CHAPTER 334

With Erina’s papers in hand and a legal identity crafted for her, the party really got underway. Sonya and Amos knocked out another song, with Amos coming out the victor this time. Sonya had to admit defeat and passed the guitar over to an eager-looking Kera as she walked over to the couch. Barry intercepted her and handed her the drink he’d prepared. She sipped the bubbly alcohol and nodded appreciatively before he turned back to see Colin in his seat. Colin grinned at him and shrugged before hopping out and making a dapper bow. “Your throne, King of the Pipes.”

The others snickered as Barry sat down, and Marta patted his arm. He huffed. “I used pipes for a getaway once, and I’m never gonna hear the end of it.”

“Shouldn’t have admitted one of them was out of the bathroom,” Amos pointed out, eyes fixed on the screen while he flicked through songs.

Barry threw out his hands in exasperation. “It’s an outlet! What? Was I supposed to go out through an inlet current?”

Marta looked at him with a bit of pity. “Honey,” she said patiently, “don’t you decide which direction the water flows?”

Barry blinked and then shrank a little bit in his seat, mumbling something about his first time, and the others burst into laughter. Charon sipped a drink and glanced down at his phone, tapping at it twice before looking up at Sonya. “News is on. Looks like this’ll be the one,” he said and glanced at Carla, who nodded to him.

“Yes, it’ll be in this broadcast for sure,” she said.

Erina sipped at her drink as she marveled at her papers, not even bothering to look up. “Will be interesting to see what changed. Any spoilers, Carla?” she asked.

Carla blinked at her. “You… called me Carla.”

Erina looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. “Should I not?”

Carla raised her hands and waved them. “N-no! I mean, please continue to do so. I just thought you didn’t like me,” she said hurriedly, tugging at the gemstone on her collar. Sonya held back a laugh, and she got a short look from her lover. “You didn’t seem like you approved…”

Sonya’s sister looked Carla up and down before looking back at the papers. “I didn’t,” she said. “But I have enough agency to change my mind. I still don’t like that Black Lotus woman, though,” she mumbled and sipped at her drink again. “Your opinion has more weight now.”

“Then could I ask you to be nicer to her?” Carla asked with all the sweetness she could muster.

Sonya choked at the look of alarm that Erina gave her before setting down her glass and making a face somewhere between restraint, disgust, and surrender. “I walked into that, damn.”

The others laughed as Charon cleared his throat and tapped the watch on his wrist. “Boss, showtime.”

Kera was more concerned about the game, though. “Oh, come on!” she groaned. “It’s starting now? I wanna play!”

They all turned on her, and she sighed, trotting back over to the couch and hopping onto the arm at Sonya’s side. Amos waved his hand, and the screen flickered and changed. Sonya reached over to scritch at Levi while Amos moved over to stand with Colin. A woman appeared on the screen just as a shadow stretched across the ceiling, slipped across the floor, and rose up next to Kera. Beyol looked a little breathless for once. “Did I miss it?”

Sonya chuckled and patted his arm. “It’s just starting. Relax.”

They all turned and watched as the images of a sports team behind the woman changed to footage of damaged portions of Shanghai. “It has been three days since the battle in Shanghai, and we have preliminary reports on the missing, injured, and lives lost during the conflict. Despite extensive damage to the city and the involvement of several opposing forces, around a thousand people were injured during the fighting. The death toll arrives at just under one hundred people.”

Sonya and the others exchanged surprised looks. “Woah, really?” Kera murmured. “That’s hella low.”

“The deaths themselves have been attributed largely to the action of a fringe terrorist group calling itself the ‘Eyes of Mimir,’ a few members of which were captured after the fighting,” the woman continued, and footage played to her right of Sonya’s car zipping across the Shanghai bridge as the vans chased it. The footage changed a moment later to show The Major in power-suppressing cuffs being escorted by armed Pandora soldiers and Marta. The red-haired woman glared at the cameras but otherwise kept her face impassive. The caption below it read, ‘Handmaiden arrests Eyes of Mimir executive.’

