That gunshot cut through the air, the soundwave reaching Jessie's ears before she had time to react. She watched in horror as everything slowed down, that bullet traveling directly for Elphaba. Jessie felt herself jump the table in what should have been seconds.

"NOOOOO!" She screamed, her voice dragging, making a flat run for Jac, as time slowed even more. Glinda cast a freezing spell on Jessie, pausing her in place. Elphaba walked at her normal speed to the slowly moving musket ball, plucking it out of the air, as time returned to normal. She walked over to Jac, musket ball in hand.

"Nice try." She said, tossing it at him.

"How did you..." Jac asked, confused.

"I am a witch, Jac." She said, with a cackle, as she walked to Jessie. She gave Glinda the sign to release her, as she wrapped Jessie in a hug, "Let it go, baby. I'm fine, just let it go."

"I'm going to kill him." Jessie said.

"Just beat him, Jessie. Beating him is a fate worse than death for him." Elphaba said, kissing her cheek softly, "Just make the shot." She whispered.

Coriv walked over to the shooters box. "You've missed your shot." He announced.

"It wasn't my fault. He bumped my arm!" Jac said, in protest.

"Do you want to shoot again?" Coriv asked.

"Why, she couldn't shoot her way out of a barn." He said, laughing.

Jessie walked to the shooting area, took aim, and fired, the bullet hitting dead center of the target.

"Miss Reynolds wins." Coriv declared.

"Wait! I want my reshot." Jac protested.

"I'm sorry, Jac. A reshot was offered, you declined, end of story. This way to the next event." Coriv said, leading him away, as the crowd dispersed.

"Great shot, Jess." Elphaba said, kissing her temple.

"Are you OK?" Jessie asked as they approached the third event.

"Of course, Jess. It's not the first time I've been shot at." Maybe Elphaba shouldn't have said that, seeing that look in Jessie's eyes, as Glinda walked over.

"I thought time slowed down the night you left." Glinda said.

"It was next to the flying spell. It only holds for about thirty seconds, though." Elphaba said.

"Enough to dodge attacks." Glinda said.

"Exactly. Come on, Jess." With one of Oz's witches on either side, they led Jessie to the hammer throw.

Finally seeing what it was, Jessie laughed. "I know this. I did it back in high school." Jessie said, looking at the ball on a chain.

"Really?" Elphaba asked, shocked.

"Yeah, really. I hope he's got a good arm. I still hold the school record at 310 feet." Jessie said, suddenly feeling more confident, as Coriv announced the rules, and that Jac would go first.

The crowd was abuzz with excitement and awe. No one had ever beaten Jac in anything before now. They all fully expected to be home by now. A few rumors that the Earth woman was enchanted by Elphaba began to circulate, too. How else would anyone explain how she managed to outshoot the best shot in Mucnchkinland. Jac watched, as they measured his first throw. The crowd cheered when it was announced at 133 feet.

"I hope you make good coffee, witch. I may have to whip you until you make a cup I like." Jac said, laughing along with the crowd.

Jessie was livid. She grabbed the chain, and made her throw. The crowd immediately silenced. No one had ever seen that far of a throw in Oz. The measurement came up with three hundred feet.

"It's her! The witch is interfering in the contest! No one could make it that far without help." Jac said angrily.

"Come on, Jac. It's not my fault you can't throw hammers like you thought you could." Jessie said, laughing.

"I want her magic suppressed. And the other one too." Jac demanded, getting jeered by the crowd

"How dare you say Glinda the Good would interfere in this contest!" Coriv said, the crowd angrily agreeing with Coriv. A besmirch on the freak was fine, but Lady Glinda The Good would never interfere, especially on behalf of the Earth Girl.

"I have a soloution in my tent." Jac said, walking off. Jessie looked at Elphaba and Glinda questioningly, and getting an equally confused look from both, as Jac walked back with two collars and two sets of hand restraints. "Put them on, if you two have nothing to hide!" He said, seeing the rage on Jessie's face, and the outraged look on Elphaba's.

Glinda stepped forward, Fiyero stepping up to hold her back. "You simple minded fool. Do you honestly believe those suppress anything but dignity?" Glinda asked.

"They were made especially for me by a witch doctor in Qualding. As long as the magic user wears them, they can't use their magic. The effects disapate after removal." Jac said, all but leering at Elphaba.

