[center][h1][i][b]To the North: Interlude[/b][/i][/h1][/center] It had been a few days, but Huld’s flesh hadn’t mended. Her arm was back in place and she had a new fantastic dress, but the burn scars hadn’t gone away. Over the millennia she had concocted various salves to keep her beauty and vitality at its peak. She had no doubt this mark would heal eventually, even if it took decades or even a century. Hyun had failed to kill her, but maybe there was something potent about her magic after all. [b]”Self righteous fools.”[/b] It had cost Huld a lot to get out of that situation alive, but it hadn’t surprised her. She’d lived for thousands of years, and had grown accustomed to surviving close encounters like this. But she planned to even the score eventually. Give Beacon a few centuries to forget this ever happened and then she could dispatch a third party to deal with Alicia and Regina. Maybe by that time she’d have learned how to corrupt the shine spark and could turn Alicia on Regina, That would teach her to shake off her brainwashing so easily. But that would not be the last time some magical girls came to visit her this decade. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/waJPaen.png[/img] [color=violet]"I’m not who you think I am."[/color] [color=888888]— Chloe Irving?[/color][/center] Chloe and Sonia waltzed into Huld’s theater. While Sonia waited by the edge of the stage, Chloe had no issue strutting onto it with her arms extended. [color=violet]"And the star arrives! No need to hold your applause, you can let it allllll out!"[/color] Huld grunted before turning in her seat. [b]”Is there something you want?”[/b] [color=violet]"How did you know? But oh my!"[/color] She placed her hand over her mouth in mock surprise. [color=violet]"What happened to your face? Did a magical girl do that to you?"[/color] [b]”It’s nothing.”[/b] Huld turned her back to Chloe. [b]”And the rate is going to be five times as much as it was last time. I’m quite busy.”[/b] Chloe grinned. [color=violet]"You must be if you think someone’s willing to pay [i]that[/i]."[/color] She sighed. [color=violet]"Well alright then. I guess I’ll take Divina back.."[/color] [b]”Excuse me?”[/b] Huld turned back around. [color=violet]”I was pretty clear that you were only going to have her for a little while. Like, a month tops."[/color] Chloe folded her arms with a smirk. [color=violet]"And it’s been a bit longer than that, hasn’t it?"[/color] Huld growled. [b]”It hasn’t even been two weeks yet.”[/b] [color=violet]"But I miss her! At least let me see my Divina!"[/color] Chloe got on her knees and begged. [color=violet]"I just need to know you didn’t let something happen to her! Like, trade her over to Beacon so that you could slip away like a coward!"[/color] Huld looked up at the balcony where the Mares were waiting. [color=violet]"I wouldn’t do that."[/color] Chloe stood up. The smile had run from her face. [color=violet]"You weren’t able to handle a few beacon girls, do you really want to make enemies of the mint as well?"[/color] Huld’s shoulders slumped [b]”The job you want me to do. It doesn’t involve Beacon, does it?”[/b] The new coin broker cracked a smile. [color=violet]"Now that’s the can-do attitude I expect from the legendary Huld!"[/color] [hr] Not only were the New York Mint without their coin broker, but Beacon’s agents were slowly returning to full fighting force. Regina and Sona were easily able to root out mint operations with impunity. The Mint agents were cunning, but it was only a matter of time before Tonya, Divina, and Abigail returned to active duty. Without the presence of the Beast, they were unable to apply any pressure. Meanwhile, former inquisitor Lilium Blue was able to direct her girls aggressively, and her emboldened girls only demoralized mint further with each successful mission they finished. The only two remaining Mint agents were hiding in some abandoned warehouse. They were hiding in a stuffy office and a fridge that contained enough food for about two more days if they rationed it carefully. [b]”You know.”[/b] [url=https://i.imgur.com/Z8xDWLB.jpg]Lada[/url] was sitting on top of a worn out desk. She would have used the chair, but the cushions had totally deteriorated. [b]”If you hadn’t jumped out of there so soon, we could have won.”[/b] [url=https://i.imgur.com/PxDkfhq.jpg]Lexi[/url] kept leaning on the door, totally indifferent to her remark. At least that was her outward appearance. [b]”I wouldn’t have needed to do that if you had my back. Also, how about some gratitude for dragging you out of there?”[/b] [b]”[i]Fuck[/i] that!”[/b] Lada pointed at her earring. [b]”Nobody bothered to crush my soul stone. I owe my life to their stupidity more than your ‘bravery.’ Should have known you were only good at hiding behind your illusions.”[/b] Lexi furrowed her brow. [b]”It’s a good thing you can give your mana to other people, because we can use it a lot better than you can.”[/b] Her grip on her weapon tightened. Before Lada could fire back, Chloe walked into the office with her arms raised. [color=violet]"Now now girls, you can only fight each other if you’re fighting over me!"[/color] Sonia entered the room after her. [b]”Chloe?”