Chapter 195: Chapter 164

Sonya woke groggily the next morning, her shoulders aching as she sat up. She held out a lazy hand and created a small piece of chocolate that she popped into her mouth, chewing and soothing the mild pain. The faint sound of her phone ringing drew her attention as she swept her eyes over her bed. Empty. She let out a small huff, “Figures,” She muttered as she snatched her cellphone up and glanced at the name. She ran her fingers through her hair and answered the video call. “Chairman,” she said playfully, smiling down at the pretty face that appeared on the screen.

Carla raised a thin eyebrow behind her glasses, “Good Morning, Sonya,” she replied, canting her head to the right a little bit. “Rough night?”

“A particularly aggressive guest, cultivators are remarkably strong, were you aware of that?” she sighed and fell back onto her back, looking up at the face that reddened a little before laughing. “Left before I woke up, so that’s how that feels.”

Carla laughed, “At least you two got it out of your system for now,” Carla said offhandedly and rested her chin on her palm, “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Sonya said with a small smile, “How are things?”

“Stressful as you can imagine,” her lover said with a shrug, “He left one hell of a mess behind, I don’t know how the organization functioned to be honest,” she said bitterly, “I’m pushing through an overhaul and we’re addressing the issues with the Vegas Act.”

Sonya yawned, “That’s good, wish I could send you some assistance.”

“I’ve got it handled,” Carla said with a wave of her hand, “This is my element. I feel like I was born for this. Was the new representative easy to work with?”

“He was adequate,” Sonya said and finally roused herself enough to slip out of bed. She exhaled and her storage space activated, her nightclothes turning into blue particles before they were replaced by a clean t-shirt and jeans. The shirt had a popular red-hat from a video game on it. She opted for high-top black skate shoes today. A wave of blue particles washed over her skin and hair as well and with a thought any need for a shower was deleted. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook it out, “There we go.”

“My jealousy is endless,” Carla laughed.

“It should be,” Sonya quipped back, “Is my little surprise ready?”

“She’ll be there, you’re such a bully by the way,” Carla said.

“Well I have all the more reason since she dined and dashed,” Sonya said with a wave of her hand and walked out into the living room. She scanned the empty space and sensed a spot of heat in the kitchenette. Her lips twitched into a smile as a timer rolled over on the coffee machine and it began pouring into a mug. She let out a sigh, “Damn it, that’s cruel,” she said and walked over to pick it up. There were several packets of sugar already set out next to it. She glanced down at her phone, “Definitely have no regrets about my prank now.”

Carla scoffed and rolled her eyes as Sonya sipped at the coffee. Perfect. She hopped onto the counter. “I’ve arranged security,” she said, getting a bit more serious, “I’ll be sending the same to the other ceremonies. This is not the time for another Hero Day,” she continued with a small frown, looking Carla in the eyes.

“Agreed, the international team is being sent out to each location just in case,” Carla said, “I know how you feel about First Wind’s antics…” she trailed off when she saw the glower on Sonya’s face, “But he makes a good deterrent at the very least.”

“Have you found anything about that person I asked you about?” Sonya asked.

“Majordomo? No, I’m afraid. He doesn’t show up on the registry and to be honest I don’t have much information to go on beyond that,” she said before pausing and giving Sonya a warning look, “Which is ultimately for the best for both of us.”

Sonya let out a sigh, “Of course, thank you for checking for me,” She rubbed her neck, “I do have some information that may be valuable to you, though you’ll have to confirm it on your own for it to be of any use.”

Carla sat up straight, “Oh?”

“There’s a villain by the name of Craftsman, he made Liberty’s sword, the one Marta filled you in about,” Sonya said flatly and Carla’s eyes narrowed.

“I see,” she said, “Understood. All the more reason to bring her down and catch him in the process.”

“He’s wily,” Sonya warned and glanced at the time on her phone, she rubbed her neck and looked Carla in the eyes, “Be safe, Carla.”

“You too, I love you.”

“I love you too,” Sonya said and ended the call, sipping at her coffee. She slipped off the counter, “Majordomo is beginning to worry me.”

“Even after so much time he hasn’t surfaced. It’s strange. Even his original hero name isn’t on the registry based on what Carla said,” Ishtar pointed out.

“Darwin,” Sonya scoffed, “Maybe everything that’s happened has shifted the timeline more than  I anticipated. He chose a new name?”

“It’s entirely possible, they aren’t the same people they used to be, though their predisposition remains unchanged. Liberty and First Wind are prime examples,” Ishtar agreed.

“Right,” Sonya finished her coffee and set the mug in the sink, “He wasn’t like the others, as I recall.”

