Aera winced as Jeffrey Tiller's head hit the dirt floor, his arms stiffening as his brain sent out confused signals to his body. That would be a concussion. The impact knocked him out cold.
An unsurprising result, seeing as how Jason had rigged the match.
She'd watched Jeffrey's opponent before the fight began. Aera thought it was important to gauge the odds before putting her money on someone. She'd lost track of him for a while, but he'd bumped into her on accident as the evening proceeded. He seemed oblivious to whoever was around him, but it had gotten her attention.
At that moment, she decided she'd bet on Jeffrey. But the young man who'd bumped into her then talked to one of Jason's associates, someone who Aera had met before. He was easy to recognize. His face and body were like a mix between a toad and a bulldog.
The opponent handed him a wad of cash. The associate then went into the fighter's changing rooms under the guise of dropping off some towels. He came out a few seconds later and nodded at Jason.
She'd caught the entire exchange by accident. No one else seemed to notice.
Jason Chan had rigged the fight and hadn't bothered to tell anyone. In fact, she bet that only the small circle of people he seemed closest to would have received notification of Jeffrey's impending demise.
She could never prove what she'd seen, but the revelation of fixed fights could drive a wedge between Jason and his clientele. No one likes to be cheated, especially this crowd — not unless they had a way in on the con.
Jeffrey had been the favoured contender. His odds of winning the match were good. Aera exercised due diligence, and bet on his opponent. The outcome was no surprise. Halfway through the fight, Jeffrey appeared distracted and tired, letting his opponent, Renfrew Bastille, land a few too many hits.
Renfrew had been smart about it too, making the win seem convincing. To most onlookers, Jeffrey would have appeared to underestimate his opponent, and wasn't taking the fight as seriously as Renfrew was. Renfrew let Jeffrey land a few sloppy hits, and then went in for the knockout.
This whole thing had been a lesson to Aera. Renfrew presented himself as shy, bumbling, and naïve. Who would have thought that beneath the mask, there was a calculating, ruthless wolf?
It was another example of how appearances could be misleading. At this rate, she might develop a complex.
Aera collected her winnings, having earned about 600 credits after betting 100 on Renfrew. She smiled.
It had been a good day. After a month of investigating Barnum's underground scene, she was almost certain that Pippen Visgold was behind the attack on Hunter, and a few hundred credits richer for her trouble. She had considered asking Jason about it, but figured she would need to be more subtle with her approach.
She'd save the idea of undermining Jason's relationships for another day. Today, she'd enact the first phase of a play, one which would smoke out the truth of who was truly behind Hunter's attack. She didn't plan on getting all the answers today — in fact; she knew enough to satisfy her goals in the short term.
Today was nothing but a demonstration. A message not only to the culprit, but to those who were watching, to those who were delusional enough to believe that the Oberons were open-season.
Her actions today wouldn't just send a message to the scions playing the game of high society at Barnum, it would present a certain someone with an ultimatum.
It had taken her most of a month to find witnesses to the attack, and they described certain individuals that Aera spent a lot of time trying to track down. Most of them were people who had already been at Barnum for at least a year.
LockeMark, or a company associated with them, sponsored most of them. None of them had talked at first, even after she got rough with them. She wondered what inspired such loyalty towards their patron.
Apparently, it was fear.
She received a call from one of them a few days after. His name was Joseph, and he asked for asylum in Oberon's domain if he talked. Apparently, Pippen could be quite the cruel young master. The Visgold child had threatened not just Joseph, but Jospeh's entire family. They were a middle-class bunch, and the Visgolds had been tormenting them for some time after catching them in a bondage contract. The Visgolds would forgive the debts, but the family would belong to them. It was quite like how the Visgolds leashed by the Locke's, exempt of the freedom and prestige.
It was legal slavery.
People rarely used such contracts anymore, but the Visgolds seemed all too willing to keep such traditions alive.
