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Chapter 265 - 4.1

Interlude 4 – Thomas Calvert's POV

Shirou Emiya was more dangerous than I had originally thought.

That was the realization that wouldn't leave my head as I sat in my office, reviewing everything that had happened tonight.

My power failed me, for the very first time in my life. I had been observing my twin timelines, one where I went to the meeting in person and one where I sent a body double, gleaning what I could from both. Then I had invited the object of my current ire to the table, to potentially glean even more. Then he stripped half naked and…

The universe where I sent the body double collapsed, which left me in a suddenly precarious situation with no back up plan. I was surrounded on all sides by capes who could kill me easily and I had no easy way to escape beyond making sure the meeting didn't deteriorate, which would undoubtedly get me killed.

Then the clueless child announced confidently that he would kill Lung, who the greater cape community now knew as a cape who could fight Leviathan to a standstill. No one there had missed the silent threat as well. Shirou Emiya had made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to turn his enmity on anyone who threatened Chrysalis or anyone close to him, which was a staggeringly small number from my research. While it remained to be seen if the young man's confidence was something deserved, Lung was actually the farthest problem on my mind.

Shirou Emiya could deactivate my power with the activation of his own. I had no idea why; I had no idea my power could be just shut down like that in the first place. That meeting had proven without a doubt that he was the most dangerous cape in the city to me.

He had to go, soon.

But how to go about that? I had already set up multiple attempts on his life previously in fear that Tattletale would use her grip on this new parahuman to attempt to betray me. But none of those worked out beyond throwing the entire city into chaos when Shirou began to very publicly murder my men, then moving on to the villains of the city, and even a few heroes, all with his white and black swords. It was all not truly worth the effort and chaos at the time. So, I scrapped the idea and put it away for later when Shirou proved himself to be a painfully passive force in the universe I didn't attack him.

But that wasn't really true anymore, all my plans were in danger as long as Shirou remained alive or in Brockton Bay. I couldn't call Circus or Tattletale for any more info either. It could reveal my hand to Tattletale that Shirou is a threat to me, which would be bad for many obvious reasons I didn't bother to waste time pondering deeper. And while I was confident Circus wouldn't betray me, secrets could only truly be held if only you knew them. Especially with Tattletale so close to the clown.

I needed an edge, a new plan, something I could use to remove this problem while I still had a chance.

I slid out from my chair, my office was still a work in progress, as was my base as a whole. The most livable portion was taken by the Travelers and their very important guest. I move through incomplete tunnels and hallways with one destination in mind, someone that should be able to answer my questions. I needed to prepare a room closer to my office for my pet.

I eventually made it to the room I was keeping her, an electronic and key lock in the way of any possible escape attempts. I go through the motions and open the door, revealing my prized possession, something I would never let go. Not after all the effort and pawns I almost had to sacrifice to acquire her.

She laid on her back on her bed, unmoving except for the rise and fall of her ribcage beneath her white dress. Twelve years old or so, she had dark circles under her eyes, and straight, dark brown hair that was in need of a trim. Though I wasn't going to go through the trouble of cutting her hair, she had more important things to worry about.

"I require answers, pet." I speak flatly, I wasn't in the presence of anyone who's opinion of me mattered, so niceties were meaningless. My pet looks at me from her bed, eyes as mousy and nervous as ever. There was a desire and excitement there too, no doubt for the drugs I had her hooked up on. "New questions, not the ones I normally need."

"Mmgh…" She mumbles, sitting up and staring at me meekly.

"What is the chance my grand plan succeeds if Shirou Emiya is alive at that time?" I ask, not wasting anytime.

"Four-point five percent." She answers, making my blood run cold. I run through many thoughts in only a few seconds. most of which being how was it that my chance of success had been well in the seventies the day before. Was she lying? Or did Shirou Emiya also possess the ability to be invisible to thinkers who didn't know he existed? Or did he just throw thinker powers out of wack?

I didn't know and that angered me.

"What is the chance of my grand plan succeeding if Shirou Emiya dies during the ABB raids?"

"Seventy-six percent, can I get candy now…?"

I ignored her, it looked like I needed to make some calls.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Shirou's POV

The wooden gate creaks as it opens to let us in.

The family home of New Wave was quite nice. Spacious in space and wonderfully decorated with paintings, photos, and artistic pieces like vases. It reminded me of home, my home, with Sakura and Taiga. And if I had been stronger in the end, Rin, Saber, and Rider as well. Hell, I would have even gladly welcomed Archer if he survived, after everything thing he had done for me.

