/Zia, you’re a lifesaver! Maybe literally./
\It’s whatever. Mom gave it to me when I was training up to tier one, so I’m only lending it to you.\
/I’m saving up for one, so I won’t be tempted to keep it./
\Good luck at your meeting, Doofus. Don’t die.\
I send the feeling of a hug and look down at the precious item she sent me. It’s a ring, heavy with engraving and enchantments, that I can feel grasping for aether around us. Made for a smaller hand, I take off my boots and slip it over my middle toe. Sorry Zia, it may be gross, but I can’t risk them taking it. It feels funny while I walk, but I’ll gladly suffer for access to my weapons.
I store my babies in my borrowed dimensional storage Item along with some meds and explosives, and order an extra pistol to mirror the pistol that Marcella issued me more than a year ago to slide into my shoulder holsters. At Marcella’s insistence, I’m wearing a vest underneath my dress shirt and had to order a new jacket and adjust my holster to accommodate the bulk. The jacket won’t be a waste in the future as my old jacket was getting pretty snug. Made my arms look good though.
I pull the collapsable motorbike that Penny recommended out of the warehouse office and start the process of it transforming. The bike has been great for moving back and forth to Warram in the last few weeks, but I’m still getting a handle on the elevation controls for avoiding obstacles.
“It feels like you’re one-upping me left and right. Nice ride, bee tee dub, your friend recommend it too?” Marcella’s gaze runs across my bike and I feel a little filthy from the lust I can see in her eyes.
“Yep! Arms dealer approved conveyance. Transforms into a suitcase when I turn it off.”
“You’d be insufferable if you thought higher of yourself. Oh wait,” she quipped before putting on her helmet.
/The only person at Warram that I hold in higher esteem left town./ If she’s going to keep making comments about how I’ve changed, she can take some ownership. Her response is to kick her bike forward with a squeak of rubber and some dust.
I take position right behind her, though my ride is more stable and undoubtedly faster, but she’s supposed to be taking me in and I see no reason to cause more problems . . . yet. I have some contract points in my back pocket I plan to leverage if things get weird and they try to force me to do stuff. Not sure what Marcella’s plan is, but I have to believe she has one.
We get in the building with no trouble or additional escort, but to my surprise, we take a detour to my office. She asks me to open the hazards safe and when I turn around to ask what she wants out of it, my sister is half naked. I turn back around quickly and she chuckles at me.
“You are almost a mini version of me. What’s the problem Kimber?”
“You’re an ass.” She chuckles again and in a minute or two of me busying myself in menus, Marcella squeezes past and pulls some poison out.
I look over to see my Mentor in a padded leather jacket, pants with thick thigh insets and supple leather boots. On top of all that, I feel a minor aura radiating off her with the telltale signs of enchantment.
“Why didn’t you show up looking this intimidating?”
“The lookouts and guards are supposed to tell Vasily when I show up ‘ready for war’, so why would I give them advanced notice?”
It’s oddly comforting that she’s prepared to commit to a slaughter for me. “Should I change?”
“Not worth it. If you’re wearing something that could conceal weapons, they’d ask you to take it off. I’m still a Lieutenant, so if they touch me I’ll remove the offending part of their bodies.”
We take the executive elevator to a conference room surrounded by offices on floor thirty-eight. As soon as we get off the elevator we are greeted by a squad of six goons. They ask me to take off my jacket and hand over any weapons I may have. I hand them two pistols and a few knives in my belt. A woman pats me down and moves to do the same to Marcella.
She shakes her head and says, “No” before continuing down the hall toward the meeting room. I follow her and change my gait to her confident commanding one as an attendant opens the door for us.
Officers are seated around the table and half a dozen armed men line the walls, an obvious sign that Medvedev expects some violence at this meeting.
“Marci, good to see you can still follow orders.” Medvedev smirks.
“Vasily, your opinion of yourself hasn’t changed since I left, I see. Why have you summoned us?” She remarks, deliberately stealing some of his thunder. He clearly does not like being called by his first name.
Regaining his composure “Your ward has been accused of mismanaging resources and murder.”
She snorts, loudly? “Murder? In this organization? That’s like charging naked ambition as a crime in this place. I would love to hear how any of their deaths are remotely unreasonable.”
