Broker

Sonya sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes and trying to remember where she’d been. Everything felt like a blur. Her regression, the opening of Pandora’s Box, her powers both new and old, and the many times she’d used the Broker ability. She opened her phone for the hundredth time and looked at her bank account. She still couldn’t believe that she had a smidgeon over seven million dollars to her name, just like that. All she’d had to do was shake a man’s hand twice. It was a euphoric feeling, but she knew it had limitations.

She picked up her notepad and read it over, “I can’t lie anymore, all of my deals have to be made without overt deception. I don’t have to fully explain the terms, though, such as silencing someone,” She began, “In the case of silencing someone I don’t have to have an ability that can do that as a product, rather since just not saying anything is within reasonable boundaries I can just make it happen. However, it seems like if I want to do something more miraculous I need a product in place that can achieve the goal.”

She moved down to the next line, “If it’s an extension of an already established agreement, I don’t have to provide additional payment or vice versa, probably. I didn’t have to offer Nick anything in exchange for his silence since it was part of his father’s deal. I guess that means I can offer my services freely if I want. That could come in handy, probably,” She mused and moved to the next line.

“I can only appraise someone once, and when I do I get their ability as a product that I can use as my own or as part of my deals. I haven’t tried giving one of my products to someone, and I don’t know if that will make me lose it or not. Probably. I’ll have to be careful there. Maybe I can try it with Light Step,” She murmured thoughtfully. “Doesn’t seem like one I really need.”

“I don’t know if I take the ability from a person when I appraise it, I doubt that,” She continued and scribbled down a few more notes, “Can I awaken the ability in someone? The potential is there. Try it on Marta if she’s willing,” She muttered and read over the notes again. She felt like she already had a pretty good handle on what Broker could do, but it was still early. The most important thing now was continuing to test its limits. 

“Most importantly,” Sonya said quietly, thinking back to when she arrived at the hotel, a small flush coming to her face, “It won’t activate unless they take my hand willingly…”

Sonya had snatched the hand of one of the hotel staff to shake it vigorously as thanks for the room. It had been a positively humiliating experience but it was one of the only ways she could think of to test that particular limitation. She let out a breath and tore the sheet off the top of the notepad, her thoughts collected. She drew Firestorm out of her warehouse and with a flex of thought, incinerated the paper. She couldn’t leave any evidence behind of her ability, even a scrap of paper in the garbage. 

She slipped off the bed and got dressed, eyeing herself in the mirror. Her white hair had been eye catching for numerous reasons, against her pale skin and the glow to her eyes, she seemed like some kind of otherworldly creature. The Hotel Staff had gaped at her for the first few minutes of her attempts to get a room, her ID card looked nothing like her now, she’d have to get a new one. Fortunately she looked enough like herself that they shrugged it off as a rather dramatic bleach job.

She snorted and threw on a shirt and some slacks, and frowned, “Maybe some new clothes are in order, not like I can’t afford it.”

No, Sonya! She chastised herself, First, you need somewhere to live!

She thought about Marta as well, “And I need to take care of her, too, I won’t lose her again.”

“Alright!” She nodded to herself, “A good financial foundation, a place to live, Marta’s protection, and after that, I need to figure out how exactly I’m going to keep my promise.”

Her expression fell, the words she swore when she’d reopened Pandora’s Box to let hope out. That she’d fix things, make things right, even if it meant being the worst. She set her hands on the counter and stared at herself in the mirror. But how? What did that even mean?

She rubbed her temples and groaned again, this was way too much thinking without junk food at her disposal. She wanted a burger and an ice cold soda. There was so much to do though! Not enough time to get a good burger. She threw a brief tantrum over the huge list of things to do before recovering when her phone rang, a chipper christmas bells ringtone that she’d set for one person and one alone in her prior blindness. She snatched it up, “M-Marta?”

–

Sonya opened the door to Marta’s hospital room and found the woman sitting alone with a large vase of flowers next to her. She was looking out the window and eyeing the street outside. Since the first appearance of monsters there hadn’t been any reports of further activity. Sonya knew why, of course, the beasts would be appearing in packs at first and then in other ways. Soon, dungeons would start appearing that would have to be raided before the monsters over populated them and started swarming out into the civilized world beyond.

For now, things were calm.

“Marta,” Sonya said, “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

Marta turned and looked at Sonya, casting a radiant smile her way, “You came!”

“Of course I would!” Sonya insisted, moving to sit down next to her caretaker, “I owe you my life, you’ve taken care of me for so long, you’re like a mother to me, Marta.”

Marta looked down at Sonya’s hands and then up at her, “You’re so sweet, oh, look at your eyes, they’re so pretty now that I get a good look at you, and your hair!” She gasped, reaching out to take a strand of Sonya’s hair in her fingers, “It’s a good look, honestly.”

Sonya cracked out a laugh, “After everything, my hair?”

Marta chuckled and let go of Sonya’s hair, “Sonya…”

Sonya felt a lump form in her throat and an uneasiness wash over her, “Yes?”

“It was you, that made me strong, then, wasn’t it?” She asked, looking again at Sonya’s hand, “When you held my hand, you did something. It didn’t last long, though, I can feel it still there, but it’s like it’s been turned off.”

That confirms one thing, Sonya thought as she swallowed, she glanced over her shoulder just in case a doctor had slipped into the room without her noticing. They were alone. She let out a sigh and set her hands in her lap, “I did.”

