Sonya leaned back in her chair and stared into space, pulling her knees up to her chest and tangling her fingers together. It had been a month since Vegas, a month since one really bad day. Her jaw shifted a bit in her mouth as the thoughts came back and she pushed them away with a huff, closing her eyes and trying to center herself. She glanced at the cold can of soda that had been left for her on the desk and reached out before flicking it with her finger, getting that nice noise out of it.
Her lip twitched up into a small smile as the intercom buzzed on her desk. She let out a breath and reclined, spinning in her chair before reaching out to tap the button. “You have reached the boss among bosses, Sonya Chernovna here,” She chirped, putting her best cheer into her voice even if it was a little forced.
A small chuckle came back on the other end, “Miss Chernovna, Miss Mint is here to see you.”
Sonya sat up straight, “Carla’s here?” She asked, surprised. She hadn’t seen her since the funeral and well, everything else. Their encounters had become a bit of a regular thing after that first exciting evening and while she didn’t want to put a label on it, it was kind of nice to have at least one sure thing she could count on in her… she paused and let the thought trail off, that face popping up again and she reached up to pinch her cheek, Stop it. “Send her in!”
The door in front of her slid open and the adorable raven haired woman stepped in, bob hair swaying a little bit as she adjusted her glasses and inclined her head to Sonya, “Miss Chernovna, good to see you.”
Sonya got to her feet, “It’s good to see you too, Carla, how are you?” She asked, walking over and taking her hand before leading her to one of the chairs in front of her desk, “Please, have a seat, coffee? Soda?”
Carla raised an eyebrow, “That excited to see me?”
Sonya froze, half-way turned, “Uh- I mean,” She cleared her throat, “You’re here for business, right?” She said and turned with an awkward smile, “Of- of course, it’s just been a while since you were last here and I-” She rubbed her neck.
Carla let out a small laugh, “I finally got to tease you!” She said and relaxed, “Sonya, it’s fine, I just came to check on you. At the funeral you seemed like you needed some space,” She said and reached up and played with her black hair a little, “I uh… I wanted to come sooner but after that things got a little busy.”
Sonya melted, just melted, that little bit of kindness just blasting all of it away, even if it was temporary, it felt good, really good. She hopped up onto the desk and snatched up the cold soda before popping it open and took a sip before passing it over to her guest with a grin, her feet swinging back and forth. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.”
Carla flushed at the lip of the can before glancing up at Sonya and sighing, “I guess I deserve this,” She said with pursed lips.
“You got one in,” Sonya winked.
Carla laughed and took a sip of her own before setting it down, “You seem stressed.”
“Do I?” Sonya asked, tapping her fingers on the table, “Yes, a little, it’s a lot.”
Carla tilted her head, “I think we’ve seen enough of one another that you can talk to me about it,” She said, “I’ve told you a lot of my problems during our… visits,” She emphasized her words with a hard blush and a gentle rub of her wrists.
Sonya smiled at her and reached up to run her fingers through her hair, she threw her head back and let out a long suffering sigh. She crossed her legs and tilted her head at Carla for a while. There was so much trust there, now, after everything. What she needed more than anything was someone she could trust. Even for a moment. Even if it was taking a risk. If the reaction was bad she- no, she wouldn’t do that. She’d deal with it. She smiled at Carla and held out her hand and an eye appeared over it, glowing, pink, it flickered as it gazed at her.
Carla stared at it for a long time before looking up at her, “Don’t say it out loud to me, understand? Just in case,” She said with a warm smile. “The less I know the better about it. Whatever the reasons, I know the real you.”
Sonya blinked and her shoulders went slack, Thank goodness. Her lip trembled a bit and she dismissed the eye, letting her hands fall into her lap, “There’s a lot I can’t say, but…”
A few minutes later Carla was on her feet with her arms wrapped around Sonya’s neck. Sonya rest her chin on the woman’s shoulder as a hand ran over the back of her head. She didn’t say anything, there wasn’t much she could say. Sonya could only give an abridged version of the events anyway as there was no way she could share the truth about the past timeline and Carla didn’t want to know about Ishtar. That didn’t matter, though, the hug felt nice.
Carla pulled back a bit, “Sonya, I want to check on you more often, if that’s okay.” She said, brown eyes searching hers, “I’m going to be in New York a lot going forward.”
