Ishtar turned her attention to Lillian and her group who were assisting in the up. All of them looked grim-faced. Bodies were being collected, both cultist and aspirant alike. More were being found in the woods. Aspirants who had slipped off fhtly fun caught up ihless attack. She zoomed in on Lillian, there was another colored streak in her hair.
You fought hard in there, didn’t you? You endured pain and threw your life down to proteeone else. You survived. I’m proud of you, Sonya’s voice rose up at the back of her mind.
Ishtar turned her attention to Otis who was doing his best to look good while still doing ultimately very little. His appearance flickered through her sight, He’s using his ability with more nuance, bastard. Couldn’t be so lucky that you’d die in there, but I suppose I should be happy you went in, even if it’s for the wrong reasons. You helped and now I have to pay that debt, she thought before a ghost of a smile widened on her face. Good. I’ll use it as a ce to keep you on a leash until I figure out how to kill you. Keep your enemies close, right?
Finally she moved her gaze over to panion, Handmaiden, Marta. Her lips curled up, Looks like you put up one hell of a fight, she thought as crashes and bo out somewhere far ahead of Ishtar. Ah, Liberty’s home.
Ishtar called Marta’s earpiece, <”Good work.”>
Marta tensed where she was standing and lowered her head, <”Some of them got away.>
<”It’s fi looks like we have o least. The ittee will lock him up, but I’ll pull some strings for an interview. What was his ability?,”>
<”A red version of Bluestars,”> Marta said.
<”All the more reason to have a sit-down, regardless, you did well holding her off,”> Ishtar murmured, delighted by the news, That will be three for the colle.
“That’s putting it mildly, she’s strohaimated,” Marta said as she turned away. “I’ll be ho, I went all in on that fight. I didn’t have the momentum from Euclidias portals to accelerate me though.”
Ishtar paused, gng up as the booms and shaking drew closer, <”So she has more followers than I expected, uood. That doesn’t ge much. This war won’t e to blows for a while yet, we have time. Propaganda will sap some of her strength.”>
“So we’re following through with the inal pn?” Marta asked.
<”With some minor alterations, yes,”> Ishtar said, <”Kingshark is ready. Bckrazor is pulling his people out of her camps for nourging traitors. I’m also sending Mephisto to South America. The young heroes will be ready and I have some apparent worshippers to meet and see if I ’t leverage in Japan. We have a lot to do before the final frontation and I want to make you stronger, dear. Just in case.”>
Ishtar watched her ch her fists, < “Yes, mistress. I’m looking forward to it.”>
The call ended and Ishtar returned her focus to her present surroundings. Her feet shifted a little and she looked down with a frown, “Stop moving around, I just got fortable,” she growled as Phillip slumped beh her arying to rise to anything more dighan the humiliating position he was in. The doors flew open ahead of her and Liberty stormed ihe thin man in monks gear and the man in the red suit fnking her.
“ISHTAR!” Liberty bellowed.
Ishtar spread her arms wide iing, “The self-procimed queeurns to her camelot!” crowed, “How did your quest go? Did you win, dear?”
Liberty snarled and stormed forward only to stop when she saw the shape beh Ishtar’s feet, “Phillip!” she gasped.
Ishtar raised her eyebrows, “Now there’s a rea!” she ughed and jured a knife in her hand made of hard light. She zily tossed it at Phillip and Liberty threw her hand out, the man in the red suit doing the same. Phillip fell into a luminous red hole in the floor before dropping unceremoniously on the ground at Liberty’s feet. Ishtar ughed, “Good to know! Good to know! There are things you care about.”
Liberty was boiling with rage, “Why did you interfere? Why are you here?” she demanded.
Ishtar shrugged, “Why not? I have pns for those heroes and I ’t have you ruining that,” Ishtar said and got to her feet before levitating off the ground, “As for why I’m here? I hate you,” she said ftly, “Any ce I get to hurt you, I will, Liberty. It’s as simple as that. I am your enemy.”
Liberty drew her sword and Ishtar took a moment to examine her, Utterly unharmed, tch, I’ve clearly uimated this monster. Oh well.
“Thetle this now,” Liberty roared, “You and me, fight me!”
Ishtar ughed, “Uh, no?” she said and waved a dismissive hand, “Why oh would I do that? You’d kill me,” she said and floated up a little higher, “No no no, you asked for a war and you’ll get one. Wheime es, we’ll have our final frontation. I promise you that.”
Liberty seethed before letting out a breath and rexing, “It doesn’t matter. I nearly crippled the so-called ‘worlds stro’ today and walked away without a scratch. That’s all the world o know.”
Ishtar nodded, “I cede the point, we’ll call it a draw then. You have what little win out of this you want. Wars are long, aren’t they?”
