Chapter 66
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Anna sipped the coffee that Tal had brought her, the tall blonde stared out the window while they chatted.
"You seem a bit preoccupied, something going on?" Anna had heard that Tal and Quinn were heading to Zi'Fendyl. Tal wasn't the type to worry about something like that.
"Hmm? No nothing really." She heard the shower from Quinn's room turn on, her pretty face blushed slightly.
Anna narrowed her eyes, "something happened right?" She lowered her voice, "spill it girl, what did you guys do this time?"
******
Quinn was toweling off in the bathroom when he heard his hud buzz. He quickly threw on some jeans and a t-shirt then took a seat at his desk. He didn't recognize the caller, but he answered anyways. A moment later the image of a Chinese woman filled his hud.
"Hello, are you Mr. Riley?" The woman was wearing a dark blue dress and she appeared to be sitting in some sort of studio.
"Yep that's me, but Quinn is fine and you are?" He smiled as he pulled out the list that Anna had given him. There were about fifty different names of people that he was absolutely not suppose to talk to.
"I'm Daiyu Ling. I'm pleased to meet you Quinn." The woman bowed slightly, her black silky hair swaying gently with the movement.
"Just a moment please." Quinn finished going through the list and then looked up, she wasn't on the list. "What can I do for you Miss Ling?"
"Call me Daiyu please. I'm a freelance commentator for various Virtual Medias. I'm interested in working with the Fora Development Group."
"A commentator? " Quinn hadn't spent much time watching the vids that sprouted from TAP and Exodus. He understood that they were very popular.
Daiyu Ling was an up and coming TAP announcer from China. Arena battles, Guild Raids, even a few assassinations were broadcast live to millions of people. She wasn't the most well known, but she was very articulate and had a decent size following. Quinn of course, knew none of this.
"Yes, recently I covered the Halfling Escape." She sent Quinn a link to her work.
Quinn nodded but didn't open the link she had sent, instead he forwarded it to Anna. "I will pass this on to Anna she.."
"THIS GIRL WANTS TO DO THAT!"
Anna's voice interrupted him, he frowned in the direction of her room before turning his attention back to the hud. "Did you hear that?"
Daiyu smiled, "sounds like she's having fun."
Quinn grinned back at her, "fine, you are hired. I'll need you to take a trip with us, we are leaving from Fora HQ in four hours."
"I'm sorry what? A trip?" Daiyu's face didn't show any of the shock she felt. "What is the destination?"
"Zi'Fendyl."
"Zi'Fendyl? That's the High Elf Capital, and it's strictly off limits to outsiders." Daiyu made it her business to know everything about TAP.
Quinn shrugged, "I'm not an outsider. Oh hey, it's lunchtime. Anna will contact you." Quinn quickly cut comm and stood up.
The scent of food brought him to the hallway. "Is that Chili Mac?" Quinn leaned over the railing, trying to see what was cooking.
Ren nodded from the fridge as she pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. "Extra Spicy."
Quinn slid down the railing, skidding on his feet slightly before regaining his balance and walking into the kitchen. "You made lunch?" To his knowledge, Ren never cooked anything.
"Yep, I found the recipe in the cupboard." She smiled sweetly, "you'll give me an honest opinion right?"
Quinn nodded, even if it was awful he'd ask for seconds. "Yep, how many for lunch?"
"Four of us, Pops is out shopping." Ren laughed as she watched Quinn take out forks, he moved his lips like a little kid when he counted. "Have a seat Quinn, I want to do the rest."
"Oh, sounds good." He watched her walk around the kitchen, moving things around. "You are very pretty Ren."
Ren glanced up at him as she stirred the Chili Mac. "Do you mean that? Or are you trying to score points with the chef?"
"Both of course," Quinn had no problem admitting he was shameless.
Ren paused in her stirring. "Am I prettier than mom?"
Quinn shook his head, "nope."
"Oh I see." She spooned out a bit and blew on it before offering him a sample. "Prettier then Leah?"
Quinn took a bite, his eyes closing as the spices attacked his pallet. "That's really good ...and no way."
Ren laughed and started dishing lunch into the bowls she had set out. "You love me the most though."
Quinn nodded in agreement. "Ren is best."
"No. Quinn's the best. You'd be perfect for me if you were a girl." Ren gave him an extra scoop and starting pouring drinks.
Quinn frowned at her. "Wouldn't I be a very ugly girl?"
"Undoubtedly." Ren took the seat next to him. Quinn had always been her confidant, he knew all of her secrets.
Quinn pursed his lips together. "Hmm.. would Jangles be a better looking girl then me?"
Ren laughed aloud, "if he put a dress on, he might be prettier than mom."
Quinn shuddered. "Don't say weird things!"
*********
Anna and Tal watched from the railing. Neither spoke, although Anna gripped Tal's hand.
Tal gave her a small smile. "I had suspected at times. It doesn't matter to me, as long as she's happy.
"Let's go down," Anna whispered.
Tal and Anna came down the stairs together, Quinn waved at them. "Oi.. can you two hurry up?"
Tal placed a hand on Quinn's shoulder and bent for a quick kiss before sitting down. "Ren, did you cook lunch?"
Ren nodded, "I did."
Anna rubbed her hands together, "it smells really good."
The four of them joined hands. "Thank you for the meal."
"And god bless Quinn." Tal held onto his hand instead of letting go.
Quinn tried to shake his hand loose. "Um.. I"m right handed, so... release me so I can eat."
Humor filled Tal's pretty blue eyes, "fine .. but you owe me."
Quinn shrugged at her, "what does that even mean?"
"Wow, that's really spicy." Anna reached for her lemonade and took a long drink.
"I like it Ren. What did you add to it?" Tal ate slowly, unlike her friend, she wasn't weak against spices.
Quinn's spoon made a loud noise as he scraped the last bit of chili mac off his plate and ate it. "I didn't get enough."
"Do you even taste your food Q-bear?" Anna smiled apologetically at Ren as she gave Quinn half of her lunch.
"Yes. Thank you." Quinn started eating again, not realizing that his three companions were watching him.
"We going to use the suits and chamber for the Zi'Fendyl trip?" Tal had talked to Yayia and guessed that it would be a longer day then they were use to.
Quinn nodded while he continued to eat his lunch. "Use the one in Nanna's room, she can always use the discs Grandpa gave us if she needs to log on."
