Proof Of Identity

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 35, Post Number 869

-1780 King's Court, early afternoon-

Having made her way through traffic and pedestrians who were doing their best to earn a Darwin Award by stepping out in front of moving vehicles while looking at their iLacs, Victoria parked her Centaur in the driveway of 1780 King's Court, which was where the Montgomery family resided. In her right side pocket was a note from Mr. Montgomery she had folded up and carried with her to prove why she was here. He had sent for her because he claimed he had something important to discuss with her.

Wearing her white Steel Matron t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts, Victoria got off of the Centaur and stretched her legs. While she was stretching her legs she noticed a familiar person and frowned. It was her old enemy the mob princess.

Francesca Corlone was wearing a white tube top and dangerously short black skirt with black high heels and a black pocketbook slung on her left shoulder. The mob princess was in her driveway preparing to get into her black convertible and terrorize Capital Crocus when the violet-eyed blonde locked eyes with the brunette. She gave Victoria the middle finger and strode briskly towards her while shouting insults about the latter's questionable parentage. The brunette frowned.

"Hey Biker Bitch, get outta this neighborhood! This place is exclusive! No trash allowed!" Francesca yelled at Victoria. The brunette waited until the blonde drew close enough to hear her before delivering her verbal riposte.

"This neighborhood must not be all that exclusive if they let you live here." Victoria snarked. As she predicted Francesca took offense to the remark and got angry.

"SHUT UP YOU WHORE! I'VE GOT SO MUCH MONEY THAT I CAN BUY YOU!" The angry blonde screeched at Victoria. Victoria heard the front door of the Montgomery house open and saw Allie striding towards them. The black-haired youth was loaded for bear.

"How many times do we have to tell you to stay on your property, Plastic Girl?" Allie asked Francesca. The mob princess got even angrier.

"THESE ARE REAL, YOU SKANK!" Francesca shouted, moving her large chest up and down with her hands to show how real the silicon was. Victoria felt a bit nauseous when she saw that. What had she gotten herself into?

"Yeah, they're real all right. REAL FAKE!" Allie retorted and closed with Francesca. Victoria took a step back. This was getting "sleazy daytime talk show" trashy. The garage opened and out stepped Alex.

"Oh. It's you. I was wondering what all this noise was about." Alex said to Francesca wearily. Francesca turned her attention from Allie to Alex and began swearing again. Victoria regretted what she had said... just a little.

"OH, SO YOU'RE COMING OUT HERE TOO? YOU WANNA FIGHT? IS THAT IT?" Francesca asked. Alex sighed. It was clear that the older Montgomery sister had been through this situation before. She pulled the iLac out of the side pocket of her gym shorts and displayed it where everyone could see it.

"Just go back to your property already, Francesca. You're violating the restraining order and I'll call the cops if I have to." Alex warned the blonde. Francesca huffed and swore under her breath.

"FINE! I'VE GOT BETTER PLACES TO BE ANYWAY!" Francesca yelled. She gave all three girls the middle finger and stomped back to her driveway, then gave them the middle finger again before hopping into her convertible and cranking it up. She then roared out of her driveway while giving them the middle finger one last time, then drove by while yelling obscenities. The trio watched the black convertible disappear down the road and saw Francesca take a sharp turn to the right while honking her car horn at someone.

"Classy. Real classy." Allie remarked.

"How did she get to live in this neighborhood again?" Victoria asked the Montgomery sisters.

"Who knows?" Alex asked a question of her own. Once they were sure the mob princess was gone the trio spoke again. Victoria fished out the letter she had received from Mr. Montgomery and spoke to the siblings.

"Your father sent me a note today. He said that he wanted to discuss something important with me." Victoria told them why she was here. The sisters smiled a little.

"OK, Victoria. It's gonna be awhile before you see him, so I hope that you don't have anything important to do." Alex said to the brunette.

"I've got all day. Literally." Victoria assured her.

"You can park your vehicle in the garage so that Francesca doesn't bash it to pieces with a baseball bat while you're inside our house." Alex offered. The brunette gave a thumbs-up.

"Sure, thanks. Lemme do that." Victoria accepted the offer. She put away the note and hopped on board the Centaur, then turned it on and carefully maneuvered it into the garage through the middle door. The Montgomery siblings followed her inside and once everyone was inside the garage the door was lowered.

-Inside the Montgomery house-

"So, Vic... do you want a drink?" Allie asked the Sabertooth mage while taking off her shoes.

