Chapter 61
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In the two weeks that followed TAP's unexpected win over Civil Unrest, the Combat Team had been hard at work. Quinn Knighted the members of Zephyr and moved them to Ravenwood. As a bonus for fighting in the upcoming contest, Quinn purchased house orders for each of them in Ravenwood. He built a huge house on the hilltop he had scouted. The homes of Jinn and Ro-Ro were visible from his front steps.
Quinn waited patiently for Angel to arrive, although They would speak on occasion, she was not 'ready' yet. Tal and Remmy connected Fora's future City sites by road, tracks and Aquifer. It was an amazing accomplishment. The twelve propulsion devices were used to create three different mobile platforms that could be anywhere in Fora in a few hours. Each platform was roughly the size of a soccer field and contained both troops and larger railguns. Immigrating NPCs from all over TAP were starting to trickle into Fora.
******
Quinn had decided to take two wagons to Zohai. He wanted to spend a few hours with his team before his confrontation with Cyrus Blood. He sat in between Anna and Tal. Tal was loaded down with all sorts of engineered grenades, she insisted on being part of the contest. With the exception of Leah, everyone from the Sanctuary battle was in the wagon. Zephyr was in the second wagon that was closely following them. Quinn had refused to let any of the NPCs take part in the fight. He had ordered all members of the Fora Development Group to stay in Ravenwood, with no exceptions. Although Quinn wasn't in charge of the NPCs, they followed his directives in this matter.
The mission was simple. They would start the fight with the nine people they had with them. Immediately following the start, the members of Zephyr hidden in the stands, would come over the rail. This should result in the Arena permanent death clause being initiated. Then Quinn would erase Cyrus/Sydney from existence.
Tal leaned her head on him as the gentle sway of the wagon made everyone sleepy. Quinn's biggest worry was collateral damage. Quinn had given everyone orders to fight defensively and protect themselves.
"Are you worried Quinn?" Tal raised her head to look at him.
"A bit." Quinn squeezed her hand, he didn't mind admitting it to her.
"I've an idea if you want to hear it." Tal leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"I'm open to suggestions, especially from you," Quinn replied.
"Let me blanket the area in smoke, only you will be able to see." Tal had been thinking about it since Quinn had told her about the Bai'Avriel form. Thermal and Night Vision were completely different. Night vision wouldn't even engage in smoke, since it was bright. Thermal Vision could see everything. Sydney Horn was bound to have some sort of night vision device, only Quinn possessed thermal vision. In the smoke, everyone else would be blind. The smoke would give off a small heat signature, but nowhere near what body would.
"I don't want you getting too close to him Tal." Quinn would rather drop everything then have anything happen to her, even if it was just virtual.
"This man is responsible for the death of our baby's grandmother. How will I face him when he grows up if I don't do my part?" Tal raised her head slightly and kissed Quinn's face.
"You said him..." Quinn had been asking whether it was a boy or girl, Tal said she wanted to be surprised.
"Did I?" Tal put her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
**********
Leah, Remmy and Mojo all sat together on the living room sofa. They were watching the Arena announcers talk as the time for battle drew near.
Mojo and Leah had both moved into the Ravenwood house as soon as the place was finished. It had many amenities that they weren't familiar with, but Tal had patiently showed them how they work. Tal spent a lot of time in the house with them, but heroes mostly didn't sleep in TAP, since they accessed TAP while they were sleeping. Quinn was one of the exceptions. Tal had laughed when she explained that Quinn could sleep anywhere.
Remmy had moved in also because all her friends lived here, it made sense to her. She had the room across the hall from the master bedroom.
*********
"Welcome to the Zohai Arena for the second match up of these two fantastic teams. Today we bring you the Fora Combat Team from TAP versus the Combat Team from Civil Unrest. The fight will begin in 60 seconds." Almost immediately the crowd picked up on the deafening countdown.
Crow moved beside her brother, if for some reason Quinn couldn't get it done today, she would finish it for him.
Tal stood on the other side of him. Her rifle slung over her back as she stared at Sidney Horn. No matter what, this man has to die.
5..... 4...3.....2...1... FIGHT!!
Quinn's team spread out, Tal immediately tossed out two smoke grenades toward the center of the arena. She stayed in place and let Quinn advance by himself. A quick glance to one side caught the first member of Zephyr jumping over the rail. He was closely followed by the other nine, all of them wore masks.
Arena Announcement: Immediately exit the arena, this is a sanctioned event.
Tal stay where she was, she used her jetpack to verify the arena field was blanketed in smoke, then she stopped. "Em? Jinn?"
"Here," both Jinn and Em found her in the thick smoke, Ro-Ro as always was with her. Jaded Ice found them easily, because of course they were her undead minions. It had been Quinn's idea. The necromancer had turned everyone into her minions as insurance. When undead minions are slain, the Necromancer can still raise them, it didn't fall under the restrictions of resurrections. There were penalties of course, if you were slain while undead you would lose a few levels and suffer a 72 hour freeze.
*********
*Ba'Avriel*
*Hunt*
*Stealth*
Quinn carefully maneuvered between the members of Civil Unrest. Their bodies looked like human torches in Quinn's vision. He had no quarrel with them, he was hunting a bigger fish. It didn't take long to find him, he was guarded by two men. He crouched behind his protectors with his gold Tommy gun drawn. It was an awesome weapon in the right hands, not accurate but it definitely could clear a room.
Arena Announcement: Immediately exit the arena, this is a sanctioned event.
Quinn circled around them, Cyrus should have used a third guard.
