Beta read by Opal and Maglad
.
.
.
-???-
As far as he could recall, he never really hung out outside his everyday life in Fuyuki. Getting up early in the morning, cooking breakfast for Fuji-nee, going to school, and then spending the rest of his evening either practicing in his shed or working part-time at Copenhagen's.
'Now that I think about it, Issei was pretty much the same, except he focused on his academic life and training as a priest.' No wonder they got along well, the redhead remembered how Shinji on the other hand was known to play arcade and crane games all day. He even invited him along, once or twice. Going from one arcade to the next, rumors even floated around that he was seen using pachinko machines.
'Regardless, I didn't really enjoy going out and meeting at the arcade. Just followed a few TV shows, did homework, or played on my laptop. So how come I've jumped universes and still ended up in an arcade!?' He thought while looking around, as much to his surprise, he found himself in a surprisingly familiar setting, surrounded by eerily familiar, obviously not the exact same, arcade machines in what for all intents and purposes, is a sci-fi world. 'Then again, zombies, spaceships, and magical girls are a thing here, so I should raise the bar on what is actually surprising and what is not.'
He was worried at first, thinking they accidentally walked into a casino. But the sight of people his age and younger playing around soothed his heart. Now the question was - is he enjoying himself? And he'd admit that at first, he was.
But that novel experience soon broke apart and turned into a sense of despair. This was followed by frustration and anger as the screen before him flashed red with 'You lose!' in bold letters — his character laying on the ground in the background while a large bug-themed alien posed over him for the twentieth time.
"Damn it!" His fists lightly smashed against the metal case, sweat dripping down his face as he decided to invest all of his focus once again in the next match. "Let's do another rematch!"
The little hooded figure next to him didn't say a word other than a light nod as he passed his watch over the screen to pay for the next round. His hands shook as buttons were smashed countless times, various memorized combos that he learned in the last two hours. Putting as much effort into this match-up than anyone of his recent fights most likely. Yet much to his dismay, what he battled again was no mere simple opponent but an insurmountable mountain of pure skill and precision.
The health bar dwindled to half within the first seconds, not giving him any opportunity to recover, the girl started a series of combos that pushed him beyond his limit. Powerless he watched as his swordsman got delivered a finisher by his opponent and cut open with a rather brutal animation.
"..."
Speechless, the young man rested his head on the control panel and let out a long sigh. Looking around, he found the little Medusa staring right back at him with the same stoic face. "Is this your first time playing such games, Lutecia?" He asked, seeing the girl nod her head without a second's thought. "Wow, you're pretty talented at this, I never met anyone as good as you."
Tilting her head sideways cutely, "I don't know, aren't you just bad? Someone said you sucked." Those words hit him like a sledgehammer, sure he wasn't familiar with such things but having to be defeated so easily after so many tries with someone who was equally inexperienced just felt harsh. "Were you really trying?"
"You don't have to give me that look, guess I'm getting too old for this game." It didn't help that white streaks had been appearing more and more often on his hair. An unavoidable change that was bound to happen with time.
"Aren't you barely a young adult, though?"
"..."
Now he didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or a jab. "Hm?" He noticed her gaze wandering around, staring at the small shops aligned behind him, selling plenty of different snacks and drinks. Oh right, he only gave her a small treat rather than a full meal, so the little girl must have been starving!
"Hey, why don't we go grab something to eat."
The little girl perked up before calming down, "I… I'm not hungry." She said quietly, feeling as if she was forgetting something. "It's already late, I should retu—"
"—Two orders of hamburgers please, and for drinks… Lutecia, what would you like?" Before she knew it, Shirou had taken her hand and led her to the food court. Shock flashed within Lutecia. She hadn't sensed anything wrong and happily went with him while holding hands.
"T-tea?" She answered instinctively.
"That's a rather odd choice for a girl your age. But who am I to say otherwise?" Snacks in hand, Shirou and Lutecia wandered through Midchilda. Despite being a military base, it had all the parts that you'd find in a large town or a small city. Shops, parks, entertainment centers, restaurants and more. Their time together ended up being more enjoyable than she'd have imagined, especially since she was slightly suspicious of Shirou at the beginning.
As for Shirou, he smiled when the girl started to show more and more emotions… or so he would have hoped, since her expression remained the same as ever. He worried about her past, why would such a young girl have such a hard time emoting?
"Lutecia, I'm sorry if this is a bit personal but …where did you come from, and why are you here?" Perhaps she was a new member, like Erio, and here to join the TSAB?
She seemed to hesitate for a bit, "Um, you can say I'm from…somewhere far away, and came here to help someone with a friend." Jail mentioned how it was best to avoid any possible suspicion and avoid interacting with the locals. Zest also mentioned similar advice, but she felt Shirou was a gentle, kind soul. "I'm grateful to have met you, Shirou. I don't know anyone here, and today was very fun, so… thank you."
"Oh," he hadn't expected such an answer. The gratitude alone made him scratch at the back of his head with a smile on his face. "Hahaha, that's good to hear. Though I'm sure someone else would have come to help if I wasn't there and treated you the same. Also, I was afraid you'd think of me as someone weird for approaching you like that."
"You were weird," said Lutecia, stabbing yet another metaphorical sword through his chest. "But Shirou is nice, he showed me how to play games and gave me food. So Shirou may be weird but he's also kind."
He chuckled, "Glad to hear that, you know, if you'll be here for a long while, I can show you around town, with an extra pair of other friends next time. I'm still new to this place and my first time ever stepping foot inside that arcade was with you. I know two girls you'll get along great with. One is a bit dense and can eat three times her weight, and the other is trying to be mature but is easy to tease."
