Broker Chapter 316

Extravagant was a grotesque understatent; the wall molding had gold plating. Sonya’s eye twitched as she walked past another marble statue in the hallway. She liked nice things, but this was a bit much. Fortunately for her, even ultra-upscale hotels like this had a vending machine. It was in the employee lounge, but that was beside the point. She really didn’t want to have to call room service to satisfy her cravings. She grumbled and tossed her head back. Not needing to sleep is great ‘n all on paper, but man, I’ve got nothing to do right now until Amos is ready.

She sighed and popped another potato chip into her mouth, chewing lazily in her pajamas. She rounded the corner and stopped, staring down the hall towards the door to her suite. A single figure stood in front of it. Two ASTA security guards lay on the ground. Her lips thinned, and she pushed her senses out to listen to their breathing. Qilin turned to face her, and Sonya t her eyes. “Qilin, what are you doing?”

Qilin’s eyes were wide and frenetic, her lips twitching as her hands opened and closed in tight fists. She looked towards the door again and then back at Sonya. “P-protecting you.”

Sonya tilted her chin up. “From what?”

“Unnecessary influences,” Qilin breathed and reached for the door.

CARLA.

In the next instant, Sonya and Qilin were flying through a portal that opened up on top of the hotel. Sonya’s hand around the woman’s throat. She slamd her into the concrete roof and snarled. “If you lay a finger on her, I will flay the skin from your bones one centiter at a ti, you psychotic little-”

Qilin’s eyes were as wide as her smile. She tilted her head and blushed. “T-touching.”

Sonya’s lips curled in revulsion. Her fist ca next. Qilin's hand snapped up and caught it, and the ground cracked beneath her. Sonya strained, pushing down against the Herald’s hand with all of her might. Still so goddamn strong! Horns grew from the Herald’s head, black hair spread around Qilin, and her eyes filled with mirth and turned to slits. Sonya considered, right then and there, invoking duality and putting an end to the creature. How the hell did a twisted thing like you cause the deaths of so many of us? Why did you survive the flash when good kids like Kong and Nietz didn’t? It’s not fucking fair!

Sonya clenched her teeth and pulled away, standing up and panting.

Qilin got to her feet and brushed herself off, her face returning to normal. Her expression fell back into neutrality as Sonya turned away, catching her breath. “Mint is just an obstacle for your ascent,” Qilin said. “Just get rid of her. The Pandora Committee overcomplicates things.”

Sonya closed her eyes and took a breath. “Yep, it sure does.”

“T-then let -”

Sonya rolled her jaw left and right. This woman wasn’t going to stop, was she? Not until she was properly cowed. Not until she was put so far into her place would there be no crawling out. Sonya let her thoughts drift, options and strategies bounding around in her head as the creature called Qilin stepped closer. Sonya could hear her heartbeat. Could sll her excitent. It made her sick. It made her want to…

Ah.

“Qilin. Do you want to know why I am doing all of this? Why I took you in? Why I’m hunting First Wind? The big secret?” Sonya asked as a smile spread across her face. She canted her head back and looked the woman in the eyes, waggling her eyebrows. “Ishtar’s origin story?”

Qilin’s eyes widened even more, and she cupped her face. “Oh, I couldn’t-” She looked away, stepping backwards. “B-but maybe a little?”

Sonya’s lip twitched, and she strode towards the woman. “You sure? It’s a doozy. More exciting than anything I’ve done so far. It really is.” She leaned in close and put a finger under her chin. “Beg for it.”

“Please-”

Sonya’s expression turned monstrous, rage and violence boiling out as she bared her teeth, pulled Athyst Sorceress out of her warehouse, and, with the help of her cybernetic brain, compartntalized all of her mories of the past tiline into a packet. She blasted it into the woman’s brain and stepped back as she collapsed. Qilin grabbed at her head, gasping, seizing, trembling, and flailing on the ground as she heaved for each breath.