"What the hell is going on?" Cyrus Blood wanted to kill that damn kid in the worst way. Instead the whole arena is flooded in smoke. "Are they going to restart us or something?"
Cyrus Blood screamed as two sharp spikes stabbed into his back, his protection detail spun around to defend him but Cyrus Blood had vanished.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 33,500 damage.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 37,322 damage.
Quinn carried him easily, he moved to an area where the smoke was thickest, and where no one was around. He dropped Cyrus on the arena floor, and banked hard as Cyrus sprayed gunfire in his direction.
Quinn could hear the ensuing pandemonium as he stalked Cyrus Blood. The smoke was so thick, that Syrus had completely lost his bearing.
Quinn tossed a flashbang at his feet, he never even saw it coming.
*Flashbang*
Cyrus Blood has been stunned.
Arena Announcement: Permanent Death Clause is in effect, exit the arena immediately.
Quinn charged in and palmed both of his shoulders, the spikes sank deep as Cyrus dropped the Tommy. Quinn used a Ninjitsu throw to slam Cyrus Blood onto the ground.
*Critical Hit* Cyrus Blood has been hit for 77,400 damage.
*Critical Hit* Cyrus Blood has been hit for 32,440 damage.
Quinn mounted him and grabbed the tycoon by the throat. He knew that the flashbang had stopped Cyrus from hearing the permanent death clause announcement.
"You bastard Quinn, using smoke to fight." Cyrus Blood spit blood at him in disgust.
"Ella Riley." Quinn said the name quietly as he held him down.
"So what? You heard her name on the news? Collateral damage so that I can live forever!!" Cyrus Blood laughed like a crazy person, blood bubbling out of his mouth.
"No.. she was my mother. In her name I gladly end your miserable life." Quinn extended both spikes into Cyrus Blood's neck. Staring at him as he looked up in shock.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 44,544 damage.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 36,323 damage.
Cyrus Blood has been slain.
Quinn grabbed the tommy gun and deposited it into his inventory. He dropped Ba'Avriel and slipped his jetpack on. Quickly he took to the air, rising above the smoke. He shouted down at the arena. "TAP Members! Use your Jetpacks, someone has interfered with the tournament, we need to exit the arena."
Quinn saw Tal immediately and flew over to her. He grabbed her hand didn't stop until they had cleared the arena walls. His entire team had made it out, he glanced over at Jaded Ice.
"Everyone is out Quinn, Zephyr too, I can pinpoint them all." Jaded Ice looked exhausted, twenty minions was past her limit. Thankfully she was able to last.
Tal looked at him with questioning eyes, Quinn nodded quickly. He was enveloped quickly as both Tal and Crow hugged him between them.
"Team Captain Quinn!" Kora was approaching them with two other judges.
"Instructor Kora." He stood and bowed out of respect.
"Sorry Quinn, some damn fools decided to play a prank. We'll clear the smoke and restart tomorrow. I'll need your roster list." Kora returned his bow after he handed it to her and then she left in search of the other Captain. "Please wait here."
Grace removed the undead curse from herself and then the rest of them. "An undead cleric, if this gets out I'll never get married."
Quinn stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. The rest of the group joined in as they took turns teasing Grace.
A while later Kora returned with the other two judges, she looked rather somber. "Quinn I'm afraid the tournament is over. Cyrus Blood has left without permission and isn't answering our calls. According to the rules, in the event of a restart, you must submit your new roster within 30 minutes or you forfeit that match. Since they are already down 0-1, TAP wins the tournament."
"That doesn't seem very sporting, can't we give him a bit more time?" Quinn gave her his innocent look.
"Very good sportsmanship Quinn, unfortunately my hands are tied. We will announce it shortly." Kora bowed once more and then left.
An hour later, Quinn sent Grace onstage to collect the trophy on behalf of the Fora Combat Team. She answered a few questions and thanked everyone for showing their support. She was articulate and witty, not at all like the shy girl the others knew.
**********
Quinn and his friends ported directly to Ravenwood from Zohai, although truth be told Quinn had enjoyed the earlier wagon ride through the countryside. He bid his goodbyes to his teammates. "Big Banquet tomorrow here tomorrow. Until then don't spend all your credits in one place."
You're allowed to use up to 30 different people for the three stages of the 10 man tournament, each person on the winning team will receive two million credits and a preferred Exodus pass. The Exodus pass gives you a free game account to any of the Exodus games. It was also why he had given Kora a roster list comprised of Zephyr members after the last round. Their ten names had been finalized as part of the thirty.
Quinn paused for a moment and opened up his hud. A moment later a surprised Eraphia stared back at him. "Quinn! Congratulations on your win, I was just watching the coverage."
"Hey Phia.. Are you somewhere you can talk candidly?" Quinn watched her face for any reaction, she definitely didn't look upset that Civil Unrest had lost.
"Wait one moment." Quinn heard a door shut and lock, a moment later Eraphia's face was back on his hud.
"You mentioned you had to pick up a few things at Civil Unrest. A tip for you, Cyrus Blood is never coming back. If a story were to circulate saying he left his trusted Captain in charge while he explored other games..." Quinn's voice trailed off.
The blondes voice was a husky whisper. "Never ever Quinn?"
"Do what you want. We never had this conversation." Quinn cut comm.
They walked into the square at Ravenwood, all their friends were waiting. Pop and Ren were both there.
Ren gave him a hug, refusing to let him go until he smiled. "Is everything taken care of now?"
Quinn nodded, "yep.. all done."
Pops hugged him as well, "
He held hands with Tal as they walked toward the big house on the hill.
