Faker

His despair filled cackle of a laugh echoed throughout the barren halls, as he held onto his sides to stop himself from collapsing onto the floor. His green eyes lifted from the floor at which he had been facing, staring into its cold gold ones.

"You're not my hero."

He spoke with a mad grin, the cracks and pulsating veins running along his face contorting with his depraved expression. This...monstrosity couldn't possibly be his Hero! His hero was pure and just, with a peaceful expression on his face and a bright red jacket that couldn't not bring hope to those he saved. Not some creature dressed in black and gold, with that shaven hairstyle, and an expression that would've fit a machine more than a person.

Its expression not changing, it said, "You can believe what you'd like to I suppose. It won't change what's going to happen to you."

In its hands formed a pair of bladed white and black handguns, which it raised at him and fired. As the bullets grazed past his shoulders, he laughed more, his own handguns slipping from his sleeves into his hands, which he fired back at the monster in front of him. Mad cackles rang out throughout the halls, his victory self-assured. After all, he had taken up the mission of being a hero of justice.

And heroes never lost to the forces of evil.

He'd beat this monstrosity using his hero's name.

The only one worthy of his hero's legacy was himself! He had seen the reports, his hero murdered by the corrupt world! From that moment forth, he had sworn to continue his hero's work, slaughtering those who oppressing the innocent, and become a hero of justice!

He had destroyed his own body many times, trying and failing to recreate the miracles he had witnessed!

But he had done it! He had done it damn it! Even if he could never hope to reach the same level as his hero, he could hide his weapons along his body and pull them out instantly! He could take the bullets that riddled his body! He could even handle the surgeries to grant him further capabilities!

He'd done it all! All for the sake of his hero! He'd went through the training, he'd changed his appearance, he'd took his name, he'd even killed those who'd learned that his hero hadn't risen from the grave like a savior!

He killed those who had murdered his hero!

He killed those that had scorned his name!

He killed those who had been close to him!

He even killed those pretenders, who tried to kill him for "tarnishing his legacy"!

He had insured that the name of Shirou Emiya was known and feared by every villain out there!

And yet, and yet, and yet this thing still stood before him, taking every bullet, every slash, every stab, and every explosion like it hadn't been anything!

This monster was nothing more of a mockery of everything he stood for!

It had the same face, it had the same voice, but it was nothing more than an impostor! He refused to believe otherwise! He'd kill it, and continue as a hero of justice!

"DIE!" He roared, managing to get close to the monster before stabbing into its neck with a poisoned blade.

To his horror, his efforts were for naught as the monster turned to the side ever so slightly, avoiding the blade before raising its arm up in a swift motion, the blade running along its gun slicing his hand off.

As he screeched in pain, the monster didn't give up the opportunity, slashing at his leg and bringing him to the ground before shooting into his gut, covering its pants legs and shoes, as well as the floor in his blood.

H-How?! His body had been reinforced through so many procedures, drugs, and armor plating. How could this monster's bullets and blades tear through them like butter?!

Crouching down to his eye level, the monster sneered as it spoke, "Confused aren't you? Even bastards like you don't get to see actual magecraft very often. Of course my weapons outclass anything you could possibly have."

W-what was it talking about?

It brought its gun to below his chin, lifting it up so it could get a better look at his face. "Ah, I remember you…"

It spoke his name. It looked at him with an expression reminiscent of…

No, no, no, no, it couldn't be.

It couldn't possibly be...no…

...his...his hero…

His hero was alive, staring at him like a predator that had caught its prey.

B-but, if his hero was fighting him, didn't that make him…?

"Congratulations, you've become a threat to humanity." His hero said, pulling the trigger to the gun that was still under his head, ending his life in an instant.

He didn't have magic powers after all.

Staring down at the corpse of the man who had stolen the name he once used, he frowned before stepping away. He had done his job.

Stop a madman from destroying the world for the sake of "Justice".

He had no reason to stay.

Just a short little one-shot I wanted to do after watching Case Files. The Faker class it had reminded me of some old theories about good old Demiya when he first appeared in the CM of Shinjuku when a lot of people couldn't believe he was good boy Shirou, and thought he'd be a person Shirou saved who took up his name, acting as the Shirou to Shirou's Kiritsugu.

Obviously that was very wrong, but the idea of the Faker class, people who took up the names of others, really interested me and when I remembered that old theory I decided I had to write.

I hope you enjoyed this short story, and have a nice day.