Sonya titled her head, “I don’t mind, I like having you around, but what changed? I thought the Chairman had you running all over the place the past month.”
Carla smirked, “Well, apparently that was his way of introducing me to everyone I’d be barking orders at in the future,” Carla said with a raised eyebrow, “I’m overseeing the North American Branch as administrator, my predecessor is stepping down next week.”
Sonya brightened, “From New York administrator to North America, Carla! Congratulations, you should have opened with that!”
“I wanted to check on you first,” Carla said, flushing a little and stepping back.
Sonya raised an eyebrow, “Well aren’t you a good girl?”
Carla squinted at her, “Sonya, we’re having a moment here.”
Sonya chuckled and rubbed her neck, “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
Carla reached out, “Look,” She said and took Sonya’s hand. Sonya looked down at her fingers and up at Carla, “I don’t know what we are doing here, or what’s happening, or any of it, but I’d like to be around more to help you when I can. We can see where things go, alright?”
Sonya squeezed Carla’s fingers and played with them, “I met a girl here in town and took her with me on my Florence trip,” She said thoughtfully, tilting her head and running her thumb over Carla’s nail, “I was… projecting on her, it was unfair” She said hesitantly, “I don’t want to do that to you. I don’t want to make that mistake again. You’re you and-”
Carla tilted her head down a bit to catch Sonya’s eyes, “Clearly you’re already doing a better job, aren’t you?” She said, “Thank you for telling me that.”
Sonya shifted a bit in her seat and scratched her nose, “Quit it.”
“Quit what?” Carla asked, smiling a bit wider.
“I know what you’re doing,” Sonya grumbled, trying to hide her smile.
“No idea what you’re talking about, Mistress,” Carla quipped.
“Oh now you’re not even trying!” Sonya laughed, “Did Marta call you? You really came all this way after running around the US just to see me? All I do is tie you up for stress relief,” She babbled, “Come on, I-”
Carla looked Sonya dead in the eyes, “She didn’t call me, I’m not here for a quick lay, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay and cheer you up if I could. I promise.”
Sonya groaned and slid off the desk, “That’s it! We’re leaving!” She declared, marching towards the door and tapping the button to open it, “Marta, cancel all my bullshit for the evening and call that french place I like, table for two,” She barked, poking her head out of the door. Marta looked up from her desk with raised eyebrows and smiled before nodding and getting to work.
Carla hustled up behind her, “Sonya? What on earth are you up to?”
Sonya turned on her heel and reached out to grab the woman by the chin, “You go this far to cheer me up and are surprised when I decide to take you out to dinner? Silly thing,” She said and tugged the woman closer with a grin and a raised eyebrow, “I am going to spoil you rotten tonight, understood? Dinner, a nice dinner, for a nice first date.”
Carla melted in her grip and her eyes went just the right amount of glazed, “Yes ma’am.”
—
Amos shifted a bit on his feet. The shoes were unbelievably uncomfortable. Sonya kept insisting that they were the most comfortable dress shoes of their brand but it still felt like his feet were in a vice. That wasn’t even to begin to talk about the rest of it. He could hear the distant sound of Sonya talking, giving her speech, he groaned. Sure, this was exciting, but for heaven’s sake did it have to be so formal? He shifted again and a hand grabbed him by the tie, tugging him forward to hold him still and straighten it.
“You are worse than a kid before a school play,” Colin said with a huff, pulling a strand of hair behind his ear as he fussed with Amos’ tie. “Stop wiggling around.”
Amos glanced down at Colin’s expression of concentration and went still, relaxing as his boyfriend went to work straightening him up a bit more. He stared for a bit, lost in the smell of his perfume. Colin glanced up at him as he pat his chest and smiled coyly, Amos’ heart did a flip, “Now now, none of that,” He said softly, “I’m wearing lipstick today,” He said and reached up to touch Amos’ chin, “Relax. You’re going to be fine.”
“Why’d you have to wear lipstick?” Amos complained in a low whisper.
“Because I wanted to look good for you,” Colin hissed.
“It worked,” Amos muttered, “I can’t take my eyes off you.”
“You’re going to have to,” Colin teased and stepped back, putting his hands on his hips. He was wearing a suit jacket, tie, skirt, and black hose. He pursed his lips and gave Amos a once over from afar before nodding, “Okay, you’re good to go.”