*I hope you bought me clothes like you promised, it's time.*
Quinn paused for a moment causing everyone to look at him, then he picked up his pace. Remmy was waving at him from the front porch, when he was close enough she charged at him in typical Remmy style.
"Is everything okay now Quinn?" She had her little arms wrapped around his waist.
Quinn nodded as he ruffled her soft pink hair. "Yep, let's go inside Remmy. Someone important is coming."
Quinn walked into his Ravenwood home, in the end he had chosen a model he had found in Exodus. It was a Mediterranean Style home with all the modern amenities. The layout was similar to his Vegas home, only there was a lot more space. The kitchen Island was much bigger, it had enough stools to easily seat 8 people. He grabbed a couple of kitchen towels and stacked them on the counter, before sitting the Spider Egg on it.
"What's going on Quinn?" Leah leaned close and kissed him quickly before taking a seat next to Tal.
"A little princess is coming." Quinn took a seat at the island and waited.
Ten minutes later all the Songbirds arrived.
"Hey this place is nice!"
"Lots of room."
"How many empty bedrooms?"
*This is harder than it looks, a bit of help please.*
"I'll tap the outside, let me know where a good place is." Quinn stood the egg up and started tapping it with his finger. No one even bothered to comment, they were use to Quinn talking to his egg.
*Oh.. right there, just a bit of a crack will do.*
Quinn nodded and grabbed a wooden spoon, after tapping it harder a few times, a small crack appeared.
It only took a minute after that before the crack widened and a piece of the shell broke off, a small arm covered in a clear sweet smelling gel pushed out. The whole room gasped. Over the course of a few minutes, more pieces broke off, Quinn would lend a hand when it was needed. Quinn quickly moved her to the sink where he ran some lukewarm water. Gently he rinsed her off.
A small feminine voice sputtered at him. "Are you trying to drown me Quinn?"
"I always wash my food before I eat it." Quinn finished and wrapped her up in a fluffy towel, then placed her back on the island. Only her wet head and her little feet were visible.
"Hi little one, I'm Leah." The redhead was smiling at her.
Angel pursed her lips, "I'm Angel. Where's my clothes Quinn?"
"Hold your horses." Quinn laid out three outfits he had bought at Exodus. They were actually toddler clothes, but these days it meant high fashion.
"Oh.. those are all nice." Angel stared glanced the pink haired Gnome. She knew right away who she was, "which one do you like?"
Remmy's mouth dropped open. "Me? Um..." Remmy scratched her cheek as she considered the possibilities. "This one!"
Remmy held up a white outfit covered in small pink flowers.
"Very nice choice." Quinn held the towel around her as she dressed. It was simple pair of pants with a backless white shirt. "Sorry Angel, I didn't get shoes yet."
"It's fine Quinn, I'll pick them out." Angel stepped away from the towel and fluttered her black wings to dry them.
Remmy was closer than anyone. "You don't look like a spider. What are you?"
"I'm a halfling of course." Angel nodded like it was a perfectly acceptable explanation.
"You don't look like a halfling." Remmy looked at Quinn for confirmation, he just shrugged.
Angel flapped her wings, making her feet come off the ground. Everyone clapped as they moved in closer. "I'm a Gnome then. Definitely a Gnome."
Remmy shook her head, "I'm a Gnome."
"Oh.. I see." Angel hovered off the counter top and landed nimbly on Remmy's shoulder. The little gnome froze in place, not sure what to do. "Now I remember, I'm a Gnomling."
"A Gnomling?" Remmy's eyes widened, Quinn could tell she was totally buying it.
"Yep.. Want to take care of me?" Angel jumped on the floor and looked up at Remmy, she only came up to the Gnome's waist.
Remmy nodded her head and glanced at Quinn, "I'm gonna take care of this Gnomling Quinn."
Quinn kept a straight face, "Sure... do your best."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
In the two weeks that followed TAP's unexpected win over Civil Unrest, the Combat Team had been hard at work. Quinn Knighted the members of Zephyr and moved them to Ravenwood. As a bonus for fighting in the upcoming contest, Quinn purchased house orders for each of them in Ravenwood. He built a huge house on the hilltop he had scouted. The homes of Jinn and Ro-Ro were visible from his front steps.
Quinn waited patiently for Angel to arrive, although They would speak on occasion, she was not 'ready' yet. Tal and Remmy connected Fora's future City sites by road, tracks and Aquifer. It was an amazing accomplishment. The twelve propulsion devices were used to create three different mobile platforms that could be anywhere in Fora in a few hours. Each platform was roughly the size of a soccer field and contained both troops and larger railguns. Immigrating NPCs from all over TAP were starting to trickle into Fora.
******
Quinn had decided to take two wagons to Zohai. He wanted to spend a few hours with his team before his confrontation with Cyrus Blood. He sat in between Anna and Tal. Tal was loaded down with all sorts of engineered grenades, she insisted on being part of the contest. With the exception of Leah, everyone from the Sanctuary battle was in the wagon. Zephyr was in the second wagon that was closely following them. Quinn had refused to let any of the NPCs take part in the fight. He had ordered all members of the Fora Development Group to stay in Ravenwood, with no exceptions. Although Quinn wasn't in charge of the NPCs, they followed his directives in this matter.
The mission was simple. They would start the fight with the nine people they had with them. Immediately following the start, the members of Zephyr hidden in the stands, would come over the rail. This should result in the Arena permanent death clause being initiated. Then Quinn would erase Cyrus/Sydney from existence.
Tal leaned her head on him as the gentle sway of the wagon made everyone sleepy. Quinn's biggest worry was collateral damage. Quinn had given everyone orders to fight defensively and protect themselves.