It reminded me of home.

And that made me feel sick.

I was able to keep that hidden from Taylor however, as she shyly held my hand. She was nervous, she had been since we left the PRT headquarters because I refused to sleep there and Taylor had refused to stay there if I wasn't staying. I had been contemplating taking her back to her father and camping out near the building to keep her safe. But that had been when Lady Photon had come in and suddenly offered her home until the ABB were dealt with. I had wanted to refuse on reflex, but I could tell Taylor wasn't actually ready to face her father. I didn't want to stress her out more then I must have already.

Plus, New Wave was a known and public hero team as far as I knew. They lacked the troublesome secret identities that made some parahumans a bit harder to identify outright unless I was constantly structural grasping, which I simply wasn't.

If it came down to it, I could simply blow up the house if I needed to. Even if that would leave a sour taste in my mouth. Shielder, or Eric as he had so easily given during the car ride, was a good person. He seemed to be getting along with Taylor, who was also not wearing her costume anymore. It must have been the fact she knew the identities of New Wave that made her so much more willing to do so.

I was keeping out of the conversation, because the sight of Taylor bashfully talking back to another person was novel, and could only be good for her. Though she refused to let my hand go, which was why I couldn't give them a bit of privacy. Friendships made the lives of people better and she needed more of them.

'Friendships could also break you.' A small and dark voice whispers in my mind, and I don't waste the energy to disagree. There was nothing to disagree with.

Because it was proven true whenever I looked into a mirror.

"Thank you for letting us into your home." I say respectfully, making Lady Photon, or Mrs. Pelham as she said we could call her, smile. Manpower, who was the Mr. Pelham in that equation, walks off to the kitchen with an announcement that we had free range of the fridge. It was late, around 11 P.M now so I assumed they would be headed to bed soon.

I was proven right when Mrs. Pelham yawns openly.

"It's late kids, Eric, you and Crystal can set up a futon in your rooms for Shirou and Taylor, right?" She requests, I inwardly raise a brow at the fact she asked that to her teenaged son and not her adult daughter. But neither of them looked surprised so I guess it wasn't important or strange. "Don't stay up too late, and no funny business you four."

"I'm not twelve, mom." Crystal scoffs, making Mrs. Pelham's expression become flat.

"Have you cleaned your room?" She asks, making me and Taylor glance at one another in incredulity. That expression only grows when Crystal suddenly pales, becoming sheepish and she glancing at Taylor and me before she actually lifts off the ground and flies up the stairs.

"G-Gimmie a minute!" She shouts as she disappears up to the second floor.

"Crystal's a slob." Eric cuts in, getting a thump to the back of the head by Mrs. Pelham. "Ow! But it's true mom! You know that!"

"And she also doesn't deserve to be sold out in front of strangers."

Right, I couldn't forget that part. We were strangers, even if they were helping us out of the goodness of their hearts, they couldn't prove that in one day. I resolved to stay on my toes. Mr. Pelham comes back out of the kitchen holding a can of beer, his wife gives him a disapproving look which he seems to expertly avoid by hiding his eyes behind the can. She sighs, before making her way up the stairs with her husband. This leaves me and Taylor alone with Eric, the two of us turning to him.

"Well, we have to wait for Crystal to clean her room. Do you guys want to watch some TV? I also got that new Mario game if you like video games. It's four pla-" Eric starts when he notices we were looking at him. Taylor seems to listen to him intently, while my mind wanders almost immediately. I wasn't interested in video games, or much TV. But I didn't want to be a downer and ruin the experience, so I prepare to participate as well as I can. Maybe they had a copy of Spider-Man two? This world had similarities by the dozens to mine so it was possible? I… did like that movie.

It would also be nice to cook for them in the morning if all goes well. Or maybe have Taylor do it? It would be nice to taste some food for once.

I reinforced my ears but not focus on the conversation between Eric and Taylor, I instead tried to listen to the sounds of the house upstairs. Maybe the adults would say something incriminating behind closed doors? However, I only hear the sound of kissing and the sound of what seems like a whirlwind flying around behind a closed door. I quickly shifted my attention as far away from the second floor as I could with a slight flush appearing on my cheek. Seemed like the Pelham marriage was pretty healthy.

It's when I shift my focus outside that I hear the creaky wooden gate open at the front of their lawn. Two pairs of steps walking across the lawn towards the door.