A grin formed on Shirou's face as he described Subaru and Teana. Thankfully they weren't here or else he'd be on the wrong end of a few punches and bullets.
"Jokes aside, they helped me get familiar with the place. I would've been really troubled if they weren't around to help me. Oh, you can bring your family for lunch or dinner any day!"
Family… if only she could. 'Maybe one day, I can bring Mama back here and have them meet.' No such thoughts brought any changes to her face, thus making it hard for the boy to know what she was thinking. Her resemblance to Rider was truly uncanny, so much so he could almost mistake her for her doppelganger.
.
.
.
"I hope Teana-chan doesn't overdo her training."
Competition - A concept Nanoha grew familiar with during her time as a member of the TSAB. Fate called her very competitive, going so far as to question if she knew the meaning of holding back, a statement that the young woman found 'exaggerated' as she wasn't 'that bad'. "She's just exaggerating, she's the one that gets the most invested in our spars."
Regardless of her side of the problem, Nanoha found the textbook definition of a competitive person emerged from their newest gunslinger. From the moment Shirou showed his expectation-defying sharpshooting skills, Teana started pushing herself even harder when it became known that he barely ever used guns in the past, and even then it was just him being curious.
That information was more like a bomb to Teana's pride, since Nanoha knew of the immense amount of work and training she'd put behind getting to her current level. "But that doesn't mean Shirou hasn't practiced rigorously as well, his archery skills didn't come out of nowhere."
She mentioned that to the girls, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect as Teana just sighed and left to continue her shooting drill. Subaru on the other hand mentioned how it wasn't a big deal and that her partner just needed a moment to get herself together.
"Still, if Shirou possessed a ranged firearm device, it would suit him more than using bows." Muttered the brunette to herself. While alone in the library, she thought about the first time they met, and the magic she saw him using. The power was impressive but it obviously took some time to prepare each shot. Plus, it also consumed a lot of his energy. "Ah, I'm getting distracted again."
She noticed the time and sighed, deciding she'd better check on Teana tomorrow. Also, Hayate mentioned an event about to happen she'd soon brief both Fate and herself about. As for the train case, it was highly likely for those responsible to return.
"I should get going." Gathering her belongings, she prepared to go back home and began walking towards the exit. "Maybe visit him and see how he's doing?" The idea came to her mind while gazing at the setting sun. With how busy everyone has been lately, Nanoha felt that it had been a while since she got to hang out with the redheaded 'Magus'.
After all, she brought him in, so it was her duty to check up on him and make sure he was comfortable in his new surroundings!
A certain someone's stomach grumbles a second later, as that very same someone imagines the kind of food he'd prepare for her... No, this was just a small wellness checkup and nothing else, she definitely wasn't going there just for the food!
Her stomach made a louder noise than last time, almost as if to shatter her self-delusions, or perhaps it was the call of her more honest side telling her to cut the crap and go get the food, the delicious food. She couldn't deny it, the food he made brought memories of her hometown and tasted better than what she ate in Midchilda which already was great on its own. Walking out of the establishment, she spotted an unusual sight.
"Ah, Shirou?" The familiar redhead was walking alongside a stranger in a hoodie, and though she didn't recognize her, she could tell it was someone very young. She thought it might have been Caro for half a second, but that thought got immediately defenestrated as soon as she spotted a strand of purple hair. "A friend or his?" She thought, growing curious at that idea since being new to the planet as he was, he'd barely know anyone at all aside from the members of the Team and her own friends.
A spur of the moment, a string of questions one after the other that piled up out of nowhere made her, without realizing it, tail the duo as they continued to venture around the area. "I could just call out to him…" perhaps not the best idea, she didn't want to ruin whatever moment he was having with her presence.
To her surprise, the first place they went to was the arcade, an old-fashioned establishment inspired by the ones found on Earth. They played there for hours as she hung out at the counter having a snack, her ears twitching whenever she heard Shirou groan at his string of defeats while making faces that she hadn't gotten to see before and behaving, unlike the mature young man she knew him as.
'He's almost like that with Hayate-chan as well.' A small voice inside her noted an idea that brought an ever-so-small frown on her face. They knew each other the longest yet he never acted like that, he was even more playful with Teana-chan and Subaru. Was it because they didn't have enough time to get to know each other? That didn't seem like the case, yet no matter how she looked at it there was a clear difference in treatment between them. But then again, they did make progress by having him call out her first name instead, so maybe he was just shy? That sounded highly unlikely, she needed to figure it out.
"They look so cute," she muttered absentmindedly, seeing him hold hands with the girl and taking her to get some snacks and of all things, tea. It was like watching two siblings having fun together. Did Shirou have any siblings back in his world? She never asked him, maybe that was why he knew how to behave with Erio and Caro.
"Hm?" Out of the corner of her eye, for a split second, she spotted a shadow of a tall man standing near the entrance — watching those two. But a closer look showed no one there anymore. "Maybe it's just my imagination."
Those two continued to hang out in other places as she kept pace. Nanoha started to get more uncomfortable with her actions as it was no different from stalking. "Hah, what am I even doing? I'll just approach them" Putting the questionability of her behavior aside, Nanoha noticed how the two took the same path back to where the arcade was, so she decided to catch up to them.
