Where the hell is First Wind? Flighty bastard, he’s supposed to be hanging around me.

Sonya frowned as she leaned against the door of the limousine, staring out into the city of Shanghai. She had originally planned to have the event in Beijing, but had changed her mind after everything that had happened. Shanghai had that skyline she liked so much, and the last time she’d seen it had been her wedding in the previous timeline. A small part of her wanted to avoid it, but it was just a better location for what she had in mind. It was closer to the water too, which was going to be important.

She glanced up at the sky, clear and blue. “First Wind has been absent a lot the past two weeks. Some bodyguard.”

“That fool will come up with any excuse to sneak off,” Qilin said irritably.

Sonya turned to the woman sitting across from her and forced herself to be pleasant. “Trouble in paradise?”

Qilin scoffed and looked out the window as well. “The sooner we are done here, the better. I don’t like this country very much. It bores me.”

Everything bores you, Sonya thought before exchanging a look with Marta, who had been preoccupied with reading a comic and enjoying the ride. Marta shrugged and returned to her reading, snickering a little to herself. Compared to them, Representative Ma looked positively rigid. Sonya turned to the man, who was busy dabbing his forehead and frowning. “Why so stressed, Haoran?”

The representative blinked and looked up at her in confusion for a moment.

She grinned at him. “Come now! We’re friends now, right? It’s no big deal if I use your given name.”

He pressed his lips together in a thin line before offering a helpless shrug. “I suppose... S-sonya.”

Sonya brightened. “There we go! See? Not so hard!” she laughed. “Thank you for your help with the President, by the way. Will we be meeting him?”

Ma Haoran shook his head. “I doubt it. He keeps to himself these days, which is sad. Despite his, err…” Ma cleared his throat. “...unique brand of stoicism, he is actually a remarkably affable man.”

“You’re related somehow, right?” she asked.

“Distant relations. More friends than anything.”

“Still, quite a contact to have. I’m surprised you didn’t lean on him more when you were under Song Hui Lan’s thumb,” Sonya pointed out.

He frowned and looked down. “I did not want to make trouble for him, but ended up doing so anyway. Besides, the old families hold more sway than you might realize. Do not be surprised if the men we meet show more attention to Qilin than yourself, Miss Chernovna.”

She grinned. “Let them underestimate me. You did.”

His eyebrows rose. “Ah, the eccentric billionaire is not just a personality, but a carefully cultivated shield. That should have been obvious given the starkness between your accomplishments and your public demeanor,” he huffed out a breath and rubbed his chin. “If I might make a recommendation, actually.”

Sonya glanced at Marta again, who was suddenly paying attention. Someone is feeling helpful, Sonya thought. Ma seemed to notice the exchange because he exhaled through his nose. “I agreed to work for you. I am many things, but I am a man of my word.”

“Something we have in common,” Sonya said. “What do you suggest?”

He smiled. “Ham it up.”

–

The limo pulled up at the International Expo Center a good hour later, not long enough to be overly rude, but enough to be just a little annoying. Sonya adjusted the thick fluffy collar around her neck and the gloves with crystalline studs set in the knuckles and fingertips. Her sunglasses were her signature, big and audacious. The only thing she was missing, in her opinion, was having Medved join in with his own sunglasses. She was sad that he had to travel separately, but he had insisted on helping the heroes finish the clean-up in Dharan.

Sonya turned her eyes towards the driver, and the carefully masked zombie turned to meet her eyes. “You know what to do after this.”

The puppet nodded and got out of the car, walking around to open the door for Marta first. Marta, in her full maid outfit, slipped out to stand next to the vehicle, while the puppet opened the door for Sonya. Sonya got out with Qilin following her and Ma close behind. She looked towards the doors to the expo center. The space was remarkably empty despite usually being a very active area. Ma cleared his throat. “They closed the roads; they don’t want a scene.”

Sonya grinned. “How nice!”

She locked arms with Marta and then reached for Qilin. As much as her skin crawled, she wanted to make a scene, anyway. Qilin was only too happy to get in close as Marta pulled out her phone and started recording the three of them. She was pretty sure she’d never seen Qilin  actually smile in any of her footage, but there she was, bright-eyed and flushed. Ew. “Hey, Lovelies!” Sonya said brightly. “I’m here in Shanghai at the venue for the awards ceremony! Look who I’ve got with me!” she grinned and pulled Marta and Qilin in closer. “The whole thing is gonna be televised.” 

