Edited : August 4th, 2016

Chapter 1

Pyrrha's rescue was a blur of pictures and moments in time. A combination of stress, exhaustion, and blood loss had lulled her into a delirious state of confusion. She vaguely remembered being helped into the man's car, but that was all she could confidently recall. Everything else was a dreamy blur of colors and sounds.

The next thing she did remember was waking up in a bed. It was a full king size bed, soft to the touch with light cotton sheets. The room itself was rather cramped, but made efficient use of the space it had. It was furnished with secondhand furniture, and half a dozen throw only light came from a fireplace nestled in the wall that cast soft shadows every which way.. A handful of easy chairs and a comfortable-looking couch were well spaced through the room. A few scuffed-up old bookshelves, cheap and sturdy, lined the walls, and contained what looked to be a sizable personal library. A counter was situated across from the bed, and there was a small fridge and electric griddle built into it

All in all, it was a very comfy looking room, and Pyrrha felt her mind relax. This certainly didn't seem like some sort of Grimm nest, or an abandoned part of the city. It was just a normal room, in a normal house. She could live with that. The real question was where had the owner disappeared to?

The man who rescued her was nowhere to be seen. What was his name? Barry? Larry? Kerry? No, it was Harry. Harry Dresden. Yeah, that was it.

Pyrrha pushed herself up and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. She must've been asleep for some time, she was stiff and sore. Or perhaps it was just a matter of exhaustion. Something, somehow, had drained her Aura and left her nearly dead. Even with her leg injury, she could've handled a Grimm, or at least given a better showing than she had. In hindsight, she supposed she was far more exhausted than she had first guessed.

That had changed now, among other things. A quick glance down showed that, yes, Pyrrha had clothes again. Her mysterious rescuer must have given them to her in her sleep. She wore a long black shirt and a short pair of red pajama shorts. On her shirt across the chest was a monochrome image of several multi sided dice and written in block print, "COME TO THE DORK SIDE. DO NOT MAKE ME DESTROY YOU."

She picked at the shirt, and smiled faintly. This seemed like something Jaune might have worn before he came to Beacon Academy. Her teammate, and very close friend, the young man wasn't what she would call a warrior, or particularly coordinated. Or even mildly competent - well, at least according to others, and sometimes, she had to agree with them. But he was honest about himself, and if anyone was asked to describe him with one word, dork might be the word they chose. Pyrrha preferred the term friend, or caring, but that was just her; and even she couldn't deny that Jaune could indeed be a complete dork. That was one reason she…

Pyrrha shook her head, this wasn't the time to reminisce. She needed answers, and she needed them sooner rather than later. Finding her savior would be the quickest way to achieve that goal, and so she threw off the sheets, and flexed her leg. A dull pain rolled up the limb, but it was a far cry from the lightning strike of agony she had felt earlier. A quick examination of her calf showed that, in her sleep, someone had tended to her wounds. A series of gauze bandages were wrapped tightly around her calf, and stained rusty red. Flexing her leg revealed what she had suspected. With time to relax and recover from her trauma, Pyrrha's Aura had replenished, taking care of her wound.

A quick removal of her bandages showed that, yes, the wound had been stitched shut. Where the stitch marks were supposed to be, there was only a thick mass of scar tissue. In a few more days, it would probably fade into another beauty mark. She had a few on various parts of her body, a lifetime of fighting and an exceptionally strong Aura meant that she very rarely accumulated scars.

Gingerly testing the limb, Pyrrha smiled and carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor. More dull pain, and the concrete floor on her bare feet made her shiver, but it was hardly crippling. She could walk now, which meant she could finally get some damn answers.

"Watch your language Pyrrha," she murmured to herself, but remained smiling. No matter the situation, manners were always important.

Speaking of, it was time she found and thanked Mr. Dresden for rescuing her. A short limp across the bedroom brought her to the door, and Pyrrha eased it open. She was surprised to find a… well, a cavern of an apartment.

