It was safe to safe to say... I was SCREWED..
Like a lightbulb.
How many Berserkers did it take to screw in a Spider-Man?
Just one.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAR" His roar shook the very earth itself as he stepped out from behind Rogue, brandishing his weapon.
Rogue breathed hard as I took my ready position.
My spider sense screamed, and yet, I didn't move.
I couldn't here.
Rogue's eyes.. her heart wasn't in it.
"Look." I said.
"DON'T talk me out of it!" Rogue snapped angrilly. "I warned you... SO many times. But every single time, you IGNORED ME!! You could've JUST stayed out of the way and-."
"Rogue, I couldn't just do that." I said. "I have a responsibility-."
"ENOUGH with YOUR responsibility!? What about MINE!? I have a responsibility to every mutant on this planet. And you.. what is your responsibility to-? Just what about your responsibility says you have to stop me? To keep going? Only 7 people at most will die truly." said Rogue. "You're being selfish!"
I clenched my fists. "I won't lie, maybe for once, I am being a little selfish. At first I didn't think I had a wish, but.. I do have one now. But other than that. Your responsibility.. isn't it just forcing your desires on people you haven't even bothered to ask or consider if they WANT what you're giving them? What gives you the right to decide who gets to be a mutant and who doesn't!?"
"And what gives you the right to decide who gets to be saved and who doesn't?" Rogue growled. "It's all the same in the end. Whether you rescue somebody intending suicide, or I turn a mutant who liked being one. We simply assume that they don't know any better, or are only misguided.. correct?"
"I.. I.." I tried to speak, but Rogue shook her head. "Enough of this. There is nothing left to say.. Berserker... destroy him."
Berserker stepped forward, raising his giant stone blade.
There was no out to this. Berserker was so much stronger than me, it was like fighting a faster version of the hulk. And faster and Hulk weren't two words you ever wanted to hear together if he wasn't on your side.
But then..
"No."
I looked up slowly
His eyes.. were different.
The red was gone. I could see the whites of his eyes. And his face was a strange steady calm.
Berserker turned to look at Rogue.
"Wh-wha..?" Rogue stammered. "You.. I've.. I've spoken to you.. I've spoken to you so many times.. so many times I begged for you to respond.. and yet.. of all the times.. NOW IS WHEN YOU TALK TO ME!?"
Berserker looked back at me for a second and then looked back at Rogue. "The Spider.. he speaks truths you wish not to hear. Truths I wished to say, but my madness held me back.. but now.."
"SHUT UP!!!" Rogue screamed.
Berserker jolted still, and the red returned to his eyes.. once more taken by the 'madness' that he had spoken of earlier.
Rogue gritted her teeth furiously. "J-just what was-?"
"R-Rogue?" I began.
"Ahh.. I see, so your power affected him.."
A new voice took hold and I whirled around to see one of the last people I expected to see on the street at this hour.
The Priest... Father Kotomine was strolling towards us, smiling coldly, in such a way that it felt empty, as if he was just a walking void, impossible to empathize with, impossible to understand, a blot in this world.
"You?" I said.
"Mr. Parker." said Kotomine, nodding to me. "Well well.. A pleasure to see you.. in full costume no less. fighting Ms. Raven."
"Did she send you!?" snarled Rogue. "I don't NEED any help!"
"On the contrary, Norman wanted me to check in. I'll remind you that I am an Executioner of the Church, I am not under the exclusive authority of either parties. But as one who is invested in your victory in the Grail War, I will take advice and counsel from your alliance when necessary." said Kotomine as he strolled past me and Berserker to look down at Rogue. "Now lets see.."
Kotomine smirked at the silent Berserker. "Your mutant power.. is not something you've fully mastered using. When you used it to absorb Berserker's unique Spirit Origin, its safe to say it.. implanted a sense of Agency in Berserker. In other words, thanks to your power, he's been learning to overcome his Madness Enhancement. However.. this is a unique problem... We gave you this servant in this specific class so that you would command absolute loyalty from it without betrayal. And you can see what happened when this one was given any agency.."
