“Magnifit work, may I ask you how you made your way back?” The old man asked, looking genuinely curious.
“I took the pce of an Adjunct after killing him and identified Professor e as his supervisor. I fed her the report about my survival through standard els. After that I subsumed myself into her shadow and waited until she met with Tenure Smallfoot,” He expined, “Tenure Smallfoot had to return to headquarters with the information to order my execution. I entered his shadow and rode all the way here.”
“Your powers have ged? Is that possible?” The old man asked.
Bckrazor shook his head, “My new master gave them to me.”
The old man’s eyes widened and he slowly nodded with uanding, “In the face of that there would be literally nothing I could do for you in exge to ge this oute. Masterfully done. You’ve been studying e’s teiques?”
“I uood the strategy. My metallic blood now also funs as a poison, I modify its traits at will. I simply created something that would serve the purpose for this enter,” Bckrazor said.
The old man ined his head, “That must have taken some thought to sider how to approach it at least.”
“I had plenty of time to sit and wait, I don’t o eat, sleep, or breathe while in a shadow,” Bckrazor responded.
The old man smiled, “You’re the perfect killer.”
“I have a long way to go,” Bckrazor tered, “To live up to her expectations.”
“A ruthless master indeed,” The old man agreed, “I don’t envy you,” He turned his head and reached for the phone on his desk. “May I?”
Bckrazor nodded.
The old man picked up the phone and tapped a few buttons before holding up to his ear. He cleared his throat, “Deans, this is the Headmaster. I regret to inform you that I will be dead in a few moments. I have been soundly defeated aed by a killer beyond pare. He will be your new Headmaster. Challenge him if you like, you will die. Of this I have little doubt. Wait for him to meet with you in chambers. Farewell.”
He hung up the phone. Bckrazor tilted his head and eyed him, “You didn’t have more to say?”
“Do assassins need fort and dolehe old man tered with a wry smile, “They don’t need my soft words, but I say that I am a proud father to you at least. You did well, boy.”
“I hought of you as a parent,” Bckrazor said theated, “No, perhaps I did,” He nodded slowly. “Yes, you took that role when you gave me that order to kill my cssmate.”
The old man’s eyes fluttered, “Do you resent me?”
Bckrazor frowned and gave it a moment’s thought, “No, not anymore.”
“Then I am utterly defeated,” The Headmaster said as his st breath slipped from his lips. His body went sd he shuddered. Bckrazor stared at the corpse for a while, not eveing when fists began banging on the door. He didn’t look up until the doors flew open and five people stormed inside, ons at the ready. He regarded them cooly, not b to remember or even sider their faces. It didn’t matter. The st orders of the Headmaster were still orders from the Headmaster, they were absolute. Despite how much he had hated the man, his word was still w in the Night Society.
Shadows billowed from his feet and spread across the room, only his eyes glowed in the dark as five people screamed.
He arrived at the doors to the meeting hall a few moments ter and pushed the doors open. Eleven figures stood up, their faces covered in hoods. To the right another person stood with wide eyes, Tenure Smallfoot. The blonde man stiffened whe Bckrazor’s eyes, his expression going sck with fusion and a mixture of horror. “Park Beyol?”
“Headmaster Bckrazor,” The vilin corrected him.
Tenure Smallfoot’s expression stilled and calm returned in an instant. He bowed quickly at the wait just as the others did the same. “I greet the new Headmaster.”
“We greet the new Headmaster,” The others joined him.
Bckrazor nodded slowly and gnced over at Smallfoot, “Prepare a fresh thesis defense, you may choose your target so long as it does not cause trouble for the world’s status quo,” He said to the business-killer. “I will o repce the five that disobeyed my predecessor’s orders. I hope you’ll be one of them. You may leave, I o speak with the Deans.”
Smallfoot nodded brusquely, “On your order, Headmaster,” He said and hurried out of the room, shutting the doors behind him.
Bckrazor turned his attention to the others, “It’s a brand new world, and it is time for the Night Society to adapt.”