The living room reminded her of a training dojo in sheer size, with equally high ceilings. There was a small bar separating the kitchen from the rest of the open space. There was a fireplace with what looked like a living room set around it in one corner of the room, and a second section of comfy chairs and a desk tucked into a nook lined with built-in bookshelves. There was a weight set, too, along with an elliptical machine, both looked expensive. The floors were hardwood, covered by carpets in places. A few more doors led off from this main room.

"Wow," Pyrrha murmured. While certainly not the most impressive building she'd seen, for what she had to guess was one man, it was far more than she thought anyone would need. The small guest room she'd been staying in was minuscule compared to the apartment itself.

The owner, her rescuer, was sitting by the lit fireplace, with another man. He was significantly shorter than Harry, with sharp high features, and wiry black hair that seemed to stick up in whatever direction it felt like. He had a scrawny build, and was wearing blue hospital scrubs. A large medical bag rested next to him, and between the short man and Harry, was a small table where a… a human skull was placed between them.

What in the world?

"I don't get it Harry," the shorter man said. His voice had a nasally edge to it, but it was more charming than irritating. He wrung his hands together nervously as he spoke. "We don't know anything about this girl, you should have taken her to an actual hospital."

Harry was leaned forward and wore a look of patience that suggested he had this conversation often and with repeated results. Now that she saw him in better light, Pyrrha could make out some of his features. He had a strong jawline, and a clean shaven face. His hair was cut short and by the looks of it, he did it himself rather often. A scar crossed over one of his eyes, and the slight angle of his nose suggested that it had been broken at one time. He was also a big, big man. Nearly seven feet tall, and though he wasn't particularly bulky, his lean build suggested plenty of mass on his oversized frame.

Harry rubbed his face once and sighed, "Under any other circumstance, I'd have agreed, Butters. Random girl runs into the street wearing nothing but a rain tarp and with a bloody hole in her leg? Strange. But you saw that thing that came out after her. Whoever she is, she's obviously got someone or something pissed at her. I'd rather keep her somewhere safe until I can get some answers, and I don't mix well with hospitals"

The man, Butters, shook his head, "You should consider yourself lucky I was with you at the time. You might know some basic medical tricks, but an injury like that could've killed her without proper treatment. Me being along for the ride was lucky coincidence."

"Yeah, coincidence," Harry chuckled, "Is that what you're still calling it, Jedi of the Cross?"

Butters ducked his head sheepishly,"I've told you before, I don't think every event in my life is dictated by that, Harry. Sometimes a coincidence is just that, a coincidence."

Harry folded his arms, and gave Butters a wry smile, "Butters, Butters, Butters. I've seen Knights in action. Coincidence is their super power."

"If you say so," Butters sighed. He looked away from Harry, and frowned. His big eyes widened when he saw Pyrrha standing by the door. She'd eased it shut behind her while they spoke and smiled awkwardly at him.

Harry caught onto the pause and followed Butters gaze. He blinked in surprise when he saw Pyrrha. She gave a nervous little wave, "Hello again."

"And so the mystery girl awakens," Harry murmured, sounding amused.

Butters was on his feet within seconds, "Miss, I know you must be confused right now, but you shouldn't be walking on that injured leg."

Pyrrha blinked and looked down at her leg, "Oh, my leg. Right. It's fine now, I take it you're the one who patched me up?"

Harry and Butters exchanged a look. Butters began to stutter, "Y-you're… But… I'm sorry, just...sit down here, , please."

Pyrrha did as she was asked, while Butters scurried over to her. Behind him, Harry rose and casually strolled closer. His big leather duster was gone now, and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which read 'NERD? I PREFER THE TERM INTELLECTUAL BADASS' in all bold white. That confirmed her suspicions on where she got her new shirt from, and explained why it was practically a mini-dress on her.

Despite his surprising height and size, Harry moved with the care and restraint of someone who was afraid that if he moved too fast, he'd break something or someone. A feeling Pyrrha could relate to, with her own six-foot height pushing her far above most girls and plenty of guys.