She nodded sagely. “I know, I know, sounds like a whole bunch of pomp and busy busy, but hey! I know how to make things fun! We’re gonna have live new ability awakenings, on stage! Y’all should tune in! Kisses!”

Marta ended the recording and posted it to her own channel. “That should get some attention,” Marta said with amusement.

First Wind is going to be pissed, Sonya snickered as they reached the doors where four men were waiting for them. All of them were dressed in the same black suit and looked positively flat. They bowed as one before standing up straight. One of them on the right looked especially irritated, but he didn’t give voice to his thoughts. “Welcome, Lady Qilin. Representative Ma. Miss Chernovna. Handmaiden,” the one on the far left said. “I am Party Premier Chen Jingsheng.”

Even the order they greet people is a careful snub. Sonya reached up and squeezed Marta and Qilin’s arms. “Premier! I’d shake, but I’ve got arm candy. You know how it is, right?”

His poker face was incredible. Qilin squirmed. Sonya was pretty sure this level of revulsion and amusement at the same time needed a name of its own. 

“The President sends his regrets for not joining us. I will be introducing you to the venue in his place. The Chairwoman is already inside,” he said flatly. “I am sure you wish to greet her before the tour.”

Carla’s here?

She opened her mouth to respond when she felt something above her. Her first instinct to look up was quashed immediately. It felt like an invasion, not a hostile one per-say, but like someone walking into her house before she finished greeting them. Stranger still, it felt like it was a child doing it rather than a full grown adult. Qilin and Marta both looked up as a voice called down to her, wind picking up around them.

“Chernovna! Hey!”

There you are, Sonya thought and finally looked up. Why do you feel like that, First Wind?

First Wind was standing in the air with his phone in his hand. “The fuck is this?” he demanded, floating down towards the ground. “I thought the awakenings would be held in private.”

She gave him an innocent smile. “First Wind! There you are!” she said brightly. “You’ve been absent!”

He scowled and crossed his arms. “You’re covered,” he grumbled. “I had some training to do. Don’t change the subject.”

She grinned. “What’s a little extra promotion? The young heroes in Dharan did such a good job  that the fight was not as ‘exciting’ as I’m sure some of the viewers were expecting. Gotta spice up the ceremony for a little payoff, right?”

He narrowed his eyes and huffed out a breath. “Makes sense, I guess. Makes no difference to me. My boy won.”

“That he did,” Sonya agreed. Why is your presence so strange? It’s like… not a child per-say, but a young person on the verge of adulthood. She resisted the urge to frown. No, it couldn’t be.Is he at the threshold? He has to die. Should I rush the ceremony? No, Ishtar was right. This has to play out perfectly. If I make a single mistake in the set up, everything I built during this tour will be for nothing.

A distant clamor drew everyone's attention, and Sonya’s smile widened. “Oops, did we accidentally tag our location in that video, Marta?”

Marta bowed. “I apologize, Miss. My mistake.”

Sonya turned to the politicians. “Well! We better get inside. I have a lovely lady to greet and a venue to see!”

The four men gave sour looks but kept their composure as they parted to open the doors for Sonya and her party. The moment - the instant - she passed through those doors and into the massive interior of the expo center, she smelled Lucci perfume. She whipped her head around and spotted an hourglass figure that made her heart soften. She released her companions and hurried forward as Carla turned away from whomever she was speaking with. Her smile was angelic.

Sonya scooped her up into her arms and a fierce hug.

“S-sonya!” Carla gasped before lowering her voice. “We’re in public, love.”

“Like I give a shit,” Sonya chuckled and rested her head on the woman’s shoulder. Carla returned the hug, and the two parted after a moment. Sonya looked her up and down. The strict black suit and skirt she usually wore was now something clearly made of monster leathers and fabrics. “I like the new suit. Did you go see Bernetta?”

“I did. I got to meet Mikayla as well,” Carla said softly, reaching up to adjust Sonya’s hair. “You look ridiculous.”

Sonya grinned. “Ma’s idea.”

Carla raised an eyebrow and looked past her. “Ma? Since when are you friendly?”

