Darkest Night Studio, Greater Vancouver - Sunday Afternoon

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While the other group was out closing weak spots, Henry, Jack, Elson and Dinah kept watch at the studio. Part of the stage used to house an interdimensional gate and the energies left from that gate would attract any demons the other group missed. Standing guard left a lot of time for talking.

Henry	Centuries of experience were the only things keeping Henry from pacing around the studio. Between the possibility of demons, the unexpected (and expected) guests, and Tony out doing magic that was at the reaches of his abilities, he had plenty to worry about. But he wasn't pacing.
Jack	Of course he wasn't pacing, any more than Jack was pacing beside him. Nope. "One way or the other," he said, because he had to say something, "the danger will be past soon."
Henry	Henry nodded. "And then something else will come up."
Jack	"And then you'll help fix that too?" Jack had to wonder. "It does seem to be how it goes."
Henry	Henry nodded. "Some things never change." He had put the emphasis on some and was looking at Jack rather pointedly.
Jack	"Mmm," Jack said innocently. "Was that a question, Henry?"
Henry	Henry continued with the pointed look. "I'm a writer, I like to collect information."
Jack	"You and Mrs. Smith," Jack muttered, then snapped himself out of it. "Never mind. A friend of my guardian's." More than a friend, if Jack judged certain things correctly, which was only slightly irritating. "I think he may be a detective for similar reasons."
Henry	"Oh?" Henry said, trying to keep his voice as neutral as he could. "I would imagine that would be a difficult career to explain the odd hours in."
Jack	"Easy, actually," Jack said. "He works for himself, and he can travel in a carriage when he absolutely must go out in daylight. Besides, those in need of his services usually aren't in a position to be particular about when they meet with him." "He's called Don Sebastien de Ulloa," he added, tendering the name with a certain care.
Henry	"He can go out in daylight?" Henry was very much surprised to hear that. "He is a - more off the book detective, then?"
Jack	"That sounds more criminal than he is," Jack objected. "He's a private detective, is all. He doesn't go to an office." Well, he did, but as it was what would otherwise be his bedchamber, it hardly counted. Jack studied Henry, surprised at his surprise. "You can't go out at all, even if you stay away from the sun's rays?"
Henry	Henry hesitated, loathe to share certain details, but finally nodded. "I can only travel after the sunset."
Jack	"Ah." Jack wouldn't ask for more. "You know I'm not here to disrupt your -- I know court isn't the right word, but it's hard to stop thinking of it that way. Your circle."
Henry	Henry blinked at Jack's choice of words. "Does your friend have a court?" He carefully thought out his next statement. "Most of us are fairly solitary, here."
Jack	"Different meaning," Jack explained. "In my world a court is the friends who support persons like you in your special needs." He was going to give Henry a hard look and hope he got it.
Henry	"Interesting terminology." Henry commented. "Things are a bit more - casual here. Sometimes."
Jack	"Only sometimes?" Jack was curious now.
Henry	Henry frowned. "I've had companions, but also more passing - friends."
Jack	"Everyone is free to come or go," Jack said carefully. "It's not a life bond, only as long as everyone agrees. And of course there are ways to go outside a court. Sebastien disposed of most of his when he came here."
Henry	"Disposed of?" Henry asked drly.
Jack	... oh, sick. "Sacked." Jack said more bluntly. "The equivalent. Nothing more."
Henry	Henry smiled, showing a bit too much teeth. "That seems to fit better to what you were saying before."
Jack	"I'd hope so," Jack said, a bit peevish. "But to go back to what I was saying -- I'm here as a friend to Tony. Nothing more."
Henry	Henry nodded. "That's as much as I expect."

