She looked the same. Everything about her was the same. He khough, he knew she was a different person. Martin scowled at the mohat stood across from him. Those pink eyes of hers glowed a bit brighter, her posture seemed rexed but he could practically feel her body coil like a serpent ready to strike. The pressure came , the weight of Ishtar’s gaze pushing down on him as luminous digital eyes appeared in the room, flickering to life and staring down at him in judgment. He forced his way through the instinctual animal terror that raced up his spine and into his brain.
This is a predator. This is a killer. This is a person fully capable ing this ey down around her without a blink or breaking sweat. This is a person without qualms or any sort of restraints.
“Ishtar,” He growled.
“What I do for you, detective?” She said that wain with derision in her voice.
“I’m not a detective anymore,” He said sourly.
“So I heard,” Ishtar hissed, a series of panels of light appearing behind her in the form of free-floating steps. She took a few steps bad sat down o ohe rest vanishing as she crossed her legs and looked down at him from above. “Couldn’t hahe pressure after signing away your principles. Stepped down with honors even though you felt nothing but disgrace. Fitting for a washed up old cop like you.”
He bore his teeth, “I’d ask you why you’re doing all this, but you ’t hide anything from me anymore,” He said, “Not with the Gaze of Mimir.”
Ishtar tilted her head up a little and raised her eyebrows, “My, you really lucked out didn’t you?”
He ignored her a his gaze burn. His vision in one eye dimmed as everything that was Ishtar, that was Sonya ovna, burhrough his retinas and into his brain. Nothing could be hidden from his gaze even if his deal with her prevented him from speaking it to the world. He would know the truth, the whole truth and-
Fire.
He stumbled back.
Death.
He shook his head and gripped his skull.
Grief.
“What the-” He gasped, clutg at his head, “What the hell are-” He tried to squeeze his eyes shut, to cut off the power, but the die had already been cast. Truth was his whether he wa or not. He reeled and smmed his back against the door as visions of nightmares swam in his head, truths, wretched truths, when it all finally past he just y there against the wall and caught his breath, sweat dripping down his face.
“Stare into the abyss and all that,” Ishtar said casually, cheg her nails, “Enjoy the show?”
His eyes flicked back to her, “I get it now,” He growled and forced himself to stand up straight again.
She frowned and gave him a disappointed look, “Of course you do, is that all?” She asked, clearly growing bored of the versation, “If you’ll excuse-”
“I don’t give a shit,” He bit out, stepping forward through the soupy air as his body screamed against him to not approach the living breathing source of death standing in front of him. “I ’t kill you,” He bit out, w up every single nerve he had to keep staring her in the eyes even as his krembled and his palms sweat, “I ’t fight you. Not myself. I ’t win on my own. I only have these two eyes and this wasted body of mine.”
She raised her eyebrows, her attention ing fully on him, “Oh?”
“But I’ll find a way. I don’t care how noble, you are a murderer, a psychopath, and a vilin. Worse than a vilin. Supervilin suits you well,” He snorted, “Nah, that isn’t even fitting enough anymore is it? After you basically orchestrated Vegas and then gave a god damn speech at Firestorm’s funeral!” He shouted. “For what? A fake peace? A bang act born out of the promise of mutually assured destru all to get back at some punk kid?”
Her lips thinned, “That ‘kid’-”
“I know who he is!” He barked and poi his eyes, “I’ll bring him down, not you! I’ll bring you down and the rest of your disgusting cabal, I swear it.”
She tilted her head to the right and bdes of light appeared around her, “I could kill you now, you know? Be doh you as an interloper.”
“But you won’t,” He said with a grin. “Because you’re just as crazy as he is. You want an oppo, you want someone who will bring you down in the end so you heroically die knowing that you did the world a favor,” He spat, “Fuck you. I’ll see to it that you spend the rest of your life in a box, reminded every day of the crimes you itted.”
In a fsh of movement Ishtar was in front of him, floating, her eyes b down on him. He felt his heart lock up and his breath cat his throat. Fear was everything, but he wouldn’t back down, couldn’t back down from the moanding in front of him. Not if he called himself a proper human being still. He ched his fists and stared bato those cruel meical eyes as the worlds most hated supervilin stared down at him with naught but malice.
