Sonya stood on top of the small ptform overlooking the bsted and ruined field. It was about a hundred meters ih going down the side of the mountain that the camp had been built on. The treeline framed it on three sides, making it seem like an open bowl. She reached up and adjusted her sungsses as a small group made their towards the top. Faint fshes of purple light indicated Greg's movements. A pair of bangs followed and Val burst through a wall, Alex immediately behind him with three bat dolls on his back. They'd been modified, of course, to tray ‘injuries’ or ‘stresses’ from the rescue.
“They're doier,” She said absently.
o her, Axel crossed his arms and frowned a little, “Marginally,” He said, “But it’s a stark improvement from the first time. They’’ll pass on this round, mostly thanks to their support,” He pointed out, “Greg and Jessica make a good team.”
As soon as he said it, a trio of light blue darts hurtled out of the opening that had been made by Val, digging into the three dolls that had risen up out of the soil to front them. Val moved quickly to dispatch while Jessica soared overhead, she nded and shifted forward a bit, almost stumbling on her nding but tur quickly into a run as she made headway for the others. Sonya tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, An injury? Nothing obvious. She thought as she pulled up the girls dossier.
Most of the details werely impressive. Girl from southern mississippi, bit of an outcast at sost of her background checked out. Frankly, she’d overlooked it a little, only giving a brief once over once she heard that the girl was ied in Greg. While Jessica was impressive in some ways, Greg was the real star. His mind was excellent fistid his abilities had room to grow. She’d even put him on a very short list of iment didates if the opportunity arose to do so. She very much wao send him to the United Kingdom to get direstru under Euclidia.
Now that she looked harder, though, the background was more than just a little bnd. It was vanil. It was like the backstory of every single bog-standard young-adult romance protagonist. Moderately happy home with standoffish father, good grades, popur physically but with a social rapport that set her oskirts. Humble, low-key, a few scattered achievements in her background from school. Swim team captain? Sonya narrowed her eyes and g the girls movements. She moved like someone who’d doc like herself, drills training, and not for a couple of weeks either.
Sonya’s lips thinned a little as the group crossed the finish line.
“You guys finally made it to the end, no red signals from the dolls. You pass!” Axel barked down at them. The four threw their fists up in the air and cheered.
Sonya leaned against the railing and forced a smile, “gratutions!” She called befng towards Jessica, “Miss Wayne, have you decided on who yoing to be signing with yet?” She asked.
Jessiced up from where she was g hands with the others, smiling, “No ma’am! Still feeling it out! Wao e for an interview?”
Sonya raised an eyebrow, “Sure! I’ll reach out,” She said. I use it as an opportunity to interrogate her, after my visit with the Spice King of course. She thought idly befng towards Axel, “She seems to have an injury,” Sonya said under her breath, “Make sure she gets to the ic,” He her and she brightened beaming at them all, “I’m proud of you guys, keep it up! And don’t fet to support your teammates that joihe scouting team when they get back. They’ve got it rough!”
They all nodded as she waved and turned, hands crossed behind her back as she made a quick call, <”Marta?”>
Martas voice came through a moment ter, <”Yes ma’am?”>
<”I noticed something off about Jessica Wayne’s background. It’s very generic. I suspect it might be falsified. She also hasn’t even attempted to sign with a.”> She clicked her tongue, <”She’s suspicious and from Mississippi, it could just be jecture but I want you to keep an eye on her, have Amos give her background a hard look ter.”> She said quickly. <”I’ll be away for the few days so you’ll have to do all this as me. I-”>
She was about to eborate when Marta cut her off, <”Sonya, I’ve got it handled. Anything es up, I'll let you know. You’re only a portal away, after all.”>
Sonya let out a breath and smirked to herself, she knew she robably w for nothing but her gut told her to be cautiardless. She huffed out a breath, <”Fine fine, do you wa you bay souvenirs?”> She asked, ging the subject, <”I’m sure the spice king will be happy to oblige me! He’s always been very generous.”>
There ause, <”Oh! Oh! Get me a dessert ptter, just a sampler of sweets if you . I want to try everything! Something for Barry, too. He likes dark coffee. I’m sure Amos already put an order in?”> She said and Sonya let out a small ugh, <”Figures he did, always a step ahead. Is that okay?”>
<”You’re being so cheap!”> Sonya ughed, <”I’ll get a few outfits for you too, that’s what you really want, toodles!”> She said and cut the call before Marta could protest.