Joseph told her he'd been gifted enough to grab the Visgolds attention. The Visgolds were focusing their sights on the Chan's family project at Barnum. They were using Pippen's friendship with Jason to get in on the action. Joseph's job was to stay enrolled, and be at Pippen's beck and call. His full time job outside of studies was getting access to drugs, convincing girls to party with them, and showing up with a gang of others whenever Pippen felt like he wanted to get his hands dirty, like he had with Hunter.
It confirmed that Pippen had been present that day. He'd wanted to watch the chaos unfold. It was a golden opportunity to take a shot at the Oberons', who'd been a curse on the Visgold family for decades.
What Pippen had found about the newest addition to the Oberon's lineage had convinced him that Hunter was the perfect target for his aggression. What the snitch couldn't confirm was whether Jason had encouraged Pippen's attack. All Joseph had said was that Pippen didn't want Hunter hurt too badly.
So her estimation had proven correct. They hadn't known about Hunters' weak constitution. But in this case, ignorance was no valid justification for their actions.
The family could move to their domain, but only if Joseph served time in an Oberon internment facility. This was agreed upon after Aera spoke with her father. Oberon would impose a reasonable financial debt on them. But this debt wouldn't hinder their advancement within the company, nor would its terms be altered.
Despite their involvement in the assault, Oberon sympathized with the young man and his family's hardship. Oberon understands ties to family, and Aera found that her father's disinterest in punishing Joseph's loved ones to be wise, if not frustrating.
But her father's choice maintained the family's integrity, as well as that of the corporation. She'd prefer that the world know the fury which Oberon could bring forth. Her father was thinking ahead. His decision would make the consequence of cooperating with Oberon's investigators easier to stomach. While offering information wouldn't balance out the scales of justice, granting amnesty to families in desperate situations, who weren't involved in their children's choices, would be an acceptable deal.
The rest, who were there out of ambition or cold-blooded excitement, Aera would have her way with once her investigations concluded. Every perpetrator they found was being put under the microscope, as were their family and closest associates.
Over a month of club meetings had revealed to Aera that Pippen was Jason's bitch, and Pippen didn't even see it. Jason had mind-fucked Pippen so deeply that it would be impressive — if it weren't so disturbing.
It became more apparent to her that Jason was much more dangerous than she'd thought. The rumours she'd been hearing may have more truth than she'd wanted to believe.
However, just because Pippen was Jason's lapdog, didn't mean that he didn't have the motivation to act alone. The Visgolds had more than enough enmity with the Oberon's to account for Pippen's behaviour.
That being the case, she still needed to gauge how complicit Jason was in the attack. If it turned out that he hadn't been pulling the strings behind the scenes, she would still punish him. It would be a lesson regarding how ruthless an Oberon could be, as well as teaching him to keep his subordinates on a tighter leash.
If he was behind it, she would ruin him and his family to whatever degree she could. Her father might be lenient, but right now, she wanted to be the bad cop. She had her father's approval, to an extent. He was no stranger to the way the game was played, and the drama at Barnum would usually stay contained to Barnum, save whatever enmities and partnerships one cultivated during their time at the academy.
But now, Trey was allocating company resources in order to answer the Visgolds call to war, whether they were aware of Pippen's actions or not. A powerful statement needed to be made, and Trey had been looking for an excuse to make one for a long time.
But he could be surgical when he needed to be, which was another lesson he wanted her to learn. The Chans wielded their power precariously, despite their extensive connections. Depending on her discovery, either LockeMark and Oberon Enterprises would go to war again, or the Oberons would systematically erase the Chans' power base and replace it with one loyal to them.
There would always be another Chan family. They may have carved out an interesting piece of the pie that Barnum represents, but they were overestimating their value to the Council family's if they're letting Jason make such drastic plays so early into the game.
Hunter had agreed to stay at the school, which meant that Trey was going to let her handle things. The police would back off a bit on his order. She would have some freedom in how she proceeded.
This was not just about revenge; it was a test — a challenge to help mould her. The actions she took in response to the attack on her family will stay with her forever, and they would tell the world what kind of woman she was going to be.
