McDowell, Crockett, and the Alleyway of Doom

[Brad McDowell]

Well, that job sure went smoothly.

Brad McDowell is now currently exiting a convenience store, with a bag of grocery shopping in hand. His client has specifically requested a leather jacket from the time of the American frontier. Why anyone wanted a jacket with an ambiguous parentage is anyone’s guess, Brad thought that the man is a rather fond of western materials and wanted to summon a gunslinger, so he gave the best thing he could find. Brad didn’t think the man look the part of a western fan, but stranger people have become a fan of stranger things.

Even though the Clock Tower didn’t really want the word about the war leaked, they can’t really control the rumors. Brad himself had a vague idea about the current happening in this city. Seven individuals, Master they call them, shall summon a spirit of dead heroes long past and fight for the one true prize of a wish. He doesn’t really think that a process like that would work, but again he didn’t really know much about the Third Magic in general.

He still feels curious about what it would take to achieve it.

Hauling his groceries to his jeep, Brad’s about to drive away to the night when he noticed that something is not quite right at the alleyway to the right. Shadows of indeterminable shapes and varying degrees of sizes slithers to that particular alleyway, creating an eerie sight that should unnerve most ordinary witness of the scene. Most people would just chalk them off as hallucinations and drive off with their groceries to prepare dinner.

Most people are not Brad McDowell.

Dismounting his jeep, Brad feels a strange urge to just walk to the alleyway and check whatever is going on there. Normally he would be able to rein his curiosity, but the urge he feels like now is something not easily staved by simple psychological suggestion. Mustering a supreme force of will, he managed to stave the hypnotic urge to check the alleyway…only to fall to an old enemy, his sense of curiosity.

I will probably regret this later…

Walking towards the alleyway, Brad can’t help to notice that the air is getting chillier by the step. It might just be his imagination, but his imagination usually didn’t make him think about bringing a coat next time he takes a walk. He also notices that no one is walking near the alleyway, a fact that should give a hint about the nature of the alleyway, and yet Brad marches on.

At the entrance of the alleyway, Brad sees nothing out of the ordinary at first. As he walks towards the center of the alleyway however, shadows beginning to form and crawl out of the trash compartment and other objects inside the alleyway. These shadows begin to combine one by one into what can be described as a bigger shadow made of at least a hundred of those tiny shadows Brad saw earlier. The shadow creature finally noticed the only human in the alley and shifts its form into a more compact and slender form, a tall humanoid creature with overly long limbs.

“This is quite new at least…” Seeing the shadowy humanoid approaching, Brad begins to chant the aria to activate the Mystic Code coiled around his right arm, “Bind the opposition, Purple Vines.” The vines around his right hand begin to animate and uncoils, ready to strike the humanoid shadowy creature.

Dodging the first strike of the humanoid creature by rolling sideways, Brad prepares to counters when suddenly another unknown figure swoops in from the air. The second strike was made in such a surprising and fast manner that it left Brad almost no time to react, and the claw of the second creature drew blood on Brad’s left arm. Finally focusing his sight, Brad sees what his new assailant is; it is a large gargoyle-like creature that should not be out of place as a Cathedral decoration. Meanwhile, the shadowy humanoid creature poises itself and prepares another attack.

“How troublesome…”

Standing again, Brad prepares to counter the new maneuver of the shadowy creature while keeping an eye for the threat on the skies. Unbeknownst to Brad, a strange magic circle had formed under his right leg, and one a drop of his blood from the scratch on his left hand has dripped onto the magic circle.

The circle glows bright, almost as strong as a spotlight, as the summoning took place.

[Davy Crockett]

The littlest things often have the largest of consequences. Butterfly's wings beating in South America can cause hurricanes in Japan. Or a single drop of blood can be the catalyst to calling one of the most powerful forces known to man.

A Servant.

Davy felt something different as his consciousness faded from the constant noise of the Throne of Heroes. "Int'restin'." was all he could think as he felt the primordial forces reconstruct his body from practically nothing. It tingled. It felt good. There was a second, a minute, and eternity. It was all the same.

And then, all of the sudden, there he was, back in the world. The light leathers of his clothing were illuminated by the bright green of the magical circle. In an instant, Davy Crockett, chosen of the wild, soldier, adventurer, and sharpshooter, was alive again. Knowledge filled his brain, of the time, and of the war. "Ah always knew there'd be anothah war ta fight. Very well, let's meet mah new boss"

Davy opened his eyes, and found the man he was looking for instantly. Of course, when you are the only human in the area, fighting off shadow beasties, and obviously a magi, it was a simple answer.

