RWBY Through Worlds (End)

202: Invaded by the Dark (Can't Escape)

Salem watched him carefully as if trying to discern if he was lying.

"And you?" she said.

"I can tell you she gets it more than you or Cinder ever did." Mercury said a pretty unwise thing.

Salem frowned at him. "You think so?"

"I'm not saying I like it, but she was so on to me," Mercury said. "She knew I had other motives."

While it was true, it wasn't so that Shine had known exactly what, but Mercury didn't think that detail was relevant.

"But they allowed you to infiltrate," Salem said. "Or are you saying all the information you gave me was incorrect?" Warningly.

"Oh, it was as correct as I knew. I didn't know till later that they were on to me. When I told them I gave you that book of theirs, Shine said she thought it couldn't have worked out better. She wasn't worried at all."

Salem scowled again. "So she claims... The book doesn't contain any weaknesses of theirs. They wouldn't be so careless. But surely you've seen something."

"Why do you care?" 

"I'm asking the questions." Salem held up her hand again. "Boy."

"Oh, sure, sure." Mercury gritted his teeth. "Fine then. I mean, you wanted to know what I knew, but I don't know what you want to hear."

"Anything about them that's useful," Salem said.

"Grimm are scared of them," Mercury said. "They can heal people. Reverse magic. Find anyone anywhere in the world and go to them (usually). And they walked here because they want to do this the fun way, from all I got. I mean, get real, someone as fast as West could have been at your door in 20 minutes with Likstar. But that just wouldn't have been as satisfactory. They've taken their sweet time getting to you. I think it's to prove a point. They don't have to hurry. Time is on their side."

Salem didn't like those last words, as they were ones she'd used herself.

Some of this was Mercury twisting the truth slightly to suit his purpose--but oddly enough, he thought it was actually true. Whether Shine had meant to do it or not, this strategy had another advantage if it meant Salem had seen more of what they could do and was getting uneasy about it.

What if that had been the point? How could Shine have known that? But then, the others had met a woman who could foretell the future--was it that far fetched?

"Are the Relics really with them?" Salem changed the subject.

"You need to ask me that? Can't you sense them?" Mercury had kind of forgotten this was not information that Salem had ever really shared.

"Who told you that?" Salem said sharply. "Ozma?"

"No... I mean... the grimm always know where they are, so..." Mercury faltered. "They're magic, right? Just like you."

"Enough." Salem didn't want to talk about their aspects. "And this is all you know?"

"I know a lot," Mercury said. "But none of it would help you. I couldn't take them down myself. Sometimes I think this whole thing is just a game to them. They don't have to be here. They were sent here. Apparently by a god, the only thing that's more powerful than you."

Salem's eyes gleamed red again. "Watch your tone, boy."

"Oh, is it not true?" Mercury jeered at her, again unwisely. "I mean, if you think so, kill me. Go back on your deal with them... Who knows what'll happen though? I mean, I've seen enough crazy s--t the last week or so, and even before that with your plagues thing you were doing, to make me think it's nothing at all. Heck, maybe I wouldn't even stay dead."