"Sure. You got a Strawberry Slam?" Victoria asked the younger Montgomery while removing her own shoes.

"Yeah. Hang on a minute and I'll get one for you." Allie said. She went ahead into the kitchen while Victoria and Alex waited just outside.

"Do you know that Francesca Corlone?" Alex asked her.

"Let's just say that we have some... history and leave it at that." Victoria replied. Alex took the hint and nodded.

"OK. We'll just leave it at that." Alex replied. The pair then paused and listened to Allie rummage through the refrigerator in search of drinks.

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Victoria and Alex faced each other while Allie rummaged through the refrigerator. The brunette felt a little bad about not telling them how she was familiar with Francesca Corlone. Victoria's reason for not explaining was that she did not want the Montgomery sisters to be the targets of the mob princess because once word got out that Victoria was the long-lost Sheridan Francesca would try to finish what she had started in Rose Garden. If she could not get to Victoria herself she would gladly go after Victoria's friends and acquaintances to get even. After thinking about earlier and realizing that the sisters were already targets of the mob princess just for insisting on their boundaries being respected, Victoria decided to tell them how she knew Francesca.

"Since it's gonna come out eventually, I'll tell you guys how I know Francesca Corlone. It's better that you hear it from me instead of from the rumor mill." Victoria relented. Alex looked at Victoria while Allie pulled herself out of the refrigerator just to hear the story. Victoria visualized her "Normal" form and snapped her fingers, transforming into her tomboyish self, the Victoria that Alex had first met back in Lycan Woods. Both Montgomery sisters were surprised to see the brunette in her original form.

"Francesca knows my name already. I used to be part of Black Rose, a guild that was based in Rose Garden. We met a few times and we clashed verbally. Then one day she had her father's goons storm Red Dragon Inn. The guards tried to stop them, but there was just too much mob muscle... the goons threatened to kill everyone inside the inn unless I went with them. So I went with them because they were ruthless enough to actually do it." Victoria began the story of how she knew Francesca.

"I was knocked out and woke up hours later in a basement. I was tied to a chair and tased in the stomach, had my knees hit with a metal baseball bat, and hung by my wrists from the ceiling. Then when Francesca got tired of using me as a pinata she took a break and left a candle and a promise. As soon as the candle burned out she would end my life." Victoria continued. Alex and Allie gave their full attention to the story.

"To make a long story short and to protect the people who helped me, I won't give you the full details. I escaped the mansion and got out of Rose Garden, but any evidence of my kidnapping is long gone. There's no point in pursuing it because without solid evidence of the crime Francesca's lawyers will make it all go away." Victoria finished the story while deliberately omitting information about the people who had helped her escape the Corlone Mansion. She also added why trying to bring the crime to the police was not an option. Victoria knew that she would have to play the long game if she wanted to take Francesca down for what the mob princess had done to her in Rose Garden.

"Why didn't you tell the Rose Garden Police what happened?" Allie asked. Victoria ignored the urge to make a sarcastic remark and instead gave a factual explanation.

"Most of the Rose Garden Police were in the pockets of the Corlone family, Allie. The Corlone family muscle had also caught wind of my escape and was after me, so I didn't have time to hang around and hope that I found the right officer to tell. If I was caught again Francesca would have made sure that there wasn't a second escape." Victoria replied. Allie went silent.

"Those are good points." Allie conceded.

"The point is that Francesca knows my name and my first form. She doesn't know that my second form is also me. I don't want her to find that out until after I speak to your father." Victoria told the sisters before returning to her "Tall" form with a snap of her fingers. Alex took a breath and broke the silence.

"I can see why you didn't tell us that to begin with, Vic. You were trying to protect us from Francesca because of her past and reputation. We've read the tabloids and read the social media rumor mill about her." Alex started. It was Victoria's turn to pay attention to what was being said. Since the subject was Francesca Corlone, the brunette's attention was totally focused on Alex.

"The tabloids are in love with her. They even gave her a nickname, the Teflon Princess. That's because no criminal charges stick to her no matter what she does. Bored rich people are enchanted by her. They want to be seen with "dangerous" people without actually being in danger." Allie added her take on the subject and filled Victoria in on Francesca's new nickname. Victoria frowned. She thought that Francesca would have been humbled by the fall of her father's criminal empire, but that was clearly not the case. If anything Francesca was even bolder than before the fall of the Corlone family. Maybe it was a case of her believing the hype around her, that she was really the "Teflon Princess" whom no one could touch.

