There was a demon on the base, and it was a horror they had invited in. She walked their halls clad in regalia of ebon silk, layered plates and gleaming horns, the gait of monarch among the peasants marking her passage as she favored one and all with a disarming smile from beneath the lip of her hood. Rather then be met with terror or the veneer of cold professionalism, those she passed responded in kind, there eyes glazing with unabashed reverence in her passing. If she so desired she could have stopped the surliest NCO, man or woman, and had them at her leisure.

But such distractions, while fun, where hardly anything to be called fulfilling. There was certainly none of either to be had with what had constituted as her Master, one who had no agency and existed solely as the cog of another's scheme. This meant she herself was one such machine toiling for another's benefit. It wasn't an unfamiliar position, as what was the governance of a nation but the conspiracy of one's benefit over the advancement of their neighbors? She could understand, and she could even applaud Thomas' foresight in summoning her, but he would have come to regret leaving her idle were it not for his sudden need for her.

Before her came to be a door, the ring of her grieves turning mum as she considered it and the man there beyond. She'd seen him in passing, glances taken of the man whose command dominated this base and whose ambitions encompassed the whole of the Grail War and beyond. They may not have entirely been his own ambitions to start with, but it was plain to see the lengths he would go were only limited by the means at his disposal. A disposition that brought a pleased upwards curved to her lips.

"I believe you called for a Plan B." Semiramis, Queen of Assyria and the Servant Archer, declared in a playfully coy fashion as she entered the Free Mason's office. With arms crossed beneath her chest she crossed the distance and sat on the corner of his desk, making every effort to be comfortable and bemused in the face of such a stolid Master. "Though if you're going to be my Master, perhaps you could refer to me by a more complimentary title. I'd settle for Archer if you insist on formality."

---

"Whew!"

The two floating people zipping around above Blue Fields had begun to slow down, or rather, it was the invisible metal disk they were standing on that was slowing down. Andrei lowered the scarf from his mouth. Bundled up though he was, his Servant's body really did heat him quite nicely. "Looks like no Archers caught onto us this time. Or maybe they gave up when they saw you?"

The UFO, still invisible, had come to a near complete stop over the chosen location. From there, it began a slow and silent descent. Morgan's dexterity and eyesight were amazing, but Andrei could tell he wasn't a "skilled" pilot. He didn't know all that much about what he was flying.

"Well, this is the place. I guess we should be ready to talk our way in, if anybody's actually here this late." The tripod legs of the saucer touched down onto its newest temporary home.



Andrei lowered himself through the top hatch and into the interior. "That was some fine flying, Agent. And Emperor, some lovely lookouting!" He pulled off his hat and gloves, his skin burning comfortably in the heated air. "Maaaaaaan..." He unbuttoned his coat and let it fall to the floor behind him. "This climate is gonna take a lot more getting used to than I thought."

Across the cabin, the ramp lowered with a hiss down to roof level. Andrei sighed and reluctantly began to pick up everything he had just dropped as he realized he would be heading right back into the biting cold. Hopefully there was a nearby entrance on top of the building.

"Just because we're outta the sky doesn't mean we're outta the woods, so let's get down to business."

---

---

"These things happen." Saber spoke simple, smiled, and shrugged. "I would not expect you to join us against the wishes of your Master. In fact, I would beat you senseless if you did! If you want a friendly duel sometime, Lancer, I'd take you on, but if your attention lies elsewhere tonight I have no desire to wedge myself into your plans."

With that, he moved back into the minivan driver's seat, the specifically chosen model allowing even an impressive form like his own to sit comfortably. He had left the the car running, so with a wave to the newly-met Servant through the window, he made a u-turn and headed back up the street from which they had approached the group. "There's nothing but forest and plains if we continue that way, so let's retrace our steps a bit. I'm sure there's plenty we don't know about our own neighbourhood!"

Not letting a failed encounter slow them down in the slightest, the pair left Lancer behind and drove off into the night.

---

"Since we're approaching them, we just need to appear less threatening!" Saber dematerialized in front of the gate, leaving his Master outside the walls. A moment later, he appeared inside.

Cheerful imagery of cartoonish lions, elephants, and monkeys lined the walls. Signs gave directions to different animals, and a gift shop displayed numerous wildlife plushies. From his position there was not a creature in sight, but he was certain that this was a sort of park meant for civilians to look upon wild beasts. Saber turned to the inside of the gate and began searching for a way to open it from the inside."If that's all this place is, then what are they doing here?" He muttered to himself. The presence of a Servant and Master could be clearly identified deeper within.

After a few seconds, Saber threw the gates open wide for his Master's entry. "Welcome to the zoo!" He spoke entheusiastically, with only a small amount of regard for the fact that they were breaking and entering. "Though I don't believe we're here to look at captive animals."

They made their way further into the zoo, with hopes of a more successful meeting. "Perhaps a Rider has brought their mount here to socialize, or a wild sort of Berserker..?"

He stopped. Just ahead of them, slightly off the path, lay an unmoving figure. Their attire made it clear that they had been a figure of authority in this place, and given the situation it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened to them.

"..Maybe this will be a different kind of meeting."

Saber let loose his full presence, the unmistakable aura of a warrior filling the area. If this pair were anything more that snivelling villains, they would come to him.

He had planned ahead, and part of him wished for another servant. One that wasn't the famous poisoner of men. The Queen famous for her actions. Even though this form was an aspect of her legend that was far more acceptable for his needs. "To be honest, Archer is good enough for me." Arthur said, barely batting an eye at his new servant's actions. She was indeed every bit the seductress that legends were made of. "I can find a nickname for you, if you prefer. But getting to invested the lives of each other can be... Hazardous for both of us. Masters and servants who become too invested in the lives of their partners... It creates a tangible weakness that can be exploited."

