Fate/Heroes - Chapter 2

After screaming several obscenities that would make even a sailor blush, the twenty year old made his way to the roof of the abandoned apartment building.

The height of the building was several times larger than any of the surrounding concrete apartment complexes, and had a great vantage point over the surrounding Gotham City.

Sitting down on the edge of the dilapidated concrete, the young man let his legs sway loosely in the evening wind, the cool night air creeping up his skin yet he showed no outward sign of this.

Reaching into his brėȧst pocket, a familiar looking wallet and phone were found inside. And he let out a grateful sigh at the sight of his ID and device.

“Thank God you didn’t lose this Graham. Otherwise trying to get by would be a little bit trickier than normal…..”.

Graham, or Gray for short, was one of the few things that the Class Cards didn’t overwrite when they engraved themselves into his psyche. Despite the Class Cards granting a user the ability to let a Heroic Spirit dwell within their body, the toll 13 of them had on Gray was much larger than just the one that previous Class Card users were used to.

Some of the Heroic Spirits living inside these Class Cards lived well beyond a mortal lifespan. Whether that be from sort of curse, blessing or pseudo-immortal body only Gray himself knew.

These Heroes of Myth had their memories and abilities given to Graham. Right now they were separate entities whose memories and abilities had been shared, but something inside of him felt as though the fourteen souls dwelling within his body would become one, and their collective powers would compile within Graham’s body.

He showed a smile. It thought it was uncommon for him to show a smile in such a situation, but he knew the longer he lived the more reassured he would be about his safety. He would be able to call upon the Class Cards power for now, and use it for himself when they had completely integrated with him later….

“I have a rough idea of each of the Heroic Spirit in each Class Card. Most of them are overkill but Rider and Lancer aren’t to bad…. even Gunner is relatively normal except for his Noble Phantasm”.

He stood up and felt a freezing gust of wind brush up against his skin. The cold sensation normally would’ve sent shivers up his spine but Gray just stood tall and unbending.

The wind carried his words off to a far unknown place. The meaning lost on anyone but him.

“Install…. Rider…..”.

A faint flash of light bloomed on the tall abandoned apartment complex and Gray’s figure vanished for a second before reappearing with different clothing. The word armor would be more appropriate.

Silver pauldrons and silver greaves were tightened around his shoulders and shins respectively. Silver wrist-guards and a silver ċhėst plate caused Gray’s body to buckle slightly, but relax under his newfound strength.

All of his silver armor were engraved with runes and symbols from ancient Greece. Very few people from the mortal world could understand such ancient and profound lettering, the Mysteries hidden behind the armor would cause countless countries to go to war over.

A single red sash fluttered in the Gotham wind. A single tipped spear came into being with a crackle of electric green lightning. Faint scorch marks were evident on the roof of the apartment block, proof of the lightning shaped power this Heroic Spirit once possessed.

“…..The Hero of the Trojan War…. The almost invincible…. Achilles….”.

It was impossible to not have at least heard the name. Even if his legend faded into obscurity, his name would forever be recorded in the annals of human history.

A warrior whose prowess on the battlefield made even the Gods themselves tremble. His near invincibility was both an ȧsset and a weakness. Achilles was famous for multiple things, not the least being his skill with the spear, allowing him to be summoned to multiple classes. This iteration of the Trojan Hero, was his Rider form however.

This version possessed multiple Noble Phantasms, the crystallization of his legend given form and power.

Gray looked down at the single tipped spear in his hands. The blade reflected his pale skin and black hair. The latter now possessed a single green streak running through it, instead of its normal raven color.

“This Spear….. it’s name is [Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē: Spear-tip of the Star Traversing Skies]. It’s both a spear, and a special Bounded Field, an alternate space used for one on one combat. He developed it to fight equally against Hector, who was both his enemy and rival in the Trojan War…..”.

Gray released a light breath as he closed his eyes and raised his spear. The countless memories of Achilles battles bubbled to the surface and his body moved, mimicking the elegantly destructive spear style in his mind.

The sensation of metal piercing through flesh caused Gray to flinch as the memories soon changed to actual combat, yet after the first couple dozen, the bile in his throat slowly lessened, and his mind sunk into complete silence, at it mimicked the thrusts and parry’s of the Greek Hero.

Experiences of running through the battlefield, tearing up the earth and severing the sky as green streaks of lightning coursed through the air…. Feelings of excitement, and a thirst for battle filled his very being as the demi-gods power flowed through his body….. Knowledge on ancient strategies and magecraft taught to him by Chiron himself, mastered through many years of tempering and battle….

Hatred at the death of a beloved friend…. being told that he had a choice between being famous and dying early, or living and dying in obscurity….. being filled with countless arrows as his invincibility failed him, a warrior of the Sun God Apollo hitting him in his only weak spot…..

“…. Penthesilea….”, he muttered.

His form instantly stopped and his mortal body fell to his knees in exhaustion.

Trying to merge his soul and the soul of Achilles was going well until that particular memory rose up. Gray’s body was slowly growing used to the Greek Hero’s spear style will under this trance, but a painful memory blocked the merge from going any further.

Gray showed a wistful expression.

“It seems that these Class Cards come with their own share of limits”.

These Heroic Spirits were once human after all. They bleed and cried and mourned just like any other. Even Achilles was no exception.

Gray decided to end the training their for the night and leaped off the abandoned apartment complex in search of proper food and shelter.

Memories of “her” face visited them both that night. Neither of them slept soundly.