Broker
Chapter 292

Five thousand heroes gathered in Dharan, a far cry from the two thousand that had participated in Australia. An army of light-touched, from the Rare to the Mythic. Dharan was the only sort of place where this many could gather with the intent of using their abilities. According to reports, the Nepalese government was clearing dungeons, but Sonya wouldn’t be satisfied until she was sure the civilians were safe. 

I’m sure most of their officials aren’t happy about losing all those resources, Sonya thought wryly as she pulled away from the railing. She glanced back at Dharan from her spot on the wall. No dungeons to break with that mana, but will it be enough against a literal army of monsters?

She smirked. I’m curious to see.

Her HUD phone rang, and she answered it. <”Is it done?”>

The Provost of the Night Society cleared his throat. <”Yes. The media campaign will target Otis, claiming that he crossed international waters unilaterally to attack one of Ishtar’s subordinates. He will be cited as present for Guildmaster Olsten’s death. I’ve ensured that a Pandora and ASTA representative be present for the commentary.”>

<”Good. I don’t mind ASTA taking a little heat for his behavior.”>

<”He requested to go on temporary leave before heading to Australia,”> the Provost said. <”It shouldn’t be hard to-”>

<”No. That will give the appearance of shifting blame, which we don’t want. Bluestar and I will handle the contrition angle. I doubt we’ll get it out of him, which is all the better,”> Sonya said with a small smile, <”He hurt my friend, so I’ll make sure his reputation takes a hit as well.”>

<”And that reporter?”>

Sonya’s smile faded just a little bit. <”If you can find out who he really is, all the better. For now, keep an eye on what’s going on in the background while the event plays out. We’ll take action afterwards.”>

<”Understood.”>

The real fight starts after my world tour, Otis. Unfortunately for you, the Representatives have forced me to make adjustments to my plans. It’s not a big change, but I think it’s time for a speedrun. She grinned. All you’re doing is making it more fun for me.

I prefer the updated plan, Ishtar said.

You know what? Me too. I’m looking forward to seeing how First Wind reacts.

Marta approached her from the side. "All camera drones are ready, and the observers are set to launch. Tracking bracelets were distributed to the heroes on arrival, and Molly is ready to drop the portal. Are you sure about having the Pandora Committee select the judges?” she asked.

“It makes me look good,” Sonya said with a shrug and a smile. “It looks like they got a win over me and gives Carla some more political strength.”

“You think we’ll need powerhouses present?” Marta asked.

Sonya’s eyes narrowed at the decimated city in the distance. “I do.”

Marta nodded. "I will stay at your side, then.”

Sonya put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Thank you, Marta.”

Marta inclined her head with a small smile. “Always at your service, Ma’am.”

Sonya smiled and pulled back, clapping her hands and rubbing them together. “Now! Let’s get this show on the road! It’s time to keep my promise to Pandora.”

–

The podium was set up right above the main gate into the Break Zone. The mighty wall towered over the heroes gathered, who were all looking up at Sonya. She took a moment to bask in their gazes. Some of them looked at her with excitement, while others had less appealing expressions on their faces. It didn’t matter to her. She had their full, undivided attention. She spotted the gathered reporters atop what looked a lot like an outpost watchtower from her previous go-round. The last one she’d stood on was the one where she’d met Chunhua. It was odd seeing it used for this purpose rather than watching the remains of New York burn.

<”Cameras are rolling,”> Marta said into her head. <”Your sister is ready to swap out with you after your speech.”>

<”Excellent.”>

Sonya threw out her arms as the mic turned on, and she broke into a brilliant smile. “Welcome, Heroes! Welcome to Dharan! I’m your host, Sonya Chernovna! Though I’m sure you all know me already,” she said before leaning forward and holding up a finger. “What you may not know is that the stakes of this particular event just got a whole lot more intense recently!”

She broke into a wild grin. “The outcome of this event has changed.” She planted her hands on the podium and swept her gaze over all of those gathered. “This is it! The top four participants in this event will get the grand prizes. The runner-ups will get the side contracts.”

