The Fall of The Enchanted Quill™

[The Weaver]

PROLOGUE: Mischief or Malice?

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

The Enchanted Quill™ loomed before him as he faced the glass entrance doors into the Foyer. Spread to the sides and behind were the corridors connecting large Wings - Forums, Members, FAQ, Chat, Register…
He scowled. How he hated to love this place. The cheerful atmosphere, the welcoming community, the hospitable Admins… He once had been as happy as every other Member, but times had changed. Reality had struck him, and he was no longer fooled by the dazzle of The Enchanted Quill™. The man narrowed his eyes, staring back at his dark reflection in the glass. It was time for a change. Pulling open one of the doors, the intruder slipped inside and silently closed it behind him, ducking behind the front desk of the Foyer to check CurrentlyOnline screen for any late-nighters. Satisfied that he was the only one still awake in the building, he carefully placed his backpack on the desk and began to search within it for a bolt-cutter.
If all went according to plan, this place would be history in only a matter of months… perhaps even weeks.
Magicking a hanging globe of light above his head, the intruder deftly clipped off the lock to the metal control cabinet and let the doors swing open.
"Too easy," he muttered to himself, gazing at the colorful rows of wires and controls.
To him, The Enchanted Quill™ community was too trusting, the Admins too complacent and the members too submissive. Not that he was complaining, though. It all benefited him in the end. In this case, it made his job much easier, as did Nightfairy’s color-coordinated labels for each control and wire.
"Fools," he muttered in disdain, carefully cutting the wires to the FAQ Wing to hide any chance of his detection. Returning the tools to his backpack, he set off, the magic light hovering above his path.

Entering the Wing quietly, the black-clad figure knelt to rummage through his backpack once more, this time drawing from its depths small packs of D6 – the most powerful explosives one could order through InterMail™. These could blow apart a small building block if set in the right places, and that’s exactly what the intruder intended to do. The FAQ Wing wasn’t substantially large, but it was large enough to warrant six packs of D6 for its destruction.
Swiping the explosives across a detonator, the one-minute countdown began as the intruder hurried around the room, fastening D6 to the walls, roof and door.
"Ten…nine… eight… seven…" he counted to himself, swinging the pack on to his back, slipping out the FAQ door and beginning to run back down the corridor in the direction of the Foyer.
"Six… five… four…" he continued, sprinting to cover the last 10 meters of the hallway.
"Three… two…" he almost finished, throwing himself into the Foyer and sliding across the floor on his stomach just as he yelled "one" and the explosion rocked The Enchanted Quill™.

The blast seemed to continue forever, minutes stretching out as the intruder covered his head with his arms, lying on the marble floor of the Foyer with dust and debris blowing out of the FAQ Wing corridor at his back. Eventually beginning to move, the intruder struggled to his feet, chuckling mirthlessly to himself. Light from the flames in the destroyed Wing flickered harshly, replacing the glow of the intruder’s magical globe as it dimmed and died.
"Strike one," he muttered triumphantly, ignoring his draining magical and physical energies. It had been a swift and effective operation. His reign had begun.
Heading for the front desk and the control cabinet, he slipped a knife from his belt and slashed every wire, sending sparks flying and triggering an alarm throughout the building. To cancel one Wing was safe, but two or more were noticeable enough to sound the siren.
Hearing commotion from the direction of the Members Wing as Members flocked from their Profiles to investigate, the intruder slipped out of the building and escaped, fading into the shadows.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 1 – CONFUSION REIGNS

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

An echoing crash sounded throughout The Enchanted Quill™ and Wendy's eyes flew open with shock, the sound of The Enchanted Quill™'s general alarm ringing in her ears.
"What the…" she began, before spotting her large mirror slip from its hook. Diving to the floor to catch it, she swore profusely as her elbows gathered carpet burn. Stumbling to her feet again, she tossed the mirror onto her padded bed and ran out of her Profile, heading for the Foyer.

In the Members Wing, doors flew open everywhere as Members swarmed down the corridor to the Foyer to investigate.
"Excuse me… sorry 'bout that… excuse me… Admin here… excuse me… move it!" Wendy muttered, making her way to the front through the throng of Members staring at the collapsed FAQ Wing.
"Holy shit," Wendy swore as she surveyed the damage. The ceiling had fallen through in places making reaching the actual FAQ Wing impossible unless one wanted to be crushed by a chunk of unsteady ceiling or burnt by the small fires that littered the corridor. Gaping holes in the roof allowed a slight breeze to enter the charred corridor, swirling dust and debris over the Members and covering them with a coat of gray. Squinting, Wendy could see the flickers of a raging fire in the actual FAQ wing.
She turned around, thinking fast.
"Alright," she began, trying to shout over the din of gossiping Members and the irritating siren.
Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Alright, everyone!" she yelled, stopping again as no one listened to her.
"SHUT THE HELL UP, DAMMIT!" she screamed, as loud as she could. Silence fell over the crowd, and those that dared to break the silence were nudged with impatience by their neighbors. "I WANT EVERYONE AWAY FROM HERE, RIGHT NOW! IF YOU ARE NOT AN ADMIN, GO BACK TO YOUR PROFILES! NOW!" she ordered.
In the background, the siren ended.
Laughing Turtle appeared through the crowd, Nightfairy and Archely following him.
"You heard the lady," Laughing Turtle ordered, more softly. "Move."
No one dared disagree and Members began to break off, heading back down the Members Wing corridor, muttering in groups and glimpsing back at the destruction as they went.
Once the last Member had left, the four Admins turned together to gaze at their charred FAQ Wing and corridor.
Wendy shook her head slowly. What the hell was going on? She’d finished a check around The Enchanted Quill™, returned to her room intending to finish reading a book, falling asleep a little… then the next thing she knew, chaos had struck and the FAQ Wing had been attacked.
"What's going on?" she said, asking the question everyone was thinking.
"Who knows," Mike replied, coming out of the Foyer and joining them to stare at the rubble. "The control wires have all been cut, but the FAQ Wing ones were disconnected more carefully. I think whoever did this cut the FAQ Wing controls first, did their business, and cut the rest on the way out," he reported.
Malcor stepped out of the Members Wing corridor, coming to join them. "Everyone's back in their Profiles," he reported. Mike nodded.
"So, how soon can we repair the network?" Nightfairy piped up, a strained edge to her voice and her glittering silver wings fluttering nervously.
"Well, with the controls we use here… I'm afraid it's going to take at least two weeks," Mike replied, dismally, turning to walk back into the Foyer, the other Admins following behind.
Archely, Laughing Turtle and Malcor examined the controls cabinet, wincing at every slashed intricate weaving of controls. They had put hours of work into these controls to ensure their foolproof settings. But they had never counted on someone ever attacking The Enchanted Quill™ so they’d never bothered with stronger security.
"So basically, we don't know who did this, because from what I can see, they left no footprints, and we don't know why someone would do this, because no one here has enemies, right?" Nightfairy asked, looking around.
"Well, we've all got enemies. But no one who despises us this much. Unless one of the Members does…?" Archely replied, shrugging.
"So with no leads, there’s nothing we can do?" Wendy asked in despair.
"Nothing," Mike replied. "We can’t close our doors to anyone, because that would be… well, it would be like taking hostages and we can't afford negative publicity. But we will have to call a meeting. We need every Member together so we can explain what's going on," he said.
"I'll organise that," Laughing Turtle offered, receiving a nod from Mike.
"Maybe this is just a one-off?" Wendy suggested, hopefully.
"Maybe," Mike replied, dubiously. "Maybe… But until we know for sure, let's everyone get to work. Eltee, can you work out a time and a place for the meeting, and spread the wor?d. Enneff, can you give Eltee a hand with that? Wendy, I want you to have a more thorough check around here for any fingerprints… smudges… items left behind? Malc and Arch, we're going to put out the FAQ Wing and set up a barricade. We don’t need Members getting curious and going in there."
The Admins nodded and parted to do their jobs.

