Broker

Chapter 216

A single astral eye stared down upon the room like a silent judge, watching the pair as they moved. To the uninformed, it seemed almost entirely choreographed. To Ishtar, it was a demonstration of just how far they had come.

She couldn’t help but smile.

Marta was brutal and direct as always, stepping in quick with a solid stance. Her usually sluggish movements augmented by bursts of speed that were trailed by glimmering white streaks that followed her. She threw a solid uppercut, the force behind it dragging the air with the punch. Even so, the body it had been aimed for bent out of the way, a hand catching the fist and using the force for acceleration. Blackrazor did a handstand and exploded into four streams of darkness that shot out into the corners of the room. Each took his shape and appearance, each holding a bow of the purest darkness. They drew the bowstrings back and released, a volley of jet black arrows coming from all directions. 

Marta turned with a growl and raised her arm towards one of the corners, pearlescent scales spreading across her skin as the arrows struck. The ones from the other corners vanished into shadowy mist while the last pinged off her reptilian armor, clattering to the ground. It flashed once and exploded, violet mist filling the air. Undaunted, Marta charged right through it. Blackrazor landed on the ground just in time to dip low beneath a backhanded fist swung towards his head. She followed up with a jab with extended fingers, claws forming on her fingertips. He weaved around them and a knife formed in his hand. An instant later he swung up towards her throat only for her to swat the slash with her free hand.

Another knife took shape in his other hand and he intensified his assault, three quick stabs to her face, chest, and right thigh were deflected, blocked, and dodged with a half step backwards. She turned that momentum into a knee strike that snapped out into a kick as he tried to get a little distance. When she brought her foot back down he was coming in again with a reckless stab towards her collarbone. Her eyes narrowed and she stepped through the phantom that dispersed into another poisonous cloud. Far behind it, Blackrazor was winding up again with another arrow, the missile growing large and the ebon wisps coming off of it seeming more like tendrils than little clouds.

She bore a pair of razor sharp incisors and launched herself forward at eye watering speed. The flap of wings signalling her acceleration as she reared back with another titanic punch. He clicked his tongue and dove low, rolling past her and vanishing into the ground. She whipped her head up and opened her mouth as he reappeared in the ceiling. Light blossomed to life at the back of her throat. Blackrazor’s eyes widened as a cone of white flame erupted from her jaws, nearly scorching him as he retreated. When he reappeared, he was back on the offensive, blazing fast strikes and dodges were met with rapid-fire brutality.

Ishtar rubbed her chin. “They’re adapting well,” she mused before chuckling, “Still impatient to try out their new toys. We just got back.”

A few feet away, Kera leaned forward on the railing looking down over the sparring chamber deep beneath the new ASTA headquarters. She let out an admiring whistle, “She’s way faster now and her hits are comin’ in harder than I remember. Those claws’d leave a mark I bet,” she said thoughtfully, “Beybey is not a slouch either, that power you gave him made him even more flexible and it’s nice to see him with some ranged hits.”

Ishtar nodded slowly, “Dark Bowman had utility that Autarch of Shadow was missing as well as a ranged functionality that I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to- ah there he goes.”

Down below a dozen disks of shadow formed on the walls and ceiling. An instant later arrows came pouring out, black shafts adorned with violet metal arrowheads. The stream of death from all sides only forced Marta to move faster. Wings appeared on her back and didn’t vanish this time as they had with her earlier burst of speed. She pivoted, scales spreading across her skin as she broke into what could have been described as a dance. Flipping, kicking, swatting, and punching each of the missiles in turn. She was a blur of movement, her motions frenetic even as her expression remained stoic and controlled.

“He’s already integrating his bloodmetal into the arrowheads, very good,” Ishtar said with an approving nod.

“Shit she moves fast now,” Kera added with a wheezy laugh, “She was unkillable before.”

“She has a monstrously efficient, extremely low stamina consumption regeneration ability,” Ishtar corrected, “She can still feel pain and if she runs out of the internal energy to maintain her regeneration, she could be put out of commission for a while. With the scales, that eliminates the pain factor to a degree and reduces the amount of regenerating she has to do,” she explained as the duo below continued their clash, neither side showing signs of tiring as their blows came in faster and faster, moving around one another like water.

“The Pandora Committee is gonna want an explanation for it,” Kera said offhandedly and picked at her ear. She turned to Ishtar, “Whatcha gonna do?”

“I’ll figure something out,” Ishtar said dismissively, “While her ability name is officially on the record for the sake of transparency, only the chairwoman and a handful of officials have access to that information.”

