At the Mountains

Pyrrha’s eyes narrowed and her grip around her sword tightened as the head of the mans hammer ignited. His booming voice echoed throughout the arena as he slowly began to approach. While he was certainly the most immediate threat, Pyrrha’s eyes couldn’t help but glance at the mysterious silhouette in the distance. With a flick of her wrist a powerful gust of wind would sweep across the wide open field. “You seem like you’re more eager to talk. How about telling us who you are first. And why you’re here.” While the man’s voice sounded intimidating and booming, Pyrrha matched it with a more commanding and collected tone.

She’d draw her blade holding it loosely at her side. The light catching the red blade, a small current of air flowing around it. “Stay back a little. If he charges in I want you to be able to move away from us and counter.” she’d subtly whisper over her shoulder to Blackjack, hoping that he’d follow her example and not reveal himself to their suspected invader. Numerically speaking the had the hammer wielding maniac out numbered, but that didn’t mean much. Those bots while not entirely pushovers were certainly no where near the strongest things Pyrrha had ever fought.

If it came down to it and their opponent showed a strength that was previously unrevealed then she at least had two other forms she could tap into, if needed. She knew she could rely on Blackjack as well, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. If she could help it, she’d try to keep the attention on her. So long as the young hero was safe that’s all that mattered. Pyrrha would remain unflinching as the hammer wielding man marched toward them. She hoped he’d be as vainglorious as many of the other bad guys she had come across in her journey. She was curious to learn more about him and the nature of the hammer he carried, especially since its now flaming head was something that wasn’t present in the damage dealt to the bots topside.

The Crimson Reaper stared at Pyrrha for a long moment, his gaze unwavering against hers. He could see her clench the weapon at her side, readying herself for whatever it was he'd throw at her. He didn't move from his spot, still several feat away, an invisible aura spread out past him. The ability was a simple one, to spread fear, make it rise up in a person, slowly...slowly. It didn't effect everyone, some people had natural courage that combatted that feeling, but if afflicted that dread could drown them out, choke them until that flight or response gave in.

He let out a thoughtful hum, considering the woman's question and how to best approach it. Slowly, ever so slightly, his march forward began again, those foot steps still echoing in the large empty room. "The costume, the face, the flaming hammer...? I am a villain, something I worked very hard on trying to convey.. I am here...because I was invited, but as to why I am here in this room...I was told there would be heroes." He didn't smile, the mask he wore couldn't really smile, but there was something of a sickened joy that drew across his expression. "So, I stayed behind to see how long you'd last. Afterwards I will deal with the man over there."

Sure enough, behind him and overhead in that raised room with the glass window a light would come on reveal the silhouette of a tall man. It was hard to read any features, though the right side of him seemed...wrong? He was lacking something there...an arm? Maybe? Or was it just behind his back? It was hard to tell from here and the way the light cast a shadow over him. Either way, he gave the aura of someone important, or at least confident enough to stick around and see what would happen here.

The Reaper continued to draw closer, moving in a slow steady stride. "Whenever you're ready then." He called out the pair, challenging them to the first strike. He sounded confident, but not overly so. It was like a father encouraging his child to do something.

Sam slowly leaned over to Pyrrha's shoulder, attempting to whisper something to her. "If you charge I can open a portal for you...I can put it right behind him to get a sneak attack if you want...I don't think he's the kind of person you can just...talk your way out of?"

By the mysterious figures actions, he was calm and collected. He wasn’t taken aback by the sudden appearance of Pyrrha or Sam. While he failed to mention a name in response to Pyrrha’s retort, he did provide some valuable information. As suspected, he had received the same invitation that Johanna and Black Jack had gotten. This opened up the possibility that there could be others that received the same message. How many brushed it off like Johanna did? How many had gotten here before them? Did any? Pyrrha’s mind wandered at all the possibilities. With a tilt of her head she attempted to focus on the task at hand.