“What do you think, huh?” Sonya demanded. “I don’t have the ability to make the process easy anymore, so that must hurt like a bitch! Does it hurt Qilin?” She stepped on the woman’s stomach and pressed down. “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO KNOW?”

“S-to-ooh-pp!”

“NOPE!” Sonya snarled and leaned down. She looked the woman in her eyes as recognition took form. Her pupils shrank, her eyes trembling as Sonya sneered at her. “You don’t get rcy, you little shit.”

“Y-you’re going to k-kill ?” Qilin gasped.

“Finally getting it?” Sonya demanded.

Qilin pulled herself free with a roll and staggered to her feet. She turned away and was about to run when Sonya snapped her fingers. “Where do you think you’re going?” Sonya asked. “You can’t leave my side, rember? You can’t leave alone. We have a deal, don’t we?”

Qilin was rooted to the spot as Sonya walked up behind her and rested her chin on the woman’s shoulder from behind. She wrapped her arms around her waist and sighed. “You can’t run. You can’t lie to . You can’t tell anyone either. That wouldn’t be protecting , would it?” She purred. “All you can do is ride it out until it’s done. We agreed to one month, Qilin.”

The Herald trembled in her arms.

“What’s wrong, Qilin? You seed like you wanted to hold you for so long, and now look at you. You can’t even smile? You’re so an, Qilin,” Sonya complained as the woman slowly turned her head towards her. Sonya t her eyes and let the glow intensify. “I know what you’re thinking, Qilin. You aren’t that person, right? You haven’t done those things. Okay, you’re right.”

She nodded and released her, holding her hands out wide in a welcoming gesture. “Say it, then. Say you wouldn’t have joined him. Say that right this mont you aren’t thinking about how exciting it would be to help end the world.”

Qilin lowered her head and didn’t look back at her.

“Well?” Sonya demanded. “I’m waiting!”

Qilin trembled again.

“SAY IT! SAY IT TO MY FACE! Say you wouldn’t use your luck to make sure Feng Hyunh’s people arrived at the safehouse at the perfect ti. Say you wouldn’t cause the chain of events that led to the fall of the United Kingdom. Say you wouldn’t pull a victory out of your ass in the Congo. Say it, Qilin! Say you wouldn’t join him! Say it right now, and I’ll show you rcy!” Sonya accused, pointing a finger at her before clenching her hand into a fist. “Say you wouldn’t personally murder dved's family and make him watch, you sick monster.”

Qilin dropped to her knees, and Sonya walked up to stand next to her. “Your maximum lifespan is the end of this month, Song Xi. The more useful you are, the longer that lasts. If you think I can’t kill you, if you think there’s a way out of this, then perhaps Qilins aren’t as smart as we all thought.”

She turned away and opened a portal. “Rest up. You have a fight tomorrow.”

–

Sonya stepped through the portal and into the bedroom. She paused near the foot of the bed and looked towards Carla’s sleeping form. The things I would do to protect you, she thought and let out a breath. She smiled and sat down in the armchair near the window. A door opened, and she turned to see Marta poke her head in. Sonya waved a hand and smiled at her. Marta nodded and retreated.

Heh, that was fun, Sonya thought with amusent and crossed her legs. I was planning on doing the “you’re gonna die” speech after dealing with First Wind, but this works. She won’t disobey now.

She pulled up her HUD and dialed out.

Ishtar’s voice ca through.

she asked.

Ishtar said patiently.

Ishtar said.

Sonya said thoughtfully, twirling her hair between her fingers and glancing out the window. She narrowed her eyes and smiled to herself as clouds began to thicken over the city. Pretty sure the forecast was clear skies tomorrow. Looks like he’s getting ready too.

Ishtar admitted.

Sonya said and took a deep breath.

A few minutes later, Sonya was on her feet, pacing back and forth and rubbing her chin. She glanced out the window again.

Ishtar said.

Sonya scoffed.

Sonya cut her sister off.

Ishtar paused, and Sonya heard a faint chuckle on the other side.