Mr. Prakesh chimes in. “We have evidence that miss Novarro used chemical weapons that are considered war crimes.”
“Warram Organized Crime hasn’t ruled against any action as a war crime in its history, nor does the Boss consider any path to victory as a war crime.” I add. “I can literally check if any action I’m about to do is against a covenant I agreed to.”
Marcella elbows me. “What? I figured I’d cut to the chase. My contracts regarding dealing with Warram members in good faith and courtesy don’t have a problem with the actions I took.”
“Yes, Kimber. I’m aware. But you are missing the politics of the matter. Mister Lamar is losing trained killers, and I assume one of Parker’s friends or colleagues was lost in your little room full of traps. A few of the other officers think you’re a liability, and Vasily doesn’t like that he has to follow the rules when you’re involved.” She looks around the room. “How did I do gentlemen? I honestly don’t know about the mismanagement of resources accusation, she’s made Warram tens of thousands of credits and hasn’t attempted to skim off the top like every other drug pusher you’ve ever had. I’d be appalled at her honesty if she wasn’t working other angles.”
“She has undisclosed income, and she’s been working in an alchemic capacity.” The head administrator states, I forget her name.
“So does everyone else in this room. And before you argue that her Alchemy time is company time, which is false, I should also mention her requirement to work at least 30% non-alchemy work or be paid for the extra time. Has she been paid extra yet?”
“We have estimated what amount of time it would take for her to make her other products and have determined that she chose alchemic time and is not owed.” The administrator replies.
“Which is it then, is it chosen, alchemy personal time, or mandated alchemy time where you both owe each other money? Before you answer, I have seen the correspondence denying her field work every time she’s asked.”
I am suddenly concerned at the granularity of information that she has on my whole life. Or maybe I’m confused and heartwarmed that she cares?
Medvedev is turning red.
“I was going to wait two weeks and enforce the contract, but Marcella’s right. I haven’t elected to work additional alchemy hours for the organization.”
“Novarro. You will speak only when spoken to.” The boss warns. “And Marci, it appears your actions are attempting to subvert my efforts in Reno.”
“You won’t tell me what you have planned so how the fuck would I know? You sent me up there to kill people and to keep your operatives as safe as they can be. I have my own agenda up there as well, but without more info, how can I deconflict?”
“You will only be in Reno during jobs.”
“No. You don’t get to dictate my personal time.”
“You owe me.”
“Very well, I’ll take that as a paid favor.”
Medvedev’s features blank but before he can open his mouth to refute a golden scroll appears in my hand, much to my surprise. I open it.
“I Marcella Francesca Fontaine, owe a single favor for a single task to Vasily Medvedev for as long as he remains honorable.”
There is a ‘fulfilled’ print at the end, but I note the orange lettering on the honorable clause.
/Marcella, the scroll suggests that he has not remained honorable, but merely honorable in his dealings with you./
She quirks an eyebrow but says nothing.
“That is not the intent of a favor and you know it.” The boss growls.
“Then don’t make demands you are not entitled to make.” My mentor said, with steel in her voice.
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Medvedev lost the war with his emotions and slams his hands down on the table, forcing himself out of his seat. “You dare tell me what I can and cannot do?! It is by my grace that your little experiment proceeded at all! With the promises you’ve made, you’re lucky I tolerate you. Period!”
“You promised we would run this company together. You promised to never directly or indirectly cause harm to my family, among others. You have already violated those two agreements, Vasily. It would be terrible if I decided that you were too unreliable to run the Organization.”
“How dare you!” He reaches for something, but a dagger the length of my arm appears in the table just before his crotch.
“SIT DOWN.” Everyone sits, the guards and I sit on the floor. The concentration on my sister’s face shows that she’s using a Talent or Skill to do it, but hells, words of command are powerful. “You will ensure Kimber’s safety while working in this building, or I will have her void her contracts immediately. And as a favor to me, you will instruct Everyone at Warram, that Alchemist Navarro is not to be harmed.”
“I will do no such thing.”
Marcella shudders and then smiles in the most disturbing way I have ever seen. Malicious glee emanates from her eyes as the room fills with shadow. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
\Kimber, trigger the most debilitating clause in your contracts as you can.\
I search the three I’ve signed and they all rely on the alchemist contract. As the Settlement owner, he agreed to have me as a settlement Alchemist. Part of that agreement is to ensure my safety from inside and outside actors. I force the contract to acknowledge the red in those words and my professional binding to Warram breaks. The agreement Marcella made for me to be a part of the Criminal Organization is still intact, however.