Other than the pile of battered and ruined machines this guy had left in his wake, nothing imediately pinged him as a major threat to Pyrrha. The wind surrounding her blade would quietly die down, soon to be replaced with a singular shimmer that would ripple across the red blade of her katana as if a single droplet had landed in a still pond. She’d bring the blade forward, entering a more typical ready stance, but she only held this pose for a moment before suddenly shifting into an o gasumi pose.  Her eyes narrowed and locked onto her opponent.

She continued to let the imposing man walk towards them. The closer he got the better, but it was also a gamble. She had no idea what the extent of the man’s power was or what exactly he was capable of. If she misjudged this she’d have to be ready to face the consequences and react accordingly. Pyrrha would keep this in the back of her mind as she monitored the man’s advance. She was waiting, almost like a sniper. Waiting for the man to get into a sweet spot. Just close enough that he’d barley have any time to react to her attack if he had no sort of inhuman reflexes.

Once she felt the man had reached that point, she’d tighten her grip on her sword and flash an intense glare at the man. At this exact moment the blade of her katana would fire from the hilt of her sword, becoming a liquid metal projectile. It exploded forth as though it was fired from a high caliber rifle.

In the brief moments he had before the shot was fired, the Reaper watched the pair closely. Heroes, neither of which he knew all that well. It was a hard toss up, but he wanted to believe the woman was the stronger of the pair, there was something about her that he couldn't quite place his finger on. Strangely enough, between the the two of them he was sure that she was the odd one out. Not quite...human. The other one...he was human, but with something mixed in. The question was which would he match? He couldn't be too hasty, not yet.

He didn't have much time to finish that appraisal though. There was a click and then flash and he had only moments to do something. The ground beneath him cracked as he tried to dodge out of the way, try and...

He felt a sliver of pain as the bullet grazed him, cutting into his arm and leaving a crimson trail in its wake. It wasn't enough to slow him down, but it was enough to register as pain, even with his enhanced trait. He tilted his head towards the gunner, not angry, not grinning, looking almost neutral? No, it was judging. It was the face of a man who was judging you, almost like a disappointed father.

He shook his head and flexed his hand, "What if I was normal? What if I was just a human or you missed? What if you hit something vital? You didn't even wait to appraise me. What if you had killed me? What kind of heroes are you?" He asked in a deep, even tone.

The questions were just a placeholder for what was really at play. A moment after his question, crashing in through the ceiling and giant orb came rushing down towards the pair, Sam and Pyrrha! It came hurdling towards them like a meteor ready to strike them down where they stood. In he same motion, the Reaper charged forward, ignited hammer in hand, raised, ready to strike as soon as he was close enough.

Before either could reach them, after a moment...a moment longer than Sam had planned, there was tear in the space next to them as a black hole opened up another a good twenty feat behind the charging villain. Sam reached to tap, only slightly tugging, urging Pyrrha to following him through. "This way!" He called, trying to convince his partner to avoid the incoming danger.

Pyrrha sneered at the man’s comments soon after he managed to avoid the liquid metal projectile from her sword. She knew the possible outcomes, and she knew what she was doing. She had been in this game far to long to miss judge or allow her opponents to get one up on her. That shot did what it was meant to. “Or perhaps I judged accurately and caused you to reveal your true nature to us.” The smirk would fade from her face, she knew he was going to charge she could feel it in her bones.

What she could not feel however was the soon to be threat that was hurtling towards them. That is, until there was a thunderous crash as a massive orb ripped through the ceiling of the building. Instinctively she wanted to push Sam away with all her strength so he’d be safe, but feeling the tug on her coat, made her withdraw that reflex. Seeing the man charging at them, hammer ablaze, and the massive ball moments from crushing them, Pyrrha opted to follow her companions lead and followed him towards the portal. As a precaution, as she ran, the blade of her katana would also ignite, and with a swing of it she’d send forth a small plume of flame in the mysterious man’s direction.