Wendy walked behind the front desk, studying the items there… it seemed as though nothing had been touched. So perhaps whoever did this wasn’t really after a certain Member or they surely would have checked through the files at the front.
Picking up the broken lock from the floor, Wendy threw it on the desk and moved over to examine the ruined controls cabinet. She scowled and cursed 'the asshole who fucked up her home' with bad luck and shoes that would never fit for the rest of their life.
Walking over to the glass front doors of The Enchanted Quill™, Wendy studied the handles carefully.
"Mike! Question! Has anyone used these doors since the explosion?" she called out, still staring at the door handles. After a few minutes, Mike entered the Foyer.
"Not that I know of. I was one of the first Members out here and any Member present was staring at the wreckage. I just switched the alarm off and then met up with you and the other Admins. Why? Have you found any fingerprints on the door handles?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder to take a look as well.
"No. No fingerprints. No disturbance at the desk. Nothing left behind. Nothing at all to even show that someone was here apart from the now non-existent FAQ Wing and our ruined controls cabinet. It appears that this job was just in and out. But imagine this. If at least one of us has been in the Foyer ever since the explosion… whoever it was must still be outside – not in the building. That means that if we can work out who's missing…" she explained, the plan forming in her mind as she spoke.
"…then we know who's responsible! Brilliant, Wendy!" Mike exclaimed, clapping his hands. "I'll wait here if you can go and tell Enneff and Eltee of the plan. If they're spreading news, they'll have to visit every Profile and account for every person. Excellent!" he said, beaming with the hope of sweet revenge as Wendy left.

An hour or so passed, and at the sound of footsteps, Mike, Archely and Malcor turned around to see Wendy, Nightfairy and Laughing Turtle enter the foyer, looking disheartened.
"Well?" Mike asked, filled with apprehension.
Laughing Turtle looked at him. "Wendy told us of the situation and we've checked the Members Wing… everyone's here," he reported, shrugging.
"Everyone? Are you sure?" Archely pressed, frowning.
"Everyone," Laughing Turtle repeated. Nightfairy nodded beside him, her delicate wings beginning to droop.
Wendy sighed. They were back at square one again. No known suspect. No known motive.
Breaking the silence, she spoke up, "Listen, I'm going to pack it in. I’m no use to anyone if I'm so tired that I can't think straight."
Mike nodded. "Indeed. Okay, everyone get some rest until tomorrow," he said. Checking his watch, he corrected himself… "Or maybe just until later today." It was past 2am already.
With that, the Admins headed off for their profiles and some sleep.

Wendy closed the door behind her, rehanging her mirror on the wall and throwing herself onto the bed with a sigh. This was a nightmare. Not only was the FAQ Wing destroyed, but they had no idea who was behind it all. This whole situation put the Members' lives at risk… that’s if the attacks were going to be recurring. Despite how often Wendy told herself it was just one out-of-the-ordinary hit, she couldn't help feeling uneasy in expectation of another attack to come.
Her minded clouded with anxious thoughts as she drifted into a fitful sleep.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 2 – COMMUNITY ALERT

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

Buck spun the beautiful Amelia around in his arms…
"Oh Bucky," she said, using that husky tone she reserved for him, "Out of all the men I've ever met, I don't believe I've ever met someone as romantic and charming and handsome as you."
Buck smiled - charmingly - and paused in the middle of their dance to look his sweet Amelia deep in the eyes and pull her close.
"I know," he replied.
"Oh…"

BEEP

"Bucky…"

BEEP

"I…"

BEEP

Buck stared in shock as Amelia began fading away.
"Yes? You what? Amelia? Amelia!" he stuttered in alarm as his grip on her loosed and her beautiful face faded slowly away.
Falling to his knees dramatically, he looked to the night sky above, frowning in despair as tears welled in his eyes.
"Why!? Why must this happen?" he yelled, throwing his arms wide.
"AMELIA! COME BACK TO ME!" he shouted as his surroundings faded into blackness to leave him kneeling… alone…

BEEP!

Buck opened his eyes blearily, staring at the flashing and beeping alarm clock on the table next to his bed with pure hatred. Flinging an arm out, he hit the clock, trying to find the right button to push to make it shut up. Blinking, he continued to fumble around, getting increasingly more frustrated with every red flash and loud beep the clock emitted. Finally, he picked it up and threw it at the wall with an angry mumble of "piece of shit".
The clock hit the wall hard and fell to the floor… its lights no longer flashing and the beeping fading till it stopped altogether.
Rolling onto his back, Buck stumbled out of bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. Passing the mirror, he stopped to laugh at himself and the bed hair he had developed overnight. Of course, it wasn't as good as some mornings… especially considering he didn't get as much sleep as he should've what with all the explosions and such, he thought to himself, walking into the bathroom to have a shower.
The explosions! Oh hell! There was a meeting this morning… he knew Laughing Turtle had told him the time and place last night. He stopped in his tracks, frowning and trying to think of the time. He knew it was to be held in Chat and everyone had to be there… but at what time?
Buck shook his head, knowing he wasn't going to remember anyway, and hurried through a shower and breakfast to run out of his Profile, untidily dressed.

Buck opened the Chat Wing door tentatively and ducked in, sitting down in an empty seat at the back next to Alexia who nodded a welcome. Mike stood at the front, seemingly well into his speech already.
"…no need to be alarmed. The Admins are doing all they can to secure The Enchanted Quill™. It is suspected that the perpetrator is an outsider so there is no need to fear your peers. We would ask any of you who have seen any shady characters around The Enchanted Quill™ lately to report your sightings to an Admin. By staying wary and alert, we expect life at The Enchanted Quill™ to return to normal as soon as possible. Are there any questions or comments?" he asked, looking out over the mass of Quillers™.
A hand shot up at the front and a newbie stood to speak. "Like, the other day or somethin', I was just walking to the FAQ Wing, and… oh, gosh, I think I'm gonna cry again… I just loved the FAQ Wing, like so totally much, and, like, now it's…. it's gone!" she stuttered, eventually starting to sob and accepting a tissue from one of her friends next to her.
Mike looked at the newbie nervously. Throughout the crowd, sniffles started then someone let out a loud sob and the bunches of newbies in the crowd began openly crying.
Mike turned to Laughing Turtle beside him with a puzzled look. Laughing Turtle shrugged in reply.
Next to Buck, Alexia snorted, struggling to contain a laugh.
Mike spoke up once more, "Uh… could we… uh… could we leave the crying till after the meeting… please… just for a few more minutes?" he asked, bewildered.
The newbie nodded and the crying reduced to merely loud sniffles throughout the room.
"So, like, anyway, I was going to the… to the FAQ Wing… and I saw this woman just walking down the hall all normal and stuff, and like, I thought something was different about her, and then like, she walked past me and I looked, and like, she had… she had… she had wings!" the newbie said, whispering the last word with a mix of suspicion and awe.
Buck looked over to Nightfairy standing at the back in the corner of the Chat Wing. Her jaw dropped and a small frown appeared on her forehead. Buck knew that look and almost giggled. The newbie was in for it now. If there was one thing Nightfairy hated, that was people judging her because of her wings.
Up the front, Mike knew that look too and before Nightfairy could say a word, he spoke up. "Uh… there's nothing to fear there. That would be Nightfairy and she's an Admin here. She's one of the goodies," he said, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. "And if that's all the comments we have, then everyone can leave and continue as per usual. Remember, just keep an eye out for shady characters and don't worry," he said, ignoring the contradiction in his orders and knowing he and the Admins were going to have a lot of unnecessary reports over the next few days.