“Can you do it again?” Marta asked.

“What? Why?” Sonya blurted, “You don’t- I mean-” She stammered, “Why would you want that?”

Marta looked down at her hands, they were worn from years of hard work. There was a faint crease beneath her eyes, she’d aged just a little more recently, the stress of Pandora’s Light. Many people would go through the same thing, premature aging caused by the incident that changed the world. Marta’s brown hair fell around her face for a moment, “I was assigned to take care of you, Sonya, a long time ago. We practically live together. It’s been the most rewarding job I’ve ever had, but,” She looked up at Sonya with a shocking level of fierceness in her eyes, “What I was able to do for you that day, it felt right. I was finally able to really protect you. You’re like a daughter to me, Sonya, and I was never able to…”

Sonya felt that lump in her throat again, “Marta… you don’t have to do that,” Sonya urged her, You died for me once already, that’s enough.

“My husband left,” Marta said, “I told him about what happened, what I had to do, I didn’t tell him how it happened, so he thinks I just have that strength now, like the other people that changed,” Tears formed in her eyes, “He just walked out the door.”

Sonya hung her head, “Marta I’m so-”

“If he couldn’t stand with me after this change,” Marta croaked, “He isn’t worth being sorry over.”

You don’t mean that, Sonya thought, seeing the pain on her dear friends face. Sonya didn’t know whether or not Marta wanted to be strong because she felt vulnerable now, or if she really wanted it in a genuine way. But Sonya realized it wasn’t really her place to judge that, Marta had made a request and Sonya was not about to turn her friend down.

“Okay,” Sonya said and stood up, holding her hand out to Marta. Marta reached out and gripped it. “Then I want you to stay with me from now on,” Sonya said.

“It would be my pleasure, Miss Sonya.”

<Broker Deal: Deal Ready!>

<Party: Marta Daphne, will exchange her services as a caretaker and protector to Party: Sonya Chernovna, with the awakening of her innate ability as payment.>

<Time of Contract: Indefinite>

<Product: Heroic Strength has already been appraised. Ability will be awakened.>

<Proceed with exchange?>

Proceed, she thought before saying, “It’s a deal, Marta.”

Pandora’s light erupted from Sonya’s fingertips and slid up Marta’s arm before wreathing her entire body before sinking into her skin. Her body seemed to glow of its own accord after that, her muscles sparkling beneath her dermis in a glorious display that eventually faded away. Marta looked down at her hands again and clasped them tightly. “I feel it, I feel strong.” She looked up at Sonya, “It’s amazing.”

Sonya smiled at this precious person, “Just wait till what comes next.”

–

Sonya strode down the hallway leading out of the hospital with a stunning woman in tow. Long, dark brown hair adorned the head of a woman in her mid-twenties, her eyes bright with vitality and a spring in her step. Even so, she stood a pace behind Sonya and to the right, almost like a Maid from an old british drama. Sonya approached the counter with a casual poise and stopped in front of the nurse who looked up at her with confusion before flinching at her eyes. Still need to get those sunglasses, damn it.

“M-may I help you?” The nurse asked.

“Marta Daphne is leaving,” Sonya said.

The woman looked down at her computer for a moment, typing a few things before looking up in confusion, “But she still has at least a week of scheduled recovery left. I understand she might be restless but…”

Sonya jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the beauty behind her, “Does she look like she needs recovery to you?”

The nurse blinked, looked down at the computer and then back up again, “Ah… uh…”

“It’s a voluntary discharge, here,” Sonya scribbled the address of her old apartment down, “Send any relevant paperwork here. Trouble at home. I’ll handle whatever bills come up. Please and thank you!”

“But-” The nurse stammered as Sonya wheeled on her heel and strode right down the hallway and to the elevator, a practically grinning Marta in tow.

“You didn’t need to bully the poor thing,” Marta said as they entered the elevator.

“Just feels like a me thing to do,” Sonya said, “I dunno, after awakening I just feel more… myself, if that makes any sense?” She admitted, leaning against the wall of the elevator as it began to descend.

“Oh I understand very well, Miss Chernovna,” Marta agreed with a chuckle.

“Marta, please just call me Sonya, you never have to be formal with me,” She said with a wink as the door opened.

Marta beamed at her, “I will remember that, Sonya.”

–

Despite their better judgment, the two of them arrived at the old apartment not long later. Sonya looked up at the gaping hole in the side of the building from afar, caution tape was everywhere and government personnel were combing over the building with a fine toothed comb. She scratched her neck, “Well shit. Not getting any of our stuff anytime soon.”

“Afraid not,” Marta agreed, “Do you have any suggestions of where we could stay?”

“Oh we’re going house shopping, actually,” Sonya said casually, “I forgot to mention.”

“House shopping? With what money? You’re on disability!” Marta asked incredulously.

Sonya laughed out loud, “Right, I forgot to tell you what happened after I left the hospital,” She said with a casual shrug and started walking to the fast-food joint a few blocks down from where they used to live. “Hungry? I’m starving.”

A few minutes later, Sonya was chomping down on a burger while Marta held her head in her hands, “Seven million…”

Sonya slurped at her soda, god damn cola was the best, she let out a noisy sigh and stretched out her legs, patting her belly, screw being ladylike, she’d worked hard! “So what do you think? I hear New York has some pretty nice apartments. Get away from the Carolinas for a while,” Sonya said, And closer to the future headquarters of the American Heroes Guild. She thought as Marta gaped at her.