Stepping out the other side of the portal, Pyrrha would give her head a good shake, as the experience was quite disorientating. She’d quickly grab Sam’s hand firmly and would pull him away from the portals opening, on the off chance the stranger came barreling through right behind them. Her sword remained ablaze as she took up a defensive stance, using her body to shield the young man from either side if necessary. “Stick close to me! Where the hell did that thing come from?” Her gaze shifted side to side, scanning for any sign of the mysterious man, and the orb that now lay embedded in the ground where the pair once stood.

“Ah! Ah ha! A good judge of character!” The Reaper laughed, smiling…not with malice, but rather sounding impressed. “Oh, I like you!” He complimented Pyrrha, his voice deep, yet there was a slight echo to it. “I am going to enjoy putting you down.”

When the pair had disappeared Reaper came to a halting stop, seeming…confused for a moment. He blinked then gave a quick glance around before turning to look at the pair that escaped his surprise attack. The giant transport orb hovered back up and remained there for a moment, just bobbing a few feet from the Reaper. He clutched his hammer tighter, staring back and forth between the two and trying to determine which of them was the bigger threat. The girl had the powerful weapon, but the boy had the mobility…offense, and defense.

He let them converse for a moment, standing there, almost…politely waiting for them. When they seemed set he smiled at them. “I heard that, it’s how I got here. It’s also how I will be getting home, so if you could avoid destroying it, I would appreciate it. My daughter has a recital at her school tomorrow and I don’t want to be late for it.”  He admitted, almost very casually. The orb floated back up. “I was hoping to catch you off guard with it, but now that you know I won’t use it again, fair?” He asked, now awaiting an answer.

Sam took a few breaths, not minding the momentary reprieve from combat to adjust himself. “Hey…sorry about flinging through, the first time is always rough.” He apologized, knowing the portals can be…strange at first. But even as he apologized his eyes remained on the cloaked figure, his gaze narrowing slightly. “I am staying close, don’t worry, but…uh…what do you think we should do about this?” His voice lowered to a whisper, hoping that the villain wouldn’t hear him speak. “I can open a portal to his side…we could get the drop on him maybe…” He paused, “Wait did I suggest that already? Sorry…I don’t really plan, I just improvise. I can always just…do something after you take the lead.”

By this point in her life, Pyrrha had faced all manner of opponents. She had laid low many a powerful foe. Some of them gods, some of them godlike beings. Yet it was always the mortal or human enemies that were her toughest fights. There was so much to think about, so much to unravel with a human opponent. No two people ever fought the same nor did they ever have the same motives for fighting. This discrepancy made them widely unpredictable to a degree. With that in mind, Pyrrha also had to worry about keeping her companion safe. She took a moment to compose herself after being all turned around.

In that moment she listened to what the mysterious man had to say. It all sounded like nonsense to her. Why would he bring up his child in the middle of a fight, and so nonchalantly as well. Could he even be trusted? After all they were in combat with one another, on opposite sides. He seemed clearly intent on harming or outright killing Pyrrha and Sam. “He’ll try to separate us at any cost. Keep that in mind. If we do get separated get as far away from him as possible.” she’d say in a hushed tone to the young man, her unflinching gaze not once moving from the mysterious figure.

“I find it highly impossible to trust a word you say given our current predicament.” she’d say calmly. Her stance returned to a more relaxed pose, but anyone with experience could tell she was still as on guard as ever. A sudden flash of light would envelop her and in a quick blink she had once again changed professions. She now sported a lightly armored outfit with a hood, two daggers no took the place of her katana. In her ninja form Pyrrha would be better able to react and close distances if she needed to rush to Sam’s aid at a moments notice. She also had just as many tricks up her sleeve in this form that she did as a Samurai. Once again she’d wait for the man to make a move not wanting to give any of her gimmicks away just yet.

