Chapter 105 Done.

Chapter 105: 105 Done.

Fucking hell, it was like dealing with a toddler with a superiority complex. I looked past her to Khonsu. "Are we really going to do this here?"

"We are not," Khonsu boomed, his massive, linen-wrapped hand dropping heavily onto Divina’s shoulder and instantly anchoring her in place. "We respect the laws of this domain, and you have broken none of them that we can currently prove."

I just loved it when heroes amended everything they said with a suspicion clause. Made me feel like I was talking to a cop during a traffic stop. But I didn’t let it bother me. It was just another reason I didn’t hang out around capes off the clock.

Fortunately, I was spared any further implied threats as the heavy biometric blast doors hissed open. Psyren strolled out, flanked by the tiny, aggressively glaring form of Edna and the towering, bouncing figure of Lilith.

The group paused at the sight of the heroes in the hallway, and I couldn’t help but notice Psyren’s lips curling into that specific, razor-sharp smirk that meant she was about to do something incredibly mean.

"Hey! If it isn’t the bondage girl," Psyren said, her eyes flashing neon pink. "Fancy meeting you here."

Divina flushed a brilliant shade of crimson, pinching her lips together and drawing herself up. "That was a tactical—"

"Bondage?" Lilith gasped, her yellow eyes lighting up as she practically vibrated with excitement, her spaded tail swishing wildly. "Oh, Milesy, you didn’t tell me you were into that! I have so many leather straps in the back—"

"Focus, you overgrown succubus!" Edna barked, whacking Lilith on the hip with a rolled-up magazine.

"Oh yeah!" Psyren giggled, completely ignoring the tiny designer as she sidled in close to me, coyly wrapping both arms around my bicep. "The boss had her all tied up and gagged in the trunk of his car when he came to pick me up. She looked like she really liked it."

"I did not!" Divina snapped, her hand dropping to the pommel of her sword.

"Really? Lying to a psychic? That seems pretty dumb to me," Psyren said, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"I do not lie! Your master merely caught me off guard with warped iron and cowardice! It will never happen again!"

"Psyren," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Don’t provoke the heroes on our day off."

"But boss, you’re the one who says trash talk is half the fun of villainy."

Well, that was true. "Still. Save it for when we’re actually on the clock." I looked past the fuming Mythic and down at Edna. "What about the costume? Do you have a working concept?"

"A concept? Do not insult my genius," Edna scoffed, adjusting her massive round glasses. "I have constructed a masterpiece. A symphony of violence and form. Roger! The renders!"

"Right here, Edna!" Roger yelped, scuttling forward from the shadows and thrusting a sleek digital tablet into my hands.

I looked through the 3D models. Edna was a legend, there was absolutely no doubt about that.

The design suited Psyren perfectly, but one in particular drew my eye immediately.

It was an all-black kinetic-weave bodysuit with aggressive neon pink highlights. It hugged her figure flawlessly, and the mask was a simple domino style, sharp and jagged, resembling a butterfly’s wings.

The whole thing had a highly tactical look to it, completely devoid of anything that might snag on a doorframe or give an opponent a handhold.

It even featured a pointlessly short cropped jacket to go over it—something similar to Psyren’s spiked leather one, giving it that genuine ’punk’ aesthetic she rocked so well.

"This one looks perfect. The mask is just right. We don’t want to hide too much of your face," I told Psyren.

"Aw, thanks, boss! I knew you’d think I’m too hot for full coverage," she giggled, batting her eyelashes at me. "Gotta make sure the whole world knows your bitch is this cute, right?"

"Er, sure. Right," I coughed, desperately ignoring the disapproving glare Khonsu was currently boring into the side of my head. I handed the tablet back to Roger and looked at Edna. "How long will it take to fabricate?"

"I will construct the primary mesh myself. No interns will touch this," Edna stated flatly. "Three days. You will return here for the final fitting. Do not be late."

I nodded, even as I internally winced at how much the final invoice was sure to be. The Haus of Edna was one of those establishments where if you had to ask the price, you couldn’t afford it.

I was sure I’d be able to cover it with the massive payout Firefly was offering for the Superstars job, but I also knew it was going to take a massive chunk out of our operating budget.

But that’s the name of the game when you freelance. You have to spend money to make money, and I would never skimp on an operative’s gear. That would just be... tacky. You had to make sure corporate sponsors thought you were a premium product.

I knew better than anyone the value of making your debut stand out. Many a hero or villain botched their first big moment in front of the cameras, and you rarely got a second chance.

Some managed to crawl back if they had a stellar PR team or were just incredibly lucky, but most ended up washing out.

They either got regular nine-to-five jobs or ended up working the absolute bottom tier of the cape pool, doing sponsored Instagram posts for anti-baldness medicine or sketchy cryptocurrency startups.

It was brutal, but in an attention economy, you either flew or you fell, and that was that.

"Great," I said. "We’ll be back when it’s ready. Thanks again, Edna."

"Do not thank me, just pay the invoice promptly," Edna said, turning sharply on her heel.

"Byeeeee, Milesy!" Lilith squealed. Before I could brace myself, the towering demoness swooped in for a goodbye hug, wrapping her arms around me and violently crushing my face into the suffocating pillows of her pinstriped cleavage.

Her kiss left a smudge of black lipstick on my cheek and practically took my breath away. For a second, I honestly wondered if she’d actually managed to suck out a piece of my soul before letting me go. I felt more or less intact, though, so I let it slide.

With Psyren hanging happily off my arm, we walked past Khonsu and Divina.

The towering Moon God and his furious protégé stepped forward, bracing themselves as they began to discuss Divina’s tactical needs with the scowling, four-foot-tall designer.

Our work here was done.

But elsewhere, we were just getting started.