Acid green eyes stared intently at one of the monitors arrayed before their owner, brows pinching together as the older woman frowned. A few keystrokes and a click of her mouse zeroed in on the alert. “Hmmm...again? We can't have you doing that, little mouse.” Dark, inky black fingers flew over the keys, counteracting the curious investigation of a bright young mind into alterations she’d put in place months before.

Her opponent gave pause, only to start following a trail in another direction, dismantling—possibly without even realizing it—another security precaution, leaving her to try and repair the damage and shunt the intruder away from anything important. “Clever girl, aren't you? I can see why she likes you...but this is not for you, little mouse. Find some other kind of cheese.” Fingers danced over the keys, shutting out the intruder and opening up a pathway that would lead them back to safer subjects, leaving a few breadcrumbs to satisfy curiosity.

The person on the other end was quick, seeing through the ploy and making it quite clear what they thought of it. “Cheeky of you,” the woman murmured, fingers typing so fast they were nothing more than a dark blur, even as her phone began to play an upbeat tune.

A quick tap on her bluetooth headset answered the call with barely a pause in her typing. “Hello, dear.”

“Auntie,” the woman on the other end greeted with warmth. “Is this a bad time?”

Her lips curled in a smirk, and she reached across her desk to pluck the fancy cigarette holder from its resting place, lighting the waiting white cylinder at its end with neat precision. “My dearest, darling little gemstone, it is never a bad time to hear from you. How are you?”

“I’m just fine, Auntie. With everyone back in school, and both Greenie and Cinnamon applying to colleges, it was a busy winter break.” The younger voice sighed, thick with emotion. “I’m going to miss my girls when they leave for college.”

Her beloved niece had such a huge heart, just like her mother. “It's hard, my dear, but you’ll always be their mother, remember that. Just like your sisters will always remember Synergy as their mother.” She drew a long drag of tingling smoke into her lungs.

“Thanks, Auntie...that means a lot, coming from you. I always worry if I’m living up to Mom’s legacy. And speaking of sisters...Active did what you asked. She said to tell you she gets a good feel for him—he really was genuinely concerned over the girl’s wellbeing, and that it was a personal investigation.”

“As I suspected. Red’s been making waves, and it's stirring things up. Keep your girls close, my dear. Unpleasant elements in the city are growing anxious again, and my children can only do so much.” Her fingers flew over the keys again, blocking two more holes in security and sending the little mouse where she wanted in the digital maze.

“We will, Auntie. We’ve put the earlier curfew into check like you suggested. Hot also did maintenance on the House’s security system, so thank you for sending him. He’s been a godsend.” There was a note in the younger woman’s voice that made her smile.

“I’ll have him stick around in the meantime then. Can you put him up in your spare room? Or should I arrange for him to have an apartment nearby?” Hot Head, despite his name, was a loyal Child who would protect her nieces and their girls.

“We can manage, I think, especially if he’s willing to give the wiring a good going over in the dining room and bathroom on the main floor.” There was a soft note in her voice, one that suggested the woman would enjoy having Hot around for reasons beyond just protection.

She suppressed a laugh. “Very well, gemstone. You keep him there until this is over. He can take the chance to redo all the electrical in that building. It needs it, and if money is an issue, I’ll see some wired to the foundation account.”

Her niece let out a soft but happy sigh. “Okay, Auntie. Is there anything else you need from us in the meantime?”

“Only for you to send along any rumors or information about Red and her collective, or about the school—no matter how bizarre. Especially from your girls who go there. Other than that, I’ll see you and your sisters for dinner on Sunday.”

“We’re excited to see you again, Auntie—it's been too long and we all miss you. More so now that Dad is gone…”

“You have my word, gemstone, as soon as this is over, you will be seeing me more. Give your sisters my love in the meantime, and stay safe.”

“We will, Auntie—and you please do the same. I don't want to lose you too, not in the same year that we lost Dad.” Her voice was ragged with pain. “We don't have anyone else.”

“I will be fine, dear. I've been playing this game for a long time. Have a little faith in me.” Movement caught her eye and she saw one of her Children waiting patiently for her to finish her call. “Now I have to go, but I will talk to you soon. Goodbye, gemstone.”

“Goodbye, Auntie. I love you.”

The call ended with a click, and the woman took another drag on her cigarette. “You have something for me?”

“Yes, Mother,” the young man said. “Ghost sent this file over.”

Her eyes watched the progress on screen—the mouse had finally taken the bait and followed the path she’d been laying out for it. “Bring it here.” A few more keystrokes left the information she wanted the mouse to have and none that she didn’t. You’re playing a dangerous game, mouse, right in between the claws of a panther… She just hoped she could act in time to finally see the panther caged…

Taking her eyes off the screen for the moment, she opened the file folder set neatly in front of her with the same precision Shadow always conducted himself with. It revealed a thick stack of papers and photos, and she carefully looked through them one at a time, scrutinizing them with a practiced eye. Her grim expression morphed into a dark smile—not for the implications or the likely fate of the missing girl mentioned in the files, but for the opportunity it afforded her.

“Maybe your waves will be beneficial after all, Red…” she murmured, taking a long drag on her cigarette.

She flicked her eyes to Shadow. “Call Echo and Whisper, have them come in. I have a task that requires their delicate touch.”

Shadow inclined his head. “Of course, Mother. They’ll be here before morning.” He turned crisply on his heel and left the room.

She turned back to the files for a moment, before rising from her seat, gliding to a clever set of panels on the wall. Resting her hand on the concealed sensor, she waited for the safe to slide open, humming a tune from decades past. “This could very much work in my favor…” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder at one of the files open on her computer, showing the detailed service record of a blue haired CCPD detective. “Let’s see if you are as noble as I’ve heard, Detective…and if you care about your sister more than you want to conform to that snake charmer’s tune…”

She took a thick stack of folders from the safe, beginning the arduous process of sorting and organizing them so she could make copies.

Zwischenzug: Chess term. (German for "intermediate move") "A common tactic in which a player under threat, instead of directly countering, introduces an even more devastating threat. The tactic often involves a new attack against the opponent's queen or king. The opponent then may be forced to address the new threat, abandoning the earlier attack.

The concept of a zwischenzug is often listed as a tactic, but might properly be called a counter-tactic instead. The effect of a zwischenzug is to change the status quo before a tactic can come to fruition. The near ubiquity of the zwischenzug makes long combinations all the more rare and impressive."

A new player enters the scene...

But is she friend or foe?

And who is she exactly?

Hehehehehe.

Sorry its a short chapter, but I've been waiting on this interlude, because I want to see what people speculate about her.