I used to pride myself for being a woman of her word, but writing this fanfic I realized that's not quite the case... so the two final chapters turned into three final chapters. I am kind of stuck in chapter 45, but I'm working on it. It will be over soon. Thanks for being with me for this long.
Chapter Forty Four - Set Up
Crow felt bad for not revealing the entirety of the plan to his teammates, but there were details that rested on someone else's secret, and it was not his place to disclose it. Therefore, he did his best to feign surprise as the first domino was pushed, setting the whole thing into motion.
Guys, you won't believe this!
About a dozen voices shouted nearly identical excited messages over the Black Brotherhood's PM channel, making the party miss the blows they were aiming and receive unwelcome damage from the mobs in the dungeon.
They had to silence private messaging in order to concentrate and clear up the area.
"Twenty six minutes until respawn." Jet sat down. She un-muted the PM channel while simultaneously starting to clear her inventory. By then, the messages they were receiving did not make any sense.
...fitting reward?
...Something wrong in his head!
But it's gotta be a trap.
...full fledged royal procession!
"Enough, guys!" Speaking both aloud and through message, Crow put an end to the cacophony. "You have twenty five minutes..."
"Twenty two." Jet corrected.
"Twenty two minutes to explain things in an orderly fashion. I suggest you go alphabetically."
A little more chaos while the many would be news bearers tried to figure their respective turns for speaking. Twenty minutes left, but once they stopped talking over each other it was more than enough to tell their tale.
There was a new Royal Decree out there. Prince had made a big deal out of it, broadcasting it across all the NPC towns. At Star City people had cringed, expecting a raise in taxes. At Sun City outlaws had laughed it off, thinking that if the Bloody Overlord passed on another bloody law, they would bloody break it. At Moon City revolutionaries started printing recruitment fliers, hoping that whatever announcement Prince had to make, it would shock the population enough to rekindle the desire for independence in the hearts of otherwise peaceful citizens. The news were shocking, alright. Just not the way they had expected.
Prince was asking Crow to reveal himself. He wanted to negotiate.
"I am willing to call off the reward on Crow's head," Prince said, "if the Black Bandit will show himself. I do not wish to waste the citizens' taxes on this fruitless persecution."
There you have it. Feng Lan thought, looking down on the crowd from Prince's balcony. Is it showy enough for you, Yu An? Is it showy enough for you, Crow? The overlord could hear the crescent noise of conversation as people tried to make sense of this new announcement. They weren't sure on how to take it.
"Have you gone out of your mind?" both Yulian and Lolidragon had asked, and though they refrained from voicing it, Wolf and Doll showed similar expressions. Gui was the only one to say nothing because she had already secured his support in real life.
She had promised herself not to use the "Crow and I know each other from real life" argument unless there was no other choice, and felt touched when the need didn't arise.
"If you are so serious about it, and so sure, then I believe you have good reasons for it. I trust you, Prince. We will support you." Ugly Wolf spoke for the team, and the elf felt tears coming to his eyes.
Convincing the rest of the allied teams was a bit harder. Nan Gong Zui and Madam White Bird were vehemently against it. Unexpected support had come from Cold Fox - maniac for duels that he was - and Rose Team and Dark Emperor were just unsure. Wicked looked over to Prince, trying to figure out what was in the elf's mind, but it was not as simple as when they were kids. Nothing was simple anymore.
"Sigh..." the dark elf tried to let all his worries, past and present, fly out in that sound. "I don't understand, and I am not pleased... but I will support you. I always will."
"That is crazy."
The Black Brotherhood sat there, astonished, not caring that in one and a half minutes mobs would be spawning again, angry because the adventurers were nonchalantly sitting on their nests.
"What do you think he wants with that?"
They asked one another and to none in particular, but Crow felt a knot on his stomach. How hard it was to lie to one's friends!
"Perhaps he finally did the math."
"Perhaps he is just actually as tired of hunting us as we are tired of hiding from him." He let the idea out in the momentum of his team's speculations.
"I bet he wished he had never made us his concern. He's too powerful to just go back on his words." Jet was thinking of Crow's getaway at Traverse Town's council meeting. Since that day, Shade had been seen to the jeweler's, trying an assortment of different brooches, complaining that a five-point star was too cliche, until he settled for a fiery stone with a cat's eye design. The jeweler lovingly called it "Sauron's Eye", but now it represented the eye of the "law" - as far as such a thing could be said to exist in a town of thieves. Since that day, Shade's party had yet to set foot outside of town. With people working on the sewers, it was not as if he could just leave. And he had only been in the office for a couple of days. What was it like for Prince? Did he wish he could just quit? The Bloody Elf was chained to his throne.
