57 Oh Shit

Invisible to all, the Spider Queen scurried silently up the side of the castle wall. From her days of investigating the Silverleaf women, she knew that clues were essential to figuring things out. "I wish QJ were here; he was always good at finding clues."

She stopped at the balcony where the King had been standing.

*Hunt*

Angel's eyes glowed red as she examined the railing and the wall. A rope was used to hang the King in front of everyone. She bent low and picked up something resembling a thread.

"Hmm..." Her eyes strayed upward. How long were ropes, twenty meters or so? She left the balcony and moved upward. Then, after a moment, she paused, her warm green eyes showing confusion. "Why would there be blood? No one was shot or stabbed?"

After some debate, Angel decided she had found where the killer had been standing. At first, she thought it was a window or perhaps another balcony, but none were positioned in ideal locations. Ten meters above the balcony, a corner ledge offered enough space to ensure proper leverage. In addition, an architectural design provided a unique curve that could effectively hold a rope in place.

"More blood," Angel touched the faint smear on the stone outcropping. "Hero blood..." She picked another thread from the area. "I need to find QJ."

A few minutes later, Angel returned to Exodus. Immediately she contacted QJ via her hud.

"Hey, Anya." QJ was using his TAP avatar, even though he was at his new house.

"Agent Anya," she corrected.

"Special Agent Anya?" QJ kept a serious expression on his face.

Anya's eyes shifted to one side as she considered his words. "You're right, of course... Special Agent Anya," she amended. "I have some clues."

"Come to the new place; I'll take a look," QJ stated. "Try not to scare my roommates."

"The Spider Queen is terrifying," Anya agreed. "I'm on my way."

QJ left his room and took a seat at the kitchen island.

"Thought you'd be breaking rocks or something," Breeze rushed down the stairs and high-fived him, completely losing her balance when her hand passed through his.

QJ chuckled at the surprised look on her face. "Sorry, this is my TAP avatar."

Breeze flashed him a smile. "I keep forgetting; we're all mapped up!" She removed a band from her wrist to tie her dark hair in a ponytail.

A sudden appearance by the door caught their attention. Anya arrived in human form, wearing jeans, a white tank top, and a gold crown. The Spider Queen glanced around the room, her warm green eyes stopping on QJ. "This looks like the house of the Nemesis."

QJ nodded in agreement and motioned for her to join them. "It's exactly the same. Anya, this is Breeze, my guildmate from OP. Breeze, this is Angel the Spider Queen."

The Spider Queen nodded politely. "Nice to meet you."

"Can I call you Anya, or is that reserved for QJ?" Breeze asked.

"You may call me Anya." The Spider Queen took two items from her inventory. One was a white cloth that she used to wipe the blood stain on the castle wall. The second was a piece of thread."

QJ brought up his hud and snapped a quick picture of the threads. "Fibers... from the rope, I bet."

Anya clapped her hands excitedly. "Yes! I found it above the balcony where the King was killed."

QJ took out a piece of paper and placed it on the island. "This is the [Incriminating Note] I took from the guard. It's handwritten in cursive; as far as I know, no one in GnG uses that."

"I was never taught cursive," Breeze admitted. "Although I hear they teach it in some fancy private schools."

QJ leaned back in his chair while considering the clues. "Fibers, blood, and a note written in cursive."

"Seems pretty slim," Breeze pointed out. "Is this everything?"

The Spider Queen nodded, but QJ shook his head; when Anya noticed his response, she shook her head, also.

"Method of killing is definitely a clue," QJ pointed out. "Has to be someone good with a rope. That could be anyone who plays GnG, but my money says it's a Wrangler."

"They had to be at the Ball, too," Anya stated. "Or maybe someone serving."

"I saw one person from Chupa Lupa and two from Old Skool," Breeze admitted. "The rest of the players were from OP and Gunsmoke."

"I may have been caught up in someone's Main Event quest," QJ guessed. He glanced at Breeze; "could you ask Nina to log her GnG character to the house?"

Breeze nodded. "Are we going to arrest her? She's a Wrangler like you, so she knows how to use a rope! And she was at the Ball!"

QJ chuckled and shook his head in denial. "It's not Nina."

Breeze narrowed her eyes, not entirely convinced. "I'll log in and ask her to pop in."