"Ah, Shirou?" For some reason, rather than giving him a proper greeting, she called out to him as if she had just accidentally crossed paths with him. Caught up in the moment, all she could do was double down and act like she had just left the library. "S-surprised to see you here, who's your friend?"
{Break}
Hearing someone calling to him, he slowed down and turned around to find Nanoha walking out of the same place where Lutecia and himself had left a minute ago. "Ah, Nanoha-san, I didn't expect to see you here, of all places." He greeted her, caught off guard by the young woman's presence.
Her eyes twitched at the suddenly polite form of speech.
"Mah, Shirou, what did I tell you about just calling me Nanoha? Don't tell me you forgot." Soon her mind processed the other half of his sentence and she couldn't help but give him a squinted stare with her hands around her waist. "And what's with that about not expecting to see me at the arcade? It's a valid stress reliever, and I do like to have fun too, you know?"
He tilted his head, considering his following words. "According to Hayate and Fate, you're the type who's likely to overwork, then relieve her stress by causing mayhem at the battlefield." He said, making an effort to stop a smirk from showing on his face. Shirou watched in amusement as her smile went down and a visible blush tinted her face.
"Those two, just what are they saying behind my back!? I am not some… battle maniac!" She whined, having completely forgotten her previous awkwardness.
"Who was the one who teased about firing a Divine Buster at me?" He countered, raising an eyebrow coupled with a dry tone that sliced through her words.
"You're being dramatic, Shirou. I can control the output and I'm sure you're more than capable of handling it." She spoke with perfect confidence that the other party lacked. He very much doubted there existed any Noble Phantasm in his arsenal to tank such an attack. Rho Aias being his only surefire way of defending himself, or unless he just fired a Broken Phantasm in order to attempt canceling out the attack. "After all, Fate-chan and the other girls are perfectly fine."
"Last I checked, I'm not a magical girl floating around with magic sticks waving attacks of that scale with ease." Even if he now possessed a device, it was solely for defensive purposes rather than offensive. "Oh, by the way, this is Lutecia. We met on the road and I decided to show her around Midchilda a bit since she seemed lost."
Upon introduction, Lutecia who was next to him acted a bit more reserved than usual. More so after she kept checking out the uniform Nanoha still had on her and just gave a short bow.
"She's probably just shy," thought the brunette, getting a better look at the girl's face. Young and very cute, a bit weird why she was wandering outside all by herself. Midchilda was a safe place, but still… "Hello, my name is Nanoha Takamichi~! I'm a friend of Shirou's, want to hang out with me as well?"
"... I'm fine, thank you."
"Eh?" That… wasn't the type of response she expected to hear. Perhaps she came off too strong and frightened the girl?
"Mah, you scared her," Shirou commented with a chuckle, making her sigh helplessly. He patted Lutecia's head, an action she initially tried to flinch away from but slowly returned and didn't pay much attention to it. "Nanoha-san is someone you can trust, she is kind and is the one who rescued me in the past."
"..." She gave no response, deep in thought which lasted for a couple of seconds before she once again nodded for a bit. "Okay." Giving a brief answer, both girls decided to visit another spot around town famous for its beautiful sight. "You're not coming?"
Noticing Shirou staying behind, Lutecia commented while Nanoha also looked at him with confusion.
"I'll be with you in a few seconds, just have to check something." He said, getting even more confused stares from the girls before they went on ahead without him. "Hmm," looking around, he noticed how empty the place had gotten with most of the people having left, with only him and another person left in the center of this area in the park. A tall man wearing a brown coat similar to Lutecia that hid his face.
He stared at the man for the following seconds, keeping a close eye on him while continuously surveying his surroundings. From the moment they entered the arcade, he sensed someone's gaze on them. Though uncertain if he was just overthinking it or something else was at foot. This feeling got stronger the more time he spent with Lutecia and as Nanoha appeared, he knew it was the perfect opportunity to handle this matter.
So he carefully approached the individual, "Who are you?" He asked, getting closer but still keeping a distance between themselves in case this person turned out to be an enemy.
"This place hasn't changed, I remember the last time I came over, still the same peaceful life surrounded by smiles and laughter." He spoke, showing no aggression or hostility for that matter. "I'm glad she got to share some of those moments here, these last few months haven't been the best."
"Are you related to Lutecia?"
Rather than answering his question, the man got up and turned to face him. His face resembled a man in his thirties or forties, a frame that felt as if it packed a lot of strength from years of training and an air that put the Magus on guard. "Shirou Emiya, an anomaly that appeared a few days ago on planet K7498-N7. Though even the previous records of said planet before its demise showed not a single one matching your name or face. Not even Earth's record has any information on you aside from the recent identification made by the Time Space Administrative Bureau."
"I'm asking you again, who are you?" This time, Shirou added a more stern tone to his voice. He didn't want to believe this person was an enemy but the way he behaved put him on the edge. Kanshou and Bakuya stood ready to be called from his Reality Marble at any moment as he still wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt.
Again, rather than answering his question the man activated a holographic display screen with a dark figure appearing on the other end. "Greetings, Shirou Emiya-kun, it's a joy to finally get to meet you." Whoever was on the other side hid their faces and altered the voice, he failed to make out any discerning point about this person. Not even certain if it was a man or a woman.
"Wish I could say the same for you." He commented, glaring at both of them.
"What a cold reception. Please excuse my use of anonymity, though something tells me you'll find out about me soon enough knowing how the TSAB works. But for now, I'll be using the shadows as my allies." The screen changed with a video starting to play next to it — showing the scene of him and the others on the train confronting the drones. "Wouldn't have expected less of the mages here, young they may be but their raw amount of potential is staggering. Don't know how to feel about seeing a past experiment getting used as weapons after what they said. Bunch of hypocrites."
