RH vs. Rattler

It was nearly 2200 when QJ logged off for supper. Sato and Wu were in the kitchen, watching a live feed on the island's hud.

"How many Magnum Opus does [Roll Credits] make?" Wu asked. 

"Seven," QJ replied. "What's the feed."

"It's a live feed from the Corridor on the Legends server," Wu replied. "Guess what they found after they excavated the Tar Pit?"

"Lots of rocks and a few bones," QJ guessed. He bent closer; there were a few auger drills as well as several crates of dynamite. There was a deep crater where the Tar Pit once was. Summer Taron was onsite, doing a live interview with the Haven Guild Leader Tomas Wester. 

Wu grabbed three beers from the fridge and handed them to QJ and Sato. "Look at that guy's face. You can tell he was expecting some other outcome." 

QJ watched the camera as it panned over the area. Haven's impressive Raid force had been on standby for the duration. QJ brought up his hud and sent a friend request to Tomas Wester. 

"What did you do?" Sato asked. You could see Tomas glance down at his hud before ignoring it. 

QJ snorted. "Bastard doesn't want to be my friend." Without pause, he sent another query. Then a third and fourth."

Wu laughed at the annoyance on the face of the Haven Guild Leader. "He's gonna cuss you out on live feed." 

Unexpectedly, the fifth time was the charm. Tomas stared at the query before glancing up at the Exodus Today host. "Excuse me for one moment." 

An instant later, Tomas Wester popped onto QJ's hud. "QJ... Chainy has told me a lot about you."

"Same here," QJ admitted. "It's not too late to fix your issue. In fact, I think you stumbled onto the right steps to reverse the Tar Pit problem."

Tomas ignored whatever Donna asked and gave QJ his full attention. "I'm listening."

"Dump a hundred barrels of mineral oil into the bottom of the pit. Gather the pieces from the Tar Pit; you can ignore the regular rock and line the bottom of the hole you dug with the black chunks of tar." QJ considered the next step before hypothesizing. "I would make the bottom layer two meters thick. Dump another two hundred barrels of mineral oil in and light it on fire."

"You think that will work?" Tomas asked.

QJ shrugged. "Keep feeding that pit mineral oil and tar chunks; you'll end up with the liquified version of what you have now. That's what you want." 

"Thanks for the advice, QJ." Tomas looked like he was about to sign off. "Going after Rattler soon?"

QJ nodded before glancing up at Sato and Wu. "Should we take him in the morning?"

"Afternoon or even tomorrow night," Wu answered. 

Sato grinned from ear to ear. "Bruh... Let's go get that bastard in the morning!"

QJ chuckled. "Sounds good." He glanced back at his open hud. "First thing in the morning, good luck to you."

Tomas nodded. "Good luck, thanks for the advice." 

QJ closed his hud and drank the beer Wu had given him. "Where is everyone?"

"We really going after him in the morning?" Wu asked. 

"Nah..." QJ snorted and took another drink. 

"You told Wester we were," Sato replied. 

"I needed to light a fire under him," QJ admitted. "I'm sitting on eleven thousand barrels of mineral oil."

QJ's hud buzzed; he opened it immediately when he saw who it was. "Grinding toward sixty?"

Ringo shook her head. "Still got a ways to go. I'm at fifty-eight, at least two weeks before I arrive."

"You must have something on your mind?" QJ asked.

"RH has allied themselves with at least a dozen guilds and are en route to Night Rattler," Ringo answered. 

"What kind of numbers?" QJ asked.

"A thousand, give or take," Ringo replied. 

"World bosses are meant to be zerged," QJ considered the news momentarily. "I 'm not interested in racing them."

"Me neither," Ringo replied. "What do you think their odds are?"

"Probably zero unless they have a hidden ace." QJ finished his beer and stood up. "Heading to the Songbird after I freshen up. Meet there?"

Ringo nodded. "Cya soon." 

QJ fixed Wu with a long stare. "We need eyes on that raid. What can we do?"

"I'll need to talk to Aunty Yu." Wu's face showed that he didn't like the option. "She's still mad at me for missing her birthday."

"Does she have what we need?"

Wu nodded. "She used to cover the TAP raids years ago. News media are given special equipment so they can showcase Exodus raids. Specifically, she has an Exodus drone. I doubt she'd let me use it."

"Tell her it's for me." 

QJ took a few minutes to stretch out and do light exercises before quickly showering. After leaving himself a reminder to meet Maya at the TAP gym again in the morning, he slipped on his VR suit and entered the chamber. 

