Across from her, Sonya was sitting at the end of the table. She ulling her hair bad letting out a breath. There was a bit of tension in her shoulders and Lillian got the feeling she was irritated. Maybe she and Bck Lotus had an argument about something? Bck Lotus seemed to think that Sonya was the best person to talk to. She rubbed her ned gnced up at Handmaiden. The pretty brown-haired woman stood stoically behind Sonya, her hands crossed delicately at her waist.
Then there was the third prese was a youthful looking person with brown hair that had been tied bato a partial ponytail while the rest spread out over their head. They were sitting a bit back from the table, legs crossed. They were ridiculously pretty. The person gnced up from a notepad and raised an eyebrow at Lillian before winking at her. She flushed immediately and cleared her throat, looking at an expet Sonya. “Miss ovna, I’m here?”
Sonya brandished a winning smile and got to her feet, “Yes you are! I’m so gd you came, Lillian. I was a little worried you’d wait!” She ughed and walked around the table to approach her. She held out her hand, a handshake. “Allow me to properly introduce myself, I’m Sonya ovna, CEO of the Applied Strategic Teologies Association. ASTA for short!” She said brightly, “My pany provides teological, logistical, and agent-based assistance for heroes as well as maintains its own Guild.”
She gestured to Handmaiden, “This is Marta Daphne, but you probably know her as Handmaiden. She is a Mythic Lised Hero and my bodyguard and attendant,” She said.
Marta ined her head aoicism melted into a gentle smile, “It’s o meet you, young dy.”
Lillian already had stars in her eyes getting the full treatment from Sonya and now Handmaiden was smiling at her. She barely processed when Sonya turned her towards the other person in the room, “And this is Matthews. is my personal legal advisor and possesses a very u of skills and a fasating ability.”
got to his feet and grinned, reag out to take Lillian’s hand. Soft. “o meet you Miss Landrey. I hope you don’t mind me being here. ASTA takes these versations very seriously and my role is to help Miss ov our didates.”
“Vet?” Lillian asked. “What do you mean?”
nodded, “My ability isn’t on the public record as I never got lised,” He said, “I am able to endorse and hold people to tracts,” He said and reached down, he pulled a suitcase up and ope, revealing a sheet of paper with text on it. It was very brief.
I [BLANK], DO AGREE TO TELL THE TRUTH FOR THE DURATION OF THIS INTERVIEW. IN EXGE, ANYTHING I SAY WILL BE HELD IN FIDENCE BY THOSE PRESENT.
It was signed by Sonya, , and Handmaiden herself.
“Do you uand why I am having use this dot?” Sonya asked, peering up at her from her side with a serious expression.
“A,” Lilliahed. “You’re cheg for false heroes.”
Sonya gave her a sad smile, “As much as I want to trust you, I have to be careful as does the Pandora ittee,” She said, “The other sponsors have simir methods that they are employing. Fe has a living lie detector in their rht now.”
Lillian stared at the paper a her shoulders, “Hand me a pen,” She had nothing to hide and knew what kind of person she was. She wao, had to believe that with all of her heart. She wouldn’t have lied to begin with, but this made everything clearer for all parties. It was the right way to ha.
Sonya blinked and looked her up and down, a small smile growing on her face. “I knew I had a good feeling about you,” She said and walked back to her seat, sitting down. “?”
“Right away, ma’am,” said and drew the paper out, setting it down with a pen in front of Lillian. Lillian filled her name in and signed oted line. Instantly she felt a charge run up her arm and a tension wash through her body. She let out a breath, reag up to touch her houghtfully.
“Have a seat, Miss Landrey,” Sonya said.
Lillian sat down, “Thank you, ma’am,” She said after catg her breath.
“We’ll start with a few test questions to keep things above board and make sure the tract is ag as intended,” Sonya said, “What is your name, pce of birth, and age?”
“Lillian Aubrey Landrey. Atnta, Geia. I’m Eighteen,” Lillian said.
“Pretty name,” Sonya said with a smile and nodded, “Okay, are you in any way affiliated with any vilied anization or know someone who is?”
“No ma’am,” Lillian said.
“Good!” Sonya nodded, “Have you at any point before or after acquiring your abilities fantasized or sidered using such abilities for a crime?”