Anna winked at Tal in agreement. "I'll keep you safe."
Tal laughed at her friend. "Thanks Nanna."
"Oh hey that reminds me, I hired someone." Quinn leaned back in his chair and sipped his lemonade.
The three women stared at him.
"You hired someone?" Anna didn't seem too concerned, he always made good decisions.
"Yep. Ling something." Quinn ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to remember her name.
Ren laughed at his expression. "A hint maybe. Is this person a lumberjack?"
Quinn shook his head. "A commentator, Chinese woman."
"Do you mean Daiyu Ling?" Anna's smile widened, Daiyu was someone that she would have eventually approached.
Quinn touched a finger to the tip of his nose. "Boom. That's her, Daiyu Ling. She's coming with us to Zi'Fendyl."
**********
Quinn sat the black box on the desk and sat down. He had come to the luxury cottage for a bit of privacy. Leah was busy helping her mom and Mojo was in a meeting with Jangles. The last item he had removed from the box had given him the Ba'Avriel Assassin form, so he was nervous about removing more things.
"Damn it, this is more nerve wracking then Christmas." He pulled out two items, one was a carefully folded suit and the second an intricately carved silver box. He carefully unfolded the clothing.
Quick Silver King
Formal Attire: Unrated
Description: A dozen artisans
worked tirelessly on this suit.
"Flash isn't my thing...but this is sweet." He folded it back up and stowed it away. Next Quinn opened the small carved box. There were three tiny spheres placed inside, they looked like the marbles he use to play with as a kid.
Shadowfiend
Pet Type:Feline, Primal
Description: Nothing is known
concerning the abilities of Shadowfiends.
System Message: Do you wish to activate Shadowfiend?
"No, no... do not activate. So it's a cat pet? Why no dogs?" All three appeared identical. Quinn frowned and removed two before closing the last one up in the silver container, he stowed the black box back into his inventory.
Quinn took a moment to send Leah and Mojo mail with the Shadowfiend pets enclosed. "They should like these."
Quinn walked back to HQ, it was close to mid-day in TAP. He spotted Tal and Yayia as soon as he opened the door. They were chatting with a smaller woman who had short black hair, it was spiked in a way similar to Instructor Kora. As Quinn approached, he could tell she was a rogue, mid-level probably in the 40s.
"Quinn right? I'm Yukina, also known as Daiyu." She smiled and bowed her head.
"Ready to go Yu?" He glanced at Tal who was holding a box.
Yukina glanced at the other two women, "Yu?" They had told her to expect a nickname from him. Oddly enough, it was the name her grandpa called her as a child. "I'm ready," she smiled at the memory of the old man.
Tal opened the box she held and handed him the contents. It was twin holsters with pistols crafted in the western design of Guns and Gore.
Quinn grabbed them from her, his eyes staring at the design. "Woah... this is awesome."
Peacemakers
Handcrafted Six-Guns:Engineered
Description:Painstakingly made by two
Grandmaster Engineers. Class specific,
NPC Assassin only.
Effect:High chance of critical hits.
He belted them on, and then drew one quickly. There was a gasp from those watching, Quinn was fast. The front part of the holster was slightly lower so the barrels could clear the leather quickly. Both holsters were tilted forward by five degrees for optimal draw speed.
"They are Masterpieces..." Quinn smiled gently at the blonde engineer, "thank you Talia."
Tal smiled, trying not to tear up. She hadn't realized how much Quinn would like them. She had worked with Remmy for a long time to get them just right. "You're welcome Quinn," she stepped forward and kissed him quickly.
"I'm going to have to think of something really nice to get you." Quinn glanced over at Mojo, she was sitting with Sparrow and Jangles at the conference table.
Yu pressed something against his chest, it looked like a cloth patch but it blended into shirt immediately.
"This some sort of body-cam?" Quinn couldn't even feel it beneath his TAP kit.
"Yes, we are all outfitted with them. It will give me a lot of options for footage later." Yu checked the rest of her gear. "Think we'll have to fight? I didn't bring top gear."
"No worries, if it comes to that I will get you some proper gear." Quinn grabbed Tal's hand and pulled her close. "Lets do this Yayia."
Yayia nodded, and moved to a clear part of the warehouse. "This disc will transport us to our territorial border, from there we will take the council Zeppelin."
Yayia tossed a disc on the floor, intricate runes drawn into a circular pattern glowed brightly as the room around them disappeared.
Q scowled as he held his stomach with one hand. Disc travel was very unpleasant.
"Everything okay Quinn?" Tal was still holding his other hand.
"Yep.. feels like going down a really steep hill." Quinn looked around, they were standing on a platform of some sort. There were dozens of similar platforms scattered about. The terrain seemed to be endless fields as far as the eye could see.
"These are the plains of Kelbi, there are many different modes of transportations here. We are looking for the Zep Station." Yayia pointed to a golden dome in the distance.
"We are the only players here.. amazing." Yu was trying to look everywhere at once. "We seem to stand out a bit."
Tal slid an arm through Quinn's and nodded, everyone seemed to be looking in their direction.
Quinn laughed it off, they were partly right. "They are looking at you Tal, even among a race known for their beauty, you stand out like a rose in a field of weeds."
Tal's full lips curved in a small smile, "Quinn..."
"Oh my..." Yayia sighed... "those are sweet words."
"Just stating the obvious." Quinn headed off toward the distant dome, pulling a blushing Tal with him.
"Did you two start a halfling character?" Yu walked comfortably on the other side of Quinn, it was obvious that he had shortened his stride so everyone could stay together.
"Wouldn't that override this character?" Tal had given it a bit of though, halflings were so cute.
"The halfling race has two options, one is the TAP route which will erase your current character, the other is the production route which you can play as an alt character."
"Really?" Quinn had liked playing the little hunter. "So I can learn Tanning and production skills, never have to worry about being on a hit list?"
"Yep.. thank you by the way." Yu had already made a halfling carpenter. "The choices you made really made halflings worthwhile."
"Hmm? What's that mean?" Quinn hadn't really paid attention to any of the halfling related news.
"According to the developers, the choices the ten of you made influenced their racial characteristics." Yu had covered the Escape live, she nearly cried when all ten halflings had turned back to face Gnoll King Brisbane.
"It was really amazing." Yayia didn't bother to mention that the Fora Development Group was helping the Halfling race re-evolve in TAP.
