FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 100: Wickedness and Snares

...

Echo's ears gave another twitch. Her lips opened, as if to speak, but whatever she had wanted to say would die with her. She let out a final breath, closed her eyes, and fell forward. Her body turned to blue ether and ceased to exist before her face could even hit the ground.

Heracles wiped the cut on his nose, lingering at the sight of blood on his hand, and stared at the sight where she had been.

"Shame." He shook his head, "There's no honor in killing a girl, no matter how much fight she has in her."

He turned towards the ship in the sky, lightning beginning to crackle around him as his wounds began to visibly close.

"-But whatever honor there is for her killer, there's none for he who sends her to battle. So... is that it, Archer!?" Thunder burst from his body as he strut forward, "You'd send in a girl before you face me yourself!? Are you that much of a coward!? Was Lugh the only true hero among you!?"

Saber was grabbing his Master under her shoulders and hoisting her up with force, this was not time for tears, but his attention was grabbed by the invisible swords sent up in his direction, the sharp aura of hostility/

"Archer? He's after Archer? But then..."

Athena, throat scratched by her wailing, finished the thought, "Why is he coming towards us?"

They marveled in silent awe and paralyzing fear, but were brought to attention by a clack behind them.

There, Aaron was standing with his rifle, munitions box open as he slid a magazine into the clip.

"Doesn't matter. Some fuckery from Caster I'm sure." There was a shift and a click as a bullet entered the chamber, "I'll take care of it. You guys go down there and hold him off."

Saber began to say what he and his Master were both thinking, "Hold him off-!"

But was cut off, "-It's that or we all die, idiot!"

His breath caught in his throat, "I can't-"

Athena squeezed his arm, "We can."

She didn't want to. She really didn't want to, but she had made a promise, to herself, and to Chrysaor, though he didn't know it. She wasn't going to run away anymore. Besides the fact that Aaron was right, and running didn't seem to be an option, she had faith in Chrysaor. More than that, she had faith in Geryon: in both of them working together.

The only way out was forward. Their only hope was faith.

She squeezed his hand harder in a vain search for comfort.

He looked into his Master's eyes, and it was clear that he was as afraid as she was.

"Are you ready?" He asked, wanting her to say 'No'.

She gave a shallow nod, knowing that opening her mouth would reveal how she really felt, and thereby weaken both their resolves.

"Alright." He steeled himself, every fiber in his body tensing with resolution, "Let's go."

In a single motion, he swept her off her feet and, carrying her in his arms, rushed forward, afraid that any hesitation would make an opportunity for fear to overtake them. He leaped onto the bow and took another jump into the open air. Athena clung to her Servant tightly, but his body soon dissolved into blue and gold light that wrapped around her, chasing her like a comet's tail as she fell towards the ground, without screaming, without flailing. She let herself go limp as a doll, until-

Metallic wings made of countless knives swooped out and caught the weight of his own body. He rode the wind, catching the updraft and rising back up to face his opponent, sword in hand. Clad in golden armor, face hidden behind an ivory mask and a blindfold of his own silver hair, he raised a hand towards the raging Adonis.