Davy moved like a tiger, a knife in one hand and tomahawk in the other, toward the ghostly assailant. The tomahawk was immediately thrown, a perfect spin which ended in the skull of the wraith. The creature was sent flying into the wall by the force of the throw. "Apparently i'still bleeds. That's what ah'm liking ta hear." Davy thought as he whipped around, toward the gargoyle.

It was moving quick, to quick for an average man to hit. Of course, Davy was far from average, even when he had been truly alive. The Bowie knife went flying, embedding itself in the stone creature's stomach. The creature cried out in anguish as black ichor poured from the wound, sap like.

"Well. Looks like someone can take a hit. Howzabout a couple?" Davy said. There was a grin on his face, the kind that a man who has been looking for a fight, and now has found one. He reached over his shoulder. His hands gripped around sturdy wood.

One handed, Davy aimed Bessie. She barked, and a lead ball was launched at extreme speeds at the creature. The bullet impacted onto the gargoyle, this time at the neck. A line of cracks there appeared along the weakpoint, before finally shattering, seperating the stone beast's head from it's body. Davy's grin grew wider as he watched it fly, all the while reloading.

A musket takes a normal human being two minutes to reload. Davy had it done in less then a second. Another shot rang out as he fired the gun again, the gargoyle shattering at the stomach as the ball impacted the knife still stuck in it's torso. The creature was finished, just thrashing legs and waving arms. It was comical.

Davy turned back to the man who had called him. The battle had taken less then thirty seconds. Davy was very good at what he did. "Ah s'pose you called. Pleased ta meet ya." He held out his hand.

[Brad McDowell]

Brad shields his eyes from the bright, green light emanating from below where he’s standing right now. He didn’t notice the summoning circle just before, but now it’s a little too bright not to notice it. The green light dissipates just as quickly, and from the light materializes a for of a man wearing the garb of a frontiersman, at least that’s what Brad can make off initially as the green light dissipates itself and the man standing before him.

Then the newly summoned man now darts with the speed faster than his eyes can follow.

It all had take less than a minute before the formerly flying stone statue creature was brought done to the ground by a knife and a shot by a musket. At least Brad thought it was a musket, the way that thing fired two round consecutively without scarcely a pause would really fool anybody with even a little knowledge of the weapon.

The man responsible for the carnage now turns back at Brad, still grinning.

"Ah s'pose you called. Pleased ta meet ya." He held out his hand. Brad stood there for a split second before he gripped the outstretched hand firmly, “Can’t say I planned all that, but the help’s ‘preciated.” He was about to complement the stranger on a job well done when the alleyway behind them rumbles with the noise of another creature making its presence known.

There are three lions, at least the creatures are supposed to look like lions; only parts of their bodies are made of bones jutting. The lions looked like it just came out from someone’s nightmare, complete with cracking sounds and blood dripping from every pore of its body. As if on cue, another loud noise comes from the opposite direction of the three lions.

Now from the opposite direction comes another shadowy creatures, the creature is not a humanoid shaped creature like the first shadowy creature, but instead in a shape of a vicious looking black hound. Its eyes are darting around and its nostrils flared, as if searching for the prey it had acquired before and had escaped its grasp. Upon laying its eyes on the frontiersman, it hesitates somewhat, as if calculating the risk potential that the newcomer presents. The hesitation didn’t last long, as the hound is now back on its aggressive posture, eyes fixed on Brad.

After a second or two of aggressive stance, the hound leaps to attack. As if on coincidence or some kind of telepathic cue, the three lions on the opposite side of the alley charges for the destination of the pair in the middle.

Still feeling the residual effect of his Mystic Code activation, Brad animates the vines to defend his position. “Looks like we’ll have to split the treat!” He said as his vine whipped one of the bone lions into a flying projectile that destined into a nearby wall while severely restricting the movement of the two others. He noticed that the black hound now disappears from view, though the presence still indicates that the hound is still nearby.

“Didn’t quite catch your name back there,” Brad said while tripping the other two lions with the vines. “Name’s McDowell,” One of the lions now joins his predecessor in hitting the wall, “Brad McDowell, yours?”

[Davy Crockett]

“Can’t say I planned all that, but the help’s ‘preciated.” the man he'd assisted replied. The pair shook hands. The man had a firm grip, and his hands were calloused. Obviously, he wasn't above getting his hands dirty. "My kinda guy" thought Davy.

