No More

Chapter 41: Deception

He grabbed the chest that Jess gave him, and climbed down the ladder. When he did, he ended up inside a huge, underground room, with a large metal table in the center with glowstone on the ceiling for illumination.

Gill can clearly see the six people that surrounded the table. Jesse, Lisa, Axel, Olivia, Petra, and Reuben gave him a questioning look as he placed the chest on the table.

He smirked at them. "It worked."

"I'm not going to lie." Said Axel, arms crossed, a worried frown on his face. "I thought she would notice."

"We have to be more careful now." Said Jesse. "If my sister knew about this..."

"Then there's no chance she'll give Jennifer back." Said Lisa, she then gave Gill a mild glare. "I hope you're right, Gill."

"I am, I'm sure of it." said a determined Gill. "It's Jess, and her accomplice, who took Jennifer and framed Aiden."

"Still," said Petra, shaking her head. "I can't believe Jess is capable of all of this."

"Not to mention the fact that she actually did all of this." said Olivia, a shiver ran up her spine. "I just hope the plan works."

"It will, just remember the plan." Said Jesse. "We make her believe that her plan is working as Gill uses her items in the Tournament."

"And since we're competitors too, we can help Gill by eliminating the competition." Said Petra. "Then when Gill wins, we wait for Jess to arrange a drop-off spot for Gill to deliver the items."

"When we do, we surround her, take her into custody." Said Axel. "We convince her to tell us where Jennifer is, and hopefully convince her to stop and stay here with us, at the City."

"That still all depends on me winning." Said Gill. "Even if we get Jess to admit to the crime, and prove Aiden's innocence, what happens then?"

"What do you mean?" asked Axel, giving him a glare. "We're risking a lot to save you and your punk friend."

"I think he means," said Olivia, calming her soon-to-be husband down. "Is it all going to go as we think it will? What if Jess does something that ruins everything?"

"Then we just have to plan out everything." Said Jesse. "She's clever, not unbeatable."

"Just really difficult." finished Gill.

"Lets just empty the chest." Said Axel, curious as he is eager to see what's inside.

Petra opened the chest, laying out the items before them on the table to see various objects they never seen before. One of them is a monocle.

Except that on the lens is a, barely seeable, rune. Axel picked it up, looked through it, and dropped it in surprise. Good thing Olivia was able to catch it. "Careful, we don't want to break this." she scolded.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I just wasn't expecting that." He gestured to the monocle.

Jesse picked up the monocle, hesitating to look through it. 'My sister did create it.' he thought to himself as he put it on his right eye.

Everything... is almost the same. The only difference is that if he focuses on someone, or something, he gets a visual; a detailed description!

After explaining the device, as how it's like Scribing without using any Mana, they all looked at the rest of the items: a fancy crossbow, a black shield, and a humanoid wool doll that has no outstanding features.

[Repeating Crossbow]

Created by Jess. Combining the power of her Mana Generator, a crossbow, and a rune, she created a ranged weapon that never needs to reload.

[Thorn Shield]

Created by Jess. This obsidian shield will reflect 80% of all damage back at your opponents as it is enchanted with {Thorns VIII}.

[Projection Marionette]

Created by Jess. This wool doll will fire an intangible orb. Whoever the orb hits, what happens to the doll will happen to the person.

"Jess created these?" said Olivia in awe and shame. "And to think I mocked her for not being smart enough, just because she didn't know anything about redstone." She whispered so quiet that no one heard her.

"I just can't believe it." said Lisa, looking at the items. "A monocle that reveals information, a crossbow that never need to reload, a near-invincible shield, and an advanced voodoo doll."

"A voodoo doll?" asked Axel.

"It's dark magic, usually used by witches to control and torture people." Said Lisa, much to everyone's surprise. Controlling monsters is one thing, but people?

"Well, at least Gill will have a shot at winning." Said Axel. "Not to mention the person Jess is sending to help."

"I can't help but feel disturbed by what Jess is sending." Said Olivia. "After everything, after so much time, I can't imagine-."

"Then don't." said Jesse, cutting her off. "For now, just focus on the plan, and remember your roles." He said to everyone as they nodded.

Then they all heard the loud, deep ring of a bell.

"Alright, the Tournament is about to start." Said Lisa. "We'll take the secret exit, we can't have Jess being suspicious of us being here if we exited the normal way."

They all nodded and started to leave, Gill taking all of the items. "Hey Jesse," said Gill, making him stop as the rest continued ahead, giving him a smile. "I just want to thank you for doing all of this for Aiden."

Jesse just gave Gill a cold glare, nothing like his sister's, but enough to have an effect. "You really think I'm doing all of this for your friend?"

"Well, aren't you?" asked Gill. "He's innocent. Didn't you forgive us?"

"Forgive?" he took a step forward. "Innocent?!" he took another as Gill backed away.

"Are you serious?" he seethed. "You think I'll just forget all the trouble you gave my friends, the times you bullied them, and what you and Aiden said about my sister at her funeral, within a week?!" he shouted, giving Gill a harsh shove.

"Then why are you doing this?" said a frightened Gill, seeing the resemblance of Jess in her brother. "Why are you helping me and my friend?"

"I'm not doing this for you, or Aiden." He spat. "I want my daughter back, I want my sister home, and if this does succeed, I better not see you or Aiden ever again."

He then got really close to Gill, as Jesse's silent homicidal rage emanating from his soul. "But if this does go south, and if I do lose my daughter, you better watch your back as Aiden rots in a cell." He threatened as he joined with everyone else, leaving an anxiety-filled Gill alone in the room.

-----------

Meanwhile in somewhere unknown

Jess had the most foreign feeling. It was as if someone out there cared for her. She just scoffed at that idea, immediately snuffing out that feeling.

No one in his/her right mind will give a damn about her. Besides, she planned ahead, and soon everything will fall into place.

The Tournament is starting, and she'll get what she wants. Like Ivor taught her: There's no point in life without hardships.

But right now, Jess has the right interpret that and say it differently. "There's no point for you to live, unless making it harder gives it purpose." She said, looking at the barely moving body on the metal table, covered completely with a white blanket that's been deeply stained with blood.

She pulled the cloth back, and gently traced her finger across the bloody face. She looked at the pale skin, the long black hair, and cute smile the child-size body has on its cold face.

"Isn't that right, Jennifer?" she whispered as she pulled out a scalpel.