Kera huffed, “So they know her weakness.”

“A calculated risk,” Ishtar said with a sigh, “She volunteered the information for the sake of maintaining a positive relationship with the committee. Just one more thing to make what we do appear above board-”

BOOM!

Marta and Blackrazor clashed in the center of the room, twin swords grinding against extended claws. Ishtar smirked, “Besides,” she said casually, “The Chairwoman is Carla and the officials are already in my pocket.”

Kera snorted out a laugh, “Fair nuff,” she chortled before pausing and turning abruptly. Ishtar felt the woman’s presence crackle with electrical power, “Someone just entered the penthouse.”

Ishtar turned to her, “You can feel something like that?”

“I’ve got trip lines set up all over the building,” Kera said, “Closed low-charge circuits that alert me when they’re broken, someone passing through them might feel a tingle but that’s it. Still working on makin’ it undetectable.”

“Marvelous work,” Ishtar said, “Go check it out.”

“On it,” Kera said and vanished with a pop of electricity.

Ishtar exhaled. She could have just checked the security cameras herself but it was nice to have her subordinates handle things like this. She had always harped to Sonya about delegation. I can’t fall into the same trap. Let them do their jobs, she reminded herself as she leaned back in the wheelchair. She pulled her gaze away from the fight and released the astral eye, turning her thoughts inward. While I’m waiting…

Ishtar pulled Amethyst Sorceress from the warehouse and felt the instincts of the power etch themselves temporarily in the back of her mind. She could feel the mental skill respond to her commands as she drifted into the void that was her inner world. There, floating at its heart, was a tiny mote of light. Still glowing bright. Still vibrant. Still alive. She reached out for it and wreathed her fingers in a halo of purple light. Just test the waters. No reason to push. I need to know what I’m working with, she thought and touched it.

Pain came first, a shock of retaliation against her intrusion. Next was a series of images and thoughts that she couldn’t wrap her head around, the sense of a weaving pattern, something coiled, a network of fibers, threads purposefully laid down to restrain and keep prying eyes out. Flickers of light cascaded in her vision as she finally managed to recoil and pull her hand away from the mote. What on earth was that? She thought, winded for a moment as the pain faded, she sniffed and leaned in close this time without touching it. Something is literally weaved around it, like a net. 

She set her jaw, Is she blocking me? How? Why? 

Rubbing the bridge of her nose she pulled out from the mindscape, dismissing Amethyst Sorceress for a moment. I’ll need to take a more delicate approach to it, then. She thought, shaking her head. You troublesome, silly girl. I’ll get you out of there.

Ishtar was about to turn her attention back to the spar down below when she felt a charge in the air, signalling Kera’s return. Her subordinate stepped out of the air and walked back over to the railing where she resumed leaning, “Your daughter’s here, boss,” she said casually, “I can’t teleport folks so she’s takin’ the elevator.”

“Daughter?” Ishtar asked, confused. I don’t have a- “Ah, Taurus,” she said with a nod. What is that girl doing here? I was planning on visiting New York tomorrow to settle a few matters and talk to her about her mission with Tenebra. Ishtar pursed her lips and relaxed into the wheelchair, I wonder… has the girl caught between worlds made a decision?

Behind Ishtar, the door chimed once announcing a new arrival. She sent her senses out through the computer system controlling the door and into the camera above it. A head of blonde hair and a nervous face greeted her a moment later. Cassiopeia Hanks shifted left and right on the other side of the door, fidgeting and flicking her gaze from the door to the camera now and then. Ishtar turned her wheelchair to fully face the door and sat up straight. She created a pair of astral eyes next, inside her eyesockets, and opened her eyes.

The door chimed a second time and opened with a hydraulic hiss.

Taurus moved to step inside only to pause when her eyes fell on Ishtar. She froze, the look of a deer-in-headlights passing over her face as she took in the pink glowing disks in Ishtar’s empty eyesockets. Ishtar tilted her chin up and waited. Taurus stared, swallowed, and clenched her fists before stepping fully into the training hall, the door shutting with a hiss behind her. “Hello, Mistress Ishtar,” she said quietly, walking up to her and stopping a few feet away. She didn’t take a knee.

“Hello dear,” Ishtar said, “What brings you here? I was coming to visit tomorrow.”

The girl looked away and swallowed, “I sent Euclidia an email asking if she could make me a portal to visit after the summit. I told her I wanted to check on you.”

