Broker Chapter 339

Sonya surfaced from her inner world with a new word bounding about in her head: ‘Proving’. Set had been decidedly vague on what it ant, and she wasn’t fool enough to push him on the topic. Instead, she took his lack of insight to be insight in and of itself. Knowing the word was guidance enough, and knowing too much might end up hurting her in the long term. She needed to be patient and, in the anti, co up with new declarations to make to add to her arsenal. Variable forms of her post-Claimant power as an enticing idea.

Different outfits for the occasion, she thought with amusent as her eyes fluttered open.

She was greeted not by her empty stateroom on the Idol of Venus, but instead by two wagging tails - one literal and one quite taphorical. A pair of rainbow eyes glimred in her face on the left, while a pair of sky-blue eyes sparkled to her right. She cracked a grin. “Was I out that long?” she asked brightly as her daughter collided with her and pulled her into a big hug. Levi bounded around to her side, barking wildly as his wiry tail whipped about in agitation at Cassiopeia’s sudden ‘attack.’ Sonya barked out a laugh and squeezed the girl tight before letting go. “It’s good to see you too, hun!”

Cass sat up with a brilliant smile, pulling her golden hair back over her ear while Levi pushed past her to look Sonya over fervently.

He’s quite eager today… She squinted at her familiar. “Hey, since when do you bark?” she asked.

The hound blinked at her a few tis before plopping his rear down on the bed and looking away with a dignified huff. He even raised his paw up and licked it, looking irritable as he brushed himself off. Are you a cat or a dog? she thought at it and, to her surprise, got a response.

I am Levi. And I will not bark anymore then, if you wish to make a fuss, a voice responded through their connection. It wasn’t inside her head like Erina; rather, it was sourceless and external. She glanced at Cass, who didn’t so much as blink, indicating it was sothing only she could hear. Then her eyes widened even more as the implication of the response sank in. She took in a sharp breath and took the brilliant doggo by the cheeks and ruffled his face. “Oh, you got a big al in Shanghai, didn’t you? Good boy! You’re growing up so well! Do it again! Say sothing again, sweetie!”

Cass’ head whipped in her direction with a look of shock as Sonya crooned over the hound.

You are hurting my face, the hound complained. Its voice sounded like so dignified British barrister or sothing. Sonya snorted out a laugh. It was just how she imagined it would co out, which, in retrospect, was probably why it sounded that way.

“Oh, you sound so posh! I love it!” She laughed and stroked his head.

“Mom?” Cass pressed, and Sonya looked her way with a big smile. “Did you just say Levi talked to you?”

Sonya blinked. “Yeah, he’s my familiar. What’s the problem?”

“Monsters can talk?” Cass pressed.

“Of course they can,” Sonya said with a shrug, pulling Levi to her chest and rubbing his belly. He fought for a mont before giving up against her superior strength. “You were in the dire elf dungeon at the camp, rember?”

“Those were humanoid monsters,” Cass reiterated. “You just made it sound like he ate a whole bunch and got smarter.”

Sonya raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I see what you an,” she said with a chuckle and looked down to nuzzle his face. “That’s exactly what I an. Monsters beco self-aware if they live long enough and eat well enough.” The room fell silent long enough that Sonya looked up at Cass, who stared at her aghast. “What?”

“That’s like… important information!” Cass blurted. “Why doesn’t anyone know this? You could feed it to Carla or sothing!”

Sonya pursed her lips and shrugged. “It hasn’t been relevant, sweetheart,” she said frankly and held up her hand to count with her fingers. “The Carter Radar, expansion of the Hero Programs, international reinforcent efforts, community awareness drills.” She shrugged. “No monsters live long enough to ever get to that point, except for familiars like Levi here and Bandit’s Inky. Why scare people?”

“Inky is self-aware?” Cass asked.

Sonya cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, he definitely is. Bandit’s just smart about how Inky shows off.”

Cass frowned. “But…”

Sonya let out a laugh. “Relax. The Committee knows that monsters can evolve into larger forms if they exist long enough on Earth. That's why monster patrols are prioritized.” She held up a finger. “That’s sensitive information that’s kept under wraps to also not cause a panic, by the way.” She wagged her finger before reaching out and tapping Cass’ nose. “So keep that quiet.”

