Broker

Chapter 138

The stage for the performance was set up. A gallery where some of the finest articles of jewelry and precious gemstones would be on display for those around the world to see. Apparently Sonya had been sent an invitation as well, but she couldn’t care less about things like that. Not unless she could use it to spoil someone else. Her idea of luxury was a bit different. Ishtar personally found it perplexing, and wondered for a time if that was just another way she was deviating from Sonya. Their personalities becoming more and more distinct. She frowned a little at the thought as she settled into the building just across from the gallery, her legs crossed and her eyes shut. She took a deep breath and with a flex of will expanded her perspective.

Her eyes opened. The world came into view. She was everywhere in the area. In every hall of the gallery. In every street around it. Behind her two men stood. The first was Mephisto. He hadn’t agreed to participate in the action and had opted to stay behind as her bodyguard. The second was Guru, who moved to sit across from her when she gestured. He opened his mouth to speak but she held up a hand to silence him, allowing the information to feed into her mind. Her enhanced brain processed it into data. Every angle, every corner, every surface became part of a greater picture that she painstakingly pieced together.

She cupped her hands and held them out, hard light filling them like water before she parted her fingers and it spilled out onto the ground. It splattered and burst, expanding and taking shape until a three dimensional representation of the area blossomed into being between the two of them. Little blips of light hang throughout the space. They flickered for a moment before taking on colors, little lines stretched from them and took the shape of words, indicating the identity of each person present. Even the wealthy visitors were named, scattered about the space. Allies were blue, neutrals were green, there were no red dots just yet.

“Done,” She said with a raspy breath, resting her hand in her lap as the dots moved around from place to place. She opened her eyes and looked to Guru, “Your assessment?”

The old man regarded the illusion for a moment, his expression unchanged even as his pupils dilated a little. She smirked when he cleared his throat and reached for the microphone on his ear, “Young Master Saleh, if you would move to the parlor please, along the east wall.”

“Understood,” Came Saleh’s voice over the comms.

“Broadside, I would have you with the young master. That is where the most valuable items are,” He said.

“Gotcha!” Broadside chirped.

“Grave, take the northern hallway,” He said calmly, “And Cross please stay mobile between the two areas.”

The two men both gave their affirmative before the old man looked up at her, “Not a lot of men for a trap,” He admitted.

“If I have to get involved I will,” Ishtar said simply, “I’m almost hoping the situation comes up.”

“Do you think it will?” He asked, “You seem to be able to see all.”

“I can see much,” She corrected him, “And I see the Pandora Committee arriving ahead of schedule,” She chuckled as she waved her hand and an illusory screen appeared in the air next to her with a view of an aircraft flying through the air. The Pandora Committee logo was on the side. She gestured again and an image of a woman getting out of a limousine appeared, she had almost mauve hair done up in a complex bun glittering with gemstones, each finger wrapped in a decadent ring. Behind her limo, another vehicle stopped and two men and two women stepped out, moving to form up around her.

Before them, five red dots appeared as she let out a cruel laugh, “The pieces are on the table, strategist! What will you do?”

Show me how special that power of yours is, before I make it mine.

–

“They are on the approach,” Guru’s voice came through Grave's earpiece. He popped a stick of cinnamon into his mouth and started to chew, wrinkling his nose a little as he moved a bit more down the hallway. “They are coming through the main entrance. They’ll make for the parlor first. Grave, please make for the side. Cross, follow behind but at a delay. Ishtar has identified two of them from public records.”

Grave grinned, it was nice to have real intel and backup. “Who we got?” He asked.

“The blonde woman is Tenebra, a psychic, she uses telekinesis and other abilities. She’s a flayer, enjoys skinning people and is talented at reflecting bullets. If you can, put her down first,” Guru said, “You’ll need to be in the next section ahead of you in about forty seconds to get a good shot with sufficient surprise.”

“The other?” Grave grunted, picking up his pace a little as he made his way past ugly ass paintings and the smell of rich people. Cloying perfume and cologne that made them all seem more like mannequins in his head than real living things. 