"Someone is coming." I inject myself into the conversation that had somehow went to discussing PHO threads. Both Taylor and Eric suddenly looking caught of guard and a bit panicked. Taylor scrambles for her mask before I just project a copy of her mask over her head. She sputters, squeezing my hand to show her annoyance with the fabric appearing suddenly. I prepare then to launch a sword through the wall and take out both intruders, but when the door opens, my heart stops.

Something washes over my mind, something familiar that I had only felt once before to this same degree.

Awe.

Awe in a supernatural amount that only a servant could possess. So, I knew something was messing with my mind. These feelings weren't my own and were cheapened by the force making me feel them.

I stare with shaking eyes at not the one who enters first. She was blonde, conventionally attractive in every way that mattered. Blue eyes that were currently annoyed and curious stared back at me. I didn't stare at the second who entered either, a mousy looking brunette in hoody and sweatpants that looked on guard the moment she noticed me.

No, I stared at the specter I saw enter behind them. A specter I had hoped and prayed that I'd never see. Because I feared it'd break me further, utterly warp what was left of this sword into a core twisted in madness. It would be a constant reminder of what I did, my single most regretted act during the holy grail war. One that still haunted me in my dreams when I had them.

"Shirou." Saber speaks, free from the taint that turned her away from me, that I failed to save her from. But it was a lie, she wasn't there, I didn't save her. I knew this because I was still missing the part of me she took with her when I killed her. She was an image conjured by my mind because of…

The force affecting my mind. It was coming from the blonde one. For a moment my self-loathing becomes enraged anger.

I'm seconds away from projecting the Azoth Dagger and running the girl through before a pained cry comes out of…

Taylor?

I forgot about everything and turned to the girl whose hand I saw I was crushing in my grip. I instantly let go and am forced to take a few unsteady steps back. I was dizzy, I felt like I was going to vomit. Her pained yelp ricochets around my head and forces me to be unable to forget it. I saw the blurry images of Taylor and Eric hurrying towards me, but I back away more, hands digging into my face as I try to reject the force making me feel awe.

Made me see Saber.

Archer's arm spasmed against my face.

Blood fell from my nose as a blade stabbed into my own brain from inside my skull.

And it went black.

"Shirou…"

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Danny Hebert's POV

Taylor still hadn't come home…

It was more then a week now since I've seen my own daughter. I didn't know what to do, she wasn't taking my calls anymore and I had no idea where she even was. I put in a missing persons report with the police, but with how crazy the city had gotten in the last week or so… I wasn't expecting anyone to look particularly hard for her.

It had been a mistake to try and force her to come home over the phone, or to bring Shirou into it. I knew Taylor was having a hard time at school, I knew that whenever we talked about it, the only thing that got her to smile was talking about something she or Shirou said or did at lunch. Or during a free period where they got together. She was a teenage girl who adored the one friend I was sure she had. Taylor never talked about Emma anymore, so I had just assumed they drifted apart.

Of course, she'd choose to stay with the one that was actually protecting her, not the father that was failing to be there for her in a way that mattered.

It was… it was still hard to really acknowledge, to fall into my feelings, because every time I did, I just couldn't stop bawling. My daughter didn't trust me to protect her and I couldn't blame her.

What made it hurt all the more, was that for a day or two after that dinner with Shirou, it… It felt like it had been before, when Annette was still here. The house was happy, me and Taylor smiled and joked with one another. It filled me with strength I had been missing for years. Then it all fell away once again, taunting me by showing that that time of bliss wasn't stronger than the years of emotional stonewalling and neglect we did to one another. Or at least, it hadn't been strong enough yet.

I have to hold in another cough/sob as I realize how close we really had been to turning it all around. My stomach growls, but I refuse to eat anything. I was always hungry now, but it never stayed down. It hasn't all week, since the night she hung up on me and cut me off.

Chattering catches my attention, reminding me I wasn't alone. I could see dozens of rats the size of small dogs lazing around my house, I could feel them upstairs, and in the basement, all possessing glowing red eyes that shared their vision with me.

These were my rats… They were why I couldn't bare to eat more than absolutely necessary. A small sandwich here and there, some soup…

I feel the familiar tingle of my stomach and I grimace. Clutching my stomach, my mouth unhinges like a fucking snake, a torrent of another dozen rats fell from my mouth and into a pile. They shake off the bile on their fur before running off to different places in the house.

