Chapter 23

Chapter 23

<New Product Acquired: Green Flame Kit>

<New Product Acquired: Heroic Speed>

Ishtar looked up at the manor, her arms crossed. Behind her, Verde and Veloce were sitting together in defeated silence. Marta had already left to where the helicopter they’d borrowed from Bernetta had landed. The pilot was probably wondering what he was doing out in the middle of the night. She sighed and flexed her fingers. Just entertaining some crazy rich people, she thought to herself before extending her hand towards the building. She pulled firestorm out of her warehouse and took a deep breath before releasing a torrent of flame onto the structure.

Verde gasped behind her but she ignored it, keeping the flames up until she was sure the place was well and truly alight.

She watched it burn for a little while before turning away. She felt tired all of a sudden, as if she’d been running a marathon. She glanced over at the pair sitting on the ground, they already had their orders. They could do as they pleased as long as they spread her influence in the city and beyond. Verde was competent, if a bit gruff, Veloce would have to back him up. She walked past them without a word. Sonya let out a sigh, Aaah... I want a soda and chips...

–

Sonya’s fingers ran down the stem of the flower, her eyes flickering and adjusting to each nuance of light. She tilted one of them and then examined the display again. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. The room around her was comfortable, no gauche decorations or ornamentation. One of Bernetta’s many properties. The CEO of Lucci had offered to let them stay there rather than go back to the hotel. It was a welcome gesture. She glanced over at Mikayla, still laying on the bed, asleep.

The girl stirred and Sonya froze, she stepped away from the bouquet and hurried to her side. Immediately Mikayla sat up, gasping, her eyes darting around, terror seizing her. She reached up and pat herself down, then looked down at the sheets in wondrous fright. “It doesn’t hurt...” She murmured, “A nightmare?”

Sonya felt her chest tighten and she sighed. Mikayla tensed and looked up, wide eyed, “Miss?” She asked, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“You’re safe, cutie,” Sonya said with a delicate smile.

“I-” Mikayla looked down at her hands, “I was so scared.”

“I know,” Sonya said softly, kneeling down next to the bed and taking the girl by the hand, “I made a promise to you and I broke it. I’m sorry. I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

Mikayla looked at Sonya’s hand and then up at her, “Can I be alone, for a bit?” She asked with a brittle smile.

Sonya’s chest tightened again, but she just nodded and got to her feet, “I’ll be here when you need me,” Sonya said and turned away, walking to the door.

“Sonya?” Mikayla said, causing Sonya to stop dead in her tracks, the girl had never used her first name before. She glanced over her shoulder and met the girl’s gaze, “You kept your promise, you saved me.”

Sonya just smiled, “Get some rest, Mikayla,” She said and stepped out the door. She shut it behind her and rest her back against it. She closed her eyes when Mikayla started to cry. Sonya hung her head and slid down to sit on the floor. I’ll be right here, she thought as the girl wept out her trauma, I won’t move an inch until you’re done.

–

A few hours later, Sonya was sitting in the middle of the garden that had been built into the middle of the house, the blue sky above her. She looked up at the clouds and wondered for what was probably the millionth time in both of her lives if the clouds looked that way to human eyes and not just her own mechanical ones. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fragrant air and looked back down at her hands, Right, she steeled herself, Time to give this a shot.

<Merger>

<Merging an ability with your existing abilities requires the target ability to be active.>

So I have to pull it from my warehouse, wait, does that mean I’ll lose it from my warehouse if I do that? She searched her instincts concerning Broker, I’m guessing so. Seems fair.

She considered which abilities she’d like to have added on, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to combine anything with Broker yet, not until I’ve got this process figured out. The ability needs to be compatible too, but what does ‘compatible’ even mean? She considered her list of abilities in storage and frowned, Might as well try something with a passive effect like my eyes, She thought and pulled out Genius Level Intellect. As it had the first time a rush of clarity blazed its way through her mind. Concepts that had seemed disconnected to her now found connections, information she’d retained became easier to access, memories more vivid.