"Harry, I need a chair!" Butters snapped when he reached Pyrrha.

The tall man turned without missing a beat, "On it," he drawled, and retrieved two chairs from the mini-bar, hefting them with ease.

Pyrrha barely had time to try and protest before she suddenly found herself sitting down with her formerly injured leg propped up on one of the chairs. The two men had far more experience with tending to injured people that didn't want to be tended to than was normal for most. Pyrrha blew a few loose strands of hair out eye and folded her hands on her lap while Butters poked at her scar and gaped.

"That's… it… How is that even possible?" his voice shook.

Pyrrha raised a brow in mild surprise. Surely a doctor would know about the Aura abilities of a Huntress. Then again, based on what Harry said, it was entirely possible that Butters wasn't actually a qualified doctor. This whole situation just kept getting stranger and stranger.

Butters looked from her leg, to Pyrrha, to Harry, to her leg and back again. He did this three times before promptly standing up, "I'll be right back with my medical kit, do not move. You've got stitches I'll need to remove and it won't be easy with all that scar tissue there."

"Of course Doctor." Pyrrha said, smiling. Trying to operate on her with her Aura active wouldn't work out well under normal circumstances if she were younger, or Jaune, but Pyrrha had enough control over her abilities that she could relax the mystical shield in the scar's area.

Butters shook his head and walked off, leaving her alone with Harry, who was sitting on another stool he'd dragged over. She glanced at him and saw him resting his hands on his thighs and watching her intently. He wasn't leering at her, more… analyzing her, trying to get a read on her. It was an expression she often saw during combat, but his was almost… predatory. Pyrrha felt her skin crawl, and immediately relaxed her posture to appear less threatening. She also made sure not to let Harry completely leave her sight.

Harry caught the gesture, and immediately stopped. He awkwardly clapped his hands together, and said, "I... don't think we ever got your name, miss."

Pyrrha glanced back at him, and forced a smile, "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Pyrrha Nikos... and thank you for saving me Mr. Dresden."

Harry looked at the returning Butters, and smirked, "Hear that? Mister Dresden. That's what we call respect, Butters."

The short man grunted with disinterest, "Hmph, yeah, respect."

"You're just jealous," Harry huffed, and turned back to Pyrrha, "So, Ms. Nikos, care to explain what in the hell we literally ran into last night? Got a big old dent in my new car and don't even know what the beastie was that did it."

Butters grumbled something under his breath, and popped open his medical bag. Harry looked indignant, "Hey, don't diss the Blue Beetle Mk. II. It's new to me."

Butters raised his hands defensively for a moment, then started pulling medical equipment from his bag. Deciding between watching Butters cut open the scar on her leg and catching that predatory gaze again, Pyrrha went with the lesser of two evils, and looked at Harry again. She immediately noted that he was taking great pains to avoid eye contact with her and Butters.

If the look he had given her wasn't unnerving enough, what really rubbed Pyrrha the wrong way was the fact that he didn't recognize the Grimm. Everyone knew of the Grimm, and Hunters knew what the Grimm were. Creatures of darkness that had existed since long before humans walked the surface of Remnant, that fed off the dark and negative emotions of humans. They didn't eat, they didn't sleep, they only existed to destroy. Everyone knew what Grimm were, even if they'd never personally seen one. Which begged the question of how her rescuers didn't know what it was, or why her leg was healed.

Her lips curved into a frown, and Pyrrha chose her next words carefully, "I… can tell you, Mr. Dresden. But only if you answer a question for me first."

"Deal," Harry spread his hands, "Ask away."

Pyrrha nodded and pursed her lips, "Where… am I?"

"Chicago, Illinois," said Butters, without looking up from his work.

Harry nodded in confirmation, "That's the place."

"Chi-cago…" Pyrrha tested the word, frowning, "I can't say I've heard of this city. Or the Kingdom it's in either. I thought there were only four."

"Um…" Pyrrha looked at Butters. He had stopped working to stare at her.

