“...of the twelve heroes that died in the line of duty last night when…”

Luca barely heard the words on the television. He could see what was happening on the screen, and the sound was clearly still on, but he couldn’t bring himself to react. He could only stare at the clips playing back of that fantastical, glowing, silvery helmet, black faceguard, and those two pink flames burning within it. He ran his thumb over the back of his hand as the words played over in his head. It was an obvious taunt. The Idol of Venus had clearly had its signal jammed by one of Ishtar’s people. It was the only reason why he hadn’t come. He knew that. But did the general public?

He ground his teeth. Not appearing for Blight was one thing; Indonesia hadn’t asked for his help, and the rules were rules. He didn’t like them and preferred to snub them, but he knew when to play ball for his own betterment. He couldn’t lose what he was gaining by being around Chernovna. He just had to be patient. 

The problem was that not showing up for fucking Ishtar was an entirely other matter. Indonesia had immediately put out a request for support from nearby Internationals and had even called in Black Lotus. Struth, Black-fucking-Lotus. And I didn’t show up. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. I know someone’s going to say it eventually-

“There was word circulating that First Wind was actually on the ground during Blight’s attack, but the Indonesian government refused his participation. Do you think his lack of assistance during Ishtar’s theft of the National Monument was in retaliation? It’s well known that he and Blight consider one another to be mortal enemies,” the reporter asked, turning to a sharply dressed man with dirty-blonde hair and a crisp smile.

“I want to believe in our International Heroes, Tom,” the sharply dressed man said. “We know that his rise to prominence came after a run-in with Ishtar and her marble soldiers. It is possible that the theories of this being a trap for him are true.”

“What about the complaints about his habit of leaving behind collateral damage in his wake?” the reporter pressed.

“Those reports have yet to be validated,” the man said with a frown. “We-”

Luca snapped up the remote and shut the TV off, hopping to his feet and tossing it aside in favor of one of the cases of beer next to his couch. He stormed to the door. I need to blow some steam or I’m gonna gut some fuck at the worst possible time. He threw the door open and froze, looking down at the white-haired woman waiting for him on the other side. He hadn’t even sensed her approach. So caught up in my own head. Fuck me dead.

Sonya crossed her arms. “I was just coming to visit. Are you alright?”

He snorted. “M’fine,” he grumbled and leaned against the doorframe, looming over her. “Was about to come lookin’ for you myself.”

She glanced down at the case of beer clutched in his hand. “I’m not much for beer these days, Luca.”

He shook his head. “S’not that. I was gonna ask if I could take me a sickie.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You want some time off?”

He glanced away and rubbed his neck. “Just a pinch aggro, cooped up here on the Idol. Fixin’ for some exercise. You know?”

She squinted at him with a wry smile on her face. “I think I understood what you just said.”

He rolled his eyes. “Well?”

She leaned back and looked him up and down, pursing her lips a little and crossing her arms. “You’re no good as a bodyguard if you’re wound up like this,” she said before letting out a sigh. “Fine. Just stay away from cameras, alright?”

He felt a tiny cold pit form in his gut as a vein pulsed in his throat. “...Miss Mint?”

Sonya held his gaze. “It’s not your fault, but she’s still in a pretty bad mood.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Bugger me with a hot poker, fuck!” He swore colorfully and held himself back from smashing the wall next to him only because she was looking right at him. She sighed and stepped aside, gesturing to let him pass. “Thanks,” he grunted. “I’ll be back innaday, don’t worry ‘bout losing me. I’ll find you.”

“I’m sure you will,” she said, and he stormed out.

–

Sonya watched him go, hands in her pockets and a growing smile on her face. His temper was already getting the better of him. He wasn’t a wild man-child like An Set, though. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he spoke. While he wasn’t afraid to cause trouble unobserved, he knew better than to be a complete bastard. He wasn’t untouchable yet, and he knew it. Her head tilted forward as the bloodlust pumped through her veins. She watched the door shut behind him and chewed her lip.