"Do you guys want to answer him?" The suggestion came from Pen, though she asked it in a melancholic monotone.
"Can it be done safely?" Band asked.
"Somehow I don't think that's the point." Crow spoke softly. It was like threading on eggshells. "The Doughnut wasn't exactly safe."
"But it seemed terribly fun." Band said, half defensively and half joking.
"And we had something to gain from it." The team's spirits were slowly starting to raise. Almost absentmindedly, Jet threw a monster-repel grenade in the direction the mobs were appearing from.
"The pizazz." DeeDee said longingly.
"So the only question now is whether we have something - read 'fun' and 'fame' and 'fortune' - to gain from it."
Sun City
Prince's retinue moved so slowly that it wasn't an exaggeration to say that they crawled the streets of Sun City. They had come in all their pomp and circumstance. That entailed their heaviest and shiniest sets of armor, which greatly explained why the procession moved so slowly. Even the horses that carried some of the big shots were bored from walking at that pace. But most bored of all was Prince himself. He was getting extremely impatient, and that helped him to maintain a stern expression that was in agreement with a "Royal Inspection".
That was right. Prince was once again making a tour of the Central Continent, this time not to sing and dance, but to make sure each city under his control had proper defenses, enough garrison and that other local problems were properly addressed. Normally other people would do it, but this time Prince had made a point of coming.
"Why the sudden interest?" After that "willing to negotiate with the Black Brotherhood" nonsense, White Bird was suspicious of Prince's every move.
Because Yu An asked me to find a flashy excuse to be in Sun City today.
When they dated Lan saw that Yu An was good with planning. He coordinated commuting time as an enjoyable part of the date, and always knew what were the other attractions near the area in case plan A failed or they just felt like doing something different. She had never imagined his planning skills used for mischief. He was like an evil Hollywood director, asking her to practice the hero-villain banter and other believable lies.
"It's good if the citizens see me doing something for them - like, for their actual welfare, not just entertainment, like the concerts. It's too late to look like an... easygoing, fatherly or brotherly type of leader... but even a guy as scary as the Blood Elf can help people feel safe if he shows he cares about security and all that. We don't want any more players fleeing over to Rising Sun, or joining the revolutionaries in Moon City. I ought to make myself present, not as a popstar, but as a ruler."
Prince was very proud of this little speech. Before logging in, Feng Lan had practiced it in front of the mirror.
It was effective. White Bird bought the story, and prepared the whole thing with her peers from the military department.
"Just do your thing. If nothing happens, give a speech. Talk big." These had been Yu An's instructions. Prince rolled his eyes. Easy for him to talk.
"Citizens of Sun City!" at the main plaza, Prince spurred his horse a few steps ahead, straightening on his saddle. He was still bored, indicating nothing had happened. It was clearly time to make a speech. Kenshin advanced as well, though he never quite reached the foreground. It was a skill bodyguards seemed to have: they could be only half a step behind their protege, actually under the limelight, and still fade in the background.
"Today I come to you to make a promise: a promise of a brighter future for all the law abiding citizens of my realm..."
Hello, darling.
Prince almost choked when the familiar voice PMed him, but people didn't notice, as all heads had turned to the black clad figure that had emerged atop a building across from the plaza.
"What about..." the same voice that had messaged Prince shouted loud enough for the whole crowd to hear. Of course, the fact that people silenced before his dark charisma helped a lot. "...the less law abiding citizens of your realm?"
"Crow!"
Because shouting the name of the villain in anger was a sacrosanct rite. No hero can go without it.
"Your Bloody Highness." With a flourish Crow removed his hood to reveal his mocking smile and bowed in an exaggerated curtsey. "You wanted me to show up for negotiations. I showed up. Let's negotiate."
But Prince had a charisma of his own.
"Let us. But let us also not keep shouting. Come here so we can talk like civilized people. Unless you are afraid."
Crow wasn't able to come up with a witty reply fast enough, and the crowd started to cheer (for Prince) and boo (Crow).