All parties concerned would know that the Oberon's star will not be falling once her father gives up his position to her. If she has her way, the Oberon's name will rise to stand head and shoulders above all others. It wasn't just her ambition; it was her fathers, as well. Time would tell if Hunter would ever come to share their vision.
Before that day came, she would refuse to entertain calling him her brother. He would have to earn that right — not for her, but for the family she loves. He is to her as the Visgolds are to the Locke's. A useful extension.
And up to this point, calling him useful would overstate his impact. But she had a duty to protecting Oberon's name, and she would see that duty executed.
---
Pippen was sitting near Jason, enthusiastic about the outcome of the match. Jason had a bored look on his face, but he cheered up once he saw Aera watching them. He waved her over with a beaming smile, quite like how a hungry lion would smile as a small mouse crossed its path.
"Aera! Quite the upset, isn't it? We were all so sure that Jeffrey would have this one in the bag!"
"I bet on Renfrew" Aera said. Jason's eyebrows rose. She was breathing slow, and deep. She needed to stay calm.
"Oh? A warrior's intuition?" Jason asked. She was watching Pippen out of the corner of his eye. He appeared disinterested in the conversation. In fact, he seemed to look everywhere where Aera wasn't.
Since Pippen was already here, she might as well get the plan rolling.
"Sure, something like that," she said, turning her full attention to Pippen. "Hey, Visgold. I heard you like to fight."
Pippen shrugged, eyes squinting. Was he wondering if she knew about his role in the attack? Was Jason wondering how to control the damage?
"I've sparred once in a while," Pippen said, raising his chin at her. Was it defiance?
I'm not scared of you, Oberon.
"You ever think about participating?" She asked, tilting her head towards the dirt ring that the club used for its fights.
Jason's eyebrows rose. There was no way he didn't know about what Pippen had done. If Jason was behind it, then she couldn't quite fathom what his motives would be for attacking her family. Whether or not he was involved, he had to know that the outcome would put him in her crosshairs.
That meant that either he was waiting for Aera to make a move before offering Pippen's head on a platter, or he had in fact bitten off more than he could chew, and was too uncertain about how to proceed. He was facing a crisis, and if Aera made it seem like she was coming for him, he might do something rash.
She would rather delay that, but she couldn't delay making a statement.
"Sure, I'm just waiting for the right opponent," Pippen said, his eyes seeming to light up. She now had his full attention.
"The Visgolds always did pride themselves on their martial prowess. Didn't the LockeMark's give you access to the same tutors they hired for their children? Not as good as the masters my father hired from around the world, but I'm sure you must be better than average in a fight," she said.
Her words seemed to touch a raw nerve. His excitement turned to anger in a split second. He stood and stalked towards her. Jason called for him to sit down, but Pippen either didn't hear him or had slipped from the master's leash.
"You Oberons, always thinking you're better than us. You think the Locke's are afraid of you, that you can just offend the Visgolds without retaliation?"
"Pippen, be very careful—" Jason warned, but Aera interrupted him.
"The Visgolds are worthless to the Lockes. You know that, right? My family has played with your family for generations. You make yourselves into such an easy target—"
"There's the Queen Bitch we all know and love. I will end you, Oberon. And your family!"
No wonder Jason could so thoroughly wrap Pippen around his finger. He was an animal, all reaction and no regard.
She saw Pippen's punch from a mile away, and she dodged it just enough that it glanced at her cheek. She made a show of stumbling back a step, as if it had made more of an impact than it did. It wasn't difficult to summon some anger in response.
Pippen had always been a hothead. The Visgolds were always easy to aggro — this one particularly so.
She spat on the ground.
"You know I can't just let that go," she said, turning to Jason, who seemed like a deer in headlights. He was sweating and gawking. She could imagine he was seeing his life flash before his eyes, but he summoned his wits and nodded at her words.
"Pippen," Jason said, his tone catching Pippen's attention, "Calm yourself."
Pippen seemed conflicted with the command, but his loyalty to his master appeared to win out. He forced himself back to his seat.