“I’ll find like minded people, people you’ve hurt, heroes who know. Bringing down your public image is basically impossible at this point, but there are people out there who will stand up to you, the real you,” He said, “People who aren’t swayed by your puppet ‘Pandora ittee’.”
Her lip twitched, “I like your drive, Detective,” She said coldly.
“Figured you would,” He shot back.
“I wish more people were like you. Maybe humanity would have had a shot st time around,” She said, still not leaving his personal space.
“We’ll get it right this time, on our own, thanks,” He grunted.
“Sure you will,” Ishtar snorted and floated away, nding on the ground with her ba. She gnced over her shoulder, “Astaroth is iy. He’s guarding the French Representative for Pandora.”
He narrowed his eyes. Astaroth. From what the Gaze of Mimir had told him, Astaroth was a lunatic who would help bring the world to ruin. A sver who treated humans like cattle ahem to his mindless demos as treats. Ishtar was bad, one of the worst, but at least her iions were ‘noble’; he could trust she wouldn’t go out of her way to cause harm just for fun. Astaroth oher hand… His stomach twisted and his scowl deepened, “Why did you tell me that?”
“Because you won’t be able to leave it alone, knowing he’s here,” Ishtar said with a chuckle, “I have no iion of causing trouble during my visit, Detective, I’ll meet with the ittee and go bae. That’s my pn anyway. What are you going to do?”
He ched his fists, “You’re maniputing me.”
“Of course I am,” Ishtar ughed, “It’s w, isn’t it?”
He spat and looked away, “This isn’t over, I will find like-minded people, I will bring you down. I refuse to do any favors for you. I’ll figure out how to get the truth out on my own.”
Ishtar waved a hand and a pane of white light appeared o her, the ter of the pane distended and twisted until it turned into a deep dark hole. She gnced his way and smiled at him, “I’m looking forward to it, good luck, Detective,” She said and stepped i closed behind her and her presence vanished from the room. He felt every muscle in his body sag as he colpsed, his hands on the ground as sweat dripped every pore in his body. He heaved, coughing and shuddering as all that terror he’d pushed away caught up to him.
His krembled every time he tried to get to his feet. Eventually he just gave up and fell onto his side, coughing and shaking. “M-monster. I’ll stop you. I swear it.”
But first… I’ll build a case against Astaroth.
–
Ishtar stepped through the portal and into the hotel room, a smile on her face despite the frontation. She’d enjoyed herself a little bit. His power is fasating. It’s too bad he’s discredited himself so thhly. Even so, he has some fire in his belly, he might actually be able to pull something off with the right push. For now I’ll have him go py with Astaroth. That will help in more ways than one, she thought as she stalked past the bed where Marta was sleeping. She walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
“Now, I think it’s time we had a did versation, don’t you agree?” She asked and turo the mirror.
Sonya stared back at her in the mirror and frowned, “I’m getting worse.”
“We are getting worse,” Ishtar said, “There’s no point in dawdling about the point anymore, Sonya dear.”
Sonya looked away, her expression pained.
“Sonya,” Ishtar said a her hands on the ter, looking into the mirror, “Darling listen to me, please, I swore to you that I would never go against you, I exist to protect you, to help you get where you wao be. I gave you my word, between us, you know what that means,” Ishtar implored the young woman, “I ’t lie to you, to anyone.”
Sonya turned and looked back at her in the mirror, “I know. I just don’t want to hear what you have to say.”
“One of us has to say it,” Ishtar said, “Since I’m the bad guy, allow me.”
Sonya frowned, “You’re not the bad guy,” She said unfortably, “You’re more like…”
“A security b? A mask?” Ishtar chuckled, “We’re ast that, dear.”
“We’re still the same person!” Sonya protested, “I- This isn’t- We’re-”
“You take the mask off at any time, you’re just talking to yourself with two different perspectives, yes, you’re right,” Ishtar said, “This brain of ours is very impressive, isn’t it? To be both fragmented and whole at the same time?”
