They needed to invent popcorn.
   "How on earth could we guess who it might be, Samuel?" Melisand rolled her eyes and huffed while Liberty sat back to watch the show. "I know you like to have your little moments of drama as you wait for us to catch up to your mighty brain, but it does slow these meetings down."
   "Some of us do have projects we are working on, Mr. Ventris," The woman to his left chimed in. Smaller in stature than Liberty, her soft brown hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head, held in place with a pencil that barely reached the height of Samuel's shoulder. Large round spectacles framed her bright brown eyes, and the sleeves of her simple blouse were rolled up, a tape measure draped forgotten around her neck. Gladys had obviously been pulled away from her work, and the pointed glances she was throwing to Liberty and Winnifred made it even more obvious that she was itching to talk about her most recent creation's performance with them.
   "Gladys is right. I had to leave a promising new alloy cooling prematurely for this meeting. Please let us know what is going on so we can return to our business." The elder of the group, Amanda, crossed her arms, causing the pronounced muscles in her forearms to bulge even more. With white streaks through her black hair, pulled back into a severe bun at the back of her head, she looked like a school principal eyeing the class troublemakers. The black eyebrow that winged its way upward as she locked her dark blue eyes onto Samuel screamed her intention for him to state his piece and let her get back to her beloved forge.
   "I know, I do. I wouldn't have torn myself away from the piles of paperwork in my office either if it weren't crucial that we all know what had transpired." He took a deep breath and leaned forward to rub his temples lightly. "I sustained a prolonged visit from our esteemed Prime Minister this afternoon. He came in person. To my office. Unannounced."
   This revelation caused a stir around the table. Most of the members were not pleased with this new development. While the speculation shot around the table, Liberty observed Melisande. The only member still sitting quietly at the news, she saw the calculation in the woman's eyes. This could be good or very bad; either way, they would need more information from some very hard-to-reach people and organizations. It would be Melisande's responsibility as the head of The Company, their shadow network of spies and informants, to find out exactly how much the man who ran the government knew about them. They weren't ready to meet him or his minions head-on yet, so it was essential that they not draw too much of his attention just yet.
   Liberty was amazed when she looked at what they had accomplished in such a short time. A few months had seen so many bits of groundwork laid. With the people and talents they had gathered, they were already moving several steps ahead of their current competition. 
   They hid in plain sight. Established one of the fastest rising guilds with innovative new products, and behind the scenes, they had recruited and trained an information gathering machine. A machine that was able to collect the news they would need fast enough for them to stay those crucial steps ahead.  
   The Baroness had been more impressive than she had hoped. Within a week of their meeting, she had recruited the first group of spies from the courtesans she knew. Men often sought to have a beautiful woman on their arm when they met for business, which gave those women access to inside information that could be exploited in various ways. 
    Every successful courtesan had to have ways to gather the information necessary. They needed to know which clients could afford their 'services', when a patron was preparing to move on, and what overheard tidbits they could use to enrich themselves. That took a comprehensive network of people willing to keep them supplied with information. People who those ladies had quickly handed over to them. 
   From there, they had swiftly built out the network and now had over a hundred informants in noble households, guild halls, and minor branches of the government. From the glint in Melisande's eye, they would be working overtime to worm their way closer to the Prime Minister now. Their safety would depend on it.
   "We are all in agreement that this is not a comfortable development, though I think that there may be some opportunities for us here." Samuel held up a hand to quiet the room. "I was able to speak to him directly about some of the 'advancements' that we were hoping to find a way to get introduced into the palace. So, despite my worry about his motives for coming in person, I am pleased to report that he appeared to be enthusiastic." He recounted the contents of the meeting as they asked questions and clarified where they needed to.
   "We've reached the point of being able to store the specific chemical composition of a person's blood in a locking mechanism, haven't we, ladies?" The soft-spoken young man with light blue hair to Liberty's left leaned forward to glance at Winnifred and the woman across from him.
    "That breakthrough came last week, right, Danya? It's just a matter of adjusting the mechanism in the pens to lock and unlock them. I've already thought of a way to trigger it. That's why I put the gems on the front in the first place. No one will even be able to tell if they are one of the special pens or not. Except us, of course." The genius next to Liberty slid her spectacles back up her nose and nodded to the sharp-featured woman across the table, who was nodding along.
   "That's right. With George's help, we've been able to shrink the surface area of the reagent and lower the amount of blood sample needed to a small enough amount to place in the brackets we already use for decoration. We'll need the individual's blood ahead of time to manufacture the 'gems', but that will work to our advantage. Won't it, Baroness?" Danya's bright grey eyes shot over to Melisande for confirmation.
   "You've done very well with my request, ladies and gentlemen. If all goes well, we'll not only be able to identify all the members of the key groups under the Prime Minister's control we will also be able to isolate the key members of those groups, find leverage on them. Or create it. Turn as many to our cause as is prudent. I'll get to work on choosing the 'technicians' that I'll ask you to train in the sample collection process right away. " The sharp glint in the deep purple eyes of the woman showed her satisfaction with the situation. "This appears to be good news, though unlooked for. I get being a little wary of the timing and that he came to us unprovoked, but this is something that we can use."
   "Yes, Mr. Ventris, did he say how he came to come to us directly? While it's not a good idea to look a gift horse in the mouth, the least we can do is know who delivered the beast." Amanda grunted.
   "A wise stance, Amanda." Samuel nodded at the blacksmith. "He found us through the manager at one of the boutiques on Frontreau Street, where we placed some consignment pieces. We had been intending to release some of the upcoming 'special' pieces through them. We'll have to vet them even more strenuously now." He looked pointedly at Melisande, who tipped her head in acknowledgment. 
