Chapter 54
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Quinn sat at the island eating a bagel while he finished off a bottle of water. He had worked out and taken a shower, both of these events were found fascinating by the TAP NPCs. They couldn't leave the house, but they watched him run out of sight from the living room window. They were currently crowded together, watching last years Exodus Arena semi-final at the kitchen Island's hud. It showcased what Eraphia could do.
"What your plan to deal with her?" Mojo sat comfortably next to Tal, she was on her best behavior, very aware that this was the engineer's domain.
"Em is my plan." Quinn shot his sister a confident look. "We need to showcase Em's talents, everything she can do needs to be displayed in an impressive fashion."
Em nodded at him, "I definitely won't let you down Quinn."
"Won't that make them wary?" Lara was the only Songbird in the kitchen, the rest were in Ren's room enjoying her impressive display of stuffed animals.
"That's what I'm hoping for, even a bit of fear." Quinn had been planning this for months, there had been a few hiccups along the way, but it was laying out just as he had planned.
Tal put an arm around his shoulders, nearly losing her balance when it passed right through him. "Woah, that's so odd." She pushed a hand out, it went right through him again.
"Done yet?" Q shook his head, he couldn't tell the difference close up between VR and real Tal, except for the prosthetic.
Tal had seen the room with the detailed plans, she had even helped him make adjustments. If she was being honest, the scope of it was beyond what she could have done. "Regardless of what happens, it's going to be a great day."
"How did they log into the house hub?" Quinn had been sleeping when they had arrived.
"I formatted a passkey that they could keep on them, instead of just logging in like we would, they use it to open a gate." Tal grinned at Remmy who was looking at all the gadgets the kitchen had, she really wanted to take things apart.
"Where's Nanna?" He hadn't seen her since he woke up, usually they would sit together at breakfast and chat.
"She said she needed to set up the Exodus launch," Tal gave him a scolding look, "you didn't mention that we were streaming this."
"Anna's idea actually, last minute thing." Apparently the NPC females of Fora were wildly popular with the online crowd, unexpectedly a fan favorite was a certain pink haired gnome.
Em stood up, "going to get ready." She put a hand on Q's shoulder, "leave it to me." Since she was really here, her hand was warm on his shoulder. No one could mistake Em for Crow, completely different look.
"Right behind you." Q grabbed his water bottle and walked up the stairs, he was followed by Lara and Mojo.
"Is it okay if we watch?" Lara was fascinated by the whole summon process. She hadn't realized that their bodies stayed in their own world.
"I don't mind a bit." Q lay comfortably on the bed and placed the ceramic discs against his temples. He waved at the two rogues, "don't be late."
"Log-On Exodus."
Exodus Interface Acquired: Destination?
"Gaming Hub, TAP Gate"
TAP Exodus access is detected, please choose the default Avatar for Exodus.
"Use Q Avatar for all Exodus excursions."
Q logged in at the TAP Hub, given the day, he wasn't surprised that it was crowded. He spied Pops in the crowd, he was followed closely by Bez.
"Sorry I'm late Pops." Q grinned at the old man, who was pulling a cart loaded with boxed items. "Lets give you a hand." Q pushed the cart from behind as they approached the Songbird Tavern. It was slow going, because of the crowd. "The hell... not the best day to sleep in."
They pushed the Cart around to the back of the Tavern since they hadn't opened yet, there were already 4 full carts waiting. "You guys been at it a while already?" Q unlocked the door and let them inside.
They spent a few minutes unloading the carts, by the time they had finished the rest of the TAP crew had shown up.
Q frowned at the Songbirds, "showing up just as we are finished unloading? You are all fired!!"
The Songbirds crowded around him, chirping away.
"We went to get Tattoos!
"Don't be mad, I need this job."
"Ori said it would be okay!"
"Ori?" Quinn turned his frown at Lara, "who is Ori?"
Lara pointed at Ren, "Oriole, the newest Songbird."
Quinn couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face as he faced Ren. "Oh I see.. and did you get inked also?"
Ren had her hair down for once, she lifted it and showed Q the back of her neck. There was a detailed picture of a orange and black bird perched inside of a 'capital Q.' "Do you like it?"
Q nodded as he bent to take a closer look.
Oriole
Unique: Tattoo
Description: A lovely black and orange bird
that loves to sing.
Effect: All Movement Speed is Doubled.
Additional Effect: Immune to all control effects.
"Wow, that immunity is really awesome." Q scratched his head, that included everything from mezzing to stuns.
Ren raised a finger to her lips, "apparently it's an unknown effect of the letter Q."
Lara blushed as she showed the nearly identical one she had, only hers was a Nightingale.
Nightingale
Unique: Tattoo
Description: A small brown bird
with the loveliest voice.
Effect: First Strike is always a critical hit.
Additional Effect: Immune to all control effects.
Two hours later the Tavern opened for drinks only, although Q had hired a cook, they needed to sort out menu items and other details. Pops stood behind the bar pouring drinks while the Songbirds delivered them and interacted with the crowd. Ren took out her flute and played a few sets on the small stage, she was secretly pleased that there was no 'world effect' in Exodus.
Q slowly made his way out the front door, they were packed in fairly tight. Q recognized several faces from his days as a fodder. Leaving the Tavern he smiled at the long line extending outward from the Tattoo Parlor, a colorful sign with the words, 'The Painted Lady' hung over the door.
Q checked the time, two weeks was plenty of time for his team to acclimate to Exodus. It had been his idea to put everyone to work to calm their nerves. He made his way to the Exodus Arena, it was an old Roman Colosseum type arena. There were a line of tables with judges seated behind them. Q picked up his step, it looks like coming late to avoid the lines was a good idea.
"I'm Q, team Captain for the Fora Combat Team from TAP." Q handed her the registration list that he had filled out.
The young woman took the sheet from him. She was a slim woman with spiked blonde hair, she was wearing a black shozoku. Q recognized her of course, she had been his Academy Instructor for a period of time during his Martial Law days. "This is your team of ten? Just the one alternate?"
Q bowed low, "yes Instructor Kora."
The blonde Ninja smiled at him. "Hmm.. One of my students? Class number please?"
Q raised his head and returned her smile, "Class 173-71."
Kora pursed her lips, 173 was Exodus Year Designator, 7 was the class number, 1 would be the ranking. "You're Quinn?" The short homely fellow with the pleasant smile, she remembered all her top students and their strengths. Quinn was especially adept at finding other people's weaknesses.
"That's me. It's nice to see you again Instructor." He watched as she stamped the form and signed it.
"I'm looking forward to seeing your team in action." She handed him a packet and pointed him to the staging area. "Your team will be in the blue staging area. First match is in four hours, the second one will be two hours after that."
Q stared at her. "Four hours? The matches are suppose to be held in two weeks!"
Kora gave him a sympathetic look. "It has been moved up, apparently there is some break in communication, you should have been notified."
Although Q was shocked, he decided to act first and worry later. He activated his hud, a moment later Mojo's face appeared in front of him. "Change in schedule, I need everyone here right away, Em knows the way."
Mojo was good at reading faces, "are we fighting today?"
Q nodded, "I'll brief you when you get here, gear up."
***********
Four hours later, Kora watched from the stands as the Team from Fora beat the Martial Law team, 3-0 in sudden victory. There were two ways to win in the Tournament, sudden victory meant that you eliminated the other team. The second way to win was to be ahead on kills at the end of regulation time. Quinn, a Dark Elf and the black haired Ax wielder were the survivors. The team strategy confused Kora, they were relying too heavily on the Executioner named Crow. Quinn should know better than that.
Lara stared at Q as he looked at the next matchups. She had been told to deliberate tank during the last fight. The Songbird leader was struggling to keep a scowl off of her face, without saying a word she hung her head and covered it with her hands.
A warm hand patted her head gently. "I realize that we could have beat the team 8 or 9 to zero Lara."
She looked up at Q's voice. "10 to zero probably."
"I will explain everything when we are done." Q removed his hand, "until then you should trust me."
Lara stood up, her face seeming to cheer a bit. "Yes Commander."
Q glanced over to the red staging area, it's where the Team from Civil Unrest was resting. They had won easily 7-0 in sudden victory against the Team from Guns and Gore. Q had been secretly hoping for a matchup against GG, but instead they drew Martial Law and Iron Mountain. An undefeated record advanced you to the semi final the next day. A dark suited man with slicked back blond hair caught his attention, Cyrus Blood was walking toward him.
"You are Quinn?" Cyrus Blood was good at seeming affable on the outside.