Yu pulled out a silver flask and took a drink. "During character generation the halfling strengths are listed as loyalty, courage and teamwork."
Quinn eyed the shiny flask. "What's in that?"
"It's just highbush berry juice." Yu held up the flask, "feel it."
Quinn touched the flask with his fingertips. "It has a cold enchantment on it?"
Yu nodded, "very refreshing for long trips."
"I want one of those," Quinn muttered beneath his breathe.
Yayia stopped just before the Dome entrance. "The changing rooms are just inside, men will go to the left and women to the right. Just follow the guidelines in the mail I sent you."
Quinn nodded, exactly as if he had read the mail. "Sounds good."
"Cya on the other side Quinn." Tal gave him a quick look, she could tell he hadn't read the mail.
They walked through a set of revolving gold doors, there was a spacious entry way and two sets of double doors, one going to the left and the other right. Quinn waved at his companions and took the left set of doors.
Inside there was a changing area. Quinn found himself completely alone, so brought out the Quick Silver Suit from his inventory and placed it on the nearby table.
"Oh shit.. Open Mail."
Subject: Dress Code Sender: Yayia Attachment:None
Please bring something formal with you to wear on the Zeppelin. One or two colors is considered fashionable, it isn't considered polite to wear many colors. It's sad to say, but my race will draw conclusions based on the smallest thing. Ask me if you are unsure. You are allowed to wear weapons.
Yayia
"Pfft.. easy peasy. Edit TAP kit, all items silver, boxers, tanktop, bandanna and silver suede shoes." Quinn slipped on the shirt and pants from the quick-silver set. They were amazingly comfortable. "Dang... I'm going to wear this all the time."
He left the jacket off while he adjusted his holsters. "I really like these guns, I need to repay those two with something awesome." Quinn slipped the jacket on and then tied the bandanna carefully in place. He didn't check the mirror, "I'll be good.. as long as they don't get too snooty with me."
Quinn stepped into the main lobby a short while later, even though it was fairly crowded he didn't have any problems finding his group. Tal was wearing a pale blue dress that hugged her curves, her blonde hair was tied up neatly. Quinn stared at her for a few moments. Yu wore a sleek red dress while Yayia chose a yellow robe. The time mage always wore baggy clothes, it made Quinn suspect that she had a figure similar to Tals.
The three women didn't notice him until the lobby suddenly grew quiet. Quinn smiled widely and quickly joined them. "I took my time thinking that the three of you would be slow... and now I'm last."
"We just got here Quinn." Tal wasn't surprised but she knew that the other two were speechless. Dressed in silver with black guns, he looked like a pirate king.
"Why you staring? Is there something on my face?" Quinn took a closer look at his companions. "The three of you look lovely, by the way."
Yu finally couldn't take it anymore and looked at Tal, "did he look like that before we got here?"
Tal's blue eyes were filled with warmth as she nodded predictably, "he's a very handsome man."
Yayia couldn't take her eyes off Quinn. "You look like a King."
"Hmm? How about now?" Quinn crossed his eyes and wiggled his eyebrows at the same time. All three women laughed loudly.
The group boarded the Zeppelin without any issues and made themselves comfortable in the stateroom Yayia had reserved. Quinn was sitting comfortably with Tal, she was reading him the Lost Civilization book aloud. Every few minutes she would make sure he hadn't fallen asleep.
Quinn was doing his best to stay awake when the stateroom rocked suddenly to one side, a deafening boom blasted the wooden door in.
"The hell is that?" Quinn ran for the doorway and glanced outside, there were injured people everywhere.
"Rebels.." Yayia could hear the sounds of fighting nearby.
"Jetpacks on now." Quinn pulled his out and slipped into it.
"I don't have one of those." Yu didn't have access to that sort of thing.
Quinn took his off and started helping her put it on. "The control glove works on a mimic system, real basic maneuvers are easy. Move your hand in the direction you want to go, make a fist to power up and hover in place, open your hand to shut it down."
Yu shook her head, "Quinn I can't take this, what will you use?"
"Something else." He glanced out the door again, "we will stay onboard unless it looks like we are going down. Avoid conflict, if someone engages you, call out."
"There's stairs at the end of this hall, it leads to the deck." Yayia pulled out her timepiece as she finished fastening the jetpack. Suddenly she was glad that Mojo had made her learn how to use it.
Quinn checked both his pistols. "Do you have your rifle Tal?"
Tal nodded and pulled out the weapon.
"I'll lead the way, you watch our six. Stay close."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Anna sipped the coffee that Tal had brought her, the tall blonde stared out the window while they chatted.
"You seem a bit preoccupied, something going on?" Anna had heard that Tal and Quinn were heading to Zi'Fendyl. Tal wasn't the type to worry about something like that.
"Hmm? No nothing really." She heard the shower from Quinn's room turn on, her pretty face blushed slightly.
Anna narrowed her eyes, "something happened right?" She lowered her voice, "spill it girl, what did you guys do this time?"
******
Quinn was toweling off in the bathroom when he heard his hud buzz. He quickly threw on some jeans and a t-shirt then took a seat at his desk. He didn't recognize the caller, but he answered anyways. A moment later the image of a Chinese woman filled his hud.
"Hello, are you Mr. Riley?" The woman was wearing a dark blue dress and she appeared to be sitting in some sort of studio.
"Yep that's me, but Quinn is fine and you are?" He smiled as he pulled out the list that Anna had given him. There were about fifty different names of people that he was absolutely not suppose to talk to.
"I'm Daiyu Ling. I'm pleased to meet you Quinn." The woman bowed slightly, her black silky hair swaying gently with the movement.
"Just a moment please." Quinn finished going through the list and then looked up, she wasn't on the list. "What can I do for you Miss Ling?"
"Call me Daiyu please. I'm a freelance commentator for various Virtual Medias. I'm interested in working with the Fora Development Group."
"A commentator? " Quinn hadn't spent much time watching the vids that sprouted from TAP and Exodus. He understood that they were very popular.
Daiyu Ling was an up and coming TAP announcer from China. Arena battles, Guild Raids, even a few assassinations were broadcast live to millions of people. She wasn't the most well known, but she was very articulate and had a decent size following. Quinn of course, knew none of this.
"Yes, recently I covered the Halfling Escape." She sent Quinn a link to her work.
Quinn nodded but didn't open the link she had sent, instead he forwarded it to Anna. "I will pass this on to Anna she.."
