Broker

Sonya’s eyes narrowed just a little as she watched the young woman take center stage. Her lips thinned into a line. She kept her expression neutral even as she took in the positioning of the Styx-hired henchmen on the upper floors and Wordsmith’s placement. Her eyes flicked towards the heroes in opposition. Nietz and Dragoon were positioned next to one another. Kong was a short distance to their left. Hui and Glint were further back and their support team were even further back than that, close enough to render aid but not directly engage.

Professional assessment? Erina asked.

Tenebra’s layout is practiced, rehearsed even. She knows what to anticipate when dealing with heroes, Sonya thought. Hui’s team is still forming up like they’re dealing with monsters. It’s still a stand-off because neither side knows the other’s full capability. Tenebra’s out-numbered, but they all know her name. That gives them pause.

Erina was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. You don’t anticipate losing one of your precious heroes in this, do you? You invested quite a bit into them.

Sonya snorted. Hardly, but-

“Mom?” Cass asked from her side. Sonya glanced over and met her clear blue eyes; the young woman’s fingers were tensed around her armrest. She knew the villains, even her villains, wouldn’t hold back unless they were ordered to. “Can they handle Tenebra? She’s-”

“Been on the Top Ten list, yes,” Sonya said and looked back with a small smile. “And she wasn’t there solely for her hit singles.”

Alex grunted “You sure this is a good time for jokes?” he asked a little uneasily.

Sonya shrugged and shook her head. “Who’s joking? Even recordings of her songs have a devastating impact,” she said. “My opinion? Wallbreaker will walk away a bit roughed up but fine. They’ll force the villains to retreat and may even get Tenebra to drop that spear she got out of the dungeon. Tenebra and Wordsmith will get away, though.” A quiet fell over the theater and she looked back to see all eyes on her. “What?”

Static briefly filled the air. “You can’t possibly predict that.” Snow said.

She flashed an impish grin. “Maybe, but I’m pretty good at what I do,” she chuckled and hopped up from her seat, skipping away towards the stairs with her fingers twined behind her back. “You all can enjoy the show. I have an appointment with Doctor Da-Som to attend anyway.”

Alex hopped to his feet at his seat. “Sonya-”

She held up a finger and turned, pressing it to her lips before pointing at the screen. “They’re about to start back up. Don’t want to miss it,” she chirped and gave him a wink before continuing her ascent up the stairs. She stopped at the top near where Colin, Da-Som, and Amos were sitting. She glanced at them. “Doctor, shall we?”

He nodded gravely and got to his feet, slipping out to stand with her. Her eyes briefly met Amos’, and she shot a look up towards the screen. Record it. I want to break it down with them afterwards. He nodded at her unspoken request, and she turned to head back up the stairs. Setsuna was waiting and apparently she’d had another vision.

–

Tenebra whipped her head to the left and back once, getting her hair out of her eyes as her lips curled up into a smile. Heroes, she thought wryly, straightening her posture and taking a quick look at the view ahead of her. Just the spear girl and the pretty boy were in her immediate view. Her boys on the comms said that there was at least one other forward fighter and two more heroes holding up the back. Her grip tightened on the weapon in her hand. Her reward for completing the Epic-tier dungeon behind her. Her proof.

An Epic dungeon and a gaggle of tough-looking heroes? Her lip twitched. Might get invited to another one of Ishtar’s parties after this. She raised her mic to her lips. Sorry kids but-

Blue eyes.

He was just suddenly… there. The pretty boy who had been hanging out with the spear girl had flickered with pseudomotion and shot into the sky, leaving behind a brief afterimage as he arced through the air so fast she didn’t have time to properly articulate a lyric progression. Wordsmith turned to react, but her mouth was already open, a singular note rising from her throat as a fist still growing in size approached her head. Red and black surged from her feet and the very environment around her.

His fist stopped. Shadow bent like latex as the fist tried to push through. She already saw him retracting to pull back. Another fwomp of movement came from further ahead - the other heroes were attacking. She shifted notes, striding backwards as she shifted chords and added lyrics. Shadow wrapped around the pretty boy, and then he was pulled through the air like the tail end of a whip, a noisy snap of sound proceeding a sudden impact against one of the concrete walls.