Sonya raised an eyebrow. “You got the name of his group out of her?” she asked Carla.

“Yes, she talked a lot, actually. Not a lot of substance besides wanting to meet you face-to-face. I told her I’d arrange it if you were interested before she is brought to trial as the instigator,” Carla said, turning to give Erina a quick hug before hopping off of her seat and walking over to the couch. She slipped easily into Sonya’s lap.

Sonya glanced up at her, squeezing her leg. “Oh, I definitely want to shake her hand,” she said with a wry grin as the reporter resumed speaking.

“The organization engaged in a high-speed pursuit of CEO Sonya Chernovna during the attack on the city, attempting to assassinate the celebrity. They can be seen here using various military-grade weapons and high-tier abilities, some estimated to be even in the Heroic tier, to forcibly move vehicles out of their way.”

Barry leaned forward on the couch as the footage changed to the fight between Handmaiden and The Major, with the glowing white dragon darting through the air past rays of green light. He turned to Sonya. “What about the mons-”

“Only a small handful of people were injured by the mutated monsters released into the city, with no monster-related fatalities. A great deal of credit and thanks goes to the brave heroes who held the line at the expo center and drew the attention of the creatures,” the reporter continued. “Three heroes lost their lives during the defense, one of them a first-generation hero, Codename: Effort.”

The images on the screen made Sonya sigh. Faces of heroes who gave their lives for the good of others. She felt Carla’s hand run down the back of her head and smiled up at her. It was as much a consequence of her actions as it was of others, even if the world didn’t fully realize it. Just another thing she’d have to accept and endure. She exhaled, and the report continued. “While the Supervillain Ishtar and her lieutenants made an appearance, no deaths can be attributed to their actions. This is largely thanks to the two teams that led and organized the defense and a Pandora Logistics officer that was present during the fighting.”

She leaned forward with a grin as the woman continued speaking. “Team Pyrolysis, previously known as Team Crusader – named for the recently ascended International Hero – was aided by Team Wallbreaker. Team Wallbreaker was formed by the winners of the Dharan Expedition Event and named themselves in celebration of the end of the Dharan Exclusion Zone.”

Sonya clapped her hands. “Love the names!” she laughed. “Good stuff!” She glanced at Carla. “Did you guys vote on International Teams already?”

“Yes, it passed easily,” Carla said. “Solo Internationals has done more harm than good,” she pointed out. “Also, I made sure to add Glint and Armory to Team Wallbreaker as a temporary addition until it's confirmed by their team leader. You sure they’ll fit in?”

“Oh, they’ll both do just fine,” Sonya said brightly. “Did they decide on a team leader? I haven’t been on my phone today.”

“Not yet,” Carla said, shaking her head.

The reporter kept going, “...the ASTA Guild. Both teams performed numerous acts of heroism throughout the battle and faced Ishtar’s lieutenants, the special-class Supervillains Kerauna and Kingshark, directly, even managing to briefly wound and restrain them.”

Kera scoffed and crossed her arms grumpily. Sonya patted her arm, and her comrade pouted. “...Really? Come on… I used An Set’s eel thingy and everything!”

“When asked for a comment on the battle from their leader, our station was informed that the ‘Knight of America,’ Crusader, had quote, ‘gone into seclusion training’ and would be unavailable,” the reporter continued.

“She’s breakin’ through,” Barry said, and Amos nodded off to the side. “Girl’s goin’ Mythic, no doubt. ‘Bout time.”

“The condition of Shanghai is still being evaluated,” the reporter went on. “While this happens, the heroes who participated in the fighting have continued with the relief efforts. ASTA Corporation, Marion Heroics, Forge Tactical, and several other international organizations have sent aid along with Pandora forces to assist in a rapid reconstruction effort.” The woman gestured, and the footage changed from panoramic views of the city filled with soldiers, heroes, and humanoid dolls to an image of Sonya standing at a podium. “Miss Chernovna made a few comments during a brief press conference.”

