I sat cross-legged on Bhaarrt’s rectangular shield. He’d dished it some, and I held on to the leading edge. They couldn’t keep it quite level, but it worked if I hung on tight. I rested and recharged while they walked forward…hoping the people in the stadium wouldn’t see us.

  Gar-Kosh carried his shield on his left arm and his ax in the same hand. His right did its best to keep the shield mostly steady. I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to try standing on the shield while they carried it. It was like…like something I remembered.

  Old memories flashed back at me as I tried to recall the name of Asterix the Gaul’s chieftain. The guy his men always carried around on a shield. Something ending in “-ix.” It was a bad pun like most of the names in those comics. Trying to remember it helped take my mind off the swaying motion. I really didn’t want to get seasick. “Or would it be shieldsick?”

  Blaze’s car pulled into the parking lot from a side entrance. Her lights were on, and she rolled slowly toward the people blocking the main gate. They were all watching her.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Irregulars] [Blaze is moving in. We’re almost at the road. Keep low and quiet. They’re watching her car, not us. Move when we move. We can do this.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Urako Sarutobi] [You go in when Blaze gets out. Send what we’re facing to Irregulars chat.]

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford:] [roger that. omw]

  Watching the guild map, I saw her creeping along the building’s edge, slipping past one of two university police at the entrance. Between them and us were ten people who looked like students and one man who looked in charge. He was older, and unlike the others who stood motionless, he paced as he watched Blaze approach.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Irregulars] [12 living statues and one live one. They look CHARMED to me. If he’s the controller, we take him down. Alive if we can.]

  Blaze pulled up twenty feet from the group, parking passenger-side facing them. The classic cop move. You put the engine block and car between you and possible shooters. It also let Lockout crawl out through the driver’s seat unseen. Unless they saw the car move, they shouldn’t spot him.

  We advanced at a slow walk, shifting to our left to not be directly behind the car between us and the people arrayed in front of us.

  It was almost midnight on a warm May night. Pleasant enough…not too hot for heavy layers. I just hoped no one would start shooting and wake the neighbors. There were apartments nearby...not all of them leased by students. As we crept forward, Blaze started talking.

  “I’m FBI Agent Hanna Pozarkova,” she called, as if the giant yellow letters FBI on her jacket weren’t obvious. “What is going on here? The police sent me to find out why you’re here and what’s happening.”

  The man who seemed in charge replied, “This is University business. There’s nothing for the police here. Go away. We aren’t allowing anyone who isn’t part of the University inside.”

  She held her hands out to her sides, palms forward. “I’m not here to arrest or fight you. I’d rather negotiate. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “Especially you, I bet,” he said with a short laugh. “There’s nothing you could do to us that we can’t do to you ten times over.” He glanced at the silent line beside him.

  Blaze chuckled. “I’m not worried about you hurting me. That’s why they sent me. You can’t. But I can hurt you. I just don’t want to.”

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [Irregulars] [front boss is a mentalist. cops CHARMED. rest say CHARMED. boss is SLAVE. Inside more of same. Leaders are SLAVE. students CHARMED. Got some 2’s and 3’s. Can’t tell who Big Boss is.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Urako Sarutobi] [If your squad can sap both cops when we make our move, do it.]

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford] [roger that. message sent. We get in position.]

  [Blaze:] [Irregulars] [He just tried to CHARM me. It bounced. Shield worked. He looks pissed.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Irregulars] [Sounds like it too by his curses. Everyone ready to go on Blaze’s mark. I’m moving up.]

  Whispering to Bhaarrt and Gar-Kosh, I said, “Get us in sight of them.”

  “I told you that you couldn’t hurt me. Your CHARM PERSON didn’t work. And in case you missed the news, magical and mental attacks are now classified as physical assault with a lethal weapon. You just assaulted a federal officer. If you don’t do that again and tell me what’s going on, I’ll let it go.”

  “No. Master said no one is to know what’s going on. If I can’t CHARM you… die!”

  [Blaze:] [Irregulars] [Go! Will, now!]

  Whispering to my shield bearers, “Standing up to get his attention and getting off. Don’t kill anyone if you can help it,” I whispered as I stood up, crossing my arms. The tanks readied their shields and weapons.

  “Stop!” I shouted, voice carrying across the lot. I cast MANA SHIELD in front of us, and another in front of Blaze. The leader froze, clearly shocked.

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  “You’re mine!” I shouted and hit him with CHARM PERSON, followed by a quick REVEAL STATS. His tag changed to CHARMED – SLAVE. “Got him.” His people just stood there, waiting.

  That was when a familiar message flashed in front of my face.

  “PvP BATTLEGROUND ENTERED”

  [William of Brinsford:] [Irregulars] [We’ve got a battleground again! I took leadership but left people wherever they were assigned. I don’t have time to move people.]

  Then I passed leadership to Blaze.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [You’re leading this now. I don’t have time. Move people into groups best you can.]

  My quick glance at her showed her shocked and frightened look. A few seconds later it turned to a determined glare at me, then at the people in the stadium.

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [Irregulars] [they heard you inside. three TENS with a boss each heading your way]

  Looking at Blaze as I fast walked forward, the Tanks spreading out beside me. “Negotiate more? Or CHARM their leaders? Want me to have the guy I CHARMED release them or what?”

  “What happens if you release them?”

  “Don’t know. Depends how long they’ve been controlled. Some look wobbly. Might’ve been standing for hours. I doubt the slaver types care much about the ones they control.”