"THIS GIRL WANTS TO DO THAT!"
Anna's voice interrupted him, he frowned in the direction of her room before turning his attention back to the hud. "Did you hear that?"
Daiyu smiled, "sounds like she's having fun."
Quinn grinned back at her, "fine, you are hired. I'll need you to take a trip with us, we are leaving from Fora HQ in four hours."
"I'm sorry what? A trip?" Daiyu's face didn't show any of the shock she felt. "What is the destination?"
"Zi'Fendyl."
"Zi'Fendyl? That's the High Elf Capital, and it's strictly off limits to outsiders." Daiyu made it her business to know everything about TAP.
Quinn shrugged, "I'm not an outsider. Oh hey, it's lunchtime. Anna will contact you." Quinn quickly cut comm and stood up.
The scent of food brought him to the hallway. "Is that Chili Mac?" Quinn leaned over the railing, trying to see what was cooking.
Ren nodded from the fridge as she pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. "Extra Spicy."
Quinn slid down the railing, skidding on his feet slightly before regaining his balance and walking into the kitchen. "You made lunch?" To his knowledge, Ren never cooked anything.
"Yep, I found the recipe in the cupboard." She smiled sweetly, "you'll give me an honest opinion right?"
Quinn nodded, even if it was awful he'd ask for seconds. "Yep, how many for lunch?"
"Four of us, Pops is out shopping." Ren laughed as she watched Quinn take out forks, he moved his lips like a little kid when he counted. "Have a seat Quinn, I want to do the rest."
"Oh, sounds good." He watched her walk around the kitchen, moving things around. "You are very pretty Ren."
Ren glanced up at him as she stirred the Chili Mac. "Do you mean that? Or are you trying to score points with the chef?"
"Both of course," Quinn had no problem admitting he was shameless.
Ren paused in her stirring. "Am I prettier than mom?"
Quinn shook his head, "nope."
"Oh I see." She spooned out a bit and blew on it before offering him a sample. "Prettier then Leah?"
Quinn took a bite, his eyes closing as the spices attacked his pallet. "That's really good ...and no way."
Ren laughed and started dishing lunch into the bowls she had set out. "You love me the most though."
Quinn nodded in agreement. "Ren is best."
"No. Quinn's the best. You'd be perfect for me if you were a girl." Ren gave him an extra scoop and starting pouring drinks.
Quinn frowned at her. "Wouldn't I be a very ugly girl?"
"Undoubtedly." Ren took the seat next to him. Quinn had always been her confidant, he knew all of her secrets.
Quinn pursed his lips together. "Hmm.. would Jangles be a better looking girl then me?"
Ren laughed aloud, "if he put a dress on, he might be prettier than mom."
Quinn shuddered. "Don't say weird things!"
*********
Anna and Tal watched from the railing. Neither spoke, although Anna gripped Tal's hand.
Tal gave her a small smile. "I had suspected at times. It doesn't matter to me, as long as she's happy.
"Let's go down," Anna whispered.
Tal and Anna came down the stairs together, Quinn waved at them. "Oi.. can you two hurry up?"
Tal placed a hand on Quinn's shoulder and bent for a quick kiss before sitting down. "Ren, did you cook lunch?"
Ren nodded, "I did."
Anna rubbed her hands together, "it smells really good."
The four of them joined hands. "Thank you for the meal."
"And god bless Quinn." Tal held onto his hand instead of letting go.
Quinn tried to shake his hand loose. "Um.. I"m right handed, so... release me so I can eat."
Humor filled Tal's pretty blue eyes, "fine .. but you owe me."
Quinn shrugged at her, "what does that even mean?"
"Wow, that's really spicy." Anna reached for her lemonade and took a long drink.
"I like it Ren. What did you add to it?" Tal ate slowly, unlike her friend, she wasn't weak against spices.
Quinn's spoon made a loud noise as he scraped the last bit of chili mac off his plate and ate it. "I didn't get enough."
"Do you even taste your food Q-bear?" Anna smiled apologetically at Ren as she gave Quinn half of her lunch.
"Yes. Thank you." Quinn started eating again, not realizing that his three companions were watching him.
"We going to use the suits and chamber for the Zi'Fendyl trip?" Tal had talked to Yayia and guessed that it would be a longer day then they were use to.
Quinn nodded while he continued to eat his lunch. "Use the one in Nanna's room, she can always use the discs Grandpa gave us if she needs to log on."
Anna winked at Tal in agreement. "I'll keep you safe."
Tal laughed at her friend. "Thanks Nanna."
"Oh hey that reminds me, I hired someone." Quinn leaned back in his chair and sipped his lemonade.
The three women stared at him.
"You hired someone?" Anna didn't seem too concerned, he always made good decisions.
"Yep. Ling something." Quinn ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to remember her name.
Ren laughed at his expression. "A hint maybe. Is this person a lumberjack?"
Quinn shook his head. "A commentator, Chinese woman."
"Do you mean Daiyu Ling?" Anna's smile widened, Daiyu was someone that she would have eventually approached.
Quinn touched a finger to the tip of his nose. "Boom. That's her, Daiyu Ling. She's coming with us to Zi'Fendyl."
**********
Quinn sat the black box on the desk and sat down. He had come to the luxury cottage for a bit of privacy. Leah was busy helping her mom and Mojo was in a meeting with Jangles. The last item he had removed from the box had given him the Ba'Avriel Assassin form, so he was nervous about removing more things.
"Damn it, this is more nerve wracking then Christmas." He pulled out two items, one was a carefully folded suit and the second an intricately carved silver box. He carefully unfolded the clothing.
Quick Silver King
Formal Attire: Unrated
Description: A dozen artisans
worked tirelessly on this suit.
"Flash isn't my thing...but this is sweet." He folded it back up and stowed it away. Next Quinn opened the small carved box. There were three tiny spheres placed inside, they looked like the marbles he use to play with as a kid.
Shadowfiend
Pet Type:Feline, Primal
Description: Nothing is known
concerning the abilities of Shadowfiends.
System Message: Do you wish to activate Shadowfiend?
"No, no... do not activate. So it's a cat pet? Why no dogs?" All three appeared identical. Quinn frowned and removed two before closing the last one up in the silver container, he stowed the black box back into his inventory.
Quinn took a moment to send Leah and Mojo mail with the Shadowfiend pets enclosed. "They should like these."