"Do they make good suppositories?" Jessie asked, angrily, her fists flexing.

"So, if Elphaba and I wear these, you have nothing to complain about for the remainder of the contest?" Glinda asked, getting a nod.

"Exactly." He said, chuckling. Glinda took one set of the collar and wrist chains from his hand. She put the collar around her neck, and the locks around her dainty wrists. Fiyero was furious, watching the scene with Jessie.

"If swallowing my dignity will remove any doubt that Jessie has, indeed, outthrown you, I will sacrifice it. However, at the end of this event, I want both removed from myself and Elphaba." She said, still as regal as ever.

"How dare you chain Glinda the Good!" One of the crowd screamed, getting yeahs from the crowd, until Glinda raised her chained hands.

"Ozians, please, let's indulge Mr. Rubic for the moment. After all, Elphaba the Wise and I are all for propriety." Glinda said.

Elphaba walked over. Jessie moved to cut her off, and got waved off. Elphaba held out her wrists. Unlike Glinda's set, Jac tightened hers until it looked like they would cut off circulation in her wrists. Elphaba held her head high as the collar was put on equally tight. She could feel the leather cutting into the skin on her neck.

"Now, Mr. Rubic, if you are done with this absurdity, shall we continue?" Glinda asked, getting a nod from Jac.

Coriv looked at him with disgust. "Throw two." He said, leading Elphaba and Glinda to the side, "Ladies, I apologize." He said, looking at Elphaba in particular.

"Don't worry about it." She said, her voice hoarse from how tight the collar was.

"This won't take long, beautiful." Jessie whispered, as they measured Jac's throw out to 158 feet. Jessie grabbed her chain, and flung it. To the crowds amazement, it flew even farther than the first, measuring out at 304 feet.

The murmering in the crowd continued. Jessie was indeed doing this on her own. If she won this event, the best Jac could do is tie. There hadn't been a tie since Jac's great grandfather won the ruby mines from the man from Gillikin. The fight was legendary, and lasted for three days, niether competitor surrendering, until Jac's great grandfather killed him. They wondered if Jac could do the same with the monstrocity. If he couldn't, what that meant for them in general. With control of the mines, the monstrocity essentially had full control of Munchkinland, since the ruby mines were it's main sorce of wealth. There worst fears were confirmed, when the last throws were measured out. Jac's was 200 feet, and the monstrocity's was 309 feet.

Coriv walked to Jessie, raising her hand. "Your winner!" He declaired, as Glinda and Elphaba walked over.

"Kindly remove these." Glinda said, angrily.

"I can't seem to find the keys." He said, chuckling, as the crowd became angrier.

"Let Glinda Go!" Began to echo through the crowd, as the rumblings of a riot began. Glinda lifted her still chained hands.

"It's OK, good Ozians." Glinda said, closing her eyes. Her pink energy began to crackle, as the wrist restraints fell away, to the shock of the crowd. Reaching up, she removed her collar, throwing it at Jac's feet, "Let this day stand as proof that nothing, NOTHING, can overcome goodness." Glinda declared, to cheers from the crowd, and a chuckle from Jessie. Jessie had to give it to her, she could work a crowd better than any hype man Jessie had ever seen. Elphaba followed suit, the chains falling easily away, and she removed the collar. Jessie's eyes hardened, seeing how both had bitten into her skin. The crowd laughed, as Elphaba dropped both at Jac's feet.

"Next time, demand proof. You paid that witch doctor for nothing." She whispered, before kneeing him in the groin. He fell to his knees, to more cheers from the crowd.

()

Jac stumbled back to his tent to prepare for the fourth event. This is not how he had expected this day to go. He fully expected to have the monstrocity in the mines, and the freak as one of his house servants by now. Now, he was in a must win position. He shook his head, looking at himself in the mirror. If he misjudged this, he would loose everything over a 180 ruby debt.

()

"Jessie, that was impressive, truly." Fiyero said, in shock, as they walked to the center of town, where the sheath toss bar and bags were being set up. No one had expected this even to actually occur.

"Not really. I had a good track coach back home." Jessie said.

"You know, you take compliments as well as Fae does." Fiyero said.

"She's said something similar." Jessie said, laughing a little. She was still stressed and nervous. Sensing that, Fiyero put his arm around her shoulder.