QJ and Anya discussed her observations from the murder scene while Breeze logged into GnG. A purple-haired girl appeared in front of the door within a few minutes.

"Logging into our house is so freaky!" Nina spotted QJ and Anya and the island and joined them. "Breeze said you are going to arrest me?"

QJ laughed. "No. I told her you aren't the culprit, but she isn't convinced."

Nina took a seat next to Anya. "You know I wouldn't do something like that."

QJ grinned suddenly. "I remember spotting you in the courtyard below when the King was killed."

"And you know I wouldn't do something like that," Nina repeated.

QJ gestured to the objects in front of him. "Here are the clues we have. Blood, fiber from a rope, and a handwritten note."

Nina immediately removed the lariat from her inventory and rubbed it vigorously; after a moment, she held out her hand.

QJ picked up the fiber that had rubbed off Nina's lariat. "That's definitely a match."

Nina nodded in agreement. "My lariat leaves fibers everywhere, but the standard ropes in GnG don't. Also..." She held up her hand, despite only rubbing it for a few seconds, it was already scraped up. "Lariats are very abrasive; I always wear my gloves. I bet that blood is from a rope burn."

QJ nodded in agreement. "I didn't realize we were rooming with Nancy Drew."

"No idea who that is," Nina admitted. "One last thing." She moved a notebook from her inventory and tore out a piece of paper."

"Holy crap," QJ exclaimed.

Anya compared the note with the torn paper. "It looks the same."

"That's because it is," Nina agreed. "Those tiny lines and ugly off-white color comes from the Notebooks we were given when we joined the Phoenix server."

QJ frowned slightly. "I didn't get a notebook."

"Only the third years did," Nina stated.

"So... A third-year Wrangler who was present at the Star Crossed Ball." QJ looked at Nina expectantly. "Who would that be?"

"Dover," Nina replied. "He's got an older brother who plays on the Legends Server."

QJ held up the [Incriminating Note]. "See how it was torn out? Just like Nina tore hers, if we had Dover's notebook, maybe we could match them up."

Nina smiled. "I'll get it! That guy has been begging for an ass-kicking since we first met."

Anya tilted her head to one side. "He begs to have his ass kicked? He's an odd one."

"Agreed," Nina laughed. "Want to help me?"

Anya glanced at QJ, who nodded in agreement. "I'll come with you."

"In the meantime, I'll log back in and check out my cell."

QJ waited until after Nina and Anya left before contacting Ringo. He spent a few minutes briefing her on their findings. She recommended keeping Dessi out of the loop. Although they were friends, that wouldn't necessarily stop the 3rd year teacher from turning down a Main Event quest. The bottom line was... Dessi might be involved.

When QJ logged in a few minutes later, everything was exactly how he had left it. He hadn't had time to look around much. There were no windows, but it had a bedroom, bathroom, and a beautiful sitting area for entertaining. Unfortunately, his hud didn't work, nor could he access his inventory.

A soft muzzle pushed against his neck, and a moment later, the image of him playing with three large panthers in the fountain at Ravenwood flashed into his head.

He scratched the big cat's ears roughly. "You aren't supposed to do that. Do you want to help? Let me use some of your abilities."

[Jali: Shadowfiend]

Pet Type: Feline, Primal

Bond-Ability: Vision Transference,

Sound Transference, Primary

Transference.

Description: The Shadowfiend moves in

the shadows and cannot easily be

contained.

"Find someone for me, please." QJ pictured Chancellor Ivy in his head; he focused on her face and voice. Then, after a moment, the big cat faded into the shadows.

When Jali left, her sister Bali appeared beside him, and QJ laughed at her antics. She sent him an image of her sleeping in the warm sun of Ravenwood, with toddler QJ lying on her soft tummy.

QJ felt a slight push at his thoughts. "You three never listen. Don't worry, though; it's always been our secret." When QJ was ten years old, he discovered something amazing. He could access the transference abilities of both Bali and Jali. About two years ago, he found he could do the same with Mali. He understood the first two bonds; his relationship with Mojo and Leah was like that of a mother and son. It was known that the emotional ties of the person carried over to the pet. However,

Mali was a different story. Often times in the years when he hadn't been talking to Belle, Mali would seek him out.

QJ leaned back on the comfortable sofa; his thoughts lingered on the blind Silverleaf woman. The casino would open in a few hours. With the past day's events, there were bound to be some interesting conversations in the casino.

