Broker-Chapter 157 v2

“STRENGTH FROM LIBERTY!” the men shouted, charging down the hallway as a coppery glow erupted from their skin. Ishtar kept walking, hands raised slightly, fingers curled. Her legionnaires raced around, heavy feet stomping against the ground. They collided with the men who scrambled to respond, raising their weapons and firing ineffectually against the mythic constructs’ skin. A few stray bullets managed to reach as far as the supervillain herself, slamming into hexagonal panes of light that sprouted in the air in front of her as she walked.

Golden swords met copper flesh and blood poured onto the ground. Bodies fell and she strode past them, her little legion marching on ahead and breaking down doors when they found them. Ahead of her, she spotted the odd looking room Sonya saw when she’d come in. The eerie orange glow coming out from beneath the door. She left her Legion to their bloody work as they poured through the building, anyone who attacked them were cut down without so much as a gesture of mercy. She stopped in front of the door and placed her hand on it, reading the sign on it.

Workshop?

She pushed the door open and was greeted with the strangest sight. On the outside, she could still see the glow of whatever was within. She could even pick up high temperatures through the door with her cybernetic senses. Yet when the door swung open she found… nothing. An empty, square room made of smooth concrete. She looked up at the doorframe, her eyes narrowing behind the helmet. It was engraved with text that glowed out of what looked like poured metal. She looked down and back into the room as realization dawned on her. She knew that script, or rather, Sonya did. So this is where you’ve been hiding all this time.

“I know you’re here,” she rasped into the empty room, “Craftsman. Ever the coward. What an ingenious way to hide. It’s so like you, I guess you’ve already cut your balls off then?”

She extended a hand, “It may not be today, but I am going to kill Liberty, Craftsman. So keep hiding in her shadow, that way I know where you are. When the time comes, I’ll have your head too,” she hissed and turned away before stopping. She considered for a moment, wondered, and turned her head to look back over her shoulder, “Or, I suppose there is a second option. One day I’m going to return to this place and turn it to rubble. When that day comes, kneel, and I’ll let you live.”

She closed the door behind her, “Either way I’m coming for you! Run all you want!” she called and stepped fully into the hallway. She glanced towards the door and saw that the temperature spike was gone, the glow coming from beneath the door with it. She barked out a laugh and strode down the hallway, heading for the door to the catwalk. Now, let's see what kind of damage I can do before you get back, Liberty. She thought and rubbed her hands together gleefully, pushing out onto the catwalk and sending her Legion charging forward.

“Ignore the cooks and workstaff!” She called after them, “No need to waste your time!”

“AS DECREED!” the legionnaires shouted as one.

She huffed out a breath and stopped at the center of the catwalk, Grim creatures. I don’t mind the fanaticism though. It’s a rather nice change of pace, she thought wryly, thinking of all the teasing that Sonya got from her inner circle. Her lip twitched as she felt a warm glow of resonant emotion from Sonya. I… suppose it isn’t so bad. She turned her attention to the space below and leaned against the railing, looking down at the small gathering of workers who had been disassembling the corpse of a mythic, apparently.

“I am Ishtar,” she called, “For your sake, I suggest you run away.”

The workers didn’t need to be told twice, they scrambled away from the clumps of clay and charged for the door, pressing past one another to be the first one out as she hopped over the railing and floated down. She alighted on the floor and took a quick scan of the room. This must be one of the main storehouses. The other one must be for food, she thought as she walked towards the body, looking down at it. She pushed one of the crate sized blocks of clay over with her hand, tugging at the material thoughtfully.

Poor bastard, Sonya’s thoughts rose up.

Ishtar tilted her head, “You pity him?”

Yeah, Sonya murmured.

Ishtar touched the material again and activated Digital Storage, the material broke down into motes of blue light and drew into her hand. She repeated the process for each chunk until nothing was left. I’ll destroy it later, I don’t have an ability in the warehouse that can burn it at the moment, she thought before turning to the rest of the space. Over a dozen long racks laden with crates of all shapes and sizes lined the room. She walked over to each one, tapping them one at a time with her finger and converting them to be stored. Somewhere in the distance she heard gunfire and shrugged, waltzing through the aisles like she was shopping.

“Guns,” she hummed to herself, “Explosives!” she chuckled and tapped another box, “Oh are those landmines? My, she really is prepping for a war, isn’t she?”