This is for Sapporo and the people of Japan from the last go-around, you bastard.

And for you, Ishtar chimed in.

She smirked. And for me too.

She hummed to herself as she shut his door. She’d already had his room searched once with a drone to see if there was anything interesting or incriminating. There wasn’t, so she didn’t bother checking again. Instead, she made her way out onto the deck of the ship and caught him sharing a few words with Qilin. As they spoke, she connected with the ship’s computer and the shadow of Amos within. Follow him with your eyes and make sure to record everything he does. Don’t get spotted.

An affirmative chime back was her only response, and she turned to resume her walk back to the dining pavilion. She was craving ice cream, and it turned out one of Setsuna’s people had a knack for making sorbet. I think I’ll watch through the drones. Sorbet and fresh ammunition sounds wonderful right about now, she thought merrily and skipped up the steps. It was too bad the majority of the Inner Circle were still waiting for her at the pick-up site. Otherwise, she would have hosted a watch party. I can always do it later.

She was almost at the doors when she spotted Nietz power walking in her direction from the other side of the walkway. Based on his expression, he was coming to talk. Her first instinct was to be annoyed, but after getting to know the guy, he really wasn’t so bad. To modern moral standards, he wasn’t a pure-hearted hero, sure. Making a deal with Ishtar was a pretty flagrant black mark. After seeing Set again, though, she was reminded of how he had reacted to her own story and the lengths she was willing to go to.

She quirked her lip. Eh, maybe I’ve been a little too hard on him, she thought before brightening. “Nietz!” she called. “Play any last night?”

He came to a stop in front of her, and she looked up at him. Is he taller?

He rubbed his neck. “Nah, I’ve been making too much progress in training. You?”

She shrugged. “Up all night working,” she said. “Sorbet?”

He brightened. “What kind?”

She grinned. “What kind do you want?” She slapped him on the shoulder and turned towards the door, slipping inside. She spotted Shuta lingering in the back with an ASTA half-helmet on, playing the role of security, and scanned the room for a good seat near a window. Most of the Children of Dawn and Barry’s crew had gotten used to the ship at this point and made it their new home. There were a few faces she didn’t see, Barry’s top guys in particular. They were busy down below overseeing things. With so many heroes on board, it was hard for them to walk around.

She found a seat and gestured for Nietz to sit as a waiter walked over. “Sorbet, pink lemonade for me.”

Nietz snorted. “You really like tart stuff, don’t you?”

“Sure do!” She laughed. “What about you?”

He squinted at the ceiling in thought for a moment before turning to the waiter. “Any possibility of black currant?”

The waiter inclined his head and walked away without a word. She rested her chin on her palm and grinned at him. “You went for tart too?”

“Another flavor I never got a chance to try back home,” he said. “I figured if you liked tart things, you probably had some.”

She zeroed in on what he said. “You didn’t get a lot of chances to try fun things back home?”

He shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, Poland is a great place to live. I’m proud of my country.” He scratched his nose. “I’m not exactly from a wealthy family, though, putting it a bit mildly. We made do out in the country, but it made me dream about traveling and trying new things.”

She frowned. “Back at The Hague you said you were fine with losing your license if it came to it. I figured you had something to fall back on.”

He returned her frown. “I don’t need money. That’s not why I chose to be a hero. If I have to go back home to the country, so be it.” He hesitated and set his jaw. “I’m willing to put a lot on the line to grow, but I won’t abandon my friends.”

Yes, I can see that very clearly, she thought. You’re a lot like me, aren’t you, Anton? Whether for good or ill, we’ll just have to see, won’t we?

Maybe you can help him in that regard? Ishtar suggested.

You’re advocating helping a Hero? 

Ishtar hesitated. I like him. Other people may not see his actions as those of a true hero, but the Great Ones and I would see his choice to make a deal with you as a sacrifice for the greater good. I am who I am; I respect that level of commitment.

