Cross Effects 3.0 - November 16, 2014—April 13, 2015

[Elf]

"Would you like me to crash on your couch then?"

Abigail blushed at Law's grin and question and then glared at Archer.  The redhead squared her shoulders and said, "Actually yeah!  That would be great.  I'd just need to stop at Target and pick up a few things so you're more comfortable, but I'm not fussed."

She glared at Archer's back and said, "I want you far away from Deviant Man as possible."

Forest lifted her eyebrow at Archer and said, "Abigail doesn't like you."

"No I don't like him.  He's planning something unsavory with Law and I don't like it!" the redhead said, "And anyone who makes pancakes without using vanilla is just evil."

Forest chuckled and lead Archer, Richard, and the blossoming couple to the second floor where the more lavish guestrooms are.  She said to Archer, "I'm going to have to call Saber soon.  She'll have my head if you showed up and I didn't tell her immediately."

[Kaze]

LANCELOT

Lancelot blinked in surprise as Saber introduced him to the beautiful young Japanese woman. Saber had talked about Rin and Archer before, quite often in fact. She had been good friends with them both, and had even deduced that his former king was attracted to the other servant. That had been… strange to think about.

“It is good to meet you, fair lady,” the former knight of the lake said with a plastered on smile. The thought hit him to walk up and kiss the back of her hand, but he was too tired to care about that now. Besides, customs were quite different now than they had been back in Camelot.

“Well, Arturia,” he started, turning to her with a grim look on his face. “I had gone to investigate a commotion at the nearby hospital. There were Servants fighting there… and Mordred.”

[Kat]

The wooden sword harmlessly bounced off Vanguard's leg. With a grunt, he removed his foot from the man's chest only to grab onto his face with his cold metal hand.

Picking him up, he held him up high and squeezed just hard enough to make a point that he could crush his head easily if he wished to do so.

"Silence. Your idiocy irritates me, do you truly see a point in this? Do you truly wish to fight against one who can crush you with such ease? You may believe this to be bravery, but all I see is foolishness. Foolishness and arrogance."

With that, he threw the white haired man to the ground, his body crashing on a nearby wall. Of course, Vanguard was holding back. He did not wish to have the man's blood on his hands, but this point was a point he deemed it necessary to make.

"...arrogance. For this, one day, you will defy the heavens, only to die. You will save nothing, and you will protect nothing. One without power cannot protect anything, not even himself. So tell me, will you challenge me, knowing you cannot defeat me? Will you face your death, or will you cling to life?"

Gintoki

Bruised and battered, but still in one piece, Gintoki stood up, still clinging to his bokutou. "I care nothing about defying heavens or whatever mumbo jumbo you are spouting about. Call me a howling demon, if you want, but I think nothing of fighting a country or the world if I have such a whim." he declared, pointing his wooden sword in the direction of the talking armor "You are fast for a possessed lump of metal, but I know how quick you are now. I can at least match you in the speed. Samurais don't back down so easily, and I'm most stupid of the bunch." This time the silver haired idiot charged into fray with haste unlike what he displayed previously, memories of his prior battles awakening when facing obviously superior foe.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Mordred

"Are you going to surrender then? If you do, I may feel magnaminous and not knock you out right and here." She was on guard against her opponent, wary of any tricks he could have pulled out while he tried to talk her into ending the duel. Mordred still had it in her to continue the fight, and she suspected her opponent was indeed put at disadvantage by her Contract.

"Me? Surrender? Why would I do that, when I'm having so much fun!?" Ito chuckled. "Don't get the wrong idea, I simply believe your little display ought to be rewarded, so I thought it would be fair to give you the name of the one who will claim your head."

Grinning, he kept on walking, the afterimages being blurred even further until it became near impossible to tell illusion from reality with the naked eye.

"But you know, ending it like this would leave a bad taste, so why don't we finish this up another time? You know, you are strong, so I rather not kill you just yet. Choice is yours."

[Kat]

Mordred

"Me? Surrender? Why would I do that, when I'm having so much fun!?" Ito chuckled. "Don't get the wrong idea, I simply believe your little display ought to be rewarded, so I thought it would be fair to give you the name of the one who will claim your head."

Grinning, he kept on walking, the afterimages being blurred even further until it became near impossible to tell illusion from reality with the naked eye.

"But you know, ending it like this would leave a bad taste, so why don't we finish this up another time? You know, you are strong, so I rather not kill you just yet. Choice is yours."

"Hah, it's now even clear for me I should not let you get away. Who knows whom such man could attack next for the sake of fun. And I have endured worse than whatever you dished out against me." she boasted. She could tell for sure what of afterimages was the real Ito, but her spear gave her advantage of reach. Mordred attacked Ito, whirling around in hopes to hit all of his copies and slash the real one.