Sonya winked at her. “It wasn’t his idea. Let’s just say he’s my kind of bad guy.”

Her lover closed her eyes and nodded. “Of course, I get it. Cassie might not agree, but I’m sure you of all people can smooth things over.”

Sonya laughed. “It’s Cassie now?”

The Chairwoman gave her a shockingly demure look, and Sonya wished she didn’t have a busy day ahead of her. “Should it not be?” she asked, playing with the gemstone hanging around her neck.

Sonya cocked an eyebrow. “Careful, Chairwoman. We’re in public. What will people say if I start talking about rings at a venue?”

Carla’s eyes widened, and Sonya laughed. Carla crossed her arms and huffed. “You’re teasing me,” she pouted before shrugging. “I’m not as worried about opinion anymore. I don’t have a lot of opponents left in the Committee.”

Sonya blinked. This girl, did she use my chaos to shore up her own standing in the Committee? Hot damn I love her. She just smiled instead. “Job security is important.”

A throat cleared behind her, and she turned back to see the others watching from a safe distance. Sonya scratched her neck and slipped her arm into Carla’s, walking over. Marta immediately curtsied for Carla, while First Wind and Qilin stepped forward and nodded sharply. 

“Marta, always lovely to see you,” Carla said. “Qilin, good work. First Wind, I got a report that you have been slipping away to train from one of my representatives.”

First Wind scowled and glanced towards Ma, who held up his hands and shook his head. The Herald narrowed his eyes and looked back to Carla. “Just making sure I’m sharp while Chernovna had other protection.”

“You weren’t looking into Blight’s whereabouts?” Carla clipped.

First Wind’s frown deepened. “No, ma’am.”

Sonya kept her expression flat even as she giggled on the inside. It was always nice seeing Carla switch into business mode. Carla tilted her chin up. “I certainly hope so. We have an investigative team handling that, and you were not assigned to him. Being your so-called ‘nemesis’ doesn’t give you license. Internationals are held to a higher standard.”

First Wind was trembling, but there was not even a breeze. He exhaled. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m glad we cleared that up,” Carla said and looked towards Ma. “Ma.”

“Chairwoman,” Ma grunted.

“Are we good?” she asked.

“Yes, I believe so,” he said.

She nodded. “Then I’ll deal with Firth.”

He inclined his head. “Thank you.”

Sonya chuckled. “You’re acting like a head of state,” Sonya teased.

Carla glanced her way. “You missed the news this morning, then?”

Sonya cocked an eyebrow and looked around. The people she’d come in with all shook their heads. The four from the Chinese government, on the other hand, looked very unhappy. Sonya looked back at Carla, whose expression had turned severe. “Kazakhstan's government collapsed last night. They’d been refusing our help with Erebus for a while, and the civilians staged a coup. A Pandora hero named Tulpar stepped in and reopened connection to the Committee. Currently, the Committee is moving to take control of the country until things can get worked out.”

Sonya’s eyes widened. “So you are a head of state, sort of.”

Carla nodded. “Temporarily. The UN held a vote on it. I hope we can get things settled soon. That’s part of why I’m here. I’m going to be speaking with the President about moving heroes and forces through China into Kazakhstan. We need a supply route, and we finally have a base to push back from. Fortunately, Erebus is currently occupied with a militia group that’s been spreading in areas he’s taken control of.”

Sonya whistled. “You’ve been busy.”

Carla smiled. “Yes, we’ll talk more about it later. For now, a tour of the venue?”

“Sounds great.”

–

After the tour, Sonya, Carla, and those accompanying them were invited to a party at one of the more upscale hotels in Shanghai. Sonya wasn’t surprised about the invitation; she figured there would be those very interested in getting involved with the event in some way, shape, or form. They had only a day to get things set up, and everyone wanted a piece of the pie. It didn’t help that Carla was with them, leading to the pair barely getting a few moments of peace.

“So the President arranged this?” Sonya asked Ma as she fled with Carla and Marta to a table to grab some snacks. First Wind had already buzzed off to get drunk and ignore the suits. Qilin had departed for one of the balconies to stay close enough to do her job but far enough away to not have to deal with people.

