Broker

Chapter 212

Two days until the summit.

Ishtar sat in the garden, slipping deep into her own thoughts. Her head turned towards the warm sun above as fall winds blew over the penthouse. She ran her fingers along the arm of her wheelchair. She was strong enough to walk now, more or less, but it was exhausting. She’d avoided attempting to create ambrosia on the off chance that the healing restored too much shape to her face and figure. Carla’s comment about her appearance had given her the idea to play possum with Liberty when the time came.

She frowned, “Time is running out, and I still haven’t found that last piece. Sonya is still silent,” she murmured to herself, tilting her head, “Marta?”

“Yes, ma’am?” Marta said from behind her. The woman hadn’t moved an inch in well over an hour.

“You’ve explored the deeper instincts of your mythic ability, correct?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am. While there is still some to explore, I can safely say that most of it’s functions are at my disposal,” she said, “The heroic aura is still something I have a hard time intentionally controlling, but I’m making progress. Why?”

“The limitations,” Ishtar said, “Besides the obvious one,” she trailed off, not giving voice to that word that was Marta’s death-knell, “Does your ability depend on anything to work?”

“You’re still searching for Liberty’s crutch,” Marta said and paused in thought for a moment, “My ability is stronger when there are individuals with pure purpose nearby.”

Ishtar raised an eyebrow, “Pure hearts?”

Marta laughed, “Not pure hearts, ma’am, purpose. I feel stronger when you are nearby, for example. Right now, with you, mister Blackrazor, and miss Chunhua nearby I am flush with energy and vitality. Miss Kerauna has some thinking to do, I suspect.”

Ishtar huffed out a breath, “Fascinating,” she said, “It seems like many of the mythic abilities have some way of drawing strength from others. Liberty’s is almost entirely fixated on that though.”

“Right,” Marta murmured, “It’s a conundrum. Is it sheer numbers or is there some sort of rule it goes by?”

“My suspicion is sheer numbers, but something feels off about that. It’s too easy,” Ishtar said thoughtfully, “Personally-” a pulse went through her body and she froze, her brows furrowing as sparks of sensation pricked and tingled within her skull. The brain did not have nerve endings, it could not feel things, but there was still sensation there for her. She shuddered and leaned forward holding her head as Marta grabbed her shoulder.

“Ma’am?”

<Recovery period complete, HUD reactivating. Checking physical status. Checking ability status. Broker functionality reactivated. Warehouse reactivated.>

Ishtar let out a gasp as the sensation welled in her head, a thrumming pulse of pain bordering on the worst headache she’d ever had. She felt her heart thrum, power welling up in her chest and spreading out through her limbs before abating as her muscles which she hadn’t yet healed could not properly withstand it. 

<Severe muscular damage detected. Limiting functionality of cybernetic augmentations to prevent unintentional damage.>

The Heads up Display appeared in the void of darkness that was her blindness. The text scrolled across her vision. She could see it, even without her eyes. She saw the paper-doll of her body entirely colored a dark yellow-orange color. There were red flashed on her legs and arms especially. She felt other things too, connections and sensations, signals flickering in her periphery. She connected to one with a flex of will and felt information stream into her brain. Data processing faster than the speed of thought.

<Cybernetic Brain online. Full functionality engaged.>

She barked out a laugh even as Marta quickly pulled her back up and onto the wheelchair.

“Ma’am, are you alright?” she asked hastily, “What happened?”

Ishtar grinned to herself and tilted her head up. The door behind them hissed open and classical music began to play through the penthouse. She felt Marta tense next to her and she turned her head towards her faithful caretaker. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Let’s go with the optimal plan for the summit.”

She felt Marta bow next to her, “Of course.”

–

Ishtar was in her office, sitting in the center of the room in her wheelchair. She’d sent Marta on her way to get some rest and prepare a meal while she ruminated. With my mental abilities restored and technopathy reactivated, it’s time I make sure everything’s in place. She paused just long enough to check in on the tiny mote of consciousness that represented Sonya in her mind. It was still small, but brighter than before. Whatever was happening within Sonya’s subconscious, she was fighting hard. Ishtar felt a little pride in her other half as she turned her attention to the data that had been brought to her.

A map appeared in the void of her vision, the whole world stretched out before her. There were numerous red dots spanning the globe that represented the various compounds controlled by Liberty along with relevant information such as estimated populations based on crowd sizes and facility capacity. She tilted her head, They’re all about the same? Odd. I figured the compounds in areas with denser populations would have more people. Why is she spreading them out like that? She considered it for a moment before shrugging, Prudent, I suppose. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Still. There’s got to be a hint here.