She scoffed as Wordsmith dropped a scathing bar, a quartet of flames scorching up from the ground and towards the spear-wielding girl, who charged down like a comet. Frontal assaults won’t work. She sneered, another ribbon of mottled shadow snapping out to wrap around her waist as the girl’s eyes shot open before narrowing. She reared her arm back and threw as her body was tossed away. Tenebra stepped to the right and brushed her hair back against the following explosion, wind and heat whipping against her face. Explosive spears. Hmm?

“KA HOOO!”

She looked up quickly, a new one in dark, baggy clothes with red accents descending into view. He had a bo-staff over his head and was coming down in an overhand chop. She was loosely aware of Wordsmith moving further towards the gates of the containment building’s outer walls. The other two heroes on the outside were still a question. She swept aside with a look of contempt as the bo-staff cut through the air where her head had just been. She raised her mic and broke into a rapidly shifting aural belt, her eyes not leaving his as the grinning boy engaged.

His attacks were fast - a blur of movement and complicated martial art. Occasionally, a flicker of something would ripple off of him mid-motion and leave an afterimage that almost seemed physical. His blows were met with narrow rods and whips of shadow that tugged his attacks to the side or slapped them away. Her eyes hardened as hair began to grow on the sides of his face and his grin turned feral. Fast! He’s moving faster!

She clicked her tongue and drew a full breath.

His eyes widened as the implication hit him immediately. Danger sense, perhaps?

She grinned. Too late, brat.

Her condensing clouds of shadow moved so fast to wrap around him that it might as well have appeared in a blink. The umbra tangled across him, clutching him, gripping him. She let her voice rise and sent him into the sky as she clenched her fingers. She could visualize his body crumbling his-

BLUE EYES!

Her pupils shrank. I threw him so far! The pretty boy was huge now. A mountain of a man with gray skin. Something green shot into the sky and caught the black-robed boy as a fist came towards her with the force of a comet. She snarled and pushed her voice out. The umbra collected and caught his blow but began to buckle as soon as it held him. She snarled and whipped her head towards Wordsmith. “WE’RE LEAVING!”

She didn’t wait to see what he did; this gray pretty boy was too dangerous. She leaped back as he punched through a full volume tenebral wall and she shifted to lyrics again, this time a lullaby. He shook his head and kept stomping towards her. Fucking monster brat! Aria again, her hand whipped down and shadow became her propellant. She launched into the air, clinging to her prize with a grin on her face, only for a flicker of something yellow to catch her eye from the left.

“...The spear brat.”

She pivoted, and pain exploded across her forearm. Her fingers loosened on the dungeon item as she hissed out a curse. She hovered for only a moment as her eyes met the glowing blue ones down below and she turned away. Next time, brats, I’m bringing the whole band.

–

Sonya tapped a merry tune on her arm as she leaned against the wall in the elevator. She smirked at Da-Som as he shifted on his feet. Her eyes narrowed a little at the tiny adjustments he was making to his labcoat or the way he kept fixing the set of his glasses. Her lips curled up a bit higher when he brushed his sleeves off for the third time in a row. “You know, the little grains of particulate won’t matter when the coat comes off, Doc,” she teased.

He jumped and turned to her, wide-eyed, looking like he’d forgotten she was even there. She gave him a mock pout, and his shoulders fell a bit. “A-ah, you’re joking with me.”

She shook her head. “Nope, dead serious. I doubt she’s gonna care, ladykiller.” She threw a little extra emphasis on the last word just to get a reaction out of him. He cleared his throat and looked away sharply. She raised a hand to her lips and cracked an even wider grin. “Oho, the good doctor’s got it bad,” she chortled. “You gonna make it through this without swooning, champ?”

He slumped against the opposite wall and hung his head. “Ma’am… have mercy.”

She barked out a laugh. “Hell no! This is too cute to ignore.” She sauntered over and threw an arm around his waist - she was a little too short to hang off his shoulder - and squinted up into his face. “Waddaya need, buddy? Concert tickets? A few days off at the Beach House?” Her eyes widened then she squinted. “Con-”

The sliding doors to the elevator opened, and he scurried out from her grip, catching his breath outside the elevator. She snickered and shoved her hands into her pockets, striding out and into the hallway where a good number of the Children of Dawn Cult and Setsuna herself had taken up residence. She’d tried to convince them to spread out a bit more and take up more space on the ship, but they’d refused. Apparently, being close to Setsuna gave many of them comfort, and she really couldn’t argue that point.

