Sonya woke groggily the m, her shoulders ag as she sat up. She held out a zy hand and created a small piece of chocote that she popped into her mouth, chewing and soothing the mild pain. The faint sound of her phing drew her attention as she swept her eyes over her bed. Empty. She let out a small huff, “Figures,” She muttered as she snatched her cellphone up and g the name. She ran her fihrough her hair and answered the video call. “Chairman,” she said pyfully, smiling down at the pretty face that appeared on the s.
Car raised a thin eyebrow behind her gsses, “Good M, Sonya,” she replied, ting her head to the right a little bit. “Rough night?”
“A particurly aggressive guest, cultivators are remarkably strong, were you aware of that?” she sighed and fell bato her back, looking up at the face that reddened a little befhing. “Left before I woke up, so that’s how that feels.”
Car ughed, “At least you two got it out of your system for now,” Car said offhandedly aed her on her palm, “I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” Sonya said with a small smile, “How are things?”
“Stressful as you imagine,” her lover said with a shrug, “He left one hell of a mess behind, I don’t know how the anization funed to be ho,” she said bitterly, “I’m pushing through an overhaul and we’re addressing the issues with the Vegas Act.”
Sonya yawned, “That’s good, wish I could send you some assistance.”
“I’ve got it handled,” Car said with a wave of her hand, “This is my element. I feel like I was born for this. Was the new representative easy to work with?”
“He was adequate,” Sonya said and finally roused herself enough to slip out of bed. She exhaled ae space activated, her nightclothes turning into blue particles before they were repced by a t-shirt and jeans. The shirt had a popur red-hat from a video game on it. She opted fh-top bck skate shoes today. A wave of blue particles washed over her skin and hair as well and with a thought any need for a shower was deleted. She ran her fihrough her hair and shook it out, “There we go.”
“My jealousy is endless,” Car ughed.
“It should be,” Sonya quipped back, “Is my little surprise ready?”
“She’ll be there, you’re such a bully by the way,” Car said.
“Well I have all the more reason since she dined and dashed,” Sonya said with a wave of her hand and walked out into the living room. She sed the empty spad sensed a spot of heat iette. Her lips twitched into a smile as a timer rolled over on the coffee mae and it began p into a mug. She let out a sigh, “Damn it, that’s cruel,” she said and walked over to pick it up. There were several packets of sugar already set out o it. She gnced down at her phone, “Definitely have s about my prank now.”
Car scoffed and rolled her eyes as Sonya sipped at the coffee. Perfect. She hopped onto the ter. “I’ve arranged security,” she said, getting a bit more serious, “I’ll be sending the same to the other ceremohis is not the time for another Hero Day,” she tinued with a small frown, looking Car in the eyes.
“Agreed, the iional team is bei out to each location just in case,” Car said, “I know how you feel about First Wind’s antics…” she trailed off when she saw the glower on Sonya’s face, “But he makes a good deterrent at the very least.”
“Have you found anything about that person I asked you about?” Sonya asked.
“Majordomo? No, I’m afraid. He doesn’t show up on the registry and to be ho I don’t have muformation to go on beyond that,” she said before pausing and giving Sonya a warning look, “Which is ultimately for the best for both of us.”
Sonya let out a sigh, “Of course, thank you for cheg for me,” She rubbed her neck, “I do have some information that may be valuable to you, though you’ll have to firm it on your own for it to be of any use.”
Car sat up straight, “Oh?”
“There’s a vilin by the name of Craftsman, he made Liberty’s sword, the one Marta filled you in about,” Sonya said ftly and Car’s eyes narrowed.
“I see,” she said, “Uood. All the more reason t her down and catch him in the process.”
“He’s wily,” Sonya warned and g the time on her phone, she rubbed her ned looked Car in the eyes, “Be safe, Car.”
“You too, I love you.”
“I love you too,” Sonya said and ehe call, sipping at her coffee. She slipped off the ter, “Majordomo is beginning to worry me.”
“Even after so much time he hasn’t surfaced. It’s strange. Even his inal hero name isn’t on the registry based on what Car said,” Ishtar pointed out.
“Darwin,” Sonya scoffed, “Maybe everything that’s happened has shifted the timeline more than I anticipated. He chose a new name?”
“It’s entirely possible, they aren’t the same people they used to be, though their predisposition remains unged. Liberty and First Wind are prime examples,” Ishtar agreed.
“Right,” Sonya finished her coffee ahe mug in the sink, “He wasn’t like the others, as I recall.”
