Dusk fell over the Kansas prairie with, what felt like, frightening rapidity. This was an illusion borne out of the sense of urgency that drove Ardat Lilith's would-be captors, for truly, the sun's descent happened in its usual gradual sense. The giant, azure bowl of the sky was rimmed on one end with the last gold rays of the disappearing sun, and the lazy whisps of clouds streaking across its canvas were painted in an ombre shading of peach, rose and purple. Meanwhile, a warm breeze swept through the tall, amber grass, sending it to wave lazily all while whispering gentle warnings of the night to come, while thousands of hidden insects and birds sung their goodbyes to the day. The Gale farmhouse stood alone in this sea of waving grass, being the only witness to the breathtaking concert provided by the coming of dusk. The ancient weathervane, affixed at its base to a small metal cupola, sat silent upon the wooden floor of the back porch; framed by the steps leading down to the gravel path, and the columns supporting the roof on either side of the landing. Beyond the weathervane sat Elijah Thomas, looking both pensive and anxious as he sat forward on his knees in an old weather-bleached rocking chair that creaked and strained with his massive size. He looked ready to act at any moment despite the inherent nature of the chair he sat rocking in, and his tightly laced fingers gave the air of one in the act of restraining oneself from jumping up in haste. If this wasn't enough of an indicator, the presence of the shield and sword of Constantine, sitting propped against the railings of the porch, would have been. The pair stood at attention in such a way the Elijah could swipe them up in a rush, and the sword seemed to call to Elijah from his chair, despite Elijah's stubborn insistence to ignore it. As the sun's rays glinted menacingly on that ancient Gladiator, the call became louder, while Elijah's eyes narrowed in preparation of what was to come. Gazing out on the field beyond the expansive backyard, Elijah wished he could enjoy the sunset, but knowing he'd have an opportunity to finish what he'd started so long ago made him wish the sun would disappear sooner. Anticipation burned his insides so much that he gripped his hands more tightly and huffed, deciding instead to survey the rest of the team, hoping that his heightened position from the porch would help him identify weaknesses before the appointed hour finally arrived.
From Elijah's station on the porch, he could not only watch the sun sink slowly towards the horizon, but so too could he see each mirror glinting amongst the grasses; their custodians stationed deeply within the grass and almost invisible to the eye. Almost directly ahead of him, yards out into the grass and at the feet of an ancient, gnarled oak, one round orb glinted. Beyond it, he knew Artie sat, concealed by shrubs and peering out like a hawk, but he could fortunately only catch the occasional glimmer of his glasses when the man turned to watch the setting sun. To Elijah's right, and dangerously close to the open field, he caught a glimpse of what Artie might have been looking at: Elmer's mirror, seemingly alone in the waving wheat. Not really knowing much about the former deputy, Artie must have been impressed that he could so adeptly conceal himself, for although Artie was certainly watching for the arrival of a twister, his eyes frequently darted to where Elmer must be, completely unseen to the naked eye. Although not quite as impressive in their ability to camouflage themselves as Elmer, Claudia and Jinx were still equally well-hidden too; flanking Elijah on the houseline and hidden by the overgrown plants adorning the flowerbeds at either corner of the house. Finally, to Elijah's left, and just as far away as Artie, another orb glinted from the base of the small pumphouse. Here, Elijah knew that Cain sat with DG at his side, for wherever the Princess went, so too did her Tin Man. Although it wouldn't have mattered which mirror Cain oversaw, he'd been insistent that he be close enough to the Princess to protect her if the creature went for her instead of Elijah.
"We still don't know for certain what this thing's after," Cain had reminded them all, "No offense Elijah."
Elijah had inclined his head at Cain in reply, but whatever he might have wanted to say, he was quickly usurped by his niece, whose voice was nearly as deep and gravely as her Tin Man's when she countered Cain. "I know he was looking for Uncle Thomas, Wyatt, regardless of whatever else he was trying to get out of me before. I just wish I knew what that creaking noise was about though. I know I've heard it before, but I just can't place it. Anyway, by the time he figures out that I'm here, he'll be deep in going after Uncle Thomas anyway."
