Sonya held a two liter bottle of soda aloft, standing dramatically o the television. She was feeling more than a little smug. Her performance had gone well, and it seemed only right to celebrate a little. She cradled the bottle and looked down at it before looking up at Amos, , and Marta who had all gathered for what robably the first time they were all in the same room. Marta was c her fa sed-hand embarrassment, Amos was guffawing as leaned forward with a glint in his eyes and a grin on his face wide enough to match hers.
He’d really e out of his shell since joining up.
“I’d like to thank the Academy,” Sonya began, pg a hand over her heart as she looked longingly down at the bottle, “And of course my dear friends who have supported me up until this point,” She trailed off and wiped a ant tear from her eyes, “This is for you guys.”
cpped excitedly while Marta groarying to hide the amusement on her face with her hands. It wasn’t w.
“I still ’t believe she went for it so easily,” Amos snorted, resting his arms on his knees.
Sonya shrugged, “She’s got it out for me, the moment I showed reluce she doubled down. She doesn’t think very highly of me, obviously. I could tell she was impressed with what we’ve aplished as far as ASTA is ed but that’s separate from me as a person,” She expined.
“Still, all we’ve mao aplish here is ensuring that she goes to the duhat day, nothing much past that,” Marta pointed out, buzzkill. “How are we dealing with her once we get her in there? What about Duong? I was o the guy and Sonya’s right. He’s way more dangerous. I felt like I was standio a live geor and one wrong move would be the end of me even with Baldur’s Body.”
“You’d still survive,” Sonya said, walking over aling onto the couch, “Though it would hurt, a lot.”
Marta frowned, “All the more reason to figure out a strategy. I’m not a masochist.”
“Pusible deniability is the first and highest priority. You o make everything that happens while at the dungeoo be outside your trol,” said, “Get a third party to actually force her into the dungeon. Someone disposable but als enough to keep her inside. You e and go from dungeons, right?”
“Some, not all,” Amos said.
“Oh?” asked, turning to him.
“Yeah, the Times Square Dungeon had a cut-off point acc to Firestorm’s team. After progressing to the main level of the building the path back was blocked,” He frowned, “It doesn’t hurt to cover all bases though.”
“They’d o be able to get past Duong,” Marta added.
Sonya leaned ba her chair and pyed the drums owo liter for a few seds, thinking. She rest her head bad stared at the ceiling, sidering all of her tacts. “Bckrazor still hasn’t made tact but I have a feeling he’s still alive, just busy. Kingshark would be cooked in an instant, he’s powerful but slow. I should figure out a fix for that iure, I don’t want my lieutenants to have weaknesses.”
Amos snapped his fingers, “Veloce!”
Sonya sat up and blinked, “Oh yeah! That’s a great idea!” She ughed, “Veloce could get past him no problem and have Hyunh in the dungeon before he could even blink.”
“But could she hold Hyunh? You said her ability was some kind of magic like Bluestar, right?” pressed, “Not to put a damper,” He nudged Amos’ shoulder, “Just making sure.”
Sonya sidered for a moment. was right that it wasirely certain as to whether or not she could hold Hyunh at bay and make sure the dungeo with her. She rubbed her ned pressed her lips together. “I could Broker her a power, but I’d need something in exge from her and the deal has to be willing even if she’s basically ensved.” She g Marta, “And a powerful enough ability to really make sure we have no problems tends to e at a signifit cost, especially for those who already work for me.”
Marta rubbed her , “Well, you mentio one point you gave me a free sample of my powers being awakened when the fsh first happened,” Marta said slowly, “How long does it st?”
“Not long,” Sonya said shaking her head, “It was only about a miops.”
“One Minute is not a lot of time to work with,” agreed.
“At her speed, though, she could get pretty far into a dungeon in a minute as long as there aren’t barriers in her path,” Amos tered, “Also, do we really need more than a minute for things to py out with Duong? Powers don’t work through a dungeon portal, the moment she’s cut off the e will sever. My drones don’t work with my teopathy if I’m not in with them and I imagihe effect is simir.”