“Pike, is the black haired youth, he can create a spear out of nothing and has powerful movement abilities, leaping specifically. Poor choice for an indoor battle,” Guru chuckled, “He should be your next target. Ishtar insists we keep this battle as short as possible, the heroes are a bit early.”

Grave clicked his tongue, “We still locking down? All these rich pigs in here are gonna get in the way once the fighting starts.”

A raspy voice joined the conversation, hearing it over the comm, in his head, it sent chills down his spine, “They’re expendable, nothing more than flies on piles of shit. If they get in your way, clear the path,” Ishtar hissed.

He clenched his gun and tilted his hat forward as he stepped out into the room that had been designated his destination. Just as he rounded the corner he raised his weapon and aimed, it took a fragment of a second for him to see the five people stepping through the doors. He didn’t even hear the buzz go off indicating that the lockdown of the building was starting. He found the woman with blonde hair and pulled the trigger, he poured force into the shot, demanded his aim be true, willed the bullet through anything that would stop it. 

A cavity formed in the woman’s chest in the next second as blood sprayed against the wall. She dropped to the ground and the other three reacted immediately. A white haired man with glasses quickly put his hand on the fancy woman’s shoulder and pushed her towards the parlor. A woman with spiked black hair turned to face grave but kept moving backwards, covering the first two. She brought her fingers to her lips and let out a whistle as he chanced a shot in her direction. The bullet exploded in mid air.

Before he had a chance to do anything else a face was in front of him, glowing eyes boring down into his own as a spear lifted and came down. A sonorous clang rang out and Grave rolled back just in time to see Cross holding Pike off. “Pursue!” He barked back before pushing the spear wielder back and getting into a fighting stance.

Grave spat, “Fuck that!” He growled and got to his feet, “Ain’t you ever played games before? Spear beats sword!” He snarled, “But it don’t be gun!” He aimed at Pike who hopped backwards only to travel over ten feet. “Jump power, eh? Gamer too.”

“Speak normally!” Cross rumbled and angled his weapon forward.

Grave ignored him and fired a few shots, Pike spun his weapon and blocked the first two before pulling his body out of the way of the third. Grave took a step to the side and reloaded, watching the man carefully. “Long story short, he’s tough.”

“Understood,” Cross growled, and readied himself.

–

Saleh’s foot twitched a little as shouts began to ring out throughout the building. He ignored them as best he could, but it was still trying. One wealthy man from europe rushed him and started demanding things, he just pushed him away. The idea of killing the man just to get him to buzz off seemed a bit much. He pressed his lips together, But Ishtar said so. He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils as gunshots echoed. Father said to listen to her advice, he frowned, But Father- He shook his head, Father must have known it was a test. Right?

Merry whistling brought him out of his thoughts and he glanced down at the woman who was sitting down against the wall next to him. She had pulled her respirator off and was checking her face in a small hand mirror. He gave her an incredulous look as Guru’s voice came through. “They’re in the main hall heading towards the parlor now.”

She snapped it shut, “How do I look?” She asked.

He blinked at her, “Uh… fine? Is that important?”

She huffed, “Of course it is! That Grave guy is already kinda hot, I can’t imagine what he’ll look like with ten years shaved off. Not gonna miss a good chance when I see one,” She said with a smirk. 

He just stared at her then glanced at the hallway meaningfully, “Are you serious right now?” He asked.

She laughed, “Oh hon,” She said and pressed her hand against the wall, “They’re in my killing field already,” She said with a wild grin and turned to it, “Hope that August lady can handle it otherwise I might get in a little trouble for this,” She snickered, “I wanted to try this on Ishtar but oh well,” She sighed and tapped her mic, “Lighting up the hallway Guru ol buddy!”

“The target should survive, go ahead,” Guru said bluntly.

“What are you-” He was cut off when he saw a portion of the wall in the hall between the parlor and the main entrance open. It was a solid object but it just opened! He rubbed his eyes in disbelief as Broadside started laughing, he heard sounds like the shifting of metal and then a shout. She turned to him and waved at him, “What?”