Cain had fixed DG with a sharp, unhappy expression, but he'd otherwise been silent. Then, he looked away, being clearly uncomfortable, but unwilling to argue with his wife while among others. His eyes moved instead to brood at the large piece of sketch paper sitting atop the road map in the center of the table. On it they'd drawn a rough outline of the back of the property, where they'd all agreed they'd have a better chance of catching the monster. Here, there were fewer obstacles and more places where they could all conceal themselves, having agreed at the onset that if any one of them were seen, the entire operation might be over before it could come close to succeeding. Having agreed too where the mirrors should probably be set, they only needed to decide who would sit where. In Cain' ever-present directive to protect the Princess, Cain had been insistent that DG be the furthest from where they thought the twister might land, just as he had been unmovable in his decision to be by her side, but determining which place might offer the best protection still eluded him somewhat.
"How do you know he won't show up here?" Claudia had asked, jabbing her finger at the page full of colorful squiggles and lines, her finger planted to the left of the house and close to the tree line.
"I mean, we don't do we?" Elmer replied quietly, as his eyes remained downcast on his father's notebook, which Elijah had provided earlier. "Except Dad's notes say that these twisters – I mean travel storms – always seem to show up in fields and away from buildings." He paused to stand up at the table, peering down at their drawing, looking serious as he examined their plan, his voice full of conviction when he finally stated emphatically, "I think DG would be safer here, General Cain."
Admittedly, Cain had initially been somewhat leery of the deputy. Elmer had once been so obsessed with DG that he'd just about killed Wyatt for even blinking in her direction, and although he believed Elijah that he was a changed man, he could not help but be cautious. Cain then remembered the sad, lonely man sitting in a jail cell, realizing how his fixation had ended his life as he'd known it. Apart from this, he'd quickly vocalized the sad irony that his blind rage had other negative outcomes besides his own incarceration. Besides nearly killing a man, which he'd clearly been revulsed by, he'd also destroyed any chance he thought he had with DG. Rather than convincing her that he was still worth her attention, he'd become a monster that she could never see in the way that she clearly loved Sheriff Cain. Elmer had admitted to Cain then that he'd been the better man, and DG was right to choose him. The remorse and regret that he'd expressed to Cain all those years ago had still been in his eyes when they'd appeared less than an hour before, and what was more, he now seemed to regard DG with a certain kind of respect and reverence. Cain considered that it was not unlike how his most trusted soldiers regarded their queen. This could still be dangerous, Wyatt had thought, but as time wore on, it became more and more apparent that Elmer was now more likely a danger to anyone threatening DG than to the princess herself. He'd also shown a good deal of deference to Cain and Elijah, where he might have previously been aloof and arrogant. So too, in calling Cain by his military title, his tone had been respectful; his manner genuine, and Cain felt he could trust this man with some degree of certainty.
Wyatt stood up then and leaned over the table, looking at the place on the page where Elmer's finger had left. He'd pointed at the solitary little shed sitting just beside the tree line. It was the property's pumphouse, and between its wide awning that shaded it on all sides, and the high shrubs that surrounded it, it seemed to be a good candidate. It also had the benefit of being furthest away from the field, where they'd, until recently, silently agreed the twister would probably appear.
Wyatt met Elmer's eyes from across the table. For the briefest of moments, the pair of them shared a silent, serious look, where Wyatt's sharp eyes seemed to pry into the former deputy. Elmer did not flinch though, and when Wyatt finally nodded his approval, Elmer seemed to physically relax somewhat.
"I'm the least important here," Elmer continued then, "so I should probably take the mirror here."
He'd pointed then to the circle drawn clear on the other side of the pumphouse, out amongst the high grasses and away from any real manner of easy concealment.