A firm nudge at his thoughts caused QJ to close his eyes for a moment; they had turned the darkest blue when they opened.

A blonde-haired woman lay across a ragged cot in the dark, the back of her shirt had been ripped open, and there were fresh whip marks on her pale white skin. Her face was covered in bruises and cuts. She stared at the big cat, she should have felt mind-numbing fear, but the images of a smiling QJ washed over her.

"Don't be alarmed, Chancellor Ivy. This cat will not harm you, but we might communicate with each other through it. Rest assured, I did not kill the King."

The blonde's bloody face moved closer; one of her eyes was swollen shut. "I know you didn't. I saw the man who killed him but heard you were charged."

"You were an eyewitness?" QJ asked. "Why were you arrested?"

"Because I was an eyewitness," Ivy replied.

"Seems like they got us both, but my accommodations are much better than yours."

Ivy laughed in the darkness; the noise from her swollen lips sounded like a groan. "Of course, I'm just a commoner."

"How are you holding up? I will hold them accountable for what they've put you through."

"QJ... it's too late for me. Tomorrow morning is 'Bloody Monday,' the first Monday of the month when Capital punishment is handed out."

"What about your trial? You're a Chancellor. Surely they can't kill you without due process! Did they even charge you with anything?"

"They charged me with accessory to murder. I'm no one to them, the former Chancellor of a dead King. There's a dozen of us getting beheaded in the morning." The blonde woman's face held no emotion; the shock of the last day weighed heavily on her.

"Now that I've found you, help will arrive shortly." QJ felt his anger bubbling beneath the surface; the kind, beautiful woman had been beaten and whipped. "I can't use transference very long, be brave, Ivy. I won't leave you in that cell to die."

"You won't?" Ivy rested her head on the cot, tears coming from the eye that was still open. "Thank you, QJ," she whispered in the darkness. Then, a moment later, the large black panther disappeared.

Robin walked into the guard area of the building where QJ was being held. She looked like a pretty young woman about to go on a picnic. Her orange hair was worn in a neat bun, and a white knee-length dress with matching sandals presented a picture of wholesome sweetness. Looped through one arm, she carried a large wicker basket. She smiled sweetly at the guard that approached her.

"Hello, Sir, I'm here to see prisoner QJ."

"Forget it! He is accused of assassinating the King! If not for orders, I would have already dealt wi..."

His sentence was interrupted by the blow of a small white fist striking his armored chest. He was blasted through the window like a broken kite, skidding on the hard ground; he rolled a few times before slamming into a stone wall twenty feet away.

Robin turned her focus on a large guard who rushed out of the back room at the sound of broken glass.

"What's the meaning of this?" the guard asked.

"I'm here to see, QJ," Robin replied. "The other guard said something quite rude."

"You're here for QJ?" The guard gave her a friendly smile. "I'm Tucker; QJ is a good friend of mine. May I see what's in the basket?"

"Of course, she opened the basket for him to see." Robin watched as he began to sift through the basket.

"Looks tasty," Tucker noted. There were sandwiches and some fresh fruit. Of course, the basket's weight was wrong, but he was more than willing to be complacent. There was a power struggle in Maelstrom; if whoever backed QJ ended up on top, he wanted to ensure he hadn't offended them.

QJ sat upright on the couch, shaking his head to clear it. Transference always took a lot out of him. Bali faded into the shadows an instant before the door to his 'cell' opened.

QJ smiled when Tucker escorted Robin in. The Sergeant nodded respectfully and closed the door behind her. The sound of the lock turning told him he was locked in again.

"QJ..." She set the basket down and leaped into his arms, her soft lips brushing his as she pressed against him.

"That's a nice greeting, Robs." He hugged her tight for a moment and then set her down. "I'm surprised they let you see me."

"I can be very charming," Robin grinned slyly. "Besides, I believe Tucker is your guy."

QJ smiled but didn't disagree. "Going to need a few things done rather quickly."

"Want us to break you out?" Robin looked at the door; she could open it reasonably fast. "How about now?"

QJ shook his head. "No, not me. I need to clear my name. I want you to clear out the Murderer's Row."

Robin's dark eyes stared at him, "Those are some dangerously bad people, QJ."