"What?"

The little man blinked once, then looked at Harry. Pyrrha watching them both. Mild annoyance flashed across her face, but she remained patient. Obviously there was more to this situation than she initially thought.

Harry sighed, "Right, and this brings us back to the root of confusion. Why don't you tell us where you're from, Pyrrha? If you can tell us the last thing you remember as well, that would help."

Pyrrha nodded, that was a simple, reasonable request, "Okay. Well, I was born and raised in the Kingdom of Mistral, one of the four Kingdoms. The others are Vale, Vacuo, and Atlas. I trained at the Sanctum Combat School before graduating and transferring to Beacon Academy in Vale. Last I remember, I was nearing the end of my first year there, and was participating in the 40th Vytal Festival with the rest of my team. I think the most recent memory from that I have is being called to Headmaster Ozpin's office. After that, I remember waking up in that alley, and you saving me from the Grimm."

Silence reigned. Both Butters and Harry stared silently at Pyrrha, the former with wide eyes. She fidgeted in place, but remained still otherwise. They wanted answers, and she had given them like they had asked.

Butters coughed and looked at Harry, opening his mouth. Harry silence him with a raised hand, "Yeah, I know. But if she were actually crazy, I don't think we'd be having a civil conversation with her at all.

He looked at Pyrrha, "That said, your explanation just raises more questions. That thing chasing you, what did you say it was called?"

"A Grimm," she answered, "A Beowolf to be more specific. They're fairly common in the forests around Vale."

"Right, Beowolf" Harry muttered, suppressing a snicker, "And what exactly is a Grimm?"

Pyrrha blinked. Sure, she knew now that her personal knowledge was vastly different from what her rescuers knew, but it was still a surprising question. How could anyone, even someone who'd never heard of the Kingdoms, not know what a Grimm was? That would be like not knowing what air was, or water.

"You… really don't know?" Pyrrha asked.

Harry shrugged, "Let's say I know absolutely nothing about Grimm. How would you explain them to me?"

"Hold on," Butters interrupted, focused back on his work. "This might sting a little…"

A sharp pain shot through her calf for a brief moment, then dulled again. Pyrrha winced, but besides that, it was hardly that bad. She'd had worse, anyway. "Continue," Butters waved, setting aside a bit of bloodied stitching.

"Right…" Pyrrha sighed and thought on the best way to explain the Grimm. It wasn't exactly hard.

"The Grimm are…monsters," she started. "No one is sure where they came from, or what exactly it is they want. All that we do know is that they have a burning hatred for humanity, and are drawn to negative emotions. They can come in many shapes and sizes, and in endless numbers. It's only because of people like me and you that humans haven't been wiped out."

Harry raised a brow, "Like us?"

Pyrrha felt a twinge of pride, "Hunters and Huntresses. We are warriors trained by the Academies to neutralize any Grimm threats to the Four Kingdoms. We have a powerful Aura and manifest it through our Semblance, granting us powers and abilities that put us on even footing with them. We have protected the Four Kingdoms for centuries"

Slowly, Harry leaned back, emitting a low whistle, "That's quite the boast kid. An army of super soldiers fighting off hordes of emotion-eating monsters? Sounds like a bad fantasy novel."

Pyrrha smiled sheepishly, "I'll admit, I've thought it ridiculous too, but it is the world we live in. Regardless of how silly it might sound, I still stand with others like me as a bastion against any threats against human-"

A sharp stab of pain in her leg made her jump, "Eep!"

"Sorry!" Butters apologized.

Pyrrha forced another smile, "It's…fine," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Ignoring the exchange, Harry scratched at his scar, "This is all very interesting, Miss Nikos, but… Well I'm not sure if I can believe it. You might, but.."

Her smile twisted into a frown, "Mr. Dresden, I'm not crazy, if that is what you think. My memories are my own, this I know for a fact."

"I don't doubt that you believe that," Harry said softly, "But there isn't really a way to confirm it."