However, no sooner had they finished, when more monsters appeared, apparently out for blood, or vengeance for their fallen comrades. A trio of big cats approached from one end of the ally, looking like they'd been cut to pieces before being reassembled by someone who didn't know the first thing about feline physiology. From the other end, a shadowy wolf appeared.

"Looks like we’ll have to split the treat!” said Davy's companion, before using some sort of plant sorcery to send one of the "lions" flying. Davy quickly retrieved his tomahawk, before turning to meet the wolf head on. It had used some sort of magic to turn itself invisible. "Very well then." he said to it before using a little trick he found worked well against mundane wolves, whistling at a frequency he couldn't hear, but would drive anything that could hear it crazy. The creature blinked into existance for a second, and that was all that Davy needed.

Davy rammed the elbow of his right arm into the small of the wolf creatures back, and there was a crunching sound as the creature's spine was shattered. It howled in pain, before Davy quickly put it out of it's misery with the axe to it's brain. He whispered "I'm sorry cousin." to it, before checking his compatriot's progress.

“Didn’t quite catch your name back there,” the man said as he made good account of himself, having managed to send a second lion into the wall. "Name’s McDowell, Brad McDowell. What's yours?"The third however, was about to break free from the trap it was in, and pounce him. Davy couldn't let that happened. The tomahawk came up in his left hand, before making a perfect spiral into the head of the creature.

"Ah'm Davy Crockett." was all Davy said.

[Brad McDowell]

Stealing a glance after the second lion he thrown to the wall, Brad could see how the frontiersman dispatched the shadow wolf with a clever trick that one adept with the outdoors will be able to devise. Brad could now see that this man, no, this servant is the real deal. A split second later, the dog materializes back into the world, just in time for the frontiersman to catch the dog with his elbow and slays it with his tomahawk, all in a blinding speed. In fact, the movement leaves Brad so stunned that he forgot to restraint the second bone lion. Luckily, the frontiersman was quick to react, and the lion soon join his comrades in whatever their place is now, with the tomahawk embedded in its head.

"Ah'm Davy Crockett." was all the frontiersman said, now obviously identified.

Davy Crockett? The King of the Wild Frontier? He certainly fit the bill as a legendary hero, even if his exploits are rather recent as far as a legendary hero goes, but you wouldn’t find Brad complaining. In fact, right now Brad is busy remembering just how many of those legendary feats that he had seen first hand. Right now, he can believe every single folk tales about Davy Crockett, after all the man before him already seems larger than life, and those feats he displayed earlier were no coincidences or illusions.

“Davy Crokett, eh? Well, right now I can believe that you’ve ridden down a flash of lightning, or play rough and tumble with a lion.”

But this is certainly strange, it’s a fact that Brad never intends to participate in the War. He doesn’t even have a catalyst right now, but it didn’t seem to matter as a drop of blood is enough to summon Mr. Crockett here. Brad knew that you need a catalyst in order to summon your intended heroic spirit; otherwise that Con character would not even require Brad’s services. He certainly didn’t plan for the summoning circle to show up when the creatures attacked him the first time, heck he didn’t know who placed them there and why, all he knows is that the summoning circle obviously had done its job and now he’s a participant of the so called Holy Grail War.

Nevertheless, there’s probably an explanation for all of this, Brad reasoned. And what better way to start unraveling the mystery than to question the first witness?

“Do you have any idea where these creatures might originate from? Or who they really are?” Short and concise, to the point in case more of those creatures decided to pay them a visit. Brad decides to leave it short and stay alert, Lila Reben coiled around his right arm, looking for signs of other creatures lurking around.

[Davy Crockett]

Davy laughed to himself as he heard the old tales about his exploits. The lion thing had been true to a point, but the whole flash of lightning thing had been a lucky coincidence when he had been jumping down from a tree to ambush from river pirates. It had not been his fault someone had been watching, and spread that rumor. In fact, it had caused a lightning magus to track him down and try to learn the trick, which had been quite a good deal for him in the end, as he'd gotten something as precious to him as Bessie. Realizing his mind was rambling, he focused back onto his Summoner.

“Do you have any idea where these creatures might originate from? Or who they really are?” asked the man. He was obviously the investigative type, that was for certain. Good man. Focus is important. thought Davy. Then he pondered it. Something had been definatively not rightabout the creatures. Not just in appearence, they smelled wrong, moved wrong, reacted wrong. Wrong Wrong Wrong. Definately magic. Bad magic. More powerful then anything he had encountered in his travels, which considering he'd traveled with native shamen, was considerable.

