Broker

“Two-twenty-four.”

She pulled herself up, muscles heating, sweat beading on her neck, brown eyes focused on the far wall. The alarm clock next to her bed ticked over and buzzed once before the radio clicked on. She pulled her chin up and over the bar as a short jingle played. Then a voice cut into the near-silence of her bedroom. “Good morning, Atlanta!” A jolly voice said, “It’s six am! Blue skies today with a high of eighty-four. First thing’s first, here’s the carter radar report: Mana levels are going to be high again as a dungeon is anticipated to form in the city by the end of the month. City leaders are looking forward to it as it’ll mean more business.”

“Two-twenty-nine.”

She glanced towards the window and saw some people starting their days. Lights either coming on or people making their way out of their homes to start an early commute. “For your commute this morning, we’ve got a few hot zones already marked for a high chance of monster formation. Heroes are already being sent to the scenes. You should avoid the following streets for the next hour or so,” The man started rattling off street names as she pulled herself up over the bar again, her fingers tensing. “Make sure to check the tracker app regularly for the latest updates. Now a quick chime in from the sponsor…”

He trailed off and a slightly amused woman cut in, “This morning carter radar report has been brought to you by ASTA Corporation. We are your solution.”

“Two-thirty-six.”

“Now for the news,” The man went on as the very digital ASTA jingle finished playing out, “Two uncommon-grade dungeons were claimed this past evening by a joint operation with the Atlanta and Georgia state Guilds. Seems like there’s already an agreement on the books about mining rights, you can look it up on the official Pandora Guilds app. If you’re a freelancer looking for work, they’ve still got some slots open,” He rambled on, “The final piece of the North American carter radar network was also completed this morning, finalizing a project that’s been a year in the making. I for one am going to be sleeping a whole lot more easily now.”

“Two-fifty,” She let out a sharp breath and dropped from the bar, landing on her feet and heading for the folded towel and bottles of water on her wardrobe. She snatched up the towel and ran it over her face before cracking open a bottle of water and drinking it down. “It’s been just under a year since the Vegas Incident, everybody, and the day we lost one of our favorite sons. Two memorials will be held this weekend. One at the Vegas Memorial Gardens with the unveiling of a statue of our own Firestorm, and at the Nick Adders Memorial Building right here in Atlanta.”

“Radio off!” She called with a smile and dipped into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Long black-brown hair was trussed up in a ponytail clashing with lightly tanned skin. A pair of bright brown eyes glittered back at her. She smiled and checked herself out, all muscle, a proper set of abs and toned arms. She was as ready as she could ever be. A quick shower later she threw on a tube top to allow her skin to breathe a little, some blue jeans, and of course her favorite article: an orange letterman jacket with Firestorm’s logo on it.

The jacket had come out very briefly as part of a funding drive to help build the Vegas Memorial Gardens. Both ASTA’s Sonya Chernovna and the now late Johnathan Adders, Firestorm’s father, had come together to start the fundraiser and had both doubled the public donation. The release of hero-related merchandise had been intended to be a one-time thing but it had triggered an intense wave of demand as more heroes who participated in the incident were publicized. Especially the international heroes. She even had her own Euclidia pocket watch, it was really cool, you could see the time reflected clearly on the inner part of the lid no matter what angle you held it at.

She snatched it up and stuffed it into her pocket just as she reached the door.

“Lily! Lillian! Are you awake?” Her mother shouted from downstairs.

She pushed the door open, “Yeah! I’m up!” She called back, “Just finished getting dressed!” She hurried down the stairs, bouncing from step to step before landing in front of her bewildered mother. A head shorter than her and way prettier in her opinion. “Hi!” She said brightly.

Her mother laughed, “Hi! Did you have a good birthday?”

She swept her mother up into a hug, nearly lifting her off the ground, “Sure did! Thank you!” She kissed her mother on the cheek and hurried past her to the kitchen. “Where’s dad?”

“Dragging himself out of bed slower than you,” Her mother chuckled, walking past and setting down a plate of steaming food in front of her. “Hurry up and eat, you’ve got a big day,” She paused, “Any signs?”

“Nothing yet,” Lillian said as she scarfed her food down, “Usually happens within the first week of turning eighteen though, so I got time.”