She mulled it over, staring at the map for nearly ten minutes, working her brain as she tried to figure out why Liberty put her people where she did. They’re all coastal locations. Because her cult has a no-fly ban? She gets her supplies from external companies though. Hm. Does she not trust aircraft? Ishtar smirked, Fortunately, this is to my advantage given the plan with Kingshark. 

She sighed, Still. I feel like I am missing something very simple here. What is it?

The door behind her opened and she turned, “Amos,” she said, “Welcome.”

“Heard your technopathy was back online,” Amos said, “How ya feelin’ boss?’

“Better,” she said and then huffed out a breath, “Though I am still nowhere near figuring out Liberty’s secret. I thought that having access to a map of where she puts her people would at least give me some inspiration, but it’s given me nothing.”

She listened to him walk over and stand next to her, “Can you put it up on the displays in here?” She nodded and with a thought felt the faint sensation of illumination in the room on her skin. Amos hummed once, “Oho, she’s really got them all spread out, huh? Defensive measure?”

“That’s my thought, keeping them close to the water allows her to ship them away if necessary. Though that does little to help her against Kingshark,” Ishtar pointed out, “They’re all the same population too, more or less.”

“I see that,” Amos said before pausing, “Huh. Interesting. Gimme a sec.”

She turned to him and paused as lines began to appear on the projection in her mind, narrow bands of white that bisected portions of the map into segments. Each segment had one compound stationed right in the middle of it. She frowned a little, “What am I looking at?”

“Time zones,” Amos said.

“Time zones?” Ishtar murmured, “Why are they separated by time-” she froze and nearly hopped to her feet. She whipped her head towards where Amos was standing, “There’s always a portion of her cult awake at any point of the day. Part of Blackrazors report included a portion that described their religion as largely contemplation based. They were instructed to regularly think about Liberty and her beliefs. I thought it was just an indoctrination process.”

“It isn’t?” Amos asked before he too barked out a laugh, “Wait, are you saying that they need to be awake?

Ishtar felt a thrill run up her body, “That’s exactly what I’m saying. They have to be actively thinking about the object of their worship, Liberty, for her to get power from them!” Ishtar declared as she burst into laughter, true, deep chested, howls of delight and mirth. The room trembled, the air dropped in temperature, energy crackled and popped, she clenched her fists and savored the moment.

 “Ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA! I HAVE YOU LIBERTY! I HAVE YOU!”

She caught her breath and slumped back into her chair, bloodthirst boiling in her veins, “Contact the others, we have some adjustments to make to the plan.”

She could feel the excitement coming off of Amos as his powers went to work, reaching out to call everyone necessary in her cabal. “Right away boss.”

–

“We’re changing the battle plan?” Kingshark asked over the connection, he sounded dubious.

“Slightly,” Ishtar said, “It’s all about timing, dear. In order for Liberty to draw power from her followers they must be conscious and actively thinking about her. They can’t do that all the time, of course. They need to sleep and perform other activities. So, she has her people spread out evenly across time zones. That was why she was careful about her times of activity in the American South and only started to become more active as her cult grew," Ishtar explained.

“Ahhh, so it wasn’t just her concern about enough numbers to stay untouchable, it was about ensuring she could be empowered at all times. She appeared during the camp raid at night, but was still strong,” Charon commented, “Doesn’t that mean that she’s operating at half capacity at all times?”

Ishtar nodded, “That’s right. If we go through with the original battle plan, instead of weakening her during the final battle we may very well end up rendering her invincible. Communications between her compounds need to be cut off and each compound needs to be hit in sequence rather than simultaneously.”

“I getcha,” Kingshark grunted with amusement, “Lock each one down one at a time so they can’t wake the others up. I bet she’s countin’ on us hitting her all at once during the war.”

Ishtar paused and rubbed her chin, “I think you might be right. She’s luring myself and the heroes into a final battle. She knows we know at least something about how her powers work and she’s expecting us to try to undermine it. Instead, with all of her people across the globe awake at once, she’ll slaughter everyone.”

“Could be a way to kill Otis,” Companion suggested.

