Chapter Text
Basira has seen many weird things throughout her life.
So she considered that if she can look for boogiemen in her girlfriend's closet and not be weirded out that in the morning there really are objects left there by someone or something, weird object too, circles of stones, piles of moss, and once some bread and a glass of orange juice with a note that said "for Basira ~J.S" which Daisy was very offended by and she threw the food into the trash without a second thought, cursing loudly around the house as if whatever lived there could hear her, then a visit to the paranormal institute will be a walk in the park.
Nothing prepared her for the Magnus Institute however. Or rather, nothing prepared her for the head archivist of the Institute.
Jonathan Sims was a short man with graying hair who reminded Basira of a wet kitten and he hated her. From the moment she walked in, his mood soured and his smile faded into a frown that could probably scare most teens looking to give a false statement. But Basira wasn't here for a statement, nor for a prank.
"Hello, are you the head archivist, Jonathan Sims?" She asked.
"Yes. I am. How may I help you, detective Basira Hussain?"
When did I give you my name? How do you know my name? She wondered.
"Uh, yes, I'm here because we have found the remains of one miss-"
"Yes, Miss Robinson's. I can lead you to her body. I think. The tunnels are always changing and- the tunnels aren't supposed to be changing, oh, Michael. Apologies, I have to go make sense of a door. Maybe that'll teach him." He started muttering halfway through the sentence.
The fuck?
Basira looked at mr.Sims as he walked through the doors of his office, opened a trapdoor and simply walked into the underground.
She guessed she had nothing else to do but follow him into the creepy tunnels he was muttering about.
She found him shouting at a door.
She's seen many people doing weird things, she's dealt with a lot of crazy people during her time as a cop. But seeing a man dressed like a scholar yelling at a door was something new. He didn't look drugged, or hurt, or any semblance of insane. He was yelling at that door as if it had stolen a pen from him. Which was perhaps the first time this happened.
Also, why was there a door in these tunnels? Or rather she should wonder why were there tunnels underneath the Institute.
Basira took out her phone. But who to call? Daisy. Obviously Daisy in case he becomes threatening, or maybe a mental health professional. Or preferably both.
Daisy was just waking up when she called. Basira was sure of that, she could hear it in Daisy's beautiful voice.
"Basira? You ok? Is everything alright?" Daisy asked, concern lacing her sleepy voice.
She's so sweet when she worries about you. A shame that my favorite hates you. Someone said from behind her. She turned around and saw nobody.
Weird. Basira thought.
"Yeah. Everything is fine, I think. Dealing with a drugged up guy I think. Or maybe he's just insane. He's yelling at a door in some weird tunnels underneath the Magnus Institute." She answered. She needed a way to talk the guy down, but she has never before seen a guy just… take off and start fighting a door out of all things.
Daisy paused at that.
"I… Who are you dealing with again?" She asked slowly.
"Not sure, a guy. Jonathan Sims"
She could hear Daisy's breath catching.
"Put the phone on speaker." She growls.
Basira isn't sure if she should, you shouldn't. It'll put you in danger the voice tells her. But she trusted Daisy.
So she put the phone on speaker and let Daisy do the talking.
"JONATHAN! IF YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON MY GIRLFRIEND'S BODY, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU!" She yelled out.
Mr.Sims looked at the phone, his angry expression unwavering. "Oh, Daisy, come on now, you know better than to accuse me of trying to hurt your girlfriend. I may not be keen on her, and perhaps a bit too possessive, Dan's words not mine, of you but I would never try to hurt her. She makes you happy and that is enough for me not to kill her." He said.
Basira didn't exactly know how to feel about her girlfriend and this random man talking about the possibility of him killing her.
He scares you. Take revenge on him. The voice told her.
"Ah, sure. As if you didn't sneak into my closet and left orange juice and bread for Basira. Don't say you didn't do that, you signed it." Daisy said again.
"I despise your romantic connection, sure. But I would never try to… I."he sighed "Daisy, last week there was an incident. One of my coworkers were convinced that I was stalking them. I wasn't. I don't even have a stalking permit. Well, other than the Watching's permit, but that's different. We're dealing with Jane again."
Daisy let out a few curses. "I will kill that annoying…." She yelled into the phone "please tell me that killing her wouldn't harm you."
Oh, now they have inside jokes. Tell me it's not funny. He's stealing Daisy away from you. The voice said.
Daisy is a lesbian. He can try, but it wouldn't work out. Basira reasoned with what was most likely a figment of her own imagination.
"Well, I mean, there was that time Vanessa or Dana died at the hands of her double. Dana or Vanessa seems to be doing just fine, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt me if you killed my double. Or maybe… I mean, she is an exception to the rule most often than not, so, not certain, but if she gets close to my assistants again I might kill her myself, so I guess we'll find out." Jon said.
Daisy let out a sigh. "Keep Basira safe, please. I know you don't like her, but please keep her safe. And when I say this, I do not mean sending her to some domain. If I find out she's been in thrown into the Vast or the Buried or whatever I'll put you down like a rabid dog, do you understand me?"
What the hell are the Vast and the Buried? Basira wonders.
"Loud and clear." Jon said
A sound broke out and Basira turned around to see something absolutely impossible. A man, too tall to be human, to sharp, his body angled in a hurtful manner.
"Now," he said, his voice too wrong, distorted, "what do we have here?"
"Michael." Jon said, his anger returning once more.
"Oh, Archivist, don't be like that. I just want to have fun with this one." The creature that resembled a man said.
Jon smirked at that.
"I, too, like fun. Game on. We'll both have fun. Fun… Fun… oh, I know a FUN game. Explaining the Spiral. How about that? How does that sound?" He said.
"Ok. I'll back off." The man said.
"Good. Now." A tape recorder starts going haywire somewhere in the distance, static spreading through the room. 'Michael' let out a scream and Jonathan looked rather pleased by that. "Thank you, Michael. Keep your door in the tunnels. You had a chance to let it roam the Institute but you since lost it. Goodbye, Michael."
"But Jonny…" a flash of blue spun around Jon and Michael was violently thrown through his door which closed and dissappeared.
"Hope he has fun in the bloodstone dimension." Jon muttered before slowly turning towards Basira.
"Now, miss Basira, how may I be of use?" He asked.
"Uh… here's my number. I'll meet you at a pub." I can't do this sober. She thought.