"I'm Q." Q stared at the Mafioso, Sidney Horn would have been untouchable had they put him in a regular Avatar. He was a gamer though, and the thought of never playing again was unacceptable. They had used the Cyrus Blood Avatar for the imprinted Shell program. "Should I call you Sidney Horn or Cyrus Blood?"
"You can call me Sidney today." The tycoon had played it off, but Q could tell that he was angry.
"I've preparations to make Mr. Horn." Q crossed his arms, deliberately showing hostility.
"Of course. I was wondering if you'd consider selling me those two businesses you purchased at the TAP hub." He spoke like someone who always got his way. The problem was that he was still quite rich. His Civil Unrest Avatar owned properties and amassed a huge amount of wealth. The loss of HYLO wouldn't slow him down much.
Q checked his pistoleros, pulling them out before replacing them. "No thanks, after we kick the crap out of Iron Mountain, I'm going to personally put your Amazon girlfriend out of commision." Q had heard rumors that the two of them were lovers, at least in the virtual world.
"You think you can beat Eraphia?" Sidney didn't bother to hide his dismay.
"I"ve something special, just for her." Q used drew his thumb across his neck in a slitting gesture.
"From what I've seen, you won't make it past Iron Mountain." Sydney Horn was trying to be civil, this kid was deliberately egging him on. Without another word he spun on his heel and walked away.
Q watched him leave and then motioned for his team to come together. He knelt in front of them as they crowded around him. "Listen, everything hinges on use beating Iron Mountain in a less than impressive manner. We must set up Crow's kills, they have to believe that she is the main threat."
The rest of the team nodded. They understood that Q was after something other then victory.
********
Q moved the moment the bell sounded.
*Blink*
Q appeared directly behind Firera, Iron Mountain's cleric. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her off balance.
*Return*
Q returned to his original location, and tossed the cleric toward Crow.
*Asunder*
Crimson Rose has inflicted a mortal wound on Firera. Firera has been slain.
Q tried to keep a straight face at the message, he kicked the clerics head out of the way and fired up his Jetpack. He accelerated into a climb to avoid Robin and Lark as they dragged a grappled Paladin and attempted a wishbone. The paladin screamed, but his heavy armor kept him from being torn in two.
Juko has been damaged for 30,000 hitpoints.
Q cut power to his jetpack and pulled his halberd, pointing it toward the ground in a gravity dive. He whistled shrilly and the two Songbirds released their prey, Q's full weight drove the halberd through the thick armor and pinned him to the arena floor.
Juco has been damaged for 67,400 hitpoints, bonus damage 67,400 hitpoints.
Q saw Crow charging at him, so he left the halberd and pulled his pistoleros. A Swordsman was chasing her, so he opened up on him.
*Pistolero's Master Gunner*
Both Pistols charged up and released their projectiles at the same time.
Mina has been critically hit for 32,300 hitpoints, bonus damage 32,300 hitpoints.
*Blink*
Q appeared behind Mina.
*Backstab*
Mina has been critically hit for 24,500 hitpoints, bonus damage 24,500 hitpoints.
Mina has been slain.
*Return*
Q appeared beside the pinned paladin just as Crow was butchering him like a chicken, a fountain of blood erupting as his head went flying.
*Execution*
Crimson Rose has inflicted a mortal wound on Juco. Juco has been slain.
Q saw a bard approaching, a bongo in one hand as he chanted lyrics. Q gunned his jetpack at the musician, at the last minute he used his feet as brakes, covering him in a cloud of dust.
*Blink*
Q pulled his halberd out of the paladin's corpse.
*Return*
Q slashed with his Halberd as the bard cleared the dust cloud.
You have been mezzed.
Q grimaced as his body froze, the sound of bongos coming closer.
*Eviscerate*
Nightingale has critically hit Lera for 88,567 hitpoints.
Q body responded as he grabbed Nightingale around the waist.
*Blink*
Q appeared behind Crow, still holding Nightingale.
*Cleave*
Crimson Rose has mortally wounded Lera. Lera has been slain.
*Return*
Q and Nightingale reappeared in front of the bard whose head was cleaved right down the middle, all the way to his chest. His lifeless body stood for a moment and then collapsed.
Exodus Announcement: The TAP team has defeated Iron Mountain in sudden victory 4-0.
Q turned toward the opposite side of the arena, Remmy was making her way toward them, she was waving wildly to the crowd. Q had given specific instructions to the others to go down. He joined Lara and Crow as they waved to the crowd. Q gritted his teeth, hopefully it was enough. It was bloody, and it showcased all of Crow's big hits.
The TAP team reunited at their staging area, Mojo hugged Q tightly. She could see the stress in his eyes, she didn't know the specifics, but the next few minutes were crucial to his plans.
Exodus Arena Announcement: The Civil Unrest team has defeated Martial Law in sudden victory 6-0.
Q nodded to himself. Only two undefeated teams, so the semi-final would be in the morning and one team would go up 1 to zero. The final would feature the same two teams battling in two weeks. If the same team won that battle, then they would be crowned champions. If the other team won, they would engage in a sudden death rematch later in the day.
Sidney Horn approached the blue staging area again. He had been shocked at the brutality and bloody battle the TAP team had engaged in. The arena crowd loved them, the TAP fighters were hugely popular thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign. He stopped a few steps away from Q, who was being embraced by a strikingly attractive dark elf. "Well fought Q, I must say I'm surprised you were able to put down Iron Mountain."
Q scowled at him, "the answer is still no Mr. Horn."
"There is no need to be stubborn," Sidney Horn was a man use to getting his way, it was inconceivable that Q wouldn't sell to him. "You can name any price."
Q grinned at him, letting meanness seep into his gaze. "I would consider a wager."
Sidney Horn leaned forward, the interest in his eyes showing plainly. "What are the terms?"
"If we win, we'd like to fight the second battle to take place in TAP, at the arena of our choice." Q watched the shark circle, it's beady black eyes staring at him.
"If you win, you choose the location for the next fight?" Sidney was laughing inside, the kid had been trying to play him. Q wanted him to think they were a one-pony show. Sidney knew that the kid was just as dangerous as the Executioner. "And if we win, both of your TAP hub properties are mine?"
Q nodded, "yep...unless of course, you are scared."
Sidney Horn pretended to give it some thought, "I will accept the wager, but only on the condition that you not fight in this match."
The Songbirds had been listening to their boss, instantly they all started talking.
"Q you have to fight with us!"
"That will leave us one person short!"
"Don't fall for it commander!"
"I accept." Q's voice was cold as he cut off his teammates advice.
Within a few minutes the judges had been notified, and the wager had been made official. There would be no backing out now.
Q signed the document, smiling pleasantly at Kora as she gave him a questioning look. Remmy moved up beside him, her little hand gripping his as she looked up at him.
"Is this still going according to plan?" Her pink hair was messed up, and she had blood splattered on her armor.
Q nodded, "Lets meet at the Tavern. Tal and Pops are holding down the fort." He glanced at his sister, mouthing a silent 'thank you.'
"I'll meet up with you guys later, going to get some rest first." Crow walked off ahead of them, not saying another word.
**********
Pops had closed the Tavern, he was stunned at the business they had pulled in. He was straightening up chairs as Ren and Tal wiped down the tables. They had been watching the matches on the bar hud, so they knew what had happened. They weren't surprised when the tired looking group walked in.
"Well done everyone!" Tal poured everyone the Exodus version of Iced Tea, surprisingly none of the TAP NPCs had ever tried it.
Q stood up, his eyes wandering toward the stairs. "I want to go over the plans for tomorrow."
Everyone instantly quieted down, they were aware that they had been following a script. They were not aware however, of the endgame.
Q operated the Tavern hud and chose the privacy mode. This stopped all transmissions, and muted the building to those outside. "First... thank you for following my directions. My goal today was to push Sidney Horn into a wager that would bring the next match to the Zohai arena."
Mojo shuddered when she heard the name. "Q'Ikah.. You intend to kill him?"
"Yes... we already know how to lock in the permanent death feature." Q's voice was ice cold as he stared at Mojo. "Keep trusting in me Mojo'skah."
The dark elf's lavender eyes flashed at him, "always."
"Tomorrow I want everyone to follow a script once again. They have ten fighters, we are going to have nine. You must not kill or attack Eraphia or the members of their Trident team."
"Explain to them what Trident is Quinn." Tal knew the plan, it hinged on closely following the steps.
"Trident is a three man team, together they can assemble a insta-kill weapon that can take down any player. The setback to Trident is that the firing of this weapon sacrifices all three of their lives." Q let his words sink in.
