Broker
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Chapter 319
🕑 Added 2025-05-29 16:00:09 +0000 UTCThe Major hit the gas, the van picking up speed as the gaudy sports car whipped out of the parking garage. It slid across two lanes before righting itself and accelerating. She scowled and jerked her chin towards the man sitting on her right. He pulled the cloth covering his mouth down and took a deep breath of air, holding his hands out and making a grabbing motion. The road cracked ahead of them, and he pulled back. Asphalt rose, and the lights on the rear of their target brightened.
Chernovna’s car hit the obstruction like a ramp and was in the air a heartbeat later. Whoever the hell was driving that thing knew what they were doing. Some unseen force pushed the front end of the car forward, and it hit the ground before speeding off.
Tch!
She shifted into the next gear and glanced towards her co-pilot, who lowered his hands with a grunt. The slope he’d made falling to the ground with a bang. “Who the hell is driving that thing?” he demanded. “I couldn’t get the block up in time.”
“It’s fine,” she snarled as she swerved between cars, eyes fixed on the rear of the vehicle. “We know where she’s going. There’s a speedboat in her name on the other side of the city. Tell Bonsai and his team to ditch the van Handmaiden wrecked and find a way to get over there.”
He nodded. “On it.”
They flashed past an alley as two more vans pulled out to join them. There were more waiting at checkpoints along the shortest route to the docks. Cars swerved out of the way in front while the Vigilantes got into formation. The engine roared, and she snapped her hand out to grab hold of the radio mic. She hit the button. “Take her out!” she barked. The first two vans to join her picked up speed and passed her vehicle. The side doors opened, and her soldiers leaned out with weapons at the ready.
–
Sonya, Marta, and Charon were bobbing their heads along with the music. Sonya checked her weapon and loaded the first magazine in. She turned it over and pulled the slide before glancing back over her shoulder with a grin on her face. Two vans were moving into position as they hit a wider stretch of road. She grabbed hold of the headrest when Charon whipped the car around a pair of vehicles that had slid to a stop ahead of them. He swerved into oncoming traffic as they accelerated.
The beat picked up, and she threw her head back with a laugh. “I love this song! Charon, turn it up!”
“Do do doodoo do do do doodoo!” The three of them sang as the guitar played.
A van pulled out of another alley and tried to ram them from the side. Charon hit the brakes and shifted the gear again, whipping the rear of the car to dodge it as it flew past them. Gunfire pinged off the glass behind Sonya’s head, and she held the gun up like a microphone. “Tonight! I wanna give it all to you!” she sang, while the van that missed tried to right itself. One of the men hanging out of the side window held out his hand, and bolts of metal peppered the side of their car, aiming for the tires. She leaned back and stretched out a leg, continuing to sing and locking eyes with Marta. “‘Cause, girl, I was made for you! And, girl, you were made for me!”
BOOM!
A rocket hit the car from the side, and Charon swerved. The armored body of the vehicle could handle it. The force pushing it around was a bigger issue. He snickered and threw the car into a spin to absorb the momentum and hit the gas again when they were pointing the right way. The three of them broke into song again as they laughed. “I was made for lovin’ you, baby! You were made for lovin’ me!”
Sonya spotted the on-ramp for the highway that cut through the city and pointed at it. Charon nodded and swerved.
–
<”What the hell is that thing made of?”> One of The Major’s men shouted into the radio.
She scowled as she shifted gears again to pick up more speed. Her men in the forward cars were laying down as much fire as they could, but they needed to be closer to use their abilities. As skilled as they were, range was still an issue. She sped past the forward cars and clenched her fist before rolling down the window. Power blossomed between her knuckles, and she pointed towards the fleeing car. She released a blast that took it in the rear, and the car’s trunk crumpled slightly beneath the force. It has limits, she thought.
“I damaged it a little! Use the RPGs!” she shouted into the radio.
<”Got it! Wait- What the fuck?”>
<KAASSAAAAHHH!>
<”AAAHHH!”>
Her eyes bulged, and she whipped her head towards the rearview mirror. Human-looking things with shiny, fish-like skin had charged onto the road and tackled one of the vans from the side. They changed direction and started running at high speed down the road behind her and her team. Are those Kingshark’s- Shit! She turned her head back towards the road and shifted into the lowest gear before slamming her palm on the intercom for her van. “Kill those things!”
