Feeling as though she might vomit, Lynx looked down at her phone; dark. Pushed the power button. Dead.
The pistol still sat at her hip, but… she wasn't outside anymore. She stood in the dark, terror gripping her like she'd never known. Tapping her flashlight, quickly, she tried to get her bearings; she could hear running water, but… she was in some sort of storage facility, closed in, alone.
Where am I- what- how much of that was real- HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS REAL- WHAT AM I FIGHTING??? WHAT AM I FIGHTING, IT'S COLD DOWN HERE- No, no, it's warm, it's warm down here please gods why am I cold, I'm cold, I'm cold-"
Hyperventilating now, Lynx staggered forward. Her flashlight was strong, but there was nothing around her aside from a door and dusty, rusted-through shelves, half of which had collapsed. Where am I- this is a hallucination too, right? Any minute now, I'll be standing in the snow next to Vilhelm again, and he can yell at me for knocking him out- gods, where am I, what am I fighting, what is that wannabe Alice- please, Alice, or Aerendyl or Nara, please, I'm cold, I'm cold,
Staggering forward, eyes wet, Lynx shook her head and drew a sharp breath. I have to calm down, have to think-
"Now, Lynx-" The voice came from beneath her, and she yelped, leaping back, looking around, tail thrashing… nothing. She was alone.
"Please don't panic!" Wait, I know that voice.
Shuddering, Lynx ripped at her belt, checking the pockets, and ripped something out of it- a small, leather-bound book. Heart hammering, she swallowed, resisting the urge to throw it across the room as hard as she could, shaking her head. "What is going ON?!"
"It's me!! The funny blue book handed to you by the school- don't do that, now!! You're still a bitch!!" The book shouted in the same silly accent as before, for Lynx was aiming her handgun squarely at it. "If you do, I'll not be able to talk anymore!!"
"I LEFT YOU AT HOME, YOU'RE ANOTHER HALLUCINATION!! YOU'VE BEEN ON MY BOOKSHELF FOR WEEKS!!"
"I hid myself in your belt while you were getting dressed! You hadn't finished your coffee or woken up enough to notice, dear girl!!"
"Even if that's true, WHY?!" Lynx screamed, hands shaking.
"Because I knew where you were going, and whaty would happen," The book offered, reasonable.
"Don't mess with my head- WHY ARE YOU HERE?! I'M JUST HALLUCINATING YOU-"
"No!" The book's voice rang with nervous laughter, in the dusty, dark room. "I knew what would happen, Lynx. I'm not just a book about the court, or some fairy tale novel that sat in a room for too long. I took an interest in your story, and usually, I am but an observer. However, I knew where you would go- I knew, dear girl, what might happen. I knew that I must step in, or the story I am so enjoying would end, all too soon. Is that so wrong?"
"YES, nothing is real- what if I listen to you, and next time I snap out of it in the jaws of some giant demon?!"
"You can't take the chance of sititng in a corner until you starve to death, either, can you?" The book offered reasonably, and Lynx growled, walking forward, holstering her gun and snatching the book from the ground.
"Where am I? What's going on?"
"Once I've gotten you out of here, I'll have to leave, can you accept that? It'll be unbearable, the questions if I stay. I do want to see you live, though."
"Ugh… yeah, whatever. Help me out of here. Please. Can you tell me what happened? Come on, man, what is going on."
"You've been running into the path of an arch-demon with no known name, who made her home in the old city. You are currently in a gray area known as the in-between."
"The in-between?"
"Well, you see, contrary to popular belief… there is civilization down here. There's another exit that many forget- it exists in the north, through a bunker in an ages-old military base- getting off topic."
"Why. What's down there," Lynx muttered, confused, still breathing heavily.
"Nothing savory, I assure you," The book's voice laughed. "You see, Lynx, the old city… people did not move out because woah, we've discovered light!! Fire!! Warmth!! Up we go!!"
"Then what?" She asked, still breathless, afraid.
"An Arch-Demon found its way in from the wastes, through the bottom of the old lake, during a time it wasn't frozen."
"I thought the world gets warmer over time, not colder," Lynx snarled, scowling.
"You have not seen dragons- Ravenwood is too cold to support their life, by and large. One hibernates, underneath the lake, though." The words hung heavy, for a moment, and then Lynx drew in a sharp breath.
"Dragons. Right. There's a dragon hibernating in the lake. Sure."
"There is! That's why it was able to freeze. An arch demoness found her way in, though."
"Why tell me this?"
"Isn't it obvious? You asked what the in between is. It's the space between the territory of the humans, down here, and the arch-demoness. They have the numbers to kill her, and so she stays well out of their way, preying on the souls unfortunate enough to wander in. You're in the sweet spot- humans don't venture here outside of careful guard rotations. The arch-demon doesn't like coming so close to them.
"How do I get past her?"