Was he truly alone right now? He didn't sense anyone else following them but he couldn't take any risks.
"Quite the impressive display of swordsmanship you have there. It's not every day you see mages rely more on their martial arts than magic spells or the natural power present in all devices. As you see here, people like these tend to crumble when you take away that advantage of them." The screen now showed Erio facing the anti-magic field and getting wounded after the drones attacked him. "A very handy gadget, unfortunately, the field consumes tons of energy to be used in a large area for too long."
"So you're the one responsible for those drones and stealing the relics!" Shirou exclaimed, now fully certain they were his enemies and how he couldn't let them get anywhere near Lutecia or anyone else here. He nearly jumped forward after tracing the dao blades but still held back as there had to be a reason why these two were so confident appearing before him in the open. "I hope you're not here just to give me a resume of that fight, I'm more than aware of what happened. Now answer my question."
"Patience, you sure are in a hurry." The man chuckled. "But as you said, this is not me doing a recap of the fight but rather something during this little skirmish of your team caught my interest… especially this."
Now, the screen changed to the specific moment he summoned Kanshou and Bakuya before slicing the drone in half despite the anti-magic field still being active. Cleaving through the shell of the drone with little issue as if it was made of butter.
"Magnificent swords you have there, I take it those aren't devices?" He asked despite his tone suggesting he was already certain about the answer. "I initially mistook them for another pair of devices as everyone else uses here, but the fact that it not only behaves differently but the design differs too drastically from the standard models, I can't but grow curious about their origin and more so of their owner. You've come far away from home."
Clenching his fists, Shirou tensed his body to go on the offensive at any moment. "I was originally curious about who you were and didn't find it appropriate to take on any stance, but now that you've confirmed your involvement with the stealing of the relics… I'll have to take you in."
He hoped Nanoha got far away with Lutecia and didn't try to return, noticing his extended absence. He couldn't even order Rubin to contact the others and call them over — meaning he had to take care of this matter by himself. Light flashed within his palms earning the curious glances of the giant man and the person on the other side who went quiet. Blue motes of light gathered inside the shape of a single curved black blade with its pair missing.
"Fascinating," commented the shadowy figure. "Are you going to face him? It seems you truly see us as enemies when it shouldn't be like that, we can be allies, Shirou Emiya."
"Why would I be allied with you? Last I checked, you were the one endangering the lives of the innocent with your drone attacks and stealing dangerous relics."
At his response, the figure suddenly started laughing out loud. The distortion makes the laughter sound twisted and weird. "Hah, you truly are naive and blind to the reality around you. But I can't blame you, they were the ones who came forth with a helping hand and it's natural for you to trust them. But don't be mistaken, the slightest mistake or the moment they have no use for you, they'll throw you out like garbage like they've done to countless."
"..."
"The only reason you are being given so much freedom and even a position in their army is because they are curious about your powers and nothing else. It's only a matter of time before they try to replicate it and then dispose of you in a freak accident." At that mention, Shirou sensed the man holding the hologram's mood shift slightly. "My sole goal in life is to combat these liars and murderers, to expose their lies to the galaxy and deliver true justice. That is why I ask you to join me, even if you don't believe me, I'll use this opportunity to show you the ugly truth of the TSAB. They have more blood on their hands than any monster. Lutecia, she and many others lost everything because of them."
Waiting for an answer, the man on the other end smirked as he witnessed a lost gaze turning to stare at the ground. The young man's mind was obviously in turmoil after this revelation, it was only a matter of time before cracks started to appear and for him to get another paw—!?
His reaction altered drastically when a split second later the redhead now stood closer to Zest, his sword halfway cutting through the screen with a spear soon getting summoner to deflect the remaining attack with a loud noise of screeching metal.
"What's the meaning of this!?" He shouted in outrage, unable to believe the other party actually attacked like that out of nowhere. "Do you not care about the countless injustices and darkness hidden away by this organization!? The many atrocities those in the higher-ups have committed just to cover their images and sacrifice their own soldiers like pawns!?"
"I'm already used to dealing with those kind of people," mentioned Shirou with a deadly gaze. Unfortunately for the opponent, Shirou really didn't care that much about the Time-Space Administrative Bureau and whether or not they were truly as righteous as Nanoha or Hayate claimed them to be. From the beginning, he always held doubts, given he dealt with the Clocktower and knew just how cruel some groups could be. But that didn't necessarily make them and everyone inside an evil entity, for Rin, Luvia, and Waver Velvet were amongst the people he respected the most who used their power and resources not for evil.
So he applied the same logic when coming to this world. Never truly believing the Image the TSAB showcased but willing to follow Nanoha, Hayate, and Fate. As they showed their genuine desire to help people and create a better world. Sharing a somewhat similar goal to his which became all that he needed to know. "Even if they have done questionable things in the past or present… why would that make you the good guy?"
He didn't wait for an answer nor did he desire for one as the hologram completely broke apart into tiny pieces as his blade split through it with ease. But the very next moment, he was taken aback at a black naginata that came at the last second and managed to deflect his ongoing slash. "Eurgh!"
The guy in a trench coat himself wasn't an easy opponent as well, when successfully blocking his attack he managed to push him away with a strong kick that forced Shirou to become airborne for a few moments. 'Strong!'