Quinn walked back to HQ, it was close to mid-day in TAP. He spotted Tal and Yayia as soon as he opened the door. They were chatting with a smaller woman who had short black hair, it was spiked in a way similar to Instructor Kora. As Quinn approached, he could tell she was a rogue, mid-level probably in the 40s.
"Quinn right? I'm Yukina, also known as Daiyu." She smiled and bowed her head.
"Ready to go Yu?" He glanced at Tal who was holding a box.
Yukina glanced at the other two women, "Yu?" They had told her to expect a nickname from him. Oddly enough, it was the name her grandpa called her as a child. "I'm ready," she smiled at the memory of the old man.
Tal opened the box she held and handed him the contents. It was twin holsters with pistols crafted in the western design of Guns and Gore.
Quinn grabbed them from her, his eyes staring at the design. "Woah... this is awesome."
Peacemakers
Handcrafted Six-Guns:Engineered
Description:Painstakingly made by two
Grandmaster Engineers. Class specific,
NPC Assassin only.
Effect:High chance of critical hits.
He belted them on, and then drew one quickly. There was a gasp from those watching, Quinn was fast. The front part of the holster was slightly lower so the barrels could clear the leather quickly. Both holsters were tilted forward by five degrees for optimal draw speed.
"They are Masterpieces..." Quinn smiled gently at the blonde engineer, "thank you Talia."
Tal smiled, trying not to tear up. She hadn't realized how much Quinn would like them. She had worked with Remmy for a long time to get them just right. "You're welcome Quinn," she stepped forward and kissed him quickly.
"I'm going to have to think of something really nice to get you." Quinn glanced over at Mojo, she was sitting with Sparrow and Jangles at the conference table.
Yu pressed something against his chest, it looked like a cloth patch but it blended into shirt immediately.
"This some sort of body-cam?" Quinn couldn't even feel it beneath his TAP kit.
"Yes, we are all outfitted with them. It will give me a lot of options for footage later." Yu checked the rest of her gear. "Think we'll have to fight? I didn't bring top gear."
"No worries, if it comes to that I will get you some proper gear." Quinn grabbed Tal's hand and pulled her close. "Lets do this Yayia."
Yayia nodded, and moved to a clear part of the warehouse. "This disc will transport us to our territorial border, from there we will take the council Zeppelin."
Yayia tossed a disc on the floor, intricate runes drawn into a circular pattern glowed brightly as the room around them disappeared.
Q scowled as he held his stomach with one hand. Disc travel was very unpleasant.
"Everything okay Quinn?" Tal was still holding his other hand.
"Yep.. feels like going down a really steep hill." Quinn looked around, they were standing on a platform of some sort. There were dozens of similar platforms scattered about. The terrain seemed to be endless fields as far as the eye could see.
"These are the plains of Kelbi, there are many different modes of transportations here. We are looking for the Zep Station." Yayia pointed to a golden dome in the distance.
"We are the only players here.. amazing." Yu was trying to look everywhere at once. "We seem to stand out a bit."
Tal slid an arm through Quinn's and nodded, everyone seemed to be looking in their direction.
Quinn laughed it off, they were partly right. "They are looking at you Tal, even among a race known for their beauty, you stand out like a rose in a field of weeds."
Tal's full lips curved in a small smile, "Quinn..."
"Oh my..." Yayia sighed... "those are sweet words."
"Just stating the obvious." Quinn headed off toward the distant dome, pulling a blushing Tal with him.
"Did you two start a halfling character?" Yu walked comfortably on the other side of Quinn, it was obvious that he had shortened his stride so everyone could stay together.
"Wouldn't that override this character?" Tal had given it a bit of though, halflings were so cute.
"The halfling race has two options, one is the TAP route which will erase your current character, the other is the production route which you can play as an alt character."
"Really?" Quinn had liked playing the little hunter. "So I can learn Tanning and production skills, never have to worry about being on a hit list?"
"Yep.. thank you by the way." Yu had already made a halfling carpenter. "The choices you made really made halflings worthwhile."
"Hmm? What's that mean?" Quinn hadn't really paid attention to any of the halfling related news.
"According to the developers, the choices the ten of you made influenced their racial characteristics." Yu had covered the Escape live, she nearly cried when all ten halflings had turned back to face Gnoll King Brisbane.
"It was really amazing." Yayia didn't bother to mention that the Fora Development Group was helping the Halfling race re-evolve in TAP.
Yu pulled out a silver flask and took a drink. "During character generation the halfling strengths are listed as loyalty, courage and teamwork."
Quinn eyed the shiny flask. "What's in that?"
"It's just highbush berry juice." Yu held up the flask, "feel it."
Quinn touched the flask with his fingertips. "It has a cold enchantment on it?"
Yu nodded, "very refreshing for long trips."
"I want one of those," Quinn muttered beneath his breathe.
Yayia stopped just before the Dome entrance. "The changing rooms are just inside, men will go to the left and women to the right. Just follow the guidelines in the mail I sent you."
Quinn nodded, exactly as if he had read the mail. "Sounds good."
"Cya on the other side Quinn." Tal gave him a quick look, she could tell he hadn't read the mail.
They walked through a set of revolving gold doors, there was a spacious entry way and two sets of double doors, one going to the left and the other right. Quinn waved at his companions and took the left set of doors.
Inside there was a changing area. Quinn found himself completely alone, so brought out the Quick Silver Suit from his inventory and placed it on the nearby table.
"Oh shit.. Open Mail."
Subject: Dress Code Sender: Yayia Attachment:None
Please bring something formal with you to wear on the Zeppelin. One or two colors is considered fashionable, it isn't considered polite to wear many colors. It's sad to say, but my race will draw conclusions based on the smallest thing. Ask me if you are unsure. You are allowed to wear weapons.
Yayia
"Pfft.. easy peasy. Edit TAP kit, all items silver, boxers, tanktop, bandanna and silver suede shoes." Quinn slipped on the shirt and pants from the quick-silver set. They were amazingly comfortable. "Dang... I'm going to wear this all the time."
He left the jacket off while he adjusted his holsters. "I really like these guns, I need to repay those two with something awesome." Quinn slipped the jacket on and then tied the bandanna carefully in place. He didn't check the mirror, "I'll be good.. as long as they don't get too snooty with me."