“He worshiped Otis’ power, not the man,” Ishtar paused, “You don’t think…”
Sonya scoffed, “Please, him? Of all people? No. He was a bloodthirsty mohrough and through,” she said bitterly, pressing her lips together at the sour taste the thought left in her mouth. “He’s alive and he’s just looking for an opportunity to show his ugly face.”
“If he died without you in some way orchestrating it, you wouldn’t get the credit from Pandora, which means no noti your hud,” Ishtar reminded her, “Don’t dist the possibility. Focus on your current targets.”
“Agreed,” Sonya said and stepped out into the hall to find Marta waiting patiently for her. She brightened immediately at the sight of her dear friend, “Good m!” She chirped and turned, walking down the hall with the maid in tow. “Is everybody ready?”
“The aspirants have gathered and are going to be in the courtyard shortly,” Marta said demurely, “I’ll have your living space atteo while you meet with the guests.”
“Thank you dear,” Sonya said as they walked down the hall. She passed the short hall to the restrooms and g the spot where Otis had hid that night. Her lips thinned a little and she let out a breath through her nostrils, “I’m handling this correctly, right?” she asked Marta.
“Keep your enemies close,” Marta recited.
Sonya smirked, “Fair enough. I’ll try to glean as mujoyment out of it as I ,” she said as they walked out into the on area. A few of the aspirants were still lingering as the others began making their way out into the courtyard. She waved at Bluestar who was standing with John and speaking quietly with him. The Guildmaster returhe wave while the uildmaster, Evergreen, barked out a merry ugh while speaking with a few of the others. Her eyes moved to the third powerhouse in the room and she met deep dark eyes. She offered a zy smile to hua who cleared her throat aurhe expression before making her way out to the courtyard.
“Oho,” Marta mused.
“Shut up,” Sonya snorted with a wicked grin and followed hua out. Just outside there was a small gathering of the instructors. Axel was standing and speaking with Crowley and is while Madame Rouge stood off to the side in the shade.
“Good m!” she greeted them merrily. She stopped when she saw Axel, her heart sinking a little. He was leaning on a e still, the treatments he was getting from Vytal hadn’t pletely uhe internal damage caused by Sir Ellis. She reached out to touch his arm and he gave a small nod before breaking into a smile. She retur in kind, “You’re lookier. How is Bedrock feeling?”
He huffed, “About as well as you might expect, he didn’t take what happened well.” he said, nodding to the pque on the side of the on building, “I’m getting worried he might go for retirement at this rate.”
“He handled himself far above expectations,” Sonya said with a frown, “That’s a shame.”
Axel shrugged, “Is what it is, I’m not going to try to pressure him into stig with it. He’s already got a good -egg and apparently his family owns a farm. His abilities could really help out there,” Madame Rouge scoffed and he shot her a gre before tinuing, “It’s his choi the end.”
Madame Rouge pushed off the wall and crossed her arms at her waist, walking past him befng at Sonya. She frow the woman who had spent the etle inside. Rouge was an individual of carefully curated beauty, everything from her makeup to her clothiiculously picked. Her mature frame drew eyes, but her regal demeanor just annoyed Sonya, if she was being ho. “Just goes to show that some aren’t cut out for this. The camps were a wise decision, cutting the weak hearted before they get themselves or someone else killed.”
Like you have room to talk, Sonya thought bitterly. She pushed the anger down, That’s unfair. Rouge would have been sughtered without a team around her. She was better positioned ihe on building in case the enemy got in.
“Well, that was the point of the camp,” Sonya admitted with a sigh befiving Axel an apologetic look. He rubbed his ned nodded as well as he and the nced out towards the aspirants who had gathered. Their eyes were all fierow, driven. “We lost so many during the raid, some left, about fifteen or so, that leaves us with twenty five graduates,” Sonya said soberly, “The camps will have a reputation for being a brutal trainihod now.”
“They should be proud of themselves,” Axel said and paused as they felt the ground shake beh their feet a little. A short distance ahead, at the ter of the courtyard, a smooth stone archway began to rise up from the ground. Sonya o the instructors and as a group they walked towards it, Marta turning away and disappearing bato the on building. The arch rose and rose until it towered twelve feet off the ground a feet wide. Ihe portal that formed distorted and flickered, several locations fshing at once across its surface. Sonya narrowed her eyes, She keeps getting stronger and stronger, she thought.
“Not nearly as impressive as the portal in the bas, though,” Ishtar pointed out.