That leg attack held a lot of strength, the amount of force behind it easily capable of breaking bones if Reinforcement hadn't been used. It reminded him of his sparring against Rin or Luvia, either girls more than capable of breaking apart a cement column if they wanted to. Yet this person obviously wasn't capable of using Reinforcement thus his strength shocked the redhead.
With Kanshou's pointed side of the blade stabbing the ground for extra support, Shirou was just about to renew his new upcoming attacks until the man grabbed a handful of pellets and shucked them in the middle where a dense fog emerged.
"Shit!" Shirou cursed under his breath, wondering if more of these assailants would emerge and gang up on him. So he stayed vigilant and waited for the other team to make their moves. Having brought out Bakuya with the white blade gleaming within the foggy atmosphere.
"H-Hey, what's going on?" Sounded a random voice coming near him as soon as the smokescreen started to clear up.
"Did we get attacked? Someone call the authorities quickly!"
"Stay away from it, it could be something toxic!" Another voice spoke out. Soon, Shirou came to realize that he wasn't surrounded by assassin's but instead by regular civilians with signs of the cloaked guy now nowhere to be found.
"What?" At first, he got stumped and puzzled, where could the man have gone? Could have escaped or… "Lutecia!" Horror settled in Shirou's mind as he thought about another possibility and immediately rushed to where Nanoha went off. Pumping Magical Energy inside his legs and pushing them to their limits as he zipped past the obstacles with little effort until he finally caught up.
"..."
Only to find Nanoha all by herself surrounded by debris of destroyed robots. The brunette looked around worriedly until she spotted him, "Shirou, are you okay?"
Fearing the worst, that due to his negligence, the enemy had the opportunity to take away Lutecia making him clench his teeth in pure anger. "I'm fine, where is Lutecia, who took her away?" A vantage point, spotting the tallest building in the area the man got the idea of getting up there and surveying the entire surroundings. It hasn't been that long, they should still be within range for his vision to spot them.
"Wait!" To his surprise, Nanoha turned out to be the one who stopped him. "She wasn't kidnapped, a woman came as soon as we left and was someone Lutecia knew. She left on her own accord and even told me to thank you for making her experience a great day. I spotted these drones afterward and decided to pursue them before any civilians were harmed."
What? He trusted Nanoha to figure out if said woman who came by was suspicious or not, but still, he couldn't feel at ease without checking it out by himself. So Shirou resumed his rush to the top, until he reached a high enough area to have a complete view of the park below along with the surrounding monuments. "They're not here anymore," his hands struck the wall in frustration.
"It's too big of a coincidence for me to ignore." That person on the screen knew about her, speaking about how she lost everything due to the TSAB, same with the guy in a cloak who briefly spoke about her. What to do now? He didn't have any information about the girl nor a way to find her, knowing just her name and face. "Rubin, is there a way you can help me with finding her?"
[I'm sorry, but there are no programs available I can use to assist you in this matter.]
His worry and frustration continued to grow until a pair of delicate hands came to rest on his shoulders. Nanoha arrived with a comforting smile on her face as she spoke with a gentle voice. "This is not your fault, I should have kept her for a bit longer and verified the identity of the person who took her."
Sighing, Shirou shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. I'm just being paranoid here. Is it… is it possible for me to ask you to try and find them? I just want to make sure she's safe."
"Don't worry, I'll talk with Hayate-chan and Fate-chan so that we may search for her. It's very likely for them to still be on the planet so things may turn out alright."
***
"You didn't need to be here. The doctor doesn't need to worry about me with Zest by my side." On the other side of the city, hidden within a darkened alley both Zest and Lutecia gathered together with a third individual. Her appearance flickered before changing into a woman with long dark blonde hair, a latex-like blue suit that hugged her figure, and a large smirk.
"Lutecia-sama, we were just taking the proper precautions against the mages. I just happened to be in the area and got an order to keep you safe. Please understand we were just looking out for you." She spoke calmly while Zest in the background frowned. He always felt uneasy facing these artificial creations, the Numbers by Jail. Numbered from one to twelve, each acting as Jail Scaliageti's eyes, ears, and personal drones. Deadly and very dangerous, each possessing great combat abilities. "Forgive me for my curt presence, but I must return to my duties. The doctor is counting on you both, especially you, Lutecia-sama."
Giving the purple-haired girl a nod, Due shortly left as her appearance changed to that of another person. Blending into the crowd with little effort until they lost any and all traces of her.
"What was his response, Zest?" Finally, after a moment of silence, she asked the man behind. To which the latter just sighed while shaking his head.
"As well as I knew it would. This Shirou Emiya showed no change in his standing and didn't get swayed in the slightest. This was all just a waste of time." From the beginning he was against this idea, they had too much to lose then gain from this stranger who just happened to own blades the doctor believed to be some sort of relics. "Nanoha Takamichi's appearance was also a factor we did not take into account. As much as I hate to admit it, we got lucky when one of the Numbers came to help."
"I know you don't like the Doctor, Zest. But I truly believe he is a good person. He just wanted to help Shirou and prevent him from going through a similar tragedy in the future." The response that came from Lutecia made the man sigh with helplessness, she was far too trusting of Jail and that never sat well with him. No matter how many times he tried to hint otherwise she'd remain adamant on this topic and keep a firm standing. 'She's just like Megane…'
No matter, all he cared about was his revenge and keeping her safe. As long as he remained by her side, he'd make sure that the snake wouldn't take advantage of her trust and turn her into a disposable pawn. Whether it be Gaiz or Jail, they all had the same feel to them.
