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“...with the Act’s return to the Senate and the final votes rolling in, it is expected that the Pandora Act will be on the desk of the president and signed this evening. Local governments are already taking the new rules into consideration and implementing their own approaches to enforcing the federal act. Although the accord with the Pandora Committee and the creation of guilds is of note, the historic creation of a new type of criminal enhancement has swept the legal field,” The woman on the car radio said.

“The act of committing a crime whilst utilizing or otherwise benefitting from abilities or resources with an origin in the Pandora Incident will be considered ‘villainy’ and come with additional consequences based on the crime,” The woman continued, “What is raising eyebrows is the implication that using one's abilities is not a crime, only abusing them, to discuss this in detail we have legal correspondent-”

The radio cut out and Da-som let out a deep breath, reaching up to straighten his tie. He looked out the window of his vehicle and up at the facility. It was a large rectangular building spread out over several acres. There was some evidence of the previous tenants here and there, but it had been otherwise refashioned into its current state with a coat of white paint and a gleaming sign on the side that said ‘ASTA’. He picked up the envelope on his passenger seat and stared at it for several seconds before exhaling.

“It’s just an interview,” He chuckled to himself and got out of the car, making his way through the lot to the front doors and passing through security. He had to pause a moment to appreciate how heavily armed the men at the doors were; automatic weapons strapped across their chests with ASTA decals on the side. The implication was clear, these weapons were loaded with anti-monster munitions, an ordinary human being didn’t stand a chance. He swallowed as they passed him through the metal detector before they stopped him in front of what looked like a crystal ball.

“What’s this?” He asked, looking up at the grim faced man.

“Ability check,” The man grunted, “Proprietary, it’s being tested here before wide release.”

Da-som choked, “You can check for abilities?” He asked, wide eyed.

“Yessir,” The man nodded, “Mister Carter designed the new system with the help of Miss Chernovna’s ability, no idea how it works. Just put your hand on the ball.”

Da-som looked down at the ball and nodded, placing his hand on it. It glowed faintly for a moment before going dim and gray. The security guard nodded and took a guest badge out of a small box and handed it to Da-som. “Welcome to ASTA Labs, Doctor.”

Da-som clipped the badge to his lapel as the guard reached for the microphone on his chest, “I’ll let Miss Chernovna know you’re-”

He was cut off as the elevator doors opened ahead of them in the wide open lobby. He took a moment to appreciate the screens hanging from the ceiling depicting future heroes like Firestorm and Lifesaver. Below them, walking quickly past a few couches and the front desk was none other than Sonya Chernovna herself. She brandished a bright smile and spread her arms open in a warm welcome, “I’ve got it from here, Adam, thank you! Doctor Choi Da-som! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She crowed, hurrying to pull him into a hug.

He returned the hug with a look of surprise, “Miss Chernovna! I wasn’t expecting you to come down and get me, it’s an honor.”

She pulled back and snorted out a laugh, “Oh hush! We go back don’t we? You looked after me after the Pandora Incident, I can hardly treat someone like you like any other guy,” She chuckled and clapped her hands on his shoulders.

He flushed a little, “It wasn’t anything special,” He murmured before holding out the envelope she’d sent him a few days prior.

She looked down at it and raised an eyebrow, “You brought the letter with you?” She chuckled and snatched it out of his hand, “You’re funny!” She laughed and turned away, turning around. He followed her with his eyes and spotted the young woman who had apparently disappeared from his hospital around the same time Sonya had met him. He blinked as she gave him a curt nod. Sonya handed her the letter, “Get rid of this if you don’t mind, Marta.”

The woman, Marta, inclined her head and took it from Sonya before walking away. Da-som raised a confused hand, “Uh… the interview though?”

Sonya glanced over her shoulder, “I don’t think that’s necessary do you? Your experience speaks for itself, right?”

Da-som lowered his hand, “Well-well yes, I suppose.”

“Great! You’re hired, moving on!” Sonya chirped and started walking towards the elevator again, humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like the theme song of a certain hero that could jump tall buildings in a single bound.

