The elevator ride took them down past the level where the ‘throne room’ was. Ishtar rexed against the wall as her eyes went a little unfocused. It wasn’t a long trip, but it gave her a little time to go over some things. Most importantly she hadn’t missed that Sonya hadn’t sat down to talk with hua properly yet. Still avoiding it, silly girl. She huffed out a small chuckle, drawing a look from Saleh. She ig and switched her thoughts to Erebus’ pn. It was solid enough but there were many variables. If the Pandora ittee sent out an iional hero to the se she would have to get directly involved. She doubted that whatever goons he mao hire were up to the task.
I could be wrong, of course, I hope this dinner party includes them. That would make things a little easier, She mused. She reached up to rub her shoulder a little before turning her head zily towards Mephisto. I should have dragged a briefing out of him before we went down, but I suppose there were other things to discuss. She thought absently before looking back at Saleh, Bahamut, Midas, ahwarden. He’d bee very powerful with his father’s passing. Is he really up to the task, though? Or is it just a father’s rose-tinted lenses? She flexed her fingers, I suppose we’ll find out.
The elevator opened and they stepped out into yet another floor of the office building turned mansion. There were signs here and there that this had once been a cubicle space. The way the tiles sat on the floor and the overall positioning of the lights in the ceiling. Otherwise, though, it took on the look of a grand ballroom of sorts. Decorations were set up around the perimeter of the room while the ter was occupied by a single long table. There were seven people already at the table. Only one of them Ishtar immediately reized as Erebus who sat at the far head. He got to his feet as she, Saleh, and Mephisto entered.
“Ishtar! Wele. Please take the far seat from myself,” He said with an ination of his head towards the other head of the table. “Son, join me?” He gestured to a chair to his left.
She smiled behind her mask as she gracefully strode towards the table as all eyes fell on her. A few eyes narrowed while two went wide. She stopped behind her chair aed her hand on it as Mephisto slipped into his own chair to her immediate right. There was some mixed murmuring that she heard as clear as day. Mostly along the lines of “She’s actually real?” “I thought the PC made her up.” She smirked to herself and moved to sit down herself when one of them clicked his tongue. She gnced up a his eyes.
The dark haired man was two seats away on her left, his hairy hands gripped around a metal cup. He stared hard at her, a frown on his face. “So the so-called queen finally shows her face,” He snorted and shrugged, “Oh wait, you’re wearing a friggin mask, how the hell are you supposed to eat with that thing on?” He asked, the water in his cup starting to boil.
She slipped into her seat calmly, crossing her legs and leaning back, “This one’s an illusion,” She said pinly and reached into it to tap her own , “I eat just fihank you mister…?” She trailed off invitingly.
“Scald, but you keep calling me Mister. I didn’t pick you to be in charge and I sure as hell ain’t taking orders from you, everybody knows you got Charon in your pocket and the whole ‘underworld’ you set up is just a fucked-” She blocked him out as she gnced into her hud zily, looking him up. It took a few moments to trae information down but it was valuable. He was someone who’d caused trouble iyx before and got kicked out. Killed anuest. “Are you even listening to me?” He demanded.
She gnced up at Erebus who kept his posure though his eyes looked furious. She shrugged at him and he blinked once before letting out a sigh. Ishtar poi him and a hole formed in his head, a brief flicker of light streaking through the room betweehe man fell ba his seat and then slumped to the ground, dead. “I’m sorry I brought so much trouble to your dinner, Erebus,” She said with a sigh, resting her hands in her p.
“ all,” Erebus grunted with a small nod, “Apologies for the inhospitality from my guest,” He said and leaned ba his chair. He go his right aured, a pair of men hurried over and picked up the corpse before dragging it away. “Really doesn’t matter, I’ll just redistribute his budgeted portion of the reward to the others, if that’s alright with you.”
