Broker-Chapter 251

The sunlight was quite harsh as it beat down upon the Australian port. The archway that rose up out of it drew some eyes, but only a few stayed long enough to watch who’d come out. Euclidia’s portals weren’t seen every day, but they’d been seen on television and occasionally around the country enough that it wasn’t cause for overexcitement. The only question on the minds of those present was whether or not it was some VIP or a Hero coming to deal with a situation they were unaware of.

Sonya stepped through the portal with a hop and a skip, humming to herself as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. It was hot compared to The Hague. She slipped her sunglasses on and turned, her hand on her hip as Marta passed through with Amos in tow. A few people pulled out their phones to start recording, and Sonya gave them a merry wave while the portal slid back down into the ground.

“Gotta love social media,” Sonya snickered. “I kinda want to check out the reactions to the press conference,” she murmured before dismissing it. “I can wait.”

“It’s so hot here,” Amos grumbled. “Why am I here again?”

Sonya pouted at him. “How long’s it been since it was just the three of us, mm?”

He picked at his ear. “Yeah, yeah, but I’ve got projects to work on. You built me that glorious lab back at headquarters and I’m on the other side of the planet from it- Ow!”

He rubbed his arm, frowning at where Marta had elbowed him. He looked back at her and found her standing demurely as always with a single standard-sized suitcase hanging from her fingers. He looked at Sonya in exasperation and pointed at Marta, who shook her head, but otherwise seemed unbothered by his tantrum. Sonya just shrugged consolingly at him and he groaned. “Great to be back on the field, really is. So, where to, boss?”

Sonya turned on the spot, holding her hand over her eyes playfully and pointed down the long strip of road towards a massive pier that stretched out hundreds of feet into the ocean. Alongside it was a cruise ship. A massive cruise ship.

“What the hell is that?” Amos breathed.

“A cruise ship,” Marta said.

He rounded on her. “I know it’s a damn-”

“The Idol Class of cruise ships was originally designed back in aught sixteen,” Sonya said as she started walking towards the distant pier, hands in her pockets. “They take about two years to build from steel cutting to departure from their shipyard. At about twelve hundred feet long and a capacity for over seven thousand passengers and twenty-five hundred crew, it is only a bit smaller than the Titan Class cargo ships. The Idol is the largest cruise ship in the world and there are only eight of them.”

Amos fell into step next to her while Marta arrived at her usual walking distance. “You did your research.”

“Of course I did,” Sonya said and reached into her pocket, plucking out a hair tie and binding it up to give her neck a little air. Amos wasn’t wrong about the heat. “I want that one.”

Amos burst out laughing. “Nice! I can dig it.”

“I still think it's overindulgent,” Marta said.

Sonya snorted. “Never said I was planning on buying it at full price.”

Amos rolled his eyes. “I don’t think it’ll be that easy to-”

POP!

Sonya created a handful of blueberries in her palm and popped one into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully as Amos stared at them. He looked up at her, squinted, then snorted again and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Oh man, I am going to enjoy this. Been forever since I watched you work someone.”

“You make it sound gross,” she shot.

“You’re gross,” he shot back.

“Children,” Marta grumbled.

Sonya was about to return fire when a limousine pulled up along the road ahead of them. Sonya grinned in self-satisfaction as two men stepped out of the front of the vehicle. She glanced down the road towards the pier. They still had a bit of a way to go before they arrived. This works, she thought as the two men approached. One of them was the usual bodyguard type - black suit, earpiece, and frowning a lot. The other was a slightly portly man in a tan suit. He approached quickly and held out a hand in greeting. “Sonya Chernovna!” he panted.

<Dwight Pranth, Unawakened>

“Dwight Pranth!” she crowed and returned the gesture. He took it quickly and gave it a brief shake while she analyzed him.

<You have acquired a new product: Tephrakinesis>

A unique one! Been a while since I got fresh product.

Dwight dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief as he shook her hand. “Miss Chernovna, would you perhaps like a ride to your destination?” he asked with an awkward smile. “I apologize for meeting you like this, but we weren’t expecting your visit to be so, er...”

She laughed. “I do have a bit of a flair for the dramatic. That would be lovely. Is your boss waiting for us?”