Liberty sneered, “Yes, they are.”
Ishtar levitated towards her and floated in the air just out of reach, “I’m going to tear your world down around you, Liberty, and I want you to fall from your peak.”
Liberty titled her head up and looked down at Ishtar over her nose, “Challenge accepted.”
Ishtar chuckled before turning her head slightly and leveling the man in the red suit with a stare.
“And you’re the traitor,” Ishtar said and tilted her head to the right, “Didn’t you cause all of this?” she asked and whipped her hand out, a bead of light f on her fihat erupted into a narrow ray. Before the beam could pierce through the man’s forehead Liberty grabbed him and pulled him out of the way, the ray only cutting painfully through Halloway’s ear. He let out a scream of pain and clutched at the side of his head as Liberty gred at Ishtar. Ishtar shrugged, “It was worth a try.”
“Do you think I’m going to let you leave after that?”
Ishtar snorted, “You try,” she said and floated up to the ceiling. She made a zy gesture and rays of light swirled around her, cutting through the crete. A disk of heavy crete fell from above her and hit the ground with a bang, kig up dust.
“ISHTAR!” Liberty roared after her.
“See you soon,” Ishtar cooed and unched into the sky. She stopped just above the partially ruined pound, eyeing the destroyed remains of her Legionnaires and the fires still spreading here and there. The first moves have been made.
It wasn’t a win for us, Sonya said.
It wasn’t for her either, Ishtar replied, For now, we stay the course. Our pieces are almost ready and the board is bei up.
Agreed, Sonya said, Ishtar, I’m tired.
Ishtar he’s return for now. We’ve done what we came here to do.
–
Sonya strode down into the depths of her beach house. Her arms crossed behind her back. Her eyes glowed in the dark, the faint tig louder than ever in her head. She hadn’t heard it in a while. She strode past one of the gss cases taining a decorative knife and looked back at Ishtar who o her. She set her jaw, her mind drifting back to that moment in the bas. I o do this myself. She’s right. I ’t keep hiding behind her. In the end, this is on me. She thought as she walked into her office. Her mind reached out and the ss came on in the dark. She didn’t need lights, after all. She stood in the middle of the room and took a steadying breath.
Ewen has been secured and is being transported by the Pandora ittee to a new prison. She thought as her eyes swept over the ss. The surviving aspirants are better off than I expected, driven even. Her lips dropped into a frown. Ten died and Axel is crippled. I ’t heal him without raising questioher. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and she let out a sigh as a fre of anger rose in its pce. Those tirants in particur, left hanging from trees like that… disgusting. Liberty’s people are ed beyond anything I had sidered. She shook her head and forced a smile, At least I paid her ba kind.
She paused, turning her head as a presence made itself known in her home. She gnced up and narrowed her eyes before smiling and turning around to face the door.
The door opened a few moments ter and hua stood at the threshold. She tilted her head to the right, a gesture of invitation, and hua stepped through. “You did well out there.”
“Car came through,” hua said quietly, she’d been a little morose after ting the dead. Fighting had pushed grief out of her mind but she’d mao recover, the strength of a real hero, “She’s… pretty great. Am I talking to Sonya right now?” She asked.
Sonya’s eyebrow rose, “Sure are.”
hua hesitated, reag up and brushing her dark hair back, “ I… talk to her? For a moment?”
Sonya raised an eyebrow but felt Ishtar’s prese the back of her mind give her assent. She felt her arms go sck as her eyes went unfocused. Her breathing eased as she floated up to sit casually in the air, resting her on her palm and looking down at hua. Ishtar smiled cooly, “You called, little hero?”
hua squared her shoulders and looked up at Ishtar, meeting her gaze aing her jaw tightly. “I have only ohing to say to you,” hua said, “Out there, out in the world, no matter what you do. No matter what yoals. If you are there, I will stand against you. I will stop you from hurting people, no matter what,” She let out a breath, “But-” She closed her eyes and o herself, “I will help Sonya, I will be there for her. Not because of her past or mine, not because of the st timeline, but because of who she is today. I hate Ishtar, and I will never, ever, five her for the things she’s done,” She said and exhaled, “I want to talk to Sonya now.”
Ishtar returned her stare for several heartbeats, her expression plicated. She felt Sonya’s presence wriggling at the back of her mind but didn’t let go just yet. She leaned forward and grinned, “You’re pying a dangerous game, hypocrite.”
“I’d say the same to you two,” hua shot back.
Ishtar barked out a ugh, “And how do you pn on doing this? A noble heart like yours? How you rationalize it all?”
“Let me talk to Sonya,” hua insisted.