The plan seemed simple enough. He just had to be watchful but not get worried or anything. It was almost like being one of those cool detectives, except he didn't really know what he was looking for. Maybe he could order a black coat, suit and sunglasses... Amelia would notice that! Standing, he left the Chat Wing with the rest of the Members and headed back to his Profile to fix the alarm clock he had probably broken, and to order that suit.

***

The intruder entered the Wing, dressed casually and smiling hospitably at the two newbies already there.
The girls waved hello and introduced themselves.
"Nice to meet you, Amazon Mary and WingedDancer," the man replied, smiling back. "Don't mind me, I'm just doing a routine check," he added, strolling around the room casually, flicking light settings on and off and testing other electrical facilities.
The girls nodded, returning to their conversation on boys. Listening in, the intruder scowled. How dare they be enjoying themselves? Part of their home had been destroyed, yet they felt comfortable enough to come in here and gossip? They should be in fear of the unknown. They should be yielding to the greater controllers of this site; they should be yielding to him! If only they knew.
Bending down to open the refrigerator door, he placed inside a small glass vial containing a black, glittering powder of mysterious substance.
"Could you get us some sodas?" one of the girls called out. The intruder looked around to see them staring at him, waiting.
"Sure," he replied, putting on a false smile and cheerily serving them their drinks.
"Thanks!" the same girl said, before returning to her conversation in a fit of giggles.
The intruder turned his back once more, scowling at the insolence of the girls, but satisfying himself with the knowledge they would soon be no more.
He walked over to one of the numerous coat cupboards in the room, and placed one of the deadly vials on the floor of the cupboard, as well as on a shelf in one of the other cupboards, in the sink near the door and in the bathroom vicinity.
"Well, my work here is done - this room is secure," he reported to the two girls, smiling falsely again.
Beginning to leave, the girls behind him burst out in a fit of giggles again. "Hang on a minute," WingedDancer called. The intruder turned around to face them. "I just had to tell you because she won’t, that Mary here thinks you’re cute," WingedDancer said, as her friend turned bright red and stared at the floor.
"Thank you, Mary. You are too kind," the man said, before turning around and leaving the room to the sound of Amazon Mary berating WingedDancer over her words.

Walking down the corridor casually, the intruder smirked. His mission continued to get easier and easier, even after his initial attack. He'd thought the security on The Enchanted Quill™ would have been elevated… perhaps including permanent watches on each Wing, but to all appearances, little had changed.
He shrugged and entered the empty Foyer. Not even the Foyer was occupied. Of course, at this early time of day, it was understandable. Everyone would be in the Forums Wing, if not still asleep.
Hearing a set of footsteps coming down the Forums Wing corridor, the intruder ducked behind a tall potted plant as he watched Amaia pass through the Foyer and enter the corridor he had just rigged.
Still hidden behind the tall plant, the intruder closed his mind to all distractions and let his concentration focus on the Wing he had just set up for elimination. With a cold smile, he triggered the vials and felt them heat up, preparing to loose a raging heat in approximately 10 seconds. With that, he ducked from behind the plant and ran.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 3 – STRIKE TWO

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

Jazz played softly in the background as Wiggin emerged from the kitchen carrying two glasses of red wine. Clad in a black suit, white shirt and black tie, he looked every bit the charming, intelligent young man that he was. No one would guess he was actually going insane with nervousness on the inside. He looked at his guest and smiled. Satan returned the smile and arched an eyebrow, patting a space on the couch next to her.
Just the sight of her made Wiggin's heart flutter madly. Her little black dress displayed curves in all the right places and the soft hair falling about her shoulders added to the appearance of the sultry vixen that she was.
Wiggin handed her a glass of red wine and watched her take a sip. He wasn't very used to wining and dining the ladies, but he would do anything for Satan. And she knew it.

Sitting down beside her, he slowly reached an arm around her shoulders and relaxed slightly as she snuggled up to him on the couch.
"I'm… I'm so glad you could come over this morning," he stuttered, desperately searching for the right words and cringing at his attempt.
"It's my pleasure…" she replied, taking another sip of her wine.
"'Gone With the Wind' is supposed to be on soon. I…uh… I was wondering if you were interested. You know… to watch it," he offered, and silently berated himself for his stumbling attempts at conversation.
Of course she wouldn’t want to watch a damn movie. It was Satan, after all! He should've stuck to plan A of going out for lunch together and just chatting. But he was sure some old romantic movie like 'Gone With the Wind' would be much more accommodating to her personality. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he repeated in his mind.
"Anything you want, Wiggin, baby. Surprise me," she replied, gazing up into his eyes.
This was the moment, the moment he had been waiting for. Slowly, he leaned down to kiss her. Satan's eyes closed and her breathing slowed.

Closer…

Closer…

BAM!

Startled, Satan screamed as she threw her red wine across the carpet as well as across Wiggin. Hollow crashes followed the initial explosion and an agonizing scream echoed throughout The Enchanted Quill™. Falling backwards off the couch, Wigging scrambled for the cordless phone to contact the Foyer. He listened to the first ring tone, hoping desperately that someone was there.
Epiph answered the phone almost immediately.
"Hello? What's going on? What was that? Hello!?" Wiggin said, rushing his words all together to make it sound as though he was speaking an entirely different dialect.
"Calm down, calm down! It's Epiph. This is Wiggin, right? Listen, I think there's been another attack. I don't know where. Can you see damage in your Wing?" she asked directly, her voice strained with worry.
"No. No. No damage. Members Wing is fine as far as I can see," he replied, checking outside his room and down the long hall. "Listen, I'll be there in a minute," he finished, about to return the phone to its charger.
"Hang on a minute. Have you seen my sister? I rang her Profile but she didn’t answer, and I'm really worried…" she began, her words trailing off as her voice strained with tension.
"It's okay, she's here with me. We'll see you in a minute," he replied, hanging up the phone and turning to Satan. She stood looking at him, eyes filled with concern.
"Another hit?" she asked.
"Yeah, but they don't know where, yet. That was your sister on the phone. She's in the Foyer. We'd better go," he said, rushing out the door with her.

Down the corridor, they met a number of other Members heading for the Foyer. Suddenly beside Wiggin appeared Alexia, a short, feisty Australian member, very much the opposite of Satan and currently dressed in her summer 'Bananas in Pajamas' pajamas.
"Bloody hell… did you hear the scream?" she asked, a nervous frown appearing on her forehead as Satan and Wiggin nodded. "What the hell is going on around here?"
Alexia attempted to smile encouragingly at them, but failed miserably as they reached the Foyer and Satan and Wiggin were left standing alone to gaze at the surrounding commotion.

The Foyer was in a state of panic. Satan clung to Wiggin's arm as they passed amongst bunches of crying and gossiping Quillers™ to a smaller group of Admins and senior members surrounding Laughing Turtle.
"…appears that Chat has been hit this time. That makes two places down. I don't want any information disclosed about what may have been seen; just get everyone to return to their Profiles while things are sorted out. And note: I mean everyone to his or her OWN places. No excuses. Alright split up and spread the word!" he ordered, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Oh, and Admins! My place in 10 minutes, OK?" he called.
The Admins nodded and set off to round up the Quillers™ and send them back to their Profiles.