The darkened room is haunting and as I concentrate to fight an aura of fear, I see Marcella flicker about the room. I instinctively scurry to a corner of the room and hide as best I can—I’m not sure if Marcella is entirely herself. In seconds, she’s back by my side, with a depiction of calm control on her face.
\Kimber, stand and come to my side. We need to present and image of strength for the three I’m letting live.\
Her command shook me hard. My legs are wobbly as I stand and amble to her side as the smoke clears. I hold her hand for strength.
“Honorable officers, and those about to die. I have paralyzed Medvedev from the neck down and cut out his tongue for the liar that he is. The knife in his chest will cause clotting that will eventually kill him, and pulling it out will definitely kill him. Admin, Intel, and Supply. As far as I found, you three have never fucked with me or Kimber, so I didn’t poison you. The rest of you probably have an hour or so to live.”
The irony is, I’m confident that I made the poison she used to kill them. The eyes of the damned look to me, the alchemist and start a cacophony of pleas. I hold up a hand and to my surprise, they quiet.
“Law and Justice. Did you try to fleece me because you were told to.” The lawyer shakes his head, while justice shrugs.
“I was bribed and leveraged into inaction.” He sighs long and hard in defeat.
“Come here, then, and be judged.” I’m surprised that he obeys and stands before me. I offer a hand and he puts his in mine
“[Pass Judgement]” I say and his aura glows yellow-green. Yellow is a mischievous color and does not intrinsically mean lies, where the prominent green tinge makes me believe he was in fact coerced and leveraged. “You have been judged wanting, but not irredeemable.” I put a vial in his palm and tell him to leave.
“Training and acquisitions. Have you ever taken favors, sexual or otherwise, for recruit retention?” He lowers his head. Well, that’s obvious. Anyone else?
“Programs and Planning? What do you actually do?”
“We allocate and assign work from Warram and various paid requestors, as well as create a roadmap for our organization’s future.” The nervous woman says.
I look up at Marcella. She shrugs.
“We dated for a few months and cheated on me with like half of her team.”
“Huh, I guess you never know.”
“But she was never around!!” The programs lady protested. I shrug and ignore her further protest.
It isn’t until the cacophony of pleas starts again as people start standing to mob me for the antidote that I see Medvidev chuckling in his seat.
<
/A User of a higher tier has attempted to use your obligation to control you
I gain awareness from the resistance bump to activate mechanical calm and push a caramel in my mouth. My emotions and fear get pushed into a utility resource. I drop to the ground to avoid a knife from one of the controlled officers and roll across Marcella’s feet. I look up to see her gritting her teeth with a sneer on her face.
I will my specialty pistols to my hands and use bursts of [Triggered Action] to end my closest assailants. The smell of gunsmoke and scorched flesh fill the room as my choppy bursts of motion eliminate the Poisoned officers. The non-poisoned seemed to be fighting it, but they are still advancing on me at a shambling speed.
I block knives with my pistols, duck behind people for cover, and generally try to be a hard target. It’s working swimmingly until I get an angle on Vasily and a guard across the room shoots me in the chest. I’m kicked into an outside window, which I slide down, and focus on breathing and the potential damage. My instincts have me shoot anyone that comes near me until I eventually find the strength to push myself back up the window.
Fuck!! I continuously fire my pulse pistol until the table in front of me is a smoking ruin and finally, the people that I am forced to shoot slump in whatever position they’re in. Marcella sags to the back wall, panting as though she had just overcome a herculean effort.
I stand and shoot Medvedev until his head no longer exists, then survey the room. Two of the people Marcella had pardoned had been shot, but it doesn’t seem life threatening. I walk over to Marcella, hook an arm around her back and walk her to the elevator. The guards attempt to protest, but Marcella has enough gas to use a pistol and so do I.
As soon as we get in the elevator I regain the ability to speak. “What now?”
“I have a ride organized to get us to Camp Elswhere. Danielle’s already on her way and I need you to put her on the list before she gets there. I sent a job request for security to the Health Club as well.”