"You sure about that Elmer?" Wyatt had asked carefully.
Elmer shrugged, and a hint of a smirk ghosted his face before it was gone again. "I'm still pretty good at keeping a low profile when I want, and plus, it'll probably be pretty dark when this thing shows up. You don't need to worry about me."
Elmer's subtext wasn't lost on Cain, and between Elmer volunteering for the most difficult station and his sheepish reference to his prior misdeeds, the corner of his mouth twitched before he nodded his tacit agreement with Elmer's plan. "It'll do," he replied then, sealing them all to the strategy with the authority that exuded in his voice and manner.
That had been over an hour ago, after which they'd set the mirrors and tested them with DG blasting her light at Elmer's mirror repeatedly until a brilliant, shimmering star was finally formed by DG's light rebounding off each successive orb. It was during that series of tests that the others discovered just how powerful the princess truly was; for the moment her light struck each mirror, the force of her blast nearly knocked them over, and each person was forced to grip their mirror tightly, to keep it from bouncing off in the wrong direction. This was, of course, the downside of the plan that they knew they wouldn't have the time to reconcile, but they knew it was a risk they'd have to take all the same. So, they'd taken their appointed places, waiting with bated breath for the tell-tale squeak of the weathervane, alerting them to the imminent arrival of their target. During that tense time, DG and Wyatt had sat with their backs to the pumphouse wall, peering through the ornamental grasses that nearly hid the building itself. DG's heart thumped so loudly in her ears that she hardly even heard a sound beyond it and sat staring out at the growing dark outside the glow of the house instead, a sense of foreboding chilling her bones despite the warm breeze blowing across her face. When Wyatt's hand slipped into hers, DG jumped, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from gasping loudly. When she recovered from her initial shock, her wide, blue eyes met Wyatt's, finding his dark under his fedora, and his brow wrinkled with worry.
"Dorothy," Wyatt spoke in a strained whisper, "If this goes wrong, and he starts comin' for you, I want you to hop a travel storm back to the OZ. Don't wait for me, just go. You hear me?"
"But Wyatt, if I conjure one too close to where we're hidden, I could bring the whole building down on you. Besides that, he could kill you!" DG whispered back, her voice cracking while she fought not to cry.
Wyatt glanced above them to assess the awning shading them from the stars beginning to peep into existence in the navy sky above. It was with a sigh then that his eyes returned to his wife's, his being equally glistening and glassy when he spoke. "It doesn't matter Dorothy. You're too important, and I don't mean for the OZ. Lizzie's gonna need you more than me, and if stallin' that thing from gettin' to you is what I gotta do, then that's the way it's gotta be. You hear me?"
DG could only stare at Wyatt, words having completely left her, while time continued creeping steadily up on her. Wyatt was waiting for her reply though, and he gripped her hand tighter, his voice rising slightly when he asked again, "Answer me, Dorothy. Will you do as I say?"
DG's bewildered expression cleared, and a singular tear tracked down her cheek. "Yes Wyatt, I will." she answered weakly then, before leaning forward to bring her lips to his.
Tears mingled between them during that bittersweet moment, and while DG's heart twisted to near breaking, Wyatt's thundered against his ribcage, feeling as if it might burst with love for his princess. DG had breathed life back into him so many annuals ago, and the possibility of a world without her – even if he wasn't in it – was one he couldn't fathom. It was a small price to pay to him; the thought of possibly having to sacrifice himself for her. He'd promised to protect her so many times over; first as her guardian, then as her husband, that this time was hardly any different. There was no time to explain it to her though, for as time marched on and it grew steadily darker around them, they knew they'd have to separate. It was only moments after they'd parted, returning once more to their ready positions, that an oddly familiar metallic squeal cut the air, and DG's breath caught suddenly in her throat.