"Fuck," Satan swore. "This is bad. You know, at first I sort of considered it all as just large-scale mischief, nothing really life-threatening. Then again, I've never seen the state of the FAQ Wing since its destruction. But now… now I'm starting to get really worried," she said, glancing around her at the chaos.
"I know what you mean," Wiggin replied. "I hope it gets sorted soon… do you think there's any-"
"Satan!" a voice shouted. Turning around, Wiggin was shoved aside as a stressed Epiph hugged her sister tightly.
"It's alright, Epiph, I'm OK. I was just over at Wiggin's," she said trying to calm her sister and hugging her back.
"Yes well, I already know that bit," she said looking Wiggin up and down critically.
Wiggin caught her gaze and looked at the ground, fidgeting nervously.
"Anyway, we'd better be getting back to our Profiles," Epiph said, beginning to walk towards the Members Wing with her sister, and Wiggin trailing behind. "You know, I was actually considering visiting the Chat Wing just then. I was down in the Foyer to check if anyone was there first. I'm meant to be meeting up with Waffles sometime, but he's been having trouble with his key, so I've been checking regularly. But can you believe it? They say the Chat Wing's actually gone now…" she said, eyes wide with shock at the thought.
Satan hugged her again. "Yeah. What's next…?" she replied with a nervous frown as they continued down the alphabetically-Profiled corridor until only Wiggin was left finishing the walk to his own Profile.

He relaxed on his bed with a sigh. Watching the fan spin in circles above him, he gradually became lost in his uneasy thoughts.
Whoever was slowly crushing The Enchanted Quill™ was doing a superb job of it. Already the FAQ Wing had been terminated, giving no one a chance to instruct the masses in any easy way. And for the newbies who thrived on the rules and regulations while settling in, the FAQ was the best target to foster hysteria.
And now Chat had been 'disposed of'. That limited any group discussions about the topic and what to do, as well as eliminating a major source of entertainment. The attacker was clearly expert in strategies of producing mass paranoia. If Wiggin wasn't so damn scared, he might even have considered a silent congratulations to whoever it was, but remembering the tears of the Members from the Foyer, he put that thought right out of his head.
No one would openly admit it, but they were scared. They were all scared. For every Member's mask of calm steadiness, a cold fear was brewing in their hearts. It would seem that no one was safe at The Enchanted Quill™ anymore. No one.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 4 – CHAOS REIGNS

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

"This is bad, people. This is really bad," Laughing Turtle began, rubbing his forehead with one hand as he paced the length of his Profile again and again. "The lowdown is that Chat has been hit. Though a different technique seems to have been used. Instead of an explosion, it appears that this has been some sort of… burst of flames. Nothing has fallen or broken, unless it has been charred to that position and from there, the walls and roof have crumbled inwards. Regrettably, I have to believe that whoever is attacking The Enchanted Quill™ is also a Member, considering they could enter Chat in the first place. I don't know who it is or why it's happening, but we need to take action. And fast," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Wait. You're saying that this was an inside job? The attacker is… is one of us?" Malcor asked with shock.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Malc. Someone at The Enchanted Quill™ is doing this and it's not just fun and games. Not anymore," he replied somberly.
"Shit," Wendy said quietly, still trying to come to grips with the reality that possibly someone she knew, someone she was close to, someone she talked to every day, was the same person who wanted her home and maybe even her, gone.
"Where's Arch and Mike?" Nightfairy asked, confused.
"They're still down in the Foyer. Arch is keeping an eye on things while Mike increases the security on the Members Wing. It's one of the only places with tough security already, so it'll be easy enough to increase. Unfortunately, the rest of the building is open. This is an interactive place after all. But as long as we can tightly secure the Members Wing, we can create a definite safe-haven for everyone."
Wendy nodded. "But what can we do? As Admins? I feel so helpless being a victim in my own home," she asked.
Laughing Turtle nodded. "That brings me to my next point. As Admins, we're going to set a permanent watch on the Foyer. This will at least keep the information lines open and reassure Members that something is being done. It'll also give us notice of any odd characters lurking in or around the building," he said.
"Can't we get some kind of surveillance on the Wings?" Malcor asked, fishing for ideas.
The door opened and closed behind everyone as Mike entered the room.
"Nope, Malc. That's our other problem. Privacy Rights prevent us from setting surveillance or keeping logs of Members' actions in the building," he replied with disappointment.
"But this is an emergency. Surely that can be overlooked when the safety of Members is at risk. Surely!" he protested.
Mike shook his head. "No can do. It'd kill The Enchanted Quill™ just as effectively as the bastard messing up around here if people discovered we're breaching contracts. We don't need that bad publicity, nor do we need the court sentences," he replied.
Malcor nodded. There seemed to be no way to effectively prevent any further destruction to the site.
"There's also another issue I need to address. You all understand that, thankfully, there were no injuries in the first attack. Well, this is different. With the destruction of Chat, there were two casualties and one with serious injuries. The deaths are of two recently joined Members, Amazon Mary and WingedDancer, and Amaia has been sent to the Emergency Aid Wing with serious burns," Laughing Turtle said, shaking his head in despair.
Nightfairy gasped in horror and began to cry, her sobs making the only sound in the room as the news began to sink in. Both Wendy and Malcor tried to comfort her with hugs.
Kneeling down to face Nightfairy, Malcor produced a clean blue handkerchief to wipe her eyes with. "Never fear, my lady. Whoever is doing this shall be caught for sure. No one destroys The Enchanted Quill™ and escapes without punishment while we are Admins," he said, angrily.
Nightfairy nodded sadly and sniffled, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief.
Mike spoke up next. "Wendy, I want you to organise services for Amazon Mary and WingedDancer tomorrow at noon. We need to get the truth out and ensure the Quillers™ are aware of what’s going on. After the service, I'm calling a community meeting in the Forums Wing in the General Discussion hall for everyone. I want you and Enneff to ensure that word gets around," he instructed.
Wendy nodded, and the women stood to leave. "Also Enneff, can you make it to the Emergency Aid Wing in half an hour to take a look at Amaia. I understand you've got talents with healing, and we're going to need all the assistance possible."
Nightfairy nodded and left the room with Wendy.
"Eltee, I'll take the first watch," Malcor offered.
"Thanks, Malc," Laughing Turtle replied. "Make sure you fill Arch in on the news when you get down there. I think we'll let the ladies sleep tonight. I'll take over at about midnight."
Nodding, Malcor left the room.
Laughing Turtle turned to Mike, sighing. "Man, this is bad," he said, taking a seat on the couch.
"Yeah. But I'm pretty sure we'll catch whoever's behind it all. In fact, I have no doubt about it," Mike replied grimly.
"What d'you mean? Do you know something we don't?"
"No. But no plan's foolproof. This bastard is bound to slip up sooner or later, and we'll be watching him. Let's just hope it's sooner rather than later," he answered.
Nodding to Laughing Turtle, Mike left the room briskly.