The murmuring settled as the heroes looked up at her, and a tension washed over them. “This is about Earth. This is about humanity. This is about being the best heroes you can be. I pushed that day I stood in Congress for heroes to be recognized so that we would stand a chance against what was coming. I saw the dangers in front of us, and I made a choice. Now, here we are. Now, here you are. The best and brightest this world can offer. A generation of souls willing to put their lives on the line to fight for a better future.”

She smiled. "I couldn’t be more proud.”

Sonya raised a fist. “You are HEROES! That means more than just commercial deals and fancy costumes. It means more than just being powerful. It means taking a step forward when no one else can. When armies and police aren’t enough. When we need to band together. Yes! This is a competition, and you will be individuals pushing against one another to reach that top spot. But what we do today, as an international collective, is march into that city that fell such a painfully short time after the flash and liberate it!”

She slammed her fist on the podium. “That’s what it means to be a Hero! To set aside national borders, ideology, faith, personal hatreds, and everything for the sake of this world we love so goddamn much,” she shouted. "So, when you go in there, remember you are competing against your brothers and sisters. That you are there to push your comrades to become greater, and to undo a black mark on our history! To be the heroes that reclaimed Dharan! THAT’S YOU!”

The response was deafening. Thousands of heroes threw their fists into the air and cheered as pride swelled in Sonya’s chest. She was the bad guy, she knew, but her goal was more than just to rally the heroes with her villainy. It was to bond them together in their hearts so that Otis could not tear them apart when the time came. She’d done plenty to set the stage for this, to make them feel like they were in it together. Ishtar hurt heroes no matter the nationality, and villains were everywhere; they all had the same enemies.

Now they needed to see one another as comrades.

Are you watching, Otis? Are you throwing a fit? Do you see what’s happening? This is my play!

As the cheers continued, she watched them turn to one another and talk excitedly, shake hands, and laugh amongst themselves. Groups that were glaring at one another paused to give quiet nods. Silent agreements. Truces. This was more important than petty rivalries. They were here to make history and they knew it.

“Now! On to the rules!” Sonya shouted into the mic, and the crowd turned back to her. "You are all wearing tracking bracelets. There will be stealthed drones floating over the city during the battle to monitor your progress and actions. Monster kills are worth points based on difficulty -  more on that in a moment. Saves and rescues of one another are also worth points. Underhanded moves will result in a loss of points. Teamwork and solidarity are the name of the game here. Stay organized!”

A small murmur was interrupted when she held up her hands. “I won’t be judging. Instead, the Pandora Committee has selected a number of specialists from a variety of roles and levels of importance to make the calls on particular incidents. Five people have been chosen. One of whom will be arriving first to act as proctor and fill you in on what you’re up against.”

The crowd seemed mollified by her statement, and she turned just in time for a smooth white-stone archway to rise up from the ground. Energy swirled within, and a figure stepped through. Heavy armor clanked and chimed around her body as her short, dark hair glittered with sparks of gold. Streaks of blue, red, and green ran through her hair as well, a reflection of the same-colored tattoos on her neck. Orange eyes glowed brightly as all the birds in the vicinity let out a chorus of cries in greeting. On her shoulder, a glimmering golden hawk spread its wings and joined in the strange celebration.

“Introducing, fresh from a tour behind this very wall: Crusader!” Sonya announced and stepped aside, smiling at her lover’s protégé.

Crusader glanced at her and gave a half-hearted smile in return. Sonya paused for only an instant when she saw the black bar on the girl’s pauldron. That’s… I haven’t seen one of those since regressing. A mourning badge. What happened? She frowned. Bluestar tried to call me earlier, but I was occupied. I thought it was about Otis.

Crusader looked away and set her jaw, marching towards the podium. Sonya set her thoughts aside for a moment to focus on the young woman. Her aura was far stronger than it had been the last time she’d seen her, honed through battle and tribulation. Blue? Did she break through again?

Crusader stopped at the stand and put her hands on the podium as scattered cheering greeted her. “I will be as clear as possible,” Crusader said. “There are over a dozen different species of monsters within the Break Zone that we are aware of. The Break Zone is also segmented into three regions: Outer, Inner, and Center. The sheer mass of monsters in the center region has not been breached even by solo Mythics.”