It was all some kind of sick joke, or at least that's what it felt like. I gained the power to throw up rats if I ate too much. I… didn't understand it much beyond that, I was still in too much shock. The rats could show me things they saw and heard. It wasn't really that impressive, but if there was one silver lining it was that they could travel incredibly far from me, miles it felt like.

I had dozens that I had unwillingly thrown up, looking through the city I could reach, I had nothing to go on, so obviously I hadn't found Shirou or Taylor. At this rate, I'd need to take the car and go driving slowly through parts of the city to try and give the vermin new areas to look through…

I glanced at the car keys hanging off the wall.

…I suppose I could start now, I had to apologize to Taylor, I had to find my little girl.

I had to be a parent, the parent I should have been for a long time now.

A Rat climbs up the wall and grabs my keys.

Hey there, been a while huh? so I've finally gotten some will to write this again, for the moment at least. We'll see how long this last, I can't promise this will be regular or even take less time then last time depending on if I'm hunted down again. My other story has been just such a joy to write and is all in all entirely less stressful then this one as a whole, so it's going to remain my main focus.

Hope you like it, or not, don't really know what to expect.

Also, let's try not to get the thread locked again?

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Sharpening 4.1

Taylor Hebert's POV

I clutch my bookbag close my chest as I enter PRT Headquarters in full costume, Shielder right beside me and not even hiding the worried looks he sends my way. I don't really bother entertaining it because I'm used to it at this point, it's been the same thing for the last three days. I get nods from the receptionists who let me pass into the employees only section of the building. The two of us walk past the unlocked doors and into a building in disarray, dozens of troopers and white-collar workers are running to and from different areas I don't bother to more deeply inspect. Maybe it's rude, but I don't really care about any of these people right now, I'm here for the same person I've been coming here to see for the last few days.

So, it's with great haste I push and force my way through the shifting crowd, only stopping a few times whenever Shielder gets separated from me. Though he really should remember the way on his own by now.

"Sorry..." He says to me, staring at the lenses of my mask with barely hidden trepidation. I don't fault him, I've been incredibly irritable lately for obvious reasons. I'm not going to take it out on him though, he's a nice guy, the second nicest guy I've ever met really. He's been nice enough to accompany me here for three days straight after all. I nod, before turning and heading into a nearby elevator. We both pile in and stand in an awkward silence, listening to the mind melting elevator music as it takes us five floors up. Or at least, that's how it's been the previous times. This time Shielder turns to face me, I can see his eyes worriedly looking my stance over from beneath his blue visor. I want to feel patronized, but I can't attribute that to him. "...How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I say quickly, obviously not even trying to hide I was not in fact fine. Something I learned at Somer's Rock, I could lie, even if it's obvious I'm lying, and stick with it. Nobody could make me tell the truth if I don't want to. Besides all the Masters and Thinkers who can do just that of course. Shielder is neither so...

"Come on Taylor... Vicky's sorry." He says, more like pleads really, speaking up about one of the two objects of my boiling ire. Victoria Dallon, or Glory Girl, or Glory Hole as Lisa likes to call her. I know what hating someone feels like, but I can't say I've ever truly loathed someone like I do her. The fact that Shielder just brought her up made me want to punch him, but again, I hold that back. That loathing fades and I'm left feeling tired already even though I only woke up 3 hours ago. I'm honestly surprised how much New Wave was willing to put up with me over these last few days. What with how utterly hostile I have been being to her whenever she came around to try and 'apologize'. I don't want her to apologize, I want her to stay the hell away from me and mine.

I realize that Shielder was still talking and focus back on him. He gives me an exasperated look. "You weren't listening at all were you?" I wordlessly shake my head, making his shoulders slump. I kinda feel bad for him, trying to play mediator when he really shouldn't have to. "She wants to apologize, if you and Shirou would just see her again-"

"You saw what happened last time Eric..." I saw, voice low and warning. He couldn't have forgotten, could he? I'd never seen Shirou so utterly and immediately distraught. My hero was broken by the sight of one almost an adult girl. It was so abrupt and out of character that it had to have been some sort of master affect. And the only one in the immediate vicinity with emotional power was the girl Shirou couldn't bear to even be in the same room as. "He had a mental breakdown then started to have a seizure!"

"I-I know! I was there and... yeah, it was freaking terrifying." Shielder says, hands coming up to try and make placating gestures, did I raise my voice that much louder? "But Vicky had no way of knowing he'd react like that, even if she did, she had no idea he'd be in our house that late after the meeting at Somer's Rock. No one's ever had that kind of reaction to her before like... ever?"

