Sonya felt euphoric. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. Tiny motes of power burning in her body like little stars. She raised her hand up and examined her fingers, flexing them experimentally as a wave of giddiness washed over her. Her lips twitched up in a smile even as her mind recoiled slightly. “S-so this the aftermath of Visage of Titania,” she laughed, her words and thoughts felt misaligned, off kilter. It’s subjecting me to mania, she thought, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given what the ability can do. There had to be a serious drawback.


    She took a deep breath and tried to relax her heartbeat, pushing her amusing new surroundings out of her mind for a moment. How long will the effects last? She wondered, fighting down another wave of giggles. She held her hand up over her mouth and stumbled, placing her hand against a nearby tree. She heaved out a breath and laughed again, turning her eyes towards the sight she’d seen through the portal in the Backrooms. A massive compound spread like a slovenly beast in the humid woodland. Paved paths connecting over a hundred buildings that surrounded a single massive structure.


    She tilted her head and rested her hand on her cheek, admiring the sight, “Wow,” she crowed, “Looks like Liberty really knows how to live it up.”


    Are you alright?


    Sonya tensed, that disconnect flickering in her mind again before she righted it and identified the source of the voice. She raised a hand to her heart and let out a breath, “Ishtar, right, you’re here with me.”


    You didn’t recognize me?


    Sonya huffed, “They say the old queen of the fae was mad,” she said hesitantly, “Every ability has rules or a price.”


    I seem to be doing nothing but bringing you harm every time I make a suggestion, Ishtar said morosely.


    Sonya shrugged, “I’m just glad to hear your voice, you’ve been quiet,” she pressed her lips together and looked down at her feet. The euphoria fading even more into the background, “Thank you, for helping me earlier. If it wasn’t for you I’d be still trapped in there.”


    Then take advantage of the reclaimed time, your people can hold their own but they can never be without too much help. A proper villain does not abandon their subordinates, Ishtar instructed.


    She smirked, “You don’t need to tell me that!” she laughed and gestured to the remarkable view beyond, “Besides, It looks like I’m going to get to have a little fun as well!” she declared before leaning up against the tree she had steadied herself on earlier. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, sending her senses out and activating Astral Eye. She had spent more than enough time in the camp to be able to form one within its vicinity at any distance. She allowed her sense of sight to travel to that place and looked down on it from a distance, a tiny pink twinkle in the nights sky.


    There, far below, she saw the common building almost entirely encased in stone. Bodies were strewn everywhere amidst the courtyard. The turrets Amos had installed were sweeping viciously left and right while Black Lotus danced between two men whose bodies were glowing with a coppery light. They must be members of her inner circle, she panned her view, there’s a third one there. She’s dressed a bit like Chunhua, a cultivator-type ability? She doesn’t seem interested in participating in the fight. Maybe she’s waiting for Chunhua to get worn down. Now that won’t do at all.


    <“Amos?”> she called out through her technopathy, sending the signal through her phone.


    <”Sonya?! Where the hell have you been?”> he demanded, <”Shit’s bad over here!”>


    <”I can see that, I was stuck in the Backrooms. Something interfered with my portal and it broke down as I was returning,”> she explained, <”What’s the situation?”>


    <”Some kind of ability is blocking any sort of teleportation ability within a huge area around the camp. The Pandora Committee is trying to get people there but every time a plane gets close it gets torn to shreds. That do-it-yourself hero of yours and her friends are in the dungeon with Otis and…”> he trailed off, <”We’ve already lost a few aspirants, Sonya. I’m sorry.”>


    She set her jaw tightly, <”I see,”>


    She looked down at her feet and felt the euphoria from her power wane even more. The mood swings were becoming intense. She reached up and rubbed at her temples before she started to pace. Sadness and Rage competed with the lingering amusement making her feel nauseous. She wanted to ask how many young people had already lost their lives, how many had been unlucky enough to be too far away from the common building when the chaos started. She ground her teeth and forced herself to focus, pushing the delightful tingle of those stars in her body out of her mind.


    She turned her sight back on Chunhua’s battle. The hero snapped out a kick, driving it into the abdomen of a thin looking man who vanished and turned into a blur, afterimages left behind as he surrounded her. They all clapped at once and Chunhua spun into a tornado of motion that sent the afterimages scattering only for spears of red light to appear above her, falling down like the sword of damocles. Chunhua stopped her spin and swung upwards, destroying the spears with a ribbon of white-pink light. Sonya focused on the woman’s face, She’s bleeding.