“Absolutely not,” Lillian said, shaking her head.
“Excellent, one more,” Sonya said, “Do you have any iion to use the legal authority granted as a hero to be yourself in a way that would be sidered by others to be selfish?”
“Not in a million years,” Lillian said, “I want to bee a hero like Firestorm.”
Sonya raised her eyebrows, “I saw your jacket, let's talk about that,” Sonya said a her notepad dowing her hands in her p. “What exactly does that mean to you?”
Lillian shifted a bit in her seat and took a deep breath, she looked down at her hands, “I want to be someone who helps people, not just that, I want to do whatever it takes to help people. I want to do a little good in the world, you know? It would be o make a name for myself too, and sure, it’s a job. But,” She trailed off, “He gave everything for others. Right? He made a difference, I want to do that.”
She looked up into those glowing meical eyes of Sonya’s, they whirred and spun quietly, for a few moments. Even though they were made of metal, Lillian could see something soft ihe small smile that spread across Sonya’s face made Lillian’s heart ache. Sonya had ‘raised’ him as a hero. She already knew everything Lillian had said, it was a little embarrassing to just go on a tirade like that. She looked down at her hands with a flush, “That’s what I think.”
“Firestorm, Nick,” Sonya said softly and leaned ba her chair. Lillian looked up at the distant look in Sonya’s eyes, “He ecial guy.”
“What was he really like?” Lillian asked, uo resist the opening.
Sonya looked into the distance for a moment, “Kind,” She said, swallowing a little, “He was kind,” She snorted and gnced up at Handmaiden, “Remember the cartoon dungeohey found Inky?” Sonya asked with a ugh.
Handmaiden chuckled, “I remember.”
Lillian sat up, “I’ve never heard this story. I know that Bandit found his monster panion in a dungeon, but not how.”
“Not his proudest moment,” Sonya ughed, “Now this is all how Bluestar told it to me,” Sonya cautioned, “They were in the dungeon and found themselves wandering these maze-like halls. Absolute nonse sounded like. Anyway, they stumbled upon a trap. A woman was inside of a pit, g for help. Wailing,” She shook her head, “It was a fresh dungeon, there was no way someone had made it ihe likelihood of this person making it that far in was ridiculous!”
She let out a sigh and sank a little in his seat, “You know what Firestorm did?”
Lillian couldn’t help herself, her lip trembled, “He jumped right in.”
“He jumped right in, ation, not a doubt in his mind. Even if there was an infinitesimal ce that it was a real person in real danger, he went for it. It was of course a gerap and they had to pull him out but,” Sonya sighed, “He did it anyway.”
Lillia a glow in her heart and looked down at her hands, smiling a bit dumbly, “Wow.”
“It’s a good story,” Sonya said with a sigh, “I miss him.”
Lillian looked up, “I want to live up to his legacy. I don’t want to be him, but… I want to be that person that run in, no matter what,” She sighed, “I just don’t think my ability is up to it,” She said and bit her lip, “What is it, anyway? You said you’d tell me.”
Sonya sat up a little, “Do you mean that?”
“Mean what?” Lillian asked, a little fused.
“Do you mean what you just said? That you want to live up to that story? All of what you said? The tract demanding you tell the truth aside, from the bottom of your heart, do you mean that?” She asked, fixing Lillian with an intense look.
Lilliaated, Is this what Miss ovna was looking for? I don’t uand. She’s so intense right now. “Well, yes, of course!”
Sonya gowards and then back at Handmaiden.
Um… what’s happening?
Sonya got to her feet, “Alright,” She said and walked over, standing over Lillian. Lillian looked up into those glowing eyes as a gentle hand touched her cheek and another nded on her heart, “I’m ting on you, then. Bee a great hero, Follow in his footsteps, I know you do it.”
–
The hing Lillian knew Sonya was in her seat and smiling at her, “I think we’ve got all we need, I want to sign you on with ASTA, Miss Landrey, but I’d appreciate you keeping that information to yourself for now until we’re further into the camp. Does that work for you?”
Lillian blinked, her head felt a bit funny and her chest felt really warm, “Um… wait, really?” She gasped, sitting up in her seat, “Are you serious?” She felt like she was flying!
