Edward paused in the darkened hallway, his sword drawn. Lantern in his other hand, he scowled at the gloom for being in his way. A couple more steps, and around the corner - and then he was there.
Just as expected. Door Eleven of the Archives beneath the Administrative District was partially open. A slight glow of light emenated from within. Few had the clearance to enter such spaces. Even fewer had a valid reason to.
His eyes aglow with blue light, the demon stepped up and pushed the door open. Inside, a dim lantern sat on an empty desk. A small chamber compared to some of the rooms. The walls bare stone. Nobody in clear view.
Not wanting to trust his eyes, he stepped down the set of stairs into the room proper. His own light illuminated the detailed etching across the floor. Something very familiar to him. The chair by the desk looked disturbed, but there was nothing else to signify that someone had been doing something here.
A wash of blue energy filled the small room, a pulse that went out and then back to the demon. Nobody lurking in the corners with Invisibility. Ceiling was clear. His eyes narrowed back to the staircase and open door.
The invites for baseball and the sword-based championship came in one after the other and he dismissed both with a dull look in his eyes. Of course he would attend and participate in them - both were ample opportunity to find secrets and weaknesses in those who foolishly considered him an ally.
That said…
Why had someone been here, in the room painted with the runes that had held the Outsiders in safe stasis after the battle with the dragon?
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Theo fidgeted to get comfortable on the long couch in Lucius’ office. “I mean it’s set stats and no skills. Pure swordmastery skill. So… I’ll join, but I don’t think I’ll win.”
“Does that bother you at all?” The Shade tilted his head. "Not winning or being the best?"
“Not really.” The vampire hummed to himself. “There was a time where being the strongest or most prepared was most important to me. Now it’s just…”
“You need a hobby, or something else to define your progression?”
Theo thought on this for a few moments. He liked when numbers went up, and most of them in this saved world had been arbitrary in nature. “Maybe,” he eventually said. “My desires aren't as ambitious or virtuous as Sally’s, but in a way we have the same feelings driving us.”
Lucius nodded and wrote down something in his journal. “Baseball tomorrow? That should be fun.”
“Exhuasting, but it’s nice to have everyone together.”
“Oh? It doesn’t look that tiring, compared to some of the things you get up to.”
Theo tilted his head to look at Lucius. “It’s not so much the baseball that does it. It’s... Sally.”
The Shade tapped his pen on the journal. “She can be quite full on, I suppose.”
With a grimace, the vampire returned his gaze toward the ceiling. His muscles tensed up just imagining it - it was like he was already there.
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“Montage!”
Humphrey scowled at the zombie. “Why are you saying that out loud now?”
Sally spun around, hands on her hips. Wearing her Wasteland bonnet to keep the sun off her, she was dressed in a white tank top with matching shorts. The weather was beautiful, and had been perfect for playing baseball in - even if the Death Knight was a grouch about it.
“It’s like a mental note,” she said as she beamed at him. “When I review my memories I can pick up the times I said it out loud and just review those parts.”
“I’m not sure that… whatever.”
Norah grinned and looked back at the seated Death Knight as she fanned herself. “Someone is just grumpy because they aren’t practicing for the tournament tomorrow.”
Sally huffed and turned back to the action. “A real swordsmaster wouldn’t need the practice.” She ignored the mutterings behind her.
Apparently, after the fifth joke about being at third base, she had been sent to the outfield further away from everyone. It was rather dull as most of the short goblins couldn’t hit the ball out this far. Chuck was somehow even worse, and she grinned wider as she watched him miss the next pitch.
“I’m surprised you enjoy this so much,” the Mummy said. “You never struck me as much of a sports person. Nor Theo.”
“Oh, I’m not here for the sport side of it.” Sally raised an eyebrow. In truth, the three of them who could remember the old world weren’t really aware of the actual rules of baseball, but they made do with whatever they could make up.
“No?” Norah followed the zombie’s gaze over to where Theo was kneeled down at the other side of the field, discussing something with Bella and one of the other goblins.
The vampire was wearing a t-shirt that said ‘I Bite’ alongside a crimson baseball cap with white fangs imprinted on it. Bella seemed to be grumpy over a bad call by the umpire—Edward—and Theo was consoling her.
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“Ah.” The Mummy smiled. “Feeling broody, hun? I can’t expect little Dangers running around in the future, surely?”
Sally shook her head and sighed. “No. Chuck is certain that making babies isn’t something the System can even do for normal people. We’ve discussed adoption… but we are kind of messed up individuals, I’m not sure we want that responsibility. Plus now I work on other worlds, so it’s complicated.”
“It warms me enough just to think about. You have a lot of love to give, when you are ready, I am sure of it.”
“Heck yeah,” she replied, her crimson eyes burning as she stared intently at the vampire.
Edward sighed. “Look, I apologise. But if I go back on my decision it puts into question my validity.”
“People might think you’re underhanded, unreliable, or self-serving,” Theo agreed, raising an eyebrow.
Bella huffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. Just know that next time you screw me over, you best remember I’m the one holding a bat.” She stomped off to rejoin the goblins on their team.
The demon watched her depart and they returned his gaze to the vampire as he stood. “I can see why Sally has such affinity with these gremlins.”
Theo shrugged. “Maybe it’s because you look weird wearing your suit.”
“It gives me an air of authority.”
“No, it doesn’t look like you’re involved with the spirit of it. It’s disengenous.”