Sonya couldn’t argue with that. She pursed her lips and leaned back. “You didn’t come to me looking to eat sorbet and talk feelings, right?”

He blinked a few times before chuckling a little, relaxing visibly. “Yeah, actually, I was wondering if I could ask about having a friend of mine portalled in. I didn’t want to assume based on your relationship with Black Lotus, but I figured you could get in contact with Molly.”

Molly? Awfully familiar. Oh, right! He was part of Gravitic’s security detail for a while, she thought before clearing her throat. “I might be able to make those arrangements. Who do you want portalled in?”

“Hammond.”

“May I ask why?”

He looked flummoxed for a moment. “While I’m making a lot of progress in some areas, in others I’m not. Hammond has access to just what I need to take the next step, a wide variety of elemental powers.”

She tilted her head. “I didn’t know he was so versatile.”

His eyes widened. “Oh man! You’ve gotta see it to believe it!” he said excitedly. “One of the strangest abilities I’ve ever seen. I could explain it to you, but…” He shook his head. “Just come and visit sometime while we’re training!” He paused and turned a little red, grinning sheepishly. “If you let him come, of course.”

The waiter returned and set down two bowls of sorbet in front of the two of them. Sonya picked up her spoon, scooped a taste of the delicious confection, and took a bite. She held his gaze for a heartbeat, savoring the flavor before smiling at him. “I’ll make it happen.”

—

Luca was the wind. He shot across the sea like a rocket, unburdened by drag or restriction. The air itself parted for him, adding to his acceleration. His blood pounded in his ears, his jaw tightened, and his fingers twitched. Every ounce of instinct in his body, both ability and not, told him to cut loose. It wasn’t enough to do it here, though. Blight had crossed him once again, and he needed to deliver his own kind of retribution. Enemy of nature, huh? I’ll show you a fuckin’ enemy of nature, droggo.

The oil rig came into view, and he stopped, floating in the air and pulling a bottle from the case in his hand. The altitude and backwash of his own power had chilled the bottles to the point that they were beginning to frost over. With a terrible shriek of cutting glass, he sheared the top off the first one and downed it, panting and tossing it into the sea. Then that bitch just had to get mouthy with me again. I thought we were cool! What the fuck!

He downed another bottle and crushed it, tossing the shards into the air before catching them with his wind. Everything’s gonna change once I get one of those token things from Chernovna. I just need to be patient, he reminded himself and downed another bottle. More shards joined the first group. That Nietz brat has a growth-type power, and it gives him resistances to injury. I’ll build him up and make sure he wins the competition. Then I’ll rip the air out of his fuckin’ lungs when Chernovna’s giving him the token. Handmaiden can regenerate, but I just need to put her down long enough to get what I want.

He crushed yet another bottle. “N’body’s gonna stop me,” he snarled and popped his neck left and right. “S’pecially not you, fuggin BLIGHT!”

He whipped his hand out, and dozens of shards of glass shot out towards the distant oil rig. He felt the flow of air, sensed movement, and smelled the scents of the bodies on board. A few moments later, all he could smell was blood, and all he could feel was stillness.

He grinned and shot towards the rig, floating high above it and spreading his arms out wide. “YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET, BLIGHT!” he roared as the wind picked up. Clouds stirred, gales built, static charge intensified, and the sky turned dark as mana passed through him. He threw his head back and savored the feeling of control. Precision that added to the macro-level application of his ability. Thunderclouds formed, bolts of lightning stirring as he clenched his fists. He couldn’t control them, but he could give them an easy target. A big metal building, for example.

As funnel clouds formed and waterspouts rose from the sea, he let out a howl of laughter. One of the waterspouts crashed into the side of the oil rig as the first bolt of lightning fell down to be absorbed by one of the many lightning rods on the structure. It wasn’t until the tenth bolt of lightning that one of the transformers blew. Then things started exploding.

“EAT SHIT, MOTHER NATURE!” he bellowed. “THIS IS MY WORLD NOW!”