Ahead of them, Chernovna’s car swerved off the street and onto the highway, a bridge that went up above parts of the city. The Major scowled and grabbed the mic again. “We better have people at her destination!”
<”We’re setting up, ma’am!”>
KRAK-THOOOOM!
The Major ducked at the sudden blast of sound only to notice a shadow cast over her. She turned and looked into a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a manic, toothy smile. Gray hair fluttered around the face of the supervillain Kerauna. “Sup, bitch!” The Supervillain laughed and pointed at The Major’s dashboard. The Major snarled and punched her in the face with an emerald-glowing hand. Kerauna whipped her head back with a grunt of surprise and let go of the car, laughing and turning into electricity. The Major shot a few blasts after her as she darted on ahead towards a van that had pulled out of yet another alley.
The Major swore as Kerauna landed on the side of the van and reached inside, a flash of electric discharge filling the vehicle before it swerved and crashed into a building, rubble falling everywhere. A hiss filled The Major’s car before a crazed voice spoke into the speakers. <”She ain’t yours to kill, lady! Ishtar wants to do it herself!”>
“Bullshit, I know they’re working together!” The Major spat and grabbed the mic. “Ignore the psychopath; I’ll keep her away. Focus on Chernovna!” she shouted as her co-pilot took another deep breath and ripped the road up around them. A few of the fish people had caught up, one of them leaping at the side of their car only to get filled with holes by her team. More of the damn things were coming, though, and the van was going as fast as it could go. It hit the ramp and sped up after Chernovna as the two vehicles behind her followed closely.
She glanced at her co-pilot. “Shift the wheel!”
He nodded and pulled a bar down, grabbing the wheel and dragging it across the dashboard before locking it in place. The car swerved a little, and she held onto the window for dear life as Kerauna flashed past them. She leaned out and pointed a finger at the supervillain, firing shot after shot at her back. The villain twisted and darted around the bolts, turning around to release a few bolts of electricity in response. The Major’s pointed finger turned into a palm, and a wall of green light blocked the attack.
“Major! We got more incoming!” her co-pilot shouted. She turned to look out of the windshield and spotted Chernovna’s car up ahead. They were getting closer, with Chernovna’s driver having to swerve between oncoming traffic. The highway curved far ahead, and she could see something green - it looked like people or something; they were climbing the sides of the highway. She reached up and pulled her binoculars from the overhead and peered through them before scowling. “Jade soldiers? That idiot!” She turned to the intercom again. “Razorwind! Do it!”
Somewhere behind her in the van, one gun stopped firing, and the air in front of their vehicle began to part visibly. Wind resistance cut to nothing, and they picked up even more speed. I need to get closer! she thought and leaned out the window again as Kerauna nearly reached Chernovna. Oh, no you don’t! She’s mine! Her ability was tailored for blasting and dealing damage, but just like other colored-light abilities she’d encountered, she could form constructs and barriers. She flexed her will and threw out her hand, a glowing green chain whipping out to grab hold of the supervillain’s leg. She pulled her hand back as hard as she could and tossed the woman off the side of the highway. That’ll give us a few seconds.
The world whipped by as they neared the rear of Chernovna’s car. She could see the woman’s white hair and the license plate. The Major blinked and then snarled.
‘<3 Mimir <3’
You bitch! She looked up to see Sonya’s grinning face and her carefully manicured middle finger. The Major turned to her co-pilot. “Get alongside!”
The van swerved again, and in a heartbeat they were coming up along the side. She looked down to see Chernovna’s window already rolled down and the grinning woman’s wide, glowing eyes. “You like my ride?” she shouted. “Built ASTA tough!”
The Major reared her hand back for a blast only to see the barrel of a gun pointed in her direction. Her eyes widened, and she switched to a barrier only for a massive bullet to smash through it and whiz right past her head. She almost resumed attacking when the car started to list, and she turned to see her co-pilot’s headless body slumping in the seat. The Major snarled and turned back, firing off a scattershot of green light right into Chernovna’s face before grabbing hold of the bar, ripping it up, and pulling the bloodstained wheel back over.
She righted the vehicle and nearly swerved it into Chernovna’s car. Chernovna’s face was smoking, her eyes wide and sinister. That didn’t even hurt her! What the-
Chernovna pointed up and winked.