***********

"Where do you think you're going, little shit?" Roman stood at the front of a short line that had been steadily moving. He stepped in front of the person in question.

A tiny man with reddish brown hair stopped his approach to the entrance of the Songbird. His handsome face was tanned brown from the sun, and the tops of his bare feet were covered with fur. "Hullo."

"We've been waiting for thirty minutes." Roman glanced at the entrance; for once, there wasn't a Songbird present. "As long as no one skips the line, we should be next."

The man nodded. "Okay. I'll wait here with you."

"No," Roman snorted. "Back of the line, shithead."

"Are you fucking crazy?" A calm voice spoke from behind him. 

Roman turned at the sound of a familiar voice. "Mai'Tai."

Tai ignored the 2nd year GnG student and placed a hand on the halfling's shoulder. "Go inside. No need for you to wait."

The halfling smiled, his dimpled cheeks blushing slightly. "Okay, thanks." He bowed politely to Roman and left without saying anything else. When he approached the front door, the red light over the top of the door turned green. 

"Looks like we're up!" Roman rushed toward the door only to have the light turn red again. "What the hell? That little shit took our slot!"

"Doesn't work like that, asshat." Tai scowled at the three students. "The door is in auto-mode; it opens for anyone on the entry list. It also turns green when space becomes available. "Do you know who that is? If one of the Songbirds..." She filtered off when the door opened. 

Nightingale exited the Songbird, followed closely by all of the Songbirds. She glanced at the small line, immediately focusing on Tai. "Who was it?"

Tai gestured toward Roman. "Tried to warn you... I'd say it was nice knowing you, but I won't.... since you're a dick." She walked by the Songbirds and entered the Tavern.

Nightingale stared coldly at the trio; as the most popular of the Songbirds, everyone knew who she was. "Lifetime ban."

[Exodus System Message] Roman Dobbs has received a Lifetime ban from the Songbird Tavern.

[Exodus System Message] Ella Yi has received a Lifetime ban from the Songbird Tavern.

[Exodus System Message] Rori Halsey has received a Lifetime ban from the Songbird Tavern.

"For what? That shit was cutting line." Roman wanted to shout but remembered what had happened the last time he spoke to a TAP NPC. 

Instead of answering, Nightingale ignored him and reentered the Tavern.

"HAHAHA," Breeze's laugh cut into the silence outside the Songbird. "A lifetime ban! Smooth move!" 

Sato, Breeze, QJ, Lotte, Nina, and Wu witnessed the tail end of the event. 

QJ shook his head in dismay. "You know TAP NPCs can enter all the Exodus games? If word got out that you messed with that guy, they'd take turns following you so they could spend all day ganking you. Your account would be worthless." 

"You're the first years?" An attractive Asian girl crossed her arms in front of her. "You think you're hot shit or something?"

[Group: QJ] Ignore them; we've got better things to do.

"Ella Yi, right? Breeze asked. "Can't stay and chat, gotta plan our first kill on the World Boss that OP flushed out! Join my Fanclub! Two thousand and growing!" 

QJ led the group into the Songbird, where Ringo was already waiting. 

[Group: Lotte] Spill it, QJ. Who is that little guy?

[Group: QJ] That is Micah, the first LAI halfling born in Ravenwood. It's not an exaggeration to say he is widely adored in TAP.

[Group: Sato] Got it. Don't mess with Micah.

[Group: Nina] Could you mess with Micah?

[Group: QJ] Sure, but I wouldn't. He spends all day fishing in Ravenwood, then gives them away.

QJ slid in next to Ringo, and with a little bit of work, they managed to squeeze in everyone. Robin showed up with two pitchers of beer and several mugs.

"Singing tonight?" QJ asked.

Robin nodded. "Ren and I will do a few numbers. Will you wait for me?"

"Of course," QJ replied. "Thanks for the beer; put it on my tab."

Robin smiled, "says the person who gets everything free here." 

QJ used the booth hud to send a query; a moment later, a familiar face popped up. "Monkeybutt!" 

The Ba'Avriel wrinkled her nose at him. "We are both adults now, QJ; maybe you should start calling me Maia."

"I'll consider it," QJ's grin said he was lying. "Did you get the controller?"

"Yes, I'll be at the Corridor in a few minutes." Maia stretched out her brown wings. "I've done this for Daiyu before; just tell me what you want as it unfolds." 

QJ nodded. "Sending you an invite, we'll stay on comms with you." 

[Maia has joined your group.]