Butters cleared his throat. Both of them looked to the short doctor. "Actually, Harry, there's a few options you're forgetting about

Harry sighed, "There's a few, yeah." and began counting off his fingers, "We already know she seems to have some kind of Talent. When we moved her into the car, I could feel it on contact. This might be that Aura you're talking about, or it might be something entirely different. You could just be absolutely bonkers, always a possibility with practitioners."

Pyrrha folded her arms, and tried to keep her irritation in check, "Mr. Dresden, your concern is of course commendable. But I will also remind you that I was attacked by a Grimm before your very eyes."

"Could have been a Demon," Harry replied casually, "Or an Outsider. Maybe you're a young wizard that got involved in something way out of hand and it drove you mad. No way to be absolutely sure."

Butters spoke up again, "What about a Soulgaze? Isn't that kinda the Wizards be-all-end-all solution?"

Harry scowled, "I can't just go throwing it around willy-nilly, Butters. Besides, that stuff never fades. If I use it on her and she is crazy, then I'm stuck with that for life, not to mention what she Sees of me might not really be kind to her."

"You're saying one crazy girl is worse than the Skinwalker?" Butters asked.

That made Harry flinch, like he'd tasted something spectacularly sour. He drummed his fingers on his legs, "Well...no, that would be silly, wouldn't it?"

"Excuse me," Pyrrha interrupted, keeping her tone firm. She appreciated their help, but she was growing impatient. Harry and Butters looked back to her.

"What is this 'Soulgaze' you're talking about?"

Harry sighed, again, and covered his face, "It will let me see your soul, basically. I'll be able to see how the event of your world have shaped you, get a glimpse of what you could be, or whether you're broken and torn inside."

"So why not use it then?" Pyrrha asked.

"Because the memory never fades, like I just said. If you aren't stable, under someone's influence, or just aren't strong enough, the experience may be more than your mind can take before...shutting down."

Pyrrha tried and failed to scowl. That was a surprisingly good reason for his reluctance. But on the other hand, "Is there any other way you can think of to prove I'm telling the truth? I have no identification on me, I have nothing from my home to prove it to you. Either you accept me at my word, Mr. Dresden, or we do something about this."

Harry hung his head, "Yeah, I know. It's not just that though kid. If we do this, then you'll see my soul too. And the memory will never fade, ever."

The tone of guilt in his voice made Pyrrha hesitate. This was more than just concern for himself, it was shame that he would hurt her in the process as well. She unfolded her arms, and said, "Is there any other option than? Any at all?"

"None that are immediately available," Harry admitted, "The Sight wouldn't show me if you were trustworthy, just your 'true form'. I don't have to like it, but Butters is right, the Soulgaze is our best bet."

Pyrrha nodded, understanding, "Then, I think we should do it. You seem like a decent man, Mr. Dresden. You saved me at the risk of hurting yourself. Someone truly despicable wouldn't have looked twice."

Harry rubbed at his face, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Then he clapped his hands together, "Right, then let's get this started.

"Okay," Pyrrha agreed, "How do we do this?"

Harry adjusted his chair, and leaned forward a little, "Simple, just look into my eyes for a few seconds. The rest will come naturally."

Pyrrha took a breath, "Okay then," and did as he said.

Harry had deep brown eyes, and they were intense. While Harry was probably in his late thirties, maybe his forties, his eyes were far older. He had the eyes of someone far older than he was. It was tragic and-

Suddenly, Pyrrha was no longer sitting in the apartment. She stood at a frozen mountain pass, colossal mountains rising to either side of her and converging into a tiny pass just wide enough for a two people to walk through shoulder to shoulder. It was filled with a towering presence that filled most of that space. It took Pyrrha a moment to recognize the man as Harry.

He stood at this pass, feet dug into the ground, his staff clenched tightly in one hand, a sword in the other. Both were covered in a thousand cuts and nicks, their edges tinted white from frost. Heavy ragged brown robes fell from his shoulders, and beneath them she could see the edges of plate mail. It took was dented and damaged, hoarfrost creeping over it. Dried blood marked numerous places where the armor had failed, but Harry still stood defiant. His face looked similar to what she was getting familiar with, but covered in far more scars and fresh cuts.