“You told her you wanted to check on Sonya,” Ishtar corrected.

Taurus looked down at her feet, “Isn’t that the same thing?”

“I think, in the context of what I assume this conversation is really about, that it is not,” Ishtar said with a small smile and tilted her head a little to look up into the girl’s eyes, “Look at me and speak your mind, girl.”

“I-” Taurus stammered and flicked her gaze towards Kera. 

Behind Ishtar, Kera hopped over the railing and left them alone, “Baybay! Can I play too?” the supervillain sing-songed. 

Taurus let out a sigh and Ishtar waited for her to collect her nerves. You need to speak your mind on your own, girl. If you don’t have the courage to say what you want to say, I won’t consider it, I know your trauma. I know what you’re afraid of. I know what you’re thinking. But you need to say it yourself if you’re going to be able to stand behind it, she thought and gave the girl a hard look. “Speak, Taurus.”

Taurus stiffened, a few tears welling in her eyes before she cleared her throat and stood up a bit straighter. “I w-want to withdraw from the mission with Tenebra. You were going t-to send me tomorrow, right?”

“I was,” Ishtar said, “Explain yourself.”

Taurus took in a deep breath, she was shaking now. I know how I sound, girl. I sound just like your sister right now, Ishtar thought. I may not be good at people. Sonya has a talent for it. But I know enough about you to know what your wavering heart needs. I’m not blind. Stand firm.

“Wh-when I left that place and you found me. I was so grateful. I threw myself at the chance at revenge. It was all I could want, all I thought I needed. I- I wanted to make her pay. That was the only goal I had in life. I didn’t know anything else. When you- when mom asked me to train with the heroes I thought she was giving me a chance to hone myself to become a better villain for her,” the girl said, her voice getting a little stronger with each word. She swallowed hard, “But while I was there I met people I started to care about. I helped people. I got strong and not just for myself, not just for revenge. I-” she bit her lip.

“Not just for revenge?” Ishtar pressed.

“A couple days ago I went on my first monster patrol with my team,” Taurus said, “I saved a kid from a lurker.”

Taurus met her gaze, Ishtar said nothing, only waiting for her to continue.

“The look on that kids face, on his mother’s face, the gratitude. The feeling that I had done something to make the world just a little bit better, despite all the harm my sister has caused. Despite everything. I did something good and- and- It felt right,” the young woman said and clenched her fists. “I haven’t done anything for you yet. I feel like I haven’t repaid my debt at all. All I’ve been doing…” she trailed off and swallowed again, “...I feel selfish.”

Ishtar tilted her head, raising an eyebrow, “Your accusing yourself of selfishness in front of a supervillain? Doesn’t that seem a little foolish, girl?”

Taurus winced.

Ishtar tilted her chin up and looked down at the girl through her astral eyes over her nose, “Speak plainly. What do you want?”

“I want… to be a hero,” the girl mumbled.

Ishtar let her presence crash down on the girl, her tone cold as ice, “Excuse me?” she demanded as Taurus stumbled, catching herself and setting her feet on the ground. “I must have misheard you. Repeat yourself.”

Taurus buckled but only for a moment. She set her jaw and forced herself to look up despite her shoulders sagging, her knees buckling, her eyes watering. She heaved out a shaky breath and Ishtar watched as she summoned every ounce of self determination she had. Every piece of pride and identity that she had rebuilt for herself since she’d escaped Liberty’s thumb. Every shred of who she was. She took a deep breath and stood tall.

“I WANT TO BE A HERO!” she shouted, “I want to help people! I want to make this world better in my own way! I want to support my friends! I don’t want to lie to them! I don’t want to go behind their backs! I won’t be like my sister! I won’t be a villain to the world! I can’t! I-” she choked out a sob, “I’m sorry, but my heart tells me I need to do this. I wanted to kill her so bad but I-” she lowered her head, “I want to be better. Better than her.”

Ishtar retracted her presence and smiled, “Well said, little hero.”

Taurus-no-Harbinger let out a shaky gasp and stumbled, catching herself and looking up at Ishtar, tears in her eyes. Ishtar looked her up and down, “Prove you mean what you say in the coming battle. Face your sister, and when the time comes, take her into custody. I’ve set the stage. Your team will participate in the battle at her compound. It’s up to you to face her. If you can master your desire to kill her when the time comes, you will have my blessing.”

Harbingers lips trembled, tears streamed down her face as she collapsed to her knees. Relief washing over her face as pressed her head to the ground, “Thank you.” 

The girl wept.