FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 87: Two Masters

...

Artorias MacMannan greeted Aaron with a malicious grin, "There ya are. I've been lookin' for ye."

It was hard to narrow his eyes without falling asleep, but he managed, "What do you want, MacMannan? I can't imagine you came all this way for nothing."

"Oh-hoh!" A vein began to bulge in his forehead even as he smiled, "Ah, but I'm not the only one who's been busy, am I? Rats always like to scurry 'round, don't they? Can't just stay still even for a moment."

His own vein bulged above his baggy eyes, his old street habits showing themselves for the first time in a while.

"Rat? You talkin' about me?"

"Damn right, ya bastard! Did ya really think I wouldn't find you out!?" He spat on the pavement, "-Did you think killin' your pilot would be enough to cover your tracks? Easy enough to figure out there was only one guy on the plane."

"What-"

-

"...Look, Jason had to accelerate the timetables a little bit; you're coming with me now, so hurry up, kid, and try not to jump in front of another car while you're at it, alright?"

-

He had almost forgotten- no, he had forgotten about Jason, about that man, about the whole ordeal before that. He had hardly paid a passing thought to Jason, to MacMannan, or to anyone or anything beyond Athens since the war began.

And now, someone else had been hurt by his own thoughtlessness, his own uselessness.

His tough exterior melted away.

"How'd he die?"

"Don't gimme that shit! You had him killed!"

"I didn't! Look, Jason had a lot of enemies-"

"He sure did, and you sicced 'em on 'im when he least expected it! Y'know how many bullet holes were in his plane when they dug it outta the ground?"

"You could at least let me speak!" Aaron brought his phone from his pocket and held it up, "You're the one who wanted to talk, right!? You're the one who dragged me out here, aren't you!? So at least hear what I have to say!"

MacMannan scoffed, "Yer right. I guess I just wanted to hear ya boast and brag, to let ch'ya do yer monologue or some shite like that before I burst your little bubble, but you're really committed to the bit ain't ch'ya? Jason hasn't got shit to do with this anyway-"

-

A thought itched at the back of Aaron's mind. Early on in the war he and Rider had analyzed the fog and determined its properties. It was meant to close off the war from those who had nothing to do with it, to set a curfew for those who weren't involved to keep both themselves and the secrets of magic safe. That meant that the only ones who could stay awake without being targeted by hostile mystics were those with a Command Seal...

-

"-I'm here 'cause ya bailed on us! I'm here 'cause you got wrapped up in another war, and covered your ass by reporting me to the Clocktower!" His malicious smile returned, "Unfortunately for you, your little snitch came too late!"

"I didn't-!"

He removed his right fist from his pockets, baring it towards Aaron, and revealing a red sign on the back, like two daggers intersecting over a cliff.

"Assassin! Live up to your title!"

From behind him, a silver fog began to rise and take shape, mixing with and then overshadowing the indigo haze that had already encircled the city.