Chapter 25
Pyrrha awoke in darkness threatening to crush and suffocate her, a vast pressure engulfed her, pinning her in place. The air was a thin, stale thing that rapidly turned Pyrrha's ragged gasps for air into painful hacking fits. She struggled and thrashed in place, against the presence holding her down, to no avail. Her limbs felt rubbery and weak, tingling with pins and needles while barely responding to her commands and her heart thundered within her chest.
She desperately reached out with her Semblance, frayed and exhausted though it was, and found herself surrounded by the brilliant light of steel. Memories quickly returned and she remembered the battle with Mercury and Emerald at the mill, and her last ditch effort to destroy the Blackstones. The rubble from the explosion must've fallen over and trapped her within this makeshift cave.
Now aware of where she was, Pyrrha's breathing slowed and her heart slowed to a more manageable tempo. She was trapped under tons of steel and concrete, hardly a dangerous situation for someone like her, there was no reason to panic yet. Focusing her Semblance on a beam of steel overhead, Pyrrha pushed it away. Concrete broke apart and fell away, allowing the faint moonlight to return. Fresh air filled her makeshift tomb, and Pyrrha happily sucked in a clean breath.
Breaking free from that point on was simple. Despite the weakness of her limbs, Pyrrha was able to escape and started pulling herself out of the escape hole she'd made. She had to pause though, when she saw the steel mill. Or rather, what was left of it.
Nothing of the original steel mill remained standing, the whole building had been blown apart in the resulting explosion. The ground was scorched black and gnarled pieces of steel rose from the ground like twisted shadows. Rubble lay everywhere, pale beneath the night sky. The only area seemingly untouched was where the ritual itself had occurred - save for four black smudges on the ground, there was not a piece of debris in a circle twenty feet in diameter. There was no sign of the robed man either, but given he was on ground zero, it would not have surprised Pyrrha if he were another black smudge on the ground.
It was a shame that it had come to that, but if Pyrrha had to choose between preserving a city's worth of people at the expense of a malevolent man's malicious machinations, she would do it every time. Surprisingly, that didn't make her feel much better.
Pyrrha braced herself against the rim of the rubble and started to heave herself up, as a chunk of stone the size of a small car on the other side of the clearing shifted. The stone ground against the rubble for a moment, trembled once, then promptly fell to one side with a loud crash. Pyrrha immediately ducked back in her hole, only daring to peer over the edge at who emerged from under the rubble.
The man in the black robes stood to his full height and cracked his neck once. His robes, stained with the dust of concrete and frayed around the edges, showed no sign of any injury the man might have suffered. Pyrrha swallowed nervously and sank lower into her hole. What was this man, to survive an explosion like that at point blank range?
He cast his hooded gaze over the ruined landscape, still hiding his features within the cowl. For the briefest moment, he paused when looking at Pyrrha. Her breath caught in her throat, and she froze. He stared for a brief second, then continued sweeping his gaze over the land.
After a full sweep, he shook his head and waved one gloved hand through the air. Pyrrha watched in amazement as the air itself split apart and showered the ruins in angry red light, revealing a forest burnt to ashes, suspended midair. She immediately recognized the spell he had used as opening a portal into the Nevernever, like Harry; so he was indeed a wizard, and likely a very powerful one at that, it wasn't much to go off of, but it was better than nothing.
The man stepped up into the portal without a second look, and casually flicked his hand behind him. The portal slid shut a moment later, plunging Pyrrha back into her lonely darkness, where she did not dare move. If he had survived the explosion, then there was a chance that Mercury and the others had survived as well, and Pyrrha was in no shape for another fight. So, she waited in her little shelter for any sign of her former captors.
Pyrrha must have waited for close to fifteen or twenty minutes before she came to the conclusion that Mercury and Emerald were not going to magically erupt from the ground like the robed man had. She could flee the steel mill without any fear of retribution.
Pulling herself out of her position was harder than it should have been, limbs still heavy with exhaustion. Her legs nearly buckled when she stood up, making her stumble down the hill. She fell to one knee at the base of the hill, and nearly collapsed. This was more than just exhaustion, any reserve of energy she might have possessed had shriveled up and died.
There wasn't time for this!
Through sheer will, Pyrrha forced herself back onto her feet and began stumbling through the ruins. Her vision swam as she staggered over the uneven ground, and nearly tripped over several pieces of rubble. As she walked, Pyrrha became dimly aware that she had forgotten… something, but what?
