TheBroker

  The dust swirled around them, kicked up by an unseen wind. Her jet-bck robes fpped around her body, she could feel it, the power swelling inside of her. She closed her eyes and brought her on up beside her head holding it in the ready positiohin smile widened into a sneer and she raised her head, her ilted up as she opened her glowing yellow eyes and looked down on her oppo. Across from her, he brought his own on up in front of him, brown robes hanging loosely off of his fit frame.

  “This is where you fall,” He said, “There could have been peace between us.”

  She s him, “Peace was never an option.”

  As ohey flicked the switches on their ons. A beam of red-colored hardened light extending from her on as one of a brilliant blue extended from his. With a swift movement they engaged one another, bdes g, sparks flying, light illuminating their faces.

  Off to the side, Marta rest her on her palm and stared at the two as they pyed. “So this is why she wanted me to make those robes,” She muttered a out a sigh, shaking her head. She couldn’t help but smile a little. It was a good way to spend some downtime, she supposed.

  “Embrace yer Amos! It’s the only way to defeat me!”

  “Never!”

  “I will make you kneel, fool!”

  “Been there dohat,” said o her, popping a piece of caramelized pop into his mouth and chewing. He leaned bad crossed his legs nguidly.

  Marta gave him a sidelong look and raised an eyebrow, “Are your only two defining personality traits thirsting after Amos and being Sonya’s wyer?” She asked frankly.

  The pretty boy looked up at her, “When I’m paid this well? Sure.”

  She barked out a small ugh and rolled her eyes, “You’re ridiculous,” She said and turned her attentioo a rather disgruntled looking Bckrazor who was standio the oversized industrial fan that had beeing the wind to make the duo’s ‘fight se’ look more dramatic. He scratched his thoughtfully as if trying to figure out the point of this ehing. She kind of felt bad for him, in a way, he was so io having fun that he couldn’t prehend that they were just goofing off.

  She called out to him anyway, “Hun, you don’t have to stand there anymore!” She shouted, waving for him to e over. He gnced her way and tensed, looking up, down, then any other dire but in hers. She frowned and tilted her head, “What’s his problem?”

  “Didn’t you nearly choke the life out of him with a knife in your head at one point?” asked, g away at his sweets, “I’d be fug terrified too.”

  She slowly turned her head towards him, grimag, that particurly violent fight was not one of her proudest moments, “Did Sonya tell you?” She asked with a sigh.

  “Nah, Amos, you know he set the cameras up in that roht?” pointed out chewing thoughtfully before leaning forward, “Get her babe!” He shouted, throwing his fist in the air. Ba the ter of the room, Amos was oack, swinging dramatically while Sonya went on the backfoot, snarling at him as she blocked his strikes.

  Marta turned a gre on Amos, “Sonya! Strike him down!” She shouted.

  shot her a look, “Bst her away!”

  “Kick his ass!” Marta barked.

  Baear the industrial fan, Bckrazor let out a sigh and hung his head. This was beyond the normal level of sillihat he had e to expect from his mistress. He was trying really hard to get into it, he really was, but the absurdity of the situation just made his head hurt. He gnced ain at the bestial maid and rubbed his neck. She was shouting at the dueling pair now, her shoulder pressed against ’s as the two seemed to throw themselves into their own ‘bout’. It was like she’d pletely fotten about their fight. How could she fet something like that? He pihe bridge of his nose as a hand nded on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and stared forward.

  “Kingshark.”

  “It’s Barry, kid, we’re not in uniform, ain’t we?” Kingshark said and lumbered around him, sitting down on the ground and pulling a of beer out of a six pack he was holding. He popped it open ae to Bckrazor who stared at it. “It’s good, just fu’ drink it man.”

  Bckrazor pressed his lips together, “Um… what’s the drinking age in America again?” He asked.

  Kingshark-Barry turned his head slowly and squinted up at him, “Are you serious?”

  Bckrazroaned and snatched it up, plopping down on the ground and taking a long chug of the drink before pulling the away with a sigh. “Fine! Damn it! Shit!” He whined and reached up to scratch at his head. He turned a hard look on Barry, “It’s Beyol.”

  “Yeah I know,” Barry said and cracked open his own drink, chugging it down befng up and grinning at Marta who waved at him. He raised his drink and wi her. “Man, this ain’t a bad life, yeah?”

  Beyol looked betweewo of them and huffed, taking another drink of the beer. He begrudgingly admitted that it was very, very good. He stretched out his legs and leaned back, gng over at the two still in the midst of their ‘duel’. “The first enter notwithstanding, things have turned out quite well,” He ceded.

  Barry ughed, “Yeah! You did have a pretty fucked up first time. I had some goddamn fshbacks, man. Did not envy you o.”

  “You too?” Beyol asked, gng at the big man.

  Barry puffed out his breath through his lips with a raspberry, “Got beaten to hell by a lurker dragged off and offered my deal,” He grunted, “Now I’m a king.”

  Beyol frow his drink, “You know mine, and now I’m the Headmaster of the Night Society,” He said and snorted, he tilted back the and drank the rest of it down. He crushed it and snatched up ahat was immediately offered by Barry. He barked out a genuine ugh, it felt kind of good. “To miserable starts and glorious futures!” He procimed, the buzz getting the better of him.

  Barry gri him, “I hear that!” The big man said and knocked his against Beyol’s.

  Back with Marta, she smiled in the dire of the two men sittio the industrial fan. “That’s better.”

  “Looked into Beyol by the way, Amos helped,” said, the two having finally rexed from their petunt little spat, “You know he has no birth certificate or anything? There’s no telling how old he actually is. We’re putting it betweeeen and twenty-one. Pretty hazy on it, if I’m being ho. The kind of training he went through probably triggered some early growth.”

  Marta looked at him, aghast, “Are you joking?”

  pursed his lips, “Nope, his false identity says twenty-three, if that helps.”

  Marta got to her feet, “Oh no! Not here!” She barked angrily.

  ughed, “Hey, the drinking age is sixteen in sw-”

  “We’re not in Switzernd!” Marta railed, marg over to Beyol and Barry to give them a piece of her mind. chuckled and shook his head, gng aopping another died pieto his mouth. He chewed slowly and thoughtfully as he watched the antics of this strange group that had been brought together by the stra woman he’d ever met. He couldn’t help but think about how un-vilin-like they really were ohe es and masks came off.

  Sonya was an impish and often childish wildcard, flirtatious and exuberant ihing she did. She practically dahrough life with her heart on her sleeve and a smile on her face. Amos was a hard w and diligent guy with the demeanor of a snarky middle-child and nothing to lose. Marta was motherly and patient most of the time but would swing into fretting and discipli the drop of a hat. Beyol tried so hard to py the cool edgy guy but was really the you son who was just holding himself bauch. Barry was that jolly uncle who was too enabling for his own good.

  He gnced again at Sonya, What kind of family are y to build here? He thought, amused, a his arms on his knees. Do you really need all this support for what you’re pnning? He gnced down at his pop and plucked out another piece, popping it into his mouth aing out a tented sigh. Guess it doesn’t really matter. We have a deal, and I’ll keep this whole crazy thing running behind the ses for you. He thought as Sonya and Amos fiheir duel. Amos turo look at him and waved, being him over.

  slid off the bend got to his feet, Just make sure you keep your promise and save the world, will ya? I’m starting to like this pce.