Victoria was pretty sure that Francesca had plenty of enemies waiting for the chance to strike. Just because the charges were dropped did not mean that her enemies would go away. They were waiting for just the right moment to get even with the mob princess who refused to lay low or tone down her abrasive behavior. Whether it was rival crime families or individuals who had been wronged by either Mr. Corlone or Francesca herself, the "Teflon Princess" had plenty of people waiting for her to slip up so that they could get their revenge.

"It's fine, though. Francesca already doesn't like us because we told her no. She thought that it was a good idea to stomp over here and try to steal Allie's boyfriend. Things got physical and we had to file a restraining order against her. Of course she treats it like a joke, as you saw earlier." Alex chimed in. Victoria felt a little bad because while Francesca had started the confrontation from a few minutes ago the brunette had poured fuel on the fire by throwing the mob princess' insult back in her face. Victoria's guilt went away when she heard that the restraining order was treated like a joke by the blonde. Besides, Francesca had started it by calling Victoria "Biker Bitch" and telling her that she did not belong in King's Court. Victoria had just come here on personal business and the blonde came over uninvited and spoiling for a fight that the brunette did not want... at least not today.

Victoria had wanted to fight, but her rational side told her that today was not the right time.

If they fought today Francesca would come out smelling like roses while the Sabertooth mage would be painted as the aggressor and punished. She would have to think a little and find Francesca's new source of strength, then take that away from her. She did not have to think too hard because she had been handed a big clue only minutes ago. Alex and Allie had told Victoria that their mutual enemy was a media darling, something which made Francesca all but untouchable. Taking that privileged status away before the fight would give Victoria a chance to deal with the arrogant mob princess on terms much more favorable to the brunette.

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"You guys said that the media adores Francesca for whatever reason. Is there anywhere I could look to find this information for myself?" Victoria asked Alex and Allie. It was not that she did not trust the pair... they had been very helpful just by alerting the brunette to her old enemy's new status. She just wanted to read some of these articles for herself to get an idea of how far Francesca had risen since the fall of the Corlone crime family.

"Oh, you'll find plenty of it on the lacrimanet. All you have to do is type "Francesca Corlone" in a search engine and you'll see plenty of pictures of her. You'll also see plenty of articles in tabloids and gossip columns." Allie said with audible distaste. Victoria had a Daggerbook, plenty of free time, and a lot of morbid curiosity. When she got back to Sabertooth Guild Hall Victoria would be sure to dig into news of her old enemy... and burn her clothes afterward. The news she would uncover was sure to be every bit as toxic as Morgate Town.

"One example of a story is that lately Francesca has a thing for Marina Renault, the concert violinist who's contributed her considerable talents to several movie soundtracks. Francesca wants to date Marina but Marina isn't having it because she's already got a boyfriend. The media wonders how Francesca will solve this problem." Alex gave an example of the kind of stories the press published about the mob princess. Victoria visibly recoiled. She had done house-sitting for Marina Renault once and had gotten the impression that Marina was a high-class sort of person. The thought of Francesca getting with Marina was enough to make her stomach turn.

"Yeah." Allie agreed with Victoria's reaction.

"Wanna hear another hot story? There's a rumor going around that Francesca wants to break into the movie business. She's trying to get hired as an actress despite not having any real acting talent. No one's interested... yet." Allie said with a not-so-straight face. Victoria chuckled. The brunette knew exactly what kind of movie the blonde would be best suited for "acting" in, but to say it out loud would be too crass, even for someone as blunt as her.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, Vic. I'm thinking the same thing." Alex said with a wry grin. It seemed that the black-haired youth had cottoned onto what Victoria was thinking when she had heard the news about Francesca trying to be an actress. All three of them laughed about it for a minute or two because nothing brought people together like trashing a mutual enemy. The laughing stopped when the front door to the house opened and in walked a dark-haired man in a black three-piece business suit with a red tie and a black leather briefcase.

"Hi Dad!" The sisters said simultaneously. The man looked towards them and spoke.

"Hello Alexandra. Hello Allison." He greeted them before he turned to the brunette.

"You must be Victoria Sheridan." He said to her. Victoria nodded. She turned her left shoulder to him and rolled up her sleeve, showing the Sabertooth guild mark. He nodded and smiled a little.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Sheridan. I can't thank you enough for saving my daughters from that cult in the Haunted Guild." He thanked her for her help months ago. That deed had brought her to his attention to begin with. After Victoria's last visit to meet him did not quite pan out they were standing a short distance from each other.