She could not explain to Wyatt; the sudden realization that struck her with the weathervane's warning cry, but she did at least flash him a worried look before her eyes darted to the dark field, where seconds later a twister suddenly popped into existence. A thunderous roar rent the air, and tall grasses lining the property swirled and swished in alarm while the wind threatened to uproot them all together. DG's eyes remained on Elmer then, who stayed miraculously hidden, surely fighting hard to stay himself, and gripping the mirror hard while it shook in the wind. The twister itself had landed outside their perimeter, between Artie and Elmer's positions, and when Ardat Lilith strode through its winds it disappeared, leaving the hulking man marching directly for the house, where Elijah now stood, shield affixed to his arm and sword at the ready.
"I been waitin' for you, old man," Elijah called out, his voice booming, taunting the creature and drawing him in while he stepped around the weathervane and down from the porch.
"As have I, boy," Ardat Lilith spat back in a similarly dismissive tone, crossing between Artie and Elmer and being wholly ignorant of them for his heated stare directed at Thomas as he stalked forward.
DG held her breath. She knew she had to time her blast right. If she was too quick, he'd be outside the path and safe from her light. If she was too slow, he might have the chance to notice the other mirrors, and he might send his own disastrous blast at any one of them, but then his foot hit the center of their star, and DG reacted on instinct. She stood suddenly, her eyes blazing and chestnut hair flying magically behind her. Her hands were crossed before her, palms facing out, causing a jet of brilliant white light to speed from them while DG pushed her magic through her hands. Ardat Lilith stopped dead in his tracks the second the princess appeared, and for a split-second, he considered retreating. Between his old enemy, the princess, and somewhere, a hidden Tin Man, he knew was certainly outnumbered, but in turning around, he found his path blocked by the girl's jet of light, which felt hot as he approached it, warning him that he'd certainly be weakened if he got closer. Then, he watched as it struck what he'd initially mistaken as a pool of water in the grass, causing it to ricochet back to the house, where in seconds it would hit what he'd previously thought to be a garden decoration. Looking closer now, he recognized the old magic of the Egyptians, held firmly in the graceful arms of the goddess, Isis. In life, the Goddess of magic and light protected many from his clutches, and it had been she and her meddling son Horus who'd instigated his exodus from this world in the first place. Even as a figurehead then, Ardat Lilith knew that Isis' orbs would ensure that the Princess' light would remain just as potent from this secondary station as if it was being shot directly from her hands, and in doing so, would effectively block his only other way forward. He only had milliseconds now before the light hit the second mirror, and in less than that he'd decided that his intended target would have to wait. He had to move.
Just as the light reached the second mirror, a concussive wave flowed through the warlock's hands, striking Wyatt and DG's hiding place like aftershocks from a bomb and causing DG to stop immediately and clasp her hands to her ears. Her eardrums thundered, and a high-pitch ring washed out all other sound while she recovered her senses. She could see Wyatt yelling at her, but she still couldn't hear. Then her eyes darted to the center of the yard, seeing Ardat Lilith now making for her instead of her Uncle Thomas. Her heart seemed to stop, and as her hearing returned, she could now hear Wyatt emphatically ordering her to leave, and for a moment she considered ignoring him. Wyatt pushed her aside though and drew his gun, yelling again and causing her to stumble away with a heart-stuttering gasp. Whether DG liked it or not, Wyatt had already decided to block the warlock's path to her, leaving her little other choice than to leave as he'd asked.
Tears streamed down the princess's face, but DG couldn't look. Nor could she think of what she was walking away from. All she could do was summon the storm and focus on a destination that would get her away from him. Behind her, she heard shots ring out, and a thunderous crash, certainly signaling that the pumphouse had been reduced to rubble. Her heart stuttered, and DG wanted very much to turn. She wanted to make sure her Tin Man was alright, but she couldn't and instead her jaw hardened, and her thoughts homed in on her destination. Her own storm came into existence then, and she raced forward while yells from Elijah and Elmer rang out behind her, until they were all suddenly gone; replaced by the roar of the storm filling her ears.