“You have your badge?” Her father grunted as he stepped into the kitchen. She looked up at the tough-looking man. Black hair and a bit of salt in his beard. He had a lanyard around his neck marking him as a mining hero. Someone with enough power to handle themselves in a fight and do work in a dungeon, but not much else. He’d been a contractor before the flash, working to support his family. He’d awakened his powers and started making money selling monster parts to ASTA before dungeon mining became a legitimate job a few months back.

The money was great.

“Sure do!” Lillian said and pat her neck, “Or not, one sec!” She jumped out of her seat and ran back up the stairs to the sound of her father and mother laughing. She grumbled and scrambled around her room till she found it on the nightstand. She picked it up and looked at it.

HIGH POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT-TOUCHED AWAKENING, LILLIAN LANDREY

Getting tested for how receptive her body was to mana had been a bit nerve wracking. The machines were still in their early stages and were frankly huge and intimidating. The report that there was an extremely high likelihood of awakening was exhilarating though. She clasped it in her hand. “We are the firestorm,” She breathed, holding it up to her head and muttering a small prayer to anyone or anything who would listen. “Please be cool, please be cool.”

Her little mantra done, she hurried back down the stairs and flew into her seat, scarfing down her meal. Her father laughed as he took a bite of his toast and her mother sipped at her coffee. “You’re going to choke,” Her mother cautioned her, “I’ve got work in an hour, love. I don’t want to take you to the hospital.”

Lillian looked up abruptly, a piece of egg in her mouth. She scarfed it in quick, “Uh… sorry.”

“I know you’re excited, just be polite and keep a cool head, ‘Lil,” He said and reached out, patting her head. “Can’t believe you chose this over free running.”

Lillian grinned, “It’s fate, free-running was just preparation. I know it,” She said clenching her fists. “I’m strong, fast, and agile. A perfect fit.”

“Confidence will do you good, just make sure to be polite to the guild members and especially the guildmaster if you meet him,” Her father cautioned with a wink, “Don’t forget that people have personal space, alright?”

Lilian scratched her nose, “Right right…”

“Now get going, you’ve got to make it to the terminal,” He said and sipped at his own coffee. 

Lillian hopped to her feet and ran around the table to pull him into a monstrous hug. She did the same for her mother before hopping back into the entryway of the house and snapping off a little salute. “Trainee hero Lillian Landrey is off!” She barked and hustled to the door, snatching up her gym bag that her mother had packed for her. She fumbled with the lock before darting out onto the sidewalk to a chorus of her parents' laughter. She took a deep breath, “It’s gonna happen today, I know it!”

She pulled out her phone and flipped to the map, “Terminal… turn on monster watch… okay!”

The route to the terminal avoiding monster watch areas was a bit back and forth, but it was the fastest route. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and broke into a jog, excitement glowing in her heart. The first annual youth camp for high-potential hero trainees. I can’t believe they let in people who aren’t awakened yet. Hell, I can’t believe I got in. She grinned. Just goes to show how far a little passion will take you. She thought as she jogged down the street, darting past people as she made her way out of the neighborhood and into the city proper.

She passed by a few shops as she went, waving at a few people she knew. One of those ferryman taxis passed by, the ritzy black taxis that only the rich seemed to afford. They looked pretty normal to her. She shrugged as she rounded a corner and spotted a few people standing in front of a large kiosk with a tv hanging from the ceiling. She hustled over and slid to a stop, glancing up at the screen. An asian woman in dark martial artists robes accented with armor and a sword across her lower back stood at a podium with an older looking guy.

“The current top-hero, Black Lotus, is currently in the United States in an oversight tour with a few other members of the new International Team,” The reporter said, “She is the first hero to single-handedly claim a rare-grade dungeon. There is some speculation that she is in the country to assess the epic-grade dungeon that appeared in the mountains outside of Seattle.”

The screen changed to another woman wearing all white with a bombastic smile on her face, she was laughing and talking with a few children. “ASTA CEO Sonya Chernovna visited one of the orphanages set up in the wake of the Vegas Incident yesterday. She is slated to be touring the east coast before heading to Europe for the Pandora Committee conference next month,” The reporter continued, “After the Committee moved their headquarters to the Hague its reach has expanded, especially with the formalizing of the Vegas Act, which restricts the activities of Mythic-grade light-touched outside of dungeons.”