    <”Why is she holding back? Those two can’t be more than heroic-tier,” Sonya growled.


    <”You know her, she isn’t going to go all out without permission, she’s already doing this expecting to get expelled from the Committee, though, so I don’t really get it either,”> Amos said.


    Sonya rubbed her chin, <”The dungeon, she’s afraid her fight will influence the dungeon while the aspirants are inside,”> Sonya said, <”Stupid! It’s not that high level of a dungeon, if it’s Lillian’s group they can handle it.”> she scowled, <”Any word from the Chairman?”>


    <”Oh… right, forgot to mention, Liberty had him blown up. His house is basically rubble by now,”> Amos said awkwardly.


    Her expression went deadpan, <”Great, just fabulous,”> she muttered, <”Seems I really have underestimated that brute of a woman,”> she said before turning to look towards the compound. I know she’s down there, she’s got to be, I could try to fight her but I still don’t know the full limits of her ability. I know the basics but, it’s too risky to face her now and I promised Cass a chance. I can’t go back on my word. She sighed, At least I can try to sneak in and cause a bit of trouble.


    <”So what’s the plan?”> Amos asked, <”Your pretty knight is putting in the legwork.”>You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    <”The other heroes?”> Sonya asked.


    <”The instructors are with the students and Marta who’s still wearing your face. Axel is in pretty bad shape, Da-Som is working on him right now. Madame Rouge is being herself, she won’t move unless its absolutely necessary. Since Black Lotus is out there, she probably doesn’t see any real need to intervene,”> Amos said, <”God she annoys me.”>


    Sonya shrugged, <”She’s just eccentric, she’ll take action if it comes to it, like you said,”> she said before rubbing her chin, she turned her gaze back towards Chunhua and watched her fight for a few more heartbeats, <”If she’s not going to kick it up without orders, then let’s give her orders. I’m calling in those favors, connect me with Carla.”>


    Amos hesitated, <”Didn’t you want to wait for that move?”>


    She snorted, <”What better time for a leader to step up than during a crisis?”> she said, <”Now that the Chairman’s dead, my hand has been forced. I’ll just have to pay Liberty back later for activating my little contingency.”>


    <”My dolls are ready too, I can send them out if-”>


    <”No.”>


    <”No? But what about Black Lotus? She could use the backup until things got settled with Carla,”> he protested, <”A vote like that won’t be quick.”>


    <”Yes it will,”> Sonya said, <”Don’t take away from her achievement here. It’ll add to her fame.”>


    <”Even if that woman with the sword joins in?”> Amos pressed.


    <”She won’t, I have a feeling she’s waiting for a one on one,”> Sonya said, <”Now get me Carla.”>


    <”On it, boss,”> he said.


    The sound in her head popped once and a new voice joined their conversation almost immediately, <”Sonya? Sonya are you okay?”>


    <”I’m fine, love,”> she said with a laugh, <”No worries, just had a bit of an unexpected interdimensional detour. It happens.”>


    <”Interdimen- WHAT?”>


    Sonya snickered, <”Calm down, it’s fine, I’m back. I need you to call a remote emergency session of the committee.”>


    <”It’s already about to start,”> Carla said grimly, <”Sounds like you heard about what happened…”> she trailed off, <”...wait don’t tell me.”>


    <”Yup!”>


    <”B-but I’m not- Sonya, I don’t think I’m ready, you’re not serious are you?”>


    <”Yup!”>


    <”I’m not gonna win this argument, am I?”> Carla sighed.


    <”Nope!”>


    <”...Sonya, are you sure you’re okay?”> Carla asked.


    Sonya’s expression fell, her eyes turning back towards the compound. All of her good humor evaporated as she thought about the two shapes she’d seen laying on the ground next to the front door of the main building. No one could safely go out and retrieve them. Left there to wait. How many more were laying in the trees? How many more hadn’t made it back? Did any of the scouts lose their lives while trying to get out of a dungeon that she knew was swarming with monsters as the ambient mana levels spiked in the area. The harder Chunhua fought, the harder things were going to be in there.


