Sonya looked up at the statue of David, her haing against the tall gss barrier that protected it from those who could not appreciate it for what it was. Maybe it was her eyes, or the fact that she had Eye for Detail active, but something about the statue spoke to her more than the subtle carving that made it seem so lifelike. It was like Migelo uood something so fual about humanity and the human body that he could engrave that uanding directly into the piece. If Sonya ascribed at all in the Dao as hua did, she could have sworn she felt its presen the piece.

  “Breathtaking,” Sonya murmured, as the others milled about. The guide that Bera had sent with them was waxing poetic about the history of the piece. She paid a little bit of attention but otherwise kept her focus on it. She felt like she could learn something from it if she could stare at it long enough.

  “It’s like there’s a hidden meaning somewhere,” Mikay said quietly o her.

  Sonya gnced her way and raised an eyebrow, she hadn’t awakened Mikay’s ability for her yet. Somehow, though, her eyes could already pick up on that strange hidden truth that Sonya noticed. What if she had her Eye for Detail active?

  Sonya’s fiwitched, but she resisted the greedy urge, looking back up at the piece, “I see it too, it’s… strange.”

  “I get this feeling a lot when I look at art,” Mikay admitted, “But it feels hollow.”

  Sonya nodded, “Like you almost uand but you’re not quite there.”

  Mikay brightened, “Yeah! Just like that!”

  So Sonya’s Eye for Detail was on the level of Mikay’s normal perception, it was an enhanot a power in and of itself. Fasating.

  Their sight-seeing tour took them throughout Floreo the sites of importas and great works of art. She gazed upon Venus and the Gates of Paradise, she walked the narrow streets and marveled at the roman-built river. Every single moment was breathtakingly magical, it was another world. She’d been to Italy in her past life, but it was a ruin by the time she’d visited it. A pce edy born out of ina, jealousy, and greed. This was Italy as it should be, a wonder of the world in its ht.

  She itted herself again to making sure that future never happened.

  As they strolled through the Bardini Gardens, Marta strode up o her and gnced her way. “I just got a call from Miss Lucci, she’s made the arras. Your party will be tomorrow night,” The caretaker said.

  Sonya nodded and turned her gaze towards the city, the view was magnifit. “Good, gives us time to appreciate the city a little more,” She said just as a siren bred in the distance. She narrowed her eyes as her lenses began to whirr in her head. Even from this distance she could see the monsters appearing out of cracks in the air, leaping into the street as people ran away. As if on cue, a pair of bystanders flew into a, quickly dispatg the creatures with their abilities. One had an odd power that looked like bdes of green light, the other was startlingly fast, wielding momentum to destroy their targets.

  She zoomed back out to normal vision and g Marta, “Looks like the idea of heroing is starting to spread here as well. That was a quick response.”

  “You think it’ll bee normalized?” Marta asked.

  “I do,” Sonya nodded, “I’m certain of it.”

  Amos chuckled as he approached, his vision distant for a moment before he came baself. He shoved his hands into his pockets, “Not bad, I figure out who they are for ya, boss,” Amos said.

  “Keep a record but o hunt them down,” Sonya said softly, “I have a feeling we’ll meet them eventually.”

  He nodded ao sit down on a bench, rexing as his mind drifted into the surroundiwork. She wondered what it was like for him, with his powerful mind, to bounce about from device to devitil he got where he o go. She turned her eyes towards Mikay who was simply admiring the gardens, blissfully unaware of what was happening nearby. She frowned and Marta mirrored her expression.

  “I don’t think she’s built for our side,” Marta said.

  Sonya shook her head, “I don’t think so either, sometimes ignorance is bliss. I still pn on employihough.”

  “Snatg her away from Bera?” Marta asked with a smile.

  “Not quite,” Sonya said, “I want the pany, or part of it at least.”

  Marta gaped at her, “S-sonya, Lucci is a huge corporation.”

  Sonya chuckled and looked back out towards the city where the police had arrived and were colleg the bodies of the monsters. The proto-heroes had already vanished into the crowd. “Quite so, but I wonder what forty years of youth is worth to Madame Lucci?”

  A bit of speared on Marta’s brow, “You are one scary dy.”

  “I try,” Sonya crowed and waved to the others, it was time to eat, and prepare.

  –

  The following night, as shadow crept across Europe, a luxury mega-yacht drifted quietly off the coast of Genoa. A dozen smaller craft floated alongside, security teams from a variety of groups all poised and ready to deal with anyone who would draw near. The polid navy had been paid off, apparently, only the suicidal would approach at this point. It was here, on the yacht, that the wealthy and powerful of Europe had gathered with a singur desire. Loy. They milled about the deck, talking quietly with one another as they sampled fine food and finer wine. Men and women shook hands and deals were made that could ge the fate of millions.

  Sonya watched them all from the bridge, behind tinted windows, with thinly veiled pt.

  “Greedy, wasteful, self-important, and disected,” She said, more for her own be than anyone else. Her haed on the helmet o her, her fingers stroking the surface. Marta stood behind her in respectful silence. Unlike her usual outfit, she wore a fine white gown. Sonya gnced over her head at the Brue, “Are you ready?”

  “It’s time for Ishtar to make her debut,” Marta said with a delicate nod.

  –

  Bera checked her watch, it was only a minute before the real festivities were supposed to begin. A few of the guests had already pined about waiting but she’d urged them patieheir true host worked on her own timetable. She stood at the base of the stairs leading up to the top level of the maiion of the ship, looking up at the doors that lead into the eborate bridge. The wooden steps gleamed iificial light around them, and the golden deade the entire pce feel det beyond all reason. The message was clear for those who attehough, this was an exclusive meeting, and they were fortuo be here.