"What is she doing?" Nina waited until QJ closed the hud before asking. "I thought Wu would do the drone."

Wu was still frowning from the conversation he had with his Aunt. As expected, she turned him down when he asked. To make it worse, she changed her mind without blinking when QJ's name was mentioned. "This drone requires an in-zone Operator. Maia was the best choice since she has done it before."

"Could Rattler hurt her?" Lotte asked. 

"Doubtful," QJ answered. "But she'll stay high in the air; only the drone will be close. Media drones are immune to all damage and won't draw aggro."

"Let's put a gun on it then!" Breeze sipped the suds off her mug. "Are we going to be able to use melee weapons with Rattler?"

"No idea," QJ replied. I do know that backstabbing him cost me [Oh Shit]. There's no way I'm using [Roll Credits] to melee with him."

[Group: Maia] Moving in over the Corridor; sending live feed. Let me know if you need me to zoom or pan to another target.

[Group: Sato] What the hell is that?

[Group: QJ] In laymen's terms, we call that a gagglefuck. 

A thousand-plus players worked their way from the ridgeline into the valley below. Some were on horseback, others in wagons, while a good portion walked. The familiar uniform of RH led the procession as they made their way to the rally point, the old RH compound that QJ and Ringo destroyed.

Blanketing the Tar Pit was a dark haze of smoke that hovered over the thick black mass. There was no sign of Night Rattler. 

[Group: QJ] Can you zoom in on the center of the pit?

[Group: Maia] Of course. 

The haze surrounding the pit was even denser toward the middle. 

[Group: Maia] Hold on, adjusting for environmental interference... and there. 

Night Rattler sat on a black throne near the center of the Tar Pit. His torn, rotten flesh was healed, and the ratty clothes he had been wearing were replaced with a black cloth that absorbed the darkness. Rattler's six guns were belted to his hips, and a short, doubled-barreled shotgun rested across his knees. 

[Group: Ringo] Is it me, or does he look much healthier?

[Group: QJ] The latter, his HP has gone up too. Now, it sits at 22 million. 

[OP: QJ] All members, watch the live feed and be ready to move tomorrow. 

[OP: Dessi] That includes the Branch Guild; we'll need all hands on deck. 

[OP: Mai Tai] Me too?

[OP: Dessi] Might be a bit low; you just hit 20. 

[Whisper: QJ/Dessi] Normally, I'd tell her to sit this one out, but you saw the feed. All you have to do is scratch him with fire damage, and he bursts into flames. It's up to you; in the worst-case scenario, we all die a few times.

[OP: Mai Tai] Whatever you think, Dessi.

[OP: Dessi] Fine, be ready to go. 

[OP: Mai Tai] Cool.

[OP: QJ] Watch what Rattler does; we saw him use two different methods of putting out flames. 

[OP: Ringo] He used an AoE called [Extinguish]; I've never seen an ability with that kind of range. The other is [Pacify Flame], which is self only. 

[OP: QJ] There's a random multiplier in play whenever he takes fire damage. I hit him for 37 fire damage, and it burned through 40k of his health. 

[OP: Ringo] His attacks release a lot of power. He sent us both flying with near misses. I doubt any of our tanks could survive a head-on attack. 

[OP: QJ] Lastly, it interrupts whatever he's doing when he catches fire. We'll focus on always keeping the burn on him. 

The group watched as the raid divided into sections. RH circled their melee so they could attack from behind while the tanks would face him head-on. The healers were left in the back right section of the formation. 

[Group: Sato] Guess they didn't see what happened to [Oh Shit] when you backstabbed him? 

[Group: QJ] Can you zoom in on what the tanks are carrying?

[Group: Ringo] Is that a molotov? 

[Group: QJ] Yes, it's a smart move on their part, but only if they space them out. 

[Group: Sato] I always wondered why they don't explode in the hands of the person carrying them.

[Group: Breeze] It looks like a gas-filled bottle with a burning rag stuffed in it. 

[Group: QJ] That would blow up in your hand. Molotov cocktail 101:

Fill the bottle to about 3/4 with a volatile substance. Place a rag soaked in something that burns but won't blow up (kerosene or lighter fluid).

Place the soaked rag a few centimeters into the bottle and cork it.

[Group: Sato] Why wouldn't that blow up?

[Group: Ringo] The absence of oxygen keeps the bottle from exploding until it is broken. 

[Group: Ringo] They could use regular lamp oil in this case. All it has to do is start him on fire.

[Group: QJ] Looks like they are about to start; zoom in until we can only see their raid force. 

