Fate/Heroes - Chapter 44

The battlefield had been completely reversed with the introduction of the Avenger Class Card. The thousands of members of the Church of Areopagus fled back to their landing crafts, pushing and shoving each other just to get a chance at escaping from the countless bullets that rained down upon them.

Diana and Hippolyta had moved directly behind Gray’s military garbed figure, looking at the veritable wall of floating rifles. Every metahuman or normal human using a fake Noble Phantasm ran for their lives in the face of Gray’s [Three Thousand Worlds].

Despite the majority not possessing Divinity, the waves of bullets shredded through their defenses like a hot knife through buŧŧer. The demigods; the four remaining children of Ares however, hid behind a massive shield with seven layers of ox hide, a replica of Ajax’ the Great’s Noble Phantasm, [Rho Aias: The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens].

As a copy of a Noble Phantasm it didn’t possess the same traits as the original, but could still block just about anything short of a ballistic missile.

Gray had over a dozen rifles constantly firing at the massive shield, his expression cool and collected as the sound of gunfire echoed throughout Themiscyra.

He turned his head to looked at Wonder Woman beside him and gave a small smile.

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced yet”.

Diana’s face turned into one of surprise, and her expression and stance was a guarded one, wary of the gun that he used to kill the other demigod.

“No, I don’t believe we have. But you’re Rider right? The one that put a dent into the criminal activities in Gotham, and the one that fought the Team?”.

Gray gave the most beautiful woman in the world a bemused look before replying.

“I do believe the term “teaching” was what I was doing. That young Kryptonian, Superboy was it? He has so much potential but squanders it on such an impractical fighting style. The Atalantean and speedster were just getting in the way”.

“”Teaching?” Why would you do that to your enemy?”.

The Pseudo-Servant wanted to chuckle but held it back as he stared into Diana’s piercing blue eyes. The contrast between his blood red ones and her clear blue irises was like comparing blood to water.

“That’s just like the Justice League. Incorrectly deducing that anyone else besides you are enemies that you must defeat. Unfortunately, the world isn’t as black and white as that”.

“What do you mean?”, the daughter of Zeus narrowed her eyes at the young man’s words, “You attacked them, children! You hospitalized Conner and-“.

“But I did not throw the first punch, so to speak, now did I? At the docks, Batgirl tried to subdue me and at the airport, Kid Flash also tried to attack me before I was ready. I do believe that in any country, that is called “assault”, correct?”.

Diana’s eyes narrowed and the scream of a metahuman who had a bullet go through their leg was ignored by the two of them.

“What about all the money you stole? That could’ve gone back into the community! That money was stolen from the people of Gotham, money which you have in your possession! If you hand it back, I promise that we won’t-“.

“Can’t do that. I spent it all”.

Gray interrupted Wonder Woman, who blinked several times before a completely hateful expression marred her beautiful face. Her Divinity was thrust outward towards Gray, who showed no outward changes in demeanor.

“How do you spend 30 million dollars in cash, jewelry and gold! Even Batman couldn’t spend that much money in just a couple months! What could you have possibly done with all that-“.

“I built a school and an orphanage”.

The twenty year old turned back to face the massive copy of [Rho Aias: The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens] but continued speaking to the silenced Amazon.

“Using the money I stole from those criminals, I am trying to build a school. One for everyone. In the wake of the Justice Leagues many battles many families have lost fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents or any other type of guardian figure, most of which have no other family left to take care of them.

They live on the streets and most of the time get mixed in with the wrong crowd, leading to a even greater number of crime within each city, continuing the cycle over and over again. So using this money, I plan on making a school. One that caters to any sort of person. Both human, and non-humans”.

Gray turned back to face the Princess of the Amazons whose eyes had widened and her stance dropped completely. Her angered expression had changed into one of shock and she looked down for a moment, avoiding the blood colored eyes of her so-called “enemy” in front of her.

“That is what I plan on doing with the money I stole”.

Gray looked at the figure of Wonder Woman, feeling slightly bad about how he had completely put down her argument. The demigod had protected people for close to a hundred years now, and in her life she never once considered helping people in both her private and public life. It grew almost natural to call anyone who stole money, for whatever purpose, a criminal, yet “Rider” used it to build a school for the young children that “they” had orphaned.

A sinking feeling appeared in her stomach and she looked up at Gray’s expressionless face, her own looks turning into a passive one. With no outward emotion other than gratitude on her face.

“I apologize for my previous judgement. It was…. unbecoming of me to judge a book by its cover without reading it first. As for your first question, my name is Diana. I am the princess of Themiscyra, the island that you are currently defending. If you do not wish to reveal your true name then that is fine. “Rider” shall be the name I-“.

“It’s Gray. My name that is”.

A few crude comments from various Heroic Spirits coursed through Gray’s mind, but the twenty year old gave a small smile to the most beautiful woman in the world, who gave a small one back to him.

“Alright then, Gray it is. I would like it if after this battle we talk. Would this be fine with you?”.

Gray nodded, appearing calm and collected as he always did. The happiness in his mind was only known to himself, and the thirteen other voices in his head.

Diana stood directly beside Gray, noting the height difference even with her heels on. Her eyes were probably only up to his chin, and that was with said heels.

Blood colored eyes meet clear blue ones once more, and a small smile grew on the two’s faces.

“Think you could use that spear again? Shooting at helpless targets isn’t the best way to win a fight”.

Without changing eye colors, the spear of Achilles, [Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē: Spear-tip of the Star Traversing Skies], appeared in Gray’s hands with an electric green lightning. All the rifles floating in the sky vanished, and only a spear wielding warrior with long black hair standing beside another long haired sword and shield wielding warrior stood tall in the face of the four demigods in front of them.

Neither’s eyes left the others when they both charged forward against the children of Ares.