"What did you have in mind?" Jason asked her. He must be realizing that there was only one path forward now. Pippen would turn into the latest in a long line of pawns he would have had to sacrifice for his own self interest.
"I believe that Pippen and I have some differences to resolve. I have time tonight, so why not now?"
Jason nodded, "What do you think, Pippen?"
"I'll make you squeal, Oberon."
Jason nodded again, calling for one of his henchmen to clear the ring.
An announcer's voice echoed through the area. A surprise fight between the Visgold heir and the Oberon heir. Excited voices erupted from the crowd, dozens of wealthy scions having gathered to watch the festivities. They'd all heard about Hunter Oberon Koar, the attack, and were all waiting to see how Aera would respond.
She was sure that they all knew she had a history with martial arts, and her AR was prodigious. She had the physical strength and stamina to match it.
To be honest, this stunt had been a gamble. If Pippen hadn't been so easy to enrage, he might have considered exactly who he was threatening.
Pippen's temper: was it caused by Jason's meddling? If Jason had been manipulating him since elementary school, she'd vastly underestimated his capabilities.
It would be impressive, but not enough to intimidate her. In fact, it would make the next step even easier. Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing the truth yet. However, Jason had just agreed to let Aera get even with his subordinate. If nothing else, she'd make a show of assuming Jason's innocence in the matter, but she wouldn't stop investigating until she knew for sure.
The fighters had a couple of minutes to prepare themselves. Then they stepped into the ring, facing each other. The look Pippen gave her would be chilling, if she wasn't so confident in the outcome.
She briefly wondered how many broken bones had Hunter ended up with? She recalled a broken rib and a broken arm. A collarbone, too.
Pippen charged her the second the match started, probably hoping to overwhelm her with brute strength. He was strong. Men, on average, were much stronger than women. Even with the physical strength advantage from her AR, she might only be marginally stronger than him now, assuming they aren't evenly matched.
But her training had been superior. She sidestepped his charge at the last second, deciding to put him to the test. Then she faked a sweep, which he stumbled out of the way of. She followed up with a few jabs, but he skilfully dodged and blocked them. She kicked at his knee, but he tanked it, and with a victorious snarl, he tried to grab her foot.
It wasn't what she'd expected, but she could work with that.
She let him take her foot, and she used his hand as leverage as she twisted her body, kicking at his head with her free foot. He let go of her foot and tried to block. The kick was strong enough to push him back a step.
She landed on her now freed leg and twisted as she crouched, kicking at him again with all the force she could muster. The kick connected with his left knee.
It buckled, and Pippen cried out in pain.
They would call the match in a second. Her next few moves would need to be quick.
She tackled Pippen to the ground and smiled as the back of his head hit the dirt with a satisfying thud. Then she punched at his collarbone and his ribs until she felt them crack. The collarbone was easy. The ribs took a few blows.
There wouldn't be enough time to break his arm, so she compromised.
One final blow flattened his nose like a rotten tomato. Jason's men pulled her off of him, otherwise she would have continued. She spit on him before they could drag out of the ring.
The spectators were aghast. Whatever they'd expected from her, that hadn't been it.
She smiled. They'd all received her message. Most of them would never be in a position where their actions would risk the wrath of Oberon befalling themselves or their family's, but word would get around.
She saw quite a few disappointed faces as well. They'd made the wrong bet.
She gave Jason one last look, one he wasn't expecting. The split second before his face shifted to a warm goodbye, she'd glimpsed the rage underneath. That rage wasn't directed towards Pippen.
And it wasn't a loud rage. It was cold, quiet, and focused. She had recognized the look because she'd seen it a thousand times. The corporate world, especially at the highest level, was full of resentments, ambitions, and masks of cordiality. She'd long learned to recognize it. Though she wasn't as adept as her father in reading people's ambitions at a glance, she was catching up.
Aera figured she'd just received all the confirmation she needed. Despite the facade, Jason was not Aera's friend.
The question was, did that make her his enemy? And what was he going to do about it?