Fate/Heroes - Chapter 65

“Batman: 02. Flash: 04. Green Lantern: 05. Green Lantern: 014. Hawkman: 09. Hawkgirl: 10. Wonder Woman: 03. Dr Fate: 17”.

Eight flashes of light came through the zeta-tube in New York towards the hidden orbiting base of the Justice League. Two more flashes came through after Batman and Hawkgirl, and two elderly gentlemen stepped through the technological marvel, the old man with glasses looking around the satellite with his eyes wide with joy.

“I never thought it would be this easy…..”.

Batman looked at Archer with a frown before the enemy of Sherlock Holmes gave his Master a charming smile. The caped crusader didn’t by the innocent look, opting to cross him arms with a frowning expression on his face.

“Tell us everything that Gray missed. Everything about the Holy Grail War, Servants, Command Seals and Classes”.

Archer and Saber shared a look for a moment before the Emperor of the Criminal World spoke up, trying his best to appear “good” in the eyes of his Master.

Saber didn’t by Archer’s fake smile, only standing in silence as he respectfully waited behind Hawkgirl.

“That Pseudo-Servant from earlier gave a brief explanation of the characteristics of the Holy Grail War, but we will be here for quite some time if we need to explain everything. Is that suitable with you Master?”.

Batman nodded, as did the rest of the Justice League.

The Team were already sent on a mission to find anybody else in America who possessed Command Seals so they did not accompany their former mentors to the Watchtower. Supergirl was also watching over her cousin in the medical bay in the Watchtower, on leave to look after Clark.

“The Holy Grail War is not something that was originally created in this world. It was a war fought back from where Gray originally came from, and the participants were Servants and the Mages that summoned them. The most common type of Grail War, is the Einzbern Holy Grail War, fought between seven Servants and seven Masters. It was a battle to the death so that one Master may obtain the Holy Grail and get their one true wish granted”.

Dr Fate frowned for a moment before looking at Archer and asking,

“How do you know that Gray is not from this universe? We did not tell you this information”.

Saber spoke up this time, looking at the Lord of Order with a slight trepidation in his eyes. Shayera thought that Saber did not like magic users, perhaps he knew one from his old life?

“This world is still in the Age of Gods. Magecraft has not declined and Mystery’s are still present in the world. The Boundary between the World and the Reverse Side of the World is almost non-existent. The moment we where summoned we could detect that countless energies, most non-magical in nature were pouring into this world, like a intersection between dimensions. That Pseudo-Servant, can’t be from this world, as since the Age of Gods never ended, the need for a Holy Grail never came about”.

Batman frowned at the unfamiliar terminology and asked Saber who looked more respectful to his Master. Even if he wasn’t said Master.

“Why do you call Gray a Pseudo-Servant? What makes him different?”.

Saber and Archer shared another look as both Servants shook their heads. Archer spoke up, adjusting his glasses as his rubbed his chin in his other hand.

“A Pseudo-Servant is a Servant that can’t be normally summoned. They can’t be materialized in the world for some reason. They might technically be classified as Divine Spirits or Wraiths, so as a result, cannot be summoned through the Throne of Heroes. Gray, as you call him, has a Servant dwelling inside his body, yet their power seems to be his and he seems to be in control over his actions”.

“So what, he is part-human and part-Servant? Is that what you are trying to say?”.

Archer shook his head in denial, his face showing a smile as the memory of that giant black blade touched his throat. The Mystery behind what Gray truly was baffled even himself. Truly this must’ve been what Sherlock felt every time he arrived at a murder scene….

He spoke,

“That would be technically incorrect. A Pseudo-Servant implies that the body is human but the soul is not. Gray, just from a slight examination, proves to be neither human nor Servant, but a combination of both. To put it simply, he is the end result of putting human parts and Servant parts into a blender and seeing what comes out at the end”.

Diana showed a look of worry at the allegory Archer used. Gray was something that was neither human, nor Servant? Then what was he….

Archer ignored the look Diana showed and kept stroking his beard as he turned to look at Saber, the Servant of the Sword also showed an slight curiosity to Gray’s power, but made no outward movement to express it.

“If he was back on our Earth he would’ve been slapped with a Sealing Designation and hunted to the ends of the Earth. A human that could gain the powers of a Servant and evolve as a result, would be invaluable for any mages research. Even to a Dead Apostle Ancestor…..”.

Saber showed a disgusted expression at the mention of mages, and Archer just looked out the window to the image of Earth in the distance. His plan to destroy the Earth would’ve started up here, and here he was. In a satellite with a size that could destroy a continent if it hit just the right spot…..

His eyes turned towards his Master and Dr Fate, the only two people here who could do anything to him if he wanted to try something.

He wasn’t known as the Emperor of the Criminal World for nothing, even if he was just a story…..

Batman spoke up, temporarily ceasing Archer’s train of thought.

“I wanted to ask, is their any Servant with that can heal wounds caused by eyes that can see lines of death?”.

Archer’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of Mystic Eyes before composing himself in the time it took to blink before shaking his head with a sad frown. Nothing about his current expressions were true, even if it fooled the people in front of him.

“It would take something on the level of True Magic to heal a wound caused by the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Other than True Magic, I only know of one thing that could heal such a wound”.

Archer showed a thinking expression but in his mind his smirk was larger than the Crime Prince of Gotham. Metaphysical cogs were turning in his head, and plan started to form as he spoke.

He gave a slight bow to his Master trying to appear subservient to the man. It didn’t seem to work, but asking for his opinion showed that he had information that he could manipulate to his own advantage. Fooling his Master, might be a fun as fooling with Sherlock….

“The only being I know who could even repair a wound caused by those eyes is a very special type of Dead Apostle”, Archer stopped for a moment as the term seemed familiar to the group of superheroes, the smirk in his mind growing even larger as he continued. He couldn’t underestimate his Master or the other members of the Justice League, and the elderly looking man knew he had to by his time….

“A Dead Apostle is a term we use in our world for beings that resemble the Vampires of this one. However, this type of Dead Apostle is considered one of the highest Rank beings of our World. They are considered Planet-class Spirits rather than Divine Spirits. They possess the ability to reshape the world around them, and are almost completely immortal. At certain times they have no lines of death and is completely immune to the effects of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception”.

He looked around the room but showed a troubled expression as he spoke.

“Although in this world, where could we find a True Ancestor?…..”.