Only you would be that excited about landmines, Sonya chimed in from the back of her mind.

“So talkative,” Ishtar said thoughtfully, tapping a crate filled with grenades and drawing it into her storage.

It’s like riding in the passenger seat of a car, Sonya said, I see everything you do. Ishtar frowned and opened her mouth only for Sonya to cut her off, Don’t start. It’s better we get used to this than fighting it at this point. I wouldn’t have made it out of the Backrooms without you.

“...fine,” Ishtar growled, “We will talk about it though.”

Suit yourself. I for one don’t mind our current situation, Sonya said.

“That is part of the problem,” Ishtar pointed out before she stopped in front of another crate and paused, frowning a little behind her helmet. She reached for the lid and ripped it open, nails and all, with a jerk of her wrist. She tossed the lid aside and pulled out the object on top, a set of clothes that unfolded in her hands. A Pandora Committee uniform, there have to be dozens of them in here. She thought before setting it down and drawing it into her digital storage. A heartbeat later a chime rang in her head and she answered the call.

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<”Technocrat,”> she greeted without preamble.

There was a pause, <”Mistress Ishtar,”> he said, <”Liberty just arrived at the camp.”>

<”I know,”> Ishtar said.

<”One of Liberty’s people got a cheap shot in on Black Lotus, I think she’s been poisoned,”> he added, making Ishtar pause as a pang of anxiety rose up from Sonya. She’ll be fine, Ishtar consoled her. A new sensation caught her attention, she frowned a little and turned to look up at where the door to the catwalk led back the way she’d come. She sensed movement. <”Is Companion on the move?”> she asked idly.

<”She just responded, are you sure about letting her loose? That’ll raise some questions,”> Amos said.

Ishtar scoffed, <”I sincerely doubt that. Nobody will question her assistance at such a critical point,”> she said and paused as she felt Sonya’s worry rise a little more. She sighed, <”What is Black Lotus’ status?”> she asked reluctantly.

Amos paused again, <”Still fighting,”> he said, sounding a little exasperated. <”I told her to retreat but she’s not responding. I think her earpiece got damaged.”>

Ishtar clicked her tongue, <”If that idiot hero gets herself killed, I will find someone with a resurrection ability even if I have to scour the globe, bring her back, and kill her myself,”> Ishtar snarled, Sonya’s panic setting her off, <”I don’t care if you have to broadcast it, you tell that fool to back off before the worst happens. Handmaiden just needs to hold Liberty’s attention for a while. She’ll leave soon.”>

<”You think so?”> Amos asked.

<”Well, I did just release my legion in the middle of her main compound and I may be looting her storehouse as we speak,”> Ishtar said with a chuckle, stopping next to another crate, <”Technocrat, how are we on Lurker Hide?”>

A peal of laughter rang out on the other end of the call, <”People are dying and you're shopping. Damn boss. You are cold as ice,”> he said before sighing, <”Can never have enough hide.”>

Ishtar tapped the crate and digitized it, <”I’ll drop it off when I’m free,”> Ishtar said as the door far above her slammed open. She ignored it, she knew who it was. <”How about-”>

“ISHTAR!” Phillip roared from the catwalk.

She turned slowly to look up at the man, her lips thinning into a frown. She raised a hand and pointed a finger at him, “Noisy,” she growled. A ray of light streaked from her fingertip and bored a hole in the wall behind the spot he’d been standing a moment before. He leaped off the side and threw his hands down, ice forming a track that he slid down, accelerating in her direction. Ishtar scoffed, <”Technocrat, I’m going to have to let you go. Manage the situation at the camp.”>

Ishtar raised her head high as the call ended, “I gave you an opportunity to live, boy.”

He threw his hand out in her direction, shards of ice forming in front of his hand before launching out in her direction. They collided with hexagonal hard-light panels, Ishtar herself not moving an inch. Instead, she just raised her hand again and pointed it at him, a bead of light forming on her fingertip. He dove and slapped his hand on the ground, ice spreading from the point of impact and racing across the concrete floor at a shocking pace. The ice rose up her feet and encased her up to her calves.

Ah, his ability is like Firestorm and Earthwarden then, she thought as he pushed himself into the air with a pillar of ice that exploded from the ground. She lowered her hand, dissipating the ray she was creating and flexed her fingers. He threw himself at her, armor of ice forming around his arms and legs as he hurtled towards her. When he was close enough, her hand snapped out like a bolt of lightning, catching him by the face. She squeezed and he let out a cry of pain, throwing his fist at the side of her head. Light formed around her helmet and took the blow. She was surprised to see his little icy gauntlet didn’t shatter.