Edward rolled his eyes. “You remember who you’re talking to? Plus, I thought we were going to do something afterwards.”
Theo grunted and adjusted his catching mitt. His eyes went across to outfield where the zombie was glaring intently at him, hands on her hips with a wide grin. Maybe even drooling. “I’ll be busy, I’m afraid.”
“All day?” The demon started walking back to the where the players were waiting to resume.
“Maybe we can tomorrow, after the tournament.” He glanced back to outfield. “Unless I win that, I suppose.” Walking up to the pitcher’s mound, he shrugged and looked at the dull expression on the demon’s face.
It wasn’t entirely his fault, and Edward was usually chill about these sort of things. Ever since he turned up, he seemed to have something bugging him, though. Normally the demon would play up being the bad guy, and loved to be a harsh umpire. Now he was just being a grouch.
Dent was next up to bat, with Chuck on two strikes. He thanked the goblin who had taken his place pitching so he could chat with Bella.
“Knock him dead, Theo!”
While he went to great lengths to make sure the zombie was happy, he’d have to draw the line at inadvetedly killing the Architect. He doubted he could throw it hard enough to do the right amount of damage anyway with these current stats. Although… if he switched his current outfit to Cosmetic and put on his best gear underneath. Any skill activated would be noticed though - the ones he had prepared the night before were more for hitting than pitching. But then-
“Throw the damn ball, fangs!”
The thoughts popped away and he wound back.
“Honestly,” Sally shook her head, “he gets lost in his own world sometimes.” She grinned as Chuck missed again and was out with three strikes.
Not that she could complain. His supernatural foresight had saved them a few times in the past. She’d even asked Chuck if there was something weird going on with that - how he could predict or plan for the future. Nothing unusual came back, which would be more suspicious if he wasn’t such a doll. The important thing was she doubted anyone would put up with her for this long if they weren’t genuine.
Especially after some of the things they got up to.
“This is wrapping up soon, right?” She tapped her foot on the grass and worked her jaw.
“We’re about halfway through, hun.” The Mummy stretched out and yawned, before looking over at Humphrey. “It will be our turn to bat shortly. Are you going to participate, dear, or just sulk and absorb the sun? You know it’s uncomfortable when you get overheated.”
The Death Knight did little but grumble to himself, his empty eye sockets glaring at the horizon past the goblin village.
“Did you know I’m joining the tournament, pops?” Sally grinned as she watched Dent come up to the plate next.
“You are?”
She gave him a brief glance. “Oh yeah. I hope we go up against each other. Do you have it in your cold metal heart to kill your own daughter?”
Humphrey grimaced. “That’s… rather macabre, even for you.”
Norah tutted. “I’m not sure killing is mandatory either, hun.”
“Death or submission,” the zombie replied, running her tongue across her sharp teeth. “And I’ve been practicing. I don’t need anyone to treat me with kid gloves.”
“I accept the challenge then,” Humphrey said and stood, crimson flame flickering wildly behind his head despite the heat of the day. “But we both know who we will be aiming to beat.”
Dent wiped the sweat from his forehead with his left arm. Replacing his metal hand for a baseball bat seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was somewhat awkward to wield. Given that he had now trained to use his metal hand to hold a sword, instead of having one protrude from his arm, he should have just held a bat like normal.
“What’s the matter?” Edward prompted from behind him. “Nervous about tomorrow?”
He grunted. “Why would I be nervous?”
“You’ve staked your whole personality on being the best with a sword. What if you’re not? What would you even be then?”
“Begone, demon,” Dent grumbled, trying to focus on the ball about to be pitched at him.
Sure, he’d been thinking about it a lot… It was hard not to. He was sure Chuck picked this for a reason - perhaps to get back at him for twisting his arm about being the world drop guinea pig. The Architect wouldn’t let him fail to become the greatest… but he’d have to be the greatest…
He swung out and struck the ball, an odd angle due to the awkward weapon wielded. The baseball spun out in a high arc, twisting over to near the zombie.
“I got it!” Sally yelled, suddenly sprinting off to meet it.
Edward cleared his throat. “I think you’re supposed to run at this point.”
The swordsman swore under his breath as he started to move toward first base. Everyone’s eyes still on the zombie, she misjudged the catch and instead took the ball to the head, tripped over her own feet and crumpled into the dirt in a pile of limbs.
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Norah walked over and rested her arm on the counter of the makeshift hut that had been erected. “Hi hun, how have you enjoyed the game from here?”
A smiling face appeared behind Lucius’ head. “Glad I wasn’t running about in this heat! It’s been nice providing refreshments to everyone.”
“Less demanding than wrangling the family, I’m sure.” The Mummy sighed and leaned back against the shack, looking out the field that was now slowly clearing as everyone dispersed.
“Humphrey sure takes things very seriously sometimes,” the Shade said, as diplomatically as he could.
“I gave him some incentive.” She smiled. “You’ll be at the tournament tomorrow I take it?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything.” He placed down a glass with a straw and chilled fruit juice in. “Say, where’s Sally and Theo? They head off early? Not because she got hit in the head, I hope.”
Norah picked the glass up and gave the Shade a soft smile before turning to return to the waiting Death Knight. “Bless your innocence, hun.”
The Shade shrugged as she left, and a question mark appeared by his head. They probably wanted to save some energy for all the fighting tomorrow. In silence, he stood and cleaned out some of the glasses with a cloth.