"Not a clue. All ah can say is that whatevah it is, it en't good. Some very bad thin's are goin' down, an' messin' with the natural order o' thin's. Twistin' 'em up, twistin' up nature too. A Grade trouble, we all in." he said, before spitting on the ground. "So best get movin tah safe ground fer now. Ah don' s'pose you got a spot we could 'ole up?" He asked with a smile.

[Brad McDowell]

McDowell listened to Crockett’s explanation of the whole thing. It’s the simplest possible explanation, still perhaps confusing to the uninitiated, but he understands every bit of explanation from Crockett’s mouth. Obviously something was wrong about the way the monster spawned abruptly from the shadows, but he was never really familiar with that kind of magic. The principle should be similar to a summoning a familiar, similar to how Brad had managed to summon the man currently standing in a close proximity to him. He didn’t know much about the Grail War, considering he only started searching about the information when he was asked to bring that leather jacket here. But he knows that the Grail facilitates all of the summoning, and that was the sole reason he was able to summon as good a familiar as the man standing before him. He knows that the creatures before were not ordinary familiars, but he also didn’t think that the Grail spawned them, so they must come from another source.

Or is it? *DUN DUN DUUUUUUNN*

"So best get movin tah safe ground fer now. Ah don' s'pose you got a spot we could 'ole up?"

“Aye, as a matter a fact I do. It’s not much, and I haven’t really planned to stay for a long time, but at least it can serve as a shelter.” His apartment isn’t the most secure place in the world, and it wasn’t even his workshop, but it can do in an emergency Brad thought.

Retreating back to his apartment should be the most logical course of action right now, but right now he need to clarify some things with his servant. Brad honestly didn’t know how his servant will react, he’s unaware if Davy Crockett will have a wish, perhaps something related to the Alamo, but he won’t really keep empty promises away from his servant.

“But before that, I’m going to let you know one thing,” He paused for a second before continuing, “I wasn’t really thinking about participating in the Grail War in the first place.” Brad’s letting the sentence sink for a moment before he continues. “I can’t promise you a wish or anything like that, but if there’s one thing I know, I don’t plan on dying in this War and I need someone to watch my back while I watch theirs.”

Finishing his last sentence, Brad proceeds to extend his right arm. “So what do you say, Partner?”

[Davy Crockett]

McDowell admitted to him that he hadn't planned on joining the war, and made no promises on the wish. There was an honesty to the way he said it that Davy could sense. A kindred spirit, eh? he thought to himself.

Davy simply laughed and grasped his partner's hand. "Ahw 'ell. Ah think Ah'm beginin' tah like you, McDowell. Yeh remind me a' an ol' friend a' mahne." He nodded with a smile at the man opposite him, before his eyes turned poetical. "Ah got no wish for me. Ah always lived with no regrets, 'cept maybeh 'bout mah kids and mah boys. Them thad died on mah account at Los Alamos. Polly. Thin's ah couldn' control. They'd be no sense disturbin' them thats at peace..." Crockett internally teared up remembering his love, long lost to disease. He didn't let it show on his face though, releasing McDowells hand and dropping his own to his side.

Davy continued "So even if we win, ah'd have nothin to ask for it. But ah'll watch yer back, because ah can tell jest bah lookin' at you that yer a man with something worth livin' for. An' that, mah friend, is worth fightin' for." With that, Davy drew himself to his full height, a head taller then his companion. "So ah'll watch yer back, no matter the cost, friend. 'Cause that's who ah am, how ah lived and live. No regrets, no matter what. So lez get movin', before we get eaten bah bigfoot."

Davy paused for a second, before smirking. "Ah'm sorry if ah've been ramblin'. Heh, no'mally, Jim woulda stopped meh before ah got on a roll." He had a chuckle to himself for a second, before looking expectantly at McDowell.

[Brad McDowell]

Brad paused for a moment while hearing about Davy’s brief description of his life story. He had heard the life story of Davy Crockett before, but that was just the writings history book, second hand account of his life. To hear Davy Crockett, even if it’s a copy, tell someone his life story is an experience that historians would love to be a part of. Brad realized that it’s not really the time to sit down and listen to stories, but he can’t help to listen to the little blurb of a story until it’s finished.