Ishtar’s brows furrowed and she ted her head to the right, “Very well,” She said and drifted back to the ground. Her eyes softened a little and her shoulders sagged before straightening up. Sonya brought her hand to her lips for a moment before looking away, clearihroat. “That was… quite the speech.”
hua stepped forward, “Sonya,” she said, “Your memories set me doath. I’ve been trying to figure out how to recile it with you. I’m not… that person,” she said and reached out to take Sonya’s hands. Sonya looked down at her small fingers ched there and frowned even as her chest tightened. She closed her eyes and sighed.
“I know, I forced that on you, I-”
“No, I wao know. I… I have perspective, now. On a lot of things,” she finally said and squeezed Sonya’s hands, “I don’t know what this is. I don’t know if these feelings are mine or yours or…” she shook her head, “I barely fun some days when I think about it. But, you are just so…” she trailed off and pulled her hands away, g her fists. “I want to figure it out, if they’re real, I want to know they’re my feelings.”
Sonya flushed, she scratched her nose and cleared her throat, “You’re being dramatic.”
“Sonya!” hua said, “Please. Take me seriously.”
Sonya let out a breath and nodded, “Fine. What are you getting at?”
hua’s jaw ched and she stared into Sonya’s eyes for a moment before speaking, “You set ditions in your deals, right?”
Sonya felt her heart ch a little, “What kind of deal?” She asked.
“I want to be the hero that you need me to be, that the world needs me to be,” hua said with a shaky voice. “You were right that day. I regret what I did, what I asked for, what I got out of it. That was the most painful kiss of my life. But like I said, I don’t regret knowing.”
Sonya looked away and swallowed hard.
hua held out her hand, “I want to make a deal.”
Sonya looked back at her and brought her hand to her chest, their eyes meeting, “Name your terms.”
“When I am on the field, when I face Ishtar or her agents, when I am fighting as a hero,” She said, “I want you to lock those memories away. I want to fight urained, uned. I want to face her with my full might, not knowing who she is uhat mask.”
Sonya frowned, “You wao go against a previous deal,” Sonya said even as her heart rate picked up, “That’s quite the ask, and what are you going to give in exge?”
“When I am at rest, when I see your face, those memories e bad I suffer through them all ain,” hua decred, “I will never kill you, but I will try my best to stop you wheime es,” She touched her chest and looked Sonya in the eyes, “I want to suffer like you are, I want to experie, every day if I must, if that means being the hero the world needs me to be. Just like you’re the vilin the world needs most.”
Sonya swallowed hard and opened her mouth to speak but the words caught ihroat. She panicked for a moment but realized she was just getting choked up.
hua came to her rescue, a small smile on her face, “You don’t have to say anything, I know,” hua said, “I’m not deaf. You told Car.”
Sonya snorted, “Eavesdropper.”
“Just spying on a known supervilin,” hua snarked back even as the agony lingered in her eyes.
Sonya let out a shaky breath, “Are you sure you want this? I’m never going to force a deal on you again. That is a promise. It broke me to do it to you the first time. I… I haven’t been the same sihat day. I’m still figuring it out.”
hua gave her the ge smile in the world, it made Sonya’s heart ache. She wao run to her, hold her, kiss her, fort her, to ease her pain in any way she could. But she held her ground, her lips trembling as hua gave her assent with a nod, “Yes. I want to fight Ishtar, but I want to be your friend and whatever the hell else, I want to be there for you if I .”
Sonya swallowed and held out her hand, “It’s a deal.”
–
Liberty marched into the viewing room. It was in shambles. She ran her hand over the table and looked towards the upturned cart. That waitress was Ishtar, Liberty thought. She was right there, watg me. She ge her face, her lips turned down into a scowl, She called herself Sonya! She scoffed. She’s making fun of me, she smmed her fist into the table, crushing what was left of it before catg her breath.
She felt him approag before he even stepped through the door, the cropped brown hair shimmering a bit in the light that framed his body. e eyes glowed brightly as he stepped ih nont grabsp;
“Craftsman,” She bit out, “You’re alive,” she felt him tense behind her and she turned, “What?”
Craftsman crossed his arms, “That woman knows things,” he said evenly, “She’s dangerous, Liberty,” he said befng behind him towards the fures standing against the wall in the room. He scoffed, “You lost Ewen, then.”
Liberty grabbed the remains of the table and hurled them across the room, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She rounded on Craftsman who raised his hands in a pg gesture and took a few steps back, shrugging off her ire. Instead of throwing her rage at him she turned on the four members of the Round Table.
Ellis shifted on his feet against the wall, he g Kant with bloodshot eyes and scowled. His usual good humor was gone. Liberty rounded on Kant as well. The woman looked terrible, what little healing Liberty’s people had provided at least got her limbs in the correation. She stalked over to Kant and grabbed the shell-shocked woman. Grief and rage that had been warring on the woman’s face faded into something far more primal. Terror.