“I dunno if I can do this, babe,” Amos said, “That’s a lot of people out there.”
Colin tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, his pretty lips doing that tilted thing again that made Amos feel weak. He walked forward and reached up to cup Amos’ face in his hands. They were so fucking soft. “Amos, listen to me, carefully,” He said putting some firmness in his voice, “You got your degree back, you’re Doctor Amos Carter, celebrated post-pandora scientist and the guy who probably saved billions of lives with your work. If there is anyone on the fucking planet who deserves whats coming out there, it’s you. You’re going to be fine. Fuck those guys, just talk about what you did, accept, and get the fuck outta there.”
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“I-” He opened his mouth but it was cut off by a finger.
“Get through it, and you’ll get that kiss, mm?” Colin put a bit of that husk in and Amos melted, his shoulders slumping as Colin pulled back with a wink, “Okay?”
“Yeah,” He breathed, feeling significantly more motivated to get out there and get through it. He glanced towards the curtain to the stage again, he could hear the words. Time was up. He didn’t have a chance in hell at this point.
“...and so with that said,” Sonya said to the audience, “I am honored beyond words to introduce my dear friend and fellow Nobel laureate, without whom, nothing I accomplished would have been possible. The father of the post-pandora era, Doctor Amos Carter. Doctor Carter, the floor is yours.”
Trumpets blared and Amos felt Colin push him towards the stage, he did his best not to stumble before stepping out through the curtains. The light beat down on him, the applause of the crowd was deafening, the trumpets were a lot, and the stage was bigger than he remembered. He focused on Sonya who was standing on the podium with her arm outstretched and a smile on her face. She wore a sheer white gown that sparkled as much as her skin and her hair was done up with crystals. She beamed at him and he felt his chest tighten, You say that, but aren’t you the one who pulled me out of the gutter? He thought as he marched forward and took her hand. She pulled him gently towards the podium.
“I’m so proud of you,” She whispered before giving him a kiss on the cheek and stepping back, clapping with the audience.
He cleared his throat, a little bit of pressure behind his eyes, and looked towards all of the people gathered. Physicists, scientists, historians, authors, amazing people. He looked down at the podium for a moment, his hands shaking and caught his breath.
He took another deep breath and blinked a few times before brandishing his best smile. Just handle it like Sonya would, he thought, using his usual mantra. “We all remember the time before the flash,” He began, “Before our world irrevocably changed and life as we knew it took on a whole new dynamic. The touch of pandora’s light brought out the best and the worst in us, it changed us, and with it came a force that shook the foundations of our knowledge and understanding of the universe,” He looked across the audience, “A veil lifted, our eyes were opened to just how little we understood.”
He rest his hand on the podium, “We as a species have fought our way tooth and nail throughout history to survive, to thrive, to adapt to an ever changing world and to learn more so that we can push that progress to the next level. Mana, that force that now swirls around our world, has added a whole other level to this challenge. Yet it is the very tool we need to push through the boundaries that we once saw as insurmountable for the foreseeable future.”
“My fellow laureates, excellencies, majesties, nobility and leaders, it is up to us to responsibly harness this power and turn it in the right direction. I believe in humanity’s capacity to do good, to accomplish good, and to struggle and thrive even in the direst of conditions. I have seen what it looks like for someone to fight against all odds, even when it feels like the world itself is their enemy, and step forward to make a difference. I have seen heroes rise, I have met them,” He lowered his eyes, “I made Firestorm’s armor. The same armor he wore when he walked into Vegas with his head held high.”
He looked up and smiled, “And I will keep supporting heroes, just like him. I hope you will too. Because that is our role in this post-pandora world. Strive for better, Earth. Thank you.”
He bowed and the applause took his breath away. He stood up straight and glanced back over his shoulder. Sonya was gone, back behind the curtain. It was all him. He blinked a few times and looked up and out at the crowd as the representative of the nobel committee stepped onto the stage and handed him his prize and shook his hand. The representative had tears in their eyes as they kept the handshake going for a few more moments before stepping back. “It was an honor to hear you speak, Doctor Carter, thank you.”