Kotomine looked back at me. "So we're presented with two options Rogue. Either.. you use a command spell to tell Berserker to kill Mr. Parker. Or.. you absorb Berserker's power and kill him yourself."
Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Fine... "
Rogue stepped forward and planted a hand on Berserker's leg, and her skin began to turn gray as she let out a furious gasp.
"Anna-!" I began.
"DON'T call me that.." Rogue growled. "NOBODY calls me that anymore.. I .. am ROGUE!!"
Rogue hurled forward.
My spider sense screamed..
But it was pointless. I was a turtle, and she was a peregrin falcon.
Her hand slammed into my face and smashed me to the ground.
The earth shook and rubble flew past my vision as one of my lenses on my mask shattered. I tasted blood in my mouth.
"RAAAAHHHH!" Rogue screamed as she brought another fist down into my ribcage, and I felt the earth shatter around us.
Again..
Again..
My ribs shattered.
My arms broke just trying to pointlessly block her assault .
Without Saber around, I was just another Master who couldn't defend himself in a Grail War.
Saber..
Her face flashed before my eyes.
If I died here..
Wouldn't that mean she'd disappear?
Something lit up inside me as Rogue raised her fist to pound me again.
"My... Command.. sp-.."
I began to speak but Rogue slammed a hand against my mouth and held it shut.
"Wise.. if he gets a command spell and Saber is summoned while Berserker is in this state, that would be problamatic." said Kotomine. "However.. with Berserker's strength, a single blow should've ended it.. even Spider-Man's durability has limits.. finish it now. Stop holding back. Remember what I taught you.. daughter.. Though we kept the bombs out of this area to ensure his allies didn't come here, they will arrive soon. What have I always said?"
"Mercy is a burden of hesitation, Action is what truly drives the world forward. " Rogue whispered.
"Precisely." said Kotomine. "Now finish him. Swiftly. There is no need for suffering or prolongment. This is another job. The goal is what matters."
Rogue raised her fist, breathing hard, her eyes wide.
The next hit would be the last one, I could tell that there was no way out of this. I couldn't even gather the strength to use my Command Spell anymore.
But..
Two seconds passed..
Ten seconds passed...
A Minute.
Kotomine sighed. "Rogue.. the longer you delay.."
Rogue's fist was shaking violently as she began to breathe harder and harder, staring down at me.. then it started to occur to me.
She had never killed anyone before. I was her first.
I rose a shaky hand.. my fingers clasping around her fist, my broken bones screamed as I used all my strength to gently push her fist down.
I gasped through the fingers holding my mouth shut which were loosening. "Trut... me.. there's no going back.."
"I made my choice." Rogue hissed. "I.. I made my.."
At that moment, from behind Rogue's head, I saw a powerful surge of holy golden light..
"AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I had never heard Saber sound so angry.
When she slammed Excalibur's blade against Rogue's head, it was a blow designed to obliterate her into dust..
But it bounced off her skull, sending her flying back instead, as if she were made of rubber..
Rogue's feet skidded back as Artoria Pendragon stood over me, panting hard, her eyes wide and furious like a cornered animal.
"Y-you" Rogue began, but she barely got any words out before Saber was slamming an energy blast straight into her body.
Rogue's clothes were burned on her side, but her skin remained gray and unyielding.
Berserker's new Resistance to Excalibur, she had absorbed it too. Which meant that Berserker himself was truly now completely immune to the blade's power as it was now..
"Saber.. you need.. to ru-." I gasped.
But Rogue had already regained her composure. Her face contorted into fury as she grabbed Berserker's giant blade from his hand, snatching it and then charging Saber.
Sparks jumped and giant shockwaves erupted through my blurred vision. I couldn't see the fight clearly, but moments later.. Saber, her armor dented and bloodied, was sent hurtling straight into the street, dragging a gouge through the asphalt.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Rogue let out a scream of fury that sent a shockwave erupting from her, shattering the glass of all the buildings around us.