“He worshiped Otis’ power, not the man,” Ishtar paused, “You don’t think…”

Sonya scoffed, “Please, him? Of all people? No. He was a bloodthirsty monster through and through,” she said bitterly, pressing her lips together at the sour taste the thought left in her mouth. “He’s alive and he’s just looking for an opportunity to show his ugly face.”

“If he died without you in some way orchestrating it, you wouldn’t get the credit from Pandora, which means no notice in your hud,” Ishtar reminded her, “Don’t discount the possibility. Focus on your current targets.”

“Agreed,” Sonya said and stepped out into the hall to find Marta waiting patiently for her. She brightened immediately at the sight of her dear friend, “Good morning!” She chirped and turned, walking down the hall with the maid in tow. “Is everybody ready?”

“The aspirants have gathered and are going to be in the courtyard shortly,” Marta said demurely, “I’ll have your living space attended to while you meet with the guests.”

“Thank you dear,” Sonya said as they walked down the hall. She passed the short hall to the restrooms and glanced at the spot where Otis had hid that night. Her lips thinned a little and she let out a breath through her nostrils, “I’m handling this correctly, right?” she asked Marta.

“Keep your enemies close,” Marta recited.

Sonya smirked, “Fair enough. I’ll try to glean as much enjoyment out of it as I can,” she said as they walked out into the common area. A few of the aspirants were still lingering as the others began making their way out into the courtyard. She waved at Bluestar who was standing with John and speaking quietly with him. The Guildmaster returned the wave while the other Guildmaster, Evergreen, barked out a merry laugh while speaking with a few of the others. Her eyes moved to the third powerhouse in the room and she met deep dark eyes. She offered a lazy smile to Chunhua who cleared her throat and returned the expression before making her way out to the courtyard.

“Oho,” Marta mused.

“Shut up,” Sonya snorted with a wicked grin and followed Chunhua out. Just outside there was a small gathering of the instructors. Axel was standing and speaking with Crowley and Canis while Madame Rouge stood off to the side in the shade.

“Good morning!” she greeted them merrily. She stopped when she saw Axel, her heart sinking a little. He was leaning on a cane still, the treatments he was getting from Vytal hadn’t completely undone the internal damage caused by Sir Ellis. She reached out to touch his arm and he gave a small nod before breaking into a smile.  She returned it in kind, “You’re looking better. How is Bedrock feeling?”

He huffed, “About as well as you might expect, he didn’t take what happened well.” he said, nodding to the plaque on the side of the common building, “I’m getting worried he might go for retirement at this rate.”

“He handled himself far above expectations,” Sonya said with a frown, “That’s a shame.”

Axel shrugged, “Is what it is, I’m not going to try to pressure him into sticking with it. He’s already got a good nest-egg and apparently his family owns a farm. His abilities could really help out there,” Madame Rouge scoffed and he shot her a glare before continuing, “It’s his choice in the end.”

Madame Rouge pushed off the wall and crossed her arms at her waist, walking past him before glancing at Sonya. She frowned at the woman who had spent the entire battle inside. Rouge was an individual of carefully curated beauty, everything from her makeup to her clothing meticulously picked. Her mature frame drew eyes, but her regal demeanor just annoyed Sonya, if she was being honest. “Just goes to show that some aren’t cut out for this. The camps were a wise decision, cutting the weak hearted before they get themselves or someone else killed.”

Like you have room to talk, Sonya thought bitterly. She pushed the anger down, That’s unfair. Rouge would have been slaughtered without a team around her. She was better positioned inside the common building in case the enemy got in.

“Well, that was the point of the camp,” Sonya admitted with a sigh before giving Axel an apologetic look. He rubbed his neck and nodded as well as he and the others glanced out towards the aspirants who had gathered. Their eyes were all fierce now, driven. “We lost so many during the raid, some left, about fifteen or so, that leaves us with twenty five graduates,” Sonya said soberly, “The camps will have a reputation for being a brutal training method now.”

“They should be proud of themselves,” Axel said and paused as they felt the ground shake beneath their feet a little. A short distance ahead, at the center of the courtyard, a smooth stone archway began to rise up from the ground. Sonya nodded to the instructors and as a group they walked towards it, Marta turning away and disappearing back into the common building. The arch rose and rose until it towered twelve feet off the ground and eight feet wide. Inside, the portal that formed distorted and flickered, several locations flashing at once across its surface. Sonya narrowed her eyes, She keeps getting stronger and stronger, she thought.

“Not nearly as impressive as the portal in the backrooms, though,” Ishtar pointed out.

