Exodus: The Assassin's Path 76 Assassin Queen Part Three

"I'm fine Q." She glanced at Kawa, "I want to check on Maia."

"Of course," Q looked at the figure behind the barrier. "I wonder if you'd bring him to me first."

Leah nodded.

*I wish you were me*

Leah instantly switched places with Odum Kai, his personal guard stared at her in shock. Leah shrugged at them.

*I wish you were me*

Instantly Leah was replaced with the dead body of Dovik.

Leah smiled as she walked past him, toward Maia.

Quinn caught his sister's eye, "Hey Em."

"Yes Quinn,"Crow replied?

Quinn pointed at Arena Supervisor. "He was bullying me."

An unpleasant smile showed on TAP's only Executioner as she pulled her Axe out and walked toward Odum Kai. "b.a.l.l.sy."

(Daiyu) "That's TAP Executioner Crow, formerly known as Crimson Rose, she's seems to have been ordered to administer an important life lesson."

Q winced as Crow began to mercilessly beat Odum with the handle of her ax, she crushed his wings with the first blow to keep him from fleeing. Q turned toward Nightingale. "Report."

"We've neutralized this sector's guard, the cities s.h.i.+eld and stealth barriers have been disabled. Communications with the ground have been reestablished." Nightingale bowed her head slightly. "Commander, we have three a.s.sault teams in the city, Mojo has transferred leaders.h.i.+p of the raid to you."

Quinn opened his Raid Hud and a.n.a.lyzed the raid group. "Squad leaders report."

Tal's face popped up on his hud, "We have arrived at the outside of the Arena, no casualties. All entry and exit points are secure."

Quinn activated Jinns hud, "Quinn, we circled around the city and are currently holding the market square, we've made light contact only."

Onion's face popped up on Q's hud, "Commander we are holding the road that leads to the gate, heavy resistance from the Port side of the city. Scouts have located a small barracks."

"Great job everyone, we'll be taking this city. Tal take three people and lockdown the control room, a.s.sign the rest to help Onion take down the barracks. Jinn take your squad and sweep the city of stragglers, block by block. Do not harm non-combatants."

*Focus on Quinn, zoom out, squeeze Leah into the picture."

(Daiyu) Q has a.s.sumed command of the troops in the city, the mission is successful, but they aren't retreating.

"Please Stop!!"

A woman in blue robes was standing on a hovering platform, a few hundred feet above the arena. "I'm Risa Kai, the directer of this city. All of this is my fault." The woman bowed deeply. "I recognize the Free Country of Fora, and wonder if diplomatic ties could be opened between us."

*Quickly move to the director.*

Q's Com'chat blinked.. "Open Com." Mojo's face popped up on his hud. "You and Leah are alright?"

Q nodded,"Yes, we managed things. I thank you for the support."

Mojo bowed her head slightly, "The city stealth capabilities are offline, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I understand, be safe." Quinn cut comm with Mojo and then opened another hud. "Remmy, where are you?"

The pink haired gnome cut power to her jetpack and pulled her goggles down over her head. "I found a nice nest in one of the taller towers." She lay down in a comfortable p.r.o.ne position and unpacked her weapon.

Reaper

Gnome Sniper Rifle: Legendary

All head shots are critical damage x 3

Additional Effect: All head shots over 2 miles are instant kills, effect can be resisted.

"Anyone holding a weapon is fair game Remmy, you have permission to fire." Quinn cut comm and took a long look at Odum Kai. He was a broken, b.l.o.o.d.y mess.

"There's no need for this, I a.s.sume all responsibility." Risa lowered the platform until it was thirty feet off the ground.

"Too bad he is still alive. Since this is your city, I am holding you responsible.

"I said I am to blame, and it's true. For whatever Odum has done to you, I shall answer."

************

Angel and Ren slowly made progress through the city, there was fighting everywhere. Several times they had to hide.

"So you are an original descendant?" Ren had been listening to Merci tell her story.

There were originally four cla.s.ses of Winged Avriel; Paladin, Mage, Cleric and a.s.sa.s.sin. Only the a.s.sa.s.sins had brown wings, the rest were white, although sometimes hybrid-a.s.sa.s.sins were born with black wings.