"Are you worried Quinn?" Tal raised her head to look at him.
"A bit." Quinn squeezed her hand, he didn't mind admitting it to her.
"I've an idea if you want to hear it." Tal leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"I'm open to suggestions, especially from you," Quinn replied.
"Let me blanket the area in smoke, only you will be able to see." Tal had been thinking about it since Quinn had told her about the Bai'Avriel form. Thermal and Night Vision were completely different. Night vision wouldn't even engage in smoke, since it was bright. Thermal Vision could see everything. Sydney Horn was bound to have some sort of night vision device, only Quinn possessed thermal vision. In the smoke, everyone else would be blind. The smoke would give off a small heat signature, but nowhere near what body would.
"I don't want you getting too close to him Tal." Quinn would rather drop everything then have anything happen to her, even if it was just virtual.
"This man is responsible for the death of our baby's grandmother. How will I face him when he grows up if I don't do my part?" Tal raised her head slightly and kissed Quinn's face.
"You said him..." Quinn had been asking whether it was a boy or girl, Tal said she wanted to be surprised.
"Did I?" Tal put her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
**********
Leah, Remmy and Mojo all sat together on the living room sofa. They were watching the Arena announcers talk as the time for battle drew near.
Mojo and Leah had both moved into the Ravenwood house as soon as the place was finished. It had many amenities that they weren't familiar with, but Tal had patiently showed them how they work. Tal spent a lot of time in the house with them, but heroes mostly didn't sleep in TAP, since they accessed TAP while they were sleeping. Quinn was one of the exceptions. Tal had laughed when she explained that Quinn could sleep anywhere.
Remmy had moved in also because all her friends lived here, it made sense to her. She had the room across the hall from the master bedroom.
*********
"Welcome to the Zohai Arena for the second match up of these two fantastic teams. Today we bring you the Fora Combat Team from TAP versus the Combat Team from Civil Unrest. The fight will begin in 60 seconds." Almost immediately the crowd picked up on the deafening countdown.
Crow moved beside her brother, if for some reason Quinn couldn't get it done today, she would finish it for him.
Tal stood on the other side of him. Her rifle slung over her back as she stared at Sidney Horn. No matter what, this man has to die.
5..... 4...3.....2...1... FIGHT!!
Quinn's team spread out, Tal immediately tossed out two smoke grenades toward the center of the arena. She stayed in place and let Quinn advance by himself. A quick glance to one side caught the first member of Zephyr jumping over the rail. He was closely followed by the other nine, all of them wore masks.
Arena Announcement: Immediately exit the arena, this is a sanctioned event.
Tal stay where she was, she used her jetpack to verify the arena field was blanketed in smoke, then she stopped. "Em? Jinn?"
"Here," both Jinn and Em found her in the thick smoke, Ro-Ro as always was with her. Jaded Ice found them easily, because of course they were her undead minions. It had been Quinn's idea. The necromancer had turned everyone into her minions as insurance. When undead minions are slain, the Necromancer can still raise them, it didn't fall under the restrictions of resurrections. There were penalties of course, if you were slain while undead you would lose a few levels and suffer a 72 hour freeze.
*********
*Ba'Avriel*
*Hunt*
*Stealth*
Quinn carefully maneuvered between the members of Civil Unrest. Their bodies looked like human torches in Quinn's vision. He had no quarrel with them, he was hunting a bigger fish. It didn't take long to find him, he was guarded by two men. He crouched behind his protectors with his gold Tommy gun drawn. It was an awesome weapon in the right hands, not accurate but it definitely could clear a room.
Arena Announcement: Immediately exit the arena, this is a sanctioned event.
Quinn circled around them, Cyrus should have used a third guard.
"What the hell is going on?" Cyrus Blood wanted to kill that damn kid in the worst way. Instead the whole arena is flooded in smoke. "Are they going to restart us or something?"
Cyrus Blood screamed as two sharp spikes stabbed into his back, his protection detail spun around to defend him but Cyrus Blood had vanished.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 33,500 damage.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 37,322 damage.
Quinn carried him easily, he moved to an area where the smoke was thickest, and where no one was around. He dropped Cyrus on the arena floor, and banked hard as Cyrus sprayed gunfire in his direction.
Quinn could hear the ensuing pandemonium as he stalked Cyrus Blood. The smoke was so thick, that Syrus had completely lost his bearing.
Quinn tossed a flashbang at his feet, he never even saw it coming.
*Flashbang*
Cyrus Blood has been stunned.
Arena Announcement: Permanent Death Clause is in effect, exit the arena immediately.
Quinn charged in and palmed both of his shoulders, the spikes sank deep as Cyrus dropped the Tommy. Quinn used a Ninjitsu throw to slam Cyrus Blood onto the ground.
*Critical Hit* Cyrus Blood has been hit for 77,400 damage.
*Critical Hit* Cyrus Blood has been hit for 32,440 damage.
Quinn mounted him and grabbed the tycoon by the throat. He knew that the flashbang had stopped Cyrus from hearing the permanent death clause announcement.
"You bastard Quinn, using smoke to fight." Cyrus Blood spit blood at him in disgust.
"Ella Riley." Quinn said the name quietly as he held him down.
"So what? You heard her name on the news? Collateral damage so that I can live forever!!" Cyrus Blood laughed like a crazy person, blood bubbling out of his mouth.
"No.. she was my mother. In her name I gladly end your miserable life." Quinn extended both spikes into Cyrus Blood's neck. Staring at him as he looked up in shock.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 44,544 damage.