"I had help from the Order of Lightbringers too, Mr. Montgomery. They teleported Alex and Allie to safety so that the cult could be dealt with without worrying about hostages." Victoria made it clear that the rescue was not a one-man show. Serena, Amberlin, and the other members of the Order who had went on the mission had done their part to keep the hostages safe once they had been freed, a service which had left Victoria free to take on Zupazu's Executioners without having to worry about the hostages being recaptured or killed.

"My daughters told me about their role. I've sent a sizable donation to them as a token of my gratitude." He informed Victoria.

"Now I'm going to give you a token of my gratitude. Ever since I learned your name I've done some research and I've learned quite a bit about your family. Today I want to present my findings to you." He told her. Victoria took a deep breath.

This was it.

She was finally going to learn about her family.

"I'd like that, Mr. Montgomery." Victoria said with sincerity. The man nodded.

"Very well then. Please follow me. We're going to go to my office because there are some things that need to be made official." He requested. Victoria blinked. What did he mean by "things that need to be made official?"

Maybe he needed to be certain that he was talking to the real Victoria Sheridan and not an imposter.

That was a justifiable concern.

"OK. I'll go with you." Victoria agreed. Together the pair walked out of the front door and got into a black sedan. Alex and Allie followed them to the driveway and waved goodbye while Mr. Montgomery drove Victoria to his office.

-Mr. Montgomery's office, forty minutes later-

"I apologize for the traffic jam, Miss Sheridan. Capital Crocus traffic can be so... fickle. One moment it's clear and then the next there's cars everywhere." He apologized to Victoria as the latter stood in an office in a building with six floors. The office was small but clean and well-organized. Mr. Montgomery's degrees, awards, and certifications hung in black frames on the wall behind his desk, a desk which was made out of pure mahogany.

"It's no problem, Mr. Montgomery. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Victoria asked him. Mr. Montgomery pressed a button on the left side of his desk and a voice answered.

"Yes, Mr. Montgomery?" A female voice asked.

"Miss Sheridan is here in my office. Is the boardroom ready?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." The female replied.

"Good. We'll be there shortly." He replied. Victoria did not know what to make of this. What was so important that it merited an entire boardroom being set aside just for them?

Then Victoria thought about it.

What if she and Mr. Montgomery were not the only ones who would be there?

"If you'll follow me, we'll get the meeting underway." Mr. Montgomery requested.

"Of course, Mr. Montgomery." Victoria replied. The lawyer took the lead and Victoria wordlessly followed him out of the office and towards the boardroom that had been reserved for them.

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-Inside the boardroom, three minutes later-

Victoria followed Mr. Montgomery and stepped into a boardroom with a long, rectangular wooden table that could seat twenty-four people. Victoria looked around and saw that some of those seats were filled by people. They were not just any people brought in off the streets, but people she knew and had worked with.

Florence Manderley, Abigail Windstrider, Franklin Kerwes, Serena Anderson, and Amberlin were sitting in a few of the chairs. They were all dressed in clothing that was appropriate for a meeting of this magnitude. There were a few other people in business suits sitting in attendance as well. Victoria was mildly upset but not surprised to see that Lawrence Sheridan was not here.

"As you can see, Miss Sheridan, we've brought in people who know you and have worked with you in the past. All of them have taken polygraph tests. All of them have been examined by mages who can detect the truth. All of them have testified that you're Victoria Sheridan, a former member of the defunct Legal guild Black Rose and current member of the Legal guild Sabertooth." Mr Montgomery began the meeting.

"All of them have passed both tests. Now it remains for you to pass some tests to prove that you are Victoria Sheridan." He said to her in a grave tone.

"I'm willing to take them." Victoria answered truthfully.

"Very well then, Miss Sheridan." He said to her. He then turned to the people in suits and spoke.

"You may begin when ready." He informed them. A bespectacled red-haired man in a brown three-piece suit with red tie nodded. He stood up and approached Victoria.

"Your associates mentioned that you were a young woman with long brown hair and a feminine appearance. Are you able to prove this to us?" He asked her. Victoria nodded.

"Yes, sir." She replied simply. She had forgotten that she had changed into her "Normal" self without changing back, but she did not panic. She could rectify that mistake with a snap of her fingers.

Victoria visualized herself as "Tall Victoria" and snapped her fingers. Moments later she was back to being tall and curvy with long hair. Her friends and family could barely contain their surprise at the transformation. Mr. Montgomery noted their reactions and so did the seated people; a brown-haired woman paid close attention to them.