[/b] Lexi and Lada grunted simultaneously. [color=violet]"Indeed! Did you hear about my promotion?"[/color] Chloe placed her hands on her hips. [color=violet]"How does a coin broker and their two cronies lose to a bunch of has-beens and wannabes? Cute as they may be…"[/color] Lexi and Lada pointed at each other, but Chloe raised her hand. [color=violet]"No need to elaborate. I’ve more or less seen everything with a scrying artifact. Seems the three of you [i]way[/i] underestimated your opponents. But how like a beast to toy with their food before it bites their nose."[/color] She pointed at the two present mint agents. [color=violet]"Which means you two have quite the debt to pay off! You had the audacity to run away from an incomplete objection and let your coin broker die?"[/color] They didn’t have anything to say to that either. Chloe reached behind her head and Sonia placed a wine glass in her hand. Chloe swooshed the wine in her glass but didn’t drink a drop. [color=violet]"Why are you all so quiet? I’m not going to kill you if that’s what you’re thinking."[/color] Her eyes were half closed. [color=violet] “I have a special job for you. If you complete it I can make all this go away, but I don’t want to hear any complaints."[/color] The two looked at each other before Lexi pushed herself off the wall. [b]”We’re listening.”[/b] [hr] Sonia and Chloe arrived in Africa. They were standing in the center of some blighted ground that had some rickety buildings built on top of it. A small mirror showed Chloe the fight that had taken place here. [color=violet]"Well what do you know? Looks like I was right!"[/color] She looked at Sonia. [color=violet]"Su reacted with the tail."[/color] Sonia didn’t look at Chloe. [color=0099a6]"We’re alone. You don’t have to pretend to be Chloe right now."[/color] [color=violet]"Maybe not, but it’s fun!"[/color] Viper reverted back to her original form. Her tail coiled around her own leg. [b]”She’s a little overbearing, but I think that makes her role fun to play.”[/b] She looked back at the mirror. [b]”But it’s interesting.”[/b] [color=0099a6]"What is?"[/color] [b]”I mean we’re running all of these errands because Chloe wants us to, right?”[/b] She put away the mirror. [b]”At first glance it just seems like a bunch of random hunts from the C.A.P.R.I.C.O.R.N. that Chloe just happens to be interested in. I mean, it makes sense she’d be interested in Huld. She gave her one of her own personal agents and Huld lost her. But now Chloe has Huld in her pocket, so it was a net gain overall.”[/b] Sonia folded her arms, but continued to avert her eyes. [color=0099a6]"But that compounded what happened in New York. Unlike Penrose, there are less than ten active magical girls. Handing Divina back to beacon didn’t help Mint in the slightest."[/color] [b]”True.”[/b] Viper stood beside Sonia and, much like her, looked in the opposite direction. But she had a little smirk on her face when she did so. [b]”But we know Chloe was in New York, and it’s not impossible to imagine her hatching a plan with the Beast. With the Beast out of the picture, there isn’t anyone to report on Lexi and Lada’s failure, or even if they’re still around. So even if it’s a net loss for Mint, Chloe got two very experienced and sadistic magical girls.”[/b] [color=0099a6]"You think she counted on the Beast falling in combat?"[/color] [b]”Suppose it wasn’t impossible for Chloe to lose. If the Beast was triumphant, then she’d owe Chloe a favor. That’s what makes me think Chloe spoke with her. Maybe they devised a plan, or she gave her something, but I don’t think it’s impossible that she had something to do with it. Maybe she wanted the Beast to owe her one. Come to think of it, if Huld had successfully repelled the Beacon attack on her lair, she might have attributed it to Divina. I think Chloe’s original plan might have been to collect favors, but is just shrewd enough to get what she wants out of these hunts.”[/b] Sonia turned to Viper. [color=0099a6]"And what do you make of this?"[/color] [b]”I know, right? It doesn’t have anything to do with the situation in New York, and it doesn’t appear to lead back to Chloe in any way. I mean, Su’s been a POI for a while. There’s been rumors that she has connections to Veronica, but she wasn’t too remarkable other than that. But she reacted with an artifact created by the most infamous three-thousand year old concubine, so maybe we haven’t been paying enough attention.”[/b] She looked at Sonia out of the corner of her eye. [b]”I tried scrying with the mirror to see who placed the tail here, but it was just some bimbo. Given the hazed look in her eyes, I’d say she was brainwashed. But what do you think?”[/b] Sonia fret her brow. [color=0099a6]"I think I am interested in having Justine at my side. If Chloe is doing something to that end, I will not question her."[/color] [b]”Oh, yea! It’s not professional to question your boss. That’s why I don’t question Al. But Chloe? You’d better question the [i]hell[/i] out of everything she does.”[/b] Viper extended her hand towards Sonia. The maid gave her hand a glance before reaching for her wrist, and the two teleported out of sight.