And behind her, Kotomine looked on, smirking in an almost pleasant manner, as if this were just a day of afternoon tea for him.
"It doesn't matter.." Rogue gasped angrily. "Who dies.. as long.. as the Servant is gone right? Father.. so.. let me kill her instead.. "
"Hmm.. I still think that we need to nip this.. issue.. in the bud, but having Saber out of the war would still be quite a boon to us. Very well. But we will discuss your mercy at a later date." said Kotomine.
Rogue stepped over to Saber who was using her sword to push herself to her feet, as if pure determination were pushing her to stand.
I mustered up what strength I had left.
"ROGUE!" I roared. "You.. wanna know my wish!?"
Rogue froze.
Even Kotomine looked at me curiously..
"My wish.. is.. for her to live.. " I gasped. "The most selfish damn wish I ever had.. I just want her to stay.. "
Saber stared at me, as if my words had just shaken her out of her rage. "Pe..ter..? "
"When this war is over.. I just.. want her to still be around.. if she's gone.. then there's no meaning to this anymore for me." I growled.
Kotomine chuckled. "Foolish. You realize that's just more of an incentive for us to kill her? All the more reason I'd say, to ensure you don't interfere. Or were you hoping to appeal to Rogue's innate mercy? She has no love or care for you. She has yet to kill a living person, and it is an oversight in her training. It is the act that holds her.. not the victim. I raised her to only think of her goal. Everything else is an obstacle. She is a machine, not built to love, but to coldly execute its programming. Rogue.. finish this. Assassin and his master are probably not far behind-."
Kotomine stopped talking.
Rogue was staring at Saber, as if she were something alien.. the stone blade in her hand.. Tears were running down her face.
"Rogue-." Kotomine began.
Suddenly the sound of crackling thunder caught him mid speech.
"KAAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!" a war hammer with a short one handed handle, made of indestructible metal forged in the heart of a dying star had just rammed straight into Rogue's chest.
Thunder exploded into the sky as lightning crackled and flashed.
Rogue was sent hurtling back like a rag doll as blood splattered into the air, and the hammer flew back into the hand of its owner to the rumble of thunder..
"It seems I've made it just in time! Steel thyself Man of Spiders! Daughter of Uther!" Thor, the friggin' God of Thunder himself stood over me, his cape billowing in the wind. "I shall resume this fight in your stead!!"
"Holy .. shit.." I managed to gasp out.
Berserker became a blur as he caught Rogue in mid air, her skin returning to its normal color, the stone blade dropping out of her hand.
"My word! It has been quite a while since your death and ascension to godhood, has it not? My old friend!?" Thor exclaimed to Berserker. "Son of Zeus! To think that the Grail War would summon you here! It is like fate that we should battle each other once more!"
Kotomine's smile was gone. "Rogue.. retreat. We are not ready to face him of all people.. Return to base."
"I.. i.." Rogue could barely speak as she let out a gasp and sat up in Berserker's arms. "Damn.. go Zerk.. get me.. out.. of here."
Berserker flashed away from view as Kotomine resumed his smile and nodded at Thor. "Perhaps next time God of Thunder.
"I think not." Thor said. "You are obviously partially to blame for this mess that has occurred. You will submit yourself to my custody. I believe Stark will have plenty of questions for you."
"Heh. While I admit your being here was an unforseen variable." said Kotomine. "The fact remains our view of fighting the Avengers was never a question of if, but when. Considering that you truly are here, that only means my benefactor for this Grail War will have already set a plan in motion to rescue me from you.."
"Oho.. and who might that be? This benefactor?" Thor asked.
"Oh I'm sure you know him well.." said Kotomine as he stepped back slowly.
A flash of green light slithered out from behind Kotomine in the form of strange glowing smoke.
A sly looking man wearing gold armor, with curved horns on his helmet, and a green cape appeared behind Kotomine.