What was most impressive about the entire setting was how he shouldered them. Most would collapse under the weight of that armor, those injuries, or the cold that was increasing by the second. But Harry seemed oblivious to his injuries, and kept a steady eye on the land spread before him.

The reason lay behind him.

A large natural bowl formed behind him, and inside that bowl was a city. Pyrrha didn't recognize the landmarks, or buildings, but she knew a city when she saw one. Towering skyscrapers nearly as tall as the mountains that surrounded them, grand roads that weaved between buildings and millions of people going about their day. Scattered throughout this city stood statues, larger than any building.

Each was carved into the likeness of a different person. Some were tall and imposing men, others were smaller but equally determined women. Smaller child-like statues were gathered around a small suburban house, protected by two larger statues of a man and women. The female statue was marred with dozens of small cracks and chips. The male statue was covered in pits and cracks, a chunk of its chest missing and one of its legs broken. Several other statues were like that, pocked and pitted with minor or major damage. Several lay in pieces on the ground, time and weather having torn them down.

It was hardly the most subtle symbolism, and Pyrrha picked it up simply enough. Harry was a defender, a protector of what he saw as his city. The statues were friends and family that he was fighting desperately to protect no matter the personal cost to himself. As long as they stood, he would stand. But she knew that his stalwart defense hadn't been enough. There were far too many broken and damaged statues. All his efforts still weren't enough to protect those important to him.

The wind picked up suddenly, and Pyrrha's view went back to Dresden. He was gripping his staff hard, and glaring at the empty land that surrounded his city. Pyrrha peered past him, and saw what had caught his attention. The sky was growing cold and dark, thick thunder headed clouds rolled across the sky. Snow was beginning to fall, and the air took on a harsh biting edge.

Something shook the ground, a thousand somethings. Pyrrha saw them rapidly approaching the mountain pass, and their shapes became visible very quickly. At the forefront of what was a horde of horrors, came large batlike creatures, running on four legs. Their skin was a greasy black spotted with bits of pink flesh. They had long lolling tongues and huge black eyes. They hissed and they snarled in rage at Dresden.

The man calmly raised his staff at the monsters, boomed a set of words that Pyrrha could not understand.

He didn't raise his voice, but the words rung through the air, resonating into Pyrrha's very being. Fire blossomed before him, and those monsters erupted into flame, filling the sky with more inky blackness. The fire eagerly consumed them, reducing the monsters into nothing more than grease spots on the floor.

All it took was a cool breeze to blow the flames away though. Yet more monsters came barreling through what was left of the first line. Huge oversized beasts, smaller human shaped creatures of shadow, others of incalculable beauty, and some with forms that were far too strange and alien. That freezing air blew ahead of them, kicking up dirt and snow, pushing it all towards Harry.

He raised his sword, and a translucent dome of blue energy rose to stop the onslaught of icy wind and dirt. It harmlessly rattled off it in a series of tiny bright lights that exploded at the touch impact. The monsters drew closer, and Harry let his shield drop to raise his staff at them. The runes along its edge ignited in fire, and his eyes blazed with fury.

Once more he spoke, his voice very angry. Once more, she couldn't understand what he said. But she felt the power behind his words.

Pure force lashed out from the end of his staff, tinted a silvery white. It rolled across the field towards the nearest monsters, knocking them aside with contemptuous ease. The rest closed in on him, leaped to rip him apart, and-

The Soulgaze ended, and Pyrrha was suddenly back in the apartment. She jerked back in surprise and blinked a few times, taking fast breathes to calm herself. Harry leaned back with his eyes clenched and rubbed at his face while Butters looked between the two. He raised his brows inquisitively at the both of them.

"That…" Pyrrha shook her head, "What was that?"