"Perhaps I am. There is no honor among thieves, and you are as much of one as I am." The Black Bandit drew his bow so fast that only one person was able to react in time. Kenshin jumped, drawing his sword and cutting the arrow aimed for Prince neatly in two. A parchment - now cut - was rolled around the shaft.
"I took the liberty to attach my terms." Crow shouted.
"And where should I deliver my answer to?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. You can never find me, but I can always find you. So just say it loud and clear, where the whole Continent can hear you."
And with that the thief sprinted in the opposite direction and disappeared between to buildings. The guards searched for him in vain.
Real Life
"That arrow was really mean."
Again alone in the study room, Lan and Yu An discussed the evolution of their plan.
I know, thank you. He was careful not to say that aloud. Lan always got skittish when he acted "too much like Crow".
"But effective. Did you manage to read the contents?"
"Yes. It was a very clean cut, so we just taped it back together."
Yu An whistled. That Kenshin guy was really strong.
"The terms aren't exactly what we had agreed." Lan said, doing her best to keep the icy note away from her voice.
"Indeed. Because it would be bad for your image to just accept my terms. So now you can make the corrections and it will sound as if the final arrangement was your idea."
Great, Lan sighed. More speeches.
A forest on the center of the Continent
One Man Band had bought a camera golem mainly for recording songs so that he could listen to them again until he learned how to copy them, keeping his bardic abilities top notch. Today, tough, what he was watching was something different: Prince's speech at Moon City, where he announced a truce with the Black Brotherhood.
"I asked Sherazade to record it for me." He told his teammates.
"The other branches are not going to like it one bit." Everyone had their heads pressed together to be able to see into the tiny golem. In his speech, Prince said he would accept the thieves' challenge... if the Black Brotherhood would abstain from all criminal activity for the next ten days.
Crow smiled. He had thought ahead at least this much. When he went to the branch leaders, they were already expecting him.
"You want us to lay low for a while." Red looked at him with an expression that was hard to read. He still wasn't over with the Town meeting thing.
"Only if you are willing." Crow lowered his head, acknowledging that Red didn't have any reason to go that far for his sake. "But whether you decide to go on with road robbing and the like, for the next ten days the main franchise is asking all of its franchisees not to use the brand name."
Crow had a threat in handy to go with that, but he saw Red sigh and shrug.
"I suppose it is in your right to ask that much. So tell me... is whatever you have in mind now as big as the Doughnut?"
The archer smiled.
"Yes and no. It will have a lot of visibility, as far as events go. But it's nothing more than a petty scheme to get my team out of Prince's reach."
Crow's "petty scheme" still earned the support of all the branches of the Black Brotherhood. Not only they agreed to stay put for a few days, they also commited to help minimize crime wherever they went.
"Do you really believe that facing Odd Squad directly will do you guys any good?" Silly Lily had asked.
"I have a plan." Crow answered.
"You make me curious, Crow. How can I not help you, when I get so hyped to see whatever it is going into motion?"
For ten days, it looked like a blanket of stillness had fallen over the Central Continent. The undercover branches of the Black Brotherhood fell on unaffiliated wrongdoers like destroying angels, keeping even the dangerous Sun City low on crime and enjoying the role of "vigilantes" for a change.
Even affiliated criminals - all the people from Traverse Town who didn't share the Black Brotherhood's status - kept their activities to a minimum. Most of them because they were too busy with the Town's defenses, but some because they actually wanted to see the face off between the Black Brotherhood and Odd Squad.
"I can't believe it." Feng Lan told Yu An on the morning that preceded the duel. "Crime rates have dropped to nearly zero. It can't be just the Black Brotherhood. It couldn't have been you acting in all the cities and all the commerce routes."
It wasn't, but Yu An wasn't about to let her know that.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" he asked instead. Lan gave a smile of ferocious joy that was often associated with Prince.
"I've been training nonstop."
"That's great. It would be boring if you didn't offer any resistance."
He left before she could decide if his statement was funny or outrageous.
Second Life sun rose above the virtual scenery changing not only colors, but also the very air the players breathed. Silence still reigned, but it had lost the muffling quality that had prevailed until the previous day. Silence now tasted like a tense bowstring, the insight of a symphony that would change the destiny of Second Life.
The first players to make their way to Rising Sun Camp were like the low drums in an orchestra, with the trotting of their mounts and their chatter and colored flags breaking the silence but actually increasing the tension. The Rising Sun Camp itself seemed transformed, the gravitas of the event lending solemnity even to the faces of newbie players. They all stood in front of the camp, their feathers and facial paint coupled with Camp-crafted items, forming a line that separated the incoming crowd from the Camp itself. Though silent, their message was clear: outsiders were still not welcome.