Cyrus Blood has been hit for 36,323 damage.
Cyrus Blood has been slain.
Quinn grabbed the tommy gun and deposited it into his inventory. He dropped Ba'Avriel and slipped his jetpack on. Quickly he took to the air, rising above the smoke. He shouted down at the arena. "TAP Members! Use your Jetpacks, someone has interfered with the tournament, we need to exit the arena."
Quinn saw Tal immediately and flew over to her. He grabbed her hand didn't stop until they had cleared the arena walls. His entire team had made it out, he glanced over at Jaded Ice.
"Everyone is out Quinn, Zephyr too, I can pinpoint them all." Jaded Ice looked exhausted, twenty minions was past her limit. Thankfully she was able to last.
Tal looked at him with questioning eyes, Quinn nodded quickly. He was enveloped quickly as both Tal and Crow hugged him between them.
"Team Captain Quinn!" Kora was approaching them with two other judges.
"Instructor Kora." He stood and bowed out of respect.
"Sorry Quinn, some damn fools decided to play a prank. We'll clear the smoke and restart tomorrow. I'll need your roster list." Kora returned his bow after he handed it to her and then she left in search of the other Captain. "Please wait here."
Grace removed the undead curse from herself and then the rest of them. "An undead cleric, if this gets out I'll never get married."
Quinn stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. The rest of the group joined in as they took turns teasing Grace.
A while later Kora returned with the other two judges, she looked rather somber. "Quinn I'm afraid the tournament is over. Cyrus Blood has left without permission and isn't answering our calls. According to the rules, in the event of a restart, you must submit your new roster within 30 minutes or you forfeit that match. Since they are already down 0-1, TAP wins the tournament."
"That doesn't seem very sporting, can't we give him a bit more time?" Quinn gave her his innocent look.
"Very good sportsmanship Quinn, unfortunately my hands are tied. We will announce it shortly." Kora bowed once more and then left.
An hour later, Quinn sent Grace onstage to collect the trophy on behalf of the Fora Combat Team. She answered a few questions and thanked everyone for showing their support. She was articulate and witty, not at all like the shy girl the others knew.
**********
Quinn and his friends ported directly to Ravenwood from Zohai, although truth be told Quinn had enjoyed the earlier wagon ride through the countryside. He bid his goodbyes to his teammates. "Big Banquet tomorrow here tomorrow. Until then don't spend all your credits in one place."
You're allowed to use up to 30 different people for the three stages of the 10 man tournament, each person on the winning team will receive two million credits and a preferred Exodus pass. The Exodus pass gives you a free game account to any of the Exodus games. It was also why he had given Kora a roster list comprised of Zephyr members after the last round. Their ten names had been finalized as part of the thirty.
Quinn paused for a moment and opened up his hud. A moment later a surprised Eraphia stared back at him. "Quinn! Congratulations on your win, I was just watching the coverage."
"Hey Phia.. Are you somewhere you can talk candidly?" Quinn watched her face for any reaction, she definitely didn't look upset that Civil Unrest had lost.
"Wait one moment." Quinn heard a door shut and lock, a moment later Eraphia's face was back on his hud.
"You mentioned you had to pick up a few things at Civil Unrest. A tip for you, Cyrus Blood is never coming back. If a story were to circulate saying he left his trusted Captain in charge while he explored other games..." Quinn's voice trailed off.
The blondes voice was a husky whisper. "Never ever Quinn?"
"Do what you want. We never had this conversation." Quinn cut comm.
They walked into the square at Ravenwood, all their friends were waiting. Pop and Ren were both there.
Ren gave him a hug, refusing to let him go until he smiled. "Is everything taken care of now?"
Quinn nodded, "yep.. all done."
Pops hugged him as well, "
He held hands with Tal as they walked toward the big house on the hill.
*I hope you bought me clothes like you promised, it's time.*
Quinn paused for a moment causing everyone to look at him, then he picked up his pace. Remmy was waving at him from the front porch, when he was close enough she charged at him in typical Remmy style.
"Is everything okay now Quinn?" She had her little arms wrapped around his waist.
Quinn nodded as he ruffled her soft pink hair. "Yep, let's go inside Remmy. Someone important is coming."
Quinn walked into his Ravenwood home, in the end he had chosen a model he had found in Exodus. It was a Mediterranean Style home with all the modern amenities. The layout was similar to his Vegas home, only there was a lot more space. The kitchen Island was much bigger, it had enough stools to easily seat 8 people. He grabbed a couple of kitchen towels and stacked them on the counter, before sitting the Spider Egg on it.
"What's going on Quinn?" Leah leaned close and kissed him quickly before taking a seat next to Tal.
"A little princess is coming." Quinn took a seat at the island and waited.
Ten minutes later all the Songbirds arrived.
"Hey this place is nice!"
"Lots of room."
"How many empty bedrooms?"
*This is harder than it looks, a bit of help please.*
"I'll tap the outside, let me know where a good place is." Quinn stood the egg up and started tapping it with his finger. No one even bothered to comment, they were use to Quinn talking to his egg.
*Oh.. right there, just a bit of a crack will do.*
Quinn nodded and grabbed a wooden spoon, after tapping it harder a few times, a small crack appeared.
It only took a minute after that before the crack widened and a piece of the shell broke off, a small arm covered in a clear sweet smelling gel pushed out. The whole room gasped. Over the course of a few minutes, more pieces broke off, Quinn would lend a hand when it was needed. Quinn quickly moved her to the sink where he ran some lukewarm water. Gently he rinsed her off.