“Did you enjoy your duel?” she demanded.
Kant trembled in her grip, “I failed.”
Liberty snarled and pulled her close, “You are fortunate I did not cast you aside like Ewen,” She growled in a low voice. “All that pnning, wasted, to soothe your precious ego,” she rumbled and the room shook. She released the woman and pushed her against the wall, “Should I strip you of your rank?” she asked before letting the woman go. Kant colpsed to the ground and groveled at her feet, “No. You stay in the cold room for a while, after that, you will struggle and bleed to earn my good graces again.”
Kant pressed her forehead against Liberty’s boot, “Th-thank you, thank you, my dy, for your mercy.”
Liberty spat and kicked the woman off, “Don’t touch me,” she rumbled before turning to Ellis.
He stared back at her, shaking, but he didn’t brovel. She knew he’d get his wicked smile back eventually, but for now she leased to see he fully prehended his errors. She loomed over him, “Anything to say for yourself?”
“I will get stronger, my dy,” he rasped, “I lost my friend today.”
“Are you angry with me?” she demanded.
“He deserved it,” he growled, “I’m lucky to even be here.”
“You will train from dawn to dusk until I am satisfied you’ve refined your powers, then I will duel you and you will repeat the process,” she turo Craftsman for a moment before looking back at Ellis, “You will also be receiving Craftsman’s treatment.”
Ellis paled, “But-”
“ANY QUESTIONS?!” she bellowed into his face.
He shrank and shook his head, “N-no my dy,” he said.
She poi the door, “Escort Kant to the cold room. You have until dawn to recet out of my sight.”
He didn’t o be told twice, he grabbed Kant who let out a whimper but didn’t resist him as she was dragged along. Liberty didn’t even give them a sed look before turning to Halloway. “You.”
Halloway seemed to fight down his terror as he looked up at her, “It was-”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” She snarled, “I trusted you with this operation! I gave you more than enough pout you in a position to succeed! It was your responsibility to keep Kant reigned in, even if she is your peer!” She bellowed and grabbed him by the throat, “Give me a good reason not to crush your throat now and save myself the trouble of enduring your pathetic groveling!”
He wheezed and coughed, but didn’t struggle as she held him aloft.
“Liberty,” Phillip said from the side. She turo him a his gaze.
She gred at him, “Now you’re interg?” she demanded.
“Let him at least speak,” Phillip said.
Liberty turned her head to Halloway and squeezed a little harder, watg the man’s face turn from red to purple. She snarled a him go, “Thank him,” she snarled, “He just saved your life.”
Halloway coughed and gasped on the floor, curled onto his side. When he finally sat up, his face streaked with tears, he looked up and bowed his head to Phillip, “Thank you, Sir Phillip,” he wheezed. She crossed her arms, “Tell me, do you have anything to show for this failure?” she demanded.
Halloway reached into his pocket, his reddened face regaining its natural color. He pulled a small object out and held it out. She snatched it from his fingers and exami as he remained on his knees. “A drive?” She held it out to Craftsman whed and took it from her. He pulled a thin rod looking device out of his own pocket and pulled on it, stretg out what looked like a s made of fabric. He slid the drive into a slot on the side and began to read after tapping the fabric s a few times.
“That’s all you have?” She asked.
“The aspirants are far more powerful than we suspected, well trained,” He gasped as he pushed himself up, “A boy named Gravitic had abilities that tered mine and enough skill to hold his own.”
“I see,” Liberty said thoughtfully, “It’s no wohat girl was sant.”
“Liberty,” Craftsman said ahe s out to her.
She turned and frow him before looking down at the s. Her eyes sweeping over the text slowly. At first her face torted with rage before it began to rex as she read more and more of it. She took the scroll-like object from Craftsman a reading, pag bad forth for several minutes before she finally ha back over to him. Her gut was doing backflips. Who is this person? They somehouted Halloway into delivering this to me. It’s… magnifit. She rubbed her and g Halloway. He has no idea. Even so. He was loyal enough t it to me without hesitation.
“Halloway, Yht me something good, You may leave,” She said, “I’m suddenly feeling generous,” she said.
Halloway bowed his head, “Thank you ma’am,” he said before hurrying to excuse himself. She watched him go before turning back to her sed in and. He’d presented himself like he was expeg punishment. Fool, she thought bitterly, Why would I punish you? She thought as Phillip worked up the o say something.
“What was that thing?” Phillip finally asked.
She smirked at him aed her hand on the pommel of her sword, “A rategy, and a andard to adhere to,” She said, “My path to glory.”
BROKER
SEASON 2 PART 1: FOG OF WAR
END