  She gnced back over her shoulder at the gss door separating the interior from the deck where ministers, CEOs, and heads of state milled about. It had taken an enormous amount of political capital to get them all here, and she quietly prayed that it would all pay off in the few moments.

  Her watch ticked over, and the doors opened. Her eyes widened, “What?!”

  Sonya ovna desded the steps, a white gown fluttering around her body. She was as ethereal as ever, a beauty straight out of stories. Her sungsses were on, as they usually were, she seemed self-scious about her prosthetic eyes. But… how? o her was the source of her fusion, a woman wearing what looked like the most elegant and form-fitting jumpsuit she’d ever seen stepped onto the nding. She wore high heeled boots, armloves, and an eerie silver helmet that had a pletely bck partial dome. Glowing on the dome were two hot-pink eyes, they looked like they were made of hundreds of little LEDs, angur and fierce despite their simplicity.

  “Ishtar…” She breathed, but still… how? She’d assumed that Sonya ovna was Ishtar. But here Sonya was, standio the mysterious woman. When had she gotten on the boat? Her mouth thinned, was it the Maid? No that was impossible, the Maid hadn’t e either. She would have seen her. Only Sonya and Ishtar had been invited.

  Ishtar desded the steps, “Madame Lucci,” Ishtar said, her voice raspy and chilling, sending a shudder up Bera’s spine. Just like it had beehe phone. Every footfall sounded like a low, deadly thump, like a heartbeat slowing down. There pressive air around the woman, ag, silver hair, like Sonya’s, floated behind her but it seemed all the brighter thaiculous businesswoman’s. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

  Bera felt the sudden urge to bow, like a weight on her shoulder. She obeyed it without question, swallowing, “Mad- Mistress Ishtar, wele. Thank you for being here.”

  Ishtar stopped at the base of the stairs and stally, Sonya a half pace behind her; “Of course, I wouldn’t miss my ow party. You’ve done a magnifit job.”

  “The pleasure was all mine,” Bera managed, her chest tightening a bit beh the intensifying pressure. It was hard on her old body.

  Ishtar tilted her head, “It won’t be long now, Bera, patience.”

  Bera froze, was she reading her mind? She swallowed and looked up into those imperious, unblinking digital eyes. Ishtar turned her head to the door, “Shall we?”

  “Yes, right this way,” Bera managed and turhe pressure seeming to drop off as she averted her gaze. It had to be ing from Ishtar. Her presence alone has that effe people, is she really a goddess?

  Bera opehe doors and stepped out ahead of the pair, “May I have your attention, huests,” She began and stepped aside, “I present Mistress Ishtar, our host, and her date for the evening, Miss Sonya ovna.”

  The murmurs and versation evaporated immediately on the deck of the ship. Dozens of eyes turning towards her. She was used to this kind of thing, though, she smiled beatifically aured towards the pair. Ishtar stepped out first, her hand holding Sonya’s. Sonya held her head high, smiling widely at everyone. Ishtar, oher hand, swept her gaze over the gathering without a hint of emotion in her posture. Her steps were nguid but still carried that oppressive weight to them. No one moved, no one breathed, until she spoke.

  “Ladies alemen, wele to this first gathering of our little club, I hope you have found the refreshments to be satisfactory ahead of our mai,” She said, her raspy voice causing a stir amongst those present.

  One man, Erik Vaught from Germany stepped forward. He was the owner of a luxury vehicle brand and a friend of Bera’s. “You wear a mask at a gathering like this?” He demanded, crossing his arms, “Why hide your face while we show ours?”

  Bera swallowed and gnced back at Ishtar wharded him. He seemed to shrink a little under her gaze before she let out a raspy hiss of a ugh, “Because I brought oh me, there was no rule against it, Mister Vaught,” Ishtar said, “ime, feel free t one if you so desire. I, for one, enjoy my privacy.”

  There was a round of unfortable chuckles, those gathered still uled by her voice. Ishtar raised a hand to her heart, “As I said, I appreciate my privacy, my ability is valuable as you all well know. That’s why you are here, you alone,” She gestured towards them, “Tonight, you will sider just how valuable it is to you.”

  A quiet murmur went through the crowd as Ishtar looked them over, “Nothing in this world is free, dies alemen, and I offer you the most valuable thing of them all. Time. Aended lifespan,” She tinued, “I will invite each of you o a time to joihin a private room ihe yacht and you will tell me what you think a new lease on life is worth.”

  She tilted her head forward as if to stare them all in the eyes, “Then we will iate, and make a deal. Afterward, the process is rather swift, I assure you.”

  More versation, more leery eyes, “Of course, there is a toll here at the door,” Ishtar said, holding up a finger, “I will ask for your silen any matter ing me, athering, and the people associated with me. In exge, you will be weled inside.”

  “Before I agree to anything, I roof!” An elderly man railed, holding up a e, “Talk is cheap! Here and now, show us!”

  A murmur of sensus wafted over the crowd and Ishtar nodded, “Of course, I uand. Which is why I’ve already received an oath of silence from Madame Lucci here,” Ishtar said aured to Bera. Bera froze, her eyes widening and turo Ishtar. Ishtar held out a hand to her. “Bera, would you like to tell me what your time is worth? I believe forty years should suffice, yes?”

  Bera g Sonya and then at Ishtar again before swallowing. This was it! This was her ce! She mulled it over, forty years, what could she possibly offer that would sate this person’s desires? She’d give up half her pany for it. Billions of dolrs. Whatever it took. She needed her youth back. She took the woman by the hand and leaned forward, whispering to her. Ishtar straightened a little and looked into Bera’s eyes, she could almost feel the woman’s smile.

  “It’s a deal, Bera,” Ishtar rasped, ata’s world was enveloped in white.