alliance with. It's-."
"An alien!?" I exclaimed. "SERIOUSLY!? AN ALIEN!?"
"Yeah, it's an alien." said Miles, sounding extremely excited as well. "Wild right?"
"Yes, an alien, which is why this must remain a secret project until it reaches fruition. Even to our benefactors at Oscorp." said Einzbern. "Obviously they'll want to use this creature's assets for profits, and I'm not inclined to share."
"Right.. " I frowned as I glared at Rogue, who was standing in the doorway. "No worries Ms. E.. I'm not saying anything."
Rogue glared back at me, as if daring me to accuse her of spying for Osborn.
Miles looked at Rogue then back at me. "You two REAALY don't like each other do you?"
"They don't need to like each other to work together." said Einzbern. "Ladies, gentlemen.. our goals are aligned with the same goal. The betterment of human kind, the elimination of disease. All personal pursuits are nothing compared to this goal. I've gathered here the brightest minds in New York. You four may be young, but your gifts are exceptional. I expect great things."
Einzbern smiled at me. "The real work starts now. This alien creature holds the key to an intelligent drug capable of targeting specific diseases through biological programming. However the missing puzzle piece is.."
"Figuring out how to program any artificial version of this alien we make." I said. "Am I right?"
"Precisely." said Einzbern. "If we can figure out how to clone less sophisticated versions of the creature with specific programmed functions, we can functionally create low risk cures to everything from cancer.. to even age itself."
"Uh, lets not get ahead of ourselves." Rogue muttered. " The moral questions of immortality should probably wait."
Didn't think I'd end up agreeing with Rogue so soon, but I had to concur on that notion. Either way, the cure to cancer was a big step.
"Where do we start?" I ask.
"At your work station." said Einzbern with a small smile.
After Einzbern showed me to my desk and sent me the files she wanted me to look over, she explained to me the procedures for requesting samples of the creature to look at.
"Now, you have what you need. Feel free to come here during your free time too if you wish. Conduct as much of your own research as you need. Our goal right now is to create samples of preprogrammed organisms for test simulations. These are simulations of course, we won't try actually cloning a sample till a successful simulation. I need to go now.. Kotmine is calling.. other business calls."
"Gotcha." I said as Einzbern left the room.
As Miles went back next door to check on Ganke, Rin spoke up on my earpiece.
"This is.. big stuff. I'm not a sciencey person but.. big stuff. Wait she's an Einzbern?"
"Don't tell me you've never heard of the Einzberns." I said. "She's been Oscorp's main competition since.. like.. forever.."
"I've heard of The Einzberns, but never THESE Einzberns.. and her.. appearance. She.. can't be.. ugh. Maybe she is, but she left the family to start her own company.. some Homunculi do that."
"Excuse me?"
"Not a big deal right now. Aliens are cool, I'll admit, but Rogue is what's important n-."
Rin's voice cut out as Rogue snatched the earpiece out of my ear and crushed it in her palm.
My spider-sense wasn't going off, but I was still shocked, my heart pounding as Rogue sat on my desk, putting up her feet.
"Leave.. don't come back." Rogue growled. "Or I'm calling Berserker.. right now. And Saber might be hanging around in Spirit Form, but she won't be able to save you this time, and neither can Rin or her Assassin."
"Judging from my Spider-Sense, I'm guessing you're not really as keen on killing me as you seem to want me to believe." I muttered.
"Your spider- what?"
"You've been making a lot of threats, but so far... you've never really made good on them." I said. "Having second thoughts about killing me?"
Rogue let out a frustrated growl. "Just cause I don't WANT to kill you, doesn't mean I won't do it if I HAVE to!"
"Just like how you don't WANT to work for Osborn..?"
"Yeah." said Rogue, smirking at me. "You really think he won't find a way to force me if I won't comply? Something about the way you talked last night pretty much told me you don't like him either. You know what he's like.. under his mask."
"Then why don't we just team up.. ? Just not with him, but against him." I said.
"You really think it's that simple!?" Rogue snapped. "Besides. You're only in this internship to spy on me.. why should I trust somebody whose so obviously as much of a liar as any other mage?"
I paused. "Look.. I joined this internship before I knew you were on it. I just want to help people."
Rogue paused, then sighed. "Yeah.. I guess. Einzbern wouldn't let you join if she didn't think you had a good heart. She's good at reading people. But this is a Grail War, and like it or not, we're on opposite sides of that. You have your wish, I have mine."
"And what is your wish?" I asked. "Rin said it was something of a Noble Goal. But.. I'm not entirely sure what it is."
"I suppose knowing it won't exactly give you an advantage." said Rogue. "Fine. You deserve that much. I'm going to cleanse the world of mutants."
"Y-YOU'RE GOING TO KILL-!?" I began, standing abruptly out of my chair.
Rogue stared at me with surprise, but then smiled. This time her smile was warmer. Probably the warmest smile I ever saw come out of her.
"Well well.. you care what happens to mutants?"
"Course I do! They're people aren't they!?" I snapped.
