It was the middle of the night. Bernetta stood in silence as the boarding ramp lowered for the jet. Anticipation sending pins and needles through her aged body. She’d done her best to take care of it, but time was a cruel thing. The scent of the tarmac beneath her feet made her head spin a little, and it was hard to remember the last time she’d come out to greet someone . Usually it was the other way around, usually, she was the VIP. Today, though, she’d be looking into the face of a person who could change her life forever. She swallowed and shifted her gaze towards the man standing next to her, her aide, Enzo.
“What have you managed to learn?” She asked quietly.
“Not much, I’m afraid, Ma’am,” Enzo said, “There are whispers about her, but most of them are the stuff of rumor and speculation. She first appeared in New York so there’s an assumption she’s a native. No one who’s seen her face is talking, though, and none of the people I’ve spoken with have even met her in person, only hearing through intermediaries.”
“Any suspicions of your own?” She pressed, looking up.
“I have a few, but nothing concrete. The party that boarded the jet were very careful and we kept our word about the passenger manifest being scrubbed,” Enzo said, “Though I have a feeling we’re about to learn a very big secret in a few moments.”
Bernetta sighed, “I agree.”
The doors opened and a brunette woman in what could only be described as a classical maid outfit stepped out, going slowly down the ramp. Her eyes cast left and right, head on a swivel. Despite her slight frame there was something in Bernetta that warned her not to make any sudden movements. She looked barely older than twenty, but had the intensity of someone far older. Another ‘patient’?
The woman came to a stop and inclined her head as two more people came down the steps, the first was a man in a labcoat, he looked somewhere between amused and overwhelmed with excitement. His hands were clutched around a thick notebook that seemed to be overflowing with tabs and attachments. Next to him was a girl also just into her twenties, she had darker skin and black hair and looked positively frazzled. She kept trying to make eye contact with Bernetta but would quickly look down at her feet or anywhere else.
Her party, then, why does the woman look familiar?
That was when the final passenger stepped out and Bernetta froze. Skin as white as snow, hair so white it looked like starlight coming out of her head, she wore one of Bernetta’s latest designs, a white high-end pantsuit combo that with her skin made her seem like a beacon in the night. She wore sunglasses despite the low light, and cracked a wide smile as she stepped down the boarding ramp. Enzo froze and cleared his throat, tilting his head to whisper in Bernetta’s ear, “Sonya Chernovna, CEO of the Applied Strategic Technologies Association, ASTA, they’re currently the only company in the world creating weapons capable of killing monsters.”
Bernetta swallowed and kept her eyes fixed on Sonya. There was no doubt in her mind, this woman had to be Ishtar. Still, it paid to be cautious.
“Bernetta Lucci,” Sonya said, stepping past the other three with a magnanimous smile, “It’s an honor you came out all this way to greet us.”
“Miss Chernovna,” Bernetta said brightly, “Our mutual contact told me to ensure that your welcome was a good one, is she here?”
“She is,” Sonya said and extended a gloved hand, “You’ll meet her very soon, I hope you’ll keep my relationship with her and her identity to yourself going forward. She would very much like you to be her sole point of contact here in Europe.”
Bernetta raised an eyebrow, that was quite the statement. What this young woman meant was that anyone in Europe that wanted to receive Ishtar’s gift would have to go through her, first. She was establishing a hierarchy in only a brief exchange and clearly putting Bernetta into the subordinate role. Enzo seemed to sense the same thing and tensed a little but Bernetta knew better than to push back, this was her chance at youth and perhaps even more. She reached out and took Sonya’s hand. “That is more than agreeable.”
“It’s a deal,” Sonya said with an easy smile before extending a hand to Enzo, “I hope the same applies for you, mister… Enzo Caruso, yes?”
Enzo blinked but took the woman's hand anyway, “Ah, yes, of course.”
“Great!” Sonya crowed after shaking his hand briskly, she clapped her hands together and gestured behind her, “This is Amos Carter, he’s the head of research and development for my company and has longed to see Florence in person. Next to him is my attendant, Marta Daphne, and finally this…” She took a step back and took the tan woman by the hand, guiding her over. The young woman almost trembled as she locked eyes with Bernetta, “...this is Mikayla Summer, she’s actually an extended employee of yours, a designer that I took a special interest in.”
Bernetta’s eyebrows rose, “Really? Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, young lady.”
“I-it’s an honor, ma’am, Miss Lucci, uh…” She bowed quickly, “Y-you’re an idol to me.”
Bernetta sniffed and glanced at Sonya’s easy smile, Ah, this is her way of showing me some face. I imagine the girl is quite good, perhaps even excellent, but the main reason is to mollify my pride a little seeing as her and the other two are unabashed by meeting me. She returned the smile in kind, I person.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your portfolio, dear,” Bernetta said and gestured behind her, at a Limousine parked just a few meters away, “Why don’t we make our way to the hotel and have some dinner. I can show you around town tomorrow.”
Enzo turned and made his way to the vehicle opening the door as Sonya inclined her head, the small group approached and slipped inside, Bernetta settling in first while Sonya joined her at her side. The woman smelled like an arctic morning, it was a strange fragrance, “That’s an interesting parfum,” Bernetta said thoughtfully as the others slipped into the vehicle, “Who is it?”
“It's one my company developed,” Sonya said, “It’s made from Lurker blood.”