Interesting thought, but too risky. “If we allow her to be at her full strength for even a few minutes the casualties would be enormous. Especially for the more useful heroes who will likely be facing her head on,” Ishtar said, “We still don’t know what the limits on Otis’ invulnerability are. I blew him up with An Set and he’s walking around like nothing happened.”

“I’ve heard a bit about him recently,” Charon said, “Punk kid making a name for himself in New York. You’re sure that little brat is going to cause an apocalypse?”

“Positive,” Ishtar said, “He wants the world to worship him as he burns it down. We’re getting off topic,” she cleared her throat, “Charon, I want you to go ahead with the plan with Tenebra but change the messaging for the songs. The locals should be compelled to attack the compounds after the first signs of Kingshark’s attack. Not before.”

“That’ll put more pressure on my boys,” Kingshark said.

“It will, but truth be told the first attack is the most important. Lock them down, put them down or neutralize them, and then use that new trick of yours to reinforce the next attack,” Ishtar said, “If you need to shift more of your forces to the first target to guarantee it, do so.”

“That makes things easier,” Kingshark chuckled, “Lookin’ forward to this now.”

Blackrazor finally spoke up, “And my people?”

“Start the process after the summit, let the chaos trickle down. Exterminating her support companies all in one fell swoop will alert her to the problem. Her facilities aren’t that large. Food and supplies will begin to grow tight around the time fighting starts,” Ishtar said, “When the day comes, tighten the noose. Let her world collapse around her.”

“Understood, it will be done, Mistress,” Blackrazor said.

And while that’s happening, I’ll send you to deal with Halloway, she thought before pausing, “Blackrazor.”

“Yes, Mistress?”

“I am aware I promised you Halloway. He will likely be somewhere well protected to limit reinforcements for the heroes, probably the heart of her main compound. There’s someone else who will possibly be there as well. Before you eliminate Halloway, which will certainly sound the alarm for Liberty, I want you to see if you can’t kill another man. Craftsman,” Ishtar said, “He’s a Herald like Liberty but his combat ability is limited on his own.”

“You don’t want me to capture him?” Blackrazor asked, “Taking his ability would be fortuitous.”

“That would be optimal, but I recall him being difficult to pin down,” Ishtar said, “Kill him. It’s cleaner.”

“Understood.”

“So where am I hitting first?” Kingshark asked.

“South Carolina,” Ishtar said, “Go east from there.”

Kingshark chuckled, “And end it all at her place. I like the way you think, boss.”

–

Ishtar sat in silence as Marta adjusted her tie. Levi was sitting beside her, receiving pets from her while Marta worked. Her caretaker moved around to brush her hair before pulling it up into a ponytail. She bound it with a jeweled clip before letting it drop, silky locks cascading down her shoulders. “You sure about putting so much emphasis here?” Ishtar asked finally, her fingers flexing in that way that had become a habit recently.

“I’m the costume expert,” Marta said with a chuckle, “Your face is still a little gaunt and your muscles thin. Emphasizing other parts and putting on a bit more makeup will make it look like you’re trying to hide your weakness while putting a focus on it instead.”

Ishtar snorted, “I see.”

“She went out of her way to call Sonya out because she didn’t believe the rumors about her injuries, so let’s show her by trying to hide it,” Marta said.

A knock came to the door, “Are you two ready?” Black Lotus’ voice came through. Next to Ishtar, Levi let out a low growl and she shushed the familiar.

“Almost!” Marta called back, “Do we have a portal?”

“Molly just set one up for us. Can I come in?” she asked.

Ishtar waved a hand indicating she didn’t care and Marta walked over to open the door. Black Lotus stepped inside and paused, Ishtar knew what she was seeing. Ishtar had been dressed up in one of Sonya’s best suit and vest combos. Despite how withered she was, she still had her natural looks. On the other hand, Marta was walking around in Ishtar’s regalia, save for her helmet, and had changed her hair to match that of what was known about the supervillain.

“This is a little jarring,” Black Lotus said, “This is how you pulled off that assassination at the Palace in Vegas, isn’t it?”

“Part of it,” Ishtar admitted as Marta moved around to inspect her nails. 

Satisfied, her caretaker stepped away, “Perfect.”

Ishtar reached for the controls on her wheelchair and panned herself to face Black Lotus, she let out a breath and relaxed, adopting a lackadaisical grin. She cleared her throat and put aside her usual formality, she’d been practicing. “Alright!” she said with all of Sonya’s bright enthusiasm and clapped her hands together, “Let’s go talk peace!”