  She nodded. “Get them away from here and release them. We’ve got medics inbound. Are you taking over?”

  “I don’t want to. I also don’t want you hurt. Your call.” Glancing behind us, I saw the rest of our people running towards us across the parking lot. I heard cars and trucks revving in the distance.

  “Then let’s keep working it together. Shield and negotiate until we can’t.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking. I don’t know if I can grab the rest fast enough.”

  Blaze looked toward the stadium. “They’re coming.”

  Turning back to the guy I charmed, I demanded, “What’s your name?”

  “Brett Tomassio.”

  “Brett. Take your people behind my lines. Sit them all down, yourself included. Then release them and you go to sleep until someone wakes you up. Now.”

  He looked at his group, nodded, and moved. They followed.

  “Battle line behind Blaze and me! Shields in front on my command, I yelled. “Tanks target the controllers…nonlethal takedown if possible. Pick your own targets. Healers, ready HOTs on tanks at go. Heal hostages as needed and get them out of here. Put downed controllers to sleep and hold them until we’ve cleared their SLAVE status.”

  “Chief! Call in the reserves. We need them!”

  Our people were scattered from the street to the stadium. They were running towards us. Enemy groups were coming out one group at a time. My shields still stood between us and the stadium. I waited for Blaze. This was her show.

  Bhaarrt was still on my right and Andrew had come up to the left of Gar-Kosh. All three had room to charge. Their shields and weapons ready.

  “Stop right there,” Blaze called to the advancing group. She held up her badge. “We’re here to talk, not fight. I’m FBI Agent Hanna Pozarkova. Please stop and no one gets hurt.”

  They didn’t stop.

  [Ingrid:] [BATTLEGROUND] [We freed the hostages. They’ve been on their feet with no food or water for hours. Healing helps. Water would help more.]

  “That was good news,” I thought, but now we had to take care of the ones in front of us.

  [William of Brinsford:] [BATTLEGROUND] [Someone call fire department for water. Fire truck with tank. Sirens don’t matter.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [CHARM the lead controller?]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [One more chance. Then yes.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Yes ma’am. Roger that.]

  Blaze raised her right hand. A FIRE BOLT flared into her palm. “If you keep moving, we’ll treat that as an attack.” Then she launched it straight up.

  They didn’t stop. A second group was now flanking us to our right.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Now?]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Do it.]

  I CHARMed the woman behind the front group. She stopped. The others kept moving. Checking her STATS: Mentalist - SLAVE - Charmed.

  “Take your group behind us and free them, then sit, lie down, and go to sleep.” I shouted. She obeyed. “I hoped that would keep them from being targeted by any side.”

  “What tha….!” came from the left group. He’d seen them obey. Not stupid. Crap.

  “Left tank, hit left leader! Right tank, take the other side! Go!”

  Gar-Kosh CHARGED between two groups and SHIELD BASHED their controller. The flat of his ax dropped him to the ground. Andrew flanked the right and as he hit, he slammed his pommel into the other’s head. Their people froze without orders.

  “Now I see the holes in CHARM,” I thought. “They’re puppets unless given autonomy. Whoever did this didn’t give them any.”

  I stepped up, just within range of the next group, and hit the controller with CHARM, overriding whoever controlled them. “Shields on the far side! I’ve got them!”

  Giving them the same instructions as before, I saw I was out of CHARM slots.

  That’s when I dropped my CHARMs on Tomassio and Ingrid to free up slots.

  [William of Brinsford:] [BATTLEGROUND] [Dropping CHARM on Ingrid and any non-tank. Keep the controller’s unconscious. The rest are harmless without orders.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [How are your nerves? I want to drop your CHARM and boost PSYCHIC SHIELD.]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Do it. You’re doing great. I’ll bait the next boss. Go get them, Warchief.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Roger that!]

  Dropping her CHARM, I reinforced her PSYCHIC SHIELD with a stronger one in front of the first.

  Popping two MANA Batteries from my pouch, I kept casting.

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford] [Lockout says the security office has camera monitors. He can get in. We’ll locate the Big Boss and mark him.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Urako Sarutobi] [He’s likely the only one not CHARMED or SLAVE.]

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford] [roger that]

  “Fighters and Healers to downed controllers! Get them out of here and move their troops. Drag them if you have to!”

  Rushing to Gar-Kosh’s side through the opening he’d made, I tugged on his shoulder to get his attention. “Gar. Warrior. He’s down. Healers need to wake him so I can make him release his group. Go support Blaze. I’ve got this. I’ll finish here. The harder fights are yet to come.”

  With the extra slots I now had, I CHARMed the guy Gar-Kosh was punching and took over control. Then I heard Andrew yell, “Resist this, you bastard!” I saw his sword raised, then came down again, pommel first.

  Gar sat down and looked up at me. “No, Warchief. The hardest fight was the first one. I didn’t think I’d ever do anything but play at this. Now…I’ve done it. I wasn’t anyone. Just work, kids, games, repeat.” Looking up at me, he added, “Now I’m someone. What I do here matters. Thank you for trusting me.”

  Gripping his shoulder hard, I told him, “You did, my friend. You and Agra both. We still have work to do. There are hundreds still inside. We need the one who controls them all. I need you. Just next time, stop when they’re unconscious. Let’s finish this damn thing…so we can go home and sleep.”

  “Yeah. Gotta call the babysitter and tell her we won’t be back ‘til late.”

  Asterix and Obelix versus Cesar / (1999) - Trailer

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