Quinn stepped into the main lobby a short while later, even though it was fairly crowded he didn't have any problems finding his group. Tal was wearing a pale blue dress that hugged her curves, her blonde hair was tied up neatly. Quinn stared at her for a few moments. Yu wore a sleek red dress while Yayia chose a yellow robe. The time mage always wore baggy clothes, it made Quinn suspect that she had a figure similar to Tals.
The three women didn't notice him until the lobby suddenly grew quiet. Quinn smiled widely and quickly joined them. "I took my time thinking that the three of you would be slow... and now I'm last."
"We just got here Quinn." Tal wasn't surprised but she knew that the other two were speechless. Dressed in silver with black guns, he looked like a pirate king.
"Why you staring? Is there something on my face?" Quinn took a closer look at his companions. "The three of you look lovely, by the way."
Yu finally couldn't take it anymore and looked at Tal, "did he look like that before we got here?"
Tal's blue eyes were filled with warmth as she nodded predictably, "he's a very handsome man."
Yayia couldn't take her eyes off Quinn. "You look like a King."
"Hmm? How about now?" Quinn crossed his eyes and wiggled his eyebrows at the same time. All three women laughed loudly.
The group boarded the Zeppelin without any issues and made themselves comfortable in the stateroom Yayia had reserved. Quinn was sitting comfortably with Tal, she was reading him the Lost Civilization book aloud. Every few minutes she would make sure he hadn't fallen asleep.
Quinn was doing his best to stay awake when the stateroom rocked suddenly to one side, a deafening boom blasted the wooden door in.
"The hell is that?" Quinn ran for the doorway and glanced outside, there were injured people everywhere.
"Rebels.." Yayia could hear the sounds of fighting nearby.
"Jetpacks on now." Quinn pulled his out and slipped into it.
"I don't have one of those." Yu didn't have access to that sort of thing.
Quinn took his off and started helping her put it on. "The control glove works on a mimic system, real basic maneuvers are easy. Move your hand in the direction you want to go, make a fist to power up and hover in place, open your hand to shut it down."
Yu shook her head, "Quinn I can't take this, what will you use?"
"Something else." He glanced out the door again, "we will stay onboard unless it looks like we are going down. Avoid conflict, if someone engages you, call out."
"There's stairs at the end of this hall, it leads to the deck." Yayia pulled out her timepiece as she finished fastening the jetpack. Suddenly she was glad that Mojo had made her learn how to use it.
Quinn checked both his pistols. "Do you have your rifle Tal?"
Tal nodded and pulled out the weapon.
"I'll lead the way, you watch our six. Stay close."
Anna sipped the coffee that Tal had brought her, the tall blonde stared out the window while they chatted."You seem a bit preoccupied, something going on?" Anna had heard that Tal and Quinn were heading to Zi'Fendyl. Tal wasn't the type to worry about something like that."Hmm? No nothing really." She heard the shower from Quinn's room turn on, her pretty face blushed slightly.Anna narrowed her eyes, "something happened right?" She lowered her voice, "spill it girl, what did you guys do this time?"******Quinn was toweling off in the bathroom when he heard his hud buzz. He quickly threw on some jeans and a t-shirt then took a seat at his desk. He didn't recognize the caller, but he answered anyways. A moment later the image of a Chinese woman filled his hud."Hello, are you Mr. Riley?" The woman was wearing a dark blue dress and she appeared to be sitting in some sort of studio."Yep that's me, but Quinn is fine and you are?" He smiled as he pulled out the list that Anna had given him. There were about fifty different names of people that he was absolutely not suppose to talk to."I'm Daiyu Ling. I'm pleased to meet you Quinn." The woman bowed slightly, her black silky hair swaying gently with the movement."Just a moment please." Quinn finished going through the list and then looked up, she wasn't on the list. "What can I do for you Miss Ling?""Call me Daiyu please. I'm a freelance commentator for various Virtual Medias. I'm interested in working with the Fora Development Group.""A commentator? " Quinn hadn't spent much time watching the vids that sprouted from TAP and Exodus. He understood that they were very popular.Daiyu Ling was an up and coming TAP announcer from China. Arena battles, Guild Raids, even a few assassinations were broadcast live to millions of people. She wasn't the most well known, but she was very articulate and had a decent size following. Quinn of course, knew none of this."Yes, recently I covered the Halfling Escape." She sent Quinn a link to her work.Quinn nodded but didn't open the link she had sent, instead he forwarded it to Anna. "I will pass this on to Anna she..""THIS GIRL WANTS TO DO THAT!"Anna's voice interrupted him, he frowned in the direction of her room before turning his attention back to the hud. "Did you hear that?"Daiyu smiled, "sounds like she's having fun."Quinn grinned back at her, "fine, you are hired. I'll need you to take a trip with us, we are leaving from Fora HQ in four hours.""I'm sorry what? A trip?" Daiyu's face didn't show any of the shock she felt. "What is the destination?""Zi'Fendyl.""Zi'Fendyl? That's the High Elf Capital, and it's strictly off limits to outsiders." Daiyu made it her business to know everything about TAP.Quinn shrugged, "I'm not an outsider. Oh hey, it's lunchtime. Anna will contact you." Quinn quickly cut comm and stood up.The scent of food brought him to the hallway. "Is that Chili Mac?" Quinn leaned over the railing, trying to see what was cooking.Ren nodded from the fridge as she pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. "Extra Spicy."Quinn slid down the railing, skidding on his feet slightly before regaining his balance and walking into the kitchen. "You made lunch?" To his knowledge, Ren never cooked anything."Yep, I found the recipe in the cupboard." She smiled sweetly, "you'll give me an honest opinion right?"Quinn nodded, even if it was awful he'd ask for seconds. "Yep, how many for lunch?""Four of us, Pops is out shopping." Ren laughed as she watched Quinn take out forks, he moved his lips like a little kid when he counted. "Have a seat Quinn, I want to do the rest.""Oh, sounds good." He watched her walk around the kitchen, moving things around. "You are very pretty Ren."Ren glanced up at him as she stirred the Chili Mac. "Do you mean that? Or are you trying to score points with the chef?""Both of course," Quinn had no problem admitting he was shameless.Ren paused in her stirring. "Am I prettier than mom?"Quinn shook his head, "nope.""Oh I see." She spooned out a bit and blew on it before offering him a sample. "Prettier then Leah?"Quinn took a bite, his eyes closing as the spices attacked his pallet. "That's really good ...and no way."Ren laughed and started dishing lunch into the bowls she had set out. "You love me the most though."Quinn nodded in agreement. "Ren is best.""No. Quinn's the best. You'd be perfect for me if you were a girl." Ren gave him an extra scoop and starting pouring drinks.Quinn frowned at her. "Wouldn't I be a very ugly girl?""Undoubtedly." Ren took the seat next to him. Quinn had always been her confidant, he knew all of her secrets.Quinn pursed his lips together. "Hmm.. would Jangles be a better looking girl then me?"Ren laughed aloud, "if he put a dress on, he might be prettier than mom."Quinn shuddered. "Don't say weird things!"