“Don’t make a habit of it,” Ishtar said, “It’s a good way to get your men to kill one another,” She said with a sigh and looked at the remaining five assembled vilins, “You wouldn’t do something so stupid, would you?” She asked pleasantly. “Ruin your employer's pn for a bit of extra money?” There was a round of quick denials and shaken heads. She chuckled behind her mask, “Wonderful! Why don’t we do introdus then, dears?” She asked and cpped her hands together, “I’ll start!” She raised her hand to her heart, “I am Ishtar, I have many abilities so there’s no point in spelling them all out,” She said befesturing to Mephisto.
Might as well do some window shopping for abilities.
Mephisto s them from his seat, “Mephisto, Ishtar’s dealmaker and agent. My words have power.”
o Mephisto a thin man leaning on a rather long curved swnced her way and ined his head. A bead of sweat dripped down from his ash-blonde hair, “Cross,” He said coldly, “I am a bde dancer. I move fast.”
Already have it.
To Cross’ right was the most obvious attempt at replig the western trope of gunslihat she’d ever seen. Dark shirt with a red bandana around his neck, a cowboy hat, double belts, the works. He scratched at his thick beard and grinned a metallic smile, “Grave,” He said with a gravelly voice, “I got big iron,” He said and pat the revolver on his hip. o him, Saleh shifted a little unfortably.
I hate guns, not ied.
To her immediate left was an older looking man with cold eyes. He had the look of a monk about him, bald head and dark robes that looked like they’d been e ohe feel of death hung around him. He ined his head towards Ishtar with deference, “Guru,” He said with a cruel smile, “I possess a mind for war.”
A variation of enhanced intelletended for bat, perhaps? That’s worth analyzing.
Finally, past the empty seat where Scald had been, was a woman in bat gear. She had a respirator mask on, and was eyeing Ishtar eagerly. Her violet dyed hair ulled bato a frayed ponytail and Ishtar’s senses picked up the st of gunpowder and the feeling of barely restrained violence. “Broadside!” The woman said eagerly, getting to her feet, she spped her hands oable, “I hear you’re tough! Are you? we test it? I haven’t shot anything I ’t blow up-”
“Broadside,” Guru said gently before slowly turning his head in her dire, “The woman just killed an epic-tier with a gesture, perhaps don’t suggest fighting her, at least until you know more?” He turned bad smiled at Ishtar, showing his teeth, “Five my partner, she finds challehrilling.”
Ishtar tittered out a ugh, “No trouble at all! I just don’t approve of unnecessary antagonism during a friendly meeting, Scald was out of line and would have been more nuisahan asset. This team is better with his departure,” She said gently, “You of all people should uand the o establish order and deal with cerous elements?”
Guru nodded, “Indeed. I appreciate your approach, madame.”
She gri him, she’d have to find an excuse to speak with him privately and shake his hand. Doing it at the table would seem a little off. Time and pce. She tilted her head towards Erebus who was already in the midst of gesturing towards the various attendants who had ehe room during introdus. Food and drinks were brought out, rge ptes filled with food den with spid texture. Her stomach ached for a moment, she had fotten to eat. Sonya loves snag, but I prefer big meals like this, She thought. There was something about big fancy meals that just appealed to her.
It’s the vilin in me, I suppose, she thought with a small chuckle befng up at the table as everyone looked ready to eat. A thought crossed her mind and she cpped her hands once, “Before we eat! I have a little game I’d like to py and a gift for new acquaintances. It involves food so don’t worry too much.”
“You like games?” Grave asked dubiously as Broadside leaned forward eagerly. Guru gave her an assessing look while Cross just frowned and looked longingly at his pte.
“Love them,” She said mischievously before waving her hand in front of her. Eight objects appeared. Four peaches and fe strawberries. “There are four of you here, each of you gets to pie. Either a Peach or a Strawberry. Think of it as a way for me to learn about you.”
“Not normal fruit then,” Guru murmured.
“Peaches?” Broadside said, “Ooh like those magic peaches in that one legend thing…” She trailed off when everyoared at her, “What? I read!”
Cross eyed the fruits, “What do they do?” He asked.
Ishtar reassessed her opinion of Broadside again as she gestured to the strawberries, “Each of the Strawberries possess powerful healing properties. I put quite a bit of oomph into them,” She said dramatically, “Each could bring a human back from the brink of death.”