"If we can't hit them, then what about the others?" Mojo sipped her tea, the glass shaking slightly, even she was nervous.
"Kill everyone else. I want those four isolated." Q knew that they had their doubts, he also knew that the only way to keep a secret, was to not tell anyone.
"What about us? After we eliminate the other six?" Lara wanted to fight more than anything, she had seen Eraphia, the woman made her skin crawl.
"We'll pop the smoke grenades that Tal fashioned, in the confusion each of you must kill your target and then let yourself be taken out. This is vital. Trident and Eraphia must face Crow alone."
"You are deliberately putting Crow into a 1 against 4 fight?" Robin couldn't help but stand up, her face showing anger.
"Enough!" Mojo stared at her until she sat down, then she faced Q. "We will do exactly as you ask
Q'Ikah."
The NPCs made use of the empty rooms in the upstairs of the Tavern, while Q and the rest logged out.
*****
Exodus Arena Announcement: Welcome to the first battle of these two undefeated teams. The defending Champions from Civil Unrest versus the Challengers from TAP. The bell starting the match sounded immediately.
Q watched as Trident and Eraphia held themselves back a bit, Mojo and the Songbirds advanced steadily while Crow unexpectedly held herself back. Just before first contact the players from TAP all tossed their smoke grenades into the middle of the arena, instantly the central area was covered in a thick cloud of smoke.
Sidney Horn stared at the cloud of smoke. "What the hell is this? They are suppose to be a sword and gun type team!" He clapped in approval as Eraphia and Trident pulled back from the smoke.
Q kept his eyes on the respective staging areas, three players from the Civil Unrest team appeared there almost instantly. He smiled deliberately, knowing that eyes were on him. No one could see anything through the smoke, the arena announcers had to be content with calling out the competitors as they appeared in their staging areas.
Lark and Robin were the first two TAP members to be eliminated, their arrival at the staging area was mirrored by two more deaths on the Civil Unrest side. Lara appeared a moment later, her eyes finding Q who was sitting in the first row of the team section, she nodded towards him.
Sidney Horn was on his feet, like the rest of the spectators he couldn't see what was going on. He didn't miss the interaction between Q and Nightingale. They were planning something. Sidney Horn watched carefully, another member of his team appeared in the staging area, making the score five to six.
An explosion rocked the arena, instantly causing much of the smoke to clear. Six people appeared in the staging area at once, two from Civil Unrest and four from TAP. The sudden turn-around made the score 1-4 in favor of Civil Unrest.
Sidney Horn watched the staging area in confusion. What was going on? Did one of their players mishandle an explosive device? He scanned the steadily clearing smoke for TAP's last player. There was no one there.
Q let out a breathe after the explosion gave him the score he wanted. They didn't match up well against Eraphia, no one did. Q let himself smile widely, not showing any of the stress he felt. He noted that Remmy was grinning from ear to ear. Gnome's loved to blow shit up, even when it was themselves.
Q pumped his fist and cheered when Crow unstealthed in the fading smoke, her lone figure standing in the middle of the arena. "Finish them!" Q screamed at her, in his heart he knew she would never let him down.
The arena crowd was strangely silent as Crow walked toward the surviving members of Civil Unrest, her axe was sitting casually over one shoulder, a pleasant smile on her face.
Sidney Horn stared at Crow, then back at Q. She had been stealthed the entire time? There was something different about her. Suddenly the indomitable tycoon felt a sense of danger, as if his existence hinged on his next decision. Had this kid managed to trick him? "Eraphia!! Use Trident Now!!!"
Eraphia was a Mafia Overlord, a bloody killer who could beat down walls with her fists. She also was a majete wielder, two of them at once. She knew that in a straight up melee fight, few could hold their ground against her. She heard her boss shouting from the Team seating, she really wanted to cut Crow into pieces.
Horn's face was a mask of anger as he watched Eraphia consider her options. "I said, use Trident to kill her now!"
The three members of Trident each had ranged weapons on their arm, they clicked the pieces into place, two of them supported the weapon on either side, while a third was behind it acting as the triggerman.
Eraphia stepped to one side in frustration, her eyes staring at Crow who seemed to be quite calm as she stopped in the middle of the arena. The Mafia Lord watched Trident finish the assembly, "kill her now!"
The long figure stood in the middle of the arena, watching Trident. She had sacrificed so much for this moment,she had been told what to look for, her lips curved in a smile when she saw the red light flash.
*I wish you were me.*
Eraphia was instantly switched with the target, she didn't have time to utter a word as her chest was torn apart, instantly killing her.
Eraphia has been slain.
She appeared along with the members of Trident in the staging area, leaving only Crow left in the arena.
The crowd was stunned into silence, only Q understood what had happened.
Exodus Arena Announcement: The Semi Final Battle goes to TAP by sudden victory, 1-0.
"Judges!! Judges! I protest!" He knew what had been bothering him, Crimson Rose's entire demeanor was different, "they switched team members! That's not Crimson Rose!"
Kora walked into the arena with the two other judges. She walked calmly up to Crimson Rose. "Excuse me Miss, could you please state your name?"
The young lady in question, slowly removed her disguise.
Mask of Fortune
Disguise:Unique
Wearer can change their
appearance and voice.
She sighed and shook loose her wavy red hair. "I'm Leah Fintree."
Kora looked at her sheet and then back at Sidney Horn. "Leah Fintree is listed as their alternate, the decision stands."
Sidney Horn stared in shock. Leah Fintree... She was suppose to be dead.
The crowd cheered as the beautiful redhead ran towards the staging area, a tall dark haired man swept her up in his arms, their relationship was obvious.
"Q! I missed you, I missed you." Leah sobbed uncontrollably as she rained kisses onto his face. She had been hiding in Concert Hall for weeks, she clung to him desperately.
Q hugged her tight against him. "You did great Leah, you did great." He inhaled deeply, the scent of apples filling his nostrils as he wrapped her up. He was completely oblivious to the deafening sounds of the arena.
Unexpectedly, Civil Unrest had lost.
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Quinn sat at the island eating a bagel while he finished off a bottle of water. He had worked out and taken a shower, both of these events were found fascinating by the TAP NPCs. They couldn't leave the house, but they watched him run out of sight from the living room window. They were currently crowded together, watching last years Exodus Arena semi-final at the kitchen Island's hud. It showcased what Eraphia could do.
"What your plan to deal with her?" Mojo sat comfortably next to Tal, she was on her best behavior, very aware that this was the engineer's domain.
"Em is my plan." Quinn shot his sister a confident look. "We need to showcase Em's talents, everything she can do needs to be displayed in an impressive fashion."
Em nodded at him, "I definitely won't let you down Quinn."
"Won't that make them wary?" Lara was the only Songbird in the kitchen, the rest were in Ren's room enjoying her impressive display of stuffed animals.
"That's what I'm hoping for, even a bit of fear." Quinn had been planning this for months, there had been a few hiccups along the way, but it was laying out just as he had planned.
Tal put an arm around his shoulders, nearly losing her balance when it passed right through him. "Woah, that's so odd." She pushed a hand out, it went right through him again.
"Done yet?" Q shook his head, he couldn't tell the difference close up between VR and real Tal, except for the prosthetic.
Tal had seen the room with the detailed plans, she had even helped him make adjustments. If she was being honest, the scope of it was beyond what she could have done. "Regardless of what happens, it's going to be a great day."
"How did they log into the house hub?" Quinn had been sleeping when they had arrived.
"I formatted a passkey that they could keep on them, instead of just logging in like we would, they use it to open a gate." Tal grinned at Remmy who was looking at all the gadgets the kitchen had, she really wanted to take things apart.
"Where's Nanna?" He hadn't seen her since he woke up, usually they would sit together at breakfast and chat.
"She said she needed to set up the Exodus launch," Tal gave him a scolding look, "you didn't mention that we were streaming this."
"Anna's idea actually, last minute thing." Apparently the NPC females of Fora were wildly popular with the online crowd, unexpectedly a fan favorite was a certain pink haired gnome.
Em stood up, "going to get ready." She put a hand on Q's shoulder, "leave it to me." Since she was really here, her hand was warm on his shoulder. No one could mistake Em for Crow, completely different look.
"Right behind you." Q grabbed his water bottle and walked up the stairs, he was followed by Lara and Mojo.
"Is it okay if we watch?" Lara was fascinated by the whole summon process. She hadn't realized that their bodies stayed in their own world.
"I don't mind a bit." Q lay comfortably on the bed and placed the ceramic discs against his temples. He waved at the two rogues, "don't be late."
"Log-On Exodus."
Exodus Interface Acquired: Destination?