–
Sonya hummed brightly to herself as she practically prahrough the Mall, her smile wide on her fad bags in her hands. She stopped at a kiosk and admired some of the jewelry on dispy. Most of it was fake dispy pieces, but there were a few real gems inside. She peeked down at them and looked back over her shoulder at Marta earing her usual maid cospy, her hair tied up in a bun for todays outing. Sonya gri her and waggled her eyebrows. Marta returned her smile with one of her own and Sonya picked out a few things.
They were back to walking a few mier, an clutched in Sonya’s hands.
“Shopping therapy is the best,” She sighed.
“I’m gd you’re feelier,” Marta said.
“Oh I feel great, blew off some steam, our new friend has done really well for himself, the radars are already being activated across the globe, and I get to go shopping with my best friend!” She breathed out a huge sigh and slumped against Marta’s shoulder, “I his.”
Marta smiled and nudged her with her arm, “You’re heavier than you used to be, remember?”
Sonya gave her an aghast look, “Marta!”
Marta raised an eyebrow as if dariue.
Sonya pursed her lips, “Okay fine, maybe a little. It’s not the snacks, I swear!”
Marta ughed, “Yes, yes, I know. Spare your precious snacks.”
“Speaking of snacks,” Sonya said, raising her eyebrows, “I noticed you’ve been going out on days off without me pestering you anymore. Something iing going on?”
Marta flushed, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Liar!” Sonya ughed, “Oh e on! Tell me!” She whined and leaned against Marta again as they passed a Lucci clothing store. Sonya gnced i turned her eyes away as soon as she looked at the ter. What, were you expeg her to be there to say hello? Don’t be an idiot.
“What about you? You seem to be dreading this meeting ing up,” She said, careful about her words but Sonya knew what she meant. The Vegas meeting with the Iional Team, with hua.
Sonya pouted, “If I could avoid it, I would. There’s someone in the group that I really don’t think I’m ready to meet or talk about why,” She said.
“That hua woman from the news?” Marta asked, “She doesn’t seem like your type. You usually go for women a little youhan yourself, are a bit on the submissive side, and have cute faces. She’s a hardened soldier. So it isn’t a crush.”
Sonya whipped her head in Marta’s dire, “Do I really have a type?” She blurted, trying to avoid responding directly.
Marta nodded, “Oh yes, very muikay, sorry if bringing her up is a raw spot, Jean, Alice, Donna, Yumi, Laurie, Colleen, Car, Bethany, Heather…” She trailed off and gnced in Sonya’s dire.
Sonya felt her face turn a bit red and she looked down, clearihroat, “W-well, yeah I guess, um… maybe I do have a bit of a type,” She paused and sighed, “And I’m fine about the whole Mikay thing, what happened was a good thing ultimately.”
Marta chuckled, “Alright, I’m doeasing you and I won’t push you on whatever’s going on with that woman,” She tilted her head up a little and looked at Sonya from the side, “As a reward for putting up with it, yes, I have been having dinner with Mister Logan on occasion. Though you probably already know that, don’t you?”
Sonya smiled at her friend, “Maybe, okay just the bookstore i, I left well enough aloer that,” She admitted.
Marta scoffed, “I k, yht him up out of hat night.”
Sonya grinned a toothy grin, “I’ve been good sihen!”
Marta rolled her eyes and nudged Sonya, Sonya nudged her bad the two of them burst into ughter. They tinued along, arm in arm, for a while before Sonya gnced over at Marta, “I’m happy for you.”
Marta nodded, “Thank you, Sonya.”
Marta’s ph and she answered it, “Hello? Oh Hi Amos. She’s right o me.”
Sonya winced, she’d set her internal phoo block calls while in public so she could get a little dowh Marta. She sighed, she supposed it was too much to expect to get a breather for long. “I’ll call him,” Sonya said and waved her hand.
Marta nodded, “You heard that? Okay.” She hung up, “Says he has news about a taxi driver?”
Sonya raised her eyebrows, “Already?”
She mentally unlocked her phone and called Amos.