Amos swallowed, “Thank you,” He said before turning and forcing himself to walk naturally back to the curtain. He dipped through it and immediately felt a thin pair of arms wrap around his neck. Before he could react soft lips pressed against his own and he staggered forward and to the right. He felt the last bits of tension wash away as his shoulders sagged and he wrapped his arms around Colin’s waist. He held the kiss for a while, not wanting to ever let the moment end. Eventually though the two had to come up for air and they parted.
“You are amazing,” Colin breathed.
“Thanks to you,” He chuckled, resting his head against Colin’s before glancing up at Sonya, “And you too.”
Sonya was standing off to the side, leaning against the wall with a red face. She crossed her arms and looked away, “You’re a jerk,” She said quietly. “You know I can’t cry, right?”
He chuckled and while still holding onto Colin, walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. She rest her head against his shoulder and reached up to hold the back of his head. She sighed into his shoulder, “So proud of you, so happy for you,” She croaked. “This is where you should be.”
He squeezed her tight, “You deserve it too, no matter what anyone says,” He said and pulled back, squeezing her arm, “Thank you, for saving me. You are my hero, Sonya. Don’t ever forget it,” He said and grinned at her as she stared at him, wide eyed, her lips trembling. He chuckled and slapped her arm, “C’mon, let’s go home, get out of these horrible clothes, and play some games or something. Yeah? We don’t have to go to an after party or anything, right?”
Sonya and Colin winced and exchanged looks.
“...right?”
—
Beyol was troubled.
The streets of Moscow were beautiful, as always, it was a sunny day despite the chill that came with the first touches of winter. He didn’t mind it, his shadows were colder. The coat that the mistress had insisted he wear helped, of course. The slacks too, and the designer shirt, and the new shoes. He was a bit confused about why she was so insistent he wear something different. T-shirts and jeans were cheap and practical, for someone who got blood on himself often, it seemed more sensible just to wear something disposable.
It wasn’t a bad thing though and it helped him blend in a bit better with all the other people who were walking around the streets of the Russian capital. Few looked his way though a few smiled at him with amusement for some reason. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why. He rounded a corner and spotted his destination, it was a cafe. He liked coffee. That put him in a good mood. Yes, the sun was out, the air was crisp, and he had coffee to look forward to. Still, though, he was troubled.
Something soft pressed against his arm again and he looked down at the mess of off-gray hair attached to the head rubbing against his arm. He felt that softness again as well as the narrow arms of the troubling woman who was gripping onto him like a vice. He raised an eyebrow and once more wondered what on earth was wrong with this woman. He had spent a short time dealing with some gnolls on her behalf and all of a sudden she was glued to him every time they were assigned together.
He sighed and glanced around as Veloce, she still hadn’t picked her new villain name yet, mumbled something about fruits.
“Date, date, date, date, it’s a date.” Veloce sing-songed against his arm, barely audible since her face seemed to be attached to his coat.
He scratched his nose, he didn’t hate the attention but it confused him a great deal. He hadn’t been prepared for this kind of thing back during his training so he had no real frame of reference to work with. Why is she so interested in fruit? He thought to himself, Does she like dates? Should I get her some? Would that make her happy? He glanced down at her again, She seems happy already, he sighed again, I don’t understand.
He walked into the cafe and up to the counter and a young woman greeted them with a small smile, “Hi! Welcome! Can I make anything for you?”
“Two coffees, please,” He said, pulling out some cash from his wallet that he unfortunately had to move from its usual pocket because of his new ‘attachment’.
“Sure! Would your lady friend like anything sweet to go with it?” The woman asked brightly.
Beyol considered the question before leaning in and holding his hand up to whisper, “You wouldn’t happen to have any dates? She apparently likes them quite a bit.”
The woman blinked and then gave him a deadpan look, it was the same look mistress gave him all the time these days. Why did women look at him like that when he was with Veloce? The woman looked down at Veloce with a pitying look before taking out a tart from a display and setting it down next to the two coffees she prepared and handed it to them. He paid quickly and led Veloce over to a table.
“We need to sit, Veloce,” He grunted.
Veloce looked up at him with bright yellow eyes, a big grin on her face before glancing over at the table and the small tray with a treat and coffee in his free hand. Her eyes sparkled and she darted off his arm to sit in the chair, swaying merrily as he set the two coffees down and the tart that he assumed had dates in it in front of her. She looked down at the treat and brightened even more, if that was possible, before looking up at him with a big smile, “You’re so sweet.”