[Kotomine_Rin]

"...Idiot. You're the one who attacked me!" Ito snarled with a grin, the nameless woman's spear sweeped around in an attempt to land a blow.

The slash of the spear should have mowed him down by all means, and yet all it reached were the afterimages. You see, Ito was hiding inside one of his afterimages and as the spear was to cut him down, he simply dashed back into another afterimage, away from the range of the spear.

Moving away further from the woman, his grin grew wider as he leapt back, spinning with his hand moving in a sweeping motion as if to throw yet more of the kunais. This was but a feint, the true strike came from behind the woman.

Strings attached to his leg, as he kicked back to move further from the woman the transparent wires sent about five knives flying back, moving to strike behind the woman who's stance was now wide open.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider heard Shirou's objection as she changed back into her normal outfit once more, but it was too late, not that she would have listened anyway. She wanted to get Sakura back home and into bed with the man she loved.

Shirou climbed on board but, before Sakura could, she suddenly spoke.

“Huh? Wait, what?" she said, before going silent for a moment.

Eh, what? thought Rider, confused at what Sakura meant.

Before she could ask, though, Sakura spoke up once more.

“Rider! Change of plans, Faust found another Shirou, and we’re going to get him as well!” she said, mounting Pegasus as she did so. “He’s that way!”

Rider looked at her, confused.

Isn't one enough?

"Sakura, shouldn't we get this Shirou home first?" she said.

[Kaze]

ANATU

Anatu’s face scrunched up as she slept, her body suddenly unable to intake air. She shifted a bit on her couch, and then her eyes shot open and the girl launched to her feet, nearly hitting her head against Just’s in the process. After taking a few deep breaths, the Babylonian realized what had just happened and shot the man a glare.

“That was mean,” she muttered in her native tongue. Knowing he couldn’t understand her words, she wracked her brain for any phrases she knew in their language that could get the message across.

“Rood!” she declared while crossing her arms, her accent distorting the word “rude” somewhat.

[theunknownhero]

Shirou (HF)

Huh? Another Shirou... Given that this Rider is from a different world than ours I can't say I surprised, but what's with the urgency? She then boarded Bellerophon and pointed in the direction of the other me.

"Hold on a second Sakura? Why the sudden change of plans? Is this version of me in trouble or something?"

[SINIB]

Sakura

Shirou (HF)

Huh? Another Shirou... Given that this Rider is from a different world than ours I can't say I surprised, but what's with the urgency? She then boarded Bellerophon and pointed in the direction of the other me.

"Hold on a second Sakura? Why the sudden change of plans? Is this version of me in trouble or something?"

"Sakura, shouldn't we get this Shirou home first?" she said.

"I don't know, that's why I need to go check!" Sakura jabbered on. "And Rider, what if he's in trouble? What if he's in mortal danger, and needs our help! We can't just leave him there!"

[Cherry Lover]

Rider wasn't keen on this idea. Sakura had already found her Shirou, which meant that whoever this Shirou was would have his own Sakura to look after. If she showed up and dragged him away, it could hurt one or both of the two Sakuras, and that was not something Rider wanted to see. Of course, if he was in danger, then protecting him might not be a bad idea....

Hmm, can't Caster tell from what he saw?

"Can't Caster tell if he's in danger or not?" replied Rider, questioning the necessity of another Shirou-hunting expedition.

[theunknownhero]

Shirou (HF)

I guess it can't be helped. Sakura will look out for my well being regardless of which me it is.

"Okay then Sakura, lets get to it then. You heard her Rider, if she's interested in seeing if this Shirou, then she'll make sure he is. Besides, me or not, if he... I am in danger I guess we better check things out."

I then look at Rider to address her concerns.

"And don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

[Cherry Lover]

Rider sighed. Shirou always had been self-sacrificial, apparently it extended even to alternate versions of himself....

Well, there's no point arguing with them both..., she thought as she ordered Pegasus to set off in the direction Sakura had pointed.

"OK, let's go find this other Shirou", she said.

[SINIB]

Rider sighed. Shirou always had been self-sacrificial, apparently it extended even to alternate versions of himself....

Well, there's no point arguing with them both..., she thought as she ordered Pegasus to set off in the direction Sakura had pointed.

"OK, let's go find this other Shirou", she said.

Sakura nodded and pointed in the same direction as she had before. "He's that way!" She yelled, grabbing onto Shirou for balance.

[theunknownhero]

As we prepare to find this other Shirou, Sakura holds on tight me as we are about to embark. I close my eyes and prepare to find this other me.

"Lets go, Pegasus!"

I give the Pegasus to command to forward in the direction of this other me.