“Maybe I should work on collecting the whole set,” she said coldly, squeezing down harder. His eyes bulged and he reached up to grab at her wrist, ice spreading from the point of contact and up her arm. She growled and kicked him, sending him flying into the slide he had created for himself with a crash. She looked down at her wrist and rotated it. Her frown deepened as she felt something surprising from the motion. Pain. She looked up at him, “You hurt me. I’m impressed.”

She created a cranberry in her mouth and chewed it, the frostbite on her arm fading immediately as she began to march in his direction. He sat up, appearing unphased by the impact. “Madam Liberty hits harder,” he growled and pulled himself to his feet, blades of ice appearing in the air around him and beginning to spin, simulating a dozen floating drills.

“Speaking of your boss,” Ishtar growled, “I hope you took the time to call her home. I want a word.”

“She’s busy,” he said before cracking a wild smile, “I’ll let her know you asked after her.”

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Ishtar’s eyes narrowed on her helmet as her presence washed across the room. She pushed down on him, “I think,” Ishtar said with the promise of violence in her tone, “You may be brought to reconsider that decision. Sir Phillip. You are powerful and I dare say unlike your peers you’ve taken the time to turn your ability into something versatile. It would be a terrible loss for your lady if you died here,” she explained as she drew closer, one hand raised. She activated hard light.

“Thanks for the compliment!” he snarled and threw his hand forward, the drill like spears of ice launching towards her like bullets. Spears of light formed around her and fired off in response, crashing into his attack. She turned her hand and jerked upward, a line of light stretching up from the ground at his feet. He started only for it to turn into a chain that clamped tightly around his throat. She threw her hand down and his face slammed into the floor.

She stopped above him and looked down as he struggled to rise, grabbing at the hard light around his neck and spreading ice across it. She kicked him in the face and the ice stopped moving. “I said you were powerful, but I’d only put you around the level of an upper-crust hero. You are nothing compared to my people, brat, know your place.”

He spat out a tooth and glared at her, “I’m not calling her back. It’s obvious you don’t want her killing those heroes,” he said with a sneer, “I’m gonna give her all the time she needs.”

Ishtar went quiet for a moment, staring down at his sneering face in contemplation. She cocked her head to the right and reached down for him, a purple glow surrounding her fingers. “We’ll see how long that lasts, won’t we?”

–

Chunhua grunted as her entire body nearly bent in half against the forces acting on it. The single swing colliding with her sword which had been the only thing keeping her from being cleaved in half. Her eyes bulged as she collided with the stone walls Bedrock had set up to protect the common building, blood erupting from her nose and mouth. Her vision swam as muffled words popped and crackled in her ear. She shuddered and rolled forward, landing on her hands and knees before reaching up to rip the earpiece out of her ear. It had been crushed by the impact.

She scrambled to her feet, swaying a little before looking up at the looming form marching towards her. Liberty’s body was alight with a golden glow, her blue eyes spotlights, her armor shimmering as strange etchings on its surface blazed with orange-red light. Her sword rose up over her head only for a white streak to collide with her from the side, a brilliantly lit fist crashing into the side of the monstrous woman’s head. Liberty stumbled only a step, righting herself as Handmaiden slid to a stop between her and Chunhua.

Chunhua raised her hand, making a gesture and drawing mana to her body, ignoring the pain that shrieked in her meridians. The poison was spreading each time she tried to draw her power. Come on! She growled, forcing it back down to the wound. She needed to heal, quickly. Handmaiden is a damage sponge and can hit hard with momentum, I’lll handle the direct attacks while-

“Black Lotus!” Handmaiden shouted, Chunhua looked up to see that head of brown hair fluttering in the rising winds. Handmaiden glanced back over her shoulder at her, “Stay there. You’ve done enough.”

Chunhua’s stomach dropped, What? No- I-

She winced against the pain in her side and shot a glare at the collapsed form of Dame Kant lying on the ground, forgotten by her leader. Liberty paid no mind to her other two subordinates who hurried over to collect their fallen comrade. Chunhua leaned against the wall, scowling, she wasn’t going to take this lying down. She sat down and crossed her legs, closing her eyes and focused on her recovery.