*********Anna and Tal watched from the railing. Neither spoke, although Anna gripped Tal's hand.Tal gave her a small smile. "I had suspected at times. It doesn't matter to me, as long as she's happy."Let's go down," Anna whispered.Tal and Anna came down the stairs together, Quinn waved at them. "Oi.. can you two hurry up?"Tal placed a hand on Quinn's shoulder and bent for a quick kiss before sitting down. "Ren, did you cook lunch?"Ren nodded, "I did."Anna rubbed her hands together, "it smells really good."The four of them joined hands. "Thank you for the meal.""And god bless Quinn." Tal held onto his hand instead of letting go.Quinn tried to shake his hand loose. "Um.. I"m right handed, so... release me so I can eat."Humor filled Tal's pretty blue eyes, "fine .. but you owe me."Quinn shrugged at her, "what does that even mean?""Wow, that's really spicy." Anna reached for her lemonade and took a long drink."I like it Ren. What did you add to it?" Tal ate slowly, unlike her friend, she wasn't weak against spices.Quinn's spoon made a loud noise as he scraped the last bit of chili mac off his plate and ate it. "I didn't get enough.""Do you even taste your food Q-bear?" Anna smiled apologetically at Ren as she gave Quinn half of her lunch."Yes. Thank you." Quinn started eating again, not realizing that his three companions were watching him."We going to use the suits and chamber for the Zi'Fendyl trip?" Tal had talked to Yayia and guessed that it would be a longer day then they were use to.Quinn nodded while he continued to eat his lunch. "Use the one in Nanna's room, she can always use the discs Grandpa gave us if she needs to log on."Anna winked at Tal in agreement. "I'll keep you safe."Tal laughed at her friend. "Thanks Nanna.""Oh hey that reminds me, I hired someone." Quinn leaned back in his chair and sipped his lemonade.The three women stared at him."You hired someone?" Anna didn't seem too concerned, he always made good decisions."Yep. Ling something." Quinn ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to remember her name.Ren laughed at his expression. "A hint maybe. Is this person a lumberjack?"Quinn shook his head. "A commentator, Chinese woman.""Do you mean Daiyu Ling?" Anna's smile widened, Daiyu was someone that she would have eventually approached.Quinn touched a finger to the tip of his nose. "Boom. That's her, Daiyu Ling. She's coming with us to Zi'Fendyl."**********Quinn sat the black box on the desk and sat down. He had come to the luxury cottage for a bit of privacy. Leah was busy helping her mom and Mojo was in a meeting with Jangles. The last item he had removed from the box had given him the Ba'Avriel Assassin form, so he was nervous about removing more things."Damn it, this is more nerve wracking then Christmas." He pulled out two items, one was a carefully folded suit and the second an intricately carved silver box. He carefully unfolded the clothing.Quick Silver KingFormal Attire: UnratedDescription: A dozen artisansworked tirelessly on this suit."Flash isn't my thing...but this is sweet." He folded it back up and stowed it away. Next Quinn opened the small carved box. There were three tiny spheres placed inside, they looked like the marbles he use to play with as a kid.ShadowfiendPet Type:Feline, PrimalDescription: Nothing is knownconcerning the abilities of Shadowfiends.System Message: Do you wish to activate Shadowfiend?"No, no... do not activate. So it's a cat pet? Why no dogs?" All three appeared identical. Quinn frowned and removed two before closing the last one up in the silver container, he stowed the black box back into his inventory.Quinn took a moment to send Leah and Mojo mail with the Shadowfiend pets enclosed. "They should like these."Quinn walked back to HQ, it was close to mid-day in TAP. He spotted Tal and Yayia as soon as he opened the door. They were chatting with a smaller woman who had short black hair, it was spiked in a way similar to Instructor Kora. As Quinn approached, he could tell she was a rogue, mid-level probably in the 40s."Quinn right? I'm Yukina, also known as Daiyu." She smiled and bowed her head."Ready to go Yu?" He glanced at Tal who was holding a box.Yukina glanced at the other two women, "Yu?" They had told her to expect a nickname from him. Oddly enough, it was the name her grandpa called her as a child. "I'm ready," she smiled at the memory of the old man.Tal opened the box she held and handed him the contents. It was twin holsters with pistols crafted in the western design of Guns and Gore.Quinn grabbed them from her, his eyes staring at the design. "Woah... this is awesome."PeacemakersHandcrafted Six-Guns:EngineeredDescription:Painstakingly made by twoGrandmaster Engineers. Class specific,NPC Assassin only.Effect:High chance of critical hits.He belted them on, and then drew one quickly. There was a gasp from those watching, Quinn was fast. The front part of the holster was slightly lower so the barrels could clear the leather quickly. Both holsters were tilted forward by five degrees for optimal draw speed."They are Masterpieces..." Quinn smiled gently at the blonde engineer, "thank you Talia."Tal smiled, trying not to tear up. She hadn't realized how much Quinn would like them. She had worked with Remmy for a long time to get them just right. "You're welcome Quinn," she stepped forward and kissed him quickly."I'm going to have to think of something really nice to get you." Quinn glanced over at Mojo, she was sitting with Sparrow and Jangles at the conference table.Yu pressed something against his chest, it looked like a cloth patch but it blended into shirt immediately."This some sort of body-cam?" Quinn couldn't even feel it beneath his TAP kit."Yes, we are all outfitted with them. It will give me a lot of options for footage later." Yu checked the rest of her gear. "Think we'll have to fight? I didn't bring top gear.""No worries, if it comes to that I will get you some proper gear." Quinn grabbed Tal's hand and pulled her close. "Lets do this Yayia."Yayia nodded, and moved to a clear part of the warehouse. "This disc will transport us to our territorial border, from there we will take the council Zeppelin."Yayia tossed a disc on the floor, intricate runes drawn into a circular pattern glowed brightly as the room around them disappeared.Q scowled as he held his stomach with one hand. Disc travel was very unpleasant."Everything okay Quinn?" Tal was still holding