It didn’t take her overly long to get back to the on building and when she arrived she made sure to che on a few of the others. Sonya stopped behind the circle of couches where Lily and her little group liked to gregate and found her and Snow sitting together while Joh a few cards over lunch. Cass was sitting there as well, cross legged and holding some cards in her hands. She looked nervous. Sonya smiled impishly and leaned forward o Lily’s head before delivering her usual greeting; “Hi! Whatcha doin?”
Lily nearly threw her cards into the air while Snow burst into ughter. John looked up at her in fusion for a moment while Cass gave her a world weary smile, “Pying cards, ma’am, Poker, I’ve never pyed.”
Lily looked up at her, wide eyed, “Miss ovna! Will you please stop doing that?” She begged.
“Stop making it so funny!” Sonya shot back with a ugh before standing up straight, “You lot better not be betting on those cards!”
Cass blinked, startled, “You do that?”
Sonya went deadpan and stared at the other three, “You didn’t expin that part to her?”
“Easing her in,” John grunted, “We aren’t betting money,” He paused a her eyes. She gave him a wry smirk and he went just a little wide eyed for a moment, showing a rare instance of self refle. He plucked one of the bags of chips that he had piled up o him and held it up, “Chips.”
Sonya sputtered out a ugh, “Chips for chips! Oh that’s adorable! Carry on then!” She ughed and started walking befng over her shoulder, “Make sure to gratute your friends, they passed the rescue test just a few minutes ago,” She said before making her way out of the room, waving off their shouts for crification.
A few mier she was outside of her reside the camp. She go the right and saw hua heading out of her own space, adjusting her outfit a little. They met one another's eyes for a moment. hua searched her face before firming her expression and nodding, “Be safe,” She said.
“I will,” Sonya said with a smile and pushed into the room.
Inside, she gnced back at the door a out a breath. She almretted using up Duplicate at that moment, but decided it was for the best. Marta would make a good enough double for her and creating an illusory copy didn’t do her much good even if she could observe with Astral Eye and act through it. Her bined abilities couldn’t create a perfect double that would stand up to absolute scrutiny. She exhaled, more importantly it was better for her health if she didn’t make any more copies.
She gnced in the mirror and her refleiled a little in approval. She turned away and ran her fihrough her hair, walking to the bedroom. She pushed the door open and spotted Car sitting on the bed. She smiled up at Sonya, “Sneaking out?” She asked.
“I figured you’d be waiting,” Sonya teased back.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” Car said simply befetting to her feet and pulling Sonya into a hug.
Sonya returhe gesture, resting her head on Car’s shoulder for a moment. She let out a breath before pulling bad smirking, “Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m me,” She chuckled as she tapped the diamond on Car’s colr, a panel of light appeared behind her and distorted, “I’ll be back,,” She said, and took a step backwards.
–
Sonya stepped bato the elegant room, immediately feeling the differen the atmosphere from the tepid Appa mountain air to the dry heat of the desert night. She gnced quietly towards the window the beautiful curtains drawn over crystal clear gss. No light shohrough. She huffed out a breath and examined her surroundings. A single rge bed sat in the rear of the room plush with cushions and silk sheets. The walls were painted an adobe color to give it a more ‘exotic’ feel. She didn’t , but it reciated. She ran her fingers over the expensive wood furniture as her senses picked up someone approag the sole door leading out of the room. She gowards it and smiled, speaking before they knocked, “e on in, Mephisto.”