Before he could process it, Marta was next to him, “You’ll get used to it,” Marta said and gave him a kind smile, “She’s always like this.”

“...always?”

–

After showing a very disoriented Da-som around the laboratory level for a little while, Sonya made her way back to the main office. She was satisfied, for now, and if he did well with what she had planned she’d reward him with what he wanted most. She didn’t have to tell him that yet, though. She reached into her pocket and ran her thumb over the drive containing Amos’ scans of her optic nerves and prosthetics. She hadn’t forgotten how enthusiastic he’d been about the prospect of improving lives with the technology, but her goal was getting ahead of the curb as far as pandora-based pharmaceuticals were concerned and staying there.

It’s not his speciality, but he knows how to run a lab and can learn quickly from what I’ve managed to gather from his background, he’ll do fine, She thought to herself as she rounded the corner and froze.

Standing outside the entrance to the main office of her lab was a raven-haired beauty in a suit coat and skirt, a guest badge clipped to her lapel. Sonya’s eyes focused for a moment and she spotted the pin of the Pandora Committee adorning her coat as well. Sonya was about to check her name and awakening status when the woman turned her head and adjusted her glasses, Sonya clicked her tongue. Damn… Be strong, be strong, be-

An instant later she was leaning against the wall near the door with a smile on her face. The woman turned and nearly jumped out of her skin, “Ah! Oh good grief,” The woman gasped, clutching at her chest. Sonya raised an eyebrow and glanced at the woman’s name in her HUD.

<Carla Mint, Unawakened>

“Hi, Carla, right? From the Pandora Committee?” She said playfully and extended a hand.

The woman took it, Analyze.

<New Product Acquired: Toxic Blood>

Carla cleared her throat and brushed her hair back, “Ahem, yes, and you’re Sonya Chernovna. Your eyes are as good as they say.”

“I’ve heard worse pick-up lines,” Sonya quipped.

“What?” The woman blurted.

“What?” Sonya asked, feigning confusion. She bloomed into a wide grin, “Sorry, Carla, just having a little fun. Come in! Do you prefer tea or coffee?” Sonya said and tapped the door to the office, a chime sounded and the doors opened with a hiss, sliding into the walls. 

Carla let out a nervous laugh and glanced up at the door, “Coffee is fine, thank you,” She said hesitantly, “You have very tight security here,” She added, “I don’t see any card readers.”

“Is that why the committee sent you?” Sonya said absently as she walked inside. The main office doors opened into a micro version of the lobby that she’d greeted Da-som in. Several couches lined the open space along with a desk in the rear that defended a pair of doors behind it. A placard with the name ‘Marta Daphne’ adorned the desk along with a few photos of nature and one of Sonya and Marta at a club, smiling together.

Carla turned to her, “Well… yes, that’s part of it,” She said, “Though I think the Committee will be happy to hear about the lengths you’re going to for security here. This laboratory is important after all.”

The committee thinks they can just walk in and poke around, do they? She thought to herself.

Sonya only nodded with her hands behind her back as she walked to the doors behind the desk, they opened into a spartan office decorated only with a desk, chairs, and a few ultramodern accents including a counter and cabinet in one corner. Sonya walked over and turned on the coffee maker, pouring some grounds in before she gestured to one of the chairs across from her desk, “Please.”

Carla sat down and Sonya settled into her own chair, “So you’ve investigated our security, anything else I can do for you?” She said with an even stare.

Carla tensed a little at the sudden change in atmosphere from the flirty woman just a few moments ago, “I’ve been sent here to advise you to disclose more details about the technologies you are developing here. These breakthroughs belong-”

You can’t be serious… Sonya held up a hand, “Let me stop you there before you say something embarrassing,” Sonya said calmly. She gestured between herself and Carla, “This, the relationship between ASTA and the Pandora Committee, is a partnership. I am developing technology and weapons for the heroes of the future and the nations of the world to defend themselves. I have even agreed to keep my prices down for the sake of humanity,” She began and fixed her with a hard look, “But a partnership is all it is. I am a businesswoman, Miss Mint, and I’ll hand over research results when it suits me, not the other way around.”