“Why Daniella? Are you hurt?”
“Kid, at least two people shot you, and you shot me. That fucking .38 beat my armor for fuck’s sake. I’m a little mad that your Merc Arms bestie makes such a quality product.” She coughs wetly and I start getting antsy.
I’m amazed that the other people we encounter have the good sense to leave off, but I suppose that the officers of Warram have other problems right now and won’t be ordering an execution for us. At least I hope.
When Hailey rolls up I almost don’t get in the car. Marcella’s appearance convinces me to just get in the car, but I keep my .38 hypervol pointed at her back just in case.
We get to my buildings in a handful of minutes and Hailey pulls into the ambulance bay. Danielle has a gurney ready for us that we help Marcella onto. Hailey helps push the cart in through the doors as the doc beckons me forward as well.
“You’ve been shot as well. I need to do an exam to make sure that you don’t have shrapnel in your abdomen. I sigh, but follow her anyway.
She leads us to the ER and tells me to hop up on a cart, telling Hailey to strip her top and use scissors if necessary.
“You want me to do that too?” I can’t hide the fear in my voice.
“Unless you want to risk having tiny pieces in your body with no signs until near death, sure.” She starts pulling at my clothes and I obviously let her finish. As awkward as I was, the exam she did was the least sexual naked time I’ve ever experienced.
Danielle squashed each of my boobs in an attempt to stretch the skin beneath them to check for something. She then pulled my pants low around my hips and stretched my skin again and marked up my hips, including the clotted shot that is probably still inside me.
Danielle moves to Marci and does the same process, but this time marked each of the wounds on her chest and under her boobs, circling several more places and a few in the creases of her chest.
“Kimber, some of that balm or a regenerative will keep you until I finish with Marci.”
“Yes my love?” My mentor stammers groggily. I think it’s adorable.
“Hush now, baby. I have to work on you, and I can’t have you distracting me”
“Mmm the angels look like my girlfriend. That’s awesome.” Marcella murmurs and I can’t help but grin. What a fool.
When Hailey walks over to me with a can of balm and a rag, I stare at it a moment before taking it. “I’m sorry I misjudged the situation.”
“Wasn’t my story to tell,” I should be better than this, but I’m not, “and you had a job to do.”
“I get it, Okay? I fucked up. Do you want me to swear an oath to you or whatever? ‘Cause I will.”
I sigh, “I hate to say it, Hailey, but oaths made in desperation aren’t worth what you think. Persistent effort without obligation is your only chance with Marcella. I make no promises for me. But I’m not the favor you’re looking for.”
“People make mistakes you know.” She says quietly.
“A mistake that almost got both of us killed.” I huff again. “I guess much of my anger is misplaced. I felt that I could trust you and then this all happened. Marcella would say it’s my fault for trusting, and I suppose part of it is.”
She sets the tin and rag on the corner of the cart and walks back to watch over Marcella. I take the cover off my chest and inspect my torso. I rub balm over the bruises that are already forming and a few cuts on my arms that I didn’t know I’d taken. I did hit my head pretty hard on the window, maybe I have a mild concussion? I have a recovery talent so by the time Danielle gets to me, it might be tough to tell. That Talent is also why I’m not going to put balm on my bullet wound. I summon a compression top that should be easy to roll up when it’s time to dig out the bullet.
To pass the time, I look up the consequences of our contract breaking rampage.
/Settlement owners suffer higher consequences for breaking covenants.
/Your experience in various contracts and legal determinations convey the skill of Beginner 7
No way.
I do.
/eliminating entities of higher tiers than you yield extra experience.
/Some active human societies claim rights of conquest.
Oh yes, loot please.
Settle.
/40k credits have been transferred and your dimensional storage has been filled.
Oh hells yes. No module needed for the low low price of individual skills.
/Your experience in Pistols, Hand to Hand, and MMA convey the rank of Intermediate 1
That seems like a pretty good haul. I’m surprised that the System offered me loot after we ran away. I probably would have stayed to loot if Marcella wasn’t injured. Especially after I shot her. I’ll definitely apologize after she wakes up.
May as well lay down and see if I can catch a nap too. I doubt digging out the bullet shrapnel is going to be a quick thing. I send my Mentor an apology via message before I drift off to sleep.