Archer eyed him and said, “And you enjoy that fact.”
“Of course I do, just as I enjoy the fact that you’re utterly miserable and have come to visit me on a regular basis,” the taller man said with a smirk.
Archer chuckled at that and said, “Well I’m glad I can amuse you, Kotomine.”
“Kirei,” the priest corrected.
Archer asked, “So, I’m on a given name basis now?”
“I think so, and the next time you injure yourself near death, come to me. It would be a shame to lose you,” Kotomine said with a shake of his head.
******
Archer’s limbs felt like lead and his stomach was gnawing slightly in hunger. Tension rang out through his shoulders as the lethargy he’d been feeling had gotten worse. He scowled as he wondered if he was recovering any of prana at all and hated the fact that he might not be able to open the shop tomorrow because of it.
He was walking home from the Church after an amused lecture from Kotomine about not getting himself killed. There was a slight thrill at the fact that someone such as Kotomine wanted Archer alive and well, even if to just bare witness to his misery. The priest had even offered to get them dinner, but Archer didn’t think he was up to facing Tofu from Hell without Reinforcement. So he was going to go home and see what he could make without too much effort.
Yare yare, I’m getting lazy in my old age, he thought dryly, even though he wasn’t all that old. My soul feels like it is, he thought wearily as he rolled his aching shoulders. He hadn’t even been thirty yet when he’d been publically executed, but his services as a Counter Guardian could equate to thousands of years. He sighed as he walked back to his apartment on the other side of town back to his lonely bed.
“Faker,” an all too familiar voice purred behind him.
A sharp chill ran through Archer’s veins as he turned around to see the blond standing there, one hand tucked nonchalantly in his pocket and the other resting on his hip. The King of Heroes was wearing black slacks and a simple red T-shirt, yet expensively cut and probably made out of some ridiculously expensive fabric. Gilgamesh smiled at him and said, “I would like to see what is mine in better condition, Faker.”
“I’m not yours,” Archer replied as he started to walk again, “And I’m getting tired of you.”
Gilgamesh said, “This rebellion has been entertaining, but it needs to come to an end. As much as I’d hate to take you like this, I’m afraid this is going to be the only way I can get you.”
More ice slithered up Archer’s veins as he moved faster. He didn’t look behind him as he heard a quiet snap fill the silence of the street around them. The metallic chime of chains echoed all around as Archer took off at a run.
Of course. No prana, no way to Trace or Reinforce and Goldy is deciding that it’s time to stalk me again, Archer thought as he turned and ran down an alley way. The only chance that he had was that maybe he knew the city better than Gilgamesh. His heart was racing in his chest as sweat trickled down his body as he ran. The manic laughter rang out behind him before Gilgamesh called out, “Why are you running, Faker?”
“Can’t you take a damned hint?” Archer said between gritted teeth. Without the normal amount of prana coursing through him as the after effect of being a Servant, he wasn’t that much better than a normal human. Gilgamesh, somehow through some really messed up math, was two thirds god. Archer shoved a trashcan to hinder the King’s path and hopefully disgust him enough to stop chase.
Gilgamesh sighed and said, “Faker, who let you get like this? Was it the harlot of your former Master? You really need to be in someone else’s care when you cannot think to take care of yourself.”
A hot spike of anger cut through the icy fear running through his veins as Rin was insulted. Archer gritted his teeth and turned only to hear a sharp ringing right before something hard and heavy wrapped around his neck. A sudden jerk choked the air out of him as pain shot through his body as he was jerked back. Panic shot through him as countless people’s faces filled his mind, cheering for his death as the floor dropped from underneath him.
Archer struggled as he was drug to the ground and pavement shredded into his back and arms. He cried out, digging one hand into the ground and the other to keep from being strangled. Gilgamesh stood before him, holding his infamous chain as he effortlessly drug Archer over. Crimson eyes peered down at him as the blond knelt beside him.
“Mm, I think I rather like you like this,” he said thoughtfully as one elegant, long finger hand ran over Archer’s cheek.
He jerked his head back and glared up at the former king as he choked in air as best as he could. Gilgamesh laughed as he leaned forward with his eyes half closed. Archer’s eyes widened right as the King of Heroes’ face descended towards his as if to kiss him. Archer jerked his head to the side as he heard in the distance a low roar of a motorcycle motor as light flooded the alley.
Gilgamesh twisted around and looked up right in time for a steel toed boot to drive right into his face. Archer blinked as Gilgamesh crumpled to the ground and Rider gracefully landed in a crouching position. Long, lavender hair trailed all around the supple woman as she lifted herself up and charged Gilgamesh. Archer blinked as Rider lifted up the blond man with one arm and threw him to the far side of the alley as if he weighed nothing.
She turned her back to Archer and he saw her hands going to her glasses as she said, “Get on my bike.”
“You can’t take him,” Archer managed to choke out as he shoved Endiku from around his neck and rise to a semi-upright position.
From her profile Archer could see that she was smiling slightly as she said, “I’m not going to ‘take’ him.” Archer covered his eyes as he saw her hand slip her glasses into her pocket and rush towards the King of Heroes, who was still getting up.
******
Rider slid her glasses into her pocket as she sensed Archer moving towards her bike. She knew he had enough sense to cover his eyes as she approached Gilgamesh. “You . . . whore. You mongrel whore, I’ll show you what happens when you keep something away from me,” the blond said as he pushed himself into an upright position.
Rider shoved her hair back and looked at him dead on without the protective cover of her glasses. Gilgamesh’s movements slowed as his crimson eyes widened as she moved to him. Then, without preamble she kicked him as hard as she could right between the legs.
A slow smile spread across her features as crimson eyes widened, his cheeks puffed out as he choked and one hand went down to cradle the wounded area. The blond king sunk to his knees and Rider kicked him in the face before turning away from him and running to her bike before he recovered. She slid her glasses back on her face, grabbed Archer and took off on the Hayabusa.
To his credit, Archer didn’t fight her as she nimbly wove the bike through the back streets to their apartment. Rider kept looking behind her to make sure there wasn’t an angry Gilgamesh dogging their steps home. She smoothly parked the bike, put down the kick stand and dismounted. Archer was rubbing his throat and there was already a purplish bruise appearing on his dusky skin.
He climbed off the bike as well and coughed, shaking his head slightly. Watery grey eyes looked at her and asked, “How the hell did you find me?”
“Sakura was home and she told me that you walked her home. I went by your apartment and didn’t find you there. The only other place you’d be at would be the Church, and the false priest said you’d left about ten minutes after I arrived there,” Rider said as she shoved her hair back from her face and made sure her glasses were in place.
Archer frowned and asked, “Did Sakura have you come look for me?”
“Actually, I did this on my own violation,” Rider answered with a frown as she looked at him. There was the slightest bit of blood on his lip, calling to her with its sweet, iron smell. Wordlessly, she leaned forward and licked the tiny cut there and frowned at the bland taste marking his lack of prana.