Sonya scoffed to herself but said nothing. She glanced down at her fingers, wondering about when she would have a chance to go back to that place. She’d need to come prepared next time and with plenty of allies. One of those monsters there had been enough to hurt her badly. From the looks of the forces on the outer walls of that impossibly large city, there were far more than single units. Regardless, she’d claim it for herself. It would be a good staging ground in the future. She slowed to a stop near the front of the gathered aspirants and shot a glance towards the group of ASTA signers, Lillian and her crew plus Otis.

Why is he even bothering? He has no living relatives,

she thought. I checked. Apparently Marc Mallory actually exists, is it really his true identity? Does he have the balls to go around using his real name with all he’s planning to do? She paused for a moment and rolled her eyes, Of course he does. Not that his name gave me much of anything, only that he’s older than he looks and has a minor degree in the classics that he barely got and transferred to Greece which I already knew thanks to Pandora.

Her eyes then shifted to Jessica Wayne, the ice wielding girl who Sonya had been suspicious about for a time. She originated in Mississippi and her background was obviously doctored. And yet, the interview for signing her bore absolutely nothing. It felt a bit like Otis’ interview, if anything, which was an annoying reminder. Her ice shaping power is modestly powerful and it was a good acquisition but… She let her thoughts trail off, something felt off about her, there was no doubt. Signing her and keeping an eye on her like Otis was the best option. I’ll figure her out eventually.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts as the portal stabilized and Chunhua stepped up to the fore. Sonya broke away from the others to join her. She met Chunhua’s eyes and grinned mischievously at her. Chunhua raised an eyebrow, “What?” she asked as the field rippled a little.

The sound of hurried footsteps came through the portal and Sonya took a casual step to the right as Chunhua blinked and looked up just in time for a petite figure to come barreling out of it at top speed. “Chuchu!” A delighted voice cried out and Chunhua was bowled over by the flying girl. Sonya snorted and stepped back a few more paces as a bright eyed girl wearing the most blatant spiky leather punk jacket that Sonya had ever seen threw her fists into the air, “I missed you so much!” Eculidia shouted. “Woah! You got buffer! Power-up? Oh my god tell me everything!”

Chunhua slowly turned her head to fix Sonya with a stare, Sonya shrugged, “She’s here to pick up someone, did I forget to tell you she was coming?” She asked innocently, looking away with a wild grin.

“Hi Molly,” Chunhua chuckled as she looked back up at the girl, and with an easy movement picked her up and rose to her feet, “Thanks for coming,” she said as the mythic hero hung from her hands like a doll, grinning ear to ear.

Sonya turned to the very confused looking aspirants, “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Euclidia, one of the lead members of the International team and the head of Logistics for the Pandora Committee. She’s the one who can get you anywhere in the world and is the cornerstone of worldwide heroic efforts,” she said, gesturing to the grinning young woman.

“Oh stop it Sonya! You’re making me blush!” Euclidia laughed, waving her hands frantically at the CEO.

Not far away, Greg shifted a bit on his feet and glanced at Sonya who nodded to him. Chunhua set the woman down and stepped away as Euclidia turned to the portal and held out her hand. A cube of light appeared over it that shifted and spun, opening and closing like a puzzle box of impossible dimensions. It broke apart and reformed itself, as the portal began to flicker with multiple locations again. Euclidia held her finger up to her ear and grinned, “Portal network ready! Destinations set! Go on through!”

Destinations? Sonya blinked. Is she opening portals to all the graduation locations at the same time? Good grief! I suppose with all she’s been up to, she’s gained quite a bit of experience and practice. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could open a portal to the Backrooms themselves at this point. What a little monster.

In answer to Sonya’s thoughts, men and women began walking through the portal. First came the aspirants from the West Coast camp, twenty nine young men and women looking around with curiosity. A faint wave of heat followed in their wake as they left Death Valley behind. They were quickly ushered to the side by their instructors who joined them. Next came wave after wave of parents and guardians who took in the sights with far more awe as the crowd swelled from just over fifty to hundreds. It was a sight to behold, especially as Euclidia didn’t even break a sweat. She was grinning and talking merrily with Chunhua as the numbers continued to pass on through.

Shouts of acknowledgement, laughter and tears accompanied the arrival of families as parents and offspring found one another. Sonya glanced in the direction of a particular group with a small smile. Lillian ran to embrace her mother and father who looked absolutely stunned to see their daughter and the white-and-black haired girl that accompanied her.

“It makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?” Ishtar asked.

“Yeah, it does,” Sonya murmured to herself, “It really does.”