Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six

We sat across from each other at Fran’s kitchen island, and I don’t know if she felt what I did, but... yeah, I was feeling rather extremely awkward. I kept having to remind myself that this wasn’t the final timeline, and that the way Fran had pinned me down wasn’t going to live on in anyone’s memories but my own.

Still, awkward as hell.

“Here you go,” Fran said as she laid a mug down across from me.

“Thanks,” I replied. It was filled with steaming hot coffee, fresh out of a fancy all-stainless coffee machine that occupied a corner of her counter space. Breakfast was simple, but no less good. Eggs--magical eggs, from a magical chicken--normal toast and butter and a side of roasted tomatoes and mushrooms cooked in a bit of garlic. 

Fran was an alright cook. Like, this wasn’t rocket-science levels of cooking, but it tasted really good, and I had built up quite the appetite.

“So, last night we were a little... ah, distracted. You never did give me the full details of what happened,” Fran said as she gently stirred a spoon in her mug.

I finished chewing, then tapped my lips with a napkin before replying. “It’s a weird situation, I guess. I haven’t figured it all out yet. So, Seraph shows up at my place. Sends in two vans worth of armoured goons to bash in my door and kick my cat. They’re all D-rankers, I think. Lead by this C-ranker called Ernest Glover.”

“The Light mage,” Fran said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I don’t know why they’re showing up, and I can’t think of a good way to find that out. Maybe you know someone?”

“I can think of a few reasons why they might be upset. Could your real identity have leaked?”

“Maybe,” I said. “We wore masks and costumes and I tried to cover our tracks, or at least not have us sit in front of cameras. But... yeah, anyone with a lot of time and resources could have hacked into some cameras around the city or something.”

“A company as large as Seraph might be able to do that, yes. This is speculation, but you, no, we might have angered them when we stole that portal from under them. That would be enough to give them the justification to start an investigation, at least. But investigating someone and breaking into their home is very different.”

“Yeah. I have a day job at a normal corp. Luna Corp. You know them?”

She frowned for a moment, then nodded. “One of the smaller Fortress ENE corporations. Delvers and cheap security. Not exactly the best reputation. At least on the upper ends. A managerial or C-suite role in Luna Corp is a dead end for your career.”

“Thanks,” I said.

Fran chuckled. “It’s not a bad place to hide, I think. It’ll serve as a good cover. Do they... react to your attempted kidnapping?”

“As far as I can tell, they send a few strongly-worded emails. Which is less than I might have hoped. Then again, that was only ever in a timeline where Seras failed.” I shifted, scooting over a bit on the stool I was occupying. “Do you think there’s anything I can do to make Seras back off? Call the cops on them or something?”

Fran paused, then took a bite of her own breakfast while she thought. “I’d advise against the police. They’re wholly owned and operated by a corporation and it has tied to most of the bigger corps in the city. They wouldn’t help you the way you want.”

“Right,” I said. 

Getting grabbed by the police was always a bad choice in Fortress ENE. Being a ranker might help, a little, but there were stories about the prisons around the city. Prisoners were cheap labour. If you couldn’t afford to pay your way out, then you were probably not important enough to be anything but a factory worker. 

There were higher security places for stronger or more important prisoners, but that was another thing entirely. 

“So, if that’s the case, then what? There’s got to be something we can do to make them pay? My plan so far was to murder the entire group.”

Fran winced. “That... would work, yes. Every corporation has its bean-counters, and risk-assessment is an important step before taking any actions. But as nice and clean as that sounds, the reality is that company loyalty is a real thing. Some of the rankers sent to your place will have friends, maybe family. Some will be valued employees. Even if the company judges it to be inefficient to continue to pursue, or feels like the risk isn’t worth it, they are still human.”

“Right, and the fact that they started it wouldn’t matter,” I said. “So, ideal world, what do I do?”

“Your plan was to kill them all?” Fran asked. She didn’t seem bothered by the idea at all.

“That was plan A. I’ve had time to cool off since then. I still need to set the groundwork so that they don’t try this shit again.”

“I see. I’d make the operation costly and embarrassing, then. Or maybe just avoid them entirely? Don’t be there when they show up, then threaten legal action?”

“Oh yeah, legal action, because that has worked so well to stop corps in the past,” I said.

She shrugged. “Seraph isn’t that powerful. They’re influential, yes, but they don’t own all of the courts.”

“They own more of them than I do,” I pointed out.”

“Fair point.”

I sighed, resting my elbows on the table. “So... current plan: I go back, wait until they show up at my place, then knock the shit out of their C-ranker. I don’t know what I’ll do with him after  that, but I really want to kick his ass.”

Fran froze for a moment, then stared at me. “Lean into that.”

“Huh?”

“No, seriously. As far as Seraph is aware, you are a young woman that is a strong D-ranker, but your public record will still paint you as relatively new and only the member of a smaller, less important corp. One who occasionally heads out and tackles weaker portals with a few friends. That might be enough for them to pursue you. But if they’re met with someone who can take out one of their own... no, let me start over.”

“Go on,” I said. I had the impression she was cooking something up.

“You’ll need to paint a scene for them. They come in, expect to meet little to no resistance, capture you, and maybe leave with you to interrogate you. Instead, they arrive, and you beat up their C-ranker, maybe hold him temporarily hostage. But you’ll need to act the part.”

“The part?”

“A punk. Like a delinquent. Someone impulsive and stronger than you first appear, but not necessarily a threat to the corporation as a whole.”

“Okay?”

I wasn’t sold on this plan of hers yet. Though I was pretty sure I could sell the idea. I’d have to dress a little differently, act more belligerent and rude and dismissive. Basically, I’d have to pretend that I was Becky.

“You really think that would work?” I asked.

“It would neatly fit you into a box that they’re familiar with. Every corp knows that there are always people that will never fit the mould. They’re annoying to deal with, but they’re a known quantity. And it would explain how and why you’ve messed with their plans. Though you really ought to invest some time to discover why they’re going after you in particular. If we’re off the mark, then this whole idea won’t hold water.”

I nodded along. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Speaking of which, you said you needed training?”

“In magic,” I said. “Specifically, to counter their asshole Light mage. My bullets bounced off this shield he held, and he had some pretty strong magic.”

“If you know what spells he’s using, then you might be able to find direct counters.”

“Yeah, sure, maybe. But also, I’d have all of... maybe six hours to prepare those. I think I might have to work with what I have.”

“Oh... that is a significantly harder task.”

“I figured as much, yeah. But hey, I have a lot of time to figure it out, right?”

Fran stared. “You cannot comprehend the amount of envy I have for that power.”

“It’s pretty fucking cool,” I agreed. “But you’d probably try to fuck with the markets, and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that there are others already doing that, and that they wouldn’t be happy with any level of competition.”

“Frustrating,” Fran said. “Anyway. I’ll email my magic trainer. They can free up a few days for you.”

“Oh, uh. Thanks. That sounds expensive.”

“It is. But don’t worry. It’s likely worth it.”

I finished up breakfast, then stood. “Alright, this felt... very productive. Uh. I’m gonna use your shower, if that’s okay?”

“Hmm... yes, go ahead. I might join you.”

“Oh,” I said.

Damn. Fran was really insatiable, wasn’t she? Really living up to all of the corpo hype.

***