She frowned,
Her eyebrows rose higher,
–
Sonya was crag up in the back seat of the car, kig her feet and holding her sides. If she could cry, she would have, it was just too funny. Across from her, Kingshark was holding his head and hiding a look of amusement on his face. She rolled onto her side, trying to take a few deep breaths. She stopped, snickered, and started ughing again. “Wait, wait wait wait,” She tried to breathe, holding herself up and ging to her helmet. “I gotta call Bckrazor.”
Kingshark looked up, his eyes wide, “Bckrazor will kill him!” He blurted, his amusement still pie the protest.
“Naaaah!” Sonya ughed, and ected her internal phoo the cars speakers, She dialed out, barely able to hold in her ughter. “e on, e on, e on, pick up!” She willed the newly anointed master assassin to answer.
A faint click came through the car speakers followed by Bckrazor’s voice, “What I do for you mistress?”
“Bckrazd you answered, boy do I have news for you,” She snickered. “You’re on speaker by the way, its me an Kingshark.”
“Kingshark,” Bckrazrunted.
“Hey new guy,” Kingshark grumbled back.
“What is this news, ma’am?” Bckrazor asked.
“Okay, so, you remember that cab driver you killed while tripping out on Pandora Siess?” She asked, her lips trembling.
“That is not something I want to relive, an embarrassing time, but yes, I do remember that poor man,” Bckrazor said hesitantly, “What about him?”
“I’m heading to his apartment right now,” Sonya said.
There was a long pause, “Why?”
“Because he’s a fug zombie!” Sonya burst into ughter, “Looks like he has some kind of ability that brings you back as a zombie if you die. No idea oails but Amos got a good look at him and there’s no way it isn’t the same guy just pale.” She expined between chuckles, “You picked the one guy to kill who ’t actually die!” She cracked up again.
Across from her, Kingshark was barely able to tain his ughter. Oher end of the call, she heard a small chuckle, then an ht ugh. “Alright, yes, I admit it, that’s pretty funny. So what do you want to do with him?”
“ht, apparently this guy is running some sort of small time taxi service for vilins. I figure I help him expand a little, it could e in handy to have ready transportation for vilins when needed,” She leaned forward, “Get this, he make more zombies. They actually drive the cars for him.”
“You’re kidding, isn’t that an apocalypse sario?” Bckrazor asked, the dignity in his tohat he had been trying to maintaiing in the face of pure curiosity.
“Oh I ’t wait to find out what the name of his power is, as boys?” She asked.
“Zombie,” Kingshark said, “Most abilities have pretty straightforward names.”
Sonya nodded, “Bckrazor?”
There ause, “T-Virus.” Sonya and Kingshark looked at one another. “What?”
“Nerd,” Kingshark chuckled.
“By knowing that it’s nerdy, you expose yourself, Kingshark,” Bckrazor bit back.
Kingshark blinked and frowned, “Ah damn it.”
Sonya ughed again and the out a sigh, “Anyway, just wao let you know about the situation. His vilin name is Charon apparently. Pretty appropriate,” She leaned ba her seat, “Just letting you know so you don’t find out about him on your own and decide to finish the job.” A long pause followed. Sonya raised an eyebrow, “You were going to if I didn’t tell you to back off, weren’t you?”
A heavy sigh, “Yes ma’am.”
She snickered and reached for her helmet, the car slowing down, “That’ll be all, Bckrazor, keep up the good work.”
“Of course,” He said and she ehe call.
Kingshark shook his head, “That guy.”
“Now that he’s got his head out of his ass and made something of himself, he’s not half bad,” Sonya agreed to his unspoken ent.
Kingshark nodded, “A king of gangs and king of assassins, what ?”
Sonya wi him, “I suppose we’ll see, won’t we. I have big pns, Kingshark, and we’re gonna need a full crew if we’re gonna make it happen.” She said and pulled her helmet over her head.
“You’re the boss,” He said with a nod and a smile.
They got out of the car and looked up at the rather quaint apartment building. She put her hands on her hips a out a raspy breath, “So…” Sonya said, still not ready to slip into Ishtar just yet, she leaowards him and grinned, “You and Handmaiden huh?” She said with her eerie rasp, the joking tone sounding a little odd.
Kingshark let out a groan and started up the stairs.