Looking at the girl, he noticed her hand fiddling with the now empty cup the boy bought her before. He closed his eyes, she still was just a young child who didn't deserve to go through such a life and get used by mad scientists. A part of Zest knew he already failed Megane, unable to grant a life her daughter deserved. "Did you have fun?" Unable to let go, he asked the girl curiously to which she nodded slightly.
"It was my first time in an arcade, there were lots of games."
"I see," they continued to walk into the crowd, making sure to venture as far as possible from where Shirou and the others were so as to not get spotted again. "What do you think about him?"
"He's kind, weird and funny. He looked very uncomfortable when he first approached me and tried to hide his awkwardness in weird ways. He said he has some experience playing games but was very easy to beat and made funny faces each time he lost. He never tried to force an answer out of me about my identity or anything like that, buying me food and drinks before showing me around… he felt warm." The last part she whispered, hesitating to throw the cup away at first but in the end doing so when near a garbage can. "Shirou promised me that he'll cook a large feast for me and Mama one day."
"Is that so," Never did he see Lutecia describe someone like that, it made his heart ache the longer he listened. The chances of that happening were slim, almost non-existent when remembering who Shirou Emiya worked for. They were already enemies, the latter just didn't fully know it yet.
"When this is all over, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to have you two along for a meal." Despite that, Zest spoke encouragingly, unable to find the strength to contradict the girl's wish.
"What do you mean by 'you two'? You'll be joining us as well, Zest."
"..."
Everyone could dream, the same applied to him as well. But to accomplish his revenge, such a future was an impossibility. But at least Lutecia had a chance, he just needed to make sure nothing got in their way.
{Break}
(A few days later)
A couple days passed since his encounter with Lutecia and till now not a single information about her whereabouts were found. As if she and whoever else was with her vanished from sight, where they had little power to find them. His worry turned out to be true, whoever was that man had taken Lutecia.
Safe to say, he wasn't in the best of moods lately.
"Today we've been assigned here, Hotel Augusta. Our duties will include guarding an antique auction and securing the premises." And so for now, he continued to work alongside the team as they were given another task which was being presented by both Nanoha and Rein.
"Due to the legal trade or lost logias, there is a big chance for this to attract those same gadget drones mistaking them for relics. So that's why we were called."
Relics, gadget drones and lost logias… all which connected to that man who spoke to him. If he decided to attack this place, then there was a possibility for him to get information on Lutecia.
"For an auction as large as this, there is a high chance for smuggling and secret trades to happen in the background. Be on your guard for such occurrences." Warned Fate, having everyone agree with her words. "I believe Vice Captain Signum and Vita are already on the scene for a while. So I trust them to have kept a tight watch."
Vita and Signum, just from the short interaction he had with them Shirou knew they were the best for the job. "Hm?" He noticed Caro tapping his arms shyly, noticing the girl calling for his attention.
"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly, Erio next to her having a similar expression on his face. "You look a bit down since yesterday."
"Yeah, it's rare to see you frown so much." Added the boy.
"Was I frowning?" Honestly he didn't even realize it, thinking this entire time he kept a normal face without showing anything unusual. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about something, that's all."
"Are you sure?" The dragon on her forehead tilted its head. Conveying the same intentions as its summoner. "Erio and I can help you if you're having trouble with something."
They were adorable in Shirou's opinion, so young but already looking out for everyone around them. He patted Caro's head who was closest to him, doing the same for Fried and Erio. "You two shouldn't be so noisy with grown up stuff, I'll be able to handle such things by myself."
"Hey, we might be young but we're still very capable!" She exclaimed with a small pout, Fried on her head releasing a small roar to affirm it and Erio in the background nodding his head.
"What Caro is saying. You don't need to be afraid or reluctant to share some of your burdens. We are part of the same team and should learn to handle our fair share of responsibilities."
Shirou chuckled, still uncomfortable having people this young be involved in such affairs where their lives could easily be in danger. But not like he could tell me that with those innocent eyes looking at him with so much determination. It was unfair how powerful they were!
"I heard Nanoha-san found some of the drones wandering around in a public area, since they are searching for relics then is it possible for one to have been present there?" On the other side, Subaru and Teana spoke with each other to pass time after they got briefed with their mission.
"I don't think that's the case, Subaru. While it's true those drones were used to hunt relics, there is nothing stopping the creator to use it for other instances. My guess is that the robots were used as a distraction, for what reason I'm not sure yet. The case is still being investigated as we speak, though we can ask those involved for more information."
"Hah, it's a shame I wasn't there. I practiced so many new moves and honed what I already knew to take those tin cans out with little trouble. If they appear during the auction, I'll be sure to crush them all." Subaru was pumped, ready for action at any time, she then turned to the newcomer next to her. "By the way, not to sound rude or anything, but why are you here, Shamal-san?"
Similar to Signun and Vita, a Knight that always shadowed Hayate wherever she went. If she was here then that meant… "Is Hayate-san also participating? We'll get to see her in action!?" Slowly but surely, both of the girls exclaimed with excitement, more than happy to see those they looked up to in action.
Shamal on the other hand giggled at their reaction, finding it cute. "Unfortunately, Hayate-chan will continue to assume her role as leader and pass the order down. I'm here to lend a hand in case you need me and also to deliver these little gifts." She pointed at three suitcases on the floor. "Before you ask, think of them as… uniforms for the captains. Yes, that's the best description I can give fufufufu~!"
Question marks appeared over Subaru and Teana's head. Exchanging looks wondering if the other understood what the blonde meant by that. "Like, is it some kind of new device?" Subaru asked.