Cass frowned. “...Why didn’t the monsters-”

“Why didn’t the monsters in Dharan change? Ask a different question,” Sonya said with a knowing smirk. “What food did they have while trapped in an exclusion zone?”

Cass stared at her and then let out a sigh, chuckling and shaking her head. “I get it. Sorry for freaking out there; that was kind of new information.”

Sonya pursed her lips. “It shouldn’t be. Your team has Alphonse,” Sonya said and slipped off the bed. Levi hopped off and followed after her, lingering at her feet protectively. “If he’s not self-aware yet, he will be soon,” she sing-songed and walked over to her wardrobe before sending out a signal through her technopathy. She pulled out a small collection of earrings and held them up to her ear, turning to Cass. “Which ones do you think I should wear for our party?”

Cass shook her head. “Mom, you’re just passing out ‘tokens’ to my friends. That’s hardly a party.”

“Oh, we’re getting catering,” Sonya said, patting her belly. “I’m making it a party.”

“Mom!”

Sonya snickered impishly as she felt Erina rise up within her subconscious. All done talking to Set? she asked.

Actually, I spoke a little bit with Pandora, Erina said. I had so personal questions for her.

Did you now? Sonya asked with amusent. What kind of personal questions?

Sonya felt Erina push out of her subconscious, and a Legionnaire body took shape. Soon, the grim-faced, short-haired Erina stood there with her muscular and scarred arms crossed. Sonya felt their telepathic connection diminish a little bit with the separation and pouted. “Boo,” she jeered. “No fair.”

“No reading my mind,” Erina said flatly before turning to Cass with a firm nod. “Cassiopeia.”

Cassiopeia stared at Sonya before turning to look sheepishly at Erina. She looked down at her hands, and Sonya realized the last ti the girl had spoken with the ‘Ishtar’ persona, it had been a fairly intense conversation. She opened her mouth to speak and looked up. Sonya watched a small smile bloom on Erina’s face and turned away to give them a mont. “Her na is Erina. She’s your aunt, Cass,” Sonya said.

“Oh,” Cass said quietly.

“You did what you said you would do,” Erina said. “I’m pleased to see you kept your word.”

“...Thanks, Auntie.”

Sonya’s eyebrows shot up with glee, and she turned back despite initially planning to give them space. She couldn’t stop grinning when she t Erina’s eyes, who gave her a resigned frown. Sonya skipped over to her. “Auntie Erina, Auntie Erina, let’s go shopping!” she teased and was pulled into a headlock for her trouble. She gasped at the sudden grab from her sister, who squeezed her neck. Sonya patted her arm a few tis. “U-uncle! Uncle! I’ll be go- ack!” She choked on her own words.

“There is no way you’d ever promise to behave yourself,” Erina growled as Sonya playfully struggled against her sister’s marble grip.

“You got there!” Sonya half-choked, half-snickered. She turned to Levi and gave him a pitiable look. “Help Momma?” The hound sat down and huffed, and she got a vibe of exhaustion from him rather than a verbal response. Sonya’s arms fell as she just hung there in Erina’s grip. “Aw man.”

The sound of youthful laughter drew her and Erina’s attention, and she watched Cassiopia just collapse under her own mirth while still sitting on the bed. Sonya watched the girl that had fought, bled, been traumatized, struggled, and fought so more. She watched Liberty’s tornted little sister laugh like a young woman. Sonya’s smile softened, and she glanced up to et Erina’s eyes. Erina let her go, and she stood up. “Makes it all worth it, huh?” she said quietly.

“Yes, it does,” her sister agreed.

A knock ca to the door behind her, and she turned, brushing a bit of her ssy hair out from her ‘wrestling’ match with her sister. “Co in!”

The door slid open, and the pretty, brown-haired head maid of her growing household stepped inside. Her dearest friend, Marta, offered a polite curtsy in her usual maid attire. “You called, Miss?” she asked with a demure smile and downturned face. Ever the roleplayer and cosplayer, she just couldn’t switch off the proper maid-butler act.

“I’d like to get all gussied up for the afternoon festivities,” Sonya said. “While we’re at it, let’s do sothing about this, hmm?” She thumbed in the direction of her sister. “My daughter as well.”