Dinah	"So. Constable Elson. How do you know Tony in the first place?" Dinah asked idly, trying to do a lasso trick with the rope in the middle of the living room set.
Constable Elson	"Talked to him after he found a dead body last summer," Elson said. "How about you?"
Dinah	"Met him in the TV room at school, started hanging out watching Darkest Night with him, survived a week where the laundry machines were trying to keep all our clothes, and just kinda... bonded." Dinah grinned at him, and finally got the rope to lasso a chair, then dragged it toward her. "Plus showing Merlin the ropes together. Like ice cream." She tilted her head. "So you actually believe in all the weird stuff? Even though you're a cop?"
Constable Elson	"I'm after the truth," Elson said. "No matter what form it takes."
Dinah	"Like the Z-Cases guy?" Dinah grinned, and lifted up the rope, then carefully made it rise with her TK, until it was hovering over her head. "No matter what?"
Constable Elson	"Kinda like him, yeah," Elson said, staring at the rope.
Dinah	Dinah made the rope wave at him, then grinned. "Didn't tell you about this, hunh?"
Constable Elson	"You're a wizard, too, then? What is this school, some kind of real-life Pigbumps?" Elson asked.
Dinah	"Not a wizard. Just meta. Psychic stuff, and this," Dinah said, letting the rope flop down on the chair again. "And yeah, kinda. There's a lot of kids who don't have anything extra to them, but about half of us do."
Constable Elson	"You read minds?" Elson asked.
Dinah	"Only when I'm touching people. I can't read yours right now. And I try not to." Dinah gave him a careful look. "It's been useful once or twice, though. Early warning system."
Constable Elson	Elson nodded thoughtfully. "I'd imagine so."
Dinah	Dinah relaxed, because Constable Elson had taken that really well, and being on a stake-out with someone meant you couldn't keep any secrets. "So do your bosses know why you're here?"
Constable Elson	Elson snorted. "Nope. Here on my own time."
Dinah	"Yay dedication. And protect and serve," Dinah said, coiling up the rope, not sarcastically at all. She beamed at him. "Thanks for helping Tony."

The conversations ended abruptly when hundreds of cherries rained down from the ceiling. Tony's early warning system had gone off; a demon was in the building.

[Continued from here.]

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The demon plowed through the living room set, sending furniture flying. It towered well above the height of a normal man. Bone horns framed its face and bone spurs jutted from the back of its neck. It had a rune carved into its chest, but something that looked vaguely like the words "go home" had been burned across the rune.

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Henry snarled, and took step several steps forward, trying to draw the thing away from Jack and the other two mortals. Along with a hard shove of the sofa that was part of the set to get its attention, slamming into its legs.

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Elson’s hindbrain sent up flares. Fight or flee! And flee seems like the better idea!

Right at the moment, denial seemed like a much better idea, but it was way, way too late for that. Elson popped off three quick rounds at the demon’s chest and held back a fourth when Henry got in the line of fire. A part of his brain noted that Fitzroy was really damn strong for his size.

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Zomg DEMON just came out as a squeak from Dinah, then she pulled herself together and moved to follow Constable Elson, throwing the line toward the demon with her TK, and trying to lasso its head.

Not quite so much, though, since it moved suddenly. Almost getting its horn wasn't going to be too helpful.

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The bullets and sofa hit it at the same time and both had the same effect; pissing it off. The demon roared, batted away the bit of rope Dinah had thrown and charged over the sofa towards Henry. It swung a giant, clawed hand at the Nightwalker's head.

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Terrific. Henry dodged, then went for its throat, hoping to force it back into the wall--

--forgetting that it was the wall of the set, not an actual wall, and the momentum forced both of them backward and over. Out of the corner of his eye, Henry could see Jack Priest narrowly missing being hit by the crumbling scenery, cut off and on the other side of the set.

"Shoot him again!"

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Elson gave a quick glance to make sure the kid was okay, then fired another three bullets in quick succession at the thing's head.

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"Jack!" Dinah checked, could see that Jack wasn't bleeding from where she was, then plowed forward after Constable Elson, throwing the nylon rope with all her concentration, to encircle one of the demon's kicking feet as it seemed to try to hug Henry to death. "Yes!" Then almost fell off her feet as it yanked. "Constable Elson!" She leaned back on the line, lifting the other end of the rope with her TK. "Hold this!"

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Right, magic kids. Elson grabbed the rope and braced himself to hold it firm.

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The demon roared in frustration and tried to pull free, but the rope held. It took a swipe at the rope with a huge clawed hand.

