Days began to pass into weeks and the news stations were stantly rep oest i.

  “Rioting has beeed in several nations this past weekend as individuals afflicted by the Pandora’s Light i have beeained by gover authorities.”

  Ses of civilians marg ireets, some demonstrations more peaceful than others. A se in Shanghai showed men and women standing in silent protest, watched by heavily armed soldiers while the streets of Paris were filled with rioters crashing into a wall of armored police. A molotov thrown in London was met with pops of rubber bullets from security persoeargas poured over a street in DC, protesters running as they were rounded up.

  “Rep from Jakarta where a monster wave was subdued by light touched vigintes in es remi of ic-book superheroes, the individuals disappeared before they could be reached for an interview.”

  A woman, standing in front of a pile of monster corpses, most of them hounds with at least two lurkers as police ru and right behind her.

  “The United Nations has called for a meeting of world leaders to discuss the growing s about light touched and their potential dao civilized society, some nations have opted out of the meeting while others have filed formal protests about the nguage used in the initial statement, g the as of numerous light touched who have stepped in where military and w enfort have been uo-”

  “Stocks at major military tractors are at an all time low as-”

  “A light touched calling himself Firestorm appeared in Atnta this afternoon, crag down on a monster wave in a matter of seds. Despite the fgration caused by his abilities, there were no civilian casualties and very little damages to property…”

  “Jesse a, the eighty-year-old CEO ht Dynamics held a press ference where he revealed a miraculous age reversal, he has refused ent about the source of his newfound youth…”

  “Gang violen portions of New York has dropped to historic lows with little to no expnation, NYPD officials have refused to ent as analysts point toward increasing monster activity in the heavily poputed city-”

  The TV shut off with a snap and Martin threw the remote to his desk with a snarl, rubbing his face, What the hell is going on? He felt his blood pressure rise again and tried to take a steadying breath, every mihere seemed to be something happening in the world. It was like the entire p was on fire. He pihe bridge of his nose and sat down in his chair, fingers lingering over the drawer to his desk. His gaze sobered a little and he pulled his hand away, squeezing his fingers.

  “Proud of you, Martin,” Carl said from the door, startling him.

  “F- Carl! What the hell?” Martin gasped, looking up at the senior detective.

  Carl shrugged, “I knocked,” He stepped inside, “You got a drink in that drawer?”

  Martin’s eyes fell, “Mhm.”

  Carl walked around the desk and opehe drawer, plug the fsk out of it and slipping it into his pocket, “I’ve got you buddy.”

  Marti out a breath, “Thanks. I ’t- I mean. Damn it that’s not important right now,” He growled and pushed himself back from his desk, standing again and pag, “What the hell is going on in the Bronx? Now it’s quiet in Queens and there’s weird reports ing out of Staten Isnd. It’s like all the gangs iy just started disappearing. No bodies either. Just gone.”

  Carl shrugged, “At least your backlog is cleared out,” He said with an impish smile.

  “Carl!” Martin gasped, “People are disappearing!”

  “Criminals are disappearing, Martin. Right now our is active cases and we don’t have orders to go iigating this yet,” Carl said, “The brass know what’s going on.”

  “That’s the damn problem!” Martin snarled, smming his fist on the wall, “Something big is ing and we’re here sitting on our hands. I know it has something to do with that pale dy, my gut is telling me-” He was cut off by a snort from Carl.

  “You mean Sonya ovna?” Carl asked.

  Martin looked up, “You know her name?”

  “Of course I do, turV baan,” Carl said and grabbed the remote, he flipped a few stations and there she was, skin as white as paper and hair to match, she was wearing sungsses as before with an all white suit and pink tie. She was shaking hands with someone he felt was familiar and talking pleasantly. “Her, right?”

  Martin stared at the s, the text at the bottom read

  ‘Applied Strategic Teologies Association CEO, Sonya ovna, meets with NYPD issioner Rollins’

  Martin gaped, that man couldn’t possibly be issioner Rollins, the guy was in his sixties, this man looked barely into his mid forties. “That’s not possible.”

  “You just watched a guy in spaart and stop a fire at will in Atnta,” Carl said with a hearty ugh, “I’m pretty sure ‘possible’ is subjective these days.”

  Martin gave Carl a withering look and sat back down in his chair to watch the proceedings. The reporter started talking, standing from a distance as the issioner hefted what looked like an assault rifle and showed it off to the crowd while Sonya, if that was really her name, showed off what looked like rifle rounds inside of a delicate looking dispy case.

  “...ASTA has released an official statement regarding the new munitions, stating they are ‘dedicated to researg and uanding the nature of this hreat to humanity’ and ‘are itted to produg equipment suited for supp those in the fight for humanity’s security and prosperity’. Acc to what details have been given, the new munitions are made using a patented process involving the remains of monsters. Miss ovna has credited the breakthrough to the light-touched researcher Amos Carter who is now the head of development at the newly established pany.”

  Marti his entire body go numb, “Amos Carter? The guy who was repairing junk phones for the Bronx gangs?”

  “We never officially got him on that,” Carl pointed out.

  “He was light-touched?” Martihed, ign Carl and rubbing his head, “That’s why she was talking with him. She knew somehow.”

  “Well yeah, she’s the first light-touched to publicly disclose her abilities,” Carl pointed out, “Whiews stations are you watg?”

  Martin looked up, “Seriously? What are they?”