The ground finally began to clear before her, and her stride became more confident. Exhaustion still weighed on her like a sack of bricks, but she could shoulder the 'weight' now, and reached what was left of the fence in short order.
The explosion had even reached the fence, barely, tearing the metal poles from their roots and flinging several onto the street and beyond. A few still remained standing, somehow, burned from the proximity to the detonation. Pyrrha stumbled over to one of these remaining posts and just leaned against it while she caught her breath.
She had only been there for a minute, when a car turned the corner down the street and signed its headlights on her. Pyrrha raised a hand to block the light, then found her ears assaulted with a siren, and the light began flashing red and blue.
The police cruiser rolled to a stop in front of her, and a heavyset man with dark skin in his mid fifties stepped out. His beard was frosted in contrast to his dark skin, and he wore an old weather-beaten overcoat and an off-the-rack suit. Laugh lines covered his face, he seemed like a normally upbeat and happy man. Normally being the keyword, as he wore a very serious expression.
Pyrrha struggled to stand up and smiled innocently, "Um, hello officer… quiet evening, don't you think?"
An hour later, Pyrrha found herself sitting in a plain tiled room with a one-way mirror filling one of the walls and seated on a steel chair in front of a steel table. Obviously, this an interrogation room at one of Chicago's precincts.
If anyone she knew was there, they'd laugh at the situation she found herself in, hands cuffed and the big man, Rawlins, sitting across from her with a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of donuts in the center of the table. Pyrrha was the last person to ever be arrested for any reason, and yet, here she was.
Pyrrha had drifted in and out of a state of semi-sleep after he had arrested her and brought her to the Special Investigations building. She hadn't seen much of it, but remembered being taken to several desks and sitting silently as the cops fussed over the fact that they had no record of her, period.
The fact that they hadn't been more disturbed by this was enough to tell Pyrrha that Special Investigations had an idea of what was going on in the world, and so when Rawlins had finally dragged her into this room to talk, she'd spilled the beans. She told him everything about her situation and how it had lead her to the factory and what had destroyed it, leaving out Harry and his friends for the most part.
The entire tail took only a few minutes to share, and Pyrrha marveled at how fast events had transpired over two days. It felt like months had passed since she woke up in that alley, but it hadn't even been a week!
When she finished her tale, Rawlins took a moment to stare into his cup of coffee, before taking a long draw of it, and setting it down with a resounding clack. He wiped at his lips with a napkin, and gave Pyrrha a level look.
"Do you honestly expect a story like that to fool anyone, kid?"
Pyrrha blinked, "Well… no. Because I'm not trying to fool you, officer."
Rawlins laughed, "Haha! Damn, how do you do that?"
"Do...what?" she asked.
"Sound so damn sincere? Either you're high as a kite, or there's some truth to that tail of yours. Honestly, I'm not sure which would be more amazing at this point."
Admittedly, it did seem a little… Well, completely insane when she had repeated it to him, so Pyrrha could understand his stance. Still…
"I am telling the truth, officer. You know I have no records, and I'm not exactly dressed like how most people in this city dress, and I'm clearly in control of my faculties. What would it take to convince you?"
Rawlins chuckled and took another sip of his mug, "Heh, a signed confession from God maybe?"
"...Well, I can't get that. I could always call Mr. Dresden though."
The big man spart up his drink coughing, and looked at Pyrrha with renewed interest, "Wait, wait. You know Dresden?"
"Well...yes. He's the man who rescued me, I thought I mentioned that?"
Rawlins leaned back in his chair and clapped a hand on his head, "Well shoot, that sounds like him, now that I think about it. Why didn't you mention him earlier?"
Pyrrha shrugged, "He said he wasn't on good terms with the authorities. I didn't want to get him in trouble."
Harry had done good things for Pyrrha, and dragging him into her mess didn't feel right. But if she was arrested, well that would make things worse for everyone involved. Rawlins narrowed his eyes at Pyrrha for a long minute. She fidgeted in place, twiddling her thumbs together. Over the past hour her energy had slowly returned, and her whole body tingled now, it was a disturbingly pleasant feeling. The plus side was, she didn't have a half ton of lead metaphorically holding her down anymore.
Rawlins drummed his fingers on the table once, and closed his eyes with a sigh, "You're telling the truth, damn it. This is going to make things complicated."