“Huh?” Erina and Cass both grunted simultaneously. She ignored them with a snicker.

Marta smirked to herself and inclined her head again, standing up straight with her hands at her lap. “Of course, Miss. I will summon the rest of the maid staff to assist,” she said and turned away. She paused at the door and glanced over her shoulder at Erina and then at Cass. “I do hope that the Miss’ honorable sister and the young miss of the house will be receptive to my assistance and keep complaints to a minimum.”

With that, she walked out, and the door shut behind her.

Sonya held her hand up to her mouth to stifle her laughter as she caught the look of very montary dread on Erina’s face. “Finally see it, don’t you?” she asked.

Erina worked her mouth. “Was she always that frightening?”

“Yep,” Sonya said proudly and started going through her jewelry again. “Hoh, which one to pick! Maybe I should have Marta pick for here too. I’m feeling indecisive today. Too many decisions the past couple of months,” she groaned and glanced down at Levi, who had returned to her feet. She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re clingy. I might trip over you like this, love. Do you have any other-”

She was cut off as Levi’s body changed. He grew smaller as his flesh morphed rapidly into a semi-solid, scaly, white ooze that traveled up her leg and to her back. By the ti he reached her shoulders, he had taken the form of a much smaller variation of the salamanders common in Dharan. Her familiar’s new reptilian form lounged on her shoulders, tail flicking thoughtfully as it stared at the sparkling assortnt of jewelry set out on the wardrobe.

She pursed her lips in amusent and scratched his chin. “Travel-sized Levi. I love it,” she chirped as Erina went over to the bed to sit with Cass and speak quietly. Sonya glanced down at the jewelry again. “What do you think, Levi?”

Her familiar whipped his tail out to point at a pair of silver inverted crosses set with pink stones. This one.

Sonya raised an eyebrow. “Really? Why that one?”

I am fond of it. No other reason. The creature replied.

Sonya snorted and picked them up, slipping them into her ears and turning to look at the familiar. “What do you think?”

Acceptable, the familiar said and returned its tail to her shoulder, draping around her like a shawl. She smiled at the little guy. He’s growing up so well, she thought and pet him again. He’ll be ready to fight alongside soon. I can’t wait until you get big, darling.

She turned away, and a chi rang in her head. Amos?

she asked.

he said through their technopathic connection. He sounded like he was busy doing sothing else as he spoke. Probably working on those upgrades he was so eager to try out for the Idol of Venus, she thought. He’d been experinting all over the world, even outside the world, to co up with new inventions. He wanted to implent several of them and had barely left the engine room since First Wind’s death.

she asked.

Amos began.

she said and paused. Setsuna? A vision, probably. I need to make more ti, sheesh.

Amos said.

Sonya sighed and shook her head.

Amos grumbled.

she asked.

She raised an eyebrow.

he said with a yawn.

Sonya pursed her lips. Astaroth, she thought with disgust. One breath short of Otis as far as wickedness is concerned. Whatever he has planned, it will look good from the outside but be wretched at its core. I don’t intend to let him live long enough to put any policy he cos up with into practice. Still, it would be a good way to get close.

She frowned. Especially since Mimir has categorically failed to deal with him like I’d urged him to. I figured he would have tried to contact after the Pandora Committee arrested that erald woman, but he’s been quiet. I don’t like it.

Sonya said and stroked Levi’s head, closing her jewelry box.

Amos said.

She nodded and let out a breath.

he said and hung up.

She chuckled and dialed out ntally to Blackrazor’s phone. He didn’t wait even a full ring before he answered.

He cut her off.

Sonya’s hand fell to her side. she demanded and turned away. she said hurriedly and began to form a portal in the room. Cass and Erina both looked up with a start as Sonya focused on the air with an open palm.

Blackrazor said.

Sonya’s breath caught. That was the correct plan. Everything should have gone normally. Who the hell could hold off the Night Society, though? Her mind fell on only one possibility that made her blood run cold with fury.

she demanded.

The portal opened over the bed, and that beautiful, delicate, dark-skinned girl drifted down onto the plush surface. Her skin was cracked like glass, light shining out of it. Her body was eerily still even as her chest rose and fell. Sonya stared in horror at it, her words dying in her throat before she finally spoke again.

There was only a brief pause before her assassin spoke.