A small feminine voice sputtered at him. "Are you trying to drown me Quinn?"
"I always wash my food before I eat it." Quinn finished and wrapped her up in a fluffy towel, then placed her back on the island. Only her wet head and her little feet were visible.
"Hi little one, I'm Leah." The redhead was smiling at her.
Angel pursed her lips, "I'm Angel. Where's my clothes Quinn?"
"Hold your horses." Quinn laid out three outfits he had bought at Exodus. They were actually toddler clothes, but these days it meant high fashion.
"Oh.. those are all nice." Angel stared glanced the pink haired Gnome. She knew right away who she was, "which one do you like?"
Remmy's mouth dropped open. "Me? Um..." Remmy scratched her cheek as she considered the possibilities. "This one!"
Remmy held up a white outfit covered in small pink flowers.
"Very nice choice." Quinn held the towel around her as she dressed. It was simple pair of pants with a backless white shirt. "Sorry Angel, I didn't get shoes yet."
"It's fine Quinn, I'll pick them out." Angel stepped away from the towel and fluttered her black wings to dry them.
Remmy was closer than anyone. "You don't look like a spider. What are you?"
"I'm a halfling of course." Angel nodded like it was a perfectly acceptable explanation.
"You don't look like a halfling." Remmy looked at Quinn for confirmation, he just shrugged.
Angel flapped her wings, making her feet come off the ground. Everyone clapped as they moved in closer. "I'm a Gnome then. Definitely a Gnome."
Remmy shook her head, "I'm a Gnome."
"Oh.. I see." Angel hovered off the counter top and landed nimbly on Remmy's shoulder. The little gnome froze in place, not sure what to do. "Now I remember, I'm a Gnomling."
"A Gnomling?" Remmy's eyes widened, Quinn could tell she was totally buying it.
"Yep.. Want to take care of me?" Angel jumped on the floor and looked up at Remmy, she only came up to the Gnome's waist.
Remmy nodded her head and glanced at Quinn, "I'm gonna take care of this Gnomling Quinn."
Quinn kept a straight face, "Sure... do your best."
In the two weeks that followed TAP's unexpected win over Civil Unrest, the Combat Team had been hard at work. Quinn Knighted the members of Zephyr and moved them to Ravenwood. As a bonus for fighting in the upcoming contest, Quinn purchased house orders for each of them in Ravenwood. He built a huge house on the hilltop he had scouted. The homes of Jinn and Ro-Ro were visible from his front steps.Quinn waited patiently for Angel to arrive, although They would speak on occasion, she was not 'ready' yet. Tal and Remmy connected Fora's future City sites by road, tracks and Aquifer. It was an amazing accomplishment. The twelve propulsion devices were used to create three different mobile platforms that could be anywhere in Fora in a few hours. Each platform was roughly the size of a soccer field and contained both troops and larger railguns. Immigrating NPCs from all over TAP were starting to trickle into Fora.******Quinn had decided to take two wagons to Zohai. He wanted to spend a few hours with his team before his confrontation with Cyrus Blood. He sat in between Anna and Tal. Tal was loaded down with all sorts of engineered grenades, she insisted on being part of the contest. With the exception of Leah, everyone from the Sanctuary battle was in the wagon. Zephyr was in the second wagon that was closely following them. Quinn had refused to let any of the NPCs take part in the fight. He had ordered all members of the Fora Development Group to stay in Ravenwood, with no exceptions. Although Quinn wasn't in charge of the NPCs, they followed his directives in this matter.The mission was simple. They would start the fight with the nine people they had with them. Immediately following the start, the members of Zephyr hidden in the stands, would come over the rail. This should result in the Arena permanent death clause being initiated. Then Quinn would erase Cyrus/Sydney from existence.Tal leaned her head on him as the gentle sway of the wagon made everyone sleepy. Quinn's biggest worry was collateral damage. Quinn had given everyone orders to fight defensively and protect themselves."Are you worried Quinn?" Tal raised her head to look at him."A bit." Quinn squeezed her hand, he didn't mind admitting it to her."I've an idea if you want to hear it." Tal leaned closer and lowered her voice."I'm open to suggestions, especially from you," Quinn replied."Let me blanket the area in smoke, only you will be able to see." Tal had been thinking about it since Quinn had told her about the Bai'Avriel form. Thermal and Night Vision were completely different. Night vision wouldn't even engage in smoke, since it was bright. Thermal Vision could see everything. Sydney Horn was bound to have some sort of night vision device, only Quinn possessed thermal vision. In the smoke, everyone else would be blind. The smoke would give off a small heat signature, but nowhere near what body would."I don't want you getting too close to him Tal." Quinn would rather drop everything then have anything happen to her, even if it was just virtual."This man is responsible for the death of our baby's grandmother. How will I face him when he grows up if I don't do my part?" Tal raised her head slightly and kissed Quinn's face."You said him..." Quinn had been asking whether it was a boy or girl, Tal said she wanted to be surprised."Did I?" Tal put her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes.**********Leah, Remmy and Mojo all sat together on the living room sofa. They were watching the Arena announcers talk as the time for battle drew near.Mojo and Leah had both moved into the Ravenwood house as soon as the place was finished. It had many amenities that they weren't familiar with, but Tal had patiently showed them how they work. Tal spent a lot of time in the house with them, but heroes mostly didn't sleep in TAP, since they accessed TAP while they were sleeping. Quinn was one of the exceptions. Tal had laughed when she explained that Quinn could sleep anywhere.Remmy had moved in also because all her friends lived here, it made sense to her. She had the room across the hall from the master bedroom.