“Am I?” He grunted and sat down, taking his blessedly strong black coffee in his hand and sipping.
“Mhm,” She mumbled, already a full piece of the tart in her mouth.
“We have work to do after this,” He said stiffly.
“I know, I know, boss lady wants us to go poke around a bit,” Veloce said waving her hand, “No worries, I got it.”
He raised an eyebrow, “Have you given your name any thought?” He asked in a low voice.
She pursed her lips and looked away, “Always busy talk with you, good thing you’re cute,” She said and tilted her head left and right, “Yeah, I got a few books from her that have some great ideas in it. I’ll come up with something soon.”
“You said that a month ago,” He pointed out.
“Yeah well I get distracted,” She shrugged, picking at her black fingernails. She wore a heavy coat but the rest of her ensemble was decidedly not for cold weather. A punk outfit with a torn shirt and ripped jeans that exposed enough skin to make him flush a little if he looked too hard. For some reason that seemed to make her laugh when it happened. She was messing with him somehow, he knew it.
She took a sip of her coffee and glanced out the window, “Wish we could just, you know, deal with the problem instead of being all stealthy.”
“Only if it’s as bad as she suspects,” He reminded her, “We’re not here to make a mess.”
She puffed out a breath, “No fun! No fun!” She whined and threw her head back, slumping against the chair, “Fine, I’ll be good, but only if you buy me dinner later, somewhere nice.”
He glanced down at his attire, he figured it was suitable for a nice restaurant later, “Alright, I suppose that isn’t a bad deal. I will buy you dinner at a reputable restaurant this evening after we’re done.”
“Two dates in one day,” She sighed, leaning forward on her elbow and cupping her chin with her hand, “You know how to take care of a girl, Beyol,” She said, waggling her eyebrows at him.
Again with the fruits. Is it addictive?
“You can have plenty of fruit tarts or whatever you like when we go,” He said flatly and sipped at his coffee, turning to look out the window as well. Across the street was their target, an innocuous building that was home to several shops but had a large warehouse in the rear that they all shared. Apparently a group of criminals were active in the area collecting monsters that appeared in the city in order to sell them as pets on the open market. It was a bit distasteful and bound to cause unnecessary trouble for the mistress’ wider goals. According to the mistress, monsters were bad for business.
That was good enough for him.
Beyol finished his coffee and set it down as Veloce finished her own and popped the last piece of tart into her mouth. She beamed at him and got to her feet, stretching a little and arching her back in his face before getting to her feet and brushing her hands off. He cleared his throat and looked away, it was a little embarrassing how much she did that around him. He got to his feet and they walked past the counter where the young woman gave Veloce a look and patient smile. Veloce grinned at her before wrapping her arms around his left arm and returning to being attached to his side.
Once again, Beyol was troubled.
The two of them crossed the street through the cold and walked straight into a butcher’s shop. They walked towards the side of the counter and the owner looked up and frowned at them, “You can’t-” He was cut off by a small spark of electricity that jumped from the clingy Veloce’s finger and struck him, knocking him to the ground, unconscious. She glanced up at Beyol and blew across her finger like it was a smoking gun as they stepped up to the door leading to the back. He pinched his thumb and a violet knife appeared in his free hand. One swing and the deadbolt was cut cleanly. He reached forward and opened it.
The two of them stepped inside of the large space beyond, there were people shouting and going back and forth as they worked. He frowned and looked around while Veloce skipped away to peer with a hand over her eyes like a visor, “Oho! Looks like we found the right place!” She said merrily and glanced back at him, grinning. She paused and pouted, “Wait, do we still get to go to dinner?” She asked.
He frowned at the cages with hounds in them and then glanced at her. He met her gaze, big yellow eyes pleading, and sighed, “Very well, go have fun,” He said.
She turned on her heel and cheered while pumping her fist, “Yes!” She shouted and hopped onto the rail before declaring to the entire warehouse; as bolts of lethal electricity began dancing across her skin, jumping from her body to strike anything around her and immediately starting small fires, “Y’all gotta die please! I have a date tonight!”
He frowned, What is it with this woman and fruit?