Sam looked between Pyrrha and the strange man who was still just standing there, waiting for a reply. For a moment, he considered and then slowly he nodded. “Ye-yeah! No, I hear you…I don’t plan to let him escape either, just…this is different.” He replied in a whisper, not trying to be overheard either. His gaze then shifted from the two and moved to the large glass window that overlooked the…hanger? Whatever this room was. Still standing there was the figure that had been watching since the beginning. “Hey…if I get close enough I could get us a portal up there, if we wanted to go for whoever that is.” He murmured.

Slowly, very slowly, the Crimson Reaper stepped forward, though he had set down his hammer. Instead, his hand was reaching behind him…and then…a moment later, he had a…wallet in his hand? He was flipping through something inside until finally he took out a small booklet that opened up into a row of six pictures. “I do have a girl! I actually just got a new picture if you’d like to see!” He said, almost excitedly.   He was a parent who was now just trying to show off his kid, as most parents try to do at some point or another.

The pictures were….standard to say the least. The young girl had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and was a bit taller than most others in the group photos. She looked to be about…eight or so? Maybe a year younger, though in more than a few of the pictures there was…the Crimson Reaper, standing in a full attire, next to the girl, though both looked incredibly happy. There was also a woman, maybe in her forties, who, like the girl, had long blonde hair and blue eyes. “This one here!" He said, pointing to the bottom one, which showed the girl in a new tutu. "This was her first dress rehearsal, so was so excited! She’s my precious angle! So, if you could pleas not damage my ship anymore so I could get back to her, I would be deeply grateful.”

With all of this, at the very least, the Crimson Reaper’s guard was dropped, open for whatever the pair may have for him.

Pyrrha just couldn’t get a read on this guy mentally. One minute he was trying to kill she and Sam. Now he was trying to show Pyrrha photos of his daughter as though that was the part of his previous claim that she did not trust him about. Shaking her head and ensuring their was still plenty of distance between her and the man, she felt the need to clarify. “I do not doubt that you have a child. What I doubt you on is your promise to not use your craft to attack us again.” She’d shrug her shoulders. “We are opponents after all. And you seem clearly intent on killing us. Therefore it is not outside the realm of possibility that you’d resort to any means in an attempt to achieve your goal. Especially when put against a wall.”

Pyrrha would draw her daggers and lower herself into a readied stance. She’d give her companion a glance over her shoulder, then up to the observation deck, and then finally back to the man before them. They could continue to sit here and fight the enemy before them, but somehow Pyrrha felt that would avail them of naught. That said they’d more than likely have to deal with their current foe sooner or later. Pyrrha also felt uneasy about leaving him to roam the facility to his hearts content.

She’d address Sam in a hushed tone as to not be overheard. “Not sure this is the wisest of ideas Ive ever had, but what say you, to leading our friend over there with us? Inadvertently of course. We’ll slowly make our way as close as you need for that portal up to that booth. But leave it open long enough for our friend here to follow us through.” With that she’d slowly begin to back peddle, not once taking her eyes off her current foe.

The Reaper seemed…well, he seemed downright upset that she didn’t want to look at the photos of his kids. That was a time old tradition and pastime that all parents took part in, and it was a shame that someone didn’t want to take part in it. Hopefully there would be another time for it…in the meantime he could at least try and replace this disappointment with something he enjoyed, like putting some stuck up and cocky heroes in their place. Behind the Orb that had crashed through the wall once more floated up and hopefully out of harms way.

Despite what they believed; he honestly had no intention of risking it again.
His gaze narrowed as the daggers were drawn and he lowered himself, holding his hammer a bit tighter. If this was the way, they wanted to play it. In a steady pace, he began to stride forward. He didn’t run, but he was moving with purpose towards, still holding the hammer tightly in his hands, though not yet lifting it to strike. He drew closer and closer, waiting to see how they would act, seeing if one of them would dart forward and take the first strike before he got to them. His eyes were mainly on the girl…she changed weapons, she wanted to get up close and that meant she might be stronger…faster of the two. If he was going to sap from someone it would have to be from her, but he would hold on it for now.