his other hand."Yep.. feels like going down a really steep hill." Quinn looked around, they were standing on a platform of some sort. There were dozens of similar platforms scattered about. The terrain seemed to be endless fields as far as the eye could see."These are the plains of Kelbi, there are many different modes of transportations here. We are looking for the Zep Station." Yayia pointed to a golden dome in the distance."We are the only players here.. amazing." Yu was trying to look everywhere at once. "We seem to stand out a bit."Tal slid an arm through Quinn's and nodded, everyone seemed to be looking in their direction.Quinn laughed it off, they were partly right. "They are looking at you Tal, even among a race known for their beauty, you stand out like a rose in a field of weeds."Tal's full lips curved in a small smile, "Quinn...""Oh my..." Yayia sighed... "those are sweet words.""Just stating the obvious." Quinn headed off toward the distant dome, pulling a blushing Tal with him."Did you two start a halfling character?" Yu walked comfortably on the other side of Quinn, it was obvious that he had shortened his stride so everyone could stay together."Wouldn't that override this character?" Tal had given it a bit of though, halflings were so cute."The halfling race has two options, one is the TAP route which will erase your current character, the other is the production route which you can play as an alt character.""Really?" Quinn had liked playing the little hunter. "So I can learn Tanning and production skills, never have to worry about being on a hit list?""Yep.. thank you by the way." Yu had already made a halfling carpenter. "The choices you made really made halflings worthwhile.""Hmm? What's that mean?" Quinn hadn't really paid attention to any of the halfling related news."According to the developers, the choices the ten of you made influenced their racial characteristics." Yu had covered the Escape live, she nearly cried when all ten halflings had turned back to face Gnoll King Brisbane."It was really amazing." Yayia didn't bother to mention that the Fora Development Group was helping the Halfling race re-evolve in TAP.Yu pulled out a silver flask and took a drink. "During character generation the halfling strengths are listed as loyalty, courage and teamwork."Quinn eyed the shiny flask. "What's in that?""It's just highbush berry juice." Yu held up the flask, "feel it."Quinn touched the flask with his fingertips. "It has a cold enchantment on it?"Yu nodded, "very refreshing for long trips.""I want one of those," Quinn muttered beneath his breathe.Yayia stopped just before the Dome entrance. "The changing rooms are just inside, men will go to the left and women to the right. Just follow the guidelines in the mail I sent you."Quinn nodded, exactly as if he had read the mail. "Sounds good.""Cya on the other side Quinn." Tal gave him a quick look, she could tell he hadn't read the mail.They walked through a set of revolving gold doors, there was a spacious entry way and two sets of double doors, one going to the left and the other right. Quinn waved at his companions and took the left set of doors.Inside there was a changing area. Quinn found himself completely alone, so brought out the Quick Silver Suit from his inventory and placed it on the nearby table."Oh shit.. Open Mail."Subject: Dress Code Sender: Yayia Attachment:NonePlease bring something formal with you to wear on the Zeppelin. One or two colors is considered fashionable, it isn't considered polite to wear many colors. It's sad to say, but my race will draw conclusions based on the smallest thing. Ask me if you are unsure. You are allowed to wear weapons.Yayia"Pfft.. easy peasy. Edit TAP kit, all items silver, boxers, tanktop, bandanna and silver suede shoes." Quinn slipped on the shirt and pants from the quick-silver set. They were amazingly comfortable. "Dang... I'm going to wear this all the time."He left the jacket off while he adjusted his holsters. "I really like these guns, I need to repay those two with something awesome." Quinn slipped the jacket on and then tied the bandanna carefully in place. He didn't check the mirror, "I'll be good.. as long as they don't get too snooty with me."Quinn stepped into the main lobby a short while later, even though it was fairly crowded he didn't have any problems finding his group. Tal was wearing a pale blue dress that hugged her curves, her blonde hair was tied up neatly. Quinn stared at her for a few moments. Yu wore a sleek red dress while Yayia chose a yellow robe. The time mage always wore baggy clothes, it made Quinn suspect that she had a figure similar to Tals.The three women didn't notice him until the lobby suddenly grew quiet. Quinn smiled widely and quickly joined them. "I took my time thinking that the three of you would be slow... and now I'm last.""We just got here Quinn." Tal wasn't surprised but she knew that the other two were speechless. Dressed in silver with black guns, he looked like a pirate king."Why you staring? Is there something on my face?" Quinn took a closer look at his companions. "The three of you look lovely, by the way."Yu finally couldn't take it anymore and looked at Tal, "did he look like that before we got here?"Tal's blue eyes were filled with warmth as she nodded predictably, "he's a very handsome man."Yayia couldn't take her eyes off Quinn. "You look like a King.""Hmm? How about now?" Quinn crossed his eyes and wiggled his eyebrows at the same time. All three women laughed loudly.The group boarded the Zeppelin without any issues and made themselves comfortable in the stateroom Yayia had reserved. Quinn was sitting comfortably with Tal, she was reading him the Lost Civilization book aloud. Every few minutes she would make sure he hadn't fallen asleep.Quinn was doing his best to stay awake when the stateroom rocked suddenly to one side, a deafening boom blasted the wooden door in."The hell is that?" Quinn ran for the doorway and glanced outside, there were injured people everywhere."Rebels.." Yayia could hear the sounds of fighting nearby."Jetpacks on now." Quinn pulled his out and slipped into it."I don't have one of those." Yu didn't have access to that sort of thing.Quinn took his off and started helping her put it on. "The control glove works on a mimic system, real basic maneuvers are easy. Move your hand in the direction you want to go, make a fist to power up and hover in place, open your hand to shut it down."Yu shook her head, "Quinn I can't take this, what will you use?""Something else." He glanced out the door again, "we will stay onboard unless it looks like we are going down. Avoid conflict, if someone engages you, call out.""There's stairs at the end of this hall, it leads to the deck." Yayia pulled out her timepiece as she finished fastening the jetpack. Suddenly she was glad that Mojo had made her learn how to use it.Quinn checked both his pistols. "Do you have your rifle Tal?"Tal nodded and pulled out the weapon."I'll lead the way, you watch our six. Stay close."