"B-Brothe-?" Thor began, before the smoke shrouded Kotomine completely and both the strange man and the priest vanished.
*****************
That.. was a close one. I'm sure you understand that Lord Chaldeas won't take kindly to your miscalculation, or the revelation that I myself am now involved."
Loki balanced a dagger by the tip of its blade on his finger as he and Kotomine strolled through the dark stone halls.
"When one wishes to heal the world, they're bound to break a few eggs." said Kotomine. "Speaking of which... Sifierius.. I see you're here already."
Ms. Einzbern stepped out from the shadows of the hallway, glaring at Kirei and Loki. "Tsk.. a god and a priest in the same room. Give me a moment, there's a joke involving a bar here somewhere. Also I told you, my true name is fine in this place.."
"My apologies.. Illyasveil." said Kirei with a chuckle.
"The Homunculus.. " Loki said, rolling his eyes and sneering. "The one that somehow lived longer than her.. expiration date. Are all Einzberns so.. disgustingly weird?"
"I would hold your tongue horned man, or you might just lose it." Illyasveil growled, her eyes flashing.
"Woman.. you do know WHO I am don't you?" Loki muttered.
"Yes, The Hammer Boy's little bouncing brother with severe daddy issues." said Illyasveil. "Trust me, regarding Father Problems, I've been there done that about a dozen times now."
"The gall of this woman, I am a god-!" Loki growled.
"Now now Loki, you of all people should know not to try and get into it with an Einzbern." said Kirei. "This conflict is beneath you is it not?"
"Hmph, yes yes, fine, I suppose you make a fair point Priest." said Loki. "In any case.. if we take too long, Lord Chaldeas will grow.. impatient. We should hurry."
"Oh my, the God of Tricksters afraid of a mere mortal?" said Illyasveil, giving a malicious smirk that was uncharacteristic of her usual calm and bright public persona.
"That man.. is no mere mortal." Loki muttered. "He's.. well I perhaps shouldn't get too much into that topic. Let us go."
"I am in agreement. There have been some major developments." said Kirei. "They must be reported as soon as possible."
"Is Rogue here?" Illyasveil asked abruptly.
"She's safe, and.. shaken." said Kirei. "She was unfortunately unable to kill the Spider-Man."
"And.. the Spider's identity.." Illyasveil said quickly. "Have you found out who he is? It would be a pain if he discovered the Symbiote's-."
"Rest assured, if I knew, I'd tell you." said Kirei.
Loki raised an eyebrow out of sight, but remained silent.
The doors at the end of the hall opened.
"Enter.." A staticky voice echoed.
"Well.. I hope you have a fine explanation cooked up." said Loki.
"Aren't you supposed to be the one with the Silver Tongue?" grunted Illyasveil.
"No amount of silver sooth saying with get you anywhere with him." said Loki. "I'm afraid Kotomine is going to have to take this one. "
Everyone filed into a room, where a large staticky screen showing only a silhuouette lit the dark room dimly.
"Doom has began moving more and more. Its become.. a little touch and go.. to say the least. I never expected that he would enter the War simply to counteract my plans."
"He never was straight up villainous, more like altruistically misguided if I'm going to be honest." said Illyasveil with a sigh and a shrug. "When the Einzberns knew him in the last war, he and Kiritsugu Emiya were quite dedicated to their wish of saving the world. Then.."
"The Grail was destroyed.. mysteriously." said Kotomine. "Even I as a former participant cannot very much say why."
"And Spider-Man?" The staticky figure asked.
"Sorry Lord Chaldeas, it seems we miscalculated on that front." said Loki.
"The god of trickery apologizing? That's a first." said Lord Chaldeas. "But it is no matter. Rogue has already admitted her weakness.. isn't that right Rogue?"
In the darkest corner of the room, Rogue stood quietly under the shadow of the large Berserker. She lowered her head. "I.. I'll.. "
"You will be sure that the next time you encounter the Spider Totem, that he is killed." said Lord Chaldeas. "Osborn believes that he could become an asset to us. Especially who that Servant is."