Well, that was all the stiff and stoic stuff out of the way. It felt so... Robotic, but he had to make sure they had boundaries. Now, he smiled, as if saying those boring things was a weight of a his chest. "So, since that's said, you may call me Omega, and I shall call you Alpha. Simply because, our enemies will see the beginning of a new world, but sometimes... They may never live to see the end." There was something about the way he said that, as if he was holding back a laugh somewhere in his throat. "Does that sound like poetry to you, or am I just a tad to dramatic when I can be."

He stood, and held out his hand, the one still marked with command seals. "Semiramis, will you be my servant in this grail war? Will you stand by me, as my associate in this war. Will you win this war, no matter who you must kill? For you see, to set right what went wrong, you and I... ARE THE CHOSEN ONES!"



It was quiet in the Zoo. For the most part only animals could be heard. And yet, Rider was at work. His fingers brushed through the golden mane of a lion, that purred in response to the man who had summoned it. The way his fingers could travel and glide through that lovely, dark gold fur. In a certain light, the beast resembled that of a golden statue. "Aren't you beautiful? Your kind once was viewed as kings of entire lands, and then fools put you in cages. Called that conquest of the world. What an impure form of conquest. To use such wonderful subjects like you for mere... Entertainment. No. Conquest, true conquest, is in how one uses the resources they conquer. My children knew that. The Assyrians knew this. The conquerors of Rome knew this. So why is it the new rulers... The new kingdoms have failed so greatly? Maybe it is in how we have drifted so far from the origin of the idea. It has been tainted." His words were gentle, and the beast purred back. Another by his side craved attention, brushing against the Rider, who smiled, and raised a hand to tickle its chin. "Good boy~"

Then he could feel the presence of another servant. A low sigh escaping his lips, and he stood. The lions seemed to vanish, till he was alone. Alone, except for the lion cub he carried in one arm, mewling softly as he moved towards the disturbance. His cape picked up in the wind, and he marched. In the distance he could make out the shapes, a group. One might avoid them, as it was dangerous to fight a group when one was alone. But Rider... He was never alone.

"I was not aware that my adviser was to be expecting guests." He said, as if judging them for breaking an entering. Unlike Rider and his 'master,' this group had broken in. His eyes drifted to the body of a guard, clearly one had failed to dispose of, or one that the beasts had simply forgot about. "Ah, I see you found one of the runners." The blonde haired Rider stepped over to the body, and placed his feline mascot by the body. The cub had already eaten for the night, but the body made a good playtoy, as it chewed on an exposed bone.

"I apologize that you happened upon this scene. The man and a few others had opposed my being here. Or rather, my adviser's being here. It was a necessity, I assure you. I will make sure he is buried properly when you have left." Finally, Rider gave them his full attention. "Now, what shall I refer to you as. I am Rider. You are far to loud to be an assassin, but far to quiet to be a berserker. You don't look like a caster." He smiled, as if inviting the man to give him a hint. "I have a one in six chance of getting it right eventually. Maybe once we know each other, we can discuss whatever matter brought you here."

That was certainly a corpse in front of them. Fresh and none too clean if Richard were to hazard an assessment of it. He could tell the sight was upsetting to his Servant, no doubt any innocent slaughtered in this war would upset the chivalrous fellow.

All Richard could see was a source of combustible gas if he needed a landmine at this master's feet.

He wasn't bereft of empathy, but he was a Magus. By matter of writ they accepted that their path was one lined with corpses and hardship, so rather then seeing the corpses as a loss of life, Richard analyzed it as a reflection of the Master.

Callous. Sloppy. Lacking in forethought. Traits ascribed to a rank amateur or someone with enough clout to afford such arrogance, and with the first words spilling from the golden Servant's lips, he knew it likely the latter. The figure before them was positively ancient, exuding a casual grace and power that was the stuff of legend. His Servant almost seemed a cosplayer in comparison, though he knew that was more a feeling from Saber's adaptation to the time's when compared to this Servant's bold faced rejection of it.

Idly he drew out a cigar, casually holding it pinched between two fingers unlit while moved towards Saber and clasped the tensed Servant's shoulder. "I thought it obvious you share the company of the most stalwart of Servants, the noble Saber. I'm sure you can understand him not waving his sword around in good company, even if makes discernment less then instantaneous."

"Perhaps you could summon your adviser so we can exchange proper greetings? A waste of precious time to repeat ourselves for the benefit of the absent."

---

Archer paused, eyeing the man before her with trepidation and something bordering on concern as lip twitched with uncertainty at the offered hand in the wake of his speech. Whatever image of the mysterious man from the mysterious conspiracy fighting in a mysterious war had promptly been shattered by his exuberance.

After a long minute of indecision, she decided expression trumped decorum and wrapped both arms around her gut as she laughed from the depth of her core into the office. It was a melodic sound, and if pressed she would deny there being an un-lady like snort when her humor got the best of her. When she finally righted herself and set her gaze upon Thompson, she took his hand and raised his knuckles to her lips in a mimicry of a knight to their favored lady.

"You are a singularly strange man, Omega. A child playing at adulthood, wrapped in sinister conspiracy with their ideals intact. I'd thought you made of stone, but instead you wear it like a coat and discard it haste in my confidence. You're either a good actor, or a desperate one, but that matters not. I'll be by your side from henceforth, so please continue to entertain me. Conquest and governance are dull tasks without passions to warm the dull nights of their tedium."