"Gaming Hub, TAP Gate"
TAP Exodus access is detected, please choose the default Avatar for Exodus.
"Use Q Avatar for all Exodus excursions."
Q logged in at the TAP Hub, given the day, he wasn't surprised that it was crowded. He spied Pops in the crowd, he was followed closely by Bez.
"Sorry I'm late Pops." Q grinned at the old man, who was pulling a cart loaded with boxed items. "Lets give you a hand." Q pushed the cart from behind as they approached the Songbird Tavern. It was slow going, because of the crowd. "The hell... not the best day to sleep in."
They pushed the Cart around to the back of the Tavern since they hadn't opened yet, there were already 4 full carts waiting. "You guys been at it a while already?" Q unlocked the door and let them inside.
They spent a few minutes unloading the carts, by the time they had finished the rest of the TAP crew had shown up.
Q frowned at the Songbirds, "showing up just as we are finished unloading? You are all fired!!"
The Songbirds crowded around him, chirping away.
"We went to get Tattoos!
"Don't be mad, I need this job."
"Ori said it would be okay!"
"Ori?" Quinn turned his frown at Lara, "who is Ori?"
Lara pointed at Ren, "Oriole, the newest Songbird."
Quinn couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face as he faced Ren. "Oh I see.. and did you get inked also?"
Ren had her hair down for once, she lifted it and showed Q the back of her neck. There was a detailed picture of a orange and black bird perched inside of a 'capital Q.' "Do you like it?"
Q nodded as he bent to take a closer look.
Oriole
Unique: Tattoo
Description: A lovely black and orange bird
that loves to sing.
Effect: All Movement Speed is Doubled.
Additional Effect: Immune to all control effects.
"Wow, that immunity is really awesome." Q scratched his head, that included everything from mezzing to stuns.
Ren raised a finger to her lips, "apparently it's an unknown effect of the letter Q."
Lara blushed as she showed the nearly identical one she had, only hers was a Nightingale.
Nightingale
Unique: Tattoo
Description: A small brown bird
with the loveliest voice.
Effect: First Strike is always a critical hit.
Additional Effect: Immune to all control effects.
Two hours later the Tavern opened for drinks only, although Q had hired a cook, they needed to sort out menu items and other details. Pops stood behind the bar pouring drinks while the Songbirds delivered them and interacted with the crowd. Ren took out her flute and played a few sets on the small stage, she was secretly pleased that there was no 'world effect' in Exodus.
Q slowly made his way out the front door, they were packed in fairly tight. Q recognized several faces from his days as a fodder. Leaving the Tavern he smiled at the long line extending outward from the Tattoo Parlor, a colorful sign with the words, 'The Painted Lady' hung over the door.
Q checked the time, two weeks was plenty of time for his team to acclimate to Exodus. It had been his idea to put everyone to work to calm their nerves. He made his way to the Exodus Arena, it was an old Roman Colosseum type arena. There were a line of tables with judges seated behind them. Q picked up his step, it looks like coming late to avoid the lines was a good idea.
"I'm Q, team Captain for the Fora Combat Team from TAP." Q handed her the registration list that he had filled out.
The young woman took the sheet from him. She was a slim woman with spiked blonde hair, she was wearing a black shozoku. Q recognized her of course, she had been his Academy Instructor for a period of time during his Martial Law days. "This is your team of ten? Just the one alternate?"
Q bowed low, "yes Instructor Kora."
The blonde Ninja smiled at him. "Hmm.. One of my students? Class number please?"
Q raised his head and returned her smile, "Class 173-71."
Kora pursed her lips, 173 was Exodus Year Designator, 7 was the class number, 1 would be the ranking. "You're Quinn?" The short homely fellow with the pleasant smile, she remembered all her top students and their strengths. Quinn was especially adept at finding other people's weaknesses.
"That's me. It's nice to see you again Instructor." He watched as she stamped the form and signed it.
"I'm looking forward to seeing your team in action." She handed him a packet and pointed him to the staging area. "Your team will be in the blue staging area. First match is in four hours, the second one will be two hours after that."
Q stared at her. "Four hours? The matches are suppose to be held in two weeks!"
Kora gave him a sympathetic look. "It has been moved up, apparently there is some break in communication, you should have been notified."
Although Q was shocked, he decided to act first and worry later. He activated his hud, a moment later Mojo's face appeared in front of him. "Change in schedule, I need everyone here right away, Em knows the way."
Mojo was good at reading faces, "are we fighting today?"
Q nodded, "I'll brief you when you get here, gear up."
***********
Four hours later, Kora watched from the stands as the Team from Fora beat the Martial Law team, 3-0 in sudden victory. There were two ways to win in the Tournament, sudden victory meant that you eliminated the other team. The second way to win was to be ahead on kills at the end of regulation time. Quinn, a Dark Elf and the black haired Ax wielder were the survivors. The team strategy confused Kora, they were relying too heavily on the Executioner named Crow. Quinn should know better than that.
Lara stared at Q as he looked at the next matchups. She had been told to deliberate tank during the last fight. The Songbird leader was struggling to keep a scowl off of her face, without saying a word she hung her head and covered it with her hands.
A warm hand patted her head gently. "I realize that we could have beat the team 8 or 9 to zero Lara."
She looked up at Q's voice. "10 to zero probably."
"I will explain everything when we are done." Q removed his hand, "until then you should trust me."
Lara stood up, her face seeming to cheer a bit. "Yes Commander."
Q glanced over to the red staging area, it's where the Team from Civil Unrest was resting. They had won easily 7-0 in sudden victory against the Team from Guns and Gore. Q had been secretly hoping for a matchup against GG, but instead they drew Martial Law and Iron Mountain. An undefeated record advanced you to the semi final the next day. A dark suited man with slicked back blond hair caught his attention, Cyrus Blood was walking toward him.
"You are Quinn?" Cyrus Blood was good at seeming affable on the outside.
"I'm Q." Q stared at the Mafioso, Sidney Horn would have been untouchable had they put him in a regular Avatar. He was a gamer though, and the thought of never playing again was unacceptable. They had used the Cyrus Blood Avatar for the imprinted Shell program. "Should I call you Sidney Horn or Cyrus Blood?"
"You can call me Sidney today." The tycoon had played it off, but Q could tell that he was angry.
"I've preparations to make Mr. Horn." Q crossed his arms, deliberately showing hostility.
"Of course. I was wondering if you'd consider selling me those two businesses you purchased at the TAP hub." He spoke like someone who always got his way. The problem was that he was still quite rich. His Civil Unrest Avatar owned properties and amassed a huge amount of wealth. The loss of HYLO wouldn't slow him down much.
Q checked his pistoleros, pulling them out before replacing them. "No thanks, after we kick the crap out of Iron Mountain, I'm going to personally put your Amazon girlfriend out of commision." Q had heard rumors that the two of them were lovers, at least in the virtual world.
"You think you can beat Eraphia?" Sidney didn't bother to hide his dismay.
"I"ve something special, just for her." Q used drew his thumb across his neck in a slitting gesture.
"From what I've seen, you won't make it past Iron Mountain." Sydney Horn was trying to be civil, this kid was deliberately egging him on. Without another word he spun on his heel and walked away.
Q watched him leave and then motioned for his team to come together. He knelt in front of them as they crowded around him. "Listen, everything hinges on use beating Iron Mountain in a less than impressive manner. We must set up Crow's kills, they have to believe that she is the main threat."
The rest of the team nodded. They understood that Q was after something other then victory.
********
Q moved the moment the bell sounded.
*Blink*
Q appeared directly behind Firera, Iron Mountain's cleric. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her off balance.
*Return*
Q returned to his original location, and tossed the cleric toward Crow.
*Asunder*
Crimson Rose has inflicted a mortal wound on Firera. Firera has been slain.
Q tried to keep a straight face at the message, he kicked the clerics head out of the way and fired up his Jetpack. He accelerated into a climb to avoid Robin and Lark as they dragged a grappled Paladin and attempted a wishbone. The paladin screamed, but his heavy armor kept him from being torn in two.
Juko has been damaged for 30,000 hitpoints.
Q cut power to his jetpack and pulled his halberd, pointing it toward the ground in a gravity dive. He whistled shrilly and the two Songbirds released their prey, Q's full weight drove the halberd through the thick armor and pinned him to the arena floor.
Juco has been damaged for 67,400 hitpoints, bonus damage 67,400 hitpoints.
Q saw Crow charging at him, so he left the halberd and pulled his pistoleros. A Swordsman was chasing her, so he opened up on him.