The other cla.s.ses sought to control the a.s.sa.s.sin cla.s.s. They reasoned that the Winged a.s.sa.s.sin cla.s.s was too dangerous. The a.s.sa.s.sin cla.s.s shared a common bloodline with the Gryphon, because of this they would often team up and fight together. In a coup, the other three Kings overthrew the a.s.sa.s.sin King and killed him.

What followed next was genocide. The brown wings were completely wiped out, their names and abilities were removed from scrolls and records. They had been wiped out virtually overnight. However, brown wings would continue to be born from other cla.s.ses. These "mutations" were immediately hunted down.

Merci was the last living granddaughter of the a.s.sa.s.sin King. She possessed abilities that the others did not, the "calling" ability was a command ability to aide in battle. The Ba'Avriel had warped it into a trap for all brown wings. Merci would continually be moved from city to city, in an attempt to wipe the bloodline out.

Merci was moving very slow, they pulled into a alley where she coughed for several moments.

"You're color doesn't look very good, we need to get you to a he.." A sound from the street interrupted Ren.

A Ba'Avriel guard was flying low in an attempt to stay out of view, he heard the coughing and immediately turned.

Ren had let stealth drop, she stepped in front of Merci and drew her dagger. The guard was carrying a heavy bag. She could tell he was running. "Why bother with us? The sooner you leave, the more likely you are to escape."

The guardsman dropped the bag on the ground. "With her head as proof, I can claim a huge reward for making sure she didn't fall into enemy hands."

Ren stealthed but stayed close to Merci.

The guard laughed and tossed a black disc toward her.

*Flashbang*

Ren has been stunned.

Merci Quickill has been stunned.

"Too easy," the guard sneered and drew his sword.

*Backstab*

Angel has struck a Ba'Avriel guardsman for 2,200 damage, eleven poison counters have been applied.

Angel leaped away and changed into her spider form.

*Parlor*

A Ba'Avriel guardsman has become entangled in webbing.

*Backstab*

Ren has struck a Ba'Avriel guardsman for 8,450 damage.

The heavily armored guardsman roared at them, "d.a.m.n you little b.i.t.c.hes, I..."

His head suddenly blew apart, spraying blood as the lifeless corpse fell to the ground twitching.

Angel stared at the lifeless guard, then scanned the surrounding buildings. "Mommy?" She spotted Remmy on a tower a few blocks away and waved to her. She looked back at Ren and cleared her throat. "Okay, my Remmy is covering us."

Remmy lifted her head up and continued to scan for trouble. "Like I'd let anyone hurt my little spider gnomeling," she muttered under her breath.

*********

Leah walked forward with Maia, the young girl was limping a bit, but looked okay.

"Yes.. but how will you answer to these Royal Gryphon?" Q placed a hand on Maia's head, patting it gently. "Thanks for the help, you were very brave."

Risa looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand."

I didn't put it together either, until I read a book on Gryphons. Do you know how Gryphons express affection for fledglings?"

Risa shook her head, "I don't now much about them."

"Oddly enough, they peck at them, fledglings have extraordinary hard skin, it's a form of bonding.."

Risa stared at him. Waiting for him to continue.

"Know what happens when you attack a fledgling? The whole nest defends it. Its their nature to protect the young."

He placed a hand on Maia's brown wing, gently stroking it. "What you despise as a mutated, contaminated bloodline, is nothing of the sort.

Risa gasped, her face turning pale.

"You have persecuted the brown wings, executed them, and even broken their wings. This girl is not a worthless filthy brown wing... she's a Gryphon Wing."

"I'm something like that? Important?" Maia stared at the Gryphon's who were still watching over her.

Q nodded. "Very Important."

Administer Risa's face grew ugly, "brown wings must be killed! They are a danger to our society. I personally have put down hundreds of them. I certainly won't apologize for that."

"Quinn! You're okay!"

Quinn turned at the voice, Ren was approaching with Angel, between the two of them they were carrying a brown winged Ba'Avriel.

"...." Lara.