Predictably, Wyatt had done exactly as he'd thought he'd have to as DG darted away. He'd drawn his weapon and unloaded his entire cylinder, causing the creature to stop when every single bullet struck him; first in the shoulder, then the chest and side, and finally his knee and calf. He did not fall though, and instead, he paused to take a deep breath, while the bullets slowly fell from his body. Then his eyes opened again, glowing red with rage, to glare at the now exposed Tin Man, and his mouth opened as he emitted a deafening howl of rage. This yell was just as efficient as the blast he'd thrown with his hands before, and it caused another equally devastating blast to hit Wyatt square in the chest. The Tin Man had been in a near state of shock at seeing the creature being almost wholly unaffected by bullets, and he was even more alarmed when his eyes fixed themselves upon him with burning fury. There was almost no time from that moment until the wave hit him, and Wyatt was knocked senseless into the pumphouse wall, where he crumpled immediately; unconscious and unable to move when the roof cratered over him. Ardat Lilith only sneered at the rubble he'd created before his own storm took the place of the princess's now-absent twister, while Elmer and Artie dashed to Wyatt, yelling at the beast all the while and daring him to turn back. Despite this minor temptation, the creature now ignored them, instead moving forward to follow the princess. He'd decided, with an unhappy scowl, that all other goals would have to wait now that he'd removed the obstacle of the Tin Man. He'd have to get his information from the easiest source: the Princess. Given that she'd just left, he knew he stood a good chance of following her through the same rip in the barrier that she'd created in making her own travel storm, but he had to go now. Still, he wished he could take care of his old foe, and he longed for one last look: hoping to see nothing but fear and desperation in the man's face. He only had one foot in the storm when he turned to see Elijah charging forward, screaming out like an angry steam engine coming down a steep hill. He would have liked to throw out another blast to keep Thomas from following, but it was too late, and the storm swallowed them both up, disappearing like it had never been there at all the second they vanished into the dusty swirl.
As loud as it had been before, it was deadly silent outside the Gale farmhouse then. Claudia and Jinx had drawn their Teslas when Ardat Lilth had taken down their perimeter, ready to shoot him the moment he came into range. Then seeing, first Cain struck, then DG gone and finally another storm sucking both the monster and Agent Thomas up had been like having the wind knocked out of them. It was a crushing loss, to say nothing about the anxiety of not knowing if DG had actually gotten away at all. Then Elmer's voice rang out, sounding alarmed, and their attention was torn away from the now-absent twister to what was left of the pumphouse. The former deputy was standing at the edge of the debris, frantically yanking at heavy bits of siding and brick, tossing each piece over his shoulder as he worked to uncover the Tin Man.
"Cain!" Elmer yelled, "I'm comin' man. Hang on."
Artie had been at Elmer's side, also trying to dig the Tin Man out, albeit with less results given that he was older and in much worse physical shape. Seeing this, Claudia and Jinx dashed to lend a hand, quickly becoming sweaty and dusty as they worked hurriedly to uncover the man. Finally, with the help of the others, Elmer finally exposed the Tin Man, finding him, thankfully, alive but still unconscious. Despite being covered over in almost the entire front half of the pumphouse, and its roof as well, Wyatt had barely more than a few scratches on him. He was dusty for sure, and one nasty cut on his forehead left a trail of blood in the man's shockingly blonde hair, staining it where it trailed down to the ground. This was only noticeable for the absence of his signature hat, which was sandwiched under some bits of roof near his pistol arm. Even if he was truly alright, Elmer was still near frantic, for the Tin Man's breath was shallow, and he failed to stir both when relieved of the burden crushing him, and when his name was called repeatedly. Elmer was a quick thinker though and scrambled for his pockets when he recalled still having his cell phone, which he withdrew with a relieved puff of air.
"What are you doing?" Artie asks suspiciously.
Elmer was oblivious to the warning tone in Artie's voice, being focused instead on turning his phone on. "I'm calling an ambulance, Mr. Nielson, what does it look like I'm doing?"
