As I held the door open, I felt Bouncing Betty brush invisibly past me, to be the first one out. P-46 came next, followed by Blaze. I closed the door after myself and stepped to the side of the group, nearest the driveway.

  I hadn’t expected so many people. I was shocked. Some had brought their families. I didn’t count, but I guessed fifty…maybe closer to seventy people, counting police, Secret Service, and others.

  Some were certainly hidden from sight. Shadow’s squad, for one, and more Secret Service. No way they’d send only one person with STEALTH. It was too useful for their work.

  At least the weather was on our side. A warm May evening, sky deepening into night. The sun had dropped below the horizon a short while ago, leaving the air still in the lower 70s. A streetlight illuminated the pizza place from each side.

  A light breeze drifted from the southwest, carrying the faint smell of grill smoke from the Pink Pig BBQ place up and over the hill past the stoplight on 19th Street and out of sight. They grilled outside in good weather and stayed open late. If people were hungry after this, they’d get a lot of business.

  On either side of Speedy Pizza, two arcs of Irregulars blocked the road and sidewalks. Police cars, lights strobing red and blue, sat beyond them on each side to block 17th Street in both directions.

  Farther up, one cruiser held position at the stoplight, its light bar flashing, halting traffic coming our way on 17th but letting the other three approaches stay open. The entire 19th & Fox guild seemed to be out, including the Flanagan brothers’ parents.

  To my left, at the end of my driveway, Matt Bledsoe stood with the reporter and her cameraman. 46, Blaze, and I walked over. Ingrid stood a few feet behind them, positioned with a clear line of sight to where the fight would happen.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Falstaff the Bold] [Ready to invite your healer?]

  [Falstaff the Bold:] [William of Brinsford] [The woman in black? Who is she? That looks like military gear she’s wearing. Where’d she get it?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Falstaff the Bold] [P-46. Her game name’s all I can tell you. I can’t say anything about her gear, except that I enchanted it.]

  [Falstaff the Bold:] [William of Brinsford] [You’re one hell of a pain! You know that?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Falstaff the Bold] [Yah. I know. :P Anyway, it’s time. Please invite her to your party and temporarily to your guild, so she gets that experience too. She’ll have to drop guild when she leaves.]

  [Falstaff the Bold:] [OK. Inviting now.]

  “P-46, accept the Join Party from Falstaff when it comes, then go join them. Enjoy.”

  “That already came in. I’ve been in parties before. Guild invite?”

  “Falstaff will explain it. Accept it, then have fun and go heal.”

  She nodded, and briskly crossed the street to join them.

  “William?” Tarcheski asked.

  “Yes?”

  “That’s not just some rich person, is it? She’s wearing military equipment. I’ve seen the likes of it before.”

  “Yes. She is. Both. That’s why you can’t let anyone know until tomorrow.”

  She nodded. “That was in the agreement for me to cover this. They told me you said I should cover it. Why?”

  “Why? Because you kept our agreement to film the battle and after. I thought I could trust you. Was I right?”

  “I hope so. This is bigger than anyone said, isn’t it?”

  “I can answer yes to that question.” Her smile told me she liked the way I’d answered.

  “I took REVEAL STATS. Her name is P-46. She’s a level two Healer. I can say that much?”

  “Her name, no. That stays private. Her class and level, yes. She might hit level 3 tonight. If she does, that’s something you can say. If you catch the gold ding, even better. But not her game name. Never.”

  “I think I know who she is,” Tarcheski said.

  I gave her a sharp look. “Don’t say it out loud. You can think it all you want, but don’t ask or tell anyone. If you say who you think she is, I’ll have to stop you.”

  “Can I interview her afterward?”

  Nodding yes, I told her, “If she agrees to it. You can.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you questions while it’s happening?”

  “That’s part of why I’m here. Have you filmed parties fighting spawns before?”

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  “No. Not yet. The station hasn’t let me. After tonight, maybe. Probably.”

  “Do it. Better yet, join a guild or a regular party. Don’t just film it…fight it. Then you can report from firsthand experience. If you’ve got a remote mic, do it live.”

  “Thank you. For the record, what just happened? Their group seems to be all around her.”

  “They invited her into 19th & Fox. That’s the neighborhood guild. It’s named for the intersection over there.” I pointed two blocks to my right, where the traffic light turned green as I pointed. The police car under it still flashed red and blue, blocking farther traffic.

  That’s when I looked past her and noticed the camera’s recording light was on. She’d been holding her microphone between us the whole time.

  “Thank you. Should I call you Warchief, or just William for this?”

  “Will or William’s fine. Warchief’s only for battles, and I hope it never gets used again.”

  “I understand. Looks like they’re getting ready. Spawn’s at 10 p.m.?”

  “Yes. Sometimes they take a minute or two to come out.”

  “That blue glow inside…Is that it starting?”

  “That’s the color of MANA. My spells glow like that. Someday, I may be able to make portals like that one.”

  “How long until that happens?”

  “I don’t know…weeks, maybe months. Sooner if I did nothing but fight spawns. But I still have a life and a job that pays for food and bills. You can’t do that with game money.”