His lip twitched. “Mister Cameron is a busy man, Miss Chernovna, and we only heard from your lawyer just a few hours ago. These things take time,” he cleared his throat. “May I ask for a bit more information about the purchase you’re wanting to make?”

Sent his lackey to feel me out before meeting, coward. Sonya’s smile didn’t meet her eyes. “Why don’t we get somewhere with some air conditioning, first. My friends and I are a bit warm.”

The man’s expression didn’t change much, but it was enough to show that he wasn’t happy with her answer. He turned and gestured to the limousine before moving quickly to fall into step with the big guy who was apparently his bodyguard. Marta and Amos quickly joined her as she followed him. “Keep an eye on their communications, Amos,” she said quietly.

“On it,” he said.

Sonya’s phone rang while they walked and she checked it, shrugging and answering it. “Bluestar, darling, how are you?” she crowed, gesturing to Marta to take a leading position. Marta moved ahead and walked in front of her.

<”Well, all things considered, glad to have my heroes back from that mess in The Hague,”> the guildmaster said over the phone. <”You know how to put on a show.”>

“It’s a talent,” Sonya chuckled.

<”You’re really going on that tour?”>

“Mhm,” Sonya said idly. “Working on the means now, actually.”

<”I won’t keep you. Just wanted to inform you that I’ll be sitting down to talk to Otis about him keeping his ability’s functions under wraps like that. There’s also the Ishtar thing. I’m not happy,”> she said. <”Did you know about his invulnerability?”>

“I don’t know the full specs of his abilities,” Sonya said flatly. “I couldn’t say where they begin or end. I’m guessing he’s wanting to go back on assignments already? We have a mandatory cool-down period after battles involving killing.”

<”That’s why I’m having this talk with him,”> Bluestar said with a sigh. <”I’m thinking of putting him on an investigation if he’s so insistent. There’s an old case at a hospital near here from just around the time of the flash that might keep him busy for a while. Nothing wild, but definitely a good distraction. With his personality I expect he won’t let it go.”>

Sonya smirked. “That might be best. I appreciate your work as always,” she said and glanced up to meet Marta’s expectant gaze as her maid opened the door to the limousine for her. She raised an eyebrow and Marta nodded as Amos slipped inside. “I have to go. Give everyone my love.”

<”Will do. Talk to you later, Sonya.”>

“Bye,” Sonya said and slipped into the limo with a chuckle. “Busy, busy, busy! Always got something going on. You know the feeling, don’t you Mister Cameron?” she mused as she turned off her phone and placed her hands on her lap, looking up at Dwight and the rail-thin old man next to him. Brian Cameron, President and CEO of the Throne Polynesian Group. His wrinkled face had been smoothed numerous times through various cosmetic surgeries, his white hair thick and wavy, and his blue eyes were sharp as blades.

“You knew I was here,” Brian said with a huff, Dwight shifting uneasily next to him.

“I figured you of all people would have an inkling of what I was after. With that, you’d of course come personally to discuss,” she said with an easy smile. “Though, I’ll admit the biggest hint was the limo, no offense Mister Pranth.”

Pranth blinked in confusion while Sonya held Brian’s gaze. The old man stared hard until finally cracking a smile. “You are a scary lady,” he said with a laugh. “Why don’t we clear the air. What are you after, Miss Chernovna?”

She pursed her lips and pointed out the window towards the Idol. “That,” she said. “And please, call me Sonya.”

–

Sonya stepped onto the deck of the Idol and let out an appreciative whistle. It looked more like a land-based resort than a vessel intended for the ocean. Swooping lines and curves of the deck-level buildings with that clean, white, modern aesthetic that she liked so much. There was even a park and garden! The pool had been designed to look like a beach, sand and all, with a wave generator to add to the luxury of it all. She hummed to herself a little while exchanging a look with Amos, who was suddenly looking very thoughtful.

<”You have ideas?”> she asked through Technopathy.

<”So many. I could turn this thing into a fortress,”> he said. <”I get why you brought me now. I have the best boss. I’m like a kid in a candy store.”>

<”Start linking up with the ship’s controls and deal with the cameras, this shouldn’t take long,”> she said before exhaling with satisfaction and turning towards Brian. “It is a beautiful ship, Brian. A marvel of engineering. You should be proud.”