"Very good. Can you change back to the short and tomboyish form you were moments ago?" He asked her.

"Yes, sir." She answered again. Victoria visualized her "Normal" form and snapped her fingers. Moments later she was back to her tomboyish form. The bespectacled man nodded.

"Very good. Now you will undergo examination from a mage who can detect the truth." He informed her simply. The bespectacled man nodded to a brown-haired woman wearing a black jacket and white blouse with black-knee length skirt and black dress shoes. The woman who had paid close attention to her friends stood up and walked over to Victoria, keeping eye contact all the while.

"I have some questions to ask you, Miss Sheridan." The woman informed Victoria. Before the brunette could respond the woman started asking her questions.

"Are you Victoria Sheridan, a mage who was a former member of Black Rose and who is a current member of Sabertooth?" The woman asked.

"Yes." Victoria replied. The woman did not react to the answer but still kept eye contact.

"Is Lawrence Sheridan the man who adopted you when you were ten years old?" She asked.

"Yes." Victoria answered.

"Did Mr. Sheridan teach you the magic you use, the magic which lets you bring out and use weapons like a Rocket Launcher and Light Machine Gun?" Came the question.

"Yes." Victoria answered. The woman took a breath before resuming the questioning.

"Were you once a target of slavers before Mr. Sheridan rescued you from them?" She asked.

"Yes." Victoria replied without hesitation.

"Is it true that your favorite brand of vodka is Albino Gander?" Came the next question.

"Yes." Victoria answered.

"Is it true that lately you and Ms. Manderley recently listened to a metal album named Steel The Spotlight in Ms. Manderley's home?" The woman asked.

"Yes." Victoria answered.

"Is it true that you helped Mr. Kerwes with a series of incidents involving his son?" Came the next question. Mr. Kerwes frowned at the memory.

"Yes." Victoria replied.

"Is is true that you first met Ms. Windstrider in Sakuramori Forest after the latter had been caught in a rope trap and was hanging upside down from a rope by her ankle?" Was the next question. Abigail blushed.

"Yes." Victoria answered. She was starting to see a pattern with the latest series of questions. They were questions related to experiences that the real Victoria Sheridan had had with everyone who had been brought here.

"Is is true that Ms. Anderson and Ms. Amberlin of the Order of Lightbringers once mistook you for a succubus at the Haunted Guild and chased you through the Haunted Guild until you established your identity to their satisfaction?" The woman asked Victoria. Serena and Amberlin blushed.

"Yes." Victoria answered with a straight face. That story was not very funny at the time it was happening, but now that the danger was in the past it was hilarious. Considering how some men looked at "Tall Victoria" when she passed by them, there might be a kernel of truth to the accusation. It was not like Victoria went out of her way to turn the heads of men... it just happened on its own.

Victoria started to wonder when these questions were going to end. This felt less like an interview and more like an interrogation. Maybe the woman asking the questions was a former police officer... or a government agent who worked for some shadowy agency.

"Did you recently take as your apprentice a fellow Sabertooth member named Noctis X'ali?" Came yet another question.

"Yes." Victoria answered.

"Is it true that you work as a bartender at the Red Dragon Inn, an inn located in the town known as Ace Of Spades?" The questions continued.

"Yes." Victoria answered. She was starting to get tired of this question-and-answer session that seemed to go on without any end in sight. Hopefully she would not have to take a polygraph test too. Such a test seemed redundant after being grilled by a mage who could detect the truth, but Victoria would take it if it meant that Mr. Montgomery believed that she was Victoria Sheridan.

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Victoria waited for the grilling to continue. She wondered what other questions would be asked about her life and her activities. The brown-haired woman kept eye contact with Victoria and the Sabertooth mage awaited the next question. Victoria waited for what seemed like minutes before the question was finally asked... or so she thought.

"This young woman is telling the truth. She has truthfully answered all the questions asked of her. Unless we are dealing with a very skilled impersonator who has somehow managed to forge a guild tattoo, fool Victoria's friends and acquaintances for months, and fool multiple mages of Sabertooth, there is a very high probability that she is Victoria Sheridan." The woman announced her verdict. Victoria could tell the woman that no falsehood could get by Itori. If Victoria really was an imposter Fox Lady would have discovered the deception and exposed her ages ago.

"Very well then." Mr. Montgomery said. The brown-haired woman took a seat and Victoria was left standing before everyone and waiting for the next test. Victoria was glad that the grilling was over but could not help but to wonder what other tests waited for her. From what she knew her parents were long dead, so there was next to no chance of a paternity test. She was also certain that a DNA test was not in the cards either... her parents were so badly decomposed that their DNA would be next to worthless for an analysis.