"Complicated?"
"You were the only person found at the scene of a bombing of city property. Granted, it was an abandoned mill no one was doing anything with, but a bomb still went off, and your explanation won't fly with the higher ups. If Harry is involved, then that'll just throw more fuel to the fire. We'd be up a creek without a paddle under ordinary circumstances. However…"
Rawlins trailed off and stared at the wall with wide eyes.
"Sir?" Pyrrha asked.
The lights in the room suddenly began to flicker, and a camera hidden on the ceiling let out a shrill beep before it exploded into a shower of sparks. Pyrrha stood so fast her chair toppled over; she tensed against her handcuffs, ready to shatter them at a moment's notice. The lights flickered again once more, then shut off with a click, shrouding it in darkness. Pyrrha took a cautious step back, and carefully scanned the room.
"Do not be afraid, child." a voice said. It was a woman's voice, though it sounded off, as though multiple people were talking at the same time.
"Who's there? What did you do?" Pyrrha demanded.
The voice spoke, "Please, there is no need for rudeness. I mean you no harm, I merely sought to give us a measure of privacy."
"If you mean no harm, then you'd show yourself." Pyrrha shot back.
The voice sighed, "Very well." and a ball of light illuminated itself over the table, filling the room with a harsh light and hard shadows.
The air in front of Pyrrha shimmered and peeled away to reveal a figure in a long black robe and oversized mantle that hid their face. Pyrrha almost jumped the figure on the spot, and only stopped herself at the last second when she made out the details. This person was noticeably shorter than the robed man, with a figure that was more feminine despite the heavy robes they wore.
When they spoke, it confirmed that this was not the same person, "Ah, yes. I apologize Ms. Nikos, I should have warned you of my… similar appearance to my colleague. He likely left a less than… positive impression on you."
The woman's voice was the same as the one that had been speaking a moment ago. But that hardly put Pyrrha at east. She stepped behind the table, keeping it between her and the woman.
"Who are you?" Pyrrha demanded, again. "How do you know my name, and why have you been summoning Grimm to this world?"
The woman stared at Pyrrha, and even so, her face was impossible to make out. She sighed again and said, "You may call me Kumori, Ms. Nikos. My compatriot is known as Cowl, and we have been watching your world for a very long time. Your accomplishments were most impressive, you should be proud, your reputation precedes you. As for the Grimm, that is a matter most… complicated."
"Enlighten me." Pyrrha said, dryly. She was tired and a bit cranky, mind games were the last thing she wanted to deal with.
Kumori shrugged, "It would be difficult for you to understand without proper context, and I do not have the time to explain. All I have time to say is that our intentions may appear malicious, but we only wish the best for both your world and ours, even if the process will be… dangerous."
Pyrrha didn't buy that for a second, but didn't immediately voice that thought. A small part of her realized that this woman, for better or worse, had no intention of harming Pyrrha, yet. She seemed quite open to discussion, something that Pyrrha should take advantage of; there were far too many questions to be answered, but she could knock a few out right now.
"Alright then, Kumori," she said, slowly. "Say I believe you. What do you want with me? Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I am here to offer you a way home."
Pyrrha's breath caught and she froze. A way home, an honest to goodness way home? She had seen the portal in the steel mill, that man Cowl obviously knew how to open portals between worlds. And Kumori was offering that to her? It seemed far too good an offer to be true.
She swallowed, "W-why? How?"
Kumori shook her head and leaned her arms on the table. Her voice grew softer, almost normal, when she spoke. "Because, you are not meant to be here. You have a place in your world, on Remnant. Earth was never meant for beings like you, as Remnant is not fit for beings like me. I offer you this as a gesture of goodwill and kindness. Please, take it, you may not get such an offer again…"
It was tempting, it truly was. Harry hadn't the foggiest idea how the Blackstones worked or how to get Pyrrha home, and she knew that Jaune was waiting for her, as were the rest of her friends. How long had she really been gone, weeks, months, years? There was no way to know, until now. She could go home, reunite with her friends and family…
And all she would have to do is leave Earth to its fate. Abandon Harry, the Alphas, Butters, and… and Murphy. She would have to abandon the new friends she had started to make on Earth, leave them to the Grimm.
Pyrrha swallowed and looked at Kumori, "What happens to the others if I left? To Harry, and the others?"