There it is, the fact I've been trying my hardest to ignore. Realistically I understand that Glory Girl couldn't have meant for that to happen or have planned for it in any way. Realistically, I understand that I'm being an emotional brat. I just don't want to accept it because...

"I just think that maybe Shirou might have reacted that way because... well, he might be... not all there?" Shielder says, before he jumps slightly when he notices the bugs that agitatedly buzz loud enough in the elevator shaft to be heard over the machinery. "T-Taylor...? You're doing it again!"

I blink under my mask and fight the sudden fury at the insinuation that Shirou wasn't ok mentally. I refuse to accept that right now, if Shirou wasn't mentally ok to the level that Glory Girls power set him off, then that would make him not the strong pillar of support that my mind has always seen him as. But a drowning man who's using his own body to keep me afloat even though it makes him drown... And worst then that, it'd be proof of how utterly selfish I am and how little I actually deserved to have someone as amazing as Shirou care about me. Because I've known him for almost two years now, depended on him daily, talked to him about my problems, hung out with him as much as I could. And I haven't noticed a thing.

No, I correct, I've noticed some odd things. I've just made the conscious decision to ignore it. And I don't know how I'm supposed to reconcile that.

The bugs fade away and I just look down at my feet, the door opens a second later and Shielder grabs my arm to lead me forward. He really is a nice guy, which kinda makes me feel worse.

"Look, they're waiting for us at Shirou's room, can you please just hear Vicky out? She's been really beating herself up about this and just wants the chance to apologize to you and Shirou." Shielder says, pulling me through the hall to the private medical wing of this floor, meant for VIP's who couldn't be treated at a normal hospital for fear of their safety. "...And it'd help Amy stop being so mad at you in return?"

Oh, right, her. While I can maybe see myself forgiving Glory Girl in the future, not today, I don't know if I'll ever be able to get along with Amy Dallon. From the moment Shirou fell she's been... well, to put it lightly, a bitch. While I can certainly say Glory Girl is repentant for her actions, I can't say Panacea even see's anything wrong with what happened in the first place. She spent the whole time after checking Shirou for injuries not involving his brain trying to convince a distraught Glory Girl that she did nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong?! Maybe the barbie doll should learn to reign in her fucking aura-

Deep breaths.

The less said about Amy Dallon the better.

Shielder and me both stop at the beginning of the hall where Shirou's been staying. Because there she was, Victoria Dallon and Amy Dallon, in costume and sitting on the bench next to Shirou's door. The door was slightly ajar but neither of the two looked as though they were waiting to go in. Victoria is looking at her phone, nervously bouncing one of her knees. Amy is staring flatly ahead at the wall, and I hold back the anger it causes me. She could at least look a little concerned, I don't care how many people she heals when my only interactions with her these last few days have been nothing positive. It's like she saw herself as Victoria's protector or something.

"U-Uh, hey!" Eric calls out to them, my mental name for him changing now that we've left the big crowds. Both girls look up at their cousin, before inevitably seeing me. By now they know who I am, it's not like I've particularly cared to hide it since Shirou's episode. But I should keep the mask on in here, until I can see Shirou at least. He hasn't woken up at all for the last few days and Amy's refusal to touch his brain and fix the issue has been another major point of contention. But for that one I at least can sort of understand why. I want Shirou back as he is, messing with a brain is the quickest way of changing somebody.

I turn my lenses to stare Victoria directly in her eyes, the girl staring back with her admittedly beautiful features. So not only does she have crazy powers, she's also pretty, this world is so unfair sometimes. I stare at her as she gets up and hurries over, almost glid- no, she's actually gliding, incredibly unfair. Amy walks behind her like a normal person, but that doesn't bring her any favors in my book. I'm glad I have my mask on so she can't see the stink eye I give her.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Victoria says for the first time to me, not from lack of trying of course, I haven't made it particularly easy for her to even reach me what with being here most of the day and avoiding her in particular. I notice the general aura that caused this issue in the first place was absent, meaning she was consciously reining it in at the very least. Good, I would have made it my problem if she had come into Shirou's general vicinity again with her power on full blast.

"...Right." I say to her, voice flat. I see Amy's eyes narrow at me from beneath her hood. Yeah, it's not up to you whether I forgive your sister.