A black-haired man in a blue three-piece suit with a black tie stood up from his seat beside the truth-detecting woman and walked over to Victoria.

"I'm Dr. Bradshaw of Crocus General Hospital. I'm here to take a blood sample from you so that I can run a DNA test. With your consent, of course." The man said to her. Victoria felt like she had been put on the spot. There was not much room for freely given consent when people were looking at her to provide incontrovertible proof of identity.

"OK. I give consent for a DNA test." Victoria replied. She had come this far in proving her identity, so she might as well go all the way. The man brought out an iLac and dialed up a number. A female voice on the other end responded.

"You may enter to take the DNA sample." He said to the voice. Moments later two female nurses in white outfits entered the room. One of them, a brown-haired nurse with her hair done up in a bun, approached her with a rather large cotton swab.

"Please open your mouth, Miss Sheridan." She requested. Victoria complied and opened her mouth. The cotton swab was moved around vigorously against the inside of her mouth and by the time it was removed Victoria had serious cotton mouth. She thought her ordeal was over, but the second nurse produced a needle and bandages.

"We will also need a blood sample. For backup in case the first sample is not enough." The second nurse, a blonde woman with waist-long blonde hair, requested. Victoria was not sure why they needed a blood sample, but whatever. She might as well do it.

"OK." Victoria replied. The pair walked over to the table and Victoria put her right arm on it. The nurse tied the arm with medical tubing and swabbed the site with a rubbing alcohol pad, then quickly jabbed the needle into Victoria's arm and drew blood. The brunette yelled and her backside cleared the seat. She knew that they needed a blood sample, but were they going for a bone marrow sample too?

The nurse collected the blood sample in a glass vial and quickly applied a small square of gauze and a bandage to the site. Victoria calmed down and waited until the nurse was finished, then stood up again. Her arm felt like the nurse was going for a bone marrow sample, but that part was over. The nurses departed without a word, leaving Dr. Bradshaw in the room.

"We will analyze and compare the DNA samples at Crocus General Hospital. We will call when they are finished, Mr. Montgomery." Dr. Bradshaw announced before leaving the room. Mr. Montgomery turned to Victoria, whose right arm was hurting from the collection of the blood sample.

"Now we wait." He said to her. Victoria was going to dread this part. She did not know how long the wait would take. She hoped that the lab technicians did not fall asleep on the job and ruin the samples because her right arm might not be able to handle another collection.

"Do you guys have any coffee?" Victoria asked him. Since she was at a serious legal matter, she decided against asking for vodka. Mr. Montgomery nodded.

"We have several blends. Which would you like to try?" Mr. Montgomery asked Victoria.

"Do you have any Motor City Nitro?" Victoria asked.

-Six hours later, the boardroom-

It had been six hours since the samples were taken and they were still waiting for word from Dr. Bradshaw of Crocus General Hospital. Victoria was impatient and her friends and acquaintances were not much better off. Victoria was hyped up on several cups of Motor City Nitro and she wanted to get the results now rather than later. If this went on another day chances were that she would just go back home rather than continue to jump through flaming hoops just to prove who she was. She did not need to prove who she was to anyone.

Victoria was downing her eighth cup of Motor City Nitro in the last thirty minutes when she heard a ringing on Mr. Montgomery's iLac. He pulled it out of his right jacket pocket and answered. He heard a male voice and listened to what it had to say. It must have been a brief message because within moments the lawyer had hung up. He turned to face Victoria with bright blue eyes.

"Miss Sheridan, the test results just came back from Crocus General Hospital." He said to her. Victoria immediately focused long enough to pay attention to what he was saying.

"A lot of legal hoops had to be jumped through to get DNA samples from your late parents, but we got them to compare with your DNA." He said. Victoria was getting impatient again. This was not a movie awards ceremony. Would he just get on with it already?

"You are Victoria Sheridan, the only daughter of Phillip and Octavia Sheridan." He said to her. Victoria went quiet. After all these years she had finally found out the names of her parents. It was also hinted that her real name was Victoria, but she was not certain. The mix of a serious caffeine rush and emotional turmoil made figuring that out really hard.

Victoria looked at her friends and acquaintances. While normally she would have something to say, right now she could not find words to save her life. If this was real and not a caffeine-induced daydream, then she had just found out who her parents were. The brunette was not ready for this kind of thing.