Sonya blinked. “Oh, shit. They’re showing this now?”

Carla looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”

Sonya sank a little bit in her seat as the footage took over for her. The Sonya on the screen had a bandage over one side of her face and her arm in a sling. She leaned forward. “The events in Shanghai were not invited by ASTA Corporation, and this act of aggression against the people of Shanghai should not go unpunished,” she said sharply. “That being said, I’m immensely proud of the actions of our heroes on the ground during the fighting. They handled themselves with valor.”

A reporter raised a hand. “How are your injuries?”

Sonya held up her bandaged arm. “Bullet wounds are easy to treat these days.”

Another reporter chimed in. “Have you been able to speak with Chairwoman Mint since she was returned to the heroes?”

Sonya shook her head. “Not yet, but we’ll have time, I’m sure. I’ve got an important question to ask her after all this excitement.”

A murmur went through the crowd, and another reporter raised a hand. “What quest-”

Sonya raised a hand. “That’ll be all for today, folks!” she said with an impish grin before turning away. “You can direct the rest of your questions to our media coordinator.”

Everyone in the room turned to look at the actual Sonya sitting with them. She could feel Carla’s stare boring into the side of her head. “Sonya? What question?”

Sonya cleared her throat and looked away with a flush on her face. Marta held a hand up to her mouth and laughed while the others started snickering. 

“Oooh! What’s this? The boss is embarrassed?” Charon jeered.

Even Erina snorted out a small chuckle as Carla drew even closer, almost nose-to-nose. “Sonya, what do you want to ask me?”

Sonya cleared her throat. “C-can we talk about this later, please? In private?” she stammered and gestured to the TV. “Oh look, the report’s still going! Isn’t that great?”

The others laughed as the reporter drew their attention again. Carla pinched Sonya’s arm, and Sonya pinched her leg back, the two bickering quietly as the reporter spoke. “Chairwoman Mint of the Pandora Committee was briefly taken hostage by Ishtar, but the Supervillain agreed to return her unharmed.” The footage changed to an image of Ishtar floating in the air above the heroes with the angle cropped just right to keep First Wind out of the picture. Sonya couldn’t help but grin a little at the caption: ‘Ishtar fails to tempt the heroes into surrender!’

“Numerous questions have been raised about Ishtar’s actions, but the Pandora Committee has remained silent on the topic,” the reporter said. “Despite her dangerous run-in, Chairwoman Mint returned to the Committee in full force after the events of Shanghai and took immediate action to support the embattled city.”

The footage changed to an image of Carla standing at her podium in The Hague with her hands on its surface, leaning forward with a hard look in her eyes as cameras flashed in her face. “The Pandora Committee is committed to reversing the harm done to Shanghai with maximum effort. We have secured several members of the Eyes of Mimir and have confirmed that the monsters released into the city were the handiwork of a survivor of Liberty’s faction: Doctor Kaidan. Her file has been reactivated.”

The Carla on the screen frowned. “As for First Wind’s remains, he has been returned to his homeland, and his burial will be handled by the Australian Government. Given the mounting evidence concerning his actions, his name in the Pandora record has been retroactively stripped away. He will be an example of what individuals who abuse the title of Hero will face in the future.”

“You sound like a badass behind the podium, lady,” Kera commented. Sonya glanced up at her and realized at some point she’d climbed up to sit on Beyol’s shoulders. He didn’t so much as react to it despite being in an arguably enviable position.

Carla’s smile was brittle. “I have a job to do, Gia, and the politics of the Committee requires an iron fist rather than a silk glove.”

Sonya clicked her tongue. “No comments about Qilin?”

Carla frowned and shook her head. “We can let the information out a bit later. Her entire family was wiped out as well, and it doesn’t look like your handiwork,” Carla said. “Another group, or perhaps one of Otis’ agents. Regardless, it’ll likely be blamed on you anyway.”