*********"Welcome to the Zohai Arena for the second match up of these two fantastic teams. Today we bring you the Fora Combat Team from TAP versus the Combat Team from Civil Unrest. The fight will begin in 60 seconds." Almost immediately the crowd picked up on the deafening countdown.Crow moved beside her brother, if for some reason Quinn couldn't get it done today, she would finish it for him.Tal stood on the other side of him. Her rifle slung over her back as she stared at Sidney Horn. No matter what, this man has to die.5..... 4...3.....2...1... FIGHT!!Quinn's team spread out, Tal immediately tossed out two smoke grenades toward the center of the arena. She stayed in place and let Quinn advance by himself. A quick glance to one side caught the first member of Zephyr jumping over the rail. He was closely followed by the other nine, all of them wore masks.Arena Announcement: Immediately exit the arena, this is a sanctioned event.Tal stay where she was, she used her jetpack to verify the arena field was blanketed in smoke, then she stopped. "Em? Jinn?""Here," both Jinn and Em found her in the thick smoke, Ro-Ro as always was with her. Jaded Ice found them easily, because of course they were her undead minions. It had been Quinn's idea. The necromancer had turned everyone into her minions as insurance. When undead minions are slain, the Necromancer can still raise them, it didn't fall under the restrictions of resurrections. There were penalties of course, if you were slain while undead you would lose a few levels and suffer a 72 hour freeze.**********Ba'Avriel**Hunt**Stealth*Quinn carefully maneuvered between the members of Civil Unrest. Their bodies looked like human torches in Quinn's vision. He had no quarrel with them, he was hunting a bigger fish. It didn't take long to find him, he was guarded by two men. He crouched behind his protectors with his gold Tommy gun drawn. It was an awesome weapon in the right hands, not accurate but it definitely could clear a room.Arena Announcement: Immediately exit the arena, this is a sanctioned event.Quinn circled around them, Cyrus should have used a third guard."What the hell is going on?" Cyrus Blood wanted to kill that damn kid in the worst way. Instead the whole arena is flooded in smoke. "Are they going to restart us or something?"Cyrus Blood screamed as two sharp spikes stabbed into his back, his protection detail spun around to defend him but Cyrus Blood had vanished.Cyrus Blood has been hit for 33,500 damage.Cyrus Blood has been hit for 37,322 damage.Quinn carried him easily, he moved to an area where the smoke was thickest, and where no one was around. He dropped Cyrus on the arena floor, and banked hard as Cyrus sprayed gunfire in his direction.Quinn could hear the ensuing pandemonium as he stalked Cyrus Blood. The smoke was so thick, that Syrus had completely lost his bearing.Quinn tossed a flashbang at his feet, he never even saw it coming.*Flashbang*Cyrus Blood has been stunned.Arena Announcement: Permanent Death Clause is in effect, exit the arena immediately.Quinn charged in and palmed both of his shoulders, the spikes sank deep as Cyrus dropped the Tommy. Quinn used a Ninjitsu throw to slam Cyrus Blood onto the ground.*Critical Hit* Cyrus Blood has been hit for 77,400 damage.*Critical Hit* Cyrus Blood has been hit for 32,440 damage.Quinn mounted him and grabbed the tycoon by the throat. He knew that the flashbang had stopped Cyrus from hearing the permanent death clause announcement."You bastard Quinn, using smoke to fight." Cyrus Blood spit blood at him in disgust."Ella Riley." Quinn said the name quietly as he held him down."So what? You heard her name on the news? Collateral damage so that I can live forever!!" Cyrus Blood laughed like a crazy person, blood bubbling out of his mouth."No.. she was my mother. In her name I gladly end your miserable life." Quinn extended both spikes into Cyrus Blood's neck. Staring at him as he looked up in shock.Cyrus Blood has been hit for 44,544 damage.Cyrus Blood has been hit for 36,323 damage.Cyrus Blood has been slain.Quinn grabbed the tommy gun and deposited it into his inventory. He dropped Ba'Avriel and slipped his jetpack on. Quickly he took to the air, rising above the smoke. He shouted down at the arena. "TAP Members! Use your Jetpacks, someone has interfered with the tournament, we need to exit the arena."Quinn saw Tal immediately and flew over to her. He grabbed her hand didn't stop until they had cleared the arena walls. His entire team had made it out, he glanced over at Jaded Ice."Everyone is out Quinn, Zephyr too, I can pinpoint them all." Jaded Ice looked exhausted, twenty minions was past her limit. Thankfully she was able to last.Tal looked at him with questioning eyes, Quinn nodded quickly. He was enveloped quickly as both Tal and Crow hugged him between them."Team Captain Quinn!" Kora was approaching them with two other judges."Instructor Kora." He stood and bowed out of respect."Sorry Quinn, some damn fools decided to play a prank. We'll clear the smoke and restart tomorrow. I'll need your roster list." Kora returned his bow after he handed it to her and then she left in search of the other Captain. "Please wait here."Grace removed the undead curse from herself and then the rest of them. "An undead cleric, if this gets out I'll never get married."Quinn stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. The rest of the group joined in as they took turns teasing Grace.A while later Kora returned with the other two judges, she looked rather somber. "Quinn I'm afraid the tournament is over. Cyrus Blood has left without permission and isn't answering our calls. According to the rules, in the event of a restart, you must submit your new roster within 30 minutes or you forfeit that match. Since they are already down 0-1, TAP wins the tournament.""That doesn't seem very sporting, can't we give him a bit more time?" Quinn gave her his innocent look."Very good sportsmanship Quinn, unfortunately my hands are tied. We will announce it shortly." Kora bowed once more and then left.An hour later, Quinn sent Grace onstage to collect the trophy on behalf of the Fora Combat Team. She answered a few questions and thanked everyone for showing their support. She was articulate and witty, not at all like the shy girl the others knew.