Saturday morning, Wayne Enterprises...
Her fingers moved boredly. Between them, a cuprum danced, passing under and over in a calm rhythm.
This week had been heavier than usual, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle.
'I can feel how this is about to end...' Her lips began to rise slowly.
It was obvious that she had been put to the test so many times right at the peak of her abilities because she was in the final stretch of her probationary period.
A little more, and she was sure that this trial Harvey Wayne was putting her through would end and that she would finally be accepted into his team!
Ting! Ting!
Her eyes immediately rose to the little bell in her office, the cord having been pulled from her boss's office.
The smile on her lips trembled for a brief moment. Released with a slight sigh, Vivian put away the coin and, grabbing her cup of black coffee, made her way to where she was called.
"I wasn't supposed to be called in so quickly..." The Barbarian complained a little as she took a long, deep sip of the bitter but beloved coffee.
Arriving at her boss's office, Vivian was about to enter without knocking but stopped at the last moment. Not wanting to see anything she wouldn't soon forget, she raised her hand and knocked on the door three times.
The next instant, her boss's voice gave her permission, and wasting no more time, she entered, taking a sip with interest as she looked at the dark-haired man at his desk.
"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" As she greeted him, she took the opportunity to take a quick look around.
Soft music filled the office; the melody was unique and different from what she was used to, but it wasn't bad.
The white-haired Abigail was looking out of the window without much interest in what was happening from her seat, which Vivian was already used to seeing every time she came in.
"Mr Cordis arrived early and brought the sample. What do you think?" Harvey said as he sipped his cup of coffee.
"It's not bad." Vivian was honest.
Although Cordis was strange, his skill should not be underestimated. There was a reason he was the head of the musicians.
The young businessman smiled a little. "That's what I said. He'll be bringing the finished piece soon."
As he said this, the man opened a drawer behind his desk and took out an orange envelope.
"How much do you know about the pathway controlled by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun?" Harvey asked casually.
For an instant, her fingers twitched, but she controlled herself. Vivian nodded with little interest.
"A little. They control the Bard Pathway, right?" The way she said it, it wasn't a question.
"It's better to call it the Sun Pathway." Harvey nodded back and held out the envelope in his hands towards her.
Vivian looked at it for about 3 seconds before taking it with an arched eyebrow.
He wasn't planning to do business with that Church, was he? Wouldn't that be against the relationship between the two Churches?
'Well, the Wise Owls are weird...' Vivian thought with slight interest.
Between the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Eternal Blazing Sun and Lord of Storms. The former was the most neutral, who could put bad relations aside and find common ground for cooperation...
Unaware of her thoughts, Harvey Wayne rested his cheek on his palm and explained.
"In a few days, I will have in my hands an artifact made with the characteristics of an Unshadowed. One of the negative effects is that I need to make a contract with it to use it.
"Unshadowed is the Sequence 4 of the Sun Pathway, by the way," Harvey answered the question before she even asked it.
Vivian's mind tensed, and she looked at the man in a daze.
He had directly mentioned the Beyonder characteristics. If this was a test to see if she knew them, she didn't show much reaction other than a short nod.
Harvey was looking at her, his black eyes showing little more than mild interest and curiosity, but she felt as if she was being judged.
'That means that artifact would be Grade 1...' Her eyes opened a little wider as she repeated her boss's words.
As a lawyer, she knew that the information she needed most to make a contract was about what was being dealt with. Without that, the contract she would create would have holes that could be exploited.
Her gaze dropped to the envelope in her hands.
"It contains information about the Sun Pathway abilities from Sequence 9 to Sequence 4, at least everything I know about them. Along with information about the artifact." Her boss confirmed.
"I need you to create two contracts. One that allows it to be taken without any side effects, but in exchange, no abilities can be used. And another that allows most of Unshadowed's abilities to be used.
"I also included the abilities that take priority over the others and the negative effects they should have."
'Anywhere else this information could be sold for a very juicy price... But he's giving it to me for free...' Vivian didn't show much change in her expression, but a small smile began to form.
'This is the final test...' Inhaling slowly, she took one last look at the envelope before returning her attention to her boss.
It couldn't be that easy... It never was.
"How long do I have to make the contract?" She asked suspiciously.
The corners of Harvey's lips slowly rose into a lovely smile.
"Today," he said.
Vivian's eyelid fluttered.
'This is slave labor...'
...
Pitedo Street, Unit 3-6
Knock Knock
"Hmm?" Klein, who had been humming a little, raised his head and looked towards his living room.
His eyes sparkled a little. 'A new case?'
Taking off his yellow tablecloth and turning down the fire so as not to ruin his lunch, he washed his hands thoroughly and, after drying them, left his kitchen.
As he approached the door to his apartment, an image formed in his mind of who was behind it.
They were two women, an old woman and a little girl, people he knew. After all, they were his neighbors.
The younger girl was carrying in her arms the one he had helped to find in his early days in Azshara.
Sure that he looked good, he opened the door with an elegant smile, "Good morning, Miss Analia. How have you been?"
"Oh, Mr. Moriarty." The older woman smiled politely, "Very well, thank you very much for asking."
"Good afternoon, Detective Moriarty." The little girl beside her greeted him politely.
Analia mainly had gray hair. She was pretty old and slightly hunched over, but her brown eyes were warm and full of life.
Klein nodded at the woman with a smile before focusing his attention on the little girl.
She was no more than eight years old, her dark brown hair tied in a simple ponytail and a small copper leaf in her ear.
"How have you been, Susan? Has Dolly caused any problems?"