"Without touching the moss, and slowly enough that you don't move the moss. You also hope that you don't run directly across her…" The book paused, as if contemplating. "Yes, Lynx. This is real. You are down here. You were hallucinating, wandering slowly further and further. Vilhelm attempted to follow, but was wrestled back by the others. They've all left now. Aerendyl knows where you went, but he hasn't the slightest idea how to find you, and he has no tools to easily take down this arch-demon.
"He can't just… blow her up?"
"No," The book answered without much information. "Now, you have a few possible paths forward. If I make no suggestions, though- what would you choose?"
"Get my butt to the people down here. Find a place to rest up, then start my stealthy walk home with sleep, and food."
"Lynx… the people down here, they're the drug-lords Aerendyl has been having systemically hunted down. Your money will do you no good, these people deal in favors."
"I can't just put my gun to a head and demand a place, either, got it. They'd kill me in my sleep," Lynx nodded, rolling her shoulders. "Alright. Can you help guide me?"
"I can." The book fluttered open in her hands, displaying only one word; 'Right.' "If I communicate this way, we can travel in silence."
"Good. Right."
Bracing herself, Lynx shoved her way through the door.
'Quiet, queen of the negative intelligence,' the book read, and she snorted, turning right, starting down a hall, finding her way by the glow of the flashlight.
For a time, the book led her on, but the tunnels down here weren't what Lynx expected. Sometimes it was concrete- others, smooth tile, others rough-hewn stone, as if the materials had been cobbled together from whatever lay at their feet. Sometimes as wide as a school hallway, sometimes narrow and cramped- at one point, Lynx grit her teeth, turning sideways, the hall so narrow it crushed her breasts painfully.
'Guards ahead. Let them find you. Left. Easiest way. No threats. Honesty. Lost. Need bed, time to plan'.
Lynx read the pages, swallowing, and stashed her book away, raising her arms defensively as she rounded the next corner.
"Freeze!!"
"Yep." Lynx nodded, sinking to her knees, hands high over her head. The people before her were masked, but too tall and broad shouldered to be women, unless they were demons with an odd build. Nope, she thought internally, after a glance at their belts- definitely men. "That demon lured me here with voices I thought I knew. I ran away. Lost her. I heard there are people down here who can help me, looked for them. That's all."
"What do you want," another man spoke, leveling a gun with her head, aiming carefully. Lynx stared, unflinching.
"I want to find a place to sleep. Sure I can…" She slowly lowered an arm and yanked at her collar, letting the top of her breast be squished up, some, visible. "Find a reason for the innkeep to let me stay."
The men deliberated. Lynx stared, waiting. Would they be as awful as she expected, and demand favors of their own? If they did… What would I even do?
"Well, the wife wouldn't like knowing I didn't help a poor woman. Welcome to the dens, girl," The third guard, who had yet to speak, walked forward and reached out a hand, tugging Lynx to her feet. "You're CA though, aren't you? You need to ditch the gear. It doesn't matter whether you mean well or not, we're producing angel shots down here. I wager you can't escape without dying, so you may as well get comfortable… but you'll be killed, looking like that."
"Ugh…" Lynx nodded. It made sense. "You're really just… going to take me to safety?"
"What's the point in killing you? Angel shots, this business- it's profit. I can't speak for everybody, but the three of us aren't murderers."
"No…" Lynx agreed, nodding. "You're… something else, right. If you were murderers, I'd be dead. There's a way to the surface through your territory though, isn't there? What do I have to do to be let through?"
"Well. You'll need to talk to the chief and ask him, for that. There is a way, but it's heavily guarded and controlled. I'm sure if you do some favors, they'll get you back to wherever you came from. Just be glad you survived the arch demon," He added, laughing. "All three of us can see in the dark. Can you?"
"Not pure darkness. I need the light," Lynx muttered.
"No. It's military gear. We'll hold your hand, if that's okay," The third guard offered, helpful as ever.
"Mm…" Sighing, Lynx clicked her flashlight off and tossed the helmet. Careful, she tugged her bulletproof vest off, and then her dark top, exposing the gray sports bra underneath. From there, she only wore boots, cargo pants, and her belt, her gun, with the bra. "There. Street punk led astray." Guns aren't uncommon, right?
"Perfect." The first guard spoke. "Listen, cat… listen, we don't give a damn you're military. We won't say a word, but do not let anybody find out. Some people down here… the ones who take the drugs themselves. They ain't right in the head."
"So if you know what the drug does to people, why do you produce it?"
"We have vehicles that can handle the tundras when we want breaks to the city. More money than we could ever spend, ironically. It's a comfortable life- and the arch demon leaves us alone."
"Why is it ironic that you're rich?" Lynx asked awkwardly, as one of them took her hand, and they began to walk.
"Well, money isn't used down here. You owe people or you don't, but people don't generally believe in kindness. Everything is transactional."