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"Really?" Victoria finally managed to croak out a question after a lengthy silence. She was not sure how to handle all of this. She could face down cults and demons and mutant lizards without batting an eye, but she was not prepared to handle finally learning the names of her parents.

"Yes." Mr. Montgomery answered.

"I was a friend of your father Phillip. We went to the same schools together through primary school and we even went to college together. In fact, a fraternity party we attended was where he met your mother." Mr. Montgomery told her a little about her father. Victoria laughed. Maybe that was where her predilection for alcohol had come from.

"That explains quite a bit." Victoria remarked. She had learned the value of alcohol from Lawrence Sheridan, who had taught her that vodka was a lot safer to drink than water on the streets of Capital Crocus. She had continued the habit even after he left her when she was seventeen.

"Yes. Your father liked alcohol. All the liquor stores and bars knew him by name. Coincidentally or not, vodka was his favorite too." The lawyer commented. Victoria laughed again. To hear that her father was on the Christmas card list of all the liquor stores and bars in Capital Crocus was an amusing fact. If things went on like they did Victoria might get into their good graces like her father before her, but she hated the place too much to patronize their establishments any longer than she had to. Mr. Montgomery's face assumed a serious look and Victoria focused on what he had to say.

"Since it has been firmly established that you are the only offspring of Phillip and Octavia Sheridan, I have been empowered by my role as the guardian of the Sheridan estate to now grant you that estate." Mr. Montgomery said to the brunette.

"Wait, what?" Victoria asked. She did not know that her parents had left anything to her. She also did not know that Mr. Montgomery had been entrusted to guard the Sheridan estate.

"Your parents left an estate to you, Victoria. It was entrusted to me when they sensed that they were in danger. They had made some powerful enemies with some of their activities, which included trying to make things better for the poor of Capital Crocus instead of simply shoving the problem into a dark corner and pretending it didn't exist." The lawyer explained to her why an estate had been left to her. Victoria sighed. That sounded exactly like the wealthy people of Capital Crocus.

"Ernest told me that my parents might had made some powerful enemies if my parents had taken me to him to have my appearance altered." Victoria said to Mr. Montgomery. He blinked when he had heard that. Everyone in the room blinked. Victoria had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I recall Phillip saying that he had to see someone about an identity change, but I never recalled him mentioning a name." Mr. Montgomery said.

"I met him a day or two ago in the bad part of town. Ernest told me that he was a former Crocus Magicka University professor who had run afoul of office politics." Victoria said to the lawyer.

"Yes, Professor Ernest Richardson. I remember him. He was a professor of the school's science department and his pet project was studying transformation magic. He was always trying to perfect it." Mr. Montgomery provided a last name for the former professor who Victoria had met only a couple of days ago.

"Yeah. Ernest told me that my parents had my form changed so that I could hide in plain sight from my parents' enemies. I don't know who was dangerous enough for them to resort to that in order to hide me, but it must have been someone really powerful, like Dagger family powerful." Victoria mused. Mr. Montgomery hmmm'd.

"I'm not sure who the Sheridans angered enough for them to have your form altered, but there are a lot of wealthy families who like things as they are. They would certainly take exception to anyone trying to change things." Mr. Montgomery mused.

"Ernest warned me that my parents' enemies were still out there." Victoria said in a serious tone. Mr. Montgomery nodded.

"Yes. They still are. I have no idea who they are and I can't even begin to tell you who to avoid." Mr. Montgomery informed her.

"So if I claim the estate I also let my parents' enemies know that there's another Sheridan to go after?" Victoria asked the lawyer. He nodded with a solemn expression. Victoria had no witty response for that fact.

"I'll claim it." Victoria said solemnly.

"I owe Lawrence Sheridan for saving my life all those years ago. I owe Florence for taking me under her wing when she didn't have to. I want to give something back to them. If they need a place to stay in Capital Crocus, they'll have one." Victoria said.

"Are you sure? You can walk away from this now and no one will ever know, no one except us." Mr. Montgomery gave her an out to gracefully avoid all the trouble that was sure to come down on her if she chose to accept the Sheridan estate. Victoria thought about how much easier her life would be if she did not have her family's enemies breathing down her neck, but then she decided against backing out. She had always complained about the rich not wanting to help the poor of Capital Crocus... if she inherited an estate she could finally do something about it by working with charities and making the occasional donation. Victoria could also fight the rich with their own weapons, which were money and influence. Being an heiress and the second-most powerful mage in Sabertooth would lend her a good degree of clout among neutral families even if many of the wealthy families would hate her because of her last name.