Sooner or later, indeed. But at what cost? Two areas down, two Members killed and Amaia seriously injured. Laughing Turtle had seen the charred remains of the Chat Wing himself – everything was black, smoke had filled the air and the heat was almost unbearable. The flames had almost reached the end of the corridor leading to the Chat Wing, but not quite. And that was where he had found Amaia. Breathing shallowly, she'd fallen to the ground covering herself as best as possible. The burns were serious, but nothing that couldn't be healed – it was the smoke that she'd inhaled that was bound to do the most damage.
Laughing Turtle looked grimly at the ceiling above him. For all his life, he would never be able to forget that image… the fear and the pain in Amaia's eyes as he had carried her away from the destroyed Wing...
Fatigue gradually overcame him as he slipped into an uneasy sleep to dream of limp bodies and shadowed faces.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 5 – DOUBLE ATTACK

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

Standing in front of the door to the Register Wing, the man paused, feeling inside his pocket for the two vials he carried with him. Resting a hand on the door handle, he sighed. Either he was just about to walk into a trap that would cost him his success on this mission, or he was about to begin an endeavour that would truly and completely bring down The Enchanted Quill™ swifter than he had ever imagined.
The whole situation was risky, having overhead a few newbies that had actually expressed an interest in the intruder's destruction in a supportive view. Of course, the whole conversation could've been a set-up, but with the increased security around The Enchanted Quill™, the intruder was willing to take the chance for any extra help he could gather.
Turning the handle, the man entered the room silently, interrupting a conversation and coming face-to-face with two men and a woman who stared back at him in utter disbelief.
One of the men spoke up, "But aren't you-?" he began, before being cut off in mid-sentence.
"Correct," the intruder said, swinging the door shut behind him. "And you must be CobaltKnight, Aburl01 and Lakai. So glad you accepted my offer."
CobaltKnight, the man who had previously spoken, nodded.
"For our own reasons, we are willing to work with you in order to bring down The Enchanted Quill™, uh, sir," Aburl01 said, glancing at his companions for encouragement.
"Well, the letter seems to have explained the basics. But the reason the three of you are here right now is because we must not falter in this attack, and everyone is crucial to the success of this assignment," the man said, reaching into his pockets and retrieving the two glass vials filled with a maroon liquid and handing one to each of the men. "Now, to the point. Burl, your assignment is to place this directly behind the door of this Wing at exactly 12:07pm. Let no one see you make the deposit and return to your Profile directly after you have completed the task."
Aburl01 nodded, staring at the vial in his hands and clutching it as delicately as though it could explode at any moment.
"CK, your assignment is the same, except your drop-off point will be directly behind the door of the Calendar Wing. Do you both understand your tasks?" the man asked, his cold eyes searching for any hints of weakness in them. Finding no flaws, he turned to Lakai as they nodded.
"As for you, Lakai, I understand you are talented in the ways of kickboxing and sword fighting? Is this true?" he asked, staring at her intently.
If his background check had recorded correctly, her skills could be greatly used in this line of work. The two men showed no records of having serious training in any areas of self-defense or attack, but nonetheless, he did not doubt they would be strong enough when put to the test.
Not having spoken a word so far, Lakai merely nodded.
"Good," the man said, "you shall guard the corridors from the Foyer in case anybody thinks to distract or attack Burl or CK. Note however, that there must be no witnesses. None."
The man stared, unsmiling, into the faces of his three apprentices, satisfied as they all nodded in reply.
Hesitantly, Aburl01 spoke up, staring at the vial in hand, "Uh, sir, just what is in these vials?"
The intruder smiled callously. "Did you ever see the remains of the Chat Wing?"
All three newbies shook their head.
"Well, simply, these vials contain a formula similar to what was used on the Chat Wing, though with slight differences. I need no personal triggering with these now that I have a mental connection established. As well as that, the contents of these vials will work soundlessly and immediately when triggered - merely an improvement upon my last technique. Unfortunately, I am forced to limit the magic I put into these works as I must save my energy for my final attacks which would explain why I still must place a physical object to assist in my assignment at all," he explained, looking intently at them. "But now, into positions. We have 23 minutes until you must deposit the vials, in which case, I shall give you an extra 3 minutes to be clear of the Register and Calendar Wings until I shall trigger them. I cannot stress how important it is that you are nowhere near these Wings when they are destroyed. You must return straight to your Profiles until the explosion has happened and say not a word. And in case any of you think to cross my path and confess... there is an instant fiery death that will await you with the mention of my name, so do not even consider it."
With a grim nod, the intruder left the room swiftly, leaving his three recruits to stare at his retreating back with a mixture of confidence and confusion. It was too late to turn back now. They held the weapon and they'd agreed to participate in this attack. They were now enemies of The Enchanted Quill™ just as much as their leader.
CobaltKnight turned to Aburl01 and shook his head. "This is some deep shit. I never would've guessed that… well, you know… it was him," he said, frowning.
Aburl01 nodded in reply and opened his mouth to speak until he was interrupted by Lakai’s irritated tone.
"Standing around speaking is wasting precious time we need to pull this off. Let's end this idle chatter and get started already?" she said, staring both men in the eyes coldly and leading the way out of the Register Wing.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Waiting in his Profile, the intruder watched the minute hand of the clock opposite him come to rest upon the 7th minute of the 12th hour. At this moment, the vials should be planted and the countdown began until the Register and Calendar Wings were destroyed.

It had been risky recruiting newbies at all, considering they were generally unreliable, unpredictable and unable to keep secrets, but from what he'd observed in the brief meeting with Aburl01, CobaltKnight and Lakai that morning, he was willing to take the risk. These three knew what they had placed themselves apart of, and had done so willingly. And it was that willingness and his established influence over them that made the intruder doubt that they would turn against him in times of trouble. These newbies simply had that characteristic about them; not complete trustworthiness, but rather the right amount of fear and inspiration to guarantee dedication.
It was bound to get harder to remain unidentified throughout his operations, but if he had allies, his chances of succeeding were greater. Not only that, but Aburl01, CobaltKnight and Lakai were the perfect sacrifices if he ever needed to save himself by offering a temporary distraction.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Of course, there was one thing that disturbed him. Lakai. She had not spoken a word to him. Not that that was a problem, but the lack of fear she held for him was slightly unnerving. If her will was too strong... well, he always had ways to overcome that, but it made him unsure to think that Lakai could dare think she had nothing to fear from him.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Their time was up. The man frowned and sat back in his chair, closing his eyes slowly and letting his mind slip away from the reality around him. Picturing the deadly vials, he noted the cool, solid glass containing that lethal maroon liquid. He felt the fluid begin to warm in his mind until, with a rapid change, it began to boil and fizz in the vial. The glass shattered outwards as the fluid burst from its cylinder, the liquid spinning outwards and noiselessly igniting as the flames expanded, tearing through solid walls, seated tables and chairs instantly. Ripping through the wooden door of each Wing, flames sprouted into the corridors outside.

The man's eyes flew open and he looked around him nervously. Looking down at his hands, he realised he had clenched them so tightly the knuckles had shown white. Slowly, he relaxed his grip and wiped sweat from his forehead.

It wasn't from fear that he grew tense; it was the exertion of his mental power that had caused him to grow edgy and tired. Steadily, the world became dark until all light and noise disappeared and the man fell unconscious, his head lolling to the side.

I would like to express my sincerest apologies for this uncustomary delay in updating the tale - The Weaver

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 6 – A FURTIVE PLAN

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

Tatum smiled at Nightfairy, nodding as she passed down the Members Wing hallway, but Nightfairy didn't notice, her head down and her forehead creased in concentration. Rounding a corner, Tatum passed through the crowded Foyer and began down the corridor of the Forums Wing, passing a number of doorways until she reached the very last one into the General Discussion hall.

When she thought about it, it had been a very long time since she'd even considered contributing her two cents to a debate in the Deep Thoughts hall or booking a session in the War Story hall to update her tale to the usual listeners. But that was to be expected when there was enough of a war going on in reality, let alone consider another attack in fiction.

Tatum shivered. There was no trusting anybody these days, except... well, no, she didn't even know if she could trust Jon or Justin either. She so desperately wanted to and she was sure deep down that they would never do anything to harm her or anyone else... but there was always a chance... she sighed, and put the thought right out of her mind.
She'd come to the General Discussion hall for a reason. The evening earlier, Anita had phoned about a Members' meeting in the hall and Tatum had liked the sound of the topic. The Admins weren't the only ones facing the attacks and more than a few people had been upset when they'd been told that Members would be allowed no part in the defense of The Enchanted Quill™. There was logic in the order – the Admins just couldn't handle the ultimate responsibility for the Members' lives any more than they already did and nor did they want to see anyone hurt – but attacks at The Enchanted Quill™ had reached a new level of aggression that the rest of the Members just weren't prepared to stand by and watch.