“A back-up pn for the fight ahead, eh?” Grave chuckled and flicked his hat up a bit, leaning forward, “The others?”
“The peaches will restore ten years of youth,” Ishtar said softly, running her finger over one of the peaches, “No drawbacks, no catch,” She added and tilted her head and looked between the four of them, “As long as you survive the fight against August, the vilins she hired, and the potential interference of outside forces like heroes,” She added with a showards Erebus who rubbed his , grinning at the spectacle. Their gazes met and he raised his eyebrorovingly before slipping ba his seat and p himself some wine. He handed a gss to his son who watched with i, having experienced one of her ‘tests’ himself.
The four of them looked at one another for a moment as she stood there, hands out like a showman. Grave whistled and leaned ba his seat, “What’s to stop us from taking both?”
“One will disappear wheher is taken, and of course I’ll kill anyone who does anything stupid,” She said merrily, “That work for you?”
He cleared his throat, “Y-yeah.”
“A test of ce,” uttered, “Are we brave enough to take the peaches? fident that we will survive the morrow?”
“A question ance,” Guru murmured, “Ten years means very little to me.”
Broadside shrugged her shoulders, “One of those peaches would put me bader age,” She said with a heavy sigh, “Not ied in going through that shit again. Who knows? If I’m not an adult anymore would I lose my abilities? Not a gamble I’m willin’ to take.”
This will also help me decide on who I’ll focus on helping if it bees troublesome, Ishtar thought to herself, “It seems most of you already have decided,” She said, “Cross?”
“Peach,” He said gravely and took one, a strawberry disappeared.
“Peach!” Grave grunted and she tossed it over to him.
“Strawberry,” Guru murmured.
“Strawberry,” Broadside said with a wave of her hand.
The fruits were gone now, “I’d suggest waiting to indulge yourselves until after dinner, gentleme some privacy,” Ishtar said as Grave brought the fruit to his mouth, “Just in case,” He lowered the fruit, sidered it for a moment, and then nodded, slipping it into his coat.
“Very iing!” Erebus barked out, “I ehat a great deal. Tells a lot about a person, doesn’t it?”
Ishtar nodded and sat back down, “I learned a great deal about the people you hired today. I’m impressed, holy. It’s a solid group,” She said and picked up her fork, “I imagihat your son will be pying the lead defensive role?”
“Yes, mistress Ishtar,” Saleh spoke up, ining his head, “My ability is suited for creating defenses.”
“I’m sure that’s not all there is to it, but it’ll suffice for what’s ing. We have more than enough attack power here,” She said with a pleasant wave as the others started to dig in.
Broadside stuffed her face a little, chewing fast and swallowing, “So are you gon on the front with us?” She asked Ishtar eagerly, “I wanna see what you do!”
Ishtar ughed and g Erebus, “The Spice King paid for my services but besides my ultimate role he hasn’t specified, I’m at your disposal to the end of this scheme, what would you like?” She asked casually, plug a piece of perfectly cooked meat from the pte and popping it into her mouth through the illusion.
“I’d prefer it if you took an observational and support role, involve yourself only if you have to. While you are powerful, if by some happenstaneone sees you, more than just some punk heroes from the Pandora ittee might be sent in. They have a powerful teleporter at their disposal and that could cause trouble if things got out of hand,” He said ftly, “I want the heroes to threaten August, not us.”
Ishtar shrugged, “You heard him, if it es down to it, I’ll py.”
“Light spears from the sky? Eye beams? I heard you could call lightning too!” Broadside said eagerly, “What would you do? I love these abilities and I always want to hear about them, I asked the others about theirs and-” She paused when Ishtar gave her a look and she shrank a little bit, “I uh…”
Ishtar held her gaze for a long moment, letting the pressure hang for a bit before bursting into ughter, “You’re an adorable one! I like you. No, nothing so fshy this time, I have a rick I want to try out,” She said as she took a sip of her wi was delicious. “I retly acquired a pocket army and would love to see what they’re capable of,” She waved her fork at Broadside pyfully, “Look forward to it. It’ll be their debut.”