Kumori almost seemed to tense for a moment, a gesture almost invisible. Almost.
"Dresden is… unique. We have no desire to see him come to harm. If you leave, I promise he will not be harmed. As for the others, in events like this you must understand that-"
"No." Pyrrha interrupted.
Kumori paused, "I… sorry, no?"
Pyrrha scowled at the woman, "You heard me. No. I have no interest in your offer Kumori. You come using Black Magic on an innocent man, admitting that you're working with a man that almost killed me, and that you're bringing the Grimm here? What did you expect me to say?"
Kumor straightened to her full height, and the light began to dim, "I see. That is a pity, Ms. Nikos. I had hoped you would prove wiser than this, but I suppose I had too much faith in you. Know that I regret this action."
"What are you-" Pyrrha gasped as she felt a foreign presence push its way into the confines of her mind, reaching for her most recent memories. The vile thing almost connected with them, until that familiar wall of ice slammed down around the borders of her mind. Kumori and Pyrrha staggered away from each other, the former letting out a yell of surprise.
Pyrrha hit the wall and pushed herself off it, rounding the table and grabbing Kumori by her cloak and hoisting her into the air. She tried to say something threatening or intimidating, but the words came out a slurred mess.
Kumori grabbed Pyrrha's arms and hissed, "We will see each other again soon, Huntress, and you will regret your choice!"
There was a flash of light and Kumori vanished, leaving Pyrrha holding thin air. The lights flickered back on, and the camera stopped sparking. Rawlins groaned and rubbed at his temples, "Ugh, sorry about that, must've...spaced out…"
Rawlins looked at the empty seat in front of him, then where Pyrrha stood, with her handcuffs broken and still grasping at the air. She let her arms drop to her sides and sighed.
"Is there any chance I can get that phone call I've heard about?"
Pyrrha thanked her luck that she had been stuck with Rawlins if only briefly. He had agreed to Pyrrha's request and taken her to the station phone without asking a question. She had a feeling those would come later, but for now she was just glad he seemed to believe her. Harry's name had more sway than he'd let on.
Though, speaking of Harry, now came the hard part. Pyrrha punched Harry's number in and waited through several rings before the phone was picked up, by the last person that she had expected.
"Thank you for calling the Dresden residence, this is Bonnie speaking, how can I help you?"
Pyrrha blinked and stared at the phone, "Bonnie? How are you...when...why…? Nevermind. Listen, it's Pyrrha."
Bonnie let out a happy gasp, "Oh, Pyrrha! I was so worried, you didn't come back, didn't call, I was worried I'd have to wake up dad and tell him, but don't worry, he did that himself!"
Pyrrha smiled despite the situation, "Well, I'm alright Bonnie, just… wait, what do you mean he 'did that himself'?"
"Oh, right! After you left, dad woke up and asked me if I knew where you went. I told him like you asked me to. I think he got excited because he turned all red and started stuttering!"
Pyrrha felt the blood drain from her face with every word out of the young spirits mouth, "Oh… I see. That's… great news Bonnie. Um, quick question. How long ago did Harry leave the house?"
"Oh about thirty minutes, give or take." a voice said from behind her.
The phone slipped from Pyrrha's hand and she slowly turned around. Standing at the doorway, was Harry Dresden, dressed in his big duster and with his staff in hand. Rawlins stood next to him and gave her a sympathetic look.
Harry tapped his staff against the floor and took a deep breath, "So, Pyrrha," he said, through clenched teeth.
"How's your night been?"
A/N: Short chapter I know. When I had this scene planned out, it was going to be much more violent, but I realized we've had enough really big action scenes lately. Next chapter or two will have a bit of action, but compared to the previous chapter it'll be nothing. We'll be getting a Dresden File soon, but thats neither here nor there.
Anyway, lots of plot stuff here, and for future reference, this chapter will probably see more rewriting in the future, so keep an eye out for that. Hope Kumori's appearance helped clear up any confusion over whether or not that was Cowl who appeared working on the Blackstones.
Update time! As finals are coming up over the next few weeks, I have a sad announcement to make. I'm going on hiatus until December 14-16th. No new chapters for either this story or Conflicting Perspectives (Shameless plugging, read that!) until my finals are done. Once they're out of the way, I'll hop right back on and really churn these suckers out.
I'll still be here for answering questions and what not, just no new content. Sorry folks, please don't murder me!