Victoria seems able to tell I'm not the most enthused with her presence in general, but she doesn't let that get in her way. Sorta admirable in a way, I guess? "I know you're mad at me and I don't blame you, I-I just, I need you to understand that I didn't mean for this to happen- I-I Uhm... I had no idea anyone could really react like that to my aura before and from this point on, I'll always be more aware of my aura being out or not. So... I'm sorry!" I watch her flounder, my expressionless mask probably not helping with her flustered words. "Uhm.. That's really all I have to say without repeating myself so.. I-I'm sorry?"

"...Ok." I say back to her, voice not as stiff as before honestly. I don't really forgive her at all, but that is a nice start now that I'm giving her a chance. Amy clearly doesn't like my blithe answer, but Shielder nudges her before she can say anything. Victoria seems a bit disappointed in my short and sweet answer, but she doesn't complain, which only slightly elevates her from the close to rock bottom spot in my head. I turn my head to the door which remains slightly ajar. "Who's in there? Armsmaster?"

"Oh! Uh, right, sorry I probably should have started with this, but he woke up while we were waiting and-"

I don't even bother to listen to the rest of her explanation, moving passed them and hurrying to the door. I throw it open, breath picking up like I've run a mile. I see Shirou sitting up on the bed and dressed in those unappealing green robes they make surgery patients wear, the name is escaping me in the sudden and mind-numbing relief I'm currently feeling. He looks… normal, maybe his bags have gotten a little worse, which is a bit concerning because he's been asleep this whole time. But he looks normal, if a bit uncomfortable with…

Why is Gallant sitting in the chair next to the bed? Why was he even allowed in here?

Both of them are looking at me now, aw jeez, did I interrupt something important?

___________________________________________________________________________________

Shirou's POV

Well, that was genuinely awful…

I slowly glance around the room I woke up in, white and sterile with some medical equipment I don't care enough to identify beyond a heartbeat monitor. God, my head hurts, what did I do last night-

A broken and beaten knight spasms on the ground, utterly defenseless for the moment. But something like that wouldn't last, I had to act now before the chance I was given goes to waste. I leap through the smoke, Azoth Dagger held above my target, ready to bring it down and finally put this battle to rest.

"…S-Shirou" I hear the knight say, almost proudly, I have the thought that if she wasn't currently a mangled mess, she'd even be smiling. I hesitate, but her face tells me it's ok to continue.

I feel my heart shatter as I bring the dagger down. And when it reforms, it's permanently missing a piece of it.

I raise a hand to my mouth as I sit up, my other hand ripping the nodes placed on my head off and sending the machines around me into a frenzy. But I don't care, it takes everything I have to hold in the bile of my stomach. That's one memory I could forever do without, but it brings more memories along with it, these far more recent. I… I made quite the ass of myself I think, reacting so badly to that girl's presence. I should have controlled myself better even in the face of such unnatural charisma. I suppose this outcome was better than the alternative of killing her in front of what was probably her friends and family.

God I'm a mess…

The door suddenly opens and I see the last face I want to see at the moment, along with two more, one of which is currently masked in some sort of obviously tinker tech knight-adjacent armor. I don't even bother trying to grasp at it, my head hurts enough. Thankfully, whatever that girl had been doing that night to make herself so much more impressive then normal was nowhere to be seen or felt, meaning… there was no unwanted specter around to haunt me. That single fact on its own fills me with enough relief that I almost instantly sag back down into my bed, the machinery still going off beside me.

I hear the three talking about something but I honestly don't pay much attention, something about how someone shouldn't be here. My mind is instead consumed by thoughts of Taylor and how badly I must have worried her. That's enough to take any of the relief I've been feeling and throw it out the window. I don't like thinking that I'm legitimately important to anyone, it feels undeserved, but I'm not blind enough to not see that I am to Taylor. She has the tendency to over react and while it's cute in most cases, I can totally see her losing her mind about this depending on how long I've been out. While the three at the door begin to argue, I throw my feet over the edge of the bed and try to stand.

Only for my feet to give out the moment I attempt to put any pressure on them. Right, maybe I need some more rest.

"Get back in the bed." I hear a flat voice tell me, making me glance up at the brown-haired girl dressed like some sort of ancient Greek doctor. She had stepped around her two companions who were still arguing in a bit of a hush hush kind of way. She doesn't wait for me to answer and with a hand, forces me to lay back down. My body is a bit too weak to resist at the moment. I admit that I don't hear much actual worry in her tone, like she's just saying that because it's what a normal person would say in this situation.