<Merger>

<Genius Level Intellect has been selected. Genius Level Intellect is compatible with Techno-Eyes, Efficiency Level: High>

<Heroic Speed has been selected. Heroic Speed is partially compatible with Cybernetic Brain, additional improvements to Cybernetic Brain are necessary>

Heroic Strength plus Cybernetic Brain... I’m guessing that’ll give me enhanced muscles and spread cybernetics through my body. I need to add it first before I can add things that affect my body, like Light Step and Heroic Speed. I have to consider possible prerequisites then, She thought before narrowing her eyes a little, Efficiency seems to indicate how well the merger will work. Normal must mean it’s compatible but it won’t create something greater than the sum of its parts, like my eyes and intellect did, giving me overall enhanced senses.

She took a deep breath, “Here goes...”

She selected Heroic Strength, and the torment began anew.

It was so much worse this time.

She woke up on her side, blood staining the blankets beneath her and let out a cough.

<Abilities Heroic Strength and Cybernetic Brain have been combined. New Ability Created: Cyber-Punk>

<Current Cyber-Punk functionality: Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Strength, Genius Level Intellect>

“It worked,” She croaked, wincing as she forced herself to sit up again. She looked down at the blood stained sheets and sighed, Damn... She let out a sigh and touched her own arm, drawing Hands of the Healer out of her warehouse. It was a shame it wasn’t compatible, it would be nice to have some kind of passive regeneration. Maybe it’s because it also heals other people? She set the thought aside as the green light suffused her body, the pain fading away. She got the sense of her blood replenishing throughout her body and raised an eyebrow, That was an oddly specific sensation.

She focused on her heads up display and now it had a little image of a person superimposed over her vision, she could see metrics hovering next to it. Interesting and useful... but too minor to be considered a real power.

“That’s one...” She muttered and reached back into her warehouse again before hesitating.

Why am I pushing myself so hard? Her improved mind screamed at her to slow down, take it one step at a time. But her heart warred with the thought, she needed more power. She thought back to that last day in her last life, the anguish of being weak. She was powerful now, but it was fleeting in a way. The powers she was using were all products, not fully hers. She needed to claim them as her own, she had to. She grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. I have to do this. I need to do this. This moment wasn't about rationality, it was about consolidating everything she'd worked for. I'll become more powerful than Otis, she swore.

Proceed.

<Abilities Heroic Speed and Cyber-Punk have been combined. New Functionality added for Cyber-Punk: Enhanced Speed and Reflexes>

<Abilities Light Step and Cyber-Punk have been combined. New Functionality added for Cyber-Punk: High Precision Movement.>

<Abilities Eye for Detail and Cyber-Punk have been combined. New Functionality added for Cyber-Punk: Enhanced Sensory Processing>

<Abilities Technopathy and Cyber-Punk have been combined. New Functionality added for Cyber-Punk: Technopathy>

After hours of torment, Sonya sat in her bed, panting, bags under her eyes. Every inch of her body ached in ways that she couldn’t even begin to explain. She barely had the strength to pull Hands of the Healer out once again and even then only a trickle of relief came from it. There was only one more ability that was fully compatible with her newly improved power. Her prosthetic eyes were dim and a little deadened as she stared at the text in her heads up display.

<Hard Light has been selected. Hard Light is compatible with Cyber-Punk, Efficiency Level: Normal>

<Warning, Excessive Biological Strain Detected. Integrating Hard Light will cause significant trauma.>

<Would you like to Proceed?>

She hesitated and then firmed her resolve, the previous ones didn’t count as significant trauma? She chuckled before her lips thinned into a firm line. The memory of Mikayla's tears pushed her to action. Money and political connections would never be enough. She'd take all the power she could get, no matter the cost. Just one more, this is my evolution into Ishtar.

Proceed.

Sonya felt a jolt go through her entire body before she blacked out.