The four of them looked at one another, “This might work,” Marta said hesitantly, “It’s incredibly risky aill have to deal with Duong once he’s free. He’ll fly off the handle for certain if what Sonya’s told me and what I could feel are any indication.”
Sonya’s expressio dark, “Let him.”
The three looked at her, wide eyed, “What?” asked, “But don’t you want him to die?”
“Yes, but I also have pns for him before that,” Sonya said, not eborating. “But that requires me dealing with Hyunh first. More importantly, if we kill him too quickly the blowback might be more than we want.”
Amos mulled over Sonya’s words for a moment before looking up at her, “You want him to go berzerk in the middle of Las Vegas a him run wild for a while?” He said, getting looks from the other two. He squinted and then nodded, “To ruin his reputation by a public act of viliny. You want to make him out into a vilin to justify what es after.”
“Something like that,” Sonya said with a nod.
“More bodies at your feet,” Marta pointed out.
“Yes,” Sonya said a her head ba the couch, “You’re right.” She didn’t argue the point, nor did she cede it. It was what it was and she was doing her best to make peace with it. She would have tried to say that she had, in fact, made her peace with it, but that would be a lie. Her own psychological problems were clear enough that there was some fracturing going on that she o work through. She huffed out a breath and looked up at the ceiling.
There was an awkward silence for a moment as everyo in ption. “I should call Bera to get Veloce sent over,” Sonya said, “The prepared for the press fereomorrow m. The Chairman is really excited.”
“Do that ter,” Marta said and exged a look with Amos. “Let’s celebrate a little more, we derailed ourselves with that versation.”
nodded and threw himself to the left, flipping onto his bad flopping down with his head in Amos’ p. He stretched his arms and legs, letting out a sigh. “Yeah, I came here food time.”
Amos looked down at , aghast, “, you!”
tilted his head a little bit and looked up at Amos, “There a problem?”
Amos frowned and looked away, his cheeks rosy, “No,” He grumbled.
“So, elephant in the room,” Sonya said, leaning forward and gd to be out of a scheming versation into something far more eaining. She pointed between Amos and , “When did this happen? I noticed it the other day but didn’t say anything.”
Amos cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak but cut him off with a gesture and a tap on the , “We hit it off the night we met. Amos took me out to dinner, it was very he effeminate wyer said, “Enough said, the rest is private,” He added with a wink to a very relieved looking Amos.
“Cute,” Marta breathed.
Sonya elbowed her, “Don’t drool.”
Marta gasped and put her hand up to her lips, “Am I?”
Sonya cocked an eyebrow at her, “Not yet, sheesh. You should really get out there and work out some of that tension, it’s good for you. Keeps me clear headed.” Marta frowned and looked down at her p as Sonya tinued. “I could hook you up with Kingshark. He’s a bit thick-headed sometimes but I think there’s a sweet guy underh the… you know… nightmare sea-dwelling monster crime lord schtick.”
Marta looked at her aghsat, “I’m not that desperate!”
Sonya burst into ughter, “I won’t tell him you said that!” She guffawed, grabbing her ribs as the others joined in.
Marta just tugged at her hair and looked away, flustered.
Sonya reached over and pat her arm, “You’re fine just the way you are, Marta. No worries. I know what happened is a lot to deal with a over.” More than you know.
“I saw him,” Marta said quietly.
“Who? Your ex-husband?” Sonya asked.
“Yes, at a vention,” Marta murmured, “Protesting.”
Sonya’s lips thinned, she’d always known he was a religious nut. She frowned, “Did he say anything to you?” Sonya asked, a little more darkly thaended. Even and Amos who’d been half flirting-half arguing looked up in surprise and maybe a little fear.
Marta didn’t seem to notice, lost in thought, “It wasn’t pretty, no.” Sonya’s lip twitched and she met Amos’ gaze. Amos swallowed as Marta seemed to sehe tension finally. She looked up at Sonya and her eyes widened. “You… Sonya please don’t. Just leave him be. I don’t want-”
Sonya’s voice dropped a full octave, “Are you sure?” Ishtar asked. “One word to Kingshark.”