  “Think it’ll ever happen?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Will you describe what they’re doing? And why?”

  “Sure. They’re in a two-two-one formation. Two fighters up front. DPS and Tank. DPS means damage per second…their job’s to pour out damage and pull aggro and keep the monsters on them. Mostly on the tank. He’s the one with the shield.”

  “Behind them, one caster to each side, with the Healer in the center back. Two melee, two casters, one Healer to heal them all.”

  “Falstaff the Bold, with the shield, left side…is a Warrior Tank and guild leader. Next to him is his brother, Yoshimori Takeda. He took the Samurai Class. Left caster’s Morticia, a Witch. They’re a Necromancer subclass and she dresses the part. Very goth.”

  “Right side’s Ryan, Lightning Mage. Casts LIGHTNING BOLTs and BALLs. BALLs explode in an area. He made the LIGHTNING SHIELDs channeling the spawns toward the fighters.”

  “He looks older than the rest. How old?” Tarcheski asked me.

  “Seventies. So’s his wife, whose their best healer. She’s off to the side tonight. Fifteen or ninety-five, age doesn’t matter to the game. If you can do it, it lets you play.”

  “I see. Thank you.”

  Kevin, or Airmann, her cameraman had walked up his Air Steps above us for a better view.

  “What was that green thing Morticia hit the big one with the staff with?” Vaneski asked.

  “CURSE spell. Same one the Goblin Shaman, the staff guy, casts on players. Now Ryan’s LIGHTNING BOLT hit it…a few more spells and it’ll go down.”

  “I see that. Doesn’t that leave the other six against two, uh, fighters?”

  “They’re all on Falstaff. He’s TAUNTing and defending while his brother strikes with his katana.”

  “He’s been hit more than once. How’s he still up?”

  “Best armor, and the Healer’s on him every time she can cast. The white light from her mace is her heal going off.”

  “Why a mace? I thought Healers weren’t fighters.”

  “Normally not. But if something gets past the fighters, Healers are top targets. She can fight if she has to. Game limits them to non-cutting weapons.”

  “One of the Goblins just went down. Did they kill it?”

  “Yes. Ryan’s shifting to the other, and so’s Morticia.” I saw her green bolt hit. “Looks like they’re saving the smallest for last.”

  “The Kobolds are easy kills for them,” I added.

  “I can see that,” Tarcheski said. “They’re not attacking them. Why?”

  “Some new tactic, I guess. One just went down. Three left.”

  Then Falstaff shouted, “Release the Kraken!” The brothers stepped aside, leaving the three Kobolds a clear view of P-46, barely fifteen feet away. She stood on the sidewalk behind her teammates.

  “Wait! Why are they stepping aside?”

  “Some new tactic,” I repeated.

  Morticia and Ryan dropped the two outer Kobolds fast. Yoshi and Falstaff slipped behind the last, swatting it from behind with their swords like they were herding cattle. It bolted straight for P-46.

  “Kill it, 46!” Yoshi shouted. She froze.

  The Kobold was three steps away, when she cocked the mace back. When it was one step away she swung, both hands tightly gripping the mace…crushing its head into its shoulders just as its club smacked her side. It crashed into her and dropped at her feet. Gold glow. She was now Level 3.

  Her guild roared. Her party and guild swarmed her in a group hug. Everyone cheering and laughing.

  “They let that creature attack her! It attacked the….”

  I interrupted her with CHARM PERSON spell I’d been holding, ready to cast. It cut her off in mid-sentence.

  “The Healer,” I said. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t mean to say who you thought she was. Remember everything while you’re CHARMed. Don’t say what you were about to say unless she or I give permission…or if she reveals herself.”

  “Remove CHARM,” I said, for her and the camera.

  She blinked, shaking it off, remembering what happened.

  To Airmann and his camera, I said, “Don’t cut this. I did it to protect her. Couldn’t let that go out on air. Others might have done worse.”

  I set a hand on her shoulder. “You OK now, Mz Tarcheski?”

  “I…I’m fine. I think. You put a spell on me.” Anger simmered under her words.

  “A CHARM PERSON. You know it. It freezes you until you get a command. What command did I give?”

  “To…remember everything. I do. I’m sorry.” She glanced around, noticing Bledsoe beside her now, looking none too pleased. He didn’t look happy with me for that matter.

  “Mr. Bledsoe, I’m sorry. Did I say too much?”

  “No. Will stopped you before I could.”

  “Would you have arrested me?”

  “Very likely. Yes. I’d have confiscated your camera and recordings until tomorrow. Since you’re both casters, we’d have held you sedated until then. Are you going to say anything before given permission?”

  “No sir,” Tarcheski told him. “I’ll do my best not to.”

  [P-46:] [William of Brinsford] [Will you come over here, please? And bring your friends.]

  I looked at her and her guild gathered tight around her, Bouncing Betty at her side. A few men and women in black suits lingered at the edges.

  [William of Brinsford:] [P-46] [Reporter and cameraman too?]

  [P-64:] [William of Brinsford] [Yes.]

  “Good news, folks…46 wants us over there. Let’s go.”

  The three quarters moon had just cleared the trees and buildings to the east.

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