Final Casefile: Fourth Wall [Action]

[quicktoanger]

Months of preparation, weeks of repair, and almost a year of planning were finally coming to fruition. Little Luceti was ready for the first test run. I had attuned every building, every fixture, every curve of the earth and bend of the rivers, and if I did it just right...

I focused. Concentrated on the village. And then...

Then my senses were assaulted. It was like Little Chicago, if I were sensing the entire city in one place. I reeled back and fell to the floor, losing my connection with the model, my head pounding.

"The hell?"

In a daze, I clambered to my feet. After taking a moment to keep my balance and muscle through the head-rush, I went to the window and peered out...

And an entire throng of people was outside.

People without wings.

I threw on my duster, grabbed my blasting rod and my revolver, and headed outside to see just what the hell was happening.

Comments

[glassescorgi]

[Just outside of the building sat a quiet, unassuming little corgi puppy, a pair of black glasses sitting ever so neatly on its nose.]

[As soon as this really, really large guy stepped into view, it padded on over to him, tail a-wagging, eyes bright, and looking so very curious.]

[quicktoanger]

... Why was that dog wearing-

Oh, nevermind. I crouched down and offered it my hand to sniff, idly looking out over the crowd. I had no idea what was going on.

[hillbillyhexer]

[As Harry steps out, he'll find himself face to face with a very familiar figure. An old man with one hand clutching one of his suspender straps, a heavy oaken Wizard's staff in his other hand]

Hey there, Hoss.

[quicktoanger]

Was.

Was that?

I blinked a couple times, not sure if I could believe it, but I could feel myself laughing before I realized I was going to.

"Damn it's good to see you, sir. When the hell did you show up?"

[hillbillyhexer]

Just this mornin' Figures you'd be here too, with all the hot water you find yerself in.

Seems you been here a while, boy. How long?

[quicktoanger]

"Uh... about ten months. Does it show?"

[nicodemus]

[ This is certainly a very interesting place to find oneself. After they've been thrown off the side of a boat. He does remember that Harry and Nicodemus is most displeased about it still. ]

Dresden. It has been some time, has it not? [ Don't mind the chilled smile or the rather agitated shadow on the ground, nope. ]

[quicktoanger]

"Ah, Nicodemus."

The blasting rod was out and pointing at him before I finished the word.

"See, I was just thinking to myself, 'I really need somebody that I can test my new blasting rod on,' and here you show up. Funny how life works."

[nicodemus]

Such a tense welcoming, though with your decided lack of propriety I can't help but to have seen such actions forthcoming.

[ He looks highly unperturbed by that threat for the record. The whispering shadow will put itself neatly between the two men as Nicodemus continues to walk around the other. ] Come now Dresden. Have I done anything to warrant such cold contemptment?

[ He smiles coolly and confidently. ]

[quicktoanger]

"Well, I'd answer that, but there's really too many answers to keep track of."

I started plotting. The first step was light. Light and fire to drive off the shadow. A wind spell to grab the noose. If I worked fast enough, I could strangle him before the shadow even got close enough to me. If I got lucky.

... because I so often got lucky. Well, crap.

[heresyandmutation]

[The man in the giant suit of powered armor blinked and looked around. He looked deeply confused. He looked at Harry.]

You there, sir. Do you know where this is? I was hunting a sorceror then I was here.

[quicktoanger]

The armor seemed a bit... excessive.

"Hunting a what now?"

[heresyandmutation]

A sorceror. A practitioner of the black arts. Do you know of one? It is vital that I know.

[consultmybooks]

[Fairly nearby, it seems as though one of the wingless newcomers is attempting to do just the same thing. In his case, though, he's done so by finally getting his hands on a notebook and some paper, and writing furiously while leaning against a wall and trying to stay out of people's way.

Occasionally, he looks up, and looks around - searching for any more familiar faces, and any threats.]

[quicktoanger]

The guy with the notebook looked weirdly familiar to me, but I couldn't put a finger on it. Hell, knowing this place I'd probably just seen him in a movie somewhere.

"Uh, excuse me... where, um. Where did you guys... come from?"

[consultmybooks]

"All over, judging by the looks of this lot. But, um, that generally seems to be the case, with Luceti."

Giles pauses in his note taking and looks up at Harry, seeing someone that at least looks human. Having met a goddess in human form once already today, though, he's not prepared to say for sure.

"As for myself? Earth, California, two thousand and seven, to be precise."

And not entirely honest - Earth, California, two thousand and seven was where he'd been when he'd died. But for identification, it will do.

[trinkett]

She picked her way through DISGUSTING streets. Really! This was possibly the worst bit of Panem that Effie Trinkett had ever been sent to.

It was her misfortune, perhaps, to be making her way right past Harry's front door just as he emerged. Great hulking beast of a man!

"Excuse me! EXCUSE me! Are you in charge of Security here?!"

He did have a gun, after all.

[quicktoanger]

"What? No, we... uh. We don't have a dedicated security team, since most of us can pretty much fight for ourselves..."

That... was a rather unorthodox makeup job, but hell, I'd seen worse on posters of celebrities, so I wasn't going to say anything.

... what the hell is a GaGa, anyway?

[trinkett]

"Which DISTRICT am I in, then? Can you tell me that you great munglemuffin?"

A munglemuffin wasn't a thing but in Effie's estimation it was exactly what Harry Dresden was. Besides, she represented the Capitol, here. She held the authority and wasn't obliged to be sweet to security personnel.

[freshmanleader]

Huh. I thought wizards were just something that existed in comic books.

[Mao saunters up behind Harry as he picks his way through the crowds. The scrawny demon stares speculatively at a point just to the right of Harry's ear.]

Like heroes.

[quicktoanger]

"Well, let me promise you: Both are perfectly real."

And this guy felt off. And kind of looked off.

Still, no reason to get up in arms just yet.

[freshmanleader]

A few more second's of observation would probably turn up a few signs that this guy was not human - pointed ears, the glint of fangs when he spoke. The boy, despite his unimposing stature, was a demon, and one who was still very much intent on destroying the Human World.

But the Human World was not here, and Harry was. And Mao makes a face at the wizard's words.

"Tch. Of course I knew that heroes were real. I'm just wondering how a 'wizard' would stack up against one of my mages, or my skulls."

There really is a reason he makes the distinction. It's just a very, very strange one.

[hastheknowhow]

[When heading outside, Harry may come across a potentially recognisable witch sitting at a nearby bench, going in her head through all of the possibilities as to why the Travelling Spell not only did not take her to the Isle of Naboombu but also somehow took her clean off the bed and led her to a completely different place with indeterminable wildlife and people with wings. Do try and straighten her out.]

HAD TO

[quicktoanger]

Okay. That person on the bench looked really familiar.

In fact, I was almost completely certain I had her pinned down to one of three people, but I had to get it right.

I had to think. The way she held herself, the style of her clothing...

"Jessica Fletcher?"

[hastheknowhow]

[She looks up, confirming that this man is indeed addressing her... somehow?]

I beg your pardon?