As he drew closer Sam nodded towards Pyrrha. “I can do that…” he whispered back. He looked between the hooded man who was drawing closer and the window where the figure still watched them here. He took a couple steps back from Pyrrha, trying to measure out the distance. Thirty feet. That’s how close he needed to get. Between him and the window there was about…no, not yet he needed to be closer. He continued to backstep, hoping he could grab Pyrrha’s attention, trying to urge her back with him.

As he backpaddled it seemed to draw the attention of the Crimson Reaper who now was starting to turn towards him.  If Pyrrha followed him, in a few paces…

There!

It was at the furthest range he could reach, but he managed, causing him to strain a bit. A portal opened behind him, a large black hole in the space, more than enough room to fit him and Pyrrha…and the villain when he drew close enough. As he through, Sam opened several more portals all over the room, trying to distract both the watcher and villain of where they were going.
On the other side, Sam, Pyrrha if she came, and soon following them, the Reaper would land behind the man watching them.

That was it, that’s exactly what Pyrrha wanted. She did her best to hide the sly smirk trying to creep onto her face. All the mysterious man had to do was continue marching towards them. After Sam gave her the confirmation that he could indeed do what she asked, she’d make sure to stay as close to the young man as possible. No doubt the moment their opponent caught any sort of wind of what they might have been up to, they needed to be ready to put as much distance between them and the other side of the portal as possible.

As the two back peddled Pyrrha brought her hands closer together, waiting for the signal from Sam. She was preparing something, but this gift wasn’t meant for their pursuer. No it was meant for whoever this unknown spectator was. After passing through the portal, Pyrrha quickly flashed several signs with her fingers, upon doing the third there was a bright flash of blue that pulsed from Pyrrah just before she unleashed a sudden cloud of icy breath from her mouth. The cloud quickly caused everything it touched to flash freeze. Several small vines of ice would from from these surfaces before instantly bursting, causing a blinding flash of light to be let off within the room.

Hopefully their sudden arrival was enough to catch the watcher off guard and subsequently her quick ninjutsu would blind him even if only briefly. This would give the two heroes to set up for the inevitable arrival of the mysterious man. This would also afford Pyrrah a chance to quickly take in their surroundings. This room definitely appeared at a glance to be some sort of observation deck. Though the tech of this world was still foreign to her in most regards, compared to what she had interacted with back home, the intent of the instruments lining the tables in this room were not lost on her. “Hello there!” she’d say, pointing one of her daggers at the unknown spectator they’d just dropped in on. From what she could make out through the still lingering mist left over from her trick attack, the didn't seem to be anything remarkable about the man. But for as much as his vision might have been obscured, so was hers....for the moment.

As the three stood in the room, the figure stood frozen for a few moments. He was looking around the large hanger, searching for where the trio had gone to. It was only when Pyrrha from behind had said something that he froze in place. Even the Reaper was standing besides the two heroes, a curious look on his face as he looked between the pair of heroes and the lone figure who had watched them. He was a short figure, with long black and messy hair, looking as though he had just gotten out of bed. When he turned to face them there were wide bags under his eyes, adding to that exhausted look. He wore a dirty lab coat that was stained with smudge and soot and oil, and a pair of worn out jeans. Most notably of all, though, was his left arm…or rather lack thereof. Slowly, he smiled at the group.

“Ah, now that…that is surprising. One moment please.” Without waiting he shifted his attention to something else (though feel free to interrupt him whenever). He held a tablet in his right hand and began to look over it, carefully tapping it with his thumb. “Subjects have proven to find alternative solutions to the situation they were thrown into. Villain failed to put down heroes, heroes failed to detain villain…” He wasn’t speaking to them now, and instead to the tablet. “Potential last entry, this is Doctor Leon, finalizing report.” He looked back to them, “Now, you’ve got me…you’ve got here.” He said slowly, “What do you want to do?”