Sonya scoffed to herself but said nothing. She gnced down at her fingers, w about when she would have a ce to go back to that pce. She’d o e prepared ime and with plenty of allies. One of those mohere had been enough to hurt her badly. From the looks of the forces oer walls of that impossibly rge city, there were far more than single units. Regardless, she’d cim it for herself. It would be a good staging ground iure. She slowed to a stop he front of the gathered aspirants and shot a gowards the group of ASTA signers, Lillian and her crew plus Otis.
Why is he even b? He has no liviives, she thought. I checked. Apparently Marc Mallory actually exists, is it really his true identity? Does he have the balls to go around using his real h all he’s pnning to do? She paused for a moment and rolled her eyes, Of course he does. Not that his name gave me much of anything, only that he’s older than he looks and has a minree in the cssics that he barely got and transferred to Greece which I already khanks to Pandora.
Her eyes then shifted to Jessica Wayhe ice wielding girl who Sonya had been suspicious about for a time. She inated in Mississippi and her background was obviously doctored. By her big brother, Phillip. Ahe interview fning her bore absolutely nothing. It felt a bit like Otis’ interview, if anything, which was an annoying reminder. Her ice shaping power is modestly powerful and it was a good acquisition but… She let her thoughts trail off, somethi off about her, there was no doubt. Signing her and keeping an eye on her like Otis was the best option. I’ll figure her out eventually.
She pulled herself out of her thoughts as the portal stabilized and hua stepped up to the fore. Sonya broke away from the others to join her. She met hua’s eyes and grinned mischievously at her. hua raised an eyebrow, “What?” she asked as the field rippled a little.
The sound of hurried footsteps came through the portal and Sonya took a casual step to the right as hua blinked and looked up just in time for a petite figure to e barreling out of it at top speed. “Chuchu!” A delighted voice cried out and hua was bowled over by the flying girl. Sonya snorted and stepped back a few more paces as a bright eyed girl wearing the most btant spiky leather punk jacket that Sonya had ever seen threw her fists into the air, “I missed you so much!” Eculidia shouted. “Woah! You got buffer! Power-up? Oh my god tell me everything!”
hua slowly turned her head to fix Sonya with a stare, Sonya shrugged, “She’s here to pick up someone, did I fet to tell you she was ing?” She asked ily, looking away with a wild grin.
“Hi Molly,” hua chuckled as she looked back up at the girl, and with an easy movement picked her up and rose to her feet, “Thanks for ing,” she said as the mythic hero hung from her hands like a doll, grinnio ear.
Sonya turo the very fused looking aspirants, “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Euclidia, one of the lead members of the Iional team and the head of Logistics for the Pandora ittee. She’s the one who get you anywhere in the world and is the erstone of worldwide heroic efforts,” she said, gesturing to the grinning young woman.
“Oh stop it Sonya! You’re making me blush!” Euclidia ughed, waving her hands frantically at the CEO.
Not far away, Greg shifted a bit on his feet and g Sonya who o him. hua set the woman down and stepped away as Euclidia turo the portal and held out her hand. A cube of light appeared over it that shifted and spun, opening and closing like a puzzle box of impossible dimensions. It broke apart and reformed itself, as the portal began to flicker with multiple locations again. Euclidia held her finger up to her ear and grinned, “Portal work ready! Destinatio! Go on through!”
Destinations? Sonya blinked. Is she opening portals to all the graduation locations at the same time? Good grief! I suppose with all she’s been up to, she’s gained quite a bit of experiend practice. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could open a portal to the Bas themselves at this point. What a little monster.
In ao Sonya’s thoughts, men and women began walking through the portal. First came the aspirants from the West Coast camp, twenty nine young men and women looking around with curiosity. A faint wave of heat followed in their wake as they left Death Valley behind. They were quickly ushered to the side by their instructors who joihem. came wave after wave of parents and guardians who took in the sights with far more awe as the crowd swelled from just over fifty to hundreds. It was a sight to behold, especially as Euclidia didn’t even break a sweat. She was grinning and talking merrily with hua as the numbers tio pass on through.
Shouts of aowledgement, ughter and tears apahe arrival of families as parents and offspring found one another. Sonya gnced in the dire of a particur group with a small smile. Lillian ran to embrace her mother and father who looked absolutely stuo see their daughter and the white-and-bck haired girl that apanied her.
“It makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?” Ishtar asked.
“Yeah, it does,” Sonya murmured to herself, “It really does.”