Susan showed a happy, childish smile, even with a missing tooth. "Yes! Madam Dolly has been behaving well!
"Come on, say hello, Madam." She had a black cat in her arms, which she quickly raised.
The black cat in the girl's arms looked at him without expression. Not displeased by the position or enjoying it, just an indifferent expression.
The corners of Klein's lip trembled at this.
'She lives up to the Madam, no doubt about it...' Controlling his expression a little, he turned his attention back to the older woman.
"Would you like to come in?"
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, my legs are not what they were 40 years ago." Analia bowed slightly and passed by him.
"Thank you, Detective Moriarty!" Susan laughed and went in with Madam Dolly in her arms.
Closing the door behind them, Klein and company went to the living room. After offering and serving them a glass of water, the magician sat on the sofa.
"And how may I help you on this beautiful afternoon?" Klein asked with mild curiosity as he watched Dolly lie on Susan's lap.
The little girl laughed a little and began to pet the cat, who began to purr softly.
"It's a simple request, Mr. Moriarty. Although I hope it's not too much trouble," Analia began before reaching out and joining her granddaughter in petting Dolly.
Klein already had an idea of what the woman was going to ask him, and he was a little stunned by it.
'Do I look like a babysitter?'
At that moment, Analia confirmed his thoughts by looking up and saying, "Would it be possible for you to look after Dolly for a while? It would only be for about 3 weeks.
"You don't need to have her at your home. You would have to go to our home twice, fill her water, serve her food, and clean her litter box.
"Of course, we would pay you for that. How about 4 Argentum?" Grandma said, taking out a couple of bills.
'Oh, money, why do you have to be so tempting...' Sighing inwardly, Klein thought a little about his current schedule.
Going to the apartment next door wouldn't be a problem. It would just mean doing something different, which would give him something else to do during the day.
After considering it for a moment, he gave a small smile and moved closer to the edge of his seat.
"Susan, could you come a little closer? You don't need to get up."
The little girl looked at him curiously but nodded and did as she was asked, but she was careful not to disturb the black cat on her lap.
Analia watched with interest.
Klein's smile remained. He raised both hands and, showing that he had nothing in them, brought one close to the girl's ear.
Pretending that he was looking for something for a few moments, his eyes opened a little wider, and he withdrew his hand. Between his fingers was a coin.
"Hihi." At the trick, Susan laughed innocently while Analia smiled gently.
Klein winked, and, placing the coin between his fingers, he threw it into the air and let it fall into his palm, closing it before the girl saw what it was.
"Heads or tails. If you guess, you'll get a prize," he winked.
Faced with the promise of a prize, Susan's response quickly exploded like an excited child should: "Heads!"
Laughing softly at that, he opened his hand.
Susan's excitement paused for a moment, and there was confusion on her face like her grandmother's.
There was nothing on his palm.
"But how? I saw how you caught it." The girl looked up and frowned deeply.
Faced with their similar faces, Klein only smiled at the black cat, "Why don't you look at Madam Dolly?"
Two pairs of eyes lowered to the black cat.
Madam Dolly had her ears back. Her eyes were sharp, and she looked with clear disdain at Klein. In the middle of her folded ears, a coin rested.
A cuprum, face up.
"Woa!" Susan looked at it in amazement.
"Impressive, Mr. Moriarty." Analia applauded in surprise, a little incredulous.
She knew this was a magic trick and that all magicians used quick hands and distractions to perform their tricks. Yet, despite being attentive, she never saw the moment the coin was placed on the cat's head.
"You have some rather unique talents."
Klein said nothing, just winked, took the coin from Dolly's head, and silently apologized to the cat.
He had used a simple illusion and sleight of hand.
The potion reacted slightly, but he didn't feel it being digested.
'Of course, the audience has to be bigger. Just two normal people won't be enough...'
Looking at them both, he said, "It won't be a problem. I'll look after Dolly while you're out."
"Thank you, Detective Moriarty!" Susan bowed deeply as she placed a hand on Dolly and made her do the same.
The cat just closed her eyes and let herself be led by her owner.
Analia put down her glass of water and, with a wrinkled hand, took Klein's and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Moriarty."
Klein placed his other hand on the woman's, "It's no problem."
After a few more pleasantries, grandmother and granddaughter left their apartment to prepare for their short trip.
"What a way to start the weekend..." The man could only sigh a little and return to his kitchen.
Luckily, he had only gotten as far as putting the potatoes in water, so there was no worry that this surprise visit had ruined his lunch.
...
Midnight, Oldeah District. Auchiied.
Leaving the train station, a group of figures made their way through the crowd. Everyone they passed bowed their heads or immediately stepped out of the way, unable to look the leader of the group in the face.
A tall man with gentle eyes and an upright posture, he was handsome and his gaze was heavy. In his gloved hands, he carried a long, dark metallic briefcase.
Behind him, but never more than eight steps away, a trio followed.
One man had a thick moustache, silver glasses, and slicked-back hair. His clothes were irregular, with the fabric of his left trouser leg being different from that of his right and in different quantities.
Another had soft but acid honey-colored eyes, a small scar on his lip, and dressed neatly.
The one closest to the tall man had short black hair. His sharp chin was clean-shaven, and his eyes were sharp as knives.
In the cloudy sky, a group of birds flew by. They were pigeons seeking shelter from the rain that would undoubtedly fall soon. One of these pigeons focused its intelligent gaze on the group.
At the same time, on the outskirts of a city covered in yellow smoke, a man with fiery hair smiled...