"I know. Ivy is with them. We can't let her lose her head for someone else's crime. So free whoever will agree to a five-year contracted employment."

Robin played with a strand of her orange hair. "Doesn't that amount to blackmail?"

"Maybe they will get a better offer before they lose their heads?" QJ opened the basket she had set down and started going through it. He immediately found the false bottom and opened it.

"I thought you might be able to use your time here to work with the Sakri steel."

"Thanks, Robs." QJ pushed the basket aside. "I need you to contact Annabelle and Ringo. Chancellor Ivy is an eyewitness to the King's murder."

Robin slid easily onto his lap. "I'll visit her when I leave here. I'm going to teach that Queen a lesson."

"We aren't certain yet that she's behind the assassination, although it seems likely."

"Perhaps not, but she ordered you locked up without evidence."

Robin's lips held a slight smile as she leaned in a pressed her mouth against his. "Are we still on for the pool?"

QJ nodded. The sound of the unlocked door interrupted them. "Contact Ringo and Annabelle. I fear time may be running out."

The door opened a moment later, and a heavily armored guard peeked in; his pale face and wide-open eyes showed a healthy fear for the orange-haired rogue. "Please excuse me, Miss. I've been directed to let you know that visiting hours are over for the day."

Robin glanced at QJ and then back at the guard, "I barely have been able to say hello properly."

QJ stood up and pulled Robin into his arms; he used a long kiss to whisper something in her ear. "Our suspect's name is Dover. He's a wrangler from Gunsmoke."

Robin nodded and reluctantly walked toward the door; she frowned at the guard standing there. "I'll be back tomorrow. If anyone dares touch him..." She left the sentence unfinished, but the threat lingered in the air.

"Bye, Robs..." He waved at her and brought the basket into his sitting room, where he removed the tools and the Sakri steel Robin had delivered.

He held the wax-like brick in his hand, trying to figure out his course of action.

The largest brick was roughly the length of a small sword. Slowly he molded the upper three-fourths into the blade of a wakizashi. Then he hollowed out a long groove on either side of the edge and used a separate piece to carve two short barrels. Finally, he modified the grip to make slashing and shooting comfortable.

Sitting them aside, QJ started on the chamber. He built it big to hold nine Springfield rounds. The smaller pieces took the longest; he painstakingly carved the trigger assemblies and springs out of the soft white brick.

Finally finished, he put all the pieces in the basket and took them to the bathroom.

While the basin was filling with water, he inspected each part separately. Then, at the last moment, he chose to add rifling to the barrels. The wax piece would easily stick together; if you happened to put them in the water like that, they would become one piece. For QJ's purposes, this made adhering the barrels to the outer portion of the blade relatively easy. The smaller components he would place by themselves.

After placing them in the water, he watched them fizzle momentarily and then turned back toward the basket. Half of the basket's false bottom hid Springfield rounds and sharpening stone.

A while later, QJ slowly removed the components one at a time. He spent several minutes using the sharpening stone on the blade. Sakri steel held a fine edge for cutting. He had modified the handguard slightly by putting an aiming sight on it.

"Hope this doesn't blow up in my hand."

He completed the weapon except for the trigger assembly. Slowly he rotated it in his hand, looking for imperfections.

"I could throw my lathe and half my tools in the trash if I had a bigger supply of Sakri."

He carefully attached the trigger assembly and held it before him. He swiped the small sword back and forth a few times. "Love the weight... maybe I tried to do too much with it."

*Ding 44*

[Guns and Gore Announcement] All Servers: A Magnum Opus has been created By Sandhealer Faction Leader QJ.

[Please Name your Magnum Opus.]

QJ froze in place and looked at the door, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Oh, shit..."

[System Message] Your World Reputation has been increased by 100.

[Guns and Gore Announcement] All Servers: Bask in the Glory of a Magnum Opus.

[Oh Shit] Magnum Opus

Two-Barreled Sword Gun [Artifact]

Description: This miracle of engineering features the

razor-sharp blade of a wakizashi blended seamlessly

with a two-barreled revolver modified to shoot Springfield

rounds.

Additional Description: The damage modifier of this weapon

is based on whichever skill is highest, sword or handgun. + 200 Accuracy, + 200 Range.

[Artifact Weapon Modifier] All critical hits do 2X damage.