Tatum pushed the door open, smiling at the other Members seated in couches around a large wooden table as she accepted a mug of coffee from Satan gratefully.
"Hey everyone," she said, taking a seat next to Apocalypse. "Have I missed anything?"
"Not much. We're just checking everyone's here," Anita said smiling with clipboard in hand, neatly organized despite the current circumstances. "You're the last."
Tatum wriggled into the soft folds of the couch and sipped her coffee.
"Now, everyone knows why we're here, right?" Anita began, peering around at them seriously. "You've seen the Admins patrolling the halls, you've seen the charred remainders of our beloved homes, you've seen the tears and the fear in Members' eyes and you've seen what it's done to all of us. From all this... you know it's got to stop, and right now.”

Members nodded their heads and a number of eyes turned to Amaia who sat between Buckeye and Mesaana, her breathing labored as she listened intently. There was a fierce glint in her eye that had never been there before, but that everyone knew as the desire for revenge - and rightly so. Amaia looked at Anita steadily, a grim determination set in the line of her mouth and her fingers twined through her husband's. Beside her, Mesaana patted her arm and whispered something, to which Amaia nodded in reply.

"This meeting has been called today that we might initiate our own defense methods and launch our own patrols of The Enchanted Quill™ – undisclosed, of course – that we might assist our Admins in protecting our home and ourselves. With 6 of them and an added 32 of us... The Enchanted Quill™ is sure to be safer than ever which can only mean a swifter end to this waking nightmare."
"Amen," Apocalypse said quietly beside Tatum. She didn't particularly know much about him, but from what she'd heard from the other Members, he was a good and honest man. She smiled at him and he nodded in return.
"We must establish our own inconspicuous watches and start taking a share in listening to and recording incident reports. If anyone has preferences against involving themselves in this plan, that is perfectly acceptable. We understand there are numerous reasons for objections and it is no one's right to judge another based on their choice. Before I take names, is this understood by all?"
Members nodded or muttered their understanding.
"Put me down wherever you want, Anita," Jabbernaut said, from across the room. He'd been leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and staring at the ground, but now he looked at Amaia and nodded. "I'll do anything you need."
"I'll second that," James called from another couch, his dark clothing in sync with that of Alexia's who hung her legs over the end of the couch beside him, nodding.
"Add me, too," Tatum called, her offer almost drowned out by the "definitely's" and "for sure's" that followed.

Next to her, Apocalypse slowly shook his head. Tatum looked at him quizzically, though he did not notice.
"What's up?" she asked, puzzled.
"Oh nothing. It's all just so terribly sad... that someone wants to harm the Members here... their own home... it's awful and doesn't make any damn sense, either. Just look at Amaia – she'd never done anything to insult another and perhaps she was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, but clearly whoever is doing all this shit doesn't care anyway. Did you see all the Members injured from the Calendar and Register Wings' explosions? It was fucking horrible – the heat and the smoke and the crying. Something big is going to happen next, I can feel it... But is what we're doing enough?" he said, looking at Tatum just as she was wondering whether he had begun to speak to himself rather than her.
"I don't know. No one knows. Except someone. But if it can grant us a little extra time until a plan more definite is worked out... That's gotta count."
"Well what if the attacker is here. One of us. They'll know what we're doing... and this whole thing could be useless, right?" he said, looking at the group of people around him.
"That's a chance we've got to take, and there'd still be added defenses anyway. Nothing the bastard can do about that without being discovered," Tatum replied, patting Apocalypse's arm. "Listen, I know it's hard and it's going to be for a while, but you've got to have a little hope. Yeah, that's totally cliché... but it's true. We have no chance of success if despair takes the place of hope."
Apocalypse nodded and smiled at her as he stood. "I'd better go add my name to the lists before everyone else beats me to it. I don't want to miss out on crushing this son of a bitch with the rest of them," he said with dark humor, though his eyes showed no amusement.

Tatum sat back into the couch and sipped her coffee again. This plan was going to work marvelously and she admired Anita for her enthusiasm. If there was anyone that could bring together The Enchanted Quill™, it was Anita. It wouldn't be long now till the next time the Members regrouped would be to celebrate a victory over the attacker and the restoration of safety and harmony to The Enchanted Quill™. She hoped.

But until then, all were suspects in this community. Every single one of them.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 7 – PREPARATION HAS BEGUN: PART I

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

The man grinned widely as Aburl01, CobaltKnight and Lakai approached his table in the General Discussions hall of the Forums Wing. Standing, he embraced each of them, kissing Lakai's cheeks fondly.
"Smile," he instructed quietly before beginning to sit down again and raising his voice. "Wonderful to see you! How have you been? Oh, but first I must say what a wonderful impression you have made upon The Enchanted Quill™. All new Members bring some special quality to our home - even in these dire times. It seems you're settling in well!" he continued, more loudly.

Buck walked past in an elegant black suit, his head down as he muttered to himself. The intruder caught his eye and gave him a reassuring thumbs-up. Buck smiled nervously and produced a rose from his jacket pocket before heading for the corner where Amelia sat with a few other Members.

"It was a grand success, sir," CobaltKnight said quietly, once Buck was out of earshot.
"Indeed it was," the man replied in a soft voice, relaxing his smile to gaze at them all thoughtfully. "Any casualties, do you know?"
"No, sir... none," Aburl01 replied seriously, and slightly relieved.
The man looked at him thoughtfully and a frown appeared upon his face. It was almost a look of disappointment. "That is... well."
Somehow, Aburl01 doubted the sincerity of the man's comment.

The intruder smiled widely. "Well it is time to prepare for my - our - final attack. Though I very much doubt it will be the last battle we will be forced to deal with before the ultimate success of our mission..." he said, his sentence trailing off unfinished.

"And what exactly drives your desire for success, sir?" CobaltKnight asked with interest.
Aburl01, Lakai and himself had all entered this assignment for obvious reasons. They were pirates – in the loose, backstabbing sense. They'd find a community, subtly loot it of its assets – particularly useful smileys – and disappear. They could never be tracked, changing names and identities with ease. A Star Wars fan had run the last community they had looted so their stockpile of light saber smileys was rather high.
In the case of The Enchanted Quill™, the intruder's plan added a bit of spice to their usual routine so they didn't mind playing along - even despite the threat he used to control them. Besides, they only planned to kill him once it was over - it was common knowledge that the only unwillingly granted release from a spell was extermination of the source. To the three, The Enchanted Quill™ was just another temporary community for them. Still, their leader had never openly expressed his reasons behind his actions and considering his identity, it made discovering them all the more interesting.

The intruder leaned forward in his seat and looked at CobaltKnight sharply, his eyes boring into the newbie with a cold anger. Beside CobaltKnight, Lakai hid a smirk.
"My reasons are my own. I definitely will not share them with you. Besides, there are more pressing matters to attend to," he said, changing the subject and leaning back in his chair casually, "So far I have a crate of throwing stars and two broadswords to be delivered tomorrow that will equip each of you with sufficient weaponry. However, I feel that if we can carry out this operation by flying well under the radar, there will be no need for any of you to have to deal with open combat. Still, if the need arises… well, you will be ready. The rest of the plan depends solely on me, but that is unimportant as to the aim of this meeting. The three of you will meet me the day after tomorrow at noon in my Profile. Your alibi is that you are nervous and merely wishing to discuss with me an incident one of you believe is important. This is when you will collect your weapons and I will give you your instructions for our final assault. Needless to say, this assault will be on the Forums Wing."
The three newbies looked at the man sharply.
"That's one hell of a target, sir… are you sure it is possible?" Aburl01 asked, worry written clearly upon his face.
"I am sure," the man replied simply. "And if there are no ques-"

A squeal of delight erupted from the corner where Buck was now pinned to the ground, the excitable Amelia having tackled him and proceeded to wildly toussel his hair.

