THE BLACK HERONS

Chapter 4 - Viv West

Viv hardly got any rest over the night. The Core Stone kept her mind awake, and she toyed with her newfound powers in the bathroom mirror instead of sleeping. Viv practiced transforming herself into Cato and Naomi, and even found herself shapeshifting into the guise of Senator Warren Sun. She brushed her replica of his long brown hair back, then charmingly lifted her chin.

"Hello, asshole," she uttered.

His forest eyes stared at her through the mirror, haunting her. Perhaps taking this mission was her greatest mistake yet, but she never turned the senator down. Viv accepted every task he had ever given her. She just never expected this kind of outcome from taking the Core Stone.

Maybe Warren was also playing a game here. Perhaps deep down, he knew one of his Cranes would be rare. And of course, of all the agents in this Klypt-forsaken agency, Warren's favorite was the one "blessed" with powers.

Viv had known for years that she was Warren Sun's favorite Crane. She couldn't deny that he fancied her. His tone was always softer around her, and even playful at times when they were alone. So, what else was she to do but take advantage of these feelings? If she played his favorite, she would reap the best rewards. The Black Herons were always given the most daring missions this way. Viv needed to keep the act up around him—and even around the others.

"Warren" is new.

Viv had been on a first-name basis with the senator for years now, but not in front of the others so much. Maybe she was letting herself slip up. She was tired, but she would keep going. Senator Sun had his second favorites, after all. And Klypt help her if Felex Canaveri of the Blue Herons ever became Warren Sun's favorite Crane.

Who would even want to date a senator, anyway? she pondered.

This was all a game to her at this point. Would Viv ever reciprocate Senator Sun's feelings? Not in a million years. But she could keep playing to win. Now that, she could do. Warren Sun was favored among the people, and the man had a few affairs every year. Women had been throwing themselves at him back when his father was the senator. Viv couldn't blame Warren for having the ego he has today. Yet even he was at a point where he would like to finally find a life partner.

However, one of his subordinates was the last person he should be eyeing.

Viv straightened her posture, then shifted back into herself. She released a sigh as she gazed into her own tawny eyes.

She was no longer facing the Senator of the Solis District, nor did she share the eyes of her younger teammates. She was Viv West, leader of the Black Herons and a lone daughter of two immigrants from the Philippines.

Optima was a mini melting pot. People from all corners of the earth would flock to Optima for a fruitful life in the Atlantic, and Viv's parents were two of those people. Viv grew up in the northern neighborhood of Optima's capital city, Port Haven, where she thrived with a decent education and lived in a supportive community. That was until she turned ten, and the Cranes of the Coast were looking for recruits. They primarily targeted the youths of lower- and middle-class immigrants, and for a hefty price from the Cranes of the Coast, the parents allowed Anthony Sun to admit their children into the Snipe Guild. Viv continued the rest of her education with the guild alongside Fern Undergrove, who was the daughter of two Scottish immigrants. While they were competitors in their youth, they worked together to train for the freedom and good of Optima, the nation they were born in—the home their parents had chosen for them. Viv often believed the organization brainwashed her into believing that being a Crane of the Coast was beneficial—not just for herself but for the people of Optima. However, as she grew older, the truth of her situation became clear.