Though Odd Squad arrived tailed by all the teams that helped them rule Infinity City, they parted the way among the crowd by themselves, their followers disappearing in both sides. When they stopped a few meters apart from the prohibiting line, the Rising Sun warriors finally moved. They parted, and Old Chief Red stepped forward.
"Halt, strangers. Who comes to Rising Sun Camp?"
It was just show. A ritual. Prince answered with practiced lines.
"I am Prince, Lord of the Central Continent. With me I bring Odd Squad, whom I lead."
"And why has Odd Squad traversed these lands to come to the Rising Sun Camp?"
"We come to defeat our enemy upon neutral grounds."
"If the grounds be neutral, then over them you do not stand as Lord."
Prince lowered his head, accepting those terms.
"Has my opponent come?"
That question was also part of the show, but Prince tensed, because the answer wasn't scripted.
"And then I make my entrance" Yu An had said. But where would he come from? There were no buildings he could jump down from, no ginormous doors that he could open dramatically. Would he come down in a parachute? Appear with a puff of smoke? With him, anything seemed possible.
"Your opponent has come."
Crow's entrance was almost anticlimatic. He and the other black clad figures came from the direction of the tents with all the calm in the world. Crow wore his face painted, in the fashion of the Rising Sun Camp, but his feather was black with a golden tip, and he wore it in a necklace rather than a head band.
Prince wasn't the only one to stare, incredulous. The murmurs spread through the crowd like ripples in a pond. Was Crow really a part of the Rising Sun Camp? Some wondered what did the black feather mean, and those who knew wondered how had he come about it in the first place.
Chief Red looked at the incoming party with a very personal hostility - quite a contrast to the general disdain he showed to Prince and the crowd - but kept himself to the formalities.
"Crow, called the Black Bandit, Castaway Chief of Rising Sun Camp. Who do you bring with you to this camp where you are no longer welcome?"
"I bring the Black Brotherhood, whom I lead."
"And why has the Black Brotherhood traversed these lands to come to Rising Sun Camp?"
"We come to defeat our enemy upon neutral grounds."
Displeasure was written all over the old indian's face.
"So be it." Red turned to the crowd. "Today, two teams seek to solve their dispute in honored battle, presided by the Rising Sun clan. Their request has been accepted. Today, when the Sun reaches its peak, each team shall put forth a champion, and they shall fight until one of them falls or is deemed too hurt to continue."
The crowd cheered wildly, but Red had more to say. He looked at them gravely, until they had quieted enough to hear him.
"When the victor is decided, what shall be their demand?"
"Exile."
"Banishment."
Prince and Crow spoke at the same time. They publicly agreed to the one year penalty, and each team received a tent where they could rest and prepare for the remaining hours until noon.
While the contestants pretty much kept to themselves in their tents, players from all over the continent improvised an arena and makeshift seats. Vendors popped up with drinks and even flags to cheer for either side.
"Isn't that a little suprising?" Pen peeked outside the tent. "I thought Prince was an idol, so I didn't think anyone would cheer for us. But look, the black and yellow flags are selling almost as much as the white and red ones."
"Well, Prince is a popstar, but then again, don't people enjoy reading about their divorces just as much as their weddings? Nothing brings in the media as 'good kid turned bad' and 'idol commits tragic suicide' ." Dee said, without turning from her work. "Human beings have such a mean streak to them."
Horns sounded, announcing it was now mid day.
"Time to go." Crow threw his black hood over his face, and his team followed suit.
Old Chief Red stood at the center of the arena.
"Odd Squad, send forth your champion."
Under loud cheering, Prince stepped forward.
"Black Brotherhood, send forth your champion."
The black clad figures looked all the same. One stepped forward with a very agressive posture.
"We will now match your equipment. Remove all your items."
With a disinterested wave of his hand over the menu, Prince appeared in common clothes. The contrast with both his heavy armor and his concert outfits was so great that some fans squealed.
"It's like you can't hide his royal radiance even if he wears a beggar's clothes!"
The hooded figure across the arena was slower about it. When all the eyes had turned in that direction the figure finally unequipped the black robes.
Under the looks of the crowd, wearing a long sleeved linen shirt that was kind of loose, stood Jet.