Sonya shrugged. “I can take it.”

Amos huffed. “Losing two Mythics is a bad look, even if they’re both awful. I don’t blame ya.”

Sonya shrugged. “Yeah, thanks for bringing the body to me first, by the way. We couldn’t afford another corpse snatcher; I needed to see it myself, be certain. Good riddance to both of them,” she ground out and turned her focus back to the screen.

“The Pandora Committee released a further statement this morning indicating that two of its representatives were party to getting the members of the Eyes of Mimir into Shanghai. After this report, the Committee voted for a change in the powers allotted to the Chairwoman, allowing her to dismiss the representatives and remand them to the custody of their home nations,” the reporter said. “Several Pandora representatives have either been arrested, found party to corruption, or died in the past year. Numerous countries are moving to elect a new wave of stronger representatives to the positions given the organization's meteoric rise.”

Sonya whistled and glanced up at Carla, who smiled bitterly. “Not by my request,” she said flatly. “It will come with blowback, for certain.”

The reporter paused briefly before saying: “The United Nations has yet to comment on the growing authority of its subordinate organization, with some experts raising concerns about a worrying schism between the two groups and the dwindling relevance of the UN in this post-flash era,” the reporter continued. “With the fall of the Kazakhstan government via their failed response to the Supervillain Erebus and it coming under the directorship of the Pandora Committee through Hero Tulpar, tensions are beginning to rise.”

Sonya shifted in her seat a bit, narrowing her eyes. “And there it is,” she said with a breath. “The UN won’t take losing legitimacy to the PC laying down.”

Carla shook her head. “No, it will not.”

Erina walked over to stand behind them, leaning over them. “The UN needs to get with the times or get out of the way,” she said coldly. “They cannot pretend to be relevant forever.”

Sonya scoffed. “That’s a bit extreme, don’t ya think?” she asked and looked at Carla, who had a sharp look in her eyes. Sonya felt a bit of sweat on her temple. “...Oh boy.”

“To add to the growing tensions between the two groups, the Hound of France, Lucien DuCast, has risen sharply in the polls and is the favorite to win the presidency. He has committed to a strong relationship with the Pandora Committee despite retiring as a hero to enter politics,” the woman said. “His first round of public speeches are scheduled to begin in the next two weeks.”

“I hate that pig,” Carla ground out, crossing her legs and leaning against Sonya. “Of all of the ones you told me about, he’s the one I’d personally celebrate dying.”

Sonya licked her lips. Well, Mimir, that’s a request from my lady friend. You’re running out of time, Vigilante. I made you when I was in a bad place, but you’ve proven useful and amusing in some respects, so I tolerate you. If you don’t make a move soon, or worse, fail, I will find you and put you down. I made no promises for your safety.

The reporter let out a small breath. “And now for what you’ve all really tuned in for,” the woman said with a wry shake of her head. “The new Pandora listings.”

Sonya sat up straight with a grin on her face. “Here we go!” She laughed, kicking her feet eagerly. Carla laughed from her lap, and the others all crowded forward. Even Charon hopped off his seat to get close enough to see. 

The list appeared on the screen, and everyone stopped moving. There had been one hell of a change.

“My, my,” Erina said. “Your Committee certainly shook things up, didn’t they?”

Pandora Committee Top Ten List

Most Exceptional Heroes

Most Wanted Villains

1 - Black Lotus - Multinational

2 - Medved - Russia

3 - Tulpar - Kazakhstan

4 - Ressort - France

5 - Estela - Mexico

6 - Protean - Indonesia

7 - Crusader - United States

8 - Dragoon - United Kingdom

9 - Nietz - Poland

10 - Kong - Nepal

1 - Ishtar

2 - King Erebus

3 - Mimir

4 - Kingshark 

5 - Kerauna 

6 - Technocrat 

7 - Graff

8 - Doctor Kaidan

9 - Tianmo

10 - Archon