THUMP!
SKREEEEEEKKK!
<”Major! Monster on top of you! We’ll get it off!”>
Monster formations already? What the hell is going on? She thought wildly as Chernovna’s car picked up even more speed. Ahead of them, a line of the jade warriors had formed and were immediately pulverized by the front end of the nearly indestructible sports car. A clawed hand slammed through the roof of the van, and she frowned, pointing up at its general direction and releasing a single blast of green light. A follow-up thump and thud sounded the creature’s death.
<”More monsters coming up from behind! It’s a horde!”>
She leaned into her driving, whipping around another clump of cars and blasting a hound that hopped out of it. The creature hit the ground as she righted the vehicle and started catching up with Chernovna again.
<”Where the hell are they coming from?”>
Chernovna poked her head out of the car and waved playfully, her white hair whipping around as she pointed her gun in The Major’s direction. The Major swerved as a bullet took out a chunk of the windshield and the portion of the car with the driver’s side rearview mirror.
<”Watch it! Fishman on your side!”>
<”I see it!”>
You aren’t getting away from me! The Major snarled and blasted away a flying monster that swept in from just up ahead. A pair of jade soldiers crumbled beneath the car as she drove over them.
<”Major! Big one coming at you!”>
She turned her head, and her eyes went wide. It looked like a twisted version of an Armored Brute from Dharan. It charged at her speeding vehicle with its shoulders set in a football run, and, before she could avoid it, it collided. Her world became a blur of motion, sound, and pain for a moment as the van tumbled across the raised highway. She held angrily onto consciousness, though, and when the moving stopped, she spat a glob of blood out and blasted the door off with a roar of frustration. She pulled herself out and spotted the brute getting to its feet, and with a gesture, riddled it with holes.
She panted and knelt down, reaching into the ruined car. She grabbed the mic. “Get the escape helicopter over here,” she growled. “I won’t let her escape.” She tossed the mic down as her men tore their way out of the vehicle and pulled themselves together. The team healer was already getting to work. She turned towards the oncoming tide of monsters, jade soldiers, and fish men.
“Wipe ‘em out.”
–
Sonya watched the Vigilante’s van flip and barked out a laugh before pulling her head back into the car, bobbing her head to the music. She wiped some blood from her lip and popped a piece of candy into her mouth to heal the wound. Tough lady hits hard! she thought and rubbed her arm. The recoil on that gun hits harder, though. Charon hit the end of the highway and whipped the vehicle into another turn, speeding towards their destination. “Where do you think the monsters are coming from?” He shouted.
“Kaidan, if I had to guess!” Sonya shouted back over the roar. “Only person I know who can pull it off!”
“I figured she’d lay low!” Charon shouted back and whipped the car again, readjusting the gears and sliding the car as they hit a sharp turn. Sonya slammed back with a laugh, and he grinned back at her. “Enjoying the ride, boss?”
“This is amazing!” Sonya laughed.
“Monsters and more of those green men up ahead!” Marta shouted and grabbed the door. “Looks like I’m up!”
“Have fun!”
Marta grabbed hold of the side of the vehicle and pulled herself out, the metal chassis creaking slightly as her fingers dug into it to keep her steady. Sonya heard the thump of her friend’s feet as they settled on top of the car before a pair of claws dug through the ceiling to lock her in place. Charon groaned. “Oh, come on! I just got this thing!”
“I’ll make you another!” Sonya laughed as rays of sunlight rained doom upon the wall of creatures and constructs ahead of them. Sonya pulled up her HUD phone and called Kera. <”Kera, good work. Pull off, make a scene with the heroes, then deal with the Song Matriarch.”>
<”Heck yes! Lookin’ forward to it!”>
Sonya hung up and grinned. “Charon, on to phase two!”
“Have fun, boss! I’ll see you there!” He shouted as a Legionnaire formed to Sonya’s left. In a matter of seconds, her sister appeared wearing Sonya’s face. They winked at one another, and Sonya opened a portal in the seat behind her, falling through.
Come and get me.
Comments
Gjim
I got gone in sixty seconds + Dukes of Zard vibes from this chapter sans the casual racism.
Marquess
Can’t let Major die just yet, she still has a gift to offer 💚