Sonya went silent again.
“Take the mask off if you wao be quiet that badly,” Ishtar said, “I’m here to do whatever you want, to support whatever you want. You and I both know that I am the only person who yoing to listen to when it es to the tough stuff,” Ishtar pointed out firmly, “Marta will tease but she doesn’t see herself as having a right to call you out. The rest? They worship you.”
Sonya looked away, “Just… say what you’ve got to say.”
“You’re tired, and you’ve only just begun,” Ishtar said softly and pulled herself up to sit ohroom ter, leaning her head against the gss of the mirror. Sonya’s head shifted in her refle, and it felt a little like they were leaning against one another,, “You have to stop pretending that you haven’t ged. You aren’t the Sonya from before. You belong here now.”
Sonya sat up in the refle and gred at her, “I am not from this timeline!” She snarled, “I ’t belong here, I know too much, I’ve seen…” She trailed off, “I’ve seen too much. I ’t let myself just do that. Not after everyone else died. Why do I get to live again, try again, when everyone else-”
Ishtar clicked her tongue, “Really?”
Sonya frowned, “What?”
“Of all the pathetic things to say, after what you’ve sacrificed of your own soul and mind, after what they died for?” Ishtar growled, “Yoing to sit there and wallow in survivuilt? You? The most impressive woman in the world? I’m holy a little disgusted with yht now, Sonya.”
Sonya flinched and looked down, “I-”
“Sonya, you ot fun here if you’re stu the past!” Ishtar barked, “Listen to me, please, I’m trying to help you. You ’t expect this world to be the same as the st o isn’t anymore. You’ve already ged things. The world is differes are different. People are different.”
Sonya leaned back against the gss again, it was warm this time. She was silent, her faptive instead of petunt. Ishtar supposed that was a start at least.“Then what should I do?” Sonya asked in a small voice.
“Recile yourself with your new life,” Ishtar said, “Otherwise,” She pointed between the mirror and herself, “This? This is going to keep getting worse. I will not allow you to fade away, Sonya. This isn’t my life, I’m just a mask. That’s how it should be.”
Sonya sighed, “I don’t even know where to start.”
Ishtar gave her a sidelong look and raised an expet eyebrow.
“Are you telliive hua? After what she did? After how-” Sonya paused and frowned.
“After she was a different person than the previous timeline a you under different circumstances and hadn’t had time to bee the person you knew?” Ishtar asked pointedly, “It’s a start I suppose.”
Sonya clicked her tongue, “I ’t just do that,” She crossed her arms and flushed.
“I’m not saying sleep with her!” Ishtar ughed, “Heavens no. You’re different people now, both of you,” Ishtar said, “It’s time you started accepting that she isn’t going to do what you wao do just because of some idealized image you have in your head. And you ot live as the Sonya from that time either. You aren’t. Stop it, if for no one else then for Marta who is worried sick.”
Those words seemed to hit harder thahers, Sonya slipped a bit on the ter and pyed with her fingers, guilt on her face, “I know,” She murmured, “Will I stop seeing you in the mirror as much, if I do that?” Sonya asked quietly.
“Isn’t that for the best?” Ishtar asked.
Sonya lowered her head a bit more and smiled a little, “So, until it's over, I’m allowed to be happy?”
“Yes, you’re allowed to be happy, you foolish girl,” Ishtar said before adding slyly, “Maybe if you’re a bit less grumpy all the time I have a bit more fun with my role too. I am you after all and all that baggage is just a pain to lug around.”
Sonya sniffed and ughed, “You’re so mean.”
“What I say? I’m the vilin.”
Sonya slipped off the ter a her feet on the ground, gng over her shoulder as a small, small amount of weight slipped off of it. For the first time in a long time she saw her own face looking back at her and not those cruel eyes. Even so, she smiled at herself, “Thank you,” She said, “I hat.”
She took a mueeded shower after that before heading into the bedroom. She crawled into her bed, exhausted, but lighter than she’d been in a long, long time. Behind her, she didn’t see Marta’s teary-eyed smile.