She cleared her throat. “The outer region will be populated with disfigured humanoids called Ghouls as well as advanced Hounds and Lurkers. Do not underestimate them; they are stronger than the normal ones. Throughout all regions you will find Shriek Bats. They like to dive and grab, taking prey away to secluded locations. Keep an eye out.”

“Further inside you will encounter larger foes. Brutes are huge and physically strong, but also slow and dimwitted. That said, they are usually accompanied by small groups of Arrow Skinks, big reptiles that spit acid at range. Occasionally you will run into a creature called an Effigy. They look like men made of straw. As you might expect, they are fragile, but they possess attack magic and will use it with lethal efficiency. Fortunately, they like to keep to themselves,” she continued.

“Finally,” she said, "while we have not been able to breach the center region, we have some intelligence on what’s inside: Armored Brutes, which you should guess what they are by the name, Acid Drakes, which are an apparent evolution of the Skinks, and finally, Spell Dancers.”

She lowered her eyes. “The only intelligence we have on the Boss is a satellite image. It appears to be some kind of armadillo. It is also estimated to be six to seven stories tall. It does not move during daylight, and its armor has remained impenetrable from ranged attacks.”

She stood up straight and crossed her arms behind her back. “Your job is to kill them all. Wipe this stain from the face of the Earth, and make sure you all come out alive.” She swallowed. "Never, ever leave your comrades alone. This is your time, heroes!”

The cheers came, and Crusader turned away, meeting Sonya’s eyes. Sonya glanced down at the black bar on her pauldron again. Crusader reached up to touch it quietly before holding up a hand and nodding. Sonya nodded as well. I can wait to hear about it. Understood.

Sonya turned and made her way back to the podium. “Now! I’m sure you’re wondering who the other judges are! So do I!” She laughed, and the crowd chuckled in return. “Let’s see who they sent!”

She turned with a flourish and gestured to the portal and was a little shocked by who stepped through first. He was wearing a suit of power armor, from the looks of it, with reinforced equipment all over his body, especially his hands, which were encased in bulky gauntlets. He had his helmet under his arm, and his brown hair flapped a bit in the wind as he smiled sadly in Sonya’s direction. There was a black bar on his shoulder as well. “Gravitic!” Sonya crowed. "Welcome to the party!”

Gravitic scratched his head and gave a wry grin. “It was supposed to be Euclidia representing Logistics and Support, but she’s been getting some weird readings during her work and didn’t want to be separated from it. So here I am.”

Sonya laughed. "That sounds like her.”

The next was even more of a shock. Striding out in an elegant red dress robe with her bare wrists clearly visible, Leiandra Firth stepped onto the wall with her chin up. She met Sonya’s eyes and reached into a pouch on her belt, pulling out a card that Sonya recognized as a hero license. She got her license for this? Good lord.

“Hero Cerebella reporting.”

“You took the plunge?” Sonya asked wryly.

“Only for this. It’s a private license,” Leiandra said flatly, "like Handmaiden’s.”

Figures, Sonya chuckled inwardly before the next person stepped through. It was a huge man with broad shoulders and a thick beard framing his square face. He wore simple plated leather armor that looked like it came from a dungeon rather than being man-made. His fingers were covered in rings as well. His eyes fixed on Sonya for a moment before he broke into a grin. “Guildmaster Medved reporting,” he said in a thick Russian accent.

They sent him as a joke, didn’t they? Sonya thought as the big man stepped aside, shooting her a wink before barking out a laugh and stopping next to Leiandra, who glared at him.

That was when the final person joined them. Stepping out with a swirl of aura that made everything go still. The judges paused, the cheering crowd of participating heroes went quiet, and even Sonya caught her breath. Her combat robes were new - still black but clearly stitched with reinforced fibers. Armor plates guarded both shoulders, and armored gloves covered her hands. Her sword, a magical weapon acquired from Seattle, hung on her hip, trembling with power.

Black Lotus turned her one good eye to Sonya. Sonya saw the flicker of recognition and pause of agony as the memories came back, marking her handsome face. 

Then she smiled. “Black Lotus, reporting.”