The door opened quickly and shut, the pretty dealmaker slipping inside. He was wearing his usual bck suit and skirt, his red eyes gleaming behind his perfect brown hair. He grinned, “Gd to have you, boss.”
She rest her hands on her hips, “This better be worth my time, he retty vague in the initial versation.”
He nodded, “Yeah, he’s got a full scheme prepared for you now and wants to talk as soon as you’re ready,” He said, flipping his hair, “We’ve written up a base tract but I’m happy to make adjustments if you like.”
She raised an eyebrow, “It must be big to demand my personal involvement. Do you know why he needs me personally to intervene?” She asked.
“Broker,” He said ftly. “He doesn’t know the name, of course, but he needs your more direct deal making ability. He seems to be uhe impression that my paper tracts don’t carry as much weight as the person themselves being involved.”
She chuckled, “He’s wrong,” She said before closing her eyes and taking a deep, deep breath. She exhaled through her nostrils aered herself. She pulled up her hud and her aptly hings’ folder. She smirked to herself at the ‘.thing’ files, Amos hated that she’d started using that for the items she digitized. She pulled her helmet out as she put her normal outfit in. Her head glowed blue for a moment before she stood before Mephisto, her armor f on her body. She felt her arms go sck as the sensation of being in the helmet overcame her. Her mind rexed, her soul eased, and everythi… right.
She tilted her head down a his gaze, “But I suppose I extract payment for my diretervention anyway, Lead the way,” Ishtar said, the voice modutor kig in.
He gave a prompt bow, “Yes, mistress.”
A few moments ter they stepped out of the elevator and into the grandiose hall of the Spice King. The ns in a line and twenty one youandiweehey all had stoic expressions on their faces, doing everything they could to keep their temper. At the end another pair stood at either side of the throne. Both of them looked wary. They eyed Ishtar with caution as she strode down the hall, her head tilted up to look at the youthful man rexing on his throne. She threw her arms out iing, “Erebus!” She tittered out, “Youth suits you!”
The big man got to his feet and marched dowairs, “Ishtar!” He bellowed and broke into ughter, “Regal as always!”
They embraced briefly before she stepped bad spun around to look over his sons, “You’re one short! Last I heard it was twenty-four!” She said thoughtfully, tapping the side of her helmet. The young men all went very still under her attention and she huffed out a cruel ugh, floating into the air and drifting past them, cheg one face at a time, “Was someone naughty?” She teased, “Was it you?” She asked, “Or was it you?” She stopped at the you of them. Mephisto had informed her that the you son had talent and a strong ability.
The young man stiffened but didn’t speak, keeping his eyes forward.
She turned in the air and drifted towards the Spice King, lounging on her back, “Tight lipped! Good sons,” She said with an approving nod.
He gave her a curious look, “Your powers tio grow.”
“I like to spoil myself every now and then,” She said as she preteo check her fingernails. She turned her head to look into his eyes, “You should see the scary ones I picked up,” She quipped.
He raised an eyebrow, “I’m looking forward to seeing them in a very soon.”
“Yes, about that,” Ishtar rasped and tilted her body, nding on her feet. The moment a pressure washed over the room, a few of the young men simply staggered while one just fell face first to the ground, “You called me all the way out here and I would like a better expnation as to why. I’m a busy woman, Erebus, and I prefer crity. The only reason I bothered was because I like you. So give me the details.”
He stood strong, unlike his sons, and he made a point to notice whies faltered most under her oppressive aura. He grinned wildly at her, “I’d expeothing less,” He said with a low growl, “I have taken pains to make sure the quarry is already here in the area. We just o lure her into a trap and take what I hat’s where I need you.”
She tilted her head, “Who?” She demanded.
“Queen August,” He said with distaste, “She squanders her power,” He ched his fist in front of his fad met her eyes, “I want to employ the Queen of Vilins to strip August of her powers and give them to me. I’ll put them to much better use.”