**********Quinn and his friends ported directly to Ravenwood from Zohai, although truth be told Quinn had enjoyed the earlier wagon ride through the countryside. He bid his goodbyes to his teammates. "Big Banquet tomorrow here tomorrow. Until then don't spend all your credits in one place."You're allowed to use up to 30 different people for the three stages of the 10 man tournament, each person on the winning team will receive two million credits and a preferred Exodus pass. The Exodus pass gives you a free game account to any of the Exodus games. It was also why he had given Kora a roster list comprised of Zephyr members after the last round. Their ten names had been finalized as part of the thirty.Quinn paused for a moment and opened up his hud. A moment later a surprised Eraphia stared back at him. "Quinn! Congratulations on your win, I was just watching the coverage.""Hey Phia.. Are you somewhere you can talk candidly?" Quinn watched her face for any reaction, she definitely didn't look upset that Civil Unrest had lost."Wait one moment." Quinn heard a door shut and lock, a moment later Eraphia's face was back on his hud."You mentioned you had to pick up a few things at Civil Unrest. A tip for you, Cyrus Blood is never coming back. If a story were to circulate saying he left his trusted Captain in charge while he explored other games..." Quinn's voice trailed off.The blondes voice was a husky whisper. "Never ever Quinn?""Do what you want. We never had this conversation." Quinn cut comm.They walked into the square at Ravenwood, all their friends were waiting. Pop and Ren were both there.Ren gave him a hug, refusing to let him go until he smiled. "Is everything taken care of now?"Quinn nodded, "yep.. all done."Pops hugged him as well, "He held hands with Tal as they walked toward the big house on the hill.*I hope you bought me clothes like you promised, it's time.*Quinn paused for a moment causing everyone to look at him, then he picked up his pace. Remmy was waving at him from the front porch, when he was close enough she charged at him in typical Remmy style."Is everything okay now Quinn?" She had her little arms wrapped around his waist.Quinn nodded as he ruffled her soft pink hair. "Yep, let's go inside Remmy. Someone important is coming."Quinn walked into his Ravenwood home, in the end he had chosen a model he had found in Exodus. It was a Mediterranean Style home with all the modern amenities. The layout was similar to his Vegas home, only there was a lot more space. The kitchen Island was much bigger, it had enough stools to easily seat 8 people. He grabbed a couple of kitchen towels and stacked them on the counter, before sitting the Spider Egg on it."What's going on Quinn?" Leah leaned close and kissed him quickly before taking a seat next to Tal."A little princess is coming." Quinn took a seat at the island and waited.Ten minutes later all the Songbirds arrived."Hey this place is nice!""Lots of room.""How many empty bedrooms?"*This is harder than it looks, a bit of help please.*"I'll tap the outside, let me know where a good place is." Quinn stood the egg up and started tapping it with his finger. No one even bothered to comment, they were use to Quinn talking to his egg.*Oh.. right there, just a bit of a crack will do.*Quinn nodded and grabbed a wooden spoon, after tapping it harder a few times, a small crack appeared.It only took a minute after that before the crack widened and a piece of the shell broke off, a small arm covered in a clear sweet smelling gel pushed out. The whole room gasped. Over the course of a few minutes, more pieces broke off, Quinn would lend a hand when it was needed. Quinn quickly moved her to the sink where he ran some lukewarm water. Gently he rinsed her off.A small feminine voice sputtered at him. "Are you trying to drown me Quinn?""I always wash my food before I eat it." Quinn finished and wrapped her up in a fluffy towel, then placed her back on the island. Only her wet head and her little feet were visible."Hi little one, I'm Leah." The redhead was smiling at her.Angel pursed her lips, "I'm Angel. Where's my clothes Quinn?""Hold your horses." Quinn laid out three outfits he had bought at Exodus. They were actually toddler clothes, but these days it meant high fashion."Oh.. those are all nice." Angel stared glanced the pink haired Gnome. She knew right away who she was, "which one do you like?"Remmy's mouth dropped open. "Me? Um..." Remmy scratched her cheek as she considered the possibilities. "This one!"Remmy held up a white outfit covered in small pink flowers."Very nice choice." Quinn held the towel around her as she dressed. It was simple pair of pants with a backless white shirt. "Sorry Angel, I didn't get shoes yet.""It's fine Quinn, I'll pick them out." Angel stepped away from the towel and fluttered her black wings to dry them.Remmy was closer than anyone. "You don't look like a spider. What are you?""I'm a halfling of course." Angel nodded like it was a perfectly acceptable explanation."You don't look like a halfling." Remmy looked at Quinn for confirmation, he just shrugged.Angel flapped her wings, making her feet come off the ground. Everyone clapped as they moved in closer. "I'm a Gnome then. Definitely a Gnome."Remmy shook her head, "I'm a Gnome.""Oh.. I see." Angel hovered off the counter top and landed nimbly on Remmy's shoulder. The little gnome froze in place, not sure what to do. "Now I remember, I'm a Gnomling.""A Gnomling?" Remmy's eyes widened, Quinn could tell she was totally buying it."Yep.. Want to take care of me?" Angel jumped on the floor and looked up at Remmy, she only came up to the Gnome's waist.Remmy nodded her head and glanced at Quinn, "I'm gonna take care of this Gnomling Quinn."Quinn kept a straight face, "Sure... do your best."