“Yes, this is a signature move of his. He wants to see who approaches you cordially and who makes demands,” he said. “His ‘person’ on the scene will be watching everything and may or may not introduce themselves.”

“He likes the hands-off approach,” Sonya commented.

Ma nodded. “Yes, he does.”

Sonya glanced towards Carla. “What’s your opinion on him?”

“Nationalist front with an open mind,” Carla said offhandedly as she sipped the champagne. “He prefers making friends as a method of keeping China’s interests secure. He is also the type to use his absence as a way of demonstrating his power. He rarely speaks.”

Ma frowned a little but nodded. “Not exactly how I’d put it, but accurate nevertheless.”

A few more people came and went, some trying to curry favor while others threw their weight around. It was a mixed bag, but something Sonya knew she had to endure for what was to come. First Wind’s end was less than forty-eight hours away, and every needless conversation felt like a slog. She sighed and turned back to the buffet, only for Marta to clear her throat. Sonya groaned. “Oh, come on, please?” she begged.

Carla snickered. “She’s just looking out for you, hon.”

“I know, but I’m bored and restless!”

“Sonya Chernovna.”

The voice snapped Sonya out of her pout and she turned. She hadn’t even sensed the person's approach. A familiar-looking woman in a long-sleeved black dress lined with dark red floral designs. She carried herself regally, but there was a brutal tang to her presence now that Sonya’s eyes were on her. A Mythic. Her eyes narrowed at the name above her head.

Lan Qi, Awakened

That face…

Carla spoke first. “Dame Kant.”

Sonya’s jaw set, and Marta took a step forward, only for the villain to raise her hand. “Easy, I am not here to be hostile. We can settle our differences another day, though honestly, I should thank you. You helped orchestrate that burden’s downfall,” the woman said with a cold smile. She glanced to the right as Qilin stepped through the doors to the balcony, and her eyes turned slowly towards Sonya. “I just have a message from President Feng Jianyu.”

Sonya raised a hand to Qilin even as the Herald’s presence began to push out into the room. It retracted, and Qilin crossed her arms impatiently before returning to where she’d been lurking. Sonya spotted First Wind on the other side of the room with a bottle of wine in his hand. He was scowling and watching from afar, but he didn’t make a move to intervene right away. He can hear us.

Ma stepped forward despite the danger. “You work for President Feng?”

“We’re cooperating until one of us abandons the other,” the villain said. “And you may call me Tianmo now.” She paused and looked at Carla. “I will add that the Chairwoman should be careful what she says here. The cameras are off, and I am not on the guest list.”

Don’t you even look at her, Sonya snarled inwardly.

“Heavenly Demon, I should just sic my Mythic bodyguards on you for what you did to Black Lotus’ eye, as much as I love the eyepatch. Now you’re making eyes at Carla. Watch it.” Sonya scoffed and stepped between Tianmo and Carla. Marta joined her as well. 

Tianmo’s eyebrows rose. “You have spine, little miss. I wonder if your people are faster than me?” she asked.

Despite her words, Tianmo’s muscles didn’t shift at all. Sonya could feel every creak in the woman’s body through her senses. She really wasn’t here for a fight. Sonya crossed her arms. “Enough posturing. What’s your message?”

Tianmo grinned and held up a finger, a single red mote appearing over it. The air around them went still before she spoke. A privacy technique? She glanced towards First Wind, who started moving in their direction with a scowl. “‘Clean up after yourself tomorrow. I won’t interfere,’” Tianmo said. “I have no idea what he’s on about, but if you’ve got something exciting, I’m looking forward to watching.” She turned away with a smirk, the red flame winking out and she walked into the crowd. “Enjoy the party, Chernovna.”

Sonya watched the woman go, not taking her eyes off her back. At first, she was angry, but the more she thought about it, the more amused she was. This guy really knows how to do power plays. I can respect it. So you know something’s coming and have opted not to interfere? Fine. Stay out of my way, and there won’t be problems. I’ll handle my own mess.

She grinned. “I like your old boss more and more, Ma.”

“Ma’am?” Ma asked, turning to her.

She shrugged and turned back to the snacks, plucking up a few and popping them into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully before turning to check on Carla, who looked relaxed, if a bit tense. She squeezed the woman’s hand. “Let’s get out of here. I want to enjoy myself before the dominoes fall.”