"Easy buddy." Rogue chuckled. "I meant mutant powers, not the people who have them. Everyone will be normal. Nobody will be mutants, nobody will be discriminated against."
"So that's why Norman believed your goals aligned. He wants to eliminate superhuman power, you want to eliminate mutant power. It's pretty fitting." I murmured, sitting back down.
"That's where I disagree." said Rogue. "I admire the heroes of the past and present. As much as I hate having your interfering butt in my business, I dig your vibe. Super heroes are something the world needs. We need idols to look up to.. to aspire to."
"Yeah, heroes who tell us its okay to be different right?" I said.
Rogue frowned. "WHat are you-?"
"Just.. have you ever thought about whether Mutants would WANT to lose their powers?" I asked.
"Course they do, it's the reason why they're discriminated against ain't it?" Rogue said.
"Rogue, have you ever asked other mutants this question? I mean I know you are one, but you're one person. Don't you think this is sorta like making a wish on the Grail to turn everybody caucasian, cause it sucks to be black?"
Rogue stared at me and folded her arms. "You ain't mutant.
"How do YOU know that? Where did I get my powers? I never told you." I said.
"I mean Osborn pretty much implied it was a spider biting you last night didn't he? " Rogue growled. "Look I've made peace with my decision. I've prepared my entire life for it. Had my Heroic Spirit picked out for me from the time I was 10. "
Something about those words rung for me, and I took note of it before I responded again. "But.. Rin said your goal was more lofty. Ending the age of Gods.. ending it all."
"Age of Gods? You know that much? I see, are you Rin's Magecraft Apprentice?" Rogue asked.
"Magecraft appre-? No! Do you SEE a padawan braid hanging from my head? Or wait is this a Sith thing? Rule of Two?"
"Rule of- huh?"
"God you need to watch some Star Wars. But back on topic, Rin said your goal might be to end the Age of Gods so that mutants would no longer emerge."
Rogue laughed. "Didn't I say I liked super heroes? I ain't for Norman's version. He wants heroes to vanish so non-superhumans like him can rule the world with an iron fist and even stand over the likes of Victor Von Doom. If I had a choice, I'd betray him at the first opportunity. I just don't want any more mutants. Mutants don't get to choose to have powers. It just happens and they get blamed for their power. You Super Soldiers, Iron Man Suit builders, sword from stone pullers and whatever. You get to choose. And you get celebrated for it. It's disgusting, but the world still needs those people. "
Rogue turned away from me as she got back on her feet and walked away to the door. "I don't need some complicated plan, or some complex motive. I just need to know that I've experienced what I experienced. Being a mutant is hell. And hating people for hating us..? Well that's also its own kind of hell. I just want that hate to vanish. And if I have to spill blood to get to that goal? Well better me than them."
Rogue looked back at me for a brief moment. "You want my advice Spider-Man? Give up. Let Saber go. Ignore this war and go back to being a friendly neighborhood whatever. World needs more of that. Not a super hero forced to kill other people for some stupid wish. Sides, you don't stand a chance. Not against Osborn.. not against Doom. Tell Tohsaka she's fucked as well."
"Maybe.. but again.. what gives you the right to decide for everyone?" I asked. "What gives one person the right to decide what's right for all mutants?"
Rogue opened her mouth, closed, it then let out a frustrated sigh, walking out of the room. "Last chance Peter.. stay OUT of this. Next time we meet, if Saber's still summoned to this world.. I'm NOT holding back.. next time its a fight."
When I walked out of the building hours later into the night, it was to find Saber with Excalibur getting ready to cut down the door.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA!!" I exclaimed as I pulled the full armored Servant into the bushes. "What the HECK Arty!? And what's with you skipping the invisi-sword and going full Holy Sword Grenade!?"
"Your communication was cut, and I grew worried." Saber muttered. "At first I noticed the lack of commotion and knew Berserker would make more of a ruckus. Then.. then I remembered that woman's power to take other's powers.."
"I tried to stop her. She was pretty insistent." Rin said, folding her arms as she stepped over to the bushes we had tumbled into.
Saber turned slightly red then in a flash of light, she transformed back into her street clothing, her sword shimmering away. "I'm.. s-sorry."
"So, wanna discuss what just happened?" Rin asked.
"It's a lot." I said. "But before we get down into that, I think I have a way to figure out what her servant is. She said she knew what servant she wanted ever since she was 10. How much you wanna bet it's somebody she's a major fan of?"
Saber and Rin looked at each other.
"A hero she idolizes?" Saber murmured. "Well that is knowledge. But whether it is helpful knowledge.."
"It means.. there's a REASON Heroic Spirits exist." I said. "There's a reason Rogue KNOWS this guy. He's famous.. everyone KNOWS him.. which means when he was alive, everyone must've known what he looked like."
"Yeah, except there's nobody whose alive now who was actually alive when he was." said Rin.
"Except maybe somebody who was around since the age of gods cause.. he IS a god right?" I asked.
Rin stared at me. "Holy shit. Why didn't I think of-? But he wouldn't talk to me."