The man looked at the three newbies and smiled mockingly. "Ah, the perfect distraction for us to make an exit," the man said, standing and plastering another fake smile upon his face. Embracing Lakai and shaking hands with the two men, he followed them out of the Forums Wing.

This was it, the intruder thought to himself, now safely returned to his dimly-lit Profile. This was the beginning of the end. He could barely contain his anticipation. At last, The Enchanted Quill™ would experience a change for the better - a change to his way of thinking - a change that was surely necessary. He'd seen the slow but certain deterioration of past communities due to their lax regulations and all-too-welcoming attitude towards new Members. Well, The Enchanted Quill™ would not slip to that level. The Enchanted Quill™ would rise above and beyond - and all with his help.

A smile slowly spread upon the man's face, twisting his features into a wretched picture of wickedness in the half-light of his Profile. Not long now.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 8 – PREPARATION HAS BEGUN: PART II

WARNING: This chapter contains coarse language.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

"FAQ… Chat… Register... Calendar… Members Wing is secure… that leaves the Forums Wing," Mike said, counting the Wings on his fingers and looking at Nightfairy and Wendy intently. Frowning, he began to pace, "The mother of all shit has hit the fan. We cannot tell people not to go to the Forums Wing – that would be restricting rights that they are allowed with Membership. We can, however, tell them this is the next probable place of attack. If that doesn't keep them away from it, I don't know what will."
"That sounds alright. No decent-minded person would hang around an area to be attacked… and anyone who does can be considered suspects," Wendy added.
"You have way too much faith in the passiveness of our Members, Wend. I just don't think it's going to be that simple. God, they're all probably armed in one way or another already. And some of them… well, there are a few who are going to want to be heroes," Nightfairy replied.
"I suppose. But, at least most of our Members would stay away – particularly the newbies, which solves a lot of the problem."
"Yeah, that's true. Well, we'll spread the word and… wait?" Nightfairy asked, looking at Mike and shrugging.
"That's about right. It totally sucks, but really, that's all we can do. Just keep security at its max and be patient," Mike replied bitterly. "Still, as long as we are anticipating this one, we'll be prepared..."
"OK. We'll get this news to the other Admins and broadcast the warning," Wendy said, nodding determinedly. "We won't go down without a fight."

***

Waffles ran a finger down the page till he found his name at the bottom. His patrol began in… an hour and a half. That seemed fine. He checked the list again, hoping to find who he was paired with. Mesaana.

"Mmm," he crooned under his breath.
Someone coughed behind him and he turned to face Anita who frowned at him tiredly. "No shit, Waff. We have a job to do," she said sternly.
"Of course," Waffles replied, nodding determinedly.

He headed for a corner where Epiph and Mesaana were seated around a coffee table.
"Evening Waff," Epiph said, patting the space of couch next to her.
Waffles sat down next to her, leaning back into the soft couch. "What's tonight's topic of discussion?" he said, his casual smile out of place with the solemn faces of the women around him. "Oh… the bastard fucking up our home." He sighed. "For a minute, I thought there might've been a lift in the conversation with a chance to forget a little. My bad," he said, almost bitterly.

Selfish as it sounded, there were times when all he wanted was to forget; or to daydream; or to have a conversation about music or movies or books. Something normal. Something incredibly crap or incredibly funny or incredibly sad – but no more of this fear.
He wanted to continue his quest to be the ultimate ladies man, and he wanted to swoon over gorgeous women and flatter the female Quillers outrageously but he just couldn't anymore - which, admittedly, was reasonable. You don't laugh or make jokes or think insanely when your life could end at any moment. Sanity is the top priority on your list and it slowly wears you down.

Epiph sighed next to him and took one of his hands in her own.
"We understand… but… well, save it for when this is over. I have a feeling it's going to be soon," she said, not smiling, but allowing the look in her eyes to reassure him. "When's your patrol?"
"About an hour and a half. Yours?"
"After you."
Opposite them, Mesaana placed her half-finished coffee onto the table. "Oh, that's right. I'm with you, Waff. In which case, I'd better head back to my Profile and get set," she said with a sigh, standing. Leaning forward, she kissed Epiph on the cheek and headed out the door, leaving Waffles behind.

"You take care, remember?" Epiph looked at Waffles with concern.
"As you wish," Waffles replied with a wry smile, quoting one of her favorite movies.
A short burst of laughter erupted from Epiph before she even realized she had made a sound.

Maybe insanity still had a chance.

***

Laughing Turtle flung the door open and made his way directly for Mike's couch. He hadn't had a proper sleep for a couple of weeks now and the fatigue along with the stress were beginning to catch up with him.
"What's it like out there?" Mike asked, appearing from the bathroom.
Laughing Turtle collapsed face down on the couch. "Nothing is happening. Probably going to be another motionless night. What is this - the third night after the Calendar and Register Wing attacks? This bastard is taking it cautiously. Mind you… there are still Members just wandering around like nothing is wrong… I don't understand that…" he replied.
"Wandering around… anything suspicious?" Mike asked, rummaging around in his cupboard.
"Nah, not like that. And besides, there are a whole lot of them. Suspicious would be seeing the same people again and again. But I hardly think more than a dozen Members are all in on this shit without having slipped up once. No… nothing suspicious for the moment. But Malc and Arch and the girls are still out there so… we'll see," he replied, beginning to close his eyes lightly. Just for a moment.
"OK. Well I'm outta here. Take a break and Malc will be here in an hour," Mike said, grabbing his jacket, a broadsword and heading out the door.

The click of the door hadn't even sounded before Laughing Turtle had already fallen asleep.

[The Weaver]

CHAPTER 9: THE WAR BEGINS

WARNING: This chapter contains some characters saying naughty words.

Disclaimer: This story is the result of my overworked (and for this chapter slightly sadistic) imagination and any resemblance to other works is purely coincidental – in fact, they may have infiltrated my thoughts and stolen my ideas. How dare they. Incidentally, if you have any issues about my writing or even merely comments, please feel free to contact me – and please do, because I really, really love hearing from you all. Enjoy.

"You're sure no one can see these?" CobaltKnight asked once more, fingering the hilt of the broadsword that hung at his side in a leather scabbard, "it's just... have you tested this particular spell before, because..."
His words trailed off as the intruder fixed him with a cold stare, "You doubt me?"
CobaltKnight opened his mouth to reply smartly – he'd become tired of this man's overburdening necessity for control over every aspect of CobaltKnight and his partners, and had the right mind to say something, but... CobaltKnight shook his head. "No." Now was not the right time.
"Then leave. No one will see what you carry besides the four people standing in this room now. You know what you must do," the man ordered, turning his back to them and beginning to rifle through the papers that littered his workbench.
Aburl01 and CobaltKnight strode from the room purposefully, their eyes straight ahead and neither of them noticing the absence of their third team member.

Back in the room, Lakai walked forward, her steps soundless and her movement light, till she stood directly behind the man. "Wicked, wicked... sir," she whispered, her voice a dangerous purr and barely audible even in the silence of the room, "I know you... and I know your game. I've seen it played before. But this time it's different. This time you will not win."