"Now," The third began. "-As guards, we have a duty to take you to the chief of operations and explain. We'll say you're just, yeah, a punk kid we found who managed to outrun the arch demon. You want to know what you need to do for safe passage back to the city. You've dealt drugs and done time in prison- you dislike CA, and you'd never talk. You respect our hustle, and the money we produce. Got it?"
"Got it," Lynx agreed.
"What's your name, cat?"
"It's Shaw."
"That your real name?"
"No."
"Good answer. We're almost there."
Soon, Lynx could see, just faintly- outlines, doors, old gutted electrical boxes along the walls…
And then, they rounded a corner, and there were lit torches on the walls. Lynx looked up in curiosity, as they walked past, enjoying the warmth, walking slowly.
"So, why are you really down here?"
"Honestly? CA thought there was life down here and just wanted to gather information. Say, what do you know of the arch demon? She kept taking the face of my lover, and I don't know why. Even when there were other people present, it was only me."
"Sometimes demons are attracted to magical anomalies. If you have some weird magic that isn't common, or you've ever messed around with forbidden magics- y'know, soul stuff- you might be giving off a weird signal to creatures like that."
"Right… I dunno what I might have done," Lynx lied, thinking of Nara. "Just that I need to get to the surface. I'll work for it, if I have to."
"The boss is going to like your attitude," One guard offered helpfully. "There's a warehouse down here almost as big as the lake- once upon a time, it held food. That's where our village is."
"Village…?"
"Lot of folks down here, helping us to make the angel shots, are escapees from prison or folks who can't read or write, take care of themselves. We got some of the special ones who'll never live without a caretaker, too. Some honest people, business aside, you know? Unlike CA, we really do give everybody a chance to live," The guard closest to her holding her hand spoke, laughing. "You only take people in if it benefits you."
"There's an argument to be made," Another guard made. "Are you benefitting the many by killing off the weak links? But if we can take care of them, and house them, and give them purpose, so could you. How's it feel, knowing a bunch of drugged out crime lords treat those in need better than you," He added, grinning, even if Lynx couldn't see it under the plain white mask with eye holes he wore- she could hear it in his voice.
"I… I know Contracted Arms is another sick corporation," Lynx admitted. "The director we got though… I don't think he'd hate your attitude. What you're doing? Sure. He's mad at CA as well, though, and working to comb out traitors. That kind of thing takes time."
"What happens when a little human girl loses her leg?" The first guard asked, voice tired. "She doesn't have time. Contracted Arms only helps and does good when it benefits them. They even tried to arrest that one demon, after the night of a thousand songs."
"Ugh…" Lynx shook her head, swallowing. "I get it. Change is… messy."
"At least you get it. You're alright, kid."
As they walked, Lynx shuddered, head jerking as something like the sound of static filled her head, for a moment- but when she looked around, she was still standing in the same spot. The feeling flared again, and she grit her teeth, breaths quickening."
"You alrigh-"
"FINE!!" Lynx snapped, her hands curling as if to form claws. Horrid images swam behind her eyes; bleeding, waking up in the hospital. Ice, the court, the carnage after Nara stormed the warehouse… toes curling, Lynx grabbed the wall for support, groaning. Not now, Lynx- Lynx we can't do this right now-
The mutated, body-horror take on Alice, the mental games, the hallucination of escaping…
Lynx recoiled, gasping, clutching her cheek as one of the unnamed guards slapped her with brutal force, only to step forward and punch her in the jaw. Lynx staggered back, bending her knees and drawing her pistol, aiming.
"Feeling better?" A smirk, she could hear it in his voice.
"What the hell?!"
"Good!! This isn't the place for a panic attack, now come on."
"Uh… thanks." Lynx shook her head, nodding, and stowed her weapon away, walking forward. "You uh. Deal with this kind of thing a lot?"
"We've all got trauma, cat lady. Come on."
"Right."
-
"Where is she, Aerendyl?" Alice stepped into his home, crossing her arms, scowling, brow furrowed. "It's been six hours, and we haven't heard a peep. Sun is going down- well the rest of the agents were seen leaving across several traffic cameras, but Lynx wasn't with them. Any of them. So tell me, where the fuck is Lynx?"
"Alice," The angel frowned, stepping back as Alice walked toward him, kicking the door shut behind her.
"Don't you Alice me. Where is she? I'm not blaming you- but we need to make something happen, why are you at home when she's missing? What do you know? Don't you dare act like you don't know anything- you make it a point to know as much as you can at any given moment. No dodging the question."
"She…" Aerendyl swallowed, throat bobbing.
"What? Did you get her killed too?" Alice angled her head, eyes wide. "Just another girl you failed to save? Another girl who's life you drove into the ground?"
"What- Alice, that's-?!" Aerendyl staggered back, eyes widening, nostrils flaring.
"Where is she," Alice whispered. "Don't you dare lie to me- I know what you've done, and unlike Lynx I don't have a reason to worship you. You didn't save me and I know damn well who- and what- you are. WHERE. IS. LYNX."