I can't say it doesn't strike some sort of cord with me on some level.

"I'm sorry." Is the first thing I say to not only her, but the blonde one who just noticed her friend had been interacting with me. The brown-haired one looks a bit confused, while the blonde one is clearly made a bit uncomfortable with my sudden apology. I can't really tell what the one in silver armor thinks, but his visible mouth seems a bit thin. "I probably made your life a bit more complicated than it was before-hand. And also made a horrible first impression. If I can do anything to make up for any discomfort I caused-"

"He's not serious, is he?" The blonde one asks the one in armor, who turns his head only slight to show her he's listening to her and potentially something else.

"He seems serious to me?" The man says, before fully turning to the blonde with an exasperated yet stern frown. "Wait, don't change the subject Vicky, you were allowed up here to apologize to Chrysalis, not meet with Sword if he woke up-"

"You can just call me Shirou." I say, making the knight look to me and sheepishly smile, shaking his head.

"I really can't, sorry." He apologizes, before turning back to 'Vicky' "Come on, get back into the hallway before Armsmaster kicks you out and I get in trouble, we're already both in hot water for what happened at the bank remember? Amy, is he you know… physically, ok?"

Vicky's gaze becomes sour and she sighs, while I watch the brown-haired girl's expression darken considerably, curtly nodding to the question. The knight grimaces at something I'm unaware of before Vicky is shooed out of the room. The other girl gives me one more alien look, like she found something strange about me. She then leaves after Vicky, my eyes following her all the way out until it's just me and the knight. I slowly give him my attention and see he's grabbing a chair and dragging it to my bed side, taking a seat.

"They aren't allowed in here but you are?" I have to ask, making him smile, it's friendly, overtly.

"Well, I was supposed to be here when you woke up, so I've been staying in a nearby room waiting" The knight says casually, clearly trying to put me at ease. "You can call me Gallant by the way."

"A bit self-important don't you think?" I snark, no real heat in my voice, I understand it's just a codename.

"Maybe a little, luckily I didn't make that decision so I can claim deniability." Gallant chuckles back to me, actually amused. I don't really understand what's going on here, so I suppose I should ask?

"Where am I?"

"PRT headquarters, you were here before your episode, so… do you remember it?" Gallant asks hesitantly. I think back on it, before nodding my head slowly. It was the building that we were totally not interrogated in, I think so at least. I was so busy ignoring Armsmaster that I might have missed a lot of that conversation. "Cool, well uh, you've been out for about two days. We weren't sure when you'd wake up so the fact you did so quickly is great luck."

"Sorry." I say again, the reminder that I've troubled a lot of people bringing my mood down more. Gallant frowns at my apology, was that not good enough?

"You can't really be blamed for having a bad reaction to something that affects your mind. Don't worry about that, no one's really in trouble here except maybe Vicky." He tells me, making me now openly frown.

"I'd rather no one be punished if it's all the same."

"Not my call to make." He tells me, but now he seems a bit satisfied by something, what that is I can only guess. "But I won't waste your time anymore, I'll get to what I'm here for." I sit up again, watching him curiously. "After what happened, it's clear that you have some sort… underlying issues. Let me tell you that is completely normal for people with powers. I know it's tough to even think about sometimes, but I'm here to offer you someone to talk to. It's usually easier to talk to someone you don't know about your problems. People like us, people with power, we need to be more aware and willing to-"

I stop him right there, almost incredulously. "Is this a therapy pitch?"

Gallant stops and we stare at each other in silence. "…Well no, I guess you can call it that, but it's really no strings attached conversation. Vicky is… she's important to me, and she's also incredibly broken up about this. She's broken people physically before by accident, but this is the first time she's broken someone mentally. Helping you in any way will help her, it helps that I can already tell you're a nice guy, which makes me want to help you out more. I manage to convince Armsmaster to give us an hour to talk, but if you don't want to, that's ok too, we can just talk about my day?"

I stare at the man almost my age with open befuddlement, I can't say I've ever been in therapy before. Medicated to hell and back? Yes, but not therapy. When was the last time I've even talked to someone about my problems? I can't really remember…

Did I have the guts to spill everything to this guy I don't know? Hell, do I even want to burden him with that? Not really…

But he's pretty earnest…

The door opens and we both turn to face Taylor as she barges in wearing her costume.

Well, this is awkward.

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