  “She has these weird meical eyes, she see really far and with high fidelity, if she touches anht touched she also see the name of their ability, ly superhuman, apparently she was blind before Pandora’s Light,” Carl said with a shrug, “Probably why she went into business instead of wearing tights and a cape.”

  Martin frowned, It makes sense, but something doesn’t sit right with me. She’s moving really quickly and it just seems like she knows exactly what to do, and where’d all the money e from?

  “ we get her financials?” Martin asked.

  “Probably, but we already know she has angel iors that she signed a non-disclreement with. Plus, she looks pretty chummy there with the issioner. I doubt we’ll get anywhere with iigating her right now,” Carl pointed out with a shrug.

  “That’s corruption,” Martin growled.

  “That’s politics,” Carl tered.

  –

  Sonya strode down the narrow hallway and adjusted her tie a little, she was starving. It felt like she o eat twice as much as the average person just to keep going these days. Every moment was aask to plete and it was beginning to wear on her. She needed more employees. She resisted the urge to sigh as the voi the other end of her phone fialking, she forced out a smile, “Of course, issioner! It was wonderful meeting you as well, hon, thank you so much for your time today!”

  “We’ll put these new munitions to good use proteg the city, Miss ovna, thank you again,” He said and theated, “About our mutual tact um…”

  “I’m sure she’ll get in tact with you soon,” Sonya said with a chuckle and finally ehe small room she’d been marg towards, Amos and Marta were already inside. “Let’s talk again soon, issioner!”

  “Please, Miss ovna, Call me Adam,” The man said.

  She smirked, “Then feel free to call me Sonya, we’ll speak again.”

  She hung up a out a groan, elig a chuckle from Marta, “Yht this on yourself, Sonya,” her caretaker pointed out, “Had to make a spsh?”

  Sonya glowered at her friend and walked over to the couch where a very tired looking Amos was lounging, rubbing his eyes and grumbling with a book in his p, “Scoot,” She grunted and he rolled over enough to let her sit down. She stretched out her legs and threw her head back, “Image is everything, that’s what my dad used to say about businessmen and politis. More importantly I had to make a move before anyone else did.”

  “Still think it would have been years before someone figured out that monster bones could be verted into munitions,” Amos grumbled.

  “I sincerely doubt you’re the only o there with an intelligence amplifying ability,” Sonya pointed out, “You did good, Amos.”

  “So we go home now?” He asked with a grunt, setting the book he’d been holding aside.

  She plucked it up and looked at the cover, “Myths and Legends?”

  “Wao see if there were any hints about Pandora, it’s just a general overview though,” Amos said with a shrug.

  Sonya opehe book and started flipping through the heavily illustrated pages, admiring the text while Amos griped. She tuned him out, he hated being away from the apartment or the b she’d set up for him.

  “...you’ve been having me work on those damn bullets all month! I want to work on one of my projects!” He pined.

  “Then feel free, you’ve ear,” Sonya said, gng up at him and then at Marta, “Marta and I are probably going fishing soon.”

  “Cheg up on Shark?” Marta asked.

  “I’ve left him to his own devices for a while, with what I gave him he’s done a pretty damn good job, but he isn’t the only guy oreets with serious firepower behind his ability,” Sonya said thoughtfully, looking back down at the book.

  “I think you should hold off until you’ve e up with a better way to ceal your identity, Sonya,” Marta pointed out, “Maybe give yourself a oo?”

  “What? Like the so-called heroes running around out there?” Sonya asked with a frown.

  Marta frowned and crossed her arms, “They’re doing good work.”

  “They’re in it for the thrills aually the money once people start paying for their services,” Sonya said dryly, flipping a page in the book with a frown. “Firestorm is probably the only o there actually trying to do any ght now.”

  Amos looked up, “You know him?”

  “We’ve met, his father atient of mine,” Sonya said offhandedly, turning the page again.

  “Still, a good name might go a long way, especially in times like these. People seem to be tg onto the bandwagon with the whole superhero thing,” Marta said with a huff, “You’re pying two roles, why not do the same?”

  Amos chuckled, “A hat strikes fear in the hearts of the heroes, miss supervilin!” Marta gave him a sful look and he shrugged, “She owns half the gangs in New York, Marta, what else would you call her?”

  Sonya snorted, “I’m nuing the point, it’s part of the pn after all.”

  “I still don’t fully uand the pn, by the way,” Amos said, “You ever gonna spell the whole thing out to us?”

  Sonya shook her head, “Not yet, not till I know it’s truly possible. In the meantime we’ll make all the money we and expand our influence, we’re still a tiny blip as far as the world is ed, even with the munitions you made,” She flipped to ane and paused, stopping to read.

  “Either way, you’ve got to be more careful about where you show yourself, maybe Amos make you a disguise, got any projects that would help Amos? Don’t want you to get bored,” Marta teased him.

  Amos scowled, “Maybe I do, I’ll make it happen,” He bit out, “Better than you imagine.”

  “Better be spectacur then,” Marta said wryly, “Took you a whole month to figure out how to make bullets.”

  Sonya ighe two as they bickered, tinuing to read. She hadn’t read a book like this in a long time and it was a little refreshing. More importantly, something about this particur myth simply resonated with her. She ran her fingers over the text, her eyes lingering on the depi of a gleaming woman with a on her head, her eyes cast down in disdaihe world beh her.

  She gnced up after abs it all, “Hey,” She said, interrupting the two as they were at each other's throats. They stopped and looked at her, “How does Ishtar sound?”