“Wall please! Box ‘em in!” She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Think a little, kid!”

Their plan finally dawned on him and he whirled towards the hall, her laughter growing louder and wilder as he threw his hands out and then down. He straightened his stance and clenched his fists. In a single motion and step he pulled his hands up and to his chest in a rigid motion. The ground at the threshold of the parlor shifted and then shot up into the air as a solid wall, boxing in the passage. A final laugh escaped Broadside's lips before loud bangs shook the building, cannonfire.

BOOM! BOOMBOOM BOOM!

The building kept shaking as more and more shots were fired off, even the stone wall he had created began to crack and shudder before it finally went still. Civilians shouted and screamed from where they hid here and there. He stared in horror at the space as yet another gunshot went off in the distance. His heart raced. Battles in dungeons were simple, monsters were straightforward and the few that could use some manner of ‘ability’ were few and far between. Knowing that there was a person out there that could turn any surface into a hidden cannon was… terrifying.

“August lives,” Guru said, “As does the sound user but she is wounded, be ready.”

“Where are Cross and Grave?” Saleh asked.

“Cross is dead,” Guru said, “Grave is on his way.”

Before Saleh could ask more a keening sound came from behind the busted wall. He felt something trying to tear his wall apart. He resisted it at first, pushing back and holding his ground with clenched fists. He felt the power on the other end intensify. Behind him, Broadside got up and brushed off her hands, walking over to a statue stationed across from the entryway and leaned against it with an outstretched hand. Across the hall, a bloody and irritable looking Grave stalked out, pistol in hand. He pointed it at the opening with a frown.

Even though there are three of us, she’s insisting on pushing through. Why? He chewed his lip, What even is a Mythic? My father is one but I have never seen the scope of his power. He clenched his fists, Are the three of us enough?

The wall shattered before he could get in his last thought and he pushed his arms forward and then up, shaping the ground beneath him into small bricks that he fired in the direction of the new opening. The statue broadside was touching opened and several small guns poked out of it before opening fire as well. Grave pulled his trigger six times before lowering his weapon, his eyes glowing orange-red beneath his hat. All the while, that keening sound rang out, the bricks vaporized, the cannonballs were pulverized, and the bullets barely made it through.

There was a squelching sound and a figure with dark hair stepped out, one arm hanging and another held up to her lips. She had a hole in her leg and blood spilled down onto the ground as she staggered forward. Saleh flexed his arms and twisted his body, pivoting and pulling to the right just as she whistled again, whipping her head left to right. Grave was sent hurtling backwards, the statue next to Broadside exploded and peppered her with debris. Saleh felt his arm itch for a moment as he tried to finish his motion, his left hand tore apart at the fingers before being turned into naught but red mist at the elbow. He let out a scream and threw his body into the motion anyway, agony burning through his mind. A piece of wall lurched out and crushed the woman’s head as he fell to his knees.

“My arm!” He screamed, falling to his side as the pain grew worse and worse, his brain catching up with the injury. He clutched at it desperately as he tried to open his eyes through the tears. A hand grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to the wall, before he knew what was happening he felt something get shoved into his mouth, fingers holding it shut, it was sweet. He bit down on instinct and felt the pain wash away followed by a strange, sickening sensation as something began to grow on his stump. He blinked through the shock and tears and looked up to see Broadsides crouched over him with a grin.

“Oops!” She laughed as the sound of popping ice spread across the floor. They both looked and saw the floor start to turn to gold, spreading out like a creeping infection. “Gotta move!” She shouted and grabbed him again, pulling him to his feet as she slapped a few glass cases filled with jewelry. She reached up and touched her microphone, “Her support’s toast Guru! What’s next?” She called.

For a moment, all Saleh heard was empty static before an angry, bone chilling growl rumbled into his ears.

“First Wind.”

That was when the wind started to blow, shaking the metal sheets that had fallen down with the lockdown.