*Oh.. they snuck in, zoom in on the Spider girl for a moment, then widen the shot to get all of them*

(Daiyu) "A secret side mission to rescue a second prisoner seems to have been successful." Yu looked at her notes and sighed heavily, she didn't know their names.

"No!! You can't be allowed to live" Risa pulled a dagger and dived toward Merci."

*Blink*

*Ba'Avriel*

Quinn appeared in Ba'Avriel form behind Risa.

His wing talons impaled her sides, while he extend both palm spikes into the base of her skull.

*a.s.sa.s.sinate*

Risa Kai has been slain.

Return

Quinn returned to his spot and dropped Ba'Avriel form.

*G.o.d... please don't let me have missed that*

(Daiyu) "Administer Risa sought to kill one of the Fora Allies, and Q stopped her."

Quinn approached the wounded Ba'Avriel female. "I'm Q, I will get you a healer."

"Merci Quickill," she bowed her head slightly.

Quinn winced at the sight of her wings, "let's your wounds cleaned up and healed, then we can see about your wings."

"I'll never fly again Sir, but I thank you for saving what is left of my life." She broke into another coughing fit, Ren and Angel continued to hold her up.

Quinn smiled, "we'll see. Great job you two, looks like your mission was a success."

"Yes... good job Ren and Angel." Mojo had arrived, her lavender eyes flas.h.i.+ng at the two stowaways.

Q's hud flashed, he brought up the huds of his squad leaders. "Sitrep please." (Situation Report)

"Control room is ours Quinn." Tal's pretty blue eyes stared warmly at him.

"Streets are clear Quinn, the city belongs to us." Jinn's face showed her concern, "you okay?"

Quinn nodded. "Yes, great job Jinn."

"The barrack's personnel have all surrendered," Onion's face was split in a wide grin. "Got a bit sticky for a while, when a dozen guards flanked us. Daze held them off by herself."

Quinn nodded, "Daze is amazing, is she okay?"

"Kinda..." Onion's smiling face glanced over his shoulder.

World Wide Announcement: A new TAP cla.s.s has been uncovered by Summer Daze in Ba'Avriel.

Base Cla.s.s: Ranger

Sub Cla.s.s: None

TAP Cla.s.s: Heaven's Archer

(Daiyu) Daze has uncovered a Ranger TAP cla.s.s, this is the first TAP cla.s.s that belongs to a Base cla.s.s.

"Outstanding job." Quinn closed the raid comm, and opened a single hud. "Barrister Zy are you okay?"

Barrister Zy's face was pale, she was in her office with the door locked. "Yes.. I'm a bit scared Q."

"I'll come to you Zy, is Nia with you?" Quinn caught Lara's eye and motioned toward Merci Quickill.

"Yes.. thank you Q." Zy seemed relieved to see her client in one piece.

Lara and Robin had taken over supporting Merci.

Quinn grabbed Leah's hand, "okay everyone, let's wrap things up here and plan our next step."

*Okay, move to the big shot of Ba'Avriel from the ground. Zoom out and slowly fade to the studio camera in. 5...4...3....2*

Daiyu's beautiful face smiled into the camera. "You've seen it here first. A daring OP into a legendary city of Winged aggressors, I'm Daiyu and on behalf of the Fora Development Group, thank you for watching."

Quinn and Nia had taken Merci Quickill into Barrister Zy's office, they closed the door for privacy. Leah had made it clear that they definitely didn't want to be in there for wing restructuring.

The rest of the group were sitting in the hall waiting.

"Let's learn from this Ren, it isn't okay to ignore my orders." Lara had spent ten minutes lecturing Ren on trust, the young musician didn't say a word, she only nodded and said sorry.

Angel was in her spider form and laying across Remmy's lap sleeping, no one bothered to scold her.

"Empty the city, and the we'll go through everything they left behind. We are keeping this." Mojo was discussing their next steps with Tal.

"There's nearly two thousand people, where are we going to put them? That includes families and children." Tal had sat down and was leaning back against the wall.

"Quinn will have an idea I'm sure." Mojo sat on the floor and leaned against the blonde engineer, slowly her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Tal seemed surprised for a moment, but she then stroked the dark elf's white hair gently. "Yep.. he'll figure something out.