[Group: Lotte] Could they beat Rattler? 

[Group: Wu] There must be forty or fifty healers in the back.

[Group: QJ] If they were all from one guild, their chances of winning would be five percent. That's being generous. 

[Group: Ringo] Agreed. My big hits were only doing a couple hundred damage. These lower levels are probably looking at double-digit crits.

[Group: Sato] So, like what Breeze does typically...

"BOY!!!" Breeze put Sato in a headlock and pushed his head against the counter. "Going to knock my awesome Chero DPS?"

QJ laughed at the spectacle; they were probably closely matched in real life, but Cheros had much higher strength than Scouts. "Let him up before you spill our beer."

Breeze released her hold but kept her arm around his shoulders.

[Group: QJ] Here they go. 

The heavy armor moved to within 30 meters and stopped. One of the tanks lit his Molotov and threw it at Night Rattler. 

It landed near the foot of the throne but splashed fire onto Night Rattler as before he erupted into a screaming pillar of flame. 

None of the melee advanced, but the ranged damage dealers opened up. Rattle batted at the flames for a few seconds before activating [Pacify Flame]; a second cocktail interrupted the casting, again covering Rattler in flames. 

[Group: QJ] That was perfect timing. He burns for three seconds. 

This time, when Night Rattler started to burn, but drew both guns and fired them randomly into the crowd. Anyone struck was insta-killed; even the misses tossed players high into the air, sapping large chunks of their health.

The third cocktail landed, and the process began again. 

[Group: Ringo] His health bar barely moved; they are relying on the cocktails to do the damage. 

[Group: QJ] Can you zoom in on the damage reports?

[Group: Maia] No, but I can see it. The three devices did 40k, 65k, and 103k damage. Their individual hits are doing no damage. They're fucked.

[Group: QJ] Language, Monkeybutt!

[Group: Ringo] They need more cocktails. 

[Group: QJ] They only manage 200k damage/10 seconds. He probably regenerates 10k/second. 

The healers split their focus between AoE healing and healing individuals who cycled in from the front because of low health. 

[Group: Lotte] How many Molotovs could they have?

[Group: QJ] Doesn't matter; they're about to lose their healers. 

[Group: Sato] Why would they? Night Rattler is staying in the throne area.

[Group: QJ] They have other concerns.

As predicted, a handful of healers died all at once, then the wave of death moved forward, and it became a wholesale slaughter.

[Group: Ringo] That's another guild! Did someone Turncoat? Zoom in, please.

The camera panned to the clerics, where fifty players quickly overwhelmed the lower levels. At the center of the chaos was a circus clown guarded by two wolfmen. Just as quick as it started, they retreated into the darkness, leaving the rearguard devastated. 

Everyone at the table wore big smiles. 

[Group: Ringo] Did you know Chupa Lupa was going to do that?

[Group: QJ] Bobo contacted me; she is still pissed at RH for coming after them.

[Group: Sato] Who knew clowns held such big grudges?

[Group: Lotte] I like saying the name Chupa Lupa!

[Group: QJ] Right? 

The next cocktail was late and missed entirely when Night Rattler sidestepped; he opened up on the tanks with both guns, every blast claiming a life. 

Instead of wiping them out, he returned to his throne and sat down. An instant later, a dozen enormous pit vipers oozed out of the tar pits and attacked. 

[Group: Maia] Level 40 elites.

[Group: QJ] Too much to handle without healer support. 

The circle of death expanded, and instead of retreating, the remainder of the forces charged forward. 

[Group: QJ] Ballsy, I approve. 

A wide swath of Raiders died when Night Rattler cut loose with his shotgun. It blasted a wave of destruction 15x15 meters. A few managed to reach him, but they experienced the same thing QJ had: weapon destruction. Within a minute, the last few hundred raiders were slaughtered. 

[Group: Ringo] His pistols do AoE damage, maybe a three or four-meter circle. 

[Group: Sato] Think we can beat him?

QJ nodded. "Let's aim for tomorrow after evening." 

[Whisper: Ringo/QJ] Did we sell any barrels?

[Whisper: QJ/Ringo] 3k sold in the last half hour. 

Within an hour, the Songbird was quiet again. Only two remained behind; QJ swept the floor while Robin wiped the tables. 

QJ listened to her humming; a soothing sound that relaxed him. "I love you, Robs." 

The orange-haired Songbird stopped mid-wipe, her lips curving in a wide smile. "I love you, QJ." 

"Want to dance a bit?" 

Robin nodded. "Let's finish up and turn the lights down."