*Pistolero's Master Gunner*
Both Pistols charged up and released their projectiles at the same time.
Mina has been critically hit for 32,300 hitpoints, bonus damage 32,300 hitpoints.
*Blink*
Q appeared behind Mina.
*Backstab*
Mina has been critically hit for 24,500 hitpoints, bonus damage 24,500 hitpoints.
Mina has been slain.
*Return*
Q appeared beside the pinned paladin just as Crow was butchering him like a chicken, a fountain of blood erupting as his head went flying.
*Execution*
Crimson Rose has inflicted a mortal wound on Juco. Juco has been slain.
Q saw a bard approaching, a bongo in one hand as he chanted lyrics. Q gunned his jetpack at the musician, at the last minute he used his feet as brakes, covering him in a cloud of dust.
*Blink*
Q pulled his halberd out of the paladin's corpse.
*Return*
Q slashed with his Halberd as the bard cleared the dust cloud.
You have been mezzed.
Q grimaced as his body froze, the sound of bongos coming closer.
*Eviscerate*
Nightingale has critically hit Lera for 88,567 hitpoints.
Q body responded as he grabbed Nightingale around the waist.
*Blink*
Q appeared behind Crow, still holding Nightingale.
*Cleave*
Crimson Rose has mortally wounded Lera. Lera has been slain.
*Return*
Q and Nightingale reappeared in front of the bard whose head was cleaved right down the middle, all the way to his chest. His lifeless body stood for a moment and then collapsed.
Exodus Announcement: The TAP team has defeated Iron Mountain in sudden victory 4-0.
Q turned toward the opposite side of the arena, Remmy was making her way toward them, she was waving wildly to the crowd. Q had given specific instructions to the others to go down. He joined Lara and Crow as they waved to the crowd. Q gritted his teeth, hopefully it was enough. It was bloody, and it showcased all of Crow's big hits.
The TAP team reunited at their staging area, Mojo hugged Q tightly. She could see the stress in his eyes, she didn't know the specifics, but the next few minutes were crucial to his plans.
Exodus Arena Announcement: The Civil Unrest team has defeated Martial Law in sudden victory 6-0.
Q nodded to himself. Only two undefeated teams, so the semi-final would be in the morning and one team would go up 1 to zero. The final would feature the same two teams battling in two weeks. If the same team won that battle, then they would be crowned champions. If the other team won, they would engage in a sudden death rematch later in the day.
Sidney Horn approached the blue staging area again. He had been shocked at the brutality and bloody battle the TAP team had engaged in. The arena crowd loved them, the TAP fighters were hugely popular thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign. He stopped a few steps away from Q, who was being embraced by a strikingly attractive dark elf. "Well fought Q, I must say I'm surprised you were able to put down Iron Mountain."
Q scowled at him, "the answer is still no Mr. Horn."
"There is no need to be stubborn," Sidney Horn was a man use to getting his way, it was inconceivable that Q wouldn't sell to him. "You can name any price."
Q grinned at him, letting meanness seep into his gaze. "I would consider a wager."
Sidney Horn leaned forward, the interest in his eyes showing plainly. "What are the terms?"
"If we win, we'd like to fight the second battle to take place in TAP, at the arena of our choice." Q watched the shark circle, it's beady black eyes staring at him.
"If you win, you choose the location for the next fight?" Sidney was laughing inside, the kid had been trying to play him. Q wanted him to think they were a one-pony show. Sidney knew that the kid was just as dangerous as the Executioner. "And if we win, both of your TAP hub properties are mine?"
Q nodded, "yep...unless of course, you are scared."
Sidney Horn pretended to give it some thought, "I will accept the wager, but only on the condition that you not fight in this match."
The Songbirds had been listening to their boss, instantly they all started talking.
"Q you have to fight with us!"
"That will leave us one person short!"
"Don't fall for it commander!"
"I accept." Q's voice was cold as he cut off his teammates advice.
Within a few minutes the judges had been notified, and the wager had been made official. There would be no backing out now.
Q signed the document, smiling pleasantly at Kora as she gave him a questioning look. Remmy moved up beside him, her little hand gripping his as she looked up at him.
"Is this still going according to plan?" Her pink hair was messed up, and she had blood splattered on her armor.
Q nodded, "Lets meet at the Tavern. Tal and Pops are holding down the fort." He glanced at his sister, mouthing a silent 'thank you.'
"I'll meet up with you guys later, going to get some rest first." Crow walked off ahead of them, not saying another word.
**********
Pops had closed the Tavern, he was stunned at the business they had pulled in. He was straightening up chairs as Ren and Tal wiped down the tables. They had been watching the matches on the bar hud, so they knew what had happened. They weren't surprised when the tired looking group walked in.
"Well done everyone!" Tal poured everyone the Exodus version of Iced Tea, surprisingly none of the TAP NPCs had ever tried it.
Q stood up, his eyes wandering toward the stairs. "I want to go over the plans for tomorrow."
Everyone instantly quieted down, they were aware that they had been following a script. They were not aware however, of the endgame.
Q operated the Tavern hud and chose the privacy mode. This stopped all transmissions, and muted the building to those outside. "First... thank you for following my directions. My goal today was to push Sidney Horn into a wager that would bring the next match to the Zohai arena."
Mojo shuddered when she heard the name. "Q'Ikah.. You intend to kill him?"
"Yes... we already know how to lock in the permanent death feature." Q's voice was ice cold as he stared at Mojo. "Keep trusting in me Mojo'skah."
The dark elf's lavender eyes flashed at him, "always."
"Tomorrow I want everyone to follow a script once again. They have ten fighters, we are going to have nine. You must not kill or attack Eraphia or the members of their Trident team."
"Explain to them what Trident is Quinn." Tal knew the plan, it hinged on closely following the steps.
"Trident is a three man team, together they can assemble a insta-kill weapon that can take down any player. The setback to Trident is that the firing of this weapon sacrifices all three of their lives." Q let his words sink in.
"If we can't hit them, then what about the others?" Mojo sipped her tea, the glass shaking slightly, even she was nervous.
"Kill everyone else. I want those four isolated." Q knew that they had their doubts, he also knew that the only way to keep a secret, was to not tell anyone.
"What about us? After we eliminate the other six?" Lara wanted to fight more than anything, she had seen Eraphia, the woman made her skin crawl.
"We'll pop the smoke grenades that Tal fashioned, in the confusion each of you must kill your target and then let yourself be taken out. This is vital. Trident and Eraphia must face Crow alone."
"You are deliberately putting Crow into a 1 against 4 fight?" Robin couldn't help but stand up, her face showing anger.
"Enough!" Mojo stared at her until she sat down, then she faced Q. "We will do exactly as you ask
Q'Ikah."
The NPCs made use of the empty rooms in the upstairs of the Tavern, while Q and the rest logged out.
*****
Exodus Arena Announcement: Welcome to the first battle of these two undefeated teams. The defending Champions from Civil Unrest versus the Challengers from TAP. The bell starting the match sounded immediately.
Q watched as Trident and Eraphia held themselves back a bit, Mojo and the Songbirds advanced steadily while Crow unexpectedly held herself back. Just before first contact the players from TAP all tossed their smoke grenades into the middle of the arena, instantly the central area was covered in a thick cloud of smoke.
Sidney Horn stared at the cloud of smoke. "What the hell is this? They are suppose to be a sword and gun type team!" He clapped in approval as Eraphia and Trident pulled back from the smoke.
Q kept his eyes on the respective staging areas, three players from the Civil Unrest team appeared there almost instantly. He smiled deliberately, knowing that eyes were on him. No one could see anything through the smoke, the arena announcers had to be content with calling out the competitors as they appeared in their staging areas.
Lark and Robin were the first two TAP members to be eliminated, their arrival at the staging area was mirrored by two more deaths on the Civil Unrest side. Lara appeared a moment later, her eyes finding Q who was sitting in the first row of the team section, she nodded towards him.
Sidney Horn was on his feet, like the rest of the spectators he couldn't see what was going on. He didn't miss the interaction between Q and Nightingale. They were planning something. Sidney Horn watched carefully, another member of his team appeared in the staging area, making the score five to six.
An explosion rocked the arena, instantly causing much of the smoke to clear. Six people appeared in the staging area at once, two from Civil Unrest and four from TAP. The sudden turn-around made the score 1-4 in favor of Civil Unrest.
Sidney Horn watched the staging area in confusion. What was going on? Did one of their players mishandle an explosive device? He scanned the steadily clearing smoke for TAP's last player. There was no one there.