Heh, milfs, Sonya thought.

Sonya… Erina sighed. Focus. Didn’t you promise yourself not to-

Pshaw, Sonya thought back, interrupting her. I was about as sane as a cat rolling in catnip back then. But I guess I’ll be good since it seems I missed my shot. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire·net

The planet quakes at your generosity, Erina deadpanned.

I know, aren’t I great? Sonya hummed as she fell into step with Da-Som. Up ahead, Shuta was leaning against the wall to the right of the door at the end of the hallway. When the two of them arrived, Shuta gave Sonya a brief but respectful bow. “Mistress Ishtar,” he said gravely before standing up straight and looking towards Da-Som. “Sir,” he greeted with a bit of an edge in his tone. “My mother is inside and expecting you.” He stepped aside, and the doors slid open revealing a room remarkably similar to the one she’d been staying in at her old headquarters.

The room looked like a standard studio apartment that had been rearranged to allow for a large central space. A single round bed sat in that space, framed by a window overlooking the water. The curtains were currently drawn shut. Sitting on the bed was the delicate form of Setsuna, the Oracle. She wore a humble white gown and had her hands resting politely in her lap when the two of them approached.

Sonya swept into a dramatic bow. “Lady Setsuna,” she greeted her.

Setsuna raised a hand to her lips and chuckled. “Mistress Ishtar,” she replied with a slight bow of her own.

Sonya stood up straight and got right to the point. “I heard you had something to tell me.”

The Oracle nodded serenely. “Yes, Mistress.” She took a deep breath, and her eyes snapped open. The words tumbled out in an eerie tone and, more importantly, in order. Normally if Setsuna spoke more than three words at a time, they became scrambled.

“The pale queen's long hunt ends in blood and fire. Truth at a terrible cost. Two courts rise in conflict. A light in the dark and darkness in the light. The golden beast shall lay waste. The sleeping titan awakens. The halls of glory are revealed to mankind. The old world falls to a pen and a word. The forgotten son of Olympus intercedes at the darkest hour, the bloodline of Zeus enters twilight. When the last living descendant of greatness is no more, the end shall draw near. Dawn or dusk approaches! Woe, Mankind! Turn you away! The king of lies comes! The false god has begun his ascent!”

Sonya narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, stepping back and rubbing her chin.

Prophecies, Erina muttered. Not something to put excessive stock in. They can be self-fullfilling if you try to avoid them.

Agreed, Sonya thought. Personally, I would prefer to look at it as a trap rather than a roadmap.

A trap? Erina began before seeming to understand. Ah, I see. Prepare for the eventuality and allow the trap to spring if it lands in your path.

Bingo, Sonya thought before clearing her throat and crossing her arms. “The first part is the remaining heralds,” she said quietly and turned to start pacing. “The second…” An image of Mikayla laying in stasis flashed through her mind, and she set her jaw. “The second I believe is already accounted for,” she said darkly before regaining herself with a breath. “The third bit is more a warning that Otis is putting a band together.” Her lip twitched. “Already knew that, so I assume there’s more to it.”

“Something about Erebus, I’ll be seeing him soon anyway. No idea on any ‘sleeping titan’.” She continued pacing, shaking her head and then paused. “Asgard?” Her eyes narrowed, and she bit at her thumb. “To the world?” She turned back and started walking again. “Old world falls… No idea. The rest is nonsense to me or-” She glanced towards Setsuna. “Your ability’s flair for the dramatic at the end there?”

Setsuna inclined her head with a sheepish smile of her own. “It is not subtle, Mistress,” she said smoothly, bringing a hand up to press against her throat. Sonya had completely forgotten about Da-Som’s little descrambler. She’d been so busy she hadn’t really had much time to talk with Setsuna. Well, there was plenty of time now until her next foray out into the world.

Her lips curled up into a mischievous smile. “Well, I like it, personally,” Sonya said with a laugh and slipped back a step. “Now! With prophecies of doom and gloom out of the way…” She trailed off and pointed at Da-Som, then slid her hand to point at Setsuna. “How long’s this been going on?” she asked with a wicked grin.

Da-Som groaned.