"Soulgaze," Harry mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It's always intense. I warned you."

Intense was an understatement in Pyrrha's opinion. What she saw had been so very real. Even now, back in the apartment, she could feel the cool air biting at her very core. And that battle at the end, she thought for sure she was going to get dragged into it. But no, it was just a… a vision? Yes, that made sense. It would explain why the memory was still so vivid. Pyrrha had a feeling she'd never really forget what she'd seen.

Yet it certainly did tell her something important too. Harry was a good, if stubborn man. She could trust him to the end of the world and never worry about him betraying her or turning his back on her. He was an ally, and knowing that settled her nerves, that she hadn't even realized were so high-strung.

Butters impatiently tapped something on the table supporting Pyrrha's leg and gave Harry a look, "So, what did you see? Is she…you know? Sane?"

Harry released his nose and nodded, "Yeah, she's legit. We can trust her." He looked back at Pyrrha, "I don't exactly know how you got here Pyrrha, or why, I promise I'll help you try and get you home."

"Whoa wait," Butters interrupted before Pyrrha could say a word. She folded her arms and raised a brow at him. Butters didn't see the gesture, "So you're saying that she's…. what? From another world?"

Harry shrugged, "Maybe? If her story is true, it's the only real explanation."

Once those words sank in, Butters slowly fell back in his chair in a daze, "I… I don't believe it. You're saying that… Multiverse Theory is real?"

"Maybe," said Harry, "There's no real way to know for sure, unless we learn more about the situation. Which I intend to do."

"How will you do that?" Pyrrha finally asked while Butters was busy muttering about impossibilities, science, and crazy wizards. Far as she knew, there wasn't any real evidence of how she'd arrived in this… Chicago. What did Harry hope to find?

He flashed her a smile, "I'm a Private Investigator Pyrrha. Unravelling mysteries is what I do. And if I'm going to figure out why you're here, I'll need to investigate the scene of the crime."

Pyrrha stood up, ignoring Butters' protest, and smiled, "Then I would like to come along, Mr. Dresden, to see if I can help."

His smile faded a little, "I'm… not sure if that's a great idea. You really should rest…"

"Yes, but I know more about Grimm than you do. If there was one, there's likely to be more. I'm sorry Mr. Dresden, but I would really appreciate being able to help."

Pyrrha was a tall girl, but Harry was still a head higher than her. She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, and with the Soulgaze done, Harry didn't avert them. Instead, he stared at her for a minute, then let out an irritated sigh.

"Fine, fine," he flung a hand in the air, "You can tag along kiddo, as long as you don't get in my way. But we need to do something first."

"What's that?" Pyrrha asked.

He pointed at her short shorts, "We need to get you some pants."

A/N: Right on schedule! I was rather excited to get this chapter out today, and don't worry, chapter 2 is in the works right now.

Now then, onto plot-stuff. There's a lot of little details relating to Pyrrha and what state she's in right now. We'll see more of them in the future as the plot unfolds, but if you have questions on it, feel free to ask. Now, why did Harry so readily agree with Pyrrha? Soulgaze. Obviously. Which brings us to that scene. In the books, we've never seen what the other party sees when Harry does a Soulgaze. All we know for sure is that it tends to be impressive and leaves people either in awe or with some level of respect for him. I'm not sure if I did it justice, but there were about four or five drafts of that scene, and this was the one that was the least shit.

One heads up for my readers though. As much as I'd love to be able to pull off some RWBY style action in the future, the limitations of the written media make that rather difficult to pull off. This story will be following more of a Dresden Files path. Plot and character events, interspiced with moments of pure undiluted awesome. I can't promise a fight scene every chapter, but I can promise I'll try my damndest to make them fast and fun.

Thats all for now though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all on Saturday, where Pyrrha gets to drill Harry on a few questions, finally meets Murphy, and the plot begins to thicken. Ta-ta!

P.S. For those wondering, this story takes place post Skin Games, so spoilers for anyone who hasn't read that book and plans on reading it.