Q let out a breathe after the explosion gave him the score he wanted. They didn't match up well against Eraphia, no one did. Q let himself smile widely, not showing any of the stress he felt. He noted that Remmy was grinning from ear to ear. Gnome's loved to blow shit up, even when it was themselves.
Q pumped his fist and cheered when Crow unstealthed in the fading smoke, her lone figure standing in the middle of the arena. "Finish them!" Q screamed at her, in his heart he knew she would never let him down.
The arena crowd was strangely silent as Crow walked toward the surviving members of Civil Unrest, her axe was sitting casually over one shoulder, a pleasant smile on her face.
Sidney Horn stared at Crow, then back at Q. She had been stealthed the entire time? There was something different about her. Suddenly the indomitable tycoon felt a sense of danger, as if his existence hinged on his next decision. Had this kid managed to trick him? "Eraphia!! Use Trident Now!!!"
Eraphia was a Mafia Overlord, a bloody killer who could beat down walls with her fists. She also was a majete wielder, two of them at once. She knew that in a straight up melee fight, few could hold their ground against her. She heard her boss shouting from the Team seating, she really wanted to cut Crow into pieces.
Horn's face was a mask of anger as he watched Eraphia consider her options. "I said, use Trident to kill her now!"
The three members of Trident each had ranged weapons on their arm, they clicked the pieces into place, two of them supported the weapon on either side, while a third was behind it acting as the triggerman.
Eraphia stepped to one side in frustration, her eyes staring at Crow who seemed to be quite calm as she stopped in the middle of the arena. The Mafia Lord watched Trident finish the assembly, "kill her now!"
The long figure stood in the middle of the arena, watching Trident. She had sacrificed so much for this moment,she had been told what to look for, her lips curved in a smile when she saw the red light flash.
*I wish you were me.*
Eraphia was instantly switched with the target, she didn't have time to utter a word as her chest was torn apart, instantly killing her.
Eraphia has been slain.
She appeared along with the members of Trident in the staging area, leaving only Crow left in the arena.
The crowd was stunned into silence, only Q understood what had happened.
Exodus Arena Announcement: The Semi Final Battle goes to TAP by sudden victory, 1-0.
"Judges!! Judges! I protest!" He knew what had been bothering him, Crimson Rose's entire demeanor was different, "they switched team members! That's not Crimson Rose!"
Kora walked into the arena with the two other judges. She walked calmly up to Crimson Rose. "Excuse me Miss, could you please state your name?"
The young lady in question, slowly removed her disguise.
Mask of Fortune
Disguise:Unique
Wearer can change their
appearance and voice.
She sighed and shook loose her wavy red hair. "I'm Leah Fintree."
Kora looked at her sheet and then back at Sidney Horn. "Leah Fintree is listed as their alternate, the decision stands."
Sidney Horn stared in shock. Leah Fintree... She was suppose to be dead.
The crowd cheered as the beautiful redhead ran towards the staging area, a tall dark haired man swept her up in his arms, their relationship was obvious.
"Q! I missed you, I missed you." Leah sobbed uncontrollably as she rained kisses onto his face. She had been hiding in Concert Hall for weeks, she clung to him desperately.
Q hugged her tight against him. "You did great Leah, you did great." He inhaled deeply, the scent of apples filling his nostrils as he wrapped her up. He was completely oblivious to the deafening sounds of the arena.
Unexpectedly, Civil Unrest had lost.
Quinn sat at the island eating a bagel while he finished off a bottle of water. He had worked out and taken a shower, both of these events were found fascinating by the TAP NPCs. They couldn't leave the house, but they watched him run out of sight from the living room window. They were currently crowded together, watching last years Exodus Arena semi-final at the kitchen Island's hud. It showcased what Eraphia could do."What your plan to deal with her?" Mojo sat comfortably next to Tal, she was on her best behavior, very aware that this was the engineer's domain."Em is my plan." Quinn shot his sister a confident look. "We need to showcase Em's talents, everything she can do needs to be displayed in an impressive fashion."Em nodded at him, "I definitely won't let you down Quinn.""Won't that make them wary?" Lara was the only Songbird in the kitchen, the rest were in Ren's room enjoying her impressive display of stuffed animals."That's what I'm hoping for, even a bit of fear." Quinn had been planning this for months, there had been a few hiccups along the way, but it was laying out just as he had planned.Tal put an arm around his shoulders, nearly losing her balance when it passed right through him. "Woah, that's so odd." She pushed a hand out, it went right through him again."Done yet?" Q shook his head, he couldn't tell the difference close up between VR and real Tal, except for the prosthetic.Tal had seen the room with the detailed plans, she had even helped him make adjustments. If she was being honest, the scope of it was beyond what she could have done. "Regardless of what happens, it's going to be a great day.""How did they log into the house hub?" Quinn had been sleeping when they had arrived."I formatted a passkey that they could keep on them, instead of just logging in like we would, they use it to open a gate." Tal grinned at Remmy who was looking at all the gadgets the kitchen had, she really wanted to take things apart."Where's Nanna?" He hadn't seen her since he woke up, usually they would sit together at breakfast and chat."She said she needed to set up the Exodus launch," Tal gave him a scolding look, "you didn't mention that we were streaming this.""Anna's idea actually, last minute thing." Apparently the NPC females of Fora were wildly popular with the online crowd, unexpectedly a fan favorite was a certain pink haired gnome.Em stood up, "going to get ready." She put a hand on Q's shoulder, "leave it to me." Since she was really here, her hand was warm on his shoulder. No one could mistake Em for Crow, completely different look."Right behind you." Q grabbed his water bottle and walked up the stairs, he was followed by Lara and Mojo."Is it okay if we watch?" Lara was fascinated by the whole summon process. She hadn't realized that their bodies stayed in their own world."I don't mind a bit." Q lay comfortably on the bed and placed the ceramic discs against his temples. He waved at the two rogues, "don't be late.""Log-On Exodus."Exodus Interface Acquired: Destination?"Gaming Hub, TAP Gate"TAP Exodus access is detected, please choose the default Avatar for Exodus."Use Q Avatar for all Exodus excursions."Q logged in at the TAP Hub, given the day, he wasn't surprised that it was crowded. He spied Pops in the crowd, he was followed closely by Bez."Sorry I'm late Pops." Q grinned at the old man, who was pulling a cart loaded with boxed items. "Lets give you a hand." Q pushed the cart from behind as they approached the Songbird Tavern. It was slow going, because of the crowd. "The hell... not the best day to sleep in."They pushed the Cart around to the back of the Tavern since they hadn't opened yet, there were already 4 full carts waiting. "You guys been at it a while already?" Q unlocked the door and let them inside.They spent a few minutes unloading the carts, by the time they had finished the rest of the TAP crew had shown up.Q frowned at the Songbirds, "showing up just as we are finished unloading? You are all fired!!"The Songbirds crowded around him, chirping away."We went to get Tattoos!"Don't be mad, I need this job.""Ori said it would be okay!""Ori?" Quinn turned his frown at Lara, "who is Ori?"Lara pointed at Ren, "Oriole, the newest Songbird."Quinn couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face as he faced Ren. "Oh I see.. and did you get inked also?"Ren had her hair down for once, she lifted it and showed Q the back of her neck. There was a detailed picture of a orange and black bird perched inside of a 'capital Q.' "Do you like it?"Q nodded as he bent to take a closer look.OrioleUnique: TattooDescription: A lovely black and orange birdthat loves to sing.Effect: All Movement Speed is Doubled.Additional Effect: Immune to all control effects."Wow, that immunity is really awesome." Q scratched his head, that included everything from mezzing to stuns.Ren raised a finger to her lips, "apparently it's an unknown effect of the letter Q."Lara blushed as she showed the nearly identical one she had, only hers was a Nightingale.NightingaleUnique: TattooDescription: A small brown birdwith the loveliest voice.Effect: First Strike is always a critical hit.Additional Effect: Immune to all control effects.Two hours later the Tavern opened for drinks only, although Q had hired a cook, they needed to sort out menu items and other details. Pops stood behind the bar pouring drinks while the Songbirds delivered them and interacted with the crowd. Ren took out her flute and played a few sets on the small stage, she was secretly pleased that there was no 'world effect' in Exodus.Q slowly made his way out the front door, they were packed in fairly tight. Q recognized several faces from his days as a fodder. Leaving the Tavern he smiled at the long line extending outward from the Tattoo Parlor, a colorful sign with the words, 'The Painted Lady' hung over the door.Q checked the time, two weeks was plenty of time for his team to acclimate to Exodus. It had been his idea to put everyone to work to calm their nerves. He made his way to the Exodus Arena, it was an old Roman Colosseum type