"The best he can do is tie, Jess. Just relax." He said.

"I am, or I'm trying to. You ever see something you wanted to unsee?" Jessie asked.

"Too many things to count. Just keep in mind, Glinda had those chains and collar on too. Knowing her, she'll get one in town, have it painted pink, and turn it into the latest fashion." Fiyero said, getting a genuine laugh from Jessie.

"I swear, I wanted to kill him." Jessie said, half growling.

"So did that crowd. But Glinda and Elphaba put him in his place." He said, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.

"So, any idea what the tie breaker is, if I don't win this?" Jessie asked.

"No clue. But Fae seems very happy it may come to that. She told Glinda she wanted it to go to a tie." Fiyero said.

"I want this over with." Jessie said, looking up at the bar. It was twenty feet up on a hundred foot pole, and two Munchkins on a ladder were adjusting it.

"I'm ….. I'm slipping!" Jessie heard one of them call out, before falling. She sprinted towards him, catching him as he fell. The crowd cheered when she saved him. It was then she noticed how weak the man looked.

"Are you OK?" Jessie asked, as she sat the man down. He barely came to her chest.

"Yeah, thanks." He said, still a bit panic stricken.

"Come on, let's sit down, get some drink." She said, leading the man to the tent set up. She got a strange look from the munchkinlanders, as she sat the man down in the tent.

"He can't be here." Jessie heard one of them say.

"Why not?" Jessie asked.

"This is the viewing tent for Munchkinland representatives and their families. His kind is not welcomed." The man said, snobbily.

"Too damn bad." Jessie said, as the worker drank the water, his hands still shaking.

"I will call the guard." He warned.

"I am the guard." She said, simply. The man walked off angrily.

"Th...Thanks, but I...I'm OK now." The worker said, standing up.

"Are you sure?" Jessie asked, genuinely concerned.

"Y..Yes, ma'am. I...I have to get back to work." He said, quickly walking back to the staging area.

Jessie watched him walk back, and get shoved by a slightly larger munchkinlander. She flinched, hearing the screaming as the larger man struck the smaller one. Jessie went itno the gathering crowd, just in time to see the larger one grab a whip. The smaller one backed away, as he raised it. Before he could bring it down, Jessie jerked it out of his hand from behind. The man turned, his face furious, before seeing Jessie. Jessie smirked, seeing all the color drain from it.

"I...I'm sorry, Miss Jessie. I have orders to keep these cretins in line." The man said, nervously.

"Orders from who?" She asked, curiously.

"Mr. R...Rubic, ma'am." He answered, looking at Jessie like she would kill him any second.

"Does he treat all of his workers like this?" Jessie said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Y..Yes, ma'am." He said.

"Not today." Jessie said, as the man on the ground looked up at her in shock.

"B...But..." He said.

"Tell Jac that I said if he wants this man whipped, he can come through me to do it." Jessie said, matter of factly. She was relieved, to see Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, and Roric on their way to her.

"Yes, ma'am." The man said before scurrying off.

Jac was furious when he got the news. When he beat her in the sheath toss, and he was certain he would, He'd make her pay for that mistake. He walked to the center of town, calm and confident. When the compition began, he made his toss easily. Jessie followed, not even getting close. Whatever was in that bag was so heavy, she didn't know how anyone could do it. Jac smirked, when her second and third attempta failed too.

"Your winner, Mr. Rubic!" Coriv announced, to cheers from the crowd, "For only the second time in munchkinland history, we have a tie. There will be a two hour rest period before the final event, Fisticuffs." The minute he said it, Jessie's face broke into a wide grin.

"Two hours until your freak is mine." He said, pointing at Jessie.

"I apologize for the ass kicking you're about to get, junior." Jessie said, feeling completely relaxed for the first time today.

Glinda looked at Elphaba worriedly, "Elphie, that's not good. How can she fight him? He's huge." Glinda said, worriedly.

Elphaba laughed, putting her arm around Glinda, and pulling her in close so no one else could hear. "Glinda, she's a world champion fighter on her world. Her last fight was against a woman twice Jac's size and strength. Trust me, he's toast."

"She's going to beat him into bread?" Glinda asked, even more confused.

"I have missed you, Glinda. So very much." Elphaba said, hugging her lovingly.