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Which gave Henry enough space to realize something had worked, and rather than bruise his hand on the rock-plating of the demon, he lunged for its feet and looped the rope around its other leg as well, adding his own strength to Elson's as he pulled on it.

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"Wooo!" Dinah cheered, moving closer, and then threw the other end of the rope over one hand--- and twined it around the other with her telekinesis. "Grab it grab it yes!"

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The car tore into the parking lot, spraying gravel everywhere. "Guard Leah!" Tony yelled at Arthur and Merlin. He wasn't sure if the demon would try to go after her, since its "hurt Leah" rune was damaged, but since it would pretty much end the world if she died, he figured it was better to be safe.

Noise inside the studio told him they hadn't beaten the demon here. He threw open the door and pounded through the sets, terrified of what kind of carnage might be waiting for him, only to discover that it was pretty much under control.

He skidded to a stop in front of the demon. "Good work," he said to the others.

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Elson frowned at the thing, still holding his end of the rope. "This stuff shouldn't be strong enough to hold it."

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“It’s an unnatural rope,” Tony told him. His laptop had held that useful bit of information. He sketched the first rune in the air. “What’s weird is that Arra would know that it would work. She never faced demons here in this world.”

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"Unnatural is unnatural," Henry said breathlessly, getting to his feet and keeping a hard grip on his end of the rope, and well clear of the thing's claws. He resisted the urge to snarl at it. "How did it get by you?" He tilted his head at it, then raised an eyebrow at Tony. "Did you do the graffiti?"

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"I didn't get the runes done fast enough," Tony admitted. He moved to the side and drew the second rune.

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Dinah was still hanging onto the rope, and now moved to one side so Tony could see better, as well as to get a better look at the thing. "How many of these are there going to be?" she wondered, staring down at it.

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A bit of rope was caught on a bone spur by the thing's shoulder. It shifted its arm and the rope slipped off the spur, leaving the rope with enough give so that the creature could get an arm free. It reached out and grabbed the nearest person, wrapping its clawed hand around Dinah's neck and lifting her off the ground.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

No breath to scream or yell with that huge hand around her throat, hands scrabbling up to try to pry at enormous fingers, and feet kicking wildly, Dinah struck out with her telekinesis. First in all directions, then at the demon. Let me go let me go let me go let me go--

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The possibility of the demon getting free, not to mention killing Dinah, added a whole new burst of adrenaline. Tony sketched the third rune. "Crap!" He erased a line, fixed the rune and drew the fourth rune.

There was a sudden, intense smell of sulfur and Dinah hit the floor beside a tangle of yellow nylon rope as the demon disappeared. Fortunately, the runes only worked on creatures sent here by magic.

Fortunately.

Really, really fortunately. Tony wiped sweaty palms on his thighs and tried to remember if he knew that.

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Henry crouched down next to the coughing Dinah, and sent Tony a look. "Nicely done. And just fast enough. Take deep breaths, Dinah. One. Two. Three. That's it."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Henry might not have hypnotic powers-- or if he did, he was keeping them under wraps-- but he did have a very soothing voice, and areassuring presence helped by the steady grip on her shoulder. Dinah slowly got her breath back in ever-decreasing gasps, opening her eyes to stare at Tony in gratitude mingled with fading terror. "Thanks," she croaked, trying to smile. Stupid, stupid! How did she not duck fast enough?

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Tony glomped her. "No getting killed!"

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"Not. Didn't," Dinah mumbled, glomping back, then hugging him much harder as the relief finally hit. Annnnd that would be the shakes. "Got him. Go you."

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"Couldn't have done it without your magic," Elson said to Dinah. To Tony, he explained, "She's the one that got the rope around the... thing."

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"Good job," Tony said, still hugging Dinah. "Knew inviting you was a good idea." He managed a decent grin.

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Dinah grinned at him, and then snickered. "Good thing I had it for you, then," she said weakly, leaning into him. "Constable Elson shot it. And Henry attacked it with his hands. And a sofa!"

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Henry got back to his feet, giving Constable Elson a grudging nod of appreciation, still watching Tony with Dinah. Not unlike how Tony was around Amy, and maybe he was imagining it, but something of the way he treated Vicky, too. "Next time I'm attacking it with an SUV."