arena. There were a line of tables with judges seated behind them. Q picked up his step, it looks like coming late to avoid the lines was a good idea."I'm Q, team Captain for the Fora Combat Team from TAP." Q handed her the registration list that he had filled out.The young woman took the sheet from him. She was a slim woman with spiked blonde hair, she was wearing a black shozoku. Q recognized her of course, she had been his Academy Instructor for a period of time during his Martial Law days. "This is your team of ten? Just the one alternate?"Q bowed low, "yes Instructor Kora."The blonde Ninja smiled at him. "Hmm.. One of my students? Class number please?"Q raised his head and returned her smile, "Class 173-71."Kora pursed her lips, 173 was Exodus Year Designator, 7 was the class number, 1 would be the ranking. "You're Quinn?" The short homely fellow with the pleasant smile, she remembered all her top students and their strengths. Quinn was especially adept at finding other people's weaknesses."That's me. It's nice to see you again Instructor." He watched as she stamped the form and signed it."I'm looking forward to seeing your team in action." She handed him a packet and pointed him to the staging area. "Your team will be in the blue staging area. First match is in four hours, the second one will be two hours after that."Q stared at her. "Four hours? The matches are suppose to be held in two weeks!"Kora gave him a sympathetic look. "It has been moved up, apparently there is some break in communication, you should have been notified."Although Q was shocked, he decided to act first and worry later. He activated his hud, a moment later Mojo's face appeared in front of him. "Change in schedule, I need everyone here right away, Em knows the way."Mojo was good at reading faces, "are we fighting today?"Q nodded, "I'll brief you when you get here, gear up."***********Four hours later, Kora watched from the stands as the Team from Fora beat the Martial Law team, 3-0 in sudden victory. There were two ways to win in the Tournament, sudden victory meant that you eliminated the other team. The second way to win was to be ahead on kills at the end of regulation time. Quinn, a Dark Elf and the black haired Ax wielder were the survivors. The team strategy confused Kora, they were relying too heavily on the Executioner named Crow. Quinn should know better than that.Lara stared at Q as he looked at the next matchups. She had been told to deliberate tank during the last fight. The Songbird leader was struggling to keep a scowl off of her face, without saying a word she hung her head and covered it with her hands.A warm hand patted her head gently. "I realize that we could have beat the team 8 or 9 to zero Lara."She looked up at Q's voice. "10 to zero probably.""I will explain everything when we are done." Q removed his hand, "until then you should trust me."Lara stood up, her face seeming to cheer a bit. "Yes Commander."Q glanced over to the red staging area, it's where the Team from Civil Unrest was resting. They had won easily 7-0 in sudden victory against the Team from Guns and Gore. Q had been secretly hoping for a matchup against GG, but instead they drew Martial Law and Iron Mountain. An undefeated record advanced you to the semi final the next day. A dark suited man with slicked back blond hair caught his attention, Cyrus Blood was walking toward him."You are Quinn?" Cyrus Blood was good at seeming affable on the outside."I'm Q." Q stared at the Mafioso, Sidney Horn would have been untouchable had they put him in a regular Avatar. He was a gamer though, and the thought of never playing again was unacceptable. They had used the Cyrus Blood Avatar for the imprinted Shell program. "Should I call you Sidney Horn or Cyrus Blood?""You can call me Sidney today." The tycoon had played it off, but Q could tell that he was angry."I've preparations to make Mr. Horn." Q crossed his arms, deliberately showing hostility."Of course. I was wondering if you'd consider selling me those two businesses you purchased at the TAP hub." He spoke like someone who always got his way. The problem was that he was still quite rich. His Civil Unrest Avatar owned properties and amassed a huge amount of wealth. The loss of HYLO wouldn't slow him down much.Q checked his pistoleros, pulling them out before replacing them. "No thanks, after we kick the crap out of Iron Mountain, I'm going to personally put your Amazon girlfriend out of commision." Q had heard rumors that the two of them were lovers, at least in the virtual world."You think you can beat Eraphia?" Sidney didn't bother to hide his dismay."I"ve something special, just for her." Q used drew his thumb across his neck in a slitting gesture."From what I've seen, you won't make it past Iron Mountain." Sydney Horn was trying to be civil, this kid was deliberately egging him on. Without another word he spun on his heel and walked away.Q watched him leave and then motioned for his team to come together. He knelt in front of them as they crowded around him. "Listen, everything hinges on use beating Iron Mountain in a less than impressive manner. We must set up Crow's kills, they have to believe that she is the main threat."The rest of the team nodded. They understood that Q was after something other then victory.********Q moved the moment the bell sounded.*Blink*Q appeared directly behind Firera, Iron Mountain's cleric. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her off balance.*Return*Q returned to his original location, and tossed the cleric toward Crow.*Asunder*Crimson Rose has inflicted a mortal wound on Firera. Firera has been slain.Q tried to keep a straight face at the message, he kicked the clerics head out of the way and fired up his Jetpack. He accelerated into a climb to avoid Robin and Lark as they dragged a grappled Paladin and attempted a wishbone. The paladin screamed, but his heavy armor kept him from being torn in two.Juko has been damaged for 30,000 hitpoints.Q cut power to his jetpack and pulled his halberd, pointing it toward the ground in a gravity dive. He whistled shrilly and the two Songbirds released their prey, Q's full weight drove the halberd through the thick armor and pinned him to the arena floor.Juco has been damaged for 67,400 hitpoints, bonus damage 67,400 hitpoints.Q saw Crow charging at him, so he left the halberd and pulled his pistoleros. A Swordsman was chasing her, so he opened up on him.*Pistolero's Master Gunner*Both Pistols charged up and released their projectiles at the same time.Mina has been critically hit for 32,300 hitpoints, bonus damage 32,300 hitpoints.*Blink*Q appeared behind Mina.*Backstab*Mina has been critically hit for 24,500 hitpoints, bonus damage 24,500 hitpoints.Mina has been slain.*Return*Q appeared beside the pinned paladin just as Crow was butchering him like a chicken, a fountain of blood erupting as his head went flying.*Execution*Crimson Rose has inflicted a mortal wound on Juco. Juco has been slain.Q saw a bard approaching, a bongo in one hand as he chanted lyrics. Q gunned his jetpack at the musician, at the last minute he used his feet as brakes, covering him in a cloud of dust.*Blink*Q pulled his halberd out of the paladin's corpse.*Return*Q slashed with his Halberd as the bard cleared the dust cloud.You have been mezzed.Q grimaced as his body froze, the sound of bongos coming closer.*Eviscerate*Nightingale has critically hit Lera for 88,567 hitpoints.Q body responded as he grabbed Nightingale around the waist.*Blink*Q appeared behind Crow, still holding Nightingale.*Cleave*Crimson Rose has mortally wounded Lera. Lera has been slain.*Return*Q and Nightingale reappeared in front of the bard whose head was cleaved right down the middle, all the way to his chest. His lifeless body stood for a moment and then collapsed.Exodus Announcement: The TAP team has defeated Iron Mountain in sudden victory 4-0.Q turned toward the opposite side of the arena, Remmy was making her way toward them, she was waving wildly to the crowd. Q had given specific instructions to the others to go down. He joined Lara and Crow as they waved to the crowd. Q gritted his teeth, hopefully it was enough. It was bloody, and it showcased all of Crow's big hits.The TAP team reunited at their staging area, Mojo hugged Q tightly. She could see the stress in his eyes, she didn't know the specifics, but the next few minutes were crucial to his plans.Exodus Arena Announcement: The Civil Unrest team has defeated Martial Law in sudden victory 6-0.Q nodded to himself. Only two undefeated teams, so the semi-final would be in the morning and one team would go up 1 to zero. The final would feature the same two teams battling in two weeks. If the same team won that battle, then they would be crowned champions. If the other team won, they would engage in a sudden death rematch later in the day.Sidney Horn approached the blue staging area again. He had been shocked at the brutality and bloody battle the TAP team had engaged in. The arena crowd loved them, the TAP fighters were hugely popular thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign. He stopped a few steps away from Q, who was being embraced by a strikingly attractive dark elf. "Well fought Q, I must say I'm surprised you were able to put down Iron Mountain."Q scowled at him, "the answer is still no Mr. Horn.""There is no need to be stubborn," Sidney Horn was a man use to getting his way, it was inconceivable that Q wouldn't sell to him. "You can name any price."Q grinned at him, letting meanness seep into his gaze. "I would consider a wager."Sidney Horn leaned forward, the interest in his eyes showing plainly. "What are the terms?""If we win, we'd like to fight the second battle to take place in TAP, at the arena of our choice." Q watched the shark circle, it's beady black eyes staring at him."If you win, you choose the location for the next fight?" Sidney was laughing inside, the kid had been trying to play him. Q wanted him to think they were a one-pony show. Sidney knew that the kid was just as dangerous as the Executioner. "And if we win, both of your TAP hub properties are mine?"Q nodded, "yep...unless of course, you are scared."Sidney Horn pretended to give it some thought, "I will accept the wager, but only on the condition that you not fight in this match."The Songbirds had been listening to their boss, instantly they all started talking."Q you have to fight with us!""That will leave us one person short!""Don't fall for it commander!""I accept." Q's voice was cold as he cut off his teammates advice.Within a few minutes the judges had been notified, and the wager had been made official. There would be no backing out now.Q signed the document, smiling pleasantly at Kora as she gave him a questioning look. Remmy moved up beside him, her little hand gripping his as she looked up at him."Is this still going according to plan?" Her pink hair was messed up, and she had blood splattered on her armor.Q nodded, "Lets meet at the Tavern. Tal and Pops are holding down the fort." He glanced at his sister, mouthing a silent 'thank you.'"I'll meet up with you guys later, going to get some rest first." Crow walked off ahead of them, not saying another word.