“Yes! Is that alright with you?” Sonya asked with a pyful ugh.
“Of course!” Lillian practically shouted, hopping to her feet. She ran her fihrough her hair, “Oh my god, but, my ability, are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Sonya said, “As for your ability ake some time to figure it out yourself. I know I said I would tell it to you, but I strongly feel it’s something you o explore before you appreciate the name.”
Lillian hat made perfect seo her, “No problem at all, I’ll work on it!” She flexed her arm and cpped her bicep, “I’ve got this!”
“Good luck, little hero,” Sonya said, “Now go have fun with your friends. It looked like you found yourself in a good group.”
Lillian bounced on the balls of her feet, “Yes! Right! I mean! Oh my god!” She forced herself to calm down, deep breaths, deep breaths, Miss ovna told me to keep it to myself for now. Gotta be cool. Be cool. She breathed deep and then exhaled. “I’m good.”
Sonya ughed, “Go on, we’ll talk more soon.”
Lillian brandished her own big smile, “Thank you, so much,” She said slipped out the door.
–
Sonya watched the girl go and tilted her head, a sad smile pying on her face. shifted a bit in his seat and looked her way, “That was quite the iment, and those sans were…”
Sonya gnced his way, “I know. I never said I was a nice person.”
“You made the right choice,” Marta said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “She’ll go far.”
Sonya reached up and touched her dear friend’s hand. She felt a little guilt for what Lillian would have to gh. “She’ll have to endure a lot to earn it,” Sonya said, “But I wouldn’t expeything less from his successor,” Sonya said and looked down a bit, “After what happened with hua, I need a sure thing, even if that means I have to stack the deck.”
Marta squeezed her shoulder, “Don’t talk about her, it’ll just upset you. e on, you’ll have at least one more by the end of the night.”
Sonya let out the boiliions that were stirring in her chest with a heavy sigh. She cpped her face with her hands and drew her hair back, schooling her emotions. “Right. Back to work!”
–
Lillian did her best to trol her excitement, she really did, but it was so goddamn hard. She hopped doweps two at a time before nding in the now dimly lit on area. It seemed like most of the eating was over and people were just chilling now. A few of the guys had left for the dorms and now Ollie, Val, and Snow were the only people she reized. She walked over to them and waved. Val her, “How’d it go?”
“Pretty good! The interview is intehough, all the sponsors have lie deteethods to check for potential vilins,” Lillian said, sitting down on the couch.
“Huh,” Val rubbed his , “Good to know, I like that. Alright, well I got what I was waiting for, I’ll go tell the guys,” He said, g his knees aing up. “Ollie, you ing?”
Ollie was furiously writing something down in his notebook and mumbling to himself. He looked up and blinked, “ht! It is te," He said and hopped to his feet. He turned a small awkward smile on Lillian, “Gd the interview went well, I hope you get it. Miss ovna is a good person. She helped me out.”
Lillian smiled at him, “I’m sorry about earlier, by the way.”
He rubbed his neck, “It’s fine,” He said, “You guys are o me, even after that. If you need anything, I’ve already plumbed through the catalog. I’ll help you figure out your schedule tomorrow.”
“I’d like that,” Lillian said, “Now go to bed you guys. I’m gonna catch my breath for a minute.”
“Sure, ter,” Val said and walked off, Ollie close behind.
A small fsh of movement followed by a pressure in her p drew her attention. Lillian looked down to see Snow’s head down there, fag out towards the on area. She raised an eyebrow, “You know the couch has actual pillows, right?”
Snoed away at her phone,
The text appeared in front of her and Lillian chuckled, “Yeah, that’s fair,” She said, “Miss ovna said I should explore my power a bit before she gives me the hat we’d talk more ter.”
“You know,” Lillian said, gng around, “There’s barely anyone here, you don’t have to talk to me through your texts.”
Snow froze, shifting a bit in her p. Just the glow of her phone illuminating the slight frown on the girl's face. Lillia like she’d stepped in another ndmine again. She opened her mouth to speak when aext appeared.
Lilliahe words and immediately uood, “Hey, I’m sorry,” She said.
Lillian ughed, “Sure, I do that.”