1.5 - Collateral

“So what do we have to do?” Shirou asked. He was in all honesty not in complete control, something was pushing him forward. A feeling telling him he had no option but to move. At the same time however there was a heavy dread, a familiar terror and despair threatening to consume him. He didn't know where it had come from, he didn't know why it was scaring him so much. He felt the only reason he wasn't breaking down was because he couldn't remember the why of his dread and despair.

 

Glancing out of the corner of his eye Miso was ecstatic, unlikely she had given any of their situation any serious thought. If he took a step back. The proposal sounded a little shady, but for some reason he felt he could trust this Kirei. Even if that didn't fill him with confidence. 

 

He frowned and wondered if there was something wrong with him.

 

Kirei had cleaned up and locked the doors to the store and Shirou brooded. Then he walked around the counter to knock on the door of the fridge before opening it to a completely white void with a countless rows of doors on either side. 

 

The two were shocked, Kirei’s smile couldn’t be wider, “We don’t have time to waste,” and walked in.

 

The two scrambled for the door before it closed. 

 

Just rows of doors on either side in the perfectly white nothingness, the two of them stood on nothing and Miso was on Shiro’s back trying to keep from falling, because there was no floor. Yet they stood. 

 

“Miso you have to get off I can’t walk like this!” Miso had scrambled onto his shoulders like some sort of hyperactive squirrel trying not to fall into the white void. 

 

“No! I don’t wanna fall!” 

 

Kirei continued walking, Shirou rushed to catch up. Before them appeared a worn maghony desk, where a Teller sat.

The man was strange, he had concentric circles for eyes that made him appear to have not slept in centuries, as if he had seen everything there was to offer and still preferred his sleep. Books stacked haphazardly, papers and a coffee mug sat on his desk a newspaper in his hands that shifted from ‘The Kardashians and Kansas monsters!’ to ‘Black Plague the Second Coming!’

 

“Kirei.” He said.

 

“Oswald, passage to the Millennium.” Kirei replied to his greeting.

 

He continued to read his newspaper before waving his hand. A hotel elevator from the 80s appeared to their left and they walked in. 

 

Kirei pressed eight different buttons in a seemingly random sequence.

 

If Kirei, Miso and Shirou been able to see out of the elevator their minds would've burst and restructured into trees. Their eyes minerals, and they all would've died. But they couldn't.

 

It was a smooth albeit boring elevator ride. Shirou simply waited with the patience of a monk and Miso had fallen asleep. Kirei chuckled, 'if only they knew.'

 

The doors opened.

 

They appeared in a fabulously furnished velvet hotel with crimson shadows. The carpets were like a river of blood and the windows from floor to ceiling. 

 

Kirei walked forward until they went into a room at the furthest end of the hall. 

 

It was large, almost like a library crossbred with a greenhouse and an observatory. 

 

The man at the end of the room seemed to be busy with something an intense look of concentration as he focused on his laptop. He then noticed them typed something before standing to meet them. 

 

He stood at seven feet, red hair and a butler’s uniform. His face was incredibly menacing as he towered over them. 

 

Miso looked ready to fight, bouncing on her feet getting into a boxer’s stance. Shiro had no such reservations, the man didn’t have an ounce of ill intent. 

 

“Hello, how do you do?” The incredibly polite voice put them off. 

 

“Uh, hello.” 

 

“You’re not going to eat us?” 

 

The man laughed, “No, heavens! You don’t have meat for that.” Then grinned and suddenly Shiro wondered if he should’ve thought twice following Kirei anywhere. 

 

Kirei smiled as well not helping their case. 

 

“Stop scaring them, they look like they’re about to pick a fight,” A blonde woman in stylish black clothing and a massive gun larger than anyone in the room strapped to her back walked in. She smiled an eyepatch covering a third of her face, but not managing to hide her smile wrinkles, “They’re frankly adorable, their cheeks begging to be pinched!” Shiro had never cared before about being tiny, but now was starting to worry, “Let me adopt them Klaus!” 

 

Kirei lifted an eye, “Don’t you have kids of your own?” 

 

“I can always have more!” 

 

“Hmm.” 

 

“Are you doubting my motherhood!” Going for the massive artillery building of a gun on her back.

 

Kirei raised a hand in surrender, “No of course not, I’m sure you’re kids are one hundred percent content with you as a mother.” 

 

“With you I can never tell if you’re being serious or not.” 

 

“I’m one hundred percent serious.” He said smirking. 

 

“This is why the two of us have trust issues,” she said face flat.  

 

Klaus coughed, “Back on track, why are the both of you here today, and pardon my manners you two, My name is Klaus Von Reinsherz, your names are?” 

 

“Shiro Emiya.”

 

“Miso Nakano!” 

 

“We want to join you.” said Shirou. 

 

“And fight bad guys!” 

 

“The two would like to accept Libra contracts.” Kirei watched Klaus like a hawk, almost curious.

 

“Then Miss Nakano and Mr. Emiya, I understand the two of you are aware of what it will be like to join Libra, and exactly what it is you will be getting yourselves into?” 

 

They answered in unison. 

 

“Very well, then, it is my honour to-” The bookshelves the walls were attached to exploded.