Ordinarily, Artie would have agreed with Elmer's diligence, but this was no ordinary situation, and he didn't have the time to deal with Othersiders. Not when he had to get back to the Zone, and quick. "Stop, Mr. Gulch." Artie replied forebodingly.
Looking up, Elmer realized that Artie had one of those weird guns pointed at him, and he raised his hands on instinct. "But Cain, Mr. Nielson. He's hurt."
"I know, Mr. Gulch, and we're going to help him, but not like that." Artie replied in a metered voice, pausing then to address Claudia. "Claudia, get my bag, quickly."
Even Claudia was speechless, having rarely seen this almost clinical side of Artie. When he became like this, it was hardly without reason though, so she did as she was asked despite her own concern for the clearly injured man. She dashed away without a word, darting into the house and returning in seconds with the old leather bag in her hand. Claudia held the bag out to Artie thinking he might take it, her eyes darting down to Cain at the same time while the seconds ticked. Artie remained trained on Elmer throughout though, shaking his head at Claudia while grappling with not knowing if the Elmer would comply if he let down his guard; deciding then that he was unwilling to find out.
Without even looking at Claudia then, he instructed her in a calm tone, "Now, reach in, and find a small compact, almost like a flip phone, but slightly bigger."
Although hesitant, Claudia took a steadying breath as she crouched down onto the ground to open the bag. She dug through swiftly, her brow furrowed in confusion, which only deepened when she withdrew something that looked almost like a prop from a science fiction film. Claudia's expression was still puzzled and her eyes questioning when she held the case aloft. "Is this a tricorder, Artie?" she asked incredulously.
Artie rolled his eyes. "Yes, actually. It belonged to Gene Rodenberry. Oddly started to work after he died, but enough of that. Open it and pass its scanning tool over Cain."
It only took a second for Claudia to find the small, USB-sized tool housed within the side of the case. Incredulity notwithstanding, she did as she was told anyway, looking torn between excitement and uncertainty all the at the same time. The little device immediately began making familiar whirling and beeping sounds as Claudia passed it over the Tin Man however, and her eyes widened as the man's condition was displayed across its screen.
"You're joking, right?" Elmer scoffed disbelievingly.
"Uh, I don't know man," Claudia replied, still looking perplexed. "I think this thing is actually working. Says his vitals are okay. He's just got a concussion, and a few minor contusions on his back and head."
Elmer was still visibly uncertain, and nearly began calling the authorities, except Cain's eyes fluttered open and a loud groan from the man stopped Elmer's hand.
"What the hell is going on?" Cain groaned as he sat up slowly, helped by Claudia and Jinx. "Where's DG?"
Artie dropped his tesla with a relieved sigh while Elmer dropped his hands.
"Anyone?" Wyatt grunted, sounding annoyed for their continued inability to answer him while he yanked his hat out from under a pile of shingles.
While Wyatt slowly climbed into a standing position, Artie sighed loudly, trying to form the words that might explain their status without causing the Tin Man to go ballistic. "Let's go inside, General Cain." He replied instead, "we've got to regroup quickly, and I think you might need to sit down for a minute while we do it."
Being that Wyatt's head felt like it was about to implode, he could hardly argue. "Why am I always getting knocked out around you, Artie?" Wyatt grumbled as Elmer helped him to the house, following slowly after the caretaker.
As light-hearted a jest as it sounded, Wyatt's words were a shield of sorts to mask the worry clouding his very foggy brain. DG was gone, Elijah was gone, and most importantly, Ardat Lilith was gone. That only meant that they'd failed, but what it meant for his wife, he had no idea, and absolutely no way to get to her. Not yet anyway, he thought internally while he allowed Elmer to help him limp up the stairs to the house. Artie was right as usual, and despite how worried he was, he'd have to wait to find out what had happened, saving either his relief or his grief for that moment alone.