"Well I'm not going to ruin the surprise, just know that I spend plenty of late nights preparing these things and make them perfect."
Seriously, what the heck were in those suitcases?
.
.
.
Half an hour later, the helicopter landed near Hotel Augusta with an entire ground's team waiting for their arrival. Hoping off, Shirou noticed the grand expansive forest in the background with the magnificent hotel standing tall in the middle, looking more like a castle than anything else.
"Everyone here will be waiting in the lounge, be sure to set up a perimeter and patrol each hallway for any suspicious activities. All items have been sent to the storage so no boxes should be found being pushed around. Contact me or Hayate-chan in case you have something to report. Now, let's not waste time and get to work." Fate ordered with a stern voice, grabbing a couple of her belongings and one of the suitcase with Hayate and Nanoha doing the same.
"Ah, I have too much on me to carry." Nanoha exclaimed as she picked up a large luggage, leaving no hands free to lift the extra suitcase. "This will be hard."
Seeing the woman in trouble, Erio was about to help out until someone pulled on his ears. "Ouch!" He shouted in surprise, looking back to find Shamal having been the one to pull him back. "What was that for? I'm just trying to help her…"
"Nope~! You just stay put here, I'll uh… I'll be needing your help with something important." As soon as those words left her mouth, Nanoha turned to Shirou and asked him instead.
"Can you help me carry this? I have too much on me." Asked the brunette with a helpless face, having both Fate and Hayate snap their heads towards her with an intrigued reaction. Shirou, clueless to their change in expression, shrugged and picked up the suitcase without much thought.
"Sure, it's not a problem for me."
"Thanks, let's go now, we should hurry." Nanoha walked along with the redhead in toe, entering the building while the rest continued to watch her back.
Hayate in particular raised an eyebrow at the scene, "Fate-chan, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I think so, still don't know if she planned this or is just as clueless as him."
"We're talking about Nanoha-chan here, she has her moments but not to this degree.*
"Well, Shirou has been smiling a lot less lately, even Caro-chan and Erio-kun noticed his change… so she probably wants to cheer him up?" Fate suggested, almost marveled the way her longtime friend behaved with the newcomer. "Though it looks like she also got Shamal to help out, did you know about this?"
"Nanoha-chan did ask to speak with her last time, but I didn't know what it was about. I'm just finding it funny how he didn't react to her request. Can he be that clueless?"
"Maybe we're just overanalyzing the atmosphere."
Hayate chuckled at that answer. "Or maybe Nanoha-chan is more forward than what she shows on the outside, who knows, but I know he'll have a bigger reaction if he saw all three of us. What do you say? Want to go over as well?"
"Hayate-chan!?" Fate's eyes widened in shock, looking at the woman in front in disbelief.
"Mah, I'm just teasing you. Why are you getting so red over a small joke?" Even if she said that, the blonde couldn't help but feel her eyebrows twitch at Hayate's little smirk. Knowing her, she would have absolutely gone through if she agreed.
While the two had their back and forth, Subaru and Teana observed the whole scene as it unfolded. "What do you think they are talking about?" Asked Subaru, getting even more clueless than before. "I'm getting lost with all this secret talk between them."
"It's not our place to meddle, Subaru." Grabbing onto her friend, the gunslinger dragged the latter inside the building to start their duties with Erio and Caro following along.
{Break}
-Hotel Augusta-
"A room?" Standing outside a door with the room number engraved on it, Shirou hadn't thought they were heading here. In his mind, part of the group were to head to the lounge for surveillance while he and Hayate would stay at the security room with all the CCTV live footage at their disposal.
Nanoha next to him nodded her head, "There has been some minor change of plans. Rather than staying in the background and keeping watch behind a screen, Hayate-chan opted to blend into the crowd of guests. Like this, it'll be easier to intervene in case there is indeed an attack amongst them. So Hayate-chan, Fate-chan and myself will be attending as regular invited guests."
"That sounds like a good idea, though something tells me you'll be having more fun than the rest of us." He joked, opening the door to the room and finding a regular sized living area with a simple bed, table and bathroom. Nothing luxurious or opulent, but still having a nice view of the outside fauna. "Hope you don't accidentally fall asleep while on duty."
"Moh, don't treat me like a novice. I'm an S Ranked mage and an expert. I should be the one saying this instead, don't get into any trouble on your own, Shirou."
Him getting into trouble? Never happened, though Rin wouldn't have had a drastically differing opinion if she knew his thoughts. Probably firing a couple of Gandr as well, he never knew with that girl. Though he made his way to the door, Nanoha brought up the subject from last time. "I've mentioned to Hayate the matter concerning the man who met you last time and Lutecia. I didn't think it was appropriate to bring this up in front of everyone so I figured this was as good an opportunity as any."
"Any good news I hope?"
She sighed, lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. "I'm afraid not, Shirou. We tried to check the surveillance cameras but found missing footage. The security team suggested that those people must have had some sort of jammer. But Hayate-chan suggested someone from the inside had removed the clips manually. We believe it would explain why they didn't want to show either their faces or voice to you. Of course, all of this is just speculation, I could be wrong."
That was concerning no matter which way he looked at it. If this person really turned out to be someone on the inside then it made finding them much harder. Furthermore, it explained how the man in a cloak knew so much about him when Hayate mentioned most of his records were kept secret for only the higher-ups to see.
"I know you're worried about the girl and so am I, so let's keep our heads up and try our best to find her as soon as possible. Okay?" Seeing his face, the brunette went over to cheer him on, which he appreciated.