"I'm sure, Mr. Montgomery. I'll claim it." Victoria told him. He nodded and went to get something. A minute later he returned with the briefcase he had been carrying earlier. He opened it and produced a deed.

"Very well then. Here is the deed to the Sheridan estate. I will have it signed over to you as soon as possible. I also have the financial information linked to your family's accounts." He said to her. Victoria blinked. Accounts?

"Accounts? As in more than one account?" Victoria asked. The lawyer nodded.

"Yes. You see, Phillip inherited a lot of money when his father William passed away over sixty years ago. Phillip felt it wise to not keep his money all in one place. He had it dispersed so that there would be emergency funds if a dark day ever came." Mr. Montgomery said. Victoria blinked. She felt... deflated, for lack of a better word.

For years she had believed herself to be a people's champion, a person willing to help the poor and thumb her nose at the Establishment. Now she would soon become part of the Establishment herself. Realizing that made the brunette feel deflated. She had prided herself on helping the common man because she was one of them, but she had come from money this whole time.

[Post Word Count: 1,220]
[Total Word Count: 6,840/7,000]

-Sabertooth Guild Hall, 11:00 P.M.-

Victoria had had a busy day in Capital Crocus when she finally returned to Sabertooth Guild Hall. The friends and acquaintances who had testified on her behalf had gone home and Victoria was the last to leave the boardroom Mr. Montgomery's law firm. It would take a few days to get the land deed to the Sheridan estate legally transferred to her along with the remaining money in its accounts. In the meantime Victoria had to get ready to transition from street kid to a person who was not incredibly wealthy but nevertheless a person of some affluence.

Victoria had parked her Centaur for the night in a garage in Ace Of Spades named Park And Pay. It was an auto garage in the good part of town and the lot was patrolled and monitored, so she did not need to worry too much about her vehicle being stolen. In her left hand was clutched her ticket; when she wanted to claim the Centaur she would need to take it to Park And Pay to get her vehicle back. In the meantime she would have to get by Ratatoskr, that ever-watchful sentry who stood watch over the guild's room from his perch in Yggdrasil.

Victoria was on the way to her room when a shower of acorns rained down on her feet like the fury of a deity and the squirrel with an attitude appeared to deal justice to the intruder.

"Stop right there, Imposter! Don't think I've forgotten about you!" He yelled at her from the safety of his perch. Victoria sighed. She was tired of this nonsense. All she wanted to do was have a drink or two of vodka before she went to sleep and now she had to deal with Ratatoskr before she could get to her room. Fortunately Ernest Richardson had provided her with a very easy way to prove who she was once and for all, a way she would now use to get Ratatoskr off of her back... about who she was, at least.

"I'm Victoria Sheridan. I'll prove it to you." Victoria said calmly.

"Oh yeah? Prove it, Imposter!" He challenged her and crossed his arms. Victoria visualized her shorter form and snapped her fingers. A moment later she was "Normal Victoria" and the bellicose squirrel was at a loss for words.

"What... how... you're that short and flat girl I met when Ryo was the Guild Master! How did you change from tall to short?" He asked her in a surprised tone. Victoria did not take offense to his description of her and smiled. When he did not start insulting her or call her "Imposter" she knew that she had proven her identity.

"I met the man who had changed me into his form when I was six years old. He taught me how to change between forms." Victoria answered calmly. Ratatoskr struggled for words until he threw his paws up in frustration.

"OK, fine! You're not an imposter. You're just a shapeshifter! I'm still keeping my eye on you! Don't you ever forget that... Victoria!" He bellowed a warning to the mage. Victoria just waved calmly as he scurried back up the tree, leaving her to go to her room without enduring a rain of acorns.

"Later." Victoria bade Ratatoskr farewell. Now that she had settled that problem once and for all she changed back to "Tall Victoria" and walked back to her room. The ability to change forms was already paying for itself. She had proven to multiple people that she was Victoria Sheridan, but there were still people out there who thought that she was an imposter. The brunette would prove to them she was who she really was... later.

Right now Victoria needed to sleep and come to terms with the fact that she had parents named Phillip and Octavia Sheridan. She also needed to come to terms with the fact that soon she would join the ranks of Capital Crocus' wealthier people. That second part was something that she was struggling with, but she would come to terms with it... eventually.

[Post Word Count: 690]
[Total Word Count: 7,530/7,000]