Chapter Twenty-Four

“Rose. What the fuck do you think you’re doing barging in here in the middle of my--” Madame Maker was shouting, rising from her chair and storming over to the goddess, but her bodyguard held a hand out.

“Relax, Maker. I got her,” he said. “How do you want her?”

“Alive, Titon!”

“Understood.”

Who the fuck was this bodyguard? The cockiness needed to make a statement like that. Did he really believe he was capable of taking out Rose? Well…she was still glaring at me, so I might’ve needed him. 

Titon’s body flickered as Rose began to unload her clips in his direction. None of the bullets ended up hitting him as he appeared in front of her. Rose jumped back, summoning her dragon light construct to defend her as she reloaded. Titon, merely sliced through the light construct--something I didn’t even know was possible--and attempted to stab her through the stomach. Instead of continuing to reload, she dropped a pistol and deflected the sword with the back of her wrist before delivering a haymaker that sent Titon back into the wall behind Maker. 

She then picked up her dropped gun and finished reloading before Titon began to speak as he got to his feet. 

“Those markings under your eyes…” He stood tall again. “You’re a Haven Goddess.”

Rose said nothing.

“Yeah…I’m familiar with a lotta realms of gods…” His voice had a slight robotic tone to it, like he was speaking through a filter. He readied his sword for another dash attack, already beginning to flicker. “You all fall so easily.”

Rose recreated her dragon light construct and it slithered and hovered over her shoulder, opening its mouth.

“Rose, you better fucking not!” Maker shouted. Rose ignored Maker’s demand and a ball of energy collated around the inside of its mouth. 

“I got it,” Titon said as he lowered his sword and outstretched his hand. Rose had the dragon release the ball of energy, but Titon caught it with telekinesis. Everyone in the room stared at the ball floating the center of the room as the mannequin ninja had control of it. He then slowly closed his hand and the ball corresponded to this action, shrinking in size until it was nothing. Titon then opened his hand and mere sparks appeared from where the energy ball was last seen and dissipated as quickly as they formed. 

“I don’t fucking have time for this,” Rose exclaimed. “Adriel!” 

A rumble as if an earthquake was being set off, but instead of the threat being below, it came from above as the roof was torn from the foundation as if it were a piece of plain printer paper. It was storming, but with no rain, just swirling gray clouds and violet lightning from the Fractional Angel, Adriel. 

“Which one?” he questioned.

“The ninja.”

“Gotchu,” he said. Lightning rained down and surrounded Titon, striking him here and there in his own personal electrical cage. Adriel forced the lightning to carry Titon off the ground and off the premises as Rose stormed up to Maker, grabbed the back of her neck and slammed her head against her own desk. Maker tried to shout at her, but she withdrew a pistol and aimed it at her temple, shutting Maker up. Rose then glared back at me with her bright yellow eyes still glowing. Even pissed off beyond belief, she was still beautiful.

“A promise was made. Lynx’s death wouldn’t be in vain,” she said. Ant was understandably freaked out, but I think he had sort of an understanding. 

“Lady, aren’t you a goddess? What the fuck does death even mean to you?” he asked. He was right in questioning her grief, but perhaps there were rules in place to prevent resurrection for Haven Gods. If there weren’t, there’s a few people I thought about bringing back. 

With Ant’s comment, she shot her gaze over to him, a lightning flash syncing up with her darting eyes and he raised his hands in surrender and remained silent the rest of the…I didn’t really know what to call it.

“You have another opportunity to change shit right now. Rather than deal with this degenerate piece of shit, I’m giving you the opportunity to begin making good on that promise,” Rose said. 

“Why does she know your name?” I questioned. That question seemed to strike a nerve as her eyes widened. I moved on from the sore subject. “I need her resources. Like the cryogun to help with some Nobles.”

“Then take them by force. Why are succumbing to the demands of all those you wish to rid the world of?” she asked. 

“Like you?” She frowned, confused as to what I meant. “Rose, you’re still grieving. I have no idea how many you’ve lost, or how deep of a connection you had to Lynx. But I can sympathize, because this entire mission I’m forcing upon myself is because I’m grieving as well. With that being said, I need you to let me accomplish this the best way possible.”

I stood out of my seat as the storm above died down and Rose handed me her gun. “With that said, on this occasion, I think you’re right.”

I pulled the trigger and let a bullet shoot through the top of Maker’s skull. Adriel floated back down with Titon and the roof repaired itself behind him. 

“Well, now that my employer’s dead, I’m aware all of her assets go to Rose,” Titon said. 

“You a lawyer?” Adriel asked.

“No, but, I’ve done many jobs for her. Guess she considered us close or something,” Titon continued. “Disgusting, really.”

“I’m giving them to Amaia,” Rose said. I looked at her with genuine confusion. “She still has a promise to keep. I’ll just be watching to see the end result.”

Aura Ray pointed at the ceiling.

“How--”

“Goddess of illusions,” Adriel answered. 

“That still doesn’t--”

“Goddess.”

“Bu--”

“Of.”

“We--”

“Illusions.”

“Just one question, how’d you know I was here?” I asked as Rose was headed out. 

“I came to kill Maker anyway,” Rose replied. “It was a coincidence that you were here, and seeing you with her reminded me of the deal.”

With that, she left with Adriel. I looked to Titon.

“I’m guessing there’s history between the two?” He nodded.

“Madame Maker raised her and Lynx like her own along with other kids. It was sort of like an orphanage, but she was preparing these kids for the Alpha Squadron, the squadron that would be used to check Nobles should they get out of line. This was of course as the serum was being developed, not yet finalized,” Titon explained. “In exchange, Maker received benefits like prototype weapons and early copies of the serum to test on her grunts.”

“Were you one of those grunts?”

“No,” he said bluntly. Actually, most of his delivery was blunt. “Obviously there was animosity built over time for Maker’s false motherhood. I guess giving Rose and Lynx her assets was her way of apologizing.”

I sat in silence for a few seconds before Ant made himself more suspicious by asking about my next move. 

“Well,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Now that you are the head of two criminal organizations, what do you plan to do next with all these resources and assets at your disposal?”

“Ant, I want you to send scouts under your watch to find out where Acuman and Gumbrawl are located. Any information on where they might be located. Titon, you do the same with Maker’s scouts,” I commanded. “And get me that goddamn cryogun.”

They both slightly nodded and silently stepped out. In walked Vulcon and Vice. Vulcon was panicked. Vice seemed calmed at the sight of me.

“Miss Luther, we couldn’t find the building,” Vulcon panted. “Then we saw Rose appear out of nowhere with Adriel and the building reappeared behind them as they left.”
“No worries,” I said, kind of pissed off at Rose’s meddling. “I’m glad I have the three of you here now, though. Sit.”

Vulcon and Vice pulled up their own seats and sat close to the front of my desk.

“I’m going to need you all to step up in your roles. My ‘empire’ is expanding faster than I anticipated. And that’s pretty fast considering I didn’t plan on having an empire, just killing the Nobles,” I began. “But with not a single one of the Archs being dead yet, I’m going to need all the help I can get. And with this expansion, I’m going to need you all to watch over your own subordinates.”

“Understood,” Vice said. “But, even though I know the next immediate goal is to kill Acuman and Gumbrawl, what’s your next big goal that’s gonna give you a leg up against Asai?”

“We’re going to break into the Alpha Corps Keep to see what they’re hiding.”