He cleared his throat and looked around the deck with a small smile on his face. “I had a role in the design process,” he admitted. “My work these days may be that of a businessman first and foremost, but I still enjoy practicing my art when I can.”

“You’re a shipwright?”

“A designer,” he corrected with a chuckle before turning to her seriously. “This is not an inexpensive vessel. Even for someone of your means.”

“I’m prepared to talk things through,” she said simply and gestured to Marta who walked over with the suitcase and handed it off to her. “Shall we sit?”

“You don’t want a tour?” he asked.

“I did a virtual tour before making my decision and had someone I trust have a look around the one currently based in Miami,” she said before nodding to Amos, who was standing off to the side with his eyes unfocused as he swept his gaze over everything. “His opinion is the most important here though, and he’s quite enthusiastic.”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “Amos Carter?”

She grinned. “Well?”

He huffed out a breath. “Let’s talk,” he said and gestured for her to follow him. Sonya nodded to Marta, who moved to stand with Amos as she went to talk with the CEO privately. They didn’t have to go very far. There were no vacationers on the ship at the time and the crew was minimal in the off-season. They went into the lounge that looked out onto the beach-pool and found a table. She sat down and set the suitcase on the floor next to her.

“I should caution you, Miss Chernovna, this isn’t a deal that I can simply make on the fly. I need the consent of the board to go through with it, even if you have something that we can all agree on adding to sweeten the pot,” he gestured out the window. “This ship cost two billion to build, a quarter of that to outfit, and its overall estimated earnings value is significant.”

“Oh, I know,” Sonya said with a nod. “I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t think I had something you wanted beyond money.”

He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. “Then it's time you show me what’s in that suitcase.”

She laughed. “I love it when the people I do business with are straightforward. Mind games are tiring,” she said and reached down for the suitcase, picking it up and setting it on the table. Her senses picked up on the surveillance system across the ship as it shut down and she opened the case, pulling out the first item of interest. A small stack of papers that she set on the table and turned around before pushing them in his direction.

He eyed them briefly. “Blank contracts?”

“Look closely,” she said.

He leaned forward with a frown before his eyes went wide and he snatched the papers up, flipping through them before looking up at her in shock. “There are… eight of them.”

She nodded. That’s right, Awakening Contracts, all for you and your friends Brian. I considered offering youth, but a sudden change like that could raise flags after meeting me. It’s better this way. If you prove useful later, I’ll extend the offer as Ishtar.

“How? Aren’t you enemies?” he asked and set the documents down.

“She doesn’t care who buys her products as long as they’re paid for,” Sonya said.

“Even so,” he breathed. “Getting in contact and getting so many. Did you use an intermediary? She tried to assassinate you yesterday.”

She gave him a placating look. “Brian, a girl has to have some secrets. Don’t be pushy.”

He blinked a few times before clearing his throat and laughing. “Right, I apologize. I underestimated you. Eight awakening contracts, the older versions from what I can see. I hear the new ones have more strings than just a Non-Disclosure.”

Old version, ha! I had these written up by Colin in the hotel room, she thought with amusement.

“Do you think this will smooth things over with the board?” she asked.

“Certainly,” he said, eyeing the documents with no small amount of greed. “Most of us are unawakened and we can auction off what’s left.”

Now, let's try something new out.

She shrugged. “Do what you want with them,” she said. “Though I’d appreciate it if you and those who sign those documents make a policy of using these abilities responsibly. I am in the business of making heroes, after all.”

He looked up at her and shrugged. “Of course, of course, nothing to worry about there, Sonya. I also want to assure you that the board and I will keep the origins of these a closely guarded secret.”

I’m sure you will once we shake hands.

<Policy Established: Abuse of Ability Arbitration Clause. Those subject may have their abilities sanctioned if Party: Sonya Chernovna deems their actions to be irresponsible and abusive.>

Her lips curled up into a smile. “I appreciate it,” she said and closed the suitcase, setting it aside and leaning forward to look him in the eyes. “Now let's talk numbers.”