**********Pops had closed the Tavern, he was stunned at the business they had pulled in. He was straightening up chairs as Ren and Tal wiped down the tables. They had been watching the matches on the bar hud, so they knew what had happened. They weren't surprised when the tired looking group walked in."Well done everyone!" Tal poured everyone the Exodus version of Iced Tea, surprisingly none of the TAP NPCs had ever tried it.Q stood up, his eyes wandering toward the stairs. "I want to go over the plans for tomorrow."Everyone instantly quieted down, they were aware that they had been following a script. They were not aware however, of the endgame.Q operated the Tavern hud and chose the privacy mode. This stopped all transmissions, and muted the building to those outside. "First... thank you for following my directions. My goal today was to push Sidney Horn into a wager that would bring the next match to the Zohai arena."Mojo shuddered when she heard the name. "Q'Ikah.. You intend to kill him?""Yes... we already know how to lock in the permanent death feature." Q's voice was ice cold as he stared at Mojo. "Keep trusting in me Mojo'skah."The dark elf's lavender eyes flashed at him, "always.""Tomorrow I want everyone to follow a script once again. They have ten fighters, we are going to have nine. You must not kill or attack Eraphia or the members of their Trident team.""Explain to them what Trident is Quinn." Tal knew the plan, it hinged on closely following the steps."Trident is a three man team, together they can assemble a insta-kill weapon that can take down any player. The setback to Trident is that the firing of this weapon sacrifices all three of their lives." Q let his words sink in."If we can't hit them, then what about the others?" Mojo sipped her tea, the glass shaking slightly, even she was nervous."Kill everyone else. I want those four isolated." Q knew that they had their doubts, he also knew that the only way to keep a secret, was to not tell anyone."What about us? After we eliminate the other six?" Lara wanted to fight more than anything, she had seen Eraphia, the woman made her skin crawl."We'll pop the smoke grenades that Tal fashioned, in the confusion each of you must kill your target and then let yourself be taken out. This is vital. Trident and Eraphia must face Crow alone.""You are deliberately putting Crow into a 1 against 4 fight?" Robin couldn't help but stand up, her face showing anger."Enough!" Mojo stared at her until she sat down, then she faced Q. "We will do exactly as you askQ'Ikah."The NPCs made use of the empty rooms in the upstairs of the Tavern, while Q and the rest logged out.*****Exodus Arena Announcement: Welcome to the first battle of these two undefeated teams. The defending Champions from Civil Unrest versus the Challengers from TAP. The bell starting the match sounded immediately.Q watched as Trident and Eraphia held themselves back a bit, Mojo and the Songbirds advanced steadily while Crow unexpectedly held herself back. Just before first contact the players from TAP all tossed their smoke grenades into the middle of the arena, instantly the central area was covered in a thick cloud of smoke.Sidney Horn stared at the cloud of smoke. "What the hell is this? They are suppose to be a sword and gun type team!" He clapped in approval as Eraphia and Trident pulled back from the smoke.Q kept his eyes on the respective staging areas, three players from the Civil Unrest team appeared there almost instantly. He smiled deliberately, knowing that eyes were on him. No one could see anything through the smoke, the arena announcers had to be content with calling out the competitors as they appeared in their staging areas.Lark and Robin were the first two TAP members to be eliminated, their arrival at the staging area was mirrored by two more deaths on the Civil Unrest side. Lara appeared a moment later, her eyes finding Q who was sitting in the first row of the team section, she nodded towards him.Sidney Horn was on his feet, like the rest of the spectators he couldn't see what was going on. He didn't miss the interaction between Q and Nightingale. They were planning something. Sidney Horn watched carefully, another member of his team appeared in the staging area, making the score five to six.An explosion rocked the arena, instantly causing much of the smoke to clear. Six people appeared in the staging area at once, two from Civil Unrest and four from TAP. The sudden turn-around made the score 1-4 in favor of Civil Unrest.Sidney Horn watched the staging area in confusion. What was going on? Did one of their players mishandle an explosive device? He scanned the steadily clearing smoke for TAP's last player. There was no one there.Q let out a breathe after the explosion gave him the score he wanted. They didn't match up well against Eraphia, no one did. Q let himself smile widely, not showing any of the stress he felt. He noted that Remmy was grinning from ear to ear. Gnome's loved to blow shit up, even when it was themselves.Q pumped his fist and cheered when Crow unstealthed in the fading smoke, her lone figure standing in the middle of the arena. "Finish them!" Q screamed at her, in his heart he knew she would never let him down.The arena crowd was strangely silent as Crow walked toward the surviving members of Civil Unrest, her axe was sitting casually over one shoulder, a pleasant smile on her face.Sidney Horn stared at Crow, then back at Q. She had been stealthed the entire time? There was something different about her. Suddenly the indomitable tycoon felt a sense of danger, as if his existence hinged on his next decision. Had this kid managed to trick him? "Eraphia!! Use Trident Now!!!"Eraphia was a Mafia Overlord, a bloody killer who could beat down walls with her fists. She also was a majete wielder, two of them at once. She knew that in a straight up melee fight, few could hold their ground against her. She heard her boss shouting from the Team seating, she really wanted to cut Crow into pieces.Horn's face was a mask of anger as he watched Eraphia consider her options. "I said, use Trident to kill her now!"The three members of Trident each had ranged weapons on their arm, they clicked the pieces into place, two of them supported the weapon on either side, while a third was behind it acting as the triggerman.Eraphia stepped to one side in frustration, her eyes staring at Crow who seemed to be quite calm as she stopped in the middle of the arena. The Mafia Lord watched Trident finish the assembly, "kill her now!"The long figure stood in the middle of the arena, watching Trident. She had sacrificed so much for this moment,she had been told what to look for, her lips curved in a smile when she saw the red light flash.*I wish you were me.*Eraphia was instantly switched with the target, she didn't have time to utter a word as her chest was torn apart, instantly killing her.Eraphia has been slain.She appeared along with the members of Trident in the staging area, leaving only Crow left in the arena.The crowd was stunned into silence, only Q understood what had happened.Exodus Arena Announcement: The Semi Final Battle goes to TAP by sudden victory, 1-0."Judges!! Judges! I protest!" He knew what had been bothering him, Crimson Rose's entire demeanor was different, "they switched team members! That's not Crimson Rose!"Kora walked into the arena with the two other judges. She walked calmly up to Crimson Rose. "Excuse me Miss, could you please state your name?"The young lady in question, slowly removed her disguise.Mask of FortuneDisguise:UniqueWearer can change theirappearance and voice.She sighed and shook loose her wavy red hair. "I'm Leah Fintree."Kora looked at her sheet and then back at Sidney Horn. "Leah Fintree is listed as their alternate, the decision stands."Sidney Horn stared in shock. Leah Fintree... She was suppose to be dead.The crowd cheered as the beautiful redhead ran towards the staging area, a tall dark haired man swept her up in his arms, their relationship was obvious."Q! I missed you, I missed you." Leah sobbed uncontrollably as she rained kisses onto his face. She had been hiding in Concert Hall for weeks, she clung to him desperately.Q hugged her tight against him. "You did great Leah, you did great." He inhaled deeply, the scent of apples filling his nostrils as he wrapped her up. He was completely oblivious to the deafening sounds of the arena.Unexpectedly, Civil Unrest had lost.