The man stopped what he was doing as a sudden anxiety entered his thoughts and he began to doubt the security of his plan and the control he believed he had secured over Abulr01, CobaltKnight and her. For some reason, Lakai had made him nervous since the moment he met her and her words at such a critical moment in his assignment put him on edge. Perhaps he was wrong and the people he thought were the saviours of his operation were the ones who would ultimately bring him failure.
Amongst his uncertainty, anger at this prospect gripped him and he spun to face Lakai, his mouth open to rebut her comments... but he was met with an empty room.

Fear settled in, insecurity made itself at home, despair made a mess of his mind, and confidence packed his bags and strolled casually and gradually away.

***

Alexia hurriedly tied her hair back before edging towards her Profile door and leaning out of it cautiously.
Leaning beside the door stood Apocalypse, his arms folded and a look of amusement on his face. "What are you, James fucking Bond?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
Alexia grinned, shutting her Profile door behind her and beginning to walk down the corridor with him. "I'm merely taking precautions, is all," she replied, looking at the bokken Apocalypse carried on his back, "as I see you are, as well. I thought they wanted us to be inconspicuous. It's going to be slightly hard when you have a bloody big stick attached to your back."
"Bokken, Lexi. Bokken. Stop calling it a stick, that's incorrect," Apocalypse replied, frowning.
Alexia rolled her eyes as they passed through the Foyer and entered the corridor to the Forums Wing. "OK, I'll start in General Discussion, you start in Theories and we'll work down from there. Same as last time, you do every second and I'll do the others, cool?"
"Cool. Meet up in the Foyer in an hour or so," Apocalypse replied, turning into the Theories Hall and closing the door behind him.

Apocalypse gone, Alexia sagged against the wall of the corridor, sighing deeply. It was all well and good to keep a positive attitude on the outside, but on the inside she knew she was a train wreck. She hadn't slept properly for days and her eating habits were slowly deteriorating. Dreams turned to nightmares in which a hooded figure she subconsciously knew to be the intruder drew back their hood and revealed the face of... darkness. The face was never clear. It was at that moment she always woke up with the feeling that it was someone she knew, someone she trusted wholeheartedly and someone who was very near and closing in fast.

Standing up straighter, Alexia opened the door of the General Discussion Hall and walked in. From behind her, a figure loomed out of the shadows, grabbing her mouth and shoving a cloth over her nose. Breathing in the sickly sweet smell of chloroform, Alexia's eyes closed and her body fell limp before she even had a chance to scream.

***

[The Weaver]

Nightfairy studied the CurrentlyOnline list, checking Member’s names against their current positions inside The Enchanted Quill™. Marking the final tick against Wendy’s name, she closed the Members List and CurrentlyOnline screens and entered the corridor to the Forums Wing. She still had twenty minutes until Malcor replaced her and she wanted one last check that everything was secure.

The door of the Color and Light Hall opened and Apocalypse stepped out, closing it and beginning to walk down the corridor. Looking up, a startled look flitted across his face at the sight of Nightfairy approaching him before he quickly covered it with a polite smile. Nightfairy looked at him, returning the smile and almost walking past him before noticing an oddity to Apocalypse she almost overlooked.
"Woah, hang on, Apoc," she said, putting out an arm, "what are you doing?"
Apocalypse looked at her nervously. Maybe Alexia was right and he shouldn’t have brought the bokken along with him on this check, after all. "I'm walking," he replied lamely.
Nightfairy looked at him sternly. "What's with the stick, Apoc?"
"Bokken. Bok-ken, Enneff. And I was just... on my way to... my Reflections. To put it up to show everyone," he said, smiling nervously at the small winged woman in front of him. If it weren't such a serious circumstance, the image would've been almost comical.
Nightfairy frowned at him for a moment before nodding slowly, "All right then. As long as that's all you're doing... carry on," she said, stepping back and walking by.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Apocalypse clutched his bokken protectively and entered the Reflections Hall, just in case.

Nightfairy chuckled quietly. Blind Freddy could see Apocalypse wasn't putting that stick up for show and tell, but Nightfairy understood the Members' desires to protect themselves and their home on their own terms. She knew they'd been up to something what with all the extra Members roaming The Enchanted Quill™ 'for no particular reason' and she respected and appreciated their efforts. The constant fear was strenuous on everybody, but by the same token, it equipped the Members with a renewed focus, confidence and a determination she had never seen the like of before.

Entering the General Discussion Hall, Nightfairy's thoughts were suddenly cast aside by the scene in front of her. On the floor, Alexia was slumped as though lifeless and a figure in black loomed over her holding a small cloth in one hand. A feeling of horror swamped Nightfairy and a loud gasp escaped her lips, her mind screaming at her to run as fast as she could. The figure heard the sound and looked up, brown eyes actually crinkling in what Nightfairy was alarmed to recognise as amusement.
Her mind rapidly caught up with her body and she spun to leave, lunging towards the door handle only a few paces now ahead of her, until a weight on her wings halted her progress forward. A scream caught in her throat as pain laced through her wings, tears welling in her eyes at the sheer intensity of it. It felt as though a burning hot iron had been plunged through the delicate silver veins of her wings, and she felt herself pulled backwards from the door. A hand swiftly clamped over her mouth and a cloth covered her nose.
In the space of a few seconds, Nightfairy crumpled to the ground next to Alexia.

***

Slowly, Alexia's senses returned to her. Wherever she was, the light was a dim grey – light to see what was close to you, but too dark to see any further than a foot away - and her wrists and ankles ached from the ties around them. Her shoulders craved free movement and she felt the dull throb of a migraine beginning at her temples. From somewhere, a light breeze swept around her, lifting her hair off her face a little. A sharp, tangy scent lingered in the air, filling her nostrils and throat and triggering a sneeze.

At the sound, something moved in the darkness and Alexia hurriedly shuffled backwards until she felt a wall at her back. The something chuckled mirthlessly and Alexia heard the footfalls of a person approaching her. From the darkness, a man appeared, leaning down in front of her and grinning. He would've been handsome had his eyes not been so cold and his grin not been so twisted at the corners making it look more of a sneer than a smile.
"Well, well, well. Finally we speak. Captor and captive. The name's Aburl01," the man drawled, extending a hand, "oh, I forgot. You can't shake my hand if you're tied up... and I'd love to take off the ties but I just know you'll try something stupid."
Alexia glared at him and leaned forward, spitting at his feet. "Screw you."
Aburl01's face contorted with anger. "Charming," he replied, standing, "but you shouldn't be making things any worse for yourself. You cannot escape from here. No one will find you," Aburl01 continued, stepping back into the darkness where Alexia listened to his feet pace back and forth.
"They'll hear me. I'll scream," she replied defiantly.
Aburl01 laughed, looming out of the darkness once more and leaning his face close to hers. "Don't you know where you are, Alexia? Maybe it's too dark to see..." He stepped back, disappearing into the darkness before reappearing with an old-fashioned oil lamp in his hand. Lighting the wick, an unnaturally bright light began to shine from it, illuminating a number of metres from where he stood.

Alexia looked around her and froze. The breeze she'd felt earlier came from a gaping hole in the roof through which she now noticed the stars could be seen. The walls and floor of the room were blackened, and ash had settled on the ground. Aburl01's pacing around the room stirred small blooms of the grey dust into the air and something glittered in the lamplight a few feet to Alexia's left. She peered closer, her eyes slowly widening in panic as she shuffled closer to lean over the crumpled form of Nightfairy. Like Alexia, Nightfairy's wrists and ankles had been restricted though Nightfairy's with copper shackles that seemed to glow faintly green in the dim light.

Aburl01 walked over to crouch beside the two women, his face alight with almost childish glee. "And so it begins..."