"Of course he wouldn't talk to you! But Spider-Man.. oh hold on maybe he wouldn't talk to me either." I muttered. "But Saber.. uh.. Saber was at the Avengers Gala.. a guest of honor right?!"
Saber frowned. "Just who are you speaking of?"
"Easy, lets think this through first. We'll head back to my place. I have a Mage Workshop where we can properly get the ball rolling." said Rin. "Let me call my driver-"
Rin froze. She looked at the street.
"My car.. should be here by now."
We all looked out.. Silence pressed us as we stared at the flickering street lights.
And then it occurred to me..
New York was never this quiet.
"Peter.. " Saber breathed. "Your.. spider sense?"
I shook my head briefly, but then it came.. like a buzz.. a twitch.
I somersaulted into the air, grabbing Rin by the arm as I did, hurling us out of the way as a bladed cane dug into the street.
Lancer caught the cane as I landed with Rin in my arms and Saber immediately closed in, swinging her cyclonic invisible sword at Lancer's neck just before he blocked it with the cane in a burst of sparks.
Lancer leaped back as Saber stood between us.
"Ah.. those reflexes, as I hypothesized, I deduced your identity quite some time before Mr. Parker." said Lancer as he smirked at us, pointing his bladed cane. "No worries, my master doesn't know. It would be considerably less fun if he did. He is too.. typical of a mob boss. Not refined in the arts of criminality as I would be."
A pair of blue flaming butterflies danced down and landed on Lancer's gloved finger as he smirked at us, his mustache glimmering in the silvery flame-like light. "So Tohsaka.. How does it feel to be on the losing team."
"Doesn't look like it to me." said Rin cooly as in an instant I saw Assassin appear like a mirage next to Lancer, putting his blade to Lancer's throat.
"You should have told his identity to Kingpin after all Lancer." said Saber firmly. "You are outmatched and you will die here. No question."
"Hmmm? You really think I'd come here alone, with knowledge of your alliance without the expectation that I'd be fighting two servants if I did? " said Lancer. "Do allow me to set the terms of the game first."
"What are you-?" Rin asked.
"Three.. Two.. one.. ah.. right on time." Lancer said.
At that moment, a huge mushroom cloud of flames erupted in the distant skyline. Sounds of screams and sirens and panic filled the din.
"What did you DO!?" Assassin roared, grabbing Lancer by his shirt collar, only for the servant to disappear in a flash of blue flaming butterflies, before reappearing right in front of me, tapping his cane against the street in a menacing fashion.
"Let us play a game.. just you and I.. Spider-Man and King Arthur." said Lancer, adjusting his monocle. "I've placed a number of timed Mana powered explosives throughout this city. My Master has also set men at each of these locations to hide the explosives and protect them from you. The Avengers are... preoccupied. I've sent them a gift package so that our game will just be us and us alone. Of course any unexpected allies wouldn't go amiss, but just know they'll be in just as much danger as you are now. Only I know the precise locations of these explosives. I will reveal them in certain timed intervals, and I am captured then I will give my very spirit origin to not reveal them."
"WHY are you doing this!?" I exclaimed. "All those people.. WHY!?"
"Because I'm curious Mr. Parker. Simply curious." said Lancer. "But why should a mastermind reveal every secret? It simply wouldn't be fun if I straight up told you my full reasoning. Either way the rules are thus. You will let me go.. I will call you.. you find my explosives.. you take down our men.. or they die. Honestly even a monkey can understand these rules. But time is burning. The explosive that's next scheduled to detonate is in Times Square and you have but 30 minutes."
30 minutes!? My mind was racing. I didn't even know what this thing could LOOK like. And it was magic so I didn't even know if it had a signal to trace or-
"Master.."
What in the world was I supposed to build to get out of this mess? Or should I just wing it and hope!?
"MASTER!" Saber exclaimed. "Your orders please!"
I shook out of my stupor. "Rin.. can you and Assassin-?"
"Don't even have to ask, just GO! I'll sweep through town, go to Time Square. I'll call you!" Rin yelled.
"Are we SERIOUSLY playing this asshole's game?" Assassin snapped.
"Do you have any OTHER ideas?" Rin growled.
"Tsk, goddamnit, better hope we're not still around after your bombs are gone, cause I'm coming after you old man." Assassin snarled as he grabbed Rin and disappeared into the night.
Lancer chuckled and stared at me and Saber. "Well, get going.. A true Napoleon of Crime always makes time work for him, and right now, it certainly isn't working for you."
At that moment.. it struck me.
Osborn said he was better off a caster..
The Lancer class was due to a special reason, so it couldn't be related to who he was. The way he always went about being a criminal. And the mind games he played.
And to top it off. That specific cane. I remembered seeing a description of it in a book I once read..
Napoleon of Crime huh?
"Moriarty.."I whispered "You're James Moriarty."
Lancer blinked in slight surprise, then smiled cruelly.
"Tick Tock Spider-Man. I do so hope you survive this. I wish for this entire experience to be.. illuminating for the both of us."