Marta met her gaze and nodded, “This is my problem to deal with and he’s not worth the effort even the alone having some of Kingshark’s boys deal with him. I just o work through it. How about you take me out clubbing instead?”
Ishtar sighed and nodded, her shoulders rexing. The air in the room seemed to ease a little and both and Amos let out their owhs of relief. Sonya brightened up with a smile, “Well, in that case, the offer’s still oable for the big guy. Who knows, you might be into it!” She teased with a tittering ugh befetting to her feet. “I’m gonna go make that call.” She said and stood, walking to her room.
The others watched her go, exging looks before Amos just shrugged aured to the TV. It flickered to life and the news came on.
“...in other news, the iional task force of heroes will be visiting major cities across the Uates in a tour to introduce the growing group and expand appeal. The Pandora ittee has indicated that this particur group will be eventually w towards the liberation of the lost Dharaory.” The reporter said.
“Oh I heard about this,” said, “I’m surprised Firestorm wasn’t invited.”
“Mythily,” Marta pointed out, “The best and the stro. Even if Firestorm frankly has more experiehan most of them put together.”
“Ah,” nodded in uanding.
“Retly added to the eam is Lian hua also known as Bck Lotus, a swordswoman from a who is currently being sidered for a leadership position in the group given her military background and sizable monster kill t,” The s ged to a woman with bck hair standing with a sheathed sword in her hand speaking with a few other heroes and shaking hands. “The Mythic-tier hero has a firmed t of over seven hundred monsters and single handedly defended a small town after a sizable wave of unusual monsters appeared. There is some question as to whether or not the wave was a result of a smaller version of the Dharan i.”
The three of them exged looks, “Dungeon break?” Marta asked.
“Sounds like it, she ma on her own?” Amos muttered, “Holy shit.”
“Probably on tier, even so…” said thoughtfully. “...she’s powerful. Maybe we should-” He turo look to Sonya who hadn’t quite reached her room wheV went on. He froze. “Sonya?”
Sonya stood in the doorframe, her eyes wide, staring at the s in a mixture of fear, fusion, grief, and something else. She was shaking, breathing hard, and gripping the frame of her door so tightly that her fingers were digging into the wood down to her knuckles. The others looked up in worry as the TV kept going. “We received word this evening that the Chairman of the Pandora ittee will be in Las Vegas week and has made arras to meet the leading members of the iional task force during that time. More details as they e,” The reporter trailed off, “Specution about tomorrow’s press ference hosted by Sonya ovna has…”
“Sonya?” Marta called out to her, “Sonya are you okay? What is it?”
Sonya turned away in silence, shakily stumbling into her room and shutting the door behihe three just looked at one ahen back at the television. “What the hell just happened?” Amos asked, “Was it that hua woman?”
“I don’t know, but let’s look into it,” Marta said and got a nod from Amos.
–
She’s going to be there.
Sonya staggered towards her bed before immediately ging dire and rushing to the bathroom. A moment ter she was rinsing her mouth out and gripping the sides of her sink with white knuckles. She looked up at her own glowing eyes. She could see the dim, broken eyes of the woman who had stumbled through the apocalypse even as they glowed brightly back at her iy.
That bastard, this ges everything, I ’t face her. She snarled inwardly and raer again, spshing it over her face. He’s going to make me meet her. What should I do? What should I say? What I do? She panicked.
“Fuck!” She swore and turned away, gng at the toilet again and c her mouth, nausea boiling up again. She crouched down and covered her head, her shoulders trembling. She felt Marta approach the door to her room and with an effort of will ehe eleic lock. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyht now. She felt bad, but she just couldn’t deal with it. Her mind was reeling. She hadn’t seen hua’s face since ying eyes on her corpse before the funeral. Now she saw her alive and well, young, stern, fresh, beautiful.
God damn it, why now? She croaked as she curled up on the cold bathroom floor, holding her head. Calm down… calm down…