Regrets, Brad had many regrets in his life, to be able to change how his teacher died, to be able to accompany his wife in childbirth. But those thoughts are just selfish wishes that would benefit nobody but him, and it seems stupid to waste a wish-granting device like the Grail for those reasons.

He would like to think that he has move on, he really does. Brad admires Davy’s resolve about leaving past things in the past, he can’t seem to let go of his past regrets right now.

"Ah'm sorry if ah've been ramblin'. Heh, no'mally, Jim woulda stopped meh before ah got on a roll."

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind then.” McDowell chuckled briefly before continuing, “Aye, my vehicle’s just around the corner there, let’s just go there for now, I’m willing to bet this alley still got unwanted surprises lurking around somewhere.” When he’s finished with that sentence, he eyed the other end of the alley briefly to make sure that it doesn’t turn into an ironic situation.

Turning around to the alley’s exit, Brad momentarily closes his eyes to focus into the details about his newfound servant. He had heard of a rumor that the Grail’s pouring information towards the expectant masters and servants, to explain how the Grail War works. He noticed the information page, how his newfound servant’s classified in the Grail War system, Archer.

“So what do you want me to call you now? I know Davy seems good, but shouldn’t you hide your identity from the other masters?” He and Crockett are now halfway between the parking lot and the alley. “I don’t mind calling you Archer, I'm just saying that if you don't like the name then we can just use something else.”

[Davy Crockett]

Davy considered it as he followed McDowell. It made sense to go by the name Archer, and yet it didn't seem to fit. Though he was as good with a bow and arrow as any trapper, he didn't seem to have a bow on him. It was quite paradoxical. However, Davy mulled it over quickly before coming to a decision. "Hmmm. Ah s'pose, considerin ah en't got a bow, but ah got Bessie, ye should call me... Gunnah. It would fit more, an' maybeh make some poor fool go lookin' fer 'ouwahs, tryin' ta find a name that don' exist." Davy chuckled at the thought. "Ah don' mind people knowin' who ah am, but it makes sense ta be cautious. Ye don' wan the prey ye stalkin' ta get yer scent a'fore ye got 'em in yer sights. They might flee, or ye might find yerself with a cougar on yer throat." and with that comment he rubbed the faded scars on his cheek.

Of course it was about now that the pair had left the alley, and Davy caught his first glance at the new world he lived in. "Well, ah'll be. Thazz mighty impressive." The Grail gave him a bigger picture, and he actually whistled aloud, from how far the world had come since his time. The biggest city he'd ever been in was D.C., and that had been a long time ago, in a city that was still rebuilding from being burned down by the Brits. It had nothing on this city, and from what the Grail indicated, it was nowhere near the biggest these day. "If ah live to be a hund'erd, ah'll nevah stop bein' impressed by what folks can do if they put theyah minds to it." Of course, by now Davy had stopped in his tracks for quite a while, lost in thought. Someone probably was staring at the oddly dressed man staring at the buildings of Lucca. Indeed, already some little kid was asking her father in italian about him, pointing as she did so.

[Brad McDowell]

Brad pondered Davy’s words about the newly proposed nickname, “Hmm, Gunner eh? Don’t see anything wrong with that.” Brad kept walking while continuing with the train of thought conversation, making a gesture with his hat towards the Italian man and his little kid, “In fact it sounds like a real first name, or a nickname, not really that suspicious.” Brad sees the sturdy looking frame of his Jeep, and a feeling of quiet relief came over his whole body for the first time in the last 15 minutes. With the vehicle on sight, he turned to Davy again, “Alright, Gunner it is then, might be good for a few moments of confusion too.” He then continues with the gesture towards his Jeep, “That’s our transport for this evening, an old model, but can still as tough as any other.”

He noticed earlier about how Davy was in awe looking towards all of the building, and tried to picture just how fascinated a servant from the frontiers will be in this modern age. How the building that was formerly made of wood and stones now replaced concrete and steel. Brad imagined himself in Davy’s shoes, and he understood the fascination, even if it’s not really the right time for that.

Once the two of them arrived at the parking lot, Brad immediately settled himself nicely at the driver’s seat making a patting motion on the shotgun seat beside him. “Best seat in the house, here.” He said while turning on the engine. Davy’s marveling the steel steed for a moment before finally jumping in on the shotgun seat.

Pondering a bit before putting the car in reverse, Brad muses for a bit while eyeing the pair of father and son on the opposite sidewalk, “Hmm, perhaps we should do something about that frontier get-up of yours too, it stands out too much.” With that said, he turned the Jeep around and out of the parking lot.