"Plan B, I guess." QJ charged the cell door and swung the weapon at it; the blade sliced through it like paper.

A moment later, he stood in the hallway. He sprinted down the hallway and descended the stairs with a bound, freezing in place, when his eyes took in the view from the single window at the bottom of the stairs. A single blonde-haired woman was being dragged into the Courtyard. A black hooded executioner stood beside the chopping block, his ax in hand.

"Sweet mother..." QJ dived through the window and rolled quickly to his feet.

[Aimed Shot]

[Head-Shot bonus x Critical Hit x2]

QJ has hit Target for 88,570 damage.

Fire scorches your target for 17,714 damage.

[A Hooded Executioner has been slain]

The two guards holding Ivy dropped her and dived for cover. A moment later, QJ summoned Scorch and pulled the Chancellor into the saddle as shots and arrows flew at him.

*QJ has activated Mount Shield*

You have been hit for 15,433 damage

You have been hit for 11,200 damage

Scorch knew what to do under fire; he charged out of the Courtyard, accelerating into a red blur while QJ ducked low in the saddle.

You have been hit for 12,333 damage.

You have been critically hit for 23,100.

You are critically injured.

QJ clung to the saddle desperately; he hadn't time to take his armor out of his inventory. "Run Red... Run."

Out the city gates and into the countryside, since he had exited the western entrance, the only path before him was White Cloud Mountain Range. QJ held tightly to both Ivy and the saddle for quite some time. Injuries and exhaustion finally got the better of him; he passed out and slumped in the saddle. Sensing his condition, Scorch slowed to a walk for several minutes and finally stopped.

Ivy clung to the barely conscious QJ as they slid from the saddle to splash into the small stream that Scorch stopped to drink in.

Ivy dragged him to shore, holding him as she collapsed against the muddy riverbank. Then, forcing herself to sit up, she brushed his hair out of his eyes.

A flash of white announced the arrival of another. A white-winged woman landed lightly on the shore, her beautiful face etched with worry. "Is QJ okay?" She approached slowly, her hands held out.

*Nia has Cast Holy Union*

All nearby allies recover half of their HP.

The white Winged woman helped Ivy to her feet. Within a few seconds, a half dozen brown-winged assassins landed around them.

Merci stared at the son of Quinn. "He's poisoned Nia," the Assassin Queen handed her a vial of cleanse.

A smaller brown wing moved forward and helped QJ sit up; from her manner, it was apparent they were old friends. "Crap, QJ, four bullet wounds, and two arrows. That's gotta be a record."

"Help me up, Monkey Butt." QJ laughed when he said her old nickname. Only his dad ever dared call her that.

Maia pulled him to his feet, her smile widening. "So... going to give me Oh Shit or what?"

Merci frowned at her. "Obviously, Oh Shit is mine. Awesome job naming my new weapon, by the way."

"Sorry... I'll put you both on the list for the next ones." QJ glanced at Nia, who was still helping Ivy. "She okay, Nia?"

Ivy smiled at him. "I was about to lose my head, and then you came..."

QJ returned her smile. "Didn't I say I wouldn't let them hurt you?" He approached his mount, checking Scorch for any wounds. "I'd say that saddle shield was worth the GCP."

Scorched turned his head, nuzzling QJ.

"Not to seem ungrateful, but you guys need to go." QJ equipped his gear and slipped on the [Dark Stranger] hat.

[Your features are now obscured.]

[Character settings have been returned to anonymous]

Merci nodded in agreement. "Anything else?"

QJ motioned to Ivy. "This is Ivy. Take her to Briar Rose."

Merci leaned closer. "What kind of item was that? Even your voice changed."

QJ shrugged slightly and linked the item to her hud. It was one of Stealthy Ray's items. There was no mention of it in the loot tables.

Ivy looked tired; her once pretty face was battered and bruised from multiple beatings. "Won't they find me if I go to Briar Rose?"

Merci laughed and picked up the Chancellor like she would a child. "Our friends are there; even an army would be useless against them."

QJ waited until they took to the sky before opening his hud. Then, a moment later, Ringo's face popped up. "It's me."

Ringo had already seen the [Dark Stranger] appearance.

[You have joined the One Problem Guild]

[You have been promoted to Vice-Commander]

[OP: QJ] Let's meet at Arachni City.

[OP: Ringo] We'll meet you there.