Sam looked to Pyrrha, defaulting her as the captain and waiting to see how she would react, if she had any further instructions. Honestly, he had just been improvising up until this point. He had no further plans beyond this. The Reaper on the other hand had tightened his grip on the hammer, shifting slightly away from the heroes and dividing his attention between the two. In that deep, almost echoing voice, he would begin.

“Heroes, your names, if I may?” The Reaper asked, cautiously, though diplomatically. He also had something he wanted to bring up. And again, Sam waited, looking to Pyrrha, waiting to see what she would do about this.

Pyrrha found herself perplexed, dumbfounded even. She was no stranger to the mad scientist trope. She had quite a few run-ins with their kind back home. But this man, he didn’t quite fit the bill. His dirty clothes, the messy hair, the utter lack of sleep written all over his face. This man seemed more like a prisoner than an evil mastermind, but looks were known to be deceiving. That said, in the brief moment she had, she’d push Sam behind her, once again placing herself between him and the two other men in the room. His safety was her chief concern most of all.

Before she could process and find the words to ask the scientist, her attention would shift the the man that had been their opponent up until now. Despite his odd nature and the lack of aggression towards them in the moment, Pyrrha caught his grip tightening around his hammer. She couldn’t help but think in that moment that she and Sam had messed up in some way. Could this scientist really been the mans target this whole time? Her eyes would shift between the two strange men wondering who to answer first, their opponent or the scientist?

Not letting her guard down, Pyrrha would attempt to answer both their questions. “I believe we are all owed some answers.” she’d say before shifting her attention to the imposing man “Im Pyrrha.” She’d leave it at that, leaving it up to Sam if he wanted to reveal his identity or not. After all it was not her place to do so. There was plenty of tension still in the air and Pyrrha would keep her wits and her knives at the ready in case any one tried to pull something.

Sam wasn’t sure why he was being pushed behind Pyrrha and for a moment he gave her a long look, his head canted ever so slightly to the side like a confused dog. Either way, he didn’t resist, he was used to being pushed aside and away from things, and he stood there, hands in pocket, looking between each person in the room. His eyes did, however, wander back to the scientist several times, also confused by his…demeanor. Prisoner was a word that came to mind, and yet there was something off about the man. It made Sam hesitate in that conclusion, hold back on treating him like he needed to be saved.

Then his gaze was back on the tall cloaked figure. He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it and waited to see if Pyrrha would answer. When she did, he eased up ever so slightly, his shoulders falling, “I’m…working on it.” He replied meekly, now second guessing his hero name. “I’m choosing between Odd and Blackjack or…uh…some other third thing, if you have any suggestions though…” He started, though his tone drifted as he was unsure if he should be leaving this up for a villain. Thankfully, the Reaper did not reply.

Instead, his gaze was back on the scientist, waiting for these…answers that Pyrrha wanted. Now that the spotlight was back on him, the scientist, Leon, let out a small sigh. “Ah, I suppose that is to be expected…” He started in a low, drawn out tone. He put his hand in his pocket, slowly turning from them and then…plopping himself down in a small office chair. He looked between each one, looking as if he was appraising them, like they were show dogs. Then, a very tired, almost innocent looking smile came to his face. “I don’t have any answers.” He said simply, “Though if you wanted to ask me anything specific, I suppose I could give it my best shot.”

Now, it was the Reaper’s turn to sigh, he crossed his arms and looked to the heroes, “I believe this is going a waste of our time, so…let me make you a different offer.” He began stroll towards Pyrrha and Sam, and…dropping his hammer to the floor. The impact caused the room to shake a bit, trails of smoke rising from the sides of it. “We, together, tear down whatever this place is building and in exchange for my…cooperation, you leave the remnants of this facility to me. I won’t impede your exit and you won’t challenge my claim on this facility.”