She’s gonna be on the east coast? Lillian stared up at the screen, Will she visit the camp? Oh man. Signing with ASTA would be crazy! She bounced on the balls of her feet and checked her phone. Oh shit! She darted away from the kiosk, racing down the street as fast as she could. That’s what I get for getting distracted! Sheesh! She admonished herself, zig-zagging between cars stuck at a red light and hopping to the next stretch of sidewalk.

She kept running, going from street to street, following the guide. Just a little- She spotted a small form moving out of the corner of her eye and slid to a stop, snapping her hand out to grab a kid that had wandered a little too close to the edge of the sidewalk by the shirt. She pulled him back as a car zipped by. “Hey! Careful there!” She said and glanced around to see his mother running over.

“Zack! I told you to stay with me!” The woman admonished him before turning to Lillian. “Thank you.”

The kid turned around and pouted, “I’m bored.”

Lillian squatted down and spotted his firestorm t-shirt, grinning at him and poking it, “He’d listen to his mom, right?” She said and then tapped his nose, “Be good.”

He blinked as she got up and turned away, darting off without another word. She came to a stop at a particularly clogged intersection. The other intersections beyond it were just as bad. People avoiding a marked area. She checked her phone again. Ah, poop. She glanced around and saw an alley that would get her to her destination while skirting at the edge of the marked area. She huffed out a breath and darted between a few openings in the cars and into the alley. Just run through. She told herself and broke into a dash, hopping over things left behind. 

A bang sounded off to her left, Heroes must be working. She thought as she crested the alley and a hound went flying past her face. She slid to a stop and blinked, glancing to the right at the creature as it staggered to its feet only to get a bullet in its head for its trouble. It slumped to the ground as she glanced to her left and a grizzled looking man walked past her, giving her a sidelong look, “Did you not check the app this morning, kid?” He grunted.

She scratched her neck, “Running a little late, gotta get to the terminal.”

He glanced at her lanyard and raised an eyebrow, “Better get moving. It’s clear here. I won’t say anything,” He said and strode towards the corpse.

She snapped him a salute, “Thanks!” She called and he waved dismissively, not looking back. Lillian raced across the vacant street, moving into the next alley. Buildings turned into a blur as she passed, pushing herself until she finally hopped over that last inappropriately placed dumpster. She landed on her feet, breathing hard, as she finally laid eyes on the bus terminal. A heavy looking bus with the Pandora Committee logo on the side of it was waiting and there were already people gathered around it.

“Made it,” She let out a breath. She hurried across the street, waving her hands. “Hey! I’m here!”

A guard wearing a committee inspectors coat turned and reached for a weapon on his belt only to pause when he saw her lanyard flapping about. He was wearing a full face helmet and armor beneath his coat. He crossed his arms, “You’re late! What’s your name?” He demanded.

She slid to a stop, her stomach sinking a little from the admonishment. “Uh, Lillian Landrey sir.”

He turned his head towards a woman standing off to the side, she had black hair in a bob cut. She wore a functional pencil skirt and white blouse that almost made her miss the ornate white choker hugging the woman's neck. Is that a pink sapphire? Lillian thought before the woman cleared her throat and drew Lillian out of her distracted thoughts. The woman adjusted her glasses and looked down at a clipboard in her hand, “She’s on the list,” The woman said, “You’re very lucky Miss Landrey. We’re getting ready to leave. Is that your luggage?”

“Yes ma’am!” Lillian barked.

“Mhm, go ahead and put it in there,” She said, pointing a pen at an open compartment beneath the bus. “Then get in. We’re leaving in five minutes.”

Lillian didn’t have to be told twice, she hurried over and tossed her bag in before making her way over to the door to the bus. She climbed inside and looked out over the many heads that looked back up at her briefly before going back to what they were doing. Oh man this is it! Now where do I sit? She thought, making her way down the aisle until she found an open seat. There was a guy sitting there and looking out the window. She stopped, “This seat taken?”

A pair of bright blue eyes turned to look at her, blonde hair coiffed perfectly on the guy's head. He brandished a brilliant smile at her, “Nope! All yours!”