Carla frowned, “Miss Chernovna, you can’t just put profits in front of the security of the human race!”

Sonya raised her eyebrows, “If the Committee didn’t want to pay for my products, they should have just said so,” She said, “What, did they look at the first bill and balk?”

Carla’s face reddened, “Miss Chernovna…” She trailed off, starting to lean forward a little and lower her shoulders only to freeze when Sonya gave her a dark look.

“Don’t,” Sonya snapped, “Do that. It’s degrading.”

The woman’s shoulders slumped even further and she leaned back, “I-”

“I don’t know where the Chairman got it in his head that ASTA was a branch of the Pandora Committee, or that he could win me over with a honey trap, but he’s got bigger balls than I thought,” She said coldly, “This is a business with all the rights afforded such an organization. Perhaps I need to go to the Hague myself and make that point abundantly clear. Pressuring me into giving up proprietary information before we’ve even built a guild hall…”

She shook her head in disgust, “Get out while I still have some semblance of respect for the Committee,” Carla got to her feet, cowed and started to leave, “And Miss Mint!” Sonya called after her. The woman winced and looked over her shoulder, “If they decide to make you liaison here, next time I see you, show some fucking self respect. Security will see you out.”

The doors shut with a hiss behind the woman as a pair of guards made their way into the office. Sonya got to her feet with a snarl and turned to face the wall, a frown on her face. We haven’t even gotten started yet and those idiots are already greedy! She started to pace, Maybe I should have the chairman replaced. She clenched her fists and glanced towards the hidden panel in the wall that concealed her Ishtar costume. No, dealing with him like that will be more trouble than it’s worth.

I need to figure out what company is pressuring them for my research materials, while I’m at it… She called Amos through her cybernetic brain. “Amos, I need some information.”

<What’s up, boss?>

“Get me a list of the constituent countries that voted in favor of Chairman Phan’s election to head of the Pandora Committee,” She grunted, pacing back and forth.

<On it, what do you want me to do with it?>

“Withdraw support from them and tell them the reason is that ASTA has concerns about a conflict of interest suspected in Chairman Phan’s leadership team. Keep it vague but make sure they know he pissed me off,” Sonya said darkly.

<That’s… harsh. What he do?>

“He tried to use tits and ass to get me to give away your research,” She said, running her fingers along the wall and reconsidering for the third time whether or not to pull out her helmet.

<That asshole. You’re showing a lot of restraint, Sonya.>

“Nobody fucks with my people,” Sonya growled, “But,” She sighed, “It’s better to handle this as Sonya than as Ishtar. I’ll put in a word saying that all is forgiven after he capitulates and hopefully he’ll have learned his lesson,” She said, rubbing her temples.

<Why not just get him kicked out?>

“Because that would cripple the Pandora Committee, if their first chairman is seen as corrupt right out the gate, no one is going to take it seriously going forward. I can’t have that. He needs to learn to behave himself,” Sonya explained with a sigh, “While you’re at it, I also want to know what company he was hoping to give your research to, if you can find that out.”

<Makes sense, what are you gonna do to them?>

“Crush them into paste.”

–

Chairman Phan Trai strode back to his desk with a smile on his face. His son close behind him. He was the spitting image of himself when he was a younger man, and he couldn’t be more proud. He sat down at his desk and rest his hands on the surface, smiling ear to ear at his precious offspring. “I’m sure we’ll be hearing good news soon,” Phan Trai said, “Are you hungry, son? I can have a meal brought up.”

Phan Duong shook his head, “I’m fine, thank you, father. My powers keep me more than fed.”

The chairman laughed, “That must be so strange, eating electricity of all things. To think it’ll keep you young, too. How can you tell?”

“I just can,” His son said with a grin, “Instinct. More importantly, I’m looking forward to breaking ground on the new research facility.”

“Phan Industries will be a rousing success with you at the helm, my boy, I have faith, now we just need the good word from that woman I sent,” The chairman said, “Don’t worry, I’ve learned enough about that Sonya woman to know she has a weakness for pretty things,” He said as his phone started to ring. He reached for it with a grin, “Speak of the devil!”