    I invested a lot into you, Lillian, you better not die young lady, she growled as her nails dug into her palms, <”Carla,”> she said soberly, <”I’m going to repay Liberty for this. You just focus on that vote while Amos and Chunhua handle things. Understood?”> she said as she weaved an illusion around herself, masking her appearance and darting through the trees. She knew she was letting her anger get the better of her, a measured response would be better, more in-line with Ishtar. She knew that. Maybe it was the lingering effects of Visage, or maybe she just wanted to feel like she did back when she’d first come back. Powerful. Untouchable. A lesson needed to be taught.


    <”Where are you?”> Carla asked after another brief pause.


    Sonya dove beneath a tree limb, spotting a guard tower through the foliage. Her eyes lit up as she pulled Amethyst Sorceress from her warehouse, flashing the minds of those present long enough to leap over a tall metal gate and land on the other side in an alley between the outer wall of the compound and what looked like a storage building. She took a glance out into the paved road and spotted a few of the cultists darting about in a flurry of activity, eyeing their clothing for a moment before retreating again. She adjusted her illusion accordingly before nodding to herself.


    <”Sonya?”>


    <”About sixty miles north of the gulf coast,”> she said.


    <”Oh my god,”> Carla breathed, <”S-”>


    Sonya ended the call as she stepped out onto the road, walking past a small group of cultists who nodded at her in greeting. She smiled back at them, Stop fretting, Carla, do what you need to do. I’ve got it from here. She thought as she dialed a new number.


    <”Miss Chernovna?”> a man answered.


    <”Representative Harman!”> she crowed merrily as she stalked past another cluster of cultists, many of them speaking in low tones or even sitting in prayer. Their conversations were varied and largely mundane so she filtered them out, focusing on getting down the path as quickly as possible and getting as near to that main building as she could. <”I hear you’re in a meeting.”>


    The US Representative to the Pandora Committee cleared his throat, <”This isn’t a good time, Miss Chernovna,”> he said soberly, <”The Chairman-”>


    <”Is dead, I know,”> she said as two cultists approached her. One of them wore some sort of odd mini-cape around his shoulders. He looked at Sonya''s disguised form; she''d picked her old look from the previous timeline, black hair and blue eyes.


    He nodded brusquely before gesturing towards the main building, “You don’t look busy. We’re short staffed at the Main Building, come with me,” he growled, “No questions.”


    She inclined her head, “Yes sir,” she said demurely. <”I want you to support Carla Mint’s proposal.”>


    <”Mint? She’s a regional administrator, she can’t just make a proposal to the Committee like that,”> the representative said.


    Her lip twitched as she sent out similar messages to others who she’d made contact with, mostly those in Europe. It was a lot of political capital spent but she could recover it when it became necessary through the club. They would fall in line, but this guy… <”Representative I don’t have the time to argue with you. The situation is bad at the East Coast Camp and the Committee needs to restore its leadership. I will return the favor, just do the right thing here and support the measure,”> she clipped as the two men escorted her to a small set of doors set into the side of the main building. She glanced over at a pair of huge doors that loomed over the paved road, Must be the main entrance, this one is for work staff.


    <”Chernovna…”> he trailed off, <”I think I know what you’re planning. You’re going to get a lot of flack if that’s the case, but it’s not my problem. You owe me.”>


    <”Yes yes,”> she said dismissively as the two men opened the door and she was ushered inside. <”Just make sure that measure passes.”>


    <”Understood.”>


    The call ended as the din of people working in what appeared to be something between a warehouse and a supersized kitchen nearly bowled her over. A thick set woman in a white button up shirt hurried over. She looked Sonya over once before nodding, “She’ll do. Sir Phillip is getting more and more particular these days,” she pointed at Sonya, “You, girl, hurry up and take that cart up. Security will escort you.”


    Oho? She restrained a smile, I wonder who this Sir Philip guy is.


    She nodded sharply, trying to look more obedient than excited. The woman scowled at her, “Wipe that smirk off your face, he doesn’t like women who seem too eager. Just bring the food up, pay your respects, and get back down here. Got it?” she barked before rounding on the two men that had led her in, “You two, lead her up, I don’t have any security to spare right now with half our good men on the mission.”


    Sonya let herself get pulled away in the rush, hurrying over to a hand cart laden with food and drinks. All the while, her mind went to work on what would come next.


    TICK … TICK … TICK