"I know we will. Also, thanks, I'll leave this here and return to Hayate-san."
"Good, now I want us to hang out as much as anyone but I'm afraid we still have work to do. So step outside mister, I need to change." Taking up a cheery tone, she slowly pushed him out of the room as he gave her a side glance.
"But you're already in your uniform?"
"Heh, it's a surprise, you'll see what I mean by that."
Having no other choice, Shirou stepped outside as Nanoha closed the door. It wouldn't hurt to wait for her, walking back together was safer in case these unknown enemies decided to approach them again. So, he decided to stand near the window for a couple of minutes as he checked the scenery in the background. "Hard to imagine this is another planet and not Earth."
From here, there was no noise from the dense crowd of people on the other side of the hotel. With hundreds of vehicles coming over, dozens of helicopters all carrying various important items to be auctioned off during the event. It wouldn't be a lie to say that he still had trouble grasping his current situation from time to time, everything seemed so… unbelievable. Aside from that, Shirou questioned when that person from before would appear again. Unlike last time, he'd make sure not to let him escape under his nose.
And whoever it was who tried to make him abandon Nanoha and the others, Shirou vowed to find them as well and stop whatever they had planned.
"She must be done by now." His ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming closer to the door. Still curious what she meant by wanting to show him something, he waited with crossed arms. The door knob turned as the door was pulled open. "Hey, I hope you don't mind if we walk back to—cough!?"
His words got stuck in his throat as soon as Nanoha came into view. Gone was the standard gray uniform and instead his eyes bore witness to a beautiful dress that reached up to her chest, leaving the shoulders barren with a transparent shawl covering them. The color of the dress in particular matching her hair and giving off a completely different aura to what she showed usually. So much so that he remained speechless, his jaws hung open as the silence just made the girl blush ever so slightly.
"Ara… you were waiting for me? What a gentleman you are~!" Nanoha chuckled amused to see his reaction. "Since we're at it, what do you think? Fate-chan and Hayate-chan should have gotten something similar that matches their figure and color choice. I don't get many opportunities to wear a dress so I kinda like it."
What did he think? Many things actually, so much so that he didn't even know where to start aside from continuing to stare at her for the following minute. "Well… you look amazing, Nanoha. Now I feel bad about walking back together, I don't exactly have a suit with me."
"Why thank you! And that doesn't matter, your uniform is already good enough. So, will you be accompanying this lady to the main hall?"
'Lady, where?' Those words nearly came out of him with the glaring opportunity to tease her like this, but he held himself back and gave her that. 'What did Luvia-san teach me last time about etiquette? Ah, I remember.'
With a short bow, Shirou presented his hand to Nanoha, the latter not having expected for him to actually take her words seriously. "It would be my honor, Lady Nanoha."
"Oh my, now you look like a true knight, fufufu ~!" Willing to play along, she linked her arm with his and both made their way onto the main room. A few of the guests greeted them along the way, the duo attracting a few glances here and there until something rather obvious dawned on Nanoha which made her eyes widen.
"Eh, is something the matter?" Shirou asked, wondering why she stopped.
"... I'm just realizing that I may have caused some misunderstanding between the group by asking you to accompany me."
"—?"
His confused little head tilt made her lips twitch upwards.
"Shirou… I called you to help me bring my luggage to my room and we are returning together as well. It's kinda sending a particular kind of message to the others."
"I don't follow, you wanted to talk about Lutecia and the investigation. What's weird about that?"
Sighing, Nanoha continued to elaborate further. "But they don't know that. Or at least, everyone else other than Hayate-chan and probably Shamal-san. In their eyes my invitation seemed like something else entirely."
"..." It took a few seconds for him to start to grasp her meaning. But when it finally dawned on him, another blush forced its way to his cheeks again.
"Oh…"
{Break}
Outside the Hotel, deep within the forest two figures emerged from the shadows. Wearing the same cloak that Shirou would have recognized instantly. The silence was palpable as they drew closer to their desired location. Removing their hood, Lutecia and Zest's face came into view as they gazed at the building in the distance.
"It should be here," the girl spoke as a small robot the size of an insect landed on her hand, conveying a message that only she understood. "Doctor's drones are nearby."
"The security is denser, we should be careful with this one." noted Zest, keeping watch on the people and aircrafts in the distance. "This isn't even worth it, what we want is not present in the auction." That vile Jail, there was no way any of these items present today truly mattered to the man. Unnecessarily putting their safety in danger for mere toys, how fitting.
"He knows it, the doctor mentioned how these items could be useful for him in the future. I know you don't like him, but I'm certain he has a plan." So she said, but he knew the real truth behind this matter. In case the situation turned for the worst, he sincerely doubted that man would risk sending reinforcement like last time with his Numbers. More than likely to abandon them to save his own hide.
"We will most likely face the people from last time, it's almost certain that the young man is present here. Will you be able to face him in case he comes for us?"
"..."
Receiving no response immediately but instead avoiding his gaze, Zest forced a sigh out of his mouth.
"I can handle him." She said with a whisper but he didn't believe her.
"No, it's fine. I'll face him instead, even if you two haven't met, his skills are too dangerous to let him anywhere near you. We even have records mentioning his usage of ranged weapons, so he can't be anywhere near you. Focus on keeping the others busy instead, that's our best course of action. No matter what, we shouldn't underestimate the knights."
"... I understand."
-----------
You can support me on p@treon at /NimtheWriter