   "Overall, I think that we were able to handle the situation as well as it could be." Samuel rested his elbows on the table and glanced around. "However, the timing of your 'escapade' this afternoon does leave a lingering sense of unease. It had to be within a quarter of an hour from when the Prime Minister left our doorstep that our own Lady Liberty, *ahem*, returned to us, and shortly after that, the local constabulary visited us. If they had crossed paths, then that would be a problem. Right now, he's an enthusiastic customer, but we don't want too much of his attention to turn our way. At least not yet."
   Liberty hung her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. I can admit when I make a mistake. I saw a chance and thought that it would be stupid not to take it. I didn't think they would chase me this far or call in the guards. I mean, they stole the formula to begin with! Who calls in the cops to get back the thing they stole in the first place?" She looked from Samuel to Gwendolyn. "I know we don't need the government poking its nose in yet. In my defense, though, I had no way of knowing that Mr. Clean would come here just to buy a new pen. I'm glad that no one got close enough to even touch my cloak." Liberty blithely overlooked the slash she had just been showing off to Winnifred. She also chose not to mention the man she had collided with. 
   She had literally run into him while glancing over her shoulder, on the street right outside the boarding house. He was definitely not a local. The body that she had crashed into was solid but lean, unlike the usual stocky forms of the tradesmen in the area. He had been muscular, but more in the way of someone who maintained his physique through exercise or training, not through continuous labor. The quality of the fabric in the lapels of the coat she had grabbed was far beyond what the usual inhabitants of this neighborhood could afford, even if it wasn't ostentatiously decorated. 
   She refused to think about the deep green eyes that had narrowed at her when they had locked eyes. Or the sharp brows that had lowered. Let's not even get into that long hair. He was definitely not from around here. Which meant he shouldn't be back. So their brief encounter didn't matter. She refused to think about the accident further than that. 
   Nope, not going to think about it at all.
   She sensed a few gazes trained on her and realized that someone must have asked her something. "Sorry!" She glanced around, shaking her head to clear it. "I was a little distracted. This could be a big leap forward if we're able to capitalize on it." She leaned back as Samuel picked up where he had left off.
   "I'm assuming that with this mission out of the way, we're ready for the next phase. Is that right, Liberty?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
   "Yes, and just in time, too. The Imperial ball is next week, and we'll need to be as prepared as we can be. We've done a lot. Honestly, more than I could have expected in such a short time. I can't thank all of you enough for joining me, and I am constantly amazed at what we have built and what you all can do. We are a dream team, and none of this would exist without every one of you." She glanced around the table and smiled. "I know you all laugh at the plaque I hung over that door." Liberty pointed at the large wooden sign that hung at the top of the wall, which read ' The Justice League'. "I didn't make up this name, like most of you believe. I once read a story from long ago." So many eyes rolled to the heavens when she mentioned this. She often explained the strange things she said or suggested this way,
  "I know, I know. You've all heard that before." She chuckled softly and continued, " But I did read this particular book when I was younger." Graphic novels were still books. "It was about a group of extraordinary people. All distinct. All different. Each of them was amazing by themselves and could do astounding things that changed the world. But despite being just fine by themselves, they were even better when they used all those special skills together to make things right for everyone, not just themselves. When I look at all of us, that's what I see. Amazing people who can do stupendous things. Things I couldn't even begin to imagine. Things that will change the world for everyone. I am so proud of us." Now they were all blushing and avoiding her gaze. "No matter how proud I am of us, though, we still have a long way to go."
    The 'original plot' of this horrible novel was about to start. They had been working at a breakneck pace to lay the groundwork, but the real action was about to start. There was still so much that could go wrong. 
   She didn't know if the plot would have a strong effect on the world, if any. Would she be forced into some kind of relationship with the Crown Prince despite her wishes? Would something happen to Melisande even though they had set things in motion to make sure that the murderer wouldn't be able to get anywhere near her?  Who, or what, had brought her here, and what did they want?
    Heck, she didn't even really know if this was a novel or if that was just all some construct her mind made to help her process the freaky situation she found herself in. This world had an abundant amount of depth and detail that the author had never even bothered to touch on. All the 'side characters' that she had met and interacted with were real people, with needs, wants, and wills of their own. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to gather them together at all. Was bringing this group of background characters together to change this world and, hopefully, the plot, even the right thing to do?
   If they were caught, they ran the risk of being thrown in jail, or much worse. If the original novel were to be believed, then the people they were up against had no issue with using lives as tools for control and would be brutal if threatened. Everyone who was sitting around the table was taking a huge risk in the hopes of making some real changes in the world. The Crown Prince may be an idiot, but the Prime Minister was known for his genius-level intellect, strategic planning, and ruthless efficiency. He would be a terrifying opponent for most. Liberty herself wished that she wouldn't have to face off with him, but she figured at some point it was inevitable. She could only hope that the novel had oversold his loyalty to the idiot next in line for the throne.
    Maybe she was fighting so hard against a plot that didn't even really exist. Or maybe it would hit her like a ton of bricks in the middle of the ballroom, and she would be trapped. There were so many things that she didn't know.  All she could do was prepare as best as she could and try and make sure all of them were safe from any nonsense that came their way. She had worked hard to come to terms with this new world, and these people all mattered too much to her to allow them to be used and discarded as mere plot devices in a trashy novel. 
    And if this weren't a novel, then she couldn't leave them to deal with the way this world beat people down. This reality was great if you were born as the right person, in the right family. However, for so many, there were nothing but dead ends in front of them. That wasn't something that Liberty could sit back and ignore. Everything she was screamed at her to fight and change it. 
    "We'll be in place to take out Viscount Torrington." She shared a look with Melisande and then smiled widely. "With extreme prejudice."