Destiny No More

Chapter 81

If Pyrrha had thought that the "safehouse" was impressive before, now she was honestly astonished. Checkpoints, bulkheads, concrete walls, and a camera grid capable of making even Ozpin blush. They'd already been walking for about ten minutes through long halls and somewhat busy staircases, and it seemed like there was still plenty more to go. Honestly, it reminded her more of a military base than anything else, yet this lacked that same level of coldness. Rather than the plain and sterile walls of an Atlesian military vessel, the halls were decorated and carpeted, effort had clearly been given to the decoration and luxury of the entire building. She wasn't the only one to notice.

"Is this a damn fallout shelter, or a hotel?" The Lieutenant grumbled as the immediate area around them gave way to a larger and more accommodating hallway, the walls clearly having once been adorned by paintings or pictures of some kind, judging by the faded square spaces left behind, but were empty now that Torchwick's men had come through and cleared them out.

"Bit of both, really." Torchwick shrugged from in front of them, strutting down the hall without a hint of urgency. Were it not for the strained sound of his voice, one might have missed that his life was in danger at all. "Building was built during the Great War to withstand bombardment; the basement was dug three times as deep to give people someplace to hide in the event of collapse above ground. Some point after Mountain Glenn some fat-cat rich asshole rediscovered it and turned it into his own private estate for his more... shall we say, exuberant tendencies."

"And he just lets you stay here?"

"Ha!" Torchwick laughed haughtily. "As if, guys' dead now most likely. His brat lost the keycode to me in a game of poker."

"Someone bet all of this?" Sergeant Fairfire asked skeptically, and Pyrrha couldn't help but agree. The arrogance, or desperation, was hard to imagine.

"What can I say, it was high stakes and the family had fallen on tough times. Place was damn near in ruins when I found it."

"Why can't you just hold out here?" Pyrrha asked. The White Fang was dangerous, but anybody short of Atlas would need time to attack a bunker like this. It was difficult to imagine an organization like them having the recourse to attack someplace like this. They could probably manage it, they did often attack Schnee convoys after all, but it would take time. Time in which Torchwick could easily escape. Assuming the White Fang could even find the place. Despite its complexity, it was shockingly well hidden. Atlesian intelligence hadn't found any mention of the place, or at least they hadn't mentioned it in the briefing packet she had admittedly skimmed through.

"Tch, that bitch already knows about it." Torchwick practically spit the moniker and Pyrrha didn't have to think about who he was referring to. "Mentioned it in passing once when I tried to challenge her on something, saying there was no where I could run. Guess she didn't like the smug look on my face, outed this place well within hearing of those animals." With a shake of his head, Torchwick sighed as they reached what would have normally seemed like a luxury apartment, made unusual by the fact that it was buried beneath thousands of tons of concrete. "Besides, her lap dog killed most of my good men already, and anybody left that I trust is already fleeing town, or is here helping me get out with what we can carry."

Torchwick walked over to a small safe on the wall, entering in the code without bothering to cover up the digital display. Not that it mattered, as soon there wouldn't be anything of value to take anyways. He withdrew a small notebook, as well as a scroll.

"Is that it?" Pyrrha watched it like a hawk. If it had what she thought, then it very well might be the last truly dangerous weapon their enemy had.

"You think I'm stupid?" Torchwick deposited the scroll into his jacket before handing the notebook over towards his companion. "Cinder knows about this place, you think I'm keeping the one thing she want's here?"