Bernetta froze, “I’m sorry? You made a parfum from the blood of a monster?”
“Amos is very talented,” Sonya said with a shrug as the door shut and Enzo made for the driver's seat and got the vehicle started. A few members of the flight crew came down and loaded the small groups luggage into the trunk.
Bernetta glanced at Amos who grinned, “Monster blood has a variety of uses, I’ve come to learn, though their fur and leather are the most valuable parts in my opinion, may I boss?”
“Of course,” Sonya said, waving a hand at him. He reached into his pocket and took out a square of fabric before passing it to Bernetta. Bernetta took it and rubbed it between her fingers. It was smooth and soft, luxurious even to her tastes. “It’s bulletproof up to a high caliber rifle round,” Sonya said into her ear and Bernetta nearly gasped, holding the cloth reverently now. With the sheer amount of monsters starting to appear, there was no shortage of supply. The technique to reproduce this, it could be worth as much as a quarter of my company, perhaps more.
Bernetta glanced up at Sonya and then at the trembling designer and a thought occurred to her. The girl, she’s not just here to show me face but to warn me that she can poach my designers if she wanted to. She glanced at Sonya again, Where the hell did this woman come from?
Bernetta handed the textile back to Amos and turned more towards Sonya, “About our mutual contact, does she have any plans for this visit?”
“She’s hoping to throw a party, actually, a gathering of like-minded people. Such as yourself. And she hopes that you have some ideas as to who to put on the guest list,” Sonya said and leaned back in her seat to relax a little. “Perhaps with regular get-togethers, like an exclusive club.”
Ishtar wants me to spearhead her connections in Europe, then, and gather people of influence like myself who are willing to pay the price for her services. This is a test, she wants to see who I’ll gather and if my biases will blind me. She could have asked any number of politicians or more influential people, too. Ishtar cannot stay in Europe forever, either, it seems like she has wider-reaching plans. If I make a good showing, responsibility for this network she’s creating may fall to me as well. I get it.
“Rest assured her party will be private, elegant, and filled with just the right kind of people,” Bernetta promised.
Sonya smiled back at her, “That’s wonderful to hear, Madame Lucci.”
“Please, call me Bernetta.”
“Only if you call me Sonya.”
As the vehicle made its way into the city proper, Bernetta went through the list of every individual she could think of who would be worth inviting. Folk from all over Europe would have to be in attendance, not just for Ishtar, but for herself. A cabal of the wealthy and powerful across Europe meeting in secret with the promise of agelessness. And with me as the core point of contact? I can’t lose this opportunity.
As fantasies of grandeur and power worked their way through Bernetta’s mind, she didn’t see the smile crossing Sonya’s lips as she looked down at her hands.
Well those sound impressive… Sonya thought to herself.
A sumptuous and filling dinner later, Sonya threw herself onto the bed and rolled around, letting out a noisy sigh. This was the life, she couldn’t believe how different things were from her last go around. It paid to be the villain. Still, besides rounding up the gangs of New York, she hadn’t exactly done anything truly villainous yet. That was ultimately the point, though, the longer Ishtar remained a mystery and a whisper, the better. She let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling, “Bernetta will be calling all of her contacts by now,” She murmured, “She’s also probably figured out that I’ll be putting her in charge here once I leave.”
“A club, though?” Marta asked, carefully moving their clothes into the wardrobe and drawers of the hotel suite.
Sonya glanced her way, “Want me to call it a cult? I am using a Goddess’ name after all.”
Marta paused and considered before shaking her head, “No, club is better.”
Sonya snorted and rolled onto her side, “You know I can’t have you at the meeting when it happens, right?”
Her friend looked her way and gave a sullen nod, “If I’m seen guarding you, that could lead to unnecessary suspicions and speculation.”
Sonya paused and looked down at her hand, “You know, actually, I have an idea. Would you like to try an experiment with me?”
Marta frowned but nodded, setting down the clothes and walking over to Sonya. Sonya sat up in a crosslegged position and grinned at her friend. She hadn’t tried to do this, yet, she’d awakened the abilities of hundreds of people while assisting Shark, acquiring equally as many products but most of them weren’t all that impressive or useful. She’d managed to produce a few strong people though and they’d become Shark’s bodyguards and lieutenants. What she was about to attempt, now, was a whole other matter.
Let’s see… She hummed and looked Marta up and down before reaching back into her mental warehouse, she examined it for a moment before extending a hand.
“I will give you a new power as a reward for what you’ve done for me so far,” Sonya said aloud as Marta clasped her hand around Sonyas. The woman’s eyebrows rose for a moment as Sonya examined the deal making interface.
Sonya let out a breath, so she really couldn’t just give something away. There had to be a price paid, her power would even double check and make sure whether or not the price paid was sufficient. She couldn’t ask for a hug or something in exchange for a new power. What if she tried to force it, though? That wasn’t something she’d try on Marta.
There was a flash of Pandora’s Light from her fingertips and it washed over Marta. The woman gasped, staggering back after a moment as she reached up to touch her face. She stood there, transfixed before spinning, her eyes wide, and she looked in the mirror. Nothing had changed but Marta seemed to be looking at something Sonya couldn’t see. As Sonya watched a change began to take hold, her mechanical eyes going wider and wider. “Oh, heavens,” Sonya breathed.
A wicked smile crept across her face, “...this trip just got interesting.”