"According to Fisk, the summoning of Saber was a result of a reaction with a piece of the Round Table. Any knight, including Arthur, could have been summoned." said Loki. "And.. there is the fact that he is one of Neith's Totems that caused the reaction.. magic runs through him whether Strange knows it or not."
"And yet, for some reason, it was her of all people. Richard Parker's old servant, the one who defeated you Kotomine." said Lord Chaldeas.
Kotomine closed his eyes momentarily.
"What? Still sore that an ordinary SHIELD agent got the best of you?" Illyasveil smirked. "Strangely enough, his son is enrolled as an intern in my Grail Expansion project. If he has any knowledge of his father's work, I'll soon have that squeezed out of him, bit by bit."
Rogue gave a small start, but said nothing, her face twitching nervously.
"Good." said Lord Chaldeas. "Then I will leave Ms. Einzbern to managing Parker while Rogue and Kotomine handle Spider-Man. That Totem is a threat, especially with such a powerful servant. If they discover the potential of a Totem as a Master, Arthur's power could expand beyond even what her limits were during the height of her rule. Even Doom might become the least of our problems, especially if they find Avalon.. "
"With all due respect Lord Chaldeas." said Loki, raising a doubtful eyebrow. "I don't even think she could stand a chance against my brother at the height of her power. Saying she's a tall order compared to that Babylonian Demigod.. "
"I know it seems ridiculous to one such as you God of Tricks." said Lord Chaldeas. "But rest assured, I have the best information in the business. And it would do you well not to underestimate the very sword that destroyed the White Titan.. the White Titan might I remind you.. that defeated, you, your brother AND Odin eons ago.."
"Hmmm.." said Loki. "Very well, your judgement has been sound so far."
"Everyone else.. but Kotomine and Rogue.. leave us now.." said Lord Chaldeas. "There is something personal.. I wish to discuss."
Illyasveil nudged Rogue and smiled warmly before leaving the room with Loki.
The door shut, and for a moment there was only darkness.
"You are well aware.. Rogue, of the state you were in when Kirei found you.. when we had the decency to put you in Illyasveil's care."
"I.. I know." Rogue whispered.
"You don't know him. You barely ever speak to him. He is no loss.. no skin off your back." said Lord Chaldeas.
"M.. Master give me another chance." Rogue gasped. "I.. I was hesitant, because I didn't think we'd form an alliance with.. with.."
"Osborn? He and Fisk have a.. more chaotic view of this world. But they are better off allies than enemies." said Lord Chaldeas. "You must understand this. However, the moment they try to threaten Human Order, we will cut them out like tumors."
"My daughter's view of the world is still somewhat black and white, I blame my own substandard tutelage." said Kirei quietly.
"Even so.. she is Berserker's master and Berserker is the best weapon against Saber." said Lord Chaldeas. "Few can be immune to the power of the Holy Blade forged in the Inner Sea of the world by Fairies. If we were better able to ascertain Berserker's loyalties perhaps we would have summoned him as an Archer, but alas, that class is taken by the King of Uruk."
"Something you should know.." said Kirei. "Berserker refused an order, for just a moment, he overcame his madness.. "
"Is that so?" Lord Chaldeas paused. "That is.. troubling."
"It won't happen again." Rogue whispered. "I assure you, I'll use a command spell this time."
"Hmm, very well... though, when Saber is defeated, it might be wise to consider using a more predictable servant.. perhaps my Shielder.. no.. she is not ready.. Either way, this is your court Rogue. You decide how to play it. And you best do so wisely. Failure is not tolerated when Human Order itself is at stake."
Rogue bowed her head quietly. "I.. I won't let you down."
"Very well." said Lord Chaldeas. "For the sake of Human Order."
"For the sake of Human Order." echoed Rogue and Kirei simultaneously.
With that.. the light of the static screen went dark.. leaving the Priest, Mutant and Berserker Servant in complete darkness..